Esther led Cloud and I over to an elevator on one side of the Gold Saucer's thick trunk, keeping a wary eye on the inmates as she did. But word of Dyne's fall must've already spread through the prison, because nobody tried anything. The elevator wasn't far from the trailer, which I was glad for, and I wasn't the only one. Esther's nervous gaze drifted to the inmates wandering around the yard as they leered hungrily at both her and me. And she had come down here to this place all by herself to help us? She was a lot braver than I thought.
"Stay close, okay?" I whispered to her. "We'll look after you."
Esther nodded. "Thanks. Most of the guys down here know I work for Dio and that he'd tear them apart if they ever... well, you know. He really has fought in a lot of battles. When he was younger, that is. He's a good guy, very protective of me. Joe is, too."
I stopped with her and Cloud by the doors. "Who's that?"
"Dio's top jockey," she smiled, her cheeks turning a little pink. "And a friend of mine. You guys'll meet him soon enough."
"A special friend?" I giggled.
Esther sighed longingly as she unlocked the elevator and motioned for us to head inside. "Not yet... I'd like that, though. He doesn't know I came down here alone—normally Dio sends a few of his guards with me just in case, but there wasn't time today, so I left without them. He's probably worried about me, but... I didn't want you to be stuck in here any longer than necessary, especially with Rufus and Heidegger leaving soon and that black-cloaked man on the loose."
"Any idea where he's headed?" Cloud wondered.
"I'm not sure," she said as we all went into the elevator. "Dio might know, but that'll have to wait until after the race. I'll talk with him after I get you guys set up and see if I can find out."
I nodded. "Thanks, Esther."
"No problem, Jessie," she replied. "Just focus on the race and leave the rest to me. And speaking of that, there are all kinds of jockeys—it's not just for getting out of prison. Some people do it for fame, others for money and glory, and others just want to have fun and compete. Kinda like you, I think. Now let's go over a few things..."
Cloud and I listened closely as Esther explained to us about racing and how it worked. The track was just a basic winding loop with one of two courses, short and long, set inside a massive holographic simulator that was used to create all sorts of colorful scenery around the racers as well as obstacles to overcome. It went all over the park, with some of it even going outdoors, where the chocobos and their riders could easily be seen from different areas of the Gold Saucer.
When we finally stepped out of the elevator a few minutes later, we found ourselves in the waiting area for the jockeys. There were several, all milling about the room or sitting at long table in the middle talking with each other and going over diagrams of the race track. Lights lined the base of the walls, and there were a few booths lined up on one side with lockers for storage. One of the jockeys was sitting nearby working on a console going over what looked like different charts listing all the different bets going on for the chocobos.
He stood up and came over to meet us when we entered the room, and I could see right away why Esther fancied him. He was young and cute, not to mention very dashing in his jockey's uniform—white pants with a deep red silk shirt, black shoes, and a matching round hat with a wide yellow band. His tousled brown hair and soft, dark eyes gave him a boyish, debonair charm, and I didn't miss how Esther ran her fingers through her fiery hair and nervously straightened the hem of her dress when she saw him walking over to greet us.
"You two must be new here, am I right?" he asked.
Cloud nodded. "Yeah. We are."
"Hi, Joe," Esther smiled.
"Why, hello, Esther," he said, making a graceful bow. Then he took her right hand and gently kissed it. "I must say, you're looking as lovely as ever. A fairer desert bloom I've never seen."
She blushed furiously. "Thank you... so, um... I'd like you to meet Cloud and Jessie. Guys, this is Joe. Like I said earlier, he's the best racer here. And I'm his manager same as yours. Joe and I have been together for a few years now—I-I mean worked together."
"Nice to meetcha!" I grinned, offering Joe my hand.
He shook it, then Cloud's. "And you. If Esther's backing you, then I don't doubt you'll do well. She knows talent when she sees it and is the best race manager the Gold Saucer's ever seen. And if I may say so, the most beautiful as well. I'm lucky to have her."
Esther giggled. "Joe..."
"Well, it's true," he chuckled, his warm eyes lingering fondly on her. "Nobody knows more about racing chocobos than you, Esther. Need I remind you how you've always helped me with Teioh? He'd never have become a winner without you. He likes you."
Her cheeks went as pink as her dress. "Teioh is kinda cute. And I'm glad to do what I can for him. Thank you. Anyway, you're right. Cloud and Jessie are up and coming chocobo jockeys. They haven't even been in the prison a whole day yet and already made it here! Although there are some extenuating circumstances behind that..."
Joe raised an eyebrow. "Indeed? Fascinating. Dio told me you went down there to get them all on your own without waiting for the guards, though. That was a risky thing to do, Esther. You know how the prison is, and if anything had happened to you, well... I would be most upset. And I'm sure Dio's quite worried about you, also."
"I'm fine, Joe," she assured him, patting his arm. "It's okay."
He nodded. "Alright. But be careful from now on."
"I will," Esther promised.
"Well, then," Joe said, smiling as he tipped his hat to us. "A pleasure to meet the two of you. I'll be going now, but I've got a feeling we'll see each other again soon. Best of luck, my friends."
Then he went across the room and disappeared through the exit to the chocobo stables. Esther watched him go, then noticed me smirking at her and quickly straightened her dress again before looking down at the clipboard she was holding. She tried, without very much success, to act casual, taking a deep breath to calm herself.
"Well, I'd better go get you two registered," she said after a moment or two. "I'll check on your chocobos, too. So just wait here, okay? This shouldn't take long. I'll be back in a few minutes."
Once Esther had left through the same exit as Joe, I flashed Cloud a playful grin. "Oh, we have to get those two together."
He blinked. "We barely know them."
"So?" I teased. "I'm sure even you can see how into each other they are. Besides, who do you think helped Biggs and Tifa become a couple? That'd be yours truly, of course. Not to mention Wedge and Lena. Well, those two were really more of a team effort between me and Biggs, but I think you get the idea, Cloud. It'll be fun!"
"Have it your way," he shrugged.
When Esther came back, she motioned to us to follow her. "You're all set up now, guys. Thanks for waiting. I also prepared your chocobos myself, so don't worry. They won't lose easily. Common yellows, but as gentle and easy to manage as you could want."
I fell in alongside her as we went into the hall that led down to the stables. "Thanks, Esther. You've been a big help."
"My pleasure," she smiled.
"So..." I winked. "Gonna tell Joe how you feel about him?"
She swallowed nervously. "I want to, but... I'm a little scared. He's a sweet guy, and we've been friends ever since we met here. I don't know if he wants to be more than that, though."
"Only one way to find out," I reminded her.
"Shouldn't I let him, you know, make the first move?" Esther asked as we entered the enclosed stable. "I can talk with him about chocobos and the races easily, but this... it's so hard, Jessie."
I took her shoulder. "You'll be fine, Esther. Some guys don't have a problem telling the woman they care about how they feel. Others—like this hunky stud over here—are a bit harder to crack. So don't be afraid to take the initiative and get things moving yourself"
Cloud gave me a faint smirk. "You certainly weren't."
"Ha! You got that right!" I laughed.
"Well, here we are," Esthar chuckled, showing us our chocobos. "It won't be long until the race, so you'd better mount up and try to take a quick walk in here before you head out. They've already been saddled, so you don't need to worry about that. Oh, have either of you ridden a chocobo before? I can give you a few tips if you want."
I shook my head. "Not me, this'll be my first time. So any advice is welcome. Sounds like a lot of fun, though!"
"It is," she grinned. "I've ridden a few times myself."
"With Joe?" I teased.
Esther blushed. "No, not yet... although I'd really like that. But he's never asked me. Maybe he just wants to be friends."
"Or maybe he's just as nervous as you are," I pointed out.
"Really?" she wondered. "But he flirts with me all the time, just like earlier. And he helps me with my work a lot, too."
I nodded. "Sometimes it's a little easier to do that than to say what you really want to. And actually asking if you want to spend time alone together is a whole lot different, believe me."
"I do," she agreed.
After Cloud and I had climbed onto our chocobos, I gave Esther a thumbs up and winked. "You'll do fine, Esther. He already likes you, so you're halfway there. Think you can go the distance?"
She smiled. "We'll see what happens."
After Esther had guided me through the basics of chocobo riding, I did as she'd suggested and took my bird on a quick little walk around the stables to get a feel for being on him and leading him. As she'd said, he was calm and gentle and followed my lead without hesitation. With a little smirk, I made my way back to Cloud, who looked completely at ease on his chocobo, and I remembered that he'd done this before back in those terrible marshes when we'd been apart. Had it really been only about a month ago? It seemed longer somehow.
"Ready to go?" Cloud asked.
I grinned and held out my hand for a fist bump. "Always. Now let's get out there and win ourselves a race."
He touched his hand to mine. "Time to ride."
"Good luck!" Esther waved.
On impulse, I pulled off my red headband, put it in my belt pouch, and unfastened my ponytail with one hand. Then I shook out my hair, letting it fall freely around my shoulders. It felt good to have it like that. I closed my eyes for a moment and let out a long, soft breath. Now that I was finally starting to put the burden of Corel, of what had happened to Barret and Marlene, behind me, I felt lighter, happier. I guess letting my hair down was a way for me to express that.
I smiled at Cloud as we rode out onto the track together amidst the other jockeys and their chocobos, and he nodded approvingly. All of us lined up side by side and got ourselves ready as the announcer came on the speaker and introduced each team. Although most of the chocobos were yellow, I saw a few that were different—white, pink, and even red. Then I braced myself as the countdown began. Once the starting signal went off, I quickly tugged on the reins. My chocobo shot forward like a bullet as the race began, Cloud right at my side.
The race was five laps, and the colorful holographic environments changed as we went, from sunny farmlands to cloudy hills and more. A section of the course even seemed to go underwater, and our chocobos went slower through it and the field of bright, sparkling stars that came after it at the end of the track. Then, after we passed under the moogle arch where we'd started, we'd go through all the areas again on the next lap. My hair flew out behind me as I rode, and my heart was pounding with exhilaration. I loved every second of it.
I kept my chocobo at a steady pace, trying to conserve his stamina for the final stretch. That had been one of Esther's suggestions, and as I rode, I noticed Cloud doing the same thing. We had a slim lead, but as the race continued, I saw the other jockeys stayed close. Some of them shoved their chocobos into the others as they jostled for position—not enough to hurt, but enough to try and move their rivals out of the way. And I started to understand what Esther had meant about working as a team in order to win. This was part of it.
As we went into the last lap, I pulled my chocobo hard to the right, pushing one of the other racers out of the way just enough to keep him from overtaking Cloud. Both birds squawked, but mine stayed right on course while the other skittered to the side a little before righting itself and moving on. As I did, I noticed Cloud intercepting another racer as he was about to run into me from the left, ramming into him before he could push me aside. And so it went, Cloud and I looking out for each other as we made our way down the track.
Two more racers fell back, their chocobos worn out and down to a walk because their riders hadn't paced them like we'd done for ours. At about halfway to the finish line, I yanked hard on the reins and shoved my chocobo into another racer's, shoving him to the left to give Cloud the opening he needed to surge ahead and take a big lead. But as I did, another racer suddenly slammed into me, pushing me to the right, and sped out ahead of me. I recovered quickly, though, and raced after him just as Cloud entered the final stretch.
"Okay, boy!" I told my chocobo. "Gimme all you got!"
Flicking the reins and leaning forward in the saddle, I pushed him into a run. He bent low, his wings out wide, and sped down the track as the rest of the jockeys other than the one who'd passed me followed not very far behind. I was bound and determined to catch up, even though Cloud and I could still win as long as the racer's partner didn't overtake me and finish before I did. But I wanted us to get that victory together. And that other jockey was coming up fast.
Just as Cloud got close to the finish line, he slowed a little, enough to quickly shove the racer who'd gotten ahead of me out of the way. He knocked him halfway across the track into a near spin just as the other jockey and I ran through the starfield and into the final stretch. Cloud crossed the finish line first, and as my chocobo put on an extra burst of speed, I passed underneath the moogle-shaped arch just a few seconds later and came to a stop right next to Cloud.
"We did it!" I cheered, thrusting my arms in the air.
He held his fist out for me. "Sure did."
I gladly bumped it with mine. "Hell yeah!"
Then, without thinking about it, I leaned over, pulled him closer to me, and kissed him. I hadn't done it since leaving Costa del Sol about a week ago, and I'd really missed it. Cloud, too, judging by how gladly he returned it. I still wasn't ready to go back to being together like we were before, but after all that had happened today, I felt comfortable enough to give him a little more, at least for this one moment. In time, I'd let us get closer again, but for now, this was enough.
"Thanks," Cloud said when we pulled away. "That was good. But I thought you weren't ready for that yet."
I smirked. "In a moment like this, how could I resist?"
He gave me a faint grin. "Neither could I."
"We'll get there, Cloud," I murmured, still holding his hand. "Don't worry. I just need a little more time, that's all."
He nodded. "Do what you gotta do, Jessie. It's fine."
Esther was there waiting for us when we returned to the stable, her eyes lighting up when she saw us. "Congratulations! Now you're home free! Dio would've been here himself, but his duties as the owner of the Gold Saucer keep him busy. He did promise that you and your friends will get a full pardon and an immediate release, though. He and I were also able to get some information on Sephiroth."
"What'd you find out?" Cloud asked as we dismounted.
"It looks like he's heading south past the edge of the desert and into the plains," she answered. "That would lead him toward the Blue River and Gongaga if he keeps going that way."
I blinked. "Gongaga?"
"It's a small town in the jungle past the plains about two days' drive south of the river," Esther explained. "There used to be a mako reactor there years ago, but I heard there was some kind of accident and it was destroyed. That's about all I know, I'm afraid."
"What about transportation?" Cloud wondered.
She smiled. "Dio and I have taken care of that. A little parting gift, you could say. Shinra has a guard station set up on this side of the river and patrols on the road leading out of the desert, but you won't have to worry about them. The buggy will help you slip right through their net without them even knowing you're there."
I stared at her. "A buggy?"
"Yep! An all-terrain eight-wheel cruiser," Esther grinned.
"Awesome!" I laughed, following her back into the waiting room. "I can't wait to see it! Thanks so much, Esther!"
She giggled. "No problem! I—"
Just then, Cloud's phone rang. "Yeah? Hi, Aerith. Hold on a sec, I'll put you on speaker so Jessie can hear you, too."
"Hi, guys!" Aerith's cheery voice came through the phone. "You did great! We were all in the bar rooting for you. Knew you'd win! Anyway, Dio's men just came by with word that we're gonna be released. Coates needs the paperwork brought to him first, but it shouldn't take long. So we'll be outta here really soon! Just sit tight, okay?"
"Will do," I promised.
Cloud went on. "Did they tell you about the buggy?"
"Sure did!" Aerith said. "It'll be waiting for us on the far side of the Gold Saucer's foundation, away from the prison, whenever we're ready to leave. We'll be able to make our own path now!"
"Sounds good," he replied. "Meet us back at the hotel."
Aerith chuckled. "Will do! We're all getting our stuff together now. I can't wait to be back in the air conditioning again. It's so hot here, you know? Anyway, see you soon, guys! Take care!"
"Oh, that reminds me," Esther said once Aerith had hung up. "Your rooms at the hotel are on us tonight. I know you already paid for them, so you'll get your money back. The staff has already been informed, so they'll be expecting you. And here, a little something extra as well, five hundred tokens for the games and attractions."
"Thanks so much, Esther," I told her as she gave us the tokens. "I've got a great idea for putting these to use!"
"Oh? What's that?" Cloud asked.
I smirked. "Aerith's birthday, remember, Cloud? Since we're gonna be staying here tonight anyway, we might as well celebrate it and have a little fun now that everything's all settled."
He nodded. "Oh, right. Yeah, sounds good, Jessie."
"And let's keep it a surprise for now," I went on, rubbing my hands together. "We'll spring it on her at dinner, I think."
"Good idea," Cloud agreed.
Esther giggled. "Have a good time, guys. I'll just head down to the prison and deliver these release papers to Coates. It shouldn't take long so just wait here, alright? I'll be back soon."
I exchanged a worried look with Cloud. "Alone? I'm not sure that's a good idea. We can go with you, Esther."
"Really, it's fine," she insisted.
"You sure?" Cloud asked, as unconvinced as I was.
Esther waved off our concern. "Positive. I—"
"Won't be going alone," another voice finished. We all turned to see Joe walking into the jockeys' waiting area. "I thought we'd talked about this, Esther. You know how rough that place is."
"Joe..." she sighed.
He continued. "If you insist on not waiting for Dio to send some of his men as an escort, I'll go with you and make certain you get back in one piece. You're too important to me... I-I mean, to us, to this place... for anything to happen to you. Understand?"
"Alright," Esther agreed, her cheeks flushing pink.
"Very well, then," Joe nodded. "Shall we?"
Then they went into the elevator, leaving Cloud and I alone in the waiting area aside from a few other jockeys who were sitting around or putting their things away. One or two congratulated us on our victory, and I smiled gratefully and thanked them. But I couldn't help worrying about Esther. She wasn't alone this time, but I knew Joe wasn't a fighter. A look at Cloud showed me he felt the same way.
The minutes went on, five and ten and then twenty. Esther and Joe still hadn't returned. I didn't like it. And when thirty minutes had gone by with no sign of them, I decided I'd had enough. I went to Cloud and motioned to him, knowing then what to do.
"They should've been back by now," I told him.
"Yeah," he agreed. "Let's take a look."
As we rode the elevator down to the prison, I switched on my suit's power and loosened my weapons in their holsters. Cloud had both his swords on his back as well. I hoped we wouldn't have to fight, but I was prepared to do it if I had to. The only reason Esther and Joe could have been so overdue in returning was if they had run into trouble. With the kind of place the prison was and my own experiences there, I was sure they had. And we were gonna get them out.
I glanced at Cloud as we stepped outside. "Ready to kick ass?"
He nodded. "Always."
Before we went searching through the prison yard, we hurried over to the trailer to check with Coates first. He was there when we went in, blinking in surprise from behind his desk when we rushed inside, and I knew before we'd even said anything that Esther and Joe hadn't made it here to see him. Something had gone wrong.
"Cloud, Jessie," Coates said, standing up. "What is it?"
"Have Esther and Joe shown up yet?" I asked, knowing the answer but needing to make sure before we went any further.
He shook his head. "No. I was getting a little worried."
"Some of the inmates must've caught them before they could get to you," Cloud said. "Jessie and I saw the way they were looking at Esther when she took us over to the elevator earlier."
I thought of what had happened to Lena months ago on the ruined highway in Midgar and shivered. "Which means we've gotta move fast. I didn't think they'd risk pissing Dio off, but I was wrong. I'm guessing Dyne kept them on a tight leash, and now that he's gone, they're all out for themselves. Bastards didn't waste any time."
Cloud narrowed his eyes. "Then let's move, Jessie."
"The junkyard," Coates suggested. "It's the only place where a gang of inmates could've gone without being noticed. Go after them! Hurry! I'll tell Dio and the others what's going on."
He was right. Cloud and I found about twenty of them gathered in the wrecked remains of what had once been part of Corel's main street. Now it it was just a collection of scrap metal and bits of discarded junk that reminded me a lot of the piles of it that littered the Midgar slums. Cloud and I crept behind a low mound of trash and the husk of an old car and peered quietly around the corner.
Esther and Joe were surrounded by both the thugs and four mechs that were basically just a giant spiked wheel, a round red sensor scope, and two huge, thick exhaust pipes belching smoke. They were ugly and crude, put together using the scrap and materials here in the junkyard, and I didn't think I'd have any problem smashing them apart. It was the men I was worried about. Women didn't come down here to the prison very often, and for good reason. The thugs stared greedily at her small body as they moved closer, hunger in their eyes.
"Esther, when I move, you need to run," Joe told her, standing firm in between her and the inmates.
She shook her head. "I won't leave you, Joe!"
One of the thugs, a tall and gangly brute with his dark hair buzzed short, just scoffed amidst the other inmates' mocking laughter. "That's right, miss. You ain't goin' nowhere. I'm the boss now that Dyne's gone, an' I even got his pet bullmotors to prove it."
"Dio won't stand for this!" Joe retorted. "Back off!"
He slugged one of the men, sending him flying onto his back, then quickly hit another, but he was badly outnumbered. I glanced at Cloud, a plan coming to mind, and pointed at my left hand with my right. He nodded, getting the message at once, and I hovered my fingers over the switch as he got into position, drew his two swords, and prepared to do what he did best. As I crouched down and readied myself to run, I saw Joe go down, battered on all sides by the clubs, pipes, and knives of the thugs as they quickly overwhelmed him.
"Joe!" Esther screamed.
"You're ours now," the short-haired brute taunted. "I've had my eye on you for a long time, you sweet little thing."
Another thug laughed. "Gonna share her with us, Deke?"
"You'll all get a taste, don't worry," he laughed.
When he tried to grab Esther, she bit his hand and sent a hard kick into his shin. Deke howled in rage but didn't let go, and he backhanded her across the face. She tumbled to the dirt with a shriek, blood trailing from the side of her mouth as her dress got caught on a jagged piece of broken scrap metal half-buried in the ground and ripped, showing part of her thigh. Deke and his buddies gazed eagerly at the exposed skin as Esther scooted back along the ground toward Joe.
At that moment, I slapped my left glove switch and disappeared in a swirling grid of orange energy, darted forward into the enclosed area, and slipped quietly past the inmates until I was in front of Esther. Deke lunged at her again with two of his buddies, but before they could grab her and pin her down, I quickly hit my left glove switch a second time, drawing my weapons, lighting them, and falling into a ready stance as I reappeared with a smirk right in front of them.
"Ah, ah..." I quipped. "I don't think so."
"Jessie!?" Esther gasped.
And then, right on cue, Cloud leaped in, cleaving his way through the thugs with a roar and a double overhead chop that scattered nearly half the group in seconds. I moved at almost the same time, slashing at Deke with both blaze talons and driving him away from Esther. He got his big pipe up to try and block, but I sliced right through it, severing it in two. He snarled, pulled a control pad from his pocket, and pressed a button in the middle of it. The mechs whirred to life, speeding right at me, and I had to dive aside to avoid being flattened.
"Who invited you, bitch!?" he growled, pulling a knife.
"Just thought I'd crash the party!" I shot back, cutting at him again. "I'm not gonna let you hurt my friends!"
Deke scoffed. "I ain't afraid of you. I like spicy women."
"Sucks to be you, then!" I retorted, dodging another mech as I kept fighting. "'Cause I'm way too hot for you to handle!"
Ducking under a swipe of his knife, I concentrated on the Fire orb in my mythril armlet and sent a blast of magical flame across the area, burning Deke, his buddies, and the mechs. But although a few of them fell between that and Cloud's heavy slashes, a bunch more were still on their feet, including Deke. At least a dozen men or more, along with all four of those bullmotors. As I fought against Deke, he managed to nick me on my left arm. I hissed and fell back a step.
"Shit!" I swore.
"I ain't goin' down so easy, bitch," Deke sneered.
Ignoring the pain and the bleeding, I hefted my blaze talons in my hands and beckoned to him. "Neither am I."
I spun left, knocking his knife away just in time to see a bullmotor bearing down on me. But right before its spiked wheel could rip me to shreds, it suddenly exploded and blew apart amidst the unmistakeable sound of a high-powered Vulcan cannon.
"Avalanche!" Barret yelled. "Cavalry's here, guys!"
Then Aerith sent several inmates flying with a burst of earth magic and a twirl of her staff. "Yoo-hoo! Mind if we cut in?"
As I traded blows with Deke and Cloud cut at goons left and right, Tifa swept in, her fists and feet a blur as she relentlessly pummeled one ugly face after another and slashed them with the mythril claws on her gloves. As she and I fought side by side, I saw Joe stirring, battered and bruised but not as hurt as I'd been afraid he was.
Esther helped him to his feet. "Joe, look! They're here!"
"Yeah, baby!" Yuffie called, sending her shuriken spinning through the air at another bullmotor. "Never fear, guys! The white rose of Wutai is here to save the day! Time to kick some ass!"
As her shuriken sparked with lightning ninjitsu magic and blasted its way through the mech, Yuffie jumped into a forward flip and hit the nearest goon with a diving kick. Red pounced on another, tearing him apart in a flurry of sharp claws and teeth.
"Don't forget aboot us, now!" Cait added as he had his big moogle mount hit another bullmotor so hard it fell over. Then he seared it with a blast of fire magic. "We're here with ye!"
Knowing he was right and my friends had my back, I sliced harder at Deke, driving him back as Cloud closed in from the other side. With a crossing double slash, he cut down two thugs at once before whirling on Deke. Then we all heard a loud, angry squawk that could only have come from an enraged chocobo. Seconds later, he rushed in, wings out wide and his feathers all black, pecking his way through goons left and right to get to Joe and Esther. And he wasn't alone. Dio raged in behind him, his huge fists pummeling his enemies.
"Teioh!" Joe called. "Good boy!"
Dio laughed as he smashed two thugs' heads together. "That he is, Joe! Could hardly contain him in the stable!"
Esther beamed. "He must've known we were in trouble..."
I smirked at Deke as I deflected his knife again. "It's not looking so good for you now, is it? I'd give up if I were you."
"Like hell I will!" he snarled.
"I was hoping you'd say that," I quipped.
With a wink, I dropped down under his swinging arms, my legs to either side flat on the ground, and stabbed both talons upward into his chest. And at the same time, Cloud struck him from behind, punching Buster straight through him with a focused thrust. Deke collapsed in a gurgling heap, dead before he hit the ground as our friends easily took care of the last few stragglers that were left.
"Whew!" Aerith sighed in relief. "Glad that's over."
I waved. "Thanks for the assist, guys!"
Tifa smiled as she retracted her mythril claws into her gloves. "Not a problem, Jessie. Figured you could use a hand."
"Of course!" I laughed.
"Joe, are you alright?" Esther asked, looking worriedly at him as he winced in pain. "We should get you back up top."
He nodded. "I'll be fine, Esther. But... I told you to run."
"And I said I wasn't leaving," she reminded him, her eyes on his. "I care about you too much to ever do that."
"Thank you..." Joe murmured.
For a moment, they stood there together, gazing at each other. And then Esther hugged him tight, careful not to aggravate his injuries. Joe blinked in surprise but held her close. When she gazed back up at him, he gently cleaned the blood from her jaw with a stroke of his thumb. A wondering smile lit up her face, and as I watched in delight, she pulled Joe to her and kissed him. He returned it, his lips moving against hers, and it wasn't until he felt his black chocobo lightly nudging him on the shoulder that he and Esther came up for air.
"Looks like Teioh wants some attention, too," she laughed.
"That he does," Joe agreed, fondly scratching the chocobo's feathers as he kept one arm around Esther's waist.
I smirked. "Glad you two finally sorted it out!"
"Indeed!" Dio boomed. "Well done! Ha, ha! I like it!"
Esther looked sheepishly at him. "Um, Dio... sorry I didn't wait for the escort. It won't happen again, I promise."
"I believe you, my dear," he said, waving it off. "But I've been doing a bit of thinking about that, and from here on, you won't have to come down here at all. It's far too dangerous a place. I'll find someone else to bring prospective jockeys up top for the races. You just concentrate on managing your clients and caring for the chocobos."
"Yes, sir. Thank you," she said. And then, gazing at me, Cloud, and the others, she held Joe a little closer. "And thank you, all of you. If you hadn't shown up, Joe might've been..."
"Of course," Tifa said. "We weren't gonna let that happen."
I nodded. "Right. We're here for ya!"
Esther smiled as she stood within Joe's arms. "Thanks, guys. From the bottom of my heart... thank you."
"It was our pleasure," Aerith assured her.
"And we're most grateful for your help," Joe said. Then he tenderly brushed a few strands of Esther's fiery hair from her face. "Now, I think I should take you back to the Gold Saucer, my love."
She gazed pointedly up at him. "I think I'll be taking you, Joe. You need rest, and I'm going to look after you."
"Who am I to argue with my fair desert bloom?" he grinned.
"Just remember that and we'll go far together," Esther teased. Then touched her lips to his. "Come on. Let's go home."
Dio slapped Joe on the back and laughed. "Yes, by all means! Back to the Gold Saucer now, kids, and take the next day or two off to enjoy each other. You've more than earned it. As for the rest of you, I'll see to the release papers personally, so you're free to go. And I'll have an extra reward waiting for you. My thanks for your heroics."
"Anytime," Cloud said, shouldering his swords. "Glad to help."
Barret pumped his fist. "That's Avalanche for ya!"
Dio nodded as we left the junkyard. "Indeed. Whatever Shinra says about you, we here at the Gold Saucer know the truth. And I must say, it was a pleasure seeing you all fight so well! I rather enjoyed knocking a few heads together myself. How I've missed it!"
"I'm not a bit surprised," I chuckled.