"Common Strife! Get up! An enemy wont wait for you to sit and cry in battle!"

" Ivy, give the boy a moment!"

"Fox, if I give him a moment, then he'll always take a moment! If he always takes a time out then he's not going to last to long in this world!"

"You practically killed him!"

Ivy glared, shoving her thumb into her pocket, resting the Buster Sword on her shoulder. "No. If I had meant to kill him, he wouldn't be breathing. I meant to teach him. Now he'll know not to just stand there!"

Fox let out an aggravated sigh and began to run through the snow. Zack grabbed her wrist, shaking his head. "No, no leave him Fox. Ivy's right this time."

He wished dearly she wasn't though. Cloud… looked dead from where he stood. He was on his side in the snow, blood staining his clothing and white powder about him.

"Kid, you alright?" Zack called. Ivy glared at him.

"Oh, he's fine. Get up Strife, I'm not going to wait much longer."

The older girl marched across the snow, her black boots sinking a bit deeper with every step. Once she reached the blond boy, she tapped him with her foot. "Knock it off boy. I know your not d-"

Before anyone realized it, Ivy was face down in the snow. Cloud was quickly scrambling to his feet, reaching for the girls sword.

"Woot! Cloud, nice!" Zack yelled to his friend, punching the air. Fox was trying hard not to laugh next to him.

"Run Cloud, run!"

Ivy pushed herself into a sitting position, whipping snow away from her pale face. "Damn boy better run." She muttered, smirking and pulling herself to her feet. When she turned, though, she was faced with the blade of the Buster Sword.

Zack felt Fox's fingers grip his upper arm. "Oh no…" She whispered. Zack glanced at her, then back at Cloud and Ivy. The two were yards away, and if one decided to murder the other, there was no way to stop them. Not in this snow.

"Cloud, don't do anything stupid!" Zack called, taking a step forward. Cloud smirked, and brought the sword up. Ivy was looking oddly amused, and pleased. Quickly, the blond swung.

Ivy was a bit quicker. She ducked the blade with ease, grabbing hold of Clouds wrists and tossing him over her slim body. He dropped the blade, and the girl scrambled to retrieve it. Gripping the hilt tightly, she pointed the sword at Clouds throat.

"Don't try that again kiddo. Not on me." She was grinning, despite the ferocity in her voice. "But that was good. Very, very good."

Zack and Fox both stopped. They realized that had broken into sprints, racing at Ivy and Cloud. Now Zack fell over in the snow as Fox slammed into him. Ivy glanced over her shoulder at the two, and shook her head in disappointment.

"Children. Common Strife, lets get this wound wrapped up." She tossed the sword aside and helped to pull Cloud to his feet. He clutched his bleeding arm and nodded.

Zack watched the two walk away, a frown on his face as he stood. "Foxy… What happened?"

Fox looked as utterly lost as Zack.

"Talk to me."

Cloud looked up from his hot chocolate, watching Ivy sit herself on the kitchen counter.

"…Oh, its you. Hmm… Zack? Yeah, give me a moment, Rick." Ivy looked over in Zack's direction. The black haired man picked his head up as he hung his jacket.

"Hm?"

"A Rick Neyvor. SOLDIER dispatcher or some such nonsense. Catch."

Ivy tapped the phone on the counter a few times, before picking it up and chucking it. The black object whizzed passed Clouds head. The boy jumped, startled, and heard it land in Zack's hands behind him.

"Flame here…"

With that, the black haired man left the room. Ivy looked at Cloud, then Fox, who was finishing dumping snow from her boots. Cloud strained his ears to hear Zack's conversation, but couldn't. Ivy sighed and pushed herself from the counter, picking up the bandages and going back over to Cloud.

"didn't realize I got you so deep kiddo. Sorry about that…"

Cloud shivered as she wrapped the bandages about his arm. "Its fine Ivy. I know what you were trying to do."

"Murder you." Fox teased. Ivy snickered.

"Fox my dear, sleep with your eyes open and you may witness a murder. Or may not, depending on if you die."

Fox blinked, then wrinkled her nose. "And that makes…what sense?"

Cloud laughed a little, sipping his hot coco. Suddenly Zack's voice split the silence. "What?!"

Ivy's head jerked up. She finished wrapping Clouds arm and disappeared into the entry room. Within moments she had rushed back into the kitchen, pulling on her jacket and grabbing her gun.

"Fox, put your shoes back on. Help Cloud."

Fox frowned, but did as she was told. "what's going on?"

"The towns being attacked." Ivy muttered. The mansion was so far out that the hadn't known someone was attacking. "Zack claimed SOLDIERS down there now. Hurry, hurry."

She tossed Fox her own gun, and handed Cloud the red heads sword. "Think you can wield it?"

"Flame! Here!"

Rick was young looking. 22 at the most, Cloud assumed. His skin was tanned, and he hadn't dressed for the winter weather over here it seemed. He was wearing a pair of black jeans and a sleeveless shirt, shivering terribly in the cold. A pen was in his hand, and a clipboard in the other.

Zack glanced down at Cloud, then ran up to this man. Cloud trod after him. He wasn't sure what was going on. Looking about, he could see the inn on fire and a few normal guards trying to put it out. The few cars in the town were thrown on their sides, filled full of bullet holes, blood staining the ground about them. There were two wounded people near the cars, and even more wounded soldiers sitting in the back of a truck.

"It seems they have gone to the schoolhouse." Rick said, running fingers through his short, curly dark chocolate hair. "Group of 10. Very heavily armed. Sharp shooters it seems, or something along those lines. I cant believe it. Only one SOLDIER member was off duety other then you, and they couldn't get him over here in time."

"How did you manage to get here?" Zack asked, frowning.

"I was in Junon, going back to Midgar. My vacation was up. A great many guards were on the ship with me. We saw smoke rising from the trees and rushed here. They have taken most people here hostage. We managed to wipe out a few of their men, and keep them from going to the mansion, but they took the hostages into the school building. Their aren't that many men able to fight left, Zack."

Zack nodded and looked at Cloud. Cloud swallowed. With a sideways smile, Zack looked over at Ivy and Fox. Fox had found a young girl not to far away wounded, and was carrying her over to the first aid truck. Ivy was watching Rick.

"How many?" She asked. Rick looked at her, raising an eyebrow. "Don't play stupid Rick. How many are left that can fight?"

"Erm," Right looked down at his clipboard, skimming through quickly. "probably 11 or so. We only had 20 people to begin with."

Ivy nodded. "Alright. Fox and I will split them up. Zack will take the extra-"

"The extras this kid." Rick tapped Cloud on the head with his pen. Ivy glared.

"Zack will take Cloud and go in. Fox and I will find a way into the building with our teams-"

"Miss Sky, you've no authority over th-"

Ivy let out an exaggerated sigh and grabbed Rick by his collar. "Look, darling, this is my town. These men are the only thing left to protect it, would you like to lead them in there? I know you've got a little girl now. How would you like it if you never got to see her again? The way things look, you'll either flee from this place or lead them in there with those wacko's. Fox and I know perfectly well how to handle this."

Rick grabbed her hands and pulled them off him. "Ivy, I realize you do. They wont listen to you." Ivy glared and walked off in the direction of the school building, where the remaining guards were huddled. Fox glanced at Rick, then ran after Ivy. Cloud swallowed.

Sighing, Rick looked at Zack. "Damned woman's going to get us all killed."

Zack glared. "Look, it's the best shot we have it seems."

"What?! Look Flame, we don't even know what room the townspeople are being held in. they haven't said what they plan to do with them or why they even want them. They just came here and started to shoot like mad it appears."

Cloud frowned. Suddenly a thought dawned on him and he spun around. "The materias' gone!"

Zack looked at his blond friend, then at the crystal…

But there was no crystal.

"We noticed that when we came in here. That materia and the crystal is what keeps this place from being over run with monsters."

"Someone held a grudge then. Come on Cloudy." Zack began to run towards the school. Cloud looked over at Rick, then followed his black haired friend.

"Zack- What do you plan to do?"

"I don't know. If we are lucky, we'll catch a few men off guard." He stopped and grabbed a gun from the snow. He shoved it into Clouds hands and began to run again. Cloud looked down at the standard guard weapon, then slung it's strap over his shoulder and ran after Zack.

He was frightened. What if neither of them made it out? He wasn't ready to die at 14.

"How are we going to get in without being noticed?" Cloud asked, following to the gates. Zack smirked.

"That happens to be the easy part."

Zack was running alone the hedges, ducking as he went. Cloud followed his friend, confused on what he was doing. Zack stopped suddenly, and knelt on the ground.

"what are you doing?" Cloud asked, watching as Zack began to push aside snow. Zack glanced up at Cloud.

"There was a door here. I found some old blueprints of all the buildings in this town in the basement. There was a door about here that led into the school. Well, down into all the piping. Ah!"

Zack's hands curled over a black ring. Cloud could now see the form of a door just wide enough for a young man to slip through. Zack took a deep breath and tugged upward. The iron door pulled up a little, but not enough for either boy to fall down. Cloud quickly grabbed hold of the ring and tugged up as well.

With a loud, long creek, the door flung open. Zack sat back in the snow, giving Cloud a sideways smile. With that, he looked down into the dark hole.

"I don't see anyone… Alright, common."

Zack showed himself into the hole, slipping down quickly. His hands clutched the rim of the opening, before disappearing into the black. A small thump followed his drop. Cloud swallowed, waiting a moment. He wasn't sure if he wanted to go into this place…

"Common!" a very low whisper called. Cloud nodded slowly, then closed his eyes and shoved himself in as well. His hands didn't manage to grip the edge of the door, and he fell down into the dark. Something grabbed him before he hit the cement though.

"Careful Cloud." Zack whispered, setting him down. "Going to end up hurting yourself." Cloud nodded, but said nothing.

He could hear Zack rummaging through his pocket, muttering something about needing a flashlight, or a lighter, or even a match. Cloud carried none of this things. Apparently neither did Zack, for after a moment a sigh came from in front of him, and someone grabbed his shirt. "Common."

Zack began to walk forward, and Cloud came with him, being pulled almost. They walked in silence, for Cloud was to frightened to speak and Zack was too. Cloud could just barley hear the tapping of Zack's fingers on the piping, and the scuffing of his feet as he made sure they were not about to run into anything. A few times during their walk, Zack would shove Clouds head down, or pull on his shirt to get him to go another direction.

It didn't take the two that long to maneuver through the obstacle course of the school basement. In less then a minute they could see light coming from somewhere, and soon after that a staircase came into view. Zack turned his head to Cloud now and tapped the gun on his shoulder, then the sword, as if reminding him Cloud that he carried them. Cloud nodded, and glanced at Zack's back. He could see the hilt of the Buster Sword. With a sideways smile, Zack patted his younger friend shoulder, and began silently up the stairway. Cloud followed behind.

As they reached the landing, and doorway, Zack glanced at Cloud, then out through a little window. No one was in the hallway it appeared, but Zack's mouth fell open. He glanced at Cloud, then moved out of the way little. Cloud glanced at his friend, then stood up to the window.

His mouth to fell open.

"Wh-what happened?" He asked, forgetting to keep silent or even whisper.

The hall was at one time a shining white color, with marbled tiles and spotless walls. Now, though, they would probably never be clean again. Blood was splattered everywhere. Puddles had formed on the tiles, and the cracks had become a home for blood. Hand prints had been smeared on the walls, making Cloud think that someone had slammed into them before falling. A lump lay in a doorway, covered with a blanket. Cloud guessed what it was, and hopped he was wrong.

"I…don't know Cloud… Common…"

Zack slowly touched the door knob, but his hand didn't get the chance to turn it. A bullet suddenly pinged off the ceiling above them. Zack grabbed Clouds head and shoved him down, ducking himself. His hand reached to his hip, where he drew a pistol. He flattened himself against the wall, as did Cloud, and peered into the dark. Nothing.

"Cloud, get out into the hall. Just keep going down it, there's a doorway. Someone must have heard that."

Cloud glanced at his friend, then the doorway.

"Zac-"

A bullet sunk its self into the wall, right near Clouds head. Cloud shivered, feeling like his heart would beat through his chest.

"Hurry." Zack pushed himself from the wall, and began to fire off to his left, all the while running down the stairway. Cloud swallowed, then jumped to his feat and pushed open the door.

He slipped into the hall, almost falling down on his back. He felt slightly sick at the sight of all the blood. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he began to run down the hall. He had not gone far before someone grabbed his arm and pulled him into a room. A gunshot went off the moment he was out of the hall.

Clouds heart pounded faster, and the world spun about him. He shivered terribly under his jacket. "Fuck."

Cloud picked up his head, recognizing the voice. His vision stopped its double spin, and he realized it was Ivy. A few men in blue were behind him.

"Kid, where Zack?"

Cloud swallowed, shaking his head. "D-down in the basement."

Ivy swore and set off another bullet of her own. A thud sounded. Cloud knew she had gotten her target. He watched her scan the halls, before she disappeared into them. The men in blue filled out, following her with their guns at ready. Cloud counted each as they went by him. 3 of them.

He looked around him, realizing he was in a small classroom. The desks had been overturned, and a small door like the one Zack had opened was on the left hand side. He could hear peoples shouts coming from it faintly. A bullet pinged off something nearby, making Cloud jump.

"What the hell?! Go back and get him dammit!" he heard Ivy's voice scream from down the hall. He heard feet running back towards him. One of the guards in blue soon appeared at the doorway, but didn't make it in. He dropped, falling forward towards Cloud.

Cloud swallowed, fear making the world turn black. Blood was spilling from a wound in the mans back. He could faintly hear people dropping in the halls.

"Fuck. Fox! Dammit, get in here!" There was a muffled reply to Ivy's voice, but cloud couldn't make out the words.

Suddenly, noises come sounder from the hole. He turned his head, feeling sick. A hand appeared, then another. He back up slowly, away from the hole. His hands shaking terribly, he pulled the gun from his shoulder and pointed it at the hole.

A mans head appeared. At the sight of the gun, he fell back into the hole. Cloud didn't even pull the trigger.

"Ivy! There coming this way!" He screamed, jumping to his feet and running to the doorway. A soldier in blue ran to him, at Ivy's command, and shoved his way into the room. He began to open fire in the hole in the floor. Cloud stared at him for a moment, before running out into the hall.

It was almost empty, save for Ivy, a lone guard, and a few bodies. The guard was panting, lying on the ground. Ivy was holding her arm, blood pouring from under her hand. She didn't seem to feel any pain, or at least, her face didn't show it. Down the hall he could see, in a room, a fist fight had broken out. He guessed that Fox and her group were there. Gunshots were being fired off from the basement.

"Ivy! Did Zack come up?" He called, running over to her. He looked at her arm, and pulled off his jacket. Ivy shook her head, as if telling him not to bother.

"Zack hasn't come up yet. Save your shirt kid, I'll live."

Cloud nodded slowly, but couldn't help but worry about her. He could see that she had gotten a fist to the face, for her cheek was swollen a little. Her shirt had been torn, and blood stained the fraying ends. A long, thin cut was just under the cloth. Apparently Ivy had gone first, and last it seemed, into everything.

Something slammed against the door down the hall. Fox's red hair appeared briefly, before it sunk out of sigh. Ivy and Cloud shared the same though for the moment, glanced at each other, and ran down the hall.

Ivy reached the door first, pulling it open and immediately taking someone out. She avoided Fox's limp body and the floor. Cloud followed her in, doing the same. His gun went to the last person in the room. A woman, it seemed, in black leathers. She had her own gun pointed at Ivy.

"Drop it darling." She said. Cloud recognized the accent. They had to have been from his home. He couldn't tell who it was though.

Ivy smirked. "Shoot then. What will you gain?"

The woman's eyes flickered to Cloud. Her green orbs scanned his body, then Ivy's. Suddenly she grinned. "Oh…Sky, wasn't it?"

Her gun suddenly changed targets. Clouds eyes starred down the barrel of her gun. "yes…Ivy Sky."

"Funny, I don't tend to make acquaintances with killers"

The woman laughed. "Jody Gelet ring any bells darling?"

Ivy's grin, which she has painted on her face after the woman spoke, now died. Her eyes widened a little.

"Gelet?"

"Oh, it does get through that thick skull of yours. Yes darling. Now put down the gun, or the kid goes. Then I will have won even in death."

Ivy glanced at Cloud. Cloud swallowed.

"Now, Miss Sky, if you please." Jody demanded. Ivy glared at her, and dropped the weapon.

"You always were a witch."

"Yes, I know. Now, kick it over here darling. Boy, come to me."

Cloud glanced at Ivy, who looked bitter but not defeated. She placed her foot on the gun and slid it over. The woman stopped it under her own booted foot. She looked Cloud in the eyes and nodded.

Cloud took a step. "Good darling. Come to me. You're my ticket out. Miss Sky, if you know what's best for the child, you will not fire on us." She reached for Cloud.

But, that wall all she had the time for. Before anyone realized it, let alone the woman, Jody Gelet was falling backwards.

Ivy had grabbed Cloud, pulling him down (merely out of habit, it seemed). She glanced next to her, to see Fox holding a small, single shot pistol, before she shook and closed her eyes. Ivy quickly scrambled to her friends side.

"Fox? Dammit." Ivy glanced at Cloud. "Kid, go find one of the guards. Tell them to get Rick and have him bring a truck around."

Cloud nodded. They must have gotten the hostages, he thought, and if not, they probably will soon. He scrambled to his feet and ran out into the hall. It didn't take him long to find a guard and tell him Ivy's message. The man in blue ran to get the request done with.

As Cloud turned around, he saw Ivy walking up the hall with her gun, tapping it at her side. Cloud frowned, and silently came up next to her. The woman pushed him behind her, against the wall.

"There up here. They probably either killed them all by now, or ran. Go check on Zack. I'll be alright."

Cloud frowned. At the moment, he felt Zack could wait, but Ivy apparently thought she could handle this herself. He gave her one last glance, before turning and running back towards the basement. A guard was running out of the doorway when he got there.

"Hey!" Cloud called, but the man didn't stop. Cloud swore, and peered down into the darkness. Perhaps he ought to wait in till some light came on down there.

He could hear the truck behind him, and the guard running back. Rudely, he pushed Cloud aside. Half way down the stairs he stopped and turned back to the blond.

"Kid, come down here. Hurry up, you need to help me carry these men."

Frowning, he ran down after the man in blue. The lights flickered on above him. Glancing up, he saw the ceilings were covered with dusty, brown cobwebs. Spiders hung, staring hungrily at them. Cloud shivered, and followed the man. The first thing he saw when he reached the bottom made him gasp.

"Zack!"

He raced over to his friend, kneeling down and grabbing his hand. The man was unconscious, and blood rolled from under his hair. His shirt had been devoured by a crimson color, and a few purple bruises were across his face. He didn't seem to be breathing, or even alive. Cloud felt his heart race, and the world stop.

It took him several minutes for his mind to come back on, as well as the sounds. "Aye! Move you!"

The man who had led him down the stairway, and Rick, shoved Cloud out of the way. The lifted Zack on a cot and began up the stairs. He realized Ivy had come down to kneel next to him, her hand clutching his shoulders.

"Ivy…?"

"Kiddo, common…" she was trying not to sound sad, or guilty. It wasn't working. Suddenly Cloud realized he was being pulled, as if by an invisible hand, up the stairway.

"What…" He didn't understand. Suddenly, he saw the back of the truck. A few people, some dead, many severely wounded.

He suddenly could smell the blood beneath his feet. He felt Ivy's rough, bandaged hand on his shoulder. He could hear his heart pounding. He could feel pain in his body, fear flooded him. He noticed the black color of Rick's jeans more then he had before. He saw all the wounded staggering to the truck. The truck its self, splattered with cold snow and blood.

And it hit him

"No! No you cant do this!" Cloud screamed, trying to grab hold of Zack's hand once more. He suddenly realized what they were trying to say. What everything was saying.

"Ivy! Ivy what are they doing!" He was so confused. He could feel tears burning his eyes and sliding down his cheeks. Ivy slowly came to his side, rubbing a deep gash on her cheek.

"Common kiddo…"She said, voice grave. She slid her hand about his shoulders. "Lets go for a walk or something…"

"No! No!" The thought of his mother, taking him for a walk when his cat died reached his mind.

"He's not-" He pulled out of Ivy's grip, but the girl snagged the back of his collar. Cloud stumbled backwards, trying to pull her hands away.

"He's not dead!" He screamed, trying to fight Ivy's hands slinking around him. "No!"

"Hey, hey, shh…" Ivy whispered, forcing him to his knees, arms wrapped around him tightly. "Shh, breath Cloud."

"No! He's-" he realized tears were burning his eyes and sliding down his face. Ivy placed her head on Clouds shoulder, and her cheek against his own.

"Shh…Its alright. Breath Cloud."

He could feel her own tears mixing with his. One of her hands went to take his. He squeezed it, watching them lift Zack's body into the back of the truck.

"No…No…Ivy…"

"Shhh…"

Cloud could see them lying his friend next to a red head. Who it was never even crossed his mind.

"It'll be alright…"

"Ivy…Zack's not…"

"Shh…Breath Cloud. Just breath. It'll be alright. Everything's fine."

He could feel her stroking his hair. Closing his eyes, he wished dearly to rewind. Go back to the beginning and start all over. He didn't want this.

"He's not…He's not dead…"

"They'll be fine…"

"He's not…death though…"

"Shh…They'll be fine…"