Warning: This story contains spoilers to the end of Crisis Core.

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy. All characters go to their respectful owners. I only own this story.

I Know You

Bright. Everything was too bright. And loud. Why did he hurt everywhere?

There was someone talking, but it hurt his ears too much to listen, so he didn't. Instead, he kept his eyes shut and tried to ignore the loud buzzing in his ears.

Whatever he was sitting in hit a bump, which didn't help his sensory overload in the slightest.

"Mercenary…" The word made its way to his aching ears.

Am I a mercenary? He wondered. I suppose I am. Maybe I was injured and that's why everything is so painful.

Another bump. He groaned.

The man said something else to him, but it went ignored. Why couldn't they help him with all of this pain?

Bump. Groan.

"Hang in there, Cloud," the voice said.

Cloud? Is that my name? He wondered.

"We're friends, right?"

Friends? How can I be a friend with someone I don't know?

He tried opening his eyes to see who his 'friend' was. White. That's all he saw. He closed his eyes again with a moan. He shouldn't have done that, now his eyes hurt as well.

Someone touched the top of his head. Ouch. They ruffled his hair. It hurt, just like everything else. And he hated it.

Eventually, the jolting stopped and he was dragged out of whatever he had previously been sitting in. Am I getting help now? He was placed on something hard. His hair was tousled again. More pain. Why couldn't he move his arm to push whoever was doing that, away?

The sound of feet moving away brought him to his senses. Where's he going? Am I safe now? He tried to open his eyes to see who had helped him. All he could make out was a figure walking away. He stretched his hand out. Don't go, he thought. Everything faded back to white, and he closed his eyes again.

There was more talking in the distance. Everything wasn't quite so loud now.

Gunshots.

He froze. Am I being shot at? Am I going to be killed because I'm no longer useful?

But no pain came. Who were they shooting at?

The gunfire began to recede. His hopes rose. Am I safe now? Did that man protect me?

His hopes were shot down with the last gunshot he heard: someone had cried out in pain.

There was a thud, and that's when he experienced the gunfire. It was excruciating.

No, it wasn't bullets that were hitting him.

He opened his eyes again.

It was rain.

He could see now, even if things were still a bit too bright for his liking.

Where had that cry come from?

There was something dark just past the rock he was behind. Was that the man? He crawled slowly and painfully over to see.

No, it wasn't a body.

It was blood.

Where was all of that blood coming from?

His eyes traced the growing pool of scarlet back to its source.

He knew that face. It was his friend.

"Z-Zack."

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