Final Fantasy VII: Lifestream - Book 1: Arrival

THIRTY-SEVEN

We found Johnny down the street on the far side of the bridge. He was apparently deep in thought—or whatever passed for thought in his crazy, oddball mind. He didn't see Aerith and I approach at first, but as we got closer, he looked up and noticed us.

"Oh, I get it now," Johnny said. "Tifa's at the Don's mansion. Well, if anyone could get invited, it's her."

"Yeah, she's in there," Aerith nodded.

He turned to us. "I knew it! That rat bastard Corneo may have my sweet Tifa captive at the moment, but her Johnny'll get her out! Doing that means winning the approval of one of the Trio. And I know where to find them and what to do to save her!"

"Johnny—" I started.

"Firebrand may have been the first to escape the Don's clutches," he ignored me, "but I'll make sure you follow in her footsteps, Tifa! Don't you worry! Help's on the way, baby!"

Then he ran off, racing down the street like a madman. Just like we had outside the Honeybee Inn, Aerith and I watched him go. He was a character, to be sure. Sobering up seemed to have loosened a few more screws than he'd already had wobbling when he'd been drunk in Sector 7. I didn't know what Tifa saw in him.

"Not the brightest bulb in the pack, is he?" Aerith said.

"Nope," I agreed. "Anyway, you sure about this plan of yours? It's a bit... out there. More than a bit, actually."

She didn't argue. "You got any better ideas?"

"Not really," I admitted. "So... what's our first step?"

Aerith pursed her lips in thought. "Hmm... well, why don't we see about getting you a dress first? Can't very well get approved by the Trio if you don't look the part."

I grimaced. "Alright..."

"Relax, Cloud," she giggled. "It won't be that bad. Now, let's see... I think that clothing store we passed on the way here should have a good selection. Of course, we might have to have yours specially made, now that I think about it. Because you're a guy and all."

"Let's just get this over with," I said.

Aerith smiled and patted my arm, then led me down the street. We found the shop she'd told me about a few minutes later. It was the same one she'd gone into earlier to ask for directions. Inside, a short, teenage girl was working behind the counter, and racks of dresses, shirts, pants, and other clothes stood in neat rows throughout the small store. In the back were a pair of curtained-off dressing rooms.

"Can I help you?" the girl asked.

"Yes," Aerith answered. "I'm interested in buying a dress, but I have some... special needs."

The clerk sighed. "That could take a while."

"What's the problem?" she asked.

"Well, you see, my dad makes all the dresses. I'm Lydia, by the way. And he's been in a real slump lately. Lost his inspiration and now all he does is get himself drunk at the bar."

Aerith nodded. "So we've gotta do something about him if we want to get a new dress, right?"

"Yeah, sorry," Lydia said. "He's been a real pain lately."

"It's okay," she assured her.

Lydia blinked. "You'd help me out? Really? Thank you! I don't have a clue what to do anymore, but if you could bring him back, I'd be very grateful. The bar's just down the street—The Don's Delight. Biggest one in Wall Market. You can't miss it."

Aerith smiled. "We'll do everything we can, Lydia."

"We?" I glanced at her.

"C'mon, Cloud," she smirked. "Time to go!"