Chapter Text
The quartet made it out of the ravine and down the long tracks in good time. There were spearhawks, bloatfloats and other flying dangers, but the other three deal with it so fast that Kayline was able to stay in the back and watch them deal with do so. Aerith insisted it be that way, wanting Kayline to relax after her five year nap. There was occasional conversation–spearheaded by Aerith–about the sensory abilities of animals and of touching Red’s paws much to the displeasure of their four-legged companion. They had arrived at another old communications box at the end of the tracks where Cloud signaled the others to arrive, and in less than five minutes Barret–who didn't wear his sunglasses, strangely enough–Yuffie and Tifa rejoined them. And another little friend.
As Yuffie ran out of the cart, a small, yellow, spiky bird’s wings flapped rapidly before it settled itself on Barret’s shoulder. The large man didn't look inconvenienced in the slightest, and Tifa grabbed onto Yuffie's shoulders as the girl was about to hurl.
Kayline kept a distance, only approaching the newcomers after the other three did. Red walked up to them, “Still alive?”
“Miraculously, yeah…” Yuffie said, trying to recover herself. Some of the color returned to her cheeks as she spoke, and Tifa let go of her. The spiky bird on Barret's shoulder chirped excitedly.
Aerith, already enamored, practically squealed, “Who’s this!?” And the bird fluttered it's way in a circle around the group before landing gently on Cloud’s shoulder. He didn't share her excitement.
“Think of him as a tag-a-long.” Yuffie said, and as Cloud and the bird both had the back of their heads to them, Kayline couldn't help but notice a strange resemblance.
“Wait a sec…” Aerith was picking up on it too, and she lightly touched the bird's head, “That is… uncanny.” The bird turned around to look at her, and she poked its beak to its excitement.
“I know, right!? Meet Cloud Jr.” Yuffie said, and the bird looked between the two of them dumbfoundedly.
“Welcome aboard, Junior.” Aerith giggled, and the bird chirped again before lifting off to fly before Cloud to look him in the eye.
“Kill me.” The blonde mumbled as the rest of the group began laughing–except for Kayline, who kept a subdued smile instead–until their joyful moments was cut short by a bird the size of Barret landing on the shack the communications box was inside. Cloud Jr. tweeted happily before taking off, joining the larger bird and nuzzling up against it before landing on its shoulder. The two birds gave a last cheep of farewell before taking off, getting lost in the blue skies.
“Didn't even get to say goodbye.” Yuffie frowned.
“At least we know he's with family now.” Barret reassured her.
The girl ran forward and waved her arm up at the sky, “We’ll miss you, Cloud Jr.!” Aerith joined in waving, but Kayline's gaze followed Cloud’s down a long, old wooden bridge where two robed men were walking towards the nearby village.
He turned back to the rest of the group, “C’mon.” He said, before stepping forward and leading them to walk on the bridge.
The more they walked, the more Kayline saw Barret’s shoulders tense, and he was making a nervous fist. Yuffie was rushing along, rocking the bridge to a point that Tifa held onto the rail at the side. The bartender didn't seem to trust bridges made like this at all. It was a relief by the time they made it to the end of the bridge, which had a large sign with the word’s “North Corel” engraved on it. Past the sign was the village, which looked as dusty and ragged as an abandoned military bunker.
The ground was barren and large chunks of metal and rock were in groups on the ground. Even with a glance, Kayline could tell that the town was drowning in poverty and unable to claw its way out. There were small buildings before them and other buildings up the ragged cliffs. Broken stairs and planks connected the cliffs, completing the town. The more Kayline looked, the worse the town became. Old equipment such as cranes were left abandoned, and she could see multiple large buildings with gaping holes in them, many of them mostly or completely destroyed. Despite how run down the town appeared, people remained, sitting on crates, leaning against broken fences, and adorned in dirty clothing.
Past the miserable town, however, was the unmistakable discs in the sky that was the Gold Saucer. That's right, the Saucer’s in Corel and not too far south from Costa Del Sol. Yuffie looked excited once she noticed the Saucer, but Kayline's expression remained glum–even moreso when some of the villagers began speaking.
“Well… look who it is.” Said one of the townsfolk with surprising venom that made Kayline want to flinch. She recognized the venom from her youth, when the professor himself spoke to her or her silver-haired companion with such disapproval that it crippled them.
“The great Sir Wallace has graced us with his presence.” One of the other villagers mocked, his eyes glued on Barret. Wallace is his last name, then? The two men talking, and another, began to approach, as Kayline's back tightened. She didn't like the way they spoke one bit, and despite hardly knowing Barret, she wanted to wipe the venom from their tongues. He didn't deserve that tone of voice–no one did. Except for a very select few people at Shinra, perhaps.
But Barret accepted their words without retort, putting an arm in front of Cloud and the others as if to tell them that it was fine and not to react. Tifa and Aerith looked worried, Red curious, and Cloud and Yuffie angry. Barret, however, held a defeated look that was only combatted by a protective flash in his eye. He didn't mind the words, but he kept close attention on how the others were standing aggressively around them as if to ensure their hostility wasn't directed to their group.
“Surprised ya had the balls to come back. But we're so glad ya did.” Another one ridiculed, and despite his much smaller frame he went right up to Barret and mockingly put his hand on the larger man's shoulder and cheek. Barret stood there and took it.
The three villagers laughed at him, but the smaller one had the intelligence to take his hands off of Barret and back away. Cloud looked over the rest of the team, probably wondering how much of this Barret would be willing to take before they involved themselves. It was when one of them poured a cup of liquid over Barret's head and laughed that caused Yuffie's patience to disappear. “There. A hero's welcome.” The villager mocked.
Yuffie dashed through, pushing him away from Barret, whose head was down in shame and drenched in the drink. The Wutain girl shouted at them, “Leave him alone!” and pushed another one before standing protectively in front of Barret.
Barret put his hand on her shoulder, and quietly told her, “Don’t.”
“What!?” Yuffie looked him in the eye, before sending another glare to the townsfolk. Barret simply grabbed his shades from his vest pocket and put them on.
“Let’s go.” Was all he said, and the adults followed after him, Yuffie only doing so after making a face at the villagers.
As they walked past some of the debris, there was another group of people sitting around. It was an unspoken agreement between the team to ignore everyone around them, and only continue onward, but even ignoring them couldn't stop them from hearing the words being thrown at Barret and around him. A woman leaning against a broken fence yelled, “Word to the wise! Stay far away from that asshole.” Tifa and Aerith broke the agreement, both of them looking before returning their gaze to Barret with worry.
“Now where'd our buddies in black get to?” Barret said to himself as he continued walking onward, leading them up a plank that lead them to the next section of town where there was both another sign and another harasser.
“Don’t tell me. Get-rich-quick scheme blow up in your face again?” He shouted, and Kayline hoped he'd stop–hoped they'd all stop, since she'd hoped she'd never have to hear such scorn again after her newfound freedom–but the man wouldn't stop. “Tried to sell out another town, huh?”
“Don’t let him talk to you like that!” Yuffie told Barret.
“I can take it.” He said to soothe her. It didn't work.
They continued on, and Kayline wondered briefly what she'd do after her and the others split up. She knew where the Gold Saucer was, and could find her footing navigating from there, but what if she couldn't get a hint on Sephiroth? She didn't want to be stuck here in Corel, the people gave her an awful feeling, but she didn't want to necessarily stay at the Gold Saucer either. But that was thinking pessimistically. Her luck couldn't possibly be so bad that she wouldn't be able to even start finding him. Not when all she wanted was to see him again.
More shouts and curses were thrown Barret's way, and Yuffie only fumed more and more as they went up a set of stairs that was cracking apart from baking under the sun. Kayline kept her eye out for a stand that had any newspapers, or that advertised news in general, but all she saw were weapon stands, materia stands, and smaller, more desperate ones. Perhaps she'd have to ask around herself then?
“How dare you show your face here?” Another group formed in front of them at the top of the stairs. Kayline could see another set of stairs behind them and past the small building slightly off to the side, and hoped that her search up there would be more fortunate. She was unsure how she'd word to people that likely already hated her for walking in with Barret about how she's searching for the most famous man alive.
“Get the hell outta here!” Another man shouted at Barret, ripping Kayline's thoughts from her troubles. She stepped forward to stand beside Barret, looking over the hecklers with a glare. She wasn't sure why she cared so much, but she couldn't stand the way they spoke. It reminded her so clearly of when she'd fail in front of the professor.
Tifa came up to Barret's other side, her voice less frustrated and far more compassionate, and she asked him, “You sure you're okay with this?”
“Yeah.” He nodded, hiding his expression behind his sunglasses.
“She your new wife? Or is it the other one?” One of the hecklers said, looking between Barret and then the two women beside him. He ridiculed, “Well, good for you… Glad someone got their ‘happy ending’!”
Kayline didn't need to see his eyes. The way Barret's shoulders slumped as if he were crushed by an unbearable weight said it all. Of all the comments made so far, of all the wishes for death and curses, that was the one that hit him the worst. He barely raised his head and his voice rasped, “Sorry Tifa and Kayline. Just ignore ‘em.”
Kayline nodded, and she and Tifa shared a long glance before Barret began walking again, and they followed with the rest of their group only steps behind them. They were about to head for the next set of stairs, when Tifa broke into a run and went towards another building that Kayline hadn't even noticed.
“Hey, guys? You mind if I pop in for a minute?” She didn't ask so much as tell them that she was visiting the building before she stopped in front of the door, “There’s someone I wanna see.”
All it took was the sign of the pill and cure materia shard for Kayline to recognize the building as a clinic, and she halted in her tracks. While Tifa stepped in, Cloud and Barret followed after her. Kayline remained where she was, frozen in place near the top of the stairs. Yuffie rushed forward before realizing no one followed, and she turned her head to see the oldest woman of the group white as a ghost. Aerith put a gentle hand on Kayline's arm, and Red sat down and looked up at her with his mouth slightly below her other hand.
“Kayline, after being in a coma for so long it'd be really good for you to see a doctor.” Aerith said, but the SOLDIER shook her head. Or tried to, her head hardly moved during the attempted action.
“Please no.” She mumbled. Was that why they wanted to keep her along? To drag her to a doctor? Why do they care if I'm sick or not? We're strangers! I'm not one of them.
Aerith went in front of her and placed her hands on Kayline's shoulders as if to focus the SOLDIER's attention onto her. “Kayline, please. We won't let anyone hurt you. We want to help you.”
Yuffie ran back to them, flabbergasted and giving Red a look to ask what was going on, but Aerith ignored them and focused solely on the lost child who didn't want a reminder of the prison she once lived in.
“It’s not a Shinra-run clinic, Kayline. The doctor can't share any of your information or your whereabouts to them.” Red said, and Yuffie only became more confused.
“I don't need doctors, I need him back. I need to get away.” Kayline explained with a sad squeak, before she finally broke out of her trance and turned to run down the stairs.
“Hey, wait! Who?” Yuffie called out after her, reaching to grab her but missing, and Aerith began running down the steps after her with Red following after, but Kayline was too quick for them to follow, and she soon disappeared into the crowd. She only stopped running when she was back in the market, and with a glance, she saw that they must have given up on following her. That, or they regrouped with the others in the clinic.
Kayline looked around the market, suddenly much more aware of how alone she was. She felt her eyes begin to sting, but she shook her head to try removing them. Back when she went to towns during assignments, she'd have at least a couple of grunts with her. Now, she was completely alone in a town she'd never been to before. She felt her heartbeat begin to rise, and her breathing thickened, before she stopped herself for a moment. Relax, relax. I just need to ask. It doesn't matter how badly I say it or if they hate me afterwards, because I'll never see them again.
She closed her eyes, then took a deep breath and exhaled after a moment, calming herself the way she remembered Sephiroth used to when he was a boy and had completed a difficult challenge while training. He had learned to regulate his own breathing fairly young, and tried teaching her after noticing her failed attempts to copy it–then again, she was six at the time. Finally, she opened her eyes and looked back around the market, at the decaying stands and the scowling people. She walked forward, hoping that since Barret wasn't with her now that they wouldn't downright ignore her, and stopped in front of the materia stand.
“Excuse me, are there any newspaper stands anywhere here?” She asked, and while the vendor didn't smile at her, he did answer.
“No, all the newspapers we used to have burned up.”
“Not even old ones?”
“Nope, you can thank your friend for that.” The man replied, his voice venomous. Great.
Well, I can't be subtle and simply check newspapers. I have to ask. Should I just be blunt? He has to know who Sephiroth is, doesn't he? But what if he refuses to tell me?
Kayline bit the potential bullet and opened her mouth before her mind was able to stop her, and asked, “Have you heard anything about Sephiroth? The Shinra war hero?”
The vendor scoffed, “You don't need to describe him to me. I know exactly who he is. Another one of those Shinra dogs.” The hatred that his voice carried for Barret tripled when speaking of Shinra, and Kayline bit her tongue like she was used to doing in the labs to keep herself from speaking out of turn or correcting him. “He was declared missing in action five years ago, with any luck he's dead.”
Missing, he was declared only as missing. Which means no body was found, so he must be alive! But where? She wanted more information, “Missing? Where was he last seen?”
The man looked at her strangely, “Why do you care? He's another one of those Shinra assholes. He don't give a rats ass about ya, neither does Wallace up there either.” The continued intensity of Kayline's stare made him sigh in irritation. “Nibelheim, or whatever. North from here. It was all over the newspaper. How did you not hear about it?”
“Thank you.” Kayline instantly left the stand, and the vendor watched her leave in confusion, and even more frustration. She didn't care, she had what she needed.
Sephiroth was only missing, so he must have deserted. He was still alive, out there somewhere… but she still had no lead. Only Nibelheim five years ago. The one place she was certain he wasn't located, since that was the last location she remembered him being sent on, and with luck he hid all the clues of his true whereabouts knowing Shinra would follow after him. She was no closer to finding him. She needed time to think.
After asking for where an inn was, and getting another nasty comment about Barret before receiving her directions, the First Class made her way to the small dwelling crafted of wood. It appeared newer than most of the other buildings, and the inside was more neat as well. Kayline took a seat at the bar, and the host rubbed a glass with a towel as he approached her.
“Need anything? A drink, a bed?” He asked, apparently unaware of who she walked into town with.
“No, just a seat.” She shook her head before slumping forward and looking out the window beside her, and he continued working and greeting customers. She fell back into her thoughts again.
She wouldn't find him at Nibelheim, that was for certain, and after five years any trace of him being there was likely gone. And if he was informed that she was missing–or detained, or however Shinra explained it–then he wouldn't leave any clues there for her to follow either. Perhaps she could purposely get herself into trouble to draw his attention… yet she couldn't get his attention unless she showed her face to Shinra, but then she'd lose her newfound freedom and may risk his too.
She couldn't do anything to find him...
Kayline didn't know how long she spent in the inn, coming to the same conclusion over and over, but eventually the door opened and she could hear the sound of multiple footsteps. Aerith ran over and gripped the edge of the bar, and her eyes locked onto Kayline's with worry. “There you are!” Her voice was relieved, and the SOLDIER jumped in surprise at the abruptness of her entering.
Kayline didn't realize how miserable she must've appeared, sitting in the dark corner of the bar, her hand on her cheek and elbow leaning on the bar, her expression dejected. She turned away from looking Aerith in the eye, feeling uncomfortable under the other's worried gaze, and saw the rest of them coming in. Tifa and Red were already walking over, and Yuffie barreled past them and hopped onto the seat next to the female SOLDIER. Cloud’s face was scrunched in confusion, and Barret appeared to be in slightly better spirits than earlier, given the way he now stood tall and with less shame.
“You alright? Aerith said you didn't want to go near the clinic.” Tifa said, her words surprisingly without judgement. “I can't blame you for feeling uncomfortable, lots of people find hospitals hard to deal with.” Kayline watched as she sat down beside her, “Want to talk about it? Aerith told us you have a history with hospitals when you were gone.” Aerith only told them she had a history with hospitals, she didn't specify that it was the Shinra labs?
Kayline looked between the entire group and then the inn's bartender, who had been eyeing Barret, before shifting uncomfortably. Tifa was patient, but Cloud was not. He began leaning against a nearby wall. Barret moved out of the doorway and lowered his head again when he became subject to the people in the bar’s glares.
“I… no, not really.” Kayline's gaze fell to the wooden bar. She didn't know if she came off ashamed, or shy, or something else, but she didn't want to share the memories of her youth with people she had only met that day in a bar where anyone could be listening.
“That’s alright.” Tifa said lightly.
The ever animated Yuffie then said, “So… Who you lookin’ for?”
“Huh?” Kayline looked at the young ninja in confusion.
“You’re looking for someone?” Barret asked, and Kayline suddenly found the conversation to be moving much too fast for her.
“It was a he, right?” Yuffie remembered, before almost jumping out of her chair and grabbing Kayline by the shoulders before rocking her back and forth. “Well, who is it!?” Kayline refrained from the many ways she could tear Yuffie off of her, each way too painful for the teen to bear.
“Yuffie!” Tifa scolded, leaning forward to get a grip on her arms and pull her off of Kayline. Tifa chuckled lightly when she turned back to Kayline, “Sorry about that. You probably don't like being touched much, do you?”
I'm not that bad. Sephiroth is worse than me about it.
“I’m better after knowing people first.” She answered, which was truthful. She quickly fell into Angeal’s playful roughhousing when they were all Yuffie's age. Sephiroth took longer, and seemed to keep their new friends at arm's length for a little while longer than she did. She added, “But I can endure it.” She was used to the scientists poking and prodding at her–if she could get used to that, then she could tolerate Aerith grabbing her arm or Yuffie grabbing her shoulders, whether she wanted them to or not. At least Aerith had always been gentle, and Yuffie seemed almost... like an affectionate child.
“Back to the actual point of conversation!” Yuffie brought the attention back to her, and Kayline turned back around to see her face. “So who are you looking for? A brother? Father? Probably not a son.” Yuffie seemed to be going down a list of ideas. “A friend?” Yuffie had a strange, sad look on her face as she said it, but it was replaced by a mischievous smile again, “Boyfriend?” Kayline looked at the floor awkwardly at the word. The word sounded so awkward when used in the context of her relationship. Partner, lover, everything else sounded less strange to her ears. Boyfriend sounded too normal, too casual, which was not the life they led. “Aha! Boyfriend it is!” Kayline could've sworn she saw Cloud facepalm at Yuffie’s enthusiasm from the corner of her eye. “So what's he like-”
“That’s enough of your interrogation.” Barret came up from behind Yuffie and put a hand on her shoulder. “Poor girl looks embarrassed as it is.” The teenager looked like she was about to come up with a retort, but she kept her mouth shut. “You get separated because of your coma?” Barret asked Kayline. She nodded. She glanced around the room and saw that Aerith appeared lost in thought, but Barret placed a gentle–albeit large–hand on her shoulder. “I’m sure you'll find him soon.”
“That’s the thing. I don't know where he is and have no way to find him.” Kayline told him, her gaze falling.
“Then stick with us.” Tifa offered, “You can leave if you find out anything.”
“Really?” Kayline asked. They were offering for her to stay? She didn't have to ask to follow them? They didn't mind being around her?
“So long as everyone agrees, then yeah. You should stay.” Tifa said, looking around the room at her friends. “What do you guys think?”
“You’ve already endured my crap here. Least I can do is let you stick around for a while.” Barret said, with a smile and nod. His smile was so friendly, it almost felt like she was looking at Angeal back when she first met him.
“Sure, tag along, but just so you know–any and all big materia is mine!” Yuffie warned her overdramatically and possessively. Red gave an approving nod.
Whatever Aerith was thinking earlier, she seemed to have figured it out and she went back to her cheery self. “Of course I want you to come with us!”
The final vote stood against the wall, who with only one glance from Tifa immediately said, “Sure.” At that, Aerith cheered, Tifa clapped, and the bartender asked them to leave for taking up so much space while loitering. Cloud was the first to step out, Red quick on his tail and Barret following. Tifa joined after, giving another glance to their newest recruit before stepping outside. Yuffie stayed at pace with Kayline, but leaned forward excitedly.
“You’re lucky, too! We're going to the Gold Saucer! We're gonna have the best time ever!” Yuffie practically squealed.
“So long as it's as good as the last time I was there, I'm sure we will.”
“You’ve been to the Gold Saucer?” Yuffie looked at her in complete shock before giggling excitedly and hopping as they stepped outside. “Is it the best place ever?”
Kayline couldn't help chuckling at the childish excitement, and she smiled, “Yes. It is.”
Aerith trailed after them, content on listening to their conversation. The sun began falling, and the sky had an array of oranges and magentas creeping into the usual blue. Kayline couldn't help her excitement. She loved the night sky ever since she first saw it.
This would be her first night awake in five years.
They had to walk up all the steps again, and the villagers began heckling. The once happy mood from her induction into the group was then squashed as the townsfolk continued sending curses and insults their way. As Barret told them, the group ignored them to the best of their ability, but the harshness of their words still made the hairs on the back of Kayline's neck stand nervously. The seven of them walked onwards, passing by the clinic–Tifa gave the small building a last look of relief–before heading up the last set of stairs. At the top of what was clearly a repurposed helipad, was a waiting area. There was a small sign hanging that said “Corel Ropeway” and Kayline realized that she'd be entering the Saucer differently. She hadn't used a ropeway before, she had been dropped off by a helicopter, so she admitted that a part of her was curious.
“This’ll take us all the way to the Saucer.” Barret explained to them as he showed them the edge of the helipad platform, where a large rope-line–which looked like it cost more money than the entire town put together–that began at the Gold Saucer led right to them. All that they had to do now was wait.
Yuffie ran up to Barret, “Hey–you can't let those assholes talk to you like that. We should go back and beat ‘em up or something!” Kayline didn't realize just how much the girl’s temper had flared, and when she turned to look at the rest of them, the older woman glanced unsurely at Tifa, whose face turned worried at the mention of how Barret was treated. “Practically the whole damn town came out to crap on him. Someone tell me why I'm the only one who's pissed here!”
“I told you; I can take it.” Barret said gruffly, his head leaned down before he stomped away to go up to the nearby computer, which had protection in form of a weak roof and grimy walls from the elements.
“Think you could at least tell us what it was all about?” Tifa asked as Barret began typing on the keyboard, his body more tense and his fingers typing more frustratedly by the second. “They were talking like you sold them out for money. But… I know that isn't true. That's not you.” Barret stepped away from the computer, apparently successful in his attempts to call their lift. As Barret stepped away, Tifa followed. “So how'd they get it so wrong?”
Intentionally ignoring her, he went to the edge of the platform where a deep ravine waited below his feet. “Where the hell is it?” His voice so aggravated it sounded like a growl. The ropeway, his form of escape, wasn't coming quick enough.
Tifa made a small fist, Kayline would've missed it if she didn't have her acute sense of hearing, but she could hear the pull on the fabric of Tifa's glove.
“This about her? About Marlene?” Tifa asked. Kayline thought she heard Tifa use a soft, gentle, sweet voice before. But the softness–no, the love that radiated in Tifa's voice when she said that name was something Kayline didn't think she'd ever hear Tifa speak with again.
Kayline turned her head slightly and whispered to Aerith, who was still beside her. She asked, “Who’s Marlene?”
“His little daughter.” Aerith informed her just as quietly.
Barret’s expression turned pained again, and he looked to the side to hide his face before taking a deep breath. “Corel wasn't much. Decent place with decent coal. Decent folks too. Rough around the edges, but… big hearts. Salt of the earth. And I sold ‘em all down the river. Took away their future and their hope.” Barret looked up at the Saucer, his way of avoiding looking any of them in the eye as he spoke. “We were happy. Covered in soot and poor as dirt, but none of that mattered. We had friends and family–and that was enough. Till we learned about the ‘miracle of mako’ and all we'd been missin’ out on. And then we just had to have a taste…”
The Shinra director, Scarlet, came to North Corel.” Barret continued. And while no one dared interrupt, Yuffie bristled at the name. Kayline recognized the name as well, and the thought of the woman brought a bad taste to her mouth. That woman was nearly as awful as Professor Hojo. “They proposed buildin' a Mako Reactor. We had a meetin' about it. When the time came to make a decision, my friend Dyne was the only one who still opposed.” The lift crept its way along, ringing as it came, “Two years later, the reactor was finished… and the trial run went off without a hitch. Everyone was ecstatic–convinced it was the dawn of a new era. Then one day…” Barret was the only one to approach the lift, opening up the doors of dried indigo paint. “the reactor exploded.”
Y'all saw the aftermath,” Aerith gasped, stepping forward only to stop as Barret continued. “And then… Shinra came rolling into town. Burned everything. Innocent people in their homes.” Kayline's head lowered, and Tifa’s eyes became glassy. Red’s ears flattened, and gave Barret the most sympathetic look Kayline had ever seen an animal make.
“Was it Scarlet? It was, wasn't it?” Yuffie asked, her voice crawling with hatred.
“Yeah…”
Yuffie shook her head and whispered, “That bitch.” Given by the furrow of her brow, the anger of her features, but the underlying sadness in her eyes, Kayline assumed Yuffie must've lost someone to Scarlet too. Kayline herself had to control a breath of loathing at the thought of the director.
“I don't get it. Why burn the whole town?” Cloud asked. It appeared he was as enraptured by the story as the rest of them.
“To craft a story–that it was all the work of a ‘local insurgent group'. But ain't no villager ever gone near the reactor. They lied right through their teeth.”
“Sounds like Shinra.” Kayline admitted, a part of her feeling guilty despite being relatively unconnected. How could she be part of the company so long? Because I couldn't escape… She wondered if Barret would forgive her… he forgave Cloud, didn't he? But she was far deeper in the belly of the beast. She was a First-Class SOLDIER. Cloud was… she didn't know which class Cloud was.
“Murderers.” Yuffie growled.
“That they are. Still… there's a whole lotta blood on my hands too.” Barret said to the teen before turning to the rest of them and confessing guiltily. “I pushed for the reactor. I put us on the path that brought us here.”
“Barret…” Tifa reached out to comfort her friend, but Barret sidestepped out of her reach.
“The Saucer's waiting. C’mon.” He stepped inside the lift, and when the car hardly shifted under his weight, Kayline deemed it safe enough to step inside.
There were seats inside lining the walls, and above each seat was a window that went up to the roof. As the rest of the group followed, Kayline wondered if she should take a seat. Would any of them want to sit with someone specific? She shouldn't just sit down and split up any close friends. It'd be rude to intrude on them, and she didn't want to be removed from their group just yet because of her being rude. Not after they each accepted her and then one of them shared something so personal that it made Kayline feel guilty for not being more forthcoming herself. Barret pulled the lever inside once he saw that they all got on, and they all began taking seats.
Cloud sat in the right-most corner, and Tifa sat across from him. The door separated the next set of seats, and Barret took his place there while Aerith and Yuffie sat together across from him. Red sat in the center, away from the door. There were no seats left for Kayline to take without sitting next to someone. Mentally preparing to ask, she quickly saw that she didn't have to at all. Tifa was patting the seat next to her with a friendly smile. The female SOLDIER gave her a grateful one, and sat beside her.
And the lift turned to silence as the sun slowly began sinking from the sky.
No one broke it. Tifa held her hands in her lap, Cloud crossed his arms, Yuffie leaned on her legs, Aerith held her hands in her lap as well, and Kayline looked out the window. The quiet was unbearable, the only sound that filled the void was the creaking and rumbling of the lift.
“Is this really how it's gonna be?” Barret asked, looking at the sympathetic and downtrodden expressions on their faces. “Listen.” They all looked up at him, and Kayline shifted her head. “I don't want your sympathy or your pity. You can keep all of that nonsense. I did what I did… and I can live with it.”
“Right! We gotta shake this off.” Yuffie agreed, nodding her head as her childlike smile returned to her face. “We’re about to rock up to the funnest place ever. The Gold Saucer!” She turned to Kayline’s side of the lift, specifically eyeing Cloud, “So turn those frowns upside down!” Before smiling brightly.
“What in the hell–Ain't no one thinking about how much ‘fun’ we're gonna have.” Barret said, sighing as if she were his daughter and he were trying to regain her focus. He turned to Kayline's side of the car, “Right?”
“Wanna have a look? It's comin’ up over there.” Aerith said to Yuffie, pointing out a window. The girl in the dress bounced from her seat, approaching one of the windows with Yuffie following after. Red stood up from his seat on the floor and stood up on his hind legs while leaning on the wall to look out Yuffie’s window, as Tifa turned around to look out the window behind her, and Kayline mirrored her.
Soon, Aerith and Yuffie were giggling, and Barret mumbled unapprovedly, “Glad to see we're all on the same page.”
As they got higher, Yuffie abandoned her window to instead run past Cloud and look out the front window, leaning over excitedly to get a glimpse of the pristine white dome. Tifa stood up, her and Aerith following after Yuffie to the front as Kayline stayed in her seat but watched from where she was.
“Look! Look, look, look! Something's coming!” Yuffie pointed, and the women looked curiously. And there Kayline saw it–the Gold Saucer. Bright lights, large signs that were even brighter, loud music and more came closer and closer as the lift drifted along. Kayline saw small holograms of Ifrit and Shiva fly past, circling around the cart in a flurry of orange and blue, and Yuffie ran to the other side of the cart where they began twisting and turning as if in some sort of dance. Shiva stopped near Cloud’s window, and Yuffie followed after her, jumping onto Cloud's seat and causing him to lean out of her way. Shiva bowed her head, and Yuffie giggled, “And hello to you too!”
Shiva then lifted her arms to guide them back to the front, where more holograms, now of chocobos, appeared and ran past them. Aerith looked in awe, “This is incredible.”
Red jumped onto the seat beside Kayline, trying to get a closer look at a red chocobo that was running past their window and the SOLDIER gave them all an amused smile before returning her gaze to the front window. They were descending into a tunnel of lights of every color imaginable, and on each side of the tunnel were advertisements of the exhibits; chocobo racing, the new theater and the classic haunted mansion hotel. The hologram of a large spaceship from one of the games in the arcade exhibit drifted above slowly, and when it moved out of the way it revealed bright, multicolored fireworks going off in the sky.
Now that darkness was descending upon the sky, the reason for the park's name rang true. The domes, each stylized after saucers, glowed a shining gold as the lights turned on and poured out the windows, making the mega amusement park appear magical.