Savior

The Send Off

 The next morning they woke up early to meet Priscilla outside her house as they heard the sounds of celebration above. "I wonder if they even had a funeral yet?" Daisey wondered aloud as they waited for the young girl to come outside.

"I doubt they did, those Shin-Ra don't care 'bout no one but themselves!" Barret said.

"Do you think his ghost will haunt his office now?" Hollie asked.

"Ghosts!?" Akane squealed.

"Booo~~~!" Hollie teased her.  Akane screeched before running behind Kunsel.

Kunsel glared at Hollie, "Be nice!"

Hollie examined his reddened face before looking at Akane then back again.  She giggled when it finally clicked in her mind, "Okay~!"

Akane squeaked and jumped away from him, wringing her hands as she hid her face in her collar.  Hollie couldn't resist an "Awww!" but thankfully no one heard her.

"S---sorry," Akane stuttered.

His blush deepened and he looked away, "I---it's alright, I d---don't mind..."qqwqa3we1w3s

Hollie's eyes shot up when she heard Priscilla's door squeak open.  She bounded down the steps before jumping in Cloud's arms and nuzzling him.  Tifa stifled a chuckle and as Daisey nudged her, "Looks like you have some competition."  Tifa blushed covering her face with her hand.

"Thanks for saving me and Mr. Dolphin!  For that I'll give you something SPECIAL!" she dug in her dress pocket and pulled out a red orb wrapped in a beautiful sea shell necklace.  She flashed Cloud a toothy grin, "It's an amulet. Take good care of it, ok?"

"Thanks," he examined it, turning the red orb over in his hand.

Hollie's face lit up as she hung onto Cloud's arm to get a better look. "Shiva!" she squealed.  Cloud gave her a look, "She's my favorite!"

"How do you know about her?"

Her grin twitched, "Because she's awesome!"

"Materia!!!" Yuffie's eyes twinkled greedily.  Cloud shot her a quick glare before stuffing it in his pocket.

"You'll come back soon right Cloud?" Priscilla hugged him.

"Um...  I don't know...  It might be a while..."

She looked disappointed, "Well you'd better come back safe!"  She pushed him in emphasis.

He smirked, "I will."  His smile faded when he felt Hollie fall into him. "Are you alright?"

"Just got a bit dizzy," she murmured.

He held her shoulders to keep her steady, "Maybe you should lay down.  You look really pale."

"I'm fine..."

He felt her forehead, "You have a fever." 

Her knees collapsed and she fell against him.  "I'm fine..."

He shook his head before picking her up and carrying her back to Priscilla's grandparents house.

****

"Hollie?" Daisey asked worriedly.

Hollie opened her eyes to see Daisey looking over her, "What...?  Where's Cloud?" she asked looking around the room.  Barrett snored in a corner while Red and Yuffie played some kind of card game, everyone was there except Cloud.

Daisey hugged her relieved, "Stop pretending you're okay when you're not!"

Hollie rolled over hugging herself, "I'm sorry..."

Daisey hugged her again, "Please," she whispered, "I don't want to lose you too..."

"You're not going to lose me..."

Silence stretched between them, "Cloud's trying to get up top. He didn't want to leave with you like this but we were running out of time so he had to."

"Thanks," she smiled slightly, Cloud's really nice...

"But are you really okay?" she asked.

"I feel fine," She said sitting up.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Daisey said. "Don't get up to quickly."

"I'm fine," she said sitting up with Daisey's help.

***

The bar was filled with smoke and revelery, except for four of the turks sitting at the counter, "Sad day for Shin-Ra." Reno mumbled.

Rude grunted. Alasia stiffened, "I could've gotten both of those specimens no problem!"

"So? Why didn't you?"  Dorian tensed at the remark, "What's your problem?" Reno asked. "Get a drink. Loosen up a bit."

"... No thanks..."

"Not a drinker?"

"... Not really..." He mumbled.

"Heh, who'da thunk? Well, not that we've ever seen each other much. So you've been searching eight years for those two research experiments?"

Dorian sat up abruptly making them stare, "... I need some fresh air. This smoke is giving me a headache..." He said walking out.

"Psh... Not a smoker either... No wonder he's stressed out..."

Dorian walked into the street and leaned against the wall rubbing his face in his hands. He decided to take a walk, rather distracted, he ran into a Shin-Ra Infantryman. He sighed, "Um... I'm sorry..."

"Turk," he said somewhat rudely.

He sighed, "Yeah," he looked around, "You new? You seemed to have missed part of the ceremony..."

"... Yeah..."

"... Let me give you a little advice," the man stiffened, "No matter why you joined, quit while you still can... It's not worth it..." He could tell the man was surprised. "Think on it... Trust me..." He sighed walking away.

Cloud blinked as he watched the man walk away, ... That was unexpected...