Hello my readers. I normally would not have uploaded this chapter so soon, but I finished it and didn't see any sense in holding on to it, especially since you guys seemed to enjoy the last one. I really enjoyed writing this chapter and wanted to keep it going, but decided to stop at a good point.

We still see the two friends trying to figure out where to go from here, but they're working it out, even if they butt their heads every now and then. That's only expected since they're both so stubborn. After reading your reviews I'm only more inspired to write more for this. I have no idea when the next chapter will be up, so I tried to make this one nice and long.

Enjoy!

Zack woke up early that morning. Making sure not to wake anyone he tip-toed into the bathroom. He carefully untied the bandages wrapped around his chest and torso so he could get a good look at his injuries. He examined each healing bullet wound carefully to make sure nothing seemed infected, not that he didn't trust Tifa's healing abilities, he was just being overly cautious. It was a habit the formally careless SOLDIER had quickly formed while on the run.

After checking all of them he nodded his head with satisfaction when they all seemed to be healing nicely. Leaning closer, he examined the wound closest to his heart. This was the one that still hurt the most. The others bugged him a bit, but it was this one that always tugged and pulled whenever he tried to move around too much. It wasn't just the skin and muscles getting stretched, it felt like something more, but he hoped the mako in his system would take care of it in time. That's all he needed was time and thanks to a miracle from the blue he had all the time in the world.

It still made him stop and take a moment to appreciate that fact. He had been in so much pain fighting on that cliff, but he wasn't going to quit. He'd never quit. Finally after the massive force had been defeated he stopped to catch his breath. He had been injured, sure. No SOLDIER could come out of a battle with odds that highly stacked unscathed, First Class or not. But it was those last three that had come out of nowhere that had caught him off guard. He remembered trying to move and strike them down, but his moves were sluggish. They saw him advancing and opened fire. He had no protection. Buster Sword deflected some of the bullets, but several found their mark. Pain erupted like fire wherever he was struck. Eventually his strength gave out and he fell. The three advanced and continued to shoot him even thought he was no longer a threat.

He heard them move off and looked skyward, waiting for death to come when he heard someone calling to him. He wondered if it was someone from the lifestream when he recognized that voice. It was one he hadn't heard in a long time but he could point it out anywhere. He grunted with pain and looked over to his right to see Cloud looking down at him. Despite his pain, Zack felt so much joy seeing his friend finally awake and moving on his own. He was even more relieved that the pursuing forces didn't spot him. Zack remembered giving Cloud his sword and passing on his honor and dreams to him, but the rest was all a blur. The next thing he knew he had woken up in the rain and he was hurting so much, but he was alive. It was so painful to stand, but he managed and forced his feet to take him to Midgar, or what was left of it. He was losing blood fast and it was getting harder and harder to breathe.

The door slowly opened and Zack felt something small bump into him. He turned and looked down at the young boy who was rubbing his eyes. "Sorry Cloud, I didn't know you were up this early."

Zack smirked, "He's not. I've always been an early riser."

Denzel blinked and looked up, only to take a step back. "I'm sorry, I thought-"

"No worries. You're Denzel, right?"

The boy nodded and Zack extended his open hand.

"Zack Fair, First Class."

But Denzel was too busy staring at Zack's injuries to return the gesture. Zack looked down at his bare chest and chuckled sheepishly. "It's not as bad as it looks. Tifa's a good healer. I'll be back to full strength in no time."

The boy slowly nodded as he took another step back. Zack felt bad for scaring him and was about to say something else when a slight noise came from Tifa's room and Denzel took his chance to dart back into his bedroom. The ravenette sighed in defeat before returning to his room.

Tifa appeared in the doorway ten minutes later holding the old dressings. "How are you supposed to heal properly if you don't keep these on?"

"They were itchy," was the only defense Zack could offer as he pouted like a little kid.

Tifa gave an exasperated sigh as she unraveled a roll of fresh dressings. "Denzel never gave us this much trouble when he was sick."

"Remind to apologize to him later, will you?"

Tifa stopped what she was doing then and gave him a confused look. "Why, what happened?"

"I might have scared him earlier when he saw my wounds. I think it was too much for him." Tifa could tell Zack was troubled by it. She wanted to say something in the line of 'I told you so', but knew that now wasn't the time for that.

"Denzel's seen his fair share of death. When you first arrived he was worried if you were going to make it or not."

"He's a good kid," Zack replied. "A bit shy, but there's nothing wrong with that. He reminded me of someone else who was a bit shy at first. Well, after we left the other slowpokes behind that is. Tseng tried to hide it, but I could tell he was winded."

Tifa smirked, knowing who he was referring to, but kept silent on the matter. "I'm going to make sure these are travel worthy. Cloud said he wanted to take you somewhere today."

"Yeah, he mentioned that last night. I wonder where we're going."

"With Cloud there's no telling, but it must be important if he doesn't want to wait for you to completely heal."

"Pfft, I can handle it. No one else can say that they outran the Turks for a year, and it wasn't even them that caught up to me." Zack seemed pretty proud of himself but Tifa only shook her head as she finished wrapping the clean bandage around his torso and tying it tightly, causing Zack to wince. "Ow! Easy," he whimpered.

"Sorry, I just want to make sure it doesn't come loose. I can only imagine he'll be taking Fenrir and I doubt he'll be driving slowly."

. . .

After she finished dressing his wounds, Tifa lead Zack into her bedroom. The warrior was a bit surprised to see that Cloud was nowhere in sight. "Wow, how does he do that?"

"Do what?" asked Tifa as she began rummaging through her closet.

"Get up and leave without making a sound? My ears are mako enhanced and I didn't hear a peep!"

Tifa just shrugged as she answered, "Practice."

She then turned and tossed him a shirt. "Try that on. Marlene got it for Cloud last Christmas, but it was too big for him. I'm hoping it'll fit you though."

Zack just shrugged and carefully put on the dark blue shirt. It was a little snug getting his head through the collar, but it was a comfortable fit. "Not bad. Not too snug, but not too loose either."

When they got downstairs they saw Cloud serving the kids breakfast. He was far from a master chef, but he wasn't a terrible cook, at least, when it came to scrambled eggs and bacon. Zack pouted as he placed his hands on his hips. "Hey, how come you didn't ring the cow bell? Those of us with mako need a healthy meal to start the day. You should know that, Spike."

The blonde warrior gave his friend a sideways glance before turning the bacon. "In this house the kids come first. They're still growing. Mako has nothing to do with it."

Zack pouted as Marlene smiled at him. "Don't worry Cloud's always grumpy in the mornings, come sit beside me!"

Zack smiled as he accepted her offer, "Why thank you, it's nice to know someone around here is polite, aside from Tifa of course."

The barmaid rolled her eyes before pouring herself some coffee. "Are you sure he's not a kid himself," she quietly asked Cloud who shrugged in response.

"I heard that," Zack replied while he waited for his turn.

"Depends," replied Cloud who didn't even try to whisper. "Maybe if he quits acting like a kid then he can have some coffee with the adults. If not I think there's still some juice left in the fridge."

Zack glared at his friend who the noticed the slight smirk the blonde was trying to hide. "Oh ha ha, have all the fun you want now. Just wait until I get back to full strength. That spiky hair looks like it could use a good noogie.

Cloud remained stoic as he set the bacon onto a plate. "Juice it is."

Zack was about to send another retort when Tifa set a mug of hot coffee in front of him and winked before turning to get onto her childhood friend. "Shame on you for giving him such a hard time, here he is injured and you're treating him this way? What has gotten into you Mr. Strife?"

Cloud turned and gave her a slightly hurt look. "Don't call me that."

"Then behave yourself or I'll put you in a timeout," she replied firmly as she took over the counter and shooed him to the table. "Honestly," she said to herself, "why I have to put up with these kids is beyond me."

Cloud was slightly pouting as he sat down at the table. He looked over at Denzel who had been smirking during the whole episode, but the boy averted his gaze and returned to enjoying his breakfast under the stern gaze of his guardian.

Marlene took a bite of her eggs and made a satisfied sound. "You make good eggs, Cloud, but you still use a little too much salt."

Cloud hummed a response as he cut a slice of bread and set the loaf back in the center while Tifa headed over to place the fresh plate of bacon and eggs for the adults before sitting down herself. They ate in silence for a bit until Zack couldn't take it anymore.

"So, where are we going," he asked as he looked over at Cloud.

"A couple places," was the reply.

"Is it somewhere I've been to before?"

"No and yes," came the second reply.

"What's that supposed to mean," asked Zack confused.

"You'll see," Cloud replied with a slightly annoyed sigh.

Zack just shrugged and dove headfirst into his meal. It was such a good feeling to eat normal, cooked food again, simple breakfast or not. He swore never to take simple things for granted ever again.

. . .

After Breakfast was finished and the table cleared Cloud motioned for Zack to follow and the two left. Zack burped as they entered the garage. "That was some good eatin'. I could get used to that sort of cooking." He stopped in the doorway and just stared. Leaning on the kickstand in front of him was the most beautiful machine he had ever laid his eyes on.

"What is that?!"

Cloud looked at his ride with a fond smirk. "This is Fenrir. It's perfectly comfortable and suited for long trips, yet powerful. This bike is a beast on the road and can reach speeds up to 250 mph, plus it has good storage space."

"For your deliveries," asked Zack.

Cloud smirked as he reached for the trigger. "No, for this…"

He pushed it and Zack jumped back as the bike appeared to sprout wings. Once he recovered he took a closer look and saw the hidden compartments that held empty slots. Cloud saw his confused look and took First Tsurugi from his back and split it into separate blades before setting them in some of the slots.

The action dawned on Zack and the biggest smile grew on his face. "That is so awesome!"

"It works while driving too," the blonde replied. He wasn't much of a bragger, but it was an entirely different story when it came to Fenrir.

Zack moved his hand gently along the bike's rear rim. "I want one."

Cloud chuckled before closing the compartments. "Sorry, Fenrir's one of a kind, but I'm sure we can find you a decent one for the time being."

Zack blinked as he watched Cloud throw one leg over the bike and hurried to do the same. "Boy, this is a turnaround. Last time the two of us were on a bike it was me driving and you were the injured one."

"Times change," Cloud replied as he put on his goggles. "Now hold on tight." He turned the ignition and Fenrir roared to life as Cloud took off. The blonde nearly had the wind squeezed from his lungs as Zack hugged him tightly so he wouldn't fall off.

"You didn't need to go flying out of the gate Spiky," Zack shouted in his ear, but Cloud only smirked.

"That was tame compared to what Fenrir's done in the past. Without you on, I probably could have pulled a wheelie."

"Showoff," Zack grumbled as they tore down the road.

A few minutes on the road and Zack noticed they had entered a more rural part of the city. The road was more dirt than concrete and there were fewer people. Fenrir slowed as Cloud turned off the road and onto a dirt path. They rode by a few buildings before they pulled into a garage. It was a big garage which Zack would have guessed it was once an air hanger of some sort.

Cloud cut the engine and dismounted before pulling off his goggles. "Wade," he called out.

The sound of a wrench clinging to the floor echoed from the back as a creeper rolled out from underneath an old truck. "That you Cloud?" He got up and wiped his forehead with an old red rag before stuffing it in his pocket and approached them. Wade and Cloud shook hands before he clapped the blonde hard on the back. "Boy it's sure been a while since you last dropped by! You haven't put on any weight at all! Are ya eatin' alright?"

"I'm fine," he replied. "Looks like you're eating well."

The man looked down at his protruding middle and gawked, "Is it that easy to tell?" Both men broke out laughing before the older man wiped his forehead under his ball cap. "Nah, the misses always makes good food, especially her pies. There's a few of them to blame for this wide girth o'mine. But you didn't come here to shoot the breeze, what can I do for ya? Ol' Fenrir sounded pretty healthy pullin' up, so it can't be that."

Cloud looked over to Zack who had just stood back and watched the greeting play out with amusement. "Wade, this is my friend Zack. We go way back. Zack this is the best mechanic outside of Rocket town."

Zack extended his hand and Wade took it and gave the ex-SOLDIER a hearty handshake. "Please ta meet ya Zack. Any pal of Cloud's is a pal of mine. What can I hook you boys up with?"

Cloud smirked at his friend before answering Wade. "Do you have any operational motorcycles?"

Zack knew what Cloud was doing right then and turned to stare at him. "You can't mean…Cloud buddy, I can't accept this!"

The blonde warrior only shrugged. "You're going to work for me, right? You need some reliable transportation. Besides, it's the least I can do."

Zack was about to ask what his friend meant by that when Wade cut in. "Let me check the garage out back. I keep my best stuff and other pet projects in there. I'm sure I can find somethin'."

Cloud explored the garage as Zack stood there trying to figure out his friend's words. Twenty minutes passed before Wade returned pushing a bike along and when Zack saw it he nearly fell over.

"Here you are boys! She's not perfect and she'll need some extra care, but she'll do until I can build a better one."

"Build a better one? That's impossible. It's perfect!" Zack rushed over to the red bike which resembled the bike he had used to get himself and Cloud away from the Turks. It was missing the side car, but it didn't matter. "All she needs is a little spit and polish," Zack replied. He then looked over at Wade. "How much do I owe you?"

The older man shrugged, "Nothin', just doin' a friend a favor. Besides, it's the least I can do for someone who's always lending a helping hand and donating good parts."

"That's was a long time ago, Wade. I will pay you for this with the next pay check," Cloud replied.

"No, I will," Zack told him. "I'll use the money from my first pay check."

"Zack, this is a gift," Cloud tried to argue when Wade hushed them both up.

"Alright, that's enough. Neither of you owe me anything! Just quick bickerin' like a bunch of old hens and we'll call it even."

They chatted with Wade for a little while longer before heading back out on the road. Cloud still tried to promise to pay Wade, but the man would hear none of it. "Fine if you wanna pay me that bad then how about the next three deliveries are free? Sound good to you?"

Cloud finally agreed and promised the next five deliveries to be free of charge before Wade filled up the bike's tank with gas and waved farewell before they rode off.

. . .

They had ridden back through Edge and turned off on the old highway that led into the wastelands. Cloud slowed as he looked over at the cliffs as they kept driving. Zack followed his friend's gaze and saw the sight, knowing what he friend was looking at he slowed down and stopped. Cloud did the same and turned back to where Zack had stopped.

"Are you alright," Cloud asked his friend.

"It's just a bit surreal is all," Zack replied. "Years ago I died on that cliff and just a few days back I wake up there bleeding and…" he stopped and looked down in shame.

"And what," Cloud asked.

"And scared," Zack replied. "I've seen and felt many things in my life, mostly during my time as a Second and First Class SOLDIER, but I've never felt fear like that before. It wasn't for anyone I cared for, it wasn't for something stupid like failing or acting up, I was scared for myself. I had never felt fear like that before."

Cloud felt nothing but heartache for his friend, "Zack…"

"No, it's okay. Actually, if you hadn't been there it would have been much worse."

"How? I could barely move," the blonde replied.

"But you were there, Cloud. I didn't die alone with no one to remember my name. I didn't die for nothing. Having you there gave me hope. That's why I was happy to pass the Buster Sword onto you and that of my honor and dreams. I finally understood how Angeal felt when he did the same to me. I couldn't begin to imagine how scared he felt. Deep down, underneath all the other emotions of betrayal and hurt and anger, there was fear and regret. Knowing what he knew, thinking about what he could have done, but realizing that it was too late. That's exactly how I felt in the end."

Cloud just listened to his friend. Finally after all the years of not knowing, he was finally learning what was going through his friend's mind when he left him hidden in the rocks.

"I'm sorry if you ever thought I had abandoned you," Zack told him to which Cloud shook his head.

"The thought never crossed my mind."

Zack turned to Cloud then, a serious expression on his face. "Be honest with me, what did you mean earlier when you told me it was the least you could do?"

"It's because I owe you my life. You could have easily avoided the Turks altogether and the waiting army if you had left me behind at any point of our escape. You could have even left me in Hojo's lab, but you didn't."

Zack held up his hand right there. "Cloud, get this through your spiky head. I would never leave anyone in that wacko's lab. Not you or anyone. And I have never and will never leave anyone behind. It doesn't matter if they're my best friend or just some average guy on the street. I don't leave people behind and I'd do it all over again if I had to. So, if you think you owe me and that nothing you do can ever repay me then stop right now, because you've done more than enough. Without hesitating you've given me a bike, helped treat my injuries," he saw the surprised look Cloud quickly hid. "See, even though I was in pain and had no idea who was helping me I could still hear and it's obvious to figure out it had to be you helping Tifa hold me still. Hell, you even gave me your bed! You're doing more than enough and now I'm asking you as a friend, if you never do anything else for me, just don't think you have to go on believing you have to repay me forever, because as far as I'm concerned we're even."

Zack extended his hand and gave Cloud a dead serious look. Cloud looked him in the eyes before reaching out his own and the two shook hands. "Alright, we're even."

Zack smirked, "Good, now let's get going to the next place. It's getting pretty hot out here."

Cloud nodded and the two revved up their bikes before continuing on to Midgar together and away from the cliff that had been a grave.

. . .

Thirty minutes later, after navigating through the debris and wreckage that was left over from both Meteor and Sephiroth's last attack, they arrived at the destination. Zack looked on in disbelief at the site that stood before him. "How did this place survive the collapse?"

"No one knows, we're just glad it did," Cloud replied as he headed up the steps, but stopped short. "Are you coming?"

Zack was off his bike and at his friend's side in a flash and the two climbed the steps of the old Sector 5 church. Cloud opened the door and stepped inside and Zack followed right behind. What greeted him was a sight that nearly brought him to tears, not that he would admit that to anyone.

One of the columns had fallen and some of the pews were broken and damaged, but aside from that it looked just the same. He looked towards the front and his heart stopped when he thought he saw Aerith kneeling there and tending to her flowers, but it was just a trick of the mind. As soon as he saw her, she was gone and in her place was a pond of clear water.

"Flood damage," asked Zack as he approached the water's edge.

Cloud shook his head. "Aerith's healing rain."

"The one that cured GeoStigma," asked Zack to which Cloud nodded.

"It collected here and still has healing properties. I come out here from time to time to check on it."

The light shimmered off the water's surface and caught Zack's eyes, causing him to blink and avert his gaze. What he saw then made his heart stop all over again. "Is that…the Buster Sword?"

On the other side of the pond was indeed Zack's beloved sword, stuck in the stone where Cloud had placed it.

Cloud watched as Zack approached it and looked it over. "I see you polished it. And there's hardly a scratch on it! He then looked closer and saw one deep scar along the blade. "Hey, where'd this mark come from?"

Cloud joined him and gave his friend an apologetic look. "I worked on trying to fix that for three days, but Masamune always leaves deep scars."

"Masamune," asked Zack, but one look at Cloud told him everything as the blonde was holding his hand over his middle. He could still feel the ghost wounds the blade had given him.

"Sephiroth," Zack concluded. "Don't worry about it. I think those two blades were meant to clash, even though they once belonged to friends."

Cloud looked over at Zack and nudged him. "Take it."

Zack turned to fully face him. "Excuse me?"

"The Buster Sword never really belonged to me; at least that's how I've always felt about it. I was merely keeping it safe and acting as a replacement for who it was truly meant for."

"Cloud, I gave it to you, it's yours. I'm not about to take it back."

Cloud shook his head. "I already have First Tsurugi and it's more than enough."

"But, you could dual-wield," offered Zack.

"First Tsurugi can do that too. You saw how easily I can take it apart. Each blade by itself is a perfectly effective weapon on its own. It's known as a Fusion Sword."

Cloud placed a strong hand on his friend's shoulder. "Zack, The Buster Sword has been a lifesaver. It helped me defeat Sephiroth when Meteor hung over the skies of Midgar, but I can't use it anymore. Ever since that last battle it's been a symbol to remind me of the friend I lost. I had it placed at the cliff and that did nothing but remind me of my failures and dishonor. I nearly ruined it by letting it rust away."

Zack huffed at his own distant memory. "Use brings wear, tear and rust."

"What," asked Cloud?

"It's something Angeal always said. He always carried Buster Sword around, but he only used it once and it was to save my life. When I asked him why he used it he said: 'You're a little more important than my sword'."

Cloud nodded in understanding and looked Zack in the eye. "I mean it Zack. I want you to have it back, and I'm not taking no for an answer. Your honor and your dreams are your own and so is that blade. Besides, you need a weapon to defend yourself and I can think of no better sword than Buster."

Zack looked hard into his friend's eyes before giving in. "Fine, I'll take it back, but I'm only using it. As far as I'm concerned it still belongs to you pal."

The blonde rolled his eyes as he stepped back, but he was glad he had more or less won the battle of wills.

Zack grasped the hilt and let out a deep, calming sigh. He hadn't realized until now how good it felt to grip the sword's handle once again. It felt like reuniting with an old friend. Summoning his strength, Zack tried to pull the sword free, but it wouldn't budge. Either Cloud was much stronger than him or he didn't have his full strength back yet, which Zack hoped was the latter. He pulled until he felt his muscles strain, but he felt something else strain before that. He ignored the pain and kept pulling.

Cloud watched with concern, wondering if he should have pulled the weapon out for him, but he wasn't about to step on his friend's pride.

Zack grabbed the hilt with both hands and pulled as hard as he could, letting out a roar as he used every ounce of strength he had. The sword budged a little and then pulled free. Zack stumbled back and his foot splashed into the edge of the pond. He was panting, but the sword was free, laying loosely in his grip. He smiled as he stood up and swung it in the air.

"It definitely feels good to wield a sword again," he commented as he smiled at the blade. He could feel the memories flowing from the blade and pouring into him. Every time he and the Buster Sword went into battle: The victories, the losses and all the other emotions in between. Finally Zack felt whole again.

He also felt sudden pain. Clutching his chest he leaned heavily on his sword, breathing hard. Cloud was at his side in an instant.

"Zack," he shouted with worry.

"My chest," he replied. "I think I reopened my wound."

Cloud saw Zack's shirt turn from dark blue to purple as the blood flowed. It was bad and Cloud had no healing items or materia on him at the moment. Suddenly the water shimmered and caught his eye giving him the solution.

"Hold your breath," he told Zack causing the warrior to give him a confused look before Cloud shoved him backwards into the pond. Zack went under and took in more water than air as he sank.

The water was so clear it was easy to see the blood as it flowed and spread under the waves. Zack hit the bottom which wasn't very deep and went to try and stand to get a better gulp of air when his vision became blurry and his eyes refused to focus. He felt something grab him from behind and it startled him, forcing him to release what little air he had. He saw the green tendrils of the Lifestream as they circled around him as the underwater world went dark. Zack began to panic, afraid that he was dying when the darkness shifted and he was in a white void, sitting on a patch of flowers. He felt someone sitting behind him and the presence felt so warm and familiar that he found himself fighting back tears.

Suddenly a female voice started humming a Gongagan tune and he did shed tears then.

"Aerith," he choked.

"It'll be lonely here without you," she replied.

"What do you mean," he asked.

"Of course I understand," she replied as if not hearing him.

"Well I don't, what's going on," he tried again

"And we can't have that can we," she continued on.

"Aerith, if this is about what happened before I died, I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you," he replied.

"You know what's going to happen when you wake up. It'll take all your strength to get you there, but I have faith in you."

Zack sighed and turned to face her. "Aerith, I-" but he stopped when she reached up and kissed him. Suddenly he felt a surge of life flow through him and he caught a glimpse of the stormy afternoon sky with rain pouring down on him and booming thunder echoing overhead before he heard another voice calling to him.

"Zack! Zack! Damn it, come on!"

Zack opened his eyes and coughed up the water he had swallowed. Cloud moved back as his friend sat up choking and let out a relieved sigh.

Once the warrior had recovered from nearly drowning he looked around and saw he was back in the church. Looking over to his right he saw that Cloud was also soaking wet. "What happened?"

"When you didn't resurface I went in and found you unconscious on the bottom. I was um…getting ready to do CPR, but you recovered on your own."

Zack was thankful for that, not that it'd bother him if his friend had to save his life. After all, Zack had to perform CPR on him a few times when they were on the run during Cloud's weakest times.

"Did it work," he asked.

Cloud nodded, "See for yourself."

Zack looked down and smiled when his previously bleeding chest wound was now no more than a fresh scar. "Wow, this water's really something."

Cloud nodded and stood up before extending his arm to help Zack who accepted it. He looked back at the water and tried to remember what Aerith had said, but the memory was fuzzy at best. It was like trying to recall an elusive dream. All he knew was that he and Aerith had spoken before he came back to life, but what was she talking about? And what had he said? It was a complete mystery to him.