Clack for 7rainbowprompts
Title: Those Wings
Author: rainbowserenity
Fandom: Final Fantasy VII
Claim: Zack/Cloud
Prompt Set: Orange
Prompt: 6 - Angel Fallen From Above
Type: Fanfic
Rating: T
Warnings/Spoilers: Vague hints of boy lovin' and Crisis Core spoilers
Disclaimer: I don't own FFVII because Squeenix owns my soul.
Summary: Not all angels have wings. Then again, not all monsters have them, either.
A/N: Beware of some angst? xD;
Those wings...I want them, too.
It seemed to be some sort of 1st class privilege to have wings. And privilege was exactly how Zack saw it, because in his eyes, those wings separated them all. Made them special. After all, you could save a lot of people if you had wings.
He wished that he’d had wings during this whole crazy on-the-run thing. He would’ve been able to fly both him and Cloud to Midgar and see Aerith. And hopefully, the wind would be nice enough to snap Cloud out of his mako addiction.
“See?” Zack would say. “Flying feels...pretty good.”
But he didn’t get those wings until it was too late to help the one he cared about the most.
--
When Genesis had first revealed his feathery black wing, Zack had been shocked in wonder rather than the disgusted way Genesis had probably been expecting. He had to admit, it fascinated him, especially when the other SOLDIER flew away, looking like some sort of dark angel against the sky.
Angel…
Yes, that’s what they were, Zack was sure of it. Not monsters, like all three friends were somehow so convinced, at least eventually. Then again, Genesis’s wing had been adorned with feathers as black as night. Maybe those feathers represented how his soul was so very corrupted by vengeance. Perhaps he’d been a monster all along, even before the experiments and mako and dedicating his life to SOLDIER.
Whatever they all were, Zack wished he could’ve helped, instead just tagging along for the ride.
--
Angeal’s wing had been white - exactly that of an angel. The word monster didn’t even cross Zack’s mind when his mentor had revealed who he really was and claimed he dreamed of vengeance. Zack refused to believe that - could something that was supposed to mean unspeakable beauty really condemn someone to such thoughts of revenge?
Angeal had never lusted after it like Genesis had, though. Not really. Maybe he had at first, but Zack couldn’t deny the fact that his mentor had genuinely enjoyed flying him around while Genesis saw it as a fact of life.
And there, perhaps, was the real difference between the angel and the monster. But unfortunately, Angeal hadn’t seen that until it was far too late and the symbol of his dreams and honor was resting comfortably in Zack’s capable hands.
--
Sephiroth had never needed wings, at least that Zack could see. The man could pretty much fly without them and was always hailed as a hero - the hero everyone wanted to be. Well, at least until he’d gone crazy.
Zack wondered what Sephiroth’s wing would’ve looked like had he had one. White, like the angels they were all supposed to be? Or as black as a soul consumed by vengeance?
He didn’t know. And really, he didn’t want to try and guess. Honestly, he’d always felt some sort of connection to Sephiroth in the fact that neither of them had the wings of a SOLDIER. But he should’ve known how he was only kidding himself - Zack had never been experimented on. He’d never stood on that fine line between angel and monster, light and dark, good and evil. All three of the others had, at least at some point.
But he never, ever would’ve guessed that Sephiroth would trade his sanity for the price of the sky.
--
He wondered what Aerith would look like with wings.
When he’d fallen through the roof of the church, part of him was thinking that Angeal would fly down and rescue him with that wing he’d shown him earlier. But no, instead he found himself face-to-face with a whole different sort of angel.
It was easy to imagine that he’d died and gone to heaven. After all, he was surrounded by the sweet smell of flowers - so rare in Midgar - and an equally sweet voice calling to him.
But of course, he was on solid ground, staring in the green eyes of the sweetest angel he knew he’d ever meet. Much like Sephiroth, she didn’t need wings to fly, although their reasons for that were as different as night and day. He so desperately wanted to show her the sky, where she belonged - spreading her wings and filling the world with the flowers that so mysteriously wanted to only be tended by her.
And after he escaped from the confines of Nibelheim, he wished he had wings so he could fly both him and Cloud back to her sweet angel’s voice.
He thought for a moment that he would finally get those wings; finally become a SOLDIER who could fly. But no - it was just that one teasing feather of Angeal’s that reminded Zack that he couldn’t fly, that his earthbound soul tarnished the SOLDIER name.
Zack was determined. He’d get his wings and take him and Cloud to Aerith, the angel who would eventually lead them both to their purpose.
--
Cloud didn’t need wings.
But Zack had to think that the blond would look awfully good with them. Or maybe once Zack got his wings, he’d press Cloud close to himself and use those feathers to cover them both in their own little cocoon, where the world wasn’t so confusing.
He felt like he’d earned his own set on wings when he threw himself into training the little infantryman. Cloud was always so determined - exactly how Zack had been when he was in those shoes so many years ago. Or maybe it wasn’t that long ago. Time had a way of flying away from him and carrying it on a dusting of feathers.
SOLDIER is like a den of monsters - don’t go inside.
That’s what he’d told Cloud that weary night at Nibelheim, but he knew he was lying to himself and Cloud. Anything to keep the blond away from all the vengeance and hostility and confusion - it was his way of protecting him.
Yeah, protecting him, even though Zack knew damn well that SOLDIER wasn’t full of monsters. Then again, it wasn’t quite full of angels, either - it was something in between, and somehow Zack knew that it would always be like that. Cloud shouldn’t have to be subjected to such confusion. He cared about the blond too much and set himself to prove that over and over.
Finally, he’d found something worth having more than those wings.
--
“Boy oh boy, the price of freedom is steep.”
What was the price of freedom, anyway? His SOLDIER honor? Those wings? His sanity?
But he knew deep down that the price couldn’t be Cloud. Never. No matter what, Cloud was going to make it. He’d promised both of them that.
Maybe, he thought as memories of Aerith fluttered in and out of his mind, he should’ve promised himself that they’d both make it.
As he held Cloud close and handed him the Buster Sword with his last breaths, Zack couldn’t help but smile throughout it all. It was so surreal - the rain, the bullets through his body leaving literal pools of blood that no human could’ve ever come out of, the way Cloud was staring at him in confusion.
Zack wanted so badly to reassure him, but he knew there was no way he was getting out of this - he wasn’t a monster or an angel. He didn’t have wings. All his life, he’d sat on the sidelines of good and bad, just trying to do the right thing for those around him.
He was...merely human.
A mere human who could not take the weight of so many bullets, so many people wanting him dead. Darkness fluttered around him as he finally gave into his eternal rest, of course not hearing Cloud’s scream or noticing that the rain had stopped. His soul couldn’t sense these things.
And when light did finally greet him again, he was met with the sight of...an angel?
No...a friend.
The hand was guiding him towards the Lifestream, the place he belonged now. He’d done his duty - his dreams and honor were in very capable hands. Cloud was going to be alright. He’d see to that from the sky.
Those wings...he’d gotten them, too.
-----
I'm full of emo ficcage lately. Sigh. Oh well. xD
Comments are love! ♥
For more Clack, ffvii_clack is the way! ;D
For more of my stuff, check this out! You know you wanna. xD
RainbowSerenity
Author: rainbowserenity
Fandom: Final Fantasy VII
Claim: Zack/Cloud
Prompt Set: Orange
Prompt: 6 - Angel Fallen From Above
Type: Fanfic
Rating: T
Warnings/Spoilers: Vague hints of boy lovin' and Crisis Core spoilers
Disclaimer: I don't own FFVII because Squeenix owns my soul.
Summary: Not all angels have wings. Then again, not all monsters have them, either.
A/N: Beware of some angst? xD;
Those wings...I want them, too.
It seemed to be some sort of 1st class privilege to have wings. And privilege was exactly how Zack saw it, because in his eyes, those wings separated them all. Made them special. After all, you could save a lot of people if you had wings.
He wished that he’d had wings during this whole crazy on-the-run thing. He would’ve been able to fly both him and Cloud to Midgar and see Aerith. And hopefully, the wind would be nice enough to snap Cloud out of his mako addiction.
“See?” Zack would say. “Flying feels...pretty good.”
But he didn’t get those wings until it was too late to help the one he cared about the most.
--
When Genesis had first revealed his feathery black wing, Zack had been shocked in wonder rather than the disgusted way Genesis had probably been expecting. He had to admit, it fascinated him, especially when the other SOLDIER flew away, looking like some sort of dark angel against the sky.
Angel…
Yes, that’s what they were, Zack was sure of it. Not monsters, like all three friends were somehow so convinced, at least eventually. Then again, Genesis’s wing had been adorned with feathers as black as night. Maybe those feathers represented how his soul was so very corrupted by vengeance. Perhaps he’d been a monster all along, even before the experiments and mako and dedicating his life to SOLDIER.
Whatever they all were, Zack wished he could’ve helped, instead just tagging along for the ride.
--
Angeal’s wing had been white - exactly that of an angel. The word monster didn’t even cross Zack’s mind when his mentor had revealed who he really was and claimed he dreamed of vengeance. Zack refused to believe that - could something that was supposed to mean unspeakable beauty really condemn someone to such thoughts of revenge?
Angeal had never lusted after it like Genesis had, though. Not really. Maybe he had at first, but Zack couldn’t deny the fact that his mentor had genuinely enjoyed flying him around while Genesis saw it as a fact of life.
And there, perhaps, was the real difference between the angel and the monster. But unfortunately, Angeal hadn’t seen that until it was far too late and the symbol of his dreams and honor was resting comfortably in Zack’s capable hands.
--
Sephiroth had never needed wings, at least that Zack could see. The man could pretty much fly without them and was always hailed as a hero - the hero everyone wanted to be. Well, at least until he’d gone crazy.
Zack wondered what Sephiroth’s wing would’ve looked like had he had one. White, like the angels they were all supposed to be? Or as black as a soul consumed by vengeance?
He didn’t know. And really, he didn’t want to try and guess. Honestly, he’d always felt some sort of connection to Sephiroth in the fact that neither of them had the wings of a SOLDIER. But he should’ve known how he was only kidding himself - Zack had never been experimented on. He’d never stood on that fine line between angel and monster, light and dark, good and evil. All three of the others had, at least at some point.
But he never, ever would’ve guessed that Sephiroth would trade his sanity for the price of the sky.
--
He wondered what Aerith would look like with wings.
When he’d fallen through the roof of the church, part of him was thinking that Angeal would fly down and rescue him with that wing he’d shown him earlier. But no, instead he found himself face-to-face with a whole different sort of angel.
It was easy to imagine that he’d died and gone to heaven. After all, he was surrounded by the sweet smell of flowers - so rare in Midgar - and an equally sweet voice calling to him.
But of course, he was on solid ground, staring in the green eyes of the sweetest angel he knew he’d ever meet. Much like Sephiroth, she didn’t need wings to fly, although their reasons for that were as different as night and day. He so desperately wanted to show her the sky, where she belonged - spreading her wings and filling the world with the flowers that so mysteriously wanted to only be tended by her.
And after he escaped from the confines of Nibelheim, he wished he had wings so he could fly both him and Cloud back to her sweet angel’s voice.
He thought for a moment that he would finally get those wings; finally become a SOLDIER who could fly. But no - it was just that one teasing feather of Angeal’s that reminded Zack that he couldn’t fly, that his earthbound soul tarnished the SOLDIER name.
Zack was determined. He’d get his wings and take him and Cloud to Aerith, the angel who would eventually lead them both to their purpose.
--
Cloud didn’t need wings.
But Zack had to think that the blond would look awfully good with them. Or maybe once Zack got his wings, he’d press Cloud close to himself and use those feathers to cover them both in their own little cocoon, where the world wasn’t so confusing.
He felt like he’d earned his own set on wings when he threw himself into training the little infantryman. Cloud was always so determined - exactly how Zack had been when he was in those shoes so many years ago. Or maybe it wasn’t that long ago. Time had a way of flying away from him and carrying it on a dusting of feathers.
SOLDIER is like a den of monsters - don’t go inside.
That’s what he’d told Cloud that weary night at Nibelheim, but he knew he was lying to himself and Cloud. Anything to keep the blond away from all the vengeance and hostility and confusion - it was his way of protecting him.
Yeah, protecting him, even though Zack knew damn well that SOLDIER wasn’t full of monsters. Then again, it wasn’t quite full of angels, either - it was something in between, and somehow Zack knew that it would always be like that. Cloud shouldn’t have to be subjected to such confusion. He cared about the blond too much and set himself to prove that over and over.
Finally, he’d found something worth having more than those wings.
--
“Boy oh boy, the price of freedom is steep.”
What was the price of freedom, anyway? His SOLDIER honor? Those wings? His sanity?
But he knew deep down that the price couldn’t be Cloud. Never. No matter what, Cloud was going to make it. He’d promised both of them that.
Maybe, he thought as memories of Aerith fluttered in and out of his mind, he should’ve promised himself that they’d both make it.
As he held Cloud close and handed him the Buster Sword with his last breaths, Zack couldn’t help but smile throughout it all. It was so surreal - the rain, the bullets through his body leaving literal pools of blood that no human could’ve ever come out of, the way Cloud was staring at him in confusion.
Zack wanted so badly to reassure him, but he knew there was no way he was getting out of this - he wasn’t a monster or an angel. He didn’t have wings. All his life, he’d sat on the sidelines of good and bad, just trying to do the right thing for those around him.
He was...merely human.
A mere human who could not take the weight of so many bullets, so many people wanting him dead. Darkness fluttered around him as he finally gave into his eternal rest, of course not hearing Cloud’s scream or noticing that the rain had stopped. His soul couldn’t sense these things.
And when light did finally greet him again, he was met with the sight of...an angel?
No...a friend.
The hand was guiding him towards the Lifestream, the place he belonged now. He’d done his duty - his dreams and honor were in very capable hands. Cloud was going to be alright. He’d see to that from the sky.
Those wings...he’d gotten them, too.
-----
I'm full of emo ficcage lately. Sigh. Oh well. xD
Comments are love! ♥
For more Clack, ffvii_clack is the way! ;D
For more of my stuff, check this out! You know you wanna. xD
RainbowSerenity