28

The Proud What?

Rain patted the plastic canopy, a gathering of constant clapping above to drown out my high-pitched moan when I released Cloud's name into his hair. All that we peeled off in a hurry, his leather armor, belts, wet shirt, shoulder plate, sword and gloves, laid messy across a rug. His breathing slowed, warm and wet lips touching my neck to give me vibrations from his low rumbling moans.

Strong arms kept me ahold, and squeezed, Cloud slowing down after I was ready to fall asleep in his lap. I was catching my breath, hands still clinging to his back, and rested my cheek over his shoulder, closing my eyes to help enhance my other senses. Despite the cool rain, it felt incredibly warm being wrapped in his embrace, tasting salty sweat from his neck when I sucked it lightly. I took a deep breath, inhaling cold, acidic rain, the thick city air, and Cloud's scent.

A hot exhalation brushed my ear.

"Are you okay?" Cloud whispered before another kiss.

I shivered to the rubbing of his fingers softly up and down my back, knowing it took him great effort to do it carefully. Now that the peak of arousal was over, reality slowly kicked in, first being the soreness that burned my inner lips wrapped around him. I didn't want to budge, pleased to have us remain attached and gather our breaths before pulling apart.

"Yes, I'm okay," I whispered, cheeks burning.

I couldn't believe I asked for this, embarrassed to have it so urgently. Beyond the roof garden, Midgar became quiet, nothing but the rain continuously tapping heavily around us. The chaos of Diamond Weapon's attack faded. The rain put out the fires. The people may have fled, leaving nothing but areas of destruction speckled throughout the city.

I had a listen, and heard nothing but more rain.

Again, I blushed, and kissed Cloud's shoulder.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, more of reality surfacing, and guilt showed up.

Cloud leaned back to gaze up at me. Our only light, just a set of weak string lights draped under the canopy. Under such little light, his face gleamed with sweat, though looked content, and eyes tenderly soaking into mine. Loose blond bangs laid upon his cheeks, some stuck to his forehead.

"Sorry for what?" He asked, one hand caressing my cheek.

I helped brush his bangs away.

"For pulling you in like this," I muttered, averting my eyes to the couches circling us.

Cloud sighed long through his nose, and smirked. His hands wandered, thumbs brushed across my nipples at once, and then they lowered to settle on my hips. He sighed again, melting.

"Don't ever apologize for this," he whispered, closing his eyes. He took a deep breath, his bare chest rising. I rested my hands there, feeing his heart pulse slowly under my right palm.

I pressed my lips together, blinking back sleep.

"Did Reeve ever-"

A warm finger laid across my lips, and Cloud opened his eyes to blink them sleepily up at me.

"Not yet," he requested.

I reeled back, startled at first. Cloud would easily focus on our next objective, a soldier with a mission. But he wanted to keep this small world of ours going, not ready to give it up just yet. For all we know, we could be the two only people left in Midgar, and Cloud didn't care. His hands slipped up my back to pull me down to him, and we shared an open-mouth kiss. After the roughness of our intimacy earlier, the nature of our handling became delicate. My lips, thighs, breasts and insides were marked with a lasting twinge, glad to end it on a gentler note.

It would be easy to get sucked in again: No more Weapon. No more Shinra. Nothing left to take our precious time away from this, so I could understand Cloud's mindset to just stay in this moment, a rare gift.

And I almost spoiled such a gift, not saying anything more on the matter until he was ready.

I stayed on his lap, soaking in the remnants of our love making, and relaxed, taking his shoulder as my pillow.

Cloud gazed up at the string lights, fingers playing across my skin in aimless swirls.

"Aqua."

"Hmmm?"

"Thank you."

My lips fell into a crooked smile against his skin. "For?"

Cloud swallowed.

"It's been difficult for you to get back to this point. I just thought, I should thank you."

He turned his head just to plant his lips on my forehead.

I squeezed his shoulders, trying to make sense of my feelings when I wanted him terribly.

"I can't explain it. It just seems like, with Rufus gone, I could start living again. It sounds silly," I tried, and closed my eyes.

"It's not silly," Cloud revised. "I think I understand."

He shifted, the rest of his pants still around his ankles, until he kicked them free to pile over his boots.

Something then rang, giving me a jolt.

Cloud cursed, hands holding me against him tightly when he had to lean forward and reach his pants for the phone. I gripped tight to his shoulders and gasped to be feeling him move inside me.

"I borrowed Barret's phone," he explained, taking it out of a pocket and fumbled with it. He sat back, us comfortable again, sighed before flipping the phone open, and put it on speaker.

"Yeah?"

"Cloud?! Oh, thank god!" It was Reeve, sounding quite anxious, as always.

"Did you get Aqua? Are you two okay?"

Cloud and I shared timid smiles.

He looked away as he replied, "Yes, I got her. We're okay." Just to confirm, his arm around my waist tightened.

"Good. Well, listen, I'm at Shinra Headquarters now, what's left of it anyway. Most of the building is destroyed. No one can get a hold of Rufus nor Heidegger, but there's still Dr. Hojo. And get this, he's at the Sister Ray!"

Just then, the string lights flickered.

"Why? What does Hojo care about the cannon?" Cloud asked.

"I'm not sure. He's shut off the communications after mentioning something about giving Sephiroth more energy, and now he's trying to restart the cannon. The city is already on backup reserves. If he keeps this up, Midgar will shut down for who knows how long. We just can't sustain that kind of power. The first shot was brutal enough."

I bit my lower lip, feeling my small world with Cloud start to evaporate.

"Cloud, you and Aqua need to get to that cannon, and stop Hojo. I evacuated a few citizens, but many want to stay. We need to keep Midgar running and stop Hojo from firing the cannon. Uh, where's Cid and Barret?"

Cloud narrowed his eyes.

Even though the phone was on speaker, he put it up to his lips and replied, "I left them on the airship. I didn't expect to stay in Midgar much longer after saving Aqua."

Reeve sounded like he was fiddling with something, the speaker muffled like he had to put it in his pocket. He was breathing fast, like he was running.

"I have no way of reaching Cid and Barret. It's just gonna be you two. Think you can stop Hojo?"

I chimed in confidentially, "He's a lanky scientist. How difficult is it going to be to stop a man like him? He won't put up much of a fight."

I will regret saying that soon enough, smiling like a fool. There was this fuzzy memory of the mad scientist choking me with tentacles.

"Just bitch slap him again," Cloud suggested. My smile brightened. On the other end, Reeve didn't laugh.

"I wouldn't let your guard down. Look, just be careful. I'll call you when I return to the airship. Maybe Cid and Barret will parachute to meet you at the cannon if I can get to them quickly enough. Uh, where are you two now?"

I kept quiet, not a clue as to where in Midgar Cloud and I landed.

Cloud stole a glance across the garden, taking note of the distant buildings, some of them broken.

"Somewhere on the upper plate of Sector 1," he answered.

"Good! The cannon should be close to you then. Find a way to get up there, and stop Hojo!"

Cloud's eyebrows went up, and he muttered," Okay. Will do."

Reeve was in the middle of his goodbye when Cloud slapped the phone shut to stop the call, and then he let out the longest, most disappointing sigh I've ever heard escape from him. He turned his head, hiding in between my neck and shoulder, and groaned painfully.

"Why us?" He complained.

I shrugged, sighing with him.

"Because no one can stop Hojo but us," I answered sourly.

Cloud kissed my shoulder hard. "Then let's get this over with."

I shivered to his lips, their suckling giving me tingles up my neck, and I moaned without meaning to.

The string lights went out. And then, the background humming of the city life just turned off. I gasped, holding Cloud tighter when it became pitched black.

He remained relaxed, his eyes glowing, and he blinked outside.

"Damn. There goes Midgar's power," he muttered.

There were screams, the people panicking over the blackout. Car alarms went off, glass shattering, and suddenly, a new chaos emerged. Midgar sat in the dark, still too early for even daylight to come in to save the day. It felt like the entire city was a ship sailing through a dark ocean, and slowly, it was sinking, the loss of its lights telling us that it was much closer to its end. The people were panicking, everyone looking out for themselves.

The fall of Shinra had one disadvantage: The rise of anarchy.

And it quickly stirred in Midgar after all the lights went out, an excuse for the wild to commit crimes without their faces lit.

I grew nervous, and dreaded the idea of separating from Cloud. I felt his lips brush mine, his calm demeanor helping me relax, and he whispered, "We need to find you some clothes first."

His bright Mako eyes dropped to the floor, just to spot Rufus's bloody shirt turn into nothing more than a wrinkled rag.

It was brutal to get up. Cloud carried me when he stood, giving me a chance to uncoil my legs from his waist before finally detaching. I shivered from the cold, no longer in his arms, and switched strategies. With the palm of my hand, I cast a small fire spell to act as a floating lantern, nothing but a small hand-size yellow flame hovering near me.

It became warm, drying Cloud's damp clothes as it lit under the canopy.

Cloud quickly slipped on his clothes in front of the fire.

"I hate this idea, but I need you to stay here. I'll be back quickly," he hurried, strapping on his belts.

I felt useless standing there, holding out a flame to give our small world a bright yellow light. It made it all the darker out there when I neared the end of the canopy to have a look. There was the distinct appearance of dark clouds outlined by remnants of Mako's pollution, casting a dull, unpleasant color to the sky. The selfish, inhumane part of me wondered if it was better this way, to keep Midgar shut off. Its reactors no longer sucked in the Lifestream, giving the Planet a chance to heal itself, but I quickly shook that thought aside, knowing many people were without power, heat, and security. I won't contradict what I've argued with Tifa long ago about blowing up that reactor.

Plus, Hojo wanted to give Sephiroth more energy. How would that even work? Was he hoping to fire the cannon, and somehow, Sepiroth was going to lift a batting glove from the crater and catch all of that power? Should I even try to figure that one out?

"I'll be back," Cloud muttered, his sword on his back still littered with old blood.

It felt uncomfortably typical: The man goes out from his cave, leaves his woman behind to expect her to sit around and wait for him after he laid with her.

I felt even stranger to have him stop before leaving, just to spin around and kiss me surprised. When I met Cloud, I never considered him to be the type of man to give his partner a kiss before leaving, the image so ill-filtered for his character at the time.

And yet, here he was, giving me a kiss goodbye like a husband ready to leave for work. Shocked, I left a hand over my mouth when he departed, his blade casting a single bright white light in the dark world out there.

The longer he was gone, the more anxious I've become. Naked, I sat on the couch, soaking in the small fire's light to keep warm, and studied Ilfana's ring. It was months ago, I appreciated Isaac's engagement ring, now left in the bottom of the sea somewhere with his body. I almost regretted giving it back because I never wanted to forget him, despite our differences.

It led me to think of Isaac for a while, mostly of just our memories together.

I lifted a finger, and Ilfana's ring wrapped snugged around it in an imperfect but beautiful, unique sort of way. She must've always worn it, even after Shinra got their hands on her. Of the damage to the ring, was it from often using her hands, enduring Hojo's experiments or from her escape?

I trembled, curling my legs in to hug them tight.

Hojo, he's all that remains of Shinra. The final obstacle before finally finishing this journey with the final boss: Sephiroth.

First the father, and then his son. What a coincidence.

Footsteps jolt me to a gasp, pushing my legs further into my stomach. Even when it was just Cloud who emerged, drenched, I still screeched, hiding my face in my hands.

Cloud frowned. "Am I that frightening?"

"When you just run in here like that, yes," I squeaked.

Cloud twisted his lips as his eyes looked away, and he lifted a plastic bag for me to take.

"Here."

I was too embarrassed to stand, hiding my breasts under one arm, and reached for the bag. It sat wet on my thigh, and I rummaged through it while Cloud informed, "It's not as bad as I thought in this sector, just a few robbers, though I can't say what's happening on the lower plate."

I could only imagine how awful it was erupting under the city. My face twisted, eyebrows lowering when I lifted the main garment up to inspect.

"What the hell is this?" I gawked.

Cloud crossed his arms as he looked away, mouth left open to release a long, "Uhh…" He sucked in a deep breath.

"I figured you needed something practical," he sighed, hands up.

—

"Okay," I began, still fuming over what I had to wear.

Pastel pink cotton hoodie with matching baggy jogger sweats, followed by brown fuzzy boots. I pulled my hood up to stop the drizzle from wetting my hair again, and pink cat ears poked out. With pursed lips, I squinted hard at the Sister Ray speckling little light from a mile away. It stood out in the darkness with glowing tubes of Mako trailing up to its body, collecting energy as a faint green lamp.

"Let's go," I hissed, ready. I just required Rude's sunglasses to help with the image.

"What are you doing?" Cloud asked, one eyebrow up at my dramatic declaration.

I fizzled out, and stammered, "Just mentally preparing!"

Cloud sucked in his bottom lip as though to stop himself from chuckling over my hood. He then stepped a boot over the brick edge and peered down at the dark streets.

"The streets aren't the best, but it will have to do," he suggested.

I rubbed my chin and asked, "How about I just fly us there-"

"Oh no," Cloud interrupted. He clenched his teeth and threw his fighter's glowing eyes at me.

"We go my way." And that was final.

Down twelve flights of stairs later, I followed Cloud and his bright sword into the street. I wondered if he would've preferred to be kept in the dark, his sword a beacon to those asking for trouble, but then again, the pink glow of blood should've given a proper warning. His hand took mine, and together, we ran into the maze of brick, asphalt, and steel.

"At least Shinra won't bother us anymore," Cloud mentioned. I lifted a brow, feeling like we were forgetting something, but what?

Heading back towards Midgar's center, we passed much of smoke and burning coals of debris. There were people out, though I couldn't really see them, more like hear them and feel their distress. From the shadows, lurked weeping and pain. I squeezed Cloud's hand.

More dark bodies rushed pass us, heading into the opposite direction towards the first wall, children crying and people whimpering.

"They said to evacuate this way," one woman gasped.

"Gail?! Gail, where are you?!" Someone echoed.

"What in the world? How is he glowing?" A bystander stopped to gawk at Cloud's glowing sword, and I got a flash of a startled face.

I must've been dragging my feet because Cloud said over his shoulder, "Come on, keep up. We can't do anything for them unless we stop Hojo." He was kind enough not to yank my hand, and I gushed over that tiny but thought out detail before increasing my step to run next to him again. The soft winds blew my hoodie back, and I squinted away from his sword.

Cloud seemed to be Midgar's unintentional white knight, the brightest light wavering through the dark to bring the city's only hope.

"Are we going to kill Hojo?" I asked after a time. Cloud grunted, startled by my random question.

"Why not?"

I pressed my lips together, uncertain why we would let the mad man escape with an inch of his life, and suddenly thought how dull my question was. With more thought, I then said, "It seems Vincent was right. All of this was because of Hojo."

"All of what?"

"Jenova. Sephiroth. If it weren't for him, all of this wouldn't have happened."

"Hence why we shouldn't let him live," Cloud clarified.

I nodded. "Yes," I agreed without hesitation.

He looked at me with the corner of his eye.

"Vincent will be pleased when he hears I cut Hojo into pieces."

He looked forward again, and we ducked under a fallen structure of broken metal rails

I lowered my eyes to the dark street.

Cloud is confident we will see the others again, hence why I easily caught it when he said "when" instead of "if". I sure hope we all gather again soon.

The streets began to look a little more familiar. More city brick apartments illuminated under Cloud's sword. Spits of sparks fell from electric poles, a theatre billboard still flickering with "Loveless" flashing at us. Soon, the tunnel of the railroad sat just under the bridge.

I stopped, and Cloud accidentally jerked me forward a step when he wasn't aware. His hand stayed, and he spun to gawk at me.

"Aqua, why did you stop?"

Thanks to his giant lantern of a sword, I got to see a bit of the shiny, wet cobblestone street under our feet. Heat escaped my chest, pulsing up to my cheeks, and I shook my head with a helpless smile.

"This is where we met."

I glowed at Cloud, and he blinked twice to register what I just said. At first, he just stood there, ready to tell me now wasn't the time to reminisce on the past, but then he reconsidered, letting me go just to cross his arms.

He looked around the battered street, and lifted his gaze up to the dark sky, where he may have seen me float down. He then produced a skeptical smile and closed his eyes.

"Yeah, you're right."

I blushed when he opened his eyes again, and he gave me a sentimental look.

Cloud rested his hands on his hips and looked down at his feet, kicking away a piece of rubble.

"Ever since you fell here, my life has been pretty hectic," he groaned, smirking.

"It makes me wonder if it will always be that way. Never a dull moment with you."

I hoped he was being sarcastic, and if so, he needed to work on his tone. His small smile gave me relief, and I huffed, "Your sarcasm needs work."

Cloud smirked and opened out his hand for me. That gesture has been his universal signature to me since we've met, offering his hand. It held a special place inside me, and I gasped to see it after it's been a long time.

"Come on, we shouldn't stall too much longer," Cloud encouraged warmly.

I reached.

Suddenly, the ground trembled.

I gasped, struggling to balance, and shrieked, "Is that from the cannon?!"

Something loud crunched in the streets, something huge. It came from a corner behind a building. For each stomp, another quake emerged.

Cloud twirled, his eyes bright as his sword, and he glimmered in Mako.

"No. That's not the cannon," he hissed.

I squeezed into him, and waited, clutching his arm.

Light emitted off something tall, and there, along the corner of a brick building, eight large, golden fingers crunched deep holes into it.

Spitting from the corner first, a large head of a red knight's helm, followed by a thick chest of armor.

The knight's head turned, and Mako lit up along a thin v-line around its head like a bright headband.

"Ahah! I found you!" A rough voice bellowed.

I gasped, recognizing it.

"Heidegger?!" I screeched.

Another quake, and out came a large, metallic foot the size of a station wagon.

"Now that Rufus and Scarlet are gone, nothing stands in my way! Gyahahaha!"

Cloud pulled out his sword and grunted with disapproval.

Another foot, and then, Heidegger's brand-new Transformer toy turned to face us, blocking our only path. I held my breath and rooted myself into the street as I analyzed the weapon. It must be at least twenty feet tall. Small barrels of guns sat in its shoulders and armpits, and then there was a massive ray gun sitting over its head. One metal arm carried two sharp claws, and they spun along a thick wrist cuff, metal nails tapping at the cobblestone.

Heidegger laughed again.

"I give you, the Proud Clod!" he announced proudly through speakers, the large man sitting safely inside the machine's cockpit.

I lifted a brow, uncertain if I heard him right.

"The Proud what?"

"The Proud Clod!" Heidegger boasted, dramatic.

"The Proud Cloud?"

"The Proud Clod!"

"The Proud Cod?"

"The ProudClod!" He shrieked, faster.

I pressed my lips together.

"And what a great name that is," I forced through my smiling teeth. Cloud just smirked at me with a lifted brow.

The Proud Clod raised claws to the dark sky.

"Argh! It was Scarlet's idea, not mine! Never mind!" One claw dropped and pointed a gold nail at Cloud.

"You killed a lot of my precious soldiers!"

Cloud shrugged his glowing blue shoulders. "Oops."

Knee caps hissed open, and columns of fire surged, spiraling towards Cloud. He pushed his sword forward and used it as a shield, the flames spreading around it to only be brushing his arms. He clenched his teeth, his sword bright along with him.

"Is that all you got?"

A blue laser zipped out of a wrist, and I summoned a shield to block it in time.

"Ah, your barrier magic. Let's see what to do about that," Heidegger grumbled.

"Reflect!"

Some kind of glass dissolved around me, and then it just disappeared. I spun in full circle, wondering what that was all about.

"What's reflect?" I asked Cloud. He grunted, and replied urgently, "It means if you cast Barrier, or any magic on yourself, it will bounce back to that thing."

"So that means…."

"Block this!" Heidegger cried.

A massive shadow suddenly loomed over me, first seeing it block the glare to Cloud's sword. I looked up, catching a glimpse of the double claw above, and gasped. Immediately, I ran out of the way. Claws tugged on my hoodie, choking me for a second before tearing it right off and pinning it into a car sized crater at my heels. Upon impact, the ground shook, and I stumbled on my knees, hands slapping into a puddle. Cloud did a battle cry, and more blue flames unfurled from his body. He dashed towards the Proud Clod, sword aiming to its thick chest of special armor, and lodged straight into it.

The armored weapon fumbled back two steps from the push, Cloud's sword stuck. Both wrists opened, and lasers shot out to hit him. Luckily, Cloud pulled away his sword and launched off in time to have Heidegger hit himself with his own laser attacks. The Proud Clod's chest armor sizzled, bright orange for a second from the heat of the lasers, and then faded back to matte grey metal.

A giant cut remained from Cloud's attack, wires sparking inside a fat cut.

Bullets fired from the Proud Clod's machine guns. Cloud jumped in front of me to block with his sword, and bullets bounced off to make little lightning flashes.

"Thanks," I breathed, charging. I lifted a green lit hand, and cast Flare.

A giant blast of fire engulfed the Proud Clod, tearing away bits of the street until stones lifted. Smoke and flames dispersed, leaving behind scorched red armor and a crack across the helm's glowing blue lens.

I could've sworn I could see Heidegger boil inside the weapon, the Proud Clod trembling with rage.

"Try this," he spat.

The gun lodged over the machine's head began to flicker, blue light collecting along its barrel.

Cloud unleashed a horizontal slice on one of its legs.

"Aqua, hit with all you got before it fires!"

I charged until I lit up, a column of green sparkles adding light to the dim street, and I thought of a powerful spell.

"Stand back!" I warned. Cloud jumped out of the way when I shouted, "Ultima!"

A small spark flew out of my hand towards the Proud Clod, and then it dispersed into a wave of green energy. Anything it hit, blasted into green and black flames. The wave crashed through Heidegger's weapon, and left it sizzling smoke. More stones and brick collapsed, traces of green flames licking along nearby cars until the rain put it out.

Dents and scorch marks littered across the Proud Clod's armor, but its ray gun continued to charge.

I could picture Heidegger grinning when he muttered, "My turn."

I expected a tiny laser to shoot out from the head gun, but it was a wide, blue beam. Cloud and I jumped in opposite directions to get out of the fire, and an explosion erupted between us, carving into the street and earth until rubble scattered through the air. Mighty blue light and heat flared behind me, and I squinted before tumbling near a collapsing theatre. From its wires, the Loveless billboard snapped, lights bursting out, and then it fell. The wide, billboard's metal frame creaked, and before I could get up, heard it fall towards me.

I petrified.

Unexpectedly, a shiny black shoe kicked the large billboard five feet from my head, and it went flying off into the darkness to crash somewhere. A car alarm went off.

I sat up, and lifted my gaze to see a familiar navy suit. Initially, I thought it was Reeve, but that idea quickly dissolved when my eyes kept rising to find my savior to be Rude. No sunglasses, not in this blackout. He turned his sharp, brown eyes down to me as he cracked his knuckles.

"The play was lame anyway," he muttered.

"Wha?" I jumped to my feet, and spun, wet hair smacking my cheeks.

Cloud stepped near me and groaned, "Great, more pests."

From the dark, two more bodies emerged. Drenched, Elena slipped her hair behind her ears, and glared at Cloud and I before looking away. In her hand, she held a grenade. The other body chuckled, until Reno's grin was visible, his red hair soaked, but he didn't seem to mind. He smiled up at the rain, opened his mouth to take a few drops on his tongue, and let out a long sigh.

"Nothing like the taste of Mako and shit," he chirped, and he flashed his turquoise eyes at me and Cloud.

Cloud glared his bright Mako eyes at Reno, and their faces twisted.

"Fuck off, we're busy."

Reno clenched his teeth, a fist trembling while holding his electric rod beside him.

"Hey, we're not here for you," he hissed.

Cloud and I shared a puzzled look. Meanwhile, the Proud Clod hissed with steam errupting from its cracks, and Heidegger cheered, "Great to see you three still alive. Help me kill these two!"

Reno let out a scoff and turned his head cooly towards Elena.

"You go first," he chuckled.

Elena nodded, and she recoiled her hand back, grenade ready. Cloud readied his sword when he aimed its tip towards her. I tensed, uncertain where to run when Rude was too close to me.

Elena threw the grenade, but not at me nor Cloud. It flew high overhead, and tapped once on the Proud Clod's armor before it triggered a massive explosion. Wind and heat flourished, pushing all of us away with stumbling steps.

I was left dumbstruck while Cloud threw his clenched teeth back at Reno.

"Hey, what is this?"

Reno narrowed his eyes at him.

"Get rid of its chest armor, then it's a piece of cake," he explained. Cloud threw a free hand across the air and spat, "No, I mean, why are you helping us?!"

Fire spread across the Proud Clod's chest, and the armor cracked. A large piece chipped off.

"What?!" Heidegger screamed. "You fucking moron! I order you to take THEM!"

Reno tapped his stick over his shoulder and began to walk towards the boss, eyes closed with confidence.

"Last time I check, Shinra was finished. So, that means…" He opened his eyes and gladly smile up at the weapon. "I'm unemployed!" He cried happily, one free hand up in the air.

"I don't think that's a good thing," Rude sighed.

Gears shifted, the Proud Clod straightening, and its guns aimed for Reno.

"Then you will all DIE!"

It rained bullets.

Cloud stabbed his sword into the broken street, acting as my shield when I crouched behind it. Reno spun his electric stick to swat at all the bullets with magical agility, none touching him.

"Gotta do better than that, old man."

He dashed up to the weapon's chest, and lodged his rod into the cut Cloud carved in earlier. Electric sparks spewed across the weapon, and it stood there in spasms. Cloud lifted a hand, green Materia glowing, and he unleashed Thundaga to add to the electric pain.

Rude curled a gloved fist, and Materia glimmered from his wrist. His hand opened, and he cried out a thunder spell. Elena pulled a yellow, glowing marble from her black, leather pouch, and threw it high in the air until it exploded into a storm of lightning.

Well, I may as well join the fun electric party.

I stepped out from behind Cloud's sword, and lifted a hand.

"Thundaga!"

The sky rumbled, and out came bright bolts, zigzaging towards Heidegger until his toy was glowing white from all the sparks. I couldn't tell whose attack was who's, the entirety of the Proud Clod covered in waves of lightning until it trembled. Heidegger screamed in pain.

The entire street lit up from the fantastic light show. If anyone could see Midgar from above, they would be seeing a burst of light in the middle of a dark abyss.

"Whoooa!" It was the last I heard from Heidgger before the Proud Clod exploded. I ducked behind Cloud's sword, pieces of armor bursting in all directions as fat chunks, like a bunch of cars fell from the sky and crashed all over the street.

I stayed curled in for a minute, waiting for the sizzling and flames to die down, a few metal pieces still clanking somewhere. It wasn't until Elena gasped, "Holy shit," that I felt it was safe to uncoil. I unlatched my hands from over my head and opened my eyes to see Cloud's boots. His worn gloved hand then appeared.

"Are you all right?"

I took his hand, and he helped pull me up to my feet.

I huffed, and whipped my hair away from my face.

"I'm fine. You?"

Cloud smirked.

"When am I not?"

I rolled my eyes, knowing the high of battle was giving him an edge of euphoria. My eyes blinked behind him and scanned the street, dark again. Destruction laid all around us. Flames cracked, bits of the Proud Clod sizzling with embers and rain.

"Well, that was fun," Reno rang, his metal hand brushing back wet bangs from his eyes.

"It was nice playing with ya, but we gotta split. Midgar falling apart and all."

"Wait!" I cried, seeing the three Turks with their backs already to us. They froze.

"Why did you help us?" I asked.

Rude looked over his shoulder, and muttered, "After what happened in the Forgotten City, we're even. No more favors."

Reno spun around and glared at Cloud.

"Yeah. You could've killed me. So, this wasn't for you, but for her. Dumb ass."

He looked at me with a blank look just to add, "We're just returning the favor. No autographs, sorry."

"Oh darn," I cursed sarcastically.

Cloud hissed as he laid his sword on his back.

"I'm not saying 'thank you'," he growled.

"Thank you!" I shouted, hands over my mouth. Cloud zapped me with his bright eyes.

"Aqua!"

In the dim light of Cloud's sword, Reno's cheeks turned pink, and he looked away with a scoff.

"Yeah, whatever. Oh, and nice sword." He walked off towards the bridge over the train tracks.

"By the way…" Rude brushed his wet suit to make it appear clean again, and said, "The best way to the cannon is through the tunnels. Still in one piece down there. Just saying."

Cloud took a step forward and grunted, "Why don't you guys stop Hojo?!"

Reno chuckled and waved without turning around.

"And free you from Midgar's clean up crew? No, thanks. See ya."

"Good riddance," Elena mumbled.

Their footsteps increased with speed until the three Turks vanished. A faint burst of flashlights disappeared around a bend, and then nothing.

Cloud and I just stood there in the middle of the destroyed street, parts of a giant robot still hissing from rain hitting blazing hot metal.

"Well, that just happened," Cloud grunted, his eyes still stuck on where the Turks ran off to.

I couldn't help but smile, almost to the point of laughing, and used the sleeve of my pink hoodie to rub rain off my face.

"It's their way of saying 'thanks' to us for keeping them alive in the Forgotten City. You hurt them pretty bad," I explained.

Cloud grunted, his fingers rubbing around his skull.

"I don't even recall that," he grumbled. Troubled brewed in his eyes.

I stared at him carefully, watching water drip from his bangs.

"Cloud, if you don't mind me asking, what was it like to be completely taken over by Mako?"

Cloud slapped a glove to his wet forehead, concentrating on nothing when he replied, "I don't mind. Well, it's like…" his eyes glistened. "Like all I felt was anger. I was angry, and at no one in particular, but at everything. My hands suddenly didn't feel like mine. My sword wasn't my sword." He looked down at his hand, palm collecting rain water.

"There was no reflection of what I did. It was just one body after another. Kill, and then move on to the next one to kill." His hand flipped, and a collection of rain water splashed on his boot.

"Rufus was my target, but that was quickly fogged, the Mako making everyone turn into a target instead. I've never let that happen to me before, and I just thought…"

He turned around to consider me, his eyebrows up.

"I thought, with you not there, I could just let go."

For a second, the Mako returned, and his eyes brightened again.

I collected my hands over my heart and shivered. Cloud became aware of his stare and grunted before turning his head away to hide it.

"I'm sorry that it frightens you," he muttered.

He then choked when I attempted to wrap my arms around him from behind. His warm sword pushed up against my cheek, my body pressed against it, and yet, I tried to embrace him, my hands locked at the wrists over his chest.

"No," I insisted, closing my eyes to dim out the sword's glare.

"I'm not frightened. I…." I rubbed my forehead against the sword, pretending to be pressing between his shoulders. There was a pulse across the blade, somehow, mystically alive.

"I love all of you, Mako and all," I acknowledged firmly, just to make sure he never forgets.

Cloud sighed quickly, and a wet gloved hand gripped my left hand to give it a squeeze.

"All of me, huh?" I heard him smile.

"Look out below!"

I reeled away as I looked up, and the bottom of large brown boots aimed towards my face.

"Wah!"

I jumped back, and Cid landed smoothly two feet from me before I was engulfed by a parachute.

"Hey!" I cried, pulling it off with more rain spread around and the smell of plastic rubbing across my nose. With a scoff, I shoved the material near my feet, and glowered at Cid glowing in Cloud's sword lamp. He grinned uneasily with is teeth, cigarette free, and muttered, "Sorry. Nice pink track suit, by the way."

A stomp of big boots galloped nearby, and then, "What the hell happened here?! Was there a party or what? Midgar gone to shit now?" Barret shrieked.

"Barret, you missed all the fun," Cloud chuckled. I think he was glad to see them again.

I put my hands on my hips. "I guess that means, Reeve got a hold of you?"

Cid twisted his face and tapped the end of his trident on the street.

"What? No! We followed the big ass light and dropped. Figured it was something and go from there to find you guys. Hell if I know where Reeve is."

Barret's large hand swallowed my shoulder.

"Aqua, you okay? We heard you got captured, and, well…." he looked over his shoulder to catch a glimpse of the Shinra building still crumbling, slowly.

"It looks like Shinra is finished."

"Fucking finally," Cid hissed, interrupting.

"Okay, enough chatter. I'm glad we're all here, but we have to reach the cannon," Cloud announced, trying to get all of us back on track. He explained what had happened and what our next mission consisted of. When he was done, Barret fumed, his fist near his cheek.

"That fucking, creepy bastard. Let's finish his ass. The last of the last, am I right?"

Cid crossed his arms, his jean coat drenched.

"Before Sephiroth? Yeah, I think so. Well, technically there are still a few more Weapons, but, that's optional, I think," and he waved it off like it was nothing to consider.

Cloud shook his head silently at Cid, whereas Barret shrugged. I just smiled at Cid's casual banter and chimed, "To the tunnels?"

Barret pumped a fist in the air.

"To the tunnels and kick Hojo's white coat ass."

I bumped his fist. "Yeah! To kicking ass!"

Cloud and Cid sat this one out, shaking their heads at me and Barret.

"Yeah, not doing that," Cloud muttered.

"I ain't that fucking dorky," Cid barked.

My cheeks heated before Cloud took the lead. With that, the four of us jumped down the train tracks, and entered the tunnels.

39