Castle in the Sky

A Ranma ½/Final Fantasy VII Crossover (With mentions of Sailor Moon)

Disclaimer: Not mine.

And to See Her Smile

Life is brimming with wonder.

A world of endless probability, of the unimaginable, the intangible substance that weaves and knits into an intricate pattern of design called fate.

Considering the essence of a single mortal is but a speck of fiber in the weaves of fate, and its sole purpose for existing, is to follow the pattern of inevitability.

As the great tapestry writhes and contorts its bulk in to the shape of history, the course of securing the fabrication is, and forever will be, solely manipulated by the will of men.

What is. What isn't. What will be. What will not be.

Such is life.

As for some, it is their volition, their decree, to shape the tapestry into nirvana, a utopia of their own partiality. And ultimately, to be recognized as God among the world of men.

Mother, I am ready.

-----------------------------------

He stood, shakily.

With trembling hands, he snatched the uniform the blond-haired man tossed him and begins the painfully slow process of putting them on. The shoulders were too tight, the chest too small, the hips too snug, and the legs too short. Plus, it was stained red with fresh blood by the torso. The wet patches stuck rather uncomfortably to his skin, a clear reminder of its previous owner's mortality.

What... how... I'm... alive?

Brain overloading from the simple function of thinking, Ranma collapsed again, and was content to put his head between his knees and rest.

Ages passed. And he was roused from the abyss by the sound of machinery. Raising his head, he was treated to the sight of a large, red c-c-c-c... feline creature, which was imprisoned within a glass tube, being raised to the level above.

Danger...? Have to help her! Silence... Something is wrong.  What's... happening to me? No one? Silent... Too quiet... Alive... I'm alive...

Focusing on the last thought, Ranma got up again. He feels weak, as if he hasn't moved for a very long time. The girl, she was familiar to him, even though he knew he had never seen her before. Why? Why does she remind me of you? What happened? I don't...?

Ranma was so deep in thought, that he didn't even hear the sound of heavy footsteps approaching.

"Hey! What's going on here?!"

Ranma looked up, and into the barrels of three sub-machine guns, held by Shinra reinforcement troops as they answered the alarms that have been broadcasted all over the headquarters.

-----------------------------------

Attack.

Sword held sideways, the tip pointed down, making a sweeping gesture up.

Contact.

Pulling it out, ignoring the sound of flesh and blood squishing. Now is not the time to be squeamish.

Dispassionate eyes, blank visage, nothing is what it seems.

He had known love. He had felt love. And he had loved.

Or so it seemed.

He looked at Tifa as she delivered a roundhouse kick to the machine's head, while Barret jams his gun arm between the plates of armor that covered its midriff and let loose a hail of bullets.

The three moved back and watched the machine, a Mighty Grunt, spasm as electricity danced across its body, before shutting down with a dull 'whoom-ing' sound.

"Come on, this way." Words; spoken. They were running again. And he was once more lost within.

Taking the moment as they duck around a corridor to avoid yet another squadron of Shinra security, he looked at Tifa. Dark brown hair falling all the way down to her knees, tied with a simple ribbon. Soft bangs covered a heart-shaped face, leaving only the hint of a glitter---from the tiny rain drop-shaped earring she wore---among the waterfall of coffee-colored mane.

He feels... felt?… something... for her. That much, he is certain.

When he was in Nibelheim, still a boy, all he had ever wanted was to be with her, to care for her, and to have her acknowledge him. To have her eyes on him, to hear his name on her lips, to see her approval of who he is, and to be welcomed within her arms. And it had hurt, hurt so much in his loneliness when she did not see him the same way; he had wanted a simple acceptance, but she had her gang of friends, and he was nothing in her eyes.

He still wanted that... He had thought the feelings he harbored for Tifa was love, but that was before...

Green eyes... Familiar...? No! Don't...

It was the eyes. The way they drew him in. Calm, peaceful, serene. He could lose himself in them and be forever content.

Aeris is beautiful. She had an aura of grace shining within her. He had felt it when they were alone in the church. She made him want to protect her from the world, to bundle her up and disappear from Midgar, away from the Turks, away from Shinra, away from the damned slums where everything is so dark and gloomy and oppressing. She belongs in the sun, like her flowers.

Is this... love?

It didn't matter that he had known her for less than two days, it didn't matter that she was a complete mystery to him. It didn't matter that helping her meant certain death, as they have challenged the most powerful corporation on the Planet.

What matters, is that he wants to see her again. To see the way her lips quirk up, to see her face soften, to see her eyes, sparkling with merit.

He wants to see her smile.

-----------------------------------

Her cheek stung.

Even though it had been sometime since she was placed in this glass cage; hours since Hojo's eyes roved over her body, as if examining a prize possession; and over a day since she watched Sector Seven's destruction, being carried away from the colossal graveyard by the Shinra helicopter.

Her cheek still stung.

She places a hand on her face; feeling the soft, smooth flesh. Not marred, yet hot to her hand, she could still feel the sting of pain, as if he had slapped her just moments ago.

Tseng, how could you? You follow the orders of murderers, bloodied your hands, for them... Why? And you ask me why I would not return to them...

She sighed and dropped her hand. It was useless, completely useless now. She was in the hands of her worst nightmare, and he had been the one who delivered her here. And it had hurt---still is---so much more than she thought possible to be hurt by this Turk. [1]

"Ah, my dear, I trust you are ready for our experiment?" A slimy voice, disoriented by the glass barrier, said to her.

Aeris looked up into Hojo's beady black eyes, and gulped.

Cloud... Help me!

-----------------------------------

"Well?!" The faceless mask demanded.

"Awww Captain, cut the man some slack, he just fought off the rebels, and he's wounded too." One of the troopers said as he shouldered his weapon.

"Yo man! You all right? That wound looks pretty bad." Trooper #2 pointed at the wet patch on Ranma's uniform. "Don't worry, I think I got summat for that..." He then begins to sort through his belt, where several vials of strange colored liquid were strapped on.

"Ugh..." Ranma replied, confused as he accepted the vial of green liquid from the soldier and stared at it.

"Well? Drink it up!" The captain barked out. "Don't recognize a potion when you see one? Where did you graduate from SOLDIER?!" The man proceeds to grumble from behind his mask, although the words were unintelligibly, the tone was unmistakably hostile.

I... What? Ok...

Ranma uncorked the vial and dumped the contents in his mouth. It tastes bitter, similar to the green stuff he was vomiting earlier. Oh ewwww... Yet immediately, strength rushing into him, coursing down his throat and splitting apart to tingle underneath his skin. Muscle control returned, and he got up more steadily on his feet.

"See, good as new! Man, you musta be sensitive to Mako, ya healed right up!" The first trooper poked at the wet patch of cloth on Ranma's torso and nodded. "Bet'cha feel pretty good right now, me and my buddy spiked it with some good ol' Hyper, make ya feel like your in a buzz... WhichIshouldaprobablykepttomyself, hehehehe, sorry sir." He trailed off, bowing apologetically, as the captain glared at him from behind the mask.

"Hmph, see me after drill today, soldier." The captain gave the trooper another ray of death glare and turned to Ranma. "Alright, sir," The word was spat out, "Which way did they go?"

"Huh?" And he gave an ever-intelligent reply.

"The rebels! Which way did the rebels go?"

"Ah, girl, red ribbon, guys, blond, upstairs, wait here, metal elevator..." Ranma blurt out, trying to work his long underused jaw.

The three soldiers shared a look between them before the captain took the communication device hanging from his shoulder and thumbed it on.

"Attention all units, attention all units. Code Blue-0037, Code Blue-0037, location Level 68, I repeat; Code Blue-0037, location Level 68. Over and out." He returned the device back to its previous position and spoke again.

"Come on. I just called in more reinforcements from SOLDIER, we're pulling back."

Ranma nodded, unsure of himself. What have I gotten myself into now?

"Alright captain! Does that mean we're off-duty?" The other trooper asked.

The captain glared at him for a moment, "No! We still have patrol duty, unlike you SOLDIERS, we regulars have double duty," He jerks his head to Ranma, "And we'll need to take you to the SOLDIER division, since your own unit's been killed by the rebels, now get moving!"

And a very bewildered Ranma, accompanied by three Shinra Troopers, left the site he slumbered for over three decades.

-----------------------------------

Aeris gulped again nervously. Her weapon was taken away earlier, so were her Materia and any accessories she had that might aid her in escaping. She was helpless.

Wincing, she watched Barret being tackled on all sides by the three little hench-creatures who came along with Hojo's latest creation. The little buggers were poisonous and swift, they hopped around, taking pot-shots at the combatants, forcing them to divide their attention from the repulsive monster: HO512.

It was humanoid in shape, with tentacle appendages and a gaping jaw filled with sharp teeth on its shoulder. Shrieking the most horrid noise Aeris had ever heard, it threw itself at Cloud, who was occupied with getting the smaller creatures off of Barret.

No!

And it was body-slammed by the red beast, narrowly missing Cloud.

"Tifa!" The blond yelled at the girl, who was busy trying to beat one of the little critters into submission. "Take Aeris and get out of here! I'm counting on you!"

The brunette gave him an unreadable look before nodding quickly. "We'll meet you on the 66th Floor." She turned to the flower girl. "Come on!"

Aeris gave her bodyguard one last glance. "Cloud... I knew you would come for me..." She whispered and went with Tifa.

-----------------------------------

THE 66TH FLOOR

"So.... Um.... What's going on?" Ranma mumbled from behind the three troopers, shaking his head to clear out the last of his dizziness.

"Ah, my friend, ya gotta strange accent, Wutaian, aren't 'cha? We don't get many people like you around here. Not before da War, and especially not after it." One of the troopers grinned, although Ranma could not see his face, the amusement was easily heard from his voice. "You must be new, never see ya around drills before. We are the Shinra troopers! Royal devotees to President Shinra, founder of the Shinra Corporation, and as the royal devotee Shinra troopers, we are here to perform the great deed of the Shinra Corporation! We are here to..."

The captain smacked the soldier loudly on the back of his helmet. "We're on patrol duty, and to get the SOLDIER back to his division. Now shut up."

"Awwwww..." The solider rubbed his head. "That hurt, cap'."

"............" Ranma just stared.

The other trooper patted Ranma on the shoulder. "Don't worry 'bout it, we regulars are a lot more relaxed than ya SOLDIERs. None of that special training bullshit, sure we get paid a lot less, and no special respect and promotions for us, cap'n here's just grumpy 'bout it." He looked over Ranma. "And we need to get you a mask too, 3rd class don't got the special privilege, can't have you running around here showing your face, ain't uniformed."

It was at this precise moment, when Tifa and Aeris showed up.

-----------------------------------

"We can wait for Cloud at the 66th Floor. It's pretty quiet there, so it should be safe." Tifa yelled out as she ran down the stairs from the 67th floor, she had, against Cloud's wishes, gone back to see the mysterious Wutaian, and was strangely disappointed, when she found him missing from the laboratory.

Aeris nodded, huffing a little, she was not quite use to such strenuous exercise, selling flowers was never this tiresome.

The two turned around a corner, and came face to face with a small band of Shinra troops.

"Rebels! Get them!" The head trooper yelled. He unshouldered his machine gun with the other two troopers and pointed them at the two. "One move, and BAM."

"Tifa..." Aeris looked to her fighter companion, and the two shared a secret look between.

"Oh wow, cap'n, this is our lucky day!" One of the troopers exclaimed, he nudged at the captain, and grinned at another soldier, whom, strangely, wore no mask, nor was he armed. "Hey, isn't this great! We just captured the rebels, oh boy oh boy, we're all going to be promoted... Hey!"

Taking the distraction during the soldier's ramblings, Tifa attacked. Spinning across the floor, she delivers a vicious high kick to the leader's head, snapping the man's head back with a force strong enough to hear a loud 'crack', taking him down. Then, ducking down as the second soldier opened fire in her direction, she dropkicks the one who had been yapping earlier. Springing back on the floor with her hands, she tackled the third one who was firing away with his machine gun, slamming him headfirst against the wall with a loud 'crack'.

Smiling with grim satisfaction, she made a move to grab the soldier's weapon, and a 'chink' sound stopped her in her tracks.

"Not another move, girl." The captain said from behind her. His mask half-shattered, with bits and pieces of plastic imbedded in his face, and a trail of blood steadily making its way down his jaw line.  Pointing his weapon at Aeris' head, the captain ordered. "Turn around slowly and remove your weapon and Materia, or else this gir..."

Whatever the threat might have been, it was never spoken as Ranma grabbed the barrel of the weapon from the side and pulled it out of the captain's arms, slamming the butt into the man's jaw, knocking him senseless as the captain crumbled on the floor.

"What in the… Traitor!" The first trooper Tifa knocked down scream as he scrambled up. He pointed his machine gun at the general direction of the three and let loose streams of wild firing.

"Look out!" Ranma chucked the machine gun into the trooper's face, intending on clobbering the trooper, as he himself jumped across the room, and tackled the two women to the floor, barely missing the deadly projectiles.

The brunette, Tifa, went down with an "oomph" as his right hand grabbed her by the shoulder and shoved her down. Ranma himself landed on top of the other one.

Instinctively, he covered the girl's body with his own and frozen, until the sound of metal spinning at high velocity slamming against breakable plastic is heard, followed by the breaking of soft facial bones was heard over the sudden decease fire of the machine gun.

Three down, none to go...

Ranma smiled grimly, he looked down to the girl.

"Hey... you alrig..."

And he looked into green eyes.

-----------------------------------

"We are the Cetra, and you are violating our domain without our consent."

"You... you can hear her?! How is this possible! You are not a Cetra! Who... WHAT are you...?"

"We are a peaceful people. We love the planet, we nurture her, and in return, she cares for us. Your people do not, would not, understand her as we do. You will destroy her. You realize this, don't you? You, among all your people, are the only one who feels her presence. Please, leave us."

"This is called a Materia. It contains the spirit of my people. Do you feel its power?"

"Welcome to the Temple of the Ancients. And the opposite of Holy... Meteor."

"You need not have asked. The monstrosity deceived us, infected us, changed our brothers and sisters into the creatures that killed your people. It lays in the crater, feeding on the energy of the planet, preventing her to heal. We were fools to have welcomed it. We will fight along side you, if you will have us."

"It matters not. At least this way, the planet has a chance to survive."

"Ranma... what happened to your wife is fate, you cannot change the past. But please... live. If not for yourself, then for the child. Promise?"

-----------------------------------

"Promise." Ranma whispered softly. He watched the woman huddling beneath his, lost within reminiscence of a long forgotten past. One hand, tentatively, brushed the her cheek, a sigh of affection.

The woman started a little at the contact. She looked back, confusion evident in her eyes. The two lay motionless, gazing at each other, feeling familiar yet foreign sensations coursing through their mind.

"You!" Tifa grabbed Ranma by the shoulder and hauled him up and off of Aeris; breaking the bond shared between the two. "What are you doing here? Didn't I tell you to stay back?"

"Umm... I... um..." Ranma stared at the brunette, unsure of himself. Once again, he was truck by the terrible sensation of longing. Firefly... From his side, Aeris got up and bows to him.

"Thank you for saving me." She blushes. "I'm Aeris."

My name is Ranma Saotome, sorry about this...

Ranma gave his pigtail a nervous tug, "I... my name is..."

A clapping sound distracted the three.

Tseng continued to clap, with Rude stood silently by his side, gun in hand. "Another traitor within Shinra, disguised as a SOLDIER. AVALANCHE has gotten quite resourceful." Tseng smiled, but his eyes were cold, "Now come peacefully, and we would not need to waste unnecessary time."

Ranma simply stared at the man.

"Mousse...?" He voiced the question. But no, it was not. The face was wrong, even though it looked similar. The eyes too cold, the jaw lines too hard, the lips too pressed, the posture too stiff. Even during the China-man's most terrible rages to destroy 'the womanizer who stole his Shampoo', Mousse never had a calculating look like this. [2]

Tifa went into a basic fighter stance, putting Aeris behind her; she glared hatefully at Tseng, the faces of her ex-AVALANCHE companions flittered in her eyes. "Murderers!" The brunette spat out.

"Very well." Tseng nodded as the elevator behind the three 'dinged' and opened, revealing a squad of 3rd-Class SOLDIERs within. "By the orders of President Shinra, arrest the rebels."

The SOLDIERs poured out of the elevator, and the battle begun.

What was, supposedly, a simple skirmish and seizure, of two young woman, one weaponless, the other a proficient hand-to-hand fighter, and one 3rd-Class SOLDIER, has turned out more challenging than the SOLDIERs thought to be.

For one of the rebels, the traitor SOLDIER, AVALANCHE spy, demonstrated that he was more than the equal of his fellow ex-teammates.

Fists flew; punches were thrown and blocked with ease.

Bodies slamming against each other, battling for strength, both of will and power.

Forms of attack, of techniques, ancient yet executed with fluidity, effective and overwhelming.

Aeris slammed her staff down forcefully, digging the bottom into a SOLDIER's abdomen as she moved over to Tifa, who was busy beating another into submission with her fists.

"Tifa, who is he?" She voiced her question as the brunette immobilizes the SOLDIER through a well-placed knee between the legs.

Tossing her head, Tifa replied distractedly. "I don't know Aeris, I don't know."

Ranma grabbed another SOLDIER's sword by the handle, using the man's momentum against him; he pulled the man off of his feet, and into another one who was about to tackle Tifa from behind. Not wasting a moment of time, Ranma followed up the motion with a spin-kick to his left, sending two more SOLDIERs down, tangled together in a heap.

He was a martial artist… but he was also, only human.

Muscles spasmed, veins throbbed, heart convulsed, lungs burned. He felt another wave of nausea wash over him, and more of the strange, bitter tasting green goop surging from the back of his throat.

Nevertheless, he attacked, and defended.

"Impressive." Tseng frowned at Ranma, looking over him carefully as the man moved fluidly through the squad of SOLDIERs.

"Rude." A simple, one-word command, yet through years of partnership, easily understood. The bald man nodded.

A shiver ran up Ranma's spine. Something is happening... He socked another soldier in the face, the helmet cracked under the pressure of his attack, as the force behind the punch threw the masked figure back, tangling among his own fellow SOLDIERs. Temporarily sans an opponent, Ranma looked over to the source of his discomfort.

A circle of green light has surrounded the bald-headed man as the Turk held up his handgun to his chest. The other suit, noticing Ranma's stare, gave him another small nod and smirked.

What the... The air around Ranma sizzled and crackled, and suddenly, before he fully understood the familiar sensation of his discomfort, bolts of pure power slammed into his body. The martial artist screams in pain as his skin and flesh, soften through years of dreamless sleep in Mako, char and burn from the attack.

Lightning... in the room... How? Materia? In a human's hand? Cetra... High Priestess...? Ranma questioned as his knees buckled, and he collapsed face-first to the floor. Coughing, Ranma tried to push himself up feebly with shaking arms.

"Hmm... stubborn, aren't you." Tseng said as he brought the butt of his handgun down to Ranma's head.

And everything went dark.

[1] *shrugs* What? I like love triangles, ummm, I mean, love rectangles? No wait... love hexangles? @_@

[2] Don't ask... just... don't ask. Because I have no idea why... _

Thanks a whole bunch to Zenaku and Shaidaraman, y'all are great! ^_^

C & C Welcome at: yanslana@yahoo.com

Editor: The 17th Immortal

www.geocities.com/yanslana