Changes: Final Fantasy VII – Crisis Core

The End That Leads to the Beginning

Author's note: My first foray into the world of FFVII, after being force-fed into it by my ever-loving evil Corruptor. This is done at her request (thank Gaia for YouTube) – three 100-word drabbles from three POVs.

Standard Disclaimers apply throughout (though I personally think Square Enix's trying to secretly convert humankind to worship them. And the battle scenes are freaking AWESOME!!).

I.

She is the last Cetra alive on the Planet. It's a blessing and a curse to her.

She hears the Planet, is attuned to any ripple or change inside the Lifestream. It hums deep inside her, intertwined with her very being. She feels the most when someone close to her is involved.

It pulls her insistently away from her garden. Blinking, she closes her eyes and searched briefly, and gasped. She's never expected to hear from him through the years.

Even as she looks up, she can feel him slipping away – into the Lifestream. And it grieves her.

Zack's gone.

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II.

So, it's my end. At least, I was his hero.

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Weird, he thinks, lying prone on the hard cold earth, how only now he can see, clearly, what his purpose in life has been. Maybe it's true what they say about dying – it shows us what we otherwise can't grasp in living.

He senses Cloud crawling closer to him, confused and scared certainly, but awake, aware. He's glad. Cloud is the testament that he's lived, accomplished something.

He bestows Cloud with his sword, his pride and dreams – something of himself. It's all he's able to do. It's Cloud's turn now.

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III.

Zack – that was his first clear thought. Then – danger!!

He felt, heard, saw – but he could do nothing.

Much later, his world reeling, he managed to crawl to the cliff edge where Zack lay, bullet wounds spilling his life-force. Blue eyes remained dry, but the conveyed everything

Zack smiled softly; the words made little sense, yet he somehow understood. He shakily accepted the burden of Life Zack passed to him.

"I'm evidence that you lived," he repeated, and screamed at the pain.

Zack smiled softly as he left him at peace.

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Now, he is Cloud. He is SOLDIER, First Class.