Yuffie didn't know how long she cried before she managed to pick herself up. Thinking about what was going to happen between Cloud and Aeris made it even worse. She had a feeling that Aeris had fallen for Leon. Finally she got up and slowly began walking back to the house, worrying about what would await her when she got there. The tears had stopped, leaving her eyes red and sore.
"Yuffie? Is that you?" Sora gently put his hand on her shoulder as she nodded. "What happened?"
"Everything went wrong." Yuffie answered softly. "You can go home now Sora, this is what happened with the whole potion thing. Cloud hates me now.
Sora hugged her gently and Yuffie sighed and shuddered slightly. "I tried to be mature... Sora, you don't need to be involved in this."
You're my friend Yuffie." He answered with a smirk. "To be honest, It's nice to hang out with someone besides Donald and Goofy for once."
Yuffie gave a small laugh and hiccuped. "I must look wonderful now." She said softly. "So much for proving that I've grown up."
"I think that you look fine, now go and straighten things out with Cloud." Sora gave her a gentle push and she whispered thanks to him before she left.
The atmosphere in the house was tense at best. Cloud was staring at Aeris and Leon who were sitting on the couch together, though they weren't touching. For once Yuffie didn't say anything, instead she slowly walked over to the table and sat down. It was quiet for a moment, the tension just kept building up.
"Cloud…" Aeris began but Cloud interrupted her. "So... everyone knew except for me." He kept his voice steady but Yuffie could detect the anger in it.
"No, that's not true." Aeris answered though she wasn't very convincing.
"Don't blame Aeris for anything." Leon said softly.
"You certainly didn't seem to mind the situation Leon." Cloud answered. "If I didn't know better I would say that you took advantage of it." When he didn't receive an answer something seemed to click. "... you're a couple now."
"Cloud, we were going to-"
"Are you happy now?" Cloud asked as he turned around to face Yuffie. "Isn't this how you wanted things to be?"
"No, I didn't want things to turn out this way." She whispered feeling the tears welling up in her eyes but she quickly blinked them back. Cloud just looked at Aeris and Leon for a moment before shaking his head and walking out of the room after slamming the door.
"Oh I feel so guilty..." Aeris whispered. "I don't want to hurt him."
"It's a little late for that!" Yuffie answered sarcastically before walking out the door after him. "Cloud... Cloud... CLOUD!" Yuffie caught up to him, he had been moving very quickly. "Won't you listen to me for five seconds?"
"What?" He asked coldly, his voice so angry that Yuffie had to swallow. "It is my fault, but... Don't you think it was just a matter of time?" Yuffie looked concerned as Cloud just started walking again. "You and Aeris weren't ever even a couple... She never knew how you felt, the person that you told was ME remember?" Cloud still kept walking. "You're being very childish about this."
At this Cloud stopped, causing Yuffie to run into him. "You call me childish?" He asked her, his voice low. "You've taken my light from me."
"How do you know that she's your light?" Yuffie asked. "How do you know that it's not someone else?"
"Who else could it be?"
"… Me." Yuffie said feeling her face turn pink as she looked down at the ground. For a minute everything was quiet as they stood there in awkward silence Yuffie wringing her hands nervously.
"Yuffie." Cloud said as he brought his mouth down next to her ear, causing a chill to go down Yuffie's spine. "It'll never be you."
All the pain that Yuffie was feeling crashed down upon her at the cruel words. Without thinking she slapped Cloud across the face, grabbed his face, and pulled it down to her level as she kissed him. The kiss was forceful and quick before Yuffie let go and stepped away. "I just wanted to see what it would be like as myself." She said, her voice choked, before running leaving Cloud standing there in shock.
"Whoa Yuffie!" Sora grabbed her arm as she ran past him. "What's wrong?"
"Everything!" Yuffie answered. "I'm going to leave, can you take me somewhere on you're gummi ship?"
"W-where?"
"Twlight Town." Yuffie answered. "I just have to get away Sora or I'm going to explode!"
"Well... if you want to go then sure, I can take you."
"Oh thank you Sora!" Yuffie whispered as she hugged him, a few more tears spilling out in the process.
"Do you have munny?"
Yuffie's face went blank at the mention of it. "Um... I'm sure that Aeris and Leon wouldn't mind if I BORROWED some from them." She said with a small smirk coming upon her face.
When Yuffie got back to the house no one was there so she got her stuff together quickly, she didn't want anyone to know she was going. Yuffie wasn't planning on saying forever, she just wanted to prove to herself that she was grown up enough to be on her own. "I'm not a little girl anymore." She muttered.
"You're acting like one."
Yuffie didn't even turn around. "Shut up Cloud, don't you have somewhere to mope?"
"Isn't it little girls that always run away from home?" Cloud asked.
"You want me to leave!" Yuffie answered, a small glimmer of hope in her, thinking that maybe he would ask her not to leave.
"Yes." The short answer hurt and Yuffie quickly swallowed.
"Just remember, It wasn't Aeris that you confessed your undying love to. It was me. If you love someone that much you should be able to tell that it's them you know."
"What do you know about love?" Cloud snapped back, his blue eyes flashing with anger.
"I wouldn't. I'm just a kid." Yuffie answered staring at him. She wanted so badly to walk over to him but she stood her ground. "Bye." She said before turning and walking out the door. Cloud just stood there staring at the shut door. A few seconds later he sat down and put his head in his hands.
"What made you want to go to Twlight Town?" Sora asked Yuffie once they were cruising along in the Gummy Ship.
"I need to get away from Hollow Bastion or Radiant Garden or whatever we're calling it now." Yuffie answered. "Also, where else is there to go?"
Sora gave a small laugh. The rest of the ride was pretty silent. When they got there Sora turned to Yuffie. "Are you sure you want to run away?"
Instead of answering Yuffie grabbed her stuff and winked at him. With that she exited the ship. "I guess that's a yes." Sora said with a sigh but he couldn't help but laugh.
The town seemed like a very cheerful place. Yuffie thought, as she walked down the street area. "Now I just need to find a place to stay for a little while." She muttered.
"You're new here eh?" Yuffie turned around to see a group of teenagers, with one of the guys talking to her. "If you need a place to stay then there's a lady that owns a candy shop who is renting out a room a couple blocks away. I'm Hayner by the way." He held out his hand which Yuffie shook after a couple of seconds.
"I'm Olette and this is Pence." The girl standing next to him said with a smile. "Welcome to Traverse Town."
T-Thanks." Yuffie answered. Ugh, what happened to the confident Yuffie? Just because you're in a strange place ALONE doesn't mean that you need to be frightened. Relax, Relax, Relax. "Ok well, I guess that I'll be heading that way." As she turned something clicked in her head. "Wait... do you know Sora?"
Pence nodded with a smile. "Yeah, how do you know?"
"I vagely remember him mentioning you three. I'm his friend."
"Cool." Hayner butted in. "So why did you come here?"
"It's a long story." Yuffie answered. "Hey I'm going to go see about a room, I'll catch you three later." She walked off feeling very relieved to have met someone.
About an hour later Yuffie was lying on her bed staring up at the ceiling of her new little room. "So… this is life as a free almost adult." Yuffie's eyes roamed around the small room and the bland walls. "Thrilling."
Soon after Yuffie began walking around the town. It was quite small and… well it seemed pretty boring. "Yo, I ain't seen you around here before." A blonde haired guy that looked about a year younger then her walked up to her. "This is where MY gang hangs out."
"Oh really?" Yuffie answered calmly. "I don't see your name. All I saw was a sign saying SANDLOT."
"Heh… I'm Seifer. A little girl like you shouldn't talk to me like that."
"LITTLE GIRL? I'M PROBABLY OLDER THEN YOU!" Yuffie answered.
"I'm 16."
"I'm almost 18." Yuffie answered with a smirk. "Respect your elders little boy."
"That's it, I don't care if you're a girl, NO ONE talks to me like that!" Seifer picked up a random club thingy on the ground.
"You're going to fight me with that? Why not a REAL weapon… or are you scared?" Yuffie smiled, she loved taunting.
"So you wanna get serious?" Seifer threw down the club and pulled a gunblade that Yuffie hadn't seen out of his belt. "We'll get serious."
Yuffie thought it was strange that he had the same weapon as Leon, and that he had a scar on his face just like him as well. She didn't have time to think though since Seifer swung at her. Yuffie easily dodged it and flipped back, pulling out her Shurikens. "You asked for it little boy." She said before lunging towards him.
Seifer hammered down on her as Yuffie quickly blocked his blows with her weapons, and getting a few hits in herself. "You ain't bad." Seifer said as she got him across the arm.
Managing to grab her arms Seifer leaned over her and snarled in her face. "Isn't this romantic?"
"Never underestimate the Great Ninja Yuffie!" Yuffie said and with a quick blow to get him to release his grip on her she flipped over him and slashed him across the back.
Seifer fell to the ground in pain and Yuffie quickly gave him a potion.
"You're my kind of girl." Seifer said when he got up with a smirk. "I've never had a girl that stood up to me before, let alone beat me."
"Good luck, you're going to need it." Yuffie answered. "I'm not interested." Before Seifer could reply with a sarcastic comment she walked off, glad at least to have been able to fight.
That night Yuffie sat alone in her bedroom after putting away her new clothes that she had bought that day. (Her Advent Children outfit.) "They at least make me look a little older." She muttered to herself before lying on her bed and staring at the ceiling. She could feel some tears in her eyes, she felt so alone.
"I hate you Cloud." She muttered as she pounded her pillow. "And yet I love you as well. Yeah I admit it, I love you! I don't know why but I do. I'm not a little girl anymore and you're nothing but a spiky haired jerk for not giving me a chance."
With that Yuffie ceased the talking to herself and blew out the candle, letting herself stare into the darkness.