Yuffie Kisaragi ran up the steps to Cosmo Canyon and was stopped by the guard.
"I'm Yuffie, a friend of Red- er, Nanaki!" she explained breathlessly.
"Oh. Okay," the guard said, and stepped aside. Yuffie ran up to the weapon shop, then
she finally paused, breathing hard. 'Why... does Red... have to live... at the top of
all these stairs??' she asked herself.
"Yuffie?"
She looked up and grinned a bit. "Vincent? What're you doin' here!? I thought you went
to Lucrecia's Cave or your old coffin!"
Vincent peered down at her with his bright ruby eyes. "I did, but I came here for a
visit."
"Seems like we all miss RedXIII, eh?" She finally started to breathe normally.
"What is wrong?" he asked stoically.
"Nuttin. Just... really really eager to see Red!" Yuffie exclaimed and pushed past
Vincent rudely, leaving him staring. She managed to run up all the stairs and ladders
to the observatory, and she burst in. "RedXIII!"
He looked up from his large book, startled. "Yuffie! What's the matter?"
She ran next to him, grabbed him and squeezed. "I'm so happy!"
"Really?" RedXIII gasped out. "Air... please...!"
Yuffie promptly let go and sat down across from him. "I saw Vincent at the weapons shop.
Why was he visiting?"
RedXIII stiffened slightly. "He thought he saw something important, and since the cave
is close by, he came here."
"Oh." Yuffie swallowed and said, "Well, anyway, the reason I'm here is 'cause my- Lord
Godo died."
"Oh, Yuffie. I'm sorry."
She waved him off. "No, it's not bad. But what freaked me out was that I saw someone in
the crowd at the funeral!"
"Who did you see?"
"Well, I actually wanted to tell Cloud and Tifa first, but I don't know if they're at
Nibelheim, Costa del Sol, or Kalm. But, maybe you can explain it to me." Yuffie bit her
lip.
"Who did you think you saw?" RedXIII asked patiently.
She leaned over, and whispered, "Aeris."
He jumped away from her a bit. "Aeris?! But how?"
"I was looking at Godo's casket, when she suddenly appeared, standing over it. She
looked at me and smiled and disappeared!" Yuffie quickly explained, sliding back down.
RedXIII looked away. "That's the same reason Vincent is here. He thinks he saw her
standing over Lucrecia's grave. I think maybe it's a sign."
"Well, of course it's a sign! Maybe she wants to be noticed or something!" Yuffie said,
angry suddenly.
"Yuffie, deceased people can't suddenly appear-"
"Tell that to ghosts!"
RedXIII paused, thinking, and then said, "This is the day, one year ago, that she was
killed by Sephiroth."
"Really? What does she want, a proper burial!? Isn't it enough that she-!!!"
"Yuffie!"
She sighed. "I'm sorry, RedXIII. I've just been under so much pressure lately. Wutai's
future is in my hands, and I'm scared I'll do something wrong."
"If you need help, you know AVALANCHE is always here to help you."
"Haha! Yeah, I'll get Vinnie to help me! He's not doing anything now!" Yuffie flipped
her short hair back. "Well, thanks for telling me that. I forgot how much time's
passed."
"If you want to stay here for the night, you're more than welcome to, Yuffie."
"Naw, I have a gold chocobo."
RedXIII frowned suspiciously. "Is that chocobo one of Cloud's? The one that vanished
the day after Meteor was stopped?"
"Uhhh..." Yuffie laughed, scratching her head, embarrassed. "Sorta kinda maybe?"
He rolled his eye(s). "Feel free to come back anytime, Yuffie."
"Okay!! It's boring here, studying all the time, isn't it?"
"Sometimes. I'm too busy to really think about it," RedXIII answered.
"I'll be back soon then, to make sure you're never bored!" Yuffie said happily, waved,
and disappeared out the door.
RedXIII stared for a minute after she left, then suddenly looked to the side room where
the solar system model was. He could've sworn he saw a flash of pink, red and light
brown, right outside the door. He shook his head, and turned his attention back to his
studying.
"I'm Yuffie, a friend of Red- er, Nanaki!" she explained breathlessly.
"Oh. Okay," the guard said, and stepped aside. Yuffie ran up to the weapon shop, then
she finally paused, breathing hard. 'Why... does Red... have to live... at the top of
all these stairs??' she asked herself.
"Yuffie?"
She looked up and grinned a bit. "Vincent? What're you doin' here!? I thought you went
to Lucrecia's Cave or your old coffin!"
Vincent peered down at her with his bright ruby eyes. "I did, but I came here for a
visit."
"Seems like we all miss RedXIII, eh?" She finally started to breathe normally.
"What is wrong?" he asked stoically.
"Nuttin. Just... really really eager to see Red!" Yuffie exclaimed and pushed past
Vincent rudely, leaving him staring. She managed to run up all the stairs and ladders
to the observatory, and she burst in. "RedXIII!"
He looked up from his large book, startled. "Yuffie! What's the matter?"
She ran next to him, grabbed him and squeezed. "I'm so happy!"
"Really?" RedXIII gasped out. "Air... please...!"
Yuffie promptly let go and sat down across from him. "I saw Vincent at the weapons shop.
Why was he visiting?"
RedXIII stiffened slightly. "He thought he saw something important, and since the cave
is close by, he came here."
"Oh." Yuffie swallowed and said, "Well, anyway, the reason I'm here is 'cause my- Lord
Godo died."
"Oh, Yuffie. I'm sorry."
She waved him off. "No, it's not bad. But what freaked me out was that I saw someone in
the crowd at the funeral!"
"Who did you see?"
"Well, I actually wanted to tell Cloud and Tifa first, but I don't know if they're at
Nibelheim, Costa del Sol, or Kalm. But, maybe you can explain it to me." Yuffie bit her
lip.
"Who did you think you saw?" RedXIII asked patiently.
She leaned over, and whispered, "Aeris."
He jumped away from her a bit. "Aeris?! But how?"
"I was looking at Godo's casket, when she suddenly appeared, standing over it. She
looked at me and smiled and disappeared!" Yuffie quickly explained, sliding back down.
RedXIII looked away. "That's the same reason Vincent is here. He thinks he saw her
standing over Lucrecia's grave. I think maybe it's a sign."
"Well, of course it's a sign! Maybe she wants to be noticed or something!" Yuffie said,
angry suddenly.
"Yuffie, deceased people can't suddenly appear-"
"Tell that to ghosts!"
RedXIII paused, thinking, and then said, "This is the day, one year ago, that she was
killed by Sephiroth."
"Really? What does she want, a proper burial!? Isn't it enough that she-!!!"
"Yuffie!"
She sighed. "I'm sorry, RedXIII. I've just been under so much pressure lately. Wutai's
future is in my hands, and I'm scared I'll do something wrong."
"If you need help, you know AVALANCHE is always here to help you."
"Haha! Yeah, I'll get Vinnie to help me! He's not doing anything now!" Yuffie flipped
her short hair back. "Well, thanks for telling me that. I forgot how much time's
passed."
"If you want to stay here for the night, you're more than welcome to, Yuffie."
"Naw, I have a gold chocobo."
RedXIII frowned suspiciously. "Is that chocobo one of Cloud's? The one that vanished
the day after Meteor was stopped?"
"Uhhh..." Yuffie laughed, scratching her head, embarrassed. "Sorta kinda maybe?"
He rolled his eye(s). "Feel free to come back anytime, Yuffie."
"Okay!! It's boring here, studying all the time, isn't it?"
"Sometimes. I'm too busy to really think about it," RedXIII answered.
"I'll be back soon then, to make sure you're never bored!" Yuffie said happily, waved,
and disappeared out the door.
RedXIII stared for a minute after she left, then suddenly looked to the side room where
the solar system model was. He could've sworn he saw a flash of pink, red and light
brown, right outside the door. He shook his head, and turned his attention back to his
studying.