This fic takes place after the events in Advent Children. The geostigma is being healed and Cloud is moving on with his life, having finally overcome his issues and guilt over the deaths of both Aerith & Zack.

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters – but I absolutely adore Zack 3

The sun shone down from a beautiful blue sky – today was going to be a good day. Cloud smiled to himself and glanced at the Buster Sword embedded in the ground beside him. He could practically hear his best friend's teasing remark,

"Well, well, well, and when did you start getting so positive?"

And he would be right, because being positive had always been more Zack's forte than Cloud's. Heck, the guy even died with a smile on his face. Cloud felt a familiar pang of pain in his chest at the unhappy memory, but was quickly pulled back to the present by a small cough and Tifa's,

"Everyone's here, Cloud."

He took a deep breath and turned around. In front of him was assembled a large group consisting of his friends, allies, and various citizens of Edge.

"Thank you all for coming. I wanted to do this here, because this is the place where it happened. This is where I lost my best friend, the guy I owe my life to, and the one who helped make me who I am today – SOLDIER 1st Class Zack Fair. He always stood up for what he believed in, and fought to the end protecting what he cared about – he never gave up his fight for freedom. He always dreamed of becoming a hero, and I remember how he used to quote something his mentor, Angeal, once said to him:

'Embrace your dreams. If you want to be a hero you need to have dreams…and honour.'

It was here, on this very spot, that in his final moments he entrusted his honour and dreams to me, along with his Buster Sword, and I agreed to become his living legacy. And now, at last, I will start fulfilling that promise – I will live for the both of us, and I will make him proud, and prove that his sacrifice was not in vain. He never knew it, but he was always a hero in my eyes, even before he saved my life, ever since I was just a Shinra infantryman, when he first befriended me.

Cities fall, but they are rebuilt. And heroes die, but they are remembered. We honour them with every brick we lay, with every field we sow, with every child we comfort and then teach to rejoice in what we have been regiven. Our planet, our home. So now, let us begin."

"See, I told you he would be alright now. He no longer needs our protection," she smiled, taking his hand.

"Yup, you were right, our little boy's all grown up," he grinned in response.

And with that, Zack and Aerith faded back into the Lifestream to patiently await the day when they would once again be reunited with their friend.

So how was that? The idea just popped into my head and wouldn't go away until it was written – it's my first Final Fantasy fic, so please go easy on me ^_^

Now, as you may have noticed, there was a non-Final Fantasy movie quote in here – first person to correctly identify the movie wins a prize. Maybe the opportunity to request a one-shot or drabble of their choice?

As always, thanks for reading and please take a moment to leave a review – constructive criticism is appreciated, but flames are not. Thank you!