Okay, before anyone throttles me for submitting the same story twice -- I decided a while ago that I was going to start my own drabble series for FFVII because I have several in the works, and I'd honestly feel like a douchebag for submitting them all one by one. It takes up too much space, blah blah blah, it's easier this way. I didn't want to leave this poor little thing out on its own, because it was my first real try at writing anything from the VII verse. Anyone that reviewed the original submission, I'm so sorry it's not there anymore. I hope no one's upset with me.

THAT BEING SAID, LET'S GET ON WITH THE SHOW, SHALL WE?

Welcome to Tsu's FFVII drabble collection. There will be crack. There will be smut. There will be fluff. There will be general debauchery. Don't say I didn't warn you. Various pairings, various settings -- I'm setting the scene for all kinds of shit to happen around here. :D Okay .. back to the original author's note.

~_~

So, this is what you get when I am suckered into watching YouTube videos centered around Zack -- because everyone that knows me well knows I can't resist him. Not in the slightest. This is purely the product of watching a particular one, simply for incorporating the song "Everything" by Lifehouse. The song itself has always reduced me to tears, but adding the cutscenes from his death was like the last nail in my coffin. I started bawling like the sap I am and sat here for about two hours putting this together.

I digress.

This is for Carie -- I am and I -- because she understands. And because her Cloud and my Zack fit together like puzzle pieces when they're being emo. And because I love her, pure and simple.

Standard disclaimers. I own nothing.

-o-o-o-

The Price of Freedom

-o-o-o-

His vision was blurring – he could barely see the figures directly in front of him, the earth beneath his boots as his gaze fell. The sword was heavy in his hands as he slowly set one foot in front of the other, blue eyes bright even as he felt the fluttering of his heart begin to slow. It wouldn't be enough, would never be enough if he gave up now.

I won't let them take you.

I swore to protect you. I can't break that promise.

His breath coming in short gasps, the sound of footsteps over dry, cracked dirt met his ears … and it began to rain. His shoulders slumped and his grip loosened; it was the culmination of everything he feared, losing control over that which once had been so sure. He threw one last look over his shoulder, at the form braced limply against the mountainside. Was it his own fault that he felt cheated? That this life wasn't enough, and that no matter what Angeal had said about pride and honor, the only thing that really mattered to him was –

Cloud.

I got you this far. You're going to have to make it the rest of the way home on your own.

Think you can manage without me?

The air was still. He ground his teeth as he waited, the rain beginning to fall even harder around him – the taste of blood and sweat tainted his tongue with bitter sweetness, like so much pain and regret that he'd long since lost the ability to feel. A low, intermittent hum in the back of his mind … but that could have been the drowned-out sounds of gunfire. He couldn't be sure.

And even then, it didn't seem important.

It was as though the world wept for him – Gaia herself, at the loss of her son. Tears lost within the Lifestream, glittering like diamonds in the sand, and she welcomed him home.

He faltered in his descent, hearing somewhere in the back of his subconscious mind such a dejected cry of utter loss that he didn't … didn't want to let go. He couldn't –

You gave me the wings I needed to fly. Now I need you to live …

"For the both of us."

You were everything I needed in this life.

Don't miss me too much … okay?