Silmeria - Happy reading.
Disclaimer - I claim no rights to Final Fantasy VII
Chapter Twenty-Two: The Flow of Life
Cloud could hear Zack's screams - desperate and angry - as he hit the ground, unable to control his legs due to the pain from his abdomen. He never expected for it to hurt so much, but a deep part of him had been prepared for Rosso to find him and cut him down for humiliating her in Junon. He knew it was a matter of time before she came for him and when he sensed her outside of Seventh Heaven, a calmness entered the mind that frightened him down to his bones. He shouldn't have been that calm about the possibility of dying, but he guessed he could blame the fact that he witnessed his mother's death and the fact that he felt her lingering emotions during her final moments helped with the process. However, that didn't mean he wanted Zack to witness it. He never wanted his Sentinel to experience the sight of his demise, but it was another part of fate that Cloud couldn't control and he hated himself for it. He never wanted Zack to hurt more than he already had due to his duties as Alpha Sentinel and Xavier's Grandson, but Zack always seemed to be at the wrong place at the wrong time and Cloud felt nothing but pity for the older man. He wished he could see Zack's real smile - a smile that would be full of happiness and bright as the sun and not that painful, fake smile that he thought he could trick Cloud.
"Get back!" Zack swung his blade in a wide arc, forcing Rosso to jump back with a snarl, giving Zack enough room to gather Cloud in his arms. "Cloud! Cloud, baby, are you alright?" Zack shook him, a wounded sound escaping his throat when he noticed all the pool of blood, soaking through his jeans and the dim light in Cloud's eyes. Oh, Minerva, why was there so much blood?
"I-I'm sorry," Cloud whispered, shivering at the cold that laced down his body. "Sorry that I yelled at you-"
"Don't," Zack muttered, burying his tearful face into Cloud's dirty hair. "You don't get to apologize and die on me, alright? You apologize when you're all better, okay? We're going to get you out of here, alright?" Zack tightened his grip on his sword when he noticed Rosso's approach, her smeared lips pulled into a bright and manic smile and the sight forced a snarl to escape his throat.
"You attacked a Guide in my territory? In my fucking territory? You didn't think you would get away with this, did you?"
"You misunderstand my intentions." Rosso purred, staring down at Cloud's body in delight. "I wonder how long will it take for his body to still? For his soul to be taken by the Goddess?" Rosso lifted her blade, still stained with Cloud's blood and Zack's nose expanded from the smell alone. It wasn't the iron-rich smell of blood that sent his senses into overdrive:
It was the scent of utter despair.
It clung to Cloud's skin like a blanket; warm, thick and suffocating and Zack fought not to cover his nose in an effort not to offend his Guide who was-who was-
The door to Seventh Heaven slammed open and Tifa ran out, her hair and eyes wild at the sight of Cloud on the ground. She all but passed Rosso and slid to her knees to gather Cloud in her arms.
"Cloud." Tifa urged, shooting Zack a cool stare when a snarl escaped his throat when Cloud was pulled just out of reach. "He's lost a lot of blood. He needs medical attention - now."
"I know." Zack grit his teeth as his eyes shot to Rosso, Seventh Heaven and the road leading out of the sector. In truth, he would never be able to get Cloud out of the sector and to the nearest hospital without Rosso trailing them and cutting them down. He didn't have the option of fighting her off and taking care of Cloud at the same time.
What the hell was he supposed to do?
"Take him," Zack ordered softly, staring down at Cloud's dim eyes before leaning down and pressing a soft kiss against his sweating forehead, leaving his mouth against the skin as he tried to memorize the smell, taste and the emotions that lingered underneath. He didn't know if it would be the last time he saw Cloud and he wanted to keep this image - despite how wretched - in his mind. "You can get him to a medical facility, Tifa. I'll keep Rosso company-"
"Zack-"
"Please." Zack urged firmly, rising to his feet and dragging his sword to an upright position. "For once, Tifa, do as I say, alright?"
"Alright." Tifa swallowed, staring down at Cloud who had gone still with the exception of the shallow breathing that escaped his blood-stained lips. "Alright."
"Thank you," Zack whispered, pressing one last kiss against Cloud's forehead, before gently passing him over to Tifa's care, rising to his feet and turning his attention to Rosso. "I'm sorry darling, but I'm afraid that Cloud is no longer up for a proper conversation." Zack grinned, baring his teeth. "However, I'm more than willing to fill his position."
Rosso snarled, her red eyes narrowing at the mockery. "He's meant to be set as an example." Rosso took a menacing step forward, drawing a growl from Tifa who had Cloud in her arms and was all but ready to bolt. "He's going to be set as an example that Xavier's descendants are not meant to breed - aren't meant to love."
"We'll see." Zack returned, still bearing that mad grin as he charged forward, locking blades with Rosso in a clash of metal, sparks, and anger. "One thing Xavier taught me was how to cut my enemies down efficiently." Zack forced his blade down, earning a grunt of discomfort from his opponent. "You'll be a prime example of the results of his mad tactics. You should be honored, experiment."
"Silence," Rosso screamed, watching with detached interest as Tifa fled with a despondent Cloud in her arms. No matter. He would die from the blood loss and she would have a small part in ensuring Zack's insanity. It would be worth the death that she knew was coming.
"I don't know what's sadder; you're lingering distraction or the fact that you're ready to die for such a disgusting cause." Zack brought down his blade again, forcing Rosso back again and Zack wasn't a fool, he realized that Rosso had but given up on winning this battle and while it was insane, Zack was a disappointment in the lack of effort. He wanted his vengeance and he wanted this deranged Sentinel to feel his suffering and the pain Cloud was currently experiencing due to her pride and arrogance. He didn't want to cut her down like a dog. He wanted her to fight like the wolf she had always claimed to be during their interactions.
The woman who stood before him was nothing but a woman on the fringes of insanity.
"Come." Zack urged, his tone deepening at the thought of a hunt - of cutting down Rosso once for and all despite the consequences. "Come and meet your end."
Rosso's scream of rage forced a smirk of resignation to stretch across Zack's lips - he would remember that scream for the remainder of his life and the blood-stained road that lied ahead, but it mattered not, for a rabid dog needed to be put down.
No matter how much he used to pity it.
Dying wasn't heroic nor was it romantic, Cloud was coming to realize as the doctor's cut his clothing away and set him on the cold table. Dying hurt and it was inevitable and-
He was scared.
Yet, he couldn't resist the pull of warmth that came with it. Couldn't resist how his body relaxed and his hearing becoming muffled, blocking Tifa's harsh commands through her cracked voice before it turned pleading, screaming at Cloud that he couldn't die, not when Zack loved him so much and was fighting so hard for him and he had to do the same - that he was an ungrateful bastard if he died and -
Oh, it was good to know that Tifa was fierce even in his last moments.
"We're losing him bring the crash cart now."
"Cloud!"
Cloud's eyes slid shut and he was sinking-
Sinking -
Sinking -
It was warm and he wasn't as cold as he thought it would be but he wasn't able to tell Tifa or Zack goodbye, he wasn't able to kiss or hug -
"Goodness." a sweet, light voice pulled Cloud out of his thoughts and he was surrounded by an intense green light that forced him to look away.
"Who." Cloud croaked out, turning forward as the light dimmed, leaving a short, slim woman in its place. A woman who reminded Cloud of an older, wiser Aerith and that couldn't be right, because she wasn't dead-
"Hush." the woman commanded, reaching up and placing a ringed finger against her lips. "Your thoughts are quite loud for a new soul, but we won't keeping you long, so I can bear with it."
"Who-" Cloud croaked out before the woman hushed him and approached him with silent footfalls. She placed her hand on his shoulder, but Cloud couldn't let it go. "Where am I?"
The woman's lips pulled into a sad smile. "You're in the Lifestream, Guide Cloud Strife of Nibelheim."
"Oh." Cloud lowered his gaze and suddenly, he didn't know what to do with himself. He shuffled and met the woman's gaze with an unsure smile. "What now? Ummmm?"
"Ifalna." the woman responded. "I am Ifalna of the North and the Gatekeeper to the Lifestream." Ifalna turned and waved a hand and Cloud watched, fascinated, as a door appeared. "I am one of the rare few able to decide should one stay or leave in the early stages of death."
"And?" Cloud prompted, shaken at the revelation that he was dead. "What will happen to me?"
It was much to his relief when Ifalna shook her head. "Minerva has plans for you, Cloud. She still needs you among the living." Ifalna waved a hand towards the door. "As I said before, your time here is limited - very limited."
Cloud was prompted to ask what she meant when he felt a painful jolt in his chest that forced him to his knees. "What-?"
"You're going back - quicker than I thought you would. Cloud? Zack and Rufus must turn their attention to Weiss. He's planning something - something dangerous to us and Gaia. You have no time to recover. As soon as you are able, you must head for Edge, do you understand?"
"I-" Cloud moaned wretchedly when his heart gave another painful jolt. "Ifalna-"
"Do you understand, Cloud?" Ifalna reached down and placed a hand on his arm and lifted him towards the door. "Do you understand?"
"I-I understand," Cloud whispered, his mind hazed with pain when his heart gave one last jolt and he was pushed through the door and back to the cold table just as the defibrillator was pulled off his chest and the doctor's panicked voice echoed through the room.
"Keep the crash cart nearby if he goes under and prep him for surgery while he's stabilized. The sooner we can get that wound taken care of, the better off he'll be, understand?"
"Yes, Doctor."
"You're alive." the doctor looked down at him with warm, brown eyes and Cloud realized that he was dealing with a Sentinel. "That's good news for the entire city but bad news for Edge."
Cloud released a labored breath, his mind still hazed from pain. He was alive and he was grateful to the doctor, but what did he mean that it was bad for Edge? He wished he could ask, but he was so weak and all he wanted to do was rest and as if sensing his desires, the doctor pressed a bloodied gloved hand across Cloud's forehead.
"Rest." the doctor commanded as the doors burst open and the surgery nurses gathered around him. "You'll be better soon."
For once, Cloud did as he was told and closed his eyes, his mind at war at he had to do with Ifalna's instructions. Or the fact that Edge and Midgar would be going to war. Either option didn't seem favorable, but there was nothing that could be done about it.
For now, he was happy that he was alive.