The Final Fantasy Pt. 2

Cloud awoke in the bed he had rented. The light from the morning shone in through the couple of windows that the shack had. He wiped his head clean of sweat and stood up. He began to stretch and then do his morning exercises. While finishing his last set of exercises a rumbling went off in his stomach and so he went down to the first floor to see if he could get an early meal.

When Cloud got down to the first floor, there were only a handful of people; most of them were eating their own early meals. Cloud sat down at a table. He was feeling good; he was ready for a fight. The dream he had had was already receding into a dark space in his mind, readying its self for the next appearance.

"What can I getcha, sir?" Joe, the old man who had helped Milo off the floor last night was speaking to Cloud. His hair was white and some of it spilled over onto his brow. Dark and light ruble covered his sun beaten jaw and upper lip. His clothes were the same raggedy type clothing that everyone else wore except a stained apron cover his.

"Do you have rice and eggs?"

"We do."

"What about grilled cheese?"

"We have that too."

"I'll have that and some diner rolls to go along with it."

"What will you have to drink?"

"Give me some milk."

"Alright, let me add this up first."

Joe set his mind to heavy consternation and eventually came to eight gil.

"Eight gil?" Cloud was confounded. "You're making a mistake. Any other place would charge me at least twenty gil. Recount the prices again."

"I've got it right. We do things a little differently around here. Don't worry, I know my math."

"If you say so," Cloud said unbelievingly. "Just don't come to me latter asking for more money because you got things wrong."

"Don't worry," said the old man and he began to laugh a bit. "I won't." He left to prepare the food.

Meanwhile Cloud speculated on how this merchant could afford to sell products for such a low price. The food probably taste rotten.

"Here is your milk." The old man set down a large cup of chilled milk right in front of Cloud. "That's some good milk, don't worry it's not bad." The old man left.

Cloud dared himself; he picked up the cup and slowly brought it to his nose. The milk smelled fine and it didn't look lumpy or murky and so he took a sip. Cool refreshing milk ran down his throat and into his waiting stomach. Cloud was surprised; that was some really good milk. Even the temperature was perfect. He drank some more but saved the rest for his meal.

A little longer and Joe brought Cloud's food out and set it on the table. "Here you go, sir."

"Tell me, Joe, why are you able to sell me this food so cheap? Is it about last night?"

Joe laughed a bit and then said, "No, no, it's not about last night. Our supplier sells cheap product and so then we're able to sell for cheap. That's basically how it works."

"But food prices are regulated by the Shinra government."

"Not all food but don't worry about that, just eat your food."

Hesitantly Cloud dropped the subject and tried the food. He spooned a portion of rice and egg into his mouth and then he took a bite out of his grilled cheese. Joe could tell by the expression on his face that the food was better than he had expected. Joe left Cloud to eat in peace.

After his meal, Cloud left a five-gil tip so that now he was left with 227. Since the morning had just arrived he went for a stroll around the vicinity to get a sense of the people. Fights usually started after dark and so he would have to find a way to stay busy until then.

There weren't many shops and so Cloud would have to settle for long walks throughout that section of Sector Seven. A small Shinra fortress hid itself among large hills of Sector Seven's garbage. At the summits of the hills abatis' surrounded the Shinra holding. In other places tiny crowds of gamblers united to bet over single gil. People seemed oblivious to their abject poverty. Some homes smelled as bad as the garbage dumps that the Shinra building had decided on staying nearby.

The walk abetted Cloud's anger. Getting out meant gaining gil and the precious Materia. Eventually, time slowly passed and Cloud made his way back toward the Seventh Heaven bar. A boisterous unruly crowd had gathered at the batwings of the bar. Some of the consumers were mimicking boxing moves that they themselves would never master. There was cheering and cajoling between the men and few women present. All the time the crowd kept getting larger and larger. A small amount of the middle class had come out of their way to see the fights it appeared or why else would they be there?

When Cloud was close enough to the crowd to be noticed, people quieted down and quietly admired Cloud and his large weapon.

Some questioned, "Who's that?"

Others said, "Got's to be a fighter!"

Cloud stopped as he was amongst the crowd and asked no one in particular, "When does the fighting start?"

Cloud didn't see but someone said, "Should start real soon."

"Where do the fighter's meet?" Cloud turned to the voice.

"At the side of the building, but we're all waiting for Barret to come out."

A tension griped Cloud but he didn't show it. He was looking at the middle-aged man who was speaking to him.

Cloud simply walked to the side of the building and waited. After a bit of waiting, Cloud could hear someone call out something. Then there was cheering and shouting when a few tough looking men walked around to where Cloud was. Some of the crowd had begun to turn the corner. Neighborhood children started to gather and whistle out in ecstasy.

"Make way for the champion!" The man that had talked to Cloud was shouting all types of lauds for Barret. Some of the others joined but the middle-aged man was the loudest and most fervent. The other fighters, the ones who had rounded the corner first, made a circle and Cloud was in the middle. They were all doggedly grinning at Cloud, trying to scare him. Cloud looked back, careless to anything going on around him. The crowd made a circle around the fighters and everyone made way so that Barret could enter the middle.

Barret was extremely large, well over six feet tall. He looked approximately three hundred pounds of mean taut muscle. At first, he walked in the middle of the circle without noticing Cloud but when he did he stared in disbelief. He gazed down from his zenith and seemed to peer down or more like through Cloud.

"Who are you supposed to be?"

Cloud mustered his courage. "I'm the fighter who's going to win tonight!"

For a moment everyone was quiet until the children started laughing. Then the rest of the crowd started to laugh as well. Even Barret was slightly amused but quickly he regained his haughty attitude.

"Do you think this is a game? You can get hurt little boy. Don't waste our time."

"The bigger they are the stupider they sound." Cloud was looking down at Barret's gargantuan feet.

The crowd was taken aback by Cloud's disrespect as short as he was in comparison to the overgrown Barret.

"This isn't David and Goliath you know?"

Some laughter erupted in the crowd but died away.

"It might not but it'll have the same result!"

"So brave, are you trying to die?"

"Enough! I didn't come here to talk!"

Barret didn't speak for at first but then he said, "I don't fight little boys, if you want to fight take one of the others. Ivan, take him."

A rugged looking man from one of the fighters stepped into the circle as Barret stepped back.

Ivan grimaced at Cloud through his dark red beard. "Make your bets!" He shouted.

Cloud stood nonchalantly, his knees were slack and his arms were to his side. Ivan loomed side-to-side walking around Cloud trying to frighten him. His head was lowered and he looked like a wild dog on the verge of pouncing.

"Egh!" Ivan wildly swung a wide overhead punch with his right fist. Before he could land it he was falling down to the floor unconscious.

The crowd was startled into silence. Barret grew wide-eyed and amazed. The fighters took a step back and Cloud called simply looked down on his fallen victim.

Someone out in the crowd was speaking to someone else, "Did you see that? He done spun around like a top and kicked that there guy in the face! You ever see anything like it? I'll be damned!"

Barret hadn't expected the newcomer to know how to fight so well. "Ike! Get in there and beat him down!"

A clean-cut bald man stepped out wearing jeans and a flannel shirt buttoned to the collar. He moved cautiously around Cloud. Still, Cloud moved lethargically around as if he were thinking of more important things he could be doing with his time. The crowd was watching Cloud, waiting for him to do one of his special moves. Hoping that he would be their underdog to take on Barret.

Cloud leaned his head in toward Ike and Ike swung at it but Cloud was too fast for him. He pulled his head back and gave an upward kick to Ike's hand. Again, everyone was amazed at Cloud's blurred speed. Ike's hand flew up over his head and the before he knew it he had been given a kick to the head. The blow was so strong that Ike collapsed to the floor next to his friend.

This time the whole crowd was in fervor. People were jumping and shouting in applause. The fighters were talking amongst each other and Barret was loosing his temper. The veins on his neck bulged and his fist were contracted into solid rocks. One of the fighters stepped out into the circle. He motioned for his fellow fighters to drag the unconscious losers out of the way.

His hair was long and he wore baggy pants and a black muscle-shirt. "You do that kick well but is that all you do?"

Cloud didn't respond. Unlike the others this guy didn't intend on making the first move. Cloud got closer and closer until the fighter was almost at kicking distance. The fighter stared at Cloud, unwavered by Cloud's previous accomplishments.

"What are you going to do now?" Scorned the fighter.

Cloud faked a jab moving forward as he did so. The fighter tried to right-hand punch Cloud but Cloud leaned to his right and swung at the fighter's jaw. There was a loud smack as Cloud's knuckles buried into the fighter's face. Cloud retracted his arm and backed off.

The fighter shook his head a few times and wore of the oncoming dizzy spell. He looked up at Cloud, angry, hurt, and frustrated then said, "I have some tricks of my own." He started to dance around, all the time he moved closer to Cloud. Cloud's back finally came to the wall of fighters behind him and stopped moving. The fighter muzzled a ludicrous grin that was trying to submerge when he made an upward kick towards Cloud's face. The kick was intentionally sloppy so that Cloud would try to bypass the kick and move forward to counter-attack. Cloud did and then the fighter windmill kicked. Cloud seen the kick coming before the fighter had started. He ducked and the sound of the foot rushing by flew overhead and landed back on the ground without meeting out its purpose. The fighter was confused when he didn't feel anything hit the back of his foot. Cloud spun around while he was on the ground and he extended his leg. Cloud's heavy boot swept the fighter's legs from underneath him and he fell to the ground.

"That's your trick?" Cloud walked to the middle of the circle for the fighter to get up.

Barret's eye started to twitch and he could feel his nails digging into the flesh of his palms. "Get up you fool or you'll wish you were never born!"

"Come on, Frank, get up!" One of the fighters cheered their comrade on.

Frank got up as quickly as he could; his buttocks were sore but not as much as his pride. "You lousy no good trick fighter. I'll kill you!" He charged at Cloud with arms wide over his head ready to grab onto anything and not let go.

Cloud hunkered down a bit and when Frank was close enough he forced himself to uppercut with as much strength as he could. Frank fumbled to the floor at Barret's feet. Barret pushed him away with his boot and stood brooding.

Two fighters jumped out into the circle and one of them was yelling at Cloud, "You can't mess with our brother like that." The other brother looked to the remaining fighters and said, "Let's get this outsider out of here!" Before anyone could respond Cloud unsheathed Buster. The two brothers stopped, the crowd was stupefied, and even Barret looked uncomfortable.

"Stop!" Barret looked around to the others. "You two get your brother out of here." Barret then looked to Cloud and asked, "What did you come here for?"

"To beat you."

Barret took Cloud seriously then. "Come here tomorrow night. That's when I fight. That's when the good fighters will be here." Barret turned around and the crowd made a path for him.

Slowly the crowd dispersed and Cloud was left alone. He could feel the ache in his leg from all the kicking he had done. Lazily Cloud went back to the eatery to rest and get something to eat.

He was given grits and some bread along with some water to drink. His aching leg was resting on an unoccupied chair. Cloud could barely wait for tomorrow to arrive, the thought of fighting Barret was exciting and frightening at the same time. After his meal, Cloud went to his bed and rested for tomorrow. Cloud had no dreams that night; he was too tired.

Cloud woke up to a stiff leg and the morning sun beaming through the foggy window. He stood in bed for a while, massaging his leg, warming it. The cabin was cool but not empty. There was another man there though he was asleep and his back was turned to Cloud. The air was cool, too cool for Cloud's leg. He got out of bed and went outside and stayed on the third floor overlooking Sector Seven. The sun helped to make his leg feel better so he stayed out there at the top of the stairs until his stomach urged him to go look for breakfast.

Again he was served grits and bread with water to drink but he didn't complain. He was hungry and so he ate until he was satisfied and most of his meal was gone. After eating the tasteless food Cloud repeated his walks and window shop visits until the fights got close.

Unlike yesterday there was a wide throng of people gathered at Seventh Heaven, some of them just lookers and others with money riding on their favorite fighters.

The sun was still up and beating down the last of its strength. Children ran about as if they were about to be entertained with clowns at a circus. Cloud made his way to the crowd gathered about the same place as the other day. They were all looking in the bar where the fighters had gathered, apparently no customers were allowed in the bar before the fight.

Some of the people recognized Cloud from the other night and a man started hollering out to the crowd, "Fighter! Fighter coming through, makes way you stupid idgits!" The crowd started to open up and Cloud walked through, looking at the grins of exited faces from young and old alike.

Cloud stepped inside and all the fighters looked, unkindly faces sneered and squinted at the intruder. Cloud seemed not to notice the glares and walked to the fighters who were circled around the bar's center table.

"Who are you?" A man with a thick mustache and wide arms stood up and questioned. He folded his arms across his chest and tilted his head.

"I'm here to fight." Cloud's anger started to rise ever so slightly.

"This is the pro's night. No amateurs allowed." The man smiled widely and looked at his companions for support. More laughter came out of the fighters.

"If you want, I'll take you first." Cloud was looking into the man's eyes.

"You won't last one minute little man." Some more chuckles came and subsided.

"I'll take you here in front of everyone if you want?"

There was a cheer from outside and the man shot a hate filled glance at the direction and then back to Cloud. "You little maggot!" He started walking over to Cloud, his fists clenched at his side. His breathing was getting loud and his head was turning red from embarrassment and frustration. "I'm going to ring your neck!"

Cloud smirked; he pulled Buster from its sheath and held it out in front of him.

Everything and everyone stood quiet even the man stopped in his tracks. "I see…" Before he could finish what he was saying Cloud stomped Buster into the ground blade first.

Cloud looked up at the man, wide eyed and full of fury. Cloud was at his peak, blood pumped fresh new energy into every fiber of muscle in his body. Tonight was a great night, a night to expend energy. Tonight was a night to fight!

Cloud ran up to the man, jumped into the air, and kicked the man to the side of the face. The spectators at the bat wing door crowded and some fell inward and fell on the floor of the bar from all the pushing shoving to see the new guy fight. They were wide eyed and astonished at the visitor's skills. The man quivered but didn't fall. He shook his head and wiped the dizziness that tried to take him down. He didn't say anything; he only raised his arms in a boxer's position and circled Cloud. He was breathing heavily and his eyes were wide with apprehension.

Cloud jolted his head and arms left and right. Might as well have a little fun seeing that it was a good night. The man flinched with almost every movement that Cloud made towards him. Again the man jabbed at Cloud and Cloud backed away. A smile was beginning to protrude from Cloud's lips. The people were starting to enter the bar without the permission of the fighters and that was unheard of. Little children were scrambling between the legs of adults, stepping on toes, pinching legs, anything to look at the underdog.

Cloud wasn't looking like an underdog just then. "Are you sure you want to keep going?"

The man looked crazed and didn't answer. He tried and tried but his punches weren't nearly as fast as his opponent's dodges. He faked a jab and swung with his right arm instead. Cloud left hooked him in the ribs and circled behind him.

Cloud was simply standing there with a smile as if he'd been there waiting for five minutes now. By the fighter's stance, Cloud could tell the left hook had been more painful then the man was leading on. Cloud could see that the fighter was about to give a powerful right and so he beat him to it. The whole instance took no more than a couple of seconds. There was the smash of the man's nose breaking and then the slam of his body crashing to the floor.

The crowd was delirious; the fighters were incensed. Some of the adults had picked up the shouting children and were twirling them around the room. Cloud looked on prideful at his victory. Barret snapped out of his stupor and collected his scattered thoughts. "Shut up!" Instantaneously the room silenced.

"What's wrong Barret? You can't share the glory? Do you want to be next?" Cloud was facing Barret with his arms surely crossed in front of his chest.

Mouths dropped and breaths held tight. Surely, the people asked themselves, Barret is unbeatable. Any hit inflicted on him would be like a fly trying to take down a horse. But there it was, a fly on the attack, a fly with a sword.

"If that's what it takes than that's what it takes. Just remember you're the one who asked to fight with me."

Cloud held off another taunt; this was it, there was no turning back. He re-sheathed Buster.

Cloud and Barret left the confines of the bar and walked to the side of the bar as they always had and waited for everyone to make a circle around them. Again, fighters were on the inside while patrons made the outer circle.

"Let's get this business over with little man." Barret was much faster than Cloud had expected. Barret had turned to sideways and gave a sidekick to Cloud's head but Cloud ducked. Just after kicking, Barret gave a right hook to Cloud's recovering duck. Barret had nicked the front of Cloud's jaw and the salty taste of blood swooshed around in Cloud's mouth. Cloud's head rocked slightly and he recovered just in time to dodge Barret's elbow. Cloud punched Barret in the kidney with less force than he had hoped for.