It was 11 am…one hour until the checkout from the inn. The party would have to make their way across the snowfields that day to search for Sephiroth. Cloud paced back and forth impatiently waiting for one of his companions to come down the stairs so they could leave.
"Okay, where is Vincent?" Cloud seemed irritated. He didn't want to spend any more of the money they didn't have.
"He's still sleeping." Cid grumbled.
"Seriously?! We have to get out within the hour otherwise we'll have to pay for another night!" Cloud swung his hands in a flurry. Never had Vincent caused troubled for him…accept this one time. Actually last time too…or was it every time they checked into an inn? "Can you go wake him up?"
"Shit, you do it!" Cid said scratching his wool sweater. They had spent the night at the Icicle Lodge. The continent that they had arrived at was a beautiful sheet of pure white snow with a terrible below freezing climate.
"You're his roommate, Cid. Just go tell him that we have to leave now."
"No no no, you see he doesn't like to be woken up. We've done this plenty of times before!"
Tifa sipped her chocolate filled mug and sighed. "You're not afraid of him are you?"
"Course not!!"
"Then go get him so we can leave!" Tifa was getting irritated by Cid's protesting. He reluctantly stomped his feet up the stairs. The party listened to the opening of a door and then the violent curses Cid spat out.
"Maybe that's why he doesn't like to wake up, it's cause Cid's always cursing at him like a pirate." Yuffie giggled.
"Probably." Cloud sighed.
Suddenly a loud crash sent Cid cascading down the center of the lounge in front of Cloud and Yuffie. The floorboard pointed upward towards the ceiling mimicking Cid's legs. His head was unseen in the mess of dust and rubble. After a few moments standing in shock Cloud rushed over to lift Cid from the mess.
"SONUVABITCH THAT'S WHY I DIDN'T WANNA WAKE HIM UP!!" Cid screamed the words hoping the gunman word hear from the hole in the ceiling above.
"Okay that's it I'll wake him up, he wouldn't hit a girl I'm sure!" Yuffie skipped to the up the staircase. The rest of the party covered their mouths hoping that Cid wouldn't hear their silent laughter. The innkeeper was in total disbelief as she looked at the broken boards that were raised over her. Cloud grumbled about the pay he would have to cash in. He glanced to see a huge wrinkly frown on the keepers face. He hoped he still had enough after paying for just the lodging. Cid pointed a finger at the spiky blonde and began to rant and rave until Yuffie was thrown down to crush Cid in mid sentence.
"WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!"
"STOP TRYING TO WAKE ME UP BY JUMPING ON THE BED!" A groggy voice shouted from above. Cid shoved Yuffie off of him and began to scream back.
"YOU GET YOUR ASS DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW SO I CAN BEAT THE SHIT OUT OF YA!!" There was no response and Cloud could feel his wallet disappearing as he saw that there was another broken hole in the ceiling.
A few minutes later the
gunman treaded down the stairs; his eyes red from the sudden wake up
call. Cid stomped over to him and pushed his face dangerously close
to Vincent's own mug.
"What is it?" Vincent said half
yawning.
"What the hell do you mean 'What is it' YA THREW ME DOWN A #ING STORY!!" Vincent could feel some of Cid's spit land on his cheek. The gunman's eyes squinted and Cid felt a hazardous aura arising.
"Okay, okay that's enough guys." Tifa rushed over and grabbed Cid by the elbow and dragged him off. Cloud sighed as he took out a wad of gil from his wallet. He saw a gloved hand push the money down.
"Don't worry I'll pay for it…it's my fault anyway." Vincent dug his hand in his pants pocket and counted for an average. "This'll do right?" Apparently it was more than enough since the innkeeper quickly grabbed the gil and barked a big "Yes'm!" The middle-aged woman gave a pat on Vincent's shoulder and happily walked back to the register.
"Y—YOUR LOADED!! Since when did you carry all that?!" Cloud exclaimed.
"Well next time we fight some Shinra troops, just go through their belongings." He said it almost too sarcastically…and yet Cloud believed him. Wait…has he been thieving?!
The party assembled outside the lodge and stood on the snowy road. White flakes began to come down hard.
"HOLY SHIT IT'S COLD!!" Barret threw his arms around himself and started shivering. Cloud noticed that half the team seemed miserable and could only imagine what the weather would do to them after a 10-hour hike. "Wait here guys. I'll be right back." Cloud ran off to a nearby building made of a heavy timber. Yuffie couldn't resist the fluffy whiteness on the ground; she threw herself to the floor and began to brush her arms and legs back and forth making a snow angel. Tifa squatted down and watched Yuffie drag Cait and Nanaki down with her. How nice it would be to become a teen again Tifa thought as she recalled the days when Cloud asked her to the well that starry night. Cid still grumbled about the morning and took to kicking the snow and cursed the weather. The party turned to hear footsteps and panting and saw Cloud running over while waving his hand.
"Okay guys, I got a guy with a truck to drive some of us over toward the Ice Gate cliffs, but he can only take three people."
"Hell I'm going!" Barret said without a second thought.
"I think Cait will be able to go with Nanaki, both of you should equal one person I'm sure."
"But—" Nanaki protested, but realized how bitterly cold his body was. He wasn't used to this kind of climate. He tucked his tail between his legs and sighed letting his ears droop down.
"Mmmm, Yuffie you better go ahead too." Tifa said with a motherly tone of voice.
"EHHH?! But why--?"
"You're the youngest, can't have you getting sick you know."
"I'm old enough to save Wutai so I should be old enough to go out in a stormy blizzard too!" She placed her fists on her hips with a curved back standing in triumph.
"Just go, I don't wanna have ta hear your damned whining once your ass starts getting cold." Cid spat out his cigarette and glared at the ninja.
"So it's settled, you guys go ahead with that guy over there and we'll catch up at the gate inn later tonight." Cloud pointed to a warmly dressed elderly man standing next to a black wagon. They said their goodbyes and saw the truck drive away. "Okay guys! Let's go!" Cloud smiled and stared at Tifa, Vincent, and Cid.
"And how are we gonna catch up with them by nightfall?" Cid asked frowning.
"We snowboard!" Cloud let his hand present the equipment. Cid's eyes gaped open in shock.
"YOU'RE SHITTIN' ME RIGHT?!"