The crystals and material that the town once held were gone for good. Shot and shattered by the people who attacked the small place. In time, everyone there knew the monsters would realize that the barrier was down. They would be overrun. People began to pack the moment they returned to their homes.

Ivy and Cloud were away when such a mad scramble occurred. It was just a day after the attack. Ivy had refused to be kept away from her friends for longer then necessary. She soon found that all the Shinra had gone to Junon. That's where she had gone.

Visits to the small building set up as a medical station became long and frequent. Zack was alive, much to Clouds relief, and so was Fox. Cloud became very ashamed of himself, for not even noticing Fox was gone. He hadn't even offered to comport Ivy in her silent pain.

Fox was in worse shape then Zack. The black haired man had been knocked out, banged up, and cut up by someone blade. A few fists to his stomach and one blow to the face was it. He was able to sit up in bed in a day, walk a few feet in two. Fox couldn't even sit up. Ivy stayed at her side from the moment visiting hours were open and in till they closed.

Now, she sat at the foot of a small bed, eyes closed, stoking a pale and bandaged hand. Cloud lay in the bed next to that, sleeping soundly. Zack had managed to move from his own bed to give Cloud room, and was now slumped in a tattered chair behind Ivy.

"I look horrible.." A small voice said. Zack looked up at the sound, at Ivy. The girl looked as if she was fighting off tears.

"No…Fox, you look fine."

"Look at me, and tell me that."

Zack looked at the girl. He knew what she looked like. He had not been able to take his eyes away from her for a moment. Her head was wrapped in blood stained bandages. Her red hair looked dull, and faded. Her eyes, once a violent green, were dull now. Always closed. She was blind.

"I am looking at you." Ivy whispered, containing to stroke her friends hand absentmindedly.

"I know you better then that, Ivy. Look at me."

Ivy didn't want to. Zack couldn't blame the woman. To see a lifelong friend, a woman who had saved her from a prison her home had become, in such a state was horrible. But, Ivy Sky forced her eyes from her coarse boots to stare at her friends bruised and worn face.

"Fox…"

"How long do you think I can live like this, Ivy? I feel every scar, every bruise, every bump, every moment in that place as if it was all re-playing. How long do you think I could go on not looking you in the eyes and seeing you? How long do you believe I could walk about the house without breaking down?"

"Your not going to die on me. I'm not going to let you."

Zack bit his lip. He would have left the room, if he felt he could walk more then 5 feet. He was to weak. To tired. He dropped his head, and tried to block out the girls conversation.

"Remember…when we were little? We had a play in out school. I was the pretty little princess, and you were my lonely knight. We got those parts for the wrong reasons. I couldn't act to save my life then, but I was 'cute'. And you- you beat up on anyone who picked on me. You were my knight to our teachers."

Ivy nodded, dropping her head. "I…I remember it."

"Good…" Fox turned her head from Ivy, but continued to speak. "Can you remember one of the last lines we had together?"

"I…No…"Ivy shook her head. Zack knew she did. Ivy didn't forget things like that so easily.

" I said "The dragons coming, knight, and he wants to eat me up." and you, and it wasn't even the right line, said "I wont let him. Let the demons come. I will protect you in till the end. "You…you were always so much more grown up then the rest of us…Iv held onto those words forever Ivy. I have kept them inside me for so long. I knew that, come dart, arrow, bullet, beast, or even dragons…you'd come save me from my shadows. From all my fears…"

"I…always will. You saved my life, Fox. Its my repayment." Ivy whispered. Zack could tell form her voice, she was losing her grip.

"And…I know you will…But…Tomorrow is the end of always…and though I know forever we will stay friends…we wont stay forever…Its my…my time to leave you…"

"Fox…"

Suicide, they called it. They were right, and everyone knew. Ivy knew. They had called the house, late the fifth evening, just before Ivy returned to the house from her visit. Zack had answered, Cloud overheard, and both stared at each other. They had shared the same though : How to tell Ivy her best friend committed such a thing?

The girl walked into the house just as Cloud and his black haired friend went into the main room. Ivy stared at them, seeing the grave look on their faces. "What…?"

Cloud glanced at Zack, who was having a hard time swallowing.

"W-well…"He started, glancing up at the taller man again.

Zack, finding the silence that followed Clouds voice frightful, went to Ivy, taking her worn and faded jacket from her hands. "Hey Ivy."

"Flame…what's going on?" She asked, letting him place an arm about her shoulders and steer her towards the sofa.

"I…Maybe you should sit. Cloudy? Can you get something for us to drink?" Cloud nodded, licking his lips and scurrying off to do Zack's request.

"Zack!" Ivy snapped, glaring at him. She didn't sit, and neither did he. "what's going on?!"

Zack bit his lip. It hurt. How could he tell her Fox's fate?

"Ivy…Fox…Fox has…"

Ivy was searching his face with cold eyes. "Flame, stop the drama and tell me!" she snapped.

"She's…committed suicide…"

Ivy blinked. She shook her head, a smile painting itself on her lips. "Don't- don't lie to me Zack. Its not funny."

"I…I wish I could be lying…"

Ivy swallowed, continuing to shake her head. Her body soon was trembling terribly. She was laughing a little as she stood there. Zack watched her, body going cold when she suddenly slumped to the floor, holding her hair, letting out a small scream.

"this…this is a lie…" She whispered, tugging at her hair. Zack quickly knelt down to her, silently and gently pulling her fingers away from her hair, keeping them clutched in his hands.

"Your…your lying to me…" she whispered, trembling harder.

"Ivy…I…" He hated this. I wished he could just back up. Just start again. Erase the words time had set out for them. He didn't like this. It wasn't Ivy. Ivy Sky didn't have pain, didn't have emotions of regret or sorrow… But…

But here was her imposter, sobbing and shaking and crying in front of him.

"I'm…I'm so sorry…"

"no…No, no, no!" she screamed, trying to yank her hands from Zack's grip. He didn't let her. He refused to let her. When in deep emotions, Ivy had always been violent. He wouldn't let her now. He knew she may follow Fox if he left her go.

"Stop! Stop it. Ivy…" He heard Cloud come into the room, and felt him pause in the doorway.

"Ivy…" Clouds small voice came from behind them. Ivy refused to look up. She continued to shake her head.

"She not dead, dammit! I just came from there! She cant be dead!"

The woman managed to yank away from Zack, scrambling to her feet. Zack reached out to grab her, before she ran to far, but she darted away to fast. Zack jumped to his feet, spinning around just in time to see her push past Cloud. The smaller boy let the things he held crash to the floor, shattering in a pile of glass. He looked at Zack, then ran into the kitchen.

Ivy had found the phone, sitting on the counter as she usually did when speaking into it, wringing her hands around it as she hung on every ring, and every word. Cloud quickly ran to her, trying to take the phone from her.

"It- Ivy, its no use!" He said, as she kicked him away from her. "She's gone!"

Zack slid into the doorway, watching the two. Ivy was chewing her bottom lip between every sentence she managed to get out, hanging on the words of whoever was on the other end. "Fo-Fox Magiku?"

Zack watched as tears swelled in her eyes, and splashed to the tiled floor. Suddenly Cloud was ducking, and the phone smashed against the wall, near Zack's head. Ivy was slowly slipping off the countertop.

Cloud caught her, holding her tightly as if she were a small child. "Its…we're here Ivy…"

Zack nodded, clossing his eyes and feeling tears fall down his own cheeks. He tried not to spill to many. He needed to be strong right now. He needed to be someone to lean on… for Ivy, and Cloud. Ivy especcialy.

Silently he went across the room to the two, and wrapped his arms around Ivy. "Easy Sky…"

"Shut up…Just shut up…" she whispered.

A full two hours had passed before Ivy had calmed down to a point where she wasn't screaming, or breaking things, or hitting people. She sat between Zack and Cloud, on the couch. Cloud had his head resting on her lap as he slept, having cried himself close to sleep, sharing Ivy's sorrows. His arms were wrapped about the girls waist. Ivy had one hand resting on his head. Zack had to wrapped his arms around the older woman, head resting on her shoulder. They were like this more the share Ivy's emotions and keep her down, then to injoy such a position.

"I suppose even the best warriors get to cry, right Ivy?" Zack asked, opening one eye.

"…I knew her all my life, Zack. Do you understand what she meant to me? Do you understand how much I admired her, loved her, wanted to protect her, for just these reasons?" the dirty blond replyed, shivering still, tears still falling.

"I understand. You were hard because you didn't want her to face a downfall. You were mean because people in reality are mean. You hurt everyone with you blade and your words because people out there would do the same to us. I understand Ivy. I'm not trying to pick on you, I'm trying to show you: Tears aren't a weakness. They are an escape. They don't show breaks along the surface of our soul… They show our soul is filled with love for the ones we cry for."

Cloud looked up at the two, befor clossing his eyes. "It shows you loved her, and you feel her sorrows… and her pain…and that she was important to you. That she wasn't just a face you saw in the street."

"I…I cant do this…" She whispered.

Zack felt a tear slid down his cheek. "We'll make it through Ivy. If… If Cloud and I promise you that…that we are going to stay with you, in till the end…will you promise us that you wont follow her?"

"I…"

Cloud swallowed. "Ivy…Cowards run away where the truly brave suffer through their pain. Those who care allow their loved ones to be cowards just once in their lives, and let their bravery and loyalty make them hero's.…You…You have never been one to run away from anything… Don't run away from this life…"

Zack nodded, looking down at his blond friend. "Don't run away from the love we are willing to give you. Don't run away from the pain… Its not so bad when you have people here who will share your sorrows…"

Ivy stroked Clouds hair, eyes closed, and leaned her head against Zack's. "I wont…I wont run away…"

Zack sighed. "thank you…"

Ivy swallowed. "No…thank you…Wi…without you two I…"

Cloud shook his head, yawning a little. "Don't…it doesn't matter. We know…"

Ivy smiled. "thank you… I… I love you two… Don't leave me alone…"