25 Years After the Fact Introduction

The World As It Is

By The Ionic Butterfly

People's lives and the World itself had to be rebuilt after Cloud Strife's trip into the Lifestream to finish off Sephiroth. Heroes were established that day, but the world needed new ways to survive so that history would not repeat itself. The use of Mako Energy had to be greatly limited. Materia had to be destroyed because the potential danger was too big of a risk. The World needed new leaders as towns and cities were rebuilt from the mass destruction already caused. So what is the World like? Where are the heroes now?

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Oddly enough, the average person refused to believe the stories of the Cetra and a creation called Sephiroth and used the Shinra corporation as a scapegoat.What was left of the Shinra fell apart too ashamed to admit to being part of what nearly caused Armageddon. Reeve remained the only one to admit to the folly. After word of how Reeve had turned traitor to Shina in the end, the people held a mass election for a new president. Reeve accepted his new power with an oath to make the World what it was created to be. He moved Headquarters to a point east of Midgar, and built a tall building much like the one Diamond Weapon destroyed.

The near destruction of the planet made many people lose hope. When their hope was revived by the complete destruction of Meteor, people joined together to find new ways to survive. They rebuilt their hometowns and began using pure electricity by means of hydroelectricity, geothermal techniques, solar energy, and even nuclear power in the case of the Gold Saucer.

With the help of some friends (with great emphasis on Yuffie Kisaragi), Reeve collected all the materia of the world and destroyed it. This way no one could ever use materia for personal gain. Many people argued with this at first, claiming it was an infringement of private property laws, or the fact that Restore and Revive materia could be used in hospitals. Reeve stayed adamant in his plans for destruction. Yuffie only helped him with the plans of keeping a few shiny balls for the good of Wutai, but Reeve knew her better and made sure it was all destroyed.

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Even after 25 years, the World is still getting used to the new ways of life. Cloud Strife resides in Neo-Midgar (formerly known as Midgar). He chose to live there over Nibelheim because Nibelheim, even rebuilt, was too painful a memory for him. Cloud, Tifa, Barrett, and Marlene had worked for a couple of years rebuilding Midgar, tearing down the columns so that sun would shine in on the slums. Cloud saw to it that the Cathedral was restored, and he went to pray there to Aeris at least once a month. They renamed the city Neo-Midgar.

After Tifa's 7th Heaven was up and open for business again, Cloud realized he had no job or long-term plans like Tifa did. There was no doubt in his mind that he loved her and always had. She had given him a job as a bartender until he could find something to do. One night after closing while Tifa and Cloud were cleaning up alone, he seemed nervous and kept fidgeting with something in his pocket.

"What is the matter with you?" Tifa asked, eyeing him from across the bar.

"You know I love you, don't you?" he blurted. He wanted his words back as soon as they were out.

Tifa cocked her head to the side and folded her arms. "What kind of trick is this?" she asked.

"I said I love you. And after all we've been through, I can't..." he stopped and sighed.

Tifa leaned over the bar. "Cloud... come here." He moved his face in closer. She took his hand. She pressed the ring she had been keeping in hopes of asking Cloud to marry her into his hand. What shocked her was Cloud was pressing the ring he had been keeping into her hand.

As they locked hands and they realized what was happening, they gripped each other's hand tightly. Tifa's eyes welled up with tears as Cloud closed his and kissed her hand. When their eyes met again, they both said "Yes," at the same time. The very next month they were married.

The marriage was a good one for the most parts. Cloud and Tifa did have their little spats, but they worked through them. Five years after the day the world was saved, a baby girl was born to Tifa and Cloud. Cloud was a proud father, and he insisted on the only name he found logical. Tifa agreed Aeris Lockheart-Strife was a good name for her. Three and a half years after Aeris' birth, a son was born. Cloud felt it was only right to name him Zack, but Tifa wanted to name him Tomas. He was named Zachary Tomas Strife. As he grew older the name Tomas suited him better, and that was what he became known as.

Cloud was happy with his girl and boy, and felt that the family was big enough. Tifa wanted one more child. Cloud had an eerie feeling about it, but gave into his wife's wishes. Tifa became pregnant, wanting this child more than ever. Cloud still got the feeling something was very wrong.

Tifa awoke one night in extreme pain, screaming for a doctor. Cloud found a doctor named Dr. Brierley. The man seemed very odd, and it wouldn't be until much later that Cloud would find out he idolized Hojo and studied a lot of his work. Tifa was sent to a hospital in Mideel. Then the choice was laid at Cloud's feet. Either Tifa and the baby both die, or the baby gets injected with the last of the World's Jenova cells and both survive. Cloud listened to the process five or six times not comprehending anything but the loss of his wife and children's mother. He chose life, and his third and final child, a son named Amadeus, was born prematurely.

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Barret Wallace, after helping build Neo-Midgar, was asked to be the mayor of Corel. Having money to send Marlene to one of the new universities set up made him take the job. He gave Corelians a new purpose for life. He forced them to build a better town, and with the help of Dio and his nuclear power plant, the people had jobs and began to forgive him for his sins. A better prison was also built, along with a hotel for those people who didn't have enough gil to stay at the Gold Saucer.

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Marlene went to school finally, and studied to be an astronomer like her hero, Shera Highwind at Rocket Town School of Aero-Dynamics. She also convinced her father that there was no need for the gun grafted into his arm, and saw to it that he had it taken out. A cybernetic arm she herself designed was put in its place. She married a man from Rocket Town and settled there.

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After realizing his grandfather Bugenhagen was really one with the Lifestream, Nanaki fell into a depression. Cosmo Canyon hadn't been harmed that much by the meteor showers, but everyone began looking to him for guidance. Bugenhagen came to him in a dream one night and called him the coward he had believed Seto, his father, to be for abandoning the people of the Canyon.

Nanaki became enraged in himself, and fought for a way to make the people like him. He founded Cosmo Canyon University, where many of the Worlds future intellects came to study.

He spent many nights sleeping at the foot of his father's petrifyed body begging him for ideas. "Tell the truth," his heart felt his father say one night. He then hired a girl at the university to write down everything that was the truth about the Jenova Project, Sephiroth, the Cetra, the materias, and everyone's role in saving the world. He felt that whether or not people believed it was beside the point. It needed to be written. It actually sold a lot of copies once printed, but people believed it was fairy tales.

After everything was written, he fell in love with the World. Seeing a beautiful sunset was enough to keep him happy for days. Playing in the Ancient Forest also helped lift his spirits.

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Cid Highwind was delighted when Reeve restarted the space exploration projects. He helped build four rockets, and went into space twelve more times. Shera went with him every time. Somehow Shera got him to marry her. When they got too old to go into space, they found a school to train astronauts.

Cid got the chance to go into space with Marlene on her first trip. He insisted that Shera stay behind. Cid was looking out of the window into the stars when he felt his life gently creeping away from him. When the rocket returned home, it was launched into space with only Cid's body inside to be a burial in space.

Shera was torn apart, but she smiled and didn't let anyone know. Sometimes alone in her home she could smell Cid's cigarettes and hear him griping at her because she didn't have tea made for him. The memories kept her going and she continued teaching at Rocket Town School of Aero-Dynamics.

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On the day that the world was saved, Vincent asked Cloud to take him to Lucretia's Cave. Cloud obliged, and no one has heard from him since.

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Yuffie Kisaragi was suprised to find most of her new friends were willing to give up their materia so she could bring honor to Wutai. The fact that she didn't have to steal it amazed her. But when Reeve ordered all materia to be destroyed, Godo refused to give what Yuffie had brought to Wutai back.

With the hopes that Reeve would maybe let her keep a few pieces of materia, she helped him gather all the materia in the World. She even stole from her father. Reeve did not give her any materia, yet strangely enough she was merely dissappointed and went on about her way.

Since Wutai had barely been touched by the meteor showers, people began moving there. This enraged Yuffie that her father would sit back and watch foriegners take over their homeland. But she endured it. She began training harder than ever to become stronger, and had what true blood Wutanese(?) she could find train hard with her.

She didn't hate her father. How could she? They were one of the same person. She was genuinely sad when her father died three years after the World was saved. But she was the new lord of the village, and with her new army, things would be different. Wutai was going to go back to its roots.

Reeve signed an order for Yuffie giving all people without Wutanese blood six months to move out of Wutai or be evicted by force. This made a lot of people mad but not one single Wutanese complained. Limited tourism was allowed, and vacations there were limited to a few days. Yuffie was certain this would bring about the old ways and put Wutai back in the world as a major power.

One woman who was evicted from Wutai became, shall we say, disgruntled. She came back on a tour one day some nine months later. She visited the cat-house and left her newborn son inside. A note attatched to his cloth diaper read, "To Miss Kisaragi, who has broken my life. I know wish you all the terror I have known." The name "Lucas" had been carefully printed across the baby's chest.

Yuffie was enraged. She found the baby and her first feelings were anger because the mother had abandoned the baby. When the baby began to cry, her heart twitched. She held the baby within the cat-house, and she began to cry. Even though the baby was clearly not Wutanese, she was sure he would be raised in Wutai. She and another woman who had just bore a stillborn baby would raise Lucas.

Tourism and vacationing stopped completely for a few weeks while Yuffie had walls put up around Wutai. Once the walls were up, very strict visiting regiments were set up. It became very difficult for anyone Yuffie didn't know personally to get within the walls.

She also traveled a lot, ending up stuck in the end of time (yes, a Chrono Trigger reference!) for what felt like five years to her but was only gone a day in her World with Cloud. She helped raise Aeris by showing her how to train to become a fighter like herself.

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Four Universities were founded. The Rocket Town School of Aero-Dynamics, Cosmo Canyon University, Southern Temple College (built over the Ancient Temple ruins), and Junon Harbor Military School.

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This is the way the world is 25 years after the fact. What happens when Aeris, pursuing her acting career at STC, finds a script to the classic play "Loveless" and her director wants to stage it? Who is Lucas, and what does his destiny hold in store? Why does Cloud fear his own son, Amadeus? What plans does Dr. Brierley have in mind? Will Yuffie ever find love? And did she REALLY let all the World's materia be destroyed? What happened to Vincent? How will Cloud react to Aeris' boyfriend? What will Marlene find in space that Cid never dreamed of? Is the World safe from another evil like Sephiroth or Shinra?

All these questions I plan to answer in my fanfics to come. Please send your gripes and/or likes to aurelia_@yahoo.com. I simply love criticism. Let me know which questions you'd like answered first if you like this and it might persuade the order I write in. My next fanfic is tentavely titled "Final Fantasy VII: 25 Years After the Fact: Loveless." Thanks for reading! {^_^}

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