Closure

Chapter 20

(Ashe POV)

We had travelled for what seemed like hours. My feet were starting to hurt and the sun would be completely gone soon. "Let's find a place to stay." Cloud suggested and I happily agreed. Maybe tomorrow I could convince him to go back home and bury Zack forever. Let a hero rest in peace….

"There's a motel over there." Alastair pointed out. In fact it was an old shack that only said "Motel". Guess in his days it was all he had.

"Alright, let's see if they have rooms for us." Cloud said and headed for the dimly lit shack. "Yeah separate rooms hopefully." I said glaring at Alastair.

And indeed they had 3 separate rooms. I was longing for a shower so much. Finally having gotten undressed and out of my dirty boots I embraced the hot water running down my body. Heating me up just as Zack's heat had when he was cuddling up tome in bed. Though today, I'd sleep alone. Yet again.

(Ashe POV End)

Cloud kept tossing and turning in his bed. He so wanted Ashe to be happy, wanted to believe that this wasn't for nothing. But he had to admit that he was clueless. He had no plan whatsoever. And Tifa and the kids were probably at home safe and sound. He missed her warmth near him, missed how her hair sometimes covered her face completely. Missed kissing Marlene and Denzel goodbye and maybe even tell them a goodnight story. Usually they'd ask for stories from SOLDIER, but how can you tell two little kids about thus cruel life he had before. As much as he enjoyed it back then, thinking about it now, it only brought misery. And it brought pain to a person he cared about.

He couldn't let her down. He just had to keep on going.

"You are just running away from your own problems now aren't you?" Alastair was standing in the doorway, the bit of light coming from outside made his wrinkles more apparent than ever. He was a dying man with one last chance to make it right. A chance that might not even be there.

Had he been running? Running from the fact he could not provide the home he'd wish for Tifa so much?

"Maybe. Maybe not. Good Night Alastair." I said and turned around facing the opposite direction.

"You are a good friend Cloud, and I do believe that your and Ashe's answers can be found here." Were his words before he disappeared gently closing the door.

Don' you be wrong old man….

The sun had risen and it was warmer than yesterday, as if to make everyone feel happier and more enlightened. Their journey was about to continue. Further up that hill, further up to the hopeful truth of Zack's death.

It had been another hours' walk until they reached the next little hat. But this time it was just some old senile lady who couldn't provide them shelter, let alone even remember their names for longer than 15 minutes. "Always meeting new people…" Ashe thought to herself knowing that it was actually a sort of rude remark.

So they had to sleep outside. Cloud was left to be the one building up a tent, as Alastair couldn't handle it with his back and Ashe had left for 'The ladies room'.

(Ashe POV)

In fact I was lying and just wanted to get away. Wanted to enjoy the nature in its beauty without being disturbed. Wanted to think about what might or might not be ahead and how everyone at home might be. It seemed like I had lost touch with everyone lately. I didn't want to interfere with Cloud's new life, yet I knew that if he finally got the marriage over with, she would be out of the picture. Had to be.

This painful feeling behind her eyes returned and the tears kept rolling. This was it, this was going to be over soon. No more camping with Cloud and even less with Zack.

Suddenly I heard something and a bird almost hit me. "Stupid thing! You re supposed to fly in the air!" I yelled furiously. "Seriously what's wrong with birds these days…."

(Ashe POV End)

Back then it hadn't occurred to anyone whose bird that was. Ashe had returned and happily slipped into her sleeping back, hoping desperately Alastair wasn't a snorer. Much to her dismay, he was.

The next morning another hours' walk awaited them and Ashe was getting impatient. "Know what Cloud, let's cancel this stupid trip and get our asses back home where no bug is going to bite me. You have a marriage coming up and I have a flat to find for myself."

"The hell!" Cloud yelled dropping his backpack next to his feet. "I am not going to throw you out just because I marry! The kids love you."

"Eh…so?" Ashe inquired. "You will have a family now and I don't want to be in the way of that."

"You are family! The kids love you. They consider you their aunt."

"Alright, know what you two, break it up, let's drag our asses up to that old geezer. And please in time before I will jump of the next rock just to escape you two bickering!" Alastair interfered.

So they carried on, Ashe and Cloud obviously at war at the moment.

Eventually they did find that old house they once met this old man with his bird.

Cloud knocked and after a few minutes wait – Ashe already wanted to bail – somebody opened. It was that very said man.

"I knew you would return one day." He said smiling. "And I also know why you came. But I am sorry I have no answers to provide."

All their hearts sank. All this for nothing?

"I told you all there was to tell when you first came here. I want you, to remember this moment."

"Hold his head!" Ashe exclaimed and tried to prevent the man from hurting himself. After a few seconds it suddenly stopped and the man lay restless in Zack's muscular arms. In an instant he began whispering. "I see a bad future, I see grief and I see a happy end." Then the man went unconscious.

Suddenly Cloud's cell rang. Reluctantly he picked up seeing it was Tifa calling.

"Cloud! You need to come back, something's happened. It seems we are at war!" then the call broke off.

"I want you, to remember this moment…." In a far away distance there was a bird howling.