Author's note: Sorry that it's late. I was meant to update a few weeks ago, but I had to update another story and cancel the worked on chapter instead.

But now it's back. Oh, and bring a box of tissues because this chapter is going to be emotional.

Okay, let's move on and please remember the important notes here:

The Bold is the Author's Notes.

The Italic is both memories, thoughts and dreams.

The Bold &Italicare the names of the worlds.

The Brackets (-and Bold-) are the BGM(which will never happen, but one can dream, right?).

I hold no rights to Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy VII, Pokemon or Sailor Moon.

CHAPTER 10: Reality repeating Dreams.

Zack was pretty surprised that he knew the way leading to Modeohiem on the trail in the peaks of the mountains near the village by memorizing what his dreamself did as though he knew the way by heart. He wasn't sure why, but was as though he was following by memory of his life rather than just memory from dreams. Fighting off against lingering monsters with the aid of the others, and even Cloud was surprisingly good in his swordsman skills. Reno's EMR did the job, which made Zack wonder if the redhead had similiar dreams too. Tseng's gunsmanship skills proved execellent as well.

What also surprised Zack was that there were no Heartless around, which meant that this world was somehow protected from the darkness, even though he had a hunch that Genesis had no control over the Heartless, and he certainly knew that Angeal didn't either.

As they went, it was getting colder as it was still snowing, but it didn't faze him what all. It wasn't fazing Cloud either. Their two companions on the other hand, was a different story. Reno seemed fairly okay, but Zack could've sworn he heard the redhead grumble in slight irritation, "Ugh...I hate being cold."

However, he did lag behind as he kept on eye on Tseng who seemed to be struggling against the cold. Obviously the Wutaiian wasn't adapted to the cold and didn't go anywhere near places like this that often.

(~Eternal Moments-KH:BBS~)

Worried for his superior, Reno paused as he allowed Tseng to catch up and then turned to gaze at the two that were ahead of them and called up, "Hey! Why don't you two spikes go on ahead? We'll catch up in a little while." while Zack and Cloud both paused in their steps to gaze at the two Turks. Both could tell that the two men behind them were nearly half-frozen.

Seeing how Reno didn't want to leave Tseng behind and understanding perfectly well, Zack was hesitated to leave the Turks behind but knew that the two men can take care of themselves and he did hope that they would catch up and not turn into Turkcicles, called back to Reno, "Just don't fall too far behind!"

After the redhead promised that the two of them will, Zack nodded before turn back to the track, in which Cloud stayed at the same pace as him, not fazed by the cold either. While Zack wasn't certain of the blond next to him was actually named Cloud as well or not, but this guy and Cloud in his dreams are identical, just like Zack himself and his dream counterpart.

Instead of questioning the name which would sound rude, Zack instead commented, "You're doing okay."

Cloud shrugged, a bit bashful at the compliment that he hardly gets from others other than his family and friends back at home, and replied, "Well, I'm a country boy, too. I live near the Chocobo Ranch."

While Zack didn't know much about the Chocobo Ranch, he then replied with a smile, "That explains it." before asking, "Just curious, what brings you out here?"

While a bit surprised, after briefly and having accidently earsdroped on Zack's muttering about dreams, and that Reno had forgotten to cut off the commucation switch during his and Tseng's conversation about 'memories of their previous lives' and ShinRa Company's war against some military organzation known as Militas Ultra who had been at war with them for the past six years, Cloud decided that maybe he can trust Zack in revealing his problems.

Plus, he couldn't help but feel like he's known Zack much longer than their first meeting just hours ago. "I want to find clues too." Cloud admitted, "Maybe Modeohiem can answer the questions about my dreams."

"Dreams?" Zack asked, a bit surprised. Did that mean that Cloud was having the same problem as he was?

Cloud nodded and explained how he's been having them a lot lately, but unlike Zack's dreams which had been going forward since he left Olympus Coliseum, Cloud's dreams always repeated to how he saw another version of himself with identical features in a seemly ghost town of Nibelhiem which felt home, and how...it was burnt to the ground by a silver haired soldier named Sephiroth who was originally a hero.

At the mention of Sephiroth mentally worried Zack. There was no way Sephiroth would do such a thing, right? It suddenly felt familiar to him, but he hoped that he was wrong about this. Instead, the real surprise came when Sephiroth's name was mentioned, especially in this world. "You know about Sephiroth?" He asked.

"Yeah." Cloud nodded, "You know him?"

Rather than saying that he fought against Sephiroth in a competition, Zack instead went what everyone else in his home world would say, "Everyone knows about Sephiroth." before commenting about Nibelhiem, "Huh, Nibelhiem...such a backwater name."

Cloud smirked in agreement and added, "I heard that Gongaga is too."

"Ditto on that!" Zack laughed, and now that he thought about it, his dream-self's hometown's name did sound ridiculous. But at the same time...it felt home to him too and that was another mystery on how or why. Especially when a meteor nearly destroyed this world 8,000 years ago.

"Like you've been there."

"I haven't." Zack grinned, "But there used to be a Mako Reactor there, right?" and when Cloud nodded to confirm it, the former then repeated what his dreamself said, "A mako reactor outside Midgar usually means..."

"Nothing else out there." Zack and Cloud both finished in unison. Both stared at each other for a moment, before laughing together, quickly liking each other. Yeah, the two of them can get used to each other.

Feeling like he made a new friend already, Zack introduced himself, "I'm Zack. What's your name?"

"My name is Cloud." Cloud replied.

"Pleased to meetcha!" Zack said, and the two shook hands, forming a new friendship.

What they didn't realise was that there was more to their meeting than meets the eye. (~End Eternal Moments~)

(~Mt. Gagazet-FFX2~)

About another hour later, Zack and Cloud, with Reno and Tseng still trailing behind, eventually arrived at the near top of the mountain, and the former two discussed on how Zack held a similiar situation to Cloud's one and how he admitted that their meeting was similiar to their meeting in his dreams, and Cloud agreed that their dreams that led them this far was messed up.

A thought came to the blond-haired man and he asked in slight concern, "Do you think it's kind of...related?"

Zack shrugged, just as clueless as his new friend and said, "I don't know, man, but I think it's the best salution." before he noticed nothing and muttered Cloud to look, which the latter did.

Just below the cliff they were on, was an old, rusty building which had the very faded logos, but the two of them could even tell that it belonged to ShinRa. Question was, how, if the company was still brand new today, especially back in Edge, as Cloud had seen. The one in Midgar was in the similiar state as this building. Difference was that the building here was covered in years of layers of ice and snow and no doubt possibly freezing cold and even dangerous to explore. Not to mention that it looked deserted.

As Zack and Cloud cautionly crept closer to get a better look, their Turk companions finally caught up to them and Tseng and Reno both instantly knew what this building was, something that the two younger men couldn't figure out just yet.

Tseng then explained to Zack and Cloud, "That's a mako excavation test site."

"Or at least what's left of it." Reno commented as he noticed how old this place was. He then shrugged and said, "I've heard that this place got blown up years ago."

As Zack gazed the remains of the excavation test site, the more he had a feeling that something was within the building. Maybe the real Genesis and Angeal were here. Then remembering that Genesis had committed suicide in the dream, made him wonder how he survived. Unless he took flight while the dream Zack didn't even know it and had thought for the worst. Either way, there was a pit bad gut feeling that was starting to form in his stomach, and he had a hunch that something bad was about to happen.

He had to look for himself. Zack just knew that something was going to happen. Standing up from his crouched position, he told the group, "I want to check it."

While surprised on how the swordsman wanted to investigate despite not being a member of Shinra, the Turks both suddenly had a hunch that Zack's business here was more than just a coincidence. Normally Tseng would say no, but since Zack had no idea about his past yet was still willing to check it out anyway, he mentally sighed and decided to allow it just this once.

"Our primary objective is to investigate Modeoheim. We can't afford to lose people here. The site may seem deserted..." Tseng trailled off.

Reno decided to save his mentor the trouble and continued, his expression now all business, "But you never know when there's an enemy in there. It's best to infiltrate without catching attention."

"So it's sneak in without being seen, right?" Zack theoried.

"Bingo!" Reno grinned. "You're a decent learner."

Ignoring Reno's praise, Tseng then informed, "We'll split up and meet in the village somewhere." before questioning to Zack if he knew his way around.

After both Zack and Cloud replied that they both had a decent sense of direction, Reno also cautioned them about how to watch out for their body tempretures and don't stop moving if they want to avoid in freezing to death and that to keep moving and to more pyshical activitiy, which Zack realised that translated as to keep doing his usual thing.

(~End Mt. Gagazet~)

Once that was settled, the four of them split up to begin the investigation while trying to keep their body tempretures from dropping. Zack ventured into the site after jumping from the cliff which wasn't that high at all, so he landed safely. He then snuck around while watching out for enemies, as Tseng and Reno had advised him and Cloud.

However, just as he approached what appeared to be an elevator which, like everything else in the facility, it was rusted and old, and Zack, while not having entered an elevator before in his life(or at least, he thought he didn't), even he could tell that it didn't look safe to use, especially after 8,000 years.

He then recalled how Genesis threatened Hollander and stated that Jenova cells could be the key to stop his degradation. Zack sighed, and wished that he knew the answers to all of this, but in the end, he was led to more and more questioned.

But just as he sighed and wondered where to look next since he had a feeling that everything in the lower floors were rusted and most likely caved in, once again the familiar jolt hit his head hard, and Zack grunted, his vision darkening once more.

"Not again...!" Zack grunted, trying to stay awake. But in end, he collasped to the ground and passed out, and sleep took over his mind.

(Fragments from Zack's dreams)

(~Shaded Truths-KH:BBS~)

Fragment 40: After leaving the area where Genesis had fallen, and feeling guilty for being unable to save him, Zack instead ventured back outside, his mind onto why Genesis would die like that. He then noticed that Cloud and Tseng were both absent and wondered if they went ahead to the Modeohiem village, so he went there instead.

Noticing how the village had no people in it, Zack feared for the worst and went to investigate a Modeo Public Bath house, and found Cloud and Tseng knocked out but both still alive. Being pointed into another room, Zack went into the direction and found himself on the second floor in a boiler room, where he found Angeal standing in the middle of the room, the Buster Sword in his hand.

"It should have been me... I should have dealt with Genesis." Angeal spoke, his voice lined in sorrow. So he knew about Genesis' 'death'.

"Yeah." Zack sighed, before asking, "Then why did you send me?"

As though beginning to regret it, Angeal turned to his former student and told him sternly, "To prepare you... for your next fight." holding up his sword.

"Have you lost it?" Zack demanded, before quickly dodging his former mentor's attack and demanded him to stop.

"Someone's waiting for you?"

"Angeal...don't do this..." Zack shook his head, while forcing himself through mental strain to bring out his sword, and only had the chance to block Angeal's second attack.

"Very good, Angeal!" Hollander's voice came in as the other two men noticed him trotting into the room with a very confident fashion. He held a sinister and cruel grin as he continued, "It is time to extract revenge for our family's suffering!"

Zack flinched in shock and confusion. Family? What was the crazy and stupid scientest talking about?

"No!" Angeal snapped at Hollander, anger growing into him. "My father is dead!"

Unfazed, Hollander shrugged, "Fine, then do it for your mother."

The former 1st Class SOLDIER continued to glare at the mad scientest and told him bitterly with a scowl, "My mother's guilt made her take her own life."

Upon hearing this Zack remembered the lifeless body of Angeal's mother and how he hit him, now realising that he had been wrong. Angeal didn't kill his own mother. She killed herself. Now Zack felt bad for wrongly accusing his old friend for something that he didn't do. Question was, why did Mrs. Hewley kill herself? What was going on?

"Guilt?" Hollander questioned, before grinning as he began to laugh and said, "How terribly misguided! She should have been proud...Proud that she was the namesake for our expirement. "Project G," Or should I say, "Project Gillian.""

In more anger and fury, Angeal lunged himself to the scientest and grabbed him by his coat, yelling, "Don't say her name!"

Ignoring the threat in Angeal's tone and pushing away his hand, Hollander continued, "Gillian, the woman implanted with Jenova cells. Genesis, who had her genes mapped onto him during the fetal stage. Yes, Genesis was a failure, I'll admit it. But you, Angeal... You were actually bred inside Gillian's body. You..you are perfection."

Zack's eyes widened in shock. So Angeal and Genesis were both experimented on during both pregencies of their mothers and only Angeal succeeded while Genesis...was suffering degradation? Even worse, neither of them knew about this until just before the end of the Wutai War.

No...it can't be.

Looking away in guilt, Angeal ignored Hollander and told his former pupil, "Zack...I am perfect. A perfect... monster. My cells can absorb genetic trains, and pass them along to others."

Fragment 41: Angeal had then wanted to show Zack what he really is and prevented Hollander from getting anywhere near them, before he transformed into a large monster after his clones attacked him, forming into one, and had with a trident and scratches Zack on the face leaving a cut. This made Zack forcing himself to fight against his friend in the most emotional fight he's ever fought in his life.

(~End Shaded Truths~)

In the end, Zack came out victorious, but not without a sacrifice. Angeal returned to his human form, but he had degraded and layed on the floor, dying. Zack stood there, heartbroken, guilty and horrified all at once. Still, Angeal thanked him, and gave him his Buster Sword... as it began to rain, and Zack struggled to hold back his tears.

Then...Angeal died...

"ANGEAL!" Zack screamed as he woke up from the nightmare that he had just experienced. He was suddenly freezing and he shuddered, suddenly remembering where he was and mentally slapped himself for having been knocked out unconscious by those jolt-dream states...

Suddenly remembering what he saw, and ignoring his stiff muscles of the cold, Zack stood up and thought about it in horror. In his dream...Angeal died and even worse, Zack himself had been forced to do so. He also then realised that, through out his journey, his battles against the enemies Genesis had sent in in a couple of encounters were similiar to the battles in his dreams.

The dreams were matching reality's!

No...this...is not happening! Zack had to find Angeal, the real Angeal. His Angeal, before it was too late.

With that in mind, and remembering the way to Modeohiem village like his dreamself went through, Zack immediately ran, and as he ran towards his next destination, his body tempreture was returning and the bitter cold was easing off to the point where he didn't notice anymore.

Meanwhile, in the abandoned Modeo Public Bath house, after not finding anything in their searched areas and waiting for Zack while tempting to go out and find him to make sure he was okay, Cloud, Tseng and Reno were searching around the place, as Cloud was on the second floor.

It seemed unusually familiar to him, but how was that possible if this was his first time being here? So far, Cloud still hasn't found what he was looking for here, though he had felt more familiar feelings, but that only led him to more questions than anything else.

"Ya know, I don't think there's anything here that'll give us some sort of clue." Reno spoke up as he glanced around on the first floor. It was still cold, and he mentally cursed himself for not packing up winter gear to at least prevent himself or his hands from becoming frozen. Not that his hands were frozen, but it was still uncomfortable.

"Keep looking." Tseng told him.

Rolling his eyes, Reno continued to scan the area, while trying to prevent himself from falling asleep. The cold always made him feel very tired, but he shook his head and told himself to keep looking. He glanced up to find Cloud continuing his search and called up, "Hey, Cloud. You found anything yourself yet?"

"No." Cloud replied once he turned his attention to the redhead. He then added, "But, at the same time, I feel like this place is...familiar to me."

"Ah, having a sense of deja vu, huh?" Reno grinned. He knew fully well on Cloud and apparently, Zack's situations, even if the two of them didn't know it yet. Heck, Reno himself was still coming to terms of his and everyone's situation within ShinRa, including their former comrades.

Cloud quirked an rather annoyed eyebrow at Reno's laidback attitude on the mission, even sounding cocky. He then glanced at Tseng who seemed to be too used to Reno's personality but was still dismayed by it, and when the Wutaiian noticed him staring at him, Cloud then asked, "No offence, but, he is always this annoying?"

"He can get worse at times." Tseng replied, much to Reno's annoyance.

"What the hell's that supposed to mean!?" Reno demanded, feeling slightly insulted.

(~The Key of Darkness-KH:BBS~)

"In other words, you haven't changed the slightest." A familiar man's voice suddenly spoke up, alarming the three other men in the room as they looked around to find the owner of the voice. It sounded familiar to them.

When Cloud, Reno and Tseng did find the source, they spotted Genesis who stood near the path towards the upper level, his crimson sword in hand. The Turks tensed, as though they knew something about this man, which Cloud couldn't figure out how or why.

"Who are you?" Cloud asked.

"Someone neither of you remember straight away." Genesis replied with a smirk. Perfect. More people that were just like Angeal and Zack, without memories of their previous lives. Though Genesis had been here before confronting Zack, but he wasn't about to admit it.

Reno furrowed his brows as he demanded, "What do you want?"

Shrugging as though this was just a casual conversation, Genesis replied with a smirk, "...Revenge, or perhaps, a little play time." holding up his hand and activiated a spell materia. Thrusting his hand, his fire materia was chanted and he blasted it at Tseng who was thrown back unexpectedly against the wall where he slumped and was knocked out, the air from his lungs sucked out of him.

"Tseng!" Reno cried out in horror, before he too was blasted by the fire materia spell as well and he was easily knocked out and injured as he landed hard on the floor, quickly too weak to get up straight away. His vision was blurry and was quickly losing consciousness.

Cloud was horrified at what just happened to the two Turks, then fury came seconds later as he turned to glare at Genesis who smirked at him. Just as Cloud was taking out a sword he was loaned to by his father, the crimson-coated man was much quicker as he blocked Cloud's attack when the younger man leaped and attempted to slash at him, before knocking him over with a Lightning Materia this time, and Cloud landed hard and heavily on the ground, quickly knocked out.

Smirking and he did feel a bit bad for doing such a thing, Genesis knew that the trails were not yet over. Besides, Zack was his top priority. He needed to accept the truth. So, the former SOLDIER instead headed up to the next level to await for his next opponent. (~End The Key of Darkness~)

By the time Zack arrived at the, once again abandoned village of Modeohiem, his hunch told him that something was wrong in the bath house. He hoped that he was wrong, but he was quickly worried about the others when he couldn't find them after he left the facility. He wondered where the townspeople were, but knew that he didn't have time to worry about them right now.

As he fought lingering monsters that seemed a bit familiar to him, he made his way into the bath house, and to his horror, his hunch was right. Zack wished that it wasn't. Because there layed the unconscious forms of Cloud, Tseng and Reno, who had been like this for at least an hour before he arrived. Good news was they were moving slightly, showing him that they were still alive.

In guilt for not being here on time, Zack rushed towards Cloud who clenched his teeth as he groaned and tried to push himself up, but failed. The former gently helped him sit as he cried out softly, "Cloud! You okay?" worriedly.

"Y-yeah." Cloud replied.

"Take it easy." Zack told him, as he handed Cloud one of the healing potions he managed to stock up back in Traverse Town, and after he knew that Cloud would be okay and the blond did tell him that he'll be fine, Zack then went over to the Turks since the two of them were close to each other on the ground and wall.

"Tseng! Reno!" Zack cried out again, hoping that the two other men were alright.

Reno groaned as he regained consciousness, before grumbling, "Ugh...please don't shout...I have a massive headache." since he did hit his head when he was knocked over, and shut his eyes to ease of the said headache.

From the slightly shorch burns on their shirts told Zack that fire was involved. Or a fire spell. Someone must've casted fire magic on the group and had caught them by surprise. After giving Reno another potion and telling himself that he had at least bought seven(with a bit of help from Merlin before he left Traverse Town and after he left Aerith until the next visit), Zack turned his attention to Tseng who didn't seem badly hurt as much, but still rendered injured.

"Who did this?" Zack asked.

Tseng took a moment before he answered, "A man...with a red sword."

Upon the word of a man with a red sword, Zack narrowed his eyes in anger. He didn't need to ask the discription of who it was since he knew immediately who was responsible by just those six words from the Turk. Genesis.

Nodding to himself, he told the injured men with determination, "You guys stay here. I'll handle him!" before standing up, and, making sure that the others would be alright, Zack took off and he had a feeling that Genesis would be up in the boiler room...where...

Where in his nightmare that he had to kill Angeal.

Turned out that Zack was right, because in the middle of the breaking apart room, was Genesis himself, as though he was waiting for him. Genesis held a smirk on his face as Zack approached before stopping just halfway towards him, with a furious look on his face. Right now, Zack didn't care how Genesis survived the fall from who knows how long. All that mattered was that the former SOLDIER would pay for all the horrible things he did.

"I gather your friends are still alive." Genesis spoke. It wasn't a question.

"What the hell's wrong with you, Genesis!?" Zack shouted instead. "It's because of YOU that the Angeal in my dreams is dead!" he didn't know why, but for some reason, it was as though Angeal was already dead and he felt like crying right now, but he managed to hold both that and his anger as much as possible in to avoid in being overcome by darkness.

(~Enter the Darkness-KH:BBS~)

Undaunted by Zack's anger, Genesis instead held up his sword at the younger man and told him, with a frown this time, "That is where you're wrong. Death is an everyday thing to everyone in the world. Rebirth on the other hand...is a rare thing. Only those destined to go on is given a second life, but the result of it is memory loss until a...certain event."

Unable to stand his random words for any much longer, Zack withdrew his own sword from his back and stood in a fighting position, his sword clutched in a tight, fierce grip in his hands, as he yelled, "Shut up! I'm sick and tired of you trying to mess up my head! Where's Angeal!?"

"Angry, are we?" Genesis smirked, before mocking a sigh of exasperation and said, "What a pity. Alright, you'll have to go through me!" also standing into a fighting position.

Discarding his wing for now, Genesis then rushed towards Zack, attempting to stab him with his sword. Zack jumped out of the way and blocked the second attempt before dodge-rolling. He then yelled, "Take that!" and thrusted his sword in a powerful downward thrust at Genesis who leaped away before he could even get a scratch on him.

The two then charged at each other and their swords clashed. They pushed against each other before they separated and clashed again from side, to up, to down, to side again, and tried to stab each other, but kept on blocking each other's attacks. Genesis then thrusted another fire materia attack on Zack who could only block with his sword, but still felt the intensed heat from the fires and hissed sharply by the touch.

He then was caught off-guard when Genesis thrusted a Lightning materia spell this time just as Zack lowered his sword to catch his breath, and was blown back by the jolt of electricity and nearly landed hard onto the ground. But Zack did manage to back-flip in midair and land safely on his feet before blocking and clashing against the crazily fast former SOLDIER's blade again. Genesis wasn't as fast as Sephiroth, but was still fast enough to give Zack some trouble.

Zack then responsed by summoning his ice magic that he somehow gained back when he first arrived in Traverse Town and while Genesis looked up to see a large shard of ice appearing over his head, it gave Zack a chance to distract him and continued to clash, which allowed the ice shard to smash against the top of his enemy's head, and the crimson man stumbled, allowing the younger man to body-slam into him, and attempted to slash at his chest.

However, Genesis stepped aside and kicked Zack on the back of the head, causing the younger man to stumble, before he saw light from the corner of his eye and jumped out of the way before he was hit by another fire materia spell. But he wasn't fast enough to block another one of Genesis's attacks.

The crimson man preformed a Black Flurry attack three times, which left Zack no room to block or dodge as he screamed out as he was hit. Once the attacks were done, Zack weakly but still strong enough rolled out of the way and took a potion to at least restore half of his health, before blocking Genesis's sword again.

Zack then remembered the attack he used before he met Leon and quickly tried to focus on it, and just as Genesis prepared to slice him at the chest, the younger man then charged, jumping and striked at him, upwards, downwards, left, right, corner-right down, corner-left down, corner-right up, and corner-left down, yelling, "Here we go! Go! Go! Go!" and finished off with a final single line strike and even managed to make slashed cuts on Genesis's body and knocked him back.

But just when Zack gave out a battle cry and leaped before attempting to slash downward with his sword in midair, Genesis quickly recovered and blocked the attack which caused their swords to spark slightly, before the latter roughly shoved the former to the side. Zack landed hard onto the floor and slid roughly until he came to a stop.

(~End Enter the Darkness~)

Despite that he was using up another potion to heal himself, Zack grunted while knowing that he was too exhausted to continue to fight Genesis who, despite suffering injuries of his own, still stood tall and seemed as though he was unfazed by his injuries. Still, Genesis was slightly disappointed.

"You are afraid of knowing the truth." Genesis said, with pity. "You cannot bare that your dreams are not dreams at all. You cannot bare that the Angeal you and I know will be long gone."

Zack glared up at Genesis and yelled, "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!"

"Face it..." Genesis said, ignoring Zack's comment, now with a serious frown. "Nothing will ever be the same anymore." and with that, he summoned a corridor of darkness behind him and walked into it, disappearing once again.

The spiky-black haired man grunted, even more furious but tried to bite down his anger. Well of course things weren't the same as before! But, what did Genesis mean by never being the same anymore? Zack then recalled how he learned about the fates of the friends he made eight years ago;

Ventus lost his heart and landed in a never-ending coma unless he gets his heart back.

Aqua is trapped in this so called Realm of Darkness.

Terra vanished into thin air.

Jason and Grovyle both returned to the future.

And Serenity, who had been under the guise of 'Sailor Moon', returned to the past in which here in the present, she was gone into the Afterlife.

Only Mickey was alright and safe. But he was a king, and maybe he was looking for answers to at least find a way to save Terra, Ven and Aqua.

Zack sighed in concern. Did that mean that he couldn't change the fate of what was going to happen to Angeal and himself? Did Genesis really want to kill them by making them lose their heads and fall into darkness? He didn't understand, and somehow right now, half of him didn't want to understand. That half wanted things back the way they were-not having to worry about the dreams, training to become a hero, laugh with his friends back at home, and train possibly with Angeal and Hercules.

But the other half did want to understand. It wanted to know all of the answers to his dreams and why Zack himself, Angeal, Genesis, even Cloud, the Turks, Aerith, and Yuffie were involved, and why Genesis was doing all of the horrible things like in the dreams.

Before he could think of anything else, however, he suddenly heard multiple screams from outside, alarming him. Zack suddenly realised that the screams came from Cloud, Tseng and Reno. Gravely worried about the others, and taking yet another potion(while making a mental note to save the last one), he stood up and as quickly as he could raced out of the boiler room and back into the main area where he left the others to recover.

(~"With Pride"-CRISIS CORE-FFVII~)

When he arrived, he gasped in horror as the three of them were once again knocked down, this time all of them lying flat on the floor, though by their weak unmovable movements, they were still alive. Zack was speechless at the sight of his friends on the first floor, before he sensed movement behind him and turned to see a shamed and guilty Angeal who avoided eye contact with him, his Buster Sword in hand.

How could've Angeal do this to Cloud, Tseng and Reno? What did they do to him or Genesis? None of this made any sense at all!

In hurt, anger and betrayal, Zack shook his head, before demanding while trying to control himself, and yelled, "What the hell did you do!? Have you lost it!?"

"I discovered what I truly am..." Angeal said, his voice shaking in guilt and shame. "I was never meant to be reborn."

"What!?" Zack asked, now even more confused. Reborn? What was going? What was he and Genesis talking about? This entire reborn thing was definately making his head hurt even more.

Angeal gazed at his young pupil who was a friend and a son to him. He then continued, with a pleading look in his eyes, and a hint of...sadness. "Zack...I am asking you, for our friendship...put an end to me."

Zack's eyes widened as his mind quickly absorbed what Angeal just said. Memories of the nightmare of the similiar thing that happened...Was it telling him of Angeal's fate of the future? It can't be happening...it can't!

"Angeal...no." Zack muttered, almost a whisper, shaking his head.

"If you don't end me, then the Heartless will comsume this world..." Angeal continued, pausing a moment with a sigh, and continued, "The very beginning of Kingdom Hearts."

"Kingdom...Hearts?" Zack slowly repeated, confused. Though the name of 'Kingdom Hearts' sounded familiar, but he didn't know why, though. First Heartless, then Keyblades, then this 'Reborn' stuff, and now Kingdom Hearts? How was this world the very beginning of Kingdom Hearts? What was it, anyway? But...would Angeal's death really prevent the Heartless from consuming this world?

Instead of answering Zack's question, Angeal added, becoming more and more urgent, "Zack, do you remember what I said? About our enemy being all that creates suffering?"

Remembering what the dream Angeal said before his death, Zack nodded before he protested, "Y-Yeah, but you're not an enemy! You're not one of them!" He needed to do something, anything, to pull his friend out of the darkness and back into the light.

(~End "With Pride"~)

"I created my own suffering, and the sufferings all over." Angeal told him with a glare. A tensed few moments of pause followed, until it became clear to him that Zack had no intentions of killing him, out of respect and friendship. Zack didn't to lose him.

But in the end, Angeal knew, there was very little choice. He'd rather have Zack and the worlds live than his own life to continue. With no choice left, he grunted, "If you won't kill me willingly, then I will force you!"

(~Vector of the Heavens-KH 1.5 HD ReMix~)

With unusual great speed which was aided by his single white wing, Angeal launched himself foward and began attacking Zack who quickly dodged and rolled out of the way in half-paralyzing shock as the latter cried out the former's name, and before long, Angeal stretches out the Buster Sword and scratches Zack on the left side of his face, the same place and the stance that happened in Zack's nightmare.

As tears began to form in his eyes, and upon the cold blooded realization and now knowing that it was too late to save Angeal, just like in his nightmares, Zack regrettebly drew out his own sword once again, and screamed out in sorrow, "Angeal! What has Genesis done to you!?"

With a yell, Zack forced himself to launge forward and clashed against Angeal's Burster Sword, the very weapon that Angeal had refused to use, and didn't want it to have any wear, tear or rust, but at this point, it seemed that he didn't care about it anymore. All that seemed in Angeal's mind was his own demise, and Zack would be the one to give him his end.

The two clashed and slashed at each other, before their swords met and strained against each other, before separating and Zack slashed against towards Angeal's stomach, but the man barely dodged out of the way as this was a fight to the death, a struggle of Zack's strength and emotions. Zack then blocked Angeal's counter attack but was struggling against it until he had to duck out of the way to avoid having his head separated from his body.

Rolling out of the way, Zack quickly jumped back up and thrusted his sword single handedly at Angeal who cried out in agony before casting a Wind Spell against Zack who struggled against it, but kept his ground until the spell ceased, but it still left him a bit dizzy.

Still, Zack was once again forced to block Angeal's downward thrust with the Buster Sword, though he quickly jumped out of the way when it became too much, not to mention that it would break his own normal-sized sword into pieces no doubt.

Zack then had an idea, which he regretted but knew he had no choice, and then casted his Thunder spell that he discovered that he could use back when he fought against Axel, and sparks of lightning appeared and actually hit Angeal full on, counterpointed when Zack then casted Fire which then caused burns onto his former mentor's body, causing severe burns.

Despite this, Angeal thrusted his sword onto the floor hard, causing a bit of a quake while sending a powerful slice of light towards Zack who was hit and knocked back into the wall, creating an in-wall crater. None the less, Zack rolled painfully out of the way to avoid Angeal's attempt to stab him with the Buster Sword's blade that went through the wall instead. Without much choice, Zack quickly got up and with a frustrated yell he thrusted his sword and slashed at Angeal's back, which caused the older man to cry out in agony before thrusting as he whirled around to slash at Zack who cried out as the blade got to his upper right leg, but not enough to cause a deep wound or slice it off, but it was sitll painful none the less.

It ripped through his pant-leg material as well, and blood began to seep out. Zack knew that he had to use his last potion to heal the wound, and quickly took it while Angeal did the same, though both of them were growing exhausted, but Zack was getting more and more exhausted, both physically and mentally.

Knowing that there was little choice anymore, and that he had to finish this, whether he wanted to or not, Zack shut his eyes tight before he held a tight grip on the hilt of his sword, and then spun around three times, which created a mini tornado which once again freed itself from Zack's sword and caught the stunned Angeal who tried to move but was then caught in the gust of winds that nearly also ripped the second floor apart. But Zack didn't stop there. He then bend on his legs and then launched himself into the air and right into the tornado where he then lets out a sorrowed scream and thrusted his sword right into Angeal's chest, dangerously close to his heart.

Pulling out his sword quickly upon realising what he just did, Zack landed safely on the floor as the tornado ceased, and the deeply wounded Angeal collasped onto the floor with a thud, his own sword still in his hand and lying on his back, the wound his chest bleeding freely. (~End Vector of the Heavens~)

Standing up and putting away his own sword, shaking, sorrowed and feeling so guilty in his life, Zack slowly approached the now dying Angeal who layed there, slowly fading away.

(~Sorrow/Ventus's Theme-KH:BBS~)

Zack just stood there, trying so hard not to break down, but it was a losing battle. It was worse when Angeal was smiling sorrowly at him in return, knowing that it was the best thing to do. For the worlds, and for both of them, despite Zack's loss, both in his dreams and in reality.

"Zack..." Angeal said weakly, "You have my thanks. This...is for you." with the last bit of strength that he had left, he held up his sword, towards Zack who collasped onto his knees, and hesitatedly took the hilt of the sword from his mentor, his best friend, as Angeal said for one last time, "Do the right thing...always."

With that, Angeal's grip loosened, his hand fell limp onto the ground, and he closed his eyes and his chest no longer rose or lowered. He was dead. On the verge of crying, Zack then held his now new sword in front of him, in the similiar way Angeal used to as he fought back tears, as Angeal's words to him from eight years ago and from his dreams echoed in his mind as he gazed at his friend's lifeless but smiling face.

"Embrace your dreams. If you want to be a hero you need to have dreams ... and honor."

What's worse, Genesis was right: Angeal is indeed long gone now, and it was all his fault, his fault that it all happened.

He then felt a hand gently being placed on his right shoulder. When Zack looked up, it was Cloud who had woken up, still bit injured but okay, and the younger man held an expression of compassion and sadness. It was a look that said that he was sorry for Zack's loss, and he meant it.

Near the staircase leading to ground level were Tseng and Reno, the latter also holding an expression of pity and sorrow, since he knew what it was like to lose someone close to you. Even Tseng's expression softened a little in a similiar way.

Still, despite the comfort of the others being there, Zack still could not heal the wounded hole that ripped into his heart.

Three days later, Zack and the others were healed up and the former was given new SOLDIER 1st Class clothes to replace his battered ones and was offered a job for the ShinRa Company. Zack declined, however, and instead returned to Traverse Town since he needed some more comfort, though he knew that it would take a while to slightly recover from the loss of someone important to him.

He was with Aerith in one of the hotel rooms as Leon, seeing the heartbroken expression on Zack, left him alone with Aerith, knowing that for some reason that she was who Zack needed the most right now. Even Yuffie could see the guilt and sorrowed expression despite being angry at him at first, but when she saw tears and guilt, even the young teenager knew that Zack hadn't meant it. So she just followed Leon wordlessly.

"Hey, Zack. Midgar kind of sounds familiar to me. What do you think?" Aerith spoke, trying to lighten the mood. It didn't help, however, as she saw that Zack sat on the floor, crying. Instead of saying anything else, and sorrowed for him, she walked up behind him, knelt down and comfortly wrapped her arms around him to give him comfort in his time of need.

This feeling of Aerith doing this gave Zack a mental image of his dream-self in the same state, within the Church of Midgar, and the dream version of Aerith doing the exact same thing as the real one was doing right now.

Zack did need it right now, and he was feeling a little better, but that would never change the fact that Angeal was gone.

(~End Sorrow/Ventus's Theme~)

A week later...

After spending a week in Traverse Town to calm down, Zack resumed his journey his answers. This time to find Genesis and make him pay for everything that's happened while trying to figure out the meaning of his continuous constant dreams. Leon did make one point though during his week's stay; revenge won't bring back Angeal. It would just cast his heart into darkness.

Zack took that seriously, but he still vowed to set things right to prevent Genesis from causing more tragic problems to anyone else. He returned to Midgar since he somehow knew that Geneis would be expecting him there. So he would going to stick around in this world until he knew what to do, or maybe eventually venture to other worlds to continue his quest.

He then thought back of his latest dream that even changed him like it changed his dream-self.

Fragment 42: Having combed his hair back to honor Angeal, keeping the Buster Sword on his back, and having the scar that was forever on his face, Zack went outside of the ShinRa building and walked passed the lined up troopers, pausing as he recongised one who blinked behind his helmet. Zack smiled.

It was Cloud.

"So you want to be in SOLDIER? Hang in there." Zack encouraged with an encouraging smile.

After that, he informed the troopers, now having become a leader of this rookies. Zack would do his best to lead this people who had dreams of their own, and he would make sure that their dreams would one day come true, as well as keeping them alive. He owed them that. Informing them of an order to embrace their dreams, and...whatever happens, protect their SOLDIER honor, and that they would be coming back here alive.

Sighing, and gazing up at the ruins of the original ShinRa building in the ruins of Midgar, Zack, who had done his hair the same way his dreamself did, knew what he had to do now. He wasn't a leader, but he would make sure to do his best to fight against the darkness. He owed all of his friends that-friends in other worlds.

Genesis will pay for this. Zack would not let him have his way any more.

A/N: I cried when I wrote Angeal's death in reality, and Ven's theme suited perfectly for the sorrow/goodbye moment.

See you in the next chapter!