Title: Scars of Friendship
Rating: PG-13 (Rating will increase)
Main Pairings: Sephiroth/Cloud, Zack/Aerith, Elfé/Tifa, Rufus/Reno.
Genre: Action/Adventure, Romance, Angst
Warnings: M/M scenes, M/F scenes, F/F scenes, language, eventual graphic sex scenes, graphic violence, terrorism and other canonical warnings. NOTE that these warnings will no longer be given chapter by chapter!
Chapter: 0/??
Comments: Welcome to Scars of Friendship. This chapter is a synopsis of the prequel to this fic, A Twisted Kind of Honour. This is for past readers to check back for details they may have missed without having to trawl through A Twisted Kind Of Honour, or, for those who had no desire to read the other fic for the themes contained within, to enjoy this story, without some of the gore that began its prequel. Edits are still occuring in A Twisted Kind of Honour, but all additional scenes have already been added. First chapter will be up tomorrow.

Synopsis

Cloud Strife was captured on a mission to Gongaga by Wutaian terrorists. Over the next few weeks he was tortured and abused to the point of insanity. He was eventually rescued by General Sephiroth, after his position was discovered by the Ancient, Aerith Gainsborough. Cloud Strife is then assigned to the Midgar Asylum and removed from the military on the orders of President Shinra.

Six months later, now a civilian who works in an electrical store, Cloud Strife meets General Sephiroth again. The two form a bond over coffee and a common annoyance with Zack Fair. Months later, General Sephiroth begins to realise he is in love with the other. A quasi-date becomes a confession of feelings but Cloud, unable to accept them yet, forces the General to leave.

The next week, after thinking things through, Cloud accepts Sephiroth's feelings. They are caught together on tape and the information is passed on to Zack Fair, who is horrified that his old friend is together with the General.

Zack demands an explanation from Sephiroth, however he is interrupted by Cloud arriving. When Cloud arrives, Zack Fair is, instead, forced to defend his own actions in regards to abandoning his friends. Zack recounts his current struggles with the defection of his mentor, Angeal Hewley, and the slew of missions he has been assigned to pick up the slack left by the mass-desertion in SOLDIER. Friends once more, Zack and Cloud begin to bond again.

Cloud and Sephiroth's first official 'date', Cloud comes across AVALANCHE bombers. Witnessing their attack on the Shinra Plaza, and injured himself, Cloud asks Sephiroth to allow him to train as a Turk to fight AVALANCHE.

Over the next few months, Cloud trains to be a Turk for SOLDIER, however, his relationship with Sephiroth begins to suffer for it. His relationship with Zack continues to strengthen.

Cloud's first mission is to infiltrate AVALANCHE. He finds them in the slums and approaches their leader Elfé. She appears particularly taken with him and he passes initiation. Sephiroth begins to suspect Rufus' involvement in AVALANCHE due to the other's interest in Cloud's mission.

Wanting to keep Cloud safe and to progress their relationship so that they don't break up, Sephiroth invites Cloud to live with him. Things don't go to plan, however, with Sephiroth still unable to break the boundary that Cloud has put up against physical contract. After a night of getting drunk and being scolded by Cloud for it, Sephiroth throws caution to the wind and tells Cloud about his sexual desires regarding the other. Cloud accepts that they need to move on in their relationship and promises to try harder in future. Cloud also has a meeting with AVALANCHE and learns they are going to start bombing reactors. He manages to delay them from bombing it for a while. Elfé begins to get a bit of a crush on Cloud.

Cloud begins to realise that saying he will try to move his relationship on with Sephiroth and doing it are two different things. He starts to try to back out and Sephiroth suggests that he should share his memories of Gongaga so that they can avoid triggers from the incident. Cloud agrees, but will only share his thoughts with Zack there. Cloud shares all the events of Gongaga with them and then goes to bed. The next morning Sephiroth asks Zack if he will act as a sex counsellor-cum-body guard for Cloud while they progress their relationship.

Genesis attacks Shinra HQ and attempts to kidnap Hojo. He is prevented, however, by Cloud, who threatens to shoot Hojo rather than let Genesis have him. Cloud is injured when Genesis blows a hole in the Shinra building and is treated by Hojo, who notices Sephiroth's attachment to him. Cissnei receives orders to keep Zack under observation. Meanwhile, Zack goes missing for a few weeks and when he reappears, he has a scarred face. He's killed Angeal and has been running away from his responsibilities as he felt he'd failed all his friends. Aerith has given him permission to help Sephiroth and Cloud.

Aerith visits Cloud and they get to talking about where Zack has been. Aerith accidentally mentions the idea that Sephiroth had regarding Zack's involvement in their intimate relationship. Cloud waits for Sephiroth and Zack and then rages at them for not even discussing it with him. Sephiroth delivers an ultimatum, Cloud can either agree to it or leave. AVALANCHE make contact with Aerith and Zack takes her out of the way to Costa Del Sol on holiday.

At Junon, Genesis attacks in an attempt to get to Hollander. Sephiroth, Zack and the Turks are all deployed there to clear up. Aerith accidentally blows up a boat in the harbour with a Fire materia. Once they return to Midgar, Cloud is coaxed into trying the threesome idea and is surprised that it is far less awkward than he thought. Although he doesn't actively participate.

Zack begins to think that he and Aerith aren't meant to be together. Cloud tries to convince him that they are. Meanwhile, Sephiroth discovers that Rufus Shinra is the main financier of AVALANCHE but can't decide what to do with the knowledge. AVALANCHE contact Cloud to get him to come to a meeting. Once there he realises that their newest recruit is Tifa Lockhart, a childhood friend from Nibelheim, who has come to Midgar as the monster situation in Nibelheim has got out of control. Sephiroth asks Rufus to look after Cloud. Aerith and Zack's relationship begins to get strained.

To try to make up, Sephiroth, Cloud, Aerith and Zack all go dancing together. When there, Cloud disappears to go to an AVALANCHE meeting. Rufus is also planning to attend that. When Sephiroth realises that Cloud is missing he arranges a search. Reno, who is aware of Rufus' involvement in AVALANCHE, attempts to keep Sephiroth and SOLDIER away from where Cloud is, however, Zack finds Cloud. Cloud has been drugged by Rufus and Elfé records herself having sex with him. They intend to blackmail Cloud to prevent him from telling Shinra about Rufus' involvement. Zack sees Elfé and Cloud having sex and assumes that Cloud is cheating on Sephiroth. Reno picks Cloud up and takes him home to get washed and changed.

Hojo signs a document that will lead to the Nibelheim mission with the full knowledge that he is trying to kill his own son. Cloud meanwhile returns to the apartment and explains that there was an AVALANCHE meeting, though he doesn't mention the Elfé incident. Zack is suspicious and when Sephiroth leaves for food he confronts Cloud. Cloud is forced to explain what happened and Zack promises to help him keep it a secret from Sephiroth.

Cissnei attempts to warn Zack about the Nibelheim mission, but is interrupted by Rufus Shinra who has come to find Sephiroth. Rufus manages to discover some strange activity regarding Cloud and Sephiroth in the computer files and starts to investigate what Hojo and his father are up to. Shears arranges a meeting for AVALANCHE and Cloud goes with fully-loaded guns intending to kill them. Fuhito has betrayed AVALANCHE to Hojo and has been caught. While questioning him, Fuhito reveals Cloud's full identity to AVALANCHE and the resulting gun battle leaves Cloud injured and Shears, Fuhito and other AVALANCHE members dead. He is eventually rescued by Rufus.

Deciding it would be best for Cloud to get out of Midgar, Sephiroth decides to take Cloud back to Nibelheim. He meets Tifa at Cloud's bedside and the girl pretends that she's just a friend of Cloud's and doesn't tell him her involvement in AVALANCHE.

Sephiroth tells Cloud about his intention to take him to Nibelheim once he's well enough to travel and Zack entrusts care of Aerith while he's away to Tseng. Once Cloud is well enough they begin to travel to Nibelheim. Cissnei is arrested and locked in offices on the Turk's Floor of the Shinra HQ. Cloud is dreadfully motion-sick the whole way. Outside Nibelheim they are attacked by a Green Dragon. Sensing something strange about the attack, Cloud climbs the cliffs to find a dragon nest. He takes the baby dragons with the intention of training them to protect Nibelheim.

Once they arrive in Nibelheim, Cloud is treated like a hero for his exploits in bringing down AVALANCHE. Tifa's father greets him and treats him and the other SOLDIERs well. They settle in at the inn before they go to see Cloud's mother. Afterwards, Zack stays with Cloud's mother, Herta Strife, and Sephiroth and Cloud return to the inn. They have sex for the first time. The next day, they have their photo taken in front of the mansion in Nibelheim.

Rufus discovers the truth behind the Nibelheim mission, that it is designed to destroy SOLDIER. He goes to confront his father about it. Meanwhile on the mountain, Cloud leads the way to the reactor. Once he gets there he's too exhausted from injuries sustained from a bridge collapse to go inside so he lets Sephiroth and Zack go inside alone. Rufus confronts President Shinra and, to prevent him from interfering, the President orders Reno to put Rufus into a chemically induced coma and transfer him to Junon.

Inside Sephiroth realises the truth behind the Nibelheim reactor. Genesis arrives, armed with information from Hojo, to drive Sephiroth insane on purpose. Sephiroth begins to realise what he is and his mind is filled with the mocking of his father, Professor Hojo. The final straw is when Genesis produces a tape recording of Cloud having sex with Elfé. Sephiroth attempts to attack him and Zack tries to follow them but they are gone by the time he gets outside. He meets Cloud who hasn't seen them and together they go back to Nibelheim to try to find him.

Cloud's mother mentions she saw Sephiroth going into the Shinra Mansion and Cloud goes to find him. They find Sephiroth in the basement. Cloud tries to explain about Elfé but Sephiroth doesn't appear to take it in. He's obviously gone insane. Cloud refuses to leave him on his own and stays down there for a week.

A week later, Zack wakes up to find Nibelheim on fire. Sephiroth has knocked Cloud out and dragged him up to the reactor. Zack saves the innkeeper and his wife and Herta Strife before he follows Sephiroth up the mountain.

Once in the reactor, Cloud wakes up to discover Mayor Lockhart's head body. He attempts to attack Sephiroth but his thrown down the stairs. Zack tries to defeat Sephiroth but is badly injured. In a final attempt to kill him, Cloud runs him through with the Buster Sword. He then returns to Zack, who he believes is dead.

Sephiroth returns from the room with Jenova's head in his hands. Cloud uses the bullet he'd saved for Elfé to shoot Sephiroth in the shoulder. The other stabs him through the chest with Masamune. In a moment of brief lucidity, Sephiroth hears Cloud curse him and tell him to 'Just die'. Obligingly, Sephiroth jumps into the molten mako below, leaving Cloud for dead.

Cissnei is released from the cells by Tseng, who tells her about the Nibelheim Incident. She is assigned to look after Rufus' comatose form in Junon, as well as keep an eye on the two survivors of the Nibelheim incident, Anabel and Herta.

Hojo arrives at the scene and takes Cloud and Zack into custody for experimentation. Five years later, Zack breaks free from the lab and takes a mako poisoned Cloud with him. Outside he is helped by Cloud's dragons, now fully grown, and manages to escape.

He runs into Cissnei who tells Tseng that she's lost them both and gives Zack the keys to a bike. She tells him that she's going to go on the run now as well. When Zack gets to Gongaga, however, Cissnei is there again. She tells Zack to get out of there and to stop being an idiot. She mentions that her only family is Genesis Rhapsodos, but doesn't reveal her real name. Zack flees from Gongaga and eventually ends up attacked by Genesis. He defeats him and discovers Aerith's last letter to him.

Reno receives orders to assassinate Zack Fair before he arrives in Midgar as well as orders from Tseng not to follow that order. Reno chooses the Company over the Turks to save both himself and Rude from punishment. Tseng can't get hold of Cissnei and he sets off to the desert outside Midgar with a box of letters from Aerith.

Zack and Cloud get towards Midgar. The army catches up to them however and Zack hides Cloud out of the way and takes on the soldiers there. Fatally injured, Zack lays in a pool of his own blood. A mako-insane Cloud attempts to make sense of everything and crawls over to Zack. He agrees to become Zack's living legacy and, in a moment of lucidity, remembers who Zack is. He then begins the trek towards Midgar. On the way he starts to forget everything that had happened before. By the time he reaches Midgar's walls, he is convinced that he is Zack.

Reno arrives on the cliff top and sees that Zack is still alive. Reno asks Zack if he has any last requests. Zack asks that Reno hide the fact that Cloud is still alive, and also that he tells Aerith that he loved her. Reno tells Zack he'll tell Aerith he died a hero and then fires a shot.

Tifa and Elfé find Cloud in Sector 7 and Elfé calls Aerith to treat him. Aerith tells Tifa and Elfé that Cloud isn't all there and has lost his memories. She tells them that he believes himself to be Zack and it might be best to just play along with that until they know what kind of trauma Cloud suffered to cause his soul to be so fractured. Cloud is accepted into AVALANCHE.

On the clifftops of Midgar, Tseng promises to forward the letters to Zack and then, smiling, he walks away.