#cloudxcloud

~*~

The town is burning.

He's looking for Zack, but can't find him anywhere. He's found his mother already, lifeless under the ruins of their home. Her blue eyes were wide open, skin so white she could pretend to be a porcelain doll. However, unlike like some other citizens – he's seeing them everywhere; burned, black corpses, faces twisted in pain, mouth open for screams that never left their throats – she died by a sword. There was a wound on her chest; the blood around it looked like the petals of a red flower. His pretty, kind mother always with a sad smile and haunted eyes...

Smoke makes his head dizzy, he almost can't see through it. Someone is telling him to go the reactor – that female voice is so sweet, promising to take his pain away – but he's afraid he knows what he will find there. The General recently was acting weird, and the wounds on the citizens remind him of marks that Masamune leaves on her victims – he can't think about it, not now – and, on top of everything, there are footsteps on the path leading to the reactor...

Cloud wakes up suddenly, still hearing screams of people that are miles away from him. He falls asleep instantly.

~*~

In the morning he doesn't remember anything. Though, he could swear he smelled the scent of burning wood before he went to the bathroom.

~*~

This time it seems like Wolf was expecting him.

They aren't in the church; now it's the beach with white soft sand and murmuring waves. The air is fresh and Cloud is breathing with delight. It's completely different than heavy air in the Midgar and it makes him smile a little. He is also dressed differently: in green shorts and white T-shirt.

“So you're here again.”

“As you can see,” says the cadet with false bravado, sitting on the sand near to Wolf, beyond reach of his hands. Cloud wants to ask about many things – why do you look like me? Is Sephiroth dangerous? Why are we here? - but the atmosphere is too relaxing so they just sit watching waves. In the corner of his eyes Cloud sees that Wolf is absently playing with shells, his eyes are focused – like in previous dream – on something beyond the horizon and time.

“Tell me,” starts Wolf and Cloud mentally prepared himself for... he isn't sure for what, but probably for something bad, “how was your last exam for your Materia class?”

Cloud didn't expect that question. He almost laughs, however the man is serious so his reply is serious too, even if a deaf person could hear the faintest shades of a smile in his voice.

“I guess it was good.” The cadet would love to know why Wolf asked about something so insignificant. “Why did you ask?”

“No reason.” Wolf shudders, but Cloud sees something like appreciation in his eyes and, in some way, he feels very proud.

Almost by chance the man takes out from his pocket a green ball of materia and starts talking about fussioning different kinds of materia. Cloud is absorbing every word, listening carefully to this deep, strong voice. Something clenches in the cadet's stomach in pleasant way.

“You ought to smile more often.”

“Uh?”

Cloud raises his head; he didn't realize he wasn't listening to Wolf any more, but the man isn't angry. “What did you say?”

“Nothing.”