Cracked Visage

Welcomed Comfort

Well that mission was a bust. Sure we destroyed the reactor, but now I'm dead. Or at least it feels like it. "Hello! Hello!" Huh? My eyes feel heavy, but I force them open. There she is. The angel of the slums. "Hi." I croak out. She giggles. "You know you're the second man to come falling through my church's roof? He was cute too. But you might be cuter." I smile softly. "I never caught your name." I slowly stand, brushing off the dust. "Aeris." She is very beautiful. Her brunette curls, the pink bow in her hair, her pink dress, her green eyes, everything. "I'm Cloud." She smiled again. I can't breathe, so I look around. Flowers... growing? In Midgar? Wow. She can even make the planet do strange things. "Well hello lil'sis. And Cloudy-kins." I wheel around to face the voice. Red hair, green eyes, red tattoos under his eyes, Turk suit? He seems familiar. "Cloud! Wanna job? Can you be my body-guard?" Aeris runs behind me. The man's eyes widen. "Oh dear this is hilarious. What would Zack say?" The man proceeded to bust into laughter. Both me an Aeris tensed. "You know Zack!?," We both blurted out. I turned to her. "You know Zack too?" She nodded. I put a hand to my head and rubbed my temple to ward off the coming headache.

"Know Zack? AHAHAHA! I think everyone in this room knows Zack pretty well if ya know what I mean, yo. Or rather, he did say you two hadn't slept together yet, Cloudy, and I hear your a virgin Aeris... So I guess I know Zack the best, yo!" I growled. "There is no way Zack would sleep with a low-life like you!" The man quieted a bit. "Oh well he did. A couple times actually. I think he had plans to sleep with you too, Cloud, so you aren't out of the loop completely. 'Sides, me an Zack were together a LONG time ago, yo. Not since Nibelheim. Fuck man, ya know, I got every reason ta hate ya. Ya KILLED the Gen, yo! You stole both my best friends in different ways. Ya had ta steal Zack's heart, and then killed Seph. Fuck. You suck, yo. But whatever the man is in love with ya, even if he won' say it. Been faithful to ya too. Not slept with one girl or guy. None of his old flings could say that much, yo. And for you to have not been sleeping with him, leaving him sexless, you must be awesome in some way. Well he's with me and the Turks for a'bit. I'm tryin' to get 'im out, but it's kinda hard with all the surveillance, yo." I narrowed my eyes. "How can I believe you. I don't remember anything. So I have no idea if me and Zack were together or not. And from what a friend of mine says, I'm her boyfriend and I love her. She says I was going to propose to her. How do I know Zack isn't simply my best friend?"

The man snorted. "Sounds like jealousy. Is it that cute, busty, girl from Nibelheim? The one you saved at the reactor there? What was it? Tif? Tima?" I growl out a correction on Tifa's name. He laughs. "Yeah her. She hates Zack, ya know. She blames SOLDIER for her papa's death." He uses a fake sweet tone for the word "Papa". "I can assure ya, you an' Zack are together. Or at least ya like each other, yo. But he still has feelings for lil'sis behind'ya. Or he's too afraid to break up with 'er. I think it's the second one. But whatever, yo. I gotta get somewhere, so I'll see'ya and I'll tell Zack you woke up, he just might start cryin' again. He cried over ya the other day, yo. He is really inta ya." The man turned to leave, but stopped. "Don't hurt him, Cloud. He doesn't deserve it. He's given his life, friends, girlfriend, family, job, everything up for you. I talked to him about it. All he said was, 'He's worth it.'" And with that closing statement he left. I fell to my knees in shock and confusion. Aeris sat down next to me. "Are you ok, Cloud?" How can she be so kind? She just found out I was dating her boyfriend and she's worried about me? She must be an angel. I fall into her arms and take comfort from the only selfless person left on Gaia.

x-x-x

"So you can't remember anything?" I shake my head. We are sitting on top of a child's playground. Aeris is sweet. She says, "As long as it makes you and Zack happy, it's a good thing. I still have a chance at love, every day I'm alive." She rubs my back softly with a smile. "It will come to you." I look up at her. "I hope so." She placed a small kiss on my forehead. No wonder Zack was in love with her. "Hey is that Tifa?" I look up quickly. Sure enough, Tifa is being carted around on the back of a chocobo-drawn carriage... In the skimpiest dress in creation. Oh Gaia.

x-x-x

"President ShinRa, you wanted to see me sir?"

"Tell me what are your attachments to Sector 7?"

"Little ta none, sir."

"Good. Because we are dropping the plate. And you are the one who will do it, Reno."

A slow smile spread over my face. "With pleasure, sir."

x-x-x

I will not do this.

"Come on, Cloud! We have to save Tifa!"

"No."

"Do you want her to go the Don?"

"...No.."

"Then come out."

"... Fine."

"Oh Miss Cloud! You are so cute!"

x-x-x

Shiva save me. He's gonna kiss me. Oh Gaia! "AHHHHHHHHHHHH..." My scream echoes through the entire room.

x-x-x

"Cloud! Thank you for rescuing me! But now we have to save the plate from dropping." I nod. I'm still traumatized. He nearly did it. I was so close to being kissed by the most disgusting man on Gaia. Holy shit. This could drive me to drink. Not to mention... twitch that guy was there. The Don called him Reno. He got a fucking PICTURE. Why must Shiva hate me? Now we have to run as fast as we can to save the plate and slums. I doubt we will make it, but we can still try... Zack would never give up, so I won't either. We're close now, at the pillar. Tifa is sending Aeris to save Marlene. I don't want her to go, she could get hurt... Zack would never forgive me. But then again, that little girl deserves a chance too and Zack might not forgive me even more if she didn't get one, so I say nothing. Me and Tifa begin our climb. Jessie, Biggs, Wedge... All of them are hurt. They won't make it if the plate drops. More incentive on our parts then. Or more guilt...

x-x-x

Time to finally get rid of this hell-hole! This is a good day. Wish I had some scotch...

x-x-x

I failed. Nothing more, I failed. Everyone is going to die. Jessie, Biggs, Wedge, Marlene... Aeris... That Turk will pa... "Aeris!" She's alive. That's all that matters. "Tifa, don't worry she's safe!" The helicopter begins to fly away. "AERIS!," I scream. "Rescue me, Cloud!" Don't worry I will Aeris. I will.

x-x-x

Aw shit that hurt, yo. Cloudy just kicked my ass, maybe he is stronger than I thought... I got to go tell Zack! "Zaaaacckkk!" I whine, knocking on his door with my left fist since my right was obviously broken. I enter the room with a smirk. "What do you want, Reno?" He is withering away without his Cloud. Good thing I'm here to give him good news then. "Hey guess what? Your pretty blond just kicked my ass! You train him yourself?" Zack perked up and smiled. "Yeah I did. Is he awake?" I nod. Zack's grin could split his face in half. Gaia, I love his smile. "You look like shit Reno." I shrug even though it hurts. "I know, when don't I?" He laughed a bit. Captive or not he was still human and needs human contact. I pull out Cloudy's girly picture to show him. It hurt to do so, but it was worth it to see more of that smile. He erupted into fits of choking laughter, I sat down on the edge of his bed and laughed with him. The sharp intakes of air hurt bad, man, maybe I am really fucked this time...

x-x-x

ShinRa Midgar Headquarters. I was hoping not to ever have to return here. Whatever. Aeris is here and so is Zack. I will get them back.

x-x-x

"This is too easy." I muse out loud. Barret snorts. "Maybe it's cause you flirtin' with all the guards, spiky. Is everyone in SOLDIER gay?" I shake my head. "No we're bi." Barret rolled his eyes. Tifa cocked her head. "Why?" I turned to her. "Because mostly men are recruited to SOLDIER, but there are plenty of secretaries. But out on long missions, sometimes the SOLDIERs get well.. frustrated." Tifa blushed and turned away. "Well that's how Zack explained it to me." Tifa tensed. "Who's Zack? Your ol' boyfriend?" I shook my head. "No, it seems he is my current boyfriend, according to Reno. And I believe him." Tifa whipped around. "Reno? The Turk who just dropped the plate? You listen to him? Besides I already told you about you and I, Cloud." I turned to look at her with slightly icy eyes. "Reno knows Zack. I know it. I remember asking Zack who his ex'es were and he named Reno in there. And Reno didn't hurt me or Aeris when he had us alone. I don't like him, but he and I have some sort of truce over Zack. And as for us, we never were and if I find Zack here, we never will be." With that I turned away. I heard her sniffle. "Damn spiky, that was kind of cold." Tifa shook her head. "No he's right. I should have never deceived him. We weren't, but I wish we were. I'm sorry." I nodded as the elevator reached the 68th floor.

The doors opened to reveal two Turks. Dammit. One girl and one guy. "Hello AVALANCHE, allow us to introduce ourselves. My name is Emina and this is Daiki. We are going to kill you now."

x-x-x

The girl used a gun, yet she was no match for Barret and the guy was a nunchaku user. They're dead now. Easy. Too easy in all honesty. Our whole breaking into ShinRa seemed too easy. It's almost like they wanted us to do this. I hate being a puppet. There she is. Aeris. Oh Gaia. Not him. Please Shiva not him. Not Hojo. I fall to my knees, mind buzzing with blocked out memories of torture. "Ah Specimen C, nice to see you again. Specimen Z has missed you." I shake with barely suppressed fury. "DON'T CALL US THAT!" It explodes my pain, my hurt, my fear, all of it. Flashes of Zack bleeding on the cliffs outside of Midgar. Flashes of being stuck in a tank of mako. Flashes of my hometown burning. I rush at him. Barret stops me. I turn on him. I nearly kill him before she stops me. Soothes me. "Cloud! Don't let him win!" I fall down again. Aeris... Thank you. I pass out.

x-x-x

"You're getting some company, Zack." I shrug. I don't care unless it's Cloud. They toss someone in. My breathing stops. "...Aeris?" She stirs. "Zack." She smiles at me. That smile. I wish I could look away so it didn't hurt. "Why are you here?" I choke out. "Oh well I got captured when Reno dropped the plate, but Cloud came to rescue me from Hojo. But then he had a break down and I had to help him, but he'll be fine. He is very sweet. I like him. He is a good choice for you. He needs you to cheer him up!" I nearly have a heart attack. "Y-you know a-about Cl-Cloud?," I ask quietly. She smiles again. "Yeah Reno told us about it. He says you love him. How could you not? Cloud is adorable! But he needs love in his life, you are a really good pair." I choke on a sob. "Thank you, Aeris." She walks over and pets my forehead. "No problem, you deserve to be happy."

x-x-x

Where am I? My eyes flick open. A cell, great. Oh wait... why is out door open? I look over. Tifa is on another cot. The door is wide open. I stand and walk over. There is blood all over the hallway. I walk out. At the end of the hall is a dead Turk. He had a keycard... Name badge says "Shou - Knives." It looks like the Turks are losing a lot right now. I head back to my cell and wake Tifa. "Cloud?," She asks as I shake her. "Tifa, come on, we are escaping." She jumps up quickly. We run to the cell next door. We open it to find Barret and some cat... dog thing... "Come on we are getting out of here." I say quickly. The... thing approaches me. "Hello we didn't get to meet previously. I am Red XIII." I was shocked to say the least that it could talk, but I still acknowledged it. "I'm Cloud." Red bowed slightly. "Nice to meet you, Cloud." I nod at him and turn to go to the last room. I slide the keycard through the lock. The door is forced open asI begin to open it. A fist comes crashing toward my face. I catch it and look up at my attacker. Tears flood my eyes as I meet familiar blue eyes. I fall into Zack's arms happy to finally be "home."