Fic: Sunset (FFVII, Zack/Aeris/Cloud, PG-13)

[icedark_elf]

Title: Sunset
Fandom: Final Fantasy VII
Pairing: Zack/Aeris/Cloud
Author/artist: icedark_elf
Recipient: lyrarune
Rating: PG-13
Beta: forgottenlover
Wordcount: 1,728
Warning: Character death
Prompt: FF7 - Aeris/Cloud/Zack. If you decide to make it sexy, light BDSM
encouraged. Something with sunset and a sense of goodbye. written for het_challenge



Sunset

It started off slowly, the last battle between Jenova and the Planet. At least the last battle that Cloud was a part of. A missed step here, a few moments of dizziness there, noticing that colors weren’t as bright as they used to be.

Cloud was the last of the true Jenova hosts. Vincent and Nanaki both bore her in their blood, but in far smaller quantities, and they had other factors that suppressed her. Cloud had literally been rebuilt to be the perfect host.

The one thing he was proud to be a failure at.

One last great battle between the Planet and the Calamity that tried to destroy it, and the battlefield was in Cloud’s own body.

The others didn’t know, really. None of the other knew except for Reeve, who had found the old records. And the Turks, but he had already had a talk with Rufus. The former president of the largest company in the world had agreed to do this one favor for Cloud, and he ordered the Turks to do the same.

He had called the others together, wanting to explain it all at once to them. Vincent might have some idea; the man had saved Cloud from monsters at one point when everything had gone strange in his vision. And Cloud really wasn’t sure just how much the man knew about the SOLDIER project.

They were on their way now, he had gotten a hold of all of them. But he hadn’t been able to stay at the bar, even with Tifa worrying about him. Cloud had more bad days than good, and only the fact he was on familiar ground kept him from walking into things, and his hearing was still good enough to avoid most people. But the dizzy spells and the sight problems were getting worse.

Not a surprise.

Mako was killing him and Jenova was trying to keep him alive.

Mako, concentrated Lifestream, the blood of the Planet itself. Mako does not create power that was not there, it enhances, supercharges what humans are capable of. But for a price. All that power comes from the fact that the Mako is forcing the body to cycle through cells at an enormous speed.

No SOLDIER had lived past the age of thirty. None of them. Average death was mid to late twenties. So many died on missions it was hard to get an accurate count, but Cloud was now suspecting that most of those deaths had been due to the symptoms of the Mako induced decay in their own bodies.

Vincent and Nanaki seemed to have been preserved, untouched by time. Cloud was burning his body out, and now was paying the price.

He rather welcomed it.

Still, he wanted to go see a few more places before he died, which would be soon. His vision was almost gone, more pale shapes moving against the darker shapes of the background than any really images. Eyes were always one of the worst hit, with all the Mako resting in them making them burn out faster than any other part of the body. Cloud was unsure if the fact he could see at all was due to Jenova, or the changes Hojo had forced upon him. But he used it to his advantage, making it to the spot.

Too tired to really want to stand as he talked, Cloud settled on the ground, using the blade as a backrest as he looked over the plains that lead to Midgar. Well, had his head facing that way. Even with the city there, he saw nothing more than a few feet away. Luck, sheer determination, and familiarity kept him from dying in a stupid mishap on the way here. Leaning back, he sighed.

“Looks like I’m going to be heading back again soon. Will you guys let me stay this time, or will you find some way of forcing me back here again, even with a dying body and no desire to be here?”

No answer, not that he expected to hear one. Cloud was used to hearing the voices, but they had fallen silent during the past year, when the first effects of the Mako were becoming clear.

Cloud didn’t particularly want to die, but he didn’t really want to live either. Caught with no will for either direction, he had simply drifted. Yes, Zack and Aeris were in the Lifestream, but neither seemed to want him there, so that left here, where he was wanted, but ever since the labs, Cloud had felt out of place. He knew Tifa cared for him, as did the kids.

But, somehow, he just didn’t fit. Things moved wrong, hearing and sight picked up things that nobody else could. Occasionally Vincent would look at him, and Cloud knew he wasn’t alone in seeing the things, but most of the time, he couldn’t share how things looked, how they sounded.

If this had happened before, if he had been accepted into the SOLDIER program, Cloud would have had others who understood, who knew what he was talking about. Hell, they would -understand- why he wasn’t unhappy this was happening.

Things hurt now. It was something like Geostigma, but not. Dull, aching throbs, spiked through by sharp pains that would make him almost flinch. Only the fact that he had such a tight grip on himself kept him from making the others worry.

The bar was easy enough. The places he was used to, he could still navigate without any problems. New places, though, places where he wasn’t sure of the lay of the land, those were to be avoided. He hadn’t taken on a delivery in about six months, and those times he claimed he was, he was here.

This place, for all the pain associated with it, was peaceful. He could sit here and feel the sun on his skin. So different from the first time he was here. When all it offered him was cold rain and hot blood.

He knew the others were gathering, and he should go back. To the church, where he had finally gotten everyone together to meet one last time. Was going to tell them the truth. Tell them that he was dying, and that there was nothing to really stop it.

Cloud just wished it didn’t hurt so much. Just because he could handle pain didn’t mean he wanted to.

They were gathering. He knew it. He had heard the Sherra go over earlier, and assumed that it had more than a few passengers. The calls had gone out weeks ago, and he had finally gotten all the people to answer him. Should go.

He didn’t want to. Not yet.

The sunlight was warm on his skin, making the constant ache fade some. That was nice. Looking the way of the warmth, he could just focus enough to see that the sun was finally going down. For once, the world didn’t seem to be slowing down, it seemed to be speeding up. And as it did, the sunset became clearer and clearer for him.

“It is very pretty, isn’t it,” came a soft voice to his side, and Cloud couldn’t help but glance that way, even as Aeris settled down next to him. Movement on the other side caught his attention, and Cloud looked over to see Zack doing the same.

“Let my sword get all rusty, Spike.” He grinned, and Cloud could -feel- his hair being ruffled. How...? “But I’ll forgive you this time. Nice sunset, isn’t it?”

Cloud found himself nodding dumbly. “Am I dead?”

Zack shook his head. “Not yet. Wish you weren’t going to at all, but it’ll happen soon. Just thought we’d come out and enjoy the sunset with you.”

“Then you’ll go back with us,” Aeris said, laying her head on Cloud’s shoulder. “No sending you back this time, Cloud. This in the end of an era, you know.”

“After this, Jenova, the Calamity bitch herself, is done. No more resurrections, no more battles.” Zack kissed Cloud’s temple. “Just you, me, Aeris, and time. As long as you want. We’re a special case, it seems.”

“Mmhmm.” Aeris again, and Cloud could just feeling his head going from side to side like he was watching a game. “You two are so tangled up that neither of you can fade completely until both of you are ready, and I’m the last of my kind. But, when it does happen, it’ll be fun to find you guys all over again.”

“So...this is it? Everything is finally over?” He couldn’t help the hesitation in his voice. He had thought it was over so many times before, and he just kept finding his way back. He was tired. “No more?”

Zack chuckled. “You’re stuck with us this time, Spike. And Aeris told me about the dress.”

“Aeris, you didn’t?!”

“I did. Now, both of you shush, and enjoy the sunset.”

Cloud smiled, for the first time in a while, and let himself relax, feeling them next to him as the sun slowly set.

As dusk settled around them, and the sun faded into a gleam of brilliance on the horizon, Aeris stood and dusted her dress off. “Well,” she said. “Time to say goodbye, and for us all to head home.” She held her hand out to Cloud. It was a familiar sight for him, and he paused for a long moment, studying her for a moment.

“I’m not teasing you, silly.” She offered it again, and this time he took it.

“That’s right,” Zack damn near chirped, his hand moving to rest on Cloud’s waist. “We got forever to do that.”

“Zaaack!”

///

In the church, none of them knew what was going on, but the sense of calm that wafted over them made those who had gathered pause.

Vincent looked at the pool of water, still here after all this time, and saw a ripple of green go through it as something...changed. He and Nanaki shared a look, both realizing something important had happened. What it was, neither knew, just that it was important.

Tifa was sure she felt a hug and a whispered “goodbye,” and she knew that voice.

This was it.

“Goodbye, Cloud,” she murmured herself, wiping away a tear, and sighing.

Time to find out what had happened.