Cloud felt familiar warm arms around him, and his muddled brain knew that that meant Zack had made it back from the fight alive. He didn't know how long ago the battle had actually taken place. He felt like he had been out of it again for a long time. From the way Zack was talking to him lately, he had a feeling they were already on their way to Midgar.

He was right. Zack had been able to hitch a ride from a guy who was also going to Junon. The man even smuggled them onto the ship in his truck. Zack hadn't given him the full story of why they needed a ride—only that they were being chased by some people and needed to get home.

They stopped in Junon village the night they arrived back on the eastern continent, and stayed at the inn. Zack and Cloud stayed in the same room while their 'chauffeur'stayed in the one next to them. Zack was kind of exhausted. He hadn't gotten a proper sleep since he'd fought Genesis, and that was almost a week ago now. He figured tonight would be better since he had a real bed to sleep in, but still, so many things were bothering him. Like, what had happened to Genesis after he'd left him in Banora? And if he had defeated Genesis sooner, would he have been able to save the Director?

Zack also found his thoughts constantly travelling back to the letter he'd found... Aerith's letter. It was the only proof he had of how much time had passed since the incident in Nibelheim. So, Aerith had been sending him letters for four years...Four years he had spent in that lab with Cloud, unconscious. It was so difficult to believe, yet it was even more difficult to believe that no one had come to rescue them in all that time. Zack wondered whether Shinra was always that good at hiding things. Maybe they always had things going on behind closed doors, secret operations that only a select few knew about.

Zack paced the room of the inn for a long, long while, trying to block out those pesky thoughts, but to no avail. He knew he wouldn't be able to sleep yet. So many things were swimming around in his head, but in this moment, one stuck out more than any of them... Something that had happened back in Banora.

"Did it ever occur to you that he might never get better?" Lazard had asked, referring to the boy Zack was carrying. In all honesty, it had occurred to Zack, but he couldn't let himself think that way. Never seeing that smile, or hearing that laugh... Never feeling Cloud's arms tight around his body, or his timid kisses... It made him sick to think about. Zack paused a minute, and cleared his throat.
"That's not gonna happen," he answered.

Zack punched his fist into his opposite hand. He had meant what he'd said. He never wanted to give up on Cloud, not ever. He loved him, and he believed in him. He would take him wherever he needed to go to get him the help he needed.

Aside from doing that, though, Zack had no idea how he could help his beloved partner. All he ever really did was talk to him, and Zack wasn't even sure if that was working in any way. He wished he had the power to heal Cloud. He wished he could be the one to help his partner out of whatever world he was currently in.

Zack cursed quietly. He knew Aerith really was their best bet, but getting into the city would be tricky. And even then, Aerith might not be able to bring Cloud back to him. Maybe Cloud really was gone. Maybe everything that had made him the person he was had been lost during the experiments. Zack turned his head to stare at his motionless partner on the bed. Maybe Cloud really was empty.

Zack punched his hands together again in frustration. He couldn't think that way. Zack went into the bathroom, and wet a towel, wringing it out some before he returned to the bedroom. He sat down beside Cloud, who was sitting against the headboard of the bed. Zack gently dabbed the towel at his face, cleaning off the few days' worth of dirt that had collected on it.

"Here. This will probably feel a lot better," Zack said, continuing his gentle cleaning. He washed each of Cloud's cheeks first, then kissed them both when he'd finished.

"Listen to me, okay? I know this sickness has really got you in a bad state, but it won't last forever. You're strong, Cloud. You beat Sephiroth on your own, remember? Getting over this should be easy," he said, now getting the dirt off his partner's forehead.

"I know you can beat this," he whispered. He finished with Cloud's face, and quickly threw the towel into the bathroom sink before tucking Cloud into bed, and lying down beside him.

Cloud was alert again, hearing every word, and he fought so hard against that blackness. He wanted to break free, to beat it like Zack said he could, but every time he fought, the blackness seemed to fight back harder, and he would slip further away from the place he wanted to reach. He wanted to get to Zack, and he refused to stop fighting until he did.

Luxiere was startled by the knock on his door. He rarely had visitors. He popped his last bite of ham sandwich into his mouth, and brushed his hands together to rid them of crumbs before going to open the door.

"Um, can I help you?" Luxiere asked, staring at what could have been a reflection of himself. Another 2nd, clad in full SOLDIER gear stood in front of him. The man pushed his way into Luxiere's apartment without hesitation.

"Close the door," the intruder ordered. Luxiere did so, then turned to the man, arms waving.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"You're a filthy rat, you know that?" the unknown 2nd said. Luxiere stared at him incredulously.

"Who the hell are you?" he demanded.

"Kunsel," the man said, removing his helmet to reveal stunning red hair that came to his chin and curled under, stylishly framing his face.

"A friend of Zack's. I'm sure you've heard of me," Kunsel said.

"Uh, yeah. But what are you doing here?" Luxiere asked, ready to give this guy a piece of his mind for barging in like that.

"You set them up, didn't you? Cloud and Zack?" Kunsel asked.

"Huh?"

"They've been missing for four years, and lately there have been rumours going around about escaped samples. Your name has often come up in relation."

"What? How do you know?"

"Word gets around. Are you denying it?" Kunsel demanded.

"Hell, yes!" Luxiere said, pounding his fist against the nearest wall. He ignored the pain searing through his knuckles, and stared at the other 2nd, furious.

"Oh, yeah? Let's see... Becoming SOLDIER was a big deal for you, wasn't it? It is for a lot of people. But if you had to choose between following orders from your new boss, or keeping your friends safe, which would it be?"

"My friends... I would keep them safe," Luxiere said, though his head hung low and his voice had gotten significantly quieter.

"Then how come you sent Zack a message saying to surrender so you can turn them in and get promoted?" Kunsel asked, holding out a phone for the man to see. Luxiere's eyes widened, and he checked his pockets madly.

"How did you get that?"

"Swiped it from you the minute I walked in the door," Kunsel replied, tossing the phone in the air and catching it. He leisurely walked across the kitchen and took a seat in one of the chairs there.

"Why don't you have a seat?" Kunsel asked, motioning to the empty seat across the table from him, making Luxiere feel like a stranger in his own home.

Kunsel flipped the phone around in his hand, watching the man across from him. Luxiere was trembling, but he didn't know if it was caused by his anger or his guilt. He couldn't argue with Kunsel while he had such a feeling of discontentment, so he gave in, and sat down.

"What do you want from me?" Luxiere asked, looking defeated.

"Cloud was your friend, wasn't he?" Kunsel asked. His voice was calm, soft. He figured he might as well try not to be so hostile. He might having better luck getting through to the guy.

"Yeah."

"Was Zack your friend?"

"Uh-huh."

"What did Heidegger want with them? And what did you tell him?" Kunsel waited patiently as the guy across the table formed a response.

"Heidegger and Professor Hojo were working together. Heidegger wanted stronger SOLDIERS and Hojo was experimenting with mako. He was trying to make something called a pure S cell. And I think he was also trying to make Zack into Heidegger's super-SOLDIER. And Cloud..." Luxiere broke off, and lay his head in his hands.

"What? Why did they want Cloud?" Kunsel coaxed, knowing he was getting somewhere.

"Cloud was intolerant to mako. Hojo wanted to see what would happen to a mako-intolerant being if it were to take in a large amount. That's all I know, man. They were doing, like, a million experiments at once."

"Wait, so you recommended Cloud as their candidate, didn't you?"

"I—"

"Didn't you?"

"Hojo knew about his intolerance already. That's why I got promoted in the first place... So I could give him and Heidegger the info they wanted," Luxiere admitted, looking dreadfully ashamed.

"And as for Zack... I told them he would be a good subject as well because he and Cloud would most likely be caught together. Hojo agreed and said he'd already done some field test with Zack, and knew he could withstand some type of substance that most people couldn't survive." Kunsel was silent for a minute, trying to figure out why that sounded so familiar.

"Wait a sec. When Zack was attacked during his mission to Fort Condor that time... That was under Hojo's orders?" Kunsel asked. Luxiere shrugged. He honestly didn't know anything about that. It had been before he was in SOLDIER, but he did remember the awful shape Zack had come back in after that.

Kunsel remained silent, looking deep in thought, and Luxiere fidgeted in his seat.

"Are you done interrogating me?"

"No," Kunsel replied, simply.

"What else do you want?"

"Do you regret any of it?" Luxiere felt like the 2nd's gaze was penetrating him, seeing every inch of his guilt.

"Of course, I do. Every day I wish I had done things differently."

"Then why aren't you doing anything to help them?" Kunsel asked.

"I don't know how!" Luxiere hated the emotions that were overcoming him now. Pain, fury, hurt, guilt—he hated them all, and he knew if he had just made wiser decisions, he could have prevented all this.

"Look, I want you to get out of my apartment! You had no business coming in here and accusing me of things! You think I don't feel bad about all this? Guess again!" Luxiere shouted, standing up from the table.

"Hey, I didn't come here to make you feel bad," Kunsel said, getting up as well, leaving Luxiere's phone on the table.

"Then what did you—"

"For help," Kunsel sighed. Luxiere stared at him, not knowing why the man would possibly need from him.

"I need your help. Your friends need your help," Kunsel repeated.

"I don't understand."

Kunsel walked a few paces towards Luxiere's living room, trying to figure out the best way to put his thoughts into words. Finally, he faced Luxiere again.

"I heard a rumour today. Apparently, the escaped samples were sighted near Midgar. Three quarters of the company's infantry unit—that's about three hundred men—have been sent out to eliminate them."

"Eliminate?"

"Yeah. Shinra's frickin' sick of chasing them." Both were silent for a minute, staring at the floor, the walls, anything but each other.

"Look, I know I seem like I know a lot, but this time, I don't have all the answers. I don't know all of what went down in Nibelheim, or with you and your boss, or even what's gonna happen to Zack and Cloud. But I am going outside Midgar to find them this afternoon, and I'll go alone if I have to. But it would be really good if I had some backup," Kunsel said, watching the other man now, who seemed to be struggling with the information.

"You want me to help fight off the battalion?" Luxiere asked.

"I need you to help get our friends out of there safely. Whether that means fighting or hiding them or whatever, I guess we'll know when we get there. But I need to know that you're not gonna betray them again." Kunsel's voice was firm, but he hoped it would convince the man to come with him.

Luxiere looked up at him, and then back down at the floor. He took in a breath, part of him ready to accept the chance to help them, but another part of him—one that was full of fear—tried to convince him otherwise.

"No," he said, shaking his head. "I'm sorry, I can't do it."

"Why the hell not?"

"Everything I did was to get to where I am now. If I help them, I will be going against my boss's orders, and I can pretty much guarantee that my SOLDIER status will be taken away quicker than you can blink," Luxiere said, slumping down in his chair again.

"Where you are now... Yeah. You're a 2nd class SOLDIER in an empty apartment who thinks he's too good for everyone else. You betrayed two of your friends, and now you're living in guilt. Hmm, yeah, I can see why you wouldn't want to give that up," Kunsel said, the cruel sarcasm hitting Luxiere like a brick. Needless to say, it hurt.

"Will you leave now? Please?" Luxiere almost pleaded.

"Fine, whatever," Kunsel snorted, heading for the door.

He stopped, though, with his hand on the doorknob, and looked back at the man at the table. Luxiere's head was in his hands again, and he was shaking. Kunsel sighed, and closed his eyes. Maybe he had gone too hard on him. Maybe Luxiere really did want to help them, but felt he couldn't. Maybe he wished he could take it all back, and ask them for forgiveness, but didn't know how. Kunsel realized that he was just a guy who had made a mistake, and no one could really blame him for that.

"Hey, I'm sorry about all this. I really wish you would have come with me, though," he said. Luxiere looked up from the table.

"Yeah, well, I don't know how much help I'd be. They'd probably never forgive me, even if I did show up," he replied.

"Maybe not, but who knows? It would at least get you on the path of forgiveness, and that's a step in the right direction," Kunsel smiled. "Anyway, I need to get going."

Luxiere watched as Kunsel opened the door. He peered out into the hallway, then turned around once more.

"You know," Kunsel started. "Sometimes being a true SOLDIER is about more than just following orders. It's about following instincts, and doing what's right. That's how all the good SOLDIERs do their jobs anyway. Angeal, Zack, Sephiroth... As 2nds, we should try to follow in their footsteps."

Kunsel walked out the door then, closing it behind him, and Luxiere kept his eyes on the spot where he had disappeared. Redemption, forgiveness, maybe that was all he really wanted. Being in SOLDIER had been a goal, a dream, but there were other ways to find happiness. Cloud had showed him that.

Luxiere bolted up from the table, and threw open the door of his apartment.

"Hey, Kunsel!" he shouted down the hall. The other 2nd looked back at him and smiled.

"Wait up!"

"You... you knew?" Cissnei repeated. Her breath felt sticky in her lungs, like it wouldn't come out right.

"I'm afraid so," Tseng answered. The noise of the helicopter was loud, but the two kept their voices loud enough to still be audible. Cissnei was clutching her hands together so tightly that it was uncomfortable.

"How come you didn't try to save them? Zack was your friend," she said.

"He was a co-worker, and my work at Shinra cannot collide with personal affairs."

Cissnei was silent. She had trusted her boss, trusted that when it came right down to it, he would go out of his way to protect Zack like she had, but she had been so terribly wrong. If she had known about the experiments for as long as Tseng had, she certainly would have done something sooner.

"I want them both alive. It's my way of trying to make things right. We're going to save Zack's life," Tseng said.

"By making him surrender? I doubt he'll see it that way. Sending him back to the lab isn't really saving him," Cissnei muttered, folding her arms. She wanted to cry, but she knew she shouldn't in front of her boss.

"It's not a great situation, I agree. If I were able to suggest an alternative, I would, but the company wouldn't allow it. The conditions are set. Surrender, or be killed by the army," Tseng explained. Cissnei shut her eyes. She didn't want to think or hear such things.

"Should the company really be doing this? Don't you think it's wrong?"

"Of course it's wrong, but I stopped questioning what the company does a long time ago," the Turk leader replied.

Cissnei couldn't look at him. She stared out the side of the helicopter, and almost wished they would crash so she wouldn't have to hurt Zack anymore. She honestly didn't know how much more she could take.

The sun was hot as it beat down on the 1st in the back of the truck. Zack had situated Cloud at the other end so they didn't look so much like a couple. He didn't know how kosher the driver would be with that kind of thing. Zack made pleasant conversation with the driver as they approached their destination. When they ran out of things to say, Zack talked to Cloud.

"So, what are you gonna do once we get to Midgar? I guess we can't go get our stuff from Shinra. We'll need jobs, I suppose, to buy new clothes and stuff. First things first, though. We'll go see Aerith and get you cured," he said, smiling at Cloud as he spoke. There were so many things he really wanted to say. Like, how 'bout we get a place together? And where would you want to live from now on? But he assumed the man in the truck was still listening.

"Maybe I'll be a mercenary or something. What will you do when I leave you to fend for yourself? You know I'm ditching you as soon as you're all better." He watched the silent Cloud and grinned, laughing slightly.

"I'm just kidding. You know I wouldn't do that to you." He waited a long moment, staring up at the sky.

"We're friends, right?" Zack asked. The term seemed so simple, so meaningless. They were so much more than that, and Zack wished they could go back to what they used to be. He wanted to go back to the nights when Cloud cuddled up beside him in his bed, or when the boy actually returned his embraces. He didn't want his life at Shinra back because he knew what kind of atrocities that led to, but he wanted that perfect life with Cloud back.

Zack stood up in the back of the truck to get a clear view of where they were headed. The landscape was all familiar to him. Huge walls of rock were scattered across the dirt-covered terrain. They were probably still about a twenty-minute drive from Midgar, but at least he could see the city from where he was.

He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath of fresh air. Just as he exhaled, he realized they had entered a danger zone. He ducked down, just barely dodging the bullet that flew towards him, and threw his body around Cloud, protecting him. This was it. The army had found them, but Zack didn't panic. He needed a level head to protect himself and his defenceless partner.

"Pops, park us over by the rocks! Cloud, ride's over," Zack said, his arms still protectively around his partner. The driver didn't say a word. He merely pulled over like Zack had asked, and let his passengers off. Zack managed to get himself and Cloud hidden behind a section of tall rocks, but he knew they wouldn't be safe for long.

"Dammit. I thought we'd be able to sneak in," Zack said. His heart was pounding now as he realized that running was no longer an option. His mind raced. The army was waiting for them, probably just metres away from where they were. He had to fight; there was no other way now.

He knelt down beside the blond and was at a loss for words. He opened his mouth several times, then closed it again. Anything he said now would scare them both because he knew it would sound like goodbye; that is, if Cloud were listening. He wanted the boy to know he loved him, loved him in a way he'd never loved anyone before. But he was running out of time. The army would come to him if he didn't go soon.

He stared at Cloud, unsure of what he should do. Kiss him? Embrace him for what could very possibly be the last time? Zack closed his eyes. It would be too hard on him. He would never be able to let go.

Zack gave a chuckle and smiled, and hoped Cloud knew that his smile was sincere. He hoped Cloud could hear in his laugh just how much he meant to him, and how happy being with him had always made him. He wanted to say the words, he wanted to tell Cloud he loved him, but he doubted his voice would let the words come out. Instead, he raised a hand to the boy's hair, and gave it a good ruffle. That was all he had the strength to do.

With that, he stood up, and swore he wouldn't look back. Despite his pounding heart, he felt relatively calm. That was a good thing, though. He knew he would be able to fight better if he wasn't in a panic. Zack headed off towards the battle that he had been dreading, that battle he feared he would be forced to fight, leaving Cloud behind. He wished he hadn't promised himself he wouldn't look back because he had an awful nagging feeling that he should.

Cloud wished he would look back, too. He urged his voice to work, to scream out Zack's name if that's what it took, but nothing came out. He raised a hand, a heavy arm with it, reaching out for that figure that was disappearing from his sight. Cloud gasped, then choked on his breath. He knew this was it. He needed to break out of the hold this sickness had on him, and he had to do it now.

A/N: And so Zack charges off into battle...

Okay, so first things first. I'm kind of upset because I just heard about the changes that this site is trying to put forward. They're going to try and take down all the fics that have mature content in them, including sex, violence, profanity, whatever. There is a petition to stop this act, and there's also a forum about it. I think there are other measures they could take to prevent people from stumbling onto something they didn't mean to, or from reading things they shouldn't. Anyway, if you're against this act, please, sign the petition! If you can't find it, send me a message, and I'll give you the link. I think I'm going to make a deviantart account to put this story up on, just in case it gets taken off here. I'll let you know in the next update what that account will be.

So, those experiements that Luxiere was talking about: some of them are from the game, and some of them I made up. I'm sure if you've played CC, you can figure it out.

I guess that's it. I'm so worried about this purging of fanfictions that I can't really think straight. I'll get the next chapter up to you guys as soon as I can! Hopefully this story will still be here!