Fantasy Thunder Chapter 1: Alpha

By Blue Dragon

Alpha is the beginning. The fighters regroup and prepare for a long and hard battle.

"You are my warriors", stated an old man. His skin was a tan brownish color. Slightly wrinkled at the eyes. He wore a white praetexta to match the feel of his purpose and the necessity of his 'mission'. Through his pale green eyes he stared at the dozens of powerful warriors before him, bred specifically for combat. The had strengths, but some terrible weaknesses. These weaknesses were well hidden.

"We know, we know . . .". One of the warriors dressed in similar attire spoke directly to him.

"I am glad", the old man continued. "I hope you all understand that we deserve what we are aiming for. These four took the world away from us. We will get it back!" Everyone cheered.

"Pyros! Pyros!" they all chanted. Pyros was his name. He was the one master of the great warriors before him.

"But sir!" Pyros took a minute to answer the call of one of his warriors.

"What is it, dear boy?"

"Our enemies are separated, scattered throughout the universe. How do we take them all at once?"

"Dear boy, we will unite them." There was murmuring among the crowd.

"How?" asked one wondering man.

"Oren. Oren Murasaki"

Cloud opened his eyes. They felt heavy because of all the sleep. Even though he thought that heavy eyes came from the lack of sleep, he had other things on his mind.

He stepped out of the bed, already dressed.

Slept in my clothes again, he thought.

It had been about two months since Midgar had been nearly blown apart with the rest of the world. Two months since Aeris had saved the planet. Two months since Shinra had fallen. Two months since Sephiroth. . .

Cloud had been living in Kalm since then, and the people had welcomed him and Tifa. He was thinking of marrying her, he even had the ring in mind, but something inside him wouldn't work every time he worked up enough courage. They both lived happily in the small house in Kalm. They had almost made Cloud mayor, even. Tifa had built a new bar, her old one decimated by the effects of meteor being so close to the planet. She was the bouncer of her own bar, which was amusing to most people who didn't really know her.

Until she beats the living daylights out of some drunkard, Cloud thought, smiling to himself.

Barret hadn't been satisfied with his achievement in helping to save the planet and everyone on it. He wanted to right his wrongs as much as he could. It had been a long two months, but the reconstruction of Corel was almost complete. At first, the people rejected him, but when Barret moved in funding from an unknown source operating at the Gold Saucer, the people accepted him.

Sadly, Barret had been the only person from his gang that Cloud had kept in touch with, and he didn't know what had happened to the rest of his old friends. That was why he and Tifa had planned that day to go visit each and every on of them at where they were most likely to be.

"Are you up yet?"

Cloud looked up to find Tifa, already dressed and ready to travel. The look on her face told him that he had spent way too much time thinking about past events.

"Sorry" He smiled sheepishly and stood up, stretching out his muscles. It had been a while since he had gotten a good workout, and it was vital that he stayed in shape, even if there wasn't much work for a mercenary nowadays.

The smile on Tifa's face clearly showed that all was forgiven. She stepped into the doorway of the small room.

"Red called us for the first time. He said he had been busy, but there was something at Cosmo Canyon that he said we should see", said Tifa. Her face became serious. "He said it was important that we come as quickly as possible" Cloud's expression matched Tifa's.

"Then let's go".

Cid had taken the Highwind back to Rocket Town for modifications after its rough flight, but Cloud had kept a boat that the people of Kalm gave to him as a reserve vehicle in the event that they needed to travel, so that was the first destination. They would sail around the continent to the beach close to Cosmo Canyon for a timely arrival.

Cloud took a small bag that held a few essentials and followed Tifa out the door. It was a beautiful day outside. The sun was high in the sky and the warm rays seemed to make the people friendlier than usual. The couple made their way down the blue pavement and the crowds of people that thronged it. The cities had expanded quite a bit ever since the use of Mako was outlawed and the natural resources increased. People had also become healthier and started to live longer and produce more. In a short time, it seemed as if the planet itself had made a serious comeback from its previous condition.

Cloud looked at Tifa, who he noticed had a worried look on her face. The same look Cid got when he thought he was out of cigars.

"Is something wrong?" he inquired. Tifa looked up as if startled out of a trance as they reached the edge of the town a few more steps away.

"N-nothing! I just thought about something."

"What?"

Tifa saw that he wouldn't give up easily, so she sighed and began to explain.

"Look up there"

Cloud looked ahead towards the water, but didn't notice anything strange.

"What is it?"

"Our speedboat. Doesn't something seem out of place?"

Cloud checked again as the approached the shoreline.

"What is it? I don't. . . Woah!"

The plank leading to the deck was already in place on the sand of the beach, and the ship was no longer tied to a post, but docked on the sand.

"Tifa, someone moved our boat"

"Exactly", Tifa said, her face growing more worried.

"But the strange thing is, it wasn't sabotaged or busted or anything like that. . ."

"But someone made it more convenient for us to get on", Tifa finished for Cloud.

"Why would someone do that? I don't think that we told anyone we were leaving", Cloud wondered aloud.

"Lets not worry about it just now", Tifa urged quickly. "They didn't do anything wrong, so lets just go see Red."

Cloud nodded his head in agreement. The speedboat was a new one built by the finest engineers of Junon. It was a simple white color because it had been made quickly, but carefully. The design was sleek, about fifteen feet long, and built for one thing: Getting to where you wanted to go, and getting there fast.

Cloud kept this in mind as he stepped onto the boat with Tifa and started up the engine. The couple sat on the deck in front next the navigational wheel that Cloud manned. With a mighty roar, the engine started and they were off to Cosmo Canyon.

Tifa looked down into the long floor of blue that was the ocean. It seemed so welcoming and uninviting at the same time. She looked up at Cloud from her position on deck near the railing as the boat sped forward and made a small turn.

"Cloud, do you still think about Aeris?"

Cloud was silent for a while, and then replied.

"All the time. I actually can't get her out of my head. I'm really only starting to accept that she's gone."

"I understand. I always thought she would be with us forever. Like our light of hope, as if she were the star player of a soccer team were we were all her teammates"

"Except now, she's gone, and we don't feel like playing any more."

"Exactly! I feel like I'm doing her wrong Cloud. I can't get over the feeling. Every time I'm with you I feel like I'm breaking our friendship. As if I'm stealing you."

Cloud was quiet as he digested the information.

"I understand, Tifa. For a while it was as if I was turning my back on her. But didn't she do what she did so the planet and everyone on it could live on?"

Tifa was silent.

"Tifa, Aeris would want us to be happy. That's what she died for. And she would know that we would never forget her. She would know that she always resided in our hearts."

"But, even if that's so, would she mind if she thought her best friend was taking her love?"

". . . "

"Would she care if she knew that her love would have eventually left her for me?"

". . . "

"Cloud, I'm not sure I can go on much longer if I think that she would resent me for what you and I share."

"The boat hadn't been the only thing worrying you, had it?"

"No, and this isn't the first time my memory of Aeris has been haunting me"

The boat was almost at its destination, with the shore of the beach in sight, Cloud slowed down a bit.

"I can't keep living like this if I keep thinking.that Aeris would hate me if she came back. That she would ask 'Why Tifa? Why did you betray me?' Can you live like that Cloud?! Cloud?!"

Tifa was on the verge of sobbing and Cloud stared straight ahead, with sorrow plastered on his face. Suddenly the look transformed into one of alertness.

"Look out!" he yelled as he knocked Tifa into the deck with all his might, sending them both toppling to the wooden deck. They both felt the wind force itself out of their lungs as they hit the surface hard. Tifa looked up and saw a knife sticking in the railing she had just been in front of. A man in white clothing and wild red hair jumped on board gracefully. He slammed the deck, and with one mighty blow, the boat stopped moving in the middle of the ocean.

"Very good! I thought that would kill you for sure!" His black eyes echoed confidence as he withdrew a Katana and a dagger from golden sheaths on his back. His large boots echoed across the deck as the walked.

"What are you!" Cloud yelled more than inquired as he bolted up and withdrew the Ultima weapon from its hiding spot on his back, holding it in position against the aggressor.

"I am Alpha!" the man roared. "I will take back what you and the four took from us. I will fight for Pyros! You all will by the first to die, despicable allies of Sephiroth!"

The young summoner Yuna brushed her hair back to its original position before the playful pat that she had gotten from Wakka, who stood next to her on the Kilika dock.

"You sure ya wanna stay here?" he asked. The retired blitzer had been with Yuna most of the afternoon. The poor girl had been crying her eyes out and whistling until she couldn't whistle any more. For two months she had stood at that very spot, hoping to call back the one who had escaped her. Tidus.

"I will call him every day until I see him in the farplane. I would stay awake thinking that I brought him closer than sleep imagining that I could have done more." Yuna spoke in a soft voice as she always had when talking about him. It was all she could do to keep herself from breaking out in tears every time.

"Me and the others are worrying about ya, girl. You can rest just a little while, ya?" Wakka shifted his weight to the other sandal and looked into Yuna's eyes that he had once again noticed were two different colors.

"Wakka? Are you wondering about my eyes?" She tried to remove him from the subject so that she could wait just a little bit longer.

"I was afraid to ask."

Yuna smiled.

"My mother was Al Bhed, remember? It was such a strange union, I was born with my right eye green and my left eye blue!" She started laughing, lightening the mood.

"You must think I'm pretty weird"

"No! At least dey're blue and green, and not that scary red! A certain someone scares me to death when she looks at me. You'd tink she was from a cemetery."

"Wakka! That's not nice!" Yuna laughed uncontrollably as Wakka poked fun at Lulu and cheered her up with his funny Besaidian island accent.

"And dose dolls, what up wit dat? Dey move when she does, too creepy. I tried touching one, almost burned my hair off!"

"I heard you learned some black magic yourself"

"I sure did! Watch dis!"

Wakka pointed his hand towards the bright yellow afternoon sun as the stood at the edge of the dock.

"Tunder!" Wakka yelled out the name of the spell, thunder. He felt the slight warm in his palm and the tingling over his body as the spell gathered and prepared to release.

"Wakka!" Yuna screamed a warning, but it came too late. Poor Wakka was struck with his own thunder spell, and jumped up at the sudden jolt as the yellowish bolt cracked down out of nowhere from the sky above him.

"YYYYYOOOOOWWWWWW!!"

Wakka felt his rear that had been slightly charred, and ran a hand through his once reddish hair.

"You tink dats pretty funny, eh?"

Yuna tried to control her laughter. Wakka still could make her laugh.

"Thank you, Wakka"

"Any time, girl. You just come back home soon, okay? We have de airship ready."

"Thank you. I will."

With that, Wakka went around the inn at the other end of the dock and boarded the airship that was hovering near another dock. With a mighty roar, the large craft rose and flew off to an unknown destination.

Machina had been heavily accepted since the fall of Sin and Yu Yevon himself. Even the highest holy men from Bevelle openly utilized them. Every city had built stone statues of every summoner, regardless of whether or not they had defeated Sin, in the Calm Lands. They stood lined from first to last. From Yunalesca to Yuna. Even Issaru had place there. Yuna and her guardians had been offered many things, but there was only one thing that Yuna herself wanted. Tidus.

Her heart grew heavy as she remembered him. The look on his face when he jumped off of the airship's deck. After that she had screamed and passed out. Later, she recovered and immediately went to went to the nearest dock, which had been in Luca. She had whistled at every dock she could find since then. Tidus had always told her to find him by whistling. He had been smiling when he taught her how.

She had perfected her whistling and desperately whistled every day at all of the places close to the ocean. She had heard the fayth speak of "dreaming new oceans for him to swim" Her hope had now brought her to Kilika. She whistled there now, hoping he would hear her.

Tidus walked the surface of the strange blue that resembled an ocean where he could somehow breath.

"Why am I here?" he asked for the thirty-seventh time.

"You have asked that approximately thirty times" responded the fayth from an unknown location in the endless blue.

"That's thirty-seven" corrected Tidus "and I deserve an answer"

"Why do you care?"

"Why do I care?! Why do I care!? I haven't used the bathroom in ages, there's no one to talk to but you, and worst of all, the sores on my feet are the size of Chocobo prints!"

". . . Fine. If you really want an answer, I am dreaming for just a little longer. I am dreaming new oceans for you to swim."

"What are you talking about?"

"I am going to try to put you back in the real world, boy."

"How?"

"I will finish dreaming this ocean until it is the exact size and shape of those in Spira, and using the artificial energy generated by the waves of my brain, the ocean you are in will be fused with another. Then you will appear in two places at once, and I will use my energy to project you away from this world so that you appear completely in the other. If all goes well then you should be back to where you came from, and my positive-energy waves from my brain will support you so you can live and die on Spira"

"WHAT? I didn't understand a word of that"

"You really don't have to, Tidus. Just be patient"

"Well thanks!" Tidus lay on the ocean floor that resembled the coral famous at Kilika. For a while he felt that things were actually going his way. Especially since he hadn't even been able to see all of the people that died at the farplane. He would have really liked to talk to Auron again.

"But then you would have to see Seymour, wouldn't you?" pointed the fayth.

"You were reading my thoughts? I didn't know you could do that!"

"How do you think I knew to tell you not to cry?"

"Not to cry . . . not to cry..hey!"

"So you figured it out, yes"

"You're the fayth of Bahamut! Show yourself!" Tidus exclaimed as he instantly rose from the seabed and stamped his foot on the "ground".

Out of the mist the small boy with the mesmerizing symbol on his back and the hood on his head with mostly tattered clothes appeared. He took of his hood to reveal mischievous brown eyes and messy hair.

"Remember me? You'd better"

"Y-you're not see-through anymore," Tidus stammered, pointing his finger accusingly at the small fayth.

"Correct. You are in my world now, do you remember? You are the one that is transparent"

Tidus looked down to discover that he indeed was of ghost-like appearance and was surprised at the way he was.

"Wow! Hey, are you almost done? I'm achin' to get back! I miss all the food, the beds."

"And Yuna?"

"I. . . guess. Yeah. I tried to avoid the subject but, I just couldn't stop thinking about it and. Will you hurry up? I can't stand it here any more! I just want to see everybody. The thought of still being alive, and them not even knowing that I exist outside of the farplane is getting hard to bear, man. I just need out of here"

"Almost done."

KLIIIIKKKKK

With a blast, Tidus felt himself curl up and appear inside an ocean that felt new. But how was it new? He noticed one thing.

I'm noticing one thing. . . I can't breathe!

With all of his blitzing instincts, he held his breath for as long as he could, and swam with a smile on his face upwards further and further.

He could feel the water cascading past him like air as he struggled to break the surface of the blue before him. The dolphins gave him curious looks as he swam further and further up and right through the fishes. He also noticed a group of pyreflies, the beautiful lights of them glowing as he swam through the seas trailing the purple magical substance of the souls of those dead. He saw the light, and was almost there. And finally.

"YEESSS!" Tidus broke the surface in a cascade of blue and jumped a good 15 feet above sea level, right over a dock that he immediately recognized was from Kilika. He looked at the lone figure that stared at him back.

"Yuna" he whispered.

"Tidus" she mouthed.

With the climax of his appearance, Yuna passed out on the deck, and a surprised Tidus landed on the water with a loud slap.

Squall Leonhart made his way to the Garden's elevator with his usual stride, slightly nervous because he had left his gunblade on the bridge. It's usual sheath was empty and it didn't make the normal click he was used to hearing as he walked.

He also had to try to avoid the strange limp he knew he would face because his jeans weren't as weighted down as they usually were, and he wasn't used to walking like that.

"Third floor" he commanded the elevator.

Squall still cringed when he remembered the little incident with Zell's T- board that had forced him to installing the new software.

Zell had been using the spare T-board he had in reserve from Balamb to skate all over the Garden's hallways ever since the Garden Staff had left. History repeated itself, and he skated straight into the women's restroom. After screams had been heard, Zell had skated to the elevator to get to the first floor and escape the angry females before they caught him and dragged him to the commander, which was Squall.

Squall had been in the elevator at the time, and before he could push the button for the third floor, Zell skated in, pushed the button for the first floor, and prayed.

"What are you doing?"

Squall had asked in his emotionless tone.

"Oh! I have to get outta here until things cool down a bit. You can sympathize, right?"

Squall really didn't have much of a choice, but he pushed the button for three to get back to his original destination.

"Hey!" Zell had then pushed the button for one once again.

It became a power struggle and in the end the elevator broke down and Zell and Squall were trapped there until the maintenance crew had fixed the elevator and restored it. Zell pushed the one button another time, and Squall chose not to repeat the same mistake. In the end, Squall missed his meeting and was scolded by Quistis, Nida, and Xu for his breach in decorum.

After that, the commander proposed that a voice-activated elevator was installed and it only followed the command of the first person it heard after fulfilling another like most elevators.

As the elevator ascended to its destination, Squall remembered being unable to resist Rinoa's offer to spend the day on the bridge to "see what he did". It was apparent, however, that she simply wanted to spend more time with him. He smiled to himself-something that until recently had been an impossibility. He was becoming less hesitant to show his love for her ever since he had almost lost her. Ever since he realized how important she was for him to go through what he had to save her. Ever since it dawned on him that he would have soon lost the will to fight or even live when put up against an opponent like Ultimecia.

But heck, fighting Omega Weapon was no picnic either.

There was a tiny click and beeping tone when the machine stopped at floor three and the gunblade master got off with a quick step as the doors slid closed and went back down to transport some student.

He almost fell over the railing of the bridge when he saw what was there. The beautiful girl he had expected to see was on her back glowing black and green. Her eyes were still open, but they were blank and lifeless, her breathing shallow.

"Rinoa!!"

Irvine was crouched next to her, as if studying her condition intently with a worry on his face. Nida was paging someone on the intercom, and had even temporarily halted the Garden's trip to Fisherman's Horizon to purchase fuel and supplies.

Squall was almost instantly by her side, ignoring his treasured gunblade lying next to the gray steel steering column that Nida so proudly piloted.

Irvine gave a sympathetic look to his long-time friend.

"I don't know what happened, man. One minute she was chatting on about how much fun she was going to have with you, the next minute she was shaking and on the ground. Nida's paging Dr. Kadowaki, just hold on"

But few words of Irvine's comforting words were registered because Squall was struck by the sudden change of mood.

"Rinoa. . . "

Squall attempted to lay a hand on her cheek, but a black spark of electricity crackled and fizzed when he got close, the bolt making Squall's hands burn and temporarily lighting the blue sky.

"Ahh!"

"I tried that too. I can't touch her" explained Nida, putting down the intercom speaker and showing the slightly burned skin of his palm.

My angel, why did this happen? Haven't you been through enough? Why can I never protect you?

In a few minutes, Dr. Kadowaki entered the bridge.

"Now, what seems to be the--oh my!"

The Garden doctor leaned down to inspect Rinoa, noticing her condition.

"I haven't seen anything like this since. . . "

Squall instantly looked up, desperate for anything to help the one he loved.

"Since what?"

"Since Edea inherited Ultimecia's powers that day at the orphanage. A while later she lay back and just became like Rinoa. No one or nothing could touch her."

"How did she get better?" asked Nida, curious to know.

"She just got up in a few hours and stretched as if she had just woken up from a nap. The strangest thing I had ever seen."

"Please Rinoa, wake up!"

Squall pleaded desperately and ineffectively for her revival.

"S-Squa. . . Squall?"

She somehow let out a sow moan of his name, her pale lips moving ever so slightly.

"Rinoa, speak to me"

"Everything is fine Squall. Oren.. will help us.."

"Who's Oren, Rinoa? Will he make you better?"

"Need. . . sleep. Seek the blue. . . Oren will help us. . . "

"Who's Oren! Please talk to me!"

Rinoa shifted and began to close her eyes, the light around her going down slowly as she uttered a few more words.

"Need sleep. . . Oren will help us. . . just find the blue"

"Rinoa. . . "

Rinoa didn't utter any more words.

"Squall. Are you okay?"

It was Irvine's voice, questioning Squall.

". . . Leave me."

"I will, but you should see something"

"It can wait. Leave me alone."

"Not just yet, buddy. Look up at the sky"

"Did you not here me? Let me be alone!"

"Squall! Will you just look up!"

"You Galbadian Cowboy! You chocobo-riding hick! What part of 'go away' do you not understand?"

Irvine finally lost his patience and grabbed a head of Squall's hair and yanked it up, forcing Squall to see the sky. His blue eyes widened as he looked into the sky and saw a gigantic oval of blue shining an aqua color. He remembered Rinoa saying to seek the blue. He would have to apologize to Irvine for the comment about him being a hick. One noticeable thing was that the strange hole in the sky was much larger than the Garden, and it was coming down closer.

Alexandria was an empire that was like no other. It was powerful, efficient, brave, and prosperous. The people there were among the most respected on Gaia. Out of Lindblum and Burmecia they had faced the heaviest losses and still made a comeback.

The chocobos there were bred for speed and power. The monsters at their disposal were powerful enough to make Lani quit the Lindblum monster- hunting contest.

The soldiers were fluent in many types of hand-to-hand combat and could defeat any man in terms of swordsmanship, not to mention the aid of the feared General Beatrix herself. The country was even run by an above average queen by the name of Garnet.

There was one reason for the prosperity of the country. Only one reason for its countless victories and amazing power.

It was run completely by women.

This is precisely why there was an immense uproar when Zidane was crowned king of Alexandria after marrying the queen two months after his arrival. So, when Zidane Tribal arrived at the castle in the grand quarters, he had plenty to complain about.

The queen who was called Garnet but referred to by her friends as Dagger sat on the edge of the red silk bed on the soft carpet, the whole room filled with intricate and beautiful designs and the window pouring in soft sunlight. It was truly a room fit for a queen.

"They hate me because I'm a man! Just because I'm a man!" yelled Zidane. He threw off his red imperial cape and took off the silver boots that he had been issued. And plopped himself on the bed next to his queen.

"Bad day?" Dagger questioned jokingly with a small laugh.

"Bad day? Bad day? Well lets review my little day of terror, if it can be even be called a day at all! First, I wake up to find glass on my bed and a rock on my stomach, along with several more that some nice townspeople threw right in to show their support for a man being in such a high position. Secondly I found that entire wardrobe is full of women's clothing, and all I have is my traditional 'unacceptable' outfit. I walk to the tailor's to find that I have to wait for six hours so that that royal disgrace can finish the grand garment and when I finally leave, I find that someone snuck onto the castle grounds and stole my chocobo! So, I walk to the transportation by boat to get to the castle, to see the guards are unconscious and the boat is sunk! Then I swim all that long way, and wait three more hours to get my stuff dried! As if that wasn't enough, the royal council complained about it when I went to the crowning, and said I had to do an 'apology ceremony' the next day! Is there any rest for the king? No! Do I get advice? No! I have to help everyone else, but those stupid council members don't even care to try to help me? Who provides for the provider, huh? Who warms the sun?!"

"Calm down, King! It's just the first day!"

"I honestly don't see how you do it, Dagger," responded Zidane as he sunk down into the soft bed.

"Its easier for me because I'm. . . "

"A girl, right?"

"They just don't like men in high places. Guys have gotten Alexandria into a lot of trouble in the past"

"Don't bother elaborating. I just need a nice sleep." Zidane muttered as he wrapped his light-brown tail around his body, allowing it to poke out from the covers, and sinking into the soft bed.

Just as Zidane began to relax, an Alexandrian soldier came flying through the window, leaving glass everywhere.

"Great Gaia!"

Zidane bolted up with Dagger as they hustled to the fallen soldier, bleeding profusely.

"Soldier? Soldier speak!"

"King. . . King there was blue. . . a blue portal. . . and a man. . . "

"Elaborate!" Zidane began feeling for the female soldiers vital signs as Dagger ran down the hall as well as a queen could looking for help.

"He called himself. . . man and blue portal. . . he was. . . his name was"

"Take your time. Just tell me the name"

"Beta. . . "

With that the soldiers head relaxed and she lapsed into unconsciousness.

Zidane ran to the shattered window over the shards of broken glass. He saw a large blue portal, and with it, a laughing figure.

"Friends and helpers of Kuja! Stupid pawns of Necron! We will take back what you and Kuja took from us! Prepare to die!"

The insane laughter of the being in front of the blue hole in the air itself filled Zidane with many feelings. But one thing he had said really perplexed him. A friend of Kuja?