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holly-fixation · 2 days

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Three Guards: Ch14

Summary: Tifa finds Cloud at the train station in Sector Seven. It’s the first time she’s seen him in seven years. But he’s not alone. Three silver haired boys protected him. Three silver haired boys that triggered memories of her hometown. Of steel through her chest. Of SOLDIER First Class. Of Him.

A new normal took time.

Please Enjoy!

Inspired by the prompt by @im-totally-not-an-alien

Chapter 14: Wasteland

As the team walked ahead, Strife glanced back at the undamaged city. He hoped the vice president would keep the city whole, unlike the former president in his time. So much was up in the air. So much was unknown. So much could be turned on them by Sephiroth. They- no- he needed to be careful, especially with the triplets around his old team.

The wasteland before stood empty in the smog of the morning sun, save for the packs of monsters struggling to make the dying land their home. No chocobos, no grass, and- worst of all- no transportation.

It was a long walk to Kalm. It wasn't like Genesis could fly them one by one without Shinra's notice. They ran out of fuel not long into their journey, abandoning their getaway vehicles behind cliffs on the side of the road. They hoped to at least try to hitchhike, even if half of them needed to remain behind due to the size of their party.

For now, keeping monsters off the road was their top priority. Though they usually split into teams of three, they all pitched into the battles. Bandits, wolves, elfadunks. The size nor number of fiends did not matter. Aerith casted domes around enemies, and Tifa would unleash hell within. Barret and Red slashed and fired together as one. Even Strife and Genesis found themselves in perfect sync, taking down monsters with ease. Sometimes even Sephiroth's remnants would join the fight, working beautifully together with a perfect combination of close combat and marksmanship.

Outside of battle was a different story.

“Ha! I found fire materia!” Loz would shout victoriously, holding the green orb in the air.

“It's not that special…” Yazoo countered, rotating a blue one of his own. “It’s newly born… It doesn’t have any useful spells yet…”

“Well I can fight with mine. You need a weapon to fight with yours! Mine’s better on its own!” He countered.

“Are you sure about that…?”

“Yeah! And another materia!” Suddenly the blue orb flew through the air and smacked him in the head. “Hey! That's cheating!”

“Is not… it technically can be fought with…” Yazoo grew a small smirk.

Loz threw it back. His younger brother caught the weapon.

“Okay, that's enough of that.” Tifa stepped in and took both materia away.

“Hey! Give it back!”

“You'll get one when you're responsible enough to stop treating them like rocks.” Oh no. She saw the looks in their eyes. “Do not start throwing rocks at each other.”

Yazoo looked offended. “We would never do such a thing…”

“We're not that young.” The brothers looked at each other, paused, then grumbled, turning away.

Okay, good, they weren't going to attack each other.

“You two be nice, alright?”

“Yes, Miss Aerith,” they spoke in unison. Aerith giggled a bit and they both couldn't hide the blushing pout from her joy.

Strife found himself silent in moments like these, moments where pieces of his worst enemy truly acted like innocent children. He knew what they were capable of, what they had done to reach Jenova, yet before him stood true children, a nearly human side he had never seen before and did not believe for a minute. Luckily, these moments were scattered between the journey and the remnant’s grief.

In battle, only one member did not team up: Cloud, the odd one from this new time. He fought about as well as Strife expected, but there was no teamwork, no raising anyone else up, no attack that could clearly help them all. Kadaj, still unable to fight, would wait at a safe distance until the battle was over and then glued himself back to Cloud.

Cloud never sent the injured boy away. Kadaj clung to his leg every second they were out of battle, always keeping at least one hand on the ex-SOLDIER. Cloud gifted him with the occasional head pat, but the boy only squeezed in response.

“Ya know, even the, it's nice to be outta the city. Come on, breathe the fresh air with me,” Barret made a show, exaggerating his inhale and exhale. All but Kadaj followed his lead.

“Still not perfect,” Strife commented.

“Certainly not,” Red added. “We'll have to leave the continent for fresh air at this rate.”

“It'll be easier when we reach the Grasslands.”

“When I was young, we used to spend the last day of missions in the Grasslands trying to catch a chocobo,” Genesis brushed some dust off his shoulders, “since that land is much more inhabitable than this man-made desert.”

Aerith glanced away, observing the desolate land before them, trying to remember what it once was.

“Oh, I meant to ask, Genesis. How's your back?” Tifa stepped next to the former First.

“No issues here. Why?”

“Well, I was wondering, how does flying affect your body?” She gestured to the open tear on the back of his coat.

Loz and Yazoo perked up, all of a sudden surrounding the tall man.

He tilted his head from side to side. “Well, it's… how do I put this… physically, when I disperse my wing into my body, the soreness of my wing goes with it. However it is incredibly annoying if not preened properly properly.”

“How?” Loz chirped in.

“It's difficult to describe. Ruffled feathers seem heavier. Alone my wing feels like nothing, but after rough flying, it's a massive weight on my shoulder. It's easier to hide it away now and deal with it when we're in the clear.”

“We are in the clear…” Yazoo mentioned.

Genesis shook his head. “Red can get away with being your average dog if he doesn't speak. I can't exactly convince anyone I come in peace when I have new limbs visible miles away.”

“Oo! Can I help you preen?” Aerith raised her hand like an excited student.

“Excuse me?”

“Well, it must be hard getting to those back feathers. Can I help?”

“Bring a mask. He sheds everywhere.” Barret brushed off his clothes, a tiny black feather falling from a seam. “I'm still pulling them out of places they do not belong.”

Red sneezed. Everyone around the Red Mage of Shinra laughed.

Strife… missed this. Really missed this. In his time, there was too much at stake to afford time around his team. The disease on his arm was top priority. Not for him, but for the child he cared for who simply did not have enough time left. He felt he deserved it, like it was his punishment for what he did.

He prayed his team was okay. That somehow the change in time protected them, cured them. With each memory, he glared at the children, especially the silent one at his younger self’s side that got more than it deserved after puppeteering the children of Edge. Though he normally never wished Hojo on his worst enemy, it seemed fitting in his eyes.

A gloved hand blocked his view of the boy and his eyes followed it to Cloud.

His younger self shook his head with a glare. Had he been staring at the boy?

Kadaj buried his face in Cloud's baggy pants, his broken sobs returning. Both of his brothers appeared at his sides. Yazoo rubbed his back soothingly. Loz tried to give him a new materia to try, but he swatted them both away.

“Brother, please… talk to us…” Yazoo requested, but his brother shook his head violently.

“Big Brother, can you-?”

“No, Loz. He'll talk when he's ready. Why don't you try to find an item enhancement materia so we can heal him faster? How about that?” They both nodded at Cloud before running to the head of the pack. Cloud knelt down and hugged the boy, letting fresh tears disappear into his sweater.

Strife kept his mouth shut and his eyes forward.

* * *

Not a single car drove by the pack, not even the chocobo truck from Strife's time. They weren’t going to make it to Kalm that day or even that night at their current rate. With the beginning of twilight, Cloud made a decree.

“We'll rest for the night and get back on the road tomorrow. As long as we cover Red's tail, no one should find us.”

“Do you think we can find a cave?” The woman in pink asked.

“We'll have better luck looking for a small cliff. It should be enough to hide us from the road.”

Thus the group left the asphalt path, settling down with a small magic fire and cooking the edible spoils of their battles that day. The fire went out the moment their meal was ready. Barret made Red a small tent of rocks for the beast's glowing tail.

Aerith watched with eyes wide both in amazement and fear, the sky above open to millions of stars but the small land before her holding friends and her first ever camping trip. Upon voicing this simple fact, she was immediately bombarded by Barret and Red sharing stories and activities they should do before heading to Kalm.

“Though these aren't the best circumstances, I find true campfires much calmer than magic ones,” the marked beast explained.

“Really?” Aerith's head tilted. “Why?”

“You can't beat the smell. And the flames move differently in a real fire. Naturally. With the wind.”

“What about smoke?”

“If you gather a bunch of leaves, you can make a huge smoke cloud and watch it go poof,” Barret exaggerated, his arms expanding to visualize the concept.

“Wouldn't that hurt your eyes?”

“Not if you step back!” The three of them laughed, sharing stories and smiling until nightfall.

“I’ll keep watch,” Red stated, but Genesis cut him off.

“I’ll keep watch, if Aerith’s willing to make good on her offer.”

It took a second before Aerith gasped in excitement. “Do you mean your wing?!”

“It’s not as easy as it seems, but if you’re still willing to try-”

“Yes!”

“Can I help?”

Genesis was shocked to see the eldest of the silver boys approach curiously. How could he say no to a piece of the friend he ruined? “Be very gentle.”

The boy nodded. Taking the confirmation, the former First revealed his black wing. Aerith and the boy were on him in a second, both trying to rush ahead before the redhead could even explain or demonstrate how preening actually worked.

Yazoo simply watched the circus of the wing and the conversation between the one armed father as he leaned against a small cliff, one hand kept on Mother’s nameplate. He could see and hear everyone clearly, and he noticed Tifa approach the younger blond.

“Hey.”

Cloud turned immediately. “Hey.”

Tifa sat next to him, resting her arms on her knees. “How’s he doing?”

He glanced down at the boy asleep beside him, his hand trapped under silver hair. “Better. He’s almost completely healed. And you know the drill: lots of cures means lots of sleep. Honestly, he could fight if he wasn’t so…” He sighed, not knowing how to finish.

“He’s a tough one. He’ll bounce back. Between Hojo and that creature…”

“Yeah.”

“How are you holding up?”

“Nothing I can’t handle.”

“You know you can always talk to me, right?”

“Never been much of a talker. But you know I’ll always listen, right?” His counter made her smile softly, her ruby eyes twinkling with the stars.

“I’ll hold you to that.”

Cloud glanced away, looking down at the boy using his free hand as a pillow. He couldn't leave without waking the child, even if their conversation was clearly over.

Genesis's voice broke the moment, “Do not yank them out!”

“Sorry!” The boy apologized immediately, his hand marred with a clump of small feathers and drops of blood. “I didn't mean to! I thought it was safe…”

“You have to untie them. It's not like brushing hair,” Aerith explained, moving her hands through the feathers. “Here, watch. See the knot? Now find where the feathers came from, then their ends. Be careful. Be gentle.”

Strife scoffed under his breath. No one else acknowledged it, but Yazoo did, watching his true Big Brother. He had seen it enough times, Big Brother's hatred and caution around them despite their reduced age and strength. The constant glares. The kindness to his old teammates never shared with his brothers. The anger every time they dared speak to any member of his old team.

Yazoo glanced around at all of their group and at the landscape before him. Something clicked. Midgar against the sky, the curve of the hills and dips of the wasteland, even the location of the plants.

He had been here before.

The middle brother stood, leaving the plate behind, and slowly approached the blond in black. The man noticed him immediately, adjusting the blades in the holster. Yazoo held his hands up in surrender. “There’s something I want to test… It won’t take long… Walk with me…”

Strife glared for a moment before checking on everyone else. His younger self and Tifa were laying down, staring at the stars. They wouldn’t notice if they left. “Don’t try anything stupid. And no sudden movements.”

Yazoo nodded before leading the way, deliberately keeping his hands in True Big Brother’s sight.

Once they could no longer see the team, Strife took out a blade. “Where are we going?”

“If I remember correctly, it's around the next cliff…”

“What is?”

Instead of answering, Yazoo went ahead to confirm. “It's right here.” He gestured. “Take a look.”

Strife followed, walking ahead until the targeted object was in view. He nearly snapped the boy's neck.

It was Zack's body. Zack Fair. From Gongaga. Former First Class. No one would recognize it the way it was now, no soulful blue eyes, no muscles worthy of SOLDIER, no spiky hair frilled like a mane. His body was torn by scavengers, most of which returned to dens and nests before nightfall. His hand was broken deliberately, fingers and knuckles forced in unnatural directions.

“Why?” Strife spat, offering no further prompt.

“This is where my brothers and I arrived… I hoped something would happen when you came here… Something that…-” He shook his head, destroying the thought attempting to leave his mouth. Something that would take them out of this horrible world. Something that would bring them all home, even if they were fated to lose. “Never mind… It’s pointless now…”

“So you make me look at the dead body of my friend?” His mako gaze burned.

“I swear, I did not think of it…”

“Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you right now.”

Yazoo looked down, sorrowful and aloof. “...The other you protects us… Just as we protected him…”

Strife didn't want to see the body but the realization hit him like a truck. Cloud protected the remnants because Zack couldn't pass on his legacy. They became his reason for living.

“We can bury him… if that would help…”

He couldn’t hide the shocked anger at the suggestion alone.

Yazoo turned away. “I’ll head back then…” Without another word from his true big brother, he walked away, returning to the group and leaving the wolf behind.

To be continued...

Three Guards Chapter List

Thanks for reading!

#ffvii #final fantasy vii #ff7 #final fantasy 7 #cloud strife #ff7 kadaj #kadaj ff7 #loz ff7 #yazoo ff7 #aerith gainsborough #red xiii #barret wallace #genesis rhapsodos #tifa lockhart

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holly-fixation · 2 days

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In Rebirth, the primary run button is R2 while L3 makes your character auto run.

In Chocobo races, the devs completely change this to make the controls match Mario Kart and I'm not kidding

#ff7 rebirth #ff7r #chocobo

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holly-fixation · 3 days

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When I read a fanfic I like, the author becomes a mini celebrity to me. So when an author with a work I like kudos’ or comments on my own fanfic I just-

#god it's so true

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holly-fixation · 4 days

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Well guys, it's your usual "Late Night with the Holly" update:

I finally got a job. I've been worried about posting it god forbid something happens between now and my start date. I start on Monday. I'm super excited and it's gonna be stressful but interesting. It's my first career job (you know, not fast food job) ever and I cannot wait.

That being said, updates are going to drop significantly in frequency. Right now I have an unofficial pattern of 1 chapter about 2 weeks. This will probably become impossible to maintain. Just know that I don't plan on abandoning anything- yes even the stories I haven't touched in nearly a year. I promise.

Thank you all for your support.

#yelling into the void #writing updates

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holly-fixation · 5 days

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Thank you, Pi! And @snowbanshee tagged me as well 💙

Red, Wolves, Orange Creamsicle

Tagging @altocat , @birdblacksocialclub and @winter-doggo !

A person's favorite color, favorite animal, and favorite flavor of ice cream can say a lot about them when considering the answers as a whole. Some prime examples I've heard are:

~ Silver, Artic Wolf, and Mint Chocolate Chip.

~ Pink/Yellow, Putu Bird, and Cotton Candy.

~ Light Brown, Tree Kangaroo, and Rum Raisin.

~ Green, Pig, and Cookie Dough.

Mine are:

~ Burgundy, Fox, and Moose Tracks.

Tag some friends and get a sense of who they are! :)

@notable-bumblr @persistentchaos @enterfandomreference @valerietompson @paper-crowns-and-tiaras @ironxprince @acecuddle @angst-dealer @hey-you-i-just

#reblog game

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holly-fixation · 8 days

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I have a headcanon that Lazard told his mother he wants to join ShinRa, get a position of power in the company and destroy it from inside.

And his mother would laugh and pat his head and say "Unattainable dreams are the best kind".

But after her death he did it. Sure it cost him his life, but he did it.

Can we get a drabble about that maybe? ♡

"Unattainable dreams are the best kind"

It hurt, at first. It really hurt. His mother had used that phrase before, but it was reserved for truly intangible and impossible goals. A "hero" was an idea that varied from person to person. No one will ever feel like a hero in their lifetime. But to rise the Shinra latter was possible, genuinely possible.

He never held it against her. After all, what were they compared to the company?

So he started at a cubicle like everyone else, doing paperwork and running at the whims of the managers. It sucked, but this was only the first step. He reached middle manager before his mother passed away. He always approached her excitedly when they promoted him, not knowing his true goal. She just smiled and nodded. Many Shinra middle managers lived and died in that simple role, never climbing a single step higher.

He never got the chance to give her the good life his salary now affords. And through the dark path of his grief, despite his true goalto get back at his biological father, he used his newfound gil to fund a dangerous project.

One that ultimately took his life.

"Unattainable dreams are the best kind."

She wasn't belittling him. She was warning him. That his goal shouldn’t be attained. Thst more harm than good would come of it. And he didn't know it until it was too late.

#lazard deusericus #ffvii #final fantasy vii #ff7 #final fantasy 7

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holly-fixation · 8 days

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"This fic was ai generated—" Cool, so lemme block you real quick

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holly-fixation · 8 days

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I have a quote for Angeal, let's see how he reacts.

"Stand among the ashes of a trillion dead souls and ask the ghosts if honor matters. The silence is your answer."

Maybe post-OperaOmnia?

It... hurts.

Honor only matters to the living. That's something he came to terms with after defecting. And if it were only the souls he and Genesis claimed, than it wouldn't be half as bad.

But trillion?

Though it is just a phrase, he can't stop thinking about the lives Sephiroth- no- the the twisted thing that Sephiroth has become claimed. They were his fault. Their lives were claimed in his legacy. Never in a million years would he even dream of everything going so far. So deep. So dark.

Too many lives.

If Angeal heard this in Opera Omnia, it would probably be said to a different group, not to him. He would go quiet, backing away from the party of heroes. He needs to be alone. To mourn the lives even if no one else would.

He's sorry.

He's so sorry.

But during this time alone, he would bump into Sephiroth given Sephiroth's habit of appearing in unwanted places. Angeal wants to believe Sephiroth regained some, if any, of his memories from their time again, but he can't tell.

Angeal couldn't speak, couldn't form a coherent thought to counter the man's appearance.

"Silence is unbecoming of you, Angeal."

He can't find the strength to lift his blade. Others spot him and try to defend him from Sephiroth. Though they managed to send him away, Angeal fell to his knees.

Is that what everything bought him?

Silence?

It takes Angeal a while to join the fight, but he breaks through the attempt to break him. He rejoins the party, waiting for the next moment this Sephiroth causes trouble.

#ffvii #final fantasy vii #ff7 #sephiroth #final fantasy 7 #ffvii angeal #angeal hewley

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holly-fixation · 8 days

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everytime

#yeah

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holly-fixation · 8 days

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Three... Guards? Ch13

They must escape while they still can.

Please Enjoy!

Inspired by the prompt by @im-totally-not-an-alien

Chapter 13: City Escape

The elevator rang as the party entered the second highest floor of Shinra HQ. Without hesitation, Genesis and Strife sprung into action, knocking every receptionist and security guard unconscious, and Barret destroyed the security cameras.

“Tie them up,” Strife ordered as he aided in the task he commanded. Red and Barret looked at each other and shrugged. Tifa stepped up, Loz following and helping as they collected wires. Aerith watched Yazoo with a hand placed on his shoulder, the engraved nameplate still firmly within his grasp.

“We need to find a way down,” Red mentioned, almost leaning toward the glass elevators.

“Gotta go up to go down,” Barret explained. “The president's keycard’s the perfect way to do it.”

“Then let’s not waste any time.” Their leader stepped forward, moving the staff members to the center of the hall with his right hand, the smallest silver child still supported by his left. “What do you know about the president’s office?”

“It's a large waste of space with one desk near the helipad,” Genesis answered first.

“Oh good, it didn’t change-” The older blond cut himself off, blue eyes wide.

“What’s wrong?”

“...Let’s find out,” Strife avoided the question as he, Tifa, and Loz tied the employees together for one final measure. Once again, Strife and Genesis led the group, Barret at the ready to block out visuals. Though in all honesty, they didn’t have too much extra time. Security would only be delayed with their preparation, not prevented. Someone would notice the camera malfunctions. It was only a matter of time.

The group climbed up the final staircase, red carpet muffling their steps. Strife pushed open the double doors at the top, revealing the massive office decorated with thick pillars and black tile. At the far window sat the president’s desk, President Shinra shocked and scrambling the moment he caught sight of them.

Genesis practically flew across the room, grabbing the president around the neck and forcing him to step away from the desk. “Ah ah ah, can’t have you grabbing any weapons, can we? Or maybe trigger the silent alarm?”

Bullets destroyed the security cameras. The party stepped forward.

“Genesis Rhapsodos. What a surprise. Aren’t you supposed to be in the gutter with all the other failed lab rats?” The commander in chief feigned strength but failed to contain the fearful crack in his voice.

“Good to see you too, Mr. President. How’s your son doing? Still trying to learn how to fight? Say, do you think he can take on a former First? I’d love to see him try.”

“We didn’t get to talk much last time,” Barret joined in. “Feelin’ like listenin’ now?”

As the group zeroed in on the Shinra, Strife glanced between the man and the doors repeatedly.

“Pathetic,” President Shinra huffed, trying to wriggle out of the SOLDIER’s grip. With Tifa’s encouragement, Loz hopped behind the desk and searched through the drawers.

“Look. I’ll let you off easy today. Make a simple statement about how Shinra knows it’s killin’ the planet, and get us a car to get outta here. Sound good?”

The silver child handed the redhead two computer cables.

“Perfect. Thank you.” Genesis immediately restricted gilded hands. The extra silence the president.

Loz turned back to the group, holding up a retractable lanyard with an ID slipped in a plastic pouch. “Found his keycard…” his voice was still shrouded in grief.

“Thank you, Loz,” Tifa gave an attempt at a smile. Luckily the boy reacted with the same fluttering confusion as always. At least that was still effective.

“This is wrong,” Strife stated, nearly in shock.

“What is?”

“He’s supposed to be dead already.”

“Who kills him?” Strife’s young self questioned immediately, and if Strife was in his shoes, he would do the same.

“Sephiroth.”

“Who disappeared after Mother did…” Yazoo finished at barely a whisper, clutching the metal closer.

“But what would that change?” Aerith asked. “He's only one person.”

Strife thought for a moment, wishing he could word his next statement softly. “...This is the president that approved the fall of the Sector Seven Plate. And the Sector Five Plate. Just because we stopped them doesn't mean they won't try anything like it again. Keeping him in charge is…dangerous. The current Vice President won't allow plans of mass casualties. Trust me.”

“He's more useful alive than dead,” Barret countered. “He can at least shut down a few reactors!”

“We don't have enough time.” Cloud adjusted the boy in his arms. “We need to get out of here before security arrives.”

The president grunted before attempting to open his mouth, but the wire muffled his voice.

“But who's going to do it…?” Tifa realized softly. “I mean, even in AVALANCHE, killing the president wasn't the goal. It's not going to stop the other directors from running the same reactors…”

“I'll do it,” The Crimson Soldier volunteered, though the cat-like playfulness vanished from his voice.

“Hold on a minute-”

“This man allowed the science department to ruin the lives of everyone I knew, including myself. I've done many horrible things, but as they say, you regret the things you didn't do too, yes? And I regret letting you live just as much as all I did.”

The group looked at each other. The flower girl that cherished life found herself turning away, guiding the long haired boy who followed her every caring command. The bartender held the largest boy's hand and led him down the stairs of the desk. The gun armed man glanced at the red furred creature they rescued from the labs. The beast shrugged, a pitiless stare given to the Commander in Chief. The smallest silver boy balled his hands in the purple SOLDIER sweater. The blonds nodded to each other before nodding at the Crimson Soldier.

“To become the dew that quenches the land

To spare the sands, the seas, the skies

I offer thee this silent sacrifice.”

With a swift slash of a crimson blade, the gilded corpse fell to the ground.

“Now how are you planning to get out of here?” Genesis questioned casually.

“In my time, we used the Hardy Daytona and three wheeled pick-up truck in the lobby,” Strife explained before glancing around. “...Shoot…”

The group looked at each other. There were simply too many of them for one truck and one motorcycle.

“I can take one of you, but I’m afraid one is my passenger limit.” The man in red mentioned.

“We won't have to get far with all of us…” Cloud thought aloud, his hand absently trailing the child's medical robe. “If I can get one of security's motorcycles…”

Aerith turned to Genesis, her bow bobbing with a tilt of her head. “Can you take any of us? Any at all?”

“Of course.”

The girl in pink glanced at the man with a gun for an arm.

There was a pause. “Oh hell no.”

Tifa perked up. “She's right. Barret, if space is the issue-”

“I don't know this guy! Why can't he just take the boys?”

Genesis glanced up, almost reminiscent. “It would be a very rough ride. Especially once Shinra starts firing on us.”

“Ride on what?”

Even Strife didn't know the answer to that question.

The Crimson Soldier let out a small sigh before extending his arm, a massive crooked wing expelling from his back. Ebony feathers gently glided through the air.

Everyone stepped back. The two older boys nearly hissed.

“What the hell?!” Barret's question boomed through the office.

“Strife found me in a secret underground lab and you’re still surprised? Shinra's experiments did this to me. I'll explain when we are not actively running out of time. According to Strife, you ran to Kalm after escaping Shinra in his time. I'll fly west to divert the army and we'll meet you in Kalm when things die down.”

“Barret, you don't let anyone talk down to you either. You’ll keep him in line,” Cloud mentioned, softening the father's resolve.

“If you try any funny business, pretty boy, I'll blow your head clean off.”

Genesis brushed his hair into place. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

Cloud and Strife glanced around the room. There were still so many of them. Cloud, Red, and the three boys would barely fit in the truck. But it would have to do until they could steal another vehicle.

Loz opened his mouth, but Yazoo grabbed him, silencing him with stern eyes.

“Let's put this keycard to use,” Tifa held up the item as she spoke. See you in Kalm, Barret.”

“Good luck,” Barret grumbled as Genesis opened the doors to the helipad. The rest of the group claimed both elevators and rushed down to the lobby, half ahead and half waiting behind to catch Shinra’s forces off guard.

* * *

The first group obeyed the command to freeze at the bottom level of the lobby, completely surrounded by troops ready to fire. The head of security walked straight through the defenses and mocked the escapees. The team stood at the ready, waiting for Strife’s entrance.

“Tell me, what is this ragtag group of misfits I see before me?”

“Ex-SOLDIER.”

“Local florist.”

“Lab-rat dog.”

The boys didn’t even answer, Loz clutching the vial of ashes as Yazoo tightened the headplate. Kadaj barely moved, only tightening in Cloud’s hold.

“And the ‘Sephiroth Remnants’ Hojo wants back,” Heiddiger spoke for them. “Where are the others?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know, meanie!” Loz shouted.

“Adorable. Very mature.” The director barked a laugh before ordering his men, “Capture the children and the Ancient. Feel free to kill the rest.”

Aerith took Loz’s right hand and Yazoo’s left, blocking the clear path forward. The director scowled at her sacrificial display before a rumble suddenly rang through the room. With a rev of the engine, Strife sprang into action on the Hardy Daytona, knocking down all units as he maneuvered the bike like an extension of himself. Each troop fell to his sword and skills as Tifa started the truck. Only the director remained standing when Strife turned away.

“Get in!” Tifa yelled once she was close, throwing the door open. The largest child launched into the bed, but the middle one was taken by the red beast by the scruff of his clothes. Both boys sat against the glass to protect what they could of Mother.

The flower girl took the passenger seat before holding out her arms. “Let me take him, Cloud. He’ll be safer up front.”

Kadaj strained the fabric of Cloud’s sweater, his breath strained and audible.

“Just until we’re home free. I promise,” The ex-SOLDIER quickly but carefully lowered the boy into Aerith’s lap, deliberately removing the child’s hands. She swiftly moved the boy between her and Tifa on the seat and slammed the door. Cloud hopped into the bed as Kadaj shivered, curling into the tightest ball the boy could manage.

They barely fit, but for now, it was enough.

Strife led the charge, knocking back the last security officers and shattering the glass with the fusion sword. Red and Cloud tried to shield the boys from the shatter as they launched through the air and roughly landed on the abandoned expressway.

“Everyone okay?” Aerith turned back.

“Can’t complain,” Red answered immediately. “No one is injured.”

“We’re not in the clear yet. Take a breather but be ready.” Cloud watched the skies and the onramps. Drivers kept their eyes on the road, but passengers adjusted within the larger vehicle.

Yazoo slowly placed the headplate into Loz’s lap. At the protest and surprise, he simply lifted his pistol and glanced at the road.

“Are you sure?”

“I have better aim and we both know it… Keep it safe…”

Loz nodded softly, holding both of Mother’s remains to his chest. Red gave the boys a curious, sorrowful look, but when turning to Cloud for an answer, none was given. The ex-SOLDIER remained on watch.

In the front cabin, Aerith slowly revealed a green materia to the child at her side.

Once mako blue eyes caught the orb, he shook his head frantically, squeezing into himself.

“Just a small, normal healing spell, okay?”

Another shake of silver hair.

“I can control this spell way better than the other one. You’ll be safe. And I’ll stop it right away if something happens, alright?”

Kadaj ducked, holding his head against his knees.

“One cure,” She pushed. “Just one and if you even feel a little itchy I’ll stop, okay?”

The boy didn’t move. Three seconds passed without a proper response before the orb in the flower girl’s hand began to glow, and a soft green swirled into the boy’s heart. The driver cringed in preparation, but the boy did not make a sound.

He glanced at the girl in pink, silent and confused.

“See? Now we can heal you up once we’re out of here. I’m so sorry I hurt you.”

Tifa sighed in relief, but Kadaj looked down.

“We've got company!”

Drivers checked their mirrors, and passengers turned back, watching Shinra approach on multiple motorcycles and fully armed trucks. Helicopters whirred in the distance, out of sight but certainly on the hunt.

Fusion Sword and Buster Sword at the ready, anyone who could prepared for the fight as the drivers stepped on it. Beyond the capacity limit, the pickup truck could not accelerate as quickly or maintain as high of a velocity as the Hardy Daytona, and Strife needed to fall back in order to protect them.

“I'll keep them away,” Strife shouted as officers drove up from behind. “Focus on the road!”

Bullets shot through the air, Strife weaving and drifting through the expressway to take down every last enemy on the road. The occasional shot from the long haired Sephiroth remnant no doubt aided their escape. Everything was the same until the helicopters caught up with them, launching explosives to catch their party in the blast. Tifa swerved repeatedly, trying to avoid the fires while maintaining top speed.

It was only a matter of time before flames surrounded them for a moment, most occupants yelling in pain and bracing for impact.

“Tifa, get close to one of the troops,” Cloud commanded.

“What?! Are you crazy?!”

“Too much is going on. You need to keep everyone safe. We can draw their attention. They won't have the manpower to aim for all of us.”

Strife knocked another troop off of a Shinra sanctioned motorcycle and caught the handlebars with his blade. “Get on!”

Cloud launched, the truck jostling as if hitting a bad pothole from the force alone.

“Be careful, Big Brother!” Loz shouted from his spot next to the red creature before ducking under a new wave of bullets.

The blond landed on the vehicle and Strife swiftly removed the blade. Every second they wasted on this transition meant more firepower focused on the truck. Cloud grabbed the handlebars with his left hand and the Buster Sword with his right. Together they swept through Shinra's ground forces, men knocked off their vehicles and rolled on the unforgiving pavement.

Yet again, the company adapted.

“Brace!” Red yelled, pinning the two boys against the cab with his body. Tifa tried to swerve, but the rockets landed in an impenetrable line on the road.

Everyone screamed as they ran through the fire.

“Tifa!” Cloud shouted first, barely acknowledging his own pain from the flames.

“We're okay! For now… I don’t know how many more hits this thing can take!”

Cloud turned to his future self. “Can you reach those helicopters?”

Strife scanned the curved walls of the expressway and tightened his grip on his sword. Not enough. “Stay in the back. I'll disperse the fires.”

“That won't be enough.”

“Do you have a better idea?”

He didn't. With multiple helicopters communicating attacks at once, each reload threatened everyone's lives. They couldn't turn back. No exits existed on this decommissioned highway. They needed a miracle. A guardian angel.

Bullets rained down upon the circling aerial blades, one helicopter colliding with the other before another attack launched. The team looked up, searching for the source. A man in red with one black wing carried a one armed man through the air.

“Long time no see!”

“Barret!” Tifa couldn’t help but look.

“We couldn’t just leave you with these assholes!”

“You looked like you required assistance.” Genesis flapped his wing and the two rose in the air, ready for the next strike.

From both above and below, their party was unstoppable. From the smallest troop to the latest and greatest in weapon technology, the team shook Shinra’s defenses and met in the plains beyond the city of mako.

To be continued…

Three Guards Chapter List

Author’s Note: Well, this is the end of Remake! I made a plan long before Rebirth launched and I plan on continuing it. Some Rebirth elements will appear, but the whole ending just does NOT fit with my plan. …for now at least. I won’t go into spoilers without warning at the beginning of a chapter. For now, you’re all safe! I hope you’re enjoying this story. It’s a lot of fun.

I’m starting my first real job soon! I won’t be able to update as much but I’m very excited to enter the workforce. I won’t be abandoning any of my current stories. I promise.

Thanks for reading!

#ffvii #final fantasy vii #ff7 #final fantasy 7 #cloud strife #ff7 kadaj #kadaj ff7 #advent children #tifa lockhart #yazoo #aerith gainsborough #barret wallace #red xiii #genesis rhapsodos #three guards

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holly-fixation · 10 days

Note

🧃 ⇢ share some personal lore you never posted about before

🍄 ⇢ share a head canon for one of your favourite ships or pairings

🍬 ⇢ post an unpopular opinion about a popular fandom character

🔪 ⇢ what's the weirdest topic you researched for a writing project?

🪲 ⇢ add 50 words to your current wip and share the paragraph here

🐝 ⇢ tag your biggest supporter(s) and say one nice thing about them

🧃 ⇢ share some personal lore you never posted about before

Does personal lore mean it has to be about me?? I'm gonna assume yes?? I can't tell what this question wants. My personal lore is that I hated reading for most of my life. I mean more than 80% of my life. Ironic, I know. It's still incredibly difficult for me to pick up a book and just read! Somehow this did not transfer to fanfic. It's one of the few things I can read without getting fatigue.

🍄 ⇢ share a head canon for one of your favourite ships or pairing

Let's stick with good old Zack and Sephiroth for this one. I head Canon Zack is very good at brushing Sephiroth's hair. HOWEVER, in the wing AUs where Sephiroth's wing appears while he's still sane, Zack is garbage at preening. It takes too long! It's not intentional that he gets impatient and less and less careful. This has lead to tearing multiple chunks of feathers from brushing too fast.

The biggest problem is accidentally ripping a feather out from its root. Sephiroth's instincts kick in and he suddenly attacks the offender, no matter who it is. He only injures Zack once before having enough control to stop himself. Zack never holds it against him. It becomes a quiet night of the two being close until Sephiroth no longer feels overwhelming guilt for what he's done.

Sorry, got a little carried away. A well known bit of personal lore: everything I write becomes angst.

🍬 ⇢ post an unpopular opinion about a popular fandom character

Hojo is incredibly interesting. Yes the man is a complete sociopath, but I cannot deny the steps to his madness and how it grew throughout the game and fascinating to me.

I really don't have many unpopular opinions (at least not with the Tumblr crowd). Ships though? Different story.

🔪 ⇢ what's the weirdest topic you researched for a writing project?

So in The Last Straw, I came up with this completely bullshit idea: a child with a significantly higher concentration of Jenova cells cannot absorb any nutrients except meat based protein (or the lab made equivalent). This is based off the fact that Jenova in that world survives on the lifestreams of planets, and if you look at a food chain and think of the planet as one more link, Her species is Always a predator.

I realize now, after writing all of this, that the question does ask for backstory. Woops.

Anyway, I was trying to BS a name for this condition. Then I found the significantly less severe condition of malabsorption. On a surface level, it's a condition where the body does not absorb nutrients/absorb them properly. So because this was so different than anything else I've researched, it sticks out.

🪲 ⇢ add 50 words to your current wip and share the paragraph here

The blond landed on the vehicle and Strife swiftly removed the blade. Every second they wasted on this transition meant more firepower on the truck. Cloud grabbed the handlebars with his left hand and the Buster Sword with his right. Together they swept through Shinra's ground forces, men knocked off their vehicles and onto the unforgiving pavement.

🐝 ⇢ tag your biggest supporter(s) and say one nice thing about them

@altocat - always kind and let's me steal her ideas

@prismaticpichu - a font of kindness who always has a Fluffy idea cooking. Great when I need some joy.

@winter-doggo - his art always makes me smile. And he still leaves great comments on my fics despite my sudden lack of online interaction.

And you! Yes you, @shadowbanshee , because you're one of the only people that's left me asks like the ones I see for everyone else I follow. I still see likes for the "CC Sephiroth finds CCTV footage of Lucrecia" from December!

I'm not saying there aren't others. I just don't want this post to be any bigger lol. Know if I didn't mention you, I still appreciate you!

#ffvii #final fantasy vii #ff7 #sephiroth #final fantasy 7 #jenova #zack fair #asks #answers #cloud strife

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