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"When I look up into the stars I wonder…why me?"

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Chapter 2: September Rain

Today was one of those days where absolutely nothing could put you down in the dumps. Life and everything else in it was good. Well, that's how she wanted it to be anyway. Today was quite the opposite.

"This weekends the school fall festival," Aerith explained to the oh-so distant Yuffie who didn't seem to be paying attention to her. Like usual. "Yuffie."

She looked up, dazed. "Yeah, I heard you." Soon after speaking those few words her head fell right back on the table..

"There will be candy and games there." That answer woke Yuffie from her dreams. Candy. The one thing that made her happy. It was the only thing that didn't talk back at her, or say her ideas were useless. No, all it did was bring joy. How she loved her delectable treats.

"I'm in! When, where?" she asked, standing up and slamming her fists down on the school lunch table. A few people looked over at that point, but Yuffie only glared at them which made them look away in less than five seconds flat.

"Calm down, and I thought Sora was bad when it came to food." Yuffie looked over to Aerith's side to see Zack taking a seat next to her. "What about this school festival?" He stuck his fork into a piece of meat on his plate, but quickly threw it at Sora after noticing how disgusting it looked. He gladly took it and ate it while he conversed with Riku.

Aerith continued to explain the upcoming events of the festival to them. All Yuffie got out of what she said was that there was a festival this weekend and you could go with whoever you wanted. But if you had someone special you could attend it with them. She rolled her eyes at that.

"And I need your help." Aerith glanced over at Yuffie, a smile gracing her lips. "So, how about it?"

"You are not making me help you with some stupid festival. I would rather die! I'm a ninja, ninja's hide in the shadows and stay hidden." She crossed her arms over her chest and sighed. Yup, today was a great day.

"Come on," Aerith pleaded. "You'll have fun. And for once you won't be beating someone up." That caught her attention, but in a bad way.

"No! I'm good, later, need to get to History and pester some kids." Yuffie walked away from Aerith and the others quickly. Even if she would never admit it to anyone, she hated how people always judged her for how she is. Aerith was always on her case for beating kids up and annoying the hell out of others. It wasn't all her fault. Half the time they deserved what she did to them. Seifer was just an ass altogether and pissing him off made her day, even Aerith had to admit he did deserve it. Yuffie never did get along with her, but tried anyway. It couldn't hurt after all, right?

Since Cloud left she believed Aerith needed all the support she could get. Before he changed she was his girlfriend. There wasn't a day where you couldn't find those two together. If you did it was like the apocalypse. But something happened that last day of seventh grade, and whatever it was forever changed their relationship with him as well as theirs. Aerith never told them what happened that fateful day, and Yuffie conjured in her mind that she never would.

"Yuffs, where are you heading so early? Class doesn't start for another fifteen minutes." Standing before her was none other then Axel, one of Seifer and Sephiroth's guys, but that story was also left for another day.

She growled and slammed her palms against a nearby locker. "Only my friends can call me by that name. And since the last time I checked your not one of them." Her cocky attitude piped in. Even if her anger was getting the better of her, she knew better, and today she didn't feel like getting into a fist fight. Last time she did she got suspended.

"I only came to have a few words with you." He leaned back against the wall, his rough looking turquoise eyes turning soft.

She snorted. "And that would be?"

"Watch out for Seifer." Now that completely threw her off track. Why was he telling her to watch out? If anything it should be the other way around. Her lips moved to oppose him but no words came out. She could only stand there helplessly as he left from her view.

"That was uncalled for," she muttered under her breath as she entered her History class. She looked up at the clock. Ten minutes early. Knowing that she practically had nothing to due she rested her head against the top of her chair and placed her long black boots on the rack below the desk in front of her.

Today's events were unfolding in the weirdest of ways. Her and Aerith were having one of those love hate relationships again, leaning more to the hate side, and Axel came to warn her about something she didn't even know. That confused her even more.

She sighed. Oh how she wished today was good. The worst part, she had absolutely no one to pick on. But as usual, that was about to change.

"Yuffie, long time no see." Came an oh-so familiar voice. She fluttered her eyes open to see Cloud sitting in the desk next to her. But she didn't even need to see him to know who it was. She could tell his menacing voice apart from anyone. She meant that.

"What?" she asked harshly. Oh, did he pick the right day to make her mad. But in a way she felt kind of relieved. This was the first time he talked to her in two years.

Remember…he's changed, Yuffie.

"How's my Yuffs been lately?" Now he did it. "I told your buddy Axel and I'll tell you. Only my friends can call me that. Now go back to your own crowd and get the hell away from me!" She could tell he was going to be reply back, but the teacher entered the room and started her fifty minute rants saving her from swearing him out. He got lucky.

This time.

"Kisaragi." Yuffie brought her head up from her desk. "The principal would like to see you in his office immediately." Grumbling, she gathered her stuff up and headed out of the room. But not before passing a note over to Cloud. He carefully unwrapped it and read its' contents slowly.

Cloud,

I know you expect this to be me apologizing to you for all sorts of shit I didn't do, but it's not. I just wanted to get one thing straight. I hate you, you hate me. So stay with your little group of people and don't come near me or my friends again. If you do? Well, then I'll have to take care of you personally.

Much hate--The Great Ninja Yuffie

He crumpled up the piece of paper in his hands and tightly gripped it. This is war.

----

Yuffie blocked out to the consistent chattering of Cid as she stood sitting in his office once again. The only parts she heard was that she was in trouble for making fun of someone or something close to that. She couldn't remember all the people she pissed off daily. There was just to many of them.

But in reality she wasn't even bothering to listen to what he was saying. She heard the same speech from him almost every day. It got old real fast.

Her thoughts were centered on more important matters.

Cloud tried to talk to her for the first time in years. She didn't know how to respond to him except for clear anger. He ignored her for two years and decides that now would be the best time to talk to her? Bullshit. He of all people should have known better then that. But she guessed not. And nor would she ever talk or forgive him for all he did. There was so many things to name she doubt she could say it all and get done with it in a week.

The one thing she did remember clearly was the week after he broke up with Aerith. Yuffie's whole little gang didn't know anything about it yet so they still befriended Cloud. He started to talk to Yuffie more, and he also made up the nickname Yuff for her. But everything he did, all the things he said were all lies. And she fell for his pretty and soothing words. Just like Aerith did not long before her.

Lies.

Those were memories best left forgotten. She didn't want to bury that deep into her head or dig them out. Putting it plain and simply she just didn't want to think about it. It hurt to much. Cause during that one week after they broke up she felt like her and Cloud had something. But she was sorely mistaken.

"You're dismissed…but only under one condition." Cid lit another cigarette up in his mouth and watched as the smoke floated up to the ceiling. "You have to help Aerith out with the festival decorations. She's a sweet girl, you could learn from her." She nodded and left.

The rest of the day went by pretty fast. Math and Science breezed by. She didn't even notice the evil glares Cloud was giving her all class. It was better left that way. After the final bell rang she headed over to her dorm and threw her books on her bed. Leon wasn't home, but she didn't second think it.

With all that said and done she headed over to Aerith's dorm. She curled her fingers into a fist and gently knocked. Appearing in the door was to her surprise, Yuffie.

"Is there any reason you're carrying streamers?" Aerith inquired, giggling.

"Let me in, I feel like an idiot!" Yuffie whined. Yep, she was back to normal. And boy did she need it after the awkward day at school.

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The day of the school festival was finally here. Freshman to seniors were all lined up for games. Most of the people had someone special with them, whether it be a boyfriend, girlfriend, or just a good friend. Yuffie and Aerith did an amazing job decorating. Streamers of all kinds were hung around the school along with balloons of all colors and even little party hats. But those were for the little kids that attended. Unless you were an idiot who decided to act all cool and wear one.

Much to Yuffie's surprise many people attended this. All her hard work wasn't for naught, sort of. From the day Cid assigned Yuffie to work with Aerith was the day that she actually did work. For the first time in her life she actually enjoyed making the little kids hats and games. It entertained her for the rest of the week. That sad part was that she didn't see much of Leon or Cloud. She had no one to bug because she was so busy doing other things. Which she kind of enjoyed. But nothing could ever get rid of her need to annoy people.

"There's quite a few people here," she could hear Aerith speak from behind her. For once they were getting along. But that wouldn't last for to long. "Right Zack?" She heard her say. Yeah, she came here with Zack. Those two became very close after the whole Cloud incident, very close. Yuffie sometimes wondered if the only reason she became so close to Zack was to forget about Cloud. She believed that in her heart just maybe she saw Cloud in Zack.

"Candy! I'm gone!" Yuffie made up that excuse to leave. In the distance Yuffie approached a candy stand. This was by far her most favorite thing out of the whole day. Now she couldn't yell at Aerith for making her go, it was worth it after all. Or so she thought.

"Sora? What are you doing here? And selling candy?" Yuffie was clearly confused.

"Aerith put me in charge. But good thing." He pointed at a red-headed girl that stood next to him selling candy to the people on the other side. "Kairi, meet Yuffie."

The red head smiled at her. "Nice to meet you." She looked over at Sora and glared. "Stop eating all the food and stop slacking off."

Yuffie started to laugh. "Another Aerith, except you like this one."

"You're so cruel." He reached behind him and grabbed a multicolored lollipop still wrapped. Not even touched. "I thought you might want this." Yuffie jumped up and down in excitement and gladly took it, waving to them goodbye and heading off into the crowd of people, most of them students. She wondered where Riku was, but that thought quickly left her mind as she sucked on her lollipop.

"Ouch." Someone slammed Yuffie in the side sending her flying to the cement ground loosing the grasp on her lollipop. "Watch where you're going!" To the side of her was none other then her lollipop. It landed on the cement and was covered in dirt of all sorts.

"Sorry." Looking up she saw Leon. He was the last person she'd expect to see here, but she didn't let that take her thought away.

"You ruined my lollipop!"

"My mistake," he said coolly.

"You did it on purpose! Meanie!"

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes!"

"No."

"Yes!"

"Be quiet already, your giving me a headache and It's only been a few minutes." He swore that she just loved to bug the living hell out of him. And whether she was trying to or not, it worked.

"Not until you buy me a new one, Squall."

"Leon." The whispered words came out as he walked away from her and up one of the many hills that surrounded the school. A light rain started to fall around them as she appeared next to him. The light rain signaling the coming of fall, or the beginning of a new year with many prosperous things to come.

September rain.

"I thought you said you weren't coming?" She dejected her gaze to the ground. Why was she talking to him? This was the one man she swore to hate. The only time she would talk to him was to annoy him and bring some joy into her life. But that was exactly the problem.

He seemed to be that joy.

She knew it was wrong, to be standing here making conversation. But when she tried to tell her feet to move they wouldn't respond. Like some other force was acting on her, keeping her from leaving.

These feelings aren't real. They're all lies…just like Cloud.

These feelings were all new to her. But in the same way she felt like she had had them before. It took her this long to even realize it. But it was pointless to linger on so.

So she finally gave up.

"I lied," he firmly replied. The sky suddenly started to light up with colorful blinking lights of all shapes and sizes. Yuffie jumped at first, scared by the sudden noise, but quickly calmed when she felt a warm hand placed on her shoulder. She looked up to see Leon.

"I will forgive you…just this once." And that feeling never left her, even if she knew it was wrong. And in a way, she hoped he felt the same way. But that was impossible…and she knew it. But that never stopped the ninja girl before. For now, she'd just enjoy what she had no matter how wrong it was.

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Of course I know how to ruin a good moment. Note: Yuffie still doesn't know her feelings for him, but during that time she was with him at the festival she just gave up. She would have rather enjoyed herself then let a good moment go to waste. Next chapter it gets dramatic.

I can't let Yuffie's life seem like it's going good for to long. Cause everything's about to change, and even her close friends can't be trusted. Oh, many bloodly fights to come.

Chapter 3: Enemy by Fault

All the thoughts of Yuffie and Leon will be shattered by one stone. Betrayal will be the least of her problems when the life of a friend is on the line. Is she willing to sacrifice one to save another? Will her feelings get in the way? : (