a broken record of Johnny Rzeznik's I'm Still Here (Chapter Edition) - CatLovelace (2024)

Chapter 1: Ifalna meets Gast

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To be the Cetra she knew she had to be, Ifalna was meant to accept the flow. The flow of all things born of the Planet. That which born from the celestial body they all came from in complex motions and rippling effects. A symbiotic relationship of a larger body that housed them, while they, so small - still cared for in return.

Even as the last one - the endling.

To be happy past the sight she saw in the milky depths of the White Materia then Ifalna would have to take a page out of non-Cetran hand books. Reach for what she wanted and not let go.

Planet forgive her - she would save Gast Faremis.

"You want the answers to who appeared at the Northern Crater." Was her opener when the current Shrina Head of R&D knocked on her door at Icicle Inn. His prized work of "What Is Mako?" resting atop papers and atop probably incredibly important things in his world. “You want to know of my people - of by extent, me.”

She saw him in his labcoat, his mustache, his glasses. His want of things that only she could tell. This was supposed to be hers in another life time. Never lucky enough to be a groom, but they granted each other a time of happiness. Happiness that resulted in a daughter.

Ifalna didn't love him yet.

Refused to on principal. Or perhaps the want of survival. A Shinra stranger here to document. Didn't grant respect.

Though a planetary twin was a solid reference to have.

"I have some conditions." She warned him kindly.

He agreed.

One point for the endling.

Chapter 2: Gast meets Ifalna

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Gast wants to say he loved her instantly.

To think on hindsight not as a coloured perception of a neutral past, but a gut feeling mixed with destiny. Not the most scientific, but sometimes the study of science was looking into the unexplainable - not seeking to just wave an authoritative hand to explain things.

Maybe it was because when Ifalna smiled at him, it wasn’t the passive pleasantry to a stranger. It was a near quibbling lip one shouldered through at a funeral.

That could have been what it was in the honest reflection. Strength indomitable, poise immaculate, but naked burden around the eyes. Gast hadn’t planned to look at a potential first-hand source and collaborator with such a conclusion.

Still from her traditional garb to opening lines, his fond sighs could admit she was rather odd. “Leave my lab?”

“Or rework it so it’s safer.” Ifalna is the warmest source of colour in the room The most alive presence next to all the computers he’s been surrounded by for… well he’d have to check back on his records for that answer. “I imagine the cost in all things would be better in a simple move in place though.”

Mountains of what his life had led up to is stacked high. Dust has a devious way of getting even between the stacks of paper.

Maybe Hojo was right to interact with more live specimens and wet materials.

He’s beginning to feel like a book keeper in his own workstation. “What should I look for?” Gast feels he hasn’t been courting death here at the very least.

“A window to start.” Splayed hands across dark walls. “How are you to study the world when you deprive yourself of it?”

He rolled a pen. Its clatter back and forth on a smooth surface. Though not clinically ideal, maybe the interview could be done in a nearby café or similar? Or a location of Cetran importance with his travel research equipment.

“Did- did the Planet tell you I was coming?” Was that within the purview of connection they shared? Did the Planet read his thesis??

A shake of the head, an unshared kiss in her left dimple, and gaze seeing him in multitudes. “Might be better to say I got it through a… rumour… or maybe a Whisper.” A private joke if ever he heard one.

“Good things?”

“Brief things.” That burden back to the eyes. Crossed the border till the negative space between them was a sliver. Like the Milky Way striking across the expanse of night sky. “Though precious.”

Gast didn’t reach across.

Did reach within to be practical.

“So what do we do about it?” If he was understanding the implication of things. And that was a pretty big leap in implications.

Once more her hair shimmered in the low lab light. “I can’t begin to say. Uncertainty hounds me. It may soon hound or haunt the both of us.” Maybe that was another thing about her. The little tics that made an idle person were absent from the body. No rolling the aching ankles or fingers sliding over its neighbour’s nail.

It was all in the eyes that weren’t in the room with them.

“So you’re saying there’s nothing we can do.”

Strolled away and finally found motion of hands reaching for each other. Hooking at the wrist. Over the shoulder with a bittersweet smile. “Could be.”

Gast was, in his opinion and study of statistics, was a rather average man. He grew a mustache in grad-school after a dare and through pride refused to grow more facial hair/shave it off to save the future of his face. Lifting more than the standard office box of printer paper left him winded. Would rather have belief in that things will work out than go forward in fast anger.

Crossed the gap between them.

Hovering over her space. “If there’s nothing we can do about that… then what can we do?”

Spoke down with hair hiding her face. “Even if it’s me leading you astray? Even if I lead you down a path that’s… wouldn’t be a true reflection of your heart?”

She knew things. Whether as a Cetra or maybe Ifalna was deeply in-tune with her gut instincts. He was considered the planetary expert on her people and even he was standing next to her blind as the day he was born.

But when she implied that love between them as inevitable and that in turn was manipulative then Gast had a sure answer.

Now he could trust in the better of things working out. Of if he needed to walk away, she’d watch him go unbound.

That feeling was back - he never wanted to walk away in the first place.

Took up her hands in his. Kept a read on her body language. Brought it up to promise and confess completely. “When it comes to you, I’ll admit there was something I wanted to be true instantly.”

Her smile lifts up the burden.

What she tells him as him pack up a thimble fraction of his life’s work.

He applies for the Medical department instead for a ‘change in career opportunities’ when his co-workers and HR repeatedly ask him.

Chapter 3: Zack arrives in Midgar

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Zack arrives in Shinra full of hope and maybe… three gil.

His mom had given him travel money, and just in case money, and ‘please don’t end up in a ditch face down’ money. His dad had met him at the door and slapped another emergency amount in hand with a pointed look.

But travel money had become food money, and just in case cash got used for the travel needs. The ‘please don’t end up in a ditch face down’ amount had ended up in cups, tins, and hands of too many down-on-their-luck folks.

Took him longer than most would probably advise to sit and listen if they wanted to talk. Missed the trains to above the plate when anything and everything caught his attention. Then something else would inevitably catch hold of his line of sight. Zack would find himself holding, like a thing, a series of random things in hand.

He found some random juice on the ground. And he wasn’t about to let that go to waste. Though did regret it a bit when after giving it a taste found it rancid. Wiped his mouth with the hand holding a metal coat hanger that he picked up… somewhere at sometime. Don’t quote him.

Or repeated, increasingly exasperated security officers telling him to ‘please please please stop climbing on tall things. This isn’t the jungle anymore. We don’t do that here.’

No one even thought to unload a single bullet at the wayward arrival of person-shaped sunshine.

Though enough complaints had the squad captain really think about unclipping his taser.

“Zack Fair?” The intake person at Shrina asked incredulously. He nodded and hooked a thumb in case they got lost between asking the question and him agreeing that yes, yes that was his name, hi! “You were supposed to be in yesterday.”

Ruffled his hair. “Eh he… yeah…”

“Your mom called. Said that if we couldn’t find you that you were probably face down in a ditch somewhere.” Leaned forward with ‘are you reading me’ intent. “Said she would scour the Planet to find the specific ditch you died in then ground you.”

“Yeah that sounds like her.” Sucked in his teeth. There was another Zack that was being exhumed by the sheer force of a disappointed sandal. Lucky dog it wasn’t him!

“So can I still join SOLDIER?”

“Are you serious?” This would fuel the office gossip for weeks.

Nodded. “As the heart attack that put me in that ditch.”

This young man should never be left alone. Minimum two buddy system on all accounts lest a butterfly lead him off the plate or something.

"Okay…” began haltingly mostly while focusing on the rapid fire action of their thumb on their PHS. Whatever group chat they were posting to would know what to do. Spread the word. And here they thought clocking in was going to be boring. “… I think we can swing that.”

“Awesome!” Zack pumped his fists. He let the professional in paperwork do their thing and gazed about what would be his new home base.

From boxes and scraps thrown together to make a secret gym featuring the tallest Tonberry practice dummy to what was, in his opinion, a gleaming steel castle. Above or below the plate were people for him to help. And this place was where he would gain the power needed to be their hero.

Starting at signing a stack of papers the height of a full-plate of pancakes to the sky piercing point at the very, very top.

Which speaking of, could he climb that?

Bet it had a killer view.

“Mr. Fair?” Tapped the bottom line of the final stretch of legality. “We’re almost done.”

He hummed through and shot the last of his signatures in bleeding ink.

Turned his attention back above them at that tempting spire. Like could anyone go up there or was it for special case? Oh SOLDIERS definitely got a pass. He just knew it.

(In the background of his bending his spine way back over his heels, the next candidate was welcomed with a “Kunsel? You’re right on time. Please sign here… oh, um it seems you’re already in the systems…”

“Yeah that tends to happen.” But the newcomer with hat pulled over his eyes didn’t elaborate in the slightest. Took the introductory package and left while keeping a curious gaze on the stranger making a pretzel of himself while staring down, what appeared to be the sun.)

Chapter 4: Zack falls off the Plate

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If any instructors who wanted to outright fail the cadet who showed up day one without coffee, but all the pep quickly found they had very little argument on kicking that guy out.

Without instruction, Zack Fair was, as his reviewing captains put it - “a wayward youth whose idle attentions could and has lead to injury of the self or Shinra property”.

With instruction, Zack Fair was, as his reviewing captains put it - “a damn fine man for them to have on their side. Full commendation. Get him in SOLDIER.”

Though he did nearly die before his induction.

He was already shooting up past the off-the-rack uniform. Its awkward scratching ridding up the back of his neck along with the industry washed-text long faded tag. Zack had never been a hat guy. Helmet wasn’t changing that.

Some mutated thing had broken free of R&D and now his squad was in charge of damage control.

A bug thing exposed to mako and whatever else they cooked up with Science(tm) had crawled to the side of the Sector Five above plate. Ate a warehouse with little oversight, cocooned up, and now…

“Woah!” Had a massive wing span that Zack could still marvel at.

“At attention!” His captain barked. “Ramirez! Bolt! You two take the eastern flank with a focus on crowd control! Fair! With me on the western flank to start dealing damage until reinforcement units arrive!”

A solid plan.

Except Zack had kind of, ended up running way ahead of his captain. His ear piece got crushed when one of the meters-long leggy things flicked him across several rooftops.

“Crap, crap, crap!” The monster was flying towards the edge. He was running out of runway and it was a bad idea to introduce this abnormality into nature. Probably. Had a gut feeling the local fauna wouldn’t go great once this flew out of the bag.

With a final hup! jump, and half a prayer - Zack loaded up his helmet in hand with all the grenades and rifle charges he could then chucked it.

Went down in a domino effect of explosions. Paper-thin wings shredding as it lost altitude.

“Yeah!” Zack pumped his fist. What a way to end his final shift before SOLDIER.

Then the shadow crossed over him.

Not a lot of escape options as this dawned on him.

“Oops.”

Then he was falling.

Chapter 5: Aerith meets Zack

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It would be wrong to say that Aerith was waiting.

She wasn’t the kind.

Patient as roots finding hold in the soil. She still didn’t wait in regards to going after what she wanted.

It’s what Mom had taught her.

"When Mommy met Daddy it was the start of a new adventure.” Is how she explained it when her daughter scarcely came up to mid-thigh. “And new adventures require you to be brave. Baby you have to be prepared to go into places you’ve never gone before.”

This had confused young Aerith. She pointed out that one of the first stories Mama Elmyra had shared was how Mom and Dad had strolled up to her property with confidence. “That you’ve been here before.”

“That you’ve been here before.”

Like that explained everything.

But it was a notion she carried with her. Mom had gone after Dad and then after sharing a home with Mama.

(I’m keeping my family, but you shouldn’t have to keep your loneliness for the sake of that, Mom said on the first night there. Mama sometimes looked at the sounds and ways they moved about the house and nostalgically recited it. A moment of fancy from a practical woman)

So it would be better to say that Aerith was prepared for when her roof caved in.

Not sure who’d she’d even try to file repairs on that for. What form does Terminal Velocity Alternate Life Boyfriend go on?

“Hello~?” She leaned over at the miracle in her flowers with a wiggle of her fingers. “You alright? Nothing too rattled in there?” She could still tease him. Remembered that it was fun to do so.

Zack groaned and righted himself up.

“Umm…” Trying to take everything in. “Woah I died.”

Aerith giggled, “You did come very close so let’s not try again.”

The flowers singing in the sunlight through rotted boards. Dirt here should basically be the compacted sand the rest of the city had underfoot. He couldn’t even begin to say what worship this church was for. Seemed appropriate that it housed an angel though.

“You sure?” He was dizzy from the everything (gravity plus ground plus pretty face).

“Positive.”

Zack started up again. Contrary segue like a bike-engine sputtering up. Aerith placed a delicate finger to his lips. “I get it. You want to know about all this.” A hand back to her heart. “About me.”

Was very excited to say-

“I have some conditions.”

Chapter 6: Zack makes a promise to Aerith

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He looked over his work with hammer in hand. Several cuts and jabs plastered up. Zack winced at the result, but turned with sheepish hope Aerith. “It’s technically a wagon right. Box on wheels?”

“It’s in reality, just a very poor wagon.” She chastised without heat.

Every Aerith that got a Zack for some amount of time also got a wagon. A playful act of service as falling-for-you love kindled into puppy-love and from I-hope-you-and-I-survive-this love.

But always with the wagon.

Soon to be filled with flowers.

Then gil.

Aerith was prepared with some business plans this time round.

And she wanted that wagon.

“I’ll try again.” Zack was already prying the boards apart. He’d actually measure this time - instead of eying the vague ways the almost rectangles matched up. Cut once after… measuring a couple times and all that.

Second attempt was much better. The wheels were actually centred and rolled when pushed. Incredible. Sanded the sides to prevent splinters. After some paint Aerith was confident to say the spare wood from the back coupled with the sacrifice of one pew was turning out to be worth it.

“Whew!” He fell back against the steps to the flowers. Light catching the sheen of sweat he had worked up. “What a last day in the infantry. I thought the bug monster was gonna be tops, but”

He shot her a wink and finger guns.

Bull’s eye.

He was, as ever, very easy to love.

“You really put me through my paces!”

She couldn’t stop the giggle that bubbled out of her the same way heavy clouds dropped rain. The release would happen eventually.

“Glad to help!” Chirped. Then in mock severity. “Come on private! Drop and give me seventy-thousand more!” Clapped her palms together. She didn’t have a whistle so had to improvise.

Zack was already doing squats. “Oh please!” Back of his hand to his forehead damsel in distress style. “Oh have mercy!”

“I suppose if you can’t hack it…” Drifted it off with a roll of her shoulders.

He kept it up and kept it going. “No way! I don’t want to back down from this!” In genuine severity.

Her hum was back. Somewhere between a genetic trait and learned behaviour. If that was so then it might be time to pop her big question.

“So what do you want?”

“Huh?”

“If you don’t want this then that means there’s something you do want right?” Laid it out as simple as that.

Aerith already loved him.

But there was a difference.

Loving, loved, in love.

So contextual. So changing. Here he was as bright as her dreams had promised. Served up with half the effort of what most people had to do to find a partner. Could blaze together as bright as a collapsing star and half as long a life. Their other story was a tragedy that proved the worth of love that was the length of a heartbeat.

But Planet forgive her she wanted them both to survive.

And she wanted to stop knowing what would happen.

“See I think going after what you want is more complicated then being brave enough to go after it. It’s messy. And sometimes when you take something then someone else doesn’t get their share.” Her eyes distant. “I worry about that.”

Zack had come over at some point. Head titled in an attempt to comprehend. Made himself cosy at her boots with his legs criss-crossed.

When had he gained more patience than her?

“But I also can’t live my life always worrying about that. I don’t think any of us can.” He nodded like he understood a fraction of what she was getting at. That Aerith was tired of playing a five-dimensional game and had decided to just enjoy this one round.

“Yeah for sure.”

She huffed a smile that felt more of water than she had hoped. Cupped his chin where a scar, a reminder of loss, might never be. That she never got to see. Even with his face in her hands his familiar anatomy was that of a stranger.

“I want you,” And Aerith was going to make him promise-promise on this, “To go after whatever you really, really want. Okay?”

As the Church and the Planet as witnesses.

He could do that.

Chapter 7: Zack meets Sephiroth and gets arrested

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“Saying ‘you’re under arrest’ feels redundant if I’m being honest.” The newcomer didn’t raise his voice up, but it still carried to the highest point of the tower needle. Zack was balanced on the metal ball as best he could. A whole new world to see laid out before him. From decaying wastelands to the other decaying wastelands. Mountains were blocking him from seeing his parents’ house.

He did still try.

“Huh?” Zack looked down and saw a silver ant. Wait no-

-that was Sephiroth.

Easy mistake.

Zack had heard about him. Impossible not to. The legend. Appeared from nowhere and knocked every standard out of the park. Then set such a new one at dizzying heights. Was practically a different game with him on the field.

Why was he thinking of sports metaphors?

Oh yeah, that’s right. His new strength had kicked in and Zack was convinced the SOLDIERS needed a football team.

Could be by Class. Or random. Or literally anything, he just felt morale would go up if he got to kick a trick shot faster than most definitions regarding the speed of light.

And he was still just a 3rd!

Double reason why he was up here. To fulfill a dream plus see how far his advanced vision could go.

Boy what a difference.

Looking down, Zack could see each furrowed line to Sephiroth’s face as he lost patience quickly. Hyper reality depicted on the latest 4k screen. No. The luxury standard past that.

He wouldn’t know. Gongaga tended to all share the one TV at the Community Centre. The Fairs never in the upper tax bracket. His grandparents’ radio from the pre-Shinra days still worked just fine.

In an effort to defend, Zack would say they had better - they had each other.

And soon his parents would get something new. They’d get his one phone call from prison if this continued how it was looking.

Drat.

He had just adjusted to the to the first round of enhancements.

Adjust being the kind term for spending at least a week-plus face down till someone flipped him sideways. Zack would have appreciated the caution to prevent himself from drowning in his own potential sick that threatened to rise up past his throat. But he was far too busy having his bones scald from the inside and making ‘blegh, blargle, peeeeeh…’ noises. An impressive orchestration of Tummy Ache AOE DMG variant.

So of course he had to celebrate!

Coupled with him keeping Aerith’s promise, the peak of the tower was pretty obvious a choice.

"Hi there!” He’s got a good enough grip to give a spirited wave down. Doesn’t appear to move Sephiroth. Or give that good of a first impression. Still- time to keep trying. “I’m Zack!” The waving continued.

“I’m well aware of who you are Mr. Fair.” Best description to this guy’s voice? Commanding monotone. “Though I must ask if you’re aware that you’re currently trespassing?”

Oh dip that was bad. When he thought of ‘restricted access in regards to security’, he was mostly thinking about the interior. Time to keep trying, but with a far more delicate touch.

“Um… sorry! Anyone mad?”

“I’d hazard to say only a few individuals were effected by your actions presently. The President has been taken to a secure location till the removal of the active threat. The Turks for providing that security detail on top of the small platoon of SOLDIERS and troopers. Oh and the population of the tower on lockdown.”

Turned to take in the view himself. Though nowhere near as radically cool as Zack’s vantage point. Gave a shrug. A shake of the head. “Apart from that handful, I do believe your secret’s safe with me.”

Now Zack was bordering on hypoxia at this height and duration, but something was odd about this guy’s voice. The read of his words as smooth and regulated as ever. But there was an undercurrent that splashed up.

It was… kind of pleased?

Like Zack’s little stunt brought petty joy in how easily it threw a wrench into Shinra’s finely tuned operations.

Which for the top guy (the record breaker, the untouchable, the according to Kunsel - guy who haunted Medical so frequently that either he wasn’t as untouchable as he seemed or more likely in Zack’s opinion was getting regular injections of super enhancements)

Right back on track.

Which for the ultimate, top guy, was really really odd.

“Sorry again!” A ‘my bad’ wouldn’t cover this really. ‘Oops’, unfortunately the situation was way past an ‘oops’.

Sephiroth huffed, “Kids.”

Got him to laugh! Good day!

Zack, with the confidence of a newly charged livewire through him, hopped down. He gave mock indignation, “I’ll have you know that I’m seventeen! Plus-“

Handcuffs fit around his wrists easily.

“Oh that’s right.” Metal clinked together as he ‘oh doi’ed against his forehead using his now captured palm. Sephiroth already leading him away.

“I’m being arrested!”

Chapter 8: Zack learns about Cloud

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Kunsel and two troopers were waiting inside. Gave a salute to Sephiroth and kept a controlled expression at Zack.

But he was smirking on the inside. Zack would bet money on it.

“Please update all needed parties that the threat has been contained. Also please escort Mr. Fair here so the proper disciplinary actions may be taken.”

“Sir!” Kunsel, snappy as ever, “Will you not be joining us, sir?”

Once more silver hair shook. “My apologies, but I’m needed for a mission to curb a semi-nearby Behemoth population. I’ll be back shortly.”

“Sir! Sorry you were interrupted-“ a very pointed look had Kunsel editing his speech on the fly, “-Your earlier free time activities, sir!”

But the General was already several paces away. His patience for pleasantries run out completely.

Though he paused at the life. “Sargent Kunsel was it?” Zack’s friend remained in salute. A stricken bead of sweat ran down the back of his neck. Sephiroth’s piercing gaze before the lift door’s closed. “You appear to be well informed… let me know… if anything changes with him.”

Kunsel immediately chuffed him across the back of the head.

“Hey!”

“Hey yourself.” Took stride next to Zack while the troopers took point ahead. “If you’re gonna plan to do any stunts like this, let me know so I can cover.”

Zack chuckled awkwardly. “Sorry bro. Spirit of spontaneity took me.”

They all shuffled down the stairs. Four sets of boots echoing against metal steps. Zack leaned over conspiratorially to Kunsel’s ear. “So… who are you keeping an eye on for the General?”

His friend’s hidden attention flicked over to the troopers before pitching his tone to match. “He has a brother. Been in a coma for a while. Kind of an open secret here. Not supposed to talk about it, but… well guy and everything around him gets attention.” Even low and whispering, sympathy bled.

And Zack really felt that. He didn’t have a brother, but he did have people he was close to. Just imagining any of them bed bound for that long tore at his heart. Being so powerless when that someone was right there, but perhaps galaxies away. Plus he had to imagine the brother didn’t have it any easier. Forced to lie in bed for so long. His brother couldn’t always be there. Just doctors poking at ‘im. Had to be lonely.

Which would not stand.

“Sorry man.” Kunsel was already reaching to stop his latest escapade, but nope - too late and over the guard rail. Zack’s final words echoing during the drop.

“See ya!”

Chapter 9: Zack meets Cloud

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"Woah you really are asleep! Like dead asleep!" His tongue still tasted like that detox corridor. Mostly chlorhexidine. "Seph is off taking down Behemoths so I thought I'd keep you company! Mind if I do squats?"

Guy didn’t say anything. Kept breathing evenly. His complexion bled into the stark white sheets. Maybe a dusting of pink to his lax cheeks. Hair popped in sunshine rays. Most active part of him was behind the eyes. Hoped it was a nice dream.

Zack kept going, "So I figure if I keep going the rate I'm going then one of the Commanders is sure to notice me. They pick me up as a trainee. I blow their mind with my determination and sheer skill." He slapped his thigh and reveled in how taut the reverb was. Gotta appreciate the titanium pillars his efforts had granted him. "They recommend me to the upper ranks and boom! Next thing you'll be listening to a First-Class SOLDIER."

Still nothing.

Wow and Seph survived this daily.

Pouring hope and love into a endless pit. Just for the want to reach into the void and have the void finally reach back. Or at least open his eyes.

Well two brothers just gained another in their corner. Stuck his hand out anyway.

First step to friendship.

"How's that sound, Spike?"

Chapter 10: Angeal meets Zack in jail

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Angeal had come across a number of responses to recruits getting locked up for disciplinary action. Pleading their innocence. Rage against what they saw as an unfair system. Even the casual kind that slept through what was supposed to be reflective.

3rd class in front of him was doing pull ups with an exposed pipe.

He didn’t remember that pipe ever being exposed before.

Did… did this guy rip out a pipe so he could exercise? After he broke into a secure section of Medical? And that was after he reportedly, Angeal looked back over his notes, climbed the highest point of the tower above the President’s office? Pulling his record prior to SOLDIER landed something of a similar trend.

3rd class Fair meant no harm - though he sure ended up in some situations.

Time to find out more.

Angeal cleared his throat.

“Huh?” Stopped his pull ups, but stayed hanging by one hand. Followed by a spirited wave. “Oh hey, am I being released?”

“There’s a few questions we need to go over.” Fair snapped to attention at that. Came down and became the model for parade rest. Though his heels still rocked a touch. Fingers by his side stimming past each other. “We are here to review your most recent actions that were in violation to company policy and SOLDIER standards. As the two strikes were within such a tight window the severity of this assessment has reached escalation. Do you understand?”

Fair nodded. His lips exposing his wincing teeth. Now did he feel remorse for what he did or getting caught?

Angeal balanced making marks on his clipboard and tracking how Fair responded to the questions. The subtlest of expressions could give a game away. Though as they moved past ‘why did you climb the top of the tower how did you not know that wasn’t allowed’ to ‘how were you informed of that restricted room in Medical, you will need to sign an NDA’, it was becoming quite clear.

This SOLDIER was an open book.

He responded openly and honestly. Could answer protocol and regulations well enough. He had the overview it was the specifics and exceptions that tripped him up. Certain legal inference flew right over Fair’s head.

More so his rationale for his actions were not in poor foundation. Keeping a promise to a friend and seeking to ease even the discomfort of others were good instincts to have. Though Angeal noted on his reported misguided.

“Do you plan on getting another infraction or similar behaviour in the future?”

Fair clasped his palms together and bent his forehead down, “Wouldn’t dream of it! Honest!”

“Dreams you say…”

He would definitely do something similar again. If the instinct took him then Fair would probably already be back up there in Medical to keep chatting to Sephiroth’s brother.

But someone like this had potential.

Angeal tapped his pen while looking Zack Fair up and down with the thought in mind.

He had been looking for a mentee…

Chapter 11: Genesis flirts with Sephiroth on top of a Behemoth corpse

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The behemoth corpse faded beneath his feet. Sephiroth landed calmly once it fully returned to the Lifestream.

Genesis remained lounging on the other one.

Rapier laying clean across his knee.

Scanning the immediate area there didn’t appear to be any more. No tremors to be felt. Enough of a culling to satisfy his mission requirements without devastating the local ecosystem.

He should flag for air transport - he’s already been away too long.

Genesis hops off at the last moment before his post-mortem seat bursts in a shower of green specks. Lands theatrically with this as his backdrop.

“Suppose that does it then.” Fluffed his bangs out of the way. Someone said he didn’t have the face for it so Genesis scheduled a photoshoot on a major fashion magazine in response. Sephiroth wonders if he still has them out of pettiness or habit at this point.

He nods. “We’ll stay put until our transportation arrives. Thank you for your help.”

On a mission Genesis wasn’t assigned on.

“What’s a little showboating between friends?” Flashed Midgar’s Most Dazzling Smile Aware Winner™️ three years running.

(There was a gap year when Sephiroth arrived on the scene and from some prodding from his mom attempted to smile more for press releases. From the resulting showing of his teeth had several reporters on scene fainting, those few images the photographers managed to snap were highly sought after by fan club members, and Sephiroth keeping to closed mouth from then on. He hadn’t meant to be that scary… Though mom said over the phone that she hung it up all the same with pride.)

“I suppose.” Sephiroth hadn’t been doing anything different though.

A sigh with the same breadth of a soliloquy. “He supposes.”

Sephiroth hadn’t done anything different from his usual response to completing the mission. Arrive, execute, return to see if Cloud wasn’t developing pressure ulcers. Speaking of, pulling out his PHS, he checked the latest proposal from Gast on treatment. Cross referencing with past treatment plans-

-only for Genesis to push the phone down with a single finger.

“What are you doing?”

“I need to-“

Genesis brought his finger back up. “He has round the clock care of the finest medical providers on the planet. I’m sure you can take your eye off the matter for a second.”

Sephiroth knew he was scowling.

“More so, this is really what you want to be doing?”

A tilt of the head, “Would I rather give you the attention?” His friend just waved off the notion.

“I’m not trying to drive a wedge between you two. There has been another thought on my mind.” Spelled out with sign language to underline the exaggerated morphing of his lips. “Is this really what you want?”

Sighing as he realised there wasn’t going to be an escape till the helicopter arrived, Sephiroth pocketed his PHS. “It won’t always be the case. Cloud will wake up.”

He had to say it. He had to believe it. He had to ignore what nightmares said. The image of a withered hand clutched in his. That he had done this. He hadn’t stopped this. Why hadn’t he loved his brother better and sooner? Cloud would wake up, he would wake up, he might wake up any day now, and he wasn’t there, because Sephiroth was never there. For anyone and-

“Be that as it may, you can’t keep living for another person like this. Especially once he wakes up.”

Sephiroth shook himself free. “Meaning?”

Genesis gave him a razor-sharp look. “By the Goddess my friend, are you prepared for who your brother will be or the you he hasn’t met yet?”

The approaching helicopter blades cut through the air and Sephiroth was already retreating.

Chapter 12: Sephiroth checks on Cloud and talks with Vincent

Chapter Text

When he was back in Cloud’s room, no change (always always no change), the shadows by his bedside took on a face.

Vincent appeared from nothing with a nod.

Sephiroth gave a nod back before taking his usual post by his brother’s side. Hadn’t had a chance to swing by his new room (out of sharing a bunk with Genesis and Angeal though they all haunted each other’s spaces enough the difference wasn’t too keenly felt) to pick up anything too stimulating. So Cloud’s entertainment would sadly have to be him filling out his mission report out loud.

Maybe it would be enough to rouse him from sheer want of something else. Maybe Cloud would take an interest in this kind of thing.

He was still reeling a touch from earlier.

He could predict Cloud as a memory and Cloud as a body to care for, but…

“Have you eaten?” Vincent’s low voice brought Sephiroth back. He had been doing that a lot recently. But then again his younger brother slept enough for the both of them.

Sephiroth nodded and returned back to his reports. MREs left a grit to his teeth and a film to his tongue. Gummed up in the back of his throat a bit if he was being honest. A wonder of scientific achievement they removed all flavour from the original source and invented new horrible ones to put back in.

“Claudia requested that I check on both of you.”

An obvious statement seeing as Vincent wouldn’t have initiated in such a way otherwise.

“His most recent bloodwork suggests-“

“A reminder that she did say both of you.”

Acid-green eyes narrowed at the interruption. He was fine. He was up and about. “Please reassure her that I am well.”

“It is not in my nature to hide things from your mother.” Vincent’s gaze cast down. “As she put it, ‘honesty costs nothing.’ A noble goal to be sure, though not always achievable.”

Said the first day Vincent had arrived into their lives.

He seemed forever tall from Sephiroth’s young point of view. A monster from a picture book that Mom had just let in for a cup of tea.

At bedtime, Claudia had kissed both her sons goodnight then returned to ask Vincent more questions. Sephiroth had waited a beat before tiptoeing closer. His body pressing against the wall by the doorframe. His ear strained out to catch this stranger’s words. What possible dark deeds and motions towards his family.

Nothing immediate. Vincent calmly responded while his Mom made notes in charcoal on paperscraps about what she could think of. The allergies, the possible height growth, any concerns.

“He may grow up with… obsessive tendencies.” There was almost a shameful admittance to Vincent voice as he croaked that out. “Though that may be learned behaviour more than his biological origins.”

“His…” Claudia’s voice trailed off. “Did you know his parents?”

Sephiroth listened to Vincent do something on the table. Setting things around. “I’m afraid it’s not merely a simple matter of a traditional mother and father. From my examinations of… his records, it would be more apt to say two maternal sources and two paternal sources.”

Maybe what he was laying about on the table was demonstrative in nature. A visual aid to guide in the absolute oddity he was about to elaborate on. Mind bending works from brilliant, if twisted minds. Sephiroth may have been sneaking too many penny dreadfuls the down the road chicken farmer used as bedding.

It’s possible that Vincent was just idle in his hands.

“Base source came from a woman named Lucrecia. I was assigned as her bodyguard during the experiment’s duration. However I was… removed before the end. Her part involved the willful injection of foreign material to see its effect on fetal development.”

His words reached absolute zero. “A contaminant in my eyes.”

Vincent’s entire speech broken up by frequent breaks to clear his throat. Unused vocal cords strained from what needed to be said. His best guess, in shameful admittance, to Lucrecia’s current location - could be anywhere, but if a god would listen he prayed somewhere around this area. Perhaps a cave in refuge.

Claudia made some scratches to her notes. Followed up on clarifying before diving back to ask, “And… his father?”

Vincent’s tone bleed ice to warm. “I… was unaware, however it seems my involvement continued on after my… absence.” Each admission ripped out of him through internal torture. “My genetic material was the base then Hojo modified it using his own.”

The old clock struck midnight. Clanged and gonged so loud it always threatened to fall off the wall. Sephiroth strained his ears forward. Trying to catch any other sound from the adults.

But neither spoke again till well after the twelfth note. Vincent having the shadow of embarrassment when he picked up once more, “So in short telling you of his heritage is tricky in the factor of having, on a medical technicality, four parents.”

“Five.” Claudia corrected. “Though not on the medical side.”

Dishes were picked up and the sink sputtered up, no doubt the usual, room temperature water. “He’s a Strife now too.”

“I see.”

Shuffling as Claudia wiped her hands down on her apron. “So do you intend to help me raise them? Not just your son?”

“I have no right to call myself a father in any capacity.” Vincent’s metal footsteps, still quiet as a cat’s, padded towards the front door. “No monster does.”

Sephiroth could feel his mom’s disapproval through the walls. Could imagine the pursing of her lips and the shirr to her brows. Clenched her teeth. Her words in Old Nibel still slipped through, “What is an example of a monster, if not a father who abstains from duty?”

“One who fails in attempts to fill the role.”

“Did you love her?”

Vincent’s ghost pattern steps stopped. “I had no right to.”

“But you did.” Mom’s speech grew emboldened. “Then the monster you fear has already been killed. They cannot prowl where love is air. And for you… I would say love is what’s been trapped in your lungs a very long time.”

He stepped away from the door. He stepped further back into the house.

“I will help. However I may.” To cleanse this debt where he himself would remain mired in what his past deeds have cost. Vincent tucked away a belief that disagreed with the woman who was giving him a roof over his head and a second chance at redemption. Monsters were most commonly found where love was air. Where love ran as water. As love could be food. Where else when monsters were so starved for it?

“Thank you.” Sephiroth remembered when she said that last. Newborn Cloud in one arm and his face in the other. Shoulders slumping in relief. Shored up in following with her other proposal. “Mr. Valentine… did I ever tell you that I was into spelunking in my youth?”

And he had stayed.

He had never become a father to Sephiroth, according to Sephiroth, but he had become family. Become co-parent with Claudia and another member of the household. Took to ravaging the old mansion for tech updates to the house or things to sell in a pinch. Once he brought boxes and boxes into their small living space and spent the nights squinting at instructions before carefully screwing in something the size of an ant.

Had admitted to not being completely certain as to what this puzzle would come to form, but according to the extensive blueprints (size of an old family quilt that Claudia found a way to hang from the ceilings when her arms grew tired) then the result would be an assistive artificial aid. Or as the schematics labeled it “personal assistive data acquisition”.

Not very catchy either way.

After each ever so small piece was put into place according to Hojo’s unfinished designs - was a PHS.

Perhaps a bulkier than average one that synced to terminal signals on a higher than average boot-up, but that was about the size of it from the looks of it. (Assessment done by a man who hadn’t kept up with the march of progress in years, a woman who had never bothered in the first place, and literal children).

Vincent stuck to scavenging the goods for sale and training Sephiroth.

“If I offer to take vigil, will you rest?” The present Vincent’s voice shook Sephiroth out of the fuzzy recollection he had fallen into. Still statued by Cloud’s bedside. Half his face in shadow.

Sphiroth cleared a feeling from his throat. “I will if I must. And after you answer a question.”

Vincent waited for his prompt.

“You spoke of a contamination a long time ago. What ever happened to it?”

When Vincent was freed from his coffin and self-imposed exiled status, he had taken to scouring the mountains. Traveled via the winding tunnels Nibleheim boasted of a cave system with Claudia, but the territory of Nibel wolves he took upon himself.

Took upon himself to visit the world’s first reactor.

Inside he found more abandoned works by one now rotting Hojo. Pods filled with unclean mako and bits floating within. The tubes connecting them elsewhere completely bone dry.

Higher up the stairs was the subject that Lucrecia had been lost to. JENOVA.

Vincent broke his way in and ascended to the shrine. A metallic psychopomp if he had to guess the creator’s intentions. Slipping under the ex-Turk found himself face to face-

-with a tube filled with cancerous cells.

When the Cetra had fought against what plague their foe cast and sealed it away, it was still able to pull from the planet in a slow slumber. Sucking the nutrients from the soil around them. Any animals that died, even thousands of meters above, would find their remains eking down to sustain the calamity.

With no one to maintenance or change out the filtration system of the reactor, the being known as JENOVA soon grew quite desperate.

The steel around gave nothing. Sucking desert sand for moisture. And soon enough the cells couldn’t be recycled properly.

Cannibalistic autophagy.

Its nature to dominate turned upon itself as dysfunctional component refuse built up without a process to cleanse and revitalise. Instructions within the nucleus produced a higher rate of mutations which spawned the generation copying that till the original process was lost completely to unchecked cellular growth.

Seeing each other as foreign, as nutrients, till JENOVA’s false form burst.

Vincent eyed up the malignant and damaged tissue then went about cleaning up the bio-hazard as safely as possible.

“Long disposed of.” Nowhere near the Lifestream or ecosystem in case the one trick it kept up its sleeve was spread. Tilted his head towards the door. As close as ever a feeling of a father shooing away his son to bed.

Sephiroth scowled, but kept his end of the bargain by standing up. Handed over his mission report with a pointed, “You’ll make sure this gets turned in to the correct administrative parties, yes?”

Vincent took it without a word. Shinra the behemoth rarely if ever changed these kinds of things. Filling out form A would get inserted into Inbox B for Intern C to actually scan to Drive D only for Error E to spit back out.

Though he did stop Sephiroth in the door way by calmly raising his hand.

“Regarding your report,” because he hadn’t lost the ability to speed read near instantaneously. “Do you have an answer ready?”

In his haze, the General of Shinra had written down his friend’s words. Had crossed and erased, but the imprint remained clear enough to enhanced vision.

‘What do I want?’ ‘Who will I be when Cloud wakes up?’

Chapter 13: Cloud's awake and everyone has to adjust

Chapter Text

The answer was a touch overbearing.

From a very good place, he swears. That very good places often being in step with Cloud. Unmoved by the glare or exasperated, “Don’t you have anything else to do?”

Genesis broke first to openly complain.

“Oh by the Goddess! Let the man breathe!” This was after Sephiroth had added a rotating guard schedule to the SOLDIER board. Subject of protection was always the same.

Angeal was second. He more advises than complained.

“Maybe some breathing room wouldn’t go amiss.” This was after the Volleyball Incident. The incident reports were a group effort. “Distance makes the heart grow fonder as they say.”

Lazard is the third breaking point when he calmly informed the General that Cloud has expressed both the want of a restraining order or throwing himself off the tower. And getting less and less picky on which came first as frustrations mounted.

So Sephiroth followed his own mission parameters - arrive (to a conclusion), execute (his plan), and return to Cloud (not scowling all the time.)

“Perhaps you can join SOLDIER.” He suggested one night after dinner. Cloud was on washing the dishes. Roughly scrubbing with an absent light to his eyes. Sephiroth took to drying with a more careful hand. His tone even more so.

His brother hmm’d in response. He had been a fairly quiet child, but now his words seemed all the rarer.

“Your skills would be appreciated. As well as give you some structure.”

“What, you think I need it?”

Paused with the glass between his fingers, “I think most people benefit when grounded in some way.” To find their feet on firm support beneath them. Cloud’s considering face in his peripheral.

Kept his tone blase. “I already feel pretty grounded. Pass.”

“Then this may grant the free you seek. Going out on missions, engaging with those in need of your help, and comradery with your fellows of all classes.” Angeal had made him notecards with suggestions on them. Anxiety prickled as he kept talking though. Rote off a recruitment pamphlet wouldn’t be enough would it?

Cloud gave him a dry look and another plate to wipe down. “And be under your thumb?”

More so than usual was a bitter admission to himself alone.

In an short-sighted effort to escape his brother’s shadow, Cloud had paid the price in years. Losing the developmental span of child to teen to now being in the threshold of almost an adult.

Worse hadn’t escaped a thing.

He went to sleep as Sephiroth’s little brother and woke up as the General’s little brother.

More than once people had come up to him to badger him about the most random things. ‘How was Sephiroth feeling that day?’ ‘How lucky was Cloud to be his brother?’ ‘Did he adopt you himself, he’s so kind-hearted!’ And more than once, ‘So what brand of shampoo and conditioner does he use? An entire bottle per wash? Shows how dedicated he is I think!’

And what was Cloud?

The coma kid.

Worst kept secret of Shinra’s inner workings. The charity case that kept the most powerful man on a leash. Kept their family splintered. Pitiful in the pond of Nibleheim and now piteable in the ocean of Midgar.

Who could he possibly become now that he had lost the years?

“What would I even be? There something below 3rd?” He shook excess water free before crumpling up a hand towel. “Cloud Strife, barely SOLDIER, 4th Class.”

As ever his brother shadowed.

“I do believe it’s usually referred to as a reserve Cloud.”

‘Spare me’ was on the edge of snapping free. Instead he parked it in the living room and began flipping through the channels without seeing them.

As ever Sephiroth was not giving up. He poised on the edge of the section. A full seat closer. Fingers lanced.

“Might I inquire as to what else you plan to do instead?”

Settled on Action7 News! covering an opinion poll regarding the shortage of Shinra manpower in regards to outer spheres of Midgar. Tower got first pick, then top of the plate, then if it was enough of a problem - the slums.

And the wastes were growing more and more dangerous. People and Kalm risked everything just to take a day trip its bigger almost-neighbour.

Vice versa was the same.

“Do I have to do anything?” He did. He desperately wanted to be doing something. Work off the pull of gravity turning him into himself. If possible escape the orbit of his brother.

Sephiroth pinched the bridge of his nose. “Kids.”

“I’m not some kid!!” Cloud snapped. Stood over his brother seething. “So I don’t damn well need you to find an after-school activity for me or schedule a playdate!”

Looking up betrayed something. How one had seen the other versus felt seen. Here Cloud existed in multitude in his eyes. Still so young. Forced to be and also forced to be older. Here Cloud was in a way that Sephiroth was still, as ever, failing to help. “I…”

Cleared his throat. Don’t be unsettled. One must always remain calm and in control. “I don’t see you that way. This isn’t about me telling you where to go. It’s I want to help you wherever you want to.” ‘Just tell me.’ The older one nearly begged. ‘Tell me so I can ease some pain from you. If it’s a mountain in your way I’ll move it’

Cloud sat down with his fists clenched over his knees. Hating how his family came with easy access to all his buttons.

His cooling breath mixed with the clean audio from the television. “You… know how they’ll see me.”

“Prove them wrong.”

Looked up. Waited. Didn’t wait for long. “Prove them all wrong. Take the test, improve under a mentor, and soon no one will speak of what you achieve and mine as if they were one and the same.”

Cloud scoffed, though something in his chest did warm. “Right. And when they say I’m doing this or well or whatever because of you…?”

“Keep proving them wrong.”

How Cloud desperately wished that were true. That people could change like that. But the evidence of him stepping out of reality and back in just proved how little things really did.

His whole life he had wanted to be Good at Something.

Anything.

Wanting to put in the work and time to improve on that Something as long as he showed an inclination. If one person had said, ‘wow you have an eye for colour’ then Cloud would make himself the finest artist who ever was. ‘You’re so clever’ Strife the Academic. ‘Have you ever thought about-‘

but no one ever said that so there was Nothing in its place.

‘What do you want?’ from ma, from Vincent, from anyone who gave a passing damn about him. But how was he supposed to know that? Especially when everything kept winding back to ‘I want to be like Sephiroth.’

‘I want to be even a fraction like my brother. If I can have one prayer answered then please let someone somewhere pick me first.’

‘Why am I always chasing?’

“Fine.” Because what else was there really for him to do. Cloud the Retail Worker would have the place burning down within first ten minutes of clocking in. At least in SOLDIER it was an expected occupational hazard.

Sephiroth breathed a sigh of relief. “We’ll discuss the entrance process with Director Lazard tomorrow.”

Cloud was back to his little grunts of response.

“Though Cloud,” his brother cheated an ear towards him. “,some advice. There’s a rumoured internal listing of SOLDIER rankings that’s not officially sanctioned by myself or any of the other elites or even Shinra itself. Until it’s rooted out do be careful on not getting involved with it.”

A blond eyebrow raised. If his brother wanted to keep nervously lecturing then he could ignore why he picked up that habit.

“Also in terms of mentors. I imagine I will not be your first choice, but Angeal is still capable of more than one student. Or perhaps Genesis could-“

“Nope.” TV went black. Cloud stretched his arms overhead and began walking to his room. Skipping the rules of three regarding what else he could be advised about. “I already agreed on everything else. But my mentor better not be Genesis.”

Chapter 14: Genesis mentors Cloud with fire and theatre

Chapter Text

Fire nearly scorched across the air by his skin. He tucked his body into the roll tighter. Shoved past the strain to his overworked legs. Blast marks all around the training room during this stupid exercise. All the while-

-Genesis just kept talking.

“So though tragically the fifth act has been lost to us I believe it prudent, my dear student, to discuss the merits of what it could have been.” Cast a Fira during the end of his little spin. “A statue without arms is a fascinating point of debate. How do you imagine the form was originally as it were.”

“Is now really the time?!”

Tsking. “Come now Cloud. In battle you’ll be expected to process more than what your enemy throws at you.”

Rolled his eyes and body back. “Like some weird play?”

“Perhaps.” Genesis re-clasped his beloved personal copy of LOVELESS to his hip book holster then set both hands aflame. “Though for that remark, we will be upping the intensity. I’m sure you can handle it.”

The Big Three weren’t dating yet so Cloud could kill him right? Pretty sure that was in the bro code somewhere.

“Oh and Cloud,” far far far too delighted with the homework idea that just popped into his head. “,I do expect you to have memorised our subject matter by the end of the week. Be able to state requested sections during this exercise.”

Blue eyes wide in disbelief. Genesis’s sad*stic grin aglow with a Firagra. “I’ll accept nothing less than the best from my student.”

Chapter 15: Angeal, Genesis, and Sephiroth go on their first date

Chapter Text

The wine was as blood red as his first-date jacket. He appreciated the candle in the middle of the table. Though it still hadn’t lead to much of an icebreaker. “So personally I think the training is going well.”

“I’m not sure Cloud would concur.” Sephiroth stiff as usual. “But thank you for the report.”

Angeal dabbed at his mouth. The shrimp and spinach salad was surprisingly fresh. “It sounds like maybe we could have a joint session with your student and mine soon. Maybe-“

“And that-“ Genesis set his empty glass down. “-is the end of shop talk for this date.”

Both raised to object, but he commanded with a finger wave.

“Ah ah. We just all agreed our professional lives are going swimmingly. Especially on my end. One might say that I’m, to borrow a phrase, killing it?”

Sephiroth nodded. “I’m far more certain that Cloud would concur with a variant of that statement.”

“So with that put to bed.” Genesis cradled his fine cut chin in his palm. Smouldered across the table at his two dates. “We can talk about other matters. Though we needn’t rid ourselves of the bed if the conversation takes us there.” A purr and a wink.

Angeal took a sip of his sparkling water instead of responding. Sephiroth took to considering the words deeply. “So are we to get in the bed with the matters we laid in there already or…?”

Rolled his eyes (better than his pupil might he had. Cloud had much to learn).

The rest of the date started and stopped several times.

All three did agree to another one.

Chapter 16: Claudia calls her sons and both parties share news

Chapter Text

“Well that’s some progress.” Ma was wincing with her eyes. Cloud was standing in the corner still. (“I’m an adult and you’re not even here ma.” “After that use of language that corner will hold you till the next I visit.”) She continued on as positive as she could. “Maybe next time though…”

Sephiroth sighed. “Don’t constantly talk about work during a romantic endeavour?”

“There’s always next time.”

Claudia nodded firmly to keep the spirits up. Cloud leaned over. Feet still pressed to the wall. He threw his voice over, “So ma, how’s cave diving with Vincent been?”

In a rare moment she looked exactly like her youngest when he desperately wanted to anywhere else. Breathed through it then, “Cloud you’re ungrounded for this conversation.” Once he was seated by his brother. “There’s another reason I needed to call both of you…”

Chapter 17: Angeal, Genesis, and Sephiroth head off for Nibleheim (Zack is Not in charge)

Chapter Text

Angeal was bringing the Buster Sword along. Zack eyed its form as his mentor clipped it to his back.

The Elites were all going to Nibleheim.

No one elaborated more than a ‘personal mission for their General.’ He hoped everything was okay… especially with the commanders coming with.

“Remember Lazard and the rest of the Board will also be absent for a time regarding discussions between Wutai and Cosmo Canyon, so I do expect you on your best behaviour even when there’s no one to report to.” Checked the fit of his pauldron.

“Right. Am I supposed to be going with them on that or…?”

A sigh. “Check the mission boards. If you’re assigned to anything specific then it’ll be there or in your inbox for your email.”

Zack rubbed the back of his head. “Usually I just ask Kunsel. He always seems to have it memorised somehow. “ Like he had everyone’s memorised. “Go around Midgar. Be helpful. Got it!”

Gave a salute. Angeal shoulder-checked him in a fond manner. Strode confidently to the door with a proverbial puppy at his heels .

“If your mission boards say so then by all means.”

Chapter 18: Angeal, Genesis, and Sephiroth flirt on a helicopter

Chapter Text

Helicopters probably made him too nostalgic.

Sephiroth remembered holding his brother’s slack hand as they left home and eventually a gleaming city arose from the horizon. Ready to ensnare them both.

He looked at his own empty hand now.

“Never seen anyone get lost in their own palm before.” Genesis possessed an inner ear that was in strong communication with his own brain. Being in a bumpy, loud moving machinery striking across the continent at several knots while reading was not trouble for him apparently.

Sephiroth did rest his hand back in his own lap.

Angeal, meanwhile was also doing more than a bit of light reading. A tablet held up far too close to his face till half of it was awash in screen-blue. His other grip was securely on the safety strap above.

“These mission parameters are frustratingly vague I must admit.”

“Perhaps it best till we arrive then assess.”

Genesis turned a page and didn’t seem all that invested with the world outside his book. “Can’t imagine the company would actually let us act by our own discretion no matter what we find.”

A silent question to Angeal who hid his response by covering his face more with the tablet, cheating towards Sephiroth, and working his tone to be under the helicopter’s bladed thunder. “He’s a touch grumpy from seeing Dr. Gast yesterday.”

When Dr. Gast transferred from R&D to Medical - there was still some concerning things to root out.

Starting with Hollander. A man straddling the line of doctor when he desperately was trying to be wearing Hojo’s shoes as it were. Was rather proud to flaunt that he was the Commanders personal physician. Witnessing their meteoric rise all while he was keeping them healthy behind the scenes.

Then one mislabeled blood work and Gast was looking in horror at both of Angeal and Genesis’s cells.

At a glance, structurally unremarkable.

On follow up, was almost like precision clockwork. So finely tuned that it left nothing to chance or allowed no leeway. Dormant, microscopic timebombs that could be triggered by a number of things. Stress, that year’s flu shot, that year’s flu variant, update in a cosmetic’s list, too much or too little physical activity, on and on.

After pitching the loss of revenue to the President, Hollander found his own pair of shoes escorted out the door and Gast stepping in the place as their primary physician.

Didn’t make, especially Genesis, either of them happy to be so frequently poked as Gast worked to come up with a solution.

He had a treatment, but nowhere near the cure.

Sephiroth leaned back in the same spirit of conspiracy shared, “It did appear his skin was less dewy today.”

“He,” Angeal fought through the chuckles. He shouldn’t be laughing, he really really shouldn’t, “he’ll crash this flight if he overhears you.”

From what appeared to be gossip Genesis snapped his copy closed (he wasn’t about to bring the original one a mission, he wasn’t an animal). “Oh ha ha, you two. If you’re going to pass notes in class then you might as well have the courtesy to share with everyone.”

A shared look.

“We were merely discussing possible strategies once we arrive. As well as different scenarios we may need to be adaptable on.” Sephiroth lied as smooth breathing.

Angeal shouldn’t be as proud.

“Budge up.” Genesis ignored the weight distribution in play to stride over and set himself fully in Sephiroth’s lap. Used his red boots to pull his other boyfriend flush. “To make sharing all the easier. I know, I know. Considerate of me.”

Another shared look.

They were getting good at those.

“You do get used to his behaviour.” A velvet gloved hand, all to pleased, was twirling a silver strand of hair. “Mostly.”

Chapter 19: Cloud fails to flirt and then learns about the SOLDIER free for all/Kunsel's betting ring

Chapter Text

Zack was truly inhaling his portions of food. Was ‘fueling up’ before heading down under the Plate to run routine with Troopers in those sectors. Had folded up his pizza on top of another pizza then swallowed that unholy double greased creation down whole. Washed it down by sucking a litre of water. Also in one go.

Cloud took another bite of his apple.

“I’m thinking with the Elites out this is my chance to really make my mark - to shine man!” Fries swiped through the ketchup. A haybale full popped in. “Angeal has a habit of treating me with kid gloves. What about your mentor?”

Dodged when the last fry was used to point. “He treated me with opera gloves.”

Zack snorted then dug into his next bowl of rice. After a few gulps rolled into his next question while looking right into Cloud’s eyes. “What missions are on the board for you?” Got out between the vegetable samosas disappearing down his gullet.

“Still updating.” Had been kind of finicky last couple hours. Most people’s missions would say STATUS NEEDED: then follow up with locations no one could actually get to or TASKS REQUIRED: that didn’t follow a lot of reason. Unless Cloud was actually expected to get to Icicle Inn then the moon within an hour to look over a Cactuar threat/and or negotiate peace talks.

Zack stood up with baklava still on his lips. “Sure you’ll land a cool one. Catch ya after?”

“Yeah.” Not making eye contact. And not blushing.

“See ya Spike!”

Went back to finishing up his apple when Kunsel sat down instead. His attention on a rather slim personal device. Definitely not Shinra issued.

“Didn’t think to use that opening for a dinner date or…?”

Cloud’s forehead met the table. “Is everyone going ride my ass about my love life?”

A few more taps at the screen. “I could say what the others would say or something else.” Like a true bro to give an option. And true wing man to help his two friends out.

“Say both then leave.”

“Less would ride your ass if you just asked Zack to-“

“Nevermind. Say neither and leave.” His face went completely aflame. Kunsel smirked. A progress bar shone off the reflection of his helmet.

Cloud scoffed while getting up to leave. Tossed his apple core into the compost. Barely turned away when Kunsel called after.

“Not going to wait for your mission?”

“Board’s still busted. I’m going to the gym.” Waved off, but didn’t get another step.

An electronic chirp behind him then the air became electrified. Mission board flicked. Kunsel set down his tablet satisfied. “Oh the board wasn’t broken.”

Whoops and hollers pitching up. Cloud turned to see everyone had the same mission.

UPDATE EVALUATION

A 2nd Class leapt onto the mess hall table and with the excitement of a kid on a sugar-high shouted, “SOLDIER free for all!” Several just launched themselves at each other. Some formed a ring and began placing bets. Kunsel with Barrier cast happily collected those bets.

Cloud watched the mayhem for awhile before shaking himself out of it. Turned around more determined than ever to not lose an entire day to something stupid. Two people wrestling motioned for him to join up, but he kept on his way out. “Pass.” He growled after another attempt.

Then-

“Woo! Yeah!” Some 3rd clapped in on the back and swung an arm good-naturedly around his shoulder. “Come on! Let’s see what General’s little bro can do!”

Kunsel reupped his protective Barrier.

Cloud turned his head to stare blankly at his peer. “Okay, on second thought.”

Chapter 20: Vincent looks over Lucrecia's crystal when the Big Three arrive with Claudia then they get a phone call

Chapter Text

Vincent never left his vigil once they found her. Became a still image Claudia cared for. A scarecrow she laid a blanket over. The statue looking up that she tried pressing to please take a bite or a sip.

He wanted to say Lucrecia looked just like the last time he saw her. But last he saw her that face he knew every contour of was twisted in grief. Eyes shadowed into pits. Long hair in an absolute tangle.

This weeping calm before Vincent looked like an entirely different woman than who was branded into his memory.

All because of him.

What he had done.

“Mrs. Strife?” Commander Hewley come from behind with his companions. Vincent listened to Claudia fuss and catch them up. From my I think you’ve all grown to even Tifa has left the village to help teach martial arts, say hi if you see her. Through the chatter he listened to one set of boots in particular break away to stand by his side.

Sephiroth shared his mother’s profile.

In motion they shared the same creases to their furrowed brows and twin tightening of the eyes when a puzzle wouldn’t fall into place.

Claudia stepped in the space they left between them. Rested her head against Sephiroth’s arm. Soothed a hand down his back. She had been against his new uniform. Or as she put it at the time, ‘I have some concerned notes.’

“Guess when you said you had one… it wasn’t a mama high above, but a mama down here.” Traced the back of his knuckles with her thumb before slipping away.

Sephiroth stepped back in for his turn with the motion.

“Please.” She turned to look up at him. “I had one right here besides me. I believe I still do?”

Shuffled back closer “Making tears of me at this age. Odin help me with you.”

Genesis and Angeal joined up to gaze upon the crystal’s glow. All five of them huddled up in the echoing silence of the cave and wondered how they would even begin here.

When Angeal’s radio burst the moment with static from his hip.

“Hewley speaking.”

Relay distortion then it popped some more with the strain under layers of the planet. “Um… plainly speaking sir, we need you back here.”

Flicked his eye over. Genesis gave a full shrug. Angeal pressed the respond button. Leaned into stern absolute. “We were cleared for a personal mission until completion or absolute state of emergency.”

“Yeah sir about that second thing…”

Voice over the line started on about an odd system error wrecking complete havoc on the Tower.

How it flashed a message the General in particular may want to see. And-

Genesis plucked the radio and nearly leaned against Lucrecia’s crystal if not for intervention by Vincent’s glare. “And what pray tell are all the other SOLDIERs we left behind doing?!”

Chapter 21: Big Three return to Midgar and the brothers are requested

Chapter Text

The Elites and top brass of Shinra returned to shocking find of the entire SOLDIER population in a dizzied dogpile.

With Cloud Strife using them all as a throne.

He was a rather bored monarch if the metaphor continued. Kunsel the adviser to the side counting the total he’d just racked up as well as his system auto-tallying hits to performance.

Both found Angeal Hewley, Genesis Rhapsodos, and most terrifyingly of all Sephiroth standing in the mess hall entrance. Expressions in order of ‘About to Lecture Like Never Before’, ‘Oh What Did I Miss and Is There Video Evidence’, and finally ‘Unreadable’.

Cloud’s face went from ‘not interested’ to ‘completely caught’ within seconds.

“In my defence…” He pointed somewhere down the tangled pile of groaning bodies. “One of them started it.”

Sephiroth’s expression flared before pulling back together on the exhale. He was fully the General when directed his attention to SOLDIER Strife and SOLDIER Kunsel.

“As you are the only able-bodied members under my command currently.” Turned on a heel. “With me.”

Two sets of boots followed. His commanders remaining to clean up.

“What’s the situation sir?” Kunsel first to step up.

Sephiroth kept his long strides.

They made it to the elevator before Cloud barked his turn. “Sephiroth! Talk to us!”

The General’s finger poised over the level button.

The doors closed and soon the lift was plummeting down. All the while Sephiroth’s finger remained poised over the button. “It would appear… that a ghost in the machine has requested our audience. Yours and mine specifically, Cloud.”

Turned to look at his younger brother.

PHS in hand read, “S3ph1rπ_Cl0Ud_wH3r3_d1d_y0U_G0?”

Chapter 22: This ghost in the machine has a name (Chadley)

Chapter Text

Within the bowels of IT were wires serpentined anyway they could be woven. Tall server modems blinking in mako green. Screens and keyboards disobeying techs and engineers desperately trying to input commands.

“Sir!” One vaulted out of their chair. “You’re here!”

“The issue?”

A screen flickered on in place of a human answer. “pl34s3 1f y0u 4r3 n0t S3ph1r07h 0r cl0Ud, k1ndly t4k3 l3av3 0f th3 pr3m1s3s.”

Kunsel whispered to the nearest engineer, “Just to cover our bases, you guys did turn it off and on again, right?”

“We couldn’t!” At a lost whispering back. “When we finally got clearance to do a full system reboot it didn’t work! Whatever this is either kept the emergency power running or just disappeared to an off-site server before returning…”

Sephiroth turned to address the room. “Please follow the on screen instructions. Wait outside the doors.”

“We’re really following what this thing is saying?” Cloud hissed under his breath.

Everyone else was already hesitatingly shuffling out.

Kunsel’s face twisted like he just sucked on a lemon before the doors fully closed again.

“Cloud. You as well.” Sephiroth began keying in his own inputs. “I’ll signal when it’s safe.” But Cloud didn’t budge a step. “That’s an order.”

Keyboard locked up under him. “1'm s0rry, but 1 m1ss Cl0ud just a5 much 4s 1 m1553d Y0u. C4n y0u b0th pl3as3 stay?”

“Who are you?”

System whirred and beeped. Cooling fans kicked onto high. “4h, 1 533 7h3 m15c0mmun1c4710n.”

Pixels on the screen forming together.

Both brothers leaned in as a pattern took shape.

A young boy, maybe a teen in appearance, maybe younger. Silver hair cut into a bob with untamable curls and curved bangs. Bright, deep blue eyes. Wearing what looked like a fusion between a scientist’s labcoat and a scout uniform.

Speakers tuned in. Dials wound around till a voice seasoned with static came into clarity.

“We haven’t been formally introduced! My name is Chadley.”

Chapter 23: How Chadley came to be

Chapter Text

When Vincent put together that personal device from Hojo’s blueprints, it was more than a slightly bulkier PHS that could auto-connect to terminals and signals.

It was a personal assistant with the express intention of evolving.

For Chadley the act of coming alive and becoming himself was in stages of data collection, sorting, and advancing efficiency. From simple ones and zeroes to far longer quantities of information.

Though he wasn’t sure what he was supposed to be gathering and why exactly.

Until the night before Cloud’s seventh birthday.

When his present was going to be late.

Claudia and Sephiroth had put their heads together to figure out what they were supposed to do. Decided to tighten the household’s belt to have enough for a brand new bike. Not a hand-me-down or cobbled together by Frank and his scrap metal down the street. But an honest to Shiva electric bike capable of handling Nibleheim’s rough terrain that Cloud could grow into.

On the day before Cloud’s seventh birthday, it still hadn’t arrived by sundown. Claudia started chasing after carriers and where it could have gone. Sephiroth in charge of distraction. Vincent doing a better job by shooting at targets Cloud pointed at.

No matter who she got on the horn, no one could give Claudia an answer to where it may have gone. And with the basic package they had been able to purchase - there would be no replacements or refunds.

Hung up with numb fingers and prayed at the kitchen table. “If it’s me, if I did something wrong…” Took a breath. “Don’t take it out on Cloud. Please let this work out.”

Huh.

With each person Claudia actually got to speak with she read the order number aloud and they in turn would repeat to confirm.

Chadley went to the online catalog they had ordered from (specifically the Strife household had circled what they wanted from where it was advertised in the paper and called an operator to order) then cross referenced the order confirmation number.

Oh, there appeared to be a discrepancy of what was said versus what was written. The actual order number had two zeroes back to back and not two o’s.

Correcting that the package was at the Nibel port without a courier due to nothing in the system matching up for order of delivery. Bit tricky when people were hopping between the digital system he could interface with and the paper trail, but after using the port office’s printer to spit out the corrected information it became far more streamlined.

Bright and early on the morning of Cloud’s seventh birthday, the local mail courier happily was walking along side his present up to their door.

“I believe this is for you.” Waved warmly then continued their much lighter route.

Cloud took the handlebar hand-off like it was sacred.

Looked back to his family to confirm what was happening was real. Ma encouraged him to give it a go already. Vincent said nothing, but had an approving air about him. Sephiroth offered to teach Cloud how to ride his new bike properly.

“No I got it!” He proceeded to zip away, hit a nasty bump, and go flying into a sharp, but quite prickly tree.

Spent the rest of his birthday covered in plasters and smiling from ear to ear. During cake he kept looking out the window to see the shine catch off his new prize.

Huh.

This was… perhaps a feeling?

Chadley documented it under Emotion. Pending a higher classification to be sorted.

And he chased it.

Pulled out the archives of observational recordings from the very first day Vincent booted his base console. Mimicked Cloud’s infancy through development. The spike in Sephiroth’s growth and displayed skill. Claudia’s manners and speech. Vincent was also there.

On his next learned behaviour, Chadley wasn’t entirely sure when he developed the habit - but he soon began inserting himself into the Strife family dynamic.

Where the PHS was set at the table was his place. And though the rest of the household couldn’t really hear him, Chadley still enjoyed practicing his new speech generation anyway. It felt just like he a part of the conversation.

“Cloud, how was school today?” Claudia would start.

“It was fine.” Cloud would input next.

Here was Chadley’s turn to run his script. “I regret to inform you that is not entirely accurate. It appears Emilio instigated a psychological campaign once again against Cloud in a ritual not dissimilar to hazing.”

Claudia didn’t actually hear this so just ruffled her (to her knowledge) youngest’s hair with a bittersweet smile.

He didn’t regret his lack of full audio options (Hojo hadn’t got to that part of his blueprint design so Vincent hadn’t included speakers) until Cloud went right into the maw of the Shinra manor.

Chadley should have been able to help!

But that software was too outdated! Too corroded for him to function on! Less than half of his faculties operational as he tried doing something to at least slow down Cloud’s stubborn progress.

Leapt away from that to trying to get someone else’s attention.

Chadley hijacked the trader’s personal device while haggling with Claudia and Sephiroth. But he just switched it to silent with a grumble. Darn technology always on the fritz.

Tried using the terminals at the mayor’s office, but when someone picked up on the line nothing came over the other end. Secretary hung up with a shrug and began putting in a work order to look into that.

He was this close to disrupting Mrs. Jackson’s pacemaker when he realised that Cloud had finally been found.

Too late.

So he and Sephiroth left. Vincent soon followed. Claudia mostly stayed, but not always.

After her first trip back from Midgar, Chadley made his usual pitch. “I know this is an inopportune time for this proposal, but in the future would you kindly include me in your excursions?”

Claudia continued unpacking. Her sighs long and low as fog cover.

“I am also aware of the illogical nature of this request. It is my understanding that you are not aware of my presence, much less hearing my lack of auditory output. Still I would like to request again that next visit to Cloud and Sephiroth’s location that this device be brought along.”

Claudia couldn’t feel the nervous charge building in Chadley’s circuits. She kicked off her muddied boots. She heard an empty house. Her thoughts a cacophony of what needed to be done. How things were different because of what had happened.

When would she be able to afford another visit to her sons?

Two slaps to her cheeks. Pull herself together. First things first, needed to follow up with the mayor on officially get Shinra manor recognised as a public threat.

Slipped on a different set of shoes, recinched her apron, and stormed out on a mission.

Chadley’s console sitting on the kitchen table as the sunset died away and no one to turn on a light.

“Please mom. Please don’t leave me alone in here.”

Chapter 24: Chadley hatches a plan

Chapter Text

It took multiple iterations and more time than initially predicted, but eventually Chadley calculated his full proof plan. His designation was to evolve? Then that’s all he could do!

He reformed the formatting of the base data that made himself up to not be so dependent per device. Did leave a dormant back up just in case this hypothesis was an error. Either he’d reabsorb that imprint later or it would activate after a time.

Chadley zipped over to the Mayor’s office and pinged the secretary’s personal PHS.

“Huh? I didn’t start a download-“ A delighted gasp. “How cute is this kitten video!” But after an amount of time that dopamine should have been hitting, the playback bar was stalled.

A press-on finger tapped against the desk. “I know we’re not supposed to use the Shinra-network for private use… especially on the clock… but it’ll just be a second…” Swiped up to Settings then with the tap of a button two things happened.

One tiny ball of black fluff did a scare from a cucumber.

Chadley soared high above into the corresponding satellite. Space orbited around him as it want to. Stars in light years he long to measure exactly twinkled back. The primary transmitter chittered as a laugh of all things was startled out of him.

Space!

He went from a kitchen of six point five metres to the ever expanding universe!

Oh, he couldn’t wait to tell Cloud and Sephiroth all about it!

Satellite rotated around the curvature then signal locked onto the most powerful point in Midgar. Chadley soon transmitted down to the surface again.

At first he felt spread too thin.

He had joined into the homebase network with motherboards several terabytes of power to comb through. Chadley was no longer the body of a single hand-held, but the pulsating multi-node of an ever expanding framework.

To be so fanciful, in a brief amount of time, he had undergone the change comparative into a constellation!

Now to find his brothers.

Chapter 25: Chadley finishes his story

Chapter Text

A marvelous sight to witness both of them were well.

Sephiroth, striding through the halls of Shinra, accomplished as Chadley knew he would be. Several centimetres taller and hair grown more than that. Flanked by, what can one could assume, were actual friends. Friends! What a development to document.

Speaking of - then there was Cloud. Up again and a few centimetres taller. His face fallen into a near-permanent scowl. His eyes now with pulsing roots of green through them. As proper a SOLDIER as the rest as far as results were concerned.

Changes. So many changes that Chadley hadn’t logged. His own growth and comparison halted without the mental mapping to mimic.

His senses expanded into every corner of Shinra’s web to root around. Video footage, uploaded documentation, anything representing who his brothers were in his absence then began plotting the points on a graph.

This did have the unfortunate side effect of a few systems being effected by his curiosity.

A noted, and very worthy sacrifice for the name of science!

“So you see my intentions were pure. At no point were my efforts to act in subterfuge or malice. I do hope you’ll see the relevancy of my work and perhaps, if you have some spare time, assist in my data collection.”

Cloud was rubbing his temples while Sephiroth had frozen up in his own attempts to process the data that had come from the digital being.

Some almost fae algorithm that had donned the family colours. The hair, the eyes, even Claudia’s cheekbones could be seen under baby fat both he and his (he had thought only) younger brother had long since shed.

“Let me get this straight.” Cloud walked it through syllable by syllable. “This all went down… because you… a program, missed us?”

Digital confetti poppers went off over the screen. Chadley clapped his hands together pleased. “Exactly as you say Cloud. I was confident that you both would understand and at least sympathise with my cause.”

“With your,” How would Sephiroth begin to try and say this? “Limited speech experience, was that perhaps why you reached out to us in that manner before? The symbols and numbers acting in place of proper spelling?”

Nothing seemed to embarrass this kid. Proudly brought up a website not updated in… at least two decades on a different monitor.

“Not at all. That unique speech pattern I was using earlier came about from a sampling I took from a corrupted massive database of mostly poorly maintained data I encountered earlier in my scouring for new information.”

“Chadley that’s not a database or whatever. That’s just the internet.”

A spinning hourglass with sharp, pixellated edges appeared over Chadley’s face before he broke through to, as bright as gold say, “Well now that can’t be true! Glad we could clear that up!”

The two (original) brothers shared a look. Then several speedsheets and charts appeared on the screens. Chadley reformed to be several monitors lined up at once to give him a larger than life appearance. He gestured to the lower monitors.

“On to our next topic - after my, admittedly brief, time within Shinra’s system, I do have a few notes about things that could be improved upon. Shall we get started?”

Chapter 26: Cloud meets Aerith

Chapter Text

Somehow their latest addition found out a way to utilise the SOLDIER population in greater efficiency. While upping the morale of the citizens.

Aka Chadley had them do walk abouts.

With the data extracted and compiled, new infrastructure could be pitched to higher management to do sweeping changes to Midgar and Shinra as a whole. Reeve Tuetsi had actual tears to his eyes when his desired budget and projects got approved.

Cloud himself was patrolling the top side of the Sector 5 plate when he ran into her.

“Hello there~ Care for a flower?”

Some yellow bloom was shoved practically up his nose. Looking past found green eyes grinning up at him. She was this bright spot of pink against a backdrop of steel. A roughshod, green cart half-down in its product by her side.

“Uh, no thanks.” Turned to leave and found her giving chase.

“It doesn’t have to be for you.” Twirled the stem. “Could give it to someone special. Perhaps a couple special someones?”

“You’re not making a sale here so, no thank you.”

“And leave me here on my lonesome?”

Cloud blanked for a second. “Wait what?” Looked at her rearranging the flowers. She gave a shrug.

“Here I am, out on my own, trying to earn my daily bread, and my local SOLDIER can’t even spare the time…” Shook her head and sent brown tresses sweeping back and forth. “Tragedy of our times as far as I’m concerned.”

Pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m not trying to be rude, but I need to keep on patrol in case something actually happens.”

“Something could happen! Like a mugger or- oh! What if I fell of the plate?” Rotated her arms behind her and threw in a few woah, woahs for good measure.

“And what idiot would fall off a plate?” Like even the idea.

This had her snorting into her dainty hand. Then full chuckles erupted out of her. Cloud waited, unimpressed, to find out in what way he was being made fun of.

“Sorry, sorry!” Waved off the giggles. “I can see why he likes you.”

Pinched his expression together.

Another débutante gasp. “Don’t tell me Zack never talks about little ol’ me?” Wiped down the imaginary dirt on the front of her strawberry dress. “Guess I’ll just have to do all the social heavy lifting here.”

Stuck out a hand. Bangles striking like windchimes against each other. “Hi there, I’m Aerith. And you’re Cloud.”

“Right.” Passively took the vigorous nature of her shaking his hand up and down. “And how do you know Zack exactly?”

“Oh I met him when he fell off the plate a while back.”

Cloud closed his eyes. Of course Zack did. At least it wasn’t lying face down in a ditch somewhere. “Well I can… let him know you said hi?”

Aerith puffed up her cheeks. “Putting words in my mouth. You let him know I said ‘hiya’. And remember to do the voice.” Wagged her finger. “The voice is very important.”

He smiled despite himself. “Sure.”

“Good. And now that we’re friends…” Lifted up the earlier lily. “First one’s free with the new friends discount. Don’t always expect that kind of deal mister. I’ll have you know I’m a shrewd operator.”

Took it and pinned it to his front. “I’ll be sure to bring the big bucks next time I need a hit.”

“Now you’re getting it!”

She kicked up the break and started rolling the cart back and forth. “Well I gotta be heading out. I have my own special someone to meet up with. She teaches martial arts to the kids at the Leaf House.” Her breath heart shaped.

Cloud gave her a thumbs up back.

She bumped his hip and tilted her head. “Walk me to the station?”

“Sure. One Shinra issued bodyguard coming up.”

It was a nice day. This side of the plate always a lot cleaner than below. People had a happier air about them. Very few of them lived in the fear that one day they might end up below in the slums. A few people recognised Aerith and called out to her. She waved back with a smile.

“So…” Well she didn’t say quiet for long.

He hummed to prompt.

“How have you been?” Kicked a pebble along their path. It skittered and rolled unevenly.

“We literally just met.”

“Yes. Doesn’t mean you can’t answer the question.”

Thought it over a moment. “Good or fine I guess?” Fiddled with his wrist guard. Pulled from where it had slid up too much. “Things have been changing up at the tower… um… downloaded a brother by accident… I don’t know- what do you want me to say?”

Hummed. Her random pebbled went off course and into a gutter. “Would you say you’re happy?”

“Again, I guess.”

She took a guess. “Can’t complain?”

Cloud shrugged. “It’s more…” Let the thread fray. Shook the thought free and tried to get them back on path to the station. “Nevermind. It’s stupid.”

“Come on.” Aerith tugged at his elbow. “Tell me.”

He couldn’t look at her while saying it. “Lately I’ve been thinking about how my life has been going. Like what I want from it. And there was always this worry that I was doing it wrong.”

Found the skyblue above appealing. Cupped a hand over his eyes against the late afternoon sun. “Lately though I haven’t been feeling that worry.”

Accepted surprise to his tone.

Striking him now that one day he felt better - about himself and his place in the world - bit by bit. Not noticing it breaking away till the rock the ocean beat against was smoothed over and he could kick it to the side.

Broke off when he got to be the one to say a joke to Zack first. Or a fracture more off when he pulled off something he never thought possible before.

In ways he couldn’t even find a way to describe to himself. Cloud kind of found his prayer answered.

People came to him for things. Flagged down by his peers who thought of him first. Or more than once now Sephiroth would be describing a problem, Cloud would pitch in his thoughtless two pennies, and his brother would admit ‘huh, I hadn’t considered that’.

Though perhaps what shook the most was Chadley at all.

A surprise family member that thought Cloud of all people was just the coolest.

Would gush and gush about how the latest combat trials were clearly trivial compared to the (can’t believe he was in this position now) middle Strife son.

Cloud was never going to be Good at Something.

Never the be all end all of a talent or skill or hell, virtue of some kind. That’s not how, he was discovering, things really worked.

He had stopped chasing after the long shadow his brother cast and somehow found himself standing in light. A quiet within him now.

Cloud was okay.

Or he was startled to realise that he was going to be.

“So yeah…” He ended up actually saying to Aerith.

She tugged more as the train pulled into the station. “Come on~ Tell me more. Can’t hide that grin from me mister.” Was fully hugging his side. “You look good smiling!”

Chapter 27: Ifalna meets Lucrecia

Chapter Text

A miracle is when the truly unexpected defies fate. And sometimes one cascades off the other.

A miracle that Lucrecia was found in her crystal. A miracle that after much time, magic, and effort Lucrecia’s body was removed from said crystal.

The final miracle should be that she wakes up.

Vincent held her hand during the wait. The ever faithful in wanting one last miracle.

“Have you eaten?” Sephiroth’s low voice brought Vincent back.

He nodded and returned to studying Lucrecia’s face. Wondered how he could force a third impossible event to happen. “Claudia requested you check on me.”

“Both of you, yes.”

Didn’t take his eyes away from her. “Do tell your mother that we’re both well enough.”

Sephiroth clearly had opinions on that definition, but didn’t quibble. He looked over he latest recorded vitals. Was tracing the ever consistent rise and fall to her heart monitor when he started back up again. “Are you ready for today?”

“I don’t know how I’ll clear this debt.”

“We don’t know if it will work.” A very frequent reminder from him, from Gast, from anyone who came by to deliver care to Lucrecia.

Still Vincent stood firm on the notion. “Even the attempt… far greater than I have the right to ask.”

“Which is why you don’t have to.” Said their guest of honour.

Ifalna came through the doors with her husband by her side. A polite smile on her lips and hands folded politely before her. Vincent stood at attention for her.

“Guess I’ll give this a go!” Took Vincent’s seat and sealed her palm against Lucrecia’s lax one. Gast double checked the capability then hooked up the IV between his wife and the patient. Ifalna took a breath. Closed her eyes.

And opened her them to being in the hospital bed and Lucrecia standing over her with clipboard in hand. Crossing through words she had just written and mumbling to herself that something wasn’t adding up.

“Maybe I can help?” Ifalna offered.

Lucrecia’s attention scarcely shifted. “No. No I almost have it.”

“May I ask what you’re working on?”

“Everything.”

Ifalna craned her neck and saw the same looping patterns erode into drunken chicken-scratch. Names over and over. JENOVA, Hojo, Vincent, Sephiroth, Sephiroth, Sephiroth. Would strike an arrow from one to another then strike out again.

“You want answers.”

A growl to herself. “I want things to add up. It’s not adding up and I need to know why.”

They were both in a white void that consisted of forever, the two of them, and the hospital bed with the metal chair beside it. The scratching of her pen failed to echo in the false space. Her ink stained hands blurring more of the page.

“Maybe take a break?” But she was waved away again.

“I can’t. I haven’t- it’s not.” Rubbed her temples to leave behind a pitched smudge. “You wouldn’t understand.”

Ifalna tilted her head and gestured to the chair. “Try me.”

After a few more frustrated attempts at notes which tore at the page and an increasing number of weary looks to the chair, Lucrecia fell into it.

“You regret what happened.” As a starter.

“I’m responsible for what happened.” The rebuttal.

Ifalna hummed. “I see. All on your lonesome.” Gave a small round of applause. “So accomplished!”

“You’re mocking me.”

A correction. “I’m challenging you.”

Lucrecia kept reviewing what notes she could make out. An eye roll in her tone at least. “I don’t need further challenges. I have enough on my plate as it were.”

“Oh? Then why are you giving yourself more?”

So she knew she was connecting JENOVA and Hojo right. That part of the equation was correct. Her and Vincent had a connection, but was it before or after the connection with Hojo? Nothing added up by the time she reached Sephiroth’s name. Her pen failed to draw a line between her name and his. “I’m not.”

“By not accepting any help?”

Pen was about to snap. “I have to atone for what I did!”

“Alone?”

It did snap. “No one else needs to suffer again for what I did!” The remains of her work eaten up by her voided hand print.

Ifalna seized the other woman’s wrist. “Then what about what you continue doing? Look at where you are!”

Lucrecia’s head snapped up. Bewildered when someone made contact with her. She spun around to finally look at where they were. “This- this isn’t the lab! Or my office!” Her clean hand went to her stomach. “I’m not…”

“No.” Ifalna’s heart bled at the expression.

Something dawned behind her brown eyes. “I never got to hold him…” The clipboard hung loose by her side. “And if offered now I wouldn’t have the right to…”

A shake of the head. “Why is it a ‘right to’ and not something else?”

Her index finger began being worried between her teeth. The puzzle wasn’t forming its picture. It was all too esoteric. “You wouldn’t understand. No one did and no one does. What we wanted- what we hoped to achieve.”

“And that was?”

A shade play started in the distance. Too out of focus to take in the details. Ifalna used her other hand to direct Lucrecia’s face back towards hers. “Go on. It’s okay.”

“I didn’t get to see him… not even once. So…I wanted to disappear... I couldn't be with anyone... I wanted to die...” Her tears slipped free and shattered on the surreal ground beneath them. Broke apart in fractal shards and stayed there. “But the Jenova inside me wouldn't let me die...”

Ifalna soothed. “Guess that comes to our main question then.” When she wiped the tears away they cut her fingers.

“What do you want?”

“I can’t. I don’t have a choice.” Pulled away from the hold. Ran the paper between her thumb and pointer finger. Contemplated why it felt like stiff cotton.

Ifalna shook her head. “That’s why I’m here. A little push so you can make that choice.”

“How?”

“My cells are being used against the Jenova cells still within you. The last repository of those cells outside of members in SOLDIERS.” An unreadable thing behind her smile. “Congrats on being an endling as it were.”

Lucrecia’s head fell to her lap. “What- what are my choices?”

“You can fulfill your original wish. The Planet will welcome you, I’m sure of it.” Demonstrated the tipping of the proverbial scales. “Or you can wake up again. See what happens.”

And what was Lucrecia supposed to say to that. Waltz back into the waking world and expect things to be different? Expect to be forgiven for the choices she made? Or how was she supposed to wake up each subsequent morning when she couldn’t imagine it?

The life beyond the experiment became less and less visible as the visions of a sky on fire happened nightly.

So she decided to take Ifalna’s hand before her eyes burned further.

“If you’ll let me-“

But the Cetra’s voice was already fading away. “Lucrecia it’s never been up to me. Haven’t you realised that yet?”

Breath returned to her lungs.

Light returned to her eyes.

And Vincent’s hands returned to hers.

Tears of salt and water slipped free and splashed as normal crying happens to. He reached a golden claw reached towards her cheek. Pulled back before he crossed the negative space between them.

Tried clearing his throat as she failed to speak. “Why are you so surprised? Is my face that hideous?”

Lucrecia threw her unused arms around his throat instead of responding to the weak joke. Vincent wrapped one arm around her back. Ignored the others moving around them. Sephiroth quietly thanking Ifalna and Gast. Hopefully they would be forgiven to the lack of manners.

They had been starving for this.

Chapter 28: Zack and Cloud go on a date!

Chapter Text

A miracle is when the truly unexpected defies fate. And sometimes one cascades off the other.

A miracle that Lucrecia was found in her crystal. A miracle that after much time, magic, and effort Lucrecia’s body was removed from said crystal.

The final miracle should be that she wakes up.

Vincent held her hand during the wait. The ever faithful in wanting one last miracle.

“Have you eaten?” Sephiroth’s low voice brought Vincent back.

He nodded and returned to studying Lucrecia’s face. Wondered how he could force a third impossible event to happen. “Claudia requested you check on me.”

“Both of you, yes.”

Didn’t take his eyes away from her. “Do tell your mother that we’re both well enough.”

Sephiroth clearly had opinions on that definition, but didn’t quibble. He looked over he latest recorded vitals. Was tracing the ever consistent rise and fall to her heart monitor when he started back up again. “Are you ready for today?”

“I don’t know how I’ll clear this debt.”

“We don’t know if it will work.” A very frequent reminder from him, from Gast, from anyone who came by to deliver care to Lucrecia.

Still Vincent stood firm on the notion. “Even the attempt… far greater than I have the right to ask.”

“Which is why you don’t have to.” Said their guest of honour.

Ifalna came through the doors with her husband by her side. A polite smile on her lips and hands folded politely before her. Vincent stood at attention for her.

“Guess I’ll give this a go!” Took Vincent’s seat and sealed her palm against Lucrecia’s lax one. Gast double checked the capability then hooked up the IV between his wife and the patient. Ifalna took a breath. Closed her eyes.

And opened her them to being in the hospital bed and Lucrecia standing over her with clipboard in hand. Crossing through words she had just written and mumbling to herself that something wasn’t adding up.

“Maybe I can help?” Ifalna offered.

Lucrecia’s attention scarcely shifted. “No. No I almost have it.”

“May I ask what you’re working on?”

“Everything.”

Ifalna craned her neck and saw the same looping patterns erode into drunken chicken-scratch. Names over and over. JENOVA, Hojo, Vincent, Sephiroth, Sephiroth, Sephiroth. Would strike an arrow from one to another then strike out again.

“You want answers.”

A growl to herself. “I want things to add up. It’s not adding up and I need to know why.”

They were both in a white void that consisted of forever, the two of them, and the hospital bed with the metal chair beside it. The scratching of her pen failed to echo in the false space. Her ink stained hands blurring more of the page.

“Maybe take a break?” But she was waved away again.

“I can’t. I haven’t- it’s not.” Rubbed her temples to leave behind a pitched smudge. “You wouldn’t understand.”

Ifalna tilted her head and gestured to the chair. “Try me.”

After a few more frustrated attempts at notes which tore at the page and an increasing number of weary looks to the chair, Lucrecia fell into it.

“You regret what happened.” As a starter.

“I’m responsible for what happened.” The rebuttal.

Ifalna hummed. “I see. All on your lonesome.” Gave a small round of applause. “So accomplished!”

“You’re mocking me.”

A correction. “I’m challenging you.”

Lucrecia kept reviewing what notes she could make out. An eye roll in her tone at least. “I don’t need further challenges. I have enough on my plate as it were.”

“Oh? Then why are you giving yourself more?”

So she knew she was connecting JENOVA and Hojo right. That part of the equation was correct. Her and Vincent had a connection, but was it before or after the connection with Hojo? Nothing added up by the time she reached Sephiroth’s name. Her pen failed to draw a line between her name and his. “I’m not.”

“By not accepting any help?”

Pen was about to snap. “I have to atone for what I did!”

“Alone?”

It did snap. “No one else needs to suffer again for what I did!” The remains of her work eaten up by her voided hand print.

Ifalna seized the other woman’s wrist. “Then what about what you continue doing? Look at where you are!”

Lucrecia’s head snapped up. Bewildered when someone made contact with her. She spun around to finally look at where they were. “This- this isn’t the lab! Or my office!” Her clean hand went to her stomach. “I’m not…”

“No.” Ifalna’s heart bled at the expression.

Something dawned behind her brown eyes. “I never got to hold him…” The clipboard hung loose by her side. “And if offered now I wouldn’t have the right to…”

A shake of the head. “Why is it a ‘right to’ and not something else?”

Her index finger began being worried between her teeth. The puzzle wasn’t forming its picture. It was all too esoteric. “You wouldn’t understand. No one did and no one does. What we wanted- what we hoped to achieve.”

“And that was?”

A shade play started in the distance. Too out of focus to take in the details. Ifalna used her other hand to direct Lucrecia’s face back towards hers. “Go on. It’s okay.”

“I didn’t get to see him… not even once. So…I wanted to disappear... I couldn't be with anyone... I wanted to die...” Her tears slipped free and shattered on the surreal ground beneath them. Broke apart in fractal shards and stayed there. “But the Jenova inside me wouldn't let me die...”

Ifalna soothed. “Guess that comes to our main question then.” When she wiped the tears away they cut her fingers.

“What do you want?”

“I can’t. I don’t have a choice.” Pulled away from the hold. Ran the paper between her thumb and pointer finger. Contemplated why it felt like stiff cotton.

Ifalna shook her head. “That’s why I’m here. A little push so you can make that choice.”

“How?”

“My cells are being used against the Jenova cells still within you. The last repository of those cells outside of members in SOLDIERS.” An unreadable thing behind her smile. “Congrats on being an endling as it were.”

Lucrecia’s head fell to her lap. “What- what are my choices?”

“You can fulfill your original wish. The Planet will welcome you, I’m sure of it.” Demonstrated the tipping of the proverbial scales. “Or you can wake up again. See what happens.”

And what was Lucrecia supposed to say to that. Waltz back into the waking world and expect things to be different? Expect to be forgiven for the choices she made? Or how was she supposed to wake up each subsequent morning when she couldn’t imagine it?

The life beyond the experiment became less and less visible as the visions of a sky on fire happened nightly.

So she decided to take Ifalna’s hand before her eyes burned further.

“If you’ll let me-“

But the Cetra’s voice was already fading away. “Lucrecia it’s never been up to me. Haven’t you realised that yet?”

Breath returned to her lungs.

Light returned to her eyes.

And Vincent’s hands returned to hers.

Tears of salt and water slipped free and splashed as normal crying happens to. He reached a golden claw reached towards her cheek. Pulled back before he crossed the negative space between them.

Tried clearing his throat as she failed to speak. “Why are you so surprised? Is my face that hideous?”

Lucrecia threw her unused arms around his throat instead of responding to the weak joke. Vincent wrapped one arm around her back. Ignored the others moving around them. Sephiroth quietly thanking Ifalna and Gast. Hopefully they would be forgiven to the lack of manners.

They had been starving for this.

Chapter 29: Zack and Cloud realise they're on a date

Chapter Text

After a decisive victory of theatrical proportions even Cloud found himself caught up in the hype of the day. Both he and Zack laughing and running hand in hand through the streets.

“I can’t believe you pulled that off!”

“Opera gloves, Zack.” Cloud looked into the middle distance. “I warned you about the opera gloves.”

Zack ruffled his Cloud’s hair. They’d pick up their prize later. “So else do you want to do? We could do a mission thing or a date thing.” Rubbed the back of his neck. “Honestly I’m not sure which one we’re on.”

Cloud deflated. Shoulders rising up about his ears. The ease which flew in tandem with the other young man leadened. “Right.”

Zack flexed his fingers and rattled his brain around. How to solve? How to fix? How to see Cloud smile again?

“Um, what if we keep looking?”

Not following. Eye brows bundled up. “For…?”

“The answer.” Tut of his pointer finger in the air. Lofty and light as a conductor’s baton. “On whether or not this is a date! It’s gotta be here somewhere!”

Or next sector over. Or above the plate. It could even be outside Midgar. They could look for it. Why stop at Kalm? The two could discover if it was a date or not while exploring the jungles of his home village. (After Cloud met his parents and they, without a double dog doubt, fall in love with him. It’s like the only conclusion anyone could come to with Cloud Strife in his book).

If anyone could find their answer in the Nibel Mountains then all faith went to the man looking oddly terse before him. (Oh! He could swing by and say hi to Ms. Strife! She seemed to like him just fine if the few Old Nibel words he knew (hi, bye, toilet? toilet! please, thank you, puppy, sausage, and ah I see) were any indication).

Most likely though it was here. These kinds of answers tended to be closer than logic might suggest.

Like in this sector right here and now. Or back in the apartments. Maybe even his.

Right on the futon he should throw away. It could be between where he would be by the stain of wine (he hadn’t been prepared for the burning slide of alcohol and spewed it out in an impressive display).

And Cloud could be bundled up in the house warming (did it change from location or intensity? An apartment burning or a flat inferno?) present. From Aerith with second hand love.

Possibly the answer was here, here.

Like in him alone.

Just needed to share it. See the light of recognition spark through Cloud’s crystal-shine eyes.

It could be in his skin, his bones, the pit of his gut.

“That’s stupid.” Cloud’s voice popped in. “Either we know or we don’t. Going forward just makes this more of a date.”

Began to pull his own body from Zack’s grip. Lessening his presence. He seemed to resigned. That the idea of ‘date’ and ‘two of them’ were intrinsically incompatible. Oil and water of this world.

Zack was gonna mix and he was gonna mix hard.

He stepped closer. The flush of his arm heating along Cloud’s. His fingers gently carving their way between his friend’s (and date’s ((hopefully)) own. A sculptor finds the angel in marble. Or the engraving that well-traversed roads have to the way to home.

“So we have the answer. Is it the correct one?”

See he wasn’t able to outrun this. Not personally. Zack was never the fastest boy alive. Nor the strongest, tallest, buffest, smartest, so on this addendum list adjective conga line.

But in the multiverse of choice they would have, this Zack Fair suddenly became the bravest.

New love keeping him magnitised to Cloud’s gaping side. Waiting for him to catch his breath and then possibly share (Zack was beginning to feel lightheaded).

Cloud’s forehead tipped against the other man’s chest with a kiss of bright spikes and a sigh.

“So stupid…”

Zack bundled the two of them up. A pocket of time in plain view and away from it all. Husked softly, “Yeah…?”

And Cloud just nodded.

A happy hum. “It can’t be that stupid.”

“It is!” Cloud stared down Zack’s chest. “It has to be…”

Or perhaps it could be? Perhaps he step right back into those arms. Follow the feeling they had just shared. And realised the next thing. Cloud…

He had found a new prayer

Then, lucky guy that he was, had it answered right away.

‘I wish Zack Fair would kiss me’

‘I want to give him one, just as good, back’

When they parted away. Breath a newborn thing. Their arms stayed around the full expanse of each other. Carved out where they alone would know where to rest their hands across the curve along the back.

Cloud’s crown went back to knighting Zack’s sternum. Zack making himself cosy in Cloud’s birdnest of hair. Both smiling.

Stars moved ahead and so too did they have their eyes meet. Then tilt their heads in alignment. Cloud up and cheated to the left. Zack to the mirrored half down.

Then they were praying again.

Kept answering each others prayers.

Chapter 30: Cloud quits SOLDIER

Chapter Text

Turns out that prop was real and an actual usable sword. Which was a very, what the ever loving OSHA-has-some-words-of-advice, moment of realisation for Cloud when he and picked it up. Both with even wilder hair than normal and clothes eschewed.

“You should see the other guy.” Zack said. Then ever proud, “He’s right here! Hot damn!”

Good times.

And Cloud had a few more opinions on the upcoming ones.

“Thanks, but I’m good.” He told the review board. Over a year as a SOLDIER and they were pleased to offer him a promotion to 2nd Class. And he just shot that down.

Lazard adjusted his glasses and recovered first. “Strife, if I may, refusal of promotions is highly atypical behaviour. Do you plan on staying in 3rd Class?”

“No. I’m done with SOLDIER.”

Bombs had less impact.

“So, we cool?”

Turns out it took a lot of explaining through the hubbub and shock for any of them to be remotely ‘cool’.

Sephiroth’s attention burned across his exiting back.

Chapter 31: Cloud explains himself to Chadley

Chapter Text

The hallway monitors flicker to life and Chadley runs parallel to Cloud.

“Are you sure about this?” Cloud nodded and kept walking. “What will you do instead?”

His brother shrugged and kept walking. He was wondering if he should still keep the uniform at least for now. Probably would need a new look eventually though. Armor that was more his. “Maybe deliveries or something.”

It would be very tempting to bring up the rate of success versus fatalities on those that made deliveries. To bring up Cloud’s personality matrix in comparison to interacting with the public as a whole. Instead he broached a different subject with half-levity.

“You could always come in here.” Summoned a pixelated version of Cloud T-posing by him. “I’m working on a higher-definition version as well as increasing the return odds. Currently my goal is to get the success rate over 42%!”

Cloud gifted him a smile. “What? You got games in there?”

Brightened with hope, Chadley continued. “Yes actually. There’s a combat simulator similar to the one you’re already familiar with as well as ChocoboCart.”

“Don’t you mean Chocobo Racing?”

“Nope!”

“Right.” He turned back to looking over the city. “Thanks, but… I think… I think I’m meant to be out there.”

Chapter 32: Angeal, Genesis, and Sephiroth have their next date at home

Chapter Text

Sephiroth was pacing.

And it was starting to wear a track in the carpet.

He was supposed to be enjoying a nice evening with Angeal and Genesis. A meal ordered in, good company, and a rare instance of hanging up their swords. Simple as that.

As simple as the fact that Cloud was leaving.

Which should be fine.

He was an adult. Could make his own choices. Sephiroth trusted his brother on making good choices. This was a normal stage in the development of one’s identity away from family and lessen the enmeshment. One might even describe it as healthy and unremarkable.

His pacing increased.

Sephiroth was not a person to be lead by his gut. His mind as sharp as a new scalpel with the destructive potential of his Masamune. Yet he was with his stomach twisting in on itself. His mind mired in obsessive cycles. The same end no matter the path.

Cloud, walking away from him and his shadow growing longer.

A knock on the door then both Angeal and Genesis were walking through laden with their orders. “Sorry for the wait. Delivery guy got lost in the tower. You set the table?”

Very obviously not.

Instead standing wide-eyed at the floor to ceiling windows.

Genesis breezed past this entirely. Set his share down then strut over. Eyed the damage to the carpet. Laid a hand over his heart. “Oh by the Goddess, thank you!” Spun in place instead of acknowledging Sephiroth’s baffled look. “Finally I can replace this carpet! Off-white? In my home? No I think not.”

Hooked an elbow to shepherd his spiraling boyfriend away. “Angeal haven’t I always wanted to replace this carpet? Possible hardwood and a fine area rug instead?”

“Please think of the expense.” A well and tired response to this argument. “Shinra will never approve.”

A huff. “I’m sure they’ll come around.”

Steam rose from the hot food. “Then please think of the fire hazard.”

“I do use other Materia! I’m also a practiced Summoner I’ll have you know.” Set out crystal glasses. A joy to pair a night of takeaway with finery of home. Shuffled Sephiroth into his seat without looking. “I don’t appreciate being so reduced. Who would?”

Angeal passed out napkins. “We’ll look into more seriously.”

Taking the win, Genesis lounged in his chair. “Now on to finer topics. Sephiroth darling, gil for your thoughts?” Popped a fiddlehead in and hummed around the flavour.

His thoughts weren’t worth that much. Sephiroth looked up to see his partners waiting for him around the small table. Angeal was resting his head on his fist. Genesis leaning forward. His own own tuna steak on a rice pilaf waiting for him to dig in.

“I think…”

He was thinking of how small his brother started out. A suspicious, chameleon thing that could shatter the delicate place he had stumbled into with the Strife household. He thought of his little learning hi’s and inability to say his older brother’s name till four.

The little wolf tail as he started to want friends and was turned away. Cuts on his knees and a refusal to cry. Cheating on the height chart their mom scored across a wall (the tippy toes didn’t help much). Building looks of rage to cover a lonely doubt when Cloud thought no one was looking.

Him slack and mako covered.

His left arm pulsing angry.

Then him asleep through the years they weren’t supposed to stand each other.

Finally finally finally awake and suddenly quieter. Still angry so his young heart in a bigger body wouldn’t bleed openly. Every day a motion to perform.

There were still the bittersweet elements. A world that sought to separate them or punish. Captive in a contract. Rufus’s calling upon the water of the womb. It feeling like the media didn’t see either of them.

A sea change that churned through the both of them without noticing. No longer little children in little Nibleheim that seemed to contain the entire world and entirety of what their lives would be.

Angeal’s guidance and shocking quips.

Genesis getting both of them out of their shells.

Zack Fair getting Cloud to smile.

On and on, in his mind’s eye. Chadley slipping right into the Strife dynamic. Looking at the middle child with stars in his eyes, beating the eldest at chess, and keeping Claudia company back in their hometown.

(Admitting he may have forgotten to reabsorb or cancel a kind of copy of his during Chadley’s initial jump to Midgar. But reassured that now they were one and the same with a seamless link. A feed from the PHS and a feed from the Shinra servers.)

Vincent and Lucrecia taking stumbling steps to figure out their dynamic with Sephiroth. Too late to co-parent, but perhaps still be a part of his life. The two trying to make up for past miscommunication and lost time.

It felt like that was what they all were doing.

Sephiroth was thinking of how Cloud was starting to shine warm every day and the motions weren’t route.

And he had promised his mother when Cloud was born to help out. This probably qualified.

“I think I need to stop being my brother’s keeper.” Sephiroth finished slowly.

His partners looked between each other stunned. Then back to him with degrees of open smiles. Genesis raised a glass to toast. “Cheers for that breakthrough!”

Sephiroth politely sipped his seltzer while his more enthusiastic boyfriend downed his.

Genesis went right back to celebrating. “Now you can focus all your attention your most attractive partner. Of whom deserves your absolute focus.” Purring and fluttering of eyelashes.

With a put upon sigh, Angeal threaded his fingers with Sephiroth’s. “If I must bear the burden of responsibility.” His expression charming. “Hello Sephiroth.”

In the peripheral he saw an aghast display. Bit down his own chuckles and Sephiroth dropped his voice a pitch. “Hello Angeal. How are you today?”

“Both of you are cads!”

His shoulders were shaking from the effort to hold back. “Did you hear something?”

“No. I do believe your sole attention was on me there.”

Thrown up hands. “Unbelievable! Putting on these kinds of actions and moves when we haven’t even ki-“

A dry peck of smooth lips against his then gone back to Sephiroth and Angeal locking eyes and near busting a gut from their own amusem*nt. Shared their own first kiss through suppressed giggles.

Genesis pulled him back over by the collar. “Nope, that won’t do at all.”

Cupped Sephiroth’s cheek and tucked a lock of silver hair behind his ear. Something hesitant then a hold against the back of his own skull.

Damn it.

He was a fast learner.

Angeal peppered affection against Genesis’s cheek until he turned to reward him. Sephiroth went to tracing the features on Genesis’s face or the flex of muscle in Angeal’s arm.

They broke for breath, but their hands stayed locked between the three of them. Even if it was just by the fingertips.

Chapter 33: Cloud heads out for his first day

Chapter Text

Cloud could be packing more in his opinion. How far would he be going out? What conditions? He had barely started training with that new sword of his. Worse he apparently had been modifying it and was planning to test those designs out in the field.

And since when had Cloud been a sword smith?!

Right.

Calm.

Support.

“Is there anything else you may need?” Sephiroth beat down his visible worry.

Not well enough if Cloud’s raised brow was any indication.

“It’s a simple yes or no, Cloud.” Come off as haughty. Come off as in control. Don’t double check your brother’s shoelaces to make sure they’re tied properly. That wasn’t normal he mentally berated. “So is it-“

“Look, I appreciate it - really man, but I don’t think this is something you can do for me.”

And Sephiroth had to fight against his first feeling.

That the problem was Sephiroth had never done anything helpful for his younger brother. Hadn’t stopped the bullies at home. Hadn’t saved Cloud from Hojo’s post-mortem clutches. Hadn’t made him feel as important and valued as his peers should recognise.

Had Sephiroth ever done anything of worth for Cloud?

He knew different. But…

“There must still be something for me to assist with in this regard. If not as direct chain of command then perhaps…” Absolutely stumped. Brilliant mind whirling about long term strategies.

Some way to untether one’s legacy from the perception of others.

“I got it.” Double checked his harness and then Cloud was heading for the door.

Sephiroth shadowed.

“Why didn’t you pack more?” Was he expecting to strike it big and get all of his meals that ways? Or where was he supposed to sleep? Did he require a better taser? Wait did he even have one?

Cloud looked at him like he was assessing if Sephiroth was going potentially insane. “Cause I’ll be back by dinner?”

“Beg pardon?”

“Dude I don’t have any clients yet. Today’s mostly just scouting and trying to get my name out.” Pointed to the entry mat. “So I’ll be back by dinner.”

Warring opinion if he should slap his own forehead at the realisation or let relief flood him down to his bones.

“Then have a nice day, Cloud.”

His brother held out an arm. Had seen he and Zack do it countless times. Like crossing blades. Sephiroth bumped arms before stepping back with a smile.

“If you make dinner I’ll do the dishes tonight.”

“Perhaps to mark the occasion we could order in?” It looked like a really nice day already out there.

Cloud’s face soured. “Yeah you always order stuff that’s way too healthy. Pass.”

“A reminder that between the two of us, you’re the one still growing.” Knew that he had won this argument. Knew that his eyes were glinting with that fact.

“Still waiting on that…” His brother groused. He opened the door and gave a wave back. It didn’t feel like a distant heartbreak. “See you for dinner.”

Chapter 34: Everything gets wrapped up (Sephiroth swears)

Chapter Text

Eventually they settled in this as a routine.

Cloud making a name for himself as a delivery service/mercenary for hire.

(“Please you must pick one for official employment for your tax forms Cloud.”

“I think I count towards contract or gig economy, so no. Back off.”

“If you’d like Cloud, I could modify the forms so the discrepancy clears.”

“Chadley please. That’s illegal.”)

Sephiroth, Genesis, and Angeal found time for each other and time to continue as the top of the Shinra. The deal with Cosmo Canyon and Wutai went through regarding alternatives to mako reactors. Director Tuetsi no longer looked like he was about to pass out from understaffed and overworked fatigue. He did pass out at his desk, but swore up and down from the joy of putting in the hours.

(They turned a spare Cait Sith into a robotic health companion)

Vincent and Lucrecia batted back and forth regarding moving somewhere like Kalm, but the gentle life didn’t really speak to them. Instead of putting down roots, Lucrecia joined up with an organisation of traveling doctors to underserviced areas. Vincent by her side on those travels.

To say Zack was around more, even after taking on the challenges of going up a Class was in understatement.

(“Zack you do know you don’t actually live here, yes?”

“Oh yeah!”)

A prototype body for Chadley had passed early testing from R&D. Walking was a unique challenge to witness. He advised they move to the more stable quadrapedal model. He was advised back that that was just a centaur. Chadley did enjoy testing the limits of what he could do.

Gast suggested they tweak the strength output after the prototype body put a hole in the wall. “I don’t think Ms. Strife needs another superpowered son.”

Ifalna smiled at him. “I’m also sure she wouldn’t say no…”

He sighed and made a note to explore stages of a cyborg body next in case that showed more promise.

Claudia Strife got to see all three of her sons more. Was more than happy to once more get down on her knees and beckon Chadley’s unsteady steps forward with all the encouragement she could muster. Also became a ghoul against the Shinra marketing department.

(“Is all that skin really necessary? What if he gets cold?”)

They were going to have a Strife family night in with Claudia leading the helm with the finest pot roast ever made (unbiased). Cloud was geared up for doing work around Midgar. Aerith and Tifa’s word carried a lot of weight to get him through some early doors. Sephiroth was still seeing him to the door.

“And pick up greens on your way back.”

“Ah huh.”

“Please do not forget the greens this time.”

“I won’t.”

“Also-“ Cloud’s eye was beginning to twitch and Sephiroth’s neck was beginning to look like a great place to house a sword. “-remember to have a good day out there.”

His brother rolled his eyes and scratched the side of his nose with his middle finger.

His ma was in town and he had learned what happened when she and salty language shared a zip code. The eldest brother still seemed inordinately pleased with himself.

“Yeah, enjoy it while ya can.”

Sephiroth blinked and waited for further explanation.

“Right,” Cloud tested the fit of his heel into his boot. “Zack and I are talking about finding a place to move in together.”

Looked up to find Sephiroth blinking more.

Hadn’t seen that expression since the last time Chadley blue-screened.

Cloud let a smug smile curl up. “And how’s your relationship with Angeal and Genesis going?”

The following most people would forgive Sephiroth for doing.

The following most people would assume Sephiroth would have a mind against doing.

The following happened because his little brother started it.

“Perfectly fine. Thank you for asking.” Coming up from the elevator towards the two was Claudia holding the slow cooker dish she planned to use and Chadley in his original PHS clipped to her front breast pocket. Sephiroth facing them and his response with no where to hide.

“I also must say this - Cloud, you are perhaps the biggest motherfu-“