Resurrection

by yoshi ftw

Response to One Last Wish's "100 Themes Challenge" on Lunaescence 100 Drabbles about a woman named Ana and some of the most important people in her life. CidOCVincent

Introduction

My mako infused eyes twinkled with amusement as the new recruits scuttled into the room, crowding together like scared cattle as they eyed me nervously.

There was a slight twitch to my lips as I stood in front of them, my hands behind my back, legs spread shoulder length apart in a typical military-like fashion. They all fell into a line as soon as I gave out the order, and I began to pace back and forth in front of them, inspecting each and every one of them, the helmets on their heads however, obscured their faces from me. Finally I came to a halt, facing them once more and I opened my mouth to speak.

"My name is Anastasiya and I am a First Class SOLDIER." I could tell they were skeptical. A woman? Part of SOLDIER? And First Class no less. "Many of you will seek glory and many of you will seek power, but the path to success is a hard one and each and every one of you must be prepared to walk that path alone. I am not here to hold your hand, nor am I here to teach you the ropes, I am here to tell you that the weak will fail and the strong will prevail and if you aren't ready to take a beating you might as well leave now." I paused, waiting to see if any of them would actually leave and to my surprise and slight amusement, none of them budged an inch, "As your superior officer, you will follow all of my orders without question, so, if I tell you to jump, you ask how high, got it?"

"Yes ma'am." They echoed in unison.

"Now… jump."

There was slight hesitation, before one of the men, the one all the way to the left asked, "How high?"

My lips jerked back as I bared my teeth in a grin, "As high as you can."

I kept an eye on the one who had the courage to speak up, watching as he and the rest jumped up and down.

"Alright, alright. That's enough." I waved my hand, beckoning them to cease their hopping, "Take off those stupid helmets and introduce yourself, from right to left now, name, age and hometown." I ordered and the man all the way to the right immediately began to talk, then the next one, and the next until it came to the man, no boy, who I had been so focused on. Judging by the baby fat on his cheeks and his height, he couldn't be more than fifteen years old. His blue eyes were wide and filled with curiosity and his black hair stuck up in every direction, looking as though you might cut yourself if you were to touch one of the points.

"Zack Fair, age fourteen, Gongaga is the place I call home." He looked me straight in the eyes and my lips twitched into a slight smirk.

"You've got good eyes."

With that, I dismissed the recruits, turning from them and walking away, not realizing that the blue eyed boy would be the one to change my life.

Love

A scowl came across my face as I itched at one of the fresh slashes that covered it, some of them overlapping old scars, "Stupid simulated training." I grumbled as I looked at the broken sword that had been what caused the damage to my face. Swords like the training ones tend to break easily, and the broken shards of the sword had gashed up my face with a vengeance.

"My, my, quite a number you did to your face Anastasiya." I twirled around, coming face to face with a pair of cyan eyes on an all too familiar face that I despised oh so much, "Might I say I think it's a bit of an improvement."

"Genesis," I spat distastefully, my grip around the hilt of the broken sword tightening, "Who let you out of your cage?"He laughed and chills ran down my spine at the hollow laughter, "I suggest you get out of here because what I'll do to you is ten times worse than what happened to my face." I threatened.

"I'd like to see you back up those pitiful words of yours." He sneered, eyes challenging me.

A malicious grin ripped at my face, "I'd love to."

Light

"So, any good missions lately?" My little puppy dog with blue eyes asked excitedly as he followed me through the halls.

"Not really, it's been a quiet week." I said, my pace quickening from a slow saunter to a brisk walk, obvious to everyone else but the hyper-active sixteen year old that I wanted to get away from him.

He just walked faster, trying to keep up with my long strides, "Oh, really? I can't wait until I get better missions than just patrolling." He paused for a moment, before looking up at me with those bright blue eyes, "Do you think we'll ever be able to go on a mission together?"

I slowed down to a stop, "Mission together? With you?" I laughed which earned an almost saddened expression from the boy, like a kicked puppy, "You're gonna have to try a little harder if you want to go on a mission with me." Patting him on the head, I turned away, calling out to him, "Don't worry, you've got good eyes."

I caught a glimpse of his expression as I walked away. His eyes glowed with such fierce determination and he bounded off in the opposite direction, most likely to the training room.

I'd never say it, not out loud at least, but he is the only light that reaches me in this dark place.

Dark

My heavy breathing echoed through the darkness that held no comfort.

I could feel something lurking.

Something dangerous and it was coming closer and closer.

So close and then…

The blood that splattered on my clothes appeared black on the dark material. My sword slid back into its sheath and I didn't bother to clean it off, no amount of scrubbing will ever remove the blood that stained it.

I breathed in deeply, eyes closing and I took it all in. The stillness that surrounded me, the emptiness of the corridor, the smell of fresh blood…

And the darkness.

I loved it all.

Seeking Solace

The old rundown church in the Slums never had much appeal to me, but somehow I found myself slinking through the gap between the enormous and intricately decorated doors, the clunking of my heavy boots against the wooden floor reverberating through the building. The first thing I noticed was the smell of fresh flowers and the second was the girl with brown hair kneeling in front of a flower bed, tending to the bright yellow flowers with the utmost of care. She never turned to me, to indicate she heard me walk in, not even the slight glance of her eyes or tilt of the head. So I took a seat in one of the remaining pews and watched her.

I must've sat there for over an hour, slumped in the pew with my arms crossed and eyes trained on the girl until she finally stood up, turning around to face me with a gentle smile on her face and when the light hit her at that angle I swore there were pure white wings enveloping her body and a halo caressing the top of her head, but when I blinked they were gone, "Hello."

My eyebrows rose in surprise before I raised one of my arms to wave at her, "Hey."

"I've never seen you around here before." She stated as she walked over to me, taking a seat next to me in the pew.

I stayed quiet for a moment, my eyes lowering to the dirty floorboards which looked like they would give way any second, "I'm not the type to come to a church."

"Why'd you come then?" She tilted her head, her greener than green eyes only showing confusion.

"I…" I glanced up towards the gaping hole in the ceiling, "I want to be forgiven."

"By who?"

My head turned towards her, eyebrows furrowed in frustration, "I… I don't know."

"Maybe you need to forgive yourself?" She suggested, entwining her fingers together as she smiled at me and for some reason, I felt at ease.

A thoughtful look danced across my face as I pondered over her suggestion, "Yeah, I guess I do." Standing up, I held my hand out to her, "I'm Anastasiya."

Perhaps…

She rose to her feet, her hand meeting mine with a soft grip, "Aerith."

Perhaps, the solace that I was searching for was right under my nose.

Breaking Away

Rage spread through my body as I thought of it.

The way they ordered us around like dogs.

The way they expected us to do as we were told without question.

The way they believed themselves to be better than us.

I'm not going to take it anymore.

I'm not going to be pushed around.

I'm going to break away from everything they believe in.

Everything I believe in.

I want to be free.

Free from this place and all the people in it.

I won't be their dog anymore.

Heaven

"Have you ever thought that maybe… maybe what we're doing isn't right?"

Sephiroth didn't even turn his head to look at me, instead a terse 'no', left his lips.

"Why not?" I asked as we continued to walk through the never ending maze called the Shinra building.

"There's no need to."

I sputtered as I looked up at him, "What? What do you mean there's no need to, I mean we…" I gritted my teeth, clenching my fists together painfully.

"We can't go back and amend the wrongs that we've done."

"We could change." I argued.

"No. We can't." He said, "Because no matter what we're destined to rot in hell for all the sins we've committed."

As I opened my mouth to disagree I found myself slowing to a stop, mouth now in a tight line as I found I couldn't argue with that.

There's no place for people like us in Heaven.

Innocence

Sometimes, it's hard to believe it's been so long since he joined SOLDIER.

His wide, vibrant blue eyes have remained the same since the day I met him two years ago.

There's something about this boy; something so child-like and innocent…

I know, however, that soon enough those blue eyes will be stained with blood.

His innocence will eventually be broken.

Drive

Revving the engine of my sleek black motorcycle I affectionately refer to as Mania, I fixed the goggles strapped around my eyes, making sure they were secure around my head. A pair of arms were firmly wrapped around my waist and I could feel them tighten as my hands gripped the handles of the motorcycle.

"You sure you don't want a helmet Zacky-poo?"

"Shut up and drive."

I grinned at his response, "Hold on tight."

Breathe Again

I sat on a cliff over-looking all of Midgar, the Shinra Headquarters, my former home, was in clear view.

I left a few days ago and it wasn't until now that I look back and realize just how good freedom feels, like a weight has been lifted off my chest.

I could finally breathe again.

Memory

"Hey Sephiroth," I could practically feel him cringe, already knowing where our conversation would be heading, "What happens when we die?"

His mako eyes stared down at me incredulously and the pressure of his stare almost made me want to tell him to forget I ever asked, almost, "We join the life stream."

Sitting up from my lying down position, I glared at him, "I know that, I'm not stupid. I mean… will we be forgotten?"

"Of course not, we'll just be a memory of the past to those who knew us."

A scowl graced my scarred face, "But, I don't want to be a memory…"

Insanity

Angeal, Genesis, Sephiroth and I have an odd sort of relationship.

We very rarely get along with each other and sometimes we tend to be at each other's throats.

We can't stand to be in the same room with each other at times and then other nights we're watching the sun set talking and laughing as if we were the best of friends.

We're teammates.

We're rivals.

We're friends.

And lately, I feel as though Genesis and Sephiroth have been distancing themselves from Angeal and me.

Like insanity has grabbed hold of them and has no plans of letting go and whenever I try to reach out for them, they seem light-years away.

Misfortune

I like to think that it was just bad luck that brought us together, not fate.

Perhaps if we didn't meet each other, he'd still be alive.

Perhaps if we didn't meet each other, I'd be different.

It was nothing but a misfortunate encounter of two people never destined to happen upon one another.

Smile

When was it… that you stopped smiling?

It's amazing how much someone can change in five years.

"Zack," I called out and as he turned around, I expected to be greeted with a mind-blowing smiling but instead his face was somber, like he hadn't smiled in years, "Where are you heading off to?"

"I have a mission."

"Ah? Solo?" He nodded and I smiled slightly, "Finally making it to the big leagues, huh kid?" The corner of his mouth twitched up into a microscopic smile and I felt my stomach sink, "Good luck on your mission." I ruffled his spiky hair as I walked by, ignoring the twists and turns of my stomach, not knowing how much I'd be missing that smile of his in the future.

Silence

We sat together in complete silence, nothing but the gravel crunching beneath the moving tires of the van and the light purr of the engine was heard, and even Reno and Rude who sat in the front of the van didn't utter a word.

He sat with his elbows on his knees, his face buried in his hands, obviously an attempt to avoid any sort of eye contact.

My head slumped against the wall as I stared at the ceiling of the van, every so often my body bob with the van as we went over a bump or hit a pothole.

The hum of the van was soon distinguished as Reno cut the engine, both him and Rude climbing out of the beat up vehicle, giving us the indicator that we had arrived at our destination.

My eyes met the color of the clear blue sky and almost instantaneously the boy's face scrunched up in pain and he choked back a sob, breaking the silence.

"It's okay Cloud."

Questioning

"Hey Ana…"

For some reason, I didn't like that tone.

"Yes?"

"What would you do if I took Mania without your permission and crashed it?"

My foot smashed against the brake of the old pick-up truck we were driving in and my head spun towards him, eyes wide with anger, "You what?"

Blood

So much…

I swallowed the lump in my throat as I approached the scene.

There was so much….

I kneeled down next to the sobbing blonde haired boy who sat next to the body of my fallen friend, "Zack…"

My throat tightened and tears welled up in my eyes, threatening to fall like the rain that pounded against us.

There was so much blood.

Rainbow

I remember when we were younger; I would always ask silly little questions that most never bothered to ask.

"Hey Angeal, what's your favorite color?" The blue-eyed boy looked at me, sweat forming on his forehead as he stopped his intense training to answer my question.

"I like every color."

"Even pink?" I asked with a look of distaste.

He smiled slightly, "Even pink."

"You're such a girl.

I stood at the outskirts of Midgar, my trusty bike, Mania, by my side, loaded with two duffle bags that carried my entire life. I took it all in, every building, every street, every car, every person...

This would be the last time I laid sights on Midgar and I wanted to memorize it all.

Almost as if on cue, just as I went to turn around, about to leave the city behind me forever, a rainbow erupted from behind the storm clouds.

"I don't see any pink Angeal." I muttered as I hopped on my bike and began to drive away and I swear I could hear laughter booming through the sky.

Gray

Lately, it seems as though my whole world has lost all of its color.

There are no blue eyes filled with curiosity following my every movement.

There are no yellow flowers that instantly brighten my day with just one glance.

There are no pink dresses that fill my vision as I walk into the dingy old church.

There are no flaming red heads who invade my personal space on a daily basis.

Just gray cloudy skies dripping with tears.

Fortitude

I remember the pain of the endless hours of training.

I remember the pain of each and every slash on my body.

I remember the pain of being taken away from my parents.

I remember the pain of the needles as they pierced my skin.

I remember the pain of being a guinea pig for those men.

But this… this is the worst kind of pain I've ever felt and I don't think the lingering pieces of my heart can take much more.

Vacation

"And just where are you going?"

I cringed at the all too familiar voice, "Vacation…"

"For how long?" He asked, eyeing the two duffle bags that held every possession I owned besides my sword which was strapped to my back and my bike which was waiting down in the parking lot.

"… a few days."

Genesis put on a fake smile, "Have fun." He said with little enthusiasm.

Mother Nature

I glared at the map as I turned it every which way; trying to figure out the correct path I needed to take.

It was only a few months ago I got a call from the Turks, asking me for my help with "a situation", too bad for them I can't seem to find my way back due to my awful sense of direction.

And just to put that lovely cherry on top of my sundae, it has just started to rain.

"Son of a bitch." I quickly tried to hide the map from the down pour but to no avail, once I had found cover under a tree I noticed the map was now a smudged mess of ink, impossible to read.

Just so you know, it's official, Mother Nature hates me.

Cat

A strange feeling made its way down my spine as I walked through the alleyways of Midgar and I paused mid-step before continuing on my way, noting a soft padding sound following after me.

I was being followed.

I stopped walking, hearing them stop too and when I continued on my way they soon followed.

I swiftly turned around, meeting the blank stare of the dirty brick wall.

"Meow."

My eyes shifted downward to a small black cat with brilliant blue eyes which were staring directly at me.

I raised an eyebrow, having a stare down with the cat for a few moments before turning on my heel, continuing through the alley with the cat hot on my heels.

No Time

Tick.

Tock.

Tick.

Tock.

I looked over at the Chinese man impatiently as he flipped through a folder with one hand and held the phone to his ear with the other.

My foot tapped to the ticking of the clock, eyebrows furrowing as Tseng hung up the phone, shaking his head, "Still nothing?" I asked.

"We can't seem to locate them."

Growling, I stood up abruptly, "I'll find them."

"Can you find them before SOLDIER does?" He asked.

"Yes."

The ticking stopped as a foreboding chime echoed through the room.

There was no time to waste.

Trouble Lurking

I ruffled my damp hair with the fluffy white towel, while one of my hands held the towel that was wrapped around my body to me tightly. The brisk air of my apartment gave me goose bumps as I walked from the steamy bathroom into the cool room.

Just as I was about to drop my towel to get dressed a soft chuckle caused me to freeze where I stood.

"Hello Anastasiya."

Tears

The wind rustled at my shoulder length hair, blowing it every which way as I stared out to the setting sun.

"Ana…"

I turned towards the younger boy, his blue eyes burning into mine, "Yeah?"

"You're crying…"

"Huh? What do you mean…" My fingertips rested on my wet cheek, "…I'm crying…"

The tears continued to flow and I didn't even know why.

Foreign

I remember the looks they gave each other.

The secret glances they thought no one else could see.

The look in their eyes as they stared at one another.

It was foreign to me.

Sorrow

"So, he's dead, huh?" Reno asked me as I climbed into the helicopter with the help of Rude.

"Yeah." Sitting in between them, I hung my head low, my hair falling in my face as I stared at the floor of the helicopter.

I didn't want anyone to see the sorrow in my eyes.

Happiness

I don't think I can recall a time in my life where I was ever, truly happy.

Not like this, at least.

How we are now.

I know that it'll never last.

This happiness I'm feeling will soon vanish.

Under the Rain

I remember the day we met.

The rain was pounding against the windows that sheltered us.

His eyes bared his soul and he was young and naïve.

I remember the day he died.

The rain was pounding against my skin with no relent.

His eyes were closed and blood smeared his cheeks.

I'll never forget the sting of the rain against my skin.

Flowers

"Why do you like flowers so much?"

My question caught her by surprise, "Why…" She whispered with her hand in front of her face as she thought, "Because, even in the darkest of places," She gestured to the run down church that we were in, "… something beautiful can grow."

I kneeled down in front of the flower bed, plucking a single flower.

"Beautiful, huh?"

Night

I hated being around Headquarters at night.

That's when everyone was sleeping.

That's when they let their horrors consume them in never ending nightmares.

Their tortured screams kept me awake and my ears wouldn't stop ringing.

Expectations

When I was born, there were tons of expectations for me.

I was expected to be the greatest there ever was.

I was expected to be the perfect tool.

I was expected to be a lot of things.

But I broke those expectations the day I met him.

Stars

You could never see the stars from Midgar at night. The city lights drowned out any chance of seeing the balls of fire in the dark sky.

Not that I ever bothered to look anyway.

Hold My Hand

I remember back when I first joined SOLDIER, everyone looked out for me like hawks.

They treated me like I was some fragile doll that was so easily broken.

It took some time, but I eventually proved them wrong.

I didn't need them to hold my hand.

I wasn't a child.

I wasn't a doll.

I was a SOLDIER, First Class and fully capable of making it on my own.

Precious Treasure

"Gotcha!" I called out, picking up the small orb that glowed a dull red.

"No you don't!" A small body collided with mine, sending me to the ground and the Materia out of my hand.

"Damnit," I groaned, rubbing the side which I had landed on, "What the hell Yuffie?"

"This is my treasure!" She snatched the ball from the ground while sticking her tongue out at me, "Hands off!"

"You little brat!" Her eyes widened as I scrambled up from the ground, fully intent on chasing after her as she dashed off, "Come back here!"

"Gotta catch me first!"

Eyes

When I looked into his eyes, they reminded me of all the bloodshed I've caused.

It made me remember every life I've taken.

All the pain I've caused.

And yet, I couldn't bring myself to tear my eyes from his.

Abandoned

He used to be like a lost puppy.

Following me around anywhere and everywhere.

It used to annoy me back then.

But as he grew older, the distance between us grew as well.

And I kind of miss my puppy.

Dreams

I never had a dream or a goal when I was younger.

I never aspired to be a dancer, or a doctor or even a superhero.

The path I was going to take was laid out in front of me; all the pieces were already put together, I just had to step forward and walk it.

I pitied those who had dreams because they would be crushed by the harsh reality of the real world and their dreams would crumble into nothing.

I vaguely remember the time when he told me what his dream was.

I laughed at him, thinking it was nothing but a silly ambition.

But he proved me wrong.

He died a hero.

Rated

"So, why are you dressed up like a girl?" I questioned the frazzled blonde boy, who was indeed wearing a navy blue dress, complete with cute pink bows in his hair.

"W-well, you see…"

"Are you doing some x-rated things while we aren't around?" Cloud's face flushed a dark red as he glared at me, "Didn't know you were into that kind of thing."

I promptly ducked, narrowly escaping the edge of the sword that tried to chop my head off.

Teamwork

I let out a groan as my body crashed into the floor for the second time this week, "Ow." I whimpered, not moving from my sprawled out position.

I heard giggling coming from behind me, "Got it."

"Good job kiddies!" Squinting my eyes, I looked back.

"Damnit Yuffie!" I glared and then looked at the two children who peaked from behind the raven-haired ninja, "Marlene! Denzel! How could you?"

"Sorry Ana." Marlene mumbled, playing with her fingers as she looked down in shame.

She better be ashamed.

"Yuffie told us she'd buy us ice cream if we helped her get the Materia from you." Denzel explained and for some reason that didn't make me feel any better about their sudden betrayal.

"Damn kids." I grumbled.

"You snooze you lose!" Yuffie grinned and off she went, disappearing from view before I even had the chance to stand up.

"My precious Materia, gone!" I whined as Denzel patted my back in a non-too-comforting way.

Standing Still

Cyan eyes met mine and my heart stopped beating.

Everything seemed to be standing still as we stared at each other.

"Hello Genesis."

Dying

The sound of harsh coughing brought me out of my alcohol induced stupor, "The hell is wrong with you?" I asked the busty bartender who sounded as though she was hacking up a lung.

Her bleary eyes went in and out of focus, "I think I'm dying." She said between gasps of breath and coughs.

"Suck it up and pour me another shot."

Two Roads

"Which one do you think we should follow?" I asked, eyeing the two paths that had forked from the road we were on, "Wonder which one is quicker."

"Um…" Yuffie cupped in chin in a thoughtful manner, eyeing both roads, "That one!" She declared, finger pointed at the right path.

"'Kay." I said, heading for the left one.

"Hey!" She called out, "I said the right one!"

"And you usually get us lost." I said, "So I'm going to do everything opposite of what you say from now on."

"Meanie!" She pouted, sticking her tongue out at me as I continued on ahead of her.

"Don't stick your tongue out at me unless you want to lose it."

Illusion

"Where is that damn sword?" I grumbled, shifting through Cloud's belongings for the enormous sword that really shouldn't be hard to spot.

"What are you doing?" The deep voice of a certain Mr. Vincent Valentine startled me, causing me to hit my head on one of the shelves in Cloud's closet.

"Ow, shit," I swore, rubbing my sore head before turning to Vincent who's red eyes were staring at me curiously, "Uh…"

"Anastasiya?"

"This is an illusion!" He blinked, watching me waves my arms up and down in a ridiculous manner, "Um… okay bye." I scurried away to my own room, slamming and locking the door behind me.

Family

"Hey Ana…"

"What's up, kiddo?" I asked as I braided her long brown tresses.

"What's your family like?"

"My family?"

She nodded eagerly, nearly messing her braid up.

"I didn't really know my parents." I confessed, "But… there were these boys who I always thought of as my older brothers. Even if we didn't always get along, they were there for me for the longest time. I didn't think there'd ever be a time when we weren't together…"

Marlene kept quiet, listening to me as I continued.

"Now I have four people who I have to look out for like they did for me. One of them likes to shoulder all the burdens that come our way and tries to do everything by himself. The other just wants to keep our family together, but she doesn't know how…" I grabbed the pink bow that was laid on the bar, tying it into her hair,

"What about the other two?" She asked.

"Well, one is a boy who had to grow up too soon, but all I want is for him to enjoy his childhood while he can." She turned to me, a small smile on her face and I knew she knew who I was talking about, "And the other is a little girl who likes to ask a lot of questions," I grinned, smoothing down her hair, "But she reminds me of two people I lost a long time ago and even if they're gone, I still feel as though I have them here because of her."

"Ana…" I felt a small pair of arms encircle my waist, "I think of you as my family too."

Creation

"It's alive!"

"Alive!"

Our moment of glory was short lived due to Yuffie leaning over to the bowl of steaming goo and asking, "What is it?"

"Not quite sure. What the hell did we put in it?"

"Didn't really look…" She leaned even closer to it, inspecting the purple substance.

I sniffed the air, "Smells like something's burning," Getting closer; a bubble spewed out liquid onto mine and Yuffie's face, "Oh shit!"

"It burns! It burns!" Yuffie squealed, frantically trying to wipe off the purple solution that was burning through the skin on her face.

"Whatever you're doing in there it better not be ruining my kitchen!" Tifa called from the bar.

Yuffie and I stopped in our tracks, looking at each other before scoping out the kitchen, which wasn't exactly the picture of perfect, "Crap."

Childhood

As I sauntered by Cloud's room I saw him sitting on the windowsill, staring with a longing expression down to the streets below. I stopped short backing myself up so I was standing in the doorway of his room, "Cloud?"

His head whipped around, slightly surprised by my sudden intrusion, "Yeah?"

"You alright?" I asked as I walked towards him.

His eyes returned to the street, where children were running around, laughing as they played a game of tag with each other, "Have you ever thought that you missed out on a major part of your life, but you didn't realize it until it was too late?"

My eyes lowered to the man who sat in front of me, "All the time."

Stripes

"Hey Vincent…" I called out.

Taking his silence as my cue to continue, I did.

"Is a zebra black with white stripes, or white with black stripes?"

He stayed quiet, red eyes staring at me blankly before he promptly got up and walked out of the room.

"Guess he doesn't know either."

Breaking the Rules

"Is this legal?" Cloud asked, his arms wrapping around my waist once he situated himself onto the motorcycle that I had 'borrowed'.

"Of course not." I snorted, flipping the visor of my helmet down before revving the engine.

"Oh ok- wait what?" The tired squealed against the asphalt as I sped into the distance.

Sport

My eyes shifted back and forth underneath my large black sunglasses, the air was filled with tension and the stench of cigarette smoke. The liquor on my breath only added to the nauseating smell that lingered I the smoke-filled room.

"Four of a kind." Barrett declared, laying down his game cards showing Cid and I his card values, "Aces."

Cid let out an obnoxious snort, "Straight." He slammed his cards down; a four, a fix, a six, a seven, a eight and a nine facing up, "What about you, girly?" He asked with his lips twisted up into a smirk.

A mischievous grin appeared on my face as I set down the cards, "Royal Flush."

"What?" Both Barrett and Cid smashed their hands onto the table, lunging over the table to get a better look at the five cards I had set down; an Ace, a King, a Queen, a Jack and a ten, all hearts.

"Well, I do believe I will call it a night." I said, pulling the pile of money, coins and other valuables to me, using my shirt to carry them all.

"Bitch." Cid mumbled, lighting another cigarette in annoyance.

"C'mon Cid, be a good sport." I teased, closing the door just narrowly avoiding the chair that was thrown in my general direction.

Deep in Thought

My head followed the girl back and forth as she paced in front of me, obviously in deep thought.

If I was a good person, which I'm not, I would've warned her that she was about to collide with the end table, but where would the fun in that be?

My laughter filled the room as she fell to the floor, howling in pain while grabbing her injured knee, "Why didn't you warn me?"

"Didn't want to disturb you." I confessed, "It looked like you had a good idea for once."

Keeping a Secret

"Hey Yuffie, can you keep a secret?" I asked her and she eagerly leaned in, a wide grin on her face. A sly smile made its way onto my own face as I whispered into her ear before leaning away again, "Now I trust that you'll keep this a secret…"

She nodded furiously and ran out of the room, nearly tripping on her own two feet. I could hear her footsteps bring her down the hall to Tifa's room, "TIFA! GUESS WHAT I JUST HEARD!"

I chuckled evilly as Vincent appeared in the doorway, "What did you do now?"

"Oh Vinny, how could you think so badly of me?"

"CLOUD DID WHAT?" Tifa screeched and my grin widened as I heard crashing come from down the hall.

"So it begins."

Tower

I hate it when people are taller than me.

I know you're probably thinking that that's a rather pathetic thing to be angry about, but I really did loathe those who looked down on me, both literally and figuratively.

But, it was times like these, when my nose was buried into the crook of his neck and his arms were wrapped securely around me that I didn't mind it so much that someone looked down on me.

Waiting

Tapping my foot against the linoleum floor, I let out a huff of air, blowing my bangs out of my eyes, earning a glare from the person seated next to me, "Would you stop that incessant tapping?" Sephiroth hissed at me, smacking my knee with the hand that wasn't holding the magazine he was currently reading.

I frowned, my foot coming to a rest on the white floor while my eyes took to darting around the room, taking in the features. Everything was white.

"I hate waiting. Why are we here?" I grumbled.

"You have to get your annual check-up, now stop being a baby!"

"But it smells like death in here!" I whined, flapping my arms around like a child earning another whack one the knee.

Danger Ahead

"Hey Ana!" I could faintly hear Zack yell over the wind.

"Yeah?"

"We just passed a sign that said 'Danger Ahead', should we turn around?" I pivoted my head slightly to look back at him.

"We did?"

"Yea- HOLY CRAP THE ROAD'S MISSING!" My attention reverted back to the road or lack thereof that lay ahead of us.

"Hope we make it." I said out loud, indicating to the gap that separated one side of the road to the other.

"What do you mean hope?"

That was the first time I heard Zack Fair scream like a little girl.

Sacrifice

"Oh crap…" I backed up from the multitude of dogs that had accumulated within just a few seconds, "Nice doggies… nice doggies." Their growling continued as one lunged at me, almost taking out a leg or two, "Oh shit!" I jumped onto the dumpster that was conveniently placed to my right and hopped over the crowd of dogs, running out of the alleyway. The sound of padded paw steps following closely behind and ahead of me, I saw a familiar blonde-haired man step out of a nearby store, "Cloud!" I yelled.

"Ana?"

I grabbed his shoulders, pushing him into the horde of rabid dogs, "Take the spiky-haired one instead!"

"Ana!" I heard Cloud howl in pain as a dog bit him.

"Way to take one for the team Cloud!" I gave him a thumbs up before dashing away in search of safety.

Kick in the Head

Cid took a swig of his beer before slamming it back onto the table, his loud voice seemed to echo through the small cramped bar, "So I told that bastard, I would beat the hell outta him if he thought he could talk shit 'bout MY ship and get away with it!" His voice seemed to go straight through my very soul.

I turned to Cid, cutting off his story, "How would you like a swift kick in the head?"

No Way Out

"So… how'd this happen?" I asked Yuffie as I knocked on the metal walls that surrounded us, seeing if there was some sort of secret hatch or door.

"I dunno, I just remember looking for you in the forest and then everything went black." She explained, rubbing the back of her head, "My head does hurt a lot."

"Looks like there's no way out." I concluded.

"Bummer."

Rejection

I was used to being rejected.

I've accepted that not everyone would accept me.

But when he pushed me away it felt like my whole world crumbled beneath me.

Fairy Tale

"Ana, can you tell me a story?" Marlene asked one night as she settled into bed, all bundled up nice and tight beneath warm sheets.

"Sure kiddo. What kind of story?" I asked while pulling a chair up to her bed side.

Her face lit up as she shouted, "A fairy tale!"

"Alright, alright," I thought for a moment, trying to think of the perfect story to tell the eager little girl, "Once upon a time there was a beautiful maiden with eyes greener than any rain forest imaginable. She had a big heart and a kind soul but she was forever to be trapped in a cold and dark dungeon where the sunlight she longed for couldn't reach her, but one day a brave knight with eyes as blue as the sky that held the shining sun came and rescued her, taking her away from the awful dungeon to a place where she could feel the sun on her skin and bask in its warmth." Marlene's eyes seemed to be getting heavier, but I continued the story anyway, "The knight had to leave the maiden one day, but before he left he gave her a pink ribbon as a promise of his return…" As I trailed off I notice Marlene's eyes were firmly closed, her breathing following a steady pattern.

When I got up, I was careful not to make too much noise as I headed for the door.

"Ana…" I stopped, turning towards Marlene whose eyes were barely open, "Did they live happily ever after?" She asked.

I forced a small smile onto my face, "Yeah, they lived happily ever after…"

Magic

"Ana! Ana!" Marlene's small hand grabbed mine, "There's a guy doing magic tricks over on the corner! Can we go see? Please?" Without waiting for my answer she pulled me towards the man that had gathered a decent sized crowd of people, who were mostly children.

Marlene managed to push her way through the horde of people to the front, directly in front of the guy, her grip around my hand still firm.

"Hello young lady," The man greeted, eyeing me up and down as he shuffled a deck of cards and I nearly snorted, "Do you like magic?"

"Do you like little children?" I shot back and his eyes bulged out of his head at my question as if it was preposterous to ask in the first place, "I'm going to take your silence as a yes. Why don't you hurry along and get a real job instead of performing shoddy tricks in order to cop a cheap feel on these poor unsuspecting children." With that said, I turned on my heel, marching away from the man who was red in the face. Marlene was following close behind.

She looked up at me as we continued to walk away from the dwindling crowd, "I can't take you anywhere, can I?"

Do Not Disturb

"Hey Cloud," Denzel called out to the blonde haired man who was standing behind the bar, stacking glasses to prepare for the busy night ahead of them, "Ana and Cid are in Ana's room and-"

All movement on Cloud's part stopped as he cut off the boy, "They what?"

"It sort of sounded like they were fighting."

Blue eyes widened as Denzel continued to stare up into them with his own innocent brown ones, "I-I'm sure they'll stop fighting soon, why don't you take Marlene outside to play…"

Denzel looked confused, "But it's raining…"

"Just go outside!"

Without another word Denzel dashed into the other room, coming back out with a bewildered Marlene who he dragged toward the exit of the bar.

Meanwhile, upstairs the sound of a headboard hitting the wall could be heard over and over again followed by a slew of swear words that would make your grandmother turn over in her grave.

Multitasking

"How the hell did I get stuck doing this?" I grumbled, pouring one guy a drink while trying to get another his beer at the same time.

"Not so good at multitasking are you toots?" One of the frequent bar-goers asked with a cocky smirk planted on his face as he and his buddies watched me with amusement.

A sadistic smile set on my face, "Oh no, I'm very good at multitasking. I can kick you in the balls and punch you in the face at the same time."

He and his friends paled significantly, grabbing their beers and shuffling over to a table in the corner.

"Please try not to scare off the customers Ana." Tifa told me as she walked behind the bar to get a few beers.

"No promises."

Horror

"Damnit! The hell are my fuckin' cigarettes?" I fought the urge to roll my eyes as Cid shuffled around the living room, searching high and low for his precious tobacco fix, "I paid five gil for those bastards, full pack too!"

I let out a half-assed attempt at a dramatic gasp, "Oh, the horror." I commented dryly, flipping through the channels on the television.

"You bet your ass it is!"

Somehow, I don't think he noticed the sarcasm that laced my voice with that last statement.

Traps

"What 'cha doing?" I asked while licking the ice cream that Denzel had bought me, seeing as how I'm poor and have to resort to asking a ten year old for money.

"Setting traps!" Yuffie replied with glee as she continued to booby trap the entire bar.

I eyed her with one eyebrow cocked, "Alright then…"

She must've missed the strange look I gave her because she continued to merrily plant traps all over the place.

I turned to leave, not even taking a step before I tripped over one of Yuffie's wires, landing on the floor with my ice cream splattered beside me, groaning in pain. Before I could even think to get up the overwhelming feeling of ice cold water pricked at my skin as I became drenched in an instant.

Behind me, Yuffie was laughing nervously, having just witness the entire thing, "Ahaha- good to know they work…"

"Run." I growled as I staggered to my feet.

She didn't have to be told twice.

Playing the Melody

"Hey Ana?" Denzel called out, "Marlene and I have a question."

"Ask away munchkins!" I told them as I busied myself with folding my laundry.

Denzel gave Marlene a look, gesturing for her to ask me, "We were wondering how come you have a piano in your room. We've never heard you play it before."

"Oh, that old thing?" My gaze drifted towards the antique piano that once occupied the old abandoned church down in the Slums which I used to spend my days in. I used to play it a lot before I had moved in with Tifa and Cloud, but now it's just collecting dust, "It's a reminder of the past."

"Do you know how to play?" Denzel asked.

I winked at him, "Of course!"

"Can you play for us?" Marlene asked excitedly.

I laughed at her eagerness, sliding the drawer that I put my clothes in closed, making my way out of the room but not before ruffling Denzel's hair, "Maybe another time."

Hero

A hero is a tough thing to characterize.

There really isn't an exact definition.

Is a hero someone with unbelievable strength and bravery?

Is it someone who has the admiration of everyone around him?

Is it someone with superhuman powers?

I believe that's what a lot of people think of when they're faced with the word hero.

But maybe a hero isn't any of those things.

Maybe, being a hero means sacrificing yourself in order to save others; giving up your life, your hopes, and your dreams, in order to let someone else keep theirs.

My hunched over form shook as I stared at the rusted sword that was planted firmly into the ground.

Idiot, you got what you wanted. You became a hero.

Annoyance

"I swear to all that is Holy, if you do not stop popping your gum, I will gut you like the pig you are." I threatened the stupid ninja who obviously didn't know the definition of quiet.

"What's the matter-" Pop "-don't like it?" Pop.

My eyes lit up with fury as I lunged over the table at the smaller girl who let out a squeal of terror as my hands found their way around her throat.

Craving

"Hey Vincent~" I called from my seat at the bar as the cloaked man walked by, "Guess what I'm craving today~"

There was the slightest bit of annoyance on his face as he stared at my drunken form all the while not saying anything.

"He's tall, brooding and wears a red cape~" The grin that had been on my face for the past hour widened as I continued, "And I want to lick him from his head to his toes~" I said in a sing-song voice.

Obsession

Those ruby eyes could make me melt with just one glance; they made my knees weak, my heart beat uncontrollably, the butterflies in my stomach soar and all self control I have crumble.

Ever since he came into my life, Vincent's been my one, true obsession.

Mischief Managed

"Watch as my plan unfolds~"

Vincent stared at me curiously but said nothing as Cloud walked through the door completely not expecting a chair to be flung at him as he did.

As Tifa continued to scream at Cloud's unconscious form, courtesy of a chair to the head, Vincent turned to me, "What was the point of that?"

"He totally cheated at a game of poker the other night and robbed me of nearly a thousand Gil." I explained, brushing off the fact that Cloud was being brutally beaten by a blushing busty bartender right in front of me.

By now Vincent was used to my antics and simply shrugged my irrational reason off, walking away to go lurk somewhere while I popped open a bottle of vodka, sitting back to enjoy the show.

I Can't

I never thought just two words could break a person's spirit.

I can't.

I am a fool.

I can't.

I knew it was only a matter of time before he pushed me away completely.

I can't.

I just didn't know it would hurt so much.

Are You Challenging Me?

The tension in the room was thick. Hell, you'd probably need a chainsaw to even make a dent in it.

"Are you challenging me-" A hiccup interrupted me, "-me to a drinking contest?"

"You bet your ass I am!" He went to slam his hands down on the table but missed, nearly sending himself to the floor had it not been for Barrett who kept him steady.

"I'll drink your sorry ass under the table!" I told him arrogantly while stumbling over to the bar where said drinking contest would take place.

"Like hell you will!" Cid slurred, stumbling his way over to the bar where I had sloppily lined up a dozen or so shot glasses.

Tifa sighed, pouring liquor into the shot glasses, "It's going to be a long night."

Mirror

"Say, what's that superstitious saying about breaking a mirror?" I asked the two children who stood next to me, shock apparent on their faces.

"You get seven years of bad luck…" Denzel stuttered out, staring at the catastrophe in front of him that I had caused.

"That's like…" I thought about it, using my fingers to count, "One hundred and sixty-eight years of bad luck!"

"I told you we can't take her anywhere!" Marlene whispered rather loudly into Denzel's ear.

Broken Pieces

"Vincent, are you broken?" I stared up at him, "Because if you are, I'll help you put the pieces back together."

Test

"Hey Ana, if you were given a drug test right now, would you pass?"

I didn't bat an eyelash at Yuffie's question instead I continued to flip through the never-ending channels that contained nothing of my interest, "Probably not."

Drink

Cloud and I sat in the empty bar.

Over the past hour, the full bottle of bourbon that sat in the middle of the table we shared turned into half a bottle, then a quarter and so on until finally only two shots were left.

"Here's to being alone and stupid." I toasted and we clinked our shot glasses together clumsily before downing the shots and the rest was a blur.

Starvation

"I'm so hungry…" I whined, glomming on the table I sat at, "Tifa~ Make me something to eat!"

"We don't have any food. I forgot to go shopping this week." She told me as if she had not a care in the world while she wiped down the counter of the bar.

"But I'm starving~"

Words

"Shit!" I collapsed to the floor, holding onto the toe which I stubbed against the end table, "Goddamnit! That fucking hurt like hell!"

Denzel's hands were around Marlene's ears, his eyes situated in a glare directed at my writhing form, "Please refrain from using such words around children."

Sometimes I wondered if he realized he was a child himself.

Pen and Paper

"What're you doing?" Marlene asked leaning over the desk I was currently sitting at to see I was currently staring intently at the blank piece of paper that lay innocently on the desk.

"Trying to write a poem." I answered blankly, my gaze no lifting from the paper.

There was a silence before she spoke, "I didn't take you for the poetic type."

I blinked, breaking the one-sided staring contest I was having with the paper to look over at Marlene who was staring at me harmlessly.

"Why's that?" I asked.

She hesitated, looking to the side as she explained, "You're sort of brash. You don't really have the sensitive nature of a poet and your vocabulary is… dull."

There was a long stillness and I stared at Marlene before I abruptly got up from the desk, "Who asked for your opinion anyway?" With that I stomped out of the room, taking my paper and pen with me.

I'll show her dull vocabulary!

Can You Hear Me?

"Hey Cid…" My foot dug into the unconscious man's side, "Cid~" He made no notion of even being alive as I continued to kick him harder and harder. Squatting down, I pulled at his eyelid, checking his pupils, "Hey dumbass! Can you hear me?" I shouted.

No response.

"Is he dead?" Marlene asked while peering out from behind Denzel gazing wearily at the unconscious dead man's body.

"Yup." I declared, dropping a white napkin over his face before ushering the children out of the bar, "C'mon! Denzel will treat us to ice cream!"

Heal

The word 'ow' was my mantra as Tifa rubbed nearly an entire tin of solvent over the gaping wound on my back to make sure I wouldn't get an infection when she healed me, or at least that's what she told me. What she didn't tell me was that the solvent burned like hell and made me feel worse than when I actually got cut in the first place.

"Hold still!" She ordered, trying to keep my squirming body from moving around so much.

"Shut the hell up and heal me already!" I groaned.

Out Cold

Cid and I were sitting next to each other at the bar, a glass of amber colored liquid in front of each of us.

"Hey Cid," He turned to me, sipping the liquid while giving me his full attention, "I've got one goal tonight!" I announced, "I'm not leaving this bar until I'm out cold and you have to drag my unconscious body home!"

"Cheers to that!" Cid grinned as we smashed our glasses together and began to drink the night away.

Spiral

I snuggled deeper into the warmth that was Vincent Valentine, inhaling distinct scent of cinnamon.

"Y'know Vincent, you're the only guy that's made me feel these spiral of emotions all at once." I said, "One minute I'm passed as hell at you and the next I'm snuggling up to you like a lovesick puppy. It infuriates me."

His chest rumbled with soft laughter, "It's called being bi-polar."

I lifted my head up from his chest to stare into his crimson eyes, "I think I prefer it when you don't talk. You're a jackass whenever you open your mouth."

Seeing Red

"Vincent…" I clutched onto the front of his shirt like it was my lifeline, "Please… don't…"

"I can't." He went to pull away but my grip only tightened.

"Please don't go." Tears stung at my eyes as my jaw clenched, "It's not fair." He stopped moving and just rested against me, "Why do I have to lose out to a dead woman? A memory of the past?"

"Ana let go." The feeling of cool leather and cold metal appeared on my wrists as he tried to pry my hands from his shirt.

"No Vincent!" I shouted, "Why do you do this every time? Why can't you just accept that the past is the past and I'm here now. I'm willing to love you here and now! Why do you keep pushing me away?" My voice cracked as more tears welled up in my eyes in place of the ones that ran down my scarred cheeks.

My fingers untangled themselves from his shirt and he separated from me.

"I can't." He pulled his cloak on and my vision turned red.

The room was silent, save for my soft cries and pattering of rain against the window.

Food

I groaned, opening the refrigerator for what seemed like the trillionth time today, praying that something edible would magically appear, "Why is there never any food in this place whenever I'm hungry?" I let out a whine as I stared into the empty white space where there should've been food.

"Ana!" I heard Tifa call out from the front of the bar, "Come help me with these groceries!"

"Food?" I peered out of the kitchen to see Tifa holding three or four bags of groceries, "Food!" In my moment of glee I had forgotten that Tifa had waxed the floor just before she left nearly three hours ago. It was only as I slid toward Tifa at an alarming pace did I remember that important fact.

A few seconds later I stared at the spilt food longingly from my place next to it on the ground, "Food…" My head hit the floor as I settled for simply laying on the floor in my own misery.

Tifa let out a sigh as she got up after I knocked her down, "I'll be back in an hour…"

Pain

"Y'know Tifa… you and I, we share the same pain…" I commented offhandedly, the ice clinking against the sides of the glass in my hand as I swished the clear liquor that was in it around and around.

My eyes held little emotion as I watched the liquid spin within the transparent glass.

"And how's that?" She asked with little to no interest as she sipped her wine.

"We're both losing in the fight for love to a dead girl."

Tifa let out a longing sigh, "That we are."

Through the Fire

An ear piercing scream rang through the air.

A pair of innocent caramel colored eyes stared up at their attacker in fear, tears filling them at a rapid pace.

"Stupid little girl…" A dirt encrusted hand went to make a grab at the little girl but the harsh feeling of metal pressing against the back of his head stopped him.

"Give me a reason." The gun clicked as I cocked.

Without looking back at me, the man scrambled out of the alleyway while nearly falling on his face a few times.

"Marlene…" I held out my hand for her to take, "I told you not to stray too far." We went the opposite direction of the man, coming out of the alley near Seventh Heaven.

"I'm sorry Ana…" Her hand gripped mine tightly, "I saw a cat… and…"

"No worries." I told her reassuringly, "You know I'd walk through fire for you. Scaring off some wanna-be thugs is no problem."

"Thanks Ana." She smiled up at me with reddened eyes due to her crying.

"Very good! Now let's get Denzel to buy us some ice cream!" She cheered as we marched into the bar, calling out for Denzel.

Triangle

"Ana, if I were to be any sort of shape, what would it be?" Yuffie asked with her legs kicking back and forth in the air as she sat upside down on the couch, watching as my thumbs smashed into the buttons on the video game console controller.

Not even looking up from my game, I answered, "Probably a triangle."

She sat in an up-right position with a questioning look on her face, "Why a triangle?"

"Because you have an odd number of sides and you're not quite three-hundred and sixty degrees."

There was a pause, "What the hell does that have to do with anything?"

"I dunno, but it sounded smart." I grinned.

Drowning

I've been having the same dream repeat over and over lately.

Everything is black.

But then I open my eyes.

And I'm drowning.

But no matter how hard I struggle.

No matter how far I reach for the light shining above.

I just can't seem to grasp it.

All That I Have

Feather-like touches trailed down my exposed back, making me shiver in my half-conscious state, "Vincent?"

"Hm?" He made a noise, letting me know he heard me, but his fingers never stopped their gentle tracing of my back.

"You know that I'd give you all that I have, to make sure you're happy, right?" My eyes met with his, "I'd give you everything."

His breathe tickled against my cheeks as his voice resonated through my ears in a faint whisper that sounded so clear to me, "I know."

Give Up

The faint reflection of sad blue eyes stared back at me as I watched the rain descend to the ground in torrents.

Lately, I've been thinking more and more about them.

"Idiots," I choked out, "You three are such cowards. You gave up on living…" My forehead pressed against the cool glass of the window, "Now I'm stuck living your lives for you."

The loud crack of thunder soon followed the bright flash of lightning that pierced the sky.

I remembered what Angeal had said to me the last time I had seen him.

Don't throw your life away; you're strong enough to live.

I let out a pathetic attempt of a laugh, "Easy for you to say."

Last Hope

This is so embarrassing.

An ex-SOLDIER on their knees begging for money.

And to a ten-year-old no less.

There goes my dignity.

"Please Denzel!" I repeated for what seemed like the thousandth time, "I swear I'll pay you back! Tifa and Cloud won't give me any more money and I only need like twenty more Gil to buy this totally awesome new gun I saw in the weaponry store! C'mon Denzel, you're my last hope!" I whined.

But seriously, who needs dignity when you have an M-16 Rifle?

There was a long pause that consisted of him staring down into my wide blue eyes that pleaded with him before he let out a sigh, digging into his pocket, "You owe me."

I squealed, hugging the boy tightly before giving him a kiss on the cheek, "I knew you were my favorite!"

Advertisement

I hummed as I poured milk into my bowl of cereal, putting a little pep in my step as I meandered on over to the refrigerator to put the milk back.

As I walked out of the kitchen, bowl in one hand, spoon full of deliciousness in the other, mouth about to take a bite, a loud voice nearly caused me to lose my breakfast, "THAT IS FALSE ADVERTISING!" Cid yells, his finger pointing to my backside.

Why did he have to be so loud in the morning?

"What is?" I glanced down at my rear; where in black across the back of my white sweatpants, ANGEL, was printed. My eyes found their way back up to Cid's, "You're a bastard you know that?"

In the Storm

"Every feel like you're stuck in a hurricane of emotions with no way out?" Tifa asked as we sat in the living room, the crackling of thunder and the pattering of rain could be heard from outside.

"All the time." I replied changing the channel, "It's so bothersome."

"Yup." Tifa agreed.

"Oh look, Shark Week~"

Safety First

"Is this all necessary?" Denzel asked with a confused expression on his cherub face.

I strapped the helmet to his head, tightening it securely under his chin, "You're the one that wanted to go on my motorcycle." I tapped the helmet rather roughly, nearly sending his padded body to the floor.

"But I can't even move." He tried to wiggle his arms but to no avail, "How am I supposed to hang on?"

"You pose a good question." I stared at him for a few seconds before taking off some of the padding around his arms, "There."

"Why do I have to wear all of this?" He muttered as I lifted him onto the bike since he most likely wouldn't be able to get onto it by himself with all the padding.

"Safety first. I don't want to be the one responsible for your death." I grinned, climbing on behind him, taking hold of the handles as I started it up, revving the engine, "And here… we… go~" He squeaked, falling back into me as I tore through the streets of Edge.

Puzzle

"You puzzle me."

Solitude

Being alone was something awful to feel.

It's how I felt when Genesis left.

When Angeal died.

When Sephiroth went insane.

When Zack was killed.

"Ana, Ana!" A tug on my hand brought me out of my thoughts, "Tifa said it's time for dinner." I nodded, following her down stairs into the dining room where everyone was seated, ready to eat.

"Finally! Took you long enough!" Cid called out to me as I took a seat in between Marlene and Cloud, "Do y'know how long we've been waitin'?"

"Shut up ya old coot!" Cid directed a glare towards Yuffie throwing a few threats back at her.

Tifa set down two plates full of food in the middle of the table, taking her seat next to Cloud, "Stop fighting you two!"

As everyone chattered to each other loudly, digging into the feast that Tifa cooked I couldn't help but smile.

I didn't feel so alone anymore.

Relaxation

Taking a sip of my fruity alcoholic drink, I watched as Denzel and Marlene played in the sand with Red XIII and Cait Sith, burying the two beneath the warm sand.

The cooling sea breeze combined with the soothing sound of the waves hitting the shoreline provided the perfect rhythm of relaxation.

"This is nice." Tifa commented as she leaned back into her chair, basking in the sunlight.

"Very." I sighed, resting on Vincent as we sat underneath a large umbrella that protected us from the sunshine. I heard Vincent let out a grunt which I took as his agreement.

Cloud and Cid were having a little sword fight using wooden sticks while Barrett was acting as the referee shouting out sarcastic remarks as they fought.

Yuffie had taken to building a sandcastle a little bit away from Denzel and Marlene, claiming it to be the 'Greatest Sandcastle Ever Built'. She was nearly done, just about to place a little handmade flag on the highest tower only to have it knocked over by Barrett who was being chased by Cloud and Cid after he had called them both 'weak pussies'.

Tifa let out a frustrated sigh, her head resting in her hand, "I take back my last statement."

"At least they make things interesting." I told her and beside me Vincent shook his head.

"That's an understatement." He grumbled, obviously not as amused by all the shouting as I was.

"Just enjoy the moment." I told him, nuzzling my nose into his exposed neck.