SCHOOL'S OUT! Yay! Summer updates! :D Now that AP classes are out of the way, I can focus on the important stuff... like FanFiction!

IMPORTANT: I deleted my personal Kik (an instant messaging app) and created one specifically for FanFiction use. Anyone who would like to get in contact with me in a way that's much more effective than the Private Messaging feature on here, Kik me! It's also great for those guest reviewers who don't have FF accounts, but have devices they can download apps on.

My Kik is: SirenMist_Heichou

I will be going on vacation in a couple of weeks, so expect a hiatus in late June. I'll try to continue to write and stuff, but may not be able to.

Disclaimer: I don't own or profit from anything. This is purely for entertainment purposes, and I don't pretend to take credit for the stuff here. Cool? No sue.

Whispers. The streets were filled with nothing but whispers.

The man with the strange, demonic eyes paid no mind to the people in the marketplace who froze in their tracks, their eyes narrowing at the sight of such a foreign, dangerous-looking man. He strolled down the steps of the Pagoda, his head not held high in pride like a man engaged to the empress. But there existed pride in the man, that much could be said. His eyes, though on the ground, were narrowed in deceptive calculation, his shoulders too squared to be called inferior.

He had pride. Perhaps not in what or whom he used to be, but certainly now. His gait was composed of years of shadow-walking, hiding from the view of others. He had a perceivable wisdom that surrounded him, as though he had seen many things in his lifetime. He had a perceivable crease in brow, as though he had seen many things in his lifetime he wished he hadn't. Although he gave the initial impression of not being fit to marry the next in line of the Kisaragi Dynasty, his many almost undiscernible qualities deemed him worthy. Worthy of Yuffie. Worthy of Wutai. Godo grinned to himself, shaking his head. The man had guts, he'd have to give him that. No one had challenged him the way Valentine had.

The business affairs of Wutai would be in very, very good hands.

"Emperor, as councilman, I advise you to stand firm against the treasonous ideals of this… this foreign dignitary!" An old grey-haired man glared from across the room, his fists shaking at the sides of his kneeling form. Briefly, his cold eyes flashed to the window where Vincent Valentine could be seen strolling through the Wutai streets, his form under the careful scrutiny of the suspicious Wutain people.

With a nonchalant shrug, Godo let out a bitter chuckle and snapped, "And you'd have me defy the second most powerful man on Gaia because he dares to let a woman have an opinion?"

Scoffing, another councilman, though significantly younger, spoke up, "Women are inferior to us! They are far too driven by emotion — reason evades them! How then could a woman possibly direct a country into good fortune?"

Nodding his head, Godo laughed. "Yes, yes! Women are very emotional creatures, very driven by emotions. My daughter Yuffie has not a reasonable bone in her body—," the younger councilman began to agree, but Godo continued, though far sterner and with narrowed eyes, "—but men are driven by arrogance, are they not?" His dark eyes dared the man to challenge him, but no voice rose. "Is it not arrogance that begins wars? Is it not proud vanity that breeds superiority in the hearts of men? Tell me then, how does one with a heart centered on himself direct a country into good fortune?"

The men wisely remained silent, however the younger man slanted his eyes in response. Continuing, Godo insisted, directing his words at the young man, "It is arrogance that makes you believe you are wiser than men who have lived longer than your twenty years." After a measured breath, the emperor finished, "We shall give Lady Yuffie the privileges that Mr. Valentine requests. I will not drive this country into possible war with the entire rest of the Planet all for the sake of arrogance! Is that understood?"

The men nodded wordlessly, their heads bowed.

Standing, Godo inquired, "Raise your hand if you are in agreement."

All but one hand was counted.

Breakfast had been… weird to say the least. And I hadn't been able to locate Vinnie all morning. I'd asked the ladies tending to the koi pond, but not one had seen the man. I was beginning to think they were lying to me. After all, Vincent wasn't very inconspicuous in Wutai.

I reached the outer gates of the Pagoda, hoping to use my ninja skills to sneak past the sentry. Squatting down behind the stone wall, I scooped up a nice sized rock and hefted it across the courtyard, smashing it into one of the pots near our koi pond. With a grin, I watched the gullible guard follow the sound of the crash and then made my move. Sweeping out of the gates, I raced down the path towards the bridge, enjoying the feeling of sun and warmth and wind for the first time in a long time. I was enjoying it so much that I didn't notice the figure appear at the end of the bridge. I did, however, feel the impact.

Seconds after I collided, I felt the air rush out of me. Glancing up, I smiled as I looked into a shadow-covered face. "Hey, Vincent! I've been looking—"

His hand slapped across my mouth, preventing me from speaking. The odd behavior affronted me. What the heck was he acting like that for?! Reeling back, I screeched, "What the heck, Vinnie?!—" With a well-aimed punch, I shoved away from him and we both stumbled. A strong breeze blew the scent of cigarettes towards me. That was strange, since when had Vincent ever smoked?

The cherry blossom trees swayed, and for just one moment, sunlight flickered across his face. But it wasn't his face. A scream flew from my throat, but before it could travel, a sweaty hand was pinning me down and stuffing a thick wad of cloth down my throat. Struggling against my assailant, I lifted my leg as high as I could, but a second man appeared and threw his weight on my limb.

There was a sickening crack, and then tears gushed from my eyes. Seconds before I blacked out, I saw dark eyes flicker away from me, and coming closer was the figure of Don Cornio.

Could my life get any worse?

It was almost seven at night when I returned to the Pagoda. Godo, who had been sipping tea in the garden, glanced up upon my arrival and asked, "Did you and Yuffie have a pleasant evening?"

I nodded once, but clarified, "I have not been with Yuffie all day. I was under the impression that she hadn't left the palace walls."

Very slowly, a frown crossed the old man's features. His brow creased in thought, and suddenly I felt that something was very wrong. The spike of adrenaline that rushed through my body lit my senses on fire, even with the absence of my superhuman abilities.

"Is she not here then?" I asked, my eyes scanning the garden. Yuffie usually ran wild and was never in the same place once, so there wasn't much reason to be alarmed. Even so, I couldn't help but feel the least bit concerned of her whereabouts.

"No," Godo finally answered, rising to his feet. He called for the servants, and they filtered into the moonlit garden one by one. After they'd assembled he questioned, "Who has seen Yuffie today? Have you?"

A few of the servant girls stepped forward and replied, "Aa."

"When?"

"After breakfast, Godo-san."

This did alarm me. Yuffie would have returned for lunch (she never missed meals), but if she hadn't been seen since morning, then she must be beyond the walls.

"Lord Godo, I will go search for her."

I turned to look at the just arriving young man who appeared behind me. He fit the tradition Wutain appearance, and his proud features distinguished him as among the upperclass. The thought of another man searching for Yuffie irritated me in the strangest way. I should not stand idly by while another man searches for the woman I am to marry. Yuffie would certainly be irritated with me, too.

"I'll search too," I spoke, earning a sneer from the man.

Crossing his arms, the dark-haired, dark-eyed man shot, "I can find her just fine on my own, foreigner. I'm a trained ninja."

Resisting the urge to raise Death Penalty, I returned, "If you are truly worried about Lady Yuffie, you will allow for all of the assistance you can get."

With that, I departed, ignoring the feeling of the man's heavy glare on my back. I had much more important things to be concerned with than one man's hurt pride, like the fact that Yuffie hadn't been home in a while. To be honest, I was not all that worried, but I wanted to be able to confirm her being well. She was well known for getting herself into trouble.

When I finally came to, my body felt like lead. There was a searing pain behind my eyes as I attempted to open them. My lids felt heavy, and my legs were numb. All of me ached in places I didn't know I could ache.

Had I gotten hit by a train?

"Ah, the princess is awake!"

I jolted upright, the motion making me immediately dizzy. When I tried to raise my hand to the tender spot at the back of my head, my wrist protested. A quick glance down confirmed my fear. I was chained.

"Remember me, princess? Hehehe!" The fat, disgusting old man in his white suit drank in my figure greedily. I was luckily fully clothed, but the way he salivated at my appearance suggested his imagination was not the same as the reality.

"Nasty pervert who hung me from Da Chao? Yeah, I remember. And I'm going to kick you're a—"

A high-pitched cackle filled the air, and I winced at the way it sent pain through my head. "Feisty as ever, I see!" He clapped and danced in delight. After a moment, he stopped and watched me, then turned to face the door.

It was the first I'd actually noticed my surroundings. I was chained to the cement floor of a barren room. Cement walls, no windows, one naked light fixture. The air vents were blowing frigid air at me, and I held in a shiver.

I actually wished I was back in Wutai.

"Vincent will kill you!" I shouted, narrowing my chocolate eyes. "He'll tear you limb from limb and—"

A grin broke out on Don Corneo's chubby face. Tilting his head, he interrupted, "He'll never find me! We're far too hidden, my dear! In fact, I doubt anyone has even noticed your disappearance yet!"

Slowly, my angry features melted away. They probably… hadn't noticed my disappearance. I always disappeared. I never stayed in the same place and I liked to hide from others… What if, what if they just thought I was running from the marriage? It would be something I'd do…

"Yes, yes!" Corneo's smirk turned wolfish. "You know they won't suspect a thing. Runaway princess disappeared? No!" He began to laugh that nasily, full-bodied chortle. "It'll be all over the headlines how the soon-to-be-empress shirked her duties once more! AHAHAHA! And you'll be mine, deary…"

The cold air settled on my skin, causing goosebumps to erupt across my flesh. The cement felt icy and hard beneath my trembling body. I was alone.

"No," I whispered, shaking, "No, Vincent will find me!"

Another grin, and then, "No, he'll think you finally realized how unworthy of you he is."

So, I didn't actually ever see any of this coming. I just started having her run across the bridge, and suddenly my mind was all, that isn't Vincent, and this happened... Stupid plot bunnies.

Anyways, I did not actually edit or revise this chapter. I wanted it posted asap, so I just wrote it and slapped it on here. Please bring any and all mistakes to my attention :) THank you! Thanks for reading! (If y'all are still reading it, that is...)