Liftoff

Story
The Highwind lands just outside of Rocket Town, next to a Gelnika, with claw tears in it. Kevin, Gwen, Ian and Sakura runs off, Rook following.

Kevin: Stay onboard! Get the others and prepare to guard the ship!

Rook: Yes sir!

Cid was sitting outside his house, obviously angry. Kevin runs up to him.

Cid: So. You finally came back.

Kevin: Cid! Where’s Shinra?!

Cid: Ruining my dream, that’s what! They plan on launching the rocket at that storm. Like that’s going to do any good by itself. Now where have you been? (Kevin runs off towards the rocket without a word, the others following.) About time he found something worth fighting for. I’m too old for that, that’s for sure.

They arrive at the rocket launch pad, several Shinra soldiers guarding the area. Kevin activates his metal layering, charging in, pounding his way through the guards. They open fire at him, bullets bouncing off his layering. Gwen blocks with a mana shield, Ian extending his chains forward, knocking their weapons away, as Sakura punches them away. Kevin starts to climb up the stairs, when he’s kicked in the face, knocking him all the way down. He looks up, seeing Six, swords drawn.

Kevin: Great. A Turk.

Six: I can’t let you through. Stand down. (The others arrive.)

Sakura: Six! Please let us through! You don’t know what launching a Huge Materia will do.

Gwen: (Whispers to Ian) Does she know him?

Ian: (Whispers to Gwen) An ex of hers. Can’t wait to pound his face in.

Six: I’m sorry, Sakura. Orders are orders. We must follow them to the letter, no matter what that means. Something you were never good at.

Sakura dashes forward, swinging her fist at Six. Six uses his arm to block the attack, and pushes her away. Then, a stream of webs catches her and pulls her up, and she’s dangling from the railing above. Spidermonkey comes down, completely wrapping her in webs.

Sakura: (Struggles to get free) Fight me like a man, Six!

Ian charges at Six, blades in both hands. He thrusts both of them at Six, using them to fight with Six, who pushes him back with his swords. Kevin charges past Six, running up the stairs. Spidermonkey appears on the stairs, firing a web shot, hitting Kevin and knocking him back. Spidermonkey pounces at Kevin, knocking them both off the railing, down to the ground.

Gwen throws a mana disk, cutting the web Sakura was dangling by. Gwen then catches Sakura with mana, lowering her to the ground.

Gwen: I’ll be down to free you in a second.

Sakura: Forget about me! Get the Huge Materia!

Six parries a blade strike, pulling back and forcing Ian to spin. Six kicks him in the back, causing him to stumble forward. Gwen throws mana disks, which Six blocks with his swords. He then jumps off the side, using his swords to keep a grip, spinning around it and landing on the path in between Ian and Gwen. He kicks Gwen, knocking her back and going over the railing. She grabs on, hanging on. Six charges and jumps over Ian, who extends his chain, wrapping around Six’s arm. Six uses a sword to slice through his chain, freeing himself. Ian raises his one blade, charging in.

Kevin wrestles with Spidermonkey, kicking him off. Kevin tries to tear out of the web, when Spidermonkey fires more, knocking him down, and stuck to the ground.

Kevin: Come on, come on! Huge Materia, activate!

A large flash of red light occurs, blinding everyone and stopping the battle. As it fades, a wave of fire occurs on the ground, moving over Kevin and to Sakura. Spidermonkey charges forward, when rammed by Blaze Spear enveloped in fire. Spidermonkey crashes into a pillar, turns into red light, and returns into the red materia on Six’s sword.

Six, with his sunglasses, charges through the light, tripping Ian. He points a sword at his throat, when Sakura jumps up to their level, punching Six. He goes flying off, grabbing onto the railing, the sword with the red materia flying out of his hand. Kevin catches the sword, pulling out the materia and putting it in his pocket. Sakura, Ian and Gwen run up the stairs, as Kevin grabs onto Blaze Spear, which jumps up the stairs, beating the others to the top. Blaze Spear turns into red light, returning to the Huge Materia.

Kevin: You guys are so slow.

Sakura: Oh, shut it.

The four run inside the rocket, and head to the cockpit. Kevin starts working at the controls, eventually pounding on it in frustration.

Kevin: Uragh! Why isn’t anything working?!

Eggman: (On screen) That’s because it is on autopilot, and I’m in control. (They turn to see Eggman on the screen.)

Sakura: You!

Eggman: And now, we’ll be rid of four Avalanche traitors! I was expecting to ambush you at a different location, but this’ll work fine. Take off in 10, 9, 8

Ian: We’ve got to go!

Kevin: And get burned up by the exhaust? This area’s about to be buried in propulsion flames, and I’m not burning today.

Sakura: You’d rather die in space?!

Eggman: 2, 1, 0. Lift off!

The rocket’s engine activates, releasing a powerful propulsion of flames, propelling the rocket into the air. It flies off the ground, destroying the launch pad in the process. Cid watches from the ground, marveling in it.

Cid: Congrats, kid. You finally get to accomplish my dream. You better live, so you can tell me all about it. End Scene

The rocket has left the atmosphere, breaking apart leaving only the top portion of the rocket. Kevin looks out the window, in pure awe.

Kevin: It’s beautiful.

Gwen: It is.

Sakura: What’s the big deal? We see this in the night sky all the time.

Kevin: You don’t get it. This is my master’s dream, to be the first man into space. We’ve fulfilled this, going out into the large, vast, endless reaches of space. How insignificant we are compared to the rest of this. We are no more than a speck.

Ian: And yet, we think that our planet is worth saving. And that, (He points at the planet) shows me that we are in the right.

Sakura: Whoa! The planet is so beautiful from up here.

Gwen: So, what now? Are we going to crash into the cosmic storm and die?

Kevin: Nah. There are escape pods. We launch back towards the planet, and its gravitational force will bring us back in. Ian, there should be a ladder leading up to the nose. That’s where the Huge Materia should be. Get it, and I’ll get the escape pod ready.

Sakura: I’ll go with you, Ian.

Ian and Sakura climb up the ladder, as Kevin and Gwen leave the cockpit. In the nose is a containment unit for the Yellow Huge Materia, with a glowing keypad and force field.

Ian: Looks like there’s a combination lock. It’ll take us forever to (Sakura punches the keypad, destroying it. The force field turns off, as she grabs the Huge Materia.)

Sakura: You were saying? (Ian kisses Sakura on the cheek, as he heads back towards the ladder.)

Ian and Sakura run down the ship, making it to the end. A door was open, with Kevin and Gwen in a small, round room.

Kevin: Get in! (Ian and Sakura get in the room, closing the door. Kevin hits a red button, as the escape pod is launched off the ship, falling back towards the planet.)

The rocket flies straight at the cosmic storm, as the winds tear through it. The rocket is vaporized, as the storm continues towards the planet. End Scene

The escape pod hits the atmosphere, catching on fire. It crashes down, and lands in the ocean. Sakura then stands, breaking off the top of the escape pod. They are now floating on the ocean, with one small half of the escape pod.

Sakura: Finally! I couldn’t breathe in there!

Gwen: Now what?

Kevin: I’ll activate my beacon. Sunder will find us, eventually. (Waves start to form, rocking them back and forth. Sakura is forced to sit down.)

Ian: What do we do until then?

Kevin: Brace ourselves!

Luffy: Oy! (They look up, seeing the Thousand Sunny passing by, Luffy by the railing. He stretches his arms, grabbing the escape pod, and pulling it towards them. The gang grabs on for dear life, as Luffy empties them out onto the ship.)

Kevin: Ow! A little gentler next time?

Luffy: Where’s John? He’s fun.

Gwen: He’s, busy right now. Thanks for rescuing us.

Nami: You guys again. (Nami walks over, along with Sanji.) Why do we run into each other like this?

Ian: We’re just special that way, I guess.

Sakura: Why are you guys in western waters? This is Incursion territory.

Luffy: Incursions? Who are they?

Nami: We haven’t had any run in with them. Besides, Shinra has cut off all transport in the east, ruining our enterprise.

Gwen: Cut off? What are they doing?

Sanji: They are transporting something big to Midgar. They’re sinking every ship they encounter.

Nami: So, where are you guys going this time?

Kevin: Hopefully, our ride is coming here. So if we could ride with you until it comes.

Luffy: You got a ship?

Kevin: (Proudly) An airship. Only one in the world.

Luffy: COOL! You guys can stay, if that means I get to see it!

Nami: Once your ride appears, you’ll have to pay. I have high expectations of you guys.

Gwen: Fine. Consider yourself paid.

Nami: Yes! Welcome aboard, and make yourselves at home, girls. Meanwhile, you boys, start swapping the deck! Luffy! Quit slacking off!

Men: Yes, ma’am!

Characters

 * Ian
 * Gwen
 * Sakura
 * Kevin
 * Rook
 * Cid Highwind
 * Straw Hat Pirates
 * Luffy
 * Nami
 * Sanji

Villains

 * Shinra
 * Agent Six
 * Dr. Eggman (on screen)

Summoned by Six

 * Spidermonkey

Summoned by Kevin

 * Blaze Spear (first re-appearance)

Trivia

 * Sakura smashing a machine that is said to be complicated to crack is a standard in situations like that.
 * The group goes into space, being the first humans in this dimension to do so.
 * Six doesn't directly fight Sakura. This may reveal he still has feelings for her.
 * Blaze Spear is the second Huge Materia alien to be revealed.