''Final Fantasy VII: Another Side'' is an AU fanfiction by Mystwalker, an alternate retelling of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' that combines elements from ''VideoGame/CrisisCore'', ''VideoGame/BeforeCrisis'', and ''VideoGame/DirgeOfCerberus''. The premise behind the fic is an AlternateContinuity where Genesis causes the Nibelheim Incident instead of Sephiroth. It starts off following the same track as the game, but begins to diverge towards the end of the Midgar Arc.

The author stated that this story would be a Trilogy, each installment being equivalent to a Disc like the original FFVII. The first story(found [[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6595872/1/Final-Fantasy-VII-Another-Side here]]) was completed, but the second story(called ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10044260/1/Final-Fantasy-VII-Another-Story Final Fantasy VII: Another Story]]'') according to the author, is now discontinued.

Pairings include: Aerith x Zack, Cloud x Tifa, and Sephiroth x Cissnei.

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!! This fanfic provides examples of:
* ActionFilmQuietDramaScene: Lots of them. One especially notable one is when Cissnei tells Sephiroth about her past in File 024 part 3.[[spoiler: She also reveals her real name: Rekka.]] This is also the intended point of the Interludes.
* Action Girl: Take your pick among Cissnei, Tifa, Aerith, and Yuffie. All of them hold their own just fine against the various threats thrown their way.
* AdaptationalHeroism: None could’ve had an even bigger case of this than Sephiroth. He’s far from the composed, but utterly crazy villain in the original game, instead being one of the good guys this time around, serving as, ironically, the OnlySaneMan in the party because of his serious disposition. He also becomes the TeamDad of the group, being one of the stronger fighters and making sure everyone stays on task.
** In addition, he also ''rejects'' any attempts of Jenova’s influence instead of embracing her as his mother.
** While Sephiroth did learn about his past, he did take it rather badly, but much better compared to how he acted in the original. Least he didn’t go crazy and burn an entire village to the ground.
* AlmostKiss: Occurs between [[spoiler: Cloud and Tifa]] at the Gold Saucer. That is until the gondola [[MomentKiller ruins it.]]
* AndThenWhat: {{Discussed}}. Cloud and Tifa wonder what they're going to do after defeating Jenova.
* ArchnemesisDad: Hojo to Sephiroth.
* ArmorPiercingQuestion:
** One while Aerith and Sephiroth are hiding in a closet in the Shinra building.
--->'''Aerith:''' I think he [Angeal] really wants the both of you—no, you to find peace.\\
'''Sephiroth:''' I am at peace.\\
'''Aerith:''' Are you really?
** One from Seph to Cissnei on her tendency to keep putting herself in dangerous situations:
--->'''Sephiroth''': Is it that you're the only one qualified to do what needs to be done, or is it that you don't trust anyone else to help you?
* ArsonMurderAndJaywalking: When Cissnei confronts Shion and lists the myriad of crimes she's now been implacated in from assassinating the Shinra president to dropping the Sector 7 plate (which Deepground did but AVALANCHE took the fall for), she asks if she left any out. Shion reminds her of three counts of grand theft auto, which compared to the rest is really rather minor.
* AscendedExtra: Kunsel, who was more or less an offscreen character from ''VideoGame/CrisisCore''.
%%* TheAtoner: Sephiroth.
* AttractiveBentGender: Apparently Cloud, while DisguisedInDrag. Don Corneo picks him over Aerith and ''Tifa.''
* BackToBackBadasses: Invoked a few times, including once between Cloud and Tifa, and another time with Sephiroth and Cloud.
* BadassCrew: Does it really need to be said? Avalanche is probably even more badass than in canon due to Sephiroth and Zack being on the team.
%%* BadassNormal: Anyone who isn't a soldier or an Ancient.
* BattleCouple: Happens a lot. [[SwordAndSorcerer Aerith and Zack]] fight together as long as they're in the same group. Sephiroth and Cissnei had their moment [[spoiler: before Cissnei was shot by Nero]], and Cloud and Tifa in the Corel Mountains.
* BerserkButton:
** Do not taunt Sephiroth about Jenova. Just don't. Also, [[MinorInjuryOverreaction don't mess]] with his [[UnmanlySecret hair]].
** Also, hurting Aerith, or just about anyone close to Zack, will send him into UnstoppableRage.
* BetaCouple: Aerith and Zack, to basically everyone else. At this point in the story, they're the only couple officially together, and while they have their issues, everyone else has worse.
* {{BFS}}: This ''is'' VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII after all.
* BigDamnHeroes:
** Sephiroth and Cissnei are this to Zack at the beginning.
** When the party is ambushed by Auriel and Deepground, [[spoiler:Reno show up and carts off Auriel, leaving the party to recover]].
** When the party first confronts Jenova, she incapacitates them all and pins them with a single spell, except for Barrett who shows up and distracts her long enough for the others to break free and fight her off.
* BigDamnKiss: [[spoiler: Zack and Aerith]]. After 39 chapters. As one reviewer puts it: "About damn time".
* BigDamnReunion: Zack and Aerith are primed for one, but even when do run into each other again, circumstances keep tearing them apart until they get out of Midgar, when they are finally able to spend some time together figuring out where they are and what happens next.
* BornLucky: Cissnei, the other Turks say she was born under a lucky star, though it seems to stray into UnluckilyLucky every now and then.
%%* BreatherEpisode: Pretty much the whole point of the Interlude chapters.
%%* BrokenAce: Zack, although he tries really hard not to show it. Sephiroth shows signs of this too.
%%* BrokenBird: Cissnei's lines in her chapter of ''Interlude 001'' imply that she is this.
* BrutalHonesty: Sephiroth; Cissnei says he tells the truth whether people want to hear it or not. And he doesn't pull punches with it either.
%%* ButtMonkey: Poor Cloud tends to be the butt of his friends' jokes, especially early on.
%%* ByronicHero: Sephiroth.
* CannotSpitItOut: Cloud suffers from this, especially with Tifa.
* ChargeIntoCombatCut: Since the story has an EnsembleCast and often invokes TwoLinesNoWaiting, this happens all the time.
* ChildSoldier: Sephiroth, of course, but also Cissnei.
* CombatPragmatist: As a WeakButSkilled professional assassin/saboteur, Cissnei's fighting style is usually [[CombatPragmatist whatever it takes to win]]. [[{{Ninja}} Yuffie's]] fighting style has shades of this as well.
* TheComicallySerious: Sephiroth.
* CommitmentIssues: Cissnei is pretty much a textbook case. In a conversation with Tifa, she admits to having flings in the past but never feeling comfortable enough to enter into a serious relationship. She has admitted to [[spoiler: rejecting Zack because she thought she might feel to strongly for him]] and it's heavily hinted that [[spoiler: a one-night stand with one of her former Turk partners somehow caused her to break off the partnership]]. This is especially apparent in ''Interlude 005'' when she literally ''runs'' away from a potential RelationshipUpgrade.
* ConsummateProfessional: Cissnei, [[spoiler: up until Sector 7]]. Then ItsPersonal.
* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: The group doesn't immediately notice it because of [[SpoiledBrat how she acts]], but Yuffie is a {{Ninja}} for a ''reason''.
* CurbStompBattle: Basically Sephiroth vs. anything that isn't Genesis or a Tsviet.
* CuttingTheKnot: When imprisoned in the Shinra tower, Zack is manacled to the wall with electronically controlled shackles. When the time comes to escape, Cissnei is all set to try some complicated hacking to open them, then Kunsel comes in and sticks his sword into an electrical circuit, shorting out the manacles, which fall open.
* DecompositeCharacter: Sephiroth's more villainous actions are done in this continuity by Genesis.
* DiscOneFinalBoss: [[spoiler: Jenova dies at the end of Another Side, with the next "disc", as the author puts it, still on the way.]]
* DisguisedInDrag: Poor Cloud has to go through this when infiltrating the Honey Bee.
* DoorStopper
* DysfunctionJunction: Just about everyone has their problems, as in canon.
%%* EmotionlessGirl: Cissnei was one when she was younger. Nowadays she's more a SugarAndIcePersonality.
* EmptyEyes: In-universe. Shion says that Cissnei had them when she was younger.
-->"It wasn't right. No fourteen-year-old should have such empty eyes."
** Shelke apparently has them, too.
%%* EnsembleCast: All of the characters get roughly the same amount of focus.
* EveryoneCanSeeIt: The entire group can tell that Sephiroth has feelings for Cissnei, and vice versa. Heck, even the bad guys can see it.
%%* EvilFormerFriend: Genesis to Sephiroth.
* {{Foreshadowing}}: Reeve's warning to Cissnei through Cait Sith's fortune, "'''U R Watched'''", followed by the color black. [[spoiler:Nero the Sable is watching the group through Cissnei].]]
* FlawExploitation: The Tsviets use this against [[spoiler: Cissnei, given that Nero has a direct link to her after her tried to kill her, and is able to see her formulate her plans as she's making them, which enables him to "out" Shalua as a mole, while still watching Cissnei]].
* FeedTheMole: A variation occurs while they're trying to figure out how the Tsviets are tracking them. Cissnei devises a plan to have the group split into three groups, two of them will meet in one location, while the third, with the suspected mole heads to another. The ruse works and [[spoiler:Shalua]] is outed. [[spoiler: Except, it's actually ''Cissnei'' who's an unwitting mole, being tracked by Nero, who left a portion of his power within her after his attempted killing failed.]]
* FourStarBadass: Sephiroth did used to be a general, and is even called general a few times by the rest of the group.
* FriendToAllChildren: Zack. As the author puts it:
-->"Well, Zack's a puppy. Kids love puppies, so naturally kids love Zack."
* FryingPanOfDoom: Sephiroth is saved from having to kill a little boy by one of these.
%%* FuumaShuriken: Cissnei and Yuffie's .
* GambitPileup: Shinra has plans of course, AVALANCHE has plans to stop them, but in the mix is also Genesis, who, depending on the day, may or may not be working with Shinra, and Deepground who are definitely working outside Shinra's interests.
* GetAHoldOfYourselfMan: Employed by Zack, when [[spoiler: Jenova tries to drive Sephiroth insane in the Shinra Building.]] Sephiroth is grateful, but not amused.
* GoKartingWithBowser: When Sephiroth, Cissnei and Vincent run into the Turks in Wutai, they wind up joining them for a game of cards.
* GoodIsNotNice: Sephiroth is one of the good guys, but he's also cool, and aloof, and is overall the least friendly member of the group.
* HeroWithBadPublicity: AVALANCE in general and Sephiroth in particular, given that he's implicated in the assassination of President Shinra.
* HeroWorshipper: Since he never went evil in this universe, Cloud is free to express how much he admires and respects Sephiroth. [[TheQuietOne Though he doesn't]].
* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:Kunsel.]]
* HeroicSelfDeprecation: ''Cloud'', oh so much. He never acknowledges anything good he does, focuses exclusively on the times he's failed to be good enough, and wonders whether there's really room for him in the TrueCompanions.
* HiddenWeapons: Cissnei tries to keep some on her person at times, in case her shuriken doesn't come straight back.
* IJustWantToBeNormal: Aerith's biggest character flaw is her desire to be a regular person and her insecurity at being the LastOfHerKind.
* IWillShowYouX: Sephiroth gets angry at Yuffie for putting something in his shampoo that turns his hair pink. She claims that hurting her will cause an international incident. Sephiroth retorts: "I'll show you an international incident."
* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: Genesis, to [[spoiler: Sephiroth.]] The fact that he uses a FlamingSword doesn't help.
** Also done by [[spoiler: Weiss to Tseng in ''Temple of Tears''. With two swords this time.]]
* ItsQuietTooQuiet: After they escape from the Shinra cells, Cissnei realizes that it's entirely too quiet, as though nothing else on the the floor is moving. She realizes why that is right before they come across the scene of a massacre.
* KnightInSourArmor: Sephiroth has gone through all the trauma that drove him mad in canon but still willingly hides out with Cissnei for four years, waiting for a chance to rescue Zack, all just to keep the promise he made to Angeal.
* TheLancer: Zack.
* TheLeader: Sephiroth, by virtue of being the strongest member and having the most leadership experience, becomes the ''de facto'' leader of the group.
* LetMeAtHim: Cissnei and Cloud (mostly Cloud, since Cissnei's unenhanced) have to hold back Zack after they see Tseng slapping Aerith.
* LetsSplitUpGang: Invoked three times, once on the way out from Kalm, once outside of Fort Condor, and another time after Cosmo Canyon [[spoiler: in an attempt to catch Shalua out as TheMole.]]
* [[LikesOlderWomen Likes Older Men]]: Tifa teases Yuffie about having a thing for older guys. It seems to be confirmed, what with her [[{{Tsundere}} behavior]] around Vincent.
* LukeIAmYourFather: Hojo to Sephiroth, in ''Rescue''. Sephiroth doesn't take it well.
* MacguffinGirl: Aerith; Sephiroth notes that for whatever reason, everything keeps coming back to her, and for those same reasons, ''everyone'' is after her.
* [[MadScientistsBeautifulDaughter Mad Scientist's Handsome Son]]: Sephiroth despises being Hojo's son and always expresses anger whenever the scientist is mentioned or appears.
* MagneticHero: Zack. It's implied that Cissnei and Sephiroth would not even ''be'' in the party in the first place if their original goal wasn't saving Zack from his [[BolivianArmyEnding Shinra Army Ending]], and Kunsel joins for Zack's sake. He's also extremely close to Cloud and Aerith, and was the first of the trio (the other two being Sephiroth and Cissnei) to warm up to Barret and the other members of AVALANCHE.
* ManchurianAgent: [[spoiler: Cissnei, although Sephiroth manages to cut her off at the pass before anyone gets hurt.]]
* MayDecemberRomance: Sephiroth is eight years older than Cissnei.
** This trope is quite likely also in play with Yuffie and Vincent.
* MercyLead: [[spoiler: Given by Tseng to Cissnei and company in ''22 Hours''. He gives them a 48 hour head start before alerting the company to their presence in Kalm, allowing them to regroup and escape.]]
* MistakenForGay: Cloud while DisguisedInDrag, claims there's someone else, and when pressed, says it's Zack, much to his friend's chagrin, and to the amusement of the rest of their friends. Even Sephiroth laughs.
* TheMole: Not long after leaving Costa del Sol, it becomes clear the Tsviets are keeping tabs on them somehow (Cait Sith doesn't join, so Reeve isn't it this time), and suspicion soon falls on [[spoiler: Shalua, prompting Cissnei to make a plan to out her if she is one, by splitting the group up and setting a rendezvous at Rocket Town to see if Shalua's group is ambushed. The plan works, but what Cissnei doesn't realize is that ''she's'' the mole. Nero has been connected to her somehow ever since he nearly killed her]].
* MoralityPet: Blaire seems to be becoming this for Sephiroth, although he's far from a bad guy.
* NamedWeapons: Quite a few canon ones, such as Zack's Buster Sword, Sephiroth's Masamune, Cissnei's Rekka,[[spoiler:which is her real name as well]] and Shion/Katana's Murasame.
* NeckLift: Just to show how powerful and dangerous Jenova really is, she does the to ''Sephiroth'' of all people.
* NoodleIncident: The last time Sephiroth got drunk somehow involved Genesis, an angry Angeal, and a prison. The incident is explained in [[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/8777065/1/A-Tale-of-Two-SOLDIERs A Tale of Two SOLDIERs]].
* NotHisSled: [[spoiler: Anyone expecting Aerith to die the same way she did in the game will be pretty surprised when Kunsel takes the bullet for her.]]
* NotSoAboveItAll: While Sephiroth is the most serious of the group, he has his moments, such as when Yuffie dyes his hair pink, and in the aforementioned MistakenForGay moment.
* NotQuiteDead: Zack right at the beginning.
* NotSoStoic: Sephiroth has a moment in the Shinra Building [[spoiler: after killing President Shinra, and another when Cissnei's shot by Nero]].
* ObliviousToLove: Sephiroth.
* OCStandIn: Kunsel.
* OnlySaneMan: Sephiroth, ironically.
* ParentalSubstitute: Shion is one for Cissnei.
* PassThePopcorn: Sephiroth drops the line when he and Cissnei go to the play at the Gold Saucer and see Cloud appear onstage.
%%* Power Trio: The three main [=SOLDIERs=].
%%** TheKirk: Sephiroth
%%** TheMcCoy: Zack
%%** TheSpock: Cloud.
* PrecisionFStrike: From Sephiroth: "Bastard". [[spoiler: A somewhat delirious Cissnei notes that she's never heard him swear before.]]
* PsychoExGirlfriend: Kunsel apparently has one.
* PuppyDogEyes: Zack and Yuffie both use these to convince Sephiroth to give them the night off in ''Interlude 005''.
* RagtagBunchOfMisfits: [[LampshadeHanging It is actually noted how mismatched a group they are]].
* RedHerringMole: [[spoiler:Shalua]]. The real mole is [[spoiler:Cissnei]], who doesn't even know she's doing it.
* RelationshipReboot: After Zack and Aerith finally reunite, five years later, they attempt this. [[spoiler: It lasts all of thirty seconds.]]
* RelationshipUpgrade: [[spoiler: Zack and Aerith]] after leaving Midgar, and [[spoiler: Sephiroth and Cissnei]] at the very end of Disc One.
* TheReliableOne: Kunsel. Zack notes that his friend always did what needed to be done but never raised a fuss about it, which is why he was stuck as a Second for so long.
* SacrificialLion: [[spoiler:Subverted with Zack, doubles subverted with Kunsel.]]
* SexForSolace: Cissnei relates a mission with her old partner going to investigate his brother. She doesn't go into details, just that they were both upset after it was done and they got "carried away". She leaves him alone in bed in the morning, because she's afraid of getting that close to anyone.
* ShellShockedVeteran: Zack and Sephiroth. Cloud also qualifies.
* ShowerOfAwkward: Sephiroth bumps into Cissnei when she's just out of the shower. She's wearing a ModestyTowel, but Sephiroth is still a heterosexual male, and believe it or not, he starts imagining things about her.
* SideBet: Zack and Yuffie bet twenty gil over whether or not the "vampire" they find in the basement of Shinra Mansion is attractive. [[spoiler: Zack wins the bet.]]
* TheSpock: Shelke, who acts entirely based off logic and seems confused by the "discrepancies" of others.
* SpiritAdvisor: Angeal seems to be gearing up to become this.
* SpitTake: Zack's reaction when he sees Aerith in Don Corneo's mansion over the video feed.
* StepfordSmiler: Zack's had a lot of bad things happen to him, but he does his best not to show it.
* StraightMan: Sephiroth, again.
* TheStoic: Sephiroth rarely shows emotions, although he definitely has them.
* StrictlyProfessionalRelationship: Sephiroth and Cissnei love this trope.
* SugarAndIcePersonality: Sephiroth, just like in ''VideoGame/CrisisCore''. He does care. He's just not good at this whole "emotional" thing yet.
* SurroundedByIdiots: Sephiroth seems to feel this way at times.
* SwordAndSorcerer: Aerith and Zack combine this with BattleCouple to great effect.
* TheQuietOne: Cloud rarely speaks without being spoken to. Sephiroth isn't exactly talkative either, and seems to avoid conversation as much as possible.
* TagalongKid: Blaire.
* TeamDad: Sephiroth again.
* TerseTalker: Cloud.
* TheConfidant: Cissnei to Sephiroth. Sephiroth finally has a JerkassRealization in ''Interlude 001'' when he realizes he's spent the last four years talking about his own problems without once bothering to ask about her past or anything about her.
* TheHeart: Zack goes out of his way to be friends with everyone in the party, socialize the antisocial, and cheer everyone up during bad times.
* TheKnightsWhoSaySquee: Despite never doing it out loud, Cloud has had quite a few internal 'squees' after getting compliments from Sephiroth.
* TerseTalker: Cloud.
* ToAbsentFriends: Invoked by Sephiroth when he and Zack go out drinking in the first chapter of ''The Trials We Face''.
* TookALevelInBadass: [[spoiler: Genesis]], as Sephiroth finds out.
** Cloud's getting there too, although it's pretty slow going.
** Yuffie, during the Wutai Arc.
* TrueCompanions: In their own twisted way, the Turks (and ex-Turks) are this to each other.
** The main characters are becoming this too.
* {{Tsundere}}: Yuffie towards Vincent, and non-romantically towards Sephiroth.
* TwoLinesNoWaiting: The Fort Condor chapters count as these, as do the chapters of ''Interlude 001'' and [[spoiler: the current subplot wherein Tsviets kidnap Marlene.]]
* UnstoppableRage: [[spoiler: Zack goes into this after Kunsel is killed saving Aerith.]]
* UnusualChapterNumbers: The story is divided into a series of Files and Interludes, with each taking up multiple chapters.
* UnwittingPawn: The incident at the Temple of the Ancients comes about because [[spoiler: Cissnei is still unknowingly connected to Nero. When the party gets the Keystone, he knows where it is and is able to steal it right out from under their noses. In addition, she overhears a conversation between Tseng and Reeve in which Tseng reveals that he has the Restrictor card and intends to use it to eliminate all the Tsviets when they gather at the temple, which clues them in on the plan and Weiss makes a preemptive strike on Tseng]].
* {{UST}}: Lots between Sephiroth and Cissnei.
* WeaponTombstone: It's a tradition to plant the swords of fallen Soldiers where they died. [[spoiler: Doubles as foreshadowing for Kunsel's fate.]]
* WeUsedToBeFriends: Sephiroth and Genesis.
* WeakButSkilled: Cissnei.
* WhatYouAreInTheDark: After shooting down the Turks' helicopter, Cissnei thinks back to a conversation she had with another ex-Turk about why she'd getting so involved with AVALANCHE. When said former colleague demands to know if she thinks she can erase all her dark deeds of the past or if she wants to be a hero, Cissnei replies, "It's not about being a hero...it's about being able to looks at myself in the mirror."
* WillTheyOrWontThey: Sephiroth and Cissnei, as well as Cloud and Tifa. [[spoiler: As for the former, they will. Still up in the air for Cloud and Tifa though, even if it's a ForegoneConclusion.]]
* WorldOfBadass
* WorldOfSnark: Just about everyone gets their snarky moments.
* YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre: Used in ''Interlude 001''. When Cissnei finally gets fed up with Sephiroth calling himself a monster, she lists off all of the things he has done so far that disprove that statement.

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