Chapter 5
"Cloud, CLOUD, ARE YOU SURE YOU CAN FLY THIS THING?" Yuffie screamed as the Tiny Bronco started flying over the Rocket Town and headed out. As it flew over Cid, he started running after it and jumped on. Then a bullet caught the tail rutter, causing it to fly out of control. It crashed landed in the ocean.
"Well, this is just $&# great. Without the rutter, it won't fly." "Then can we use it as a boat," Cloud asked. "Do whatever the $& you want. I guess any future I have with Shinra is over. Good thing too, I hated those pricks! Okay, Spike, I guess I'll join you." "You sure? We will be fighting Shinra." "Yeah I'm sure, do I look like a idiot and say things I don't mean?" "I think that question should be left unanswered."
"Any ideas on which way we should go?" Vincent asked.
"Well, maybe we could head west. Why, um, no reason. Just forget I said anything." With the way Yuffie was saying that, Vincent couldn't help but wonder what was wrong with the ninja. "Well, if Sephiroth is heading the other direction, we should do the same. As soon as we are finished with this area." "What do you mean?" "Let's head west."
"Huh?" Yuffie didn't believe her ears. She tried so hard to keep Cloud from deciding to go there and he was anyway. "Spiky, I thought I heard you say you wanted to go west. What did you really say?" "I'm going west. Yuffie, is something wrong? You look like your going to be sick."
After that, Cloud changed the party again. This time, taking Vincent and Barret. When asked why he took those two, Cloud just said, 'Been surrounded by too much estergin lately.' He almost got hit upside the head by a fist, staff, and giant shuriken. He would have too, if they hadn't gotten tangled up in each other. "I think retreating is the better part of valor right now." Cloud headed inland after that. And a few minutes later, Yuffie slipped away from the ship and followed.
"Hey guys, wait!" She got ahead of them and placed herself in front of them. "You shouldn't go up ahead. I know the area, it's really tough." Just then, two soldiers came at them from both sides. "Are these the ones we're looking for?" "No but let's take them in anyway." "Yuffie, did you have something to do with this," Cloud called out. "No, I had nothing to do with this one." "This one," Barret said, "just what are you talking about." "Um, um, RUN AWAY!" With that, she split and headed north.
"Hey, where's my materia," asked a puzzled Barret. "For that matter, where is Yuffie," asked Cloud. A call came over the PHS, and Cloud answered it. "Hey Cloud, it's me Tifa. All of our materia is gone, what about yours?" "Same here, is Yuffie there?" "No, I thought she went after you." "Got to go Tifa, I'll tell you what happens later." "Looks like the brat has our materia." "Looks like it." "Then lets go get them back!" Barret and Cloud started down the path, leaving Vincent behind. "Yuffie, why?"
We can't find out why until we find her and ask. Truth be told, I want to find out why she betrayed us more then you do. Now, why is that? Because I like the girl. After twenty-five years spent in a coffin without doing anything, it is good to see someone with the energy to make up that lost time and still have energy to spare for the rest of the day. But more then that, she took the knowledge of us rather well. I was afraid she would distance herself from you. But that hasn't seemed to happen. Of course, she is still tiring to watch.
Vincent chuckled inwardly at this. He was wondering what the feelings these four had for Yuffie. And whatever Chaos said, applied to all of them, it seems. He ran after the two, not wanting to be left behind. "What will we do with her when we find her?" "I don't know. We'll cross that bridge when we get to it," the way Cloud said this did not bode well with him.
"Wutai, I never got here in the war. I always wondered what it looked like." Cloud said this admiring what the city looked like. "Why did they go to war with Shinra, anyway," Barret asked. "They didn't, Shinra started the war. The refused to use mako and still do. This land is rich with mako and Shinra was going to build a reactor here. But no one was going to use it so they didn't. Wasn't cost efficient to do it," Cloud explained. "No, it went against their honor and tradition." Corrected Vincent.
"Excuse me miss." Cloud said this to a passing woman but she ignored him. "Pardon me, sir, someone!" He tried but no one would listen.
"Anone haimisu, kakawaru mieru aimai aikan chinamini furuneemu anna Yuffie Kisaragi," Vincent asked a woman walking by. "Anta gozonji hime Kisaragi," she asked. "Hime? Ee, jibun gozonji gojishin," Vincent answered. "Gojishin chichigo attohoomu goshi gaiku." "Arigatai."
Vincent started walking to the south of Wutai. "What was that about," Barret asked. "I asked her for directions." "Well, what did she and you say?" "Excuse me miss, have you seen a woman by the name of Yuffie Kisaragi? You know Miss Kisaragi? Yes, I know her. Her father lives across town. Thank you." She actually said 'you know Lady Kisaragi?' Vincent thought it would be better to leave out the Lady Kisaragi part for now so he said Miss instead. "Okay," Cloud said, "please tell us from now on as you say it."
At the other side of town, they saw only three buildings: The temple, the pondoga tower, and the mansion. "Where could her father live at, there is nothing here that someone could live in." Cloud said this and Barret quickly agreed. But Vincent realized what was up. He started up the stairs to the mansion. He opened the door and walked in. "Hey, vamp, what are you doing? Why did you go in there," Barret asked. "Think about it."
"Wait, you can't mean that her father lives here." "Do you see any other place someone can live? And earlier, the woman I was talking to called her Lady Kisaragi. I thought I made a mistake but it makes sense now. Her father is Lord Godo Kisaragi of Wutai." The looks on their faces were priceless to Vincent but he put the thought aside for now. He went inside and found Godo. "(Excuse me Lord Godo, I need to talk to you about your daughter, Yuffie Kisaragi.)" "(About what?)" "(Two things actually. The first being why you sent her away like you did.)" "(As her father, I have the right to do that.)" "(The second being, why did you have her steal our materia?)" "(You must be one of her friends. Tell me, what is your name?)" "(My name is Vincent Valentine. I am a student of master Genki Yoko.)"
The look of superiority disappeared from Godo's face. "(Well, in that case, yes I did have her do that. Why, because I will use those materia to over throw Shinra. And I will not give them back.)" "THAT IS IF YOU EVER GET THEM!" All four of them turned around to see Yuffie standing behind them. "You'll never get them!" She ran out of the mansion.
Cloud, Barret, and Vincent followed her and went inside the house at the entrance to Wutai. She hid inside it and they followed. Cloud moved aside a screen and tried to grab her. But she ducked and ran out. They followed her but lost her at the Turtle's Paradise.
"Inside?" Barret offered. Inside, they didn't find Yuffie but the Turks. "Well, well, look what we have here. A few of the Shin-Ra private goon squad." "Enough Barret." Stated Vincent. "Hello Reno, Rude, long time." "I know that face but you can't possible be him. He's dead twenty-five years now. Died back when I was a child."
"You know him sir?" asked Elena. "No, just a ghost of the past. But it's obvious who he's here with." "Cloud Strife, you and you accomplishes are under arrest!" "Sit down Elena." "Huh?" "It's our day off, remember?" "Great, ruined my beer." Rude muttered.
Outside, once again they were at a lost until the pot shook. Barret went the West Bridge and Vincent went to the north. Cloud hit the pot a few times and Yuffie jumped out. She tried to get past Barret then Vincent. "It's over, give us back our materia." "Okay, this way."
She took them into a house and went down stairs. "You saw Wutai, you know that it didn't take losing the war well. I just thought that if I got materia, things would get better." "Listen Yuffie, I don't care about that, I only care about the materia."
Vincent entered the room, whispering, "Liar, you never wanted the materia, your father did," in Wutain. She didn't answer. She couldn't, not to him. "The left lever, pull it." Vincent and Barret were in the center of the room, Cloud pulled the lever, and a cage dropped. Vincent jumped out of the way and yelled, "Free Barret, I'll get Yuffie!" as he ran after Yuffie.
Outside, he followed her to the Southeast part of town where he lost her. But a muffled voice behind the temple's secret door revealed where she was. "You find her?" asked Cloud. "She's under that," Vincent replied, pointing to the temple. "How do you know, Vamp?" "Barret, continue to call me that and I will for the rest of my unnatural life call you Yuffie's nickname for you. I know because I heard her. But it's been so long sense I've been here that I forgot how to open the secret door."
A dog was at the gong and sniffing around. "No need to worry Vincent, I think I know how." Cloud said as he went up and rung the gong. The door opened and Cloud headed in. "It can't be! You…"
Vincent came in a second after Cloud and saw this fat, ugly man. "Don Cornelio." "The one and the same. After I talked to you, I needed to disappear. And I thought Wutai would be the perfect place. Little did I know I would get two new honeys as a bonus." "Two?" "Let me go you fucking bastard!" Yelled Elena. A muffled yell came from a gagged Yuffie, who was kicking everything she could on her captor and scored a few critical hits in the guy's crotch.
"Let them go Cornelio," Vincent said as dangerously as he could. "And what will you do, Mister…?" "Valentine, a former Turk, and first I can do this." He pulled out his rifle and shot bullet between Cornelio's legs, just under his pair. "The next shot is a little higher." He ran up the stairs with Yuffie and Elena between him. Vincent couldn't risk a shot so he ran after them. They came out in the shine with Cornelio and Shinra Soldiers in front of them. "Get him!" the soldiers said, meaning Cornelio. Who ducked out of the way and let the two groups collide.
When the soldiers were taken care of, Vincent, Cloud, and Barret ran out after Cornelio. Vincent didn't stop to tell Godo what had happen to his daughter. He had lost the right to call himself her father when he put her on the road that led to this. And if he did stop, it would have been to kill him.
Outside, he saw Reno standing at the gate steps, cursing. "Reno, where did he go?" "Why do you want to know?" "He has a comrade of ours who has our materia." "It sounds like your more concerned about the materia, Cloud." "The brat stole them from us." Barret answered. Reno and Rude glanced at Vincent, to see if he felt the same. But he was the very definition of apathy. "Let me give you a hint, he went to the most noticeable spot in Wutai." And left.
"The statues." Vincent said and started running. "Is it me or is he concerned for the kid." "It's just you," Cloud told Barret.
It didn't take long to find Cornelio. He was at the face of the statue with Yuffie and Elena tied to it. "You guys are really a bother, just when I found a new wife. You have no idea how hard it has been for me." "Cornelio, we don't care about your pathetic story." Cloud interrupted. "Personally," Vincent said, "I don't care what you do as much as who you do it to." But in his agitation, he accidentally said, 'how you do it.' "You know, I can't believe you killed Rapps. I raised him from a baby and thought him invincible. Oh well, now I have another, stronger one. Oh Rapps."
This fight didn't take long either. "Wait, wait! Why do you think a guy like me would only have Rapps here with me? 1. Because I'm clueless. 2. Because I'm sure I'll win. Or 3. Because I underestimated you." Cloud cursed and said, "Number 2, you knew you would win." "CORRECT!"
He pressed a button and the two women flipped upside down. "Come any closer and I'll turn these two into a squashed tomato." "I don't think so Cornelio." Reno said, finally showing up. "And what are you going to do?" "Kill you. Rude." Rude showed up behind him and threw a throwing knife at him, knocking the devise out of his hand and Cornelio over the ledge. "Now let me ask you something. Why did we join up with these guys to get to you? 1. Because we had no choice. 2. Because we were sure of victory. Or 3. Because we're out of our minds." "Two, two, number two!" "Wrong." He said, stepping on Cornelio's hands, dropping him. "The correct answer is… Because it's our job." "Cool pose Reno, very cool. Now can someone untie me!" Yuffie called, struggling against her bindings for all she was worth.
That night, after apologizing to her friends and returning their materia, Yuffie was sitting at the top of the Padoa Statue, crying. What she had done to her friends was unforgivable. And she knew that Vincent had no intentions of forgiving her after what he said earlier. When she heard someone coming up the path, she forced herself to stop and to put on a mask of her normal cheerful self. It was Vincent.
He had heard her crying halfway up the slope, thanks to his super hearing. If he didn't have that, he would have never known she was. "Yuffie, may I sit with you?" She motioned to the spot next to her. Sitting down, he looked out at the sunset and found it a lovely sight. "I'm trying to smooth things over with everyone about what happened. Aeris and Tifa have already forgotten the whole incident ever took place. Red XIII knew something was behind the reason you did it so he has also. Cloud will be weary for a while but holds no grudge. Cait Sith, well I don't know about. Cid and Barret will take some time." "And you?" "I was never mad and I know why, as I told you, there is nothing for you to be forgiven for by me."
"But that isn't the reason I came looking for you. Earlier, I said something I didn't mean to. I was preoccupied with how I would get you down without killing you and meant to say, 'I don't care what you do as much as whom you do it to.' If anyone should be asking forgiveness, it should be me." "Vincent, apology accepted." Yuffie replied.
"Alright, I'll leave you to your thoughts again. And Yuffie, don't worry, everything will be alright, I'll make sure of that." He left, not sure why he said that but glad he did, Yuffie seems to be more at ease now.
"Hey Vinnie! Hold up!" He turned back to her and saw her motioning to sit again. When he did, Yuffie said, "This goes no farther than you, understand? I know you already know why I did it but I've never said it so I'm going to…" "Which brings me to here." Yuffie had told him it all, from when her mother had died to the letter to steal the materia, minus the dream that got her into the group in the first place.
"Thank you for telling me. But why me?" "Because I trust you and that demon you keep in your head, Vinnie," She answered. Hey, Vinnie, Galion beast asked, why don't you just kiss the girl or something? You're going way to slow. Be quiet demon. What, I can't call you 'Vinnie'? Just be quiet. You heard him, leave Vinnie alone. Chaos, put in, unable to keep himself from this anymore. The four demons chuckled and left him to his conversation, only planning to show up again to laugh when she calls him Vinnie again.
"Well, you trust him more than I do." Vincent said. "Him and the other three in there." "Why is that? I would imagine you know him better than anyone else could." "I do. And that's why I don't trust him." "Ah, well, you never know, Vinnie. You just might come to trust them." Vincent frowned, though he didn't know if it's from her naivety or from the fact that he did trust them enough to protect his friend.
"So Cloud, where to next?" Yuffie questioned. "The Temple of the Ancients. But before we can get in, we will need to get the Keystone." "And where is that?" "Uh…" "He doesn't know." Yuffie said, dropping her head into her hands. "The weapons guy on the peninsula has it." Cid said. "How do you know?" asked Cloud. "I met him a few times."
"Alright, we are going to the Goldsaucer Peninsula." Cloud said, getting in the pilot box of the Tiny Bronco. But when they got there, it wasn't there. "I sold it to Dio." So now they went to Goldsaucer. But when Cloud got it, they couldn't leave. So they stayed the night in the hotel.
'Wait, what am I doing just lying in bed?' Yuffie thought to herself. 'I'm in Goldsaucer for gawd's sakes!' She jumped up and walked out of her room. And outside she saw Vinnie, exiting his room. Running over, she grabbed him by the hand. "Come on Vinnie, we're going to go have some fun!" He didn't even have time to say anything out of shock before she dragged him down the stairs.
When they dropped through the chute and landed in the entrance, the welcome lady there said, "It's enchantment night, all rides are free." "Are there any special events taking place tonight?" Vincent asked. "Yes, the Battle Square has a couples match, the Chocobo Square is letting anyone ride the chocobos for the race, and there are plays tonight." "Well, Yuffie?" "The race track first!" she said as she took his hand again and went to the chute that led to it.
The line was short right then so they were able to join the next race. "I'm going to win Vinnie!" Caught up in her excitement, Vincent answered, "Maybe in a hundred years." The green light was given and the chocobos started running. Vincent made sure to go through the line of the birds very carefully to find the right ones for them. Yuffie was on one that he knew wouldn't go crazy on her, as he didn't know her skill with one yet. But as a counter balance to the docility, the bird was more hesitant to give it her all and took a little spurring. Vincent was on one that was a well-balanced chocobo, he wanted to run but only would he do it when he was told to. After that, it took allot to slow him down. Their speed was about matched so the deciding factor between the two would be the chocobos traits and the riders themselves.
Vincent got an early lead on Yuffie and slowed down to keep pace with her so he didn't use up the birds stamina. As they reached the halfway point of the track, Yuffie got her chocobo to give it more. She quickly over took Vincent like this. So he had to throw out his restraints on his. When it got to the final stretch, the other racers were way behind the two. Yuffie had gotten hers to let go of any hesitation and was forcing Vincent's to use up the little stamina he had left.
Luckily, Vincent knew a little trick that would recharge his stamina, scratching the bird behind the ears. He didn't know why that working but it did.
Yuffie could hardly believe that Vincent's chocobo was still standing, much less sprinting. But he was. His chocobo was tied with hers and the finish line was coming up. And… it was a tie.
"No fair! You did something Vinnie, I know you did!" Behind his cloak, Vincent made a small smile. She was right and that something was the only reason he stayed in the race with her. "We can always try again or go to the battle square to settle it." She decided on the second, realizing that if she tried again, he would probably win. "Your on."
In the Battle Square, there were two choices. Face each other or work as a team. They decided to settle the winner first. "Just you and me, got it? No Galion Beast or Death Gigus." "Got it. They didn't want a part of this anyway." The fight lasted several minutes, ending when Yuffie released her limit, Landscaper.
"Hey, I got my second limit, Bloodfest. Thanks Vinnie." "No problem. Glad I could help." As the two walked out of the battle arena, Vincent swore he heard a chopper fly by. Should we go investigate it? NO! You should finish your date, Vinnie! SHUT UP CHOAS! "Something wrong, Vincent? Your face is all flush." "No, nothing is wrong Yuffie. I was just talking to a demon named Chaos." "Oh, well say hi for me then." She said this, not realizing that she had just encouraged the four to continue taunghting him over her. Even so, Vincent relayed the message. Ah, how sweet of you to introduce us.
"He says it's a pleasure to meet you." Yuffie smiled and said, "Where to next?" Vincent thought about it for a moment before he had an idea. And banishing the four to the farthest reaches of his mind so they couldn't laugh at him for this. "This way." He said, leading her to another square, the gondola.
"Why Vinnie, I never realized you were the romantic type." The blush that covered his face was deeper than his clothes. He walked over to the gondola operator, who readied it, and asked her something. "Hmm. Yeah, I'm pretty sure I can do that for you." "Thank you." The two got on and the gondola left.
At the height of the trip, where the view was the best, the gondola, slowed for a moment, then stopped. "This what you asked her?" "Yes. And for that reason." He said, pointing, away from Gold Saucer. "The view of the building is okay, I'm sure. But I'm certain, you'll like this view better." Yuffie looked out the window and saw the ocean. The lights from the amusement park danced upon the waves and were crested by the full moon, with all the stars floating alongside it. And Yuffie found it breath taking. "Wow, you really are the romantic type." He only shrugged.
After a minute, the gondola started up again and returned to the station. "Thank you, miss." "No problem, have a good night."
Back at the hotel, Vincent walked Yuffie to her room. "Good night Yuffie, have sweet dreams." "Yes, and thank you for the night." She was about to go in but stopped. She turned around, placed a materia in his hand, and quickly went in. He held it up to the light and looked at it. It was a Throw materia. And it was mastered! Unsure of anything else to do, he put it in the first materia slot in his rifle and went to his room.
ALL RIGHT, VINCENT! WE WILL BE SILCENCED NO MORE! Hello, how are you four doing? I didn't actually think it would work. It didn't, I let you back in my mind. We demand to know what took place. Right now! You have a better chance of being freed than learning what took place, Chaos.
In his room, he tried to remember the significance of a person giving you a materia. The way this was shaped and looked said it was born of a mako fountain. Then it just clicked. Materia from a fountain were good luck charms for love for Wutains. And they were supposed to give those to the person they fall in love with. Making sure he shielded these thoughts away from the four in his head, he swallowed the lump in his throat. This said she loved him. Did he love her? He couldn't answer that. Not yet anyway. He knew he was well on his way to loving her, just not there yet.
Disclaimor: I don't own Final Fantasy 7. Please note, that the language above between Vincent and the woman is actually japanese. It took forever to get it transalted in a written langauge I could type.