Splintered Dreams
"Barret's Pain"
Chapter 29
Corel, as it turned out was gone. In its place was North Corel—a shallow, beaten down version of what was once a small, but well maintained mining community. Broken buildings and canvas tents were homes and shelter, the meager housings surrounded by mounds of scrap and dirt.
Zack blinked against the rising sun and felt a frown tighten his lips. Back when he'd traveled this area—early in his days as a Shin-Ra grunt—Corel had been a sturdy town, filled with sturdy people, but the people milling about looked defeated and sour. Nothing like the folk he remembered.
A few feet ahead of them, Barret's pace quickened and it was him that stepped through the shabby gate that unofficially marked the town's entrance first. Immediately, he was approached by several people, which wasn't altogether unusual given Barret's appearance and the fact that they were strangers, but what struck Zack as particularly odd was the way Barret kept his head down, even when voices rose and an angry fist struck out.
"Barret!" Tifa rushed forward.
"Shit," Zack muttered, moving to belay any retaliation from their big companion. The last thing they needed was Barret unloading on a bunch of half-witted idiots. But to his—and everyone else's—surprise, Barret simply took a step back and did nothing.
"You have a lot of fucking balls showing your face here again after what you did!" The man that struck Barret was shouting when they reached them. Spittle flayed between dry lips and dotted his whiskers, so great was his agitation.
"What happened? Get kicked out of another town?" Someone else jeered. "Techno-freak monstrosity!"
"Back off," Tifa shoved herself in front of Barret, her face as fierce as Zack had ever seen it.
"Mind your business, bitch," one of the men snarled, stepping up to point a finger in her face.
Now there was a bad idea, Zack thought, striding forward. This was their town, and their place, and he had no intention of stomping on any toes or causing trouble, but he'd be damned if he sat back and watched some asshole insult Tifa. He let his hands rest on his hips, and kept his smile easy, but the threat was in his voice when he said, "I would really advise against doing that."
Many faces of the small crowd turned on him, but one look at his eyes and the large sword strapped to his back and they were quick to step away.
"Fuck it, you ain't worth our time." The man who'd struck him spit at Barret's feet. "You got fifteen minutes to get your asses out of our town." He waved for the others to follow as he turned and stalked off.
Quiet, barely a whisper, Barret said, "I'm sorry," and Zack didn't know if he was speaking to the towns people or them.
Tifa spun around, her eyes wide and worried as they rested on her friend's profile. "What the hell was that, Barret?"
"How can they say such horrible things?" Aerith demanded, coming up alongside. She rubbed her hand over Barret's back, her green eyes glittering. She kicked a rock."Jerks."
"Don't fret none," Barret told them, his voice rougher than usual. "I deserve anything they wanna dish out."
"Barret!" Tifa's resistance to that idea was palpable.
For the first time since he'd met the man, Zack saw defeat on Barret's face. It was frightening, he realized, to witness that tough outer shell crack. Barret, despite his bluster and attitude, was motivational and inspiring in his determination. The man staring blankly down at the gravel was not the Barret that Zack had come to know. "Care to explain," Zack invited.
"My hometown used to be around here." Distant, Barret's eyes lifted from the ground, surveyed the dry hills and rubble. "Used to be..."
"What do you mean 'used to be'?" Red questioned when Barret stalled. "What happened?"
"It got buried...just under four years, and it's all gone... and it's my fault. All of it....my fault."
"Barret, what are you talking about?"
With a sigh, Barret ran his hand down his face, started pacing. "Corel was a coal mining town. Wasn't nothing special, really. Kind of a dusty dirt hill in the eyes of some, but it was calm and it was home. A real small town, but with potential, y'know...or that's what Shin-Ra said. Back when they came, it was the first time I'd ever heard the words Mako Reactor..."
With a heavy feeling in the pit of his stomach, Zack remained silent and listened as Barret spoke of Scarlet and Development Teams and all of Shin-Ra's bright, shiny promises.
"I thought it was the answer. I thought...I thought it would make life better, so I promoted the idea of developing with Shin-Ra. I pushed for it until the whole town was in on it. Well...almost the whole town." Another sigh and Barret shook his head. "Dyne always was a stubborn one." There was affection, remorse, and something akin to pain in his voice.
"Dyne?" Tifa asked.
"My best friend. He was against the idea of development. He wanted to preserve the traditions of our fathers and grandfathers, but...my wife, Myrna, was sick and...all I wanted was her to be well. I figured if we had the money...if we had the means..." He took a shaky breath. "Anyway, Shin-Ra promised us all that we would have everything we needed once the reactor was built."
The heavy feeling solidified to lead. "What happened?" Zack asked.
"They built the reactor. It went up, life went on. But then Dyne and I had to go out of town for a few days. While we were gone, there was an explosion at the reactor." Barret stopped walking back and forth, stood looking out at something only he could see. "Shin-Ra blamed rebel factions, blamed the town for being unable to stop it. As a result, Shin-Ra troopers burnt our homes to the ground." His hand clenched, face darkened. "I never should have gone along with building that damn reactor. The whole town. All my relatives...all our families...everyone. "
Instinctively, Zack reached out, took Tifa's hand. The bone-pale color of her face and stricken expression told him that she'd not known this piece of Barret's past, and the news struck a little too close to home. He could feel the fine tremors running through her body, but her voice was steady and her gaze didn't waiver when she spoke. "Blaming yourself won't change it, Barret. We were all fooled by the lies Shin-Ra spewed back then. There was no way you could have known."
His gaze flickered her way, but didn't stay. "Maybe, maybe not. But I can't forgive Shin-Ra, and more, I can't forgive myself, Teef. They took advantage of my town. Of me. And I lost my wife...my Myrna," he choked, coughed to cover it. "That's why...that's why I get so mad. So angry. We have to stop them, we have to make a difference."
Well, that certainly explained a lot as far as Zack was concerned. He had a sudden empathy for the man beside him, and clapped a hand on his shoulder. "We will," he promised.
"Uh, guys...I... think we need to go. Now." Yuffie pointed a finger.
The men that had approached Barret earlier were returning, this time with make-shift weapons in their hands. Although Zack knew they were no real threat, after Barret's story, he felt that these people had suffered enough. "Yeah," he said, "let's go."
"Where?" Aerith asked, gesturing to the wide expanse of sand and garbage. "There's not a lot of options, Zack."
"There is a Ropeway," Red lifted his muzzle in the direction of a small shack and an ancient looking riding car.
"So there is," Zack nodded. The old cable car looked solid enough, despite it's rusting shell, he considered. The cables were a little more slack than he'd like to have seen, but there wasn't much to be done for that. "Looks like we take that." He turned toward the growing throng of people coming toward them. "We're leaving, okay? We don't want any trouble." To his group, "Time to go."
"Any idea where this thing goes exactly?" Tifa asked him after he paid the vendor. She eyed the unstable looking cables over their heads warily.
"None, but it's gotta be better than here," Zack pointed out, helping her inside the metal car.
She glanced at the men wielding pipes and sticks, then at Barret who was silent and sullen in the corner."True enough."
"All aboard!" The ticket vendor called, then before they could all be seated, he jerked the lever and they were off with a whir of propellers and a series of snapping creaks.
"I can't look." Yuffie clapped her hands over her eyes, tucked her head.
"Oh, wow," Aerith gasped as they angled up in a steep climb.
Beside him, Tifa leaned over, peered out the dirty window. "How high does this go?" she wondered aloud.
"Too high," Yuffie squeaked before he could reply. "I don't feel so good," she added with a groan.
"Do not puke," Zack warned.
Yuffie made a gurgle and nodded. "That's the plan."
"At least not until we stop," he added, feeling bad for her. She really did look rather green.
Red pawed the glass, head tilted. "What is that sound?"
"What sound...wait..." Zack heard it. Music. Loud and fun. He twisted in his seat, a grin spreading on his face. "The Gold Saucer."
"The what?" Tifa peered beside him, her eyes widening as the mammoth amusement park came into view between the clouds. Light shone and strobbed in happy rhythm to the blaring music.
"The Gold Saucer," Zack repeated, leaning forward. "It's an amusement park."
"So...SOLDIER Sephiroth took a detour to a kiddy park?" Barret scoffed.
That was about as likely as Zack laying a Chocobo egg, but it wasn't like the group had a heck of a lot of options at the moment, and being as such, Zack didn't see the harm in scoping the place out. Everyone from everywhere went to the Saucer. Someone had to have heard or seen a man in black leather carrying a ten foot sword. "Probably not," he confirmed. "But it's worth checking out."
"The beach, and now the fucking whoopdee-do park. You ever gonna pull your head out of your ass and do anything? Or are you just dicking us around intentionally. Making neat little circles for Shin-ra to find."
"Barret!" Tifa snapped her head around.
"It's fine," Zack soothed with a shake of his head. He met her eyes, gave her a soft smile. The big man was hurting and Zack was an easy target. No matter. He had thick skin, and better him than the others.
The car lurched and hummed as the propellers stopped, their steady thrum slowing as they approached the dock. "Are we going to stay for a bit?" Aerith wanted to know.
"We're gonna check things out, yeah." Zack took her hand, helped her to her feet. Then Yuffie, who did an admirable job of waiting until she was outside of the car before losing her lunch.
Tifa and Red hopped off on their own and Barret was the last to leave the swaying cable car.
"This place is amazing!" Aerith clapped happily. She nudged Barret. "Come on, let's have some fun!"
"We ain't here for fun. We're supposed to be finding that Sephiroth jackass."
"Aw, come on, Barret," she cajoled. "A little fun won't hurt."
"I ain't in the mood." He turned away, scowl etched on dark skin and Zack winced at the sharp tone.
"That's too bad." Aerith sighed dramatically and when Barret didn't respond she shrugged. "Fine. Have it your way. I'm going to enjoy myself."
Aerith, Shiva love her, wasn't exactly the most tactful of people, Zack knew. He recalled her talking about flowers and sunlight while he'd sobbed his heart out after the death of Angeal.
A life of relative isolation would do that, though, he mused, and he'd long ago forgiven her lack of social skills in favor of her generous heart. She meant well, always, and that more than made up for any clumsy wording or misspeak.
Tifa, however, wasn't as inclined to overlook it, and pulled Aerith aside. "What are you doing?" she asked between clenched teeth.
"I think if we just act normally, then maybe he'll snap out of it," Aerith whispered back.
Tifa rolled her eyes. "You don't just snap out of that kind of thing, Aerith."
"Well, what should we do? Let him wallow in it?"
Tifa's brow furrowed, the question giving her pause. "Well, no."
"All right, then. Let's go have some fun." Out came the sunbeam smile.
That smile was damn hard to resist, Zack thought, almost laughing when he saw Tifa's face soften and knew that Aerith had caved her too.
"We're going to go play," Aerith announced.
"Fine! Go fucking play!" Barret snarled, waving his arms. "Have a grand ole fucking time, but don't forget, we're after Sephiroth!" With that, he stormed away from them and towards one of the many tunnels that lead to the Gold Saucer attractions.
"Wow, he's pissed," Yuffie commented, joining them.
"You are as astute as ever," Red commented in turn, earning a tongue poked out at him.
"Barret!" Tifa called after him. "Damn it, Barret, wait!"
"Ehn, let him go," Zack suggested. He trailed his fingers down her arm. "He'll work this out."
"I know," she replied quietly, but the hurt lingered. "I just worry."
"Do you think I made him too mad?" Aerith asked, her hands rolling over one another.
Tifa shook her head, her expression contemplative. "Barret is comfortable in anger. I think...maybe...it'll help." She nodded. "Yeah, he'll be okay." She glanced at Zack through the fall of her hair. "But he's right, we don't have time to play."
"Don't plan on it, but we should look around." He smiled, eased in closer. "And if we happen to play a game of Mog House or take a walk into a secluded alleyway..."
She pressed her hand to his chest, eased him right back. "Focus, Fair."
She was damn cute when she was resisting his charms. "Oh, I am focused, Lockhart," he assured her. "Very focused."
She shook her head but he caught the glint in her eye and the curve of her lip. "You're hopeless."
"I know."
"Which direction do we go first?" Red questioned. "And do we travel as a group or should we divide our efforts and gather as much information as possible?"
Zack rubbed the back of his neck. He didn't like the idea of splitting up. They were in enough danger and trouble as it was, and he felt better knowing he was nearby to help should any of them need it, but Red had a valid point—seperately they could cover more ground.
Sensing his thoughts, as she was often doing, Tifa moved to him, touched him and immediately soothed some of the worry from him. "Splitting up isn't the best idea in the world. I know it makes the most sense as far as scoping out the park goes," she continued when Red looked about to comment, "but I think dividing up will only lead to trouble...well, more trouble."
"All right, so together it is," Zack gave a nod.
And it was together that they wandered the amusement park. They talked to a few hundred people, by Zack's best guess, and made only minimal progress, but, the fact that they had made any was good in his book.
Occasionally, he would notice Tifa's eyes searching the throngs of people, worry evident in the way her teeth worked her bottom lip. Barret, he thought, you asshole. In those instances, he made sure to get a little too close, maybe say something a little too outrageous, and draw her back.
It was a blatant ploy—and not even a very good one—but Tifa recognized the effort, and Zack was rewarded when she tugged his arm, pulled his face to hers. "Thanks." And she kissed him.
"Anytime," he murmured, thumb tracing her lower lip. Then, back to the task at hand, they resumed their searching and questioning.
Yuffie and Aerith, as it turned out, were the more successful of the group. Both with open, eager personalities, they drew forth trust and information. Between the two of them they learned that no man in black leather had been spotted, but several people in black cloaks had mysteriously come and gone throughout the park.
Zack recalled seeing a couple himself, once he thought about it.
"I think that the people in cloaks are connected to this," Aerith commented when they stopped to rest and eat.
Zack had the same suspicion, but he was curious as to how Aerith arrived at that conclusion.
"Well, aside from the timing," she explained, chewing on a hotdog. "There's the fact that they are so elusive."
"Like they don't want to be caught or see," Yuffie added. "Like Ninjas. Only not as cool."
"I think I've seen these cloaked people before...In fact, I think we all have. In the slums," Tifa reminded them.
"Never been to the slums," Yuffie chimed.
"Nor I." Red corrected.
"Okay, well at least we three may have seen them," Zack gestured to himself and Aerith and Tifa.
Aerith placed her hotdog on a napkin, leaned forward. "They were sick, right?"
"I think so." Tifa nodded.
"Sick how?" Red wanted to know.
"They were just...off," Aerith searched for the right word. "Like they were lost."
"Yes," Tifa agreed. "Exactly." But with all the grime and filth and despair already in the slums, the cloaked figures were overlooked. "Shit," she muttered, feeling like an idiot.
Red cocked his head. "So, do we now broaden the scope of our search and questions to include these individuals?"
"Probably a good idea."
"I don't wanna catch any ewwy sickness," Yuffie protested.
Zack finished his drink. "I doubt what they have is contagious."
"Yeah? Prove it."
"Fine, then you don't have to talk to any should we find one," Tifa cut in.
Hands folded on the table, Aerith sighed. "We've already been through most of the park with no luck."
That was true, and Zack had been surprised to find several of the event squares closed for 'renovations' and it sent tingles of awareness through him now. Something was up. He had no idea what, but there was something happening at the Saucer and he'd wager his lucky undies that it had something to do with the cloaked figures and perhaps even Sephiroth.
"Hey, maybe fortune kitty can tell us where they are. I saw it dishing out fortunes when I went to the bathroom."
"Fascinating," Red replied.
"You shush. Hey! Moogle-cat-thingy-fortune-reader, c'mere!" Yuffie stood up, waved her arms over her head.
Zack shifted closer to Tifa's ear. "Subtlety just isn't her thing, is it?"
"She's a unique ninja, that's for sure." Her lips arched.
Zack chuckled, but as the giant moogle waddled toward them, he felt amusement leave.
"Hey, hey, you!" From atop the moogle's rounded head a black robotic cat, wearing a crown and carrying a megaphone spoke to Yuffie. "Wanna hear your future? Lemme tell you your fortune and I'll tell you of a bright future, a happy future! But don't blame me if it's a bad prediction! I'm a fortune telling machine and my name is--"
Zack braced his elbow on the table, smiled a slow, dangerous smile and leaned into the light. "You can cut the act, furball."
The cat whirled atop the moogle, eyes wide and megaphone dropping.
"Been a long time." Zack reached out, plucked the little robot from its perch, peered into it's mechanical eyes. "Reeve."
In his hands, the robotic feline squirmed, then stilled. "Crap."
AN: THANK YOU SO MUCH for all the wonderful reviews and continued support!! What? I managed 2 updates? O.o Y'know, I'm actually pretty damn shocked myself. Uhm, ok, not much to explain here, just moving the story forward, but I do hope you enjoyed the chapter, and maybe got a little insight into Barret. :D Thank you, guys, again. You are the best and I appreciate you all so, so much!