Chapter 10: Patched

"Well, there's the sleepy head," Laguna greeted, as Cloud emerged from the alcove the next morning. Everyone was sitting around the fire pit, and Cloud ran a hand through his dishevelled bed-hair as he proceeded toward the group.

"Sleeping late again, huh?" Bartz smiled, as Cloud sat down between him and Yuna. Cloud swallowed the memories of his dream-filled slumber, and nodded.

"Guess I needed the rest," he replied, simply.

To be honest, Cloud had slept a little more soundly than he would have liked, and although he'd still dreamed of Zack, the visions he'd seen were at least peaceful ones. For once, the most painful part of his slumber had been waking up.

"Cloud, we were talking about exploring the places where you and Tidus encountered the manikins," Yuna spoke up, bringing Cloud out of his thoughts.

"Oh?" Cloud asked, trying to keep himself still, though his body fought desperately to tense up.

"Yeah, our ghosty-manikins showed up here at the campsite. I searched for any remains of them this morning, but didn't find anything. You and Tidus encountered your little munchkins out in the forest, so maybe there's something there," Laguna replied, a hand resting leisurely on his thigh while the other waved expressively in the air.

"And what exactly are you expecting to find?" Cloud frowned.

"Proof that it really is manikins we're dealing with? It just seemed like a strange encounter. We thought there might be more to it," Laguna explained.

Cloud showed his agreement with silence. He shuddered at the thought of going back to that dreaded cliff, but he did want answers—anything that might tell him what that Zack figure was, and what his intentions were.

"When do we head out?" Zidane asked.

"After breakfast, I guess," Laguna replied, reaching into a small pail in front of him and gulping down a handful of berries.

Tidus dared a glance in Cloud's direction. Cloud's lips were pressed hard together, and there was a line between his brows which was obviously caused by stress, but Tidus could understand why; he felt the same way. Digging up the past wasn't always pleasant.

"You want something to eat, Cloud?" Bartz asked, with a glance at his companion. Cloud snapped out of his disquieting thoughts, and managed a small nod.

"Guess I should."

"Here ya go, Cloud," Zidane announced, as he got up from his spot.

Cloud could tell from his stance that his leg had improved some since the day before. Zidane collected something from the pail at his own feet, then strolled over to Cloud's side the fire, hand full. As he approached, he nodded for Cloud to open his hand, and Cloud did as requested.

"Breakfast," Zidane explained, as he passed over the contents. Cloud stared at the few squished raspberries that had landed in his palm and grimaced.

"Raspberries. Perfect," Cloud mumbled.

Most people couldn't tell Cloud's sarcastic voice from his usual one, but Tidus was pretty sure he could detect it. Tidus leaned his head forward to peek past Yuna, and noticed the red fruit, confirming his suspicions.

"Hey, Zidane, don't give him those. Cloud doesn't like raspberries, remember?" he spoke up, voice light and playful.

Cloud lifted his head enough to catch a glimpse of Tidus' boyish smile. Needless to say he was surprised by Tidus' not only out of the blue, but also accurate observation. Zidane rolled his eyes at his Cloud-obsessed friend.

"Sorry, don't remember," Zidane sighed. Cloud looked up timidly as Tidus got up and approached him, offering him a palm full of blueberries.

"Go ahead," Tidus smiled. "I'll eat the squishy ol' red ones."

Laguna and Bartz began to chatter away about the manikin search, and with the attention now off of him and Tidus, Cloud felt comfortable enough to make the trade. Cloud gave Tidus a nod, and Tidus poured his blueberries into Cloud's hand, while collecting the raspberries for himself.

"How did you know?" Cloud asked, startling even himself when he felt a hint of an amusement dancing on his lips.

"You told me months ago," Tidus fibbed, his smile twitching slightly. Cloud had told him no such thing; Tidus just remembered the way Cloud's nose had crinkled up in disgust when Cloud had eaten those bittersweet, red berries.

"I don't remember," Cloud shrugged. "But, anyway, thanks."

"No problem," Tidus grinned, as he headed back to his seat by the fire.

Cloud eyed the berries in his palm, then gracefully popped a couple into his mouth, revelling in the sweet and delicious taste. He felt a foreign feeling of contentment from the simple gesture of kindness. Cloud had never expected his fellow Cosmos warriors to notice such trivial things about him, as Cloud made a point of saying and doing very little in order to avoid attention, but right now, he was thankful for it. He knew Tidus probably paid a lot more attention to him than others did, but it still made Cloud's insides warm to know he was noticed, even for something as quirky as a dislike for those horrid little berries.

When Cloud looked up from his breakfast, he found Tidus staring back at him from across the fire. Tidus offered a gentle smile, and Cloud nodded once more in a silent thank you. Tidus averted his gaze then, recognizing that any lingering eye contact would most likely make Cloud feel awkward, but he was comforted to see that the signs of distress that had been etched into Cloud's features were now gone. He secretly prayed they would never return.

Tidus led the way to where he'd fought the figure of his mother. At least, he was pretty sure this was the place; the forest was as disorienting as ever, but he was quite certain he recognized his surroundings. The group spread out to search the area, analyzing every plant, rock, and tree for any remains of the ghost that had been there, but found nothing. No strands of blond hair, no scraps of clothing, not even any dust or crystalline remains from where Tidus had eliminated her.

Tidus had been unusually quiet as they explored the area, and although it shouldn't have come as a surprise that he would be upset, the other warriors were still half-expecting him to be upbeat about the situation. They didn't ask who he had seen—they simply left him alone to his thoughts—but Cloud knew, and he found himself keeping a careful eye on Tidus as they wandered. Whether he was doing it out of concern for Tidus, or simply to see if Tidus responded as emotionally as he had after facing his ghost, Cloud wasn't absolutely positive.

"Cloud?" Laguna spoke up.

"What is it?" Cloud asked, casting one last look at Tidus as he scoured some rocks, before proceeding to meet Laguna. Laguna stood between two trees, his eyes fixed on the path ahead.

"Tidus said you met your manikin on a cliff?" Laguna inquired. Cloud quietly gulped.

"Yes."

"Pretty steep, right? And no land visible on the other side?"

"Not that I could see. Too much fog on the other side."

"Right. I think Yuna and I came across it a few days ago," Laguna nodded. "Pretty sure I can find it again if I try."

"Oh. Good," Cloud lied.

"Well, will we head out then?" Zidane sighed, pushing himself up out of the thick clump of grass he was investigating.

"As long is Tidus is ready to go. Want to give him a minute if he needs some extra time to... Wait, where is Tidus?" Laguna frowned.

"Huh? He was just here. Tidus?" Bartz called out, giving up his fruitless search, and wiping his sweaty forehead as he got up from the ground. He raised a brow when the blond didn't reply.

"Tidus!" Yuna shouted from her position at a nearby tree. Cloud frowned and glanced around. The pile of rocks where Tidus had been mere minutes ago lay abandoned.

"Want me to go look?" Bartz asked, drawing everyone's gaze to him.

Cloud eyed Yuna as she stood by Bartz's side, her face twisted up in worry. He knew either one of them could comfort Tidus just as well—probably even better—than he could, but something was stirring inside him. Tidus had witnessed Cloud's reaction to his manikin, and had consoled him. Now Cloud wanted to do the same. He wanted to make sure Tidus was stronger than he was; he hoped he was.

"It's alright," Cloud replied. "I'll go."

The others mumbled startled words of agreement, but Cloud ignored their surprise as he headed past Tidus' rock pile, and through the trees that lay ahead. He only had to walk for a minute or two before he found Tidus crouching down by a small stream. Cloud proceeded quietly, not wanting to alarm him as he approached from behind. He watched as Tidus delicately brushed a hand over a white-petalled flower that lay in his hand.

"This is for you, mom," he whispered, setting the lily afloat. "Hope you like it."

"Tidus?" Cloud spoke, voice soft. Tidus' head whipped around to look at him. His bewildered expression quickly faded, and he gave Cloud a shy smile.

"Oh, it's you."

"We didn't know where you went," Cloud told him.

"Sorry. I just needed a minute," Tidus replied, lightly dragging his gloved fingers back and forth through the water in front of him. His eyes followed the white lily as it floated slowly down the stream, and Cloud found himself staring after it. It was certainly a beautiful way of remembering someone, a ritual filled with such sentiment.

"I know, looking for traces of these manikins—or whatever they are—isn't easy," Cloud acknowledged.

"I know she wasn't real," Tidus spoke up, his eyes still on the water. He couldn't look at Cloud right then. He couldn't bear for him to see such a vulnerable side of him, not yet. Luckily for him, Cloud didn't see him as showing any weakness.

Cloud could hear that his comrade's voice contained sadness, but unlike Cloud, there were no tears. Cloud wondered if perhaps with Tidus, there were never any tears; maybe he simply grieved in a different way. He could set that lily afloat as tribute to someone he'd lost, smiling softly, expressing his loneliness with positivity—Cloud found it a comforting thought.

"But it was still hard to see her. And I feel like I let her down, you know?" Tidus went on. "She said she wanted me to join Chaos along with my dad, and I... I said no. I fought her instead."

"Are you doubting yourself?" Cloud asked, heart leaping into his throat as he sought the answer.

"No, not really. I know I did the right thing. Those ghosts were our enemies, right?" Tidus asked.

Cloud shivered as he thought back to his own manikin. Even if it had wanted to get him killed, it had still looked like Zack, and it was hard to think that Zack could be his enemy in any way. When Cloud didn't reply, Tidus let out a soft chuckle.

"Guess it's too late to be reconsidering, anyway, huh?"

"Guess so," Cloud replied.

He turned his attention toward Tidus' lily, almost out of sight now as it made its way to a bend in the stream. Cloud released a small sigh as he sat down beside his companion. Tidus glanced at him fleetingly.

"Were you and your mother very close?" Cloud asked cautiously, hoping to offer some comfort.

"Yes, and no," Tidus replied, not seeming to mind that Cloud had posed a personal question. He thrust a hand through his hair as he gathered his words.

"She raised me mostly on her own. Dad was gone a lot of the time, and was drunk most of the rest. But whenever he came home from a long time away, he and my mom would talk for hours. When that happened, it was hard to get their attention. Even my mom, she... hardly noticed me when Dad was around."

Cloud frowned slightly; the response was somewhat shocking to him. It was hard to picture someone as seemingly cheerful and carefree as Tidus to have a tough upbringing. He'd always imagined Tidus being raised under constant sunlight and love.

"Sounds difficult," Cloud spoke up, letting Tidus know he was listening. Tidus sat back and pulled his legs up against his chest. He nestled his chin atop his knees, and let out a sigh.

"After my old man went missing, Mom was never the same. She stopped eating and didn't even speak much, and eventually she..." Tidus trailed off, but he saw Cloud nod out of the corner of his eye, letting him know he didn't need to finish that sentence in order to be understood.

"Guess that's why I hate my old man so much."

"That's right. You plan to fight him, don't you?" Cloud questioned.

"Mm-hmm," Tidus nodded.

A couple more quiet seconds passed, and the silence made Tidus realize how deep in conversation they had been. He shook his head timidly; he had given Cloud a lot of information, and he hoped he hadn't bored him.

"Sorry," he said, with a chuckle. "Didn't mean to ramble on like that."

"It's alright. I was the one who asked," Cloud reminded him, forcing a half-smile. "Besides, sometimes it's good to vent."

They continued to sit in peaceful silence as minute after minute passed. Cloud stole several glances in Tidus' direction, admiring the way Tidus maintained the soft smile that graced his lips. In moments like these, Cloud enjoyed Tidus' company. He liked listening to Tidus talk, because he knew Tidus never expected him to reply with much, and right now, he felt he was learning from Tidus. He couldn't help but envy Tidus' ability to speak so freely about his past. It seemed so easy for him, even with the memories of the false manikin encounter so fresh in his mind.

Even considering their rough patches, Cloud's thoughts kept coming back to the same point: Tidus had proven himself on that cliff. He had proven that he cared for Cloud, that he was willing to help when Cloud was in danger, even when things were less than amiable between them. Even now, they maintained a mutual bond, always making sure the other was okay, despite the complexities that lay under the surface. That was true friendship, and it was enough. If they could stay like they were now, Cloud would be content.

Their silent repose sped to an unexpected halt as a shout rang out in the distance. They exchanged nervous glances, and leapt up from their positions, leaving their peaceful moment behind, though both felt it had ended too soon.

"Sounds like trouble," Tidus huffed, drawing his sword.

"Let's go," Cloud nodded, darting into the forest.

"Watch out!" Zidane shouted.

The gigantic Malboro opened its wide mouth and unleashed a breath of sickly green air. The group did their best to guard against the attack, then jumped back into action, hacking away at the giant beast. Tidus jumped into the air, and bounced off the enemy's head before releasing Energy Rain. Beams of white light shot into the creature, making it screech.

"Get it now!" Cloud yelled. Bartz and Zidane charged in, finishing the creature off in a few slick movements. They backed off as it squirmed and collapsed in a smelly mound in front of their eyes.

"Whew!" Bartz sighed, falling down on his backside. "What a fight."

"You're telling me! You sent Cloud and I to fight one of those on our own, remember?" Tidus smirked, flicking Bartz in the back of the head. "Thanks for that."

"Oh right. You're very welcome," Bartz teased, smiling sweetly. Cloud released a heavy breath as he slung the Buster Sword onto his back.

"Where are the others?" he asked.

"Laguna went to check out the cliff along with Yuna," Zidane replied. Cloud nodded, stomach flipping with concern, fearing they might find something there. The only blessing was that he wouldn't have to investigate the cliff himself.

"I take it you didn't find anything else here?" Cloud asked.

"Nope, nothing," Bartz replied.

"Figures," Tidus sighed, though he was just as relieved. Too many reminders of home, and he probably wouldn't be able to hold it together so well.

Bartz turned his head when he saw Cloud flinch out of the corner of his eye. Cloud frowned as a sharp pain shot through his head, like a needle. It was gone as quickly as it had come, but Cloud rubbed gingerly at his temple where the initial sting had been. The others noticed his discomfort.

"You okay?" Zidane frowned.

"Yeah. Sudden headache, but it's gone," Cloud announced.

Laguna and his summoning companion came into view, making their way through the maze of trees.

"Anything?" Tidus asked.

"Yep. You're never gonna believe this," Laguna answered, sounding serious.

He headed straight for a clump of small flowers that they had only quickly analyzed during their little hunt. He waved his friends over, and they hunched in a circle around him.

"See this?" Laguna said, pointing to one of the flowers.

Its thick green stem was long, and the bottom of the flower was hugged by large green leaves. The blossom itself was purple, with big petals and yellow pistils and stamens growing from the centre.

"Don't touch it," Laguna instructed, putting a cautioning hand out to the others. "If it's disturbed, its pollen will disorient you."

"Disorient?" Zidane questioned.

"Make your head all funny," Laguna replied.

"It makes it hard to think straight," Yuna added.

"How do you know?" Tidus asked, leaning his head forward to get a better look, though it was a little difficult to do without bumping heads with someone else.

"Before I started travelling with Yuna, I ran into Onion Knight and Terra. They warned me about these flowers. They release a pollen that can temporarily alter your way of thinking, or meddle with your perceptions," Laguna explained.

"In other words, make you a little loopy?" Bartz asked, raising a brow.

"That's the idea," Laguna agreed. "Can't believe it didn't occur to me 'til now, but I'll bet these are the flowers they were talking about."

Cloud bit his lip as the significance of the information sunk in.

"Were these flowers on the cliff?" Cloud asked.

"There were a few, yes," Yuna replied.

"And did they look like they had been... disturbed?"

Laguna glanced across the circle of heads, and could clearly see the look of disdain on Cloud's face. Unfortunately, he wasn't sure which answer Cloud was hoping to hear. Laguna pushed himself to stand up, and the others followed his lead, leaving the flower patch alone. They dispersed, talking amongst themselves, and glancing around the woods once more—this time, looking for the correct direction back to camp. Cloud's eyes were still on Laguna, waiting for an answer. Laguna simply tossed an arm around Cloud's neck.

"Don't you worry about those munchkins," he grinned. "They probably won't show up again for a while anyway."

"Laguna," Cloud said, sternly, shrugging the man off of him. "I want to know." Laguna let out a heavy breath, and his head fell to the side in dismay, like he really didn't want to speak up, but Cloud sure didn't look like he wanted to be sheltered from the truth.

"The plants did look like they'd lost some pollen. A couple of flowers looked like they'd been brushed through," Laguna explained. Cloud's face twinged as his expression threatened to sadden.

"Hey, don't feel bad. You weren't the only one. There are trampled flowers over there, too," Laguna said, pointing a finger toward another clump of flowers that lay a few feet away. Cloud swallowed hard, knowing those must have been the ones Tidus had run into.

"And I'll bet you anything, there are some back at camp, too," the brunet finished. He gave Cloud's shoulder a pat as he strode off. Cloud hoped Tidus hadn't heard the conversation, but when he looked behind him and saw Tidus staring at the patch of disarrayed flowers, he knew he had.

Tidus caught Cloud's eye only for a second, then he lowered his head and rubbed his arm timidly. Cloud recognized his nervous habit immediately, and took a few steps towards him. Cloud opened his mouth, searching for words of comfort, but he couldn't think of any. They were all in the same boat, had all fallen for the same trap. Cloud, for the life of him, couldn't think of anything to say that would make the situation better. Thankfully, not everyone was as speechless.

"Guess we'll just have to stay on the lookout for more of those stupid geraniums," Zidane muttered, loudly.

"Right. Let's just be on the alert for next time," Bartz agreed, but his attention shot toward Cloud as Cloud's hand flew to his head once again.

"You sure you're okay?" Bartz asked him.

"Oh, yeah," Cloud assured him, frowning as he rubbed tenderly at his head again. "I'm fine."

"Should we head back?" Yuna asked, eyeing her companions.

"Guess we should. Need to formulate a new plan," Laguna agreed, giving a wave for her to follow him as he headed back in the direction of the camp.

The four remaining warriors followed suit, but Tidus and Cloud lagged behind. They needed that extra minute to put their lingering emotions to rest, emotions caused by those dreaded battles with their beloved ghosts.

Things were quiet once the warriors made it back to the campsite. Zidane admitted his leg was aching a little, so Yuna took him into the alcove to heal him for a while. Laguna and Tidus were getting the fire ready to cook up something for lunch, and Cloud and Bartz sat at the edge of the bank, watching the waterfall.

"Hope Zidane's doing okay in there," Bartz said, quickly scanning the alcove before looking back at the water.

"I'm sure he's fine. He seems pretty resilient," Cloud said. Bartz smiled.

"Yeah, he is."

A frown fell upon Bartz's face as Cloud's eyes scrunched closed.

"Something wrong?" Bartz asked. It took Cloud a minute to recover, and he looked a tad pale when his eyes finally opened again.

"Yeah, I'm just... not feeling the best," he reluctantly divulged.

He'd been feeling sicker and sicker ever since that headache had struck him earlier, but as always, he didn't want to let on. His companions had enough on their plates without having to worry about him, too, but this feeling of malaise was getting hard to ignore.

"You don't look the best either," Bartz observed. "Your face is pretty white."

"I'm sure I'll be fine," Cloud tried to convince his friend, but Bartz wasn't so easily persuaded.

"Hey, Laguna. Come here a sec, will you?" he called. Laguna and Tidus looked up from their half-completed tinder pile. Laguna wiped his forehead on his sleeve and proceeded toward his companions by the waterside.

"What's up, guys?" Laguna asked, but he didn't need a response once he'd caught a glimpse of Cloud.

"Oh, you don't look so good."

"That's what I thought," Bartz agreed.

"I'm sure I'm okay. It'll probably pass," Cloud tried once again, but his words were followed by a shiver. Needless to say, no one seemed convinced.

"Are you sick, Cloud?" came Tidus' worried voice. He walked up and peeked around Laguna to see Cloud's pale face. Cloud briefly met Tidus' eyes.

"It seems so," Cloud sighed.

"When did you start feeling sick?" Laguna asked, the knees of his pants getting a little wet as he knelt in the water in front of Cloud. He inspected Cloud's face once more, before reaching for his wrist and pressing his fingers hard against it.

"Pulse is strong. That's good," he announced.

"This afternoon. I started feeling sick after fighting that Malboro," Cloud informed his companions; they exchanged suspicious glances.

"Malboro?" Bartz repeated.

"Maybe you were poisoned, Cloud," Tidus spoke up. Cloud opened his mouth to deny it, but the more the information settled in his brain, the more it made sense.

"Yeah," Cloud said, quietly. "Maybe so." His stabbing headaches, his pale face and shivering body—the symptoms added up.

"Alright, antidotes, anyone?" Laguna asked.

"We're all out," Bartz replied, with a sorry shake of his head.

"I'll check our supplies, but I think we're out, too," Laguna added. Tidus was quick to speak up.

"I can make one." All heads turned toward the young blond.

"You can? How?" Bartz asked.

"My dad taught me years ago. I'll have to find some ingredients, but I know I can do it," Tidus promised them. Cloud stared up at his companion.

"You don't need to trouble yourself. I'm sure some rest will cure it," he assured him.

"It's no trouble," Tidus smiled. "I just need to grab a few things from the forest, and it'll be made in no time."

"Okay," Cloud hesitantly agreed. Tidus gave him a thumbs-up before grabbing his sword from beside the fire. Bartz got up and brushed himself off.

"I'll go with him. Don't want him getting lost," he grinned, as he took off after Tidus.

"Those are some great friends you have," Laguna laughed, standing up and giving Cloud a pat on the shoulder. Cloud turned his head to see Bartz and Tidus disappear into the forest.

"Yeah, they are," he nodded, softly.

It took an hour for Tidus to get the antidote ready. Cloud sat against the outside wall of the alcove now, his head resting limply against the rock. When poison spread, it spread fast. The aches in Cloud's head had travelled downward through his body, making his arms and legs throb as well. He was cold, yet he sweat hot beads of perspiration. By the time Tidus knelt at his side with his medicine, Cloud was more than thankful that he had agreed to letting him prepare the treatment.

"Here, drink this," Tidus said, softly, holding a teacup out to Cloud. Cloud reached out and accepted the cup, eyeing the plant residue that was caked around the outsides. The beverage's deep green colour would have turned his stomach if Cloud hadn't already been feeling sick.

"I know, it looks gross," Tidus laughed.

"That's an understatement," Cloud uttered, staring into the cup.

"Do you trust me?" Tidus asked, causing Cloud to look up at him. Tidus held his breath, awaiting an answer. He hoped Cloud couldn't see how much that question meant to him.

Cloud paused, repeating the question over to himself in his head. Did he trust Tidus? He was a little surprised by his answer, but he went with his gut. The past few days had made it clear.

"Yes," Cloud replied, truthfully.

"Then drink up," Tidus smiled, hiding the extent of his joy.

Cloud nodded, and brought the cup to his lips. Under the circumstances, he was willing to try anything to rid himself of the illness. To his surprise, the antidote tasted a lot better than he thought it would. Obviously, Tidus had added a sweetener to the mix, probably for his sake.

"Wow. I'm... shocked," Cloud admitted, a tiny smile forming on his lips.

"Doesn't taste too bad, does it?" Tidus asked.

"No, it doesn't."

Tidus continued to smile, and turned his head to watch the waterfall as Cloud downed the rest of the medicine, not wanting to stare too long at his poor, sick companion; he looked uncomfortable enough as it was. Cloud set the teacup down beside him once he had finished, and turned his attention to Tidus.

"You said your father taught you to make that?" Cloud asked.

"Oh, yeah," Tidus nodded, his gaze fluttering back to Cloud. "I started playing Blitzball at an early age, and the rules aren't exactly clean."

"You mean, you're allowed to poison other players?" Cloud frowned.

"Yep. That's why you gotta know how to heal," Tidus explained. He grinned a moment later, and Cloud couldn't help but release a small smile in return; Tidus' optimism sure was amazing sometimes.

"Guess your father wasn't all bad," Cloud commented. Tidus smirked.

"He had his moments, I guess."

"Well, thanks for the antidote, Tidus," Cloud spoke up again, raising the empty teacup once more to emphasize his point.

"No problem. It usually works pretty fast, so don't be surprised if you start getting better within the hour," Tidus said, pushing himself up from the ground. "Feel better, Cloud."

"Thank you," Cloud whispered.

He watched as Tidus headed into the alcove—probably to check on Zidane's progress—then drew his gaze to Laguna as he emerged from his tent, a small box tucked under his arm. He approached Cloud with a gentle smile on his face.

"How's the patient doin'?"

"I drank the antidote. Tidus said it shouldn't take too long to kick in," Cloud explained.

"Good," Laguna said, kneeling down in front of Cloud. "Look, I found this when I was checking through our stuff. Healing supplies. You name it, it's probably in there. Aside from antidotes, that is," he chuckled. "Yuna and I found two of these med kits, so you should take this one."

"Is this a hint?" Cloud smirked, slightly. "I'm getting hurt too much?"

"No, no, I didn't mean it like that," Laguna laughed, waving a hand in the air. "Just in case Yuna and I decide to go our separate way, I thought I should leave this with you four, and word has it, you're the best healer in the group."

"I'm not bad, I suppose," Cloud shrugged, his shoulders feeling slightly heavier than usual from the weight of the poison. "Are you and Yuna thinking of leaving?"

"Well, no. Nothing's set in stone. I just know she finds it hard being here. With Tidus, and all," Laguna said, nodding his head in the direction of the alcove.

"Oh, of course. The breakup."

Cloud suddenly found his heart aching for Yuna and Tidus. Yuna was such a sweet girl. Cloud would never blame Tidus for breaking things off if the feelings just weren't there anymore, but Cloud couldn't help but want the best for his friends, for Tidus. A normal relationship. A normal life. That's all Cloud wanted for him.

He felt sorry that Tidus had fallen for him. He felt sorry that he might have had even a small part to play in keeping Tidus away from Yuna, but he forced himself to remember what Tidus had said. Even when he and Yuna had first reunited, he had known she was different, that things had changed between them. Maybe even if Tidus had never met Cloud, his relationship with Yuna wouldn't have lasted. Even so, he felt sorry for both of them. For Tidus, chasing after someone he couldn't have. And for Yuna, being forced to let go of someone who was so close and yet so far from being with her.

"Anyway, I just wanted to make sure you guys have all the supplies you need, just in case we take off soon," Laguna went on. "You want me to throw this in your bag for ya?"

"Mm, yeah, if you wouldn't mind. Thanks," Cloud said.

"Yeah, no problem," Laguna grinned, getting up from his position, and taking the white medical box inside the alcove. Cloud leaned his head back against the rock wall once more, and stared up at the sky. He drifted off to sleep within minutes as the soothing sensation of the antidote began to spread through his heavy limbs.

Nighttime came before they knew it. Bartz and Zidane were settling down for the night in the alcove. Laguna and Yuna were arranging some of their belongings in their tent. Tidus was tired, and debated turning in, but with Cloud still outside by himself, Tidus knew he wouldn't be able to relax enough to sleep. With quiet steps, Tidus made his way outside. He strolled toward the burning fire and sat down beside his silent companion. Cloud didn't need to look to know who it was.

"How are you feeling?" Tidus asked.

"Much better. Thanks," Cloud said.

After his afternoon's nap, Cloud's energy had returned, and his pain had left him. He continued to shiver from time to time, so Bartz eagerly got a fire going for him, and practically ordered him to stay beside it and warm up. Cloud did just that, busying himself with odd tasks like repairing the tear in his bedroll, and sorting through his supplies bag, but Cloud let the knapsack fall to the ground beside him as he settled into Tidus' company.

"You're welcome." Tidus smiled, and flopped down on his back to stare up at the black, starry sky. It was a beautiful sight, accompanied by the tranquil sounds of the waterfall.

"Tidus?" Cloud spoke up, surprising Tidus by breaking such a short silence.

"Yeah?" he asked. "What's up?"

Tidus could just make out the pained expression on Cloud's face from where he lay, and he propped himself up on his elbows to show his interest. Cloud was biting his lip, hard. It looked like he wanted to speak, but was trying hard to hold back.

"Cloud?" Tidus tried, when Cloud seemed to be having trouble forming any words.

"The other night. After what happened on the cliff, you said you would listen if I..." Cloud started.

"Yeah?" Tidus asked, gently. "You wanna talk?"

Cloud's gaze wandered, and he caught a glimpse of Tidus' face. Cloud could tell from Tidus' soft expression that he was more than willing to help, not that Cloud expected any different. Cloud cleared his throat, and laced his fingers tightly together. He hesitated, but forced himself to speak.

"Tidus, when you fought that manikin of your mother... You said you found it difficult, right?" Tidus was taken aback by the question, but he recovered as quickly as he could, and formed an answer.

"Yeah. I mean, it did look like her, and it hurt to disappoint her like that. But when she turned against me, I knew I had to fight," Tidus explained. Cloud nodded slowly. It was a satisfactory response, but it made Cloud feel small, powerless.

"I wonder... why I couldn't fight mine," Cloud said, voice quiet. Tidus watched Cloud's face carefully, taking in each sad twitch of his mouth.

"I don't know," Tidus admitted. He honestly didn't know enough about 'Zack' to come up with a good explanation; the best he could do was try. "Yours did try pretty hard to lead you on. He didn't turn on you, he was just..."

"Kind," Cloud finished, though he hated himself for it. He was sure Tidus was going to catch on soon if he wasn't careful, but somehow knew Tidus wouldn't think any less of him for his feelings.

"Kind," Tidus agreed, giving a nod. "But remember, those battles were hard on everyone, Cloud. You don't have to beat yourself up over it."

"I guess so." Cloud gave him a grateful nod. "I worry about that pollen, too. Our minds were most likely affected by it, but what does that mean?"

"That's been bothering me, too," Tidus admitted, and Cloud was a little relieved to hear it. "I wonder if that's what made us see... those people. Who knows? Maybe they were just plain old crystal manikins, and our brains made us think they were something else."

"I guess... that would make sense," Cloud said, voice low. If his mind was able to see what it wanted, then no doubt it would have created that image of Zack. There was nothing Cloud wanted more than to hear that voice, those words that would set him free from his misery.

"I know it's a little scary, but at least we're not the only ones who saw things. Means we're not crazy," Tidus reminded him, with a playful chuckle. Those words put Cloud at ease, and he managed a small smile, but his soft expression was quickly replaced with a frown as he rose to his feet, standing perfectly still.

"What's wrong?" Tidus asked, getting up just as fast, and glancing around. When they heard the sound of someone approaching, they swiftly drew their weapons and got into battle stance.

"I've got your back," Tidus promised. Cloud nodded again, knowing he shouldn't have to worry about Tidus in battle; he was one of the most skilled fighters Cloud knew, and after seeing him handle that manikin on the cliff...

Both waited for someone to approach, hoping the light of the fire would be enough for them to see during the fight ahead. Both froze as Kuja floated around the corner, a smirk on his face.

"And where is little Zidane tonight?"

Tidus was thankful when Bartz and Zidane immediately emerged from the alcove, weapons drawn. Zidane wore a ferocious scowl, but it only increased Kuja's smirk.

"Just walk the hell away, Kuja!" Zidane shouted, spit flying out of his mouth with his words.

"Aw, what's the matter, Zidane? Feeling under the weather?" the older genome asked. Obviously, he had noticed Zidane's injury.

"Doesn't matter. He's not fighting alone!" Laguna warned him, emerging from his tent with Yuna.

Laguna's gunblade was pointed toward Kuja, and Yuna wore a stern expression, staff clutched tightly in front of her. Kuja didn't look threatened. Everyone held their ground for what seemed like an eternity, then Kuja bolted forward to begin the fight.

The battle was disorienting and unsystematic thanks to the darkness and numerous fighters. Blurs of light and flashes of swords whirred in and out of the warriors' lines of vision. They haphazardly attacked, hoping to land some blows on the Chaos minion, but it was nearly impossible when so much was happening so fast.

Zidane cursed every time he missed the minion, and he kept catching glimpses of the man's evil smirk, making him even more furious. He heard Bartz give a groan, and he turned to look for him, knowing he'd been hurt.

"Yuna! Help Bartz!" Zidane shouted.

"Right," the girl replied, casting a healing spell in Bartz's direction. It was weak—Yuna had used up most of her energy healing Zidane earlier—but it was enough to keep Bartz fighting.

"Thanks!" Bartz called out.

The battle raged on, as disorganized as ever. Tidus caught sight of Kuja, and he panicked as he saw him head for Yuna, mustering a spell as he flew. The summoner held her staff in front of her, hoping it would shield her from the attack, but she knew it would not be of much help. She was the weakest of the warriors on a good day. She heard a sickening cry, and fell backwards as something collided with her. When the impact didn't hurt, she knew it hadn't been Kuja's magic that had hit her.

A loud popping sound pierced the darkness—most recognized it as an explosion of magic. Another cry followed, and Yuna quickly identified the voice. She felt sick as she concluded who had jumped in the way to save her.

"Tidus?" she asked, fearfully, feeling the ground beside her to try and find him. Bartz sent a spell spiralling into the campfire, making the flames fly higher, giving them more light. Cloud glanced over to where Yuna was, and he frowned when he saw blood sprinkled on her clothing.

"Tidus?" Yuna asked again, but the man beside her only howled in response. He was clutching his shoulder, and with all the blood covering it, Yuna couldn't even tell what had happened.

"Get him out of here!" Laguna shouted, repeating himself over and over again just to be sure he'd been heard.

Yuna held her breath when someone knelt down beside her, but she was relieved when she discovered it was Cloud. The strap of Cloud's supplies bag was slung hastily over his shoulder, and he pushed the Buster Sword onto his back before his hands reached for Tidus.

"I'll keep him safe," Cloud promised Yuna, as he pulled Tidus' good arm around his neck and hoisted him to his feet.

The girl nodded uncertainly, and watched as Cloud rushed away from the battlefield and into the woods. The summoner got to her feet and began healing her friends once again, while trying to ignore Tidus' bloodcurdling screams as they carried off into the distance.

A/N: ...Such suspense! Don't hate me! And sorry for the delay in updating; it was a busy couple of weeks, and I wanted to get this chapter nice and polished before I uploaded it because I really like this one. It's a long chapter, so hopefully it makes up for the longer wait this time:) Thanks as always to all readers/reviewers. You are a huge motivator for me to continue tweaking and uploading this story!

I hope everyone is enjoying the past Cloud/Zack references because, as you can probably tell, I am a Clack fan as well. But don't worry. Tidus isn't giving up on Cloudy yet. :3 Also, I'm a little amused that no one has been sad so far about Tidus breaking up with Yuna. I guess if people were, they wouldn't be reading this, huh? ANYWAY, hope to see you all back for Chapter 11!