Fic: The Triumphant Return (Kingdom Hearts)
This was written ages ago for a fic exchange prompt on dreamwidth. Plays around a bit with my headcanon, because I can't imagine a universe where Cloud and Zack didn't know each other only for everything to go horribly wrong.
Title: The Triumphant Return
Rating: PG
Summary: The hero returns...just in time.
There isn’t a lot that brings a smile to Cloud’s face and far less that will have him grinning openly, but somehow Zack’s return does just that. He wonders if it can really have been two years since he last saw his friend waving to him from the windows of a Gummi ship as he set off to seek out training at the Olympus Coliseum. Sure, it seemed like ages at the time, filling in the gaps between much anticipated letters with training hard here at home, but seeing Zack lounging on his doorstep with that wide, easy smile of his makes it seem as though it couldn’t have been more than five minutes.
Except that now, Zack is a fully qualified hero. He’s done what he set out to do and now he’s back for good.
They stroll through the same familiar streets together that they used to tear through when they were younger, Zack pointing out the odd thing here or there that’s changed and Cloud explaining what he’s missed. Over ice cream, Zack tells him all about his life at the Coliseum: the endless barrel smashing that was enough to drive anyone insane, the various rounds of the different tournaments, the epic battles that he’s seen and even participated in. He tells him all about the people he’s met- especially the girls- and all the different places he’s heard about and wants to see for himself one day. He talks for hours, waving his hands around to emphasise this point or that, most of his ice cream ending up on the floor or dribbling over his hands as he mimes techniques. Cloud laughs at how ridiculous he looks as he does so but remains captivated. Zack’s so pleased at what a great audience he makes that he promises to take his younger friend to the next tournament, suggesting they pair up as a team once he’s had the chance to teach Cloud some of what he’s learnt these past two years.
As the sun sets, they discuss their friends. Aerith has been working at the florist’s shop for a while now and is hoping to get a job maintaining the castle gardens once she leaves school. Tifa has been training too, in martial arts rather than blade weapons, and seems to be coming along leaps and bounds. She’s even got a tagalong in the form of Yuffie, a far younger kid Zack mostly remembers for constantly trying to manipulate him into finding shiny treasures for her with her crying and puppy dog eyes. Squall seems to be the same as ever, stoic over his very well hidden sense of humour, still pretending for all the world that he isn’t interested in Rinoa, one of the girls training at the castle as a mage.
It’s well past dark when they eventually part ways, still chattering all the way back to the street they both live on and constantly thinking of new observations or forgotten anecdotes to add. There’s just something in Zack that makes Cloud relax and forget his reservations and just be, something that he hadn’t realised he’d missed quite so much until today.
And seeing just how far his friend has come these past two years makes him happy, because if Zack has realised his dreams, maybe Cloud can too.
Zack grins at him one last time before they say goodbye.
“Spike, it’s great to be back.”
---
Within seven days, the shadows will gather and Radiant Garden will fall.
Zack will not survive.
Title: The Triumphant Return
Rating: PG
Summary: The hero returns...just in time.
There isn’t a lot that brings a smile to Cloud’s face and far less that will have him grinning openly, but somehow Zack’s return does just that. He wonders if it can really have been two years since he last saw his friend waving to him from the windows of a Gummi ship as he set off to seek out training at the Olympus Coliseum. Sure, it seemed like ages at the time, filling in the gaps between much anticipated letters with training hard here at home, but seeing Zack lounging on his doorstep with that wide, easy smile of his makes it seem as though it couldn’t have been more than five minutes.
Except that now, Zack is a fully qualified hero. He’s done what he set out to do and now he’s back for good.
They stroll through the same familiar streets together that they used to tear through when they were younger, Zack pointing out the odd thing here or there that’s changed and Cloud explaining what he’s missed. Over ice cream, Zack tells him all about his life at the Coliseum: the endless barrel smashing that was enough to drive anyone insane, the various rounds of the different tournaments, the epic battles that he’s seen and even participated in. He tells him all about the people he’s met- especially the girls- and all the different places he’s heard about and wants to see for himself one day. He talks for hours, waving his hands around to emphasise this point or that, most of his ice cream ending up on the floor or dribbling over his hands as he mimes techniques. Cloud laughs at how ridiculous he looks as he does so but remains captivated. Zack’s so pleased at what a great audience he makes that he promises to take his younger friend to the next tournament, suggesting they pair up as a team once he’s had the chance to teach Cloud some of what he’s learnt these past two years.
As the sun sets, they discuss their friends. Aerith has been working at the florist’s shop for a while now and is hoping to get a job maintaining the castle gardens once she leaves school. Tifa has been training too, in martial arts rather than blade weapons, and seems to be coming along leaps and bounds. She’s even got a tagalong in the form of Yuffie, a far younger kid Zack mostly remembers for constantly trying to manipulate him into finding shiny treasures for her with her crying and puppy dog eyes. Squall seems to be the same as ever, stoic over his very well hidden sense of humour, still pretending for all the world that he isn’t interested in Rinoa, one of the girls training at the castle as a mage.
It’s well past dark when they eventually part ways, still chattering all the way back to the street they both live on and constantly thinking of new observations or forgotten anecdotes to add. There’s just something in Zack that makes Cloud relax and forget his reservations and just be, something that he hadn’t realised he’d missed quite so much until today.
And seeing just how far his friend has come these past two years makes him happy, because if Zack has realised his dreams, maybe Cloud can too.
Zack grins at him one last time before they say goodbye.
“Spike, it’s great to be back.”
---
Within seven days, the shadows will gather and Radiant Garden will fall.
Zack will not survive.