Here is a disclaimer that I forgot to put into my previous chapters. This story isn't exactly truthful to the FFVII storyline. (Obviously…. The whole ZackxCloud thing never existed, even though it was totally canon in my eyes, people didn't come back to life, Jenova never really had a true human form, blah, blah, blah.) So, at times I will use things from my imagination that may make people kinda upset because it was destroyed in the original story or never really happened, or never existed or something, I don't know. This is just a warning that I don't copy things word for word, or exact details from the source that I'm creating the story from, so this is just a heads up for detail Nazis out there. Hope it doesn't ruin the story for you guys though! Enjoy! :D Ps, I don't own any of these characters; Square does, (Unfortunately.).
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The wind blew through their hair as Zack continued to fly to safety. Cloud still couldn't believe his eyes as he continued to stare into the raven haired male's Mako blue eyes, the eyes that he knew so well in the past. He wanted so badly to reach out, stroke the older male's cheek, but his limbs were weak from the pain that flooded his body only moments before. He saw Zack smile again as he slowly reached his hand up to stroke Cloud's cheek softly.
The blond unconsciously jumped from the touch, his nerve endings still extremely sensitive due to Jenova's attack. Additionally, he jumped because it was a person who had been dead for years who was touching him, the man who he had loved for so long, longed for, ached for. The sensation and the situation itself was simply too much for Cloud to handle, too much for him to take in at this time. He blacked out, his eyes closing quickly, his head leaning heavily against Zack's chest. The sable haired male saw this and sighed softly, continuing to fly to his destination, faster than before.
Cloud, what have the years done to you?
There were a small group of buildings located in an abandoned area. The buildings looked old. Some of the bigger ones had collapsed due to time and whatever had happened here in the past. The groups of buildings were the old housing areas that were used when SOLDIER was still running. Zack had landed in this area because he knew no one would bother looking here, in some old run down area. He also landed here because he didn't know where else to go. Being dead for so long, he was unsure where anything was. He didn't know where 7th Heaven was, and he knew he couldn't go back to the church for somebody who knew Cloud, or himself, like Sephiroth, was bound to check there.
Zack continued to walk, folding his stark white wings behind his back and holding Cloud close to his chest as he did so. He walked into the familiar building where he used to live, now broken and rusted with age, but still sturdy enough to stay for the time being. He walked down the long hallway of the 1st floor then turned to face his door. It looked the same, his name printed on the door in bold metallic letters with his class written underneath it.
"Zack Fair, 1st class SOLDIER…" He whispered softly to himself, unconsciously tightening his hold on the unconscious blond he was holding in his arms. "How long has it been since I was so eager to hear those words…"The sable haired man twisted the handle and pushed open the door, watching it as it swung open slowly, its hinges squeaking from being in one position for so long.
First off, Zack gently placed Cloud down on the couch before quickly moving to his closet. The air smelled stale and musky, so he didn't want to lay Cloud on covers that have been out for who knows how many years. So instead, he found sheets buried in his closet that smelled fresh enough, and made the bed with those. He paused to look at the uniforms that were identical to the ones he was wearing now. The sable haired man then walked back to get the blond, once again laying him down, except on his old bed this time. He sighed softly then looked back at his closet once more.
"How long…?" He asked himself, but he couldn't finish the thought. How long has it been since I got this uniform? How long since I've stayed in this room? Zack didn't know the answer to any, but by the looks of how much Cloud had grown; it had to have been a long time. Before he could form another thought, Cloud stirred in the bed and sat up slowly.
"Eleven years." The blond said softly, clutching his head.
Zack turned to look back at Cloud in shock. "What?"
"It has been eleven years. That was when Niblehiem was burned down. The last time I saw you when I was coherent. Five years later, we escaped from Hojo's clutches, and you got killed not too long afterwards when you were going to Midgar, and you saved me." Cloud grew silent, still trying to grasp the fact that Zack was here, in front of him.
"That long…" The raven haired male sighed deeply. "It feels like only yesterday that we were both in this room together, on break from a mission. Guess time flies when you're dead huh?" He was trying to make the mood lighter, but it hadn't worked, Cloud still stared at him with that sullen expression on his face.
"Just stop talking. I'm trying to take this in." The blond said softly as he flopped back down on the bed. "Why did you come? How did you come back?"
"I sensed something was wrong and called Aerith to me. I don't have the sense Aerith does, nor her connection to the Lifestream, but I felt that you were in trouble. So I called her to me, pretty much begging her to resurrect me." Zack looked away from Cloud. "I had to save you…"
Even though he was able to save Cloud though, he was too late to stop Jenova from injecting her blood into him. He was too late. The sable haired male thought about this, how he was too late to actually save the blond from the actual trouble he wanted to save him from. His form shook, he was trembling, mainly from anger. He wasn't able to save Cloud.
The blond watching this, and wasn't surprised to find himself standing and walking over to Zack's shaking form. Even after all these years, he still hadn't shaken his feelings for the ex-SOLDIER, they never weakened, remaining as strong as they were in the past. "Zack." Was all he said as he wrapped his arms around Zack's shaking form.
"I couldn't save you…" He said as he wrapped his arms around Cloud. He held the blond protectively to his body as he sighed into his course blond hair.
"It doesn't matter now Zack. What's done is done, now we have to worry about what Jenova is planning." Cloud shuddered at the thought. Since the calamity injected her blood into him, he felt a connection to her, one he never wanted to feel. It was almost as if he could sense her thoughts, and the other way around. "We have to stop her. She wants to make the entire human race her slaves."
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Shortly after Jenova stopped chasing the blur that had taken Cloud away, she landed back where Sephiroth and Kadaj were waiting for her. She walked up to them, and Kadaj couldn't contain his talkative nature for more than ten seconds after she walked over.
"How dare someone ruin Mother's plans. I'll kill them on site, all you need to is tell me where they went." He was about to continue until Jenova interrupted him.
"Silence Kadaj. You talk too much." This made Kadaj shut his mouth immediately and back away quickly. Jenova flipped her hair out of her face, and looked towards the silent ex-general. "It would seem that an old friend of yours has come back from the dead." She said smirking. "I was going to wait until Cloud came to me, but he has given me all the information that I need to find him."
"What do you mean?" Sephiroth asked, a little surprised that he was now able to speak. He knew Aerith was alive, but she couldn't fly. So, who could it have been? He looked at Jenova, and saw that evil grin appear on her face.
She chuckled lightly at the look on Sephiroth's face before responding. "Zack Fair is alive once more."
Sephiroth's eyes widened at the name. Zack Fair, Zack the Puppy was alive? How was this possible?
She laughed once more looking at the ex-general. "And I think I know what I'll have you do." She frowned and grabbed Sephiroth's face, glaring into his eyes. "But I still sense disobedience from you. We'll have to change that first before I send you anywhere." She smirked, making Sephiroth want to pull away. "And trust me when I say, it will not be easy. Come." She let him go, the silver haired man following his Mother slowly. Kadaj followed them, speaking loudly and obnoxiously.
"Well if Sephiroth can't go, I can go Mother. You know how loyal I am, I was never disobey you. Hey Mother-"
"Shut up Kadaj." Jenova ordered, looking at the remnant with angered eyes. "You wouldn't last two seconds against the two of them. Especially with Cloud's now enhanced strength due to my blood. No, you will stay here and train, preparing for when we strike." She waved her hand as she walked once more, ordering her children to follow.
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Cloud seemed to relax in Zack's arms, and Zack wondered why. Leading the blond to the bed, he held him closer to him, and only uttered a word. "What?"
"She isn't ready yet." The swordsman said softly. "Sephiroth isn't obeying her as he should and Kadaj cant fight that well. She can't go on by herself. We have time." He leaned his head against the raven haired male's chest, and uttered a soft sigh. He could finally relax, at least for the time being. "I missed you." He said impulsively, then wished he hadn't. He felt Zack take his face into his calloused hands, and looked up into his Mako blue eyes, which nearly shone in the darkness.
"I missed you too. But now, you must get some sleep." Zack stared into Cloud's eyes, and stayed there for a moment. How he had wanted to be here once more again, Cloud in his arms once more. He began to slowly, hesitantly lean his head towards the blonde's. Zack then closed his eyes and pressed his lips softly against Cloud's, something he hadn't done in years.
Cloud had closed his eyes when he saw Zack get closer. He felt his lips against his own and wrapped his arms around the back to his neck. The blond wrapped his hands in Zack's soft hair, pulling him closer, deepening the kiss. He had wanted this for years, and now he had it. In a time of crisis, this was able to clear his mind of the troubles, knowing they would come to haunt him later. But right now, he didn't care, Zack was back, and that was all that mattered.
Zack ran one had through the blonde's hair, embracing the deepened kiss eagerly. But then it was over, the ex-SOLDIER had parted their lips, panting lightly as he looked down at Cloud. "You have to rest now." He whispered softly, pulling Cloud down to lay next to him. He unfurled one of his wings, draping it over the blonde's body as a blanket. "Now sleep."
Cloud sighed softly as he leaned his head on Zack's chest, thankful of his warmth. Shortly afterward, his breathing was deep and even, indicating that he had fallen asleep, worrying about the events that were sure to pass.
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Sorry this chapter is shorter than the others. I was running out of ideas for it, and I wanted to get at least one more chapter down before school started again. When it does, the updates will be farther apart, which sucks, I know. But its school so mer. Hope you like ! :3 PS. This is an answer to a review question. It isn't Sephiroth doesn't want to fight back, or that he can't, he just chooses not to. He knows what will happen when he does. He fought back in the first chapter, so yeah he can. So to answer the question, he can fight back, but he doesn't want to fight back because he knows it will only cause him pain. Plus, he isn't as stubborn as Cloud is.
