Disclaimer: All elements of Final Fantasy VII are copyright 1997 Square Co., Ltd. Anything else recognizable is likewise not owned by the author and/or is completely coincidental. No money is being made from this story.

Rated M for mild content, violence and language (mostly Cid's).

Author's Note: Thank you to the people that continue to review. I really do appreciate it. I apologize for the delay in this recent chapter, I took a few days to step back and assess several aspects of the story that had come to light. The primary concern that I was debating about was the term 'purple prose', a term that I had never heard before. To be honest I was never an English major so I spent awhile researching the exact details to clarify the concern several reviewers had. I will do my best to try to eliminate any unnecessary usage of the 'purple prose' form of writing, but I do find it important to express detail when it becomes a primary focus in the chapter. My beta (who is also my roommate) was equally confused by the term, but we are working to prevent too much unneeded use of 'purple prose' in the future. But as neither my beta nor I are English majors, please don't expect it to disappear altogether.

As for this chapter and the preceding chapters, the primary reason for the story is finally coming to light. I admit when I first started writing this, it was supposed to be a strictly Cid/Yuffie romance, but I found that, as I was writing, I needed some form of world-altering nemesis to keep my mind in the same gear of it being "final fantasy". This may turn several readers off from the story, those expecting a pure romance may already be disappointed with the introduction of another Weapon. But I felt that in the game only Cloud and Tifa/Aeris truly had a chance to let their romance bloom while dealing with the conflict. I always wanted to see how Cid and Yuffie could react when they themselves had to deal with more than just a relationship. Granted it seems like a few of the cast members (Cloud and Vincent to be sure) seem a bit out of character, but trust me on this…there is method behind their madness.

And as always constructive criticism is welcome, as are rave reviews! Flames will be used to help make s'mores.

Three Little Words

Chapter 7

The nimble young woman's breath escaped in ragged gasps as she raced across the well-maintained lawn. Her sides burned with tired aches as she exerted her body more than she had in days while her thighs threatened to give out from the harsh motions she was forcing upon them. Rivers of hot sweat ran down her face from the many hours of extreme exercise she had been experiencing.

Yuffie Kisaragi delighted in the ability to be able to fight at her top form, but the weeks of relaxation had made her body soft and nearly destroyed the innate reflexes she had spent years to tone. Now she was paying for her rested days and relaxing afternoons spent at the Highwind home.

She spun, her heels digging roughly into the freshly cut green grass, and narrowly avoided a streak of blue light that came crashing down to the ground mere inches before her. She twisted her body just in time, drawing herself backwards into several well-timed back flips, as a barrage of sparkling blue lights rained down towards her, leaving small divots in the earth that glistened with freshly deposited shimmering shards.

The air turned a frosty cold as blast after blast of arctic wind pursued the agile ninja. Every time the blue light struck the earth, a small crater of dirt and ice rose up, warning at its intended mission.

It took all of the young thief's might not to lose herself in the agony of what would happen should one of the blasts hit her. She knew of course that the hit would not be fatal, but as skimpy as her battle attire was, it would not feel pleasant.

But then it would give herself an excuse to warm herself in the strong arms of her newly realized love. Yuffie allowed herself a brief moment to visualize the prospect as the blue beams halted their assault, obviously the source needing several long moments to recharge.

She pictured what it would be like to be panting heavily as those strong arms would wrap around her slender shoulders. She had grown quite fond of his scent, the mere hint of his cologne more than enough to drive her heart racing. She would bury herself against his strong chest, and she would grasp him so tight he'd be powerless against her wanting desires, her aching lust. It was no longer the ex-Turk that haunted her carnal fantasies, but instead the man who had proven time and time again to be there for her.

Her blonde-haired, blue-eyed hero.

Yuffie snapped out of her daydream just in time to dodge another barrage of missiles, these ones sizzling with intense heat. The raging fireballs flew over her head, missing the tip of her hair by mere inches, as she spread her legs quickly and dropped into a split below the new onslaught. She leaned backward against the soft grass, a few blades tickling against the edges of her neck; before she kicked her legs back up and rose to her feet in one swift motion.

Her fingers worked to hurl her readied shuriken at her attacker, when she froze dead in her swing. A bright yellow-feathered bird materialized just inches before her shocked face, the little orange beak spreading open in a confused warble.

"Wark?!" The chocobo squawked, causing the ninja to falter at her intended attack. A tiny white creature bounced back and forth on the large bird's back as the chocobo cocked its head from side to side in curious amusement at the startled ninja.

"Wha…?" Yuffie began, taking a step away from the conjured creature. Her feet fumbled over a small raised patch of dirt, causing her to tumble backwards with her arms flailing in increased concern. She landed hard against her back side, a sharp pain stabbing into her pert bottom.

She jerked her head up to where the chocobo stood, the sun shedding its light against the yellow bird's feathers. The distracted ninja was forced to squint her eyes up at the creature while a dark shadow leapt over the chocobo's body and descended upon her. A high-pitched whistle filled the air as the sharp point of a weapon came racing down at her face.

Yuffie found herself squealing in fright as her arms instinctively rose to shield herself against the assault that never landed.

"I win again, kid," the gruff voice of Cid Highwind said over her. Peeking through her arms she found the tip of his spear pointed at the spot between her pale grey eyes, hovering just inches away from the flesh of her arms.

Yuffie took a moment to glare at her friend as he drew the weapon away and slapped the butt of it on the grass beside himself. His fingers were already working to light up a cigarette as he looked over at the waiting chocobo. In an instant the confused creature disappeared, leaving a small yellow feather to drift lazily down and land between the disgruntled ninja's legs.

Cid allowed a victorious smirk to cross his face as he held a hand down, drawing the grumbling ninja up to her feet.

"Yeah, well, that's 'cause you cheat!" the materia thief complained, reaching her arm back to clip her shuriken across her back. Her hands then reached down to against dust against her soiled shorts where the grass and dirt had cushioned her landing.

"Cheat? Damn it, girl, you told me to use all the materia in my spear," Cid defended, reaching his hand up to rake his fingers through the dirty blonde hair atop his head.

"Yeah, but, come ON! Who honestly uses that summoning during a fight!" she whined, shooting her eyes up to glare once more at the bemused captain before her. She found it irritating that, try as she might; she had found it incredibly difficult to beat him in their little sparing match.

Cid offered her a simple shrug, turning to approach the picnic table that had a bottle of dark brown liquid inside. "I do. Took your ass off guard, didn't it?" he said before taking several large swallows of the burning brew.

"That's not fair, old man! You summoned Shiva, Ifrit, and Choco/mog in the time it would take a normal person to summon just one of them!" she huffed, wiping her hands across her sweat-soaked forehead. She found it oddly relieving that after so many weeks, she could finally last as long as she did without blacking out or throwing up afterwards. Of course, Cid never once took it easy on her, even from day one; a fact she silently thanked him for as it allowed her to regain her previously dormant abilities.

It took him five seconds to beat her the first time they had sparred. She was so upset by it that it took her the better part of a day to even speak to him again. He had never apologized for it, saying that was what she had requested from their bouts, and deep down she knew he was doing it just to make her stronger. Even in combat he was trying to make her life better. A gesture she felt only added to the burning fire raging in her heart when she thought of him.

"Yeah? I didn't even notice. Ya fucking took so long out there. I guess I just had time to bring 'em out." he offered, holding out a small white towel for his friend.

She snatched the towel and stuck her tongue out at his smirking face.

The soft cloth of the fabric dabbed across her warm skin as she went about cleaning the sticky sweat from her body. She found a soft sigh escape her throat as he turned away from her, the towel moving down to dry the hot valley of flesh between her breasts. For an agonizing moment she wished he would keep watching her, to long for her the way she did him, to feel that burning desire. But he was too damn polite for his own good.

Why does he always look away from me? I know he's a man, they have needs. She thought, the towel dancing lightly across the soft mounds of her tender breasts beneath her tank top. I've been here for weeks now, but he hasn't made move one against me. I mean, sure, at first I wouldn't have been willing, but damnit, old man, stop being so damn oblivious! Don't you know what a girl's heart wants? Maybe I should just…

With her bottom lip pulled gently between her teeth, Yuffie lowered the towel from her chest and began to wring it shyly between her fingers. Her eyes danced across the broad shoulders of the man before her as he reached out and retrieved a small envelop from the table. Obviously it had been placed there before their match, but remained unopened. She felt her heart race against her chest as she stared at him, working up the nerve she had long been holding in reserve for this moment. "Cid," she started, her feet shifting uncomfortably against the ground as she spoke, "Cid, I lo…"

"Shit!" he cursed, causing her to stop mid-sentence.

Oh god, he's just like Vincent! Abort, Abort, Abort! Her mind raced. Thoughts of the tall, dark man who rejected her feelings suddenly forcing into her previously hardened nerves. You don't want him shooting you down the same way that Vincent did…

The older man spun around, holding a paper out for her to see. It was a light brown parchment with little designs written all over it. Small balloons were drawn along the borders, a large wheel-like device displaying in bright yellow and red ink in the middle. The letters 'Rocket Town Annual Festival' were written just above the wheel, sparkling against the early afternoon sunlight with what appeared to be glitter glued to the paper.

The pale grey orbs of Yuffie's eyes blinked in confusion as she leaned closer, reading some of the smaller print on the paper. Much to her relief she realized this was the reason he had made the outburst, not her hinted at declaration of her feelings. Her heartbeat began to slow a bit as she read the letters while her cheeks tinted a faint pink at the thought of the moment that almost was.

"What's this?" she asked, tilting her head to the side in curiosity.

"They throw this shit every year. It's some fucking celebration of the time we all defeated Sephiroth," the captain grumbled, pulling the paper away from her and crumbling it up.

"So, it's a party for YOU?!" she asked in sudden interest, a bright smile suddenly dancing on her soft pink lips.

Cid tossed the paper over his shoulder and gave her another small shrug, resting the shaft of his spear in the crook of his elbow as he looked off in the direction of town. "I guess. They beg me every year to go see their shit. But I never go. Hell, the first two years Sh…um…We decided it was too much noise n' shit."

Sudden hope flashed across Yuffie's eyes as she reached out and grasped at his free forearm, giving it several gentle tugs. "Oh, can we go? Please, please? I'd love to see how your home town celebrates!"

"Fuck that," the gruff captain said, despite the small tint of a blush that was forming against his cheeks. "I didn't go the last couple of years, I sure as shit ain't goin' this year."

"Oh, pleeeease?" she pleaded, turning her big watery eyes up to gaze at her tall friend.

The gruff pilot shifted uncomfortably as he looked down at her. He felt a slight tightening in his chest as he pondered denying her request again. For some reason, the thought of making her upset made his heart ache and he hated to see her beautifully almond-shaped eyes fill with tears. He worked the cottony butt of his cigarette between his teeth for several long seconds before he sighed and lowered his head.

"Fine…" he grumbled, letting the butt drop from his lips and fall to the grass below where he quickly smothered it with his boot.

"YAY!" Yuffie squealed. "I'ma go get ready!" she announced, leaning up on her tip-toes to plant a brief kiss along the underside of Cid's jaw. The rough stubble on his skin tickled her lips for a moment before she drew herself away from him and darted into the house. "I'ma shower real quick!" she called back before disappearing into the doorway.

Cid stood in uncomfortable shock, the skin along his jaw line tingling with the same sensation his hand had felt nearly a month before. Numbly he reached a hand up to scratch against the slightly raised fuzz of his stubble, a small sigh escaping his lips. For a moment, he wondered what it would be like if he had turned his head just then and met her lips with his own. Would she have been soft and warm? Or would she shatter against his touch like a fragile porcelain doll?

"You're a dirty old man, Cid Highwind. A damn dirty old man…" he mumbled to himself as he spun around and disappeared into the house.

***

"Would you hurry the fuck up?" Cid yelled down the hall, his boots tapping impatiently against the floor. It had been almost an hour since the Wutai woman had disappeared in the bathroom, and Cid was growing more and more irritable by the second. He glanced at the closed door, praying Cait Sith wouldn't exit the door right now and ask what exactly the plan for the day was.

Cid felt he would die if he had to explain to the little robot that he was taking the kid to the festival in town.

The door to the bathroom finally creaked open as Cid was about to open his mouth to yell once more down the hall and the little ninja woman stepped out.

After her shower, the Wutai ninja had selected for herself a shockingly ironic outfit to wear. Her hair hung, freshly rinsed, across her delicate features like wisps of black silk caressing her slightly tanned skin. The altered outfit that Cid had acquired for her during her first day hugged tight against her lithe frame, her muscles having toned further since the initial alteration to the shirt and pants. Two black strips of thin fabric hugged just above her hips before diving down below the waste of the black pants, causing a faint dark desire to flash briefly in the blue-eyed pilots mind.

"What is it old man?" she said, stepping towards him with her arms timidly folded across her bare abdomen.

"N-Nothin, kid. You ready?" he quickly offered, shaking his head to rattle the shock out of his mind. He had seen her like this before, but with her hair hanging loose like that she seemed much different. For a second he thought she looked rather…beautiful. Sure he had thought she was pretty as girls went, but now she almost seemed like a raven-haired deity emerging from his hallway.

"Uh huh!" she responded, nodding her head vigorously.

Before long they were on their way out of the house and quickly making their way towards the town, the young woman strolling happily beside Cid as he idly struck up another cigarette to ease his nerves.

Yuffie marveled as she peered off into the distance, catching the sight of tents and attractions from as far away as her friend's nearly isolated home. Brightly colored balloons drifted up from the horizon, disappearing off into the fluffy white clouds hanging over head. Pennants waved in the breeze above the crest of several larger tents, each one possessing an emblem of course that the young ninja found it impossible to identify from a distance.

The smell of freshly cooked food and snacks wafted with the breeze, greeting the two before they even reached the festival held in, by proxy anyway, their honor. The sound of loud noise-makers and firecrackers filled the mid-afternoon air as Cid escorted his young friend to the festivities of the Rocket Town Celebration.

Yuffie found herself amazed by the sheer size of it all. The gathering was enormous. Many of the vendors had taken down their shops for the event, being replaced with tents and booths of various games and attractive prospects. It spanned the entire length of the street and then some, trickling several of the smaller tents out of the city limits and onto the grassy fields surrounding the town. In the four years since their victory over the despot, Sephiroth, she had never seen such a display of joy in the whole world.

Everywhere she looked, children were playing, many times more than she had seen during their earlier visit to the town. Men were carrying stuffed animals of various sizes, obvious trophies of their prowess when it came to the games littering the festival. Several of the man had beautiful women draped upon their arms in romantic delight. The women were smiling and giggling at every word uttered by the men as the couples walked down the length of the celebration.

Yuffie, her stomach tumbling in knots, turned to look at her companion. He was gazing off in the direction of a large mechanical ride that looked similar to a fleet of rockets attached to poles, spinning in a large circle around a musical canopy. It brought a smile to her face as she watched him stare, almost in child-like amusement, at the patrons enjoying the ride that lifted them up and down in the rockets to the tune of the music.

Before she even realized it, her fingers were reaching up and encircling his elbow. Hesitantly she glanced up at him; searching his eyes for hints of rejection. When he didn't instantly pull away she drew herself against his side with a bright smile. She allowed a soft sight to escape her throat as she rest her head against his arm, strolling into the main festivities with the man she had grown feelings for by her side.

This is nice, she idly thought to herself, tracing her fingertips in small circles against the crook of his elbow. He's not yelling at me, or calling me pathetic. And he's not pulling away from me either…as if he wants me here. Her thoughts floated into blissful episodes as they made their way down the many scatterings of tents and booths. Oh how I want to stay here forever.

"How about you, sir? Win a bear for the lovely lady?" she heard a voice call, snapping her from her thoughts. They had passed by a game booth and the man operating it had called Cid out as if he knew the pilot couldn't resist a challenge.

"Damn…" Cid grumbled, pulling his arm away from the clinging woman, much to her disappointment. A faint whimper vibrated against her chest at the sudden loss of his warmth. With a huff of resignation she stepped up to the booth beside him and gazed inside, pondering the game.

"Gimme that shit." Cid barked, slapping several Gil down onto the booth table. The man behind the table pocked the Gil and placed three small darts in their place.

"Just pop a balloon sir and win a prize!" The man said, waving his hand back to the display of multi colored balloons hanging from a wall several yards behind him. The size of the balloons ranged from as large as a melon to as small as a materia sphere, each one corresponding to a bigger reward from the rack of stuffed animals.

Yuffie fought with all of her might not to giggle as Cid's first throw fell several feet short of even reaching the balloon board. The second throw faired even worse, flying up to impale itself into the fabric of the tent above them. It took every ounce of self control for the young Wutai princess not to fall to the ground in a fit of laughter. By the third throw, it was apparent that the captain was terrible at the smaller games of skill such as this.

"Cid, it's okay…" she offered, trying to ease his broken pride as his face burned red with anger. The ring of more Gil being slapped on the table drew her silent.

"Bullshit! This is about a man's pride!" he roared, hurling another round of darts to an equal avail as their previous set. At that Yuffie could no longer hold it back and doubled over on herself in a roar of laughs. Her tiny fist banged amusingly on the table as another set of Gil and darts exchanged hands.

"Son of a bitch! This shit's rigged!" Cid roared, his fourth and fifth set of darts trying in vain to win him a victory. A small pile of darts were quickly piling up atop the tent as more and more sailed upwards through the fabric and landed out of reach of the proprietor.

"Cid, sweetie, let me show you how it's done," Yuffie offered, unaware of her affectionate appellation to her friend. Her fingers reached up and snatched the newly produced set of darts from the irritated captain's fist before he could send the tiny metal pieces flying. Nibble fingers lined up the shot for one of the darts, the tip angling up to point directly at the top most rows of balloons, the smallest ones.

***

Cid fumed as he marched through the festival grounds, a large stuffed panda bear hugging his back. The stuffed animal was nearly as tall as he was and twice as wide, causing the captain to stroll awkwardly around with it.

Yuffie beamed proudly as she swung her arms in arrogant struts before the poor man forced to lug her victory trophy around. She spun around several times to offer him a quick wink and stick her tongue out, before turning again to marvel at the fun activities around her.

Large white puffs of smoke raced angrily from the captain's mouth as he fought desperately to keep his cool. He was nearly hunched over from the weight of the bear and his little friend could do nothing more than proudly display her superiority to him. Yet, he found her ability to succeed where he had failed to be oddly comforting. He knew he wouldn't be around to protect her forever, and her brief display had shown him that he didn't need to be. She was a well-trained martial artist after all, not some little kid he needed to protect, despite the recent events after meeting her again.

"Ooooh, Cid, look! It's fried, flat dough!" Yuffie squealed, hopping away from her gait before him and bounding for a table that was in the process of frying up fresh sweet delights.

"Shit, woman, it's just an elephant ear. Ain't ya never had one?" he grumbled, lumbering with effort of carrying her prize on his back.

She shook her head vigorously as she peered over to watch the white, lumpy dough drop into several pots of bubbling oil. Her tongue ran across her lips in silent hunger as the pastries crisped into a dark golden platter.

"Gimme one," she heard Cid grumble through physical exertion. Turning her head she watched him balance her bear on his back with one arm for support, the other digging into his pocket for several Gil to pay for her treat.

"Oh, thank you, Cid!" she squealed, happily snatching the purchased delight from the vendor and partaking of the faintly powdered fried donut.

"Yeah, yeah," he mumbled, "don't say I didn't get ya shit today."

Yuffie dragged Cid along the entire length of the concession stand, sampling the sweet and unusual foods that she had never experienced in Wutai. She found it oddly refreshing to have him, carrying her bear, slowly trudging behind her with very few cuss words escaping his lips. She wondered for a moment if he did that consciously or not. Perhaps he were trying to be a gentleman and treating her like more than just some kid who was shacking up at his home.

Maybe, she thought, he feels the same for me as I do for him. Maybe I should just…tell him!

She spun on him, her mouth opening wide to express her determined emotions for him. She froze at the sight of him setting the bear down on the ground and arching back, his spine popping with several small cracks. The front of his shirt hugged tight against his flexing abdomen, drawing the breath out of her lungs as she stared, wide-eyed, at his muscular torso. No matter how many times she saw it, the sight of his body always drew a lump to her throat. She felt her thighs squirm against each other as she made her body show enough restraint so as not to immediately leap upon his body and kiss him from head to toe. And, of course, she wouldn't dare stop with just kissing.

"Here," Cid said, holding up a small ball of cottony fluff. He had purchased it from the table she had stopped in front of, assuming she had wanted to sample something else.

Quickly she buried her face into the spun sugar puff, her cheeks blazing with embarrassment at her near-possible outburst seconds before. She crossed her eyes in irritation as a small bit of the fluff clung to the tip of her nose.

Cid chuckled at the young ninja woman before him, her tiny nose wrinkling in mild annoyance at the stubborn chunk of cotton candy attached to her skin. He found it odd that since the dart toss adventure, he felt little need to light up more than a single cigarette since her display over him. For some reason his nerves weren't nearly as wracked as they normally were. Almost as if being near this tiny ball of energetic youth was more relaxing than he had anticipated.

"Here, lemme help ya with that, kid." Cid said, reaching his hand up to pluck the small bit of spun sugar off her delicate little nose.

Cid's chest tightened as he gazed down at his friend, his hand working on its own accord as it moved down and held the waiting fluff just before Yuffie's gentle pink lips. He felt, for the first time in a while, a deep burning in his heart as he watched her mouth slide open slowly. Her pale grey eyes stared unwavering up at him as he pressed the candy lightly into her waiting lips; lips that then closed around his extended fingertips. The gruff man felt a small shudder race down along the small of his back as he felt her hot, moist tongue darting against his skin.

Yuffie gave a soft moan against the fingertips between her lips, caressing his warm flesh with her adoring suckle. She allowed her eyes to slide closed in a lust-fueled fantasy as she moved her hands up, caressing against the hard ridges of his shirt pressed against his chest. In her mind she felt they were the only two people in the world, alone in this desire together.

It was several long seconds before Yuffie allowed the fingers to slide leisurely from her hungry lips, a soft pant escaping her throat as she felt the moist tips of Cid's fingers glide down along her chin to caress lightly across the side her neck. She felt a powerful longing deep within her body as she reached her arms up to the taller man and wrapped them around his neck. Much to her relief his own strong arms slipped down to wrap around her waist, drawing her easily against his body.

"Yuffie…I…" Cid began, his throat parched from the small display of the young woman before him. Any remaining thoughts of her being a kid were gone from his mind. The way she had felt against him now only registered her as a beautiful, compassionate woman in his arms. His fingers pressed lovingly against the small of her back, earning him several small shudders from her body.

"Cid…oh Cid…" she cooed, her fingertips dancing lightly through the short hair along the back of his neck. Her toes arched up as she pressed tight against his body, her hardened nipples poking against her altered shirt and grinding passionately against his well-toned frame.

The blonde pilot's head tipped down as he half-closed his eyes in burning anticipation. He leaned in as he squeezed the woman close to him, his lips searching for the warm contact of her own. He felt the gentle brush of her soft pink flesh for just an instant before a scream drew his attention.

"Shit!" he swore, ripped out of his passion fueled stupor. His head quickly snapped up as his arms relaxed and allowed the slender frame of Yuffie's body to slide down along his own.

The young materia thief groaned in disappointed as her own eyes snapped up, following the man's hardened gaze towards the source of the sound that so rudely interrupted her moment.

A mass of people were stampeding through the festival grounds around them, many screaming and crying as they ran by. Several children were sobbing into arms of their parents as they were carried by, incoherent babbling coming from the young people.

Yuffie felt a cold chill race down her flesh, sending goose bumps to shiver in the frightening atmosphere of the once peaceful faire. Looking up she saw a stone-cold look of determination upon Cid's face, his jaw tensed as he stared off in the direction of the crowd. She knew how familiar this scene must be to him and felt her heart ache to comfort him in a time of possible need.

"Shit, wait here, kid," he barked, shoving his way through the crowd. He had completely forgotten about the events that were about to transpire just moments before, leaving the shocked Yuffie to stand dumbfounded beside her stuffed bear.

"Oh, no you don't! Not this time, Mister Highwind!" Yuffie yelled, storming through the crowd after her friend. She found it was more difficult for her to push through the crowd than he, having lost track of his broad back from her view.

She yelped as the end of the crowd suddenly opened up for her, spilling the startled ninja onto the ground. With a small grunt of frustration, she looked up as her hands moved to dust off her battered knees. The color instantly drained from her cheeks.

Cid was standing with a deep glare, a fresh smoke-stick between his lips. The cigarette was perched in a place that Yuffie felt was rightfully her own as of several minutes ago. Following his gaze she allowed a very audible gasp to escape her lips.

Standing at the very fringe of the fairgrounds stood two massive Behemoths, blood dripping from their teeth and claws as they glared about. The beasts were a sickly shade of dark purple, with coarse tuffs of hair covering their entire bodies and large red manes hugging around their massive necks. They stood on their four paws and glared about, white tusks quivering menacingly as fresh tatters of human clothes billowed from their hungry maws.

"Son of a bitch…" Cid growled, his fingers clenched in determined fists.

"W-What the hell!" Yuffie shrieked, hopping up to stand beside her angered friend. Her hands worked quickly to cleanse her clothes from their newly deposited dirt. "Your town is a damn monster magnet!" she yelled, her own shaky fists rising up in a defensive posture.

"It's 'cause we're so fucking close to the Mt. Nibel reactor," Cid explained, tilting his head down just enough to glance at the young ninja. "When that shit got shut down, it sent out a massive wave of Mako energy. And since this is one of the bigger settlements of people on this continent, the fucking bloodthirsty mutant beasts are drawn to it like bears to honey."

"But we didn't bring our weapons!!" The ninja cried, wincing as one of the large beasts tore at a tent that had been abandoned in the rush. The Behemoth quickly ripped the small wooden shack to shreds, growling in disappointment at not finding any flesh inside.

"No shit! That's why I told you to stay back!" Cid growled back, the ashes from his quickly diminishing cigarette drifting down and disappearing into the wind. "Now stay here!" he commanded, breaking off into a run at the approaching beasts.

Yuffie could only nod as Cid charged at the waiting maw of the threat.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, Cid, what are you doing!" the pilot chastised himself as he raced towards the two beasts. The crowd having dispersed left him little cover to approach and he found the hungry, dark red eyes of the Behemoths staring at him as he drew closer to them. They roared in delight at the prospect of the easy meal of flesh running to them.

Large claws reached up to bat at him as he drew within their range, causing a deep growl to rumble deep within Cid's chest. Inches before the tips of the crimson-tipped claws of both beasts could tear into his flesh, the determined captain threw his body down, sliding below the arc of both monsters' swings. His own arms shot out to deliver a two-fisted hammer strike to the waiting kneecap of one of the beasts, causing the animal to roar in pain but maintain its stance.

The momentum of his slide drew Cid beneath and beyond the large barrel-like bodies of the Behemoths, causing him to stop behind the two creatures. Quickly he leapt to his feet and spun around, his heavy boot lifting up to deliver a hard kick to the same monster's rump that he had previously tried to assault.

The monster again roared, turning its large body around to face the waiting glare of the blonde-haired warrior. The unmolested monster glanced over its shoulder, assessing the full meal of the man as little more than a snack and gave a small snuff of its snout.

Shit, only distracted one, Cid thought, his body darting back to avoid the goring thrust of tusks at his direction. I don't even have any damn materia to use! Except…

Lost in his own thoughts, Cid was unaware of the beast lunging at him before it was too late. He ducked to the side to avoid the swipe of another set of claws, only to be caught off-guard by the other racing paw coming from the other direction. The monster executed a quick one-two lunge at Cid, catching him with the second swing. A large gash formed across his arm as pools of crimson splattered across the dirt below him.

"Fuck!" he yelled, leaping away from the beast as his hand snapped up to assess the damage done to his arm. The beast only seemed more infuriated by the warm feel of the wounded pilot's blood. A long slimy tongue snaked out to flick across its paw briefly, earning the Behemoth a taste of the captain's flesh.

Cid grit his teeth with resolve as the beast again lunged at him, counting on the man before him to fall for the same tactic as before. The two paws swiped at Cid, one after the other, to no avail. The blonde fighter quickly kicked off the ground and drew himself into the air. His body rose swiftly above the beast, a scream of pure rage roaring from Cid's throat as he extended his foot down.

The solid crack of boot meeting skull filled the air, causing Cid's ears to ring. The beast, having caught the kick square between the eyes, stumbled in a dazed shake from the blow. The blue-eyed captain hopped back a bit from the stunned beast, giving himself a moment to breathe. His arm throbbed with pain as the rivers of blood ran heavy across his flesh, falling to the ground with soft splats.

Cid raised his fists again, determined to make the beast before him work for its meal, when his legs suddenly grew ice cold. The dark cobalt pools of his eyes grew wide as a sharp, freezing pain suddenly took over his lower body. Looking down Cid's heart sank at the sight of a small, ancient-looking, butcher's knife planted in the back of one of his legs. A tiny green hand gripped the hilt of the blade, a small yellow lantern dangling in the other hand.

"Oh fuck me…" Cid muttered as the Tonberry drew the knife agonizingly slow from the fleshy meat of the captain's leg. Then the chaos erupted.

*********

Yuffie stared in disbelieve as Cid risked his body to attack the two animals by himself. Her heart ached to help him, despite the fact that she was weaponless. Her legs began to move as if to follow the man, when the previously unmolested Behemoth turned its hungry gaze towards her.

Her mouth opened to scream, when a high-pitched voice beat her to it. Her grey eyes darted over to the source and she felt her heart grow cold at the sight.

A small girl lay prone upon the ground beside one of the upturned booths. Heavy rivers of blood raced down the child's head as she tried desperately to crawl away from the beast that was suddenly alerted to her presence. It was the same girl that Cid had promised weeks before to show a display of his magic to. And now she was the target of the unoccupied Behemoth.

Before she even realized, Yuffie found herself racing across the now empty faire-grounds towards the young child. Her pulse raced as she shot a glance towards the monster that had also broken into a run for the little girl, hungry saliva dripping from its open maw.

Yuffie prayed to the gods of the Pagoda that she be faster than the beast, her lungs burning as she pumped her little body as hard as it would go to beat the beast. Her arms flew open as she dove, the shimmering pools of her grey eyes disappearing behind closed eyelids.

The waiting mouth of the beast spreading open wide in hungry delight as the child came into reach. A happy growl escaped its throat as it lunged at exactly the same moment as the little ninja.

The young Wutai thief slowly pried her eyes open and looked down, the huddled form of the child shivering beneath her body as she cradled it in her arms. Yuffie took a quick moment to mentally assess her body, waiting for the hungry teeth of the beast to sink into her warm flesh. When she felt confident that she was still alive, she looked up.

The Behemoth stood frozen in wide-eyed terror as it hung it's still dripping jaws open as if to consume the young females. A tiny yelp began to shake from the large beast's throat as the jaws finally snapped shut and the beast began to buck wildly. It leapt about madly, flailing its legs forward and back as it kicked desperately to dislodge the sudden pain on its back.

Looking up, Yuffie found herself shedding tears of pure delight at the sight of a familiar little black cat.

Cait Sith had somehow gotten onto the beasts back and had pierced two tiny daggers between its shoulder blades. The tiny robotic cat whooped and yelled in delight as he clung onto the two small spikes wedged into the beast's thick hide. The cat appeared to be thoroughly enjoying himself at the poor Behemoth's expense.

"Cait Sith!" Yuffie squealed, climbing up to her feet with the shivering form of the little girl still cradled in her arms. "Oh my gawd, I never thought I'd be so happy to see you!"

"Aye! Figured ya'd say that lassy!" the little robot yelled, gripping the little blades tight in his fingers as the Behemoth bucked about in a futile effort to dislodge him. "Down, lad! I dinnay want ta hurt ya, but ya leavin' me no choice!" Cait Sith ordered, a small titter of joy escaping his lips.

Yuffie turned to retreat away from the thrashing monster when she caught a glance of something that caused her heart to freeze. Off in the distance Cid was struggling against the other beast, large gashes covering his body. He was dodging and avoiding many of the attacks, but despite his nimble avoidance he was dripping with his own blood. She cried out in horror at the sight of the small Tonberry, pricking its little knife at the blonde captain anytime he grew too close to the emotionless little creature.

On the plus side, the Behemoth that Cid had been fighting looked thoroughly worn out. One of its front paws hung limply against the ground as it walked, the limp bent backwards at an improper angle at the joint. One of the massive tusks of the beast was torn off and, much to Yuffie's surprise had been thrust into the creature's own side. Rivers of dark purple blood trailed down the beast's body, giving the scene a gory appeal.

"Uh oh!" She heard Cait Sith say, drawing her attention away from her would-be love. The Behemoth that the little robot had been riding had somehow found the power to buck hard enough to rattle the little cat loose, sending him flipping over the beast and sprawled out across the dirt. The robotic feline sat up with little swirls in his slanty eyes, his head wobbling in a dazed manner.

The ninja woman turned at the sound of the angry growl coming from the beast, its bloodthirsty eyes turning to fall on her tender little body. Her mind screamed for her to run, but her legs felt as if they were made of lead. Yuffie found her eyes closing tight in terror as she spun away from the beast, hunching her body protectively over the little girl in her arms.

There was a dull smack of something solid slamming into something soft and squishy. The air filled with the scent of raw meat and then there was a gentle dripping sound of liquid falling to the dirt.

Fighting the urge to scream in panic, Yuffie forced her eyes open and over her shoulder to see the source of the sound.

Cid stood facing her, a determined grimace against his face as large rivers of blood raced from the sides of his mouth. His arms were spread in a protective shield before the woman while a slowly growing pool of red littered his feet. "H-Hey kid…" he said, his voice cracking with effort. She was only vaguely aware of the grunt escaping his lips as the Behemoth jerked behind him, causing another heavy rain of blood to fall from behind him.

"Oh god, Cid!" she screamed, her arms releasing the child and desperately reaching up to him as she spun to him.

"Stop!" he barked, his quivering arms slowly lowering. "G-Get out of here. It's about to get ugly…" She made no effort to move, his cobalt eyes narrowed in an angry glare, "Get the fuck going…or I'll kick your ass…" he threatened, before a harsh cough threw spatters of his blood out across the horrified Yuffie's face.

Spinning around, he faced down the monster that was more than happy to lap at its freshly painted claws. A small growl of delight escaped the large throat of the beast as it devoured the still warm blood from Cid that it had drawn.

"Yo, Fuzzy Ass!" Cid called, his right arm hanging limply at his side as rivers of his life blood raced down it. When Cait Sith looked up, Cid forced a small grin. "Calculate time. Factor in my wounds and three enemies." Cid ordered, pale grey eyes from the ninja woman darting back and forth between the two friends.

"Aye!" Cait Sith responded, "16 seconds exactly! Anymore'n that results in bleedin' out fa good!"

"Plenty of time…" Cid growled, turning his cobalt glare up at the beast that had completed its small meal of his flesh and was beginning to renew its assault. With a grunt of effort, Cid forced his limp right arm to rise up, resting the hand just above his chest where his heart laid beating. He could hear the poor muscle pounding heavily in his ears, and he almost regretted what he was forced to do.

Yuffie heard her friend whisper something an instant before he disappeared. Everything seemed to stand still as she stared in genuine confusion at the spot that Cid had one stood, his warm blood still lingering in the small puddles that were formed by his boots in the dirt. For an instance she thought she saw a flicker of blue light dance around the roaring Behemoth before her, racing around the large beast and darting below its legs.

The large purple animal stood frozen as the blue light danced all about it, unable to keep track of the little glow's movements. It stood, transfixed for several heartbeats, before large welts began to form across its thick hide. A roar of pain escaped its throat as the welts grew larger with each passing second. Finally reaching the apex of their pulsating grow, the welts all burst simultaneously as the blood from the beast showered across the shocked Wutai woman. A final whimper escaped the defeated beast's throat before it succumbed to the dark void of death.

A distant roar drew her attention away from the grisly scene, the remaining Behemoth having witnessed the demise of its partner. But before it too could rush towards the perplexed ninja, the blue light was bouncing all around it much in the same manner as the previous Behemoth. It appeared as if a tiny blue lightning bug were darting around the already weakened creature's body, whizzing across the large frame of the beast.

Several more seconds passed before that monster also succumbed to the assault. Large white bones jutted from gaping wounds along the creature's sides, many of which were jaggedly cut open as if a dull instrument were raked across the thick flesh.

The puzzled materia thief frowned as she watched the display in mixed emotions. Obviously she was delighted at the terrible monsters were dead, but what had done it? And how so fast? Her mind raced with possible answers while the small green creature that had been assaulting her friend earlier began to waddle in her direction.

"…sixteen," she heard the gruff voice of Cid say as he appeared before her, several inches from the same location he had been standing before. She snapped out of her thoughts and turned her pale gaze up to him, her mouth opening to ask the questions dancing in her mind. Then she felt her heart sink in her chest.

Every inch of his body was soaked with blood. Even his normally golden-blonde hair was caked with what appeared to be the dried remains of blood long deposited there. Her mind raced, trying to recall if he had that much blood on him before or if this was all new. Whatever the case, she could tell her friend had lost a lot of the live-giving fluid as his cheeks were a pasty white. His fingers trembled with exhaustion as he stared down at her, the normally dark pools of his eyes now a pale blue.

"Oh Cid…what…" Yuffie started, before he raised a hand up to silence her. Fresh blood dripped from several cuts along his palm, most of which looked relatively shallow but the crimson coating hinting at their depth.

The man who so recently stole her heart stood before her, wavering in the faint breeze. His head cocked to the side slightly to look over his shoulder, spying the slow approach of the Tonberry creature shuffling towards him. The small lantern in its little reptilian hands rattled with each gentle sway, the menacing yellow eyes staring intently on the couple.

"Not a chance…" Cid muttered to himself as he reached into one of his pockets and produced a cigarette, which he quickly lit with a flick of a weakened set of fingers grasping the lighter. With an arm still hanging limp at his side, the exhausted captain slipped his other hand back behind his waist and drew out a small red tube from a back pocket. He drew the tube up to his lips, igniting the long black wick embedded in it with the ember inches from his face.

With a grunt of effort, the captain tossed the freshly lit stick of explosive powder over his shoulder. The red rod landed several feet before the Tonberry, rolling along the dirt to rest against the befuddled creature's feet. Curiously it set the lantern down and grasped the slowly burning tube in its little green hand, tilting its head at the loud hissing sound coming from the faintly glowing fire on the end of it.

Before the little lizard creature realized his impending doom, the little stick of dynamite exploded in his tiny palm.

"Good riddance…" Cid muttered, turning his head back down to look at Yuffie. A small smile danced across his face around his cigarette as he held his hand down to her, the blood hardening on his flesh to give him a small layer of caked-on red coloring.

Cid could barely register the sound of his friends' voices as the last of his strength finally gave out. The lit smoke-stick fell helplessly from his mouth as the light fluttered from his eyes. Before he even knew it, the ground was racing up to meet his body as he fell forward.

Yuffie stared in horror as her arms reached out to the falling figure of the man before her. A tiny grunt escaped her throat as she threw herself beneath him, shielding his body from the harsh impact of the fall that would greet him on the ground. She slid down to her knees, his head tenderly lying in her lap as she struggled to stroke shaking fingers against his cold cheek.

Her eyes traced the large wounds along his body, resting on the broad shoulders of the person she had fallen so madly for. Two large wounds lay along his back, running parallel from shoulder blade to waist and oozed with thick layers of gushing blood. She was only dimly aware of her sobbing as her fingers pressed desperately against the burning hot blood, trying in vain to stop the bleeding.

"Oh god, Cid! Don't die!" she pleaded, her tears falling to mix against the still warm blood running down the pale man's cheeks. Her body hunched forward against him, her fingers clawing desperately to halt the rivers of life flowing from his wounds. "I….I love you!"

End Chapter 7