There's somethin' happenin' here. What it is ain't exactly clear. There's a man with a gun over there. A-tellin' me I've got to beware. Wait, that's just Vincent. That should set the tone for the rest of this chapter. I don't own any direct part of Final Fantasy or the above lyrics, which belong to (acording to Getlyrical.com) Buffalo Springfield.
Vincent and Yuffie left as soon as the laundry came back. Stopping by to meet with Esther, they picked up Cloud's Chocobo and left. The trip across the land and sea to Wutai was uneventful, as Yuffie's mind was preoccupied on other matters. Vincent was busy with the Chocobo, but not to busy to think things over about Yuffie. As things happened, the sun set and it was nearing time to find a place to sleep. It had been late in the day when they had left, so they hadn't gone far. Vincent looked ahead for a good place to stop for the night. In the distance there was a small town, glowing with light against the shadowy Nibel mountains. It was Nibelheim. Vincent shuddered in memory of all true horrors that had come from that place, but seeing as there was little other choice, Vincent steered the Chocobo toward town.
Yuffie was a bit bothered. She felt that something was wrong. She couldn't tell what was wrong, just something strange was happening at this time. She had spent years after the defeat of Sephiroth practicing the detection of materia. She could even sense when it was being used. Someone up ahead was using materia, powerful materia. Something odd was going on. Looking around Vincent's shoulder, Yuffie spied the town they were heading to. Yuffie looked around and recognized the location as Nibelheim. Doubt struck Yuffie, though she couldn't tell why.
"What do you mean 'no rooms?'"
"Just as I said, we have no rooms available tonight. I'm sorry but some people just came in before you did. I operate a first come, first served basis."
"This is the only inn in town. Where the hell are we supposed to go?"
"I'd say the item store to buy a tent. That's your only option. Sorry and please, come again."
Yuffie left the inn in disgust.
"I'll come again, as soon as I get a Fire materia."
"Let's not add arson to the charges already against you Yuffie."
"Dammit Vincent! Don't sneak up on me. I wasn't serious. I'm just angry."
"I know, something's wrong, isn't there?"
"You noticed? Where to start?"
"The fact that it was dinner-time and no one was at the table. There were no sounds coming from upstairs. And all the room keys were still on the pegs."
"Missed the dinner table, but I got one you didn't. The was a man on the stairs. Using a materia. A yellow materia. A Manipulate materia. Something's up and I don't like it. But that doesn't help the fact that we have no place to go."
"We could get that tent."
"Two problems with that. The item shop's closed. And the man with the materia is watching us from the window of the inn."
"Really? Shall I try for a head shot?"
"No. What good would that do?"
"There is one other option."
"Which is?"
"We are in Nibelheim."
"No, really? I could not tell."
"There is one house we could stay at."
"I don't like were this is going."
"The Shin Ra mansion."
"I knew you were going to say that. And there's no other choice."
Yuffie spun around to face the man in the window.
"You jerk! I'll find you! And I'll make you pay for making stay in a creepy, messed up mansion! Good-bye!"
Yuffie marched towards the Shin Ra mansion, not looking back. Vincent looked up to see the man's silhouette give him a thumbs up sign. Vincent uncomfortably returned it.
"That guy's just weird."
"Hello? Anyone here? 'Cause if you are, I'll kick your ass! Hey Vince! I don't think anyone's here."
"Rule one of living a long happy life is to never annoy an angry woman who is your equal. Rule two: if you find that woman, marry her."
"Where the hell did you pick that up?"
"Don't know. Some guy I carried bags for at Gold Saucer I think."
"So why bring it up now?"
"Seemed relevant somehow."
"That's just great. Some jerk has a vendetta against me and you're going all philosophical on me. So where are the beds? I could use some sleep."
"I think we had better find a safe place to rest first."
"Why?"
"The welcoming committee."
Off to their right was a large group of various monsters. They stared at Yuffie and Vincent hungrily.
"When I say so, go to the conservatory. Go!"
Yuffie dashed to the right, through the hallway and skidded to a halt. A pack of Dorky Faces twisted around to face her. A Ghirofelgo dropped from the ceiling to hang over the Faces. Vincent wasn't right behind her and Yuffie panicked. She threw her Conformer as hard as she could and, by more luck that skill, severed the chain that the Ghirofelgo was hanging from. The monster guillotined the Faces before cutting through the floor. Yuffie caught her weapon and stared at the strange turn of events. With a bang from his Death Penalty, Vincent rushed into the room and slammed the door shut. Grabbing some nearby timber, Vincent braced the door.
"So, when you planed the part of us going in here, did you have a plan to get us out? Alive mind you!"
"You brace the other door and I'll worry about getting us out of here."
"What the hell are you going to do?"
"Play the piano."
"What?"
"Brace that door. I need a minute."
"You lost your mind."
Yuffie ran to the other door and shut it closed. Looking around she found a couple of barrels and moved them in front of the door. Checking on Vincent, Yuffie saw he was playing a fast tune on the piano.
Vincent strained to remember the melody. He had only heard it once and was trying to play by ear. Meanwhile the monsters were breaking in, howling for blood. Vincent tried again and, this time, got it right. A door opened in the wall.
"Yuffie! Over here."
Yuffie ran over as fast as she could and followed Vincent through the door. Silently, the door closed behind her. It was pitch black. There was no light to be seen. Yuffie stumbled around blindly, trying to find her way. Curse you Vincent, she thought, where are you? All of a sudden, the ground beneath her fell through, with Yuffie along with it. She fell for several meters before landing on a large soft something. Hoping it wasn't Vincent or some now very angry creature, Yuffie backed away. Straight into a figure standing behind her. Lashing out, Yuffie was stopped by an arm that seemed to be covered in metal.
Vincent flipped the light switch. Yuffie blinked in surprise as she realized that she had almost decked Vincent. Looking around for whatever she had fallen on, she was pleasantly surprised for it to turn out to be a large mattress.
"What the ^*%(&ing hell did you think you were doing? Forget that! Were you even thinking? What the hell was that?"
"A secret passage."
"Don't give me that! I just nearly had a heart attack and you give me that? Now before I blast you into oblivion, I'll give you the chance to explain yourself."
"While the Jenova project was still in progress, I saw Hojo play a tune on the piano upstairs and go into this door. I imagine that this is his own little lab for whatever. I don't know. I never had access to that info and I didn't know where everyone spent most of their time. I don't know what's down here, but I can guess."
"Why didn't I stay upstairs with all the nice monsters? So, what now?"
"Look around I guess. Try to find a way out."
"Could this get even worse?"
From behind Vincent, a door opened. A man walked in.
"Hello? Dr. Hojo? You there?"
Let me know about this little number I threw your way. Who is this mystery man? What is going to happen? Why am I asking questions that only I know the answers to? Will more than one person ever review my story? Am I just that horrible a Writer? Will these questions ever end? Yes, Read & Review please.
Vincent and Yuffie left as soon as the laundry came back. Stopping by to meet with Esther, they picked up Cloud's Chocobo and left. The trip across the land and sea to Wutai was uneventful, as Yuffie's mind was preoccupied on other matters. Vincent was busy with the Chocobo, but not to busy to think things over about Yuffie. As things happened, the sun set and it was nearing time to find a place to sleep. It had been late in the day when they had left, so they hadn't gone far. Vincent looked ahead for a good place to stop for the night. In the distance there was a small town, glowing with light against the shadowy Nibel mountains. It was Nibelheim. Vincent shuddered in memory of all true horrors that had come from that place, but seeing as there was little other choice, Vincent steered the Chocobo toward town.
Yuffie was a bit bothered. She felt that something was wrong. She couldn't tell what was wrong, just something strange was happening at this time. She had spent years after the defeat of Sephiroth practicing the detection of materia. She could even sense when it was being used. Someone up ahead was using materia, powerful materia. Something odd was going on. Looking around Vincent's shoulder, Yuffie spied the town they were heading to. Yuffie looked around and recognized the location as Nibelheim. Doubt struck Yuffie, though she couldn't tell why.
"What do you mean 'no rooms?'"
"Just as I said, we have no rooms available tonight. I'm sorry but some people just came in before you did. I operate a first come, first served basis."
"This is the only inn in town. Where the hell are we supposed to go?"
"I'd say the item store to buy a tent. That's your only option. Sorry and please, come again."
Yuffie left the inn in disgust.
"I'll come again, as soon as I get a Fire materia."
"Let's not add arson to the charges already against you Yuffie."
"Dammit Vincent! Don't sneak up on me. I wasn't serious. I'm just angry."
"I know, something's wrong, isn't there?"
"You noticed? Where to start?"
"The fact that it was dinner-time and no one was at the table. There were no sounds coming from upstairs. And all the room keys were still on the pegs."
"Missed the dinner table, but I got one you didn't. The was a man on the stairs. Using a materia. A yellow materia. A Manipulate materia. Something's up and I don't like it. But that doesn't help the fact that we have no place to go."
"We could get that tent."
"Two problems with that. The item shop's closed. And the man with the materia is watching us from the window of the inn."
"Really? Shall I try for a head shot?"
"No. What good would that do?"
"There is one other option."
"Which is?"
"We are in Nibelheim."
"No, really? I could not tell."
"There is one house we could stay at."
"I don't like were this is going."
"The Shin Ra mansion."
"I knew you were going to say that. And there's no other choice."
Yuffie spun around to face the man in the window.
"You jerk! I'll find you! And I'll make you pay for making stay in a creepy, messed up mansion! Good-bye!"
Yuffie marched towards the Shin Ra mansion, not looking back. Vincent looked up to see the man's silhouette give him a thumbs up sign. Vincent uncomfortably returned it.
"That guy's just weird."
"Hello? Anyone here? 'Cause if you are, I'll kick your ass! Hey Vince! I don't think anyone's here."
"Rule one of living a long happy life is to never annoy an angry woman who is your equal. Rule two: if you find that woman, marry her."
"Where the hell did you pick that up?"
"Don't know. Some guy I carried bags for at Gold Saucer I think."
"So why bring it up now?"
"Seemed relevant somehow."
"That's just great. Some jerk has a vendetta against me and you're going all philosophical on me. So where are the beds? I could use some sleep."
"I think we had better find a safe place to rest first."
"Why?"
"The welcoming committee."
Off to their right was a large group of various monsters. They stared at Yuffie and Vincent hungrily.
"When I say so, go to the conservatory. Go!"
Yuffie dashed to the right, through the hallway and skidded to a halt. A pack of Dorky Faces twisted around to face her. A Ghirofelgo dropped from the ceiling to hang over the Faces. Vincent wasn't right behind her and Yuffie panicked. She threw her Conformer as hard as she could and, by more luck that skill, severed the chain that the Ghirofelgo was hanging from. The monster guillotined the Faces before cutting through the floor. Yuffie caught her weapon and stared at the strange turn of events. With a bang from his Death Penalty, Vincent rushed into the room and slammed the door shut. Grabbing some nearby timber, Vincent braced the door.
"So, when you planed the part of us going in here, did you have a plan to get us out? Alive mind you!"
"You brace the other door and I'll worry about getting us out of here."
"What the hell are you going to do?"
"Play the piano."
"What?"
"Brace that door. I need a minute."
"You lost your mind."
Yuffie ran to the other door and shut it closed. Looking around she found a couple of barrels and moved them in front of the door. Checking on Vincent, Yuffie saw he was playing a fast tune on the piano.
Vincent strained to remember the melody. He had only heard it once and was trying to play by ear. Meanwhile the monsters were breaking in, howling for blood. Vincent tried again and, this time, got it right. A door opened in the wall.
"Yuffie! Over here."
Yuffie ran over as fast as she could and followed Vincent through the door. Silently, the door closed behind her. It was pitch black. There was no light to be seen. Yuffie stumbled around blindly, trying to find her way. Curse you Vincent, she thought, where are you? All of a sudden, the ground beneath her fell through, with Yuffie along with it. She fell for several meters before landing on a large soft something. Hoping it wasn't Vincent or some now very angry creature, Yuffie backed away. Straight into a figure standing behind her. Lashing out, Yuffie was stopped by an arm that seemed to be covered in metal.
Vincent flipped the light switch. Yuffie blinked in surprise as she realized that she had almost decked Vincent. Looking around for whatever she had fallen on, she was pleasantly surprised for it to turn out to be a large mattress.
"What the ^*%(&ing hell did you think you were doing? Forget that! Were you even thinking? What the hell was that?"
"A secret passage."
"Don't give me that! I just nearly had a heart attack and you give me that? Now before I blast you into oblivion, I'll give you the chance to explain yourself."
"While the Jenova project was still in progress, I saw Hojo play a tune on the piano upstairs and go into this door. I imagine that this is his own little lab for whatever. I don't know. I never had access to that info and I didn't know where everyone spent most of their time. I don't know what's down here, but I can guess."
"Why didn't I stay upstairs with all the nice monsters? So, what now?"
"Look around I guess. Try to find a way out."
"Could this get even worse?"
From behind Vincent, a door opened. A man walked in.
"Hello? Dr. Hojo? You there?"
Let me know about this little number I threw your way. Who is this mystery man? What is going to happen? Why am I asking questions that only I know the answers to? Will more than one person ever review my story? Am I just that horrible a Writer? Will these questions ever end? Yes, Read & Review please.
