Compilation of Final Fantasy VII / Fanfic Recs

Proof that the remaining 10% is worth entering the Lifestream for.

These are recommendations made by Tropers for the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, all of which have been signed. After a few samples, you will be able to judge whether you might be interested in the 'fic, based on who recommended it. No-name recommendations will be zapped. Nobody would back up the rec. Discussion of the recommendation is welcome on the discussion page. As such discussion is important, do remember to add the discussion page to the watchlist, if need be.

Do warn when a fanfic may head into sexual or non-canon territory. Some people just don't like it, and as we all know, Shipping is Serious Business.

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Authors, and Websites

Final Fantasy VII Internet Series by Frank Verderosa

Recommended by Clendy 82, Madcap INTJ
Frank Verderosa's Final Fantasy VII Internet Series has more or less set the standard for all FFVII fan fiction. The first story is quite rough, particularly the action sequences which seem to be drawn directly from the game, and a somewhat cliched storyline. But somewhere in the second or third stories he really begins to hit his stride; all of a sudden the characters cease to be borrowed video game guest stars as he makes them his own with in-depth characterization and increasingly impressive storylines. As far as shipping goes, there's only one major one, Cloud/Tifa. that comes about after wagonloads of fan input and weighing of pros and cons. Two others, Elena/Vincent and Aeris/Reeve might throw more traditional fans off a bit, but they turn out to be quite well written.
- Scifantasy: The copy of the stories linked above, though, cuts off early, halfway through the eighth (yes, eighth) story. A mirror of the original site has been made here (lots of popup ads, though)—it finishes story eight, and mentions a ninth story, which seems to have never been written.
- Through sheer awesomeness bordering on prophetic foresight, the final story ends with Cloud infected with a genetic disease that make it impossible for him to come in contact with anybody with Cetra DNA, which includes Aeris and his own son. There is also the chance that contact with Tifa would infect her also, which wouldn't harm her but would make her a carrier, so he chooses to Walk The Earth in search of a cure, though not with a great deal of hope. For having been written several years before it's release, it's an almost perfect lead-in for the Advent Children OVA.

FF7 Comic by Obstinate Melon. The Tropes Page is here

Recommended by oztrickster, Meteor, yrosx, Shotgun Willy, star trail, Thecommander236, Dat Loner Girl, Geordielass
A comedy re-telling of the plot of FFVII which uses the characters and dialogue to make fun of the original game's mistranslations, out of character moments and weird plot threads.

General Fics

Stories focused on the family and the friendly relationships of the cast. Plot-focused stories or light day-in-the-life stories. Pretty much anything that isn't focused on romance.

The Poetry in Blood by GlassShard/Ashley Cope

Recommended by etyb
Status: Complete
Synopsis: Takes place roughly 12-18 months before the main game's plot. Hojo and his team must travel back to Nibelheim, with Zack and Cloud in tow, as Hojo continues his Jenova Project in the wake of Sephiroth's death. While there, Vincent is awoken prematurely from his death-like slumber, disoriented, confused, and lethal. He and Hojo confront their shared past as they fight for different aims: Vincent for answers, Hojo for his science.
Comments: An incredibly dark, violent, and gory tale of old ghosts and tragic pasts. Not for the faint of heart. Both Vincent's and Hojo's personalities are explored in full detail, Hojo in particular fleshed out as someone deeply twisted by his desire for recognition, power, and knowledge, but still just a man, not just an amoral psychopath. The story leans heavily into grief, anger, hatred, power, madness, revenge, and ultimately, redemption.

The Monsters Within by TheCalamity

Recommended by Mobius Stripper
Status: Ongoing
Relationships: Lucrecia/Vincent, Lucrecia/Hojo, Sephiroth & Vincent, Hojo & Sephiroth, Hojo & Vincent, Gast & Hojo
Synopsis: "Where is the line between personal and universal? What harm are we capable of causing as we spread our own survival? How far could it go? Could it end us? The whole world?" This three-part series delves deep into the unfolding of canonical events, beginning with the Jenova Project and continuing through the story of the Original Game, with a focus on Vincent. Many chapters include beautiful illustrations by the author and others.
Comments: Although the series consists of three separate stories, they are clearly intended to be read as a series, in order. The author expertly weaves many threads throughout, with much in the latter stories calling back to the earlier ones. This series is very dark, and the warnings provided by the author should be taken seriously. Canon-compliant with Original Game only. The first two books of the series are complete, while the third is ongoing.

Too Much in the Sun by GlassShard/Ashley Cope

Recommended by etyb
Status: Complete
Pairings: Cloud/Tifa, Marlene Wallace/Berk
Synopsis: Written before Advent Children or any other additional FF7-related games were released, this takes place 13 years after the main game's plot. Reeve is now president of Shinra and determined to rebuild and redeem the company and the city surrounding it. Cloud and Tifa now live in Sector One of Midgar with their two kids, CJ and Ifalna. Cloud is now co-head, along with Reno, of Shinra Security, earning a comfortable salary, while Tifa owns an items shop called Seventh Heaven. Barrett lives in Cosmo Canyon with Marlene and Nanaki, troubled that Marlene will be moving to Midgar soon. Everything seems like it's slowly improving the world over, particularly in Midgar; with the upper plate gone, the stars can even be seen at night. But soon things take a turn, forcing Shinra and AVALANCE to confront an old foe they thought had long been defeated.
Comments: Similar to The Poetry in Blood, this one's not for the faint of heart. Another dark, violent, and gory affair from Glass Shard, this one spans the full spectrum, exploring the deepest pits of despair and madness to the highest points of triumph and elation, and everything in between. The exposition early on is a little rough, but Glass Shard quickly finds her stride and produces a fine piece of writing. Every character, canon and otherwise, is well-written and sympathetic in one way or another. Also similar to The Poetry in Blood, the story here is an emotional one, focusing on confronting one's past, trying to find one's place in the world, seeking redemption for past crimes, real or otherwise, and finding and keeping one's humanity in the midst of tragedy and grief. Truly an excellent write.

Haunted House by Riha Hyesthae

(Fanfiction.net

alternative)

Recommended by Emperor Max 2019
Status: Complete
Pairings: Zack/Aeris, Cloud/Tifa, Sephiroth/Elfe, hints of Azul/Argento, Weiss/Rosso, and Rosso/Nero
Synopsis: A little fun with AU's. What if Sephiroth had found Vincent on that first trip to Nibelheim? General Sephiroth, SOLDIER 1st Class Zack, and a new recruit named Cloud visit a remote mountain community. A local legend prompts a ghost hunt with specters that are anything but imaginary.
Comments: An amazing and suspenseful What If? where Sephiroth never goes insane like he does in canon, and the story quickly goes Off the Rails from there. The author does a great job of capturing every character's personality and how they would react to each situation while providing compelling story telling. They even manage to make Hojo of all people into a tragic, almost sympathetic character without subjecting him to Draco in Leather Pants. Features plenty of action, humor, heartwarming moments, and a fairly serious exploration of the consequences of preventing Sephiroth's canonical Start of Darkness.
Trigger Warnings: Rape, physical abuse, sexual abuse. Almost all chapters from the POV of one of the Tsviets are very much Not Safe for Work, and the author gives a warning for those who wish to skip those sections at the beginning of the relevant chapters.
Now has a Trope Page.

The Secretary by Midori Tsuki

Recommended by bcreika
Status: Complete
Pairing: Not focused on romance at all but there's a tiny bit of Zack/Aerith
Synopsis: Sephiroth's new secretary is a little. . . Eccentric.
Comment: A comedy fic about crazy shenanigans that happen (firearms and bombs are involved) when Jessie becomes Sephiroth's secretary pre-Nibelheim.

Beloved (LJ Version

) by Sinnatious

Recommended by AyaSai, 1kanna
Status: Complete
Pairing: mainly Genesis/Cloud, one-sided Cloud/Tifa
Synopsis: It all starts when Cloud tries to leave during the middle of a Loveless performance.
Comment: A completed fanfic set after Dirge of Cerberus where Cloud had an encounter with Genesis Rhapsodos, then things start to get more complicated for Cloud with a case of clone sighting. The writer did a wonderful job on handling the characterizations along with providing so many twists (Elena's death, Weiss's fate, Sephiroth's return, development between Cloud and Genesis, etc.), that makes it very good read. Utterly amazing indeed.
- Now with its own Trope Page.

Let's Do the Time Warp Again by dogmatix

Recommended by Soulseller
Status: Complete
Synopsis: Cloud gets a chance to save the world.
Comments: This is not the standard Cloud-goes-back-in-time-to-fix-things-fic. It is perfectly canon-compatible with the Original Game and Crisis Core as much as anything can be. And shocking and depressing if you think about it too hard.

Terrorism & Anarchy by Varian N

Recommended by Mirage, yrosx, Soulseller, Larrie, Geordielass, rajvir8, Chee Z Finger Slim.
Status: Dormant.
Now has its own trope page.
Synopsis: Cloud's first thought on waking in the Shinra training grounds... "Where's the hidden camera?". What is one supposed to do when they find themselves inexplicably in the past? Become a terrorist four years early, of course. And look up a few old friends.
Comments: Another fic that sends Cloud back into the past to prevent the Planet's catastrophe's caused by Sephiroth. However, rather than try and relive his soldier days, Cloud decides that it's better to do what worked before and becomes a terrorist.
- Although the last update on Fanfiction.net was in 2015, Chapter 23 was unexpectedly posted to Archive of Our Own 4 years later in July, 2019. There's been nothing since then on either site, but this does mean there's stil hope for a conclusion to this story.

it's Good To be Alive

by Illusor Maeneld

Recommended by Gamma cavy
Status: Complete
Synopsis: Vincent on a Motorcycle, Turks On Duty, No Pairings unless you count Yuffie's delusions, Potentially Cloud x Tifa, Cid x Shera Some people aren't as dead as they look, some Cloud Bashing, LITTERAL Reno bashing. Absolutely hysterical, especially poor Reno and the 'old' man.

Cities of Poison by Jules KD

Recommended by Hunter Knight
Status: Complete
Synopsis: It's ten years after Meteor and Cloud still has Jenova in him. Sephiroth returns looking for Cloud and tries to get the Turks to help. The Turks disbanded but are trying to get back together to fight Sephiroth. But should they be worried about Sephiroth, or about Cloud?
Comments: There is angst in this fic but not a lot of wangst. And it is justified. The story starts off like she doesn't know where she's going with it, but it really hits a stride. This fic hits the spot. This has great characterization, especially of the Turks. Especially if you like Elena.
This fic was published before Advent Children so if there's no mention of AC, that's why.

Writing of Wrongs by James Chilcott and Mike Dixon

Recommended by wescotta
Status: Complete
Synopsis: In Writing of Wrongs, God's own Literary Task Force (they write the book of Life) is blackmailed into saving Aeris, of Final Fantasy VII fame so that a malevolent ex-writer relegated to sub-text can use her to tap into the collective minds of fan-fiction writers and write himself back into existence—as a god, to boot!
Comments: Rarely takes itself too seriously, and has some brilliant individual scenes. It is also quite lengthy.

Avatar by kitsune13

Recommended by Ben Allen 52
Status: Complete
Synopsis: AU, set game-time. Given the opportunity to become the will behind their favorite video game characters, no one hesitated. Little did they know that the 'game' was more than anyone thought or that it would spiral so far off course. NO OCs. Cloud/Tifa.
Comments: A fun story that follows the game and keeps characters "in character", while adding a second layer of the game world to the story, with real life attached, but without a gajillion angsty details (just enough to keep us hooked). Became addicted to this story after one chapter, and new one's release pretty often. Plenty of fourth wall smatterings while remaining in character. Any description I give won't do it justice; just go read it.
- Note: This is a CloudxTifa story, however it also has smatterings of CloudxAerith and even CloudxJessie if you squint.

Frigging Fantasy VII by Bleys Maynard 1

Recommended by FLCNPNCH
Status: Complete
Synopsis: An utterly hilarious retelling of the game.
Comments: Any story where Cloud is renamed Trent because his father thinks that 'Cloud' is a pussy name, Shinra gets taken over by the Hair Club for Men (the president of which isn't just the president - he's also a client), and the Midgar Zolom subdues its prey using a bunch of children that sing 'Every Sperm is Sacred' has to be worth at least a look.

My Disjointed Life by Pendrum

Recommended by Bufu, seconded by Arc Varanus
Status: Complete
Synopsis: "Cloud Strife is just a typical first year University student trying to make it on his own. Throw in two attractive female students, crazy demanding professors, psychotic classmates, along with other challenges and you've got yourself a story."
Comments: Absolutely hilarious story- at first- with the game characters in a college setting. Notable for the funniest Internal Monologue I've ever seen on the part of Cloud's conscience, beating even Harry Dresden or J.D from Scrubs. The story takes a turn for the emotional later on, and does so superbly. Possibly my favorite FF7 fanfiction ever. Take a serious look at it — you won't regret it. If one of you has already read it, please feel free to chime in after me — my persuasive writing is hardly my strong suit.
- Warning, this story gets fucking DARK and the ending was just... I don't even know if tragic is the proper word to describe it. I haven't been this emotionally affected by a story in a long time. Easily one of the best I've read.
- Agreed. The story is tragedy in every sense of the word, even the most stonehearted of Tropers will find themselves affected. The swerving emotions of the story hit like a car crash, to such a degree that I was left staggering from it for days afterwards. Any story that can convey such vast and powerful emotions as this story can deserves a recommendation.
- I have to disagree. While I'm fairly sure that I understand what the author wanted to convey with the ending, the writing led me to believe an entirely different conclusion.Cloud's decision to leave at the end, which the reader is supposed to conclude as his 'wanting to be his own man' felt tainted because of his display of cowardice with the whole thing. The whole not bothering to even tell Tifa leads us to conclude that Cloud was still a selfish coward and never grew up even a little (Sephiroth's advice to him about your actions having consequences was all lost on Cloud apparently) or is simply a ploy for cheap emotion. It wouldn't have been so bad if the story actually showed why he chose to leave over staying though. Cloud's departure then seems ultimately hollow because the context to support that development wasn't there. It was simply shocking and tragic for the sake of it (IMO).
- I like that the author didn't make it about the shipping. There were much bigger things to deal with, and in that respect, I felt like the ending was right on. The motivations of particular characters were well plotted and their actions had certain inevitable consequences. Many of his "friends" eventually all showed themselves to be a bit untrustworthy. Why WOULD he stick around? By not ending the story with some contrived romantic hookup to make everything better, the author was truer to the spirit of the work.

Time Paradox By Sam Jaz and Raven Wing Corps

Recommended by Vengence Rain, Seconded by Arc Varanus
Status: Dead (last updated 1/21/2013)
Synopsis: After all has been said and done after the Advent, Cloud Strife gets sent back in time to a world where things were a little bit diffrent.
Comments: Funny enough to kill
- Whilst pulling off epic in it's stride. Awesome stuff.
  - Note by Raven Wing Corps We are challenging Eir's Tomorrow to the title of Best time travel fic in FFVII
  - Note by Arc Varanus: Aw hells yeah!

The Fifth Act by Sinnatious ^note

Recommended by ayleia, Hiatus, pointysparkles, Kris Mahai, calantian, Caterfree10, Meteor, Keyseeker, moooomoooo, yrosx, Soulseller, athenaswings, carzla, The Giant Rock, Geordielass, sylveonzoroark, Coin Collector
Status: Complete
Has a new trope page in need of WIKI MAGIC!
Synopsis: The Fifth Act is a Set Right What Once Went Wrong fic, which brilliantly defies the ‘formula’ set by other fics. After being returned to the past through an accident with a time travel material, Cloud is not placed into his old body, and instead of trying to save Sephiroth, he sets off to kill him.
Comments: Wonderfully written, with haunting parallels to the original game. Fifth Act is my favorite of the FFVII time travel genre. Complete at 38 chapters, this story is lengthy, suspenseful, and extremely epic.
- Note by Haustere: Just recently finished reading through this. I've gotta say it was a great read and things really heated up towards the end.
- Note by Hiatus: The fight scenes are written very well, and the characterizations, Cloud's in particular, are fantastic.
- Note by Jesajew: Ditto all of the above comments. I'm having trouble describing The Fifth Act, so I'm just going to go with Awesome and leave it at that.
- Note by Nobody Famous: By far, perhaps one of, if not THE best time travel fic I've seen. It keeps close to the original canon interpretations of most of the characters while studying what possible differences in their actions and relationships could come with the sudden appearance of another player. Here, Cloud is attempting the fairly sensible thing of trying to kill Sephiroth and avoid Shinra altogether. And while he does have his adult body, full use of his abilities, and foreknowledge to aid him in his goal of stopping Sephiorth before he can go insane and try to destroy the world, it turns out to be little things he didn't plan on that end up making the most difference, resulting in several characters switching places in a reversal of roles that few honestly would have seen coming. And as Cloud keeps changing things and as whatever he does attempt to change seems to go wrong, he doesn't realize just how much of a difference he's made in the smallest of ways simply by being there, to the point that the defeat of the real Big Bad itself may seem anticlimactic up until Fridge Brilliance kicks in and you realize just HOW they got there.
- Note by Ninasnum: There is a sequel written by another author named Eriol-sama with Sinnatious' permission. After The 5th Act is a collection of stories that picks up right after the epilogue of The Fifth Act.
  - After the Fifth Act has hints of yaoi thus far, hasn't been updated in a while.
- The Fifth Act is currently being translated into Spanish on Fanfiction.Net.
- Note by Keyseeker: carzla wrote two one-shots based on The Fifth Act; Midnight Exchange, whichtells what happens when Sephiroth needs to spar with Cloud at night, and Visitations, which tells about Sephiroth visiting Lucrecia. Sinnatious also wrote a one-shot about Yuffie's misadventures after The Fifth Act, The Fifth Act: Yuffie Redux''. Also, a fic in the same universe where Cloud has to cross-dress again, Spike finds out who Cloud really is, and a crossover between "The Fifth Act" and "Fallacious Deity".
- Note by Ninasnum: Sinnatious created a masterpost The Fifth Act: Expanded Universe that includes all known fics, by Sinnatious and other authors, that expand on this fanfic.
- The Fifth Act is great. After the Fifth Act is terrible yaoi-bait garbage and should be avoided like the plague. Most of the characters in it are severely derailed for this purpose.
- The Fifth Act is reasonable. Cloud's thought-process when trying to solve problems is similar to what any informed but not especially intelligent reader would think. Characters make incorrect conclusions based on the limited information that's available to them. Not too much of the plot is contrived. It's well-written and the cast is in-character, with changes to their personalities being reasonable given whatever changes Cloud makes to the past. Overall, it's a very engaging read.

The Zor's Pizza Chronicles by Vile

Recommended by Agent 0042
Status: Complete
Synopsis: The party reaches the Northern Cave only to discover that Meteor's threatening the Planet is all just due to a bad call— Sephiroth wanted to order a "Meaty Zor" pizza from Zor's Pizzeria but they screwed up and sent him a Meteor instead. Now allies with Sephiroth, the group bands together to fight a new threat: a strange man named Bob who wants to close down Zor's Pizzeria.
Comments: An extremely comedic fanfic filled with pop-cultural gags and various bits of Lamp Shading. Highly entertaining. Definitely not canon.

Final Fantasy XVI: Revenge of the Fishglobe by Hugh Jass

Recommended by Dolt Boy
Status: Complete
Synopsis: Sephiroth (pronounced Seephiroth) attempts to destroy the world and Cloud (pronounced Clood) gathers a bizarre party of OCs (and Tifa) in order to stop him. And kill Mark.
Comments: One review puts it this way: "Revenge of the Fishglobe is not intelligent, nor sophisticated, nor cleverly crafted. But silly and stupid as it is, I have seldom laughed more in any given 5 minutes than when I was reading this fic." The author himself puts it this way: "If this story makes any sense to you, you need serious professional help." This is a Crack Fic of no particular quality per se, save that its extreme and unabashed silliness will definitely appeal to some readers—the more you value the ridiculous, the random, and the nonsensical in humor, the more you'll probably enjoy this.

Conflicts of Interest Redux by Madamhydra

Recommended by Bethany Syn, yrosx
Status: Dead (last updated 9/19/2013)
Synopsis: Shortly after the events of Advent Children, the WEAPONs suddenly reappear, signaling a new crisis for the Planet. A resurrected Hojo soon shows up, and he's up to no good, of course. As Cloud and his friends join forces with Rufus and the Turks to stop Hojo and save the Planet yet again, they soon discover that Cloud and Zack endured a lot more than Hojo's Sephiroth Clone experiments during those four years in Nibelheim.
Comments: A semi-dark AU fic that explores what happens if Cloud manages to be even more completely screwed up than he is in canon, along with plenty of other interesting 'what-ifs' about his parentage, etc. Some of the side stories ("SOLDIERs Just Wanna Have Fun") are pretty funny, however. The Redux version is a major reboot of an earlier fic "Conflicts of Interest" that went on hiatus sometime in 2000. Started in May 2010, the new version incorporates lots of new material and characters from the Compilation, especially from Advent Children, Crisis Core, and Before Crisis.

Sink to the Bottom with You by Catalina

Recommended by Zack Faire 13
Status: Dead
Synopsis: One year has passed since the defeat of Sephiroth, and everything seems fine. But then Reeve, the President of Neo-Shinra, is being kidnapped from his office...
Comments: Written before Advent Children, so Rufus is dead and Reeve has taken control of the Shinra company. The characterization is dead on, and there are many genuinely chilling moments. Within the main plot are two sub-plots: one concentrating on Vincent and his demons, the other on Reno's past. An amazing work. You can find an ongoing comic of it here.

Thorns by Vathara

Recommended by: Nimhrodell, seconded by Caterfree10, Meteor, Love Psycho, moooomoooo, yrosx, eeveelutionlover2000
Status: Complete
Synopsis: What if Aeris found unexpected help before Zack broke out? AU.
Comments: This is a long one-shot Zack-fix of exemplary quality. Vathara's SOLDIER OC's are well thought out and interact with snarky and sarcastic wit.
- So freakin' good, there is just one low point - there is no sequel.
Note: Can be found on archiveofourown here.

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Why Waist Length by Silver Pard

Recommended by Slow Mercury
Status: Complete
Synopsis: Enough was enough. He'd looked at all the possible courses of action and their consequences. He'd researched it intensively. It was time to cut the damn hair.
Comments: In spite of being complete crack, a surprisingly canon compliant look at the events of the game. Sephiroth and Jenova stumble around on a (literally) insane quest to conquer the world, annoy Chocobo Head er Cloud, stomp on each other's last nerve, and finally get a haircut. Hilarious, with special mention going to the scissors... Complete, with an equally funny oneshot Kingdom Hearts crossover sequel.

The Art of Innocence by TwinTrouble

Recommended by Arc Varanus, seconded by Caterfree10, Geordielass
Status: Complete
Synopsis: Zack has returned, not from the dead, but from hiding. Cloud is relieved to see the old friend he had to keep swearing was dead, but Tifa and the others don't quite get what's going on... No slash.
Comments: Hilarious from start to finish. Zack returns, alive and well despite what Cloud believed - and series of misleading situations between them leads to Zack showing off just how much of a Magnificent Bastard he can be. No slash, not that you can convince Tifa of that!

Professor Strife by Bastilton

Recommended by Ninasnum, Soulseller
Status: Dead. Last update 2017.
Synopsis: Denzel stumbles into the past, Cloud follows to protect his son. The Crisis is beginning again, but as head of the science department Cloud can change it. Before, the world was saved by the lives of millions. This time, can he save those lives as well?
Comments: Totally got hooked on it by the first chapter. Story goes back and forth between what's happening to Cloud and Denzel in the past and what's happening with the others back in the original timeline. Unlike most time-travel fics, instead of Soldier, Cloud joins Shinra's science department as their top scientist. Three guesses on what happens to Hojo. :)

Butterfly Effect by Kiraya

and Bard Linn

Recommended by Caterfree10, partially seconded by MrMagi, ShotgunWilly, Coin Collector
Status: Complete
Synopsis: When a little blond boy awakens an old Turk from his long sleep, no one could've guessed how things would change.
Comments: If The Fifth Act shows one one unexpected change can have all the difference, then Butterfly Effect creates a whole other universe in which a multitude of things shift from changing when Vincent awakens and expands so wonderfully. Cloud and Vincent's interactions are lovely and seeing Cloud and his life shift as it does is very intriguing.
- Note by Mr Magi: The first half of the Butterfly Effect is really good. The interactions between characters, especially Vincent and Cloud are great. It actually gets better in some ways when Cloud goes to Midgar and plays off of other characters (Zack comes to mind). However, I dislike the second half due to its shift in relations that are more... intimate I may say. I just felt that the more friendlike atmosphere of the prior half was ruined by the latter half. Plus I got less engaged with the characters later on and it felt like more of a chore reading it. This fic still has a lot of good points, and despite my complaints, it's still at least worth a look.
- Note by Lustheron: This troper recommends reading until the group confronts Hojo in Nibelheim then making up an ending to suit your needs. After that, the story becomes more Slice of Life with almost all of the plot's focus shifting towards relationships and romance

order up by twigcollins

Recommended by Helix-L
Status: Dead
Synopsis: You can get anything you want at Sephiroth's Restaurant - excepting Cloud. Restaurant AU. OGC only. Rated for swearing and inevitable acts of Reno.
Comments: A lovely Restaurant! AU, chronicling the Masamune Restaurant and the antics of its employees. And watch out for those cactuars...
- Notes: Hasn't updated in a while though...

Called Forth by mystiri1

Recommended by Soulseller, Icsifil
Status: Complete
Synopsis: When Zack tries summoning with a new materia, he finds more questions than answers.
Comments: I love how this fic deals with summons.

Dictionary by Silver Pard

Recommended by Soulseller
Status: Dead
Synopsis: Knowledge has always been his balm against the sores made by lack of understanding.
Comments: Believable and progressively darker and scarier look into Sephiroth's head.

Satisfaction of a Job Well-Done by LastMinuteWitness

Recommended by Soulseller, Coin Collector
Status: Complete
Synopsis: Disciplinary duty takes a turn for the surreal when General Sephiroth uses Cadet Strife for his personal errand boy. However, when Cloud starts to notice something wrong with the General, he takes it upon himself to do more than just scrub the ceilings.

Kindred Spirits by Alma Heart

Recommended by Soulseller
Status: Complete
Synopsis: She's wild, they say. A chocobo who attacks everyone who comes to her. No one can ride her anymore. But the General sees something different in her, something familiar. Maybe, out of all the others, Sephiroth can understand why she acts this way.
Comments: Simple fluffy hurt/comfort Oneshot.

A Name, a Friend, and Everything Else by XD

Recommended by Mirime
Status: Complete
Synopsis: With friends - and family, like Sephiroth, who needs enemies? Not Cloud, that's for sure.
Comments: I have only four words to describe this work: Complete and utter crack. That is all.

A Picture's Worth 1000 Words by Ayadin

Recommended by: Mirime, eeveelutionlover2000
Status: Complete
Synopsis: While digging through an old chest, Tifa's grandchildren unearth a 60-year-old photo of their Grandmother, Aunt Aeris, and some beautiful nameless woman. And poor Tifa can't stop the laughter.

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Error by Aeris 1172

Recommended by Mirime
Status: Complete
Synopsis: "...What the hell...potion?"

Mr. Funny by Diaphanous

Recommended by Mirime
Status: Complete
Synopsis: Sets of drabbles. Zack is odd. Angeal can only watch.

Death is Part of the Process by Licoriceallsorts

Recommended by Red Hudsonicus
Pairings: minor Zack/Aerith, Reno/Cissnei, Rufus/Tseng
Status: Complete
Synopsis: An epic re-telling combining Crisis Core and Before Crisis from the POV of the Turks. Stars Reno, Tseng, Rude, Cissnei, Zack, Aerith, Veld, Rufus, and all the BC Turks; cameo appearances by entire VII cast. Drama, Romance, Action, Comedy, and more.
Comments: A work of extraordinary quality. At over 441,185 words and going, it's a long read, but completely worth it. One of the best pieces of fan fiction I have ever had the privilege to read, it not only makes each and every one of its characters feel tangibly human, but portrays the world they inhabit with realism and honesty. A must-read for any fan of the Turks or Shinra in general.

The Chocobo Effect by Nobody Famous

Recommended by Veloren
Status: Dead
Synopsis: Many stories tell of how Cloud goes back in time and tries to save everyone and change things for the better by fulfilling his dream of becoming SOLDIER. "Cloud? Where are you going? Midgar's the other way. Cloud? CLOUD!" This isn't one of them. CRACK.
Comments: Fourth wall? We have that? Includes tropes mentioned by name, a Cloud fully aware of his woobie-powers, and a lot of chocobos.

The Turks Way by LunaStorm

Recommended by: Lyssa, Kthecloud, eeveelutionlover2000
Status: Complete
Synopsis: If Sephiroth can be manipulated by the stuff in the ShinRa Mansion library, Vincent'll make sure that he's manipulated in the right direction. Along with a few others...
Comments: A really nice fics, in which Vincent goes back in time to avoid another Planet-threatening crisis. Extreme cuteness for young Cloud, Zack and Aeris.

Observations by shadowofthefox

Recommended by Veloren
Status: Complete
Synopsis: Sephiroth tries to better understand people by observing Genesis, Zack, and Angeal. Unsurprisingly, it doesn't really help him much.
Comments: Utter crack; instigated by Zack, abetted by Reno, escalated by Genesis, and observed by a very confused Sephiroth.

Amphibious Assault by Sorcha Cahill

Recommended by Helix-L
Status: Complete
Synopsis: Cloud knew Gaia to be a strange place, but he never expected something like this to happen.
Comments: In which Cloud pisses off the wrong creature and undergoes an unexplained transformation. Hilarity and heartwarming ensues.

CUT! by Aka Pine

Recommended by Helix-L
Status: Complete
Synposis: In which Cloud is overly paranoid, fan girls are a thing to be feared, and Sephiroth just wants to do his job.
Comments: A crack fic and a lovely deconstruction parody that bashes the hell out Cloud/Sephiroth tropes...

Lullabye For The New World Order by Synecdochic

Recommended by: athenaswings, jeun, eeveelutionlover2000
Status: Dormant (As of the 12th of May, 2013)
Synopsis: An AU in which Tseng manages to get Rufus and Tifa to meet up pre-game, Rufus is trying to figure out what exactly happened to Sephiroth, and Tseng does his best to keep things relatively sane. Contains Rufus/Tseng and Tseng/Tifa.
Comments: Probably one of THE best FFVII fics I've ever read. The world building in this fic has made itself my head cannon without me realizing it. This troper is a firm believer that this fic needs more love.

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Turning Point by stormus

Recommended by Nightelf37
Status: Complete.
Synopsis: Feeling low, left behind and a disappointment, it came time for Luxiere to hit the turning point. Choosing which direction to take was not going to be easy when reaching his goal would take the confidence he was so sorely lacking.

Dear Kunsel by Sinnatious

Recommended by: Nightelf37, carzla, eeveelutionlover2000, Coin Collector
Status: Complete
Synopsis: One-shot. After AVALANCHE tries to blow up the Sector 5 Reactor, Cloud starts getting messages from a mysteriously well-informed stranger on his PHS. Warning: Has a Tear Jerker ending.

[[reviews:eeveelutionlover2000]]

Counter Crisis by White Mage Koorii & Dragoon-Sama

Recommended by carzla
Status: Slow updates. Last one December 2019.
Pairings: Zack/Aerith, eventual Sephiroth/Cloud
Synopsis: At first it was about preventing tragedy. For Cloud it soon becomes a fight to protect new bonds, tread untrod paths and find happy endings. Second chances aren't always easy in a time where ghosts live and heroes are human.
Comments: Yes, it's a Time Travel fic, but seeing how a common theme is done differently is always fun, especially if it's well written. I debated whether to put this under shipping or general, but decided on general because I don't feel that the romance is a central focus. The writing is great, the changes in POV help you understand the different characters and I especially enjoyed the few parts that are in Sephiroth's POV. Plus, there is a very adorable black chocobo and his "mother".

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By a Fraction of a Degree

by findthetiger129

Recommended by Gemini 24, Madcap INTJ
Status: Complete.
Synopsis: An altered flight path causes the Turks to find Zack and Cloud before the army does, but don't think things'll be perfect just because Zack's still alive. The Turks have their own problems to contend with, and let's not forget about Sephiroth and Deepground. Runs from the end of CC to where AC would have ended. Pairings mostly canon. Everything changed when Reno sneezed...

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Materia License

by Chocolate Teapot

Recommended by: K the Cloud
Status: Complete
Synopsis: A Shinra MP confiscates one of Yuffie’s materia, stating that she needs a license to own it. She’s not pleased and decides to get it back.
Comments: Takes place three years before the main game. Quite hilarious, well done, and very much IC.

In Zack We Trust!

By A.D. Williams

Recommended by Gemini 24
Status: Complete.
Synopsis: Zack's biggest dream is to become a hero like his childhood idol. But when Sephiroth completely loses his mind and begins to have an identity crisis, Zack actually feels compelled to help the poor guy. Is there an easier answer than death and destruction?

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They Grow Them in Nibelhiem

by Erisah Mae

Recommended by: Kthecloud, eeveelutionlover2000
Status: Complete, probably
Synopsis: A bit of a back story for Cloud and Tifa's sheer capacity for awesome.
Comments: Perhaps one of the funniest interviews for Cloud joining the military I have ever seen, and explains beautifully how he got in despite being 14. Tifa's story is an excellent follow up to it.

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Valentine's Day By Umei no Mai

Recommended by: Starling_Starwing, eeveelutionlover2000
Status: Complete
Synnopsis: A twist in fate causes Vincent Valentine to be born female. Having escaped Nibelheim she wants her son Sephiroth back, professor Hojo dead, has taken an interest in Deepground and will stop at nothing to achieve her goals. Worse still, Chaos is right behind her and he has plans of his own. Nothing will ever be the same again...
Comments: A nice lengthy fic well worth the read. While a few romantic relationships are present later in the story, the focus largely remains on familial ones, as well as some pretty good world-building.

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Escape Plan Green by Mystic777

Recommended by Kthe Cloud
- Seconded by eagle108
Status: Ongoing
Synopsis: Sometimes Zack comes up with the craziest escape plans. This one involves Touch Me's
Comments: Has to be one of the funniest takes on Zack surviving I have come across. I particularly love the role that Kunsel and the fan-club play within the fic.

Ripples in Time by ShivaVixen

Recommended by eagle108
Status: Complete
Synopsis: Time Travel AU. Second chances, Redemption, and a Gamble of faith. They've done the impossible before, this time it's all or nothing, and they plan on 'all'. Warning: Story will go into Psychological issues, violence, mild cursing and occasional pseudo-science and innuendo.
Notes: Has various side stories: Casting Stones: Of Mako and Memories, Casting Stones: Compromised, Ripples in Time: Moments, Ripples in Time: Day of Rest, Ripples in Time: PHS Messaging, Ripples in Time: Investigation, Ripples in Time: A Forgotten Treasure, Ripples in Time: A Day in Nibelheim, Ripples in Time: Opening Up, Ripples in Time: Team Mom, and Ripples in Time: Of Wolves and Dogs.

Ashes of Corruption by ShivaVixen

Recommended by eagle108
Status: Dormant
Synopsis: Sequel to Ripples in Time, a Time Travel AU. The largest Hurdle has been passed, and life continues on as they live their second chances. However, when one of your opponents was/is a rather corrupt company, there are always skeletons to be found, and shadows to be banished. Warning: Story will go into psychological issues, violence, occasional cursing, pseudo-science and mysticism.

The Difference One Life Makes by Irish-Brigid

Recommended by eagle108
Status: Complete
Synopsis: If one person hadn't died, how would things have gone? Not as AU as you might think. Cloti, Zerith, though romance is light because I stink at it. Mysteries left unsolved may be revealed! Rated for... you've played the game, right?

Reaching Salvation by Spiritualx Wolf

Recommended by Helix-L
Status: Complete
Synopsis: Follow the perilous journey of a man and his canine companion through the wilderness of Gaia as he fights for survival to reach the thriving city of Fort Condor, where it is said for new life to begin.
Pairings: Cloud/Tifa
Comments: This is a story with romance, a dog named Fenrir, adventure, slavers, and cannibals. A reviewer commented that this was almost like a crossover with Fallout. It's simple, teeth-clenching, entertaining, and best of all has a happy ending.

Cissnei's Path by CRed1988

Recommended by Leid
Status: Completed; as of February 2024
Synopsis: Cissnei wanted to save Zack that night, only to find that it was too late. Though she couldn't bring him back to life, she could keep his legacy alive. That was why she refused to abandon Cloud on his journey, despite going against her former friends and colleagues.
Comments: An AU fic where Cissnei is dismissed from the Turks upon them finding Zack's body and takes Cloud under her care. She eventually gets involved in the plot of FFVII, changing the group's dynamics. In addition, Kunsel also shows up as a supporting character.
Now has a Tv Tropes page.

The Ascendant and it's sequel Ascendancy: Darkness of the Cosmos by OneThousandCuts

Recommended by Madame_Newbie
Status: Complete/Dormant
Synopsis: In the midst of an aggressive, deadly new Geostigma outbreak, everything seems to fall apart. The appearance of an unusual Remnant complicates matters. For Tifa, a conflict of interests ensues. Post ACC, Do C.
Comments: A continuation fic. It's a dark slow burn fic where Sephiroth sends a young remnant who ended up being cared by Tifa. Excellently written, with a great focus on psychological horror. There's a bit of Sephiroth/Tifa in there but it's not overt and everyone is not reduced to becoming Draco in Leather Pants or woobified for the pairing. Eden is a very creepy child and Sephiroth is deliciously manipulative. Not a happy fic.

Hypothetically Speaking by Khorale

Recommended by The Referencer
Status: Complete
Synopsis: Cloud is called into Sephiroth's office for an esteem building exercise, on the request of Zack. A possible friendship is formed, and Sephiroth knows a bit too much.
Tags: Gen-fic

Dishonorable Discharge by icynovas

Recommended by Altenativefuturefan 27
Status: Complete
Synopsis: Seeking a new career, infantryman Cloud Strife attempts to get fired from ShinRa.
Comment: Absurdly Ironic when Failure Is the Only Option, and one try to do a deliberated Epic Fail turns into an actual success. Deleted off of Fan Fiction.Net and Archive of Our Own a while ago, but it was archived.

Reboot by Linnaeus

Recommended by The Referencer
Status: Dormant
Synopsis: When Shinra's computer system is hacked from one of its most secure offices, investigation is, as expected, immediate, much to the chagrin of one silver-haired Soldier First. Amidst the confusion and chaos of the escalating Wutai War, a young blond lab assistant catches the attention of some rather important people.
Tags: Time travel

Last of the Cetra by Proteus DMC

Recommended by: Madame_Newbie
Status: Complete.
Sypnosis: The Cetra were all but extinct. Jenova chose a champion to purge the world in revenge. AVALANCHE must save humanity, but this time, the Lifestream's not on their side.
Comment: An alternate universe fic. The change here is that the Planet is not on humanity's side. Aerith, who is ignorant of her heritage is dragged into saving mankind while Tifa must face the horrors of her past. The author doesn't hold back any punches with aplenty with the author weaving a sense of apocalyptic horror as Sephiroth acts as an agent for the Planet itself.

Almost Karma by StarSongVII

Recommended by: Sukila
Status: Dormant (last updated May 2017)
Sypnosis: They say that what goes around comes around - and this time Cloud is given a chance to get what he wants. Back at the beginning.
Comment: Classic time-travel fic but with the inclusion of changes and the changes to memories in AC's future, though all for the better thus far. It's surely made for mature audiences for the smut (which is actually very well written...) but the bonds formed between Cloud, Reno, and their squad are quite heartwarming. From interventions to drinking games to singing in the middle of exercises they protect their own and follow Cloud's tactics through VR missions as their leader, it all adds in a nice splash of constant humour but in a way that doesn't clash too harshly with the heavier themes of Cloud's past. The pairings are a bit frequent but differ in nature, it's mainly a C/S fic but not much is shown just yet. A hefty read at 200,000 words but well worth the time.

Bright Eyed Boys

by Ardwynna Morrigu

Recommended by Ivodora
Status: Complete
Synopsis: A heartbreaking look at one of the most iconic scenes of the game through the eyes of an ordinary Shinra MP.

At The End of All Things

by Mengde

Recommended by Mr Andy 2608
Status: Complete
Synopsis: Forty five years after the Fall of Gaea, all of Vincent's friends are old, dead, or missing. When a new evil emerges, he must set out on a journey to find a long lost ally and to better understand himself and the disease that has ripped the Planet apart.
Comment: This author has wrote several Final Fantasy 7 fics, all very well written, this one, is seperate from their other two well known ones Schism and its' sequel Big Trouble in Little Wutai It takes place 45 years after the events of Advent Children, and takes an almost Anime/Mangaesque turn, invoking mostly Fist of the North Star, well written, the characters are very well thought out, every action and reaction they take is very in character, and very well detailed, at least when it comes to descriptions of mental states and the truly horrifying creatures that are the Lost.

Scapegoat

by CSKazaam

Recommended by Mr Andy 2608
Status: Complete
Synopsis: Wandering the halls of ShinRa is a murderer - and it's Zack Fair. At least, that's who all evidence points to, so it's up to Sephiroth to discover the real killer. But as two stories unfold, more questions than answers are raised, and time is running out.
Comment: This Fic is something of a bottle episode/flashback heavy, murder mystery/horror fic, set almost entirely in the Shinra building with flashbacks supplimenting the story, the only issue is that the flashbacks do somewhat spoil the present day story, however, this can be mitigated by when you see a flashback chapter coming up you skip it then read them at the end, it makes for a much more satisfying story, otherwise well written and darkly suspensful.

Stick 'em with the pointy end by Tyrant Chimera

Recommended by: eeveelutionlover2000
Status: Complete
Synopsis: No one's really sure what's going on. They're all tonberries for one. In the past, for another. And no one's really sure why either of those things had to be. But they're going to make the most of it. And if they all delight in people screaming and running, because hey, tonberries, well.... no one said you couldn't have fun while saving the world. Time travel AU, oneshot, rated for cartoony violence, minor character death, and language. Kind of crack, tbh.

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Under The Wing of A Nibel Dragon series by Gothams_Only_Wolf

Recommended by: eeveelutionlover2000
Status: Ongoing
Synopsis: The journey of a boy who has yet to sail among the cosmos with Gaia as his ship; the fix-it universe that no one really thought about—Giving Sephiroth a Mom

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Son by She_sees_in_the_dark

Recommended by: eeveelutionlover2000
Status: Ongoing
Synopsis: Sephiroth was Hojo's son. But he was also Lucrecia's. And that was why, given a chance, Vincent would try to save him. That was why, given a chance, he would go back and try to help keep him on a better path. Because when you loved someone, and they were gone, you made sure their kids were okay. And he should have realized that the first time around.

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Final Fantasy VII: Reflections - Book I: Decent by Jairus

Recommended by Neverwhere
Status: Completed
Pairing: Jessie/Cloud, Jessie/Kunsel
Synopsis: Jessie is dying. As the Sector 7 plate collapses around her, the young woman’s life flashes before her eyes.
Comment: Both a side-story and the prequel to the author's Lifestream series, this story is a huge What If? that focuses on Jessie’s past as the privileged daughter of a Shinra executive and explains how she ended up in the slums of Midgar.

Final Fantasy VII: Lifestream - Book 1: Arrival by Jairus

Recommended by Neverwhere
Status: Completed
Pairings: Cloud/Jessie, Tifa/Biggs
Synopsis: Jessie. Biggs. Wedge. All three are fated to die when the Sector 7 plate collapses; that is the way the story always unfolds. But is the tale truly set in stone or can destiny be changed? A novelization of Final Fantasy VII up until the Sector 7 plate collapse.
Comment: This story is heavily inspired by the remake and its themes of challenging fate. One of the biggest changes is that Jessie’s attraction to Cloud is mutual, which has a larger effect on the story itself. There’s some sexual situations, but nothing too explicit.

Fantasy VII: Lifestream - Book 2: Aftermath by Jairus

Recommended by Neverwhere
Status: Ongoing
Synopsis: Sector 7 is gone, destroyed in Shinra's terrible act of retaliation. Cloud and the others, having barely escaped, struggle to come to grips with the loss of their home and so many lives. With one friend missing and another held prisoner, Cloud vows to save them both, unaware of the fateful path it will set him on.
Comment: Just like in the remake, Sephiroph has a plan to change destiny, and it involves what occurred in Arrival when the consequences of Cloud’s actions start manifesting.

The Last Soldier by Alma

Recommended by ultimomant
Status: Complete
Synopsis: Zack did not survive Nibelheim, so he wasn't there to break Cloud out of Hojo's lab. Hojo eventually decides to revive Cloud and turn him into a loyal member of SOLDIER. Cloud is assigned to take out Avalanche, but finds his loyalties being tested when he runs into his childhood friend, Tifa.

Mental Link by CrossingTheFourthWall

Recommended by eagle108
Status: Complete
Pairings: Zack/Aerith
Synopsis: Hojo's science experiment on an unwilling Sephiroth and Zack forces an unwanted connection between them, making both men a bit closer than either SOLDIERs would've liked and forcing them to adapt to their new circumstances. Other than Hojo's experiment not going the way he wanted, Sephiroth and Zack's original paths have changed, alongside a few others.
Comment: It's an interesting What If? scenario of the various "What if Sephiroth didn't fall under Jenova's influence after Genesis and Angeal's defections?" AUs, where Zack here has a stronger and more positive influence on Sephiroth's mental state throughout the events of Crisis Core.
Tags: Alternate universe

Mental Bonds: Midgar by CrossingTheFourthWall

Recommended by eagle108
Status: Complete
Synopsis: Five years after "Mental Link," Tifa and Kunsel are hiding out in Sector 7 beneath the Plate of Midgar, under the noses of Shinra. Tifa doing a supply run at the train station has her meeting up with her old friend, Cloud, and thus go further down the path of saving the world from Shinra.
Comments: Being a follow-up to "Mental Link," it's an alternate telling of Final Fantasy VII Remake, where although it follows Remake, there are some changes due to "Mental Link." There's also a reference to Yuffie's chapter of Intermission.
Tags: Alternate universe

With Broad, Flat Nails by NervousOtaku

Recommended by eagle108
Status: Complete
Synopsis: Zack Fair might be a First Class SOLDIER with the enhancements it entailed, second only to Sephiroth in rank, but in the end, Zack is still only human with human tolerances. Puppies still grow up.
Comments: "Underestimate Zack Fair at your own risk" could easily describe this fic. Rarely are the fics where Zack legitimately takes military command of a situation, and in this scenario, him actually losing his temper after being both ignored and brushed aside one too many times changes the remaining events of Crisis Core and later on.
Tags: Alternate universe

And They Say You Can't Change The Past by NervousOtaku

Recommended by eagle108
Status: Complete
Synopsis: Rufus Shinra found himself with a second chance around Before Crisis and before Crisis Core. He's not one to pass up this perfect opportunity.
Comments: This Peggy Sue fic has Rufus redeeming himself, where his ruthless streak is tempered by his experience during Advent Children to be a bit more tactful on how to utilize his position as vice-president and his knowledge of the future. It's an interesting look on his thought process on how he goes about to prevent certain events from happening, or changing things to result in a different outcome.
Notes: A good follow-up would be the mini-series Rufus Shinra's Plushie Collection that's based on an in-joke from Cloud to Rufus about collecting plushies.
Tags: Alternate universe, Peggy Sue

Everyone's Gotta Eat by NervousOtaku

Recommended by eagle108
Status: Complete
Synopsis: After Angeal and Genesis' desertion, Zack was determined to carry on Angeal's tradition of making sure no one in Shinra Tower stayed hungry.
Comments: The classic "five times Character A did XYZ, and one time Character A was EFG" format, but reversed. It's short, it's fun, and it's a nice look into Zack's mission to feed whomever he encountered was hungry in Shinra Tower during Crisis Core.

Intruder Alert by NervousOtaku

Recommended by eagle108
Status: Complete
Synopsis: Where everyone has some form of intrusive thoughts that is bad to act on publicly, even First Class SOLDIERs.
Comments: A short Crisis Core fic showcasing how Sephiroth isn't "the Perfect SOLDIER" he's always portrayed to be, and forces Zack to teach him on managing some intrusive thoughts that any person can have.

From The Ocean Depths by NervousOtaku

Recommended by eagle108
Status: Complete
Synopsis: While in Wutai and searching for Genesis, Zack and Sephiroth accidentally encounters one of Wutai's mythological creatures. Zack is excited, Sephiroth isn't.
Comments: Can easily slot into Crisis Core with little issue, albeit Sephiroth being Not So Stoic and a little more protective over Zack, with a glimpse of a more human Sephiroth.

Grim But Not Grinning by NervousOtaku

Recommended by eagle108
Status: On hiatus
Synopsis: Sephiorth, not believing in ghosts, wakes up being haunted by an unexpected one - Dr. Grimoire Valentine. Spirit and SOLDIER deciding to solve that mystery brings up as many answers as there are questions for both men.
Comments: It's an interesting premise of a "what if" where Sephiroth learned other secrets of his origins not just from Hojo, but Grimoire Valentine, who turns out to have a humanizing influence on Sephiroth. This Sephiorth isn't as cold, and occasionally the more human side of him shows up, even during the few tense moments where he reunites with Angeal after the latter's desertion.
Tags: Alternate universe, character death

Crossover Fics

N7 SOLDIER (FFN version) by ScreamingViking

Recommended by AyaSai
Status: Complete
Crossover: Mass Effect 3
Synopsis: The Crucible dumps Shepard on Gaia. The first human Spectre becomes the first female SOLDIER as well as their first elite Sniper. Her uncanny ability to bring reason to unreasonable situations will alter the fate of the entire planet, but especially that of her three First Class friends. "You can pay a soldier to fire a gun. You can pay him to charge the enemy and take a hill. But you can't pay him to believe."
Comments: This is a Mass Effect 3 X Crisis Core fanfic, set after the ending of Mass Effect 3 and pre-Crisis Core. But, trust me. You're gonna love this fanfic. It is totally worthwhile.

Princess Tohru Series by chibirisuchan

Recommended by chibiaries, Meteor, moooomoooo
Status: Dead
Crossover: Fruits Basket
Synopsis: Tohru meets Sephiroth in the universe of Kingdom Hearts. Dancing mushrooms are involved.
Comments: The author somehow makes this crossover work, with increasingly hilarious oneshots after the The Edge of the Map, the fic that detailed Tohru's first encounter with a Final Fantasy VII character. Passing familiarity with the fandoms involved is required for understanding this piece, although more in-depth knowledge is better for catching all the in-jokes. Tohru uses her skill of Talking the Monster to Death very well, leading to several Funny Moments and Moments of Awesome. For a Crack Fic series everyone is surprisingly in character.

Prudent by Chibirisuchan

Recommended by Thinks Too Much, Meteor, Soulseller
Status: Complete
Crossover: Literature/Discworld
Synopsis: Yazoo, Loz and Kadaj, while searching for "Mother", end up on Discworld. Granny Weatherwax has a few things to say about this.
Comments: Told in third person limited from Granny's perspective, it milks the clash between worlds for all it's worth. Short and utterly, utterly hilarious.

Imperfect Tense by Jukebox Hound

Recommended by Meteor, moooomoooo, Landscape, carzla
Status: Complete
Pairings: Seifer/Squall, Sephiroth/Cloud
Synopsis: Jenova's legacy, living on through the Sorceresses, is forcing Squall to face an unstable Seifer, Cloud Strife, and yet another potential end of the world. Maybe paperwork really wasn't so bad.
Comments: This is a revision of a previous completed fic. I would recommend only reading this one, though, because minor plot elements have been changed and it's generally much more streamlined. That said, characterization is excellent, parallels between the series abound, and the writing is phenomenal.

Living Chemical Child by Jukebox Hound

Recommended by Meteor
Status: Dead
Pairings: Sephiroth/Zack/Cloud. Yaoi.
Synopsis: It wasn't like Hojo had left clear instructions on how to reverse a sacrifice to the Gate. Fullmetal Alchemist crossover/fusion.
Comments: A series of dramatic one-shots centered entirely around the relationship of Sephiroth, Cloud and Zack, with a few other references to other FFVII characters. The interesting premise is a bit mitigated in that it's still in its beginning stages. The one-shots, however, are quite stand-alone — enough so that it doesn't really matter. The interaction with Roy is gloriously in character — I didn't expect him to be written half so well.

Mercenaries by Pied Flycatcher

Recommended by The Tambourine Man
Status: Complete
Pairings: Squall/Rinoa, Seifer/Yuffie, Cloud/Tifa, One-sided Wedge/Tifa
Synopsis: A crossover with VIII. When Cloud Strife is taken to Galbadia, he is forced into a job he swore never to do again. His mission? To assassinate Sorceress Rinoa. Squall won't be pleased about that...
Comments: A very good story with an engrossing plot. The characterization is mostly good, though Seifer gets the leather pants treatment.

Sephiroth Potter by AnnaDruvez

Recommended by feral
Status: Most likely Dead. Last update 2016
Crossover with Harry Potter
Synopsis: Sephiroth died and rose again. Harry Potter didn't want the memories. But, he has them now and is going to do his best to save his friends.

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Harry Potter and the Cetra Heritage by Quatermass

Recommended by jgkitarel
Status: Complete
Crossover with: Harry Potter
Synopsis: Abused and in pain, Harry Potter cries out for deliverance from his plight at the Dursleys before he learns of his future at Hogwarts. And Minerva, the goddess of the Planet, grants it. Aerith, on her mission to activate Holy, finds Harry in the City of the Ancients, and a journey to save the Planet is changed, for better and for worse...
Comments: Worth a read, if only because it takes some aspects of both series, mixes them together while keeping the worlds of each apart, and goes on to change events. This deals with a young Harry in the world of Final Fantasy VII from the Forgotten City and manages to follow the general plot, with several twists, such as managing to avert the game's iconic Player Punch event. Also has a surprising Enemy Mine situation with an notable background enemy becoming an unexpected ally. Goes from the end of Disc 1 of the game to the finale, and has a sequel Harry Gainsborough and the Philosopher's Stone that takes place in the Harry Potter world, and an interquel Birthday that ties the two together.

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Now Has a Trope Page.

The Legend of Gaia's Sennin by The Engulfing Silence

Recommended by: Zequirne
Crossover with: Naruto
Status: Dormant; last updated March 2018
Synopsis: Flung into a world of technology and fanatasy, bitter at the loss he suffered during the Fourth Great Shinobi War, can Uzumaki Naruto find happiness in Gaia?
Pairings: Naruto/Aerith, Cloud/Tifa

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Children of the Stars by Shadow Blayze

Recommended by: eeveelutionlover2000
Status: Dormant
Crossover: Harry Potter
Synopsis: The beleaguered Orion Black managed to do one worthwhile thing in his life and the ripples that spread out from this accomplishment change the tides of destiny for both of his beloved sons, two small Prophecy-bound children, and a desperate, grieving grandmother. (Tread gently across this broken ground, for Her wounds are not yet healed, Children of the Stars, Bastions of Hope.)

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Distant Cousins by CrossingTheFourthWall

Recommended by: eagle109
Status: In-progress
Crossover: Trigun
Synopsis: Somehow, Vash and Knives wind up on Gaia instead of Gunsmoke (and Knives not dying), and in the process of trying to figure things out, they encounter a barely coherent Cloud suffering from mako poisoning and a certain alien that shouldn't be cohabitating in his mind. Vash, being the All-Loving Hero that he is, somehow saves Cloud and is delighted to explore the green world of Gaia. Cloud just wants to find his friends and ditch the twins, but luck isn't on his side. Knives, he who believes Humans Are Bastards and Humans Are Insects, is not pleased at all of being dragged along.

Shipping Fics

Stories focused on the romantic relationships between the cast.

A Moment of Truth by kzam

Recommended by AyaSai
Status: Complete
Pairing: Genesis/Cloud (one-side hint of Angeal/Sephiroth and small mention of Zack/Angeal)
Synopsis: Cloud is the sole survivor of an infantry patrol gone terribly awry, and unfortunately for him, the Army is looking for a scapegoat. No one was prepared for a SOLDIER to crash the court-martial.
Comment: An AU fic where nothing bad happen in canonverse except Cloud's on this ice when he was put in trial for a mission gone wrong... until Genesis Rhapsodos came in to free him from the charges. Now, Cloud find himself slowly making into SOLDIER with Genesis becoming his mentor. Yep, totally a kind of AU Crisis Core fanfic worth reading for.

The Endless Cycle by YunaBlaze

Recommended by AyaSai
Status: Complete
Pairing: Cloud/Genesis(both Crisis Core(current timeline) and Post-Dirge of Cerberus(time traveler) Versions)
Synopsis: Gaia have given Genesis a chance to change the tragic past, with his powers and spirit trap within a materia, everything depends on fate if he regains his strength before it's too late, but will Cloud be able to aid or make things more difficult for him?
Comment: A Time Travel Fanfic where Genesis from Post-DOC travels back in time to set things right in the past by helping Cloud on his journey to become SOLDIER and stop JENOVA once and for all. This is a really good read. the plot, the storyline, the characters, the author did a really great job of coming up with this kind of fic.
- Not only it's complete, but the author did a Sequel New Year's Special Oneshot titled A Thin Red String called Fate.

Eir's Tomorrow by Jukebox Hound

Trope page here
Recommended by Ellipsis, Lockea, notsomuch, Kris Mahai, Caterfree10, Meteor, moooomoooo, Soulseller, carzla
Status: Complete
Pairings: Sephiroth/Cloud with the Zack/Aerith on the side
Synopsis: Cloud goes back in time to Set Right What Once Went Wrong—the best time travel fic in FFVII fandom, hands down.
Comments: Very haunting, with creative use of fanon and Alternate Character Interpretation. Essentially, Cloud relives his life knowing the future, and works to save it by saving Sephiroth himself.

Why Me? A Love Story for Manic Depressives by Dust Traveller

Recommended by Racheakt
Status: Dead
Pairings: Vincent/Yuffie
Synopsis: With war brewing in Wutai, Vincent is given the task of hunting down Yuffie and bringing her back to the throne she abandoned- before someone else finds her first. Bounty hunters, Chocobos, conversational demons, sarcastic ninjas, manic depression, topped off with a generous helping of Vincent/Yuffie fluff.
Comments: Spot-on characterization, a logical, coherent plot. Yuffie and Vincent's dialogue is especially fresh and engaging. Interesting, in that some aspects of Dust Traveller's Vincent blends Asshole Victim and The Atoner, with Beleaguered Assistant and Liz Lemon Job for humor.

Of Petals and Piano Keys by dreaming-of-storms (M-rated, Contains femmeslash, folks. Set after Advent Children)

Recommended by inkweaveramara
Status: Complete
Pairing(s): Aerith/Tifa
Synopsis: Tifa, Aerith, and the warmth of the Promised Land.
Comments: The summary may give you the impression of a silly little PWP. But this couldn't be farther from the truth. Well, maybe it is a bit of a PWP, but it's certainly not silly. The whole story carries a bit of a cold, bittersweet tone to it. The characters (particularly the heroines) are a bit more bitter about their respective fates: Aerith is a ghost who can only watch over her friends, and Tifa keeps getting left behind by Cloud. The lemon that follows is very, very tastefully well done, and the end gives you a sense of things getting better. All in all, a good story.

OneWinged Angels by FenixPhoenix

Recommended by missmollie, seconded by Caterfree10
Status: Complete
Pairing(s): Sephiroth/Tifa
Synopsis: Jenova's control over Sephiroth broke with his death. Now, he is sent back to protect Tifa and save the planet from the entity that threatens it. The problem: how to convince her of his good intentions?
Comments: A beautifully written fic, with a believable, logical reason for Sephiroth's descent into madness, and his attempt for redemption in protecting Tifa. The fic is also very diverse, with some chapters focusing on the antagonists of the story, as well as the POV of other characters like Cloud, Vincent, Yuffie, Cid etc.

A Long, Hard Road by Twig. (NC-17 Lemon, Angst, spoilers, mild language, violence)

Recommended by Did It, Soulseller, carzla
Status: Complete
Pairing(s): Sephiroth/Cloud, Zack/Tifa, Rude/Reno/Elena, Yuffie/Vincent, Jenova/OC
Synopsis: Five years after the end of the game, Cloud Strife is fighting a losing battle against the dark forces of Hojo and Jenova. What will happen when the decision is made to resurrect the very man who nearly destroyed them all?:''
Comments: An incredibly dark, dramatic, beautifully written fic. Fluff and humor bits are few and far between, but there are just enough to keep the audience from completely drowning in the angst, and they're all the more rewarding after the characters (especially Cloud) are put through hell again and again. Occasionally borders on Wangst and Purple Prose, but still a very good read.

Making It Work by Etrixan

Recommended by Love Psycho, Soulseller
Pairings: Seph/Cloud, small Zack/Aerith, Seph/Zack/Cloud
Status: Complete
Synopsis: Zack knows the Nibelheim mission isn't going well. Taking Cloud along to dig the General out of the basement is a gamble, but his only hope. There's no way he could've foreseen everything that would result from it.
Comments: A Zack fixes it fic in a different manner, with Zack fixing things from the part where things really did go wrong. The plot and writing is fascinating and the characters fun - I especially liked the hyper Zack portrayed here. The pairing is only thing that can drive off people, that and the M rating, but despite that it is a very good fic. It also includes one the more... interesting methods of getting rid of Jenova.

Mad World by Etrixan

Recommended by Love Psycho
Pairings: Seph/Cloud, Zack/Aerith, Seph/Zack/Cloud, Vincent/Tifa, Rufus/Tseng, Yazoo/Reno
Status: Complete
Synopsis: Sephiroth returned from the Lifestream determined to find the two who saved him. Hojo and Deepground control half the planet. Shinra is in shambles. That's not going to stop him. Saving them is only half the battle, now he has to save the planet.
Comments: This story takes Making It Work and adjusts some of the timing, thus pushing the ending to something much darker. The story starts with Sephiroth saving Zack and Cloud from Hojo's abandoned lab, with Cloud comatose like in cannon. It quickly dives into an aspect of Making It Work and expands on it to save Cloud, then follows with a plot that combines the originally FFVII with Dirge of Cerberus, plus a little from Advent Children. Like Making It Work it holds the M rating, though also for certain graphics and greater mention of Hojo's "science" than just sex scenes. There are quite a bit of shout outs, to both the original games and pop culture. If you have no problem with the above, I seriously recommend it.

Fusion by Knowing Shadows (Slash)

Recommended by Jesajew
Status: Dead
Pairings: Cloud/Sephiroth, Zack/Sephiroth
Synopsis: Cloud Strife finds it hard to deal with what he had to do to save his world, but now the Planet will give him a chance to change things for himself and for General Sephiroth.
Comments: This premise is well-trodden ground in this fandom, but Knowing Shadows does it justice, and Fusion is very well-written and well-thought-out despite not being completely original. Definitely one of the better FFVII Peggy Sue fics, and very enjoyable despite being unfinished, especially if you're into slash.

Unspoken by Mihoyonagi

Recommended by mintfresh, seconded by Chizu, Caterfree10, Madcap INTJ
Status: Complete
Pairings: Aerith/Sephiroth
Synopsis: Sephiroth is offered a chance by the planet; he may return to life. But strings are attached. Aerith will return with him, and if she dies, so does he. He also loses the power of Jenova, and, he later finds, his voice.
Comments: While clearly not in the least bit canon, this fic is well written, with good writing from the start that only improves as the fic goes on. The focus is on character growth and interaction, with a unique plot that introduces interesting complications. The reviews for this fic often contain people saying that until they read this they didn't like the pairing, and the fic is a wonderful example as to why people should read fics for the quality of the writing and plot, not just the names on either side of the slash. Also, the fic is complete, always a bonus.

Splintered Dreams by Szajnie

Recommended by Bellec, seconded by Caterfree10, Meteor, Queen-Roger
Status: Ongoing
Pairings: Tifa/Zack
Synopsis: At the end of Crisis Core, it is Cloud that dies on that rocky hill en route to Midgar and Zack that survives.
Comments: Basically, Zack takes Cloud place in the main game.

Us and Them by Madcap Minstrel

Recommended by Caterfree10
Status: Complete, reboot Complete.
Pairings: Sephiroth/Aeris with Cloud/Tifa, Rufus/Jessie (yes, you are reading that right), and one-sided Zack/Aeris
Synopsis: "Sephiroth was given the chance for a happy childhood when he was rescued from the Shinra labs and taken in by Professor Gast. Now eighteen years later, he is forced to face his past, and his own personal demons."
Comments: Oh my goodness, where do I even start with this fic? A few small things causing one hell of a change in the course of events. One of my favorite parts besides the whole Sephiroth and Aeris growing up together thing was the exploration of the relationship between the Cetra and Jenova's race of aliens (known as Seraph in this AU). I'd say more on the subject, but it'd be spoiling far too much. All in all, a wonderful exploration of a timeline that could have been and one that's more than fueled my own personal headcanon. There are also a couple of sequels and some oneshots within the same AU on the author's profile worth reading.
Now with a trope page.
Has a sequel, Welcome to the Machine (Dormant; last updated August 2020)

Love Thy Enemy by chipmouskin

Recommended by Caterfree10
Status: Dead
Pairings: Zack/Aerith with Cloud/Tifa on the side.
Synopsis: "Aerith is part Cetra, a 1st Class Mage, and most importantly, Shinra's secret weapon. Zack Fair is a country boy from Gongaga, living with an incurable, life-altering condition, and a hatred for Shinra. Can they save each other?"
Comments: Role reversal at its best. While there are some parts that make me side-eye, especially in relation to Aerith's growing up in Shinra, it's still a well-done fic that explores both the alternate possibilities opened up by the shift as well as the altered relationship between the main couple.

Those Awkward Moments by Inspector Inspection

Recommended by Caterfree10
Status: Complete
Pairings: Sephiroth/Genesis
Synopsis: "We've all gone through some awkward times at some point in our lives. Now those problems are put on our favorite guys in SOLDIER."
Comments: Alternating between the downright hilarious (often sexual in content) and emotionally turbulent relationship issues, this fic is rather different than other Sephisis fics I've picked up in that it's Sephiroth doing most of the pursuing rather than Genesis. The humorous parts make up for some damn dark stuff in the fic but it's the balance between the two moods that really works its magic. WARNING: THERE IS NON-CON IN THIS FIC, DO NOT READ IF THAT IS NOT YOUR CUPPA.

The Mission by Ardwynna Morrigu

Recommended by Mismoree
Status: Dead (last updated November 2016)
Pairings: Sephiroth/Genesis/Cloud, Angeal/Zack, Sephiroth/Genesis/Angeal
Synopsis: When Angeal abandons them for his puppy, Sephiroth and Genesis find something else to keep themselves entertained. Something small, cute and blond.
Comments: A series of explicit ficlets, this story is one of the more entertaining ones out there. It's both serious and humorous; the dialogue is witty, and some moments will send you into fits of laughter from the sheer absurdity of them. The smutty scenes aren't cheesy either. And, of course, I have to put my favorite quote here also:
"Fifty push-ups, you pansies! And then fifty more! God, I can't believe I've got to man up such a bunch of sissies! And quit your whining! The way you girls carry on it's like you expect the Generals themselves to come down here and rescue you! Well I got news for you, dollfaces. You might be as queer as a duck in a g-string, but ain't a one of you pretty enough for that! Not even you, Strife, so get that smirk off your face and give me fifty more!

A SOLDIER's Weapon by Oniko

Recommended by Caterfree10, Meteor, Soulseller
Status: Dormant
Pairings: Cloud/Sephiroth
Synopsis: "There is a mysterious new SOLDIER at ShinRa. Sephiroth searches for the truth about Cloud Strife, ShinRa, and himself, while being haunted by the possibilities of darker futures."
Comments: Yet another entry into the realm of time travel fics in FF7 fandom, but this one takes a different approach: rather than being from the Time Traveler's POV (Cloud in this case and others hinted at, but not confirmed at this time), it's from young!Sephiroth's. This originated as a prompt at one of the FF7 kink memes, but it filled out into a wonderful AU.

Handle With Care by Xpaperplane X

Recommended by Toc_Odd, Soulseller
Status: Complete
Pairings: Cloud/Sephiroth, although it's platonic until the epilogue of the sequel.
Synopsis: "Cloud had no idea how his life would change on the day he was sent to deliver some papers to the former general Sephiroth's office. A mistaken identity turns his world upside down."
Comments: Handle With Care and its sequel Mislabelled are a pair of Final Fantasy VII fics that manage to be both mind-bendingly hilarious and gut-wrenchingly sad. In this fic, instead of burning down Nibelheim, Sephiroth destroyed Jenova and in doing so basically gave himself a psychic lobotomy. Severely brain-damaged and mentally ill, one day he mistakes a small trooper (Cloud Strife) for a chocobo toy. What follows is a hilarious and heartwarming account of how Cloud does his best to help Sephiroth heal. Despite the number of times you have to say it's better than it sounds, it's a brilliant fic, which will toy with your emotions like a yo-yo. The alternate ending to the sequel, in particular, will have you tearing up a box of tissues. One of the best (and most unique) FF7 fics out there.

Summoning Ghosts by kasoku

Recommended by Soulseller
Status: Complete
Pairings: Cloud/Sephiroth, Zack/Aeris
Synopsis: Materia are formed from crystallised Mako...
Comments: I think the way Sephiroth is brought back in this fic is my absolute favourite.

Slumbering Mountains by mihoyonagi

Recommended by Ikatsui, Madcap INTJ
Status: Complete
Pairings: Sephiroth/Aerith
Synopsis: Free will is but an illusion to him, an ideal that taunts him endlessly and eats away at his sanity. But a single flower, blooming despite the darkness, may just be enough to pull him from the brink of ruin, even if he plucked it for the wrong reasons.
Comments: Written by the same author as Unspoken, this is honestly one of the best FFVII shipping fics out there. Don't let the pairing scare you off; the quality of the writing will keep you reading, even if you the pairing is not to your liking. Sephiroth and Aerith are quite well written and developed. As for Hojo... well, by the first chapter, you will hate him. By chapter 10, you will loathe him as much as you can possibly loathe a fictional character. Be warned, this fic is not light and fluffy in the slightest, and the author seems to be a fan of From Bad to Worse.

Invictus by Cpl.Hicks

Recommended by Kangxi's Grandma
Status: Dormant
Pairings: Sephiroth/Cloud
Synopsis: Although controversial, mako injection is the first step toward becoming a SOLDIER. Fresh out of the country, Cadet Cloud Strife is eager to receive his 'rite of passage', at whatever the cost. But when he finally obtains his wish and is injected the mysterious cells, the side effects prove deadly and threaten his sanity and life.
Comments: Although a bit, AU-ish, this story taks characterization very seriously, and takes time to explore the the people involved. The quality of writing, too, is great. Though it should be said that the story itself is both unfinished and has not been updated since 2013.

Final Fantasy VII Another Side

Recommended by Shaorai 217
Status: Complete
Pairings: Sephiroth/Cissnei, Zack/Aerith, Cloud/Tifa
Synopsis: What if Genesis had caused the Nibelheim Incident instead of Sephiroth? What could have changed?
Now has it's own Trope page.

Epiphany, by Fenrir4life

and The_Story_Maker

Recommended by Tallens, Madcap INTJ
Status: In Progress
Pairings: Aerith/Sephiroth
Synopsis: Sephiroth is looping, repeating the events of Final Fantasy VII over and over again. He has experienced not only the events of the original game and the remake, but many more cycles beyond, stretching into a multitude of similar and yet ever-so-slightly different worlds. Regardless of loss, death, or even victory, he has been unable to free himself from this time loop – or even uncover why he is looping at all.
Determining to find answers, he seeks out Aerith Gainsborough to see if he can convince her to interrogate the planet itself for information. However, it turns out Aerith is not completely ignorant of the cycle. Fed experiences by the planet of the events of the original Final Fantasy VII, she has good reason to distrust Sephiroth and his plans.
Comments: Excellent writing, both in terms of story and dialogue. The interactions between Aerith and Sephiroth are quite convincing and in character and, as much as is possible, rather humorous. Much like the remake, it maintains a healthy balance between humor and drama. Well worth a read.
The authors have said there will be explicit scenes, but they are looking to be few and far between and the authors have said they will mostly be skippable.
Trope page found here.

It's Never Easy by Cresciela

Recommended by Loekman 3
Status: Complete
Pairings: Cloud/Aerith
Sypnosis: As the last living Cetra on the Planet, Aerith continues to roam the streets of Midgar as a flower peddler despite the potential dangers of anybody learning her true heritage. While Shinra's influence has greatly diminished since its fall a few years prior, Elmyra still deems it necessary to protect her daughter, and what better way than with a handsome, blond bodyguard?
Comments: An semi-AU where Cloud put an end to Shinra prior to the game resulting in Cloud never meeting Aerith until he gets hired to be her bodyguard. It's a slow-burn story where Cloud slowly opens up as a result of her influence while at the same time, develop a budding romance between them.

Fanfic Recs / Compilation of Final Fantasy VII
aka: Final Fantasy VII Advent Children

Alternative Title(s): Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII Advent Children, Before Crisis, Dirge Of Cerberus, Crisis Core, Final Fantasy VII Remake, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

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Fanfic Recs / Compilation of Final Fantasy VII aka: Final Fantasy VII Advent Children

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Alternative Title(s): Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII Advent Children, Before Crisis, Dirge Of Cerberus, Crisis Core, Final Fantasy VII Remake, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

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Fanfic Recs / Compilation of Final Fantasy VII
aka: Final Fantasy VII Advent Children