Zack is lying on the ground of the cage he and Cloud were put into, his chest bandaged from where Sephiroth had sliced him

Cloud Strife whimpers

Zack says, "uhhhhhhhhh... what happend?"

Cloud Strife says, "Seph..."

Zack sits up, wincing, and looks at Cloud

Zack says, "Where are we? Are you ok?"

Cloud Strife wraps his wings around himself

Cloud Strife says, "Not okay... "

Zack moves himself over to Cloud's side, wincing in pain from his wounds

Zack says, "Where are we?"

Cloud Strife says, "basement..."

Zack looks around

Zack says, "We're caught?"

Cloud Strife nods

Cloud Strife says, "Seph... he’s.... gone "

Zack says, "gone?"

Zack blinks and looks right at Cloud

Zack says, "last thing I remember is him over me... he was insane"

Cloud Strife says, "I saw him attacking you... and... I leapt at him...."

Zack says, "You did?"

Cloud Strife says, "I .... killed my mate... knocked him into the Mako"

Zack says, "............."

Zack pulls his wings around Cloud.. pulling him close

Zack says, "oh gods... I'm.. sorry... "

Cloud Strife starts to sob

Zack sniffles as well, rocking Cloud gently

Zack says, "what about... your child?"

Zack places his fingers on Cloud's pouch

Cloud Strife says, "I.. my child.. "

Zack looks into Cloud's eyes

Cloud Strife says, "There’s no one to... carry it when its born.... we have to get out"

Zack nods slowly

Zack says, "still alive?"

Zack runs his fingers along the edge of Cloud's pouch

Cloud Strife says, "Yes. Please… don’t let the man know.. about it... he's going to hurt us "

Zack says, "Who's the man? And you know I will not"

Cloud Strife says, "A... man in a white coat... lab coat"

Zack says, "He might hurt us any way... now that he knows we..."

Zack sniffles

Cloud Strife wraps his tail around one of Zack's legs

Zack hugs Cloud... sniffling

Zack says, "I want to go home... I never got to hold Hana..."

Cloud Strife says, "We will get out "

Zack says, "yes, we have to... maybe my mate can help feed your child...."

Cloud Strife nods

Cloud Strife says, "I hope so... "

Zack says, "for the sake of our kind....."

Zack curls around Cloud

------ 5 months later ---------

Zack is curled up in a tight ball in the corner, his wings and tail around himself

Cloud Strife whimpers softly

Zack says, "zzzzzz"

Cloud Strife says, "Zack"

Cloud Strife pokes Zack

Zack says, "zzzz huh?"

Zack pokes his head out from his wings

Cloud Strife says, "I hurt"

Zack says, "where?"

Zack moves his wings back and stretches

Cloud Strife points to his pouch

Cloud Strife says, "It cant...."

Zack says, "what type of pain?"

Zack draws him over slowly

Cloud Strife says, "feels like I’m splitting"

Zack says, "It's time them..."

Cloud Strife says, "No! It cant...."

Zack places Cloud in his lap

Zack says, "I know... but... it's happening"

Zack isn't really sure what to do so does what he remembers Rufus doing hand puts his hands on Cloud's pouch

Cloud Strife says, "Please Zack.... Its going to die... just kill me.. I can’t watch"

Zack says, "Cloud... I can't kill you.. please.. maybe something can be done"

Zack opens up Cloud's pouch so he can put his hands inside... remembering how much it hurt

Cloud Strife cries out and squirms

Zack says, "shhh... remember, I went through this too"

Zack reaches into the pouch so he can grasp the child inside

Cloud Strife says, "Please don’t...."

Zack says, "Cloud, I have to..."

Zack starts to pull gently.. moving his tail around to assist

Cloud Strife starts to sob

Zack hears a squishing sound as he pulls, still being gentle

Cloud Strife wraps his tail around Zack's arm

Zack says, "Cloud.... please.... let go"

Zack continues to pull, hearing the child start to cry a little

Cloud Strife says, "No no... don’t......"

Zack says, "why?"

Zack does not stop what he is doing

Cloud Strife sobs and lets Zack do what he is doing

Zack finally pulls the child free of Cloud's pouch and looks at it

Zack says, "It's done..."

Cloud Strife says, "Let me hold.. please... "

Zack offers up the dripping and still attached child to Cloud... then sniffles

Cloud Strife says, "I can’t do anything.... for it "

Cloud Strife cradles the child and sobs

Zack says, "I never got to hold Hana"

Zack starts to cry as well, pulling his wings around himself

Cloud Strife rocks back and forth.. holding the child

Zack rocks himself... wanting desperately to hold Hana and be with Rufus

Cloud Strife bites the cord on the child, and ties it off... acting on his instincts

Zack sniffles

Cloud Strife says, "All I had left of him... and its going to... "

Zack says, "damned ShinRa... I think they caused Sephiroth to go insane and bring this on us"

Zack cries

Cloud Strife sits and mumbles to himself and his child... mostly apologies for not being able to save them

Zack hears the child in Cloud's arms cry from hunger.. and sobs to himself

Cloud Strife says, "Please make it stop.... "

Zack says, "I... I can't do anything... your child is hungry...."

Hojo is drawn to the cage by the cries of the newborn and looks in, adjusting his glasses

Zack looks up and sees Hojo

Zack says, "oh no... He's here"

Cloud Strife holds the child tightly

Hojo says, "well well... what have we here?"

Zack puts his hands on the ground and spreads out his wings... hissing at Hojo

Zack says, "back off... you come in here and I'm draining you off your blood"

Cloud Strife draws himself to the back corner of the cage

Hojo takes out his dart gun and darts Zack

Zack says, "ohh... Zacky gonna take a nap now"

Zack passes out onto the floor

Hojo opens the cage, closing the door behind him

Cloud Strife growls

Hojo says, "why not give the child up without a fight?"

Cloud Strife says, "Why.. so you can dissect it.. ?"

Hojo says, "I am going to take the child from you any way, you might as well give it up"

Cloud Strife cradles the child

Cloud Strife says, "Its all I have left... please don’t…"

Hojo says, "How are you supposed to care for your child without your mate?"

Cloud Strife says, "I..."

Hojo moves over to Cloud, holding a tazer

Cloud Strife says, "What are you going to do with it?"

Hojo says, "Find out all I can... keep it alive if possible"

Cloud Strife nods weakly

Hojo says, "Hand the child over please"

Cloud Strife says, "If..... you’re going to try... to keep it alive"

Cloud Strife kisses the squalling infant's forehead

Hojo says, "Yes if that's possible"

Cloud Strife slowly hands the child over.... hating himself but reminding that its the only way it might be able to live

Hojo takes the child and walks out of the cage, locking the door

Hojo says, "I'll make sure you two are fed"

Hojo disappears out of site and to far away for the child's crying of hunger to be heard

Zack wakes up a few hours later and groans

Cloud Strife is sitting in the corner still... shaking and sobbing weakly

Zack says, "uhh.. Cloud?"

Cloud Strife says, "..."

Zack says, "What happened? Where's...."

Cloud Strife says, "He took....."

Zack sniffles

Zack says, "What happened?"

Zack moves over to Cloud

Cloud Strife says, "I gave.... him.."

Zack says, "You gave?"

Zack pulls Cloud into his arms to comfort him

Cloud Strife says, "He.. said he might be able.... to help "

Zack sniffles

Zack says, "I don't trust him at all"

Cloud Strife says, "I.. had to..."

Zack says, "Because there was no other way?"

Cloud Strife nods

Cloud Strife says, "Please.. don’t talk.. about it... I cant bare to think... what he might be doing...."

Zack sniffles and holds him

Zack says, "You must be hurting so bad..."

Cloud Strife says, "Yes..... "

Zack says, "It reminds me of when...."

Zack shuts himself up... felling tears come back to his eyes

Cloud Strife says, "Your family.. is safe.. Rufus... nobody will touch him"

Zack says, "I know.... but he thinks I'm dead...."

Cloud Strife says, "My family is dead"

Cloud Strife says, "Im alone..."

Zack pulls his wings around Cloud

Zack says, "I'll protect you"

Cloud Strife says, "Why bother.. my life is gone.. taken away by ShinRa"

------ 5 years after capture ------------

Zack pokes Cloud who is asleep in the corner

Zack says, "Cloud... we have to get out of here"

Cloud Strife lifts his head slightly

Zack says, "We have to get out of here"

Zack pulls on Cloud's arm

Cloud Strife sits up

Zack says, "Come on"

Zack pulls Cloud to his feet

Cloud Strife says, "out?"

Zack nods

Zack says, "they are going to kill us if we don't escape"

Cloud Strife says, "Then..... leave me here"

Zack says, "I'm not leaving you here Cloud... we can't let our race die out so fast"

Cloud Strife says, "I want... to be with my family again Zack"

Zack sighs and picks Cloud up

Zack says, "So do I.... and I can't let them use us any more"

Cloud Strife says, "What do I do... when I get out?"

Zack goes over to the lock he has been picking

Zack says, "I'm taking you home with me.. we have to take on the ShinRa... to kill them"

Cloud Strife says, "Alright.. Im for that"

Zack says, "good"

Zack bashes the door and runs with Cloud out of the basement

Zack says, "holy...."

Zack stares at the town

Cloud Strife looks

Cloud Strife says, "This... was all gone "

Zack says, "Yes... I saw"

Zack puts Cloud down on his feet, grabbing his hand

Zack says, "Can you fly?"

Cloud Strife says, "I think"

Cloud Strife spreads his wings.. which are tattered along the edges and faded

Zack spreads his wings and gets some lift

Cloud Strife says, "You... might have to drag me a little"

Zack says, "alright"

Cloud Strife flaps weakly upwards

Zack grabs Cloud's hand and starts to fly with him

Zack says, "come on, let's get to Midgar"

Cloud Strife glides most of the time... as he's rather weak

Zack has to help him and winds up using up a lot of his own energy in the process

Cloud Strife says, " Are we almost there"

Zack says, "yes"

Zack pants and lands with him outside the city

Zack says, "I'm.. tired"

Cloud Strife says, "I’m sorry"

Zack says, "It's ok"

Zack leans on something

Zack says, "We're almost home"

Cloud Strife says, "Thank... you "

Zack nods and leans on his sword, which he recovered from the lab

Cloud Strife says, "I’m sorry I’m so weak"

Zack says, "It's not your fault"

Zack hears shouting

Zack says, "shit.. stay right there"

Zack charges off with his sword

Cloud Strife says, "Zack?"

Zack says, "SHIT!"

Zack manages to sword one of the troopers as the other one shoots him

Zack says, "arrrrgggg"

Cloud Strife says, "Zack!!"

Cloud Strife runs to where he heard the commotion

Zack stumbles back as he is shot more... dropping his sword

Cloud Strife says, "No... Zack"

Cloud Strife trips and falls on his face..

Zack falls to the ground... blood streaming from his wounds

The guards ignore Cloud and walk off

Cloud Strife lifts up his head and notes the gunman is gone

Cloud Strife says, "Zack....."

Cloud Strife crawls over to him

Zack is lying in a pool of his own blood... full of bullet holes

Cloud Strife says, "Zack"

Cloud Strife shakes him

Zack makes no response

Cloud Strife says, "Please don’t die.. you have a family.... "

Zack lays limply on the ground... blood all around him... no longer pooling

Cloud Strife says, "Zack...."

Cloud Strife starts to cry... having lost too many people in his life

Zack's sword lies in the dirt near by

Cloud Strife says, "This is all my fault.... Zack... I'm.... gonna . do what you said we'd do.... destroy ShinRa"

Cloud Strife picks up Zack's sword

Cloud Strife says, "I’m sorry"

Zack's hair wafts in the breeze

Cloud Strife checks Zack one last time... but finds no signs of life

Cloud Strife says, "All this..... I have to .. fix ... "

Cloud Strife straps the sword to his back and heads for Midgar