Disclaimer: I do not now or before and most likely not in the future, own Final Fantasy, Square Enix or any of the characters.
Ryma: Throughout the story, I have written different levels of consciousness, of the comatose state, and Cloud will be at different levels at times. I don't want to give anything away, so the last thing I'll say is that it will seem strange at times, but it will be explained in more detail later. The reader should be as "confused" about the situation as the characters until the "eureka" moment which is a major plot point later. About drawing a picture of Destiny, that would be absolutely awesome and an honor if you were to illustrate one of my OCs! If and when you do, I would love a link so that I could see it and post the link to your artwork on my profile!
Sign ofthe times: No, I don't think anyone likes Hojo except for Hojo!
A/N: If any of you wish to illustrate any scene or character, please feel free to do so. That is so awesome! All I ask is that if it is an OC, please allow me the character credits, but the artwork would undoubtedly be yours because I couldn't draw a stick figure if I wanted to!
If you reviewed and I didn't respond to you, I am so sorry! I usually keep all the reviews in my inbox until I am able to respond, so that I am sure to greet everyone, but this week I moved them all without thinking about it.
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Thanks to my post-post beta SubZeroChimera and my pre-post beta Queen of Jokers!
I have removed the drama mess off of my profile because it isn't necessary anymore, those of you who know me know the truth. Thanks for your encouragement.
I want your opinion on what I should do. Thanks.
"Imagination is more important than knowledge." –Albert Einstein
Chapter 20
About noon Zack needed to put Cloud down for a minute, propping him against a tree. Stretching his back and muscles, he was feeling the strain on his muscles from carrying Cloud already for the day. Without his constant mako IV, Cloud had begun gaining weight slowly, "Hey Seph, can you feel what is going on with him right now?" Zack stopped his stretches long enough taking a drink of water.
"No, just every once in a while, it is like a flash," He took a drink of water, "Like when he was attacked, I did not see or feel all of it. It just seemed to be flashes of pictures mixed with feelings," Sephiroth added as an afterthought, "It was almost like he was trying to block it from getting to me."
Zack and Sephiroth heard something in the distance, "That sounds like gunfire." Zack whispered.
"Stay with Cloud, I'm going to go check it out. Take Cloud over to that small tree grouping."
"Careful Seph."
Sephiroth nodded and took off toward the sound. Zack picked the bags and Cloud up and headed over as quickly as he could. Crouched down, Zack strained to hear anything that may give him a clue to what was happening.
Sephiroth came back in a hurry, "We need to move NOW."
Quickly grabbing everything, they headed to a dry creek bed in the grouping. Zack put Cloud on his back and covered him and the bags with the blanket and a few loose tree branches. It wasn't long until they saw a patrol of soldiers walking through where they had just been. Once the patrol was gone they headed back farther into the trees.
"Zackary, I have an idea, but you are not going to like it," Sephiroth crouched down in front of Zack and Cloud.
Cautiously Zack asked with annoyance, somehow he knew what the silver-haired man was going to suggest, "What?"
"I am going to throw them off our trail and you and Cloud are going to go on. Then I will catch up to you later."
Zack got a strained look and narrowed his eyes, "Your right, I don't like that idea."
Sephiroth sighed and lowered his head in frustration. Looking back up at Zack he explained, "If you keep heading south east it should take you to a town just on the other side of the range. I will meet you there." Sephiroth assured him, "If for some reason I do not show up, just go on without me and we can meet up at Midgar." Sephiroth's eyes were serious and he meant what he said.
Zack was questioning Sephiroth's decision, but didn't dare say it to him, "Okay, just be careful. Here, take one of the bags."
"It will just slow me down, I will just take a water bottle, a few bars and a little bit of money," Sephiroth nodded at Zack's concerned look, "I will be fine, I promise."
Zack waited for about another hour after Sephiroth left before he threw the bags over on his back with his sword and finally Cloud.
Walking until dark, he found a little spot that was surrounded by trees. Putting Cloud down and dropping the bags and propping his sword against a tree, he sat down next to Cloud, "You hungry?" Cloud frowned and he had his eyes closed.
"Hey wake up Spike, you need to eat something," Cloud opened his eyes, but very little. Zack put his head in his lap, "Oh look, yummy MRE mashed potatoes." He put a small scoop in his mouth and closed it but Cloud managed to spit out the potatoes, "Oh they aren't that bad, I've had them before." Zack tried again, and he did the same thing. "Okay how about some water," He poured some water in his mouth and the blond swallowed it, "Well here, try some fruit salad." He tried the fruit salad and he swallowed it, in fact, the unconscious man ended up eating all of the fruit. Zack then tried to get some food down himself before he stretched himself out on the ground.
"You know Cloud, when we get back to Midgar, I want you to meet Aerith. I think you would really like her," the brunet got up and got Cloud in a more comfortable looking position. Covering up with the blanket, he curled up with him trying to get warm. Putting Cloud facing him again, in case he started screaming, he said, "Good night Spiky." Zack sighed and looked up at what stars he could see until he fell asleep to the sound and feel of Cloud's breathing on his neck.
The next morning Zack got up, did a quick perimeter check and got back to Cloud. His eyes were open and he was slowly looking around, but it was dead looks, he saw nothing, only what was in his mind, but Zack wanted, needed to stay positive, "Hey there."
Cloud furrowed his eyebrows and he started to whine, "You need to go pee?" Cloud's face did not change. Zack picked him up and took him over by a tree and leaned him against it, but he wouldn't stand up. "Oh come on." He threw one of his arms around his shoulders to hold him up, "You can do the rest yourself right?" Cloud didn't move. Zack rolled his eyes, "Damn Seph, you just had to burst my bubble!"
Later, Zack got some more food and water down the blond. Gathering their things, he got going back toward the town that Sephiroth told him about and a little after noon, he could finally see the town. There was a lot of open area though and that was one thing that he didn't like the looks of. Zack put Cloud down and did a little investigating.
There was a large creek that ran just east of town. He would have to trek out of their way maybe half a day extra, but it was worth it though to stay out of sight. Traversing the creek bank proved interesting, the trees and bushes were pretty thick and a few times, some branches scraped at their skin as they passed by.
Taking longer than he originally estimated, they finally reached the edge of town. Zack went behind an old house that looked unoccupied. Looking in the windows, he was satisfied that it was empty so he found a suitable window. Hauling Cloud through the window and then himself, he almost got stuck. He fell down from the window with a hollow crash and a puff of dust from the floor. "Well that would have been awkward to explain. 'Who are you and why are you stuck in that window?!' Isn't that what you would ask Spiky?"
It was getting dark out and he needed to wait for Sephiroth. At least they were indoors, nasty indoors, but it kept the rain off their back. The storm that night was rather furious. The thunder rolled and lightning flashed one right after another. "Seph shouldn't be too much longer, maybe another day. We can crash here for a while," He went to an upstairs room that was about the size of their cell in the labs and sat Cloud down next to the far wall, "I'm gonna go take a look around. I'll be right back."
Going downstairs, he looked out one of the windows. Through the rain he could see a market across the street from the house and more houses that lined what looked to be the main road in the small town. There had been a few people that he could see, but there weren't many, so it wouldn't be possible to blend in with the general population. They could just lay low here in this house and wait for Sephiroth. He went back upstairs, pulling out some food, "Hey, how about some vegetable soup?" Cloud ate quite a bit and Zack had what was left. They were a little low on food, so Zack was going to have to figure something out.
Laying the blond on his back, Zack laid down on his side facing the doorway, back to his friend. He allowed himself to sleep a little deeper than the last few nights, his muscles relaxed and he dreamt. The dreams, well more nightmares than anything, woke him up periodically in a sweat and out of breath.
Sometime during the night, Cloud started screaming and flailing. Zack jumped and got a hold of his hands, "Hey, it's okay. It's okay." Cloud started calming down but then he started sobbing. Zack held him for a little while, until he went back to sleep. With Cloud back on his back, the brunet rolled over to face the doorway again and drifted off in a fitful sleep.
The next morning, he felt something leaning into his back and he realized that it was Cloud. The comatose blond had rolled onto his side with his arms crossed in front of his chest, cuddled up to Zack's back, "Hey there, did you get cold?" Zack got up and stretched. The sun was already lighting the sky.
Zack got all the first-in-the-morning duties out of the way and then got Cloud ready to eat. With Cloud's head in his lap, "We have a treat this morning, eggs! Yummy yum." Zack put a scoop in his friend's mouth who then opened his eyes widely and began spitting the eggs out, "Oh come on! This is all we have, you gotta eat."
Trying another scoop, he spit it out even faster than the first time. In addition to spitting them out, he flailed an arm and knocked the rest of the eggs all over Zack and his own face and hair, "Okay, you don't like eggs. Here is some water." That time he didn't even try to swallow and water got all over Cloud and Zack's lap full of eggs, "Seriously?" Zack moved Cloud and got up. He cleaned himself and Cloud up as much as he could. "No more eggs for you," Zack looked at him as he was brushing egg off the front of his pants and Cloud's head dropped back down and Zack just shook his head. Looking out the window, Zack tossed the shirt he was using to wipe off, down on the ground, "Hey. I'm gonna go see what other food I can find since you don't like eggs even when you're comatose."
Zack went out to see if he could procure any supplies to replace the ones they had used. Not having a lot of money he walked into the market, and tried to act natural. He threw a few oranges, toaster pastries, more power bars and a map in the little hand basket. The oranges should be okay, he knew that Cloud had a sweet tooth. The map would come in super handy, especially since he didn't have Sephiroth's uncanny map abilities, he made his purchase and went back to the house.
When Zack got back to the house, Cloud was right where he had left him, only now, he had his head raised a little and his eyes open, "I'm back. Hopefully Seph will get here tonight. Look at what I got. Oranges! Now I know you like oranges. You want some?" As Zack was looking at him, the quiet blond got a weird terrified look in his eyes and he started screaming. Straightening his legs and back, he slid sideways down the wall and ended up on his side, curled into a ball and had his hands on his head.
Alarmed, Zack rushed, "Hey, what's the matter? What's scaring you?" At the sound of Zack's questions, he stopped screaming and sobbed again, but Zack asked, "Can you tell me what is wrong?" Zack dropped to the floor, lightly, he pushed some of the disheveled blond hair out of his eyes, "I'm sorry, I wish I could help you." Zack thought for a moment, he had been through hell and was still going through a different kind of hell.
Later that night Cloud was still curled into a ball. Zack went over to try and get him to eat something, but Cloud was completely limp. Uncurling him, he put Cloud's head in his lap, and the blond opened his eyes and said very quietly, "Zack." He did not look at him, he was looking past him, "Yeah, it's me Zack!" Cloud looked over the room and then closed his eyes. Zack's little bit of hope went down the drain. It was just the dream or whatever was going on in his head. Sometimes he was responsive and most of the time he wasn't, "Open your eyes, it's time to eat." He ate just a little bit, Zack laid him down on the floor next to him.
Exhausted, Zack lay down with his hand behind his head and quietly talked to his friend, "I'm just going to shut my eyes for a minute."
He didn't know how long he had slept, but a strange noise woke him. A weird feeling passed through him, like a ghost snaking past his soul. Hearing the sound again, he realized it was coming from Cloud, a gurgling wheeze, lying on his back and gagging. Zack turned him to his side and he threw up some thick green mako looking stuff.
Quickly getting into the bag he pulled out a cloth and wiped his face. When he threw more of it up he began to choke, putting his fingers in his friend's mouth and swept as much of it out as he could. Zack hadn't even thought about if there was running water in the house, he didn't think it did and when he checked, it just confirmed that there was no running water.
"You need to try and drink some water so you don't get dehydrated," Zack got a small amount of water down him, "Now I guess we wait?" Cloud started to shiver and began throwing up again. Zack sat him up and it was thicker than the previous mako looking stuff. Again, he worked on getting the blond cleaned up again, but his shivering got worse. Throughout the night, Zack kept watch over him.
It had been a week and still no Sephiroth. He had ordered that if he didn't show, to go ahead and meet up at Midgar, "I hope Seph is okay and catches up to us soon." So really early in the morning Zack packed up their stuff and got ready to leave. He decided that leaving while it was still dark would cut down on the possibility someone would see them. The day before, Zack had gotten more supplies and used the last of the money. He got more than he realized and the bag was heavier than before.
Making sure the coast was clear, they slowly made their way down to the creek. The creek benefitted them, as it supplied them with more water to fill their empty bottles and according to the map, the creek met up with a river a few miles to the south. Sticking close to the creek for tree cover, they could keep out of sight enough to avoid detection from above.
After two days walking, exhausted, Zack lost his footing on an embankment. While carrying Cloud, his foot slipped out from underneath him. As Zack fell, Cloud landed on top of him and they both rolled a short way down. Zack got skinned up, but Cloud got it worse. Checking himself for injuries quickly, he rushed over to Cloud. During his fall, Cloud's head went over some rocks and had hit one of them. He was bleeding but not very badly. Zack checked his wound and it was small cut just above his right ear. Diving into the bag for the old shirt, he went down to the creek and wet it. Cleaning his cut, he started dressing it with a bandage, "You know Cloud. If you had that dress and your wig, a pretty bow would just finish the look don't you think? Just like old times huh?" Zack laughed and Cloud grunted, closed his eyes and dropped his head down, "Alright, you big grouch." After eating, they tucked in for the night.
The next morning Zack didn't get Cloud to a tree fast enough and he wet himself, "I'm sorry, Spike, but we'll get ya cleaned up in no time." Since it was daytime he figured it would be okay to start a fire for some warmth after their bath. According to the map, there was nothing around there. Zack looked around and saw no one, "Now I know your shy, but it's just me and you."
He took him on down to the creek and he stripped him and himself and got in the water. The water was cold and the shock of the cold brought in a quick breath and a shriek from Zack. Cloud screeched and rolled into a ball. He floated on the surface on his side and Zack had to work hard at keeping his face above water. Zack laughed at the sight, "You look like a rolley polley bug!" After his bath, he carried Cloud back up to the fire and wrapped him in the blanket. Zack went back down and washed their clothes, except his own boxers. They didn't have any extra clothes, unfortunately, so they had to make do without for a little while. He went ahead and decided to stay there for the rest of the day and leave the next morning, "Alright, your shyness, you're gonna have to share the blanket. Scoot."
Their clothes weren't dry until the next morning. Zack had to brace himself for the cool morning air and race to get dressed. As he was dancing himself into his pants, his leg got stuck and he fell over. He chuckled to himself and finished getting his pants on from the ground. Once he was dressed, he gathered Cloud's clothes and headed over to him, "Okay, you gotta let go of the blanket, I can't get you dressed if you're holding the blanket….Let…go…"
The tug of war was finally won by Zack, but at a cost. It seemed that Cloud did everything he could to make it difficult for Zack to get him dressed, "Oh, come on, help me out here!" Then Cloud went completely limp, "That doesn't help," Zack grumbled with a sigh. Wrestling his clothes onto his limp and uncooperative body, proved to be quite a task. After the wrestling match, Zack picked up where they had left off the day before. They didn't get very far when they came to the spot where they needed to cross the water barrier.
Zack found the shallowest part to cross and traversed it. Slipping only once, he was able to keep from falling this time. About a mile from the point where they crossed, Zack noticed a tiny little town that was small enough that it didn't appear on the map. Stopping to review the map again, he considered stopping to see about some supplies, "Hey what do you think, should we try it? It is really small. We won't be able to blend in at all." Cloud just laid there, quietly, and Zack stared at him and said, "You are absolutely no help, you know that."
If he kept walking a little way, he could get a better look and decide then, "Let's just stick to the trees for now." Walking in the tree line, he ended up circling around and a little way past the main part of town. There was an old farm house out of the way just outside the city limits, but he considered backtracking and heading back to town. Zack put Cloud down behind a tree and opened the map again. The next place to stop was quite a few miles. Because of the remoteness, and lack of supplies further down the road, he decided to go back to the town; he folded the map back up, "Well let's head back and stock up on supplies first." He looked at Cloud and Zack never saw it until it was too late.
A/N: Thanks to everyone who reads, favorites, subscribes and/or reviews, I appreciate your time and I dedicate all of this to you. To quote another author, "Getting reviews makes me feel all warm and squishy."
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