Author's Note:
Once again, I don't own Final Fantasy, any of its characters, or any of that other neato stuff. I wish I owned Masamune, though. That would be super.
Chapter Two
Survivors
Barret Wallace watched the burning wreckage of the Highwind from the safety of the Kalm Inn. Further in the distance, he could see the tower smoke cloud that was coming from what could only be the remnants of Midgar. It had only been one full day since Holy and the Lifestream had torn into Meteor, shattering the world crushing cataclysm, and already there was chaos.
Refugees from Midgar had streamed into Kalm, all in relatively good health, but all without a place to live, a means to survive. This was just the first wave. Soon, the stragglers would come in, then after that, the slower moving wounded.
Only one day, and Barret already felt exhausted. For twenty four straight hours Barret had organized the town council and readied an area for the refugees, had erected a temporary hospice for the inevitable waves of wounded. When he had began, he was tired from the final battle with Sephiroth. Only being reunited with Marlene had kept him going. Now, he wasn't even sure that would be enough.
"You should get some sleep," a female voice said from behind him.
Barret turned around and grunted. Tifa Lockheart stood in the doorway, looking even more exhausted than he felt.
"You first."
A wan smile crossed the former barkeep's face. "I still have a few more hours left in me. I just wanted to check in on you and tell you that Yuffie's going to be okay."
"Good. Much as that girl annoys me, I'd hate to see something happen to her. Shit, when I saw her headin' for that tree on the parachute down, I nearly pissed myself."
"I have better news, too." A sudden humour filled Tifa's voice.
"What's that?"
"That branch that hit Yuffie right in the face?"
"Yeah?"
"It broke her jaw."
A smile spread across Barret's face, "Better and better. Won't have to listen to her whinin' no more. Any word on Cloud and the others?"
The little humor in Tifa's eyes disappeared, replaced by worry. "No. Nothing yet. Cloud, Red XIII, Cid, and Cait Sith haven't returned yet, and Vincent's still unnaccounted for."
"Wonder where that vampire went to?"
"He's not a vampire."
Barret scowled, "Man's got red eyes, doesn't like the sun, and flies around. Closest thang I ever saw to a vampire."
Tifa sighed. "I don't know what happened to him. He was acting odd after Cid ordered the abandon ship." At a quizzical look from Barret, she added, "More odd than usual."
"The hell do you mean?"
"I don't know. He seemed distracted by something, like he knew something we didn't. I don't know."
"Dude's always acted creepy. Don't know why you're so bothered now. You should be more worried 'bout Cloud. Cid's probably draggin' his spikey ass here now, though. He'll make sure that kid's got his head on straight and that he don't go wanderin' off."
"Thanks, Barret."
The large man smiled, "No problem, Teef. Now, is Yuffie awake yet?" When Tifa nodded, he continued, "I think we should drop in on her, see how she's doin', maybe tease her that she can't talk back no more, then maybe we catch some sleep. Sound good?"
"All right."
The two made their way outside, trying to avoid the sight of the still flaming wreckage of the Highwind. All around the main square of Kalm people wandered aimlessly, searching for loved ones, looking for those they had been separated from. Few had any luck at all.
"Kalm can't support this many people," Barret said.
"I know. But we have to try."
The two walked on in companionable silence, not wanting to voice their fears. They had nearly made it to the tent that was to serve as the temporary hospice when a child's voice started yelling, trailing after them.
"Papa! Papa!"
The two turned around and Barret smiled. "Hey there, Marlene. What're you doin' out of bed?"
"I saw him, Papa! I saw him!"
"Who?"
"Cloud. He's coming in with a big doggy and he's carrying a guy on a thing like a bed, and--"
"Cloud?" Tifa asked intently.
"Yeah!" the little girl said. "And there's this big dog, but he's got this mane like a lion, and he kind of has a cat-tail that's on fire. Wouldn't that hurt, Daddy? To have your tail on fire?"
"Oh, you mean Red XIII. Nah. You kind of had me confused for a second there. I always thought Red was a cat, even if he does howl at the moon sometimes. What do you think, Teef?"
"Where is he?" Tifa asked Marlene.
"Comin' from that big airship. I think he's goin' to the inn."
"Thanks, Marlene. Barret, why don't you go ahead and see Yuffie, I..."
"Yuffie can wait, broken jaw an' all. Sounds like Cloud's got wounded. I'll come along."
Tifa nodded, then said, "Thanks, Barret."
Author:
Alright, so I got bored and updated. Don't expect it to happen again any time soon. I am very lazy, after all. I was originally planning on having this continue from Cloud's POV, but decided against it and let the reader know what's happening with the other half of Avalanche. I'm debating right now to either continue from Barret, go to Cloud's POV, or do something completely different and leave you in suspense a little longer.
Once again, I don't own Final Fantasy, any of its characters, or any of that other neato stuff. I wish I owned Masamune, though. That would be super.
Chapter Two
Survivors
Barret Wallace watched the burning wreckage of the Highwind from the safety of the Kalm Inn. Further in the distance, he could see the tower smoke cloud that was coming from what could only be the remnants of Midgar. It had only been one full day since Holy and the Lifestream had torn into Meteor, shattering the world crushing cataclysm, and already there was chaos.
Refugees from Midgar had streamed into Kalm, all in relatively good health, but all without a place to live, a means to survive. This was just the first wave. Soon, the stragglers would come in, then after that, the slower moving wounded.
Only one day, and Barret already felt exhausted. For twenty four straight hours Barret had organized the town council and readied an area for the refugees, had erected a temporary hospice for the inevitable waves of wounded. When he had began, he was tired from the final battle with Sephiroth. Only being reunited with Marlene had kept him going. Now, he wasn't even sure that would be enough.
"You should get some sleep," a female voice said from behind him.
Barret turned around and grunted. Tifa Lockheart stood in the doorway, looking even more exhausted than he felt.
"You first."
A wan smile crossed the former barkeep's face. "I still have a few more hours left in me. I just wanted to check in on you and tell you that Yuffie's going to be okay."
"Good. Much as that girl annoys me, I'd hate to see something happen to her. Shit, when I saw her headin' for that tree on the parachute down, I nearly pissed myself."
"I have better news, too." A sudden humour filled Tifa's voice.
"What's that?"
"That branch that hit Yuffie right in the face?"
"Yeah?"
"It broke her jaw."
A smile spread across Barret's face, "Better and better. Won't have to listen to her whinin' no more. Any word on Cloud and the others?"
The little humor in Tifa's eyes disappeared, replaced by worry. "No. Nothing yet. Cloud, Red XIII, Cid, and Cait Sith haven't returned yet, and Vincent's still unnaccounted for."
"Wonder where that vampire went to?"
"He's not a vampire."
Barret scowled, "Man's got red eyes, doesn't like the sun, and flies around. Closest thang I ever saw to a vampire."
Tifa sighed. "I don't know what happened to him. He was acting odd after Cid ordered the abandon ship." At a quizzical look from Barret, she added, "More odd than usual."
"The hell do you mean?"
"I don't know. He seemed distracted by something, like he knew something we didn't. I don't know."
"Dude's always acted creepy. Don't know why you're so bothered now. You should be more worried 'bout Cloud. Cid's probably draggin' his spikey ass here now, though. He'll make sure that kid's got his head on straight and that he don't go wanderin' off."
"Thanks, Barret."
The large man smiled, "No problem, Teef. Now, is Yuffie awake yet?" When Tifa nodded, he continued, "I think we should drop in on her, see how she's doin', maybe tease her that she can't talk back no more, then maybe we catch some sleep. Sound good?"
"All right."
The two made their way outside, trying to avoid the sight of the still flaming wreckage of the Highwind. All around the main square of Kalm people wandered aimlessly, searching for loved ones, looking for those they had been separated from. Few had any luck at all.
"Kalm can't support this many people," Barret said.
"I know. But we have to try."
The two walked on in companionable silence, not wanting to voice their fears. They had nearly made it to the tent that was to serve as the temporary hospice when a child's voice started yelling, trailing after them.
"Papa! Papa!"
The two turned around and Barret smiled. "Hey there, Marlene. What're you doin' out of bed?"
"I saw him, Papa! I saw him!"
"Who?"
"Cloud. He's coming in with a big doggy and he's carrying a guy on a thing like a bed, and--"
"Cloud?" Tifa asked intently.
"Yeah!" the little girl said. "And there's this big dog, but he's got this mane like a lion, and he kind of has a cat-tail that's on fire. Wouldn't that hurt, Daddy? To have your tail on fire?"
"Oh, you mean Red XIII. Nah. You kind of had me confused for a second there. I always thought Red was a cat, even if he does howl at the moon sometimes. What do you think, Teef?"
"Where is he?" Tifa asked Marlene.
"Comin' from that big airship. I think he's goin' to the inn."
"Thanks, Marlene. Barret, why don't you go ahead and see Yuffie, I..."
"Yuffie can wait, broken jaw an' all. Sounds like Cloud's got wounded. I'll come along."
Tifa nodded, then said, "Thanks, Barret."
Author:
Alright, so I got bored and updated. Don't expect it to happen again any time soon. I am very lazy, after all. I was originally planning on having this continue from Cloud's POV, but decided against it and let the reader know what's happening with the other half of Avalanche. I'm debating right now to either continue from Barret, go to Cloud's POV, or do something completely different and leave you in suspense a little longer.