"Who are you?!" shouted a man in a sharp black suit, his voice carrying a mix of authority and unease.
"My name isn't important," Zack replied evenly, his tone calm yet firm as he shifted into a combat stance. Normally, he would have drawn the [Buster Sword], but revealing his identity here could place Aerith and her family in danger—something he would never allow.
"You're interfering with a Shinra mission," the suited man growled, narrowing his eyes. "Your fate won't be pretty once we capture you."
Zack smirked faintly. "Oh, it's not the first time I've been a thorn in Shinra's side. They'll manage. Not to mention… they haven't caught me yet." He bent down, lifting a thick metal pipe with a casual strength that made the onlookers tense. "Hmm… this will do."
The [Turks] exchanged uneasy glances. The atmosphere around this stranger shifted the moment he armed himself, the weight of his presence pressing against them like a storm.
"Let's see if you last longer than the last [Turks] I put down," Zack said coolly before charging straight at Shinra's secret operatives.
---
"Was it really a good idea to leave him alone?" Jessie asked quietly, glancing at her comrades. Concern flickered in her eyes as she thought of Cloud, who had vanished after the mission's success.
"He said he'd head to Tifa's bar," Barret replied with a frown, though his voice carried conviction. "Given how close those two are, it's obvious he would. And I don't think he'll betray us. He's had plenty of chances already, especially with his partner missing."
"I mean, I trust him," Wedge said, shaking his head. "He's Tifa's boyfriend. If he ever betrayed us, he'd be putting her in danger too. That alone tells me we're safe."
"Leaving that aside," he added, "we should move on to the next car."
"You're right," Barret agreed, following after his teammates with a small, satisfied smile. The news of the Sector 1 reactor's destruction with zero human casualties still echoed in his mind. "Feels good…"
"I think so too," Jessie murmured, lowering her head slightly. "Usually I feel guilty, even though I know we're doing this for the planet." After a pause, her voice softened. "I just hope he's… well…"
"Interested in our new recruit?" Barret teased, raising a brow.
Jessie's cheeks burned crimson. "N-No! I mean… I admit it, Cloud's handsome, but I don't feel that kind of connection."
Her gaze flickered, just for a moment, toward Biggs, who was staring quietly out the train window.
Barret noticed and smiled faintly. Biggs had clearly caught her interest back at the reactor, protecting her when the danger was at its peak—a textbook case of the suspension bridge effect. It wasn't a bad thing. If anything, seeing Jessie happy was a relief. She deserved that much.
---
"That hurt..." Aerith muttered, rubbing her shoulder as she looked at the young man in front of her. "Seriously, what are the odds I'd run into you while tumbling through an exhaust pipe? Honestly, I would've preferred to meet at the bottom rather than rolling into you like that…"
Cloud regarded her with his usual blank stare. "What happened?"
"The [Turks]," Aerith answered with a frown. "Zack stayed behind to fight them so I could escape. He told me to head toward Tifa's bar."
"I see..." Cloud murmured, thoughtful. "Then let's go. Zack will catch up soon."
Aerith tilted her head playfully. "Come on~! I want to meet this girl you've been thinking about for years. I've heard plenty about Zack, but I'd like to see her with my own eyes."
Cloud didn't reply—just gave her a flat look before nodding, continuing along the border between Sector 7 and Sector 6.
"Wait." Cloud suddenly stiffened. His eyes narrowed, sensing something off.
Aerith scanned the area nervously and spotted a metal rod nearby. She gasped when Cloud tossed a glowing green sphere her way. "Materia?"
"[Heal]," Cloud explained simply, watching her reaction. "It suits you. You don't like hurting others, so this could save your life—or the lives of those you love."
Aerith smiled softly. "Thank you. You two really are alike. Zack gave me [Barrier] materia for the same reason."
Cloud only shrugged. The truth was simple—they'd endured countless battles together, and in that time he'd picked up some of Zack's habits without realizing it.
"So tell me…" Aerith asked, her tone shifting into playful teasing. "Did you make it official yet?" She almost tripped over him in her eagerness, laughing when she caught herself. "I see you didn't…"
"I was going to—after the mission," Cloud muttered, his brow furrowing. "Let's leave it for another time. Something's wrong here. I can feel it."
Aerith sobered quickly, glancing around. There it was—that cold, alien sensation creeping along her spine.
Cloud halted, his expression tightening as a sharp pain stabbed through his skull. He staggered, clutching his head.
"Cloud?" Aerith called, rushing toward him. He dropped to his knees, writhing, when a shadowy figure seeped into view—a spectral silhouette cloaked in darkness. Her breath caught.
[You shouldn't be here… you've tampered with fate…] the distorted voice echoed, chilling the air. [Lives that were meant to end have been spared, upsetting the balance of the world…]
The wraith drifted closer to Cloud, only to recoil as a barrier of light burst forth, shielding him.
"Get away from him!" Aerith cried, her voice trembling. Every part of her being screamed that this thing was unlike anything tied to the planet she knew.
[Ah… daughter of the planet, caught between life and death,] the figure hissed with malice. [Your destiny is the spark of a new era. Pray he does not interfere, or the future will drown in darkness…]
Aerith's face went pale. She had seen fragments of what lay ahead, of what her sacrifice was meant to be. But this—this shifting destiny—shook her more than she could admit. Her gaze dropped to Cloud, and her thoughts whispered in turmoil. Does he know everything? Or is it just coincidence…?
She recalled the other Cloud—the one whose life was different, whose bond with Tifa ran deeper, whose fate diverged from the man before her now. And yet, it was because of this Cloud that Zack still lived. The divergence of destiny was undeniable.
"Whatever the case… he's changed everything," Aerith thought grimly, scanning the shadows where the specter had vanished. "But what was that thing?"
She knelt beside Cloud, who had slipped into unconsciousness, his breath shallow but steady. A faint smile crossed her lips, though worry clouded her eyes. "Looks like we'll be late getting to the bar after all…"
---
"Welcome to—oh, it's you, Zack," Tifa said, her eyes widening slightly before softening into a nod toward her crush's best friend. "I wasn't expecting you here."
Zack frowned at her words, an uneasy thought crossing his mind. "Aerith isn't here?"
"Aerith?" Tifa repeated, tilting her head. "Oh—you mean your girlfriend. No, she hasn't come by. Honestly, I'd be surprised if she did…"
His expression darkened. Avalanche territory or not, this sector was still dangerous—especially for someone like Aerith, who stood out with her beauty and gentle nature. She wasn't one for fighting, which only made her more vulnerable.
"She's in the sector, then?" Tifa asked, her frown deepening.
"Yeah," Zack admitted with a grim nod. "I told her to come here after we ran into some guys who've been trying to kidnap her for years."
"Oh no!" Tifa gasped, immediately turning to Marlene. "Sweetheart, watch the bar for me, okay?" Without waiting for a reply, she stepped out from behind the counter. "Come on, Zack—I'll help you look for her."
"Thanks, Tifa," Zack said with genuine gratitude. Relief washed over him a moment later, though, as the sound of familiar footsteps drew closer. His shoulders eased as the bar door swung open. "Never mind… looks like that won't be necessary."
The doorway filled with the figures of Cloud and Aerith. Both Zack and Tifa's eyes went straight to Cloud—his face pale, his movements sluggish.
"What happened?" Tifa exclaimed, rushing forward to catch her childhood friend just as his knees buckled. He collapsed against her, unconscious, and she held him tightly in her arms, worry flashing across her features.
"Hi," Aerith said quickly, though her tone carried both concern and courtesy. "I know this isn't the best time for introductions, but… my name's Aerith." She glanced at the striking black-haired woman holding Cloud and couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy at her graceful figure—especially her chest, which was far more generous than her own.
"It's a pleasure, Aerith," Tifa replied warmly, though her focus never strayed from the blond man in her arms. "My name's Tifa—and I'm the owner of this bar." Her voice softened, almost to a whisper, as she looked down at Cloud's unconscious face.
-
NEW WORLD - FINAL FANTASY VII ( AFTER THIS - DRAGON BALLS ]
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