The Fifth Act, Chapter 4

[sinnatious]

Title: The Fifth Act

Rating: T for violence.

Summary: FFVII Time-travel.  Gen.  Cloud has an accident with a Time Materia.

Author's Note:  Fight scenes are so hard.  I need to write more of them.

Previous Chapter 
 

 

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The Fifth Act

Chapter 4

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Cloud didn’t wait for Sephiroth to finish talking. You took any opening Sephiroth gave you; you didn’t pause, you didn’t stop. He’d learnt that the hard way.

 

His nemesis was here, in Wutai, against all logic, and he didn’t intend to waste the chance. 

 

The clash of swords rang like a bell through the clearing. First Tsurugi cut an arc in the air, and Sephiroth retreated with the unnatural grace he’d once admired the man for. Cloud followed, nothing but a blur to the untrained eye as he struck, twisted, and struck again in a dance quickly growing too familiar. Masamune met each blow easily, weaving through the air like a deadly serpent. Sephiroth’s form was perfect. There were no holes in his defence.

 

That was fine. He had more than just swordplay at his disposal this time. His Bolt materia glowed briefly, there was the slightest crackle of warning, and then the air shook with thunder as a torrent of electricity tore towards the Silver General, hungry and lashing and lethal. The worst of it caught on Masumune, but the SOLDIER’s body jerked as it absorbed the stray shocks, and his silver hair rose under the power of static charge, giving him the illusion of floating. For one brief second, Cloud’s vision filled with a single black wing, but Sephiroth bore no such appendage yet.

 

“You’re quite the rude individual, aren’t you, Strife? I came only to talk.” Sephiroth shook the electric charge off his sword with a flick of his wrist, grounding the blade in the dirt for a second, then raising it just as swiftly to parry the next attack. 

 

Cloud didn’t grace him with a response. He moved mechanically, instincts taking over, breaking apart First Tsurugi, following through with a second swing, forcing Sephiroth to back off, reattaching the blade, hitting with a heavier strike, forever keeping the General from getting his balance.  This was one of the hidden strengths of First Tsurugi - the ability to vary the weight and speed of his strikes, to use as many blades as he needed to attack blind spots, to create footholds where none existed without leaving himself open.

 

Steel rang against steel once more.  Muscles straining from the effort, Cloud pushed forward, and then retreated as the angle of Masamune changed, curving towards his neck without breaking the lock.  He flipped back, landed on a tree trunk, kicked off, and Sephiroth met him again, green eyes wide as he grunted under the force of the impact.

 

A familiar ballet. He was already braced when the next sweeping strike landed, boots scraping shallow trails in the dirt as he slid back under the pressure. The trees groaned and began to fall around him, branches and trunks severed cleanly by the katana’s long-reaching strike. Then he was retreating, First Tsurugi flashing in the sunlight as he parried a flurry of hits, barely able to keep ahead of the deadly curve of his opponent’s blade. 

Dirt and leaves billowed in the air, choking, blinding. Cloud jumped between the falling trunks on nothing more than reflex and instinct as Masamune cut a swathe of destruction through the forest. There was a pause, and he retaliated in kind, First Tsurugi slamming into the earth and tearing a rent in the ground beneath Sephiroth’s feet. The Silver General leapt in the air, and Cloud jumped to meet him. For ten breathless seconds they were locked in aerial combat, the two appearing as nothing more than a whirlwind of black and silver amidst the falling leaves.

 

They landed on the ground with a thud, and then Cloud swept aside a fire spell with his sword, the warm kiss of flame still licking at his fingertips as he charged.

 

Then cursed as he saw the angle of Masamune change, and realised his error.

 

That one hole in his defence, the one sloppy mistake he kept making. Against anyone else it didn’t matter, but against Sephiroth…

 

A vision flashed before his eyes – himself, impaled on the Masamune, dangling helplessly in the air as his blood trickled down the length of the blade. Taunting words that haunted his nightmares, week after week. 

 

“Do you remember this pain?”

 

Cloud blinked, and in that split-second, desperately twisted his body sideways. In the same breath, Masamune slid past, and Sephiroth’s expression faltered in shock as he found himself overextended and his sword empty of prey. 

 

In that moment, Cloud turned the tables, and rammed the hilt of First Tsurugi into the General’s ribcage.

 

Sephiroth staggered back. It was to his credit that he recovered from his surprise in time to deflect the follow-up strike, but it was all he managed to do. 

 

Adrenaline surged through Cloud’s veins. It was different. The motions were the same, but it was too easy. Had Jenova really made Sephiroth that much stronger, that much faster? Or was it just the difference in experience? No longer did the gulf of a generation separate them, he realised. No longer did his opponent lord a decade of experience over him.

 

The thought was somewhere between amusing and heart-breaking.  He was now older than Zack, and almost as old as Sephiroth.

 

It didn’t matter. He’d take whatever advantage he could get. 

 

First Tsurugi crashed into Masamune, and he split the sword again, driving the point of the detached half towards the General’s stomach. Sephiroth twisted away, barely avoiding the razor-sharp edge. And so the fight continued.

 

...................

 

 

Genesis paused, listening carefully – though one didn’t need enhanced hearing to locate the battle raging to the north. The ground reverberated under his feet as a low rumble filled the air, and the SOLDIER Commander raised a delicate eyebrow. That didn’t feel like a Quake spell. 

 

"Stay back," he ordered his squad, and stalked ahead through the trees alone.  Really, did Sephiroth have to make such a spectacle?  He was advertising their position to the enemy! When he’d sent him off to talk to Strife, this was not exactly what he had in mind.

It was tempting to let his old friend - rival, he absently corrected - lay waste to the countryside and draw the attention of the Wutai army to him, but there was the blond enigma to consider too.  The man had made it rather clear that his intention was to fight Sephiroth, and while he detested it when others intervened in his battles, by the sounds of things, it might be prudent to make certain ShinRa’s crown jewel didn't get carried away and kill the stranger.  Genesis owed the man a debt - a novel experience and emotion, one he wasn't sure he liked, but one he was invested in all the same.

 

He arrived at the wreckage well in advance of the two fighters, and found himself pausing in mild consternation at the destruction. What had to be half a square kilometre of forest, flattened, the ground crisscrossed by evergreen trees suddenly reduced to the same status as trampled ferns. Several tree trunks jutted sharply into the air, the cut surface as smooth as glass. Near the centre of the clearing were two deep gouges in the earth, also too sharp to be natural, and all the more frightening for it.

 

His skin tingled faintly - a sign of materia usage. Sure enough, not a moment later a wave of heat battered him, sending his maroon coat flapping and his eyes smarting. He restrained the urge to blink, zeroing in on the source. Two figures, still fighting at the edge of the clearing. 

 

This wasn’t right.

 

When he first heard the battle, he'd expected to turn up in time to stop Sephiroth's Masamune from piercing the pretty blond's throat.  Not to see the silver-haired General being pushed back, outmanoeuvred, and barely keeping up. 

More alarming, there wasn't the barest hint of the smug expression his rival normally boasted, even as the air crackled with magic.

 

Sephiroth was serious. No, more than that. Sephiroth was serious, and he was on the verge of losing.

 

Genesis tensed as a particularly bone-jarring clash rang through the clearing. Sephiroth stepped back to bear the weight. He didn’t even do that against Angeal’s Buster Sword! 

 

He weighed his options for only a split second before moving. It was a risky manoeuvre, but the fight could not be allowed to continue. One was his friend – the other, his saviour. Genesis was willing to lose neither.

 

When Strife struck next, his sword met with red steel. Masamune, pushed to the side by the scabbard. “Enough!”

 

Angeal would be proud.

 

Except Strife didn’t want to listen. As soon he found his blade blocked, his sword – curse it, he forgot about the sword! – split, and a second blade was in play. It was only thanks to his SOLDIER reflexes and unnatural agility that Genesis managed to angle his rapier in time to catch the second weapon as well.

 

He nearly missed the third blade, with his sword thoroughly occupied holding back the first two. Sephiroth at least remained alert enough to knock that one aside – how many pieces did that sword break into, anyway? – giving Genesis a chance to push the blond back and break the fight up. This time, Strife didn’t try anything, judging him with those bright, calculating blue eyes as he backed away and rejoined the parts of his weapon.

 

Genesis enunciated his words carefully. “What, pray tell, is the meaning of this?”

 

Silence from both men. Sephiroth’s eyes hadn’t left Strife, not even for a moment. Strife returned the stare with equal strength. 

 

Genesis gestured vaguely with his rapier. “You’ve levelled half the forest, scared the wits out of my men, and no doubt every able-bodied warrior in Wutai is bearing down on this position right now. An explanation is the least you could give me.”

 

Strife’s glare only intensified. “Don’t interfere.”

 

Pleased by the reaction – any reaction – Genesis bowed slightly as he took a step towards the blond. “Far be it from me to interrupt a duel, but you are attacking an employee of ShinRa, and as the commanding officer of the nearest garrison, it is my obligation to come to his defence.”

 

Those sharp blues became wary. And for one minute, Genesis thought Strife was actually considering the odds of taking them both on at once. 

 

Absurd. Even if he were a match for Sephiroth, nobody could be insane enough to tackle such a battle.

 

The worst part was, Genesis wasn’t sure which side he really wanted to be fighting on.

 

The shuffle of army fatigues and military-issue boots drew their attention, as the squad he’d ordered to follow at a distance caught up. With enhanced senses, Genesis could hear their exclamations of shock easily. He found himself irritated. He should have ordered them to stay put instead. The ShinRa grapevine was going to go ballistic over this.

 

In the end, however, their presence proved fortunate, as with the additional reinforcements, Strife finally backed down. He slung his sword into its harness and nodded shortly. “Fine.” That one word was brimming with irritation, anger, anxiety… and was that fear? Genesis couldn’t tell. The blond warrior was a hard man to read.

 

“Good. Now if you can both refrain from waving your swords around-” Absently Genesis wondered when he’d started channelling Angeal, but his childhood friend was the only model he had for handling this situation. Normally, Genesis caused the conflict. “-then we can discuss your business back at base camp like adults.” 

 

“No. I have no more business here.” Strife’s words were short and clipped, and his glare rested on Sephiroth once more. “I’ll leave for now.”

 

Sephiroth finally broke his silence. “Running away?”

 

Those bright blue eyes flared, and Genesis quickly placed himself between the two fighters once again. Strife practically snarled. “Don’t get confused, Sephiroth. I’m going to kill you. All you’ve done is bought time.” His gaze rested on Genesis for a moment, and then he abruptly turned on his heel. “I’m leaving.” 

 

It did not escape the Commander’s notice that Strife’s hand lingered on his sword until he was well past the edge of the tree line.

 

Once he was out of sight and earshot, Genesis turned back around and pinned his friend with a pointed stare. Sephiroth simply quirked an eyebrow in response.

 

The battle of wills was brief – there were more immediate concerns than Strife’s parting statement. Genesis holstered his rapier and signalled to the squad hugging the tree line to about-face. What he said remained true – every active Wutai patrol would be converging on the area, and their current position was strategically unsound. “Let’s get back to base, and we can sort out your lovely new mess there.”

 

 

...................

 

 

Cloud didn’t sleep that night. He was too angry. Too worried. Too conflicted.

 

His first opportunity, and he’d already failed.

 

Cloud hadn’t wanted to cut down Genesis to get to Sephiroth, not when he’d saved the man from degradation only a week before. He was more sympathetic to the SOLDIER’s situation now than what he’d been in his trooper days – no longer did he have to imagine what it felt like for ShinRa to use you, abandon you, and hunt you down like a dog.

 

He might have still managed to get past Genesis and fulfil his objective, but the arrival of a squad of SOLDIERs put that thought to rest. The odds were against him. At that point, even if he could kill Sephiroth, the chances of him dying in the process skyrocketed. And he had to survive – at least until he took care of Jenova and Hojo as well. What happened to him after that didn’t matter.

 

Leaves crunched noisily under his feet, but he didn’t care. He was deep within territory still controlled by Wutai, though held no illusions about it remaining so for long, thanks to his idiocy. All he knew was that he wanted to put as much distance between himself and Sephiroth as possible. It tore at him to have the man standing right there, and yet find himself unable to do anything about it.

 

What choice did he have, though? Unless he killed Genesis first, which, while viable, was not desirable. For now, at least, Sephiroth was out of bounds.

 

If he couldn’t kill Sephiroth, then he needed to go to the next step. Jenova.

Would he need Holy to do it?  He stretched his memory back to the battle before Meteor.  No, Holy was too risky, a last resort - they'd taken care of Jenova using normal methods before the spell had been invoked to stop Meteor.  A couple of hits of the strongest fire spells he could muster ought to do it.  Reduce her to ash, and then throw the ash into the reactor core.

 

Having a plan made him feel a bit better, and returned him to his senses enough to become aware of the irregular movements in the undergrowth. He was being followed.

 

Keeping his stride even – if he stopped, chances were his followers would stop too – Cloud listened carefully to the whoosh of air and crinkle of leaves in his wake. The footfalls were quick and light. Moccasins, instead of heavy boots.

 

Wutai, then. He eyeballed his surroundings, wondering when they’d try to ambush him. The forest in this area was particularly dense, but that didn’t matter. He could create a clearing to erase the blind spots if necessary.

 

After the altercation earlier that day, Cloud was in no mood to wait for his opponent to make the first move. He stopped abruptly and drew First Tsurugi. “I’m in a bad mood right now,” he warned. Maybe he shouldn’t have let the last lot off the hook.

 

There was a thud of feet hitting the ground behind him. Then… “I’m the legendary warrior princess! Leave Wutai at once, you filthy invader, or I will defeat you! Hyaaaa!”

 

What?

 

Cloud whirled, and came face to face with a very familiar-looking child.

 

“Die, evildoer!” The girl kicked the air a couple of times.

 

Yuffie?

Things had just become really weird.
  

“ShinRa dog!” Seeing that her air kicks hadn’t intimidated him, the little black-haired girl rushed him, tiny fists flailing. Reflexively, Cloud held her back with the palm of his hand. Her arms windmilled, never quite connecting.

 

“I’m not with ShinRa.” The response had become automatic.

 

“Liar! Villain! Monster!”

 

The last one stung. “You shouldn’t be out here. It’s dangerous.”

 

“Ha! Maybe dangerous for the likes of you! A mighty warrior like me is in no danger!”

 

Great. Yuffie looked about eight, but had all the bravado of her teenaged self, with none of the skill to back it up. What was he supposed to do in this kind of situation? Denzel and Marlene were never like this.

 

Zack would probably play along, but Cloud wasn’t Zack. Couldn’t even fake it, anymore. So he sighed, scooped the girl up, and flung her over his shoulder in a regulation carry.

 

“Oof! Hey! What are you doing? Hey, put me down!”

 

He ignored the ineffectual pounding on his back and the kicking legs and considered where to go. He couldn’t leave Yuffie out here to harass ShinRa’s forces. She could get killed, or worse, kidnapped. She’d survived the war last time, but that was before Cloud had messed everything up. What was she doing so far south, anyway? Shouldn’t she be safe inside the capital?

 

There ought to be a shrine nearby, if he recalled his last trip through Wutai correctly. He could leave her there, and the monks would find a way to get her back to safety. Decision made, he started heading in that direction. 

 

“Let me gooooo! I’ll defeat you! This isn’t fair!”

 

“Quiet,” Cloud snapped. “Do you want ShinRa to find us?”

 

“Ha! I’ll defeat the invaders! All of them, with my super-cool moves! You can just sit back and watch and be amazed!”

 

Cloud rolled his eyes. He should have been happy to see Yuffie, really – she was the first friend he’d come across since being thrown into the past – but somehow, he couldn’t summon anything other than annoyance. Time had dulled the memories of how irritating she’d been when she first joined Avalanche. He continued stalking through the forest, picking up the pace so he could get rid of his burden sooner. Teenage Yuffie he could handle – was maybe even a little fond of, when she wasn’t trying to rob him blind. Tiny Yuffie, on the other hand…

 

“Stop jostling so much! Urgh, I’m gonna be sick…”

 

“Don’t you dare throw up on me – these are the only clothes I have,” he grumbled.

 

“Would serve you right,” she mumbled.

 

Ignoring her whinging – she should count herself lucky she’d run into him, instead of some easily-startled trigger-happy trooper – Cloud instead focused his attention on the swish of silk off to his left. “Who’s there?”

 

Then he was leaping to the side, Yuffie’s shriek ringing in his ears as he barely dodged a hail of shuriken. Clicking the release on his sword, he pulled the lightest blade free, parrying the dagger driving towards his stomach.

 

Wutai?

 

“What’s going on? It’s dark! I can’t see! Ah! Look out! I could have been hurt, you big jerk!” Yuffie complained, even as Cloud dodged another throwing dagger and fenced one-handed with the agile attacker. Wutai meant unenhanced – no matter how good their blade, Cloud could win with strength alone. One sudden, sharp downward swing, and he knocked the dagger from the fighter’s hands. The chipped blade hit the dirt and spun away.

 

The Wutai warrior retreated, cradling his sword hand. Cloud examined the elaborate headgear and the dragon insignia on armour. A member of the Crimson Elite. He remembered Zack talking about them, how they’d held out for months after Wutai’s official surrender. “I won’t let you take the Princess!”

 

Seriously? “You can have her,” he retorted, dropping the squirming girl to the ground, then grabbing her by the back of her shirt before she could scamper off. “Keep better track of her next time.”

 

“Let me go! I don’t wanna go back! I wanna fight!”

 

The Crimson Elite wavered, apparently unsure what to make the new development. “You… are returning her?”

 

Cloud shoved her in the warrior’s direction. He caught her by the arm, though his dark-eyed gaze didn’t once break away from his opponent. “You might also want to teach her to avoid picking fights with SOLDIERs.”

 

“I would have totally kicked your ass!”

 

“Princess, language!” The warrior hissed, then turned back to him, eyes alight with realisation. “You are the SOLDIER who fights ShinRa, then.”

 

Cloud shrugged. “If that’s what they’re calling me.” He didn’t want to get back into the question of what exactly makes a SOLDIER in the middle of a dark forest with an eight-year-old Treasure Princess listening in.

 

“My superiors, they would like to talk with you, if you would accompany us.”

 

The clearing dimmed slightly as Cloud narrowed his eyes and the faint mako glow hid beneath his eyelids. “Just because I returned your Princess, doesn’t mean I’m going to join your army, if that’s what you’re thinking of asking.” 

 

“Nobody returned me! I wasn’t in trouble! I was going to repel the invaders!”

 

A bright smile split the darkness. “Just talk. All we ask.”

 

Cloud doubted that, but chances were, whomever they wanted him to talk to would be a member of one of the Noble Houses. It was a slim chance, but maybe, if they listened to him, he could at least reduce the number of casualties. “Fine.” 

 

With both Genesis and Sephiroth in Wutai, the war was as good as lost. The best he could now hope for was to convince Wutai’s leaders to surrender, and keep Yuffie safe.


 

Next chapter

Comments

[swyrel.livejournal.com]

Yay~ I'm about to leave for work, so I have to make this quick:

Best two parts about this chapter - Genesis saving Sephiroth and Yuffie. I loved the whole Yuffie scene. And the Genesis acting like the mature adult and telling two of the most serious and mature people to act like that was funny, but in a serious 'someone's gonna die if you don't' way, if you get what I'm saying. What made it better was Genesis's thoughts when he was saying this.

Wonderful chapter! You're very good with the fight scenes!

[sinnatious.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

Genesis can act like a mature adult, but it doesn't make him one. XD

I'm so surprised people actually liked Yuffie's appearance. I'd always thought she was the least popular character in the fandom!

[swyrel.livejournal.com]

O.O But I love Yuffie. I think it's mostly b/c I acted like her when I was a teen, except I wasn't as klepto as she was...

BTW, I had to hunt down my FFVII icons just for this story. I haven't used them in forever...

[searisme.livejournal.com]

Fuck, yes. Cloud doing his level best to off Sephiroth, and almost succeeding, was just awesome. That he still was berating himself afterwards for "failing" just felt so IC - he might have failed, but due to interference, not a weakness of his own.

And Genesis' little observation when he was doing his best Angeal impression, that he usually was the one causing trouble, was so good.

Also: Yuffie=win. It's a very simple equation. Does Cloud still have all his materia?

[sinnatious.livejournal.com]

I've always found that aspect of Cloud's personality - having such completely unrealistic standards that he can't even recognise how awesome he is - absolutely fascinating.

Also, that icon is made of win.

[searisme.livejournal.com]

Yup, I agree, but it's also an aspect of his personality that needs to be handled with care. Too much and he's suddenly not so much angsty hero (*lol* I just spelled that "heero". Guess what else I've been reading lately...) as he is a whiny brat. The funny thing is that he often compares himself to other, yes? Normal, average individuals such as Zack adn Sephiroth, and finds himself lacking. Still the fact that he's defeated Seph several times doesn't seem to penetrate!

It's shiny and you want it. Yours is nice, too. Those are Tezuka's glasses, right?
I just love icons. Though I'm limited to 15 I've a ton on my computer - which I sometimes look thorugh, doing my best Gollum impression.

[firedraygon97.livejournal.com]

Excellent, Cloud's cleaning up his messes! I was afraid he'd really leave for Nibelheim and abandon Wutai with the two generals. Hopefully Godo doesn't think he's secretly working for ShinRa when he tries to convince them to surrender...

his silver hair rose under the power of static charge

*snickers* I'm just imagining Sephiroth putting his hand on one of those balls that make your hair stand up.

Hurrah for Yuffie! I was wondering how Cloud would deal with her. I wonder if her pick-pocket skills have already developed -- Cloud's materia is in danger! XP

I'm really glad you put Genesis' interference from his POV. Knowing his intentions behind stopping the fight and seeing that he knows how OOC he's behaving makes the whole thing, well, IC. Interesting way of getting a character to do something he normally doesn't do.

Cloud as Genesis' 'saviour' is amusing. Genesis really does like being dramatic. Next it'll be, "Sent by the goddess..." XD

Poor Sephiroth, I was waiting for his POV, but I guess that'll be next chapter. It must shock him as well that Cloud was winning.

As far as fight scenes go, this one was very exciting! I'm looking forward to more~

[firedraygon97.livejournal.com]

Whoops, also forgot to say:

no longer did he have to imagine what it felt like for ShinRa to use you, abandon you, and hunt you down like a dog

Thanks for including this bit!! It would've worked at first, that Cloud just felt sorry for Genesis so he saved him. But now with this empathetic link, that Cloud continues to spare Genesis even when he gets in Cloud's way makes much more sense. Fantastic work.

[sinnatious.livejournal.com]

*I can't get that mental image of Sephiroth playing with a static ball out of my head now*

Indeed, how long until Genesis starts writing poetry about Cloud? :D I'm pretty terrible at poetry, so probably forever. XD

No Sephiroth next chapter either. Chapter after, I promise!

Thanks for such an awesome comment. You are such a wonderfully analytical reader. <3

[searisme.livejournal.com]

Ah, but bad poetry.. about Cloud. It could be a crack outtake. It'd be awesome.

[firedraygon97.livejournal.com]

Hahaha, I'm only 'analytical' because I'm so desperate for more that I end up re-reading chapters two or three times. XP

And no Sephiroth this Sunday?! Will we at least have some development from Genesis? :O

Possible 'Cloud' references Genesis could make from Loveless:
Infinite in mystery is the gift of the goddess
We seek it thus, and take it to the sky
Act I

My friend Sephiroth, your desire
Is the bringer of life, the gift of the goddess
Act II

:D

[kiriana.livejournal.com]

*_______* Awesome new chapter! I loved the fight scene and Yuufie showing up as a little kid was really cute. I hope Cloud can end the conflict without as much bloodshed as last time.

[(Anonymous)]

Cute Yuffie is cute. XD

Man, your fight scenes are good. And this is just about the first time I've come across an imperfect Sephiroth in a fic, which is better. Also, the mental image of Cloud holding chibi!Yuffie back with the palm of his hand is just so funny. <3

[sinnatious.livejournal.com]

Yuffie is an adorable little scamp. Even if she sends Zack all over the continent on treasure hunts. I've always wondered how a kid like that gets around so much.

Really? I thought imperfect Sephiroth fics were quite the rage! Glad you liked the fight, though. <3

[aori-tsuki.livejournal.com]

Heeee, I keep up with your fics because they're so awesome in so many ways, but this just takes the cake. ♥

Love the way you handle the characters, and how you detail the fight scenes that readers can actually imagine them! ;w;b Your Genesis-Sephiroth-Cloud scene? And Yuffie? It just made me laugh and laugh. Can't wait to see you introduce the other characters and I can't wait to see you update! And that it's gen, or planning to be gen for now, anyway. :Db

[sinnatious.livejournal.com]

Strange how this fic has been drawing out newer faces. Thank you! ♥

Next chapter should be up on Sunday.

[phamalama.livejournal.com]

Yay, Sephiroth battle that ends in a stalemate! I like that there is no slash so far and you added Yuffie! She's so cute and nonthreatening... Time travel fics are so addicting, especially since I'm kinda learning the canon along with it. Please keep up the good work! Are you planning on adding this to fanfiction.net?

[sinnatious.livejournal.com]

They are addicting, aren't they? I go on benders of them regularly. ^_^ Must be a brain-bending way to learn canon though.

It will probably go up on fanfiction.net sooner or later - most of my multi-chapter fics wind up there eventually.

[aschenhimmel.livejournal.com]

One thing I hate about fight scenes in fiction...I *can't* follow them at all. They're either too vague, or too detailed for me. This chap's fight scene? Made of awesomesauce. I actually paused while reading a paragraph, just to imagine what it would look like Advent Children-style.
Genesis being the mature pacifying presence while maintaining his diva-hood and Yuffie being Yuffie are all made of win too.

[caterfree10.livejournal.com]

There are a lot of things I love about this chapter, most of all the Sephiroth versus Cloud fight and Yuffie's appearance. My favorite thing about the fight is how seamlessly the materia is brought in, something a lot of authors either are clunky at or ignore altogether (one author claimed materia was too unrealistic as an excuse for not using it!), but you have it work very well. TBH, if FFVII were a movie or TV series instead of mostly video games (barring Advent Children ofc), I could see the fights being a similar style to how you've written them (it really is a shame we don't see too much materia use in Advent Children *sigh*).

And Yuffie is adorable as all hell as usual. x3 She's not my favorite, but I still love her to pieces and bitty!Yuffie is no exception. Zack may have gotten her antics in Crisis Core, but it's Cloud's turn now~ *cackles*