The first thing Zack was aware of when he finally roused himself to awareness was the hard, cold, stone ground he was on, lying flat on his stomach. Blinking his glowing Mako eyes, Zack's breath quicken when all he saw was a dark, black world. Biting back the surge of panic, Zack waited till his vision cleared before he actually braved himself to find out where he was and what was going on. The last thing he remembered was blood all over him, dry and staining, tightening around his form like a coiling snake. He remembered it was hard to breath, and that he could barely stay conscious. He remembered the face of a broken Cloud over him, his Mako eyes wide as he stared at him.

Cloud was the last thing he remembered. At least, from the world of the living. As he slipped away, he remembered seeing a crack in the sky, and a black gloved hand reaching for him. He thought it was Angeal, he swore he could hear Angeal.

Where was Angeal?

Wasn't he in the lifestream now? Was this what it was like to be in the lifestream?

For some reason, he didn't think the lifestream would be so black and cold. And hard.

Refocusing his gaze, Zack saw that he was lying on a stone, the plain gray, yet uneven surface. He only saw stones like these in caves. Was he in a cave then?

He sucked in a shuddering breath, breathing in stale air, nearly couching when dust and dirt tickled the back of his throat. Tilting his head, he looked around and found that he was in a small cave, like a little crevice in a larger rock. Places like this often housed his sort on missions, especially the few that involves stealth.

He didn't remember crawling into one. Maybe, Cloud some how brought him back? And they were recovering in some crevice.

Deep down, instinctively, he knew that wasn't the case. Cloud wasn't around. And he was no longer sure if he was dead or alive anymore. He didn't know where he was. This wasn't he lifestream, he knew that for sure. There weren't rocks in the life stream. He couldn't think of any reason for there to be rocks in the lifestream.

...then where in Gaia was he?

Was he still on the Planet? He doubted it. He felt himself leaving. He couldn't be on the Planet anymore, with Cloud.

But he wasn't finding out just lying there.

Sucking in a deep breath, breathing in the earth around heavily, Zack boldly moved each of his limbs, testing and trying them. Surprisingly, nothing hurt. A little stiff and numb, but other then that, Zack found he was perfect. How though? He remembered being covered in blood, wounded and still on the ground. How was he fine?

Shaking his head to clear it, Zack decided to just find those answer instead of just waiting and thinking. He was always better at action than at sitting around. Breathing in another deep breath, he pushed himself up, testing his arm strength. His arms shook as he struggled to stay up. Just like they did when he first started as a private, doing nothing but pushups. Displeased, Zack licked his lips. He was weaker, not good. Shifting, he rested on his knees, leaning his arms out to keep him steady. Before he could completely sit back, a subtle movement caught his eye.

Tensing, Zack glared up, his arm already moving up to grasp the buster sword.

His hand only grabbed air.

Cursing, he braced himself for the worst as he met the stranger's cold violet gaze.

It was a man that was roughly around his age, if not older. He was dressed in strange clothes Zack has never seen, with long wild hair that seemed to rival Sephiroth's, in some weird way. Only instead of it being the glistening silver that Sephiroth's was, this one was a light ominous purple, dark and tangling. Now that Zack thought about it, everything about this man reminded him of that traitor. How this man held himself, sure and dignified, like no one else could compare to him. How his gaze and features were so cold and superior, like he thought himself royalty. Only, he doubted royalty would wear what he wore, unless they had some weird culture about it. Zack found it a little feminine how the man held his pale purple hair in a lush flip to one side, and then to have beads and and feathers attached to a headband.

The man shifted, his eyes narrowing as he glared at Zack; almost like he was debating whether he was worth this man's time.

The man must have deemed him so, on some level, for he spoke. "Do not stand," commanded the cold voice of the man, sound almost like the snarl of a behemoth. Zack watched him intently with a narrowed stare, internally shaken slightly at that tone. Slowly, Zack readjusted himself and leaned back on a rock, watching the man with a new and more cautious light. Was this man worse than Sephiroth? Or even close to that level of power?

Did he have any power at all?

By how he held himself, looks like he thought so.

"So..." he started, dragging out the 'o'. "Who are you?" he asked, careful with his tone. He didn't want to pick an unnecessary fight, especially in his condition.

The man wrinkled his nose at him, but answered with a small scoff. "I am Caius of the Ballads." It was a tone that declared that should be enough, the answer to everything. Before Zack could ask for something a little more precise, the man went on. "I saved you when you were on the verge of death."

So you were the one that reached for me, Zack thought grimly. He should be in the lifestream, with Angeal. Not here. Where ever here was. Licking his lips, he voiced it: "Where am I? he asked, looking around, then past the man to the entrance of the crevice they were in. He saw a dark gray world from the crevice. The he glanced at the earth around him again. He didn't recognize any of the stone here. And the world was too dim to be from the Planet.

"You are in a timeless realm known as Valhalla. Home of a vile goddess, Etro. I am the one to destroy her."

Zack blinked at him, straightening. "You can destroy gods?" he asked skeptically, his mind racing. In a way, this did make him worse than Sephiroth. Sephiroth may have been powerful, but to have the ability to destroy a goddess... well, as far as Zack could tell, only a god could destroy a fellow god. Did that mean, this man before him, watching him with such steel eyes, did that make him a god?

What did a god want with him? Why save him?

Zack didn't voice this, especially when the man started to speak again.

"It is possible," Caius of the Ballads declared, "to kill a god. So long as you have the right resources. And abilities."

He left it open with a heavy impression. Zack narrowed his eyes with mistrust and tensed slightly. His tone and words practically sounded like a small threat to his ears, a warning.

Don't pick a fight with me.

But did he know how strong Zack was? Was he really as powerful as he was implying, not with just words, but also air. Zack licked his lips, his mind flying as he thought through the possibilities. Did this man really know everything about him? Especially when he was up and about, good as new?

Licking his lips, Zack decided to brave it.

"Do you know me?" he asked.

"Do you not?" Caius shot back.

"No! I mean... what makes you think I can take on a goddess? I'm-"

"Zack Fair, a First Class SOLDIER. You killed roughly forty other soldiers to defend your friend and should have died to fatigue, mortal wounds, and heavy blood loss."

Zack blinked, especially at "...should have died..."

He was suppose to be... dead? Then again, he did feel like he was going to die. He felt ready for it. He was ready to be in the lifestream, to be with Angeal. Even if he left things unfinished, but he left Cloud with his legacy, and hopefully, it would be enough, for the both of them. He refocused on Caius, quickly asking, "So, why am I here if I'm supposed to be dead? This isn't the lifestream, is it?"

"Lifestream," Caius repeated, settling on a rock with a thoughtful expression. "That is the realm your departed go to."

"Yes, it is," Zack said with an edge in his voice as he glared at the man. "Why am I here and not there?"

"You are here because I would like to... enlist your help. You are one of the four strongest in your time, the others were, unreachable, and under the protection of another god I rather not trifle with. Since you were not promised to any god, I decided to make due with you."

"Make do with me?" Zack repeated, his tone even sharper. He didn't think he had anymore to make due once he was beyond the grave. Even "dead", he couldn't run his own rule, could he?

"I desire your help with the goddess. I'm not asking you to take on Etro yourself, more specifically her Knight," Caius told him quickly, his dark eyes narrowing.

"Who, or what is her Knight?" Zack asked, "And what's in it for me for doing this?"

"Paying back a favor. I wasted my time and energy saving your life, I expect that to be paid back," Caius said simply.

"I never asked you to save my life," Zack growled. "What makes you think I even wanted too?" If his time was up, he was ready to be done then. He didn't want to work for anyone anymore. He was done with Shinra. With SOLDIER. What right did this man, if he was even a man, have to assume that he would willingly work for him, just because he brought him back to life? He didn't want to fight a goddess, or her Knight.

If anything what he really wanted was to see his parents and Aerith. If not to say goodbye and apologize, then just to see them.

Looks like it wasn't going to be the case.

"I brought you back, I give you another chance at life. If you don't want it, I can take it back just as easily," Caius snarled, "but be aware, that you won't go to the lifestream. The lifestream is for another realm entirely. Here, you will be sent to the Void. A land the dead are forced to wander. Serve me though, take out the goddess's Knight, not only will you still live, I will return you back to your world, at any time or place you desire."

That caught his attention. "You can send me back?" He didn't believe it. Couldn't believe it. "Any time? Any place?" he repeated earnestly.

"Yes," Caius said.

Zack mused over his choices. He could die here, and wander forever alone. He could fight this Knight, try and take him out, and get sent back, starting life a new. There was also the possibility of dying from that battle, and getting stuck wandering forever. Would Caius really bring him back if he died fighting this Knight?

He looked at the stoic man watching him.

He doubted it. If he died in this fight, that would be the end. He would prove to be useless for him, and the useless are never brought back. They remain discarded as they should be.

He really didn't want to be that useless tool.

He really didn't want to die either.