Fic Review: Shattered Arc
Sep. 7th, 2009 10:25 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dracoqueen22At last, I dare step into the massive collection of stories that is my Final Fantasy VII arc "Shattered" initially focusing on the Vincent/Cid pairing and later, branching into several others.
The first in the series, "Shattered Ice" was the first full-length Final Fantasy fiction I ever wrote. I started this arc back in September 2005 and it's reaching it's end in September 2009. Fitting, I think. If I can finish in time, I plan to post the last chapter on the last day of September, to commemorate it's beginning.
Inspired by makoredeyes on FF.net and a few good fictions on AFF.net I fell in love with the Cid/Vincent pairing. And I wanted to write my own. I wanted it to be different, and in an effort to create a new plot, I started with something that changed the entire course of the FF7 plot. I never could have known that it would become this massive.
I'll start from the beginning.
Shattered Ice covers the events in FF7, beginning from a familiar start and then following the subtle changes I make to the plot as a result of changing circumstances. Here I slowly develop Vincent and Cid's relationship, from initial antagonism colored with misunderstanding, to a later profound connection that can't be broken, even by death. In this story, I take several divergences, including turning Tifa into a villain. I received much criticism for this choice, including those who accused me of bastardizing her character and simply trying to get rid of a character I didn't like, although that was hardly the case. I wanted a villain who wasn't initially a villain, and I felt that Tifa was complex enough to fit the part. She had reasons, though they are not discovered until the near end of the sequel story, Shattered Dreams.
In Shattered Ice, rather than write about Cait Sith whom I always loathed as both annoying and useless, I brought in his controller, Reeve Tuesti. Fighting with knives and an admirable grasp of magic, he takes Cait Sith's place and takes away that horrid doll. Also, I devise a method to turn Nanaki (Red XIII) from a complete beast, to a demi-human on occasion. He still touts fangs, claws, and that cute fiery tale, but he more resembles a human, sparking complicated emotions in him, especially for his best friend and usual co-conspirator Yuffie.
Other pairings to join the main pairing are Reeve/Reno, Cloud/Aeris, and Rude/Shera, my surprise pairing for all my readers. At the time that I wrote this, Reeve/Reno was an unusual pairing, but it quickly gathered a large following and I'm rather proud of it.
Shattered Ice stays mostly faithful to the plot of FF7 with the exception of Tifa's betrayal and Aeris' return to life. Also, the end is a bit different. In the final battle, Vincent -- in his Chaos form -- falls, disappearing, leaving them all to assume he is dead. Only Cid doesn't believe it, and he is dragged from the battlefield. Shattered Ice ends in grief and hope, as Reeve and Reno finally become engaged, while Cid wallows in grief.
Shattered Dreams picks up six months later, with Cid running himself ragged trying to find Vincent, certain he is still alive. Reeve has taken over as head of ShinRa, struggling to put the pieces back together even as he balances his responsibilities with the time he wants to spend with Reno, including their impending wedding. Aeris is pregnant with she and Cloud's first child, and Nanaki and Yuffie have grown even closer as friends.
But danger lurks on the horizon, thus beginning a complicated plot that I eventually port into an original fiction, to be discussed in a later review.
Gods and magic, a war that started 1000 years ago, all tied to the four demons -- actually demi-deities -- that inhabit Vincent's body. This massive (74 chapter ) part of the arc details that struggle where our heroes find themselves connected to actual gods and are pulled into this war between gods that encompasses all of Gaia.
Several familiar faces make a reappearance, including Sephiroth (given a second chance at life to make up for his past mistakes) and Zack (chosen to be the voice of the planet now that Aeris is with child). Joining the main cast are Tseng and Elena, who were only minor characters in Shattered Ice. As well as a slew of demi-deities, most of whom are based on the various summons in FF7, as well as borrowing some from FF8 and FF9.
Sadly, it is Cloud who loses his life in Shattered Dreams, doing what he wants most -- protecting those that matter to him. The burden of leadership falls to Sephiroth, who is battling his own inner demons.
The Arc then diverges with several side pieces.
Shattered Boundaries is a ten-chapter piece detailing the circumstances behind Reeve and Reno's love, from the first meeting to various points of interest in their seven year relationship. Companion to this is A Promise is a Promise, a missing scene from Shattered Ice Redux where Reno almost proposes, but saves it for a later time.
Broken and Bonded Refrain is a twenty-part song-fic covering each of the main characters and each of the main pairings. Companion and prelude to this is Misunderstood, ten POVs of minor characters from the Shattered Arc such as Hojo, Raven (an OC), Lucrecia, etc all discussing their perspective on Vincent.
Shattered Traditions details the slow slide from friendship to love for Yuffie and Nanaki, and the different oppositions they must overcome, including the death of Yuffie's father and her subsequent role in Wutai's affairs. As well as Nanaki finding more of his clan.
Last in the arc is Shattered Children, based in part on Advent Children and focusing mainly on Sephiroth, his struggle to come to terms with his past and his mistakes, as well as his deepening relationship with Tseng.
Many aspects between the movie and the fanfiction are the same, only the characters are different. Sephiroth now assumes the role previously held by Cloud, and oddly, Tseng takes on Tifa's role. Zack has taken Tseng's role, while Elena remains herself. Cloud takes on the role previously held by Aeris, and the three brothers are much the same. Though rather than consider them remnants, I consider them Hojo's children the same as Sephiroth, actual humans with true thoughts and desires.
The Shattered Arc is long -- greater than 150 chapters -- and it's taken me four years to write it. I still believe it can be improved, but I am quite proud of my dedication to such an extensive piece.
There is so much more than I can discuss here. Smaller plots, pairings between characters, the changes each character goes through... it would take me several posts to cover them all, and perhaps I will go back and cover each story separately. But for now, this will suffice.
The first in the series, "Shattered Ice" was the first full-length Final Fantasy fiction I ever wrote. I started this arc back in September 2005 and it's reaching it's end in September 2009. Fitting, I think. If I can finish in time, I plan to post the last chapter on the last day of September, to commemorate it's beginning.
Inspired by makoredeyes on FF.net and a few good fictions on AFF.net I fell in love with the Cid/Vincent pairing. And I wanted to write my own. I wanted it to be different, and in an effort to create a new plot, I started with something that changed the entire course of the FF7 plot. I never could have known that it would become this massive.
I'll start from the beginning.
Shattered Ice covers the events in FF7, beginning from a familiar start and then following the subtle changes I make to the plot as a result of changing circumstances. Here I slowly develop Vincent and Cid's relationship, from initial antagonism colored with misunderstanding, to a later profound connection that can't be broken, even by death. In this story, I take several divergences, including turning Tifa into a villain. I received much criticism for this choice, including those who accused me of bastardizing her character and simply trying to get rid of a character I didn't like, although that was hardly the case. I wanted a villain who wasn't initially a villain, and I felt that Tifa was complex enough to fit the part. She had reasons, though they are not discovered until the near end of the sequel story, Shattered Dreams.
In Shattered Ice, rather than write about Cait Sith whom I always loathed as both annoying and useless, I brought in his controller, Reeve Tuesti. Fighting with knives and an admirable grasp of magic, he takes Cait Sith's place and takes away that horrid doll. Also, I devise a method to turn Nanaki (Red XIII) from a complete beast, to a demi-human on occasion. He still touts fangs, claws, and that cute fiery tale, but he more resembles a human, sparking complicated emotions in him, especially for his best friend and usual co-conspirator Yuffie.
Other pairings to join the main pairing are Reeve/Reno, Cloud/Aeris, and Rude/Shera, my surprise pairing for all my readers. At the time that I wrote this, Reeve/Reno was an unusual pairing, but it quickly gathered a large following and I'm rather proud of it.
Shattered Ice stays mostly faithful to the plot of FF7 with the exception of Tifa's betrayal and Aeris' return to life. Also, the end is a bit different. In the final battle, Vincent -- in his Chaos form -- falls, disappearing, leaving them all to assume he is dead. Only Cid doesn't believe it, and he is dragged from the battlefield. Shattered Ice ends in grief and hope, as Reeve and Reno finally become engaged, while Cid wallows in grief.
Shattered Dreams picks up six months later, with Cid running himself ragged trying to find Vincent, certain he is still alive. Reeve has taken over as head of ShinRa, struggling to put the pieces back together even as he balances his responsibilities with the time he wants to spend with Reno, including their impending wedding. Aeris is pregnant with she and Cloud's first child, and Nanaki and Yuffie have grown even closer as friends.
But danger lurks on the horizon, thus beginning a complicated plot that I eventually port into an original fiction, to be discussed in a later review.
Gods and magic, a war that started 1000 years ago, all tied to the four demons -- actually demi-deities -- that inhabit Vincent's body. This massive (74 chapter ) part of the arc details that struggle where our heroes find themselves connected to actual gods and are pulled into this war between gods that encompasses all of Gaia.
Several familiar faces make a reappearance, including Sephiroth (given a second chance at life to make up for his past mistakes) and Zack (chosen to be the voice of the planet now that Aeris is with child). Joining the main cast are Tseng and Elena, who were only minor characters in Shattered Ice. As well as a slew of demi-deities, most of whom are based on the various summons in FF7, as well as borrowing some from FF8 and FF9.
Sadly, it is Cloud who loses his life in Shattered Dreams, doing what he wants most -- protecting those that matter to him. The burden of leadership falls to Sephiroth, who is battling his own inner demons.
The Arc then diverges with several side pieces.
Shattered Boundaries is a ten-chapter piece detailing the circumstances behind Reeve and Reno's love, from the first meeting to various points of interest in their seven year relationship. Companion to this is A Promise is a Promise, a missing scene from Shattered Ice Redux where Reno almost proposes, but saves it for a later time.
Broken and Bonded Refrain is a twenty-part song-fic covering each of the main characters and each of the main pairings. Companion and prelude to this is Misunderstood, ten POVs of minor characters from the Shattered Arc such as Hojo, Raven (an OC), Lucrecia, etc all discussing their perspective on Vincent.
Shattered Traditions details the slow slide from friendship to love for Yuffie and Nanaki, and the different oppositions they must overcome, including the death of Yuffie's father and her subsequent role in Wutai's affairs. As well as Nanaki finding more of his clan.
Last in the arc is Shattered Children, based in part on Advent Children and focusing mainly on Sephiroth, his struggle to come to terms with his past and his mistakes, as well as his deepening relationship with Tseng.
Many aspects between the movie and the fanfiction are the same, only the characters are different. Sephiroth now assumes the role previously held by Cloud, and oddly, Tseng takes on Tifa's role. Zack has taken Tseng's role, while Elena remains herself. Cloud takes on the role previously held by Aeris, and the three brothers are much the same. Though rather than consider them remnants, I consider them Hojo's children the same as Sephiroth, actual humans with true thoughts and desires.
The Shattered Arc is long -- greater than 150 chapters -- and it's taken me four years to write it. I still believe it can be improved, but I am quite proud of my dedication to such an extensive piece.
There is so much more than I can discuss here. Smaller plots, pairings between characters, the changes each character goes through... it would take me several posts to cover them all, and perhaps I will go back and cover each story separately. But for now, this will suffice.
