Chapter 06 - Crisis of Commerce, Part 1
Fandom: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII (FFVII, Advent Children, Crisis Core, Before Crisis, Dirge of Cerberus)
Pairing: Established Zack/Aerith, Eventual Sephiroth/Cloud (Subject to possible additions)
Rating: Teen (Subject to change)
Warnings: Violence, Language, Pretty much what you'd expect from FFVII. (Subject to additions)
Genre: Time Travel, AU, Action/Adventure, Drama, Friendship, Romance.
Words: 15,639
Summary: At first it was about preventing tragedy. For Cloud it soon becomes a fight to protect new bonds, tread untrod paths and find happy endings. Second chances aren't always easy in a time where ghosts live and heroes are human.
Special Thanks To: Our darling, amazing beta/guinea pig readers leasspell_dael & croix_souillees for all of your help. As well as nightpounce for helping inspire the summary, and the rest of the peanut gallery.
Chapter 05 - Crisis of Churches
Masterlist
Counter Crisis
by White Mage Koorii & Dragoon-Sama
Chapter 06 - Crisis of Commerce
[ μ ] - εуλ 0001 (December 17th)
The dust kicked up by the trio’s shoes dispersed slowly in the gloomy streets of the slums. Cloud, Zack, and Aerith had left the church soon after Zack and Viri’s impromptu game of chase/keep away. Cloud had tucked the little chick securely in his arms again as they headed for Sector 6 and the vivacious Wall Market. Cloud breathed a silent sigh, trying to sooth the continued feeling of being too far out of his depth that was mixed with the pure joy of his two greatest regrets being alive and well.
Before now, he hadn’t taken into consideration the fact that in this time Aerith was still alive. Oh, he’d known it, on a subconscious level, but he hadn’t acknowledged that fact until Zack had dropped his bombshell announcement on the train. Unable to prepare himself, he’d nearly given in to the black despair that had his feet itching to run the other way, but...he couldn’t disappoint Zack like that. Instead, Cloud had followed his friend reluctantly through the slum streets. An icy feeling of guilty anticipation had grown the closer they got to the church, and Cloud found himself both terrified and longing to see Aerith again. Would she know him? There was no way, of course, but somehow with Aerith it seemed possible.
His worries had been unfounded, and Cloud remembered how his breath had caught in his throat at the first sight of her. She was wearing a white sundress, so unlike the more sturdy pink dress he’d met her in, and it had shone in the sparse sunlight of the church. Her welcome had been as warm as her smile, and it had been easy for Cloud to forget for a little bit the horror of the last time he’d seen her alive.
Now that the reality of Aerith's presence, her living presence, had settled in Cloud found it easy to just hang back and watch Zack and Aerith. It was a strange picture with sections of broken concrete looming above them and shattered highway beneath their feet-Aerith with her head tilted up as she listened to Zack relate some animated tale. Her smile lit up her green eyes as she laughed. A lump formed in Cloud’s throat at the sight. He wasn’t sure who to thank, but just having the opportunity to see them together and happy was worth all the suffering he’d been through.
He told himself later that he should have known such a light-hearted situation wouldn't last, that he should have been more prepared, but the truth was that Cloud had forgotten about the monster-infested streets in the slums. The Remnants had called their shadow monsters, and then Bahamut SIN, and that had been the first major case of a monster attack on the city since Meteor. Since the creation of Edge at the epicenter of where the Lifestream had converged, it had been rare for monsters to set foot in the city. Between Reeves' WRO and Rufus they'd managed to set up safe areas around mot of the more heavily populated areas. It was in between these cities that remained dangerous, as Cloud well knew from his travels for his delivery service.
It happened as they crossed through the old park, eerily silent and barren. From all corners, violently red and purple spiked, a good dozen Hedgehog Pies came at them. Aerith gave a little gasp of surprise and jerked back a few steps. Cloud didn't even pause to consider how balefully weak they were; all he knew was that his friends were in danger, and he needed to protect them.
“Don't worry, we got this,” Zack said, voice ringing out. He lunged forward immediately, Buster Sword in hand, and used the blunt edge to sweep several of the monsters back, before he used it again to bludgeon another in the stomach.
"Viri, stay!" Cloud said, shoving the chick into Aerith's startled arms even as he turned and drew the sword on his back. He was thrown for a moment at the unusual balance-so unlike First Tsurugi-before old habits kicked in and he laid into the nearest monster with vehemence. The Hedgehog Pie didn't even have time to squeal before it was cleaved in two, another being caught on the follow through of the swing and sent tumbling across the park.
Cloud was aware of Zack fighting nearby, and could feel the hum as a spell was cast. It made him painfully aware of his own under-equipped stock, despite the fact that these monsters were hardly worth the effort of wasted energy. He saw Zack bat another of the creatures with the flat of his blade out of the corner of his eye, before finishing it with a well placed ice spell. Cloud was baffled at that; why didn't Zack just use his sword?
One monster tried to slip past Cloud's feet. He turned and took out some of his frustration as he kicked the creature as hard as he could. It made a satisfying crunch before it flew out of view. He looked up to see Aerith standing pale and frightened, her hands clasped to her chest as she craned her head warily around. Viri was at her feet, though how the bird had got loose from her Cloud didn't know, and had his wings extended, head down as he hissed angrily. He didn't move from Aerith's side, but kept snapping at the air in the direction of the monsters.
It only took another minute or so for Cloud and Zack to finish off the small herd, and soon silence fell again on the playground. Cloud turned, one hand delving into a pocket to pull out a cloth and wipe his blade clean. Dismissing the encounter, he went back to collect his agitated charge. Aerith still looked pale. It surprised Cloud to see her trembling a little.
"Are…you okay?" he asked softly, thrown as he realized this Aerith had never once fought a monster before. Cloud had been able to forget, for a while, when he'd talked with her about the parts of the slums he knew, careful not to be too specific lest his future knowledge prove to be false now. Before Aerith could answer Cloud heard Zack's footsteps approaching, and he turned toward his friend, face blank, as he tried to figure out how he should act now. Had he made a mistake? Zack hadn't wanted Aerith to be involved, but what did he consider involvement?
Zack gave Cloud two thumbs up. “Nice job, Cloud. Good to know you've got my back.” Then he turned to Aerith and winked at her. “See? No problem. I said before I'd protect you, right? And Cloud's here too. These guys are nothing for a SOLDIER and....” He looked at Cloud with a crooked grin. “What are you now anyway? SOLDIER-lite? An Ultima Trooper? I can't decide what we're supposed to refer to you as.”
“I don't see how I can feel unsafe with you two and Viri protecting me,” Aerith said, her voice wavering just slightly.
“Exactly!” Zack said cheerfully, and slung an arm around Cloud's neck to pull him into a loose headlock. “Cloud's not a SOLDIER, but he's still real handy to have around. In fact I bet he's almost as cool as I am. Fuzzy is just an additional security.” Zack's ability to turn a tense situation into almost absurdity was miraculous, Cloud decided. He didn't appreciate the head lock-it sent a brief pang of sadness to his heart as he remembered a time where Cid would do the same, when Cloud was being particularly gloomy or the pilot was in an agitated mood over his precious airship-but he forgave Zack the indignity when it caused Aerith to relax.
Aerith laughed in earnest as she watched them, then reached over to shove at Zack's shoulder. “Let him go, silly, you're going to suffocate him.”
“He's made of tougher stuff than that, aren't you Cloud?” Zack asked, and ruffled Cloud's wild hair. Cloud could only scowl and shove at his side. “Nobody else I'd trust to have my back!”
Once he was released from Zack's grip, Cloud knelt down to inspect Viri. He carefully checked the chick over to make sure no damage had come to him in the small scuffle. The bird was still chirping to himself, his chest puffed out as if he'd single-handedly defeated all the monsters. Cloud let out a breath of exasperated amusement. Aerith was probably right; the bird did seem to be learning a lot from Zack. He could hear the grind of gravel and dirt under Zack's boots as he moved away from him.
Cloud straightened back up with Viri in his arms again, and Aerith's hand touched his arm lightly. “Thank you,” she said softly. With a faint smile she turned to look after Zack. It was clear that she wasn't quite thanking Cloud for killing the monsters. “I'm glad he's so happy again.” She looked back to Cloud, green eyes bright and happy. “He didn't have quite the same energy after.... Well, you're a good friend for him.” Zack came darting back, waving for them to hurry up and, laughing, Aerith started after him, carefully picking her way between the monster corpses. “Coming, coming!”
Her words confused him, and brought a new apprehension to light. Apparently Zack had been worried or depressed, and Cloud hadn't noticed in lieu of his own problems. While there hadn't been much time in the hectic events that followed his intrusion into the past, not once had Cloud stopped to consider how Zack was handling everything. The SOLDIER always seemed so sure of himself that Cloud had followed blindly, trusting that Zack had everything worked out.
Cloud stood for a moment, watching Aerith follow Zack out of the playground, and considered again leaving all of this behind. He was still selfishly thinking only of himself, though. Zack wouldn't want him to run, didn't want him to leave at all, even if it made life a thousand times harder.
Viri's head bumped into his chest as the bird craned to see Cloud's face and gave an inquiring chirp. Cloud began walking, ignoring the corpses of the monsters. Keep moving forward. It was all he could do, and hopefully it would turn out okay in the end. Cloud could believe that as he watched Zack's cheerful expression and Aerith's beautiful smile when they paused to wait for him to catch up.
Wall Market was both the same and different than Cloud remembered. The bustle, the lights, the people were all familiar, with the fervor of commerce and underhanded dealings buzzing through the air. The difference could be found in the stares of the people, which had always been mistrustful, and were now openly hostile when they came to rest on him or Zack, though his friend drew most of the attention. When Cloud had frequented the sector in his own SOLDIER uniform, he'd only gotten mistrustful stares because he was a stranger rather than for any ties to ShinRa.
He cast a wary eye around the area, mentally noting which people seemed most interested in them, before glancing sideways at Zack. His friend seemed to be ignoring the danger signs, so Cloud pushed his own paranoia back. If Zack wasn't worried then Cloud was probably just being overly sensitive.
“I had no idea this was even down here!” Zack wandered out a few steps, turning and looking around with eager, bright eyes, before he brought his gaze back to Cloud and Aerith. With his fists held level his head, Zack seemed at a loss for a words. He almost seemed to tremble with his own eagerness to explore, and took them in with wide eyes. “This is great,” he said, hands moving into an encompassing gesture. “Where should we go first?”
What Zack lacked in wariness, he made up for, in excess, with enthusiasm. It was amusing, and reminded Cloud oddly of an over-excited Yuffie in a materia store. Zack's eyes shone brighter than mako alone could account for, and he seemed near to bursting with restless excitement. Cloud gave a slight, lop-sided grin and absently readjusted his hold on Viri to prevent the bird's escape or an inquisitive passerby from 'getting a closer look'. Just like that, Zack had managed not only to dismiss the aftermath of the fight completely, but bring the mood up to pure enjoyment.
Zack turned around again, leaning forward to look down the trodden dirt path that ran between the shops. People walking by had to circle around him. He didn't seem to even notice them. “Come on, come on,” Zack hissed. Cloud exchanged a look with Aerith, noting her own bemused expression at Zack's glee at something that was almost ordinary for her. He gamely paced closer when his friend beckoned, though he was nearly deafened as Zack all but hollered in his ear. “I heard you saying you've been here before? And didn't you mention something about knowing where we might get stuff for Viri?”
“You'd better watch your wallet,” Aerith piped up innocently. “Wouldn't want to catch another thief, would we?”
Zack looked away from the sight before him for a moment to give Aerith a wink. “We could catch him. We make a good team, and we have Cloud to help too. I'm sure he and his attack chocobo can corner any thief for us.” Cloud could only look on as Aerith and Zack had another of their almost coded exchanges, hinting at adventures the pair of them had shared. While it should have made Cloud feel left out, he was again filled with a quiet joy at seeing them together and so happy.
It did, however, raise on oddly impish impulse in him. Perhaps it was because Yuffie had just been on his mind, but Cloud had picked up a thing or two from the energetic thief, and he could almost hear her gleeful voice egging him on. He let the sway of the crowd bump him lightly into Zack's side, having seen his friend's unconscious movement as he'd spoken of his wallet.
"Sorry," Cloud said as Zack reached a hand out to steady him. "It might have changed a bit since I was here, but I think there's a chocobo stable further down that way." Cloud pointed up the crowded street.
Cloud moved away from Zack again, the weight of his friend's wallet safe in his own pocket. While he'd learned everything he knew about pickpocketing from being on the receiving end of Yuffie, Cloud felt he must have had some skill at it since neither Zack nor Aerith appeared to have noticed. They were both still looking in the direction he'd indicated. The money would be safer with him anyway, if it was that easy to get one up on Zack. In his arms, Viri shook his head and chirped in protest at the noise and jostling around him.
“Don't worry about it,” Zack said. “Alright! We have our destination picked out then.”
Cloud stuck close to Aerith's side since Zack was completely immersed in his first experience with Wall Market. It was amusing to watch his friend be sucked into every shop they passed, yet walk away completely unburdened and leaving the shop keepers scratching their heads in bewilderment. Neither Cloud nor Aerith were bothered much by the hawkers, Cloud putting on a well-practiced air of indifferent menace that kept all but the most zealous sellers at bay. The rest were swept up in Zack's enthusiastic bubble, then left far behind before they had a chance to regroup.
"It's a good thing I have such a reliable bodyguard," Aerith commented dryly, eyes following Zack as he bent over a table shining with some sort of scrap metal. The owner of the stall was expounding on all the uses the various pieces could be put to, Zack nodding at every other word. Cloud gave a ghost of a smile, remembering another time when she had put that trust in him.
"It's…strange to see him so excited." (alive) "He's like a little kid, not…like I expected."
While Zack was everything Cloud remembered-kind, friendly, loyal to a fault-he was also a stranger in a familiar guise. Cloud had selfishly built up an image of his friend, of someone who was better, stronger, more of a hero than Cloud could ever be. The thought that Zack was a mere human being was almost disturbing after that, leaving Cloud feeling more than a little guilty. He knew what it was like to be dehumanized, whether from those who would treat them as little more than animals or those who would try to raise them above the gods. Either way, it was a lonely existence.
The need to learn more about his friend was stronger than Cloud's need of a hero, though. With every new interaction, he was seeing more and more of the man who'd been willing to lay down his life for a friend, and somehow it was infinitely more satisfying than the patchy memories of a desperate escape. To really be friends, rather than have it merely proclaimed that they were, was worth more to Cloud than all the heroes in the world.
"Hm? You must have only met him, then," Aerith said, laughing lightly. "He's always like this. Trying to keep him in one place is like trying to nail jelly to the wall." Cloud glanced sideways at her, raising a sardonic eyebrow. She flushed lightly and shrugged one shoulder, unapologetic.
"…It feels like I've known him longer," Cloud said after a moment. He began to walk again as Zack rushed away from the stall to another further down, already engaging the seller there in animated conversation.
When Cloud came close enough to see the face of the seller, he felt his own face go blank in an effort to contain his reaction. The memories of the torture suffered at the hands of that person assailed him mercilessly, and Cloud would never be more thankful that he'd be unrecognizable to them now.
"He…he does know that's a man, right?" Cloud asked Aerith, hoping the note of panic wasn't as obvious in his voice as it sounded to him. The future gym owner was much the same as Cloud remembered; slim, loud and forthright, and wearing a simple yet nice dress. Cloud felt a chill go down his spine and pushed the memories back again. In his arms, Viri warbled a curious query, butting his head soothingly against Cloud's arm.
The future gym owner was leaning over the table, obviously trying to seduce Zack into either buying wares off the table or behind it, but Zack seemed oblivious to the advances. Next to him, Aerith pouted at the scene.
"I doubt it. I'm surprised you noticed, though." She turned to grin up at him. "Have a lot of practice?" He knew he went red, and Aerith's laughter rang out gaily over the babble of the shopping area. The sound, presumably, caused Zack look up and abandon the disappointed seller as he gravitated back to them. Cloud bit down the reaction of telling Aerith it was her fault in the first place, only refraining in light of it being an effort in futility.
Zack didn't stay with them long, the lure of bright and shiny things inevitably dragging him back into the crowds. Cloud noticed several potential pickpocketers eying the distracted SOLDIER, and reassured himself that despite his personal satisfaction, it was probably safer that he was keeping Zack's money on him instead. He did wonder if the Turks were lurking around as well. He wasn't sure exactly how long or how close they'd been watching Aerith, but unless something went completely wrong, they wouldn't bother her seriously for a few years yet.
Ahead of them, Zack stopped suddenly arm thrown out to halt them. “Materia shop.” It was enough to cause Cloud to perk up slightly. Wall Market wouldn't have anything more than the most basic materia, but occasionally he'd found something worth while amid their duller companions.
“I get most of my materia from the research department on the SOLDIER floor, or finding it while on missions, or from phone orders to shops, but hey, it never hurts to look around right?” Zack said as he lead the way into the shop. “Oh, hey, Cloud, remind me when we get back home to let you go through my materia. I've got plenty, so I'm sure there's a few you can use until we can get you more.”
Cloud gave an approving hum to the offer as he looked over the materia stock with a practiced eye. Viri had been compliant the whole trip, quieter than Cloud would have expected. Now the bird glanced up as Cloud leaned over, then leaned forward himself to examine the shining gems with beady eyes. Cloud gave the bird's head a scratch, wondering if Aerith wasn't more right that the chick needed to be returned to Sephiroth soon. His listlessness was a bit worrying compared to his earlier endless energy.
None of the materia caught Cloud's eye, and he came to a decision. As much as he didn't want to be in the man's presence personally, the chick could and would become ill if kept away from Sephiroth for too long. Cloud hadn't raised a half dozen of the birds without becoming rather fond of them.
"We should go," he said, turning back to his friends. "Viri needs to get back. We can come back later…?" He glanced uncertainly at Zack, wondering how long he would be 'off duty'. Leaving here would also mean leaving Aerith behind, but Cloud took comfort in the knowledge that she'd be there whenever they got a chance to visit again.
Zack glanced up from where he was examining the stock. “Huh? Oh, right, sorry.” He rubbed at the back of his head in obvious embarrassment. “I guess we better get moving. We still need to see if we can find those people to get the stuff for Viri, though. Then we can get him back to his, heh, mama.”
Cloud found himself leading the way through Wall Market's crowds, Zack and Aerith trailing behind by a few feet. He didn't mind giving them more time together. Zack had invited him along, but Cloud knew that his friend wanted to spend time alone with Aerith too. He contemplated for a moment offering to find Viri's supplies on his own and leaving the pair to their own devices. It wasn't like he didn't know how to get back to the plate and ShinRa, after all.
A selfish part of him didn't want to end this outing just yet. The raw emotions he'd experienced over the past few days leaving him anxious and stressed, and Cloud had dreaded seeing Aerith again. Now, though, between Zack's cheerful enthusiasm and Aerith's peaceful presence, Cloud found he'd been quite enjoying himself. He was finally able to relax, Sephiroth's presence an insubstantial buzz on the edge of perception.
“Weapon Shop!” At the shout Cloud's boot heel ground against a piece of broken glass as he stopped and half turned in Zack's direction. He followed the direction of Zack's gaze and raised eyebrow at the brightly lit shop entrance that proudly declaimed its wares. “I know we need to get moving but can we please stop there? Please. Please. Please. Just to have a look? Please?” Why Zack wanted to peruse a weapons shop when he already had a serviceable, and unique, weapon, he didn't know, but both Zack and Aerith were looking at him for a decision. Zack visibly pleading with his hands clasped together in front of him.
"It's fine," Cloud said, smiling slightly at Zack's immediate cheer. "So long as you hold Viri." He immediately dumped the chick into Zack's arms and he strode inside. The affronted wark and subsequent yelp made him grin just a bit wider. Cloud had been getting tired of carrying the bird around all over, but didn't feel comfortable enough to let Viri run on his own. This way, both of his babysitting problems were taken care of in one go.
The walls were piled with masses and mounds of scrap and junk, a much smaller section of the store laid out with the actual weapons the shop was supposedly selling. Cloud browsed idly, eyes taking in details and differences that surrounded him. The shop owner was a great collector of junk, which even now cluttered his store in every corner. Almost all of it would prove completely useless, and the pile would spread outside his shop into the mountainous heap Cloud remembered.
“Hey, Aerith?” Zack said, voice light and a little too innocent. “Have you ever considered arming yourself? I mean there are a lot of monsters in Midgar these days.”
“Oh, no...I don't think I could possibly....”
“You should listen to the man. Midgar's no place to go unarmed.” The low grumble of the owner's voice made Cloud turn. He could see the way the man's suspicious and greedy eyes homed in on Aerith and Zack. He wasn't the worst of the scum that inhabited the slums, but Cloud knew the man was stingy at best, over priced at worst, and would always look to scam a sucker. Cloud narrowed his eyes slightly. Just so long as he kept the scam monetary, he'd let things be. If the owner tried to summon any sort of bullies to intimidate the ShinRas, he'd get a very short lesson which Cloud would make sure he took to heart.
“Just take a look,” Zack said. “If you don't see anything you like that's fine. You don't have to make a decision now, but I think it's a good idea. At the very least if anyone tries to tumble through your flowers again you can give them a proper hello.”
Aerith stifled a laugh, and Zack's own grin turned a little more soft at the obvious memory he'd invoked. “I guess you're right. Maybe, I'll just...look a little." Zack stepped back, absently scratching Viri's tiny crest feathers as Aerith surveyed her surroundings with a pointer finger pressed against her chin and a thoughtful look on her face. The old man who ran the shop continued to eye them with a sort of wary resignation.
“I think,” she said, “if I were to get one it would have to be something like that.”
Cloud drifted back over to stand behind Zack and Aerith, boots thumping softly on the dirt floor of the shop. The weapon Aerith had indicated was a familiar sight; it was the same rod that she had wielded when Cloud had first met her. He closed his eyes, struck at how things were still following the same path, despite his interference. Was this whole effort futile, if even minor things remain the same? Shaking his head to clear it, Cloud dismissed the thought. It was too soon to worry about that. For now, he had other business to take care of.
“Why am I not surprised that you would favor some blunt object to smack people with?” Zack said.
Aerith turned a playful glare on him and smacked his shoulder. “Don't be silly.”
Apparently intent on getting them out of his shop, the old man grunted, “Well? You want it or not?”
Zack looked at Aerith, brows raised in question though he didn't say anything. Aerith frowned, obviously uncertain and looked back at him. “I...guess it couldn't hurt. You'll be there to protect me, but....”
Zack smiled fondly at her, and reached up with his free hand to lightly touch the pink ribbon that decorated her hair. “I'm always running all over the place,” he said. “This way you can protect people too.”
That made her smile brighten up even more. “Yes, alright. I don't know if I'll be any good at it though.”
“You'll do fine. Now where did my wallet...go.... Aw, man, don't tell me.”
“Oh, Zack....” Aerith said with a sigh. Cloud kept his face carefully blank as he stepped closer to Zack, watching his friend's face fall as he patted down all his pockets. It had taken him long enough to notice.
"I should charge you my normal delivery fee." Cloud pulled Zack's procured wallet from his own pocket. He tossed it at Zack, and said, in a perfectly deadpan voice, "Viri took it." To Cloud's amusement, Viri took the opportunity to snap his beak at the wallet, snagging a corner and attempting to tug it out of Zack's grasp.
He turned to Aerith, whose eyes were full of mirth, as she held a hand over her mouth to stifle a giggle. Cloud shrugged a shoulder, unapologetic. "It's a good weapon for you, Aerith. You should definitely get it."
"Well then," she said brightly, hands clasped behind her back. "Since I have the glowing endorsement from two experienced warriors, I think I shall."
“Hey! Give that back!” Zack yelped as he tried to wrestle his wallet out of Viri's grip. Finally he managed to wrench it free, a little more tattered at one corner than it used to be, and held it up triumphantly. A second later he let out a yelp as Viri pecked the arm that was holding him. Zack let go more out of surprise than anything. The chick immediately darted around behind Cloud's legs and regarded Zack with something like regal disdain.
Zack inspected the little beak mark on his arm from which a thin line of blood had escaped. He sent Viri a hurt look. “Don't you know you're not supposed to bite the hand that feeds you? Man...that thing is just like his mother.” Zack dabbed at the mark on his arm with a gloved thumb then wiped the blood off on his shirt negligently. He gave a last dirty look at the bird, which turned his beak up at him then started nibbling on Cloud's pants. Zack turned away and approached the old man.
Cloud shifted slightly, freeing his pant leg from Viri's inquisitive beak. It amused him that Zack was so insistent that the chick was like Sephiroth in any way. Cloud had had no trouble at all with the chocobo, aside from his insistence at keeping close to Sephiroth, or as it seemed now, himself. The only thing that reminded Cloud of Sephiroth was the way Viri would strut around sometimes. Otherwise he was just a fluffball of pleading eyes and boundless energy. It reminded him more of Zack, actually. He made a note to find out how deeply affected young chocobos were by those other than the one they imprint on.
As Zack settled in to haggle the price of the weapon down, Cloud crouched down, one hand drawing out the Chocobo Lure materia he'd kept on him. He activated it with a small lick of power, just enough to entice Viri to play. The chick was probably getting restless, having been carried around for the past hour or so. Viri immediately trotted around Cloud's side, eyes fixed on the dimly glowing materia.
Aerith wandered over to crouch down nearby. Cloud play an impromptu game of keep away with Viri. Cloud tossed the materia back and forth a few times, watching her out of the corner of his eye, before he tossed it gently in her direction. She caught it with a look of surprise, but smiled again as Viri hopped over, wings fanning the air impatiently.
"You'll have to tell my why his mother is such a big issue with Zack," Aerith said, rolling the materia between Viri's legs and back to Cloud. Viri tried to follow it. He ended up overbalancing to sprawl on his back. His legs scrambled in the dirt as he got to his feet and charged after his prey. "Did she do something to him? I can't imagine what would make it so funny, though." The look she gave Cloud was expectant. He sighed, not wanting to explain, yet unable to refuse when Aerith asked so plaintively. It's not like it was a big secret, just…embarrassing. Cloud had no idea why Zack was so insistent on using the term 'mother'.
"When…chocobos hatch, they attach themselves to the first creature they see, which is usually another chocobo," he said, eyes focused on the little chick to distract himself from what he was saying. "In this case…."
"Oh dear," she gasped, letting out a soft laugh. "I think I see where this is going. But who…?"
"The General," Cloud bit out.
Aerith missed his next toss and Viri ran into her leg when the materia bounced off it. Cloud glanced up at her face. He was surprised to see she had buried it in her hands, shoulders shaking with muffled mirth. He sighed, leaning out on his hands to retrieve the errant materia. Viri shook himself, preening one of his wings to sooth his wounded pride, before trotting back to Cloud's side. Apparently he was done playing.
"Zack hasn't said that to him yet?" Aerith asked, her voice trembling from suppressed laughter.
"He doesn't have a Masamune shaped hole in him yet."
Aerith sat back on her heels, wiping tears from her eyes as she grinned at him. "Do keep him in one piece for me. I'm rather fond of him, after all."
"No promises," he said, picking Viri up as he got to his feet again. He extended a hand to help Aerith to her feet, struck again, as her warm palm slid against his, how very alive she felt. They waited in companionable silence as Zack concluded the transaction and came toward them, staff in hand.
“I should have a lot of free time now,” Zack said as he passed the weapon off to Aerith. “So I should be able to drop by again, maybe even tomorrow. I can show you how to keep it in top condition. Angeal really drove weapon care home.” He lowered his voice in obvious imitation, “Use brings about wear, tear, and rust.”
Aerith laughed softly, hands cradling the staff in an unsure grip. “He'd be glad you're taking that seriously.”
Zack gave her a soft smile. “I'm just doing what he would have.”
The fondness in Zack's voice as he spoke of Angeal made Cloud regret that he could remember nothing of the SOLDIER since Zack seemed to hold him in such high regard. He wondered if he could ask Zack what had happened to the man. His friend had seemed reluctant to speak of it before, so Cloud doubted he would bother asking. He was all too aware of how much even a question could hurt the heart.
Cloud took the lead again when they exited the store, weaving through the crowd with barely a thought. They didn't part as readily for him as they had for Zack, his partial trooper uniform less conspicuous than the SOLDIER 1st Class outfit, but it didn't take too long for the trio to travel the length of the street. He knew they were close when Viri perked up in his arms. A distant chocobo warble came to them, audible even above the crowd's noise.
It was easy enough to pick out the building where they kept the chocobos. Not only was it bigger than most buildings in the slums, though certainly not so much as the one near it, or Aerith's church, but even over the smell that hung about the slums itself there was a smell of animals. The wide doors stood open, the sound of shuffling, cooing, and the occasional wark echoed out of the dim interior. From nearby, obviously guarding the rather ornate doors, a man watched them. The so-called stable was as ramshackle as the rest of the slums, though perhaps a bit better in quality. It was nothing like the lofty impressive building out near the swamps.
Zack made his way over and rapped lightly on the open door. It swung slightly, creaking as it did. “Excuse me?” he called. Though it was not as loud here, the din of the nearby market still could be heard as a soft, constant layer of murmuring sound. A chocobo answered his call with a warbling trill. “Anyone here?” Aerith stepped in close enough that she bumped lightly against Zack's side.
From the dim interior of the stable a figure emerged, wiping his hands on a rag and looking at them with an air of boredom. “Can I help you?”
“Hey, sorry to intrude,” Zack said breezily, “but a friend of mine recently acquired a chocobo and we're trying to find a way to get all the necessary items for his care.”
The man glanced them over, face tightening slightly at the obvious rank Zack portrayed. His gazed lingered momentarily on Aerith before turning toward Cloud. He seemed to mostly ignore Cloud, but Viri certainly caught his attention. “Is that so...?”
Zack kept his smile up and light, though Cloud noticed a certain sort of wariness creep into the edges of his expression. “You lot obviously have some chocobos, so maybe you could give us a hand or direct us to your supplier?”
Cloud could see already that this was not going to end well. Zack had charm and charisma, but in the slums that counted a lot less than in other places, especially in the economic black hole of Wall Market. While most of the sellers Zack had encountered so far were more bemused at his bright attitude, as well as hoping to take advantage of what they perceived to be weakness, these men were nowhere near as tolerant.
The only owner of chocobos in the slums had been Don Corneo. He kept a few to pull his gaudy carriage around, but otherwise they were mostly to show how rich and powerful he was. No one would dare to go after the Don's property, unless they wanted to be found lying dead in a gutter the next day. While it pleased Cloud to find that there were still chocobo stables even now, he knew the Don's men wouldn't be easy to deal with.
These were not merchants, looking for a sale at exorbitant prices; these were thugs, bullies, cutthroats who were more inclined to kill you outright and learn later from your corpse what your business was. They obviously wanted nothing to do with ShinRa, expressions mulishly unhelpful in the face of Zack's SOLDIER uniform. That, and Cloud did not like how the man was eying Viri. He'd knife Cloud and book it away with the valuable bird given the chance, which Cloud was not inclined to provide.
Cloud stepped forward deliberately, putting himself between the man and Zack, and forcing the handler to take notice of him instead. Cloud had noticed how easily he'd been dismissed, and intended to make it a mistake the man would regret for a while. He caught the handler's eye, then deliberately let Viri drop to the ground with a quiet, "Stay." While the bird was too young to understand, his breed was intelligent enough to recognize a dangerous situation and stick close to his protector. It was an intimidating move, and already Cloud could see the wariness enter the man's eyes. Why would Cloud have let go of such a valuable bird in this situation, unless he was sure that any move against him would end in his favor?
Out of the corner of his eyes, Cloud could see the other handlers taking a much closer interest in the engagement. If Cloud or Zack tried anything they'd quickly find themselves at a disadvantage. Nothing they couldn't handle, but the men didn't know that, and Cloud really didn't want to start his career in the slums as a murderer.
"We require a supply of food for a growing chick, as well as grooming supplies. Stabling will not be an issue, as his master lives up on the plate," Cloud said quietly, shifting his weight to one leg as he crossed his arms. At his feet, Viri had puffed out his chest, striking a regal pose as he glared up at the other man.
A sneer crossed the handler's face, and he shifted into a more hostile stance, one hand resting obviously on a knife at his side. "We don't do business with ShinRa scum," he said, spitting at Cloud's feet in deliberate insult. Viri flapped his wings and warbled in alarm, but didn’t stray from the relative safety of Cloud’s side. "These are the Don's birds, and everything about them belongs to him. Not even your ShinRa bigwig would want to tangle with the boss. Why don't you turn around and crawl back to your master's feet."
Cloud felt a flare of anger at those word, even though he'd been expecting it. He would die before he'd ever call Sephiroth 'master', and the insult almost broke his tight control. His temple throbbed with Jenova's buzz for just a second, before Cloud forced himself to calm down. The man had taken a step back when Cloud's eyes had sparked with rage.
"I see," Cloud drawled slowly. He turned on his heel and saluted Zack crisply. "Permission to return and report to the General that his personal attention is needed to procure supplies for his chocobo, sir."
"Fuck-What did you say, boy?" the handler demanded before Zack could respond. Cloud turned back, face blank as he regarded the man silently. He could see the other men around him looking worried, and at least one had ducked away. Whether for reinforcements or to report to his boss, Cloud didn't know, but it wouldn't matter either way.
"General Sephiroth has acquired a new chocobo," he explained slowly, his voice even and monotone. At his feet, Viri warbled at the sound of his owner's name. "Currently there are no such facilities to support the bird in ShinRa, so supplies must be acquired elsewhere. You are the closest supplier. If your boss has a problem with this, I'm sure the General would come down to discuss it with him."
The handler's face was a picture, eyes narrowed in hatred and mouth twisted in an ugly scowl. Cloud didn't feel any particular amusement at the sight, though. All he wanted to do was get the supplies for Viri and leave, and this was the easiest way. These men were the type to sell under the table to make a bit of extra profit, but they'd never do it for ShinRa.
"You shit eating little bitch," the man spat furiously, tossing his rag onto the ground in his aggravation and causing Viri to jump backwards onto Cloud's boot, warking at the discarded cloth. Cloud paid the insult no mind. The opinion of a frustrated grunt was hardly his concern. "Fine." Cloud could practically hear his teeth grinding as he gritted them. "What do you need?"
"For now, we need a supply of food to be delivered to the train station, on a weekly basis would be best," Cloud said crisply, inwardly hoping that what he wasn’t taking it too far. Zack would step in if he needed to, hopefully.
"Since the chocobo is a black, he will need about half again as much as your normal chick. I don't know who you do business with, nor do I care, but if you can get mimett greens, you will be compensated for your trouble." And if Sephiroth had to pay through the nose for his pet, Cloud didn't see a downside to it. Plus, Cloud had worked his ass off to make sure his own chocobos had been fed only the best food. "We will inspect the supplies before paying." The man's face went redder with every demand. "I don't trust you not to try to skimp us 'ShinRa scum', after all."
"You think you can just come down here and order us around like-" the handler burst out, shaking a fist in Cloud's face. Cloud didn't even flinch as he caught the fist in his hand, forcing the man back a step as he twisted it. Viri darted forward to peck at the man's leg, then darted back before he could kick out at the sharp stab of pain.
"I'm not ordering you to do anything," Cloud said levelly, still holding the man's fist. "I am doing things your way. Your boss makes a profit, and he gets a good word in with ShinRa. That might not mean as little to him as you think." The last part was a guess, but Cloud knew that at some point Corneo would provide information to ShinRa. It was one of the reasons he'd.… So it was a safe enough bet that the Don wouldn't be adverse to the arrangement.
"Why don't you let Stewart go, friend," another man cut in smoothly, walking up to the pair. "Then we can talk business."
Cloud regarded the newcomer silently for a moment before releasing the swearing handler. The handler stormed away, massaging his wrist and calling Cloud everything but a child of the Planet. Turning to the new comer Cloud noted that he dressed a bit sharper than the general cut of the men hanging around the stables. Cloud said nothing, merely waited for the other man to make the first move.
"I'm Danny. I take care of orderin' our supplies from the Chocobo Farm out east. You know the place?" the man rumbled as he took out a pad of paper from a pocket and pulled a pencil from behind his ear.
"Yes. They're good men there, and have quality materials."
"Right," Danny grunted, then made a few notes on the pad. "Here's what I think we can provide, for now. Fancy stuff like mimett greens takes a lot of getting, you know." He passed the pad over to Cloud.
Cloud spent the next few minutes haggling, aware of Zack and Aerith's silent presence behind him, and kept half an eye out on Viri. The little chick had no intentions of straying any farther than a few inches from Cloud's boots, and with the threat of the General's wrath over them, none of the men still hanging around seemed inclined to make an attempt at the bird. Finally satisfied with the arrangements, Danny straightened up from where he'd been hunched over Cloud. The man was considerably taller than Cloud, and had had to bend over some to keep the notepad evenly between them.
"Hey Rusty!" Danny called, waving a piece of paper at another passing handler. Rusty trotted over, taking the sheet from the other man's hand. "Special order. Run it by the boss, and explain the situation…carefully."
"Don't get your knickers in a twist," Rusty said, sneering at Cloud even as he answered his coworker. "I know how to handle it."
Danny turned back to Cloud again, nodding his head neutrally. "We don't have anything on hand that's up to your standards. These chocobos don't need to win races, just look pretty, after all. But we'll have a box of greens waiting at the train station before the last train tonight, and that should last until your first order comes in."
"Fine," Cloud said shortly. He was already tired of this place. His delivery service skills had given him confidence that he'd gotten the best price he could for the best supplies they could provide. That was enough for now. Bending to collect Viri without another word, he turned back to his friends.
"Come on," he said lowly, putting a hand on Zack's arm to hurry his friend along before either could say anything. "We're not welcome here anymore." When they'd gotten far enough away that the noise and bustle of Wall Market had stolen even the smell of chocobos away, Cloud turned a worried look to Zack. "Was that okay?" He hoped he hadn't gotten Zack into trouble, by taking over and ordering the supplies, but Cloud knew chocobos better than Zack, so it only made sense that he do the actual bartering.
“Okay?” Zack parroted. “You were awesome, Cloud!” Laughter laced every word before Zack pretty much tackled him, arms going around his neck and giving him a squeeze. “The look on that guy's face was priceless!” Cloud would never admit to the startled squeak-cry of surprise-when he suddenly found a couple hundred pounds of Zack hanging off of him. His friend continued to rejoice loudly in Cloud's ear, as if Cloud had done something amazing. Through his bafflement and embarrassment at all the jostling, Cloud gave Aerith a wide-eyed look of near panic, unsure what to do with the clearly ecstatic Zack. Her grin did nothing to reassure him. “Oh, man...I almost wish I'd had a camera. It would've been nice to keep that forever.”
"Zack, stop-!" His feeble protest at the man-handling went unheard, even as Cloud tried to pry Zack's arm from around his neck with his free hand. Viri complained loudly in his other arm, clawed feet digging mercilessly into Cloud's side.
“You're both terrible,” Aerith said, though there was nothing in her voice that said she felt it was true.
“I might be a 1st Class, and that means I'm a warmongering SOLDIER, but Cloud's the one mean enough to threaten people with Sephiroth. That's just cruel and unusual,” Zack crowed, cheerfully ruffling Cloud's hair.
As quickly as the attack had started, suddenly Cloud found himself staggering as he was released. He felt completely confused at what had just happened. He ran a hand through his hair to straighten it from Zack's tender attentions, and tried to keep the traumatized look off his face. Zack was clearly insane. Why hadn't he remembered how unpredictable his friend was? Underneath the embarrassment, however, Cloud could admit a guilty feeling of pleasure at Zack's praise. It felt good to do something right.
“We'll have to let Sephiroth know about the costs, but that won't be too bad. I doubt he'd even notice if we just tagged it onto the budget...though Lazard might have something to say to us about that,” Zack said.
Aerith swatted his arm lightly. “Zack!”
“What? It's still not as bad as sicing Sephiroth on someone!”
"I wouldn't have set Sephiroth on them," Cloud mumbled, running a hand over Viri's ruffled feathers to settle the chick. "What makes you think he'd even do it if asked?" He ducked his chin behind his scarf and kept his gaze on the ground at his feet, knowing by the hot feeling that his face was still flushed with embarrassment. Cloud felt as if all eyes were on him now, which made him squirm uncomfortably. He dreaded the rumors that would float around the market about the two of them now.
“You kidding?” Zack asked breezily. “Like Sephiroth would turn down a chance to come down and terrorize someone. It's better than being bored up there in ShinRa's lofty tower.” Zack wiggled his fingers up at the plate as if they could just look up and see the building itself. “Well, if you could drag him away from his books long enough, but I bet if you set your case right he wouldn't mind. Might just do it to make the execs sweat and wonder what he's up to now. Catch him when one of the execs are talking to him and he might even say thank you.”
Cloud listened to Zack's teasing incredulously, unable to picture the image of Sephiroth Zack was presenting. His friend had to be exaggerating for humor, but Cloud had trouble even envisioning Sephiroth speaking civilly to anyone, let alone staying still long enough for people who annoyed him.
Around them, Wall Market's glitter and lights faded away, people becoming scarce as they made their way through to the monster infested areas between sectors. To their luck, their earlier journey seemed to have cleared out all of the nearby monsters, and they passed through unmolested.
“I guess we should probably be heading back up. We need to hunt down Sephiroth, and that could take the rest of the afternoon.” Zack's comment made Cloud look up, realizing with a pang that they were near the large doors leading to Sector 5’s market, and it was time to say goodbye. “Why don't you wait here Cloud, and I'll walk Aerith back the rest of the way?”
"Ah…yeah," he replied, glancing sideways at Aerith. It was the least he could do, to allow the pair at least a few minutes alone. Cloud had monopolized too much of their time together as it was. "I…bye, Aerith." He nodded awkwardly at her. Now that the high of seeing her again was wearing off, Cloud had no idea how friendly he was supposed to act with her.
Aerith seemed to sense his hesitancy, and stepped forward to wrap her arms around him in a soft hug. Cloud's breath caught as her scent washed over him, smelling of her flowers and purity. He raised his free hand hesitantly, resting it gently on her back and applying a little pressure in return of the hug. Between them, Viri chirped a protest at being trapped between two bodies again, and Aerith stepped back with a smile.
"It was nice meeting you, Cloud. You have to come visit me sometime on your own as well," A bright smile accompanied her words, and she clasped her hands behind her back. Cloud nodded hesitantly back, eyes unfocused as memories of other times with Aerith floated up in his mind. She didn't deem this satisfactory, reaching out to clasp his hand in hers. "Promise?" she asked firmly, her green eyes staring up into his.
"…Yeah, I promise," he replied softly, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. Aerith laughed, and nodded cheerfully before releasing his hand.
"Good. Now, I think you said something about walking me back?" Aerith turned to Zack with an expectant look. Side by side, they strolled away.
“Absolutely. I'd be remiss in my duties as a wonderful boyfriend if I made you walk back to your beloved flowers alone. I'll be right back."
Part 2
Pairing: Established Zack/Aerith, Eventual Sephiroth/Cloud (Subject to possible additions)
Rating: Teen (Subject to change)
Warnings: Violence, Language, Pretty much what you'd expect from FFVII. (Subject to additions)
Genre: Time Travel, AU, Action/Adventure, Drama, Friendship, Romance.
Words: 15,639
Summary: At first it was about preventing tragedy. For Cloud it soon becomes a fight to protect new bonds, tread untrod paths and find happy endings. Second chances aren't always easy in a time where ghosts live and heroes are human.
Special Thanks To: Our darling, amazing beta/guinea pig readers leasspell_dael & croix_souillees for all of your help. As well as nightpounce for helping inspire the summary, and the rest of the peanut gallery.
Chapter 05 - Crisis of Churches
Masterlist
Counter Crisis
by White Mage Koorii & Dragoon-Sama
Chapter 06 - Crisis of Commerce
[ μ ] - εуλ 0001 (December 17th)
The dust kicked up by the trio’s shoes dispersed slowly in the gloomy streets of the slums. Cloud, Zack, and Aerith had left the church soon after Zack and Viri’s impromptu game of chase/keep away. Cloud had tucked the little chick securely in his arms again as they headed for Sector 6 and the vivacious Wall Market. Cloud breathed a silent sigh, trying to sooth the continued feeling of being too far out of his depth that was mixed with the pure joy of his two greatest regrets being alive and well.
Before now, he hadn’t taken into consideration the fact that in this time Aerith was still alive. Oh, he’d known it, on a subconscious level, but he hadn’t acknowledged that fact until Zack had dropped his bombshell announcement on the train. Unable to prepare himself, he’d nearly given in to the black despair that had his feet itching to run the other way, but...he couldn’t disappoint Zack like that. Instead, Cloud had followed his friend reluctantly through the slum streets. An icy feeling of guilty anticipation had grown the closer they got to the church, and Cloud found himself both terrified and longing to see Aerith again. Would she know him? There was no way, of course, but somehow with Aerith it seemed possible.
His worries had been unfounded, and Cloud remembered how his breath had caught in his throat at the first sight of her. She was wearing a white sundress, so unlike the more sturdy pink dress he’d met her in, and it had shone in the sparse sunlight of the church. Her welcome had been as warm as her smile, and it had been easy for Cloud to forget for a little bit the horror of the last time he’d seen her alive.
Now that the reality of Aerith's presence, her living presence, had settled in Cloud found it easy to just hang back and watch Zack and Aerith. It was a strange picture with sections of broken concrete looming above them and shattered highway beneath their feet-Aerith with her head tilted up as she listened to Zack relate some animated tale. Her smile lit up her green eyes as she laughed. A lump formed in Cloud’s throat at the sight. He wasn’t sure who to thank, but just having the opportunity to see them together and happy was worth all the suffering he’d been through.
He told himself later that he should have known such a light-hearted situation wouldn't last, that he should have been more prepared, but the truth was that Cloud had forgotten about the monster-infested streets in the slums. The Remnants had called their shadow monsters, and then Bahamut SIN, and that had been the first major case of a monster attack on the city since Meteor. Since the creation of Edge at the epicenter of where the Lifestream had converged, it had been rare for monsters to set foot in the city. Between Reeves' WRO and Rufus they'd managed to set up safe areas around mot of the more heavily populated areas. It was in between these cities that remained dangerous, as Cloud well knew from his travels for his delivery service.
It happened as they crossed through the old park, eerily silent and barren. From all corners, violently red and purple spiked, a good dozen Hedgehog Pies came at them. Aerith gave a little gasp of surprise and jerked back a few steps. Cloud didn't even pause to consider how balefully weak they were; all he knew was that his friends were in danger, and he needed to protect them.
“Don't worry, we got this,” Zack said, voice ringing out. He lunged forward immediately, Buster Sword in hand, and used the blunt edge to sweep several of the monsters back, before he used it again to bludgeon another in the stomach.
"Viri, stay!" Cloud said, shoving the chick into Aerith's startled arms even as he turned and drew the sword on his back. He was thrown for a moment at the unusual balance-so unlike First Tsurugi-before old habits kicked in and he laid into the nearest monster with vehemence. The Hedgehog Pie didn't even have time to squeal before it was cleaved in two, another being caught on the follow through of the swing and sent tumbling across the park.
Cloud was aware of Zack fighting nearby, and could feel the hum as a spell was cast. It made him painfully aware of his own under-equipped stock, despite the fact that these monsters were hardly worth the effort of wasted energy. He saw Zack bat another of the creatures with the flat of his blade out of the corner of his eye, before finishing it with a well placed ice spell. Cloud was baffled at that; why didn't Zack just use his sword?
One monster tried to slip past Cloud's feet. He turned and took out some of his frustration as he kicked the creature as hard as he could. It made a satisfying crunch before it flew out of view. He looked up to see Aerith standing pale and frightened, her hands clasped to her chest as she craned her head warily around. Viri was at her feet, though how the bird had got loose from her Cloud didn't know, and had his wings extended, head down as he hissed angrily. He didn't move from Aerith's side, but kept snapping at the air in the direction of the monsters.
It only took another minute or so for Cloud and Zack to finish off the small herd, and soon silence fell again on the playground. Cloud turned, one hand delving into a pocket to pull out a cloth and wipe his blade clean. Dismissing the encounter, he went back to collect his agitated charge. Aerith still looked pale. It surprised Cloud to see her trembling a little.
"Are…you okay?" he asked softly, thrown as he realized this Aerith had never once fought a monster before. Cloud had been able to forget, for a while, when he'd talked with her about the parts of the slums he knew, careful not to be too specific lest his future knowledge prove to be false now. Before Aerith could answer Cloud heard Zack's footsteps approaching, and he turned toward his friend, face blank, as he tried to figure out how he should act now. Had he made a mistake? Zack hadn't wanted Aerith to be involved, but what did he consider involvement?
Zack gave Cloud two thumbs up. “Nice job, Cloud. Good to know you've got my back.” Then he turned to Aerith and winked at her. “See? No problem. I said before I'd protect you, right? And Cloud's here too. These guys are nothing for a SOLDIER and....” He looked at Cloud with a crooked grin. “What are you now anyway? SOLDIER-lite? An Ultima Trooper? I can't decide what we're supposed to refer to you as.”
“I don't see how I can feel unsafe with you two and Viri protecting me,” Aerith said, her voice wavering just slightly.
“Exactly!” Zack said cheerfully, and slung an arm around Cloud's neck to pull him into a loose headlock. “Cloud's not a SOLDIER, but he's still real handy to have around. In fact I bet he's almost as cool as I am. Fuzzy is just an additional security.” Zack's ability to turn a tense situation into almost absurdity was miraculous, Cloud decided. He didn't appreciate the head lock-it sent a brief pang of sadness to his heart as he remembered a time where Cid would do the same, when Cloud was being particularly gloomy or the pilot was in an agitated mood over his precious airship-but he forgave Zack the indignity when it caused Aerith to relax.
Aerith laughed in earnest as she watched them, then reached over to shove at Zack's shoulder. “Let him go, silly, you're going to suffocate him.”
“He's made of tougher stuff than that, aren't you Cloud?” Zack asked, and ruffled Cloud's wild hair. Cloud could only scowl and shove at his side. “Nobody else I'd trust to have my back!”
Once he was released from Zack's grip, Cloud knelt down to inspect Viri. He carefully checked the chick over to make sure no damage had come to him in the small scuffle. The bird was still chirping to himself, his chest puffed out as if he'd single-handedly defeated all the monsters. Cloud let out a breath of exasperated amusement. Aerith was probably right; the bird did seem to be learning a lot from Zack. He could hear the grind of gravel and dirt under Zack's boots as he moved away from him.
Cloud straightened back up with Viri in his arms again, and Aerith's hand touched his arm lightly. “Thank you,” she said softly. With a faint smile she turned to look after Zack. It was clear that she wasn't quite thanking Cloud for killing the monsters. “I'm glad he's so happy again.” She looked back to Cloud, green eyes bright and happy. “He didn't have quite the same energy after.... Well, you're a good friend for him.” Zack came darting back, waving for them to hurry up and, laughing, Aerith started after him, carefully picking her way between the monster corpses. “Coming, coming!”
Her words confused him, and brought a new apprehension to light. Apparently Zack had been worried or depressed, and Cloud hadn't noticed in lieu of his own problems. While there hadn't been much time in the hectic events that followed his intrusion into the past, not once had Cloud stopped to consider how Zack was handling everything. The SOLDIER always seemed so sure of himself that Cloud had followed blindly, trusting that Zack had everything worked out.
Cloud stood for a moment, watching Aerith follow Zack out of the playground, and considered again leaving all of this behind. He was still selfishly thinking only of himself, though. Zack wouldn't want him to run, didn't want him to leave at all, even if it made life a thousand times harder.
Viri's head bumped into his chest as the bird craned to see Cloud's face and gave an inquiring chirp. Cloud began walking, ignoring the corpses of the monsters. Keep moving forward. It was all he could do, and hopefully it would turn out okay in the end. Cloud could believe that as he watched Zack's cheerful expression and Aerith's beautiful smile when they paused to wait for him to catch up.
Wall Market was both the same and different than Cloud remembered. The bustle, the lights, the people were all familiar, with the fervor of commerce and underhanded dealings buzzing through the air. The difference could be found in the stares of the people, which had always been mistrustful, and were now openly hostile when they came to rest on him or Zack, though his friend drew most of the attention. When Cloud had frequented the sector in his own SOLDIER uniform, he'd only gotten mistrustful stares because he was a stranger rather than for any ties to ShinRa.
He cast a wary eye around the area, mentally noting which people seemed most interested in them, before glancing sideways at Zack. His friend seemed to be ignoring the danger signs, so Cloud pushed his own paranoia back. If Zack wasn't worried then Cloud was probably just being overly sensitive.
“I had no idea this was even down here!” Zack wandered out a few steps, turning and looking around with eager, bright eyes, before he brought his gaze back to Cloud and Aerith. With his fists held level his head, Zack seemed at a loss for a words. He almost seemed to tremble with his own eagerness to explore, and took them in with wide eyes. “This is great,” he said, hands moving into an encompassing gesture. “Where should we go first?”
What Zack lacked in wariness, he made up for, in excess, with enthusiasm. It was amusing, and reminded Cloud oddly of an over-excited Yuffie in a materia store. Zack's eyes shone brighter than mako alone could account for, and he seemed near to bursting with restless excitement. Cloud gave a slight, lop-sided grin and absently readjusted his hold on Viri to prevent the bird's escape or an inquisitive passerby from 'getting a closer look'. Just like that, Zack had managed not only to dismiss the aftermath of the fight completely, but bring the mood up to pure enjoyment.
Zack turned around again, leaning forward to look down the trodden dirt path that ran between the shops. People walking by had to circle around him. He didn't seem to even notice them. “Come on, come on,” Zack hissed. Cloud exchanged a look with Aerith, noting her own bemused expression at Zack's glee at something that was almost ordinary for her. He gamely paced closer when his friend beckoned, though he was nearly deafened as Zack all but hollered in his ear. “I heard you saying you've been here before? And didn't you mention something about knowing where we might get stuff for Viri?”
“You'd better watch your wallet,” Aerith piped up innocently. “Wouldn't want to catch another thief, would we?”
Zack looked away from the sight before him for a moment to give Aerith a wink. “We could catch him. We make a good team, and we have Cloud to help too. I'm sure he and his attack chocobo can corner any thief for us.” Cloud could only look on as Aerith and Zack had another of their almost coded exchanges, hinting at adventures the pair of them had shared. While it should have made Cloud feel left out, he was again filled with a quiet joy at seeing them together and so happy.
It did, however, raise on oddly impish impulse in him. Perhaps it was because Yuffie had just been on his mind, but Cloud had picked up a thing or two from the energetic thief, and he could almost hear her gleeful voice egging him on. He let the sway of the crowd bump him lightly into Zack's side, having seen his friend's unconscious movement as he'd spoken of his wallet.
"Sorry," Cloud said as Zack reached a hand out to steady him. "It might have changed a bit since I was here, but I think there's a chocobo stable further down that way." Cloud pointed up the crowded street.
Cloud moved away from Zack again, the weight of his friend's wallet safe in his own pocket. While he'd learned everything he knew about pickpocketing from being on the receiving end of Yuffie, Cloud felt he must have had some skill at it since neither Zack nor Aerith appeared to have noticed. They were both still looking in the direction he'd indicated. The money would be safer with him anyway, if it was that easy to get one up on Zack. In his arms, Viri shook his head and chirped in protest at the noise and jostling around him.
“Don't worry about it,” Zack said. “Alright! We have our destination picked out then.”
Cloud stuck close to Aerith's side since Zack was completely immersed in his first experience with Wall Market. It was amusing to watch his friend be sucked into every shop they passed, yet walk away completely unburdened and leaving the shop keepers scratching their heads in bewilderment. Neither Cloud nor Aerith were bothered much by the hawkers, Cloud putting on a well-practiced air of indifferent menace that kept all but the most zealous sellers at bay. The rest were swept up in Zack's enthusiastic bubble, then left far behind before they had a chance to regroup.
"It's a good thing I have such a reliable bodyguard," Aerith commented dryly, eyes following Zack as he bent over a table shining with some sort of scrap metal. The owner of the stall was expounding on all the uses the various pieces could be put to, Zack nodding at every other word. Cloud gave a ghost of a smile, remembering another time when she had put that trust in him.
"It's…strange to see him so excited." (alive) "He's like a little kid, not…like I expected."
While Zack was everything Cloud remembered-kind, friendly, loyal to a fault-he was also a stranger in a familiar guise. Cloud had selfishly built up an image of his friend, of someone who was better, stronger, more of a hero than Cloud could ever be. The thought that Zack was a mere human being was almost disturbing after that, leaving Cloud feeling more than a little guilty. He knew what it was like to be dehumanized, whether from those who would treat them as little more than animals or those who would try to raise them above the gods. Either way, it was a lonely existence.
The need to learn more about his friend was stronger than Cloud's need of a hero, though. With every new interaction, he was seeing more and more of the man who'd been willing to lay down his life for a friend, and somehow it was infinitely more satisfying than the patchy memories of a desperate escape. To really be friends, rather than have it merely proclaimed that they were, was worth more to Cloud than all the heroes in the world.
"Hm? You must have only met him, then," Aerith said, laughing lightly. "He's always like this. Trying to keep him in one place is like trying to nail jelly to the wall." Cloud glanced sideways at her, raising a sardonic eyebrow. She flushed lightly and shrugged one shoulder, unapologetic.
"…It feels like I've known him longer," Cloud said after a moment. He began to walk again as Zack rushed away from the stall to another further down, already engaging the seller there in animated conversation.
When Cloud came close enough to see the face of the seller, he felt his own face go blank in an effort to contain his reaction. The memories of the torture suffered at the hands of that person assailed him mercilessly, and Cloud would never be more thankful that he'd be unrecognizable to them now.
"He…he does know that's a man, right?" Cloud asked Aerith, hoping the note of panic wasn't as obvious in his voice as it sounded to him. The future gym owner was much the same as Cloud remembered; slim, loud and forthright, and wearing a simple yet nice dress. Cloud felt a chill go down his spine and pushed the memories back again. In his arms, Viri warbled a curious query, butting his head soothingly against Cloud's arm.
The future gym owner was leaning over the table, obviously trying to seduce Zack into either buying wares off the table or behind it, but Zack seemed oblivious to the advances. Next to him, Aerith pouted at the scene.
"I doubt it. I'm surprised you noticed, though." She turned to grin up at him. "Have a lot of practice?" He knew he went red, and Aerith's laughter rang out gaily over the babble of the shopping area. The sound, presumably, caused Zack look up and abandon the disappointed seller as he gravitated back to them. Cloud bit down the reaction of telling Aerith it was her fault in the first place, only refraining in light of it being an effort in futility.
Zack didn't stay with them long, the lure of bright and shiny things inevitably dragging him back into the crowds. Cloud noticed several potential pickpocketers eying the distracted SOLDIER, and reassured himself that despite his personal satisfaction, it was probably safer that he was keeping Zack's money on him instead. He did wonder if the Turks were lurking around as well. He wasn't sure exactly how long or how close they'd been watching Aerith, but unless something went completely wrong, they wouldn't bother her seriously for a few years yet.
Ahead of them, Zack stopped suddenly arm thrown out to halt them. “Materia shop.” It was enough to cause Cloud to perk up slightly. Wall Market wouldn't have anything more than the most basic materia, but occasionally he'd found something worth while amid their duller companions.
“I get most of my materia from the research department on the SOLDIER floor, or finding it while on missions, or from phone orders to shops, but hey, it never hurts to look around right?” Zack said as he lead the way into the shop. “Oh, hey, Cloud, remind me when we get back home to let you go through my materia. I've got plenty, so I'm sure there's a few you can use until we can get you more.”
Cloud gave an approving hum to the offer as he looked over the materia stock with a practiced eye. Viri had been compliant the whole trip, quieter than Cloud would have expected. Now the bird glanced up as Cloud leaned over, then leaned forward himself to examine the shining gems with beady eyes. Cloud gave the bird's head a scratch, wondering if Aerith wasn't more right that the chick needed to be returned to Sephiroth soon. His listlessness was a bit worrying compared to his earlier endless energy.
None of the materia caught Cloud's eye, and he came to a decision. As much as he didn't want to be in the man's presence personally, the chick could and would become ill if kept away from Sephiroth for too long. Cloud hadn't raised a half dozen of the birds without becoming rather fond of them.
"We should go," he said, turning back to his friends. "Viri needs to get back. We can come back later…?" He glanced uncertainly at Zack, wondering how long he would be 'off duty'. Leaving here would also mean leaving Aerith behind, but Cloud took comfort in the knowledge that she'd be there whenever they got a chance to visit again.
Zack glanced up from where he was examining the stock. “Huh? Oh, right, sorry.” He rubbed at the back of his head in obvious embarrassment. “I guess we better get moving. We still need to see if we can find those people to get the stuff for Viri, though. Then we can get him back to his, heh, mama.”
Cloud found himself leading the way through Wall Market's crowds, Zack and Aerith trailing behind by a few feet. He didn't mind giving them more time together. Zack had invited him along, but Cloud knew that his friend wanted to spend time alone with Aerith too. He contemplated for a moment offering to find Viri's supplies on his own and leaving the pair to their own devices. It wasn't like he didn't know how to get back to the plate and ShinRa, after all.
A selfish part of him didn't want to end this outing just yet. The raw emotions he'd experienced over the past few days leaving him anxious and stressed, and Cloud had dreaded seeing Aerith again. Now, though, between Zack's cheerful enthusiasm and Aerith's peaceful presence, Cloud found he'd been quite enjoying himself. He was finally able to relax, Sephiroth's presence an insubstantial buzz on the edge of perception.
“Weapon Shop!” At the shout Cloud's boot heel ground against a piece of broken glass as he stopped and half turned in Zack's direction. He followed the direction of Zack's gaze and raised eyebrow at the brightly lit shop entrance that proudly declaimed its wares. “I know we need to get moving but can we please stop there? Please. Please. Please. Just to have a look? Please?” Why Zack wanted to peruse a weapons shop when he already had a serviceable, and unique, weapon, he didn't know, but both Zack and Aerith were looking at him for a decision. Zack visibly pleading with his hands clasped together in front of him.
"It's fine," Cloud said, smiling slightly at Zack's immediate cheer. "So long as you hold Viri." He immediately dumped the chick into Zack's arms and he strode inside. The affronted wark and subsequent yelp made him grin just a bit wider. Cloud had been getting tired of carrying the bird around all over, but didn't feel comfortable enough to let Viri run on his own. This way, both of his babysitting problems were taken care of in one go.
The walls were piled with masses and mounds of scrap and junk, a much smaller section of the store laid out with the actual weapons the shop was supposedly selling. Cloud browsed idly, eyes taking in details and differences that surrounded him. The shop owner was a great collector of junk, which even now cluttered his store in every corner. Almost all of it would prove completely useless, and the pile would spread outside his shop into the mountainous heap Cloud remembered.
“Hey, Aerith?” Zack said, voice light and a little too innocent. “Have you ever considered arming yourself? I mean there are a lot of monsters in Midgar these days.”
“Oh, no...I don't think I could possibly....”
“You should listen to the man. Midgar's no place to go unarmed.” The low grumble of the owner's voice made Cloud turn. He could see the way the man's suspicious and greedy eyes homed in on Aerith and Zack. He wasn't the worst of the scum that inhabited the slums, but Cloud knew the man was stingy at best, over priced at worst, and would always look to scam a sucker. Cloud narrowed his eyes slightly. Just so long as he kept the scam monetary, he'd let things be. If the owner tried to summon any sort of bullies to intimidate the ShinRas, he'd get a very short lesson which Cloud would make sure he took to heart.
“Just take a look,” Zack said. “If you don't see anything you like that's fine. You don't have to make a decision now, but I think it's a good idea. At the very least if anyone tries to tumble through your flowers again you can give them a proper hello.”
Aerith stifled a laugh, and Zack's own grin turned a little more soft at the obvious memory he'd invoked. “I guess you're right. Maybe, I'll just...look a little." Zack stepped back, absently scratching Viri's tiny crest feathers as Aerith surveyed her surroundings with a pointer finger pressed against her chin and a thoughtful look on her face. The old man who ran the shop continued to eye them with a sort of wary resignation.
“I think,” she said, “if I were to get one it would have to be something like that.”
Cloud drifted back over to stand behind Zack and Aerith, boots thumping softly on the dirt floor of the shop. The weapon Aerith had indicated was a familiar sight; it was the same rod that she had wielded when Cloud had first met her. He closed his eyes, struck at how things were still following the same path, despite his interference. Was this whole effort futile, if even minor things remain the same? Shaking his head to clear it, Cloud dismissed the thought. It was too soon to worry about that. For now, he had other business to take care of.
“Why am I not surprised that you would favor some blunt object to smack people with?” Zack said.
Aerith turned a playful glare on him and smacked his shoulder. “Don't be silly.”
Apparently intent on getting them out of his shop, the old man grunted, “Well? You want it or not?”
Zack looked at Aerith, brows raised in question though he didn't say anything. Aerith frowned, obviously uncertain and looked back at him. “I...guess it couldn't hurt. You'll be there to protect me, but....”
Zack smiled fondly at her, and reached up with his free hand to lightly touch the pink ribbon that decorated her hair. “I'm always running all over the place,” he said. “This way you can protect people too.”
That made her smile brighten up even more. “Yes, alright. I don't know if I'll be any good at it though.”
“You'll do fine. Now where did my wallet...go.... Aw, man, don't tell me.”
“Oh, Zack....” Aerith said with a sigh. Cloud kept his face carefully blank as he stepped closer to Zack, watching his friend's face fall as he patted down all his pockets. It had taken him long enough to notice.
"I should charge you my normal delivery fee." Cloud pulled Zack's procured wallet from his own pocket. He tossed it at Zack, and said, in a perfectly deadpan voice, "Viri took it." To Cloud's amusement, Viri took the opportunity to snap his beak at the wallet, snagging a corner and attempting to tug it out of Zack's grasp.
He turned to Aerith, whose eyes were full of mirth, as she held a hand over her mouth to stifle a giggle. Cloud shrugged a shoulder, unapologetic. "It's a good weapon for you, Aerith. You should definitely get it."
"Well then," she said brightly, hands clasped behind her back. "Since I have the glowing endorsement from two experienced warriors, I think I shall."
“Hey! Give that back!” Zack yelped as he tried to wrestle his wallet out of Viri's grip. Finally he managed to wrench it free, a little more tattered at one corner than it used to be, and held it up triumphantly. A second later he let out a yelp as Viri pecked the arm that was holding him. Zack let go more out of surprise than anything. The chick immediately darted around behind Cloud's legs and regarded Zack with something like regal disdain.
Zack inspected the little beak mark on his arm from which a thin line of blood had escaped. He sent Viri a hurt look. “Don't you know you're not supposed to bite the hand that feeds you? Man...that thing is just like his mother.” Zack dabbed at the mark on his arm with a gloved thumb then wiped the blood off on his shirt negligently. He gave a last dirty look at the bird, which turned his beak up at him then started nibbling on Cloud's pants. Zack turned away and approached the old man.
Cloud shifted slightly, freeing his pant leg from Viri's inquisitive beak. It amused him that Zack was so insistent that the chick was like Sephiroth in any way. Cloud had had no trouble at all with the chocobo, aside from his insistence at keeping close to Sephiroth, or as it seemed now, himself. The only thing that reminded Cloud of Sephiroth was the way Viri would strut around sometimes. Otherwise he was just a fluffball of pleading eyes and boundless energy. It reminded him more of Zack, actually. He made a note to find out how deeply affected young chocobos were by those other than the one they imprint on.
As Zack settled in to haggle the price of the weapon down, Cloud crouched down, one hand drawing out the Chocobo Lure materia he'd kept on him. He activated it with a small lick of power, just enough to entice Viri to play. The chick was probably getting restless, having been carried around for the past hour or so. Viri immediately trotted around Cloud's side, eyes fixed on the dimly glowing materia.
Aerith wandered over to crouch down nearby. Cloud play an impromptu game of keep away with Viri. Cloud tossed the materia back and forth a few times, watching her out of the corner of his eye, before he tossed it gently in her direction. She caught it with a look of surprise, but smiled again as Viri hopped over, wings fanning the air impatiently.
"You'll have to tell my why his mother is such a big issue with Zack," Aerith said, rolling the materia between Viri's legs and back to Cloud. Viri tried to follow it. He ended up overbalancing to sprawl on his back. His legs scrambled in the dirt as he got to his feet and charged after his prey. "Did she do something to him? I can't imagine what would make it so funny, though." The look she gave Cloud was expectant. He sighed, not wanting to explain, yet unable to refuse when Aerith asked so plaintively. It's not like it was a big secret, just…embarrassing. Cloud had no idea why Zack was so insistent on using the term 'mother'.
"When…chocobos hatch, they attach themselves to the first creature they see, which is usually another chocobo," he said, eyes focused on the little chick to distract himself from what he was saying. "In this case…."
"Oh dear," she gasped, letting out a soft laugh. "I think I see where this is going. But who…?"
"The General," Cloud bit out.
Aerith missed his next toss and Viri ran into her leg when the materia bounced off it. Cloud glanced up at her face. He was surprised to see she had buried it in her hands, shoulders shaking with muffled mirth. He sighed, leaning out on his hands to retrieve the errant materia. Viri shook himself, preening one of his wings to sooth his wounded pride, before trotting back to Cloud's side. Apparently he was done playing.
"Zack hasn't said that to him yet?" Aerith asked, her voice trembling from suppressed laughter.
"He doesn't have a Masamune shaped hole in him yet."
Aerith sat back on her heels, wiping tears from her eyes as she grinned at him. "Do keep him in one piece for me. I'm rather fond of him, after all."
"No promises," he said, picking Viri up as he got to his feet again. He extended a hand to help Aerith to her feet, struck again, as her warm palm slid against his, how very alive she felt. They waited in companionable silence as Zack concluded the transaction and came toward them, staff in hand.
“I should have a lot of free time now,” Zack said as he passed the weapon off to Aerith. “So I should be able to drop by again, maybe even tomorrow. I can show you how to keep it in top condition. Angeal really drove weapon care home.” He lowered his voice in obvious imitation, “Use brings about wear, tear, and rust.”
Aerith laughed softly, hands cradling the staff in an unsure grip. “He'd be glad you're taking that seriously.”
Zack gave her a soft smile. “I'm just doing what he would have.”
The fondness in Zack's voice as he spoke of Angeal made Cloud regret that he could remember nothing of the SOLDIER since Zack seemed to hold him in such high regard. He wondered if he could ask Zack what had happened to the man. His friend had seemed reluctant to speak of it before, so Cloud doubted he would bother asking. He was all too aware of how much even a question could hurt the heart.
Cloud took the lead again when they exited the store, weaving through the crowd with barely a thought. They didn't part as readily for him as they had for Zack, his partial trooper uniform less conspicuous than the SOLDIER 1st Class outfit, but it didn't take too long for the trio to travel the length of the street. He knew they were close when Viri perked up in his arms. A distant chocobo warble came to them, audible even above the crowd's noise.
It was easy enough to pick out the building where they kept the chocobos. Not only was it bigger than most buildings in the slums, though certainly not so much as the one near it, or Aerith's church, but even over the smell that hung about the slums itself there was a smell of animals. The wide doors stood open, the sound of shuffling, cooing, and the occasional wark echoed out of the dim interior. From nearby, obviously guarding the rather ornate doors, a man watched them. The so-called stable was as ramshackle as the rest of the slums, though perhaps a bit better in quality. It was nothing like the lofty impressive building out near the swamps.
Zack made his way over and rapped lightly on the open door. It swung slightly, creaking as it did. “Excuse me?” he called. Though it was not as loud here, the din of the nearby market still could be heard as a soft, constant layer of murmuring sound. A chocobo answered his call with a warbling trill. “Anyone here?” Aerith stepped in close enough that she bumped lightly against Zack's side.
From the dim interior of the stable a figure emerged, wiping his hands on a rag and looking at them with an air of boredom. “Can I help you?”
“Hey, sorry to intrude,” Zack said breezily, “but a friend of mine recently acquired a chocobo and we're trying to find a way to get all the necessary items for his care.”
The man glanced them over, face tightening slightly at the obvious rank Zack portrayed. His gazed lingered momentarily on Aerith before turning toward Cloud. He seemed to mostly ignore Cloud, but Viri certainly caught his attention. “Is that so...?”
Zack kept his smile up and light, though Cloud noticed a certain sort of wariness creep into the edges of his expression. “You lot obviously have some chocobos, so maybe you could give us a hand or direct us to your supplier?”
Cloud could see already that this was not going to end well. Zack had charm and charisma, but in the slums that counted a lot less than in other places, especially in the economic black hole of Wall Market. While most of the sellers Zack had encountered so far were more bemused at his bright attitude, as well as hoping to take advantage of what they perceived to be weakness, these men were nowhere near as tolerant.
The only owner of chocobos in the slums had been Don Corneo. He kept a few to pull his gaudy carriage around, but otherwise they were mostly to show how rich and powerful he was. No one would dare to go after the Don's property, unless they wanted to be found lying dead in a gutter the next day. While it pleased Cloud to find that there were still chocobo stables even now, he knew the Don's men wouldn't be easy to deal with.
These were not merchants, looking for a sale at exorbitant prices; these were thugs, bullies, cutthroats who were more inclined to kill you outright and learn later from your corpse what your business was. They obviously wanted nothing to do with ShinRa, expressions mulishly unhelpful in the face of Zack's SOLDIER uniform. That, and Cloud did not like how the man was eying Viri. He'd knife Cloud and book it away with the valuable bird given the chance, which Cloud was not inclined to provide.
Cloud stepped forward deliberately, putting himself between the man and Zack, and forcing the handler to take notice of him instead. Cloud had noticed how easily he'd been dismissed, and intended to make it a mistake the man would regret for a while. He caught the handler's eye, then deliberately let Viri drop to the ground with a quiet, "Stay." While the bird was too young to understand, his breed was intelligent enough to recognize a dangerous situation and stick close to his protector. It was an intimidating move, and already Cloud could see the wariness enter the man's eyes. Why would Cloud have let go of such a valuable bird in this situation, unless he was sure that any move against him would end in his favor?
Out of the corner of his eyes, Cloud could see the other handlers taking a much closer interest in the engagement. If Cloud or Zack tried anything they'd quickly find themselves at a disadvantage. Nothing they couldn't handle, but the men didn't know that, and Cloud really didn't want to start his career in the slums as a murderer.
"We require a supply of food for a growing chick, as well as grooming supplies. Stabling will not be an issue, as his master lives up on the plate," Cloud said quietly, shifting his weight to one leg as he crossed his arms. At his feet, Viri had puffed out his chest, striking a regal pose as he glared up at the other man.
A sneer crossed the handler's face, and he shifted into a more hostile stance, one hand resting obviously on a knife at his side. "We don't do business with ShinRa scum," he said, spitting at Cloud's feet in deliberate insult. Viri flapped his wings and warbled in alarm, but didn’t stray from the relative safety of Cloud’s side. "These are the Don's birds, and everything about them belongs to him. Not even your ShinRa bigwig would want to tangle with the boss. Why don't you turn around and crawl back to your master's feet."
Cloud felt a flare of anger at those word, even though he'd been expecting it. He would die before he'd ever call Sephiroth 'master', and the insult almost broke his tight control. His temple throbbed with Jenova's buzz for just a second, before Cloud forced himself to calm down. The man had taken a step back when Cloud's eyes had sparked with rage.
"I see," Cloud drawled slowly. He turned on his heel and saluted Zack crisply. "Permission to return and report to the General that his personal attention is needed to procure supplies for his chocobo, sir."
"Fuck-What did you say, boy?" the handler demanded before Zack could respond. Cloud turned back, face blank as he regarded the man silently. He could see the other men around him looking worried, and at least one had ducked away. Whether for reinforcements or to report to his boss, Cloud didn't know, but it wouldn't matter either way.
"General Sephiroth has acquired a new chocobo," he explained slowly, his voice even and monotone. At his feet, Viri warbled at the sound of his owner's name. "Currently there are no such facilities to support the bird in ShinRa, so supplies must be acquired elsewhere. You are the closest supplier. If your boss has a problem with this, I'm sure the General would come down to discuss it with him."
The handler's face was a picture, eyes narrowed in hatred and mouth twisted in an ugly scowl. Cloud didn't feel any particular amusement at the sight, though. All he wanted to do was get the supplies for Viri and leave, and this was the easiest way. These men were the type to sell under the table to make a bit of extra profit, but they'd never do it for ShinRa.
"You shit eating little bitch," the man spat furiously, tossing his rag onto the ground in his aggravation and causing Viri to jump backwards onto Cloud's boot, warking at the discarded cloth. Cloud paid the insult no mind. The opinion of a frustrated grunt was hardly his concern. "Fine." Cloud could practically hear his teeth grinding as he gritted them. "What do you need?"
"For now, we need a supply of food to be delivered to the train station, on a weekly basis would be best," Cloud said crisply, inwardly hoping that what he wasn’t taking it too far. Zack would step in if he needed to, hopefully.
"Since the chocobo is a black, he will need about half again as much as your normal chick. I don't know who you do business with, nor do I care, but if you can get mimett greens, you will be compensated for your trouble." And if Sephiroth had to pay through the nose for his pet, Cloud didn't see a downside to it. Plus, Cloud had worked his ass off to make sure his own chocobos had been fed only the best food. "We will inspect the supplies before paying." The man's face went redder with every demand. "I don't trust you not to try to skimp us 'ShinRa scum', after all."
"You think you can just come down here and order us around like-" the handler burst out, shaking a fist in Cloud's face. Cloud didn't even flinch as he caught the fist in his hand, forcing the man back a step as he twisted it. Viri darted forward to peck at the man's leg, then darted back before he could kick out at the sharp stab of pain.
"I'm not ordering you to do anything," Cloud said levelly, still holding the man's fist. "I am doing things your way. Your boss makes a profit, and he gets a good word in with ShinRa. That might not mean as little to him as you think." The last part was a guess, but Cloud knew that at some point Corneo would provide information to ShinRa. It was one of the reasons he'd.… So it was a safe enough bet that the Don wouldn't be adverse to the arrangement.
"Why don't you let Stewart go, friend," another man cut in smoothly, walking up to the pair. "Then we can talk business."
Cloud regarded the newcomer silently for a moment before releasing the swearing handler. The handler stormed away, massaging his wrist and calling Cloud everything but a child of the Planet. Turning to the new comer Cloud noted that he dressed a bit sharper than the general cut of the men hanging around the stables. Cloud said nothing, merely waited for the other man to make the first move.
"I'm Danny. I take care of orderin' our supplies from the Chocobo Farm out east. You know the place?" the man rumbled as he took out a pad of paper from a pocket and pulled a pencil from behind his ear.
"Yes. They're good men there, and have quality materials."
"Right," Danny grunted, then made a few notes on the pad. "Here's what I think we can provide, for now. Fancy stuff like mimett greens takes a lot of getting, you know." He passed the pad over to Cloud.
Cloud spent the next few minutes haggling, aware of Zack and Aerith's silent presence behind him, and kept half an eye out on Viri. The little chick had no intentions of straying any farther than a few inches from Cloud's boots, and with the threat of the General's wrath over them, none of the men still hanging around seemed inclined to make an attempt at the bird. Finally satisfied with the arrangements, Danny straightened up from where he'd been hunched over Cloud. The man was considerably taller than Cloud, and had had to bend over some to keep the notepad evenly between them.
"Hey Rusty!" Danny called, waving a piece of paper at another passing handler. Rusty trotted over, taking the sheet from the other man's hand. "Special order. Run it by the boss, and explain the situation…carefully."
"Don't get your knickers in a twist," Rusty said, sneering at Cloud even as he answered his coworker. "I know how to handle it."
Danny turned back to Cloud again, nodding his head neutrally. "We don't have anything on hand that's up to your standards. These chocobos don't need to win races, just look pretty, after all. But we'll have a box of greens waiting at the train station before the last train tonight, and that should last until your first order comes in."
"Fine," Cloud said shortly. He was already tired of this place. His delivery service skills had given him confidence that he'd gotten the best price he could for the best supplies they could provide. That was enough for now. Bending to collect Viri without another word, he turned back to his friends.
"Come on," he said lowly, putting a hand on Zack's arm to hurry his friend along before either could say anything. "We're not welcome here anymore." When they'd gotten far enough away that the noise and bustle of Wall Market had stolen even the smell of chocobos away, Cloud turned a worried look to Zack. "Was that okay?" He hoped he hadn't gotten Zack into trouble, by taking over and ordering the supplies, but Cloud knew chocobos better than Zack, so it only made sense that he do the actual bartering.
“Okay?” Zack parroted. “You were awesome, Cloud!” Laughter laced every word before Zack pretty much tackled him, arms going around his neck and giving him a squeeze. “The look on that guy's face was priceless!” Cloud would never admit to the startled squeak-cry of surprise-when he suddenly found a couple hundred pounds of Zack hanging off of him. His friend continued to rejoice loudly in Cloud's ear, as if Cloud had done something amazing. Through his bafflement and embarrassment at all the jostling, Cloud gave Aerith a wide-eyed look of near panic, unsure what to do with the clearly ecstatic Zack. Her grin did nothing to reassure him. “Oh, man...I almost wish I'd had a camera. It would've been nice to keep that forever.”
"Zack, stop-!" His feeble protest at the man-handling went unheard, even as Cloud tried to pry Zack's arm from around his neck with his free hand. Viri complained loudly in his other arm, clawed feet digging mercilessly into Cloud's side.
“You're both terrible,” Aerith said, though there was nothing in her voice that said she felt it was true.
“I might be a 1st Class, and that means I'm a warmongering SOLDIER, but Cloud's the one mean enough to threaten people with Sephiroth. That's just cruel and unusual,” Zack crowed, cheerfully ruffling Cloud's hair.
As quickly as the attack had started, suddenly Cloud found himself staggering as he was released. He felt completely confused at what had just happened. He ran a hand through his hair to straighten it from Zack's tender attentions, and tried to keep the traumatized look off his face. Zack was clearly insane. Why hadn't he remembered how unpredictable his friend was? Underneath the embarrassment, however, Cloud could admit a guilty feeling of pleasure at Zack's praise. It felt good to do something right.
“We'll have to let Sephiroth know about the costs, but that won't be too bad. I doubt he'd even notice if we just tagged it onto the budget...though Lazard might have something to say to us about that,” Zack said.
Aerith swatted his arm lightly. “Zack!”
“What? It's still not as bad as sicing Sephiroth on someone!”
"I wouldn't have set Sephiroth on them," Cloud mumbled, running a hand over Viri's ruffled feathers to settle the chick. "What makes you think he'd even do it if asked?" He ducked his chin behind his scarf and kept his gaze on the ground at his feet, knowing by the hot feeling that his face was still flushed with embarrassment. Cloud felt as if all eyes were on him now, which made him squirm uncomfortably. He dreaded the rumors that would float around the market about the two of them now.
“You kidding?” Zack asked breezily. “Like Sephiroth would turn down a chance to come down and terrorize someone. It's better than being bored up there in ShinRa's lofty tower.” Zack wiggled his fingers up at the plate as if they could just look up and see the building itself. “Well, if you could drag him away from his books long enough, but I bet if you set your case right he wouldn't mind. Might just do it to make the execs sweat and wonder what he's up to now. Catch him when one of the execs are talking to him and he might even say thank you.”
Cloud listened to Zack's teasing incredulously, unable to picture the image of Sephiroth Zack was presenting. His friend had to be exaggerating for humor, but Cloud had trouble even envisioning Sephiroth speaking civilly to anyone, let alone staying still long enough for people who annoyed him.
Around them, Wall Market's glitter and lights faded away, people becoming scarce as they made their way through to the monster infested areas between sectors. To their luck, their earlier journey seemed to have cleared out all of the nearby monsters, and they passed through unmolested.
“I guess we should probably be heading back up. We need to hunt down Sephiroth, and that could take the rest of the afternoon.” Zack's comment made Cloud look up, realizing with a pang that they were near the large doors leading to Sector 5’s market, and it was time to say goodbye. “Why don't you wait here Cloud, and I'll walk Aerith back the rest of the way?”
"Ah…yeah," he replied, glancing sideways at Aerith. It was the least he could do, to allow the pair at least a few minutes alone. Cloud had monopolized too much of their time together as it was. "I…bye, Aerith." He nodded awkwardly at her. Now that the high of seeing her again was wearing off, Cloud had no idea how friendly he was supposed to act with her.
Aerith seemed to sense his hesitancy, and stepped forward to wrap her arms around him in a soft hug. Cloud's breath caught as her scent washed over him, smelling of her flowers and purity. He raised his free hand hesitantly, resting it gently on her back and applying a little pressure in return of the hug. Between them, Viri chirped a protest at being trapped between two bodies again, and Aerith stepped back with a smile.
"It was nice meeting you, Cloud. You have to come visit me sometime on your own as well," A bright smile accompanied her words, and she clasped her hands behind her back. Cloud nodded hesitantly back, eyes unfocused as memories of other times with Aerith floated up in his mind. She didn't deem this satisfactory, reaching out to clasp his hand in hers. "Promise?" she asked firmly, her green eyes staring up into his.
"…Yeah, I promise," he replied softly, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. Aerith laughed, and nodded cheerfully before releasing his hand.
"Good. Now, I think you said something about walking me back?" Aerith turned to Zack with an expectant look. Side by side, they strolled away.
“Absolutely. I'd be remiss in my duties as a wonderful boyfriend if I made you walk back to your beloved flowers alone. I'll be right back."
Part 2