The clouds in the gray skies hung ominously above Midgar with the ripped fabric of reality lining across it. Zack looked above and took another deep breath thinking of the world and what was happening. People seemed full of fear and despair while some were in complete denial. Zack marched through Sector five with a new purpose as he quickly made his way back to Aerith's house. Once he arrived, he noticed more of the flowers were beginning to bloom. He stopped briefly before he entered the house and looked back up to the sky.

"Thanks Angeal"

"Elmyra! Zack is back!" Marlene shouted with excitement running over to him.

"Zack did you see? More flowers are blooming which means..." Marlene's smile slowly transformed into a frown.

"Which means what Marlene?" Zack knelt down next to her as Elmyra began coming down the stairs but stopping halfway to listen to their conversation.

"She may wake up soon... and, and the scary man..." Marlene said almost beginning to break down into tears.

"Marlene, you have to tell me exactly what you saw; can you do that for me sweetie?" Zack asked gently.

"She was praying somewhere with her eyes closed... the scary man had a big sword and he was falling from above..." Marlene began to breathe a bit faster as she began to recall what she saw.

"It's ok Marlene, no one is going to hurt you, take your time" Zack said patting her on the back reassuring her.

"Cloud saw the scary man and he ran to her screaming 'NO!' as he tried to stop the scary man from killing her with his sword" Marlene's eyes were welling up with tears.

Zack listened intently not missing a beat all while keeping his own emotions perfectly hidden.

"He almost saves her, but somehow he doesn't. Somehow the scary man still kills her as Cloud pushes him away from her" Marlene was now crying as Zack held and comforted her. Elmyra put her hand over her mouth after hearing what was said. Then she pretended not to hear it; instead, she comes down a few moments later.

"Is everything alright?" She asks as she goes into the kitchen.

"It will be" Zack said with a bold sense of determination.

"I hope so" Elmyra smiled betraying the sad look in her eyes.

"Are they still ok?"

"If you mean Cloud and Aerith, yes, both seem to be in a deep sleep" Elmyra begin getting a number of ingredients from the fridge and the cabinets.

"Marlene you want to help me with lunch?"

"Ok..." Marlene sighed joining her as Zack took a seat at the table pondering what his next move would be. He quietly got up and walked back upstairs to check on Cloud and Aerith. Both seemed to be resting peacefully. Zack began replaying in his head what Angeal had told him in the church.

"I can only tell you this, go home, reawaken your roots, seek out Bugenhagen in Cosmo Canyon, and perhaps the path will reveal itself to you" Angeal's voice echoed in his mind.

"Go home? Hmm..." Zack continued to contemplate everything else Angeal had said but nothing else seemed to give him any other ideas in regard to his next course of action.

"Home..." Zack said again suddenly thinking about Gongaga.

"My parents? Friends? What would they know?" Zack thought out loud.

"I can't leave them here unguarded" Zack begin pacing back and forth until he got an idea. He returned downstairs as Elmyra with the help of Marlene were already making a hearty vegetable soup.

"Elmyra, do you have a phone I can use?"

"Sure..." she said going into her bedroom behind the kitchen. She quickly returned with her phone in hand.

"Who are you going to call at this time?"

"A friend... I need a favor" Zack said taking the phone and stepping out on the front porch.

"Is Zack leaving again?" Marlene asked standing watching Zack pacing outside.

"Honey, can you set the table for us?" Elmyra asked changing the subject.

Zack opened the phone and began dialing, "I hope he has the same number in this world" Zack said sending the call through. For a minute the call was trying to go through until at last, he got a ring. The phone rang six times. "Come on answer!"

"Tseng here"

"Tseng!"

"What?!"

"Tseng it's me!"

"Tseng are you there?" Tseng didn't respond for a moment as there was a long pause.

"Zack?! Impossible!"

"No Tseng, I am alive"

"We were told you were terminated outside Midgar by Shinra army"

"It's a long story Tseng, I need a favor"

Tseng took another long pause as he shut the door to his office. "Where are you at?" Tseng whispered.

"When you need to know I will tell you, can you help me or not?" Zack walked up to the light post in front of the house.

"If you haven't noticed, the world is ending and Shinra is utilizing every resource" Tseng remarked.

"That's what I'm working on" Zack said with an optimistic tone.

"Ha ha ha! I see, still the same as ever. What do you need?" Tseng laughed remembering Zack's attitude from their previous excursions.

"I need your people to guard Aerith's mother's house, all of you are still watching Aerith aren't you?"

"You know where Aerith is?"

"Tseng, this is a very delicate situation, if you come alone I will explain everything"

"You're asking a lot Zack... but fine. I'll meet you there in an hour" Tseng whispered.

"Tseng please"

"Fine" Tseng hung up and walked out of his office as Reno was about to knock.

"Where you heading boss?" Reno asked.

"I got something to take care of, so I need you and Rude to keep things quiet until I get back"

"Gotcha, if you need us call" Reno nodded. With that Tseng casually made his way to the elevator.

Zack hung up and returned inside to join Elmyra and Marlene at the table and then handed Elmyra back her phone.

"Did you get a hold of whoever it was you were trying to call?"

"Yes, thank you Elmyra" Zack said as he noticed Marlene looking through a photo album of pictures of young Aerith and a younger Elmyra.

"You're leaving again aren't you?" Marlene accused.

"Yes, but I will return... and when I return, perhaps we won't have to worry about the scary man" Zack said confidently.

"Zack, who is this 'scary man'?" Elmyra asked as she got up to turn the stove off as the soup was almost ready.

"I don't even want to say his name... but he was my senior back when I was part of Soldier. Somehow he is behind all of this..." Zack paused drawing blank stares from both Marlene and Elmyra.

"Promise me you won't let him take Aerith" Marlene suddenly spoke up.

"I promise!" Zack smiled looking truly heroic to Marlene.

"I believe you" Marlene smiled as she closed the picture album.

"Ok, let's eat" Elmyra smiled suddenly feeling reassured as she scooped the soup with a ladle from the pot into everyone's bowl. The soup was hot, spicy, and flavorful with carrots, potatoes, celery, cabbage, squash, and kidney beans. Elmyra and Zack discussed now that food was becoming increasingly difficult to get as the hysteria began spreading over the world until Zack's sharp eyes caught Tseng approaching the house. Elmyra seemed to be slightly alarmed.

"Don't worry, he's here to help... trust me" Zack raised a hand calming any anxiety that Elmyra had. Zack stood up and walked out to meet Tseng.

"I'm seeing you and still I can't believe it" Tseng said as Zack approached.

"So you want the long or short story?" Zack asked Tseng knowing how he could be abrupt at times.

"The short, it's chaos up on the plate right now"

Zack nodded and began to tell Tseng a brief explanation which took all of about five minutes. The more Zack spoke about, the more questions Tseng had. After Zack finished Tseng was silent for a few moments processing everything he had heard.

"So Aerith is here, and you were the one who took Aerith back... so much does not make any sense but somehow I believe you" Tseng said with a sincerity in his voice.

"So can you watch over everyone in this house and keep them safe?" Zack asked with a full-hearted seriousness.

"Our resources are spread thin, and they are looking for her... but I can call up some of the old crew. What will you do?" Tseng asked finally noticing the blooming flowers across the way.

"I'm heading back to Gongaga, I know it sounds crazy, but that's the only lead I have right now"

"Getting there will not be easy, it seems like the monsters have become more vicious and twisted"

"You know me Tseng, I'm a one man army" Zack laughed.

"Perhaps, but these are more unnatural, perhaps you should call up some old 'friends' of yours to accompany you to the port of Junon" Tseng said noticing Elmyra and Marlene looking out the window.

"Who would you suggest? Trying to keep an eye on me huh?"

"Actually no, but I would suggest Kunsel and Luxiere, they both seemed saddened by the news of your untimely demise"

"At a time like this? Shinra can afford to miss two second class Soldiers?"

"Don't worry about that, I can improvise"

"So where shall I meet them?"

"At the church in Sector five"

At that moment Zack and Tseng walked back over to the house as Elmyra met them on the porch. Tseng took out a card and handed it to Elmyra.

"Listen, Tseng and the turks have agreed to keep watch over the place" Zack informed.

"I am familiar with Mr. Tseng" Elmyra nodded and Zack walked over to Biggs's motor bike putting on the helmet.

"Zack" Tseng called out as Zack turned around to look at him once he got on the bike.

"Be careful" Tseng said as Zack waved, started the bike, and rode out of site.