Thanks again for all of the reviews.
KT: I am really glad that you are enjoying this story. I do try to keep them in character, but they tend to slip out on occasion, but I rein them back when I can. I love to torture my readers as much as my characters XD keep you all in suspense lol. As for it being well thought out well….the thing with that is….i generally don't plan anything when I write hehe. I just start typing and see where it ends up. I find that if I try and plan something it ends up really crappy. I was really amazed that the small prologue that I wrote has ended up like this and that there is actually a good plot! Although when I do come across things like how I have done the language here, I do try to think logically at what it would be like. There is still the fun of Zack trying to learn this new language….that is going to be fun to write XD.
Alison and Jibrille: sorry I must have missed you two on the last chapter, I hope you are still reading and enjoying this. I am probably going to do varying chapters, just to keep you all on your toes XD
There is a few long winded explainations in this chapter, hope it all makes sense.
Anyway, on with the show…
As the three reached the tent and stepped inside, Zack paused in his slow unsure steps as his eyes locked on to Sephiroth, who was just sitting there, staring ahead silently, "Seph?" he moved slowly, his legs giving out as he fell to the floor in front of Sephiroth, getting on his knees, he stared up into Sephiroth's green eyes silently; there was no longer the madness behind the eyes Zack knew so well, just a tormented sadness and Zack's heart panged, dreading to think of what caused that desperate look in Sephiroth's eyes; he had always been so strong…tears slipped down his cheeks as the memories of his own pain and torture flashed through his mind.
Sephiroth stared down to Zack, his hand slowly moving to rest on the younger man's cheek and he gently brushed the tears away with his thumb; that was enough for Zack, he pushed himself up more and wrapped his arms around Sephiroth tightly, not wanting to let go as he cried into his love's shoulder.
"The hell?" Dan looked at the two, then Vincent, who was over the blonde, "Vince, what's going on?"
Vincent finished tending to Cloud, he technically needed medical attention, but there wasn't anyone who knew anything about helping to ease mako poisoning, "I need cool damp cloths, fast," he ordered sharply.
Steve was the one who left to find what was needed and he came back with a bowl of water and some towels, which he ripped into strips and dipped them before handing them to Vincent; the older man wrapped one around each wrist, over his neck and on his forehead, he would need to be kept cool while the fever from a sudden lack of mako took him.
"You going to tell us what is going on now? Who are these people? How do you know them?" Dan demanded.
Vincent sighed irritably and turned to them, "These three are from a time all but forgotten, when the Shinra Corporation was in the height of its power," he finished doing what he could with Cloud and moved to them, "The head of the science department was a madman, he loved to torture anything that crossed his path, he had a beautiful wife who was far too good for him, but he destroyed her spirit in the end, she was also a scientist; they were on business in the small town of Nibelheim, where we are standing now, and because this business was so top secret and official they had escorts. One foolish TURK thought he had a chance with her and they had a happy little affair for a time and he thought she truly cared for him," Vincent shook his head sadly, remembering how young and naïve he had once been, "When she became pregnant, this TURK didn't know if the child was his, or her husband's and when he heard that the unborn baby was due to be used in an experiment, he was livid and he confronted them, but it only led to his death," he sighed, "Even death would not keep him, the scientist experimented on him endlessly, turning him into a monster which brought him back to life, and once he was bored, the TURK was put into stasis in the basement…"
"That guy is the TURK?" Steve asked, eying Sephiroth.
Vincent shook his head, "No, he is the son; I do not know what happened to him yet…"
"So the TURK…he should still be down there?" Dan interrupted.
"No, over sixty years later the TURK woke from his stasis and got free, not knowing that these three were down there and he sought out the madman for revenge, but before he killed Hojo, the scientist revealed that the TURK was the boy's father, but not what had happened to him, before his body became full of bullets and then burned, just to be certain."
Dan eyed him, "How do you know all this? I know you're an expert on history and stuff, but how do you know all that?"
"I was that TURK," Vincent said softly, his eyes falling on Sephiroth a moment, who was sitting there with Zack in his arms.
"So…he's your…son…" Steve said slowly, "And you all are from a really ancient time…I need to sit down…"
Dan just looked at them silently as Vincent moved back to the couple cuddling on the chair.
"I will take you back to my home where you are safest," he told them.
"Hojo?" Zack asked softly, noticing how Sephiroth tensed at the mention of their torturer's name.
"He died a very long time ago," Vincent told them, "I killed him myself."
"You are sure?" Zack questioned and received a nod in response, "Who are you anyway? Who are those guys? Where are we?"
"I am Vincent Valentine, I had dealings with Hojo in my past as you three have; we are in the remains of Nibelheim, but the world has changed a lot since you were last awake in it."
"Changed? How?"
"I woke up feeling disturbances in the Planet, had I known you were in the mansion at the time, I would have got you out then; my first task was hunting Hojo down and killing him; but after then, I started hearing things…the Shinra Company had become too greedy and corrupt, it was destroying the Planet…she spoke to me one night, saying that to save herself, she would have to return most things to the earth. Midgar was first, completely destroyed overnight, smaller towns and cities followed, over half of the people on the Planet just vanished and everyone had to start from scratch, every trace of mako was destroyed, monsters that once roamed the open plains are gone, materia no longer exists…"
"Weird," Zack muttered processing the information slowly, "Will Cloud be alright?"
Vincent sighed and moved to where the blonde was laying still and silent, "If he makes it through the next forty eight hours, he will be fine," he answered, hoping that the boy made it through.
"So that language you're speaking in now…it's what you used to use?" Steve asked, still not quite grasping what Vincent had told them.
"Yes," he nodded, "I am going to take them to my home, I don't want anyone to know of this, or what I have told you, understood?"
"Yes Sir," Dan nodded, "Want me to prep your chopper?"
"Yes, let me know when it arrives," Vincent dismissed them and went back to check on Cloud.
Zack slid off Sephiroth's lap and moved down beside Vincent and pulled Cloud in his arms, "I'm so sorry Spike," he whispered, running his fingers through Cloud's soft blonde hair, "I'm sorry…"
"It…it was my fault," Sephiroth's voice was soft as he watched them, "I should have listened to you Zack…"
Zack looked up to the older man with hurt in his eyes, "Yeah," his voice and expression fell as he remembered it all too clearly now the initial emotions of being free and seeing Sephiroth alive again had settled, "But you didn't, and now Cloud…" he trailed off.
"Zack…"
"Sephiroth…just…don't…I can't deal with it right now…" Zack shook his head, not even looking in his direction, but that he was using Sephiroth's name proper was enough for the older man to know how hurt he was, "I loved you more than anything and you just threw it all away…don't even think about saying sorry, it's not worth what we went through."
Vincent sighed, his first headache in a long time started throbbing behind his eyes, "That is enough from both of you," he narrowed his eyes sternly.
"Vince?" Dan poked his head through the door, "It's ready when you are."
Vincent nodded, "I want everything in that building left for now, continue searching the other places in the area," he watched Dan leave and turned to Zack, "We are ready to leave," He moved to pick up Cloud, but Zack stopped him.
"I'll carry him," Zack picked the blonde up carefully as Sephiroth stood and they all followed Vincent out, "Nice bird," He moved around the helicopter, "Can I fly?"
Vincent eyed him, "You may be able to fly, but you are not piloting this," he helped Zack get Cloud in securely before going in the front while Sephiroth buckled in beside him and he set off once they were ready.
"Look at this place," Zack looked out of the window, "It's changed so much, where are we flying over now?"
Vincent thought a moment, since the original places had been destroyed, the names had changed so much, he could barely keep up, "This was once Cosmo Canyon," he said eventually.
"No way, hey, you fly us over Midgar?"
Vincent sighed, "Later," he replied, "It is more important to get Cloud seen to."
"You ain't taking him to no hospital," Zack curled around the blonde protectively.
"I would do no such thing, these hospitals are not equipped to deal with mako poisoning; they do not even know what mako is," Vincent glanced back to them.
"There is not much that can be done for mako poisoning," Sephiroth spoke softly, "Only keeping him cool and hoping for the best will work."
Zack didn't reply, he just stayed quiet as the flight went on, watching Cloud intently.
See you next time.