Disclaimer:I assume if you read this, you read the one in the previous chapter already, right before this one, since they've been posted together.

Notes:Nothing left to say. I'm just happy that I finally finished this so I can move on with my master plan. Muahahahahaha! Sorry...

Final Fantasy 7/8: Lord of Weapon

Epilogue Chapter: Calm

Casa del Sol

It had been two days since the battle with the Lord of Weapon as well as the environmental disasters that had plagued the Planet, and nearly everyone was taking a well-deserved vacation. They were planning to visit the other world for a different view, but the Gravitor, having warped so many times in spite of the enhancements given by the Esthar scientists, had a broken reactor once more. While Cid was attempting to fix the system along with the original crew from Rocket Town, everyone went back to his or her own life. Yuffie continued her materia business at Casa del Sol, which, in spite of damages from several hurricanes, continued to attract families who had left their homes during the remodeling process. Vincent disappeared, probably returning to the Shinra Mansion. Nanaki went back to the Cosmo Canyon as always. Reeve had actually left his post at Midgar, mumbling something along the lines of: "…damn lost cause, then the tornados come, and then they ask me to evacuate them…" before he went to swim in the warm water marking the edge of Casa del Sol. Barret and his daughter Marlene were also present enjoying the rays of sun.

Cloud and Tifa were sitting on beach chairs, side by side, facing the ocean, and sipping coconut drinks. Tifa found herself staring at Reeve for a moment—Wow, I never knew he was that toned. He seems really strong. I wonder if he can fight…—then quickly caught herself and turned over to Cloud. He had apparently fell asleep with the straw still in his mouth and the drink in his lap. After calling his names a few times to ensure his lack of consciousness, Tifa bent over her chair to get a clearly angle at his face. It had been so many years since Aeris' death. She was sad, of course. But she had hoped that he would care for herself as much as she cared for him. She knew it was selfish, but as she thought about it each time, virtually every single night, she recalled that it wasn't clear whether or not he liked either of them beyond a friendship. Hell, Tifa thought, while peering at Cloud's dreamy expression, he might even be gay. She chuckled a bit, still feeling nervous. She had waited such a long time; could she possibly have a real kiss. She had stolen some many times over the last few years, but she wondered whether or not her hopes would be unfounded. As Tifa drew closer to Cloud's face, she heard someone call.

"I'm not sure he would appreciate the fact that your are taking advantage of him, especially when he's not awake," said Reeve who had just returned from the water with a grin.

"Shut up, it's just, he hasn't spoken to me at all about…us. Maybe he doesn't…"

"You're right, a personal topic like that should come up in a period of crisis. Come on, once things have calmed down for a while, he'll open up. The child inside will finally come out of the hardened adult," said Reeve, who was staring at the large sword, the Ragnarok, that lay at Cloud's side, a visual anomaly when seen in the midst of sand, children, and Cloud's lack of battle armor (he was wearing swim shorts) "It's just that, ever since Sephiroth and Meteor, we've had one problem after another. Let him relax."

"I hope you're right, Reeve."

"Huh, what?" said a sleep-eyed Cloud.

"I can't believe you fell asleep while drinking something," said Tifa in a mock-angry voice.

"I'm still pretty tired. Hello, Reeve."

"You shouldn't leave yourself in such a vulnerable position," said Reeve while casting a mischievous grin towards Tifa, whose face began to flush.

"Don't worry, I'm well trained. If anything comes within an inch of my face, this sword," said Cloud while patting his blade, "will be up in an instant."

Both Reeve and Tifa began laughing uncontrollably leaving Cloud confused. Afterwards, they began talking about their lives in general, such as: Is there any hope for a Midgar reawakening? Reeve now felt that perhaps it would be better just to leave the place for nature and move on in his life, even though he was one of the last active Shinra employees. He was also the only higher-up who was still at work. The others had died or went missing, like Rufus. Eventually the conversation drifted back to the Lord of Weapon and Reeve asked Cloud, "So what did Bugenhagen say about the prophecy?"

"We were interrupted when the first wave of disasters came; that's when we rushed over to the other planet without picking up anyone else."

"Haven't you asked him again, since you got back?"

"Yeah, but now he decided not to tell me. He told me that I should live out my own destiny without seeing it before it happens. When this ultimate battle comes, I'll be ready to face it, along with Squall."

"Makes sense."

Tifa spoke under her breath, "I wish I could see the rest of his destiny…"

"Well, at least you don't have dreams anymore," said Reeve.

"Oh yeah, that's just it. Last night, I had the weirdest dream. It reminded me of the other one, but I've only had this once so I'm not worrying yet. In it, I was in a laboratory, and Hojo was in front of me, smiling."

"Really?" said both Tifa and Reeve.

"Yeah, I was sweating when I woke up, but that was all I saw."

Balamb Garden, Secret Area within the Training Center

Squall and Rinoa were alone that night. The party that Selphie had organized would last until two in the morning. It was midnight, and virtually everyone in Garden was still celebrating in the ballroom. Rinoa and Squall had left early, getting some time to themselves. They had been admiring the night sky for several minutes, Rinoa nestling the back of her head in Squall's chest.

"Squall, aren't you at all scared about that prophecy you told me about?"

"Not really, though I wish that I could have talked to that old man Bugenhagen one more time, but he didn't have time with all the tornados going around."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. We definitely had our hands full, especially when evacuating the smaller towns like Winhill. But I still haven't forgiven you for not picking me up, Squall Leonhart!"

"You said it yourself! Things were crazy."

"Okay, okay. But why didn't you go back with them?"

"Because I wanted to see you guys, especially you," said Squall, now looking down at Rinoa.

Rinoa looked back, saying, "Thanks, but didn't they tell you that they would be right back. What if something happened?"

"Don't worry," said Squall as he looked back at the murky waters in front of the floating Garden, "that guy Cloud is sure to keep good care of himself. He is one hell of a fighter. I can't believe how powerful he is. That's also why I'm not really scared of this prophecy because I know he's on my side."

"That's good to hear. And what about this nightmare you said you had? What if you're go into something that's going to be really dangerous. You told me the Lord of Weapon was a joke, but when I asked Cloud, he told me you both had died."

"I didn't want you to worry, and don't worry about it. It's only happened once. It's probably nothing. Just some crazy doctor in a laboratory."

With that statement, he spun Rinoa around and placed on hand on her left cheek.

"The next battle is nothing to worry about," he said, bringing his face closer to hers, "remember, we've gotten through so much, the fight against Ultimecia, that whole thing with the Goddess controversy afterwards, that Galbadian psycho who planned to devastate the entire continent of Balamb, and so many others. Actually, it seems like we're cursed. But we're still here. Just stand by me. Everything's going to be fine."

Without letting her respond, he pressed his lips against hers, masking the trepidation inside his mind. The worst is yet to come, thought Squall.

Esthar, Presidential Office

Laguna was playing an online RPG on his computer, but his mind was elsewhere. He had thought he would gain the ability to relax after the all the storms had dissipated, leaving his country in a decent state. So much paperwork, but the news from his son told him everything was fine. But now, he couldn't even sleep, sneaking to his office just to play a game. Laguna gripped the hot chocolate in his left hand more tightly than ever, attempting to type commands one-handed. The scientists in the Ultima Research Division had uncovered a remarkable amount of information in the last couple of days. It was as though they had jumped directly from the Stone Age to the Industrial Revolution in Galbadia centuries before.

It can't be coincidence that there was a break-in yesterday. No one has ever broken into any of the laboratories before. But suddenly, with all these new discoveries about Ultima, someone pulls a MacGuyver and gets through all of the security devices. What's worse is that they've stolen nothing. What did they see? What did they want?

Laguna finally logged off the game, stood up, and went into the elevator. He pressed the roof button. A few minutes later, he found himself standing on the highest point for miles. He cautiously moved toward the edge, clasping both hands hard onto the railing. He gazed at the farthest regions of his city. He felt nervous.

Something's going to happen. I can feel it. The question is, will I be able to protect these people?

The cold night gave him no answers. The wind fluttered around the night air, sending breezes devoid of any truth. Other than the sporadic drafts, things were calm.

Endnotes:There it is, Lord of Weapon is complete. If you read other stuff of mine, check my profile page every now and then. I plan to add my other ficsa week afterI get back from trip to the East Coast tomorrow. I've already begun writing them, but as always, I like to write chapters past the one currently being posted. That way, it forms a sense of commitment (yeah, right, it failed last autumn). It allows me to clarify the plot, so I won't have to erase a posted story because it doesn't make sense. Which is a good thing, because I just realized that the sequel to this fic has the same plot as my Vincent fic. Obviously, I have to change some things. Here are names to look out for:

Dark Descent-1st person narrative starring Vincent, who meets a mysterious man who holds the location of the Jenova File that Vincent is desperate to find. As he scours the world, he becomes more obsessed. How much will he sacrifice to find the answers he seeks? Will he give up his friends?

Ultima Rising-The sequel to Lord of Weapon. The entire crew of FF7 arrive in the world of FF8 for a vacation two(or 3)months after the prequel. They soonfind themselves in the middle of a war between Esthar and a mysterious military organization called the Order of Ultima...

Sephiroth Chronicles-A "long-shot" fic. That means it will be updated every now and then, maybe. Treat it as a one-shot, for now. Basically, this fic gives me an opportunity to write stories about Sephiroth while he was part of SOLDIER. The chapters may not be in chronological order, just insight into the career of the legendary swordsman.

Reflections(tentative)-Two part fic about Tifa's feelings about Cloud. This will come later, after Ultima Rising is finished to be exact.

Well, that's all folks!

-silversquall