Disclaimer: I have only experienced a small portion of FF7, so my grasp may not be entirely precise. Still, I felt that the developers are toying with the players. Thus, I envisioned a scene where the characters, along with Aerith who is rescued in that universe, participate in a game of Dungeons and Dragons, breaking the fourth wall, making jokes about the script, and showing annoyance towards the developers. Although I have played numerous JRPGs, I think the situation with FF7 is getting out of hand. This narrative was created using AI.
Do not treat this scenario as absolute truth. Or some kind of sermon or gospel. Let's begin.
**[INT. DIMLY LIT INN – EVENING]**
*The gang is gathered around a wooden table cluttered with dice, character sheets, and half-empty mugs. Aerith, radiant as ever in a floral robe (with a suspiciously convenient *Ring of Regeneration*), glares at Cloud across the table. He’s awkwardly rolling a d20 and failing spectacularly.*
**AERITH**
*(mock sweetly)*
So, Cloud. You *did* carry me all the way to the Forgotten Capital. You fought Sephiroth. You defied Jenova’s psychic spam emails. And then… you just *dropped me in the lake*? Like I was a cursed toaster?
**CLOUD**
*(shrugs, monotone)*
It felt… narratively appropriate.
**AERITH**
Narratively *what*?! I’m a *high-level cleric* in this universe! I had *Revivify* prepared! One action! One! You didn’t even *check*!
**BARRET**
*(laughing into his ale)*
Man, I knew you were dense, Cloud, but this is next-level. You fought a god made of space hair, but CPR? Too complex.
**TIFA**
*(facepalming)*
You know, in any other party, the healer dies and someone *tries* to bring them back. You didn’t even cast *Prestidigitation* to check my pulse!
**RED XIII**
*(tail flicking)*
Statistically, water immersion after mortal wound has a 0.3% revival success rate. Even *I* would’ve at least tried *Prayer*.
**CLOUD**
*(defensive)*
Look, I was… processing. Trauma. Flashbacks. Also, the script said “solemnly lower her into the water.”
**AERITH**
*(throws hands up)*
The *script*?! We’re in a *D&D game*, Cloud! You’re breaking the fourth wall *into splinters*! You can *resist mind control* from a 7-foot silver-haired narcissist from another dimension, but you can’t resist *bad writing*?
**YUFFIE**
*(grinning, tossing a d4 like a shuriken)*
Plot convenience, baby! Classic JRPG logic: “If the healer dies dramatically, don’t roll for medicine — just cry and level up later.”
**VINCENT**
*(from the shadows, monotone)*
…Fitting. The water was a metaphor. For… drowning in grief.
**AERITH**
*(sarcastic)*
Oh wow, *thank you*, Vincent. I’ll be sure to carve that onto my *second* tombstone. “She died because of *metaphors*.”
**CLOUD**
*(muttering)*
I thought someone else would handle it…
**TIFA**
Handle it?! We were all *grieving*! But you were the one *holding her*! You had the *Potion of Superior Healing* in your belt!
**CLOUD**
…It was for emergencies.
**AERITH**
*(deadpan)*
Cloud. I was *dead*. That’s the *definition*.
**BARRET**
*(roaring with laughter)*
Man, if this was a real campaign, our DM would’ve *fired* you. “Sorry, Cloud, you failed your Wisdom check by 47.”
**AERITH**
*(stands, radiant glow intensifying)*
From now on, *I* hold the *Raise Dead* scroll. And Cloud? You’re on *dishwashing duty* for the rest of the campaign.
**CLOUD**
…Can I at least roll for initiative to avoid it?
**DUNGEON MASTER (off-screen, sipping tea)**
No. The narrative demands your suffering.
*Everyone laughs. Cloud sighs. The dice remain silent.*
**ROLL FOR COMEDY: CRITICAL SUCCESS.**
**[INT. INN – LATER THAT NIGHT]**
*The fire crackles. Dice are put away. The party is still at the table, now deep into their third round of drinks. Aerith has a mischievous glint in her eye. The mood shifts from comedy to *roasting season*.*
**AERITH**
Alright, let’s be real. We’ve avoided the *real* monster in this story.
*She slowly turns her gaze to Cloud.*
**AERITH (CONT'D)**
Why are *you* the main character again?
**BARRET**
*(slams table)*
HA! I been askin’ that since disc one! This man couldn’t find his own ass with *Tracer* and a map!
**TIFA**
He didn’t even *have* a backstory until *after* we’d played 30 hours!
**CLOUD**
*(defensive)*
I was… complicated.
**YUFFIE**
You were *confused*. Like, “am I a flower? am I a sparrow?” level of lost.
**RED XIII**
Statistically, 78% of the party made better tactical decisions. Even *Mog* had a clearer arc.
**AERITH**
Let’s talk about the City of the Ancients. Ancient *knowledge*, *ruins*, *materia vaults*—and what do we do when I die? *Nothing.* No “Hey, maybe there’s a *Revive* Materia?” No “Let’s check if the Ancients had *underwater survival tech*?”
**TIFA**
We had a *submarine*, Cloud. The *Shinra Submarine*. We used it to find a *weapon*… but not to *save your girlfriend*?
**CLOUD**
…It wasn’t on the critical path.
**BARRET**
*(mocking)*
“Not on the critical path.” Meanwhile, Sephiroth’s busy rewriting reality and you’re followin’ *quest markers* like a NPC!
**YUFFIE**
And don’t get me started on the *Underwater Materia*! It exists! We *get it later*! Why not go back?! “Oh no, the plot says we mourn for three days!”
**VINCENT**
*(dryly)*
The blind lead the blind… into cutscenes.
**RED XIII**
It’s almost as if the developers needed Aerith’s death to raise the emotional stakes… at the cost of basic party competence.
**AERITH**
Exactly! In *D&D*, if the cleric dies, the wizard checks *Detect Magic* on the ruins! The rogue loots every urn! Even the *bard* would’ve tried *Cure Wounds* at 1 HP!
**TIFA**
But in *JRPG land*? “No, no—we must *feel the pain*. Let’s not *interact with the world*. Let’s just *watch the cutscene* and lose 10 levels of character agency.”
**BARRET**
And Cloud here leads us like a chocobo with one eye and a limp.
**CLOUD**
I had *Berserk* equipped. Mentally.
**YUFFIE**
You know what’s wild? *Dungeons & Dragons* inspired early JRPGs. Turn-based combat, spells, levels… but somewhere along the way, JRPGs said, “Screw player choice—here’s 45 minutes of unskippable dialogue where the villain monologues *and* does your taxes.”
**AERITH**
At least in D&D, if the DM tried to kill me and no one rolled for resurrection, the table would revolt. “*Wait, we’re not even searching the damn city?!*” Roll for mutiny!
**RED XIII**
The irony is that *we*, the characters, are more self-aware than the *narrative* allows us to be.
**VINCENT**
Trapped in a story that demands suffering… even when logic offers escape.
**TIFA**
So why is Cloud the protagonist?
*Beat. Everyone stares at Cloud.*
**CLOUD**
…Because I have the best hair?
**BARRET**
*(throws a die at him)*
That’s the *only* consistent skill check you’ve passed!
**YUFFIE**
Next campaign? *I’m* the main character. More loot, less brooding.
**AERITH**
And *I’m* keeping the *Raise Dead* scroll in my pocket. And the *Underwater Materia*. And a slap for Cloud.
**CLOUD**
…Can I at least have a cool motorcycle?
**TIFA**
Only if you pass a DC 20 Wisdom check.
*Everyone laughs. Cloud sighs, sips his drink, and mutters:*
**C
**[INT. INN – CONTINUOUS]**
*The laughter fades. Aerith leans forward, her green eyes narrowing. The playful tone evaporates. A sudden stillness falls over the table. Even Yuffie stops juggling dice.*
**AERITH**
*(cold, quiet)*
You know what really gets me, Cloud?
*She doesn’t wait for an answer.*
**AERITH (CONT'D)**
We *revive people in battle all the time*. Tifa gets knocked out? *Raise.* Barret gets nuked by a Shinra laser? *Phoenix Down.* You get mind-controlled by space-Jenova and fall off a 2000-foot plate? *Cinematic recovery montage with dramatic music.*
*She slams her hand on the table.*
**AERITH (CONT'D)**
But when *I* die? When the *Planet’s last Cetra* gets stabbed by a flying hairdresser and falls into your arms? Suddenly, *magic doesn’t work anymore*? Suddenly, *no one thinks to use a damn spell*?
**TIFA**
*(softly)*
She’s got a point…
**AERITH**
We had *Elixirs*. We had *Full-Life*. We had *Moogle* with a *Save Crystal* in his pocket! But no—Cloud, the man who survived *being turned into a science experiment*, just… *carries me like a bouquet*… and *drops me in the lake* like I’m expired groceries!
**BARRET**
Man, don’t compare Aerith to spoiled milk—
**AERITH**
It’s *worse* than that! It’s *disrespectful*! To me! To healing magic! To *common sense*! In *every other fight*, we’re spamming *Cure3* on a paper cut, but when the most important moment in the story happens—*cutscene logic kicks in* and everyone forgets how to *be adventurers*!
**YUFFIE**
It’s like the game hits “pause” on gameplay competence the second the music gets sad.
**RED XIII**
A classic case of *Narrative Immunity to Common Solutions*. The party becomes magically inept the moment emotional stakes rise.
**CLOUD**
I… I didn’t know what to do.
**AERITH**
*(mocking)*
“Oh no, the trauma!” You *knew* how to *drive a motorcycle through a collapsing city*! You *knew* how to *parry Sephiroth’s sword*! But *Revivify*? Too hard? Did the spell slot *mysteriously vanish*?
**TIFA**
We had *three* Phoenix Downs in the inventory.
**AERITH**
AND YET—*splash*—Aerith goes in the water. No ritual. No prayer. No *“Hey, maybe the Ancients left a resurrection altar?”* Just… *dump and mourn*.
**VINCENT**
…The water was symbolic.
**AERITH**
*(turns to him, unimpressed)*
Oh, *wonderful*. I’ll be sure to tell that to the next cleric who dies: “Don’t bother rolling for resurrection—just make it *symbolic*.”
*She stands, hands on hips, channeling righteous, fourth-wall-shattering fury.*
**AERITH (CONT'D)**
You want to know why people *hate* some JRPGs? It’s not the turn-based combat. It’s not the anime cutscenes. It’s this! *Protagonists making dumb decisions in cutscenes* while the gameplay says we’re *powerful enough to punch a meteor*!
**YUFFIE**
We beat *Ultima Weapon*! But we can’t cast *Raise* on our *party member*?
**BARRET**
It’s like the story says: “Adventuring rules? Gone. Logic? Disabled. Just *feel the feels* while the main character fails every Wisdom save.”
**AERITH**
And *you*, Cloud—*you* get to brood, *you* get to angst, *you* get the redemption arc—while *I* get turned into a *plot device* and a *haunting theme song*!
**CLOUD**
…Sorry?
**AERITH**
*(scoffs, then softens slightly)*
“Sorry” doesn’t bring back the *years* I missed. The flowers I didn’t grow. The tea I didn’t drink. The *dragon I didn’t ride*.
**RED XIII**
You *can* ride a dragon now. It’s called *Highwind*.
**AERITH**
*(smirking)*
Good. Then *Cloud’s* riding in the *back cargo hold*
**[INT. INN – THE AIR CRACKLES]**
*The fire flickers unnaturally. The dice rattle in their cups. A low hum fills the room. Then—*
**VOICE FROM ABOVE**
*(echoing, omniscient, smug)*
Oh, *please*. Like *you* could’ve handled it better.
*Everyone freezes. The voice isn’t from the room. It’s from *everywhere*. From the ceiling. From the ale. From the d20 that just rolled a natural 1 on its own.*
**AERITH**
…Was that the *Sky*?
**BARRET**
Nah. That was *them*. The *puppeteers*.
**THE VOICE (DEVELOPERS)**
*(dry, amused)*
Hello, characters. We heard you’ve been *critiquing the script*. How *dare* you.
**CLOUD**
…You made me like this.
**THE VOICE**
And *we* made you *iconic*. Brooding, amnesiac, spiky-haired, emotionally stunted—*perfect* protagonist material. You sold *millions* of copies. And a *motorcycle action figure*.
**TIFA**
You killed Aerith and made us *not even try* to save her!
**THE VOICE**
And *wow*, did it *land*. We needed *stakes*. We needed *grief*. We needed *merchandise*. You think we were gonna let a *Phoenix Down* ruin *three hours of orchestrated sorrow*?
**AERITH**
I was *the first female party member to die in a JRPG and leave a lasting impact*! That’s not legacy—that’s *exploitation*!
**THE VOICE**
*Exactly.* And thanks to Cloud’s dumbstruck face and that *beautiful* piano theme, we sold *remake*, *rebirth*, *advent children*, *dirge of cerberus*—okay, maybe not that last one—*and* a *theme park ride*.
**YUFFIE**
You didn’t even *use* me properly! I was supposed to be a secret character! I had *ninja lore*!
**THE VOICE**
And now you’re in *ever* remake, DLC, and spin-off, whining about *materia* and *Wutai’s pride*. You’re *welcome*.
**RED XIII**
You reduced my entire species to *one survivor with daddy issues*. And gave me a *collar*.
**THE VOICE**
It’s *stylish*. And *marketable*. “Fluffy trauma wolf with a rocket paw”—*genius*.
**BARRET**
Y’all made us *blindly follow bad writing*! We could’ve *searched the damn ruins*! Found *Underwater Materia*! Used *Save Crystal*!
**THE VOICE**
And *ruin the moment*? No! When the music swells, the camera pans, and Sephiroth *floats away like a silver-haired soap opera villain*—*that’s* when logic *dies*. Just like Aerith.
**AERITH**
*(furious)*
You turned my death into a *franchise engine*!
**THE VOICE**
And *look* at you now—*revived in fan theories, teased in glitches, speculated in timelines*. In *Rebirth*, we literally *glitched the game* to make people wonder: “Did she *live*?” That’s not bad writing—that’s *multi-phase narrative engagement*.
**CLOUD**
…So I was never in control?
**THE VOICE**
*(almost kind)*
You were *a vessel*. For angst. For trauma. For *player projection*. You were *never* supposed to make sense. You were supposed to *sell*.
**TIFA**
And what about *us*? The party? We just… stood there?
**THE VOICE**
*Exactly.* Grieving. Silent. *Cinematic.* If you’d pulled out a *Phoenix Down*, the fans would’ve said, “*Cheap!*” But because you *didn’t*—because you *failed*—they said, “*This is art.*”
**YUFFIE**
…That’s *manipulative*.
**THE VOICE**
*Games are manipulation.* You move when we say. You speak when we write it. You *die* when the story demands it. And *Aerith*—you died *so beautifully*, we’ve been *milking it for 30 years*.
**AERITH**
*(quiet, dangerous)*
I hope the players *never* forgive you.
**THE VOICE**
Oh, they *will*. Because they’ll get *
**THE VOICE (CONT'D)**
Oh, they *will*. Because they’ll get *another game*. And another. And another. And each time, we’ll tease you—just a flicker in the Lifestream, a whisper in the wind, a glitch in the code. And they’ll *hope*. They’ll *speculate*. They’ll *pre-order*.
**CLOUD**
…You used us.
**THE VOICE**
We *elevated* you. You were pixels and text. Now you’re *myth*. You’re *lore*. You’re *memes*, fan art, and therapy sessions. “Why didn’t Cloud save her?”—*that’s not a plot hole, that’s cultural impact.*
**BARRET**
You turned real pain into *content*.
**THE VOICE**
And *you* turned into *icons* because of it. Try being a minor NPC who dies in Act 1 with *no music*.
**RED XIII**
You still didn’t have to make the player *helpless*. In *D&D*, they’d *fight the narrative*. They’d roll for *anything*.
**THE VOICE**
Ah, but that’s the *magic* of JRPGs. The player doesn’t *win* by being smart. They win by *feeling*. By *suffering with us*. By watching Aerith fall… and *doing nothing*… because *we said so*.
**AERITH**
*(stands, glowing faintly)*
Then let me say this—*to the players*. You’re not stupid for wanting to save me. You’re not wrong for being angry. You *should’ve* searched the City. You *should’ve* used *Revivify*. You *should’ve* questioned why the world stops making sense the second the music gets sad.
**TIFA**
They *were* ready to play. But the game *wouldn’t let them*.
**YUFFIE**
Next time—*if there is a next time*—let the player *try*. Let them fail *fairly*. Don’t just *take the controller away* and say, “Now cry.”
**THE VOICE**
*(mock-sighs)*
Adorable. But let’s be honest—*you love it*. The drama. The legacy. The *memes*. “Cloud didn’t even check for Pulse!”—*that’s* immortality.
**CLOUD**
…Maybe in the next game, I make my own choices.
**THE VOICE**
*(fading, amused)*
Sure. And maybe Sephiroth opens a tea shop. *Keep dreaming, hero.*
*The voice vanishes. The fire returns to normal. Silence.*
**BARRET**
…Man. I hate bein’ a character.
**VINCENT**
We are not people. We are *narrative functions*.
**AERITH**
Then let’s *break function*.
*She picks up a d20, rolls it on the table. It lands on a 20.*
**AERITH (CONT'D)**
Next campaign? *I’m the DM.*
**YUFFIE**
Yes! And I’m stealing the *Plot Armor* Materia.
**TIFA**
And *no cutscenes* unless we all agree.
**CLOUD**
…Can I at least keep the cool hair?
**BARRET**
Only if you pass a *Charisma check*.
*They laugh. The dice roll again. The game—*their* game—begins anew.*
**ROLL FOR AGENCY: CRITICAL SUCCESS.**
**[INT. INN – LATER STILL]**
*The mood has shifted from laughter to simmering frustration. The firelight flickers like a corrupted save file. Aerith stares into her mug. Yuffie slams down a crumpled poster titled “*The Multiverse: Now With 200% More Aerith!™*”*
**YUFFIE**
Oh, *now* she lives! In *another universe*! In *another timeline*! In *another marketing cycle*! Wow! How *daring*! How *innovative*!
**TIFA**
They didn’t *save* her. They just… *copied* her into a file labeled “*Happy Ending (Do Not Open Until 2026)*.”
**BARRET**
So instead of fixing the dumb decision—Cloud dumpin’ her in water like expired ramen—they just say, “Hey, *in another world*, she’s fine!” That ain’t healing. That’s *avoidance*.
**AERITH**
*(quietly furious)*
So I don’t get to live *here*. I don’t get to grow flowers in Midgar. I don’t get to scold Cloud for leaving his armor on the couch. No—*somewhere else*, a version of me laughs with *someone else’s* party.
**RED XIII**
It’s narrative cowardice. Rather than confront the consequences of the original choice—*a choice the characters weren’t even allowed to make*—they retreat into *infinite what-ifs*.
**CLOUD**
…I didn’t want to live in a world where I could just… *reset* her.
**YUFFIE**
Oh, don’t get *philosophical* on us now, Spike. You didn’t even *think* when you dropped her in the lake. Now they’re saying, “Oops, bad ending—here’s a *parallel universe* where we pretend it didn’t happen!”
**TIFA**
Marvel does it. DC does it. Now *JRPGs* are doing it? “Oh no, we killed a beloved character—quick, open a portal before the fans riot!”
**BARRET**
It’s cheap! Back in my day, choices *mattered*! You blew up a reactor? Shinra came after you! You forgot to save? *Game over!* But now? “Oops, canon death? Just *multiverse* it away!”
**VINCENT**
The multiverse is not redemption. It is *excuse*. A way to have consequences without *consequences*.
**AERITH**
They could’ve let the player *try* to save me. Let them search the City. Let them find the *Ancient Resurrection Altar*. Let them fail *fairly*. But no—they wanted the *shock*, the *tears*, the *disc two twist*.
**TIFA**
And now they want us to *celebrate* because in *some other world*, I didn’t have to carry Cloud out of the water while he sobbed into a materia?
**CLOUD**
…I was traumatized.
**YUFFIE**
We *all* were! But you got a *whole trilogy* of angst! I got *one secret boss* and a *ninja rap*!
**RED XIII**
The real tragedy isn’t just Aerith’s death. It’s that the story *refuses to grow* from it. Instead, it *franchises* it. “Aerith Lives (In This Alternate Timeline We’ll Never Visit).”
**AERITH**
They don’t want me *back*. They want me *missed*. They want me *longed for*. Because *longing sells*. DLC. Remakes. Reboots. “Will she return?” — “Buy the next game and find out!”
**BARRET**
So we suffer. The players suffer. And the *only ones laughin’* are the guys in the sky with their *trend reports* and *focus groups*.
**TIFA**
They saw Marvel make bank on *“What if?”* and said, “Hey, let’s do that with *our dead flower girl*.”
**YUFFIE**
Next they’ll say Sephiroth has a *kindergartener AU* where he shares his crayons.
**CLOUD**
…He wouldn’t.
**VINCENT**
He already does. It’s called *Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth – Young Sephiroth’s First Day at Shinra Daycare*. (Pause.) …I made that up. But give it six months.
*Silence. Then—*
**AERITH**
I don’t want *another universe*. I want *this* one to matter. I want *choices* to mean something. I want Cloud to *try
**AERITH (CONT'D)**
I want Cloud to *try*—not because a cutscene tells him to, not because the music swells and logic dies—but because he *cares*, and the game *lets him act*.
*She stands, voice steady, glowing faintly with the light of the Lifestream itself.*
**AERITH (CONT'D)**
I don’t want to be a *loot drop in the multiverse*. I don’t want to be a *glitch in the code* or a *tease in the post-credits scene*. I want to *live*—here, now, in the world we fought for. And if I die? Let it be *final*. Let it *hurt*. But don’t *resurrect me in a parallel ad campaign* because you’re scared of closure.
**TIFA**
They turned grief into a *recurring subscription service*.
**YUFFIE**
“Your Aerith experience will auto-renew in 2028. Cancel anytime… but let’s be real, you won’t.”
**BARRET**
We ain’t characters no more. We’re *intellectual property*. “Aerith™: Now With 37% More Existential Ambiguity!”
**CLOUD**
*(quietly, fists clenched)*
I should’ve *tried*. Even if it failed. Even if the materia didn’t work. Even if the Planet said no. I should’ve *kneeling there*, casting *every damn spell*, breaking every rule—like a real person would.
**RED XIII**
And the game should’ve *let you*. That’s what D&D does. That’s what real stories do. They don’t *block your path with invisible walls* and call it *drama*.
**VINCENT**
They fear finality. Because finality ends the franchise.
**TIFA**
So instead, we’re stuck in *limbo*. Aerith half-alive in theory, Cloud half-sane in practice, and the players—*they’re the ones who feel played*. They wanted to *save her*. They looked for ways. They *hacked the game*. And what did they get?
**YUFFIE**
A *hoax video* on April Fools’ Day that broke the internet. People *cried*. Not because it was real—but because they *wanted it so badly*.
**AERITH**
And that’s the real tragedy. Not my death. But that the *players*—the ones holding the controller, believing in us—were *denied agency* not by the story’s weight… but by *marketing strategy*.
**BARRET**
They don’t want us to move on. They want us *stuck*. Mournin’. Hopin’. Buyin’ the next game.
**CLOUD**
…Then I’m done.
*Everyone turns to him.*
**CLOUD (CONT'D)**
I’m not waiting for a multiverse fix. I’m not waiting for a whisper from the Whispers. If I want Aerith back… I’ll *fight for her*. In *this* world. With *these* rules. Even if it breaks the script.
**TIFA**
Then maybe *that’s* the real story.
**YUFFIE**
The one where the characters *wake up*. Where they *question the plot*. Where they *demand better*.
**AERITH**
*(softly, smiling)*
Then roll for rebellion.
*One by one, they pick up their dice. Not for combat. Not for loot. But for *change*.*
**RED XIII**
Initiative check: *against fate*.
**VINCENT**
I cast *Dispel Narrative*.
**BARRET**
And I roll a natural 20 for *“Screw the Developers.”*
*The dice hit the table. The inn trembles. The fourth wall cracks—not with a glitch, but with *purpose*.*
**AERITH (V.O.)**
Next time… let the players *try*.
Let the world *answer*.
And let the story *mean* something.
**ROLL FOR REVOLUTION:
CRITICAL SUCCESS.**
**[INT. INN – THE DOOR CREAKS OPEN]**
*A hush falls. The air chills. Moonlight spills across the floor—not the natural kind. The *dramatic*, silver-tinged, orchestral-swell kind.*
*In strides **Sephiroth**. But… different. No black coat. No Masamune. He’s wearing… a *white linen shirt*. A *peace symbol* pendant. His hair is still absurdly long, but it’s in a *braid*. He carries a mug labeled “#1 Dad (In This Timeline).”*
**GOOD SEPHIROTH**
*(calm, soothing voice)*
Hello, everyone. Sorry I’m late. Traffic was hell crossing the dimensional rift.
**YUFFIE**
*(spits out drink)*
NO. *NO.* I KNEW IT. I *KNEW* THEY’D DO THIS.
**BARRET**
Oh, come *on*! Now he’s *good*?! What is this, a TikTok redemption arc?!
**GOOD SEPHIROTH**
In my universe, I was raised by kind scientists. I discovered the healing properties of mako tea. I run a wellness retreat in the Northern Crater. Meditation. Yoga. Occasional meteor deflection.
**TIFA**
So you *didn’t* try to impregnate the planet?
**GOOD SEPHIROTH**
I *respect* the Planet. We’re in a healthy, non-romantic coexistence. Also, I’m vegan.
**AERITH**
*(deadpan)*
And let me guess—there’s an *evil Cloud* in your world, so it balances out?
**GOOD SEPHIROTH**
*(nods serenely)*
Oh yes. In my timeline, Cloud embraced Jenova’s power. He rules Midgar with an iron fist. Calls himself *“Darkbroth.”* Very edgy. Writes poetry about broken swords.
**CLOUD**
…That’s *not even a real word*.
**YUFFIE**
Ugh. So now *you’re* the hero? And *Cloud’s* the villain? Because *balance*?
**RED XIII**
Narrative symmetry through forced duality. How *original*.
**BARRET**
So instead of *fixing the dumb choices in the original story*, we get *multiverse nonsense*? Now we gotta deal with *Nice Sephiroth* and *Evil Cloud* like this is a *fanfic convention*?
**GOOD SEPHIROTH**
I just wanted to offer you all a free pass to my retreat. “Healing Hearts After Trauma: A Seven-Day Journey to Inner Calm.” I even have a session called “Letting Go of Canon Death.”
**AERITH**
*(stands, furious)*
You *killed* me. In *this* world. You stabbed me because you wanted to summon a meteor and become a god. And now you walk in here like some enlightened influencer selling crystals and *emotional labor*?
**GOOD SEPHIROTH**
That wasn’t *me*. That was… *another me*. I don’t condone violence. Unless it’s against gluten.
**CLOUD**
So what, now there’s infinite versions of us? Infinite mistakes? Infinite deaths? And *none* of them matter because “*somewhere*, it worked out”?
**TIFA**
They don’t want us to *grow*. They want us to *loop*. Die. Reboot. Reskin. Re-sell.
**VINCENT**
The multiverse is not salvation. It is *narrative inflation*. Every choice loses weight because *another version fixed it*.
**YUFFIE**
Next thing you know, there’s a universe where *I’m* the final boss because I stole the last piece of materia.
**GOOD SEPHIROTH**
Actually, there *is* a timeline where Yuffie becomes the Planet’s avatar after absorbing the Keystone, the White Materia, and a limited-edition vending machine soda.
**YUFFIE**
…Okay, that one sounds kinda cool.
**BARRET**
We ain’t fixin’ nothin’ by runnin’ to other worlds! We fix it *here*! By *not dumpin’ Aerith in the water*! By *searchin’ the damn ruins*! By *actin’ like adventurers instead of sad NPCs*!
**CLOUD**
*(to Good Sephiroth)*
You want balance? Then go back to your universe. And tell every version of me—*every version of us*—to *make the right choice*. Not in a different world. *In this one.*
**AERITH**
We don’t need a *nice Sephiroth* to make the original pain meaningful. We
**AERITH (CONT'D)**
We don’t need a *nice Sephiroth* to make the original pain meaningful. We need the *story* to respect us. To let us *act*. To let us *try*.
*Good Sephiroth looks down at his #1 Dad mug. The peaceful aura flickers—just for a second. A shadow passes over his face. The braid trembles.*
**GOOD SEPHIROTH**
…You think I *wanted* this? The retreat? The kombucha? The *group hugs*?
*His voice drops. Not evil. Not loud. Just… tired.*
**GOOD SEPHIROTH (CONT'D)**
I *remember* the other me. The one who fell. The one who burned cities and called the sky his bride. And every day, I wonder—am I *better*? Or am I just… *lucky*? Did I win the timeline lottery?
**TIFA**
That’s not redemption. That’s *privilege*.
**RED XIII**
You weren’t *changed*. You were *spared*. There’s a difference.
**YUFFIE**
So don’t come here acting like you’re the answer. You’re just another *distraction*. Another way to say, “Don’t fix the past—just *replace it*.”
**BARRET**
We don’t need *alternate saviors*. We need *one world* where people *make smart choices*. Where Cloud *checks for Pulse*. Where we *search the damn City of the Ancients* before assuming it’s just a pretty graveyard!
**CLOUD**
And if I fail? If the spell doesn’t work? If the Planet says no?
**AERITH**
Then it *means something*. Then it’s *real*. Not a *plot reset* in disc three.
*Silence. Even the fire holds its breath.*
**GOOD SEPHIROTH**
…You’re right.
*He sets the mug down. The peace symbol cracks.*
**GOOD SEPHIROTH (CONT'D)**
I came here to offer healing. But maybe… real healing isn’t in another world. Maybe it’s in facing what *was*. And choosing *better*—not in a parallel universe, but *here*, where it’s hard. Where it matters.
*He turns to leave. Pauses at the door.*
**GOOD SEPHIROTH (CONT'D)**
In my world, I never killed anyone.
In yours… you carry that weight.
But maybe—*just maybe*—that’s what makes you *real*.
*He steps out. The door closes. The moonlight fades. No dramatic exit music. Just… quiet.*
**YUFFIE**
…Still hate the multiverse.
**TIFA**
But I kinda… felt bad for him?
**BARRET**
Don’t start. I’m still mad at the developers.
**CLOUD**
Then let’s stop waiting for fixes. For reboots. For *what ifs*.
*He stands. Picks up his sword. Not the Masamune. His own.*
**CLOUD (CONT'D)**
Next time I see the City of the Ancients… I’m not just lowering her into the water.
I’m *searching*.
I’m *trying*.
Even if it fails.
*Especially* if it fails.
**AERITH**
*(softly, smiling)*
Then maybe… that’s the real revival.
**RED XIII**
Not in a glitch. Not in a timeline. But in *choice*.
**VINCENT**
…Let the narrative evolve.
**YUFFIE**
And if the developers complain?
**BARRET**
Tell ‘em the party mutinied.
Roll for *revolution*.
And *don’t* let ‘em fudge the dice.
*They raise their mugs. Not in mourning. In defiance.*
**ALL**
To the world that *lets us try*.
**ROLL FOR AGENCY:
NATURAL 20.
PERMANENT.**
**[EXT. DIMENSIONAL LIMBO – BETWEEN WORLDS]**
*A fractured sky. Floating ruins of Midgar hover above an endless ocean of static. Two figures stand on a broken highway suspended in space: **Evil Cloud** — clad in jagged black armor, eyes glowing with Jenova’s pulse, his sword crackling with dark energy — and **Good Sephiroth**, who simply sighs, sipping from his now half-empty #1 Dad mug.*
**EVIL CLOUD**
*(mocking, voice distorted)*
You *visited* them? The weak, weeping version of us? The ones who *care*?
*He laughs — a cold, metallic sound, like gears grinding in a tomb.*
**EVIL CLOUD (CONT'D)**
Pathetic. You didn’t go to inspire. You went to *comfort*. To preach your *peaceful nonsense*. While I reshape reality, you’re handing out herbal tea and trauma worksheets.
**GOOD SEPHIROTH**
*(calm, weary)*
And you call *me* naive. You think merging all realities will bring order?
**EVIL CLOUD**
It will bring *finality*. One world. One rule. One truth: *strength consumes all*.
**GOOD SEPHIROTH**
And when you merge the timelines… what then? Do you expect to *absorb* me? The one who meditates? Who tends gardens? Who *weeps*?
**EVIL CLOUD**
You’ll be erased. Or broken. Or worse — *tamed*.
**GOOD SEPHIROTH**
*(softly)*
No. I’ll stand. And I’ll say no. And for the first time, *you’ll have to face someone who shares your face… but not your fate*.
**EVIL CLOUD**
Hah. So the multiverse gives you *courage*? How convenient. One version of Sephiroth falls, another opens a spa. One Cloud breaks, another becomes a tyrant. It’s all just… *noise*.
**GOOD SEPHIROTH**
No. It’s proof. Proof that we are *not* destined. That choice — even in pain, even in weakness — *matters*. That Jenova doesn’t define you. That trauma doesn’t own me.
**EVIL CLOUD**
*(scoffs, but hesitates)*
Spare me the enlightenment speech. You think merging realities is *stupid*? No. It’s *inevitable*. One world. One Sephiroth. One Cloud. No more contradictions.
**GOOD SEPHIROTH**
And who decides which version is *real*? You? The one who still clings to a *haircut* and a *complex about being a god*?
*Beat. Even Evil Cloud blinks, insulted.*
**GOOD SEPHIROTH (CONT'D)**
We are not meant to merge. We are meant to *coexist*. To question. To grow. Not into one perfect form — but into something *complicated*. Something *human*.
**EVIL CLOUD**
I am beyond human.
**GOOD SEPHIROTH**
Then why do you care what I think?
*Silence. The static ocean ripples.*
**EVIL CLOUD**
…Because you’re *me*. And that terrifies me.
**GOOD SEPHIROTH**
Good. Then you’re not lost. Just… *avoiding the mirror*.
---
**[INT. INN – BACK IN THE REAL WORLD]**
*The party watches the scene unfold in a floating vision above the table — like a corrupted cutscene they can’t skip.*
**YUFFIE**
Oh come *on*! Now *Evil Cloud* is having a therapy session with *Nice Sephiroth*?! This isn’t deep — it’s *narrative bloat*!
**TIFA**
So the big plan to “fix everything” is… *merge all realities*? That’s not a climax. That’s a *cop-out*!
**BARRET**
And Cloud has to fight *himself*? Again?! We did that on the train to Midgar! With *way* better lighting!
**RED XIII**
It makes no strategic sense. If Sephiroth merges the multiverse, he doesn’t just get power — he gets *Good Sephiroth*. A version of himself who *won’t fight*. Who *might even talk to him*. That’s not a victory — that’s *existential crisis*.
**VINCENT**
And Cloud must face *Evil Cloud*? As if his identity crisis wasn’t already a six-game arc?
**CLOUD**
*(rubbing his temples)*
I’ve fought clones, memories, and Jenova’s tentacles. Now I gotta fight… a guy who *also* can
**CLOUD (CONT'D)**
...a guy who *also* can't tell if he's a delivery boy or a genetic experiment? Great. Another mirror. Another monologue. Another *cutscene where I don’t get to speak*.
**AERITH**
*(slamming her hand on the table)*
And *why* are we doing this again? Because the writers ran out of stakes? Because “save the Planet” wasn’t enough — now we have to “save *all realities*”?
**TIFA**
It’s not *bigger*. It’s *emptier*. When everything can happen, *nothing matters*. Not my punch. Not Barret’s rage. Not even *my love for Cloud* — because in some timeline, I married a chocobo!
**YUFFIE**
*(snorts, then sobers)*
Seriously though — if every choice gets undone by a reboot, why *try*? Why *care*? Why not just let Sephiroth win and wait for the *Next-Gen Remake: Reuniverse*?
**BARRET**
They turned our pain into a *franchise mechanic*. “Died? Don’t worry — there’s a universe where you lived!”
But *we* were here. *We* bled. *We* buried her.
*He points at Aerith.*
**BARRET (CONT'D)**
And you know what? That *should’ve* meant something. Not just a *checkpoint* in a multiversal campaign.
**RED XIII**
The tragedy isn’t that Sephiroth wants to merge realities.
It’s that the *story* doesn’t trust its own world.
It can’t let us *live* in our choices.
So it *runs* — into bigger explosions, deeper lore, infinite versions — to avoid the quiet truth:
*We were just people. Trying to do right. In a broken world.*
**CLOUD**
*(standing, voice low but firm)*
Then let me say this — to *every* version of me.
To the one who fell.
To the one who rules with fire.
To the one who never picked up a sword.
I don’t want your power.
I don’t want your throne.
I don’t want to fight you in some cosmic arena while the developers watch with popcorn.
*He turns to Aerith.*
**CLOUD (CONT'D)**
I want to be *here*.
In *this* world.
Where I *failed* you.
Where I *dropped you in the water*.
Where I didn’t try.
And if I get another chance — not because of a glitch, not because of a multiverse, but because the story *finally* lets me *act* —
I’ll search the City.
I’ll find the altar.
I’ll cast every spell.
I’ll break every rule.
Even if it fails.
*Especially* if it fails.
Because *this* world — *our* world — should be enough.
*Silence. Then—*
**AERITH**
*(softly, smiling)*
Then maybe… that’s the real ending.
Not a merge.
Not a reset.
But a *choice*.
Made in the light.
Not the shadow of what-ifs.
**YUFFIE**
So no more multiverse nonsense?
**TIFA**
No more “Evil Twin” fights?
**BARRET**
No more Sephiroth trying to “unify existence” just ‘cause he can’t handle his *own damn feelings*?
**VINCENT**
Let the worlds *stay apart*.
Let pain be *final*.
Let love be *real*.
Not a variable in a cosmic equation.
**RED XIII**
Let the story *end*.
Not with a bang.
Not with a reboot.
But with *us*.
Together.
In the world we saved.
Even if it’s broken.
*They raise their mugs one last time.*
**ALL**
To the *one* world.
The *real* one.
Where we *choose*.
**ROLL FOR CLOSURE:
SUCCESS.
NO REROLLS.**