Barret ran to the rope station and everyone followed him there. Vex jumped around him and everyone else approached. Barret's gaze was cast upon the ground and no one could tell what was bothering him. Cloud was the first person to say something.

Cloud: "What's the matter?"

Vex: "I wanna see north Corel!"

Barret: "But this is where the town used to be."

Cloud: "What do you mean 'used to?'"

Barret: "It's not here anymore. The town got buried about 15 years ago." (I'm gonna skip Barret's past cause it's boring! Sorry for people who like it.) "And that's it..."

Tifa: "We were all fooled by the promises shinra made back then."

Barret: (Gets onto the Rope way.)

Tifa: "He never said anything...I didn't know."

Aeris: "... ..."

Yuffie: (Puts her hands on her hips.) "I'm not sympathizing with him! He shouldn't have trusted Shinra Inc." (Calmly walks onto the Rope way)

Vex: "Was any of that important? I wasn't paying attention!" (Smiles, embarrassed.) "Sorry!" (Walks onto the rope way.)

Tifa and Aeris just sigh and get onto the rope way. The rope way starts up and they begin their trek to the Gold Saucer. The rope guided the Trolley and soon they were seeing the glittering lights and loud cheers of the gold saucer. The Trolley pulls into the entrance area and everyone got off. Vex stretched his legs and looked around. Without waiting, he ran into the main area without even paying a cent of attention to the ticket lady and the others approached her.

Ticket Lady: (Sighs) "Are you with him?"

Cloud: (Sighs back) "Yes..."

Ticket Lady: "Well, the fee is 3000 gil for a pass or if you want to buy the lifetime pass, that's 30000 gil." (Cloud hands her 3000 gil and she gives him the ticket.) "Remember, if you leave the park, your tickets become invalid. Oh, also, the park sometimes requires GP for some of the rides. You can't buy it but win it in something like a game. Please enjoy yourselves."

Cloud and everyone walks in, looking at Vex who's obviously hyper with excitement by now. They check out the area and find that the whole park is linked by tubes you'd slide down or walk through in order to get to where you want. The room, like the rest of the park was bright and cheery. Barret turns away from them, lost in bitter thought. Aeris was trying her best to cheer them up but she wasn't having much success.

Cloud: "So Sephiroth came in here...?"

Vex: "Oh wow!! I can't wait to go on some of the rides! I wanna try 'em all!"

Aeris: "This looks like a lot of fun!" (Runs over to Barret) "Hey, Barret! Cheer up!"

Vex: (Walks up to Aeris) "You know--"

Barret: "I ain't in a cheery mood so just leave me alone."

Vex: "Words to live by."

Aeris: "Really? That's too bad." (Goes over to Tifa)

Vex: "???" (In his mind) "Whoa, why the hell did she say that...?"

Tifa: (Whispers to her.) "Don't you think that was a little harsh, Aeris?!"

Aeris: (Whispers back) "Just act natural when this happens..."

Vex: (Creeps up to them and whispers) "Are you girls talking about...Me?"

Tifa: "No!"

Vex: "What?! Why not?!"

Aeris: (Hops over to Barret) "We're going to go play..."

Barret: (Runs from her a little, getting really annoyed) "So...PLAY! Mess around all you want!!" (Turns to them) "But don't forget we're after Sephiroth!!" (Runs from them and hops into the Battle tube)

Aeris: (Turns to everyone) "I think he's mad..."

Vex: (Sarcastic look on his face) "You think...?" (Turns to Yuffie and nods to her and she smiles mischievously. Vex turns to everyone and scowls.) "Aeris! If you're going to be THIS annoying, I'm simply going to have to leave...with Yuffie..."

Yuffie: (Runs with Vex to the Chocobo Racing tube) "So long chummmmmmm(ps)" (They both jump in)

Aeris: (Becomes angry) "Why does he always have to go with Yuffie? She's a bad influence!" (Jumps into the Chocobo Racing tube)

Tifa: (Cloud walks up to her) "You want to go with me? I'd love to!"

Cloud nods and He and Tifa go up to the "Wonder Square tube" and jump in. They emerge in the Wonder Square Arena which was a huge gaming area full of Arcade stuff. They also found something else too; and it appeared to be a giant stuffed Mog with a cat on top of it. The creatures turned and hopped over to them.

Creatures: "Hey! Hey! Hey! Why the long face?"

Cloud: (Sighs and looks him over.) "...? What the..."

Creatures: "How about having your future told? It'll be a bright future! A happy future!" (Hops around.)

Cloud: (Looks down and then stares directly at the cat like things.) "...You can only read the future?"

Creatures: (Glares at them jokingly.) "You kiddin? I can tell about lots of things! Past, Present and Future and I can find lost items and people! Tons of stuff!"

Cloud: "Can you tell me about a man wearing a black cape? Where he's headed? Anything?"

Creatures: "Sure! Here I go!" (Paces around, thinking to himself. He waddles in place and a fortune gets pumped out of his belly. He takes it and gives it to Cloud.)

Cloud: (Reads it) "Give into the good will of others and something big will happen after summer...?"

Creatures: "... Huh? Let me try it again." (Paces around, thinking to himself. He waddles in place and a fortune gets pumped out of his belly. He takes it and gives it to Cloud.)

Cloud: (Reads the second one) "Beware of forgetfulness. Your lucky color is...blue?" (Sighs) "Forget it..."

Creatures: "Wait! Let me try it one more time." (Quickly Paces around, thinking to himself. He waddles in place and a fortune gets pumped out of his belly. He takes it and gives it to Cloud.)

Cloud: "...What...?" (Reads it aloud.) "What you seek will be yours...but at what price?"

Creatures: "Whoa! I never got something like THIS before!" (Nods to him.) "Well, that settles it. Shall we go? By the way...my name's Cait Sith!"

Cloud: "Huh?"

Cait Sith: "I'm coming with you!"

Tifa: "Well what do you think, Cloud?"

Cait Sith: "I'm coming with you no matter WHAT you say."

Cloud: "H-Hey! Fine..."

Cloud, Tifa and Cait Sith decide to go get Barret and cheer him up. They jump into the Battle Square tube and they jump out at the Battle Square. Cloud first noticed a soldier standing there with unsteadiness. They ran up to the soldier and he fell to his knees and collapsed on the floor. Everyone was shocked and Cloud kneeled to check the soldier.

Cloud: "...Dead."

Tifa: "Oh no! What in the world happened!"

They all ran up the stairs to the building and entered it. They looked around to see that everyone was hunched onto the ground. There was blood everywhere and everyone was at a total loss for words.

Tifa: "...Did Sephiroth do all of this?"

Cloud: (Checks them over and frowns.) "...No, they're all shot. Sephiroth would never use a gun."

Suddenly there was a rumbling above them and suddenly an Air Duct gave away and broke open, dropping Vex and Yuffie AND Aeris. They all landed on the floor on their butts and they jumped up and rubbed their butts, cursing.

Vex: "Argh! My little bottom!!" (Rubs it until the sting went away.)

Yuffie: "Damn, damn, DAMN! Our cover's blown! Gawd! What happened?" (Rubs her butt too.)

Aeris: "See? It wasn't a good idea after all. I hope you two learned your lesson."

Vex: "Right! Always check for snitching girls before you make your stealthy getaway..."

Yuffie: (Glares at Aeris.) "WHAT on earth were you doing? Everything was fine until you entered the air duct too. Get too close and see what happens! Kablooie! Cover...GONE WITH THE WIND..."

Aeris: "More like gone with your minds..."

Vex: (Looks around.) "What the heck happened here?" (Looks at the dead bodies.) "You don't suppose..."

Cashier: (Slumped over the counter, she groans) "..."

Cloud: "Do you know who did this?"

Cashier: "...Man with...a gun on...his arm..."

Cloud: "What?"

Suddenly another person entered the bloodstained room. It appeared to be an older man of muscular build and he was wearing nothing but a thong or some sort of short short clothing. He entered with two guards and he looked at the room. He was the owner of the Gold Saucer, the name's Dio.

Dio: "What on earth..." (Stares hard at them all.) "Did you do all of this?"

Cait Sith: (Turns to everyone) "Hurry and run! It's gonna get ugly..."

Yuffie: (They all run up another flight of stairs and into the battle arena. Yuffie's top shook a little and a bunch of coins, materia and small trinkets fall out.) "Damn! Gawd! My loot!"

Vex: "See? We should have stowed it in a more secure place!" (They all run into the battle arena and they run to the center of the room.) "Rats!"

Dio: "That's as far as you go!" (Snaps his fingers and three large Sweeper-like monsters fall onto the platform. They surrounded them and started closing in.)

Vex: "Let's smash em!"

Cloud: "Wait! Maybe if we explain this..."

The Machines grabbed them and they were carried to the to a room with some sort of chute in the center. The chute had a sign that said "Gateway to Heaven" on the rims of the chute. Dio was in the room too and Cloud and everyone was locked up in the monster's grip.

Dio: "Now, we have you. Pay for your crime below." (Snaps his finger and the chute opens up. The monster jumped in, taking everyone along into the Chute.)

Everyone awakened in a strange place. It was hot, bright and dry and the sun beat mercilessly on the land. There was garbage and broken stuff everywhere, along with the Robo Sweeper Monster that carried them down here. Vex was the first one to arise.

Vex: (Looks around) "If this is heaven...then I'd better take another look at my values..."

Yuffie: "Don't say that!" (Shakes Vex frantically) "Say it ain't so!"

Cloud: "Where on earth are we?"

Cait Sith: "Corel Prison. A natural prison..."

Vex: "I don't see any guards or gates, so let's blow this taco stand." (Licks his lips.) "You know...I really could go for some tacos."

Cait Sith: "It's not that simple. This prison is surrounded by quicksand. You can go in...but you'll never come out."

Vex: "Damn! There's always a catch."

Cait Sith: "There was one special exception though..."

Yuffie: "Well...let's make it TWO special exceptions then, Toyboy." (Walks south and takes a look at the rest of the town. Everyone follows her and they're followed by a weird guy."

Wierd Guy: "Ha ha ha..."

Vex: (Screams it) "BWAH HA HA!!"

Wierd Guy: (Screams it) "GEYAAA HAA HAAH!!"

Vex: (Louder) "KYA HAA HAA HAA HAAA....!!!"

Wierd Guy: (Rolls on the ground, laughing maniacally and everyone calmly walks away, out of sight.)

Tifa: "I hate this place! It's so creepy and full of weirdoes and perverts."

Vex: "You're right. It does remind me of Midgar...actually it's a little better cause there's sunlight!" (Looks up at the sun and covers his eyes.) "Even then...sunlight is highly overrated."

Yuffie: "It's probably what made these guys go nuts. The heat and sun baked their brains!"

They walked up to three and they were snapping their fingers to some sort of mental tune. They were wearing wide grins and they were sitting down on the sandy ground.

Weirdo 1: "This place is heaven."

Weirdo 2: "This place is heaven."

Wierdo 3: "This place is heaven."

Vex: (Looks at them weirdly.) "No it's not. No it's not. No it's not."

Wierdo 1: "Man with the gun on his arm?"

Wierdo 2: "Never Heard of him."

Wierdo 3: "Never heard of him."

Wierdo 1: "Never heard of him."

Vex: (Sarcastic) "You're a regular fountain of information. A real fountain. A real fountain. A real fountain." (Rolls his eyes.)

Tough looking guy: "These guys never say anything but lies. All lies. You just hear them once and you'll get sick of 'em."

Vex and Yuffie: "We already are. We're sick of you too!" (Walk away and Cloud, Tifa, Aeris and Cait Sith follow them. They find Barret looking over a shot guy.)

Cloud: "Barret! Did you do this?"

Vex: "You shot all their ugly butts right?"

Yuffie: "We don't mind!"

Barret: (Steps back from them.) "S-Stay back! I gotta take care of this myself!" (Runs off)

Cait Sith: "Is that your friend? He sure looks dangerous..."

Vex: "I'm more dangerous than him."

Cloud and everyone approached a house and they walked into it. Inside looked trashed and there was an old couch in the center of the room. Barret was inside the house too, looking out the window. Cloud approached him and he hit a squeaky floorboard and Barret turned towards them. He loaded his gun arm.

Cait Sith: "W-Wait! We just want to talk to you!"

Barret: (Shoots the corner of the room and a guy falls dead on the floor.) "Why the hell did y'come?!"

Vex: "Simple. That sweaty Dio guy fingered Cloud, Tifa and Cait Sith for murder and Yuffie and I were caught stealing stuff..."

Barret: "This is nona yo buisness! It's something I gotta take care of alone."

Cloud: "You want us to leave you alone...? Well, you know that won't happen."

Aeris: "But this cashier said that the murderer was a man with a gun on his arm..."

Barret: "There's another...person with a gun on his arm... It happened when my town was attacked by the Shinra."

Flashback: Barret and Dyne find out their town was scorched and the Shinra soldiers spotted them. They chased them onto the tracks and the soldiers blast machine gun fire at them, causing them to retreat to the cliff. Scarlet walks up to them and tells them. "You could shoot at them all day with an aim like that." She took the gun and shot at them, knocking Dyne off the cliff and Barret had to hold onto him to keep him from falling. Scarlet shoots a line and Barret and Dyne lost their arms to the gunfire. Dyne was dropped down the cliff and the flashback ended.

Barret: "So you see...neither Dyne or I could use our arms anymore. I was depressed for a while...until I threw away my fake arm and got this gun grafted in."

Vex: (In his mind.) "What doctor would do that...?"

Aeris: "So will Dyne join our fight for the planet?"

Barret: "Yeah right...he's probably wantin' to settle the score. I better go to him...I guess you guys can go along but..."

Cloud: "Okay...you, I, Vex and Cait Sith will go. We'll rest here and then we'll go to him."
 
 

That's the end of Chapter 16, and things'll get more interesting here on!