Hello, folks. I haven't logged into this account for...many years. I'm glad to say that I'm back and now with my first fic for the
FINAL FANTASY VII world. For this fic, I'll be co-writing with Riku Kingdom Hearts, who literally resurrected me from writer's block.
It's been a while since I'm this excited for a project!

Hope you guys will like it!

It felt like an evening like all the rest. Zack had gone to his favorite diner for some light food and was planning to just relax and read. What he planned to read today was something really special after all.

From his book bag he pulled out a small comic book and set it on the table. He smiled happily as he looked over the cover which read Crisis Core: The Nibelheim Chronicles. It was the 7th volume… the final volume of the mini series. It excited him and at the same time filled him with a sense of worry.

The Crisis Core graphic novel series was something he always had loved reading ever since he discovered the series. It was an older one, but it was so fascinating for Zack with the story that it talked about. It was a dystopian, sci-fi fantasy series set in an apocalyptic city with antagonists that ranged from scientific experiments to even aliens.

It was overall a larger series and Zack had read it over and over again, falling in love of the setting and the story…and as well as one certain character. There was one character that, to Zack, stood out from all the rest. That one character was the one who Zack had unintentionally falling in love with, but he wouldn't have had it any other way.

One of the main protagonists was a man by the name of Cloud Strife. He was a young blond who was the lone wolf type of character, but deep down under the cool and snarky exterior, was the kindest heart. It was that type of character that really stood out to Zack, and he found himself drawn too, and he wanted to learn as much as he could.

With his research, mainly from the help of his friend Kunsel, he found out that the Crisis Core series actually had a mini series that followed after the main story ended. It was just his luck that this mini series, Crisis Core: The Nibelheim Chronicles, focused solely on Cloud and his post-main story journey.

With it being a short run mini series, and the overall series being old, copies were very hard to come by. Zack had done whatever he could to track down the 7 volumes of The Nibelheim Chronicles for his collection.

Months upon months had been spent hunting, from online sites to every comic book store he could feebly go to. Even to the point of asking his friend Aerith, who owned her own comic book store, to see if she could order the out of print series. But of course she had to remind him constantly it was out of print and there was no way to just order it up for him like he wished.

But a breakthrough had happened just a couple of months ago. Kunsel managed to really dig deep and found a good quality copy of the final volume. Zack had tried to figure out how in the world Kunsel ever did it, but the man was a mystery, he never revealed his secrets. Either way, Zack had gotten the comic and could finally read it. He could finally see how Cloud's adventure would end, yet at the same time…he was afraid to see it end.

When he had read the original end to the main series, he had been left with a mixed feeling. The series was open ended considering it was still in an apocalyptic setting, but things were starting to look brighter. But Zack had always felt like there could have been so much more, and that was where that mini series with Cloud came in. He had eagerly read the first six volumes but when it came to the last, he kept putting it off. He felt too afraid to finally see the true end of the series for Cloud. Though he knew he could just reread it and live it all over again, he still couldn't bear the thought to see Cloud's story end.

Stared at the cover, he smiled at the image. It was of Cloud leaning against his iconic motorcycle as he overlooked the futuristic and dystopian city of Midgar. He always looked so cool no matter what he did. Plus he had a rather over the top but also all black outfit that made him look even more of a badass.

Maybe it was childish to have a crush on a comic book character, but Zack really didn't care what others thought of it. His friends never judged him at least they all thought it was rather cute instead.

But now he had to focus. He had to get to the whole entire reason he was sitting here in his little secluded booth at a small diner. He was here to read this comic while also enjoying a nice cup of hot cocoa.

The owner and the only chef of the diner, Cid Highwind, brought out a plate filled with golden brown pancakes, crispy glazed strips of bacon, and bright yellow scrambled eggs — all the things Zack had ordered so often Cid didn't even have to ask. All Zack had to do was enter the place, with the old-but-functional automatic doorbell announcing his presence, and Cid would get to it right away.

Soft jazzy music kept the silence at bay. As usual, Zack found himself bopping his head slightly to the tune of the music played via the speaker system once again. He'd have them as the score accompanying various scenes from Crisis Core.

The tracks with romantic saxophones would be for close-ups on Cloud Strife.

Cid placed the dish in front of Zack, of which he replied with multiple thank yous. The chef's response was a smile of sincerity.

Zack switched back-and-forth between eating and reading the comic. He wouldn't let the most valuable object in his universe be stained by the very food he consumed.

The hot cocoa elevated the taste, bridging the land of sweet and salty in his mouth. After letting out a sigh, relaxing with the warmth of the liquid, he decided it was finally time to open up the book and begin reading. Carefully he opened it up to the first page that was just a quick retelling catch up of what had happened in the prior six volumes, including some light touches back to the main series.

After the planet had been saved from the alien force that was Jenova, you would think that the world could be at peace. But for one like Cloud Strife, peace was still so far away. There were still so many pieces to pick up, and still so many to discover, or in Cloud's case rediscover.

After Jenova's defeat, Cloud went on his journey to uncover the mystery of the past that he had forgotten. Those long forgotten memories of things that had been buried away. It all led him back to Nibelheim, the source of so much pain and destruction for so many. The further he dug, the more trouble he found himself in.

A new threat arose in the form of a mysterious group that sought to destroy Cloud. The only way to defeat them lied hidden in the past buried deep — waiting to be unearthed. The group proclaimed themselves as the Remnants, and they wanted to make sure that Cloud couldn't get away that easily.

He would have to deal with them in any way he could, using measures he had never thought of using before — for they were mischievous, smart and tactful. Cloud had experienced life and death. But this time around, all bets were off. He had to survive, not just for himself but for the Planet itself too. The past moved like shadows. The present stuck between what came before and what would come next. The future had yet to be seen. And now...it's time for us to witness the most perilous battle Cloud would ever face — from within.

Zack breathed in deeply. "Okay…" he muttered to himself. "This is it… the last instalment. Let's see what you do Cloud."

He flipped the page and immediately it started off with Cloud sitting on his motorcycle as he stared off at the city of Midgar. The panels showed him from different angles looking thoughtful and Zack couldn't help but sigh at the detail and expressed that they had drawn into his beautiful face.

Soon thoughts came in the next panel from Cloud, still looking as calm as ever. "Midgar… haven't been back in two years… so much has changed."

Cloud closed his eyes, seeming like he was sighing. "I wonder… maybe I should check in on the others. They'd probably want to see me."

Was it possible to have such a strong fixation on someone created by the hands of somebody's else? To be so smitten by just merely a glance. To have your heart beat faster than usual. And maybe, to live a life in honor and admiration of that someone, even.

The answer would be a resounding yes from Zack. He'd tell others he collected and read it for the stories and that he'd love to be its archiver — to protect the last of the lasts. Both of these were true, but none were as true as the main reason why — Cloud Strife.

Cloud Strife. C-L-O-U-D. S-T-R-I-F-E.

Zack repeated his name over and over, day and night. He had drawn fanarts of the blonde soldier in various forms, ranging from a black-and-white sketch to full-on digital illustrations and oil paintings. He had to borrow Aerith's laptop from time to time, should he have the urge to draw Cloud in a digital form. His own laptop was rather old and nearing its demise.

With the last volume of Crisis Core in his hands, he flipped each page akin to how restorers in museums turned pages of centuries-old sacred texts of history. It had the same importance to him. This was history. The past, present and future coming together for one final send-off.

His fingers traced the shapes of the impeccably drawn figures of Cloud — masculine yet feminine, or the reverse of it. Pages with close-ups took him more than ten seconds to turn. He locked his own eyes with Cloud's — those perfect blue eyes that put him under a spell.

The music in the shop played the track with the soft saxophone once again. Some of the patrons had taken notice of how better the music at Cid's compared to others. The man took no credit. He simply gave it to "those old-ass CDs I found in the garage."

Zack wasn't the biggest music person — that person would be Tifa, Aerith's another close friend who works at the bar she built and ran. But he did have some certain knowledge about it and he was certain this particular track was spot-on for the page he was on now. He would have to ask Cid later about the track's name.

The page he was on, had Cloud changing his clothes in a local motel. It wasn't erotic by nature at all, yet, soft pink spots formed on Zack's cheeks. He took a quick sip of the cocoa, now colder by the law of Thermodynamics, and cleared his throat.

In the panel previous to this, Cloud was caught in the rain — his fluffy, spiky hair now drenched and down, covering his face. He booked a room furthest from anyone. The soldier didn't mind acquaintances, just not when he was unceremoniously sporting a drown cat look.

Cloud took his clothes off piece-by-piece, dropping the wet ones in a bucket nearby. Clank...clank..clank, as the rainwater-soaked clothes got dropped into it.

Underneath all the garments was the body of the man of Zack's dream. The perfect man. In this volume, the illustrators seemed to beef up Cloud's physique. He was more muscular, but still with grace and agility. Scars of healed physical wounds decorated here and there on the man's body.

Zack gulped. So this is what they'd call an experience.

Flipping to another page, now Cloud was in nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist — the "V" lines of his hips visible more than ever. Cloud approached a mirror next to the bed where the lampshade was. He stared straight into his own reflection.

Zack got even more attentive by this.

Those blue eyes, reflecting endlessly right back at Zack.

Those blue eyes, drawing him closer and closer to the page.

Those blue eyes, turning around to face him—

Zack paused. He rubbed his eyes, slightly puzzled. "Did...the page just...?"

Carrying on, he turned to another page to find...a transparent mirror-like page. He tried changing to another, but the pages were stuck together. He exerted a more considerable but acceptable force to pry them open.

They wouldn't.

He tried again. And again.

Maybe someone played a prank on him. But no, it couldn't have been Kunsel. Yes, they would do practical jokes on each other — but never when it's about the things they hold dear. As Zack was about to leave the table to ask Cid for a small favor, his hand got stuck to the comic — as if he was glued to it.

He looked down, seeing the pages have turned into heavy liquid and his left hand submerged in it. Just when Zack was about to ask himself the how and why, a pulsing sensation vibrated throughout his arm to every single part of his body. He let out a small yelp, for it resembled an electric shock. He pulled and pulled, only to make things worse as now his arm started to go deeper into the "pool" of liquid.

He could try screaming for help but the words wouldn't just come out.

With his last effort, he breathed in and out — and used all the strengths he had to be free from the ever-consuming pool. The first two seconds, it seemed like he won. The following seconds, however, proved him wrong.

His face fell into the pool, followed by the rest of his body. Thunderous sounds screeched and pierced the once silent space.

For the other tables and Cid, the world remained the same. The chef spotted where Zack was, "huh"-ing at the lack of Zack's presence. He excused himself from the customers he was chatting with, to find a comic book closed and sat comfortably next to an eaten meal.

Cid took the comic and placed it on the table in his office behind the metal doors. His diner wasn't just a diner, but also the town's unofficial lost-and-found station.

In the twisting, pulsating darkness Zack couldn't make out his whereabouts, his body free-floated and got thrown around by strong, unknown forces. His hands covered his ears and his eyes completely closed — sparing himself the sight of the disturbances occurring around him.

Faint voices seeping in. Zack couldn't make out most of the words, but he did hear what sounded like his name. The voices grew louder and louder. He could hear his name echoing endlessly. He begged for it to stop, shouting as loud as he could.

Another second passed and he found himself crashing through the liquid surface, the same one that sucked him in.

THUD!

Zack landed on something...or someone. The world was now quiet — almost.

He could hear someone breathing close by, with short and sharp breaths. Blinking a few times to try and clear his vision, Zack finally had the strength to open up his eyes. Though what he saw before him was possibly the last thing he ever expected to see.

Bright, vibrant blue eyes were staring right into his own. A mix of anger and confusion seems to fill them, and slowly Zack started piecing together just who it was who he was looking at. There was no mistaking the blue eyes… or the blond spiky hair.

"I'm going to ask you again, who the hell are you and how did you get here?"

Zack gasped. Cloud… he was speaking. He had a voice and he was talking! He was not only talking, but he was talking directly to him!

Silence is golden, they said. Alas, this was proven to be wrong — precisely in this case. Words were about to come out of Zack's mouth, only to go back in fear and confusion. Zack had run through all the lists of possible scenarios from least wildest to the most.

Whatever was happening in front of him surpassed even the most extreme options.

"I...I don't know. I was just...reading. Something happened. I don't know how to explain. But what I can tell you is that I'm as confused as you are right now," Zack replied, trying his best to come off as non-threatening as he could.

A few inches away from Zack were shards of glasses from the mirror—fully broken. Fortunately, there wasn't any cut on his body.

Cloud narrowed his eyes, clearly he was far from believing what Zack had just told him. Quickly he seemed to come back to his senses and shoved Zack off of him. "How can you go from reading… to being on top of me in my motel room? Plus there is also the fact that the mirror is broken all of a sudden. What explanation do you have for that?"

"I don't have an explanation that will really answer both of our questions. But I can tell you this. I was reading a comic book. A...I don't know…portal emerged and sucked me into it. Next thing I know, I was in some weird dimension and then crashed into your room, Clo—"

A close call. Zack almost said Cloud's name. He cleared his throat to hide his accidental mistake.

"If anything, can you tell me where I am?" Zack inquired. He looked around the room, trying to make sense of this new environment. "Is this really happening? Am I dreaming?"

There was still a high level of suspicion in Cloud's eyes as he stood up. Zack figured Cloud totally did not buy what he was saying, but he wasn't going to say anything on it yet. Instead he walked towards his bag that he placed on the bed. He pulled out a pair of pajamas and headed closer to the bathroom. "You're at a small motel at the edge of Midgar. And if you are talking about portals and dimensions… Honestly with the way the planet works I wouldn't be surprised if something like that is possible. Gaia knows I've seen weirder."

Midgar. Gaia. Two words Zack had ingrained and integrated into his waking and sleeping life. There's only one place where those two words co-existed with each other — the Crisis Core series. Despite another part of himself yelling at him to try to convince the very sight of Cloud Strife and himself being in the same room was merely an imagination, reality came knocking to remind him this was true.

This was happening. For real.

Zack stood up, brushing off the dust if there was any. "So, um, I'm Zack, by the way," Zack said, extending a hand for a handshake.

Cloud stared down at Zack's hand and then his eyes slowly drifted up. Briskly he entered the bathroom and slammed the door. There was a brief pause before the door opened a crack and Cloud poked his head through. "Don't think of trying to leave. I still have questions for you." After that he closed the door again.

"Well, at least he didn't cut me with his sword." Zack sighed, a mix of relief and slight disappointment in his failure to properly initiate a proper physical contact. Falling on somebody while they were dressed in nothing but a towel surely didn't count.

An idea suddenly sparked in him. He reached for his phone in his right pants pocket—it was still there. Should he be able to go back to this world, he'd have proof he was the first human to do interdimensional traveling.

The battery was at 87 percent.

Wait. Hold on a sec. It dawned on him, truly. He was in the same room as Cloud Strife. The one and only. The hero, the soldier, the warrior and many more words with "the" in front of them.

"Oh my god. Oh my fucking god," Zack proclaimed, with muffled chuckling for he covered his mouth as to not startle Cloud.

Today has proven to be revelations after revelations, and another came to light. He caught the sight of the Buster Sword, worm with time but not rusty yet, laying against the wooden wardrobe. He moved closer to see it clearly. It was magnificent and astonishing beyond his wildest notions.

Zack's brain yelled back at him. Something isn't right. As if a freight train crashed into him, Zack let out yet another gasp — of which wouldn't be the last. The sword wasn't real. Not in the sense that it didn't exist.

It was in a comic book style.

The whole thing—hand-drawn and colored by illustrators and artists of the series. Zack looked around him to see the room and all the objects in it were of the similar fashion.

Cloud, too, was the same.

The moon landing was an achievement for humankind. But this might just surpass it.

Zack took his phone out again, turning on Silent Mode, and took pictures of everything as much as he could. The pictures matched with what he saw.

It'd a while before he'd get to snap pictures of Cloud. Trust had to be earned and he was willing to do it.

But back on the thought of taking pictures and seeing that the world he was in stayed styled like the comic, a new thought came to mind. He took his phone and held it out in front of him, then he clicked the button for the camera to flip.

His eyes widened as he saw his reflection. It was still him, that hadn't changed, but he was now styled like everything else. He looked like he had been drawn right into the comic.

Right away he went back to taking a couple more pictures when he heard the bathroom door open. Cloud stood there, his eyes dead set on Zack. "And just what do you think you are doing?"

Startled, Zack hid his phone behind his back. He'd tell Cloud about what he did later but now was not the time. "I—was checking if my phone has a signal. You know, like, moving it around the room to see which spot is strongest!"

Zack didn't lie much throughout his life. Honesty and him were best friends. His mother and father had raised him to tell only the truth and lie only when it was absolutely necessary.

A floral-scented smell hit his nose. He couldn't pinpoint the exact name of the scent. The closest that came to mind was chamomile.

Cloud raised an eyebrow. "Really? Cause to me it looked like you were taking pictures of my stuff."

"Shit. He knows. What to do?!"

"And why would I do that?" Unknown to Zack, his voice went up slightly higher than usual. He was guilty of the crime Cloud accused him of. Maybe he was gonna have to come clean sooner than expected.

Zack took a deep breath. "I'm sorry if I'm acting weird. Everything's been beyond my scope and I don't exactly know what to do," Zack said, rubbing behind the back of his neck—his eyes apologizing to the blonde before him with puppy-like qualities.

Cloud sighed as he walked closer to Zack. "Then why don't you start at the beginning and tell me everything that happened before you ended up here."

Butterflies were let loose and now flying within Zack's stomach. He recomposed himself before telling Cloud of the knowledge he had about this dimension.

Or parts of it, for now. Zack had many fears and a new one just being added: telling someone they were created—not by a God or Goddess, but as a character in a story.

Zack placed himself on the edge of the bed. He pulled his phone out and showed Cloud the pictures he had taken.

"I did what I did not because I'm a spy or someone wanting to take an advantage of you. I just want...proof. You see, this world...of yours...it isn't mine. I'm sure you've already figured that out. Like I told you before, I was reading a comic book and got transported here," Zack explained, anticipating the worst but also hoping for the best of the outcome of his words to Cloud.

"Still…" Cloud made his way back over to Zack. "How well can you detail what happened? Particularly with that part where you said you were sucked into a portal. We will start with that."

"Maybe because I was closing my ears and eyes the whole time. It was short too, but enough to scare me," Zack described, the violent sensation of going through the portal haunting him at the back of his mind.

A serious look came upon Zack's face. "The really strange part was...hearing my name being said over and over. I'm not a scientist but I don't think you'd have to be one to know what's explainable and what's not," he added, ending with a small laugh.

Zack reached out his hand, offering a handshake yet again. "Hope that's enough to know I'm not a threat," he joked.

Cloud stayed perfectly still. He had kept his eyes locked on Zack the entire time. It was clear that he still had his suspicions, but slowly he reached out to grab Zack's hand and shake it. "Fine. I'll believe you for now, but I still have more questions. I suppose though you really have no idea how you were brought here." A moment later he added on. "The name's Cloud by the way."

Whoa. Cloud's hand...with his own—a connection of two lives from different worlds altogether. The universe both of them occupying right this second not collapsing on itself. If there was any anomaly it was him, Zack surmised. Just maybe, no matter how small the chance might be, there could be a meaning to why Zack was brought here.

"Cloud...nice name for a battle-hardened person like you," Zack complimented. Of course it was a nice name—a great name, even!

Zack got up from the bed, shooting at Cloud his soft smile. "By the way, you mind if I use the bathroom for a bit? Just for a quick wash on my face."

At first Cloud looked surprised by the comment Zack had made about his name. But the expression quickly faded away, back to his normal relaxed face.

Cloud merely shrugged after that. "Do as you please I guess. Just do not think you can attempt anything. I'll still be watching you."

Zack signaled Cloud a "gotcha" stance and entered the bathroom. The faucet creaked with the smallest of touches. He cupped his hands, getting the water as much as he could and cleaned his face. A couple more splashes were enough for him. He turned off the faucet.

The molecules, the DNA strands and all the small things that came together to make who he was now—they weren't changed by the trip through the portal nor the difference in his appearance. The water dripped from the tip of his fingers as real as when he was back home.

Then again, what was real and what was not?

Zack got out of the bathroom, greeted by Cloud who turned to face him as soon as he stepped out. Cloud was now sitting on the bed, with his arms and legs crossed. "So Zack… what makes you say that my name suits a 'battle-hardened person' like me? We've never met before."

Tucking his hands into the pockets of the pants, Zack answered, "judging from your sword there. Looks like it's been through a lot. And, I don't know, something about a person named Cloud who's good at fighting just clicked." Zack shrugged, in a playful manner.

Cloud raised an eyebrow. "Just because I carry a sword doesn't mean I am a good fighter. Unless of course you have actually been spying on me."

"I mean...it's a special kind of sword, isn't it? For someone to wield it, that person must be really good at using it. Hell, might as well use it to save the world too," Zack giggled mildly.

In the series, Cloud had always been depicted as smarter than he looked—a feature the soldier used extensively to trick enemies. Zack wasn't only seeing it first hand but also on the receiving end. He was both glad and sort of terrified.

Zack added, crossing his arms, "and what kinda spy uses a dimension-crossing portal?"

"The kind that could be clearly lying to make me believe that something like that can be possible," Cloud replied in a deadpan tone.

Zack raised his voice a bit, only with an intention to be truthful, "but I'm not, Cloud! I don't have any reason to!" A sigh escaped his mouth. He expressed a sincere apology to the blonde.

Cloud sighed as well. "All right, let's say I do actually believe you right now. I don't trust you yet, but I'll believe you are telling the truth. Let's refresh, you said you were reading a comic and then were pulled into a portal… was there anything odd or strange about what you were reading?"

Throughout the years, Zack had come into close contact with high-anxiety events. He overcame them and survived to tell the tales to his close friends. To others, it might not seem like a big of a thing to be happy about—but Zack took pride in this. It wasn't easy and likely wouldn't be. He wouldn't give up, that's for certain.

Zack would have to add Cloud asking him about what he read into the list of those events. Zack ran the scenarios in his head, picturing the next following seconds. It was the fear— the fear of the truth.

Often, it was a resolution. It also could be a destructive weapon.

"No...not really. It was just a story about otherworldly adventures in the faraway land of a warrior. I'm a fan of the series and the one that I'm reading is the last volume of a limited-run series. Hard to find, y'know? Gotta thanks my buddy for finding it for me," Zack explained, his mood lifting up a bit once he got to talk about what he was an expert in.

"I guess that could be something to go off on. But it still leaves questions." Cloud stretched for a moment, letting out a silent yawn. "We'll look more into this tomorrow. It's no use trying when we're tired."

Zack agreed. There was a couch right by the door large enough for a person to sleep on. There was only one pillow and it was for Cloud. He didn't mind taking a rest on it. The gap between him and Cloud not too far apart. This room was dainty and useful just enough for the weary travelers. His ears picked up sounds outside the wall—Midgar was just outside. Midgar! The city he had drawn scenery based on illustrations from the comics.

As much as he'd prefer to show Cloud his works, there was time for everything—hopefully.

Zack had flopped down onto the couch, ready to fall asleep. But he could see that Cloud was still sitting up and staring at him. His neutral, hard to read expression covered his face, barely even flinching. "You do know it is a pull out couch, right?"

Zack stared back at Cloud in confusion and surprise. "It's a pull out couch? Of course, it's a damn pull out couch!" He got up and did the pulling. Lo and behold, the couch was transformed into a fully-fledged bed—enough for two people. Zack didn't see Cloud sharing a bed with him when he had the whole bed to himself and they just met.

A part of Zack threw a coin down the wishing well. Didn't hurt to try.

"Thanks for mentioning," Zack said, ready to fall asleep and begin his adventure in the brave new world. The neighborhood outside carried on with their lives in preparation of a new day. He turned his face away from Cloud, sure in the fact of the awkwardness of accidentally waking up and staring at the blonde in the morning.

With his eyes closed, the dark void became the world of life and he was among the populace—merely just existing. Zack preferred his dreams to be about nothing rather than be about anything that's horrific.

"What would Cloud dream about?"