A/N: Here ya go.

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VII Characters and Places belong to Square Enix.

Everything seemed fuzzy from where he sat.

He was on something uncomfortable and shaking and he tried to shift into something comfortable. Yet he couldn't. He tried to look around, to gain some sort of bearings. Yet he couldn't. He tried to say something, to ask what was going on. Yet he couldn't. All he could do was sit. Sit and breathe and inwardly panic.

And hear.

He jolted inside, ears straining to catch the words of a person sitting not-too-far from him. What was he saying…?

"So, what are you going to do once we get to Midgar?"

Midgar? He knew that name…Where did he know that name…?

"I know what I'm going to do."

What was this guy even talking about? And his walking around was making his seat vibrate oddly. Was he wearing really heavy boots or something?

"I got a place I can crash for a while…"

Did he? Was he going to leave him?

"No wait, the mother lives there, too…"

…Was he planning on staying at a girl's house or something?

"Guess that's out…"

Well, looks like he had been planning on staying at a girl's house.

"Yep…Gotta change my plans!" Hopefully to accommodate him, right? Since he didn't know what was going on…And this yammer-mouth was the only person he knew so far.

"Hmm…No matter what I do, I need money first." Money…Did he have money? Did he even have a job? He couldn't…remember…

"Hey, wanna start a business? But what could we do?" Well, he could be a paperweight. He seemed to be getting a lot of practice. And this guy (Z…), he could rent him out to people to be a paperweight. Was that a plan? Too bad he couldn't voice it.

"Hey, Cloud." Was that his name? Cloud…It triggered some sort of memory. He slowly blinked and thought he could see a smile on the other person. "Think there's anything I'd be good at?" Talking to someone? Maybe giving advice or something. That involved a lot of talking, right? And this guy didn't seem to shut up…

"Hey old guy!" Wait, there was someone else here? Wait…This bumping seemed familiar…It made him feel kind of stomach sick…Were they in a truck? Was this guy (Za…) talking to the driver? "What do you think I'd be good at?"

The driver answered, but he (Cloud) couldn't hear him above the rattling (truck). Maybe they were driving over desert…? Was Midgar a place?

"Try everything…That's easy for him to say." What had the driver said? Why couldn't Cloud hear him like this yammer-head could? "HEY!"

Cloud swore he would've jumped if he could.

"Of course!" Of course…What? "I've got a lot of brains and skill that other guys don't!" Were brains…Even a real word? Did he know how to speak properly…? "That settles it!" Settles WHAT? "I'm gonna become a mercenary!" ….What? "Yeah, thanks Pops!" The old man said something indistinguishable again, yet Cloud had the feeling he'd agree with him on whatever he said about this guy's (Zac…) decision.

"Listen, I'm gonna become a mercenary and that's that." Well, he kind of sounded like a whiny kid when he did that. He reminded Cloud of someone he knew…Really well…Was his best friend…. "Boring stuff, dangerous stuff, all for money. I'm gonna be rich!" Did he only care about money? Man, who was he travelling with? Why was he travelling in the first place? Where was he from? Why was he going to Midgar…?

"So, Cloud. What are YOU gonna do?" Wait, what? He wasn't taking him with him? Was he going to leave him alone, confused and unable to do anything? Like move? Or talk? Or see? Was he going to die on a street corner, abandoned by some yammer-mouth money-crazed guy? He heard vaguely the driver say something, and he tried to say something to the guy. (Z…Zac…) He tried to tell him he didn't want to be alone…

"u…uhhh….." He could feel his head nodding, and it was really starting to hurt his neck. Couldn't someone stop it?

"Just kidding…I won't leave you hanging like that." Oh thank Gaia. Wait, Gaia? Why did he immediately think Gaia…? "We're friends, right?" Friends…? Friends….His best friend? Was this his best friend?

Z…Za…Zac…

He put his head on Cloud's shoulder, and black hair was thrust into his vision. Warm breath was on his neck. A weight and height he knew and recognized and missed…He felt so cold suddenly, next to this heater… "Mercenaries, Cloud. That's what you an' me are gonna be." He suddenly stood up, and Cloud wished he could tell him to come back. "Understand, Cloud?" He didn't…He really didn't…

Za….c……..k……

Suddenly, the truck pulled to a stop. He felt himself lifted into warm arms again, pressed against an erratic heartbeat. He heard the guy say something the old man and jump out of the bed of the truck, running towards some place Cloud didn't know. Suddenly, he was placed against something hard and craggy, and knew he was on a cliff side. His eyes continued to stare ahead, unseeing, but his ears were trained on the guy. He felt him ruffle his hair, heard his laugh, and then watched as he walked away.

Lifting his head for the first time, he reached out blindly, watching the figure of the man he thought he knew as he disappeared into the light.

Later, he would scream out in agony for that same man.

….Zack…