Disclaimer: All characters of Final Fantasy VII belong to Square Enix. I'm just playing with them for a while and I'll give them back. Maybe.

Thanks to my beta MakoStorm for taking a look at this!

Ow. The first thing Reno became aware of was the enraged chocobo clawing his ribs and the throbbing in his head and left arm.

"Reno! Wake up, man. We gotta get out."

The voice was familiar but sounded hollow as if coming from a distance. Someone grabbed him under his arms hefting him to his feet. Reno cried out, the pain bringing burning clarity. The voice belonged to Zack Fair and so did the hands supporting him. The Turk opened his eyes as Zack pulled Reno's arm over his shoulder.

"Zack?" Reno questioned groggily.

"We got to go, buddy," Zack said tersely, pulling Reno towards the door, "The chopper's on fire."

Reno could smell the smoke then, and the burning fuel. "Shit." He gritted his teeth and struggled to help Zack lug his lanky frame towards the door. They climbed shakily out of the burning helicopter with Zack half carrying Reno. The Turk glanced at the SOLDIER and was alarmed at the amount of blood staining the brunette's face. He couldn't see a cut and wondered where the blood was coming from.

"Are you okay, yo?" Reno asked.

The chopper exploded preventing him from receiving an answer. The shockwave hammered into them, sending both them flying.

Zack stubbornly kept his grip on Reno, wrapping his body around the redhead to protect him as they bounced painfully down the cliff. He winced as the rocks sliced his skin adding to his numerous injuries. As his skull slammed off a rock, he acknowledged that they'd be lucky to survive this one. Then his vision went black.

OOOOOOOOOO

I gotta quit waking up like this, Reno thought as his lips parted in a moan. "Fucking hell," he groaned.

Memories of burning fuel and blood filled his mind and he forced his eyes open. "Fair?" he coughed. The lack of response lifted some of the fog. "Zack?" he called again turning his head.

The Turk caught his breath. Zack lay face down in the snow several yards away. His uniform was tattered and blood stained the snow beneath the unconscious Second.

"Shit," Reno started to roll to his feet only to cry out in pain. The pain in his torso told him that he'd damaged his ribs. His left arm burned and hung uselessly at his side, dislocated.

"Damn it," Reno growled, rising unsteadily, clutching his side. "Get up ya puss. You're a Turk, remember."

Staggering to Zack's side, Reno fell to his knees beside the injured SOLDIER. Gently, he turned the brunette onto his back.

"Gaia," Reno breathed. Zack's face was a gory mess. A gash on his forehead bled freely and a technicolor bruise was blossoming on the brunette's pale cheek. Dimly, Reno remembered the blood on Zack's face before they went cliff-diving and also remembered that there had been no cut on Zack's forehead then. There had to be another wound.

Carefully, Reno used his fingers to search Zack's scalp beneath the fighter's thick mane of spiky hair. He grimaced when he found blood. The unconscious boy moaned as Reno leaned closer and prodded gently at the wound. Reno knew that head wounds tended to bleed a lot and look worse than they actually were. The thought comforted him and so did the realization that the wound was not very big or deep. The wound on Zack's forehead was larger and deeper and not so much of a comfort.

"Zack?" Reno shook his companion lightly. "C'mon SOLDIER Boy," Reno coaxed, "Ya gotta wake up. We're in a deep load of shit here. ZACK!"

The brunette moaned again and stirred under Reno's hands. "That a boy, Zack," Reno encouraged, "You wouldn't want Hewley to cut my head off for letting something happen to you would ya?"

Disoriented violet eyes edged open only to slam shut as Zack hissed as the light disturbed his throbbing head. One hand lifted to his forehead but Reno caught it before he could touch the injury.

"Easy, man," Reno soothed, "I need ya to look at me."

Forcing his eyes open, Zack gazed up at the Turk. Reno cursed softly. Zack's eyes had dilated, the pupils swollen to twice their normal size. The Second Class blinked a few times and seemed to remember where he was and why he was there.

"You okay?" Zack asked, struggling to sit up.

Reno supported Zack with his good arm. "My left arm's dislocated and my ribs are givin' me hell, but I'll make it. What about you? Anything busted?"

"Don't think so," Zack murmured. The SOLDIER gazed blearily around. "This was just supposed to be a simple mission," he whined, "Just a quick trip to Icicle Inn and back to Midgar. All we were supposed to do was parade around a bit to show the locals how awesome Shinra is. We weren't supposed to get shot at."

Ah. Reno had recalled the crash itself and the explosion but not the reason behind it. They were flying about thirty miles out of Icicle Inn when someone had fired on them from below. It was a testament to Reno's piloting skills that he got them down to the ground alive.

He also remembered the way Zack had tried to protect him when the explosion had sent both of them tumbling down the hill. This hero shit's going to get you killed one of these days, Fair.

"You're bleeding pretty good," Reno observed, glancing at the numerous deep cuts scattered across the Second's body. "We're going to have to check ya over better once we find some shelter. We can't stay here. Whoever shot us down will be coming to make sure we're dead. Can you stand?"

"I-I think so," Zack said, "Give me a hand." Zack bit back a cry of pain as the Turk helped haul him to his feet. Zack swayed dizzily and Reno held on until he steadied.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Reno asked concerned.

"We're both a mess," Zack glanced pointedly at the arm Reno cradled against his side, "It doesn't matter. We have to get out of here before whoever shot us down comes looking."

"Any idea where we are?"

"I was hoping you knew," Reno admitted, "I know where we were when we got hit but I don't know how far off course we got before we crashed."

Zack reached into his pocket and dug out his phone. "No reception. Great."

"You got a materia?" Reno asked. He checked his own pockets. "I must have lost mine."

"Mine's gone too. Even better," Zack sighed, "Though I guess I'm lucky to still have my sword. We'd be in worse trouble if we didn't have our weapons."

"We've gotta start walking, "Reno said, "If we don't find some sort of shelter we'll freeze."

"Right." Zack took a deep breath fighting the nausea and dizziness that came with it, "Let's go."

As they started into the snow, Reno worried silently about the SOLDIER's condition. Zack's bronzed skin was pale and he tottered unsteadily every few steps.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"I'm concerned about the rise in activity from the Crescent Unit," Tseng said, "Every time we think we've defeated them they come back."

"But they're weaker each time," Angeal pointed out, "We'll see an end to this conflict soon I hope."

The two men had met in Angeal's office to talk about the situation in Wutai. While the rebellion was on its last legs the rebels defiantly struggled to overthrow Shinra. The war had claimed many casualties on both sides.

"Commander Hewley!"

Angeal frowned as the door to his office slammed open. He opened his mouth to rebuke the intruder but froze when he saw who it was. Kunsel stood in the door to his office struggling to catch his breath. Zack was known for impulsive behavior but Kunsel always displayed proper military decorum . . . unless he was caught up in one of Zack pranks. More disturbing was that for once the boy was without his helmet, his red hair disheveled from his run. The Second looked up and his green eyes were wide with fear.

"Kunsel," Angeal stood, "What is it?"

"It just came in, Sir," Kunsel panted, "Zack and Reno's helicopter was shot down in the Icicle Area. We've been unable to reach either of them."

For one moment, time seemed to freeze. Angeal, Tseng, and Kunsel stared at each other fear reigning briefly in their minds. Angeal remembered the last time Zack was injured. At least then he'd been there to help. Now, Zack and Reno were on their own. Time whirred into motion again and Tseng jumped to his feet as Angeal strode towards the door.

"When? Do we know who did it?" Angeal demanded as Kunsel struggled to keep up with the Commander and Tseng's quick strides.

"The call came in about fifteen minutes ago," Kunsel explained, "Reno called in and reported he and Zack where on the way back to headquarters. Then a few minutes later Zack radioed in a distress call. Said an unseen ground force had hit them. That was the last we heard from them."

Tseng pulled his phone from his pocket. Flipping it open, he dialed the familiar number. "Cissnei. We have trouble. Reno and Zack's helicopter has been shot down. Find Rude and meet us at the helipad immediately." The head Turk flipped it shut. "Rude and Cissnei will meet us at the helicopter."

"Sirs," Kunsel said, "Please. I want to go too."

Angeal looked down at the Second Class without breaking his stride. Kunsel's green eyes pleaded with him. "Very well. But you will do exactly as I say. Understood?"

"Yessir."

When the trio reached the helipad, Cissnei and Rude had not yet arrived. However, Sephiroth had.

"I'm going after him, Seph," Angeal informed his friend.

"I'm aware of that," Sephiroth acknowledged, "There is a blizzard moving into the Icicle Area. I am going with you. Someone needs to have a clear head."

Sephiroth knew how devoted Angeal was to his student. The mentor/student relationship had blossomed into a deep friendship and Sephiroth knew that Angeal loved Zack as he would his own child. Though Tseng would never admit to any such sentiment the General knew he had similar feelings concerning Reno. Tseng had pulled the boy off the streets and taught Reno everything he knew.

The door opened and Cissnei and Rude hurried out onto the helipad. They paused briefly at the sight of the General before resuming their determined stride. Cissnei carried a medical kit strapped to her back while Rude carried a duffle bag full of blankets and the other things they might need that would not fit into the medical kit.

"We're ready to leave, Tseng," Cissnei said, looking curiously at Sephiroth.

"Let's go," Tseng said.

Rude sat behind the controls while everyone but the General strapped themselves into their seats. Sephiroth entered the cockpit and handed the Turk a slip of paper.

"These are their last known coordinates. We'll begin our search there," Sephiroth said.

"Got it," Rude nodded, beginning the preparations for takeoff.

Sephiroth joined the others and took his own seat.

"How much do we know at this point?" Cissnei demanded.

"Not much," Kunsel answered, "Reno and Zack were on their way home when they were hit."

"Zack was able to send a distress call," Sephiroth added, "But we lost contact with them shortly after. The helicopter's GPS must have been damaged in the crash but not before we were able to pinpoint their location."

"I doubt they'll still be there, Sephiroth," Angeal pointed out grimly, "Zack and Reno are smart. They'll know that whoever shot them down will be looking for them. Plus, they're going to have to find some sort of shelter."

"You're right," Sephiroth nodded, "But it is a place to start."

"You said there was a blizzard approaching Icicle Inn," Tseng reminded him, "Any idea how bad it'll be?"

"Moderate," Sephiroth said. He gestured to trunk in the corner of the compartment. "I had all the winter gear we'll need loaded onto the helicopter. It is likely that we'll have to land some distance away and hike in. We'll have to be careful and hopefully we'll find them quickly."

Angeal thought of his puppy and Reno, probably injured, and soon to be stranded in a blizzard. Just hang on, he thought, We're coming.

OOOOOOOOOOOO

"It's starting to snow harder," Zack observed, gritting his teeth against the cold and the pain in his body.

"We've g-got to find somewhere to st-stay soon," Reno agreed through chattering teeth.

Zack frowned, stealing a glance at his friend. They'd been walking for a couple of hours now. Both had fallen several times and their clothes were damp with snow. Reno's skin was taking on a faintly blue tint. Zack was freezing too but the level of mako in his blood protected him somewhat. That didn't mean that he was immune, however. His body was beginning to feel the cold as acutely as Reno's. The process was being sped along by the amount of blood he'd lost.

"You're turning an i-interesting shade of clear, Zack," Reno said, "You holding up okay?"

"I'm fine," Zack dismissed, knowing Reno was right. His strength was ebbing. He and Reno needed to find somewhere to ride out the coming storm and lick their wounds. They needed to find it soon.

"H-hey! Look yo, you seeing what I'm seeing?" Reno cried, pointing ahead of them.

Zack squinted for a moment and then he saw it. A small cave etched into the cliff walls. "We gotta be careful though," he reminded the Turk, "We don't know what kind of monsters might be living in there."

Reno drew his gun and Zack slowly pulled his sword from its place on back. Zack staggered towards the cave, frowning at how heavy his sword felt in his hands. He'd practiced with the Buster Sword before and this sword weighed nothing in comparison.

Slowly, they crept inside grateful when no monsters leapt at them and the cave showed no signs of recent occupation by man or beast.

"Thank Gaia," Zack gasped, sword falling from numb fingers. He stumbled and Reno grabbed his arm preventing him from falling on his face. The Turk helped him to one of the cave walls and eased him down to a sitting position.

Reno knelt in front of the SOLDIER and carefully shifted Zack's clothes aside so he could look at a particularly nasty wound in the boy's side. Reno locked his jaw against the pain as he attempted to use his injured arm to no avail. "Son of a bitch. Zack, you're going to have to help me pop my arm back in."

"Wh-what?" Zack said looking up the red head wearily. "Are you sure?"

"Yup. It'll hurt like hell but I'll be able to use it," Reno nodded.

"Okay," Zack said, "Lay down."

Reno frowned curiously but obeyed.

"I dislocated my arm during one of the missions I went on with Angeal," Zack explained. "We were in enemy territory and we couldn't afford to wait until I could get to a medic. I'm going to try and do it the way Angeal set my arm."

The Second removed one of his boots and then scooted closer to Reno. He carefully placed the arch of his foot in Reno's armpit and gripped his wrist firmly. "Are you ready?" Reno nodded. "Okay, one . . .two . . .THREE!" Zack tugged firmly on the Turks arm and felt it pop back into the socket as the red head screamed. Both men were left gasping.

"You okay, Reno?" Zack asked worriedly.

"Y-yeah," Reno shuddered, "Just let me catch my breath. Damn." Experimentally, Reno flexed his fingers and shifted his arm cautiously. It hurt but he could move his arm. "You did good, Zack. Thanks."

"No problem," Zack grinned weakly.

Reno gingerly sat up. "Okay, now let's take a look at you."

The brunette didn't argue, his silence telling Reno better than anything else exactly how crappy his friend was feeling. Many of the minor cuts and scrapes had already healed thanks to the Mako but the one on his side that Reno had spotted earlier was still bleeding as was the cut above Zack's eye.

"There's not a lot we can do right now," Reno sighed, "But we gotta stop the bleeding. He reached down and tore several long strips off the hem on his shirt. One, he wrapped around Zack's head. Another he wadded up and pressed it firmly against the wound on Zack's side causing the Second to gasp in pain.

"Easy, Zack," Reno soothed as he used the last, wider strip to tie the cloth in place. His white shirt barely made it to his waist and Reno buttoned his suit jacket in an effort to stay warm. The Turk retrieved Zack's sword, placing it within the SOLDIER's reach before sliding down to sit next to him.

"Whoa," Zack whispered, directing Reno's attention to the mouth of the cave, "Look at it coming down out there."

Though neither chose to voice his thoughts, they were both thinking the same thing. This blizzard would make a rescue attempt difficult and neither of them truthfully wanted their friends out in this. The pair leaned back against the wall of the cave, sitting close together to share body heat.

"I don't know if we're going to make it out of this one," Reno admitted quietly. When he didn't receive an answer he turned towards his friend to find Zack's eyes drooping sleepily. "Nuh uh. Wake up, Zack," Reno shook his friend's shoulders knowing that if Zack slept now he just might not wake back up, "You gotta stay with me."

"I know," Zack murmured, "I'm just so tired."

Sympathizing, Reno started talking about anything and everything. Zack joined in appreciating the Turks efforts and knowing that the redhead had to be every bit as exhausted as he was. Reno felt his own eyelids starting to grow heavy and doubled his efforts. No, they might not make it out of this one but they wouldn't go easy.

OOOOOOOOOOOO

The flight had been a silent one. Each had been lost in their thoughts.

"This is as far as I can fly," Rude called from the cockpit.

Sephiroth nodded. "We'll proceed on foot. Angeal, once we're on the ground, please distribute the snow gear."

As soon as Rude set the helicopter down, Angeal was out of his seat. He knelt before the large trunk and popped the latch, inside was boots and insulated jackets. He smirked. Sephiroth had been correct. In their concern for their friends, they had lacked the foresight to prepare properly for the conditions they would face. At the bottom of the trunk were two collapsible stretchers.

Once everyone was ready, Tseng snapped one of the stretchers to his back while Rude did the same with the other one. "Where are we headed, General?" the Turk asked.

"The helicopter crashed three miles northeast of here. We will proceed to the crash site and then see if there is an indication of where Zack and Reno have gone," Sephiroth said. He would not entertain the thought that the two men hadn't gone anywhere because they were dead. Defeat was not an option. They would find their friends. "Let's go."

The snow picked up, cutting down visibility and slowing their progress. It took them over an hour to reach the crash site. The picture was not a comforting one. The helicopter had exploded and there was little left but for debris. There were no tracks left in the snow leaving no indication that Reno and Zack had survived the crash.

"Look! I've found something," Cissnei called urgently.

They hurried over to the edge of the cliff and looked down. Several feet below them, a scrap of cloth dangled from the rock it was caught on. "They must have fallen down the cliff," Cissnei realized anxiously.

"It seems they survived the fall," Sephiroth said soothingly, "They are obviously not down there any longer. We will descend the cliff and see if we discover what direction they may have gone in."

The General led the way down the cliff while the others followed carefully with Angeal bringing up the rear.

"Gaia," Angeal breathed as he stepped away from the cliff face, "Look." Snow-faded crimson stained the ground. "It's blood."

"It only means they are injured, Angeal," Sephiroth said.

"You're right," Angeal allowed, steadying himself. He knelt down. They were hard to see because of the snow accumulation but they were there. "There's two sets of tracks here. They're heading east."

"Then we head east," Tseng nodded.

Kunsel found himself unable to look away from the blood stains. Zack was his best friend. They'd joined SOLDIER at the same time and Zack had introduced him to Reno. Though he did not know the redheaded Turk as well, he did consider him a friend.

"Reno and Zack are tough," Cissnei reminded the SOLDIER having noticed the direction of his gaze.

"Yeah," Kunsel agreed quietly, "But you're worried too."

"I am," Cissnei admitted just as quietly, "But I have faith in them."

"We'll find them," Rude said, speaking for the first time since he landed the helicopter.

"Yeah," Kunsel nodded, slowly, "We will."

The trio looked up to find Sephiroth, Tseng, and Angeal watching them. Their inner struggled was reflected in the eyes of their superiors. Sephiroth was not as close to Zack or Reno as Angeal or Tseng but he was fond of the boys in his own way and he knew how important those young men were to their mentors. Angeal gave them a gentle smile, his own concern plain in his eyes. "Come on. We don't have any time to waste. The blizzard seems to be letting up and we should take advantage of that. We'll follow the tracks and hopefully we'll get lucky."

OOOOOOOOOO

It was getting colder. Reno shuddered with the cold and next to him Zack was trembling as well. They had no way to start a fire and they were in no condition to venture out into the snow in search of firewood if they did. Their conversation had faded some time ago and the only sounds in the cave were that of chattering teeth. The blizzard had eased but the temperature had only seemed to drop. The day was growing late and darkness threatened.

"We're not going to make it out of this one are we?" Zack murmured groggily.

"It doesn't look good," Reno agreed wearily.

"They're coming for us," Zack said, trying to lift both their spirits. "I know Angeal and Tseng wouldn't just leave us."

"You're right," the Turk forced some life into his voice, "We just gotta hang on 'till then."

Neither of them ever knew who lost consciousness first.