Chapter 817: Who is Zack?

For Song Ren, the greatest impression that Final Fantasy left on him was the richness of its characters.

The previous Xenoblade Chronicles felt more like a solo performance by Rex and Pyra/Mythra, rather than a true ensemble cast.

Characters like the tomboyish Morag, the otaku Tora, the chuuni prince, and the always beloved Nia, while they had roles, their screen time wasn't as extensive as he'd imagined.

But Final Fantasy was completely different, boasting a much richer ensemble performance.

Not just Cloud, the protagonist, but also Aerith, Tifa, and even Sephiroth, all received very detailed descriptions and excellent storylines.

Sephiroth, in particular, despite only appearing in flashbacks so far, created an incredibly strong sense of oppression when combined with the events in Midgar.

The stories of the other characters were equally memorable.

Take Barret, for example, with his fiery personality, intense hatred for Shinra's use of Mako, and constant talk about saving the Planet Mother.

He seemed like a pure idealist with a grand vision for saving the planet.

However, it was only when Cloud and his companions arrived in North Corel, Barret's hometown, that they understood the events of his past.

Unlike the Barret who now hated Shinra and screamed about saving the Planet Mother, the Barret of old had been a staunch believer in Shinra.

He had even personally championed the construction of a Mako Reactor in his hometown, North Corel.

He convinced his good friends to abandon the local coal mines and embrace Shinra's Mako energy instead.

One could say that the old Barret was unequivocally pro-Shinra.

But then, Shinra's actions inflicted a painful memory upon him.

The Mako Reactor in his hometown, North Corel, exploded, and to cover up the reactor's safety issues, Shinra executed a massacre of the local town. Not only did Barret's wife die in this catastrophe, but he himself lost his right arm protecting his good friend, Dyne.

Afterward, Barret, seeking revenge against Shinra, had a machine gun arm installed. As for saving the planet, that was merely an excuse; his true goal was to exact revenge on Shinra and find some peace of mind.

“So, the members of the Avalanche organization really are all characters who've experienced absolute devastation!”

Watching Barret pour out his heart, Song Ren couldn't help but sigh with emotion. Thinking about all those who joined Avalanche: Jessie, who already 'got written out' (died), whose father became a vegetable; Tifa, whose hometown was destroyed and parents killed; and Barret, whose hometown, wife, and arm were all lost.

As for Biggs and Wedge, who also 'got written out,' though the game didn't describe them in detail, Song Ren figured they hadn't fared much better.

However, what Song Ren found more interesting wasn't Barret's backstory in this part of the plot.

It was the Gold Saucer, this unique amusement park. Compared to the previous Midgar, the Gold Saucer was incredibly fun. Its box garden map design and various mini-games, especially the Chocobos, were extremely entertaining. And here, a new member, the robotic cat Cait Sith, joined the party.

As the game's story progressed, when they reached a place called Gongaga, a question that had long puzzled Song Ren was finally answered, though this brought an even deeper confusion.

In this small town, ruined by Mako, Cloud and his party encountered an elderly couple. Through their conversation, they learned that their son, Zack, was also a Shinra SOLDIER but hadn't returned home in many years, and they asked Cloud if he had seen him.

Later, through a conversation with Aerith, Cloud learned that this SOLDIER named Zack was, like Cloud, a 1st Class SOLDIER and also Aerith's former first love.

'He was very popular with girls. Maybe he's found someone else by now?' Aerith stood by a rock, looking a little downcast.

Aerith's first love, Zack?

Song Ren stared blankly at this scene.

Who is Zack? A new character? He's quite a big deal! His background is Aerith's ex-boyfriend, and more importantly, from the way things looked, not only Aerith but even Tifa knew this character, Zack.

Although Tifa said she didn't know him, her expression said it all; she definitely knew Zack.

“So Zack, he's a very important character? Connected to both heroines, and possibly even to Sephiroth and Cloud? But why doesn't Cloud know him?”

Watching this plot point, Song Ren's mind was filled with countless questions. One question was answered, but many more appeared. He could only say that when it came to digging plot holes, Nebula Games was simply brilliant!

Like Song Ren, Cloud in the game was also full of confusion at this moment. However, compared to these confusions, continuing their journey to find Sephiroth's whereabouts was more important.

Along the way, Cloud and his friends witnessed ordinary people suffering due to Shinra's tyranny and Mako. The experiences of characters like Red XIII, Cait Sith, and Yuffie were also gradually revealed during this journey.

Red XIII, who could speak human language, belonged to a race of sacred beasts that guarded the planet, and his true name was Nanaki.

As for Red XIII, it was merely a codename given to him by Hojo.

Red XIII, who had left his clan, always believed his father was a coward who abandoned his mother and people during a battle against their mortal enemies, the Gi Tribe. But as Cloud's group returned to Cosmo Canyon, Red XIII understood everything after his grandfather's explanation.

His father, Seto, was not a coward, but a hero. He had fought against the Gi Tribe, even becoming petrified by poison arrows, and endured the name of coward to continue guarding Cosmo Canyon. As the petrified Seto's tears fell, Red XIII stood by his father's remains, howling towards the sky. This scene deeply moved Song Ren; aside from the image of Sephiroth disappearing in a sea of flames, this was the second most impactful moment for him.

Then there was Yuffie, the lively, cute, and sunny girl from Wutai, who called herself a Materia Hunter. She was the daughter of the Wutai chieftain, and after Wutai lost the war against Shinra, it was developed into a tourist resort.

Yuffie resented her homeland being ruled by Shinra and believed her father, who complied with Shinra, was a coward.

So she began traveling the world, with the goal of collecting enough Materia to restore her homeland.

And Cait Sith, the eccentric robotic cat, riding a chubby Moogle, who claimed to be a fortune-telling machine and joined the team under the pretense of witnessing Cloud's destiny firsthand.

In reality, he was a high-performance robot controlled from a distance, and his true identity was a spy sent by Shinra into Cloud's group. However, as the manipulator, Reeve Tuesti, grew to understand and agree with Cloud's team's actions during their time together, he simply became a double agent.

The portrayal and development of these different characters made Song Ren feel that everyone in the protagonist's party had come alive. Each had a past too painful to recall and filled with sadness, yet their journey was also filled with vitality and laughter, making them seem genuinely happy together.

Until they arrived at the map known as Sleeping Forest.

(End of Chapter) <>