Final Fantasy Vii Remake - Blog Posts

hi uhdmdn............. i saw ur reqs was open and i thought maybe u could do bbg Sephiroth with a blind reader? I just need sum domestic Seph rn..... give me tooth rotting fluff till i eat my pillow..... frothing even..... u can do this req anytime u want when ur free ofc!!

☆ his eyes

sephiroth x male reader [he / him]

sypnosis: above.

the lowercase is intentional !

sephiroth practically acted as [name]'s eyes around the home. he helped with a lot of the cooking, chores and anything else that needed doing. he didn't mind doing these things, of course. he did them out of love for [name]. he wouldn't want his partner getting into some accidents, even if [name] was very aware of his surroundings in the home.

sephiroth loved taking care of [name]. not because his partner was blind or anything. not at all. [name] was quite frankly able to take care of himself, his impaired vision didn't take away his abilities of being capable to look after himself one bit. yet, sephiroth loved taking care of [name] because he loved [name]. he was a truly sweet man (under all of the murderous intent of course).

[name] was walking around the kitchen, wanting to grab something. he searches for the cupboard he needed with his hands as his touch was one of his heightened senses. once [name] found the cupboard, he reached to open it only to find the door bumping into his head. but, the corner was soft. it didn't actually feel like the wood it was made out of.

the cupboard door had actually hit sephiroth's hand. sephiroth placed his hand against the corner of the door just incase something happened, like a natural instinct or something. he was glad he didn't have to see [name] walking around with a bruise on his head for the rest of the day.

[name] hummed and he turned over to where he could sense sephiroth's presense. he smiled and looked up at the other man. "thank you." [name] whispered softly, truly grateful that he had sephiroth by his side at all times.

"you don't have to thank me." sephiroth replied, a smile forming on his own lips as he looked over at [name]. "i am just doing what i can to help you." he said before leaning over to press a kiss on [name]'s forehead.

"you do more than enough for me." [name] chuckled, shaking his head at sephiroth's words. "but.. if you want to help me out more can you pass me one of the bowls? i don't want to risk bumping my head again." the man continued.

sephiroth nodded and he took the bowl out for [name], placing it down on the kitchen counter for him. [name] heard the bowl being placed down, so he searched for it once again before picking it up.

"i was thinking of baking something, if you'd help me get the ingredients. you can be my eyes like you so desperately wish to be." [name] hummed. he tilted his head over to where he thought sephiroth was before. he then waited for a reply from the man, although he already knew sephiroth was going to help him.

"of course. do you even have to ask?" sephiroth let out a little chuckle, and so did [name] in response. it was true, [name] didn't really need to ask if he needed help from sephiroth anymore. sephiroth was always in the room if [name] was in it, so he'd always be in on anything [name] was doing.

[name] walked over to another cupboard, holding out his hands before he reached for the handle of it. he then opened it, this time ducking his head down slightly to not hit himself or sephiroth.

"i need some flour.. sugar.. eggs.. butter.." [name] mumbled, waiting for sephiroth to get them. sephiroth nodded and he went to go get them for [name] from the opened cupboard and the fridge.

once sephiroth had all the ingredients, he placed them on the counter. he followed each of [name]'s instructions about how much of each item was needed. he placed each ingredient into a seperate bowl for [name].

"what are you planning on making? cake?" sephiroth asked as he poured out all of the ingredients. it definitely did seem like they were making a cake, not that sephiroth was complaining though. in fact, he quite liked baking if it was with [name].

[name] nodded in response, a little hum coming out of him too. "yes, a cake. hopefully it'll be good." [name] smiled, already imagining the fluffiness of the cake on his tongue.. he couldn't wait until this cake was finished. he didn't even have the ingredients ready though.

the man walked over to the counter, guiding by the subtle sounds of sephiroth pouring and measuring out ingredients. [name] took out a large bowl and he started pouring some of the ingredients in that sephiroth named him each step of the way. he was glad he had sephiroth to help him.

[name] took a whisk and he started mixing the batter together. it was taking him quite some time, so sephiroth stood behind to help. sephiroth practically ended up enveloping [name], putting his hands over the other man's to help him mix. a small chuckle was heard from [name] as he continued mixing.

"you don't have to do that, my love. i'm capable of mixing this by myself.." [name] added, a smile still on his face as he allowed sephiroth to help him stir. [name] didn't try to push sephiroth off of him, or make him stop helping. he appreciated the sentiment deeply that sephiroth wanted to spend time with him, that sephiroth wanted to share his warmth and love.

"i know you are, you don't have to keep telling me." sephiroth replied, a small chuckle escaping his own lips. he then pressed a kiss to the top of [name]'s head as they mixed the cake batter together.

soon enough, all of the ingredients were encorperated together. all that was left was to put it in the oven - which sephiroth gladly helped [name] do.

[name] wrapped his arms around sephiroth after the cake was placed in the oven. he burried his face into his lover's chest, not wanting to escape it. ever.

"thank you for helping.. for always being here for me." [name] whispered into sephiroth's chest. sephiroth smiled in response, feeling the vibrations of [name]'s words go through him.

the silver haired man started to stroke his lover's head tenderly, enjoying the peaceful moment they were both in. it was definitely quite the euphoric experience for both of them. it always was whenever they were around eachother.

"it's no problem, dear. i'll always be here for you. just call my name and i'm all yours." sephiroth responded, a smile on his lips as he looked down at his lover. he continued stroking [name]'s head, feeling content just by having the other man in his arms.

"i love you.. thank you for being my vision in a world where i am incapable of seeing." [name] whispered back, keeping his face planted in sephiroth's chest. he truly meant what he was saying, and he wanted sephiroth to know how he was feeling too.

sephiroth kissed the top of [name]'s head before he replied once more. "of course. i love you too, [name]. we're married for a reason - to be there for eachother no matter what, even if that means me being your vision. me being your eyes." sephiroth spoke softly.

[name] smiled and he squeezed sephiroth tighter than he did before. "i love you so much." the man repeated, and the two lovers kept arguing over who loved eachother more before the cake almost burnt...

- author's note: you know.. i don't actually like sephiroth (i even have a plush of him what is this...) 😭 but for you anon i shall write 😻. i hope you liked this though! hope this was domestic enough for you <3

- navigation : masterlist : requests

thanks for requesting. i accidentally deleted this draft, luckily i had a screenshot of the request.

☆ mutual

cloud strife x ftm reader [he / him]

sypnosis: above.

the lowercase is intentional !

cloud and [name] were friend ever since they were little.

sure, the two boys weren't that close with eachother, but they were still friends. even if cloud talked to tifa most of the time and went off to join the soldier program, the two of them were still friends. no matter what.

[name] had always liked cloud. the young boy liked how strong willed cloud was and how determined the blonde was to be the number one solider. it really inspired [name], and made him fawn over cloud.

but he'd never say anything, of course. he was too scared and he never knew if cloud reciprocated. [name] was a trans boy after all, so what if cloud didn't even like him as a guy? it would break the boy into little pieces. he wouldn't be able to take it.

what [name] didn't know was that cloud felt the same. cloud always liked [name], not tifa, not zack or anyone else. just [name]. he always wanted to get closer to [name] and confess, but he couldn't. he was scared of rejection, the same way that [name] was. but that didn't stop either from liking one another.

it had been a few years since the two past met, cloud had left nibelheim to join the soldier program and [name] left to explore midgar. they hadn't caught up or seen eachother ever since then.

[name] was walking around wall market, taking in the vibrant lights outside the various buildings and the bustling nightlife. he had been there multiple times before, but each time it felt like the first.

there were so many things to explore at wall market, so many things to try. that's why [name] kept coming back. it was a fun experience, not just for the honey bee in or the various attractions in honour of don corneo. the buildings themselves and the people are what attracted [name].

[name] was minding his business, doing his usual as he went around the area. he looked at a few shops, inspected some materia and weapons on display and he got some food.

the young man decided to walk around with his food, which ended up being a bad idea. there were huge crowds everywhere on this particular day, and he just happened to bump into someone.

all of [name]'s food went flying, straight onto the floor. it was all ruined. people were stepping on it as it dropped to the floor, so [name] definitely wouldn't be able to eat it anymore.

[name] groaned and he looked down at the floor in annoyance before speaking, because the person he had bumped into for some reason hadn't left yet.

"you should watch where you're going next time." [name] grumbled to himself, unsure if the other person actually heard him or not. to his surprise, they did.

"you should also watch where you're going, some people are in a hurry." the person scoffed, and their voice sounded oddly familiar.

[name] raised his eyebrow and he looked up, still annoyed at the fact that this stranger made him drop his food. "well that's not my problem, is it? my problem is the fact that you made me drop my food. i spent a lot of gil on that-"

then, that's when [name] saw who it was that bumped into him.

it was cloud.

his old friend and crush was standing right there infront of him as multiple people barged past the two of them. [name] couldn't believe his eyes.

"holy shit." [name]'s mouth dropped as he stared infront at cloud. he did not think he was going to run into cloud at wall market of all places. shouldn't he be doing some soldier training right now anyway?

[name] wasn't mistaken. he thought he was seeing things but it truly was cloud infront of him.

the striking blonde hair, but with the ponytail now gone. the blue eyes that had a hint of green in them due to the mako. the pale skin that was reflecting all of the neon signs.

it truly was cloud. [name] wasn't seeing things.

"cloud? what are you doing here?" [name] asked, scanning cloud's figure once more to triple check he wasn't hallucinating.

cloud was a little confused at first. he didn't 100% recognise who was infront of him. [name] had grown up and transitioned into being who he truly meant to be.

"[name]?" cloud responded, taking a good look at the man infront of him. it was [name], cloud wasn't hallucinating either.

[name] nodded and he immediately hugged cloud, not believing the fact that his friend was there infront of him still. he didn't know how to grasp the situation. it had been years since they last met and there were no goodbyes shared or anything.

cloud was a little startled by the sudden hug, but he decided to embrace it anyway. it wasn't going to hurt. he was just hugging his old friend.. his old crush.

cloud felt like he was a kid again.

the poor guy was blushing again and he felt his stomach churn. he couldn't believe this was happening.

why now of all times? why were the memories flooding back to him? all the times that [name] and cloud would stay up late to talk or play games.. it all came rushing back.

"i didn't think i was going to ever see you again.." [name] confessed, whispering into cloud's ear softly. he was so happy to see cloud after all these years, cloud had to know.

"neither did i." cloud responded, chuckling lightly to himself as he ended up reciprocating the hug.

he wished he could stay in [name]'s arms forever - but he couldn't. he had a mission to do for avalanche, he had to save tifa. he couldn't stay in [name]'s arms for too long. he had things to do.

"[name] i'm sorry.. i have to go." cloud sighed, stepping back from the hug and looking at [name] with a frown. he didn't want this to end so soon.

"what?" [name] also took a step back, feeling all upset now. the smile he had on his face was wiped away in instant.

the man shook his head and he grabbed cloud's arm, keeping him in place. he wasn't letting him go this time. he was going to tell him everything. he didn't care if cloud was going to be late to whatever he's doing. he was selfish, but for good reasons.

"cloud, you can't just leave me after we've not seen eachother for years!" [name] started, still keeping a firm grip on cloud's arm. he sure as hell wasn't letting the blonde go yet.

"i haven't stopped thinking of you all this time.. and now you're back but you want to leave me again." [name] sighed, letting go of cloud's arm. it seems as if he has given up so quickly.

[name] looked away, crossing his arms over his chest. there was still a frown on his face and it was clear to cloud that he was hurting.

cloud wished he could comfort [name], hug him, kiss him or something else but he couldn't. time was running out, but it felt so slow when he was around [name].

"i should've told you then that i liked you. maybe if i wasn't a coward, you wouldn't of left and we would've been able to be something then.. but it's too late." [name] sighed again. he didn't even know if cloud was listening. "something else is clearly more important, so you should probably just go and do that thing then."

cloud couldn't believe what he had just heard. [name] liked him too? well, that changes everything. maybe cloud can spare a few minutes..

"seriously?" cloud spoke up, walking closer to [name] and holding one of his hands. he couldn't believe that [name] felt the same way he did.

"that.. feeling is mutual. i liked you back then too, but i was also too scared to say anything." cloud frowned slightly and it seemed that he had forgotten about everything else going on in his life.

[name] looked back at cloud, his frown slowly fading away. he was glad that cloud shared the sentiment, even if his confession was more of a 'heat of the moment' thing.

the man took in a deep breath before he spoke again, looking at his love with a smile on his face now.

"i'm glad to know that, cloud. i really am.." [name] says as he brushes a few strands of hair out of cloud's face. "i seriously didn't think you were interested in me at all. i thought you would've fallen in love with someone at the soldier program or something." [name] laughed.

cloud smiled in return. it was a small smile, but it still managed to melt [name]'s heart after years of not seeing it.

"i'd really like to catch up someday." [name] hummed and cloud let go of him, nodding at the other's words.

"of course." cloud responded, definitely wanting to catch up with [name]. they had a lot to catch up on. dates, kisses, hugs.. and even more.

[name] cleared his throat and he looked away, remembering that cloud had something important to do.

"you should.. go now. don't you have something important to do?" [name] mumbled, a heat rising to his face as he felt suddenly embarrassed for no reason.

cloud nodded and he gave [name] a quick kiss on the cheek, letting the other know that the feelings are still there. he then walked away from [name], going to do what he had to do.

"i'm glad our feelings are mutual!" [name] called out as cloud walked away.

cloud had a huge blush on his face as he walked, feeling flustered that a bunch of people now knew about his situation with [name].

at least the feeling was mutual...

☆ author's note: hope you enjoy! for those who have been waiting for p2 of the fyodor x male reader fic, it'll be out soon i promise!! i feel so bad for making you all wait 😭 i might also start writing for re2 and re4, so you can request for characters from those games!

☆ masterlist ▪︎ request

I gotta stop going like a month without drawing so please send some sketch requests if you want to :D

Or if my ask box thing isn’t working or visible, just dm it or reblog this with it lol

I’ll do characters from Pokemon (gen 4 and up), Comp of Final Fantasy VII, BotW&TotK, and Castlevania (Netflix series and Symphony of the Night)

I’m back. Slowly finishing all the pieces I started.

Sephy sad now

I am also taking commissions now!

Nero the Sable my beloathed

me n who?

where’s the lie

Just completed my first digital drawing, and who could I have drawn if not the greatest edgelord himself!

"There was one SOLDIER named Sephiroth, who was better than the rest. But when he found out about the terrible experiments that made him, he began to hate Shinra. And then, over time, he began to hate everything."

Ghidorah’s Entrance with “Those Chosen by the Planet” and “One-Winged Angel - Rebirth” by Nobuo Uematsu from Final Fantasy VII Remake.

I never actually played any of the Final Fantasy games, although I did listen to some of their tracks, entirely from FF7, FF7: Advent Children, and FF7 Remake. They do look amazingly good though, I won’t lie.

Credit to The Toho Society on Twitter for the musicless scene.

Link: https://twitter.com/thetohosociety/status/1171643674670841857?s=21

I'm sick and tired of these FF7 fans who want/say that the FF7R Trilogy will be 100% like the OG

Ok, but if the trilogy is the same as the OG, then why go all the way to add the characters defying destiny? Why add Zack being alive in some parallel universe? Why add Aerith and Sephiroth knowing more than they should?

I think it would be pretty pointless to have the characters defy LITERAL DESTINY only for events to play the same as the original. It just doesn't make any sense to me.

The developers of FF7R specifically said that NEW MYSTERIES would be added to the trilogy, yet the themes of the story and key plot events will remain intact, it will just play out way differently than the OG. Nearly everyone in the FF7 fandom, including popular influences, agrees that things in FF7R will be changed. Even the developers of Remake said many contradictory statements about the game being the same as OG.

I'm going to die on this hill and you cannot stop me.

AGREED

We need Vincent 💯

please square i am begging you for my vampire bf

Sleepy Sephiroth Emoji!

This is the emoji, "Sleepy Sephiroth." This is the second Sephiroth emoji I've completed so far! I plan to make some of Angeal, Genesis, and Zack as well-- possible even CC Cloud and Aerith. They are coming out very cute so far, I think 🥰

Finished/Published Emojis:

Sephiroth Emojis: Shrugging | Sleepy

I'm currently working on these emojis for my SOLDIER group chat(FF7CC) 'leaks' Tumblr page.

"Just A Dedicated First-Class Fan" is a blog-based fanfiction/narrative set in the world of Final Fantasy 7 Crisis Core, where a huge fan of the first-class SOLDIERs from ShinRa hacks into their group chats and leaks the things they find out to the fans following their blog. The story is updated with each blog post.

The entire page is made by me and is posted officially under Fanfictions & Fantasies! I use Google Docs to create all of the 'Discord Screenshots' using a table I formatted myself, as well as graphics I designed myself, all with the intention of replicating the Discord UI. If you're interested in the concept of this project, please check out the blog! All the emojis I will be working on are for this blog, so I would appreciate feedback! ♡

Shrugging Sephiroth Emoji! 🥰

This is the emoji, "Shrugging Sephiroth." His is the first of many! I plan to make some of Angeal, Genesis, and Zack as well-- possible even CC Cloud and Aerith. They are coming out very cute so far, I think 🥰

I'm currently working on these emojis for my SOLDIER group chat(FF7CC) 'leaks' Tumblr page.

"Just A Dedicated First-Class Fan" is a blog-based fanfiction/narrative set in the world of Final Fantasy 7 Crisis Core, where a huge fan of the first-class SOLDIERs from ShinRa hacks into their group chats and leaks the things they find out to the fans following their blog. The story is updated with each blog post.

The entire page is made by me and is posted officially under Fanfictions & Fantasies! I use Google Docs to create all of the 'Discord Screenshots' using a table I formatted myself, as well as graphics I designed myself, all with the intention of replicating the Discord UI. If you're interested in the concept of this project, please check out the blog! All the emojis I will be working on are for this blog, so I would appreciate feedback! ♡

Stargazer Lilies

Clerith(Cloud x Aerith) One-Shot

WARNING: Suicidal topics, blood, mentions of death, and major spoilers for the original FFVII, however there are no sexual themes.

NOTE: This is a canon-divergent fanfiction, meaning it uses elements from the canon of FFVII but does not follow the canon in its entirety.

Words: 5882

Date Published: 2023-08-25

Summary:

After Sephiroth kills Aerith, Cloud is so distraught that he tries to kill himself later that night, but is unsuccessful. Barrett and Tifa manage to get him to a hospital to recover, but Cloud remains in a comatose state. While he is unconscious, Cloud is teetering so close to the lifestream that he is able to meet Aerith once again.

Life Goes On

“Aerith is gone.” “Aerith will no longer talk, no longer laugh, cry……or get angry……” “What about my pain?” “My fingers are tingling. My mouth is dry. My eyes are burning!”

——————————

Cloud lay wide awake that night, the image of Aerith’s bloodied corpse burned into the backs of his eyeballs. No matter where he looked, nor whether he kept his eyes open or chose to shut them, she was there, floating ethereally in his vision like a goddess. Her soft pink dress was damp with blood and water, her hair was without the signature pink bow she always wore, allowing it to flow freely in the water beneath her, and her eyes were eternally closed, yet despite all of that, she remained ever beautiful even in her last moments. Oh, how he missed looking into her bright verdant eyes already. Not even the healthiest of plants could compare to the richness of her gorgeous eyes.

 She was the light of his life. Even when he handed the black materia over to Sephiroth, she didn’t blame him. Even when he threw her to the ground in a fit of rage over his accidental betrayal, she didn’t fight back. She always put others first– always made sure to show Cloud that he mattered, and not just to his friends, but to her. Aerith was always so kind, so gentle…so heavenly. She was not only enchanting in her looks, but in her personality too. She was so full of compassion and pure love; not just towards humans, but toward animals and the planet alike. He never met anyone like her, and he knew he would never meet anyone like her again. The time he may have known her was short, but she meant everything to him. Aerith was gone…and he felt like he was nothing without her.

Cloud sat up in his bed, clutching his temple as his brain began to pound against the back of his eyes. With it came the loud buzzing of an intruder, and his vision became filled with static.

“You…are a puppet.”

Cloud grunted, a bead of sweat dribbling down his hot neck under the cover of his blonde hair as Sephiroth’s words rang in his ears. That was right…he was a puppet– Sephiroth’s puppet. That was all he was, and nothing more. Cloud thought he was traveling the world to save it, but he was following the call of his master all along. If he was anything more than a puppet, he wouldn’t have given Sephiroth the black materia. If he was anything more, Aerith wouldn’t have died.

His head was throbbing so violently that it was unbearable! In a fit of confusion and rage, Cloud threw his legs off of the bed and groaned as he jumped to his feet and lunged for the buster sword. Sephiroth may have been the master of his body, but he refused to let him be the master of his mind. He remembered the way Sephiroth tried to force him to kill Aerith before Sephiroth himself stepped in to finish her off when he realized Cloud wasn’t going to. All this time he had been trying so hard to protect her from Sephiroth, but he never once considered that he was to blame for her demise. It was all his fault, and he needed to put an end to this. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he hurt Barret or Tifa, let alone anyone else he held dearly.

He would finish this once and for all.

“Cloud?!” Tifa exclaimed, her red eyes wide with shock as she jolted awake. She was taken aback and unsure of what to do, she shook Barret awake. Then, she turned back to him, shouting his name once more as Barret chimed in. He didn’t seem to hear either of them.

“I refuse..to be a pawn in your game any longer, Sephiroth!!”

Cloud shouted as he raised the buster sword above his head, only to bring it down, burying its tip deep into his gut. He choked, blood squirting out of his throat with a sharp inhale. He took a step back, stumbling into his bed as he plunged the sword deeper with the intent of ripping his organs out. The buzzing in his ears faded, but everything else did too. He couldn’t hear his friends when they came running to his side, but he could see the way they scrambled to save him. While Tifa fell to his side and held him to her chest, Barret ripped the buster sword’s handle away from his trembling hands and took it into his own so that Cloud could do no more damage. He couldn’t tell what they were saying, but he could feel the way Tifa violently quivered as he lay there bleeding.

“Aerith’s death…is all because of me,” Cloud choked, only for Tifa to lay a finger over his lips in an attempt to quiet him, but he continued, “Sephiroth– I am only..his puppet… but…not anymore.” He could feel the way the two lifted his weakening body off of the bed, but that was the extent of what he could remember before his world consciousness faded and his world evanesced.

——————————

“Cloud…”

“Clouuud~!”

“Are you alright?” A familiar female voice called out. Despite sounding concerned, it was ever gentle. It was sweet like honey, and it was smooth like silk. The voice made Cloud feel so safe, as if he was being hugged by his mother once again. He didn’t think he had the strength to pull himself out of the depths of the loving embrace it had around his heart.

“Oh, don’t tell me you died already! That would be silly.” The voice playfully endearingly taunted, “The Cloud I know is stronger than that.”

Ethereal light filtered into his vision as Cloud’s eyes fluttered open, momentarily blinding him and forcing his eyes shut once more. He squinted, only able to open his eyes fully as he felt a shadow come over the bright light. The calming smell of flowers overwhelmed his senses, and a wave of nostalgia sent a flood of shivers down his spine at the scent. Ever since he had met Aerith that fateful day in Midgar, the smell of flowers had always brought a sort of otherworldly tranquility to him that he had never known before. The smell was beautiful, just like her.

Cloud sat up, holding his head in his hands as he attempted to clear his mind and make sense of the situation. With a gasp, Cloud’s body jerked backward at the sight that lay before him as his focusing vision revealed the face of Aerith– the lovely flower girl he watched die mere hours earlier.

“Aerith,” Cloud stammered, sweat rolling down the side of his forehead as a shameful blush overtook his cheeks, “I–”

“Shh, I know,” Aerith softly reassured him as she offered him a smile and gently pressed her finger to his lips, “It’s okay.”

‘But you–’ was all he could muster before Aerith wrapped her arms around him, burying his reddening face in the crook of her neck. She held him so close to her that she could feel the way he trembled with every breath and the way he sweated as heat radiated off of his body, even as she closed her eyes. She could tell that he regretted ever hurting her or ever trying to hurt her, though she never bore a grudge against him, as she knew it wasn’t his fault. The Cloud she knew was anxious and closed off, but deep down she knew he cared for others. She knew he was a kind soul and she loved him for it. She cherished their time together from the bottom of her heart– she only wished it hadn’t been so short.

“It’s okay.” She repeated, her tone quiet and tender, “You don’t need to say anything…”

Aerith always knew what to say. Aerith always knew what to do. Cloud loved her more than anything on Gaia and in life itself. Losing her meant that he lost his entire world, and he didn’t know how to live on. It had only been mere hours, but he missed her more than she would ever know. He couldn’t help it when he began to stagger his breaths as a flood of tears came crashing down, and his entire body grew hot with sorrow. For minutes on end, the two of them sat in verbal silence, but that didn’t matter; there were no words powerful enough to describe the relief Cloud felt at being able to see her again. Being able to be held in her arms was enough.

“Aerith…” Cloud eventually pulled away to look into her eyes, his own still glossy and red from crying, as he sniffled, “I…I’m sorry. If I hadn’t given Sephiroth the black materia, you would–”

“What did I say?” Aerith cut him off, a playful tone returning to her otherwise soft words to lighten the mood, “It’s okay. It wasn’t your fault.”

Cloud drew a deep, shaky breath, stunned into silence at her words. How could she not blame him after everything he had done? He was nothing but Sephiroth’s puppet, and his inability to fight back against Sephiroth was what cost her his life. If he hadn’t given Sephiroth the black materia, and if he had been able to control his body when he needed to protect her most, she would still be alive. It was all his damn fault, and he knew it. How could she–

“I know what you’re thinking,” Aerith drew him out of his thoughts, “And no matter what you say or do, there’s nothing you can do to convince me that any of this is your fault.” Aerith rolled backward onto her shins, and she traced her hands down Cloud’s arms where they landed on his knuckles. Her gaze shifted downward, fixated on their hands as she flipped them over and curled their fingers together. “That wasn’t you, and that never was you. The Cloud I know is strong, kind, handsome…and most of all, he cares for his friends. He would never do anything to hurt the people he loves... I saw the way you struggled every time he tried to steal your mind away, and I know that you tried your hardest to fight back against him…and that’s all that matters to me.”

Silence ensued once more, but not from lack of knowing what to say. Rather, Cloud was taken aback by her intuition and how she knew that Sephiroth had been trying to control him throughout their journey, but he couldn’t bring himself to ask her why. There wasn’t anything that could get past her it seemed, and that was yet another part of her that he loved. She was wise, just like the Cetra that came before her were said to be. Everything about Aerith was brilliant, and the more he learned about her, the more she blew him away. Why did the world have to take the good ones away? Life was so cruel.

“You don’t deserve this.” Cloud began after moments of contemplation. His voice was much more stable as his tears began to wash away, but his eyes remained set on the way she so tenderly intertwined their fingers. Her hands were small and delicate compared to his, but he knew she was stronger than he would ever be, and that was what gave him the strength to calm himself for the time being. If she could hold herself together, he would too, for her sake. “And if you don’t blame me for your death, then there’s nothing I can do to convince you. You’re too stubborn.”

“Oh yeah? And what does that make you?” Aerith teased, giggling. The way she was able to make light of any situation without making it any less significant was something only an angel directly descended from the heavens could do. “If I’m the stubborn one, then…I guess you must be some immovable wall. Not even the strongest of my waves can force you to come tumbling down, huh?”

“I didn’t mean to– sorry.” Cloud blushed, looking away from their hands and at the church. Just like when he met her for the second time back in the slums, they seemed to be seated in Aerith’s flowerbed, which was filled with stargazer lilies. “Forget I said anything.” Cloud pulled their hands away as he stood up to get a better view of their surroundings.

Aerith sat there for a moment longer, still staring down at their hands before she lifted her gaze, then finally pulled herself off of the ground and dusted herself off. “I bet you’re curious, huh?”

“...Yeah.” Cloud nodded, wiping his tears away before he continued to look around the place. He took a few steps forward, careful to navigate his way out of her flowerbed. “This looks just like the church I met you in– the church in the slums. How’s that?”

“You came crashing through my ceiling again…though I always have boys crashing down from the heavens and onto my flowerbed, it seems.” She chuckled, “But it’s okay. Like I said before, my flowers are strong. They can take it.”

“I’ll try not to do it anymore.” Cloud apologized in a joking manner that betrayed his static tone of voice as he continued to slowly walk around the church. It was strange to him– this place looked and felt real but there was no wind, and the further he looked through the windows of the church, he noticed it became unnaturally blurry. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t see past a certain barrier. 

“Well, I’d hope you’re not doing it on purpose. That would just be mean.” Aerith teased. She always loved doing that.

The two were silent for a few minutes, but it was never tense. Aerith slowly walked over to Cloud, following him around with her hands behind her back as he investigated the place. He was quick to notice the way the buildings remained just as blurry the closer he got to them as they had been from far away, even with how close he was to the exit of the church, and he realized how white the sky beyond those far-off buildings was, too.

“Am I dead?” Finally came the question out of Cloud’s lips.

“Hmm..”

Cloud looked over his shoulder before fully turning to face Aerith, an expecting look in his eyes. 

“Not quite.” Aerith finally answered after moments of leaving Cloud on edge, though she hadn’t done so to spook him. “The lifestream is my home now, but as for you...I think you’re just visiting.”

“How so?” Cloud asked, slightly raising a brow.

“Well,” Aerith started, her eyes softening with worry once more, “I can still hear Tifa and Barret calling out to you. Can you hear them?”

Cloud took a moment, trying his best to listen to no avail. He shook his head.

“You’re in the hospital, I think. I can hear the slow beeping of a heart monitor.”

“So why can’t I hear it?” Cloud asked, still trying to hear what Aerith was hearing.

“Dunno.” She shrugged, “Maybe you’re choosing not to hear it?”

“That doesn’t make sense.”

“Well…I saw the way you brought yourself here. I’ve been watching you since I died, y’know. I saw the way you shouted something, then…” she trailed off, frowning.

“I…” Cloud fell silent, ashamed of himself. While he still wanted to die if it meant saving his friends from him ever losing control again, he was thoroughly ashamed to admit the fact that he attempted to kill himself to Aerith… “I heard him again. Sephiroth, he..he was trying to take over again. I didn’t know what he wanted at that time, but...I wasn’t going to let him hurt the only people I had left.”

“Is that all there is to it?” Aerith asked, still frowning. She wasn’t upset at him, but she hated to see him so broken up the way he was. Besides, she knew Cloud– the way he didn’t like to admit to everything, even if it was just to himself.

Cloud was confused by that question. What else would there be to it? He didn’t want to hurt his friends, and if it meant killing himself so Sephiroth couldn’t control him any longer, then so be it. It wasn’t like he was anything more than a puppet, anyway– and he refused to bend to Sephiroth’s will.

——————————

The soft glow of moonlight filtered into the otherwise dim room that had only been lit up by the soft light of a heart monitor moments prior. There was a gentle breeze from a nearby window that had been cracked open, but not even the cool touch of the wind could provide solace to the room’s current inhabitants. After Cloud had stabbed himself in the gut it seemed like there would be no saving him, but by the speedy actions of Barret and Tifa as they brought Cloud’s body to The Highwind, Cid was able to quickly pilot them to a nearby hospital. Typically, with a wound that big and with that much blood loss, a normal person would have been dead by the time it took them to make it to The Highwind, but perhaps due to the mako that flowed through Cloud’s veins, he was able to make it just long enough to be hooked up to a heart monitor and have his wounds patched up. 

Barrett and Tifa now sat close to one another in the dimly lit room. While Barrett was leaning forward with his elbows resting on his inner thighs, Tifa sat with her face buried against his firm arm, hiding the side of her face with her curled-up hand. Their tears had long since dried, but they were still deathly worried about the state of their friend. Even with all that he had done, they couldn’t bring themselves to blame Cloud either– they cared for him immensely and wished they knew what had driven him to this point. Was it because he blamed himself for Aerith’s death? They both remembered the bone-chilling terror they felt when they watched him stab the buster sword into his abdomen and the way he shouted something about not allowing Sephiroth to control him any longer as he did so, but they both questioned the validity of their memories with how distraught the two of them were.

“Wake up, dammit…” Barret mumbled as his hand curled up into a tight ball, causing the palms of his hands to brighten from the pressure. His eyes had been staring so deeply into Cloud as if he believed staring at him long enough would force the boy awake, but he knew that wasn’t the way things worked. Defeated, Barret hung his head and whispered, “We can’t afford to lose you too.”

——————————

Cloud now sat outside of the church, one knee curled to his chest with the corresponding forearm upon its peak while the other leg lay extended on the ground. He still couldn’t quite grasp what Aerith meant by her question, however, he was more glad to see Aerith than anything, so it was she who truly occupied his mind. He had been looking straight ahead at the whiteness of the sky, and its pure color reminded him just how clear and kindhearted Aerith was. He looked up at her, and upon catching his gaze in her peripherals, Aerith stopped what he was doing and smiled at him. “You bored yet? There’s not much to do here if I’m honest…” She sighed, although her smile remained as her eyes dropped back to the floor.

“I don’t mind. It’s nice here.” Cloud admitted, his eyes returning to the horizon, “There’s no war, no violence, no anger, no despair…just you and me.”

“And there are certainly no other people here!” Aerith chuckled, “But you like that, don’t you? I never took you as a people’s person.”

Cloud smiled abruptly, “Yeah…never was a fan of ‘em.” 

“It doesn’t bother you that you’ll never see another person besides me again?” Aerith inquired, looking back at Cloud, though he did not return her gaze. 

He simply shook his head, “No, not really.”

“And what about Tifa? What about Barret? Or Yuffie, Red XIII…or the rest of your friends?”

“I can make an exception for them.” Cloud joked, “Though..I would rather they not end up here. Since we’re dead n’all.”

"They're worried sick about you, Cloud." Aerith frowned, "I heard Barret calling out to you earlier, and the way Tifa was shouting at you when they brought you in– before you even woke up here. They miss you, Cloud. Does that really not bother you?"

Cloud frowned, his gaze hardening as he lowered it to the ground, almost as if he was shameful. He was silent for a moment, but then he sighed, "Let them be worried. As long as I'm not there to hurt them, they'll be okay. They just..have to be strong and get through this. This is the first time I've had an entirely clear head in years, Aerith. I can't feel Sephiroth in my veins here. I can't hurt you or anyone else anymore. It's better this way." He raised his head yet again, though he continued staring off at the sky rather than looking her way, "Trust me."

"I can't believe you." Aerith squatted, making herself eye-level with Cloud, practically commanding his gaze her way, and finally, she got it in return. "You're telling me you're gonna let them fight Sephiroth alone? You're just gonna give up and take the easy way out?"

Cloud was at a loss for words. She was scolding him like she was his mother and yet he couldn't find it in himself to dismiss what she said. He did feel horrible for leaving them behind, and he felt even worse for it once he looked into Aerith's disappointed eyes, but he steeled himself. "It's better this way, Aerith," he hated being at odds with her but he stood his ground, "At least like this, they won't have to worry about fighting me and Sephiroth at the same time. Instead, they can just focus on taking him down."

"And what makes you think they're going to have to fight you?" Aerith asked, "You're their friend– not their enemy. They love you, and I know you love them. They need you, Cloud. They can't face him alone."

Cloud was silent once more before he let out a sigh, "You know the way he's able to take control of me. If I go to fight Sephiroth, they'll end up–"

"Don't even finish that sentence." Aerith lowered herself onto her knees and scooted closer to him, placing a hand on his shoulder as she searched his eyes for understanding, "I know you. Sephiroth..he tried to make you hurt me, didn't he? But you fought against him. You didn't let it happen. I know you're strong enough to fight back when it really comes down to it." 

"I…maybe…" Cloud's eyebrows furrowed, and unable to stand the weight of his guilt, he looked away. He shook his head, "I can't go back."

"Cloud…" She called with a voice so soft it could be mistaken for a whisper. She tilted her head as she reached out for Cloud's cheek, cupping it into her hands. She gently directed his gaze toward her as she placed her other hand on the opposite cheek and she offered him a sorry smile, "It's okay to want to stay here…but I can't let you."

"Why?" Cloud asked, his voice quiet as well, "It's safer this way. If I stay here by your side, I can't hurt them."

"Because, Cloud…I need you to be honest with yourself. Is that really all there is to it?"

There came the question again. What more was she referring to? Cloud closed his eyes for a moment, redirecting his thoughts as he desperately dug through them for an answer. Aerith had always been such a wise lady– she wasn't the type to be persistent just because she could. Even in her times of silliness, her actions always had meaning; they always had intelligence behind them. Aerith was brilliant. Not only was she smart, but she understood people. Aerith understood the parts of Cloud that he did not, and she drew them out. He knew that there was something he wasn't getting, and he realized there was something Aerith thought he could only understand if she was able to make him see it for himself.

"Think, Cloud." She tilted her head forward and brought his closer in turn, allowing their foreheads to press against one another as both of their eyes closed. The green, white, and blue light of the lifestream enveloped the area upon the shared contact of their foreheads, shifting their surroundings to match that of Aerith's home in the sector 5 slums down on Gaia, "Think." 

Cloud could feel as reality shifted under his feet. He could feel the way his body now sat in a field of flowers atop an incline, and although the wind remained stagnant, he could feel how pure the air was against his skin. As Aerith slipped her head and hands away, his eyes fluttered open, allowing him to take in the beauty of her garden for what it was. He was met with Aerith now sitting on her shins once more, her hands overlapping one another as they lay in her lap, and a loving smile on her face. He couldn't help it when his cheeks grew rosy from the sight of that tender smile and the way she looked upon him with nothing but pure admiration in her eyes. Aerith was gorgeous, and these flower fields only amplified her charm.

"Oh Cloud," she giggled without saying another word. She recognized the way he looked at her– the way he blushed –and even without him having to say anything, she knew what he was thinking. Cloud was too innocent to have dirty thoughts, she knew, so it was clear to her that his look was one of wonder and love for her. Cloud was so precious, and that was exactly why she needed to make him see what he was missing for himself. She always found teaching through actions rather than telling through words to be a more effective lesson.

"Sorry." Cloud hadn’t quite realized how long he had been staring at Aerith and it embarrassed him to think about it, so he promptly peeled his eyes away and chose to take in the scenery. Just like their previous landscape, the further away he looked from their current location, it got unnaturally blurry, and the sky remained as white as ever. “So why did you bring me here?”

“Just thought a change of scenery would be nice.” Aerith smiled for a moment before she looked in the direction Cloud had been. The two of them now looked at the house Aerith used to share with Elmyra, and she could feel an air of sorrow come about the longer they dwelled on it.

“She was always so kind to me… Even when I didn’t deserve it.” Aerith started, her words tender. “Take care of her for me, won’t you?”

“I’m sure they will.”

“Not them– you, silly.” Aerith turned to Cloud, nudging his shoulder with her hand, “Like I said...I’m not letting you die yet.”

“How’s that?” Cloud challenged, “As far as I’m concerned, I don’t want to go back.”

“Because…” Aerith hummed, “I know what you’ve told yourself, why you’re here, and…it’s all a lie.”

Cloud grunted in confusion as his baby blues trailed over to look at Aerith, though it was now her who wouldn’t return his gaze. As she continued to stare off at the house she grew up in, he saw her eyebrows furrowed in worry. Cloud wasn’t sure what to say to that. After all, how could he be lying? He killed himself, or at least tried to, because he didn’t want to be Sephiroth’s puppet. He didn’t want to hurt his friends anymore. Aerith may not have blamed him for her death, but he thoroughly believed it was his fault. Just what part of that was a lie?

Cloud took a moment to dig deep into the meaning of her words. Was he not being honest with himself as she said? Tifa always told him that he tended to be stubborn, so perhaps that stubbornness was at play here. “I’m lost.” He admitted, lowering his head. She, however, didn’t say anything in return, leaving him to sink further into his thoughts. As he hung his head, Cloud slowly closed his eyes and allowed himself to feel the earth. He could feel the way the dirt brushed against the cloth of his pants, and he could smell the sweet yet subtle scent of tranquility the flowers around them gave off. That smell always made him think of Aerith…perhaps that was why he felt so happy here. Perhaps that was why he didn’t want to go back. The real word was so uncertain and frightening that he didn’t want to return, but then…wouldn’t that make him a coward? Was it truly so bad that he didn’t want to return to a reality as cruel as Gaia– the very same reality that so coldly ripped Aerith away from him?

Perhaps…he just didn’t want to leave Aerith.

His lungs expanded as he drew a long, deep breath, and then Cloud returned to utter silence once more. He realized that although it felt nice to breathe, he didn’t need to. He couldn’t even hear Aerith breathing. Was it because they were dead? It was chilling to think that their bodies no longer required oxygen to sustain themselves, though it wasn’t something Cloud truly found horrifying. The thought of being a part of the lifestream should have been haunting, but Cloud felt so safe here. For once in his life, he felt happy. Just being here with Aerith was enough for him. He loved her.

Cloud gasped, his eyes shooting open as they flickered over to Aerith. He pined for her eyes to meet his, but she continued to stare off at the horizon. Although she wouldn’t meet his eyes, he could feel that there was a different air about them, and he could see that there was pain in her otherwise strong eyes.

He blinked. Suddenly, the sky was no longer pure white, but a cool amethyst gradient that faded into a golden glow, as if the sun were now setting. Although there hadn’t been any wind here thus far, a gentle breeze began to pick up that ruffled her chocolate locks and made her look more like a goddess than ever before. However, she still didn’t return his gaze. 

“Aerith, I…” Cloud began, his eyes twinkling under the setting sun, “I love you.”

Aerith tilted her head aside, reaching her delicate hands to the rose-colored bow that held her hair up. Her fingers searched for the inner sanctum of her ribbon, only for her to pull it loose, allowing a mahogany ocean of hair to come crashing down.

“I know.” Was all she said as she looked down at the ribbon she now held. Cloud couldn’t see her eyes past her hair, but he didn’t need to. He could feel the bittersweet relief radiating off of her as she sat in complete silence, and in that moment he caught himself wondering just what was going on inside her head. His heart was pounding in his ears and he could feel himself begin to tremble ever so slightly as his skin grew clammy. The palms of his hands were sweaty against the leather fabric of his gloves, but he couldn’t pry his eyes off of the beauty that was Aerith.

“That’s why I can’t let you stay here.” Aerith slowly raised her head, finally returning Cloud’s long-awaited gaze. There were wet streaks on both of her cheeks and the ribbon she held had damp, darkened spots from her tears. She let out a small chuckle that crackled with pain and joy as she scooted closer to Cloud, keeping the ribbon in hand. She now sat knee to knee with him, their eyes forever interlocked in a mutually sorrowful gaze. Careful not to break their eye contact, Aerith reached for Cloud’s hands and took them into her own, curling her ribbon into the palms of his hands.

“There’s so much you need to do, Cloud. So many people you need to save. So many people who need your guidance and love.” Aerith spoke with reverence towards Cloud, “Sephiroth is going to use Meteor soon, and..I know I’m not the only one you cherish. Tifa, Barrett, Vincent, Cid, Yuffie, Red XIII, Marlene..and many more– so many people love you and need you, Cloud…which is why you need to go. I can’t bear to see the way you would break if they ended up like me.”

“You’re right…” Cloud’s eyebrows curled with shame, “I’m sorry. All you’ve ever wanted to do is help me. I can’t believe the way I–”

“Don’t blame yourself.” Aerith cut him off, squeezing his hands, “We all get sad sometimes, and that’s okay. What matters is that we’re able to pick ourselves up and keep moving after we fall.”

“Thank you, Aerith.” Cloud pulled her closer, returning the squeeze of her hands with an equally loving one of his own. “You’ve done so much for me. More than you’ll ever know.”

“I’m glad.” She smiled. She closed her eyes and lowered her head against his collarbone. “Just don’t forget me, okay?”

Taking the ribbon into his hand, Cloud released the grip he had on her hands and wrapped his arms around her, enveloping her in a warm hug as he now gripped the bow against her back. Unlike the way they embraced when he first got here, it was now she who was silently crying against him, though that didn’t make her any weaker for it. It was okay to be sad, he learned. It was okay to cry. It was okay to be angry, even. All these emotions were a part of being human, and Aerith taught him that. All that mattered was that they were able to pick themselves up and keep living on in spite of it all. No matter what life threw at him, he would get back up– not just for Aerith or his friends, but for himself. He was more than a puppet; he was a human being who had people he loved, and people who loved him. 

He would face Sephiroth, and he refused to back down this time. There wasn’t a thing he didn’t cherish, and he would protect Gaia with all of his being. Even if he didn’t succeed, all that mattered was that he tried his hardest to protect what mattered most. It wasn’t his genetics that determined whether he was human or not, but what he decided to do with himself, and if it meant fighting for the right to exist, so be it. He refused to back down.

“I’ll never forget you, Aerith."

I turned the black materia scene into Sefikura content bc I got inspired 😈 eat up y'all

Got inspired to draw this scene for some reason today 🥲