Chapter Text
The sun was hot and bright, amplified by the endless rock that surrounded him. Zack sat against a large sandstone boulder, his right elbow balanced on a lifted knee, wiggling his leash with his other hand as he stared down at the space in between his legs. Next to him his two bowls gleamed in the light; his food was gone and his water was half drained, but a lot of sand had gotten in it. Zack’s eyes traveled to the large stake embedded through his leash and into the stone ground. With a sigh he leaned back, shoes scraping across the loose sand as his legs fell flat while he pressed his head against the sandstone behind him.
“Bored!” the SOLDIER groaned as his blue, mako shined eyes squinted against the sunlight before he pulled his chain back down and stared into the distance between two more large outcroppings of rock. Zack was almost completely hidden, surrounded by chest-high collections of rock, it almost looked like it could have been man-made, but in reality the area had probably once supported a large river that splintered off where Zack sat. Ever since Sephiroth had kidnapped him he’d done nothing but sit around when he was by himself, and get fucked when his master was around. Basically, no exercise, nothing to entertain him, no one to talk to. He had absolutely nothing to occupy himself. In fact, Zack tended to sleep due to sheer boredom, but it was too hot to even try that; and Zack was worried about scorpions. He’d been stung on the ass once and that was enough to learn to pay attention. Angeal had tried not to be too obvious about it, but he clearly found it funny, especially when he informed his SOLDIER Third class protege that his left butt cheek was going to swell massively. A cast of esuna and he was good as new, but still, Zack never forgot the humiliation, or how much it had hurt.
The sound of roughly a dozen rushing feet jerked the SOLDIER to attention as he pulled his legs up and got into a kneel. Listening carefully he could pick out the sound of boots across gravel and stone, along with the metallic clink and thud of weapons and armor. His heart fluttered in his chest as Zack looked around, but there was no way he could hide. And then he paused. Could he be helped? But as soon as the idea hit dread stuttered his heart. No, if he ran off Sephiroth would catch him and punish him for being bad. Zack had lost to him once when trying his damned best to win, there was no way he’d win now. There was a splitting off of the sound of feet as some went away. Then more splitting off until only one set drew closer to him.
Zack tensed and moved over to one of the smaller outcroppings surrounding him on his right and huddled down on his knees while trying to look up over the top carefully, though perhaps his hair would make him too obvious. It was infantry, which begged the question of their purpose. It was only one man walking over toward him, gun pressed to his stomach with the tip pointed down to the ground at his feet as he walked. Zack swallowed, suddenly nervous. The foot soldier walked over toward him and right into his little space. Zack froze, heart stopped when the infantryman spotted and looked at the campsite before quickly jerking his gaze to the SOLDIER who then lunged up and tackled the man to the ground. Zack’s chain leash rattled loudly across the ground and even smacked the man’s helmet from where he sat on his knees over his downed opponent while he wrestled the gun from the man’s hand and yanked the strap off his head before tossing it away.
“Zack! Wait!” the voice that cried froze Zack in place. Eyes wide he stared down at the figure panting beneath him before two hands came up and pulled the helmet off, the chin strap already un-clipped it seemed. The helmet slid off, revealing bright blue eyes and fell to the ground just after clearing blonde spikes of hair. Zack stared down at the soft, familiar face of his only friend in the infantry.
“Cloud?” he asked, heart pumping faster. The blonde nodded to the question with an obvious answer, jerking slightly in surprise when Zack found himself unable to stop and touched his friend’s face. For sure, it was Cloud, the SOLDIER almost couldn’t believe his luck.
“What is going on?” the blonde asked and Zack’s brain stuttered out of its brief moment of awe before he got off and offered his hand to his friend. Grateful, Cloud took the proffered limb and stood up. “Why are you wearing a leash?” the blonde asked, voice full of confusion. Glancing at the stake in the ground, Zack rubbed his hand through his hair and gave an awkward laugh. Uh, no way was he telling that story.
“It’s uh… nothing, really,” Zack answered before Cloud walked up to him, expression firm.
“You disappeared after Nibelheim, Zack! You’ve been labeled a traitor by ShinRa,” Cloud informed and Zack felt his heart drop into his stomach as dread filled him to the core. Right. He hadn’t really thought about it much, primarily because he hadn’t wanted to. Of course, ShinRa would label him a deserter. Especially if they had figured out at all that he was traveling with Sephiroth.
“It’s… it’s not what you think,” Zack muttered as he looked away, unsure he even had the courage to tell the truth. When he looked back, it was to the sight of Cloud’s downturned face. Concern filled him as he reached his hand out and placed his hand over the pauldron on his friend’s shoulder.
“Hey-” Zack began but was cut off.
“My village was burned to the ground, Zack,” Cloud informed, tone forlorn and Zack grimaced. “You… you didn’t have anything to do with it, did you?” the blonde asked and the SOLDIER gasped.
“N-no! I tried to stop Sephiroth! Honest! He just,” Zack paused, regret filling his chest, “beat me. To a pulp.” After a second Cloud looked up then, blinked his eyes a few times, and then turned to the stake in the ground.
“He’s supposed to be in the area. It’s why we’re here,” Cloud informed and Zack felt his chest tighten.
“I-I really don’t know. I just got left here,” the SOLDIER informed and the blonde whipped toward him, surprised.
“You’ve been with Sephiroth?!” Cloud gasped at the implication of his friend’s statement.
“Well, not exactly with. More like, a prisoner. I mean, you can see the leash,” Zack said with a motion to the stake again even as the chain swayed from the metal collar around his neck. Cloud nodded after a second, chewing over the words for a moment before he turned to the stake again.
“So basically this is a kidnapping,” Cloud stated, and even though his friend couldn’t see it, Zack nodded. “Why haven’t you run yet? Is the stake too hard to pull out?” the blonde asked and the SOLDIER grimaced a little. With his mako-enhanced strength he surely could. But fear of punishment was what kept him in place.
“U-uh, Cloud, I don’t think it’s a good idea. Maybe after Sephiroth-” Zack said when Cloud’s radio went off from where it hung on his hip. Lifting a finger up, the blonde grabbed his radio. The blonde responded back and though garbled in static there was a word that caught Zack’s ear. Spotted. Sephiroth spotted. Horror bloomed in his chest and Zack marched up to Cloud before grabbing the blonde’s arm. Quickly, Cloud released the button as the SOLDIER stared hard down on his friend.
“Don’t face Sephiroth. If you fight him, he will kill you,” Zack said, voice firm, and for some reason he was surprised when the blonde glared at him. Cloud stepped back, bent down to pick up his helmet, and put it on.
“Sephiroth slaughtered my village. He killed my mom!” Cloud shouted, anger twisting his lips into a snarl. Zack lifted his hands in a calming gesture as he looked out toward where he had earlier heard the initial footfalls that became solely Cloud’s.
“I get it, I really do. But, Cloud, you’re mom wouldn’t want you to recklessly get yourself killed, right?” Zack asked as he looked back over, guilt shaping the contours of his face. Cloud debated the words and frowned.
“But-”
“I know. I wish I could change everything about that day. But, Sephiroth is dangerous,” Zack reasserted and the blonde finally nodded.
“I never made SOLDIER either, not like I could do anything,” Cloud muttered, voice bitter. The sound of boots marching drew in close enough to hear again and both men froze before Zack hurried over and ducked down behind another outcropping of rock, the blonde settling down next to him.
“Zack, the orders are shoot to kill. If they see you, they will shoot you,” Cloud whispered, voice grave. Zack swallowed, anxiety pumping through his heart.
“I can’t leave here,” the SOLDIER informed and the blonde grabbed his friend’s shoulder.
“You’re a SOLDIER aren’t you. You’re more than strong enough to escape,” Cloud pressed and Zack frowned, not entirely sure. Sephiroth seemed to be really good at doing things in such a way as to just deny his abilities; the silverette was probably all too aware of Zack’s strength and based all his actions on it. A rush of boots came forward toward them then, two sets, and the SOLDIER hunkered down, trying to decide what to do. He could take out one. But then he’d be exposed to the other. The infantrymen turned and shouted as their guns trained on him and Zack jumped to his feet, hands held up with Cloud doing the same.
“What the hell were you doing, Strife? Shoot to kill!” the man in the lead screamed and the blonde stuttered.
“Wait, he’s not a traitor!” Cloud shouted.
“Shoot to kill!” was repeated. The gun leveled at Zack’s chest fired, the explosion of sound piercing into his ears as the SOLDIER dove to the side while Cloud barreled forward. The blonde’s body slammed into his fellow foot soldier, knocking him over and grabbing his gun, but the downed infantryman still had his hold on the weapon and the two started struggling for it.
“Shoot the traitors!” the downed man screamed at the other who was hesitating. Zack got onto his knees and his entire diaphragm froze, choking the air from him when sharp, burning pain lanced through his stomach and spread through his gut and chest. Looking down the SOLDIER realized in horror that his shirt was soaked in blood. He’d been shot. Fuck. The other foot soldier aimed his gun at Cloud who was starting to win in his tug of war and Zack forced himself onto his feet, stumbling hard as he ran and grabbed the gun of his hesitating enemy. The man screamed when his gun went off, a bullet whizzing into the air after Zack had yanked the nozzle up. With his opponent distracted Zack flattened his palm out and rammed the edge of his outer hand into the man’s throat just beneath his jaw. The infantryman gagged, clutched his throat, and collapsed before rolling around on the ground. Just as Zack finished he turned to see Cloud win his prize and slam the butt of the rifle into his fellow foot soldier’s head, knocking him out.
Zack took a breath and sudden pain bolted through him again as his abdominal muscles clenched, forcing him to double over before collapsing onto his knees with his hand pressed to his stomach, which triggered a violent upheaval of vibrant red to spill onto the ground. With a gasp Cloud was on his knees in front of Zack, hands on his shoulders. Panic could be seen in the way the blonde’s lips trembled.
“We have to get out of here! The rest of my unit will be here any minute after those shots!” Cloud gasped, speech rushed and panting. Zack nodded, struggling to get his lungs to relax enough for him to breathe, but every time his diaphragm expanded pain shot through his nerves as nausea rolled stronger.
“We have to hurry!” Cloud cried as he grabbed the chain and examined Zack’s collar.
“It’s not coming off that way,” Zack garbled breathlessly in pain. The blonde shot up and grabbed the leash staked to the ground and started pulling. But there was no way he was going to get it out, Sephiroth had bought a massive steel stake and it was jammed deep. Cloud pulled, boots digging into the ground as his back bowed backward he pulled so hard. After a second, Zack forced himself to his feet and grabbed hold of the chain along with the blonde before giving a pull, but the pain lanced all through him again and his entire body froze, forcing more blood into his mouth right as the jerking stake jumped out of the ground a good inch. Excited Cloud dropped down and grabbed the flat head of it and pulled with both hands, yanking it out while Zack stared, surprised. The sound of infantry feet began to fade in as the blonde jumped up with the chain his hands and grabbed Zack’s hand with the other.
“Come on! Run!” Cloud hollered and with a nod, Zack followed suit.
“Stop!” a cry from behind them echoed, followed by a series of shots that missed both as they weaved around the massive sandstone block and continued on. It did not take very long, Zack was certain of it before the pain in his stomach became unbearable and his knees buckled. Cloud shouted in surprise when the hand he’d held ripped from him. The blonde spun around, his helmet almost sliding off his head when Zack’s face ate the dirt before vomiting again. Rushing over the blonde knelt by his friend. They were coming, both could hear it. Zack swallowed and used all the strength he had to flip over onto his back. He couldn’t do it anymore. His muscles were starting to not respond, he didn’t even think he could get up on his knees now.
“Cloud, run,” Zack wheezed.
“Come on! Get up!” Cloud screamed. Zack closed his eyes and took a breath. It would be easier to just lay there and die, wouldn’t it? Cloud was trying so hard. But it was getting so hard to breathe. A shadow fell over his vision, either that or he was losing his sight. Shit. Was he actually dying? A loud flap of sound hit his ears and gust of wind brushed over him as Zack struggled to open his eyes, and when he did, he could only get them open a crack. When he did he spied the fluttering coat that belonged to none other than Sephiroth, and the shade his massive wing cast over him. An arm swung out and Zack attempted to speak, but Cloud was hit so hard he flew off his feet, helmet flinging off his head as he sailed backward.
“Who shot him?” Sephiroth asked and it was only then that Zack realized the rest of Cloud’s unit had caught up.
“Shoot to kill!” And then an intense barrage of horrific, ear-splitting shots filled the air. Within a second, it was over. Zack sucked in a ragged, choking gasp as his entire diaphragm clenched and water bit into his eyes. It was getting cold. Either that or the air was getting chilly. Sephiroth’s face appeared over him then, and the SOLDIER blinked, feeling suddenly so tired. Fingers worked under his skull and his head was carefully lifted before a materia appeared just below his sight. It glowed and enveloped his body. Suddenly the pain was gone and a beat later energy zipped all through Zack, knocking away the sleepiness that had been taking over his mind and he jerked up with a surprised gasp. Zack sat a moment and looked up at Sephiroth as the silverette stood up and pocketed his materia.
“Wipe your mouth,” Sephiroth ordered and after only a second he did. For a brief moment, Zack wondered if he’d just been healed or had revive used on him. His master walked over toward the fallen Cloud, Masamune still in his hand and wing present, but not extended. The SOLDIER gasped when he spied the blonde sprawled on the ground while Sephiroth raised the tip of Masamune. A shout exploded from Zack’s throat as he scrambled to his feet, falling all over himself until he rushed over and threw himself over Cloud.
“Move, Zackary,” Sephiroth ordered and Zack shook his head fervently, eyes squeezed shut and cringing in preparation for retaliatory action from the silverette. “He and his unit shot you, did they not? Move,” Sephiroth ordered again, voice booming in growing agitation. Fuck. He couldn’t move! He’d be dead if it weren’t for Cloud!
“Please, Sephiroth! He didn’t shoot me! Cloud saved me!” Zack gasped. “I’d have been shot dead at the campsite if he hadn’t been there! He fought for me! Please, spare him!” he begged. It was silent then, and after a moment Zack picked up the sound of Sephiroth’s boots walking away. Opening his eyes the SOLDIER caught the sight of Sephiroth’s back as he sheathed Masamune. Relieved, Zack sat up and looked at Cloud’s face and brushed some hair from his forehead when he noticed something on the ground. Vibrant against the white and yellow stone of the world were flecks of blood. Horror twisted Zack’s heart as he carefully slid his fingers against the back of Cloud’s skull without lifting it and pulled them back; they were covered in blood. A loud, audible gasp escaped him as his heart shot off like a rocket in panic. Zack’s eyes landed on the helmet some feet away. No. No. No.
“Sephiroth?” Zack called, hot water building up in his eyes. “Please, save him,” he said, voice quavering. He got no response.
“Please!” Zack finally called. “He’s bleeding bad! He’s still breathing, I’m sure a revive will save him!” he begged. Sephiroth turned back around, face stoic as he walked the few paces back and to his pet and stood, still, staring into Zack’s face as the warm breeze stroked the long silver strands of his hair.
“I have no need for another dog,” Sephiroth said simply and Zack whimpered as he crawled over to Sephiroth and grabbed the leg of his pants.
“Please, I’m begging you. I swear, I will be good for the rest of my life,” Zack begged. “I’ll stop complaining. I’ll do whatever you want. I’ll be happy about all of it. Please, just save Cloud. Arf! Arf! Arf!” Sephiroth’s eyes slid over to the blonde who emitted a faint groan, jerking the SOLDIER’s attention to him, eyes begging desperately when he looked back to his master. The silverette took the couple steps toward the blonde and knelt down. A gloved hand reached down and took the young infantryman’s chin in his right hand as he leaned forward, barely turning the blonde’s head. A hum left the silverette’s lips and Zack watched, heart slamming viciously in his chest as a nervous sweat broke across his skin.
It was a second later when his vision suddenly swam and his ears rang that Zack realized he had stopped breathing. Sephiroth reached into his coat pocket then, feeling around for a brief moment before pulling out a magic materia. With the orb held within his palm held over the blonde, it released a glow that enveloped him. Relief flooded Zack and he sagged, exhausted again as he watched Sephiroth’s hand rose and touched Cloud’s forehead. Curious, he leaned over and looked up to try and see his master’s expression, but it was unreadable. The touching was lingering too long, Sephiroth was looking at Cloud too long. Discomfort birthed itself in Zack, replacing all of that relaxing relief he’d just happily welcomed. The silverette pocketed his materia then and stood, glancing down at Zack as he held out his hand.
“Give me your leash,” his master ordered and the pet glanced quickly until he spotted the end and grabbed it off the ground before putting it in Sephiroth’s hand.
“Now pick up,” Sephiroth paused for only a brief second, “Cloud.” Zack felt tension work through his shoulders as his heart thudded hard in his chest. He glanced from the silverette to his friend.
“Are you going to break your promise right after making it?” Sephiroth asked and immediately Zack knee walked his way to Cloud, lifted the blonde’s torso, rest his head against his shoulder, and scooped him up in his arms before standing.
“Good boy,” Sephiroth praised before he started walking and Zack quickly followed after him, a heavy dread filling his stomach as he glanced down at the unconscious blonde in his arms. Did he just do something unforgivable?