Chapter 9
That evening found Yuffie by the lake that Aeris was laid to rest in. She was still crying and was holding the pictures.
"How are you holding up?" asked Vincent as he sat next to her. He knew it was a dumb question as soon as he voiced it.
"Not as well as you, apparently."
"I probably deserved that. Yuffie, while I'm not hurting as much as you over the Aeris's death, I am still hurting. She was my friend as well. My closes, besides you. To say I don't care that she died would be the biggest lie I have ever told. I just…can't express it like you can. And I wish I could."
"…I grabbed these from your room, planning on showing them to her. I'm sure she would have laughed at how you look here in this one," meaning the one with Vincent and Grimoire. "Or in this one," this time meaning the one with Lucrecia. "I was going to tell her what I thought about her, that I hated her for what has happened to you. And I'm sure that she would have told me not to. To thank her for how happy she made you. She would have looked at this one, laugh, and comment on how some people change and others don't."
"That first one is of my father and me. We had just done something irresponsible and reckless. I'd rather not say what it was. And we both were a mess afterwards."
"You know that Aeris would have pried what you did out of you," Yuffie said with a smile.
"Yeah, she would have been merciless in the pursuit of it, too. And I would have told her without too much hesitation."
"So why not me?"
"Why not you? Well you see, the reason is… it's a good reason too. Uhm, well… It's kind of embarrassing."
"Spill it!"
"Well… Alright! I surrender. We took a home made flash and bang bomb to the Shin-Ra headquarters and placed it under the desk of the then Shin-Ra President and blew it up: while he was sitting there. Scared the shit out of him, literally. We thought it was funny as hell. But, unfortunately, someone heard us laughing and set the soldiers on us. When we finally got safely away, we took that picture."
He looked over at her and saw a huge grin on her face. Thinking about it again, one started on his face too. "I can't believe it, stoicism incarnate was a delinquent!"
"Yuffie, I learned that the best way to honor the memory of someone is to speak fondly of them with their friends, to remember them at times you are hurting the most, and to live life to the fullest as they can not."
"Good advice, Vincent, maybe you should consider using it with Lucrecia."
"I would but her case is a bit particular. I'm not sure if she is dead now."
The smile that shrunk at the advice was wiped from Yuffie's face. "What do you mean?"
"Jenova cells can keep beings alive as well as kill them. The question is which is it that they did to her? …It doesn't matter anymore, does it? The woman I knew died that day. Even if she is still alive, all these years must have changed her. Maybe it is time. Yuffie, please don't worry on my account."
"Well, just so long as you see that the people around you are still alive, then I'm happy. And Vincent thanks." She stood up and went to bed.
Well, I'll be. You are good for something more than a laugh. Oh, shut up.
Author's notes: looking back, I think that maybe that I should have had Aeris speak some more than she did. She is a very important person in the game. But then, this is about Yuffie and Vincent.