So sorry. This would've been up by Wednesday but I was bombarded with homework. And then I couldn't get on the internet. Okay I suddenly got inspired and I weaved this little yarn for you guys. I had this written by Tuesday that's how hard a week I've had. I don't feel all that well so no talkie-talkie for me just read. . Thank you v

Chapter 8

My old friend

Cloud didn't really know where they were. Of course he was well aware that they had found a hotel, but he didn't know what this world was. Now they were standing at a small desk in the hotels lobby. It wasn't a large hotel and the lobby was more of a hallway with the rooms connected directly to it. Not that he cared with his height everything seemed big.

"Second room on your left Kupo!" Cloud recognized that weird squeak. He placed his hands on the counter and jumped repeatedly trying to see if he was right. Sure enough there was a fuzzy red pom-pom hovering in the air. He was sure there was a moogle attached to it but he couldn't jump high enough.

"Settle down kid." The man who had taken him was quick to correct his faults. Cloud pouted and looked down at his feet. There was a quick jingle as a key was placed into the mans gloved hand. He placed his free hand on Cloud's shoulder and led him towards their room. Cloud had to hurry to keep up his legs weren't nearly as long as the others. He craned his neck over his shoulder and looked back longingly at the pom-pom. But the man steered him out of sight and into a room with a large 2 painted on the door. Cloud nearly tripped over the rug as he turned inside too sharply.

He glared at the other for not walking at his slower speed. The other ignored it and took a chair in the corner. Cloud turned and gasped in delight. He scrabbled up onto a four-poster bed. It was dressed with deep red sheets that matched the rest of the room. The curtain had been tied back around the four banisters and draped around the beds edge. This room had three doors leading in and out. One led to the balcony and another to the hallway. As for the other he didn't know. The walls had been painted red with golden trim giving the room an oriental impression.

The man got back to his feet and turned on the bedside lamp. "I'm going to have a look around this place. Until then you stay here and don't wander of." Cloud started bouncing on the mattress not seeming to hear a word. "If anyone gives you a problem tell them you're with me."

Cloud kept bouncing. "Who're you?" he asked and bounded past him in constant circles.

"Axel. Got it memorized?"

"Yep!"

"So just stay here and don't go anywhere." He started for the door. "Got it?"

"Gotcha!"

Axel flicked off the main light switch so that the only source of light came from the bedside lamp. He didn't want anyone to see inside. Not when this kid was on the run from the former general of Shin-ra.

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"Sorry kid I couldn't find anyone who knows you." It was actually a pointless search. Axel had never asked his name and he didn't talk to anyone about him. He knew that if any of these people talked Sephiroth would be at their doorstep in an instant.

Despite the fact that there were few things of interest in the room Cloud had still managed to entertain himself .Axel had stepped into the room to find a large pile of pillows and blankets. As soon as the door locked behind him Cloud burst out from the pile. He pointed excitedly to it.

"Fort." He declared proudly

"I see…"Axel mumbled. Sometimes he forgot how it felt to have a heart. Cloud still took his answer as a compliment and ducked back inside his "fort". Axel studied it for a moment. It was going to take a while to untangle all of those bed sheets from one another. He shook his head and grinned slightly. There was a curtain rod stuck into the pile with a red pillow case tied around the top. The kid had even made a flag.

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Reno had paced the room multiple times. Waiting wasn't one of his strong points. Eventually his wandering brought him to the balcony door. He looked down on the alley below. How long had it been since Leon passed by? He frowned at his reflection in the glass and forced the door open. He stepped out into the cool night air. Leaning against the balcony's railing he looked up at the black sky. It was strange. Where thousands of stars had been before, there was nothing not even a nearby planet. Another swarm of heartless may have found away in.

He subconsciously twirled his electro-mag-rod between his fingers. If he planned on getting help for Zack chances were he would have to fight. He wasn't going to wait around for the stars to speckle the sky again. He stepped back inside but left the door open. He strolled up to the table and pulled his jacket from the back of the chair. He tossed it over his right shoulder and turned towards the bed.

"Hey ex-Soldier, umm… Zack, that's it." He snapped his fingers in remembrance. I'm going to step out and find a healer. Alright?" Zack was still asleep. "Of course you can hear me…"Reno sighed and stepped back out onto the balcony, Slamming the door carelessly behind him.

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Cloud had abandoned his makeshift fort and had begun scurrying about beneath the bed. So many things had been kicked under there. A lot of them weren't all that interesting so he simply kicked them out from under his new hideaway.

Axel watched in mild amusement as a fuzzy pink slipper skidded out from under the bed and past his feet. "Kid, are you looking for treasure down there?"

"Uh huh." Cloud pulled up a large book from the darkest corner. He flipped through it nodding his head side to side in annoyance. The book didn't have a single picture. Dull. He pushed it out just as he had done the slipper. "Oooooo…!"

Cloud backed out from beneath the bed frame dragging a small cardboard box with him. He walked over to the book that he had tossed aside and picked it up. He had a sneaky smile on his face as if he had an idea worth shouting to the entire town. He gave Axel a quick look and entered his fort.

A few minutes later a yellow marker was thrown out from inside. "So that's what was in the box," Axel realized. Following the marker Cloud emerged and held the now opened book out to axel.

"X-L look." There was a large yellow blob scribbled over page seventeen. Axel stared at it with a strange look. "X-L look, Chocobo." Axel smiled realizing what it was supposed to be. It had taken him a moment to realize that X-L was his name. Cloud beamed proudly at his work and left the book in Axels lap. What little praise he had been given was enough for him.

He felt tired now his eyes were heavy and his mouth stretched into a long sleepy yawn. He started move towards the opening of his fort but instead wandered towards the window. There was a light coming from the room beside theirs. He wouldn't have noticed if not for the fact that he had removed the curtain rod and now the alleyway below was visible. There was a man descending the edge of the building. He was slowly sliding towards the pavement below being careful to watch his footing.

Cloud was sure he had met the man somewhere before. But maybe that was because he looked so much like Axel.

Speaking of Axel, he was heading for the door. "I'm going out to look again." Cloud's expression saddened. He'd been playing on his own for a long time and now he was going to be alone again.

"Okay…"Cloud sighed and looked down at his bare feet.

"I'll be back soon." Axel reassured noticing Cloud's hurt expression. Cloud looked back up to meet Axel's eyes and gave a small smile. Axel ruffled Cloud's spiky blonde hair and stepped out the door. "I promise." The door clicked shut and Cloud stood staring its glazed finish.

He walked sadly over to the chair Axel had been sitting in. He had left Cloud's coloring book open on the seat. Cloud shakily climbed into the chair and propped the book up in his lap. Now he was facing the third door. That was the only one that he didn't know where it led. He ignored it and started scribbling with a green marker all over a randomly selected page. It was meant to be a cactuar but it looked more like a moogle. He looked at his finished picture and stuck his tongue out at it. It hadn't turned out right. He dropped the book to the floor and stared fixedly at the door.

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Zack winced as the pain prickled through his wounded stomach. Every time he fell asleep he awoke to the same feeling. He rested a calloused hand on the bloodied bandage that covered the wound. A soft creaking pulled him from his thoughts. The other door to the left of the balcony had slowly swung open. He starred at it for a long time daring it to creak again. But it didn't.

An hour later had awoken from another pathetic attempt at sleep. This was getting him nowhere. He glanced at the old clock that hung above yet another door. Fortunately Reno had left the light on and he was able to see the hands easily. 3:06a.m.

He laid in silence listening to the ticking of the Clock's pendulum. Maybe if he moved to a more comfortable position he would find sleep. He tried to roll onto his side but couldn't. It wasn't because of his stomach, it was his legs. Something had weighed them down. He tried again but this time something beneath the blankets shifted.

He was surprised that e hadn't noticed that a large lump was lying over his feet. He poked at it cautiously. The lump scooted away He nudged it again and it scooted further down the bed. Now this was strange. He sat up and lifted the blanket over his head. He shifted the sheets aside and found what had been lying on his feet. The strange creature that had been there was a small sleeping child. It was dressed in all black and its spiky blond wisps of hair reminded him strangely of an old friend that he had lost years before.

Zack starred in confusion. "Where did you come from?" The blonde made no move to reply. Zack shrugged and pulled the blankets back over them both. "Probably with the Turk."

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The gizmo shop stood proudly in the second district. Its luminous glow brightened the entire area as it towered above the other buildings. Yuffie was on her way there now.

"Hey Kisaragi." Reno's voice echoed through the second district.

Yuffie spun around. "Yeeeeees?" She asked sweetly.

"I need a favor."

Yuffie crossed her arms and put on the best straight face she could muster. "I'm listening."

"I need to borrow some of your cure materia because-"

Yuffie threw a hand up. "Hold it right there!" She jumped back a few steps and kept the hand out in front of her defensively. "I worked hard to get my materia and I'm not sharing."

Reno sighed. He had been searching for hours to find them. Of course he had only been able to find Yuffie but that would've been good enough had she not been so stubborn. He had no idea how the others had managed to vanish in such a small town. "Then would you at least point me towards Gainsborough." She opened her mouth to reply but he stopped her. "Yes all the item shops are closed. I can't ask anyone else."

"Lemme think." She put her back to him and put her hand to her chin it thought. "Hmmmmm…" She turned back to him and placed one hand on her hip the other pointed directly at him. "I'll get back to you. First I have to check with my supervisor."

"What!" he gasped anxiously.

"Just give me a sec. Sheeesh!" She skipped off towards the gizmo shop and vanished inside.

He stared up at the glowing sign that hung over the shop. He shook his head to clear out his annoyance. Usually when someone asked for healing items you didn't giggle and skip off. He was still surprised that none of the invading heartless had given him any trouble.

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Yuffie came back to him a long while later. "He said yes."

"Who, your supervisor?"

She nodded and called for Aerith to hurry up.

"And who would that be."

"Squall." She replied boldly.

"It's Leon." Came a monotone voice from near the door that led to the third district.

"You two are so slow." Yuffie scolded and joined Leon and Aerith's side.

"You wanted my help?" Aerith asked sounding apprehensive.

"Yeah I got someone who needs your help." He walked towards the hotel and signaled for them to follow. Aerith tailed quickly closely followed by Yuffie. Leon hesitated but eventually decided to go along. He still didn't rust the Turk.

Reno led them into a small hotel room. They had been there before when they first met Sora and had to hide from the heartless.

The room hadn't changed at all. The door to their right had been cracked open so Reno subconsciously shut it. He gestured with a nod of his head towards the bed.

"He's over there." Aerith walked forward quickly and pulled a small orb of materia from her pocket. She gently pulled the green blanket away from the sleeping mans face. An odd recognition swept through her eyes but she prepared the spell anyway.

"Cure." she whispered her voice faltered slightly. A small aura of green light encircled him." It slowly faded away without even leaving behind a scar.

Yuffie leaned on Aerith's shoulder and looked thoughtfully at his sleeping form. "Looks kind of like Zack, doesn't he?"

"No." Aerith said finding words hard to come to her lips. "He is Zack."

Wow that only took a really long time. Good Zack found Cloud er… Cloud found Zack. all is at peace …for now. I have a headache "Groan" I need to sleep. Lost will start soon so that will inspire me to write some more. REVIEWS WANTED!

I don't plan on updating "collision" until next weekend or after chapter 11. Sorry but I got ideas for this story that aren't written down and I need to run with em. But thanks for the reviews on both stories they mean so much. I was afraid nobody cared about Yari. I miss writing that story "sniffle" -.-

Don't you just hate the ironic moment when we know something the character doesn't. For example Aerith not noticing Cloud he was right there! Oh yeah the book Clouds been coloring in IS NOT the book they're looking for. It would have been fun to work in. But why would a heartless leave it there?

Don't own FF7 or KH but I own the plot and everything else in this story