Welcome back!!! ^_^ Thanks to everyone who reviewed. I read every comment
and they're all very important to me. Thanks again, and here's the chapter.
BTW, there's kinda some attempted Yuffentine in here. Not a lot, just a bit
of crap. I'm not much of a romance author though, so sorry... ^^;;
~*~
{ CHAPTER IV ~ QUESTIONS }
Yuffie and Vincent walked through the outside of the canyon. There was red dust everywhere, and the whole field was silent. Yuffie hated it.
'Why do we have to be in Cosmo Canyon, anyway?' she thought angrily, 'I just wanna go home to Wutai... Now, we're getting caught up in this! And what's the point of walking around this place all day?' Yuffie never hesitated to express her anger, even if in minor ways. She kicked at the dust. Unfortunately, she put too much force into it. Dust went flying everywhere and dirtied hers and Vincent's shoes.
"Is something wrong?" Vincent asked in his usual cold tone. Yuffie wasn't surprised at the question. She was too pissed off to be surprised. Besides, Vincent had given clues that he cared for Yuffie all day. She didn't make much of it, just ignored the subject.
"..." Yuffie didn't answer. She climbed onto a boulder and sat there, looking over the gigantic canyon. Vincent took a seat beside her. Yuffie, once again, didn't act surprised. She was too tired. It was only around 4:00 P.M., but then again, she wasn't physically tired... Yuffie was tired in her heart. Worn out, angry. She only wanted to relax.
"Can I talk to you?" Yuffie asked suddenly, looking over at Vincent. She wanted to collapse. Yuffie herself could tell that she was half- unconscious, so she decided to let Vincent know and then drop all her feelings onto him.
"What?"
"Why do you still love Lucrecia?"
Vincent raised an eyebrow. He definitely didn't expect to hear that. Yuffie glanced at him, then returned her stare to the deep red canyon. What should he do? Answer her? Truthfully?
"I don't."
Yuffie leaned forward and wrapped her hands around her knees. "I mean, she's dead... And she never loved you..."
"Did you hear me? I don't."
She glanced his way, putting on the most surprised look she could. Considering how tired she was, it didn't look all that convincing. "What?"
"I love her, but in a distant way... I've faced the facts, and everyone was right. She didn't care. I love her with all my heart, but because she didn't love me back, I can only love her half-way."
Yuffie understood for the first time. "Don't say that. She--"
Vincent shook his head. "Stop."
The two sat there for a while, silent. Half an hour or so passed. The canyon slightly darkened with the setting sun. Vincent stood up and glanced at Yuffie. She was leaning on the boulder, her eyes closed. Her hands were placed under her head in a graceful position, like an angel's. Vincent neared closer.
"Let's go back."
Yuffie nodded in a sleepy-like state and stood. The two headed back to the town.
~*~
"This is it... A long time ago, I promised Biggs, Wedge, and Jessie that I would bring them to this spot..." Barret smiled weakly. He looked around the area, taking in the beautiful sight. Barret, Red XIII, and Cait Sith stood at in the center of the canyon, at Cosmo Candle. The fire burned softly, crackling and sending sparks to the ground. Cait Sith looked at Barret consolingly.
'He's gone through a lot,' Cait Sith thought. Losing his wife and friends, trying to battle ShinRa...
Barret gazed at the fire. He finally looked up. "What time is it?"
"Somewhere around 4:00," Red XIII informed. Barret sat back and stared up at the sky. Crimson clouds floated by, concealing spots of vivid orange and yellow. He smiled.
'You're up there, aren't you? Jessie, Biggs, Wedge... You three are watching over me. Over all of us.' Emotions dropped on him, tearing Barret apart, begging to take over his mind. Barret would have none of that. He wasn't weak. '...Thanks.' His thoughts ended at that.
Barret sat up and looked at Red XIII and Cait Sith. Red was sprawled on the ground, his paws cradling his head. The tiger-like creature kept close to the fire, the warmth engulfing his body. Cait Sith leaned on Mog, his eyes half-closed.
'They're not ready to go... Might as well enjoy the moment.' Barret leaned back and closed his eyes.
~*~
"Are you two just gonna stay here?" Bugenhagen questioned.
"Where do you suggest we go?" Cid grinned softly.
"Buy something for your friends, the shops are open," Bugenhagen said as he turned back to his books. He was clearly annoyed at the couple.
"Don't have any gil." Cid flashed an annoying smile.
"Cid, let's go check on the pilots in training." Shera didn't want to bother Red's grandfather anymore. He was kind enough to let them stay at his lab for the day, after all. She grabbed Cid's arm and pulled him outside.
"What do you think you're doing, bothering an old man?" Shera hissed. "He didn't do anything to us!"
"Hey, sorry--" Cid stopped mid-sentence. He stared behind Shera, his eyes widening.
"What's wrong?" The expression on her face softened. Cid looked serious. If there was a cigar in his mouth right now, it would fall out. Shera turned slowly and followed Cid's eyes up to the planetarium.
"See that spot? It's glowing..." Cid said, keeping his gaze focused. Shera nodded. Outside the planetarium, a small area was lit with a white glow.
"What is it?" Shera asked in wonder.
"I don't know... Let's go back and ask."
"No! You're not bothering Bugenhagen anymore!"
"I won't. I just want to know what that glowing area is. Look, we helped save the world. That planetarium is open to us and we're entitled to barge in there."
Shera smiled softly. "You're right. Let's go."
The two ran back into the lab. Bugenhagen turned at the sound of the shutting door.
"Back already?" Bugenhagen's eyes landed on Cid and Shera. "Oh, you two again."
"We saw a glowing area outside the planetarium, in the wall." Cid's eyes flashed. He stared at Bugenhagen firmly.
"Tell us. What is it?" Shera spoke up.
Cid could tell that he was making the old man uncomfortable. Bugenhagen bit his lip and shifted slightly. Cid liked it. It was about time that some answers were cleared up.
"Alright... I'll explain everything. Let's just wait til the others get back," Bugenhagen said. He turned around and shut his eyes tightly, regretting his decision...
~*~
~*~
{ CHAPTER IV ~ QUESTIONS }
Yuffie and Vincent walked through the outside of the canyon. There was red dust everywhere, and the whole field was silent. Yuffie hated it.
'Why do we have to be in Cosmo Canyon, anyway?' she thought angrily, 'I just wanna go home to Wutai... Now, we're getting caught up in this! And what's the point of walking around this place all day?' Yuffie never hesitated to express her anger, even if in minor ways. She kicked at the dust. Unfortunately, she put too much force into it. Dust went flying everywhere and dirtied hers and Vincent's shoes.
"Is something wrong?" Vincent asked in his usual cold tone. Yuffie wasn't surprised at the question. She was too pissed off to be surprised. Besides, Vincent had given clues that he cared for Yuffie all day. She didn't make much of it, just ignored the subject.
"..." Yuffie didn't answer. She climbed onto a boulder and sat there, looking over the gigantic canyon. Vincent took a seat beside her. Yuffie, once again, didn't act surprised. She was too tired. It was only around 4:00 P.M., but then again, she wasn't physically tired... Yuffie was tired in her heart. Worn out, angry. She only wanted to relax.
"Can I talk to you?" Yuffie asked suddenly, looking over at Vincent. She wanted to collapse. Yuffie herself could tell that she was half- unconscious, so she decided to let Vincent know and then drop all her feelings onto him.
"What?"
"Why do you still love Lucrecia?"
Vincent raised an eyebrow. He definitely didn't expect to hear that. Yuffie glanced at him, then returned her stare to the deep red canyon. What should he do? Answer her? Truthfully?
"I don't."
Yuffie leaned forward and wrapped her hands around her knees. "I mean, she's dead... And she never loved you..."
"Did you hear me? I don't."
She glanced his way, putting on the most surprised look she could. Considering how tired she was, it didn't look all that convincing. "What?"
"I love her, but in a distant way... I've faced the facts, and everyone was right. She didn't care. I love her with all my heart, but because she didn't love me back, I can only love her half-way."
Yuffie understood for the first time. "Don't say that. She--"
Vincent shook his head. "Stop."
The two sat there for a while, silent. Half an hour or so passed. The canyon slightly darkened with the setting sun. Vincent stood up and glanced at Yuffie. She was leaning on the boulder, her eyes closed. Her hands were placed under her head in a graceful position, like an angel's. Vincent neared closer.
"Let's go back."
Yuffie nodded in a sleepy-like state and stood. The two headed back to the town.
~*~
"This is it... A long time ago, I promised Biggs, Wedge, and Jessie that I would bring them to this spot..." Barret smiled weakly. He looked around the area, taking in the beautiful sight. Barret, Red XIII, and Cait Sith stood at in the center of the canyon, at Cosmo Candle. The fire burned softly, crackling and sending sparks to the ground. Cait Sith looked at Barret consolingly.
'He's gone through a lot,' Cait Sith thought. Losing his wife and friends, trying to battle ShinRa...
Barret gazed at the fire. He finally looked up. "What time is it?"
"Somewhere around 4:00," Red XIII informed. Barret sat back and stared up at the sky. Crimson clouds floated by, concealing spots of vivid orange and yellow. He smiled.
'You're up there, aren't you? Jessie, Biggs, Wedge... You three are watching over me. Over all of us.' Emotions dropped on him, tearing Barret apart, begging to take over his mind. Barret would have none of that. He wasn't weak. '...Thanks.' His thoughts ended at that.
Barret sat up and looked at Red XIII and Cait Sith. Red was sprawled on the ground, his paws cradling his head. The tiger-like creature kept close to the fire, the warmth engulfing his body. Cait Sith leaned on Mog, his eyes half-closed.
'They're not ready to go... Might as well enjoy the moment.' Barret leaned back and closed his eyes.
~*~
"Are you two just gonna stay here?" Bugenhagen questioned.
"Where do you suggest we go?" Cid grinned softly.
"Buy something for your friends, the shops are open," Bugenhagen said as he turned back to his books. He was clearly annoyed at the couple.
"Don't have any gil." Cid flashed an annoying smile.
"Cid, let's go check on the pilots in training." Shera didn't want to bother Red's grandfather anymore. He was kind enough to let them stay at his lab for the day, after all. She grabbed Cid's arm and pulled him outside.
"What do you think you're doing, bothering an old man?" Shera hissed. "He didn't do anything to us!"
"Hey, sorry--" Cid stopped mid-sentence. He stared behind Shera, his eyes widening.
"What's wrong?" The expression on her face softened. Cid looked serious. If there was a cigar in his mouth right now, it would fall out. Shera turned slowly and followed Cid's eyes up to the planetarium.
"See that spot? It's glowing..." Cid said, keeping his gaze focused. Shera nodded. Outside the planetarium, a small area was lit with a white glow.
"What is it?" Shera asked in wonder.
"I don't know... Let's go back and ask."
"No! You're not bothering Bugenhagen anymore!"
"I won't. I just want to know what that glowing area is. Look, we helped save the world. That planetarium is open to us and we're entitled to barge in there."
Shera smiled softly. "You're right. Let's go."
The two ran back into the lab. Bugenhagen turned at the sound of the shutting door.
"Back already?" Bugenhagen's eyes landed on Cid and Shera. "Oh, you two again."
"We saw a glowing area outside the planetarium, in the wall." Cid's eyes flashed. He stared at Bugenhagen firmly.
"Tell us. What is it?" Shera spoke up.
Cid could tell that he was making the old man uncomfortable. Bugenhagen bit his lip and shifted slightly. Cid liked it. It was about time that some answers were cleared up.
"Alright... I'll explain everything. Let's just wait til the others get back," Bugenhagen said. He turned around and shut his eyes tightly, regretting his decision...
~*~