Zack laid on the ground, too weak to move as the rain poured down, washing the blood on his face away slowly as a poisoned Cloud weakly dragged himself closer. He looked up at Cloud.
“Z-Zack…” Cloud muttered weakly.
Zack struggled, trying and failing to sit up. “For the…both of us…” his words came out slow and strained.
“Both…of us…?” Cloud asked.
“That’s right…” Zack coughed out “You’re gonna…”
Zack struggled to reach out, pulling Cloud’s head down onto his bullet-ridden torso.
“You’re gonna live…”
He held Cloud close as the downpour continued tapping away at both of them, rainwater seeping into every wound on Zack’s body.
“You’ll be…my living legacy.”
Zack’s strength gave out as the arm holding Cloud fell to the ground. Cloud pulled back, looking at Zack as the ex-SOLDIER’s blood stuck Cloud’s blonde hair to his face.
Zack glanced over at the Buster Sword held loosely in his right hand. He gripped it as tight as he was able, dragging it as he lifted it up for Cloud.
“My honor…my dreams…” he strained his voice to speak “They’re yours now.”
Cloud hesitantly took the sword as Zack’s hand rested atop his own.
“I’m…your living…legacy…”
Zack could feel it, that was all the strength he had left. He smiled at his friend as his eyes slid shut and his arm fell to the ground. He knew Cloud would survive. His only regret was that he never got to see Aerith again, but that was okay. All in all, he had a pretty good life, and now he would get to find out what was next.
(Huh…?) he thought (Why am I still…?)
Zack looked down at his own bullet-filled torso, at Cloud who held the Buster Sword in his hands, he hadn’t moved even now that the rain had stopped.
“Is this what being dead is like? I kinda thought it’d be a lot more…peaceful.”
Zack put a hand on Cloud’s shoulder, smiling at him. Cloud flinched, but he didn’t react, still mourning the loss of his friend.
“It’ll be okay, Cloud.” Zack said, though his voice went unheard. “You’ll see me again some day.”
Zack turned around and looked up at the clear sky that was once populated by stormclouds.
“For now, though…” he said “Guess I should get going.”
He jumped, figuring if he’s a ghost now, he should be able to fly. He flew onward, moving toward that great unknown that awaited him.
Only to get suddenly yanked back down.
“What?!” he exclaimed.
Zack tried again, getting pulled back down.
“What the hell? Why can’t I— ACK!”
Zack looked down, back at Cloud about ten feet away who had begun walking toward Midgar, tears still rolling down his face. Zack wasn’t just being prevented from moving on, he was being dragged.
“Am I… Am I stuck to Cloud?”
Zack floated closer to Cloud as the blonde ex-SOLDIER dragged the heavy Buster Sword toward the city, still weakened from the Mako poisoning.
“What’s going on? Why am I tied to Cloud?”
Zack moved in front of Cloud, who just kept walking, walking right through him.
That’s when things got weird.
As Cloud passed through him, Zack’s vision was overtaken by bright light. After the light subsided, Zack found himself in a strange place. Endless darkness surrounded him as he found himself floating down to a strange surface.
“Stained glass…?” he mumbled to himself.
In the glass, he clearly saw a portrait of himself, the Buster Sword slung over his shoulder. Behind him, his home town of Gongaga Village was depicted. What caught Zack’s eye most was a wheel of smaller portraits near the top of the round platform.
There were seven slots. Three were covered by Zack’s portrait, one contained a small portrait of Cloud—his best friend, another a portrait of Aerith—his girlfriend, the next a portrait of Sephiroth—his former idol, and the last a portrait of Angeal—his late mentor.
“Where am I?” Zack asked no-one in particular as he touched down on the platform.
Zack…
A silent voice rang out in Zack’s mind.
“Hello?” he called.
Your Heart lives on.
The voice was inaudible, but it felt familiar.
“My…Heart?”
It didn’t make any sense to him.
Everything you are.
Zack didn’t understand any of this, but if this place was supposed to be his Heart, it made sense there were pictures of his loved ones there.
He looked around, spotting another platform in the distance.
“Hey, what’s that one over there?”
That Heart is mine.
“Yours?”
Come find me.
A glowing staircase appeared from the dark, connecting the two platforms.
“Okay…guess I’m going.”
Zack stretched his legs, did a few squats, then got moving.
As he climbed the staircase, he realized just how weird this was. Everything was pretty believable up until he died. Becoming a ghost, sure, he could believe that too. But he never heard anything about stained glass and inaudible voices.
The voice was so familiar to him, even if he couldn’t hear it. It was like he knew who it belonged to, but not who they were. He’d soon find out, though.
As Zack stepped onto the next stained glass platform, he took it in.
The backdrop was Nibelheim, prior to its destruction at the hands of Sephiroth. Speaking of Sephiroth, he was one of the portraits on this mural too. Another was himself. The next one was a girl with long brown hair tucked behind her ear on one side, Zack didn’t recognize this one. Strangely, every other space was blank.
The portrait covering most of the platform, however, was unmistakably Cloud.
“This is…Cloud’s Heart?” Zack mumbled, connecting the dots. “I’m…inside Cloud’s Heart?!”
(This is so weird…) he thought to himself.
I’ll keep you safe…
I’ll be your living legacy…
♦ ♦ ♦
For the next few years—five, maybe six, he wasn’t sure—Zack was stuck with Cloud. It wasn’t the worst thing, if there was anyone Zack would’ve chosen to be stuck with for the rest of his life—or lack thereof—it’d be Cloud.
The problem lied in the fact that Cloud couldn’t see or hear him. He wasn’t sure why, but that was simply how things were. Though, on the plus-side, he got to see Cloud take down Shinra.
Zack was there for every moment of Cloud’s life following his own death. Cloud’s Heart had begun to feel like home to him, even when his portrait had faded from it for a time. He never got upset over it, he knew Cloud would remember him eventually, and he did.
He was there when their home World, Radiant Garden—the world Gongaga, Nibelheim, and Midgar all belonged to—fell to darkness and become Hollow Bastion.
He was there when Cloud traveled to Olympus Coliseum and struck a deal with the god of the dead, Hades to find Sephiroth. The price being he needed to take out Hercules. Now, Zack had been to Olympus Coliseum before when he was fourteen, before he had even become SOLDIER in the first place, and Hercules was his friend.
Luckily, Cloud came to his senses and stopped working for Hades after fighting a kid named Sora—who, strangely enough, had a Keyblade.
Zack had met three Keyblade Wielders in Olympus Coliseum before, Ventus, Terra, and Aqua—who he had a brief crush on before he started going steady with Aerith.
What was with people with Keyblades and going to Olympus Coliseum?
He was there when Cloud left the Buster Sword where he died as a memorial.
He was there when everyone in the liberated Hollow Bastion was stricken with Geostigma from the Lifestream which had been tainted by Sephiroth, which Cloud and Aerith thankfully were able to cure. That was the first time Cloud had ever managed to hear his voice.
He was there when Cloud, Yuffie, Tifa, and Squall teamed up with Sora to fight off the thousand Heartless that terrorized Hollow Bastion, when Cloud faced off against Sephiroth again, who had seemingly managed to survive the ass-kicking Cloud had given him during the Geostigma epidemic.
And he had been there for the entire time Cloud had gone searching for Sephiroth. It had been about three years since the search started, and Cloud eventually decided to return to Radiant Garden and regroup with his friends.
This was a godsend to Zack, who had been uselessly screaming in Cloud’s head to take a break.
♦ ♦ ♦
Cloud sat alone atop the highest point in Radiant Garden he could find, thinking. He’d been thinking a lot lately. Thinking about his past, how riddled with tragedy it all was. Thinking about Sephiroth, how he was never able to finally rid the world of him for good. Thinking about Zack.
He thought about Zack a lot. He didn’t know why he thought about Zack so much. After everything, he thought the guilt would have gone away by now, yet the pain persisted. But every time he tried letting go, he felt like that would be letting Zack die again.
It didn’t help that lately, he had felt like Zack was right there, just out of sight. So close, yet somehow, out of reach.
Cloud sighed. “I’m sorry, Zack…”
Zack rested a hand on Cloud’s shoulder. “It’s okay, Cloud. Even if you don’t know it, I’m right here with ya.”
Cloud stiffened out, the look of guilt and remorse on his face quickly replaced with what Zack might describe as an ‘Oh sh*t’ face. The blonde ex-SOLDIER whipped around, locking eyes with Zack.
“Z-Zack?!” Cloud choked out in disbelief, his stoic facade completely shattered.
“You can see me?!” Zack exclaimed, just as surprised.
“How are you here?!” Cloud asked, still in shock.
“It’s a long story. I can’t believe you can finally SEE me!”
Cloud began to regain his composure “Okay… tell me what’s going on.”
And so Zack explained everything. The moments just after his death, how he was there for everything, and how he wished Cloud wouldn’t have done something as stupid as work for Hades.
About a week passed, spent mostly just finally getting to talk again. Then came the task of explaining to Tifa, Yuffie, Cid, and Squall that Zack WAS still around, just as a Heart living inside Cloud.
That part took a lot of explaining, even having to call in Sora to help explain since the kid had four Hearts inside his at one point, which Cloud still barely understood how that could happen four times.
After the explanation, Cloud started showing Sora out so he could be alone.
That was when Sora got an idea.
“Hey, Cloud!” Sora exclaimed.
“I’m right here, you don’t have to shout at me.” Cloud said, calmly.
“If your friend’s Heart is inside yours, what if you got him a Replica?”
Cloud looked at Sora, confused. “A Replica?”
“Yeah! Roxas needed a body to come back, but his was already gone.” Sora explained “So Ienzo sent a Replica for Roxas’s Heart to go into.”
“But what is a Replica?” Cloud kept his patience, he’d dealt with Sora enough to know he was just like this.
“It’s like…” Sora folded his arms “It’s like an empty body, it needs a Heart to go inside it, then it becomes a new body for them…I think.” Sora laughed and rubbed the back of his head. “I don’t really know how they work, you’d have to ask Ienzo.”
Zack hovered beside Cloud, leaning over his shoulder “That’s a great idea! Ienzo’s lab is in the castle, right?”
“Right.”
“So let’s go already!”
Cloud turned toward the door and began to walk out. “Let’s go.” he said, gesturing for Sora to follow, which the boy did.
“Alright!” Sora exclaimed “You must be excited to finally have your friend back.”
“Yeah.” Cloud said, deadpan as usual.
“Wow, can’t even show a little gratitude to the kid who’s helping you?” Zack teased as he trailed Cloud out the door.
“I’ll be grateful if this works.” Cloud replied.
♦ ♦ ♦
“I see…” Ienzo said, a hand resting on his chin “Yes, I think Even and I could construct another Replica.”
Sora beamed “Alright! Isn’t that great, Cloud?!”
Ienzo raised his hands defensively “Hold on, now. There are a number of stipulations.”
Cloud pursed his lips “What kind of stipulations?”
“Well, you see…” Ienzo began “Replicas are complicated things. They need to be able to perfectly mimic the original body of the Heart inhabiting them, to do that, a number of extremely rare materials are required.”
“What kind of materials?” Cloud asked.
“The MK-II Replicas were designed using both the schematics of the MK-I Replicas and Sora’s Ultima Weapon as reference.”
“Why Ultima Weapon?”
“We discovered its unmatched strength and magical power stemmed from an amplification of the strength of the Heart of its user. The same properties allow a Replica MK-II to sustain a Heart without degrading.”
“I see.” Cloud remarked.
“While we have the materials for the MK-I Replicas on hand, we lack the others.”
“Those being?”
“We’ll need two Wellspring Crystals, two Pulsing Crystals, and two Lucid Crystals.”
“That doesn’t sound too hard.”
“You didn’t let me finish.” Ienzo said. “We’ll also need seven Orichalcum+.”
“Orichalcum+?!” Zack exclaimed as he floated beside Cloud.
Cloud, himself, was also taken aback at the requirement.
“Seven of them?” Cloud asked “I don’t need to remind you how rare Orichalcum is on its own, but Orichalcum+ is even rarer.”
“Yes, it is.” Ienzo replied “If you want a Replica for your friend, I’m afraid you’ll have to gather the materials.”
Cloud was silent for a moment before finally speaking up. “I’ll do it.” he said “Normally I charge 2000 Munny for my services, but if it’s for a new body for Zack, that’ll be my payment. Where can I find Orichalcum+?”
♦ ♦ ♦
In the streets of San Fransokyo, the heavy Fusion Sword came down on the head of a High Soldier, cleaving it apart. The Heart of whoever that High Soldier once was floated away as another Wellspring Crystal flew from the puff of darkness where the Heartless once stood straight into Cloud’s open hand as he slung the Fusion Sword over his shoulder.
“That’s the last Crystal.” Cloud said, pocketing the rock.
“Hell yeah!” Zack exclaimed “Now all we need are the seven Orichalcum+! Where’d Ienzo say to look again?”
“There are seven ways to get an Orichalcum+, none of them are convenient or quick.” Cloud replied “The easiest way is to exchange Prize Postcards at a Moogle Shop, but the chances of getting Orichalcum+ are slim.”
Zack floated in a relaxed position and hummed, thinking about it. “Man, this is gonna take forever. Who knew hunting for treasure would be such a drag?”
“You thought this would be easy?” Cloud asked.
“Nah, but I at least thought it’d be more fun.”
“You haven’t changed much in the last six years.”
“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
After a few more moments of thinking, Zack suddenly perked up.
“Cloud!” he shouted.
“Yeah?”
“If Prize Postcards can get us Orichalcum+, why don’t we use that box of them you have sitting in your room!”
Cloud remembered just how many he'd amassed over his years of purchases at Moogle Shops. He never had any reason to use them, so he never did.
“Oh, right, I never redeemed those. Do you think they’ll be enough?”
“Six years of Prize Postcards? Yeah, they’ll definitely be enough.”
Without delay, Cloud rushed back to his personal Gummi Ship and sped off toward Radiant Garden. After landing, he ran back to Tifa’s house where he’d been staying as fast as he could, digging through the few personal belongings he had in his room until he found a wooden box about a foot wide containing at least three hundred of the little postcards.
Taking the box and running back out without so much as a ‘Bye, Tifa!’, Cloud ran to the Moogle Shop and set the heavy box down on the counter.
“Woah! Good evening, Mr. Strife, what’s all this about, kupo?” said the moogle.
“I’m here to exchange these Prize Postcards. There’s about six years worth in here.” he said, calmly, despite his hurry.
“Oh! I see, kupo! Give me just a moment and I’ll sort these out for you, kupo!”
“Thanks.”
Cloud and Zack watched as the moogle sorted through the postcards, the latter landing beside Cloud and beginning to do squats.
“Zack.” Cloud said “Reign it in, will you?”
“Sorry, Cloud! No can do! I’m stoked to finally get a new body!”
Cloud snickered.
“Oh?” Zack teased, stopping the squatting “Did you just laugh? For the first time in six years?”
“You’re hearing things.” Cloud replied.
After several minutes of sorting and counting, the moogle heaved a large bag of loot onto the desk.
“Okay, kupo!” said the moogle “For three-hundred-and-twenty-six Prize Postcards, kupo, that’s…” The moogle pulled out a list and started reading from it.
“Fifty Strength Boosts, thirty-two Magic Boosts, ten Defense Boosts, three Gourmand’s Rings, two Lucky Rings, twenty Ethers, eleven Refocusers, five Tents, six AP Boosts, a hundred-and-seventy-three of just about every shard and stone under the sun, and…” the moogle trailed off, setting down a smaller bag “...seven Orichalcum+, kupo!”
Zack threw his hands into the air in celebration “Yes!!” he exclaimed “That’s exactly how many we needed!!”
Cloud picked up both bags, examining their contents before dropping the crystals he’d gathered into the bag with the Orichalcum+ and pulling the drawstrings closed.
“Thanks.” Cloud said.
“No thanks are needed, kupo!” said the moogle “Anything for my most loyal customer, kupo! Stay safe out there, kupo!”
Cloud nodded and walked off toward Tifa’s house to set down the massive amount of loot he’d acquired.
“Wait, Mr. Strife, kupo! You left the…box…behind…kupo.”
Cloud dropped the heavy bag of loot on the table with a loud THUD!
“Woah!” Tifa exclaimed “Cloud, where’d you get all this?”
“I had a lot of Prize Postcards.” Cloud replied “Feel free to take some of those Strength Boosts, I have what I need.”
“Oh, uh, okay! Thanks.”
“It’s nothing.”
Before Cloud could finish walking out the door, the Gummiphone in his pocket started ringing, an energetic little tune that sounded like battle music from a video game. He picked up and saw Ienzo on the screen.
“Ienzo.” Cloud said “Is something wrong?”
“No, not at all!” Ienzo replied “I’m just calling to ask how the resource collecting is going.”
“I’ve gotten everything you need, I’m on my way.”
“Wonderful! Before you come to the castle, I think I should let you know that Replicas can’t produce clothing, so you’ll need to bring some clean clothes for your friend.”
“Got it.” Cloud replied. “I’ll be there soon.”
Cloud hung up and slipped the phone back into his pocket.
“So,” Tifa began “I’m finally gonna get to meet your best friend, huh?”
“Yeah.” Cloud replied.
“Well, I hope I make a good first impression.” she smiled.
“You don’t need to worry about that.” Cloud replied “He already likes you. I’m going to get him some clothes.”
Cloud abruptly ended the conversation and walked back to his room, looking through his closet.
“What’re you looking for?” Zack asked.
“A SOLDIER First-Class uniform. I think I still have the one you gave me back then… there it is.”
Zack smirked as Cloud packed the clothes into a bag “Wow, sentimental much?”
“Let’s go.”
♦ ♦ ♦
After hours upon hours of waiting and refusing to leave the castle, Cloud heard Ienzo calling for him.
Heading back into the lab, he saw Ienzo and who he assumed was Even standing in front of something that looked like a mannequin laying on a slab dressed in the uniform of a SOLDIER First-Class.
“Thank you for your patience.” Ienzo said “Even and I worked as fast as we could without compromising the quality of the Replica.
“Yes,” Even began “the Replica MK-II we’ve prepared for your friend is fully operational, dare I say it’s some of my best work.”
Zack looked at the body in confusion. “Uh… are you sure it’s ready? It doesn’t look anything like me.”
“Why is it blank?” Cloud asked.
“All Replicas start out as blank templates.” Even said “Once a Heart enters it, it will instantly take on the physical attributes of whoever that Heart belongs to. Quite a genius invention we’ve devised.”
Cloud was starting to get tired of Even.
“Alright.” he said “How do we get Zack into it?”
“If his Heart has been inside yours for six whole years…” Ienzo began, resting a hand on his chin “Then I suspect similar requirements to those Roxas needed are present.”
“Those being?”
“A trigger of sorts, a connection between his Heart and this body.”
Cloud thought for a moment. (What could work as a trigger…?) Then, it came to him. He looked to Zack for approval, the ravenette simply nodded in reply.
Cloud took the Fusion Sword in both his hands, holding it up in front of him and bowing his head. He closed his eyes and thought hard before speaking.
“Embrace your dreams.” he began. “And, whatever happens…”
“Whatever happens…” Zack muttered.
“Protect your honor…” the two recited in unison “...as SOLDIER!”
Zack laid on the slab, unable to move as he breathed in new life, his muscles loosening slowly as a worried Cloud stood over him. He looked up at Cloud.
“Z-Zack…” Cloud muttered, almost in disbelief.
Zack struggled, trying to sit up. “Cloud…”
“Your honor, your dreams…” Cloud began, his voice shaking “...they’re yours again.”
Zack struggled to reach out, pulling Cloud into a hug.
“Thank you.”
For the first time in so, so long, Cloud smiled.
Weeks passed. Zack had been staying with Cloud and Tifa since then. Cloud had introduced him to his friends from Avalanche, as well as to Sora, who came as soon as he heard the news of Zack’s revival.
Aqua, Terra, and Ven also stopped by after hearing the good news, happy to see their friend from all those years ago back from the dead. Zack jokingly asked about that date he wanted with Aqua back then, before revealing he was already taken.
He couldn’t wait to see Aerith again.
The duo of ex-SOLDIERs made a trip to the cliff outside Midgar for Zack to retrieve the Buster Sword, which had rusted over the years. Nothing a little elbow-grease couldn’t fix.
Then finally came the time Zack had been waiting for since he first woke up in his new body.
Reuniting with Aerith was the happiest moment of Zack’s life, and of Aerith’s, too. There were tears and there was laughter. And Cloud? Cloud was just happy his best friend was happy.
Cloud laid in bed in the room he had begun sharing with Zack in Tifa’s house in Radiant Garden. He may not have been able to track down Sephiroth since their battle three years ago, but that didn’t matter to him right now. He knew they’d cross paths again, and when they did, he’d be ready. And Zack would be ready too. They’d face their fellow ex-SOLDIER together and bring him to justice.
For now, though, Cloud was content. All that guilt he’d been harboring ever since Zack’s death had disappeared, like a weight was lifted off his shoulders. He was finally happy.
Cloud turned to face Zack, who was already fast-asleep. He decided to get some rest, too. After all, the pair of mercenaries had a big job in the morning.
Cloud looked back up at the ceiling, closed his eyes, and smiled.
