Chapter 6: The Message
Cloud, Tifa and Barret finally make it to Wall Market, a small town known for the quote: 'You can find anything here!'
They stand at the entrance, not sure of what to do.
"So.. what do we do now?"
Cloud asks as he turns to Barret and Tifa.
"I don' know.. but first we should get some sleep, it's been a long day."
Barret says in his demanding tone of voice.
"I don't know... maybe we should try to find a way to the ShinRa building before we take a break..."
Cloud says as he looks at Barret.
"No... I think Barret is right.. we all need some rest.. I, for one, can't go on much longer.. I'm about to fall asleep right here in the middle of the street."
Tifa says as she looks at Cloud, using her sweet tone, trying to sway him into agreeing to get some rest.
"Heh.. that should get him to agree.."
Barret says to himself as he sees Cloud about to give in. Cloud nods slightly and looks at the Inn which just happens to be located not even 15 feet away from them and starts to walk toward it as he speaks;
"Alright... we'll get some rest.. and start looking tomorrow.."
Tifa and Barret follow Cloud until they reach the Inn. Cloud turns to them.
"Uh.. who has any money.. I'm kinda short on cash.."
He says as he lifts an empty pouch he uses to carry Gil in. Barret laughs and then looks at Cloud.
"Yo man.. where did all your cash go to? You been getting some love on the side and not telling us?"
Barret says with a smirk. Cloud has a shocked look on his face and turns his back to them. Tifa kicks Barret in the leg while Cloud's back is to them and gives him her puffy, mad look.
"Barret.. you're sick... I just kinda spend it all on some new Materia.. can't go into battle without the right tools now can we?"
Cloud says as he turns, showing Barret and Tifa the Fire, Ice, Lightning and Restore Materia he had bought before the pillar fell.
"Damn man.. jus' had to prove me wrong didn't ya'?"
Barret says in an amused tone.
"Alright, now getting onto something more important.. this is pretty much all I have."
Tifa says as she holds out a pouch with some Gil in it and offers it to Cloud.
"Well.. now I owe you some Gil..."
Cloud says as he takes the pouch. Tifa shakes her head and speaks;
"Forget about it."
Cloud nods and turns to the door, opens it, and then walks in followed by Barret and Tifa.
"Uh.. how many beds per room?
Cloud asks the man behind the counter as he walks up to the counter.
"One room has three and the other two have two beds."
The man behind the counter says in a somewhat bored manner. Cloud looks at the man and speaks;
"Well then.. we'll take the room with three beds, how much?
"Price depends on how many nights you'll be using it for, 1 night is 25 Gil, 2 nigh-"
The man is cut off by Cloud;
"Alright then... here"
He places 25 Gil on the counter. The guy grabs the Gil and pockets it as he turns and grabs a key. He turns and throws it to Cloud and speaks;
"First door on the right pal."
Cloud catches the key and nods slightly.
"Alright you two.. lets get some sleep.. we'll be busy tomorrow.."
Cloud says as he makes his way to the room and unlocks the door. Tifa and Barret walk to the room and enter. They looks around slightly, common room, three beds, nothing else.
"Does it matter which bed we each take?"
Tifa asks, knowing it's a dumb question.
"Doesn't matter as long as Cloud and you end up in the same bed huh Tifa?"
Barret thinks to himself, but he doesn't have the guts to say it out loud.
"Why should it matter... they're all pretty much the same."
Cloud says as he pulls of his 5 foot sword and sets it down near the middle bed. Tifa sits down on the bed to the right of Clouds sword and speaks;
"I guess so.."
Seeing as how Cloud is taking the middle bed and Tifa is on the one to Clouds right, Barret walks to the last bed and flops down, almost snapping the bed in half.
"Jus' don' go making too much noise tonight you two.."
He says, smirking as Tifa's face gets kinda red, and Cloud looks at Barret and blinks.
"What do you mean Barret?"
Cloud asks, ignorant to the fact that Tifa loves him and Barret laughs.
"He's just joking around Cloud.."
Tifa says as she lays down, getting comfy. Cloud pulls his boots off and then lays back, getting comfy as he speaks;
"Uh.. alright then..."
Soon he drifts off to sleep.. and suddenly finds himself in the darkness as a familiar voice is heard; (Alright.. stuff in is the ever mysterious voice and those in " " are Cloud)
"Huh... you again? Yes.. I am..."
"Um.. well... not exactly... but I'll find a way tomorrow...."
"Or what??"
"Tell me damnit..."
"What?!??!!? But how!?!??!"
"So.. how do I get there before she dies without looking..."
"Yeah.. what about it?"
"Batteries...?"
"Wait! What's this "way"? And why do I need batteries?"
Chapter 7: The Shiny Golden Wire of Hope
"Cloud.. Cloud!! Come on Cloud.. wake up."
Clouds' eyes slowly open.. and he sees Tifa above him, trying to wake him up.
"Huh... wha'... T..Tifa?"
He says his eyes pop open and he sits up. Barret, who is behind Tifa, speaks;
Yo man.. you over slept."
Tifa stands up as Cloud moves and grabs his boots.
"Sorry bout' that... anyway.. I think I know a way to get to the ShinRa building..."
Cloud says as he gets his boots on and ties them.
"H..How Cloud?"
Tifa asks in an almost shocked voice. Cloud grabs his sword and stands up. He puts his sword on his back and speaks;
"Just follow me and I'll show you where it is.."
With that Cloud walks to the door and opens it. Tifa just blinks a little and looks at Barret who shrugs.
"Well... are you two just gonna stand there or are you gonna come with me to save Aeris?"
Cloud says as he looks over his shoulder at them. Tifa looks at Cloud and walks toward him, followed by Barret.
"We're with ya..."
Barret says as he walks. Cloud turns his head and walks out the door followed again by Tifa and Barret. On the way out Cloud, throws the keys to the guy behind the counter.
"Did you enjoy your stay?"
The man asks.. but gets no response as they all get to the entrance and exit.
"So where to now Cloud?"
Tifa asks as she looks around. Cloud turns and starts to walk north and the others follow him.
"East of Corneo's mansion... we'll find our way...."
He says in a low tone. They then walk in silence until they reach the weapons shop, that has a large neon sign that says 'GUN' above the door.
"Hey.. I need to stop in here for a moment.. could you please wait out here for a minute or two?"
Cloud says as he stops in-front of it.
"Um.. sure Cloud..."
Tifa says as she stops. Cloud enters and looks around.
"Uh.. excuse me... I need some batteries.."
Cloud says looks at the two guys in the shop.
"You're lucky.. just got some batteries in.."
The owner says, he is to the left of Cloud. Cloud walks to the left and looks at the owner and speaks;
"I need two of them.."
The owner grabs two batteries and speaks;
"That'll be 10 Gil."
Cloud looks at him and blinks.
"10 Gil for two batteries? Isn't that kinda steep?"
He says and the man smirks and speaks;
"Hey.. we gotta make a living somehow."
Cloud sighs and pulls out 10 Gil;
"Alright..."
The guy takes it and hands Cloud the batteries and speaks once more;
"Nice doing business with ya'"
Cloud takes the batteries and walks to the door and mutters;
"Yeah right..."
He then walks outside and toward Tifa and Barret, who are just standing around.
"So Cloud.. get what you needed?"
Tifa asks in her normal sweet voice. Cloud nods and pockets the batteries. Barret looks at him and asks;
"You needed ta get batteries fer what?"
Cloud starts to walk north again and replies;
"I'll find out when I need them Barret..."
Barret goes to say something but finds he's almost been left behind and he runs after Cloud and Tifa.
Cloud and the other walk to Corneo's mansion.. and then East of it until they come to a dead end. A long, thick black cable hangs down. It was most likely a communications line that was knocked down when the Sector 7 plate section fell. Tifa looks around and speaks;
"So where is this way?"
Cloud looks around then up.
"The cable... it's the way..."
Cloud says with a nod. Barret looks at Cloud like he's insane and speaks;
"What the Hell..... are you crazy?? You think we can all climb that up ta the plate?"
Cloud looks at him, his blue eyes glow as they always do from the Mako he's been exposed to and he speaks in a low tone;
"It's the way Barret.. just trust me.. it's the only way up..."
Tifa closes her eyes and lets out a breath and then looks at Cloud and speaks in a calm tone;
"Lead the way.. I'm behind you completely.."
Cloud nods a little and grabs a hold of the cable.
"So Cloud.. what should we call this?"
Barret says as he walks up to the cable. Cloud blinks and looks at Barret and then speaks in a small tone;
"I didn't know we needed to name it... how about the "cable of hope"?
Barret shakes his head and then thinks for a moment. He then snaps his fingers and speaks;
"Maybe it should be called... 'The Golden Shiny Wire of Hope..'"
Both Tifa and Cloud look at Barret a little strange.
"Barret... what made you come up with that?"
Tifa asks, still looking at Barret. Barret thinks for a moment and then shakes his head;
"I have no clue at all..."
Cloud simply laughs and starts to climb upward..
Chapter 8: Aeris' Nobel Gesture
"Kyle... Kyle.. please wake up..."
Kyle's eyes open and he looks upon Aeris as she spoke. Aeris is sitting down in-front of the tube, as she has for the past 7 hours while Kyle was asleep. Kyle cocks his head to one side. Aeris looks up at him and speaks softly;
"I'm sorry to wake you.. but.. I'm just so lonely..."
Kyle places his hand on the tube.. wishing he could speak to.. or atleast be able to touch her so she wouldn't feel so lonely.
"You.. must know what it feels like.. being trapped in a tube... most likely never seen by many...."
She says as she just looks at him. He nods slowly as she looks him in the eyes.. it's a sharp contrast... his pure black eyes to her bright green ones.
"How.. many.. have really seen you since I was last here?"
She asks in a low voice. His hand moves away from the tube and he lifts a finger up. She blinks slightly and speaks again;
"Only one person?"
A voice comes from behind her;
"That's correct.. and that one person is me.."
Aeris looks over her shoulder and sees Hojo. Hojo smirks and moves his glasses up his nose and speaks again;
"I see you two are getting attached... how.. nice... now then Aeris... it's time for some tests.. you'll have to say good-bye to Kyle for the time being.."
Kyle looks at Hojo, his eyes slightly narrow.. he isn't pleased by this. Aeris gets up and stands in-front of the tube and she speaks in a defiant tone;
"No.. Kyle and I are talking.. take him away and I won't go along with your tests."
Hojo looks at Aeris and then Kyle, that evil smile forms on his face and he speaks;.
"Now, now Aeris.. if you do not go along with my tests..."
He laughs wickedly and goes on;
"Then I'm afraid Kyle won't be getting out of his tube anytime within the next 2 years..."
Kyle eyes grow numb... and Aeris' grow wide and her voice is slightly shaky as she speaks;
"You.. you wouldn't..."
Hojo simply smirks.
"My dear.. I can do whatever I want.. President ShinRa will just hear that Kyle won't be ready for another 2 years... he can wait for his weapon."
Hojo says as Aeris makes a fist and looks down.
"Alright.. I'll go along with your tests if it means Kyle won't have to suffer being in that tube any longer then he has to."
As she finishes Kyle looks at her... surprised that she would go along with them in order to help him... he places his hand on the tube.. wishing he could thank her for such a noble gesture.
"I knew you would see it my way..."
Hojo says as he pushes a button and the floor opens up once more. Kyle tube is lowered into the room below.. and placed back behind the panel... back into the darkness that he's known all his life...
Chapter 9: The maze of the Sector 6 Plate Section
"Yo Cloud... how much further?"
Barret yells as he and the others climb. They've been at it for a good 10 minutes, and both himself and Tifa are starting to wear out.
"Almost there... about another 20 or so feet until we reach some solid footing.."
Cloud yells down to Tifa and Barret who are below him.
"That's what you said 5 minutes ago.."
Tifa yells up to him, the climbing has worn her cheerful personality down. Cloud grabs a hold of a piece of metal and vanishes from the other's sight.
"Looks like I was right this time.. this metal plate is solid enough to support all of us..."
Cloud yells down at them. Barret and Tifa finally make it to the plate that Cloud stands on and plops down, tired out.
"Man... I'm never gonna climb nothin' ever again in my life..."
Barret says in a tired voice as he reaches the plate and sits down. Cloud seems to be full of energy for some reason, he always is. He looks at them and speaks;
"You mean you two are tired out from that? That was rather easy..."
Barret and Tifa both look up at him, annoyed. Cloud gets the message and shuts his mouth about that. But of course it isn't shut for long;
"Um.. alright then... let's take a break before we go on.. alright?"
Tifa wipes away some sweat and speaks;
"Sounds like a good idea..."
While Tifa and Barret rest, Cloud moves about and looks around, walking on paths created by the mess around them... pieces of the Sector 7 plate section hang from where it was located, the train that usually made trips between Sector 7 and the plate hangs and sways, it was pulled down when it fell apart... those poor people who were in it were either killed instantly or slowly and painfully... large sections of metal that were torn apart by the blast just landed there... the smell of melted metal still fills the air, along with the smell of death. Cloud looks around.. looking for a way to get to the plate.. hoping that what he was told in his dream was real and not some trick his mind played on him... and then he sees something.. something that looks like a path of wires and metal connecting the area they're at with a path that seems to lead higher.. only.. there's a gap in it.
"Damnit.. if only that gap wasn't there.. then we could go on..."
Cloud says as he walks over to it and notices blades.. what looks like a propeller.... but he doesn't know why a propeller would be on the plate and he mumbles;
"If only there was a way to move the blade.. then it could make a bridge..."
Then it hits him... he runs to the propeller.. and looks for some cords.. he finds them and follows them until he comes to what looks like a fuse box. The lid has "DANGER: High Voltage" written on the case. Cloud slowly open up the casing and finds the energy cell still intact and a small slot under it.. the same size as one of the batteries he bought and he mumbles as he looks at it;
"Could this be.. why I need the batteries?"
He pulls one out.. and places it in the slot. The energy cell lights up somewhat and the blades start moving.
"It just needed some energy to start it up..."
Cloud says to himself as the blade spin rather quickly.. and Barret and Tifa get up and jog toward him at a semi-slow pace.
"What's going on?"
Tifa asks as she reaches him. Cloud looks at the propeller and mumbles;
"Pray that the a blade stops in the right spot Tif."
The 3 of them just stand there.. watching as the blades slow down.. the cell and the battery die down.. and the blades go slower and slower.. until it stops.. and as luck would have it one blade stops just close enough to form a bridge. Cloud is rather pleased but doesn't jump up or down.
"Guys.. I give you a way to go on with this mission..."
Cloud says as he walks towards the blade. Tifa and Barret follow behind him slowly.
"Yo.. wait a second.. how did you know you would be needin' batteries?"
Barret asks in a semi-confused voice. Cloud climbs onto the blade and speaks;
"Call it a hunch..."
Tifa stands just behind Cloud and puts a foot up on the blade as she replies;
"One heck of a hunch..."
Cloud looks back at both of them and then speaks slowly;
"Alright guys... to be safe only one person on there blade at a time.. alright?"
Barret and Tifa both nod and Cloud turns his head back toward the blade. He then slowly and carefully walks over the blade and hops over the four foot gap that remains, he's now on a piece of metal that once supported the tracks of the train. A car hangs above him, the glass smashed.. he looks up.. and sees dead bodies. While he's looking up Tifa crosses next, followed by Barret.. the blade almost falls under Barret weight.
"Damn.. maybe all these muscles was a bad idea..."
He says to himself as he manages to jump onto the metal that Cloud and Tifa are on, just in time too, as the blade breaks and falls down onto what remains of Sector 7.
"So.. now where do we go?"
Tifa asks as she looks up and then around. Cloud also looks around, looking for anything that could be a pathway to the plate.. they can't turn back.. they have to find a way to go on. Barret moves around Tifa and Cloud and walks over to a section of track and grabs a hold of it.
"Hey.. maybe we could use this as a ladder or somethin'."
Barret says and Cloud looks over at Barret and the track section, and then up.. seeing a possible pathway.
"Now why didn't I think of that...."
Cloud mumbles to himself as he walks over to Barret.
"Well.. only one way to find out..."
Cloud says as he grabs onto it and starts to climb up slowly. As he climbs the tracks move a little, some bits of metal fall off it, almost hitting Barret in the head, which makes Tifa worried about Cloud and she speaks;
"Cloud be careful... it might fall apart at any moment.."
"Don't worry.. I'll be alright..."
Cloud says as he goes on climbing, finally reaching another thick section of metal.
"This section seems like it can hold all of us.. come on up and we'll figure something else out...."
He says as he looks down at them. Barret and Tifa both slowly make their way up their "ladder", and onto the metal plate Cloud is on.
"So Cloud.. do you know where we go next?"
Tifa asks as she once again looks around for a pathway.. she doesn't want to be trapped here. Cloud walks around the plate, looking around. He spots another of those power boxes and walks over to it. This one seems to control some kind of metal bar that was used to stop people from walking when the train came around.
"I wonder if this could work..."
He says as he looks up and sees wires and pieces of solid metal above him. He opens up the casing and sees another slot, and he pulls out the second battery.
"We'll lets see if this will work..."
He mutters as he places the battery into the slot, and the energy cell lights up slightly. Cloud looks around on the casing for a switch or something to move the bar, but finds nothing.
"Damnation.."
Cloud says louder then expected, which gets the attention of Barret and Tifa.
"What's wrong Cloud?"
Tifa asks as she walks over to him.
"I thought I had found a way to get higher up.. but it failed.."
He says, his voice slightly filled with anger.
"Work!"
Cloud says in a slightly raised voice and kicks the box, and the bar pops up. Cloud hops on one foot, since kicking it hurt.. a lot.
"Yo Cloud.. you alright man?"
Barret asks as he watches Cloud hopping up and down. Cloud just gives him an annoyed look and then looks at Tifa and speaks;
"You weigh the least.. so go ahead and see if that bar will even hold your weight.. if it looks like it's gonna fall get off of it, alright?"
She nods slightly and gets onto the box and then slowly starts to climb up the bar and onto another piece of metal.
"Barret... you next..."
Cloud says as he puts his foot down.
"But what if it breaks after I'm off of it? What about you?"
Barret says as he walks up to him.
"If that happens just go on without me.. just make sure Aeris is saved."
"But.."
Barret starts to say but is cut off by Cloud;
"Just get going Barret."
Without further complaints Barret gets on the bar and starts to climb. Cloud thinks himself lucky that Tifa didn't hear what he and Barret said, because if she did she would complain to him about it and try to get him to go up first in hopes that he could make it up, and he knows she wouldn't stop until he gave in.
He watches Barret climb, wondering if the bar will snap and he'll be trapped... it doesn't and Barret gets on to the metal pipe that Tifa is on. Cloud finally gets onto the bar... and climbs up and onto the pipe. They all climb up and onto some form of metal plate that's been twisted and melted. Cloud looks around and sees another pathway but there's a problem... the path is a good 15 feet away from them... and there's no way to get to it. He looks around and down and sees something.. a piece of thick metal wipe that's swaying from side to side... and a plan starts to form in his mind.
"I have an idea..."
Cloud says as he climbs back down the metal pipe and stops just above the swaying pipe.
"Cloud.. what are you going to do?"
Tifa yells down to him. Cloud keeps watching the pipe and simply replies;
"Simple... I'm gonna jump..."
Her eyes get a little wide, she's now in a full blown panic and her voice becomes a little shaky as she speaks;
"Cloud.. are you insane??? C..Cloud.. there has to be another way..."
He shakes his head but keeps his eyes on the pipe.
"No there isn't... it's the only way up..."
He says as he tries to figure out exactly when to jump, knowing that if he misses it'll mean his death. He waits.. and then finds what he thinks is the best time and jumps. His jump was off and he almost completely misses the pipe.. but he just barely manages to grab a hold of it with his left hand. Tifa almost faints right then and there, scared half to death by him almost missing it. Barret just simply watches, and smiles just a little as he sees that Cloud has managed to grab onto the pipe.
"That was too close..."
Cloud thinks to himself as he moves around and grabs the pipe with his other arm, and pulls himself up.
"You jerk!!! Scaring me half to death like that!!"
Tifa yells at him, trying to act mad, but she's really happy that he's safe. He looks at her, smiles slightly and speaks;
"Sorry about that... never was good with angles and stuff like that..."
He then looks to his right, at the next jump he has to make which is below him. He swings with the pipe, waiting for the right chance and then jumps. This time he lands perfectly. He then looks up at them both and speaks;
"Alright guys.. it's your turn to jump..."
Barret looks down at him and blinks as he replies;
"You serious?"
Tifa looks at Barret and speaks;
"He never jokes around during serious times like this."
Cloud looks up at the huge metal pipe that's above him, one that was used to transport water as both Barret and Tifa make their jumps, both have a better time of it then Cloud did.
"Nice to see you two didn't mess up like I did."
Cloud says as Tifa lands a few feet away from him. She then makes her way to him and hugs him.
"You're such a jerk..."
She says as Cloud looks down at her and blinks a few times.
"Never scare me like that again or I swear I'll never, EVER talk to you again.. you got that?"
She says in a small, shaky tone. Cloud puts a hand on her back, half hugging her and he speaks;
"I'm sorry I scared you.. I promise I won't do anything like that again.."
"Alright... now then... we should get going."
She says as she lets go of him. Cloud nods as he grabs a hold of the pipe and starts to climb, not saying much, he's kinda shocked 'cause of the fact that she hugged him, and the fact that he also kinda hugged her, which has never really happened before. Both Barret and Tifa follow him, Barret doesn't say anything, he wonders if she'll ever tell him. They climb, and climb.. and climb some more until they finally reach it, the place they'll have to get into to save Aeris.. the ShinRa building.
Chapter 10: The ShinRa Building Entrance
The ShinRa building stands before them, it's massive. It's over 69 floors high, and each floor has a row of windows that go around it. It's built in a circular shape, and there's a huge set of stairs that lead up to the entrance. They walk up the stairs to the entrance and stop in-front of the main door.
"Alright.. this is it...."
Cloud says as he turns to and looks at Tifa and Barret.
"Awright... let's bust in there an' kick some ShinRa ass!"
Barret says as he starts to charge to the door.
"Barret.. wait.."
Tifa says as she watches him and Barret stops and turns;
"What's wrong?"
She stays silent for a moment and then speaks;
"Maybe we shouldn't just go charging in the front door.. it's dangerous... maybe we should find a way to sneak in."
"I ain't gonna sneak in, I'm ready for action."
Barret says as he looks at her.
"Alright calm down... lets think this over, and anyway.. we have to get ourselves ready in-case we have to fight."
Cloud says as he pulls out the pouch he carries the Materia in.
"We have two Lightning, two Ice, two Fire, and one Restore Materia. We have to divide them up among us. So... which ones do you guys want?"
Cloud says as he looks at them both.
Tifa walks up to him and speaks;
"I think that Cloud should take a Lightning, Fire and Ice Materia, I'll take the Restore and Ice Materia and Barret you take a Lightning and Fire Materia... all right?"
Cloud looks at her and speaks in a low tone;
"Why do you only want an Ice Materia?"
She looks at him and smirks a little as she speaks;
"Don't think I can handle myself with only my fists and one magic attack Cloud?"
He blinks slightly and shakes his head;
"I never said that.. I just want you to be safe.."
Her face gets red slightly, and then she turns her back to him and replies;
"I'll be alright with just those two Materia."
Cloud shrugs as he pulls out his Materia and places them in his sword and armor as he speaks;
"All right then..."
He then hands Barret his Materia and then finally hands the rest to Tifa, who has turned to face him again.
"So then... if your all ready lets get goin'"
Barret says in an impatient tone.
"I know this may sound stupid Tifa but I believe going in the main way is a better idea then sneaking in... they'll never expect us to burst in.. we'll have an advantage."
Cloud says as he turns and starts to walk to the main door.
"You're right.. it does sound stupid... but I'll follow you."
Tifa says as she follows behind him.
"Well finally, I was getting tired of all this talkin'."
Barret says as he follows the others. Cloud reaches the front door and places his hand on it, and he speaks in a small voice;
"Time to see what fate has in-store for us..."
Cloud, Tifa and Barret finally make it to Wall Market, a small town known for the quote: 'You can find anything here!'
They stand at the entrance, not sure of what to do.
"So.. what do we do now?"
Cloud asks as he turns to Barret and Tifa.
"I don' know.. but first we should get some sleep, it's been a long day."
Barret says in his demanding tone of voice.
"I don't know... maybe we should try to find a way to the ShinRa building before we take a break..."
Cloud says as he looks at Barret.
"No... I think Barret is right.. we all need some rest.. I, for one, can't go on much longer.. I'm about to fall asleep right here in the middle of the street."
Tifa says as she looks at Cloud, using her sweet tone, trying to sway him into agreeing to get some rest.
"Heh.. that should get him to agree.."
Barret says to himself as he sees Cloud about to give in. Cloud nods slightly and looks at the Inn which just happens to be located not even 15 feet away from them and starts to walk toward it as he speaks;
"Alright... we'll get some rest.. and start looking tomorrow.."
Tifa and Barret follow Cloud until they reach the Inn. Cloud turns to them.
"Uh.. who has any money.. I'm kinda short on cash.."
He says as he lifts an empty pouch he uses to carry Gil in. Barret laughs and then looks at Cloud.
"Yo man.. where did all your cash go to? You been getting some love on the side and not telling us?"
Barret says with a smirk. Cloud has a shocked look on his face and turns his back to them. Tifa kicks Barret in the leg while Cloud's back is to them and gives him her puffy, mad look.
"Barret.. you're sick... I just kinda spend it all on some new Materia.. can't go into battle without the right tools now can we?"
Cloud says as he turns, showing Barret and Tifa the Fire, Ice, Lightning and Restore Materia he had bought before the pillar fell.
"Damn man.. jus' had to prove me wrong didn't ya'?"
Barret says in an amused tone.
"Alright, now getting onto something more important.. this is pretty much all I have."
Tifa says as she holds out a pouch with some Gil in it and offers it to Cloud.
"Well.. now I owe you some Gil..."
Cloud says as he takes the pouch. Tifa shakes her head and speaks;
"Forget about it."
Cloud nods and turns to the door, opens it, and then walks in followed by Barret and Tifa.
"Uh.. how many beds per room?
Cloud asks the man behind the counter as he walks up to the counter.
"One room has three and the other two have two beds."
The man behind the counter says in a somewhat bored manner. Cloud looks at the man and speaks;
"Well then.. we'll take the room with three beds, how much?
"Price depends on how many nights you'll be using it for, 1 night is 25 Gil, 2 nigh-"
The man is cut off by Cloud;
"Alright then... here"
He places 25 Gil on the counter. The guy grabs the Gil and pockets it as he turns and grabs a key. He turns and throws it to Cloud and speaks;
"First door on the right pal."
Cloud catches the key and nods slightly.
"Alright you two.. lets get some sleep.. we'll be busy tomorrow.."
Cloud says as he makes his way to the room and unlocks the door. Tifa and Barret walk to the room and enter. They looks around slightly, common room, three beds, nothing else.
"Does it matter which bed we each take?"
Tifa asks, knowing it's a dumb question.
"Doesn't matter as long as Cloud and you end up in the same bed huh Tifa?"
Barret thinks to himself, but he doesn't have the guts to say it out loud.
"Why should it matter... they're all pretty much the same."
Cloud says as he pulls of his 5 foot sword and sets it down near the middle bed. Tifa sits down on the bed to the right of Clouds sword and speaks;
"I guess so.."
Seeing as how Cloud is taking the middle bed and Tifa is on the one to Clouds right, Barret walks to the last bed and flops down, almost snapping the bed in half.
"Jus' don' go making too much noise tonight you two.."
He says, smirking as Tifa's face gets kinda red, and Cloud looks at Barret and blinks.
"What do you mean Barret?"
Cloud asks, ignorant to the fact that Tifa loves him and Barret laughs.
"He's just joking around Cloud.."
Tifa says as she lays down, getting comfy. Cloud pulls his boots off and then lays back, getting comfy as he speaks;
"Uh.. alright then..."
Soon he drifts off to sleep.. and suddenly finds himself in the darkness as a familiar voice is heard; (Alright.. stuff in is the ever mysterious voice and those in " " are Cloud)
"Huh... you again? Yes.. I am..."
"Um.. well... not exactly... but I'll find a way tomorrow...."
"Or what??"
"Tell me damnit..."
"What?!??!!? But how!?!??!"
"So.. how do I get there before she dies without looking..."
"Yeah.. what about it?"
"Batteries...?"
"Wait! What's this "way"? And why do I need batteries?"
Chapter 7: The Shiny Golden Wire of Hope
"Cloud.. Cloud!! Come on Cloud.. wake up."
Clouds' eyes slowly open.. and he sees Tifa above him, trying to wake him up.
"Huh... wha'... T..Tifa?"
He says his eyes pop open and he sits up. Barret, who is behind Tifa, speaks;
Yo man.. you over slept."
Tifa stands up as Cloud moves and grabs his boots.
"Sorry bout' that... anyway.. I think I know a way to get to the ShinRa building..."
Cloud says as he gets his boots on and ties them.
"H..How Cloud?"
Tifa asks in an almost shocked voice. Cloud grabs his sword and stands up. He puts his sword on his back and speaks;
"Just follow me and I'll show you where it is.."
With that Cloud walks to the door and opens it. Tifa just blinks a little and looks at Barret who shrugs.
"Well... are you two just gonna stand there or are you gonna come with me to save Aeris?"
Cloud says as he looks over his shoulder at them. Tifa looks at Cloud and walks toward him, followed by Barret.
"We're with ya..."
Barret says as he walks. Cloud turns his head and walks out the door followed again by Tifa and Barret. On the way out Cloud, throws the keys to the guy behind the counter.
"Did you enjoy your stay?"
The man asks.. but gets no response as they all get to the entrance and exit.
"So where to now Cloud?"
Tifa asks as she looks around. Cloud turns and starts to walk north and the others follow him.
"East of Corneo's mansion... we'll find our way...."
He says in a low tone. They then walk in silence until they reach the weapons shop, that has a large neon sign that says 'GUN' above the door.
"Hey.. I need to stop in here for a moment.. could you please wait out here for a minute or two?"
Cloud says as he stops in-front of it.
"Um.. sure Cloud..."
Tifa says as she stops. Cloud enters and looks around.
"Uh.. excuse me... I need some batteries.."
Cloud says looks at the two guys in the shop.
"You're lucky.. just got some batteries in.."
The owner says, he is to the left of Cloud. Cloud walks to the left and looks at the owner and speaks;
"I need two of them.."
The owner grabs two batteries and speaks;
"That'll be 10 Gil."
Cloud looks at him and blinks.
"10 Gil for two batteries? Isn't that kinda steep?"
He says and the man smirks and speaks;
"Hey.. we gotta make a living somehow."
Cloud sighs and pulls out 10 Gil;
"Alright..."
The guy takes it and hands Cloud the batteries and speaks once more;
"Nice doing business with ya'"
Cloud takes the batteries and walks to the door and mutters;
"Yeah right..."
He then walks outside and toward Tifa and Barret, who are just standing around.
"So Cloud.. get what you needed?"
Tifa asks in her normal sweet voice. Cloud nods and pockets the batteries. Barret looks at him and asks;
"You needed ta get batteries fer what?"
Cloud starts to walk north again and replies;
"I'll find out when I need them Barret..."
Barret goes to say something but finds he's almost been left behind and he runs after Cloud and Tifa.
Cloud and the other walk to Corneo's mansion.. and then East of it until they come to a dead end. A long, thick black cable hangs down. It was most likely a communications line that was knocked down when the Sector 7 plate section fell. Tifa looks around and speaks;
"So where is this way?"
Cloud looks around then up.
"The cable... it's the way..."
Cloud says with a nod. Barret looks at Cloud like he's insane and speaks;
"What the Hell..... are you crazy?? You think we can all climb that up ta the plate?"
Cloud looks at him, his blue eyes glow as they always do from the Mako he's been exposed to and he speaks in a low tone;
"It's the way Barret.. just trust me.. it's the only way up..."
Tifa closes her eyes and lets out a breath and then looks at Cloud and speaks in a calm tone;
"Lead the way.. I'm behind you completely.."
Cloud nods a little and grabs a hold of the cable.
"So Cloud.. what should we call this?"
Barret says as he walks up to the cable. Cloud blinks and looks at Barret and then speaks in a small tone;
"I didn't know we needed to name it... how about the "cable of hope"?
Barret shakes his head and then thinks for a moment. He then snaps his fingers and speaks;
"Maybe it should be called... 'The Golden Shiny Wire of Hope..'"
Both Tifa and Cloud look at Barret a little strange.
"Barret... what made you come up with that?"
Tifa asks, still looking at Barret. Barret thinks for a moment and then shakes his head;
"I have no clue at all..."
Cloud simply laughs and starts to climb upward..
Chapter 8: Aeris' Nobel Gesture
"Kyle... Kyle.. please wake up..."
Kyle's eyes open and he looks upon Aeris as she spoke. Aeris is sitting down in-front of the tube, as she has for the past 7 hours while Kyle was asleep. Kyle cocks his head to one side. Aeris looks up at him and speaks softly;
"I'm sorry to wake you.. but.. I'm just so lonely..."
Kyle places his hand on the tube.. wishing he could speak to.. or atleast be able to touch her so she wouldn't feel so lonely.
"You.. must know what it feels like.. being trapped in a tube... most likely never seen by many...."
She says as she just looks at him. He nods slowly as she looks him in the eyes.. it's a sharp contrast... his pure black eyes to her bright green ones.
"How.. many.. have really seen you since I was last here?"
She asks in a low voice. His hand moves away from the tube and he lifts a finger up. She blinks slightly and speaks again;
"Only one person?"
A voice comes from behind her;
"That's correct.. and that one person is me.."
Aeris looks over her shoulder and sees Hojo. Hojo smirks and moves his glasses up his nose and speaks again;
"I see you two are getting attached... how.. nice... now then Aeris... it's time for some tests.. you'll have to say good-bye to Kyle for the time being.."
Kyle looks at Hojo, his eyes slightly narrow.. he isn't pleased by this. Aeris gets up and stands in-front of the tube and she speaks in a defiant tone;
"No.. Kyle and I are talking.. take him away and I won't go along with your tests."
Hojo looks at Aeris and then Kyle, that evil smile forms on his face and he speaks;.
"Now, now Aeris.. if you do not go along with my tests..."
He laughs wickedly and goes on;
"Then I'm afraid Kyle won't be getting out of his tube anytime within the next 2 years..."
Kyle eyes grow numb... and Aeris' grow wide and her voice is slightly shaky as she speaks;
"You.. you wouldn't..."
Hojo simply smirks.
"My dear.. I can do whatever I want.. President ShinRa will just hear that Kyle won't be ready for another 2 years... he can wait for his weapon."
Hojo says as Aeris makes a fist and looks down.
"Alright.. I'll go along with your tests if it means Kyle won't have to suffer being in that tube any longer then he has to."
As she finishes Kyle looks at her... surprised that she would go along with them in order to help him... he places his hand on the tube.. wishing he could thank her for such a noble gesture.
"I knew you would see it my way..."
Hojo says as he pushes a button and the floor opens up once more. Kyle tube is lowered into the room below.. and placed back behind the panel... back into the darkness that he's known all his life...
Chapter 9: The maze of the Sector 6 Plate Section
"Yo Cloud... how much further?"
Barret yells as he and the others climb. They've been at it for a good 10 minutes, and both himself and Tifa are starting to wear out.
"Almost there... about another 20 or so feet until we reach some solid footing.."
Cloud yells down to Tifa and Barret who are below him.
"That's what you said 5 minutes ago.."
Tifa yells up to him, the climbing has worn her cheerful personality down. Cloud grabs a hold of a piece of metal and vanishes from the other's sight.
"Looks like I was right this time.. this metal plate is solid enough to support all of us..."
Cloud yells down at them. Barret and Tifa finally make it to the plate that Cloud stands on and plops down, tired out.
"Man... I'm never gonna climb nothin' ever again in my life..."
Barret says in a tired voice as he reaches the plate and sits down. Cloud seems to be full of energy for some reason, he always is. He looks at them and speaks;
"You mean you two are tired out from that? That was rather easy..."
Barret and Tifa both look up at him, annoyed. Cloud gets the message and shuts his mouth about that. But of course it isn't shut for long;
"Um.. alright then... let's take a break before we go on.. alright?"
Tifa wipes away some sweat and speaks;
"Sounds like a good idea..."
While Tifa and Barret rest, Cloud moves about and looks around, walking on paths created by the mess around them... pieces of the Sector 7 plate section hang from where it was located, the train that usually made trips between Sector 7 and the plate hangs and sways, it was pulled down when it fell apart... those poor people who were in it were either killed instantly or slowly and painfully... large sections of metal that were torn apart by the blast just landed there... the smell of melted metal still fills the air, along with the smell of death. Cloud looks around.. looking for a way to get to the plate.. hoping that what he was told in his dream was real and not some trick his mind played on him... and then he sees something.. something that looks like a path of wires and metal connecting the area they're at with a path that seems to lead higher.. only.. there's a gap in it.
"Damnit.. if only that gap wasn't there.. then we could go on..."
Cloud says as he walks over to it and notices blades.. what looks like a propeller.... but he doesn't know why a propeller would be on the plate and he mumbles;
"If only there was a way to move the blade.. then it could make a bridge..."
Then it hits him... he runs to the propeller.. and looks for some cords.. he finds them and follows them until he comes to what looks like a fuse box. The lid has "DANGER: High Voltage" written on the case. Cloud slowly open up the casing and finds the energy cell still intact and a small slot under it.. the same size as one of the batteries he bought and he mumbles as he looks at it;
"Could this be.. why I need the batteries?"
He pulls one out.. and places it in the slot. The energy cell lights up somewhat and the blades start moving.
"It just needed some energy to start it up..."
Cloud says to himself as the blade spin rather quickly.. and Barret and Tifa get up and jog toward him at a semi-slow pace.
"What's going on?"
Tifa asks as she reaches him. Cloud looks at the propeller and mumbles;
"Pray that the a blade stops in the right spot Tif."
The 3 of them just stand there.. watching as the blades slow down.. the cell and the battery die down.. and the blades go slower and slower.. until it stops.. and as luck would have it one blade stops just close enough to form a bridge. Cloud is rather pleased but doesn't jump up or down.
"Guys.. I give you a way to go on with this mission..."
Cloud says as he walks towards the blade. Tifa and Barret follow behind him slowly.
"Yo.. wait a second.. how did you know you would be needin' batteries?"
Barret asks in a semi-confused voice. Cloud climbs onto the blade and speaks;
"Call it a hunch..."
Tifa stands just behind Cloud and puts a foot up on the blade as she replies;
"One heck of a hunch..."
Cloud looks back at both of them and then speaks slowly;
"Alright guys... to be safe only one person on there blade at a time.. alright?"
Barret and Tifa both nod and Cloud turns his head back toward the blade. He then slowly and carefully walks over the blade and hops over the four foot gap that remains, he's now on a piece of metal that once supported the tracks of the train. A car hangs above him, the glass smashed.. he looks up.. and sees dead bodies. While he's looking up Tifa crosses next, followed by Barret.. the blade almost falls under Barret weight.
"Damn.. maybe all these muscles was a bad idea..."
He says to himself as he manages to jump onto the metal that Cloud and Tifa are on, just in time too, as the blade breaks and falls down onto what remains of Sector 7.
"So.. now where do we go?"
Tifa asks as she looks up and then around. Cloud also looks around, looking for anything that could be a pathway to the plate.. they can't turn back.. they have to find a way to go on. Barret moves around Tifa and Cloud and walks over to a section of track and grabs a hold of it.
"Hey.. maybe we could use this as a ladder or somethin'."
Barret says and Cloud looks over at Barret and the track section, and then up.. seeing a possible pathway.
"Now why didn't I think of that...."
Cloud mumbles to himself as he walks over to Barret.
"Well.. only one way to find out..."
Cloud says as he grabs onto it and starts to climb up slowly. As he climbs the tracks move a little, some bits of metal fall off it, almost hitting Barret in the head, which makes Tifa worried about Cloud and she speaks;
"Cloud be careful... it might fall apart at any moment.."
"Don't worry.. I'll be alright..."
Cloud says as he goes on climbing, finally reaching another thick section of metal.
"This section seems like it can hold all of us.. come on up and we'll figure something else out...."
He says as he looks down at them. Barret and Tifa both slowly make their way up their "ladder", and onto the metal plate Cloud is on.
"So Cloud.. do you know where we go next?"
Tifa asks as she once again looks around for a pathway.. she doesn't want to be trapped here. Cloud walks around the plate, looking around. He spots another of those power boxes and walks over to it. This one seems to control some kind of metal bar that was used to stop people from walking when the train came around.
"I wonder if this could work..."
He says as he looks up and sees wires and pieces of solid metal above him. He opens up the casing and sees another slot, and he pulls out the second battery.
"We'll lets see if this will work..."
He mutters as he places the battery into the slot, and the energy cell lights up slightly. Cloud looks around on the casing for a switch or something to move the bar, but finds nothing.
"Damnation.."
Cloud says louder then expected, which gets the attention of Barret and Tifa.
"What's wrong Cloud?"
Tifa asks as she walks over to him.
"I thought I had found a way to get higher up.. but it failed.."
He says, his voice slightly filled with anger.
"Work!"
Cloud says in a slightly raised voice and kicks the box, and the bar pops up. Cloud hops on one foot, since kicking it hurt.. a lot.
"Yo Cloud.. you alright man?"
Barret asks as he watches Cloud hopping up and down. Cloud just gives him an annoyed look and then looks at Tifa and speaks;
"You weigh the least.. so go ahead and see if that bar will even hold your weight.. if it looks like it's gonna fall get off of it, alright?"
She nods slightly and gets onto the box and then slowly starts to climb up the bar and onto another piece of metal.
"Barret... you next..."
Cloud says as he puts his foot down.
"But what if it breaks after I'm off of it? What about you?"
Barret says as he walks up to him.
"If that happens just go on without me.. just make sure Aeris is saved."
"But.."
Barret starts to say but is cut off by Cloud;
"Just get going Barret."
Without further complaints Barret gets on the bar and starts to climb. Cloud thinks himself lucky that Tifa didn't hear what he and Barret said, because if she did she would complain to him about it and try to get him to go up first in hopes that he could make it up, and he knows she wouldn't stop until he gave in.
He watches Barret climb, wondering if the bar will snap and he'll be trapped... it doesn't and Barret gets on to the metal pipe that Tifa is on. Cloud finally gets onto the bar... and climbs up and onto the pipe. They all climb up and onto some form of metal plate that's been twisted and melted. Cloud looks around and sees another pathway but there's a problem... the path is a good 15 feet away from them... and there's no way to get to it. He looks around and down and sees something.. a piece of thick metal wipe that's swaying from side to side... and a plan starts to form in his mind.
"I have an idea..."
Cloud says as he climbs back down the metal pipe and stops just above the swaying pipe.
"Cloud.. what are you going to do?"
Tifa yells down to him. Cloud keeps watching the pipe and simply replies;
"Simple... I'm gonna jump..."
Her eyes get a little wide, she's now in a full blown panic and her voice becomes a little shaky as she speaks;
"Cloud.. are you insane??? C..Cloud.. there has to be another way..."
He shakes his head but keeps his eyes on the pipe.
"No there isn't... it's the only way up..."
He says as he tries to figure out exactly when to jump, knowing that if he misses it'll mean his death. He waits.. and then finds what he thinks is the best time and jumps. His jump was off and he almost completely misses the pipe.. but he just barely manages to grab a hold of it with his left hand. Tifa almost faints right then and there, scared half to death by him almost missing it. Barret just simply watches, and smiles just a little as he sees that Cloud has managed to grab onto the pipe.
"That was too close..."
Cloud thinks to himself as he moves around and grabs the pipe with his other arm, and pulls himself up.
"You jerk!!! Scaring me half to death like that!!"
Tifa yells at him, trying to act mad, but she's really happy that he's safe. He looks at her, smiles slightly and speaks;
"Sorry about that... never was good with angles and stuff like that..."
He then looks to his right, at the next jump he has to make which is below him. He swings with the pipe, waiting for the right chance and then jumps. This time he lands perfectly. He then looks up at them both and speaks;
"Alright guys.. it's your turn to jump..."
Barret looks down at him and blinks as he replies;
"You serious?"
Tifa looks at Barret and speaks;
"He never jokes around during serious times like this."
Cloud looks up at the huge metal pipe that's above him, one that was used to transport water as both Barret and Tifa make their jumps, both have a better time of it then Cloud did.
"Nice to see you two didn't mess up like I did."
Cloud says as Tifa lands a few feet away from him. She then makes her way to him and hugs him.
"You're such a jerk..."
She says as Cloud looks down at her and blinks a few times.
"Never scare me like that again or I swear I'll never, EVER talk to you again.. you got that?"
She says in a small, shaky tone. Cloud puts a hand on her back, half hugging her and he speaks;
"I'm sorry I scared you.. I promise I won't do anything like that again.."
"Alright... now then... we should get going."
She says as she lets go of him. Cloud nods as he grabs a hold of the pipe and starts to climb, not saying much, he's kinda shocked 'cause of the fact that she hugged him, and the fact that he also kinda hugged her, which has never really happened before. Both Barret and Tifa follow him, Barret doesn't say anything, he wonders if she'll ever tell him. They climb, and climb.. and climb some more until they finally reach it, the place they'll have to get into to save Aeris.. the ShinRa building.
Chapter 10: The ShinRa Building Entrance
The ShinRa building stands before them, it's massive. It's over 69 floors high, and each floor has a row of windows that go around it. It's built in a circular shape, and there's a huge set of stairs that lead up to the entrance. They walk up the stairs to the entrance and stop in-front of the main door.
"Alright.. this is it...."
Cloud says as he turns to and looks at Tifa and Barret.
"Awright... let's bust in there an' kick some ShinRa ass!"
Barret says as he starts to charge to the door.
"Barret.. wait.."
Tifa says as she watches him and Barret stops and turns;
"What's wrong?"
She stays silent for a moment and then speaks;
"Maybe we shouldn't just go charging in the front door.. it's dangerous... maybe we should find a way to sneak in."
"I ain't gonna sneak in, I'm ready for action."
Barret says as he looks at her.
"Alright calm down... lets think this over, and anyway.. we have to get ourselves ready in-case we have to fight."
Cloud says as he pulls out the pouch he carries the Materia in.
"We have two Lightning, two Ice, two Fire, and one Restore Materia. We have to divide them up among us. So... which ones do you guys want?"
Cloud says as he looks at them both.
Tifa walks up to him and speaks;
"I think that Cloud should take a Lightning, Fire and Ice Materia, I'll take the Restore and Ice Materia and Barret you take a Lightning and Fire Materia... all right?"
Cloud looks at her and speaks in a low tone;
"Why do you only want an Ice Materia?"
She looks at him and smirks a little as she speaks;
"Don't think I can handle myself with only my fists and one magic attack Cloud?"
He blinks slightly and shakes his head;
"I never said that.. I just want you to be safe.."
Her face gets red slightly, and then she turns her back to him and replies;
"I'll be alright with just those two Materia."
Cloud shrugs as he pulls out his Materia and places them in his sword and armor as he speaks;
"All right then..."
He then hands Barret his Materia and then finally hands the rest to Tifa, who has turned to face him again.
"So then... if your all ready lets get goin'"
Barret says in an impatient tone.
"I know this may sound stupid Tifa but I believe going in the main way is a better idea then sneaking in... they'll never expect us to burst in.. we'll have an advantage."
Cloud says as he turns and starts to walk to the main door.
"You're right.. it does sound stupid... but I'll follow you."
Tifa says as she follows behind him.
"Well finally, I was getting tired of all this talkin'."
Barret says as he follows the others. Cloud reaches the front door and places his hand on it, and he speaks in a small voice;
"Time to see what fate has in-store for us..."