"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."
