ABOUT "Similar Souls"
A CidxYuffie fic, stretching from events at the time of the original FFVII to Advent Children and Dirge of Cerberus.
-- DISCLAIMER: I do not own the characters of Final Fantasy VII, they're courtesy of Squeenix.
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Chapter 1: A week to the end of the world
"Go home," he had said. Those words echoed in the young ninja's mind as she tried to decide whether to take his advice or not. Usually she wasn't the one to listen to orders given by others. She made her own decisions, regardless of others' opinions, that's how she was. Sure, it got her into trouble more often than not, but that's the way she had learned to live; by herself, only for herself.
"Find out what you're fighting for." What was it that she was fighting for? She was standing on the empty deck of the airship, leaning back against the railing, feeling the cold metallic bars against the bare spot in her back that was left between her shorts and the green top. The northern winds were blowing hard and her black hair danced along with the wind, making her shiver a little every now and then.
Yuffie sighed. "Go home," she repeated to herself. "How boring..."
She heard voices from below, but she couldn't make out what they were saying. Probably just farewells and see-you-laters. She lifted her eyes and looked across the deck. Behind the opposite edge a mass of silvery-blonde hair was slowly rising from below. She waited until she could see the goggles and then leaned froward, crossing her arms across her chest.
"Great, you're here! I waited, like, for ages! You sure were taking your time, old man!" His eyes met hers for a moment, and Yuffie noted there was an expression of annoyed confusion on his face. The usual look.
"What's the matter with you anyway? You lookin' for a lift just cut the cheese, but don't try my patience with your clever remarks!" he shot back at her, pulling himself over the edge. He started lifting up the ladder back to the deck, waving his hand to those below. "See ya later, then!" Yuffie could hear Tifa's voice, and Cid gave a small laugh, still looking down over the border. "Yeah yeah... and look after the chocobo-head!"
Yuffie stomped her foot. "Well yeah, I am looking for a lift! Or what, did you expect me to walk back to Wutai from here all by myself?"
Cid gave a little shrug. "Heh, after the trick you pulled on us the last time we were there, I'm not sure I should be taking you anywhere." Yuffie pouted to herself. He wasn't looking at her, but was fixing all his attention to the ladder. She examined him quietly for a moment. He had tied his jacket to his waist, but the usual white neckerchief though loosened, was still on it's place. The blue t-shirt was covering his muscular back, and with strong arms and gloves in his hands he was untying the ladder from the border and starting to pull it up. Cid Highwind. He sure was a strange one, all right. Smoking, swearing and always losing his temper. Yet when they needed to rely on someone while Cloud was sick, he took care of everything and acted as the leader of the group. In fact, now that she thought of it, she kind of preferred him to Cloud. It was funny, but somehow he made her feel calm, made her feel okay. And at least he wasn't giving them orders to go home. Home to her old man.
"Gawd," she let out, half lost in her thought.
"What's that?" he asked her, not particularly interested in what she had to say. Cid had quickly and easily pulled up the whole lenght of the ladder and collected it into a big glob. He put the ladder in a large wooden box next to the railing, shut it and locked it, and sat on the box, reaching for a cigarette in his pocket. "You excited about going home?" he asked casually, shielding the cigarette with his other hand and lighting it up with the other.
Yuffie watched the smoke rise from the cigarettes end as he inhaled and then dropped his hand to his lap, leaning back, letting out a small sigh of relief. "Well, no, now that you mention it!" Yuffie started, droppong her hands to her hips. "In case you've forgotten, my pops isn't exaclty my idea of fun. I mean, he's so demanding, and quite frankly I'm fed up with his stupid old ways and customs. That's why I try to spend most of my time outside Wutai. Can't really stand seeing him. He's so arrogant, too! Ahh, he annoys me sooo much! See? Just thinking about him makes me annoyed! And did you notice I don't much like flying, either? Makes me feel all like... urk... and I really hate motion sickness. I wouldn't mind staying put, actually, I could just hang around here for the time, not much to do in Wutai anyway. It's just full of tourists now. So stupid!"
"Whoa, slow down," Cid sneered and inhaled the smoke deeply. He wouldn't mind much staying put, either. In fact that was what he had planned to do before she came along, asking for a ride home.
"But anyway, I thought that as you're probably going back to Rocket Town and Wutai is just nearby, you could as well give me a lift, right, provided that you pick me up on your way back, too, of course!"
"You did, huh?" he asked a little amused. Yuffie nodded.
"And what makes you think I'll be going back to Rocket Town?"
She stared at him without a word and blinked her big, round, brown eyes a few times, as if trying to process a huge amount of information. Cid looked back at her, trying to read her expression. "Well, kid, you sure are slow... but still, that doesn't mean I couldn't give you a lift to..."
"You AREN'T?" she interrupted him in a loud voice. She could see it annoyed him again, but she was used to people getting annoyed by her comments, especially a certain Cid Highwind.
"I aren't what?" he grunted.
"Going to Rocket Town?"
"Well, there's nothing there. I only lived there because of that goddamn old rusted Rocket, but now that's gone, too, so all I got is the Highwind." He gave a quick look around the deck, and then his eyes returned to Yuffie as she continued.
"What about that science woman, what was her name... didn't you have a wife?" she asked, apparently very amazed by the fact that he wasn't going to pay a visit to his supposed "wife".
"What?! Shera? No way she's no wife of mine! Why does everyone around here keep mistakin' her for that?"
"For starters, you like live with her", she proclaimed.
"That's true, but that doesn't mean that I would love her or want to marry... hey what am I doing talking about this with you? Anyhow, seeing her would just make me frustrated. And I think that's the last thing I need before the next few days that could as well prove to be our last on this planet..."
Yuffie fell silent. So did he. He was thinking about something, his eyes rapidly measuring the floorboards as he did so. Then he reached for another cigarette. "Damn..."
For a moment the only sound that could be heard was the wind playing around in the corners of the airship. The air was full of sand and as the sun was setting, it made all the dust shimmer in different shades of red and orange. Yuffie narrowed her eyes. The last days of their lives? She had never thought of it that way. She knew the situation full well, she knew what was at stake, but this was probably the first time it actually hit her. He had put it so bluntly, and she felt... scared. Surprised. So suddenly? Was the world about to end? She was just sixteen, her life hadn't even begun yet! It felt so wrong and weird. It was probably a lot easier for an old fart like Cid to accept what might be coming. But she, suddenly she felt angry, and sad.
Yuffie watched the sun slowly drawing back behind the mountains in the horizon. Was that the direction Wutai was in? She couldn't tell, she didn't know, or care for that matter. And yet it could all be gone in just a few days. She sighed, crossing her arms again. Her eyes drifted back to the pilot, who, it seemed, had been watching her for a while. "You okay, Yuffie?" he asked with a serious look. His gray eyes were sharply fixed on her. She didn't like it. She preferred him annoyed or confused, as he seemed to be most of the time, but not serious. He looked almost concerned, and it made her feel like a child. She swallowed loudly and let out a little laugh.
"Yeah, OLD MAN, I'm okay! Geez!" she all but shouted, breaking the ice and apparently breaking his patience. He shrugged and threw the remains of his cigarette over the border. "Well, it's getting pretty chilly out here with all this wind... we better get inside if ya wanna be dropped to Wutai, kid" he said rising from the box and going inside the Highwind without waiting for her response. Yuffie watched him walk past her. He was carrying a cloud of cigarette smoke with him and it brought a small wince on the ninja's face. "Yuck", she thought. "Note to self: never date a man who smokes. It's disgusting!" she decided with a frown and a nod. The door closed with a metallic slam and the pilot disappeared behind it. Then she realized.
"H-hey! Wait!" She ran inside after him. He could hear her stumbling down the stairs and feel her eyes on his back, but was enjoying it all too much to stop and turn around. "Jerk! Wait! Not Wutai! I mean... couldn't we just stay here, just for tonight? Hey, are you listening--?!"
He chuckled quietly to himslef and then shouted to her over his shoulder. "Yeah yeah, kid... Calm down! Get your ass down into the operation room, I'll make us some damn tea."
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Please comment with your opinions and/or suggestions! :) Chapter 2 coming soon...
