Altered Destiny
A Final Fantasy 7 Fanfiction
By: NovalonHe stood at the edge of the mountain town, taking a deep breath of the air as he turned back to the group of people who were following him. The air was slightly chilly, giving the area a sense of foreboding, as if there was something the town housed that could mean danger to all those in the group.
He waved a hand through his silver hair, calmly adjusting the Nodachi at his side.
He nodded to the man with spiky black hair before motioning to the man adorned in blue armor.
"So, this is your hometown… first time you've been back in a long time, right? I wouldn't know… I have never had a hometown…"
The Soldier in question, Strife, adjusted his helmet, covering his blonde hair, as if he was ashamed of it.
"No hometown? What about a family? Or is that too personal?"
His stoic expression was unwavering, "No, Strife, it's okay. I never had a family, well, not a normal one in the sense that you might think… a pitiful excuse of a man refers to himself as my father… and my mother… she died when I was very young. The only person I've even considered close to family is Professor Gast…"
The black haired man closest briefly shook his head, "And yet you're going out with his daughter… I swear, had you not already done so, it would've been me… lucky…"
He nodded, curtly, "Indeed, I am lucky, 1st class Officer Russell, I guess it is most unfortunate for you…"
Officer Russell turned to the blonde haired man next to him, "How do you like that, Cloud? General Sephiroth here not only has the greatest skill with Magic and Swordplay in the entire world, but he's got one of the prettiest girls in the world too, and here he goes gloating about it."
Cloud, whose last name was Strife, shook his head, "Zack, you'll find someone, as my mom always told me, there's someone for everyone."
Zack grimaced before turning back to Sephiroth.
"So, what's the plan now, sir?"
Sephiroth motioned to the other soldier adorned in blue armor, much like Cloud, "Standell here will switch watch with Strife, seeing as how we're here to take care of monsters anyway. Also, I'm sure Strife here will want to say hi to his family before we have to take a trip to the mountain…"
Cloud lowered his gaze, "Of course… sir."
As Sephiroth and Zack walked to the Inn, Cloud motioned to Standell, the other soldier with him.
"Gyrick, I'll take the first watch, alright? It looks like you didn't get much rest on that truck ride anyway, go catch some sleep, I'll get you at 0200."
Gyrick nodded, twirling his gun. "You're a real pal, Cloud. Hell, a lot like my friend, Edward. When we get back to Midgar, I'll introduce him to ya, you guys would get along great! Great guy to drink with, I mean, damn, he'll put down Everclear like it's nothing, and don't get me started about the way he's learned to mix the stuff… ah, it's a shame he never made it here, he was injured during an uprising in Wutai, and he's recuperating with his folks in Costa Del Sol… lucky SOB… ah well, I'll catch ya later, Cloud."
Cloud nodded, waving to Gyrick as he walked back in the Inn. He slowly took off his helmet, wiping some sweat off his face.
"Seems like you're making friends a lot easier that I remembered…"
He turned around, looking into a pair of deep brown eyes. He looked back at the pretty face before slowly smiling in recognition.
"Tifa, great to see you again… er… you've uh…"
His eyes went across the rest of her body, and he was glad he took the helmet off as he began to sweat some more.
"Ah… you've… uh… grown."
She chuckled, wrapping her arms around him.
"Yeah, I grew up as a lonely girl waiting for her handsome soldier to return… doesn't look like they accepted you as an officer though…"
Cloud looked away from her face, dejectedly, "I know… I wanted to get in the training program so bad… but I didn't have the credentials… most of the officers usually had some kind of family in SOLDIER beforehand, so it was easier for them…"
Tifa moved a gloved hand up to Cloud's face, forcing his gaze to hers.
"Well that doesn't matter to me. You are who you are, Cloud. And hey, you're even here with Sephiroth! I saw you guys come into town, and I was hoping you were in the group!"
He sighed, "I was almost afraid to show my face… but then Sephiroth got to talking about his family, or lack thereof… and I couldn't bear not to show my face around here again, not since it looks like you've been waiting for me."
She smiled, "It feels so good to see you again. Come on… let's go see your mother! She's been waiting to see you again too…"
As they moved off towards the house Cloud used to live in, a shout stopped them.
"Hey Cloud! Who's the pretty girl you're with?"
They turned around to see Zack walking towards them. He flashed a cool smile before striking his famous SOLDIER officer pose.
Cloud grimaced, "This is Tifa, Zack, she and I grew up together."
Zack nodded, "Damn, girl, you got a hell of a body on ya. What's say we go to your place and I show you how I polish my sword?"
Cloud shot him a dirty look, looking over at Tifa who acted as if she didn't care about the comment.
"You probably don't need a lot of polish with the weapon you're compensating with."
Zack's eyes widened as he stepped forward angrily.
"You did not just say that to me, bi-…"
Before he could even finish the last word, Cloud had already stepped in his way, his angry mako green eyes nearly causing pain with their intent.
"Zack, back off."
Tifa walked up and latched her hand around Cloud's.
"Yeah, if you didn't already realize it, I'm already taken…"
Zack backed off angrily, looking around before focusing on Cloud again.
"Standing up against your superior officer… well I oughta…"
"Shut the hell up, Zack!"
He turned with an expression of shock as he saw Gyrick leaning out the window of the Inn, Sephiroth behind him with a hand over his eyes, shaking his head.
Zack looked between Gyrick and Cloud with amazement.
"What the hell is this? Does it suddenly not matter that I'm a first class SOLDIER now?"
Gyrick expressed his displeasure, "Not when you're thinking with your goddamned dick! I'm trying to get some sleep here, and the General's about to have your ass on a platter! So shut the hell up so I can be ready for watch!"
Zack turned around wildly before stomping off towards the Inn with a mask of rage written all over his face.
As soon as he went in, Cloud turned back to Tifa with a raised eyebrow.
"So you're already taken, eh?"
She smiled, embracing him again, "Yeah, that is, unless you have a problem with it…"
He shook his head, returning the embrace, "I'd have to be crazy if I had a problem… being an officer really doesn't matter any more…"
Tifa grinned before pulling Cloud in the direction of his house.
"Come on, let's go see your mom before that asshole decides to bother us again…"
Cloud sighed, "You know, I think if he had a girlfriend, he'd probably be less of one… but then again, what do I know?"
The evening went smoothly. Well, almost, for Gyrick, he didn't get all the rest he wanted, but he was a great deal less tired than he was before. And Zack was bitter after being shot down completely by Tifa. Other than the two, the rest of the evening was seemingly perfect.
"It's time. We should start heading to the reactor now."
Gyrick gobbled up the last of what the Inn cooked for breakfast before looking at the door.
"Damn, Cloud must be lucky. If the Inn cooks food this good, imagine how his mom must cook his…"
Sephiroth chuckled, "Lucky indeed, especially with the girl he was with…"
Gyrick nodded, "Yeah, I got a girl back in my town, myself, Aurora's gotta be the most swell girl I've ever met. She may be part Wutaitian, but that doesn't mean I think any less of her."
Sephiroth nodded, "Indeed, we may never forget the war, but that doesn't mean we can't forgive the people… hm… Cloud needs to hurry up if he's going to…"
The door opened abruptly, as Cloud showed up fully dressed in his armor with a grin on his face. The helmet was stashed in his standard issue backpack and his gun was securely holstered at his side.
"Nice to see you ready, Strife."
Cloud nodded, saluting the General.
"Thanks for letting me stay with my mom, by the way."
Sephiroth chuckled, "Of course, we were short a bed here anyhow, you staying at your house was almost the best course of action if we were all going to get some rest."
Gyrick got up from the table, "By the way, we hired a guide to get us to the reactor, though I'm not sure who's doing it, they say she's the best around."
Sephiroth nodded, "She's a student of the great Zangan Figaro, one of the greatest fist fighters on the planet…"
Cloud looked back, surprised, "What? Tifa's going to be our guide?"
Gyrick grimaced, "Oh great, Zack won't shut up about it… keep an eye on her, Cloud."
Cloud sneered, "You'd have to force me not to."
As Zack walked down the stairs, he flashed a cold stare to Cloud before saluting to Sephiroth.
"We ready?"
The rest of the trip was uneventful; Cloud even got his picture taken with Tifa, Zack, and Sephiroth, though he would have much rather had Zack out of the picture. As they neared a long rope bridge, Gyrick expressed a frown.
"I've never liked flimsy bridges like this, we better proceed with caution."
Sephiroth nodded, "Good idea, Standell… Russell, go first."
Zack frowned, "What about one of the MP's?"
Sephiroth's stoic gaze remained unchanged.
"Russell, go first."
Zack spat a curse before walking the bridge, with Sephiroth following him, who motioned to the rest to go behind him.
Cloud looked behind him, as he heard a snap of one of the ropes.
"No, Tifa! Not again!"
He grabbed her hand, holding on to her as the rope Cloud was hanging on suddenly snapped from the weight, causing all of them to fall into the crevice beneath them.
Cloud awoke to hear Sephiroth's voice echoing across the mountains.
"Standell! Respond! Standell… respond, damn it!"
He looked over to see Tifa standing over him, grinning.
"You broke my fall, Cloud… if it wasn't for you…"
Cloud grimaced, slowly sitting up, "I couldn't have let you fall into another coma again…"
She embraced him as Zack started walking away in disgust.
"Life's refreshing breeze, heal the wounds… Cure."
A soft healing light fell over Cloud as he turned to see Sephiroth standing nearby with a pained look on his face.
"I'm sorry… I can't find Standell anywhere…"
Cloud grimaced before Zack suddenly spoke up.
"Leave him… the reactor is close, and we need to check that out right away."
Cloud shook his head, "You really are a cold hearted bastard, aren't you, Zack?"
Before Zack could step forward, Sephiroth stood in his way.
"When we get back to Midgar, I'm going to make a discharge request…"
"What?!"
Cloud looked back, surprised.
"After your behavior today, I've seen the integrity of SOLDIER ruined… I don't even think you are fit to lead anyone… if anything, Strife is a much more valued member than you are…"
Zack turned away, fuming, "You'll… you… damn it!"
Tifa helped Cloud up as Sephiroth took the lead.
"We'll come back tomorrow and see if we can find Standell… as for now, we need to see what we can do about the monster problem."
Cloud stayed with Tifa outside of the reactor as Sephiroth and Zack slowly made their way inside. He looked back at her frowning face.
"I'm sorry Tifa… but orders are orders. Civilians can't enter a reactor unless they work there…"
Sephiroth looked inside one of the pods near the main reactor in shock.
"Was… was… was this how I was… created?"
Zack spat to the side, "Serve's ya right, I figured there was something wrong with you anyway…"
Sephiroth held his head, as voices began to whisper, and a chilling wind swept through the area.
"No… no… must… not… listen… Aeris… help me…"
He looked around, shaking his head as he slowly began to calm down.
"What… the hell was that? There's something here…"
Zack looked up at the dome, "Something's… calling me there… Jenova…"
Sephiroth looked over at him in alarm.
"What, don't tell me… you were put in Hojo's experimental program… you willingly allowed Jenova cells to be injected in you, didn't you."
Zack laughed, a slight insanity coming to his lips.
"Yes, and Cloud too, thinking it would help him get into SOLDIER that much easier! Hah, what a fool!"
Sephiroth drew the Masamune, "Calm down, Russell, or I will gut you."
Zack laughed, suddenly walking out as if nothing happened.
"Perhaps I'll take a look at the Professor's notes that he probably has stashed away in the basement of the mansion."
Sephiroth put a hand to his head, "I wish that was completely classified, and not just to the military…"
Zack walked out of the mansion, an inner fire glowing along with the mako green of his eyes. He put a green material globe into his Buster Sword, grinning with insanity.
"I hope Sephiroth doesn't mind that I borrowed his Fire material… gyahahahahah… Flames, gather to me! Destroy this worthless town! Fire 3!"
Cloud found himself surrounded with fire, as he turned to Sephiroth who stared around with a look of confusion.
"My fire materia… Russell! Damn it! The town needs to be evacuated!"
Cloud watched as he noticed Tifa's father running after Zack's retreating form, with Tifa close behind. He motioned to Sephiroth, who noticed what was going on.
"I'll handle Zack! I won't let that madman escape!"
Sephiroth nodded, before racing into the nearest house.
Cloud leapt over the flames, running towards the mountains.
"Come back here, you bastard!"
"Dad!"
He fell as the Buster Sword tore through his body. Zack dropped the sword near him, laughing manically as he walked into the main reactor room.
Tifa took up the sword, running after Zack. She tried to swing as best she could, but Zack caught the sword and laughed, as he seemed to be possessed with some kind of demonic strength. Had Tifa not backed up slightly, the vicious slash he made would have surely killed her. As she began to black out, she noticed Cloud running in to the room as Zack went into the room with Jenova.
"Cloud…"
Cloud walked over to her and picked her up, moving her off to the side.
"You came to save me… my knight in shining armor…"
He grinned, making sure not to look at the horrible gash in her body.
"I told you I would… now I'll take care of Zack…"
He twirled his standard issue MP machine gun before noticing that Zack had already went out of the room, and looked as if he was heading back towards the entrance of the reactor. Cloud ran after him, following him to the next room.
"Zack! It's over! I'm going to make sure you don't survive this, you crazy bastard!"
He opened fire, causing Zack to spasm in alarm as the bullets ripped through his body.
"Hahahahaha… I am one with Jenova… you can't possibly stop me."
Zack slowly turned around, not even caring that a hail of bullets was hitting him.
"Such a shame I had to destroy your town… ah well, Jenova wanted it, her son didn't seem to want to listen to her, so she pretty much adopted me… say hi to Tifa in the lifestream for me, bastard."
As Zack neared Cloud, the bullets began to be deflected off of the massive sword.
"So Cloud… are you ready to…"
He stopped, noticing as a long, thin sword suddenly was protruding from his midsection. He turned around to see Sephiroth's angry gaze.
"Your mother is very angry with you…" Zack spat.
Sephiroth shook his head as he lifted Zack up and tossed him off over the railing, down into the lifestream energy that the reactor compressed into Mako.
Cloud stared in amazement as he saw Zangan and Gyrick standing behind Sephiroth.
"What the…"
Gyrick chuckled, "Zangan here saved my life, brought me back to the town and got my health back… that is… before the fire struck…"
Cloud grimaced as he looked down at the pool of lifestream, where he could not longer see Zack's body.
"They won't be too happy about this one, especially after what happened here…"
Sephiroth shook his head angrily, "I can't believe SOLDIER would let a man like him become first class… it figures, I think he was Hideggar's 2nd cousin, or something like that…"
Cloud shook his head in sadness before motioning to Sephiroth to follow him.
"Can you cure Tifa? Zack hurt her, but I think she'll pull through."
Sephiroth walked over, calmly drawing upon his healing materia to close up her wounds.
She grimaced before sitting up, holding a hand to her head.
"What… what, happened? Dad…? Mom…? Cloud?"
Cloud walked over to her, kneeling and bringing a hand to cup her face.
"I… I don't think anyone made it besides us… and your master, Zangan."
Zangan nodded, lowering his head and shaking it slowly.
"There were no other survivors… I doubt anyone could have made it out of that hell…"
Sephiroth shook his head, "Any normal person should have just been able to conjure a short flame even with a Fire 3 spell… what could possibly… except… no… Jenova… damn you Hojo!"
Cloud grimaced, his eyes glowing with an unnatural hatred, "That man… I willingly entered into his program, for the chance that it would aid me in joining SOLDIER, but… that it would make use of Materia be so strong…" he glanced at his hands, cringing, "and that I would have that sort of power at my disposal… a curse…"
Sephiroth nodded, "A curse, indeed, Jenova is truly the root of the problem, but the only one who can be blamed for all of this is Hojo… he needs to suffer…"
Gyrick coughed, shaking his head uneasily, "But… he's Shinra's number two scientist, the President would surely have us thrown in the deep sea facility prison for committing such an act. We'd be court marshaled at the very least."
Sephiroth sneered, looking in the eyes of all who were in the room.
"Then we make it look like someone else did it… a Wutai assassin, someone, anyone…"
Gyrick's eyes went wide, shocked, "Wait, so we're going to continue to work for Shinra, but essentially go against them from the inside?"
Sephiroth nodded, his eyes glowing, "Yes, we will be like an Avalanche, we will start out with Hojo, and move on from there… Aeris has told me much of the pain of the Lifestream, that Mako is to blame; I didn't realize it until I heard of the monsters in the area…"
Slowly, all the people in the bridge area nodded, starting with Zangan until the entirety of the group was in agreement.
Cloud stepped forward, his eyes glowing with Mako and determination.
"Yeah, we'll be like an Avalanche, Hojo, and Shinra will pay for this…"