Circles
Chapter Four
"It's the circle of life, and it moves us all, through despair and hope, through faith and love, 'till we find our place, on the path unwinding."
The Biggest Lie
Falsehood is easy, truth so difficult.
The sunlight penetrated Reno's sleep, invading the haven behind his eyelids. Groaning he covered his eyes, only to have the sound of the world roar in his ears, as if the day was playing some cruel, sick game called 'Wake up Reno.'
Uncovering his eyes, Reno sleepily opened his eyes halfway, to see a pair of green eyes staring into his. Jumping, his eyes fully open, he scowled. Baby Doll straightened. He glared at her. "Do you do that often?"
Shrugging, she walked over to her chocobo and reached into her cloak and pulled out some greens, which she fed to it. The chocobo warked in glee, gobbling down the greens. Reno had noticed before that the chocobo was black, but he now saw that it had green-blue eyes that were reminiscent of the deep sea. Eyes just like hers. How…weird. Reno plucked a cigarette from behind his ear, and procured a lighter from his pocket. Sticking it in his mouth, he lit the end of it. Smirking, he looked up at her, taking the cigarette out of his mouth.
"How long did it take you to find a matching chocobo?"
She looked sidelong at the cigarette. She provided no answer but: "That's going to kill you."
"Yup." Reno stood up, stretching as Baby Doll was checking something on her belt. He watched lazily as she smothered the fire and put a bridle on her chocobo.
They were just near the foot of the mountain; either Baby Doll had woken up and taken the reins, or the chocobo had understood Reno when he told it to get off the mountain. They did say that chocobos were more intellectual then most people thought. But how the chocobo know how to get off the mountain was beyond him. Maybe the same way humans found out; follow a path and wander around a bit. Shaking his head, Reno looked into the distance and noted that they were near Rocket Town; where Rude and Elena would have gone.
Turning back to Baby Doll, he found her mounting her chocobo. She took the reins in her hands, and was about to nudge her chocobo into motion. "Where are you going?" he asked, slightly alarmed.
She shrugged, looking off in the distance. "Somewhere." She said.
"You ain't leaving me behind."
"Watch me," she ordered her chocobo to a walk.
Reno jogged to catch up with her, and put a hand on the side of the chocobo. It stopped, turning around to see who was touching her side. Without asking, Reno swung one leg over the chocobo, sitting right behind Baby Doll.
"Hey- Stop that!" she scowled, looking behind her. "We had a deal." She reminded him sourly.
"No." he responded. "And that deal never included having to save your ass from Crazy Gunblade Wutain."
"You saved my ass?!"
"Of course. Aren't you lucky I came along?"
She snorted. "Not the word I would use.
"Whatever. I get to use your chocobo, because you didn't give me time to get mine."
"Get off!"
"Nope."
"Why?" She demanded.
Reno looked off into the distance, seeing the stand where a rocket once sat sticking up from the horizon. "Because I need to get to Rocket Town."
She paused. "I'm not going there." she finally replied.
Looking at her, Reno raised an eyebrow.
"…you don't know where Rocket Town is, do you?" Reno asked incredulously, a smirk creeping onto his lips.
She frowned at him. "Of course I do."
"Then where is it?"
Without moving, her eyes flickered around, and then she raised her arm and pointed just slightly to her left. "There."
Reno nodded, acting as if he was impressed and proven wrong, holding up his hands in defeat, "Right. I guess you do know where places are."
"Yes." she nodded. "Yes I do."
"So, where ya going?"
"That way." She pointed to northwest, her face betraying nothing.
"Baby Doll, you're going to have to cross an ocean if you go that way."
"Maybe I will."
"You'll die. The waters are freezing near the Northern Continent."
Sighing, she twisted around to look at him. She swung her right leg over the chocobo so she was sidesaddle, before swinging her left leg to the other side. She was now facing Reno, with her back to the chocobo's head. "So you've found me out. I'm not exactly sure where I am.
Reno raised his eyebrows, "Do you know where you just came from?"
She shook her head, and admitted – albeit, grudgingly. "No clue. Was never mentioned around me. I'd probably recognize the town name. I was taught about geography, but my learning was cut short…
"I don't know what Continent we are on. I don't know where the town we just left was, or which way I need to go."
Reno blew smoke out of his mouth, which caused Baby Doll to wrinkle her nose in dislike.
"And put that out." she ordered.
Not listening, he stuck it back in his mouth, taking a drag from the cigarette. Pulling it out of his mouth, he blew a smoke ring out of his mouth, which disappeared as it hit Baby Doll's face. Calmly she knocked it from his hand and let it fall to the ground. "Do you enjoy sticking cancer in your mouth?"
Reno grinned, "Love it. Now listen Baby Doll-"
"Stop calling me that."
"Yes, Your Highness. I have a proposition."
"…yes?"
Reno's aquamarine eyes stared straight into her deep, darker green-blue ones. "You help me find my friends, and I'll help you get to where you want to go. I know The Planet, and you don't. You have a chocobo with you, and I don't. We'll help each other." Reno offered his hand, "Do we have a deal?"
At first there was surprise in her eyes, but then she shook her head no.
He folded his arms. "Why not?"
She looked at him, really looked at him for the first time. She looked him up and down, noting and examining and when she was finished her jaw was set. "I thought so." She whispered. Backing up, as if to put distance between them, she pointed at the ground. "Off."
He raised his eyebrows.
"They still haven't changed your uniforms." She said dully as though that explained everything; but under the dull blankness were suppressed rage and other emotions that he couldn't quite read – and didn't want to. "So it was a set up then…" she continued slowly, thinking aloud. "I'm standing there trying to figure out how I'm going to get out when a door opens and there's someone there. Can you imagine my relief?" she eyed him angrily. "Of course you can't. So I get out, escape and I wake up and guess what! It's a Turk." She spat the last word as though it was a curse.
"Then I reasoned it was just, you know, coincidence. There isn't a law that says no one else can wear a blue suit. But now I realize that your stickie-thing," she pointed to his nightstick, "has the ShinRa emblem; ShinRa made. So whatcha waiting for Turk? Waiting for me to turn my back until you whack me on the head and carry me back? Hmmm?"
He stared at her dumbly. That was the longest thing she had said to him so far, and he vaguely realized that this hate and anger was so far the fiercest emotion she had displayed.
"Listen," he drawled, unaffected by her speech. "I don't know what the hell you're talking about and what 'there' is; and this nightstick is from before The Fall thank you very much."
The Fall is what the world was using to describe the Fall of ShinRa and Midgar; or maybe even Meteor or Sephiroth or something. He wasn't sure, but he associated it with ShinRa. "I don't give a crap about where you came from, why you came from there; I just want to go to Rocket Town. So Baby Doll; Deal?"
Looking at him and then at the hand, she seemed to weigh what he had said. Finally – reluctantly - she stuck out her hand and took his. "Deal."
The red-head grinned widely, exposing pearly white teeth. "First stop, Rocket Town."
"Which is…?"
"Straight ahead. Here, let me steer." Reno said.
She dismounted and let him scoot up, as she mounted behind him. Rather than hold on to him, she crossed arms over her chest. "This doesn't mean I like you."
"Of course not."
"In face, I really don't like you, now that I've seen you in daylight. I wouldn't let me ride behind you if I were you."
"You don't really frighten me, Short Stack." He was also deciding if the reference to 'in daylight' was a comment on his appearance. With her early speech he decided that it was for being a Turk. Plus, he had enough evidence that it was probably not on his appearance.
Ignoring that, they rode in silence. Baby Doll's silence was one that indicated that what a Turk said didn't matter, and that he wasn't worth speaking to.
"I should know your name." Reno decided.
"…."
"C'mon - spit it out." Reno urged.
"Why don't you just call me what you want?" she decided.
"Alright, Baby Doll."
She winced, realizing the mistake. "Except that."
"Well, Doll unless-"
"It's Yuki, alright?" she said quickly.
He held his hands up in surrender. "All right, all right. Reno."
"I didn't say I wanted your name, Turk."
"I could tell you were burning with mad hot curiousity."
Another person might have rolled their eeys, but she just looked over at him dully, as though thoroughly bored with him. "So, where are we?"
"Western Continent, and we just left Nibelheim."
"Nibelheim." she repeated, turning the word over in her mouth. "Nibelheim…" Yuki looked at the structure that had held the rocket, leaning to the side so she could see around Reno. "What is that?"
"What?"
"That." she nodded towards the structure, growing larger as they grew closer.
"That's a structure that held a rocket; you know, that rocket Avalanche took it into space during their journey, two years ago."
She was silent, as though she'd never heard of it. "…Avalanche…?"
Apparently she hadn't.
It was Reno's turn to be dumbfounded. He turned around, staring at her with wide, aquamarine eyes. His mouth hung open slightly and he stared at her, though she returned the gaze. Completely bewildered he shook his head. "You don't know Avalanche? You're joking."
"If I did, would I sound so clueless?"
Reno sighed, ordering the chocobo to go a little bit faster. The chocobo broke into a canter, carrying an impatient Reno closer to Rocket Town. Closer to his friends. "Who are you anyway? Where have you been, a hole in the ground?"
"Well…yes."
--
The rain poured on her head, making an already wet Yuffie Kisaragi soaked to the bone, and shivering to boot. She'd retrieved her Conformer, and checked to make sure everything else they needed was with them, and it was. They both traveled light. However, she had been in a dilemma – every time she tried to get her chocobo, ride on it, hitch it to them, Vincent nearly fell off Azrael. But she couldn't leave her chocobo behind…she needed it.
But she could only get it to the edge of the forest before she realized that at the pace they were going, they would both contract pneumonia before they got to the house. Sadly she left her chocobo at the edge of the jungle. She scowled though – she had to leave her chocobo, Kiku, which would be her ticket away from Vincent. Not to mention that her chocobo – to someone who recognized it – would be the most obvious sign that she'd been here. And she didn't want to leave her alone.
Leaning over so her head was near her chocobo's, she looked it in the eye. "Listen Ki," she said softly. "I need you to be on the move – go through water as much as you can, try not to leave tracks."
Yuffie was sure she was going crazy, speaking to a chocobo, and now she could have sworn the chocobo bobbed her head. "If you see people you recognize, do not go up to them. Rather, run, stay out of sight – these are the people that you want to stay away from. Unless it's me, of course."
The chocobo met her gaze levelly. Hers was a social chocobo, much like Yuffie herself, but it squawked softly. "I'm sorry." Yuffie grimaced, and turned away, walking away on Azrael. By the time she looked back, her chocobo was gone.
She had to constantly nudge and poke Vincent to keep him awake; was she supposed to do that? Should he be awake, or sleeping? She couldn't remember, but a sleeping Vincent Valentine would just add weight to her burden.
They were well out of the jungle; and Yuffie wasn't happy about it either. The thick canopy of the jungle had provided a cover from some of the rain, but now she was receiving it full-blow. The weather, being unfair as it is, had decided to extend the storm clouds to her destination, instead of towards Gongaga, where she mentally sent them. Just perfect.
Not to mention that other matters were on her mind. Apparently, her father had not yet told Avalanche that she was missing. Sure, Avalanche was aware that she had cut herself off from them, but they probably assumed she was still in Wutai.
What she was amazed about was the news hadn't picked it up. They hadn't picked up anything. The things going on in Wutai would be a huge story, but her father was somehow keeping it under wraps. It was only a matter of time, though. These sort of things eventually got out. They always get out.
She saw the headlines already: "WUTAIN PRINCESS MISSING!" and "STRANGE HAPPENINGS IN WUTAI" as well as "WORLD SAVIOR GONE MISSING." It would be shocking news, and the biggest story since Avalanche had saved the world. She thought of them all gathering, laughing it up and partying. Without her.
If only she knew how wrong she was.
She missed them to death. After discussing it with her father, she'd cut herself off from them. For their, Wutai and her own good. Her PHS had been too much temptation, she she'd taken a hammer and smashed it. That's not all though; she'd thrown it in the fishpond, fished it out, jumped on it, threw it from the top branch of a tree into the hole she'd dug for it, and finally buried it. Extreme measures, it may seem, but just the sight of the communication device with her friends numbers programmed in made her fingers itch to dial.
When she had started receiving letters, she had tried to burn them. But she couldn't bring herself to; she'd read them and hoarded them. Kept every one of them, stuffed in a drawer in her desk. She'd cared for those letters as if they were her cats, carefully stowing them away and rereading them carefully, as though they'd fall apart in her hands.
When she'd received an invite to a party, she had longed to go. But she wouldn't let them see her in…this state. She couldn't – but it was too late now.
When Vincent had insisted she come with him, she'd been fighting as hard as she could. When she needed to cough, she wouldn't let herself. Of course, she couldn't stop it, and eventually she'd get caught coughing. At least she hadn't puked while he'd been with her; she fainted though. And she was very, very tired. She'd been going to bed at 8:00 PM and not waking up until 12:00 noon. That was 15 hours of sleep, which left around 9 hours of awake time. This was especially abnormal for Yuffie, who generally thought sleep was a waste of time.
"…Where are we?" Vincent asked.
"On the plains."
Vincent nodded, and thought Yuffie couldn't see him, she knew his eyelids were drooping. Sure enough, his body relaxed slightly. Sharply she took her elbow and nudged him in the side, which made him sit straight. "No sleep." she told him.
He complied, sitting up straighter. Looking at the chocobo and the distance of the house, she wondered why they were only going at a canter. Giving the symbol for a gallop, the chocobo happily complied. Rushing across the plains, Yuffie felt the grip on her stomach tighten a bit. With her motion sickness – although she didn't usually get it on a chocobo – it, and the grip on her stomach, she felt the aforementioned organ flip-flop.
But her stomach was unsettled for another reason as well. If this guy could help, he would certainly notice it. He'd try to get help, and the media would find out and it would be chaos. Yuffie wouldn't let that happen. She watched as the house grew closer and closer, and glanced back at Vincent, who she poked.
"Vincent, you don't remember anything before the accident?"
"No."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm sure."
"Doubly-triple sure?"
"Yes."
"Positive?"
"Yuffie." At least Vincent's head wasn't too damaged.
Eventually they reached the weapon seller's house, by which time the two were half-drowned. Yuffie dismounted from the chocobo, and walked over to the door. Knocking, she glanced back to make sure Vincent wasn't falling asleep. When she turned back, she found herself face-to-face with the weapon seller. His eyes widened at the sight of her.
"What brings you here; in such a storm, no less!"
Yuffie gestured to Vincent. "My friend…I think he has a concussion."
"Get in here right away!" The weapon seller urged.
With difficulty Yuffie helped Vincent dismount and they led him inside. After he was lying down on the couch, the weapon seller (WS) led Yuffie to a small table. He made tea and Yuffie happily took it.
Breathing in the sweet, warmth of the tea, Yuffie took a calming sip. The warm drink heated up her cold, wet body. As she took another sip, WS took a seat across from her. "You're in luck little miss. It just so happens that I have a friend here who's a doctor!"
Yuffie choked on her tea, nearly spitting it across the table. Wide eyes stared at the WS, who waved to someone.
"Jim? We have a man down here with a concussion. You better hurry up."
Turning around, Yuffie saw a man who had graying hair and a jovial face. The man grabbed something and hurried down the stairs, over to where Vincent was laying. Leaving her tea, Yuffie went and stood next to the doctor. He was already checking a falling-asleep Vincent, who wearily looked at the doctor.
"Did he hit his head?" 'Jim' said, never stopping in his work.
"Uh…yes…I mean…I suppose."
"How?"
"Well…" Yuffie started. "We were in this jungle, hiking. I tripped and knocked him over, and we went tumbling down a cliff."
The doctor stared at her for a moment. "A cliff?"
"Well – it was a steep, sloping hill. It had some grass and stuff, but not much and it had rocks as well. I think he hit his head on the rock."
Jim turned back to his work. "You think?"
"I wasn't exactly sure."
"Then what happened?"
Yuffie grimaced. "We fell into a river. After we got on bank, he passed out for three minutes. When he woke up, he puked twice and…well, he wasn't sure what had happened."
The doctor nodded. "Definitely a concussion."
"Will he be alright?"
The doctor chuckled. "You leave that to me. He'll be fine; you should go take a nice, hot shower and dry your clothes."
Yuffie happily complied, hopping up. Brushing wet hair off her face, Yuffie started walking towards the staircase, when the doctor's words stopped her.
"Are you alright yourself, young girl? You don't look well…" The doctor inquired, but Yuffie knew what he wanted to say. He wanted to say 'You look ill. Let me examine you.'
Grimacing, Yuffie shut her eyes and sighed slightly. "Yes sir…I'm fine…"
Yuffie had never told a bigger lie in her life.
--
In Gongaga, the sun shone brightly, and the storm clouds over the distant jungle were barely noticed. The birds chirped and little children played outside, filling the air with giggles. Flowers popped up everywhere they could, even in the small cemetery. The temperature was hot, but what else could you expect from a summer day? Everything was a giant, horrible, cheesy bit of Wonderful.
Yet to Tifa Lockhart, the day hardly seemed beautiful. Her heart was heavy with worry and anxiety. She had bags under her eyes from lack of sleep. Not even the gathering of Avalanche could cheer her up – you see, that was half the problem.
Zack's parents were going on a vacation to Costa de Sol. They were trying to live life with the fact that their son was dead, and trying to make the best of life without him. When they had left, they had asked Tifa and Cloud to house-sit for them. Both had agreed, which brought them to Gongaga for a couple weeks.
The trouble had started one week ago. No…that wasn't right. The trouble had started nearly a year ago, when Yuffie slowly stopped calling and didn't pick up the phone. When Yuffie no longer came to the parties that she 'lived' for. When she stopped responding to numerous letters that were sent. They didn't know what actually happened to the ninja, but Godo never have them word that something was wrong. He would…wouldn't he? They weren't sure what to think.
However, one week ago Tifa had received a letter. Grimacing, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a letter. The letter, only a week old, had been folded and unfolded many times, read over and over as if it would say something different. The letter didn't exactly say anything devastating; to any other person it would be a totally formal and normal letter. To Tifa it meant all her fears were reality.
She unfolded the letter, and once again looked down at the paper.
June 10
Dear Tifa;
I write to you on this day to request a meeting with you and the rest of Avalanche. I will be going to Nibelheim on business, and one of my stops will be in Gongaga. I have been trying to put off meeting with you and Avalanche for as long as I could, but I must speak with you on the subject of my daughter. I shall be in Gongaga on June 17th, and hope that you will acquiesce to my request. Please mail me your response as soon as possible.
Godo Kisaragi
He had written it with his own hand; that right away told you it had some level of importance. Most things he could have his secretary write, and stamp his signature, yet this letter had his own writing and his own signature. Yet once sentence spoiled the formal look of the letter: 'I have been trying to put off the meeting with you and Avalanche for as long as I could, but I must speak with you on the subject of my daughter.' Right then and there Tifa's stomach had turned and her heart had grown heavy.
Something was wrong with Yuffie. They'd guessed that ages ago, but they'd tried to believe it was just some Yuffie thing. Or perhaps that Godo had taken her PHS and forbidden her to write letters or go to parties as some sort of punishment. Even though they knew this was unlikely, this letter confirmed that none of those were true.
He was going to Nibelheim for the same reason Reeve was; town representatives from around the Planet were meeting to discuss various issues. It was a huge convention, bigger than anything that had been held for years. But Tifa was sure that even if he wasn't going to Nibelheim, he'd come anyway.
When Tifa sent out urgent messages to the members of AVALANCHE (except Yuffie, obviously), she had insisted that Reeve was to be there in person. She had told everyone to come ASAP
Tifa glanced around. Barret, Cloud, and Cid were all sitting on the couch, watching something on the TV with rapt interest. Nanaki was stretched out on the floor, with little Marlene near his tail. She kept trying to grab the flaming end of his tail, which he flicked out of the way before she touched it. Marlene found this the most amusing game. Yet there were two other members of the group. Rude and Elena had come with Reeve; they were the Presidents bodyguards. However, the red-headed, annoying leader of the group was missing. Reeve was talking with Rude and Elena, most likely about Reno. Cait Sith wasn't with them – apparently he had been suffering from overloads and malfunctions, and was sitting on a shelf somewhere.. He was with the Turks and Reeve.
Apparently he had gone to investigate this secret passage they had found in the Shinra Mansion and Rude and Elena had left. At first Reeve had been furious; but they had explained that Reno had forced them to leave. When they had gotten off a ladder that was the lead them back to the mansion, the ladder had began moving downwards. A section of the floor had opened and the ladder was disappearing into it; by then the two Turks knew something they had to tell Reeve about this. They were unable to retrieve their friend, and had immediately set off. They had assumed Reno would get out and head straight to Rocket Town. Yet he never came to Rocket Town, and Reeve had to leave to get to Gongaga (by plane).
Tifa wasn't worried about the Turk; she had other problems. Not only was the meeting weighing heavily on her mind, but Vincent had not arrived yet. Tifa knew he wouldn't have ignored it – he would have come to Gongaga immediately, probably traveling straight through the night. So he should be here already, only a day or hours behind Nanaki. But he wasn't, so apparently something had happened. Something bad.
Today was June 17th; Godo would be arriving soon. The teapot began to whistle, and Tifa mechanically turned off the stove, lost in thought.
"When is he coming?" Nanaki asked, stretching, snapping her out of her revere.
As if on cue, the doorbell rang. Tifa pulled off her apron and tucked the letter away, and rushed over to the door. Cloud reluctantly turned off the TV, and everyone's attention was drawn to the door. Tifa pulled it open, and sure enough found herself face to face with Godo Kisaragi.
He looked horrible. There were bags under his eyes and he wore a weary expression. His eyes were blank, except for the worry that swirled in them. His lips looked as though he hadn't smiled in months, except for the fake smile that was on his lips now.
"Hello Miss Lockhart." he greeted her.
"Hello…Mr. Kisaragi," Tifa said awkwardly, unsure of what exactly to call him.
"You may call me Godo." he told her, his fake smile making room for a real one.
Tifa nodded. "Come in." She stepped aside.
Godo was alone; apparently he'd been escorted here, for Tifa could see two retreating bodyguards. Godo immediately walked over to the area where everyone was sitting. Reeve immediately stood, and the others followed his example. Godo bowed to them, and Reeve once again set an example by bowing back. Then Godo simply sat down in a big armchair, sinking into it.
"Would you like some tea?" Tifa asked politely, and Godo nodded.
Tifa began preparing tea, having previously asked who wanted it and who didn't. The Turks already had their coffee, but everyone other than Nanaki wanted it. Tifa poured it into the cups, and walked over with the tray, delivering the cups to the various people. Then she put the tray on the coffee table, and sat down next to Reeve.
"Marlene, go upstairs," Barret told the little girl.
"…why?"
"Because the grown-ups need to talk."
Marlene frowned, looking up at her father. "…you aren't going to leave 'gain, are you?"
"Just go upstairs," he said, and Marlene reluctantly went upstairs.
As Marlene was going upstairs, the Turks took this as their cue to leave. They seemed relieved to do this, for sitting around their former enemies wasn't exactly comfortable. Yet Godo raised a hand. "Stay…"
Awkwardly the two sat back down, and eight pairs of eyes turned to Godo. Godo took a sip of tea, before placing the cup and saucer on the small table next to him. "I suppose you all know why I'm here."
The group nodded, watching Godo with rapt attention. Godo looked around the group, and his brow creased.
"It seems you are missing a person. …other than my daughter, that is."
Cloud nodded gravely. "Vincent should have arrived. He hasn't though, obviously."
"I see. Well, as you know I'm here regarding my daughter." Godo looked pained, but he continued to speak. "For over a year my daughter hasn't called or returned any phone calls. She hasn't come to any parties, nor did she respond to any letters that you wrote. I read these letters, forgive me, that is how I knew Miss Lockhart and Mr. Strife were house-sitting here.
"Last summer – a year ago - my daughter smashed her PHS. She smashed it and buried it so she wouldn't attempt to fix it. She read your letters, hoarded them, but never replied. She didn't go to the parties you invited her to, and she never attempted to make contact with you."
Curiosity was bursting within Tifa, as well as every other person in the room. "But why?" Tifa burst out.
"She didn't want you to see her in the state she's in. She didn't want to believe that she was weak, and she didn't want anyone else to believe it either. We've taken extreme measures to keep the press from finding out, which they haven't yet.
"But what's wrong with her?" Cloud asked, his concern etched in his face.
Godo looked gravely at the group. His eyes were a bit more watery than before, but he blinked that away quickly. With a sigh he looked around at every person in this group, even the Turks. The look on his face was grave, sorrow and pain etched into every inch of it.
"Yuffie is dying."
--
A/N: Oh Noes! Not dying, surely! But oh yes kiddies, it is true. I'm horribly mean to characters. They'd probably hate me if they ever met me.
Reviewers:
itachi fangirl: Thanks for reviewing! As for why CHaos didn't come out when they fell...well, as I see it, Vicnent and Chaos have a rocky relationship. And as I see it, he doesn't really have a full reign of Chaos, and doesn't really control him.
Lord Maruka: He won't die, I promise. ;)
Kawaii Eyes: Haha! Yes, they are different people. In fact, I changed Baby Doll's appearance, but I don't know if I can replace the chapter without losing reviews. She actually has light brown streaks and doesn't have the same hairstyle as Yuffie. Yup.
chibified kitsunes I think I PMed you, but I'm not sure. Yes, I did write past this! I'm staying far ahead, and saving the story to Yahoo Breifcase.