The Final Fantasy Pt. 2

Figaro was not far and Cloud quickly found Figaro Market. Once there, Cloud asked different people to give him directions to the nearest Materia shop and they pointed the way. When he finally found the shop, it was smaller than Cloud had first expected. Hopefully good Materia lay inside. He pushed for the door to open but it was locked. He knocked on the door and peeped inside. Through the glass, Cloud could see a three-sided display case inside. To the left was dull Materia and to the right was bright Materia and connecting the two cases was the third with a few bulgy pouches, most likely Ultimate Materia! Cloud fervently looked around for someone but there was only a curtain at the rear wall of the store. Cloud pounded on the glass of the front door and eventually a man walked through the curtain and inspected Cloud.

The man was tall and brawny, dark skinned and he had a thick beard. He looked at Cloud's sword for a second and then unlocked the door and opened it a foot wide.

"Wha du wan?"

"I want to buy Materia?"

"Yu wan tu buy Maateria? How much?"

Cloud didn't understand, "How much?"

"How much money u have?"

"I don't have that much money, right now but I'm going to get some!"

"Why du u bother me when u don hav money?"

"I want to know how much I have to save, I'm a fighter and I'll have the money soon." Cloud leaned sideways so the man could see Buster better.

"Iz dat why u hav da sord?"

"Yes.
The man thought briefly and then said, "Hmm… Come in."

After Cloud entered, the brawny man locked the door and walked behind the glass counter.

"Wha type u wan? Dull, Bright"

Cloud shook his head, "I want the best! Ultimate!"

"Oh… Ulltimete iz verre egspenzive."

"How much?"

"Depands on yu, wha type u wan? Fire, ice."

"What causes the most damage?"

"Causes da mos damege to wha, a persan? Anyding Ulltimate will kill a person."

"What's the cheapest and what's the most expensive?"

"In dis stor da strongest Materia is dis one."

The brawny man opened the glass case from a sliding door in the back and pulled a pouch out. "Dis iz wha yu looking for. The man opened the pouch and an awesome yellow light poured out. "It'z butiful, yez?"

"M a t e r i a!" Cloud stared on, changed from within, strengthened in his conviction of getting a piece of the powerful energy.

"Dis one iz is electiicaal. Thee bezt one I have."

"How much?"

The man looked at Cloud and said, "Fifteen thousand gil."

"Fifteen!" cried Cloud.

"It'z wordth da prize."

Cloud made a cupping gesture and said, "Let me hold it."

"Jus for a moment."

The brawny man handed the precious Materia to cloud, still in the pouch.

"Don hold it in yur handz too long or id'll start to heet up."

Cloud shook his head. "Thank you." He lifted the pouch from the bottom and let the Materia fall out onto his gloved palm. Immediately his hand began to feel warm. "Wow, it is warm."

"Yez."

Cloud looked at the center, almost too bright to stare at. The middle of the roughly cut Materia was the brightest and the most beautiful. Cloud felt powerful with the deadly energy in his hands, if only he knew how to use it.

"How does it work?"

"I wud hav to fit it to yur weapon. Then id wud work on it'z own. Unles yu ar a mage, but yu don look lik one."

"You can't give me a lower price? Maybe 500 or a 1000 less?"

"No, absoluutelly not! This is rare and wanderfull."

"I admit, it is."

The Materia started to get too hot and Cloud sadly put it back in its pouch.

"I tell you as a favar. You can make paymant to me. At least 1000 gil a month but you must put 3000 gil as your first payment."

Cloud's dreams seemed to be coming true. "Ok, I'll come back as soon as possible with the 3000 gil." He was ecstatic; he could barely contain himself. He moved to the door and unlocked it.

"Bedder be fas my frend, someone might ged id firs!"

Cloud stepped outside after the shopkeeper's warning and thought about his words. Gotta be fast or someone else'll get it! No telling when another piece of Materia that good'll be in the market! Gotta get some money! …Gotta be quick…gotta fight! Cloud left to find a bar, the best place to find information about fight competitions.

Figaro had plenty of saloons and Cloud went into one named Rigo's Pub. The bar was a decent place, for Midgar at least. None of the windows were scuffed up; the swinging saloon doors didn't hang off their hinges. Degenerates didn't hang about trying to beg a pint of ale off the passerby. A couple of older men walked out of Rigo's but neither were they degenerates nor drunkards.

Perhaps, this place is a little too…high up the ladder to have any idea about where fight competitions are held. One way to find out. Cloud passed the older men and pushed the swinging doors aside and walked through.

Inside the pub, things were merrily lit and small groups of men were seated together, laughing and telling crude jokes to one another. The smell of cigars and beer danced in the air and it had a spinning effect on Cloud's head. The bar keep was busy pouring a hard drink (that is, hard liquor) for one of the patrons sitting on a stool at the bar. There were three Shinra sitting down at a table near in the corner. They were passing glances at Cloud, looking at his sword; one of them was smoking the remainders of a stubby cigar and puffing out billows of dark smoke. Cloud turned away, not wanting a confrontation for surely Shinra loved to shove their weight around. He sat down at one of the stools.

The barkeep walked over to where Cloud was sitting. "Aye, what can I getcha?

"I'll have a pint, how much?"

"Two gil, sir."

Cloud put ten on the bar table and without saying a word looked deeply and seriously into the keep's eyes and said, "I'm looking for something. Maybe you can help me."

"Aye sir, just ask what it is and I'll do my best."

Cloud nodded and smiled. "This money is from fighting. That's how I make living. It's running low and I need more. Where do I go?"

The barkeep crookedly smiled and protruded his finger into the air as if he had happened on a rare epiphany of special truth and said, "I know of a place, right close too, in this very sector…"

Cloud's features dropped and the barkeep stopped talking.

"I forgot to mention one thing; I'm a decent enough fighter and I need good wages. Can you tell me where I can find a good competition?"

The light's shone off the keeper's eyes and wide grin broadened to show the man's unsightly teeth. "Oh … he, he, he. I know where you would like to go." While talking, the keeper picked up the ten gil and walked off to serve another customer and then returned. "You'll be wanting to go to sector seven, yes, that's where you'd want to be going."

Cloud took a big drink from his pint and wiped the foam from his mouth. Obviously, the keeper wanted to get paid more money for the location of the fight competition. Cloud frowned. "Where in Sector Seven?"

"Oh … it's important to you? But would you look at this? Here I is loosing money jabbering to ya while I should be serving me customers!"

Cloud looked tiresomely at the bar keep and said, "I see, you tell me what I want to know and I'll pay you what you've lost."

"What a nice man you are. I'll only ask but a small amount and not even that especially that from the eyes of a future money making fighter!"

There was whistling from across the room, the corner to be exact. One of the Shinra was standing up and holding an empty mug in his hand. "Hey! Barkeep, bring me a fresh pint and be quick!" He sat down and stared at Cloud for a moment but then Cloud turned to finish his ale and the man continued talking to his Shinra friends.

After filling the Shinra's mug, the barkeep returned. "Sorry their sir, would you like another?

Cloud pushed the mug over to the keep and the keep filled it to the brim, blew the foam off and then slowly filled the rest with ale.

"There you go sir. Now about Sector Seven." The keep cleared his throat as if he were going to begin a very important speech. "Sometimes bar's run a little low on drinks, mostly holidays when men's heart's are full of cheer, you know?"

Cloud impatiently agreed and beat down the urge to demand the exact location of the bar in the most concise answer the keep could muster but Cloud was afraid the keep would raise the information's price even higher.

"Yes, go on."

The keep stuffed a tail of shirt that had spilled out and continued, "Well, bars will sell their extra liquor to other bars that've run out, for a reasonable amount of gil mind you! On a fair amount of occasions, I've had to buy from different bars across all seven sectors! During this time, one gets to build a small relationship in the business of others. Owners try to get you to fund their different schemes to get rich! I usually pass, I'm happy with mine own." The keep looked up and stared at the rafters, forgetting about the point he was talking in the first place.

Cloud looked on in eager anticipation. "And?"

The keep was taken aback and laughed a little laugh to himself and apologized. "You have to forgive me, not everyday a young lad passes by willing to hear my old stories. By the way, is that beer good?"

Cloud hadn't even started drinking. He took a quick sip and commented, "Yes, it's good, better than most I've tasted."

"Aye, that's good sir. You know, most people pay for their drinks first. The keep smiled and then walked off to serve a customer that had walked in."

Cloud dug into his pocket and counted forty gil. He'd better not try to get more or I'll start my own fight competition right here!

When the keep came back, he put the money in his trousers without much notice. "Thank ye much. Now, I won't be taking more of your time. I know that you younger people have much energy to spend on your fruitless labors."

Cloud frowned for a second and wished the keep would hurry. He also thought a dreadful thought. What if the keep was wrong and he wastes his time and gil to go to a place that isn't worth going to? The Materia might be gone by that time! Hopefully things would go right.

"In sector seven, find Main Street. Then, look for South Alley fifty-three. It won't take you long; Alley fifty-three isn't much to begin with. From there, find a bar named "Seventh Heaven", got it?"

"Main Street, South Alley Fifty-Three, Seventh Heaven, got it." Cloud stood up, full of energy and ambition.

"Aren't ya even gonna finish your beer?"

"No time!"

"That's what all the youngsters say! You'll be wanting it later!" The keep was yelling but Cloud was already on the street jogging toward a train that would take him to Sector Seven.

People were looking at Cloud run through Figaro and looked behind him, expecting to see a group of Shinra chasing after him but of course there was no one. Buster, bounced and wavered on Cloud's back, making the run a bit more difficult than necessary. No matter, Cloud's desperation to get to Sector Seven pushed him on. The trains ran all day; Cloud hoped he would reach Sector Seven before midnight.

After a time of running and then some jogging, Cloud reached Midgar's main train station that ran through all of Midgar's Seven Sectors. It was three times as large as the other trains and it ran at a much faster pace. Besides it's size and speed it was the nicest looking train in all of Midgar.

Cloud was still huffing and puffing while he waited in line for the next departure. A ticket would cost fifteen gil, five gil for each sector crossed. There were three people ahead of him including one that was currently purchasing tickets. They were dressed in good clothes and they stole uncomfortable glances at Cloud. He felt as if the whole station was looking at him and his over-sized sword, a sword that he had named Buster.

The man at the window was given a ticket and when starting to walk away said, "My goodness, what a big sword!"

"Next," asked the woman in the booth.

A young couple made their way to the woman and began their transaction. They received their tickets and walked past Cloud with a look of unease. The next person was an older man, tall, thin with a bushy mustache. He purchased a ticket and slightly bowed his head to Cloud and walked on. Cloud smiled inwardly, surprised that the old man made a friendly gesture to someone who was carrying such a boisterous weapon.

"Next," The woman spoke smugly in her safe little den. "Are you on the right train, sir?"

"I'm positive, give me a ticket for Sector Seven."

"Thirty gil, sir."

Cloud handed the ready payment through the little glass opening and took his ticket. He then joined the crowd of people gathered at the train, waiting for the conductor to let them on. He noticed a man taking small steps toward him. He turned his face slightly to get a better view without being noticed. It was the man with a bushy mustache and he had gotten to where he was only a few feet from where Cloud was waiting.

"Are you a fighter?" The man whispered.

Cloud looked over at the man and said, "Why do you whisper?"

"Excuse me," the man raised his voice. "I didn't want to call any unwanted notice. People are looking at you enough."

"Yeah."

"So… Are you?"

Cloud hesitated. "Yes."

"I thought maybe you were with Soldier for a moment."

"I was… but then I left."

"Didn't like things did you? All orders no real action is there?"

Cloud just looked at the man. "How would you know?"

"I'm an old man, I know. Not old enough so that I can't fight."

A few of the people who were waiting for the conductor and heard what the old man was saying and walking to some of the other carts.

The old man gave a quiet laugh. "Where are you headed if you don't mind my asking?"

Cloud didn't see the harm in talking to the man. "I'm headed to Sector Seven."

The man looked at the train, through it, and reminisced, "I used to go to Sector Seven, to a place called Seventh Heaven." The man caught Cloud's amazed expression. "Oh, that's where you're going?"

Cloud was about to ask how the man came to know about Seventh Heaven when the man started to speak again.

"Yes, I used to go there myself. I'm too old for that now. Fighting is for young blood like yours. I got myself a wife and a decent enough job to stay out of the trouble these days."

"What's your name?"

"My name is Cid, what's yours?"

"Cloud, Cloud Strife."

The conductor opened the first car door and called out to the people, "All aboard."

"Where are you going, Cid?"

"I'm going to the next Sector, we can sit at one of the lounge tables if you'd like."

"Ok."

"The lounge is in the back so let's get moving."

The two men walked to the luncheon car, gave their passes to the ticket holder and got a table with a big window.

"There isn't that much too look at but it's better than nothing," said Cid.

"I don't know. I try not to take in Midgar when I don't have to. I just want to get out."

"Where do you want to go?"

Cloud looked down at the table. He looked intensely at the knots in the wood and thought about where he would go. He'd never been out of Midgar before and neither had he known anyone who has. As far as he knew, he didn't know how to leave, there were no trains that left out of Midgar. There were a few ideas that floated around but nothing well founded.

"I don't care, anything would be better than Midgar."

The older mad could remember making similar convictions when he was young but little by little responsibilities crept in and then the wife and kids came along. Dreams went away as did the time and Cid recalled them no longer.

"When we're young, we don't fear. We don't worry. We think, everything will come on it's own. I don't know if I admire or pity you."

"I'm happy I'm the way I am. I don't worry about anyone except myself. I only have to cloth and feed me! My dreams are big and I accomplish all that I set before myself!" Cloud felt better; he foreboded good things in his future, for the time being.

"Ho, ho, ho," cried Cid. "I can remember saying that when I was your age!" Cid extended his index finger at Cloud in a mock accusing manner.

"What were your dreams?"

"My dreams?" Cid pondered. He could feel the pull of the engine starting. Cid was looking out the window and he was wondering back to the days of his young manhood. It's been so long. I remember I wanted to leave Midgar. Before that though, I wanted to become the best fighter. After, I planned to leave with my now wife and live a quiet life someplace far. "Well…I basically wanted the same as yourself. To leave this place. Be the best fighter in all the Seven Sectors. I don't know why, I just wanted something different for myself. Different from what everybody else wanted. I thought I couldn't stand living here like everyone else. I guess I've proved that wrong, huh?" Cid let out an unpleasant chuckle.

Cloud looked out the window in pity. "When I get out of here, you and your family can come along, if you still want to… leave."

Cid looked at Cloud with glazing eyes and said, "If you get out and you find there's something out there worth living for I'll leave this life."

Cloud's eyes popped open and he began to laugh. He pounded his fist against the table and put the other to his stomach. "That was fast," and then he began to laugh again, whole-heartedly.

Cid couldn't watch Cloud without joining. Soon the two of them felt the cramps from their uncontrolled laughter. The laughter abated as the two watched the slums go by and the gloomy view soon eradicated any humor they had about them.

"I can't stay here. It's draining the life out of me. I can't become…"

"What? You can't become like me?"

Cloud tried to search for the right words. He didn't want to make Cid angry. He was the closest thing to a friend that he's had for a long time. "I didn't mean…I wasn't trying to upset…"

"No… it doesn't bother me. I don't want you to become like me either. Go with your dreams for as far as they'll take you. Some go farther than others. Mine stopped short of my goals. How long will yours last? That's up to you."

Cloud returned his gaze to the window without saying anything. For the rest of the ride the two didn't speak much. Some words were exchanged but the desire to converse had dwindled. The train eventually made its stop at Sector Five and most of the passengers got off but Cid stayed on.

Cid spoke slowly and softly as if he had known Cloud all his life. "Do you have money?"

Cloud was surprised at the break of their quiet. "Yeah, why?"

"Nothing much, are you hungry?"

"I should probably be the one to buy you something."

"Poppy cock. Waiter!"

A short slim man came to the table with menus. "Would you like something for dinner or perhaps just a drink?"

"Both please."

"Excellent sir, would you like a moment with the menu?"

"Yes, thank you but just a moment."

"Very good, here you go," the waiter handed a menu to Cid and then to Cloud. The waiter eyed Cloud suspiciously and then left.

"I've never gotten anything from here before, what are you going to have, Cid?"

"Hmm… try the steak and potatoes. Not every day that you have that, huh?"

Cloud looked up at Cid and almost laughed. "I have that all the time. I'm a fighter remember, fast easy money! Ring a bell?"

Cid chuckled. "Yes, thank you for reminding me. I'm fortunate enough to have a good job. I manage a string of small motels. Nothing fancy, I get to travel and check on things whenever I want. Anyhow, what'll you have to drink? Do you drink wine?"

"No… do they have some good ale?"

"I'm sure they do but for today try some red wine with me. If you're not satisfied I'll order their best ale," Cid made another chuckle.

"Fine, I'll try the ale. I've had wine before but I didn't like it.