OOC: Sorry my comp got phucked up during winter break. I'm fully onboard now! ^_^

IC: Tifa just stood there in awe of the summons. She pulled out her summoning materia and looked at how small it was, but it was powerful enough to summon these creatures. "I have some great summoning materia we can use. By the way my name is Tifa, I'm a friend of Cloud's and I'm from his world."

"Muh-teer-eeh-uh?" Palom repeated, blinking as he looked at the small object in Tifa's hand, "What does it do?"

Rydia was also confused. "His world? Cloud created this world? Well, if we have a God of Creation, then maybe our chances of victory over the powers of darkness aren't so slim after all." She said, looking at Cloud in respectful awe.

"Hey, hey, hold on a sec there. I'm no God of Creation or whatever. I just helped to save the world once before. Sorry to burst your bubble."

Cloud turned to Palom. "As for Materia, they are what we use in this world to bring forth magic, summons, and some even give us extra abilities, or enhance us to allow us to go farther with our bodies than normally possible. You understand it now?"

OOC: A little break where DB answered.

BIC: Cloud looked towards the ruins of what was once the largest city on the planet. Bahamut's words echoed in his mind. "The first threat will be found here..." But where in the city would it be? A thought suddenly entered Cloud's head: the reactors. If anything, that's where the evil would be. After all, those things were sucking out the life of the planet not too long ago. He turned and addressed the group. "Okay, I think I have a good idea of where the evil might be. Since this is our world, and Tifa and I lived here in this city for years, I suggest that you follow what we say, so you don't get yourself hurt or killed. Consider that your fair warning."

Rydia folded her arms. "You could have been a little bit nicer about saying that, but it makes perfect sense."

"Ah, so this 'Materia' is essentially just a shortcut? Mages in my world spend much of their early training learning how to attune themselves to magic, learning how to channel it through their own minds and bodies and into spells...I guess that your toys work to attune you to magic in a similar way." Palom kept his thoughts on the difference in accessing and mastering magic to himself, he had learned some restraint since his childhood.

"So, since this is your world, I don't object to you leading the way. Keep a lid on the threats, and we'll get along fine."

Pulling out her Magirock, Celes said "That kind of reminds me of this. Oh, and my name is Celes. I was a General in the Victor Empire before I left to join with the Returners, and as of now I'm pretty much the only one left in my world that can use magic."

Tifa looked at Palom, "What's a mage and what is your name?" She put her hands on her hips, "People in our world can master the Materia to a point where they produce a duplicate and give to others to master. So it's it's just like your magic only everyone can use and share it."

"And it requires no discipline to master? No skill to use?" the young man frowned, looking at Tifa, "Any child could pick up one of those, and set fire to their home and family with it?" he shook his head, "Learning when NOT to cast spells is just as important as learning when to cast them."

"Mages are, in my world, the wielders of magic. Some others, such as Paladins, can master the most basic spells...but the truly powerful spells are only accessible to those who devote their lives to the study of magic. As a Black Wizard, I am a mage devoted to the study of Black Magic, spells such as Fire and Bio. Our magic is offensive, while White Magic is primarily used for healing and defense. What truly separates a mage from the other types of spellcaster is that our magic is a part of who we are, not just a supplement to other abilities."

"My name is Palom...I said that already, Tifa." he smiled, and turned to Celes, "So, does this mean I can't call you Knight-Girl anymore?" mischief sparkled in his eyes as he spoke, and his smile turned into a humor-filled grin.