A/N: Hello everyone! I apologize for the delay on this chapter. My hiatus was only supposed to be for a month or so, I swear. Clearly I failed miserably. Anyway, updates might be a bit slower than they were before, since I didn't get quite as much done as I'd hoped. However, I promised myself (and my friends) that I'd get this chapter posted by my birthday, and…well it's my birthday. So. :P I will also be updating the first two chapters sometime this week, as I looked at them again and cringed. Also, I'd like to say hi and thank you to all my new followers who read Hero over my hiatus! I hope you all enjoy, and I'd like to apologize again for leaving you guys on a sort of double cliffhanger with Zack and Seph. :'D
Chapter Eight
I didn't mean it, I didn't mean it, I didn't –
"Zack! Zack, are you alright?!"
The soldier did not move, staring open-mouthed at the condor nest. Cloud shook him lightly, but received no response. Zack's eyes were glued to the scene before him, seeing nothing but the death and destruction that he himself had wrought. He found himself being hefted off the ground, arms linking under his own. As they led him back into the watchtower, he heard the man on his right start calling out orders. Kunsel, Zack realized.
"You two, retrieve Zack's sword. The rest of you go inspect the reactor. And Durzan," the Second stopped the last cadet before he could run off to join the others. "Keep an eye on Michelson so he doesn't screw something else up, will you?" Zack felt his friend's hand pat him gently on the back. "It's alright, Zack, we'll take it from here."
No, it's not alright. Zack wanted to say the words aloud. His throat tightened as he attempted to speak, smothering his voice. I didn't mean to – If I just hadn't charged in like that –! He could almost hear a million lectures from Angeal about looking before leaping, chiding him on repeat. Assess the situation thoroughly. Consider all your options. For all the advice he'd been given over the years as the man's protégé, he'd ignored a majority of it. To take out the wings had just seemed so logical at the time. To have assumed the mother wouldn't retaliate was sloppy. Naïve.
I should have known better.
He was set down on the stool where he had discussed Ray's plans for Shin-Ra earlier. Kunsel darted back outside, while Cloud remained by the First's side with eyes wide with worry. Zack made an attempt to smile at the cadet to ease his concern, but his mouth formed more of a lopsided grimace. He looked down at his hands when his reassurance failed, his fingers curled slightly as if cradling something he'd lost.
"Zack," Cloud bent forward, looking into the other's face while Zack continued to focus on his hands. "What happened out there?"
"I…" Zack swallowed with difficulty. "It was an accident." His voice was too high, he felt. All the strength it usually held had abandoned him.
"Accident?" The woman who had chased after Michelson climbed up the stairs. "…What did you do?"
"You're—" Zack caught himself before he addressed the woman as 'Bird-Encyclopedia-Lady.'
"Anna," the woman finished for him, her expression hard. The slight wrinkles around her lips served to deepen her scowl. "That kid, did you stop him?" she asked, walking past the pair to look out the window. Zack reached out, a part of him panicking to keep her from seeing what he'd done. Anna recoiled from the window with a shriek, bolting out the door and screaming for Ray.
Zack buried his face in his hands.
After several minutes of sitting in crushing guilt, Zack heard the door to the watchtower slam open. Ray burst into the room, his face an ugly red. He stormed past the soldier and down the stairs. Zack could hear his voice, muffled, speaking loudly to the people in the common area.
Probably telling them the condors are dead because of Shin-Ra's idiot First.
The common area exploded with the shouts of the residents, nearly drowning out their leader. Cloud fidgeted nervously next to Zack. "Maybe we should go see what Kunsel's doing." The soldier merely shook his head, not budging. He didn't want to go out there again. He didn't want to face his failure.
This chance was supposed to be about fixing things. He'd killed the very bird he'd meant to protect. Her baby, a casualty. Zack ran his hands through his hair in frustration. He couldn't protect birds. Birds. How was he supposed to protect the people he loved? Sephiroth was off in Nibelheim, and Zack had never been more certain that the man would torch the village entirely and saunter off to do the same to the rest of the planet. Cloud would lose his hometown. Tifa. Anyone and everyone he'd ever cared about, all because of him. And Zack could do nothing.
All I've done is make everything worse.
At the sound of many pairs of boots on the stairs, Zack lifted his head. A large group of residents stomped their way past him, and he jumped up from his seat to avoid being bowled over. He watched them exit the watchtower, jogging toward the condor nest. Another group clambered up the stairs shortly afterward, followed by most of the hired swords. Zack turned to the window, perplexed, seeing the horde of people gathering together at the base of the dead condor. Farther back and closer to the reactor entrance, Zack spotted Kunsel gesturing widely at the group, shouting at them. The First frowned, unable to make out what he was saying.
"Gaia, what are they thinking?" Ray grumbled from behind Zack. The soldier turned back to him questioningly. "What's going on?"
"Not sure…" Zack commented, returning his gaze to the scene. A young man whom Zack didn't recognize was shouting at Kunsel now, pointing at the reactor, then at the soldier. He pointed at the condor nest, and the crowd behind him roared in agreement with whatever he was saying. Kunsel, usually so unruffled, stepped back a pace.
The man pulled out a sword and held it level with Kunsel's throat.
"What—!" Zack bolted out the door, feet pounding against the steel beneath him as he ran at the group. "Hey!" he yelled, dozens of pairs of eyes turning to him. "What the hell are you doing?!"
"Zack!" Kunsel had drawn his own sword – the first time Zack ever remembered a weapon in his friend's hands beyond friendly practice sessions.
"It's the fault of you SOLDIERs that the condor is dead!" the man with the sword shouted, keeping his eyes on Kunsel. "After you swore you wouldn't harm them! Look what you've done!" He moved to strike the Second, and Kunsel raised his sword defensively.
"Stop—HEY!" Zack closed the distance between himself and the pair, stopping between them and holding his hand out to the fort resident. "Kunsel had nothing to do with it! Leave him alone!"
"Zack," Kunsel turned to the First, his voice full of warning. "Don't."
"Don't what?" Zack asked, eyes flashing. "Let this guy attack you for nothing?" He gritted his teeth, turning back to the man and the horde of people behind him. Their faces were all contorted with anger. Hurt. The man before him changed the aim of his sword, focusing on Zack's neck instead.
"So he had nothing to do with it, eh? Ray said your group killed the condors. Why don't you explain what he meant?" He threw his free hand back, in the direction of the mother condor still slumped over her nest. "Who's responsible for this, then?"
Zack glared at the sword now lingering in front of his face. There wasn't much he could do to ease the pain of what he'd done, but there was no way he was letting anyone else take the fall for him. He'd screwed up big time, he knew.
"I did it."
The man's eyes widened and he soon gripped his sword even tighter, attention completely switched to Zack. The First stared him down. Behind him he heard Kunsel groan. "Zack-"
"It was me. My mistake." Zack heard a rumble go through the crowd. Weapons were drawn, with all eyes on him. The First stood his ground, his lips set in a thin, determined line. Somehow, he realized, he wasn't intimidated. Even unarmed, with this horde ready to rip him apart, he felt strong enough to continue to act as a barrier between them and his friend.
He did have some practice with these situations after all.
"So you're willing to take all the responsibility then?" the man in front sneered. "How noble for a Shin-Ra dog." He raised his sword high in the air.
"Hold your damn chocobos!" Ray shouted, hobbling over to the group. "I won't be having any riots at this fort!" The crowd shouted back in protest.
"He's got the right idea," Kunsel spoke up, moving out from behind Zack. "You're already in a bad spot by hiring mercenaries."
"For protection," Ray insisted.
"Maybe," Kunsel nodded, "But to the Company, it looks like you're mobilizing. They'll see it as malicious intent once our reports come in."
"You mean if you report it," the leader of the horde sneered again.
"Kevan," Ray turned to the man, exasperated. "Shut your damn mouth already."
"Is that a threat?" Kunsel asked, calm as ever. Zack glanced to the other soldier with a worried frown.
Kunsel's not the type to antagonize people like this… He shot the Second a questioning look. Kunsel remained impassive.
"You dogs really are stupid if you can't figure that out yourself," Kevan laughed. Members of the crowd behind him joined in. Zack watched them warily, but his focus on defense faltered as he saw Anna visibly pale. She stared open-mouthed at Kunsel as a look of realization dawned on her face. She began to fight her way through the crowd, toward Kevan, who had pointed his blade at Kunsel again.
"Just clarifying, for the report," Kunsel shrugged. "Of course, you could expect retribution from the Company for malicious intent. Imagine if they found out you'd killed two SOLDIERs who had come to negotiate."
The laughter died. A few of the residents began to step back, some sheathing their weapons altogether. Kevan growled. "We could still…" He swung his sword in anger, cutting through the small space between himself and Zack. "That doesn't mean we can't shut you up! You'll pay for what you've done!" He raised it, poised to strike.
"Kevan, no!"
"You damn idiot!"
Kevan found himself being dragged back by the arms by both Anna and Ray. He reeled on the two, but Anna roughly grabbed the sword from his hands and tossed it to the ground.
"I think you'll have to postpone that vengeance of yours," the Second said, casually sheathing his own weapon.
"Kunsel, what…?" Zack questioned, facing his friend.
"It just so happens," Kunsel turned, finally addressing the First, "that I called for backup while you were fighting the condor. I thought we might need them in case things got out of hand."
"That's why you were on your PHS," Anna said, her voice quiet.
Kunsel nodded to her and addressed the crowd again. "They're coming from Junon, so they'll be arriving shortly. I'd suggest not causing trouble before then."
After several moments of bickering among themselves, with Ray, and then themselves again, the group gradually dispersed. Anna led Kevan roughly by the arm, leading him back inside the watchtower. A large portion of the residents stopped at the condor nest, simply watching the motionless form of the dead mother and the remnants of her egg. Zack quickly looked away, choosing to focus instead on the three cadets lugging the heavy Buster Sword toward him. Cloud tossed a wary glance over his shoulder, making sure the crowd was not coming back. Satisfied, he led his two companions closer to Zack, cautiously holding the giant blade by its handle.
"We borrowed some water to wash it off," the blond said, hefting his portion of the burden up slightly for the soldier to take it. Zack grabbed the hilt, noticing a few small flecks of blood still caught in the grooved portions of the blade. For the most part, though, it was clean. He managed a small, appreciative smile at the cadets before swinging the sword onto his back. After it had clicked into place, Zack heard a heavy sigh to the other side of him.
"What a mess," Kunsel commented, massaging his neck wearily.
"You handled that pretty well, though," Zack said. "I didn't even know you'd called for backup in the first place."
"Yeah, I was instructed to if the negotiation went south," the Second waved the matter off. "Still, this is pretty bad."
"At least we can get inside the reactor now," the infantryman on Cloud's left piped up.
"Hmm. The Company should be glad to hear that." Kunsel sighed again. "Gaia knows they won't be happy about much else. The fact that the residents were so ready to maul us is going to hurt their case."
"…The president's not gonna believe us if we say they weren't planning a rebellion," Zack muttered. The battles he'd watched here in his original timeline had been exactly that. Rebellion. Shin-Ra was too preoccupied with Sephiroth for the Fort to matter much then.
Sephiroth. Zack's stomach churned. His hand gripped for the PHS that was still on his bed inside the fort. If he could just contact the man before he found Jenova… He might even know what to do about Fort Condor if he's still…Zack didn't allow himself to finish the thought. He couldn't. He'd already failed the condor. He didn't want to think about failing his friend.
Zack paused.
His friend. Not the psycho he was preparing to fight in order to save the world. As long as Sephiroth was still sane, he was still his friend. Zack's legs wavered as though the condor had knocked him off his feet again. Sephiroth hadn't even heard of the Jenova Project when they'd spoken last, and how had Zack acted?
Like he was already Jenova's son…I'm an idiot. The man he'd been so scared to talk to that first day back – the man he'd been trying to call today for advice…he was still his comrade. Still willing to listen to Zack's warnings about a 'sketchy' mission, in spite of having no actual proof. Zack's fists tightened. He's all alone now, he wasn't anyone in Nibelheim to stop Sephiroth. To reassure him that he was human. Zack hadn't fought his reassignment at all, just left the other First on his own. He'd let Shin-Ra send Sephiroth to Nibelheim.
He'd let them send his friend to his own destruction.
Zack swayed on his feet, just managing to catch himself before he fell onto Cloud. "Woah, Zack!" The cadet held onto the soldier's arm, steadying him. "Are you okay?"
"I, uh…" Zack shook his head, and simpered at him. "Sorry…I'm not feeling so great. I'm gonna go inside." He nodded to Kunsel and walked toward the watchtower. His hand felt for his absent PHS again. I need to call him, he thought. He took the steps down to the common room carefully. He can't still be busy – it's been hours…
Coming to the ladder that led to the guest bedrooms, he hopped down and approached his bed. His PHS lay on the sheets, right where he'd left it. He snatched it up and dialed for what felt like the millionth time.
He has to pick up. It's me. He'd pick up if I was calling.
"We're sorry, the PHS you are trying to call is unable to connect. It may be turned off or out of range. Please try a different number."
Zack's shoulders slumped. He withdrew the device from his ear and stared numbly at the screen. "This is supposed to be programmed for long distance," he reasoned aloud. The fact that Sephiroth was all the way in Nibelheim couldn't be the issue. The man couldn't be ignoring him either – it would ring in that case.
His phone must be off. But why would Sephiroth turn his phone off? Zack refused to even acknowledge the immediate answer. Why else, barring any Jenova interference… The man could be sleeping. He wasn't sure what the time difference was between here and there. But, the more he thought about it, the less sense it made. Sephiroth was more likely to leave it on for emergencies, even if he did want to sleep. Come to think of it, Sephiroth's never really been the type to turn his PHS off. Zack studied the small device in his hands, every fiber of his being wishing it would just ring and display Sephiroth's name on the caller ID.
"…Oh." He frowned when he spotted the signal level. Next to nothing. "That would do it." He determinedly made his way back up the ladder, heading back into the evening air. Hopefully he'd get better reception outside. Ignoring the sight of Kunsel speaking with the cadets who had gone into the reactor earlier, Zack dialed again.
The woman's smooth words of failure grated on his ears now. With a grimace, he opted to send the other First an email instead. He'd see it whenever he finally picked up his PHS. Zack's fingers hovered over the keypad.
…What do I write? 'Please respond if you're still sane?' Yeah that sounds normal. He acted strange enough in Sephiroth's office the other day. The other man was probably concerned about Zack's sanity. Lips in a frustrated pout, Zack prodded the keys experimentally, trying to get the words to sound as chipper and unworried as his past self ought to be.
'Hey,
How's Nibelheim? I bet there's nothing to do out there. You've probably got the mission pretty much wrapped up by now, huh? I'm in kind of a jam back here. I need some advice.'
Zack read and reread the brief email. The words sounded enough like his old self, surely. It even asked for a response in a manner not nearly as frantic as he felt. He could save the panicked messages for later.
"Are you feeling better?"
Zack looked up to see Cloud standing near, waiting patiently. He looked relieved.
"Y-Yeah," Zack simpered at him again. Forget worrying Sephiroth in his office, his behavior was probably worrying everyone around him at this point. "Sorry," he held up his PHS, pressing the send key as he did so. "Had to email someone."
Cloud eyed him curiously, but eventually nodded. The cadet gestured behind himself. "Durzan and the others are back. They said all the materia's gone."
"The materia?" Zack's brows furrowed. The residents taking the reactor's materia made sense if they were taking every caution to defend themselves. Tseng mentioned the Materia Research team wanted what was inside the reactor, too. But why would Shin-Ra want materia from an unused old fort like this? It can't be that important— Memories of Fort Condor in his original timeline nearly slapped him in the face. Of course the materia here was important, it was huge. Literally Huge. The whole reason Cloud and the others fought here was to obtain the Huge Materia from this reactor.
"Kunsel said they'll have to arrest the residents for it," Cloud commented, biting his lower lip. At Zack's scandalized expression, he explained, "Since they technically trespassed and stole Shin-Ra property. They're allowed to protect the fort from threats, but they aren't allowed inside the reactor."
So they wouldn't be able to find the Huge Materia growing inside, Zack frowned. The materia shouldn't be playing a role for another five years, at least. Why was Shin-Ra looking for it so soon? What did I change? He looked over to Kunsel, who was on his PHS and waving down to something in the fields below. Zack approached and spied over the edge of the reactor, seeing several trucks closing in on the fort.
Cloud's words suddenly hit him full force. "We're arresting everybody?"
Kunsel nodded absent-mindedly, issuing instructions on his phone.
"But that's…" Zack turned his gaze back to the trucks, their forms barely visible in the dying sunlight, aside from the eerie light of the headlights approaching in the darkness. Zack watched them park at the base of the fort, the tiny forms of infantrymen exiting and swarming their way inside. Only when a stray gust of wind nearly pushed him over the edge did the soldier turn around and back away from the sight. He spotted Ray, his arms crossed tightly against his chest and scowling. Behind him, the wind ruffled the feathers of the dead condor.
"While your methods were a bit unorthodox, you did manage to speed along Shin-Ra's end goal." Tseng closed his file containing the reports on the Fort Condor mission. His eyes leveled with the soldier currently slumped in the briefing room's only good chair. "The president commends you on your actions."
"He commends me for slaughtering two innocent birds?" Zack continued to stare at the folder in Tseng's hand, as if hoping his gaze alone would cause the papers to spontaneously combust.
"The Company would have terminated them in the long run," Tseng explained. "The president had no intention of letting the rebels control the reactor or the Fort."
"Is that what we're calling them now? 'Rebels?' Is that why they all got arrested?" Zack's fiery glare turned to the Turk.
"According to the reports, they were hiring mercenaries with the intent of attacking—"
"They were hired for self-defense!" Zack protested.
"…Attacking," Tseng continued, "regardless of whether or not the company planned to use force to take back the fort. Regardless, you managed to help the other team complete their mission. You also saved Michelson from the condor."
Zack continued to scowl, the praise not nearly enough to lighten his mood. "So now what? What happens to Ray and the others?"
"The Turks will handle it. For now, you are on standby."
"Seriously?!" Zack stood from his chair, paying it no mind as it crashed to the floor. "That's it? Tseng, I barely had any information to negotiate with! I couldn't convince them of anything because I didn't know what my options even were!"
"You may not have negotiated as much as you would have liked, but the president sees it differently." The Turk gathered the other files strewn about the desk. "As far as the Company is concerned, the mission was a success."
"But why?" Zack stepped out to prevent Tseng from leaving, but thought better of it and stopped a few paces from the man's side. "Was it because I killed two endangered birds, or because Shin-Ra got to lock all the residents up? Or was it Kunsel's group? Actually," he gestured to the folder in Tseng's hand. "What was Kunsel's team doing there in the first place? This is too much for just inspecting the materia growing inside the reactor!"
The Turk eyed him warily, but then shook his head and continued to the door. "I'm not at liberty to say." He paused, glancing at Zack over his shoulder. "…Neither is Kunsel." With that, the Turk left the room, leaving the soldier to stew over his unanswered questions.
Zack let out a heavy, aggravated sigh. He should have expected as much. Kunsel hadn't said a word about what his team had done inside the reactor. They'd practically swarmed the place once they'd found out they could get in. But they'd come back after barely any time at all, looking downcast and irritated.
Well, no Huge Materia would be a disappointment. Zack headed out of the briefing room. Kunsel had dragged Ray off for some sort of discussion after the search of the reactor. He intended to find out just what they'd been talking about.
A brisk walk and a short elevator ride had him striding purposefully toward the Shin-Ra holding cells. He couldn't be sure where the other residents of the fort were being kept, but the necessity for Ray to be questioned as the 'leader of rebels' made him significantly easier to locate.
I just hope I made it here before the Turks got to him…
A lone guard stood at attention upon seeing Zack approach. The soldier returned the stiff salute before indicating the locked doors of the holding area.
"I'm here to see Ray, from Fort Condor," Zack said.
"Yes sir," the guard nodded once and pulled out a keycard. He led Zack over to the furthest holding cell, and opened a small window on the door. The guard rapped his knuckles on the steel. "You've got a visitor!" The guard saluted to Zack once more and returned to his post. Once he had left, Zack peered through the window. Ray sat crouched on a simple bed with an uncomfortable-looking steel frame. He paid no attention to the soldier, seemingly preoccupied with wringing his large hat in his hands.
"…Ray?"
The man looked up, but soon grimaced. "You," he grumbled. "What do you want now?"
Zack broke eye contact almost instantly, suddenly finding his boots to be incredibly interesting. The look Ray was giving him stung, like seeing the dead condors all over again. "…I want to apologize." Zack heard a grunt of derision.
"For killing the birds, or landing me here?"
The soldier's eyes didn't leave the floor. He could feel Ray's stare burning a guilt-ridden hole through his skull.
"For…both, really."
Another grunt. "Yeah, well…" The man trailed off, going quiet for the moment. Zack glanced through the window to see that Ray had resumed the nervous wringing of his hat. "I know."
"What?" The First perked up in hopeful confusion.
"I know you're sorry," Ray mumbled, almost too quiet for Zack to hear. "And I know you didn't mean to do it. The way you were shaking when you were lookin' at the mother was proof enough." He ran a hand over his thin, white hair with a sigh. His eyes returned to Zack, laden with a guarded curiosity. "But that's not all you're here for, is it?"
Zack fidgeted. "I was kinda hoping you could tell me what Kunsel was discussing with you." He needed some idea of what Shin-Ra was up to. If Kunsel couldn't tell him, Ray was his last shot.
"Kunsel was that Second," the man muttered, largely to himself. "Yeah. Yeah, he wanted to know about any plans of rebellion. And what we did with the materia in the reactor."
"Did Kunsel mention what Shin-Ra wanted with it?" Zack pressed.
"They didn't tell you? Thought you were a First." Ray raised his eyebrow at the other. When Zack only shook his head, the man shrugged. "Didn't say. Just that the company knew we took it and they'd find it eventually."
Zack crossed his arms. This can't be good. Shin-Ra shouldn't have started looking for the huge materia for several more years. But, a quick check of his mail revealed that Kunsel had indeed been assigned to the fort before he came and screwed up the timeline. What's going on?
And here he'd thought he'd only have to worry about Sephiroth.
"Did Kunsel say anything else?" Zack asked.
"Nothin' interesting," Ray shrugged again. "Mostly just the same thing we'd been hearing from the Company for months now."
"Okay," Zack nodded. "Thanks. And, about all this…" He looked over the sparse cell with a frown. "…Sorry. Again."
Ray managed a small chuckle. "Y'know kid, I figured I'd be in a cell sooner or later. Or worse." He placed his hat back on his head and regarded Zack with a critical eye. "…You hear anything about the other condor?"
"The male, you mean?" Zack asked. "No, I don't think they found him yet."
The ghost of a smile played on Ray's lips. "Alright." The man studied Zack's face for a moment before murmuring, "You care too much. It'll get you in trouble one of these days."
Zack smiled ruefully, his mind playing back a hail of bullets raining down on him with Midgar standing just a few miles behind him. "I'll keep that in mind."
"Sir?" The guard from earlier approached, keycard once again in hand. Zack looked at the man in question. "I've received orders to bring the prisoner to the Turk office for questioning."
"Ah," Zack reluctantly stepped aside to let the guard through. The soldier shared a curt nod with Ray before he made his way down the hall, heading back toward the elevator. Once out of earshot, he sighed. "This is just weird." He pulled out his PHS, contemplating calling Kunsel and demanding to know what Shin-Ra needed huge materia for. Although, he thought, That would put me on Tseng's radar for sure. He wanted to know what the Turks were up to, but they generally didn't like others knowing what they were doing.
The PHS in his hand lit up with a buzz, followed by its double-beep of a mail notification. Zack opened the message curiously, noting that it was from Cloud.
'Zack,
I know you're busy, and I probably shouldn't be asking you this, but I was hoping you could give me some advice. The SOLDIER exam is coming up soon and I don't want to fail…I was wondering if you could give me a few tips on how to get stronger. It's totally up to you though, you don't have to.'
A soft smile formed on Zack's lips. Well at least one of my ideas is working out. He hadn't even had to ask the cadet if he wanted training. Zack replied immediately, instructing Cloud to meet him in the VR room so he could see what the boy was having trouble with. It was a small comfort to know that, even though his initial plan had so far been a bust, his backup was already in motion.
"Come on, let's see what you can do."
Zack ran a simple mission, with the objective only to exterminate a set number of monsters. They were all low level – creatures that even a brand new cadet should be able to fight against. The soldier stood watch as Cloud took out the holograms with the practice sword. The boy's form was good – near perfect, even. And yet, the monsters broke his guard quickly, slipping through and dealing blows that could cause serious damage from stronger opponents. Zack frowned.
He's got the theory down, Zack thought as Cloud swung his blade in an excellent arc, beheading his nearest enemy. "Nice one!"
Almost immediately after Zack's praise, one of the monsters smacked the practice sword from Cloud's hands, and then proceeded to hit the boy square in the face. Zack flinched in sympathy. The cadet rolled to retrieve his sword, only inches away from the hilt when a thunderbird swooped down, knocking him to the side. Cloud managed to stand up again, taking a fighting stance, and found himself surrounded. At a loss, the boy looked frantically at each of the monsters.
"You've got this," Zack called, but his fingers clenched against his arms with concern. "Break the circle!"
Cloud picked a hedgehog pie to his left, and charged at it, executing a series of practiced slashes. His attacks faltered when the monster outpaced him, pushing the cadet right back into the circle. The others lunged, crowding around Cloud and rendering his attempts to escape useless. A set of claws reached out of the fray, aiming to cut the boy's throat.
The holograms vanished.
"Okay," Zack said, offering Cloud a hand up. "That should do for now."
"I'm definitely doing this wrong," Cloud murmured miserably. He took Zack's hand and straightened, refusing to look the First in the eye. "I'll never pass that test."
"Hey now, lighten up! You're not as bad as you think." Zack grinned confidently at the disgruntled cadet.
"…those monsters took me out in under five minutes."
"Well…Yeah. Yeah they did." Zack gestured to his friend's sword. "You've clearly got the technique down pat though. You don't have anything to worry about there."
"I guess I'm just not strong enough to be SOLDIER." Cloud's shoulders slumped. His hair even seemed to droop.
"Listen buddy," the soldier placed his hand on Cloud's back. "Most of a SOLDIER's strength? That's the mako. It gives you a huge power boost. You don't have to be strong to join."
"So then what?" Cloud's bright, mako-less eyes searched desperately for an answer from his friend. "What am I doing wrong?"
Zack tapped his chin in thought. "Well, you've really practiced the technique stuff hard, right? You're probably just thinking too much about your next move." He nodded, satisfied with his own conclusion. The blond did have a habit of overthinking things to death and back. "You should try thinking less and acting faster."
"Thinking…less." Cloud frowned at the smiling soldier. "I'll try. Did you ever have that problem, Zack?"
"Me? Oh no, my problem was always a lack of focus." A grin spread across his face, one that Angeal would surely disapprove of. "I wouldn't think things through at all."
Cloud smiled at him, nerves seeming to have been assuaged by his friend's advice. Zack ran the simulation once more, testing his theory. Cloud did marginally better, concerned with reacting quickly to his opponent rather than executing perfect form. The group of monsters still managed to knock the cadet down, but there were fewer survivors to pin him by the time Zack ended the program.
"That's more like it!" He helped Cloud off the floor again. "See, you're already getting better." Cloud nodded silently, staring preoccupied with the space the holograms had inhabited. He was frowning again. Zack clapped the boy on the shoulder, giving him a light shake. "You've got what it takes Cloud. You just need some more training. And I'm gonna help you." The cadet turned his head, looking more hopeful than earlier.
"Thanks, Zack."
"That's what friends are for!" the soldier grinned.
"I think…I'm gonna train here for a bit longer," Cloud said, eyes shifting their gaze to the control room.
"Good plan. I'd probably better get going." Zack looked at his PHS for the time. It is getting a little late…
"Right. Oh, Zack?" Cloud fidgeted with the handle of the practice sword. "You haven't talked to Sephiroth at all, have you?"
Zack's stomach clenched. He had lost track of how many emails he had send to the other First. It was somewhere around ten, at least. Even a call from Shin-Ra's landlines had failed to connect. The fear that Sephiroth had gone insane earlier than scheduled gnawed at him.
"I haven't," Zack finally said. "Why?"
"I was just a little worried about Nibelheim," Cloud admitted, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "I mean, it should be fine since it's Sephiroth. I just thought he'd have reported a status update or something by now." The cadet smiled then, and the fear Zack held grew tenfold by Cloud's naïve display of trust in the man who may have incinerated his hometown by now. "I'm sure it's fine. Probably just a lot of work to do."
"Yeah," Zack agreed, a little too quickly. "Yeah even Sephiroth's just one guy."
One guy with the power to summon a meteor to eradicate the planet itself.
Cloud nodded. "Just thought I'd check." He moved toward the control room to set up his solo training. "Thanks again for the help, Zack."
It took the soldier a moment to register that Cloud was moving away. Zack started, giving the cadet a distracted nod. "Right. Yeah, anytime." He made his way to the exit, leaving the blond to his practice.
The radio silence from Sephiroth irked him. He felt entirely useless. He should be able to do something to help the other First, but nothing he did seemed to help. Why hadn't he addressed Sephiroth's initial desire to leave Shin-Ra? That conversation occurred long before the man had learned anything about Jenova. Zack always assumed Sephiroth wanted to leave because of what happened with Angeal and Genesis, but now he couldn't be sure that they were the only reason. Not to mention Sephiroth had only informed Zack of his intentions.
He trusted me.
And just how had he repaid him?
Zack sulked his way to the elevator. He needed some air. Somewhere away from Shin-Ra. From failed missions and constant reminders. He couldn't leave Midgar while he was still on standby, but he could think of at least one place where his ruminations were unlikely to be disturbed.
"You're a sight for sore eyes," Zack told the dilapidated church in front of him. The rubble of the slums around it did nothing to dampen the relief he felt on seeing it. The soldier sighed and walked wearily inside the old building. The large doors opened with a familiar and welcome creak. Zack's eyes traveled up the pews to a large gathering of white and yellow flowers, growing and blossoming stubbornly in Midgar's polluted soil. The girl that tended them was nowhere to be seen.
Zack sighed again. "Well, at least it's quiet here."
A shuffling noise from the rafters made him withdraw the statement. He glanced upward quickly, his hand resting on the hilt of the Buster Sword. A large grey-white shape leapt down to him, landing with a grace uncanny for its size. Zack's heart leapt to his throat as it extended two brilliant white wings from one side, revealing a bandersnatch-like form beneath the hail of feathers. The canine gazed at Zack sightlessly, opting to rear its armored head back in a silent howl. Zack's mouth opened at the sight of Angeal's face on the canine's chestplate. After a moment of staring, the soldier chuckled.
"Hello, you. Forgot you were still here." The canine relaxed as Zack's hands dropped to his sides. It sat on its haunches, looking ever like the watchful guard dog. Zack walked up to the Angeal copy, placing a gloved hand on its head fondly. "Everything okay here?" he asked. "You protecting Aerith like I told ya?"
The copy's head tilted momentarily before resuming its regal stance. Zack supposed that was about as much as he would get.
"Glad it's been okay," he muttered, sitting at the edge of the nearest pew. He frowned at the stony face of his mentor. "I've really screwed up, Angeal…" He ran a hand tiredly through his hair. "Maybe Minerva really should have picked someone else…" His thought trailed back to the goddess's decision, when he'd first decided to come back.
"Cloud can't do it – he's too busy saving this timeline," Zack said, practically bouncing. Aerith watched him with a worried pout, but a glint of amusement lit her warm green eyes. "Plus it's easier for my energy to go back or…something. Being dead makes it easier for the Planet to do this."
The girl before him giggled. "You have no idea how this is going to work, do you Zack?"
"Well…" Zack crossed his arms, a grin plastered on his face. "Minerva tried to explain it to me, but I was a little too distracted by the whole 'going-back-in-time-to-save-everything' bit to listen."
"Of course you were," Aerith teased. "Why am I not surprised?"
"Because just think of it!" Zack extended his arms in the vast green of the Lifestream. "I'll be alive again! You'll be alive! I'll save everybody, and this whole nightmare with Jenova won't have ever happened." He leaned down to her level, meeting her eyes. "I'll do it. You'll see."
"I know you will," Aerith smiled, giving him a light pat on the head. "Good luck, Zack."
And with that, the soldier turned and left, heading toward one last part of the Lifestream. He needed a bit more information on what had happened at Nibelheim, and there was only one person here who could tell him.
Zack grimaced as he leaned back against the pew. That had been his mistake. He never should have gone to see Sephiroth before coming back. True, he hadn't known then that Minerva was going to send him right to Sephiroth's office just after he'd spoken with the madman, but it was still one of his more reckless ideas.
He threw me off completely…
"You'll fail," Sephiroth told him. "You're not a hero like Cloud," he smirked, his malicious delight at the dismayed look on Zack's face being painfully apparent on his own. This Sephiroth no longer felt the need to mask his emotions, fully and clearly enjoying watching the other First squirm in his hero delusions. Before Zack could retort, the former SOLDIER laughed. "You don't even know why you'll fail, do you Zack?"
"I won't fail, I'll show you!" Zack shouted.
Sephiroth scoffed, giving the other a look of bemused pity. "It's simple, really…"
"It's because you're a traitor."
Zack's eyes opened. He sat up straight again, stretching slightly before fixing his gaze back on the copy sitting by his feet. I let Sephiroth go to Nibelheim alone. He let his head fall, running his hands through his unruly spikes over and over again. I let that psycho from the Lifestream make me forget we were friends. I forgot he trusted me.
He'd pushed Sephiroth away and chose to demonize him before the man had even gone to Nibelheim. Betrayed that trust.
…I really am a traitor.