#Remnants Return [Yazoo]

[soulsfractured]

Starter for @umbral-stigmata-unbound [Kadaj]

Yazoo had returned from the lifestream. How, and why, the silver did not know. But he'd returned. He just knew that when he felt the rain on his face, he was no longer in the life stream. He slowly opened his eyes, blue green focusing on the clouds overhead. The remains of Midgar were no place to stay, and he'd quickly left them, once he had checked over the area to see he was the only person there, and neither of his brothers could be found.

Sephiroth had failed- they had been set to return to the lifestream, and that was, he had presumed, been the end of it. He didn't sense Mother- not a trace of her anywhere. And yet... Yazoo slowed to a stop outside the church. He stared across the rubble at it before carefully jumping down and making his way inside.

He didn't know what drew him there- perhaps there was a feeling, but he couldn't place it at first. Cloud had been here, he remembered. Big Brother. He wouldn't want to see any of them, he thought idly, looking around at the ruined building and taking in the sight of the large pool of water. The ancient- he didn't know her name, couldn't recall it either as he crouched beside it, fingers dipping in.

Yazoo didn't even react to the water- a small frown on his lips as he took in the sight of the damage on his arm. He had thought that, perhaps, seeing how it had cured people of geostigma, the scarring that was there would fade as well, but it did nothing. The materia had caused damage- he could feel it. But there was no point dwelling on that now, as he pulled his hand out of the water, and stood up a low sigh finally breaking the silence.

[soulsfractured]

Yazoo nodded slightly- as usual there was no expression on his face to really show what he was thinking as he handed it over to Kadaj and watched for his reaction.

"I know that when people find things that remind them of others they give it to them. I thought you might like it." He explained, as if that answered exactly why this small white and black rock made him think of Kadaj at all. At least it was smooth and somewhat warm- no doubt from Yazoo carrying it around until he'd given it too Kadaj.

Platonic Sentence Starters | Open

@soulsfractured asked: ❛ i found this cool rock that made me think of you. ❜ [Yazoo to Kadaj]

Kadaj held out his hand for the rock, and once it was passed to him, he immediately began examining it. Cool? He supposed it had a unique shake, with a fascinating and curious webbing of color and cracks that made one wonder how they appeared and developed.

But then, he finally looked at his brother, raising a brow. "...A rock, made you think of me...?"

He looked over it again, not sure how to feel, though he wasn't exactly feeling bad towards the gift. He could actually quite place how he felt. "...Thank you...?"

[theghostavocadoe]

Presents prompt for the remnants, and Cloud? If you wanna include anyone else to make the prompt easier, that's fine! Just like the thought of them getting along.

Cloud explained the concept of the holidays to the Remnants on the night that the tree was put up in Edge's town square. Loz was infatuated by the lights, Yazoo was inclined to steal one of the ornaments, and Kadaj was overall assaulted by the offending display.

"It's just a time where family gets together, hangs up decorations, and gives each other gifts."

It was a simple enough explanation for the three of them. They all nodded in exact unison, which was both cute and a bit creepy, so Cloud left it at that.

What he didn't expect was for the three of them to find him a week later with gifts in hand.

Kadaj was first to find him with his hands hidden behind his back. He shoved a small yet heavy package into Cloud's arms before uttering a grumpy "you're welcome" and briskly walking away.

When Kadaj was gone, Cloud opened the small package to find an elaborate multi-tool. Kadaj must have heard him talking about getting a new one with Tifa, since it had been on his mind for a while. He smiled, feeling its weight in his hands before slipping it into his pocket.

Cloud found himself making excuses to use it. It made him feel like a cool on-the-go mechanic. And he didn't miss how Kadaj would smile whenever Cloud used it around him, even if he quickly hid it underneath his bangs.

Loz found him a few days after with a smile bright enough to blind someone. He handed Cloud a flower. When he took the flower, he realized very quickly it wasn't a real flower; it was a yellow lily, just like the ones in aerith's church, made of stained glass.

They ended up hanging it in the window in front of the kitchen. When the light was cast through it, the glass made colorful patterns across the entire room. Everyone who saw it complimented how pretty it was, to which Loz would loudly boast that it was his holiday gift to Cloud.

Yazoo found Cloud last. With a simple yet knowing smile, he handed an entire briefcase to Cloud and told him to open it. Confused, Cloud set it down and opened it up to find a fully functioning record player.

Record players were a rare commodity now that everyone had switched to CDs. Cloud still had some vinyls from his childhood, but nothing to play them on. The record player was immediately set up in the main room of Seventh Heaven. Patrons of the bar constantly commented on the excellent taste in music.

Cloud mulled for days over what he could get as gifts in return for the three of them. They were oddities, and they often switched interests and hobbies within weeks. The only thing that remained permanent about them was their new home.

That's when Cloud had the best idea.

The morning of the holidays, the brothers found three near-identical papers. Papers that would give them the official last name of Strife-Lockhart.

[altocat]

gently (violently) requesting more Remnants + Sephiroth headcanons from the legend themself

-💫

You got it!

Sephiroth mostly tries to avoid the Remnants when he can, returning for them only when he's bored/wants company/remembers to feed them.

He's VIOLENTLY jealous about sharing his beloved mother with them. She is HIS. HIS alone. They can't have her. NO ONE ELSE CAN HAVE HER.

Kadaj, sharing the exact same possessiveness and the exact same mindset (he IS part of Sephiroth after all) is ready to FIGHT TO THE DEATH in order to claim his precious mother from Sephiroth. Which results in Sephiroth casually flicking him away with ease.

Loz reacts to this tension by, you guessed it, crying. Yazoo is pretty indifferent. He's inwardly wondering what's for dinner lol

It's not always bad between the four of them though. Sephiroth will happily partake in a warm nap-pile with the Remnants. Loz cuddles up to his side, Yazoo drapes himself over Sephiroth's torso, and Kadaj is somewhere splayed across Sephiroth's face, still tugging aggressively at Sephiroth's bangs in his sleep.

Sephiroth and the Remnants share a LOT of similar mannerisms. Kadaj inherited Sephiroth's head tilts and nervous pacing when agitated. Loz inherited Sephiroth's confident stride and his tendency to tower over people. Yazoo inherited Sephiroth's graceful hand movements and elegant body language.

Sephiroth actually has a rare moment of compassion in which he and Loz both bond over missing their mother. When Kadaj barges in to try to share the SAME moment, Sephiroth punts him away.

Yazoo is very interested in actually OBSERVING Sephiroth, curious about their shared biology. He will casually stalk Sephiroth from behind, occasionally miming his movements.

All four have the tendency to answer questions and exclaim things all at the exact same time. A chorus of "MOTHER?!" all in unison.

[our-heartless-angels]

I got impatient, so I'm gonna info dump my AU onto this blog and none of you can stop me. (It begins below the cut)

Content warnings: Talks of abuse, torture, death, manipulation, miscarriages, and (possible) mentions of self harm (if i get there ofc)

I was really inspired by Crisis Core when creating this au, and at the time I was looking at those "Hero swap" aus where Sephiroth and Cloud swap places. When making my au (with CC in mind), I decided to take that premise and completely flip it on it's head.

Thus, The Seraphim Verdict: An au where everything is the same except for Sephiroth and Cloud. Because of these two being the sole changes, certain events play out very differently. How differently, you may ask? That's what you're about to find out.

In this au, Sephiroth wasn't born from the Jenova Projects. I was inspired by all the angel motifs attached to the canon Sephiroth, so I thought that I would make him into a real angel. A seraph, to be exact. He's the main character of the story. Cloud, however, is a human-turned soulless demon who loves nothing more than to make Sephiroth suffer. He's the main antagonist, and instead of vowing to destroy the planet, vows to become its supreme ruler.

Side note: The remnants we're created when Sephiroth was four, as a result of physically splitting into three people, meaning they cannot exist outside of him, nor can he exist outside of them. He can separate into the three whenever he's put under stress that he can no longer handle, and this happens at random, so yes they used to be in SOLDIER, too. Hojo forced it upon them just as much as he did with Sephiroth, and as a result while Kadaj is mostly the same in behavior as he is canonically, Loz and Yazoo are fundamentally changed due to mistreatment by their peers. Loz is a lot less of a "no brains, only brawns" character, having wizened himself up and sealed away all emotions that weren't his rage, and has sent several SOLDIERS into the infirmary after getting fed up with being beaten by them. (Many SOLDIERs were paid to harrass the trio by Hojo "for their own betterment." He was also forcefully tranquilized out of fear that he'd kill everyone in the building if they did not stop him.) Yazoo regressed into an anxiety filled mess, refusing to stand up for himself, as he fears punishment. People deemed him the weakest link, and he's been a target his whole life, leaving him completely afraid of the world.

Sephiroth was created by many gods all at once, using the soul of what would have ended up being Sephiroth, as Lucrecia in this universe ended up having a miscarriage, meaning that Project S was a failure. Though because they used the soul of what was to be the Sephiroth we would all know and love (or hate), this seraph would have been made flawed in their eyes. He, as a newly created (baby) seraph, would have earned an extra wing. An extra wing that was a part of his more human-like appearance. They only saw him as a mistake that shouldn't have been made, and they dumped him onto Gaia, his Grace intact and everything. The gods thought their creation would have not been capable of survival in this fragile form of a child, and thus pretended he never existed, abd because of this, never made another angel ever again.

From the start, the seraph has known abandonment. From the start, he was fated to be alone. From the start, he lacked the love he deserved to have. That was, until a distraught Lucrecia stumbled upon the abandoned baby one night outside of Shinra HQ. Being worried for the child's safety, and holding that longing of wishing to be a mother, decided to take him as her own in secret, once determining that he was abandoned there.

In secret, she cared for him. She loved him dearly, and was completely enamored by his tiny, white feathered wing. Unfortunately, this didn't last very long, as one day Professor Hojo discovered him and decided to take him away without her knowledge. As she was returning to the child, she was distraught by his disappearance, and through grief she left, never to be seen again. Hojo, now in possession of Sephiroth, decided to write off Project S as a sucess, in an attempt to hide his true research.

Sephiroth has the same kind of childhood he would have in canon, though he was never really addressed as a person until he was around ten years old (in human years), and instead he was treated like a beast. Even when he started calling him a "he" instead of an "it", he never really treated him well whatsoever. Even if he was supposed to be his father, he never acted like one. Not once. Those abandonment issues and that separation anxiety he harbored ever since he was an infant only got worse the older he got, as Hojo often took advantage of this, and he purposefully had him isolated. Sephiroth rarely interacted with others in his childhood years.

Sephiroth would also experience everything he would come to experience in his life pre Crisis Core, and all the way up until he was an adult. Crisis Core does play out relatively the same, save for a few key differences.

Those differences were: He was lied to twice about what he truly was, Cloud's jealousy towards Sephiroth's position and perceived power, and the subsequent attempts to squander his good name which lead to him seeking out a power beyond himself to get his wish of power granted (by a demon who was thought to be a god), though at the cost of his humanity, and thus his slowly degrading sanity, the Nibelheim Incident was all staged (Sephiroth pretend to go insane) in an attempt to draw Cloud out, and have him show everyone what he really was, Zack doesn't get killed, and Genesis doesn't end up with Deepground

The events post Crisis Core are both very much the same and also very different. While Cloud was going around, and continuing to try and paint Sephiroth in a bad light through lies and deceptions, Sephiroth, who had newly acquired an ally in Vincent Valentine, are going after Cloud, as Sephiroth knew the truth behind Cloud's false acts of heroism. The two go out to Shinra HQ, where they discover the existence of the Black Materia, to which after promptly putting an end to Professor Hojo, set out to retrieve it before Cloud does. When they suceed, it would be moments before they come across Cloud (and his freshly manipulated group of friends). Sephiroth, who has been anticipating their arrivals, decided to hand the black materia to Vincent, telling him to leave and not return until he deemed it was safe. By the time they arrived, Vincent was long gone, and Sephiroth remained.

Cloud made an attempt to pry out the location of the black materia on his person? and Sephiroth, who wasn't exactly lying to him, tells him he never had such a thing in his possession. Cloud wouldn't believe him though, and after countless attempts at making him hand over something he never once had in this moment, beat up the seraph in a fit of anger before leaving him there once determining that he wasn't lying. Sephiroth not once fought back against Cloud, as it felt completely unnecessary. Vincent does eventually return, taking Sephiroth with him to where they were currently camping out, so he could tend to his wounds in a safer location.

That night, however, they would receive a nighttime visit from a very distressed Aerith, who sought out Sephiroth personally. She was quick to beg and plead with the angel, knowing that he was the key to her salvation. She asked him to send her back to the lifestream. To his shock at such a request, he vehemently refused her no matter how much she pleaded with him to. Aerith then told him everything about the mistreatment she suffered behind everyone's back through the hands of Cloud Strife. All the gritty details of his physical and mental abuse upon her were laid bare for him to see, and that was enough for him to (reluctantly) aid in her suicidal desires under confirmation that this was something she actively wanted.

Pretty soon, he was to take Vincent to meet with her at a place long forgotten to time. While Vincent remained stoic about this predicament for the sake of not worrying the seraph, Sephiroth's thoughts were all over the place despite his blank expression. He tells Vincent to hide himself in case Cloud's group decided to go and find her, while he went to prepare himself for this moment. He complies, and once he left, Sephiroth took up residence in a high spot and waited. Unfortunately, he still had his gripes about doing such a thing. He didn't have much time to dwell, as Cloud came over towards a praying Aerith, who looked furious that she left him and the others behind. Before Cloud could do anything against her, Sephiroth made his move. As he was inches away from taking her life, he sensed her feelings about this shifting away, and coming to the conclusion that she didn't actually want to die anymore. It was too late, however, as by the time she had second thoughts about it, his blade would pierce through her, and she would ultimately die by Sephiroth's hands.

He was absolutely horrified by what he had done. The trauma of knowing her final feelings were that of wanting ro live hit him like a bag of bricks, as he quickly withdrew his blade. He looked at her in complete horror and silence, as Cloud's anger rose. From that moment on, Cloud declared to Sephiroth that he will make him suffer tenfold for what he did to the cetra girl, and he immediately left to quell his rage before it got worse, leaving Sephiroth to be responsible for putting her body into the waters that surrounded him, a sombre tone suffocating him all the wile.

Zack Joins the duo a few days later, after he was satisfied with his visit to his family. While the death of Aerith remained fresh on Sephiroth and Vincent's minds, they refused to tell Zack about it. It was during the addition of Zack, that they came across one of the gods. A god of time by the name Chronos had come in search for the seraph they got rid of, a feeling that he was still alive having brought him there. He was the sole god who wanted him dead, and thus he finally came to fulfill such a wish. When the trio arrived, Sephiroth immediately told his allies to leave. While Vincent understood why, Zack however, had a much harder time understanding why he didn't just let him fight with him. Sephiroth told Zack that this was his payment for forcing all those assignments onto him in the past, and that he's doing this to keep him alive, to which got Zack to reluctantly comply, and they two went somewhere more safe.

The subsequent battle was brutal and completely unfair. A mere seraph going against a whole god was simply unheard of, and the seraph was very close to losing his life, though by a stroke of luck, he managed to pick up on the secrets to Chronos' underhanded tatics, and decided to use them against him, which lead to him out right managing to kill the god for the sake of his survival. Beatened and bloodied, Sephiroth then collapsed. Vincent and Zack return, only to see a dead god, and their barely allive leader. They were quick to grab him and retreat, where Sephiroth would spend a few days recovering (much to his disapproval).

Sephiroth, after fully recovering, decided the next thing they would do is to break out those who were pulled under Cloud's influence. It was time they knew the real truth. They then silently trailed after Cloud and co, one by one convincing Yuffie, Red XIII, Cait Sith (and by extension Reeve), Cid, Barret, and finally Tifa into joining them on their quest to stop the demon. Each person had varying levels of difficulty when it came to breaking them free, with Tifa being the most stubborn. Once Cloud was alone, he scoffed at the betrayals, deeming that this endeavor was better done solo, and headed to the northern crater on his own.

Once the team was finally assembled proper, they decided to take a break for the next few hours one day to get a clearer head, so they could decide together when it would be the right time to strike, leaving Sephiroth all alone with his own thoughts. He then spent the night alone with the highwind, thinking over all that happened in the past, and hoping that the future he sees in his visions wasn't too out of reach. Eventually, everyone came back together, fully refreshed and ready to take on their foe. The group soon sets out, and what happens is deemed a final battle they would never forget.

Soon after the events, and within the time span of two years, it would be proven that Cloud refused his own demise, and forced himself back into the world of the living. All he felt was hatred towards Sephiroth. This was when he decided to make him pay, setting out to find him. This then began a painful cycle of Cloud finding him, and taking him away somewhere. Sephiroth would then undergo bouts of physical and mental torture that no living human would be able to survive, let alone be left mentally sound if they happened to live from it all. It was a constant loop that eventually was broken up with Zack coming to his rescue (despite it being mostly too late, and the damage having already been done.)

This constant cycle would break down the once untouchable seeming man, leaving him as a broken, and pathetic version of what he once was. Gone were the days where he remained strong in the face of torment, for now he ultimately became soft and meek through his suffering. He became a shell of his former self from then on....

Oh yeah btw Sephiroth stopped physically aging around his twenties, so he permanently looks like how he does in Crisis Core, fun fact.

[kitsunefox1108]

How would remnants of Sephiroth (Kadaj, Loz, and Yazoo) react Being self aware that all of them are just part of the game/ how would they react to player reader.

Kadaj given that kadaj is Sephiroth's madness, he will behave accordingly

at first he will pretend not to know about your existence, but later he begins to show signs.

For your own good, you better forget about the game for a while, if you don't want a problem in the form of an insane Kadaj, who will mock you very cruelly.

Yazoo

he is the embodiment of the charisma and coldness of Sephiroth

accordingly, he will behave in the same way towards you

also perfectly masks his emotions and a sign that he knows about you

but once he finds a way to interact with you..

Wait for him to do it

his charisma is very visible, and he will use it when communicating with you. and if he began to communicate with you, this is already a point of no return. Consider that he will not leave you until he calls you all the information. And if feelings arise, he will simply try to find a way to kidnap you into his world.

Loz

he is scared by this situation

it was unexpected for him to hear that his life was being watched so closely.

He is both afraid of you and not at the same time.

afraid because you may know too much about him

and not afraid because he is strong enough not to let you do anything to him

but over time, he becomes attached to you, and this … can interfere with you

[escortingsecrets]

Im working on multimuse account rn, but started thinking about Yazoo returning.

What if he lost his silver hair. What if it turned brown, like Lucrecia. The panic that his his is growing out and changing colour. That he's changing so much and doesn't fully know who he is now that he's not just a remnant of Sephiroth. Like, there would still be streaks of silver in his hair, not fully gone, but him being a brunette

[omegasquire]

Rose Gold: Ch 16

Just like when he had stepped through the marsh with Zack and Red, the environment around Cloud felt as real as reality. The only difference was that there was nobody around. Just as he had put in the settings, the town was empty. Only the buildings and nature surrounded him. Not even the sound of birds greeted his ears, giving the place a sense of haunting.

It was a bit eerie, but Cloud pushed the feeling aside as he took his first step into the empty town. The last time he had set foot in the real Nibelheim was over a year ago. No, that wasn’t the real Nibelheim either; it was a fabrication by Shinra to cover up the incident. The Nibelheim that he and those of AVALANCHE had crossed through was foreign to him. Though the buildings all looked the same, the people were different. Their stories were different. Everything about that place was odd.

This simulation that Cloud was in right now felt just as foreign, if not more-so. Stopping before the center square, Cloud’s gaze shifted up to the broken water tower that always seemed to hold up through all forms of weather until that nightmarish day. Looking at it lifted memories from the corners of his mind, of a time when he was young and ignorant, hopeful that he might achieve this grandiose dream.

At the same time, it brought forth a sense of rejection. Cloud had divorced himself from Nibelheim, no longer calling it his hometown. The Nibelheim that stood in his reality was a lie, his true home long since turned to ashes during his teenage years. The place he called his home now was Edge: a place that would take years to grow and stand on its two legs, a place that was full of scars and damaged souls, a place that gave him and his family a second chance.

Tifa was there, so were Marlene and Denzel, and their friends would always have somewhere to visit, relax and chat about their current life or reminisce about old times. Each of them was recovering from the tragedies that befell them and learning how to find a new purpose. Home. That was his home.

But who knew what was going on over there right now?

Cloud had no idea. His abrupt arrival in this parallel world didn’t even let him have the peace of mind of knowing if his friends and family were safe. Did Yazoo and Loz die? Did anyone know what happened to him? Did they think he was dead too?

Cloud pushed back those thoughts, as he had many times now, knowing that he wouldn’t have an answer no matter how much he questioned it. A part of him was bitter at Gaia for placing him here, but he remembered her plea and resolved himself to aid her even if he had no idea how.

Maybe if he could do whatever she wanted him to do, he could go back.

That was his wish. Especially in this stifling place that rejected him just as he rejected Nibelheim, he would do whatever he needed to in order to return home.

It was just easier said than done when there were so many obstacles in his way...

Not just his own friends treating him with hostility or wariness, but now there were these three men who were his lookalikes. Cloud didn’t even know where to begin. Pausing just before the water well, Cloud reached out his hand to touch one of the support beams. Somewhere in this simulation, somewhere in this town, there had to be an answer. A hint. Something.

Anything to lead him to understand who Strife was, his past, and why these events were happening. What Rufus had said was right: they were assuming too much that these Strife-lookalikes would behave like the remnants Cloud knew of. If there was some common denominator, then it was that they were reflections of the original body. The problem was that Sephiroth and Strife were different.

The question was how were they different? To start it, Cloud didn’t even fully understand Kadaj and his brothers. He didn’t know what aspects they represented of Sephiroth. Trying to figure out information like that wasn’t his forte; it was better left to one of the others. Unfortunately, those said “others” in this world weren’t likely to extend their hand out to him right away.

Which left him with the decision that he needed to focus more on Strife.

“Who...” he muttered to himself as he looked around. “Who was he? What happened to me here?”

Taking his hand away from the beam, Cloud turned his gaze to the other side of the town. It was the house that looked exactly like the one he grew up in.

“What about Mom?” He stopped and frowned. Surely he had a mom here too. If she was anything like his own mother, then she wouldn’t give Strife a reason to abandon all humanity. “Did something happen to her...?”

He didn’t like thinking about it, but he had to. If something had happened to Strife’s mom, then maybe he had no attachment to this place. But then what about the kids? Tifa? Was Strife treated the same way that Cloud was when he was a kid?

Cloud hesitated, wondering if going into that house would offer any answers, but in the end turned away. If Strife destroyed Nibelheim, then that house wouldn’t have any of Strife’s memories or belongings.

If he had to guess, the fabricated Nibelheim he was walking through right now was probably based on the recreated one post-incident.

Letting out a breath, Cloud turned his attention to another place. Just beyond the town, perched on its own hill as if to look down on the residents, stood a building that gave a sense of foreboding. The iron gate and tall fence denied people entry, discouraging any curious folks from snooping around the place. The fact that it had the name “Shinra” attached to it was another reason to avoid it.

Shinra Mansion.

The chances of him getting any answers here were slim to none, but he was going to look anyway.

“Easier than trying to talk to either of them,” he sighed and started to head for the mansion.

The only sound that followed his steps was the crunch of gravel under his boots. When he made it to the front gate, he pushed it open. The hinges had seen better days and made a sound that was too loud in this silent place. Cloud slipped inside the gap and continued to the front doors.

As soon as he opened it, a musty smell buffeted his nose. Despite being the one place that had survived the fire, Shinra Mansion didn’t see any use. It wasn’t cleaned or aired out; the furniture was aged and torn; the drapes were barely holding on and full of moth-eaten holes; the carpet was dirty and no longer held its original lustrous color. Just like the town, the mansion was devoid of life.

Cloud looked around, leaving the front door open to shed light on this otherwise dark foyer, and followed his memory up the steps to the second floor. Just like the mansion from his world, the general layout of this one was the same. It looked like some of the taste in décor was different, but he didn’t pay it any attention as he headed for the room at the far right.

It took a bit of searching, but he was able to trigger the mechanism to open the secret passage down to the basement. Where normal mansions had a basement for certain appliances and storage means, this mansion had a separate one that held many secrets.

Staring down the dimly lit spiral staircase that led to the bottom, Cloud felt his heart thump strongly against his chest. Without realizing it, apprehension had worked its way into his muscles, making him hesitate as memories rose up.

No matter how many years passed, he would still remember those awful days. That pain. That fear. That desperation and rage. He could close his eyes and recall the heat that enveloped his body, the smoke that invaded his lungs, the screams in his ears, the tears on his cheeks. No amount of manipulation or whatever brainwashing that had been put on him could erase such a vivid nightmare. Just being here in this simulation was enough to bring up that awful memory.  

“Time doesn’t heal everything,” he muttered bitterly, and shook his head.

Shoving those images to the back of his mind, Cloud descended the steps. The further he went, the more stifling the atmosphere got, but he didn’t stop. Once he was at the bottom, his hand searched for a switch on the wall and flipped it once his fingers brushed over it. Dull lights flickered on overhead, lighting Cloud’s path as he continued to the end.

He felt ill at ease the closer he got, causing his brows to knit. He shouldn’t be feeling any sort of reaction to this place, knowing it was all a fabrication, yet something in him was uneasy as he made it to the door leading to the laboratory.

Maybe it was just the memories?

Shaking his head again, Cloud opened the door and walked into the laboratory. He found another light switch and turned it on, illuminating the contents of the room. Abandoned tools, a broken table, and empty tanks of various sizes. There were stains where liquid was once held, and other signs of damage around the place as if a child had thrown a tantrum and wrecked it all.

Cloud glanced around, but he didn’t really know what he was looking for amongst the mess. If anything, it was the place beyond it that would be more useful.

Stepping over some broken glass, Cloud headed toward the library at the end. Even in this place, the design of the laboratory and library were similar. Cloud looked at the shelves as he slowly walked by them, trying to see if he could catch any titles that would help. He didn’t know how well this simulation would’ve recorded the information here; he doubted he could actually use any of these books.

He reached for one of the books that had been tossed on the ground and flipped open the cover. Just as he guessed, the pages were blank. He was disappointed, but he supposed he couldn’t rely on Shinra to reproduce this much information. If anything, anything down here was already breeching layers of confidentiality. The fact he was able to access it was already a miracle.

“Thought so. So much for that idea.”

Cloud already knew that if he tried to open any of the other books, they would be empty as well. Tossing the book back where he found it, Cloud continued past the shelves to what looked like an open study. Just like the rest of the library, books were scattered everywhere.

It was pretty much as he expected it. At least he hadn’t gotten his hopes up too high. If nothing else, it gave him some alone time to sort through his thoughts.

After what happened with Tifa, he needed some space to breathe and calm the emotions that stormed inside him...

Stopping in front of the desk, Cloud touched it with the tips of his fingers. He stared at the old varnish and noticed what looked like angry scratches along its surface. He didn’t know if they were from a pen or knife or some other tool. It didn’t seem important, yet his gaze lingered on those jagged lines. They didn’t look like they belonged...

For some reason, he felt like they meant something. But what?

I have what you seek.

Cloud flinched as a voice unexpectedly crept into his mind. He recognized it right away. It had been a while since Jenova last spoke to him, and he had wondered during that period of silence how long it would take for her to reappear. What ironic timing that it would be now.

Cloud narrowed his eyes. He didn’t want to have her in his head, but he didn’t know how to push her away.

I know the truth.

“I don’t care,” he replied out loud, even though there was no one around to hear him. He had a feeling she could still sense his response anyway.

Who else will tell you? Who else will freely and willingly answer all your questions? You rely on machines when you know they can’t help you.

He did know. He knew coming here was fruitless, but that didn’t mean he was going to seek her out in return. He’d rather confront Sephiroth instead.

He spurns you. He will not speak to you, only leave you in the dark.

Cloud already knew that too. It was clear neither of them was comfortable in the other person’s presence, but if these current events were going to result in another catastrophe, they had no choice. Much as Cloud didn’t want to talk to Sephiroth, it was still necessary, and considerably more tolerable than talking with Jenova.

If he could guess, from what Zack told him, and from Cloud had seen, this Sephiroth was level-headed. He would be reasonable and tell him the truth, however minimal those details were. The taller man probably loathed the idea of talking to him as well, but so far, they remained civil. That alone was enough to reject Jenova’s proposal.

Oh my precious child... you do not know... You will never know the full suffering. Such pain and loneliness... How pitiful...

Nausea rose in Cloud’s throat. Out of the corner of his eye he felt like something was there, a person or figure, yet their shape wasn’t clear. He wanted to turn his head, but his eyes remained rooted on the scratches on the desk. Maybe with fingernails...?

Cloud forced the question down. Now wasn’t the time.

Somehow, without even looking, he knew it was a younger person. Maybe a child? Without warning, a haunting sound reached Cloud’s ears. It made his back cold, goosebumps racing along the backs of his arms. It was crying. A solitary, pitiful, weeping sound like an abandoned animal in a forest.

Though the whimpering was quiet, it echoed in Cloud’s ears as though it came from his own mouth. It dove deep into his throat and clenched it tight, forcing on him emotions that weren’t his own.

They killed her. My miserable child...

Jenova’s voice filtered through the sounds of crying, soft and consoling as though she truly was speaking to him as her own son.

Such suffering. It is the fault of these people, these humans who you try to defend. They took it all away, and they will take it all again.

Cloud felt something try to reach for him, like a ripple in the water around his ankles. He mentally shook it off, his lips pulling back into a grimace as he tried to shut her out of his mind. He didn’t know how exactly he could do it, but he did know he couldn’t afford to listen to her any longer. The longer she lingered, the more dangerous it would be for him.

Rejected, despised... Unloved and abandoned, as you are. Loathed and feared, as you are. Alone.

Cloud wished he could somehow cover his ears and block her out. Why the hell wouldn’t she go away? Why couldn’t he make her stop?

“Shut up!”

Alone. Alone. Alone. Who will save you from this cruelty? Will love you? I can. I will give you what y—  

A hand suddenly grabbed his shoulder and jerked him around, cutting off Jenova’s words. Without warning, Cloud found himself yanked forward and then slammed against a bookshelf, knocking the wind out of him.

Gasping, Cloud flinched against the tight grip on his shoulders as he looked up at who had pinned him against the bookshelf.

~*~

Sephiroth’s eyes narrowed as he looked at Cloud. The blond’s pupils were contracted into slits. The last time they had appeared that way, Jenova had been meddling in his head in Junon. It was clear that she was trying to seduce him again.

“Jenova. Is she talking to you?”

Cloud didn’t answer right away, almost like he couldn’t comprehend his question. “Yes?”

Sephiroth studied Cloud’s face, taking note of the slightly dazed look as Cloud tried to sort himself out. His complexion was a little pale, but Sephiroth couldn’t tell if that was a side effect from Jenova’s presence, or the poor lighting overhead.

“Is she still there now?” His voice was low. He didn’t want Cloud to say yes, but if she was lingering in the blond man’s head then he would have to do something about it.

“I—” Cloud was quiet a moment as if he was trying to listen for something only he could hear before shaking his head. “No. I can’t feel her.”

Sephiroth wanted to feel relieved, but Cloud’s answer was hardly worth rejoicing over. The fact that he had found Cloud in here talking to himself – to Jenova – was proof that Jenova’s silence these past few days was just a ploy. Whether she had been busy crafting those Strife-lookalikes, or simply biding her time, it was clear that she had not given up assaulting Cloud’s mind.

He knew there was no way Jenova would leave Cloud alone just because he was in a new location. Her reach was unlimited, expanding across the planet like Gaia herself. They all had some faint hope that her silence would continue for a little longer, but that clearly wasn’t the case.

That meant they were going to be even more pressed to put an end to her scheme. Neither Jenova nor those lookalikes were giving them time to breathe.

But why was she in a hurry?

This question lingered in Sephiroth’s mind before he pushed it to the side to contemplate later. Right now, he studied Cloud as the man briefly closed his eyes before opening them. His pupils gradually dilated, returning to their natural shape; his irises returning to their normal color as well. They were a bright, mako-enhanced blue. The mixing colors were so striking, Sephiroth couldn’t help but compare Cloud’s features to Strife’s.

His eyes, his nose, his cheeks, his mouth...

Cloud twisted his shoulders and tried to tug away from him. The action broke Sephiroth’s thoughts before they headed down the wrong path. His hold on Cloud lingered before he finally let go, though he didn’t step back to give Cloud more breathing room.

“What are you doing here?”

It wasn’t a question about the simulation room. He had crossed by Zack who was bringing two closed cartons full of food for him and Cloud to eat after Cloud was done in the simulator. Sephiroth’s question was directed at the designation of the simulation. Of all places to choose, Sephiroth found Cloud in the empty town of Nibelheim.

Cloud’s lips tugged into a line, clearly unhappy with his present circumstances. Still, he responded obediently. “I wanted to test how much information these rooms can replicate environments.”

By technological standards, the simulators were top notch. There was no other system that could recreate the environment or even lifeforms as well as these rooms. However, there were still limitations that Shinra couldn’t – or didn’t bother to – iron out. Finer details like texts weren’t bothered it; for training purposes, it wasn’t necessary for soldiers or Turks trainees to stop and peruse novels when they were supposed to be completing missions.

Whatever it was that Cloud was hoping to find, it wasn’t going to be here. Surely he already knew that.

“What were you trying to find?”

Cloud’s eyes shifted to the side as he sighed. Though he seemed in a stable state, Sephiroth could tell his gaze was troubled and frustrated. “Something to help me understand Strife or what happened to him.”

It was clear Cloud was avoiding eye contact, but he continued nonetheless, “I thought that if I figured that out, then we’d have a better idea of who those lookalikes are and how to deal with them. Everything in here is blank.” Cloud gestured at the library.

“You won’t find answers here,” Sephiroth responded bluntly.

His answer made Cloud frown. “Then where? The real Nibelheim?”

Were it so easy. Sephiroth shook his head. “What you see here is the state of the mansion before it was cleaned out.”

Cloud’s frown deepened. “What happened to the originals? Were they destroyed?”

“Yes. Shinra found no need to keep hold of them and removed all evidence.” He hadn’t known when exactly it happened, but by the time he had realized, it was too late. “There’s no one who knows details of the contents either.”

Cloud finally looked up at him. A silence stretched between them before he finally spoke. “You know.”

Sephiroth met that gaze. “Not enough. Shinra had tight control over all confidential material in Nibelheim.”

He took a step back, granting Cloud space. He looked to the side, where he could see part of the laboratory at the end of the library. “It’s a surprise they kept this simulation intact.”

He didn’t think the program would still be in place. Did someone forget to erase it? Or did they not care since nothing could be gained from it?

Looking back at Cloud, he saw the blond staring at him. His brows knitted slightly as he met those blue eyes that had finally decided to meet his of their own volition.

Yet the contact felt too brief, as Cloud looked away once more. “I meant you knew what happened.”

Though Cloud’s voice was low, Sephiroth heard it clearly in the silence of library. He stared at Cloud even after the other man had turned away. The comment had caught Sephiroth off guard, even though it shouldn’t have. They were bound to talk about it eventually.

Vincent’s advice suddenly came to the forefront of his mind. He and Cloud might never have any affection toward each other, but they needed to cooperate. Right now, this was the longest conversation they had with each other. In fact, it was their first proper conversation to begin with.

Cloud needed to trust him – trust that Sephiroth could and would support him when he was struggling. Though neither of them had any clue how it might work, they had to take the first step to combining forces. That was the surest way for them to fight against Jenova and whatever she threw at him.

To gain Cloud’s trust, Sephiroth found he had to speak plainly with the man.

His lips pinched slightly at the corners as he watched Cloud move through the library. Whether conscious or not, it created a gap between them that felt more than just physical. It reminded him too well of how he had watched Strife walk away, ignoring his words and rejecting the life he proposed. Nothing he said or did convinced Strife that he was in the wrong and there were better choices.

Not even... his love.

Sephiroth berated himself for lingering on the memory. This wasn’t the time.

Drawing in a silent breath, he turned in the direction that Cloud went. “Zack is waiting outside.” His long strides made it easy to meet Cloud’s pace as he headed off to the side. It wasn’t towards the entrance to the laboratory, but the adjacent wall. “Mission cancel.”

[ Cancelling Mission......... Mission Cancelled ]

The training system’s AI voice responded to Sephiroth’s command and the mansion’s basement began to break down. Particles disappeared, returning him and Cloud back to the training room’s true appearance. The direction Sephiroth was facing was the room’s exit, the same he walked through when he learned where Cloud was.

The door slid open, allowing the two of them to exit. Zack was waiting on the bench, his and Cloud’s lunches sitting next to him. As soon as Sephiroth walked through, his head jerked up and gave a sheepish smile. He looked like a puppy that got caught doing something it wasn’t supposed to. He brought up his hands as if he was ready to plead his case.

“Heyyy, welcome back.” Zack’s gaze shifted between them before settling on Cloud. “All done? I got our barbecue. Might not be as warm now, but nothing a good old zap in the microwave won’t fix.”

Sephiroth bit back a sigh. He was used to Zack’s behavior, but the man had chosen a poor time to go against his orders.

It did give him a chance to approach Cloud...

Still, that didn’t stop Sephiroth from feeling a little annoyed. As Zack stood up, holding the To-Go containers for Cloud to see, Sephiroth held out his hand.

“Huh?” Zack gave him a confused look. He glanced between Sephiroth’s face and his hand, cautiously holding out the food to him.

Sephiroth took the containers and looked at Cloud. “Follow me.”

It took a couple seconds for realization to dawn on Zack. “H-Hey!” He pointed at Sephiroth. “Wait a minute, you’re taking mine too?”

Sephiroth glanced at him. “You can get another.” He looked at Cloud again. “We have something to discuss. Come.”

Without waiting, Sephiroth started to walk out. He heard Zack squawk behind him, but what Sephiroth was paying attention to was the sound of another set of footsteps quietly following him.

[zimithrus]

Au: Cloud has to take care and raise toddler remnants 😆

Send me an AU and I'll give you 5+ headcanons about it

1. Cloud was sure Aerith's healing rain was supposed to send them back to the Lifestream, to dissolve them and return their forms to the free-flowing strands they once originated from. But they did not. Instead they shrunk, and shrunk, and shrunk, until suddenly instead of whisking away green into the sky, a chubby-cheeked remnant toddler lays in his hands. And two more laid on the ground a few feet away from him. Unsure of what to do, for the time being, Cloud brought them back to Seventh Heaven.

2. The remnants would not vanish. They were stuck here with them now as toddlers. But at least they weren't hellbent on killing anything anymore. (Merely hellbent on turning Seventh Heaven upside-down and giving everyone inside headaches from their antics). Kadaj remained the leader of the others, standing tall and proud at 4 and a half (anything older or younger would get a very loud protest). He got into everything he could, ran with sharp objects, and threw the poutiest tantrums. Yazoo stood in the middle right at 4 and was the quietest out of the brood. He got involved in some high-strung incidents with his brothers, but was main the most level-headed. He was still prone to fits and pouts however. But Cloud was lucky a good book could calm him down. And Loz stood wobbly at 3, having the most energy and getting into the most trouble. Constantly running around, jumping off furniture, screaming and shouting, and throwing himself to the ground when things didn't go his way, crying the longest and loudest out of the three.

3. It was hard and awkward to get used to. After all the trouble they caused, half the time Cloud wanted to wad up a newspaper and smack their noses like dogs. Marlene and Denzel were a little wary at first but grew the fastest to accept them as part of their crazy family. They saved Cloud and Tifa from a lot of headaches and threats, they'll say that much. After a while, they ended up becoming part of the Strife's.

4. Aerith visited Cloud in his dreams one night and asked how he was handling the new additions. He asked her why they didn't rejoin the Lifestream, but she just smiled and shrugged, 'Guess they're still really attached to their big brother.' Zack was with her and smiled as well. 'You're just a really popular guy, Cloud. And don't worry, we'll save places for all of you eventually.' He rolled his eyes at both of them, but he couldn't stop himself from smiling.

5. Getting the party reintroduced to the remnants as toddlers and not as world-ending antagonists took some adjustment as well. But the ended up coming around with their own stipulations. Cid was 'don't let those brats touch anything in my ship and we're cool' Vincent didn't say much, but if he wanted space from them he'd give him his phone and let them play centipede on it. Yuffie said 'stay away from my materia, unless we're up to something together then they can use it, because it's more fun that way!' Red XIII did not enjoy becoming a furry taxi to the three toddlers, but he was okay with it as well as some good-natured pets every once in a while so long as they didn't call him a dog. Barret took the longest to adjust as they had put Marlene in danger before, but when figuring out they turned into regular, crazy toddlers, warmed up to them much easier. Cait sith preferred to keep his distance from them based off that one time when the kids fought over who could play with him and nearly ripped him into three uneven pieces. But he didn't mind them aside from that he supposed. (He much preferred Marlene's tea parties though.)

[up-sideand-down]

cloud babysitting the remnants hc please!

So this probably isn't the AU you were thinking of. This is a bit more of a Preschool!AU.

1. Loz, Yazoo, and Kadaj lose their parents when they are just 4 years old. Afterwards, they live with their older brother Sephiroth. Sephiroth is in his early twenties and has a highly demanding job with the ShinRa Corp. He's very overworked, but is paid very well. Well enough to afford therapy for his triplet brothers and family therapy for all of them. The only bad side is that Sephiroth often just cannot be there with his brothers. They terrorize three nannies who leave despite Sephiroth begging, and nearly bribing them. Now they're even being cold to Sephiroth. Their therapist recommends they go to Preschool to help them socialize with other people. He searches for the best, but finds the one with the best results are actually nearby and he's technically in the district: Seventh Heaven Preschool. He signs them up, terrified about how they will react.

2. He tries to explain to them what Preschool is, that it will be fun, and they will like it. In their new habit, the boys throw a fit and refuse to go. It is a fight to get them to go. All three are nearly screaming when they arrive and Sephiroth feels like a failure. Then one of the teachers steps away from the drop off line and approaches.

"You must be Loz, Yazoo, and Kadaj," he says very calmly, as if the boys are not yelling at all, "It's so nice to meet you. I'm Mr. Cloud. You're my new students." His demeanor and tone shocks the boys out of their tantrums. Sephiroth is in awe.

"Now the first day is hard, but we can't begin unless you leave your brother and come inside. I can show you the classroom, the playroom, and your learning stations." The boys hesitate, but Cloud dives in.

"Let's go," Cloud says, "say your goodbyes." He's impossible to say no too and Sephiroth is shocked to see the boys go in willingly.

"I'll take good care of them," Cloud says. Sephiroth only realizes in the car that he didn't get to warn his teacher about what the boys are like.

3. The day does not start out very promising. The boys are quiet and withdrawn. Cloud knows enough about kids to know that it a bad thing, as is the fact that they keep whispering among themselves. Cloud raises his guard. He still gets hit with the contents of a lunch box...and it looks like one of the boys packed a rotten egg.

But this is not Cloud's first rodeo. He separates the three in different classrooms with the other teachers, while he cleans himself and the room up and keeps his own kids distracted. When the triplets return Cloud questions them after their time out.

"Why did you do that." The boys...cannot answer. Cloud didn't hurt their feelings, Cloud didn't upset them, they weren't upset at all...they just...did it.

"Well there has to be a reason," Cloud says, "you can rejoin the lesson, but we should use the break time to figure out why you did that to me. It hurt my feelings." Sure enough, while the rest of their classmates play the boys sit around the floor with Cloud doodling and trying to think of why they threw rotten food at Mr. Cloud. Loz breaks first, sobbing and apologizing. Cloud forgives him and lets him go off to play.

4. At lunch time Yazoo changes his mind. It was his lunch they agreed to sacrifice. Kadaj and Loz were going to share with him, but Mr. Cloud notices his lunch and snacks are missing. Mr. Cloud holds him back and gives him a new lunch. He sits with the new boys. Loz talks to him pretty happily. Mr. Cloud is nice to him. Yazoo notices that Mr. Cloud isn't having his lunch. He's always put things together faster than the other two.

Mr. Cloud gave him his lunch, even through he threw it at Mr. Cloud. The sandwich sits like a stone in his stomach. He knows Cloud chose to be kind to him anyway...and he's been awful. He could keep being awful until Mr. Cloud stops being so nice, like the nannies were. But...what if it doesn't stop. What if he's just mean to Mr. Cloud for no reason? Tears spring into his eyes.

"Yazoo, are you alright?" Mr. Cloud asks, "Are you homesick. That's okay if you are." Yazoo breaks and apologizes for the first time in his life.

5. Kadaj feels slightly betrayed by the brothers warming up to Mr. Cloud. He's alright with the school part, and the play part. But he doesn't understand why he has to be nice to the adults. They aren't Mom and Dad. Mr. Cloud is patient. He figures out Kadaj's favorite games and even gets some of the kids to join in and play with him. He's nice and all but-

Then Cloud finds the culprit when Kadaj mutters that Sephiroth never has time to play like this anymore.

"Do you miss your brother?" Mr. Cloud asks. Kadaj nods and the tears start. He misses Sephiroth so much. He knows Sephiroth is trying so hard to do what their parents did...but it's not enough and he's selfish.

"It's okay to miss him," Mr. Cloud says, "it's not okay to take that out on other people though...okay?" Kadaj nods. By the end of the day the triplets are clinging to Mr. Cloud when they have to go. Sephiroth is chocked.

"Boys you're coming back tomorrow," Mr. Cloud tells them, "now, say goodbye and go to your brother. I'm sure he missed you all." Sephiroth sees the pointed stare Mr. Cloud gives him.

"I did!" Sephiroth says, "I..." The boys look at him and he realizes it was true. As tough as they are he did miss them.

"I miss you guys," he tells them, "so much." They all smile and let go of Mr. Cloud.

"See you tomorrow!" Kadaj calls back. Mr. Cloud just waves.

[soulsfractured]

Starter for @chasingxfeathers [Cloud]

Yazoo studied the bike carefully, crouched down as he watched the blonde work on it. It was almost funny, watching how he tilted his head without really seeming to notice it, hands resting on his knees as he watched the other fix it. It hadn't been a major issue- just a small section that needed a quick fix. But he had no idea what the issue was, or how to fix it, even as Cloud explained what he was doing.

"Did Shinra make you learn how to do this?" He asked, cat like eyes finally moving from the motorcycle and over to Cloud. He hadn't been back long- he'd barely been returned from the life stream for more than a week. Yazoo still struggled- many remembered the damage the remnants had caused, and it took a long time for him to be able to explain he was here to make amends.

Which was why he was currently with Cloud. He had taken up residence in the church, and the blonde had found him only a few weeks prior. He'd thought Cloud would start a fight with him, but instead the mercenary had extended a hand to help. Yazoo was still hesitant to accept it, but at least Cloud didn't try and run in through or treat him rudely due to past actions. "I think I remember something from Sephiroth's past... About bikes. But I don't recall much beyond how to operate it."

[breezeinmonochromenight]

I'm dumb and didn't understand AC much beyond "Bad sickness, pretty animation and anime physics" but I want to guess that the anon before me got that response because the Remnants are indeed not that fond of kids beyond "Jenova cell minions to be used" or smth

If you wanna explain that would be much appreciated ^^

Geostigma happens when people come into contact with JENOVA tainted/negative lifestream, and it’s not contagious. It tends to infect children *more than anyone else, and essentially turns the infected into Sephiroth “clones” to participate in Reunion (the idea that JENOVA cells, once separated, will seek to reunite and return to the main body).

The Remnants are literal manifestations of Sephiroth’s will from the lifestream, and their sole purpose is to facilitate Sephiroth’s rebirth. Kadaj is the rage, Loz is the physicality, Yazoo is the demeanor. Since they’re spiritual manifestations, they have no Reunion instinct and cannot participate/cannot locate JENOVA’s remains on their own.

The lack of Reunion instinct is why they lure children afflicted with Geostigma to the Forgotten City by telling them they can be cured. The kids drink the water that’s been tainted with negative lifestream/Sephiroth’s will/whatever the fuck, have their reunion instinct awakened, and lead the Remnants back to Edge and to the Meteor monument.

TL;DR: You’re pretty much right on the money. It doesn’t really matter that they’re kids; it only matters that the kids are very easy targets for both the Remnants and the disease itself.

Tbh is a lot more of an entertaining read if you just picture me telling you all this in a straight jacket from a padded cell.

*I assume that’s just the writers operating off the idea that children don’t have fully developed immune systems yet and are one of the groups frequently more at risk for contracting disease, because I don’t remember it being mentioned in the movie. It’s been a long while since I’ve watched AC/AC Complete, though, so I may just not remember it. But yeah. Long story short the disease causes an extreme overcompensation from the immune system that’s ultimately fatal, so I’m guessing maybe this is why it works so well in children.

[theghostavocadoe]

The Remnants have a Nerf War. I feel like who wins is a foregone conclusion so instead I will ask if any of them get the idea to cut off the tips of the darts and put thumbtacks inside

In any normal situation, which is almost never for the remnants, Yazoo would've won because come on. Of course the gun man would win at gun game.

Kadaj gets the idea of shooting thumb tacks first. the night before their declared nerf war, he hordes nerf darts and spends the entire night cutting them off and gluing thumb tacks.

is it stupid? yes. is it dangerous? absolutely. but he's going to do it anyway because he has the grudge of a thousand suns against Yazoo winning for the past 10 nerf wars.

After the scandal, the three decide that rules don't exist. The weeks pass and they start finding more and more absurd things to fire out of their little nerf guns, should the mechanisms allow it. Hollowed out pencils and pretzel sticks are some of the funniest contenders.

In the end, it gets so out of hand that Yazoo ends up switching to his REAL gun. that's when they know to call it quits for the war and return to normal nerf darts.

[krvla]

@hiislegacy​ / KADAJ

YAZOO FELT AS THOUGH he was still coming to terms with the unique nature of his existence. And he’d admit ( though only to himself ) that the prospect of Sephiroth’s return had , of late , made him weary. For what did that mean for them ?? Would the remnants still exist ?? Would he simply disappear ?? The more questions he asked himself , the less he realized he knew. Though Kadaj always seemed so assured. So certain and informed. Perhaps Kadaj might hold answers that he sought . . . 

‘ . . . hey , Kadaj ?? ’ His words fall in his usual drawl. ‘ . . . I have been , wondering. What do we really know about . . . Sephiroth. Are we not , mother’s children too ?? ’

[im-totally-not-an-alien]

Final Fantasy 7 prompts # 35

1. Everything is the same except all the First Class SOLDIERs have cat ears/tail, with the exception of Zack, who has dog ears and tail. No one seems to notice except Reno who is absolutely losing his mind because, "Can't you see them?! They're right there!"

2. Remake Au where Ghost! Zack goes around changing everybody's ringtones.

Cloud gets the chocobo theme and blushes a little everytime it rings. He keeps changing it back but it doesn't do him any good.

Renos however, is just Zack threatening that if he ever tried to hurt his precious chocobo again...well. He'd be missing at least one of his rods.

3. Zack playing with the remnants. They adore him and he comes with the added bonus of attracting thier wayward blond brother as well!

4. Ghost! Zack pseudo parenting Kadaj, Yazoo, and Loz in the wild

5. Cloud has to save AVALANCHE but isn't strong enough to do it on his own. The revived triplets make a deal with him that they would help him...what could they possibly want in return?

6. "I will not end."

Cloud rolled his eyes, but said nothing.

The silverette dramatically turned to face him, "Nor will I have you end."

The blonds eyebrows launched into his hairline, "You going to toss me a ring?"

Sephiroth paused for a moment, just staring at the baffled blond. "Would you accept it if I did?"

Now it was Clouds turn to stare, ".....wat?"

7. Cloud accedently refers to Jenova as "Mother" and the triplets are overjoyed

8. *waking up in a cold sweat* Trans Jenova

9. Sefikura- And they were roommates

10. Strifsodos/ Clack/ ect. - and they were roommates, but they're trying too hard to flirt and making Cloud self conscious

11. Cloud playing the harp for Genesis, who praises him eagerly.

12. A!C! Cloud being thrown into a parallel world where everything is the same but he's in C!C! Era and AGSZC is real.

They immediately recognize Cloud and capture and interrogate him. Needless to say, everyone is a little shocked, and Older Cloud escapes with the younger blond as a captive.

It's alright though. He just asks if he really loves them and if they did anything he didn't like. He then gives C!C! Cloud a way to contact him if he was ever in trouble and sent him safely back to his enraged and terrified lovers...before blowing up a few reactors on his way out and leaving blueprints for solar panels behind.

13. Cloud was tending to the flowers in Aeriths church when he began to hear the sound of a violin playing in the distance. Intrigued, and possibly thinking this was a sign from Aerith, he follows the sound to what looked like an ordinary pile of rubble, but upon further inspection he found an opening to a tunnel that lead to a red door. When he opened it he discovered a remarkably intact theater.

14. One of the Shinra scientists builds a time machine, but it has a problem. It swaps the person in question with thier past/future self.

Aka A!C! Cloud and C!C! Cloud traded places, A!C! Cloud cried into Zacks chest, beat up Angeal, listened to Genesis's poetry, (and liked it) and stabbed Sephiroth. Not particularly in that order.

Yuffie is too busy cooing at little C!C! Cloud who is terrified that he's suddenly in enemy territory, (Wutai) and has no idea how he got there.

Also the Empress. The. Freaking. Empress. Was cooing at him like a freshly hatched chicabo! He didn't even know when she acended the throne, how would he get out of this one?!

15. Sephiroth revives far in the future where he is largely ignored by the ignorant population. Sure, they never forgot about him, but they seemed to think of him as a fan or a dedicated cosplayer. Odd.

He winds up in a museum dedicated to SOLDIER and AVALANCHE. Seeing Rapier in a display pulled at his heartstrings in ways he never would have suspected. But that was nothing compared to seeing the display housing First Tsurugi and Fenrir.

Sephiroth didn't think it was possible for him to break down like this.

[goddess4302]

“Mother will know. When she gets here, she'll decide what's best.”—Loz

Loz is one of the three Remnants of Sephiroth in Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. He is described as being the embodiment of Sephiroth's physical strength, as well as his fondness and emotional instability concerning "Mother" that Sephiroth shows during the Nibelheim Incident. While physically the strongest of the three, Loz has a real soft spot, especially on the topic of Jenova, as he apparently cries a lot, a fact that Yazoo points out, often in mockery

Appearance:

Loz is physically bulky and muscular, akin to the likes of Barret Wallace. His silver hair is short and slightly spiky with sideburns, and he has green eyes with cat-like pupils, the same as Sephiroth. He wears his weapon, the Dual Hound, on his left arm and uses a Velvet Nightmare handgun otherwise. His torso is also covered over with crossing black straps and shoulder guards. He wears a full body suit of leather that hugs tight upon his well built form.

Personality:

Of the three Remnants, Loz is the most child-like, which led to his lines about crying and his connection to Jenova. Tetsuya Nomura has stated Loz was meant to be a stylized version of Sephiroth's strength, but grudgingly admitted he could easily be described as "all brawn and no brains". In some scenes Loz can be heard making sound effects, such as "bruum!" when driving his motorcycle off the cliff in his opening scene, and "bang, buh buh bang!" when firing at a helicopter piloted by Reno, highlighting his childishness.

Story:

Loz first appears watching Cloud Strife drive through the wasteland around Midgar, and attacks him with Yazoo and Shadow Creepers summoned by Kadaj. Although the battle turns in their favor, Kadaj contacts Rufus Shinra and calls back the Shadow Creepers, and Loz and Yazoo also leave.

While Kadaj goes to see Rufus, Loz goes to the Sector 5 Church, believing Jenova may be there. Tifa Lockhart and Marlene Wallace are already there, and when Tifa claims she does not know where Jenova is, Loz requests she "play with him". Although Tifa gains a momentary advantage on Loz, he rises unharmed from and after a phone call from Yazoo, he exploits his speed to easily defeat her. Loz subsequently kidnaps Marlene and takes a chest of Materia Cloud had been keeping at the church, and returns to the Forgotten Capital with his brothers.

When Cloud arrives at the Capital he battles the three, and Loz and Yazoo easily overwhelm him by combining their abilities. Vincent Valentine saves Cloud and the three brothers return to Edge. While Kadaj meets with Rufus, Loz and Yazoo attempt to destroy a monument to the fall of Meteor, but are interrupted by Reno and Rude of the Turks. When Reno refers to "Jenova's friggin' head", Loz childishly calls him a "meanie". As Kadaj summons Bahamut SIN, Loz battles and defeats Rude.

When Cloud and his friends defeat Bahamut SIN, Rufus reveals Jenova's remains to Kadaj. Retrieving them, the three remnants drive onto the highways leading into Midgar, pursued by Cloud. Delaying him from reaching Kadaj, Loz, and Yazoo battle him and Loz is exceedingly reckless in his attacks. At the end of the chase, the Turks have arrived ahead of their path via helicopter. Cloud, having gained a lead, drives by, and Loz and Yazoo are subsequently caught in the explosion of the bombs Rude and Reno brought with them.

Assumed dead, Loz and Yazoo return at the end of the film as Cloud defeats Sephiroth, and attack him with dozens of Materia orbs forced into their bodies. Already dissolving in healing rain called down by Aerith Gainsborough, the two are consumed in the explosions of their own spells and are destroyed at last.