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Cloud had Zack’s blood on his face – a bright red smear of it – and his eyes went wild.
Zack hardly felt the rain or Cloud’s grip on his bullet-holed shirt, and he was seeing the light, waiting to take the hand of death Herself. When light took him through the perfect circle of Her embrace, he did not fear.
But when the light and the weightlessness was gone, gravity and night took over, and he fell back to the ground with a thump.
The pain returned: it was as if the bullets within him were shredding his flesh all over again. Crying out in agony he rolled and curled into himself, face pressed into sweet-smelling grass. When the pain eventually subsided into a dull ache, he felt his stomach and chest in dismay:
By some strange magic the bullets had been pushed from his flesh and lay bloodied on the grass. The flesh that was once rendered was freshly healed, knitted together as if he had been lying on this earth for weeks, not minutes.
Perturbed, but completely healed, Zack was able to use his other senses again, and he stood up and looked around, listened, and inhaled. He was in a grassy clearing edged by a forest. The breeze was fresh, and he could hear singing and laughing in the distance. He walked towards the joyous sound of people, traveling through the forest of old trees.
In a small treeless section of the forest, a colourful bard was playing while a young man sung and many more danced, linking arms, clapping hands, and having fun. When the brunette bard caught sight of him he stopped playing and stood up abruptly, staring at him with more curiosity than fear, but it caught the party’s attention and they all stopped and stared.
It sounded silly even in his own head, but Zack had to know, so he asked them, “Am I dead?”
The woman with cat ears answered, “Favour smiles upon you, ally, for you have not succumbed to death this day."
Zack rubbed the back of his head, a little nervous. “Oh, cool. So where am I?”
“A little late to be summoning warriors, is it not?” commented a dark knight.
“Materia must want to give us friends,“ said the girl in polka-dot leggings optimistically. “What's your name, stranger?”
“My name’s Zack!” Zack grinned at her, pointing to himself with his thumb.
“Zack?” someone from the back asked.
The people all moved aside as someone – no Cloud – moved to the front of the group, then stopped next to the bard and stared. Zack stared back; this was Cloud, but an impossibly older version in dark jeans and a corded top, yet still as pretty as the day they'd met.
“...Whoa hey Cloud,” said Zack, keeping his voice slow and a little quiet since Cloud looked spooked. “You made it.”
“He from your world, Cloud?” the bard asked. “Wow that's good fortune!”
“Yeah,” Cloud mumbled.
There was a moment where they just stared at each other, Zack's smile fading.
“Maybe you two should go talk privately,” the girl said eventually. “It should be safe enough if you stick to the trees; the manikin horde has moved on from here.”
In silent agreement they walked side by side through a forest full of tall dark trunks, the vegetation at the top making a canopy that blocked the stars. When they were well enough away from earshot they stopped and caught each other’s gaze. Something burned at the back of Zack’s throat and in his belly just at the sight of Cloud. “You're older,” Zack commented dumbly, noting the broadened shoulders and taming of his once very unruly head of blonde spikes. “But, in a good way – "
“I’ve waited so long for this,” Cloud blurted, before blushing in embarrassment. He looked away from Zack’s stare. “I mean, last I saw you... you were dead on the cliff.”
Zack clenched his jaw, then strode over, closing the distance by pulling Cloud into a firm embrace.
Cloud was still shorter than him by half a head – that had not changed – but the muscular feel of him was a little different. Zack revelled in the feel of Cloud’s hair against his cheek. “That moment on the cliff was only a few minutes ago for me,” Zack told him, gently pulling away, “which is why I thought... maybe this is death...”
“It's not,” Cloud said matter-of-factly, looking up into his eyes with mako blues similar to his own. “It's another world; I've only ever heard of it being referred to as World B: a mirror image world of Warrior of Light’s, populated by our memories.”
“Okay...” Zack chewed on that for a moment. “Is there any way of getting back?”
Cloud nodded. “The gods will send us back once they’ve copied across our memories into the manikins so they can continue producing energy for this world. But... now that you’re here...” Cloud looked away and stepped back a little. “...I don't know that I want to go back. I just... if we can stay here a little longer...”
Zack recognised this mood: Cloud’s internal struggle that lead to depression and days of brooding. This was the part where Zack would throw an arm around his shoulders, say something light-hearted and energetic, while hidden within the words and gesture was a calming support: I will always be here for you when you need me the most, even after I’m gone, I'll still be here.
Zack draped his arm over Cloud’s shoulders and ruffled his hair; Cloud gave him a half-hearted glare in response. Mission accomplished. “How about you introduce me to your new friends?” he said.
Cloud maneuvered himself away with a light smile, then walked back to the group with Zack following then falling into step with him.
“You okay, Cloud?” the bard asked when they got there, and Zack felt a sudden pang of jealousy that he quickly quashed.
“Yeah. Bartz, this is Zack; Zack meet Bartz.”
They both exchanged jovial greetings, though they didn't shake each other's hand.
Cloud stepped closer to the group. “Hey everyone,” he called; even in his normal voice they all stopped talking and turned to him. “This is my friend Zack – “
“His best friend,” Zack added with a grin.
Cloud blinked at him, then continued, “Um, my best friend from my world. Zack, this is Bartz as you know, Squall, Rinoa, Zidane, Lightning, Terra – “
“It's a pleasure to meet you!” said the girl in the leggings.
“- Luneth, Y’Shtola, Vaan, Ramza, Ace, Firion, Tidus, Yuna, Shantotto, Locke, Cecil, Kain, Noctis, and the Warrior of Light.”
“No name, huh?” Zack asked the last guy.
“I cannot remember it,” he answered monotonously.
Zack raised his eyebrows at that, then he looked around at everyone's faces. “Well... I'll try to remember everyone's names.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “And thanks for having me.”
“The pleasure is most surely ours,” said Y’Shtola.
“Stick by Cloud,” said Tidus, “he’ll look after you.”
Zack and Cloud exchanged glances, and something hot and heavy dropped within Zack’s stomach as their gazes lingered.
end.