Post by Zack Fair on Jun 30, 2012 22:01:07 GMT -6
U-uh, Excuse me, kupo? What's your name, kupo?
Zack stopped mid-squat and flashed the Moogle a friendly smile while he pulled himself back up to his full height. “The name’s Zack Fair. Nice to meet you!”
Is that what everyone calls you, kupo?
“As far as I know,” the Soldier rubbed his chin in thought, blue eyes scrunched in concentration. Memories from his humble beginnings in the Soldier program brought a grin to Zack’s face, “My former superiors probably had some colorful names for me. And … I know that Angeal called me a puppy to his mom.”
That's a great name for a girl, kupo! You... are a girl, aren't you, kupo?
“H-HUH!? A girl!?” Zack gave the Moogle a long, unbelievable stare before nearly doubling over in laughter. He clutched at his sides while he gasped for air, “Haha, a girl!? That’s … Wow, I’ve never been mistaken for a girl before.” The Soldier regained his composure and winked at the Moogle, “I guess maybe the long hair is confusing, huh? But I’m definitely a man.”
O-of course! I was just... messing around, kupo! Ahem. Anyway, kupo. Uh. How old are you, kupo?
“I think I’m … 23, now?” The ghost of a frown passed over Zack’s face, and made his smile empty and his glowing eyes almost seemed dulled.
Really? Everyone lately seems to be strange, kupo... so... no offense...but what species are you, kupo?
The odd question pulled Zack out of his thoughts, and he gave the Moogle another incredulous look. “I’m a cactuar, obviously. … Wait, you’re being serious? I’m a human!”
I knew that... It's just this light in here, kupo... my eyes can't focus... what do you look like, kupo?
I-interesting...Which world is your home, kupo?
“Most people call our world Gaia, or just The Planet.”
I see... That's an interesting looking weapon, kupo. What do you call it, kupo?
“This?” Zack asked, and brought his enormous sword out from behind his back. His eyes seemed to study every inch of the blade in mere moments, taking in every indention, every scrape, every cut. His hands gripped the hilt of the sword tightly, swinging it in a quick circle before balancing it in front of himself once more. The large and heavy blade seemed nothing more than an extension of the Soldier’s very arm.
“It’s called the Buster Sword ….”.
Cool! Do you know any attacks, kupo?
“Sure! I know all sorts of cool moves. Let’s see … what do I still have with me?” Zack pondered out loud, checking his various materia slots.
Equipped Materia
Firaga [Cooldown: 2 posts]
- A magic (green) materia, it allows Zack to shoot three powerful homing fireballs at multiple targets.
Hell Thundaga [Cooldown: 3 posts]
- A powerful magic (green) materia made through Materia Fusion, Zack shoots blinding lightning at his foes. This thunder spell has a chance to inflict a variety of status ailments including; poison, silence, stop, and extremely rarely, death.
- Duration for status ailments, if inflicted are;
o Poison; 2 posts
o Silence; 2 posts
o Stop; 1 post
Assault Twister [Cooldown: 1 post]
- A command (yellow) materia. With this attack, Zack holds the Buster Sword outwards and quickly spins in a circle, striking nearby enemies.
Vital Slash [Cooldown: 1 post]
- A command (yellow) materia. Zack winds up for a few seconds before bringing his sword down in a powerful overhand strike, a guaranteed critical hit.
The DMW
Healing Wave [Cooldown: 3 posts]
- Zack sets his sword down for a moment and closes his hands as if in prayer. He hears the whisper of Aerith wishing him good luck before he’s enveloped in a bright light. This fully restores his HP (and MP/AP).
Meteor Shots [Cooldown: 4 posts]
- In an attack inspired by Cloud, Zack leaps high into the air and rains meteors down upon his enemies.
Rush Assault [Cooldown: 4 posts]
- Inspired by Angeal’s hand-to-hand combat techniques, Zack rushes all nearby enemies and hails down on them with a flurry of punches and kicks, ending with an exploding blast on the last opponent.
Octaslash [Cooldown: 5 posts]
- Inspired by Sephiroth, Zack quickly slashes at his enemies with 8 powerful blows.
That's not bad, kupo..! Can you tell me anything about your past, kupo?
Zack curiously looked to the Moogle once more, “My past, huh? I guess I could get into it … It’ll be a long story, though, so make yourself comfy!” Contrary to making himself comfortable, Zack began to eagerly do his squats again as he retold his tale.
“Not a whole lot happened to me before I joined ShinRa, the company I once worked for,” Zack started, pausing after a few squats to glance back at the moogle. “I grew up in a small village called Gongaga. There wasn’t a whole lot there … a few other families, and eventually a reactor. I grew up a backwater kid that dreamed of … something more,” he smiled, the fond memories of home bringing a warm smile to his face. It had been so long since he’s seen his parents, hadn’t it?
The Soldier shook his head and resumed doing his squats. “I ran off when I was 13 to join the SOLDIER program at ShinRa. I spent so much time dreaming of becoming a legendary SOLIDER like Sephiroth,” Zack paused once more and, deciding that he couldn’t continue to do squats during this whole tale (well, he could, but it would probably be rude), sat down. He smiled a little, recalling his years as a lowly 3rd class SOLDIER, fighting his way to the top to fufill his dream; to become a hero. “It took quite a while and lot of work (and stubbornness), but I was finally a 2nd class SOLDIER working as hard as I could to become a legend and a hero. It was then that I started getting trained by one of the legendary 1st class SOLDIER’s,” he paused, suddenly sitting quite still. The Buster Sword felt heavy on his back, as heavy as it had when it was passed down to him.
He cleared his throat and continued, “I met my mentor, and one of my best friends, Angeal Hewley. His training was really difficult, and I definitely did my share of complaining about it. But … he taught me my most important lessons. Embrace your dreams, and no matter what happens, protect your honor.” Zack continued to smile sadly, recalling the early days with Angeal. Everything that happened in the training room, before Angeal received the call that Genesis had gone missing and that they would be shipped out to Wutai. “Angeal actually recommended me for 1st right before we went on a mission to end a war in another country. That’s where everything started to go wrong.
Angeal and I infiltrated the base in Wutai no problem. I even took down one of their anti-Soldier monsters on my own. Well, I thought I had … Then, lo and behold, I’ve been smashed against a pillar, my sword is broken, and Angeal shows up to save me … Again.” You’re a little more important than my sword. But, just a little. Zack scratched the back of his head. He still felt embarrassed about that slip in concentration, even now. “After that, we left the base to go find Director Lazard. However, we were ambushed by Wutai troops, and Angeal ran off to draw most of their attention away from me and the Director. I took down the Wutai troops that were in the area and went to find Angeal. But, on my way I ran into some … trouble,” he stared intently at his gloves, remembering the heat that enveloped the area as the summon Ifrit was unleashed. He’d fought his hardest, but the final blow was dealt by.. “Sephiroth showed up in the nick of time to help me. It was the first time I’d ever met him personally, and it wasn’t in the best of situations.”
“We couldn’t find Angeal anywhere, so ShinRa turned against him and assumed he’d run off with Genesis. I felt like I was the only one that still believed in him.”
“Genesis was Angeal’s best friend since they were young. When he found out that he was a failed experiment, doomed to degrade and die, he abandoned ShinRa and took a bunch of other SOLDIERs with him. He’s the reason I was then flown to Banora, Genesis and Angeal’s hometown,” the smell of dumbapples and the passing memory of a story that, at the time, seemed so pointless, but now meant everything to him wrenched at Zack’s heart. “When I was searching the town, I actually met Angeal’s mother. We were looking for clues to Genesis’ whereabouts, but .. I wondered if she’d heard anything from Angeal. I learned a lot about Angeal’s family from her. I had to continue my mission though, so I met Tseng, the Turk I was assigned to work with, at an old factory.”
“We found Genesis. And Angeal … But the encounter left me even more confused and lost than I was before.”
We are … monsters.
Angeal!!
Zack visibly shuddered.
“ShinRa wiped away everything. Something about company policy … I could never be a Turk.”
Zack absent mindedly poked at the ground.
“I got promoted to 1st Class after that … But it felt empty and hollow, considering everything that had happened. I always thought it was supposed to be a special occasion. It’s hard to be happy about almost anything when your entire world is trying to fall apart around you, though,” he said with another half empty smile.
“Genesis launched an attack at that moment. I had to battle my way through Genesis clones and ShinRa bots alike to get outside and start helping people in the streets. That’s where I met some of the other Turks for the first time, including Cissnei. Cissnei was a … really good friend of mine,” the Soldier shook his head, “After I helped them take down some powerful Genesis clones, I met Sephiroth at one of the reactors where Angeal had been spotted. We were hoping to find him before ShinRa did. I learned a lot down in that reactor. The details of the experiments performed on Genesis and Angeal, how close they had been to Sephiroth, and not to mention how fast a fat scientist in sandals can run.” Zack couldn’t help but crack a smile, needing something, anything to try and lighten his mood. “Angeal was waiting for me further into the reactor. He had a wing,” Zack attempted to make a logical gesture, “coming out of his back, whiter than clouds on a sunny day. I tried to tell him that he wasn’t a monster, that his wing was more like an angel’s wing but … I think he was still confused, fighting with himself. I couldn’t fight him. He busted the panels underneath my feet and I fell for what felt like forever.”
The warm, pungent air of Midgar felt cold on his skin as he fell, his heart beating faster than it ever had in his life.
Then, everything was black, until a voice had rung out to him.
“Hellooo~, she said,” Zack laughed, “I thought I was hearing my mom. Then, when I opened my eyes and saw her,” he gave the moogle a cheesy grin, “I thought I was looking at an angel; that I’d died and gone to heaven. To be fair, I was close on that mark. She was an angel … Aerith. Aerith was everything I needed and more in that moment of my life. I took her out on a date.” He’d bought her a pink ribbon, which looked beautiful on her. Not to mention concocted an excellent perfume and managed to get his wallet back from a kid (who then insulted him for being poor).
“The fun was short lived, though. Genesis was attacking ShinRa again, and I was needed.
I met Angeal along the way. We traded some serious words … And then he flew me to ShinRa!” Zack snorted, recalling the way the ground looked so far away under his feet, “I had to make my way to Professor Hojo, Genesis’ target.”
Hojo’s name felt like bile on his tongue. Something metallic, disgusting, rotten.
“And then … Angeal left, again.” Left him with the summon to fight while Angeal got to clash with Genesis once more.
“Things went back to normal, until Genesis and Hollander were rumored to be in Modeoheim. I was shipped out with Tseng and a new kid … a young infantryman every bit as backwater as me,” crazy blonde spikes and an innocent, young face, “Cloud Strife. We … sorta ended up being best buds after this mission.”
Zack brought his hands up to grip both of his arms and mumbled, “A lot happened in Modeoheim … I lost Angeal. I’d rather not talk about it in detail.”
He didn’t want to think of the haunting bathhouse where he’d found Tseng and Cloud injured by his mentor. He didn’t want to think of his fight with Genesis, where he thought the man had died. Angeal had been waiting for him, Hollander close by to reveal some more interesting information. Angeal had looked back at Zack, confused, angry, hurt, and had turned himself into a monster. It was the most heart wrenching experience Zack had experienced up to that point in his life. His mentor, the man he respected most had transformed into a monster, had imprinted a scar on his cheek, and had forced his own student to raise a sword against him. Zack fought as hard as he could against the scraping claws and sizzling electricity of Angeal Penance’s attacks, until all that remained was a man.
A man quickly slipping from Gaia itself.
He remembered sinking down to his knees next to his mentor as Angeal thanked him for what he’d done. For killing him. Zack had looked down in panic as the sword, the Buster Sword, the representation of Angeal’s honor, was passed into his hands. The rain had started to fall after Angeal had closed his eyes. He held strong against the hurt in his heart and didn’t cry in front of Angeal, and instead pulled the Buster Sword up to his head just as Angeal had. Dreams. Honor.
Zack had grown from a boy into a man.
“By then, I guess it had been two years since I was a 2nd class Soldier. I sort of took over Angeal’s spot as someone for the new guys to look up to.”
What happened next? Besides that they continued to lose more Soldiers. More friends. Essai and Sebastian … He could only hope their crossed swords remained where he left them, in remembrance.
“I was forced into a vacation of sorts after a while. Cissnei and Tseng were sent to keep an eye on me,” hot sand and a warm sun felt nothing like the sort while he was there, “But, we were attacked by Genesis clones. I thought Sephiroth and I had taken them all out. I was then sent to Junon to keep Hollander from escaping. However, Genesis broke him out of prison and they got away once again.” He and Sephiroth had stood, looking over the cannon where Sephiroth had once told him that he, Genesis, and Angeal had fought in the training room. Sephiroth permitted him to return to Midgar to see Aerith.
Zack sighed and looked up to the moogle, his blue eyes betraying the hesitant feelings he had about continuing on in his story. “I went back to Midgar and found Aerith in the church with a monster, an Angeal copy, looking after her. He defended us from one of ShinRa’s machines that had gone kaput, so I figured he must be friendly. After that, I spent the day with Aerith and finally built her a wagon for her flowers, so she could sell them. I was called away again, though …”.
“We … went to Nibelheim to check out a reactor after that.”
The quiet inn, the friendly townspeople, Tifa, the haunting mansion. The reactor that confined JENOVA, Genesis abrupt appearance, the truth, Sephiroth’s slipping sanity.
“Sephiroth lost his mind. He didn’t come out of the basement for days, and when he did… Everything happened so fast”.
Screaming, fire, blood and bodies. Sephiroth calmly standing amongst the destruction, proud, filled with purpose.
“Everything was destroyed. I followed him to the reactor, and I tried to stop him.”
Failed reasoning. Broken trust. A friend gone mad. A long and hard fight.
“He was just too strong for me to handle alone. Cloud dealt the final blow.”
The feeling of being propelled down hard stairs. The cool metal against his face. Cloud screaming and fighting, Sephiroth gone, Cloud falling down beside him with a large wound.
“I don’t remember … much after that.”
Scientists. Hojo. The feeling of drowning. Seeing nothing but aqua.
Zack cleared his throat, “I thought I remembered talking to Angeal, and next thing I knew, I was on the floor of a laboratory. I’d smashed my way out of a thick mako tank. Cloud was in the one next to me, and I got him out as soon as I took out the scientist in the room.” He glanced down at his gloves, his fingernails aching underneath of the leather, recalling how long, how very long it took to scratch a message into that glass. “Cloud was comatose. He had a severe case of mako poisoning. He’d been over exposed for way too long. I got us out of the labs as fast as I could, and up into a room in the mansion. Found some 1st class Soldier uniforms in one of the rooms, and I changed Cloud out of his mako-soaked clothes and into one of the uniforms. I knew it wouldn’t help much, but I had to do something.”
“The next trick was getting out of the mansion. I got us out without being caught. I was expecting to get out and see a town burned to the ground, and instead I found Nibelheim exactly the way it used to be. A ShinRa cover up, just like with Banora,” Zack shook his head, “Troops were already looking for us. I had to fight off a lot of them to get us out of there safely.”
“Then, we were on the run for a long time. Genesis and Hollander were onto us, though. They thought that whatever Hojo had infused us with could stop their degredation. But, when a Genesis clone,” the Soldier paused for a moment to let the passing feeling of disgust leave, “ate some of my hair, it transformed into a horrible monster.”
“We made our way to Gongaga, my hometown. I wanted to see my parents, but … I couldn’t. Cissnei was keeping the town on lockdown, but she was keeping my parents company,” Zack stared at the ground once more, trying not to think of his parents. Were they still alive, somewhere? Did they know what happened to him? “… I chased after someone who I thought was Angeal. But, I was ambushed by Genesis and Hollander again, and they left to go get Cloud. They were going to try him next as a way to stop the degredation.”
“I killed Hollander. The clone I thought was Angeal turned out to be Director Lazard. But, like the rest of the clones and Genesis, he was badly degraded. I needed to put an end to everything, I needed to save Genesis … So, I went back to Banora and confronted him. Even though he was wielding a lot of power, I was able to beat him … Genesis was saved. I brought him back outside, to Cloud and Lazard and the Angeal copy. Lazard and the copy passed on into the Lifestream, and that’s when I found the letter from Aerith it had been carrying.”
Zack let out a shaky breath. It still felt just as terrible as it had then.
“I had been missing for four years. She had been writing to me the whole time. I had to get back to her, back to Midgar. I took Cloud and left for Midgar as fast as I could, but I was still being tracked by ShinRa. We hitchhiked after the bike I got from Cissnei broke down, but …”
“The army was close by,” Zack could feel his throat tightening up, “They’d been shooting at Cloud and me, so I had the man that was giving us a ride pull over and let us out. I pulled Cloud to a rock nearby to hide him, so that he’d be safe from them.” If he thought hard enough, he could still see the dull color of Cloud’s eyes and the stark contrast of blonde hair against his dark gloves as he reassured the kid that everything would be alright.
Zack gripped the air, his fists shaking just the tiniest bit, “Then, I fought for our freedom.”
ShinRa had sent the entire army after the both of them, after all, and they could only run for so long. Past the army, the helicopters, the awaiting death he knew was staring him in the face, he could see Midgar in the distance.
Embrace your dreams. And, whatever happens, protect your honor as Soldier.
One last time he’d uttered that oath and boldly made his first swing against the entire army. He’d roared and brought down the Buster Sword against more bodies than he could feasibly count. Swords and bullets ripped and pierced through his body. It was worse than anything he’d ever felt in his short life, searing hot as his enhanced body attempted to heal the wounds while he still fought, the swinging of his arms and the twisting of his body pulling and tugging at those very wounds. If he concentrated hard enough, he could swear his body was actually becoming heavier with the amount of lead being pumped into his person. With each passing crack of a sword against his flesh and bone and each explosion of pain from the gunshots, he could feel himself slipping … slipping … Memories of those he cherished and loved, companions and friends, flowing out of him with each meager drop of blood.
He weeded them down, over a long time, the bodies and blood of men under his boots. If Zack had a moment to think, he’d consider it a scene from a horror movie. It had become harder and harder for him to lift his sword, let alone swing it, and his vision was turning red and doubling. Each man looked like two, and the blood and sweat stinging his eyes could compare to the pain of the rest of his body. His limbs were too heavy to move any longer. It was too hard to stay balanced. Things were going from dizzy and red to black. It took everything he had to breathe. His fingers grasped the Buster Sword in a faint sense of hope. His vision swarm as he saw the blue uniforms, the silver helmets and red lights. He opened his mouth to say something, but all the came out was a strangled cry and they fired; ending the Soldier’s fight for freedom.
It was the end of everything.
“It was raining,” he whispered, biting on his bottom lip.
Everything had become numb. Zack had wanted to think it was because of the cold rain, but knew that it wasn’t. He felt only a dull ache all over his body, and his head lightly pounding as well. His breaths were hard to take, and it felt like each of them was only giving half of what he put into them. He stared blankly at the sky, wondering why he was still holding on. He heard sounds in the muck around him, and for a fleeting moment, urged his body to find the will to fight on. But, when blonde hair entered his darkening vision, Zack suddenly recalled just why he was laying there to begin with.
“Cloud was alive. He was awake and … and he wasn’t hurt.”
Zack recalled his exchange with Cloud. How Cloud’s face slowly filled with recognition. The way the Buster Sword so easily slid from his hand to Cloud’s.
You’ll be my living legacy.
My honor, my dreams, they’re yours now.
He remembered the feeling of slipping away, of finally, finally letting go with nothing left but a smile on his face. A hand reached out, and a familiar grip took him from the Planet and gave him his wings.
“It felt good to fly.”
There was something else, though. “That should have been the end,” Zack huffed a bit, standing up and dusting himself off, “Other than something I vaguely recall … But, it felt like a dream. I remember this … Colesium and a man who was half goat, and the devil. That has to be a dream.”
”As for how I ended up here, your guess is as good as mine. I just woke up here, with the Buster Sword beside me.”
Hmm... well, could you tell me what kind of person you are, kupo?
“What kind of person am I? Well, uh …,” Zack trailed off, holding his chin in his hand in thought.
I wonder what people would say about me?
A people person for sure, he’d always had a lot of friends. Zack considered himself a pretty easy going, funny guy. Maybe that’s why he’d always had so many friends? A bright smile and an optimistic attitude always went a long way with people. In fact, Zack was pretty sure he’d never met a stranger. Inevitably, most of the friends he’d make would turn out to be the most important people in his life. He would do anything to protect them, and Zack would never, ever consider leaving anyone behind. He’d also always been extremely loyal to anyone he considered a friend. It was in his nature, after all, to protect and save everyone he possibly could. That’s what a hero does.
Diligent. The Soldier had always put a goal in front of himself and would never stop reaching for it. He was a man that stuck to his ideals, embracing his dreams and defending his honor and freedom until the very end. Zack had always been pretty stubborn, and it took a lot for him to change his mind on something. He was also pretty guilty of seeing the best in everyone; taking the time to try and help them before something terrible happened.
Perhaps that puppy comparison Angeal made had been a tiny bit accurate. Zack felt that he was always energetic, and definitely headstrong and still jumped into things a bit too early. He was always full of life, smiles, and happier times. His optimism stretched infinitely far, to the point of still believing everything would turn out alright, even at its worst. Like the flick of a switch, though, Zack could turn serious. Being a Soldier, he’d seen and done terrible things. In the face of a dangerous situation, he’d become a man worthy of his Soldier 1st Class title, patient and wise in the ways of battling various opponents and monsters.
But, he’d prefer to be an energetic goofball any day.
Zack gave the moogle a bright grin, “Oh, y’know, I’m just your average guy, that’s all.”
...Oh, kupo... Then... what side do you fight for, kupo?[/color][/b]
“What … side? The good guys, of course!”
I don't mean to seem like I'm prying, but what dreams and aspirations do you have, kupo?
“I thought my dreams may have changed, since I … since I woke up,” Zack told the moogle, settling on a more serious expression. He absentmindedly traced the scar on his cheek with a gloved hand for a moment, “But it’s still the same. I want to be a hero, and protect everyone that I care about. First, though … I’d really love to find everyone I care about and make sure they’re all right.”
He tried to ignore the way his heart clenched at the thoughts of Cloud and Aerith. Would he find them out here, somewhere?
Ah, that makes sense, kupo... sorta... well, what do you like, kupo?
“Hmm … Things I like …,” Zack resumed his squats again while he pondered this question. The moogle was filled with all sorts of curiosity. But, things he liked? That was a toughie. He loved to train and workout, at least when it wasn’t with Angeal anyway. He really enjoyed hanging out with his friends as well. Kunsel, Cloud … Aerith. Zack pushed past the unpleasant feeling that crept across his heart for a moment and continued on with his squats. I like having my freedom, that’s for sure, he thought bitterly, a dry smile quickly coming, then going. The Soldier stopped his routine once more and wiped the sweat from his brow.
“Well, I like squats, that’s for sure,” Zack joked, giving a little laugh. And smiling, being happy, being free, my friends, what kind of question is this!?
Me too! Then, what do you dislike, kupo?
“Scientists,” Zack said almost immediately, not being able to catch himself. Of course he realized that not all scientists were crazy and evil like Hojo and Hollander, but being locked in a tube of mako for four years and seeing your friends sprout wings could really change the way a person thought. “Err … other than that … I’m not a big fan of guns, or getting stabbed in the back. Not really big into monsters either, which is why I took up protecting people from them. I really don’t like being left out of the loop. Oh, and if you see a guy named Genesis, tell him no offense, but I’m not that into LOVELESS either.”
I'll remember that... what's your weakness, kupo?
“I’m a pretty headstrong guy. Angeal said … I have a problem with focus. A short attention span. I rush into things without thinking them through, sometimes,” Zack admitted with a sigh. “And if I see anyone in danger, I feel the need to protect them. I also…,” he swallowed, feeling a sudden lump in his throat, “I can’t … I can’t bear to lose anyone close to me again. I just .. can’t.”
N-not that I'd ever attempt to use that against you or anything, kupo...! Er... next question! W-what is your strength, kupo?
“There are people I need to protect. And I have dreams to fulfill. So long as I have my friends, dreams, honor, and freedom, I can do anything,” Zack emphasized, smiling confidently. Everything suddenly felt so much easier to carry. He had his dreams, his honor, and his freedom. All he needed to do now was find his friends, and everything would fall in place.
I never would have guessed, kupo! So, tell me, kupo.. What's the secret password, kupo?
"Uhh, secret password? Zack stared at the moogle in confusion and rested his chin in his hand while he thought.
"Wait, I think I remember seeing this somewhere. It's "Keyblade", amiright?"
Ah, well I am afraid I must go, kupo. One last question before I do, kupo. How did you find your way here, kupo?
“Funny thing is, I didn’t have to find my way at all! I think I’ve been here from the start.”
__________________________________________________________
Cbox/User Name: ZackAngela
Current Characters Accepted:
Zack stopped mid-squat and flashed the Moogle a friendly smile while he pulled himself back up to his full height. “The name’s Zack Fair. Nice to meet you!”
Is that what everyone calls you, kupo?
“As far as I know,” the Soldier rubbed his chin in thought, blue eyes scrunched in concentration. Memories from his humble beginnings in the Soldier program brought a grin to Zack’s face, “My former superiors probably had some colorful names for me. And … I know that Angeal called me a puppy to his mom.”
That's a great name for a girl, kupo! You... are a girl, aren't you, kupo?
“H-HUH!? A girl!?” Zack gave the Moogle a long, unbelievable stare before nearly doubling over in laughter. He clutched at his sides while he gasped for air, “Haha, a girl!? That’s … Wow, I’ve never been mistaken for a girl before.” The Soldier regained his composure and winked at the Moogle, “I guess maybe the long hair is confusing, huh? But I’m definitely a man.”
O-of course! I was just... messing around, kupo! Ahem. Anyway, kupo. Uh. How old are you, kupo?
“I think I’m … 23, now?” The ghost of a frown passed over Zack’s face, and made his smile empty and his glowing eyes almost seemed dulled.
Really? Everyone lately seems to be strange, kupo... so... no offense...but what species are you, kupo?
The odd question pulled Zack out of his thoughts, and he gave the Moogle another incredulous look. “I’m a cactuar, obviously. … Wait, you’re being serious? I’m a human!”
I knew that... It's just this light in here, kupo... my eyes can't focus... what do you look like, kupo?
I-interesting...Which world is your home, kupo?
“Most people call our world Gaia, or just The Planet.”
I see... That's an interesting looking weapon, kupo. What do you call it, kupo?
“This?” Zack asked, and brought his enormous sword out from behind his back. His eyes seemed to study every inch of the blade in mere moments, taking in every indention, every scrape, every cut. His hands gripped the hilt of the sword tightly, swinging it in a quick circle before balancing it in front of himself once more. The large and heavy blade seemed nothing more than an extension of the Soldier’s very arm.
“It’s called the Buster Sword ….”.
Cool! Do you know any attacks, kupo?
“Sure! I know all sorts of cool moves. Let’s see … what do I still have with me?” Zack pondered out loud, checking his various materia slots.
Equipped Materia
Firaga [Cooldown: 2 posts]
- A magic (green) materia, it allows Zack to shoot three powerful homing fireballs at multiple targets.
Hell Thundaga [Cooldown: 3 posts]
- A powerful magic (green) materia made through Materia Fusion, Zack shoots blinding lightning at his foes. This thunder spell has a chance to inflict a variety of status ailments including; poison, silence, stop, and extremely rarely, death.
- Duration for status ailments, if inflicted are;
o Poison; 2 posts
o Silence; 2 posts
o Stop; 1 post
Assault Twister [Cooldown: 1 post]
- A command (yellow) materia. With this attack, Zack holds the Buster Sword outwards and quickly spins in a circle, striking nearby enemies.
Vital Slash [Cooldown: 1 post]
- A command (yellow) materia. Zack winds up for a few seconds before bringing his sword down in a powerful overhand strike, a guaranteed critical hit.
The DMW
Healing Wave [Cooldown: 3 posts]
- Zack sets his sword down for a moment and closes his hands as if in prayer. He hears the whisper of Aerith wishing him good luck before he’s enveloped in a bright light. This fully restores his HP (and MP/AP).
Meteor Shots [Cooldown: 4 posts]
- In an attack inspired by Cloud, Zack leaps high into the air and rains meteors down upon his enemies.
Rush Assault [Cooldown: 4 posts]
- Inspired by Angeal’s hand-to-hand combat techniques, Zack rushes all nearby enemies and hails down on them with a flurry of punches and kicks, ending with an exploding blast on the last opponent.
Octaslash [Cooldown: 5 posts]
- Inspired by Sephiroth, Zack quickly slashes at his enemies with 8 powerful blows.
That's not bad, kupo..! Can you tell me anything about your past, kupo?
Zack curiously looked to the Moogle once more, “My past, huh? I guess I could get into it … It’ll be a long story, though, so make yourself comfy!” Contrary to making himself comfortable, Zack began to eagerly do his squats again as he retold his tale.
“Not a whole lot happened to me before I joined ShinRa, the company I once worked for,” Zack started, pausing after a few squats to glance back at the moogle. “I grew up in a small village called Gongaga. There wasn’t a whole lot there … a few other families, and eventually a reactor. I grew up a backwater kid that dreamed of … something more,” he smiled, the fond memories of home bringing a warm smile to his face. It had been so long since he’s seen his parents, hadn’t it?
The Soldier shook his head and resumed doing his squats. “I ran off when I was 13 to join the SOLDIER program at ShinRa. I spent so much time dreaming of becoming a legendary SOLIDER like Sephiroth,” Zack paused once more and, deciding that he couldn’t continue to do squats during this whole tale (well, he could, but it would probably be rude), sat down. He smiled a little, recalling his years as a lowly 3rd class SOLDIER, fighting his way to the top to fufill his dream; to become a hero. “It took quite a while and lot of work (and stubbornness), but I was finally a 2nd class SOLDIER working as hard as I could to become a legend and a hero. It was then that I started getting trained by one of the legendary 1st class SOLDIER’s,” he paused, suddenly sitting quite still. The Buster Sword felt heavy on his back, as heavy as it had when it was passed down to him.
He cleared his throat and continued, “I met my mentor, and one of my best friends, Angeal Hewley. His training was really difficult, and I definitely did my share of complaining about it. But … he taught me my most important lessons. Embrace your dreams, and no matter what happens, protect your honor.” Zack continued to smile sadly, recalling the early days with Angeal. Everything that happened in the training room, before Angeal received the call that Genesis had gone missing and that they would be shipped out to Wutai. “Angeal actually recommended me for 1st right before we went on a mission to end a war in another country. That’s where everything started to go wrong.
Angeal and I infiltrated the base in Wutai no problem. I even took down one of their anti-Soldier monsters on my own. Well, I thought I had … Then, lo and behold, I’ve been smashed against a pillar, my sword is broken, and Angeal shows up to save me … Again.” You’re a little more important than my sword. But, just a little. Zack scratched the back of his head. He still felt embarrassed about that slip in concentration, even now. “After that, we left the base to go find Director Lazard. However, we were ambushed by Wutai troops, and Angeal ran off to draw most of their attention away from me and the Director. I took down the Wutai troops that were in the area and went to find Angeal. But, on my way I ran into some … trouble,” he stared intently at his gloves, remembering the heat that enveloped the area as the summon Ifrit was unleashed. He’d fought his hardest, but the final blow was dealt by.. “Sephiroth showed up in the nick of time to help me. It was the first time I’d ever met him personally, and it wasn’t in the best of situations.”
“We couldn’t find Angeal anywhere, so ShinRa turned against him and assumed he’d run off with Genesis. I felt like I was the only one that still believed in him.”
“Genesis was Angeal’s best friend since they were young. When he found out that he was a failed experiment, doomed to degrade and die, he abandoned ShinRa and took a bunch of other SOLDIERs with him. He’s the reason I was then flown to Banora, Genesis and Angeal’s hometown,” the smell of dumbapples and the passing memory of a story that, at the time, seemed so pointless, but now meant everything to him wrenched at Zack’s heart. “When I was searching the town, I actually met Angeal’s mother. We were looking for clues to Genesis’ whereabouts, but .. I wondered if she’d heard anything from Angeal. I learned a lot about Angeal’s family from her. I had to continue my mission though, so I met Tseng, the Turk I was assigned to work with, at an old factory.”
“We found Genesis. And Angeal … But the encounter left me even more confused and lost than I was before.”
We are … monsters.
Angeal!!
Zack visibly shuddered.
“ShinRa wiped away everything. Something about company policy … I could never be a Turk.”
Zack absent mindedly poked at the ground.
“I got promoted to 1st Class after that … But it felt empty and hollow, considering everything that had happened. I always thought it was supposed to be a special occasion. It’s hard to be happy about almost anything when your entire world is trying to fall apart around you, though,” he said with another half empty smile.
“Genesis launched an attack at that moment. I had to battle my way through Genesis clones and ShinRa bots alike to get outside and start helping people in the streets. That’s where I met some of the other Turks for the first time, including Cissnei. Cissnei was a … really good friend of mine,” the Soldier shook his head, “After I helped them take down some powerful Genesis clones, I met Sephiroth at one of the reactors where Angeal had been spotted. We were hoping to find him before ShinRa did. I learned a lot down in that reactor. The details of the experiments performed on Genesis and Angeal, how close they had been to Sephiroth, and not to mention how fast a fat scientist in sandals can run.” Zack couldn’t help but crack a smile, needing something, anything to try and lighten his mood. “Angeal was waiting for me further into the reactor. He had a wing,” Zack attempted to make a logical gesture, “coming out of his back, whiter than clouds on a sunny day. I tried to tell him that he wasn’t a monster, that his wing was more like an angel’s wing but … I think he was still confused, fighting with himself. I couldn’t fight him. He busted the panels underneath my feet and I fell for what felt like forever.”
The warm, pungent air of Midgar felt cold on his skin as he fell, his heart beating faster than it ever had in his life.
Then, everything was black, until a voice had rung out to him.
“Hellooo~, she said,” Zack laughed, “I thought I was hearing my mom. Then, when I opened my eyes and saw her,” he gave the moogle a cheesy grin, “I thought I was looking at an angel; that I’d died and gone to heaven. To be fair, I was close on that mark. She was an angel … Aerith. Aerith was everything I needed and more in that moment of my life. I took her out on a date.” He’d bought her a pink ribbon, which looked beautiful on her. Not to mention concocted an excellent perfume and managed to get his wallet back from a kid (who then insulted him for being poor).
“The fun was short lived, though. Genesis was attacking ShinRa again, and I was needed.
I met Angeal along the way. We traded some serious words … And then he flew me to ShinRa!” Zack snorted, recalling the way the ground looked so far away under his feet, “I had to make my way to Professor Hojo, Genesis’ target.”
Hojo’s name felt like bile on his tongue. Something metallic, disgusting, rotten.
“And then … Angeal left, again.” Left him with the summon to fight while Angeal got to clash with Genesis once more.
“Things went back to normal, until Genesis and Hollander were rumored to be in Modeoheim. I was shipped out with Tseng and a new kid … a young infantryman every bit as backwater as me,” crazy blonde spikes and an innocent, young face, “Cloud Strife. We … sorta ended up being best buds after this mission.”
Zack brought his hands up to grip both of his arms and mumbled, “A lot happened in Modeoheim … I lost Angeal. I’d rather not talk about it in detail.”
He didn’t want to think of the haunting bathhouse where he’d found Tseng and Cloud injured by his mentor. He didn’t want to think of his fight with Genesis, where he thought the man had died. Angeal had been waiting for him, Hollander close by to reveal some more interesting information. Angeal had looked back at Zack, confused, angry, hurt, and had turned himself into a monster. It was the most heart wrenching experience Zack had experienced up to that point in his life. His mentor, the man he respected most had transformed into a monster, had imprinted a scar on his cheek, and had forced his own student to raise a sword against him. Zack fought as hard as he could against the scraping claws and sizzling electricity of Angeal Penance’s attacks, until all that remained was a man.
A man quickly slipping from Gaia itself.
He remembered sinking down to his knees next to his mentor as Angeal thanked him for what he’d done. For killing him. Zack had looked down in panic as the sword, the Buster Sword, the representation of Angeal’s honor, was passed into his hands. The rain had started to fall after Angeal had closed his eyes. He held strong against the hurt in his heart and didn’t cry in front of Angeal, and instead pulled the Buster Sword up to his head just as Angeal had. Dreams. Honor.
Zack had grown from a boy into a man.
“By then, I guess it had been two years since I was a 2nd class Soldier. I sort of took over Angeal’s spot as someone for the new guys to look up to.”
What happened next? Besides that they continued to lose more Soldiers. More friends. Essai and Sebastian … He could only hope their crossed swords remained where he left them, in remembrance.
“I was forced into a vacation of sorts after a while. Cissnei and Tseng were sent to keep an eye on me,” hot sand and a warm sun felt nothing like the sort while he was there, “But, we were attacked by Genesis clones. I thought Sephiroth and I had taken them all out. I was then sent to Junon to keep Hollander from escaping. However, Genesis broke him out of prison and they got away once again.” He and Sephiroth had stood, looking over the cannon where Sephiroth had once told him that he, Genesis, and Angeal had fought in the training room. Sephiroth permitted him to return to Midgar to see Aerith.
Zack sighed and looked up to the moogle, his blue eyes betraying the hesitant feelings he had about continuing on in his story. “I went back to Midgar and found Aerith in the church with a monster, an Angeal copy, looking after her. He defended us from one of ShinRa’s machines that had gone kaput, so I figured he must be friendly. After that, I spent the day with Aerith and finally built her a wagon for her flowers, so she could sell them. I was called away again, though …”.
“We … went to Nibelheim to check out a reactor after that.”
The quiet inn, the friendly townspeople, Tifa, the haunting mansion. The reactor that confined JENOVA, Genesis abrupt appearance, the truth, Sephiroth’s slipping sanity.
“Sephiroth lost his mind. He didn’t come out of the basement for days, and when he did… Everything happened so fast”.
Screaming, fire, blood and bodies. Sephiroth calmly standing amongst the destruction, proud, filled with purpose.
“Everything was destroyed. I followed him to the reactor, and I tried to stop him.”
Failed reasoning. Broken trust. A friend gone mad. A long and hard fight.
“He was just too strong for me to handle alone. Cloud dealt the final blow.”
The feeling of being propelled down hard stairs. The cool metal against his face. Cloud screaming and fighting, Sephiroth gone, Cloud falling down beside him with a large wound.
“I don’t remember … much after that.”
Scientists. Hojo. The feeling of drowning. Seeing nothing but aqua.
Zack cleared his throat, “I thought I remembered talking to Angeal, and next thing I knew, I was on the floor of a laboratory. I’d smashed my way out of a thick mako tank. Cloud was in the one next to me, and I got him out as soon as I took out the scientist in the room.” He glanced down at his gloves, his fingernails aching underneath of the leather, recalling how long, how very long it took to scratch a message into that glass. “Cloud was comatose. He had a severe case of mako poisoning. He’d been over exposed for way too long. I got us out of the labs as fast as I could, and up into a room in the mansion. Found some 1st class Soldier uniforms in one of the rooms, and I changed Cloud out of his mako-soaked clothes and into one of the uniforms. I knew it wouldn’t help much, but I had to do something.”
“The next trick was getting out of the mansion. I got us out without being caught. I was expecting to get out and see a town burned to the ground, and instead I found Nibelheim exactly the way it used to be. A ShinRa cover up, just like with Banora,” Zack shook his head, “Troops were already looking for us. I had to fight off a lot of them to get us out of there safely.”
“Then, we were on the run for a long time. Genesis and Hollander were onto us, though. They thought that whatever Hojo had infused us with could stop their degredation. But, when a Genesis clone,” the Soldier paused for a moment to let the passing feeling of disgust leave, “ate some of my hair, it transformed into a horrible monster.”
“We made our way to Gongaga, my hometown. I wanted to see my parents, but … I couldn’t. Cissnei was keeping the town on lockdown, but she was keeping my parents company,” Zack stared at the ground once more, trying not to think of his parents. Were they still alive, somewhere? Did they know what happened to him? “… I chased after someone who I thought was Angeal. But, I was ambushed by Genesis and Hollander again, and they left to go get Cloud. They were going to try him next as a way to stop the degredation.”
“I killed Hollander. The clone I thought was Angeal turned out to be Director Lazard. But, like the rest of the clones and Genesis, he was badly degraded. I needed to put an end to everything, I needed to save Genesis … So, I went back to Banora and confronted him. Even though he was wielding a lot of power, I was able to beat him … Genesis was saved. I brought him back outside, to Cloud and Lazard and the Angeal copy. Lazard and the copy passed on into the Lifestream, and that’s when I found the letter from Aerith it had been carrying.”
Zack let out a shaky breath. It still felt just as terrible as it had then.
“I had been missing for four years. She had been writing to me the whole time. I had to get back to her, back to Midgar. I took Cloud and left for Midgar as fast as I could, but I was still being tracked by ShinRa. We hitchhiked after the bike I got from Cissnei broke down, but …”
“The army was close by,” Zack could feel his throat tightening up, “They’d been shooting at Cloud and me, so I had the man that was giving us a ride pull over and let us out. I pulled Cloud to a rock nearby to hide him, so that he’d be safe from them.” If he thought hard enough, he could still see the dull color of Cloud’s eyes and the stark contrast of blonde hair against his dark gloves as he reassured the kid that everything would be alright.
Zack gripped the air, his fists shaking just the tiniest bit, “Then, I fought for our freedom.”
ShinRa had sent the entire army after the both of them, after all, and they could only run for so long. Past the army, the helicopters, the awaiting death he knew was staring him in the face, he could see Midgar in the distance.
Embrace your dreams. And, whatever happens, protect your honor as Soldier.
One last time he’d uttered that oath and boldly made his first swing against the entire army. He’d roared and brought down the Buster Sword against more bodies than he could feasibly count. Swords and bullets ripped and pierced through his body. It was worse than anything he’d ever felt in his short life, searing hot as his enhanced body attempted to heal the wounds while he still fought, the swinging of his arms and the twisting of his body pulling and tugging at those very wounds. If he concentrated hard enough, he could swear his body was actually becoming heavier with the amount of lead being pumped into his person. With each passing crack of a sword against his flesh and bone and each explosion of pain from the gunshots, he could feel himself slipping … slipping … Memories of those he cherished and loved, companions and friends, flowing out of him with each meager drop of blood.
He weeded them down, over a long time, the bodies and blood of men under his boots. If Zack had a moment to think, he’d consider it a scene from a horror movie. It had become harder and harder for him to lift his sword, let alone swing it, and his vision was turning red and doubling. Each man looked like two, and the blood and sweat stinging his eyes could compare to the pain of the rest of his body. His limbs were too heavy to move any longer. It was too hard to stay balanced. Things were going from dizzy and red to black. It took everything he had to breathe. His fingers grasped the Buster Sword in a faint sense of hope. His vision swarm as he saw the blue uniforms, the silver helmets and red lights. He opened his mouth to say something, but all the came out was a strangled cry and they fired; ending the Soldier’s fight for freedom.
It was the end of everything.
“It was raining,” he whispered, biting on his bottom lip.
Everything had become numb. Zack had wanted to think it was because of the cold rain, but knew that it wasn’t. He felt only a dull ache all over his body, and his head lightly pounding as well. His breaths were hard to take, and it felt like each of them was only giving half of what he put into them. He stared blankly at the sky, wondering why he was still holding on. He heard sounds in the muck around him, and for a fleeting moment, urged his body to find the will to fight on. But, when blonde hair entered his darkening vision, Zack suddenly recalled just why he was laying there to begin with.
“Cloud was alive. He was awake and … and he wasn’t hurt.”
Zack recalled his exchange with Cloud. How Cloud’s face slowly filled with recognition. The way the Buster Sword so easily slid from his hand to Cloud’s.
You’ll be my living legacy.
My honor, my dreams, they’re yours now.
He remembered the feeling of slipping away, of finally, finally letting go with nothing left but a smile on his face. A hand reached out, and a familiar grip took him from the Planet and gave him his wings.
“It felt good to fly.”
There was something else, though. “That should have been the end,” Zack huffed a bit, standing up and dusting himself off, “Other than something I vaguely recall … But, it felt like a dream. I remember this … Colesium and a man who was half goat, and the devil. That has to be a dream.”
”As for how I ended up here, your guess is as good as mine. I just woke up here, with the Buster Sword beside me.”
Hmm... well, could you tell me what kind of person you are, kupo?
“What kind of person am I? Well, uh …,” Zack trailed off, holding his chin in his hand in thought.
I wonder what people would say about me?
A people person for sure, he’d always had a lot of friends. Zack considered himself a pretty easy going, funny guy. Maybe that’s why he’d always had so many friends? A bright smile and an optimistic attitude always went a long way with people. In fact, Zack was pretty sure he’d never met a stranger. Inevitably, most of the friends he’d make would turn out to be the most important people in his life. He would do anything to protect them, and Zack would never, ever consider leaving anyone behind. He’d also always been extremely loyal to anyone he considered a friend. It was in his nature, after all, to protect and save everyone he possibly could. That’s what a hero does.
Diligent. The Soldier had always put a goal in front of himself and would never stop reaching for it. He was a man that stuck to his ideals, embracing his dreams and defending his honor and freedom until the very end. Zack had always been pretty stubborn, and it took a lot for him to change his mind on something. He was also pretty guilty of seeing the best in everyone; taking the time to try and help them before something terrible happened.
Perhaps that puppy comparison Angeal made had been a tiny bit accurate. Zack felt that he was always energetic, and definitely headstrong and still jumped into things a bit too early. He was always full of life, smiles, and happier times. His optimism stretched infinitely far, to the point of still believing everything would turn out alright, even at its worst. Like the flick of a switch, though, Zack could turn serious. Being a Soldier, he’d seen and done terrible things. In the face of a dangerous situation, he’d become a man worthy of his Soldier 1st Class title, patient and wise in the ways of battling various opponents and monsters.
But, he’d prefer to be an energetic goofball any day.
Zack gave the moogle a bright grin, “Oh, y’know, I’m just your average guy, that’s all.”
...Oh, kupo... Then... what side do you fight for, kupo?[/color][/b]
“What … side? The good guys, of course!”
I don't mean to seem like I'm prying, but what dreams and aspirations do you have, kupo?
“I thought my dreams may have changed, since I … since I woke up,” Zack told the moogle, settling on a more serious expression. He absentmindedly traced the scar on his cheek with a gloved hand for a moment, “But it’s still the same. I want to be a hero, and protect everyone that I care about. First, though … I’d really love to find everyone I care about and make sure they’re all right.”
He tried to ignore the way his heart clenched at the thoughts of Cloud and Aerith. Would he find them out here, somewhere?
Ah, that makes sense, kupo... sorta... well, what do you like, kupo?
“Hmm … Things I like …,” Zack resumed his squats again while he pondered this question. The moogle was filled with all sorts of curiosity. But, things he liked? That was a toughie. He loved to train and workout, at least when it wasn’t with Angeal anyway. He really enjoyed hanging out with his friends as well. Kunsel, Cloud … Aerith. Zack pushed past the unpleasant feeling that crept across his heart for a moment and continued on with his squats. I like having my freedom, that’s for sure, he thought bitterly, a dry smile quickly coming, then going. The Soldier stopped his routine once more and wiped the sweat from his brow.
“Well, I like squats, that’s for sure,” Zack joked, giving a little laugh. And smiling, being happy, being free, my friends, what kind of question is this!?
Me too! Then, what do you dislike, kupo?
“Scientists,” Zack said almost immediately, not being able to catch himself. Of course he realized that not all scientists were crazy and evil like Hojo and Hollander, but being locked in a tube of mako for four years and seeing your friends sprout wings could really change the way a person thought. “Err … other than that … I’m not a big fan of guns, or getting stabbed in the back. Not really big into monsters either, which is why I took up protecting people from them. I really don’t like being left out of the loop. Oh, and if you see a guy named Genesis, tell him no offense, but I’m not that into LOVELESS either.”
I'll remember that... what's your weakness, kupo?
“I’m a pretty headstrong guy. Angeal said … I have a problem with focus. A short attention span. I rush into things without thinking them through, sometimes,” Zack admitted with a sigh. “And if I see anyone in danger, I feel the need to protect them. I also…,” he swallowed, feeling a sudden lump in his throat, “I can’t … I can’t bear to lose anyone close to me again. I just .. can’t.”
N-not that I'd ever attempt to use that against you or anything, kupo...! Er... next question! W-what is your strength, kupo?
“There are people I need to protect. And I have dreams to fulfill. So long as I have my friends, dreams, honor, and freedom, I can do anything,” Zack emphasized, smiling confidently. Everything suddenly felt so much easier to carry. He had his dreams, his honor, and his freedom. All he needed to do now was find his friends, and everything would fall in place.
I never would have guessed, kupo! So, tell me, kupo.. What's the secret password, kupo?
"Uhh, secret password? Zack stared at the moogle in confusion and rested his chin in his hand while he thought.
"Wait, I think I remember seeing this somewhere. It's "Keyblade", amiright?"
Ah, well I am afraid I must go, kupo. One last question before I do, kupo. How did you find your way here, kupo?
“Funny thing is, I didn’t have to find my way at all! I think I’ve been here from the start.”
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Cbox/User Name: Zack
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