This story, Magical Instability, is a massive crossover of Final Fantasy 7, 8, 10, 10-2, & 12 with hints of Crisis Core and Dirge of Cerberus. In order to maintain the plot for this story, disregard the secret ending to Dirge of Cerberus, assume ending to X-2 was Normal (Tidus not coming back to Spira, and assume Squall never made it back to his friends after Time Compression.
Disclaimer: I do not own any characters associated with Final Fantasy, or the respective worlds these characters come from. I do, however, take credit for the plotline, and the person portrayed in the Prologue of the story.
This story was written in an effort to meet the goals set by National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo for short), and was not finished in the short 50,000 word goal. This story has also been beta-read by one Selphie4, whose kind words and quirky attitude make me want to finish this story faster!
Considering this story's genre, no blatant pairings will be present. I hope to write a sequel and expound upon the relationships forged in these subsequent chapters. You are welcome to message me and try to guess which pairings I have in mind for the sequel or to request some since they are not ironed out or set in stone just yet. As always, I hope you enjoy, and please review when you've finished!
Prologue
"Failures, all of you," a deceptively calm and controlled voice murmured, fingertips gliding against the glass of each respective cell. "I should have known better than to leave their destruction in your hands," the voice grew louder, anger tingeing the calm facade. "No matter, they will be destroyed inevitably," the figure finally left the dark room, thoughts racing as footsteps echoed down the corridor.
Honestly, she hadn't expected them all to succeed, but perhaps she expected at least one of the four. Unconsciously, her thumb and forefinger began to massage her temples, her unadulterated fury rearing its ugly head once again. Superfluous emotions held no realm over her duties, despite her desire to unleash them upon the supposed heroes.
These worlds were self-regulating, and as such needed to be destroyed when the time came. She couldn't very well blame them for wanting to save themselves and their loved ones, but she realized the futility of the action, whereas they did not. Her anger surged as she continued to plot exactly how to destroy these worlds, the visible effects obvious to specific world inhabitants.
(Chapter 1)
Squall? Squall?! Can you hear me?! Where are you...? Rinoa's skewed voice echoed in the scarred man's ears, his head turning in all directions though never seeing the brunette sorceress.
"Rinoa?"
Squall called, the desert-like surroundings doing little to abate his fears. Where am I? Squall finally collapsed, the SeeD out cold as his head came into contact with the harsh ground.
(POV Shift)
"Denzel! Hey! Wait up!" a certain brunette called to her blond friend, the two children deciding to play before heading back to Tifa and Cloud. "Denzel! Where are you going now?" Marlene followed him down a short alleyway, a gasp leaving her lips once she noticed Denzel kneel down next to a body. He was older than they were, though Marlene would have guessed he was around Cloud's age, if only a little younger.
"Go get Cloud, Marlene!" Denzel insisted, his eyes turning to hers with clear urgency, the boy's kind nature shining through in the short moment.
Marlene nodded uncertainly before running back out of the alley and towards Seventh Heaven, Tifa's bar and place of employment.
(POV Shift)
It wasn't that Tifa didn't appreciate Yuffie's enthusiasm, she did – especially when Tifa herself was feeling down in the mouth – but at the moment, the enthusiasm and continual need to speak was driving Tifa up a wall. Some of the regulars had tried to take their time ordering, noticing their favorite barista was irritated, and Cloud's absence probably wasn't helping matters to boot.
"Shouldn't Denzel and Marlene be back by now?" Cloud asked, finally walking into the bar, Tifa throwing him a relieved smile as she looked up at him.
"I told them they could stay out a little later today, but they should be back soon," Tifa answered, Cloud nodding before heading to the staircase, intent on thinking or perhaps just enjoying some peaceful, quiet time alone. That thought was shattered, however, when a distressed little girl came racing into the bar.
"Cloud! Denzel and I found somebody in an alley a couple streets over! He needs help!" she spoke all in one breath, Tifa and Cloud immediately at her side. Tifa's brown eyes lifted to Cloud's, Cloud's nod almost imperceptible before hoisting Marlene into his arms.
"I'll be back soon, Tifa," Cloud told her, Tifa resisting the urge to follow. As much as she trusted Yuffie, she knew the Wutaian ninja couldn't very well mix drinks...unless there was something she wasn't telling Tifa.
Cloud wasted little time in following Marlene's directions, Denzel turning to the blond when he finally turned down the alley. The blond let Marlene down before hovering over the unfamiliar figure, his eyes trailing over the man's face. Dark brown hair...a strange scar over the bridge of his nose... The man wasn't dead, if the rise and fall of his chest were any indication. Figuring Tifa would reprimand him for not bringing the stranger back to be healed at the very least, Cloud lifted the man from the ground, his weight uneven due to the strange, blue weapon clutched in the man's hand.
(POV Shift)
"Yo!" Barret stepped into Seventh Heaven, his human hand in the air as he waved at Yuffie and Tifa. "Where's Marlene?" he asked, making his way to the front counter.
"Out with Cloud and Denzel. They'll be back soon," Tifa replied, trying her best to keep the worry from her voice. Barret relaxed at the answer, confident that Cloud would keep Marlene safe, if not out of trouble. Tifa nervously began to wipe down the bar again; the action practically mechanical before Yuffie lifted Tifa's hand from the counter top and pointed to the visible cracks in the wood. Tifa grimaced at the destruction, and made a quick mental note to make a new counter before lifting her gaze to watch as Denzel and Marlene slipped in, a frown tainting her lips when she noticed Cloud didn't follow.
Barret lifted Marlene into a one-armed, bone-crushing hug, the small girl giggling all the while before Denzel continued towards Tifa. "He came in around back. Said something about not wanting to 'scare your customers' or something," Denzel halfheartedly shrugged, Tifa sighing before nodding. Discretion was something Cloud liked, and carrying someone in through a crowded bar just seemed to invite more questions then anything else.
Tifa slipped away a few moments later, her curiosity piqued as she headed upstairs, the brunette certain that Cloud had placed the vulnerable man onto his usually unoccupied bed. "How is he?" Tifa asked quietly, shutting the door behind her.
"He'll be fine," Cloud then answered, standing and turning to Tifa. "I have no idea what that is though," Cloud gestured to the blue blade leaning against the wall, Tifa turning and blinking at the thing as though it would explain itself. "I guess we'll ask when he wakes up," Cloud then murmured, pulling the only chair in the room and sitting gingerly onto it. "I'll keep watch. He may be hostile when he wakes up," Cloud made a very good point, Tifa's arms crossing over her chest.
The words she wanted to say died in her throat, and instead manifested as a small frown on her lips. "If you need anything, you let me know," Tifa told Cloud, not about to reprimand the blond for doing something he probably deemed as protecting his family.
Cloud nodded once before Tifa left the room, Yuffie jumped all over the brunette for some answers about the 'new guy.'
(POV Shift)
"So, what exactly are we looking for?" Reno asked, leaning back into his seat with an irritated sigh. Rufus and Tseng had sent he and Rude on a stupid mission to Mideel; some of the locals apparently had complained of 'mako-enhanced monsters' or something equally as incredible. Rude didn't answer him right away, the bald Turk merely readjusting his signature glasses before giving a quick glance to his red-headed partner.
"You know how mako is – Rufus doesn't want to be blamed for anything mako-related anymore, so I guess it's better to be safe than sorry," Rude answered concisely, Reno hiding his groan. Why was it that every time the President wanted to cover his ass, Reno had to be the one to do it? Right. He was a Turk. What the hell he had been thinking when he had signed up for his current job, he would never know.
Mideel had seen better days, but their economy had been recovering if only before the new 'monsters' that had appeared in the vicinity. Reno sighed again, Rude pointedly ignoring the sound before landing the helicopter on the outskirts of the city. The landscape hadn't changed much, but it had changed just enough so people could visibly see the changes – the mako, lifestream, whatever it technically was – was somehow draining the city, and in the process leaving people weaker to normal monsters, which is why they had probably been called in to investigate.
"What do you make of it?" Reno finally asked, bending down to the ground and taking a handful of the soil.
"Not sure," Rude murmured, taking a few more steps towards Mideel. "Let's check the town and see if we can help," the man finally continued, Reno shaking his hand free of dirt before following his partner.
The townspeople were nervous when the two entered, and as such the pair of Turks quickly found themselves escorted from the city boundaries, Reno 'hmph'ing a 'good riddance' before turning to Rude.
"What now?" Reno then asked, almost daring Rude to say they should go back to Mideel.
"Let's talk to the President, and go from there," Rude told him, the Turk quickly flipping his cell phone from his pocket and dialing the number. "We were abruptly escorted out almost as soon as we got here," Rude explained, his face betraying nothing as he nodded at the voice on the other end of the line. "Understood," Rude finally flipped the device closed, Reno giving him an expectant look.
"They'll be sending people to watch over the town," Rude shrugged, Reno's lips pulling into a large grin.
"We can leave then?" Reno asked; glad to be leaving the rundown town. He had never really held any affinity for the place, and it apparently showed.
"Yes," Rude answered, though Reno wondered whether the other Turk had rolled his eyes at the redhead's enthusiasm.
After the brief conversation, the two quickly made their way back to the helicopter, their steps slowing after noticing a strange, unmoving figure on the ground. The two glanced sidelong at each other before hurrying towards the downed man, Reno's eyes widening. "Cloud?! No...it isn't Cloud. I'll be damned if he doesn't look like him though," Reno noticed the blond hair and build, though noticed upon further inspection this stranger's skin was a darker color than the pallor of Mr. Cloud I-Hate-The-Sun Strife.
A strange, blue sword lay by the man's outstretched hand, the blond finally beginning to groan and grunt as though he were waking up. Bright, blue eyes snapped open before they widened with confusion. "Wh-who are you?" the blond unconsciously tried to back away from the two, his hand finding the hilt of his sword and gripping it tightly.
"Relax, man. What were you doing all the way out here? Do you live in Mideel?" Reno asked, the blond relaxing slightly, though giving the redhead another strange look.
"I've never heard of Mideel," the blond admitted, wracking his brain for all the locations he had visited, Mideel definitely not being one of them, he decided.
Reno and Rude blinked at the blond then at each other, not sure whether this was some elaborate joke or if the poor guy truly was clueless. "Uhm...do you remember where you're from?" Reno finally asked, hoping he wasn't a complete amnesiac.
The blond looked all-too-ready to give an answer then thought better of it. What if people gave him strange looks...? He knew that before, if he had told someone where he was really from, it could have gotten him into real trouble. Though...if things had changed, then it shouldn't matter anymore, right? "I'm from Zanarkand," the blond finally answered, scratching the back of his neck nervously.
"Where's that?" Reno instantly asked, finding this wayfarer more interesting than he had moments ago.
"You've never heard of Zanarkand?" the blond asked, baffled. He had thought everybody heard of Zanarkand...
"Nope," Rude answered for the both of them, pushing his glasses back up to the bridge of his nose.
"Well, since you don't know anything about this world, how about you come with us, at least for the time being?" Reno asked, not out of kindness per se, but more for morbid curiosity.
Rude didn't seem phased by the question, and didn't voice any objections if he had some. "That'd really help me out a lot," the blond chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck again. "Oh, the name's Tidus," the blond finally informed the two, getting to his feet and keeping his grip on his sword.
"Reno," the redhead answered, then indicated a thumb at his partner. "Rude."
(POV Shift)
President Laguna Loire really hadn't changed much in the year after Ultimecia's defeat; he was still forced to sign documents pertaining to Doctor Odine's experiments, funding set aside for the army, and especially the upkeep of the space program located not far away from the city of Esthar itself. Sure, he didn't have a great relationship with his son, but he supposed that was to be expected, considering he had left the poor boy in the care of Edea Kramer and the orphanage she ran.
The president sighed for what seemed like the thousandth time that day, a shaky hand raking through his dark locks as his eyes peered at the top of his desk. Kiros had brought the daily reports from the scientists that needed immediate responses, but Laguna felt no desire to work at the moment. Not that he ever truly did for that matter, but he had been having strange dreams lately – dreams that centered around Squall. It was probably his memories or guilt, or perhaps a combination or the two, which brought them on, but Squall's disappearance for nearly a year didn't help matters either.
Honestly, Laguna was surprised Garden had lasted so long without a permanent leader; though, he was certain some specific SeeDs were vying for the position. Quistis and Xu specifically came to mind, but Laguna shook the thoughts away almost as soon as they appeared. He needed to focus...he needed to at least finish the mandatory paperwork before retiring to his apartment in the more upscale part of Esthar.
"You seem agitated," a sage and somewhat teasing tone reached the president's ears, his widened eyes clearly betraying his shock before registering that it was Kiros who had yet again invaded his office.
"You could say that," Laguna answered evasively, his mood worse for wear, though it was clear from his demeanor that he tried to maintain his cheerful disposition.
"Worried about Squall?" Kiros then elaborated, Laguna blanching before nodding stiffly, his hand moving a paper he finished reading over into the significantly smaller stack. "He'll be back," Kiros made a swift movement in the air, Laguna's lips twitching into a small smile despite himself.
A red button began to blink on the president's desk as a high-pitched alarm system went off, Laguna and Kiros locking eyes before moving towards the door. "Who would be stupid enough to infiltrate Esthar's most secured facility?" Kiros shook his head with an almost amused expression, Laguna giving his friend a sardonic, half-formed smile. Kiros had a very good point.
Sentries and even some soldiers passed the president and his right-hand man as they walked swiftly down the corridor, the source of the commotion easily ascertained as they rounded the corner only to be greeted by a veritable mass of soldiers, government officials, and curious underling employees. "Who is she?" "How'd she get in here?" Laguna's eyes narrowed at the questions he heard begin to circulate within the mass, the man quickly clearing his throat before people noticed who he was and stepping to the side and letting him pass.
"Mr. President!" one of Laguna's head of security found him, quickly ushering him to the small door that led to what appeared to be a small janitorial closet. "We have no way of knowing how she got in there, when, or if she had help," the man continued, Laguna entering the small room and kneeling beside the unconscious girl. A small smile graced his lips as he took in her delicate features, the president somehow resisting the urge to reach out and touch her skin.
"She is in need of medical attention. Clear the way and alert the medical staff!" Laguna ordered quickly, easily picking the girl up into his arms. Most of the cluttered mob of people had cleared out upon his order, and Laguna was thankful for the breath of fresh air.
"Who is she?" Kiros approached his friend almost silently, Laguna accustomed to the silent movements of his former war buddy. Laguna's head bent down to look more closely at her features, brown curls falling at the side of her face.
"I don't know," the President murmured, his eyes lifting back to lock with Kiros's lifted eyebrows. The silent question left Laguna appalled, and he quickly shook his head, Kiros chuckling once before nodding and following Laguna towards the medical facility.
(POV Shift)
If there were only one thing Seifer Almasy hated the most about not being a sorceress's knight anymore, it was that it left him completely and totally bored. He had taken residence in Balamb after the whole fiasco had left him a veritable enemy of Garden, though Quistis and the rest of the orphanage gang had made it abundantly clear he was welcome back at Garden anytime he wished to come back. He had thrown the offer back at them though; he didn't want to be Squall's 'replacement' for Garden or for Rinoa, especially when he didn't know what to think about the whole 'Squall disappearing' thing himself.
So, until he worked out everything he needed to, he would waste his time in the small, port city of Balamb. The townspeople didn't especially like their newest citizen, and often Seifer could have sworn people were glaring at him, sometimes whispering about him behind his back. Not that this gossip bothered him, of course. He was the great Seifer Almasy! No one could touch him, save for Squall Leonhart – and even that was questionable.
Today was no different for the ex-Disciplinary Committee. They paraded down the streets of Balamb, heading in the direction of the dock to continue fishing. Fuujin and Raijin followed closely behind their blond leader, their admiration and pride for him shining unadulterated in their eyes. After making it to the docks, and almost riling up some town officials, the three quickly resumed their daily posts. Seifer's chair sat at the edge of the dock itself, a bucket of bait at his side as he leaned forward with his elbow propped on his knee, his eyes disinterestedly following the ripples on the water's surface. Fuujin remained standing, her eyes never trailing from Seifer's back unless Raijin began howling about catching a fish, which would upset Seifer and force Fuujin to resort to painful tactics.
The morning hours passed by more quickly than Raijin remembered, but he was grateful if only for a quicker lunch since his stomach had been growling for nearly three hours already. "Seifer," Fuujin muttered in his indistinct, toneless way, Raijin glancing over his shoulder to see what the hold-up was.
"It's time to eat, ya know?" Raijin indicated heading back to the town with his head, Seifer either not hearing them or purposefully ignoring their words.
Seifer had gotten up from his chair and almost broken his fishing line from trying to reel in what was promising to be the biggest catch any of them had ever seen. "Damn. Help me out here!" Seifer snapped his head around to Fuujin and Raijin, the two quickly scrambling over to him before helping him.
"What the?! It's a GUY?!" Seifer exclaimed, the three of them pulling his soaked body from the sea. Fuujin's eyes widened at the sight, Raijin's head tilting to the side. How on earth had a man ended up floating in the sea and not managed to drown? It made no sense...
"He's a got a scar too!" Raijin pointed out, the man's scar heavier and slashed across one of his eyes. Fuujin rolled her eyes at the man's remark, her hand swiftly hitting the other on the back of the head. Raijin cried out at the pain, a hand instantly moving to rub the spot.
"Leave him," Fuujin murmured, Seifer's sharp, green eyes lifting to meet her own. Sure, Seifer couldn't very well be pegged a philanthropist, but leaving a clearly vulnerable man abandoned didn't sit well with him. Maybe the guilt from all his misadventures for Edea was catching up with him after all.
"We'll take him to Garden. I'm sure they'll patch him up there," Seifer instructed, Raijin and Fuujin both starting at Garden's mention. "Let's go," Seifer then hoisted the man up and over his shoulder, the man's weight heavy though not too much for Seifer to bear.
(POV Shift)
"So, you're telling us that you found this man drifting in the sea and somehow snagged your fishing hooks against his clothing?" Quistis's arms were crossed over her chest, an eyebrow lifted suspiciously.
"True," Fuujin answered concisely, her head moving in a solid, one-directional nod.
"It figures you wouldn't believe us. Even a year later, I'm still the 'big bad Seifer'," the blond sneered at his former instructor, Quistis's expression turning darker.
"That story is a little far-fetched, even for you, Seifer," Dr. Kadowaki finally appeared, the blond giving her an expectant look. "He's fine. I couldn't even detect that he'd had water in his lungs which is absolutely baffling. He should wake up sometime soon – he had virtually no injuries, apart from floating in the sea and being unconscious," the doctor explained, the group nodding before leaving the Infirmary.
"So, what's Garden up to these days? Still organizing search parties for your lost Commander?" Seifer asked, the mocking intent still present despite his wish that it wasn't. He didn't need people thinking he was worrying about Leonhart of all people, after all.
"That's none of your business, civilian," Quistis answered coolly, Seifer rolling his eyes. "When are you leaving?" Quistis then asked, Seifer's trademark smirk appearing on his lips.
"Who knows," Seifer answered with a nonchalant wave of his hand, Quistis sighing as the apparently reinstated Disciplinary Committee walked away, presumably to harass the members of the orphanage gang.
(POV Shift)
Despite all the turmoil and political unrest Spira had endured since Sin's appearance and eventual defeat (and also the defeat of Shuyin and Vegnagun), the ex-summoner Yuna had still managed to keep her private affairs just that – private. After the Youth League and New Yevon had for all intents and purposes been dissolved, and instead aggregated into a singular, governing body over all Spira, Yuna had somehow managed to evade the limelight. She visited Bevelle on an almost normal basis, if only to help retain unity within the government or offer bits of advice that Baralai and oftentimes Nooj took to heart.
Though, for most of her time, Yuna continued living in her childhood home on the island of Besaid. Lulu and Wakka were there as well, along with the rest of the small village and their new son, Vidina.
"Yuna?" Lulu's calm and caring voice interrupted the brunette's thoughts, her eyes lifting to meet Lulu's red ones. "Are you okay?" the black mage continued, a thoughtful expression in her eyes and a hand straying to her hip.
"Just fine," Yuna answered with a small smile, her hands clasping behind her back. "I think I'm going to take a walk to the beach," Yuna then informed her surrogate sister, the dark-haired woman nodding with a half smile.
"Be careful," Lulu uttered the warning, knowing full well Yuna could manage against any fiends on the island. She supposed it was just motherly instinct, now especially since the birth of Vidina, that forced those words from her lips.
"I will," Yuna promised, her smile widening as she took a few steps towards the outskirts of the village, Lulu watching as she went. Her thoughts inevitably drifted to her past journeys, the summoner wondering just what Rikku, Paine, and the rest of the 'Gullwings' were up to these days. The market for sphere hunters in Spira these days wasn't too bad; Leblanc and her Syndicate had dropped out of the race practically when they had returned from defeating Shuyin in the Farplane. After all, why would Nooj need any more spheres to spy on Bevelle if he could very well ask Baralai himself or search the old Yevon headquarter building?
Yuna chuckled lightly to herself, her eyes closing briefly before shaking her head clear of the thoughts. She hadn't heard from Leblanc in quite some time, though she didn't really let herself worry about it. Leblanc was more than capable of handling herself, and when she wasn't, Logos and Ormi were. Her bi-colored eyes lifted to the cascading waterfalls as her legs carried her over the bridges, a reminiscent smile still present on her lips.
If she tried very hard, she could almost imagine she was leaving to begin her pilgrimage again, with him at her side. She thought of him often, but couldn't help but feel somewhat lacking, as though he should still be by her side while he wasn't. Couldn't the fayth have done anything? She could feel the beginnings of tears form at the corners of her eyes, but she refused them passage down her cheeks as she finally made the final turn towards the beach, the bright blue sea greeting her happily it seemed. After walking to the edge of the water, Yuna surveyed the depths disinterestedly, her demeanor listless as she took a seat on the grainy sand.
She had so many memories of Besaid, and, she supposed, she had many more of the beautiful and picturesque isle to obtain.
(POV Shift)
Huh? Is this the lifestream? Am I dead? These questions and innumerable others plagued his mind as his body became heavy, the weight inevitably dragging his water-logged body down into the depths – of what, he couldn't very well say. I feel strange...I didn't think you could feel anything after death. The man continued to think, to dream. He wished to see so many people who had preceded him, but his eyes didn't want to open it seemed, and they didn't until he felt himself begin to choke.
His legs quickly found the way to the bottom, his head quickly breaking the surface before his lungs filled with air through gasping lips. Water? How had he gotten here? He had been dead! DEAD! Unless he was in the future or something, it shouldn't have been possible...
After shaking his head free of some water and draining his ears, bright blue eyes finally opened his vision hazy at first but finally regaining its lucidity. Where am I? He wondered, a gloved hand reaching up to rub at his forehead.
"Wh-who are you?" a bewildered voice asked a few feet away, blue eyes snapping up to view the speaker. He blinked at her once, trying to determine if her clothing really was so scant, but decided it didn't matter much to him after all.
"Ah, sorry. I'm Zack Fair," he told her with an ostentatious gesture of his arms, the brunette glancing at him warily. "And you are?" he continued, taking a few tentative steps towards the pretty girl.
"Yuna," she answered, still eying him warily. She had never heard of any 'Zack Fair', and certainly she had expected him to at least recognize her, or have heard of her now that he knew her name.
"Ah, that's a nice name," he commented sincerely, eyes finally scouring his surroundings for any sign of recognition. "Could you tell me where we are, Yuna?" Zack finally asked, a hand sheepishly massaging the back of his neck.
"We're in Besaid," she answered, not phased by the question. After all, since Sin had been defeated only a few years earlier, it was understandable that some people had yet to travel the world since they could now do so without fear of Sin.
Besaid? Zack's eyebrows furrowed at the name, the SOLDIER reaching into his pocket for his cell phone only to discover it no longer worked. Guess it makes sense with all the water, Zack sighed, instantly deflated. "Could you tell me how to get to Midgar from here?" Zack then asked, finally making it to the beach. If nothing else, she could hopefully direct him the right way home.
Yuna's head tilted at the question; "I've traveled all over Spira, but I've never once heard of 'Midgar," Yuna informed him, her arms crossing over her chest. "Let's go to the village. Maybe Lulu could help," Yuna suggested, Zack smiling despite his disappointment.
"Sounds good," Zack agreed, his hand reaching behind him to be sure he at least had a weapon with which to defend himself.
"It's this way," Yuna then told him, leading him back towards the hidden cave and the town in general.
"So, uh, this island. How many people live here?" Zack finally couldn't stand the silence much longer, Yuna abruptly jarred from her thoughts.
"Besaid is the one of the smallest villages in Spira," Yuna offered with a small smile, her thoughts turning to the explanation she gave the blond blitzer a few years earlier. "Where are you from?" Yuna continued the conversation, honestly trying to be friendly and not as introverted as she felt.
"A backwater village myself – it's called Gongaga," Zack informed her, Yuna giving him a strange look.
"I've never heard of that either," Yuna bit her lip, the brunette's pace quickening as she turned at the top of the hill.
"Hey! It's not a big deal," Zack assured her, feeling a little flustered. "What the?!" Zack immediately stopped when he noticed a strange gel-like blob practically fall down on top of him from the sky, a bird and a wolf creeping up on the pair not long after.
"Fiends!" Yuna told Zack, her dual pistols at the ready.
"Fiends?" Zack reiterated the word, inwardly shrugging before grasping the hilt of his sword and pulling the blade from his back. Where...where's the Buster sword?! Zack didn't have much time to wonder before the bird attacked, the SOLDIER sidestepping just in time. The counterattack connected to the bird's chest, and with a cry it fell to the ground before erupting in a wave of pyreflies. He turned slightly to help Yuna when he noticed the wolf had already disappeared and she was currently filling the literal blob full of bullets.
It too eventually melted away into the ground, Yuna offering him a smile before putting her guns away again. "Those were fiends," Yuna told him, not offering much more in lieu of conversation before rushing down the hill towards the village.
"Hey! Wait up!" Zack called after her, a genuine smile gracing his lips for the first time that day.
(POV Shift)
Many days journey away in Bevelle, a certain government official sighed after leaving a mandatory meeting, a hand pushing away his silver bangs. "You seem tired," a teasing voice told him, Baralai's tired eyes lifting to the Al Bhed's.
"You would be too if you had to sit through meetings all day," Baralai threw back, Gippal shrugging halfheartedly.
"That's why Nooj deigned to have your position," Gippal chuckled, Baralai sighing again. "But, I guess out of the three of us, you're the best suited for the job," Gippal complimented offhandedly, his eyes roving around Baralai's quarters. "Nice digs though. If I were staying, I'd want a place like this," Gippal finally finished, Baralai looking at him expectantly.
"What are you doing here?" the overworked man asked, his arms crossed over his chest.
"Nooj wanted me to check in. He would have come himself, but he said something strange had been happening in Mushroom Rock, and he was gonna check it out. And don't worry – he said Lucil's goin' with him," Gippal waved off his and Baralai's fears, the memory of Shuyin not a pleasant one.
"Sir Praetor!" a soldier interrupted the conversation, his attire that of an old warrior monk. "There has been a mysterious figure stalking up the Highbridge!"
Baralai's eyebrows furrowed as he and Gippal exchanged dubious looks, the Praetor turning back to the soldier. "What do you mean, a 'mysterious figure'?" Baralai finally asked, turning to view the man in a more authoritative manner.
"He was fully encased in armor, Sir! The likes of which we've never seen before! His sword was made from the same material as well," the soldier reported, Baralai crossing gazed with Gippal again.
"What's wrong with that?" Baralai then asked, not seeing the source for alarm the man seemed so intent on giving.
"When we stopped to question him, he had no idea where he was – couldn't tell me anything, Sir! Not your name, or the city's!" the soldier finally admitted, Baralai not breaking stride.
"What have you done with him?" Baralai continued, the soldier looking more nervous as time continued.
"We have him detained, Sir, but we have not harmed him in the least!" the soldier promised, Baralai sighing before sending the man away so he and Gippal could talk.
"What do you make of it?" Gippal asked, his arms crossed over his chest.
"I don't know, though I suppose we should go greet our new 'guest'," Baralai admitted with a rueful smile, Gippal chuckling heartily before nodding.
"I'll come too," Gippal then offered, Baralai's smile turning more grateful and sincere.
(POV Shift)
"I have told you time and again, I have committed no crimes," the man in armor argued as Gippal and Baralai approached, the man sighing as his head fell into his hands.
"That's enough. We will speak with him now," Baralai interrupted, the few soldiers in the room with the armored man gasping before quickly leaving. "Who are you?" Baralai began neutrally, trying to keep his expression nonchalant.
"In another life, I was Judge Magister Gabranth, though I suppose I am now stripped of that title," the man answered almost ruefully, the name not familiar to either of the men in the room.
"How did you get here?" Gippal then asked, leaning a hand against the table.
"I do not know. I am supposed to be dead," the man then contended with a hoarse laugh. "This is not the world I am from, however. I assure you of that," Gabranth told them, Baralai and Gippal exchanging another look.
"Another world? Is that even possible?" Gippal murmured more to himself than to either of the others.
"You're the machina expert – you tell me," Baralai shot back with a grin, Gippal glaring at him mockingly. "Maybe you should start with what you remember last...," Baralai's voice trailed off as he pulled a chair up to the table, Gippal continuing to lean against the surface.
(POV Shift)
Blood. Death. Meteor. Mother. Sephiroth's thoughts were jumbled at best when he felt the world fall out from beneath his feet, his body seemingly sucked into some sort of vortex. Was this hell? He was sure he hadn't been afforded the capability of returning to the lifestream, not after being so infested with Jenova cells. He had nearly destroyed the planet, not once – but twice. He couldn't blame Gaia for not allowing him to return to the lifestream; he was, most likely, just a pollutant.
It came as quite a shock to the ex-General of SOLDIER to find that he had somehow retained his physical form, and was even on land if his bodily sensations were to be trusted. He could hear noises in the background – the laughter and running of children, the gossiping of women, the bartering of merchants, and even the strange, clucking sounds of some creature he was certain he had never heard before now. The strange feel of Jenova's mind control seemed to lessen as the haze covering his rational mind lifted, his logic finally operating as he pushed himself into an upright position, a hand moving to his right temple.
His eyes blinked open slowly, an unnatural green shining before disappearing beneath a veil of silvery gray. Wherever he had ended up Jenova had either no hold or she was dead forever. Personally, Sephiroth hoped for the latter. His eyes scoured over the landscape from his vantage point, the dirt a brownish-red beneath his fingertips. This was no place he recognized, though he hadn't really expected it to be either. If he were back on Gaia, Jenova would still be controlling him, or so he believed.
"Are you lost, mister?" a boy suddenly approached the intimidating SOLDIER, his piercing gaze lifting to the boy's curious one. Sephiroth remained quiet for a moment, trying to remember how to speak or even how to respond to such a question. True, he had no idea where he was or where he was going, but this boy seemed trustworthy enough...
"Where are we?" Sephiroth finally asked, the boy starting from the clipped tone Sephiroth had used.
"This is the Giza Plain! You might wanna head back to the city to avoid the Rains, though. We get nasty monsters out here when it rains...," the boy's voice trailed off, his smaller body shivering from the memory of the elementals. "You sure you aren't lost, mister?" the boy continued, Sephiroth certain he would be irritated by now if he weren't lost.
"Where is this city you spoke of?" Sephiroth then asked, trying his best to morph his tone into something more neutral, more nonchalant.
"Rabanastre. It's the capital of Dalmasca," the boy responded almost eagerly, pointing past Sephiroth's shoulder towards clear towers and signs of life in the distance. "I gotta go, mister! See ya around and good luck!" the boy waved, rushing off to a blinding rock for purposes Sephiroth didn't care to find out the meaning.
The journey to Rabanastre was a boring affair to say the least; what few monsters Sephiroth had encountered had easily bloodied themselves against the Masamune, the General almost lackadaisical in his execution. Different world, same mediocre monsters, Sephiroth sighed, the long blade disappearing with a flick of his wrist. No need to alert the townspeople he was armed and dangerous.
Though, considering Sephiroth's physical attributes, the SOLDIER found it difficult to pass through the gates into the city without being questioned. He could hear the whispers of people around him – some wondering if he was related to a Viera, whatever they were, if he was really an old man who had stumbled across some ancient type of magic, or even if he were a god. The last notion made him smirk.
(POV Shift)
"Your Highness," a courtier appeared before Queen Ashelia, a missive clutched in his hand as he bowed before her.
"Rise," Ashe instructed the man, almost bored. She loved being able to protect her people, but oftentimes the allure and danger of downtown Rabanastre sounded more intriguing than the supposed peace talks the diplomats could never agree upon, which, consequently, she was forced to sit through almost daily.
Despite her ascendance into power, Ashe didn't really have anyone on whom to rely, no one in whom to confide, and this left her feeling somewhat hollow despite her innate introversion. "You may go," the Queen then sent the man off with a mere flick of her wrist, the letter one from Larsa which no doubt promised they'd be seeing each other sometime soon.
After adjourning to her study, Ashe busied herself with opening the letter and reading its vague contents, her suspicions confirmed that Larsa and his bodyguards would be paying a visit to Rabanastre in the next week, if not a few days after that. She was glad for the company, though would never out-rightly say so. After releasing a silent sigh, Ashe allowed the paper to fall from her fingers to land on her desk, the large, polished piece of furniture amazingly clean despite how many papers she filed through daily while sitting there.
Taking a few steps away, Ashe approached the window overlooking the south side of Rabanastre, the Queen almost able to see the Giza Plains from where she stood. Were she younger or more irresponsible, Ashe would have journeyed from castle, alone, in search of something to alleviate this feeling that she was trapped in the castle – unable to go where she pleased, when she pleased, and with whom she pleased.
It was a part of castle etiquette, the rational part of her mind constantly reminded her, Ashe's face turning from the window. Hardly anyone in the kingdom knew her face, and she doubted anything urgent would come up from the hour or two she would plan to be gone... No. She couldn't...what would happen should a guard come to find her and not? The castle would be in an uproar and she would be severely reprimanded, or as close to being reprimanded as royalty is allowed to be by someone of lower rank. Steeling her resolve, Ashe silently moved from the study and moved to her private quarters, her eyes trained on her closet as slipped the wooden panels from place and into their hidden slots along the panels of the wall.
She slipped out of her clothing and back into the normal attire she wore for the duration of her journey with Vaan and the others, the material snug and fitting perfectly like a glove. After closing the closet doors before her, Ashe returned to her room, her eyes eventually landing on her old blade and shield.
More of a precaution then a necessity, Ashe grabbed both and placed them appropriately, the realization that she was doing something so deviant finally sinking in to her brain. She had never purposefully done something against the grain of propriety, unless one counted the way she received the throne of Dalmasca. Driving any anomalous thoughts away from her truant behavior, Ashe took a deep breath before heading out of her door and shutting it quietly behind her.
(POV Shift)
Sephiroth was grateful that this world somehow accepted the same currency he still had on his person, though had to fight the strange look that threatened to creep over his features when he first saw the merchant. He had never seen a creature walking on two legs before, let alone speaking or conducting business. "Thank you, dear boy. Have a safe journey!" the throaty and hoarse voice instructed Sephiroth, the SOLDIER nodding once before turning and leaving.
It would take some getting used to, but Sephiroth could adjust to this new, obscure lifestyle. Admittedly, it was nice not to have people stop and gawk at him or beg him for his autograph. The spotlight was never something Sephiroth had wanted, even if the reputation had been. After all, he had been primed for his fighting position among ShinRa and SOLDIER and nobody in that world had forgotten it, of that Sephiroth was grimly sure.
The silver-haired man had no idea what 'Technicks' were, and decided against purchasing any when he passed the shop, the merchant calling after him that 'he'd be sorry.' Sephiroth rolled his eyes at the Bangaa before continuing down the curving way, his eyes resting on something called the 'Sandsea.' Deciding it was worth a quick perusal, Sephiroth stepped inside the bar's doors, the atmosphere not as drunken and rundown as he had come to expect from bars in general.
His eyes drifted from the balcony at the top of the steps around the rest of the bars, his silver eyes finally spying the notice board and approaching. So, it seems he could make gil here after all. He now knew where to make easy money, and it made him feel a bit more at ease in this new world.
(POV Shift)
What was she doing out of the castle? She hadn't thought going to the Sandsea for one mere drink was going to be giving her such a headache in the process. But, as luck would have it, a group of men high on the blood of their latest hunt had come into the Sandsea quite noisily, Ashe trying to blend into the woodwork as they stumbled to the bar and ordered whatever drinks they did order.
"What's a pretty lady like you doin' all by yer lonesome?" one of the men asked, his hand propped on the table as he gave her a crooked smile.
Ashe pointedly ignored the man's remarks and instead took another sip of her drink, the man chuckling heartily instead of being dissuaded from talking to her. A certain silver-haired man heard the conversation a few feet away, but knew better than to involve himself; he only hoped the barkeep or other patrons of the bar would be able to drive the rowdy group of men away should they cause too much of a ruckus.
"Mind if I sit here?" the man then asked, not waiting for an answer before planting himself into the chair across from Ashe. "You know, we just bagged this big sucker in the Dalmasca Westersand...," the man began, Ashe 'hmph'ing audibly.
"You needed five men to take down what, pray tell? Perhaps a distant relative of the Pylraster," Ashe commented offhandedly, the man's eyes widening. "I waste no time with insignificant, pigheaded, or egotistical megalomaniacs who only deem my time worth something because he's drunk or celebrating something which is mediocre at best," Ashe's words cut him down to size, her sharp gaze almost cutting him physically as she looked up at him.
"You bitch! I wasn't gonna do this but-"
"I apologize for my tardiness," Sephiroth had intervened at the last moment, Ashe looking only somewhat startled before smothering the expression with disdain.
"See that it doesn't happen again," she told him icily, her cold gaze moving to the man and expecting him to leave immediately. He did so, though only after some fierce coaxing from his comrades. "I suppose I should thank you," Ashe murmured quietly, her gaze levelly on Sephiroth's own.
"May I?" Sephiroth finally asked, indicating the chair across from the Queen.
"By all means," she agreed, inclining her head.
(POV Shift)
"Who do ya suppose he is?" "Did you see that sword on his back? How could he possibly lift it all by himself?" "Poor lad. Probably was drugged by some noble in Archades and then thrown down here."
The man in question woke to the sounds of the many whispers, his head heavy as he physically strained to push himself into an upright position, many onlookers taking this time to leave the man in peace. A low groan filtered from his lips as his eyes opened, a startling blue peering from beneath dark eyelashes. "Where...am I?" the man finally sounded out his voice, the deep and clearly masculine voice slightly raspy from an extended period of disuse.
"You're in Old Archades, sonny," a broken-down and bloated creature responded to the man's question, those same blue eyes traveling to land on the intelligent being. He had seen many things in his day, but something that spoke and looked as it did were not amongst the many oddities.
"Archades?" the man repeated, the other being nodding. "I'm afraid I've never heard of it," the man continued, the other looking at him with a disbelieving expression.
"What's yer name?" the other finally asked, the blue-eyed man looking questioningly back at him.
"Angeal. Angeal Hewley," he responded, the name supposedly not registering on the thing's face. So, he wasn't in his home world after all...not unless this was a particularly cruel joke played on him by ShinRa. "Might you be able to tell me where to speak to some form of law enforcement?" Angeal then asked, the thing chuckling cynically before gesturing over Angeal's shoulder.
"That there is the law enforcement," the thing snorted, Angeal's features hardening when he noticed two of the officials physically beating one of the locals, the man's hands trying to shield his head as the other two assaulted him, fists and well-aimed kicks continuing the onslaught.
"Enough! What has this man done to deserve such a beating?" Angeal finally intervened, the official stopping their assault long enough to view Angeal.
"Stay out of this, peasant! This man stole from us, that he did!" they explained, a few onlookers gasping and turning their face away from the scene before Angeal physically stopped the next blow.
"If what you say is true, then should not this man be tried first before being punished?" Angeal tried to reason quietly, the man's hopeful expression locking onto Angeal's face with wonder. The guards quickly shoved the thief away, their gazes solely on the SOLDIER now.
"You trying to start something, peasant?" one of them sneered in his direction, Angeal's well-muscled arms crossing over his chest. "We might just have to take you in for questioning. That what you want?" the man continued, thinking himself intimidating. Before Angeal could respond to the facetious question, however, another large group of men came to their aid, a cry of 'Seize Him!' quickly piercing the air.
The SOLDIER allowed himself to get captured, if only to find out more information about this 'Archades' and find out the extent of power this world had. Not that he had ShinRa to report to, but he too was curious considering his new surroundings. His hands were bound behind his back and perhaps five officials carried his sword to the side of the room they had led him into, the walls sparsely decorated. "Alert Judge Magister Gabranth about this one...he may be interested in the sword," the captain whispered to one of his subordinates, the man nodding once before rushing off towards the palace.
"Who are you? And what is your business here in Archades?" a man Angeal dubbed as the Interrogator finally appeared in the room, Angeal looking over his armored exterior coolly. "Answer the question, dammit!" the man then demanded suddenly, Angeal's eyebrow raising almost defiantly.
He didn't know what he was doing in Archades, or how he had gotten there either. Zack had killed him last he checked, and he most certainly hadn't been revived on Gaia – the presence of that creature had assured him of that. The only thing he could offer was his name, and he didn't care to become well-known here as he had back in his ShinRa days. So, in order to keep obscurity, Angeal kept quiet while the man continued to quietly implode, the man almost approaching Angeal before another entered the room. "Judge Magister Gabranth! Had I known of your arrival, surely I would have escorted this trash from the room...," the man continued basically groveling at the clearly more important official, this man's armor far heavier and capable of handling a beating than those worn by ordinary soldiers.
"Leave us, Lieutenant," the man ordered quietly, his tone clearly in charge as the man scurried away from sight. "You are?" the man then asked, his stance not betraying much about him. Angeal found this odd; had the man been cocky and confident, his steps would have been wider, more self-assured. Perhaps they were not so different underneath all the armor.
"Angeal," he finally answered tentatively, the armored man's head tilting to the side slightly.
"Gabranth," the other murmured in response, his arms lifting and gesturing to the large blade leaning against the wall. "What is that?" he finally asked his curiosity quite obvious from his tone.
A small smile twinged at the side of Angeal's lips before he responded; "The Buster sword, though I try to use it as little as possible," Angeal explained, the man's gaze back on him and understandably so. "Use wears down the blade," Angeal supplied, Gabranth's head nodding in understanding.
"I have never seen anything like it," Gabranth then commented, taking a few steps closer and examining the blade, his hands lifting the heavy helmet from his head. "However. I heard you were stirring up trouble in Old Archades," the man's blond head turned to Angeal, his eyes drawn together in what seemed to be his study of Angeal.
"You might want to find more reliable guards," Angeal then murmured with a slight chuckle, Gabranth's eyes narrowing even further in a tacit question to Angeal's remark. "They were beating a defenseless civilian. I could hardly stand by and do nothing," Angeal explained concisely, Gabranth's lips forming a thin line.
"I see. I thank you for bringing this to my attention," Gabranth then nodded his head in a curt thank you, Angeal inclining his head in response.
"Am I free to go?" Angeal then asked with a sly smile, Gabranth taken aback for a mere second before regaining his bearings.
"Where are you to go?" Gabranth then asked somewhat curiously, Angeal's face falling at the question. He hadn't thought about where...just wanted to wander and see where the road led him... "I was planning a trip to Dalmasca. Would you be interested?" Gabranth wondered aloud, trying to gauge the reaction he was to receive.
"Perhaps," Angeal answered vaguely, uncertain of whether he wanted to travel with this man or alone.