Chapter Text
Blood on the ground, the rain mixing it with the dry soil into a mud that doesn’t quite cling to his clothes and skin like it should. Not that he is aware of it, too focussed on his only goal. The body laying on the cliff, barely breathing in a pool of red mud.
He is so confused- and scared. Zack wouldn't leave him. He promised. He was the one constant thing in his life, ever since they met. But now he's there, bleeding out on the cliffside from far too many bullet wounds. Zack's chest is full of them but his eyes skip over it all, trying to find the face that pulled him out of his dreams.
He searches for those blue eyes, the grin that would always lit them up like stars. He finds them, their light dull. Still Zack smiles at him, as always. He tries to speak, weak and confused and so scared. "Z-Zack.?"
Zacks eyes stay staring at the sky, but he knows Zack heard him. His body feels so heavy, it takes all he has to focus on Zack, on his face, on his shallow breathing. On Zack's words. "You're gonna.."
He is so confused. The words barely make sense to him and it takes him a moment to process and respond. "You're gonna..?"
He waits. He is so confused, so scared. Zack lifts an arm to pull his head to his chest. Zack's hand feels so safe in his hair, as it always has.
"Live."
The arm falls down with a wet splash, but he stays where Zack put him. The chest beneath his face is still warm, but slowly getting colder. The warm blood sticks to his face, his hair. The rain doesn't reach to wash it away, and it stubbornly clings to his face like an apology, like a promise.
His eyes focus on Zack’s, who looks up to him with that soft smile.
"You'll be... My living legacy.."
He barely knows what that means, his brain too addled to try and figure it out. He sits up as Zack heaves a breath. They don't have long. He knows Zack is dying, and Zack knows it too.
He blinks down at his friend, his hero. Zack can't be leaving him like this. Zack is always so strong.. never showing that it hurts, that his chest can barely rise for a new breath.
He can only repeat Zack's words, halting and through a thick fog. He doesn't understand.
"I'll be.. your living legacy.."
Zack winces, but tries to smile anyway. "That's right.." Zack tries to lift his arm, still holding the buster sword.
"My hopes.."
He hears the rain, but he can’t feel it on his skin. Zack, Zack.. he doesn't understand, can’t get his thoughts sorted out. He sits, frozen and trembling, arms refusing to respond, to take the offered grip. Yet Zack keeps trying to lift the sword.
"My dreams..''
Please, Zack, he's so scared. He doesn't know what's going on, Zack would always be there for him, right..? What is he saying? Why are his eyes so dull?
Zack puts the sword grip in his hands, folds his fingers around it.
"They're yours now."
Zack pushes his hands, holding the sword, to his chest. Away from Zack. The touch makes him sway a little. He couldn't...
Zack’s breathing hitches. None of this felt real. He looks up at the sky, the rain washing the blood from his face, like a promise broken. Like Zack can't hold on anymore.
He doesn't know when he starts screaming. Screaming for Zack, screaming out his fear. Screaming for all the promises, for Zack's voice and smile.
Screaming until his voice breaks and the silence fills him.
Then he looks down. Down at Zack, stiller than he's ever been. He looks peaceful.. yet sad. A last smile still gracing his lips.
His hands find their way into Zack's hair. He wishes he could feel the black spikes, but the gloves on his hands mute all feeling.
His hands hit something that isn't hair, and he blinks. His hand comes away red, and he stares at it uncomprehendingly. Zack's blood, stuck on him like an accusation, like guilt. Slowly he remembers now, all the sweet words Zack said to him while dragging his unresponsive body all over the continent. All the desperate, pleading words too. He can hear them repeat in his brain, in his own voice.
Please let him wake up. Please let him be okay. Let him return to me. Please, whatever gods or powers are out there, let this not be the end of us.
The rain keeps falling, like tears on his face. Zack's breath stutters, once, then twice. Cloud's hands move, he's still staring at the blood on them as he slowly fists them into Zack's shirt. He bows his head over Zack's chest, pained sobs escaping him. He can't help but trace the lines of Zack's uniform, the holes littering it. He traces it down to the big leather belt and the inventory hidden within.
Numb and almost mindless, he opens it. Orbs in a messy pile, a small assortment of leftover potions and ethers, some scraps of paper and some lost twigs fill the empty space of Zack's inventory. As if they were thrown in there in a hurry, or dislodged by searching for something in a rush.
Zack is just staring into the sky now, barely aware anymore. His heart is slow and sluggish, taking too long between beats. Blood still pools around him, the rain not having managed to wash it all away. Cloud barely notices, so occupied with the mess in his hands, the poison in his brain barely letting him function. He spots something glitter between the green and yellow orbs of materia, and reaches out to take it.
A golden feather shines in his hands, a soft glow coming from it. He doesn't think he's seen something like this before, doesn't know what it's for.
Then his ears catch the sound of Zack's voice, soft and quiet.
"Those wings…. I want them too." A shaking hand is raised to the sky, Zack lost in a last vision before death, before the lifestream takes him.
Cloud's wide eyes flood with panic. The feather forgotten he places his hand on Zack's chest, the other going to grab the outstretched hand. Out of some instinct he knows Zack is fading, is leaving him for good. He doesn't have the words to plead, to beg Zack to stay with him. His mouth hangs open and useless, fear making him tremble.
The brightening glow under his glove goes unnoticed, the warmth soaking into the lifeless body, a fire slowly igniting within. Cloud's eyes see only Zack's, clouded with death but content at whatever vision is awaiting him at death's door. The feather sinks into Zack's chest like dissolving ash, and the shock of it makes Zack flinch.
One moment, he sees light and feathers and a welcoming hand, the next only a clearing sky high above him. The last raindrops fall around his head, as he blinks in confusion. Cloud is clinging to him, shivering, but his grip is strong. Especially for someone who was unresponsive in a coma only hours before.
Healing magics of the most powerful kind knit him back together, itching under his skin. Burning and rushing through his veins. Bullets are pushed out of his chest and Cloud finally takes notice as they push against the hand still on Zack's chest.
"Wh-What..?"
A pained sound escapes Zack's lips, his breathing growing stronger. No longer actively dying, the feeling slips back into his battered body.
It hurts. He has hurt before but this is different, worse somehow. His body and soul are forcefully pulled back from the lifestream and with each moment more of his awareness and thoughts return.
Cloud has been staring, hope and desperation in his wide eyes. Lost for words, or even thoughts. His hands shake.
“Zack… Zack?”
Zack’s body is trembling now, breath coming quickly. His enhanced healing kicks into overdrive, eating away what little reserves he still had. He can almost feel his body losing muscle in a desperate bid for energy. He slowly, carefully, turns his head so he can look at Cloud. He can still barely believe it, seeing Cloud so wide-eyed with concern and alive.
With the little strength he can muster, he pushes their joined hands to Cloud's face. As the gloves touch his cheek, Cloud presses into his hand. The desperation hasn't left his eyes and he isn't yet coherent enough to fully understand what is going on. But he's here, aware, and speaking. That in and of itself was a miracle. His lips quip into a shaky smile. “Hey. You're finally awake.”
Cloud blinks the tears from his eyes, and slowly, like he has almost forgotten how, he smiles back.
Sunlight hits their faces, and bathes them in its gentle glow.
~
It takes a long time until he feels stable enough to try and move. The sun had gone from shining brightly above them to slowly setting behind the cliffs that made up the Wastes around Midgar. Cloud, first so present, had slowly gone back to that empty look in his eyes and eventually fell over onto Zack's chest. His eyes are slivers of glowing blue, his heartbeat sluggish and breathing slow.
Zack moves an arm around him in a loose cuddle, and for all he is used to the sight of his friend like this he is no longer so afraid. Cloud had woken up, spoken words! He had somehow made his way over to him, crawling through mud and bodies, and held his hand. He was going to be okay. They were both going to be okay.
Zack had been alright with dying, right then and there, to protect Cloud. He had craved the release, the freedom from all their suffering. Finally he would be done. He had even seen Angeal floating down to reach for him, white wings spread and welcoming.
But now that he's had a moment to think clearly and get some rest, he realises he feels guilty for that. All puns aside, it wasn't fair to Cloud to just leave him here. Poisoned and burdened with Zack's hopes and dreams, with a sword he knew only half the story of. He pulled Cloud just a little bit tighter to him, squeezing the hand still held in his. “Never again, buddy. I promise I won't leave you like that. You deserve better from me than one sword and a world full of troubles.”
They laid there, motionless, mako blue eyes watching the skies slowly turn dark above them. The sound of a chopper in the distance shot a spike of adrenaline through him, and Zack jolted up from the ground with a groan. Almost a year of running from sounds like these had him casting his eyes around for a place to hide. They had to move. They couldn't be found now, when Zack barely had the strength to protect them. It felt almost like dying all over again, sitting up and getting a better grip on Cloud. He slowly dragged both their unresponsive bodies along, trying to stay in the lengthening shadows of the rocks around them.
Against the dark sky his eyes caught the silhouette of the approaching chopper. They hadn't been spotted yet, but it would be a matter of time if they couldn't find some overhanging rock or cave soon. The chopper seemed to hover above the cliffside that was still stained with blood and littered with bodies. Hopefully that would keep them distracted long enough for them to reach any semblance of actual cover.