AN: A short chapter this time, mostly because its an intermission to cover the years in which Zack and Cloud were at Nibelheim until their escape. I've also kind of changed the way I write in Cloud's thoughts because...well...it IS inside his head and I wanted to highlight that. Anyway, please enjoy.

Chapter Sixteen: Intermission

Nibelheim, 1900 hrs. Mission: extract, secure and erase.

Reno stood beside the burnt out wreckage of the Inn, he watched as military officials and grunts ran around like headless chickens. The fires had been doused but things were still smouldering, he could see curls of smoke drifting up into the darkening sky. It was cold in the shitty little ruined town. It was cold and there was something so huge happening it was way beyond Reno's comprehension. Tseng was on edge and not saying anything, but Reno could tell something was getting to him, so could the others. It was tense, no one knew what was going on or where they stood now. They were in the dog house for sure but how long would the president tolerate them? They knew too much, they had too many skills that could so easily be used against the company. They were a loaded gun and the president had no idea which way it was pointing. Either he kept the Turks loyal or he attempted to destroy them. Reno was hoping for option one. It was then that a large party descended from the mountains, Reno looked over to them. He spotted Tseng and, with a glance over his shoulder, alerted the others.

They followed. Cissnei, Rude, and Veld. He looked at his comrades, his friends, and saw the same emotions reflected in their eyes as he was feeling himself; uncertainty. Uncertainty in their own fates, uncertainty in their jobs. Uncertainty in their own lives. Who knew if they would survive this fuck up? They all knew no one retired from the Turks, you went home in a body bag or not at all. Reno had seen it, he'd nearly been there. The future was bleak. They moved forwards, walking closer to Tseng and the others of the party just reaching the ShinRa mansion. "Yo!" Reno called, catching Tseng's attention and causing him to blink.

"Reno, have you finished with the bodies?"

"Bodies cleaned up, dumped over there for funeral rights." Reno smirked a little at that, it was the same whenever there had to be a mass destruction of bodies. They would burn. Burn and burn until nothing was left.

"Good..." Tseng was distracted as a group of four infantry soldiers walked by carrying a stretcher. Lying on it, obviously wounded, was a dark haired man.

"Is that...?" Cissnei's eyes were wide but Reno nudged her with his elbow. Keep quiet. No questions. He spotted the hitch in her breath, the way her hands gripped each other at her chest, she was in pain and it wasn't physical. Another stretcher passed them, this one containing a blond boy in infantry blues, Reno's heart went cold, his eyes widened as he watched it pass by. Into the mansion.

"Tha's Cloud, yo..." He muttered softly, so that those by the mansion couldn't hear him. Tseng looked at him, his expression almost unreadable but Reno saw it. It was a reflection of what they were all thinking.

"The blond one...Cloud?" Tseng began, lowering his tone and moving closer, eyes darting around the busy pathway. "He was the one who destroyed Sephiroth who went insane and killed everyone here." Silence. Reno looked over Tseng's shoulder and watched the boy disappear into the darkness.

"Tha' skinny runt?" He whispered, feeling somewhat awe struck and sad at the same time. "Why isn' he gettin' medical attention, yo?" Tseng's face darkened as a group of people in white coats appeared, one man leading them. Back hunched, hands clasped behind him and glasses flashing in the flames of the mass pyre. Hojo. He sucked in a breath through his teeth and felt his colleagues wince collectively. They were fully aware of what happened in the hands of that psycho scientist.

"They deserve to be decorated...not thrown away, not like this." Cissnei whispers into her hands, tears springing to her eyes.

"I ask all of you to keep quiet about this, SOLDIER First Class Zack Fair and Cadet Strife are officially dead. It has to be this way. We cannot do anything." Veld said firmly, watching his Turks with a shrewd expression on his face. Cissnei caught her breath and let it out again slowly, she closed her eyes and steadied herself. "Yes sir." She said finally. Reno watched the rest of the party enter the mansion, and again he felt that emotion...they all felt it, like stagnant air clinging around their bodies. Fear. It reeked, it was uncomfortable. Reno didn't wear it well, none of them did. But wear it they did.

"No askin'...not our place, yo." He whispered and turned away, shoving his hands deep into his pockets as they lit more fires in the pits where the bodies of nameless, faceless people had been dumped. He looked up at the sky and wondered how such a skinny kid managed to save the world.

XXX

First there were the voices, soft whispers in his head. He pushed them away. Then there was the dull pain. He didn't like that anymore than he liked the voices. Then there was green. So much green. Green...everywhere. Am I...dead? No, not dead. He could feel his body, his head, his arms, his shoulders. His fingers and toes. Yes, he was still alive. His eyes wouldn't open, it seemed he had no control over his body. So, not dead but not in control either...unconscious? It was a strong possibility. The colours were beautiful, faintly he could smell flowers, the scent reminded him of some distant time, a time when he had been young and free and in love. When had that been? He didn't know. The flowers...a church? Maybe. A soft, sweet voice...I remember...

Aerith. A flower girl. Pink ribbon. A single date and 23 little wishes.

Something else too. Something important. What was it? Oh yes...blue eyes, the colour of the spring sky. Blond hair, a soft, gentle smile. The scent of honey and warmth and good, home cooked meals. Ah, yes. Beautiful. A sadness, a deep abiding sadness and a fear there too, yes, he remembered seeing that fear taint that beautiful blue. And softness, soft hair, soft skin. He tasted like wood smoke and warm milk. A name...

Cloud.

Yes, Cloud. He was floating, just drifting on half formed memories. It was good, not to feel pain or anger or despair.

Zack...

His name. Yes. That was important too. There was something else, something he should remember...

Embrace your dreams...

That's right, good...

...If you want to be a hero you need to have dreams...and Honour.

Dreams and honour, yes, he remembered those. A dream of Cloud, of holding him close, of warmth and love and sweat and entwined bodies.

I promise I won't leave you.

He thinks he smiles, although in this place it's a little hard to tell. Angeal would be waiting, arms crossed over his broad chest, a smile on his face and pride in his eyes. Yeah, he would make him proud. Flashes of memory, a time when he had been innocent. His dreams so simple, his life so easy and carefree. Bliss. His mother, his father, Gongaga village. So sweet, he remembers the taste of his mothers cakes, he remembers the feel of his father's work calloused hand as it clapped him on the shoulder. He remembers...remembers... Something happened. Something changed...didn't it? Something dark and scary and he doesn't want to go there. Green eyes, a smirk, flames, smoke. Hell. Oh... Zack's eyes sprang open, he gasped and felt agony tear through his head as if it had been cleaved by a sword. He almost screamed but it came out as a rough groan.

"Professor! Professor, the subject is awake!" His head was pounding behind his eyes, he could feel the pressure of restraints around his wrists and clenched his hands into two tight fists.

"Then put him out again, I have no time to baby sit you!"

"O-of course..." The woman hovering over him was scared, Zack looked directly at her and she swallowed hard before lifting a needle and jabbing it harshly into his tightly corded neck. All he could do was utter a soft curse, but even that was finally lost as he floated once again but not before he had the time to spot a flash of yellow-blond over the other side of the room. Cloud.

XXX

Say it then.

Z-Zack...I...

Go on, say it.

I...I love you...Zack...

XXX

How can you call yourself a SOLDIER? I don't need such a pathetic SOLDER.

Angeal! WAIT!

XXX

Those wings... I want them too...

XXX

Once again his eyes opened, this time he was in some sort of cylindrical container, he was surrounded by softly pulsing green light and as he turned his head he could clearly see that Cloud was beside him. Now was his chance, he would escape. He had to.

Cloud, hang in there.

XXX

Breathing was hard. His heart was hammering inside his chest like a trapped bird in a cage. He was dying, he knew it and he was scared. Scared as hell. He didn't want to die, not yet. He couldn't remember who he was or why he was dying, he couldn't remember anything but pain and pain and more pain. The heartbeat starts, a soft whine split his head in two, he screamed into the darkness but no one could hear him. He was trapped like a butterfly in a crushing hand. He was bruised and beaten and so, so defeated. Everything was gone. Everything he couldn't and wouldn't remember was dead. Everything was darkness, the soft whine, the loud, thudding heart beat the only things he was aware of.

My beautiful puppet.

No. No. Not again. Please.

He couldn't take anymore. He was being crushed beneath the weight of his own despair. The darkness was heavy, like a death shroud. He wanted it to end. He wanted to quit.

Is this all there is? I thought you had more fight left in you.

He was frozen. Trapped. A prisoner inside his own body. He was aware of the outside, he was looking at it through a haze of bright mako green. It was all blurs and colours and soft voices, meaningless whispers and then more darkness. More pain. What were they doing to him? Why did he hurt so damned much? His memories were gone. Just like that. His past a big blank canvas on which the artist still had yet to paint. He only knew one thing...the voice in his head, the heart beat that wasn't his own. It pervaded everything and he wanted it. He needed it. He was craving it. Hot bodies twined impossibly upon a hard wooden desk, papers scattering, cries of pleasure. Sweet, sweet unbridled passion. Soft whispers, warm, soft hands over his naked flash. Sharp pain of teeth and nails and then bliss again. He was coming undone. He was screaming internally for it stop, for everything to just end but his cries fell on deaf ears.

You remember me, Cloud. Even if your head does not, your body will forever be engrained with my will. You can never escape. I will never be a memory.

Escape? Impossible. He was trapped, like a dog in a cage. "Interesting, very interesting." He can see but he can't see. It was mostly just blurs and light and that horrible laughter. Cold hands held him still and the prick of a needle dug deep into his flesh. He moaned, and his eyes slid shut.

You're not dying. You are my...

No.

Puppet.

A puppet with its strings cut, a useless doll without a master. Who was he? What was his name? He couldn't remember. The pain was comforting, almost like a faithful companion. He knew it and it knew him, it was better this way. He didn't want to remember. He wanted to erase it all, even down to the last shiny shred of a smile that lingered on an all too familiar face. He was standing in a deep well, an abyss of utter darkness and screaming at the top of his lungs as fire invaded his veins and his body was warped and changed until he couldn't recognise it anymore.

Slowly a memory surfaced; eyes the colour of the summer sky, dark hair surrounding a smiling face. Hot, feverish kisses in the dark. An Inn. A smile, brighter than the sun. A brief explosion of perfection before everything is destroyed. A name. Not his name. Not their name. Zack. He blinked. The darkness around him flickering momentarily as his memories threatened to return.

Zack? Who is...

Zack Fair, SOLDIER First Class. Friend...lover.

I know you...I remember... I love you.

Meaningless words. Emotions? You don't need them. Cloud, remember me. When you are alone, in the darkest of the night, remember and I will call.