Guardian Angel
By Chi-Cloud

Disclaimer: Final Fanatsy VII is a regeistered trademark of Square Co. I don't own it, so if you sued me it'd just be plain stupid when you get your ass laughed at in court.

Author's note: I don't know the whole story, I don't even know if this is true or not. It's just what I learned through various websites and piecing together facts from that, pictures, and the game. So this, after a few years, is how I remember the tale. Contains small amounts of Yaoi. (I can't do much...) Bear with me, I don't write often. (the little * are the little voices inside Cloud and Zax's head.)

Part 1

He did it.

He finally did it.

Sephiroth lost it.

He destroyed Nibelheim. Burned it to the ground.

Killed everyone.

Zax looked at the scenary whizzing past him as he rode in the back of the old man's truck. They drove down the bumby road to nowhere.

He never had a hometown.

No family. Just SOLDIER's and businessmen.

There was only one person that really took care of him. And that person was still a kid himself. What was his name? Vincent somethin' or another...

He couldn't put a finger on the name. He never was good at matching faces to names.

The day he found out, he locked himself up in the Shinra mansion's secret library in Nibelheim. We were on a mission then, checking out the reactor, there were increasing reports of monster sightings, and needed to be checked for maintenance.

Zax glanced off to his right, to the lithe spikey haired blonde who sat there.

That day, Cloud's childhood friend, Tifa, showed us to the reactor. That's where Sephiroth saw his mother, or who he thought was his mother, the monster, Jenova.

Not even Seph could take that.

He killed everyone.

Cloud sat lifelessly in a corner. He stared at the sky in a daze, completly incoherent.

Even Cloud's mother.

Cloud was still in shock from what had happened. His town was burned to ashes. His mothered murdered. One of his best friends went insane. But it wasn't just that.

Sephiroth scared him.

He showed him a man being infused with Mako. All soldiers were. Thus they were stronger and their eyes glowed. But this man was infused with Mako so many times, he had turned into a monster. All soldiers had to be infused with Mako on a regular basis. None of us ever knew that eventually...

All those things led up to Cloud's current state.

That why they ran.

How could you do this to us Seph? We were your friends! I remember on saturday nights we'd get together and...

He quickly swiped the thought away. Now was not the time to think about THAT.

We loved you Seph. Cloud especially.

"They're gone, aren't they..?" Cloud muttered still staring at the sky. "They're all gone..."

A tear rolled down his cheek. He clenched his knees to his chest and buried his face. After two weeks in shock, it finally hit him, hard. And he cried. "No... no..."

Zax crawled over to his side of the truck bed. He pulled the crying teenager onto his lap and held him close."Sephiroth killed my mom, and everyone in town, and I..."

"I tried to kill him..."

True, Cloud. You did... But he would've killed Tifa and me if you didn't wound him.

Cloud continued to sob.

Damn you Seph! How could you do this to him! He's only sixteen and already he's seen everything important to him shatter right in front of him! You Bastard!

*Can you say 'misguided rage'?*

Shut up, you!

*Just saying it wasn't entirely his fault. Cloud's not the only one to feel sorry for.*

Wha--?

*Just talk to him! NOT the voice in yer head!*

Kisama...

*Moron*

Zax stroked Cloud's hair. "It's not your fault, but it's not Seph's either." Cloud looked at him with Mako blue eyes shrouded in tears. "N- nani?" Zax kissed the little blondes forehead. "Shinra used Sephiroth, just as they used us." He gently embraced the little blonde. "But we don't have to worry about them anymore. We escaped." Cloud sniffled. "Th-thank you Zax..."

The old man up front driving slammed on the brakes, sending both Zax and Cloud to their respectives sides of the truck bed. "This is as far as I go fellas! This is my town, Costa del Sol. You can hop a boat tomorrow and sail to Junon. There's an Inn if ya wanna stay the night." Zax stood up and wiped the dirt from his uniform. "Thanks, old man!" The man scowled at him as he hopped off the truck, lifting Cloud down afterwards.

The man sped away, probably going home.

"Shall we?" Zax held out his hand to Cloud. He was still depressed, but did his best to grin and bear it for Zax's sake, knowing how hard he was trying to make him feel better. He took Zax's hand and they walked into the inn.

They entered the inn still holdong hands. A young girl around Zax's age stood at the counter. "Ah! Welcome to Costa del Sol! Can I--" Her eyes fell upon the two's intertwined hands. She giggled. Cloud blushed. "Me and my liitle brother would like a room please." Zax looked at Cloud and winked. She stopped giggling. "Oh, right this way please. Tee hee..."

The young girl led the two to a vacant room upstairs.

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Owari Part One