Chapter 14: A Run-In With Reno

Boring Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy Seven. But I will when I eventually take over the world with the help of Sephiroth…who just happens not to be owned by me too or even exist in reality…

–Glare-

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Yuffie jumped when she opened the door. Yeah, she knew that Reno and Rude were in Nibelhiem…but she had expected to sneak past them with her 'elite ninja skills'.

"Reno!"

"Brat!"

"Ya'mind telling me what's going on here?"

Reno held out a bucket in his hands.

"We're trying to put out a fire here, unless you didn't notice, yo."

Yuffie put her hands on her hips as she stood back to let the man in.

"Well DUH I noticed the fire. Who caused it?"

Reno filled up the bucket from a spigot on the wall.

"To hell if I know. Rude swears he saw Ashton's men."

The ninja grabbed a bucket.

"Man, that guy likes to ruin everything!"

Reno stuck his head out the window and then set his bucket down.

"We won't need these buckets anymore. They already put it out."

Yuffie threw her bucket aside as she walked out the door. The fire had been smothered with the water and smoke filled the small town. Everybody looked exhausted; they had been sweating from the heat of the flames.

Reno set his bucket by Yuffie's and followed her outside.

"Hey, aren't you supposed to be back in Wutai with Vincent?"

Yuffie's face darkened.

"That's none of your business."

Reno put a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, I promise I won't tell. Scout's honor!"

Yuffie shook her head.

"You were never a Chocobo Scout, Reno."

"Hey, I know, but I still won't tell."

"Fine, just don't PHS anyone telling them I'm with you, got it?"

Reno nodded his head vigorously.

"No sweat, I got it, yo."

Yuffie explained the whole story. About how she went to Wutai and attended the funeral. She told how she saw the wound in Godo's head. Her voice started breaking up when she got to the part about the note and the bullet. Reno shook his head. This girl has it bad. That &# Talbot guy really does ruin everything…

"Don't worry, Yuffie. We'll get him."

Yuffie nodded.

"Just don't tell anyone!"

As soon as the words hit the air outside of Yuffie's mouth, she felt the presence of someone behind her. She whirled around to come face to face with a bald man cleaning his sunglasses.

Yuffie gawked.

"Rude!"

The man put his shades on.

"I heard your story. Your secret is safe with us."

"Thanks, but man, Rude. You have the most awesome eyes ever! Why do you keep those glasses on all the time?"

Yuffie said with a huge smile.

Rude did not reply, so Reno said it for him.

"He's been attached to those things since forever, yo."

The bald man disregarded this remark.

"What's your name again?"

Yuffie leaned forward and stood on her tip-toes with her hands on her hips, one inch away from Rude's face.

"I'm the Great Ninja Yuffie Kisaragi of Wutai and don't you forget it!"

Rude stood unfazed.

"If we're going to get to Gongaga before nightfall, we're going to have to take the chopper."

Yuffie blinked.

"You guys have a helicopter?"

Reno gave her the thumbs up sign.

"Complements of the Turks!"

Yuffie tackled Reno to the ground, giving him a hug.

"Thanks Reno! You have just saved my poor little legs from walking all the way across the continent to get there!"

Reno smiled.

"Your welcome, brat."

The red-headed man ruffled her hair.

Yuffie looked at the Shin-Ra Mansion after helping Reno off of the ground. Half of it had collapsed and the rest was black, but still standing…barely. Vinnie…don't worry. I'm going to kill that Talbot guy myself. He'll never get his hands on those cells, ever.

She followed Reno and Rude to the helicopter. Yuffie had never ridden in one of these things before. She would have been making a ruckus about how fun it was and then complained about 'airsickness', if her thoughts hadn't strayed back to Wutai where a certain man in a red cloak was probably cursing himself about how he shouldn't have let her out of his sight.

Vinnie…I'll come back. I promise.

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A few minutes after noon, a large airship landed outside of Wutai where a man waited impatiently to board it. You wouldn't be able to tell by looking at him, as his face was stern and emotionless, but he was greatly worried for the wellbeing of a certain young woman on her way to Gongaga.

Cloud was watching Tifa try to teach Cid to play chess when Vincent boarded the Highwind. Tifa turned her attention to Vincent, who surprisingly spoke before she got a chance.

Even in distress, Vincent spoke in monotone.

"Highwind, we need to go to Gongaga, quickly."

Cid looked as shocked as Cloud and Tifa when he heard Vincent speak.

"Hold yer Chocobos. Where's the brat?"

His hand tightened on the Death Penalty and glared at Cid.

"You can ask your questions later. Command your crew to hurry us to Gongaga."

Cid, in fear of Vincent, who had never been angry at anyone before, hurried to the cockpit. In the meantime, the gunman began checking the ammo in his gun. Cloud, seeing that Vincent's face had become emotionless again, decided to ask about the ninja.

"Vincent, where is Yuffie?"

The gunman slowly put his gun into his holster.

"Has anyone found Ashton?"

Cloud, quite confused at to where this was going shook his head.

"All the reactors were empty that we checked."

Vincent lowered his head, letting his black bangs cover his gleaming eyes.

"Then she will be encountering Ashton Talbot exceptionally soon."

Tifa put away her chess set and then walked over to where the two men were talking.

"Why did Yuffie go alone and why didn't she bring you?"

Vincent let out a small sigh.

"Godo had been murdered. Talbot was the murderer."

Vincent pushed his cloak out of the way to dig in his pocket for the note and the bullet and handed them to Cloud. A few minutes passed and then he handed them to Tifa.

The owner of 7th Heaven shook her head.

"This…is too cruel."

Cloud nodded.

"Talbot has gone too far."

Vincent agreed silently.

He could picture all too well Yuffie trying to fight against Talbot. One wrong move and Talbot would open fire on her, leaving her to die in a pool of her own blood.

If this should come to pass, another sin shall be added amongst the rest. I will have the blood of two young women on my hands. I can not atone for yet another when I have not finished repenting for my first. Yuffie…Lucrecia…I am sorry I have failed you both.

Mortal, you not failed the girl yet.

It is because of me that she is going to fight Talbot on her own.

What would Yuffie say about you right now?

Vincent half-smiled under his cloak. He could picture her now, standing with her hands on her hips with her chocolate hair falling over her face. She would stick out her tongue and say: 'Vinnie, stop being so morbid or I'm going to shove my Conformer where the sun doesn't shine!'

Such innocence tainted by the foulness of death. Talbot, I'm coming for you. When I find you, Chaos and I will teach you the meaning of pain.

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Author's Note: This chapter wasn't really productive, I was just trying to get Yuffie on her way to Gongaga with Reno and Rude and Vincent there at the same time. I tried to be a bit more morbid with his thoughts…but I was too happy today to be morbid. Yesterday was a good morbid day for me…but the chance to be too morbid didn't arise…so yeah.

-Sigh-

Review, now.