Chapter 2
The time is still Christmas Eve, and Reno is still out of a job. Rufus, occupied with his sabotaging plans, will never notice that we are looking into Cloud's villa. Here, our old friends are sitting around the fireplace, glowing in the warm fiery glow. Actually, it was just Cid and Barret. But let's face it, they take up half of Avalanche's mass alone, so it isn't much of a slip up. Tifa, Nanaki, Cloud and Yuffie were in the next room arguing quite loudly. Obviously, the Christmas spirit wasn't lost on them. Cait Sith remained slouched over in the closet... after all, it IS Christmas. And Vincent... no one really knew where he was.. but assumed he was just reflecting on how nice dark shadowy corners were. Lets find out how Barret and Cid are spending their Christmas Eve..
"Another Christmas... man, I am gettin' old.." Barret muttered to himself, thus proving his newly discovered senilely ways of talking to himself.
"No shit, sherlock," Cid laughed at his friend. "I bet you was around the time Santa was born!"
Barret rolled his eyes, deciding not to correct Cid about his comment on Santa. Everyone knew Santa had never been born... he had existed forever! "Shuddap you crusty ol' fool."
However, Cid did not shut up. He continued to laugh harder and harder. It seemed as if Cid was getting a little senile as well. "I knew it! You are Santa! Aren't ya?!"
"Hell no!" Barret blushed fiercely like the wuss he is. "Shuddap now!" he took a swing at Cid, which was easily avoided. Cid smacked his head off the fireplace, causing his IQ to go down 5 points.
"Okay, okay," Cid said between guffaws, rubbing his head "But you'd make a pretty damn good one. I know! Dress up as Santa! Do it!"
Cid began to clap his hands while shouting, "Do it! Do it!" like a child. His eyes were lit up with a crazed glow.
"F&^% you man!" Barret glared at his friend. Truth was, he was getting a little afraid... he knew that look. That was the look that Cloud got when he saw anything pointy.
"A bet!" Cid offered.
"There ain't nothin' on this earth that you can bet, that would make me dress up like Santa." Barret told him.
"Hear me out... I bet you that I can fool Nanaki into going outside, and staying there all night." Cid said confidently.
"What kinda fool bet is that?!" Barret exclaimed.
"Who's smarter, me or Nanaki?" Cid asked.
Barret thought carefully through this point. Well, Nanaki cleaned himself with his tongue (even the sensitive areas)... however Cid didn't clean himself at all. Nanaki ate puppy chow.. But then again Cid ate his OWN cooking. Nanaki was a talking beast... but... alright, no difference there.
"Yeah, Nanaki is definitely a helluva lot smarter than your dumb ass." Barret answered.
"Exactly! Then this should be an easy bet for you to win." Cid said matter- of-factly.
"So what's in it for me?" Barret asked curiously.
"If you win, I'LL wear the Santa suit. But if I win, then you get to. Deal?" Cid explained.
"You're on!" Barret exclaimed as the two men shook hands.
***
Inside the kitchen, Tifa, Cloud, Yuffie and Nanaki were sitting around the giant table, eating up the remainders of what was left in the fridge. The food mainly consisted of elements of food, as Cloud had spent the remainder of their money on magic beans. When asked how they were magic, Cloud simply told the group that if you ate them, they would give that person gas for a week. Of course, by now they were used to these kind of things, and Tifa had planned to pawn his last sword for food in the morning.
"You can't take my sword! Its the pointiest thing that I own!" Cloud yelled as he drank out of the mustard bottle.
"What about your HAIR?" Yuffie shot back, eyes watering from the cloves she was trying to digest. "What about your nose?" Cloud imitated her, rolling his eyes.
"That's it!" Yuffie screamed and punched him in the head. Bad mistake.
A loud scream that overshadowed Elena's slap broke through the air.
"Ahh!" Yuffie yelled, holding her bleeding hand, "Anybody have any antiseptic?!"
She continued screaming and ran up the stairs. Fortunately, they were used to this too, and the scene rolled right off their backs.
"You should have thought of your precious sword before you bought those beans." Tifa scolded him, "What was the point of them anyway? What possible use was there?"
"I was going to give them to Barret for Christmas." Cloud said sadly.
"Why would you want to give Barret gas for a week?" Tifa asked.
"Well... you know how he's always telling us how irregular he is." Cloud smiled up at Tifa.
Nanaki chuckled from his spot under the table.
"Alright, fine!" Tifa said, exasperated, "Santa won't be bringing you that Buster sword that you wanted."
"But I need it!" Cloud whined, "How else will I be able to pretend I'm Zack anymore?"
"Cloud, you figured out what your personality was "supposed" to be a year ago." Nanaki said from the floor. Then all of a sudden, he yelled out "You'll poke your eye out!"
"Screw you guys!" Cloud stood up, throwing the mustard bottle to the floor. He ran out of the room and up the stairs.
Silence filled the room like a bad fart. This was the third time that this had happened today alone.
"Is it my turn now?" Tifa asked her furry friend.
"Yep." Nanaki replied.
Tifa sighed and followed Cloud up the stairs. By the time this Christmas was over, she would need to have a barrel of Captain Morgan. She hoped Santa would remember to supply her with plenty of alcohol.
***
Cloud dramatically slammed the door, causing all of his framed pictures of Aeris to fall off the wall. Squealing slightly, he ran over and picked up the nearest one, out of the 20 that were scattered over the floor.
"I'll save you Aeris!" Cloud yelled as he recovered the photo a little too late. But then again, Cloud was always a little to late in saving his beloved. Cloud frowned.... "You forgive me, right Aeris?"
The girl in the photo just stared up at him with a dazzling smile.
"Is that a yes?" Cloud asked the photo.
Again, the girl continued to smile.
Cloud stared perplexed at the photo, waiting silently for an answer. "What did you say? You want me to burn the house down?"
It was then that a knock came at the door, swishing the thoughts out of his spiky head. It was a good thing too, because fire did not mix well with this blonde. The last time he has tried to light the barbeque, he had ended up with no eyebrows for a month. Cloud laughed silently at the memory of his wacky hairdos that month. No one had suspected a thing.... and the girls were giving him a lot more looks as well..... even the guys!
"Cloud! Let me in!" Tifa's voice drifted from across the wooden door.
"No!" Cloud pouted. He would not let her take him alive! He knew what he had to do... he needed to escape!
Taking a last look at the many scattered photos of Aeris, Cloud picked up his sword and miraculously climbed out the window.
Too bad he forgot it was a twenty foot drop...
*******
A/N: trying so hard to finish this for christmas... I will try! Please review with your thoughts!
The time is still Christmas Eve, and Reno is still out of a job. Rufus, occupied with his sabotaging plans, will never notice that we are looking into Cloud's villa. Here, our old friends are sitting around the fireplace, glowing in the warm fiery glow. Actually, it was just Cid and Barret. But let's face it, they take up half of Avalanche's mass alone, so it isn't much of a slip up. Tifa, Nanaki, Cloud and Yuffie were in the next room arguing quite loudly. Obviously, the Christmas spirit wasn't lost on them. Cait Sith remained slouched over in the closet... after all, it IS Christmas. And Vincent... no one really knew where he was.. but assumed he was just reflecting on how nice dark shadowy corners were. Lets find out how Barret and Cid are spending their Christmas Eve..
"Another Christmas... man, I am gettin' old.." Barret muttered to himself, thus proving his newly discovered senilely ways of talking to himself.
"No shit, sherlock," Cid laughed at his friend. "I bet you was around the time Santa was born!"
Barret rolled his eyes, deciding not to correct Cid about his comment on Santa. Everyone knew Santa had never been born... he had existed forever! "Shuddap you crusty ol' fool."
However, Cid did not shut up. He continued to laugh harder and harder. It seemed as if Cid was getting a little senile as well. "I knew it! You are Santa! Aren't ya?!"
"Hell no!" Barret blushed fiercely like the wuss he is. "Shuddap now!" he took a swing at Cid, which was easily avoided. Cid smacked his head off the fireplace, causing his IQ to go down 5 points.
"Okay, okay," Cid said between guffaws, rubbing his head "But you'd make a pretty damn good one. I know! Dress up as Santa! Do it!"
Cid began to clap his hands while shouting, "Do it! Do it!" like a child. His eyes were lit up with a crazed glow.
"F&^% you man!" Barret glared at his friend. Truth was, he was getting a little afraid... he knew that look. That was the look that Cloud got when he saw anything pointy.
"A bet!" Cid offered.
"There ain't nothin' on this earth that you can bet, that would make me dress up like Santa." Barret told him.
"Hear me out... I bet you that I can fool Nanaki into going outside, and staying there all night." Cid said confidently.
"What kinda fool bet is that?!" Barret exclaimed.
"Who's smarter, me or Nanaki?" Cid asked.
Barret thought carefully through this point. Well, Nanaki cleaned himself with his tongue (even the sensitive areas)... however Cid didn't clean himself at all. Nanaki ate puppy chow.. But then again Cid ate his OWN cooking. Nanaki was a talking beast... but... alright, no difference there.
"Yeah, Nanaki is definitely a helluva lot smarter than your dumb ass." Barret answered.
"Exactly! Then this should be an easy bet for you to win." Cid said matter- of-factly.
"So what's in it for me?" Barret asked curiously.
"If you win, I'LL wear the Santa suit. But if I win, then you get to. Deal?" Cid explained.
"You're on!" Barret exclaimed as the two men shook hands.
***
Inside the kitchen, Tifa, Cloud, Yuffie and Nanaki were sitting around the giant table, eating up the remainders of what was left in the fridge. The food mainly consisted of elements of food, as Cloud had spent the remainder of their money on magic beans. When asked how they were magic, Cloud simply told the group that if you ate them, they would give that person gas for a week. Of course, by now they were used to these kind of things, and Tifa had planned to pawn his last sword for food in the morning.
"You can't take my sword! Its the pointiest thing that I own!" Cloud yelled as he drank out of the mustard bottle.
"What about your HAIR?" Yuffie shot back, eyes watering from the cloves she was trying to digest. "What about your nose?" Cloud imitated her, rolling his eyes.
"That's it!" Yuffie screamed and punched him in the head. Bad mistake.
A loud scream that overshadowed Elena's slap broke through the air.
"Ahh!" Yuffie yelled, holding her bleeding hand, "Anybody have any antiseptic?!"
She continued screaming and ran up the stairs. Fortunately, they were used to this too, and the scene rolled right off their backs.
"You should have thought of your precious sword before you bought those beans." Tifa scolded him, "What was the point of them anyway? What possible use was there?"
"I was going to give them to Barret for Christmas." Cloud said sadly.
"Why would you want to give Barret gas for a week?" Tifa asked.
"Well... you know how he's always telling us how irregular he is." Cloud smiled up at Tifa.
Nanaki chuckled from his spot under the table.
"Alright, fine!" Tifa said, exasperated, "Santa won't be bringing you that Buster sword that you wanted."
"But I need it!" Cloud whined, "How else will I be able to pretend I'm Zack anymore?"
"Cloud, you figured out what your personality was "supposed" to be a year ago." Nanaki said from the floor. Then all of a sudden, he yelled out "You'll poke your eye out!"
"Screw you guys!" Cloud stood up, throwing the mustard bottle to the floor. He ran out of the room and up the stairs.
Silence filled the room like a bad fart. This was the third time that this had happened today alone.
"Is it my turn now?" Tifa asked her furry friend.
"Yep." Nanaki replied.
Tifa sighed and followed Cloud up the stairs. By the time this Christmas was over, she would need to have a barrel of Captain Morgan. She hoped Santa would remember to supply her with plenty of alcohol.
***
Cloud dramatically slammed the door, causing all of his framed pictures of Aeris to fall off the wall. Squealing slightly, he ran over and picked up the nearest one, out of the 20 that were scattered over the floor.
"I'll save you Aeris!" Cloud yelled as he recovered the photo a little too late. But then again, Cloud was always a little to late in saving his beloved. Cloud frowned.... "You forgive me, right Aeris?"
The girl in the photo just stared up at him with a dazzling smile.
"Is that a yes?" Cloud asked the photo.
Again, the girl continued to smile.
Cloud stared perplexed at the photo, waiting silently for an answer. "What did you say? You want me to burn the house down?"
It was then that a knock came at the door, swishing the thoughts out of his spiky head. It was a good thing too, because fire did not mix well with this blonde. The last time he has tried to light the barbeque, he had ended up with no eyebrows for a month. Cloud laughed silently at the memory of his wacky hairdos that month. No one had suspected a thing.... and the girls were giving him a lot more looks as well..... even the guys!
"Cloud! Let me in!" Tifa's voice drifted from across the wooden door.
"No!" Cloud pouted. He would not let her take him alive! He knew what he had to do... he needed to escape!
Taking a last look at the many scattered photos of Aeris, Cloud picked up his sword and miraculously climbed out the window.
Too bad he forgot it was a twenty foot drop...
*******
A/N: trying so hard to finish this for christmas... I will try! Please review with your thoughts!