Hello to all! Thanks for the reviews and I love ya all!
Disclaimer: I don't own any of Avril Lavigne's songs and I don't own FF7 or anything in it, 'kay?
[Chapter 9: The Big Surprise]
She rolled over in her bed. The girl that we all know as the hyperactive ninja that can NEVER run out of energy: Yuffie. She rolled over again and fell off her bed and onto the floor with a loud 'Thud'.
Instantly, she woke up half scared to death. "Wha--?" she sat up, tangled in her covers and becoming enraged with all the mishaps that have happened lately.
"Gawddamnit!" she yelled. "Why does bad stuff always have to happen to me!?" she sat up, rubbing her bloodshot eyes from crying so much the past night.
She managed to pull herself up. She drug herself to the bathroom and combed her messy hair. "Gawd I look like crap. I feel like I was ran over by a truck!" she brushed her teeth, washed her face, and then exited the bathroom. She changed into some blue jeans and put on a black T-shirt. She put on her headband just to keep her hair out of her eyes.
As she left her room, she saw Vincent walking downstairs. She had no idea of what to say to him, whether to be mad that he forgot her birthday, or to be depressed that she thought that only her father knew her birthday was tomorrow.
She sucked in a big gulp of air and exhaled groggily. She hated making decisions like this.
*Just forget about it...* she told herself.
She proceeded to the staircase, but as she got there, she saw Vincent looking up at her.
She had no idea why, but she blushed a light pink.
*What's he looking at?!*
Vincent had a solemn look on his face. It looked as though he'd been awaken from his coffin again.
After a few moments of staring at each other, he turned around and walked down the stairs and was making his way into the kitchen.
*What?! He just turns his back on me!? Doesn't he know what he's done?!*
Yuffie was struck by her own words.
*Oh...yeah...he forgot...*
She sat on the top stair and buried her face in her palms.
"How...why did he forget?" she whispered to herself.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Vincent looked up at Yuffie from the kitchen. He knew he shouldn't have went through with this. He didn't know it would make her THAT sad...
**Well duh! Let's see, if you forget her birthday, maybe she'll be happy? Hmm what do you think?** Chaos murmured.
*Shut up! I knew she'd be sad, but not like this...there's something wrong. She's...different.*
**Maybe because she TRUSTED you. Ever think of that?**
*Oh no...she might have lost all trust in me! I never thought of that! What do I do!?*
**Just play it off. Go through with the surprise and she'll regain that trust. Believe me.**
Maybe the beast was right...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yuffie heard a loose board on one of the steps creak. Her head flung up as she saw Vincent five steps away from her. She stared down at him when her mind told her to look away. She couldn't help it; it was like she was being manipulated.
"Yuffie I---" He cut himself off and looked into her eyes. He gaped and stood there, searching for words to say.
*She's been crying...*
**Looks like all night too...**
"Uh...just..." he couldn't stop thinking about what he'd done. "Go pack." He suddenly said seriously.
"Huh?"
"Just go and pack. We're going on vacation."
Curiosity stirred up in the young ninja. "We as in who?"
"Just the two of us. C'mon, go and pack. We're leaving for quite some time. Bring everything you brought here just in case."
*In case of what?!* She pondered in her thoughts.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"We're leaving today."
"What?! Today!?" Cloud and Tifa both shouted.
"Shhh! She's not supposed to know!"
Cloud shook his head. "Why today? I mean, tomorrow's her birthday, right? Why are you leaving now?"
"I'd think it'd be best for the both of us. She's been feeling...well...homesick I guess."
"Homesick? But her home's in Wutai."
"Well, yes I know, but maybe she'll like the idea of this..."
Tifa shrugged. "Maybe. But I know I'm gonna miss the both of you. I can't believe you're leaving now!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yuffie threw all her clothes in her duffel bags. "I don't know whether to be mad at him or not. Well it's not his fault I guess. It's just a birthday...heh."
She packed all of her materia, accessories, and her Conformer. As soon as she made sure all her clothes and everything was packed, she threw her duffel bags out in the hallway. Just as she did so, Vincent appeared by her door.
"All packed?"
"Huh? Oh...yeah." She said gloomily.
Vincent took her bags and carried them downstairs. Yuffie walked out along with him.
As soon as she reached the buggy, she hopped in the passenger's side.
"Let me go and get the rest of my stuff. I'll be right back." Vincent said and left.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Vincent reached his room and grabbed all of the stuff he owned and carried it out into the hall. Just to make sure Yuffie had everything she owned packed, he peeked into her room.
"Ah, oh no!" he hurriedly grabbed the guitar in the closet. "I can't let her forget this!"
He looked around the rest of the room. He saw nothing that he thought she owned. He grabbed the guitar and the rest of his stuff. Something flickered in his mind.
~~Flash~~
"Promise me you won't tell anybody..."
"I promise..."
~~Flash~~
"Ah crap!" he set the stuff down on the ground. "How am I gonna get her guitar in the buggy without her, Cloud, AND Tifa seeing it? Ah this is gonna be a pain in the ass!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yuffie stretched her legs in the compact vehicle. As she saw Vincent carry the things out to the buggy, she yawned.
"Where exactly are we going?" she stopped yawning and gaped as she saw something in Vincent's arms that looked...strangely familiar.
"What ya got there?" she asked. "Uh, this? Haha, this is nothing!" he opened the back of the buggy and packed it in. "Wait, that's my guitar isn't it!?" she almost shouted. "What are you doing!? Put it back before Cloud and Tifa see!!"
"No. I can't go on this trip without hearing some of your songs!"
Yuffie blushed. "Really? Am I really THAT good?"
Vincent nodded and closed the back of the buggy. "Are we all set?"
"No wait, I wanna say good-bye to Tifa and Cloud. How long are we out for anyway."
Vincent almost grinned. "Longer than you can imagine..."
Yuffie gave him a weird glance and shrugged it off. She ran into the house as Vincent followed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"All right you guys, Vinnie's being stubborn and won't tell me where we're going and how long we're leaving for, so I'll see you later, 'kay?"
Tifa and Cloud waved good-bye as she left to go back to the buggy. Vincent stayed behind.
"I'm gonna miss you guys..." Tifa said sadly. "Yeah. I'm sorry it's so sudden. Thanks for the hospitality and letting us stay. Yuffie would say the same thing if she knew she was leaving for good. Anyway, I made the beds and cleaned the rooms so it'll look like we were never here."
Tifa began to sob. She covered her face with her hands. "I-I'm sorry...it's just...I don't want you to ever leave..." Cloud hugged her close. "It'll be okay. We'll see them soon, okay? No need to worry..."
"Well I think I've got everything...ah...!"
"What?"
"The Masamune! I forgot about that!" Vincent ran upstairs and into his room.
He grabbed the long sword off the wall and attached it to his belt side. He then remembered something else as well.
"Death Penalty..." he opened the drawer to his desk and pulled out the small handgun. "I wonder...where did Roy's gun go when he died...?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Ah, come on Vinnie!" Yuffie hit the dashboard with her fist. She was getting impatient.
*Hmm...this trip...why would he plan it like this? Just come up to me and say "Go pack"? There's somethin' wrong with this situation...* then it hit Yuffie.
*He...he didn't forget! Hahaha! He didn't forget! I knew it! He couldn't have forgotten! He said he remembers the most important things so...he didn't forget!*
Yuffie hummed happily and closed her eyes.
*This trip was to be a birthday present! He just planned it to fool me I bet! Even though my birthday's tomorrow, he's just planning to do it today!*
Before she knew it, the buggy's engine started and a door slammed shut.
"Whoa Vinnie! I was just thinking..." She then realized the sword on his belt. She winced at it, then immediately decided forget about it.
"Hmm?"
"I know. You don't have to pretend you forgot my birthday."
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
"Aw, come on you don't have to play around anymore. I know you tried foolin' me."
"Hmm, you're pretty smart..."
"Thanks!"
*But not smart enough...hehehe...*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Vincent stopped at a convenience store on the outskirts of Kalm. He wanted to buy a gas canister for the road so they'd never run out. As he walked into the convenience store, he spotted a black-haired girl. She looked in her mid-twenties or so. But to Vincent, she was...strangely familiar.
As he picked out a canister of gas, she stared at the sword on his waist. He just shook of her glance and went to the front counter to pay for it.
"You..." she said blankly. "Let me see that blade..."
Vincent looked at her with surprise.
"I'm sorry but do I know you?"
"You should..." she stared into his eyes with an empty expression on her face. "Let me see that blade."
"No."
"Can you at least remove its case so I can see the blade itself?"
"Why?"
"Because...I need to know..."
Vincent shrugged. What harm could it cost if she just saw it, not had it in her possession?
He drew the blade only halfway, then slid it back into the case.
"I knew it. You're the one..."
"Huh?"
"Thirteen days..."
"Vinnie! Hurry up!" Yuffie called from the buggy as he whipped around to see.
"Uh..." he turned back to the girl, but he saw nothing.
"Wha--? Vanished?!"
"Vinnie!"
"Uh yeah, coming!" he gave the cashier the money for the gas. "That girl..." she began. "I'd stay away from her if I were you." She handed him his change.
"Why?"
"They say she's nothin' but trouble. Keep your distance." She waved him away with her hand. "Move along now, there's nothin' to see here."
Vincent walked out with the canister in his arms.
"I wonder what she was talking about? Thirteen days?" Vincent loaded the gas canister in the back as Yuffie pulled a cassette tape from her pocket. He hopped back in the buggy as she popped it in the tape player.
"What's that?" he asked, starting the buggy and pulling out of Kalm.
"Oh this? I was just gonna listen to my songs on here. I made a mixed tape."
"Really? What kind of songs are on here?"
"Actually, I don't remember, but let's just listen to some..."
"Alright, alright! This is Yuffie's mix tape! Don't y'all DARE to record over this!!" Came Yuffie's voice from the radio. Yuffie giggled. "Oh yeah, now I remember..."
"This is song number one! And a one, and a two, and a one, two, three!"
"Sometimes I get---" [Click!]
"Hey, why'd you change it?" Vincent asked.
"That's one of my favorites, but I've heard it SO much."
"Which one was it?"
"Anything but Ordinary. Like I told you about before."
"Ah, I see. But can we please hear it anyway?"
"Ah...fine..." she turned it back.
~~~Anything but Ordinary Starts~~~
They listen to it and Yuffie hums most of it to herself.
~~~Anything but Ordinary Ends~~~
"Wow, that sounded just like you!" Vincent thought about how it was a little sad as well.
"Cause I sang it, duh!"
"No, no, I mean it's about you. You ARE anything but ordinary!" they both laughed a bit as Yuffie's voice came on the radio again.
"Song two! Hope ya love it!"
"Please tell me what---" [Click!]
"Hey!"
"No. You can't hear that one!" she giggled.
"Why?"
"Because I laughed so much in it and I messed up! I couldn't erase it unless I erased song one as well! So hahaha, I'll play it for you. It was called 'My World.'"
"Hmm, well how about song three?"
"Nah, the rest of the songs I'll play for you. Don't worry."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~30 minutes later~
Vincent concentrated mostly on driving, but his mind couldn't forget about that girl at the convenience store.
*What was she talking about, "Thirteen days"?*
**I never saw her before...**
*Hmm...she seemed familiar in some way...*
Vincent had almost forgotten about Yuffie's presence. He turned his head to the passenger's side of the buggy.
She was sleeping soundly, her head against the window.
"So beautiful..." he whispered.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~10 minutes later~
Yuffie yawned and stretched. "Ahh...nice catnap!" she giggled and looked at the scenery ahead of her. "The Coral Prison desert? What are we doing here?"
"We're just passing it."
"Oh. Can't you tell me where we're going? Pleeeease?"
"It's a secret."
"Aww man..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~10 minutes later~
"Lalala...yeah..." Yuffie sang.
"Hm?"
"Fall back take a look at me and you'll see I'm for real...oh! Oops, kinda dazed out there."
"What was that?"
"Nobody's Fool."
"Hmm I see..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~30 minutes later~
"Hey, we're pulling into Nibelheim...?" Yuffie asked.
"..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~15 minutes later~
Yuffie played with her jacket sleeves as Vincent drove up the rocky hillside. The buggy slid around on the slick, icy snow every once and a while, but he had it under control.
*I wonder what we're doing up here? I thought we were going to Costa Del Sol to relax on a warm vacation, but instead, we're going up snowy mountainsides? Hmm...and I've never seen these mountains before...*
Yuffie thought for awhile.
*The only mountains in Nibelheim I've seen were the ones Tifa, Cloud, and Sephiroth traveled on. No wait...Cloud made up that story. Tifa, Zack, and Sephiroth traveled on it then. Hmmm, still, I've never seen these before. The ones we traveled on didn't have snow and weren't as beautiful as these. I wonder how Vinnie found these?*
Yuffie stared out the window at the falling snow. It was truly beautiful.
Vincent shifted gears on the buggy to make it go uphill. He grunted in frustration a few times from failure.
"Can we make it up?" Yuffie asked.
"Yeah, don't worry."
He finally shifted it into 1st and floored it. The buggy span up the rocky mountainside and managed to make it to the very top. He drove slowly and carefully here.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After a few more miles of driving in thick, heavy snow, Vincent and Yuffie reached a log cabin that looked as though in was in the middle of nowhere. She put her face against the glass and gasped.
"Whooooa........!" she whispered, not believing what she saw. "It's so beautiful...!"
Vincent smiled when she wasn't looking. He pulled up next to it and switched gears to 'park'.
"Huh? What are we doing?" she asked as he turned off the engine.
"Get out."
She gave him a questionable look, but then shook it off and stepped out of the car. He stepped out along with her.
"Look at it...do you like it?" he asked, walking up to her.
"Yeah...who owns this cabin? They must be lucky to live here!"
"Heh. You do."
"Huh?"
"You live here, Yuffie."
Whoa! Yuffie finally found out the surprise! But...is there more to it than that? Find out next chapter!! Please review!!!!
Disclaimer: I don't own any of Avril Lavigne's songs and I don't own FF7 or anything in it, 'kay?
[Chapter 9: The Big Surprise]
She rolled over in her bed. The girl that we all know as the hyperactive ninja that can NEVER run out of energy: Yuffie. She rolled over again and fell off her bed and onto the floor with a loud 'Thud'.
Instantly, she woke up half scared to death. "Wha--?" she sat up, tangled in her covers and becoming enraged with all the mishaps that have happened lately.
"Gawddamnit!" she yelled. "Why does bad stuff always have to happen to me!?" she sat up, rubbing her bloodshot eyes from crying so much the past night.
She managed to pull herself up. She drug herself to the bathroom and combed her messy hair. "Gawd I look like crap. I feel like I was ran over by a truck!" she brushed her teeth, washed her face, and then exited the bathroom. She changed into some blue jeans and put on a black T-shirt. She put on her headband just to keep her hair out of her eyes.
As she left her room, she saw Vincent walking downstairs. She had no idea of what to say to him, whether to be mad that he forgot her birthday, or to be depressed that she thought that only her father knew her birthday was tomorrow.
She sucked in a big gulp of air and exhaled groggily. She hated making decisions like this.
*Just forget about it...* she told herself.
She proceeded to the staircase, but as she got there, she saw Vincent looking up at her.
She had no idea why, but she blushed a light pink.
*What's he looking at?!*
Vincent had a solemn look on his face. It looked as though he'd been awaken from his coffin again.
After a few moments of staring at each other, he turned around and walked down the stairs and was making his way into the kitchen.
*What?! He just turns his back on me!? Doesn't he know what he's done?!*
Yuffie was struck by her own words.
*Oh...yeah...he forgot...*
She sat on the top stair and buried her face in her palms.
"How...why did he forget?" she whispered to herself.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Vincent looked up at Yuffie from the kitchen. He knew he shouldn't have went through with this. He didn't know it would make her THAT sad...
**Well duh! Let's see, if you forget her birthday, maybe she'll be happy? Hmm what do you think?** Chaos murmured.
*Shut up! I knew she'd be sad, but not like this...there's something wrong. She's...different.*
**Maybe because she TRUSTED you. Ever think of that?**
*Oh no...she might have lost all trust in me! I never thought of that! What do I do!?*
**Just play it off. Go through with the surprise and she'll regain that trust. Believe me.**
Maybe the beast was right...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yuffie heard a loose board on one of the steps creak. Her head flung up as she saw Vincent five steps away from her. She stared down at him when her mind told her to look away. She couldn't help it; it was like she was being manipulated.
"Yuffie I---" He cut himself off and looked into her eyes. He gaped and stood there, searching for words to say.
*She's been crying...*
**Looks like all night too...**
"Uh...just..." he couldn't stop thinking about what he'd done. "Go pack." He suddenly said seriously.
"Huh?"
"Just go and pack. We're going on vacation."
Curiosity stirred up in the young ninja. "We as in who?"
"Just the two of us. C'mon, go and pack. We're leaving for quite some time. Bring everything you brought here just in case."
*In case of what?!* She pondered in her thoughts.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"We're leaving today."
"What?! Today!?" Cloud and Tifa both shouted.
"Shhh! She's not supposed to know!"
Cloud shook his head. "Why today? I mean, tomorrow's her birthday, right? Why are you leaving now?"
"I'd think it'd be best for the both of us. She's been feeling...well...homesick I guess."
"Homesick? But her home's in Wutai."
"Well, yes I know, but maybe she'll like the idea of this..."
Tifa shrugged. "Maybe. But I know I'm gonna miss the both of you. I can't believe you're leaving now!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yuffie threw all her clothes in her duffel bags. "I don't know whether to be mad at him or not. Well it's not his fault I guess. It's just a birthday...heh."
She packed all of her materia, accessories, and her Conformer. As soon as she made sure all her clothes and everything was packed, she threw her duffel bags out in the hallway. Just as she did so, Vincent appeared by her door.
"All packed?"
"Huh? Oh...yeah." She said gloomily.
Vincent took her bags and carried them downstairs. Yuffie walked out along with him.
As soon as she reached the buggy, she hopped in the passenger's side.
"Let me go and get the rest of my stuff. I'll be right back." Vincent said and left.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Vincent reached his room and grabbed all of the stuff he owned and carried it out into the hall. Just to make sure Yuffie had everything she owned packed, he peeked into her room.
"Ah, oh no!" he hurriedly grabbed the guitar in the closet. "I can't let her forget this!"
He looked around the rest of the room. He saw nothing that he thought she owned. He grabbed the guitar and the rest of his stuff. Something flickered in his mind.
~~Flash~~
"Promise me you won't tell anybody..."
"I promise..."
~~Flash~~
"Ah crap!" he set the stuff down on the ground. "How am I gonna get her guitar in the buggy without her, Cloud, AND Tifa seeing it? Ah this is gonna be a pain in the ass!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yuffie stretched her legs in the compact vehicle. As she saw Vincent carry the things out to the buggy, she yawned.
"Where exactly are we going?" she stopped yawning and gaped as she saw something in Vincent's arms that looked...strangely familiar.
"What ya got there?" she asked. "Uh, this? Haha, this is nothing!" he opened the back of the buggy and packed it in. "Wait, that's my guitar isn't it!?" she almost shouted. "What are you doing!? Put it back before Cloud and Tifa see!!"
"No. I can't go on this trip without hearing some of your songs!"
Yuffie blushed. "Really? Am I really THAT good?"
Vincent nodded and closed the back of the buggy. "Are we all set?"
"No wait, I wanna say good-bye to Tifa and Cloud. How long are we out for anyway."
Vincent almost grinned. "Longer than you can imagine..."
Yuffie gave him a weird glance and shrugged it off. She ran into the house as Vincent followed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"All right you guys, Vinnie's being stubborn and won't tell me where we're going and how long we're leaving for, so I'll see you later, 'kay?"
Tifa and Cloud waved good-bye as she left to go back to the buggy. Vincent stayed behind.
"I'm gonna miss you guys..." Tifa said sadly. "Yeah. I'm sorry it's so sudden. Thanks for the hospitality and letting us stay. Yuffie would say the same thing if she knew she was leaving for good. Anyway, I made the beds and cleaned the rooms so it'll look like we were never here."
Tifa began to sob. She covered her face with her hands. "I-I'm sorry...it's just...I don't want you to ever leave..." Cloud hugged her close. "It'll be okay. We'll see them soon, okay? No need to worry..."
"Well I think I've got everything...ah...!"
"What?"
"The Masamune! I forgot about that!" Vincent ran upstairs and into his room.
He grabbed the long sword off the wall and attached it to his belt side. He then remembered something else as well.
"Death Penalty..." he opened the drawer to his desk and pulled out the small handgun. "I wonder...where did Roy's gun go when he died...?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Ah, come on Vinnie!" Yuffie hit the dashboard with her fist. She was getting impatient.
*Hmm...this trip...why would he plan it like this? Just come up to me and say "Go pack"? There's somethin' wrong with this situation...* then it hit Yuffie.
*He...he didn't forget! Hahaha! He didn't forget! I knew it! He couldn't have forgotten! He said he remembers the most important things so...he didn't forget!*
Yuffie hummed happily and closed her eyes.
*This trip was to be a birthday present! He just planned it to fool me I bet! Even though my birthday's tomorrow, he's just planning to do it today!*
Before she knew it, the buggy's engine started and a door slammed shut.
"Whoa Vinnie! I was just thinking..." She then realized the sword on his belt. She winced at it, then immediately decided forget about it.
"Hmm?"
"I know. You don't have to pretend you forgot my birthday."
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
"Aw, come on you don't have to play around anymore. I know you tried foolin' me."
"Hmm, you're pretty smart..."
"Thanks!"
*But not smart enough...hehehe...*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Vincent stopped at a convenience store on the outskirts of Kalm. He wanted to buy a gas canister for the road so they'd never run out. As he walked into the convenience store, he spotted a black-haired girl. She looked in her mid-twenties or so. But to Vincent, she was...strangely familiar.
As he picked out a canister of gas, she stared at the sword on his waist. He just shook of her glance and went to the front counter to pay for it.
"You..." she said blankly. "Let me see that blade..."
Vincent looked at her with surprise.
"I'm sorry but do I know you?"
"You should..." she stared into his eyes with an empty expression on her face. "Let me see that blade."
"No."
"Can you at least remove its case so I can see the blade itself?"
"Why?"
"Because...I need to know..."
Vincent shrugged. What harm could it cost if she just saw it, not had it in her possession?
He drew the blade only halfway, then slid it back into the case.
"I knew it. You're the one..."
"Huh?"
"Thirteen days..."
"Vinnie! Hurry up!" Yuffie called from the buggy as he whipped around to see.
"Uh..." he turned back to the girl, but he saw nothing.
"Wha--? Vanished?!"
"Vinnie!"
"Uh yeah, coming!" he gave the cashier the money for the gas. "That girl..." she began. "I'd stay away from her if I were you." She handed him his change.
"Why?"
"They say she's nothin' but trouble. Keep your distance." She waved him away with her hand. "Move along now, there's nothin' to see here."
Vincent walked out with the canister in his arms.
"I wonder what she was talking about? Thirteen days?" Vincent loaded the gas canister in the back as Yuffie pulled a cassette tape from her pocket. He hopped back in the buggy as she popped it in the tape player.
"What's that?" he asked, starting the buggy and pulling out of Kalm.
"Oh this? I was just gonna listen to my songs on here. I made a mixed tape."
"Really? What kind of songs are on here?"
"Actually, I don't remember, but let's just listen to some..."
"Alright, alright! This is Yuffie's mix tape! Don't y'all DARE to record over this!!" Came Yuffie's voice from the radio. Yuffie giggled. "Oh yeah, now I remember..."
"This is song number one! And a one, and a two, and a one, two, three!"
"Sometimes I get---" [Click!]
"Hey, why'd you change it?" Vincent asked.
"That's one of my favorites, but I've heard it SO much."
"Which one was it?"
"Anything but Ordinary. Like I told you about before."
"Ah, I see. But can we please hear it anyway?"
"Ah...fine..." she turned it back.
~~~Anything but Ordinary Starts~~~
They listen to it and Yuffie hums most of it to herself.
~~~Anything but Ordinary Ends~~~
"Wow, that sounded just like you!" Vincent thought about how it was a little sad as well.
"Cause I sang it, duh!"
"No, no, I mean it's about you. You ARE anything but ordinary!" they both laughed a bit as Yuffie's voice came on the radio again.
"Song two! Hope ya love it!"
"Please tell me what---" [Click!]
"Hey!"
"No. You can't hear that one!" she giggled.
"Why?"
"Because I laughed so much in it and I messed up! I couldn't erase it unless I erased song one as well! So hahaha, I'll play it for you. It was called 'My World.'"
"Hmm, well how about song three?"
"Nah, the rest of the songs I'll play for you. Don't worry."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~30 minutes later~
Vincent concentrated mostly on driving, but his mind couldn't forget about that girl at the convenience store.
*What was she talking about, "Thirteen days"?*
**I never saw her before...**
*Hmm...she seemed familiar in some way...*
Vincent had almost forgotten about Yuffie's presence. He turned his head to the passenger's side of the buggy.
She was sleeping soundly, her head against the window.
"So beautiful..." he whispered.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~10 minutes later~
Yuffie yawned and stretched. "Ahh...nice catnap!" she giggled and looked at the scenery ahead of her. "The Coral Prison desert? What are we doing here?"
"We're just passing it."
"Oh. Can't you tell me where we're going? Pleeeease?"
"It's a secret."
"Aww man..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~10 minutes later~
"Lalala...yeah..." Yuffie sang.
"Hm?"
"Fall back take a look at me and you'll see I'm for real...oh! Oops, kinda dazed out there."
"What was that?"
"Nobody's Fool."
"Hmm I see..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~30 minutes later~
"Hey, we're pulling into Nibelheim...?" Yuffie asked.
"..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~15 minutes later~
Yuffie played with her jacket sleeves as Vincent drove up the rocky hillside. The buggy slid around on the slick, icy snow every once and a while, but he had it under control.
*I wonder what we're doing up here? I thought we were going to Costa Del Sol to relax on a warm vacation, but instead, we're going up snowy mountainsides? Hmm...and I've never seen these mountains before...*
Yuffie thought for awhile.
*The only mountains in Nibelheim I've seen were the ones Tifa, Cloud, and Sephiroth traveled on. No wait...Cloud made up that story. Tifa, Zack, and Sephiroth traveled on it then. Hmmm, still, I've never seen these before. The ones we traveled on didn't have snow and weren't as beautiful as these. I wonder how Vinnie found these?*
Yuffie stared out the window at the falling snow. It was truly beautiful.
Vincent shifted gears on the buggy to make it go uphill. He grunted in frustration a few times from failure.
"Can we make it up?" Yuffie asked.
"Yeah, don't worry."
He finally shifted it into 1st and floored it. The buggy span up the rocky mountainside and managed to make it to the very top. He drove slowly and carefully here.
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After a few more miles of driving in thick, heavy snow, Vincent and Yuffie reached a log cabin that looked as though in was in the middle of nowhere. She put her face against the glass and gasped.
"Whooooa........!" she whispered, not believing what she saw. "It's so beautiful...!"
Vincent smiled when she wasn't looking. He pulled up next to it and switched gears to 'park'.
"Huh? What are we doing?" she asked as he turned off the engine.
"Get out."
She gave him a questionable look, but then shook it off and stepped out of the car. He stepped out along with her.
"Look at it...do you like it?" he asked, walking up to her.
"Yeah...who owns this cabin? They must be lucky to live here!"
"Heh. You do."
"Huh?"
"You live here, Yuffie."
Whoa! Yuffie finally found out the surprise! But...is there more to it than that? Find out next chapter!! Please review!!!!