Beyond Paradise

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII, the characters or the places in the game. It all belongs to Squaresoft/enix. Can't sue me, nyah!

Author's Note: I really love the reviews, thank you so much! This chapter will be revolving around Yuffie and Vincent since I just love them so much, and you know you do, too. Also, if you haven't noticed, the poems by Shel Silverstein have some sort of connection with the chapter it's in, so yeah. A little fun there.

And here we see the invisible boy
In his lovely invisible house,
Feeding a piece of invisible cheese
To a little invisible mouse.
Oh, what a beautiful picture to see!
Will you draw an invisible picture for me?

Invisible Boy
-- Shel Silverstein

- Chapter 3: Toys in the Attic

It didn't take long for the members of AVALANCHE to pack up their few belongings and ready the chocobo's. They waved their goodbyes to each other, along with many good luck's to Vincent, and mounted the colorful birds.

Tifa sat timidly in front of Cloud on May, reins held tightly in her hands while Cloud finished arguing with Yuffie as to why Vincent needed the luck more than she did.

"Goodbye, Yuffie! Try not to talk too much to poor Vincent, y'hear?" Cait Sith called back from his perch on Bronco's head. Yuffie threw her hands up in the air in frustration and leapt up onto Vincent's black chocobo.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever! Just get going already!" she called back, steering the Black around so Vincent could mount behind her.

Cid was spouting out curses as he spurred Bronco onward, Nanaki running along its side. Tifa smiled and waved a final goodbye to Yuffie and Vincent before urging May to follow the blue chocobo. Cloud sent a quick glance to King and Barret, whistling for his gold chocobo to follow behind them.

"I feel kind of left out all of a sudden," Yuffie commented as Vincent took the reins from her. "Off they go, riding together and leaving us to go the other way, all alone... Not that it's bad being stuck with you," she added as an afterthought. "But, frankly, I think I'd have a better conversation with your chocobo here," and she patted the Black's neck. "Which reminds me!"

Vincent was slowly beginning to ignore her.

"We still need to name him."

Nothing.

"Vinnie, you need to relax, loosen up a bit. Help me name your stupid bird," she ordered. The chocobo warked in annoyance and sped up as it crossed the shallow river.

This would be a long day.

"Fine, I'll start on names first," Yuffie started counting through the many names that flitted through her mind. "Vampire? Blacky! No... Beauty! ...Beast?"

This would be a very long day, indeed.

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"Cloud, do you think it was wise to team Yuffie and Vincent together?" Nanaki asked as he began to run beside May.

The blonde man shrugged as he readjusted his hold around Tifa's waist to stay on the gold bird. "Well, they balance each other out nicely. Besides, they can take care of themselves better than anyone else in our group can," he explained to the red beast.

The answer seemed to settle the growing worry in Nanaki's mind and he nodded. "I guess you're right." He looked up ahead and picked up his pace, passing May easily. "We're coming up to Nibelheim," he announced.

Barret had to be the happiest when they reached the gloomy town. He leapt off of King's back and stretched out as King trotted away from him and over to Cloud as he and Tifa slid off of May. They waved as Cid, Cait Sith, and Nanaki continued on through to Mt. Nibel and on towards Rocket Town.

"Well, what now?" Barret rubbed a hand over his gun arm and looked around the town, noticing as people scowled at them and retreated into their houses.

Cloud scratched the back of his head and smiled as well as he could despite the glares he was receiving from the people standing by their windows. "We go about finding the safest way to get information from people that really don't like us."

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"Odin? Bahamut? Titan? Ramuh?"

"Yuffie, you have run out of creative names," Vincent commented as he turned the black chocobo to run between the mountains towards North Corel.

"You noticed? It's not like you're helping me any, here," she grouched. Vincent ignored this and gazed ahead, watching as the tents of North Corel slowly grew in size as they got closer.

They were greeted respectfully as the two dismounted from the nameless Black. One miner took the reins and led the chocobo to a tent to care for it as the two travelers made their way to the ropeway.

The blue doors slid open and they entered quietly. Vincent sat in one of the cushioned seats while Yuffie leapt to another, looking excitedly out the window to watch the desert pass below them.

Finally, Yuffie spoke up. "I have the perfect name!" She swiveled herself around to face Vincent. "Your chocobo's name will be Valentine!"

Vincent glanced to her as the ropeway came to a halt in the station. "And how long did it take you to create that one?"

Yuffie frowned and crossed her arms over her stomach as she got up to leave the blue machine. "Hey, at least I thought of something! Which is more than I can say for you!" she huffed as she stalked past the bouncing man in the chocobo suit.

Vincent followed her quietly, glancing around quickly to be sure that their surroundings were safe. "Yuffie, be careful around here. Anyone could be a part of this—Yuffie?"

All he saw was a flash of green sliding down a tube towards the Wonder Square.

When he finally caught up with her, she was too busy playing the crane game. "Oh, come on! I had it!" she snarled at the contraption and gave it a swift kick before stomping off, grabbing Vincent's human wrist in the process of walking past him.

"Yuffie, I believe we should get a room in the hotel before continuing our search," Vincent offered as she dragged him down the stairs and towards the tubes.

"Aw, Vinnie, I didn't know you thought of me like that," she laughed and hopped into the tube marked 'Ghost Hotel', popping out of the other end and landing gracefully on her bottom. Vincent came out shortly after, landing beside her in a crouch.

"Pfft, show off," she grumbled as she stood back up, dusting herself off.

The two made their way into the hotel, ignoring the cheap moans of agony coming from the speakers hidden in a corner of cotton cobwebs. Yuffie glared at Mr. Hangman as he fell from the ceiling.

"Can I help you?" the puppet asked in a haunted tone. Yuffie rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, we need two—"

"One room, two beds," Vincent interrupted her.

Mr. Hangman nodded and produced the key from the desk, handing it over with the exchange of the GP that was needed. Wordlessly, Vincent took the key and headed up the stairs, Yuffie following silently behind him.

The door opened and the two entered, Vincent closing the door before making his way into the room.

"Why one room?" Yuffie asked as she plopped down on the bed closest to the bathroom.

Vincent stepped over to the closet and opened the doors, ignoring the maniacal laughter that would answer every time it was opened. "It is safer for us to stay together than to be in separate rooms. You must remember that there are people that don't appreciate our being here, and that they are potential threats to our lives."

"Ah," Yuffie nodded as if she understood, then shrugged before removing her arm and leg guards. "Whatever you say, Vinnie."

"Why do you insist on calling me that?" Vincent slowly closed the doors, positive the closet was hiding no assassin, and turned to face Yuffie as she unbuckled the armor that joined with her arm guard.

"It's easier than calling you Vincent all the time. And besides, it's a lot like my name, and I know how you want to be just like me," she chuckled at her own joke and set the guards down on the bed.

If Vincent had it in him, he would have rolled his eyes.

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It had been hours since the two had split up to find answers to their dilemma. Much to Vincent's irritation, Dio had made him battle in the Battle Arena for the information. But he had what he felt was needed and headed back to the Ghost Hotel.

Upon entrance, he noticed Yuffie curled up in her claimed bed. She mumbled something in her dreams and turned over, hugging a pillow to her chest.

Vincent made his way to the bed by the window and sat down, pulling the PHS out of his pocket and dialing in Cloud's number.

Minutes later, Yuffie sat up groggily, opening her eyes to look at Vincent as he finished the phone call.

"Yes... Tomorrow morning is best." A pause. "Alright, goodbye."

Yuffie blinked at him when he turned to face her. "Tomorrow morning we'll head back to Cosmo Canyon. It seems that the people of Nibelheim aren't being hospitable, so Cloud and the others are going on to stay with Cid."

"Ah," this was the second time Yuffie nodded without completely understanding. "Did you find anything out?" she asked.

"Yes, Dio seems to know the leader of this rebel group. Apparently they are of family relations, though Dio expressed his feelings that he would be happier without the other man," Vincent informed her while moving to close the curtains to the window.

"Sounds nifty," she replied sarcastically, tossing the covers off of herself and swinging her legs over the side of the bed. "Well, I'm bored! Let's go do something."

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The young man kissed the green dragon's cheek and the woman in the pink frilly dress shrieked, slapping the man across the face before rushing off. The audience laughed as the young man shook his head in confusion and twirled off with the other actors.

Yuffie was still giggling as she and Vincent left the Event Square. "And then, when the Wizard told him to kiss her! Did you see his face, Vinnie? He looked so scared," she burst into another fit of giggles.

Vincent let out a sigh and nodded as passing people gave them strange looks. "Yes, Yuffie. He was petrified... Let's go back to the hotel room, now."

He hadn't realized that his words were poorly chosen until an older couple passed by, muttering things such as 'he's far too old for her' and 'he's from AVALANCHE... for shame, to be rooming with such a young girl.'

And then another comment that forced him to subdue a slumbering rage. "Such a young girl... a prostitute, she must be, like that Scarlet from ShinRa. Remember them?" an old woman muttered to her husband, oblivious to the flare in Vincent's crimson eyes.

"Yuffie, we're going." He took hold of her arm and tugged her towards the tubes, pulling her down to the Round Square.

The two came out and Yuffie's arm slid out of his grip. "Gawd, Vinnie, if you wanted to go do something else, you could've just said so."

"Would you two like to ride the Gondola? It's almost time for the fireworks," a young woman interrupted cheerfully, smiling at Yuffie as she gestured to the wooden house on the rope. Yuffie smiled in return and started on her way in while Vincent paid for the ride and received the two tickets.

With a creak, the Gondola began to move along the ropes, moving slowly up into the darkening sky. Yuffie looked out the window and waved down as the woman became smaller and smaller.

"Don't lean that far out," Vincent said as he looked out the window, watching the rollercoaster take an upside down turn.

Yuffie twisted from her position to look at him over her shoulder. "Oh, yeah. I see how much you care," she grumbled before shifting to sit in the corner of her bench, legs stretching out to cross at the ankles in the other corner.

The two remained silent as they listened to the sounds of children screaming on the rollercoaster. They passed through the loop and began to rise again, towards the moon and where the tracks for the Chocobo Race's were held.

Yuffie waved to the jockey's as they passed by, then let her gaze settle on the gunslinger across from her. He seemed to feel her eyes on him and returned the stare to her. "What is it, Yuffie?"

"Did it hurt?"

Vincent had no idea what she was talking about. Yuffie smiled goofily and shook her head.

"Never mind. The fireworks are about to start!" she exclaimed happily and stood from her bench, moving over to sit next to Vincent. "At least try to enjoy them, 'kay?"

Vincent glanced down at her beside him, then looked out the window, watching as brilliant bursts of blue's, red's, and green's painted the sky.

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The ride came to its end and the two exited. The woman in her uniform called a quick goodnight to them as they headed towards the Ghost Hotel.

Vincent opened the doors, holding them open for Yuffie as she made her way in.

Yuffie's gaze immediately locked on a young girl at the counter, talking to Mr. Hangman. Suddenly, she turned around, eyes of a bright blue staring into Yuffie's own stormy hues. The girl giggled and ran over, grabbing onto Yuffie's hand tightly and shaking it up and down.

"Oh, it's you, it's really you! I had no idea what I would do! I had looked for you, but you were gone! I knew that my resources were not wrong. But now here you are, in all your glory, I have waited so long to hear your story!" the girl rhymed happily, as if she had been doing it all her life.

Small bells that decorated her outfit jingled along with her words and Yuffie simply stared at her.

"Yuffie, we have an early start tomorrow morning," Vincent reminded the young ninja, golden appendage reaching out and gripping her shoulder lightly. "I apologize, young miss, but we will be leaving now," he spoke to the small girl in her strange attire.

Purple lips pulled into a smile and she shook her head, bells continuing their annoying ring. "It is alright, you need your sleep. But Yuffie, my dear, you can not keep. Chaos, you are still too young, to truly see the nightlife's sun."

The demon stirred within Vincent's mind, but it was not Chaos' doing that made the man pull Yuffie away from the strange girl.

Yuffie squeaked in surprise and suddenly the girl was gone, just like that. No flash of light, no puff of smoke, she was just gone, as if she were never there to begin with. The two comrades looked to Mr. Hangman to find him simply staring at them.

"You kids and your drinking..." the puppet grumbled as it rose into the ceiling. "What alcohol can do to the mind," he finished.

Vincent frowned and looked down to Yuffie, still held close. "Come, Yuffie... We can discuss this with Cloud tomorrow. Now we need to rest..." he spoke cautiously, senses at their peak in case there were any other strange people waiting for them.

"Right," Yuffie agreed, slowly making her way up the stairs and to their room.

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"Moira..." a voice sighed into the darkness. A spotlight flashed down onto a small girl, arms wrapped around a female jester puppet. "Have you been playing with her again?"

The child shook her head innocently, hugging the puppet closer to her small body. "No! I just wanted to talk to her... I'm so lonely..." she whimpered. "It wasn't my fault!" she cried out as the shadows began to spill into her only light.

A scream echoed through the darkness and the light was lost. The puppet clattered to the cold ground and the cries of the girl were heard. A blackened tear fell from the blue eyes of the puppet, staining its beautiful white face.

The tiny bells on the puppet began to jingle, and a cold wind silenced the girl's cries, followed by a murmuring voice, telling the young one to stop crying, to be strong, and to fight for her life.

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Tifa just about dropped the tea cup she was holding when she heard a scream. Immediately, she ran into the room, only to see Shera clinging to Cid at the horror movie playing on the television set. Letting out a relieved sigh, she calmly made her way back to the kitchen.

"You know, you should try to get some sleep," Cloud commented as he watched Tifa re-enter the room.

She smiled wearily and shook her head. "I know, but I'm just worried about Yuffie and Vincent."

Cloud tilted his head to the side in question.

The martial artist laughed tiredly at herself and set her tea cup into the sink. "Yeah, I know. I'm crazy." She made her way to the couch and sat down next to Cloud, wine-colored eyes staring down at her fists in her lap.

"Tifa, don't worry. I'm sure they're fine. If anything happened, Vincent would make sure Yuffie made it with her life," Cloud tried to reassure the woman, arms closing around her shoulders and holding her close.

Tifa felt her cheeks heat up as she rest her head against his shoulder. "You're right, Cloud. You're always right," she said with a smile.

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The shower water stopped and Yuffie stepped out of the bathtub, drying herself with her towel before wrapping it around her body. She looked into the fogged mirror and stuck her tongue out at the holograms of ghosts that stared back at her.

She pulled her white tank top and black shorts on over her still damp skin and sauntered out of the bathroom, using the towel to dry her hair. She glanced over to Vincent and frowned slightly. "What are you doing?"

The man being questioned opened one eye to look at her, then closed it again. "Thinking," he replied.

"About what?" she asked, tossing the wet towel onto the chair and plopping down on his bed in front of him. This time, both crimson eyes opened to look down at her.

"What we are going to tell Cloud."

"That's easy! It doesn't take a genius to figure that out. We're going to walk up to old spikey and say 'Hey there, Cloud. Have a nice trip? We sure did. We found out who the leader of this whole shenanigan is and we found some strange little girl that idolizes Yuffie!' That's what we're going to say to him," Yuffie said abnormally happily, trying her best to impersonate Vincent.

There was a long silence as the two stared at each other.

Finally, Yuffie found a new subject. "You know what, Vinnie?"

A questioning glance that allowed her to continue.

"Your hair takes a long time to dry..."

"That's very interesting, Yuffie," he responded.

"Yeah, I know. Hey, you never answered my question."

Vincent mentally went through their day together. "You never explained it."

"That's true," she nodded and reached out. Vincent didn't know how to interpret this, and immediately drew back from her.

Yuffie laughed and held her hands up in defense. "This is why I didn't explain it. Maybe I'll ask again when you warm up to me sometime," and with that, she crawled off of his bed and into her own.

Vincent watched her cautiously before reaching out and turning the light off. "Goodnight, Yuffie..."

"Goodnight, Vincent. I hope the bed bugs bite you in the butt," she said with a yawn.

The older man slid under the covers and lay awake in the darkness, only to find that Yuffie had been correct. His hair was, in fact, still wet.

A/N: I could have made this chapter better, but it was just really hard to think. Do you realize how hard it is to make a long chapter? But Moira has been introduced, so I have not lost all my love for this chapter. Please, Review and let me know what you think. Thank you.