#calamity zack au

[lunarianebula872]

(tried something a little different for my chibi design but I think it works well for Cloud Rhapsodos/Hewely here also yes Genesis made sure the inside of Cloud's jacket is lined to keep him warm/comfortable)

Genesis adopting Cloud [when Cloud is around 7] due to sensing a ton of mana in Cloud, Angeal though slightly hesitant warms up to Cloud as what's going on isn't his fault so he ends up becoming Cloud's 2nd dad.

Claudia in this universe is already dead but it didn't stop Cloud from his dreams but he is more reclusive then before however with Angeal and Genesis's help he gains some confidence like a young kid should

While waiting to be old enough to sign up and join Angeal comes back with his student Zack and they become really good friends [like they're brothers] and while waiting for trials and of coming of age for Cloud is when Genesis, Angeal, and Zack set up games to aid Cloud in the trails when it comes to joining SOLDIER

Sephiroth returns after a long mission and encounters Cloud with Genesis which Sephiroth questions Genesis of and Genesis explains it to Sephiroth which actually surprises him since he didn't take Genesis to be a parent at all though he's glad Angeal is there to help out and to make sure Genesis's temper doesn't go to the kid [which luckily never happens and he's a good dad along with Angeal]

Genesis will have to elaborate with Sephiroth that he wouldn't hurt the kid however he has snapped at people who tried to hurt Cloud [he can slay people even with his words lol] but has taught Cloud stubbornness and how to use magic, Angeal has always made sure Cloud is respected that's for sure and even teaches Cloud honor and loyalty on top of how to cook along with gardening, Zack teaches Cloud companionship, Sephiroth teaches Cloud to be observant and even how to read [the reading part can also be added to Genesis as well], all four of them teach Cloud how to use swords

Kunsel when he meets Cloud and even knows who Cloud is due to his snooping and everything so he ends up introducing himself and teaches Cloud how to read maps and how cameras work and their locations in the building [not sure if that's a mistake on his part or not]

While Cloud [when he's 13] is tending to Angeal's plants he gets a message from Kunsel that something is wrong and to stay in Angeal's apartment and to let the big three and Zack take care of it however when they return Genesis has a wound that isn't healing, Angeal is feeling unwell, Zack isn't as cheerful and seems to be seriously injured, and Sephiroth is even more distant then normal which worries Cloud so he decides to make food for them and hopes to cheer them up a bit and even tries to help Genesis heal but is starting to feel like he's not accomplishing anything and starting to get depressed and wishes that he can at least do something to help them and even figure out what is wrong but the four he greatly cares for won't tell him what's wrong

Cloud at this point does all he can via training his ass off and to find a cure for the injuries and ailment Angeal, Genesis, and Zack are going through which he hopes also cheers Sephiroth up as well

One day Cloud is doing some work with materia and suddenly gets teleported somewhere which is where he meets Calamity Zack which he doesn't know how to respond but he does end up breaking down and crying while believing Angeal, Genesis, and Zack are going to die on him and Sephiroth

This is probably where Calamity Zack will bring Cloud to Aerith for holy water to help Angeal, Genesis, and Zack recover however Cloud will have to figure out how to get back unaware that Calamity Zack can get him home however Calamity Zack probably wants to calm him down first.

@aimeelouart how is Calamity Zack going to react to Cloud Rhapsodos/Hewely? Maybe sees him as a scared kid who because of what's going on is growing up to quick even though he's still a kid but can even see how much Cloud cares [and probably is going to be happy for this Cloud when things become happier for his 14th birthday]

[aimeelouart]

(one) of Cursed Cloud Strife's most traumatic universes is the one wher ehe and Reno are married. ^_^

Absolutely

Is there a universe where Cloud married Barret?

There are infinite universes, so I'm sure there is.

What are Calamity Zack's thoughts of Cloud x Zack + possible others? Is he just like whatever floats your boat?

Calamity Zack rolls with anything that's healthy for Cloud and everyone else he loves. (And ugh, fine Aerith, things that are also healthy for Genesis.)

Strifesodos family - Genesis is better now and mourning and guilty as hell. Ends up finally throwing himself at/on Cloud in hopes of judgement/absolution...something. Tifa and Barret have just left of their honeymoon post Advent Children and Cloud needs help. He has Marlene, Denzel, Moogle Girl, and three now infant former(ish) Sephiroth clones to wrangle. Yuffie was supposed to help but she's more aiding and abetting. Genesis finds absolution might come in wiping sticky hands, and taking children to and from school, and changing dirty diapers.

Live your dreams and write it! I'm sure people would love to see this AU in a fic.

[iceangelsimon]

inspired by the girls from Amphibia, my friend @hesitantvampirealien drew Milo and his friends. Thank you to everyone who followed this AU.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/42026124/chapters/108078999

[dracanboys]

i wanted to wait to upload this with other art but i'm bad at waiting and god knows if my art strength will linger after this but continuation of my au insanities. known levels of faux-wyverians ft. genesis who is having a normal, fun time. text transcript + further rambles:

none (or very little): the base level for low rank KNIGHTs. senses are sharpened but often no monster-related attributes are visible. average: the level for high rank KNIGHTs. monster traits show in things such as scaling, hair coloring, small tail, etc. the use of sleeveless uniforms is standard to show off one's traits. advancement: the level for master rank KNIGHTs. heavier scaling as well as more unique external traits. master rank KNIGHTs will have their uniform modified to compliment their traits. advancement-degradation: phenomenon found in nova-type KNIGHTs. caused by the unexpected maturation of the sapphire calamity and further exasperated by a mismatch with the main host. extremely painful. not shown: advancement-stable, further monster traits achieved through any method where the subject does not experience the mutation caused by a main host nova mismatch. examples would be vincent and zack.

++ this will come with a uniform change since before i had sleeveless be MR standard when it should be HR standard :') there is also another level but it's not "officially documented" - i'll get to that whenever i draw it smiles. irt genesis' (main!) monster assignment, since it's so typical, i need to clarify,

++ i've suddenly thrown a lot of words at the handful of people who have glanced over at this au (hi! i love you! sorry i'm insane!) but you can think of the "nova mismatch" phenomenon as akin to the situation of chaotic gore magala. i might elaborate on that sometime if someone needs me to or on my own if the brain demons don't get me about it. bye <3

[silly-bean]

AU Tag Master Post

Doing some blog organization and decided I wanted to streamline my pinned post a bit, so I'm making a separate master post to document all my AU tags/WIPs

A current list of my AU tags:

FF7:

tsurugi au (time-traveling cloud au set in Wutai)

superhero au

jenova monster cloud au

turk reject kunsel au

ghost au (another time-traveling cloud au)

calamity cloud au

baby gen au (another time-traveling cloud au)

time-traveling turk cloud au

bloodborne au

most dangerous game au (rip on calamity cloud au)

soulmate au

sign from god au (time-traveling cadet cloud)

spider cloud au

fey au

fool's gold au (weapon cloud au)

frostbite au (winter soldier au)

glory au (sci-fi)

round and round au (time loop)

dragon cloud au

calamity's fool (fool's gold cloud meeting calamities of the multiverse)

leviathan's emissary (another weapon cloud au with a dragon cloud)

hurricanes (an au of leviathan's emissary where Nebel ends up in vi's lightning verse)

for all the miles on the clock (aka redux au. a time travel fix-it with Zack lives and a slight variation of Fool's Gold continuity)

Trigun:

things with teeth (trigun au where nai and vash look much more inhuman by default)

reporter-verse (a tristamp au where Roberto met Vash back at the beginning of his reporter career and is responsible for Vash's title of the Humanoid Typhoon)

[finalfantasyfics]

FFVII: Time Range 1.2

Summary: Time travel AU. An alternate Nibelheim breakout.

Ships: Zack & Cloud, Vincent & Cloud

Originally posted here.

XxX

Waking up in a mako tank was never a pleasant experience, even less so when the memories of the past (present?) poured into him and informed him exactly where he was.

When he was told he'd be sent back in time, he wasn't expecting this. He'd hoped, foolishly, it would be years earlier, in time to save his mother, and Sephiroth, and many others.

He hadn't expected it to be soon after Hojo had given up on him, declaring him a failed specimen and leaving.

Him and Zack.

Breaking out was hard, even though he had been sent back as he would be and not as he was, the extra strength from his dips in the Lifestream still within him. Harder, perhaps, because he kept being distracted by memories.

His own memories, clear and whole. He had double vision type ones where his and Zack's overlapped, he had unexpected ones of missions with Turks or other SOLDIERs he hadn't gotten from Zack's copied memories. Two years of Midgar that Tifa could never give him that he wanted to cling to and relive, wanted to exalt in until he knew every little detail.

But he couldn't, not yet. He had to save Zack.

"Get up, Chaos, you asshole, we've got a Calamity to stop," he shouted into the coffin room, figuring the entity would know what Cloud was, if not have memories of him.

But when the lid flew back and Vincent sat up, he was staring at him. "Cloud?"

His own response caught in his throat as he realized this was Vincent, his Vincent, and who was more perfect to have here with him than the other person who knew first hand not only what it was like to be one of Hojo's experiments, but also the constant fear of having himself subsumed by another, foreign presence within him.

"Vincent, we need to get out of here. I've got Zack, he's recovering but it's sooner than it was before, he's still out of it."

Without needing to say another word, Vincent assisted with taking out the security they needed to worry about while Cloud fetched clothing for him and Zack. His hands hovered over the SOLDIER uniforms for a long moment, before he reluctantly dug around for civilian gear, instead. The uniforms hadn't saved them before and he'd take anonymity over the slight protection of the armored pieces for now.

He did still pack two in the bags he found for their supplies, though. Vincent didn't comment on the show of nostalgia (he knew he had no room to, not with that cape of his making it through so many years).

Zack was awake enough to walk as they set out, bundled in the best winter gear despite his protests about Cloud's well being.

"This is nothing, jungle boy," Cloud joked, though he knew he'd be suffering if he weren't so augmented.

Sometimes, when he caught Vincent watching from the shadows, he could feel the weight of his opinion: that they should find a safe place to stash Zack and go on their own, that a normal SOLDIER like Zack would slow them down. Cloud pretended he didn't understand and Vincent let him.

Three nights out and Zack, pressed against Cloud to share warmth, brushed his lips against his ear and whispered, "There's someone following us."

For a moment, Cloud almost panicked, and then he realized that was impossible--yes, people could find them, but to follow them when Vincent was the one keeping watch?

Except Zack hadn't seen Vincent, yet.

"Vincent," Cloud called in the direction he could feel Chaos and moments later he was there, causing Zack to pull away and go for the Buster Sword, putting himself between them. "It's fine, Zack, he's a friend. He was...he was there, too, in the labs." Technically true, which Reno would claim is the best sort of truth.

That relaxed Zack only a little. "And he's been following us this whole time?"

"He's been with us. You've just been out of it, so we thought it better if he didn't come too close."

Zack shifted so he could see both of them, frowning. "When did you have time to get so buddy-buddy?"

Cloud met Vincent's eyes and they had a silent conversation over a few seconds before turning their attention back to Zack. "A lot of weird shit happens when scientists mess around with alien parasites and demons, Vincent and I already knew each other before I broke out and got him."

"Alien what?"

Distracted by a thorough explanation of what Jenova was and a far less thorough explanation of what Hojo had done to Cloud, Zack didn't pry for more details about Vincent.

They decided to leave Zack in Cosmo Canyon (with Nanaki, where he could hopefully protect him if necessary) and promised to bring Aerith to him--he was former First Class, more recognizable, Cloud reasoned with him, whereas Cloud could pull off being some nobody Third if it came down to it.

When Zack pointed out that Vincent looked like the villain in some off-Loveless play, Vincent had simply said, "On Loveless Ave, surely," and made Zack jump because he hadn't realized he was there, proving their point.

Then they started towards Midgar in truth, working through what must currently be happening and what they needed to change. It wasn't the best case scenario, Jenova and Sephiroth would still be out there, Deepground was too far along not to be an issue, but it was better than what they'd had.

They'd make sure of that.

[aimeelouart]

S C R E E C H

Calamity Zack by @aimeelouart because his series is curing my depression

[im-totally-not-an-alien]

Final Fantasy 7 prompts #75 (FINAL LIST)

1. Iflana does not trust Cloud, not one bit. She can sense the calamity inside him and wants him to leave. Too bad both her husband and daughter seem enraptured by his very existence. Her husband rambling on about his mutated and 'safer' J-cells, as if that thing could ever be considered safe. Then it was her daughter, who seemed to take him in, as though he was no more than an injured bird needing treatment.

This thing would be the death of them. She just knew it.

2. "In my world its pretty rare for monsters to talk."

The large gray rabbit riding on his head paused to consider this, "Maybe they're just stupid?"

"Duh. They're basically wild animals. They're not really like you Loppy."

"Lopmon." The bunny creature corrected. Again.

Aka Cloud wakes up in the digital world as a twelve year old and has to find his friends...with the help of his partner digimon of course.

3. Genesis used to think mermaids were one of the most beautiful creatures in Ancient lore...until he saw a blond one swallow a fish whole. He wasn't so sure after that.

4. Au where Cloud and the remnants are escaped expiraments from a non-Shinra lab. They travel to Midgar and become mercenaries.

One of them winds up being captured, prompting the other three to rescue them, but they're otherwise preoccupied by normal human things they never got to experience. Loz loves donuts and other sweets, Yazoo adores taking long hot bathes, and Kadaj always seems to have headphones on, etc.

The holy trinity are shocked when the four don't recognize Sephiroth. Genesis also nearly has a heart attack when he catches them roasting a doomrat over an open flame. "You're not actually going to eat that, are you?"

5. Hojos alarm was triggered at three in the morning. Usually this wouldn't be an issue, creatures attempted to escape Shinras (and by extention his) clutches on a regular basis. They were usually recaptured or destroyed within the hour.

What was strange was the fact that this was Jenovas alarm. His goddess tended to not move much beyond bobbing up and down in her tank.

Upon checking the security feed, he witnessed something infuriating. A blond man was holding an armful of wildflowers and bossing around three silver haired teens as they dismantled her shrine and stole her away. Jenova herself seemed...interested? Approving? He wasn't sure, but it looked like she was cooing at them. Further analysis was required.

6. Time travel au, but the whole thing is from Hojos perspective and he suffers

7. Cloud and Reeve were having a discussion about Clouds Jenova abilities and why he never used them, which eventually lead Cloud to picking up a pebble and stating, "Its not like a can just force some of my life energy into a rock and make it a planet"

And then he did. Tfw

8. High fantasy, no materia au.

Magic is rarely seen in humans, rather a tool used by monsters. On the day Clouds mother is murdered his abilities awaken, creating a powerful snowstorm that ripped the town of Nebilhiem apart.

Ten years later and the storm rages on, having grown to cover nearly the entirety of the mountain, rendering communication with nearby kingdoms difficult and travel impossible.

The famed General Rhapsodous is sent to slay whatever great beast is causing this catastrophe. When he is faced with a young man living up there in complete isolation, he chooses to stay with the mysterious man until he can locate the monster.

What will become of Cloud once Genesis discovers the truth? After all, a witch is considered a form of monster.

9. "I should have just remained a puppet!"

Genesis mulled over the words as though they alone could unravel the mystery that is Strife.

Some part of the redhead felt a little bad about using the strange man's emotional outburst against him, but things were getting desperate...

10. Time traveler au where Genesis dresses in drag to save this "Tifa" girl from the Don. He then tries to get her to go to Shinra for questioning and is punched for his efforts

11. Cloud is thrown into a world where he never existed and Shinra still reigns supreme. Worse, he has no memory of who he is or how he got there (cause Jenova destroyed them). He only has his bike and his sword and begins traveling to find a purpose, all while avoiding Shinras detection.

He often stops at inns and rest stops and often sees the same group of people. The large man with a gun arm grew suspicious from seeing him everywhere they went.

___________________________

"Go away."

The knocking came again. "I know you're in there blondie." A gruff voice replied.

"I'm not gay."

The man on the other side of the door began sputtering. "Look," another voice began, "We just need to talk."

"Yeah. Sure. Talk." He said flatly. "In the middle of the night." He went over to the door anyway. Opening it revealed the man with a gun arm and another man with wild black hair.

"Zack?" The blond blurted, startled. What was one of Shinras Supreme doing out here?!

"You remember me!" The man beamed, "SOLDIER First Class Zack Fair, at your service! Now the real question!"

The man leaned down a bit to the mysterious blonds level, "Who are you?"

12. "Can you do it?" The softness of Denzels voice seemed to make the situation all the more horrifying. "Can you kill me?" Eerie mako green eyes stared up at where Cloud stood frozen.

Denzel pulled a knife from the block, "Or will your son kill you?"

Aka Seph plays mind games by possessing the kids from Advent Children and using them to torment Cloud and make him look like a lunatic

13. Cloud gets sent back in time/ alternate reality, ect. but gets turned into a white materia. He's careful not to roll around while people are looking, but that doesn't stop people from saying, "Hey, look! A materia! " and picking him up. He has no real power...other than apparently soothing anyone/anything he comes into contact with.

Strangely, he keeps getting slotted into bracers (among other things) regularly. Ya'll, he's so annoyed.

14. There were two of him. Two Sephiroths. The blond began regulating his breathing, desperately trying to ward off an ensuing panic attack. He wouldn't stand a chance if they decided to work together.

Luckily, one insulted the other and thus a catfight of epic proportions began, all while Cloud had a panic attack in some long forgotten closet.

15. Au where child Sephiroth overhears a scientist talking about her 'prayers being answered' and he asks her what that meant. After a brief explanation, he later prays to anyone who can hear him to get him out of the labs and/or away from Hojo.

It works.

Bonus: Cloud and Sephiroth were fighting again in the Midgar desert when Sephiroth slashed the air, creating a portal. He had intended to use it to appear behind his puppet and impale him again, but the blond rushed forward and slashed through the portal with his own sword, expecting the portal to disappear as he sailed through were it once was.

Unfortunately, it was still very much there. Just...different. Cloud wasn't given the chance to properly examine it before the feeling of being plunged into ice water overwhelmed him and he was spat out on the other side.

It was another desert, but not like the one he left. He could feel no life here. No plants, no animals, no...no lifestream. The only thing around is another version of him. One that was used and abandoned by the Sephiroth of this world.

The other blond stared at him in confusion, wielding twin sabers in a defensive position.

[barid-bel-medar]

ff7 american gods au- where cloud's the last of the nibel old gods who's almost out of worshipers. he's ready to face his end and die until newcomers show up and all of a sudden he's been adopted.

Okay, so here’s the thing I have *extremely* limited knowledge of American Gods but I’ll give it a go.

Cloud is fairly certain the only reason he’s still around is because he is supposed to be associated with the end of times, the hero who fights the destroyer and guides the world into something new. With the fading of the other gods, he’s certain that’s no longer true, and that soon enough he’ll be gone soon too.

Meeting Zack Fair, one of the SOLDIER New Gods is a surprise, and even more of a surprise is being drawn into their pantheon, his worship suddenly vastly increasing, even as he feels his role start to shift slightly. He can’t entirely tell how though.

Zack is the God of Dreams. Kunsel is the God of Knowledge. Angeal is the God of Honor. Genesis is the God of Fire. Sephiroth is the God of War. Cloud is worshiped now as a God of Second Chances. He and Sephiroth become involved after a while.

Aerith is a goddess of another Pantheon who was also absorbed into the SOLDIER Pantheon, both as the Goddess of Life, and as Zack’s consort/wife. Soon enough the belief arises that Cloud and Aerith are siblings, which Cloud can only assumes is some sort of bleed through of them originally being of separate pantheons. She does warn Cloud that something feels slightly off about the other SOLDIER gods.

 Cloud figures out what Aerith is feeling off about when Sephiroth is revealed to not so much be a God of War, so much as a God of Destruction, a Calamity, caused by all the (original) SOLDIER Pantheon being created from the corruption of a Goddess of Destruction from an alien world. Cloud had never become a true God of Second Chances for all that’s been his worship with SOLDIER. He was still the divine champion who fights the destroyer, only now it’s a divine champion who fights the Calamity.

[lunarianebula872]

@aimeelouart Calamity!Zack is going to murder whoever made Cloud cry or have caused any harm to him, this probably shows what emotion comes to mind when it comes to any Cloud he aids.

What's on this Cloud's neck is like the 'disobey/tell the truth your head with be sliced off' type of deal but with Cloud it sends a horrible shockwave of pain that can even debilitate a Calamity [or as those Sephiroth's call themselves 'gods'] so Cloud here is forced to obey, Calamity!Zack though feeling the agonizing pain fights through it and destroys the collar which frees Cloud or in this case a version of Calamity!Cloud who is now free and can now cry and cling to those he cares about [Calamity!Zack due to his deeds earned Calamity!Cloud's trust here].

This Calamity!Cloud has his memories of his Sephiroth, Angeal, Genesis, and Zack which are very sweet and warm which means whoever has done this well it wasn't the ones this Calamity cares about.

Calamity!Zack when he finds an injured/very upset Cloud is like "who just signed their death warrents?"

Aerith would heal Calamity!Cloud and give them snacks/comfort while Calamity!Zack kills the people who caused the pain/misery.

[aimeelouart]

Aww Cloud! It’s cute that you think ShinRa could do anything to hurt Zack ☺️ he’d kill them all before they took more than one step.

I may have a thing for @aimeelouart’s calamity au for both Cloud and Zack- I was going for an angsty/serious mood, but it ended up being a very small, concerned Cloud and Zack who just wants to book it for Costa Del Sol

In case my handwriting is illegible and the first part’s confusing, here’s what they’re saying:

Zack: We’re leaving and traveling to Costa Del Sol.

Cloud: What about Shinra??

Zack: Oh, Cloudy... Don’t worry about it! I’ll help you pack your things!

Cloud: Zack, I’m not sure what’s happening, but we can’t just abandon Shinra! They’ll try and hunt you down!

Zack: Aww, you’re so thoughtful, Spike! <3

Other than that, what if Zack went full on destroy-the-world/even-more-of-a-nuisance-to-society if Hojo somehow managed to swipe Cloud right under his nose-

[aimeelouart]

“Nope!” Zack booped his little nose. “Talk to your fellow Little General if you don’t want to nap. And make sure you call Aerith if you need anything!” He straightened up, sword-turned-umbrella slung over his shoulder, and cocked an eyebrow over the rim of his sunglasses. “Come on, you know how this ends. It’s a mandatory vacation.”

[sams-dwampy-hut]

"Escape", "Milo in Space", and "Sphere and Loathing in Outer Space", but Amanda Lopez is included.

She joins Milo in the elevator with Lydia, Scott and Coach Mitchell and is the one to come up with the plan to escape the elevator using the skills of everyone. She then joins Milo, Melissa and Zack in the backyard and follows them as they alongside Diogee escort Doof, Dakota and Cavenpuss to the spaceship Cavendish is.

When the Octalians come to kidnap him again, Amanda is the first one to grab Milo, supported by Melissa, Zack, Doof, Dakota and Cavenpuss, but to no avail even when Perry arrives. Her inclusion makes the Hot Potato plan to insert the bone-liquifying carburetor back in place simpler to accomplish, as the gang makes chase in the cosmos.

When a Milo-disguised Loab is safely put on board the ship, Amanda embraces and kisses "Milo", and is shocked, almost disgusted when Loab shapeshifts back as himself. Like Perry, Amanda is in full support of Zalissa, teasing Melissa a little about it.

When she hears about Orgaluth, Amanda gets a little anxious about the Octalian girl, moreso afraid that she becomes Milo's new love interest rather than her possessing the Octalian Murphy's Law; but that fear is shortlived when Milo reassures her that he still likes her, after reading her thoughts (and quickly apologizes for it). She joins the rest of Team Milo to approach the Sphere of Calamity the Milo Way, with her own backpack and helmet.

At the end of the episode, she is seen half-embracing Milo when he holds his speech to the Octalians, and is visibly elated when Melissa kisses Zack.

tl;dr, Amanda gets more involved in the final Season 2 episodes. Nothing else in this AU changes.

[spyder-m]

Cloti Fall Festival, Day Five: Ghosts of Idols

Summary: AU. In the wake of the Nibleheim incident, Cloud and Zack are not captured by Hojo. Instead, they are celebrated as heroes for defeating Sephiroth and Cloud is promoted to First Class. When Shinra receives word of Avalanche's bombing mission, Cloud is tasked with guarding the Sector 5 Reactor. Cloud meets a familiar face among Avalanche's ranks; someone he thought perished in Nibleheim's fires. A loved one he must now face as an enemy. 

A/N: I couldn’t come up with anything I liked for lanterns, but had what I thought was a pretty cool idea for an AU spin on the original game. Feel like there’s potential for a multi-chaptered story here... Shame I’m no good at actually regularly updating full-length stories. 

The title also comes from lyrics to the Thrice song, “Where Idols Once Stood”, for those of you playing at home.

Ao3 / FF.net

.

“Congratulations; First Class Soldier Strife,” President Shinra’s gravelly voice broke, his mouth twisting at Cloud in a smile barring too many teeth.

Not privy to the formalities of the ceremony, Cloud wasn't exactly sure how to respond.

He recognised that President Shinra was his boss, and a powerful, influential figure he would need to treat respectfully. Still, he couldn’t help but feel jaded by the entire ceremony. How a man, who Cloud wasn’t even sure had known his name before, was suddenly happy to bask in the presence of the famed, hero of the day.

His conflicted feelings for the President aside, Cloud gripped the man's hand firmly, his head dipping an awkward bow.

The Soldier uniform clung to the newly formed muscle lining his arms and chest; forged from the years of training and bolstered by his recent graduation to Mako injections. Yet, it somehow felt ill-fitting.

The President's hand clasped Cloud’s shoulder, shifting his stance towards the thongs of press before them; cameras flickering in blinding flashes. The reporters' questions blurred together in a flurry of incomprehensible voices, crackling in his ears like thunder.

Cloud winced, still adjusting to the powerful senses the Mako had imbued him with.

It was too hard to focus on what they were saying, let alone form a coherent answer, when even the touch of their fingers against their camera’s flashes seemed to ring as loudly as a hail of bullets.  

Having grown up shy and reserved, Cloud hadn't considered the spotlight being Soldier would shine upon his life. His hand rose, unsure, as he acknowledged the press.

This should have been the proudest moment of his life. Yet, their praise, the adulation he had always sought after, now felt empty.

At seventeen, Cloud had become one of the youngest to ever reach the height of Soldier’s elite; younger than even Zack or Sephiroth had been. When, just weeks ago, he'd been nothing more than a grunt resigned to a life of perpetual failure.

The Great Sephiroth, now branded a traitor and murderer, had been killed at his hands, in the midst of a rampage in Nibleheim.

Cloud, though only an infantryman, had survived a seemingly fatal wound; pierced clean through by Masamune’s blade. He had managed to overpower Sephiroth, pushing him into a vat of Mako beneath the platform, killing him.

Such feats were unheard of and in the realm of superhuman. The higher-ups in Shinra realised that there was no way such raw potential could be kept dormant. They needed to harness and nourish it.  

So, for succeeding where even Zack; a First Class; had failed and sparing any further casualties, Cloud had been swiftly promoted. He had finally managed to catch the role that alluded him.

Still, there was an absence, a sense of loss that weighed upon Cloud as he remained conscious of all that had been taken from him in the process.

He was no longer the same fresh-faced, young man full of dreams and aspirations. The incident in Nibleheim had exposed him to the horrible reality of war that had been glorified to him from a young age, and the shady nature of the company he worked under.

His hometown had been destroyed, his mother killed in the ensuing fire; his idol, the man he once considered a hero, twisted unrecognisably into a cruel, sadistic monster; Tifa… He hadn't received word of her condition after carrying her to safety. He didn't even know if she had managed to survive.

The final pieces of his dream, his life’s goal, had all been ripped away and now everything felt incomplete.

He would never have the chance to return home, could never bask in the vindication of showing the town that had shunned him the man he had become. His mother wouldn’t be there to welcome him back, to gush over how she proud she was. He could never earn the respect of Mr Lockhart, showing him the result of his years of hard work.

He could no longer become someone worthy of Tifa.

Celebrating seemed meaningless now that he could no longer honour the promises he had made.

As if sensing the despair weighing upon him, the only remaining presence in Cloud's life he could stand, the only person he could trust, put his arm around him.

Cloud glanced up, the flurry of doubt swimming through his head alleviated by Zack's soft, reassuring smile.

His friends normal, sunny disposition was restrained, recognising the gravity and weight the day carried. The sheen of his eyes dulled, sadness and sympathy lingering in his gaze.

It was comforting, a reminder that Cloud wasn't completely alone in all of this.

“You did it, buddy. I knew you would.”

Cloud smiled. It was ill-fitting, much like his uniform.

.

As a coping mechanism, Cloud pushed himself deeper into his work; now the one constant in his life that remained.

He was determined now, more than ever, to be the best Soldier had ever known; if for no reason other than to shatter the once great reputation of Sephiroth.

He would ensure that the honour, the pride that had once been attached to Sephiroth’s name would be erased forever. For, the man he had left the world as, the horrific, things he had done, was no longer deserving of such a legacy.

Following the tragedy in Nibleheim, Cloud; for his accomplishments; was already being presented as the new poster child for Shinra; the Silver Elite seemingly forgotten. Though, his name was still written in many company records, Shinra did not actively acknowledge it, wanting to swiftly sweep the massacre under the rug, not wanting to get caught up in such a scandal.

Cloud had heard that Shinra had even gone so far as to completely rebuild the town; filling it with actors to pose as Nibleheim residents.

 Should word get out of the tragedy, the town would stand as direct proof against it. The only people who knew the truth were buried amidst the rubble under the newly constructed houses and markers.

Although, that wasn't entirely true.

Both he and Zack survived, that had witnessed the massacre with their own eyes. Perhaps that was Shinra had been treating them so well, why Cloud had been suddenly promoted. They hoped that they could compel them into remaining silent.

Although, it might not have been necessary.

Even if they came out with the truth, chances are that no one would believe them. Nibleheim had been so remote, so far from Midgar. The likelihood that anyone in the city knew of the names and faces, the lives that had inhabited that place, was minuscule.

The thought made Cloud sick to his stomach, a painful reminder of everything he had lost. The very idea of someone living in his home; or, an exact replica of it; pretending as though nothing had happened. Pretending that his mother, Tifa, Mr Lockhart, none of them had ever even been alive.

Cloud couldn’t help but see the act as an unconscious admission of guilt on the part of the Shinra, that they’d had a small hand in the massacre.

Though it didn’t excuse his actions, Cloud was beginning to suspect Sephiroth had gone on the rampage after suffering some kind of mental breakdown.

Zack had confessed overhearing Sephiroth muttering the library of the Shinra Mansion. Talking about being born from Jenova, the calamity that fell from the sky.

Thinking about it, Cloud felt it was possible that Sephiroth’s mental state had deteriorated following the deaths of his two closest friends, Angeal and Genesis; not to mention the atrocities he’d been exposed to over the course of the Wutai War.

For this to have gone undiagnosed and untreated by the company, eventually manifesting in the worst possible way, they bore some responsibility.

In the wake of such tragedy, questions were often raised about whether or it was fair to bury the memory of such controversial figures completely. About whether they could still be recognised for the good they’d done and what they’d achieved while they were alive.

Considering the hero status Sephiroth had attained in his time, Cloud was certain this conversation would inevitably come up.  

For that reason, Cloud resolved to quash any thought of celebrating Sephiroth’s accomplishments by shattering them all.

Cloud didn’t want anyone to have a reason to speak of Sephiroth anymore.

That would be his revenge, his means of avenging his mother, Tifa, Nibleheim.

Perhaps, that way, he could find some semblance of closure.

.

Where Cloud had once been ridiculed for his short stature and lithe frame, there was now a palpable aura surrounded him, one that commanded respect.

It was difficult not to notice as he walked the halls of Shinra HQ, the subtle glances and whispers that would follow in his wake. His reputation proceeded him; the man who had managed to defeat Sephiroth.

The infantrymen who were once his cohorts looked at him differently.

Should he stop to speak with one of them, they would stammer in response, struggling to maintain eye contact. Though normally modest and reserved, Cloud couldn’t help but revel in the satisfaction and stroke his ego felt whenever they shrunk in his presence.

The glare of his eerie, glowing eyes would often punctuate an order, sending them scurrying frantically in all directions.

"Cloud."

Cloud's pace slowed, knowing by the call of his name, that there was only be one person who would approach him.

Over their time in Soldier, Zack had gotten to know him closely and knew there was nothing about him to fear. He had been someone who, despite holding a higher position, had never treated him as inferior, but recognised and believed in his strength all along.

Now, that day had come, and they were equals in rank.

"Come on," Zack called with a wave. "We need to get going. Heidegger just called an emergency meeting."

.

“Ah, Soldier 1st Class Strife. Glad that you could make it.”

“What’s going on?” Cloud asked as he stood at attention amongst the other Soldiers.

“We’ve received word that Avalanche is planning another attack on one of our Reactors. However, at this stage, we haven’t been able to determine which one."

Avalanche. Their name had been cropping up more and more recently; a group of vigilantes, enviro-terrorists who had set their sights on Shinra. Cloud had heard rumblings of their protests, the accusations they levelled at the company. How they were draining the planet’s lifeforce to power cities and towns.

It was a damaging blow to his already waning faith in Shinra.

Still, Cloud couldn't agree with their methods; planting bombs in Mako reactors across the city and cutting off the power, hoping to stop the draining of the planet's energy. They were too many innocent people being caught in the crossfire.

Shinra might have been corrupt, but there were genuinely good people working for the company; people like Zack, like the infantrymen he had been friends with. They would have to fight in the line of duty, in some cases even, die.

They didn't deserve to have their lives taken from them.

The planet was suffering under Shinra, but what about the pain of those who were killed in the explosions? The pain of those who had to continue living through the tragedy of having lost their children, the parents, their friends, partners, co-workers? It was a pain Cloud had become all too familiar with; one he didn't want to see others have to suffer through.

As far as Cloud was concerned, Avalance were no better than Sephiroth.

"Therefore, as a countermeasure, I want one of you stationed at each Reactor,” Heidegger instructed. “These people are dangerous terrorists, so don't hesitate to use lethal force. Let Avalanche serve as a martyr to any other sewer rats out there who might be thinking of following their example."

.

It never occurred to Cloud that Shinra's Mako Reactors had all been built to the exact same dimensions.

As he walked through Sector 5, approaching the building, he was shaken by each eerie detail that flooded back. How, much like the reconstruction of Nibleheim, it was startingly, precisely familiar, carrying a distinct memory and reminder of that night.

It awoke the flood of panic that had surged through his veins, the hot, viscous streaks of blood spilt upon that same staircase. His thoughts, somehow, became more visceral, than what he had lived through.

His heart lurched in his chest as he recounted passing Zack and Tifa's prone bodies, lying motionless of the stairs. He could feel his hand shaking against the handle of his sword, much like it had as he stood before Sephiroth, certain that he was going to die. The white-hot burn of Sephiroth’s blade searing in two different places as it cut clean through his flesh.

Exhaling in a cold-sweat, Cloud buckled to one knee at the entrance.

"Sir?" The voice of the infantryman crouched beside Cloud, pulled him from his reverie. His words, the touch of his hand against his shoulder, offering Cloud something to focus on.

"Are you alright?"

"I- I'm fine," Cloud lied.

Even with masks obscuring their faces and no way to clearly read their expressions, Cloud could sense the doubt radiating through the fleeting glances they shared.

Before they had the chance to pry, alarms began to blare from inside the reactor.

The infantrymen turned towards him expectantly, awaiting his command.

Standing back to his feet, Cloud readied Hardedge.

"Alright. On my signal, move in." Cloud instructed.

"Right."

.

 Cloud heard Avalance before he had a chance to see them; a product of a Soldier's Mako-enhanced senses.

It was the clatter of the rifle along the ground that gave them away. The sound of a bullet misfiring and ricocheting off the wall, the guard grunting in pain before seemingly slumping to the floor, unconscious.  

Cloud slid to a stop at the entrance of the reactor, catching sight of a young woman taking down one of the guards with a series of powerful strikes.

Despite himself, Cloud was impressed by the sheer speed and technique she demonstrated. He'd been under the impression that Avalanche were a group of ordinary, frustration citizens; finding strength in numbers and piecing together a militia from what they had on hand.

Yet, this woman fought with the skill of a trained, highly dangerous fighter.  

Still, Cloud felt no cause for concern. It would take more than hand to hand skills for her to stand against a member of Soldier. Though, he took solace in knowing that their fight would not be so unfairly balanced.  

Despite company orders, Cloud did not feel comfortable using force on random citizens and had hoped he could detain the protestors peacefully.

Sensing his presence behind her, however, the woman turned towards him, her fists raised and stance wide, ready to strike. Their eyes locked from opposite ends of the room, immediately honing in one another.

Cloud's forehead burnt as he, once more, was struck by that haunting flash of recognition.

It was a moment that had played out in Cloud’s head countless times.

A vision that only grew more vivid with each iteration.

With time and the hardships that had plagued his young life, Cloud had realised that the romantic imaginings of his young mind were unlikely to accurately reflect reality.

Yet, he could never have guessed how far they would stray, how opposite to his hopes and dreams things would actually unfold.

Her eyes, through enhanced Mako vision, were brighter, much more vibrant and closer to red than he could remember. They looked older, no longer wide and innocent.

Though, perhaps the most startling difference was how those same breath-taking, ruby eyes now pinned him down, not with admiration, but heart-wrenching rage.

As the pieces slid into place, his voice broke in a tremor.  

“T… Tifa?”

“Cloud?”

.

"The saddest thing about betrayal is that it never comes from your enemies." – Unknown

[silly-bean]

twas struck with a shower thought that turned into me writing 1k for a scene in the middle of a fic that hasn't been written yet... so yeah, have some Zack and Cloud angst.

~~~~~~

"You expect me to believe that? That Sephiroth was the 'tragic villain' and that I died to save you: the 'big hero'?" Zack sneers down at him, his eyes flaring in his anger. "You do realize how that sounds to me, right? Like you're just spouting off your greatest fantasy where Sephiroth falls from grace and you're just conveniently there to save everyone by putting him down. Why don't-"

"I'm not a hero, Zack," Cloud says, voice small.

"Really?" Zack rolls his eyes and crosses his arms. "You're gonna pull that shit now? What, digging for a compliment or something? Want me to pat you on the back and tell you you did a 'good job ridding your world of the big bad man'? I can't believe I'm still in here listening to this shit. We should have-"

"I'm not a fucking hero, Zack," Cloud snarls, feeling his own eyes starting to flare. "I didn't even make SOLDIER. I was a nobody who returned home a failure and was only able to kill Sephiroth the first time through pure adrenaline and the lucky fact that I didn't register as a threat to him."

He's standing now, his presence spilling out of his usual tight control and filling the room. "I spent the next five years being so utterly useless that you had to break me out of the lab and drag me across the planet and then die for me."

"So, what? Are you expecting a repeat performance? Want me to take the bullet for you again so you can 'honor my sacrifice' and save another world?"

"I LOVED YOU!"

Zack froze, his eyes wide and mouth parted. Cloud looks away, down at the table separating them and swallows.

"I loved you, Zack.” His voice is quiet again, thick with grief and guilt that he still hasn’t completely shed even after all these years. “But you were taken, dating Aerith, so I kept quiet, carried a torch until I sat beside you in the rain and mud, barely coherent and fighting mako poisoning as you passed your sword on to me and told me to live for you. And then I forgot you existed.”

He risks a glance up at the other man. Zack has closed his mouth, pressed it into a thin line, and his eyes shine with an emotion that he can’t begin to name. Cloud looks down again and clenches his fists, taking a deep breath before continuing.

“I left you there in the mud and dragged myself to Midgar and then succumbed to the mako again and the only reason I remembered my name was because someone I knew found me and told me what it was. She assumed I was a SOLDIER and I accepted that fact, took the stories you’d told me, and turned them into memories since mine was so full of holes.”

Cloud’s struggling to get the words out, a lump in his throat choking him up as tears spring to his eyes. The image of the Zack in front of him is flickering, flashes of his Zack smiling up at him covered in mud overlapping with the other’s horrified expression. He squeezes his eyes shut and tries to pull air into his lungs.

“I was with you in your last moments and couldn’t remember in time to let your girlfriend know what happened to you before she died. It took my best friend literally going into my head and fixing it for me to remember you existed at all, let alone how you died and what you’d done for me.” He swallows, clenching his jaw, and opens his eyes again. He looks up, nervous.

Zack stares down at him, hands loose and open at his sides. He looks away, clenching and unclenching his fists, before he lets out a heavy breath and flops back down into his chair. He scoots it forward and rests his elbow on the metal table, pressing his clasped hands into his lips.

“I’m not a hero because I decided to chase Sephiroth for revenge,” Cloud continues. “And, when it mattered, I couldn’t save anyone. I couldn’t save Aerith even though I was right there. I couldn’t save you, him, whatever. Sephiroth wanted to fight me because I got lucky one time and then was unlucky enough to attract Hojo’s attention. The only reason I ended up helping save the planet from Meteor was that I had friends who weren’t gonna tolerate me sitting around regretting everything I’d ever done.”

They sit in silence for a while, deep in thought. Cloud suddenly regrets his outburst; this Zack isn’t his Zack, he doesn’t need to deal with all his shit on top of everything else he’s dealing with. He takes a moment to reexamine his mental bonds, making sure they haven’t come unblocked in his burst of emotion and mollified by the fact that he probably wasn’t beaming his self-loathing directly into the other’s head.

“Then why did you come?” Zack asks, his eyes darting up to meet his. “You said you had a choice, didn’t you? You chose to come here, to help us. If you’re not a hero, then why?”

That was the crux of the matter, wasn’t it? Why was he here? Why did he decide to jump headfirst into another dimension and help them solve their problems?

“It’s nothing big, really. Even after everything, with the healing I’ve done and the forgiveness I’ve received, I still feel guilty. I feel like there’s still more I could have done. This is my way of atoning for it, I guess.”

Cloud shrugs, breaking eye contact and looking back down at his hands. He feels Zack’s eyes on him, scanning, evaluating his honesty. Trying to understand, to know why someone who looks like his greatest enemy would want to help them. Eventually, he must reach some kind of conclusion and sighs heavily. He stands, Cloud looking up to watch the movement. Zack stares down at him, face a mask of indifference once more.

“Thank you for your time. Someone will be down to escort you back to your cell in a bit while we discuss what we’ll do with you.”

He turns, pushing the chair back into place and walking to the door. It buzzes open and he turns to give one last long look at Cloud before stepping out. The door slams shut behind him, leaving Cloud alone with his thoughts once more.

[fallintosanity]

I’m looking to get into ff7 fandom. Have any fic recs?

Oh man, this got buried under the messages for my sideblog - sorry, Anon!

So the first and most obvious is The Fifth Act by Sinnatious, which not incidentally is the fic my own ffxv/ffvii crossover is based on. Sinnatious also wrote Preventing Calamity, which is not in the TFA verse but is incredible all on its own. 

Speaking of TFA-verse fic, Sleeping is a Precious Commodity by @ageofzero is an incredibly sweet CloudKunsel fic set in the TFA verse. Nothing but soft fluff here, folks!

Kieron_ODuibhir has several good, albeit frequently unfinished, fics, including Piercing (an unsettling look at Sephiroth’s place in ShinRa, complete), Top Guide (In This Town) (Tifa being awesome, incomplete), and Angels Still Have Faces (Angeal starts behaving oddly and Sephiroth is worried, incomplete but slowly updating). 

Losing Cohesion by SlaughterOtter is a hurt-no-real-comfort piece about Zack and Cloud’s time together in Hojo’s lab. And finally, lullabye for the new world order is a great Tifa-Tseng-Rufus-focused AU that gets bonus points for its incredibly creepy depiction of Jenova. 

Enjoy!