Chapter Two – The Looks Of An Unlikely Friendship

You're like a black cat with a black back pack full of fireworks
You're gonna burn the city down right now
Whoa whoa

-'Black Cat' by Mayday Parade

I woke completely unable to move. On one side of me I realized was Yuffie with an iron clasp on me, no way was she letting me disappear without her knowing. On the other side of me was a grip I could easily escape from, but the site of little Zack curled up on my arm out like a light was more than I could bear to wake.

After about an hour of Yuffie drooling in my ear, Zack finally woke up with a little yawn. Those mystifying eyes that we shared stared at me a moment then he started giggling. I didn't know why, but then again, he was at that age that anything would be funny. He only laughed more when Yuffie rolled over with me still in her grips and we both fell off the side of the bed.

"Hey! What's the big idea?" She cried, rubbing her head, that having hit the floor first.

Tifa and Cloud rushed into the room, thinking something had happened to their son. "You drug me off the bed. Your one hel-…Heck of a klutz for a ninja." I sweat dropped, I barely caught myself. I'd have to watch my mouth a lot more now that Zack was always glued to me.

"Nice save," Yuffie taunted. I responded by smacking her in the head with one of the pillows that fell with us.

I stood and shook my hair out; it fell in place without the use of a brush. Zack was whining for me to pick him up so I put him on my shoulders and followed Tifa and Cloud down stairs where Denzel and Marlene were already eating breakfast. Tifa grabbed the bundle off my shoulders and 'flew' him around the room when he began to protest, then took him to feed him.

I stretched then moved to the side when Yuffie came barreling down the stairs in an attempt to tackle me, landing in a heap on the floor. "How did you know?" She barked.

"I was in SOLDIER just like Cloud," I explained, "That where we met after all."

"What?" She asked. "But you two-"

"Twins, I know," I said, "Neither of us really know what happened. I just know that Zack Fair was the person that introduced us. By the way, Cloud," I said turning to him as he leaned against the bar. His head snapped up at the mention of his name as if he was about to fall asleep, "Nice name for the fruit of your loins," His face tinted pink. "He looks just like him."

"Yeah," He mumbled.

I saw him turn even redder when Marlene turned to Denzel and asked in a whisper, "What does she mean by 'fruit of your loins'?" Yuffie and I just laughed.

Tifa came back out of the kitchen with Zack on her hip, trying to get him to use a Sippy-cup. "He's just as stubborn as his father," She muttered to herself.

"Then do what you usually would with Cloud," She and Cloud both raised an eyebrow at me, "Wait it out, he'll get use to the idea eventually. Right?" I winked at Cloud. He seemed to pout and look away. I sighed, "Anyway, thanks for letting me stay the night. I'm going to head home now."

"Rayne," Cloud called as I reached for the door, "It was sold."

I turned around slowly in confusion, "Who…I was only gone for two months!"

"We didn't think you would be coming back," He retorted, "You can't blame us."

"You can blame Rufus ShinRa for selling all you things though," Tifa huffed, "It was on ShinRa owned land-"

"I know that! What gives that bastard the right?" I cried. Then I looked at Zack, "Don't say that word." He gave me a confused look. "My things should have gone to my closest living relative!" Then I stormed out of the bar. Yuffie chased after me but I didn't pay any attention to her. Ass! Let's see how he likes a violent haunting from the supposed dead.

"Please wait, Rayne!" Yuffie cried and jumped in front of me. "We can get you new things," She explained, "There's no reason to start something with ShinRa."

I glared at her for a moment then huffed a sigh, "Whatever," I spouted.

"ShinRa did give the money to Cloud though," She said. "We can get the money and go get new stuff. What do you say?"

I sighed, "Fine."

Yuffie squealed and drug me back to the bar. "Cloud!" She called. After getting the gil, she grabbed my arm and ran out the door. Realization hit me and I clawed at the door frame silently crying for help; Tifa wasn't coming with us. It was just me and Yuffie. The ninja finally pulled me away, I was sure I left claw marks on the door frame in my desperate and failed attempt of being saved from the horror to come.

"Clothes first!" Yuffie exclaimed, pulling me into a shop that I surprisingly liked. The clothes in the store where more like clothes for battle or something. I ended up getting quite a bit from that store. Then to my horror, the ninja pulled me into a very girly clothing store. By girly, I meant frills, evening gowns, high heels, etc. I didn't get much, just the three of the uncountable number of evening gowns that I was forced into because I apparently looked 'too amazing not too get them.' Then we found some pajamas and I wasn't sure but I think Yuffie managed to buy me launderette without me seeing. I'm pretty sure she did it again when I got underwear, finding 'naughty' things for me.

As we walked through town looking for other stores to, as Yuffie put it, 'ransack' I noticed once store. It was like the window was a vacuum that sucked my face to it. My eyes sparkled as I stared down at the sharp pointy objects on the other side of the window. Yuffie looked through the window too. Then the next thing I knew she was on the other side of the glass. I walked into the store too. She was looking at some ninja tool I didn't care to look at. I, on the other hand, was looking at swords and almost drooling over what I saw.

Then Yuffie's shrill voice broke my daydreaming as she called, "Vinny!" My heart sunk into my stomach. I turned and sure enough, Vincent Valentine was over by the guns a hint of displeasure on his face as Yuffie bounced beside him.

You're like a tonberry, Vincent, you have that light that draws people towards you, and then you stab them with harsh words and drive them away. You think you're the only one that suffers with their past? Look at Cloud! Look at Barret! Even Yuffie has things that haunt her! You're no more special in your pain than anyone else, so stop thinking you are! I'm sick of hearing you gripe about 'failing Lucrecia'! She's gone, get the hell over it.

I flinched at the words I said that day. I remember that was the day Cloud and I had that argument. I was in a bad mood and Vincent was just trying to talk me out of running off. I snapped and said such terrible things to him.

"Rayne!" Yuffie called and I stiffened. She pulled me over to Vincent, "Look, Vinny, She's not dead! She came back to us!"

I couldn't bring myself to look at him, I was so ashamed. This is where it starts though, I heard a voice other than my own say; this is where you start forging your new path, Sara. I wasn't sure, but it sounded almost like Aerith. "Yuffie," I said quietly, "Could you give us a moment?"

"Wh~y?" She asked slyly.

I gave her a serious look, "Yuffie."

"Uh…Sure, I'll be over there," She said and walked off once she saw I wasn't kidding around.

"Vincent…" I had no idea what to say to him. Nothing I could say could possibly make him hate me less. "I…" I sighed, staring at his feet, "I really don't know what to say. I screwed up doesn't seem like a viable excuse."

"It isn't," His voice was deep and cold.

I closed my eyes, "I know. I was angry…I was being illogical…but that doesn't give reason for the things I said to you. I didn't have any right in the world to say those things. You have every reason to never forgive me, and I'm okay with that. I just wanted to let you know I couldn't feel worse about what happened."

I finally chanced a look at his face. It was hard and stoic like usual but his eyes weren't has harsh as I thought they would be. "You're not lying."

"Are you sure?" I laughed darkly and looked away.

"If you were, you would not have avoided eye contact as long as you had," He replied.

"I guess," I looked at the guns in the case we were standing by, "Or because I was afraid you'd see through the ruse if I made eye contact."

"Do you want me to believe that you are lying?" He asked.

"No, just saying the things your thinking," I glanced at him again, "I know you are. Whether I'm lying or not is for you to decide." I turned to go back to the swords then stopped and pointed to one gun, "I like that one." Then I walked away. He knew I didn't like guns; everyone did, so I hope he took it to heart that I said I liked one.

I grimaced when Yuffie started asking what we had talked about. "Just…trying to patch up old wounds," I replied. Then I found a sword that seemed to cry for me pick it up. An abnormally long hilt, about as long as the blade that protruded from it. The hilt looked old, with a green tint to the hard stone that had vines of ivy carved into it. I couldn't help myself as I called through the entire store, "Excuse Me! I Want To Look At This Thing!"

The manager opened the case and handed me the sword. It felt misbalanced, too much weight in the hilt. The manager noticed my displeased look and too the blade, gave it a slight jerk and another blade shot out the bottom of the hilt. I drooled, Double Edged Sword. I took the blade and tested it with a few moves, getting a feel for the weapon. The blood raged through my veins, "I want it."

I was giddy as hell as manager handed the sword in its sheath over the counter. The second blade was in concealment and the other was in its sleeve. It strapped to my back which I didn't like too much but I would deal with it. It made me feel more like Cloud's twin when I had it strapped on.

As we were leaving, Yuffie called, "Bye, Vinny!" I looked back to him and noticed him nodding to us but to my surprise, he was looking at the gun I commented on. I smiled, maybe I could apologize for all the crap I was waist deep in.

"What's that?" I asked as we walked down the street.

"What?" She asked as if I had accused her. Strapped to her leg was what looked like a dagger. "I wanted it."

"But are you going to use it?" I asked, "You're more the 'artillery' kind of girl."

"So? I can change!" She barked.

"Yeah, and you'll also go around Edge giving everyone you see materia," I laughed.

"Maybe I Will!" She yelled.

"Hey…what's that?" I asked suddenly serious.

"What?" She asked.

"That thing in the ally," I said. "It looked like materia and fur."

"Ha-ha," Yuffie mocked, "Materia doesn't have fur; I'm not falling for it."

"I know materia doesn't have fur," I shot back, "I think it was a cat or something that had materia."

"What?" She barked and ran into the ally screaming, "Get Back Here You Mangy Cat! Give Me That Materia!"

Everyone in the area was staring at me and the girl that just disappeared into the ally, but I couldn't contain myself. I burst into hysteric laughter, falling to the ground with tears in my eyes that it had worked. "You Dirty Liar!" Yuffie screamed at me when she came back to the sidewalk, "There Wasn't Even a Cat!" I only laughed harder.

When I finally calmed down we continued back to Seventh Heaven, Yuffie pouting at my trick most of the way there. I was in a much better mood than I had been in when I first left the bar. Before we went in though, I stopped Yuffie.

"Yuffie, I…uh…" I wasn't sure how to ask her, "Could…um…you think I could stay with you tonight? I don't want to intrude on Cloud and Tifa's whole 'happy family' scene."

She stared at me for a while and I was sure she would say no. "Of Course, Rayne!" She chimed, "It'll be like a slumber party."

"Thanks, and I'm sorry about how I always use to yell at you."

"Oh, it's nothing, I get yelled at by everyone," She laughed.

"Yeah, but I have a lot I need to apologize for. I just hope I can fix all the friendship's I broke," I replied.

"Well, I'll always be your friend," She smiled in triumph, "And The Great Ninja Yuffie never goes back on her word! Unless it's something juicy."

I laughed, "Remind me never to tell you if I like a guy."

"Do you?" Yuffie grinned, "Is it Vinny? Is it Cloud? Ew, he's your brother! Oh! Is it Cid? He's kinda old and he smokes all the time! Or maybe you like the bad guys? Like Sephiroth! He's really bad! But he's dead. What about the insect guy? Kadaj? He's dead too and so are the other two. That one was kinda ugly though and the other one looked like a girl. Or Do You Like That Heartbreaker Reno? I don't trust him with you. Or the bald guy? Or ShinRa? Ew! You Like Rufus ShinRa Don't You?" Yuffie screamed as we walked into Seventh Heaven. When she saw everyone she yelled, "Rayne Likes Rufus ShinRa!"

"I Do Not!" I yelled back.

It was silent in the room for a while. Tifa finally broke the awkward silence, "You two…uh…bought a lot of things."

"Oh Yeah!" Yuffie chimed and I was spared, "We got Rayne a lot of clothes today. Nothing really pretty though accept for her dresses-"

Cloud seemed to choke on his drink, "Dresses?"

"Shut Up!" I called with a red face, "Little Miss Sunshine made me get them."

"What if you go on a date with Rufus? You wanna look pretty right?" She asked.

"I Don't Like ShinRa!" I yelled again. Everyone else laughed.

"What's that?" Cloud asked, effectively moving the conversation for me.

I grinned, "My new toy." I pulled the blade from its holster and jerked it, the second blade sliding out and locking in place. "Isn't it pretty?" I cooed happily.

Cloud took it, examining it, "It's a good blade." He commented lightly.

"It makes me smile," I grinned like an idiot.

"I want to see you in one of those dresses," Tifa said.

"The day I get a date is the day you'll see me in one," I mused.

Yuffie had her phone in hand, "I'll Call Rufus!"

"Shut It, Kisaragi!" I barked.

Street lights glisten on the boulevard
And cold nights make staying alert so hard
For heaven's sake, keep me awake so I won't be caught off guard
Clearly I am a passerby but I'll find a place to stay

-'Rainbow Veins' by Owl City