Unforgotten

He died. But those whose lives he touched will never forget him. Zack Fair's endless energy and zeal for life forever changed those around him. The effects of his life and death ripple through time, bringing some people together and driving others apart. He is unforgotten. These are the stories of the people who remember.

Story I: Mysterious Ninja

"I get it. You want to avenge your country. But if you want to beat Shinra, you have to do better. I can't save you all the time, you know. Someday you're going to have to stand up and fight, but you can't do that if you don't know how to fight. Having powerful materia is cool, but without the skill to use it, you're wasting your time." Zack Fair, SOLDIER First Class to Yuffie Kisaragi, age 8

She knew he's from Gongaga, so she waits in the woods west of the village, confident that one day he'll show up. After all, he's too strong to die. That she hasn't seen him in over four years doesn't mean anything. The locals all whisper about her, the little ninja girl with the loud mouth who lurks in their woods. Never take your eyes off her, they say. She's dangerous.

She hopes she's that good, and boasts endlessly that she is.

Then, one day in the spring, she sees the sword. It is bigger than practical, all cold hard steel and sharp edges. Her SOLDIER called it a Buster Sword. She'd watched him slay Bahumet with it. Single-handedly. But that was before he disappeared and stopped rescuing her from her own hapless adventures. She's surprised she's managed to live as long as she has without him.

She moves through the trees, struggling to stay quiet. She's dreamed of this moment. Imagined the look of surprise in his dark mako blue eyes. She's gotten taller (although not by much) and she's gotten stronger. She secretly loves him, but she'll never say that out loud. She's come to the conclusion that she has to show him that she's an adult now and not just some damsel racing headlong into danger.

She won't cry this time. Won't even talk about materia and how much she wants it.

But as she gets closer, she starts to see the problem with her overdue reunion. The Buster Sword is the same. The SOLDIER is not. Instead of the love of her life it is some stupid spiky haired blond guy traveling with two girls. The girls are chattering. She tunes them out, inching closer.

The blond SOLDIER turns, eyes narrowing at her hiding place. He's made her. She doesn't care. She grabs her shuriken. She'll beat him up and then demand to know about her SOLDIER. She pops out of the foliage. Both girls start. The one with lighter hair smiles pleasantly. "Good morning," she chirps. The darker haired one just narrows her eyes.

"Prepare yourselves," Yuffie says. "Because I ain't in the mood to show mercy." Her shuriken whistles through the air. She's not the little girl Zack used to save. She's the mysterious ninja, ready to do what he told her: stand up and fight. And one day, she'll see him again.