Author's note: Do note that today marks the 10th Anniversary of Dirge of Cerberus-Final Fantasy VII and also marks almost ten years since KH2 was released outside Japan.
Let's continue on, and remember the important notes here:
The Bold is the Author's Notes.
The Italic is both memories and dreams.
The Bold & Italic are the names of the worlds.
The Brackets (-and Bold-) are the BGM(which will never happen, but one can dream, right?).
I do not own anything.
CHAPTER 6: No answers, more Questions.
Arriving at the abandoned manor, Zack couldn't help but shudder a bit at the sight of the old and possibly creepy house. It looked well over about maybe 140 years old. As one would expect, years of lack of people, the power of wind, rain, sun, and weather patterns had windows broken, bits of stonework around the foundation of the walls made of simple plank of wood. The door was closed, but it looked old and ready to disintingrate.
Weeds were all over the walls, patches of grass here and there. The manor itself looked dark and black with hints of dark gray, the roof reminding him of the rooms of Fort Tumblin in Wutai Zack saw in his dreams. Probably a perfect place to hide a bad guy. Not to mention Heartless. Not a perfect place to live, though. No wonder no one has lived here since who knows when.
But no, he had no time for critics. Zack had to find Genesis and demand answers out of time.
Pushing the very damanged door which Zack was certain would easily break by sheer force, the young swordsman slowly peaked through it, noting that he didn't want to burge in like his dream counterpart did, but then again, he would've done so anyway, if the manor didn't give him the creeps. He found that the inside of the one level manor wasn't much better.
The walls inside the place were covered in moss and patches of dry grass, with creepy crawlies in a few places. There was a hole in the middle of the floor, which wasn't so deep-just waist deep. As Zack carefully ventured through, noting the non-existant kitchen which was like looking at the back of a cave wall, a living room which it's furniture were long gone, and Zack noted that the bathroom wasn't much better. From what he figured, the place only had one bedroom which he hasn't checked out yet, and didn't find the man in red in either of the other rooms.
"Boy oh boy." Zack sighed, ruffling his own hair, in distaste. "Don't know why no one has even thought of this place being put down to it's misery. If I didn't know any better, I'd thought to have seen a ghost by now." he said to himself, half-joking to lighten the mood.
He then heard something close by, and, quickly being on alert, Zack turned around and noticed another door way which had a stair way into the roof. Curious and puzzled on why there would be a room within the ceiling, Zack crept up towards the stairway. Seeing it leding to the ceiling hole above, Zack climbed up, and, his eyes narrowed as he easily reconigsed the familiar voice he heard both in his dreams and back in Traverse Town, saying the very same weird quotes he heard in his dreams.
"Infinite in mystery is the gift of the goddess. We seek it thus, and take to the sky. Ripples form on the water's surface. The wandering soul knows no rest."
When Zack reached the top and into a seemingly another bedroom, at the other end of the room, was Genesis, reading the same book he had in Zack's dreams, standing by a hole looking out at the forest outside. Genesis gazed side ways and smirked, as Zack stopped halfway, glaring at him.
(~Melody of Agony-CRISIS CORE-FFVII~)
"Figured out how to get here? Most impressive, Zack." Genesis teasingly praised, and when the younger man grunted, the red coated man continued, "Normally for someone who hasn't traveled to the outside worlds take a while to figure out where they are."
"You know about all this, don't you?" Zack demanded, ignoring Genesis's comments. "About my dreams and Angeal. Why did you kill your parents? How did they betray you?" he had to know these answers.
Genesis frowned, turning to fully face Zack, stating, "It's a good example, they were not my 'Real' parents. Just as your dreams are not dreams."
Zack's brows furrowed in further confusion and anger, "What do you mean?"
The former SOLDIER 1st Class's frown deepened, not saying anything for a few moments. Finally, when he did, he said something unexpected, "You were not born once." and opened up a corridor of darkness behind him, and stepped inside, once again disappearing into the darkness, much to Zack's dismay.
He was just about to give chase, when Zack froze as a familiar large sword blocked his path; the familiar hilt, the familiar blade. It could only belong to the one person he hasn't seen in eight years. When Zack turned to gaze at his left, he gasped in shock, as he gazed at a man in his late twenties-early thirties, short black smooth hair, the same build of body and the same SOLDIER 1st Class uniform Zack was currently wearing.
He remembered this man wearing similiar clothes Zack wore back in their world, a bit different. But now...now Angeal, the Angeal he knew, looked exactly the same as the Angeal in his dreams!
"Angeal!?" Zack stuttered, shocked beyond belief. He thought he was the only one who had a physical change of body. "Wh-What happened to you!?" only to be pushed back, causing him to stumble a bit.
The older man does not answer. Instead, he grunted, and, to Zack's horror, Angeal, with the Buster Sword in hand, just walks into the corridor of Darkness which vanished just as Zack was about to jump in, but he was too late, as his mentor was gone.
(~End Melody of Agony~)
Zack stood there for a few moments. But as he was about to think on what was happening, suddenly a scream brings him back to reality. Sensing trouble, he rushed over to the hole through the ceiling, and to his horror, Mulan and an elderly man, apprarently the doctor, were being chased by Heartless which were also chasing the horse, Khan, until all three stopped, cornered at the manor by several Heartless.
(~Tension Rising-KH2~)
Not willing to have them have their Hearts swallowed up, Zack knew what to do. He then leaped through the hole and landed skillfully on the ground in between the two Chinese people, the horse and the Heartless, facing the latter, as he stood up straight and got into a fighting stance.
"Zack!" Mulan cried out, surprised and relieved.
"Mulan! You and the doctor get home, quickly!" Zack told the young woman, drawing his sword out, preparing to fight the monsters, adding, "I'll handle these things!"
Despite that Mulan was worried about Zack, she eventually nodded, and led the terrified doctor and Khan out of harms way while the Heartless now focused on Zack who held a tight grip on his sword.
The Heartless attacked first, the small yellow ones using thunder spells which Zack rolled and dodged out of the way, before deciding to try out one of his new techniques, by first thrusting his sword behind them, then preformed a powerful double spin attack, hitting the magic-Heartless twice which then disappeared, before he was punched in the back by one of the fat, tubby Heartless which resulted in being sent to the ground.
Leaping back to his feet, Zack then rolled out of the way again, and then, finding an opening on the Heartless's back since he figured out that was the weak point, he slashed at it incredibly hard which it was then destroyed. Zack then felt impact above him, before leaping out of the way again, then fired an ice-spell which froze a flying bird Heartless, before he finished it off with an upper-cut with his sword with one hand.
Finally, he thrusts his sword down onto a plant-like Heartess a la Whack a Heartless. (~End Tension Rising~)
Panting and wiping sweat from his forehead, Zack then sheaths his sword away, then looked around, and grunted, cursing, "Damn! Where did Genesis and Angeal go!?" before looking into the forest, and saw some blackness forming from within and down the path where he came from earlier. "Over there?" he wondered. Deciding to investigate, Zack ran as fast as he could towards he knew was darkness.
He then realised it was heading towards the bamboo forest and Zack followed it, just as it then fades away. When he reached the spot of the place he slept for the night a day earlier, he found Angeal standing there, his back to him.
"Angeal!" Zack cried out, causing his mentor to turn to face him, as Zack stopped, hurt, anger and betrayal clearly on the younger man's expressions, as he then started yelling, unable to control his emotions, "Why didn't you tell me about all this? You knew about other worlds, didn't you? Eight years passed and I haven't seen you for so long!"
When Angeal didn't answer, Zack heaved, before rushing forward and punched him in the jaw without realising it. As Angeal, who didn't even defend himself, stumbled to the ground by the impact from his student, Zack continued yelling, "Why are you siding with Genesis!? Is that...is that your idea of honor!?" before gasping as he just said the same last sentence his counterself said in his dreams.
While gruntly and slowly getting up, Angeal grunted, breathing, "I was never meant to be born in the past, and not in the present either." standing up, but avoiding eye contact, as if he was fighting with himself.
"What!? Just what are you talking about!?" Zack demanded, "What the hell's going on here!?"
"You see?" Genesis's voice spoke, and the former SOLDIER 1st Class came walking out of the abandoned house, smirking at the scene that was happening before him, as he continued, "You were born not once but twice."
Zack glared swords(yes, swords, not daggers) at Genesis, snapping, "Shut up, you! I'm sick and tired about all this! I just want to know what's going on! No more riddles!"
(~Unforgettable-KH: BBS~)
The red-orangey haired man shook his head, as if what he just heard was the saddest thing in the universe, before saying, "You have no choice. How about another trigger of your lost memories?" as he pulled out what Zack recongised was a summon materia, just like in his dreams, and he then realised which one it was, his eyes widened in horror.
To further his dismay, Zack then noticed Angeal, in defeat, walked off into another corridor of darkness. "Angeal! No!" He cried out, trying to give chase, but he was too late as like before, both in his dreams and back in Traverse Town, Zack was absorbed into the realm of the Materia. This time, he was a barren area that was surrounded by rock and clouds, as if it was in the middle of the air, with dusts of winds blowing.
Just then, he heard a terrifying roar, and when Zack looked up, he quickly realised why, as a 50 foot tall dragon like monsters soared from the air, before hovering in front of him, roaring again. It was almost made out of purple metal with fangs matching it, metallic wings, and sharp claw hands, it's body built thin yet powerful. Zack braced himself and drew out his sword once again, preparing to fight. It was Bahamut and somehow, he knew it.
Zack then charged at the monster who moved forward and swiped it's massive hand across the platform. Zack dodged to the right and thrusted his sword hard down onto it's leg. Bahamut roared in pain in the impact, blood quickly seeping through it's wound, though just barely more than a scratch. Zack attempted to try again, but Bahamut flew upward and vanished, causing him to look around trying to find it.
It then unexpectly thrusted down and swiped it's tail onto Zack who cried out in pain and was thrown hard to the floor like a rag doll. He then remembered a cure spell Aerith briefly showed him before Yuffie led him to find Merlin, and quickly cured himself, before rolling out of the way quickly before Bahamut could hit him again.
Hurringly to his feet, Zack then rushed over and half-jumped, half-thrusted his sword to Bahamut's arm, this time thankfully causing more damage and again, the dragon roared in agony, before it flew away from him. Zack this time looked up to see where it would land, and when he saw it come zooming down like a meteorite, he rolled out of the way, just as it crashed into the rock platform, creating vibrations that nearly knocked him down.
By the time Zack recovered, he looked and his eyes widened as Bahamut spread out it's wings and with a mighty roar, it flapped them so powerful it created a huge gust of wind that caused him to be sliding backwards, despite trying to prevent himself from being blown away, and off the platform to his death. He then thrusted his sword into the ground to aid him, which was screeching, rock against metal making his ears ring and clutch his teeth at the god awful sound.
When the gust of winds stopped, Zack breathed hard. But when he looked up, his eyes widened in horror as the Bahamut flew right at him and reached out a hand, closing it's claws around the young man's body. Bahamut then lifted him off the ground. Zack struggled to free himself from it's grip, but Bahamut tightened it's claws, and Zack gasped, as he tried to push the claws that kept his arms pinned, but it was useless.
Bahamut then roared as it raised Zack higher, before it threw him back to the ground like a toy and the swordsman hit the ground hard, his sword next to him cluttered, but thankfully in arm's reach. He rolled onto his back, grunting in pain, and then saw that the Bahamut was about to finish him off with a final descent.
Zack snickered in agony, but then gazed at his sword, and an idea formed in his mind. Nodding to himself, Zack then quickly grabbed his sword, and waited. As the dragon then came hurling down, once it was close enough, Zack thrusted his sword skyward and the monster realised too late as it landed onto the ground just over Zack, accidently perching it's chest into the sword, the tip of the blade perched right into it's heart.
Pulling the sword out from Bahamut's chest and heart, Zack quickly scampered away from underneath and once he was free, he stood up, still in defence in case the stab into the chest wasn't enough. Thankfully, it was, as the monster leaned back and with an agonizing roar, it then began to explode in light. Zack had to raise his left arm to shield his eyes from getting blind. Once the burst of light vanished, Bahamut was gone. In it's place, was the materia Genesis used to summon Bahamut.
It was over. Zack had won.
(~End Unforgettable~)
In relief, Zack then realised that everyone around him disappeared in another flash of light, briefly blinding him. When he opened his eyes, he then found himself back in the forest, and Genesis was there, his back turned to him. Eyes narrowing in anger, Zack knew that it wasn't over yet.
(~"With Pride"-CRISIS CORE-FFVII~)
"Just like before." Genesis muttered, "You had grown stronger in strength."
"Angeal and I aren't the guys you once knew!" Zack told him, wanting to get to the point with the man who caused all this to happen and convinced that Genesis was behind his constant dreams. "And we're not monsters either! It's the Heartless who are the monsters!" he added.
There a brief silence, until Genesis said, almost in a whisper, "The darkness...consumes one's heart. That's what triggers and creates the Heartless." and slowly, he then thrusted his left arm out, and like in Zack's dream, his single black wing thrusted out from his back, some black feathers flying off and around them. Zack gasped in horror and awe.
The former SOLDIER 1st Class then briefly glanced at Zack, adding, "Heartless were once human! But no more!" and with a smile, he then shoots up into the air, before flying away. Zack watched him go, wondering what really was going on. Was his dreams really real? How does that make sense, though? How could human beings have wings? Was Genesis...a heartless? And the Heartless themselves...they were once human?
As he catches a lone feather that floated into his hand, Zack muttered to himself, "The Heartless...were once human?" in a hint of fear. Dropping the feather, he then pulled out his StarShard, and thought about the people he met in Traverse Town. Leon knew about the Heartless. Why didn't he tell him?
(~End "With Pride"~)
Nodding to himself, Zack realised that his journey was not over yet. He had to get more answers out of Genesis and Angeal, but the problem was, the answers he got today did not make any sense. Instead, it just lead him to more questions. He then felt a jolt in his mind and this time, surprisingly, without actually blacking out, he saw another image from his dreams.
Fragment 22: As soon as the Airstrike flew in, Zack raced out of town, while saddened that he failed to saw Angeal's mother and failed to bring Angeal and Genesis back. Both of them were beyond talking, but he wanted to believe there was still a chance. On top of that, as he made it to higher grounds, in each area of Banora it was bombed down and engulfed in fire.
As Zack watched the Airstrike go, he turned around just as the helicopter hovered near him to pick him up. Tseng was inside waiting for him. But Zack could only gaze at the burning inferno that was once Banora, and guilt and betrayl, not to mention hurt formed inside his heart, as he saw a single Banora White become roasted until crisp.
How could have this happened?
Fragment 23: Hours later, the chopper returned to Midgar and landed on the helipad on the ShinRa building. Zack followed Tseng out, still upset with the mission and how and why Banora had to be bombed down and destroyed, all because the Company wanted no one to know about Genesis's betrayal and Angeal being told to follow along with said betrayal.
"Hey, Tseng." Zack spoke up, causing the Wutaiian Turk to pause and face him, while the young 2nd Class SOLDIER continued, clearly miffed, "You have no problem with this village being bombarded? Because I have a big problem with it!" he nearly shouted.
Unfazed with Zack's anger, Tseng calmly replied, "All evidence of misconduct must be erased. As a Turk I must enforce company policy. I must go." before turning around and walked back inside to inform his superiors.
Zack was left behind, and he gazed at the ground, even more upset that no one really cared about what was happening, as he grumbled at the fact that Tseng used that excuse again. Still, there was nothing he could do about it. Turning around to gaze at the horizon, he sighed.
"Why did all of this happen?" Zack wondered.
Blinking back to reality, Zack sighed, and while he was confused, he agreed with his dream counterpart. He muttered his mentors name, before deciding to continue on his journey. Holding up his StarShard in the air, Zack concentrated, mentally asking it to help him follow Genesis and Angeal, and like before, he was zipped away into the sky, leaving the China world behind for another world. Which world that was, Zack didn't know just yet.
But then, he was unaware that he wasn't the only one who was having dreams of another counterpart.
(In Reno's dream)
(~Memories with Lucrecia-Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII~)
On the veranda of the Healen Lodge, a young red-haired man in a Turk uniform, though he lacked a tie, his blazer was left open, and his shirt was untucked, sat on the wooden platform, leaning against the wooden railing. Sitting next to him on his right, was a taller man, about three years older than him, no hair, a small goattee, and the same uniform but much in professional look, tie seen, blazer closed, and shirt tucked in, and wearing sunglasses. To the redhead's left, was a young woman, about two years younger than him, with long white hair, blue sapphire eyes, and the same clean uniform. Both of them sat next to him.
"Reno." The girl began, "Do you remember?"
Reno, the young redhead's man, blinked in confusion, asking his female co-worker, "Remember what, Arien?"
"That promise you made us." Arien, the girl, replied. "That you'd find us when everything would be alright again."
As if just remembering now, Reno smirked, and said, "Right. That we'd all be together again soon."
The taller man, named Rude, shook his head and muttered to Reno, "You tend to forget a lot."
"Hey!" Reno pouted, before he and his two friends broke into laughter, as they gazed up at the sun which shined, setting behind the forest of trees and wonderful waterfalls. Reno smiled warmly, muttering to himself, "Friends forever."
(~End Memories with Lucrecia~)
(~Organization XIII-KH2~)
At first, all he could see was blackness, as he was starting to stirr awake. How he ended up knocked out or passing out unexpectly, he would never know. For one thing, the man's world was starting to return to him. He breathed in and out a few times. He was still alive, and he wasn't injured.
"Wha..." he groaned, as he managed to flicker his eyes open, seeing a ceiling covered in fern, moss and leaves that grew within the building he and his companions came in somewhat possibly an hour or two ago. The man was lying on his back, he noticed. Turning himself over to his front, he pushed himself, muttering, "My head..." before whispering the name, "Arien?"
Standing up and feeling disorientated, the man wobbled a bit, feeling dizzy, before shaking it off. He then gazed at the window that was over looking the ruins of an high-tech city, which, like the room he was in, was covered in many years of trees, fren, moss and grass that grew over the city. He could also see his reflection, and, saw himself as the same redhaired man from his dreams.
But Reno realised it was not a dream. Or rather, it was a dream based on a memory. At first, ever since becoming a Turk in New ShinRa in Midgar-Edge that, according to legend, had been rebuilt after a war 5,000 years previously, which caused almost a calamity, or why he and his other co-workers had been seeing images of themselves, or what their current enemy meant about...memories and rebirth.
Now he did understand. At least, he thinks he understands. Hearing groaning behind him, Reno turned and saw his partner, Rude and one of his superiors, Tseng, his long hair not in a ponytail but loose, along with a young woman, five years younger than Reno, with short blond hair, wearing the same uniform as the other three Turks, and lastly, a blonde haired man,, same age as Reno, in a clean white suit, named Rufus ShinRa, the current President, all sprawled onto the floor, having had the same painful sensation as he just had.
"Sir, Rude, Tseng, Elena." Reno muttered worriedly, but he breathed a bit of relief when his partner and leader were slowly standing up. Reno then thought of another thing, and walked closer to the window to get a better look at himself. It was true. He was just as the same, which included his aqua-blue eyes, his goggles, and the red facial tattoos on each side of his face.
It was just like in his dreams, except it was all real and it made half sense. That meant, Reno himself, his companions in the room, ShinRa, everything in this world...just like before.
While Rude wobbled a bit, disorientated, Reno muttered to himself in concern, "I guess Hojo doesn't count." for he realised that the scientest they thought seemed to be causing some trouble to the situation they were currently having was no longer around and would never be again.
But Reno's further concern, was those who were once enemies, but had become friends, but so far, he hasn't seen them. "But, what about AVALANCE and..." Reno gazed at his reflection, as he said the one name made him worried, "Cloud?"
(~End Organization XIII~)
A/N: Sorry that this chapter is short, but I wanted to make Zack's entrance to the next world in a separate chapter. This story is also semi-crossovered with another title of the "SM Continuum", titled as "Kingdom Hearts: Before Crisis" which tells it's own tale of the Turks, which I'm considering in writing after this one's finished.
Please continue your reviews, and I'll see you in the next chapter as soon as possible.