#three... guards?

Inspired by this prompt by @im-totally-not-an-alien .  

Please Enjoy!

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Chapter 1: Punishment

This wasn’t part of the plan. This was one hundred thousand percent not part of the plan. They were supposed to use Mother’s cells and become Him. It was that simple. Basic. Elementary. And they almost had it. How did everything go wrong? Why was it so complicated? 

If that stupid president didn’t make that shot. If Mother's box stayed intact. If they took a different turn and avoided the decommissioned mako reactor. If they didn’t slip off the ledge. If that black sheep of a big brother didn't gain the upper hand. If he managed to save them from falling into the remaining Lifestream. If that brother was successful. 

If.

If.

If.

These scenarios wouldn’t help them now. They couldn’t waste time thinking about ‘possibilities’ when reality screamed in front of them. 

Big Brother needed help. After submersion in the Lifestream, the three of them found themselves spit out somewhere in the wasteland surrounding Midgar. The entire city stood proudly, Shinra Tower and the Sector Seven plate unified and composed and supported. Like the city itself was reborn along the horizon. Whatever it was, it would be a long walk back. And was it just them, or did everything seem… bigger? Even the few cliffs and rogue plants in the ruined land seemed larger than before. They turned to each other for explanation and…

…What?

What?! 

They looked like children, short and small! As old as the children they healed! What did the Lifestream do to them?! They understood some kind of retaliation was coming but why this. 

Great. The oldest was about to cry again, completely panicked and losing his very loose grip on his emotions. The middle was far too calm, but even that facade started to crack when he noticed none of them had any weapons. The youngest, in all honesty, was ready to strangle every living thing, but that would have to come later, when they eventually made their way into the city. Making it across this worthless plain would be a lot harder as pint sized packages with no vehicles, but they didn’t find any other options. Was the Planet trying to ‘walk’ them to death?

Well, no. They quickly stumbled across a body, skin a soft green and birds picking at the rotting flesh. It must’ve been dead for at least a day. The man had black hair, a SOLDIER uniform, dozens of dried bullet wounds that vultures took full advantage of, and a solid blade of the sword Big Brother fought with. The same one they found, and kicked to the ground, when pursuing him. The eldest grew curious. Approaching without hesitation, he broke the grip of the corpse and lifted the blade, though holding it to attention forced his body to shake in struggle. 

“Put it down,” The youngest spat. The older one dropped the sword immediately in surprise, the hunk of metal clattering and ringing as it fell. The birds scattered, flying nearby for the moment these children left. 

“Don’t scare me like that!” 

The youngest rolled his eyes and stayed silent, knowing that if he said a single word back, they'd all have to deal with his tears. They didn’t have time for that.

“Hey, Kadaj…?”

“What now?” The boy immediately turned to the other brother, annoyed and tired of all the weird stuff that kept happening today. A strong part increasingly frustrated at his failure to carry out Mother’s plan before suddenly appearing outside Midgar.

“Is that… Big Brother…?” 

Kadaj’s face soured with confusion and he moved to observe the being. But his breath hitched the moment blonde spikey hair came into view. At the silent response, the eldest followed, eyes wide and completely lost upon seeing the man.

It was. It was him, his body leaning against the rocks and his head low. Like them, he wasn’t the same either. He was younger and clearly weaker to start. His skin was dangerously dry, his lips peeling around rapid shallow breaths, his eyes sunken and darkened. The middle child moved his arm and lifted his head in analysis. 

“He seems dehydrated…” He stated simply, his voice naturally quiet and lulling as it had been before. “He might die out here…”

Kadaj stared at the unconscious body. All his questions about this punishment snapped into place, completing the puzzle with a single realization. Too much had already changed. They couldn’t risk any greater ‘butterfly effect’ without risking wherever Mother was. “Loz, pick him up. We’re taking him to Midgar.”

The eldest acted immediately. “I got it.”

“Do you think he knows where Mother is…?”

“No. But I think he’s our best chance at finding her. He always seems to be around- what are you doing?”

Loz managed to lift Big Brother’s arm over his shoulder, but the other half practically dragged through the dirt. 

Kadaj glanced at the middle sibling. “Yazoo.”

He nodded, already adjusting to help.

“No, I got it,” Loz grumbled, turning the body just out of reach.

“You do not got it. Everything’s a mess.” He countered with a snip in his voice, approaching the blade. “I’ll grab his sword. Let’s go.”

Yazoo aided as much as he could with his slightly shorter height than his brother, balancing the blonde between them. Kadaj picked up the hilt, dragging the tip on the ground, not wasting energy trying to lift it or prevent the horrid wear on the blade itself. They needed water, food, probably gil, and any weapons they could get their hands on, if they wanted a chance at saving Big Brother.

It was a long way to Midgar.

* * * 

The smell of garbage and rot under the plate always filled the air, smog skewing the natural light from the gaps within the structure. The dirt roads and barely functioning homes were just a part of life here. A roof was almost a luxury. Afterall, it wasn’t like they got any rain or snow here. Monsters within the dumps were usually problems, but communities set up watches and hunting sessions to protect the normal civilian life.Life was, to an extent, peaceful. 

Besides the resistance the black haired woman housed under her bar, a bar she currently needed to stock. 

Upper plate always had the best product anyway. This was routine by now. Every Monday and Thursday, she made her way to the train station, took it to Sector Zero, collected what she needed, and headed back. An ever mundane task compared to the actual looting of Shinra facilities her friends conducted at night, and housed spoils beneath her workplace. 

Today, this simple life flipped on its head. 

She dropped the empty box in her arms. There was no mistaking it. He changed. He grew, but he still kept his blonde hair spiky as a palm tree. He was taller, stronger by the shape of his muscles, clothed head to toe in SOLDIER fatigues, just as he promised all those years ago. His skin was pale, but he still had color in his face. His mako blue eyes were open but empty, lost, hollow. But it was still Cloud Strife in front of her, leaning against that platform.

But…who were the three boys with him? 

All of their hair shined with perfect mercury. They couldn’t be older than ten, shorter in stature, but stronger than they seemed at first glance. One had long hair, one only had it to his shoulders, but the last, and the bulkiest, had his cut short and pushed up. 

For a moment, she felt herself distracted from Cloud, when the smallest glared daggers directly into her eyes, mako blue inhuman needles staring straight into her soul.

He looked like Him. They all looked like Him.

They figured someone would come for Big Brother eventually, but he couldn’t be left alone. Nor would they let him be alone. Occasionally, he mumbled incomprehensibly, calling out to something or someone. They just ignored it. Yazoo acted caringly and offered bottled water directly to his chapped lips, but he always took too small a sip than he needed, if he drank any at all. Loz stayed close while surveying the people disembarking the trains, watching for someone to recognize their brother. Kadaj did the same with the crowd coming from the slums, which is how he alone found himself locked in a staring contest with one of their enemies. 

He tensed his hand, ready to whip out the pocket knife he found in the rubble and garbage. “What do you want?” 

The other two looked over immediately. 

His voice cut her like a knife, the anger, almost malice behind her catching her off guard. Dark. Cruel. Burning. “I- I…” Her heart suddenly pounded in her chest, reacting to her memories and leaking panic slowly into her mind. For now it was just anxiety, but she felt it growing. She needed to protect Cloud. She needed him before she let this show. “Is- Is that Cloud?”

They nodded, still skeptical, still defending. Loz approached as well, blocking part of her view but observing carefully. 

“H- How did you find him? Is he okay?”

“We found him unconscious in the planes beyond Midgar…” Yazoo explained, earning a soft glare from Kadaj. “It didn’t seem like he would make it, and well… we chose to bring him here…”

“I can help him,” She explained quickly as she took a step forward, but the two in front of her blocked her path. “I live nearby. I can take him from here and make him better.”

“You are not taking Big Brother!” Loz demanded, clenching his fists and standing at the ready. 

Big Brother? Bewilderment claimed her expression. Cloud didn’t have any siblings. That didn’t make any sense. “What are you talking about?”

“Ti…fa…?”

Her breath hitched, and all of them snapped their eyes to the stirring blonde. 

“T-Tifa…?” Cloud pushed himself to his feet too quickly, stumbling forward from the unbalanced blood rush. Yazoo grabbed his arm to stabilize him. Once on his feet, he didn't react to the boy at all. His blue eyes instantly glued to the black haired woman. 

The two guarding boys parted and let Tifa run to Cloud. 

“Cloud, it’s really you!” She was so happy she almost jumped into his arms, but he was a bit wobbly on his feet, his mind still partially dull with weak vertigo from his time in the wasteland. 

His body nearly collapsed on her, and she found her arms wrapped around him in support rather than a hug. “S-Sorry…” His eyes blurred as he tried to lift himself back to his feet. 

Did he really just apologize for fainting?

“I’m glad you’re okay…”

Tifa squeezed him softly before adjusting him over her shoulder. “Don’t be sorry. Come on. We’re going to my place, okay? I’ll patch you up there…”

He gave a reluctant, embarrassed nod. But he lost consciousness immediately after, the moment Tifa took her first step away from the track.

Now, all three boys blocked her path in a single impenetrable wall. A shaky and unnerved sigh that left her breath. She didn’t like them. She didn’t like the feeling in her gut or the memories they brought. But, they did save Cloud, and they clearly protected him from anything they could. Maybe that ‘big brother’ statement was just a story they fabricated to stay with him, especially since they look nothing like him. Maybe, since they brought him all the way to Midgar, they wanted to confirm that he was okay. She hoped they’d leave after that. She prayed.

“You guys too. Come on.”

All three remnants surrounded her and Cloud, the smaller two in front and the largest behind. They still acted like guards. But at least the long haired one picked up the box she completely forgot about as they headed for the bar in the Sector Seven slums.

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Thanks for reading!

Author's note: It's my first time writing the remnants! I've been wanting to for a while but I never knew how to apply their personalities to most situations. I also have a very nostalgic attachment to Advent Children (music, fight scenes, some of the voice acting) so I wanted to do this right, not just a joke and not where I need to fill in most of the world, at least to start. Thus: another adapted time travel AU. 

Inspired by this prompt by @im-totally-not-an-alien .  

Please Enjoy!

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Chapter 2: Cure

The three boys marched like soldiers the entire way to the bar, obviously glaring and staring down any person that even thought about approaching. Tifa saw friends and customers more unsettled by the boys than willing to offer her aid, but for Cloud’s sake, she took the parting of the crowd as a relief to arrive at her bar faster. 

Once they entered Seventh Heaven, all three of the boys pulled stools off of the table closest to the bar. The middle sibling actually grabbed a stack of her folded napkins and laid them out like a pillow. 

“Can you grab the first aid kit from behind the bar?” Tifa attempted to ask politely as she leaned Cloud against the table and removed the incredible weapon attached to his back. “And there are dish towels near the sink. Can you run them under warm water?”

They all nodded, Kadaj rushing around the bar to find the targeted box while Loz and Yazoo swiftly ran to the sink. 

She was surprised but thankful they left Cloud’s side, allowing her to gently lay him on the table and scan for wounds. There were no external injuries, but his dry skin screamed dehydration to her. She wasn't sure if that same cause created his extreme weakness. 

Too many questions flooded her mind. Too many concerns for the singular man in front of her for her mind and thoughts to function completely straight. 

He needed Cure, magic, materia. At least then she might know what doctor he needed. Maybe he just needed water and rest. She hoped it was that simple. She hoped. 

Water may not be enough to rehydrate him either. 

Tifa glanced up at the sound of rapid movement as the boys rushed Cloud's sides. 

Two of them carefully applied a moisturizer to the chaffing skin before placing the wet cloths on his forehead and chest. She didn't even think of the damage water could do to dry skin, or the pain it could cause from seeping into the cracking the surface. They seemed to know exactly what to do. Correction, the long haired one did, silently scolding the larger one for being too rough with a simple glare and the occasional nudge. 

She heard a click as she moved Cloud's hair out of the way before the smallest one returned with the first aid kit. A first aid kit she always kept her strongest healing materia inside, in case of emergencies. 

“Did you guys try any materia?” Tifa needed to confirm before she tried the spells herself. 

“No. We couldn’t find any,” the youngest explained harshly. 

“He’s been in and out of consciousness for the past two hours…” The long haired one explained, his eyes still on his task. “A Cure may allow him to rest…”

Tifa needed no further information and held the orb in her hand, its green glow so bright it nearly blinded the eldest who accidentally looked up. She casted the strongest spell she could, both the ring and the light consuming the room as the magic wove through Cloud’s body. 

His breath finally calmed, and after a few seconds, his eyes opened again. 

All three boys immediately stepped back, but neither one of the childhood friends noticed. 

Tifa was too entranced by the light that returned to his now mako-blue eyes.

His hand landed on her arm softly and he forced himself to sit up. He gave her an embarrassed look, his eyes barely able to remain anywhere near her as he spoke, his mind clearly still fogged but he pushed through it to speak. “Thank you… Tifa…”

A weak smile pulled at her lips, her gaze filled with care as she placed a hand atop his own. She nodded. “Feeling better?”

“A bit… I think I can-”

“Nope,” She cut him off, knowing exactly where he was going and finally gaining his eyes. “You will talk, and you will rest, and you will do nothing more until you're ready.”

“But I-”

“No buts,” Tifa scolded, and the eldest of the silver haired brothers struggled to hide a laugh under his hand. She shot a glare at them, and they all silenced and stood at attention immediately. 

Cloud chuckled softly, her attention returning to him. “You’ve changed a lot in five years…”

Five…?

“Yeah…” She felt the lie leave her mouth before she thought it. “But Cloud, what happened to you?”

He looked away again, his eyes hardening at the ‘memory’. “I was heading back from a mission… And that behemoth took more out of me than I thought… I’m sorry, Tifa…”

“Cloud, why are you sorry?”

He tensed slowly. “...my promise…”

The water tower. “You didn’t break your promise by getting hurt. It’s okay.”

“But I should’ve had enough supplies to get back…”

“Hey. I said no buts. Next time you prepare more. That's all.”

Cloud winced a bit at the scolding before his eyes landed on the three boys. An unreadable expression claimed his gaze. “Thank you for your help…”

They all gave a soft nod. 

“How did you- nh…” The blonde grabbed his head, soft pained groans forcing their way through his body, his exhaustion catching up to him once again. 

The long haired one spoke first as Tifa brought one of the warm towels to his forehead, “You need rest…”

Cloud clearly hated the idea, but he couldn’t ignore the look in Tifa’s eyes. 

“Come on. I’ll take you to my place.” 

He nearly pouted before his breathing started to slow again. 

Something dinged as a mechanical whur suddenly rumbled through the room, only getting louder and louder. Cloud shot to attention and tried to grab the hilt of his blade, but Tifa stopped him, a hand gripping his own to silently tell him it was safe. However, her message did not make it to the three boys who currently crowded around the source of the sound with rusty, worn down pocket knives they absolutely found in the trash. 

As the platform rose along the metal rails, a large man none of the three recognized came with it, along with a blooping pinball machine. 

They nearly jumped him without question, and the only thing that stopped them was Tifa’s yell to wait. They froze but they did not move, their blades barely a centimeter away from his skin.

The large man inhaled sharply before clearing his throat, his hands automatically in the air the moment he saw the boys behind him. Well, one hand, and one gun. “Uh, Tifa?” His burly voice came with utter confusion. “Mind explainin’ what’s goin’ on?”

“Guys, he’s a friend,” She called them off, and they immediately ran and formed a wall around Cloud, still staring daggers and all but hissing as the man slowly turned to face the room. “Sorry for that, Barret.”

“Look, Tifa, I'm pretty big. I'm used to scarin' little kids.”

All of their glares hardened.

“But what’s goin’ on here?”

Tifa sighed before explaining everything she understood: finding Cloud, who Cloud was, healing him, and her plan to take care of him, but she brushed over the topic of the boys other than the fact that they found him. Barret had eyes. Barret hated Shinra. There was absolutely no doubt in her mind that those boys looked familiar to him too. She also didn’t have a clue how to justify that ‘big brother’ statement from the station, so she chose to withhold the comment for now. 

“Cloud’s gonna stay at my place until he heals up,” Tifa finished, gaining a small groan of protest from the blonde in question. “Cloud, you need to rest.”

“I just need to get back in the game…”

“You can barely stay awake.”

“I just need some action. Then I'll be good to go.” He actually managed to steel his voice, almost sounding like his normal self. 

“Don’t hurt yourself,” the smallest of the triplets demanded, and the blonde adult actually glared away, defeated by a small child and relaxing his body. 

Tifa sighed before looking at Barret once more. “Can you do me a solid and watch 'the place' while I get Cloud over to Stargazer Heights?”

He took a glance over at the three kids that were one thousand percent ready to stab him a moment ago, and although they tried to look intimidating, they kind of reminded him of angry kittens, tiny and afraid. Despite who they looked like. “’Course, Tifa. Not a problem at all.” It was still midday. He had plenty of time before he needed to pick up his daughter from school, and he figured the other members of the crew below would be grateful to not be stabbed the moment they came up to use the bathroom, or came up to get a drink of water like he did.

“Thank you.” After giving a soft nod and a small smile, Tifa returned to Cloud’s side and helped him stand. 

However, the moment they made it to the door, the three brothers literally followed them in a line like lost chocobo chicks. 

Tifa winced a bit, adjusting Cloud's arm over her shoulder as she called back. “Boys, why don't you stay here?” 

They immediately countered with protests, speaking over each other without remorse. 

“Absolutely not!” 

“We won't make a sound…”

“He needs protection!”

“I’ll be okay…” Cloud mumbled insistently. 

“Now, now,” Barret immediately came to Tifa's aid, using every shred of the parental tone he usually saved for Marlene to herd the brothers. “Tifa's apartment is pretty small-”

“Then we’ll wait outside!” The smallest barked. 

“-and she lives right up the road,” He finished with a slightly harsher tone from the interruption. “You’ll get in the way. Hell, probably hurt Cloud more as a result. You don't want that, do ya? He's in safe hands. All you gotta do is wait here.”

At the middle child’s slight contemplation, Tifa finally opened the door. 

The little one practically teleported to stop them. How did he run that fast? 

“Kadaj-” She tried to scold. 

“I take up the least space- I’m going with him.” 

“No fair!” The largest one yelled, but the middle child grabbed his arm and gave him a look of soft apology. 

“Kadaj has a point…” Yazoo explained simply. “If he goes, we’ll know Big Brother is safe…”

Again, neither adult audibly questioned the ‘big brother’ comment, only keeping their inquiries to themselves. Whatever they were talking about, if it let Tifa leave, then it was fine with them.

Tears immediately left the eldest’s eyes, the middle one sighing and the youngest rolling his eyes. Surprisingly, Loz didn’t protest, finally giving Tifa a path of least resistance to escape. 

“Okay. Come on, Kadaj. Hold the door open.”

The smallest brother immediately did as she asked, and they left the remaining two with the man with a gun for an arm. 

An awkward bead of silence passed through them before Barret suggested the two boys sit at the bar, and he’d get them age appropriate drinks.

They seemed hesitant, but they did take the suggestion, both of them glaring slightly at the height of the bar compared to their respective sizes. Even though Barret only handed them glasses of water, they downed it like alcoholics. Without even asking, he refilled both drinks, and again they were gone in seconds. 

“Damn, kids. When was the last time you guys ate?”

Loz glanced at Yazoo for an answer. Any sustenance they managed to scrape together since the moment they arrived in this situation went to Big Brother. 

“Yesterday…” Yazoo chose to answer honestly. 

“Yesterday!?” Barret echoed in bewilderment. 

Did they give the wrong answer? They only told him the truth. 

“You poor things! Let me make you somthin' to eat.”

Again, they weren't going to stop him, even though all he grabbed were four slices of bread and two slices of packaged yellow cheese. They watched silently as he took the two ingredients and literally handed them both cheese sandwiches on napkins. 

Guilt creeped into Barret’s expression before the snacks even hit the bar. Tifa would kick his ass for wasting any of her products, but especially since he couldn’t pay her back with a mission so soon. However, the feeling vanished when the eldest devoured the innocent meal. 

“Thank you…” The long haired one showed the slightest shred of self control by expressing any gratitude before annihilating his own. 

Alright, maybe he could owe Tifa a couple gil for a few weeks. These kids were starving. He gave them various fruits, more cheese sandwiches, and basically anything else he knew he didn’t need to cook and could restock in a short time. 

Eventually they both calmed, no longer scarfing down each offering like each would vanish in seconds. 

“Thank you, Mister,” the larger one finally spoke. 

“Feelin’ better?”

They both nodded. 

“Mind explainin’ a few things?”

They nodded in allowance. 

Barret cleared his throat before asking his first question. “What were three boys your age doin’ in those planes?”

The two brothers, mainly Yazoo, spun a tale of how they were basically small bounty hunters, and Midgar’s planes usually have weaker creatures that they could handle and make a quick gil off of. He claimed they found a monster they barely managed to defeat, at the cost of all of their weapons, and how they happened to spot the monster Big Brother killed before finding him. He stated that arriving in Sector Seven was just luck. 

None of the remnants had any idea why Big Brother lied, but it gave them the perfect opportunity to fabricate a backstory around it. If they were going to keep an eye on him, they needed to stay close, especially considering their current sizes. And of course Big Brother had a life under the completely fallen plate before the order.

“Is he really your brother?” Barret inquired. “He don’t look like you.”

Loz glared away and crossed his arms, having no choice beyond silence. 

“We didn’t want anyone taking him away…” Yazoo lied a half truth. “And he’s not old enough to pass as Father…”

The man with a gun for an arm squinted in small analysis before letting out a quick laugh. “That’s fair. You’d have an easier time convincin’ someone Sephiroth’s your daddy.”

“He is not our father,” The eldest muttered.

At the confused look on the adult’s face, Yazoo explained with slight darkness in his usually neutral voice, “Our apologies… We get that a lot…”

Barret sighed and shook his head to take the blame himself, yet it reminded him of something. It was a topic he should have brought up sooner. “Do you guys wanna call home? See if your mom can come pick you up? We appreciate the help with Cloud but-”

The middle child tilted towards the older one, who was already failing to hide tears at the reference alone. “Don’t cry, Loz…”

He quickly turned away and swiped the unwanted streams off his face.

Now it was Yazoo’s turn to look away. “We can’t find her… She went missing two months ago…”

Suddenly, the details of their story wove together to a lie Barret truly believed. Three boys, living on their own, trying to make money any way they could, without any parents to take care of them. They came across someone who needed help, and they refused to allow someone else to be taken from them or feel the abandonment they subconsciously felt. He came to those conclusions on his own, and the remnants couldn’t be more grateful for the false belief. 

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Thanks for reading!

Please enjoy!

Chapter 3: Growing Pains

Cloud's soft groans lulled through the one bedroom apartment, barely whispers above his breath. Though Tifa insisted he lay on his back for efficient rest, he kept turning to his side and burying his face in her pillow. She did, luckily, manage to convince him to remove his armor, his gloves, and his boots. Seeing him curled up inside her blanket was almost a relief, almost snuggled like a burrito under her covers. She was thankful for his compliance to finally rest and heal. 

However, she couldn't relax with inhuman eyes watching her from the corner. 

Kadaj stood away from them as instructed and promised, practically pushed against the wall, silent as a ghost. He did not interrupt, speak, or even move most of the time. He only stared, watching the blonde like a hawk and scanning the brunette for any harmful intentions. 

Tifa hated the feeling of those reptilian eyes on her back, but she sucked it up for Cloud's sake. Her friend didn't look like he would wake any time soon. Regrettably, she didn't have time to stay by his side all day. She needed to run her bar, especially with everything going down tonight. They needed the money. And she wasn't leaving a child in her tiny apartment. Especially not a child that looked like Him. 

“Come on,” She spoke softly to avoid waking her blonde friend. “Let's let him rest.”

“I'll be quiet,” He whispered in response, repeating the same promise as earlier. 

She shook her head. “It’s not about being quiet. It’s hard to sleep when someone’s watching you.”

“Then I’ll stay outside,” He insisted, but again, She shook her head. 

“I’m not leaving you here alone. You’re too young.”

“I can wait with my brothers-”

“Kadaj.”

He instinctively silenced at the scolding tone, glaring away in defeat. 

She softened a bit as she explained, “Cloud is safe here. The land lady's a friend and she won’t let anyone in this apartment. Promise.”

He was still stubborn, pushing himself against the wall. But he did not respond beside a frustrated pout. 

Tifa offered him a hand and a weak smile. “Let's get you back to your brothers.”

He moved his eyes to Cloud and did not take the offer. 

But she did notice his resolve failing a moment ago. “Now, Kadaj.”

Again, that tone, for whatever reason, made him obey her request. She took his hand and the two left Cloud to rest in the apartment. Though not a long walk, the latest train completely flooded the streets with commuters and returning families from the upper plate. The inherent chaos of the crowd forced her focus on arriving at the bar rather than the boy in her grip. Well, she thought was in her grip. When she reached the stairs of Seventh Heaven’s front balcony, she realized he was gone. 

For gods sake. What was this stupid kid thinking? 

She audibly groaned before grabbing her phone and quickly maneuvering the menus before putting it to her ear. 

“Tifa,” the kind voice hit her ears through the old speaker, “my dear dear girl. What are you doing calling me in the middle of the day? Everything alright?”

She let out a short chuckle of breath in reassurance. “I’m alright, Marle, but I do need a favor. Can you check the door to my apartment? Is there a little boy with silver hair and black clothes?”

“Oddly specific. I’ll take a look. But you better explain later.” 

She nodded. “I will. Promise.” The shuffling and crackling of movement slid through the speaker as her landlady presumably began the request. She waited until it stopped before hearing the muffled speech of both a young boy and the old woman. 

There was an audible pause before a response came. “Yeah, he’s here. Angry little thing but he’s here, Refusing To Leave.” The woman put far too much emphasis on those final three words, clearly complaining over her shoulder. 

Tifa let out a sigh of relief. “Yeah, that’s definitely him. His name is Kadaj and he’s… well, a ‘friend of a friend’. Can you check on him like once an hour for me? He won’t cause any trouble. I’m just worried about something happening, you know?”

“Of course, Tifa. I’ll keep an eye on him.”

“Thank you, Marle. I owe you one.”

“Oh hush. This is nothing. Just be careful tonight, alright?”

She paused for a second. She knew Marle was a friend of the cause, but she didn’t know she knew the date of the next mission. “...I will.” Just because Tifa wasn't going on the mission tonight didn't mean she should make the old woman worry. 

After some quick goodbyes, she finally made it inside her own bar. Barret was cleaning plates in the sink while the two boys rushed her and immediately asked for updates on Cloud's condition. They didn't seem concerned about their actual brother in the slightest. She couldn’t figure out why, but she explained everything to them all. The boys seemed relieved and did not question further when Barret decided it was his turn to explain, along with said boys, how they found Cloud.

But afterward a thought hit Barret like a truck. 

“You said the little one's still at your place?” He needed to confirm, concern bleeding through his voice. 

She brushed him off kindly to relieve any worries. “Don't worry about it. Marle's keeping an eye on him.”

“Has he eaten anything?”

Tifa's mind stalled for a second. She didn't expect any questions about his diet. “I didn’t give him anything.”

All their eyes went wide. 

Loz explained first with slight concern, “He's hungry. Really hungry.”

“He hasn't eaten since yesterday…” Yazoo added. 

Now it was Tifa's turn for shock to drain her face. Was that why he was so quiet? Because he was physically in pain from hunger but refused to leave Cloud's side? They had more than just these kids to worry about. Barret had less than six hours to find a mercenary for the mission that night. The conditions were perfect, just enough personnel away from their posts for this to work. They couldn’t lose this chance. Their ‘all hands on deck’ attitude was supposed to start the moment Tifa returned from her errands on the upper plate. There simply wasn't enough time for her to complete her task and for Barret to prepare with these young kids that won't leave. 

The boys most likely weren't spies, but they could easily let their location and gang name slip while in public. They needed the brothers out of the bar. That's when a bad but effective idea came to Tifa. If these children survived a day in the planes on their own, they could survive a walk up the road. 

“Here,” She spoke as she rushed behind the bar and grabbed one of the take out containers, immediately filling it with any random but not required to cook food from her pantry. The boys followed and she shoved them the container and a bag. “Take this to your brother and stay with him until I come and get you, got it? He's right up the road on the second floor of Stargazer Heights.”

Loz took the package and Yazoo headed for the door. 

“Thank you…” The only one with real manners spoke before catching a water bottle that apparently Barret tossed to them. 

“Gonna need this too,” The large man explained. 

“Thank you, sir. Thank you, Tifa,” Loz finally expressed a bit of gratitude, although he truly forgot the other adult’s name. 

Both boys literally ran out the door before anyone could get another word in. 

* * * 

Kadaj utterly devoured the meal the moment it landed in his hands, all but licking the container clean. None of the remnants realized how much they needed food until it landed in their grasps. For hours, the three boys rotated through shifts of protecting the door and listening for any groans from Big Brother. In the meantime, Yazoo informed Kadaj of their fabricated backstory and the two ironed out a few details before confirming with Loz. They were nearly caught building their lies by the landlady, but their deliberate speech gave off the air of a children’s game of pretend. They hated speaking like this, but it was the perfect way to hide their intentions. 

All three of them agreed to stay by Cloud’s side because for whatever reason, Cloud always found his way to Mother. The remnants didn’t know this world or this city in their prime. None of them developed any other plan for finding her, especially not when they were so weak. Staying by big brother’s side was currently their only option. 

Eventually, the landlady informed them of Tifa’s return to Seventh Heaven, and that she would have a friend there as well. Though they didn’t know who she referred to, the boys split apart again for Cloud’s safety. Yazoo and Loz returned to the bar and awkwardly avoided the little girl in a pink dress. They kidnapped her in their original world, and for unknown reasons, she absolutely wanted to play with them. Kadaj, as before, stayed behind. 

But he was tired. 

The exhaustion of the day began creeping up on him, and he found himself sitting on the ground with his arms and head on his knees. It almost claimed him entirely when he finally heard a groan, his attention clicking back to reality when the sound repeated. The source was just too far to be Cloud. He sighed and relaxed for a bit before the door at the far end of the balcony opened. 

A weak man in a tattered black cloak slowly slinked out of the apartment, and Kadaj instantly jumped to his feet and flicked his pocket knife open. 

Still, the man walked by as if the boy wasn’t there. 

Kadaj watched him until he left his view, holding the railing to see as much of this man as possible. He didn’t understand what that meant. The man almost, almost, reminded him of something. He must’ve been too on edge after everything that happened and found himself slumped against the door again. He hated the idea of needing rest already, but he felt its necessity. Just as he dared to close his eyes, someone shuffled behind the door. 

Movement of sheets. Movement of armor, of boots, of a massive weapon. 

He hopped up and knocked on the door. “Cloud, are you alright?”

Cloud stuttered a bit before responding, clearly startled by the sound, “Y-Yeah. I’m feeling a lot better.” There was a pause before he spoke again. “Why are you outside?”

“Because Tifa dragged me out,” He hissed at the memory. 

Another pause. “How long have you been out there?”

“Six hours.”

Cloud mumbled something along the lines of ‘for gods sake’ before finally unlatching and opening the door. Sure enough, a clear look of belief claimed his expression when he saw the black sky of green light pollution. His brows squeezed in confusion for a second before speaking to the boy. “Thank you for your help.”

Kadaj brushed off the obligatory response. “Tifa and my brothers are at the bar.” ‘My brothers’. It felt so wrong saying that aloud to him, but they needed the cover. They needed to separate ‘big brother’ from their vocabulary if they didn’t want any suspicion. 

“Can you take me there?”

The boy nodded. 

* * * 

Tifa positively beamed with excitement at Cloud’s recovery, completely ignoring the now four children sitting in her bar as she questioned him. Where had he been? What had he done? What else happened when the brothers found him? 

Cloud answered these as best he could, but his answers didn’t match Tifa’s truth. 

Something was missing, broken, fragmented, but she didn’t correct any of his odd claims. It took everything she had not to crush him in a crippling hug. She was just so happy he was okay. 

However, their joy together didn’t last. 

Barret and another man carried a woman with a red headband through the door, each one of them holding one arm. 

Kadaj groaned two words under his breath: “Not again...” All three boys immediately ran to their aid; one pulling over a chair, the other grabbing a wet cloth, the final snatching the first aid kid. 

“That ain’t gonna work,” Barret informed as he set her down. “Already tried that.”

“She needs a cast,” Cloud explained immediately, scanning the wound and only seeing one option for healing. 

Tifa shook her head, and her and the boys ripped open the first aid kit. “I don’t think I have any casting supplies.”

Yazoo grabbed a sealed bag and read it before ripping it open, taking out what seemed to be green mesh. “You do… This should work well enough if we wet it… It’s definitely expired but it shouldn’t be a problem…”

“Good enough for me,” The injured woman hissed. 

“Jessie, I am so so sorry. I should’ve stayed with you,” The new man insisted, practically bowing in apology, his voice whiny and pitched just too high. She waved him off just before he was hit in the head with something soft. He turned to the object and the attacker. “Hey! What was that for?”

“Wrap her leg in that first,” The smallest boy commanded without a hint of empathy. 

“Unless you want to cut her when removing the cast…” The long haired one explained while the largest ran to wet the plastic bands in the sink. 

“Okay be nice,” Tifa scolded as she rearranged the kit. “Both of you.” 

Though Kadaj absolutely deserved it, Yazoo stared in silent confusion, trying to figure out what he did wrong. Kadaj groaned before grabbing the spool of gauze he threw at the bumbling man with a handkerchief around his head and snappily handing it to him.

Soon, her leg was wrapped, Cloud doing a final inspection of the cast before introductions began once again. Once they were finally over, Tifa could ask questions. 

“Wedge, where's Biggs? Weren't you two-”

Wedge groaned loudly at the memory. “He ran after that merc the moment we set off the bomb-” There were four kids in the room, and he just realized that meant he needed to be careful with his words. Though he knew Barret's daughter, Marlene, wouldn't mind, he expected some kind of reaction from the tree boys. 

They didn't seem to care, and that alone grabbed the attention of all the eyes in the bar. Human pupils staring straight into snake's.

“What?” Loz spoke first in an annoyed and confused tone. 

“We've had to do a lot to survive without Mother… We understand extremes…” Yazoo covered with more half truths. 

“And some of the best solutions to any problem are to blow it up or burn it to the ground,” Kadaj stated far too factually, hoping they would mistake it for referencing monsters in the plains. At the concerned look from Cloud and Tifa, he explained, “Like fighting monsters? Fire materia is usually very effective.”

That slightly calmed their concern, but only slightly. 

Yazoo elbowed his little brother in the side. Kadaj winced but didn’t retaliate, for once. Gods he was tired of scoldings.

“Why don’t you kids wait outside while we explain, okay?” The injured woman suggested. 

“We are not leaving Cloud’s side,” The eldest countered immediately. 

“This is adult stuff. You don’t want to hear about it.”

“We saved him… We are not leaving him…” 

“You’re not leaving if you just sit on the porch.”

“I stayed outside his apartment door all day. I am not doing that again. We’re staying here.”

Tifa looked to Cloud for an answer, a solution or compromise, as the boys kept bickering with the gang. Cloud just shrugged. He didn’t have any ideas. 

“Cloud,” Tifa called, “Can I talk to you after this? Alone?”

The boys practically hissed at the suggestion before Cloud could even process it.

But Cloud nodded.

Whatever Jessie said to them after clearly pissed them off, because Cloud suddenly found himself completely surrounded by the three boys like guard dogs. 

Not a single one of the brothers spoke a word, all of their harden resolves visible in their glares. 

Wedge sighed, “Can we just stop arguing? Look, you guys can stay if you can keep a secret. And you cannot let it slip to anyone.”

They all nodded in agreement.

“Not a word…” Yazoo reassured. 

They hoped the simple silence from three children was enough, especially considering how much Marlene already knew. Wait a minute. 

“Marlene? You here, baby girl?” Barret called, and immediately she came out from behind the bar. 

“Daddy!” She yelled as she ran into his arms and he lifted her immediately. 

“There you are! Why were you hiding, sweetheart?” 

“Jessie was hurt and I didn’t wanna get in the way,” She explained, gaining a tight hug for her honesty. 

“Let’s get back on topic,” Jessie interrupted. They all silently agreed. 

Wedge finally cut the details in his explanation. “Long story short, Jessie got caught under debris. The merc wasn’t strong enough to get her free. Barret and I came back to help her, and the merc ran the moment we weren't looking. Biggs chased after him but we couldn’t help without leaving Jessie in the re- well, where we found her.”

Tifa gave a soft sigh. “So if we do this again, we at least need another merc.” They looked at her a little weird, so she specified, “We'd need another merc.”

So they were only down a single team member.

“I'm a merc,” Cloud suddenly spoke up, more like blurted, and he had to glance away when Tifa's perfect red eyes met his own with both worry and excitement.

“You’re a merc?” Barret questioned. 

“Yeah. Ex-SOLDIER. I can handle anything Shinra can throw at us.”

“Cloud-”

“Tifa, do you remember our promise?” He countered. 

The water tower. Of course she did. But this was the second time he used that memory against her. 

She sighed a bit, not wanting him to use this moment with that promise. “Of course I do, but-”

“I might not be fully recovered yet, I know. Is there anything I can fight down here to prove that I am?” 

Wedge perked up. “The neighborhood watch.” 

Cloud’s gaze immediately asked for the clarification.

“They basically do monster control around the scrap heaps. I know a few buddies that would love the help if you’re offering.”

“I’m offering.”

Tifa winced at Cloud’s answer but had a feeling he wouldn’t change his mind. She also knew she could handle the monsters without too much issue. It would be the perfect place to test Cloud’s abilities. “Okay…” She accepted hesitantly. “Tomorrow. 7:00. Don’t be late.”

Cloud nodded. “I won’t.”

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Thanks for reading!

Please Enjoy!

Chapter 5: The Mission

They knew no matter how well they prepared for this mission, new road blocks waited for them ahead. First it was Jessie’s fake IDs failing on the train, making them walk along the rails to try and find their way to Sector Five’s plate on foot. Cloud wasn’t sure how many times he was willing to follow the ‘AVALANCHE dog’ before he looked for his own path. However, Tifa and Barret convinced him to keep going. And it’s not like he’d ever say no to Tifa. He would complain about it though, but even then he was far more pleasant and accommodating than he was when they were kids. He was still kinder than she expected, yet that didn't reflect his swordsmanship in the slightest. 

Cloud was a beast on the battlefield. 

Every enemy in range met their end quickly with their little party of three. Barret even made a joke of ‘where were you on our first mission’ before giving him a hearty laugh. Cloud rolled his eyes, but the smallest of a playful smirk played on his lips. Things were starting to get back on track before they wasted even more time trying to understand and activate the correct sunlamps to continue their way. Who designed something like this? This probably wasted more energy than it saved. 

Luckily, things looked more familiar when they entered the reactor. Various elevators, twisting paths, endless rooms filled with security robots and personnel, all expected obstacles they were well practiced in taking down at this point. Cloud’s SOLDIER healing was absolutely something else. At very least, Tifa swore she saw bullets that didn’t break his skin. He wasn’t a perfect fighter, but he was leagues better than any mercenary in the slums. Shinra’s defenses had certainly changed since the last mission though. But since this was Cloud and Tifa's first one, neither noticed the difference. 

Despite their skills, Cloud found himself looking back after nearly every battle. This may not be the stealthiest operation, but he kept seeing things moving at the very end of his periphery, only to completely vanish when he turned. He was understandably on edge in general, but this only added to it. If Shinra wanted to attack, they would wait until they were vulnerable, especially after destroying every machine thrown at them. And yet, he brushed the feeling off as they entered the mako chamber, convincing himself it was just first mission jitters. 

He was wrong. Very. Very. Wrong. The blobs from the corner of his eye finally slipped into sight after failing to silently climb down the ladder in mako storage. Correction: one of them failed, landing with just enough force for Cloud's SOLDIER enhanced hearing to catch. The other two were still on the ladder, but they instantly realized it was too late. 

They were supposed to be at the bar. 

They were supposed to be watching Marlene. 

They were supposed to be under the Sector Seven plate without causing any trouble, like they all agreed to. 

“What the hell are you doing here!?” Cloud’s voice boomed up the high walls of the reactor. Only after hearing Cloud’s call did Barret and Tifa turn to assess the threat. Neither one of them expected to see the three boys that saved Cloud in the middle of the mission. 

“What is wrong with you three?! Did you abandon my baby girl!?” Barret yelled next. “Are you three tryin’ to die an early death? Because if she has a single scratch on her-”

The brothers stood silently, looking at Tifa for the final questions to be thrown at them. However, the eldest’s eyes were already watery from the scolding. 

Tifa just stared in shock at the three silver haired boys in black within the mako glow of the chamber. Her hands started shaking, her eyes on the sword the youngest used. 

When they realized she wouldn’t respond, they answered the father’s questions first. 

“We left Marleen with Marle to be safe… They’re both at the apartments…” Yazoo answered first. 

“We told you we’re protecting Big Brother,” Loz spoke after swiping off his tears. “No matter what.”

“And do you have any idea how easy it is to follow you guys when you take out every security measure in the building?” 

“Don’t be smart with us,” Cloud scolded, fury in his eyes. Yes, he was kind to them before but it was borderline suicide for three ten year olds to go on an ecoterrorist mission, no matter their skills. “You could’ve been killed. Can be killed.” 

“By what- all the broken machines?” 

His mako glare sharpened. “What did I just say?!”

Shoot. They really pissed him off. His increased emotions were acting against them now. They needed to be careful with their next words. 

“We just wanted to protect you…” 

“Y’all ain’t protectin’ anyone if Shinra kills you boys!”

They all looked away, shutting their mouths from the next snippy comment to come out of their mouths. 

Cloud growled a sigh, frustratingly accepting this absolute mess of a scenario. Yet before he spoke, Tifa grabbed the back of his arm, her hands still shaking. He looked at her and all his anger vanished. Her head was down, blocking his eyes from hers with her head and her hair. She was nearly cowering, clinging to him in protection. “Tifa…?” He spoke as softly as he could. “Are you alright…?”

She should’ve been the angriest after everything these three put her through. She should’ve scolded him for his ridiculous ‘eye for an eye’ mentality, to protect them because they protected him no matter what they did. She should’ve thrown them to the first orphanage she could find long before this mission began, but he was the one that stopped her from trying. Yet she was quiet and trembling, not an ounce of frustration boiling in her. “Let’s just finish this… Please…”

I’m sick of this…

I’m sick of all of this!

The memory hit Cloud like a truck and he wrapped his arms around her in comfort. Their hometown. The fire. Her father. The reactor. 

“Let’s just set the bomb…”

He wanted to obey, but he glanced back at the three boys that weren’t supposed to know any of this. 

“It's too late now. Just set the bomb and let’s get out of here,” She steeled her voice against her emotions. 

“Okay… Yeah…” Cloud hesitantly agreed, trying not to upset her any further. “We’re too deep in this now. We have to pull through.”

“You three are gettin’ one hell of a scolding when we get back.” Barret glared at the kids again before setting up the bomb. 

“Is it a timer or do you have a remote?” Cloud questioned. 

“Remote controlled,” Barret stated almost proudly while holding up the controller. “Gives us plenty of time to get out. Especially with this extra cargo.”

The youngest brother nearly hissed, his eye twitching once at his frustration towards them and the truth he couldn't reveal. The other two just glanced away like disobedient children. 

After they set up the bomb and double checked everything worked, they headed back to the lone ladder they all came down. But the ladder quickly lifted up the second they were in reach. 

Shinra was watching them. The director of security, Heidegger literally laughed at them and put the group on the news, stating that they were not only the ecoterrorists responsible for destruction surrounding Mako Reactor One, but that they also used child soldiers as backup, brainwashing and forcing them to obey. Of course none of the boys cared about the comment, but it absolutely painted AVALANCHE in a deadly light. The director sentenced them to death and told them exactly where it waited: the only exit in the reactor.

As a group, the six members made their way through the remainder of the facility, sending sections of the incomplete mech to a defective equipment room in order to limit its attacks. The boys tried to climb directly on the rails guiding the remaining equipment to destroy each one directly, but the adults all informed that messing with the assembly line itself could let Shinra catch wind of their plan, so they jumped down and hunted for key cards in every room they entered. 

Everything was relatively normal until they all finally made it to the catwalk on the way out of the reactor. Multiple drones suddenly flew past them before projecting a cyan hologram of President Shinra himself. Regardless of the weapons before them, the three brothers surrounded Cloud and nearly growled in their battle stances. Guns out, blades in hand, fists at the ready. The drones scanned each of the adults first to give the president a perfect view of his enemies. 

“Oho. The eyes of one who has bathed in mako…” Clearly Cloud caught the president’s attention. “Which would make you a SOLDIER?”

Cloud drew his blade, the slightest scowl on his face. “Ex-SOLDIER.”

“Once a SOLDIER, always a SOLDIER. Though not, alas, for very long.” The president continued as Tifa looked to Cloud in concern, “Accelerated cellular degradation being the most common cause of death by far. This is classified, of course, but every SOLDIER knows the truth.”

Cloud’s eyes hit the ground before he forced them back up with a glare. “...That’s right.”

“Yet knowing that, you still…” He cut himself off, clearly recognizing something. “...How did you find these children?”

“It doesn’t matter how,” Kadaj snipped. 

“It most certainly does. Those are more than mako eyes. You three should go back to the lab, where you belong.”

“We’re staying here!” The eldest barked.

“We’re not your property…”

The president scoffed. “Everything involving him is ours.”

Kadaj immediately slashed the closest drone in two, rage already staining his breath. He was very tired of everything in every world circling back to him. “We’re not his either!”

The reaction made him raise an eyebrow, far more than anything else they got out of him. “Still, you’d make fine additions to SOLDIER. Where you belong.”

All of the boys nearly hissed at that.

“Think you forgettin’ someone!?” Barret finally pulled the president’s attention away, going on his usual rant about mako, the planet, and the Lifestream. The president brushed him off as pawns, his company’s propaganda spinning AVALANCHE’s little story as he saw fit. 

Despite Barret’s back talk, the time for talking was over. Heidegger took over the hologram and released the Airbuster, giving the order of execution barring the three silver haired boys. The children were to be taken alive. 

They instantly broke into pairs to take down the massive mech. Its attacks constantly shifted from destroying them head on and charging large attacks while barely within targets of long ranged weapons. Yazoo paired up with Tifa to make up for her lack of ranged options. Loz paired with Barret in order to do more damage when the mech was on the ground. Kadaj used their ‘take them alive’ order and his height to his advantage by attacking its hover engines underneath it. However, he could not survive under their heat for long, so he constantly shifted sides despite his obvious intention to stay by Cloud’s.

Was fighting alongside three small children against a mech on a terrorist mission extremely strange? Yes.

Was it as difficult as they expected it to be? Yes and no. 

Despite their intentions, the combination of their weaker weapons and their inferior strength barely allowed any significant damage. However, against a foe like this, even the slightest damage mattered over time. All six of them couldn’t fight this thing forever, and they knew more security would be on its way if the machine looked like it was failing. The faster its death, the better. However, the boys needed to be extremely careful with the downgrade of these child-like forms. One dead on attack and they’d be lucky to be out of commission. Gods this was frustrating. 

They didn’t know if they lived or died when the machine’s self destruction blew the team apart. A large section of the catwalk was destroyed in the explosion, five of them flung towards the exit, but one dangling on the opposite side. 

“Cloud!”

“Big Brother!” 

All of them ran to the closest edge to see the blonde SOLDIER holding on, unable to drop the massive sword in his other hand. 

“We don't have long to get clear,” Barret stated the dark truth first. They didn’t have the time or ability to save Cloud now.

But he was more concerned with them than himself. “Take Tifa and the boys, and get outta here!”

“We’re not leaving!” The eldest brother yelled and was immediately pulled back by Barret. “No matter what!”

“This ain't the end of the line for you or me!”

“What are you doing…?” The middle brother asked.

The surviving drones began shooting before he could answer. They didn’t have time to think before thr bomb in the reactor detonated and fire wooshed out of the entrance. Cloud had no choice but to let go. 

“CLOUD!”

None of them were ready for something like this, and only one thought fast enough to succeed. Cloud tried to use his grappling to save himself. 

Yet when it failed, Kadaj jumped. 

Both of the boys yelled their brother’s name while holding onto the only two adults that remained, reaching but unable to will their instincts and bodies to let go and chase after their brothers. Barret lifted the eldest up and grabbed Tifa’s arm.

“We have to go. Now.”

She shook her head quickly and tried to focus on protecting what she could, even if it was the boys that looked like the man who killed her father but saved her childhood friend.

* * * 

Everyone was quiet. No one spoke a word until they were ‘safe’ again with Shinra finally off their tails but at what cost?

The boys had no idea what was supposed to happen on that mission even in their own world. They failed. If they're the reason their big and even little brothers died, through this butterfly effect, then what the hell were they supposed to do now? They didn't know what to do in general, let alone with this… feeling that wouldn't go away, one that kept their eyes down and their movements sluggish. 

Tifa certainly had more of this odd status effect than Barret at least. It seemed Barret's little affirmations that Cloud would be okay only did so much to soothe her. 

Even if Cloud survived the fall, the chances Kadaj did too were little to none. Not in these bodies. Not in this world. It wasn't like they couldn't function without each other. But Loz couldn't stop tears from falling and quite honestly it was just annoying to him at this point. He wasn't sobbing or incapable of doing other tasks, but his eyes and his throat were cursed with these stuttering emotions. Yazoo simply couldn't break out of somber silence, sitting at the bar with his arm supporting his head, his silver hair brushing the counter with his occasional shift. 

Neither Barret or Tifa scolded the boys for going on the mission. They already knew exactly what they did. And Loz had a nearly soaked sleeve to prove it. 

“Come on,” Tifa pushed, placing a meal closer. Some kind of egg dish that normally looked so appetizing to them. “You gotta eat.”

They shook their heads and stayed quiet, occasionally moving a chunk of food around the plate with a fork. 

“Biggs is on his way. He'll be here in twenty,” Barret informed, finally giving them the distraction they needed. “Says he's got some info for us.”

Tifa nodded, trying to force her mind on the next task rather than the boys in front of her. She should take them to the orphanage in Sector Five. It would absolutely be better than anything she can provide while working with AVALANCHE. 

“Are you going to abandon us too…?” Though extremely small, Yazoo’s question cut deep into their hearts. Neither adult answered. 

“Why don’t you eat, and then we can talk, okay?” Tifa tried to avoid the idea, but they clearly noticed her dodge. In fact, they dropped their forks entirely and huffed into their own hands. Tifa and Barret just sighed. It wasn’t like force feeding would help either. 

Luckily, the doors to the bar opened, but they were all confused. Biggs was absolutely too far out and the sign clearly said they were closed-

Tifa’s eyes locked on the man that entered. 

He’s alive. 

He’s alive!

She ran out from behind the bar to greet him in a deadly hug for doing something so stupidly risky. But she stopped herself. 

It was Cloud, blonde spiky hair and all but… he looked different. He wasn’t wearing the SOLDIER uniform anymore. That wolf earring was definitely new, so was the wolf on his shoulder pad. And why was he carrying so many swords? He would never part with the Buster Sword. 

Only the two Remnants knew exactly who they were looking at. It was Cloud. But it was the one they knew. From their time. From their world. They recognized him instantly. And he absolutely recognized them. 

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Thanks for reading!