Ah. It's kinda tough writing chapters so far in advance. These were all written in the deep, dark depths of winter and now it's practically spring. Birds are chirping and squawking, the wind is comfortably cool, and I feel more alive than I have in months. These feel so depressing now. That's kinda the idea, but I want to write and read something lively. Thank goodness I've got Yuffie to play with!


Chapter Twenty-Eight - Omnicidal Maniacs

The gunfire Cloud heard earlier turned out to be coming from a large, muscular man with a gun in the place of his left hand. He was randomly firing at pieces of trash. Just beyond lay a gaping chasm.

As if there could be any doubt as to the man's identity, Barret took a hesitant step forward before saying, "Dyne... is that you?"

Dyne looked up from his latest inanimate victim, his back to Barret. "Now that's a voice I haven't heard in years..." He turned to face Barret, limping, his face oddly blank. "A voice I'll never forget..."

Cloud had a very bad feeling about this, but if Barret sensed it he didn't give any indication. "I always hoped I'd be able to see you again someday... I knew you were alive somewhere... we had the same operation. Listen to me, Dyne. I want to..."

Whatever Barret wanted to say was cut off by a spray of bullets kicking up sand and dirt at his feet.

"What's that?" Dyne said. "I hear her voice."

Barret finally started to look concerned.

Dyne continued. "I hear her voice, Eleanor's voice. Begging me... not to hate your rotten guts." He looked down. "That's why I didn't hunt you down..."

"I know I was stupid," Barret said. "I'm not asking you to forgive me. But... What're you doin' in a place like this? Why ya wanna kill those that ain't even involved? Why?"

Finally, a show of emotion in Dyne's face, but it wasn't at all friendly. "Why! The hell do you care for!" He pointed with his good hand at Barret. "Are the people killed going to understand 'why'? Are the people of Corel going to understand just hearing ShinRa's excuses?" He switched from pointing with his hand to pointing with his gun-arm. "I don't CARE what the reason is!"

Cloud reached for his sword.

Dyne deflated, his arms going limp at his sides. "All they give us are artillery and stupid excuses... What's left is a world of despair and emptiness..." A glint of something malevolent entered his eyes as he looked back up at Barret. "You still want to hear 'why'? All right, I'll tell you."

He turned away, still limping. "'Cause I want to destroy everything." He shot a car radiator. "The people of this city." He shot the remnants of a crate. "This city itself."

He faced Barret again, his gun-arm aimed at a point near Barret's feet. "The" shot "whole" shot "world!"

Barret winced as the bullets hit far too close for comfort, but he didn't step away.

"I got nothing left in this world." Dyne turned away again, deflating even further. "Corel, Eleanor... Marlene..."

Barret took this moment to speak. "Dyne, Marlene... Marlene's still alive."

Dyne looked over his shoulder, emotion still absent from his face.

"I went back into town. I thought she was gone for sure. That is why I wanted to be by her side till the end. That's when I found her ...found Marlene."

Cloud still held the hilt of his sword, though he hadn't drawn it yet. The conversation confused him a bit. Marlene was Barret's daughter, wasn't she? But it was starting to sound like she was Dyne's.

Barret took half a step forward. "She's in Midgar. Let's go see her together, all right?"

Dyne turned away, looking at the sky. "So... she's still alive... All right, Barret. I guess that means you and I gotta fight."

"What!" That sentiment was echoed among the three companions.

"Eleanor's alone all by herself. I've got to take Marlene to her."

Barret recovered from his shock just enough to shout, "Dyne... are you insane!"

"Marlene wants to see her Mom, don't she?" Dyne turned his gun on Barret and started firing.

Cloud couldn't stand by anymore. He ran forward, blocking the bullets with the flat of his sword.

"Cloud!" Barret grabbed his shoulder. "Git back, this is my fight."

"Can you fight him?"

Barret's face fell. "If I have to. I can't die yet."

"Can't die?" Dyne suddenly stopped shooting. "Well my life's been over ever since then." He lashed out again, the bullets still blocked by Cloud's sword.

"Stop it!" Barret yelled. "I don't wanna fight you!"

Dyne showed no sign of letting up.

Barret growled and pushed Cloud aside. "Stay the hell back and protect Tifa. This is MY problem!"

With a nod, Cloud jumped back. Bullets flew, most well off target. He pushed Tifa behind a pile of scrap metal just as an explosion lit up the clearing.

Cloud peeked above the trash pile. He winced when his suspicions were confirmed. Barret was definitely injured enough to launch that particular limit break.

But Dyne was far more injured. He was on his knees with Barret running toward him.

"Back!" Slowly, painfully, Dyne got to his feet and limped to the bit of chain-link fence hanging over the cliff. "It wasn't just my arm... back then... I lost something irreplaceable. I don't know where I went wrong..."

Barret shook his head. "Dyne... I don't know either, man. Is this the only way... we can resolve this?"

"I told you... I... I want to destroy everything... Everything... This crazy world... Even me..."

"An' what about Marlene? What's gonna happen to her!"

A tear managed to find its way to the corner of Dyne's eye. "Think about it... Barret... How old was Marlene back then...? Even if I did go to her now... she wouldn't even know me... And what's more... Barret..." He looked down at his hand and gun-arm. "These hands are a little too stained to carry Marlene anymore..."

Barret hung his head until Dyne spoke again.

"Barret..." Dyne tossed something small to Barret. "Give that pendant to Marlene... It was... Eleanor's... my wife's... memento..."

Barret picked up the tiny treasure and held it tight in his fist. "All right."

"Wow... Marlene's... already... four..." Dyne staggered closer to the edge of the cliff. "Barret... Don't... make... Don't ever make Marlene... cry..."

Barret looked up. "Dyne...?" Realization struck him. "Dyne!"

Dyne turned and fell backward. The last thing he saw was Barret running toward him, good arm stretched out.

"Dy-ne!" Barret fell to his knees at the cliff's edge. He didn't hear Cloud and Tifa run up behind him, worried he might fall, too. "Dyne. Me an' you were the same... My hands ain't any cleaner... I shouldn't be able to carry... Marlene either..." He looked to the heavens and screamed something guttural, almost feral in its grief and anger.

*7*7*

"So that's that." Tifa finished her explanation to the rest of the group while Barret brooded in the far corner of the room. Everyone had gathered in the old house they'd found Barret in earlier.

Zack shook his head. "Hey, Barret, I'm real sorry it didn't turn out the way you wanted."

Barret grunted something that might have been a reply and fell silent again.

"So now what?" Kunsel said. "We still have to find a way out of here."

Cloud turned to Cait. "You said something about a chocobo race, didn't you?"

"That's right. A Mr. Coates arranges things but we need permission from some mysterious boss and no one will say who he is!"

Kunsel cleared his throat. "I think I may know who he was."

Aerith caught the tense Kunsel used first. "Was?"

"Yeah. I checked things out and figured that this boss guy was someone the locals was scared spitless of. There's one person who would easily fit that description, and he's at the bottom of a gorge."

Zack slumped over in his seat. "Damn, Kunsel, and people say I'm tactless."

"With the local leader dead, then how do we enter this race?" Red's tail flicked as he talked.

Zack cracked his knuckles. "Oh, I think we can be pretty persuasive."

Aerith rolled her eyes and slapped Zack on the arm with the tips of her fingers.

*7*7*

Barret had Mr. Coates by the front of his bright green dress jacket. "Say what?"

"Nooo! Really, even if you threaten me!" Mr. Coates tried not to think about how far off the ground his feet were. "A rule's a rule. I can't change it. If I do, the whole system down here'll get messed up! An' I can't do that!" He gulped in the face of the gun-arm rising into his field of vision. "Okay, okay, I'll let one go up there. After that, he's gotta deal with Dio."

"Looks like that's the best he can do." Zack leaned against the back wall, thoroughly enjoying himself.

Barret let Mr. Coates drop to the floor. "Awright then."

Kunsel slapped Cloud on the back. "Good luck with the race!"

"What?" Cloud's eyes widened.

Aerith giggled. "Yes, good luck, Cloud!"

"You get along well with the birds and you're the smallest guy so you get to be the jockey." Zack grinned.

Barret crossed his arms over his chest. "Hurry up an' win that chocobo race, an' get us outta here!"

Mr. Coates straightened his tie, shirt, and jacket, trying to compose himself. "Have you decided? You'll need to get a manager, register, and get a chocobo..."

A voice from the entrance to the trailer interrupted any further instructions Mr. Coates might have had. "Hi. I happened to hear your story."

Everyone turned. In the doorway stood a woman in a poofy pink dress with a white apron and frilly white gloves. She had black triangles painted under each eye. A pink plume was pinned in her hair.

Mr. Coates blinked. "Ester?"

Ester stepped in, waving to Cloud. "I'll be your manager."

"Well, I have nothing against it, but..." Mr. Coates shook his head, apparently changing his mind about whatever he'd been about to say. "This is Ester. She may look kinda funny, but there's no better manager in the races."

Ester put her hands on her hips and bounced once on her toes. "That's so rude..." She sighed dramatically. "Yeah, well. Nice to meet you, Cloud."

"All right then," Mr. Coates said, finally sounding more relaxed as it was apparent no one was going to kill him. "I'll send you up on the elevator. Ester'll fill you in on the details."

*7*7*

"#$^# piece of #&$."

Tifa shook her head. "I don't think cursing it will make it work, Barret."

"Got it!" Kunsel slid out from behind the warped entertainment unit. "Something had been trying to eat one of the electrical cords. I think I fixed it up enough for it to work for a little while."

"About time!" Yuffie flipped on the TV. A couple channels of snow later they finally had a view of the starting lineup for the chocobo race.

Tifa sat on a crate near the set. "Are they going to be starting soon?"

"Probably." Zack sat on the floor with his arm wrapped around Aerith's waist. Suddenly, he pointed at the screen. "Hey! Check out Cloud!"

Aerith giggled while Yuffie all but rolled on the floor laughing. "It's like the chocobo has two heads!" Yuffie shrieked between breaths.

"And they're off!" The TV announcer yelled.

The room erupted into cheers and conflicting advice as Cloud worked his way up the pack. Thankfully, Cloud couldn't hear them, though no one seemed aware of that. He leaned in low against his mount, urging the bird to hug the inside curves of the track as much as possible.

"This is incredible, folks! This new jockey is coming in neck and neck with Marionette! Looks like Sunshine's Daisy is going to have her work cut out for her in the last stretch!"

Aerith nearly jumped to her feet. "Come on, Cloud! You can do it!"

The chocobos slowed as they entered a simulated star field. Cloud gripped onto his chocobo tighter, urging the bird on. He pulled ahead inches from the finish line.

Whatever the announcer said, something about unprecedented, was drowned out by a chorus of triumphant shouts.

One shout in particular got everyone's attention.

"HA!" Kunsel pointed at Yuffie. "Pay up!"

Barret whirled around at the little ninja who was begrudgingly handing over a handful of gil. "Ya bet AGAINST us?"

"Of course I did!" Yuffie was too mad at losing to even consider feeling scared at Barret's glower. "You have any idea how rare it is for a newbie to win a chocobo race? Cloud's got some kind of weird luck."

Kunsel chuckled. "Yeah, well now you can pay Cloud back for the gil you spent playing at the arcade."

"Why does everyone get after me for that!" Yuffie threw her arms in the air. "It's an AMUSEMENT park! Lighten up! Jeez!"

"Maybe if ye'd used your own money to begin with..." Cait said.

Yuffie stuck out her tongue at the stuffed cat.

"Any ideas when we'll know if we're gettin' outta here?" Barret stood up from the crate he'd nearly crushed by sitting on it.

Kunsel shrugged. "Cloud will probably need some time to talk with Dio, and hopefully convince him that we're all innocent."

Tifa's face fell. "Then it could take a while. Cloud's never been very good with people."

"I'm sure he'll do fine." Aerith's smile instantly brightened the room.

In fact, a few minutes later Mr. Coates slipped into the trailer and told them that Dio had something for them. He looked even more nervous than when AVALANCHE took over his office.

When they stepped outside the reason quickly became apparent. At the edge of the settled area sat a large buggy guarded by muscle-bound men in shiny leotards. A smaller man in a three-piece suit stepped out from behind the wall of flesh.

"Ah, greetings," the man said. "I'm the assistant manager of the Gold Saucer. Dio extends his appologies for the inconvenience and offers this buggy as reparations."

"Nice!" In barely a second, Zack had his phone out and at his ear. "Hey, Cloud! Guess what!"

Kunsel heard Cloud's side of the conversation from where he stood a few feet away. "What?"

"We've got wheels! We can drive right out of this crazy desert."

"That's great, Zack..."

Kunsel did not like the way Cloud trailed off at the end. From the look on his face, neither did Zack.

"What's wrong?"

"... You said you're from Gongaga, right."

"Yeah." Zack was frowning now. "Why?"

"Because... that's where Sephiroth is going next."


The confrontation with Dyne and getting out of the prison. I always kinda felt sorry for Dyne. Well, aside from the whole mass-murder thing, but he was pretty obviously not right in the head. I mean, really, the guy was hearing voices, and we are given no reason to believe he'd been exposed to mako or Jenova cells. Not that hearing voices is normal even then. Good grief. One really wonders if there are any therapists at all in the FFVII universe.