Many Moons

By Moira

Chapter 5-The Odd Couple

Junon.

Like a metal extension of the land. Hard to tell where one ended and the other began, if not for the unnatural smoothness of the military structure.

Too precise. Too perfect. Too damn ugly when compared to the rest of the rugged seascape.

The breakers beat relentlessly on the outer casing of that man-made shell. It was an oblong shape of sheer metal. Levels rose to contend with the surrounding hillsides branching out in runways and platforms where aircrafts that sat clustered in groups. People moved along the catwalks, going about their business, though most of it seemed repair related. The traces of Diamond Weapon's attack still lingered on more than half a year after it's destruction. Visible cracks split the main body and spidered along the turrets of the gun tower. Debris littered the beaches below, scraps not worth salvage or just too cumbersome to move. Not a few half obscured uniforms were also peeking through the sand here and there in patches of faded blue, their owners either gone or buried with them. It had been a disastrous attack, but Midgar had been worse. Much worse. More time was needed to patch those holes and erase the lingering feel of death, but hope flourished even in the worst of times. Human beings, someone once said, are at their best, when they are at their worst.

A rider and chocobo approached, followed shortly by another man, bare-chested and breathing hard. They stopped adjacent to the town portion of the base just as the sun crested the horizon. Bright orange rays speared the blue waters and bounced off the base's reflective casing. The man riding the chocobo closed his eyes and let the warmth bathe his skin with fingers of gold. It washed over him in a pool of heat and he sat motionless, enjoying it, or maybe it was just his way of welcoming the day.

Beside him the bare-chested man was bent double, hands braced on his knees. Strands of sweat soaked hair were glued to his forehead and back, making it appear from a distance that he had been whipped. Up close it actually looked worse. He was bleeding a little from several minor cuts and scrapes across the face and shoulders. Sweat and dirt streaked his body like ill placed tattoos, and dropping dead seemed the next logical course of action.

The rider opened his eyes slowly and surveyed the small costal town. Pulling some drooping strands of blond hair out of his mouth he addressed the other man.

"We're almost there. You gonna make it?"

"…wheeze...wheeze…"

"Is that a yes, or a no, I'm too old for this shit?"

"…cough...kiss my…wheeze…ass Strife."

Cloud raised a fair eyebrow and began the motions of blowing a kiss.

Instinctively, and without looking up, the red-haired man withdrew something from a thong attached to the belt loop at his side. With a small adjustment and a deft flick of the wrist, a long metal rod extended. It sparked slightly, and without preamble he touched the tip of it to the tail feathers of the black chocobo. There was a pop, like an amplified charge of static, and the bird screeched loudly. Black feathers left a slowly falling blizzard in the chocobo's wake as it charged through Junon with its rider caught off guard, and eventually off mount. Unfortunately, or fortunately as one could take it, the blond man's boot caught in the stirrup and he was dragged bumping and screaming through the center of town.

"Heh"

The Turk straightened with a satisfied air. He stretched like a cat and dug a crumpled cigarette from out of his side pocket. Lighting it with a flourish he clamped it between grinning teeth, hooked each thumb on a belt loop, and strolled at a leisurely pace into Junon.

* * * * *

A metal fan whupped overhead, broad and slightly angled, moving the climate controlled air about a sterile looking room. The off white walls were undecorated and stripped of any personality. There was more metal than anything else, whether furniture or instruments. Shades were drawn down, cutting off the morning sun, but blades of light snuck through the kinks and stretched out over the form of a young man lying with his back to the window. The hospital bed was almost dead center and the rungs of the guardrail lay flat on the sides as if someone had purposefully pushed them away from their upright positions.

The current occupant of the bed twitched with some unseen irritation and continued to glare balefully at a steel cast stool by the door. He idly plucked a splinter of wood from somewhere in the vicinity of his lower pants, then shuffled completely onto his stomach where further inspection produced what looked to be a gate latch, more splinters, and a dusty, ribbed fishbone. He grimaced at the latter and pushed his sun burnt face into the pillow.

"You don't kill your allies. You don't dismember your allies and force feed them their spines."

Cloud rolled over with a wince and stared at the ceiling of the hospital station within the compound and told himself this many, many times. Unconsciously he groped for his sword, which had been wisely confiscated by the doctor. Not finding it he clenched the overly starched sheets between his fingers.

"A level 3 fire casting to warm things up. A gravity spell to pin his ass to the floor. A Silence to shut him up. Follow up with the Climhazzard and rip him a new assho-"

The door to the infirmary swung open with a bang. Reno practically bounced in, a large box nestled in the crook of one elbow.

"Miss me?" He grinned at Cloud.

"Oh, so many ways to answer that," the blond growled.

Ignoring the warning signs completely, Reno shut the door and sought out the stool. Once he had settled it next to the bed and perched on top like some kind of animated parrot, he snagged the box and held it lovingly to his chest. The writing on the outside, or what Cloud could make out through tightly wound arms was,

MR. MIDGAR'S DONUTS

"I can't believe they had one of these here!" Reno exclaimed, lifting the lid.

Cloud failed to see the miracle here and lay back down against the pillow. The aches and pains had only been magnified tenfold by his little escapade through lower Junon. Partly de-clothed by all the dragging, eventually left with no shirt, half a gate shrub entangled in his hair and ending it all by screaming incoherently at pedestrians, he was in no mood for certain people. Dusty fingers came up and traced a line of raw skin that stretched from ear to neck along the jaw. He gritted his teeth as he found another set of similar track marks across his chin and nose. He really couldn't blame that shopkeeper for calling the guards he supposed. He must have looked a bit odd hanging from Sylth's stirrups with that bush obscuring his face. Hell, if a hedge had suddenly appeared and threatened him with an impending gory death he would have called for help, or at least a summon materia. The additional cursing against any living relatives, pets, and generally anything and everything might have been a bit excessive too. He could see a problem though with being knocked repeatedly about the body with a bucket. A guy could only take so much abuse and that roped water pail had left marks all over him. Sylth had had her go at bashing him too.

"Everyone loves me!" He declared mentally. "Aren't I special?" Tifa would call this karma, but he thought it more just a bad case of traveling companions.

Attention and mouth occupied with a jelly filled confection that was leaking down his chin, Reno missed the glower that spoke volumes of the retribution coming his way. Instead, he tried to fit more into his maw and made a garbled offer for a pastry.

An aged doctor who was attending moved to the bedside and examined a leafy twig in Cloud's ear. He continued on to the crisscrossing burns that made red stripes from head to shoulders. From there on were the usual scrapes, small embedded rocks and an occasional feather threaded through the remains of a shirt. The doctor nodded and made notes that looked suspiciously like flower doodles from Cloud's vantage point.

Again Reno waved the honey-glazed ring at the patient. Cloud peered at it unenthusiastically, but took it anyway to distract his mind from the prodding that had now moved to his hip. The doctor ambled further down and uncovered the leg that had been crushed during the fight with the Zolom. Parts of the material were all but bonded to the skin with dried blood and dirt. The doctor wrinkled his nose and took a pair of scissors from out of a pocket in his lab coat to cut it away.

Cloud practically threw the doughnut in the man's face; so frantic was he to stop the further destruction of his pants.

"I'll take 'em off alright?! Just give me a second."

Reno looked up in surprise at the vehemence in the blond man's voice. He thought he had caught an undercurrent of desperation there too, but how important were pants in the grand scheme of things? He kept his comments to himself for once and munched quietly at the jelly krueller. Swallowing the mouthful he said,

"We need to talk ya know."

Cloud was fumbling with the belt and the straps that held them up with the kind of clumsy tension that made Reno frown.

"Yeah I know," he said finally, "but later. After I get this out of the way and get a shower." "Where should we…"

"The Lazarus Pit!" The Turk declared immediately.

"The what?"

"It's a bar on the 3rd level. I know the owner and the Turks hang out there, or we used to. It's a good spot."

"I'm sure."

Cloud suddenly paused in mid-unbuckle and a blank look crossed his face. Again Reno missed the expression in his engaging search for another glazed doughnut. The blond turned and motioned to the doctor, who had one of his socks and was twirling it on the end of a pen. They held a brief whispered conversation behind Cloud's raised hand. He gestured at the box Reno still had clasped to him and explained something. The doctor cocked his head to one side and looked doubtful, but nodded. A nurse was conferred with and also briefed. Meanwhile Reno, unable to locate another one, had to settle for a Mideel Crème.

He looked up with the doughnut held triumphantly in his hand, and found everyone staring at him.

"What? I got some on my suit?" He looked down, though of course jelly on his suit was the least of things that currently stained it.

When no one answered him he shrugged and stood ready to leave.

"Ah…sir?"

"Mmm?" Was the muffled reply.

"We need to have a look at you too."

"I'm ok-"

The nurse materialized next to him. She smiled sweetly and Reno thought he might be able to guess what she had eaten for lunch based on the piece of food between her teeth.

Not wanting to abandon the box Reno clutched it possessively to his chest.

"Just a quick look sir. To make sure everything checks out." The nurse motioned for him to release the doughnuts from the death grip they were in. Reno looked at Cloud suspiciously, who ignored him, and then at the doctor who seemed to find Cloud's feather encrusted boot more interesting than his patient or doughnuts.

"I don't think-" Reno began as he backed towards the relative safety of the door.

Small hands grasped him by the ponytail and yanked hard until his face was level with hers.

"MOVE IT MISTER!"

As one they moved to the opposite door, the nurse leading, and Reno practically duck walking because of the leverage she had on his hair.

"Were you in SOLDIER at any time?" Reno asked as she dragged him into the back room.

The door clicked and the remaining occupants glanced at each other. Cloud jutted his chin towards the box that now rested on the edge of the stool.

"Now's your chance."

The doctor shuffled to a drawer and rifled through it a moment before producing a vial and needle. He tapped the tube of clearish liquid with a finger.

"So he was exposed to high levels of Mako? He doesn't appear to be deteriorating much, unless you take in his state of dissaray."

"Yeah," Cloud affirmed. "VERY high levels. You can't really detect his kind of crazy unless you've traveled with him like I have. Believe me doc, he shows all the signs of loosing it."

"I don't know…" the doctor hedged, looked back to the door the Turk had disappeared behind.

Cloud took a deep breath and put on the face he usually used when explaining to Yuffie that Vincent was more likely to shoot her than ask politely for his materia back.

"I've had a problem similar to this. I know all the warning signs doctor. He needs that counter agent now, but he won't take it if you tell him directly."

"He must be a very close friend for you to be so concerned," the doctor said.

Cloud favored him with a genuine smile. "Oh yes. I'm a very concerned party."

"And you're sure he won't take it willingly?"

"I'm sure. This is the best way to administer the drugs to him."

With a last glance at the closed door the doctor leaned over the box and selected a powdered bun that oozed red filling. Inserting the needle he emptied the contents of the tube and replaced it back to its original position.

"That should help, but are you familiar with the general side effects?"

Cloud practically hummed to his answer. "Quite familiar. I went through them all once upon a time."

"Oh?" The man looked interested. "We don't really have many cases of it, but ever since the problems with the reactors we keep a counter agent handy. The speech problem should wear off in a matter of hours, but the time span for the onset of insomnia is different for everyone."

"I'll be sure to tell him."

The doctor nodded. "Well, now what to do with you then. I see you've already had a Full Cure at least once, but I'm going to administer it again along with an added Restore command. That should have you back on your feet and in a couple of days you'll be back to…," the man glanced at the remains of his clothing and then at the small pile of feathers that had accumulated on the floor, "ah, normal, in no time."

As the doctor selected a bright green materia from his coat pocket, the door Reno and the nurse had disappeared behind opened. The Turk emerged looking paler than he had upon entering. The nurse followed close behind him, shedding a plastic glove into the wastebasket as she passed it, and while he looked disturbed she was downright jovial.

"Everything checks out," she announced.

Reno shuddered.

Cloud looked suddenly pleased with life in general, or at least until the nurse turned her attentions on him.

"I'll be going now," Reno said. He bent down mechanically to retrieve the doughnuts and made for the door.

"Oh." The Turk paused and turned back around. He looked at the nurse, and then gestured to Cloud.

"Don't forget what we talked about." He winked at her, and grin spread from ear to ear as he heard Cloud's protests begin to rise in octave even through the closing door. With a little jig in his step he left the hospital wing of the compound.

* * * * *

"So," said a voice.

"So," said another.

"No really," said the first.

"After you," was the reply.

A sigh lifted, telling of both frustration and irritation.

"It nearly killed him."

"And…?"

"And you don't find that remotely disturbing?"

"Not particularly."

The first man who had spoken raised a long fingered hand to the bridge of his nose and rubbed judiciously.

"Do you even have an inkling of how important he is?"

"Actually I've wanted him dead for years. Whether or not he has anything to do with the receiver end of the experiment means nothing to me."

"Aren't you even slightly curious as to what Hojo was up to?"

"I wanted him dead too."

The first man threw his hands up in exasperation. "Well if you want the man to stay dead then by all means go after Delaney with a rusted pipe. But if you have even a shred of ambition in your body, then help out instead of…" "Dammit man! Stop eating my croissants!"

"You're gonna die of stress before anything happens at this rate."

"…"

Stuffing the last bit of flaky bread into his mouth the second man picked up a photo. He studied it a moment then held it up for the other man to see.

"And what about him?"

"Eh?" The first man took it from him and ran a nail over the glossy surface. Within the white borders of the picture a man slouched against a stucco wall, one knee drawn up to his chest. Sun beat at the figure putting spiky blond hair and unmistakable blue eyes in sharp relief. He was dressed in multi-pocketed shorts and a white tank top, which displayed well-muscled shoulders and a deepening tan. Beside him, and also leaning against the wall of the building, was a broad sword, flat, and gleaming with pink, red, and green stones embedded in the handle and cross bar.

"Cloud Strife," the first man murmured.

"Resident hero and world saver extraordinaire," the second man confirmed in a mocking voice. "Only problem is, that ain't the same guy I remember."

"What?"

"That guy. That ain't Cloud Strife."

* * * *

Author's Note: Well, they finally made it, but yet again I leave little enough information for you to chew on. I promise though, it will make more sense once you see the cards laid out like they will be in the next chapter. As for Cloud not being who he is, that's a mystery that's been raging from day one since the game came out. Hopefully I'll make your heads hurt in the next chapter and then remedy it by having Reno do a table dance. Or something really out of place like Cloud doing a table dance...gah... -Mo

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