Hey guy, just wanted to say sorry for my slow update on the last chapter. I've been sooo busy, and it didn't help that it didn't save right twice and had to re-due the whole thing. Sorry again I think I can make it up to you by updating today! OVER 3000 READERS!!!

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Chapter 19

Zack helped Cloud to his feet, something was different, he felt stronger. This was weird; maybe he had just been knocked out or something and felt rested. He looked at his friend with eyes of deep study and meditation. "Hey Cloud do you feel… different?" Zack asked with a odd tone.

"Umm, not really, I feel lighter on my feet, but nothing really…dif…fer…ent…" Cloud said as he looked down at his arms. "Fuck my arms are bigger!! Look at them!!! They're no longer twigs! I can't wait to show Tif… Nanaki! Zack how could this have happened?" Cloud said with excitement and curiousity.

"Well for starters, I don't think Nanaki has any interest in your newly found muscles buddy. You really could have fooled me… Face it bro you got the hots for Tifa! Just don't pull the weight room routine! HHAHAHA! As for the other thing, I have no fuckin clue what's going on, let's get to Kalm and ask Tseng he will probably have a better clue what's going on. Let's get the hell out of here, and you can go show 'Nanaki' your muscles. HAHA!" Zack said unable to hold back laughs.

"Shut up Zack!" Cloud said with his cheeks blushing red.

Zack just smiled and walked down the tunnel, Cloud closely followed. They continued to walk for 20 minutes. They walked until they could no longer walk, the tunnel had collapsed ahead, they were trapped in the tunnel.

"Shit! Shit Shit!!! We're trapped! Zack I don't like this at all!!" Cloud said in a panic.

"Relax pal, it's gunna be ok man, just chill" Zack said in a calm and cool voice.

Zack took a look aroud. There had to be a way out. Zack saw a vent, he walked over to it to see how large it was, they could fit! "Spikey over here! This could be our way out! Come on!" Zack said as he yanked the cover off of the vent.

"What!? We're climbing up that! You got to be shitting me! What if it gets smaller as we go and we get trapped! Zack I don't like tight spaces!" Cloud yelled on fallen ears. Zack ignored him and started to climb. Cloud got himself together and followed his friend into the vent. "So you know I'm going to kill you once we get out of here Zack! I fuckin hate you right now!" Cloud yelled up to his friend.

"Chill Chocobo. It's going to be fine fine. HAHAHA yes! Echo echo! Clouds and homo Clouds a homo!" Zack grinned as he teased his stressed friend.

"You're an ass ass." Cloud said as it echoed up the shaft.

Zack continued to climb the shaft ignoring his friend's panic attacks that occurred ever 6 seconds. He saw light coming from above, they had reached the top plate. Zack jumped as hard as he could to burst through the cover. He flew through to the surface, through a fog of bluish green smoke and far above the ground. He had never jumped that high, it was far higher than he ever did even with his SOLDIER enhancements. Something was happening, he was stronger, faster all around enhanced. Zack had reached his climax of his jump, he had jumped almost as high as the old Shinra building. He started to head to the ground, when it hit Zack, he was really high up… things that high tend to crash violently. He began to worry as he got closer and closer to the ground and gaining speed by the second. He was ready for impact, he hit. He landed on one knee and the other to the front. He had created a small crater. Cloud who was just climbing out of the vent starred in amazement. "Zack what the hell is happening to us?" Cloud asked.

"I really don't know Cloud, we're stronger in every way, we need to get out of Midgar fast, this mako smoke could only make things worse. Too much mako could turn us to monsters. Let's hurry." Zack started to sprint toward the cities exit. Cloud followed him as fast as he could.

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Zack and Cloud had finally gotten out of Midgar, the smoke had slowed their escape. It had been impossible to see anything as they ran. They started to walk north towards Kalm, all they had to do now was look out for wolves for the Midgar plain and they would be fine. The sun had faded faster than they would have liked. Cloud had begun to show signs of exhaustion; Zack knew it wouldn't be long before they both collapsed. They fought so hard in the Shinra building, Zack knew he had fought harder than Cloud, but he understood the kid was still learning the basics. Before long he was going to be better than him, it took him years to be as good as Cloud is now. He had to have the power of Angeal by now. Zack grinned at the thought, he had truly surpassed his mentor, he would give anything to spar with him just once. He missed Angeal a lot; he would have loved to fight alongside with him destroying Shinra. But yet again it was probably for the best, Angeal would have had to choose between his honor and his best friend… Sephiroth. Fuck… he still had to deal with Sephiroth, that was a battle he could not win no matter how hard he tried, he was perfect. He had no weaknesses, of all the people to turn against the planet it had to be him, fuckin A.

They continued to walk; Zack was deep in thought but still managed to help Cloud move along. Kalm was now insight, Zack felt something, something was happening, he could feel it in his bones. Zack dropped Cloud to the ground and turned around, there was nothing there. He looked over to what was left of Midgar, the remains of the city had started to glow, Zack knew what was happening, a mako eruption! He grabbed Cloud and started to run, this wasn't going to end well. He took cover behind a rock formation. The city glowed brighter and brighter, a large sphere of energy had formed above the city, it was pure mako! The energy ball grew larger and larger. The sphere was now as large as Midgar itself, the ball began to descend to the ground. The earth shook violently as the ball of energy tore through the surface. With a light pop, and beam of light, the ball disappeared, but so did Midgar. It had begun to rain pieces of concentrated mako. After only second the mako stopped, Zack stood on top of the rock to see what had happened. He gazed in amazement, the planet had taken it's mako back, anlong with Midgar. Zack eyes began to water, all those people in the slums were dead, all of them. Tseng had only evacuated the top plate. Thousands were dead, Zack just starred in shock.

Cloud walled up behind him" Come on bud, there was nothing we could have done, it's not our faults. Let's go, everyone's waiting for us."

Zack wiped his face and nodded, they had to get back to the others and tell them everything.

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Zack and Cloud had arrived in Kalm at 11 o'clock that night. They entered the town, to there surprise the town people were all outside watching the mako eruption in Midgar, all that was left was the remains of the buildings. Zack and Cloud ignored all the towns people who were asking them questions left and right. They walked straight into the inn. They walked up the stairs and entered a room. As Zack opened the door he was met with a hug. It was Aerith she had been waiting by the door for his return. She began to kiss him all over his face, Zack grew redder and redder. He finally pushed her back and said "It's nice to see you too Aerith."

Tseng sat at the table looking in shock. Zack walked over and sat next to him at the table. Tifa helped Cloud over to the bed, he passed out almost as soon as he hit the pillow. Tseng looked at Zack, he took a sip of his coffee, "Zack did you come alone? Barret should have been back hours ago, he should have beaten us here. Something had to have gone wrong, let's pray they are alive." Tseng said with fear.

"Wait you mean he's not back yet? Shit, I hope he wasn't in Midgar as it blew. He's a stubborn asshole, he would die without a fight, he has to be somewhere on the plain. Maybe they took heavy casualties, everyone could be wounded. At dawn we go out and look for them. They will turn up I'm sure." Zack said completely fooling himself, he couldn't handle another life on his conscious.

The group continued to chat about everything that happened, Cloud still was dead asleep. He was in such a deep sleep nothing could wake him, he was beat. Zack finished his coffee and leaned back in his chair, he was finally getting a chance to sit back and relax. His relaxation was short lived, there were screams in the town, people crying out in pain. Zack stood up knocking the chair over. "Nanaki you stay here and guard everyone, I'll go check it out and see what's going on" Zack yelled as he headed out the door.

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Zack sprinted out the front doors, the doors slammed as they flew open. Zack ran out followed by Tseng. Zack looked to see what was happening; the tower in the center of town was on fire. Zack starred in awe, it was happening again. Images from Nibleheim flashed in his mind. This town was almost exactly the same. He had to stop it, it wasn't going to happen again. "Tseng you put out the fires, ill fine out what caused this." Zack said as he instructed Tseng as he ran off into the blazing town. He ran through hoards of people running through them as fast as he could. He reached the end of town, Zack stopped in mid-sprint. Two light haired men stood hacking down people left and right. Zack had begun to shake, he began to cry. He gripped his buster sword, and put it to his forehead, he was weeping behind the massive sword, "Angeal please! Give me the strength to kill my enemies, the planet needs me to, I need to. Please!" Zack cried. He gripped the sword tighter, his arms grew, and his veins were pulsing. He had tapped into some power he didn't know he had. He pulled his sword down; his eyes were glowing blue with a tint of red. He sprinted towards the men who turned at their attacker.

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Sephiroth watched the charging Zack; he felt a very human feeling. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up.