Character Information Permissions Relationships Application Contact/Concrit

CLOUD STRIFE | FINAL FANTASY VII

code | art

NAME: Cloe
PERSONAL: strifed.dreamwidth.org
EMAIL/MESSENGER(S): billa.ka@live.com | phasexviii (rarely get on aim)

How's my driving of Heero? Is he too ooc or is he just right? Feedback is 100% appreciated. Comments are screened, feel free to comment as an anon, and no IP address tracking. ♥

Canon mates Name text Game mates Name text

Name Canon RELATIONSHIP Text here. BACK TO TOP

code by cawaii

IC INFORMATION
NAME: Cloud Strife
SERIES: Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
CANON POINT: After Sephiroth has sliced him up. (Wounds to his arms/legs/hands/stomach)
HISTORY: Cloud was born in a small town, Nibelheim. His hometown was something he held dear to him, even if he didn't really talk to others. Much like he is now, he was shy and reserved, not one to say a lot either. While most of the kids got along and played games, he never participated in the games. He never really had any 'friends' until he met a young girl. Ever the curious girl, she got herself into some trouble on the outskirts of Nibelheim. Cloud was the one who saved her. He learned that her name was Tifa Lockhart. Who in the future would become one of his closest friends. Even though he saved her, she fell into a coma. In which everyone in town blamed Cloud for what happened. Once she woke up, they quickly became friends, almost inseparable. Her near death experience got Cloud to thinking and worrying about her, wanting to protect her no matter what. There was only one thing he knew of that would accomplish that. One night they met by the central water tower to talk and share their thoughts. Cloud told her about his decision to leave Nibelheim to be in the SOLDIER program. He wanted to be like Sephiroth, a 1st class SOLDIER and hero. They made a promise that night and when Cloud left, he kept that promise fresh in his mind. He would return back to Nibelheim once he was a SOLDIER.

It's too bad to say that he never achieves it. He worked as hard as he could to be a SOLDIER, but it seemed he could only fail. He accomplished becoming a Shinra Infantryman, one who only fought with a night stick and sometimes firearms. He patrolled the streets and went on a few missions that were lead by SOLDIERS, but that was mainly it. He didn't feel like he'd accomplished anything. It was like his dream was too far away from him. Then the one thing he needed to help fuel his passion came into his life. Zack Fair, 1st class SOLDIER and probably one of Cloud's dearest friends in Shinra. As they walked through the mountains toward the destination for the mission, they found out that they had quite a bit in common. After arriving in Modeoheim, the blond was soon injured by someone who looked to be Angeal, a SOLDIER that had abandoned his comrades and friends. Though for whatever reason, Cloud didn't know. He soon recovered from his injury and sometime after that, he was awed by the powerful Buster Sword that Zack wielded.

Not long after that, Cloud was put on a mission to Junon with Zack and a few others. There were reports of an outbreak of Genesis copies. They needed to be found and disposed of. Cloud didn't expect to find himself leaning against a wall with a stomach ache after getting off the chopper. Zack gave him words of encouragement before he left to finish his mission. The words warmed Cloud and helped him push forward from that moment on.

The two met once again when Cloud was graced with the honor to work with Zack and Sephiroth. They were assigned to inspect a Mako Reactor in Nibelheim, Cloud's hometown. Cloud outright refused to show his face in the town when they arrived, not even when Tifa would ask about him. Nobody but Cloud seemed to know the reasons as to why the blond didn't want to show his face, and he wasn't about to tell them why. After being there for several days, after the Mako Reactor had been inspected, the one thing that Cloud didn't want happened. Nibelheim was burned to the ground, the townspeople slaughtered. It was like waking up in a nightmare. The person behind all of this was none other than Sephiroth himself.

Cloud took off after the General to the Mako Reactor, where the man talked about going to 'Mother'. When he reached the Reactor, he found a wounded Tifa on the stairs. Seeing her wounded sent Cloud into a blood red rage, tossing all thoughts of caution to the wind. He wasn't in the least bit put off when he witnessed Sephiroth defeating Zack. While the silver haired man turned his back, the blond picked up the very sword that Zack wielded and attacked the man from behind. What he thought was a killing slash, turned out to not be so killing. He returned to Tifa's side to help her into a position where she could rest, leaving her once again to help Zack. What he didn't expect to see was Sephiroth to come back with the head of Jenova with him. Cloud tried once again to confront Sephiroth, though this time he found himself impaled upon Masamune, staring into the angry eyes of the General. Somewhere deep inside of him, he found the strength to grab the blade of Masamune and toss the General against a wall. He watched as Sephiroth fell deep into the reactor, soon falling over himself from his injuries. The worst was still yet to come.

Zack and himself were experimented on for four years by Hojo. Cloud wasn't used to the extreme exposure of Mako like the members of SOLDIER were, so he reacted negatively to it. Cloud soon fell into what was known as a Mako Addiction after being injected with Jenova cells, a symptom where the victim is numb and unresponsive, similar to a coma.

Though the gods seemed to be on Cloud's side. Zack somehow got them both out of the mansion. He dressed the blond in a 1st class SOLDIER uniform and decided to take care of the unresponsive boy. He helped the blond along as they ran from Shinra, heading toward Midgar. He talked to Cloud about the things they could do once they were in Midgar, not put off by the fact that Cloud couldn't talk to him. They were intercepted by Shinra half way to Midgar, sadly. Zack left Cloud where he figured he would be safe, not noticing that the blond was actually coming out of his coma like state. The blond reached for Zack's retreating back as he went to give his life to protect Cloud. When Cloud could finally move, he dragged himself to his slowly dying friend. Zack reached with a hand to pull Cloud's head to his chest, smearing his cheek with his blood as he talked. With his last breath, Zack told Cloud to live for them both. He gave the blond his Buster Sword, along with the words: "You will be my living legacy".

Cloud grieved for his lost friend, but soon stood with a new mission in his own mind. Shinra was now his enemy. He bid his now dead best friend goodbye, thanking him and also wishing him goodnight. He crossed the last few miles to Midgar with the Buster Sword in hand.

A year passed as he regained his stability back. Though he seemed to change in this one year. At least, on the outside. As he regained his stability, he put up walls around himself, coming off as a cold and uncaring mercenary. He met up with Tifa in Midgar and joined the terrorist group AVALANCHE, who were fighting against the company that was destroying the planet. Cloud was a true asset to their group when he claimed to be an ex-SOLDIER 1st class as they continued their efforts, first bombing the Mako Reactors. They continued this for quiet awhile before fate popped its head into Cloud's life again. During one of their scheduled bombings, they were confronted by Shinra. One of the bridges in the reactors was destroyed, sending Cloud tumbling to what others thought was his death.

However, he didn't die. When he woke up, he found himself in a church full of flowers. In this church is where he met Aerith Gainsborough, the flower girl who lived in the church. Cloud didn't stay long with the beautiful girl, knowing he needed to go in search of the other members of AVALANCHE. Before he could leave though, Shinra found him and challenged him to get past them. Aerith and him narrowly escaped them, taking off to find the other members. She asked him to be her bodyguard, since she would likely be captured at any moment if she was on her own. They came across Tifa, who was alive and well, though she was taken captive by a man named Don Corneo. A perverted man who was believed to have control over the slums. They obviously had to infiltrate and rescue Tifa from him, but they ran into a dilemma. Just how were they going to infiltrate if he didn't normally let just any man walk in? Well that was quite an easy task. Aerith came up with the idea to dress Cloud up in a dress, much to his dismay. She gave him a quick rundown of how to act like a lady and they both went in. He played the part as well as he could, getting both of them into the establishment and Don's chambers. After rescuing Tifa and confronting the perverted man, they soon realized they were tricked and found themselves in the sewers of Midgar. They eventually made it out of the sewers and went in search of the other members of AVALANCHE.

They came across Barret and a few other members who were fighting against Shinra soldiers. A redhead that went by the name of Reno stepped up to fight Cloud and the others, keeping them busy long enough to have Aerith captured. When he got exactly what he wanted, Reno set off a bomb that they'd set beforehand, the support for the plate above them being blown to pieces. The plate fell and killed many, including comrades of Cloud, Barret, and Tifa. They had no time to mourn though, they needed to go save Aerith. They left without looking back, making their way to the upper level of Midgar where Shinra's headquarters were located. They infiltrated the building in search of Aerith. Cloud soon found her in a room where she was being kept as they did experiments on her. It was there that they met Red XIII, a red animal who was very intelligent and could actually speak. He escaped with the others, but their victory wouldn't be long lived at all. They were captured and imprisoned, destined to be executed for what they had done. When the time finally came that the doors to their rooms were open, it wasn't for their fate. What awaited them on the other side of those doors was something that shocked them all.

Blood was spattered across the walls and floors, the bodies of the employees and others as well littering the way. They followed the trail of destruction, which led them to the President's room. They all stood in shock when they entered the room, the President was impaled on a long sword, a sword that was familiar to Cloud and Tifa. There was only one man who wielded that sword, none other than ex-General 1st class SOLDIER Sephiroth himself.

Before they were found, they needed to use the moment and escape to regroup. Their escape led to a high speed chase, to which Cloud defended the others on a stolen motorcycle while they were in a car. He fended off their pursuers until they were safely away from Midgar. The city was no longer a safe haven for them anymore. Now that they were wanted, the city was being heavily searched to find them. Cloud took the initiative as leader, taking them to Kalm. It was there that he told them about his past regarding Nibelheim five years ago. From then on, it was only a matter of time before Cloud could finally get revenge for the pain he still felt about his now gone hometown. As they traveled, they met allies along the way, who joined them on their long journey. Each person became a close friend to Cloud, people that he would never forget as they got closer to their goal. Everyone was also shown a different side to Cloud. His tough outer shell seemed to soften, a bit of his past self shining through those gaps.

The party soon found themselves in the ruins of the Ancients, Cait Sith having taken the key to it from Shinra, his employer. They came across the Black Materia, a power that was capable of summoning Meteor to strike the planet. Cloud took possession of the materia so that Sephiroth couldn't unleash the power it possessed. Unfortunately for them, Sephiroth soon showed his face to take what was his. Some how Cloud had a breakdown, his mind going entirely blank for a moment, just long enough to give up the Black materia to Sephiroth. Cloud couldn't understand why he had given it up to the silver haired killer, beating himself up over the fact that he could be the reason for the world being destroyed now. Aerith stopped him from thinking that, sharing her thoughts on the whole thing. She could follow Sephiroth and summon Holy to counter Sephiroth should he ever use the materia. The blond agreed and the party went their separate ways.

Cloud eventually found Aerith again. This time as she was kneeling in a silent prayer. He watched her, happy that he found her again. This relief was over all too soon as Sephiroth appeared from above, stabbing the girl in the chest with Masamune. He ran to her when the silver haired man threw her off of his sword, picking her up with tears in his eyes. This was the second time he would lose someone so important to him. Sephiroth left him once again, leaving behind a remnant of Jenova and words that would forever be burned in Cloud's mind: You are a puppet.

Despite his obvious distress, Cloud continued to lead the others on, putting his emotions behind him so that they could find Sephiroth. They ended up at the Northern Crater, where the first Meteor that carried Jenova hit the planet. That location was supposed to be where the 'Reunion' was supposed to happen at, hooded figures having whispered that and 'Sephiroth', which were the clues they followed that led them to this location. They eventually got back the Black materia, but it wasn't for long. Cloud was once again controlled by Sephiroth, giving the materia back to him once again. Shinra had also witnessed this happening and Hojo explained how Cloud was being controlled just like a puppet. It was because of the Jenova cells that now ran through his veins from the experiments before, a failed clone of Sephiroth as Hojo called him. The crater started to erupt as Sephiroth summoned Meteor, putting the planet in grave danger.

The party was able to escape, only to be caught by Shinra as they were escaping. As for Cloud, he was lost in the Lifestream. He was soon found on a beach on the outskirts of Mideel, but he was back in that coma like state from before because of the Mako Addiction. He didn't give any indication that he remembered the others, much less showing any chances of recovering from this state. He spoke, but only to ask questions that the others didn't understand. They were attacked by the Ultimate WEAPON, the monster destroying Mideel and sending both Cloud and Tifa into a sea of Mako and the Lifestream.

Cloud was finally able to regain his memories this time. He remembered that he was never a SOLDIER, much less a 1st class one, ever. He only made it as far as an Infantryman. He remembered Zack and it all came together. When the SOLDIER told him his last words, Cloud's memories were destroyed due to trauma from the Mako and Jenova cell exposure. Tifa and him emerged from the Lifestream after all of that, both exhausted from what just happened. Cloud was no longer living a lie, but back to his own self before the trauma happened.

The party reunited to finish this once and for all. They traveled to Midgar to stop the WEAPON that was fast approaching the city. The WEAPON managed to destroy most of the Shinra tower, but it was destroyed by the Sister Cannon that Shinra had transported in. The cannon also destroyed the barrier around the Northern Crater, leaving Sephiroth defenseless. They defeated Hojo and finished what they needed to in the city, leaving to what they hoped was the final showdown with the ex-General.

The party went their separate ways to finish up business that they needed to before the fight, leaving just Cloud and Tifa together. Now was the time to finally get the revenge Cloud wanted and he wouldn't let it slip through his fingers without a fight. The team reunited with each other and headed to what they hoped was the final battle. They cut through the remnant of Jenova that waited for them and came face to face with Sephiroth. It seemed the man refused to go down without a fight, to which the party gave it to him. He controlled them with his power, ready as ever to kill them. Only Cloud was able to notice a white light behind the man. It looks like Aerith didn't die in vain after all. All the praying that she did, there it was, Holy. Sephiroth kept it at bay so that Meteor could hit the planet like it was intended. The party overcame the control that Sephiroth had over them and so the battle started.

After a long, grueling battle, they defeated Sephiroth. They tried to escape before Holy erupted from the crater, but Cloud stopped. The spirit of Sephiroth tried to take him over, trying to gain control and break Cloud's sanity. Cloud couldn't allow him to do that and refused to be at the mercy of the silver haired killer. So he overcame the power and finally killed Sepiroth for good, or at least he hoped for good. He came to with enough time to escape with the rest of the party, watching with them as the Meteor was destroyed. Midgar was also destroyed though, left in nothing but ruins from everything.

Even though they defeated Sephiroth and saved the world, Cloud didn't seem to be at peace. He blamed himself for the deaths that happened through the whole thing. All the deaths that happened that he couldn't stop, Aerith's most of all. It all weighed on him, making him become withdrawn into himself, more than before. He told himself that he wouldn't be able to save anyone, especially since he couldn't save himself.

Two years passed since the destruction of Midgar. Some of the places have been rebuilt since then, Seventh Heaven included. Cloud now lives at Seventh Heaven with Tifa, Marlene, and an orphan named Denzel. He started up a delivery service in a way to keep him busy, though it was also a way to leave him to his thoughts. It kept him away from the bar a lot, which he liked. He never talked to the others, unless you count him listening to his voicemail. It wasn't long before an incurable disease would take over Midgar, going by the name of Geostigma. A lot of children in Midgar were taken by the illness, including the orphan who lived with Tifa. Cloud also had the illness and to keep others from worrying, he covered it up and never talked about it. He was at odds with the amount of children dying from the illness, so when he was at home at rare time, he researched as much as he could for a cure. Mostly because of the orphan boy, Denzel. Though when it became apparent that he couldn't find a cure, he left Seventh Heaven for good. He'd taken to staying in the very church where he met Aerith, making it his temporary home.

It seemed fate wasn't done playing with Cloud yet. On a standard delivery run, Cloud was attacked by two silver haired men, along with a pack of shadow creatures. He fought them off as long as he could, though when it seemed like he wouldn't survive, they retreated. He was more than a little confused as he watched them leave. He received a voicemail not long after that from Tifa, telling him that Reno called and wanted him to come to the Healing Lodge. When he arrived, Rufus Shinra approached him in a wheelchair, draped head to toe in a sheet. He asked Cloud to join him in rebuilding Midgar, saying he wanted to repent for what he had done before. Before Cloud to leave after he told him no, Rufus told him he had the information he seeked regarding the silver haired people who attacked him. The blond stayed long enough to hear what he had to say before leaving, refusing to be apart of his plan.

He returned to his temporary home, shocked to find Tifa amongst the flowers unconscious. He asked her what happened when she started to wake up, quickly learning that Marlene had been taken by one of the men who attacked him earlier. She blacked out again and he soon followed her as the Geostigma pain got worse. The next time he woke up, he was in Seventh Heaven with Reno and Rude. They told him that the kids were no where to be found, but that they found a witness that saw them last with a silver haired man. When Tifa woke up, Cloud actually shared with her why he stayed as busy as he did. He told her that he didn't think he could save the kid's lives if he couldn't save his own, only to stop when she told him to stop being so scared. She convinced him that he needed to forgive himself, but if he kept dilly dallying, the guilt would only grow. That seemed to be enough to knock him out of his guilty mind. He took off for the Forgotten City to rescue the kids and confront the silver haired men. As he drove on Fenrir, he lost himself for a moment as he heard Aerith. She asked him what he wanted and when he confessed to her his want for forgiveness, she asked him who he wanted forgiveness from. When he turned back to answer her, the road returned to normal. When he reached the Forgotten City, he was faced with Kadaj, Loz, Yazoo, but also a dozen children. He threw himself to the side to avoid hitting the children, giving Kadaj and his gang the upper hand in the battle. He fought as long as he could, but he was soon defeated.

Just before they could deliver one last blow, the blond was saved by a familiar face, Vincent Valentine. Vincent swept him up and took him to a safer location of the forest. Vincent shared what he knew about the trio, they were remains of Jenova and were working to establish a new Reunion to bring back Sephiroth. Cloud refused to let that happen and planned to get back to stop them. Cloud thought it over for a few minutes and then looked to Vincent with a question on if sins are ever forgiven. The answer he was given seemed to light a fire in Cloud. With Marlene in tow, Cloud took off for Midgar to stop Kadaj before he could finish what he started.

He left Marlene at Seventh Heaven before he went in search of Tifa. When he arrived, he was confronted with what Kadaj had summoned, Bahamut. With the help of friends from the past, they were able to defeat Bahamut. Cloud left them once again to chase the trio down the highway. Kadaj had gotten the remains of Jenova's cells and the blond refused to let this new Reunion happen. Yazoo and Loz kept him busy with a fight so that Kadaj could get away, but with the help of Reno and Rude, Cloud was able to leave those two behind. He caught up with Kadaj in the church, where he was healed of his Geostigma by Aerith's Limit Break, The Great Gospel. With her voice in his ears with words of encouragement, he raced after Kadaj, delaying the Reunion with a long battle. It didn't seem to be enough though, because before he could get rid of Kadaj, the silver haired boy took in the last of Jenova's cells and Cloud's worst nightmare appeared before him.

Sephiroth was now back and he was ready to finish what he wasn't able to before. They battled long and hard, the battle not looking too good for Cloud. Even though Cloud tried his hardest, Sephiroth impaled him once again on Masamune and then bombarded him with attack after attack, leaving Cloud to wither in pain. Sephiroth told the blond what he planned to do with the planet, going to scour the universe just as Jenova did with their planet to find another planet to create the ultimate world they craved. He then asked Cloud to let him take away everything that he treasured. It was at that time that the dark world bled away for Cloud and he was left with Zack. Zack gave him a pep talk, telling him that he couldn't give up. Cloud came back to reality with the answer: There is nothing that I don't cherish.

Cloud unleashed Omnislash to finally defeat Sephiroth, telling the silver haired man to stay where he belonged, in his memories. Sephiroth told him that he would never be a memory and wrapped himself in his black wing, dissolving away until he was once again Kadaj. The silver haired boy tried to attack Cloud again and instead fell into his arms. Aerith reached out to Kadaj, telling him he didn't have to hang on any longer. Cloud watched as Kadaj reached for the sky, dissolving to become one with the Lifestream just like Aerith. When he thought all was over, Cloud was taken back as he was shot, turning to see Yazoo and Loz starting to dissolve. They told him that they would go together and just at that time, an explosion took them and Cloud away.

Cloud woke up to a hand on his head, calling out for mother. He heard Aerith's laugh as she answered him, wondering why everyone was calling her mother lately. She told him that he was too big to be there and he heard Zack tell him that he needed to go back. He woke up once again to children surrounding him in the church. He sat up in the water, looking around at everyone there. The children that had Geostigma stared at him in the water, along with his friends from before. Red XIII reminded him that some of the kids still had Geostigma and with a smile, Cloud reached for Denzel's hand. He helped Denzel into the water and poured a handful onto his head, watching as the Geostigma there healed. The other kids quickly jumped in after Denzel, splashing around Cloud and the others. When Cloud looked up, he saw Aerith and Zack at the door of the church. Aerith turned to look at him with a smile on her face, telling him that he was never really alone. He then watched as Zack and Aerith left, his smile growing as he said he knew that now.


PERSONALITY: Cloud isn't what you'd call a social butterfly. He likes to keep to himself and doesn't like to worry others with his problems. He's a very solitary person and wouldn't mind being left alone if it came to it. Then again, this could be because he was never that good at socializing with others. Even as a child, he was withdrawn from everyone, not having friends unless you counted Tifa. He's quite headstrong now that he's overcome his fear of hesitating. With his determination to go along with that headstrong attitude, he's not someone you want to mess with.

Even though he doesn't talk to them a lot, Cloud holds his friends in the highest regard and wouldn't hesitate to protect them with his life. He regards them as family, along with Zack and Aerith. Because he wasn't able to protect Zack and Aerith when they were killed, he makes it his mission to protect his other friends.

He actually holds a lot of guilt because he wasn't able to save Zack and Aerith. With Zack, he was too far gone in the Mako Addiction to save him and with Aerith, he just let her pray instead of walking over to save her. He was too caught up in his thoughts and the relief of seeing her again, that he just stood there when she was killed. He's long since forgiven himself for their deaths, not without beating himself up over it for a very long time.

Cloud also has a vast knowledge of how to use his weapon, having years to figure this all out. It doesn't go without saying that he's very knowledgeable with firearms as well, mostly from when he was an Infantryman. Even so, he prefers his swords over firearms at any rate.

WEAPONS/ABILITIES/ETC:
✧ FUSION SWORDS
Cloud's sword is made up of six separate swords, also called 'Fusion swords'. The Main blade was actually the only blade given a name, but fandom has given the other blades names as well.

▬ Main Blade: The main blade, First Ken or commonly known as First Tsurugi, is the base sword of the six-piece sword. It looks like an exaggerated two-handed sword in shape and appearance, though Cloud seems to be able to wield it one handed, despite its apparent size and weight. It consists of a long hilt wrapped in red material, a large hand guard which the other swords are locked into, a wide length of blade, and an equally long but thinner length ending in a point. It's the only sword among the six that is doubt-sided.

The blade can be used in two different forms. In one form, the blade of the sword appears to be one solid length of metal except for the transition between the wide and thin halves. In the other form, the blade is pulled in two lengthwise; the edges are locked apart and a complex inner portion of the sword is visible.

This blade is the one you'll see Cloud using the most. He does use the other blades minus the main blade as well.

▬ Hollow Blade: This blade isn't what you would normally expect for a sword. It actually doesn't have an inner core. It's essentially (not exactly) a thick sheet of metal folded in a V-shape when looked from above, the edge of the sword being the bottom point of the V, with it's lower one-third of its length wrapping around a red double-hilt. It is locked onto the front edge of the main blade, where it snugly covers that entire edge of the main blade, and its own edge serves as the striking point for the assembled sword.

Fans have given this blade the name Vendetta.

▬ Back Blades: These are identical long swords, mirror images of each other, with one straight edge and one saw toothed edge, with a long black hilt for each. These two are attached to the back of the main blade, on both sides of the main blades back edge, with the saw-tooth pointed forward toward the hollow blade.

Fans have named these two blades Merciless and Avenger.

▬ Side Blades: These are also identical blades, mirror image dagger-like swords, though they are quite long. They are singled edged, with a gear-like mechanism between the hilt and the blade that allow them to fold up like a switchblade. In the folded form, these two are locked onto the two sides of the assembled sword, with their edges turned forward toward the main blade at the front of the sword.

Fans have named these two Ascalon and Sidewinder.

✧ ABILITIES

▬ Limit Breaks: Cloud is able to perform powerful combat moves that are known to be Limit Breaks or just Limits. A list of the current Limits that he is able to use are as followed:

• Braver
• Cross-Slash
• Blade Beam
• Climhazzard
• Meteorain
• Finishing Touch
• Omnislash

He can perform most of these with different combinations of the various swords.