Disclaimer - I don't own Final Fantasy VII or its characters. Enjoy another good chapter!
What do you fight for?
'WHAT?!' Zack Fair exclaimed disbelievingly at Lazard, while Angeal and Sephiroth remained passive from the order that Zack and Kunsel had just received. 'Capture Cloud, Kadaj and Genesis and bring them back in custody?!'
'Yes. It is a direct order from the President himself.' The Director of SOLDIER answered calmly as he readjusted his glass.
'But... Why? What did they do? I mean I saw Cloud and Kadaj together and Commander Rhapsodos was in office just an hour or two before they had gone missing! They couldn't have planned something and executed it that quickly!' Kunsel tried to reason with the Director.
'They betray this company and if it wasn't because of their SOLDIER reputations, the consequence of their actions might have been death. They have already been gone for three days, if they don't return soon, I'm afraid that the company, under the pressure of the Science Department, will band them as an enormous threat and will order us or the Turks to dispose of them.' The blond hair Director explained to two Seconds before turned his attention towards the two silent Firsts. 'Angeal, you will accompany Zack and secure the Gongaga region, while Kunsel will lead a group to secure the Nibelheim region. Sephiroth, you will take over Genesis place in the Wutai operation. The choppers are waiting for all of you right now. Good luck and dismiss.'
Everyone turned to leave, but before they went into the corridor, Lazard added: 'No matter what happen, they are still your friends, right?' The SOLDIERs looked back at their Director surprisingly. 'If so, then I believe that none of the laws in Shinra matter when it's about saving a friend. Just be careful.'
All four SOLDIERs nodded their head and left the office without another word. While waiting for the elevator, Zack asked his mentor: 'Angeal, what is going?' The raven hair man didn't answer. 'Cloud and Kadaj really want to get into SOLDIER. They wouldn't just abandon their dreams like that. And Genesis-'
'I don't know Zack.' Angeal said those words softly. He seemed to say them more to himself than to the spiky hair teen. 'I really wish I know what's happening than you do, pup.'
Even though the First had used his most popular nickname, Zack couldn't find the side of him that usually protest childishly at the mention of the word "pup" or "puppy". He is too worried about his two best friends to care about such small things.
'You don't need to worry so much.' A calm and almost cold voice told them. Everyone turned their attention to their great General. 'Cloud always has the tendency of a lone wolf. You never know when it will come or when it will bite you back.'
'Huh? What do you mean?' Zack asked not understanding the last part of the sentence.
Sephiroth chuckled lightly as he replied: 'It's a feeling that I had whenever Cloud's fighting. My instinct tells me not to let my guard down whenever I'm close to him, especially when he is in a battle. Something tells me that he is more than powerful than he looks. I'm sure that he'll come back here, no matter what it takes.'
The spiky hair SOLDIER didn't what to say as they all stepped into the elevator, so he just contemplated the view of sunrise through the glass of the elevator. Cloud, if you are out there somewhere, please don't get yourself kill or I'll kill you myself.
***
Thousands of miles away from Midgar, in a small village called Gongaga which is located in the middle of a thick and hot jungle, a couple was looking after a sick-looking blond on the bed with wet cold cloth on his forehead.
'Poor child.' The woman with grey brown hair muttered to herself as she took the wet cloth off and damped it in a bucket of cold water, while her husband, a thin tall man with black hair with a few grey hair strands, was removing the bandages that are tainted black over the boy's arm. 'What kind of monster did this to him?'
'It's not a monster who did this.' Her husband replied calmly as he put the new bandages over the black rash-like skin. 'Something is hurting him from the inside. It's probably a disease of some sort.'
The blond groaned softly and opened his eyes, looking around unfocused, he asked them: 'Where am I?'
'It's alright child, you're at Gongaga.' The woman answered kindly. 'I'm Sofia and this is my husband, Richard. You're a SOLDIER, right?'
'Huh? Ah, yeah.' The young boy replied as he got into a sitting position. 'My name is Cloud. Cloud Strife.'
'Um, could I ask you another small question?' Sofia asked and waited for the boy to respond with a small nod of his head. 'Do you know a boy named Zack Fair?'
'Zack?' He repeated the name surprisingly.
'Yes, do you know him?' The old woman asked hopefully. It had been years since they had last heard of their son, they knew he is busy, but still he could have written a letter or two each month.
'Yeah, Zack is my friend. He is right now a SOLDIER 2nd Class, but I'm pretty sure he will be promoted to 1st Class soon with his almost perfect record.' The blond grumbled under his breath, Sofia knew that it wasn't hatred that coated the word "prefect", probably annoyance if she had to guess. After all, her son is as hyper-active as she is when she had his age. Being optimist and cheerful are the greatest cures that had ever existed in life.
'You should rest a little more. I could take you out and visit the village when I'll go to buy some groceries.' The brown hair woman suggested. Cloud hesitated for a moment before he accepted the offer and went back to sleep.
'I wouldn't bring him outside if I were you. Everyone's wounds aren't completely recovered yet.' Richard told his wife as he stared out the window at the distant crumbled and broken black reactor surrounded by a plain desert at the outskirt of the village.
'I know, but...' The brown hair woman looked at the sleeping SOLDIER with soft blue eyes. 'If we want someone to do something about it, then we have to show that person what had happened and ask for their helps. We can't just tell him to fix things just like that. We need him to understand about our problems, so he could help us... This might be our only chance for a brighter future...'
***
He ran as fast as he could while holding dozen of shining orbs in his arms. He had to get back home before they caught up with him or else he will be beaten again. Father never likes when he is late...
But why does he still return home? Either way, he will get beaten and rot in this pathetic city. Why doesn't he just run outside? Out of the city? But where to?
There is no place else where he could go, he is just a filthy and disgusting boy, no one will accept him. Where could he truly go to find his sanctuary? Where could he find his mother? Where could he find LOVE once again?
He doesn't know. All he knows for sure right now, it's that he has to survive... So he could live to find his answers...
His footsteps were mixed with dozen of others behind him.
***
Bright sapphire blue eyes fluttered open, short and deep pants came out almost breathlessly from the now fully awaken blond. Scanning the place, expected to see someone was indeed following him all along and that it wasn't a dream, but there is no one, but him in the room. Letting out a relieved sigh, Cloud slowly got up from the bed and looked out the window where the blue sky is now tainted in pale orange and red.
'Ah you are awake I see.' A gentle voice said behind him. The blond turned around to meet the brown hair woman with a basket in one arm and the other was holding some bandages and some clothes. 'Let's change your bandages first before we go outside.'
After putting on some new bandages and a black cloth to cover his arm, Sofia leaded the young SOLDIER around the village where the villagers looked at him suspiciously before they stopped at the graveyard.
'Please wait for a moment. I need to do something here before we continue out little tour.' Sofia told Cloud as she knelt down next to a tombstone, taking out some strange blue flowers and a small blue coffee-pot shape container from the basket. She held up the flowers for him to inspect. 'These are Salvia officinalis, they are also known as the Sages, which mean "to heal". I offen come here to burn them in the incense burner to calm people who come to visit to disease family member and the spirits who are trying to move on, but couldn't because they were afraid or lost. I hope the scent of the Sage might be able to bring them peace.'
The brown hair woman carefully placed the flowers in the small incense burner, lighting a match that she took out of her pocket and dropped it in the container before she closed it. Soon small white smoke rose from the tiny holes on the cover and enveloped the air of the graveyard with its sweet scent. Sofia clasped her hands together and prayed.
'What happened here?' Cloud asked after a moment.
'The Mako Reactor near the town had exploded a few years ago. Many had died during that explosion, some died after a few months, others were injured badly and the rest were lucky enough to come out without a scratch.' The woman answered without looking up and continued praying. 'Most of the children in the village left and go to Midgar to find a job or join SOLDIER, either way, the village's once cheerful days turned into the ones of tears and sadness. Everyone wants to leave this terrible past behind, by running away, instead of facing it.'
'I'm sorry...' The blond didn't know what else to say.
'No. No. No. It's not your fault or anything.' Sofia told him and waved her hands frantically. 'What I meant is that I hope you will understand our problem and try to ask your superiors if... Well, you... Euh... They could help?'
Cloud looked away with a sadden expression. What could he do after all? He was suddenly transported to Gongaga, a village of the Eastern Continent and thousands of miles away from Midgar. Shinra is probably listing him in the group of traitor or something by now, they never tolerated any escapees from them. It's serve or die. It's as simple as that. Yet, he couldn't bring himself to reject the kind woman, who is also Zack's mother, so he said: 'I'll try to do my best for you and the villagers when I get back, but I can't promise you that things might be the same when it does.'
'It's ok. Knowing that someone had listened and saw our problems, it's already enough.' Sofia told him with teary eyes and a grateful smile graced her lips. 'Shall we continue our tour?'
'No, I think I want to stay here for a moment...' Cloud replied softly with a small smile. The brown hair woman nodded her head and told him that the dinner will be ready in an hour or two before she left.
The young SOLDIER looked back at the tombstones and his hand went to pull the small silver chain that hung the red orb that had lost its glow and warmth ever since Moon was taken away from him. Taking the small necklace in his hands, Cloud closed his eyes and whispered to it: 'Moon... Please tell me what to do... I don't know anything anymore... I'm scare... And I don't know what to do...'
A low growl caught his attention. The SOLDIER looked up to see the black creature that had attacked him and Kadaj before they became SOLDIER. The monster stared at him for another minute, and then it turned around and jumped away. The blond ran after it through the thick green leaves. What the hell is THAT doing here?
After a few minutes, the trees and leaves around him seemed to open up to him and he arrived at a clear space, the long silver hair stranger stood in the middle and looked as if he had been waiting for a long time.
'Hello there, Nii-san.' He greeted as he took a step towards him.
Cloud instantly took a step back and yelled: 'Stop calling me that!'
'What? Calling you Nii-san? You are my Nii-san.' The stranger replied calmly with a smirk. 'And always will be.'
'No! I'm not!' The blond bellowed. There is only one person who I allow calling me Nii-san. No one else in the whole wide world could call me that.
'You are really cruel, no wonder Kadaj was so angry at you that he asked Mother the strength to kill you.' Cloud flinched at those taunting words. He glared at the man angrily as he felt his power over the ice is slowly concentrating around him. Suddenly a buzzing sound echoed deep inside his head, breaking his concentration over his power as he held his head in his hand, then voices and images flashed in his mind.
'Just kidding... I won't leave you hanging like that.' Zack, sitting next to him on a small yellow truck, said with a bright smile. '... We're friends right?'
Nii-san loves HIM more than he loves me...
Suddenly the images changed and Zack was now lying on the ground, rain pouring down on his bloody body, a relieved smile graced his lips as he said weakly: 'You will be my living legacy...'
Nii-san wants HIM more than me...
Fire covered every house around the water tower, Cloud looked around his old town, Nibelheim burning to ruins, he looked at his house, he could see his mother knelt in the middle of the room as the fire waved slowly towards her and he shouted: 'MOTHER!' But she couldn't yell back, because at the very moment the ceiling of the house collapsed and crushed her down.
Why won't HE just die?!
Cloud let out a scream of agony from his pains, both physically and mentally, but his scream was soon joined by others. When the pain lessen, the young SOLDIER whirled around to see black smoke rising from the village behind the thick woods, he turned to face the silver hair stranger again, but he was gone already. It's a diversion!
The SOLDIER 3rd Class quickly ran back to the village, but with the throbbing pain in his head, it's a little harder for him to run without hitting a tree or two, but he didn't bother nursing his small injuries when probably dozen of villagers were getting wounds bigger than his scratches. When he arrived at the entrance of the village, everyone was surrounded by the black creatures that growled and swiped their claws at whoever was trying to escape.
Cloud managed to create dozen of sharp ice shards after focusing as best as he could and killed the three monsters in his way. He ran to the frighten crowd, trying to calm them down while keeping the monsters at bait. A sudden sound caught his attention. He concentrated harder to identify the sound and identified it as the whirling sound of a chopper's blade of a two or three. Good, SOLDIERs are coming. They could take care of them, all they need is to get to vast area where the choppers could land and evacuate them.
The young blond looked over his shoulder and spotted Sofia among the scared villagers, he shouted at her: 'Sofia! There are choppers coming this way, they will probably land at the destroyed Mako Reactor! When I cut a way through the monsters, take everybody and run towards the Reactor, don't stop until you guys reach it!'
'O-Ok.' The brown hair woman stammered as she held a frighten kid in her arms.
'Alright!' Cloud immediately formed dozen of ice pillars in the air and crushed down most of the black creatures, while some dodged it, making a safe passage for the people to get out of the burning village. 'NOW!'
Everybody doesn't need to be told twice and immediately ran for their lives towards safety. Then Richard ran passed him, the man held out his sword to him and told him: 'Here, use this.' The blond took the offered sword. 'Don't get kill before I repay you or I'll kill you myself!'
When the man finally left, Cloud turned his attention back to the pack of monster that are swarming the burned down structure of the houses, every one of them are growling at him, either with hunger or with anger. The SOLDIER fell into his fighting stance and muttered: 'Here we go again.'
His words almost acted like a signal as the beasts charged towards all at the same time. The light on the black scale of the monsters, casted by the fire, couldn't compare to the two bright glowing blue eyes of the warrior.
***
Zack Fair was worried and angry, no, not angry, pissed. The raven hair teen immediately jumped out of the helicopter when it had landed next to the destroyed Reactor, followed by his calm mentor and several other SOLDIERs.
'Shit, shit, shit.' The Second Class chanted like a mantra as he ran towards the forest where his hometown was burning to ash behind it. They had spotted the fire several miles away and Angeal quickly ordered the pilot to land at Gongaga and the SOLDIERs to be prepare to rescue the villagers. Zack was the most anxious in all of them, because he hasn't contacted his parents for a while and he doesn't know their conditions, so what if his mother or father was sick and didn't escape the fire, the spiky hair boy shook his head to clear out the worst and terrifying thought of his parents' death.
'ZACK!' A voice yelled out. The black hair SOLDIER looked up and smiled when he saw his parents and the villagers are coming out of the forest, only a few of them were injured.
Zack hurried over to the brown hair woman and hugged her with tears threatening to spill over his eyelashes as he said: 'Gaia! Mom, you scare me! I lost at least ten years of lifespan!'
'Zack, I'm glad to see you safe and sound too, but you got to go back to the village.' His father told him urgently as he let go of his mother. 'Cloud is still in the village.'
'Cloud?! He's here?!' The spiky hair SOLDIER shouted. Richard nodded his head and told how they had found the blond unconscious, the recovery and the sudden attack of the monsters.
Zack looked back at his mentor, silently asking him permission to look and help Cloud. Angeal nodded in acknowledgement and the raven hair teen quickly charged towards the village as a pain roar echoed in the night air.
***
Cloud pulled his sword out of the last monster's body which immediately disintegrated. Breathing hard, the blond leaned against a large tree on his left as support, trying to regain his strength and breath. His clothes tainted in blood were cut at several spot, the cloth used to cover the black spots on his arms was reduced to bits, but all the blood over him belongs to the monster. His only injuries were small scratches over his cheek. After a moment of rest, he stumbled onto a stony road that leads to the Cosmo Region and the Nibelheim region.
'CLOUD!' A voice shouted behind him, he turned around to see Zack running towards him, a wave of relief washed over the blond, seeing the raven hair SOLDIER well and alive helped him to push away those terrible visions he had saw. He is finally safe and with his friend beside him, he knew that everything will be alright.
Suddenly Zack stopped abruptly in his track and stared wide-eyed at him, the blond looked at him surprised and followed the boy's gaze to the black rash-like scars on his arm. The visions came back to him as fast as they were gone, clutching his hand into fists, bright blue eyes looked away. I can't go back... I still have something to do and... I can't go back like THIS!
The blond turned to walk away, but he stopped when the raven hair SOLDIER called his name again, he whirled around with his sword and pointed it at Zack who is only standing a few steps away from him, shouting: 'DON'T COME ANY CLOSER TO ME!'
Both of them stared at each other for a silent moment and then Zack asked: 'Is this why you didn't come back?'
Startled by the raven hair SOLDIER sudden question, Cloud lowed his sword a little and looked at the ground sadly before he replied: 'Half of it.'
'The other half is about Kadaj, isn't it?' His friend spoke softly as if he was afraid that he might hurt him with his words, and they did hurt him, but not as painful as receiving a Mega Flare right at the face. Then Zack took out his cell phone and dialed a number, Cloud was about to knock the phone out of his hand, but the black spiky hair teen held out his hand and he stopped. 'Angeal? I couldn't find Cloud. Yes. I'll continue to search for him. Don't worry, over and out.'
Zack closed his cell as Cloud lowered his weapon to the ground, smiling at each other. The raven hair teen clasped his shoulder and told him: 'Promise me you won't die out there or I'll kill you myself.'
The blond chuckled as he said: 'Boy, you sure sound like your father, both of you said the same thing.' Both SOLDIERs burst out laughing, but their little moment of peace was suddenly interrupted by the whirling sound of an orange shuriken that came from the bushes. Cloud lifted his sword up in time to block the flying projectile and deflected it back to where it came from. 'Who's there?'
A woman with long brown curly hair stepped out of the trees, holding her bleeding shoulder. Zack shouted "Cissnei" as he ran to the injured girl's side.
'Do you have to throw my weapon back so hard? When I just want give you my key?' Cissnei asked sarcastically. Cloud looked down at his feet to see a metal key on the ground. He picked it up and examined it. 'It's for my bike. Take it. It's at the end of this road.'
The young SOLDIER looked at his two companions and thanked them with a small smile.
Cissnei returned his smile with her own as she said: 'Just come back and sing again.'
'I will come back.' Cloud replied before he ran down the stony road leaving the SOLDIER and the Turk behind. I'll definitely come back.
I have finally finish another chapter! I hope I didn't make too many mistakes this time, because I seriously think that I blew it in Chapter 12. If any of you could give some pointers, please do, because I really want to know what kind of mistakes I easily make while I'm writing. So please review and tell what you think about this new chapter!
