BARRET WALLACE
Barret and Tifa are close friends because they are practically partners. They are opposites in many respects, so their personalities tend to bring
out various aspects from one another. Barret is also very protective of Tifa, since she is younger, and especially
when Cloud is not present. One scene that comes to my mind is the gas chamber sequence.
Tifa dreams - she is meeting Cloud at the sector 7 railway station. She
remembers being uncomfortable about his memories, how he knew some stuff he
shouldn't and how he forgot other stuff he should. How she wanted him to join
AVALANCHE so she could keep an eye on him.. She awakens to find that she and
Barret are locked up back in Junon Harbour. Barret explains that she has been
out cold for seven days, in that time WEAPON is tearing the place up and
Sephiroth has summoned a huge meteor that is hanging ominously in the sky.
Rufus shows up and tells them they are to be executed to make the people feel
better. They are being blamed for all the calamity Sephiroth has caused.
Tifa: Weapon... is protecting Sephiroth?
Barret: Dunno. But he's up here goin' around tearin' shit up. Right now Rufus' fightin' it. I hate to say it, but he's got guts. We shoulda been the ones to destroy it, but we ain't got no time...
Tifa is put in the gas chamber. As Scarlet locks her in, WEAPON attacks. Using this as a diversion a disguised Cait Sith incapacitates Scarlet and frees Barret. Rufus is throwing everything he has at WEAPON but still it attacks. Scarlet recovers and locks Barret and Cait Sith out of the room where the gas chamber is. Luckily the guard dropped the key in the confusion and Tifa manages to let herself out. Rufus fires Junon's huge cannon at WEAPON, which retaliates by tearing a hole in the side of the harbour. Tifa is able to climb up and is chased down the barrel of the Sister Ray by Scarlet. They have a slap fight. Tifa then runs to the end of the cannon and leaps off, only to grab a ladder coming out of the side of the Shinra Airship (the Highwind). Cid is in control and Cait Sith, Barret and Nanaki are also safe and well.
Tifa tries to think of what to do next, but she is very despondent. She wants to see Cloud again. Nanaki thinks that Cloud may have washed into the Lifestream. He says there are places where the Lifestream gushes up through cracks in the Ocean floor. So they head to one of these places, Mideel. Sure enough, in an amazing stroke of luck they find Cloud at Mideel. He washed up on the shore about a week before, but he is a wreck. He has been poisoned by Mako and is a drooling, shuddering shell. Sat in a wheelchair he can only jerk his head and mumble broken words. Gutted, Tifa lays her head on his knee and cries. Outside the clinic, the Doctor tells Barret and Cid that Cloud has had so much knowledge drenched Mako forced inside him that he has literally shut down mentally. Tifa decided she wants to stay with Cloud, Barret asks her if she is sure its him and not Sephiroth's shadow. She is adamant. So the others return to the Highwind and try to think of what to do next.
Tifa: ......If only Cloud was here, everything would be fine. Cloud would...... Stand that cocky little way he did, and tell us what to do. He'd say, 'Everything's under control, Tifa'.
Barret: Tifa! When'd you become such a wimp!
Tifa: I'm sorry Barret. I'm kind of shocked myself. I'm so depressed.
Red XIII: And Tifa...... the reason why we all thought it was Cloud was because......
Tifa: ......I know. That's why I want to make sure. That's why I have to see him again.