Disclaimer:same as usual. Plus, I kind of took a line from the Matrix because it was to hard to resist. The image was just to vivid in my mind.
Notes:Thanks to Kaegoe for review no. 2!!! Not much to say this time. Well, one thing: the beginning of this fanfic is based on some strange connection between Squall and Cloud. However, it will only be briefly explained in this fic. The focuses of this story are the chemical and biological structures and the true origins of the WEAPONS and the Ultima spell (I'll go into that around chap 5 or so), hence the title, which will soon have some meaning. The strange intertwining of the fates of Cloud and Squall will be the purpose of my second crossover fic.
-silversquall
Final Fantasy 7/8: Lord of Weapon
Chap 3:Collide
On the Ragnarok, toward the Esthar metropolis"Here, let me show you how to do this, Tifa. See, first you have to find one that is the perfect fit. Then you just place it in gently, but with confidence. See?"
"You're right, Rinoa. Doing this is so much fun. Let's do it more often. Hey Cloud, you have to come and see this. Watch me give it to Rinoa."
Cloud craned his head over to the girls, who were playing Triple Triad. Rinoa had been teaching Tifa how to play and was continually challenging her with advance rules. Just now, she had been explaining how to perform a successful chain combo with the 'plus' rule.
"Just a second. Let me finishing checking this blade out."
He was still examining Squall's weapon, the Lionheart. Its light, but piercing, blue color reminded Cloud of his own blade, which Squall himself was admiring it at the same time.
"So basically, this is a sword with a handle based on that of a gun's, right? But what's the deal with the trigger. It doesn't look like it can actually shoot bullets."
"Pulling the trigger unleashes a shockwave that is sent directly to the blade. So, yeah, it's just like a sword, but once I hit my target, I pull the trigger to send an extra punch to the strike. Hey, what are these crystal things on your hilt?"
"Oh those? They're called materia. It'd take a long time to explain what they actually are. Some combination of lifeforce and memories, don't ask. What the do, however, is basically magic."
"Magic? Don't worry. That isn't alien technology here. We SeeDs have the special ability to use magic as well. But we obtain it by absorbing them from monsters. Do you absorb the energies of these stones, and cast them as though they were part of you? That's how our magic works."
"We don't actually absorb them. We just use them. While they're embedded in my armor or sword, I can call upon the spell. For the basic spells, I can just say 'fire' or 'ice'. Those are magic; they are the green ones. The yellows allow me to perform different actions; that one is deathblow. This purple materia are 'independent'; this one lets me increase my luck. The blue ones are support; this adds the fire element to my sword. Lastly, the red stones let me call upon the presence of legendary beasts called Summons. This particular one I have here is called Odin."
"WHAT? Odin? How could you just call him? We were never able to ask for Odin's help. He just came, or more accurately, he used to come. Your 'materia' maybe memories, but my Odin was very real, and he was killed. I don't think you could actually command that entity. Maybe his lifeforce came to this planet and infused itself into the stone that you now hold."
Cloud paused for a moment without answering. Then he said, "That's not actually possible. The materia are made from the lifeforce of this planet itself. And one question. That guy in the white cloak, Seifer I think it was, did he happen to be the one who, uh, killed Odin."
"How did you know that?"
Squall's eyes grew tense. Although his personality had been slowly changing from cold to warm over the course of the last few years from being in Rinoa's presence, he still felt uncomfortable when people other than Rinoa tried to analyze him. But this was worse. An alien had just seemed to be able to read his mind.
"Is anything the matter?" asked Rinoa. The girls had sensed the change in emotions and had turned to see what was the matter.
"Look, Squall. I'm not a mind-reading alien if that's what you think. Hear me out. I've been having some really crazy dreams. They progress more and get increasingly detailed every night. But it's all the same experience. I'm fighting Seifer. Then Odin comes out, tries to cut Seifer with his steel bladed sword, and ends up getting split in two. Now did that actually happen with you?"
Squall had the look of someone who had been just told the world was actually a computer simulation. He was clearly furious and in denial.
"No. This can't be. I won't believe it. How could you...?"
He grabbed for the Lionheart and turned around toward the girls in such a violent manner that Tifa felt chills down her spine.
"Don't you think you're being unreasonable?" asked Rinoa. "You're no different, remember?"
Squall stopped looked back at Cloud. "You wouldn't happen to have seen, sometime in your life, a man wearing a white and black outfit, having long, white hair, carrying a very long sword, and setting a town on flames."
"Something tells me that we have a lot to discuss," said Cloud.
1 1/2 hour laterCloud and Squall had tried to summarize their previous quests as quickly as possible to explain the dreams/memories that each one had dreamt about the other, but to shorten the entire journeys was impossible. Rinoa and Tifa, having stopped their card game even added their angles to the story.
"So basically, we have both been seeing a major memory in the other's past. You saw my memory of Sephiroth burning Nibelheim, and I saw your memory of Odin getting killed by your rival, Seifer. Hmm. Their names seem similar but other than that, there doesn't seem to be any connection. How long has this been happening? For me it's been about three months."
"Same here. Well, three months ago, I was doing, well I wasn't really doing anything. I was on a mission to pacify some Trabian terrorists. The first night our group made camp there, I had a dream that I was in a town that was in flames. I don't know why the dream happened."
Cloud started tapping his head. Then he looked to his side in Tifa's direction. "Tifa, when did Cid announce that we were going to be on his mission through space?"
"Um, that was back in October. Wait, that was around three months ago. Was that when you started having dreams, Cloud?"
"Yeah."
The party of four sat in silence. After a couple of moments, Rinoa spoke.
"Why did you pick this planet? Did you have a hunch?"
"Now that you mention it," began Tifa, "Cid had us search random star systems that was in our database to scan and find any possible planet with a biosphere that was similar to Earth. Our program that would automatically scan every planet in the mainframe was defected and Cid was too impatient to wait until it was fixed. Cloud and I knew it was impossible, but..."
"I immediately found this planet for my first choice" finished Cloud. "We checked others but after several scans each, none could match the terra-compatiblity."
"What exactly was the compatibility value?" asked Squall.
Cloud and Tifa answered simultaneously, "96.3."
In Esthar, Presidential Office"Although a small, and I emphasize that word, branch of this country's government is devoted to making contact with otherworldly visitors, none of my advisors and I, not even Gavin who is in charge of that division, thought that we should create a position for an intergalactic ambassador. But, under the current circumstances, I feel that it is not only necessary but very sensible as well."
Laguna walked around his desk to pick up a Galbadian sword and walked back to the front. Turning his gaze over to the right from Tifa to Cloud to Squall, Laguna said, "Kneel, Squall." Squall, bewildered, decided to comply. "Squall, I pronounce you Intergalactic Ambassador 1 of Esthar," stated Laguna while placing the sword's flat on Squall's left shoulder, then his right, and then finally his left again.
Afterwards, he turned to Rinoa and did the same, proclaiming her to be Intergalactic Ambassador 2 of Esthar.
As soon Laguna was finished, Squall said, "I know you're Galbadian and all, but don't you think you should be adapting to Estharian rituals since you are the president of Esthar." Laguna began to respond when Kiros and Ward walked through the door. "Laguna, Ward has some urgent news to tell you. He just arrived here a few seconds ago."
Laguna looked at Ward, then to Kiros and said, "He does? He can?"
Ward walked forward and presented a piece of paper to the president.
He took the sheet and read it. When Ward had handed it to Laguna, the four couldn't read the message but could see it was quite short. Yet Laguna stared at the paper for longer than was expected of someone with even his level of reading comprehension.
"The computer was damaged, Ward? Is that why you're giving me this in person? How many casualties were there in addition to the quantity at the time of this note's writing?"
Ward raised up three fingers.
"Whew," said Laguna, "Thank Hyne."
Ward then walked up to Laguna's desk and took a pen from the holder. He then grabbed the paper from Laguna's hands and placed it down. Ward scribbled down something and gave it back to the president.
"All except three," read Laguna. "Well..."
Squall was especially curious compared to the three at his sides. He had seen his father display, on numerous occasions, expressions of cowardice. But this time, Laguna was carrying a face of worry, fear and lastly, one of concealed anger.
"I know that I am asking a lot," said Laguna "but would you guys, Tifa and Cloud, please help me with a situation. I know you two are powerful fighters, so would you both be willing to risk your lives?"
"LAGUNA!" said Squall. "What are you doing? They're our guests. I'm a soldier, I can go."
Laguna, ignoring Squall, continued, "Will you two be willing? And your pilot, Cid. I noticed he had a lance even when he was just walking with the scientists earlier to show the Gravitor. If I recall, he was also in the battle to save your planet?"
"Laguna, what the hell is going on here?"
"Look Squall, you're strong, I know. But so is Ward. He is one powerful guy, and he's not the type to run away from a fight. A few hours ago, he did, because something had killed his entire crew save for two others not counting himself. Something very dangerous is down there and it might be able to swim across the ocean, and for me to wait for the organization of a SeeD force is just stupid. And to send my soldiers there is also stupid because twenty of them were down there already. None of them survived."
Laguna took a chance to breathe and restrain his emotions.
"I need the best and the most experienced to handle this. Even if you and Rinoa are willing, and I know you both of you are, there is no way in hell that I'm sending you two alone." He turned in the direction of Tifa and Cloud. "Minutes before your initiation, still addressing Squall, the both of them had just finished explaining their status as saviors of their world when I inquired about their fighting auras. They're skilled and they've been through a lot. If they acquiesce with my request I would not argue. With five proficient soldiers, whatever is down there should be easily controlled."
"Don't worry, Squall. We understand you father's panic. We will be happy to go and fight this thing. Right, Cloud?"
"Yeah. Don't sweat it, Squall. Although I think Cid may decline. He'll probably want to look over the repairs to his ship."
"Fine, if you guys honestly don't care."
Rinoa walked up to Laguna's side. "So where exactly is this place we're going to? Anyplace I've been?"
Laguna handed the dispatch to her. She scanned the words:
Mr. President, You must send reinforcements at once. SeeDs are not preferable but absolutely necessary. Fifteen of the twenty soldiers have fallen. And their final five are battling some mysterious creature as we speak. I repeat, please send reinforcements. The other scientists and I are preparing to escape as soon as I send this message. Be careful; the beast is unimaginably powerful. It may be a relative of that thing your son and his comrades fought, the Ultima Weapon.
-Dr. Gaston, Deep Sea Research Engineer 9