Author's Note: I am just so incredibly happy right now. I have just passed the 300 review mark!!! I want to hug each and every one of you guys!! C'mon guys, group hug! :::hugs reviewers::: Anyways, I've been on a roll with my writing lately and I really want to get this story finished soon, so I'm going to go ahead and start this next chapter.

Note to Jupiter Green: Thanks for the Hastega on the muse. Now she refuses to sleep.

Note to pingpong: I'm evil? Hmmm.... I didn't know that. I guess I'll have to embrace my new found evilness and become even more evil.

[Disclaimer: If only if only if only I could own Squall. But, alas, I don't. Everything is copyrighted to Square and Disney.]

Chapter Eighteen: Flitting Dreams

"No, really guys, I'll be fine," Yuffie reassured, laying on her back on the bed with a damp cloth placed over her eyes. "This headache will go away soon enough." The lie came to her so easily, she was actually surprised. Most times she had to search her mind for something that even sounded reasonable. And then, most people would know she was lying. Luckily, since the ninja had her eyes covered, Aerith was unable to see the telltale signs of a lying Yuffie.

Aerith sat on the edge of the bed and placed her hand on the ninja's forehead, checking for a fever. "You don't feel warm," she mused, her eyebrows furrowed in worry as she rose from the bed. "Are you sure you'll be alright?" Her bright green eyes were wide with concern as she stared down at Yuffie.

Under the damp cloth, Yuffie rolled her eyes in aggravation. "Yes, Aerith. I'll be fine. It's just a headache and it'll probably get a lot better once you two leave and the room is nice and quiet. Now, get going. You don't want Squall to be late for his appointment." With that said, the ninja rolled over onto her side and curled into a ball, hoping to give off the impression that she really didn't feel well.

Sighing, Leon slowly walked across the room and leaned over his lover, running a hand down her bare arm. "We'll be back in a few hours, Yuf," he whispered, moving his hand to caress her cheek and then lowered his head to give her a quick kiss, only to feel her shy away from his touch. She had been like that all day yesterday and even through the night, pulling away from him while they slept and sleeping on the far side of the bed. It unnerved him to have her like this, afraid he had done something wrong. But, hopefully when his sight returned fully, he would better be able to get to the bottom of things. "I hope you get to feeling better." His hand lingered on her shoulder before he pulled it away and left the room.

Yuffie peeked out from under the cloth when she heard the door close to make sure they were really gone before she got busy with her plans. She waited a few more minutes, just to be sure they hadn't forgotten anything, then jumped out of the bed. Sprinting into the Red Room where her duffel bag was kept, she grabbed it and then shoved it full of the clothing she still had in that room. Since Aerith had been moving her back and forth between the rooms, her clothes were split between them. So, the clothes she needed from that room in her bag, she returned to the Green Room and dumped her dresser drawers into her bag as well.

Her packing done, she quickly found a writing tablet and began to write a note to let them know what she was doing. Of course, she would be vague about her whereabouts. She didn't want them to come drag her back to Traverse Town. No, she couldn't let that happen. But, once her heart had time to heal, she might return of her own accord. Only time could tell.

As she wrote, a few crystalline tears fell down her cheeks and landed on the paper, slightly smearing the purple ink. Her note finished, she meticulously folded it into thirds and placed it in an envelope, simply writing 'Squall' on the front before she sealed it and lay it on his pillow. She picked up her duffel bag and walked to the balcony door, deciding to sneak out through the alleyways so no one would see her go.

She turned and gave one last look at the room, her eyes lingering on all the little things that were so distinctly Squall about the place. Finally, her vision fell on the dove Yoshi she had found. By now, his tail feathers were almost fully replaced and soon he would have to be released. She could only hope that Squall and Aerith would continue to care for him until he was free again. And once he was free, he would forget about the kindness these humans had bestowed upon him, much like how Squall would forget about the inner Yuffie and only see the childish outer Yuffie once his vision returned.

So, slowly tearing her eyes away from the room, the ninja jumped off the balcony and down in to the alley below, stealthily running to the shortcut to the First District. Once she reached that district, she peeked around the corner to make sure her friends weren't there and dashed across to the World Exit and the Gummi garage.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

At the infirmary, Aerith led Leon down the twisting halls to the optometrist's office that they had been to just a month ago. Yet, it seemed like such a long time to Leon for so much had happened in that one month. Only a month ago, he considered his partner to be an annoying little brat and now... well, now, he loved her more than anything. And he was determined to find out what was wrong with her and try to fix it. Whatever it took, he was willing to do it, just to have her not shy away from him like she had been doing.

"We're here," Aerith announced, pushing open the glass door and guiding Leon through it. Since he was unfamiliar with the layout of the office, he had to rely upon Aerith to guide him to the seats in the waiting room while she told the receptionist they were there.

With his hands resting on his knees, Leon leaned his head back over the back of the chair, letting out a long sigh as he did so. When he heard Aerith return and sit next to him, he decided to broach the issue of his ninja. "So, Aerith... do you have any idea of what's wrong with Yuffie?" he questioned quietly, not wanting the rest of the waiting room to hear their conversation.

"None whatsoever. I was going to ask you the same thing," she admitted sadly, biting the inside of her cheek.

"Perfect," the swordsman muttered sarcastically, running a hand through his hair and slouching in his chair. "By the way, Aerith, why the sudden change?"

Frowning in confusion, she turned and looked at Leon. "What are you talking about?" she asked, fingering the tip of her long chestnut braid as she awaited his explanation.

"Well, let's see. You went from being completely against mine and Yuffie's relationship to being almost indifferent to it over night. That ringing any bells?" he prodded gently, not wanting to accidentally enrage the flower girl again.

Aerith took a deep breath, trying to find a way to explain her sudden change of heart. "I guess I just saw how much you two really loved each other. Even I can't keep two people who love each apart, now can I?" she inquired softly, her thoughts flying to the one she loved so much but was afraid she would never see again. A scoff from the man beside her quickly brought her attention back to him. "What?"

Shaking his head, the swordsman buried his face in his hands with his elbows resting on his knees. "Nothing... It's just... I know that I love Yuffie, but I don't think she feels the same," he admitted in defeat, his voice taking on a hopeless quality that tore the flower girl's heart.

She reached over and gently laid a hand on his back, rubbing it softly in comfort as she leaned over to whisper. "If you love her, then tell her. Don't keep something like that bottled up inside. And, Leon, she does love you. She accidentally told me so when you and her... well... when I walked in after you two had... you know..." she trailed off, her face flushing crimson at the memory.

"Mr. Leonhart?" a middle-aged greying nurse called from the hallway, reading the name off the clipboard. "Mr. Squall Leonhart?" Aerith and Leon rose to their feet and followed the nurse as she lead them down the hall and into the same exam room he had been in before, complete with the same equipment. "The doctor will be with you shortly," she said as she left them, shutting the door quietly behind her.

Sitting in silence, Leon turned over what Aerith had said in his mind, trying to decide what to do with the advice she gave him. If he told Yuffie that he loved her, how would she react? Especially considering how distant she had been acting towards him for the last twenty-four hours. But, thinking about it, he finally decided that the benefits would far out weigh the consequences.

His thoughts were interrupted when the doctor entered the exam room, shuffling Leon's medical files from his previous visit. "Well, Mr. Leonhart, I assume you want to skip the chit chat and get right down to business, don't you?" the doctor said as he laid the clipboard on the counter and set up one of the machines to take a picture of Leon's eyes. He helped Leon from his seat and sat him in front of the machine, unwrapping the bandages from his eyes and instructing him where to put his eyes.

Aerith sat composedly in the back, watching as the optometrist turned the machine on and the lights inside flashed, much like when they first came in here a month ago. However, this time, Leon did flinch when the bright lights flashed, showing that his vision was returning. Finished with the machine, the doctor turned it off and awaited the results.

"Well, Mr. Leonhart," the doctor began, looking at the computer screen that showed a picture of Leon's eye, "it appears that cut on your cornea has healed. So, tell me, how well can you see right now?"

Leon explained that mostly all he could was a blur, but he could vaguely make out shapes in the room and recognize them. But, when the optometrist shined his flashlight into his still light tender eyes, he squeezed them shut, letting the doctor know in no uncertain terms that being kept in bandages for a month had made his eyes sensitive to bright lights. To remedy that fact, the optometrist gave the swordsman a pair of dark sunglasses with the instructions to wear them outside until his eyes could handle the sunlight. So, donning his new sunglasses, Leon and Aerith left the infirmary to return to the hotel where they believed Yuffie to still be.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

After firing up her Gummi ship and heading out into space, Yuffie quickly swallowed the tranquilizer she remembered to bring with her before her nausea set in. It was a relief to know that she wouldn't have to deal with it this time. Although, the last few times the nausea had besieged her, Squall had... No. She refused to let her mind dwell on him. So, turning back to the computer screens and displays in front of her, the ninja tried to decide where she would go.

At first, Wonderland popped into her mind. Simply because all the strange goings on there would keep her mind off of things. But, the more she thought about it, the more she remembered how Sora had told her about the Cheshire Cat and all his strange riddles. She mentally crossed that world off her list and sat down to think some more.

Going through the list of all the worlds she knew existed, Yuffie finally settled upon the one world that would work for her. The one world where she would never have to grow up and face the fact that she would never be as beautiful as Rinoa. A place where she would never have to face the fact that she would never be a mature looking as Rinoa. A place where she would never be disappointed with her adult looks. Neverland. Yes, she would go to Neverland and always stay as she is now.

So, quickly setting the autopilot for Neverland, she got up from the pilot's seat and made her way through the mess that was her Gummi ship to the small bedroom in the back, where she lay herself down upon the bed and curled into a fetal position. Her thoughts fell to Squall, as much as she tried for them not to. By now, he had probably returned from the infirmary and was reading her note.

Yuffie firmly shook her head, trying to chase all thoughts of Squall away. She needed something to do. Yes, something to take her mind off of him until she could occupy herself with the company of others once she reached Neverland. Sitting up, she looked around the room, noticing all the trash, clothing, and various other things strewn around the floor. It would take her hours to clear that all out, thus giving her something to do.

Climbing off the bed, she searched the ship for a waste basket or bag or something she could use as a trash can, finally finding a large box in the engine room. She decided that it would suffice and she began the dauntless task of cleaning the control room, the room that was by far the most filthy. All the while, she couldn't help but see the irony in the situation. It was cleaning out Squall's closet that put her in her current state to begin with, and, now, here she was, cleaning again. She could only hope it wouldn't end as the other had.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Arriving at the hotel, Aerith and Leon made their way down the hallway and entered the Green Room, expecting to find Yuffie still lying upon the bed, hopefully asleep and headache free by now. However, upon opening the door, the flower girl found the room to be completely empty. In fact, even Leon, whose eyes were still trying to adjust to the sudden change in light, could sense the emptiness of the room.

"I guess she got to feeling better," Aerith mumbled as she left Leon in the doorway and went to check her own room, just in case the ninja was in there. But, that room proved to be just as empty as the other, so she returned, a small frown upon her face. "She probably got hungry and went to the café. You know how she is about her stomach. She can't go longer than ten minutes without eating something."

Leon mumbled a reply, slowly pulling the sunglasses off his head and placing them on top of the dresser. In his blurry vision, he noticed that the top drawer, Yuffie's drawer, was partially open and he absentmindedly pushed it closed, only to hear the hollow echo it made as it shut. He quickly pulled it back open and ran his hands through it. "Aerith, didn't Yuffie move her clothes back in here?" he asked hesitantly as he pulled open her other drawer, only to find it empty as well.

"She moved most of them back. Why?" Aerith questioned worriedly, hurrying across the room and examining the drawers herself. "This doesn't look good." She mumbled the last part and ran back into her room, searching both the closet and dresser in there for Yuffie's clothes. "Leon, all her clothes are gone."

Running a hand through his hair, the swordsman walked across the room and tore open the closet door to see if any of her clothes were in there. Even with his sight not up to par, he could tell that only his clothes hung in the closet. "Where did she go?" he hissed, angry with himself for not being able to stop her.

As she looked around the room, Aerith's eyes fell upon a small white envelope lying on the pillow of the bed. She hesitantly picked it up and read the name 'Squall' across the front, recognizing Yuffie's bubbly handwriting immediately. "Uh.. Leon.." she began quietly, half afraid of what the note would say, "she left a note." She handed it to him, only to have him push it back into her hands.

"I can't read it, Aerith. My eyes are still blurry," he whispered softly, his eyes closed in fear of what Yuffie had written.

Nodding, Aerith carefully opened the envelope and pulled out the letter, already seeing the tear stains upon the paper. She cleared her throat and began to read it aloud.

"Dear Squall,

I guess if you've found this note then I'm gone. I don't know where I'm going and I don't know when I'll get back. I just need to get away from everything, including you, shocking as it may sound. But, you see, yesterday I made a mistake. A mistake that will forever haunt me. And I found something that hurt me deeply. More deeply than I've ever been hurt before.

While I was cleaning out your closet, I came across a small box in the back full of pictures. And, well, you know how nosy I can be. I took a peek into it and, at first, I was just reminiscing about all the people we used to know on Hollow Bastion and how it looked before it fell. But then I found a couple other pictures. Pictures of you and Rinoa. And I could see in your eyes in those pictures how much you loved her. I have never seen a look of such complete happiness on your face. Ever.

And I remembered how after we made love for the first time, you had mumbled her name in your sleep. At first I didn't know why. In fact, I wasn't even sure if it was a name you had said. But, after finding those pictures and reading her name on the back, well, I can put two and two together.

I want you to know that I love you and probably always will. But I can't be with you. I will never measure up to Rinoa. I can see that even now. And I know that now that you can see again, you would be able to see that as well. I just couldn't stand around here and wait for you to reject me after you could see how truly childish I am. I am nothing compared to Rinoa. She was perfect and I am not. I never will be.

I love you more than I can say, but Aerith was right after all. I am a baby. And I know that you would be able to see that now and never be able to accept as I am. Not after having someone as mature, beautiful, and perfect as Rinoa.

Love always,

Yuffie"

About halfway through the letter, tears sprang into Aerith's eyes, causing her own vision to blur and making it hard for her to read the letter. And when she came to the part about herself, it was almost more than she could take, knowing that she had had a hand in making the ninja feel so badly about herself.

Finishing the letter, she folded it back up and chanced a glance at Leon. Although his eyes were glistening with tears, he refused to let them fall. Without a word, he marched towards the door, his fists clenched at his sides. The flower girl ran up to him and grabbed his shoulder. "Leon, where are you going?"

"Where do you think?" he retorted, shaking her off and grabbing the door knob. "I'm going to go find her. She doesn't understand about the pictures." Aerith grabbed him again, this time pushing herself in between him and the door. "Aerith, get out of the way," he said in a low growl.

"No, you can't fly a Gummi ship. You can hardly see. You have to at least wait until your eyes get clear enough for you to see the displays on the control panel," she insisted, pushing him back into the room. "Crashing your ship while trying to find her isn't going to do any good."

Disgustedly realizing she had a point, Leon stepped away from the door. "Okay. But as soon as my eyes clear, I am gone and I'm not coming back until I find her."

Author's Note: Blah... that chapter came out nothing like I wanted. But, I don't think I can do any better. Anyways, review away. And, yes, I know. I've been writing like crazy lately. Blame it on the summer doldrums.