The Journal of Tobin Lockheart, Beginning September 6, 0000

NOTE TO THE READER:

This journal is told from a first person perspective. Some of the events that occurred without myself present have been assumed to have happened or pieced together from later conversations.

Chapter 1: On the Train

September 6, 0000

The mako reactor flaunted the Shinra symbol as the city lights shone over Midgar on a typical night. Unlike any other particular night, the surface of the city was deserted. No human being walked the streets, despite the fact that they all remained illuminated. No curfew was in effect; the city was simply deserted. As if something was about to happen.

A train sped mercilessly through the city, even as a gate closed in front of it. It crashed right through that gate as if it wasn't there. On cue, an alarm began to sound, alerting anyone who heard it to the impending disaster.

A helicopter hovered over it; it belonged to the Shinra. It followed the train for many yards, as if its intention was to intercept.

And then, the message came crisply from the chopper's intercom.

"Wutai troops have hijacked Shinra Express M93 II. The train is currently headed to Midgar Sector Eight. A SOLDIER operative will be inserted to neutralize the situation. We are to proceed as scheduled. Commence mission in three, two, one mark. Begin mission! Operative is ready for insertion."

The doors on the side of the chopper slid open. A young man of sixteen stepped outside. He was well built, and had black, spikey hair. He was Zack Fair.

"The train has been overrun by Wutai troops," called a second voice from inside the chopper. "Eliminate them, and regain control of the train."

"Oh yeah!" Zack acknowledged enthusiastically.

"Get serious!" demanded the second voice.

Zack, not heeding the second voice, jumped from the helicopter, landing on the train with the greatest of ease, and ducking just as it rolled under a bridge. He stood up, preparing for his mission.

Just then, another figure landed behind Zack. He also had place hair, only it was slightly longer.

I had trouble telling the two of them apart at first.

"Zack!" called the man behind him, revealing that he was the owner of the second voice. "Zack, focus!"

Zack sighed.

"There are no Shinra troops on this train, understood?" reminded the man behind him.

"Hey!" muttered Zack as he punched his hand.

With that, he began to dash, hopping onto the next car. Immediately, gunfire began to come from the sky, causing him to briefly fall on his hands.

"Hello to you, too!" he greeted sarcastically.

Zack recovered, and darted down the train, hopping from car to car until troops came into view. They were dressed in Shinra uniforms, but Zack had heeded the previous warning.

"Come and get it!" Zack taunted as he drew his sword.

Moments later, he cut down any troops in his way. He then made his way to the engine car, cutting all connections with his sword.

"SOLDIER 2nd Class Zack, on the job!" he gloated as he jumped onto the engine.

Just then, a radio transmission came through.

"Train M93-II, rerouted to Sector One, Station One, near Mako Reactor One. Resume mission."

Moments later, the engine pulled to an innocuous stop at the station. Zack quickly jumped off, but, before he could do anything, his cell phone rang.

"Zack speaking," he answered.

"Making progress, Zack?" asked his companion over the phone.

"What's going on, Angeal?" Zack asked. "Why are we fighting Shinra troops?"

"They're Wutai troops in disguise," Angeal replied.

That's right, Zack thought. He did say there were no Shinra troops on the train.

"Now, head to the open area above," Angeal commanded.

"Towards Sector Eight?" Zack confirmed.

"Yes," Angeal answered. "But first, you have to clear a path."

"Clear a path?" asked Zack.

"You'll see what I mean," Angeal replied. "Be careful."

At that moment, ten Wutai troops in Shinra uniforms charged out of an arch behind him.

"So, I can cut loose, right?" asked Zack as several troops began to open fire.

"Use some discretion," Angeal approved.

"It's showtime!" Zack announced as he put his phone away.

He pulled out his sword and charged the Wutai troops, dispatching them with a few swipes.

As the Wutai troops lay dead on the ground, Zack's cell phone rang again. Knowing exactly who was calling, he promptly answered it.

"Not too bad," Angeal complimented.

"Piece of cake!" Zack gloated. "I'll make 1st in no time!"

"Go up the stairs at the end of the platform," Angeal commanded.

"You got it!" Zack complied.

With that, he ran through the arch the Wutai troops had charged through, and began to climb the stairs. As he did so, he could see several civilians frantically running in the opposite direction.

"Does he have a death wish?" one of them asked.

As he reached the top of the stairs, he realized what the commotion was about.

A giant blue behemoth with read hair yellow fins, claws, and a spiked tail was threatening Loveless Avenue. Upon seeing Zack, the Behemoth charged him, swiping his tail.

Zack, wasting no time, jumped backward toward safety. He then drew his sword and swiped it, cutting the tail off in one stroke. As the Behemoth howled, Zack charged, jumped, and drove the sword into the creature's back, jumping away again as he did so.

The behemoth squirmed in agony for a few moments before laying down on the ground, having breathed its last.

As Zack approached the corpse to retrieve his sword, a longer sword suddenly threatened the side of his throat.

"Showing your back to the enemy," observed a menacing voice. "Overconfidence will destroy you."

Zack slowly raised his hands to signal his surrender. He then slowly turned one hundred and eighty degrees to view his captor.

Sephiroth was standing there, pointing his sword in Zack's direction.

"What is this?" Zack demanded.

Sephiroth grunted before attacking Zack.

Zack quickly took his sword, successfully blocking Sephiroth's attacks.

"Damn it, you're not the only hero!" Zack shouted as he continued to defend himself.

"It's over," Sephiroth announced.

With that, Sephiroth knocked Zack's sword from his hands, sending it yards away. The forced knocked Zack to the ground.

I quickly looked in the opposite direction to see Angeal on his cell phone in the distance.

"Impossible!" I heard him say. I then saw him start running towards the conflict.

Turning my attention back to the drama, I saw Sephiroth approach the fallen Zack, raise is sword, and strike.

And then, I saw Angeal stop the strike at the last possible moment with the remains of Zack's sword.

Then the damndest thing happened. Sephiroth backed off on his own.

"Thanks, Angeal," Zack groaned as he sat up.

Angeal grunted and pulled out his cell phone, pressing an app that read "Training" on it. The next screen read: "Mission Abort? YES/NO."

Angeal pressed "YES."

Moments later, the background disappeared into pixels as Zack, Angeal, and Sephiroth looked on. Eventually, Sephiroth himself disintegrated. Zack and Angeal remained alone in the training room on the forty-ninth floor of the Shinra Building.

"Training's over," Angeal announced.

"Wha? Why?" Zack protested as he took off his virtual reality visor. "You serious? I was just getting warmed up!"

Angeal smiled as he returned the still-broken sword to Zack.

"Zack," began Angeal as he headed for the exit. "Embrace your dreams."

"Huh?" asked the confused Zack.

Angeal stopped at the exit.

"If you want to be a hero," he said, "you need to have dreams. And honor."

Zack scratched his head as Angeal disappeared out of the Virtual Reality room. He stayed there for a good five minutes, probably wondering what he had done wrong. He then walked out the exit.

Finally, I left the virtual reality room myself and made my way into the elevator, pressing the button and letting myself on. I wondered if anyone saw it; they'd be creaked out. They'd probably think that Shinra Headquarters was haunted by a ghost or something.

This is the part I probably should have mentioned earlier: I was invisible. I wear a cloaking bracelet whenever I observe Zack in training. It renders me invisible and inaudible, which proves handy, considering the fact that I'm not allowed above the third floor. My predecessor got fired simply for getting off the elevator by mistake, so it was nothing that I was willing to risk. The bracelet cloaks me, my clothes, and my camera.

Once the elevator hit the third floor, and I was well away from any eyes or cameras, I de-cloaked and resumed my normal job as a desk clerk. Nothing in the virtual world showed up in my pictures, of course, but that didn't matter. My only job was to get pictures of Zack in action and reveal what he was doing. I did that, emailed them, and got my two hundred gil for it.

My name is Tobin, by the way. Tobin Lockheart, to be exact. Or perhaps it was Tobin Lockheart, because, by the time you're reading this, I'm not sure what my status will be.

I've already given you the disclaimer that some events in this journal that occurred outside of my presence have mainly been hypothesized. He's one last disclaimer; the biggest one of all: once you've read about what I've done...don't do it.