Authors Note: This chapter doesn't seem that hopeful, maybe a bit... Kid's condition isn't improving and she sort has fallen into some kind of coma or something like that. She's very sick really suddenly anyway. It will all be explained in the next chapters. This chapter is violent people are getting hurt there is death. Children are involved. Also Serge is not the only one you should be worried for, but Kid as well. I won't say anything else. It's still ugly.

Disclaimer: I don't own Chrono Cross or Final Fantasy, which means Cloud.

Chapter 17 Hope, Against all Hope

Cloud slowly drifted his way through the hall, that led to the balcony. When he arrived he found the heavy doors still wide open. He stood noticing something on the ground by the railing, but not being able to identify what it was due to the dark. His eyes adjusted after a moment then Cloud discovered what he had feared he might.

Cloud felt numb, but his legs managed to take flight towards the fallen body of Kid. He kneeled beside her, fear covering his features. Something so rare, for Cloud kept his emotions hidden by an unnerving mask his face had created. He showed fear now though, only because the darkness would conceal it and not find it a weakness. Cloud allowed some of his emotion to leak from underneath his skin as he cradled Kid's upper body. He brought two fingers to the side of her neck and was relieved when he could feel a faint heart beat.

Kid was alive, but she looked sick. Her face was ominously pale. The skin surrounding her eyes was a light shade of red violet. Cloud was not sure if she had been crying or if shock from the events of that night had made her fall ill. Maybe it was both.

Cloud needed to get her out of the cold. He reached under where the bends of Kid's knees were with one arm and then under the back of her shoulders with the other. He lifted her up easily and steadily carried her back inside the Manor.

"Glenn..." Came a voice. Glenn and Orlha turned their heads both still entangled in each other arms. The voice belong to the Viper. He stood before them with a determined face. Glenn let go of Orlha and turned to the Viper with a hand to his forehead.

"Sir...?" Glenn said weakly. The Viper saluted Glenn and after the Viper rested his hand down Glenn did as well.

"I'm sorry about your friend... we have begun the search for him. Captain Fargo is searching the waters in his vessel and also Miss Irenes is looking under the waves. We also have the Dragoons using the watch towers on land. I hate to say it, but seeing those waters... Well it's just not looking to good for Serge."

"Yes... I, I know Sir." Glenn replied.

Elsewhere

Kid felt heat generating against her skin. It felt soothing in her slumber, but it slowly got hotter and hotter until it was starting to burn.

Her eyes flicked open and she was laying in an unfamiliar bed. Her eyes were blurry from the liquid of sleep. All she could see was bright oranges and yellows dancing around her. She heard strange cracks that went off quickly and the snaps of wood. There was another softer roaring and constant familiar sound lurking behind the rest. Due to her weariness, Kid's mind could not decipher the familiar background noises.

As Kid's senses recovered from her slumber a scent overtook the room she was in. The smell was fowl and made her want to stop breathing. It allowed itself entry to Kid's mouth. She coughed as much of it as she could out, but she inhaled some deep into her lungs. It made her sick.

Kid had no knowledge of what was going on around her, so she rubbed her eyes. After bringing her hand up, her eyes finally adjusted though they were hurting rawly, she focused in on her hands. They seemed to Kid so small and she noticed a plastic strip around one of her fingers. Kid knew she had not used a bandage in years.

Suddenly a crash. Kid jumped up onto her feet finally taking notice to just how hot the room was. She could not believe her own eyes. Surely they deceived her? Had she stumbled into the past?

Kid stood in a room that was blazing with bright red and yellow flames. It was steadily eating the furniture away and a fallen piece of ceiling lay engulfed in flameson the floor. There was ash and soot all along the walls.

This had indeed happened before. Kid remembered as she looked down upon her childish frame. She allowed her mind to forget her present and fall into the past of the moment. Something else popped out in her mind, A mission...

Lucca! Kid jumped off the bed and managed to run through the flaming doorway. Out into the slightly less fiery hall and to her left she spotted a small limp body lying on the ground. A child, a friend of hers, dead he was.

The smoke had killed him, Kid thought it wise to cover her nose and mouth best she could with her shirt. She continued her way down the hall. She came to the stairs where a huge Lava Boy stood exhaling sparksas he faced the railing. He didn't take notice to the small being Kid was, so she crept past him and ran down the stairs. Now she was in the main room only to lay eyes upon more Lava Boys killing her friends and destroying what she knew as her home.

Kid wanted to save them, but knew she was not capable. She watched as another child was thrown helplessly to the wall, blood pouring from his ash covered face. She cried for him with a clenched fist. No! This image, this day would never be forgotten. Lucca was their only hope.

Kid being the smallest child in the orphanage made her way without being seen. She came upon a beat up structure in the corner.

"Robo!" She wrapped her arms around him, but he didn't react, he was gone from her too.

"L-A-R-A" was all robo made out like a broken record over and over. Kid was beginning to lose hope. All of her friends were already dying, her family gone. Suddenly she glimpsed the door to where she was sure Lucca was. In desperation Kid ran down the hall to it.

A bit of relief washed over Kid as she reached the nob of Lucca's door. That slight bit of hope was shattered as soon as Kid tried to open it. It was locked. Kid tried in vain to open it. The smoke finally reaching her body took over with hot flashes.

Kid turned, her skin darkened by ash. Her eyes red from smoke and tears flowing down her cheeks and stinging her small burns.

She saw a wall of fire surrounding her. Now she needed to get in, or she would parish. Kid hollered and screamed to the door and begged for it to open, but it did not.

"Lucca, Lucca! Lucca please! Let me in!" She begged and with no way out Kid gave up. She sunk to the ground waiting for her death silently crying.

Cloud kept his eyes glued to Kid as if she was going to suddenly get up and run away. He found himself getting really concerned as he noticed how much her condition seem to worsen. Her skin was to cold and pale for his liking. She had beads of cold sweat lining her hairline. She seemed to limp and he was starting to realize shock had to of played part in her sudden fever.

He watched her for a few minutes on the bed when he took notice to sudden trembling. It started subtly then it became more severe, her breathing didn't slow and become heavy like a sleeper's would. It became fast and her chest was beating to furiously.

Finally Cloud couldn't stand it any more he wrapped her cold body in a blanket and rested her on the floor by the fire place and then he took off down the hall. Cloud ran outside in the night looking around desperately he had to find someone who could help Kid for the time being until a doctor arrived.

"Luccia!"He called. She turned her head and he ran up to her. Right away the scientist could tell something was wrong. It was a rare occasion to see Cloud Strife looking this distressed.

"Vhat iz it Cloud!" She questioned concerned.

"It's Kid, I left her in the parlor room. Something is wrong with her. She almost looks like she's going to have a seizer and she has a high fever." He explained quickly.

"Mr. Strife, I am not a doctor, I am a scientist." Luccia stated looking around there was a lot of commotion going on at the moment. Cloud shook that comment off.

"I know, I know, but you're the best person here until Doc comes." Cloud replied. Luccia looked around anxiously she was suppose to be helping to find her friend Serge, but Kid was her friend as well. She looked at Cloud. Maybe she would have a better shot at helping Kid.

"Alright, alright, I vill go help Kid, but you stay here and help them find Serge." Cloud nodded and told her to go. Luccia ran off without another moment of hesitation. Cloud watched her go worry still etched over his features. Trying his best to get over it, he walked into the crowd of people running around to try and focus on finding Serge.

The waters were still rough, and there were dragoons blocking the cliffs down to the bottom of the bluffs. Cloud didn't care though. He figured nobody would be looking there so he would, it was his best chance. He made his way to the edge when a dragoon tried to stop him. Cloud handled that by shooting the dragoon a threatening death glare. The dragoon quickly backed off as Cloud jumped down to the nearest cliff edge and stealthily climbed his way down the jagged edges.

When Cloud neared the bottom he noticed the height the waves had taken. He started to wonder if it wise to go all the way down. Or would the waves crush him or capture him if he did?

That was when he heard a distant voice he looked over and saw Glenn standing on the opposite cliff as him. It was so hard to hear him over the roaring waves. Glenn's hair and clothing were soaked and dripping. His blond hair flapping in the hard winds.

The two of them looked at each other they both realized it was useless trying to talk to one another with all the noise. Instead they both just shifted their gaze to the dark rocks and waters below them. After a while Glenn became anxious and began to dare the water and climbed lower.

Cloud thinking clearly thought the two of them may have had a better chance together, so he Glenn followed him lower. Soon the waves were crashing into them with cold burst. They had to hang on to the jagged cliffs so not to get pulled into the water.

It didn't take long for Cloud to notice Glenn was moving at a fast pace. Had he spotted Serge? Cloud followed then he saw something strange in the water being thrown around, but it looked pretty limp. Cloud dived into the water without a second thought Glenn not even a second later did the same.

Coming Next: Will Kid be saved from the fires of her past or is she at risk of never waking up once again. What do these dreams mean? Cloud is forced to let Kid go if she ever wakes up. Orlha's tears won't let up and why is Glenn acting so strange?

Please Review, it's Saturday night! Two more chapters then that's it folks! keep reading...