Author's Note: Squaresoft not only owns Final Fantasy, but it also has the
priviledge of owning my ass. That's right. My ass. All my base are so
belong to them.
Chapter Four
The Cold Night
The rock Cloud was sitting on was touched by the same chill that the wind had taken. It seemed so odd that the weather had gotten so cold. With the fires of Midgar still raging, it seemed like the world should be hot.
"It's not burning no more," Barret's voice sounded from behind him.
"What isn't?" Cloud asked, turning to his friend.
Barret moved up, then sat on the rock beside Cloud. "The Highwind. Finally died out 'bout an hour back. Red says parts of it might be salvaged, rebuilt. Cid'll be happy to hear that."
Cloud stiffened, the name he was trying to not think of revebrating in his skull. The sight in that bridge when he had walked in... He lifted the bottle he had bought from the Kalm bar and took another swig.
"How is he?" he managed to ask.
"Not good. We had Yuffie workin' her best with what Materia we still have to cure him, but we lost a lot of it in the crash, an' with Cid's injuries..."
"Is he going to make it?"
"We're not sure. Red says ... best chance is maybe fifty/fifty. He lost a lot of blood, an' with his back all messed up like that... even if he does make it... he might not walk again."
Cloud nodded numbly and took another drink from the bottle.
"This shit's all messed up," Barret said. "We save the planet, just like I always said I'd do... look, even the grass is greener an' shit from where the Lifestream touched it. There's life here again, but look at what it cost us. Vincent missin', Cid in that damn hospice, prob'ly dyin', an' Aeris dead. All messed up. Shouldn't be this way at all."
"Aeris isn't dead."
"The hell you talkin' about?"
"I saw her. In the Northern Crater, just after I killed Sephiroth. Then again, when the Lifestream hit Meteor."
"Shit, all I saw was a flash of green light, but I coulda swore I felt her. She was in the Lifestream, right? Only makes sense we'd at least feel her."
"I saw her again after that. When the Highwind was going down, a steel beam hit me in the head and I saw her."
"You get hit by a big chunk o' metal and you see things. Doesn't mean she's alive."
Cloud shook his head furiously. "No, it wasn't like that. It was like I saw her before the beam hit me, and she was trying to tell me something... but the impact broke it off. I don't know. She's alive, I know it."
"You better not be goin' crazy on me again. Because I'll go right upside your spikey head, knock some sense back into you."
"I might be. But something tells me... I'm certain that somehow, she's out there. Maybe in the Promised Land."
"Ah, not again with that shit. Thought I heard the last of that. Here, give me some of that." Barret leaned over and took the bottle out of Cloud's hand. He leaned back and drained the bottle half way, then handed it back. "Shit's awful. Can't see how you're drinkin' it."
The two sat in companionable silence for some time, neither willing to further discuss Aeris, Cid, or what may have happened to Vincent. The planet seemed healthier than ever before, humanity seemed at its weakest as the two watched the countryside as refugees drifted towards Kalm.
It was nearing dawn when they heard it. An ear piercing shriek, filled with rage and sorrow, a need for vengeance and destruction, that had both warriors standing straight up, terrified at the memory of it.
"Shit, is that what I think it is?" Barret exclaimed.
In the distance, where the ruins of Midgar stood, a massive black shape stood up, almost as large as the former city itself.
"Weapon..."
Author:
Woo, now we're going somewhere! (Meaning I now know what I'm doing with the story, happy day!)
Chapter Four
The Cold Night
The rock Cloud was sitting on was touched by the same chill that the wind had taken. It seemed so odd that the weather had gotten so cold. With the fires of Midgar still raging, it seemed like the world should be hot.
"It's not burning no more," Barret's voice sounded from behind him.
"What isn't?" Cloud asked, turning to his friend.
Barret moved up, then sat on the rock beside Cloud. "The Highwind. Finally died out 'bout an hour back. Red says parts of it might be salvaged, rebuilt. Cid'll be happy to hear that."
Cloud stiffened, the name he was trying to not think of revebrating in his skull. The sight in that bridge when he had walked in... He lifted the bottle he had bought from the Kalm bar and took another swig.
"How is he?" he managed to ask.
"Not good. We had Yuffie workin' her best with what Materia we still have to cure him, but we lost a lot of it in the crash, an' with Cid's injuries..."
"Is he going to make it?"
"We're not sure. Red says ... best chance is maybe fifty/fifty. He lost a lot of blood, an' with his back all messed up like that... even if he does make it... he might not walk again."
Cloud nodded numbly and took another drink from the bottle.
"This shit's all messed up," Barret said. "We save the planet, just like I always said I'd do... look, even the grass is greener an' shit from where the Lifestream touched it. There's life here again, but look at what it cost us. Vincent missin', Cid in that damn hospice, prob'ly dyin', an' Aeris dead. All messed up. Shouldn't be this way at all."
"Aeris isn't dead."
"The hell you talkin' about?"
"I saw her. In the Northern Crater, just after I killed Sephiroth. Then again, when the Lifestream hit Meteor."
"Shit, all I saw was a flash of green light, but I coulda swore I felt her. She was in the Lifestream, right? Only makes sense we'd at least feel her."
"I saw her again after that. When the Highwind was going down, a steel beam hit me in the head and I saw her."
"You get hit by a big chunk o' metal and you see things. Doesn't mean she's alive."
Cloud shook his head furiously. "No, it wasn't like that. It was like I saw her before the beam hit me, and she was trying to tell me something... but the impact broke it off. I don't know. She's alive, I know it."
"You better not be goin' crazy on me again. Because I'll go right upside your spikey head, knock some sense back into you."
"I might be. But something tells me... I'm certain that somehow, she's out there. Maybe in the Promised Land."
"Ah, not again with that shit. Thought I heard the last of that. Here, give me some of that." Barret leaned over and took the bottle out of Cloud's hand. He leaned back and drained the bottle half way, then handed it back. "Shit's awful. Can't see how you're drinkin' it."
The two sat in companionable silence for some time, neither willing to further discuss Aeris, Cid, or what may have happened to Vincent. The planet seemed healthier than ever before, humanity seemed at its weakest as the two watched the countryside as refugees drifted towards Kalm.
It was nearing dawn when they heard it. An ear piercing shriek, filled with rage and sorrow, a need for vengeance and destruction, that had both warriors standing straight up, terrified at the memory of it.
"Shit, is that what I think it is?" Barret exclaimed.
In the distance, where the ruins of Midgar stood, a massive black shape stood up, almost as large as the former city itself.
"Weapon..."
Author:
Woo, now we're going somewhere! (Meaning I now know what I'm doing with the story, happy day!)