Chapter 5: Journey

As predicted, Cid was less than happy to hear the news of the small group's plan. Yuffie learned several new and useful curses that day, which she swore to teach to Jesse the next time she visited Rocket Town. It might also be observed that Yuffie was not the best tactician.

Five hours, six cocktails, and one package of extra-special Wutanese rolling tobacco later, Cid was grudgingly convinced that it would be okay to let Yuffie return to the northern crater as long as Nanaki and Vincent accompanied her. And so, off they went, with Cid at the helm and Nanaki and Vincent in the cabins below. Yuffie remained on deck, hanging perilously onto the railing while moaning the entire time. Cid had decided to use the rockets once more for the return trip. Let it never be said that the older man didn't know how to get his revenge.

At long last, the three companions stood together on the lip of the northern crater, waving as the Highwind lifted off into the air once more.

"We made it! I wish I could say it's good to be back," Yuffie said, making a few final adjustments on her armour. Nanaki rumbled in agreement, his hackles raising as he looked at the barren wasteland stretching below them.

"I had almost managed to forget how much I detest this place," he growled, his tail flickering nervously. Yuffie reached over and ruffled the fur on Nanaki's head comfortingly, offering him a sympathetic smile.

For Vincent, the experience was completely new. He spent some time studying the features of the landscape, surprised by how little had actually changed since their battle with Sephiroth. Those memories brought back unpleasant feelings, and he wondered how Yuffie could have stood spending so much time in this forsaken place.

The little ninja was all business as she stepped before them, taking lead of their small group. "Listen, guys, I know this crater like the back of my hand. Well, okay, maybe more like the bottom of my foot, but it's still more than you two! So listen to what I'm gonna say, it might save me from having to rescue your butts later on!" she said with a grin. Quickly she began listing off points on her fingers as they marched down the rocky mountainside towards the depths of the crater. "The lifestream's always screwing things up here, so you can't rely on the rocks to figure out your position. Cid always comes back to the same spot, and I've marked the way to it with these posts," she said, coming up to one oddly shaped formation with a brightly colored swatch of fabric tied around it.

Vincent studied the 'post' carefully. "That looks like a dragon femur…" he murmured.

Yuffie blushed slightly and shrugged. "Well, we're a little short on supplies up here, so you use whatcha can," she mumbled. "Just so you know. If we get separated, look for these posts and make your way back outside. It's not so bad out here, the monsters don't bother coming up this far."

They continued down the path, slowly winding their way deeper into the crater. Eventually, they reached the yawning mouth of a cavernous entrance, and Yuffie stopped them once more.

"This is where the hard part starts," she said, pointing inside the cavern. "It's pretty dark in there, but there's some fungus and materia and stuff that lights the way. I know it's not really a problem for you, Red, but I can help you out if you have problems, Vince."

Vincent paused slightly. "That will not be necessary. Mako enhancements improve a human's night vision," he said.

"How do you know that?" Yuffie began, as Vincent stared back at her silently with his unusual red eyes. "Oh," she said dumbly, looking embarrassed. "Well, anyway, you just gotta wing it in here most of the time. The monsters further up aren't too tough, but they're really big. Don't let the size scare ya, though. It's the tiny things you really gotta watch out for, those are the lethal ones. The big guys are easier to take down, they rely on their size too much to intimidate. All wind and no fire!" she laughed. Then she sobered suddenly. "Eh, sometimes fire. But at least it's not too hot!" she covered.

Nanaki began to move forward into the darkness, his tail lighting the way like a beacon. "I'll lead in here," he growled at his companions. "Just tell me which direction to go, Yuffie."

The young girl nodded, pointing the way. "You remember where the materia fall was, Red? We gotta get down there first," she said to him. "Just don't get separated from us, okay? And whatever you do, don't panic and cast if you see a dragon!" she said sternly as their small entourage began the down the perilous rocky path.

… … …

"Leviathan's butt! I told him not to cast!" Yuffie screamed as she and Vincent raced towards the sound of the tumultuous roar. Despite her constant warnings and ceaseless chatter, the party had managed to get separated in the depths of the gloomy cave after only a short time down the path.

It had been an honest accident; Nanaki was familiar with the location Yuffie had described, but neither of them realized how quickly and radically the lifestream had worked on their rough path until it was too late. One moment, the flame of Nanaki's tail had been waving in its usual swaying arc before them, and the next, it had disappeared as the path gave way under the feline's paws. He had fallen with a loud howl, and much to their dismay, was answered by an even louder growl that made the walls of the cavern shake around them. And now, Vincent and Yuffie were racing against time to reach their friend before the owner of the growl did. It was a battle they lost, as they finally reached a large stretch of flat ground, only to see Nanaki as he faced off with a huge, leathery-winged beast.

Nanaki's spell ended with his roar, as the blinding light of the flare he had cast faded from view. The materia had done its work, and the dark dragon roared in pain and anger as the spell dissolved its wings, leaving them hanging uselessly from its back. But the giant lizard was enraged and nowhere near stopping, and as it opened its mouth, the cavern began to fill with a sickly green light.

"#$?§!!!" Yuffie screamed, abruptly stopping her race towards the lion and grabbing Vincent by the collar of his cloak. She threw them both to the ground as the green mist spread, rolling them painfully towards a pair of boulders.

"Yuffie! What are you doing!" Vincent growled as he struggled to free his himself from her grip. She didn't release her grasp, just hissed under her breath.

"Close your eyes, idiot!"

The slowly building crackling around them stopped Vincent cold, and he did as she asked, sucking in a deep breath and holding it. The energy in the air seemed to thicken, turning painful as it descended around them in poisonous waves, and the very walls of the cave seemed to moan in agony as the deadly mist corroded them. Such was the power of the Ultima spell.

When it was over, Yuffie cracked her eyes open and pulled Vincent back up, swinging out around the boulder in a full sprint towards the form of their fallen companion. "Nanaki!" she screamed desperately as the dragon's jaws lowered towards the collapsed mass of red fur.

Vincent's Death Penalty was already out, trained on the dragon's form as he squeezed the trigger. The bullet flew true, and the deadly jaws stopped their descent as a roar of pain filled the cavern. The beast's head flew back, blood flowing freely out of its now-empty eye socket as it took a few uncertain steps backward.

"Nice shot, Vince! Take care of Nanaki, I got this one!" she yelled, pulling off a strangely shaped blade from her back. Vincent caught himself staring as the young ninja leapt towards the dragon, a single random thought floating through his mind, ridiculously out of place as he watched her bring the weapon forward. That's not the Conformer. What is she doing?!

That was answered soon enough, as the oversized shuriken flashed out towards the dragon in a deadly arc. The dragon snarled and whipped its tail around, blocking Yuffie's throw and sending the blade whistling towards the walls, where it ricocheted with a trail of flying sparks. This didn't slow the ninja down in the least, who simply performed a graceful leap against the wall and plucked the wildly careening blade out of the air with practiced ease.

As Vincent reached Nanaki's side, he noticed the giant lion stir painfully. "… bad choice…" the cat growled weakly as he tried to struggle to his feet. "Help Yuffie," he whined as he concentrated on activating his healing materia. Vincent nodded and stood, aiming his gun towards the dragon. But there was no time for him to squeeze off a round.

At first he couldn't see Yuffie, and he stayed his trigger finger, fearing the worst for the young girl. A familiar Wutanese battle cry relieved that anxiety as he watched the ninja descend on her foe in a kamikaze dive. She was still holding the blade, but instead of throwing it as she had done before, she held it in front of her with stiff arms. Vincent didn't want to know how, but somehow she had managed to leap or be thrown several feet above the dragon's massive body, and was using her descending momentum as an attack, twisting to increase her speed and tucking her feet into her body to effectively transform into a living, whirling blade as she spun towards the ground.

The dragon gave a roar of victory as it opened its gaping mouth towards the falling girl, who was tiny in comparison to its giant mass. The great beast's eyes began to glow once more, and Vincent's hand tightened around his weapon as he recognized the familiar green mist that was descending around them. The dragon and the ninja collided, and there was the sound of hard scales screeching against steel, and a moment of silence. Then a screaming explosion, as the cavern was washed once again with blinding light.

… … …

"Chainblade Spin. Hmm, or maybe Razor Drop. No, wait, I have it! Bladesaw Splitter!" Nanaki stifled a groan and Vincent managed to refrain from rolling his eyes as Yuffie chatted animatedly with them. "Hey, what? I think it's a great name!" she yelled at them, flinging another unidentifiable piece of shredded dragon off of her head. "Besides, didn't I look really awesome splitting that thing in half?" she crowed, doing a victory dance.

"There wasn't much to see, Yuffie, we were too busy trying to dodge the explosion," Vincent answered sourly as he cleaned the muck off of his gun. Yuffie hadn't been exaggerating when she had complained about the dirt and grime they'd have to wallow in. Still, he had been hoping to spend at least one day in the crater before being caked with entrails and other material that he didn't care to identify. Nanaki was having a much worse time, not even having the benefit of clothing to protect his fur from the mess.

"We're fortunate that she stopped the dragon before it had the chance to cast another Ultima," the cat said gamely, despite his bedraggled appearance. "The only misfortune is the size of the explosion from the backwash of magic energy inside of the beast."

Yuffie scowled and crossed her arms. "That's right, just be glad I killed it! And Nanaki, don't you dare try something that STUPID again!" she added, leaning over and rubbing the giant cat's head roughly. "If it's got wings and a tail, no casting! We've got plenty of supplies left, we don't need to be eating ultimas yet!" she wailed. The large cat, still tired from his ordeal, just purred roughly and butted her hand with his head.

Vincent paused from his cleaning to study the young ninja as she joked with the cat. She was definitely a sight to see. Her hair was plastered against her face and her skin stained dark, being the one who had received the brunt of the explosion. Her eyes glowed brighter than ever, and her teeth shone white in the darkness as she grinned. She looked like a mischievous child who had just jumped into a gutter full of mud on a rainy day. Once again, the strange sight of the carefree child within her was at disturbing odds with the image of the whirling messenger of death that destroyed a beast more than twice her size, and as she flicked another wet chunk off of her shoulder, he was reminded that it wasn't simply mud she had bathed in.

"Is this how you've lived for two years, Yuffie?" he said suddenly, his voice cutting across her banter with Nanaki.

Yuffie stilled, her eyes dimming and growing hooded as she glanced at him. "You do what you have to," was all she said, the smile dropping from her face. Standing up, she finished cleaning herself off as well as she could, and looked around. "We should get moving. The remains will attract other monsters, we don't wanna be here when that happens," she said as she helped Nanaki to his feet.

Vincent sighed, mildly annoyed with himself for disturbing the relieved happiness they had shared with the demise of their foe. But the young ninja leading the way before him was growing into a disturbing enigma the more he learned about her. Something was not right, something he couldn't yet grasp and name. But the girl of cheer and smiles was hiding a darkness that he could sense, one that became openly visible in battle. Having recently begun his arduous climb out from the depths of a self-created hell, to watch Yuffie steadily descending into her own disturbed him more than he liked to admit. Their actions mirrored his dark thoughts as they continued their way down into the thickening darkness of the crater.

… … …

The steel blades of Yuffie's shuriken flashed from time to time in the darkness before him. The weapon was strapped to her back, and as she led the group down the rocky path, it gave Vincent ample time to study it.

The gunman had never been one to pay careful attention to the others' weapons, apart from very general observations. He had simply never been that interested in anything outside of his own rifles. But the hike they were undertaking was a long and arduous one, and Vincent had plenty of time to sift through his memories to try and place it, somehow feeling it was important. The dull red paint and the curving S of the wicked twin blades tickled at the back of his memory as he tried to pin its name down. When he did, he abruptly stopped walking, causing Nanaki to bump into the back of his legs.

"Is there a problem, Vincent?" the lion asked, his eye glowing gold as he looked up towards the gunman.

The man nodded slightly, his eyes narrowing in annoyance as he stared at Yuffie, who had stopped and turned around.

"What?" she asked, noticing his glare. "Do my shorts have a hole in them or something?" she asked suddenly, flushing and craning her neck around to look at the suspected problem.

"Twin Viper," came Vincent's terse reply. It had taken him a while to remember the name because it was so old. Although it was a nasty-looking weapon, the reality was that the blade was very weak and only held room for four materia slots, and even those were unlinked. The only redeeming factor of the shuriken was the mild enchantment beaten into the metal, allowing for the growth of materia at a rate double that of a normal weapon.

This observation was followed immediately by Nanaki's roar. "WHAT? Yuffie! Explain!"

The ninja mumbled and fidgeted, kicking at phantom pebbles in the dirt. She looked like a child whose hand had been caught in the cookie jar, petulant but as of yet unrepentant. "Well, I thought it would speed things up a little, you know? Besides, with the two of you here, I can take a few more risks. Come on, Red, Vince, I know you've got my back…" she said with a weak smile.

"Protecting you is one thing. Watching you fight with a butter knife is another, Yuffie!" Nanaki said, striding forward angrily. He bared his teeth to emphasize his point. Nanaki could be a very intimidating sight when he was upset, and Yuffie quickly put her hands up, taking a step backwards.

"All right, all right! Calm down, Red, I brought the Oritsuru with me!" she yelled, reaching into her pack. Drawing the ridiculous-looking mass of folded steel from her pack, she waved it towards Nanaki's nose.

"Don't show it to me, unfold it and use it," he rumbled, sitting down and wrapping his tail around his feet. "Aww…" began Yuffie, a pleading look in her eyes, but it was obvious that the giant lion wasn't going to budge until she did as he commanded. Yuffie looked at Vincent for support, pouting cutely. He just shook his head at her and shifted his posture slightly, leaning against the wall as he crossed his arms.

A strangled noise of frustration escaped from the ninja as she sat down and cursed, her fingers struggling to unfold the complicated twists of the throwing crane. "I hate this thing, you know?" she mumbled as the weapon began to take shape. "It looks stupid!" she complained, placing the finishing touches on the weapon and holding up the metallic origami bird. "You won't be seeing me doing any more Bladesaw Splitters with this piece of junk," she sulked as she began to transfer her materia into the new weapon, choosing a few more orbs out from the small bag at her waist.

Nanaki flicked his tail impatiently, watching her progress like a hawk. "If you don't like it so much, use the Conformer," he growled. "Or did you even bring that?" He ignored the rude gesture Yuffie flicked at him as she finished switching her weapons and folded up the Viper.

Vincent only noted their argument distractedly, his eyes darting around the dark passage they had stopped in and his ears alert. He stood up suddenly, tensing. "Something's coming," he announced to the others, drawing his gun. Yuffie and Nanaki were on their feet immediately, joining his side. Nanaki bared his fangs, his ears pointing this way and that as he sniffed quietly at the air. Yuffie brought the tiny weapon before her defensively, and despite her earlier lamentations about it, she now gripped it fiercely with a practiced hand.

Nanaki's eyes narrowed, and then a low growl rippled from his throat. "A Tonberry," he whispered. "Further up the passage. We can backtrack and outrun it, and wait for it to pass," he said, taking a step backwards.

Vincent frowned. He had never fought a Tonberry before, except in the Battle Square; granted, they were tough little creatures despite their diminutive size. He didn't understand why Nanaki's hackles were raised and his fur was bristling so much, though. Especially considering Yuffie's behaviour, as her eyes glinted in the darkness and a eager smile spread across her face.

"You guys go ahead. I got some business with this little guy," she said, stepping forward.

"Yuffie!" Nanaki's hiss pulled her back, the fierce glare of his single eye pinning her to the spot. "What are you doing? Don't you remember the last time we fought one?" he growled.

She glared back with equal fury at Nanaki, as the swinging glow of the monster's lantern slowly came into view. "I remember the last time I fought one just fine, Red. I can take him. You guys can go back if you want, this will only take a little while!"

The lion shook his head angrily and steeled himself, stepping forward to accompany Yuffie to battle. Vincent fell in line beside them, voicing his confusion. "I don't understand. It's just a Tonberry? There shouldn't be any problem," he murmured.

"Yeah," Yuffie said with a fierce nod as the little creature came fully into sight and stopped, considering their small group.

Nanaki growled, and as Vincent looked up, he bit back his words. This was unlike any Tonberry he had ever seen in the Battle Square. Its flesh wasn't green, but mottled purple, and a strange, flashing aura surrounded its head. But most of all, its beady yellow eyes glowed with a cunning intelligence that had never graced the face of any of its daylight brethren. It raised the lantern towards them in a silent greeting, and resumed its slow march forward.

"It's a Master Tonberry, Vincent," Nanaki growled under his breath, baring his fangs. "It doesn't attack with blades or magic," he said. "It attacks your mind."

Yuffie nodded quickly, taking a moment to breathlessly warn her companions. "I've figured out the way they think, how they attack," she said. "It depends on your state of mind. Think happy thoughts, and most of all, don't think about killing stuff, or stuff you've killed! You should be okay, Red, just keep thinking of Bugenhagen and Cosmo when he goes for you," she said. She glanced at Vincent and choked slightly. "Umm… just… you could… eh… well, you've got Phoenix, Vince," was all she could say.

He stifled an inward groan and pointed his rifle at the tiny creature before them. "Comforting," he quipped, and then fired. Absently, he heard Yuffie yell in surprise, too late to stop him.

"No, Vincent! Don't attack him first, you'll get his attention!" But her voice seemed to be coming to him from a great distance. The bullet slammed into the little creature, and it paused in its awkward waddle, staggering slightly, before training its squint on him. He recalled Yuffie's words in the sunlight of Cosmo Canyon, so innocent then, their impact fully reaching him now.

"Did you know some of those things up there can speak? Well, not really the way we do, but they can communicate with you, somehow…"

The creature held its lantern up, and darkness circled around the edge of his vision. He felt it whispering in his head, coherent words not forming, but still he knew to whom the voice belonged. It chittered rapidly, its tone disapproving, almost as if it were simply scolding him for trying to end its life. He found himself drawn into the lantern's flames as they rose around him, choking him with the smoke and heat. Vincent fell to his knees, the passage and its company falling away from his vision as the clicking and chittering grew louder. And his heart chilled as the flames parted. For walking through them was a figure, one he knew only too well. She smiled at him, tenderly, her green eyes flashing, and held her arms open towards him, inviting.

"Come to me," she whispered. "Come to me, and I will give you peace." Vincent found himself falling forward, unable to help himself. So beautiful… her long hair, her soft lips, her pale skin… he reached out, trying to touch her, trying to ask for forgiveness, and she smiled in understanding. But it was a wolf's smile, and her teeth were pointed, and the pain and flames closed in around him, her arms a deadly vice that promised to drag him with her to hell.

"NOOOOOO!" The scream ripped itself almost painfully from his chest, as the heat became unbearable. Gradually, he realized that the flames were consuming him from within, not without, and that the image of Lucretia had faded from view. In its place was the tiny mottled creature, its lantern held before it protectively as it screamed in pain.

What— he tried to think, but the flames were uncontrollable. Faintly, he felt a familiar touch of magic surround him, but its pain lanced through him like never before. Phoenix was unlike any other summon, one he remembered only Cloud attempting before, and now he knew why. "It's not the same," the blond had said, his face hardening as he relayed his experience. "The phoenix… it gives you life, but it takes something away each time, too. I don't like using it, it always feels wrong." Cloud, the master of understatement. And doubly painful, because he hadn't requested the great beast's help. Yuffie's materia chain drew the life-giving summon forcefully out of him like poison from an infected wound.

The screech of rage building in his mind came echoing through his beak. He spread his wings, transformed, and the flames rushed out. They lashed at the Tonberry furiously as his body reformed and solidified. As quickly as it had come, Phoenix left him, leaving him weak and gasping for breath, but alive on the cavern floor. He felt a pair of hands by his side, helping him to his feet and a whispered breath in his ear. "Idiot," she said softly, her voice filled with sympathy. He couldn't reply, couldn't even bring himself to move as he heard her call for Nanaki to help. The sounds of a battle raged around his ears, but he couldn't make his eyes focus. He felt a slight pressure by his leg, and the sensation of fur under his fingertips as the giant lion carefully guided him backwards. "Yuffie…" he bit out, his vision finally clearing as he looked back towards the fight.

"She can take care of herself," Nanaki said gruffly as he pulled Vincent out of the area. "She might be crazy at times, Vincent, but she knows how to handle herself and the creatures here better than any of us."

A flash of light lit the cavern, and Vincent looked upwards to see the Tonberry holding its cursed lantern high as Yuffie was held in the creature's psychic grasp. But it was the look on her face that surprised him the most as the magic swirled around her. Her body was contorted with pain, but she was smiling manically and her arms were outspread. Her gray eyes cracked open and she stared down at the tiny creature, her mouth gaping with harsh, silent laughter. It froze, and for a moment Vincent thought he could hear the soft chittering once more in his mind. Then its lantern lowered submissively, and Yuffie's smile widened. The glow around her body increased and the light of the Phoenix burst forward once more. It was all he had time to observe before Nanaki pushed him further back, obscuring the view of the two combatants from his sight.

… … …

Yuffie allowed herself to fall into the Tonberry's grip. It wasn't as though she could avoid it, anyway, she reasoned. Still, that didn't make surviving it any easier.

The lantern rose, and so did her vision. It was Wutai, all over again, and her father stood before her, dressed in his full battle regalia. She felt the burn of the wounds lacerating her body, and grit her teeth. Hadn't she already made it to the top of the pagoda? No matter, she kicked Godo's butt once, she could do it again. Readying her shuriken, she prepared to throw it at him.

"But you've already defeated me, Yuffie," her father said, his eyes blazing. "You must face your next opponent now. You must face the final mighty god of Wutai," he said, stepping aside. Yuffie's grip on the shuriken loosened as her insides froze over. Behind Godo stood a petite form, her silken brown hair spilling to the ground in radiant waves. She shone like a goddess, and her face was graced with a gentle smile. "Mama…" Yuffie choked.

"Face me, Yuffie. You must defeat the Five Mighty Gods," her mother whispered to her, as the transformation took place. "Mama… no, don't leave me!" Yuffie screamed, the tears running from her eyes as her mother's body twisted and distorted, taking on the many-faced form of the Da Chao. "Face me," the voice came again, this time distorted and ugly. The monster reached for her, and reflexively, Yuffie snatched up her weapon and sent it sailing in a desperate throw.

The vision split, shattered as the Tonberry's lantern lowered, its job done. But not before she saw the blood spill from her hasty but accurate attack. Only it was her mother once more, not the fearsome visage of the Da Chao, and her beautiful silken hair was matted and pressed against her face. "You did well, Yuffie," her voice echoed softly as the threads faded. It was too late, she could feel the life leeching out of her body, drained by the small Tonberry like a mosquito sucking blood. She forced herself to stay upright, spreading her arms, listening to the creature's satisfied clacking inside of her head.

You think you've beaten me? You think you've won? She asked it silently, a smile spreading over her face. It paused, chittering inside of her head, confused. Its prey didn't usually talk back, the Tonberry's devastating attacks generally ensured that. The fire curled in Yuffie's breast, and she gave into it willingly, clenching her teeth as her body died to give birth to the life-renewing summon. You don't know anything. But you let me see mother again, in your own stupid way. I forgive you, she said, smiling as she stared the tiny creature. I'll make it quick, that's my thank-you, she promised as her body dissolved, the shrill cry of phoenix rising into the air. The little creature seemed to understand, lowering its lantern and bowing its head.

When the flames subsided, Yuffie stood once more, whole, with her weapon at the ready. She twirled it in a complicated pattern a few times and then sent it flying towards the injured creature, who had slowed considerably from the wounds she and Vincent had inflicted on it. The strike was true, but the Tonberry was more resilient than she had expected, and its head shot up in anger as she caught the shuriken. Yuffie gulped nervously. "Oh, $#$..." she murmured as she saw it raising the lantern once more. There was nothing that could infuriate a Tonberry more than being lied to, and apparently her stupid flying crane wasn't getting the job done fast enough. She braced herself for the next mental onslaught, cringing and hoping that the Phoenix materia would be ready in time.

The lantern flames began to rise, but a shot rang out, and Yuffie's swimming vision cleared. A surprised Tonberry stood before her, looking at the shattered glass of his lantern forlornly. She turned slightly to see Vincent standing behind her, his eyes narrowed and the barrel of the Death Penalty still smoking. Turning, she didn't waste any time, and when the Oritsuru took flight, it found its target and dispatched it with a final, efficient blow.

Yuffie caught the weapon, bowing her head slightly. "Sorry," she whispered to the tiny corpse as the others approached. Steeling herself, she turned to face them and gave Vincent a large smile. "That was pretty smart, taking out the lantern like that!" she cheered.

Nanaki growled, trailing behind the tall man. "How can you fight those things?" he rumbled, a faint shiver rippling through his body as he glared at the corpse.

Yuffie opened her mouth to reply, but Vincent answered for her. "You do what you have to," he said, pinning her under his probing gaze. Nanaki moved forward, eager to leave the battle behind, and Vincent followed. He stopped as he passed by Yuffie, leaning forward slightly. "I saw you," he whispered silently. "The next time you have a chance like that, aim to kill. I don't care where you get your ribbons from." It wasn't a lecture, but a warning. She swallowed, looking back at the corpse for a long moment before sheathing her weapon and running after her two companions.