The Arrival of Omega Weapon

Chapter 11

Yuffie got up slowly. She had only slept for a few hours before waking. She had just laid there thinking, each thought bringing her back to one thing. The girl in the tower.

A shout came from outside. It was her father calling her. His voice sounding desperate. She went outside to see what he wanted but stopped when she saw him. His expression was unnatural on him. One of fear.

"What's up, Pops? What's with the frightened act?"

Godo did nothing but point to the Pagoda tower. Yuffie turned and felt her jaw drop. Above the tower was a large water snake. It was familiar, so familiar in fact, that it couldn't be anything else.

"Leviathan?" Yuffie reaching into her pocket and raised a red object "But how? The materia is still here." Godo looked at his daughter "You mean, that's not our Leviathan?" "You should know, dad! Is this the materia that you gave me, when I defeated you?" Godo took the materia and examined it carefully "Yes… It is the materia I gave you." "Hmm, then lets test something."

Godo handed the materia back to Yuffie, who then attached it to her weapon. She concentrated, went though the motions and a great flash appeared above.

………

"Hey, wake up Squall." Squall didn't open his eyes "Okay, Rinoa, just a second." "Rinoa? Who's that?" Squall suddenly realized that it wasn't Rinoa's voice calling him and opened his eyes sharply. Looking down at him was the blond spiky-haired person from yesterday.
"Damn! I thought it was a dream." "A dream?" Squall got up and dressed "Yes, a dream. I was hoping to wake up in my bed in my world." "With Rinoa?"

Squall gave Cloud a look that could have scared a Ruby Dragon, but Cloud remained calm and held his gaze. Squall finally backed down "Especially with Rinoa. She's my wife." "Your Wife…? Never mind." Cloud seemed to remember something "Hey, remember last night, Red told us that everyone was being drawn to similar people. If she did come here, I may know where she is?" "But if she didn't!" "Don't think like that, now I just need to ask you a few questions just to make sure. Can she fight?" Squall was confused with what Cloud was going on about but did answer after some hesitation "…Yes." Cloud was looking straight into the eyes of Squall, Squall stared back, he suddenly noticed that Cloud's eyes glowed, they seemed to shine like the large crystals that he had seen yesterday in the machine.
Cloud continued with his questions "Does she hold a position of importance?" "Where are you going with this?" Squall demanded, not taking his eyes off Cloud.
Cloud waited patiently. Squall growled "She is an ambassador to Deling City. So yes, you could say she holds a position of importance." Squall decided that Cloud didn't need to know about Rinoa's Sorceress powers.
"Okay then, another question." Cloud paused "Has she ever saved you life?" "What kind of question is that!" Squall shouted.
Cloud again waited, until Squall threw up his hands and answered "YES! You happy now. She has saved my life!" "How?" "What!" Squall almost screamed "How?" Cloud asked again "Arghh! After we destroyed an evil sorceress, I was trapped in a dissolute place made by my own mind. Rinoa saved me by reminding me that I had friends and more importantly, I had her." "Thank you." Cloud paused "I know where she is. If she came here of course." Squall looked in the glowing eyes of Cloud and saw that he was telling the truth "You do?" "Probably, but only if she came here and Tifa didn't go to your world." "Tifa? Who's that?"

Before Cloud could answer, Nanaki came through the door.
"You wanted to see me?" Cloud looked grateful and turned to Nanaki "Yeah, I was wondering if you had a couple of Chocobo's around that we could use." "Um, Yeah, I guess. May I ask why?" "If we're to get to Corel quickly, Chocobo's are the fastest way to do it." Nanaki nodded "You're probably right. Okay, anything else?" "Actually, yes, two things. First." Cloud smiled "Care to join us? We could use your skills in the next day or two." Nanaki smiled and thought hard "I'm tempted… but no. My place is in the canyon. I an't leave my lifemate yet, she is needing me almost every moment that she is awake…" "I think I will join you though!" The gruff voice of Seto interrupted from the door "I still need to stretch out a few of the knots in my body from the petrification, this will give me an excellent opportunity." Cloud looked at Squall who had a puzzled look on his face "What's wrong?" "You said there were two things!" "Oh, yeah. Red. I was going to ask Seto to do this, but I guess I should ask you now. Can you contact Tifa and get her, and any 'guests' she may have, to go to Corel, as soon as possible." Squall, listening carefully, spoke up "Also, tell them my name but not to give it unless they know what SeeD is. Anyone I know will know what it means." "Okaay, but is this really that bad a crisis that you need to gather Avalanche back together?" Cloud looked at Nanaki "I was talking to Vincent before he disappeared, he had a dream about a man who looked like me but with black hair and an unknown person. I believe that the unknown person my be the concentration of lifeforce energy we were talking about yesterday. I also believe that this person could be ten times more dangerous than Sephiroth was!" "Whoa. I guess I better get them Chocobo's prepared!"

As Nanaki left the room, Squall turned to Cloud "Now, you can tell me who this Tifa is and how she saved your life in a similar manner to Rinoa." Cloud sighed and nodded "I'll tell you on the way to Corel."

Within a half hour, the three of them; Squall, Cloud and Seto, set out to Corel, after a couple of minutes, Cloud told Squall the story of who Tifa was and how she saved Cloud from the Lifestream.

……..

Rinoa sat up suddenly in her bed. It was starting to get lighter outside and the bright light of the sun was shining through the window. But that was not what had awoken her.

Down the hall, in the room next door, a large crash was heard. Rinoa got out of bed and quietly left the room and listened at the door where the noise was coming from.

"What do you mean 'you had to bring him here!'" She heard Tifa shout.
"Reno ordered me to, Tifa." A mystery voice answered calmly "He knew you wouldn't be happy, but…" "Damn it, Elena." Tifa interrupted, not listening to what the other person said "You know what he put me…" She paused "Us through, we barely got through it last time." "Calm down, Tifa." Elena tried to say but Tifa was not listening still.
Rinoa opened the door slightly and saw them, Tifa had her back to the door and in front of her was a blond lady, about the sane age as Tifa, who Rinoa assumed was Elena.
Tifa was still shouting "Because of him, we almost all died; because of him, Aeris was killed; …because of him I almost lost… Cloud." A small sob came from her.

Rinoa had sneaked up on Tifa from behind and with a single strike to the back of Tifa's head, knocked her out.
Elena stepped forward quickly to check on Tifa, never taking her eyes off Rinoa.

"Who are you! Why did you do that!" She demanded Rinoa was rubbing the part of her hand that hit Tifa "It was the only way to calm her down; don't worry about her, she's only unconscious." She looked at her hand "Never thought that move would work, I'll have to thank Zell, if I see him again, for teaching me it." Elena was about to say something else when Tifa stirred, waking up.
She looked up at Elena "How did you do that?" "I didn't!" Elena replied and pointed at Rinoa "She did!" Tifa looked back "Huh, Rinoa?" She got up "Why?" "To stop that self-pity of yours." Rinoa was a bit startled at the volume of her own voice "Just because Elena brought someone you don't like here." Elena brought her hand to her mouth "You heard?" At the same time Tifa spoke "You don't understand…" Tifa said weakly "You're right." Rinoa quickly countered "I don't understand, I haven't understood a single thing since I arrived in your world." Elena gasped "I only know that everything is different and I need to find my friends and go home." Elena broke in "Our world? Are you from another then?" Rinoa nodded to her, so Elena continued "Sephiroth said that as well!" "The person you brought here?" Rinoa inquired Elena nodded and continued "He also said that the culprit to the changes in this world, were originally from his world. I'd guess that the reason for you coming here is one of the side-effects of their arrival." "Knowing Sephiroth. It's probably him that caused it and he's up to his old tricks." Tifa accused "WILL YOU GIVE IT A REST!" Rinoa and Elena said together. It caused Tifa to take a step back.
Elena regained her composure "He actually said the people who caused this were named Omega and someone called Zack." "Zack?" Tifa gasped, almost at the same time as Rinoa said "Omega?" Elena looked between them "You know who they are?" Rinoa shook her head "Maybe. I've heard that name somewhere before, I can't place it though."

Rinoa looked to Tifa, who was holding her head "Zack, Zack! Why? How?" "Tifa?" Rinoa said concerned "Zack is Cloud's best friend… Well, at least he was. He died years ago."

Tifa was about to continue when a ringing sound started.

………

Elena took something out of her pocket, it looked like a small radio. She placed it to her ear.

"Yes, Elena here." She listened intently for a moment "Yes, she is here." She handed the object to Tifa "It's for you. It's Nanaki." Tifa accepted it and spoke to the box "Tifa here, Red. What's up?"

As Tifa listened, her face slowly brightened after a while she said "You sure? He's going to Corel. Okay, I'll head out in a while… Huh, something else…? Okay, I'll sort it out. Thanks, I'll see ya sometime."

Tifa passed the object back to Elena, who put it back in her pocket. Rinoa was about to ask what was happening when she saw Tifa's face looking intently at her. Rinoa suddenly felt uncomfortable.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Tifa ignored her and asked a question of her own "Do you know what SeeD is?" "Rinoa blinked "Huh?" "I need to know. Do you know what SeeD is?" Rinoa nodded, even more confused now.
"Well?" Tifa pressed Rinoa answered "SeeD is the codename of the mercenaries from Garden. I'm a member of that group." "Thank you, that's fine." She stepped over to a communication panel and activated it "Reeve." "Yes, Tifa." The reply came "I need the Highwind now. Rinoa and myself are to leave for Corel." "I'll try, madam president, but the Highwind's not good at the moment, the engine is having some problems." "Then fix it!" "We're trying, but without Cid, it may take a while." "We need to leave now, Reeve! Can it still fly?" Tifa said urgently Reeve delayed his reply, either in shock or requesting an answer from someone "Yes, but it will be slow and a bumpy ride." "Then, get it ready, we leave as soon as we're aboard." "Okay, Tifa."

Tifa turned the Comm. Unit off and turned around. Rinoa looked at her.

"May I ask why you're taking me?" She asked "Because I promised to help you find your friends. So I thought I'd take you to them." Tifa answered calmly "WHAT?" Rinoa shouted in surprise "That was what the call was about… well half of it. As you knew what SeeD was, I have to take you to Corel with me. Also, I can tell you the person who made that question." Rinoa stood there waiting, when nothing came, she spoke "Well? Who was it?" "Squall" Rinoa gasped, half in surprise, half in relief "Squall?" She said softly "Yes." Rinoa swallowed and thought of something "But why the urgency? I don't think you should risk our life's on the ship, just to get me and my husband…" It was out now "Husband?" Tifa and Elena were shocked "Yes, I'm married. Anyway, getting me and Squall together can't be the reason for this urgency of yours. Why the rush?"

Tifa was silent, but Elena spoke up "She's got someone on the way there as well; haven't you, Tifa." Tifa nodded reluctantly "Aha," Elena cheered "It's Cloud, isn't it." Again, Tifa nodded "It seems like Squall arrived where Cloud was and they've been travelling together." Rinoa wiped away a tear that had come to her eye when she heard that Squall was on this world "What's your relationship with Cloud?" She inquired Elena replied before Tifa could "There isn't one, unfortunately. Anyway, do you mind if I join you? Corel is where I need to go next anyway. I need to meet with one of the new members of the Turks and give him some training." Tifa looked at Elena "He wasn't with us?" Elena shook her head "He was on a training assignment to Gongaga village, and then had to got to Corel to report to me." "Okay then. Rinoa! Stop daydreaming" Tifa said, snapping Rinoa out a trance she didn't know she was in "Lets get to the Highwind." Elena gasped "Wait! What about Sephiroth?" Tifa looked at her "What about him? We take him with us. I'm going to let Cloud sort out that problem." "Why?" Rinoa asked "Cloud knew Sephiroth personally, he'll be able to tell if this is the same one." "Ok, then." Elena said "I'll go and get him, and take him to the Highwind."

Elena ran out the room, to do her duty, Tifa looked at Rinoa and motioned for them to be moving as well. Rinoa nodded and they left together.

Rinoa did believe, though, that Elena had more reason for going there than she had stated.

………

Barret was getting annoyed. It was last night that the mercenary and himself had fought and defeated the monster. But despite asking numerous times, the mercenary still would not give his name.

Over the last year, Barret had changed, he still got angry often, but his outbursts were mainly directed at the workers now.

He looked outside his house, he saw the mercenary. He was walking through the town again, it looked as though he had just returned from Gold Saucer. The mercenary had gone up almost immediately after finding out about the Battle Square. And according to the word that was coming down, he was totally decimating the opposition.

Barret saw this as his chance, he called the mercenary over to his house. The mercenary looked over at Barret, thought about it for a second, then turned and entered the house. Barret was waiting, with one swift movement he grabbed the mercenary and with the gun arm shut the door. The mercenary shouted at him but Barret just lifted him by the collar of the long coat he wore.

"Now! I've tried to be civil, let you stay in the town. Even let you help me with the monster, all that is fine, but there is one thing I can't stand. You know what that is? An unknown mercenary, a no-name. I asked you before, now I'm demanding. WHAT'S YOUR NAME!"

Barret pushed his fist up into the neck of the mercenary, essentially pinning him in place against the wall.

The mercenary laughed, but it came out as a forced cough. The air was having a hard time getting to his lungs.

Finally, the mercenary answered "Seifer." It came out as a wheeze but Barret heard it. He let go and stepped back to allow the mercenary some space.

"Thank you." Barret said "That was all I wanted." After the mercenary had breathed for a bit, he laughed "So you've finally showed me that you can live up to your reputation." "What's that supposed to mean?" Barret said confused "I know what you did in the past. It's a common story around here. They all hold you in the highest esteem" Seifer explained "They also told me about your temper. I was pushing it, to see how long I could last, without giving my name." "So, what now?" "Now, I've going to my room to rest. After that, I don't know."

The mercenary opened the door and left, leaving a bewildered Barret behind.

………

Selphie was worried, she had easily defeated the old man at the entrance to the building, but outside was even less familiar to her than the inside had been.

Her GF could take care of the outside people who were waiting. She had summoned Leviathan earlier which meant, to her relief, that her functioning abilities still worked.

A light appeared in the crowd of people. A young girl around her age was casting a spell, nothing happened at first, which made Selphie breath easier. But suddenly there was a flash.

The crowd gasped in one voice as it subsided. Each face was looking up at Leviathan. Selphie smiled and looked around, but something was wrong. The shadows, there were two! The smile from her face faded, she looked up. Above the building, there were TWO Leviathan's!

"But how?" Selphie said in a whisper. Suddenly a disturbing thought hit her. If this new Leviathan's attack was the same, this town would be destroyed by the force of the two floods, if they crashed against each other.

"STOP THE ATTACK!" Selphie shouted "Call back your Leviathan and I'll call mine off as well." Selphie didn't want to destroy the town, only escape.

The girl, who wore strange clothing, stepped forward, behind her an old man also stepped forward. The girl stopped and raised her weapon (it looked like an overly-large shuriken), the new Leviathan disappeared.
Selphie dismissed her GF and stepped outside. She held her shinobo tight in case it was necessary to use force.

As she approached the two people, the man turned and shouted to everyone to go home. Before Selphie could speak, the girl spoke to the man.
"So, it was her. What'd I tell ya, old man." "Okay, okay." The man replied "So you were right, Yuffie. I'm just glad that little drama is over."

Selphie couldn't stand being ignored and was getting angry "Right, who are you. Where am I and how did you summon Leviathan!"

The man's eyes flashed dangerously, he had obviously never been spoken to like that before. The was the same, but seemed to control her emotions better.

"I'm Yuffie," The girl said "and this is my father, Godo. The town leader." She paused "Your turn." "Selphie." Selphie said simply "I still don't know where I am, or how I got her though." "Well, you are in a town called Wutai, but as to how you got here. We were hoping you could tell us."

Selphie listened intently to Godo as to how she appeared at the top of the Da-chao; which she found out, when she asked, was the large statue carved into the mountain.
She stared in disbelief when she heard she had fell and been unconscious for the better half of a day.

Yuffie started talking now "We got your name from your unconscious ramblings, but we wanted to confirm it from you. You also said something about… Umm, what was it? Oh, yeah. Irvine and someplace about flower fields of Winhill." Selphie blushed "But, I've never heard of such a place." "Huh!" Selphie exclaimed "You're kidding me." "No." Godo confirmed "I have lived a long time, but there has never been a place called Winhill." "Umm, lets see. Galbadia?" Yuffie shook her head "Balamb?" Again a shake of the head "Trabia?" Selphie was getting desperate "Timber? Esthar? SeeD?" All were met with a negative.

Selphie fell on her knees, where was she? It's like this wasn't her world, but how did she get here? How did she get back? Why was she here? All questions, no answers.

"You alright?" She heard Yuffie ask "You want anything?" "Yes! To go home!" Selphie shouted "I don't even know where to go, I'm lost, I might as well die!" "STOP THAT RIGHT NOW!" Selphie raised her head in surprise. Godo was red in the face "So you don't know where to go. So what, nobody knows where the future leads. So you want to go home. That's obvious. But, you want to die. Give me a break! If you die, you won't go home, so you've got to live."

Selphie blinked, she hadn't meant what she said. But Godo hadn't known that. There was a long silence.

"As for where to go." Yuffie's voice sounded loud, in the silence that preceded it "Why don't you come with me." "Huh? Where are you going?" "I'm off on a journey. I'm a materia hunter. It's my hobby. I like to track down the rarest and most powerful materia." "How will this help me?" Selphie asked "I found out about a materia capable of granting one wish. It grants the wish then loses it's power. According to my resources, the materia only comes into existence once every 10,000 years. Which means that it should have took form about a year ago." "But if it's only capable of granting one wish, why don't you use it?" "Because I can't think of a reason for me to use it. I have everything I want, if I used this wish, I would lose the happiness that I have in my life." Yuffie looked like she was telling the truth "But to get you home, that's a different matter. That is a good enough reason to make this a bit more than a hobby." "What's the catch?" Selphie was still suspicious, but to a less degree "What's the condition of it." "I need to pass a number of fighting challenges to get the materia. I'm the best ninja in the world, but I'll still need help. If you can use that Shinobo of yours even half as well as you should, you'll be the help I need." "Shin… You know my weapon?" Yuffie nodded "I haven't used one in battle since my ninja training. I was always better with this giant shuriken." Selphie looked at the weapon she held "Nice. Well, I'm a pro with this weapon. So, yes, I'll join with you. I've got nothing better to do and I want to get home. When do we leave?" "As soon as we've eaten something. I will not go into battle on an empty stomach."

Selphie laughed and that eased her tension. Maybe this would be alright after all.