cloudchar

History:
Cloud was born in Nibelheim, as either a genetic clone with some of Sephiroth's DNA. He remembers little of his childhood and does not know if he was an experiment as some of the other citizens of Nibelheim were, or if he was normally born. He had a mother that raised him and often he felt aloof of others and quite distant, not wanting to be around most people his age. The only one he was interested in at all seemed to be Tifa Lockheart, and when they were just barely teenagers, Cloud spoke to her of leaving Nibelheim and going off to be in SOLDIER. He emulated Sephiroth and wished to join to be like him. Cloud soon after left, despite his mother wishing him to instead stay and marry an older woman, because she believed Cloud needed that kind of influence and someone to take care of him.

After attempting to join SOLDIER maybe even a few times, he had to settle on being a Shinra guard, because he felt as though he could not return to Nibelheim and face them for his failure. He kept to himself and after a couple of years, at age 16, he returned to Nibelheim along with Sephiroth and Zack, two SOLDIERs. Cloud was motion sick and not too thrilled about returning to his home town and wore a mask most of the time there so he would not be recognized. He accompanied Sephiroth , Zack, another guard, and Tifa Lockheart to the Mount Nibel reactor that was reporting to have power disruptions and also was producing very bad creatures around the area with Mako. Cloud saw his mother and talked to her, and she expressed she was worried about him and wanted him to marry a woman older than himself to take care of him because he was out doing things that were dangerous. Also he might have confided in her that he failed to join SOLDIER, though it is not known for sure. The group headed up to Mount Nibel and Cloud waited outside with Tifa as Sephiroth and Zack entered the reactor and repaired it. He did not know what had happened to Sephiroth or Zack within and about the Jenova project. Afterwards they returned to Nibelheim and Sephiroth was not seen for days, and Zack was troubled greatly. Cloud headed after Sephiroth after Zack had gone after him for burning down the town, following Tifa up there to confront him. He got to the reactor in time to move Tifa after Sephiroth had wounded her severely and slain her father for trying to stop him from getting into the Jenova project site. Zack was also defeated by Sephiroth and lay dying as Sephiroth headed out of the reactor with Jenova's head, and believing in the reports of Shinra that Jenova was a Cetra. Cloud picked up Zack's sword and went after Sephiroth but Sephiroth turned and stabbed Cloud through telling him not to push his luck. Cloud then found a strength in himself he had never known was there before and hurled Sephiroth and Jenova head over the edge of the catwalk, and Sephiroth plunged into the lifestream, seemingly dying. After that, Cloud was taken into custody by Shinra and given to Dr. Hojo, along with Zack. The two remained in capsules and were being tested. It is not known if Cloud had died during this time and was made a clone of Sephiroth, but Sephiroth did say this and even Hojo admitted that Cloud was a failed project. It is possible that Cloud was of Sephiroth's dna even before then, but all is guess work. Cloud and Zack escaped, Zack doing a majority of the work while Cloud was too injured to do much of anything. Zack took them both by hitching rides and various means to the outskirts of Midgar where Zack was gunned down. The guards left Cloud for dead as well, and Cloud then went and picked up Zack's buster sword, and for some reason absorbed Zack's mentality and possibly his soul into his own. Cloud's own memory began to diminish and meld with Zack's persona. Cloud then met with Tifa Lockheart after a brief run in with Aeris, a flower girl. He joined Avalanche as a Mercenary to help attack Shinra although at first he didn't care one way or the other. He had no memory of being captured by Hojo. The group

succeeded in taking out two Shinra reactors in Midgar before sector 6 was demolished by a plate falling upon it. Avalanche had to move on and Cloud discovered after rescuing Aeris that Sephiroth was still alive, however his memories were confused and he reacted more on the part of Zack. Cloud believed he was an ex-SOLDIER first class, instead of being a guard, and he had to stop Sephiroth no matter what the cost. The group set out after Sephiroth and pursued him, as they also met and understood eachother more. As Cloud continued his travels he found out more about himself and Sephiroth also shared things he knew of Cloud. They also encountered Jenova. The only time Jenova spoke in the game was to tell Cloud he was a puppet. Sephiroth shortly after, killed Aeris at the temple of the ancients.

Cloud no longer could trust himself and was being controlled at points to turn over the Black Materia to Sephiroth. He fell into the Lifestream and then found out more about himself with Tifa's help realizing that even if he was a clone or not a clone he still had a real life and feelings and had some of them returned to him there, and he could fight on after Aeris' death. He and the others worked together, and met with Sephiroth and Jenova again, in a final showdown, fighting Jenova, Bizzaro Sephiroth with Jenova moving her hands above the twisted form like a puppet master, and also One-Winged Angel Sephiroth. Afterwards they made their way out and saw meteor was still coming and there was no Holy spell. Sephiroth then laughed and Cloud was sent to him or went to him via Astral travel, out of his body. There he confronted Sephiroth and defeated him, causing Sephiroth to die and his life energy that he had absorbed to go to the Lifestream. Afterwards, his power along with Aeris' death then permitted Holy to be cast. Aeris in the Lifestream finished the spell and the planet was spared. Cloud would have to find now a new life, one with Tifa.