Cloud hefted his Buster Sword off his shoulder and took a fighting stance as he faced down Crimson for the sixth time. He hadn't tried to escape again since their fight last week had shown him that, despite being a member of SOLDIER, he was woefully weak. While he knew he was still far from his former idol Sephiroth, he hadn't thought that he could be so easily bested.

"Here I go!" he proclaimed as he used his speed and strength to rush in.

Crimson dodged as he brought the full might of his sword down upon her, escaping with a flip and tossing giant shuriken at him.

Cloud batted it upwards and moved in with a swift thrust, only for her jump forward and over the blade, springing off his shoulder and going into a roll. By the time he turned around and brought the heavy sword around in a horizontal swipe, she had caught her weapon and twirled over the incoming blade to deliver a spinning kick to his face. He stepped back and shook his head to clear it before brandishing his blade again.

[-oOo-]

Luxiere and two of the three infantrymen who accompanied him stood on a ridge overlooking the reactor, watching the sparring session in secrecy through binoculars. The Second-Class SOLDIER found himself wondering just how lucky it had been that their target was in the first place they had checked. He wasn't mistaken since her visuals matched the file he received.

However, there was a complication. The person with her was a member of SOLDIER as well, judging from his eyes. He hadn't ever seen the man before, yet somehow he had the Buster Sword. That rankled Luxiere as he set down his binoculars and gripped the hilt of his own sword.

"How should we proceed, Sir?" asked one of the infantrymen.

Luxiere thought about it for a moment. Heidegger made it very clear that he expected a report on anything he found that would incriminate the Turks, who were obstinately under his command. In truth, they operated independently for the most part because of a certain level of trust between them and the company. He wouldn't be able to reproach them unless he had evidence he could present, and a report confirming her visually could easily be pronounced a forgery.

If they captured her, then he could confirm her identity without a doubt. Once they unraveled whatever secrets she had, Heidegger could use it to restructure the Turks to his liking. And, in gratitude, Luxiere would be promoted to First-Class.

"We should contact Heidegger after we've secured the target," Luxiere said. He turned to the infantryman carrying a sniper rifle with a mounted scope. "Put a round through her leg to cripple her, avoid the major artery so that she doesn't bleed out."

"What do we do about the person accompanying her?" asked the infantryman. "I don't think I can put him down in a single round if he is SOLDIER."

"I'll take care of him." Luxiere pulled his standard-issue sword off of the magnetic holster and flourished the blade. "He's strong, but he doesn't seem to have had any real training judging from his movements. Immobilize the target and I'll move in."

"Yes, Sir!" The infantryman lowered himself into a sniping position, setting the gun up and lining up the shot. He had her in his sights and his finger was on the trigger when she suddenly peered directly at him and then flung her weapon. He barely managed to pull back and avoid having his head sawed through by the shuriken as easily as it did the barrel of his gun.

"Don't let the target escape!" Luxiere ordered as he jumped down from his position in order to confront the pair.

[-oOo-]

As her Rekka circled back and slapped against her palm, Crimson could only think that it was pure luck that she had her Sense materia activated when she did. Having it allowed one to sense attributes about their enemy and surroundings during battle. But hers was different since she had trained with the materia for years and accumulated enough experience with it to enter into a state of hyper-awareness.

Her mind could process information and images faster than the average person, allowing her to react quickly. She could also predict trajectories, such as those of her throws. That was why she could catch her Rekka even if it was deflected by moving to where it would go. Likewise, it was because she saw the gleam of the sword and calculated where it came from she saw the trio.

Her Long Range materia ensured that the throw made it, but the distance gave the sniper time to dodge it. The only silver-lining was that she managed to destroy their weapon and they were aware of Shinra being present. They could escape if they reached the motorcycle or made it to the jungle.

"We need to run," she said to Cloud.

Cloud shook his head and raised his Buster Sword up in front of him. His eyes were trained on the incoming SOLDIER running towards them at preternatural speeds. "A SOLDIER doesn't run…."

"You can't fight him!" Crimson said grasping his hand to try and pull him along the path.

He shook her hand off and ran towards the incoming SOLDIER.

Crimson decided against trying to stop him as they closed in on one another. Even if Cloud wasn't an actual SOLDIER, he seemed to have somehow inherited Zack's memories. His body couldn't keep up though since it wasn't as well-trained, and he was so reckless and headstrong that a skilled opponent would dance circles around him, but he still stood a better chance of lasting against him than she did.

So, Crimson decided to deal with the infantrymen coming after her instead.

[-oOo-]

Still riled up from his fight with Crimson, Cloud's muscles were tensed and he felt himself in a state where he could push it to its limit in a single burst of strength. His frustration at being unable to even touch Crimson or moving as he could in his memories during his battle with Sephiroth became a source of strength. Bringing all that power to bear in a single act, he jumped up and swung down the sword as he fell towards the SOLDIER approaching. "BRAVER!

His opponent rolled out of the way before it crashed down and sent of a spray of dirt, moving in and bringing his own sword around. The point of the sleeker long-sword scraped against the flat of Cloud's blade as he brought it to his chest in defense. The SOLDIER then lashed out in a side-kick, knocking both the sword and Cloud back until they skidded along the ground.

"Why do you have that sword?" the SOLDIER demanded as he came in with an overhead strike and tried to cleave him in two. Cloud blocked with his blade, holding it up using his enhanced strength. "Who are you?"

"That's what… I should be asking you!" He pushed the lighter weapon away and then swung the larger blade around to drive him back. Then he rose to his feet and took his fighting stance again.

"My name is Luxiere!" he proclaimed. "SOLDIER, Second-Class! I don't know who you are, but I'll defeat you and I'll take back Zack's sword!"

That name brought pain to Cloud's mind once more, but adrenaline helped drown it out as his opponent rushed him.

[-oOo-]

Crimson ducked behind a piece of rubble that was once part of a building caught in the Make Reactor explosion as automatic weapons were fired from behind. The two infantrymen were chasing after her. She took deep breaths and then flung her Rekka from cover, making a wide arch from which it could strike them.

They moved out of the way before it could and then returned fire as it traced its path back towards her. The bullets knocked it into a downward spiral and sent it crashing into the ground, the point biting into the hard-packed earth. Pointing back to where she had taken cover, the pair trained their weapons onto the location and took slow steps in case she had any other weapons.

"Come out!" one of the infantrymen ordered. "We're taking you in for questioning."

There was no response, causing them to move closer. With a gesture they split on opposite sides in an attempt to flank her. They emerged from behind the cover and took aim… only to find themselves pointing their guns at one another.

"Where'd she—" The question was cut off as Crimson dropped down from the top of the debris and landed square on the infantryman's shoulders, wrapping her legs around his neck, and discharging the Thunder Materia she had swapped out for her Long Range materia in lieu of retrieving her Rekka. The bolt hit the other infantryman square in his chest and sent him to the ground, the electricity numbing his body where the bolt hadn't covered it in electric burns, while she twisted her thighs and snapped the neck of the unfortunate soldier she had mounted.

Crimson immediately grabbed the deceased infantryman's weapon and shot the paralyzed man until he was dead, and then tossed it aside. Exhaling deeply, she took a moment to center herself. Then she began combing the body of the man whose neck she snapped for anything useful.

She avoided looking at his dog-tags. It was easier to kill if she didn't see them as individuals who may have had families and friends. Let alone the fact that Cloud was an infantryman years ago and it could very well have been him who ended up being in this guy's place, or one of the dead infantrymen Zack killed trying to return to Midgar. The sound of static caught her ears and she removed his helmet to see the wireless radio tucked into his ear.

Crimson put it in her own ear and listened to the transmission.

"—respond," crackled over the line. "Protocol ER in is effect due to threat-level. All operatives return to point A-23 for extraction within 15 minutes."

She managed to figure out the location from having memorized Gongaga during all her times visiting it prior. It wasn't far from their current location. Crimson grabbed her Rekka and went towards the extraction point.

It took five minutes of running before it came into view. Re-equipping her Long Range materia and using her Sense-induced state to project the trajectory, she flung the giant shuriken forward. It went through the windshield of the helicopter and planted itself into the remaining infantryman's stomach, piercing his body and the seat.

She closed in and threw open the door, grabbing him by the collar. "How long you live depends on what you tell me. Who sent you?"

"Heidegger sent us…to capture you," he wheezed. "Suspected… Tseng's reports…exaggerated."

Crimson felt her stomach drop. They were here because of her. "What's Protocol ER?"

He swallowed, taking a pained breath to speak. "Target's location… missile strike…."

In other words, they were going to burn down Zack's home because of her. His parents and everyone else still in there would die. All because Heidegger was after her, they were going to die and the village would be burned off the map. "Retract it! There are innocent people there!"

He shook his head weakly. "Missiles… launched already."

"Do you know what you've done!?" She pulled her Rekka out, brought it across his throat, and tossed the man out of the helicopter as he choked on his own blood before going still. It was ruthless of her, but she was pressed for time and this man had given everyone a death sentence based on how long they had to evacuate. Using the systems on the chopper, Crimson managed to find the path of the missiles and figured out the trajectory.

It brought little comfort as it revealed she had less than fifteen minutes before they hit. That wasn't nearly enough time to vacate everyone.

She ran.

[-oOo-]

Luxiere couldn't help but feel his blood boil as he faced the thief who stole Zack's sword somehow. Everything about him was just wrong. His fighting style was a crude imitation of Zack's, lacking the grace and refinement of the man he had once idolized.

Zack always had a smile on his face even through the harshness of the world and training until that mission in Nibelheim. Now some imposter had his sword, a legacy passed down from master-to-student. There was no smile on his face, only a scowl that seemed out of place behind the blade.

Luxiere was his better in combat by a mile. His body was tempered and his motions swift as he parried the larger sword for the fifth time and managed to thrust his blade towards his opponent's head. It gazed his face as he moved it and left a trail of blood weeping on his cheek.

The blonde-haired thief constantly attacked in a way that was too straight-forward. His judgment was too sluggish for him to have really been trained. It was like he was trying to copy Zack without putting in the years of training to hone the muscle memory. In the end, Luxiere managed to open up several weeping red lines across his body, leaving him on a knee while a cut to his forehead left blood covering one of his eyes and rendered him blind in it.

"CLOUD!"

Both Luxiere and his opponent looked towards the voice. It was the target.

"They're going to raze Gongaga in a few minutes!" she said. "Everyone else has started evacuating the village! Get out of there!"

His opponent nodded and rose from his knee, taking up his fighting stance once more.

Luxiere moved in for the kill. He had to finish things and get out of the bombing range. As much as he hated the fact that Zack's village would be destroyed, there was nothing he could do once the protocol was in effect. He drew his sword back and charged in.

His opponent did the same, wagering his life on a single strike. In the end, what saved the thief was his weapon. The weaker blade couldn't stand the strain of the constant impacts, and snapped before the Buster Sword's weight as the two blades met.

Blood sprayed in an arch as the thicker sword opened up a deep gash in Luxerie's chest and he staggered back a step, placing a hand on the wound instinctively. It created an opening, and his opponent exploited it.

The blonde-haired imposter put all his strength into three strikes while yelling, "CROSS SLASH!"

And Luxiere only knew pain.

[-oOo-]

That last attack took every last of strength Cloud had, taking his rage and channeling it into the Limit Break. If it hadn't taken his opponent out then he would have been left vulnerable. And, even then, the only reason it connected as it did was because his sword lasted longer.

He felt tired and troubled, but he had no time to dwell on it. He had to get out of the bombing range. Cloud hadn't even made it ten steps after re-attaching his sword to his back when he heard his still-breathing enemy coughing up blood. He turned to face him.

Luxrie was on his feet, blood drizzling from his wound as he clung to his broken sword's hilt.

"Stand down!" Cloud ordered, drawing his sword again.

"Embrace… your dreams." Luxiere wheezed as he lumbered forward in what must have been pure agony. He powered through it, putting the last of his strength into his legs to drive them forward and towards Cloud. "And whatever ha-happens…."

"I said stand down!" Cloud said. "There's no point in fighting anymore!"

Luxiere's dying gait turned into a charge as he announced the creed he had taken as his own. "Protect your SOLDIER honor!"

Cloud's head felt like it was split in two as those words triggered a memory—

A man with black hair was talking and then turning his back on Cloud, who reached out for him. He was carrying the Buster Sword with him as he headed towards an all-consuming light.

—and he screamed, falling forward onto his knees while tears ran free for reasons he couldn't grasp. It was only because Luxiere roared as he rushed Cloud that his reflexes kicked in and brought the Buster Sword up in time.

There was a wet sound as the voice was abruptly silenced, and blood slid down the length of the blade to pool on the ground beneath him.

"Sorry… Zack…" Strength abandoned Luxiere as he staggered backwards, pulling himself free of the sword. He fell onto his back and a haggard cry tore itself out his throat. With his last breath, he muttered the words, "I couldn't… take back your sword… and become your legacy…."

"Zack…." Cloud mumbled after the now dead SOLDIER. That name again. He couldn't help but be troubled as he wondered who exactly this Zack person was and what their relationship to one another was. Crimson watched over him because of Zack, and this SOLDIER fought him over the sword that he claimed Zack owned.

Cloud couldn't afford to think much longer on the subject once he spotted a trail of smoke in the air. The missiles were closing in. Leaving the dead man where he laid, Cloud ran to get out of range before first of the explosions went off.

The roar and hot gale of the first explosion managed to stagger him as it billowed from the entrance of the village towards the reactor. The second and third nearly swept him off his feet as the missiles grew closer to it. It was the last one that finally caught up, landing where he had faced the SOLDIER.

There was a blinding white light and pain overtook all of his senses, then everything abruptly went black….

[-oOo-]

Cloud woke up to the sound of sobbing and something wet dripping on his face. He opened his eyes to find himself laying on the ground, with his head in Crimson's lap as she cried over him. On instinct, he asked, "What's wrong?"

"I… I wasn't sure you would wake up again," she said with her beautiful face was marred by sorrow as the tears continued to fall. "I pulled you out of the fire and used a Restore materia, but I wasn't sure."

"Fire?" Cloud forced his head up from her lap, a herculean task given how he ached even after healing. But he could see it now. Gongaga was burning, black smoke rising in the air and ashes fluttering down like snow. "What happened to the villagers?"

"Not everyone got out in time," she said solemnly. "I… I tried, but I just couldn't get to everyone in time. They were his neighbors, and this place was his village. And because of me they're all gone!"

Cloud forced himself off of her lap and sat in front of the sobbing woman, wondering what to do now. He had questions about Zack, but he couldn't stand seeing her like this. They could wait.

He moved to wipe away the tears, but came short. It was too intimate of a thing for him. Instead, he set his hands on her shoulders and looked her in the eyes.

"It's not your fault," he said. "Shinra did this. You did what you could."

Crimson just shook her head and then buried it onto his shoulder. There, she cried as flames lapped at the village and one more piece of Zack's legacy….