Chapter Three: Food is a necessary condiment
Baby, I compare you to a kiss from a rose on the grave,
The more I get of you the stranger it feels.
Now that your rose is in bloom,
A light hits the gloom on the grave.
-Kiss from a Rose, Seals and Croft
They passed the night in much the same fashion, only not as far away from each other as possible like they had the night before. Already they were growing so used to each others company, that there was no thought involved. It was a cold night, so their old fashioned animal insticts made them sleep close together without a thought. They were woken early the next morning by their grumbling stomachs.
Slowly first one, then the other eye opened to blink blearily at the face next to it. Yuffie was the first to speak.
"Day 4, and still no food."
"nngh..."
Zell groaned and sat up, rubbing the back of his head and neck.
"What I wouldn't give for a pillow right about now..."
"Or food."
Yuffie got up and climbed down the tree, remembering her nice stick of course. The two set out again, more tired than ever but more determined to find some food. The forest was becoming lighter and lighter. It seemed that damp section had been some kind of border between the evil old section of the forest and the bright new. There were more animals around. Small friendly ones, not big scary ones. The path was easier too, as the trees were further apart. Some of the trees were wrapped around with ivy, and the ceaseless twitterings of birds filled the air along with the sweet scent of flower nectar.
They passed a number of small clear streams, and by the time they had been walking for about 3 hours they decided to stop for a rest by a small pond. Yuffie looked at the water for a moment before issuing a command to Zell.
"Turn around."
"What... why?"
"Turn. Around. Now."
He turned. She was using that tone of voice, which men all around the globe feared. Why oh why he thought to himself do women ALWAYS have to use that tone of voice? In no time she had stripped off and dived into the water.
"Wha?"
He turned around, wondering what was going on, but immediately blushed and turned around again.
"Next time warn me before you do something like that! What are you doing anyway!"
"Swimming."
"I guessed that..."
She splashed around for a while, but the water was too cold and so she got out fairly quickly and put her clothes back on.
"Ok, you can turn around now."
He turned around and looked suspiciously at her.
"Why would you want to go swimming at a time like this?"
"I felt dirty. Now it's your turn. "
He held his hands up, as if warding her off.
"No way. That water looks freezing."
"Yes. It is. It's very invigorating. Now go before I push you."
He grumbled but she was poking him towards the water with her stick, and he didnt fancy getting his clothes wet so he complied.
"Turn around."
She turned, but he wasn't in for very long.
"brr... I hate you."
"Doesn't matter. You smell much nicer now."
She laughed and started around the edge of the lake.
He grumbled a little following a fair way behind, when suddenly she called out.
"ZELL!!"
He rushed over, thinking something had happened. He found her on her knees in the dirt, hunched over.
"What's wrong?!"
She looked up at him, eyes wide and a huge smile on her face.
"Nothing! Far from it! LOOK!"
She held something up to him.
"Strawberries!!"
That was certainly not what he had expected to hear. Nevertheless, it was very good news. Both of them set to the strawberries as fast as humanly possible. Never had anything tasted so good! In no time at all they were both lying on their backs next to the strawberry patch, laughing and wiping juice off their mouths. It seemed like their luck had change, lying in fragrant grass in the sun with a full belly. In a little while, Yuffie got up, and walked around the pond and up a small hill.
From the hill she could see something which was a welcome sight indeed- the edge of the forest! And beyond that were fields and their was even what looked like a town on the horizon. They could reach that by tomorrow evening if they set out early, but for now it might be nice to stay by the strawberries and fresh water. She raced back to tell Zell the good news. The two spent the rest of the afternoon, talking, laughing (eating strawberries) and discovering there was more to each other than most people thought.
Though both were the clowns of their homes, and everybody frequently got more than a little annoyed with them, they both had big hearts and a ready smile, were loyal to their friends, good fighters, and hated to see people suffer (unless they deserved it in which case they were happy to help them suffer).
Zell discovered that Yuffie loved to cook, and was really very good (or so she said). She liked to play practical jokes and practised evil expressions in the mirror (he was sworn to secrecy on this).
Yuffie discovered a strange 'secret'. Zell hated hotdogs. He only ate them constantly as a joke, to see what peoples reactions would be. Everybody thought he was addicted to them, but really, his favorite food was broccolli! He liked videogames, and hated Irvine. And he really wanted to cut off Selphie's hair while she was asleep. He laughed so much at the thought while he was saying this, that Yuffie could barely hear what he was saying.
Before they knew it, it was getting dark. They had forgotten about the dangers, but decided there wasn't time to find a shelter and anyway, this part of the forest was different, cheerier, and it was unlikely that the evil creatures would be here. They built a fire, and settled down for the night, taking in turns for the watch every 2 hours. Zell was on the second watch, but he was too relaxed and he drifted off. There hadn't been any danger so far, so he decided it was safe.
How wrong he was.
As his eyes drooped lower and sealed shut against the world, 16 glowing red eyes watched from the shadows, and 8 strong jaws filled with sharp teeth snarled. Red tongues lolled out, drooling as they beheld their prey.
Baby, I compare you to a kiss from a rose on the grave,
The more I get of you the stranger it feels.
Now that your rose is in bloom,
A light hits the gloom on the grave.
-Kiss from a Rose, Seals and Croft
They passed the night in much the same fashion, only not as far away from each other as possible like they had the night before. Already they were growing so used to each others company, that there was no thought involved. It was a cold night, so their old fashioned animal insticts made them sleep close together without a thought. They were woken early the next morning by their grumbling stomachs.
Slowly first one, then the other eye opened to blink blearily at the face next to it. Yuffie was the first to speak.
"Day 4, and still no food."
"nngh..."
Zell groaned and sat up, rubbing the back of his head and neck.
"What I wouldn't give for a pillow right about now..."
"Or food."
Yuffie got up and climbed down the tree, remembering her nice stick of course. The two set out again, more tired than ever but more determined to find some food. The forest was becoming lighter and lighter. It seemed that damp section had been some kind of border between the evil old section of the forest and the bright new. There were more animals around. Small friendly ones, not big scary ones. The path was easier too, as the trees were further apart. Some of the trees were wrapped around with ivy, and the ceaseless twitterings of birds filled the air along with the sweet scent of flower nectar.
They passed a number of small clear streams, and by the time they had been walking for about 3 hours they decided to stop for a rest by a small pond. Yuffie looked at the water for a moment before issuing a command to Zell.
"Turn around."
"What... why?"
"Turn. Around. Now."
He turned. She was using that tone of voice, which men all around the globe feared. Why oh why he thought to himself do women ALWAYS have to use that tone of voice? In no time she had stripped off and dived into the water.
"Wha?"
He turned around, wondering what was going on, but immediately blushed and turned around again.
"Next time warn me before you do something like that! What are you doing anyway!"
"Swimming."
"I guessed that..."
She splashed around for a while, but the water was too cold and so she got out fairly quickly and put her clothes back on.
"Ok, you can turn around now."
He turned around and looked suspiciously at her.
"Why would you want to go swimming at a time like this?"
"I felt dirty. Now it's your turn. "
He held his hands up, as if warding her off.
"No way. That water looks freezing."
"Yes. It is. It's very invigorating. Now go before I push you."
He grumbled but she was poking him towards the water with her stick, and he didnt fancy getting his clothes wet so he complied.
"Turn around."
She turned, but he wasn't in for very long.
"brr... I hate you."
"Doesn't matter. You smell much nicer now."
She laughed and started around the edge of the lake.
He grumbled a little following a fair way behind, when suddenly she called out.
"ZELL!!"
He rushed over, thinking something had happened. He found her on her knees in the dirt, hunched over.
"What's wrong?!"
She looked up at him, eyes wide and a huge smile on her face.
"Nothing! Far from it! LOOK!"
She held something up to him.
"Strawberries!!"
That was certainly not what he had expected to hear. Nevertheless, it was very good news. Both of them set to the strawberries as fast as humanly possible. Never had anything tasted so good! In no time at all they were both lying on their backs next to the strawberry patch, laughing and wiping juice off their mouths. It seemed like their luck had change, lying in fragrant grass in the sun with a full belly. In a little while, Yuffie got up, and walked around the pond and up a small hill.
From the hill she could see something which was a welcome sight indeed- the edge of the forest! And beyond that were fields and their was even what looked like a town on the horizon. They could reach that by tomorrow evening if they set out early, but for now it might be nice to stay by the strawberries and fresh water. She raced back to tell Zell the good news. The two spent the rest of the afternoon, talking, laughing (eating strawberries) and discovering there was more to each other than most people thought.
Though both were the clowns of their homes, and everybody frequently got more than a little annoyed with them, they both had big hearts and a ready smile, were loyal to their friends, good fighters, and hated to see people suffer (unless they deserved it in which case they were happy to help them suffer).
Zell discovered that Yuffie loved to cook, and was really very good (or so she said). She liked to play practical jokes and practised evil expressions in the mirror (he was sworn to secrecy on this).
Yuffie discovered a strange 'secret'. Zell hated hotdogs. He only ate them constantly as a joke, to see what peoples reactions would be. Everybody thought he was addicted to them, but really, his favorite food was broccolli! He liked videogames, and hated Irvine. And he really wanted to cut off Selphie's hair while she was asleep. He laughed so much at the thought while he was saying this, that Yuffie could barely hear what he was saying.
Before they knew it, it was getting dark. They had forgotten about the dangers, but decided there wasn't time to find a shelter and anyway, this part of the forest was different, cheerier, and it was unlikely that the evil creatures would be here. They built a fire, and settled down for the night, taking in turns for the watch every 2 hours. Zell was on the second watch, but he was too relaxed and he drifted off. There hadn't been any danger so far, so he decided it was safe.
How wrong he was.
As his eyes drooped lower and sealed shut against the world, 16 glowing red eyes watched from the shadows, and 8 strong jaws filled with sharp teeth snarled. Red tongues lolled out, drooling as they beheld their prey.