CHAPTER 10:

LIVING LEGACY

Aerith was putting a brave face on things. True, she had already been resigned to Zack's death, long before the Planet told her it happened. But being prepared for that outcome meant nothing compared to confronting the reality. Emotions she had kept a lid on for years had welled up all at once.

As Harry tended to the blonde man, Elmyra and Delphi comforted Aerith as she wept quietly. "…I misjudged him," Elmyra admitted, even as she rubbed Aerith's back. "I had feared he had found someone else and forgot you. It seemed that he fought to get back to you, until the end."

Aerith nodded mutely. And then, Sephiroth appeared, looking solemn. "What do you have to say?" Aerith asked, her tone thick with grief and bitterness.

"…All I can offer is my condolences," he said. "Zack…was a good man. Probably the best in SOLDIER. That he is dead, and I live, even in this diminished form, is typical of how cruel the world can be." Then, after a moment, he said, "There is no hate, only joy, for you are beloved by the goddess, hero of the dawn, healer of worlds."

"LOVELESS," Elmyra noted. "The epigram to Act II, I believe."

"A former friend of mine used to quote it endlessly," Sephiroth said solemnly. "Genesis Rhapsodos was obsessed with the original epic poem and the adaptations. I found his habit of quoting it rather irritating. But I thought that quote a good elegy for Zack. As for the stray, that is indeed Cloud Strife. I recognised him when I saw him through Delphi's eyes. But…something is wrong."

Harry, who was tending to Cloud on a lounge, looked to Sephiroth. "In what way?"

"All members of SOLDIER are treated with Mako Infusion, but Cloud never made it into SOLDIER, despite his desires," Sephiroth said. "But I also believe that they are given further enhancement…with Jenova cells. I…feel them in him. I feel like I can transfer my consciousness into him, even control his body. Harry, if you intend to check the condition of his mind, take care. I suspect Hojo to be responsible for this."

Harry nodded. "I'll try. Legilimency is tricky enough, though."

"Can you help him, though?" Aerith asked.

"I'll give it a damn good try…"

Harry wasn't a fan of Legilimency thanks to the way Snape used it on him. Yet his time in the Unspeakables taught him it was a useful tool under the right circumstances, so he did learn it, and was grateful. He tried using it on Neville's parents once, but to little avail. Hopefully, this time would be better.

When Harry did enter Cloud's mind, he found it a mass of contradictions. It was almost like two minds, or rather, two sets of memories in one. Cloud seemed to think he was a member of SOLDIER, First Class, with the true memories buried just below the surface.

Through Cloud's eyes, Harry witnessed two versions of Nibelheim's destruction, at Sephiroth's hands, no doubt. He witnessed Cloud's lonely childhood, how he was unjustly blamed for an injury Tifa suffered, his promise to her to come help her after he joined SOLDIER. The shame at being unable to make the cut. He saw edited highlights of Cloud's life, and hoped he could salvage the blonde's mind.

It took a long time and patient sifting. Thankfully, mental realms tended to have a certain degree of time dilation, and he knew how to do stuff like that thanks to the Unspeakables anyway, spells that could slow the perception of time, albeit only for a few seconds, and risky to do lest it cause brain damage. In any case, what felt like hours upon hours of work took about half a minute in reality.

What Harry tried to do was to bring Cloud's original memories, where possible, to the fore, but keep the other ones, but flag them as false. It was delicate work that he had only tried a few times before…namely on Neville's parents. That time, it had mixed success, and they soon reverted, rendering it moot. Cloud, however, seemed to be just a little more lucid than them. He was still struggling to overcome what turned out to be four years of Mako Poisoning, but he had regained consciousness and some lucidity shortly before Zack died.

Eventually, Harry withdrew. Thankfully, Sephiroth had disappeared, with Delphi keeping on her sunglasses, because Cloud stirred, his eyes flickering open. He blinked, confused, his gaze more focused than it had been earlier. His eyes went over to Harry, and then to Delphi and the Gainsboroughs. "Good afternoon," Harry said. "How do you feel?"

"Like a Malboro chewed me up and spat me out," Cloud said, wincing in pain as he sat up. "Got a hell of a headache, but my mind's clearer than it has been for…" His eyes widened. "Zack…"

"He's dead, I'm afraid," Elmyra said solemnly. "He died saving your life."

"Do you remember your name?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, of course I do. I'm Cloud Strife, ex-SOLDIER, First Class…" Cloud's eyes widened, and then he winced again. "No…no, I didn't cut it, but why do I…?"

"Hey, take it easy, Cloud," Harry said, gently placing a hand on the blonde's shoulder. "Long story short, your mind was messed up by what we think is Mako Poisoning, amongst other things. I have the ability to see into people's minds, and before you ask, I don't normally make a habit of it. When I went in there to see if I could help, you seemed to have two sets of memories. I'm not sure why, but you didn't have Zack in one set, so I chose the set that did have him in them. You've still got both sets of memories, you're just able to tell which is which, in theory."

Cloud peered at him suspiciously, before eventually nodding. "Okay. I'm not exactly happy with you poking around in my head, but…at least you told me. Who are you, anyway?"

"I'm Harry Potter, and this is my daughter Delphi." The silver-haired girl waved shyly, and Cloud shot her a slight smile back. "And this is Elmyra Gainsborough and her daughter Aerith. Aerith and Zack were an item before you two went to Nibelheim."

Cloud's eyes widened. "…Really? I heard a bit about you, but…never mind. I'm…sorry for your loss."

Aerith nodded in gratitude, even as she wiped her eyes. "Thank you, Cloud."

"So, where are we, exactly?" Cloud asked.

"Sector 5 Slums, in the Midgar Undercity," Elmyra said. "You know, young man, if what my daughter said is true, you have someone waiting for you in Sector 7. Does the name Tifa Lockhart ring a bell?"

"Tifa?!" Cloud yelped. "She's still alive?!"

"And well, despite what Sephiroth did to her," Aerith said. "Apparently it was touch and go for a long time. Her mentor, Zangan, saved her. I don't know the full story."

Cloud, after a moment, shook his head. "I'll get it out of her then, once we've caught up. I…Tifa…sorry, I shouldn't be so glad she is alive when Zack died."

"Don't ever think that way," Aerith said, shaking her head sadly. "Zack died saving your life, Cloud. I'd rather he be alive, yes, but…he wanted to be a hero. If he went out saving you, then he was one."

"I also have Tifa as a saved number on my PHS," Harry said. "You want to talk with her?"

Cloud looked indecisive, before nodding. "Thanks."

Harry dialled Tifa, and waited for her to pick up. She clearly saw the caller ID, because when she picked up, she asked, "Is it true?"

"That Zack's dead? Unfortunately, yes. He went out swinging against a small army of Shinra troopers, by the look of it. We found his grave in the wasteland outside Midgar, and Aerith…well, she's grieving."

"…Tell her I'm sorry for her loss," Tifa said quietly. "I regret my last words to Zack at Nibelheim, he didn't deserve them. But if there's nothing else…"

"No, there is, Tifa. Zack died defending someone, someone we found. His memories were jumbled up, but I managed to fix them. Tifa…Cloud is alive. He's not in the best of shape, and he's still coming to terms with having two sets of memories, but…"

"Wait, what?!" Tifa all but yelled into his ear. "Cloud is alive?! He's there with you?"

"Yeah, and he wants to talk with you."

"…Do me a solid, and put me on the video call. Please." Her voice was now husky with emotion, as if not wanting to believe this was happening. Not daring to hope that, while Zack was dead, her old friend had lived.

Harry nodded, activating it, showing Tifa on the screen. He then handed it to Cloud, who stared. "…Tifa?"

"…Cloud…it really is you. How…how are you feeling?"

"…I've been better," Cloud admitted, rubbing his forehead. "Being cooped up in a specimen tank in Shinra Mansion's basement, drowned in Mako like a pickle in a jar, kind of does a number on your health. I'm still recovering from the Mako Poisoning, even though I've been out for…I dunno. Months? Years? I'm still trying to decide whether this is some Mako-induced hallucination or not. I…when I saw you last, I thought you were dying."

"We can swap stories about that time when you come over," Tifa said with a sad smile. "By the way, nice eyes. I like the glow."

"You wouldn't like what I went through to get them," Cloud said, before a slight smile touched his lips. "But thanks. You look great yourself."

Tifa chuckled, albeit a little wearily. "Thanks. Listen, while I can find you a place to live and lay low, you might have to find work. The locals always need someone willing to keep the local monsters' numbers down, though, so that shouldn't be hard, I hope?"

Cloud nodded. "Zack kept waxing lyrical about us becoming mercenaries in Midgar. I may not have made the cut into SOLDIER, but I know how to fight, especially monsters. That being said…the other memories, the ones I might've gotten from Zack…Tifa, Shinra were making monsters in the Nibelheim Mako Reactor. The room I found you in after Sephiroth nearly killed you, Zack said the pods had these…things in them. Monsters of some kind."

"Those pods had…oh God," she hissed.

"No doubt created by Professor Hojo or one of his rivals," Aerith mused. On Cloud's look, she said, "Let's just say you and I can claim the dubious distinction of being his former guinea pigs. I'm sure Hojo was the one who had you experimented on. It's a long story for me, something Zack didn't really know about, as far as I know. Not the whole story, anyway."

"…I understand." Cloud's gaze returned to Tifa. "…Tifa, I'll be heading over as soon as I can. Then, we can catch up." A sad, tired smile, a small one, touched his lips. "And Tifa? I'm glad you're okay."

"So am I, Cloud. So am I…"

Once they'd said their farewells, and Tifa hung up, Cloud stood up, taking the Buster Sword in hand. "Hey, you can't leave yet!" Delphi yelped.

"Look, Shinra left me alone because they thought I was practically a vegetable from Mako Poisoning, but if they realise I'm still alive and lucid, more or less, then you all are in danger. Tifa's kept hiding away from Shinra for the past few years, she might be able to help me lie low, especially while I still recover from the Mako Poisoning and what messed with my head." He shook his head. "Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful to all of you, especially if what Harry claimed is true, and I somehow gained a separate set of memories. I'm still not sure what to think of that. And I wish I had been able to help Zack in that battle, instead of sitting there, drooling like a cretin. Zack should be here with me, giving you one hell of a welcome back kiss. But…what's done is done. All I can ask is forgiveness for not being able to help Zack."

"Cloud…I think being practically comatose from Mako Poisoning goes a long way towards why you couldn't. Mako Poisoning, and chronic Mako Poisoning at that, is not trivial," Aerith said, giving a sad smile. "Don't misunderstand me, I do wish he was alive, with all my heart. But I know all too well that the world and the people in it can be cruel. And I appreciate the sentiment, though I don't think you need forgiveness. You at least tried to bury him, to give him some semblance of dignity and honour in death. If you want to honour his sacrifice, be his living legacy. Be the hero he wanted to be, to help others when nobody else would or could."

"…Be a hero, huh?" Cloud chuckled morosely. "I wanted to be a hero too, like Sephiroth. But I learned you should never meet your heroes. Still…thanks, Aerith. You've given me something to think about, you and everyone else. And thanks for helping me, despite…well, everything."

"Cloud, it's not your fault," Aerith said. "Shinra wanted him dead. If anyone is to blame for Zack's death, it's them. But thank you for caring…"

Harry offered to take Cloud over to Sector 7, and to Seventh Heaven. Despite Cloud still suffering from the aftereffects of Mako Poisoning, Harry decided to take a risk with Apparition, to avoid any possible Shinra surveillance, either by their military or the Turks. He gave warning to the blonde beforehand, but Cloud insisted he was ready.

"You weren't ready," Harry observed sympathetically as Cloud emptied his stomach onto the ground.

"Ugh, it's like three hours of motion sickness rolled into a second," Cloud muttered, wiping his lips. They were in a vacant lot behind Seventh Heaven, Harry hoping that nobody was present, which thankfully was the case. "How the hell did you do that?"

As Harry led him out of the vacant lot, he said, "It's a long story, we'll tell you later. Tifa and her friends know about it. Oh, and just be warned, Tifa's working with a man called Barret who has a major chip on his shoulder about Shinra. He's a real sweetheart with his daughter, and I think he's a decent enough guy, but don't piss him off unless you're tired of eating solid foods."

"Yeah, I'm sort of sick of eating soups and the like that Zack fed me," Cloud said. "And the less said about living on pure Mako, the better. I won't let him push me around, though."

"Your funeral."

Harry led Cloud to Seventh Heaven. As they entered the bar, Tifa and Barret were discussing something, while Marlene was playing with a doll in the corner. They all looked up, with Tifa hurrying over to Cloud, before hugging him. "Cloud! It really is you! I'm so glad to see you alive and…well, as well as you can be."

"Yeah, same here, Tifa," Cloud said, blushing a little, but returning the hug with a small but genuine smile. "You've grown."

"We both have." Tifa then indicated Barret and Marlene. "This is my friend, Barret. He helps me run the bar, and this is his daughter Marlene."

Cloud nodded, and he and Barret looked at each other, sizing each other up. "So, you're Tifa's childhood friend, huh?" Barret asked. "The one who used to be Shinra's loyal pooch like Stamp?"

"Before I learned how messed-up they were and murdered a friend and mentor of mine, and their so-called hero burned my home town to the ground, yes," Cloud said evenly, meeting the dark-skinned man's gaze without flinching. "So, if it comes to it, I'll bite the hand that used to feed me. Turnabout's fair play, after all."

After a moment, Barret's lips twitched into something like a smile. "You've got steel in your spine, Cloud. Just know, I'm watchin' you. Bein' Tifa's friend only gets you so far with me, as does Harry's say-so. Without goin' too much into details, let's just say I've felt the pain when Shinra shows their true colours all too well."

"Don't worry, I know it's too much to ask for you to trust me on Tifa's say-so. You stay out of my way, and I'll stay out of yours for now, Barret." He looked down at Marlene, who was hiding behind Barret's leg shyly, and squatted down to look at her, a soft smile touching his lips. "Hi."

"…Hello," Marlene said quietly. "Are you Miss Tifa's friend?"

"Yeah. I'm Cloud Strife. You're Marlene, right? Good to meet you."

"…Daddy says never to talk to strangers," Marlene said.

"That's right, honey," Barret said warmly. "What a good girl you are, rememberin' my lessons. But if Daddy or Tifa are 'round, and Cloud don't try to scare you or hurt you, then he's fine to talk to. Okay?"

"That's fine, I won't push my luck around a protective father," Cloud said, standing up again.

"Oh, don't you worry. Marlene and I will go play for a bit while you catch up with Tifa," Barret said.

As the burly man and his daughter left, Harry left some Gil coins on the counter. "He might need a decent meal, he barfed it up after I Apparated him over, Tifa."

"Got it."

"And don't get me any booze yet, please," Cloud said. "I don't think I could handle it the way I am now. I'm not even sure I can handle a meal yet."

"Well, hopefully, you can keep this meal down. I deal with a lot of hungover and drunken patrons, I know how to prevent them from vomiting it back up, or worse. Sometimes, it's a decent meal or the hair of the dog…and sometimes its lurid threats. I once threatened this rather handsy drunk that I would shove my fist so far up his ass, people would think, 'wow, that's the world's ugliest glove puppet' when they saw him. Shoulder-deep, Cloud, that's how far I threatened."

After a moment, Cloud chuckled. "Nice threat. Did you carry it out?"

Tifa scoffed. "Are you crazy? I don't want someone's shit on my gloves…"

CHAPTER 10 ANNOTATIONS:

So, Cloud's memories have been restored, more or less. Which should make things interesting for the future.

The first bit of the chapter was basically the second part of what was Chapter 8 in the original, just edited and expanded.

This was something I wanted to do early, have Cloud's memories restored, and with it, something of his true nature. He's still stoic, a little socially-awkward, and a bit of an arse, but he's also more overtly caring from the get-go, and a little more willing to show his true feelings, at least to those he trusts or is on good terms with. Of course, he'll also be somewhat guilt-ridden over being unable to prevent Zack's death, he's still leery of Harry fucking around with his head, and there's the fact that Tifa and Cloud don't know about Sephiroth's fragment being in Delphi, which will cause some tension when it is revealed. But it's still a better start than before.

I also wanted to make Cloud and Marlene's first meeting a slightly better one than canon, as well as show Cloud and Barret starting what would become their own friendship. And keep in mind, if the timeline on the wiki is any indication, this is a month before Cloud was found by Tifa in canon, and about two months prior to the Sector 1 Reactor Bombing that opens up Final Fantasy VII. In other words, Cloud will now have about two months to get used to Sector 7 and his actual memories before he joins AVALANCHE on their big mission.

Also, I hope you enjoyed the Final Fantasy VII Machinabridged quotes. I think Remake Tifa is too wimpy a lot of the time, so I want something between her and the feistier original, but with a smattering of her Abridged Series self. True, her Abridged Series self is a sadistic sociopath with a hair-trigger temper (and honestly, the explanations for that came too little, too late to make her truly sympathetic), but I can see canon Tifa having her moments where she threatens to turn someone into her glove puppet bitch, hence her discussing it with Cloud.

Review-answering time! L: He'll wait for Aerith to come to him, not that he has anything more than friendship and some attraction to her. He's not remotely that crass, and he's learned his lesson with Cho, though Cho was a bitch anyway. Someone who tries to defend Marietta Edgecomb's treachery is a bitch.

Tifa and Barret only know part of the truth. They still don't know about Sephiroth being in Delphi.

waytodawn0: That Zack was in another timeline entirely, and as a later chapter I am still writing will show, those set of timelines are nowhere near this one. I have an intriguing little explanation for that in that chapter…

ZLC genesmith: I'm not convinced it's as simple as Vanishing it. I'm not sure whether Vanishing disintegrates something, or simply sends it somewhere else (one fanfic claimed it sends it into Mt Etna, I believe), and if it's the latter, that's just delaying the inevitable. Unfortunately, the good Sephiroth will be a complicating factor during the journey, for the reason of how he gains a physical body…

jgkitarel: As much as that whole shebang was amusing, unfortunately, Harry and the others will be taking a more direct approach dealing with Cornholio (as I heard him dubbed in the Machinabridged Series). Given his Bluebeard tendencies, it'll be very well-deserved…

No numbered annotations this time.