27

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VII and all associated characters and symbols are the exclusive property of Square Enix and its associates. (Didn't realize I had to do this. Sorry Squar Enix!)

Two…

"So Jim! Got any ideas for our boy here?" Sora hung a friendly arm over Cloud's shoulders. Cloud stiffened, unused to such physical contact. Totally oblivious to his friend's discomfort, Sora pulled his arm away and waved it expressively at Cloud. "Tell him what you want, Cloud!" he invited before the bike shop owner could get a word in edge wise.

Cloud stood for a moment, uncertain where to start, and Sora slapped a reassuring hand on his back, shoving him forward.

"Tell him!" But before Cloud could open his mouth, Sora blurted out, "He's gonna need a courier compartment big enough to carry a ton of mail, right Cloud?"

"Not a ton," Cloud muttered, looking furtively at the door then at the shop keeper, who was scowling at Sora. Jim pointedly ignored the SOLDIER Second Class and nodded to Cloud.

"We do the regular Shinra designed bikes here," he said, glaring at Sora as that worthy's mouth opened to interject something. Sora closed his mouth with a snap. "We can customize using the original chassis as a base. Any flashy designs will need to be checked and okayed by me personally, understand?"

Cloud nodded. Sora opened his mouth again and Jim tromped on his foot, making him squeak. He glared fiercely at the SOLDIER.

"Let the gentleman speak for himself, Sora," the bike shop owner growled.

Sora grinned sheepishly.

"Yes, Dad," he said, eyes sparkling with mischief.

Cloud quickly glanced from Sora to Jim, not sure he had heard right or whether it was some kind of insider's joke. Sora winked at him and grinned broadly.

"Cloud, meet my pop, Jim Kokoro."

Jim scowled at Sora then gave a curt nod to Cloud, shaking his hand with a firm no nonsense grip. "Glad to make your acquaintance. I was beginning to think that all SOLDIERS were asses like my son here, except for General Sephiroth and Zack of course." He turned away to flip open the countertop panel and beckoned them to follow him to the back of the shop where his office was, missing how Cloud winced at the names. But Sora caught it.

"Hey! Did you know General Sephiroth and Colonel Zack? I always admired those two. Not like the groupie troopers or anything. But those two cut quite a big path across the world. Best SOLDIERS Shinra ever produced! Though you're pretty damn good yourself," he eyed Cloud speculatively. "You ever meet them? Naw, you must have, being a SOLDIER First Class yourself!"

Cloud caught him eyeing Zack's belt.

That's it! He thought to himself. I am definitely going to buy something to cover the belt at least. At Sora's intense scrutiny, Cloud shrugged more nonchalantly than normal, trying to downplay it as much as possible.

"I was on an assignment with them… once," he finally admitted reluctantly, not adding that he was a lowly trooper at the time. The incident at Nibelheim was still a painful memory, what he could remember of it. Sephiroth had seemed genuinely interested in knowing how he, Cloud, felt coming back to his hometown of Nibelheim. He had laughed like any normal man when Cloud mumbled that it wasn't that big of a deal, sharing a companionable moment with him that he would never forget. Even Zack had encouraged him during the queasy, bumpy truck ride to Nibelheim. Two men he had idolized from afar, like hundreds of other troopers, had actually spoken to him, laughed and shared their time and attention with him! Then, just a short while later, everything changed.

Cloud hurried after the shop owner as they went down a short hallway, forcing Sora to shut up so he could keep up. He didn't want to talk about it. The memories were too precious and too painful to share casually with someone like Sora.

Jim plunked down into an old wooden chair behind a work table that was covered with paint chips, motorcycle parts, orders, and various bits and pieces of paper. Cloud sat down in the chair across from him while Sora lounged against the door jamb with a pensive expression on his normally cheery face.

"So… what do you need?" Jim asked Cloud. Jabbing a quick finger at Sora, he added, "And you be quiet!"

"Well," Cloud scratched his head then looked down at his own bloody glove and winced. He was going to have to wash his hair again! He could feel Sora laughing silently behind him as he cupped his hands together in his lap so he wouldn't spread the blood anymore than he already had. "I'll need a compartment for carrying letters, boxes, and such."

Sora snorted behind him and he plunged on.

"I'll be delivering anything I can carry, so the more space you can make the better I'll be able to do my job."

Jim nodded and started doodling a rough sketch of a Shinra motorcycle on a scrap of paper that looked like the back of an old invoice. Cloud recognized the bike and tried hard not to smile at the memories it brought back of a wild ride through the streets of Midgar, pursued by Shinra troopers.

"I'm going to be outside Midgar most of the time, so I'll need storage space for supplies and it'll have to be resistant to the elements…"

Jim made some notations beside the sketches, then he added a string of numbers; dimensions by the look of it, though Cloud couldn't be sure.

"What kind of power do you want?"

"Enough to get over rough terrain."

"Fuel preference?"

"Gas, I think."

Jim nodded his head.

"Better reaction time than the electric toys Shinra was always trying to sell the public."

"I'd also like to ask a special favor," Cloud said tentatively, glancing uneasily behind him at his unwanted shadow, Sora. "I have a few swords that I'd like to have you make special sheaths for so I can carry them on the bike, if that's possible?"

Jim visibly perked up and he leaned forward, eyeing the blonde SOLDIER his son had brought with him. Now THIS was getting interesting!

"How many and what size?" he asked, pen poised over the paper, which now had chocobo scratches all over it.

"Umm, probably six would be enough to carry my best swords. I'd need to have instant access to them in case I come across monsters while driving…" Cloud stood up and pulled the Buster Sword out of the sheath at his back, bringing it around to show the shop owner as he heard Sora whistle behind him. "…about this size."

"Six! Holy mackerel! How many swords have you got! I just have the Hardedge that Shinra issued us when I entered SOLDIER!"

"Shut up, Sora," Jim growled, eyeing Cloud's sword. He walked over, measuring it with his eyes then held out his hand. Cloud carefully handed the sword over to him, holding it lightly until he was sure Jim wouldn't drop it. Jim grunted, arm muscles bulging as he grabbed the blade with both hands. He hefted it carefully a moment, looked at the careworn but very sharp edge of the blade, then handed it back to Cloud and returned to his desk to make more notations.

"Going to need extra heavy duty suspension..." he muttered to himself, "… times six… plus metal brackets. Hmm." He started drawing rough sketches of brackets and swords beside the motorcycle. "Can't fit 'em near the saddlebags…"

"So how many swords do you have, Cloud?" Sora's voice drowned out the shop owner's and Cloud sighed as he re-sheathed the Buster Sword. He didn't like the eager look in the SOLDIER SECOND'S eyes. It reminded him too much of a cat eyeing a canary, or worse, a Shinra trooper getting his first real look at his lifetime idol.

"I guess… about fifteen," he mumbled, looking away so he wouldn't have to see Sora's expression.

"So," he turned to Jim, saw the older man's upraised brows and stumbled on, "So… do you think you can make a bike for me?" He sounded almost desperate, as if he wanted nothing more than to hop on the bike right now and escape as fast as he could. Cloud didn't want to tell them how he had acquired so many swords or why, though he was pretty certain there were already rumors about Avalanche's quest to find and destroy Sephiroth and Meteor. Lord knew they had been everywhere more than once, battling monsters and Shinra the entire way, and even the densest people couldn't have missed Meteor. It was said that the battle between Meteor, Holy, and the planet's Lifestream had been seen as far away as Cosmo Canyon. With a history like that, it was becoming increasingly more difficult to downplay the events and fade into the background, which was what Cloud most wanted to do.

Jim studied him a long moment in silence, causing Cloud to squirm. He nodded finally and slapped the pen down on his desk, rising to shake hands.

"Good enough! I'll see what I can do. Where can I contact you when I'm finished?"

"Seventh Heaven in Sector 1," Cloud mumbled, glancing furtively at Sora.

"Right," Jim said, turning back to his drawings.

"Whaaa?" Sora's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "Heeey!" he whined. "First you were chummy with General Sephiroth and Colonel Zack and now you're living with a total babe at the Seventh Heaven Bar! No fair! What'd you do, make a wish to an Ancient?"

Cloud winced visibly.

Sora didn't notice, continuing with his tirade. "I'd like to know which company you were assigned to. I'm signing up for the next…"

Cloud hurried out of the shop and into a nearby alley as he heard Sora ranting on about Lady Luck and chocobo races. He wished he hadn't said anything or even gone to the bike shop with Sora, but he needed a means of transportation if he was going to actually start up a delivery business. He sighed and quietly made his way back toward Tifa's bar. He would call Reeve to make his report on the monster detail and avoid meeting up with Sora or the other SOLDIERS, though he doubted that would solve his problem for long. Maybe he should just use the back door to Tifa's bar from now on. But that probably wouldn't work either. He shook his head, imagining Sora dragging every SOLDIER, trooper, and friend in town to Tifa's bar to ogle the SOLDIER First Class who had fifteen swords, had worked with General Sephiroth personally on a mission AND lived with Tifa.

"Ugh," he rubbed his eyes wearily, forgetting the blood on his gloves. Fortunately it had dried and only crumbled a bit. "Maybe I should just shoot myself or go be a hermit on the Northern Continent." With that happy thought, he headed across the city towards Sector 1 using narrow streets and alleys wherever he could.

"Damn! If I had half the luck you have I'd be sitting on top of the world, not shoveling monsters out of back alleys and…"

"Sora!" Jim interrupted his son, using his most commanding voice.

The SOLDIER SECOND stopped mid-tirade and looked around, finally noticing that Cloud had left.

"He's gone, you idiot!"

Sora looked at him, confused.

"Sit down!" the old shop owner ordered him. Obediently, Sora plopped down into the chair Cloud had vacated only moments ago, still muttering imprecations under his breath until his eyes met Jim's and he realized his father was serious. He quieted down and waited.

"I doubt you noticed, you lack wit!" Jim began, "but that young man…"

"Cloud?" Sora helpfully filled in the name for his dad.

Jim nodded, continuing.

"That young man seems as if he's gone through a lot to get where he is. I was in the military during the Wutai war and I know what it's like to go through hell and back…"

"Yeah, Pop. I've heard it all before," Sora interrupted him abruptly. "How you went to war against these uber strong island warriors and…"

"I'm not talking about me, damnit!" Jim pounded his fist on the desk, making Sora jump. His eyes blazed a warning for Sora to stay silent until he was finished. "That young man… Cloud," he said the name before Sora could interject again, "has the look of someone who's been through more battles than he probably cares to recall. I know the signs. And I'm sure he'd just as soon not have someone spreading rumors about him. So try to keep your yap shut and leave him be, got it? Cause if I hear you've said one damn word about him and Sephiroth, or anything else we've heard here for that matter, I'll tan your hide for you!"

Sora's Mako tinged brown eyes twinkled as he drew himself up, flexing his SOLDIER enhanced muscles.

"You'll what?" he challenged.

Jim's eyes suddenly took on a crafty look. "And if that don't work," he added with an evil grin, "I've got some pictures of you when you were a kid running around naked in the streets of Midgar."

Sora looked horrified. Jim chuckled wickedly.

"You wouldn't!" Sora blurted out.

"Damn straight, I would," Jim assured him. Then his expression turned serious again. "Look, no matter what you think, there are some things that should just be left alone and I think this is one of them. Understand?"

"Yeah," Sora agreed reluctantly. "So, you got any ideas for the bike? I told him you were the best!"

Jim scowled at him and made shooing motions with his hands.

"Of course I've got ideas, but you're not seeing anything till I build it. Now don't you have something better to do than pester your old man? Go make a report or something!"

"Awww!" Sora pouted. "At least let me show it to him when you're finished, okay? You owe me that much for bringing you some business."

"All right. You can fetch him when the bike's done! Now get out of here!" Jim sounded exasperated, but there was a light in his eyes that said he was grateful for the new project. "This should be interesting," he admitted to himself, returning to his notes.

Sora laughed triumphantly then jumped to his feet, practically knocking the chair over in his haste.

"Ah, shoot!"

Jim jerked in surprise and scowled at him. But Sora was already scooting out the door.

"I've gotta report to Reeve!"

The shop owner chuckled as he watched his son disappear through the door, then he looked down at his notes again.

"Fifteen swords." He whistled. "It is a lot for one man, even a SOLDIER First Class. And I know I've seen that sword before." He shrugged. "Oh, well. Listen to your own advice and don't go sticking your nose into other people's business."

Jim grabbed up his notes and headed into the back of the shop to check on his inventory. He had a pretty good idea what he wanted and if it worked out right, it would end up being one of the most exciting motorcycles he had produced to date.

Cloud frowned as he slipped from one alleyway to another, making a rather more roundabout way back to Tifa's bar on the outer hub of Sector Plate 1. Sora had destroyed his good mood and now he was thinking of Aeris again as well. He had tried hard to forget her for Tifa's sake. No, he shook his head, not forget her. He could never forget Aeris. But he had tried not to speak of her or think of her too much because he still felt a deep sense of guilt and didn't want to burden Tifa or his friends with it. It was his sin and his alone and he would have to deal with it in his own way. He guessed, in that respect, that he was a lot like Vincent. But at least Vincent hadn't tried to kill Lucrecia with his own hands! Nor had he led Sephiroth to where she was and let him kill her.

He thought he understood Vincent better now though. One look into the dark man's glowing red eyes spoke volumes, at least to Cloud; but even so, it had taken awhile for him to realize that the man's cold demeanor was merely a façade. They had fought side by side in so many battles during their quest to destroy Sephiroth and Meteor, and Vincent had coldly and precisely carried out each of his orders, covering him without a word whenever it was necessary, even taking damage to protect him when he needed time to gather his MP for a summons. And yet Cloud had not seen the fire that lurked beneath the ice until they faced off against Hojo. Then he felt it emanating in waves from the man; a fire he never showed to others; his true self. Tifa still thought he was cold, unfeeling, and a little bit creepy, but Cloud… well, he felt as if he'd lost a brother he didn't know he had when Vincent slipped off the Highwind that night and vanished. He hadn't seen him since, nor did he try to search for him or contact him in any way. Vincent had left the phone behind because he didn't want to be contacted. Cloud understood that and respected his wishes.

Looking up, Cloud noticed that he had wandered into a busy shopping district. He stepped aside to allow a group of shoppers to pass and, slipping into a nearby alley, made his way through it to a less traveled street. Sora's words about wishing upon an Ancient came back to him like the blow of a hammer.

Aeris.

Cloud's shoulders slumped and the sword at his back felt unusually heavy as he thought of her. She still invaded his dreams at times, laughing at him after putting him into some kind of foolish situation. Like that date in the Gold Saucer. She had delighted in watching him stumble through that ridiculous play and then gotten mad at him when confusion messed him up and he accidentally pointed to the wrong enemy. He recalled how she punched out everyone on the stage then went after him and his eyes sparkled briefly before they grew sad again. He missed her. At the end of the battle against Meteor, when the Lifestream swallowed up both Holy and that giant ball of flames, he thought he saw her watching over them. Just for a moment. Then she was gone. He'd seen her die, watched her sink into the pool outside the City of the Ancients where he laid her body to rest. He knew that she was gone forever and yet, for all that, he could swear he still felt her presence at times, trying to speak to him. Cloud shook his head violently. This wasn't helping!

The boy appeared in front of him so suddenly that Cloud nearly fell over him. Only his battle reflexes kept them from colliding as he jumped aside at the last instant. The boy didn't seem to notice though as he continued to run full speed into a nearby alley. Moments later a street vendor puffed into sight waving his hands in the air angrily as he cursed the 'little thief'. He slowed and came to a stop when he saw Cloud, then looked him up and down, eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"You see a kid run past here?" he growled. "Had a rice ball in his hand?"

Cloud replayed the brief image he'd seen of the boy, recalled that he had indeed been carrying something that looked suspiciously like a ball of rice in his hands and nodded. Then he shrugged.

"Yeah, he disappeared into that alley, but I don't think you'll catch him," he added.

The vendor grumbled something inaudible, shook his fist at the alley and turned to stomp back toward his cart. Cloud followed him, curious.

"Who was he?" he asked the vendor as that worthy began to pack his cooking utensils into the cart, preparing to shut down for the evening. "Does he live around here?"

The vendor shrugged.

"Naw!" He poured oil into a large vat he kept in a shelf inside the cart. "Just one of the orphans of Midgar," he said, slapping a lid on the oil pot.

Cloud frowned. Orphans of Midgar? He hadn't realized and yet the signs were all around him now that he thought about it. More than once he'd seen children wandering the streets alone, but it had never occurred to him to ask about them.

The vendor looked at Cloud. "A lot of folks lost family when Meteor showed up and wreaked havoc 'round here. Mayor Reeve's doing his best, but there's always going to be some that get lost in the cracks, ya know?"

Cloud felt something inside him lurch.

"Excuse me," he interrupted the vendor as he saw several sweet rolls being scooped off the cart into a bag. The vendor looked up. "How much will you take for those buns?" He pulled his money pouch from a pocket and started to fish inside for a handful of gil. The vendor shrugged, glanced at the orphans who were now peering out of the alley, far enough away that they would get a good running start if he took off after them again. He scowled, then shrugged and grinned.

"Aw, hell! Here! Have the left over rice balls too. I was just gonna throw them away anyways." With a flourish, he scraped the remainder of the rolls and rice balls and even a few takoyaki into a large bag and handed it to Cloud. He looked at the gil in Cloud's hand and shook his head. "Don't worry about it. Guess someone needs to help the little rug rats sometimes." He suddenly pointed his finger at the kids in the alley who were watching the proceedings with interest. "Just don't you try stealing from me anymore, ya hear?" he shouted. Then he went back to closing up his vending cart.

"Thanks." Cloud took the bag and put the gil back into his pocket. He tossed a quick salute over his shoulder and headed toward the children, who quickly ducked behind some old crates when they saw him coming their way. They peered at him as he approached and he stopped when he was a couple of meters away, uncertain what to do now. They looked like they might run at the drop of a hat, but it was also obvious by the intensity of their expressions that they were well aware of what he carried in that bag and wanted it bad enough to brave just about anything to get it. He heard a chuckle from the vendor and decided a direct approach would be best. Crouching on his heels, he pulled a sweet roll from the bag and held it out.

"Hungry?" he asked quietly. He could make out two boys and one girl now that he was a bit closer. None could've been older than five or six, he decided. He wondered what had happened to their parents and where they slept. They obviously didn't eat enough and the tattered rags they wore couldn't possibly be keeping them warm at night. One of the boys even had shoes that were several sizes too large for him. Probably found them in someone's garbage bin, Cloud thought.

His heart ached as he watched them shuffle within the shadowy confines of the alley. Finally one boy, the one he'd nearly tripped over, moved toward him, staring at the food with hungry eyes. "It's all right," he assured them. "I don't bite." He smiled encouragingly, though his eyes reflected how much it hurt him to see the children in such shape. "What's your name?"

The boy looked up at him, took another cautious step forward, though the other boy murmured a warning to him from the shadows. He jerked his head in answer to the warning and moved to within arm's reach of Cloud. Cloud didn't move, the bun held steadily in one outstretched hand and the bag in the other.

"Denzel," the boy said. Bright blue eyes met softly glowing blue ones and he stepped forward boldly and accepted the roll. He bit into it almost savagely, swallowing before he had even chewed. Then he started shoveling the rest into his mouth until Cloud was afraid he would choke. The other two children ventured forward, encouraged by Denzel's boldness and Cloud reached into the bag and withdrew another bun. He waved it in a friendly gesture at the two and they answered by running up to him and simultaneously grabbing for the sweet. The other boy reached it first and started chomping it as fast as he could. The little girl looked pleadingly at Cloud, who quickly pulled another one out and handed it to her. A brief grin flashed from her grimy face as she grabbed the sweet. Then Cloud found himself pulling out a handful of the buns in order to provide more for the boys who were already finished and looking hopefully at him.

"And what about your friends?' he asked Denzel. "Do they have names?"

Denzel nodded violently. "Of course!" he coughed between bites.

Cloud looked at the other two, his gaze finally settling on the girl.

"My name's Cloud," he said. "What's yours?"

She ducked her head shyly now that his attention was fixed solely on her and stopped eating long enough to answer, "Krysta."

"Hello Krysta. Do you live near here?"

She shook her head and looked at her feet. Cloud had a brief image of Marlene ducking behind Tifa when he tried to greet her.

"We live wherever we can," the other boy piped up suddenly, covering for her shyness. "I'm Takashi," he added as an afterthought, looking hopefully at the rapidly diminishing bag in Cloud's hand. Cloud smiled and withdrew the handful of rice balls. Their eyes grew round as he also presented each of them with a takoyaki stick. Meat was already scarce what with all the monster attacks and no transportation from any of the outlying farming communities so it was a special treat. They finished the food with relish. When he crumpled the bag up to show them it was empty Cloud heard them sigh, but they no longer looked like they would run at the drop of a hat.

"Would you mind if I come to see you every now and then?" he asked them with a serious expression on his face. Denzel actually grinned at him and nodded.

"Especially if you bring us some food!" Takashi chimed in.

Cloud reached out on impulse and ruffled Krysta's hair. She looked startled, but grinned up at him shyly. The two boys laughed, then with a wave the three children disappeared into the shadows. Cloud stared after them a long moment trying to decide what to do. Night was beginning to spread its veil over the city and the street lamps were coming on one by one. The vendor had already closed up shop and left. Cloud remembered with a guilty start that Tifa was expecting him back in time for dinner. He didn't feel particularly hungry at the moment, but he didn't want her to worry about him either. He finally nodded toward the alley, vowing silently to return as soon as he could, and headed back to Sector 1 with a troubled heart.