Disclaimer: None of the characters are mine except for Caine Stokes.
"Oh my gawd, is that you, Squall?" Asked the busty brunette who had been training in the mountains. The village obviously wasn't far. Rinoa smiled sweetly at the young woman."Yes, Tifa. How is Quistis?" Squall responded. She frowned and bit her lower lip, a habit Yuffie also had. Squall was momentarily lost in thought of Yuffie doing exactly that while they trained. Whenever she was thinking, she would bite her lip."Quistis is still here... but, Rinoa, we need your healing. I... I'm not much of a healer and neither is Vincent. You know that." Tifa and Aerith had quietly competed for Cloud for years. Therefore, most people knew each person's ability. When it became obvious that Aerith had an affinity for healing – and healers were said to have pure hearts – Cloud had chosen her. All this when they were only teenagers. But Cloud and Aerith were destined for each other and Tifa had resigned herself to that. And Vincent wasn't a healer because he had inherited Chaos. People preferred not to speak of the beast."Well," she said after a moment of thought, "why don't we talk on the way to the village. Zidane is guarding the village and pumping Potions into Quistis. Vincent is... somewhere. Vincent, do you lurk?" She asked, a smile sneaking its way onto her lips.Vincent Valentine seemed to materialize behind them, his long red cape billowing in the brisk wind. He hadn't changed at all. When both young men were 16 and in the same class, a sort of friendship bonded them. They were very alike, as both were quiet, stoic, and known to be cold.Squall turned and looked Vincent straight in the eye for all of ten seconds. The cape-wearing man knew something, Squall just wasn't sure what. He sensed it had to do with Yuffie."Hey Vincent," Rinoa said cheerily. Back before the Heartless, Rinoa wouldn't have even raised her hand to wave. Squall knew that things were different when Vincent walked over to Tifa and the woman hugged him. Squall raised his eyebrows but said nothing."Leonhart," Vincent deadpanned as a greeting. Tifa smiled at him and looked like she was absolutely entranced."Valentine," Squall replied in his deep monotone. The men almost sounded the same. There were subtle differences, but both had deep timbres and the monotone Yuffie loved to tease Squall about. "It's been a while.""Yes."That was the entire conversation, and both women were a little confused. They used to be best friends, for heaven's sake!"Vincent is happy to see you, it's just that he's..." Tifa tried to explain. Squall nodded."I know."There was an odd silence before Vincent turned and started towards the village, Squall presumed. Yes, Vincent Valentine knew something, but was waiting for the opportune moment to tell Squall.After hiking a few small, snow-topped hills, their feet crunching in the snow, the group stopped at the summit and looked down into the spacious valley below. The lush valley was filled with trees – some of them fruit trees – and grass. There was a small stream running through it. They descended the hill.A young man, possibly 18 or 19, came running up to the foursome. His monkey tail twitched behind him. He reminded Squall of Sora a little bit. Squall remember Zidane, one of Yuffie's more annoying friends from back when."What's wrong, Zidane?" Rinoa asked the young man who was breathing hard."Quistis is in great need of your magic. You've got to hurry, Rinoa. I'm not so sure she'll make it out of this one," he panted. Rinoa nodded and ran as fast as she could towards the village. Vincent's red eyes seemed to spark and fire for a moment, then he sprouted wings. Yes, he had large, pointy black wings that unfurled from his back. Vincent followed Rinoa while Tifa, Zidane, and Squall continued at their fast walk."So, Vincent has learned to control Chaos," Squall stated as he watched the man swoop towards the running blue figure on the ground. Tifa nodded but said nothing. Something briefly flickered in her eyes, but then she was back to her normal self. "You two are together now too.""Yes. We have been for 2 years now. We want to get married, but have decided to wait until Hollow Bastion is back to normal. That may be awhile, considering the Heartless situation. But still," she sighed, "it's nice to dream that we could be married."Squall paused a moment before saying, "Hollow Bastion could be rid of the Heartless any day now. The Key has made it here." Both Zidane and Tifa looked puzzled, but Squall chose not to explain it. Let Rinoa tell them."You are Squall Leonhart, right?" Zidane asked suddenly. It occurred to Squall that he had had no connection to the boy except through Yuffie. It was funny that Squall's thoughts seemed to revolve around Yuffie more and more. "You babysat Yuffie Kisaragi and I when... well, before the Heartless. She was one crazy kid. But no one has heard about her for 9 years. Hey, we thought you were dead. Maybe she's out there somewhere." Suddenly, the monkey boy seemed to energize. "Have you seen Garnet? Last time I saw her, we were only kids. But still... have you see her?" Squall mutely shook his head.The great swooping form of Vincent Valentine descended upon the handful of makeshift buildings ahead of the walkers. Squall could no longer see Rinoa, but trusted that she was close to the village."Have you see Cloud?" Tifa asked out of the blue. Squall was only mildly surprise. Why hadn't it occurred to him that visiting friends from the past would hurt, a sting of things gone?"No. But Aerith is alive. I've lived with her and... Cid Highwind for 9 years."Tifa's jaw fell open and she clapped her hands excitedly for a few moments. "Really? Aerith's alive! Wow. I can't wait until I see her again." Each member of the party was then thrown into their own memories of the past.
"Come on, Quistis! You can make it. Just hold on," Rinoa encouraged the young woman who was currently fighting a failing battle with a fever. Rinoa murmured several Curagas over the woman to knock her out and ease the pain. Squall stood by the doorway, looking on with his mask of apathy."What's wrong with her?" Squall asked, stepping forward and towards the small pallet on the floor where Quistis lay. Rinoa soundlessly pulled back the white sheet from over her chest. Quistis wore wrappings to keep her proper, but there was an angry green and red cut running across her chest."It's infected. The infection is slowly progressing to her heart. Once it spreads there, well... she'll die. I can make sure she doesn't suffer when she dies, but I can't stop the infection. I've tried everything." Rinoa sighed and shook her head. "She'll probably die within a week or so. But I guess that's the way of things." She covered Quistis back up and rested her hand on the woman's shoulder a moment before standing."At least you'll make her happy. Lately, she's been sort of delirious. Whenever Vincent talks around her or to her, she thinks it's you. Quistis has missed you a lot," Rinoa observed quietly so as not to wake the young woman up. "That spell wasn't all that powerful. I think I'm losing it." She shook her head. "But, anyway, she'll be awake in an hour. You can visit her then." Squall nodded and followed Rinoa out of the room.A wave of scents assaulted Squall's nose the moment he stepped through the doorway. He realized that he hadn't eaten a decent meal in weeks
.
"Hellloooo? Squall? Squall? Squallikins?!" Rinoa called, trying to get his attention. He snapped out of his reverie.
"You've changed," Squall solemnly told the raven-haired man in front of him. His face remained emotionless, just like Squall remembered him doing. Actually, he was similar to the 16-year-old he had lost so many years ago, but in many ways, Vincent Valentine was completely different."I was about to tell you the same thing. Your differences are less noticeable, however," Vincent said to him. They sat around a medium-sized, circular, wooden table drinking green tea. That had been Yuffie's favorite drink also. She had liked that even better than Dr. Pepper. It was funny how Squall remembered the tiniest things in Yuffie."Well, I don't have a girlfriend around to change me.""Ah, but you do. What is Yuffie to you?" Vincent asked. Squall almost jumped out of his seat. How had Vincent known about Yuffie? "You wear sorrow, much sorrow, in your eyes, Squall. And Rinoa vaguely told me that you used to live with Aerith, Cid, and Yuffie. Now tell me, why are you here?""It is not your concern, Vincent.""So, you're just going to wallow in your problems, are you? Be miserable for the rest of your life?!" Vincent stood abruptly, anger flashing in his garnet eyes. This was unlike the Vincent Squall used to know. "I know how that is! Remember Chaos? Remember that beast that would appear when I had strong emotions? Remember that curse? I had condemned myself to a life of loneliness 3 years ago. But Tifa helped me! I've learned to control Chaos. You just have to swallow your pride and accept help from people." Vincent sat and was visibly calmed."Tifa has changed you.""Yes, women always do. And you've changed," he said, an I-told-you-so smile inching its way across his face."Why assume it is Yuffie?""Because, Squall, it is most obviously a woman. And you are hopelessly trapped in your past. One would think that it was a woman from your past. Since you didn't respond to Rinoa when she was all over you before-""Are you everywhere now, Valentine?""-And since Aerith, the only other woman besides Yuffie in your world, will never be over Cloud, Yuffie was the only woman left. And she is perfect for you."Squall didn't answer."Admit it."Squall balled his hand into an angry fist and punched the table. "Even if I was attached to her," he said through gritted teeth, "she's dead."Vincent shook his head. "No she isn't," he replied logically."Damnit! Yes she is! I killed Yuffie!" He growled."So, we come to it at last. You believe that you killed Yuffie?" Squall nodded. "And I firmly believe she is still alive. Which of us is correct, I wonder.""You weren't there! You didn't see her fall! You..." he choked on his words and turned away from Vincent. "You did not hit her with your deadliest attack and you... you did not see the blood," he deadpanned in his coldest voice, turning again towards Vincent. "No, Vincent Valentine, you have no opinion in this matter."Squall started towards the door. His soul had left his body. Now he was only an empty shell. Yuffie, he admitted finally, was dead. Dead, dead, dead, he thought bitterly. Mechanically. Squall opened the front door and stepped out. Hollow Bastion seemed infinitely colder and lonelier than it had been a few moments before."She's alive, Squall," Vincent whispered out after him. But Squall wasn't listening. His heart had plummeted down to the deep pit of despair and hopelessness. Furiously, he ran out into the middle of the valley and fell to the ground in anguish.The wind whipped at his long, russet locks and seemed to blame him for everything. Cloud rumbled overhead, threatening a storm. A squall. His namesake. Everything seemed so superfluous and ludicrous now. There was only one thing that mattered anymore. Yuffie was dead.Squall looked into the mountains and uttered, "Dead."
Yuffie readjusted her shorts so that all of the belts actually held them on. Aerith had just finished with Yuffie's hair, claiming that there was nothing to be done with it. Yuffie liked it better down anyway. It didn't really matter. Aerith and Caine had insisted that getting out, doing fun things with a friend or two, would be good for her health.Well, it had started out as a friendly outing with friends, but Aerith had been busy that night so it was now only Caine and Yuffie going out. To Yuffie, it seemed like more of a date than anything. She wasn't ready to date anyone. Not after... not after Squall had died. But Aerith had insisted, and since Caine had been so kind to her since the incident, she couldn't refuse. Still, Yuffie wasn't totally comfortable with the idea that she was going out on a date with a friend.Aerith gave Yuffie's hair a final brush down, inspected her outfit, and then smiled. She had been worried for her young friend ever since the ninja had started looking gaunt and worn. She needed a break from everything. Her fragile body and mind did not need the strain of worries.Caine escorted the young lady out to the Café. Yuffie had been pleasant, but didn't want to get too close to Caine. After all, he was a guy. Guys could do strange things. And those things were alien to Yuffie, as the only man she had ever, well, gotten close to was Squall. And Squall was... gone.But after Yuffie had poured over the menu, seen nothing she liked, and promptly decided that she wasn't hungry, her views changed. Only slightly. Caine was such a gentleman, such a sweet guy. It didn't mean she wanted to date him, but still. He was a good friend.They finally opted to go to the top of the Gizmo Shop and look out over the Second District. While Yuffie had always enjoyed the roof more, this was good too. It was a beautiful place to live, once you got over the fact that it was teeming with Heartless."So, Yuffie," Caine said awkwardly."So, Caine.""How are you feeling lately? I mean, how's your shoulder?" He asked, fumbling over his words. Yuffie smiled pleasantly and thought a moment before answering."Well, I still have that awful scar on my shoulder, but other than that, I feel great. Aerith still won't let me pick up my shuriken or Conformer. I wish she would... I kind of miss the feel of those throwing stars in my hand." Yuffie made a motion with her arm like she was throwing a shuriken and Caine laughed. His laugh was deep and melodious, but it just wasn't right. Yuffie couldn't explain it. But the laugh was not anything like Squall's rare laughter. It didn't have the ring of honesty that his did."But you're happier," he prompted.Yuffie sighed and looked out over the Second District. "I suppose so," she admitted. Yeah, aside from the giant, gaping black hole inside where my heart used to be, she thought."I am glad that you are feeling well, Yuffie. I wish that it had been I who was struck instead of you. I deserved it," he said humbly."Caine! No one deserved it. Squall lost his temper a lot. It's just one of those things with him that I had learned to deal with..." To love is more like it. "But it's not your fault that any of this happened. Really. You couldn't have stopped anything.""I'm glad you say this, Yuffie. It lifts a weight from my heart. But I have something else I must tell you," he whispered, a mischievous grin snaking its way across his face. He set a hand on her shoulder and leaned forward as if to tell a secret. Trusting him, Yuffie didn't pull away.That's when he kissed her. She pulled back, but he was persistent. His hand gripped her shoulder, not roughly, but tight enough that she couldn't easily move out of his grasp."Just go with it, Yuffie," he whispered, his breath brushing against her lips. And she complied. Maybe, just maybe she would have a chance to move on with Caine. Maybe the taste of his lips would overwrite the taste of another man's. She didn't dare even think his name. That would only cause her to look back, to grasp for the past.And all the while she knew that she could never totally let Squall go.
"Squall," Rinoa called to him as he sat, emotionless, in the grass. He hadn't moved at all. His heart was gone. His soul was gone. With one statement, he was different. Forever changed. Without Yuffie in his life, he was no more than a useless body. Nothing."Squall, are you all right?" She said, fear catching in her voice. He turned, and decided that the beautiful young woman might offer passing in her arms. Perhaps he would be able to get rid of the shadows of his past, and the pain. Would she be able to offer that? Squall stood."Yes, Rinoa, I'm fine," he told her, his eyes looking deep into hers. She was mesmerized, it seemed, and slowly came closer, until their breaths intermingled. That was when Rinoa took a giant leap to reclaim the love that was between them before. She stood on tiptoe and pecked him on the lips. It wasn't the long, sultry kiss she had planned for this moment, but it would do."Squall..." she murmured before pulling his head back down to hers and trapping his lips with her own. And in that moment, she forgot about everything else.
A/N: I really hated writing this chapter. Everyone seemed out of character and Squall and Yuffie betrayed each other! But it had to be done.Thank you to my reviewers! Please review this chapter as well!Ciao!