Author's note: this is my first fic so forgive if I messed up on the format since it's obviously my first attempt.
Disclaimer: if I owned this do you really think I would be writing fan fiction? That honor belongs to square and later square enix.
End of a Dream
Zack slowly opened his eyes blinking away the blurs in his vision to see he was alone in what looked like one of Nibelheim's many forests. As he sat up trying to put together his thoughts he was suddenly assaulted by a painful migraine followed by flashes of memory; of Nibelheim burning, of Sephiroth's insanity filled glare, of mako tanks, perverse laughing, and Cloud on a table being poked and prodded by a madman.
"Cloud!" Zack scrambled to his feet desperately searching for the blonde when he heard a low growl behind him. Spinning around with speed long unused Zack had enough time to lift up his arms before he was bowled over by what felt like 250 lbs. of snapping teeth and sharp claws. Zack grabbed at the beast's face forcing its seeking jaws as far from his throat as possible. Luckily this wasn't the first, and probably wouldn't be the last, time he faced a monster while unarmed. Zack quickly leaned back, coiled his legs under the creature and with the strength of a 'SOLDIER' 1st Class sent the thing flying over his head and into a nearby tree. Giving him the time he needed to roll to his feet and see what was attacking him. What he saw was a large wolf, slowly getting to it's feet shaking off whatever debri that managed to get in it's fur, before launching itself at the raven haired male. But this time Zack was ready for it and braved himself as he caught the wolf in a headlock, before using his remaining strength to squeeze the wolf's neck. A loud crack filled the forest before all was quiet. Zack panted heavily as he slowly released his hold on the animal. He almost gently laid it on the forest floor, but before he could rise from his kneeling position, Zack was racked with a horrible burning sensation and as the ground quickly rushed to meet him, his vision went dark, and his pain addled mind vaguely noticed the wolf was nowhere in sight.
Beep beep beep
"Specimen Z is responding well to project canis, proceed with next treatment." said a cold clinical voice.
"But Professor if we rush this, there will be higher risk of mutation!" exclaimed a female voice.
"Do you think I care. This is all in the name of science! And when you're done with that, I want a full report on the progress of Project C." snapped the Professor.
"Yes Professor Hojo." As clicking of high heels on linoleum drew near and the barely there burn returned full force. There was only one thing on his mind.
"Cloud…" 'please be alright.'
And Zack Fair's blurred world faded to black.
Zack Fair knocked out the panicking scientist with a quick chop to the neck. Brushing off bits of broken glass and mako the 1st Class SOLDIER quickly noticed the enhanced eyesight, hearing, and slightly different sense of balance.
"But I'll think about that later, first thing is Cloud." muttered Zack as he quickly typed in the memorized password into the keypad releasing Cloud from his mako filled prison.
"Come on Spiky, we're getting out of here."
He quickly dragged Cloud through the Labs, clearing out monsters and guards alike before finally making it to the mansions bedroom.
"Let's get you out of those clothes."
After changing Cloud out of his old Shinra Regular Army uniform. Zack began changing his own clothes when glancing in a mirror he finally noticed it.
"What the HELL!" Yelped Zack as he quickly strode up to the only mirror in the room. He began poking and prodding his new appendages courtesy of Hojo.
"Ok I'm on some kind of trip from one of Hojo's concoctions, or better yet Reno gave me something and I'm going to wake up in Angeal's office in a HunnyBee Bunny Suit because it was Easter the week before and it seemed like a good idea…" slapping himself in the face he shook his panic off like a dog with water. "Focus Zack!" "Alright what would Angeal do?" Zack thought for a moment before shaking his head in the negative.
"Nah, don't feel like going into an I'm a monster speal." thinking for another moment gave him a disturbing thought.
"Is this even all of it…" with that he finished stripping his clothes and gave his nude body a thorough perusal. Besides the few scars that escaped the burning of mako, his eyes glowed brighter than they ought too. He also had a thick wolf's tail, sharp canines, pointed but still human ears, and deadly claws for nails.
Glancing at his new claws he gave a rueful chuckle.
"How did I not notice that." Hearing a groan to his left he looked over to Cloud. Who's eyes were slightly open obviously out of it from Mako Poisoning.
With hands fisted on still nude hips Zack mocked exclaimed.
"Hey no peeking!" Letting out a bark like laugh, new tail wagging at his joke he quickly got dressed and carried Cloud out of Shinra Mansion and into the wilderness. For a year of fighting Genesis Clones and Shinra Regulars alike.
As Cloud got off Fenrir, he took a look around, spotting an elderly woman next to a pit fire slowly stirring a pot next to her he grabbed a package off the back of his bike and walked over.
"What's the difference between a dream and reality?" the old woman seemed to ask the air. Cloud stayed silent as he stepped closer, pulling a note out of his pocket he glanced at it before replying:
"Are you Mrs. Larke?"
"Yes… in this place I am. Why don't you sit down and rest, you must have had a long journey and the stew is almost ready." He decided to ignore the earlier comment. He had talked to Bugenhagen enough times to expect weird from the elderly.
Wake up.
Giving his head a discreet shake he sat down by the fire accepting the offered bowl of stew from her. As he waited for it to cool, she began to speak.
"There are so many choices in life yet it seems the easiest is never the 'right' one."
Wake up, Cloud
"…"
"To continue dreaming or to wake up to the world that tried so hard to snuff out your light?"
Cloud…
"Does that mean this world means nothing? Everything We, I, went through is meaningless?" snapped Cloud, mako eyes flashing in the approaching twilight.
"No… This place, the people you've met, the enemies you've faced, and the world you saved. They are all a… possibility you might call it."
"wha.."
"The mind Mr. Strife, is a powerful thing, never forget that. Your foes knew this and used it often enough." she replied airily as she took a sip of her stew.
Please..
"But… what if I fail?" He asked softly, like a small lost child looking to their mother for guidance.
What if you succeed?" She answered back. A soft smile splayed across her age worn face.
He nodded once at her then and looked away, after a time of contemplation, he nodded once again but to himself. Closing his eyes he listened to the whispers in the back of his mind. The ones that reminded him of Mako Poisoning, starlit nights, and false freedom. Tuning everything around him out, he heard…
WAKE UP.
And he woke up. Gazing at this new world through blurred vision, he realized he was either in the desert area around Gold Saucer or in the Midgar Wastelands. As a black blob entered his line of sight he realized belatedly that he couldn't move, not without extreme effort anyway and that only caused a slight twitch. As the blob spoke however, his less than responsive muscles relaxed seemingly on their own.
"Hey Spiky…" The voice murmured while reaching over and ruffling his wild hair. Cloud could imagine that soft grin slowly claiming his face, lighting his eyes brighter than any amount of mako ever could.
"I'm gonna go away for a bit." he began slowly, almost hesitantly.
That caught Cloud's attention, Zack was many things but hesitant wasn't one of them. Cloud tried harder to look up, to twitch, to well… anything! Zack needed him and all he could do was lie there like a puppet with it's strings cut. That thought got him moving, sadly not literally, he wasn't a puppet to be used, not anymore. It was his turn to help, to comfort Zack, like he did so many times. Before and after his death. That stopped his frantic thoughts like a train wreck. This was familiar, Too damn familiar for his liking, this was too much like when he… when Zack had…
"But don't worry. I'll be back, I promised, and after all…" he began as he stood up and began walking away.
"I can't be a hero if I die now, can I?"
As he continued his trek. Cloud managed to raise his arm, silently begging him not to go, not to waste his life for something as useless as the life of a broken man. But Zack continued on not looking back. So as his vision whited out and the sound of battle reached his ears. Cloud reached within himself searching for that inner strength, that strength that defeated Sephiroth, Kadaj, and even defeated Geostigma in a way. And he found it. But it was different, brighter somehow, still he used it. And he opened his eyes.
In a world that could be, Ms. Larke slowly opened her green eyes as she reached up and tightened a pink ribbon in her hair. Listening to a voice only she could hear, she looked up to the now star filled sky and whispered so only the planet could hear.
"Good luck Cloud."
And Aeris stood up, dusting herself off she walked away from her little hut and disappeared back into the Lifestream.
With an explosion of adrenaline and mako Cloud rocketed from his hiding spot amongst the rocks, First Tsurugi already forming in wisps of blue energy in his hands. Rushing to a group of soldiers he quickly slaughtered them before jumping away as the last of them dropped a grenade. Hearing a grunt of pain Cloud whipped his head around as he quickly spotted a downed Zack being slowly surrounded by three soldiers. As one slowly raised his Army issued rifle, Cloud's body erupted in mako blue flames, hefting First Tsurugi he swung his sword several times above his head before slamming it at the one who dared to harm Zack. Not even giving time for his attack to reach the soldiers, he rushed them cutting them down before the last of the blue mako from his Blade Beam dissipated.
Stabbing his sword into the earth Cloud knelt down next to his fallen friend. Glancing over the many bullet holes littered across his body the blonde started systematically ripping apart a scarf from one of the many bodies scattered around the cliffs. Looking at Zack again his mako eyes lit up with a glimmer of hope.
'not as many this time.'
Leaning closer Cloud began to peal back the SOLDIER sweater vest after quickly removing both Zack's suspenders and belt, when dazed mako eyes peaked open.
"Aren't you going to at least ask me out Spiky?"
"I'll think about it, for now stay awake." answered Cloud, slight mirth coloring his tone as he continued removing bullets and wrapping wounds. As Zack blinked the black spots from his vision he started cataloguing Cloud's appearance.
'Spiky chocobo hair… check, focused deep blue mako eyes… finally check, dirty SOLDIER 1st uniform… check, ridiculously wicked looking demon wing jutting from left shoulder… che-'
"Hey Cloud, my darling chocobo, what the fuck?" questioned Zack in a raspy drawl before breaking into a coughing fit.
"hmm?" Cloud asked as he tipped a stolen water canteen to Zack's lips. After a couple of swallows Zack got a hold of himself and seeing the genuine confusion in Cloud's eyes decided his usual bash 'em over the head approach wasn't going to work, so he changed tactics.
"Have you been feeling… different lately?" Asked Zack in his attempt at supplety.
"mhmm." Cloud answered in the positive while tightly tying a knot into place.
" How…" sucking in a gasp of pain Zack continued. "How so?"
"sorry" muttered Cloud as he began helping Zack into his dirty swiss cheese impersonating sweater vest. He pondered his answer before giving one as close to the truth as possible.
" I feel… hopeful." closing his eyes a look of contentment trickled over his stoic features as he continued "yes, hopeful."
Zack gave him a moment before he voiced his confusion deciding to screw supplety.
"I'm happy for you Cloud, but that doesn't explain that badass wing you got there-"
Cloud's eyes snapped open in horror as he stood up whipping around to his right looking for black feathers. Spinning around like a dog chasing it's tail Cloud caught movement out of his eye. Turning the other way Cloud's eyes widened in wonder as he slowly reached up and ran a sole finger down his wingspan. A pleasant shiver running down his spine snapped him out of his dazed. Taking a more thorough look Cloud quickly spotted the differences between his new addition and the nightmare's own wing. For one Cloud's was more demonic in nature, not a feather of any color in sight. The wing itself was a dark ebony that turned almost blue where the light touched and even though it looked very draconic with it's trident spike and thick bones covered in a canvas like skin. The wing was actually covered in fur that frayed at the edges giving it a tattered appearance.
'It's more like Chaos' than anyone's.' thought Cloud calming from his near panic attack. A mirthless chuckle brought him out of his perusal of his new wing. Looking at Zack he quickly spotted the sardonic grin on his face.
'he's in pain but still smiles.'
"Zack…" began Cloud in concern.
"Don't worry chocobo, I'll be fine." Zack then took a dramatic whiff of his armpit his face morphing into a look of distaste.
"But I'll definitely need a bath, can't show up on Aeris' doorstep smelling like the back side of a chocobo. Help me up?" Zack asked as he raised an arm up. Cloud nodded his head as he helped Zack to his feet supporting him as Zack had done for him for nearly a year now. Zack muttered something that someone unenhanced would have never heard.
"I want wings too."
'would you Zack? Even at the cost of your freedom?' Cloud thought grimly as he slowly led the already healing 1st Class from his could have been grave. Taking one last glance back Cloud began to slowly drag Zack to Midgar.
'Your Journey doesn't end here Zack.'
Author's note: shorter than I thought my first story would be, but I plan on making a sequel!… eventually. I have a whole plot thought up! Just putting the images in my brain on paper then on this computer to then sending my little story on its way to the big bad internet to fend for itself takes a lot more work than I thought.
Happy reading my reviewers!(and anyone else reading this)
whisperfur