From The Ashes
Chapter 1
The city of Midgar had once been a thriving metropolis. It had been home to Shinra, the biggest company in the world. It held more people than any other city on the planet.
Now, it was the largest graveyard on the planet. The city had been decimated by Meteor, leaving it a ghost town. Of the seven plates that had once hung over the city, only two had survived. Even those two plates had been bare of life. The skyscrapers that had once made Midgar proud were nothing but rubble and dust. The Mako reactors that had once powered Midgar were now powerless. Not even birds flew near the city. Indeed, the city was devoid of any meaningful life.
Only one area had any power or life left. A small laboratory underneath the surface of even lower-Midgar. It's depth and structure had acted like a bomb-shelter from Meteor. It had it's own generators as well, so the lack of Mako Reactors had not effected it's work. Indeed, three computers were working still, even though their creators had long since been to the lab. The computers were all wired to a teenage boy, who lay sleeping on the table. He had been sleeping there for two years.
The city of Kalm was usually a bright and cheerful place. The small town had experienced growth due to the loss of Midgar and Shinra. Still, it had kept it's small time feel. Children played in the streets without fear. Neighbors knew each other's name. It was the perfect little town.
Today, it was not so bright and cheerful. The rain beat down on the streets, causing small puddles to form in ruts. Only a few people dared go out in the storm. Slowly, a visitor walked into the city. No one really noticed him. He slowly walked towards the bar, looking around. Finally, he walked into the bar and shook his hair a bit, sending water off. Everyone in the bar slowly glanced back at him. He nodded and waved slowly. They politely returned the stranger's wave and went back to drinking. The bartender walked out from the back, carrying a tray with drinks on it
"Ok guys, got your drinks..." she said, looking towards the door to see who had come in. Her eyes widened as she dropped the tray. The glasses shattered all over the ground as the beer formed a puddle on the ground.
"Hey Tifa..." Cloud slowly said.
The computers in the laboratory kept working. Then, two of the computers turned off and the other one stopped running its programs and went back to it's start screen. Slowly, the boy on the table opened his eyes. He blinked once, then sat up and looked around.
"Hello" the computer sounded through it's speakers. The boy looked over at it. Slowly, he pushed off the table and walked over to the computer. He leaned down and looked at the screen. He then began to read the screen. After a moment or two, he sat down on a chair. After he finished reading what was on the screen, he reached over and grabbed the mouse and began to look around the computer for information.
Cloud sat at the small table. His eyes wandered around the room, looking at the small items throughout the room. But for the most part, it was bare. He looked down at the magazine he had attempted to read, but he was not able to focus enough to read it clearly. He tapped his feet on the ground, his eyes stopping when he heard the door rattling. Quickly, his eyes locked onto the door. It opened as Tifa stepped in, carrying a bag of groceries. Cloud quickly stood up and walked over, taking them for her.
"Here, I got that" he said, rumbling the bag around, trying to get a steady grip. Tifa smiled at him.
"Thanks Cloud. Can you put it on the kitchen top?" she asked as she shook her head, water flying everywhere. Cloud carried the bag in and set it down on the counter-top. She followed him in and pulled out some fruits from the top.
"Sorry I was gone so long. As soon as I got off work, I remembered I was low on food. And with you here, I figured I'd better pick some extra up" she said softly as she began to put food away. Cloud shrugged a bit.
"Tifa, you didn't have to do that" he said quickly. He felt a tinge of a blush on his face. He was hoping she would not notice. She quickly looked at him, the smile still on her face.
"So what do you want for dinner? I bought some steaks. I got some chicken. I can make soup. You name it, I'll make it" she said, still putting food away. Cloud scratched his head.
"Gosh, Tifa, I dunno. Make whatever you want" he said, watching her put stuff away. Gingerly, she tossed an apple at him. It caught him off ground and smacked his cheek. He snatched it in mid-air and looked at her.
"Hey, watch it!" he said as she giggled at him.
"Not my fault you got slow!" she said, still laughing. Cloud took a bite from the apple as Tifa pulled out the carrots and some potatoes.
"Whatcha making?" Cloud said through a mouthful of apple. Tifa gave him a quick glare.
"Chew before you speak! That's gross! And I'm gonna make a stew" she said as she pulled out a big pot and filled it with hot water. Cloud swallowed down the apple.
"That sounds good" he remarked before he took another bite of apple. Tifa looked over at him as she stopped the water. She opened a drawer and pulled out a knife. She then began to chop up carrots.
"So how was your trip?" she asked softly. She looked over at him sharply, and saw him swallow again.
"Oh...it went well, I suppose" Cloud said, taking another bite of the apple. Tifa slowly looked down when she realized the carrot had been totally cut. She quickly pushed the pieces into the pot as she began to another carrot.
"I mean...you at peace now, completely?" she asked timidly. She glanced back over at him. Cloud swallowed hard now. He took another bite and slowly chewed on it, his mind working hard. Slowly, he swallowed again.
"Well, I don't think anyone is ever completely at peace...but...yeah, I came to terms" he said slowly. He took another bite of the apple, chewing harder now. Tifa glanced down and pushed the carrot pieces into the pot. She moved another carrot over and began to cut it as well.
"So...I mean Cloud, I'm not saying we don't miss her...but she can't come back..." Tifa said slowly, still chopping carrots. Cloud nodded just a tad as he kept chewing the apple. He swallowed hard again.
"I know Tifa. It was just...I let her down. I failed her..." he said softly. Tifa stopped cutting the carrot a moment and looked at him. She took a deep breath and nodded a bit. She went back to chopping the carrot. Cloud took an uncomfortable bite out of the apple and just looked at Tifa. As she finished cutting the carrot, she pushed it into the pot and looked over at Cloud, dropping the knife on the cutting surface.
"Cloud, we all failed her in that sense...but look, we saved the world. You didn't let us down. Didn't let ME down, Cloud..." she said slowly, picking up the knife again. She sighed softly and went to cut carrots again. Suddenly, the apple core hit her shoulder. She quickly looked over at Cloud, a small smile on his face.
"I know that silly..." he said softly, then walked over and looked in the pot. She blinked a few times, then smiled softly.
The boy stood up and looked down at the screen. He felt a small chill go down his spine. He then turned and walked over to a small locker in the room. He instinctively picked up the lock and put in the combination, then pushed the lock off and opened the door. Inside, there was a backpack. He unzipped it at once and pulled out a denim jacket and put it on. He shrugged to make it fit better then picked up the backpack. He slung it over one shoulder as he walked back to the computer. He stared at it another moment, then walked behind it. He reached down and grabbed the power cord and yanked it from the wall. He then walked to the only door in the room and opened it, leaving the laboratory behind him.
"He did what?" Tifa said, a touch of disbelief in her voice. She smiled as she scrubbed a bowl.
"Yeah, he finally got around to fixing the Tiny Bronco" Cloud said. He stood beside her, trying valiantly to dry the dishes without spots. Tifa laughed a bit.
"I thought he said after we ruined it, he would never even bother" she remarked as she scrubbed hard. Cloud just shrugged as he gave up on one bowl and moved to another.
"I think he did it out of boredom. He's waiting for a grant to work on the rocket" Cloud responded, desperately trying to get the water drips off the plates. Tifa smoothed her hair back a moment, then went back to scrubbing. She pulled the plate out and sat it on the kitchen counter. She went to work on the last plate.
"So how was Barret doing?" she asked, a tiny smile appearing on her face at the mere mention of his name. Cloud shrugged a bit as he finally gave up on the bowl he was working on and grabbed the fresh plate.
"Barret was doing fine when I was there. I didn't get a chance to talk to him too much though. He was pretty busy helping clean up North Coral and all. He did say to say "Hello" Cloud stated, rubbing the plate with all his might. Tifa's tiny smile got bigger.
"That's nice. Hey, wanna give him a call tomorrow?" Tifa said suddenly. Cloud looked over at her and nodded.
"Sure Tifa, that's a good idea. It's been a while since we were all together. It would be nice to see him again and be able to sit down and talk" Cloud said, scrubbing the plate hard. Tifa finished her last plate and put it on the kitchen counter. She looked at Cloud and sighed.
"You don't even know how to dry? And yes, it'll be nice. It's been too long since I saw him" she said as she picked up a cloth and began to go over the bowls Cloud had vainly tried to dry.
"This isn't easy! And do you have off tomorrow?" he asked. Tifa nodded a bit.
"Sure, they'll let me take off. I haven't taken much time off. They've been pushing me too" she said quickly, as she quickly dried the bowls. Cloud put down the plate and sighed.
"I give up on these" he stated. Tifa rolled her eyes as she picked up the plates.
"I do all the cooking, all the table setting, and all the cleaning, and you can't even dry the dishes!" she said, a few giggles escaping from her. Cloud just shrugged and smirked.
"Hey, you offered!" he said. Tifa quickly dried the last plate, then threw the wet drying rag at him.
"Well, I was hoping for a little help!" she said as Cloud threw the rag back at her. Giggling, she dove to the ground and tried to dodge the rag. Cloud quickly grabbed the other rag and threw that at her as well, as the whole apartment was filled with laughter.
Slowly, the manhole cover pushed upwards as rocks and rubble fell off the sides. With a push, the manhole cover went into the air and off to the side. The boy slowly crawled out from underground and looked around. All around him, he saw destroyed buildings. Large pieces of rubble filled the streets. Looking upwards, he saw a large hanging plate in the air. He squinted his eyes at it, then began to walk down the road, avoiding large pieces of fallen metal and cement on the ground. Finally, he slowed to a stop and looked at what was left of a building. He scanned it for identification, but saw none. He blinked and frowned in frustration. This was the spot. Or so he thought. He took a few steps forward but then saw what was left of a mailbox. He slowly bent and picked it up. He looked at the address, then nodded. He walked to the rubble and slowly began moving it away from the foundation, piece by piece.
"Hello Barret" Tifa said into the phone. She twisted the phone cord around her fingers tightly.
"Tifa! Hey" Barret responded. Tifa smiled a bit.
"Hey...glad you didn't forget me" she said softly.
"How could I forget you?" Barret responded. Tifa kinda shrugged and smiled some more.
"I dunno...sorry. But anyways, how you doing? Cloud said you were doing good" she said quickly, trying to get past the uncomfortable introduction.
"Oh, Spikey is there? Did he give you my message?" Barret asked. Tifa nodded to herself.
"Yeah, he did. So again, how is it going?" she asked again. She felt nervous; which was odd. She had no reason to be nervous about talking to Barret.
"Oh, I'm doing fine Tifa! God damn body is a bit sore from all the work, but otherwise, I'm doin good. How about you?" Barret asked.
"Oh, I'm doin good. I work at the bar in Kalm, remember it? Yeah, I got a job there. But hey, Barret, you busy today?" Tifa asked. As soon as she got the words out, she gulped down hard.
"Well, I got some work to do, but why do you ask?" Barret responded. Tifa gulped a bit more.
"Oh, no real reason Barret...well, Cloud and me were talking and we wanted to know if you wanted to come and visit maybe" Tifa said quickly, her whole body shaking a bit. She tried calming herself down. She had no reason to think Barret would say no.
"Oh, well, I can come on over tomorrow. It'll take me a day or so to get to Costa-Del-Sol to catch a ride over there. But ya, sure, I'd love to see you and Spikey again" Barret responded. Tifa smiled as her tense body loosened at once. She felt relieved.
"That's great Barret. So tomorrow then?" she asked softly.
"Yep Tifa. I'll see you then, ok?" he responded. Tifa nodded again, even though he would not see it.
"I'll see you then Barret. Bye" she said softly.
"Bye Tifa. Seeya soon" he said as he hung up the phone. Tifa slowly hung up the phone with a big smile on her face. She had not realized how much she had missed him until she had been talking to him. Cloud walked into the room, aware the conversation was over.
"So, is he coming over?" Cloud asked softly. Tifa nodded happily.
"Yep, he said he'll be here tomorrow" she said smiling.
The door creaked open as the teen pushed it. He carefully walked into the room. He felt around for a light switch, finally finding it. Once he flicked it, the room jumped to life. Light burst into the room, bringing it back to life. A computer turned on, the soft glow of the screen adding more light. The boy walked over to the computer, glancing at it. He dropped his bag to the ground and sat down at the computer. Slowly, he began to type, the light from the screen glowing off his face. His face was filled with determination as he typed, slowly examining all the information that was present for him. His face slowly changed. The determination slowly melted away, as his eyes went wide as he blinked a few times, not knowing what to do He stopped reading and took a few deep breathes. He shook his head a bit then began to read again. The confusion disappeared as he read on. His face bent in anger as he read on a bit. He clenched his fist as he read on. Finally, he turned his head from the computer and slammed a fist into the desk, shaking the computer.
Cloud sat on the ground outside the bar. A small bag sat to the left of him as he waited. He just sat there, looking down at his hands. He slowly moved his fingers around, trying to pin them down. He frowned in frustration as he kept going.
"So who is winning?" Tifa asked from behind him, her arm propped up against the wall. Cloud quickly looked up at her. He blushed a tad.
"Um...me, I guess..." he said. She just smiled down at him. Quickly, Cloud hopped up to his feet. He opened the bag and reached in. He pulled out two apples and began to juggle them into the air. Tifa looked over as they walked along. She quickly snatched one out of the air. Cloud grabbed the other one as Tifa giggled a bit.
"Hey, don't do that!" he said. Tifa shined the apple on her shirt then took a bite out of it.
"Oh, you mean you didn't bring one for me?" Tifa asked, sounding hurt. She frowned a bit as Cloud looked over, flustered.
"What? No, I mean, I did but...!" he began, but Tifa's face burst into a huge grin, her lips shaking. Finally, she started laughing.
"Oh my gosh. You are so serious Cloud" she said, still giggling a bit. When she finally stopped, she took another bite out of the apple. She twisted her head a bit, sending her hair flapping all over. Cloud just looked at her as he crossed his arms.
"You like picking on me" he said, acting hurt. She just smirked as she looked over.
"Oh, that's nonsense. Come on, cheer up! Barret is coming over tomorrow; you're not allowed to be miserable" Tifa said, taking another bite of her apple. Cloud just shrugged a bit as they walked along. He slowed down a bit as he looked to the left of them. Tifa came to a stop a head of him and followed his look. Their was a small garden with pink and red roses. Cloud sighed a bit, then looked back at Tifa.
"You know...all I want to do is say goodbye...and thank you" he said, his voice catching. Tifa looked at him. She slowly put her hands on his shoulders and gently rubbed them for him. She looked at the roses herself.
"So do I Cloud...so do I....but we can't. She's in the Lifestream now...I bet she can hear us, ya know?" Tifa said in a whisper. Her face was feeling flush. Cloud tilted his head a bit.
"I'd like to think so...she meant a lot to us...to me..." Cloud said as he closed his eyes. Tifa gripped his shoulders gently.
"Me too....me too..." Tifa said slowly, her own eyes closed. After a few moments, Tifa let go off one hand and gently pulled Cloud a bit.
"And we both know she wouldn't want us standing here mopping over here" Tifa stated. She smiled softly at Cloud. Slowly, a smiled crawled onto his face.
"You're right Tifa...you're right..." he said. They both slowly turned away from the flowers. They walked back towards Tifa's place. Cloud and Tifa both took a bite out of their apple and chewed slowly, thinking in their head. Cloud leaned his head up and swallowed down the apple.
"Thank you Aeris" Cloud said suddenly. Tifa blinked a few times as she swallowed down her own apple. A smile covered her face as well.
"Thank you Aeris" Tifa said as well. They turned to each other and smiled softly. Tifa gently put an arm around Cloud and leaned on him a bit as they walked down the road.
The boy picked up his bag quickly and flung it over his shoulder. He stomped out of the room, avoiding clutter. He had searched the room and find no more information. He stomped down the hallway. He looked down at the ground as he walked, noticing the fallen bodies of scientists and other technicians. He was looking up when something caught his eye, causing him to stop. He quickly reached down and ripped a disk away from someone's dead hand. He squinted his eyes, mouthing some words that were on the disk. Shocked, the boy turned and ran back to the room. He jumped over some rubble, quickly reaching the computer. He quickly plugged the disk into the computer and pulled up the files. His eyes went wide as he read the screen. He went back and re-read the whole thing, making sure he had it right. He blinked a few times, standing up and stepping away from the computer. He quickly ran over to the wall and pulled a painting off the wall, revealing a safe. He glanced back at the computer and then looked down at the lock. He quickly unlocked the door and opened. A sneer crossed his face as he looked inside.
The night sky was filled with bright stars. The cloud were moving in, but the moon still lit the sky up. It was such a calm and peaceful night.
Tifa laid on her bed, looking out at the night sky. Her eyes reflected the moon's brightness, and the night air filled her lungs. She grasped the blanket tightly in her hands, looking out the window. Tomorrow was going to be a big day, and her belly rumbled waiting for it.
"Why am I so worried...Barret is my friend...I mean, he's been my friend a long time. Why am I so paranoid? He's still my friend! He didn't change or anything...come on Tifa, don't worry!" she said to herself, still looking out the window. She took a deep breathe. Soon, the overcast had cover up the moon. She sighed a bit as she heard some rain drops hitting her roof. Slowly, she stood up and walked to the window. She looked out it, watching the rain storm let loose. She leaned her elbows on the window ledge and looked out at the night sky. She sighed softly.
"I'm just worrying about nothing...I mean...I am Barret's friend. I am Cloud's...friend. It's just been too long...gosh, it has. I'd love to see everybody again. I miss them all" she said, looking outward. The rain picked up, finally catching Tifa on the face. She smiled slightly as she stepped back and closed the window. She slowly laid back down on her bed. She pulled the covers up to her chin and looked out the window. She saw as the window went from water speckled to being like a wave, going down the window. She curled up a bit, still looking at the window. She smiled a little bit more.
"They're my friends..." she said slowly. She yawned and stretched out, then curled back up. She closed her eyes and fell asleep, with a smile on her face.
The skies were opening up and letting the rain drops fall to the ground below. They splattered all over the ground, forming puddles and streams all over the ground. The dirt path from Midgar to Kalm was turning to a mud path. Very few people had used the road lately.
Slowly, the mud splashed upwards as the boy walked down the path. He clenched his backpack to him, looking forward. Streaks of rain covered his face, as he had to blink every few moments to keep the water out of his eyes. His eyes stayed focused on the path ahead however. The rain picked up, however, and even more of it began to fall. Loud cracks and booms of thunder filled the air. Streaks of lightning filled the sky, acting like lanterns in his journey. He stopped for a moment and looked upward. He blinked a few times as he stared up into the storm clouds. After a few moments, he looked forward and began walking again. He clenched the bag tighter as he walked, as a few more thunder cracks were heard in the air. His focus was still dead ahead of him. A flash of lightning filled the sky, and in the distance, he saw Kalm. A sneer curled up his lips as he stopped for a moment. As lightning flashed again, he saw the city again. He shrugged his shoulders a moment then began to walk again; his destination now in site.
"Do you see it yet?" Tifa asked, her feet stepping in place. Cloud looked over at her and blinked a few times, then looked back upwards towards the sky.
"Tifa, you just asked me that. No, I haven't seen it yet. When I see, you'll see it. You need to calm down a bit" Cloud said, crossing his arms. They both shifted their shoulders a bit as the cold breeze from the near by river hit him. Tifa quickly hugged herself and looked down at the muddy ground.
"It sure did storm bad last night" Tifa said, stabbing her toe into the ground. Cloud looked down at the ground as well, then looked back up at the sky.
"I heard it pounding on the building. It started thundering and lightning later in the night" Cloud said, his arms clenched to his chest. Tifa blinked then glanced over at him.
"Are you having trouble sleeping?" she asked, her tone very direct. Cloud did not turn to meet her glance.
"Well, everyone has to go to the bathroom" he responded. He kept looking upwards at the sky, awaiting the helicopter carrying Barret. Tifa gently grabbed his arm and tugged him a bit.
"Cloud, if you're having problems..." she muttered. Cloud glanced over and smiled a tad.
"You'll be the first to know...honestly, it was just going to the bathroom. The thunder was a bit annoying, but I got over it" he said. He tilted his head a bit and looked at her. She responded by tilting her head back as well and glancing into his eyes.
"Is that a promise?" she asked, her voice barely making it over the wind. Cloud nodded twice.
"Yeah, Tifa...if I am ever having problems, you'll be the first person to know" Cloud whispered back. He slowly looked back up at the sky. Tifa sighed happily and looked back up at the sky as well. The wind brushed into them again, as both tensed up to battle the cold breeze.
"He should be here soon" Tifa said, stepping her feet in place again. Cloud nodded his agreement. Faintly, he thought he smelled something. He blinked and sniffed the air a few times, then looked at Tifa.
"Do you smell that?" he asked calmly, sniffing the air. Tifa blinked a few times, then sniffed the air herself. She looked back over her shoulder at the town. Cloud followed her look and turned to face the city. A hill was in the way, but the wind was coming from that direction. Both of them sniffed the air once more and took a deep breathe.
"That smells like smoke..." Cloud said. Both of them started jogging at once towards the city. They slowly trotted up the hill and looked down. The moment they reached the top of the hill, their eyes went wide. Tifa's mouth hung open. She was unable to say anything for a moment. Her breathing picked up a drastic pace. She quickly grabbed Cloud's arm and held it tightly.
"It's a nightmare. It's a nightmare...!" she said, flinging herself to Cloud. He just looked at the town, one arm limply around her. His own eyes were wide with fear.
"It's...it's....it's like Nibelheim" he stuttered, then pulled Tifa away a bit. Their eyes locked, and then both turned and ran down towards the burning city of Kalm.
The boy glared downward over the counter at the person lying on the ground. He quickly jumped over the counter, his feet landing on the body. He walked to the left and looked underneath the counter. He eyed the safe; the lock un done and the door opened just a bit. He reached down and opened the safe door. He bent down and looked inside the safe. A bright blue piece of materia sat there. He slowly reached in and pulled it out. He held it up and looked at it. The blue glow stood out against the flames and smoke coming from the window that acted as its backdrop. The boy put the materia in his pocket as he hopped over the counter again and kicked open the door to the shop. Flames shot up and covered the area in its grasp. The boy stood their, the flames barely tickling him. He sneered as he walked through the flames.
"Tifa!" Cloud screamed as he ran back into Kalm. The flames spurted upward, covering the city. His face felt flushed. He quickly turned back to the others who had fled the city.
"Stay here..." he said, running back into the city. He saw some more people running to escape the city; their faces masked in both fear and relief. He saw flames. He looked around for Tifa. He saw flames. He saw Tifa's apartment. He saw flames. He searched for her figure in the windows, his face covered in sweat.
"Cloud..!" he heard Tifa screamed, and turned to his left. She had just kicked down a door to a home, where soon after a family came running out. The flames were everywhere, covering everything. Tifa coughed a bit from the smoke, covering her mouth with her blackened hands. Cloud quickly ran over to her.
"Come on Tifa, we gotta go...! It's getting to bad to stay...!" he screamed. Tifa just turned back to the area where the bar she worked it was. All she could see was smoke and flames everywhere.
"I gotta make sure..." she said, running towards the bar, jumping over the fallen door. She raced through the flames, desperately seeking out the bar. Cloud followed her, running as fast as his legs could, trying to stop her. Finally, he reached her and grabbed her by the arm. She struggled to keep running, but Cloud held on tightly, trying to pull her back.
"No, Tifa, stop..." he screamed at her. She turned to say something. Then, suddenly, the whole area near the bar exploded. Tifa's body was thrown into Cloud, who barely held his ground and stayed standing. He quickly covered her face with his hands and turned away from the explosion. Tifa fought to turn around and see, but Cloud held on tightly. Tifa finally pulled free and looked back at the area.
"No! No! Not again! Not again!" Tifa screamed, pulling completely away from Cloud. The both of them watched as the whole area began to crumble downward in an wave of destruction. Dust and smoke filled the air and soon they could see nothing of what happened to the bar. Cloud and Tifa just stared at the destruction. Tifa turned slowly to Cloud.
"Come...come on, let's go..." she said quickly. Cloud squinted a bit and did not respond. She grabbed his arm and tugged a bit, then turned to see what he was looking at. Then, to their shock, they saw someone walking towards them.
"Hey..!" Cloud screamed, waving his hands to get the person's attention. The dust and rubble was all over the area by now, falling from the sky like little dive-bombers.
"Hurry up, come....on...." Tifa said, then began to stutter. Cloud rubbed his eyes a bit. Through the flames came walking a teenage boy. His eyes cut into their own. He slowly walked through the flames, the sneer still on his face. Tifa and Cloud just stared, their own eyes wide in shock. The boy walked right between them without stopping. Both Cloud and Tifa turned around quickly and watched him walked through some flames; his silver hair still visible to them.
"Who is that...that can't be...! It can't!" Tifa screamed. Cloud shook his head.
"It's not...but..but...who...Hey! Who are you?!" Cloud screamed with anger. The boy kept walking forward, his march forward uninterrupted.
"From the ashes of the fallen, he shall rise again. I am the Phoenix" the boy said sharply, the flames dancing around him, causing a screen of fire between them and him.. Cloud suddenly sprinted after him, causing Tifa to follow him. Cloud ducked his head down and covered it with his arms as he ran through the flames. Just as he came out of the flames near the front of Kalm, the boy sucker-punched him in the head. Cloud's eyes went wide as he stumbled. The boy grabbed him by the back and threw him into a building. Tifa came running out of the flames, her own eyes downward, covered by her head. When she looked up, she saw Cloud lying against the building, trying to pull himself up. She started to run towards him, but the boy kicked her in the ribs from the side. Tifa let out a scream as she started to fall to the ground. Before she could, the boy grabbed her by the neck and swung her into the building. She hit the door and fell inward towards the flaming building. Cloud finally got back to his feet and stared at the boy. The sneer was still on the boy's face. Cloud clenched his fists in anger.
"Cloud...Cloud help!" Tifa screamed suddenly. Cloud turned around and faced the building. He looked back over his shoulder, but the boy was already gone. Without wasting another moment Cloud went running into the building. Tifa was lying on her side, grabbing her knee. The entire building smelled of smoke and death.
"Hold on Tifa" Cloud screamed, running towards her. He gently helped her up, but Tifa's knee buckled and she almost fell. Cloud quickly picked her up and ran out of the building, and all the way out of Kalm. As soon as they were safe, Cloud turned around, still holding Tifa. Both of them watched as the flames engulfed and destroyed the city of Kalm.
"We almost there?" Barret asked from the back of the helicopter. The pilot looked downward at the earth below.
"Almost sir..." the pilot said, looking forward again. Barret reached forward for a better view. A head of them was a huge cloud. He frowned a bit.
"I thought ya said no storms this time of the day" Barret said. The pilot reached for the radio.
"Junon Air Control; this is Sky-Rider 2404. Request weather report over Kalm" the pilot said calmly. Barret's eyes narrowed as he looked forward.
"That looks like smoke" he said, scratching his chin. The radio buzzed a bit; cracking with noise.
"Sky-Rider 2404, this is Air Control. No reports of bad weather in the area. No communication with Kalm in an hour however" the controller said. The pilot nodded.
"Air Control, thank you. Sky-Rider out" the pilot stated as he put the radio down. He slowed down as the helicopter reached the growing clouds. Barret looked to his left and saw what remained of Midgar. Anger filled his face, then he turned forward again.
"Maybe something is on fire down there" Barret stated. The pilot nodded a bit.
"Yes sir; most likely. I'm going to put you down a little farther out; only a 10 minute walk away. I don't want to get caught in the smoke" the pilot said. Barret nodded a bit, gripping his fist tightly.
"That's fine..." he said, his thoughts suddenly filled with Tifa or Cloud in danger. Then he remembered it was Cloud and Tifa. The same Cloud and Tifa who had helped save the world.
"Nonsense...those two...in trouble....ha...well...it is those two" Barret thought to himself as the helicopter began to slowly drop towards the ground.
"Prepare for landing" the pilot said. Barret sighed and leaned back a bit.
"Hey...can you wait a few moments...? I wanna go check on the city, make sure everything is ok...we may need to get to Junon" he said. The pilot nodded.
"Roger that; someone may need medical attention" the pilot stated again as he landed the helicopter. Barret grabbed his bag and quickly jumped out. He waved at the pilot and ran towards the city. He saw the clouds of smoke over the hilltops. Finally, he began to descend down a hill, he saw the flaming city. He saw the groups of people outside the city. He saw the flames. He saw the smoke. He could almost see the horror on their faces. He dropped his bag and ran back towards the helicopter.
The boy stood on a mountain top, overlooking Kalm. He looked back at the city, then down at his hand. Slowly opening it revealed the bright blue materia. He stared at the materia a few moments, then quickly grasped it and turned around. He walked over to his backpack and leaned down. He unzipped the bag and put in the blue materia. He threw the bag over his shoulder and turned to face the burning city of Kalm one more time. The sneer faded from his face a bit. It had been the same, but had it been enough? He would find out soon enough. He slowly walked down the mountain path and headed downward towards the flat greens. Once he reached the plain, he turned back once more and looked upward. He saw the smoke in the air.
"The evil we do" he spoke softly, then began to walk towards his next destination.
"Tifa! Cloud" Barret screamed as he ran through the horde of people standing outside the city. He bumped into just about anyone in his way, quickly racing towards the city. He knew Tifa. He knew Cloud.
"They both are dumb enough to go run in there" he thought to himself as he ran towards the city. Then, he saw the trademark spike blond hair. He saw two legs sticking out the side of him. He ran forward, the relief unmeasurable.
"Cloud! Tifa" he screamed, his voice filled with happiness. Cloud looked over his shoulder while Tifa peered over his other shoulder. Tifa's smoke-covered face lit up when she saw Barret.
"Barret...!" was all she could scream. Barret reached them and opened his hands at once. Cloud slowly handed Tifa over to Barret, who grabbed her in a huge bear hug. Tifa clung to him at once. Barret slowly scooped her up with his massive arms and looked at Cloud. Cloud smiled a bit, then frowned as he turned back towards the city. Tifa just buried her head on Barret, who walked up to stand next to Cloud.
"Cloud...what...what happened?" he asked. Cloud looked down a bit and sighed. His face was covered in black dirt; his clothes smelled of smoke.
"We're not sure...no one really knows...but...but...it was intentional. It's an arson...and...we think we know who did it..." Cloud said slowly, the words coming slower than molasses. Tifa pulled away finally, then instantly tried to get out of Barret's embrace. Barret blinked, but then gently set her down. The moment she was free, Tifa's left foot buckled and she almost fell, but Barret quickly grabbed her and helped her stand. He looked at Tifa and squinted as his face filled with rage.
"Who did this? Who? We'll make them pay!" he screamed. Tifa slowly looked up at him; her face filled with emotion.
"Barret...it...it was this...this....he was Sephiroth! It was! It was like his ghost!" Tifa screamed, then again buried herself on Barret's massive chest. Barret blinked, then looked at Cloud. Cloud shook his head a bit, his face drooping.
"No...that's impossible...but...but...it was this kid. This kid, Barret...he had that hair. That silver hair. It was short, though...and his eyes...their pierced us. They were the most...most terrible thing I've seen in a long time. He...he walked right through the flames, like Sephiroth did at Nibelheim...it was like Nibelheim..." Cloud said, his last words barely heard. He slowly looked back at the city, the flames finally dying down some. Barret looked down at Tifa, who slowly pulled away from Barret and again looked back at the city.
"It's...it's...it's just a dream! It's got to be! No one goes through this twice...!" she screamed. Cloud looked back at her, his own face filled with sorrow.
"Tifa...it's no dream...it's a nightmare..." he said, then slowly looked back at the city. All three, and every other person there, watched the city of Kalm die that night.
Darkness descended on the city of Kalm. The flames had been out awhile, but the smoke and smell lingered. "Well..." Barret said, looking over at Tifa. She had bundled herself up in a blanket as the firefighters, police, and volunteers had began to put out the fire and start the clean-up duty. She had stayed outside the city, to afraid to go back in it. She turned to Barret sadly.
"Every home I have, Barret, every home I have is taken from me...maybe I don't deserve one" she muttered, her eyes hollow. Barret shook his head.
"That's nonsense Tifa, and you know it! Damn; I mean you had nothing to do with this. Hell, I directly destroyed my home town...both with good intentions and all, but come on Tifa...!" he said, looking at her with hard eyes. Tifa looked away from him and down at the ground.
"You know Barret, when we meet, I had nothing to lose...I had realized what had happened at Nibelheim. Then Cloud came back, then Aeris, then this, then that. I mean...we saved the planet Barret, and now what? We barely see each other. I guess I thought I had friends..." she said. Barret stood up at once and slammed his gun-hand into his regular hand.
"Knock that off Tifa! You have friends; friends who care about you! I care! Cloud cares! Cid, Red, that brat Yuffie, Reeve or Cait, and I bet even Vincent would be here if they knew you were in trouble! Tifa, this is a horrible thing; what has happened to Kalm. Kalm can be rebuilt. The people are going to be ok...I mean, it's not Nibelheim. The city isn't a coffin! And you know what, any of your friends would help if you asked! A lot of bad has happened to you; so has to everyone today. But never say you 'had' friends. You have, and will always have, friends! You got me?" he said. Tifa looked on him, her eyes blinking. Slowly, she nodded, a lump in her throat.
"Yeah...yeah....sorry Barret...this was such a long day..." she said, her eyes turning away from him. Barret sighed a bit and nodded sadly.
"I'm sorry Tifa...don't let this destroy you. I mean, how hard can some crazy kid be to find. And when we do, we'll pay him back double" Barret said sharply. Tifa nodded a bit, then looked up at the city.
"Barret...it was just a coincidence, right? I mean, kid's got silver hair, right...? And those dark glowing eyes...right? I'm not crazy, am I?" Tifa said, gripping the blanket tightly in her hands. Barret shook his head.
"No Tifa; you're not crazy. Cloud saw the same thing. So did a few townspeople" Barret pointed out. Tifa turned to him slowly.
"And was it a coincidence...?" she asked slowly, her eyes seeking. Barret just shook his head.
"Tifa; we all know Sephiroth had no family. You think they'd wait this long to show up? I think it's just someone going for the Sephiroth look. I mean, realistically, some sicko is bound to wanna look like that" Barret said, looking down at her. Tifa nodded a few times.
"You got a point...I mean, he sucker-punched us. It's not like he was Sephiroth's son and laid waste to us. " Tifa added, a small smile on her face. Barret grinned back.
"That's the Tifa I know" he said. Tifa turned back to face the city, her hair whipping in the air.
"The Tifa you know is gonna teach that jerk a lesson" she added. The smile on her face grew as she saw a figure approaching them. Her smiled widened.
"Well, hello stranger" she said. Cloud smirked a bit as he approached. As he reached her, he tossed something onto her lap. She slowly picked up the God's Hand and slipped it onto her hand. She looked up at Cloud. She blinked a bit as a single glance of light caught her eye. She looked up and saw it was being reflected off of the sword on Cloud's back. He looked down at her, then up at Barret.
"I say we leave tomorrow morning, if your knee is up to it Tifa" Cloud spoke softly. Tifa and Barret nodded at him.