A/N: I can't believe this story has made it to chapter 3. I'm so happy! Thanks to everyone who has commented, especially you Chibipinkbunny without your compliments, advice, and grammar corrections I would have never been able to make it this far. Anyway, don't forget, this story is in PoV (point of view) format and this means thought and this means writing. Now, let's get on with the story.

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Chapter 3: Breaking

Zack PoV

I was stumbling through the sand and dirt of this fallow wasteland. My left hand was clutching a wound on my right shoulder. One of the infantrymen I had fought managed to knock off my shoulder guard and shortly after that, while I was distracted another one of them had stabbed me in my exposed shoulder. The wound would have killed me if I were not SOLDIER 1st class. But it did slow me down a little bit. I had managed to hide in a cave nearby for a few days. I had figured that I was closer to Kalm than Midgar and even though I really wanted to see Aerith, I couldn't. It was just too dangerous. The army was after me and chances are the Turks are still watching her church. My vision was blurred a little and I felt a little weak. This is too much even for a SOLDIER I thought. I looked up at the sky. It always reminded me of Aerith. She said she's scared of the sky but, if she could only see it she would love it. It's so bright and blue with little clouds drifting across it like little boats on an ocean. I wonder if Cloud is safe I hoped he was. I didn't like the idea of leaving my friend with a stranger but, I had to distract the army so Cloud could escape. I could imagine all sorts of bad things happening to my comatose blond friend, but then I mentally scolded myself for thinking so negatively. I continued to stumble through the dirt.

Then I looked back up at the sky and saw something that wasn't there before, a helicopter. Using my SOLDIER sight I saw just who the helicopter contained. Tseng was driving and then the one that most disturbed me was the co pilot, Cissnei. She had promised me that she would not alert the Turks. Yet, here she was with one of her Turk buddies. I doubted Tseng would show any mercy, even though he used to know me. He was a Turk and it was his job to dispose of the renegade experiments. I wonder if he had gotten to Cloud yet Just the thought of Cloud being sent back to Hojo's lab sickened me. I would never forgive myself if that happened to him. I had to hide somewhere, but where. Then, suddenly I saw a town appear through all the sand blowing in the open air.

"That must be Kalm" I whispered to myself weakly. I really needed to get something to wrap my wound in. Then I had an idea. I sat down on the dusty ground and began removing my shirt. First I took off my SOLDIER equipment, such as my remaining shoulder guard. And then I took my shirt off and pressed it against my wound. That eased the pain a little, at least enough to keep going. I looked to the sky again and saw that the helicopter was still there. Then I got up and started walking. I walked for quite a while, until I was at the front gate of Kalm, then a wave of nausea swept over me. My knees gave way and I collapsed right onto the blue mural that was Kalm's main square. A bunch of people came over and crowded around me, but all I saw were a mass of blurred feet. Then I blacked out.

I awoke to find myself on a bed in the Kalm inn. There where about a half a dozen faces staring down at me. Their faces were a mix of concern about whether I was ok and happiness that I was awake. I heard them whispering to each other. Then I noticed that most of the pain that emanated from my shoulder was gone. It still hurt a little, but not much. I looked to my left and saw that my shoulder was neatly bandaged. I also noted that I had my shirt on again. Then I heard a feminine voice say "Oh, he's awake".

A young girl about twenty to twenty-five years old came up to me and looked me straight in the eyes.

"Are you ok" she asked. I guessed that she was the one that bandaged up my shoulder. I gingerly sat up in the bed, careful not to aggravate my wound.

"Yes I'm fine" I said. Then I heard her sigh.

"For a moment I thought you wouldn't pull through" She said her sad frown was replaced with a grateful smile. Then somebody tapped her on the shoulder.

"Angel, Isn't he with SOLDIER" one man pointed out. "Aren't they dangerous?"

"Yes, I agree that they are" she turned to the man "but, this one isn't doing any harm is he?"

I lifted myself off of the bed and turned to the woman whom I assumed was named Angel. "Thank you for your help, but I must be going" I knew the Turks were still after me and the army too. I knew without a doubt that the army wouldn't hesitate to ransack a whole town just to find a renegade SOLDIER 1st class experiment. I had witnessed what the Turks could do when I was on his mission in Banora and I was determined not to let that happen to this town.

"Do you have to leave now?" she asked "your wound is not fully healed"

"I'll be ok" I replied "now where is the nearest store?"

"Down the stairs, out the door, and to your left" she replied.

"Thanks" I said taking one look at the townspeople that surrounded him and then heading down the stairs.

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Aerith PoV

It was the worst fever I had ever seen. It was 105.4 degrees. That temperature was usually enough to kill a man. He was SOLDIER he was able to withstand it. Suddenly a memory played in my mind as if I where watching it happen. Some harsh words I had said to Zack played I think being normal is the greatest happiness. Somehow SOLDIERs seem weird. I remember saying to Zack when we were at our date in the park, to which he replied I see, weird huh? And then I told him that I thought soldiers where scary because they fight a lot. But he reminded me just how normal a SOLDIER can be. A moan from the fevered SOLDIER sent me crashing back down to earth. I turned to face him and saw that his face was bright pink, and he was sweating. He was also panting heavily. I put a wet rag on his forehead like I usually did. But it didn't seem to do any good.

His immune system was making one final stand against whatever was plaguing it by burning it to the point that he might die. I didn't want to think that all the time and love I had put into caring for this comatose man was for nothing. That he would die anyway. It was just unbearable to think about it. So I pushed that thought away, far away into the back of my mind. Instead I turned to the man whom I had named Sky because of his eyes that glowed like the bright blue sky I used to be deathly afraid of. He hadn't told me his real name, all he had said was Zack's name, so I named him myself. Sky lay on the bench feet touching the very end. I was in a sitting position holding Sky's head in my lap. I stroked his blonde spiky hair, trying to calm him down. But the soothing touch of my hand had failed and instead Sky went rigged. I tried whispering reassuring words to him but, my voice had an uncertain tone to it which probably didn't help him at all. I looked up to the roof of the church and clasped my hands together in another prayer "I hope Sky makes it out of this okay" I said aloud. Then I turned to Sky who, it seems, had gotten worse. He is going to need a miracle to get through this one.

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Tifa PoV

I had heard rumors. These rumors were from some rather drunk people though. So I wasn't sure how accurate they could be. Those men come in my bar all the time talking about the weather and the news and whatnot. Throughout my two years as a bartender I had learned to ignore it. But, this morning I had overheard a conversation that had perked my interest. Three men where sitting at the table nearest to the bar. They all looked rather old as if they were trying to drink the rest of their life away. They were all of different height and dressed in different attire.

The tallest man took a swig of his beer and then spoke. "Rumor has it there is a man living in the sector five slums with that one lady that owns the church… I forgot her name." He put two fingers on his forehead as if trying to remember.

The man that was of about middle height then answered his comrade. "Yes, I remember hearing about that. Rumor also has it that the man is totally unable to take care of himself." I was totally uninterested at that time, as I was preoccupied polishing my set of beer glasses. It was what the shortest man said that caught my attention.

"Yes, I know the rumors" he said "as a matter of fact I've seen him myself" He had this proud gleam in his eye as his friends spurred him on asking what the man looked like. "I'll tell you what he looked like" He replied as his drunken friends leaned in closer to hear him "The first thing that caught my attention was the eyes, Beautiful bright blue. The kind you only see in SOLDIER." The mention of SOLDIER did make me slightly interested. So, I kept one ear open, even though I don't like gossip and rumors and all that nonsense that probably wasn't true to begin with and where probably only started for some stupid, idiotic reason like revenge or just to mess with people. But, I still listened in as the old short man continued. "Then his hair was what I noticed next. It was a bright blond and spiked all around" and that was what finally caught my full attention, the word 'spiked'. The description matched perfectly, SOLDIER eyes and blonde spiky hair. Could it be I thought Could it really be him? At the mere thought of Cloud being so close and being unable to do something as basic as take care of himself was unbearable.

I dropped the glass I was holding and watched as it shattered into a million pieces near my feet. The loud noise had attracted the attention of nearly every person in the bar. I watched as a dozen eyes stared at me, including the eyes of the three men who where just conversing. Realizing that I had to pull things together I forcefully made my lips into an embarrassed smile. "Oops" was all that I had to say before the bar went back to its usual hustle and bustle. I got a broom and swept up the shards of glass then dumped them in the trash. All the while my head was swimming with questions. Could it really be Cloud? I don't know anybody else with blond spiky hair. It could be another person altogether. I just didn't know. It was then that I decided to go to Sector 5 and see for myself. I listened to the conversation a little bit more to see what else I could find out. And I learned that not only was Cloud, or the person I assumed was Cloud, unable to take care of himself, but he couldn't move altogether. The thought of that made me sick to my stomach and I didn't have the heart to listen anymore. Gaia knows what else has happened to him.

After my shift I told Barret that I was going to the store, he gave his usual grunt that meant that he had heard me. Wedge was more enthusiastic though and asked if he could come with me to pick out stuff for tonight's dinner. I denied his request and he nodded and went back down to the secret place that was always kept well-hidden in the bar by an ordinary looking pinball machine. With a heavy sigh I started out the door. The walk to sector five wasn't long and it certainly wasn't boring, considering sector six was full of monsters. I was grateful when I finally got to sector five. I smiled to myself. The things I do for you Cloud… I thought to myself jokingly, glad to have taken those martial arts lessons back when Nibelhiem was still standing. It seemed that while I was thinking, my feet got a mind of their own because before I knew it I was standing in front of the church, almost as if some unknown force had guided me there. It was an old worn out building with delicate stained glass windows that shone brightly against the dim gray of the walls. I walked up the ancient stone steps and paused at the door, unsure of weather to open it or not.

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Aerith PoV

The first thing I knew was that I needed to get some ice but, I was afraid to get up. If I did leave Sky all alone he would have no one to share his pain with and he would have to suffer all alone. I just couldn't bear to do that to the poor guy. So I sat there for a while, acting as Sky's support. Sky gave a sharp groan of disproval whenever I even tried to move. Even if it was just to shift positions, he would start moaning and groaning and wouldn't stop until I had settled myself into a better position and became still again. I could only imagine what it must be like for Sky. It must feel like you're in a giant oven that is slowly roasting you alive.

I clutched Sky tighter when I felt his muscles slightly tense again. I had made up my mind earlier to take him to the hospital, but he seemed against it. Once I had tried to stand up, but he dug his nails into the bench, a clear sign that he didn't want to go. Whatever reason he had must be a good one in order for him to possibly risk his life for it. I took the rag off of his forehead and poured some more water over it. Then I placed it back on his forehead. A little whimper of pain escaped his lips. It reminded me of a little puppy. This of course reminded me of Zack and the time he told me about Angeal's nickname for him, Zack the puppy. back then I had almost had a laughing fit. The nickname had fit him so perfectly back then. Even now, when a man I had taken care of for two weeks was suffering. I couldn't help but force a smile. Zero percent attention span and as restless as a little puppy Zack said that that was exactly how Angeal had described him. I was interrupted from my thoughts when I heard the oaken door creak open.

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Tifa PoV

The interior of the church looked much more attractive than the outside. There were rows and rows of benches and a delicate chandelier hung from the ceiling. There where several beams going across the top of the church which were used to support it. But the most interesting thing in there, by far, was the brightly colored flowers that were usually never found in the slums. How could flowers grow in the slums? I thought. It was then that I noticed a women looking at me with wide emerald green eyes. Everything about her looked warm and welcoming, from her pink dress to the ribbon in her hair that was also pink, everything except the look of sadness that was on her lips. It didn't suit her; her face would look a whole lot better if it had a smile on it. She had to be frowning about something though.

I took one step closer. I was sure I looked frightened to her, scared out of my mind. I knew that I wasn't afraid of her. I knew I was afraid of who else I would find here. Suddenly a loud painful moan broke the silence between us and the brunette turned her attention to whoever it was that moaned. I knew I had to see for myself so; I forced myself to walk the rest of the way, until I got to the furthest bench on the left. I held my breath as I turned and it came out in the form of a gasp when I saw a fragile young man lying in the woman's lap. He had unmistakable blond spiky hair and bright blue eyes that where glazed over with pain.

"Cloud!" I cried unable to hold back my urge to hug him. As I did though, he let out a groan.

"Is that his name" the woman asked and when I nodded she said "I've been calling him Sky for two weeks now." She stroked the feverish man's hand with her own thoughtfully. "He's been doing well up to this point" She stated "or as well as a comatose man could do." at the word 'comatose' I began to freeze up, but that soon melted away when Cloud began to stir. I looked at him longingly wanting to kiss him, at least on the cheek. But I refrained due to the fact that he is in a confused state and probably cannot see much of what is happening. Instead I satisfied myself with caressing his cheek.

"By the way" I said after a few minutes. "I'm Cloud's childhood friend Tifa Lockheart" I held out my free hand so she could shake it.

"And I'm Aerith Gainsborough, a flower girl in these slums" she replied as she took my hand.

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Cloud PoV

I woke up and saw a familiar face looming over me. My vision was blurred and still green and black but, I'd recognize that face anywhere. Her soft black hair and sweet brown doe-like eyes. Her scent always reminded me of home, even though it was no more. I imagined playing with Tifa in front of her house. Playing tag and hide-and-go-seek and kids games like that. Oh gaia, how I missed those days, the days when I had Tifa all to myself, the days when we didn't have to worry about anything.

Then she spoke her honey sweet words to me. Although they were muffled a little I could make them out. They were words of comfort and reassurance. Even though I was battling the flames that threatened to consume me, to swallow me whole, it was good to know somebody cares about me. Tifa was the reason I didn't give up and die long ago, the reason I kept fighting. A single tear rolled down my cheek. It represented all my troubles and sorrows, all the pain and suffering I had gone through, all the friends I have lost and the sadness I have felt. I saw Tifa's blurry figure reach a hand up to a place just under my eye and wipe my tear away. It was almost as if she was wiping away my fears and sorrows along with that tear. That made me try even harder to fight the flames that licked at me from the inside. And for the first time since I've been in this terrible state, I smiled.

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A/N: This is by far one of the longest and most detailed chapters I have ever done. Sorry if something didn't make sense. I was kinda distracted by the T.V. during the Zack chapter because they were showing the Wizard of Oz. Then after the first Aerith Point of View I watched a couple of episodes of the Twilight Zone (which might have influenced the Tifa PoV scene. I also spent a good hour or two playing Jak 2 and reading a little fanfiction. Now here it is almost 4:00 in the morning and I have to get this chapter finished before I go to bed. Next up is the scene where they help Cloud with his fever. Please review! Everyone who does gets a free cookie. I will update soon so, until then, see ya!