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[1st_zack]

Routines were so easy to fall into on the island, especially for someone like Zack Fair. It occurred to him, as he laid on his cot late at night in his newly built (though slightly empty and a bit too quiet) hut that he hadn't seen Javert in a few days. Javert had helped build the hut just as he'd promised. And while they hadn't been able to

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[midgar_flowers]

It had been three months, and she'd only just worked up the courage to approach the church. She'd reached a point, finally, where the prospect wasn't terrifying or filled with false promises. It wasn't something she'd mentioned to anyone, but it was true.

A glance in told her it wasn't the same at all. It strengthened her steps inside. She couldn't cling to a Planet she was never going home to. She'd been raised to understand moving on to another planet. The others here--those from her life but not from home--were instruments to show her that

[1st_zack]

Even though, he'd left under the pretense of it being the best for the both of them, a part of him still doubted it was. The part that now mourned the loss of two friends

[midgar_flowers]

She didn't expect him to walk away without speaking. That didn't seem like her Zack at all--and drove the point home that he wasn't the person she knew five years before.

She turned to watch him go, hands clasped at her waist, and considered whether it was best to speak to him now, or let him go. When he paused, and looked back, she gave a soft frown.

"The island isn't big enough to walk away forever, Zack."

[1st_zack]

So stay and talk it was. He didn't want to run or walk away.

"I know, Aeris," he said quietly. His emotions threatened to break the surface again. He really wanted things to be as they had. He wanted to be able to hold her and tell her about Javert and Angeal. But he couldn't ask that of her anymore. He wasn't as important as he had been to her.

"How are you?" he asked, his eyes looking to meet hers. It was definitely not his best day.

[kaleidoscopeyed]

Karolina wasn't a church goer, but she'd seen Zack enter the church as she was walking by. She hadn't seen him except in passing since he'd told her about Georgina and the night at the party. That was something she still didn't want to process.

Figuring that morning service was done for the day, she decided there wouldn't be any harm in going in to say hello.

She walked to the door and saw him half-turned away from her staring at something large and wicked looking. Karolina opened her mouth to say something and closed it again as his hands dropped to the hilt of the sword. She almost backed out the door and left him alone but resisted the urge and instead walked a few steps further in. He was crying.

All impulse to leave reversed itself and she came to him, eying the sword warily. "Hey Zack, you okay?" Stupid question, but everyone asked it when someone was upset.

[1st_zack]

Zack slowly opened his eyes at Karolina's question. One hand had unconsciously gone to his face and rubbed the tears away. "No, not today," he said feebly, his emotions still so close to the surface and in his voice.

"Javert is gone," he offered. His voice refused to cooperate fully and came out choked and emotional. He looked back to the sword and more memories of Javert and Angeal came to mind. He could hear their voices. The way Angeal always called him 'boy' so gruffly. A tear streamed slowly down his face again. "At least I didn't kill him," he added after a moment, finally finding some redemption in the situation.

[kaleidoscopeyed]

Her expression softened. "Oh honey," she said and lifted a hand to his shoulder. She'd known of Javert, but hadn't actually known him. "He was a good friend to you..." It wasn't a question. "You came here to find him?" She gave his shoulder a squeeze and then dropped her hand to clasp them in front of her.

[1st_zack]

He wiped his face again, annoyed that he couldn't get himself in control. She'd just caught him in an emotional moment.

"He reminded me of Angeal. I forgot he wasn't Angeal a few times. I last saw him at the hut building. It's not just that. I ... This was Angeal's sword. He gave it to me when he died. I found it here."

[plays_checkers]

First and foremost, Czernobog was a god. His life had been lived, until a certain point, like a god and even though that time was a long ago, he still had to remind himself that here on this island, he was just a man. That change, however, didn't deter him from his love for weapons. That was a quality both men and gods had shared.

"That is a large fucking sword...." Czernobog noted as he looked at the blade. The gleam brought back memories of his carnage. "Why do you have it?"

[1st_zack]

Zack was still feeling a little dazed by Javert's disappearance and the appearance of the Buster sword, but he was much more composed now than he had been.

"Yeah. It's pretty nice, isn't it?" It wasn't really a question more than a statement of admiration for the sword. He held it with both hands and then twirled it a little with one hand, getting a feel back for how it handled.

"My mentor gave it to me when he died. It represents his honor and his dreams." He was quite proud of the sword.

[plays_checkers]

Czeronobog kept his eyes on the boy, alternating glances between the blade and the one who wielded it. He had learned never to remove your eyes from such a large weapon. Even if Wednesday wasn't around, things could go wrong and he didn't have his hammer to correct them.

That fact caused Czernobog's chest to ache as if he had eaten a ripe, fresh-picked pepper. He wanted his hammer.

"That's a nice story. It's unfortunate that nothing represents anything anymore." Czernobog wasn't malicious or mean about the sentiment, he was merely observing. "It is a nice blade."

[1st_zack]

"Huh?" He broke from his reverie. "Why doesn't anything represent anything anymore? That makes no sense."

It would always represent Angeal's dreams and honor as long as Zack had it.

[mako_memories]

Honestly, Cloud didn't know what possessed him to go to the church that day. Maybe it was frustration after his last conversation with Aeris. Maybe it was boredom. Either way, he was outside when he heard the crying. And it was familiar.

He stepped inside cautiously, and what he saw made him freeze. Zack with the sword. The sword currently resting in its holster on his back. The sword looking a whole lot shinier and newer than it actually was.

"How...Zack?" He was crying. What was going on? How was this possible? If he'd had a Gil for every time he had said or thought that on this island or off it, he would've been rich by now.

[1st_zack]

"Cloud?" He felt terribly embarrassed by the tears which streamed down his face. He tried to wipe them away nonchalantly, but failed miserably at it. No guy wanted their best friend to see them cry. Unless it was from pain. Like a horrible broken leg that you still tried to walk on. Not because your emotions had gotten the better of you. He took a moment to compose himself before he turned to face Cloud.

"Javert is gone," he offered as a response to the how. Hoping it would have more of a meaning to Cloud than it sounded when he said aloud.

[mako_memories]

"..." Of course Cloud knew Zack had other friends. As long as none of them were serial killers, Cloud was fine with it and didn't have to know who. He got that this Javert guy had obviously been a friend, otherwise why would Zack cry over him? Unless he was crying about the sword, of course.

"I'm sorry," he offered eventually, his eyes on said sword. It was better than looking at Zack's face, and he could bet his friend didn't want him to make a big deal over him crying.

[1st_zack]

"He was ... he reminded me of Angeal. And I found the sword here instead of Javert. It's stupid, but it feels like I've lost him twice."

He could tell that Cloud was feeling nearly as awkward as Zack was, though he doubted it was for the same reasons.

[skybot_snd]

Normally, Austin avoided passing by the church - its very existence seemed redundant to him - but he had stopped to visit Ginger's grave, which altered his course somewhat. Zack was one of the last people he had expected to see exiting the building. He could sense something was off about him, but Austin chose not to comment on it, at least for the time being.

"They're giving out giant swords in there?" he raised an eyebrow, sounding simultaneously doubtful and impressed. He'd never seen a sword that resembled the one Zack was carrying. Probably because it lacked all manner of practicality. Sort of like Zack's hair, actually. "Maybe I ought to reconsider agnosticism."

[1st_zack]

"Yeah, they are," Zack replied half-heartedly, not even bothering to put forth a convincing effort.

Zack was thankful for the lack of sword insults. He'd expected to hear Austin talk about the impracticality of swords and to get a lecture on how he needed to get a gun. Since they were also giving away guns in the church.

[skybot_snd]

Something was definitely wrong - Zack rarely acted this apathetic without good reason - but there was no point prodding it directly.

"Can I give it a try?" he motioned his head towards the sword, still studying it. It was more of a cleaver than anything - not the type of weapon he could see himself using. But it kind of worked for Zack, as long as it went in combination with the hair.

[1st_zack]

"Yeah." He was surprised by the request coming from Austin, but was happy to oblige. He loved the sword.

"Here you go." He said twirling it around and offering the hilt to Austin. "It's a little heavy though."