Cloud couldn't believe what he was looking at; even though Nort had seemed a bit shady, he hadn't sensed the Darkness behind him, but the deep black eyes looking down at him told another story. Nort was limiting his air but not quite cutting it all off and Cloud thrashed and struggled to displace the bigger man. The small boat wasn't making things any easier, the cramped space keeping him from gaining any leverage.

Cloud was beginning to really panic now, because the longer that he was stuck here meant the longer that Zack was under water, and even a SOLDIER couldn't last more than a few minutes without air. Cloud tried to reach back to grab the handle of First Sword, hoping to channel the materia that he had equipped there, but a hand of steel closed around his wrist and trapped it in an awkward angle next to his head. He was quickly running out of options. And time.

Just then something shifted in the man above him, and as Cloud watched, the darkness in his eyes receded until it was only hovering at the edges and Nort threw himself backwards with an inhumane cry. Whether it was pain or anger, Cloud couldn't be sure.

The blond was quick to sit up and move into a crouch, his sword out and ready in seconds, but he hesitated as he watched the obvious struggle in front of him. He had only seen it a few times throughout his struggles with the Darkness in the future; people who resisted the control or corruption of the Darkness and would manage to fight it back for short periods of time. It took some incredible will power, and it was clear that Nort apparently had that in spades as the big man knelt on the floor of the boat, one hand gripping the seat behind him so tightly that he knuckles were stark while, the other hand pressed over half of his face as an internal battle took place, the darkness in his eyes advancing and receding as sweat built up over his brow and lip.

Cloud had once wondered exactly how it was that the Darkness took over a person, as it seemed to prefer taking over monsters and creatures. Vincent had once thought that it latched onto any dark thoughts or feelings and further corrupted them, using that to slowly break the mind and take total control. Vincent had thought that it was because of people's inherit stubbornness that the Darkness preferred to use creatures or those few people that willingly gave themselves up for power.

Cloud watched as Nort let out a strangled scream and curled in on himself, blood beginning to run from the corners of his eyes and nose, the cords in his neck were standing out and sweat was now running freely off the mans face and soaking into his clothes. Cloud steeled himself for the decision that he knew he had to make. While he had seen people fight it a few times the outcome was always the same.

Cloud stepped forward and in one quick motion he drove First Sword through Nort's chest.

The outcome was always the same; the person always lost.

Cloud had to look away as Nort struggled weakly for a moment, the Darkness keeping him alive longer than usual despite the sword impaling his chest. Cloud absolutely hated killing, he had seen too much of it over the years, but once the Darkness won within Nort, the man that he once was would be gone anyway, and a husk would be left that would eventually mutate into just another sickening creature that would be used to kill others.

Once the struggles ended, Cloud pulled his sword from the dead man's chest, the entire ordeal had happened in less than a minute and a half. Without another look downwards, the blond focused on the waters under the boat and dived in.

The ice cold water threatened to steal his breath and tugged at this clothes as he moved deeper, his eyes scanning the dark water below him for any sign of Zack. Finally, his sharp eyes caught sight of movement and he propelled himself towards it, the closer he got the more clearly he could see the darkly coloured creature and the lighter colour of Zack's face as the raven-haired man struggled.

Cloud kept his hand wrapped tightly around the hilt of his sword and began to charge the power of one of his equipped materia as he moved; they were both at a major disadvantage in the water and he wouldn't be able to use his sword properly.

Cloud was close enough now that he could see the wildness in Zack's eyes as he neared the limit of how long he could hold his breath. He had also come close enough that the creature had focused its attention on him, and was reaching for him with several of the arms that were not attempting to drown its other captive. Cloud swung his sword as best as he could in the water, succeeding in forcing the creature to re-think its approach of catching him as he managed to cut a few of the arms.

Cloud needed to hit the creature's body if he hoped to do any real damage though, and quickly if Zack's fading struggles were any indication.

I won't loose him... not like this! Cloud thought determinately, swinging at more of the creature's arms, feeling the Mako burning through his veins as he focused all his energy into his blade. He would only have one shot at this, but he knew that he wouldn't miss. As First Sword slowly became wreathed in iridescent blue, Cloud focused burning eyes on the middle mass of the large octopus, its large black eyes appearing as darker patches in the already dark water.

Cloud ignored the arms that were now winding their way up his legs and around his waist, instead lifting his arms above his head and using all his strength to bring his sword down in a large arch, the large blade cutting through the water as a blue streak, the Blade Beam tearing through the water in a flurry of bubbles. The creature tried to move to the side managing to avoid a direct hit, but couldn't move quick enough to escape it completely, the blade beam striking the creature's side and tearing through nearly half of its legs at the base.

The octopus shuddered violently, letting go of Zack and Cloud and trashing away leaving blood and ink to mix around them in the water. Cloud waited only until he was sure that the creature was gone for the moment to make sure it was safe before quickly swimming down to Zack.

His heart stuttered violently within his chest when he finally reached the Raven-haired man only to see him floating there motionlessly, his face pale and eyes closed. For a split second, all Cloud could see was Zack laying on the cliffs of Midgar, not moving no matter how much he screamed or shook him. No... that was then... I still have a chance to save him... Cloud told himself, shaking the ghost of an image out of his eyes. Cloud grabbed Zack around the shoulders and quickly brought their mouths together, breathing the small amount of air that he had left into Zack as he began to kick upwards towards the surface.

As soon as they made it to the surface, Cloud gasped in large breaths of air kicking his legs to keep both him and Zack above the water as he moved them around to position Zack's back against his chest to make it easier keep them both afloat.

"Zack..." Cloud said breathlessly, his hand moving up to rest on Zack's chest, relieved to feel a heartbeat, but the raven-haired man still wasn't breathing! "Come on, breath!"

Cloud looked around desperately for the small boat, but all the could see was the gently rolling water for what seemed like forever.

"Dammit!" Cloud yelled, his mind racing as he moved backwards to put distance between them so that he could hit Zack's back to try and get the man to spit out the water he had inhaled so that he could breath again. It wasn't the easiest thing to do while still keeping the other man's head up. When that didn't seem to work Cloud moved again so that his arms wrapped around Zack's middle, and squeezed and released in quick succession.

For what felt like the longest time nothing changed and Cloud's vision began to dance as his desperation rose and all he could think about was how much he loved the man that was unconscious and not breathing in his arms. He didn't know if he could finish what he had come here to do if he lost Zack again...

XxXxX

Zack couldn't quite understand how things had gone so badly so quickly yet again. One moment they had been there; Cloud feeling seasick but trying to hide it and Zack feeling an amused disbelief that the blond could be effected like that, and then it all suddenly changed. The boat had surged upwards knocking him off balance, and then when he had reached for the side of the boat to try and gain some stability again, he had instead found his hand running along something freezing cold and slimy. He never even had the time to try and pull his hand back before it shifted under his fingers and wound its way up his arm and pulled.

He let out a startled shout as he was lifted up and quickly wrapped in more of the slimy appendages, the world tilting and swaying as for a moment he was suspended in the air, and then he was pulled downwards so quickly that his stomach felt as though it had been left behind. He caught a quick glimpse of the boat before he hit the water and it was that more than the cold water that pushed all the air from his lungs in shock as he watched Nort moving for a distracted Cloud.

His world was then enveloped in the muffling feeling of water, all his senses dampened as he thrashed and struggled against whatever had a hold of him, but no matter what he tried he couldn't get free, and more and more of the appendages wound their way around him until he felt as though he was wrapped in deadly cocoon. He finally got a clearer view of one of the appendages holding him as he was shifted around.

Tentacles? He thought, and for some strange reason that he decided he would forever deny, his thoughts moved to the strange manga and websites that some of the other men in his unit would sometimes use to entertain themselves, and he wondered for just a brief moment if he was about to become like one of those big breasted women that got sexually assaulted by all ranges of sea creatures.

Must be oxygen deprivation... He told himself, knowing all to clearly that in reality he was in real danger of drowning, and that if he couldn't get out of this quickly then he would have already broken him promise to be there for Cloud.

Just as black spots were beginning to dance across his vision, he was jolted violently in the creature's hold and he looked up to see that Cloud was in the water as well, trying to fight the monster. His first thought was one of pure panic; what the hell was he thinking? But even as he watched Cloud was managing to avoid or fight off the tentacles reaching for him, and while Zack knew that the blond wouldn't be able to keep it up for long he had the strangely calming thought that Cloud must have had a plan.

Zack's vision was slowly fading further, the black spots now covering the majority of his sight, and he knew without a doubt that he would lose consciousness very quickly. The last thing he saw was a brilliant blue light streaking across his blurry and otherwise black vision.

Was that... Cloud?...

And then the lack of oxygen won out and he fell...

XxXxX

The next thing Zack knew he was laying on something soft and felt the warmth of sunlight on his face. For a long moment he just lay there soaking in the warmth, a gentle breeze ruffling though his hair and he couldn't help but feel more relaxed than he had been in weeks. He wasn't sure how he got there exactly, but it was that peaceful that he found that he didn't care either.

"Hello Zack." The voice was unfamiliar to him, but it was full of kindness and warmth. It was only out of politeness that he opened his eyes at all, surprised to find his vision full of whiteness instead of the blue skies that he had been expecting.

He sat up slowly, looking around in wonder at the view before him; he seemed to be in a never ending field of flowers, that faded into nothing but the same whiteness in the distance.

"Where... Am I?" Zack wondered aloud.

"This is my meadow." The same voice answered, and he turned to see a young woman sitting in the flowers near by. Brown hair held back by a pink ribbon framed a beautiful face, and kind green eyes watched him calmly. The woman was dressed in a pink dress that would have probably seemed odd on most people, but on her it looked... Just right.

"Your meadow?" Zack asked.

"Yes." She replied with a small giggle and a slight tilt of her head.

"But... Where are we?" He asked again.

"Hmm, I can't answer that right now." She said, and despite the vague deflection of the answer, Zack still felt at ease.

"Who are you?" Zack asked.

"My name is Aerith." She replied with a smile.

"How did you know my name?" He wasn't worried, simply curious. Somehow he doubted that he could feel worry at all here.

"I have known you for many years Zack." Aerith answered, and despite being sure that he had never seen her in his life, he was also sure that she wasn't lying either.

"Why am I here?"

This time she seemed to hesitate for a moment.

"Because I need you to fully understand."

"Understand?" He echoed.

"Yes, you need to understand just how important you are."

"Me? Important?" He didn't quite know how to take that statement.

"Yes you, silly." She confirmed with a giggle before continuing, "You are important to one person, and because of that you are important to every living thing that wishes for a future."

For a second, brilliant blue eyes flashed across his vision and his chest tightened, but then it was gone and it was just Aerith and the endless flower field.

"He lost you once," Aerith said, her eyes sad and deep, "And if you are not careful, he may lose you again."

"But..." Aerith's eyes were knowing as she watched him process the information. "I'll be careful."

"Being careful may not be enough."

"Why not?" He whispered the question, not sure he wanted to hear the answer.

"There is no much working against you both, and as we speak he is fighting for you once more."

"Fighting for me? I don't... I don't understand."

"You will." She said with a soft smile. There was something so sad in her eyes though, and Zack's chest filled with a hollow feeling. "Please look after him... He has been through so much, and we ask far too much of him."

"I... I will. I promise!" Zack said, thumping his fist over his chest. Aerith smiled as she looked upon the determination and dedication that shone in Zack's eyes with the deceleration.

"I know you will." She giggled again, "It is almost time for you to go now, but before you do, please answer one thing for me?"

"Sure."

"What is his name?"

The question brought Zack up short for a moment. He knew the name that she was asking for, but in this place the name was like a fleeting memory on the tip of his tongue, and he frowned as he focused hard. The blue eyes that flashed before him earlier rose up in his mind again, and this time he grabbed hold of the memory and used it to anchor his thoughts. Blue eyes were soon framed by soft blond spikes and a lightly tanned face. All at once the memories of where he had been before he woke up here crashed down on him.

"Cloud!" He yelled, his eyes turning to Aerith in a panic. He was going to ask if Cloud was here as well, or even if he was okay, but his chest was suddenly burning, causing him to curl in on himself, trying unsuccessfully to draw in a breath. There was a bubbling gurgle in his throat as though he had swallowed water, but he wasn't able to bring it up.

Before he could truly panic, he felt a soft touch on his chest and the smell of flowers surrounded him while a soft voice whispered in his ear.

"Please watch over him... As you always have."

And then the water in his lungs bubbled up and all at once he was able to expel it, the salty water burning his throat and nose, but once it was out he was finally able to gasp in desperate breaths between coughs.

XxXxX

Cloud's heart was pounding in his chest as he continued to try and force the water from Zack's lungs. It had been almost two minutes since they had surfaced, and in the back of Cloud's mind he knew that if he couldn't get the water out soon then there would be no chance at all of saving the man he loved.

His head was pounding, and his heart felt as though it was bursting at the seams; threatening to shatter. There were tears in his eyes and no matter how much he tried to blink them away, they refused to comply. He didn't know what to do; there was no better way to position them both while also keeping them afloat, and the thought of giving up on Zack was something that he just couldn't handle, let alone the idea that he would have to leave Zack out here in order to continue on. There was a very large part of Cloud's mind that knew that if he lost Zack, he would likely never make it to shore either.

Just as a loud sob burst from his throat and the tears finally fell, Zack convulsed against him and the water that he had been fighting to get out burst from him in a violent retch, and then Zack was flailing against him as he coughed and tried to get a full breath in.

Cloud had to focus on keeping them up as Zack instinctively struggled, his coughing eventually giving away to deep breathing as he calmed down.

"C-Cloud?" He stammered, his voice raw.

"Yeah, I'm here Zack." Cloud answered, trying to keep his own rugged emotions out of his voice as Zack went limp against him. They stayed like that for quite a while, both of them just trying to come to term with what had just happened. Eventually Zack pulled away and turned around to face Cloud. The blond looked worn out, but not harmed.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"I am now." Cloud answered honestly.

Zack pulled the other man into a long hug, only moving away eventually to cup Cloud's face and kiss him passionately. He decided that he never, ever, wanted to go swimming at the beach again. With that thought he looked around them before turning back to Cloud.

"Uh... What happened to the boat?" Zack asked, already dreading the answer.

"Came up and it was gone." Cloud said.

"Aw man! That means we have to swim the rest of the way, doesn't it?" Cloud gave him an apologetic look but nodded anyway.

"We are already over half way." The blond said, turning around and pointing behind him to where land was barely visible in the far distance. "That's the shore we need."

Zack sighed, but resigned himself to the fact that they had a long swim ahead of them. He was feeling surprisingly good now that he had his breath back, something that he didn't expect after nearly drowning. He frowned again for a moment as he remembered the feeling of warmth and a soft breeze, and all too soon his conversation with the young lady in a pink dress flooded back into his mind.

"Aerith..." He muttered, remembering the woman's name.

"What did you say?" Cloud asked. Zack had been looking off into the distance, but now he focused in on Cloud once again at the surprise in his voice.

"Uhm... It's hard to explain, but... Well... When I was drowning, I think I spoke to a lady and she said her name was Aerith." Zack explained in a rush, sure that Cloud would think he was crazy.

"What did she say?" Cloud asked instead, his voice urgent.

"I... Cloud, are you okay?" Zack asked instead, Cloud had gone quite pale, and it seemed as though he didn't find anything crazy or untrue about him thinking he spoke to a woman he had never met before.

"I... Yeah, I'm fine. What did she say to you Zack?" Cloud pressed.

'He lost you once... If you are not careful, he may lose you again...' The words ran through Zack's mind as though they were being spoken directly to him again. 'Please watch over him... As you always have.' Zack's mind was racing as he was now able to process this information with a clear mind. Cloud had lost him? He had always wondered where he had been in Cloud's future, but Cloud had always been very selective about giving away and and all details of the future, only telling them what he had needed to. But now he had to wonder if he had been in Cloud's future at all?

"Cloud... What..." Zack had to take a deep breath, not sure if he wanted to know the answer to the question he had in mind, but it was a question that he knew he had to ask, "What happens to me in the future?"

Cloud's eyes widened and all the colour in his face drained away in a second, and suddenly those stunning blue eyes were looking anywhere but at him.

"Zack..." Cloud's voice was choked with pain and confusion.

Could it really be true? In the future was he...

Dead?

I think that I am finally getting back into the flow of things again, so hopefully the story can begin to really progress once more! I always look forwards to hearing your thoughts.