_______________________________________________________________________________________________ This piece of work is copyright of myself, Andrew Venables and is not availible for copy, sale or any activity that may adjust the content of this work that in any way that may threaten the reputation of myself and any publisher. All other trademarks are proerties of their repective owners. This fic may not be placed on any websites without permission of the author. There will be people somewhere with copyrights to all of this. No infringement intended. Sorry about the scary stuff, like to get it out of the way at the start. Worth noting that I spent ages setting this up so it fits the width about right, there is nothing wider than the edge of your page _______________________________________________________________________________________________ CONNECTIONS - by Andrew Venables Prolouge - An Unlikely Vision "Monday, another bloody Monday" muttered Squall Leonhart as he started the Ragnarok's engines. "Another one of Cid's bloody trips, why did I let Selphie teach me to fly this ship. Huh" Squall pulled back a lever, and the Ragnarok shot up to 1000 meters. "Oh well, may as well get it over with" Squall sighed, as he slammed foreward the throttle and the ship shot forewards, passing over Balamb on it's way to Dollet. On another planet, in a different galaxy, another man called Cloud Strife was preparing to land his airship, called the Highwind, currently just hovering over Rocket Town. Suddenly, Cloud saw a red thing flash accross his vision, at about the Costa del Sol area. Curious, Cloud decided to persue this, it could be another pesky weapon to sort out, Emerald, Ruby, Ultima, Diamond, any more? Squall had reached Dollet, and was turning to head off to the area previously occupied by Galbadia garden, when a glipse of grey caught his eye, heading towards him. Squall swung the Ragnarok round, and, headed to where he saw it. Squall was sure he had been going toward this vision. "Goddammit, wasting my own time as well, so bloody stupid" Squall groaned pulling back the control stick to take him back round in an arc to where he had been, as he was now nearly back over Balamb, "Why don't I ever think, the scanners would have picked anything up if it was moving in Esthar" The Ragnarok swung round, and headed west back towards Dollet. Squall idly glanced out of the window, just to check his altitude, and did a double take as he saw a sleek grey ship, about ten meters away from him. So as to take the advantage, Squall swung the Ragnarok so it would be just below this other ship, engaged the Auto-Pilot, and he leapt over to the weapons desk so he could take a clean shot at it. Squall fired a warning shot, just beyond this ship. Cloud was more than a little shocked to see a row of bullets pass just beyond the Highwind's nose. "Some arsehole's shooting at me" screamed Cloud flipping the Highwind over onto it's back. "This'll speak to them" he muttered gazing down, ready to fire and for a moment stared unseeingly at the red, dragonlike ship below him. "Shit", Cloud realised what was happening, and opened the trottle to get away from it, whatever 'it' was. Squall had other ideas and fumbled for the radio, though he probabally could of shouted "This is Squall Leonhart from Ragnarok to unknowen ship, land imidiately and come out with any weapons left inside. Should you fail to do so I will NOT miss" "This is Cloud Strife from the Highwind to Ragnarok. Piss off" Squall fired two missiles at the Highwind. Both went through where the Highwind had been. Now it was no-where to be seen "Where'd he go?" screamed a raging mad Squall, hastilly scanning the sky for the dissapeared ship. "Could I have imagined all that?" Puzzled, but satisfied the skys were clear, Squall continued, and completed his patrol, pausing only to observe another 30 seconds of this thing being visible as it landed in the sea, just off Galbadia, and the man man who called himself Cloud get out, walk on water, and dissapear, at the same time the ship did. "Squall to Balamb Garden. Come in" "Yo, Squall, what's with this formal crap" "Just being professional Zell. Anyway, I finished the patrol, and I am coming home some. Tell Cid I'm going to need to talk to him" "Yeah Squall, whatever. See Ya" "It's actually over and out Zell. Zell? Zell?? Arsehole" 11 MONTHS LATER Chapter One - Preparations Selphie Tilmit raced through Balamb Garden, with Irvine Kinneas right on her heels. "Irvine, you check out the quad, I'll try his dormitory" yelled Selphie, hopefully at Irvine. "Yeah, sure Sefie, whatever" It was nearly four years since the defeat of Ultemicia, and the day before Rinoa's birthday, and for the first time they would all split up, only for a year, to persue indevidual dreams, they would all leaving on the day after Rinoa's birthday. Currently Selphie was looking for Squall, Irvine following her. "Rinoa, are you totally sure you want to do this?" asked Squall "For the 100th time, yes, I want to liberate Timber" sighed Rinoa, exasperated with Squall "And no, you will not come with me, it'll be nice to get away from you all, and anyway, you need to agree with Cid what you are going to do with Garden when Cid retires" "All right, I get the idea, give my regards to Watts and Zone" muttered Squall defensively. "Anyway, I've got to meet Laguna today, he did say he wanted to talk to me", Squall replied, no more cheerfully "See you at about 9 ish, though he can be quite talkative at times. Getting up to leave the quad, Irvine ran in, panting "Selphie....pant.....wants to talk to you" Irvine wheezed Squall supressed a smile, Selphie had always got Irvine to run around after her "Will it wait, only I have to meet the president of Esthar?" Squall inquired walking towards the main area of the Garden "Tell her to meet me on the way to the Ragnarok" * * * * Laguna was so demanding, realised Squall, over an hour late, and headingback towards Balamb, after one of the longest, most pointless meetings with his father for three years "Still, at least I got Rinoa a decent present this year" muttered Squall to himself mentally thanking Selphie for reminding him "And Trabia city will be great now they let Selphie's design be made." Finally arriving at Balamb, Squall switched off the engines, and climbed out, activating the security system - bored students had tried to steal it before, once almost suceeding. Wearily, as it was late, Squall let himself in past the gate staff, and headed for his dorm, thinking of the party tomorrow, sad that it would be their last day together for a year. * * * * The first Sqaull realised of the morning was Rinoa leaping up and down on the end of his bed yelling at him "Wheresdafire?" muttered Squall groggily, still tired after yesterdays meeting. "Wake up! WAKE UP!" Rinoa was still yelling at him "All right, I'll get up" Squall opend his eyes, and realised something was wrong. "Squall, why aren't you wearing those Chocobo pajamas I got you for your birthday?" Ah yes, those bloody fluffy pajamas, Rinoa had insisted he wore them. Instead Squall was still in his combat leathers from yesterdays meeting. "Well Rinoa, I .....um..... always find it good form to walk into Esthar in combat gear. It saves dressing down" garbled Squall on an inspired streak "I see" mused Rinoa torn between amusement or anger "No doubt with your gunblade in your hand, waving it a round. Do you Renzokuken a few portraits of Laguna?" "I'll get dressed" whispered Squall guessing Rinoa had stuck with angry amusement "Why bother, you're already dressed" "Then, lets go" Wondering why he put up with this kind of behaviour, Squall followed Rinoa down to the cafeteria for breakfast. Somewhat concerned about Rinoa's fairly accurate prediction about yesterday, they joined the queue. "It's because you love me" Rinoa stated "I can read minds you see, though memories I am a little weak on" There was only on sensible anwser to this, and Squall took it. Quickly grabbing his food he chucked a load of Gil on the counter and hoping it would pay for the food, Squall ran as fast as he could towards the exit. He was brought short by a crowd of people, looking down the corridor. They let him past. Squall saw a familiar white cloak, with a red cross like motif on it. A familiar weapon in his hand. A gunblade, similar to Squall's, but longer and in Squall's mind inferior. Squall drew his blade, recognising the figure instantly. "Hello again, Seifer" Chapter Two - Endings and Beginnings Seifer spun round, blade at the ready "I'll take you Squall" "Game on" Squall hung back, and let Seifer cast the first move, see how good his gunblade skills are. Seifer swung, Squall leapt back out of the way "You're weak Squall" Squall focused his energy down the blade, turning it into a blue mass of force. "WAIT" said a voice neither Squall's or Seifer's. Both heard it. Both froze. "You will need each other" it continued a voice familliar but unnameable to Squall "You will both be important for each other. For the Earth. For Me. Put the past behind you. Let there be a future.You will find out why soon." Squall's blade lost it's energy, both of them unable to attack the other. "Do we trust it?" Squall asked, carefully "Do we have much choise" grated Seifer "I'll take that as a yes then" Squall muttered Sheathing his weapon, Squall held out his hand "We put the past behind us untill this is over, and then, well......" replied Seifer shaking it. "However you can't stay here, I think Quistis will kill you" continued Squall "You can go were you like untill we need you, I'll collect you then in the Ragnarok" "Squall" called Rinoa "I suggest you take him off in the Ragnarok tomorrow, after the party" "Fine" replied Squall "Seifer, you stay here overnight untill after the party. In the mean time we must take your weapon. Garden rule" Seifer reluctantly handed it over, Squall handed it to a SeeD graduate, telling him not to damage it. "I'll see you tonight. Now, what happened to breakfast? * * * * * * The party had been good while it lasted, reflected Squall, but now when it's so good it's time to leave, and for a new life to start. Peeling off the Chocobo pajamas, Squall grabbed his clothes, Squall hastilly dressed and ran for the quad, where they would all meet before the departures. "You're late Squall" said Quistis "Yah, sorry. Say guys, where are you all off today then" inquired Squall almost enthusiastically "Trabia" said Selphie automatically "To build the city" "Me also for the first 3 months" cut in Irvine "then to Galbadia garden for 6, then back to Trabia for the rest" "You KNOW where I'm going Squall" responded Rinoa "Well, I figured I would travel the world, and try to get a transport system set up that encompasses the world" replied Zell "I'll start in Balamb, to Dollet, to Timber then Deling City. I was going to re-open the horizon bridge and then move into Esthar, and finally Trabia" "And I'm just off on a world tour" replied Quistis, "Or not if you don't hurry" "Fine. Trabia first then." replied Squall "Let's be off" "Hey" burst out Seifer "What about me?" "You heard where the stops are" replied Squall, coldly "Get off where you like. OK, move out" All seven ran towards the car park, where the Ragnarok lay. Squall leap into the pilot seat, and, with some stupid radio station jammed in the radio, and with god-awful music playing, for the last time, Squall switched on auto-pilot to Trabia Garden, and joined the rest of them in the passenger room. * * * * * * "Let's make a pass over the building site" suggested Selphie, just before arriving at Trabia, "I want to see it before the work starts" As everyone was OK with this, they all trooped up to the cockpit to get the best view of the area. Skimming a mountain, they peered down into the land below. This was the location of Trabia city. Trouble was, one large city was already there, solid, and, not there yesterday. TO BE CONTINUED......................... _________________________________________________________________________________________________ There wasn't that much action in this fic, but, should it get posted, more chapters and installments will occur, I intend to take this theme alot further (a clearer theme will emerge in the next fic, I promise, though the title might give it away). Should you have comments, positive or otherwise (within reason, nothing insulting please!) please e-mail me at : carrot_veggiepatch@hotmail.com - advice from other fic writers would be nice _________________________________________________________________________________________________