#calamity zack au

[lunarianebula872]

remember when I posted Cloud Rhapsodos/Hewely?

Well he makes a return visit to Calamity Zack when his parents, Sephiroth, and his Zack are out on a mission to go thank him and Calamity Zack's Aerith for helping him save his family to which Calamity Zack and Aerith are gonna get hugged for that for sure.

Yep this Cloud instead of calling Calamity Zack 'Puppy' [he already calls his Zack that] so he calls Calamity Zack 'Puppup' [pup said twice really].

Calamity Zack belongs to @aimeelouart

Anyways I'm still getting into the swing of drawing again and hopefully I'll be more active but for now I'll be a little sporadic in posts.

[aimeelouart]

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

Absolutely

Is there a universe where Cloud married Barret?

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

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

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

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

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

[holly-fixation]

Sane Safer Sephiroth AU

Aerith gained far more power in the Lifestream than dream projection and Holy. She could touch and see every individual memory having yet to succumb to the cycle of the Planet.

Sephiroth, child of the calamity, could never be fully absorbed into the Planet's cycle. Not after his death with Jenova by his side.

Somewhere he still existed. The man before the monster floated separately through the river of life.

Against the advice of the Planet, Aerith weaved each and every memory together.

She ended up with Sephiroth.

She ended up with a weapon that sprung his human side into overdrive.

Every joy. Every sadness. Every fear. Every hope. Every dream. Feelings he he discarded for Mother flooded him, drowned him, suffocated and terrified him.

Glenn. Lucia. Matt. Angeal. Genesis. Zack.

The dreams of the woman in his locket.

Who was he really making proud?

Who wanted this for a son?

Was it worth turning back after every horror and every decision he made?

Would they even speak to what he was now?

Would they show the same compasion?

That answer was simple. Enough of them would. Enough of them would plead that he was more than a weapon, a monster, a son of Jenova.

That he could have that normal life he always wanted.

A normal life he ultimately hoped he would experience on the planet he'd create. But there was no promise he would live to see the fruits of his labor.

That one simple act could make them proud again.

Another attack from the Knights of the Round in the swirling pink cloudscape snapped him back to enough of reality before him. He held the black materia in his left hand and the Planet trembled.

The group attacking him lost complete control and fell farther into the Planet's core, onto the very seal he used to stop Holy, now shining brightly and breaking free.

But the Meteor in the sky was already gone.

The same cubes of stone and lifestream Cloud fought Jenova's true form on brought them back to the Planet's surface.

All went quiet. No one knew where Sephiroth went.

Sephiroth had dived into the Lifestream, crawling back out in in the middle of nowhere he recognized.

His wings dripped mako. His arm trembled. The massive growth of his right side shuttered.

His own body rejected his decision.

His sight went black.

When he came to, nothing had changed. All he felt was the guilt of what he had done. The disappointment of the Mother he did not truly dream of clashing with the guilt of friends he would trade his life for in a heartbeat. Not a single monster approached his divine form.

Though he supposed demonic was more accurate.

When he was ready to destroy the planet to build his own, he didn't care about anything in his way. Except Cloud, of course, the blond that killed him before he reached Mother. Cloud himself would suffer.

But now, with no goal, with guilt and pain and regret, he couldn't control the tears falling from his cheeks.

Mako tears glittering like rainbows. Mako tears salted with tiny materia reflecting in the light of sunset.

It would be so much easier to blame Mother. To say the plans were hers. The deaths were hers. That he was dragged along with no control. That his body was used as the weapon it was always meant to be with the exception of someone other than Shinra controlling him. That he remained the hero Shinra pretended he was.

Down to his very DNA, what the hell was he supposed to do now?

He hid in the jungles of Mideel for weeks. He claimed to be planning ahead, but he knew the truth.

Not like he had anyone to discuss with anymore. None who would truly answer. He couldn't and wouldn't defend himself for his rage and his willingness to do what need to be done.

Everyone he ever cared about, anyone that pushed him to be better, was deep in the Lifestream if they still remembered themselves at all.

He barely ate, unsure if his new body required sustenance to function. He swore this horrid form held near infinite energy.

If he couldn't die before, then now...

He truly debated living the rest of his days at the bottom of the ocean with water burning his lungs as penance

But what would that accomplish? How long would that delay Shinra or the Turks from finding him?

He had to do something before he lost his mind again.

There were still a few survivors of the Weapon attack that couldn't afford to leave the area. He overheard them talking about their old town: Mideel, usually with tears and grief.

Sephiroth took his first step toward... atonement? Redemption? Forgiveness? No. He didn't care about that. He took his first step doing what he did best: fiend regulation. Monster extermination.

Most of the village never knew he was there. Never knew of his contribution. Only fearing the creature no one could kill.

That was until a child left a basket of flowers on what the village deemed his 'territory'. Despite the fact his decision to never approach the recovering village had nothing to do with the land he patrolled.

When he overheard pilots speaking about the godly threat in the woods, he left.

Despite knowing how unlikely it was Cloud and friends wouldn't find him, especially with his unmatched descriptions, he forced himself to do anything to avoid them. Even never sending a message of goodbye to the child, the first person to show him kindness in over five years.

The Eastern Continent was closer. It was the simpler move.

Which was exactly why he fled to Wutai instead.

Again, he busied himself with fiend regulation.

However, he also provided bundles of supplies for rebuilding.

Mines too safe for humans, he cleared the final resources.

Hardwood trees with sable saplings became new homes in the hands of the people Shinra forced him to battle.

The biggest problem was the possibility of Yuffie, the Wutaian teammate of Cloud, discovering him.

A few months passed before scouts successfully found him.

Sephiroth didn't fight. In fact, he sighed, locking eyes with the terrified squad leader.

He looked like a myth to them, didn't he? A wrathful god or a fallen angel.

He deliberately turned his gaze and closed his eyes.

He wasn't surprised to feel a spear snap in two against his back or the scimitar shatter against his twisted, tainted wing.

He didn't care about the persistence of the weak attacks as he fled the island.

Where to this time?

Junon, Midgar, and Nibelheim were strictly off limits.

Well, at least Nibelheim was a town he never wished to see again.

He found himself wandering the remainder of the Western continent.

He regretted the decision upon entering a new region, immediately attacked with the instinct that this should be his home. One he would protect with his life and actually attempt amends.

He wished it took longer than two years to find this. The stars in the sky mirroring perfect cosmos so far from Mako powered cities and the desert terrain holding the warmth he never felt.

He spent two years silently aiding Cosmo Canyon, avoiding its people and its protector.

Avoiding the spirits begging him to complete his goal to end their own suffering.

He promised no fate was worse than his own.

Then something happened.

Reports from Midgar about three silver haired boys kidnapping children and attacking Rufus Shinra.

He needed to know what was happening.

He located a life spring and gripped the mako crystal tightly, closing his eyes and forcing this to work.

Through the eyes of the youngest, he saw Cloud and felt the box of Mother's cells at his chest. He knew the true goal to combine all three of these unholy remnants to a reunion crowning a second him. A second Sephiroth, created because of his usefulness to Jenova until these emotions returned.

He forced a simple thought into the remnant: the battle is over. You've lost. There's only one way to turn this around.

He made the remnant waste Jenova's cells, to build an incomplete Him that Cloud could utterly destroy.

He leaned his head against the crystal with a deep breath.

He didn't do this. He didn't make Geostigma. He didn't create these remnants from the memories of everyone but him. He didn't want Jenova to destroy the planet and build another from its ashes.

"Then what do you want?"

His head snapped up, his hands still glued to the crystal.

That voice.

"I-" He didn't have an answer, but the sudden gravity and presence of his own voice made him shut his mouth. It was as if the god that threatened her team never left.

When was the last time he heard his own voice?

"It's not an easy question. I think we all know that. But you have an answer, right?"

Something about her tone answered a question he didn't know he had.

"You did this."

There was a pause. No anger in his voice. Simply a cold fact.

"...I did."

"Why?"

He swore he could see her yellow flowers blooming among the cacti.

"Because there was a chance of saving who you were before Nibelheim. I saw every undying memory and I took a chance that if you felt those emotions and remembered those faces, maybe you wouldn't follow in The Calamity's footsteps."

Glenn. Matt. Lucia. Angeal. Zack.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to see every single memory. I didn't have a choice. But I saw you kill Rosen. I saw you show your mother's locket to anyone you met. I saw the days you only thought of yourself as a weapon you did not want to be, and I took a chance..."

He almost laughed, hollow and worthless. "Did your planet agree?"

"Well, no... not at first. But its starting to believe your intentions."

He shook his head. He wanted to back away. "I don't want its support."

"Yet you have mine. Just keep doing what you're doing. If someone looks like they need help, maybe try giving them a hand, though? You have so much more power than you think you do."

He felt her presence leave and his hands were released from the crystal.

He took her advice, aiding from afar whenever he could.

Even approaching if there was no other option, despite knowing the consequences.

A week passed in solitude before a new airship landed at the airstrip.

He waited on folded wings in an abandoned lifespring outpost that only just started to regrow, surrounded by dead cacti and the tiniest beginnings of green leaves. He kept his eyes closed and his hands folded in what he could only call his 'lap'.

Cloud, of course, ran in first.

Sephiroth fully intended to take the sword through his chest. Not like it alone would kill him anyway.

If he died here, at least he wouldn't be alone.

However, the attack was stopped by a barrier he could've only created during their battle in the Northern Crater.

When Cloud wasn't successful, every member of that team rushed him.

He again remained still, but the barrier did not fade.

Perhaps his magic truly was infinite now.

He absorbed their every insult, their every motive, their every taunt and comment as they started with the strength of flames and ended as embers.

Finally the question came:

"Why are you even here?!"

"...I never left."

"Bullshit!"

No one believed a word he said. No one believed his explanations, simply throwing more questions until the final one:

"What do you want!?"

He took a breath.

"...Until that day in Nibelhiem, I only wanted a normal life."

"Stop messing with us!"

"I wanted a quiet life away from Shinra. I wanted a world where no one recognized me." Then he laughed, heartbroken and hollow. "It won't surprise you to say I wanted to be with my mother. Not Jenova," His volume raised only to cut them off. "Not the calamity. The woman with brown hair wrapped with gold ribbon. One I foolishly imagined loving purple flowers and pumpkin soup."

Yuffie tried to yell something but Vincent intercepted, shaking his head.

"No. Now all I want is fruitless redemption in the eyes of those who truly knew me. There is nothing I can do to repair this planet. Apologies are worthless. I truly regret everything I've done and if I could die in a way that mattered, I would end my life in a heartbeat."

"What about the failed clones or whatever they were?" The man with a gun for an arm questioned.

That was simple. Jenova wanted another weapon to carry out her plan, and he was the perfect weapon.

No one believed him.

A week later, they all returned. It seemed Aerith was all they required to convince them of the truth.

They didn't know what to do with him. He didn't know what to do with himself either.

Nanaki agreed to watch him.

Slowly, through tasks and promises and combined experiences in battle, they allowed Sephiroth some freedom.

Residents of Cosmo Canyon were told not to address the odd creature that adjusted the telescope and satiate dishes.

To his utter surprise, Cloud and Nanaki came to him one day, saying the words he might still kill to hear.

"Your real mother is alive."

Part 2

[fanfictionaddictee]

Final Fantasy VII- Sephiroth Fanfiction Favs

This is a fanfic rec list that recommends stories that focus on or heavily feature Sephiroth. :) All ships, no ships, genfic. Nothing is tagged, so heed the fic warnings if you're sensitive to stuff.

Final Fantasy VII OG- Canon only Fic Recs (Compilation characters like Genesis and Angeal do not appear)

The Monsters Within by TheCalamity (The Nightmare Begins, A Cold-Hearted Boy, Minute to Breath) @the--calamity

A story about the destruction of endurance. What does it cost - as individuals, as a species - to survive? We are how it ends. [A contemplation and analysis of the original 1997 Final Fantasy VII. Chronicles the Jenova Project, Sephiroth's childhood with ShinRa, and the events of FFVII through the lens of Vincent Valentine. This series is a deep dive into the philosophy, themes, characters, dynamics, world, lore and message of OG FFVII.]

This quite possibly the story I've reread the most that I'll recommend on this blog. Banging soundtrack, gorgeous art, brilliant formatting, terror, awesome, gut-wrenching-- all words to describe this story. The author doesn't shy away from the grotesque, and there are tender moments woven through an epic saga about terrible people desperately seeking connection and meaning. I don't think I've ever read anything like in any fandom ever. I don't know if I ever will.

Lament of Memories by CryptCreeperX

From test-tube freak to First-Class SOLDIER to super villain to a quirky mechanic suffering from a bad case of amnesia… This is a strange tale of how the end of the world, a band of misfits, forgotten memories, and raunchy romance novels push a fallen angel to rise again.

It's a tragedy this is incomplete because I needed more of this 7 years ago. T_T

Earthing by Grenespek

Gast survives being shot by Hojo, only to wake from a coma seventeen years later. Searching for his wife and daughter, events find him in Nibelheim on the day Sephiroth disappeared. A Sephiroth redemption exploration.

I love me three things in a Sephiroth story: 1) a Sephiroth that subsumes Jenova 2) Terrifying Sephiroth 3) Sciency Sephiroth. Told from the rotating perspective of terrifically flawed Gast, an in-character badass Aerith, and a Sephiroth that I can definitely see being the progeny of two insane scientists and a space alien.

Our Shining Past by Tocasia FFN | Ao3 @tocasia

A series of old-style (original game mostly, no CC) Sephiroth and Zack Friendship stories (all genfic) from a list of 100 prompts, in order of completion. Variously dark, silly, cute. Mostly one-shots; chapter format is a lie. Same AU? maybe… or maybe not. Halfway there on 7/1/2018!

Consider this blanket recommendation of all of Tocasia's works. Pair impeccable writing with nuanced characterization, humor, action, excellent integration of the game-mechanic style worldbuilding that is so rare in video-game fics, and you've got this series of one-shots. Zack's character is so much more interesting to me pre-crisis core, and unfortunately fics that explore what canon jossed 15 years ago are slim or mostly gone from the internet. Other favorites of mine from them include God of Paperwork and The World that Will Never Be, a Kingdom Hearts crossover.

A Good Son by myeve123

AR Ending for Nibelheim Incident. After Hojo fished him out from Nibelheim Mako Reactor, Sephiroth sets about cleaning up the mess. Preferably before the chemical imbalance in his brain drowns him for good.

Ugh, this story need so much more love than it's gotten. I'm a slut for stories that play around with the relationship between Lucrecia, Vincent, and Sephiroth, and take it in a true canon divergence! Excellent visual writing, and fast paced. Unfortunately, all the images are broken.

This Family Is Alright by axilet

A series of stories exploring the dysfunctional dynamic between mad science sibs Gast, Hojo and Lucrecia, and their son Sephiroth who they're completely unfit to raise. Just imagine what the poor kid will be like once he's all grown up. Sad Uncle Vincent tries to stage an intervention but you know how that turns out.

An oldie but goodie that I first encountered on FFN some years ago now, but I misplaced the link; now archived on ao3. How To Train Your Super Soldier Son (to become an insane destroyer of worlds) is the Sephiroth-centric fic of the series, and also the first one I read.

They Were Monsters by Yinza @yinza

In the midst of his breakdown in the Shinra mansion and desperate for answers, Sephiroth breaks open the locked basement door to find the man who might be his father… But though Vincent presents him with possibilities he hadn't imagined, Sephiroth struggles with who to trust, and what path he might follow--Jenova's, or his own.

Yinza is another ruler of horror. Actually maybe I'm just a slut for horror there's a lot of those recs on this list lol. Anyway, this fic is so well-written. If a sense of creeping dread is the sensation you seek, look not further than this story. For a not-Sephiroth centric rec, I must include their story No Moms Die, which according to my ao3 history I have 32 times @_@. If we exclude the chapter updates, I've reread it more than times since it finished :D It's that good.

Final Fantasy VII Compilation (includes Advent Children and Crisis Core)

To Be Human by LadyKF LadyKF On FFN On Ao3 [For Archive Users Only]

The world seems black and white at a glance, but the truth is never so easy. Where one draws the line between human and monster is a lot less clear when motive and deed don’t match, and a change in form is only proof of something that has been there all along. (Angel's Wings rewrite, Crisis Core fix-it.)

Ahh I was obsessed with Angel's Wings while it was updating, and To Be Human and it's compilation side stories blew the first story out of the water. The worldbuilding! The writing! The jump straight into action! The CANON DIVERGENCE!!! We all read fanfic here, we all know how rare an actual 'canon divergence' story is that actually sticks within canon without being a lazy rehash? This story is THE fix-it.

Be Not Afraid by Tiffany_Park On FFN

Hollander to Angeal: "Jenova's power has passed on to you completely." What does it mean to have received "Jenova's power"? Chances are it's not pretty. (Yeah, it was pretty ugly in Crisis Core. It's worse in this AU because Hojo got involved.) Warning: These are horror stories. Check the tags and take them seriously.

I prefer to read this series on FFN because yay for giant font but I've linked the AO3 since it puts the series in order. I live for everything this woman writes. This series takes the body-horror in canon and amps it up to 11. From Zack's POV but the Sephiroth characterization is just *chefs kiss*. Unsettling and blue-and-orange morality kind of ride of die friendship love for the win.

Snowball Effect by Tiffany_Park On FFN

Once upon a time in his youth, Angeal posed as the centerfold for an obscure porn magazine. When he made SOLDIER First Class, Shinra decided to erase its history for PR reasons. A few years later, Reno and Rude find an old copy in a used bookstore and purchase it so it can be safely destroyed. This results in many more complications than if they'd just left it to molder there.

If you read that summary and thought, "the premise of this story is utterly ridiculous", you would be entirely correct, but it's not a crack-fic in that it takes this completely seriously and runs with it. Features Shinra Corp. being dastardly, fangirls that fit effortlessly into the 90s sci-fi setting, and wonderful characterization of Angeal, Genesis, and Sephiroth, who all manage to be completely terrifying in their own special ways.

What is Lost by UnLike_Us

What little is left of Sephiroth after 100 years in the Lifestream suddenly finds itself without a purpose. Determined to find its lost history and reason behind its obsession, it goes back to where it all started.

One of the fluffier picks on this list, the author really plays with the idea of inner memories. A time-travel fic I don't hate lol, if only because the time travel doesn't result in an OP fix-it.

Father: Verb by Naughty_Nishitani

11 year-old WMD Sephiroth is assigned a new handler/bodyguard, named Vincent Valentine. I am sure this has been done 10000 times but I can't stop thinking about it, so here's my version.

As the author says in the summary, I too am a slut for murder-baby Sephiroth, and this is one iteration of the trope I've reread many times. Another Sephiroth fic from the same author I enjoyed is First Soldier.

Starstruck by DyraDoodles @dyradoodles

Zack's limit break always mimics people who end up shaping his life in one way or another. Once he's met them, he can use a break similar to one of theirs, no problem. This time, there is a problem: He's mimicked someone with the power to blow up a solar system, and he has no idea how to control it. He'll have to track them down, and hopefully get them to take an active role in not just teaching the limit break, but his entire life.

This fic is crack to me. I've been salivating over every update since chapter 3. DyraDoodles has another more popular series Redux Hero AU, which I also enjoyed, but that one is much more Zack-centric and so not a good fit for this list; I rec it nonetheless.

Sephiroth Shinden: CLASSIFIED 'PROJECT S.' by goddamnitaisha

A series of one-shots exploring Sephiroth's life. One of the most no-woobie takes of Sephiroth's character, which I really, really like. Paired with an almost bleak writing style, the blunted amorality of the characters really shine through in each one-shot. A favorite of mine. Ao3 users only, unfortunately, but the author has a tumblr @goddamnitaisha. Her blog is truly gorgeous and definitely worth checking out! Not Sephiroth-centric but I really love The Unpromised Land. That's the first story I read from her on tumblr a long ass time ago.

Final Fantasy VII Remake (explicitly set within the Remake/Rebirth verse)

Swords into Plowshares by brilliantKatabasis

The purpose of the Jenova project was to produce a Cetra, someone to negotiate with the Planet on Shinra's behalf. The military applications for the entity were compelling, it's true, but ultimately limited in scope- they have robots for these things, after all- and so the SOLDIER proposal was rejected, quietly shelved away. The asset is instead committed to the significantly more lucrative field of agribusiness, where it is hoped the cultural cache of his mystic heritage will assuage the rise in environmental concerns and planetological sympathies among key interested parties. Sephiroth, Director of Stewardship, tracks down the supplier of the only fresh flowers in Midgar he's had no hand in cultivating, oblivious to the web of time he's threatening. Oblivious to the probability he shares a name with, who longs to crush this flight of fancy and claim his rightful title of certainty, gathering like a cloud on the horizon. Oblivious to the attention he's brought to his local florist's door.

Ugh, remember everything I said I loved about Earthing? This fic is an AU with a similar vibe, completely different premise. I actually recommend you check out all of brilliantKatabasis' library; they truly are an excellent writer.

For the Love of Rain by Boomchick (On Tumblr)

Sephiroth is not human. There is no doubting that now. He fell in two pieces into the reactor all those many months ago. And yet there he is again. Appearing between one heartbeat and the next, while Zack floats hopeless in Mako. There he is, opening the tanks and setting Zack and Cloud free. There he is, chuckling “there is no rush” and smiling an indulgent smile.

If you like Sephiroth-fic, you've probably been recced Boomchick before. If you haven't, I highly recommend you read all her fics, especially The Trooper Series and Restart. A lot of her stories are accompanied by epic art by tomowowo. Why did this fic make it onto the list and not the rest? Because, and I quote, it gives me the tag "Nightmare Sephiroth chooses friendship." That is epic.

Little Seph by ToastedCatBread @toastedcatbread

A life spared, a life returned. A future unseen, a future to fight for. This is the story about the Candle and the Star.

On the note of Nightmare!Sephiroth, what if he was tiny instead of hot and terrifying? :D That's what this story is. Love it!

Those Called by the Reunion by EllaEpoche

Shinra Electric Power Company’s Administrative Investigator Agatha Highmore has just landed the gig of a lifetime - investigating the leak of compromising photographs of the SOLDIER hero Sephiroth. But after a night of passion, Agatha finds herself entangled in a world of human experimentation, corporate scandal, and mysterious illnesses, with only one goal: find and reunite with her lost love.

This fic is a trip @_@. EllaEpoche is one of those authors whose brain cooks up the most insane plots and has the writing talent to back up the wild storytelling. Also recommend Schrodinger's Sephiroth, which explores the multiple timelines introduced in the remake. Ten Thousand Cold Nights also gets a mention here.

Epiphany by Fenrir4life, The_Story_Maker

Sephiroth is looping, repeating the events of Final Fantasy VII over and over again. He has experienced not only the events of the original game and the remake, but many more cycles beyond, stretching into a multitude of similar and yet ever-so-slightly different worlds. Regardless of loss, death, or even victory, he has been unable to free himself from this time loop – or even uncover why he is looping at all. Determining to find answers, he seeks out Aerith Gainsborough to see if he can convince her to interrogate the planet itself for information. However, it turns out Aerith is not completely ignorant of the cycle. Fed experiences by the planet of the events of the original Final Fantasy VII, she has good reason to distrust Sephiroth and his plans. This story revolves around their interactions with each other and the resulting consequences that ripple through this particular cycle.

This is probably my favorite Remake fic. It matches the perfect balance of silliness and action that attracted me to the characters in the first place and hits it with a hefty dose of perfectly written Aeriseph, like you hit the pot with the hot pepper to make the flavor pop. Love it!

Alternate Universe

The Host by CryptCreeperX

A troubled youth, Cloud leaves home to join an elite gang of soldiers. But flipping burgers at Chocobo Chow and living in the Slums during unsafe times wasn't in the plan. Neither were rejection letters from Shinra Inc. An encounter with an enigmatic silver-haired Host presents a new obstacle. Guided to a world of sensual pleasure, Cloud bonds with a man who revels in dark passions

This story is sensual. Even the most mundane moment are described so thoroughly? So intensely? Like, this is a POV of a dude who has zero-chill and you can feel that every moment in his narration, even when man is flipping burgers. Plus, Sephiroth is HOT. The makeup of my bi-dreams.

The Boy Voted Most Likely to Rule the Planet by CryptCreeperX

In High School, there's the pressure to fit in, raging hormones, and seeing the boy of your dreams with someone else. Sephiroth deals with all this. He's been on the run his whole life. When he and his nutjob dad move to Nibelheim, things get complicated. An unruly boy catches his eye. Now he must contend with his feelings while making sure Dad doesn't turn him into a pet project.

I hate high school AUs. But sprinkle some mad science and psycho kids and all of a sudden you have a perfect story. It's like when you don't like a certain fruit but cooked into a pastry that shit is godly? That's this story.

Wonders of the World by CryptCreeperX

Once, a man driven by love nearly ended the world in hate. 200 years have passed since Meteorfall. A film crew documents a derelict mountain village shrouded in snow. Isolated from the world, it's rumored the Lifestream runs black there and spirits of the dead stalk its grounds. Their guide is Wolf, a man with odd blue eyes. He likes to smile. He also says some memories never die.

This thing's got the pacing of an M.Night Shyamalan movie. Love it!

The Prophet by NazoFox2501

In Assiah, there are prophets that are chosen by the god Sephiroth to speak on Their behalf. Cloud, an atheist college student, is afflicted with a deadly disease, the mark of the next chosen prophet. On a journey with his friends, will he be cured and accept his fate, or can he overcome it?

If religious trauma horror is your cup of tea, this story is for you. If your favorite bit of FFVIIR is how terrified Cloud is in Midgar, this story is for you.

[delaneymontes90]

Amphibia Au,

The calamity trio is Zack, Melissa and Milo,

Please tell me if I should switch them or not!

Also TJESE are horrible because it’s a idea on how they could look,

[crisiscutie]

Dissidia Kadaj/Dissidia Darling headcanons

As the second main pairing of the Dissidia AU, why not give it some backstory? This is based on Sephiroth and Kadaj's storylines in Opera Omnia! Featuring Aerith/Darling and Sephiroth/Darling.

Content Warning: Long Headcanons

༻❁༺ You were separated from Sephiroth and Seymour after a fearsome battle with the summon Shinryu, lost in the chaos that unfolded after the battle.

༻❁༺ You were found comatose by the Warriors of Materia, your life force hanging by a thread. They were split whether to help you, given your affiliation with Sephiroth and Seymour and from previous clashes you had with the warriors. Some desired your demise, while others had faith in you.

༻❁༺ Your childhood friend, Kieran, vouched for you, saying that you were being manipulated by Sephiroth, just like you were by your father back in your world.

༻❁༺ So they took you back to the World of Light and made sure to keep a vigilant eye on you, with Cloud, Zack, and Tifa taking special care.

༻❁༺ Despite knowing full well about what you've done for Sephiroth, Aerith still volunteered to care for you as you recovered.

༻❁༺ Kadaj wasn't sure how to feel about you. Should it be hatred because you were an ally of Sephiroth? But there was something about you that made him feel closer to home, closer to being whole.

༻❁༺ Aerith also sensed something strange about you. She didn't want to believe it, but the negative energy within you felt familiar to her. She couldn't help but be reminded of JENOVA and Sephiroth's negative lifesteam, all too familiar from her own time in the lifestream.

༻❁༺ She also noticed Kadaj lurking by you as well, little by little. Not to mention, Zack and Cloud always seemed to have headaches and low energy levels, which only furthered her suspicions.

༻❁༺ During the discussion about your situation and Sephiroth's intentions, she stayed quiet, attentively listening to Kieran as he talked his childhood with you and the ability of summoners like yourself to harness energy (normally from crystals) to create celestial beings from other planes of existence.

༻❁༺ Upon hearing this information, concern and fear hung in the air for everyone, leaving Cloud as the only one willing to ask the dreaded question.

༻❁༺ "...If she is to summon JENOVA for Sephiroth, then where is it?" He asked, as everyone became gravely silent. Aerith watched him closely as he raised his hand to his temple afterwards, a subtle grimace of pain on his face..

༻❁༺ Kadaj himself stood in silence, his breath quickening with anticipation. Could it be? Was the long-awaited reunion upon him? His heart thumped against his chest, echoing in his ears. His purpose, at last, acknowledged. But now, faced with her presence, his mind raced. What should he do? What should he say!?

༻❁༺ Aerith already knew the awful answer, but she had prayed that she wasn't right. But now, the mountain of evidence left little room for doubt. "JENOVA is growing inside her," she somberly said, eliciting a few gasps.

༻❁༺ But just as she's nurturing the remnant of the man who killed her in her past life, Aerith firmly believed in your salvation, even when you will become one with the calamity that had wiped out her people. Cloud and Zack were surprised by her determination more than anyone.

༻❁༺ Later on, your childhood friend visited your bedside. He expressed his regrets, as he won't be around when you wake up. He must assist his fellow warriors in another world. Even while unconscious, the sadness still consumed your heart as a single tear fell from your closed eyes when he left the room.

༻❁༺ You stirred in your unconscious state later, as Sephiroth's voice echoed in your mind. "Mother, where are you!?" You grimaced, tossing in your sleep as he spoke more. "You belong with us, darling. Your destiny..." his velvety voice now held hints of a malicious growl.

༻❁༺ Aerith and Kadaj rushed to your bedside as they heard your panted whimpers. The words of Sephiroth (or JENOVA?) intensified, growing louder and more aggressive in your mind. "The Reunion!"

༻❁༺In an instant, your eyes opened, your breathing frantic as you quickly took in your surroundings. Your intense gaze then met Kadaj's, sparks igniting within you as you spoke. "S-Sephiroth?"

༻❁༺ Kadaj's heart sunk in his chest as that name escaped your lips, his slit eyes welling up with tears. That familiar doubt and fear within him resurfaced, gnawing at his insides. Surely, you're still in a stupor? That shouldn't mean that you don't know him or that Mother preferred Sephiroth over him!

༻❁༺ His lips moved, but no sound escaped them. He silently searched for the words he longed to say, but they eluded him. So he stormed out of the room, the door slamming shut behind him.

༻❁༺ Aerith's concerned gaze followed his departure as she promised herself to check on him later. She then redirected her attention towards you with a warm smile.

༻❁༺ "Hey, how are you?" Her voice was tender as she placed a comforting hand on your shoulder. "I'm Aerith, a friend of Kieran's." Your eyes widened at the mention of Kieran's name. "Looks like I have a lot to catch you up on!"

There'll be more!

[secondarysefikura]

More from the Au where important characters + The people of Nibelheim remember!

Sephiroth asks for a vacation for himself and Cloud because he wants to cheer him up because he is sad and miserable (he also leaves a lot of paperwork to Zack, Angeal, Genesis, Hojo, and the people of Nibelheim for making his boyfriend cry)

Aerith and Gaia keep fighting about this relationship because it's like a time bomb...and something could go wrong with this (although Gaia still supports this ship)

Cloudia and Jenova (using Lucrecia's appearance) argue with each other (and to show that her son is a good match for Cloud, she kisses Cludia wanting to show what made Lucrecia love her)

Chances of Cloud becoming a calamity here? Maybe

Sephiroth once again giving paperwork to people he absolutely has no power to give paperwork to. The universe allows it because it is funny, and as I often say "it shouldn't be illegal if it's funny."

As for where Cloud and Sephiroth go on vacation, I think they should go somewhere where there are limited people, in order to ensure that they aren't bothered. Somewhere like the Northern Crater would be perfect!

ALSO, Jenova showing up to Claudia and being like "no no, let the two date. Here, I'll show you how great this will be for your son! Kiss time!" That is just too funny, hahha.

[rosy-crow]

So headcanons for Aerith and Zack! :D

THE BLORBOS 😭😭

Headcanon A:  realistic

Aerith:

She was only afraid of the sky because she hadn’t seen it until she was 7 and escaped the lab with Ifalna, and even then she only saw parts of it because of the plate. She grew to appreciate its beauty as she grew older, but the calamity (Jenova/Sephiroth/Meteor) that would fall from the sky and cause so much destruction was another reason to look up anxiously.

Zack:

Zack always had a hyper attention span, constantly darting back and forth between his focus points, but when it came to Aerith, he couldn’t focus on much else but her. She actively calmed his mind and nerves and he was enthralled.

Headcanon B: while it may not be realistic it is hilarious

Aerith:

Aerith absolutely has experience street racing in the slums, don’t ask me why I think this akdjdjd

Zack:

Funnily enough, Zack was lowkey NOT a dog person for a long time, but Angeal kept. Bringing in. Those fucking. Stray dogs. Yeah, Zack finally accepted his fellow puppers because of it.

Headcanon C: heart-crushing and awful, but fun to inflict on friends

Aerith:

Aerith wears a red jacket because her mother always wore red, and in a small way, Aerith pays tribute to her by donning the vivid color. She has a tendency to incorporate different colors into her wardrobe based on the various people whose memories are important to her.

Zack:

Zack was resistant to the J cells and clone experiments that Hojo tried because his mind was powered by his love for the people he cared for. It strengthened his will and kept his mind from the despair that could have made him an easier target for Jenova cell transformation. Aerith, Cloud, Angeal, Kunsel….hell even the memory of Sephiroth….all of them. Zack stayed afloat because he cherished them all.

Headcanon D: unrealistic, but I will disregard canon about it because I reject canon reality and substitute my own.

ZACK AND AERITH EXIST IN AT LEAST ONE OTHER AU WORLD AND HAVE THIS EXACTLY:

[drakyions]

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

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

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

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

[silly-bean]

AU Tag Master Post

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

A current list of my AU tags:

FF7:

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

superhero au

jenova monster cloud au

turk reject kunsel au

ghost au (another time-traveling cloud au)

calamity cloud au

baby gen au (another time-traveling cloud au)

time-traveling turk cloud au

bloodborne au

most dangerous game au (rip on calamity cloud au)

soulmate au

sign from god au (time-traveling cadet cloud)

spider cloud au

fey au

fool's gold au (weapon cloud au)

frostbite au (winter soldier au)

glory au (sci-fi)

round and round au (time loop)

dragon cloud au

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

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

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

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

Trigun:

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

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

[finalfantasyfics]

FFVII: Time Range 1.2

Summary: Time travel AU. An alternate Nibelheim breakout.

Ships: Zack & Cloud, Vincent & Cloud

Originally posted here.

XxX

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

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

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

Him and Zack.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Except Zack hadn't seen Vincent, yet.

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

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

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

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

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

"Alien what?"

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

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

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

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

They'd make sure of that.

[lunarianebula872]

Cap you can't hide what's going on from those three because they can and will make you not only regret said stupidity but also make ya rest.

Yep Cap is making a return because I haven't drawn him in a bit lol and because I don't want to neglect my chocobos

Anyways yeah Cap is definitely gonna be stuck on vaycay again.

He also mentions that he can already feel the 'dad glare' lol

His three companions are not gonna be happy with him when they find out

Calamity Zack and Cursed Cloud belong to @aimeelouart

Cap and Calamity Dadgeal belong to me.

Enjoy Cap's randomly

[aimeelouart]

what are the many instances where Calamity Zack and Cursed Cloud go full on protective dad mode one others? Because I'm pretty sure there are quite a few, I can easily say my Calamity Dadgeal does this even when he sees Calamity Zack as his little brother will still go protective papa bear mode on him lol

Calamity Zack enters protective dad mode fastest for a baby Cloud, of course, but as he keeps adventuring the response also gets faster for any of the kiddos. Cursed Cloud is mostly tired, but he'll go dad mode if someone needs it wherever he lands. Kids being experimented on are especially likely to make him angry and protective.

[aimeelouart]

S C R E E C H

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

[iceangelsimon]

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

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

[im-totally-not-an-alien]

Final Fantasy 7 prompts #75 (FINAL LIST)

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

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

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

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

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

"Lopmon." The bunny creature corrected. Again.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And then he did. Tfw

8. High fantasy, no materia au.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

___________________________

"Go away."

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

"I'm not gay."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It works.

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

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

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

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