Cloud wasn't missing, he was just a little late. His Moogle Mako had urged him to go welcome the newcomers, but he wasn't particularly interested in it, still recovering just a little from his recent adventures. He wasn't badly injured, but he was still very sore from being kicked by a magitek armor.

In any case, he wound up going to welcome the new heroes mostly just to get his Moogle to leave him alone. Their usual arguing came to a halt though when Cloud approached the group of newcomers. He stopped short, gaping for a moment and eyes wide. "Zack?"

The look of shock turns to a happy grin, "Zack! You're here!" The blonde looks hale and hearty, as much as he did right before the Nibelheim mission.