for you I'd throw a lifeline everytime

Passing Sorrow. Advent Children has curious shots of a lone wolf, and Cloud's new getup sports pendants of a wolf resembling a door knocker. The consensus is, this emblem and wolf are manifestations of Cloud's guilt. Me, being the radical extremist I am, my first impression was that the wolf was Zack, rather than a symbol of guilt.

Guilt. When you feel guilty, don't you associate the person who you feel you've wrong with the guilt, more so than your actions? When I feel guilty over something I've done to someone, seeing their face makes me feel even more guilty. I mean, it wasn't Cloud's fault that Hojo experimented on him, but Zack died to protect him nonetheless. So simple math, guilt=Zack no longer being alive. The last time Cloud saw his friend and someone he admired, he was laying in a pool of his own blood and died right before Cloud's eyes. Then to top it off, Cloud, due to manipulation, completely forgot there even was a Zack who died to save him. So, after some of the credits and a recap on past events, Advent Children opens up with Cloud thrusting the now rusted Buster Sword into the ground where Zack died. After he departs, the wolf appears right next to the sword. Aeris is given a physical manifestation in the movie as water. This is more than likely due to her limit break, Great Gospel, which involves a healing rain falling from the Heavens. Marlene hears a drop of water and says Big Sister?. Tifa sees the drop of water and talks to it You were with us the whole time, weren't you? Thank you. So if the water can be Aeris, why can't the wolf be Zack?

Religion. Final Fantasy is inundated with symbols. Sephiroth, according to the Kabbalah, are the 10 attributes through which God is manifested. It is said that Jenova is means "New God"; a combination of the words Jehovah, the Jewish name for God, and the Latin word nova, meaning new.

Now we already have a Native American theme going with RedXIII. The meaning of the wolf is different for different Native American Nations, from trickster to helper. But for our purposes the wolf is the go between the physical and spiritual world. It is said that the wolf's howl is the wolf communicating with the spirit world. Wolves represents loyalty, perseverance, and stability. They are messengers, guides into the spirit world, and teachers of healing arts. I want to stress the fact they are mesengers and guides.

After Sephiroth goes all Slap Chop on Cloud and he's a bloody mess, Zack comes to Cloud encouraging him, asking if he needs a hand, and reminding Cloud that he is the physical evidence that he lived. This fuels Cloud to stand on both feet, and take Sephiroth out. When Cloud is unexpectedly hit by Loz & Yazoo's final attack, he has a near death experience. Aeris and Zack are standing beside his body, floating in white space. It is Zack who tells him "Sorry, but [the Planet says] you don't have a place here" (aka: it's not you're time to go, so off to the world of the living with you!) and Cloud awakes in the water, healed, surrounded by the children. There you go, examples of Zack being a guide and messenger.

Another key peice of info, in many Native Nations, The Spirit of the deceased cannot rest in peace and moveon to the Promised Land if the living conitnue to carry them on and dwell on them. If Cloud was clutching on to feeling as if he failed Zack and Aeris, then their spirits would be unable to move on. When Cloud does let go of his guilt and is on the way to a smile, he looks up and sees Aeris and Zack, Aeris telling him "See, you're fine now" and Zack giving him a wave, and the two walk off into the brillance, fading away. The wolf is seen no more. I'm finished going all Native American on you guys now.

The Clincher. Lame argument maybe, but Zack is very wolfish in his looks. The widow's peak and all that long, dark, spiky hair thrust away from his face and falling down his back. He likes to lead, so he has that alpha male thing going on. Wolves are social animals and families of wolves stay together until death. Zack stuck by Cloud to the end.