Cloud.

He was an odd looking boy. Short, dressed in blue and wearing a jacket that seemed about 3 years to big for him. His hair was up in long blond spikes. The hair that was to long to pull into this odd fashion was pulled back into a ponytail. He looked lost to Zack, and perhaps he was. Of course, Zack wasn't about to go help this young man finding his way, for he himself was very much lost and very much afraid.

At only 10 years of age, Zack Flame had every reason to be terrified. Midgar was a very large city, and there were so many strange people around. He had no idea who anyone was. An odd looking woman continued to give him looks, while whispering to a punk dressed man. Zack kept sidestepping away from them, trying to keep in the shadows of the ally so as not to be seen.

Perhaps running away wasn't the best idea, Zack though. No, running away was definitely not to smart of him.

He heard the sound of feet heading in his direction, and his head shot up. For a moment he thought something was going to eat him, or that lady and her pal were coming to snatch him. His assumptions wee not correct, and he found that the little blond was heading towards him.

"E-Excuse me?" The little boy stuttered. Zack realized he really was short, about 5 inches shorter than Zack was. He was younger to, for his features didn't look as old and wise as Zack's did (even if he was only at age 10).

"I-I-I was wondering." The boy nervously said, shaking under his large jacket, "I was wondering if you-if you knew where I could find the Shinra Building." His voice died down as he said the last part, blushing deeply. Zack frowned and opened his mouth to say something.

"I do dear!" The woman who had given him odd looks said, walking over to the two boys. "If you'll come with me, I'll show you!"

"O-oh. I-I think I can find it on my own." the little boy said. Zack put his hands on his hips, looking at the lady.

"Hey!" He snapped, bitter rage flooding through him, "I was just about to tell him where to go when you interrupted!"

The woman, in her dirty red dress glared at him. "Little boy, your as lost as he is. Perhaps I could help you as well!" The lady had taken up an air of false cheer, smiling brightly down at the two.

"I-I.I don't know. I think I remember now." The little blond whispered. The woman smiled down at him.

"Dear child, don't be afraid of me! Iv lived in this city for years now, I know exactly where I'm going and where everything is."

Zack glared at her. I highly doubt that, he though. If the woman knows every place in this city, then why does she smell?

"Come along dears." The woman's punk friend had come up behind her, glaring down at the two boys. "I'll show you where you need to go." She put her hand on the blonds back, and her other on Zack's shoulder.

"I didn't say I wanted to go with you!" Zack snapped, glaring at her. She looked back at her friend, blue eyes giving a silent signal. The man looked at Zack, and grinned, placing his hand where the woman's had been.

"Come along." He said, pulling Zack from the wall.

"No!" Zack yelled, pushing the hand off his shoulder. "I told you, I'm not going with you!" His eyes went to the little blond, who looked like he was about to cry, or scream. One or the other.

"You've no choice kid." the man snapped in a low, hiss tone.

Suddenly the man straightened up, eyes wide.

"Yeah, and Spike, you've no choice but to let them go now. Unless, you like the idea of a bullet to the brain."

The woman's eyes widened to become the size of small saucers. "Yes, Metric, Iv a gun. Yes, what I told your pal here is a threat. Let the blond go to." Zack still couldn't see the person speaking, but he knew it must have been a woman; the voice wasn't as deep as most men's voices.

The woman forced a smile, and took her hand from the blond back. "I was only going to sow him to the Shinra building dear, not harm in that now, is there?"

A sharp sigh come from behind the man. "Coming from anyone other then you and Spike here, no. But Metric dear, I know you better then that."

Metric wrinkled her large nose, but smiled, gritting her teeth. "Well, It was nice seeing you again toots." She said. Her eyes went to Spike, who appeared to be at gunpoint still. "Come along Spike, let's leave Ivy to her play toys."

Spike glanced behind him, catching the light on the piercing above his eye. Suddenly he stumbled forward, almost smacking into Metric. She gave him a venomous glare, and turned around, stalking off past the spiky headed child, Spike at her heels.

Zack's head turned to where Spike had stood. Two young women were in his place. One was dressed in baggy, khaki colored jeans with a great many straps and pockets. The leather belt about her waist was unbuckled and hung near the zipper of her paints. She had on a blue jacket Zack had seen many minor Shinra guards wear before, and a hostler slung over her shoulder. Her hair was cut very en-evenly around the bottom of her ears, and near the top of her hair, there were two very little spikes. Her chocolate eyes fell on Zack, and he looked at the other young woman hidden in the shadows. The first ladies eyes were breath taking, and little scary.

"You two sure ran into a pair of trouble." The lady in the shadows said. The first shook her head, rolling her eyes as she did so.

"They should be grateful we were passing by." she said bitterly, "If not they would have been minced meat in a few hours." She walked past Zack, then the little blond, ignoring his shivers under his coat.

"Ivy!" the shadow girl snapped, coming out into the flickering light of the street lamp. "You aren't going to help them?"

This woman he liked better already, Zack realized. She was very pretty, not plain like the first. She had middle-of-the-back length red fired hair, and bright green eyes that seemed full of kindness and joy. She was dressed a bit more femininely then 'Ivy' was, in a short black mini skirt, and a V-neck white blouse with long, open sleeves that at the cuffs, fell to her knees. She to had a hostler and gun with her, but this one hung about her waist where many belts were crossed. Her shoes were the same as 'Ivy's' though, plain black boots that came to just bellow her knees.

Ivy stopped, and sighed, Turing around after a brief pause. "What would you have me do?" He asked, looking perturbed and bored all at once. " Bring the children into the heart of the city? Bring them back to the slums and our home? We don't exactly live in the friendliest of neighborhoods Fox. They'd almost be better off wandering the streets."

The first girl clasped her hands together, her many bangles clinking. "Ivy, come on! This isn't fair to them! Look at them!" She went to the blond, for he was the one that had just fallen to his knees. "They are so young!"

"Kid, what are you?" Ivy suddenly shot at Zack, her hand on her hip and waving the pistol about in her other,"8,9?"

"10."Zack stated, giving her a slight glare.

Ivy nodded,"10,even better. Fox, their only about 5 years younger then you are!"

"6 younger then you Ivy, and that's still a lot! Look at this poor dear." She had put her arms about the blonds shoulders, cradling him like a mother would a baby, " he's scared to death."

Zack raised an eyebrow as the ending of the word death suddenly went very slow. Suddenly the red heads eyes widened. "Cloud?" She exclaimed.

Cloud. Nice name, Zack though. A fuzzy little Cloud. Hah.

The blond looked up, rubbing his eyes as tears steamed out. "W-Foxy?" He asked, sobbing. The red head nodded and hugged him. "You remember me!"

Ivy looked sick, and wrinkled her nose. "Don't tell me this is some sort of lame family reunion. This your long lost brother or something?" She asked, glancing at Zack, who shared her expression.

Fox shook her head vigorously, smiling. "No, no, no, no! This is my friend Cloud! His mother and mine were really close friends in school! I met him when he was like, 6! Only a few years ago! I can't believe you remember me!"

Ivy looked even more sickened. " Great, means we gata keep him, don't it?" She asked. Zack snickered. Ivy looked at him. "I didn't say we were keeping you kid, so you still have these streets and Metric to deal with. Nice knowing ya. Common Fox."

Fox glared, and stood up, helping Cloud to his feet. She went over to Zack and held out her hand. "Hey." She said, giving her friend glares from over her shoulder. Ivy was smacking her head with her fist. "I'm Foxy Magiku. Nice to meet you."

"Zack," Zack pulled his hand from his pocket, shaking hers with a sideways smile, "Zack Flame."

"Awesome. Where are you from Zack?"

"Fox, don't make friendly with street kids!" Ivy snapped. Fox ignored her.

"Gongaga." Zack replied, smiling even broader. He liked these girls. They made an odd pair. One was over serious and one was too friendly.

"Great! I loved Gongaga. Went there when I was your age. Beautiful place."

"Fox!"

"Ah, sorry. That was so rude of me. This is my friend Ivy Sky." She leaned down to Zack' ear, cupping it with her soft hands." Ignore her," she whispered, "she's not to fond of people."

"You better not forget I'm the one with a loaded gun here!" Ivy snapped. Fox laughed.

"Ah, Mr. Zack Flame. Did you have the pleasure of meeting my younger friend?"

Zack shook his head. "Nah, not really." Fox nodded.

"Cloud, Cloud come here sweetie." The little boy slowly nodded, and pushed his tiny frame from the cement. Silently, head towards the ground, he came to her.

"Cloud, this is Zack Flame. Zack, Cloud Strife. Well, say something kiddo!"

"Hi." the tiny voice of Cloud came, from beneath his hair.

Zack was grinning now, giving cloud an odd look. "Chocobo?"

Cloud looked up at Zack, glaring at first, but upon seeing the grin on Zack's face, a small smile slipped onto his own. Fox giggled and ruffled Clouds hair, or tried to. "Well, Ivy, it appears that I can't just let little Cloud roam the streets alone. And, well, it would be just plain impolite to leave his friend behind, so.?"

Fox stared hopefully at her friend, who was glaring at her. She looked at Zack, then Cloud, then at Fox again. "Please?" the little voice of Cloud piped up, "Please, Miss Ivy? I-I have no where else to go and.and I am very lost."

Ivy looked at the little boy, who looked again like tears would spill from his blue eyes at any moment. She glared at him, the moment her face started to take on a look of sorrow. "Fine." She snapped, looking at Fox. "But don't you dare expect me to be the only one working for their food! Once we can find them some decent work, then they are throwing their fat into the fire!"

With that, Fox let out a little cry of joy and hugged Cloud. Zack shook his head. "Look, lady," he said, putting his hands on his hips and looking at Ivy's back. "I don't want to be a burden. Just show me where I can sign up for SOLDIER and I'll be on my way."

Ivy laughed as she walked up the street, still swinging the gun. "Kid, you need to have somewhere to live in this place before you can go chasing your dreams. One step at a time, or you're going to trip over reality and lose sight of everything."

Zack blinked in confusion, and began to walk beside Cloud and Fox. "What did that mean?" he asked, rubbing the back of his neck. Fox sighed.

"It means that Ivy doesn't want you to end up like so many people in this city. She wants you to deal with reality first, deal with the present, and don't look forward to soon, and don't look back."

Zack looked at Cloud, who offered him his right hand to take. Zack nodded, taking the tiny hand. "Oh."