::Chapter Two - Kalm Nights, Impossible Odds::
Cait Sith sat looking at his megaphone. It was obvious his controller was away on other business, Cait hadn't spoken a word since Meteor disintegrated. The puppet sat lifeless waiting for Reeve to resume command. The giant stuffed moogle the cat was sitting on seemed to be the only cheerful thing about its current state. The sheer mechanics of how the thing operated confused many of Cid's crew, as well as Cloud and the others. One would assume that Reeve was off attending to survivors of the effects of Meteor, aiding those he could. Now that the Turks were no more, he'd have nothing better to do.
Vincent stared in the direction of Nibelheim. He wasn't sure if he wanted to go back and live in the dank coffin that he'd been in for several years. He still couldn't let go of the memories of Lucrecia. He had seen her, in that cave. He was sure of it. He looked down at his bronze glove, which covered the deformities of his hand. Why, he thought to himself, why did I ever want to be a Turk? Did I do it to be closer to Lucrecia? If I did, look at what happened. Professor Gast was a madman, after all.
Cid was talking to his trained pilot as Vincent continued the thoughts in his head. The pilot and the Captain appeared to be discussing something of rather important matter.
Cid shook his head yes and then walked to an intercom system. "Attention, all personnel please report to the main bridge. Again, all personnel report to the main bridge." Cloud was sleeping in the bridge area when he was startled by the loud speaker system equipped on the Highwind.
"Who broke what now, Cid?" Cloud mumbled as he tried to get to his feet.
"This isn't about anything being broken. We're landing in a few minutes. We need more fuel, so I had the pilot call into Kalm where the rescue crews have been stationed. Apparently, we can land there and refuel. The cost for fuel is 16 Gil more than other places, but we need fuel and the next closest place is Junon." Cid continued to finish another cigarette as he explained the situation to everyone.
"You woke me up for THAT?" Cloud asked.
"Listen kid, I figured everyone should know." Cid walked away from the pilot and towards the group of listeners.
"Damn you Cid, waking me up like that. Stupid gfrrrrg." Cloud began to mumble as he fell back asleep in his corner.
"Anyhow," Cid said, looking away from the sleeping Cloud, "We need 1029 Gil to refuel this ship. How much does everyone have?"
Tifa looked at Cid "Uhh.. I have 300, I think."
Vincent looked around. "I don't have money."
Barrett scratched his head. "I think I got maybe 900, but it ain't all for you. I'll give ya 400."
Yuffie walked in still nauseous. "How do I look, everybody?"
Barrett looked at her. She appeared as if she had the flu. Her eyes had a mild yellowish tone to them. "You look horrible."
Yuffie looked down. "Oh, I thought I was finally getting the hang of this flying thing too."
Cid looked at Yuffie. "We need money. How much do you have?"
Yuffie hesitated. "Money for what?"
Cid shook his head as he tried to explain the situation, again. "Money for fuel. We're low."
"Uhh, I have maybe 100. You want it?" Yuffie dug into her pocket to find her remaining Gil. She didn't need it that badly, for it wasn't even hers. She had stolen it from Cloud as he slept. She figured he wouldn't notice a small amount missing. "Here you go!" She said, as she handed over the money with a somewhat cheerful look on her face. Cid took it, along with everyone else's donations. "Good. I'll take care of the rest. If you need to, sell anything you don't need to gain some Gil back for later.
"AERITH! THIS CAN'T BE REAL!!!" Cloud awoke from what apparently was another vision. His forehead was covered in sweat. He was short of breath, as well as shaking. Cloud looked up slowly, for he knew everyone heard him.
"Cloud?" Tifa sat down next to him. "Another dream?"
Cloud turned to Tifa. "It was a flashback, I think."
Tifa wiped Cloud's brow with a small towel. "What happened?"
"I, I, watched Aerith die at the hands of Sephiroth." Cloud took the towel and threw it to the side. He stood up and walked out of the bridge. "I have to find a way to stop this."
The Highwind was on the ground now, near the temporary camp at Kalm. Rescue workers from all over the globe arrived to help in the matter. There were citizens from Wutai, all the way over to Rocket Town. Midgar was completely destroyed. Only one portion of Sector 5 remained standing, the rest had fallen just as Sector 7's had. The playground where Cloud and Aerith shared a moment when they first discovered Tifa being kidnapped by Don Corneo was now nothing. The Wall Market was aflame, the poor old man who sewed Cloud's temporary disguise had died, his shop caved in on him. The Honeybee Inn no longer stood as well; it was now replaced with chunks of Sector 6's wall. Corneo and his mansion also became sector wall fodder.
Back at Kalm, Cloud had checked himself into a room at the inn, and immediately sat in the corner of the room and went back into his slumber. The buster sword lay on the bed where Cloud should have slept. Outside, Cid was refueling the Highwind. The persons in charge of fuel distribution decided not to charge Cid since he and the crew had helped prevent complete global destruction. Yuffie visited the Materia shop. She would buy one for a change, but not with her money, no, she again stole money from Cloud. She sat her sights on a Cure Materia. She already had one, but this one possessed a stranger glow than the one she currently carried. The cost was only 550 Gil. Cloud wouldn't notice that, or so she thought. Yuffie hurriedly purchased the gem and returned to the ship. Red was walking around looking for food when she arrived back. She looked around and noticed hazardous material suits being delivered to the Highwind. Tifa looked at Yuffie and then shrugged. It was possible that persons there assumed that the crew of the Highwind had come to help in the cleanup. Tifa looked around for Cloud before asking of his whereabouts.
"Cloud?" Cid asked, having no idea where he was, "He was sleeping before we landed, so knowing him, he's probably at the Inn. Check there."
Tifa headed off towards the Kalm Inn, in search for Cloud. He didn't say a word to anyone when he de-boarded the ship. She arrived at the Registration desk a minute later, and asked where he could be found. She got the room number from the woman behind the counter and then headed up to check on him. Looking at the number, she could remember that it was the same room as before, when Cloud, Barrett, Red XIII, Aerith, and her first escaped Midgar. She arrived at Cloud's room and knocked on the door. Receiving no answer, she checked the doorknob. Cloud had left the deadbolt off, so the room was unlocked. There he sat, in the corner curled up against the wall. The buster sword still lay on the bed. Tifa moved the sword to up against a wall and lay on the bed herself. She didn't know why Cloud was having these horrible dreams. She wasn't sure if any of them had meaning. She pondered all of these things as she fell asleep on the bed.
The Highwind was finished being refueled as dusk had fallen on the small town of Kalm. This would be the first night after the Meteor incident. Most of the fires at Midgar were put out, while many were still smoldering. The smoke from the smolder dissolved into the night sky and was carried away with the gusts of wind that carried them towards the sea. When morning hit, the crew of the Highwind would return to Midgar and rescue those that they can. For now Yuffie, Cid, Red XIII, Vincent, and the navigators of the Highwind slept in the cabins aboard the ship. At the Inn, Cloud tossed and turned on the floor he was sleeping on, while mumbling what was mostly gibberish in his sleep. Tifa laid above all the covers of the bed, with her arms dangling down the side. Morning would come in seven hours. Seven hours that would seem like less.
Cait Sith sat looking at his megaphone. It was obvious his controller was away on other business, Cait hadn't spoken a word since Meteor disintegrated. The puppet sat lifeless waiting for Reeve to resume command. The giant stuffed moogle the cat was sitting on seemed to be the only cheerful thing about its current state. The sheer mechanics of how the thing operated confused many of Cid's crew, as well as Cloud and the others. One would assume that Reeve was off attending to survivors of the effects of Meteor, aiding those he could. Now that the Turks were no more, he'd have nothing better to do.
Vincent stared in the direction of Nibelheim. He wasn't sure if he wanted to go back and live in the dank coffin that he'd been in for several years. He still couldn't let go of the memories of Lucrecia. He had seen her, in that cave. He was sure of it. He looked down at his bronze glove, which covered the deformities of his hand. Why, he thought to himself, why did I ever want to be a Turk? Did I do it to be closer to Lucrecia? If I did, look at what happened. Professor Gast was a madman, after all.
Cid was talking to his trained pilot as Vincent continued the thoughts in his head. The pilot and the Captain appeared to be discussing something of rather important matter.
Cid shook his head yes and then walked to an intercom system. "Attention, all personnel please report to the main bridge. Again, all personnel report to the main bridge." Cloud was sleeping in the bridge area when he was startled by the loud speaker system equipped on the Highwind.
"Who broke what now, Cid?" Cloud mumbled as he tried to get to his feet.
"This isn't about anything being broken. We're landing in a few minutes. We need more fuel, so I had the pilot call into Kalm where the rescue crews have been stationed. Apparently, we can land there and refuel. The cost for fuel is 16 Gil more than other places, but we need fuel and the next closest place is Junon." Cid continued to finish another cigarette as he explained the situation to everyone.
"You woke me up for THAT?" Cloud asked.
"Listen kid, I figured everyone should know." Cid walked away from the pilot and towards the group of listeners.
"Damn you Cid, waking me up like that. Stupid gfrrrrg." Cloud began to mumble as he fell back asleep in his corner.
"Anyhow," Cid said, looking away from the sleeping Cloud, "We need 1029 Gil to refuel this ship. How much does everyone have?"
Tifa looked at Cid "Uhh.. I have 300, I think."
Vincent looked around. "I don't have money."
Barrett scratched his head. "I think I got maybe 900, but it ain't all for you. I'll give ya 400."
Yuffie walked in still nauseous. "How do I look, everybody?"
Barrett looked at her. She appeared as if she had the flu. Her eyes had a mild yellowish tone to them. "You look horrible."
Yuffie looked down. "Oh, I thought I was finally getting the hang of this flying thing too."
Cid looked at Yuffie. "We need money. How much do you have?"
Yuffie hesitated. "Money for what?"
Cid shook his head as he tried to explain the situation, again. "Money for fuel. We're low."
"Uhh, I have maybe 100. You want it?" Yuffie dug into her pocket to find her remaining Gil. She didn't need it that badly, for it wasn't even hers. She had stolen it from Cloud as he slept. She figured he wouldn't notice a small amount missing. "Here you go!" She said, as she handed over the money with a somewhat cheerful look on her face. Cid took it, along with everyone else's donations. "Good. I'll take care of the rest. If you need to, sell anything you don't need to gain some Gil back for later.
"AERITH! THIS CAN'T BE REAL!!!" Cloud awoke from what apparently was another vision. His forehead was covered in sweat. He was short of breath, as well as shaking. Cloud looked up slowly, for he knew everyone heard him.
"Cloud?" Tifa sat down next to him. "Another dream?"
Cloud turned to Tifa. "It was a flashback, I think."
Tifa wiped Cloud's brow with a small towel. "What happened?"
"I, I, watched Aerith die at the hands of Sephiroth." Cloud took the towel and threw it to the side. He stood up and walked out of the bridge. "I have to find a way to stop this."
The Highwind was on the ground now, near the temporary camp at Kalm. Rescue workers from all over the globe arrived to help in the matter. There were citizens from Wutai, all the way over to Rocket Town. Midgar was completely destroyed. Only one portion of Sector 5 remained standing, the rest had fallen just as Sector 7's had. The playground where Cloud and Aerith shared a moment when they first discovered Tifa being kidnapped by Don Corneo was now nothing. The Wall Market was aflame, the poor old man who sewed Cloud's temporary disguise had died, his shop caved in on him. The Honeybee Inn no longer stood as well; it was now replaced with chunks of Sector 6's wall. Corneo and his mansion also became sector wall fodder.
Back at Kalm, Cloud had checked himself into a room at the inn, and immediately sat in the corner of the room and went back into his slumber. The buster sword lay on the bed where Cloud should have slept. Outside, Cid was refueling the Highwind. The persons in charge of fuel distribution decided not to charge Cid since he and the crew had helped prevent complete global destruction. Yuffie visited the Materia shop. She would buy one for a change, but not with her money, no, she again stole money from Cloud. She sat her sights on a Cure Materia. She already had one, but this one possessed a stranger glow than the one she currently carried. The cost was only 550 Gil. Cloud wouldn't notice that, or so she thought. Yuffie hurriedly purchased the gem and returned to the ship. Red was walking around looking for food when she arrived back. She looked around and noticed hazardous material suits being delivered to the Highwind. Tifa looked at Yuffie and then shrugged. It was possible that persons there assumed that the crew of the Highwind had come to help in the cleanup. Tifa looked around for Cloud before asking of his whereabouts.
"Cloud?" Cid asked, having no idea where he was, "He was sleeping before we landed, so knowing him, he's probably at the Inn. Check there."
Tifa headed off towards the Kalm Inn, in search for Cloud. He didn't say a word to anyone when he de-boarded the ship. She arrived at the Registration desk a minute later, and asked where he could be found. She got the room number from the woman behind the counter and then headed up to check on him. Looking at the number, she could remember that it was the same room as before, when Cloud, Barrett, Red XIII, Aerith, and her first escaped Midgar. She arrived at Cloud's room and knocked on the door. Receiving no answer, she checked the doorknob. Cloud had left the deadbolt off, so the room was unlocked. There he sat, in the corner curled up against the wall. The buster sword still lay on the bed. Tifa moved the sword to up against a wall and lay on the bed herself. She didn't know why Cloud was having these horrible dreams. She wasn't sure if any of them had meaning. She pondered all of these things as she fell asleep on the bed.
The Highwind was finished being refueled as dusk had fallen on the small town of Kalm. This would be the first night after the Meteor incident. Most of the fires at Midgar were put out, while many were still smoldering. The smoke from the smolder dissolved into the night sky and was carried away with the gusts of wind that carried them towards the sea. When morning hit, the crew of the Highwind would return to Midgar and rescue those that they can. For now Yuffie, Cid, Red XIII, Vincent, and the navigators of the Highwind slept in the cabins aboard the ship. At the Inn, Cloud tossed and turned on the floor he was sleeping on, while mumbling what was mostly gibberish in his sleep. Tifa laid above all the covers of the bed, with her arms dangling down the side. Morning would come in seven hours. Seven hours that would seem like less.