#now drive it straight into Sephiroth Tifa

[strayheartless]

Strifehart story idea:

I love totally functioning and loving relationship Strifehart, but I also like 'worked really hard to get to that point' strifehart. I don't think it was easy for either of them to be vulnrable with eachother; they are both increadibly closed off and somewhat cold as people. So I've been formulating this slow-ish burn fic that I want on opinion on?

So it starts with Tifa and Cloud deciding to stay in Radient Gardens after the events of KH2. Cloud's been searching for Zack, which has led him down more dark paths than is strictly healthy and he decides to stay for a while and help Tifa set up her new bar.

Along the way he somehow gets pulled into helping with the RGRC (by Aerith and Yuffie) and via this has a proper introduction with Squall. They work together on some projects and get along well enough in so much as they like the fact that they can work in the same room together in silence and not irritate each other.

One night they are up late working on the new hydroelectric power generator for the city hall. When they finally finish Leon suggests Cloud crash in his spare room instead of dragging himself all the way to seventh heaven across town. Cloud accepts and when they get in Squall offers him a drink and they sit and chat for a while.

Niether of them know what led them to kiss. It wasn't the 'mood of the moment' and they certainly weren't drunk, but they do kiss, and then in a move neither of them saw coming they end up sleeping together.

Cloud is out of the house before the sun rises the next morning, and Squall doesn't feel bothered by it. But then it keeps happening. Never at work, and always in Squalls house, never Clouds apartment. Cloud is always gone before Squall is awake, and they never ever talk about it, or even reference it in passing.

Thing's start to get complicated however, when Cloud decides that he's spent enough time 'playing house' and needs to go back out to make sure Sephiroth is still discorporated, and to search for any signs of when happened to Zack.

Squall is...

Squall is bothered by it. Not by Cloud looking for Zack, He knows thats long and complicated and not his business anyhow. He's not the Jelous type, and he's certainly not going to be jelous over a relationship he doesn't even have! But he finds himself feeling strangly hollow when he turns around and Cloud is not there in his office, or on construction sights.

He starts thinking about it more and more; agonisisng over the fact that when he's alone in bed, while he knows Cloud is on a different world, he can feel Cloud's absence next to him. It drives Squall mad.

It takes a while for him to figure out that he's falling for Cloud and when Cloud finally comes back, waking up without him there after their nights together starts to hurt. He wonders if he's letting himself be used, and the voice in the back of his head that sounds an awful lot like Rinoa tells him 'if he feels like that he needs to talk to Cloud'.

In true Squall Leonhart fashion however he doesn't and it begins to fester. Until one night when Squalls at home and can't sleep, he is pulled from his brooding over the kettle by a knock at the door.

It's two o'clock in the morning, everyone in the city is usually asleep by now, yet when he opens the door he find's Cloud, glassy eyed and frightened. He immidiatly ushers the other man in, checking him over and getting him to sit on the couch.

it doesn't take long to realise whats happened. Aerith and Tifa had warned all of them that Cloud's mental health was delicate. Squall had seen him have episodes before, but they were usually short bursts of forgetfulness; moments where Cloud would become agitated by not remembering what he'd done with a tool. This was something wholey more frightening.

Cloud didn't know why he'd come to Squall or what had caused him to feel he had to seek someone out. There were lucid moments where he'd answer to his name and others where he would look straight through Squall when the man called to him.

Squall eventually gets Cloud to lie down in the spare room, but after about an hour Cloud is up and crawling into Squalls bed and Squall doesn't know what to do to offer comfort except let Cloud sleep holding his hand; letting him hear Squalls breathing and his heart beat.

The next morning Cloud wakes to the smell of warm coffee and omlette. He tries to emotionally unvailable his way out of the door but Squall won't let him get away with it. in hind sight he could probably overpower Squall but that irritating ache thats been in his heart since he started sleeping with the man makes him stay.

Squall won't let up on the hard stares over breakfast and Cloud refuses to elaborate on what happened. Eventually they come to a stalemate and have to go to work.

but something changes between them. There's still a distinct lack of communication. Squall still feels like he's letting himself be used and its beginning to hurt more than he is willing to admit. Cloud is still fighting against every molicule in his body over how fast he's fallen for Squall. However, there is no Denying things are different.

Their eye's linger on each other now, where they hadn't before. Cloud at least lets Squall wake up before he leaves. people notice that they move differently with eachother, and Aeirth thinks thier secretly dating and she teases a very distressed Cloud over it until she realises that he looks like he wants to cry, but doesn't

Their frequent meetings don't exactly "change". They still have sex, Cloud still leaves, and they still don't adress it even inside the walls of Squalls house.

The fact that some nights they have to stop because Cloud has started crying is new though. Squall is always the one who puts a stop to it because he can see quite clearly that Cloud is incredibly vulnrable. Its scary to watch because Cloud doesn't cry. It's scary for Cloud too because he doesn't cry.

the whole thing comes to a head when Cloud turns up one night looking badly beaten. He'd picked a fight with a hearless swarm while looking for clues on Zack and ended up having to crawl through a dark corridor just to escape. He's unconcerned for his own state of being and Squalls had it with him. He drags Cloud into the bathroom and rants and raves at him while cleaning him up and casting healing spells over broken ribs.

He yells about how stupid and reckless and dumb you have to be to go up against a swarm on your own. He yells about the fact that Cloud has spent too long being allowed to get away with all this stupid behaviour and that he's going to get himself killed and...

"And how do you think I'll feel huh? when you die and I'm just here waiting for you to come back like the stupid fucking idiot that I am! when I'm sat here fucking wondering why the hell I let myself fall in love with you. God I'm so fucking stupid, this is ridiculous, I'm just convenient for you and I should be fine with that, but I'm not and its just so FUCKING STUPID!"

The door to the cabinet gets slammed so hard it comes off of a hinge, and suddely Cloud is staring at Squall who has dropped to a crouch, hands still holding on to the counter above him, as he lets out a scream of fustration that he muffles betreen his forearms.

Cloud is so dumb struck that he can only slip off of the counter, and kneel on the floor to hug Squall from behind.

After that they finally talk about what they've been doing. Its not easy; both of then have never been masters of the spoken word, but they realise that they've both been hurting eachother without realising it. Cloud by leaving Squall alone to feel used, and Squall by not seeing that Clouds tears and vulnrability was a plea to be more to him.

They discuss bounderies and ways they can communicate better. They talk about moving past just sleeping together and attempting something like a relationship. They negotiate likes and dislikes, needs and wants, hopes and fears.

In short they start the long road to being a functional and healthy couple.

[asetoblog]

You know, Final Fantasy 7 is one of my favourite games ever (my top favs are HZD/HFW, all games involving FF7 and - although it's getting worse - Dragon Age) and I would like to write about something that doesn't sit right with me.

Warning: this post is a Sephiroth apology‼️🌸

So, remember the end of FF7 Remake, where Cloud & Co get to the end of the Midgar highway and they meet Sephiroth? In that exact moment, Aerith tells him "you're wrong", marking the word "wrong". She doesn't mean he's wrong about something, she literally means his whole existence is wrong and he shouldn't have been there or anywhere else in the first place.

Now, that remark rubbed me the wrong way, because Aerith is the only character connected to the Planet in this story and she's supposed to be very empathetic of what and how people suffer. She also lived in the Shinra building during her childhood and she hated it, she perfectly knows how things work there and she loathes - rightfully so - professor Hojo, because she knows what an unscrupulous and ruthless man he is. This would mean she met a younger Sephiroth at some point, and yeah she was still a child, but she must've noticed he was a kind and actually very submissive guy (maybe I'll get to this later???). I think she knows he too was subjected to experiments, just like she was, but this doesn't seem to bother her and she goes straight to saying something on the line of "you shouldn't exist".

In another moment in FF7 Rebirth, you can get a dialogue with Tifa in which she tells you she is "sick of Sephiroth cruelty [...]" and so on. Now, I agree with her, all she got from Sephiroth was her dad's death, wouldn't you be fucking pissed at him and hate him and want him dead? Yeah.

Thing is, I agree with Tifa and disagree with Aerith, but all of this makes me wonder: have they thought what a horrible and traumatic life Sephiroth had until that point?

Sephiroth:

-was born an experiment

-was taken away from his own mother, never met her

-doesn't even know his father

-as a child, he's shy and submissive, never gets any friends, he thus grows up lonely

-he spends most of his life in Hojo's lab, among Mako energy, needles and treatments

-no one ever showed him affection nor love, he was simply raised like a weapon in the hands of the most powerful corporation of the world

-his only two friends, as an adult, abandoned him

-one of his two best friends tells him the truth about him without the hint of some tact, he also calls him "monster" not knowing he's feeding the "insane gene" (let's call it that) in him

-the only new friend he gets, a recruit, jumps straight to conclusions instead of trying to help him

-he always said he wanted a "normale life" and he was forced into that. He also was one step away from leaving Shinra before the accident of Nibelheim happened

There's actually more to point out, but let's just take a step back and think about how an entire life of traumas, deprivation and loneliness can drive a person wild and cause Personality Disorders, Depression and Psychosis. I'm honestly surprised he even endured so much for so long and that would mean he'd be ok if only someone really cared for him and didn't see him as a "hero", a "star" or someone unreachable. His snapping point was reading all the history of Gast and Hojo's experiments and learning more about Jenova. That, sadly, adds up to the trauma he has to face and he even cries about it, meaning he was definitely still (emotionally) sane. Perhaps, it would have taken only one word of comfort but not even Zack was there for him, instead he acted a little harsh, in my opinion.

By this I don't mean things had to go differently, because otherwise I wouldn't have had one of my favourite stories out there, I'm just trying to point out how deplorable Aerith's comment sounds, especially knowing she's so caring and empathetic. I just don't like tha fact that such a dialogue line was written, but at the end I am but a humble Sephiroth apologist.

"You're wrong". No, Sephiroth is not wrong, all the people who surrounded him were.

[silver-wield]

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Review Chapter 9!

Okay, this collection of posts will be filled with spoilers, including clips and screenshots, so if you don't wanna see things, then don't look. Some of the things I'm gonna highlight will include references to Remake and other sources to link with the overarching plot. This is a straight path playthrough with no sidequests or extra content.

Tiny amendment, I realised I accidentally combined chapter six with seven because they were both really short narratively speaking, so we're actually up to chapter 9 😁

Anyway...

Me? Gongaga 🤣

Chapter nine is meatier than Junon, and I had to get creative with the images.

So we begin the following day after Barret's showdown with Dyne and the group is driving around the desert hoping to spot a black cloak. Until Yuffie gets sick and they stop. Cait Sith decides to do a reading, which throws up a hint about mushrooms. Tifa tosses the keys to a smug Cloud and we're in the driver's seat from now on.

Destination: Gongaga.

Cloud gets deja vu looking at the local area. What's interesting is this isn't prevented by jenova and he doesn't get a headache. This is because he was in Gongaga while in a coma, so does this mean that while in his coma state jenova and Sephiroth have no influence over him?

Tifa's such a foodie and I love this about her! Also explains why Cloud brings her exotic ingredients to cook with. He really knows what she likes 🥺❤️

And we're meeting Cissnei. Now, she either did what Aerith did and saw the sword first and mistook Cloud for Zack, or she recognised Cloud as the second escaped sample and is covering up her surprise. She does tell him later to rest, so it's definitely sus.

We have convo opportunities in Gongaga too, although the one that furthers the plot and can't be missed is this one at Zack's parents house. After insulting Zack to his parents, Aerith asks if she was selfish, to which I always answer duh.

Cloud asks outright if Aerith still likes Zack, although he can't recall him still at this point. She says he never gave her a reason not to like him, then Tifa comes over and there's a bit with Cloud insulting Zack and the girls getting mad at him.

The conclusion is Cloud doesn't know Zack, but this gives Tifa more misgivings because Cloud knows about events in Nibelheim and Zack was there.

There's something going down at the reactor, so the guys head over to check it out. The more mako Cloud breathes in the less functional he becomes, which leaves them all vulnerable to Scarlet's attacks.

Meanwhile, the girls are heading in to save the day. They take on Scarlet, giving the other team time to get to a safe spot, with Barret carrying the sick Cloud over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

Tifa becomes separated from the others and tries to stop Scarlet from attacking the weapon inside the reactor. She ends up swinging from her grappling gun, which panics Cloud and gets him moving to save her.

But Sephiroth's not far behind and takes control of Cloud, which results in a bloodbath of Shinra soldiers. Tifa rescues herself and rushes to Cloud's side to save him from himself.

And then comes the series of scenes from the trailers. Sephiroth manipulates Cloud into attacking Tifa in an echo of how she was almost killed in the Nibelheim reactor, only Cloud misses. For someone who was slicing and dicing with frightening accuracy a few minutes before, the fact he missed Tifa at point blank range shows part of Cloud can't be fully controlled by Sephiroth. He missed. Tifa still fell, but she wasn't hurt. Sephiroth failed.

And then weapon pops up to chow down on her. Cloud comes to and wonders where Tifa is. Last thing he recalls is going to help her. He gets a bunch of flashes that jenova tries to get between with some static, but Cloud knows what happened. And we see him break down over it.

Meanwhile, weapon takes Tifa on a tour of the lifestream. She hears her parents and friends and sees some scenes from her childhood. Specifically scenes that are important to Cloud. They're also Tifa's precious memories, and give her some important information she'll need later to save Cloud in the lifestream.

Sephiroth appears and tries to kill her again. Bit more directly this time. His blade just misses her, but it pierces the weapon and she starts drowning. She sees zangan, Dr Sheran, Barret and Aerith, and the first three give her words of encouragement to keep fighting to live. Aerith just says her name and nothing else.

Tifa sees Cloud, but he's leaving her to follow Sephiroth. She becomes distressed as Sephiroth taunts her that her words can't reach Cloud now, but we know those two have always communicated best without words 🤭

The injured weapon reappears in the reactor. Barret slaps some sense into Cloud and tells him Tifa needs him. This gets him out of his stupor to go to Tifa's side and check on her as she loses consciousness.

When Tifa wakes up we see a guilt ridden Cloud about to rush off and let everyone know she's okay, but Tifa stops him and they have a heart to heart about the past and that fateful trip up Mt Nibel. Tifa admits she doesn't remember everything that happened, and Cloud regrets not being able to save her. He finally confides in her that he feels like he's losing it and Tifa promises to save him like he saved her.

They almost kiss, but Yuffie opens her fat mouth and interrupts.

This is a non-optional moment between them. Even if you chose the worst options in convos and ignored Tifa completely, they will almost kiss.

Tifa goes into the living area and there's some chat about the planet and what to do next, which ends in a decision to hit up Cosmo Canyon.

A lot happens in this chapter. Like plot heavy serious things that shouldn't be ignored at all.

Cloud has deja vu about Gongaga.

Tifa learns Cloud doesn't know/remember Zack, and grows more concerned.

Sephiroth forces Cloud to overdose on mako gas in the reactor in an attempt to take control of him.

Cloud doesn't harm Tifa despite being Sephiroth's puppet, meaning he doesn't have total control over him when it comes to Tifa.

Tifa learns about the important memories of her and Cloud's past, and that the planet is currently winning against Sephiroth from her pov

Cloud and Tifa share mutual attraction and chemistry that results in an almost kiss

Cloud and Tifa confide in each other and their relationship deepens.

[holly-fixation]

An Astral Myth: Ch 6

Summary: Before their journey begins, Cloud spends his last night in Midgar with the woman he loves most: The Sacrificed's Most Cherished.

Inspired by the beautiful Safer Sephiroth statue art by @hueyoart and the concept by @ehrenyu  .

Please Enjoy!

Chapter 6: Bon Voyage

Cloud spent way too long taking deep breaths in front of the dark blue door of his friend’s apartment. Friend. She was just a friend. He knew with every cell of his blood what he truly felt and what she may never know. He struggled to pry their friendship from the god’s threat. The sacrificed’s most cherished. The first to die if they failed, leaving him in complete despair until the god finally ended his own existence. He needed to breath, to pretend this was normal, just a normal night time visit. Well, the night part wasn't intentional but the sky was almost entirely lit by mako light pollution. She should be home. His heart tore with both the desire to see her and the fear he felt for her existence. He swallowed his hesitation and knocked on the door. 

There was more awkward silence before the deadbolt clicked and the door opened straight to his greatest friend. 

The tired smile on her face made his chest twist. “Hey, Cloud. Sorry I’m such a mess, we just got back an hour ago.” She glanced down at her oversized t-shirt and pajama shorts. She was clearly embarrassed by her comfort, but she always looked perfect to him. When her ruby eyes returned to his sapphire ones, his heart stopped. “Don’t get me wrong, I'm glad to see you, but what are you doing here so-?” Her joy vanished in an instant as she stared at him. 

“Hi, Tifa. Just wanted to see how you were after the concert,” He told a half truth. 

“Come inside.”

His brows immediately knotted at the intensity of her tone, but she didn't budge. 

“Get in the apartment right now.”

Oh gods what did he do? Why was she giving him that look? He knew he didn't usually visit without an invitation, but why was there worry in her eyes? This was supposed to be his last moments of joy and calm before embarking on a quest no one would believe to be true, especially not her. “Okay,” He heard himself accept for her sake, entering the apartment before she closed and locked the door behind him. He tried to stand a respectable distance from her, but she held her hands to his cheeks and forced him to look her in the eyes.

“Oh gods, Cloud…” Whatever he did, he was already sorry. “Why did you do it? What made you think mako was the answer?”

…oh. Now he closed his eyes with a wince to hide from her. What was he supposed to say? He did this for her.

“Cloud, if this is about what my father said-”

“It’s not about your father or what he said. It’s… just a lot to unpack right now but I'm not joining Soldier and I'm not doing it again.” 

“This isn't about Soldier. You know what can happen to you, right?”

He took a pained breath. “...Yes. I know. I’m sorry.”

“I don’t want ‘sorry’, Cloud.”

“It made sense at the time and it was stupid,” He had to lie. He didn’t want her to be angry with him. Not right now. Not for the last time. “I swear I will explain everything next week, just… a lot’s up in the air right now and it’s not gonna make any sense until it’s over.”

She took a short breath and forced herself to calm down. “Fine. Just promise me you’ll get help for whatever made you do this? You know you can always talk to me too.”

“I promise. I’ll get on the waiting list for the closest therapist tomorrow.”

Clearly that statement alone relieved her, and with relief came the exhaustion she was trying to hide. “Good. Keep me in the loop or Mama Behemoth’s coming out.”

He gave her a small smirk. “I don’t think Mama Behemoth has a lot of energy after a seven hour drive. How was the concert?”

It was clear she wanted to scold him more, but she allowed him to respark the light he always saw in her. “It was amazing. The acoustics were so good. I cannot believe they got permission to host a concert in a cave!”

Cloud subtly moved toward the couch, silently encouraging his tired friend to sit and relax. She didn’t even notice that she followed as she plopped down and he sat next to her. “It was down by the Mythril Mines, right?”

“Yes! You remembered, as always.” Her smile made him turn and hide the slightest dust of pink on his cheeks. “One deal with the Corel Mining Company and they gave what might honestly be the best concert on this planet.”

“Really?” His slight smirk of disbelief made her pout in defiance. 

“Absolutely! You should’ve heard it- wait I have a video but it’s so much cooler in person-”

Her songlike voice always entranced him and he wanted nothing more than Tifa to chirp away for all eternity. His short but respectful answers were truly his hidden way of getting her to speak as much as possible. However, she was exhausted. Once the residual hype of the concert and the experience wore off, her exhaustion almost made her kick him out. 

“How about we just watch a movie?” Cloud suggested before her impulse could sink in.

She gave him a look, and he had to glance away again.

“Not like that. Actually watch a movie.”

“Trying to spend the night, Cloud Strife?”

He sputtered, “Uh- I-”

Luckily for him, Tifa shoved his side playfully. “Kidding. I’m kidding. Come on, put on whatever you want.” She handed him the remote.

“You sure?”

“Mhm. Don’t want you getting stuck watching my stuff if I pass out.”

His small smirk returned for a moment before he grabbed the remote and started searching through her TV. He chose the first streaming service he found, and the god of the stars must have been laughing at him. 

The first result in Tifa’s ‘continue watching’ section was a docu-series on ancient civilizations and religions. Cloud gave her a surprised look. 

“Don’t look at me like that.” Now it was her turn to hide her face. “It’s really interesting and the narrator’s voice is so calming it’s great for falling asleep.”

Well, Cloud couldn’t argue with that. She needed rest anyway, so he hit play despite her soft groan of protest, wrapping his arm over her shoulders to make her more comfortable. He didn't know what came over him that gave him the confidence to do that, nor did he know what came over Tifa when she nuzzled comfortably into his chest, sighing softly as sleep called her. 

Cloud couldn’t be more grateful for the peaceful expression along her face, the way her hair always fell as a perfect curtain in front of her eyes, the slight blush of her cheeks, the scent of her shampoo, the calmness she infected him with like a welcome cure. He wasn’t worried about every word coming out of his mouth to keep the conversation going, his fear of slipping up and worrying her with a quest she could not help with. Whatever was waiting for him was dangerous. He just knew it. The farther she was, the better. If this was the last memory he had of her until the god arrived, then he wouldn’t want it any other way.

They stayed in his vision of perfect tranquility for two hours. Around 9 PM, there was a knock at the door. He knew he had to go. 

“Hm?” Tifa perked up sweetly at the sound as Cloud tapped her arm.

“I have to go. I’ll see you next week.” He began standing to avoid her gaze.

She was still rubbing the sleep out of her eyes as she tried to follow him. “‘Next week’? What’s going on?”

He didn’t answer. He just opened the door, and Zack and Aerith were waiting on the other side with full backpacks strapped over their shoulders.

“Ready to go, Spiky?” 

Cloud nodded but Tifa was confused. 

“You’re going on a trip?” She put a hand on his arm to stop him from leaving. Her touch was so soft and so kind, he couldn’t break from it if he tried. 

Cloud opened his mouth to answer, but Aerith took the fall for him. 

“We’re heading up north for some research. My professor’s kind of a jerk, gave me no warning at all.” He was kind of afraid of how well Aerith lied. “I asked Zack and Cloud to come with me for safety. I’m surprised he said yes.”

Tifa couldn’t take her eyes off the blonde. “But Cloud, you have so much work to do. Can you really afford to take a week off? Have you told your teams yet?”

The involuntary shift of his expression told her absolutely not. “I’ll still be doing my work. I just won’t be in contact for a bit. I have all the work I need for my classes.”

She glared. Crap she saw right through him. “Cloud, please tell me what's going on.”

The oldest of them interrupted, “Tifa, I’m really sorry but we have to go now or we’ll miss our boat.”

Cloud looked up at Zack. “‘Boat’?”

“Yeah. It was the only thing he could get on short notice.”

Cloud nodded but the dark haired girl glared. 

“Cloud, this is really really sketchy. What’s going on?!” Clearly her calm questions weren't getting through to him, so raising her voice was the only option she hadn’t tried. 

Again, another burst of confidence claimed him and he turned to Tifa with his hands on her shoulders. “Tifa, I promise everything’s going to be okay. It’s just a trip.”

“Cloud, you're scaring me-”

He brushed her hair out of her face, and she let him, leaning softly into his touch like a kitten. “I will tell you every single detail when we get back.”

She held his wrist, and the worry in her eyes stung him. He didn’t want to remember her like this, so he took possibly the stupidest risk since he saw that comet in the sky. “Can I kiss you?”

Her red eyes went wide and her whole face flushed pink. “Wh-what?”

“Can I kiss you before I go?”

“Your scaring me-”

Instead of responding, he pulled her into a hug, taking one last whiff of her hair. “It’s okay. I’ll be back before you know it.”

She held him tightly. “Whatever this is, please don’t go. We can figure this out. Whatever it is, we can do it together.”

He shook his head. “I’m sorry, Tifa. It’s not that simple. I’ll see you when we get back.” Then he let her go and avoided her gaze with everything he had. “Let’s go.”

“Cloud!”

Zack glanced away and let him pass while Aerith only apologized, and the small party left the woman alone in the apartment. Cloud refused to look back, refused to see her in her door until she couldn’t see him anymore. He couldn’t bear seeing the betrayal in her eyes when he was doing this for her, to keep her safe, to keep her alive, to save her life before a celestial claimed it in sacrifice if he failed.

* * * 

Cloud’s belongings were already in the back of the car when the three of them arrived. He packed the moment he had some spare time and hid the trip from Tifa for as long as he could. Zack and Aerith tossed their own in.

Zack still had to pry though. “...do you wanna talk about it?”

“No.” He refused to elaborate on why he didn’t just explain everything to her. It was insane. They all knew it. It wasn’t worth explaining every detail only to have her worried for her life for the next week. In his mind, that was all she would care about: her life. He didn’t want her calling family members for goodbyes that may or may not come to pass. He just wanted to see her happy before they left. Why was that so difficult?

“Is everything taken care of?” Sephiroth questioned from inside the car.

“Yes.” Cloud plopped down with small guilt in his eyes.

“Yes, my roommates are watering my plants,” Aerith stated to lighten the mood as she entered.

“And my neighbors are willing to feed my dog. Ironically he has the same name as your friend over there.”

Angeal turned back to face them from the driver’s seat and raised a brow. “You named your dog ‘Angeal’?”

“Yup! Heard the name in a song once and liked it. He’s a really good boy!” 

Aerith softly elbowed him to get them back on topic as Genesis closed their door and slipped into the passenger seat. 

“So where are we going?”

“The new docks north of Midgar. The Lessaloploth Marina,” Sephiroth explained. “From there, we dock at Lunar Bone Village and get a ride past the archaeological sites. We should be in Icicle Village by noon tomorrow.”

“Why Icicle Village? Aren’t we trying to find the Cetra?” The blonde questioned.

“My mother always said we came from a city near Icicle Village.” Aerith shrugged. “It might be our best shot of finding any living Cetra.”

“Living?”

“Well, not ‘living’ and more like ‘Cetra-enough’. My mother said she was the last purebred Cetra she knew. Let’s hope we get lucky and prove her wrong.”

“If not, there’s always the City of The Ancients. It’s the last known Cetra civilization and it may have some information we need. But we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it,” Zack mentioned with a nervous laugh.

“More likely we’ll burn that bridge,” Sephiroth corrected with a common malaphor before glancing at the concerned looks thrown his way. “If we miss something, we won’t have time to turn back. We have one week. One shot at everything. We can’t afford any mistakes.”

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Thanks for reading!

https://www.tumblr.com/holly-fixation/690223439750021120/an-astral-myth-masterlist?source=share

Author’s Note: Sorry this update took so long! AUs are harder than I thought but I Promise this is still going!

[eldritchwriter]

Defeating Sunrise by @eldritchwriter | Fandom: Final Fantasy VII | Rating: Explicit | Relationships: Sephiroth/Cloud Strife, Zack Fair/Aerith Gainsborough

Additional Tags: Time Travel Fix-It, Found Family, Slow Burn, Pining, Hero Worship, Cloud Strife Needs a Hug, Sephiroth is Oblivious, Denzel is So Done With Them Both, Grown-Up Cloud

Summary: Cloud isn't good at this whole 'parenting' gig, and even when he tries, it doesn't seem to be doing him any good. He's ready to give up, when he is inexplicably pulled into the past with his young protege in tow. The last thing Cloud expects is to be dropped straight into the Wutai War and in front of a Sephiroth who is younger and still in charge of his own mind.

As Cloud spirals headlong into his trauma-filled past, trying to make sense of his memories and discern truth from his own fictions, long-buried feelings for Sephiroth begin to emerge. With Denzel's help, he can surely change the future, but the biggest question of all is what that future should look like at all. Read here on AO3 or read more below:

Chapter One

“It’s not so easy. We’re all traumatised by what we went through. Cloud most of all.”

Cloud rested his head back against the door to the rebuilt Seventh Heaven and let out a soft sigh. He hadn’t meant to intrude on the conversation between Tifa and Barret, but now it was inevitable. He guessed he was lucky that he hadn’t just walked in and that his enhanced hearing had picked up the urgent tone of Barret’s voice before he’d opened the door.

At least this way he could steel himself for whatever Barret was going to ask him to do.

“Well, we all got heaps of trauma. Enough to keep the shrinks goin’ for decades. But Cloud’s tough. He’ll do it, no problem.”

Do what? Cloud wondered. What more could you possibly have to ask of me?

“When he says no, I don’t want you to push it,” Tifa’s reply was exasperated sounding, and Cloud detected the sound of a bar towel hitting the floor. “I mean it, Barret, I know that Cloud needs… reminding sometimes that people need him to do things, but I don’t want you pestering him. This isn’t something he’s duty-bound to do.”

“I wasn’ planning on it,” Barret said, a creak of a bar stool. “It’s just the easiest way, is all.”

“Well, have a Plan B ready.” The sound of glasses being thrown into a dishwasher, one of the newest additions to Seventh Heaven, now that there was running water into the place.

Cloud had plumbed it in himself, after several assurances from Reeve that the water was definitely clean and not contaminated. Cloud had made him drink it straight from the tap when it was plugged in just to prove the point.

“Roger that. Say, how’s Denzel been doin’ in school? Marlene’s been tellin’ me all kinds of stories- “The conversation turned to the children and Cloud stopped listening. Whispered conversations about him rather than with him were the norm, and he’d long grown used to people acting in his best interest without consulting him. Sometimes he was glad that Tifa acted as a buffer between him and the ridiculous requests of his onetime comrades, other times it frustrated him.

Today, he was just tired.

He pushed away from the wall, steeling himself to head inside, to listen to whatever Barret’s request was and to grit his teeth and give his answer whatever way it went, but then…

Why?

Why indeed. Why did he have to? He had his own plans for the rest of the week. Nothing urgent, certainly, but he had a few delivery jobs, a run out to the Chocobo Farm… Hell, it was Parent-Teacher Meetings this week and he’d promised Denzel that he’d make it to this one despite not feeling remotely like an appropriate paternal figure.

If he stayed away, eventually Barret would leave. Tifa had made it clear she would not bring up whatever this was. He didn’t have to deal with it now unless he wanted to, and quite frankly, he didn’t want to.

He stepped off the porch and walked towards Fenrir, kicking his leg over it. It showed how lost Tifa and Barret had been in their conversation that they hadn’t heard the thing roaring up next to the bar in the first place.

No, he wasn’t going to deal with this now. He’d pick it up later, much later.

He disabled the kickstand and revved the engine.

Cloud was not in the mood to deal with this today.

*

It somewhat surprised Denzel to see Cloud outside his school. Some older boys had gathered around Cloud’s bike, trying to strike up a conversation with him. Cloud remained detached though, his arms folded on his chest and his eyes showing that he was completely lost in thought.

Not so unusual, and it probably made him look cool to the kids who had flocked around him, but Denzel knew better. He knew that, no matter how cool Cloud looked with the all-black motorcycle and the enormous sword strapped to his back, that his unwilling mentor was just a shy space cadet.

“Er, hi?” Denzel leaned around the front of the bike to put his face in front of Cloud’s and snap him from his reverie.

Cloud blinked slowly, then the corners of his mouth tilted up a bit. “Hey. Thought I’d give you a ride back from school today.”

Denzel wondered what had spurred that decision, but he knew he wouldn’t get an actual response from Cloud about it. Cloud and Tifa had been involved in his life for years now. He was in his teens, but they had nowhere near what could be called a father-son relationship. Cloud was too distant, his reasoning for his actions too coloured by his own past, to be much use to Denzel in learning to navigate the world.

But still it was useful, especially when wanting to seem cool in front of some upperclassman.

“Sure. Can I shove my backpack in the storage?” Denzel asked, like it was an everyday occurrence for Cloud to let him ride on the back of Fenrir.

Cloud got off the bike, showing an impressive show of strength by just casually holding it upright with a one-handed loose grip while the other opened the under-seat storage to let Denzel dump his bag in. The other kids were goggle-eyed at Cloud, and that made Denzel smile a bit.

Cloud shoved a helmet and goggles into his hands, causing Denzel to pout. It was less cool to wear this thing. Cloud pulled on his own goggles though, without a dorky helmet though. Denzel knew that Cloud probably couldn’t be killed by coming off the bike at speed like he could though, and if it meant that Cloud might rev the engine harder it was worth looking stupid for.

Helmet in place, Denzel clambered onto the back of the bike. Cloud leaned forward, then looked over his shoulder, waiting for Denzel to adjust himself.

“Hang on,” was all Cloud said, before the engine roared and Cloud was already kicking the bike into a higher gear.

Denzel scrambled to wrap his arms tightly around Cloud’s waist before he fell off the back and found out precisely how effective his helmet would be. Cloud weaved the bike through traffic and crowds and back allies that definitely shouldn’t have been driven down.

In anyone else’s hands, this would have been suicide, but though it was exhilarating, Denzel felt safe. For all Cloud’s faults and sometimes dumb decisions, he never purposefully put anyone in danger. The incredible strength to manoeuvre the bike through tight gaps, and the lightning-fast reflexes he had meant that it was rather more like riding on a rollercoaster. The safe journey to their destination was all but pre-determined, so Denzel could just enjoy the ride there.

Pulling up outside Seventh Heaven wasn’t exactly welcome, but his arms were sore from holding on. Cloud kicked down the stand and waited for Denzel to dismount before making sure that he had his bag and that the helmet and goggles were stored appropriately.

Cloud reached out, self-consciously ruffling Denzel’s hair in a way that was a shadow of paternal instinct that just made both of them feel awkward.

“Go say hi to Tifa,” Cloud said, grabbing a box from inside the storage attached to the bike.

“You mean, go check the coast is clear, don’t you?” Denzel asked, putting his hands in his pockets. “Not that I’m not grateful for the ride, but you only come pick me up when you want a buffer between you and whoever’s in there.”

Cloud’s shoulders hunched. “That’s not- “

“It’s fine,” Denzel said, shrugging. “But at least be honest about it, at least to yourself if not to me.”

He didn’t wait for Cloud to turn round, instead announcing his entry to the bar and greeting Tifa brightly. No one else was here, so maybe Cloud was just trying to avoid being alone with Tifa. It wouldn’t be the first time for that either.

When Cloud entered, he didn’t meet Denzel’s eyes, but there didn’t seem to be a tension between him and Tifa, so Denzel let it go. Whatever this was about, he’d find out in the end anyway, when the row inevitably started and Cloud roared off on his motorcycle at 3am to Ancient’s knew where.

“Denzel!” Denzel turned to see Marlene running from behind the bar, pink bow bouncing in her hair. “Papa says I can stay for dinner tonight! Let’s do our homework together?”

Cloud groaned. “Is Barret still-“

“’Sup. We need to talk.”

*

Returning to Nibelheim, to this Nibelheim, left Cloud with an itching soul. The people here, the few that had returned, were not originally from the town. They didn’t know the legends of the local mountains, or the best way to trap Nibel Wolves, or which paths to avoid so they didn’t run into dragons.

Most of them didn’t even know that Nibelheim had once burnt to the ground. All they knew was that there was a town here, rebuilt and mostly empty, and that the WRO was interested in generating hydropower from the waterfalls in the mountains. That was enough for them.

As usual, it was capitalism that was the driving force of Nibelheim’s destiny, and a new flow of money brought a new flow of residents and washed away the blood and soot and smoke. Even the acrid tinge of mako in the air had long since dissipated except in Cloud’s mind.

“I didn’ think you’d come, bein’ honest,” Barret said, rubbing the back of his neck.

Cloud had fully intended not to, but there were some things that he still felt he couldn’t say no to. This was one of them. Nibelheim was a wound on his soul that wouldn’t heal and that he couldn’t stop picking at.

“Right, not feelin’ talkative, got it,” Barret scratched the back of his neck with the barrel of his gun-arm, looking sheepish. “I’ll be headin’ out into the mountains a bit, gotta check up on the generator to report back, y’know? But you’ll be alright here, right?”

“I’ll be fine,” Cloud waved him off. “But you can’t take longer than a few hours. I have to get back.”

“Yeah. School shit. I remember. I won’t make you late to play daddy, promise.”

Cloud didn’t want to question Barret’s parenting skills, but he thought out of all his former-comrades, the one was most likely to put work above ‘school shit’ was probably Barret. For all his bluster and dedication to Marlene, he had a somewhat lax attitude towards the formal things that it seemed children needed. Like routine. Or regular schooling. Or a parent figure who didn’t disappear on them at the drop of a hat.

Well, Cloud couldn’t really judge any of that. He hadn’t exactly been a model guardian either.

He didn’t bother to answer, instead turning towards the hotel and hoping that there’d be somewhere for him to sit and wait. He had no desire to explore the town the way he had done coming back here five years ago, where he had frantically run from house to house trying to work out why it was different, his own fear and horror reflected at him from Tifa’s eyes.

The hotelkeeper was new, a man with a Rocket Town accent and clothes that were just a little too thin for the mountain temperatures. He greeted Cloud warmly, offered him a room for the night – which Cloud politely declined – and then offered him a warm meal instead.

And so, Cloud spent the afternoon eating Nibel Stew that someone who had never tasted the original had clearly prepared, and waiting for Barret to return. He kept his eyes firmly on the woods outside the window, trying not to give in to the ghosts in his vision of the old townspeople, of the flames, of the shuddering clones.

He didn’t think much of it when it started to rain.

*

Cloud didn’t expect Denzel to actually throw something at him in frustration. It was only a towel from the bar, soaked in beer, but it still hit him in the face with a soft whump all the same. Cloud let it slide to the floor, just as he’d let it hit him. He deserved this.

“I waited for you for hours!” Denzel yelled.

Tifa reached out hesitantly for Denzel’s shoulder but he caught the movement out of the corner of his eye and jerked away from her.

“Denzel, I’m sorry. The dam that Barret was working next to burst and-“

“I don’t care! You should never have gone! You could have gone next week! Or he could have found someone else to go with him!” Denzel shouted, his fists balled by his sides. “No one would have died if you’d waited!”

Well, that was debatable, as it wasn’t like Cloud or Barret’s presence had set of the chain of events that caused the dam failure. In fact, their being there had saved many lives. But none of that was going to make an angry thirteen year old like him any more, Cloud was sure of it. Long gone were the days where Denzel was impressed by heroic tales from far-off places. No, now he wanted something more concrete from Cloud, stability and dependency, both things that Cloud had never been in the best situation to provide.

“You’re right, I’m sorry,” Cloud offered, putting up his hands in a placating gesture. “I should have said no. I shouldn’t have let you down.”

It seemed like the wind went out of Denzel’s sails at that but instead of doing what he usually did and apologising too, it seemed that Denzel truly had settled into his teenage years because he stormed out of the front door of Seventh Heaven instead, letting it bang behind him.

“It’s late, you should go after him,” Tifa said after a few moments silence.

Cloud shook his head. “Better if it’s you. He doesn’t like me much right now.”

“Which is why, it’s got to be you.” Tifa began to push at Cloud’s shoulder, forcing him towards the door. “You might not be forgiven, Cloud, but you have to sort this one out yourself. Family don’t go to bed on fights.”

“We have plenty of times,” he pointed out. “You’re always yelling at me late at night after the patrons have gone.”

“Yes, well, I’m not thirteen years old and I didn’t just wait for you for hours,” Tifa countered, pushing Cloud towards the door again. “Just sort things out, Cloud. And next time… just don’t be late.”

Cloud reluctantly stepped out of the door and onto the porch. Denzel hadn’t gone far. He had a rock in his hand and was standing next to the Fenrir, but Cloud couldn’t see any scratches on it. Clearly Denzel had entertained the thought of scratching it, but thought better of it.

Good, because Cloud would have hated to add that to the fight as well.

“We’re going for a ride again,” Cloud said, walking past Denzel and getting on the bike without looking at him. “Hop on.”

“No,” Denzeil said stubbornly.

Cloud waited as seconds rolled by to become a minute.

He felt hands on his shoulders as Denzel climbed on and waited until the boy was settled before he took off.

He hadn’t really known where he was going until he ended up on the cliff edge. He’d brought Denzel here once before, to show him the place where a hero had died. It seemed fitting that they were here now, in the place where the hero that Cloud had tried to emulate before all else was memorialised, to have this conversation with a child who emulated him.

Cloud got off the bike and went to sit on the edge of the cliff, looking over at the lights of Edge and the ruins of Midgar. There was still so much rebuilding to do.

“I’m only human,” Cloud said finally, mostly to the night, but knowing that Denzel was still awkwardly perched on the bike and no doubt watching him. “If there’s one thing I learned, through all of it, it’s that I’m only a human with faults and flaws.”

“Yeah, well, one of them is being really shitty about remembering to show up for things.”

Cloud couldn’t deny that. “Memory is not my strongpoint, agreed.”

“You’re just never around, even when you promise you’re going to be.”

Again, not something Cloud could deny. How many birthdays and holidays had he missed? Sometimes on purpose, sometimes because he simply forgot about them? His thoughts were always scrambled, stuck in a past he fuzzily remembered and one that he had constructed for himself from pure trauma.

None of those were things that a teenager would understand though, even one like Denzel. Cloud had no intention of burdening him with the knowledge of it either.

“I won’t promise you I’ll always be around,” Cloud conceded, and he heard Denzel getting off the bike. “But you know, there are some things that you get to do that others don’t. You’ve never seen me let Marlene anywhere near the bike.”

“Only because Barret would riddle you with bullets.”

It seemed Denzel wasn’t going to join him, so Cloud stood up, giving up on the male bonding moment over the edge of the cliff with a sight.

“I know it doesn’t mean much, but I am doing my best. This… this whole series of events is just…” Cloud struggled to find the words. “Every event in my life has taken the worst possible turn. Even when I try, I still mess up. It seems inevitable at this point, and though I’m going to try my best, I know that I’ll still disappoint you.”

Stood before Zack's grave, with Denzel's quiet censure worrying between his shoulder blades, Cloud couldn't remember a time when he'd last felt good about himself. He hadn't asked for this hero-worship, or to be the guardian of a teenager who was turning out to be just as taciturn and unruly as Cloud had been at that age. He hadn't asked for any of this, and duty could only take him so far down a path before he had to put some effort in.

"If you truly think this is the worst timeline, the worst it might get, then do you really think it's okay to throw in the towel?" Denzel asked, eyes hot and accusing. "Is it really okay to just give up and not even try for a better one?"

"A better timeline?" Cloud rubbed his temples. "Sure. We'll just magic one into existence for everyone, shall we?"

“Now who’s acting like a kid?” Denzel challenged him.

Cloud turned now, ready to just apologise again, but what he saw chilled his blood. A shrouded figure with long, reaching fingers.

“Denzel! Come here!”

But it was too late, the creature had snatched Denzel, dragging him into a dark portal.

Cloud’s heart felt like it was going to beat out of his chest. He lunged after the creature, into the dark and cold unknown. It lasted only a fraction of a second where he felt like he was floating in the Lifestream once more, before his boots hit ground at a different level than he’d been expecting and he tripped.

He landed on something soft, and was relieved to take in a surprised expression under a mess of red-hair.

“Where’s the monster?” Cloud asked, looking around them.

Their environment was completely different. From the vegetation, Cloud guessed they were somewhere near Wutai, which was not only impossible, but was also deeply worrying. How had they got so far from home?

“Cloud! Behind you!”

Cloud didn't think, he reacted, immediately bringing First Tsurugi up to parry the blow he vaguely caught from the corner of his eye that would rend him and Denzel in two. He didn't expect for the katana to spiral through the air, landing six feet away, embedded in the dirt with the moonlight reflecting off its blade.

Masamune.

No.

Sephiroth was frozen, hand empty. Green eyes, glowing and surprised, fixed on Cloud and for the first time Cloud recognised that this Sephiroth was not the same Sephiroth he had fought last. He was younger, his features still a little softened by adolescence. The Sephiroth that Cloud had seen in the papers fifteen years ago. The Sephiroth that he had idolised, left home for, joined Shinra for.

"You have got to be fu-" He remembered Denzel was still behind him. "'Effin' kidding me."

[greensaplinggrace]

Barret Apocalypse AU Pt. 2

PART 1 | PART 2 of Prompt: “Hello! This is kind of out there but I was wondering if you could do a post apocolypse au? With tons of Barret but not very shippy. With lots of found family though! Thanks” ~ @eilesgiire

CAN BE FOUND HERE ON AO3

Three hours and seven houses after leaving camp, Barret still hasn’t found a single shelter even remotely suitable for living.

Most have been the victims of roaming Mobs, walls shredded and marked by the distinct silver shards of glass bombs, destroyed simply for the safety and seclusion of their locations, and the select few that haven’t been touched by the Mobs are overrun by the infected instead. One place is even reduced to shambles by what appears to be an earthquake, not even slightly inhabitable.

Every single time, the houses will look stable from a distance. Safe to explore and eventually settle in for the winter. And every time, they all turn out to be unusable and they all reveal themselves to be disappointing in some way. He’d headed out to look for any house worthy of a home, but not a single place he’s come across so far is even close to meeting his criteria. 

It doesn’t have to be much, but it has to be enough.

He won’t settle for anything less when it comes to his little girl.

It hurts to even be separate from her for so long, but he has to do this. If he wants to keep their camp safe, but especially if he wants to keep her safe.

Barret only wants what's best for Marlene; it’s always been what he’s wanted. Beyond the bid for environmental change and the firm rise against corrupt policies. Underneath rebellions and uprisings and what the media had once called terrorism. Throughout all of it - the loud, brash call for freedom and challenging the winds of fate themselves - Barret’s interests have never strayed from Marlene. 

Everything he does, he does for her. Keeping the world safe keeps Marlene safe, and providing for Marlene is all Barret has ever wanted to do since the first moment she settled in his arms.

Unfortunately, providing for Marlene means taking risks, and taking risks means leaving her.

Used to be, taking risks meant risking Marlene as well, but Tifa’s solid presence at his side has been a boon the likes of which Barret had never expected. Sent by the planet herself, Tifa had come into their lives not in a whirlwind but in a steady drive back to camp after the day she’d recovered - the day he’d thought she left for good - with a truck bed full of three years worth of supplies and four suitcases brimming with clothes and toys for Marlene.

She’s done nothing but prove her worth every day afterward, pulling her weight around camp and helping to ease the burden of responsibility just a bit. Just enough for him to feel like he’s finally getting somewhere - like he can finally do what he needs.

So now, Marlene is always safe. Tifa stays with her when Barret goes out. Or Barret stays with her when Tifa goes out. Leaving Marlene no longer means abandoning her, and taking care of her doesn’t mean putting her at risk, and recently the world has stopped looking as bleak as it once had. Filling instead with just the faintest, glimmering tinge of hope. 

But no amount of hope can change the fact that they need a solid roof over their heads, and no amount of trust in Tifa can help Barret miss his daughter any less.

Hope certainly isn’t getting Barret any closer to finding salvageable shelter, either, and he’s just beginning to give up on the last of it when a woman’s scream rips through the silence of the forest.

Barret hits the brakes with a grating screech and skids over to the side of the road immediately. Eyes wide through the shade of his glasses as he peers intently out the smudged windows of his truck, attempting to gauge any sort of threat level. He’s reluctant to exit the car just yet in case it’s a trap, but if it is a call for help Barret can’t just sit idly by while someone suffers.

He searches for a time before he notices where the screams are coming from, but eventually he sees it. Just down a small pathway in the forest that opens up into a wide clearing sits a house. It’s a massive, immaculately pristine mansion practically crawling with the infected, but that isn’t what chills him to the bone. 

Dawn has started to break out the first light of the next day, and the vivid red rays cast a gruesome pallor over the scene laid out before him. 

Littered across the blood slick grasses of the clearing are dozens of bodies - possibly hundreds - skewered and piked and cut to pieces like cattle. He’s stumbled into a damned battlefield, Barret realizes, and there’s only one group savage enough to do something like this.

SOLDIERs.

Without another thought he’s out of the car and slamming the door closed behind him. Infected he can deal with. SOLDIERS he can put up a fight against. But whoever is in that mansion? He doubts they can do either, otherwise they’d already be out amidst the fallen.

He sees the group of SOLDIERS almost immediately when he reaches the dip at the end of the pathway, the whole of the clearing opening up before him like some sick wartime display. There’s a man sprawled across the ground right in front of him whose eyes have been burned clean out of his skull, mouth smeared with blood and chest caved in. Laying dead beside him is another person, a woman with her head half severed at the neck and legs bent at an impossible angle. Then another and another, extending out in front of him and beside him, leading into the trees and up to the mansions doors. 

At a guess, Barret would say they’re guards, but most of them aren’t even whole enough to identify, either butchered by their aggressors or gnawed at by the crowd of zombies currently tearing at the walls of the mansion.

It’s a level of cruelty Barret has never seen before in his life, and he considers himself a strong man when it comes to violence, but even entering the clearing has his stomach turning at the mere sight of the blood, pooled in wet patches of mud and glinting off matted blades of grass. It’s a massacre.

Killing the sick fucks who did this wouldn’t be punishment enough.

The fact that they’re still here, though? That’s what really pisses him off. There’s only two that he can see, gathered nearer to Barret than the mansion and both looking down at something on the ground, weapons drawn and ready as if they’re not already surrounded by the bodies of their victims. One has red hair and the other has long, distinct silver hair that Barret would be able to recognize anywhere, based on the propaganda that had run rampant throughout Midgar before it’s collapse. 

Which means the other must be Genesis.

The first time Barret finally gets to come face to face with the war criminals who have destroyed the lives of so many - who worked gladly for the company that destroyed Barret’s life - and it’s when the world has been overrun by knock-off zombies and mako addicted gangs. And to make matters that much more complicated, there’s only two of the five he knows to exist currently present.

Two people who did all of this.  

Shinra really did create monsters.

The heat that burns through Barret’s veins is pure rage when he hears the screams in the mansion cut out in one last abrupt, terrified screech, still standing surrounded by the brutalized bodies of the dead, a horde of infected not even a few meters away and a sea of blood like the earth is bleeding. While these people - these murderers - just linger at the scene of their own crime and talk like this is a damned vacation and not a fucking massacre. 

Without even thinking of the danger, Barret is whipping his gun into the air and preparing to fire, free hand clenched into a furious fist at his side and vicious words already at the tip of his tongue. Ready to finally do something for once - ready to fight back and take control -

Yet before he can so much as consider firing, a movement catches his eye. A shock of matted blonde hair that shifts between the only two men still standing. Pale, bloodied limbs struggling to gain traction against the soaked and unforgiving earth. The hacking cough that follows is enough to sober Barret like a bucket of ice cold water as he realizes that somebody is still alive. Pinned between two super soldiers and lying prone as Sephiroth’s sword descends for the final blow.

Barret’s heart hits the back of his throat.

“Hey!” he yells, starting forward as they turn to face him. He ignores the warning frowns that mar their faces, Sephiroth’s sword drawing back ever so slightly as if to attack him instead, and powers on with his gun raised. “Hey! Get the hell away from him!”

It’s Genesis that ends up facing him fully, snapping his sword to attention in one quick, smooth motion and pointing it directly at Barret. It forces him to stop dead in his tracks a good few feet away from them, but Barret’s close enough now to see the pallid state of their faces and Sephiroth’s unnaturally slitted pupils. He looks like a ghost of the pictures Barret had once seen, cracked at the edges and wild eyed, paler than the dead and hair askew like some tormented ghost.

He doesn’t look alive.

And Genesis isn’t much better. Barret never had the chance to get a glimpse of him the way most had been able to with Sephiroth, but he can take a wild fucking guess that the graying, unwashed hair and sallow complexion isn’t normal. Nor is the way he’s acting right now, sword extended in a threat as a twisted smirk graces his delicate features. 

They’ve both gone completely off the deep end.

The blonde on the ground isn’t faring too well, either. They’ve done a number on him, kicked and beaten him until his skin is coated in bruises, hair caked in blood and clothes ripped. There’s a cut down his shirt that looks like it was made by the straight edge of a sword purely for the purpose of exposing skin, and Barret’s veins run cold in a different kind of fury at the sight.

It’s easier now than it had been even days ago to believe the rumors. That the SOLDIERs were the ones to start this apocalypse; that it was Shinra’s precious little lapdogs who let the world fall into chaos.

Gaia, Barret is endlessly grateful that Marlene and Tifa aren’t here to see this right now.

“I ain’t playing around,” he snaps, “back the fuck off before I shoot.”

“This isn’t any business of yours,” Sephiroth sighs, sounding as if he’s discussing the weather instead of some poor man’s life, and Barret has to unclench and clench his fist again to refrain from shooting that smug mug right off his face, “I suggest you move along.”

“It’s not going to happen, you twisted fuck.”

Sephiroth’s lips thin at that, his blade finally falling away from the blonde completely as he turns to face Barret alongside Genesis. He looks incandescently angry, eyes alight with a demented sort of fury that has Barret’s hair standing on end, but he doesn’t back down. SOLDIER or not, he’ll find a way to stop them.

“I ain’t gonna let you murder somebody right in front of me!” he protests heatedly, swinging his gun around to face Sephiroth when the other’s eyes narrow dangerously. “The hell is wrong with you?! He’s on the ground right now. He can’t even fight back. ”

“This is SOLDIER business.”

“Of course, that’s why it involved the eighty guard rotation of some rich fuck’s manor? Dead servants and a horde of zombies clawing at the doors of a building that doesn’t even belong to you? SOLDIER business, my ass.”

Sephiroth sucks in a sharp breath, grip tightening ever so slightly on the hilt of his blade, but Barret doesn’t waver an inch as those hateful eyes glare venomously. 

“I don’t know you and I don’t care to,” Sephiroth hisses, “but if you continue to try my patience, you’ll soon become acquainted with my blade. This is your last warning.”

“To hell with your fuckin’ warnings. How ‘bout I don’t shoot you for murdering half a small town’s worth of people.”

It’s Genesis that reacts this time around, letting out a laugh as he weaves the tip of his sword through the air. “You think you could hurt us with that toy?” he scoffs, smirk rapidly turning into a mocking sneer, “you’re nothing compared to us. I could put my sword through you before you even got a single bullet out of that worthless pile of scrap.”

“Take your best shot, asshole!”

It happens in the blink of an eye. One moment Barret is standing his ground against two furious supersoldiers, Genesis baring his teeth and winding up in a snarling fury, sword moving so fast Barret can hardly see it cutting through the air as he prepares to meet his end. Then the next there’s a blur of movement and the screech of metal against metal, a massive buster sword reverberating just inches above Barret’s head with the force of Genesis’s blade. 

Barret instantly recognizes the blonde hair.

“What the-?”

“Cloud! Enough.” Sephiroth’s own sword is extended now, pressing with careful precision into the pulse point of the blonde, and he does not look any happier than he had thirty seconds ago.

“You two know each other?” Barret’s beginning to suspect this person might not be another unfortunate guard from the mansion. He’s holding his sword level with Genesis - of all people - as if it’s nothing. The weight of his blade alone should have been enough to send him keeling over.

That’s when Barret notices the uniform - a SOLDIER’s uniform. It doesn’t look the same as a first class uniform, but it's definitely not a civilian’s outfit either. 

Barret had been protecting a SOLDIER.  

A rush of emotions floods him at that. Anger and confusion and frustration making him growl out a warning and direct his gun right back at Sephiroth.

“What is going on here?” he demands, “you’re standing in the middle of a massacre about to kill one of your own?!”

Sephiroth chuckles, tone lightening for the first time since Barret arrived. “Well, we’ve already killed the other.”

Dead silence. 

Not even Genesis moves for a second, and the blonde’s arms start to shake beneath the pressure. Though the sword above him poses a massive threat, Barret can’t help the way his eyes are drawn like magnets to the dead body that had been right beside the blonde. The torn, blood soaked remains of a SOLDIER uniform tells him all he needs to know.

They killed him. One of their own. Just as they’d been about to kill the blonde. There truly is no end to Shinra’s cruelty. Even after the company’s demise its loyal soldiers gather to slaughter each other like cattle and destroy the lives of those only trying to get by. Even after Shinra has died the planet still burns, and the SOLDIERs are still the tools of its destruction.

Yet a SOLDIER had also been the one to save his life.

Cloud, Sephiroth had said.

His reflexes are slow, movements groggy, and Barret would bet his only remaining arm that the guy has at least a medium grade concussion. He’s already breaking under the strain of holding back a super soldier - already crumbling beneath an impossible weight. There’s no telling if he’d be able to run or keep up with the fight - no telling if he’s a good enough person to even try it...but he’d been a good enough one to save Barret’s life.

Barret’s determined to get him out of this in one piece. 

The next moment is a blur of movement. The snap decision to fire, not at Sephiroth but at his blade, until the sword is ripping the man’s arm sideways and his expression is slackening in surprise. Barret doesn’t even take a moment to contemplate the true suicidal stupidity of attacking someone like Sephiroth before he’s charging forward, grabbing the blonde by the waist and using his gun to take the brunt of Genesis’s sword. It’s only for a second - only to garner enough time to pull the kid back and free him from the lock of blades - but it’s enough for Barret to holler as an electrifying pain numbs his gun arm. The shriek of tearing metal splits the air, accompanied by Genesis’s own noise of outrage, and Barret hauls the kid backwards and onto his shoulders without hesitation.

There’s a beat of tension as Sephiroth recovers his footing and Genesis regains his bearings, Barret staring right at two infuriated super soldiers through the sparks of his shredded arm.

Then the world is rushing back around him. Panic and noise and the need to get the hell out of there. To return home to his daughter.

So Barret takes the kid and he runs. 

And hell, he doesn’t look back for anything.

——

Barret winds down several backroads as he makes his way back to camp, determined to shake any tail he might have now that he’s possibly angered some of the most powerful people in the world. He hadn’t seen them pursue him after he’d dumped himself and the kid in his truck and torn out of there like a bat out of hell, but there’s no telling what their kind has up their sleeves.

There’s no telling what the one in his truck has up his sleeve, either, and it’s damn ridiculous that Barret is risking any part of his life for a Shinra lapdog that might turn on them at any moment, but he can’t bring himself to abandon the guy. Can’t allow himself in good conscience to leave someone so clearly injured out to fend for themself, let alone someone who’d happened to save his life. Even if Barret had also happened to save theirs. Barret would say that makes them even, but he knows it’s more complicated than that - knows that ties of any sort of blood can lead people to do bad things. It's hard to break from that mold. Hard to choose something good over those you consider family.

Cloud turned on his people. That takes more than guts. Though Barret doesn’t know if 'more' is a bad thing or a good thing, considering it had led him to being a turncoat. No matter how justified it may have been.

He brings the blonde back to camp because it’s the right thing to do, and because apparently he’s made a habit of picking up strays. But it’s with a heavy heart and a host of fears, millions of horror scenarios playing out in his head. A swirling mass of dreadful scenes depicting Marlene and Tifa hurt and dying because of his actions - his family hunted now by people they have no hope of beating alone. 

Scenes that follow him all the way home.

Yet when he pulls up to camp he doesn’t even think to let those worries show, and when he steps out of the car and slams the door shut behind him, there’s nothing on his face but a massive, beaming smile as he sets sights on his little girl. She squeals when she sees him, dashing forward in a mad scramble of flying cookware from the portable oven.

“Daddy!” she screams excitedly, “Daddy, you’re back!” She hits him with all the force of her tiny body and he laughs as he takes her up in his arm. The warmth and relief that fills him almost brings tears to his eyes, and he hugs her so tight to his chest that he can feel her breathing and alive against him.

“That’s right, angel! Safe and sound, just like I promised.”

She giggles against his neck, small fists rising to press at the nape of his neck in a hug. “Tifa and me were making you dinner!”

“Oh, is that so?” He chuckles, looking up to see Tifa standing a short distance away. She looks relaxed and happy, smiling with a languid sort of bliss as she watches the two of them. 

Then her eyes drift down to his destroyed arm and the expression drops to one of pure panic, her gaze darting back up to his own with alarm.

He winces and shakes his head, silently telling her he’ll explain it all later. But he refuses to let go of Marlene right now - refuses to let her out of his sights - so he nods at the passenger seat of the truck, observing pensively as Tifa finally seems to catch his drift, circling around the car to check inside.

“Did you bring back anything fun, Daddy?” Marlene asks sweetly, leaning away to peer up at him with wide eyes. He hums for a moment to stall, hearing Tifa’s small gasp as she catches sight of the battered SOLDIER, and tries to keep his tone light when he answers.

“Not this time, baby. Had to focus on houses instead of stuff, remember?”

“Uh huh! You were house hunting!” She exclaims proudly, eyes crinkling with the force of her smile.

It’s impossible not to return one of his own, warm and loving as he moves them both away from the situation about to unfold, further into the camp. “That’s right! When did you get such a good memory?”

Marlene kicks her legs in the air with an offended sniff. “I always have a good memory. It’s you that forgets things. Like my necklace!” She pouts.

“Well, you’ve got me there,” he laughs, forcing his tone into something unworried as he turns to see Tifa haul the blonde from the car. She slams the door shut with enough force to make Marlene jump, and as she carries the blonde bridal style into the clearing he notices the dark shadow of horror in her eyes, lips tight and arms shaking as she stares down at him. 

Marlene can’t help turning at the noise, and Barret has no power to stop her as she gets a look at their new guest. She gasps, mouth dropping open as she begins to squirm eagerly in his grasp. “Who’s that?! Is he another friend? Is he staying with us too, like Tifa?”

“I don’t know!” He keeps a hold of her as Tifa sets the blonde down on her own mattress, instantly digging around in her pack for supplies. Then turns his full attention on Marlene again, looking sternly into her pleading brown eyes until she stills enough to listen.

“We don’t know if he’s staying, yet,” he tells her honestly, voice gentle, “But we can’t bother him right now, okay? He’s hurt and he might be dangerous.”

“Dangerous how? Who is he?” It’s Tifa who speaks, although she doesn’t look back at him as she does so, and Barret sighs as he crouches to lower Marlene to the ground. She races over to them both before he can do anything, but he trusts that Tifa won’t let any harm come to Marlene.

“A fool, apparently,” Barret snorts with bitter self reproach, “and a turncoat too. ‘Less his friends were just…” he glances at Marlene, shocked and curious as she hides behind Tifa and peaks out at the blonde from around the woman’s shoulder. “...hurting him for the fun of it. They looked past the point of sanity, though, so who the hell knows.”

“A Cluster?” Tifa frets, “I thought they didn’t wander out this way.”

“They usually don’t. Stick to the roads and such. Don’t got time for the likes of backwoods campers. But this wasn’t a Cluster, it was worse.”

“Worse how?” She finally turns to look back at him, and the furrow between her brows makes his heart ache for her. He almost doesn’t want to say it, but -

“SOLDIERS.”

She freezes, expression going blank, and he knows nothing good can be going through her head right now.

“What?” She croaks breathlessly, “You brought a SOLDIER back here? Are you insane? ”

“What’s a soldier?” Marlene’s voice is small and afraid, and Barret swallows the conversation in an instant at her tone, falling to his knees and beckoning her over. 

“It’s nothing, sweetheart. Come here.”

He sees Tifa drop the conversation as well, biting her lip to keep from speaking as she settles a comforting hand on Marlene’s shoulder. She forces herself to relax as she gives Marlene a warm smile, nudging her toward Barret, and after a few seconds Marlene begins to approach with tiny steps. She’s fidgeting, casting fervent looks back at the limp body next to Tifa.

“Is our new friend a bad guy?” she asks hesitantly, eventually working up the courage to speak as she gets closer. 

Barret swallows thickly. “No, he’s not- not a bad guy. He saved my life.” Then, louder as he directs it to Tifa, “he saved my life.”

She sighs and nods, shoulders tense as she turns back to keep working on Cloud, and Barret leans forward the rest of the distance to sweep Marlene up again into a comforting hug. Like magic, though, she’s already moved on from the emotion of two seconds ago. Fear turned to a palpable interest as she hums curiously against him and vibrates with a new kind of energy.

“So he’s a hero?” She asks as he stands to take them to her tent.

“I suppose he is,” he admits reluctantly, holding back a scowl.

“Then why is he so hurt?”

He parts the flaps of her tent and carries her into the muted blue shadows, laying her gently down on her sleeping bag. She yawns widely, rubbing at her eyes and sniffing, but she doesn’t let up on the questioning gaze for one second.

Barret toys with his next words. “His old family...didn’t treat him very well.”

“But why?”

“What do you mean?”

“Families aren’t supposed to hurt each other. They’re supposed to take care of each other. Like you do with me.”

His gaze softens and he brushes a stray lock from her eyes, mulling over his next response. “I take care of you because I love you, and you’re my precious little girl.” She giggles when he leans down to smother her in a sloppy kiss, pushing his face away playfully. Then he leans back and sobers up, saying tenderly, “These people...they weren’t like us. They didn’t agree with him, sweetheart. I don’t know the whole story, but I know they tried to kick him out.”

“They wanted to abandon him?”

She sounds so sad, and Barret doesn’t know how to make it better. Doesn’t want to lie to her but doesn’t want to hurt her. 

He exhales slowly and presses her back into her bag when she tries to rise. The heavy weight of his hands rests on her chest for a moment in solid comfort, and after a time her small fingers come up to rest atop his own. She pats at him solemnly like it’s him that needs the comforting, and he chokes back a laugh.

“We should keep him,” she says, “so he can know what a real family is.”

“We aren’t his family, sweetheart.”

“But you’re a Daddy. And you said that we should always help and protect people.”

“That’s-” He huffs in amusement and relents beneath the insistence of her hopeful eyes. “Very kind, Marlene. And very brave.”

Her smile is shy with the light pink in her cheeks, but her eyes sparkle victoriously. Barret doesn’t know how to tell her that the SOLDIER probably won’t be around come morning, if he even stays that long at all. So he turns his palm to catch her wrists between his fingers, bringing her hands up to lay a kiss on the back of each. Then he lowers them back down to kiss her goodnight as well, hushing her worries with a gentle touch to the forehead.

“I couldn't be more proud of you,” he says lowly, “my kind girl. You’ve grown up so well.”

“I think you’re the kindest, Daddy, for helping people even when they’re mean. I think you’re a hero, too. You and Auntie Tifa and…”

“His name is Cloud,” Barret admits, already regretting saying the words. And sure enough-

“And Uncle Cloud!”

“How about we wait until he’s awake to see if he wants to be called that, huh?” It’s a lot more rational than he wants it to be, but he can’t bear to snuff out the flickering light of hope Marlene’s found in the situation.

“Fine,” she pouts, before brightening excitedly, “and then he can tell us a story! About how he was the hero and saved you.”

Barret rolls his eyes and stands to leave. “I saved him too, you know.”

“Sure, Daddy.”

“Yeah, yeah...Goodnight, little bug.”

“Night night!” He exits the tent and zips up the flaps, and it’s only after he’s turned and made his halfway across the camp that he hears, “don’t let the bed bugs bite!” sound out behind him.

Barret chuckles fondly, wincing at a sudden sting of pain in his gun arm, and glances over at where Tifa’s working on the SOLDIER. 

His smile drops almost instantly as he sees her leaning back on her heels, hands raised defensively against the harsh movements of her patient.

He’s awake, Barret thinks.

And acting exactly as Barret had feared, judging by the distress clear from across camp. He grits his teeth and storms over, hand already clenched into a fist.

“Hey!” Tifa jumps in surprise, turning to face him as he approaches, and Barret only faintly registers the lack of fear on her face before an infuriatingly cold voice is piercing the air.

“You can’t keep me here,” Cloud says, rising to sit up despite the obvious agony it brings him. He wraps an arm around his stomach, but the intensity of his glare doesn’t waver once.

Tifa worries at her lip as he moves, hands hovering over his battered body as if she doesn’t know where to place them. “You’re still injured, you can’t be up and about! Let me help you,” she practically begs, and Barret’s blood boils at the sound of it. What right does this kid have?

“Not interested.”

“Oh you can’t be serious!” Barret finally snaps, coming to a stomping halt right next to the both of them and scowling furiously down at the kid. “Drop the tough guy act and suck it up. You ain’t helpin’ no one with that attitude, least of all yourself.”

He opens his mouth to say more and falters almost violently when he catches sight of Cloud’s exposed upper body, teeth clacking shut as his eyes widen.

The kid’s shirt is cut right off of him now, with the tight black binder around his chest exposed for all to see. Yet what really horrifies Barret is the garish mass of bruises painting every inch of his skin. He’s coated in cuts and stab wounds, shaking with exhaustion and ribs stark against his thin body, with what looks like an actual bullet wound still red and seeping in his shoulder. Under the pale light of the moon, with blood and dirt washed away, he looks worse than he had sprawled out on that battlefield.

Barret’s stomach turns.

“Shit,” he breathes out before he can stop himself, “what the hell did they do to you?”

“A lot less than what they did to Zack!” His voice cracks and his teeth clench after he speaks, as if the words have spilled unwillingly from his mouth.

“The other SOLDIER?” The one they killed?

The words spark a fire in Cloud that has him whipping to attention so quickly Barret’s surprised he doesn’t keel over from the pain. “It ain’t any of your business!” he grinds out, voice desperate and guarded and hurt all at once, lashing out like an injured animal, “Stop treating me like I’m made of glass. Stop talking like you’re familiar with me. You don’t even know me.”

Tifa crosses her arms and raises her chin defiantly, unflinching in the face of Cloud’s anger, and meets his gaze head on when he turns to glare at her. Barret’s hit with another sense of profound respect for this woman, who doesn’t even blink at the unnatural glow of mako eyes in the night, upper body rising to match Cloud’s own harsh tension.

“You’re not being treated like glass! Your injuries are getting taken care of. Last I checked, there’s a hell of a difference.”

“I can take care of myself.”

“Ya can’t take care of shit, soldier! Do you hear yourself?” Barret hisses, “do you see yourself? You wouldn’t make it a day out in the wild alone.”

Cloud works his jaw, the stubborn set of his shoulders unrelenting for just a second before his expression shifts, softening in surprise as his trembling body finally can’t take the stress anymore. Tifa reaches out just in time to catch him as he collapses, and the way his lashes flutter, eyes glazing over, speaks more about his wounds than whatever shit was spilling out of his mouth.

Barret snorts. “What a dumbass.”

“Barret!” Tifa scolds, lowering the kid with such a painful amount of gentleness that he’s half convinced the kid may have been onto something about being treated like glass.

“Look, he’s an asshole!” Barret defends, waving his gun arm at the kid in a momentary lapse of judgement that has it zinging with pain. He covers up a wince before Tifa can see it and continues on, growing tenser with each passing moment, voice heated with the pain and frustration of the day. “We’ve done nothing but help him and he’s acting like he doesn’t give a single shit. Dozens of people died today. I almost died! He almost died!”

“And his friend did die, so maybe cut him some slack.”

“That doesn’t excuse his shitty behavior.”

“It was one conversation, Barret! For a few minutes, while he was concussed and injured and barely coherent. He probably won’t even remember it in the morning.”

Barret grinds his teeth and quiets, because he knows she’s right. Know he’s overreacting but damn, everything about the kid had rubbed him the wrong way. “He’s a SOLDIER, Tifa.”

“One who apparently saved your life. One that you brought back with you, which tells me a bit more about what you really feel about this situation.”

“I just don’t trust him,” Barret says, “and I don’t like him.”

Tifa just shakes her head. “Go to sleep, Barret. You’ll want to apologize in the morning.”

“You said he wouldn’t remember the damn conversation anyway!” Barret huffs indignantly, the thought of apologizing makes his hackles rise like nothing else, and he’s thinking he may need to take Tifa’s advice, after all. That he should go to bed before he does something else he might regret.

Something- not something else- because there’s not anything else that he-

Dammit .

“Yeah,” he sighs, waving his hand as Tifa opens her mouth to keep fighting, “yeah, you’re right.”

He gives her a soft goodnight, feeling a bit better when she relaxes and sends him a reassuring smile before turning back to work on Cloud, and heads over to his own tent to settle in for the night.

He just needs some time to cool down - just needs to take a moment to himself so he can grieve the brutal loss of his prosthetic and the deaths of every single person he’d seen today. Needs to be able to reconcile with the horrifying levels of destruction he’d witnessed.

Once that’s done - once he’s had the time to settle down - he’ll apologize. Or find the guy some ice cream. He doesn’t know. But right now, just for the night, he needs to rest.

He goes to sleep with a calm mind that night, content and soothed by the knowledge that things turned out okay, with the firm resolution that he’ll get up at the crack of dawn tomorrow and lighten the air between him and the new guy.

Unfortunately, come morning, Tifa’s bedroll is empty. The top kicked aside and the buster sword missing from where it had been propped up against a tree.

Cloud is nowhere is sight. 

And as Barret looks around in sleepy bewilderment, he realizes that neither is the truck.

“Mother fucker!”

[daikini-san]

Sephiroth in Midgar?  This early?  Theories as to why.

Why was Sephiroth shown in Midgar so early in the game in the FF7: R trailer?  

Here's some theories I have, including a speculation.  

If you are new to the world of FF7, there are spoilers.  You've been warned.

While everyone is flipping out about Aeris/Aerith in trailer, not many ask the question why Sephiroth is shown so early in the game.  In the original game, you didn't get a glimpse of Sephiroth until Cloud's flashback story in Kalm.  Here's some theories as to what may be going on in the FF7: R trailer.

Theory 1:  Cloud is experiencing psychosis.  

As it appears, Cloud is alone.  Therefore, it is hard to say if he is the only one who can see Sephiroth.  In the original game, Cloud is known to suffer serious mental aliments due to the many traumas he endured.  Could the explosion of the bomb during his mission trigger hallucinations of the fires in Nibelheim?  PTSD is known to cause hallucinations as well as Schizophrenia.  Take note of Cloud's facial expression just before it pans to the back of Sephiroth.  Then take note of the next frame.  What is this?  Cloud is now cowering.  Well, that doesn't make sense.  He was just looking straight up the frame prior.  Something to keep in mind.  

Theory 2: Cloud sees a projection of Sephiroth while he is on his mission with Barrett and crew in Midgar.

In the original game, it is known Sephiroth has the power to project images of himself to anyone of his choosing from the Carter.  What if what Cloud saw was real-just a projection of Sephiroth?  It would be nice if it showed the others around Cloud, if they were in fact anywhere near him.  I would really like to know if anyone else aside from Cloud could see Sephiroth.  This brings me to my speculation.

Speculation: Sephiroth is the driving force behind Cloud joining Avalanche.  

Okay let's be honest, Cloud doesn't give a damn about his job.  It's like that in the original game.  “What about the planet?!” Barrett would ask.  “Not my problem.” Cloud would dryly say.  Look at his attitude when Aeris/Aerith greets him in the FF7: R trailer.  He has an air of apathy about him.  Now, note Barrett, Jessie, and Biggs (Interesting Wedge is not shown in this trailer at all).  Look and hear the passion in their voices and body language.  They're on a mission to save the planet!  This is their job, but this is what they want to do.  Cloud doesn't have that same energy.  He doesn't care. So then why would he do it then?  He needed the money?  I'm not sure about that one.  Tifa did mention in the original game that she persuaded him to join Avalanche.  It could very well be possible she was the sole mover and shaker behind him joining Avalanche.  However, what Sephiroth says in the trailer:  “Can you bear to see the Planet suffer, Cloud?”  has me thinking he had something to do with Cloud joining Avalanche.  As we know, Sephiroth despises Shinra and anything about them.  Thus, would it be far-fetched to believe Sephiroth coaxed Cloud into joining Avalanche?  The group already has the attitude of dismantling Shinra.  Surely, Sephiroth noticed this and wanted his puppet to join the fray.  I do not recall, but I wonder if Avalanche did something as deadly as blowing up Reactors prior to Cloud's arrival.  Something to think about.  Then look at Cloud's face after Sephiroth says these words.

To me, it seems he's taking Sephiroth's words to heart, but he's also hesitating and there's fear in those eyes.  What could be the cause of this fear?  Is it the projection of Sephiroth?  Is it psychosis? Or is it the power behind Sephiroth’s words?  

EDIT:  You actually do see Wedge in this trailer.  Look to the left side of Jessie, you’ll see him running with them.

[placebonut]

So I finished FFVII: Remake and I have thoughts! Need to record my first impression before I read what everyone else thinks and potentially have my opinion warped beyond recognition! 

Overall, I enjoyed it. But maybe a “re-imagining” is a better description, as it looks like it’s shaping up to be a new story. I’ll need to play it again to fully understand all that wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff, though. FF games tend to get a bit abstract and confusing for me toward the end, so that’s not a criticism, just my reality lol.

Highlights:

+ Wedge lives! Apparently Biggs, too, but I have different thoughts about that… Even though they’re essentially the same, Wedge happened before knowing what the Whispers are, and that capital ‘D’ Destiny is fighting to stay on track by smothering all potential divergents, so it was a nice little surprise for me that Wedge survives. I’m even satisfied with how it happened. Like, he’s in the middle of sector 7 when the plate falls, but just through sheer luck gets knocked into a secret underground lab, which I now get to explore? Cool!

+ Johnny lol. No longer “childhood friend”, but still very entertaining. Though that scene where Cloud straight-up intends to execute him while he’s bound and blindfolded is a bit… Uh? I feel like it was supposed to be telling me something about Cloud’s character, but doesn’t really seem consistent. He’s got an attitude, and is very often moody and rude to people’s faces, but that moment is next level cold. That scene also implies that Avalanche aren’t killing all of the Shinra troopers they fight. I’ll just accept “fantasy” as the explanation for how they manage that!

+ Cloud being recognised in Shinra tower. Though does the Kunsel name-drop mean that some of Crisis Core canon will be included? I mean, they basically did a frame-by-frame reanimation of Zack’s last stand, but he doesn’t have the CC scar so I assume no Angeal. Lots to unpack, but I just enjoyed the moment. It makes sense that someone would remember him!

+ I think Madame M’s main role is to replace the .. violation? that Cloud experiences in the OG Honey Bee Inn. She’s still pretty much forcing him to have that hand massage, but at least he just hates that he likes it, rather than being actually super uncomfortable in a hot tub full of strange men. I feel like they steered away from the old homophobic humour and instead embraced some fun, gender non-conforming characters. I’m very straight and cis though, so maybe there’s nuance I missed. No named Shinra employees in the private HB rooms though?

+ Tifa!! I don’t think they’ve actually made changes to her character, but you just get so much more time with her, and I’m able to love her in a way I never really did in OG. My OG first impression was that she was needy, and annoyingly timid at the worse times. Obviously she gets a lot of character growth, but I could never shake that initial impatience I had with her, and the rivalry with Aeris (who the game clearly pushes you to like) just left me with a criminal under-appreciation for her. Remake Tifa is a goddess! Her voice actor is great, which definitely helps. Her empathy, compassion, and generosity are showcased really well in lots of scenes, but she’s still such a badass! I love how she’s always the one to catch Cloud when he’s falling off of something, but my absolute favourite moment is when she steps out of the mist to offer Aerith her hand, “we found you”/”I guess you did..” Had me clutching my chest.

+ The immediate friendship between the girls is sooooo nice compared to the competition they pose for each other in the OG. Even as early as the sewers, when they’ve only just met. Maybe it’ll come later, but I kinda don’t even feel like Tifa expresses all that much romantic interest in Cloud. She’s not jealous of Aerith, and while it’s clear she worries about him and cares what he thinks, she’s certainly not hopelessly in love with him… At least not yet.

+ Voice actors did a better job than I expected tbh. Some awkward attempts to mimic Japanese vocalisations, but that’s always a problem with anime dubs. Hojo’s last scream of laughter really solidified the ‘crazy scientist’ bit. Barret was way funnier and less cringey than I thought he’d be. Marlene is cute as a button! Aerith is a bit high and breathy, but the pitch actually makes her probably the easiest to understand since the background music always seems a bit too loud when they’re talking. Cloud, Barret, but especially Sephiroth, I really struggled in parts to understand. I think Sephiroth was even murmuring things in that final battle, probably just related to his special attacks since all important dialogue had subtitles, but I’m sure I could hear his voice but could understand literally nothing!

+ Music and graphics, obvs. Man, everyone and everything is just so dang pretty!

Didn’t like, or maybe just didn’t understand?

- Sephiroth. I employed some real mental gymnastics to explain to myself what I was seeing, and I mostly succeeded until the very end. Okay, so like, his first appearances I rationalised as being PTSD hallucinations or something. Also, in a real-world sense, I read somewhere that the OG director used the movie Jaws as inspiration for how they introduce him slowly, showing only the destruction he leaves behind to create tension, but it’s 20 years later and he’s an icon in video game and anime culture, they can’t play the same tricks and expect the same result. This game only features the initial Midgar part of the story which he wasn’t originally featured in, so gotta find a way to give the fans some service. Alright, that makes sense, I can accept that.

But then it became clear he’s using the clones to actually communicate with Cloud…. huh. Well, okay, I guess there’s no reason why he couldn’t have always been able to do that. He’s much more interested in Cloud than I think he should be at this point, but if he’s trying to organise Reunion, and I suppose Cloud is the only one resisting, I can make it work: if he’s aware of the clones, then he’s aware of Cloud. It makes no less sense that he’s always been able to connect with them, than him suddenly being able to out of nowhere or only deciding to start at a plot-convenient moment. I always assumed it was Cloud’s proximity to Jenova that triggered the whole series of events in Shinra Tower. That she, and by extension Sephiroth, “wake up” while he’s there. But if Sephiroth has actually been conscious the entire time, maybe Cloud just showed him exactly where to find her, so he’s coming to get her. It’s complicated, but I think I follow.

I don’t know why he’s on the other side of the Destiny storm, though. Really, why was he even there? Is he working with or against the Whispers? And I can’t make sense of his invitation for Cloud to join him. Join him in what? Reunion, still? Sephiroth’s OG plan can benefit only Sephiroth, so what is he even offering? I’m going to have to play it again and pay closer attention to what he says. I did like Aerith standing up to him. One of my favourite OG lines, “the future isn’t just yours!” is reflected nicely. Also, “screw him!”

- Roche. Whyyy? Track record for inventing new SOLDIERs isn’t good, just leave it alone!

- Biggs lives. So, we only witness him waking up after everything has gone down, which is why I reacted differently to his survival than Wedge’s. Basically, it doesn’t make sense. First of all, physically, for him to have survived all that fire and falling. Secondly, it seems to contradict what we know about the Whispers: they interfere when the characters are at risk of taking a path they don’t want, ie. different from OG storyline. Why wouldn’t they have done something? If they’re powerful enough to revive Barret because “it wasn’t his time”, and injure Jessie so Cloud has to join the Reactor 5 bombing mission, surely they could quietly kill off somebody who is “supposed” to die, especially if he’s already most of the way there. So then it’s really Wedge they should have killed off! He’s where the chain begins: I assume he’s the one who finds Biggs and brings him back to Elmyra, since Biggs never would have known who she was, and Wedge only knows after surviving the plate fall. Does having defeated the Harbinger Whisper mean that not only future changes are possible, but past? Anyway, it’s all a bit convoluted, and tbh feels a bit cheap, too. Why not bring back Jessie, while we’re at it? Their OG deaths had a motivational impact on Barret and co., and also drives home the evil of Shinra for the player, who might not have cared that much about unnamed deaths, however plentiful. It makes the plate fall a more personal tragedy, since we’ve spent time with these characters.

- Low-key disappointed I didn’t get to see Avalanche’s secret hideout underneath Seventh Heaven.. But at least I got to play some darts.

[silver-wield]

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Review Chapter 8

Okay, this collection of posts will be filled with spoilers, including clips and screenshots, so if you don't wanna see things, then don't look. Some of the things I'm gonna highlight will include references to Remake and other sources to link with the overarching plot. This is a straight path playthrough with no sidequests or extra content.

Time to hit the Saucer!

The second we arrive, the girls are pulled into a short dance sequence against Andrea. After that we're introduced to Dio.

As usual, Cloud's pretty face gets him unwanted attention. Dio wants to duel. It's not a hard match, and yet I hate it so much. Cloud's proud of himself for kicking some virtual ass, and specifically looks for Tifa as he celebrates to see if she's watching. She is. He's happy.

After that the group splits after a diplomatic vote with the girls and Red going to have fun. Cloud would've gone with but when Tifa asked he had a vision of Sephiroth and she suggested he get some rest instead. He and Barret head to the ghost hotel.

We get our introduction to Cait Sith and his predictions, which kind freak Cloud out. Makes me wonder if he's superstitious.

Cloud has a nap and we get another interlude with Zack. At one point he strokes Aerith's hair and then goes downstairs to talk to Elmyra and Marlene. He then goes looking for Biggs to cheer up Marlene.

Back with the main crew and you get to take a wander around the park with whoever you have the highest affinity with. Obviously I went with Tifa and it was cute watching her and Cloud hold hands 😍

Cait Sith interrupts to let them know about a shooting. Cloud and Tifa defend Barret and state he couldn't be responsible. They volunteer to find the real culprit and Dio slaps a cuff on Cloud to stop them running away. This accessory becomes important later.

Cloud's blindsided by goons and everyone wakes up the following morning. Gus, the leader of the dust bowl, is willing to hand over the gunman if Cloud wins a chocobo race. It takes some sidequests to get Piko racing fit, but then it's off with Esther to the races!

Meanwhile, we see Elena in the desert complaining and reminding us she's only 18 🤣

Cloud wins his race. It really wasn't hard, and I say that as someone who hates chocobo racing. The others are let out of their prison cell to watch Cloud win and celebrate 🥳

After that it's an annoying trek through the desert following a frigging condor until we find Barret. Shocker, he's not the gunman who killed the people at the arena.

I'm not gonna spoil this part, but it's amazing and emotional and made me cry 😭

The combat with Barret was pretty fun and the transitions between stages were awesome!

Elena has her not vanilla ice cream, and we have to deal with a whiny Palmer in a massive mech. And this comes right off the back of a highly emotional scene. I needed a minute to get myself together 😭

After the battles are over, Dio appears and that bracelet becomes relevant. We get the buggy, Dio gives us a distraction and Barret takes charge clearing the road.

I sucked at this. I tried. I really did. This goes towards Barret's affinity for his date too, so do your best!

After we escape, it's a fast paced drive across the desert until Yuffie's motion sickness forces us to stop and get our bearings.

We have a quick stop in to find Reeve all cheerful as he doctors the wanted poster for the golden trio. Why would this make him happy? Why would he be happy in general? Well, he's teamed up with Cloud and co and finally feels like he's doing something instead of banging his head against his desk every time he tries to make Shinra do some good.

We also stop in at Rufus office for another meeting between him and Glenn, who we can see now is some apparition of Sephiroth's that'll trying to start a war. Why? Because war means death and those souls who died angry can be corrupted and used to fight the white whispers in the lifestream.

And it's back to Zack, so I'm assuming Cloud took another nap since we return to the crew the next day. He's off looking for Biggs like he promised Marlene, and we see them find each other. The interesting convo between them will be next interlude.

Barret's arc remains one of my favourites. It's everything I wanted from Rebirth and it's at this point I started getting excited to play the game. Before that I was kinda meh about it, but this chapter onwards everything is fantastic until we hit that long ass boring cut scene at the start of chapter 14.