Final Fantasy 7: The Return of the Crisis

Chapter 2: In the Wrecked Grounds

  Cloud watched Midgar as Cid is about to land the Escape Plane. 
Midgar, once the largest and most advance city in the world, now 
collapsed in ruin. This city brought back too much memories to Cloud. 
The struggle of him to go into SOLDIER, how he was used as a specimen 
in Shinra Company, the death of Zack outside Midgar, and the first 
meeting of that beautiful flower girl which he will never forget in his 
life. Cloud sighed and head towards the exit when Cid landed the Plane.
  When all the people board off the Plane, all they saw was wrecked 
buildings, bits of fire everywhere, and some people walking in the 
wreckage looking at their once proud home city. Suddenly Cloud got this
strange feeling. He cannot describe it, but he know he had this kind of 
feeling when he saw Aeris for the first time. He looked around and 
caught his eye on a blue caped man, armed with a sword, jumped across a
pile of dump and disappeared. Cloud thought it might be one of SOLDIER 
returning to see Midgar, so he forgot about it and went on observing 
the wreckage.
  The Sector walls were totally crushed, the Sector pillars were 
charged down, everywhere they looked, there's damaged buildings and 
people crying. By a uncontrolled force, Cloud left the group and 
started to walk towards to the place which was once Sector 5 Slums. He 
stood there, looking at the half corrupted church. It is still the same
old look, except that the walls cracked and the roof collapsed. He 
pushed the door, and it fell down, giving a lound thud. He walked in, 
and saw someone with their back towards Cloud. Just as Cloud was 
wondering who can she be, she turned around and looked at Cloud. Cloud 
was shocked, that smile....that beautiful face....that dress....can it
be? Cloud rubbed his eyes and took a closer look....she's not there?
  "Of course she's not here, she was killed by Sephiroth....it is just 
an illusion." thought Cloud sadly.
  He bent down, looking at the flowers that Aeris once took care of. 
These flowers was protected by a few fallen wooden plank in the tornado 
rampage. Cloud looked at the flowers closely, they were just like 
Aeris's face smiling at him. A fall of a piece of wood in the back room 
of the church distracted his concentration. He stood up and ran to the
back room. Just as he kicked open the door, he caught a glimpse of a 
blue cape through a crack in the wall. He ran towards it, but the 
person wearing blue cape seems to sense his approach so the person ran
away. Once again, Cloud has this strange feeling just like he had when 
he first meet Aeris. He felt weird about this, but he think that this 
is not necessary anymore. He left the back room and went back to the 
flower pile at the main hall of the church.
  Barret sat on top of all the junk infront of Sector 7 wall with 
Marlene in his hand. He looked into the fallen Sector 7 as if he could 
see Biggs, Wedge and Jessie.
  "Daddy? Can we go see the flower girl's church now?" asked Marlene.
  "Sure, let's go." answered Barret.
  Barret picked up Marlene and headed back towards Sector 5. As they 
entered the church, they saw Cloud still observing the flower on the 
ground. Barret started to walk towards Cloud, but Cloud was too 
concentrated so he didn't notice.
  "Cloud, still thinking of Aeris?" asked Barret as he patted Cloud on 
the shoulder from behind.
  "Oh, its you Barret. Er...yes I am, I was thinking of Aeris just 
then." answered Cloud, giving a sad look as he turned around.
  "Oh look at all those pretty flowers!!" cried Marlene joyfully.
  Marlene jumped down from Barret's shoulder and went forward to look
at the flowers. Cloud and Barret walked aside to talk, leaving Marlene 
to play with the flowers. They sat on the front stairs of the church.
  "So, how severely was Midgar damaged?" asked Cloud.
  "Well, most of the Sectors walls and pillars were destroyed. 4/5 of the
Shinra HQ were annihilated and mostly it is the top part and the exterior
bit. And, all 5 Mako Reactors were destroyed so all the Mako energy
inside, leaked out. Even though some of the Midgar grounds will have Mako
poisoning, but on the positive side, what was once drained from Earth now
gets to be restored." said Barret.
  "What about the citizens of Midgar? Does Shinra Company have any plans
about where to settle all of them?" asked Cloud
  "Since Rufus, Scarlet and Heidegger, those highly ranked people died,
Shinra Company shattered. Luckily, Reeve survived and took control of 
Midgar Shinra Company. Now he is leading the remaining Shinra workcrew and
SOLDIER to set up tents and rebuild parts of the city. But strangely, a
Shinra General who's in Junon, took over it straight after the disaster
ended. But he did send some men here to help with the rebuilding." answered
Barret.
  "What was his name?" asked Cloud again.
  "I think it was Barl, never heard of him in the Shinra Company. Anyway,
you want to meet the group he sent here? They are currently in Sector 4,
observing the Mako Energy leakage there." asked Barret.
  "Alright, I need to know more about this General Barl too" said Cloud, as
he went into the church and took Marlene out.
  They climbed over the junk in Sector 5 and head for Sector 4. When they
got there, some of the fallen buildings were removed off the ground by the
Junon Shinra Company and some tents and caravans were set up. They glanced
around and saw several groups SOLDIER removing waste materials, accompanied
by a few scientists observing the poisoned ground.
  "Hey, is Welson here?" Barret asked, towards a group of scientists.
  "I'm here." A sound appeared from behind. Cloud and barret turned around
and saw a tall and mascular man smiling at them.
  "Greetings, I am Welson. I am the leader of the Rescue Team from Junon
Shinra Company. Nice to meet you." he reached his hand torwards Cloud for a
hand shake as soon as he finished speaking.
  "Nice to meet you too. I am Cloud, an ex-SOLDIER." greeted Cloud as he
shook his hand with Welson's. Strangely, that feeling came across him for
the third time as soon as he touched his hand.
  "So you are Cloud, eh?", Welson continued "I heard alot of things about
you. You are very courageous to challenge Midgar Shinra, Jenova and
Sephiroth."
  "How do you know all these?" asked Cloud.
  "For a long time, Junon Shinra does not like the doings of Midgar Shinra.
General Barl at that time, sent spies to infiltrate Midgar Shinra's plans
and experiment. But they find out that General Barl is against them, so they
hunted him down and retake Junon Shinra. Luckily, General Barl escaped by
hiding in the Underwater Mako Reactor. After the world disaster is over, 
General Barl re-led the army and took over the control of Junon Shinra. I
was one of the spies at that time so I know all these." explained Welson.
  "So this is how he rose to power..." said Cloud, finally understood.
  "Well, would you please excuse me now, as I have some more observation
to do." said Welson.
  "Okay, bye for now." said Cloud and Barret.
  Cloud watched him walked towards a poisoned ground. He thought: Why do I
have the same strange feeling to him like I have with Aeris and when I come
close the blue caped man? These questions have been bothering him, but he
thought there's no need to find out. He looked at the sky, it is getting
dark so he called Barret along with Marlene to go back to the outside of
Sector 1, where they parke the Escape Plane.
  When the three of them got there, they saw the others were there already
setting up fire and food. When they eat the food, none of them talked. Each
of them is thinking their own stuff, their memories of this city. When they
finished, they went to sleep in the tent that Junon Shinra Rescue Team had
set up for them.