Illuminated by countless spotlights and reflecting the fireworks off its polished surface, the Golden Saucer Amusement Park stood as a massive tower of music and games in the middle of a sea of clouds.
The others were lurched awake as the cable car put on its brakes and let the moving ropes carry it the rest of the way up into the docking area.
As the car swooped high over the seven huge platforms, Aeris looked down at the shimmering golden bowls in wonder, seeing all the people scurry around in the late evening.
Even from this far up, she could see the flashing lights of the Wonder Square directly below the strobe lights and flickering red glow of the Battle Square.
Behind the central pillar and above the docking bay was the Entertainment Square, complete with its two huge Moogle statues that overlooked the stage. Some of the most famous plays today had been performed on that stage, including the smash-hit, "Loveless".
Aeris looked out the window to see more, but the dark tunnel of the docking bay swallowed the cable car before she could get a good view of anything else.
Cloud, Aeris, Barret, Tifa, Red XIII and Yuffie all got off the ropeway as soon as it stopped and they walked over to the entrance of the Golden Saucer, where a man was standing, handing out tickets.
"Welcome to the Golden Saucer. Are you together? A single pass is 3000 Gil or you can purchase a lifetime pass for 30000 Gil," said the man.
Cloud, Aeris, Barret, Tifa, Red XIII and Yuffie each brought a pass for 3000 Gil.
"Thank you very much. If you leave the Golden Saucer, your tickets will be invalid. Here at the Golden Saucer, there are many places where you must pay with GP. Just think of GP as money that you can only use at the Golden Saucer. GP can only be redeemed at the games in Wonder Square and at the Chocobo Races. Your GP limit is 1000 so please be careful. Please, enjoy yourselves," said the man.
Cloud, Aeris, Barret, Tifa, Red XIII and Yuffie walked in through the entrance. They arrived at a room leading to seven different areas. There were seven slides, each one leading down to its own area. Aeris jumped about with excitement.
"Wow! Come on, let's just have some fun for once! Please, please, please…" pleaded Aeris, turning to face Cloud.
"I don't really think that's a good idea right now," whispered Cloud, glancing at Barret, who was still staring down at the floor, looking thoroughly miserable.
"Yeah…I know this isn't the right time to do this, but…hey, come on Barret, cheer up!" said Aeris, cheerfully and happily.
"I ain't in no damn cheery mode. So just leave me alone…" muttered Barret, glumly, not even bothering to look at them, his head bowed down.
"Really? Oh well, that's too bad then," said Aeris, with a shrug. She then ran back up to Cloud and she hugged him.
"Let's go! Come on, Cloud! Let's go have some fun for once!" said Aeris, holding Cloud tightly around the waist.
"Hey, don't you think that was just a little bit harsh back there, Aeris!?" snapped Tifa, glaring angrily, pointing at Barret who still looked rather depressed.
"Don't worry about it. Just act normal when this happens," said Aeris, still hugging Cloud.
"You think so?" asked Tifa, incredulously, raising an eyebrow, hardly believing the way she was acting right now.
"Of course!" exclaimed Aeris, hugging Cloud.
Cloud looked thoroughly embarrassed, but he didn't mind hugging her, he was just slightly guilty about doing it in front of Tifa. Aeris then let go of Cloud, and she ran up to Barret.
"We're going to go play," said Aeris.
Barret snarled viciously and suddenly exploded with rage.
"SO PLAY!! But quit messing around! Don't forget, we're after Sephiroth!" snapped Barret.
He then stormed off in a wild rage, and jumped straight down the slide leading to the Battle Square.
"I think he's getting really mad," said Aeris, wide-eyed, staring after him, feeling slightly guilty now.
"He'll be fine. He seems to be doing a little better now," said Tifa. Cloud walked towards Tifa, Aeris, Red XIII and Yuffie.
"We'd better be careful. Sephiroth might be around," warned Tifa, seriously.
"I wish we could just forget everything and have fun!" exclaimed Aeris.
"You want to go with me?" asked Red XIII.
"These rich places are so cool! I agree with Aeris, we should get to have a little fun now and then," said Yuffie.
Before Cloud could make a decision, Aeris suddenly grabbed him gently by the arm and pulled him over to her. They both went down the slide that led to the Wonder Square. Tifa stared after them coldly for a moment as they went down the slide together, and clenched her fists slightly, making her knuckles crack loudly, Red XIII and Yuffie both noticed.
"Jealous, huh?" asked Yuffie, smirking at Tifa.
Tifa jumped and blushed a bit, and the cold stare was wiped off her face instantly.
"How many times do I have to say this to everyone? He is just my friend, that's all. We grew up together in the same town, nothing more," insisted Tifa, though deep down, she didn't really believe what she was saying.
Yuffie wasn't one bit convinced at all, and the smirk on her face widened.
"Oh, sure. Yeah, right, I believe you. Well, if yellow Chocobos fly. So anyway, what are we going to do now?" asked Yuffie, curiously.
"I don't know. This place isn't really my kind of thing," said Red XIII, doubtfully.
"Well, it's my kind of place, that's for sure! The Wonder Square sounds kind of cool. Or maybe the Chocobo Square…" said Yuffie, glancing around thoughtfully, enthusiastic.
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Meanwhile, in the Wonder Square of the Golden Saucer, a very, very strange fortune telling machine stood waiting for something. It was a black and white furry robotic cat wearing a golden crown and it was sitting on top of a big fat stuffed furry robotic Moogle.
This robotic cat was now using the robotic Moogle body to walk along with (the cat always sat on top of the Moogle), as though it was the cat's own body (and used it as a fortune telling machine). As a robot, the cat was intelligent and it could talk.
Its name was Cait Sith, and he worked for the Golden Saucer, and it was being controlled by another person elsewhere, who saw through Cait Sith's eyes by viewing a large screen that showed what it was seeing by the tiny screens in its eyes.
Humming tunelessly, being controlled by this mysterious person who was currently far away, Cait Sith tossed his small golden crown into the air, sending it spinning before catching it again flawlessly.
His short red cape fluttered behind him as the huge, lumbering Mog he was sitting on shuffled across the Wonder Square plaza, grinning stupidly and bowing to passer-bys.
Several of the people smiled at Cait Sith and scratched behind its ears, finding to their surprise that it purred and even began to strike up a conversation with them.
"How's the air up there? What's going on outside? There ain't no windows around here, you know," said Cait Sith.
Mostly, though, he'd shout advertisements of the Golden Saucer and would try to con people out of a hundred Gil or even two hundred.
After all, there was always a sucker born every minute, and Cait Sith always saw himself as a shepherd of those sorts of lambs. Cait Sith suddenly shouted to the crowd of people.
"Come on, come all! Gather around here, folks, and witness in amazement as I, the amazing Cait Sith, demonstrate the unbelievable psychic powers of this very Mog that you see before you!" announced Cait Sith.
As the crowd turned their heads towards him and the Mog he was standing on, Cait Sith grinned and motioned for them to come closer.
"Now, behold! The Mog will now perform its famous Future Predictions Dance!" announced Cait Sith.
As the crowd watched, the Mog shuffled its huge feet and waved its arms in the air. A low, throaty growl rose in its mouth and slid out between its teeth.
The Mog danced faster and faster, his arms and legs a white blur against the dark blue floor. Just as suddenly as it had started, though, the Mog stopped and reached inside its mouth. It removed a slip of paper off its tongue and handed it to the Cait Sith, who put his crown back on and peered at the paper.
"Is there a Gordon here?" asked Cait Sith, looking around ominously.
From the back, a hand slowly rose into the air. Cait Sith pointed at the hand and gasped.
"You've been cheating on your wife! You bastard!" yelled Cait Sith.
"I, uh…don't have a wife," said the man attached to the hand said flatly.
Cait Sith winced as the crowd quickly began to disperse.
"Wait! Did I say Gordon? I meant Gary! Gary's going to be in a car wreck soon! Watch out for the numbers 72, 204, and 9!" shouted Cait Sith.
But it was no use. The crowd had broken up, and Cait Sith was alone in the square again. The large robotic Mog whimpered helplessly and rolled its large, dark eyes up to Cait Sith. Sighing, the black and white robotic cat patted the Mog on the head.
"Don't worry. They'll show up soon again. They always do," said Cait Sith.
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Meanwhile, Cloud and Aeris were walking elsewhere in the Golden Saucer together, hand in hand. There were eight sections – the Event Square, the Speed Square, the Round Square, the Ghost Square, the Battle Square, the Wonder Square and the Chocobo Square.
Cloud and Aeris went down the slide that led to the Wonder Square. When they came to the Wonder Square, they didn't see Barret anywhere. The couple turned to face each other.
"He's not here, either. Maybe Tifa was right…perhaps I was too harsh on him. It's just…I really got up in the idea to have some fun for once, and that's something I've never really got to do, you know?" said Aeris, softly, looking at Cloud, who wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly.
"Don't worry, I'm sure he'll turn up some time. And him getting angry wasn't your fault, he's just got a lot on his mind right now, and I don't blame him either. Besides…who says you're not going to enjoy yourself, even if we are searching for Sephiroth. I'm here, aren't I?" asked Cloud, reassuringly.
Aeris beamed at Cloud, her beautiful green eyes sparkling.
"Thank you so much, Cloud…I don't know what I would do without you here with me," said Aeris, softly, staring deeply into Cloud's eyes, as they held each other tightly.
"The feeling's mutual," whispered Cloud, quietly, as he drew his lips to hers, and they kissed each other passionately once again, still locked in each other's arms.
For a moment, they both forgot about their search or about the other people that were there, as Cloud and Aeris kissed again and again, filled with deep affection and love for one another, until finally they drew apart, and decided it would be best to carry on with the search for Sephiroth, but they still smiled and gazed at each other and smiled, until they noticed they were being watched and turned to see Cait Sith standing in the middle of the Wonder Square.
Suddenly noticing they were now looking back at him suspiciously, Cait Sith jumped slightly and moved towards Cloud and Aeris, grinning at them.
"Hey, you two lovebirds! What are you both looking so down for all of a sudden?" asked Cait Sith. Cait Sith suddenly walked over to them, and stood in front of them both.
"How about it? Want me to read your fortune? A bright future! A happy future! But don't hold it against me if it's not a great prediction. Oh, I'm so sorry! This big Moogle that I'm standing on is a fortune telling machine. My name's Cait Sith!" said Cait Sith, introducing himself, with a bow.
Cait Sith was an intelligent, talking robotic cat on a robotic stuffed Mog, whose great hobby was fortune telling. Cloud and Aeris noticed an imprinted label on the big Moogle.
CAIT SITH
Cat and Mog,
Fortune Telling Machine
Fortunes Told, Lucky Charms Sold,
And no saying ever gets too old
Golden Saucer
"You can only read the future?" asked Cloud, curiously.
"Are you kidding!? I can find missing things, missing people, anything!" exclaimed Cait Sith.
"Then can you tell me where a man named Sephiroth is?" asked Cloud, curiously.
"Sephiroth, right? Okay, here goes!" shouted Cait Sith.
He took a sheet of paper from the stuffed Moogle he was standing on, but it was difficult for him, as he was just a cat. Cait Sith handed the fortune to Cloud, who read it out aloud.
"Ordinary luck. It will be an active fortune. Give into the good will of others and something big will happen after summer…wait, what's this?" asked Cloud, confused.
"Huh? Let me try it again," said Cait Sith.
He took another fortune out of the stuffed Moogle he was standing on and he quickly handed the fortune to Cloud, who read it out aloud.
"Be careful of future forgetfulness. Your lucky colour is…blue? Forget it," said Cloud, getting frustrated.
"Wait! Give me another chance! Wait! Let me try it again!" protested Cait Sith, desperately.
He took another sheet of paper and he handed it to Cloud. Cloud took the fortune with a snort, expecting it to be another hoax, but his eyes suddenly widened in shock and disbelief as he read the fortune.
"What the…!?" shouted Cloud, suddenly.
He looked at the fortune, horrified by what it was saying. He seemed both very curious and very disturbed by it.
"What is it?" asked Aeris, curious and surprised.
Cloud slowly and clearly read the fortune out aloud.
"WHAT YOU PURSUE SHALL BE YOURS. BUT YOU WILL LOSE SOMETHING DEAR," said Cloud, reading the fortune, and for a moment he just stared at it, mesmerized.
Immediately, Cloud had a strange, ominous feeling about the fortune that he couldn't explain, he simply just felt it…as if it really WAS going to come to pass…
Cait Sith looked as equally startled and unnerved as Cloud and Aeris were about the mysterious fortune.
"I don't know if that's good OR bad. This is the first ever time that I've got something like this," said Cait Sith, amazed. He then turned to face Cloud, an odd look in his small robotic eyes.
"Then, shall we?" asked Cait Sith, looking at them both curiously, very curiously.
"What are you talking about?" asked Aeris, bewildered.
"As a fortune teller, I can't help but think about this. If I don't see what it leads to, then I won't be able to relax. That's why I'm going with you!" said Cait Sith.
"What are we going to do now, Cloud?" asked Aeris, glancing at Cloud.
"Don't even think about it! I'm coming with you, no matter what you say!" shouted Cait Sith.
"Hey!" protested Cloud, but Cait Sith kept walking along with them and following them, and he wouldn't listen to Cloud's protests at all and he kept following Cloud and Aeris everywhere no matter how much they tired to lose him. Cait Sith was surprisingly agile, so much more so than it looked.
Giving up the idea of running away, which was proving pointless, Cloud and Aeris stopped and turned to face Cait Sith, which quickly stopped right behind them.
Cloud jabbed an angry finger into the Mog's soft stomach, and was about to say something when the cheery music that filled the air suddenly crackled and went dead.
The distant, hollow, but unmistakable sound of several gunshots flew from the high-powered vacuum slides, followed by terrible screams and the sounds of mad panic.
People came in a flood from the slides, clawing and screaming in overwhelming fear in a maddened attempt to flee from the crazed gunman.
Cait Sith, Cloud and Aeris quickly left the Wonder Square and they ran to the Battle Square where the screams and gunshots were coming from…and it was also where Barret had went off to in the first place, Cloud realised with shock.
But (much to Cloud's surprise) when they got to the Battle Square, a Shinra soldier was blocking the entrance. Suddenly, the sound of yet more gunshots ran out through the air and the Shinra soldier suddenly fell to the ground.
He didn't move, while the horrifying screams and sounds of gunfire suddenly ceased and abruptly went dead. Filled with cold dread, Cait Sith, Cloud and Aeris quickly ran over to the Shinra soldier. Cloud quickly checked his pulse.
"He's…he's dead," said Cloud, speechless.
"What!? Why!?" shouted Aeris, shocked.
Cloud didn't answer, his mind racing, and he ran straight to the Battle Square, wanting to see what this was all about, though the terrible screaming still echoed in his thoughts, and it thoroughly unnerved him.
"Cloud!? Where are you going!?" asked Aeris, frantically, filled with anxiety for him. She and Cait Sith quickly followed Cloud to the Battle Square, running after him.
Inside the Battle Square, the bodies of several dead people, consisting mostly of fighters and soldiers were lying piled about on the floor, most hanging limply from the walls and over guardrails.
It looked as if when the murderer came through here, he caught all of them by surprise. There was blood all over the place, it drenched the whole floor and walls.
Cloud did his best to move forward towards the double iron doors where Cait Sith stood without looking at all the lifeless eyes and ashen faces with expressions of terror that seemed to follow his every footstep.
Aeris gasped in horror at the sight as she came in the room from behind him, and then she turned away, her head bowed in sadness and sorrow.