18
The Mad Gun Armed Man at Gold Saucer!
I wanted to hide. Never to stand tall and look at anybody again.
In the massive digital screen, Rufus continued to answer questions thrown at him from reporters.
"Mr. President. Rumor has it this woman was supposed to be your father's niece, and went missing in Midgar. What can you say about that?" someone asked.
Rufus kept cool and proper, not a wrinkle in his white suit nor hair out of place along his perfect golden head. He smiled widely at the reporter with fine white teeth, his blue eyes gazing down from the camera.
"What I will say is, that we've been dating for a while, and I didn't want that to be exposed just yet. My father was protecting us with that little lie, pretending she was simply his niece when her abduction occurred. Someone must've had the scoop that she was important to me, and hence why a reward was offered for her safety," he answered with precision.
His voice hummed over my head as my ears ringed.
More stares.
"Aqua…" It was Aerith, her warm hand on my cold neck as I trembled, shaking my head at the President's big fat lie.
Why Rufus? Why were you doing this to me? I've never been more furious than I was now, clenching my teeth tight. Green energy swirled up my legs, lifting my dress, until Aerith screeched, "Don't!" And she hugged me, her face pressed against mine when she crouched.
"Calm down," she whispered.
"How?" I forced, ready to cry or scream, and then I hissed, "that bastard," through my teeth. Heat grew in my chest.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! You're the President's fiancée?!" Yuffie screeched loudly, a beacon for more eyes.
"Yuffie!" Cloud snapped.
Even Tifa was in shock when she muttered, "I don't get it. Is this for real?"
There were many voices, almost like the Planet was speaking to me, but when I finally grew the courage to look up, it was unfortunately the voices of the crowd. Many eyes fell upon me, some with shock, and others with jealousy.
It was difficult to breathe as all their faces, some dark, some light, many with wide eyes, seemed to cave in, suffocating me until I pulled out of Aerith's hold, and ran like a kid with an asthma attack.
"Aqua!" Aerith cried.
I took the first tunnel that came into vision, running with numbing hands up to my cold cheeks, and expected to keep going. But to my surprise, the tunnel turned into a tube slide, and I screamed when I fell in, bright pink lights guiding me to the unknown. The slide was smooth for my rear as I held my hands over my head. My fingers brushed against the slick walls, unable to grasp anything to stop.
Echoes of voices. So many voices flooded the tube, and I closed my eyes tight, wishing it would all stop. I slid in circles, in rounded bends and dropped a few times until, finally, I stumbled into a ball pit. Pinks and yellow balls squished under my body, like soft foam. It took so much effort to swim over them, my legs and arms sinking and sliding while my head spun.
The music followed, along with kids laughing as I passed a couple of them. Swimming through a ball pit wasn't what I had in mind when I thought of escaping Rufus's announcement. I groaned, reaching for the edge of the giant pool of balls, and pulled myself out, taking a few with me as they scattered across a marble floor.
I had no idea what square I slid into, but didn't care. I sat along the high edge, rested my elbows over my knees, and sank my face into my hands.
Kids screamed, more foam balls pattering across the floor, and then, I felt Barret's large hands on my shoulders, shaking me.
"When were you going to tell us you were engaged to Rufus? And why?! Why that asshole?! He's Shinra! The enemy! His people burned my home! Took my everything!" He screamed. I could feel his spit spray on my hands when I kept hiding behind them. I knew he was just using the sudden news as a way to trickle his slow-growing anger, so I took the punch, and kept quiet.
"Barret, stop!" Cloud shouted, pushing his rough hands off me.
But Barret seemed to be lost it in a hot-headed state as he screamed at Cloud, "did you know?!"
Cloud quickly grew quiet, and muttered, "Just recently."
"What?" Barret sounded hurt.
"Barret, please!" Aerith begged when she slipped out of the ball pit. "It's not like this was meant to happen!"
"You knew, too?! What the fuck?"
I dropped my hands, and found Barret shaking his head at us three. Pain filled his eyes, like he was betrayed, and he took a couple of steps back.
"You all knew, and didn't even tell me?!" he growled.
Cloud glared at him. "And why do you think that is?" he sneered, arms crossed.
Barret was at a loss for words, and he looked up to the night sky, the stars hidden by all the light pollution.
"I can't deal with this," his voice was deadly quiet. His face hardened, muscles tensed, and then he shook his only fist out. Veins popped under this glove.
He spun around and glared equally at me, Aerith and then to Cloud.
"First you all bring me into this fucking place, and now this shit! God damn it. Fuck it! You all go to fucking hell!"
And he stormed off.
"Barret, stop!" Tifa cried, kicking balls out of her way to reach him. But she was too late, for the furious man waved his gun arm up into the air like he was going to shoot. Instead, to keep himself from shooting at all the frightened watchers, he threw himself into a tunnel.
And vanished.
Yuffie scurried out, cursing at all the foam balls that followed her. Red was the last to catch up, his four legs a disadvantage when he struggled through the ball pit, and took a splat when he finally got out.
"That went well," he put sarcastically, shaking his head as he straightened himself. Tifa settled her arms under her breasts as she stood, and then she threw me a nervous look as her teeth pressed together.
"Aqua, what's going on?" She asked, unsure if she should hate me as much as Barret, or wait to hear my excuse.
"Yeah? How did that happen?" Yuffie pried, sitting next to me.
It was difficult to handle a serious talk when we were surrounded by upbeat music and children laughing. But it would have to do.
A ball rolled by my foot, and I kicked at it towards Cloud unintentionally.
I stared at my boots.
"I don't want to," I began, my hands squeezing my dress at the knees.
Aerith sat to my other side, and I took comfort in having her gentle nature near me.
"Wait!" Yuffie gasped. "So, you don't like the guy?"
"No!" Cloud and I snapped at once. Yuffie raised a dark brow up at Cloud, and he turned away to hide his face.
"Rufus is pressuring Aqua to marry him," he clarified for me.
"But why? Why does he want to marry you? How did that even start?" Tifa pressed.
I thought I was going to be sick, just thinking of being in bed with Rufus, and threw the image out of my mind. He's a gorgeous man, but everything underneath that pampered skin, held a hideous creature that shouldn't be allowed to rule the world. I would be his cow, to produce what he needed from me, and then I would fall to slaughter.
I smacked my hand over my lips to prevent me from tasting the popcorn smell that could trigger a vomiting episode.
"He wants…" It felt disturbing to tell them. I glanced up at Cloud, him watching me over his shoulder, and then I looked away. He knew, of course, but not the why.
I poked at Aerith, her depressing eyes on mine. When I looked at Tifa, she was biting her lower lip, waiting with impatience. Red stared as well, his head cocked to one side while his flaming tail wagged back and forth like a hyper puppy. Yuffie was practically breathing down my neck, her fists under her chin, while she leaned in until her nose poked my cheek.
I stared back to my boots.
"Rufus wants Ancient children," I forced, and smacked my face into my hands to hide.
Tifa and Yuffie drew in sharp inhales. Red dropped his jaw. Aerith squeezed my shoulders. Cloud was quiet.
And thanks to me, Barret had been triggered to explode, gone off to do who knows what.
"That's disturbing," Tifa was the first to speak, and she huffed along with a stomp of her boot on the ground.
"Why not Aerith?" Yuffie bluntly asked, and Aerith instantly scowled with a high pitched, "Hey!"
"I'm sure it's more attractive to Rufus to have half Ancient children than a quarter," Red guessed aloud.
Tifa sighed irritably.
"Well, thanks to his lovely broadcast, we're going to stick out," she added angrily.
"Don't worry. I'm good at disguising her," Aerith chimed, and I pictured her winking.
"We better look for Barret while we're at it," Red advised.
Yuffie blew out an unappealing sound with her tongue, and jumped to her feet.
"Forget Rufus. Let him spread rumors. You still don't have to do it," she grinned.
I revealed my face and smiled up at her.
"I hope you're right," I replied. The tomboy winked at me.
My fingers played nervously with each other, not brave enough to read Cloud's expression when I said, "I'm sorry, everyone. I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I thought Rufus would let it go when I refused. And I'm sorry about Barret."
Tifa sighed, her eyes stuck to the tunnel from where her close friend went berserk and disappeared off to.
"It's not your fault. Barret's been a walking time bomb all day," she nagged.
"Man, he's dragging on my fun night!" Yuffie spat. She turned to Aerith and asked her, "want to go play and then find the pissed off dude?!"
Aerith's eyes sparkled, while Tifa rolled her eyes.
"You two are so immature," she dragged. She appeared ready to follow Barret's trail, but she turned with her hip and eyed at the rest of us.
"I'm going to try to find Barret. How about you guys?"
Red pointed his nose towards Tifa. "I will gladly go. This place isn't for me," he joined, and walked to her legs, his nails clicking across the floor.
I sank my head into my hands, begging for ear plugs as so many noises crashed into my ears. It reminded me so much of falling asleep on some of my nights, the voices disturbing my thoughts when I was left awake in the dark. Laughter, arguments, Aerith and Yuffie talking fast of what they wanted to do. Shopping? Play some video games? Eat chili dogs? Music blared overhead, a constant tune that never backed off, hitting ever nerve of my being.
All the smells. All the lights. It was a stimulating war zone, and I wished to hide in a quiet and dark place.
Why did we have to come to Gold Saucer?
"Cloud?" Tifa questioned, her eyes heavy on him.
He's been quiet for a while. I pretended not to feel his stare as I shrunk into myself, still hiding.
And then he said, "you all go, and call me if you find Barret. I need to be alone with Aqua for a while."
My heart stopped beating for two seconds, its chambers and blood frozen. I sucked in a tiny breath, and it began to work again, pumping blood as it should, but also nervousness across my chest till my skin slowly flashed from ice-cold, to boiling hot.
Why? What did he want to talk to me about?
Tifa left out a long, uneasy drag of "uh…" And then, "okay?"
"Be nice!" Aerith snapped to Cloud, and I heard all their footsteps disappear. It was still loud. The noises never stopped, and I stayed frozen, like a sad angel statue among the edge of a ball pit. Not belonging.
The sounds of a roller coaster rattled above, people screaming, until it faded just as fast.
Cloud sighed, and then his steps came closer.
I felt him sit next to me, but I remained stuck in position, never wanting to look at him again.
"Aqua," he called gently.
I shook my head, staying hidden.
"No. I won't move," I muttered into my hands.
Cloud shifted, his leg brushed against mine.
"Are you sure about that?"
I nodded. More whispers, until I couldn't tell what was the Planet and what was happening around us. I hated this place.
Is that her?
It couldn't be
Rufus with that?
Wow, Rufus even got her a personal SOLDIER bodyguard. That's love.
She's here! And a bodyguard with her! But why does she look so sad?
She must miss Rufus.
"Look, I can tell you're overwhelmed. Let's go find a quiet spot where you can recharge…," Cloud's voice broke through.
Again, I shook my head. Like Barret, it was my time to pout. But apparently, Cloud had none of it. Before I knew it, he slung my pack over his shoulder, and with another sigh, scooped my coiled form into his arms. I gasped, hands fallen, and snapped, "Hey! I told you, I don't want to move!"
Cloud rolled his eyes, carrying me off the ledge and gliding us over the marble floor, passing a kid size race track. Rails for multiple roller coaster trails, sat high over his white blond head, many lights shimmering around us.
"Just stop," he demanded lightly.
I did, blinking up at him until my chest bird sent me burning cheeks.
More roller coasters crashed through the sky, shaking the floor with its tremendous speed until dozens of riders were shot up into the dark heavens.
Shops and small booths stood around the large marble walkway, like a two-story outdoor mall, with race car themed merchandise.
"You can put me down now," I muttered, feeling just as embarrassed to be carried like a child.
Cloud didn't seem bothered by the looks from passers, nor my weight, his arms still and solid under me.
"And have you run away again? No, thanks," he mumbled.
I smiled, and thought about our time at Wall Market.
"Reminds me of Wall Market, when you carried me," I shared.
A smirk fell on Cloud's lips along with a small scoff.
"Except you were drunk, and burped in my face," he replied, his eyebrows raised from the amusing memory.
I hid my face again, barely remembering, but I could only imagine the scene.
"I'm sorry about that," I squeaked.
Cloud stopped, and I glanced ahead to notice a water fountain. It was huge, with a giant marble statue of whom I thought resembled Hercules, with his hands on his hips while wearing a loin cloth to hide his junk. Hercules stood tall, one foot into a marble carving of a sports car. Bushes, with lovely red and white flowers, gathered around the sculptures. A small waterfall streamed out of the car door, and into a tiny river that continuously swerved around the display. The roller coasters at the park were farther away, and most of the crowd fell into the shops, leaving the fountain place partially deserted.
"Here okay?" Cloud asked, but I was already released, and I gladly retreated to the fountain. Along its edge, large lights blared up at the sculptures. I sat next to a lamp, feeling its heat, while I noticed tiny insects trapped inside.
It was quieter here, and not as many people stared.
"This is better," I told him.
But before I thought Cloud would sit down, he ordered, "wait here. I need to get something."
He left me alone to be in my thoughts. I watched him disappear into one of the shops, and then my vision wandered to the messy spider web work of the roller coasters above the square. It looked nauseating.
I shifted my eyes to the shops and the people wandering through them. Mothers clung to their children's hands, or held their babies close, some of them whining, while others laughed and smiled. Families wandered, like on some little vacation, not a care in the world. I let their distant laughs and the water fountain's trickling water soothe me.
A minute later, something suddenly covered my head and eyes, and I almost jumped.
"There. To hide your hair," Cloud muttered, and sat next to me. I took the cap off and let it settle in my hands while I eyed its anterior.
It was a bright red cap with a yellow fat chocobo stitched to it, its tiny legs under its heavyweight while one of its blob wings waved a race flag.
I frowned.
"How lovely," I muttered sarcastically, but slipped the cap on, and coiled my hair through its back slit until a tight bun formed.
After that, I let my fingers curl around the edge, my feet tapping the marble while looking down at nothing. Cloud's silence always made me a little uneasy. I couldn't tell what he was thinking about, and finally asked, "what did you want to talk about?"
Cloud crossed his arms.
"You didn't have to tell us why Rufus wanted to marry you," he began dryly.
I narrowed my eyes, a bit peeved. That's what he wanted to talk about?
"And what should I have said? That he wanted to marry me for my awesome looks? Because we have a great chemistry?! Because I'm from a rich family in New York? What, Cloud?" I challenged, and peered at him under my cap.
Cloud gave me his profile. I was reminded he had both hard and delicate features, and his hair grew a little longer. His spiky bangs were beginning to pass his eyes, and he brushed them away with his hand unconsciously.
"It was nobody's business. They shouldn't have asked," he simplified, and rested his chin over laced fingers, his elbows resting on his dark pant thighs.
I drew a finger into the tiny river behind us, and let it play around in it, making tiny whirlpools.
"But I don't blame them for asking. Why me, indeed?" I justified.
Cloud scoffed.
"Well, it looks like he's not giving up."
My finger stopped, and I made a fist in the water.
"No. But it doesn't matter. I'll never marry him," I confirmed, and felt the water's force slip in through my tight fingers.
Cloud thought for a minute, and then he said, "what if he uses Isaac against you? What then?"
He eyed me with a hint of curiosity.
I caught his gaze, knowing exactly what he meant, but just to make sure, I asked, "what do you mean?"
"You know what I mean," Cloud easily read right through me. Yes, what if Rufus threatened to kill Isaac? Would I say "yes" at that point? Would the President go that far to destroy his own bodyguard?
I swallowed, holding his eyes with mine steadily while trying to read him at the same time searching for an answer. Was he looking for a certain response? Was he trying to read me as well? It was a difficult game we played, trying to read each other. Aerith and I had it easy. She could just Search me, or I could simply ask her, and she would share what's on her mind most of the time. With Cloud, it was a delicate dance, with well thought out maneuvers. One wrong move, and the connection would be lost.
Stubbornly, I replied, "Rufus wouldn't do that."
That was the wrong move.
Cloud broke our connection by looking away, and let out a grunt.
"He would. And will. You need to decide what to do, before that happens," he warned.
I glared at him.
"Pessimistic much?"
"I'm being realistic," Cloud threw, and gave me a hard stare. I swallowed again, almost afraid of that look. His eyes began to glow in Mako, and he frowned.
A commotion began to gather outside the shops. Kids screamed, their mothers shielding them.
A strange character in nothing but a long black cloak and cape, wandered around weakly. With eyes hidden, a hollowed white jaw, and quivering lips under his hood, the stranger groaned painfully.
Cloud rose, his hand to his sword.
I stood next to him, puzzled by the character.
"What in the world?" I asked.
Cloud shook his head at the oddity. "I don't know. Let's go see."
We headed towards the drama, people backing away from the groaning cloaked character, until he collapsed, white hands matching with the white marble.
"….Materia…" he groaned. He reached to Cloud's boot, and whispered in a delirious state, "Where? Where is it? Where? Where? Where?"
I knelt, suspecting this gentleman was sick, and rolled him onto his back.
"Aqua, don't! He could be dangerous!" Cloud warned.
"But he just looks sick. I may be able to help him," I justified, my eyes already getting to work at what I was seeing. The cloaked stranger was a tall man, with fragile and long white fingers. He used them to grip one of my wrists as I glanced down to them. Across the back of one of his hands, tattooed a "I" on it. Roman Numeral for one?
I then, peered down into his face, and pulled back his hood.
I gasped.
The stranger displayed himself as very ill, like he was hypoxic. His skin was bone write and lips blue. Sharp teeth hissed at me when his lips moved.
"Must find it. Must find it. Find it. Find it. Find it." he mumbled in a dry and croaked voice.
His closed eyes fell back into his deep sockets, no hair upon his wrinkled head.
My free hand touched his cheek and found it to be icy.
"Find what?" I asked, feeling his internal jugular artery pulse so weakly.
Did they have a hospital here? Was this man lost? Who was he?
But the sick man pulled me in, startling me until my cap almost hit is cheek, and he gasped into my ear weakly, "Black Materia…"
Over and over, he whispered this, his hands weakening. His pulse then became non-existence when my fingers stayed at his neck, and I drew in a breath. The sick man released me, and dropped his head back, his mouth left open to reveal a black tongue.
I waited, unsure if chest compressions would help this man. I would break his ribs, knowing how thin and weak he was even when hidden under a ragged cloak. His bare feet were filthy with thick calluses along his soles, as though he ventured on foot for a very long time.
But I had a deep suspicion about something.
Hal's voice rang in my head.
Oh yeah. Saw him go up to Gold Saucer.
Was this the cloaked figure he thought we asked about? It certainly wasn't Sephiroth.
I gazed up at Cloud, and asked him out of nowhere, "What's Black Materia?" Cloud's words stayed behind his lips, struggling to answer.
Before he had a chance to speak, a booming voice disturbed the streets.
"What's going on here?! Who's disturbing my guests?!"
All heads turned. Some gasped.
"Oh, my God, it's him!" One gushed.
"Dio!" A girl squealed.
"He's here!" Another girl cheered.
The crowd opened for a man, his oiled and tanned body bulging in muscle under a tiny red muscle tee tank and tight matching shorts. I then realized that he was Hercules, the marble sculpture at the fountain.
The man had with him, two Shinra men, and he instantly glared at Cloud and I when he stopped a foot away.
I quickly rose and turned pale when the powerful looking man crossed his massive arms, muscle on top of muscle. He probably consumed way too much protein powder, and he stared down at the fallen cloaked figure.
"What's going on?!" he demanded, his dark and wavy locks brushing against his shaven sharp face.
His dark red eyes lifted to me, and I instantly could spot the tiny broken blood vessels in them, reddening his sclera to give him a frightening look.
"He seemed to be very sick. I believe he just died," I told the authoritarian figure.
But as I watched the cloak figure stiffen with death, no green energy released from his body. Was he still alive, then? But I felt no pulse.
Something in me became disturbed, a sickening feeling that I knew not to ignore, but I couldn't tell what it was telling me.
"Well, he looks dead, all right," the man reported, not appearing to be upset. He snapped his fingers, pointed to the body, and the two Shinra men came forth to it.
"Take him to the nurses' station. See what can be done," he ordered them.
The two guards dragged the man away, his long toe nails scraping along in a sharp note while his lifeless head bobbed up and down. People began to take pictures when Hercules smiled at them all, and waved. He showed off very nice, straight and large teeth.
"Nothing to see here, folks. It's all taken care of. Please, return to your fun and pleasure at my theme park!" he sang.
Cloud held himself like he wanted to leave, his feet shuffling him backwards, and hurriedly took my hand to pull me along with him.
"We'll be going now," he said as a farewell, but the large man smiled and laid massive tanned hands on Cloud's shoulders to stop him. The man laughed from deep in his thick and muscular throat.
"No need! And thank you, my boy, for coming out to defend my customers. You are in SOLDIER aren't you, boy?"
Cloud's hold tightened in my hand, and I watched him glare up at Hercules.
"Stop calling me boy," he groaned.
But the man disregarded Cloud's distasteful tone, and just bellowed out another deep laugh up to the sky. He patted Cloud's shoulders without budging him, and then aimed his hands to swallow my free one up easily. His hands were huge as he shook mine.
"My name's Dio. But you can just call me, Dio!"
I was at a loss, wondering if I missed a word, but he was already gone to the next thing.
"Are you two having fun at my theme park?" he asked us, and laid a hand on my shoulder until I fell forward, letting go of Cloud to have my face almost meeting with Dio's sandals.
"Oops!" Dio gasped, grabbing at my backpack just in time to stop my fall.
"I don't even know my own incredible strength. My apologies, miss," he bragged, and helped me back up. Watchers clapped at his tiny rescue.
I rolled my eyes. He did that on purpose. So, he was one of those guys… Cloud already figured that out before I did, and I envied his people intelligence.
"Anyway, enjoy my park. In fact, please visit the Battle Square sometime! My museum is there, where you can all view my accomplishments and trophies!" he announced. With Dio distracted by his small audience, Cloud and I quietly made our escape.
I was proud of Cloud growing more comfortable holding my hand as we walked back towards the doorways to the other parks.
"That was odd," he muttered, still stuck on that cloaked stranger.
"I agree. I think that's what Hal meant when he saw a cloaked figure come up to Gold Saucer. Sephiroth may not even be here," I expressed with concern. I swallowed, trying not to get distracted by Cloud's hand, and added, "something feels very off."
Cloud's hold tightened.
"I know," he agreed. "We need to go find Barret and tell him that this may have been a wild goose chase."
We stopped among seven tunnels, four on the first floor, and three more on the second, with different lit up archways. I was relieved they weren't tube slides.
"Which one?" Cloud asked.
I read at all the glowing signs.
There was Battle Square, and instantly cringed at Dio's request to visit a museum of himself. No, thank you.
We were apparently in Speed Square, which made sense to me now.
Chocobo Square. Ghost Square. Casino Square. Event Square. Round Square, and lastly, Wonder Square. So many areas to choose from.
I eyed at the archway in the middle, with a bright pink neon sign flashing "Wonder" and pointed to it.
"Let's try that one?" I guessed as I watched a few people walk out from it.
Cloud shrugged.
"Wonder, it is," he muttered. We left the annoyance of the loud clanking of the roller coasters, and fell into a dark tunnel. It was a long tunnel, like a skinny terminal I would find in an airport, and the floor moved us along without realizing it. I awed up at the ceiling and all along the walls, a light show to keep us occupied while we were carried to our destination. Glowing gold, pink and blue stars twinkled, leaving a long trail of glowing tails. There were light shows of planets, asteroids, and more stars until it was helping us pretend we were gliding through a galaxy made up of lights. When I looked up, it was hundreds of sparkling lights to make it look like space.
"Wow, this is cool!" I gasped.
Like he just noticed we were still holding hands, Cloud cleared his throat, and let go of me. He crossed his arms and quickly looked away after catching my sparkling eyes with his.
"Yeah, neat," he mumbled, and cleared his throat again. I continued to marvel at the display, watching passers zoom along in the opposite direction taken to Speed Square. They gasped and awed along with me.
It was a relaxing standing ride, letting the converted belt take us through. My eyes fell upon a red glowing planet, or maybe it was a meteor, judging by its little glowing yellow tail. But whatever it was, it flashed bright red innocently enough, like a simple cartoon in neon red. But then my heart quickened its pace, and I zoomed in on it like it was something to be afraid of. The glowing red light suddenly turned into a real meteor, a monstrous ball of red rock about to kill the Planet. The lights of the stars and the other planets disappeared. Nothing but me and the meteor, face to face.
It glowed brighter, pulsing with energizing waves across its burning rock as it sucked up everything into it like a black hole.
The music disappeared.
Voices grew.
"Aqua!"
I gasped, and fell forward when my foot crashed over the end of the belt. Cloud caught my arm in time, and pulled me off.
"Watch where you're going. You really are a goof," he groaned when we made it to solid ground. I giggled uneasily, my eyes adjusting until the meteor was nothing but a silly glowing red lamp on the wall.
What was that all about? I thought I fell into that nightmare I had days ago, my first time being stabbed by Sephiroth.
With one hand, I cupped my belly uneasily, re-imagining that sword cutting through it. Under the starlight, Cloud was watching me, and asked, "what's wrong?"
I shook my head, my hands tight on my backpack straps, and replied firmly, "nothing. It's nothing. I'm just dehydrated." I really was thirsty. Determined to drop it, I went ahead, Cloud staying back and keeping quiet, but he was being watchful.
The dream. The vision. What did it mean?
I twirled around, walking backwards to face Cloud, and asked him again, "do you know what Black Materia is?"
Cloud shook his head.
"Never heard of it. Why? Is that what that black cloaked man was looking for?" He had already figured that much out.
I nodded, and light began to spill at our feet from up ahead.
"Yes. He was searching for something called 'Black Materia' and what's even more odd, is his tattoo on his hand. It was a number one," I shared.
Cloud tilted his head a little and eyed me carefully.
"Do you think there's more of them, then?" he asked.
I twisted around, turning my back to him as we walked straight into a large shopping center made up of glass ceiling and white polished walls. Thankfully, the music changed from that repetitive circus melody, to smooth jazz vibes.
To answer Cloud's question, I replied, "I'm not certain. And what's even more interesting, he didn't give the Planet any of his life force back. Like he was just a walking zombie. Does that even make sense here in this world?"
I think my question threw Cloud off, like he's forgotten I wasn't from here, and blinked a few times, his eyes falling to nothing as he reminded himself. He then lifted a cautious look and replied, "that is very unusual. Living things are held by the Planet's energy. We take it as we live, and give it back when we die. I don't know how that odd man was breathing, but it was obvious whatever it was, it didn't work well for him."
We stopped and took in the view of many floors with shops. The floor was in white tile, and many high heels and sneakers clicked across it, girls waving around shopping bags and giggling. A group of little boys slurped up bright blue slushies while begging their mom not to drag them into another clothing store. A group of teenagers gossiped while eating popcorn, more shopping bangs swinging under their arms.
Sitting in the first mall floor, settled glossy tables, crane games and little photo booths.
To the other side of the mall near the entrance, there was a dark glass building, with a flashy sign glowing with "arcade" over its automatic doors.
"I doubt Barret is in there," I muttered, even if I liked the idea of playing a game or two. But Cloud was already one step ahead, passing shoppers marvel at his sword and girls blinking up at his unusual eyes.
I followed, passing fake plants and hanging tapestries of more artwork of what I later learned to be Moogles, like chubby white cats.
Speaking of chubby white cats.
"Hey there, beautiful lady!" a voice cheered through a mega phone.
I turned to it, and widened my eyes at a large white cat approaching. I think it was a cat. Or maybe it was a bear, with pointy ears? It certainly was as large as a young grizzly. Sitting atop the white and fluffy creature's head, was a little cat holding a tiny megaphone.
"Hi there!" the cat smiled, and took off his tiny golden crown to give me a proper bow.
"Allow me to introduce myself. The name's Cait Sith. And this is my trusty Moogle sidekick, Mog!"
I couldn't help but stare as Cloud inched closer to me to get a good look at the set-up as well, like we couldn't tell if this was a mascot or not.
"It talked?" I whispered to him, and then asked, "what is it?"
Cloud was just as confused as I was, and replied in his own whisper, "No idea. I've never seen anything like this."
"Looks can be misleading," a very low and slow voice rumbled from the large Moogle named Mog.
Cloud and I stepped back.
The cat, Cait Sith, patted a free hand over Mog's head and replied, "don't mind him. He's very simple-minded and-ah! Hey, stop that!"
He began to flail as I ran my fingers over his little and long tail. It felt real in some way, and yet very plushy in an artificial way. And then I fiddled with his skinny furry black arms.
"Are you a robot? A doll?" I asked, intrigued. Cait Sith cleared his throat, and swatted me away with a white paw.
"No touching! Oh, people are so touchy!" The cat eyed at us carefully, and squinted his little cat eyes with distaste.
"And speaking of touchy, you two are standing way to close together," he pried.
Cloud and I just glanced at each other absently. Our shoulders were barely touching. The cat pulled his mega phone into his lips and announced, "Mog, spread them apart, will ya?"
Mog took a large step to spoon his blob white hands in between our shoulders, and with his size, he pushed us apart easily.
"Please don't touch me," Cloud grumbled.
"There, that's better!" Cait chimed, pleased with himself. "Nothing like being careful of PDA in a family-friendly place!"
Cloud groaned, already irritated and wanting to leave.
"And I'm going now," he announced, taking my hand again.
Mog smacked our hands apart, brushing soft fur behind a metal hand against my fingers.
Cloud and I scowled.
Cait Sith clapped his hands together, a nervous smile on his face, while he wrinkled his little pink cat nose.
"Anyway, I'm a fortune-telling machine! And I'm here to give you a free fortune!" the cat cheered, his paws up to the glass ceiling.
Cloud rolled his eyes, while I nervously asked, "can you find people?" I wasn't confident if this fortune-telling was a falsehood here in this world, and thought to ask. If magic was real, then what about fortune-telling?
Cait Sith beamed, his pointy black ears up.
"Of course! I can find missing people, missing places, things. Anything! Just ask away!"
Cloud and I exchanged looks, wondering which of us wanted to ask.
"You want to ask him about finding Barret or Sephiroth?" I asked, crossing my arms to mimic Cloud. He saw this and smirked.
"Could you locate a man named Barret?" Cloud asked Cait Sith, giving his attention to the strange half robot and half doll creature. The cat clapped.
"Of course! It brings me great joy to give fortunes. I love my job," he gushed, almost sounding forced.
Mog began to tap his large and flat marshmallow feet in an odd dance, standing in place as he lifted his large arms up and down to each step. He held his tiny black eyes up, and spat out a small strip of golden paper in between his little fangs.
Cloud took the paper, half expecting it to be drenched in saliva when he hesitated, and then unfolded it.
He read aloud, "Tuesday is Cheap Night."
I suppressed a laugh while Cait Sith loosened his red cape around his little neck.
"Ah, let me try that again," he quickly saved.
Mog did his little fortune-telling dance again, and spat out another golden strip. I took a turn and pulled it out.
"A Gil saved is a Gil earned," I drawled. I crunched the strip into my hand and joked, "do you think Sephiroth is at a bank or casino?"
Cloud slowly brought a hand up to his face, tortured for his time being wasted on my bad jokes and Cait Sith's bad fortunes.
Cait Sith gulped and held his paws up when Cloud and I were ready to leave.
"Wait! One more time! I can do this!" he begged.
We waited, and Mog did his dance for a third time.
Cloud yanked the piece of golden paper out of its mouth, and brought it to his glaring eyes, ready to read something stupid. But with one look at the strip, he blinked, and then pulled it back to read it again.
I inched my head over his shoulder as I asked, "what does it say?"
Slowly, Cloud read aloud, "if you aren't careful, you will lose what's most precious to you. It may require an exchange of something in equal value."
I didn't know why that intrigued Cloud as I watched him fold the fortune up and slip it into his wallet for safekeeping.
"You can't have everything," Mog's flat voice stretched.
Cait Sith rubbed his paw under his chin and said, "I've never had this before. What an interesting fortune."
"It didn't even tell us where Barret is," Cloud groaned, looking to me when he complained, and then said, "let's go."
"Oh no! I'm going with you!" Cait Sith demanded. Cloud and I stared at him.
"What?" I asked.
"Oh, you're funny," Cloud joked dryly.
But Cait Sith wasn't laughing, shaking his head until his crown toppled over. He caught it before it passed his feet.
"I won't be able to sleep at night giving you a fortune like that. I have to come with you to make sure it turns out well," he clarified.
He sure wanted to join us easily.
"What about your job here?" I threw.
Cait Sith waved it off like it was no big deal.
"Nah. I mean, I can always give fortunes no matter where I go. I wasn't paid well here anyway," he explained.
"I can see why," Cloud muttered close to my ear. I smiled widely, fighting the urge to chuckle.
"Hahaha," Cait Sith's sarcastic tone grumbled, able to hear better than we expected.
"Let me help you find your friend, at least. I know this place like it's my home sweet home. Being in a company for a long time does that to you. Not drain you or turn you into a workaholic with no time for a girlfriend or anything like that."
Something told me Cait Sith had some secret venting to do, but I found it puzzling as I eyed him with suspicion.
"It sounds like you don't like your job," I guessed, and we walked again. Cloud stayed far away from Cait Sith, irritated to have the robotic creature wander right in between us like he was intentionally separating us. Mog wobbled as Cait Sith held on to one of his little white ears to secure himself, his mega phone clanking against his hip by a strap.
"Well, there's no need to give you my life story. This is about you two finding your friend, not me in therapy," the cat said uneasily, and he threw a fake giggle.
It felt so bizarre as I found myself talking to a cat. I told him, "I don't mind. I may have been a physician, but I my undergrad background was in psychology, so, if you need to talk to someone about your stresses and feelings, let me know."
Cait Sith licked his white cheeks, considering this.
"I'll think about it," he answered.
And it was quiet around the three of us, our eyes scanning the area for Barret's easily distinguishable form. But then Cait Sith began to spill his lifelong story, talking non-stop.
"Oh, I hate my job!" he leaked. "I've been working for this company for almost fifteen years, and I'm still treated like a low-life. No one respects me and my ideas!"
He went on and on. Cloud plugged his ears, while I regrettably listened to a distressed robotic mascot talk about his so-called "corporate job" and all the dilemmas it brought into his life. He had no time for a life, no girlfriend, no one.
"I'm never home these days!" Cait Sith exposed, and he sniffled.
Even when we explored all four floors of the mall, with no sign of Barret, Cait Sith still rattled without barely taking a breath. We were back to where we started, standing in front of seven large tunnels to take us to the next world.
By this point, Cloud glared down at the wailing cat and growled, "stop talking!"
But I tossed him a hard look.
"This poor guy is just trying to get it all off his chest. It's obvious…" I paused, and eyed at Cait Sith with skepticism. "…fortune-telling is a rough gig," I reasoned, even if I, too, wanted the cat to shut up.
Cloud's glare diminished, but he grumbled, "just get a new god-damn job."
"I thought of that!" Cait Sith bellowed proudly, and Cloud groaned, hiding his face into his hands and already walking away to the closest tunnel to get him as far away as possible.
"This is your fault," he threw at me before he slid down into a slide labeled "Battle Square."
I boiled when I followed him, sliding down into a large purple lit tunnel.
"I was just trying to be helpful," I protested, my voice echoing through the slide.
I could barely see Cloud as he disappeared down the inner tube, nothing but purple lights behind the thin and glossy plastic walls. My dress tried to burst up over my thighs until I smacked my hands down on settle its skirt.
"May I just say that I'm so thankful, Aqua, for listening to me," Cait Sith's voice traveled from behind me.
Light quickly smacked my face, until I was shot out into another ball pit. This time, the balls were squishy foam skulls. I would've gladly fell into the softness of them, but crashed into Cloud instead, landing on top of him with our chests smacked together. My shoulder brushed against the rough metal of his left shoulder armor, and we cried, falling like a pretzel.
"Ow," I groaned, lying across Cloud like a high waist belt while my face sank into the foam skulls.
"They need a safer system," I added, slipping off him. Cloud was about to get up, muttering, "it's not too bad."
But then Mog's large and fluffy body crashed right on top of him. Cloud disappeared under the massive moogle, leaving nothing but a flailing gloved hand and a few foam skulls bouncing away.
"Why are we here anyway? There's no battle show for a couple of hours. This place is deserted," Cait Sith asked, ignoring Cloud's muffled threats under his large friend.
I struggled out of the ball pit, followed by Cloud squishing a skull into his hand like a stress ball.
"I couldn't breathe!" he snapped, and threw the skull right at Cait Sith. The cat gasped, Mog blocking the hit with his blob hand.
"Hey! I'm quite fragile! You could break me!" Cait Sith hissed.
"Fine by me!" Cloud cried.
They argued before the edge of the pit, throwing each other harsh language and immature excuses, while I just climbed out. Cait Sith was right, this place was empty. I stared up at a lengthy zigzag of red rope and red carpet all the way up to the entrance. No one was in line. Beyond the red rope, a guarded staircase climbed towards a stone castle, with a large skull looming over the double doors. Emitting from the castle's towers, large light beams waved around in the sky. I noticed it was strangely silent. No music played.
There was no one except a lone Shinra guard standing weakly before the steps to the castle.
And then I watched him collapse.
I gasped.
"Guys!" I cried, grabbing Cloud's and Cait Sith's attention while I jumped over the red rope to the fallen guard.
Immediately upon inspection, I found dozens of bullet holes across his blue back. Blood pulsed into a puddle, slowly growing around the poor guard as Cloud and Cait Sith rushed to catch up. Mog absently walked over the red rope, knocking it all down to make way towards the scene. Cloud blinked down at the dead guard, and we watched his green energy lift away into the dark sky.
He and I then exchanged frightened looks, thinking the same thing.
Did Barret do this?
But before words could be exchanged, Cloud's blue eyes intensified, and he looked up to the red-carpet steps with clenched teeth. He took out his sword and rushed up towards the castle. I tightened my red cap and followed.
"Guys, why are we going up there? I don't know about you, but it's not wise to rush towards trouble! Guys! Wait!" Cait Sith whined, following slowly.
The wooden doors were shot down, broken into pieces by gun fire, when Cloud and I jogged through them. I smacked into Cloud's back when he suddenly stopped, ready to step forward, but he put an arm out to stop me.
"Don't," he warned, swallowing the rest of his words down. I peered around his arm, and placed my hands to my sickening stomach.
Shinra soldiers and workers laid over the black and white tile courtyard. There were maybe seven of them in total, their bodies crumbled in their personal pools of blood. Bullet holes were everywhere, some on the stone walls, most on the floor. It was a massacre!
"Cloud…" I gasped, tasting the wretched blood smell while my eyes scanned wildly at all the bodies. "Did Barret…" I couldn't say it. I didn't want to say it.
Cloud knelt beside a body, gazing at the bullet holes, and shook his head.
"No. I can't believe it," he whispered, his thoughts like mine.
Cait Sith gasped, frozen in fear.
"What the hell?" he slipped, unable to move.
In the corner of my eye, a body shifted. I gasped, rushing to a fallen employee in a soft sweater to look like knight's armor, and he coughed blood out of his lips.
"You're okay," I breathed, unbuttoning his bloody sweater, only to reveal most of his abdomen and chest purple, ten or more bullet holes in him. This kid was a goner.
His eyes were lost, pupils constricted up at a large chandelier.
Cloud stepped closer and peered down at the kid.
"Who did this?" he asked, demanding to know.
I stared up at him in alarm. "Cloud, he's dying. Give him a break," I said in a tired tone. I was thirsty, hungry, and now this. How many more bloodbaths were we going to step into? How many more bodies will I find left like this, bleeding to death by a mad man?
"He…He had…a…gun…arm," the kid gurgled, spitting blood. Cloud and I felt a horrid chill run through us at those words. The kid's chest stopped moving, no longer taking any breaths. I checked his pulse, and found none. I sighed, rubbing my hands across my dry face.
"It can't be," I whimpered. Barret would never do this. He was furious, but he would never run on a rampage, killing innocent people, would he?
My eyes watered into my palms, feeling lost and confused.
"Why?" I gasped, my body growing numb until I thought I turned into jello.
And it only got worst.
"Hey, you there! Stop right there!" I recognized that booming voice, and dropped my hands to look up at Dio, accompanied by many Shinra guards and three, large armored shock troopers at the entrance.
Cloud and I froze, staring at Dio and his men with alarm. Dio appeared just as shocked, his jaw fallen as he scanned the bloody mess before him. His sandals snapped quietly over the tile floor, the chandelier's light glowing over him, like he was God of Justice from Mt. Olympus.
"You did this?" he gasped, not believing his eyes when they found mine and Cloud's. I rose, taking Cloud's extended hand, and squeezed tight.
"N-No. You've got it all wrong," Cloud struggled, the shock of it being Barret hitting him too hard to even speak normally smooth.
His tone must've sound displeasing to Dio, like a voice of guilt, and he shook his dark and wrinkled eyebrows at us.
"I'm ashamed of you. The both of you," he muttered, tone deadly serious.
I sucked in a gasp, feeling time slip under our fingers too quickly.
"No! We're innocent!" I screamed, but Dio already sent his robotic troops in towards us with a snap of his fingers.
"Run!" Cait Sith screeched, passing us to head into the arena.
I wasn't convinced if we could out match three shock troopers, the small robotic suits heading towards us with metal feet boosting them off the floor in high speed like jets. Cloud pulled me with him, and we ran, following Cait Sith.
We sprinted over a small drawbridge into the castle, and ran down steps into what appeared to be a large square coliseum. Rows upon rows of cushion seats sat, all folded. Beyond the seats, a dungeon themed arena sat in the center.
A shock trooper landed in between us at the arena, its massive metal legs crushing a few seats. The three of us froze, ready to try another direction, but a second shock trooper crashed in the way, its weight shifting the whole floor. The third elite shock trooper came in with its legs whirling like gears at the other end, and together, the three of them cornered us.
We were trapped.
My shoulders squished into Cloud's and Mog's.
"Oh, this is bad," Cait Sith choked.
By that point, I was wheezing as I gripped Cloud's arm for safety. This couldn't be happening. There had to be a way. There was always a way.
But to my dismay, Cloud was easily taken away from me, swallowed up by robotic arms. He was not even strong enough to hardly budge his arms free. He kicked his legs, trying to knock down anything off the stiff robotic suit.
"Damn it!" he growled through his teeth, and the trooper only squeezed his body tighter until I feared his bones would break. He hissed in pain, grunting from the deadly grip.
"Stop!" I begged, unnoticed to thick metal arms taking a strong hold of my shoulders until it was too late. I was held tight, metal arms binding me with only my legs enough room to kick. Hard metal bruised into my arms and hips, and they squeeze until I could hardly breathe.
The third trooper held Cait Sith and Mog, one curled in each arm.
Menacingly, Don appeared at the top of the steps, empty seats surrounding him.
"That's as far as you go," he threatened quietly.
"We're innocent!" I screamed again. Dio watched me with pleasure as the trooper squeezed me tighter until I gasped to silence.
"That's what they all say," the buff man growled, shaking his head at me.
I was the last one to descend into the "Gateway to Heaven", a place I had no clue about. I doubt it was anything heavenly. It was nothing more than a large tube, where I was about to be shoved into, and then sent to who knows where.
"Have fun in prison," Dio chirped.
Prison?!
The shock trooper's arms released me, but only enough to have my feet land across a metal floor. And then I was hauled into a small round elevator with metal walls, no bars to cling to. It was a small space, enough for two people, and I collapsed inside, landing on my hips with a loud smack of my hands across its bent floor. Marks showed dents, like someone had already tried to punch their way through the floor and walls.
I spun my head to say something to Dio, another plea of forgiveness, but the doors slid shut, and I was trapped in darkness.
The elevator dropped at incredible speed.
And I screamed.
52