The scene crashes open with AVALANCHE in the middle of a fight; surrounded by ShinRa, they're making for the exit. The camera pans past the various members' faces -- Jesse, Wedge, Biggs -- and focuses upon their ringleader, taking up the rear. Barrett's look is wild-eyed; with his gun arm lifted and firing at the incoming troops, he flails his free hand at the team, big mouth wide as he barks the order for them to get the hell out of dodge.

And I've had to fight
Another blurred affair tonight

Barrett looks ahead after ascertaining the others have made their escape, dark eyes narrowed with determination, sweat glistening on his brow. Still firing, he starts backing away to follow suit as well, but something stops him. Looking up, horror dawns upon his face; the ceiling is collapsing! Forgeting entirely about the troops incoming, he whirls about just in time to see the plate collapse in itself. His teammates--

Eyelids wrestle once again
Never gonna see my friend

The screen goes white; Barrett jerks awake, panting heavily, to find himself in bed, alone. Raising his hand to his face, he buries himself in his palm, rubbing his face slowly before dropping the hand again. His gaze goes to his gun arm, darkening quietly with pain as memory overtakes.

Guided by the blinding white

Though the darkness of night still cloaks all in shadow, the surroundings are different. Focusing first upon the stars, the camera pans down slowly to reveal a silhouette on a cliffside, looking down the sheer rock. The figure stands slightly crooked, favoring one leg for the other; the outline of one arm seems distinctly mechanical in shape. Much like Barrett's own gun arm.

Have you left home in spite
Knowing I'm alone tonight
Waiting for the light of day

Shifting focus to zoom in on the figure's face, shadows melt back to reveal Dyne's features. Eyes intense as he stares down into the blackness of the cliffs below, very slowly he lifts his own gun arm from where it hangs lifeless at his side; moonlight plays across the metallic surface as he aims it into the dark.

Doesn't matter anyway
There's nothing that I need to say

Leaving the safety of his bed, Barrett starts to move toward the hall, but the bed adjoining his catches his attention first. Mako lighting bathes the room in a sickly dim green, highlighting the bed and the dimunitive girl nestled within the blankets upon it. Switching back to Barrett's face, his grizzled features soften as warmth chases some of the darkness from his eyes.

And I've gone underground
Never hangin' round

Marlene sleeps, blissfully undisturbed by the presence of her surrogate father looming over her. Very carefully, Barrett eases his sizable bulk on to the edge of the bed, taking a seat there as he continues to look down at the girl with undisguised warmth; her young face eased with sleep, she seems angelic, and her burly benefactor is obviously taken by the effect.

Should have made it back again

The area around Marlene's face seems to grow indistinct. Warping slowly, the resemblance to her father becomes undeniable; ultimately, her face morphs into Dyne's. A younger Dyne, unfettered by mental or physical trauma, standing next to Barrett; neither have lost their arms at this point, but both seem to be upset for some reason, frowning at something off-screen.

Why can't the moon stay full forever?
Wednesday's bad, but Friday ain't much better
(...Someone's hell)

Dyne dangles dangerously over the edge, kept from certain death only by Barrett's hand gripped tightly over his, keeping him from falling. Both are obviously frightened, stressed; the sound of gunfire splits the air, and their gazes meet. Dyne, ashen, stares at his friend -- and abruptly morphs back to Marlene, innocent and blissfully ignorant in sleep.

Why can't the moon stay full forever?
Right now she's got nothin' on her mind

Thick brown fingers absentmindedly chase stray hair from Marlene's closed eyes; caressing the little girl's brow gently, Barrett releases a sigh heavy with soundless burden. Mako lighting paints the metal of his gun arm in hues of green, drawing his attention to it. Lifting the gun carefully to aim it carelessly at a wall, AVALANCHE's leader narrows his eyes; the camera follows the line of the gun --

Will this neverland
Free me from its clutching hand
It won't release me

-- and shifts back again, reverted back to Dyne's gun arm, still pointed out into the darkness. He pauses, then jerks his hand back, the gun pointed toward the skies now instead. A smirk twists his mouth; insanity glimmers faintly in the broken shine of his eyes. His lips form the word silently: Bang.

And I've gone underground
Obsessions I have found

Dyne turns away and starts to walk back. His movements are careful, slow; one leg is still obviously favored, the other all but dragged as he limps painfully back the way he came, leaving the cliff and the nightmares it inspires behind him.

Couldn't make it back again

Making his way back to his own bed, Dyne eases himself carefully onto its edge, not quite settling in yet. Moonlight bathes the room in illumination as it peeks in through the window. His poise is coincidentally very much akin to Barrett's; the similarity is brought out as the one-armed man's figure is traded for the other's, moonlight traded for mako light. Barrett rises to his feet.

Why can't the moon stay full forever?
Wednesday's bad, but Friday ain't much better
(...Someone's hell)

The bed creaks conspicuously. Stirring in her sleep, Marlene rolls over and focuses sleep-bleary eyes upon her father. Startled, she looks at him for a moment, then smiles sleepily, a tiny hand reaching up to rub at her eyes as she starts to sit up.

Why can't the moon stay full forever?
Right now she's got nothin' on her mind

As the instrumentals continue, they fade slowly, serving as background music so that Barrett and Marlene's dialoge can be heard. The little girl cants her head curiously as she starts to sit up, propping herself with one hand. "Papa? What's wrong?"

Barrett looks sheepish for a moment, then firm, shaking his head. "Nothin', Marlene. Go back to sleep; it's late. I'm jes'-- ah, I'm jes' gonna go get a drink of water..."

The little girl ohs softly and lays down dutifully, but her eyes remain open, watching Barrett as he turns toward the door. Though sleepy, she's obviously concerned; her young face tenses with a soft frown. "Are you okay, Papa?"

A hand on the doorframe, Barrett pauses in his tracks; shadows paint his dark face as he frowns out to the hallway, closing his eyes briefly before looking back over his shoulder, forcing a smile. His and Marlene's eyes meet; for a moment, he's stopped as he once again sees an echo of Dyne in her face. Behind her, images of the fallen AVALANCHE can be made out vaguely; Jesse is leaning an arm on Wedge's shoulder, while Biggs stands opposite, arms folded; all are smiling.

"Papa?"

Barrett blinks sharply out of his revery, looking to Marlene. He hesitates a second time, but now the smile seems more genuine. He nods and shakes his head dismissively, already stepping through the door. "I'm jes' fine, Marlene; don'tchu worry. You jes' go on back to sleep."

"Okay..." The girl's eyes, nigh luminescent in the mako light, close, then reopen again. "G'night, Papa."

"G'night, Marlene."

The door closes.