Disclaimers: Okay! The characters in this story (other than the ones I that create) are all trademarks of SQUARESOFT INC. Thanx! Oh, right! If ya haven't played FF7 or FF3 yet, DON'T READ THIS!!

"Dimensional Whiplash"
By Aleenia Rheese

Chapter One - One Year Later...

The man stood next to the wall of Neo (New)- Seventh Heaven. His spiky blond hair was wind-blown, and he looked as if the world was coming to an end. His eerily bright eyes were fixed on the moon. A well-sharpened sword hung on his back, the Ultima Weapon. This was Cloud Strife, one of the nine (or, in the end, eight) people who had fought Sephiroth to save the Planet.

There was only one person he could be thinking about. Aeris Gainsborogh. He still felt terrible about her death. He had promised her he would take care of her! Oh, why did it have to be Aeris?

A light voice to his right made him turn. "You still miss her, don't you?" The voice belonged to Tifa Lockheart, a childhood pal of his that wanted to be so much more.

"It's my fault," said Cloud. "I should have made her stay behind with Marlene! If I hadn't let her come..."

"She wouldn't have forgiven you, Cloud! Aeris knew what she was doing! She knew that she was risking her life, fighting with us. We all were. She did what we all would have done; she died to save Planet... and her friends."

Tifa wrapped her arms around him. Cloud returned her embrace, but felt no better. He looked down at Tifa's dark brown hair. She loved him, he knew... but could he return her love? Of course he cared about her; he loved all his friends in one way or another. But she loved him in a way Cloud wasn't sure he could love her. He had loved Aeris... he was now just realizing it.

"Come on," Tifa said into Cloud's shirt. "Barret and the others are waiting in the bar."

"Yeah," Cloud answered. "A whole year since we fought Sephiroth. And since Aeris' wish came true..." His voice trailed off.

Tifa dragged him to the bar. Neo-Seventh Heaven had been constructed in Shin-Midgar ('Shin' is a Japanese word for new!! Hee hee). Tifa's old bar, Seventh Heaven, had been smashed when the Midgar Plate fell, taking Jesse, Wedge, and Biggs with it, also a year ago. The new bar had a plaque on the door that read: 'Dedicated To All Those Lost During The Shinra War; Especially The Children'.

Tifa dragged Cloud into the small building. Cid Highwind sat at a table, brown-booted feet resting on the table's smooth surface, his lance, Venus Gospel, by his side. Tifa walked up to Cid, whose eyes were closed, and tipped him back in his chair. "What the hell?!" the pilot cried.

"I've told you before, Captain Highwind, no feet on the tables!" Tifa said with a grin. Deep laughter filled the room. Cid glared at the large black man sitting at the bar, a small white girl in a pink dress on his lap. Barret Wallace laughed at his friend's... unfortunate... scare. The little girl hid a smile behind her hand.

"Enjoyed that, eh, Marlene?" asked her 'daddy' between bursts of laughter. His right arm had an armgun attached to it; Barret's special weapon, Missing Score.

"Very funny," Cid growled.

A red lion/dog creature lay near a ninja girl with pigtails. These were Red XIII (Nanaki) and Yuffie Kisaragi. Yuffie was shining a four-pointed shuriken. It was her ultimate weapon, the Conformer. It was wicked-looking and had cut down quite a few monsters. Red's ultimate weapon was in his shaggy mane; the Limited Moon. It had been a dying gift from his 'grandfather', Bugenhagen.

At the far right corner of Neo-Seventh Heaven crouched a man in an oversized red duster. He had long, purplish-black hair, and one of his arms was a goldish attachment, one of the many momentos of the surgery that was done on him, turning him into a monster. In his holster was the powerful Death Penalty, a gun. This was Vincent Valentine.

Behind the bar was a stuffed animal cat, sitting on a large stuffed Mog doll - or that's how it seemed. The cat was making a drink for Cid; he was Cait Sith. A megaphone, the weapon Marvelous Cheer, was by him on the bar. Cait Sith was mentally controlled by

Reeve, an ex-employee of the now dead Shinra Inc.

Tifa biffed Cid lightly. Her hands were clad with her weapons, the gloves Premium Heart. "Get a sense of humor, Air-Boy! I was just havin' some fun with you!" Tifa giggled.

Cloud sat down heavily in a stool, leaning against the red-stained maplewood bar. Sith handed the first drink, a Bloody Mary, to Cid. "You look like you could use a good drink, Cloud." He handed the spiky-haired man a beer. He just stared at the cold mug, looking pathetic.

Marlene hopped off of Barret's knee and walked over to the ex-Soldier. She reached up with a small hand and patted Cloud lightly on the back. He glanced at her, surprised.

"Flower Girl is in Heaven, in Paradise, where she wanted to be. Don't be sad, Cloud! She's happy now." The small girl looked up at him, smiling. Cloud smiled back.

"I'm fine, Marlene. Thanks."

*****

In another world...

A young woman stood, her back to the large flying ship which was owned by a friend of hers. She had sparkling gold hair that was almost white. Around her shoulders was a long white cloak. Her suit was a soft green shade. A sword belt, scabbard, and sword hung at her side. Hazel eyes gazed forward, searching, her once-fair, now-tanned skin glistening with moisture from the late-night fog.

"Celes! Come back inside! If she makes it, she makes it!" came a rough but genteel voice from inside the airship Falcon.

"I'm coming, Setzer! Hurry up, Terra! We leave at dawn. With or without you." The once-proud General of the Imperial Forces - though she was still proud! - Celes Chere-Cole (she had married the treasure hunter, Locke Cole) turned and re-boarded the Falcon. Waiting inside were her friends, Cyan, Shadow (Clyde), Strago Magus, Relm Arrowny, and Setzer Gabbiani. It was Setzer's ship they were all using to pay a surprise visit to Figaro Castle in the Figaran Deserts.

"Where is Terra? I hope she didn't decide not to come! It's the one-year anniversary of Kefka's defeat!" wailed the young teenaged, smart-mouthed artist, Relm Arrowny. Strago conked her on the head with his walking stick for her impudence.

"Silly girl! Of course she'll make it! It's been, as you said, a year since Kefka's defeat, and we parted ways. Terra is our friend - she'll be here," the old man retorted. Cyan, the quiet warrior, smiled.

"Yes, 'tis true. Terra shan't be very long, of that I am heartily sure."

Just then, a grinding noise came from the gears, and the great door in the side of the ship opened. A ramp slid down, and up that ramp came a aqua-green haired girl with nearly transparent ice blue eyes, sporting red armor, a sword, and a smile. Terra Branford entered the airship with a grin.

"Finally! We were just about to leave!" said Setzer, smiling a crooked card-shark smile.

"I know, I'm sorry! One of the children in Mobliz was sick! Oh, Celes, where's Locke?" Terra asked in her whispery voice.

"Oh, he's already at Figaro. He went the other day to speak to Edgar about raising chocobos for racing," the General said with a smile. Her husband was King Edgar of Figaro's best friend.

"Okay, all! Buckle up!" Setzer exclaimed. They all took their seats, buckled in, and got ready for lift-off.