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Chapter One: Moving Day

(Yuffie's P.O.V)

Moving Day.

Or should I say TS-Day, as in This Sucks Day. Aerith and I stood one the steps of the apartment complex. The air was still and cold, as expected of "mid-mornings" at the sunless Traverse Town. We rubbed our hands up and down our arms as we shivered, and watched Squallie and Cid load our boxes and luggage into the small Gummi Ship. In those boxes were our pasts…and they would be a part of our futures.

Hallow Bastion was my supposed "home", according to Leon and Aerith, who still treasure it like they left the place yesterday, not nine and a half years ago. From what I've heard, the place is just a big, empty, luxurious mansion, a waste of space for our small trio. I didn't like it one bit already. Truth of the fact is, I don't wanna leave Traverse Town. This is my home. Not a pace I don't even remember. And in 8 hours, we were going to leave the little world I treasured.

"Ready, Yuffie?" Aerith asked, turning and smiling at me slightly.

My heat bounced up and down in my chest. I was nervous. Not like I was gonna let it show. Scowling, I whined. "Why?"

"Don't whine, Yuffie. I know it's hard, but you'll adjust. I guarantee you'll love it there!" She placed a hand on my shoulder, reassuringly.

This is terrible.

We sat on those steps like that, watching Leon struggle with our large suitcases. Hey, I don't pack light, An hour since she had last spoke, Aerith finally found her voice again.

"Hey Yuffie, let's go shopping."

"Now?" I asked, slightly irritated. "We're leaving in 6 hours Ae!"

"I know. It'll be like saying goodbye to everything. Come on!" Cheerfully, she grabbed my arm and dragged me off, without even telling Squallie where we were going.

Damn. I hated shopping.

I hated to shop. Especially for clothes, which Aerith loved to do. Comfort before style. That was my motto. Or was it, "bothering Squall comes first"? Either way I hated shopping. But I had to admit, walking through the outlets in the Second District for the last time made me feel a little better. A little. Aerith was the queen of style and flare, so therefore, I had a few hours of indecisive rack-rustling to look forward to. Great.

" I've got just the thing for you," Aerith said, as if reading my mind, and purposely trying to make me blow up at her. "It'll knock off all the guy's socks."

"I don't want to knock their socks off." I said smartly. "What if their feet stink?"

Aerith giggled. "Well, then, let's knock their hats off. Boys your age always wear hats…right?"

I didn't respond. Only scowled and turned. She wasn't getting my point.

"I saw some really cute outfits at Mirnil's Clothing Boutique."

Exactly. Boutique. Key word there. I don't do boutiques. " All they have they have there are skirts, Aerith. I don't like skirts."

"But they have really nice tank-tops too. That's what you like to wear, right?"

I nodded reluctantly. But not those kind of tanks. I liked regular tank-tops. Not the fancy, sequined ones that hung low over my non-existent bust.

"Good then. I put a pair on hold for you."

When was this? Where in the world does Aerith get the time for this kind of crap? And why did she have to put them on hold as if it were a done deal?

"Aerith, I am not going. Get over it!"

" Yuuuufieeeee!"

"Cry me a river, build me a bridge." I sneered, turning my back to her and putting my arms over my chest.

That was when the whimpering noises started. I could ignore it at first, but eventually they got on my nerves till my head was about to burst.

"Aiiie, Aerith! Fine, FINE! Just shut up! I'll go!"

The whimpering stopped immediately, and the pretty flower-girl smiled at me innocently. "It's set then!"

"Uh, well, I kind of, like, you know, would like to try them on first."

Aerith laughed. "Obviously, Yuffie! I just put them on hold so they'd be there id we wanted them." She explained, like it was the smartest idea ever.

Right. Well, it wasn't like I had to get anything if I don't want to. Whatever.

Oh God. Right now I am holding a bag containing the most god-damned ugly outfit. Don't touch it…it might be toxic.

Aerith and I, well, actually Aerith, had gone to get the outfit from the clerk at Mirnil's. Which happened to be the most horrible place I had ever set foot in. She came back, skipping, while I leaned on a wall, looking as bored as possible. Hey, she was capable of sympathy. Just…not right then.

Up to my face she had held the girliest yellow ballet-top, with a bow in the corner, and white Capri's. I hadn't minded the Capri's, okay? But when I told her that, she insisted they came in a set. Whatever, now I could leave right? WRONG.

After two hours in the store, she had finally picked out something different from the racks and held it out, obviously pleased. I almost fainted right there.

Purple low-button sweater-top, with a long, white peasant skirt.

"Like I'm going to be caught wearing that!" I had screamed at her.

My bad. You see, Aerith can seem really timid, sensitive, weak, girly…but, unfortunately, she's not. And when she doesn't get what she wants, she's downright scary.

Hence, the reason I'm making my way back to our apartment with this large shopping bag, Aerith's eyes shining with joy as she looked at it, admiringly. Whatever, at least she paid for it.

Sadly, I looked out the window as my treasured world and all I knew of it, grew further away. I was really going to miss lounging around Traverse Town.

ETB (Evil Torture Bastard), Leon, refused to tell me how long it would take to get to Hallow Bastion. "We'll get there when we get there, and unless you've got some special reason to know, I'd advise you to shut up for the remainder of the trip, Yuffie. You know, just to refrain from giving us all headaches."

"This is special." I persisted, ignoring his warning. "It's beyond special." It's catastrophic.

He didn't answer. Pouting angrily, I slumped in my seat and listened to Aerith humming to herself. Taking a last look out the window, though Traverse Town was just a small dot below us now, I closed my eyes and slowly dozed off.

Hooray! Another chapter! And the real story starts! I hope you enjoyed. Guess who's coming soon….? Well, review please! Next update: Yuffie's first day at Hallow Bastion.

Next Update: May 5, 2006

Thanks,

.:Sakia:.