CHAPTER 9
Cloud was tired as he trudged through the streets of Edge. No, not tired. Exhausted. Beaten. Destroyed. He did not know how long it had been since he had stormed out of the bar, but he knew that he had not eaten or drunk anything since then. His stomach rumbled painfully, begging for nourishment as another bead of sweat rolled down his face, dehydrating him further.
Somehow, for some reason, his feet had brought him back to this place. Cloud lifted his head and stared about himself in a listless state. He knew where he was. He was headed back towards Seventh Heaven.
A figure standing behind a truck attracted Cloud's attention and he frowned, taking a closer look. He gasped and stumbled backwards. Zack.
The SOLDIER was sneering, his face twisted in evil malice as he watched Cloud's reaction. His body was battered and muddied, but still strong. Blood spatters decorated his uniform. Cloud could see streaks of the crimson liquid over the hilt of the sword that was slung casually on Zack's back. Even his hair seemed to bear the tokens of his crime.
Zack lifted a hand to Cloud and the blond man gave a strangled cry. The hand was entirely red, crusted in dried blood. Zack sneered again and outstretched his hand.
You like it, don't you? It's beautiful. So wretched, precious, and forbidden. You could have it. Just come over here. Take a step closer. Make the decision! Throw this sorry existence away.
The voice resonated deep in Cloud's head, sounding like a mixture of Zack's lighthearted tenor and Sephiroth's domineering baritone. Cloud gasped for air as his heart pounded wildly, causing him to hyperventilate slightly.
A car drove between Cloud and Zack, severing their eye contact for a moment. The car passed by, revealing nothing. Zack was gone. There was no SOLDIER standing behind that truck anymore.
Cloud spun around, his paranoid eyes searching desperately for any sign of his old friend. Where had he gone? Was he waiting to ambush Cloud? He could be right behind him! Cloud could see nothing, no hint of where Zack had gone. Passer-byers stared at him slightly curiously, but with repulse quite evident in their body language. He looked crazed, as though he had been hassled and plagued by some unseen terror for some time. If only they knew they were right.
Forcing himself to take a deep breath and steady his nerves, Cloud exhaled through his teeth. Zack was gone. It had just been another hallucination. It was over now. There was nothing to worry about.
Feeling exhausted, Cloud groaned and dropped his head into his hands, gently massaging his temple. He needed to rest. This had gone on too long.
No, he didn't need rest.
Cloud Strife needed help.
A maniacal cackle rippled through his body as he pulled his head out of his hands. He spread his arms and laughed even louder. Help? No-one could help him! This was a never-ending spiral! There was no way to stop it and no way to go back. So why was he fighting it? He should just accept the inevitable and enjoy the ride.
Perhaps that what he would do.
Cloud relaxed his posture as the laughter died away. Cool, calculating eyes scanned the area. Despite his mental decline, he still recognised the need for money and finances in order to live.
He would have to go back to Tifa.
A slight flash of irritation passed over his face, but Cloud knew there was no way around it. Seventh Heaven was the basis for Strife Delivery Service. He probably had several jobs waiting for him already, customers growing frustrated as they wondered why this normally reliable service was imposing on their convenience.
What if that seemingly-friendly Zack hallucination was still there, just waiting for him to return?
Fear struck through Cloud at this thought, but he pushed it aside. He had no choice. He had to go back.
Deciding the best course of action would be to enter the bar late at night, after it had closed, Cloud started walking once more. He would find a spot near the bar and wait until the time was right. Then he would go back inside. He would resume his 'old life', for as long as he could bear.
Denzel stood in front of the mirror, his gaze fixed on one spot in undeniable horror. Blood roared in his ears and his hands started to tremble. He was disgusted, terrified. Horrified.
It was rare for Zack and Denzel to be separated, but there were still times when they were apart. Denzel understood without needing to be told that Zack needed to be left alone sometimes. During those few hours, Denzel would wash or simply sit in that room, staring listlessly at nothing.
Zack was currently having a shower, washing away the lingering remains of the night before. He had been called upon to break up a rather severe bar fight, which resulted in him being soaked in alcohol and sustaining many fist wounds. Zack had been too tired to wash after helping Tifa to clean up the trashed place. He had simply staggered to his room and fallen asleep as he was.
Denzel had woken up as soon as the shower went on and he crept out of his room, quickly ascertaining that it was Zack who occupied the bathroom. He returned to his own room and slowly dressed for the day. He had just finished dressing when he noticed the one thing that served to unsettle him so utterly.
On a black rope, hanging softly around his neck was a silver ring, beaten and melded into the shape of a wolf's head.
Cloud had given it to Denzel.
How had he not noticed until now? How could such an important detail like this slip from his memory? As his breath wheezed from fear, Denzel lifted his hands and struggled with the necklace, desperately trying to pull it off.
It refused to come.
His actions were too hurried, too desperate and not calm enough. Denzel was not thinking, just yanking and pulling. He started to sob in anxiety. Get it off! He just wanted it off and away from him! He never wanted to see it again! It would taint him!
Zack paused in the bathroom, having finished his shower. He thought he could hear something, whimpers and struggles. Moving fast, he wrapped the towel around his waist and rushed out of the bathroom, following the noises to Denzel's room.
He found the boy on the floor, tousling with the necklace. Denzel was hyperventilating in between sobs and he thrashed, his whole body screaming for the offending item to be removed.
"Woah, Denzel! Calm down! What's wrong?" Zack asked as he hurried to the boy's side, not understanding the situation.
"Get it off! Just get it off me! Get it off!" Denzel shrieked as he struggled. Zack reached in and grasped the necklace, pulling it up and off from around the boy's neck. Denzel landed flat on his back before gasping and scrambling away from Zack, his eyes locked on the necklace.
"It's okay Denzel. I got it off." Zack said softly. He looked from the boy to the simple piece of jewelry, "What's wrong, Denzel? Why did this upset you?"
The boy tore his eyes away to look at Zack's face.
"He gave it to me!" he shrieked, his voice unsteady as his lungs worked in overdrive.
Understanding dawned on Zack and he looked back down at the necklace then over at Denzel again. Compassion swept over Zack's face.
"Oh Denzel. It's alright now. I'll take this away, okay? You don't ever have to see it again if you don't want to."
"No! I don't want to see it again!"
"Okay, okay. I'll get rid of it. Alright? Here. I'll just put it there for now. See? It can't hurt you while it's over there. Everything's alright now. You're safe. You're safe, Denzel. C'mere." Zack oustretched his arms and sniffing, Denzel crawled over before curling up against Zack's chest. He gave no complaint as he realised Zack's body was still damp from the shower. Instead he buried his face deeper against the man's shoulder as the sobs became more prominent, controlling his body.
"Shh, shh. It's okay. I'm here." Zack said, wrapping his arms around the frail boy and rocking him.
Something thick and sticky smeared across Zack's skin and he looked down to see geostigma weeping onto him. A stab of sympathy shot through him. This boy had suffered so much. He had watched as his world was destroyed, then he had been inflicted with the stigma. Now, the man he had regarded as his hero had betrayed him, leaving him broken.
Denzel had no strength left for himself.
"Zack? Are you done in the bathroom? You left clothes in – whoa!" Tifa halted and took a step back, averting her eyes as the first thing she saw was Zack's half-naked body. She suspiciously glanced back and then realised the situation.
"Here, Tifa. You take him. His stigma's playing up again." Zack said, lifting the boy towards Tifa who nodded and took Denzel by the hand.
"Wait! Don't leave me alone, Zack!" Denzel cried, trying to reach back for his new hero.
"It's okay Denzel. Go with Tifa. Besides, I have to take care of that thing for you, remember? And then I have to get dressed! It's kinda cold like this."
Denzel nodded then winced in pain. His geostigma was suddenly causing him a lot of pain.
"Okay." he mumbled and turned to walk off with Tifa. "I... feel kinda funny..."
The boy unexpectedly collapsed, his body going limp as Tifa cried out in fright. Zack leaped up, reaching for him.
"What happened?" Zack asked. Tifa had rolled Denzel over and was cradling him in her arms as she knelt on the ground.
"His geostigma. Whenever he gets very upset or depressed, it gets worse. We have to get him to bed!"
Moving quickly, the two adults carried the unconscious boy to his bed and bundled him under the covers. Tifa left to get a bowl and damp cloth while Zack stood by the bed, staring down at the child. He was in awe at how fragile human life could be.
Here one moment, gone the next. Just like that.
All the lights in the building had gone off, leaving it silent and like a shell, hollow and void of life. Cloud hurried to then entrance under the cover of darkness. It was around 1 a.m. and the occupants of the building had finally gone to sleep.
Cloud used the entrance through the garage. His gloved hands ran over his sleek motorbike as he assured himself it was in pristine condition before heading on into the bar. Cloud did not need lights to find his way through this place. He knew it like the back of his hand. Moving quickly, he reached the stairs and headed up them, expertly avoiding the steps that always creaked.
The hall stretched before him and his feet led him to his room. Cloud hesitated at the door, unsure of whether he should actually enter or not. It felt wrong to be here, as though he was admitting defeat by coming back.
Taking a deep breath, he pushed the door open and entered his bedroom.
The brochures were still on his bed, beside his keys. Cloud felt fear, before anger boiled up and hid the fear. With one quick swipe he knocked the brochures off his bed, scattering them across the floor. He glared at the folded pieces of paper as they lay haphazardly across the floor. It was as though they had lost their power; they were now vulnerable instead of threatening.
Cloud closed the door and quickly got ready for bed. He lay down on the mattress and sighed as all the tension slowly drained out of his back. A slightly contented feeling settled over him. Yes, he had made the right choice. It was good to be back.
The tormented blond man quickly fell asleep, not noticing as somewhere else in the house, muffled cries of pain rose up.
Zack lifted his groggy head, wondering what had woken him. Letting his foggy mind clear, he focused and listened, his advanced hearing picking up the soft creaks of the house shifting and the soft pitfalls of some creature scurrying around outside.
Before his mind had even registered the sound, Zack found himself swinging out of bed and hurrying down the hall towards Denzel's room. That was what had woken him. The boy was whimpering.
Entering the room, Zack went straight to the boy's side and bent down, his face furrowed with concern. Denzel was writhing as a thick black ooze slowly dripped off his face and stained the bed sheets. Strangled moans and whines emitted from his mouth as his face was pinched in pain.
"Denzel! Denzel, wake up." Zack said as he reached down to stir the boy from whatever nightmare he was experiencing.
The boy's body arched back as he gave a bloodcurdling scream. Zack flinched and stared in horror. What was happening to the poor boy? Lunging forward this time, he gripped Denzel by the arms and shook him.
"Wake up!"
Denzel's eyes flung open and he screamed again, staring around himself furtively as he scrambled backwards, away from whatever threat pursued him. His mind slowly registered that the threat was gone and he gradually calmed, his chest still heaving in an after-effect of the terror.
"What's going on?" Tifa asked as she came into the room, her hair mussed and tired lines under her eyes. A nervous Marlene hid behind Tifa.
"I don't know. Just a nightmare I think." Zack said before turning back to the boy, "It's okay Denzel. It's over now. It's over."
"H-he tried to hurt me! He wants to hurt all of us! H-h-he's not d-dead anymore! H-he's c-c-coming b-back!" the young boy stuttered in terror as he tried to convey what he had seen.
"Shh, shh. It's alright. He can't hurt you here. I'll protect you." Zack promised as he pulled the small boy into his arms, cradling him. Denzel continued to shudder, his small fists grasping Zack's shirt as though it was his life line.
It took some time for Zack and Tifa to get Denzel back to sleep. Eventually he slipped into a deep and calm slumber, reassuring the adults that he was not about to start screaming again. Sending Marlene back to bed ahead of them, Zack and Tifa quietly slipped out of Denzel's room, shutting the door softly behind them.
"What do you think caused his nightmare?" Tifa asked softly, seeing the deep frown on Zack's face and knowing that he was pondering something quite fiercely.
"I'm not sure." Zack replied, his eyes staring down the hall, "But, as a point of interest that could be related to this incident or it could be completely unrelated... Cloud's back."
"What?" Tifa looked down the hall towards Cloud's room. "How can you tell?" Zack was silent for a moment before answering.
"Just... the atmosphere around that room is different. He's definitely back."
"Which means we need to keep Denzel away from him." Tifa continued and Zack nodded. She sighed and rubbed a tired hand across her face. "Why did this have to happen, Zack? What is even happening? I don't understand it. Cloud seems to be losing his mind... Will it ever end?"
"Maybe. I don't know. We'll just have to take it as it comes, Tifa. There's not much else we can do." Zack turned and walked back to his room. Tifa trailed after him.
"I'm just getting so sick of it all. I mean... I know it sounds terrible, but I think I'm giving up on Cloud. He wasn't so bad a few months ago. He was unreliable, yes. But he's just gone downhill since then. Nothing seems to effect him anymore."
Zack turned and rested a comforting hand on Tifa's shoulder.
"I'll message Reno in the morning, see what he's come up with. If he can get Cloud to that man, maybe we can save Cloud." he said. Tifa shuddered.
"I just don't feel good about trusting that monster, Zack. It's too dangerous."
"It's a risk we have to take. Now get some sleep Tifa. You need it."
They departed to their rooms and fell into light, restless sleeps. Morning came all too soon and they found themselves drawn and tired as they got up to face what could only be a stressful day.
Cloud rose late in the morning and cautiously headed downstairs to fix himself some breakfast. His stomach rumbled painfully at the thought of food. When Cloud stumbled on the staircase, he gripped the banister tightly and mentally decided that going without food for an extended period of time was not a good idea. He was weak.
The blond man peered into the kitchen nervously. Even if he had come back to resume his old life until his mind spiralled to the bottom of this insane abyss, Cloud was reluctant to confront the others just yet.
Zack was the only one in the kitchen, his head bent as his fingers flew across his phone's keypad, messaging someone.
A chill washed over Cloud. No. Why Zack? Why couldn't it have been Tifa? He would have preferred her heartbroken questions and helpless tears to this demented hallucination that refused to leave him alone. His gut clenched and twisted. Cloud no longer felt hungry.
"You got a few jobs waiting for you." Zack said without looking up and Cloud flinched. "Tifa asked me to check on the delivery service for you. Five unanswered messages waiting on your office phone and six calls that Tifa or I answered. Don't worry, we explained that you'd been experiencing some mechanical problems lately, so we couldn't be sure when you'd make the deliveries. The people were happy with that."
Cloud said nothing in response. Zack sent the message, shut the phone and looked up.
"Tifa's taken the kids out for the day. They needed a break. They've been pretty stressed lately." Zack closed his mouth, unsure of where that topic was going. He did not want to make Cloud any more uncomfortable than he obviously already was.
"You hungry? I was just about to get some food, myself." the black-haired SOLDIER finally spoke again. Steeling himself, Cloud nodded. Zack flashed a relieved smile before turning and grabbing some bowls.
Cloud entered the kitchen and stood dumbly as he watched Zack fuss about. Zack turned around and held out a box of cereal to Cloud.
"Here."
The blond man could not move. His breaths rattled within his frail chest and his hands trembled as cold sweat broke out on his face. The stance that Zack held before him now was the exact same stance that the other Zack hallucination had taken before Cloud, only one day earlier.
He could not trust either of them.
Cloud had to ignore these hallucinations, he desperately reminded himself. It was the only way to combat them. Somewhat surprised that he was still fighting against his fall into insanity, Cloud sidestepped Zack. He retrieved his own bowl, spoon and cereal. The milk was already on the table. Acting coolly, he sat down and began his meal without another glance over in Zack's direction.
Zack lowered the oustretched hand, pain twisting in his gut. Why did Cloud always have to do that to him? Just when Zack thought he had a chance at repairing their relationship and helping Cloud, his friend just had to go and rejecting him so simply and coldly.
It was the easiest way to rattle Zack.
He sighed and in a momentary burst of frustration, Zack slammed the cereal down beside Cloud. He turned away and got his own food before sitting at the other end of the table.
They were like immature children, pettily ignoring each other.
The shrill ring of a phone shattered the tense silence. Cloud glanced up as Zack fished his phone out of his pocket and answered it.
"Hello?"
"Yo!"
"Reno." Zack stood up from the table and walked away. He was unsure how much of the conversation he was comfortable with Cloud overhearing.
"It took some convincing, but he finally agreed to help, yo." Reno said, in answer to the text message he had just received from Zack.
"Oh, that's great. Just tell him to be ready at all times." Zack replied, keeping his voice soft.
"Right. So how's the Cloud-hunting going, yo?" Reno was blatantly curious.
"Actually, it's not."
"What? You better get onto that, and fast, or-"
"Reno, relax. There's no need." Zack walked further away and dropped his voice even lower, "He came back. We didn't call him or anything, he just showed up sometime last night. Slipped in and shut himself away in his room. Didn't wanna be noticed. But now he's up and pretty much acting as though nothing has changed."
Reno let out a low whistle, causing Zack to cringe as the noise was distorted through the phones.
"That's random, yo! What would he come back for?"
"Who knows? But who cares? He's back and I'm gonna personally ensure that he doesn't leave again."
Cloud watched as Zack murmured to Reno on the phone. His instincts told him that they were discussing him, which only served to make Cloud even more uncomfortable. His heart thudded wildly against his ribs and his nerves prickled in hypersensitivity as he slunk closer.
He could do it. He could end all his problems, right now. All it would take was one well-aimed thrust. Cloud could do it. He'd done far worse things in the past. This would be easy. No problem at all. His mouth went dry as everything seemed to slow down to a painful clarity.
The meat knife was weighted in his hand, not heavy but weighted enough to prove a substantial and deadly force. His muscles gradually coiled, tensing in preparation for the attack. His mind cleared, blocking out all thoughts and allowing him to calculate perfectly.
Zack Fair was as good as dead.
The blade lifted, its edge razor-sharp. Cloud breathed in, then struck. Adrenaline flooded his senses. The meat knife was flying, slicing through the air with deadly accuracy.
Zack closed the phone and turned to his right, sensing a presence behind him. Something flashed in the corner of his eye before pain exploded through his right shoulder and he cried out. Blood. That was all he could see. And the hilt of the meat knife, protruding from his shoulder with his attacker's hand still wrapped around it.
Cloud screamed in anguish and self-hatred. His conscience and loyalty reared their heads, striking at him emotionally as he dealt the blow. Regardless of whether the man before him was a hallucination or not, this was Zack! How could Cloud kill his best friend?
He had to!
Cloud wrenched the knife out before striking again, a bloodcurdling scream ripping past his lips. Zack shouted and raised his arm to defend himself, still too shocked by the situation to react. The knife slammed into Zack's forearm, shattering bone and piercing out the other side. Zack screamed in agony and stumbled backwards.
"Die, die! Just die already!" Cloud was snarling at him, the blond's face twisted into an unrecognisable expression of rage, hatred, fear and terror. He wrenched the knife back to himself before striking out again.
Zack reacted.
His left hand shot out, grabbing Cloud's wrist and twisting until he felt a snap and the knife fell to the ground as Cloud shrieked as fiery shards of pain shot up through his wrist and forearm. The SOLDIER's enhanced strength, combined with the rapidness of the attack had sufficiently fractured one, if not two, bones.
Zack pushed forward, forcing Cloud to the ground. The blond cried out as his senses were continually assaulted by waves of pain. Zack shoved a foot out, slamming it against Cloud's throat and effectively pinning him to the ground. His eyes were narrowed and glowing fiercely as he snarled down at his relentless attacker.
"What the hell is this?" Zack snapped, "I get that you're messed up right now! I get that you don't exactly like seeing my face around. But I'm your best friend, Cloud! What the hell is going on?"
"Shut up! Shut! Up! You're just a hallucination! So get away from me! Stop taking over my life! Just get out! Get out of my head. Get out of my head. Leave me alone. Shut up! Why are you saying this? I said shut up! Just get out of my head, leave me alone." Cloud's head jerked from side to side as he reacted, his voice going hoarse as the pressure on his throat finally registered.
Zack stared down as his best friend writhed as though he were possessed. Gritting his teeth as tears threatened to fill his eyes, Zack pressed down harder with his foot.
Cloud's eyes bulged and the skin around his lips started to turn blue. His struggles turned frantic as his oxygen was cut off, the fingers of his left hand clawing helplessly at Zack's leg. Slowly, his movements grew weaker and weaker. Cloud's hand fell to the ground, limp, as his eyes rolled back in his head and his whole body stopped moving.
Zack waited a moment longer before removing his foot. He bent down and checked for a pulse. Good. Cloud was still a live, just unconscious. He would be out for hopefully around half an hour.
Groaning in pure agony, Zack stumbled to his knees as black dots swam in front of his vision. Glancing over at his wounds, Zack saw the bone protruding from his right forearm. Blood pumped rapidly out of the torn flesh. It soaked his clothes and dripped onto the floor. Feeling unexpectedly dizzy, Zack moaned as he fumbled with his phone.
Somehow flipping it open, he dialled Tifa's number.
"Tifa. It's me." His voice was pained, weak. "Come back, now. And bring... bring healing materia. Quick." He hung up and slumped on the floor, letting his head droop between his knees in an effort to not pass out.
What had happened? Why had it happened? Zack did not understand. It had all been so rushed, too sudden. He glanced over at Cloud and felt his heart wrench again.
Hadn't they all suffered enough?
