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"Dimensional Whiplash"
By Aleenia Rheese
Chapter Eight - At Gold Saucer
In Cloud's World...
In the Highwind
Sam shifted in his seat on the Highwind. His
jaw hurt, and he was worried. Why had he just attacked Yuffie without just
cause? He wanted to talk to the ninja-slash-thief, but she was up on the top,
leaning over the railing, spewing her guts out (as usual, or so he'd been
told).
While Sam was worrying, Cloud was talking to AVALANCHE,
trying to figure out what was happening to the kids. Why did Yuffie and Sam
fight?
"Okay, I need suggestions, people. There has to be a
logical reason why all those kids' wires are on the fritz," he said,
looking at each of his friends in turn. Tifa poked Cid in the arm. They had
been talking earlier, and it was obvious she wanted him to say something.
Cid cleared his throat. "Um, Tifa and I were talking,
and we were wondering... um..." He was at a loss for words.
Tifa stood up. "Cloud, we want to know if you killed
Sephiroth in Lifestream." This took Cloud by surprise. They hadn't asked
him about the confrontation in Lifestream. And now that he thought about it, it
seemed too easy...
"When we 'killed' Safer Sephiroth, I was pulled into
Lifestream." said Cloud. "While in Lifestream, I confronted
Sephiroth. I attacked with Omni-Slash. He fell. I thought - hoped - he was
dead, but now I'm starting to wonder..."
The comm buzzed, and one of the crew stammered across the
system, "Umm, we have, uh, arrived, Captain Highwind. We are beginning
docking procedures."
Cid walked over to the wall, then hit the Comm button.
"Okay, rookie, thank you."
"Y-yes, s-sir!" The boy was a new kid, learning
to fly the airship. He was about nineteen, and had a nasty stutter - when he
spoke to one of the AVALANCHE members. Cloud stood, and made his way to the
door. Tifa stared after him.
"Cloud..."
"We'll finish our talk later. C'mon, everyone. Let's
go! We can race, and rest." He smiled, blue eyes glowing. "I suggest
we enjoy ourselves as long as we can. It may all be gone soon."
One hour later, at Gold Saucer's Entrance
Gold Saucer was enormous! Sam gaped at the
lights, the rides, and the whole structure.
Gold Saucer was shaped like a tree, and where leafy
branches would be, there were level upon level of rides and coliseums. He
trotted along with Cloud and his friends, glancing up at the fireworks as they
blossomed in the sky.
A young woman stood at the Entrance, smiling as she saw
the party. They were leading a line of chocobos, who were standing tall and
proud, as if they knew they were being admired.
"Hello," said the woman. "Pass?" Cloud
pulled a small blue and white ticket out of his pants pocket. "Are all
these people with you? Okay, enjoy your stay here at Gold Saucer!" Another
smile, a wave, and they entered.
The large room they were in had many openings, and beyond
those holes were tubes that carried you to your destination. One said 'Wonder
Square', another 'Battle Square'. Cait Sith, Barret, and Vincent headed to the
tube which said 'Chocobo Square'. Cloud walked over to his friends.
"Okay, you go on. We'll all catch up to you later.
Get the birds ready for racing," he said. Barret nodded, and, motioning
for the other two to follow, left. Sam glanced at the other holes. 'Speed
Square', 'Ghost Square', 'Round Square'...
"Hey!"
Sam jumped. He hadn't realized Tifa had been talking to
him. "Yes?"
"Where do you want to go? I need to know now, so I
can look for you later," Tifa said, gloved hands on her leather-clad hips.
Sam looked around.
"I don't know. I've never seen a place like this
before. I don't know where or what anythin' is." Someone gripped his
shoulder, and he turned right. He stood face-to-face with Yuffie Kisaragi.
"I'll show you around. As an…
apology. You look like you need a potion for that bruise." She grinned at
him, then grabbed his wrist and pulled him over to the Wonder Square entrance.
She turned, waved at Cloud and Tifa, then pulled him through.
"H-hey!" Sam cried. It felt like being sucked
through a straw. In other words, it was a rush! Sam slid through the tube,
cheering, and was spit out in a small area that appeared to be a street corner.
Stairs lay off to the left, which Yuffie pulled him over to.
"C'mon! I'll show you Wonder Square! It has lots of
arcade games!"
Sam's face lit up. "Arcade games?! All right!"
Yuffie grinned. "Yeah, wait till ya see the Cyber
Snowboarding game! It's the bomb! And they have a 3D fighting game, a Mog game,
even a Submarine Attack game!" She giggled, and, pulling Sam after her,
ran up the stairs, through the hall, and into the Arcade.
Samuel stopped at Super Dunk. "Hey, I can do this!
Oh, man, I don't have your kind of money!"
Yuffie giggled. "That's okay! I have all the gil we
need!" She gave Sam two hundred gil. "Here. Let's see you win."
Sam dropped the small, metallic bits of money into a slot. He took the ball,
timed it, and shot. The ball rolled around on the rim twice then dropped in the
basket.
"Yeah! Around the world twice! I rock!" He
continued, and shot ten baskets in a row. Then he decided to take the Double
Chance. Yuffie stood back, along with the ten or fifteen onlookers. Sam judged
the distance. Pulled back. Shot. The ball hit the rim, bounced against the
board... it looked like it wouldn't make it, then... the ball dropped through
the hoop, and Sam jumped in the air, pumping his fist!
"WAHOO! YEAH! I KNEW I COULD DO IT!" Samuel
collected his 2GP, and high-fived Yuffie. "Hey... only two of these
tokens, but I paid two hundred gil... what a rip-off!" Yuffie giggled.
"Let's go play the G Bikes!"
"The what?"
"It's a motorcycle game, dummy!" Yuffie ran
ahead of Sam.
Sam gazed at her bobbing form. I think I'm in love...
The Gondola ride
Cloud sat with Tifa in the Gondola. The last
time he had been in there, it had been with Aeris. He felt like he was
betraying her somehow...
"Hey, Cloud? I was wondering... do you think
Sephiroth is alive?" Tifa asked, brows drawn together. Cloud shook
his head.
"I don't know, Tifa. I just don't know." He
gazed into her chocolatey eyes, and wondered. "Do you think he
is?"
Tifa thought about the silver-haired lunatic, and
shuddered. "I don't wanna know."