Beginning Notes: Okay, yea, I owe each and every one of my readers a big apology. My computer got infested with viruses and I could not even open my word program without it freezing and crashing. Thus, I haven't been able to get anything done until now. I apologize. I should have put some kind of note up telling everyone what was up. I actually didn't think far enough ahead to consider it… Again, I'm sorry. I just hope that this chapter kinda makes up for the extreme delay.

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII or the characters, yadda, yadda, yadda… I am not making money off of them or this fanfiction, blah, blah, blah…

Chapter Warning Light swearing.

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---- Complicated Souls ----

---Written by: Isrea---

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---- Chapter Six ----

---Reunions, Reactors and Reasons---

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"Don't walk behind me, I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend."

-Albert Camus

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"So Reeve, what was so damn urgent you had to call the lot of us here?" a familiar voice growled out, the deep, harsh tone belonging to none other then Cid Highwind of Rocket Town. The Venus Gospel was strapped lovingly to his back in a custom spear sheath he'd obviously spent a lot of money on, though he didn't wear a bracer. Cid calmly removed the ever present cigarette from between his lips, puffed on it once, twirled it in his fingers and then replaced it again in a smooth motion only a chain smoker could perform. After the initial shock of Meteor had subsided and the power crisis had ended, Reeve had reinstated the Space Program, giving the reins of command over to Cid and placing the base of operations for this new project in Rocket Town. That had kept Cid pretty busy over the years, what with building a new rocket and spending his days tracking down the old members of the program. He spent his nights, however, in the company of his lovely new wife Sheira, who he'd asked to marry him only three days after Meteor was destroyed. Cloud supposed that, once you've been through a live or die experience, you learn to not to procrastinate on things. After all, you never know when you'll get the chance again, right?

Nanaki, or Red XIII as some people knew him, sat quietly beside Cid with that ever-thoughtful look he wore. It almost seemed as though he always had a burden on his shoulders, though he never spoke of his worries to anyone. After Meteor, Nanaki had gone back to his hometown of Cosmo Canyon. There he had become the protector of his people, showing his skill on any number of occasions against tough monsters that had managed their way to the city gate. Reeve had offered the fire-beast a place in ShinRa as well, as he had everyone, but Nanaki had respectfully turned him down. Cloud thought that it was for a love of his home, and a want for peace and quiet. The Leader of AVALANCHE could definitely understand.

Vincent still wore his usual crimson cloak, the neck of the thing pulled up past his chin to cover all but his nose and eyes. Midnight hair swept around his shoulders and down his back, giving him that forever-mysterious feeling and aura. He'd become a wanderer, what with no place left to go or anyone to return to, and had dedicated his travels to the study of the Cetra and the Lifestream. A noble cause, if anything was. But, no matter where he was, the gang could always manage to get a hold of him when they needed him. They all had Vincent's PSH number, after all. It seemed Vincent rather liked the idea of having a group of friends he could turn to when there was nothing else for him. He'd even stopped in at each of their respective houses once and a while, if only for the company and casual conversation.

Barret had gone back to Corel to oversee the continued reconstruction of his town, refusing a place in ShinRa just as most of the others had. Although he'd gotten frequent visits from the Turks he had yet to forgive them for what they had done in the past, only tolerating them because they were dealing with the reconstruction. Barret had never been the forgiving type. Now he stood beside Vincent and Yuffie in the back of the room, one eye on Reeve and the other on the outnumbered Turk group stationed at the front of the room with Cloud and Tifa. Everyone looked pretty sweaty, especially those foolish enough not to shed most of their heavy clothing, like the unfortunate Vincent.

"Sector 2's reactor exploded a couple of hours ago." A few astonished gasps followed Reeve's statement. The president was still running through documents and papers, most of them field reports from the teams he'd sent down, but when he did look up his face was grim. A thin sheen of sweat reflected off his forehead and the sleeves of his expensive suit were rolled up to his elbows. "I've tried sending in numerous scouting teams to the ruined areas of the sector, but the mako level is much too high for normal people to go into it just yet. What's worse, the explosion has turned the whole city into a sauna. We've had air conditioners working overtime but its barely keeping down the heat. Our medical clinics have been swamped with sudden heat stroke victims and some more serious cases. People are passing out in the streets. No one knows what caused the explosion. The best I've gotten so far was that it was a natural reaction within the mako well."

"That's impossible." Nanaki said, shaking his furry head. "The only thing that could cause a burst in the Lifestream that powerful is if there was a reaction to a disturbance in the mako. But mako is seriously condensed Lifestream, and thus it has lost most of its potent life energy. There isn't enough essence left in mako to react that violently with a disturbance." The fire-beast stood on all fours and focused his keen gaze on Reeve. "It is simply impossible."

"Well, until we find out more that's the best explanation I have for you. I was hoping at least one of you might know what's going on. There were no alarms tripped in the reactor before it went up, and the last logs of the scanners say there were no people in it at any time, so that rules out the terrorist factor."

Cloud frowned a moment, thinking back to the knowledge he'd gained in his trooper days about mako, materia and the Lifestream. "Isn't it possible that a strong enough disturbance might, and I use the word loosely, be able to effect the mako that violently? Something really, really powerful maybe?" he asked Nanaki, who could only sigh and debate whether that was possible or not.

Rude spoke up just then, adding his own Mako Sciences knowledge into the discussion. "Perhaps, but the only thing that could cause a disturbance that strong is something like the Weapons. But those were all destroyed. You killed them yourselves. There isn't anything left on the planet powerful enough to cause that great a disturbance."

"Indeed." The leader of the Turks stated, crossing his arms over his chest absently. Reno opened his mouth to say something, closed it again as though he'd thought better of it, then continued on to say, "I'll see if I can head into the mako induced sectors later. Maybe I can dig something up, if the mako level isn't too high for even me..."

President Reeve was thankful and gave a nod. "Maybe Cloud can go with you." But Reno's statement confused everyone else in the room, including Elena. The only one who didn't look surprised was Rude, who simply shifted his gaze to Reno in silent support. Even behind the sunglasses you could tell that he knew something that the confused bunch didn't.

"What do you mean by that, exactly?" Yuffie asked, stepping up to the Turk with a look of curiosity on her not-so-young face. Yuffie had changed a lot after Meteor, from looks to personality. She had gone back to Wutai to help her father in the ruling of the newly independent country and had taken over several duties, most of which had given her a much different view on the world. She was a lot more responsible, if not frighteningly so, but she also had a devious quality about her that spoke of definite Ninja bloodline. She'd matured greatly, though if any materia went missing it was still usually Yuffie's fault. As for looks, she'd grown in the last two years since the incident, becoming a full-blown lady. Cloud had only stopped in a few times to see her and her father, and each time he was amazed with the sudden transition from girl to woman his young friend had undergone. She wore her hair long now, done up in an extravagant bun that looked to have taken hours to make. She still wore her traditional clothing, but she also wore a belt around her waist with the Wutaian symbol etched in silver for a buckle, crafted of fine black leather. It was a nice accessory.

"I mean that I could probably go in there myself and check the place out. Didn't you hear me the first time around?" The red head repeated, keeping his tone light and indifferent. He wasn't in the mood to be answering questions, especially ones that had to do with him. He and Yuffie had usually gotten along surprisingly well, but right now she was stepping dangerously close to the silent boundaries the two had set up. "You really should learn to pay attention kid, you might miss something important."

"Hey, watch your mouth scumbag!" Barret shouted, clenching a fist in Reno's direction in a threatening manner. Yuffie simply waved him down; thankful for the support but smart enough to realize that fighting wasn't going to get them anywhere. Besides, she knew a hint when she saw one. Reno was clearly saying 'leave it alone.'

"Why would you be able to go into that part of the sector when no one else could?" Tifa asked, not picking up on the subtle hidden message. "What makes you so special, Turk?"

Reno opened his mouth to put the brat in her place but he was saved the trouble by a sudden ringing of a PSH. Everyone's eyes turned to Reeve, who had just picked up his desk phone. A quick "Reeve here" and a short moment of silence followed before everyone watched the man's features contort into a look of absolute bewilderment. He finished the call with a simple "Thanks, we'll be right down." before hanging up the phone and turning to Cloud.

"Cloud… Um… It seems our friend Zack has finally decided to wake up…"

No one else had a chance to say or do anything before a certain AVALANCHE leader went tearing from that office as fast as his legs would carry him, pushing his friends out of the way without a second thought to what they might say. Throwing open the doors of Reeve's office, Cloud darted down the hall and out of sight, the only thing running through his mind being the words 'Zack's awake… Zack's alive!' That alone fuelled him through his desperate sprint down the hallways and toward the elevator. When he skidded to a stop before the thing he instantly hit the down button, mashing it in a perfect duplication of someone in a hurry. Then, when the elevator did not instantly respond to his command, he continued to push the button in rapid-fire succession until that annoying 'ding' sounded and the chrome doors slid open. Stepping inside he punched in the floor number "12" and waited as patiently as possible for the elevator's slow decent. "Hurry up… hurry up…" he mumbled under his breath.

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Meanwhile, back in Reeve's office, everyone was staring through the doors Cloud had just run through as though death was on his heels. Tifa took a few calming breaths and turned to everyone, giving a relieved smile to those in the room before she explained. "Zack was… a very good friend of Cloud's back before Nibelheim was burnt down." She sighed when everyone turned his or her attention to Tifa, all except Reno, who was still looking down the hall and contemplating following Strife's example. "He was the Soldier First Class that came to investigate the Nibel Reactor with Sephiroth… He was Cloud's best friend… but he…" she took a shuddering breath. "Well, he died. He died a long time ago."

"Seems pretty alive to me." Elena chirped, if only to get on the brunette's nerves in this moment of weakness. "He was breathing when we found him on our way here, wasn't he? I'd say that's alive."

Tifa frowned and glared at the blonde before huffing and turning away from the other woman. "Well, that's just the thing. Zack died, we know he died, so what is he doing here… alive?"

"Hey…" Barret started, the information just now starting to sink in. "Wait a minute. Wasn't Zack the guy who Cloud thought he was… back when Sephiroth was still around? The one Cloud had memories of?"

Tifa nodded and the whole AVALANCHE group shared a mutual look of worry, suddenly understanding the significance of this single man to their leader. The Turks, however, were staring at them in confusion. "Wait… What? What the hell are you talking about?" Reno spoke up, scratching absently at the back of his neck. He hated to be kept out of the loop, and this was definitely the 'out of the loop' feeling.

"None of your business. Its personal." Yuffie said flippantly, turning to walk into the hallway through the now open set of double doors. She stopped at the threshold, however, and looked over her shoulder. "Well, I'm going to see Cloud. You all coming?"

"It'd be interesting to finally meet this Zack character…" Vincent said, turning and moving out into the hallway. He didn't even wait for any of the rest of them as they started filing out into the hall behind him and Yuffie, but instead kept walking, worried about how his friend might fare when confronting this obstacle of the past.

In fact, the whole group of them wore pensive, worried looks as they marched in a solemn and quiet crowd down the hall and toward the elevator. Each and every one of them was worried about the same thing. Would Cloud freak when put face to face with this man, like with Sephiroth? Just how would their leader fare?

What was Reno thinking? Reno was thoughtful, trying to understand what was going on and what was wrong with Strife. It was difficult, what with his lack of details. Maybe he'd ask Strife later, if they were still on speaking terms… Or he could pump Reeve for information - that man seemed to know everyone's little secrets. Either way, he'd find out later. But still Reno couldn't help the tiny bit of worry that welled up inside him, no matter how hard the red head tried to smother it. With the look the blonde warrior had had when he'd run out of that office… It was enough to make anyone worry…

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When Cloud got to the twelfth floor he found it bustling with white-coated men and women, all of them running around with clipboards and papers and shouting to one another in important voices. It seemed the Zack phenomenon was of great interest to the ShinRa science and research division. The blond shuddered and pushed his way into the crowd, trying to suppress his anxiety at being around so many people wearing lab coats. It was weird but being around long white coats bothered him, bothered him greatly in fact. Maybe it was because of Hojo, who had adorned such a coat whenever he'd come to torture his captive victims, but it made him very nervous.

Squaring his shoulders and pulling up that foreboding air of importance he was so good at, Cloud fixed his eyes into a stony glare and made his way down the hall. Upon doing this the crowd around him split down the centre to let him pass, recognizing the man for who he was now that his presence wasn't just another figure among the crowd. Cloud Strife, saviour of the world wanted passage.

For a brief moment Cloud was welcoming the fame, if only to get these people away from him. Down the hall and around a corner he travelled, and it was only after a little bit that Cloud realized he didn't know where Zack's room was. He'd been in such a hurry that he'd left without asking Reeve where the man had put his friend. Thinking it better to stop and ask someone than to wander around aimlessly, Cloud stopped the nearest white-coat that passed him by.

"Excuse me miss, but which room is Zackary Donovan's?" Cloud asked as the woman turned to regard him, her hazel eyes settling on the warrior. She wore a pair of small framed glasses, her light brown hair done up in a neat bun and her angled features and tanned skin flawless, kind but strict in design. In her hands rested a clipboard and pen, and she seemed to be busy checking things off for a patient. After a moment Cloud recognized her as Doctor Kadwai, the physician that had patched the blond up a few years ago after the Sephiroth incident. Cloud hadn't exactly come out of that unscratched, and Kadwai had learned the hard way about his dislike for the white coat she had worn, though Cloud had felt terrible afterward.

"He is in the last room down this very hall, Mr. Strife. Room 205" Kadwai said, giving him a welcome smile to say she remembered him. He figured it was good that she harboured no ill will toward him. That blow to the jaw she'd taken back then had done some serious damage. "Careful not to hit anyone when you get there, alright? Your not exactly a weak fellow, Cloud." She tossed him a wink and was on her way before Cloud could respond, leaving a momentarily confused man standing on his own in the hall.

Zack was indeed in room 205. Sitting on a bed in nothing but his pants, the dark haired Soldier was busy scarfing down what looked to be the remains of a steak and potato dinner. His legs hung over the side of the bed, tray in his lap, and a cup rested precariously between his knees. When Cloud cautiously opened the door and poked his head inside, Zack looked up slowly, expecting it to be another nurse come to see his remarkable condition.

Imagine his surprise when Cloud Strife slowly stepped inside his little white hospital room and closed the door behind himself, resting a shy and cautious stare on the dark haired man. Both men could only stare at each other in mute shock, trying to let the reality of the situation sink in. The last time they'd seen each other was outside Midgar in an age so long ago both hardly remembered the time. It was a tragic parting, one that had caused the blond many years of heartache. But now, before him, sat that very man. He was a living and breathing miracle in the flesh. Zack was no less surprised to see Cloud, looking very much the same as he'd remembered him. The only thing that seemed to have changed was his eyes. They seemed sadder than they had once been…

"Z-Zack?" The blond whispered, taking a few slow steps toward him. The sudden burst of emotion on the younger man's face nearly made Zack jump from his spot to run over and hold him, to console him like he'd done so many years ago. If it weren't for the dishes littered across his lap he would have. Setting the tray aside and picking up the cup, Zack slid off his hospital bed and set the thing down on the nearby table. Returning his sparkling green eyes to Cloud, Zack let a large beaming smile melt across his face.

"Heya blue-eyes. Man, its good to see your spiky head again..." Zack replied, unable and unwilling to keep his emotions in check. When Cloud immediately latched onto him and engulfed him in a bear hug, Zack was surprised with the strength in which that hug held. None the less, he returned the hug as eagerly as his best friend was to dish it out, feeling the younger man's tears sliding down his shoulder.

Cloud sucked in some air in an attempt to keep himself from bursting into tears. "Oh God Z-Zack! I-I thought I'd lost you!" he whimpered against his friends shoulder, burying his face in the crook of the dark haired man's neck.

"Shhh… It's okay Cloud. I'm right here, see?" Zack mumbled, gently rubbing his friends back as though trying to calm a child. He rested his chin in Cloud's golden hair and took a moment to reassure himself that he was, indeed, really here. But the feel of his friend against him told Zack that there was no lie, no trick, this wasn't some cruel dream. He was alive again, given a second chance, and he was going to use it to set things right.

Stepping from the hug he held Cloud at arms reach, one hand on each shoulder. Looking into the blond's tear streaked face with a solemn kind of stare, he summoned up the courage to say these next words. "I'm so sorry Cloud. I'm soooo sorry…" Zack said, apologizing for all he was worth.

Cloud gingerly wiped at his eyes and set a confused stare on Zack, a boyish look of someone who didn't understand what a parent was telling him settling across his visage. "For w-what?" he queried, meeting Zack's gaze and not liking the sad note in his friends eyes one bit.

"I couldn't protect you… back then… I couldn't…" Zack bit his lip and looked away almost shamefully, but was surprised when Cloud hugged him again.

"No, I should be sorry. You did all y-you could… I was j-just dead weight. I couldn't even stand on my own…" Cloud mumbled again, sighing now that the initial shock was over and he could finally control himself. Pulling himself together he tried to stop crying. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "There's no need to be sorry about something you couldn't help. I've learned that at least…"

Zack smiled as he buried his face in his friend's hair, content right now to hug the blond back. The two were as close as brothers, closer even, and it had been a very long time since he'd seen Cloud. It was hard not to come out of an incident like Hojo's lab and not be this close someone who had shared the experience. Zack couldn't help but feel a brotherly affection for the man in his arms, a need to protect the young blond from the harms of the world. Of course, he'd always felt that way about Cloud… but it seemed a little more intense now that he'd been given his second chance.

The two stood there in silence, feeling no words to be necessary at the moment. It was only after there was a gentle knock at the door that the two of them parted again and smiled at each other, all traces of their sadness fading from their faces. Zack smiled at Cloud and he returned the beaming grin with equal enthusiasm.

Another knock at the door sounded, this one a little more urgent.

Zack looked to the door and called out that it was open, taking his seat on the bed once more as a group he didn't recognize filed into the hospital room. Though they seemed to know Cloud, for each one of them gave him either a respectful nod or a cheery hello when they entered. At least, most of them did, from what Zack could see.

Then, when Reeve entered the room followed closely by Reno, Zack gave a sudden cry of welcome. "Reno! Scoundrel! How have you been?" the dark haired man said, beaming. Reno blinked and set his gaze on Zack, a grin suddenly forming on his lips. His jade eyes sparkled devilishly.

"About as good as you've been, I'm sure." The red head replied, feeling all eyes turn to him. Even Cloud seemed shocked that Reno and Zack were on familiar terms. Reno raised an eyebrow at the bunch of them. "Oh don't be so surprised! Zack was a top-ranking Soldier when I entered the Turks and our little group had always worked pretty close with the higher ups back during the war with Wutai. It's only natural that we got to know one another. It ensured that we could trust each other when the going got tough."

Zack scoffed half-heartedly. "Well, to some extent. You always used to cheat at cards, as I recall. You still owe me forty gil by the way, Red."

"I told you not to call me that, Zackary." Reno said light heartedly, feeling his spirits rise in the mere presence of the dark haired Soldier. Zack had this peculiar little ability to cheer people up. It was almost annoying.

Zack shrugged at the use of his irritatingly full name, but continued to smile anyway.

"Wait, so this guy is the Zack I've heard so much about?" Barret asked, taking a long look at the dark haired man sitting on the hospital bed. He was build like a brick house, Barret allowed him that much. The muscle definition on him was clear and distinct, though it didn't make him look heavy or bulky. Instead it gave him a chiselled look of someone who'd spent many an hour at the gym. After being dead for so long, his well-toned body had not slimmed in the least. His shoulders were broad and his arms were obviously muscular. His face, however, was soft and kind hearted in look. Though, Barret figured that when he needed to be, Zack could fix his features in a mask of cold heartedness just as well as Cloud could.

"In the flesh." Zack replied, holding his hand out to the man. "Zack Donovan, Soldier First Class. At least, I think I'm still a Soldier, anyway."

Barret clasped his hand in greeting, allowing that the man before him was a good-natured one. "Barret Wallace. Ex-leader of AVALANCHE. Good to finally meet ya."

"AVALANCHE?"

Cloud suddenly flinched, though no one noticed it. "I suppose you wouldn't know. AVALANCHE was a terrorist group a while back that went around blowing up reactors." Zack's eyes widened, but Cloud hurried on. "Though, we did it for the good of the planet. I'll explain later. You wouldn't understand if I gave you the short version of the story."

"Good of the planet? We did it? What in the name of Bahamut?" Zack said, looking around at the large group of people warily. The idea of sitting in the same room as terrorists didn't please him. The fact that Cloud was involved with them worried him even more. Just what had the kid been up too while he'd been away?

Reno shrugged and explained, the first to speak up in light of Zack's sudden ill temper. "Cloud became the leader of the terrorist group called AVALANCHE, responsible for the explosion of two mako reactors in Midgar, the defeat of nearly half the ShinRa army, the defeat of the entire Turk group, infiltration of the ShinRa building, the deaths of a number of high ranking ShinRa employees and the destruction of valuable ShinRa property." Reno did flinch at the mention of his own defeat, noticeably, though it was momentary.

Everyone thought that Reno was done speaking when he paused, including Cloud who threw him a nasty little glare, but he continued on to say, "Though he's also responsible for saving the lives of millions of innocent people, rescuing a woman who'd been kidnapped, stopping two evil madmen from fulfilling their fiendish plans, standing alone against the forces of evil, defeating giant monsters called Weapons, destroying an alien being from space and saving the entire world from a fate much worse than death. Generally, we all owe Cloud and his team a big fucking thank you letter…" It was needless to say everyone was surprised. "Sometimes being the bad guy can sometimes mean being the good guy, Zack."

Zack shifted his confused stare from Reno to Cloud, then from Cloud to Reno, and then back to the young blond warrior. He opened his mouth to say something, shut it, and then shook his head slowly.

"Cloud, just what have you been doing?"

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It took Cloud several hours to explain to Zack the full story of the hunt for Sephiroth. Reno stayed around to add his own two sense in when he felt like it, often telling the lot of them what the Turks and ShinRa had been doing while Cloud and his group had been running around the world. Vincent or Yuffie, the only two that had stuck around for the retelling of their journey, filled in anything he missed. Cid had had to get back to the Highwind to make sure everything was getting done on his ship, Reeve needed to return to his presidential duties, Barret just didn't want to hear the whole thing retold, and Nanaki and Tifa had gone to find something to eat. Both Elena and Rude had wanted to stick around to find out the whole story but Reno had told them both firmly to keep out of it for now, promising to fill them in later. Something Cloud thought was suspiciously strange. Though, he was grateful that he didn't have to explain it to more than a couple people who didn't already know. The conversation had been an awkward one, and several of Reno's comments had been nerve grating. Somehow, the good humour the two of them had shared was dissipating quickly.

"That makes a bit more sense, now that I know what's been happening…" Zack said, lying back on his bed and resting his arms behind his head. It was reassuring to know that Cloud hadn't really been a big time terrorist after all.

The rest of them had all pulled chairs up beside the bed and had taken seats, not moving the whole time it took to retell the story. Currently Reno was the only one left standing, opting to stand by the window. Every so often Zack would catch him shifting his gaze to look out over the city of Midgar, deep in thought.

"Yea, it wasn't exactly a fun ride the whole way. It had its moments, but all in all, I wouldn't like to repeat the experience." Yuffie piped up, leaning back into her chair.

"Indeed." Vincent added, agreeing whole-heartedly.

Zack sighed, staring up at the ceiling with morose look. "I still can't believe Seph did that… I got that it was mostly a Sephiroth Clone running around doing all that evil stuff… but… in the end even the real Sephiroth had been infected by Jenova's lies…"

"The man had a weak soul." Reno stated as though it were the most natural thing in the world. "To succumb to Jenova so easily, he must have had serious doubts about himself. That made him weak."

Cloud was about to retort to that comment in defence of Sephiroth when he was stricken with a sudden realization; he hadn't talked to Reeve about Isrea yet. Reno's words had reminded him of the real reason he'd come here before finding out about the reactor. Zack's sudden burst of defensive anger, however, cut off his thoughts.

"Seph does not have a weak soul!" The dark haired man said, glaring over at Reno in defence of his friend. "Maybe there was a moment of weakness, but Sephiroth's soul is a strong as anyone's is. He's always been a fair and loyal person to the people he cares about! Nobody ever bothered to look past what they saw is all." Zack sat up, just slightly irritated with everyone's misunderstanding of his friend.

"That's why he stabbed you and Strife? That's why he went berserk and tried to kill the lot of humanity? That's real loyalty for ya!" Reno retorted.

Vincent interrupted the argument before anything else could be said, asking a question about something no one else had picked up on. "Zack, you speak as though Sephiroth were not dead…"

Both Reno and Zack blinked in surprise and then Zack sighed, shaking his head as his anger receded. "I just can't seem to think of Seph as dead… Hurts too much, I suppose…" The dark haired man said, lying back down. "He was a… good friend."

Cloud bowed his head slightly, casting his eyes to the floor. He was feeling every bit the sorrow that Zack felt for the loss of one of their good friends. Sephiroth had completed their little friendship triangle, as close to the two of them as they were to each other. It… hurt… to know that he had been the one to slay Sephiroth. Though, none of that showed on his face.

"Cloud?" Yuffie asked, noting her leader's sudden downcast eyes. AVALANCHE had disbanded a while ago but to her, to the lot of them, Cloud would always be their leader. Even Reeve would take orders from Cloud, if the blond were so inclined to give them.

Cloud looked up quickly, meeting the stares of everyone in the room. He nodded, keeping his emotions and facial features firmly in check. "I was just thinking… wondering why the reactor would blow up so suddenly. I mean, they aren't even functioning anymore…" he lied, though the thought had been floating around on the surface of his mind all day.

"A reactor blew up recently?" Zack said, once again confused. Yuffie chuckled in amusement at the man's reaction. It was understandable, she supposed.

"Yep! Sector two's reactor went kablooye today." She explained, shrugging. "Why do you think it's so hot?"

"Today!?" Zack nearly shouted, springing up from his position almost immediately. "Well, hasn't anyone gone in to investigate? Reeve should send in scouts as soon as possible!" He was up and off his bed almost immediately, moving to collect his shirt and gear from a nearby table. "What if it's a terrorist act? Have the logs been checked? The scanners should tell you if anyone was in the reactor at all." Once he'd adorned the familiar shirt, belt, shoulder piece and straps to his uniform both Vincent and Yuffie were struck with a moment of familiarity. Cloud had worn nearly the exact same thing only two years ago, hadn't he? Oh well…

Cloud stood up to calm his friend, pushing back his chair and stepping in front of the dark haired Soildier. "Zack… Reeve already tried sending in patrols. No one can get in there because of the sudden mako surge. Anyone who's tried has come back out with severe mako poisoning. And yes, the scanner logs have been checked. The terrorist factor is a negative. Calm down, your not in charge at the moment, remember?"

Zack stopped mid-stride to regard Cloud for a puzzled moment, then chuckled and relaxed. "Sorry, old habits die hard. I was Second in Command of Soldier once, remember?" he said, brushing one hand through his raven hair absently.

"I know what you mean." Cloud replied, imitating the dark haired man by brushing one hand through his golden blond hair in the exact same fashion Zack had just done. Again, Yuffie and Vincent were struck with the similarities of the two men before them. If they hadn't known better, and if they hadn't known the whole story, they'd have thought Cloud and Zack were the same person. Even Reno caught it.

Feeling everyone's stares on the two of them, Zack and Cloud shared a confused and bewildered glance before Cloud turned to Yuffie. "What?" It seemed neither one had noticed the casual brush of hand through hair, even though they had been completely identical and preformed one right after the other.

Yuffie instantly looked away, smiling mischievously. "Nothing! Nothing!" Changing the subject quickly, she asked. "So, are you going to go with Reno into Sector Two later? I think Reeve wants you too..."

Cloud shifted his cerulean gaze to the red head standing by the window. He raised one golden eyebrow before shrugging. "I don't see why not. I'd probably do better in a mako drenched area then he would anyway."

Reno flinched and Zack shook his head. "Not everything is what it seems, Cloud." The dark haired Soldier said unexpectedly, but left it at that. "Anyway, I'll go too. I've got about as much mako in me as you do, so I might as well make myself useful."

"Are you sure you should be running around in a mako induced sector so soon after your resurrection?" Vincent spoke up, causing everyone in the room except Zack to turn and stare at him in confusion. It seemed a lot of people were getting confused lately.

Zack shrugged nonchalantly. "Lifestream, Mako, practically the same thing right? I'll be fine."

Reno suddenly threw his hands up before himself, signally that the conversation had to come to a halt for a moment in order for his brain to keep up. Cloud was feeling much the same way. "Wait, wait! Resurrection? What the?… You actually did die?" the red head asked, the significance of the statement starting to sink in.

"Yea. It was… an awkward feeling. I woke up in the Lifestream and I met someone. He told me I was getting a second chance at life, though I'm not sure why. He was strange, talking about the Lifestream's rebirth cycle and about Limbo, and other things I didn't understand. Well, whatever, he definitely wasn't human…" Zack let a puzzled look pass over his features for a moment. "But, one of his last comments still confuses me. For the life of me I can't figure out what he meant."

"What did he say?" Cloud asked breathlessly, feeling that somehow this man and the little girl Isrea just might be connected.

"Give 'em heck for us…" Zack said, repeating the words slowly.

"Well, whatever! We can all think about this crap later, I'm starved!" Yuffie declared, standing up from her rather uncomfortable chair. She'd been sitting for hours and took a moment to stretch out her legs and joints before she grinned at the lot of them. "Come on, let's go get something to eat!" And her stomach promptly growled. Grinning she moved to the door, opened it, and turned to wait for the rest of them.

Zack shrugged, banishing the quote to the back of his thoughts. "I am kinda hungry." He said, heading toward the door where Yuffie was waving madly for the rest of them to follow.

Cloud chuckled, opting for food over thought at the moment too. "Yea, but your always hungry. I remember cooking a three course meal for you and Seph, and you complained that there wasn't enough food!"

'Seph?' Reno questioned mentally, catching the affectionate nick-name, even though Strife himself was unaware he was even using it. He said nothing as he followed the lot of them out, letting himself fall behind unnoticed. It seemed the others had temporarily forgotten that he had been in the room, which was good for him since he wanted to slip away unnoticed to find Elena and Rude. The last thing he wanted at the moment was a public dinner with the AVALANCHE team. Elena and Rude would be expecting some answers right about now anyway.

So, slipping silently away from the group as soon as they entered the hall, Reno escaped in the opposite direction and went looking for his own companions. Things were starting to make a little more sense. The only thing left now to worry about was his trek into Sector Two with Strife and Zack.

His gut told him it was going to be a rather unpleasant experience…

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--- To Be Continued---

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Author's Notes:

1. That cookie goes to AA for her knowledge of the last chapter's opening quote. Again, I am sooooo sorry this took so very long. If this ever happens again I'll try and get some kind of warning up for everyone… Once again, I apologize.

2. Well, I can honestly say that I liked this chapter. There are a few things that could be changed, but all in all it turned out nicely. I know the beginning kind of drawls on and on about what everyone's been doing for the last two years, but I figured it needed to be said so what better time then when everyone was together? This chapter didn't explain much, but rather was a bit of filler and character interaction. This chapter was supposed to be longer but I cut it in half, so the next chapter should be posted soon.

3. Ah, you all know what I'm going to say here. Reviews, emails, you know the drill. All are welcome. Sometimes the only thing that keeps people writing are the reviews they get.

Sorry, no responses this time. I'll try and add them in the next chapter. Thank you everyone that reviewed the last chapter though, I appreciate all the things you guys say to me. Some of them are funny, others interesting, while some are very much welcome criticism. Either way, I'm very thankful for everything you all have written to me and can only hope to get more. Thanks a bunch!