Growing up together.
Chapter 1 : the finding
" This is awfull!" gasped out a young man with long black spikey hair that hung halfway down his back, and deep purple eyes, "I really do hope that there are survivers... How 'bout you Seph?" He looked over towards another man, who stood tall and had long silver hair that went past his knees, and had emerald eyes.
"Zachery... There is no way someone could have survived the assault that this town has endured, and if they did. They would have frozen. It is the dead of winter." Sephiroth replied simply.
"Seph-" Zack was cut off by the faint sound of rock and snow being moved around, not far behind them. Both men walked towards the source of the noise, to behold a small child- naked and curled into a ball-shivering from the cold, and staring up at them with fearfull eyes. "There is a survivor..." Zack mumbled. "MEDIC!!" yelled the SOLDIER, as he moved towards the small child, he noticed that the child was a boy. He also noticed that the boy tensed as Zack approched and his shivering increased, "Hey..." he whispered, holding his hands out to the boy. "C'mere little guy, I'm not gonna hurt ya." Zack scooped the shivering bundle in his arms, as a young man carrying a bag ran over to them.
The little boy started screaming and flailing to get free from Zack's grip. The medic stared dumbfounded at the small 'warrior' in his superior's arms. Regaining his composure the medic said, " Bring him here!", Zack did so, as he still struggled to calm the distressed boy. The medic took the fuming child and wrapped him in a huge blanket. Once he was put back down on the ground, the little boy calmed.
"There...lets get you cleaned up." the medic told the child enthusiastically, which made the boy to look up at him confused, and showing his big cerlean blue eyes. The medic smilled as he ran a warm damp cloth over the boy's face, cleaning the mud and dirt off of the boy, to reveal pale flesh, and it also made the child squirm away from him. Then he started working on the hair as best as he could; due to the child's struggling, to reveal platenum blond hair that stuck every direction. " We should get him to a tent where he can warm up and I can give him a thorough check." he said as he picked the boy up and bounced him in his arms, making the boy gasp in fear, but calm slightly with a trace of a smile.
Both Zack and Sephiroth watched silently as the medic made the boy more comfortable in his arms, "Zachery, go with the medic. I'll see if I can find any information in the rubble of the boy's identity." he stated.
" Sure General, see ya soon bud!" Zack patted Sephiroth's shoulder, then he followed the medic towards the tent the men put up as a ward. " Some army we are..." Zack said saddly, he looked at the boy who clutched onto the medic as if he were a lifeline. "Poor kid..." he whispered,"and after Seph told me that there weren't gonna be survivers, we found him... Such a coincidence." Zack laughed causing the boy to bury himself deeper into the medic's touch.
"Commander, this child has been threw a great deal, and it has terrified him greatly. If you could, could you please not raise your voice too loudly? For the child's sake?" asked the medic quietly as he rubbed soothing circles along the boy's lower back. Zack nodded as he watched the boy's stubborn spikes bounce.
The medic reached a bed and placed the young child on it. "Now... lets see," the medic took out a small flashlight and turned it on. Making the small light dance around the blond, and making him follow it. "Interesting, isn't it?" he said smilling. The small boy looked up at him, cocking his head to the side and with one tiny hand, reached out for the fladhlight. Zack smiled at the sight.
The medic allowed the boy to have the flashlight, and as he was playing with it the medic was able to check his tempature and heartbeat. He also checked the boy's whole body for any infections or frostbite. During the whole time, the boy was too busy and interested with the pretty white light on the ceiling from the pretty black stick. " He has a small fever and mild frostbite on his toe, but other than that he's fine. " the medic finally concluded. Zack sighed in relief.
" Thats good but- " Zack stared up at the ceiling, in thought, " What are bwe gonna get him to wear? " he asked finally, staring down at the boy who was now sucking on the end of the flashlight. " Heh... he's so adorable." Zack squeaked, the medic smiled and nodded.
" He is." the medic agreed. They both watched as the boy stretched his tiny form and yawned. He then curled into the blanket and fell asleep. Both man chuckled at the sight. " Commander?" Zack glanced over to the medic, " What are we gonna do about the child though? I mean we can't keep him here."
Zack nodded his head, ' you're right, and I doubt that he'll last in a orphanage." Zack stared down at the small child, " Maybe we can get ourselves a golden ticket and bring him back home with us. Where we can clothes him, and feed him and-"
" Zachery!" called out Sephiroth as he came into the tent, Zack turned. " I found a few things about the boy in the rubble. His name is Cloud Strife and his birthday's August the 19th." Sephiroth stalked towards the two men. Once the boy heard Cloud Strife, his head popped up from the blankets. He ducked his head back down though once he saw Sephiroth.
" Don't scare him Seph!" Zack laughed patting Sephiroth's back. The silver haired man raised a delicate eyebrow at his second in command. After getting his laughter under control Zack's expression hardened. " So what are we gonna do with 'im? We were discussing that when-"
" He has no family left and every orphanage is full...He'll probably end up-"
" The reason every orphanages are fucking full is , one, because of the war. And two because there's only 4 orphanages on the intire planet!" Zack growled angrily, Cloud cringed.
" -so either someone here takes him, or, we leave him here and die." Sephiroth finished. He glared at Zack for interupting him.
" No. Sir that's- you can't really be serious, are you?" the medic's voice sounded shaky, he looked at Cloud, who had buried himself in the blanets. Zack's expression only hardened even more.
" I'll take care of him." he said, as he watched the bundle of blankets to shiver due to the tone of his voice. Sephiroth eyed his friend, considered it, then nodded. With that motion Zack grinned.
" Zackery... You do realize that this boy is afraid of you. Do you not." asked the General. Zack stopped grinning like a fool and stared at the confused blond, and yes, he did notice that the boy showed high signs of great fear. His eyes showed that fear far better than his body did.
" Well..." he exclaimed as he examined the boy and saw he shook with the voice. " I'll have ta fix that!" he said winking.