Final Fantasy VII: The Parallel Reality
Author's Note: This is a novelization of the original Playstation 1 game of Final Fantasy VII if the characters' genders had been switched. In this story, all of the male characters are now female, and all of the female characters are male. There will be minor changes to the character's stories and names when appropriate, but for the most part, the plot will remained unchanged.
I wanted to do this story to see how much of an impact it would have on the fans of the original game, if any at all. Would they still love the game if it consisted of predominantly female characters? Would they still love the characters if they were physically different but still the same inside? Will they still find the story compelling and exciting and the characters relatable and deep despite these changes? I hope you will leave me feedback, suggestions, and other comments in the reviews.
At it's core, Final Fantasy VII is a wonderful game filled with wonderful characters, and I think these characters would still be every bit as memorable and beloved despite what gender they were assigned.
Prologue
It was quiet now. They were hot on his tracks a second ago but the footsteps and shouting were drowned out by the traffic and noise of the slums. He knew better than to relax just yet. Rather than wander out into the open again, he stayed hidden in the shadows of the alley and warmed up next to a small Mako furnace. Green embers danced around him as he drew near, revealing the face of a young man with fair skin, some stubble where his beard and moustache were growing back, and bright green eyes. In his hand was a basket of white and yellow flowers and on his back was a long metal rod. Weapons were hard to come by with his income but thankfully he had saved up enough to buy it. He put the basket on the ground and tied his long brown hair back into a braid before moving his hands close to the warmth of the furnace.
This was the first time they were able to find him in a good long while. In the past he stood out like a sore thumb. Apparently pink clothing wasn't a popular or common fashion trend among men in Midgar, and the Turks could spot him a mile away. He still liked the color enough to wear pink shirts but took the liberty of wearing a brown leather jacket over it, just in case. That usually kept him out of sight, but he still had to take his chances on the street. The slums weren't exactly a place for good business and when the only source of income you have is selling flowers for 1 gil, he had to do what he could. It put food on the table for he and his dad and that was worth it in the end.
When he was absolutely certain the cost was clear, he picked up the basket and stepped into the open. His head turned from side to side, scanning the faces of every person who passed him. Not a Turk in sight, and the Shinra guards seemed to be elsewhere. It was time to get back to work.
At the edge of the Sector 1 slums stood the Sector 1 Mako Reactor. The sound of the train pulling closer to the station told the guards on duty that the night shift was about to start. New guards would exit the train and relieve them of their duty. The two at the station were already adjusting the buttons on their red coats and removing their matching helmets. After a long day of work, the train ride home was a good opportunity to get a quick hour or two of sleep.
But when the train finally pulled into the station, they already knew something was wrong. Unfortunately for them, it was too late to do anything. Before the first guard knew what hit him, a woman leapt from the top of the train and brought her elbow down onto his shoulder. He barely had time to scream in pain or shock before she threw him over her shoulder and drove his head into the pavement. It did not take long for the second guard to shake off the initial shock of his partner being taken down. He was already making his way toward the attacker before he was stopped by a young man, who upon exiting the train had kicked him directly in the chin. The force of the kick was strong enough to render him unconscious before he hit the floor.
"Come on!" the first woman shouted before turning and running.
The man came rushing behind her without a second thought and was followed by a third woman who was just now exiting the train. Behind her was a fourth woman, who was clearly the leader. Unlike Biggs, the short little scrapper with the choppy brown hair, or Wedge, the chubby and heavier brawler with the red bandana, Barrette was physically stronger and capable than both of them. Her skin was a very dark brown and her black hair was cut into a hi-top fade, leaving the rest of her head bald. She was taller than the others with strong, muscular legs and large arms. Upon exiting the train, her hand moved to her right arm, which was artificial and attached with a large gatling gun that she called her "gun arm."
"C'mon, newcomer." she spat without even looking behind her. She loaded her gun arm and looked straight ahead of her. "Follow me."
Without a word, she rushed towards the reactor. From the top of the roof jumped the final member of Barette's team. She landed just in time to be met with the sound of alarms blaring from every direction. It didn't take long for reinforcements to show up, though how they possibly got pass Barette or her team was beyond her understanding.
"Stop right there!" a young man in blue armor took aim with his machine gun. His partner fell in line beside him, also taking aim.
"Who are you?" the second one screamed. "Identify yourself!"
Some things just never made all that much sense to her. Did they not see the impossibly large sword on her back? Did they just not care? In a word where her sword was every bit as capable against machine guns, where they just underestimating her? Did they think that because they were Shinra soldiers that they were truly untouchable?
She lifted her head and the soldiers saw the face of a beautiful yet slightly androgynous woman. But it wasn't her loveliness that struck them, nor was it her short, spiky blonde hair, or even the way her strong arms were able to carry that sword.
It was her blue eyes. They were glowing.
"...M-Mako infused... eyes?" the first guard almost dropped his gun on the spot. The second was shaking his head in disbelief.
"B-But that would make you a..."
"SOLDIER." she chuckled. "Ex-SOLDIER, actually."
And with that, she rushed at them, swinging her large sword effortlessly and bringing it down on the first soldier. He fell to the ground in pieces and his partner was met with a kick to the stomach. The woman twisted her body, swinging the sword with all of her strength and cutting the second man in half. When she landed, she swung her sword over her head before sheathing it onto her back.
"My name is Cloud, Ex-SOLDIER First Class."