I probably should have stated this at the beginning, but eh, better late than never, right? I do not, nor will I ever own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters. that honor belongs to Square Enix.

Enjoy!

Cloud and Zack spent the next week in Cosmo Canyon while waiting for the kid's foot to heal. Cloud felt bad that Zack had to carry him around, but the SOLDIER always brushed it off and said it didn't bother him. They learned a lot about the planet and how it's fragile balance was important to protect. They listened to the stories, told by both Nanaki and his grandfather and Zack was really impressed by the old man's machine. Cloud was impressed too and wondered how it was able to project the space surrounding their planet and even showed them what the lifestream looked like. Cloud secretly wondered if his mother was resting peacefuly within the ribbon-like current. Zack had seen his friend's expression and went into action to lift his mood.

"Look Spiky, I'm gonna eat the moon!"

He took a few steps towards the hologram of the moon and opened his mouth wide enough before taking a step and chomping down.

"Mmmm, hey, it really does taste like cheese!"

From that moment on, whenever Zack saw Cloud with a sad face he did something completely random and the result was always the same. The SOLDIER was always rewarded with a laugh or a smile. The two had become good friends with Nanaki as well. They spent their last night in Cosmo Canyon sitting around the large bonfire that was burning in the center of the village. Zack was roasting marshmallows while Cloud was listening to one of Nanaki's stories.

"And that was how the three friends became enemies and in the end lost everything they once held dear," the cat finished.

"What a tragic story, and you said this story replays itself with every generation?" asked Cloud.

Nanaki nodded his head, "Sadly, yes. I've seen and heard of many friends who have become enemies."

Cloud blinked a few times before glancing over at Zack. The SOLDIER in turn caught on to what his little pal was thinking.

"Oh please, don't believe everything you hear, Spiky. Not all friends become enemies and besides, LOVELESS is nothing but a play. Genesis keeps a copy on him at all times and quotes it often. It's like that one story, Romeo and Juliet. In the end both lovers died and it was only then that their families realized their mistakes and made up."

Nanaki smirked, "I didn't take you for a fan of literature, Zack."

"I'm not, but Angeal pretty much beat those stories into me when I was a Third and it's forever burned into my memory."

Cloud sighed and held a faraway look into the flames, "Still, the fact that they were once so close and it didn't take much to turn them against each other. I've never really had a friend until now but I hope nothing like that happens."

Zack clapped a hand on Cloud's shoulder which startled him. "It won't. I swear on my honor as a SOLDIER. Now, have a marshmallow."

He pulled off the gooey snack and tossed it to his friend who was forced to juggle it before it hit the ground.

Nanaki wrapped his tail around his paws as he sat up, "I wish you didn't have to go tomorrow. You're welcome to stay here as long as you like."

Zack nodded, "Thanks, but I really need to head back to Midgar. I wouldn't be surprised if Angeal has every SOLDIER and Turk out looking for me by now."

"Turk?...what's that?" asked Cloud.

Zack cast his friend a side-ways glance, "You've heard of secret agents, right?...Spy stuff?"

Cloud nodded.

Zack leaned back with his hands, bracing the ground behind him, "That's the Turks."

Nanaki rested his gaze on Cloud, "So I take it you'll be leaving with your friend?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Because your foot hasn't quite healed well enough yet."

Zack nodded, "He's right, maybe you should stay here Spike."

Cloud's head snapped in the direction of his friend. "What?!"

The SOLDIER snickered, "I'm only teasing. Of course you're coming with me. I can't let you go wandering off again. Who else will save you from freezing water and your own stubbornness?"

"Very funny," Cloud pouted before folding his arms and turning away. "You big jerk."

Zack tilted his head, "Ohh~, is that how it's gonna be?"

He got up slowly before pouncing on the young kid. Nanaki just watched as the two wrestled and rough-housed. Zack had an unfair advantage with his strength; an advantage he was making full use of, much to the young blonde's protests.

"Agh, no fair using SOLDIER strength!"

"What can I say? I don't know my own strength!"

"This is child abuse!"

"Are you kidding? This is how brothers bond!"

"I don't have any brothers!"

"Well, you do now, so quit whining and fight back! OW! No biting!...Gotcha!"

Zack had managed to lock Cloud in a bear hug. The boy's arms were pinned in front of him, against Zack's chest and the SOLDIER was holding the kid off the ground with a grin.

"I win," he replied smugly.

"Nanaki, a little help here?" asked Cloud.

The cat was simply watching the whole event with amusement clear on his features. "If you can't over-power your opponent, try lowering his guard. If that doesn't work then Imobalize him."

Zack chuckled, "And how's he gonna do that? I've got him pinned!"

That's when Cloud got an idea.

Suddenly Zack was laughing and started to loose his grip. "Hahaha! Hey, no fair tickling!"

It was the only thing the blonde could do and in less than a minute he was able to break away from the SOLDIER - able to, but instead he chose to keep at it and soon Zack was lying on his back. He tried to roll away, but the kid's assault was relentless.

"Say uncle!" Cloud challenged.

"No way!" Zack replied through his laughter.

"Say it!"

"I believe the boy's got you beat. You can't reclaim the upper hand without any strength. A very effective tactic I must admit," added Nanaki who was enjoying this immensely.

The attack went on for about two more minutes before Zack's stubbornness finally gave in and he threw in the towel, "Okay, okay! Uncle! Uncle! Uncle!"

Cloud stopped and the SOLDIER was left to catch his breath. He then laid down next to his friend, also a bit out of breath.

Zack smiled as he gave one last chuckle, "You're a tough little squirt."

Cloud snubbed his nose as he replied, "Of course I'm tough. I'm from Nibelh-..."

Zack slowly sat up and looked down at the kid. Ever since he had first woken up at Cosmo Canyon he had been having nightmares about what had happened. It was hard to see the kid so depressed. Cloud no longer had a home and his only family was gone.

"Hey, you know what you're right. You gotta be tough to live in a town like Nibelhiem. Maybe that's why you beat me. Gongaga is a great place to live, but with the warm climate and the easy-going aura surrounding the place you tend to get soft in the easy-going life style if you're not careful. I must be outta practice."

Cloud nodded, his previous good humor gone.

"Yeah."

Zack didn't like that tone one bit. He directed his gaze at the bonfire and sighed. "You know, Midgar isn't anything like what you're used to. It's big, really big. It's so big that they divided it up into different sectors and each sector is like its own little city. It's also split into two levels. The upper plate, where Shinra HQ and most of the shops and theaters and hotels are and then there's the slums. It's pretty dirty down there and full of junk and monsters. People live there too, but their not as nice, at least none that I've met."

"What's your point?" asked Cloud.

"My point is that if you really wanted to stay here you could. Nanaki seems to like you. I just don't want to put you in a situation where you'd be uncomfortable."

Cloud gave him a look. The same look that he had given him when Zack asked which direction Nibelhiem was in. Zack saw it as a look of betrayal or abandonment...maybe both.

"But, I'd be with you." Something sparked in the kid's eyes as if he had realized something and he rose to his feet, putting his full weight on his injured foot and walked over to stand between Zack and the fire. "And besides, you promised you'd never leave me behind again. Remember? I'm going with you and that's that. Even if you leave me behind I'll still follow you. you can't get rid of me that easily, SOLDIER."

Zack blinked at the kid. The fire burning behind the boy made him seem like a completely different person. It was probably his eyes playing tricks on him, but what he saw could have well been a vision of the future. the flames made Cloud appear older, more like his age. Instead of a black T-shirt and baggy dark pants he saw what looked like a SOLDIER uniform, complete with shoulder guards, a dark sleeve covering one of his arms and what looked like a strap for a sword to cling to his back much like Zack's own weapon. What amazed him most was the light glow in Cloud's eyes. If Zack didn't know better he would swear he was looking at another SOLDIER.

"Zack?" asked Cloud, noticing the odd look he was giving him.

Zack shook his head to clear it and when he looked back at his friend he saw the kid normally again. "That...was weird."

"What was?"

Zack brought a hand up to his forehead as if he was suffering from a headache. "I'm not sure."

"It seems the planet is sending you a message."

The three looked up to see Bugenhagen approaching.

"What kind of message? did you see it too?" asked Zack.

The old man shook his head. "No, but I can tell the signs clear enough. I wager whatever it is you saw has to deal with your current dilema."

"You mean Cloud?"

"Is that what you saw? Think carefully now."

Zack blinked and looked down at the sand in front of him. Cloud had appeared older and looked stronger, but the giveaway were the eyes. They had the trademark mako glow of a SOLDEIR. There was no mistaking that. He looked over at Cloud then who didn't really have an idea what was going in, but he seemed a bit nervous. It was then that Zack knew what he had to do.

"Alright Spike, you win."

. . .

It had been over a week since Zack had left and what should have been a two-day mission had obviously gone horribly wrong. Why hadn't he tried to report in? what could have happened? These were questions that Angeal Hewely was forced to deal with. He sat at his desk, trying his best to do his paperwork, but it was useless. As much as the puppy could be a hassle he'd give almost anything to have Zack come bursting into his office with some small random bit of information that was utterly useless. Most of the time it was funny stories from the Midgar Tribune, or good deals at some of his favorite stores. Sometimes Angeal felt more like the teen's father than his mentor. This was one of those times.

The door opened up and Angeal could tell who it was by the sounds of the footsteps. It seemed everyone on the upper floors had their own specific strut. Sephiroth was no exception.

"Any word Sephiroth?"

The general stopped and blinked at the man sitting at his desk. It impressed him that one of his second in commands was so well aware of his surroundings while multitasking several other things. "Not good news." He replied as he tossed a manila file onto the desk.

Angeal took it and looked through the file. He then laid it down and rubbed his temples. "How many were recovered?"

"By the time the team arrived the bodies had already joined the lifestream. There may well have been so survivors."

"And the mission? Was the second team able to complete it?"

Sephiroth shook his head. "They were too late. According to one of the survivors even the first team wouldn't have made it in time."

Angeal shook his head. This day was just getting worse and worse.

"There is a bit of good news."

Angeal looked up at the general. "Go on."

"It seems that Zack found his way to the town and then wandered back into the mountains. The villagers haven't seen him since."

Angeal sighed with relief. Zack was alive. "How long ago was he there?"

"Three or four days according to witnesses."

That long? It never usualy took Zack four days to return. He had been stranded before and managed to at least call. Suddenly he felt his worry for his pupil growing again. Zack was from a small town in the south. If not for the mako there'd be no way he could survive in those sub-zero temperatures.

"Thank you, Sephiroth," Angeal said as the general turned to leave.

He stopped at the door, but didn't turn back around. "The puppy may be the class clown of Shinra, but he can be surprisingly resourceful when he has to be. Try not to be too hard on him when he returns."

With that he headed out of the office and down the hall towards the elevator.

Next Chapter: The return journey begins, explanations, meeting a monster.