Reeve looked out over the rooftops of Kalm with a smile.� The sound of construction to the south filled him with a sense of pride, and he turned back to the blueprints on his desk.
When Midgar was struck by a blast of Lifestream energy, Reeve was already on his way out of the city.� He had been in the lobby of the Shinra building when Diamond Weapon had opened up on them.� The explosion sent him flying through the glass doors at the front of the building and left him trapped under a pile of rubble for several hours.� He finally pulled himself to safety, but he had badly damaged his leg in the escape.� He was limping out of the city when the Planet opened up with a reply of its own.� This time, he escaped injury, but soon collapsed in the barren stretch of soil that separated Midgar from Kalm.
Several citizens of Kalm found him sometime later and brought him back to the hospital in town, where he spent the next six months recuperating from a number of injuries.� His leg never completely healed, and he now walked with a limp and the aid of a cane.
It was during his recovery that he decided he would give back something to people of Kalm, who had nurtured him back to health.� With his background in Urban Development, he campaigned for and won his current position in the office of Mayor.
That had been four years ago.� When he looked out over the still-growing cityscape below him, he saw with pride that his oath had not been in vain.� Kalm was thriving.
I almost want to rename it Busy, Reeve thought to himself with a slight chuckle.� The door opened, and he turned.
Some of the members of his staff had gotten used to seeing a giant white Mog bounding through the building with a little black cat on his back.� Others were still unnerved by the sight.� To Reeve, it was a sight he couldn�t do without, ever since he had rewired Cait Sith to operate independently of his control.� Cait Sith was his right hand when it came to running the office.
�I have the new specs for the City Hall renovations,� Cait Sith informed him cheerily.
Reeve smiled.� �Great. �Let�s look at them.�
Cait Sith shook his little feline head.� �Nope.�
Reeve was taken aback.� �No?�
Cait Sith shook his head again.� �Nope.� Boss, you�ve been working for twenty hours straight.� You�ve got to take some time off.�
Reeve sighed.� �I�m wired, Cait.� I can�t sleep.�
Cait Sith shrugged both sets of shoulders.� �So?� Go down to the Golden Dragon and have a couple of beers.� That should calm you down a bit.�
�Won�t that ruin my image?� Reeve asked, concerned.� If the people of Kalm saw him tossing back brews�
Cait chuckled.� �Reeve, they know you�re a hard worker.� Look out that window and see for yourself.�
Reeve turned and looked out of his office window once more.� The smile returned to his face, but this time it was much more weary.
�Quite frankly,� Cait spoke up from behind him, �I�d be more worried if I didn�t see you let your hair down occasionally.�
Reeve laughed softly.� �You�re right, Cait.� I mean, it�s not like you can�t handle it.�
Cait nodded.� Reeve walked around the desk, patted the giant Mog on the back, and smiled.
�Thanks, Cait.�
Cait Sith smiled, and Reeve headed out the door.
�Another beer!�
The thin brunette behind the bar looked up at the rude man who was bellowing at her from the other end of the bar.� Even with the population explosion that Mayor Reeve had been encouraging through Kalm�s steady growth, she still managed to recognize her regulars.� This obnoxious blowhard looked like a tourist from Wutai.� She didn�t care.� She went about her business, waiting to see if he would try again in a more reasonable tone.
�Barmaid!� I�m talking to you!�
Obviously not.
�I have a name,� she hollered back.
�I don�t care what it is,� he bellowed.� �Just get me another beer!�
The brunette walked down to the end of the bar and glared at the man.� �You�ve had six.� That�s enough.�
One of her regulars, a slightly homely but well-meaning man named Neal, walked over.� �You need some help with this guy, Miss Lockheart?�
Tifa shook her head.� �Thanks, Neal.� I�ve got it.�
Neal nodded, shrugging.� He retreated to his table, where his fellow construction workers were seated.� There seemed to be more and more of them every day, Tifa noted.
The loud voice of the obnoxious patron before her, accompanied by his repulsive beer breath, snapped her back to her present situation.
�I decide when I�ve had enough, not some skinny barmaid!�
Tifa grabbed the man by the shirt collars.� �I don�t care who you think you are or what it is that you do where you come from, but here you will treat people with respect.� Remember that you�re a guest in this town!�
The tourist grabbed Tifa�s wrists and pulled her over the bar, tossing her onto a table and splitting it in half with the impact.
�Where I come from, we beat insolent women!� Let me give you a little demonstration.�� He stalked closer to Tifa, his grin a mile wide.
Tifa sprang to her feet, surprising her adversary.� He hesitated a moment, and Tifa took advantage of that moment, jumping forward and backhanding the large man across the jaw.� He fell back, and Tifa dropped down onto one hand, jamming her foot into his abdomen and knocking him back into the bar.� He hit the bar with a thump and shook his head, clearing it.� He began another charge and stopped short with the impact of a heavy wooden staff across his chest.� He collapsed onto his back and blinked a couple of times, trying to once again see straight.
When he focused again, he looked up at the man in the dark blue suit with shoulder length black hair and a neatly trimmed beard that stood over him, leaning on the cane that had struck him.� He got to his feet slowly and stood in front of the man with the cane, glaring at him.
�I don�t believe this concerns you, cripple!� the man barked.
The door to the bar opened, and the man with the cane smiled.� Without taking his eyes off the obnoxious tourist, he barked an order to the police officers that entered.
�Take this blowhard to the jail and show him some of our hospitality.�
The policemen took the tourist by his massive forearms and began to lead him away.� �Yes, Mr. Mayor.�
The tourist yanked one hand away, and Reeve thrust his cane forward, jamming it into the man�s throat.� The man fell back under the cane, and Reeve pinned him to the bar.� The policemen took hold of the man again and restrained him with a pair of handcuffs before leading him, still cursing and screaming, out of the bar.
�You�d think somewhere along the way, he would have had the good sense to make things easier on himself and apologize,� Reeve muttered in wonder as he stared after the raving tourist.
Tifa shrugged, then hopped back over the bar.� �Some people never learn.�
Reeve shook his head.� �That�s enough fun for me for one day, at least.�� He settled onto one of the barstools.� �Can I get a beer?�
Tifa nodded, pulling a bottle of Dragon�s Breath, imported from Wutai, from the cooler.� Reeve reached for his wallet, and Tifa stopped him.� �Don�t be ridiculous, Reeve.� It�s on the house.�
Reeve shrugged, and twisted the cap off the bottle before taking a long pull from it.� He took a few more sips while Tifa waited on a few of her regulars.� When she returned, he asked, �So, have you seen any of the others lately?�
Tifa nodded.� �Barrett was here not too long ago.� He brought Marlene for a visit.�
�She must be getting big by now,� Reeve guessed.
Tifa nodded.� �She�ll be turning nine this year.�
Reeve smiled.� �Where does the time go?�
�Barrett said the same thing,� Tifa agreed.� �He doesn�t see as much of her as he�d like, what with his job and everything.�
�How�s that going for him?�
�He�s almost finished overseeing the conversion of the old Gongaga reactor.� Next he�s on his way to Nibelheim, but he�s going to take some time off before he starts on that project.�
Reeve nodded.� �Good idea.� He works himself to death.�
Tifa laughed.� �This coming from you?�
Reeve held up his hands in a gesture of surrender.� �OK, point made.�
After another few moments, Reeve gently asked, �What about Cloud?�
Tifa paused.� Cloud was still a touchy subject for her.� Although they kept in touch, Cloud just wasn�t the same anymore.� After the group had been in Kalm for a few days, Cloud abruptly decided to leave.� He said he just had to go and create a life for himself before he could be a part of anyone else�s.� Tifa supposed she could understand.� Even when he had been�totally human, he had had a rough life.� Once Hojo had gotten hold of him and made him a human puppet, he truly learned what it meant to be in hell.
So she had not said too much when he left, simply asking him to stay a part of her life.� He had kept his promise, contacting her at least once a month, but those visits had lately turned into calls and letters, and had become more and more withdrawn in nature.� It was as if he was becoming a hermit, day by day.
When she noticed Reeve�s gentle eyes upon her, she smiled a bit.� �He sent me a letter last week.� He�s taking the new Chocobo crossbreed to Gold Saucer to auction off to some prospective racers.� He stands to make a pretty good sum from this one.�
Reeve chuckled to himself.� �As opposed to the other sales?� Cloud�s richer as a rancher than I�ll ever be as mayor.�
Tifa smiled more broadly, brightening.� She leaned over and chucked Reeve on the arm.� �I thought you were in it for the people,� she teased.
Reeve shrugged.� �I am.� But the pay isn�t bad.�
They laughed, and Reeve settled into his beer while Tifa waited on some more customers.
The ten hopefuls gathered in the jockey lounge, awaiting the beginning of the auction.� They had been training for months, but they knew that they needed an edge.� They needed something that would take them above and beyond the abilities of the more experienced racers.
Then the word got out that there would be an auction of three of the finest chocobos in the world.� Although they had tried to keep the information from one another, the word leaked out.� Now here they all sat, all ten of the rookie Chocobo jockeys, eyeing each other suspiciously.
Ester entered the room, and all eyes focused on her.� She smiled. ��From the most renowned Chocobo ranch in the world, I give you three of the world�s finest chocobos.�
The jockeys watched as a tall Chocobo with iridescent green feathers strutted into the chamber.� Their eyes perused the bird�s muscular legs as Esther spoke again.
�A Class S Mountain Chocobo.� Bidding starts at 50,000 gil.�
There was a timid wave of bidding, then a more solid onslaught.� When the storm had passed, the Chocobo was led away by a bald rookie for 120,000 gil.
The next Chocobo was led out.� It was large and powerfully built with black feathers that caught the light as it strutted to the head of the table.
�A Class S River and Mountain Chocobo, excellently trained.� Bidding starts at 100,000,� Ester announced.
This time, the bidding was more enthusiastic.� After about five minutes of bidding, a young rookie with a long black ponytail took the reins of the black beauty for 500,000.
Finally, there was a low wark from the corridor.� Ester smiled and reached for the reins of the last Chocobo. �It walked majestically to the front of the table, its golden yellow feathers nearly glowing in the light of the chamber.� The eight remaining jockeys caught their breath.
�A Class S Golden Chocobo, wonderfully trained.� Bidding starts at half a million.�
The high starting bid caught the rookies by surprise, but they soon recovered.� What was 500,000 gil, compared to the money they would make in the races with that Gold Chocobo?� There was a frenzied flurry of bids, and Esther closed out the bidding, awarding the eager blond jockey in the front the Gold Chocobo for 750,000 gil.
One by one, the rest of the jockeys filed out, and Ester headed out behind them, on her way to pay out to the owner of the chocobos.
�One million, three hundred and seventy thousand gil,� Ester announced as she deposited the money on the table in front of the Chocobo rancher.
Cloud smoothed the lapels of his jet-black suit jacket and smiled, separating some of the gil notes from the remainder of the money and sliding the rest back to Ester.� �Here�s your cut,� he replied.
Ester grinned happily, taking the 370,000 gil from the table and pocketing them.� �Pleasure doing business with you.�
Cloud nodded, and she departed.� He finished his drink and got to his feet, heading out of the bar.� As he stepped into the lobby, he caught the eye of a young man in a tight shirt and black combat trousers.� The man�boy, Cloud corrected himself; he barely looked to be eighteen�approached him with an arrogant look on his face.
�You�re Cloud Strife, aren�t you?� the boy asked.
Cloud half-smiled, nodding.� �Guilty as charged.�
The boy looked him up and down and sneered.� �You don�t look so tough.�
Cloud shrugged.� �I never claimed to be,� he conceded.
The boy brought up his fists in a challenging posture.� �Let�s see if you�re worth what they say, �cause all I see is some chump in a suit.�
Cloud shook his head.� �I�m not that man anymore, kid.� If that�s the kind of life you want, I pity you.�
The boy looked at him curiously.
�What�s your name, kid?� Cloud asked.
The boy slowly lowered his fists.� �Thorn.�
Cloud nodded.� �And what do you do, Thorn?�
Thorn shrugged.� �A little bit of everything.�
Cloud smiled sadly as he heard those words.� He looked into the young man�s deep, dark eyes and shook his head.� Did he really look like that, once upon a time?
�Does a little bit of everything pay well?� he asked.
Thorn reluctantly shook his head.� �Well, you know, I make a little here, a little there��
Cloud nodded.� �Of course, yes.� Absolutely.� Well, I�m glad to hear it.� I mean, I was just going to offer you a job, but��
He began to walk away.� Thorn grabbed his arm, and he looked down at the boy�s hand.� Thorn yanked his arm away quickly, and Cloud smoothed out his suit.
�What kind of job?� Thorn asked.
�It�s not glamorous,� Cloud explained.
�That�s OK,� Thorn assured him.
�It�s hard work,� Cloud added.
�I�m not afraid of work,� Thorn declared with a hint of pride.
�Good,� Cloud replied.� �I need a new stable hand.�
Thorn�s face fell a bit.� Cloud shrugged.
�If you don�t want to make five hundred gil a month, that�s fine, but...�
Thorn�s jaw dropped.� He stepped in front of Cloud as the older man tried to leave.� �I�ll take it.�
Cloud smiled.� �Good.� You know where my farm is?�
Thorn nodded.� �Everyone knows, Mr. Strife.�
�I�ll see you there tomorrow, bright and early.�� Cloud looked at the boy for a moment longer, then walked past him and into the railway car, leaving Thorn alone with visions of gil floating in his head.� He chuckled as the car eased into motion and descended from the Saucer.� Was he ever that young?
Doctor Haverly heard the door open behind him, followed by the familiar click of high heels on the tile floor.� He didn�t turn around.
�How is it going, Doctor?� the cold female voice inquired.
He chuckled to himself.� �Well, it�s the same as I told you yesterday.� There was a large amount of tissue damage.� It�s taking a long time to repair, even with the cell replacements you�ve given me.� Once again, I�d like to voice my concerns about the use of Mako energy in the cell infusion��
A strong hand whirled him around, and he blanched at the sight of the harsh blond woman�s face.� Her eyes burned with intensity beneath a scar that ran just above her right eyebrow. �He remembered sewing up that gash when she had first arrived, the other victim in her arms.� It had taken two full hours to carefully remove the piece of metal that had embedded itself in her head.� The daily pressure to succeed with the second patient, and the constant torment at his small failures, was his thanks for doing so.
�I�m not interested in your opinions, doctor,� the woman spat.� �I only want to see results.� Now fix him, or forfeit your life in the bargain!�
Doctor Haverly nodded.� �Yes, Scarlet.�
The blond woman released him, turned on her heel, and stalked from the room.� Doctor Haverly released a long-held breath of relief and turned back to his patient.