-Chapter Three-

A treat for your patience! Ahhhhhhhh it's good to be back! Choosing my third (and most likely final T.T) victim wasn't easy, and was actually last minute.

There is no proof that Zack is an Aquarius, but based on his personality I'll pretend (So this is set around January). Thank you all for your patience. Peace! 333

Today was no ordinary day. It was Zack's birthday, and the world would never be the same.

"WOOHOO! SWEET SEVENTEEN BABY! YEEEAH!"

"Zack?" Cloud mumbled from under the covers, "People are trying to sleep."

Zack calmed his voice, but his beautiful smile still graced his face. "Sorry. Not my fault I'm an earlybird."

Cloud couldn't help but grin. "I got you a present."

"Aww Cloud, you rock! What is it? C'mon, buddy, I'm dying to know!"

"Wait." Cloud got out of bed and dug into his backpack. Zack's heart almost stopped when he pulled out a familiar looking purple box.

"OMG, a Furby?"

"Yup. And I checked with all the experts to make sure it wasn't 'hacked'. Tsk, experts on Furbys...Anyway it looks good enough."

"Are you kidding? It's BEAUTIFUL!"

"Erm...Have fun. Happy birthday."

"Where are you going? I thought you'd wanna see this thing in action!"

"Uhhh-the shower, Zack. In case you haven't noticed, everyone's still gotta work."

One of the cons of being a SOLDIER is that no one even acknowledges your birthday. Even calls home aren't allowed. Though that was acceptable for most of his co-workers, Zack wanted a little more, not in a selfish way, but in an 'it's my special day amd I have feelings' kind of way. Luckily (for some at least) his Furby could maybe, just maybe help that.

Zack was called down to Sephiroth's office. Like last time, he had to show his boss his new Furby.

"Seph! My life is complete!"

"Zackary, if you even think of bringing that talking bird anywhere near Shinra, I'll-"

"It's not hacked, I swear! Spike made sure of it. See? It's not even hungry."

"Spike? Oh, the Strife kid. Well, I'd like to wish you a happy birthday-"

"YAYY YOU REMEMBERED!"

"Yes, well, Shinra has now begun giving days off on birthdays. I personally don't see a point, but I digress. So you can-"

Zack was already gone, off to show Aerith his new Furby. He found it funny how even in January her flowers were blooming better than ever before.

"Zack! Happy bir - tell me that isn't a Furby..."

"Yuuup! But don't worry, it's perfectly sane. It doesn't want food OR my hand in marraige!"

"Everybody wins. Oh, and I have a present for you!"

"Aww, Aerith, you didn't have to do-"

From out of nowhere came the sound of someone coughing.

"Zack?"

"Maybe this thing IS hacked..."

As the coughing became louder and more violent, both Zack and Aerith hesitated.

"Well...what are we gonna do?"

"Maybe it's just sick. It's January after all. It's cold."

Desperate, Zack whipped out a Cure materia and attempted to heal his suffering Furby."

"Zack, materia won't help inanimate objects..."

"Well I gotta do something!"

The Furby suddenly stopped coughing and mumbled something.

"What?"

"I SAID I'M COLD!"

Aerith sighed.

"Yeah well somedays I wish my hair wasn't so spikey, or maybe that I was a little shorter or , oh I dunno, THAT eBAY WOULD STOP SELLING HACKED FURBYS TO ME!"

"I'M STILL COLD!"

At last, Aerith finally snapped. With uncharacteristic strength and fierceness, she threw Zack's Furby through the gaping hole in the church's ceiling.

"A-Aerith?"

She blushed. "Umm...and now for your present!" Aerith handed Zack a little gift bag.

"YAYY CRISIS CORE! How'd you know?"

"Well, doesn't the guy on the cover kinda look like you?"

Zack stared hard. "I don't see that at all."

She laughed. "Well, birthday boy, I've got some errands to run."

"But I have the whole day off!"

"Well you can play your new game. That thing's expensive, y'know."

"Okay!"

On the way to pick up his PSP, Zack could still hear the Furby screaming at him. He forced himself not to look back.

"How's the Furby?" Cloud asked when Zack reached his room. "Umm...WHERE is the Furby?"

"Screaming for help on a lonely street corner in Sector 5, why do you ask?"

"ZACK!"

"It's not my fault, really! And look, I've got Crisis Core!"

Cloud took the case in his hands. "The guy on the back looks familiar..."

"I know right! Err...Cloud do you think that maybe..."

"Maybe that's you?"

Zack squealed. "IMMA STAR! I'd like to thank the academy!"

Cloud chuckled. "Me too? All of us?"

"Deja vu, man!"

A week later (A very LONG week for Cloud who had to put up with Zack's passion for his video game self 24/7) Zack finished the game.

"Shoot! I died...again...literally...Whoa, Cloud, what if this is all gonna happen to me?"

"Zack. It's three in the freakin' morning. Get some sleep."

"But-"

"I really doubt that the game is an exact biography. Maybe someone overexaggerated."

"Okay..."

"Zack? Zack, are you crying?"

"No..."

Cloud rolled out of bed and came to Zack.

"Just put the game down. It'll do us both good. Pleeeaase?"

"Kay."

The next morning, you'd never know that Zack had been contemplating death. He was his usual bubbly, happy self. Today, there was a treasure to find in the plains.

Zack found it easily, with Reno waiting for him.

"Yo, kid, I gotta tell you something."

"Uh...Okay?"

"You know all these Furbys you've been buying off of eBay?"

"Yeeeeahh?"

"Well - Maybe, just maybe - I'm...selling them-"

Zack didn't hesitate to slap Reno across the face. "What?"

"Look, man, isn't there something we can do to get even?"

"Ohhh yeah. Just you wait." Zack raided the treasure chest and headed back.

"Zack?" Cloud asked curiously. "What are you doing?"

"Wait...aha! Send!"

"Zack..."

"Shhh-It's a secret. Come down to the lobby with me, I've got the perfect sweet revenge!"

"Revenge?"

Once in the lobby, full of infantrymen getting their morning cup of coffee, Zack shouted, "Everyone, this is an emergency. All of you have recieved a very urgent message. Please check your eMail ASAP!"

Cloud was first to act upon the order. Upon checking his messages, he noticed one that probably should've been spam. It was titled 'PAYBACK TIME RENO!' and it had been sent to everyone in the Shinra building. From Zack? No way!

It read 'Now we're even' and there was a video attatched: Reno doing the Macarana? Cloud could barely stand to watch.

When Zack came back to his room, Cloud demanded an explanation. He showed up with his Furby.

"It was lonely! And it took hours to find this!"

As Zack held his Furby friend tight, he heard it mumble "Sweet revenge!"

In the faraway Turks dorm, Reno was heard screaming.

Thanks guys! Patience pays off! I hope...