After Effects
by: Yuffie Kisaragi
(A/N: Wow, this title seems a bit gross, but it's not meant to be. Oh, well! You'll understand it after you read it. Someone e-mailed me asking if this fic was going to have an Aeris resurrection in it, but I can't lie to you all. I absolutely HATE Aeris Gainsborough. She's an annoying brat who is a little do-gooder. So, if she ends up resurrected, you can bet that I'm going to torture her. I'm so happy! ~Hands out pop (soda) and cookies to all her fans, a whole four people!~ I've got two more reviews! WOOHOO! Okay, I'll shut my mouth now so you can get on with the fic! Enjoy!)
Chapter Three: Blood and Roses
"I hoped that maybe one of you might be her blood type." -Lord Godo
Yuffie was awake before anyone else, and hungry. The fire had gone out during the night and whoever was on last watch must've fallen asleep. She sat up and tested her leg, it was swollen and sore, but she thought she'd live. She hooked her leg brace on and cast Cure 3 again. Nothing. The young ninja crawled towards the fire pit, dragging her sore leg.
"Fire," she whispered, and the fire started up again. She leaned back on her hands and watched the sunrise, waiting for everyone else to wake up. The oranges, yellows, and greens looked like a pastel drawing.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Yuffie turned and saw Reno standing behind her.
"Yeah, it's purdy, but sunsets in Wutai atop Da Chao can't be beat. Now, *that's* what you'd call beautiful."
Reno looked down at her curiously. "I thought I told you to keep that leg propped up."
"It's fine. Damn, you're starting to sound like Godo!"
Eventually everyone woke up on their own, except Cid. It took Cloud, Reeve, and Red to wake him up. Tifa made some breakfast and everyone ate well. Cloud walked over to Yuffie when everyone started packing up. "C'mon, I'll carry you to the Highwind."
"I can walk," she replied defiantly and stood up. She tried to take a step and Reno caught her.
"I'll carry her," her said with a shrug. "It's not like she weighs a lot. I actually think she weighs less than my pack."
"No." Yuffie stated firmly. "I just need some support. I can walk." Reno ignored all of her protests and picked her up again. "No!" she screamed one last time.
Reno started walking again, so she gave up, wrapping her arms around his neck again and casting him another dirty look.
By the time they'd reached Wutai, Yuffie had rigged herself a splint and found a set of crutches. It was close to sun set when they arrived, so she excused herself to her room, claiming she was tired. The young ninja disappeared from her room and climbed to the hand of Da Chao to watch the sun set. She carefully sat down and watched the reds, yellows, and purples fill the sky over Wutai.
"You were right. This is beautiful."
"Reno." she stated. "Why did you come here?" She never took her eyes off the horizon, afraid to look at him.
"You said that a sun set atop Da Chao couldn't be beat. You were right, it's much better than the sun rise we saw this morning." He dropped his cigarette on the ground and crushed it with his heel, then sat down next to her. He looked at her face, and she turned and gazed into his blue eyes. His face drifted down to hers, but she turned her head.
"Go away, Reno. You're lonely, so get a few drinks at the bar and go find yourself a hooker." Yuffie struggled to her feet, then made her way down the mountain, leaving Reno befuddled once again.
"Was it something I did?"
The next day, Lord Godo had his physician look at Yuffie's leg.
"Vell, she haz injured eet worze trying to walk on eet. She tore ze cartiledge, which will entail zurgery." ~(A/N: If you're wondering what exactly he said it was "Well, she has injured it worse trying to walk on it. She tore the cartiledge, which will entail surgery." I get really into some of my accents ^_^)~
"Surgery? No way! Not me! I don't tolerate pain very well!" Dr. Odine ignored her protests and scheduled her surgery for later that day. Everyone wished her luck and Tifa hugged her.
Reno walked up to her, "Sorry I misdiagnosed it." Yuffie shrugged, but stayed silent. "You get well soon."
Cloud and Tifa sat on a love seat in their hotel room. "Hope she does all right," Tifa said suddenly.
"She tougher than we give her credit for. Besides, she's matured a lot since we first met her." Tifa smiled and look up at him, then sighed. Yuffie's secret was driving her insane.
"Cloud? Can I tell you something? Without you telling *anyone* else?"
"Of course!"
"Well, y'know how Reno's been really helpful with Yuff alluva sudden?" Cloud nodded. "Well, Yuff kinda...er...likes him now."
Cloud's jaw dropped and his eyes widened. "She WHAT!?!"
"Yeah, I know. And know what's really weird? I overheard Reno talking to Rude about staying in Wutai a little while longer, he was practically begging him to stay." Cloud looked thoughtful. "D'ya think that maybe Reno..."
"No way, Teef! Reno's a Turk, he was probably waiting around for another job to pop up. Besides, he still calls her Pest."
"Yeah, I guess you're right." *Poor Yuffie, though. Hoping for Reno, but the Turk is such a jerk. *
"Lub. Dub.. Lub. Dub.. Lub.. Dub... Lub... Dub...." The heart beat got slower and slower, Sephiroth appeared above the young woman in a pink dress. He came down swiftly, driving his sword through the young woman's chest. Straight through the heart, no one could live through that.
Cloud watched in disbelief as blood poured on the floor beneath her. An evil laugh that had haunted him since he was sixteen rang through the air. Sephiroth looked at him and a chill ran down his spine, then a sudden rage filled him. He tried with all his might to run forward, to hold Aeris in his arms and comfort her in her dying moments.
"No!" He tried to scream, but couldn't. He saw Tifa coming up behind him. Two Sephiroth's appeared, one beside Aeris, who was dying, and one beside Tifa.
"Which one? The one that's alive and breathing? Or the one that's dead? Who are you going to hold onto?" Sephiroth's evil voice asked. Cloud looked at Tifa, her eyes wide with fear, then at Aeris, almost dead. Both Sephiroth's raised their Mesamune's. Cloud lunged at Tifa, shoving her out of the way. "You chose," Sephiroth said and Aeris disappeared.
Yuffie woke up the day after her surgery to balloons and flowers in her hospital room. A nurse walked in carrying a basket and a vase of roses.
"Who're they all from?" Yuffie asked, noticing what was in the basket. Materia.
"Ah, Miss Yuffie, you're awake. They're from Avalanche mostly, but you have a couple of balloons from the Turks, along with an arrangement of flowers from your father."
"Who're those from?" she asked, indicating to the roses.
"Anonymous. Here," she handed the basket of materia to her patient. "The roses have a note with them if you would like to read it."
"Naw, I'll read it once I get home. Wow, I only had a minor surgery and get all this? Wonder what would happen if I got really sick," she said with a sly grin. The nurse shook her head and left after setting down the roses. Yuffie rooted through the materia and found a restore materia, then cast Cure 3 on her incision. It closed up immediately, leaving only a minimum amount of scarring.
A doctor walked in. "Hello, Ms. Kisaragi, I'm Dr. Choffman. I operated on your knee." He looked at her healed up incision. "I see that you've already healed it. Well, I still want you off of it for another day, okay?" He looked around the room. "You must have a lot of friends, how old are you again?"
"Seventeen, eighteen in a month."
"Well, you can go home today. Your knee should be completely healed by the time your birthday rolls around." A blonde nurse walked in pushing a wheel chair. Yuffie reluctantly sat down in it, a new brace on her leg, this one from her thigh to her ankle. The nurse pushed her to the entrance, where a black car and Godo waited for her.
"Oh, Gawd! Do I have to go back there?"
"Yes," Lord Godo replied. "Come on, get into the car." Yuffie got into the backseat, Godo in the passenger's seat, and Shekloft driving.
Vincent sat in the corner of the bar alone when the blonde Turk, Elena, walked over to him. "Mind if I sit here?" she asked.
"Sure."
"Those guys can be such jerks sometimes, especially Reno."
Vincent stared down into his beer, almost surprised by Elena's behavior. Usually she was an annoying busy body who didn't know how to shut up, but she seemed so depressed. "Did he say something that upset you?"
Elena looked at him. "You're not as 'bad-ass-I-don't-care' as everyone thinks you are."
"Yeah, well. Don't let that get around. I *do* have a reputation to keep."
Elena laughed. "Reno told me that I don't I have what it takes to be a Turk, told me that I should be with you all. You know, Avalanche. So, I'm going to quit the Turks."
"And join Avalanche?" Elena nodded. Vincent looked at her clothes. "First, you'd need a wardrobe change."
The soon to be ex-Turk nodded. "I know, I'm going shopping tomorrow. Would you come with me? You could use a wardrobe change too, you know." Vincent looked at his own clothes.
"What's wrong with my wardrobe?"
"Oh, nothing. If you were a vampire."
Yuffie got out of the car and limped up the front steps, it was painful, but she despised crutches. She got inside and saw all of Avalanche plus Marlene, minus Reeve and Vincent.
"Hey!" Tifa said hurrying over to the young materia hunter. "What do you think you're doing without your crutches?"
"I'm fine," Yuffie said. "It ain't nothin' I can't deal with. Where's Vinny and Reeve?"
"Vincent was going to the bar for a while and Reeve will be here shortly," Cid answered.
Yuffie shrugged it off. "Oh, thanks for the new materia, guys!" Tifa looked back at Cloud, who looked at Barret, until everyone in the room was confused. "You didn't get me the materia?"
Tifa shook her head, "No. We sent about a kazillion cards, flowers, and balloons. I don't know who sent you the materia."
"Yuffie, to bed." a voice said from behind her. It was Godo, so she started off. "At! Crutches!" He handed her a set of crutches and she started to protest, but was cut off when three figures appeared in the doorway.
"Hey, gimp," Reeve said, handing her six new materia.
Yuffie grinned broadly, "Thanks!" Than, she started the hop to her room. Cloud looked at Vincent and Elena.
"Why's she here?"
"Because," Vincent started, but Elena shook her head. "She was wondering how Yuffie was doing," he lied.
Reno looked at Rude. "Think we should go check on the Pest?"
Rude looked back at him suspiciously. "I think you like her."
"What!?! No way! I just thought that, well, y'know. Maybe we should check on her. That's all." Reno looked flushed and mighty flustered.
Rude laughed, causing Reno to go crimson. "You like Miss Yuffie Kisaragi." Reno shot him a dagger look. "Okay, we'll go check on her." They paid for their drinks and walked out of the bar towards Godo's palace.
Yuffie finally got situated and started reading the cards she'd received. Most said things like 'Get Well Soon' or 'I Hope You Feel Better.' The roses intrigued her, so she decided to save them for last. When she finally got to them, she smelled them. They were a deep red, almost purple and smelled sweet. She started to open the envelope when her bedroom door opened. In walked the familiar red head Turk, followed by the bald Turk. Yuffie sighed heavily and set the card aside, it would have to wait.
"Hey, Pest," Reno said, sitting down in a chair.
"Whaddya want, Reno? I know you can't be here on 'Official Turk's Business.' And it's highly doubtful that you came to check up on me."
"On the contrary, Yuffie. We came to check up on you."
Yuffie's eyes got wide with surprise. "You used my name! Who are you and what did you do with the heartless Turk named Reno?" Reno's eyes flashed and Rude scoffed. "I take it back, leave him there!"
Rude did his best to cover his laughter, but it didn't work very well. "I know when I'm not wanted," Reno said with mock depression.
"Goodbye, Rude. Bye, Reno." The two Turks walked out of her room. Yuffie yawned and, forgetting all about the roses and the card, fell asleep.
A younger Yuffie, about eleven, walked through the forest alone, waiting for her next victim or victims. A chocobo drawn carriage came along the narrow path. *Must be something important to be guarded by two Turks,* she thought silently. *That would really suck if they suddenly got a broken axle.* She picked up a sharp rock and flung it, hitting her target, and causing the axle to break.
"Shit!" One of the Turks exclaimed. The younger one jumped down and looked at the axle.
"Rach, sir! The axle's been busted! Do we have another axle?"
"Well, Reno, did you pack one?" Rach snapped.
"No, sir. I'm sorry, I must've forgotten."
"You forgot. How the hell did you get made into a Turk? You're too bloody stupid!" Reno looked down at the ground. A shot was fired from somewhere to the right of her and struck Rach dead. Reno looked down the path and a man ran. Reno didn't pursue. Yuffie let a small cry escape her and Reno looked over at her.
"You!" Yuffie turned to run, but underestimated the young man's speed. He caught her arm. "Shit, you can't be more than eight or nine. Where ya from?"
Yuffie shot him a dagger look, "C'mon, lemme go!" She knew not to answer from Wutai. Anyone from Wutai was to be shot on sight, because of the war going on.
"Not until you answer me!"
"Midgar. Sector Seven Slums. Now, lemme go!"
"Sector Seven, eh? Never saw you 'round there before, but I've only been there on Official Turk Business. How old are you?"'
Yuffie, realizing it was useless to try to pull herself free, stopped struggling. "Eleven."
"Really? I'm fifteen." Yuffie realized that the young Turk was alone and let her free hand drop down to her shuriken. "Where's the nearest store?"
"Depends, if you're looking to buy an axle, I can fix it for ya. For a price, of course."
"Okay, if you fix it, I'll let you live." Reno pulled out a gun and held it to her temple. The eleven-year-old's hand dropped away from her shuriken. She pulled away and started to fix the axle. Fifteen minutes later, she woke up, her head hurting severely and a note in her hand.
Tifa followed Cloud on her chocobo. He'd successfully bred four golden chocobos, and they were using two of them. She took a deep breath and rode up beside Cloud. If she was going to tell him, it was now or never. "Cloud? I.." she was cut off by the PHS.
"Hang on a second, Teef." Then into the PHS, "Hello? Shit!" He brought his chocobo to a halt. "Yeah, we'll be there." He turned to Tifa. "We're going back to Wutai. I'll explain it when we get there." They spurred their chocobos on.
Vincent leaned against the wall, waiting for Elena to come out of the dressing room. He didn't have to wait long and she came out wearing a pair of blue jeans and a red halter-top. "What do you think?" she asked, spinning around to show him.
Vincent, realizing his mouth was open, answered quickly. "It looks great. Definitely you." Elena bought the outfit, then ripped out the knees.
"There. Much better." A ringing interrupted them. "Hello?" she said into her cell. "Oh, hello Reno. His name's Vincent not Fang Boy, and yes he's here. Okay, I'll tell him. Bye." She looked at Vincent. "Something's happened to Yuffie. We need to get to Lord Godo's quick."
"Dammit, Shera!" Cid screamed at the woman with luggage leaving. "Get your ass back in here!"
"No, not until you apologize to me for being a jackass. Until then, I'll be living with Elmyra in Somililand." With that, she got into the Tiny Bronco and left. Cid stared at the sky, and the PHS rang.
"Hello? Hey, Barret. Yeah, I'll come get you. Wutai? Shit! Damn, I hope that scrawny ass ninja's okay! Uh-huh! Bye!" Cid got into his newest toy, a jet named Gospel. "For you, Aeris!" was the inscription above the mission room door.
The eleven-year-old Yuffie stood up and stretched trying to shake the throbbing from her head, but the scene whirled. She found herself fighting against Reno and Rude in Gongaga with Cloud and Aeris.
Reno attacked with his nightstick, but she easily dodged. She tried to hit him with her shuriken, but barely missed. "That all you got?" he asked after his close encounter with her shuriken. This set the sixteen- year-old ninja over the edge. She hit him with a Fire2 spell, and Cloud hit him with the cross slash. Reno glanced at his watch.
"Time to go," he said and left. Rude followed shortly after. The scene whirled again and she was in darkness. A female voice that she hadn't heard since she was seven spoke. Her mother's.
"Why do you like that Turk?" she asked angrily. That was the only way Yuffie ever remembered her mother. Angry and screaming. Another voice from her past joined her mother's.
"You know, he liked me."
"Aeris?" Yuffie asked. The ninja girl didn't like Aeris that much when she was alive and didn't have the same trouble as everyone else when she died.
"He told me once when he captured me to take me to Hojo. He even let me off the hook a couple of times. Said that I had a lot of spunkyness." ~(A/N: Is that even a word? My Spell Check let me use it, so I'm guessing it's a word ^_^)~ Yuffie tried to block out the voices.
Another voice joined, Cloud's. "Reno doesn't like you, so get over him already."
Then, Cid's voice. "Don't go wastin' your frickin' time on that jackass!" A hand was on her shoulder. She spun around.
"Reno!?!"
"You've got a lot of guts, Pest. Telling everyone that you like me. I don't like you. So, go away!" The voices all talked at once, then Reno laughed a horrible evil laugh that sounded like Sephiroth's, then everything disappeared. Yuffie collapsed to her knees and sobbed.
"Why are we here?" Tifa asked Lord Godo.
"Yuffie was attacked. Someone slit her wrists and Shake found her near death. She needs blood." He looked around the room, showing his true age on his face for once. "I hoped that maybe one of you might be her blood type."
End of Chapter Three: Blood and Roses
(A/N: WOW! That was really long! Okay, so the title isn't as gruesome now, is it? So.. who's blood will she get? Or will she get the transfusion like she needs? What the hell am I talking about? It's my fic! I already know! hee hee hee! Kay! So, review and I'll update it soon. Oh, yeah! The reason I added the part 'bout Yuffie not really liking Aeris, is because if you pay attention during the game, Aeris and Yuffie don't really get along all that well. So, me being the Aeris Hater I am, I decided to put that tid bit in there. Sorry to those of you who love Aeris, but I thought she was annoying, more so than Yuffie. So, till next time! {I actually sound like me for once! WOOHOO!!} Review!)
by: Yuffie Kisaragi
(A/N: Wow, this title seems a bit gross, but it's not meant to be. Oh, well! You'll understand it after you read it. Someone e-mailed me asking if this fic was going to have an Aeris resurrection in it, but I can't lie to you all. I absolutely HATE Aeris Gainsborough. She's an annoying brat who is a little do-gooder. So, if she ends up resurrected, you can bet that I'm going to torture her. I'm so happy! ~Hands out pop (soda) and cookies to all her fans, a whole four people!~ I've got two more reviews! WOOHOO! Okay, I'll shut my mouth now so you can get on with the fic! Enjoy!)
Chapter Three: Blood and Roses
"I hoped that maybe one of you might be her blood type." -Lord Godo
Yuffie was awake before anyone else, and hungry. The fire had gone out during the night and whoever was on last watch must've fallen asleep. She sat up and tested her leg, it was swollen and sore, but she thought she'd live. She hooked her leg brace on and cast Cure 3 again. Nothing. The young ninja crawled towards the fire pit, dragging her sore leg.
"Fire," she whispered, and the fire started up again. She leaned back on her hands and watched the sunrise, waiting for everyone else to wake up. The oranges, yellows, and greens looked like a pastel drawing.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Yuffie turned and saw Reno standing behind her.
"Yeah, it's purdy, but sunsets in Wutai atop Da Chao can't be beat. Now, *that's* what you'd call beautiful."
Reno looked down at her curiously. "I thought I told you to keep that leg propped up."
"It's fine. Damn, you're starting to sound like Godo!"
Eventually everyone woke up on their own, except Cid. It took Cloud, Reeve, and Red to wake him up. Tifa made some breakfast and everyone ate well. Cloud walked over to Yuffie when everyone started packing up. "C'mon, I'll carry you to the Highwind."
"I can walk," she replied defiantly and stood up. She tried to take a step and Reno caught her.
"I'll carry her," her said with a shrug. "It's not like she weighs a lot. I actually think she weighs less than my pack."
"No." Yuffie stated firmly. "I just need some support. I can walk." Reno ignored all of her protests and picked her up again. "No!" she screamed one last time.
Reno started walking again, so she gave up, wrapping her arms around his neck again and casting him another dirty look.
By the time they'd reached Wutai, Yuffie had rigged herself a splint and found a set of crutches. It was close to sun set when they arrived, so she excused herself to her room, claiming she was tired. The young ninja disappeared from her room and climbed to the hand of Da Chao to watch the sun set. She carefully sat down and watched the reds, yellows, and purples fill the sky over Wutai.
"You were right. This is beautiful."
"Reno." she stated. "Why did you come here?" She never took her eyes off the horizon, afraid to look at him.
"You said that a sun set atop Da Chao couldn't be beat. You were right, it's much better than the sun rise we saw this morning." He dropped his cigarette on the ground and crushed it with his heel, then sat down next to her. He looked at her face, and she turned and gazed into his blue eyes. His face drifted down to hers, but she turned her head.
"Go away, Reno. You're lonely, so get a few drinks at the bar and go find yourself a hooker." Yuffie struggled to her feet, then made her way down the mountain, leaving Reno befuddled once again.
"Was it something I did?"
The next day, Lord Godo had his physician look at Yuffie's leg.
"Vell, she haz injured eet worze trying to walk on eet. She tore ze cartiledge, which will entail zurgery." ~(A/N: If you're wondering what exactly he said it was "Well, she has injured it worse trying to walk on it. She tore the cartiledge, which will entail surgery." I get really into some of my accents ^_^)~
"Surgery? No way! Not me! I don't tolerate pain very well!" Dr. Odine ignored her protests and scheduled her surgery for later that day. Everyone wished her luck and Tifa hugged her.
Reno walked up to her, "Sorry I misdiagnosed it." Yuffie shrugged, but stayed silent. "You get well soon."
Cloud and Tifa sat on a love seat in their hotel room. "Hope she does all right," Tifa said suddenly.
"She tougher than we give her credit for. Besides, she's matured a lot since we first met her." Tifa smiled and look up at him, then sighed. Yuffie's secret was driving her insane.
"Cloud? Can I tell you something? Without you telling *anyone* else?"
"Of course!"
"Well, y'know how Reno's been really helpful with Yuff alluva sudden?" Cloud nodded. "Well, Yuff kinda...er...likes him now."
Cloud's jaw dropped and his eyes widened. "She WHAT!?!"
"Yeah, I know. And know what's really weird? I overheard Reno talking to Rude about staying in Wutai a little while longer, he was practically begging him to stay." Cloud looked thoughtful. "D'ya think that maybe Reno..."
"No way, Teef! Reno's a Turk, he was probably waiting around for another job to pop up. Besides, he still calls her Pest."
"Yeah, I guess you're right." *Poor Yuffie, though. Hoping for Reno, but the Turk is such a jerk. *
"Lub. Dub.. Lub. Dub.. Lub.. Dub... Lub... Dub...." The heart beat got slower and slower, Sephiroth appeared above the young woman in a pink dress. He came down swiftly, driving his sword through the young woman's chest. Straight through the heart, no one could live through that.
Cloud watched in disbelief as blood poured on the floor beneath her. An evil laugh that had haunted him since he was sixteen rang through the air. Sephiroth looked at him and a chill ran down his spine, then a sudden rage filled him. He tried with all his might to run forward, to hold Aeris in his arms and comfort her in her dying moments.
"No!" He tried to scream, but couldn't. He saw Tifa coming up behind him. Two Sephiroth's appeared, one beside Aeris, who was dying, and one beside Tifa.
"Which one? The one that's alive and breathing? Or the one that's dead? Who are you going to hold onto?" Sephiroth's evil voice asked. Cloud looked at Tifa, her eyes wide with fear, then at Aeris, almost dead. Both Sephiroth's raised their Mesamune's. Cloud lunged at Tifa, shoving her out of the way. "You chose," Sephiroth said and Aeris disappeared.
Yuffie woke up the day after her surgery to balloons and flowers in her hospital room. A nurse walked in carrying a basket and a vase of roses.
"Who're they all from?" Yuffie asked, noticing what was in the basket. Materia.
"Ah, Miss Yuffie, you're awake. They're from Avalanche mostly, but you have a couple of balloons from the Turks, along with an arrangement of flowers from your father."
"Who're those from?" she asked, indicating to the roses.
"Anonymous. Here," she handed the basket of materia to her patient. "The roses have a note with them if you would like to read it."
"Naw, I'll read it once I get home. Wow, I only had a minor surgery and get all this? Wonder what would happen if I got really sick," she said with a sly grin. The nurse shook her head and left after setting down the roses. Yuffie rooted through the materia and found a restore materia, then cast Cure 3 on her incision. It closed up immediately, leaving only a minimum amount of scarring.
A doctor walked in. "Hello, Ms. Kisaragi, I'm Dr. Choffman. I operated on your knee." He looked at her healed up incision. "I see that you've already healed it. Well, I still want you off of it for another day, okay?" He looked around the room. "You must have a lot of friends, how old are you again?"
"Seventeen, eighteen in a month."
"Well, you can go home today. Your knee should be completely healed by the time your birthday rolls around." A blonde nurse walked in pushing a wheel chair. Yuffie reluctantly sat down in it, a new brace on her leg, this one from her thigh to her ankle. The nurse pushed her to the entrance, where a black car and Godo waited for her.
"Oh, Gawd! Do I have to go back there?"
"Yes," Lord Godo replied. "Come on, get into the car." Yuffie got into the backseat, Godo in the passenger's seat, and Shekloft driving.
Vincent sat in the corner of the bar alone when the blonde Turk, Elena, walked over to him. "Mind if I sit here?" she asked.
"Sure."
"Those guys can be such jerks sometimes, especially Reno."
Vincent stared down into his beer, almost surprised by Elena's behavior. Usually she was an annoying busy body who didn't know how to shut up, but she seemed so depressed. "Did he say something that upset you?"
Elena looked at him. "You're not as 'bad-ass-I-don't-care' as everyone thinks you are."
"Yeah, well. Don't let that get around. I *do* have a reputation to keep."
Elena laughed. "Reno told me that I don't I have what it takes to be a Turk, told me that I should be with you all. You know, Avalanche. So, I'm going to quit the Turks."
"And join Avalanche?" Elena nodded. Vincent looked at her clothes. "First, you'd need a wardrobe change."
The soon to be ex-Turk nodded. "I know, I'm going shopping tomorrow. Would you come with me? You could use a wardrobe change too, you know." Vincent looked at his own clothes.
"What's wrong with my wardrobe?"
"Oh, nothing. If you were a vampire."
Yuffie got out of the car and limped up the front steps, it was painful, but she despised crutches. She got inside and saw all of Avalanche plus Marlene, minus Reeve and Vincent.
"Hey!" Tifa said hurrying over to the young materia hunter. "What do you think you're doing without your crutches?"
"I'm fine," Yuffie said. "It ain't nothin' I can't deal with. Where's Vinny and Reeve?"
"Vincent was going to the bar for a while and Reeve will be here shortly," Cid answered.
Yuffie shrugged it off. "Oh, thanks for the new materia, guys!" Tifa looked back at Cloud, who looked at Barret, until everyone in the room was confused. "You didn't get me the materia?"
Tifa shook her head, "No. We sent about a kazillion cards, flowers, and balloons. I don't know who sent you the materia."
"Yuffie, to bed." a voice said from behind her. It was Godo, so she started off. "At! Crutches!" He handed her a set of crutches and she started to protest, but was cut off when three figures appeared in the doorway.
"Hey, gimp," Reeve said, handing her six new materia.
Yuffie grinned broadly, "Thanks!" Than, she started the hop to her room. Cloud looked at Vincent and Elena.
"Why's she here?"
"Because," Vincent started, but Elena shook her head. "She was wondering how Yuffie was doing," he lied.
Reno looked at Rude. "Think we should go check on the Pest?"
Rude looked back at him suspiciously. "I think you like her."
"What!?! No way! I just thought that, well, y'know. Maybe we should check on her. That's all." Reno looked flushed and mighty flustered.
Rude laughed, causing Reno to go crimson. "You like Miss Yuffie Kisaragi." Reno shot him a dagger look. "Okay, we'll go check on her." They paid for their drinks and walked out of the bar towards Godo's palace.
Yuffie finally got situated and started reading the cards she'd received. Most said things like 'Get Well Soon' or 'I Hope You Feel Better.' The roses intrigued her, so she decided to save them for last. When she finally got to them, she smelled them. They were a deep red, almost purple and smelled sweet. She started to open the envelope when her bedroom door opened. In walked the familiar red head Turk, followed by the bald Turk. Yuffie sighed heavily and set the card aside, it would have to wait.
"Hey, Pest," Reno said, sitting down in a chair.
"Whaddya want, Reno? I know you can't be here on 'Official Turk's Business.' And it's highly doubtful that you came to check up on me."
"On the contrary, Yuffie. We came to check up on you."
Yuffie's eyes got wide with surprise. "You used my name! Who are you and what did you do with the heartless Turk named Reno?" Reno's eyes flashed and Rude scoffed. "I take it back, leave him there!"
Rude did his best to cover his laughter, but it didn't work very well. "I know when I'm not wanted," Reno said with mock depression.
"Goodbye, Rude. Bye, Reno." The two Turks walked out of her room. Yuffie yawned and, forgetting all about the roses and the card, fell asleep.
A younger Yuffie, about eleven, walked through the forest alone, waiting for her next victim or victims. A chocobo drawn carriage came along the narrow path. *Must be something important to be guarded by two Turks,* she thought silently. *That would really suck if they suddenly got a broken axle.* She picked up a sharp rock and flung it, hitting her target, and causing the axle to break.
"Shit!" One of the Turks exclaimed. The younger one jumped down and looked at the axle.
"Rach, sir! The axle's been busted! Do we have another axle?"
"Well, Reno, did you pack one?" Rach snapped.
"No, sir. I'm sorry, I must've forgotten."
"You forgot. How the hell did you get made into a Turk? You're too bloody stupid!" Reno looked down at the ground. A shot was fired from somewhere to the right of her and struck Rach dead. Reno looked down the path and a man ran. Reno didn't pursue. Yuffie let a small cry escape her and Reno looked over at her.
"You!" Yuffie turned to run, but underestimated the young man's speed. He caught her arm. "Shit, you can't be more than eight or nine. Where ya from?"
Yuffie shot him a dagger look, "C'mon, lemme go!" She knew not to answer from Wutai. Anyone from Wutai was to be shot on sight, because of the war going on.
"Not until you answer me!"
"Midgar. Sector Seven Slums. Now, lemme go!"
"Sector Seven, eh? Never saw you 'round there before, but I've only been there on Official Turk Business. How old are you?"'
Yuffie, realizing it was useless to try to pull herself free, stopped struggling. "Eleven."
"Really? I'm fifteen." Yuffie realized that the young Turk was alone and let her free hand drop down to her shuriken. "Where's the nearest store?"
"Depends, if you're looking to buy an axle, I can fix it for ya. For a price, of course."
"Okay, if you fix it, I'll let you live." Reno pulled out a gun and held it to her temple. The eleven-year-old's hand dropped away from her shuriken. She pulled away and started to fix the axle. Fifteen minutes later, she woke up, her head hurting severely and a note in her hand.
Tifa followed Cloud on her chocobo. He'd successfully bred four golden chocobos, and they were using two of them. She took a deep breath and rode up beside Cloud. If she was going to tell him, it was now or never. "Cloud? I.." she was cut off by the PHS.
"Hang on a second, Teef." Then into the PHS, "Hello? Shit!" He brought his chocobo to a halt. "Yeah, we'll be there." He turned to Tifa. "We're going back to Wutai. I'll explain it when we get there." They spurred their chocobos on.
Vincent leaned against the wall, waiting for Elena to come out of the dressing room. He didn't have to wait long and she came out wearing a pair of blue jeans and a red halter-top. "What do you think?" she asked, spinning around to show him.
Vincent, realizing his mouth was open, answered quickly. "It looks great. Definitely you." Elena bought the outfit, then ripped out the knees.
"There. Much better." A ringing interrupted them. "Hello?" she said into her cell. "Oh, hello Reno. His name's Vincent not Fang Boy, and yes he's here. Okay, I'll tell him. Bye." She looked at Vincent. "Something's happened to Yuffie. We need to get to Lord Godo's quick."
"Dammit, Shera!" Cid screamed at the woman with luggage leaving. "Get your ass back in here!"
"No, not until you apologize to me for being a jackass. Until then, I'll be living with Elmyra in Somililand." With that, she got into the Tiny Bronco and left. Cid stared at the sky, and the PHS rang.
"Hello? Hey, Barret. Yeah, I'll come get you. Wutai? Shit! Damn, I hope that scrawny ass ninja's okay! Uh-huh! Bye!" Cid got into his newest toy, a jet named Gospel. "For you, Aeris!" was the inscription above the mission room door.
The eleven-year-old Yuffie stood up and stretched trying to shake the throbbing from her head, but the scene whirled. She found herself fighting against Reno and Rude in Gongaga with Cloud and Aeris.
Reno attacked with his nightstick, but she easily dodged. She tried to hit him with her shuriken, but barely missed. "That all you got?" he asked after his close encounter with her shuriken. This set the sixteen- year-old ninja over the edge. She hit him with a Fire2 spell, and Cloud hit him with the cross slash. Reno glanced at his watch.
"Time to go," he said and left. Rude followed shortly after. The scene whirled again and she was in darkness. A female voice that she hadn't heard since she was seven spoke. Her mother's.
"Why do you like that Turk?" she asked angrily. That was the only way Yuffie ever remembered her mother. Angry and screaming. Another voice from her past joined her mother's.
"You know, he liked me."
"Aeris?" Yuffie asked. The ninja girl didn't like Aeris that much when she was alive and didn't have the same trouble as everyone else when she died.
"He told me once when he captured me to take me to Hojo. He even let me off the hook a couple of times. Said that I had a lot of spunkyness." ~(A/N: Is that even a word? My Spell Check let me use it, so I'm guessing it's a word ^_^)~ Yuffie tried to block out the voices.
Another voice joined, Cloud's. "Reno doesn't like you, so get over him already."
Then, Cid's voice. "Don't go wastin' your frickin' time on that jackass!" A hand was on her shoulder. She spun around.
"Reno!?!"
"You've got a lot of guts, Pest. Telling everyone that you like me. I don't like you. So, go away!" The voices all talked at once, then Reno laughed a horrible evil laugh that sounded like Sephiroth's, then everything disappeared. Yuffie collapsed to her knees and sobbed.
"Why are we here?" Tifa asked Lord Godo.
"Yuffie was attacked. Someone slit her wrists and Shake found her near death. She needs blood." He looked around the room, showing his true age on his face for once. "I hoped that maybe one of you might be her blood type."
End of Chapter Three: Blood and Roses
(A/N: WOW! That was really long! Okay, so the title isn't as gruesome now, is it? So.. who's blood will she get? Or will she get the transfusion like she needs? What the hell am I talking about? It's my fic! I already know! hee hee hee! Kay! So, review and I'll update it soon. Oh, yeah! The reason I added the part 'bout Yuffie not really liking Aeris, is because if you pay attention during the game, Aeris and Yuffie don't really get along all that well. So, me being the Aeris Hater I am, I decided to put that tid bit in there. Sorry to those of you who love Aeris, but I thought she was annoying, more so than Yuffie. So, till next time! {I actually sound like me for once! WOOHOO!!} Review!)
