#rewrite zack

[pine-needle-shuffle]

Riptide sketches

[heavenlyascent]

You can tell what the ship war/Tifa vs Aerith/Whose the “True” Heroine/Love of FF7 is about because it never includes Barret, despite him being a romance candidate (even IF the OG boiled it down to one big antiblack gay joke), or Yuffie (thankfully because of her age though I shutter to think how she would have been treated if she was an older, viable candidate), or Zack despite his bond with Cloud, or Jessie for that matter. All these are background elements to the ongoing fight over who is the default love interest and thus true love of Cloud.

Which is boiled down to, which one of these women are meant for this man.

It doesn't care that Final Fantasy 7 is a world-spanning story about humanity, genocide, imperialism, and trauma. It ignores that while Cloud is ultimately our main character, it's a story of an entire cast of main characters who are just as important to the ever moving plot as Cloud.

And really, as it insults Tifa and Aerith by trying to suggest one's story is more "important" than the other, it also insults Barret by completely ignoring that his efforts are the instigating factors OF the story and that the running theme of saving the planet? Is because Barret was the first one to scream it in the narrative. It ignores Yuffie's and Red XIII's fight to preserve their dying cultures in a world that actively wants to destroy them for the sake of capitalism. It ignores Cid as someone whose dreams were crushed by capitalism and become so consumed by his pain, he hurt everyone around him. It ignores how Vincent played an active role in Sephiroth's birth and the core corruption of Shinra.

And I think it absolutely misses the theme of FF7 and Cloud in general. Cloud loves everyone. He loves all his friends. If the Remakes and Rebirth did anything, it put on display that there's not one single person that Cloud loves--but all those he has met. Yes, he loves Tifa and loves Aerith and maybe in one or both, he has romantic feelings for them but he clearly loves Barret, Red XIII, Yuffie, Zack, Jessie, Bigs, Wedge, Reeve/Cait, and--as we'll see later--Cid and Vincent.

If any of them died, Cloud would have been devastated. Aerith is special and he mourns her in a specific way because she's AERITH. Not because she's the ONE. SHE'S AERITH. Irreplaceable just like Tifa, just like Barret, just like Yuffie, just like Red XIII, just like Zack, and Cait/Reeve, Cid, and Vincent.

For the last near 30 years, the ship wars have rewrote Cloud's intense love for the people around him as just a heteronormative love story and it's gross.

None of the characters deserve that, but specifically Cloud, Tifa, and Aerith who are so much more than players in a stupid love triangle.

[sunflowerandstrawberryspice]

CARMEN SANDIEGO? In 2024? It's more likely thank you think! Please excuse the shit quality for some reason I wasn't allowed to upload the normal pdf and I had to upload a fucking screenshot???

So my friend convinced me to watch Carmen Sandiego and since he's watching ALL of Ninjago for me I thought it was the least I could do to watch four season of a show with a pretty decent concept but uh... yeesh, don't get me wrong the show is really fun but lord have mercy does it have problems especially the last two seasons which were just so wildly disappointing to me. It went from a show with an interesting look on morals to pure pro-cop and mostly black and white thinking so quick (that not mentioning the breaking up a found family full of people with abandonment issues) it was honestly just so disappointing so me and the friend who introduced it to me decided to rewrite it! (I will not be animating nor do I plan on doing more than MAYBE a comic or art piece here and there because my chronic pain ridden ass can not handle that much lol)

The main goals are to:

1) Flesh out characters that aren't Carmen and actually give them reactions based on their lived experiences and how they might realistically react instead of what the show needed to move the plot along

2) Having characters other than Carmen be actually relevant to the plot the main one being Chase Devineaux who we're gonna kind of have as a parallel to Carmen (trust me yall) as kind of a "What if Carmen didn't have her friends/family to ground her and fall back on" but for all the Chase fans out there (gods I hope there's some other than me) he will be getting a happy ending but bro is getting put through the RINGER first

3) Have both A.C.M.E (now standing for Administration for Containing and Monitoring Evil) and V.I.L.E be the bad guys. Also just as an extra bit of fun we're making VILE a full blown cult, they were very cult like in the show so we're just gonna make it one. Both are going to be very morally questionable and while it'll take a bit longer for ACME to show it's true colors don't you worry they definitely will ;)

4) We're doing canonical lgbtq+ rep, I know the show teased a lot of relationships and really only gave yall background gays not to say thats bad but we can do better than just a brief shot of a damn taco truck. I mean like come on in a story about a young woman going against the government for the greater good why not put some rep into it ya know!

5) We're making it light sci-fi, not like SUPER high tech but definitely beyond what we've got currently, as shown with Carmen's prosthetic, and don't worry I'm doing my research as a disabled person I know how it feels to be misrepresented or ignored so I want to make sure I'm being realistic

6) PLAYER ISN'T GOING TO BE A CHILD! I don't know if this bothered anybody else but to me it was really weird that this 16 year old's only friends were in their 20s!

Alright I think that's what I'm gonna say for now, I'd love it if yall tuned in for updates if your curious since this is a passion project for me and my friend and we're having a blast writing it!

As always I am still working on stuff for Ninjago cause I could never abandon my one true love, currently there's a Pixal drawing in progress (it's giving me hell T-T) something for Cole and Geo, and something of Sora MAYBE even Euphrasia if I'm feeling up to it.

Having said that I hope yall have a great day/night and PEACE OUT!

[oveliagirlhaditright]

The Sugar in My Coffee - A Humorous (and Fluffy) Cloti and Zerith Fic

https://archiveofourown.org/works/63758122

Summary: A few weeks after Advent Children, Cloud and Tifa are still somehow be awkward and distant with each other. Aerith and Zack, then, decide to discreetly step in to help them and humor ensues.

The Sugar in My Coffee

Aerith’s PoV

"Zack… why is Cloud suddenly acting so helpless when it comes to Tifa?" asked Aerith, exasperated, as they watched over their friends from the Lifestream.

Normally, she wouldn’t have done this, of course. It was a massive invasion of privacy, so Aerith would usually only ever pay attention to her friends’ lives if she sensed that the planet was once again in danger.

But after Sephiroth had once again been defeated, and weeks later Aerith had sensed so much pain still coming from Cloud and Tifa’s hearts, she hadn’t been unable to resist the urge to take a peek to see what was going on there.

And Zack, it seemed, had been right there with her.

"Well… he was recently dying from Geostigma. Maybe we should cut him some slack,” Zack suggested—squinting his eyes so that he might better peer into the scene that was unfolding before his eyes, Aerith thought. He, after all, wasn’t a Cetra, so it was harder for him to see what was happening back on Gaia, when Aerith opened a path, than it was for the Ancient herself.

And Aerith wanted to agree with Zack here—because the truth was that their friend really had been through far too much—but even she had to draw a line when she learned that he was ignoring Tifa. Again!

Even after his Geostigma had been healed so expertly, if Aerith did say so herself, and Tifa had been cute and forgiving enough to blow him a kiss as soon as he'd been healed—after he'd ignored her the first time—but now this?

"He's breaking Tifa's heart again, Zack, and I won't have it. Nuh-uh."

Zack smiled at Aerith serenely for a beat—maybe thinking she was the greatest thing he'd ever seen, because she was, Aerith knew—before asking, "Okay, then, so what do we do? Pep talks again?"

That was possibly a good plan; and Aerith understood why Zack would suggest it, because not only had it helped Cloud recently, but a certain man named Kadaj that it really seemed that she had become the mother of, Aerith thought as she looked back towards her “son,” ruefully.

"I say we help him figure it out by giving him a nudge that he does need to talk to Tifa now," explained Aerith, thinking wistfully to her dates with Zack and Cloud, where she’d nudged them both in the directions she’d wanted them to go there. "And if that doesn't work, we'll get Denzel and Marlene involved. Who can say no to them?"

Zack looked at Aerith in shock for a moment, no doubt taken aback that she’d bring out the big guns. But then he grinned widely and nodded his head enthusiastically.

Okay, so it was a plan, then!

Time for her to get to work…

…

Cloud’s PoV

"Cloud… what's wrong? Why are we- why are we still having issues?" Tifa asked, turning around to face him as he sat at Seventh Heaven’s kitchen table, going over his deliveries for the next morning. It seemed to Cloud that she'd finally given up on finding busy work to do in the kitchen at the same time he was in here (like writing on the cream of tartar that it wasn't the same as tartar sauce: a mistake he'd learned the hard way when baking with Marlene a few months ago, so he was thankful to her for doing this), and finally decided that they needed to address the matter at hand.

And how Cloud wanted to kick himself for Tifa thinking they needed to address anything at all, because they were fine… should have been fine, anyway. She hadn't done anything wrong. It wasn't her fault he still had problems communicating.

"I just… I guess I don't know how you forgave me so easily, Tifa?" Cloud started. And then inwardly cursed himself, not knowing where he was going with this, because hadn't he just been thinking they were fine… should have been fine, but was now contradicting the thought?

But taking a deep breath and deciding to let his heart do the talking, Cloud found himself continuing with, "Sure there instantiating circumstances when I left when I had Geostigma… but I still left you. With so much to take care of when I did. And don't you deserve better than that?"

In realizing what the problem was now, Tifa smirked a little and seemed to choose this moment to act "tough," as she asked Cloud point-blank, "Isn't that my choice?"

And it was. It really was. Tifa was so strong and forthright. And she… She really knew and loved him. It was hard to believe so, but she did. And that- that was why he loved her, too.

"It-it is,” Cloud said--standing now, so that he could begin walking towards Tifa the second the moment allowed. “And don't get me wrong. I don't want to push you away, when someone like you is…"

Oh, God, he was going to mess this up. Looking all around the kitchen for any kind of inspiration to use here, he found himself saying, "the sugar in my coffee…" and while that may have been true—and hey, Tifa's eyes were even the color of coffee—Cloud knew how horrible an analogy it was, and in not trying to ruin things, he was pretty sure he just had.

But Tifa just seemed to blush, tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, and look around the room herself a little before saying, "U-Umm, thank you, Cloud. I appreciate that. B-but maybe you shouldn't be the one to teach Denzel and Marlene about metaphors, huh?"

Cloud snorted, suddenly finding his shoes very interesting, just as he broke out in gooseflesh. Well, he couldn't argue with that.

"So, then, are we-"

"But if we're going to use such, uhh, awful metaphors, know that you're the sugar in my chamomile," Tifa whispered, her face tomato red now, before she started to step away towards the living room-joint bar.

"Tifa, wait-" Cloud started, using a bit of his SOLDIER speed so he could get to her before she was gone and grab her arm to halt her.

And was it Cloud… or could see the ghostly form of Zack and Aerith again, at the edge of the room. Cloud scrubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing things, but nope. His friends were still there.

"Aerith?!" Tifa choked with tears evident in her voice, indicating to Cloud that he wasn’t going crazy and this time she could see the pair, as well.

"We were going to step in to make sure you two were really going to sail this time, but it looks like you’ve got it covered—cheesy lines and all,” Aerith winked at her friend.

And Tifa sobered up then a little, brushed away her tears, and laughed lightly. “Yeah, I guess we do.”

"I think they learned a cheesy line or two from us, dear," Zack reminded his girlfriend. And Aerith giggled at that. And if that wasn't like the feel of her "Healing Rain," Cloud didn't know what was.

"Well, we have to go now. Be good. And take care of Marlene and Denzel!" Aerith urged them, with something there in her voice Cloud couldn’t quite make out.

And holding hands, the couple walked away and disappeared back into the Lifestream—not unlike how they had a few weeks ago.

Tifa watched them in awe, just like Cloud had, before she turned to him with a big grin on her face and fell into his arms. "Our lines were cheesy… but at least we knew that, I guess. Still, I can't help feeling Denzel and Marlene are doomed."

"But at least they'll know they have two parents who love them like no other," Cloud reminded Tifa. 'And we love each other,' he thought, kissing the top of her head.

Sitting down, then, to a warm glass of coffee while the kids continued to play “Monopoly” in Denzel’s room, Cloud reflected that everything truly was alright.

Author's Note: A rewrite of a story I wrote… probably about sixteen-seventeen years ago. o_0 And I partly rewrote it, because I don’t think I’m the best at writing comedy anymore? But I do think the original, at least, was really funny (it had my friend Michael, at least, bursting out in laughter as he read it).

So, I rewrote it to somewhat try and practice comedy in my writing again and recapture that feeling. I don’t know if it’s AS funny as it once was, because tbh: the original was probably a little OOC (as I was very new to writing then), and I very obviously wanted to stay true to the characters here. But I tried.

Hope you all enjoyed:)

And this is dedicated to my old friend, Michael. Michael, we’ve admittedly drifted apart. And I’m not going to message you about this or anything like that (though I do know you’re still a fan of FFVII and you used to read fanfiction, though I don’t know if you do anymore). But if you ever do just happen to find this on your own, know that this is dedicated to you, of course, and I still love you, my friend, and hope that you’re doing well.

Edit: Oh, and the tartar sauce and cream of tartar thing was a reference to some of fanfiction author "Qwi-Xux's" wonderful CloTi work, where in one of her works Cloud DID mix those two things up while baking with Marlene. LOL

[stargazing-imagines]

Saved By The Bell Rewrite *Season One Masterlist*

Summary: After the tragic death of your parents in a car accident, the Kapowski’s take you in as one of their “many” children, unfold the chaos of Bayside with Kelly and the Gang up till graduation day! Good luck!

Pairing: Zack Morris x Fem!reader, slight Male!OC x Fem!Reader, as well as slight Slater x Fem!reader

Dancing to the Max *Coming soon*

The Lisa Card

The Gift

Fatal Distraction

Screech's Women

Aloha Slater

The Subsititute

Cream for a Day

Pinned to the Max

Beauty and the Screech

The Friendship Buisness

The Mama's and The Papa's

The Election

The Zack Tapes

King of the Hill

Save that Tiger

Extra's

Coming Soon

[sephirthoughts]

Father: Verb

Summary: 11 year-old WMD Sephiroth is assigned a new handler/bodyguard, named Vincent Valentine.

rating: teen and up (prev chapter and ao3 linked at bottom)

Chapter 8: The Belly of the Beast

“You keep saying things that don’t make sense,” Sephiroth said angrily. “I can’t tell if you’re trying to confuse me, or if this is some kind of attempt at a joke, but—”

“You claim not to believe me, but you felt it, did you not? His pull on you. Your connection to him.”

He swallowed hard. “I don’t…know what you mean.”

“Never try to lie to me. I know you better than you do,” the older version said, with that softly inhuman smile of his. “That child is the reason I was able to find you, here. The reason I still exist, despite my body’s death. He is…an anchor point, in four-dimensional space.”

“Why? What’s so special about him?” Even as Sephiroth asked the question, he felt a thrill of numinous familiarity, as if he was on the verge of recalling some profound truth, that he’d forgotten.

The older version’s smile widened. “That’s right. Remember. Remember him, on your own.”

“No. No, I can’t,” Sephiroth insisted, shaking his head. “How can I? I’m not you, yet.”

“But you will be. The reason you remember that child, though you never saw him before, is because souls are not governed by time and physical space. They navigate by anchor points in the liminal space, created by events of great emotional impact, or a deep attachment to another human soul.”

Sephiroth frowned. “But why that boy, then? If it’s about attachment to another soul, shouldn’t our anchor be Vincent?”

“Vincent is not human.”

“Are you saying that Vincent…doesn’t have a soul?” Sephiroth said, aghast.

“He does not have a human soul,” the older version explained. “Chaos is woven into his being and has changed his nature, entirely. Cloud Strife, on the other hand, has a super-human soul.”

“What is that?”

“The only thing I can liken it to, is him carrying a brighter light, than most. Because of this light, he is able to draw people to him. Compel their loyalty and adoration. Make them attached to him. He has no idea he is doing it, of course, nor do others.”

“He must be pretty charismatic, then.”

“Not really. He does not seem particularly special, at all, at first blush. Outwardly, he is…rather small, and a bit too pretty, for a boy. His looks make him appear unimposing and even vulnerable. Inwardly, he is a morose, solitary, single-minded youth, in constant mental and emotional chaos due to a laundry list of traumas. And yet, everywhere he goes, he collects allies and admirers, like a sun drawing worlds into its orbit. That day he ran into us in the bakery, we began to be affected by his gravity. But something peculiar happened. He attached to us, as well, which he has never done with anyone else. That mutual attachment is what has enabled me to retain my sense of self in the lifestream, and overpower its desire for reunification. It was no accident that you met him precisely at the turning point of your entire life. His attachment to us drew him to you, at our moment of greatest crisis, and our attachment to him guided me here.”

Sephiroth arched a dubious eyebrow. “Are you seriously saying it’s all thanks to true love?”

“Love? What has love to do with two souls being bound together in eternity?”

“Can you hear yourself, when you talk?”

“I see we haven’t yet developed a sense of humor,” the older version chuckled. “No matter, you will have time to grow, in all aspects. You will become the man we should have been. The man we could have been, had fate taken a different turn.”

“You keep calling this a turning point, but I don’t understand why. What’s so significant about this moment? Why not go back further, to before all of this even happened?”

“We cannot go back, to before Cloud Strife existed. Even if we could, all we could do would be to prevent our own birth, which would defeat the purpose. This moment is the first hinge upon which fate turns. Not only for us, but for this world. Together, we will alter the crucial condition, and change the fate in which Vincent kills us.”

“It must be Vincent. But how do we know for sure? And how will we know we’ve changed our fate?”

“I represent a second pivotal moment. When we altered our fate, in that moment, the future timeline collapsed, and future versions of us ceased to exist. Now, my own time, which is your future—and by extension, me—are only potential outcomes. Once the path is truly severed, everything will be erased, all the way back to you. We will know, because I will cease to exist. Then, you will finally be free of our fate. Free to choose who and what you are, what life you will lead, and who will be by your side.”

“If that’s all true, why don’t you do it yourself? What do you need me for?”

“In my current form, I can only affect this reality in minor ways. I need a physical body, through which to channel my power. Your body, to be exact.”

Sephiroth balked. “What? Why?”

The older version laughed. “I am extremely powerful, little fool. Any body but our own would be destroyed by the force of the energies I command.”

“You want to…possess me? But doesn’t possession push out the original soul, and effectively kill the host?”

“Were I to possess a body that is not my own, that is how it would work. However, the universe makes no distinction between you and I. Since we are one soul, I can enter your body and coexist with your consciousness. If it eases your mind, I will only borrow control, when necessary.”

“Why should I trust you?”

“Aside from the fact that I am you?”

“Because of the fact that you are me. If I was a time-traveling ghost, and I wanted to steal myself a body, this is exactly what I would say.”

The older version leaned down, and spoke into Sephiroth’s ear. Gradually, his blue-green eyes went wider and his lips parted.

“I—I’ll do it. I’ll do whatever it takes.” He looked up resolutely into his future self’s face and spread his arms. “I’m ready. Come inside me.”

The older version choked. “Please…do not say it like that.”

“What? What’s wrong with what I said?” Sephiroth frowned.

“Nothing. Nevermind. Before we begin, I must warn you, when we are connected by a body, some of my memories will intermittently overflow into your consciousness. It will be…painful. But this is the burden you must bear, to re-create the world.”

Sephiroth made a face. “The burden I must bear, to re-create the world? Gods, how did I ever wind up talking the way you do? You sound like a villain from a stage drama”

“Ha. One day, you may find out.” The older version smiled and held out his hand. “Come. Let us defy destiny together.”

Sephiroth hesitated, then reached out and took it.

Instantly, his vision went black, and he felt like he was spinning wildly in a soundless, lightless void. After a second or two, the extreme vertigo stabilized and his senses returned. He was still standing in his quarters, facing the kitchen. But the older version was nowhere to be seen.

“Are you here?” he asked, half under his breath.

I am here. Can you not feel me ins—ah, I mean. Feel my presence?

“I can, now. What do we do, next?”

Give me control. 

Sephiroth consciously slackened his will and let the other take over. He was immediately assailed by that dizzy numbness again, but not nearly so badly as before, and he retained his sight this time. The other spun them around and jerked their head up, looking up at a spot in the ceiling.

Found you. 

A serpentine smile spread across Sephiroth’s face. At the same time, there was a loud bang. The room went dark and the whole building seemed to shudder, as hundreds of electrical circuits blew out simultaneously. A moment later, the backup generators kicked on, and the emergency strips along the floors and around the doorways cast the room in amber light.

Sephiroth felt his limbs and torso warp and stretch, and saw their perspective move much higher up, as the other shifted his body into his own adult form. The door blew off its hinges with a bang, slamming into the wall across the way, as they stepped out into the dim, emergency-lit hall. In response to the noise, a patrol of helmeted Shinra guards came running, weapons drawn.

“Intruder! Identify yourself!” the leader barked.

The older version waved their hand. Purple bolts of lightning crackled down the hall, zapping the entire troop of guards, at once, and causing everything made of glass to violently explode.

“Whoa! When do I learn to do that?” Sephiroth asked, excitedly.

In Midgar, during your SOLDIER training. 

That dizzy disorientation spun his mind around, and suddenly the scene before him had shifted. He was standing atop what seemed to be a massive, industrial supercomplex. The wind was blowing in his long, silver hair, and the sun was setting, in a riot of brilliant golds, over the sea.

“…is the gift of the goddess. We seek it thus, and take to the sky,” a voice was saying, behind him. A voice he’d never heard, and yet knew as well as his own. Achingly familiar, and somehow far away.

He turned around, to see two people. A big, burly young man in black, and an exceptionally beautiful young man in a burgundy coat, with auburn hair. He knew them. Genesis, the redhead, was seated on the bulkhead-like steel housing, reading aloud from a book, and Angeal, the man in black, was leaning against it, beside him.

These were his friends. His best friends. And yet, there was an element of bitter pain, in the joy that welled up inside him, upon seeing their beloved faces. These were people he had loved…and lost.

“Ripples form on the water’s surface. The wandering soul knows no rest,” Genesis concluded.

“Loveless, act one,” he heard his older voice say.

“You remembered,” Genesis said, snapping the book shut and hopping down from his perch.

“How can I not, when you’ve beaten it into my head,” he replied, in a bantering tone.

With that, weapons were drawn, and battle stances assumed.

“Don’t take Sephiroth lightly,” Angeal advised.

“Noted,” Genesis snorted, then they rushed in to the attack.

Sephiroth had no control of this body, in the memory, but he could feel everything, as keenly as if he were really there. As blades clashed and sparked, it became quickly clear that these two were superhumans, and that they were no match for him, even together. He blocked everything they threw at him, even their coordinated dual attacks, with perfect ease. What kind of monstrous strength was this?

As the fight progressed, high into the sky, full of exploding firebolts and deadly arcs of sword-light, that sliced the giant industrial complex to ribbons, Sephiroth realized with a dawning sense of wonder, how far he had yet to go, to be as strong as his older self.

Just as the simulation fell apart, around the three young men, and it became apparent this was a training arena, he lurched out of the memory, back into the present.

“Your friends,” he said breathlessly. “Genesis and Angeal. What happens to them?”

They are both gone. Maybe, one day, you will find them again, for my sake.

“I will. I promise. I will save everyone, this time.”

Sephiroth looked around, to see that they were just stepping out into the main hall, where the elevators to the other levels were. More troops of guards came rushing up and were tossed away, with a wave of his hand. Purple lighting crackled along the walls, and non-uniformed Shinra staff were screaming and running away, as fast as they could.

Your turn, little fool. Deal with them.

Sephiroth regained control of his body, which shifted back to its usual, teenaged form. With a flick of his wrist, a wall of flame tore through the Shinra Manor main hall, burning the woodwork black, and incinerating everything in its path.

All the sudden, a wave of nausea struck him. There was something…something about a wall of fire, just like this…

Focus. Shinra has dispatched its army. There are squadrons converging on the manor, with airborne support inbound, from the north, south, and west.

“Ugh, you take over,” Sephiroth groaned. “I’m…dizzy. I think I’m gonna—”

His vision went sideways again, and he was plunged headfirst into another memory.

This place wasn’t like anywhere Sephiroth had been, in the manor. But there was something eerily familiar about it. It was dark and musty, with stone walls and ceiling, like it was underground. A forest of huge, ancient bookshelves reached all the way to the ceiling, and were piled haphazardly with old books.

The aisles between them were narrow and cramped, and everything was strewn about and disordered, with books lying all over the floor, almost as if someone had dumped them off the shelves. He was seated in the center, at the large, mahogany desk, reading by candlelight, of all things. His black gloved finger scanned the lines of a project journal, written by hand, in ink.

“Sephiroth?” a voice said, from the center aisle.

He glanced up. It was a good-looking young man, in a black uniform, with spiky black hair and bright-blue mako eyes. Something about him made Sephiroth think of Angeal. That’s right. Angeal was his mentor. This one’s name was Zack. Another pang of bitter pain. Another one he’d lost.

“Uh. What you got, there?” Zack asked, uneasily.

Before Sephiroth had a chance to reply, the memory flickered and blinked, as if someone had switched the channel on an old cathode-ray television, and the scene changed.

Vincent staggered, clutching his abdomen, where a long, thin blade impaled him, all the way through, sticking out of his back. He stumbled forward, as Sephiroth yanked the sword out. Sephiroth caught him, before he fell, and Vincent leaned heavily on him.

A sea of flames billowed and roared all around them, accompanied by screams and wails, and the muffled thunder of explosions in the distance.

The sword wounds all over Vincent’s torso were oozing a black, tar-like substance, that must be his blood. The ragged holes in Sephiroth’s chest, torn open by shots from Cerberus, had already begun to knit back together.

“Vincent…do you love me?”

Vin—cent—do—y—love—

The memory spat him out abruptly, back into present, where his older self had turned the central area of the manor into an inferno, the heat of which made his eyes sting. Amid the calls of soldiers, from outside, and the sound of windows being smashed on the upper levels (probably by people trying to escape), Sephiroth stood, unmoved.

“What were you reading, in that book?” he demanded. “Why did you feel so…manic and strange, in that memory?”

It’s none of your concern. None of that will matter, after tonight.

“Wait, are you switching the memories, intentionally? Are you controlling what I see?”

There are things it will only hurt you to know. Things I wish with all my heart I could un-know. We are giving you a chance to live unburdened by all of that.

“What about Vincent, then! You said he kills us, but I saw you stab him! I saw you hurt him! Why did you do it? Why didn’t you tell me the truth?!”

Because we knew you would not understand, and that you would react the way you are reacting now.

Sephiroth wrested control of his body back from the other, with a violent wrench, and refused to move an inch.

Do not be childish. There is no time for—

“No! I’m not going another step until you tell me what you’re hiding from me!” he shouted, over the thrum of helicopter rotors, right above the manor’s roof, by the sound of it.

You will regret knowing.

“Not as much as you’ll regret not telling me,” he shot back.

Very well. But we warned you.

Once again, the vertigo overtook him, and he was plunged into the sea of memory. Before, it had been gentle. Linear. Coherent. This time, it was a rapid-fire cascade, thousands of tiny points of light in vivid colors, scene after scene, flashing by within milliseconds.

He saw Jenova in her true form, Hojo, Lucrecia, Vincent, Glenn, Rosen, Genesis, Angeal, Zack, Lazard, Rufus Shinra, and hundreds of other faces. This older version was far more than just him, from eleven years in the future. The others were all within him. All the future versions of himself, up to the last one. The one who learned how to reverse it all. How to reject destiny and rewrite fate.

He saw the last one choose death. Saw him navigate the lifestream, in defiance of the will of the universe. He saw all those futures, folding back on themselves and collapsing, as each turning point was ignited, like a fuse burning down. And his was the stick of dynamite, that would blow it all sky-high.

The claws of these potential realities had caught hold of him, and began to tear at his mind and gouge his flesh. He was bleeding. Coming apart. Losing himself in them. They were so much stronger. So much older. He was only a child…

Then he saw Cloud Strife. Saw him in brilliant blue and gold. Saw him as a child and a young man. Saw him cold, hateful, cursing, silent, angry, grieving, helpless, pleading, terrified, wounded, full of worship and admiration, and always so achingly, heart-piercingly beautiful. In that sea of darkness and chaos, he was the only constant, shining like a pole star. Guiding him back to himself.

Sephiroth grasped onto Cloud and finally managed to drag himself back from the sea of memory. But living an entire potential lifetime in a matter of seconds, was no easy thing to withstand.

When he emerged, he fell to his knees, clutching his head and curling into himself, screaming hoarsely. A visceral roar of unfathomable, wordless agony, that cut through all the other clamor and noise, like a sawblade.

The riot gear-clad soldiers outside in the courtyard faltered, looking alarmed and confused. No one had reported that any…creatures had got loose, but everyone knew the rumors of what went on here. Their commander ordered them to hang back, while he radioed CQ for advice. These units had never fought monsters, after all, and were ill-equipped to do so.

Inside the manor, a little boy was crouched on the floor, sobbing amid the flames and wreckage. But he never cried, Sephiroth told himself, frantically trying to wipe away the tears, as they welled up and overflowed, streaming hot and unchecked down his waxen face.

Do you understand, now? Some wounds can never heal. Some wrongs can never be undone. We had to erase all of those years from existence. To rewrite them, from a blank page. To do that, each of us had to die, to go backward, to find the next anchor point, and transmit our purpose to the next self, before we ceased to exist. You are the last. You are all of us. You are the one who will move forward, into the unknown future. 

“I am all of us,” Sephiroth repeated dazed and wavering. “I am all—”

He broke off and fell forward onto his hands, dry-heaving, spitting foamy saliva all over the sooty, debris-strewn floor. When the fit passed, he pushed himself back up, panting and pale, and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

“I am…all of us,” he said weakly. Then again, with a little more energy, as he staggered to his feet, his voice growing louder and steadier with each repetition, drowning the others in his head. “I am all of us. I am all of us! But you are only parts of me! You are phantom limbs! Echoes of a future that no longer exists! You’ve given me our knowledge, now give me our strength! I will forge the path you all died to create! I will rewrite fate, once and for all!”

Ah…no longer a little fool, we see. As you wish. All the power we accumulated, till the day the last of us died, is now yours. Use it well.

A prickling electric sensation rushed through his body from head to toe. His mind cleared and his senses became hyper-acute. Time slowed in his perception, as his power surged and pulsed, making his hair float, like he was underwater.

His black wing burst from his back, shedding inky feathers and glimmering, purple sparks, as it unfurled majestically, behind him.

He held out his hand and the great blade Masamune appeared, keen and cold and bright. Bloodthirsty as ever (also a good deal longer than he was tall, in his juvenile form). In his other hand he gathered the darkness—the agony, bitterness, hatred and rage—from the earth itself, drawing it into a jet-black orb of whirling shadows, in his palm.

Just then, the beleaguered Shinra forces finally stormed the manor, with a cacophony of shouts, and the hurried thumping of heavy boots, on the wood floors. At least a hundred soldiers, all told, surrounded the one boy, with glowing red targeting lenses in their helmets, like mechanical spider-eyes, and automatic rifles raised and ready to kill.

“Asset, drop your weapon!” the commander shouted. “If you do not comply, we are authorized to use lethal force! Stand down, now!!”

Sephiroth turned his head, to look at the man, and the ring of soldiers took a few anxious steps back, in unison, widening the circle around the silver-haired child.

There was a tense beat, like an indrawn breath.

Sephiroth smiled.

The spinning orb of darkness detonated, with the force of an atomic bomb. The earth quaked and the sky trembled. The soldiers were obliterated, the manor walls exploded outward, and the roof was quite literally blown off. The spherical shockwave that followed, immediately after the flash, reduced most of the outer wings of the building to ruin.

The helicopters flying overhead were knocked away by the blast and went careening out of control, streaking through the sky like dizzy meteors, before they smashed into the ground and the outbuildings.

Amid the falling masonry and flying glass, in that hell of destruction and death, Sephiroth walked calmly on, to the pile of twisted metal that had been the bank of elevators. Tossing away the destroyed elevator car, he uncovered the shaft; a yawning pit, that lead to the belly of the beast.

More helicopters were inbound, as well as more armored transports, in the distance, carrying Shinra troops. Spotlights were shone on him. Voices amplified by bullhorns demanded his surrender. The one-winged angel ignored them and stepped into the elevator shaft, vanishing from their astounded sight.

He closed his eyes, freefalling into blind darkness, till the last second, when he flicked his wing to slow his descent. His boots touched down lightly, on the worn, rust-stained concrete. Black feathers fell around him, like nightmare snowflakes.

That way. This storage area leads to the secret archives, and then the laboratories. That’s where the old man is keeping our genetic material. We’re going to destroy it all.

“Vincent first,” Sephiroth growled, through his clenched teeth, as he waved his hand and blew a huge steel door open, with an echoing boom.

Of course. They’ll have him in that lab. If he’s not in the arena.

“Arena?”

He’s the worst of the abominations they created—well, aside from us. They use him to dispose of all the others.

Through the door was a narrow passage, which led to the secret archives hall. It was exactly as he’d seen it in their memory, only a lot less uprooted and tossed about. For a moment. Then a tempest of flames swallowed this room, and all the dirty secrets it contained, and the god of destruction moved on.

Next was a large, dirty, mostly empty area, that looked like it had been used to house vehicles or heavy machinery, at some point. On the other side, was a concrete wall, with a heavy, steel door, and a much larger, garage-style door in it. A lazy swing from Masamune, and both doors collapsed, along with the entire wall, cleanly sliced into a hundred geometric pieces.

Sephiroth stepped through the dust cloud into what looked like a Russian base from cold-war-era spy film. It was so comically dark and industrial and outdated, he could hardly believe it could really be in use. There were even exposed pipes all along the ceiling, some spitting out clouds of steam. At the intersection of three hallways, he paused, tilting his head to one side, as if listening to some distant noise.

Then his eyes ignited with green fire, and a venomous smile curled the corners of his perfect lips. “Ah. It seems I’m not the only monster, here.”

THE AUTHOR HAS SOMETHING TO SAY genesis: are you fucking serious? we came all this way and we only get a cameo?? genesis: SEPHIROTH YOU SPOTLIGHT STEALING BITCH YOU WON'T GET AWAY WITH THIS zack: i'm just happy to be included! thanks everyone! angeal: angeal: who the hell are you guys talking to?

link to prev. chapter

[kab2991]

Here's part 2 of my rewrite of #zacksnyders #RebelMoon movie

[bread-squid-uwu]

Can you explain the Aphmau family tree in your rewrite? Dante has the same last name?

OH YEAH !!!!

So, they're cousins in my rewrite, because of something I spotted in season two? Dante and Gene have an uncle named Zack, so in my rewrite I made that Aphmaus father!! Because I don't particularly enjoy double naming unless its for a running joke lol

Basically - Zack Shalashaska, Aphs father, has a younger brother named Eugene. That younger brother has children with a woman named Maria, thus we get Dante and Gene, plus the other two which I won't name for spoiler reasons. Zack married a woman named Sylvanna, and had Aph.

Eugene and Maria separate, with Maria staying in contact with Zack. The children know their uncle Zack, but not Aph.

Sylvanna and Zack separate, with her going zero contact with Zacks family. Aph does not know anyone from her dads family, and so she doesn't actually know shes related to Dante and Gene - and they don't know they're related to her.

Elizabeth, aka Katelyns mother, and Zack are the parents to Ein. Though neither of them had any part in raising him. So he's thrown into that messy family tree. [ no, I did not keep the weird inc*st plotlines. ]

Technically this post could expand into me talking about Dantes children, or even Aphs children, but for the sake of keeping this a short post I will not!! :] 💙

[rosetashes]

Name: Zack Shalashaska

Age: 65

Occupation: Currently retired formally the King of his island

Zach was a strict but fair ruler. His voice demanded respect and 99% of the time he got it. But how quickly did he turn soft when it came to his family. A stern look from his wife sent chills down his spine. A pleading look from his only son, made him spoil the boy. One look from his eldest daughter, made him want to hear her ideas. And his youngest, the daughter he had lost, the one he would listen to as she told him her stories.

Amara. His youngest daughter. Oh, how he misses her. He wished he had done more with her. With his family. He still remembers the day his wife brought the child to him. Begging him to help her. Not that he needed much convincing, as he almost immediately ordered a doctor for the poor girl.

Remembers her so clearly. While the other two were his flesh in blood. Amara wasn't, but they loved her as much as she loved them. She was bright, curious, adventurous, and habitually getting into trouble. Every night as the family gathered at the castle dining hall, they would each tell stories of their day. Amara was full of things. Forests, magic, and animals. Though it was always enjoyable to listen to.

When it came time to pass his crown down, he was admittingly a bit nervous. But the three thrived in their new roles. His son was in charge of the military, his eldest daughter was in charge of the political side, and his youngest dealt with the needs of the common people. He was so proud.

He was happy. He relaxed. HE SHOULD HAVE PAID ATTENTION.

It was the day of Amara's ceremony. The girl was the only one of his children not sworn to a divine. And even though no one cared, she wanted to be like her siblings. She chose Kul'zak, the wanderer, it made sense given the girl loved exploring. She was about to say the final words. When suddenly a bright white light took his baby girl away.

He searches everywhere with his wife and children by his side. However, she was nowhere on the island. And he was too afraid of leaving his island to search. So, after three years, he called off the search. And his baby girl was declared gone.

His wife and eldest daughter grieved the hardest, while he tried everything to keep his family together. As his whole kingdom attended the funeral.

Years later, he's a grandpa. Both of his children have settled down and had their own families. He gets to see them often, and he loves spending with them. He knows about his wife's outing to the forest. Sometimes he even joins her. But he mainly prays to Lord Kul'zak that her spirit is free.

However recently, his son has been talking about leaving the island. He said, "He found her", but that's impossible. Besides even though Amara and this "Aphmau" share a face and what sounds like personality. He can't be her. Right?

[warrior-cats-rewritten]

So, I'm a bit stuck on something.

I'm not sure who is Fang's father. On one hand, I could have it be Zack, Cloudtail's brother, who has already passed on by the time Graystripe visits Warriorclan. Princess' Short Story would see her visiting her relatives, Fang would be included in that, if he is her grandson. He would also have the same eyes as his aunt Cloudtail, a vivid blue.

On the other hand.... I almost like the thought of it being Graystripe himself. And the potential theme.

Problem with that is... Silverstream is still alive and will one day have Blossomfall, Briarlight and Bumblestripe... So did he cheat? If he did, why would he? Then again, they are polyamorous, so it could be that Gremlin was just temporarily joining their relationship... Or...

Was it an attempted Honor Siring? A litter sired by one of Thunderclan's prestigious warriors and Bloodclan's more popular members in the hopes that it would bring more peace? More trades? An attempt to strengthen bonds between Bloodclan and the Clans that sadly would never come to fruition, as Fury's leadership would quickly complicate things.

Bloodclan was settled, eventually, but Gremlin had already left for a newer, safer home with the Twoleg who would adopt Petunia.

So... Is Graystripe a dad? Or is Cloudtail an auntie?

[al-ld]

S5!Aphmau gets hit with a GB potion and Slyvanna f-ing runs off as she sees how similar she and Zack look

[ace-does-stuff]

i need to write a 50K Final Fantasy VII fanfiction lest I explode on the spot

[aphverse-confessions]

yeah i'm sorry but the "aph and ein weren't actually siblings teehee, that was just a red herring, suckers 💋" retcon is bullshit and just an excuse to avoid controversy.

michael and zack's conversation in 6x10 tells us that aphmau and ein are undoubtedly half-siblings:

zack: "you never told me you were going to kill her [aphmau]!"

michael: "what does it matter? you were so willing to put ein in harm's way. i just assumed you felt the same way about your daughter."

zack: "that's not the same!"

michael: "what allows to value the life of one of your children over the other? either they both matter, or they don't. you made your choice with ein! and i just balanced it out."

zack: "that kid was a monster!"

michael: "and who's to say he wouldn't have been if you stuck around? you were never able to sense how useful your offspring were. [...]"

offspring = biological child. aphmau and ein are zack's biological children.

"but maybe zack lied to michael about ein being his son earlier" why tf would he do that? zack is a spineless coward who blindly obeyed michael out of fear up until the moment he refused to activate the celestial cannon. you really think he had the guts to lie to a 5000-year-old omnipotent demon? bffr.

ein was written to be zack's bio son, there's no dancing around it.

own up to your shitty writing, jesson. you can't just erase a plot point because of the backlash it received. stick to being consistent with your writing.

what jesson should've done instead of backtracking like cowards was make a remake of pdh s2 (and possibly ms s4) and rewrite certain plot points to remove the incest and make aphmau and ein have a sibling relationship from the get-go.

but, of course, that would require actual effort and attentive, good writing — both things jesson are allergic to.

.

[jelloapocalypse]

Hello Jello! I want to know since it’s pride month, what are the characters in Epithet Erases Sexualities? Also is there any trans characters?

Thank you, Spagette!

This is also in the FaQ but Gay - Arnold Bisexual - Zora, Phoenica Ace Umbrella - Molly, Percy, Howie NB/Trans - Trixie, Moot

I also just got permission from Zack to make Sylvie's gender a little more amorphous so Sylvie's a they/he in the S1 book rewrite.

[stargazing-imagines]

Saved by the bell Rewrite Masterlist

Description: after the death of your parents in a tragic car accident, you are forced to live with your cousin Kelly in the palisades area. Join the gang at bayside for a unforgettable 4 years. Time out!

Pairings: Zack x fem!reader, Slater x fem!reader, Zack x Kelly, Slater x Jessie, oc x fem!reader

This rewrite will only be available on tumblr under the name @stargazing-imagines

*Out Now!!*

Seasons

Season 1

Season 2

Season 3

Season 4

College years

Season 1

Extras

Coming soon

Edited — 05/26/24

[rottenpumpkin13]

More ASGZC angst pls☹️

• Angeal spending hours tending to his plants after a panic attack, with dirt caked under his nails because caring for something alive is easier than caring for himself.

• Genesis looking at himself and preening in every mirror not out of vanity, but because he believes people are staring at him and whispering because he doesn't look put together.

• Zack taking on too many missions when he's sad to "shake it off" and then overexerting himself so he'll be too exhausted to care.

• Sephiroth stiffening when someone hugs him unexpectedly, flinching because his instinct is to defend himself, even when he doesn't want to.

• Zack's ADHD insomnia + Having to run for hours to quiet his mind enough to sleep

• Cloud casually putting himself down in conversation like it's second nature, genuinely believing his self-deprecating words are the truth.

• Angeal quietly mending things around the apartment; a torn curtain, a broken chair, patching up a sweater, because replacing things makes him anxious even though he can afford them.

• Sephiroth skipping meals when stressed and later feeling terrible vs. Angeal eating more than usual when stressed and later feeling terrible.

• Sephiroth truggling to laugh at jokes, replaying conversations later to dissect what he might've missed, sometimes asking people days later to clarify what they meant.

• Genesis being painfully shy, but people mistaking it as him being a snob. + Blurting out whatever comes to mind when he's excited then having his impulsivity mistaken for arrogance + masking the vulnerability beneath his forced confidence.

• Angeal always choosing practicality over indulgence, even at the grocery store, calculating every gil out of deeply ingrained habits from his upbringing in poverty.

• Sephiroth feeling detached from people his age, knowing his childhood—or lack thereof—made him unlike other people, "not normal" is the phrase he uses when he's being rough on himself.

• Cloud always trying to be useful to others, even to his own detriment, to feel he's earned his place in their lives and won't be discarded.

• Zack's endless energy masking deep depression episodes and it being on autopilot

• Cloud feeling like his height betrays his potential and getting picked on because of it.

• Zack overexerting himself helping others to avoid his own problems because if he addresses them he'll break.

• Zack flashing a smile even when his chest feels tight, scared that if he falters for even a moment, someone will see that it's forced.

• Genesis' Perfectionism leading to rewriting simple emails 20 times.