Massacre
Barrett was the last one off the rope ladder and when he hit the ground, he saw what had them all so shaken up. He looked around the snow-covered village, at the houses, the shops and the people. They were all dead.
"What the...?" Barrett muttered. Vincent walked across the village to the inn, with Red following. Cloud turned and looked at Barrett.
"Barrett, this is Sephiroth's style." He said, solemnly.
"But, you killed his ass." Barrett said, still in slight shock. "All them years ago, right Cloud?"
"Right." He replied. "But what if someone brought him back?"
Barrett looked around at all the death, the destruction of parts of houses. He recalled his visit here, all those years ago. They had followed Sephiroth after he had killed Aeris. They followed him to here and had to snowboard down the large snowy mountain that was just beyond this village. And now the people he had met were...dead.
"Then I'd say we're in serious trouble." Barrett said. The door to the inn opened and Yuffie stepped out. She walked across to Cloud and Barrett, slowly, looking mournful.
"Me an' Sith stayed here like you asked." She said. "We didn't find anythin'."
"Thanks anyway." Cloud said. He gave her a half-smile, which she returned. The three of them looked around at the carnage and the needless death. Bodies lay scattered around the small village. Some makeshift weapons also lay around the snowfield.
"Oh my god..." they all heard a faint whisper from behind them. A voice Cloud recognised instantly. He spun around and saw his daughter standing, looking at the death and destruction that lay before them.
"Aeris..." Cloud said. Barrett looked at Cloud then at Aeris.
"Aeris, the hell're you doin' here?" he said. Cloud looked at Barrett and shook his head. Tears formed in Aeris' eyes as Cloud went to comfort her. Barrett looked at the massacre again. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a PHS. He dialled the airship.
"Yo." Cid said, picking up the PHS on the other end.
"Cid, can you do me a favour?" he said.
"Depends what that favour is."
"Fly to Cosmo Canyon and get my daughter."
"Yer daughter? Does Cloud know 'bout this?"
"Hold on." Barrett lowered the PHS from his ear. "Yo! Cloud. I need Cid to go an' run an errand for me."
Cloud looked up at Barrett. He looked around at all the death around them, and that at Aeris. He understood what was going through Barrett's mind. He nodded. Barrett raised the PHS back up to his ear.
"Yup, Cloud's fine with it." He said.
"Ok then. Be back in a jiffy." Barrett and Yuffie looked up as the rope ladder was pulled back up and the Highwind began to move away from the village.
"We should have another look round, make sure we didn't miss anything the first time." Yuffie said. Of course that was a complete lie, they needed to give Cloud a moment alone with his daughter.
"Yeah, we'll check out over there." He said, pointing across the fields and around the side of the inn.
"Looks promising." They both headed off and around the corner, leaving Aeris and Cloud. They rounded the corner and stopped.
"Whats she getting' so emotional about? It's just a few...dozen bodies." Yuffie said, agitated.
"Yeah and she's jus' a kid." Barrett said. "Only reason it don't affect us is 'cos we've seen a lot of death."
Yuffie simply nodded her agreement. They had both seen their share of death fifteen years ago. Barrett's friend Dyne had tried to first kill him, then killed himself. He had massacred everyone at the Golden Saucer. Sephiroth had killed Aeris while she was protecting the planet. Barrett snapped himself out of that. The second time he had remembered the events of that time, must be all this business with massacres and Sephiroth. A scream was heard from around the corner. Barrett recognised it instantly.
"Aeris!" he said. Yuffie and Barrett rushed around the corner to see what she was screaming about.
Barrett was the last one off the rope ladder and when he hit the ground, he saw what had them all so shaken up. He looked around the snow-covered village, at the houses, the shops and the people. They were all dead.
"What the...?" Barrett muttered. Vincent walked across the village to the inn, with Red following. Cloud turned and looked at Barrett.
"Barrett, this is Sephiroth's style." He said, solemnly.
"But, you killed his ass." Barrett said, still in slight shock. "All them years ago, right Cloud?"
"Right." He replied. "But what if someone brought him back?"
Barrett looked around at all the death, the destruction of parts of houses. He recalled his visit here, all those years ago. They had followed Sephiroth after he had killed Aeris. They followed him to here and had to snowboard down the large snowy mountain that was just beyond this village. And now the people he had met were...dead.
"Then I'd say we're in serious trouble." Barrett said. The door to the inn opened and Yuffie stepped out. She walked across to Cloud and Barrett, slowly, looking mournful.
"Me an' Sith stayed here like you asked." She said. "We didn't find anythin'."
"Thanks anyway." Cloud said. He gave her a half-smile, which she returned. The three of them looked around at the carnage and the needless death. Bodies lay scattered around the small village. Some makeshift weapons also lay around the snowfield.
"Oh my god..." they all heard a faint whisper from behind them. A voice Cloud recognised instantly. He spun around and saw his daughter standing, looking at the death and destruction that lay before them.
"Aeris..." Cloud said. Barrett looked at Cloud then at Aeris.
"Aeris, the hell're you doin' here?" he said. Cloud looked at Barrett and shook his head. Tears formed in Aeris' eyes as Cloud went to comfort her. Barrett looked at the massacre again. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a PHS. He dialled the airship.
"Yo." Cid said, picking up the PHS on the other end.
"Cid, can you do me a favour?" he said.
"Depends what that favour is."
"Fly to Cosmo Canyon and get my daughter."
"Yer daughter? Does Cloud know 'bout this?"
"Hold on." Barrett lowered the PHS from his ear. "Yo! Cloud. I need Cid to go an' run an errand for me."
Cloud looked up at Barrett. He looked around at all the death around them, and that at Aeris. He understood what was going through Barrett's mind. He nodded. Barrett raised the PHS back up to his ear.
"Yup, Cloud's fine with it." He said.
"Ok then. Be back in a jiffy." Barrett and Yuffie looked up as the rope ladder was pulled back up and the Highwind began to move away from the village.
"We should have another look round, make sure we didn't miss anything the first time." Yuffie said. Of course that was a complete lie, they needed to give Cloud a moment alone with his daughter.
"Yeah, we'll check out over there." He said, pointing across the fields and around the side of the inn.
"Looks promising." They both headed off and around the corner, leaving Aeris and Cloud. They rounded the corner and stopped.
"Whats she getting' so emotional about? It's just a few...dozen bodies." Yuffie said, agitated.
"Yeah and she's jus' a kid." Barrett said. "Only reason it don't affect us is 'cos we've seen a lot of death."
Yuffie simply nodded her agreement. They had both seen their share of death fifteen years ago. Barrett's friend Dyne had tried to first kill him, then killed himself. He had massacred everyone at the Golden Saucer. Sephiroth had killed Aeris while she was protecting the planet. Barrett snapped himself out of that. The second time he had remembered the events of that time, must be all this business with massacres and Sephiroth. A scream was heard from around the corner. Barrett recognised it instantly.
"Aeris!" he said. Yuffie and Barrett rushed around the corner to see what she was screaming about.