Chapter 2: Cloud
"Another Hero's Drink, please," Cloud requested politely to the young bartender. He scanned the bar again, hoping to find a hint of that distinct fiery red fur in the midst of the barbaric crowd at the bar where Tifa and Barrett worked. Past events rushed through his mind again like a silent movie. From the first time they met till the very last departure after the defeat of Sephiroth, Meteor and Jenova.
He remembered his comrades such as Cid Highwind, the reckless but passionate pilot whose high wind was blown to bits after the final battle at the Northern Cave. He remembered Vincent Valentine, the silent figure of mystery who roamed around in his red leather coat, possessing huge amounts of chaos within the clothed barriers of crimson. He remembered Yuffie Kisaragi, the bubbly 16-yr-old who was highly skilled with the boomerang and was a well renowned mateira thief; one would still be amused at how she handled herself and how the gang actually went all out to find her for their lost or should I say stolen materia. Then there was Cait Sith, a bumbling white puppet controlled by a man known as Reeves. Not much was known about him but he was a great help in the battles fought towards the end. Cloud still kept close links with Tifa and Barrett as he was living in Midgar together with the group Avalanche in the slums. They made him feel at home. Tifa and Cloud often talked about going back to their hometown, Nebelheim but with business still bustling in Midgar, it was hard to leave all the activity the shabby town had to offer. He missed all of them. He missed being around people who had one common goal in mind; that was to save the world and all of humankind from Meteor, Sephiroth and Jenova.
However, his heart ached whenever he thought of the flower girl, Aeris Gainsborough. The Ancient who took his breath away when he first met her in Midgar selling flowers on the streets. Her big, round emerald green eyes were a site fit for only those who dreamt of an eternal life. Her personality was that of an angle who was sent down from the Heavens to guard the lives of people on Earth. Her death struck a chord deep down inside when he had to bury her in the lake of the Forgotten City, which shone of the most brilliant crystals anyone could ever imagine. The serene look on her face made him weak in the knees and almost made him cry out in anguish when Sephiroth struck her chest with his long sword, allowing her sweet sacred blood to flow and touch the land of the Ancients. Cloud missed her so much that even thinking about her brought tears to his eyes which he obviously tried to hide from the world.
"Here's your drink, Spiky," growled Barrett, bring Cloud back to his senses, as he slammed the mug onto the countertop, spilling some of it onto Cloud's pants. Cloud glared at him in angst, but holding back the desire to punch the ebony man's rugged, chiseled face.
"Who yer waitin' for?" he questioned with a hint of disinterest because he only wanted to strike up a conversation with the 'Spiky-ass', so to speak.
"Red XIII is coming down from the Canyons. He should be here soon," replied Cloud icily. He did not like the way Barrett was treating him. Barrett had a change of attitude towards Cloud after the defeat of Meteor. He treated Cloud like a retard because he felt that Tifa was obsessing about Cloud. There was a time when people thought Tifa and Cloud had something going on between them but after the final battle, they have seemed to have gone their separate ways. Still close, but there was an invincible shield just keeping them apart. Lately, Tifa had been distracted from her work and her continual practice at the gym. She was always in a daze, sometimes muttering the word 'Cupid' and walking around the room, hugging herself. Barrett was kind of disturbed by her behavior. The once tough girl he knew was turning into a softie and it scared the hell out of him. He solely blamed Cloud for her unruly behavior.
Cloud felt a hard tug on his shoulder. He turned around to find a pair of brilliant mahogany orbs staring back into his ice blue sapphires, full or excitement and enthusiasm. He felt two strong yet delicate hands grab the sides of his head and started shaking it furiously followed by high- pitched girlish squeals from the most unlikely person, Tifa.
"Red is coming down?! Why didn't you say so earlier?!" she chirped making Barrett sick with disgust. It was a first for everyone to hear Tifa squeal. It was astonishing and also a little awkward.
"I wanted it to be a surprise," Cloud lied, avoiding her eyes. She could always see right through him. But lately, he has been good enough to hide his feelings. It was part of that invincible shield that was created without notice and a shield that would remain there forever.
The real reason Cloud wanted Red to come down was because he wanted to leave Midgar for a while and visit Aeris's grave in the Forgotten City. He wanted Red to accompany him on his journey. Red was the only person he could have a certain type of conversation with and Red was someone who knew when to leave a person in distress alone. Red was someone Cloud could rely on for that invincible moral support. Tifa tended to be too concerned for others that she could sometimes become a nuisance. Cloud wanted to make this trip alone with Red and that was final. Many a times he thought about asking along the whole gang but it would be best if he only asked one.
Cloud was deep in thought. He was thinking about how to get to the Forgotten City. He would need a Green, Black or Golden Chocobo for that. He had a Chocobo farm down at Choco Bill's. He would make a short trip down and get a Chocobo and head on down to the Forgotten City. From there he would know what to do. He knew exactly where Aeris was buried and he knew exactly what flowers to bring, roses. The very flowers he bought from Aeris when he first met her.
He remembered every event that occurred when he first met her. It was like a second life line that ran through his body that never died out. The scent of her hair, the rosy colored clothes she was wearing, the worn out boots and her hair hanging loosely around her long, elegant neck that complimented her oval shaped face and aquiline nose.
"Would you like to buy a flower, sir?" she asked politely. That was how they got acquainted for the very first time, then to part ways and meet again later in battle where he saved her. Cloud was ravishing in his thoughts when he felt something cold running down his back. It was stinging cold. It made him jump right out of his chair and smash his thoughts into a million pieces. He heard hoards of laughter.
"Hey dreamer-boy, stop drooling!" someone shouted over the waves of laughter. He turned back and saw Tifa and Barrett having a good laugh of their own.
"Oh Aeris..." Barrett said in squeaky sort of manner. Barrett looked at Cloud and burst out laughing harder than ever.
"I'm going out of the city to wait for Red. Can't take it inside here anymore," he told Tifa and left with roars and whoops trailing after him. Cloud shuddered in disgust and slapped himself for letting his thoughts out in such a barbaric place. He'd rather tell Ochu than have drunks laugh at him. He walked slowly down the dirt path past brightly lit shops and bars when he came across the very spot he bumped into Aeris. His heart had that distinct ache again and his throat felt tight and dry. He stood there for awhile and imagined her spirit standing there, looking as radiant as ever. He felt something shuffle behind him. He turned around and saw a large figure, under the dim street breathing heavily like a wild animal. The creature took slow steady steps towards Cloud. Ready for battle, Cloud reached for his Ultima Weapon and positioned himself, ready for battle. Cloud waited silently for the beast to walk on forward. The creature then stepped into the light and it turned out to be Barrett.
"Care to attack me now, Spiky?" he sneered.
"Oh, it's you," muttered Cloud, sighing with relief.
"She's gone ya know. Nothin' gonna bring her back to ya. Can be all sissy if ya want but it ain't gonna do ya any good. Believe me," Barrett comforted Cloud in a very nonchalant manner. Cloud was touched but hid it from Barrett.
"I know," Cloud whispered.
They shared a moment of silence and Barrett went back to the bar, strutting like a proud beast. More of a grizzly bear than a beast. Clumsy looking.
He turned back to the spot again. Looked to the sky decorated with billions of stars twinkling like diamonds in the sky, with the Moon looking as tranquil as ever, as if signifying the death of an angle.
"I love you Aeris Gainsborough," he whispered as single tear rolled down his smooth skin which shone a pale blue in the light of the full moon.
He took one final look at the spot and headed towards the entrance of the city. Walking slowly, he reached the entrance and was distracted by the glow of a small fire at the end of a string.
"Red is here," he thought and headed out into the open grass plains.
"It has been awhile, Cloud," bubbled Red.
"I'd know that tail anywhere, my friend," chirped Cloud and exchanged a long hug with his animal friend.
They walked down to the beach and sat on the smooth, fine sands and watched the waves crash gracefully onto the cliffs nearby. They were silent for a moment. That's what Cloud treasured the most when he was with Red. That certain silence meant that lots have been exchanged just through a simple hug and vivid greetings. It was peaceful. It wasn't one of those noisy gatherings where there was beer clanking and whoops of utter nonsense.
"You miss her, don't you?" questioned Red. He knew what went through Cloud's mind at the back of his paw. There was no escaping his keen senses. Cloud couldn't use his mask against Red. It was inadequate when it came to him.
"I need to ask a favor," said Cloud turning to face Red.
Red tilted his head and perked his ears up.
"What's up?" he questioned, concerned.
"I need you to follow me to the Forgotten City. I want to visit her grave," whispered Cloud, looking intently at Red hoping to get a positive reply.
"Where are the flowers then?" Red questioned, looking at Cloud with his dark brown eyes. They smiled.
Cloud's heart flooded with gratitude and he bent forward to give his friend a hug again and got up, brushing off the sand. They shared another silent moment just looking out at the dark purple sea with the reflection of the moon bouncing of the surface of the water, making it sparkle like a black diamond. With a sigh both turned around and headed for the city. They walked in silence, enjoying the calm of the night and cool of the breeze.
The lights of Midgar were visible in the distance and anyone could tell that it was a city of color, life, booze and sex. Its tall towers standing mighty and slightly damaged from Meteor and its fluorescent lights flashing like crazed fireflies. Cloud was not all enthusiastic about going back to the city but his bed awaited him and Tifa would be worried sick if he did not show up.
The duo stepped into the bar where Tifa and Barrett worked and were greeted heartily with a few amused stares coming from the bunch that were present at the previous embarrassing scene.
"Hey macho!" squealed Tifa, taking Red by shock. He shot a confused look at Barrett who greeted him with a wave and shook his head in response to Red's confusion.
Tifa kept yacking away about the bar and how much she missed the gang. Her hands were flying all over the place that people thought she was dead drunk and was talking gibberish. Red was totally fascinated by the change that had taken place in Tifa over the past couple of years. He was at a loss for words.
The night passed and the bar was empty. Only the song of the crickets could be heard outside the narrow streets of Midgar. Tifa still was not done talking. Barrett had to grab her by the waist and throw her into her room. She was totally bonkers. The three males had nothing to say but to just shake their heads while standing outside her bedroom in the slums. They heard her change into her night clothes. It was perverted of them but she was drunk and she was worse than Barrett when he was angry. She kept talking to herself and when she hit the lights, she muttered something that knocked them off their socks.
"I like pink," was all the muttered and yawned while plopping down onto her bed and then rolling onto the floor with a loud thud. She didn't wake up even then.
"She never liked pink. She practically despised it. She's gone mental," all three males muttered and headed off to their bunks, shuddering in disgust.
"Our journey begins tomorrow Red," whispered Cloud in the dark.
"Tomorrow it is, my friend. Tomorrow it is," muttered Red in between yawns.
"Good night, Aeris," whispered Cloud, as he said a prayer before laying his head down on the pillow and drifting off to sleep.
"Another Hero's Drink, please," Cloud requested politely to the young bartender. He scanned the bar again, hoping to find a hint of that distinct fiery red fur in the midst of the barbaric crowd at the bar where Tifa and Barrett worked. Past events rushed through his mind again like a silent movie. From the first time they met till the very last departure after the defeat of Sephiroth, Meteor and Jenova.
He remembered his comrades such as Cid Highwind, the reckless but passionate pilot whose high wind was blown to bits after the final battle at the Northern Cave. He remembered Vincent Valentine, the silent figure of mystery who roamed around in his red leather coat, possessing huge amounts of chaos within the clothed barriers of crimson. He remembered Yuffie Kisaragi, the bubbly 16-yr-old who was highly skilled with the boomerang and was a well renowned mateira thief; one would still be amused at how she handled herself and how the gang actually went all out to find her for their lost or should I say stolen materia. Then there was Cait Sith, a bumbling white puppet controlled by a man known as Reeves. Not much was known about him but he was a great help in the battles fought towards the end. Cloud still kept close links with Tifa and Barrett as he was living in Midgar together with the group Avalanche in the slums. They made him feel at home. Tifa and Cloud often talked about going back to their hometown, Nebelheim but with business still bustling in Midgar, it was hard to leave all the activity the shabby town had to offer. He missed all of them. He missed being around people who had one common goal in mind; that was to save the world and all of humankind from Meteor, Sephiroth and Jenova.
However, his heart ached whenever he thought of the flower girl, Aeris Gainsborough. The Ancient who took his breath away when he first met her in Midgar selling flowers on the streets. Her big, round emerald green eyes were a site fit for only those who dreamt of an eternal life. Her personality was that of an angle who was sent down from the Heavens to guard the lives of people on Earth. Her death struck a chord deep down inside when he had to bury her in the lake of the Forgotten City, which shone of the most brilliant crystals anyone could ever imagine. The serene look on her face made him weak in the knees and almost made him cry out in anguish when Sephiroth struck her chest with his long sword, allowing her sweet sacred blood to flow and touch the land of the Ancients. Cloud missed her so much that even thinking about her brought tears to his eyes which he obviously tried to hide from the world.
"Here's your drink, Spiky," growled Barrett, bring Cloud back to his senses, as he slammed the mug onto the countertop, spilling some of it onto Cloud's pants. Cloud glared at him in angst, but holding back the desire to punch the ebony man's rugged, chiseled face.
"Who yer waitin' for?" he questioned with a hint of disinterest because he only wanted to strike up a conversation with the 'Spiky-ass', so to speak.
"Red XIII is coming down from the Canyons. He should be here soon," replied Cloud icily. He did not like the way Barrett was treating him. Barrett had a change of attitude towards Cloud after the defeat of Meteor. He treated Cloud like a retard because he felt that Tifa was obsessing about Cloud. There was a time when people thought Tifa and Cloud had something going on between them but after the final battle, they have seemed to have gone their separate ways. Still close, but there was an invincible shield just keeping them apart. Lately, Tifa had been distracted from her work and her continual practice at the gym. She was always in a daze, sometimes muttering the word 'Cupid' and walking around the room, hugging herself. Barrett was kind of disturbed by her behavior. The once tough girl he knew was turning into a softie and it scared the hell out of him. He solely blamed Cloud for her unruly behavior.
Cloud felt a hard tug on his shoulder. He turned around to find a pair of brilliant mahogany orbs staring back into his ice blue sapphires, full or excitement and enthusiasm. He felt two strong yet delicate hands grab the sides of his head and started shaking it furiously followed by high- pitched girlish squeals from the most unlikely person, Tifa.
"Red is coming down?! Why didn't you say so earlier?!" she chirped making Barrett sick with disgust. It was a first for everyone to hear Tifa squeal. It was astonishing and also a little awkward.
"I wanted it to be a surprise," Cloud lied, avoiding her eyes. She could always see right through him. But lately, he has been good enough to hide his feelings. It was part of that invincible shield that was created without notice and a shield that would remain there forever.
The real reason Cloud wanted Red to come down was because he wanted to leave Midgar for a while and visit Aeris's grave in the Forgotten City. He wanted Red to accompany him on his journey. Red was the only person he could have a certain type of conversation with and Red was someone who knew when to leave a person in distress alone. Red was someone Cloud could rely on for that invincible moral support. Tifa tended to be too concerned for others that she could sometimes become a nuisance. Cloud wanted to make this trip alone with Red and that was final. Many a times he thought about asking along the whole gang but it would be best if he only asked one.
Cloud was deep in thought. He was thinking about how to get to the Forgotten City. He would need a Green, Black or Golden Chocobo for that. He had a Chocobo farm down at Choco Bill's. He would make a short trip down and get a Chocobo and head on down to the Forgotten City. From there he would know what to do. He knew exactly where Aeris was buried and he knew exactly what flowers to bring, roses. The very flowers he bought from Aeris when he first met her.
He remembered every event that occurred when he first met her. It was like a second life line that ran through his body that never died out. The scent of her hair, the rosy colored clothes she was wearing, the worn out boots and her hair hanging loosely around her long, elegant neck that complimented her oval shaped face and aquiline nose.
"Would you like to buy a flower, sir?" she asked politely. That was how they got acquainted for the very first time, then to part ways and meet again later in battle where he saved her. Cloud was ravishing in his thoughts when he felt something cold running down his back. It was stinging cold. It made him jump right out of his chair and smash his thoughts into a million pieces. He heard hoards of laughter.
"Hey dreamer-boy, stop drooling!" someone shouted over the waves of laughter. He turned back and saw Tifa and Barrett having a good laugh of their own.
"Oh Aeris..." Barrett said in squeaky sort of manner. Barrett looked at Cloud and burst out laughing harder than ever.
"I'm going out of the city to wait for Red. Can't take it inside here anymore," he told Tifa and left with roars and whoops trailing after him. Cloud shuddered in disgust and slapped himself for letting his thoughts out in such a barbaric place. He'd rather tell Ochu than have drunks laugh at him. He walked slowly down the dirt path past brightly lit shops and bars when he came across the very spot he bumped into Aeris. His heart had that distinct ache again and his throat felt tight and dry. He stood there for awhile and imagined her spirit standing there, looking as radiant as ever. He felt something shuffle behind him. He turned around and saw a large figure, under the dim street breathing heavily like a wild animal. The creature took slow steady steps towards Cloud. Ready for battle, Cloud reached for his Ultima Weapon and positioned himself, ready for battle. Cloud waited silently for the beast to walk on forward. The creature then stepped into the light and it turned out to be Barrett.
"Care to attack me now, Spiky?" he sneered.
"Oh, it's you," muttered Cloud, sighing with relief.
"She's gone ya know. Nothin' gonna bring her back to ya. Can be all sissy if ya want but it ain't gonna do ya any good. Believe me," Barrett comforted Cloud in a very nonchalant manner. Cloud was touched but hid it from Barrett.
"I know," Cloud whispered.
They shared a moment of silence and Barrett went back to the bar, strutting like a proud beast. More of a grizzly bear than a beast. Clumsy looking.
He turned back to the spot again. Looked to the sky decorated with billions of stars twinkling like diamonds in the sky, with the Moon looking as tranquil as ever, as if signifying the death of an angle.
"I love you Aeris Gainsborough," he whispered as single tear rolled down his smooth skin which shone a pale blue in the light of the full moon.
He took one final look at the spot and headed towards the entrance of the city. Walking slowly, he reached the entrance and was distracted by the glow of a small fire at the end of a string.
"Red is here," he thought and headed out into the open grass plains.
"It has been awhile, Cloud," bubbled Red.
"I'd know that tail anywhere, my friend," chirped Cloud and exchanged a long hug with his animal friend.
They walked down to the beach and sat on the smooth, fine sands and watched the waves crash gracefully onto the cliffs nearby. They were silent for a moment. That's what Cloud treasured the most when he was with Red. That certain silence meant that lots have been exchanged just through a simple hug and vivid greetings. It was peaceful. It wasn't one of those noisy gatherings where there was beer clanking and whoops of utter nonsense.
"You miss her, don't you?" questioned Red. He knew what went through Cloud's mind at the back of his paw. There was no escaping his keen senses. Cloud couldn't use his mask against Red. It was inadequate when it came to him.
"I need to ask a favor," said Cloud turning to face Red.
Red tilted his head and perked his ears up.
"What's up?" he questioned, concerned.
"I need you to follow me to the Forgotten City. I want to visit her grave," whispered Cloud, looking intently at Red hoping to get a positive reply.
"Where are the flowers then?" Red questioned, looking at Cloud with his dark brown eyes. They smiled.
Cloud's heart flooded with gratitude and he bent forward to give his friend a hug again and got up, brushing off the sand. They shared another silent moment just looking out at the dark purple sea with the reflection of the moon bouncing of the surface of the water, making it sparkle like a black diamond. With a sigh both turned around and headed for the city. They walked in silence, enjoying the calm of the night and cool of the breeze.
The lights of Midgar were visible in the distance and anyone could tell that it was a city of color, life, booze and sex. Its tall towers standing mighty and slightly damaged from Meteor and its fluorescent lights flashing like crazed fireflies. Cloud was not all enthusiastic about going back to the city but his bed awaited him and Tifa would be worried sick if he did not show up.
The duo stepped into the bar where Tifa and Barrett worked and were greeted heartily with a few amused stares coming from the bunch that were present at the previous embarrassing scene.
"Hey macho!" squealed Tifa, taking Red by shock. He shot a confused look at Barrett who greeted him with a wave and shook his head in response to Red's confusion.
Tifa kept yacking away about the bar and how much she missed the gang. Her hands were flying all over the place that people thought she was dead drunk and was talking gibberish. Red was totally fascinated by the change that had taken place in Tifa over the past couple of years. He was at a loss for words.
The night passed and the bar was empty. Only the song of the crickets could be heard outside the narrow streets of Midgar. Tifa still was not done talking. Barrett had to grab her by the waist and throw her into her room. She was totally bonkers. The three males had nothing to say but to just shake their heads while standing outside her bedroom in the slums. They heard her change into her night clothes. It was perverted of them but she was drunk and she was worse than Barrett when he was angry. She kept talking to herself and when she hit the lights, she muttered something that knocked them off their socks.
"I like pink," was all the muttered and yawned while plopping down onto her bed and then rolling onto the floor with a loud thud. She didn't wake up even then.
"She never liked pink. She practically despised it. She's gone mental," all three males muttered and headed off to their bunks, shuddering in disgust.
"Our journey begins tomorrow Red," whispered Cloud in the dark.
"Tomorrow it is, my friend. Tomorrow it is," muttered Red in between yawns.
"Good night, Aeris," whispered Cloud, as he said a prayer before laying his head down on the pillow and drifting off to sleep.