Disclaimer: I don't own any aspects of Final Fantasy VII or the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII.

Author's Note: Nothing much to say, other than Chapter 8 just needs proofread, and Chapter 9 is about half-way written. Both should be up within a week or so.


Chapter 7: Jocund

When Cloud woke up in the morning, his hand immediately flew to his face to cover his eyes from the blinding sunlight. As his mind slowly became cognizant of the world around him, he sat up, bringing down his hand to rest by his side. He blinked, once, twice, three times, before looking around the room, his eyes finally adjusting to the environment around him. The inn… Barret and Tifa both sat on their own beds. Noticing Cloud rousing from slumber, Barret shot him a smug grin, while Tifa gave him a soft smile and a wave.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," Tifa teased playfully, ruby eyes filled to the brim with warmth. Cloud could only muster a mumbled, "G'morning," in return. She laughed at him as he wondered how long he had been asleep, what time it was. After deciding that a few moments was long enough to gather his thoughts, Barret ear-splittingly declared, "We're headin' to Costa Del Sol!" Cloud blinked again, baffled. It was too early in the morning for this sort of stuff.

When Tifa noticed the puzzled look on Cloud's face, she explained in a cordial tone, "When you were asleep, Barret and I were talking. We need to get to Midgar, but first, we need to get across the ocean." As if Barret was taking Tifa's explanation as a cue to continue clarifying, he added, "Costa Del Sol's got the closest port. Can't go flyin' around in an airship this time."

Pinching the bridge of his nose, as if that would reduce his headache, Cloud had only one question, "When do we leave?" After how tiring yesterday was, and especially after just waking up, Cloud wasn't sure if he was ready to get out of bed, never mind traversing across the entire continent. "Right about… now!" Barret laughed. Cloud just shook his head and sighed. Even after his vow to push onwards, it seemed fate still wouldn't be on his side.


Although it had been a while since Cloud last stepped within the coastal town's borders, it seemed like Costa del Sol hadn't changed a bit. The streets swarmed with people of all ages, from children to the elderly. The wooden doors to the yellow dwellings seemed to constantly open and shut, the orange shingle roofing providing shelter to those who were sick of the sun and the heat. Cloud leaned against a building alongside the main street, his foot on the wall to keep himself propped up. Tifa and Barret stood beside him.

"So…" the woman drawled, eying up both of her companions, "Now what?" Cloud was only half-paying attention, enjoying the shade from the overhanging roof. Slowly, he reminded her, "Aren't we supposed to be going to Midgar?" …Or do we have to visit all of the wonders of the world, first? He resisted the urge to smirk at his ironic comment.

Cloud glanced over at Barret, silently sacrificing leadership of the group to the man. Barret, however, seemed lost in his own thoughts, or he was enjoying watching the people sluggishly shuffle around. Banging his fist against the wall, he barked, "Aren't ya both forgettin' something?" Cloud scratched the back of his head, a tad confused. After a moment, he half-jokingly answered, "Sunscreen?" Tifa chuckled at him. Ever since leaving Nibelheim, Cloud noticed his mood slowly improving. His soul wasn't full of rainbows and butterflies, but the doom and gloom had lessened their grip. Wonder how long this will last.

Barret's boisterous voice kept him from following that train of thought much further. "Damn it, Spiky, no! We can't go to Midgar without Marlene!" He slammed his fist against the wall again. Cloud raised an eyebrow, looking at the man quizzically. As he opened his mouth to speak, Tifa interrupted him, wondering aloud, "Wouldn't it be better to check on how things are going in Midgar before we pick Marlene up?"

Barret shook his head, almost as if he were sad or regretful. "Naw, Tifa. Last time I saw Marlene was right before we handed Sephiroth's ass to 'im. I need to make sure she's awright." All Tifa had to offer as a response was a soothing smile and a nod. Sensing a lull in conversation, Cloud tried to squeeze himself into the discussion, questioning, "…Where is Marlene?"

The man in question frowned at the statement, as if he were slightly disgusted by it. "She's in Kalm. Don't you remember, Spiky?" Cloud shook his head. …I guess Barret took my advice, back then. He sighed, closing his eyes and raising his head to the sky. The logical part of his mind had to side with Tifa on this one. If Midgar were destroyed, it would be better to figure that out sooner rather than later, before they had to worry about having a child with them. On the other hand, Cloud couldn't fully place himself into Barret's shoes, but he figured that if he had adopted a child, he would probably feel the same way.

Biting her lip softly, Tifa remarked, "I thought Costa del Sol only had ships running to Junon, though. If they go that way, we're going to pass by Midgar anyway." Cloud wondered if there was any way to budge Barret from his stubbornness, as the man contended, "World's different now, Tifa. Let's ask 'round, see what's up. Haven't seen people in who knows how long, anyhow."

Nodding in agreement, Cloud offered, "I'll check out the harbor." Smiling at him, Tifa declared, "I'll go to the tourist center. They might know something." Grinning at his companions, almost ear-to-ear, Barret announced, "Awright! I'm headin' to the inn. Innkeepers seem to know everythin.' Meet back there at sunset, you hear?"

And, with that, Cloud set off on his small adventure. Costa del Sol was much busier than he recalled. As he made his way towards the harbor, he practically had to push his way through a sea of people, and he quickly lost count of how many times he had to mumble "excuse me" and "I'm sorry." The shopkeepers, who had set up stalls alongside the roads, on the sidewalks, were shouting at people to buy their wares, touting at how superior theirs were compared to the stall next to them. As he reached the docks, thankfully, the crowd had thinned out considerably, diminishing to just him and the dock workers.

Now what? His eyes surveyed his surroundings. There were rough-looking men loading box after box into the ships. Other men had clipboards, and somewhat fancier outfits than just jeans and a t-shirt, barking out orders to the other men. Even though the pier wasn't as crowded as the town itself was, it was still chaotic in its own way. For some reason, Cloud's gaze focused on one of the clipboard-holding men, although this one, unlike the others, was dressed in a red jumpsuit of sorts.

The man was so absorbed in his work that he hadn't heard Cloud approach. Clearing his throat softly, Cloud simply said, "Excuse me." The man turned to look at him, a scowl on his face, seemingly annoyed at being distracted from his work. With a deepening frown, the man barked, "Don't you see I'm busy? What do you want?" At least this guy cuts right to the chase. Refusing to be intimidated, Cloud asked, "Do all your ships run to Junon?"

The look on the man's face clearly showed he was unamused with the inquisitive man. "All but a few," the man replied shortly, returning his attention to his work. Cloud sighed quietly. As blunt as the man was, the man's straightforwardness was making it slightly more difficult to get information than he had hoped. Rephrasing his question slightly, Cloud tried again, "The ones that don't go to Junon… Where do they go?"

"Kalm," the man grunted, scribbling down something on the papers on his clipboard. Jackpot. Cloud shifted his weight, but before he could ask another question, the man scolded, "The ferry is a couple hundred gil. Go find someone else if you need help." Cloud resisted the urge to scoff at the man's standoffish behavior, instead opting for a mumbled "thank you."

Cloud headed back into town, leaving the grumpy supervisor behind. A couple hundred gil… While he had some money left over from his journey to save the Planet, the ferry costs would eat most of that up. His feet carried him through town, gracefully navigating around and through the crowd of people. He looked to the sky, intending on checking the time, but instead, he saw a sign for a bar. While he did have a drink every now and then, he was never much of a bar-goer. On the other hand, bars tended to attract lots of people, and, with any luck, maybe one of the patrons would be more helpful than that moody supervisor.

He entered the tavern, gently closing the wooden door behind him. Truth be told, he hadn't realized how warm it was outside, until his skin made contact with the frigid air indoors. There was a single seat left at the bar area, and a bit awkwardly, he helped himself to it. The bartender, a young female, dressed much too skimpily for the temperature indoors, Cloud noted. She wandered on over to him, and with a sly smile and a wink, greeted him fondly, "Hey there, sweetie. First time in here?"…Please don't tell me it's one of those places.

Cloud nodded, shoving his thoughts to the side. It wouldn't be the first time he found himself in an awkward situation, after all. "Ooh, a quiet one!" the bartender cooed, practically beaming at him. "So, tell me, sweetie, what're you thirsty for today?" Cloud thought for a moment, biting his lip. After a short pause, he decided, "Jack and Coke." The bartender continued beaming at him, and with another sly wink, she cheerfully announced, "Comin' right up, sweetie!"

Cloud half-wanted to scoff at himself. It wasn't long ago that he was mulling over how much the ferry would set him back financially, yet, somehow, here he was, ordering drinks at the bar. As the bartender set the full glass in front of him, he nodded with a simple, "Thank you," while his mind wondered what would happen if Tifa or Barret, or both, were to pop in at that moment.

He sipped the mixed drink slowly, making sure to stir it with his straw every now and then, lest the soda float to the top. He listened to the conversations echoing around him, straining his ears for any bits of useful information. The bartender must have gone on her break, because she traded places with another young bartender. She grabbed a stool and squeezed herself between Cloud and a burly man, crossing her legs and twirling her hair between her fingers, a huge grin on her face.

"What's eatin' you, sweetie?" Cloud raised an eyebrow at her curiously, although he wasn't sure if her invading his personal space or her prying questions stroke him as more peculiar. He was uncertain if the weird woman would be of much help, but willing to take a shot, he answered, "Well… I'm trying to get to Kalm." Before he could explain himself any further, she perkily interjected, "Got family there?" Cloud nodded. …Sort of. Pausing to make sure she wouldn't interrupt again, he continued, "Any options besides the ferry?"

The woman leaned back in her chair, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. "Hm…" It was like a million gears were turning in her brain. Suddenly, she exclaimed cheerfully, "You know what! I know a guy who works there!" Cloud nodded, wondering where the woman was going with her train of thought. She reached into her back pocket, pulling out a small piece of paper and a pen. "Tell you what, sweetie." She scribbled something onto the paper, then slid it over to Cloud. With a wink and a grin, she offered, "Call me later tonight, and I'll see if I can work something out between you and him." …I guess it is one of those places.

Cloud stammered a quick, "Thank you" as he put the paper into his pants pocket. Quickly finishing his drink, he left some money on the countertop, just enough to cover costs and the tip. Nodding at the woman, all he could mumble was, "I got to get going." The woman was practically grinning ear-to-ear, and if she could beam any harder, Cloud wondered if she would catch on fire. "Have fun, sweetie! Buh-bye!"

As far as recent memory went, he had never been happier to leave a bar in his life. His fingers toyed with the piece of paper in his pocket as he made his way to the inn. The sun was already descending from its apex in the sky, and his two friends would likely be waiting for him. Something tells me I shouldn't call her. What a weird woman she was. Cloud figured if the woman was being truthful, it would have made more sense to give him her friend's number, not hers.

He shut the wooden door behind him, his eyes scanning the inn's lobby for any signs of his friends. Sure enough, there was Barret, flopped all over a poor chair that was a tad too small for him, and Tifa, legs crossed and head on her chin. He had been late, again, but he figured his friends wouldn't have minded. It didn't stop him from approaching them and softly apologizing, "Sorry I'm late." Tifa's hand fell onto her thigh, and smiling, she chirped, "Welcome back, Cloud! We already have a room for tonight, but we were waiting for you to get here."

As he nodded, Tifa reached over to jostle Barret's shoulder with her hand, stirring him from his nap. Groggily, he gave a quick nod towards Cloud and rose to his feet. Glancing back at Cloud, as if she were making sure he was still there, Tifa stood up, mentioning softly, "The room's this way." Entering the room, Cloud felt relieved when he counted three beds lined up against the wall. Barret didn't seem too keen on being roused from sleep, because he rushed over to claim a bed for himself, practically jumping onto the poor object. Tifa giggled at him, then sat on the middle bed. She looked at Cloud and patted the spot next to her, smiling. Taking the nonverbal suggestion, he claimed his own spot, right next to her.

"So…" Tifa drawled, lightly swinging her legs against the bed, her fingers playing with the tropical-patterned comforter. "What did everybody find out?" Cloud was toying with the paper in his pocket again, before stating, "I talked to a supervisor at the harbor. He said that there's a ship or two that run to Kalm." He paused, trying to gauge any reactions from Tifa. …And it costs and arm and a leg.

Barret suddenly sat up, seemingly interested in what else Cloud had to say. Cloud would've have paid him more attention, if Tifa didn't suddenly question, "How much does it cost, Cloud?" He shook his head, trying to divide out numbers in his head. He wasn't quite sure of how much Tifa or Barret had on them, but he could pay for the ferry himself. Doing so, however, would leave him with just a handful of gil. "Please, Cloud?" Tifa insisted, waiting for his response. After a moment, he assured her, "Don't worry about it. I've got it covered." …Or, I guess, I will tomorrow.

"When do we leave, Spiky?" Barret continued the interrogation. Cloud raised his eyes to meet Barret's, before answering with a shrug, "Whenever you want." The man, not quite old, but still old in comparison to Cloud, grinned from ear-to-ear. "Awright!" he cheered, pounding the end of his gun arm against the palm of his hand, "Then… We leave tomorrow, you hear?" Barret mumbled softly, almost too quietly for Cloud to hear, "Hear that, Marlene? Papa's comin'." Tifa must have heard him too, as she smiled at Barret, almost like a mother to a child.

Tifa must not have liked the lull in the conversation, because she broke the silence not too long after Barret's quiet vow, "I can't say I've ever heard of ships running to Kalm before." Cloud recalled that on their journey, Kalm didn't even have a port, never mind any aquatic trade routes. Barret raised his eyes from the ground, throwing himself back into the fray of the conversation as he added, "I overheard it in town, some folks from Midgar are headin' over to Kalm. Midgar's got it pretty bad."

Narrowing his eyes slightly in thought, Cloud remarked, "So… Kalm's going to need more supplies." He really doubted that the small town had enough resources to support a sudden population spike, especially when its only trade partner had been Midgar in the first place. Shaking his head wildly, Barret exclaimed, "It ain't just that! Think 'bout it. Kalm and Costa del Sol start tradin'. Kalm gets what they need; Costa del Sol gets some money." Guess no one learned from Shinra after all.

"It's… not exactly a win-win," Cloud contended, eyes meeting with Barret's, as he elaborated, "Look where greed got the Shinra Company." Barret had nothing to offer but a shrug and some advice. "Money makes the world go 'round, Cloud. It ain't right, but that's how things are. A damn Meteor in the sky ain't enough to change human nature." Not quite content with the rebuttal, but also not able to find any holes in it, Cloud nodded. He glanced out the window; the sky was beginning to be painted black.

His eyes noticed a small trash can in the corner of the room. He reached into his pocket, pulling out the piece of paper, crumpling it in his hands, enjoying the sound it made. He tossed it towards the cylindrical object, smirking when the paper landed squarely in the bin. "What was that?" Tifa chirped, although she raised an eyebrow curiously.

Smirk falling from his face, he raised his sky blue eyes to meet hers, watching her carefully for any negative reaction, recounting the day's events, "The supervisor at the docks wasn't helpful. Went to a bar hoping to find some other leads." He paused, wondering how he should phrase the next part, until Barret started laughing. "Spiky, you aren't goin' to get the leads you was lookin' for there, but I think you already found that out!" The man continued guffawing, as Tifa sighed and shook her head. Cloud raised his hand to scratch the back of his head, somewhat embarrassed. He didn't quite like it when all the attention was on him. Uncomfortable as he was, all he could offer was a half-joke, "…I think I liked Don Corneo's place better."