final fantasy vii and all its characters © squaresoft, inc.

a/n:
RICE CRISPIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEESS!! xDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD (pokes playfully at the melting marshmallow over hot-fudge frosty flakes) (drooldrooldrool)

P.S: This chapter is written a little differently... in a different style. Normally my grammar is a bit better. I just thought since this is Wall Market, we should add a few twists. Yes, a breather. A break from the tense and turmoil of the main plot, yes?

To the Sky
chapter eight: wall market

"What... is this place?"

Yuffie pouted at the scenery of what looked like a wild circus. A large commercial district packed with the most oblivious groups of people. Most slum inhabitants she saw in the train were less fancy and were more... human. These people were more of acrobatics, or perhaps, worse. Describing the jammed crowd of the lively bazaar would be more than enough if it was mentioned a hodgepodge.

There were several people with black suits who did not look like they came from the plate. What raised eyebrows was that they were conversing around a group of young women with tight corsets and short skirts and the thickest eyelashes, as if they tried to look older than twenty-five yet originally fourteen. They raised even higher when these two groups were practically everywhere. Overshadowed were assorted salesmen, flyer-spreaders, even advertisers in Chocobo costumes. But none of them seemed peculiar enough to look dangerous as they were too strange to wield a blade.

"We're still in Midgar," Tifa muttered hesitantly, "...right?"

Cloud frowned in disbelief. "This place is pigsty."

"Oi!" Barret's growl lit the crew back to their principles. "What's wit' the girls and the mini skirts?"

Cid peered his eyes to the far left of the market square, where stood a two-story penthouse with brighter neon lights and even more upperclassmen lookalikes. "Look over there!" he signified his teammates, raising his thumb, "This place must've been a strip club!"

The younger blonde watched the female trio as they went awkward of the lecherous attention coming from drunken strangers. He cocked his head slyly. "Are you sure this is the right place?"

"Hey hunter!" Cid bellowed at Vincent, who was too preoccupied of scanning his surrounds, "Ya sure this is the right place!?"

"Yes," he said coolly, not bothering himself to face the former speaker, "I have no doubt. Don't look at the prostitutes, they're just there."

"They're just--what the--!?" the captain protested, "But what're we supposed ta do here!?"

Vincent only gave a simple nod. "You know what you have to do." he said calmly as he marched away to the crowd, "I'm off."

"H-Hey!!" Cid yelled on the top of his lungs, which went dim through the crowd noises and uncanny music, "COME BACK 'ERE!!"

Vincent had vanished to the thick crowd.

"C'mon, Cid." Cloud patted his shoulder. "He's probably gathering some info, he'll be back later." he tried to sound helpful. "Maybe we should too."

"But what about us?" Tifa said aloud from the background, turned the blondes' heads as she pointed a few random passersby in black suits, groping each and every bum of underage girls who replied only with overdramatic gasps, "You're not intending to leave us, are you?"

The last two words were stressed out by a longer vowel and one of Tifa's rarest ruby-tinted death glares, which closely resembled a certain bounty hunter's usual contortion... and Cloud knew it was never a good sign.

"Uh, well," his throat went dry. "you guys can go anywhere you like so long you stick together. I mean, look at you," he gestured his shaky hand toward the opposite group, "you're obviously prepared for a fight, not a striptease."

"You idiot," Yuffie grimaced, tightening a fist, "we're OUTNUMBERED!"

Staring blankly at the femme fatales, Cid leaned aside to Cloud's ear and whispered, "I think they're trying to say you're not being very sensitive... and you're clearly not paying attention that Aeris is not exactly 'girl power' material here..."

"I know but," Cloud insisted, "wouldn't she be alright with Tifa and Yuffie? They're strong enough to protect her."

"Ya #$&#! This place is a prostitute hole! Ya want yer doll napped by a PEDOPHILE!?"

Cloud looked taken back. Imagery visions of a helpless, taunted Aeris, laid on a bed of roses, complete with her torn red gown to the length of her bare, slick legs, which was being amiably gaped at by a drooling, panting, hot-blooded wolf-headed old man. Chained on the background were Tifa and Yuffie, who were just about as pathetic as they started wiggling away from prying hands, treated as toys with more minim attires.

He shook his head rashly.

"C'mon," Cid placed his hands on his hips, waiting boldly for an answer, "it'll be a drama if one of them loses their virginity in a place like this."

Cloud clenched his teeth, buzzed under his breath. "You're sounding like you wish one of them would."

Regardless of a bristled Cloud, Cid saw another inn with less girls and 'unwanted guests'. It also looked less uncanny. Whilst everything was either purple or yellow, this humble hotel was the only place with hazel-colored walls and dimmer neon title (Welcome to Sunshine Inn) It looked like it was located at Wall Market by mistake. The place was patently... normal.

"Why don't you bring the girls there?" Cid recommended apathetically, pointing a thumb to Cloud's left side.

"What's that?" Cloud questioned dubiously, twitching one eyebrow. Clearly enough, he did not share the same vision Cid Highwind inherited in his bloodline.

"The most safest, pervert-free place in all of Wall Market!" Cid answered with pride.

"But Cid," Cloud furrowed his eyebrows tentatively. "that's just... an inn."

"$#&," Cid retorted, "that's why it is!"

In actuality, Cloud had a slightly bad feeling of what was yet to come. But when he was about to report it to Cid, the confident pirate had already escorted the girls to their desired destination... and none of them seemed to object. After all, it did look peaceful and... well, less bizarre. But something in Cloud's mind told him it was not a good idea.

Regardless.

It was as if his feet had walked around in its own will that brought him to the authentic place. For the first time in a while, Cid seemed to be right. Just by looking at the lobby and receptionist desk, his disturbing thoughts had considerably shunned away in a moment's notice. Although yes, he still sensed a feeling of unwanted turmoil rested deep in his heart. But being in a better mood that he was, he chose to keep his optimistic ambiance switched on.

"Man, I'm hungry." he heard Yuffie wailed. "Is it okay to get a snack from... whachamacallit?"

"Vending machine," Tifa remarked, "there're only a few in Nibelheim, particularly around the upper-class district."

Glancing at Yuffie, who was engaged to observing the oblivious machine that was just a little taller from her five-foot figure, Cloud saw Cid had already got the keys and started marching away to the hallway of rooms. Being a small, rundown hotel that it was, the hallway was a tad too small for his giant blade to keep being attached to his back. With a grunt, he lifted his sword and tried not to readjust it too much as it would hit a flower vase or two.

This reminded him something. An old Terrenian merchant had once offered him what looked like his current weapon, which was just about as three times lighter and swifter. It was thinner too. Bah. Oh, how he dreadfully regretted he never buy that sword. Things would be an awful lot better for him. Like getting through a narrow corridor, for instance.

He continued to think that way as soon as Cid opened the door at last.

Letting the ladies (most importantly, Aeris) in first, Cloud took a peep of what he expected as the hotel suite.

A thought stroke.

When was the last time I slept on a bed?

Apparently, Cloud was always forced to sleep in the cockpit during his voyages with the Highwind. Back in Nibelheim too, he had to sleep in the kitchen with the rats and, well, Barret's snore kept him awake every few hours. These two might add to why the mercenary always consume himself with Tifa's homemade coffee beans. If Tifa was not around around, then, perhaps a mug from the Prancing Pony.

But no matter. He swore himself an oath he will sleep in a bed tonight!

"Wow. This room's pretty big, isn't it?" Tifa pondered as she placed her bottom on the bouncy mattress.

"And there're three beds!" Yuffie jumped onto the middle matt. "We can all sleep on it!"

"But each beds are too tapered for two people..." Aeris crossed her arms thoughtfully. "Maybe two of us should sleep on the floor..."

"Not to worry, lass!" Cid patted an arm proudly. "Go sleep the hell where ya want! Me and Cloud can always sleep on the floor, right Cloud?"

...not.

Well, next time then.

"By the way," Cid shifted his look to Cloud. "where's Barret?"

The query brought him back to reality. "Huh? Barret?"

"I didn't see him coming inside the inn earlier." Tifa testified.

"Awww, man..." Cid whimpered, "Don't tell me he's wandered off again."

"Well," Yuffie shrugged, laying back her body to the soft, squishy bunk bed. "at least we all know he's not perverted." The last word alarmed the rest to face their full attention at her. "Then he shouldn't be around that... Honey-whatever Inn, right?"

"Or maybe he saw something that interests him." Tifa said in a dark monotone, "It's Barret, after all."

"Cut the crap, Teef!" Cid rejoined, swindling his hands carelessly, "Why would an Empire executive be doing in a place like this?"

Yuffie answered nonchalantly, "Have fun?"

"Anyway," Cloud said distinctly, "I'm going out to find a way to get to the palace. Oh yeah, and Barret too." he mumbled inaudibly, "Hope he doesn't do anything this time..." he called out, "Hey Cid! Aren't you coming too?"

"Nah," Cid yawned, obviously heading straight to the door and not looking at Cloud at all, "I'll just go downstairs and drink some goddamn tea in the hotel pub... My back's hurtin' me!"

And left. Silence.

Aeris approached the mercenary hurriedly in a worried face. "But what about--"

"Don't worry." Cloud said firmly, "Just lock the door and shut the windows and curtains and you'll be just fine." he opened the door open. "Oh! And when someone knocks on the door, don't open it until you ask who it is and seen him through the peeping hole. If someone knocks but isn't shown on the hole, then that means he's hiding and he wants to eat you." the blonde disregarded Aeris' paled face. "And no matter what you do, don't open the window. Someone would realize there's an extra supply for the market."

"Extra supply?" Aeris eyes flickered. "Market?"

"Yeah," Cloud was now outside the room. "this whole territory is a stripteaser, right?"

The Terrenian princess went dumbfounded.

"Well, that's all about it." Cloud gently pushed Aeris' shoulders back, and pulled the door knob to a close. "Ciao."

Even after the door was closed, the boy can faintly hear Aeris' questioning demands as he strolled offhandedly to the atrium. Preferably, he was too indiscreet to think he had to cross the hall by hauling up his Buster Sword and try not to hit fragile properties such as Wutaean potteries all over again in a pattern.

Maybe he also should find himself a more decent weapon to come up with. Surely this place had a weapon shop. In spite of everything, it was still a market.

Unless they chose to make it a specialized market of underage girls.

With that, Cloud sauntered out of the inn to find himself exceptionally... alone.

Nevertheless, it should be alright. He was of the male gender, after all. Although yes, he was not of age until recently. However, it did not stop people like Cid or Barret to consider him a bratling. To them, he was still young, or in their term, inexperienced.They would prefer to call children adults as soon as they reach twenty-one, not eighteen.

Therefore, Cloud thought they should be more discreet to think they were venturing with a group of... children.

Bah. Adults these days.

"Hey there, hunny."

Cloud flinched. He promptly spun around and gaped at who he wished would never, ever show up.

A pair of two ladies.

He would not mind at all if they were just two ordinary, everyday girls. But being such place Wall Market was, a girl was worth a million mint, as well may represent a million identities. First, a regular slummer. Second, a lost female foreigner who got there by mistake. Third, a shop advertiser or leaflet-spreader. Forth, the inn owner's daughter. Fifth--

...a prostitute.

"Are you alone?" one of the two suddenly asked, "Want sum' tea?"

Cloud watched them from head to toe. Skimpy outfits. Tight corsets. High-heel sandals. Colored pantyhose. Indistinct makeup. Big breasts. He cocked an eyebrow.

Did they just swallow a fly or something?

"Ah..." Cloud grinned nervously. "No thanks." he tried to look around and get someone else as an excuse. "I don't really have any money right now..."

"Oh!" the other one gasped, and quickly grasped his left arm as Cloud felt his chest felt awkward and... depressed. "You don't need to pay! We'll serve the tea for you."

Then a strange stench surfaced. Eau de toilette. The blonde's stomach jumped and jittered. He had always hated perfume scent ever since he could remember. In all honesty, during his unlikely rescue for Princess Aerissa's aid, Cloud tried all his best not to concentrate on Aeris' smell and just mindlessly save her. His nose even did not get any better afterward.

At least, Aeris was much more wiser in terms of choosing the perfect fragrance.

But now, he had better, important things to think of.

Despite his preoccupied body, and that the two horrible, persistent strippers did not seem to want to let go of his arms, Cloud wanted so much to yell on top of his lungs and run away from them as fast and far as he could. And pretty much, that was all he could think of out of this chaotic moment.

Perhaps Wall Market was also dangerous for young boys like him. Especially ones with swords. Cid was right. "Naughty girls dig small boys with big swords." Very well said.

God... this whole night kinda turns out as a sign that I should get a new sword, isn't it?

"Yo Cloud! What the hell are ya doin'!?"

Barret.

The two female strangers turned to see the big black oaf, who did not look too pleased of what he saw. In an instant, the prostitutes unlocked their arms from Cloud's and scattered off.

Gone.

"Y'know it's bad to wander off alone in a &#&$ place like this." Barret gawked at him dubiously. "Even for a youngster like you."

Cloud replied incredulously, "What were you doing wandering off like that?"

Barret paused. He tilted his head to Cloud's right side, pointing his sausage-sized thumb to the direction of another inn that sounded like the one Yuffie mentioned before.

No matter how it looked like, it was simply an opposite of the first inn they went into. A fancy hotel with unnaturally crashing colors, a glimmering shiny title accompanied with a cute logo of a pretty girl in a bee costume, and, well, more prostitutes. However, the number of girls was somewhat overshadowed by majority of men in black. For some reason, they seemed to be gathering there like ants to sugar.

At least it did have an interesting name.

"Honeybee?"

"Not that, y' foo'!" Barret snapped, "Look at the entrance!"

Cloud's eyes began focusing on a fixed spot. All he could see at the entrance was a raven-colored crowd and some little colorful ones. Then a pastel brown tint started surfacing. A man in suits colored chestnut. That did not seem right.

"Hold on," Cloud mulled over, furrowed his eyebrows. "he looks familiar..."

"Of course he does!" Barret said ecstatically, "That's Palmer! One of the Empire's executives!"

Cloud readjusted his stare. He blinked. It was indeed him. Palmer, the flamboyant. Or at least, that was how he used to call him.

An aged man with a round face, fat voluptuous body, and unsymmetrical skinny legs. He had an interesting hairdo too. Cloud remembered this man used to wear a wig to cover the bald center of his head. Sadly, he had to stop wearing it because not only he always had to attach transparent rubber around his neck to keep it steady in occasional ceremonies, his toupee had really flew off and it was broadcasted live on television.

Due to the eventful newspapers and headlines, the executive had to avoid publicity for approximately five months aftermath.

Tragic.

"What's he doing here?"

"I dunno," Barret said as Palmer disappeared to the inn, "that's why I'm trying to find out."

Cloud vacantly implied, "You can go in there, if you want."

"Me!?" Barret shook his head disapprovingly. "You!"

"WHAT!?" Cloud screeched, looking back and forth to the Honeybee Inn entrance, "What am I--"

"I've been 'round that place too much!" Barret cut off, "If I'm goin' in there, they're gonna be suspicious!"

"B-But why me!?" Cloud argued back, "W-What if something happened in there??"

"What'll happen?" Barret tested, which Cloud replied with a false demeanor. The terrorist guffawed heartily. "C'mon, kiddo. It's not like yer gonna be raped!"

Cloud tried hard not to draw his sword and bluntly knock Barret off with it.

"Oh, fine," he said grumpily, "I'll go in there... if that'll make you happy!"

"Hey Cloud! Wait!"

Halfheartedly, Cloud turned to the other with a glare.

"Take this." Barret pushed a small, hard carton to Cloud's hands, which he felt were really small when hugged by Barret's brawny ones. "Yer gonna need it."

"Hmm?" Cloud lifted the hard piece of paper to a position a few inches away from his face. It looked something like a nametag, or just frankly a card with the size of poker deck. It was plain white, with gold lines circulating around the borders. To his annoyance, it had the same vivacious logo of a human-shaped bumblebee and Honeybee Inn crest. On the center was a bigger text which, unlike the label that was imprinted with stencil, was handwritten. Knowing Barret had such a good mark in dictation and handwriting, this one was far compared to him. It did not mention the name 'Barret' either.

"Earl?"

"I picked it up off the ground." Barret enlightened, "Show it to the entrance boy and yer allowed in."

Cloud continued to look at the card as he started walking to the inn. Ignoring Barret's 'cheers' ("Hurry yer ass up and get in, spiky!"), he tried not to get swallowed by the harsh crowd of black suits. Fortunately, nobody suspected him, and by following the flow of the sea of young girls and perverts, he found himself in front of the narrow entrance where a boy around his age waited patiently.

As soon as she showed the card, he stepped into the inn, being greeted by--

...another weird stench.

Cloud quickly covered his nostrils before letting any more in the mixed fragrance of roses and poppies and sweets. To his aid was a young girl in a revealing bumblebee costume, who did not look any older than him. She gave a quick smile as she swiftly brought Cloud into a pair of velvet curtains, which resembled so much the ones he saw in theatre ships and stages. Still holding tight to his nose, he closed his eyes to avoid wrinkles from the dusty red drape... and a lighter atmosphere emerged.

He found himself in a dark, burgundy-colored room with the shape of a hexagon. It was not really wide, as Honeybee was not that huge an inn either. On every side of the room had one door, which all looked practically the same. Bemused, Cloud ogled at each door like a mouse trapped in a nutcase.

"Please wait while I check for vacancy." Cloud's head snapped up. "In the meantime, feel free to look around."

Then the room girl vanished to the door on his right.

"Now what should I do?"

Cloud started circling the room from a door to his right, labeled the Group Room. On the handle hung a red sign read PLEASE DO NOT DISTURB. Curious, he tried eavesdropping by placing his ear on the door, but there was no sound. He then noticed a peeping hole and looked through it, where he saw...

Black.

"An empty room?" he mused, "But it says here it's occupied."

BANG! SHOOT! BONK! BLAST! BOOM!

"What the hell!?" he peeped back again.

Luke Skywalker.

Cloud rolled his eyes.

Another room to the right, labeled Red Room. The door was designed the same as the former, unless that it did not share the same PLEASE DO NOT DISTURB sign and bronze door. It was not even locked. It was vaguely opened, in fact.

The mercenary shrugged. He opened the door to find another room with no lights on and to his relief, no pay-per-view channels. Unmistakably enough, it seemed like a perfect empty, unexpectedly big room. Cloud strode over to the bed and--

Oh my.

Oh God.

So Cloud dashed back out of the room and closed the door properly... flushing deep red.

"Damn!" he ambled to the next room. "They should've at least shut the door!"

His thoughts soon died out as a different room came across him. It did not have any label or name, but from how the door looked like, it did not seem to be anything near a hotel suite. It even had a round, bigger window allocated on the center-top. It should be easier to look through, without the smoke and vapor covering all over.

"Hmmm, must be the kitchen. They serve room services too?" Cloud circulated the hexagon again. "Come to think of it, the bimbo girl isn't back yet. What's taking her so long?"

Then stopped in front of another room. It was labeled the Green Room, opposite to that of the red suite. It did not have a sign or whatsoever, but Cloud knew it was as good as locked, and he felt somewhat thankful that it was.

So he peeped again... and how was he delighted to see it was not something, well, inappropriate.

It was Palmer.

To his surprise and delight, Palmer was not anywhere near a certain position Cloud wished he never saw in the Red Room. Unpredictably, he was with two other men he did not recognize and another group of men in black suits. But whoever they were, it looked like they were having an animated meeting.

Punctually, he took an empty plastic glass from a nearby room service cart, ripped the end, and pressed his ear onto it and the door. As a detouring old client cast a befuddled look at Cloud, the boy continued to pay his attention on whatever they were talking about.

"The population of the slums is growing immensely day by day." he heard the first voice said. "If we keep this up, Midgar would get overloaded, and they might disturb their neighbors too."

"That's easy, eh?" Palmer giggled, "Just flush them down the toilet, Reeve! None of their personal matters are our problem anyway!"

"Yeah!" another voice supported. "The slums aren't supposed to be there in the first place!"

"Destroy them!?" the man called Reeve bowled over. "But that's--"

"Reeve, Reeve..." Palmer shook his head slowly in a pace, pointing out his index finger notably. "You've been working too hard. Go get a vacation. The prince won't mind!"

"Nonsense!" Reeve snapped his head up. "You can't blow a whole territory without the prince's permission!"

"To hell with the permission!" Palmer strike back, "This has been the late king's wish, and His Highness is insisted to make it come true! Didn't you hear him in his speech?" he calmed down. "Besides, this is the only way to exterminate that... Turkey?"

Reeve coughed, flashing an unpleasant glare. "Turks."

Cloud recoiled. Hey... isn't that the resistance group that's been around the papers lately?

"Yeah, whatever." Palmer composedly said, "Whoever they are, they sure are troublesome, eh, Corneo?"

"Right you are!" the man Cloud learned was Corneo nodded positively. "Killing ambassadors. Blowing up meeting places. They even intruded my house just to get whatever they want the heck outta me!"

Reeve eyed at him with a sneer. "I suppose that was all thanks to your vulnerability, yes?"

"Oh, poo!" Corneo scoffed, "D'ya really hate me that much!?"

"Silence!" Palmer's bark completely stopped the two's idle banter. "We are here to discuss how to annihilate the Turks, and being such a secretive society that it is, the only way to destroy them is by destroying the whole of their playground!" he then turned to Palmer, "Therefore Corneo, I hereby command you and your minions to immediately migrate to the plate, as it is a more suitable place for you."

Corneo grinned with pleasure.

Reeve then fretfully raised a hand, which was not greeted adequately. "If you may, Palmer," he cleared his throat. "wouldn't it be better to channel the Turks' move and kill them by then? We can't afford to pay the estimated cost for the revamp."

Palmer rose an eyebrow. "Well, we don't have to fix it. Even if we leave it, the slums would keep reinventing itself overnight." he quickly turned to Corneo before Reeve could object. "Corneo, some of your men reported earlier that you have three girls waiting for you."

Cloud furrowed his brows. Oh I see... a perverted pedophile. Looks like he's the lord of the place.

"Ahhhh..." Corneo clapped his hands gleefully. "How are they? Where did they get them?"

Palmer brooded. "Perhaps young and healthy, as always." he saw the color in Corneo's face. "He got 'em from, uh, Sunshine Inn. The hotel from the other side of the market." he cast a cautious face. "You ought to watch out for them. They're equipped with weapons, but I guess now they're helpless... as always."

"Yee-haw!"

On the other side of the door, Cloud cringed away, frowning.

Could it be... Aeris, Tifa, and Yuffie are in danger!

-tbc-

a/n
Gah. That was too comical, especially the Star Wars reference part (yes, the guy in the Group Room was watching it, har har.) The question is, how is there a Star Wars movie here? Well, it's Midgar after all, the place is full of wonders. Oh, and remember the TV set is still B&W. They even have those lines and dotes on the screen... typical old television. Though I'm pretty amazed that I didn't use the word 'bitch' here, hehehehh.

Anyway, Cloud's the main lead here. It's kinda boring to put Aeris too much on the spotlight so here's your hero... and like I said earlier, this is Wall Market, even the real Cloud had to readjust his personality-less personality in a whacky sort of way. Not like Cloud is personality-less to begin with, he's just one enigmatic, mental-fitted dude with a well messed-up memory. Poor Cloud. He even had to concentrate on getting away from bumblebee girls here.

Actually, to draw his humorous side here is quite fun. I don't want this story to be too serious, although I want to keep most of the things well-composed. FF7 too is pretty cartoonish, no? Every good action/adventure story has sprinkles of humor, so why not? xP

So tell me, should I make Cloud a girl in the next chapter? I'm too confused to think how...

Okami no hanyou, yes! Perhaps, Don Corneo's already introduced! That would give you a LOT of hints of that, wouldn't it? xD

NekoMiharu, don't worry, I don't mind. Why don't you post your stories some time too?

lena-jade, yes, I AM aware that I do have several grammar mistakes, although not many reviewers note that (probably 'cause we have the same grammar level). Next time, would you help me by clarifying those? That would be a big help! Oh, and I did note earlier in the first chapter that OOC characters are expected since this story is AU. But I reallllllly have to do something with Vincent. Oh well, maybe he knows Midgar a tad too much than anybody that he went ecstatic xP

Bah. Feedbacks are... lacking...