Tequila Mockingbird
part IV - The Lady of His Dreams
A/N: I now have a dedication for this chapter! Kittie Gurl, sabacat and Kupo! XD~ You three have reviewed every single chapter so far, despite the mere three chapters. -_- Anyway, thankies!
A/N2: I'm sorry Yuko Hoon! I'll try to keep it light hearted, but my idea for the story won't make it easy. I'll do my best! But I think this story is going to get kinda angsty...honestly, though, I'm not sure.
A/N3: I finally have my own original plot! *cheers* Yuffie as an Ancient...sheesh....what was I thinking??
Disclaimer: Blah. Want them. Don't have them.
Disclaimer2: "Twilight" is by Boa.
***
***
Stormy eyes gazed at the ebony and ivory form, the sleek body even more pale, almost unnaturally so, in the moonlight. The beams from the celestial body streamed in through the window and lay of his form only, as if making him glow, just for her.
And so she sat, listening to his breathing as he stirred. Peeking a scarlet eye open, he looked at her somewhat groggily.
"What are you still doing awake?"
She gave a dreamily smile and attached herself to his bare back, her arms wrapping around to rest somewhere around his bellybutton. She poked his navel and he arched his back, glaring at her.
She giggled and rested her head against his back, her body rising and falling in time with his breathing. "Watching you," she said simply.
"Why?"
The girl rolled her eyes. "You're so dense. I could keep you up all night telling you just how damned sexy you are, but that ego of yours doesn't need any feeding."
A slender eyebrow raised. "Don't mix me up with Cloud."
The girl sighed and closed her eyes. "Point taken."
"I'm surprise you haven't fallen asleep yet. Usually you fall asleep quickly."
She snorted. "You tend to do that to women."
He allowed a small smile. "I'm pleased I meet your standards."
She pinched him. "Arrogant pig!"
He flipped her underneath him in retaliation, eliciting a gasp/giggle/snort from her. He brought his lips to hers, not enough for a kiss, but enough to touch. "That's sexy arrogant pig."
"You're not helping your image any."
"Can I make it worse, then?"
"No."
He flopped against her, pressing her into the mattress. "You're no fun."
The girl raised her eyebrows incredulously. "Your vocal cords forming the word 'fun' is, like, really weird."
"You staying up late is weird."
"But you're so cute when you sleep!"
He sighed. "I take it back. It's a perfect Yuffie characteristic."
"Aw, is Vinnie getting exasperated? I could sing you to sleep?"
Vincent's eyes shot open. She sung beautifully, except when she was trying to be annoying. She sounded worse than Cait Sith with his megaphone shoved down his throat.
"That's quite alright."
"No, no, Vinnie! I need to help you get back to sleep again!"
As she opened her mouth to begin whatever blasphemy she called singing, he took advantage of the opportunity to kiss her, his tongue flicking against her own. Her eyes evanescently closing, she smiled a little and rolled over, dragging him with her.
"I didn't want you to go back to sleep anyway."
***
"Z....Z....Z....."
"Yuffie, what is it?"
"You have a serious problem with stuttering lately, you know that?" Cloud said impatiently. "I don't know why you want to waste time in the marsh anyway..."
"Z..."
"Yuffie, spit it out and spit it loud!" Tifa said with a grin.
This time, everyone heard the hiss and saw the Midgar Zolom approaching.
"ZOLOM!!"
Vincent rolled his eyes. "Thank you for your sagacious observation."
"Bite me!" she snapped before turning tail feathers and sprinting away on Hades, whom she had insisted Vincent let her use "Because I'll sing if you don't, and you can't shut me up here!". She had proceeded to stick her tongue out at him, which led him to be sorely tempted to kiss her then and there, but Cloud and Tifa were watching, and what was the point in throwing gasoline on a forest fire?
"Uh, Yuffie?" Cloud asked her retreating form. Sighing and shaking his head, mumbling something incoherent but in which the tone was obvious, her drew the Ultima Weapon and held it out before him, waiting for the Zolom to approach.
A full twenty six seconds later, Tifa, Cloud and Vincent were chasing after Yuffie, the Zolom left behind and fully dead. Cloud reminded himself to laugh at her later for running. It was just too good an opportunity to resist.
Each of the three comrades were surprised to see Yuffie kneeling in front of a plant, seemingly in a trance and a strange green glow around her fingers. She was deftly, if lightly as a feather, running her fingers over the plant, which looked like an orange blossoming cactus. Which, of course, clashing severely with the fact that they were in a swamp, but no one seemed to notice that.
Her eyes shot open as she snatched the plant from it's home in the planet, cramming it into her satchel that hung at her side. "This is it!" she said, feigning ignorance to their odd stares. Cloud wondered briefly if she had filched some of his materia to make that glow, but dismissed the thought. He trusted Yuffie. Okay, so that was a lie, but he let himself believe it for the time being.
Yuffie cheerfully mounted Hades. "Next, we need to go and find some Holy Water."
"Wait wait wait. Why are you getting these things, anyway?" Cloud asked.
Yuffie rolled her eyes. "I told you, it's a surprise."
"If this is another game..." Tifa began.
Yuffie held up her hands. "It's not, I swear," she said, and the honesty in her eyes made Tifa nod in acceptance. "Alright, then."
"But, um, we've still got a question left."
"What's that?" Vincent asked.
"How do we get Holy Water?"
"We could boil the Hell out of it," Cloud suggested with a grin. Tifa pinched him.
"Ha ha, very funny," she said.
Cloud, Tifa and Vincent turned towards a sudden thump and insane giggling. Yuffie was there, rolling around in the swamp, laughing. "You thought it was funny too!" she exclaimed happily, and then got a look at their faces. "Oh."
Vincent snorted. "And you called me dense."
***
Laughing maniacally, Yuffie exclaimed "Foolish mortals!" before bounding off toward the stream they had found, eagerly taking a drink.
"Uh, riiight," Cloud said, staring after the girl.
Tifa shrugged and followed the Wutainese ninja, kneeling to get a drink from the stream herself.
Yuffie dunked her head underneath the stream, happily swallowing more of the crystal liquid to ease her throat and she made sure her neck got extra wet. The Gold Saucer desert was NOT a fun place to be.
An idea hit her like a brick and she sat up abruptly, rubbing her head.
"Ow!"
"Thinking to hard?" Cloud teased.
Yuffie threw her Conformer at him.
"My, my, my. Touchy today, aren't we?"
"Shut up, Spikey. I've got an idea!"
"Ack!" Cloud cried, running behind Tifa. "Take cover!"
Yuffie rolled her eyes. "Ha, ha. Why don't we split up; one group look for the Holy Water, the other for the belladonna?"
"Why do you need the poison, anyway?" Tifa asked.
"It's a S-U-R-P-R-I-S-E, Tifa."
"Right. But isn't belladonna hard to come by these days?"
"Probably why Yuffie needs it," Vincent said.
"Sure, sure, whatever. So, can we? Huh huh huh huh?"
Cloud groaned. "If I say yes, will you shut up?"
Yuffie nodded.
"Yes."
***
Vincent was getting a headache.
Yuffie was babbling insanely, talking to everything on the path, even the rocks. He could have sworn she was deliberately tormenting him. Flipping some ebony hair idly over his shoulder to keep it out of his eyes, Vincent spoke.
"Why do we need to get Holy Water, anyway?"
"Jeez, Vinnie, weren't you listening? It's a S-U--"
"A surprise, I know. Let me rephrase the question: WHERE are we going to get Holy Water?"
Yuffie shrugged. "I have no idea."
Vincent rolled his eyes and smiled fondly at her. Well, it was either fondness or exasperation. Or it could have been despair. 'Who cares?' Yuffie thought. 'A smile is a smile.'
"HOWEVER!" Yuffie cried to the tree nearest to her and put her hand in a gun shape on her chin and looked discreetly at Vincent. "I have a plan!"
"Leviathan help us."
Yuffie ignored him. "What else in the world is holy?"
"The White Materia."
Yuffie glared at him. "Don't answer so fast next time! Anyway. Right. The White Materia. And where is the White Materia?"
"The city of the ancients."
Yuffie shook her head. "Nope! Well, yes, but, WHERE is it?"
Vincent thought. "In the water around the altar."
"BINGO! So, maybe that's Holy Water, if it's got the White Materia in it. What do you think, Vinnie?"
"But if we took the water, and left the White Materia, wouldn't that make it normal water again?"
Yuffie pouted. "You're no fun. But, it doesn't hurt to try, now does it?"
"I suppose not. Shall we go, then?"
***
"Belladonna! Sheesh! This girl is crazy."
Tifa chuckled. "She's a friend, Cloud. At least do this because of that."
"We don't even know what she's gonna do with the belladonna! It's a poison, Teef. Yuffie plus poison equals one poisonous pain in the ass."
"We'll make you an antidote, then."
Cloud sighed. "I doubt it would work."
"So do I."
***
Yuffie and Vincent, having gotten the water from the City of the Ancients, whether it be holy or not, arrived to find Cloud bending over something and Tifa looking ecstatic beside him.
"Tifa, you look like you're on cloud nine," Vincent said, a rare comment for him.
Yuffie grinned evilly. "Or on Cloud nine times."
Tifa smacked her as Cloud turned, holding up the belladonna plant. "Be nice if you want this."
Yuffie shrugged. "I can always maul you for it."
Vincent raised an eyebrow. "I'll throw you over my shoulder."
The ninja sighed. "Alright, so I won't maul you. But I'll take your Knights of the Round."
Cloud raised an eyebrow. "You couldn't."
With a triumphant smile, Yuffie produced a small red orb. "You haven't had it since we left for the Holy Water. And don't you tell me what materia I can't steal, because I will prove you wrong."
Tifa laughed. "Exchange, then?"
Yuffie nodded and smiled. "Sure."
"...Alright," Cloud said reluctantly.
The two exchanged, and Yuffie nodded at Cloud. "Thanks for finding this for me."
"No problem."
"Well, this is all I need! Let's head back to Kalm!"
With that, Yuffie took off. Vincent gazed at the setting sun for a moment, taking in it's scarlet light, before following the girl toward the Highwind. Cloud looked at the materia in his hand, and realized it truly was...
....a Choco/Mog summon orb.
"YUFFIE KISARAGI!!"
The only response was cackling from the direction of the Highwind.
***
Yuffie gazed at the wrinkled parchment she had hastily scribbled the directions down on from memory.
"Cactus Flower: Seven Petals
Belladonna: Picked by a swordsman
Holy Water: Bottled by a lover
Cetra Blood: Drawn willingly
Memory Starfish: Added half past midnight"
She had had a memory starfish for what must have been seven years. Godo had given it to her and told her it was her mothers. Yuffie didn't know if that's what the recipe meant, but it held memories for her, so it would have to do. The Cetra blood she could take care of herself.
Now all she needed was an outlet of Lifestream, and that was easy. The cracks outside of Kalm had never been covered, despite the several weeks that had passed.
Yuffie pulled out a bowl carved from wood out from under her kitchen sink. Adding the cactus flower, belladonna and holy water (which she prayed actually WAS holy), she lifted the knife from the counter. Yuffie didn't like pain, but convincing herself it was for a greater good, she decided it was worth it. That, and she thought about how Vincent looked without his shirt on. It helped.
Slashing the knife across her wrist, she fought not to cry out. Once what she deemed an okay amount of blood had gone into the bowl, she snatched a towel and wrapped it firmly around her wrist. The pain (and the blood everywhere) most definitely sucked, but she could deal.
A light moan from upstairs caught her attention. Wondering briefly what Vincent would think if she saw her wrist, she disregarded the thought; if he was hurt, she'd be damned if a slit wrist would stop her.
Making her way up the stairs, she paused at the door, her hand poised to knock. A single word drifted through to her ears, and she thought, for a moment, that her heart had stopped.
"Lucrecia..."
Yuffie's knuckles became while as she gripped the towel harder than she thought possible. Did Vincent...still love Lucrecia?
"Please...come back to me..."
Yuffie peeked inside of the door. Vincent was asleep, the covers tangled around him in a mass of sweat and limbs. He was dreaming of a woman, and it wasn't Yuffie.
Vincent's claw smacked against the pillow, leaving slashes in the pillow, a few feathers sneaking out. His eyes were squinted shut in a mental pain, the nightmare obviously taking a hold of his sanity.
"I'm so sorry, Lucrecia....forgive me...love you..."
The words, while one fragments, hit Yuffie harder than anything could have. Vincent wasn't happy. ...Wasn't happy with her. She looked down at her wrist, covered in her own blood. The blood of the Cetra.
The spell could only be used once. One person. Only one. Damn it, it just wasn't enough! She couldn't make everyone happy. But...
She could make Vincent happy. She had the power to do that. Cloud and Tifa were happy enough with each other, and Yuffie herself didn't matter. She didn't need anyone to be happy, right?
Right.
"I love you," Yuffie whispered, before she closed the door.
***
The spell called for your own incantation, one that fit the situation. Yuffie had one already prepared to resurrect Aeris, but now her plans had changed. It wasn't going to be like that anymore.
"Your word and my word and your word is
Tomorrow, today and yesterday
But it's a necessary evil
And you will find your way there
Your feelings and mine are all holy and
You give me an inner sanctity
You feel the same way that I do for you, about her
Your word and my word and her word is
Yesterday, today and tomorrow
And twilight gives me
An inner sanctity
And you're feeling
And you're hungry for her
And you don't understand it
But you know you haven't planned it
Your feelings and mine are all lonely
And dawn comes you're there lying with me
And you reach out to touch me
But I am in the twilight
Your feelings and mine are all holy but,
You know and I know it's untrue because
When day dawns you're there lying with me
And the dawn can fly away
And you know I love you but you know that
There's nothing you can do about it
Because you love her,
And you still want me
If I could be her...
But I'm not her and she's not me
And you're somewhere different
On a different planet
And you still want it
The inner sanctity
And it's an evil
But the evil is necessary
And you're still hungry for her
And you still want her loving
But she doesn't love you..."
It was half past midnight. Placing the starfish on top of the mixture of herbs, water and blood, Yuffie poured it into the Lifestream.
Green light swelled around her, threatening to make all of her senses explode. She screamed, yet refused to run away. The caster had to remain until the one the spell had been cast upon appeared, or the magic would end with no chance of regaining the hope. None at all...
And then, the light was fading. But still, the object of what she wanted wasn't there. Yuffie gasped. She had been dead so long...her blood was the source of the spell's power, was it not.
That was fine.
Removing the knife from the ground where she had placed it earlier, she quickly brought it across her left wrist. Deeper than the last time, this cut flowed freely with the blood of ancient knowledge. As it poured into and rejoined the Lifestream, everything around Yuffie Kisaragi went black.
***
Vincent awoke in the morning with the immediate sense something was wrong. He stood, Yuffie wasn't in bed. That in itself was unusual. When he pulled a feather out of his hair, he became even more puzzled.
Until he saw the pillow.
It couldn't even be recognized as one anymore. Shredded violently. Well, Vincent reflected, that would explain the clammy skin and cold sweat. So, he had had a nightmare. Panic struck Vincent...he hadn't turned into Chaos, had he?
He knew only one thing: he hand to find Yuffie. Now.
Hurriedly pulling on pants and racing down the stairs, Vincent pulled a black shirt over his head as he flew out the front door. The entrance to Kalm was not far from the home he shared with Yuffie.
As he rounded the corner, his heart stopped.
Soaking wet and glowing faintly green stood Lucrecia.
And in her arms was Yuffie.
A/N4: Gah! This chapter was pretty short too, but this might be the normal length of them from now on. Oh well. Please let me know what you think! I didn't mean to get rid of the light heartedness, but this kinda came out of no where, and I liked the idea too much to just let it go.
part IV - The Lady of His Dreams
A/N: I now have a dedication for this chapter! Kittie Gurl, sabacat and Kupo! XD~ You three have reviewed every single chapter so far, despite the mere three chapters. -_- Anyway, thankies!
A/N2: I'm sorry Yuko Hoon! I'll try to keep it light hearted, but my idea for the story won't make it easy. I'll do my best! But I think this story is going to get kinda angsty...honestly, though, I'm not sure.
A/N3: I finally have my own original plot! *cheers* Yuffie as an Ancient...sheesh....what was I thinking??
Disclaimer: Blah. Want them. Don't have them.
Disclaimer2: "Twilight" is by Boa.
***
***
Stormy eyes gazed at the ebony and ivory form, the sleek body even more pale, almost unnaturally so, in the moonlight. The beams from the celestial body streamed in through the window and lay of his form only, as if making him glow, just for her.
And so she sat, listening to his breathing as he stirred. Peeking a scarlet eye open, he looked at her somewhat groggily.
"What are you still doing awake?"
She gave a dreamily smile and attached herself to his bare back, her arms wrapping around to rest somewhere around his bellybutton. She poked his navel and he arched his back, glaring at her.
She giggled and rested her head against his back, her body rising and falling in time with his breathing. "Watching you," she said simply.
"Why?"
The girl rolled her eyes. "You're so dense. I could keep you up all night telling you just how damned sexy you are, but that ego of yours doesn't need any feeding."
A slender eyebrow raised. "Don't mix me up with Cloud."
The girl sighed and closed her eyes. "Point taken."
"I'm surprise you haven't fallen asleep yet. Usually you fall asleep quickly."
She snorted. "You tend to do that to women."
He allowed a small smile. "I'm pleased I meet your standards."
She pinched him. "Arrogant pig!"
He flipped her underneath him in retaliation, eliciting a gasp/giggle/snort from her. He brought his lips to hers, not enough for a kiss, but enough to touch. "That's sexy arrogant pig."
"You're not helping your image any."
"Can I make it worse, then?"
"No."
He flopped against her, pressing her into the mattress. "You're no fun."
The girl raised her eyebrows incredulously. "Your vocal cords forming the word 'fun' is, like, really weird."
"You staying up late is weird."
"But you're so cute when you sleep!"
He sighed. "I take it back. It's a perfect Yuffie characteristic."
"Aw, is Vinnie getting exasperated? I could sing you to sleep?"
Vincent's eyes shot open. She sung beautifully, except when she was trying to be annoying. She sounded worse than Cait Sith with his megaphone shoved down his throat.
"That's quite alright."
"No, no, Vinnie! I need to help you get back to sleep again!"
As she opened her mouth to begin whatever blasphemy she called singing, he took advantage of the opportunity to kiss her, his tongue flicking against her own. Her eyes evanescently closing, she smiled a little and rolled over, dragging him with her.
"I didn't want you to go back to sleep anyway."
***
"Z....Z....Z....."
"Yuffie, what is it?"
"You have a serious problem with stuttering lately, you know that?" Cloud said impatiently. "I don't know why you want to waste time in the marsh anyway..."
"Z..."
"Yuffie, spit it out and spit it loud!" Tifa said with a grin.
This time, everyone heard the hiss and saw the Midgar Zolom approaching.
"ZOLOM!!"
Vincent rolled his eyes. "Thank you for your sagacious observation."
"Bite me!" she snapped before turning tail feathers and sprinting away on Hades, whom she had insisted Vincent let her use "Because I'll sing if you don't, and you can't shut me up here!". She had proceeded to stick her tongue out at him, which led him to be sorely tempted to kiss her then and there, but Cloud and Tifa were watching, and what was the point in throwing gasoline on a forest fire?
"Uh, Yuffie?" Cloud asked her retreating form. Sighing and shaking his head, mumbling something incoherent but in which the tone was obvious, her drew the Ultima Weapon and held it out before him, waiting for the Zolom to approach.
A full twenty six seconds later, Tifa, Cloud and Vincent were chasing after Yuffie, the Zolom left behind and fully dead. Cloud reminded himself to laugh at her later for running. It was just too good an opportunity to resist.
Each of the three comrades were surprised to see Yuffie kneeling in front of a plant, seemingly in a trance and a strange green glow around her fingers. She was deftly, if lightly as a feather, running her fingers over the plant, which looked like an orange blossoming cactus. Which, of course, clashing severely with the fact that they were in a swamp, but no one seemed to notice that.
Her eyes shot open as she snatched the plant from it's home in the planet, cramming it into her satchel that hung at her side. "This is it!" she said, feigning ignorance to their odd stares. Cloud wondered briefly if she had filched some of his materia to make that glow, but dismissed the thought. He trusted Yuffie. Okay, so that was a lie, but he let himself believe it for the time being.
Yuffie cheerfully mounted Hades. "Next, we need to go and find some Holy Water."
"Wait wait wait. Why are you getting these things, anyway?" Cloud asked.
Yuffie rolled her eyes. "I told you, it's a surprise."
"If this is another game..." Tifa began.
Yuffie held up her hands. "It's not, I swear," she said, and the honesty in her eyes made Tifa nod in acceptance. "Alright, then."
"But, um, we've still got a question left."
"What's that?" Vincent asked.
"How do we get Holy Water?"
"We could boil the Hell out of it," Cloud suggested with a grin. Tifa pinched him.
"Ha ha, very funny," she said.
Cloud, Tifa and Vincent turned towards a sudden thump and insane giggling. Yuffie was there, rolling around in the swamp, laughing. "You thought it was funny too!" she exclaimed happily, and then got a look at their faces. "Oh."
Vincent snorted. "And you called me dense."
***
Laughing maniacally, Yuffie exclaimed "Foolish mortals!" before bounding off toward the stream they had found, eagerly taking a drink.
"Uh, riiight," Cloud said, staring after the girl.
Tifa shrugged and followed the Wutainese ninja, kneeling to get a drink from the stream herself.
Yuffie dunked her head underneath the stream, happily swallowing more of the crystal liquid to ease her throat and she made sure her neck got extra wet. The Gold Saucer desert was NOT a fun place to be.
An idea hit her like a brick and she sat up abruptly, rubbing her head.
"Ow!"
"Thinking to hard?" Cloud teased.
Yuffie threw her Conformer at him.
"My, my, my. Touchy today, aren't we?"
"Shut up, Spikey. I've got an idea!"
"Ack!" Cloud cried, running behind Tifa. "Take cover!"
Yuffie rolled her eyes. "Ha, ha. Why don't we split up; one group look for the Holy Water, the other for the belladonna?"
"Why do you need the poison, anyway?" Tifa asked.
"It's a S-U-R-P-R-I-S-E, Tifa."
"Right. But isn't belladonna hard to come by these days?"
"Probably why Yuffie needs it," Vincent said.
"Sure, sure, whatever. So, can we? Huh huh huh huh?"
Cloud groaned. "If I say yes, will you shut up?"
Yuffie nodded.
"Yes."
***
Vincent was getting a headache.
Yuffie was babbling insanely, talking to everything on the path, even the rocks. He could have sworn she was deliberately tormenting him. Flipping some ebony hair idly over his shoulder to keep it out of his eyes, Vincent spoke.
"Why do we need to get Holy Water, anyway?"
"Jeez, Vinnie, weren't you listening? It's a S-U--"
"A surprise, I know. Let me rephrase the question: WHERE are we going to get Holy Water?"
Yuffie shrugged. "I have no idea."
Vincent rolled his eyes and smiled fondly at her. Well, it was either fondness or exasperation. Or it could have been despair. 'Who cares?' Yuffie thought. 'A smile is a smile.'
"HOWEVER!" Yuffie cried to the tree nearest to her and put her hand in a gun shape on her chin and looked discreetly at Vincent. "I have a plan!"
"Leviathan help us."
Yuffie ignored him. "What else in the world is holy?"
"The White Materia."
Yuffie glared at him. "Don't answer so fast next time! Anyway. Right. The White Materia. And where is the White Materia?"
"The city of the ancients."
Yuffie shook her head. "Nope! Well, yes, but, WHERE is it?"
Vincent thought. "In the water around the altar."
"BINGO! So, maybe that's Holy Water, if it's got the White Materia in it. What do you think, Vinnie?"
"But if we took the water, and left the White Materia, wouldn't that make it normal water again?"
Yuffie pouted. "You're no fun. But, it doesn't hurt to try, now does it?"
"I suppose not. Shall we go, then?"
***
"Belladonna! Sheesh! This girl is crazy."
Tifa chuckled. "She's a friend, Cloud. At least do this because of that."
"We don't even know what she's gonna do with the belladonna! It's a poison, Teef. Yuffie plus poison equals one poisonous pain in the ass."
"We'll make you an antidote, then."
Cloud sighed. "I doubt it would work."
"So do I."
***
Yuffie and Vincent, having gotten the water from the City of the Ancients, whether it be holy or not, arrived to find Cloud bending over something and Tifa looking ecstatic beside him.
"Tifa, you look like you're on cloud nine," Vincent said, a rare comment for him.
Yuffie grinned evilly. "Or on Cloud nine times."
Tifa smacked her as Cloud turned, holding up the belladonna plant. "Be nice if you want this."
Yuffie shrugged. "I can always maul you for it."
Vincent raised an eyebrow. "I'll throw you over my shoulder."
The ninja sighed. "Alright, so I won't maul you. But I'll take your Knights of the Round."
Cloud raised an eyebrow. "You couldn't."
With a triumphant smile, Yuffie produced a small red orb. "You haven't had it since we left for the Holy Water. And don't you tell me what materia I can't steal, because I will prove you wrong."
Tifa laughed. "Exchange, then?"
Yuffie nodded and smiled. "Sure."
"...Alright," Cloud said reluctantly.
The two exchanged, and Yuffie nodded at Cloud. "Thanks for finding this for me."
"No problem."
"Well, this is all I need! Let's head back to Kalm!"
With that, Yuffie took off. Vincent gazed at the setting sun for a moment, taking in it's scarlet light, before following the girl toward the Highwind. Cloud looked at the materia in his hand, and realized it truly was...
....a Choco/Mog summon orb.
"YUFFIE KISARAGI!!"
The only response was cackling from the direction of the Highwind.
***
Yuffie gazed at the wrinkled parchment she had hastily scribbled the directions down on from memory.
"Cactus Flower: Seven Petals
Belladonna: Picked by a swordsman
Holy Water: Bottled by a lover
Cetra Blood: Drawn willingly
Memory Starfish: Added half past midnight"
She had had a memory starfish for what must have been seven years. Godo had given it to her and told her it was her mothers. Yuffie didn't know if that's what the recipe meant, but it held memories for her, so it would have to do. The Cetra blood she could take care of herself.
Now all she needed was an outlet of Lifestream, and that was easy. The cracks outside of Kalm had never been covered, despite the several weeks that had passed.
Yuffie pulled out a bowl carved from wood out from under her kitchen sink. Adding the cactus flower, belladonna and holy water (which she prayed actually WAS holy), she lifted the knife from the counter. Yuffie didn't like pain, but convincing herself it was for a greater good, she decided it was worth it. That, and she thought about how Vincent looked without his shirt on. It helped.
Slashing the knife across her wrist, she fought not to cry out. Once what she deemed an okay amount of blood had gone into the bowl, she snatched a towel and wrapped it firmly around her wrist. The pain (and the blood everywhere) most definitely sucked, but she could deal.
A light moan from upstairs caught her attention. Wondering briefly what Vincent would think if she saw her wrist, she disregarded the thought; if he was hurt, she'd be damned if a slit wrist would stop her.
Making her way up the stairs, she paused at the door, her hand poised to knock. A single word drifted through to her ears, and she thought, for a moment, that her heart had stopped.
"Lucrecia..."
Yuffie's knuckles became while as she gripped the towel harder than she thought possible. Did Vincent...still love Lucrecia?
"Please...come back to me..."
Yuffie peeked inside of the door. Vincent was asleep, the covers tangled around him in a mass of sweat and limbs. He was dreaming of a woman, and it wasn't Yuffie.
Vincent's claw smacked against the pillow, leaving slashes in the pillow, a few feathers sneaking out. His eyes were squinted shut in a mental pain, the nightmare obviously taking a hold of his sanity.
"I'm so sorry, Lucrecia....forgive me...love you..."
The words, while one fragments, hit Yuffie harder than anything could have. Vincent wasn't happy. ...Wasn't happy with her. She looked down at her wrist, covered in her own blood. The blood of the Cetra.
The spell could only be used once. One person. Only one. Damn it, it just wasn't enough! She couldn't make everyone happy. But...
She could make Vincent happy. She had the power to do that. Cloud and Tifa were happy enough with each other, and Yuffie herself didn't matter. She didn't need anyone to be happy, right?
Right.
"I love you," Yuffie whispered, before she closed the door.
***
The spell called for your own incantation, one that fit the situation. Yuffie had one already prepared to resurrect Aeris, but now her plans had changed. It wasn't going to be like that anymore.
"Your word and my word and your word is
Tomorrow, today and yesterday
But it's a necessary evil
And you will find your way there
Your feelings and mine are all holy and
You give me an inner sanctity
You feel the same way that I do for you, about her
Your word and my word and her word is
Yesterday, today and tomorrow
And twilight gives me
An inner sanctity
And you're feeling
And you're hungry for her
And you don't understand it
But you know you haven't planned it
Your feelings and mine are all lonely
And dawn comes you're there lying with me
And you reach out to touch me
But I am in the twilight
Your feelings and mine are all holy but,
You know and I know it's untrue because
When day dawns you're there lying with me
And the dawn can fly away
And you know I love you but you know that
There's nothing you can do about it
Because you love her,
And you still want me
If I could be her...
But I'm not her and she's not me
And you're somewhere different
On a different planet
And you still want it
The inner sanctity
And it's an evil
But the evil is necessary
And you're still hungry for her
And you still want her loving
But she doesn't love you..."
It was half past midnight. Placing the starfish on top of the mixture of herbs, water and blood, Yuffie poured it into the Lifestream.
Green light swelled around her, threatening to make all of her senses explode. She screamed, yet refused to run away. The caster had to remain until the one the spell had been cast upon appeared, or the magic would end with no chance of regaining the hope. None at all...
And then, the light was fading. But still, the object of what she wanted wasn't there. Yuffie gasped. She had been dead so long...her blood was the source of the spell's power, was it not.
That was fine.
Removing the knife from the ground where she had placed it earlier, she quickly brought it across her left wrist. Deeper than the last time, this cut flowed freely with the blood of ancient knowledge. As it poured into and rejoined the Lifestream, everything around Yuffie Kisaragi went black.
***
Vincent awoke in the morning with the immediate sense something was wrong. He stood, Yuffie wasn't in bed. That in itself was unusual. When he pulled a feather out of his hair, he became even more puzzled.
Until he saw the pillow.
It couldn't even be recognized as one anymore. Shredded violently. Well, Vincent reflected, that would explain the clammy skin and cold sweat. So, he had had a nightmare. Panic struck Vincent...he hadn't turned into Chaos, had he?
He knew only one thing: he hand to find Yuffie. Now.
Hurriedly pulling on pants and racing down the stairs, Vincent pulled a black shirt over his head as he flew out the front door. The entrance to Kalm was not far from the home he shared with Yuffie.
As he rounded the corner, his heart stopped.
Soaking wet and glowing faintly green stood Lucrecia.
And in her arms was Yuffie.
A/N4: Gah! This chapter was pretty short too, but this might be the normal length of them from now on. Oh well. Please let me know what you think! I didn't mean to get rid of the light heartedness, but this kinda came out of no where, and I liked the idea too much to just let it go.