I opened my eyes very slowly, not exactly sure as to what had just happened. My vision was extremely blurred, everything slurring into one big glob of swirling colors. Memories of what had happened before I was here in the rain and mud refused to come into focus too. I concentrated as my Vision became less hazy and one thought came to mind.

Zack!

He had given his life to save mine. I had to find him and save him. Fast.

I pushed myself up, tumbling over again into the mud. I let out an angered grunt, forcing my sore and tired body to rise from the ground. I used all the strength I could muster to crawl through the slick muck, up the steep slope, to where Zack was sure to be found.

I froze, seeing Zack laying against the chilled, soupy ground in such bad shape taking it's emotional toll. I gasped.

No, no, please, no! Don't let this be it!

He just lay there, eyes open, seeing nothing, blood trickling down into his eyes and into the already soaked mud beneath him. His skin and clothes were extremely tattered, everything stained with crimson. I pulled myself desperately through the slimy earth, making my way slowly to Zack. The ground became immensely filled with Zack's blood as I scrabbled to his side. I clawed at the squelchy mud, forcing my limp body into a sitting position at Zack's side.

I couldn't breathe. It was all too much! Zack... He... he was gone? How could this happen?

"Zack?" I breathed, my eyes flooding with tears. I felt like I was drowning in sorrow, but the tears couldn't come out. I stared on in horror as Zack didn't respond.

Then, he gave out a faint grunt as he writhed slightly against the mud. I gasped, my breath catching in my throat. He fell back down against the muck and gasped and sputtered, trying to remember how to breath.

He finally looked over at me with glassy blue eyes and answered my lingering question.

"For the... for the both of us." he panted, his voice raspy and sounding half dead and what remained of his blood dripping into his eyes and mouth.

"Both... of us?" I whispered, so confused. He faintly nodded, a small and weak smile spreading on his lips. "That's right. You're gonna..." he paused, trying to catch his fleeting breath. My eyes widened, waiting for him to say that it was all gonna be okay; that he would live on with me. "you're gonna..." he tried again, wheezing slightly as his mouth was filled by his own dried blood. I leaned in to hear his hushed voice over the pouring rain.

I shuddered as he struggled to bring his hand up to my face. He placed it against the side of my cheek, his hand already cold as ice. He pulled me down gently against his bleeding chest. I didn't care if his blood covered my face and drenched my hair. I shuddered and let the first of my tears fall and mingle with the rain and blood on Zack's chest.

"Live." He rasped, his cold hand stroking my head slightly. My breath caught in my throat and I gasped, realizing what he was saying. "You'll be..." he continued quietly. I kept my face buried in his chest, not wanting to let go and watch him die. He sputtered rain and blood from his mouth, struggling desperately to get the next words out. "My living legacy." He whispered, my tears falling with greater viscosity now. I felt his hand slip from my face as his strength dwindled and pulled back very slowly and extremely carefully. His arm flopped against the muck with a sickening "plop."

I looked at his reduced state, his breath coming an shallow gasps, his eyes barely seeing me. I stared on in panicky anxiousness as I saw live slipping from him. I could feel his hot blood slicking my hair against my face, it dripping into my eyes and I felt momentarily as if I were going to wretch, but I stayed still as he moved again.

He struggled to move his head to the side to look at his sword. I gaped as he somehow mustered enough strength to bring the hilt into my hands. "My honor... my dreams." he barely gasped. "They're yours now." he said in a this-is-it tone of voice. I couldn't move as I stared in horror at my hands gripping his sword. I felt sick and helplessly lost as I watched him reach out to grip my hand. I yanked away, a bit harsher than I intended, thinking "NO. This can't he the last lie I see him! I won't allow our last moments to be like this!"

I instantly felt terrible as I watched his face, still smiling as if he knew what was about to happen.

"I'm... your living... legacy." I forced out, the lump in my throat swelling. He smiled a wider, happy sort of smile and I knew. I knew then he was not going to make it through.

I froze with fear and helplessness as his eyelids slowly fell over his eyes.

I sat there silently and watched his cold body as the rain pelted at him, washing the blood and moving his raven-like hair.

I began to tremble, feeling like I was falling apart, being pushed over the edge of a bottomless black abyss. I began to sob quietly as tears continued to flow down. They echoed against the rocks around me as they intensified. Feeling like I had to let out my grieving heart, I wailed into the sky, putting all my pent-up anger, frustration, confusion, and sadness into one, pained scream. I dug my nails into the hilt of Zack's sword as the scream silenced itself into shuddering breaths.

I thought of all the wonderful times I had shared with Zack. The times I had enjoyed his proud smile, the times we had shared laughter. I remembered the ways he had always tried his best to help me, and all the times he had given me that captivating, intense stare, completed with a breath-taking smile. And not to forget all the fun times we had shared, the greetings and the goodbyes. Every moment spent together with Zack had been so delightful.

I stared up into the rain, letting it wash Zack's blood from my hair and face and letting the weakening rain drops fall down into my face. The rain drops slowly stopped falling and the sun peeked from behind the gray clouds.

I looked back down at Zack's body and sighed, dropping my hands into my lap, still clasped around the sword.

Then, I remembered something Zack had said a while back. It rang loudly in my ears as my tears dried themselves.

"Embrace your dreams. If you want to be a hero you have to have dreams."

I watched as his still body lay peacefully against the drying ground. He seemed happy and graceful, a content smile on his motionless lips. I smiled back, a sad kind of contentment filling my chest as I watched him.

"Thank you. I won't forget."

I stood slowly, gaining my balance with his sword. No, my sword.

I began to turn away, but looked back to take one last lingering look at him. I smiled as a few remaining tears threatened to slip down my cheek. I squeezed my eyes shut and slowly re-opened them to rid them of the tears. I smiled wider and looked on him with admiration.

"Good nigh... Zack."