This is pretty good!

I'll keep my closing thought simple.

Chapters 1 and 112 are the only ones without names.

Chapter 1 should be called "Tifa".

Chapter 112 should also be called "Tifa".

-Meeerf!

HOLY SHIT, THIS CLOSE TO THE END AND YOU STILL SURPRISE ME.

I figured out that *someone* was *someone* but didn't expect... THAT.

*runs, not walks, to finish*

*stops to eat chocolate chips out of pancakes first*

Oh, oh, oh...

way to accelerate the story forward, I was wondering how fourteen chapters would be enough!

Reno - oy - now THAT I didn't expect. He's right, though. Maybe a good thing they didn't toss him over the side yet. I don't think it will be necessary, but even so, mentioning the possibility gave me all kinds of anxiety... I've NEVER seen that possibility.

I was going to review chapter 95, but I'm still a little overwhelmed by it. AT least I'm a late arrival who doesn't have to wait for weekly updates...

Looks like Zack is onto something, that makes a LOT of sense. Kinda like the original, but totally new. "Conduits" is more accurate than the mistranslated "clones" anyway.

In fact, I'm going to make an executive call and say this is NOT really "AU"... I think it's more accurately called "Novelization in a Blender". Because, so many things of the original are there, but in new ways.

Particularly Tifa. I came late to the Tifa-fandom, but now I adore her. And the way she's written here makes me wonder how the whole thing might have gone if it was a Tifa-POV story instead...

Although as much as I like the central four, I feel like some other characters are being left out. Yuffie only lucks out here because she's Cloud's sister, sort of. And that does let her answer at least one question, about Cloud (guess they didn't need those cameras after all, you bitch Cissnei)but not Zack... who seems to be still up in the air. But, part of me wonders - even if Zack isn't "real", does it matter? He's getting all kinds of love and the second chance he never gets in canon.

wOW!

Technically this is a review for the next chapter, but this chapter has the better title anyway.

So I was scared... But no one is *officially* dead... this is even BETTER...

I am so late for what I have to do today, but I had to get through the dreaded chapter 95. More later.

Ohhhh no.

Please don't tell me...

You wouldn't write 84 chapters of AU to go all canon NOW, would you?

*tries very hard not to sneak a peek at chapter 95*

Oh, man. Too much good stuff.

"Tifa says not until we're old enough to clean up our own puke." Exactly what I would expect from a bartender big sister... and she IS their sister after all, not their mom; and not too much older than them if that.

I buy that Cloud is "not so innocent"... but one would assume that Tifa, having other responsibilities, kinda is. If they ever get that room will it be "sex" Marlene-style or... ?

Reno/Cissnei's "dual confession"... Totally in-character. BTW, did Cissnei love Zack or Cloud? I'm not sure...

Cloud: "our kids." Didn't miss that. Did Zack take him engagement ring shopping? I'm sure they have some nice overpriced stores at the Gold Saucer. Tifa, you don't even realize YOU are that "something final"...

I like yet another "short skirt" nod. Really, the miniskirt ingame is a bit over the top. I always assumed it had some sort of liner like those cheerleader skirts in high school.

About Leon... Cloud looks to him for approval after seeing Aerith, but even so... He's receded far enough into the background that it's hard to buy him as "group leader".. Might have been nice to keep the L/T/C triangle going a bit longer. By th time Cloud asks Tifa "Not Zack?" I already pretty much assumed Zack and Aerith were getting together.

And mischievous!Aerith is awesome! I love that without Cloud between them they can just be best friends and the angst can go elsewhere...

Really, Tifa, just let him take you to a room. He just fought seven battles in a row, he needs to work off some stress.

Would Yuffie be wishing for a Vincent escort now? Too bad Vincent's stuck on the ship, eating leftovers with Red.

"Just need Cumulus here to stop fu- funning around." I love you, Zack. If Aerith doesn't make it, will you marry me?

Oh! The real tragedy of Aerith is she had so much to contribute... three cheers for AU fanfiction.

You're up to something with Vincent... not sure what. Feels a little spooky. He's still a good guy, right?

BTW, where are Barret and Yuffie and Leon and Cid/Shera? Don't they get to visit the observatory too? Can't let them miss their chance to tease Cloud as well.

Do star-crossed love stories ever go out of style?

CLOUD, JUST PROPOSE ALREADY.

Is it a coincidence that this was chapter 69?

Oooh, all sorts of stuff here!

So once again our POV character is the center of a love triangle... where the other parties are best friends. I think Leon is pretty much out of the picture, but the Z/T/C dynamic is more interesting anyway. Lots of mutual affection and respect, no matter who gets the girl.

So... This is pretty fucked up. I mean, Cloud does seem to have his canon-level-fucked-up-ness, but Zack must be SOMEONE, right? This is what Sephiroth tried to convince Cloud he was ingame. This is Cloud's worst fear realized. To quote Tifa, this is just too cruel.

But Aerith seems to react to *this* Zack like she did to Cloud ingame... Could this actually work? I mean, couldn't Zack just go on with life being "Zack"?

Last line... SQUEEEEEEEE... (I had to)

OK, with a chapter title like that, I have to weigh in.

Nice mishmash of the Nibelheim incident, Vincent, Cosmo Canyon, and post-Northern-Crater-Tifa-coma. Vincent's line references the Highwind line, right? Where he tells Tifa "I'm glad you're okay"? Possibly his warmest line to anyone I game.

As amusing as Marlene's suggestion is... it really does feel more like what 6-year old AC Marlene would say. You even call her "the little girl"... I was a late bloomer and even *I* knew what's up by age 12.

But her recap of other kids getting dads that way was hilarious... "Ned's mom got him a new dad almost every year that way!"

Considering Tifa's response in Chapter 61, would "kissing in bed" really stop there? Yes, Tifa, you are taking for-ev-ER. If the sexual tension wasn't so great, I might be angrier.

OH WOW.

I don't get why"thank you" is so weird. The two lines "I need"/"thank you" perfectly bookend the situation. He needed desperately to FEEL the connection that was there - to connect with someone he feels strongly about, in the way that can only happen with someone who feels that strongly about him. Saying "thank you" for responding rather than rejecting him - what's wrong with that?

I may be in the minority, but I liked that "thank you" a lot.

I have to say, I find this Cissnei subplot distracting. I really didn't feel any serious love between her and Cloud, and it bugs me that Tifa is making a mountain out of a molehill about it.

I just realized Cloud is here famous and a hero... exactly what he told Tifa in game he is not. How does he feel about that? (Not interested, I guess)

And I LOL'ed when Gast got all sappy... and then Tifa simply whipped out a cell phone. DUH.