Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Ashen Skies ❯ Chapter 21

"Ashen Skies"

Chapter 21

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Warnings: mild het and yaoi

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*Disclaimer: Final Fantasy and all related characters belong to Square-Enix. This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can't get enough of this world and the characters.*

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"Which way?" Cloud looked around in confusion. He'd only ever been here before briefly. Similar to the Modeoheim base, several tunnels branched off the main one as they traveled deeper in.

 

"If memory serves, we should take this one," Reeve said, pointing at a tunnel to the left.

 

Cloud could hear tromping footsteps moving in that direction and he guessed by Sephiroth and Vincent's expressions that he wasn't the only one to detect it.

 

"It appears you're right," Vincent agreed with his lover, narrowing his eyes. "The creatures are going to focus on finding survivors."

 

"So really we can just follow them," reasoned Cloud.

 

Sephiroth shifted his masamune and nodded. "We'll take them down as we meet them. Did any of you see how many moved in before us?"

 

"Nearly a dozen, as far as I can tell," Reeve answered. "I--"

 

His comment was abruptly cut off as Vincent suddenly shoved him against the wall and jumped in front of him. The gunman fired directly over Cloud's shoulder and the blond ducked instinctively. Sephiroth leaped over him and slashed at the Beta--which now sported several matching bulletholes in its chest. Sephiroth added to its woes and sliced its right arm off, just as it was about to fire on Vincent. Reeve pulled his gun and added his ammunition to Vincent's while Cloud got to his feet and joined Sephiroth's melee attacks.

 

"We've got to keep moving," grunted Sephiroth as their combined efforts brought the WEAPON to its knees. The sound of shouting and explosives from outside seemed to get closer. "More will come in behind us. We have to reach the survivors and get them out of here fast." Sephiroth lowered his blade to allow some of the creature's viscous, blue-green body fluid to drip off onto the floor. Cloud's face was splattered with it and Sephiroth spared a brief grin as the blond grimaced and wiped at the liquid with his gloved hand. Cloud's weapon of choice was a much broader blade than Sephiroth's--similar to Angeal's Buster Sword but not as heavy and thick. It wasn't made for delicate slices and he tended to make a mess in battle.

 

Sephiroth flinched as another bullet whizzed by him and struck the unmoving WEAPON. He turned to look at Reeve, unsurprised to get confirmation that he was the culprit. Vincent was standing calmly next to him and checking his ammo.

 

"It's dead, Tuesti," Sephiroth assured him. "You can stop shooting."

 

Reeve took his finger off the trigger and had the grace to appear slightly embarrassed. A sheen of perspiration glistened on his forehead in the lantern-light. "Right. My apologies." He took a deep breath and mimicked Vincent's actions, checking the chamber of his gun to count how many rounds he had left. His hand was shaking a little and Sephiroth frowned, wondering if he'd be better suited behind the line of fire. Reeve ordinarily held his cool but he was used to fighting in the open...usually from a distance.

 

"I'm all right," Reeve insisted when Vincent likewise gave him a searching look. He clicked his weapon's bullet chamber shut and pressed his lips together. "The skirmish was just a bit abrupt, is all."

 

"We're likely going to face more abrupt skirmishes, the deeper in we go," Vincent reminded him. "There's time for you to go back out and join the main fighting force."

 

"I know this place better than the rest of you," argued Reeve. "You'll reach the survivors faster with me helping you."

 

Sephiroth met Vincent's eyes and he knew the man had similar thoughts to his own. It was likely that they'd find a pile of corpses rather than live bodies in the deeper tunnels, as fast as the Alphas moved in. Saying so wouldn't change anything however and both Reeve and Cloud had expressions of stubborn optimism on their faces.

 

"Fine, you stay between us," Sephiroth conceded. "And try not to resort to overkill. A little stealth might give us an advantage, too. Do you have a silencing mechanism you can use?" He gave a nod at Vincent's triple-barreled weapon as an example, which had a custom-made silencer neatly applied to it. Cerberus was a much more powerful weapon than Reeve's handgun but the shots Vincent had fired from it moments ago were whisper-soft by comparison.

 

"Ah, the silencer." Reeve dug through his coat, wincing. "I didn't even consider applying it."

 

He found the object in a pocket but he abruptly fumbled with it and dropped it when the sound of screeching metal, a man's shout and a crash came from the main entrance. The tunnel floor vibrated from the force of it and the four men looked at each other with wide eyes. Something heavy had obviously just crashed outside, too close for comfort.

 

"I'll go and see," Cloud offered. He checked his sword and started back towards the main tunnel entrance. Sephiroth didn't object or give him a verbal warning but Cloud glanced over his shoulder at him and read the silent reminder for caution in his gaze. He gave Sephiroth a brief nod, assuring him that he'd come straight back for help if he met another Alpha on his way.

 

Cloud crept up the tunnel quietly, peering around with alert eyes for any sign of foreign motion while the others waited. He reached the exit and he was just about to step over the broken remains of the security gates when someone--or something--came charging in straight at him. Cloud didn't even get the chance to raise his sword in defense. All he saw was a humanoid silhouette and the outline of a spiky head before the figure crashed into him. He yelled and he heard an answering yell from his assailant. His weapon clattered over the tunnel floor and he reached for it desperately. At the same time, a flash of metal glinted from his attacker and Cloud barely managed to grab the hilt of his weapon in time to intercept.

 

Cloud's thick sword clashed against the metallic object and he realized it was a sword as well. He looked up and understood why he'd only seen a featureless blur. Zack Fair looked down at him with surprise, his good eye wide. His face was absolutely filthy, smeared with dirt and some kind of oily goop that Cloud couldn't even identify. His hair was sticky with the stuff and his clothes and body armor were torn in several places.

 

"You scared the piss out of me," Cloud gasped, blinking up at his friend in confusion.

 

"Hey, Cloud." Zack eased off of him and pulled his sword away with a sheepish grin. "You okay, there? I just saw movement and figured you guys would be deeper in the tunnels by now. Sorry about that."

 

Cloud heard running footsteps from the direction of his other companions and he sat up and twisted around. Sephiroth and the others were coming towards him and the look on the silver warrior's face told him he was about to slash first and ask questions later.

 

"It's okay," he tried to assure them, guessing they wouldn't immediately recognize Zack through the layers of grime covering him.

 

A noisy shot rang out and Cloud hollered at Reeve to stop, terrified that the man had just put a bullet hole in the lieutenant. There was a cling of metal and Cloud looked up to see Zack deflect the bullet with his sword.

 

"Whoa, chill out! Reeve, it's me!"

 

Reeve lowered his gun and ogled Zack, sputtering as he looked him up and down. "Wha...what the hell happened to you?"

 

"I nearly got blown away by a trigger-happy engineer," Zack answered with a wary look at Reeve's gun. Raised voices came in from behind him and a familiar couple hurried in through the entrance. Zack looked over his shoulder at his mentor and Genesis. "Oh, and Gen threw me at a WEAPON. It was kind of messy."

 

Angeal looked Zack up and down with brotherly concern. He was nearly as grime-covered as Zack. Genesis, on the other hand, only had a few smudges of dirt on his face and coat. The redhead quickly assessed the situation and approached Reeve, holding his hand out expectantly.

 

"Gun. Now."

 

"Now just hold on a minute," protested Reeve. "It was an honest mistake! He just came charging in and tackled Cloud without saying anything and well...look at him! I couldn't recognize him under that mess and I was just trying to protect the kid."

 

"And now I'm going to protect us all by taking your toy away from you," Genesis answered. "You can have it back once we're finished." Genesis grabbed the gun out of Reeve's slackened grip with brisk efficiency.

 

Reeve's mouth worked and Cloud was reminded of a mischievous child having his whoopie cushion snatched by an exasperated schoolteacher. The fact that Reeve was roughly twenty years Genesis' senior made the moment even more inappropriately funny. Vincent looked between his lover and Genesis, appearing as though he wanted to stick up for Reeve but agreed with the assessment that he was too dangerous with a gun.

 

"Are we finished, now?" Sephiroth cut in impatiently. "Because we do have a mission to complete and the longer we stand around bantering, the less likely we are to save anyone."

 

Angeal nodded in agreement and started down the tunnel without saying another word. Genesis clicked the safety on Reeve's gun and gave him a warning look before slipping it into a pocket and following the bigger Soldier. Zack offered a hand to Cloud but the blond took one look at the slime-encrusted glove and declined with a little smile.

 

"Thanks, but no thanks." He picked up his sword and got to his feet on his own.

 

Zack grinned at him. "You're not exactly Joe Clean yourself, buddy. That glob on your cheek is shaped like the eastern continent."

 

Cloud instinctively reached up and wiped at the residual WEAPON blood. "Least I'm not covered in it. Did you say Lieutenant Rhapsodos threw you at one of them?"

 

Zack fell into step with him and nodded. "Yup. He chucked me right at its crotch. Good thing those guys don't really have groins...that would have been kind of traumatizing."

 

"Zack makes a surprisingly good wrecking ball," Genesis murmured over his shoulder. "I'd have chosen Angeal for greater mass if I'd taken a moment to think of it, but I doubt he'd have cooperated."

 

"You're both insane," grunted Angeal.

 

"Sanity is overrated, these days," countered the redhead.

 

The small group continued with Reeve's guidance while the bulk of their fighting force battled outside to fight off the WEAPONS. Something big hit the ground outside and the resulting vibrations made cracks form in the ceiling. Angeal was nearly struck by falling rock but Reeve pulled him aside in time, proving he wasn't as distracted as everyone thought. They came upon several Alphas as they moved deeper into the Cosmo base but with the addition of the other three officers, they had the muscle to dispatch them without too much difficulty.

 

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"It's a kid." Cloud turned the small body over gently and checked for a pulse. Finding none, he shook his head and looked up at Sephiroth with aching blue eyes. "Looks like he got trampled. You'd think people would at least try to..." He trailed off and swallowed, picturing the small boy being torn right from his parent's arms in the stampede of terrified people.

 

Sephiroth stared down at the child. "People don't think rationally when fleeing for their lives. We can't do anything for him now."

 

Vincent joined them and nodded in agreement with Sephiroth. "We can only help the living."

 

Cloud breathed a desolate sigh and nodded. As callous as it seemed, he knew they were right. Unfortunately, Zack was approaching and thinking of the man's impending parenthood, it occurred to Cloud that he might not be able to walk away from this. Genesis stopped and looked down at the kid with a sigh. Reeve shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair. Cloud pushed past the two of them without a word and blocked Zack's path.

 

"What's up, Chocobo?" Zack looked puzzled and he tried to peer over Cloud's shoulder. Angeal was next to him and the big man frowned. He had greater height so he was able to see what Cloud was trying to spare Zack from looking at. His features took on a grim expression.

 

"Zack, maybe you and I should go back out and rejoin the rest of the army," Angeal murmured. "The others should be able to handle any opposition we haven't cleared out, yet."

 

"People could be trapped down here though," argued Zack. "We've already seen evidence of one cave-in. They'll especially need your muscle if they've got to clear rocks away to get people out."

 

"I'll go out with you, then," Reeve offered quickly. "My muscles would be the least missed in a scenario like that."

 

Zack's grubby face became suspicious and he looked at each of them with a frown. "What's going on, guys?" He tried to squeeze past Cloud and when the blond intercepted him again, his frown deepened. "What's with you? Let me get by, Cloudy."

 

"Zack, I don't think you should look--" Cloud stammered with a helpless glance over his shoulder.

 

"Hey, if you can handle it, I can--" Zack pushed by Cloud impatiently and his face went blank when his eyes fell on the sight they were trying to spare him from. "--handle it," he finished softly.

 

Genesis stepped aside quietly as Zack knelt before the child's body. Sephiroth and Vincent stood somberly and Reeve wiped at his eyes. Angeal took a step forward and leaned over to pat Zack on the shoulder as he gently closed the staring eyes.

 

"Think the WEAPONS did this?" Zack queried huskily.

 

"There's no blood," Cloud answered. "I...think he just got crushed when people were running for safety."

 

"Zackary, come with me to the surface," Angeal urged again. "You've done your part now."

 

Zack's mouth twisted and he shook his head. "No. Quit treating me like I'm fragile...all of you. There's people down here that need help and I'm not turning my back on them."

 

"We don't think you're fragile," Genesis assured him. "But every man has limits and we know what yours are."

 

Zack made a choking sound as he struggled with his emotions but he shook his head. "I'm okay. I'm not leaving."

 

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After finding several more adult bodies, they finally located the deepest sanctuary in the fort. A slab of rock cleverly hid it and they only found it because a woman's body lay at its base. The position of her limbs suggested she'd been too slow to make it before they sealed it up. Her arm was stretched out and bloody hand was pressed against the wall, as though her last act had been to beat desperately on it for help. The charred hole in her back indicated that one of the Alphas caught up with her and fired its laser at her.

 

"It might still be around somewhere," Sephiroth warned with a glance down the tunnel they'd come from. "Genesis, you and Cloud stand guard. Reeve, see if you can contact President Shinra or any of the Turks and ask if there's a hidden locking mechanism on this door. Angeal, help me try to open it in the meantime."

 

"Or, we could just ask," Genesis suggested. His next words came out as a shout. "Is there anyone alive in there?"

 

The unexpected bellow made Reeve jump and even Vincent appeared a bit startled.

 

Sephiroth glared at the redhead. "Thank you for that. If there are any Alphas left in these tunnels, you've just announced our location to them."

 

"We can deal with them," Genesis retorted with confidence. "Compared to their big brothers, they're pushovers."

 

Sephiroth opened his mouth to order the troublesome redhead away but his ears picked up a muffled call from the other side of the wall. He gave his companions a warning look and pressed his ear against the rock. "This is General Sephiroth," he announced as loudly as he dared, "we've come to escort you out of here. If anyone can hear me, speak up now."

 

A man's voice called out from the other side, but he didn't seem to be addressing Sephiroth. "Don't open it! It could be one of those WEAPONS!"

 

Sephiroth lost patience. "Do you think a WEAPON would be standing here introducing itself through a wall?"

 

A few moments ticked by before there was a grinding sound from the other side of the wall. The heavy rock door pivoted slowly to reveal a cavernous room. There were crates of supplies lining the back wall and Sephiroth made a sweeping headcount of the frightened civilians looking out at him. He approximated that there were a little more than twenty of them. Most were adults but he spotted a handful of teens and children in the mix, too. At least the boy they'd found earlier appeared to be the only child casualty.

 

"Are there any injured among you?"

 

"Near the back," answered a middle-aged woman. "Luckily we found some first aid supplies but we've got a man with a broken leg." Her eyes fell on the corpse at the foot of the door and she paled. Angeal quickly stepped in front of the body to block it from view as Sephiroth began to give the colonists instructions.

 

"Help the sick and injured among you and proceed in an orderly fashion. Stay calm and don't shove. Chances are we've cleared most of the WEAPONS out but should we encounter more on the way, do not run. Doing so will only make protecting you more difficult. Once we're outside, follow us to the outskirts of the ruins where the transportation and medic teams wait."

 

Sephiroth paused and looked the assembly over with a stern expression. "Was any of that unclear?"

 

Nobody argued that it wasn't, but one man apparently had doubts about the team's ability to protect them. "That's all the men you've brought with you?"

 

Sephiroth glanced over his shoulder at his companions. "If you feel it's an insufficient number of rescuers, you're free to stay here."

 

The man swallowed and made no further objections. Reeve was a bit more charitable when he saw the worry reflected in the eyes of other survivors. "These men are SOLDIER operatives," he informed them. "Well, except for myself and this man." He gestured at Vincent. "Believe me people, you're in good hands."

 

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"What the hell you doing?" Barret yelled at the confused rifleman, who couldn't seem to figure out which target he should be firing at. "Never mind the big ones! Gotta keep the little ones from going inside after our people!"

 

"S-sorry, sir," yelped the young man. He changed targets and aimed at one of the remaining Alpha weapons as directed.

 

Barret grumbled but he couldn't really blame anybody for the temptation to focus on the big guys. Who'd notice a fish when there was a shark in the water? The heavy artillery and explosives were reserved for the larger WEAPONS and damaging them enough to keep them driven back was the best they could reasonably hope for. Some of the SOLDIER operatives finished a couple of them off but ammunition needed to be reserved. The last thing they needed was to run out of firepower before they finished evacuating. They'd already lost one chopper and several troops.

 

Barret squinted through the smoke when he thought he saw movement at the shelter entrance. He waited uncertainly, not wanting to make a premature call. A hot breeze wafted through the ruins and cleared the smoke away long enough for him to see Sephiroth's silver hair in the moonlight. There appeared to be a group of people with him and Cloud was at his side. Barret whistled to the snipers under his command and gestured toward the emerging people.

 

"Cover 'em," he ordered. He activated his prosthetic gun arm again and took aim at a large humanoid WEAPON that was a little too close to the entrance. He picked up the comm unit hanging around his neck and switched the frequency to notify the air teams. "Our boys are coming out now," he said into the unit, "They're gonna need the big guns to get those folks clear."

 

~*********************************~

 

They discovered a complication when they got outside. The man with the broken leg faired well enough being carried out but they were going to have to make a dash through the ruins to make it to the protective lines of fighters.

 

"Give him to me," Angeal urged suddenly, putting his sword away. "I'll fly him out of here and put him in one of the helicopters."

 

"No, let me do it," Genesis said when he overhead.

 

"You're a more vivid target," argued Angeal.

 

"And you're a bigger one," shot back the redhead. "Not to mention, slower." He contemplated the groaning man. "He doesn't look that heavy."

 

Angeal frowned and looked as though he wanted to object, but he gave in with a sigh. Having won the debate, Genesis turned to the injured man and brought out his wing. He told the man to put his arms around his neck and he lifted him off the crude stretcher his companions had been carrying him on. The injured man looked a bit awed by the sight of the wing but he was in too much pain to offer any objections. Genesis shifted his burden for a better grip and checked to be sure all nearby enemies had their attention focused elsewhere. Satisfied that their allies had the creatures sufficiently distracted for now, He took off.

 

Sephiroth assessed the situation quickly and turned to face the colonists. "We're not likely to get a better opening than this. Everyone begin running toward that line of riflemen in the distance. They'll cover us and my men and I will ensure none of the creatures close in on you. Don't stop running until you're behind those troops, understood?"

 

Some of them were staring up at Genesis with amazement. Sephiroth swore softly, having failed to take into account that most of the Cosmo residents weren't accustomed to the sight of a winged man.

 

"Keep your attention on the ground, people. A flying human is the least of your concerns, right now." Sephiroth approached Zack. "Can you stay focused now, Zackary?"

 

Zack nodded, his jaw clenching resolutely as he gripped the hilt of his sword. "Yeah. I'm ready when you guys are."

 

Sephiroth didn't waste another moment. "You and Cloud defend the middle. Angeal and I will take the lead and Vincent, I want you and Reeve to guard the rear. Everyone, go."

 

They fell into formation around the frightened people. A little girl in the group stumbled and Zack swept her up with one arm and carried her without breaking stride. As they sprinted over the hard-packed earth and dodged obstacles in their path, Reeve realized something horrible.

 

"Ah, dammit! Genesis still has my gun!"

 

"And you just now noticed?" Vincent fired off to the left and Reeve looked to see an Alpha stagger under the shot.

 

"I've been rather preoccupied," grunted the engineer. He began to dig through is pockets frantically. His fingers located something smooth and cylindrical in his right pants pocket and he grabbed for it, looking down at it hopefully.

 

"What is that?" Vincent asked as if fearing the answer. He shot again at the Alpha as it righted itself and tried to take aim at him.

 

"Better than nothing," Reeve answered with a shrug. He twisted the object until he felt a click and then he tossed it at the feet of the creature that was trying to return Vincent's shot. For a minute nothing happened and Reeve cursed. "Might be a dud."

 

His suspicion was proven wrong when electricity crackled out of the object and danced over the WEAPON'S body. The creature stiffened and jerked in place. The jolt wasn't quite powerful enough to kill it but it stunned it enough to remove it from the list of immediate threats.

 

Zack intercepted another Alpha and Angeal fell back to help him dispatch it as he handed the child he was carrying to one of the adults in the group. Cloud caught a woman when she staggered and he helped her regain her balance. The roar of one of the larger WEAPONS caught his attention and he looked up to see it bearing down on the group, having noticed them at last. Cloud shouted a warning and Sephiroth broke away from the front of the group, spreading his wing.

 

"Keep moving," ordered Sephiroth as he took to the air and swooped toward the advancing creature.

 

Cloud's first instinct was to follow his lover, knowing that even Sephiroth couldn't bring down one of the massive WEAPONS on his own. Discipline won out as he watched Sephiroth made a deft pass at the creature, cutting a gash in its armor before skillfully banking safely away. The move effectively put Sephiroth under the creature's full attention and it shot a quick beam of energy at him. He avoided it and a missile from the ground forces streaked over the field and struck it in the torso, further disrupting its attention.

 

"Don't stop," Cloud encouraged in a yell, forcing himself to stop worrying about his lover and follow his orders.

 

~**************************************~

 

"Good work, Commander Wallace," Sephiroth approved as the rescue team and their charges made it behind the line of fire. He'd seen the man shouting orders and directing the focus of the people under his command. Most of the rest of the fighting force was focused on keeping the enemies from making it past their defenses but Barret changed tactics as soon as Sephiroth and the others emerged from the tunnels. The cover they'd provided had made it possible for his team to bring the endangered refugees through unharmed, he was certain.

 

"Just doing my job," Barret answered, his gaze passing over the group grimly. "Anyone hurt?"

 

"Some, but most of them are relatively unscathed." He looked over his shoulder at the group and noticed with approval that Cloud was already directing them further out behind ally lines, where the medical personnel treated the sick and injured. Sephiroth saw a familiar red coat in that direction and he knew Genesis had made it safely with his burden.

 

"As soon as we've depleted the enemy enough for a safe retreat, load your people onto transport," Sephiroth said to Barret. "I'm going to have the civilians transported out immediately and we're to concentrate on keeping the remaining creatures from targeting them. Once they're on route to Modeoheim and our forces are safely in the air, we'll turn our attention to picking up the people taking shelter in Gongaga."

 

Barret nodded. "It's cool. I've got my people waiting to use Summon materia last."

 

"A wise choice," agreed Sephiroth. He walked away to check on the progress with the civilians while Barret returned his attention back to the command.

 

~**********************************~

 

Lazard and Rufus worked surprisingly well together, despite the bad blood between them. When it was time to attempt a retreat, they communicated with Barret and the other ground commanders to synchronize the final strike against the opposition. Snipers covered the missile launchers as they unloaded on the WEAPONS and various Summon spells were unleashed to provide a last, devastating distraction. The teams worked quickly after that, boarding everyone onto available transport and leaving behind equipment that was too heavy to be quickly loaded. They were forced to leave the dead behind as well and Sephiroth and Angeal took up the grim task of gathering ID tags from the fallen troops for the records.

 

The sky began to slowly lighten with the approaching dawn as the aircrafts flew away from Cosmo Canyon in a defensive formation. Rufus got word from Captain Highwind that he'd successfully dropped off his passengers in Modeoheim and was fueling back up to come and help collect the people hiding out in Gongaga.

 

"Were we fighting that long?" Reno sputtered with raised eyebrows after hearing the transmission.

 

Beside him in the copilot seat, Rude nodded. "Sun's coming up, partner. We were fighting all night long. The flight between home and Modeoheim is just a little more than eight hours...less for an airship with the Shera's engine power."

 

Reno blinked through his goggles as the sun crested the horizon. "Guess I lost track of the time, yo."

 

"How's your hand?" Rude nodded at the injured appendage, which Reno had hastily wrapped with bandages from the on-board first aid kit.

 

The redhead gingerly flexed the fingers of said hand and grimaced. "Not too bad. At least I'm good with both of them. This'll do until we get to Modeoheim. How about your head?"

 

Rude reached up and touched the reddened spot over his left eye. "It's okay."

 

"Sorry about that, man."

 

When the consol had caught fire, Reno's hand got burned and his sleeve caught on the steering stick as he yanked it away. As a result, the chopper suddenly tilted and Rude had copped the fire extinguisher on the head while trying to get it down.

 

Rude shrugged. "You didn't do it on purpose."

 

~******************************~

 

Cloud gasped as he sat back down after using the lavatory and Zack gave him a concerned look. "You okay, kiddo?"

 

He waited a moment for the pain to ease up and he nodded silently.

 

Zack's eye was suspicious on him suddenly. "Cloud, if you're hurt you need to let someone know. I know how stubborn you can be and I'm not having you keel over on me because you didn't get checked out."

 

"It's nothing," Cloud insisted. "Just an ache." The pain in his back returned abruptly and this time, he couldn't hold back a groan.

 

"Bullshit. It's worse than an ache, to make you groan like that. Where does it hurt, buddy?"

 

"M-my back," Cloud answered, swallowing as he caught his breath. "Around my shoulder blades."

 

"Lean forward," insisted the other man. "Let me help you get these pauldrons off and I'll have a look under your shirt."

 

"Pervert," Cloud muttered, giving him a sickly half-smile.

 

"Only with my wife. Come on, I'm really worried about you. You could have been hit with something in the fight and not even know it. Adrenaline does that sometimes."

 

Cloud sighed and nodded his consent. Zack quickly unbuckled the fastenings on the straps that secured Cloud's body armor to his torso. He lifted the shoulder guards off and removed the thick harness that protected his abdomen. He set these aside and told Cloud to lean forward a little more. Cloud did so and another wave of pain assaulted his back. He clenched his jaw and tried to hold back a moan of distress. The back of his shirt was lifted and he flushed, feeling like a spectacle. People were beginning to watch curiously and murmur to each other and he could imagine what they must be thinking of the spectacle.

 

He felt Zack's hand run over his shoulders slowly and he heard a soft grunt from him.

 

"I don't see anything, huh. Does it hurt when I press down?"

 

Cloud gasped as the strong fingers kneaded him right in one of the sore areas. "Yeah, it hurts."

 

The fingers paused their examination and Zack went still. Cloud turned his head and looked back at him, seeing a frown on his face. "What?"

 

Zack shrugged. "I...I'm not sure. Maybe it's just me but you've got some pretty big shoulder blades for a guy your size. If they're hurting I wonder if they're enflamed or something."

 

"I don't think bone can do that," Cloud said dubiously.

 

"Well, maybe it's muscle then. You might just be knotted up with tension."

 

Angeal passed by them on his way to get some refreshment and he stopped and frowned. "What's going on, here?"

 

"He says his back's hurting him," answered Zack.

 

Cloud lowered his head and swore under his breath as Angeal stepped closer and scrutinized his exposed back. "I don't see anything."

 

"So his shoulder blades don't look a little weird to you?" Zack's voice sounded only slightly relieved. "My depth perception isn't perfect, so maybe I'm just imagining it."

 

Angeal was silent for a moment and then he called out for Genesis. Cloud groaned, shaking his head. "Aw, come on," he muttered. The pain rose again and his annoyed comment ended in a hiss.

 

Genesis dutifully came from his seat near the back of the craft and he paused when he arrived, one brow lifting. "Dare I ask?"

 

"Have a look at his shoulder blades and see if you notice anything odd about them," Angeal said.

 

Genesis looked. "And why am I doing this?"

 

"He's in pain," answered Angeal. "Zack thinks he sees swelling but I'm not sure."

 

Genesis pressed a gloved hand firmly against Cloud's right shoulder blade and the blond gave another exclamation of pain. "Okay, can people stop poking at it, please?" he said through clenched teeth.

 

"So it hurts more when someone puts pressure on it, I assume."

 

"Ja, it does!" Cloud resisted the urge to burst into swearing in his mother language.

 

"Well then, perhaps we should stop playing doctor and actually get a real medic to look at it," suggested Genesis.

 

"I think you're right," agreed Zack. "Where's Sephiroth? He'll want to know what's happening."

 

"The last time I saw him, he was heading for the cockpit to speak with the pilots," responded Genesis. "Oh wait, here he comes now."

 

"Great," Cloud muttered. Not that he thought Sephiroth would turn into a doting mother hen on him but he suspected he'd soon have everyone in the chopper contemplating over his back.

 

Sephiroth closed the distance and when he saw Cloud sitting there with his shirt up and all three of the other officers leaning over him, he stopped. "Explain this."

 

"Okay, you caught us," Zack quipped. "Cloud and I are going to run away together when we reach the base."

 

"They have our blessings," Genesis added.

 

Sephiroth sighed impatiently. "Angeal, a straight answer, please?"

 

"His back is paining him," replied the muscular First obligingly. "There's no sign of a wound but his shoulder blades might be inflamed."

 

A fresh wave of agony throbbed in the area and this time, Cloud cried out raggedly and nearly toppled from his seat. His safety belt and Zack's hasty support kept him from falling. Sephiroth immediately squatted down in front of him and cupped his chin, lifting his head to meet his gaze. The emerald eyes were sober and quietly concerned.

 

"How long has this been going on?"

 

It took a moment for Cloud to catch his breath enough and answer. "I was a little sore yesterday, but it didn't get bad until a little while ago." He panted softly and tried to keep quiet as the pain began to taper off a bit again.

 

"Someone get a medic," ordered Sephiroth.

 

"I'll go," offered Angeal.

 

~********************************************~

 

They helped Cloud to a more private area in the back section of the cabin so that one of the medics could look at him. The doctor diagnosed him with a simple but acute case of Periostitis, caused by inflammation of the connective tissue surrounding the bone. He said it was probably due to excessive physical activity, given Cloud's status as a Soldier, but he took blood and urine samples from him just to rule out infection. He gave him some anti-inflammatory and pain medications and advised cold compresses to the area when Zack asked what they could do to help.

 

As they neared their destination, Cloud's condition only seemed to get worse--or at least, his pain did. Sephiroth had never heard the young man be so vocal about pain before. Usually, Cloud was tight-lipped about such things. He was most vocal when he was really angry or in the heat of passion. Pain was something he always tried to keep to himself. Now he lay on his side in the reclined seat, moaning and grunting as if he couldn't help himself. Sephiroth shut the curtain leading into the main section of the cabin and he was thankful that most of the other injured fighters were being transported on one of the other choppers.

 

He applied a cold compress in twenty-minute intervals and tried in his awkward, unpracticed way to comfort his lover as he sat beside him. He kept checking the inflamed area and his thoughts went to Hojo in suspicion. He said nothing of his concerns to anybody. If this had something to do with the experiments conducted on Cloud, it could be confirmed with full access to a lab. Until they reached Modeoheim, all Sephiroth could do was keep an eye on him and hope the medic's diagnosis was correct.

 

~*****************************************~

 

Tifa awoke to the sound of excited activity in the tunnels. She lifted her head from the thin pillow provided to her and blinked her eyes groggily. The Modeoheim residents had done what they could to be hospitable but there weren't enough sleeping spaces to go around. She'd volunteered to sleep on one of the bedrolls spread over the floor in the back alcove of the bunker room. Now she regretted that as she sat up and rolled her stiff shoulders and neck. She heard someone exclaim that the rescue teams were back and she recognized it as Aerith's voice. It took her a moment to gather her bearings but once she did, her adrenaline pumped as full comprehension came to her.

 

Reno...and Cloud. They were back, provided they'd both made it through the fight. She couldn't wait to find out and she suffered a mixture of trepidation and excitement as she stumbled to her feet and hurried out of the bunking area. She saw Yuffie making tracks up ahead of her when she found the right tunnel leading to the hangar. The petite young woman easily slipped past other people and Tifa thought better of calling out for her to wait. Yuffie had just as much reason to be in a hurry as she did and Tifa guessed she'd be deaf to her calls anyway.

 

She got turned around when she reached an intersection but she spotted Aerith in the right-hand corridor that slanted up. Guessing she was on her way to the hangar too, Tifa followed her. She called her name and took an opportunity to sprint to her side when she found an opening in the crowd. Aerith jumped when Tifa touched her on the shoulder and the barmaid hastily apologized for startling her.

 

"Oh, I'm just tense right now," Aerith assured with a nervous smile. "I've heard all of the officers made it through okay but I'll feel better when I see them myself."

 

Tifa sighed in relief. So at least Aerith's husband and Cloud were alive. "What about...the Cosmo forces?" She asked.

 

"I hear they lost a couple of the Turks and a helicopter," answered the other woman, "but the rest are okay."

 

Tifa's heart wedged in her throat. "Which Turks?"

 

Aerith remembered then and she looked mortified. "Oh Tifa, I'm sure Reno's okay! Don't listen to me, its all hearsay right now."

 

"But if it's all hearsay then Cloud and Zack might not be okay," Tifa blurted unthinkingly. The stricken look in Aerith's green eyes made her want to kick herself. "Um, don't listen to me either. We're both just scaring ourselves, okay? No panicking allowed until we have a reason to."

 

Aerith took a deep breath and nodded. "Right. Boy, we really put our feet in our mouths, didn't we?"

 

Tifa forced a smile and nodded. Aerith got ahead of her again and she sped up. "Maybe you shouldn't be running too much," she advised, casting a look down at the other woman's belly. She wasn't visibly showing yet as far as Tifa could see but she'd gotten the news that she was expecting.

 

"I'm healthy, don't worry," Aerith assured her. "Zack's overprotective enough. Don't you start on me too!"

 

Tifa smirked. "Sorry. I wouldn't want to be babied by everybody either if I were in your place."

 

They shared tense smiles. The traffic in the tunnel thickened and Tifa again demonstrated instinctive protective urges when a man bumped into Aerith. She moved closer to her and tried to shield her with her body to make sure nobody jostled her further. The amused shake of Aerith's head told her the other women figured out what she was up to and Tifa shrugged helplessly.

 

~***************************************~

 

"Well, now just about everybody left on this sorry planet's all here together now," Reno muttered as he climbed out of the chopper. "Wonder how long before this place is toast, too."

 

"We'll just have to make sure that doesn't happen," Rude answered.

 

Reno shrugged. There was no sense in worrying about it now. All he really cared about for the moment was making sure a certain pretty brunette was okay. He immediately started away from the chopper and toward the tunnel connected to the hangar, ignoring the throb in his hand. There were people trying to come into the landing area but the guards weren't letting them through, trying to give medical teams the chance to transport injured people to the hospital ward first.

 

Somehow, Yuffie managed to get through despite their efforts to restrain her and she ran nimbly through the hangar, ignoring their shouts. Tseng barely made it out of his chopper before she glomped him. Reno shook his head and chuckled as he overheard some of her lecturing. What a weird couple they made.

 

Reno peered across the distance at the people at the mouth of the tunnel. He guessed that most of them were there to see if their loved ones had returned. He could relate more than he cared to admit. He also considered Elena and wondered if she got hurt when the WEAPON fired on the airship. He thought he heard his voice called from somewhere in the tunnel and he walked a little faster, trying to see over people's heads to locate the face he was looking for. He saw a hand wave and for a brief moment, Tifa's head bobbed up as she hopped behind a man. Reno wasn't even aware of the big grin that formed on his lips as he hastened his pace a little more.

 

"Let her through man," he ordered the guards with a gesture toward the waving hand. He showed his ID badge. "She's with me."

 

The guards hesitated for a moment and Reno glowered at them. "Hey, I might have just got here but I outrank ya. Let my girl through."

 

Evidently deciding it wasn't smart to argue with a Turk, they complied and told people to move aside so Tifa could get through. She hesitated once she stepped into the cavernous hangar and Reno guessed she didn't want to make a big scene. He slipped an arm around her waist and rolled his eyes.

 

"What kind of welcome is that? First ya jump up and down to get my attention and then you act like a prude when ya get through. Make up your mind, baby doll." He squeezed her, lifting her off the floor a little.

 

She smiled and hugged him back. "I was just checking for injuries," she excused. "What happened to your hand?"

 

He shrugged. "Nothing much. We took a little hit while we were in the air and the console caught on fire. Can ya believe that shit? I just got a couple of burns while we were putting it out."

 

"The console caught on fire?" Her eyes went round. "And you didn't crash?"

 

"Nah, we got it under control fast. The targeting system got taken out, is all."

 

"Well, you'd better have it looked at," she insisted.

 

"Yeah, yeah. I'm gonna do that as soon as things cool it a little. How about you?" He swept his eyes over her. "You okay?"

 

"My knees are just a little bruised and I've got a little bump on my head."

 

"Bruised knees?" he repeated. "What the hell were ya doing to get that? I mean, I can think of a couple things we did a few nights ago but--"

 

"Reno," she said in a warning tone, though her mouth twitched.

 

"Yes ma'am," he murmured with false meekness. "Of course, if you'd give me a wet one I'd have my mouth too full to yap."

 

Tifa considered him for a moment and sighed. "Well, okay."

 

Reno grinned as she rose to kiss him. Unfortunately, it was only a brief kiss, but he enjoyed it anyway. "That's better," he said. "I keep forgetting how short you are, babe. I probably never would have spotted you if ya didn't jump up and down like that. I'll bet the guy you were bumping against had a good time while you were doing it, too."

 

"Do I need to flip you in front of all these people?" She frowned severely at him.

 

He waggled his eyebrows. "You know I wouldn't mind. Flip me on my back as much as ya want--aah!" She goosed him hard without warning, making him squirm. "That's gonna bruise, yo."

 

"It would serve you right," she grumbled. "Are you finished being smutty?"

 

"'Till I can get you alone, yeah," he agreed with a wink.

 

"Tifa," a voice hollered from the hangar exit, "do you see Zack or the others anywhere?"

 

Reno recognized Aerith Fair standing behind the guards and Tifa looked around, suddenly worried. "Reno? Do you know if they're okay?"

 

"Pretty sure they are," he answered. "I saw them get in one of the choppers before we left." He motioned at one of the guards and pointed at Aerith. "Let her through too."

 

~*********************************~

 

Cloud was doped up enough to have trouble walking on his own when they got out of the aircraft. Sephiroth supported him and the blond tried very hard to keep his distress to himself. Through blurry vision, he saw someone hurrying over to him and as she drew closer, he recognized Tifa.

 

"Hallo Tifa," Cloud said, forcing a smile. "Good to see you."

 

She smiled back and her eyes were concerned on him as she kissed him on the cheek. "Hallo, Cloud. What happened to you? Are you okay?"

 

He winced against further pain and tried to reassure her. "They'll take care of me. Don't worry."

 

Aerith and Zack were embracing off to the side and when the Cetra saw Cloud, she gasped. "Cloud! Did you get shot?"

 

"No, he didn't get shot," Sephiroth answered. "It's likely just a strain. If you'll excuse us, he needs more medication."

 

"Of course," Aerith said, offering no arguments.

 

Cloud felt Tifa's hand squeeze his and he returned the pressure before allowing Sephiroth to guide him away. His footsteps faltered and he gave his lover an apologetic look when he saw him frown. Sephiroth started trying to lift him into his arms but Cloud hollered in pain when he pressed against his back, drawing concerned looks from his friends and fellow Soldiers.

 

Sephiroth immediately stopped and supported him around the waist. He called out to a couple of medics, who had just finished unloading some equipment from one of the other choppers. "Bring a stretcher over here," he demanded when he got their attention.

 

~**************************************~

 

"So, what is it?" Tifa asked as she sat down to lunch with Aerith, Zack, Reno and Angeal. "He seemed to be in a terrible amount of pain for a simple sprain."

 

"I can't remember what the medic called it," Zack said. "It's some kind of bone inflammation thing. Something to do with tissue around it?"

 

"Periostitis," Angeal recalled aloud. "I've had it before myself."

 

"Do you remember it being that painful?" Aerith asked.

 

Angeal frowned and shook his head. "Not to the point were it made me scream, but his might be more severe than mine was. From what I understand, it's common in athletes."

 

"Well, the kid was fighting like a machine every time I spotted him from the air," Reno said. "Makes sense he'd get something like that, swinging that sword around the way he does."

 

"I just hope he'll be all right," Tifa sighed. "It seems to be one thing after another."

 

Reno looked at her sidelong as he took a drink of his juice. He wondered how she'd feel about the suggestion he was about to make, but he hadn't had a drink in some time. "Hey Zack, is there any decent whiskey around here? I think we could all use something a little stronger than juice and tea."

 

"I second that," Tifa said, nodding at Reno.

 

"Except for her," Zack said, giving his wife a squeeze.

 

"Yeah, I forgot she's got a little 'Patchy' on the way. Sorry doll, looks like you're stuck with tea."

 

"I can pretend its whisky," Aerith replied, shrugging.

 

~***********************************************~

 

Genesis joined them just as Zack returned with a bottle of whisky. He'd just sat down with his plate and he raised his eyebrows when he saw the bottle. "Well, isn't my timing excellent?"

 

"You've got a knack for it," agreed Zack. "Hold up, I'll go grab another glass."

 

"No need." Genesis carelessly tossed his glass of water back, dumping the liquid over his shoulder and onto the floor. He nearly splashed a passing civilian with it and she glowered at him from behind.

 

"Genesis," Angeal muttered, "that was wasteful...not to mention rude."

 

Genesis gave him a dry, ironic look. "We are sitting under tons of snow. Tons of it, Hewley. You do realize what snow is made of, don't you? The water supply is in no danger, I promise."

 

Tifa squirmed uncomfortably and Aerith guessed she didn't know the two men well enough to realize it was just common banter. "It's okay," she informed Tifa with a smile and a nod in their direction, "this is normal for them."

 

"As for the accusation of rudeness," Genesis went on, "I could see that if I'd tossed the water in someone's face. I doubt the floor cares about getting wet."

 

"You nearly did toss it in someone's face," Angeal countered in a low voice. "You see that woman over there? She was behind you when you did that."

 

Genesis looked at the woman in question and then looked back at Angeal. "I...well, she...fine, I'll give you that one."

 

~*********************************~

 

Some time later, Tifa and Aerith got to hear all about the fight. Trying to keep the mood light, the men described the most interesting and exciting parts, without going into details about the bloody, tragic parts. Tifa and Aerith were both obviously aware of the grim realities they were skipping but they didn't call them on it. Much needed laughter rang out at the table as they took turns describing events from their perspectives. Even Angeal was tipsy enough to lighten up.

 

"And Sephiroth said; 'Do you think a WEAPON would be standing here introducing itself through a wall?'" Angeal wiped his eyes and shook his head, chuckling softly.

 

Aside from a few moments of angst over the thought of that child they'd found in the tunnel, Zack thought it was going pretty well. It wasn't until Reno brought up the incident just outside the shelter entrance that things started rapidly going down hill.

 

"So this guy," Reno pointed at Genesis, "picks up Zack and chucks him straight at the WEAPON!" He snickered and poured another shot for himself. "Man, and they say I'm crazy in a fight."

 

Everyone except for Aerith laughed. Instead, she stared at Genesis with a stony expression on her face. The laughter faded as she spoke to him.

 

"You threw my husband at a WEAPON?"

 

"Uh..." Zack realized Gen was in trouble but his tongue was tied.

 

Genesis demonstrated that angry pregnant women were one of the few things he feared. "I didn't exactly 'throw' him," he protested, "rather, I'd call it a nudge" He made a gesture with his hands to demonstrate and it wasn't remotely like what he'd done on the field of battle.

 

"Reno said you 'chucked' him," Aerith countered in a cold voice. "I'm pretty sure that's the same as throwing, or tossing. Why did you throw him? Were you trying to kill him?"

 

"Of course not!" Genesis unconsciously leaned away from her. "It was a tactic, nothing more."

 

She glared at him a moment longer and stood up. "I'm going to go and see how Cloud is doing. Zack, are you coming?"

 

He stammered for a moment before nodded. "Sure. I'll be right behind you."

 

They watched her go and when she was safely out of earshot, Genesis whistled softly. "Well, let's be sure not to tell her Reeve tried to shoot you, Zackary. She'll kill him dead."

 

"Mr. Tuesti tried to shoot you?" Tifa looked incredulous.

 

Angeal lent his input. "It was just a case of mistaken identity."

 

"Speaking of identity," Zack grumbled, looking over his shoulder, "who was that woman and what did she do with my wife?"

 

"That was your wife," Tifa assured him.

 

"But, she's always so sweet and gentle!" Zack unconsciously put on his "puppy face".

 

"That sweet, gentle person has her limits too," Tifa scolded. "Maybe years from now she'll be able to laugh about it too but I think we were insensitive to do it. She loves you and while you're out there fighting, she's stuck here hoping you'll come home alive."

 

Zack nodded slowly. Hell, if Aerith could put up with his moments of irrational paranoia there wasn't any reason he couldn't be more understanding of her fears. If someone threw Aerith for any reason, he'd be livid.

 

~************************************~

 

"Hey."

 

Aerith turned around to find her husband standing at the threshold, holding a cupcake. Mistaking him, she looked down at Cloud's sleeping form. "I don't think he can eat that. You might want to bring it back when he's feeling better."

 

"It's not for him," Zack said. He approached her and held it out. "It's for you. I'm going to bring Cloud some carrots when he wakes up."

 

She smiled softly and took the offering. She'd tried to hide her recent cravings for sweets but the man figured it out anyway. "Zack, I'm sorry about earlier," she said, feeling a lump forming in her throat. "It's just...it's scary enough, without hearing that your friends are throwing you at monsters."

 

He shook his head and put his arms around her. "Maybe some day, they won't have to. Gen wouldn't have done it if he thought I'd be killed. He acts like a jerk but he cares."

 

She shrugged grudgingly and looked down at the cupcake. "It was just a reflexive reaction. It sounds like you had fun, though."

 

"Well yeah," Zack admitted sheepishly. "It was kind of fun. I won't do it again, though."

 

"Or at least, don't let me find out about it if you do." She gave him a teasing little smile. "I've seen you fight. I know you guys do things that would scare me to death if I saw it. I'll try not to be so sensitive."

 

He cupped her chin and kissed her on the lips. "So how's Cloud doing? The poor guy always ends up doped out on a table, doesn't he?"

 

"I'm sure he's getting sick of it," she agreed with a look over her shoulder at Cloud. "At least he's not in pain right now. The General went to have something to eat and I haven't heard if they've found out anything else."

 

"Guess we'll just have to wait and see," sighed Zack.

 

~*****************************************~

 

-To be continued