What if Cloud became a Solider…

[neo_rufus]

I’m sure most of you already noticed that I love to take factual information about Final Fantasy, twist the scenarios a bit, and turn it into a what if kind of thing. Well this entry is based on one of those. Here’s an interesting question I just thought of. “What would Cloud Strife be like if he HAD gotten into Solider?”

After thinking about

Comments

[berrykitten]

Tifa? Fighting her? No no no. He went out to join Shin-Ra to impress her, the whole reason he wanted to be a soldier was to prove himself to her.
You must remember that he was a totally different person before and after the Sephiroth Nibelheim incident. Plus, they never really say what parts of him in the beginning of the game were Zack and which were the original Cloud.
IF it had've been Barret and the others only, I could see him fighting AVALANCHE to protect the innocent people that were getting bombed though.

[neo_rufus]

I'll admit that I overlooked the thought of Cloud trying to impress Tiffa. I did that because I remember that scene were Cloud was chilling in his room, his mother walks in and says something like "he needs to settle down and find a nice girlfriend," and Cloud said "I'm not interested." So I assumed that he was never really interested in love, espically at the age he was when he and Tiffa were at the well. Nevertheless, I totally agree with what you said, and I'm glad you clarified things for me. :)

I suppose it would be pretty hard to imagine Tiffa fighting Cloud. I guess I was comparing the Rinoa and Seifer battles. :P

[mimi_sardinia]

I think a hell of a lot of the events of the game would not happen at all, or would be vastly different

[neo_rufus]

Lol, wow...I knew things would change, but I didn't stop and consider all of the points you made. I really like the idea of Cloud and Zack making it to Midgar together. That might have prevented Cloud from becoming a member of AVALANCHE as well. Not to mention the relationship between Cloud and Aeris would have affected his friendship with Zack. That raises yet another interesting question. What would the relationship between loud and Aerith be like if Zack was to live? I doubt it would be all romantic like but I could be wrong. Man, Final Fantasy stories are so delicate, lol.

But thanks for commenting and giving such a powerful answer, it was truly something. I knew the events would be different, but not like this, lol. Thanks again. :)

[neo_rufus]

What would the relationship between Cloud* and Aerith be like if Zack was to live?

[mimi_sardinia]

Whether they would have connected up with AVALANCHE or not... that's debatable. I supose it depends on luck - whether one or both of them were to hear of AVALANCHE, or encounter Tifa at some point.

Aeris' relationships? I personally think she would try to reconstruct something with Zack. How sucessful this is depends on your opinion of how serious her relationship with him was, after all, it happened when she was a teenager and I seem to recall she was not totally sure whether it was serious the few times she spoke of it in the game. That of course may be modesty but it does leave interpretation open.

I do doubt she would have latched onto Cloud so quickly though because Cloud wouldn't have been playing at being Zack, and Zack himself would have been there. My Realist side says the best one could hope for in such a senario is that she and Cloud become friends while she becomes Zack's girlfriend again.

[bangbangshinra]

Hmm I think I agree with that above - if Cloud did get into SOLDIER then events would have happened very dramatically different, I mean Sephiroth wouldn't have died at Nibelheim would he? So maybe everything would have ended at that point as no-one was there to stop Sephiroth - Cloud is so important as he becomes Sephiroths adversary. If not - then I think Cloud would have melted into the background of Shinra - be in 1st class but of no real importance - just another pawn to Shinra and have no main role in the story - as nothing would have happened to get him involved

[berrykitten]

Rufus is 15 in before crisis (at least thats what the info said) and before crisis is six years before the game so yeah, they're the same age.

Again, Cloud started the whole trying to get into SOLDIER thing to impress Tifa not Aerith. While he may have developed feelings for Aerith and the desire to impress her during the time he knew her, it was originally all started for Tifa. Which actually kinda really ticks me off that he could just brush Tifa aside like that after everything.. I really don't like Aerith.. I even read "Maiden Who Travels the Planet" to try and get some light shed on her and possibly even like her a little, and it ticked me off even more XD lol..

[bangbangshinra]

Yeah I've always believed that Rufus and Cloud are the same age - but some people disagree - but I've seen a Japanese magazine from the time of FF7 - and it said Rufus was 21 - and for some reason I have always thought it was definatley so - though I can't think why I have always "known" this. And yes - again I don't know if its official but I think all the BC stuff says Rufus is 15 (i'm sticking with that anyway

[berrykitten]

I started to like her just a leeetle itty bit because of Advent Children, until I read Maiden..
Well if I further into that I'll start ranting.. XD lol
Maiden did clear up a lot of stuff and also confirmed in some stuff I thought about the end, but other than meeting some of the characters, it really just annoyed me... PARTICULARLY about Cloud falling into Lifestream. Um, probably would be a good idea to discuss this elsewhere though, like um, my yrena journal, considering this whole topic was meant to be about Cloud. XD
Hmm, for me it was Rinoa, and although Yuna can be annoying at times (have you ever been caught in a button pushing loop with the "It's just... a little farther now" in the Ronso's territory? YIKES) Rinoa is a lot like Aerith in my opinion, although I'm not sure which is more annoying.. which would be another rant ^_^;

Mythrauders.. er well I just haven't had a good lead yet. ^_^;