I looked across the plains through a dark tint of a pair of sunglasses I purchased from Costa Del Sol before we left. The frames were silver with black lenses. I looked to my left to the sound of loud music to see Yuffie in khaki shorts, a white parka with green sleeves, hood, and trim with a circular symbol on the chest. Which matched with her green and white sneakers. Yuffie's left hand was in the front pocket of the parka. A wire came out of the pocket leading up to her head with headphones on her ears. Her right hung free as her hand held the center of a large four-point shuriken. After the few battles we had after leaving Costa Del Sol I learned first hand she's extremely effective with it. Despite Yuffie's attitude and actions she's a very good fighter.
"So what are you listening to kid?", my father asked Yuffie as we walked. Yuffie made no response just kept her eyes close and bobbing her head to the beat. It was no wonder why Yuffie ignored Rocky. The rest of us could hear the music faintly from the headphones.
"Hey!", my father said pulling off the headphones.
"What the hell old man?", Yuffie shouted snatching her headphones back with her left hand.
"First off kid. That music is turned up too loud, you'll make yourself go deaf. Secondly, I was asking you want you were listening too.", my father said.
Yuffie mumbles and turned down her music. "It's a band called 'Linkin Park' if you have to know old man and the song's called 'Numb'.", she said putting the headphones back on. I heard a slight giggle to my right. I turned to see it was Tifa who laughed.
"They seem to get along rather well.", she said. I just nodded and smiled.
"Hey why isn't Vincent coming with us?", Yuffie asked several minutes later.
"He had business he needed to take care of else where.", Rocky said.
Yuffie, now with her shuriken on a harness on her back, put her hands behind her head as we walked, "Just like Vinnie to leave us in the dark….", she said sighing. "I hope I can find some fresh batteries in Corel. Mine are almost dead.", she continued to herself looking at her CD player. I noticed in the distance a large gold tree-like object with what seemed like large 'saucers' on the ends of it's 'branches'.
Corel, last time I was here it was a desert slum. A little over three years later it changed into a small prairie town, mostly. There were still a large area where people, not so fortunate, lived in any shelter they could find. It just came down to the stronger pushing their way into where ever they wanted. It was a town struggling with the effects of Meteor. Yuffie left the group the second we stepped into town to browse around the shops. Tifa told my father about our friend Barret and where he lived. Rocky offered to go on ahead to meet Barret and explain my condition to him before Tifa and I went. He wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. Which lead to my current situation with Tifa. Having lunch in a newly made park.
"Your father seemed almost hell-bent on going to Barret's ahead of us so we could get something to eat.", Tifa said after a while.
"I'm sure he has his reasons.", I said. Though whatever they could be is beyond me.
"Cloud did you hear that?", Tifa asked. I listen closely to hear movement in a bush near us.
"Wonder what it could be.", I said looking around. I saw a small child come out from the bush. It was one of the orphans of the town. His clothes were tattered from wear and were dirty. He had very light brown hair that seemed slept-in. His eyes were the same color as his hair, there was a look in his eyes like he wanted to tell us something.
"Hey! I remember him Cloud. He was at the playground near the entrance of the town, and near the store we saw Yuffie at, and near the park.", Tifa said then looked at the child. "You've been following us haven't you?", she asked. The boy avoided Tifa's gaze. "Why were you following us?", the beautiful brunette asked squatting down to eye-level with the orphan.
A loud growl from the kid's stomach gave us the answer as the boy flushed in embarrassment. Tifa giggled slightly. "Here you go kid.", I said tearing a sandwich I bought in half handing one half to the orphan. His face light up with joy as he gladly took the food and began eating it with a frenzy.
"Hey slow down you'll choke if you eat it that fast.", Tifa said giggling. The boy gasped swallowing the last of the sandwich I gave him.
"So what's your name?", I asked. The orphan's eyes widen in shock looking around for something.
"What's the matter? Can't you talk?", Tifa asked. The kid shook his head vigorously. "Oh….", Tifa said blushing embarrassed. "Hmm…", Tifa said with a thoughtful look on her face. "Come on Cloud and take the kid with you I have a bit of an idea.", she said getting up and began walking.
"C'mon.", I said to the orphan following Tifa, the sound of little feet shuffling behind me let me know that th orphan was following me.
I sighed in unison with the orphan standing near me as we waited outside the local department store. Tifa said she was going to head in there real quick to buy something to help the kid.
That was fifteen minutes ago.
"Ohmygawd! Mike Shinoda's so cute!", I heard a high-pitched voice cry out from a group of girls across the street looking at a rather large poster for this band 'Linkin Park'. Apparently they were having a concert at the Gold Saucer the next few days.
"Chester's better!", another fan girl retorted. The small crowd began to clamor louder. Fan-girl 'A' starting rambling about Mike Shinoda, while Fan-girl 'B' stood by her belief with agression.
"Stop it you two! They are both part of the same band. Stop acting so immature!", Fan-girl 'C' said seemingly talking sense into all. Until, "Besides, Phoenix is the coolest.", 'C' said looking wide-eyed at the poster. The kid and I watched with interest as the fan-girl mob was quickly turning into a melee.
All attention was drawn to the doors of the building the poster was on as a chime signaled someone leaving, that someone being a kunoichi that favored the color green. Yuffie stood there with girlish glee as she held what seemed like two ID badges in her hand.
"They said it was sold out, not if you're willing to pay the Gil for it.", Yuffie said slyly. She began walking away when she noticed the mob of fan-girls had surrounded her like hungry vultures to a fresh corpse. Now that the small mob of girls where gone I could see the last small bit of information on the poster which said: 'SOLD OUT!' Yuffie looked around herself confused by the crowd, "Um...hi?"
"What's that you got there?", Fan-Girl 'A' asked standing right next to Yuffie.
"Um…two backstage passes to 'Linkin Park'.", Yuffie responded backing away from 'A' for breathing room when the female ninja bumped into 'B' on her other side.
"Yeah, my friend here bought them for her and I while I waited out here.", Fan-Girl 'B' said with a menacing glare at Yuffie.
"Um…", Yuffie said uncomfortably backing away from here and bumping her back into Fan-Girl 'C'. She was stuck between the three each seeming willing to shed blood for what Yuffie held in her hands. I looked on at Yuffie with caution ready to jump in there and help her if anything went wrong.
"You lying bitch! She's my friend. Isn't that right?", Fan-Girl 'C' said placing a protective arm around Yuffie's shoulders to secure her next to Fan-Girl 'C'.
"Sorry I already got someone I'm going with!", Yuffie said twisting 'C's arm and using the Fan-Girl's back as a platform to launch herself over the mob and began running like a bat out of hell. In the distance I saw a black youth with an afro hanging out with his friends on a bench yell.
"RUN BITCH, RUN!", I laughed at the sight of Yuffie running for her life. I looked down to see the kid looking worried.
"Don't worry kid she'll be OK.", I said trying to comfort his fears.
"Who'll be ok?", Tifa asked finally emerging from the department store with a pad of paper and a pen. Tifa knelt down to eye-level with the orphan. "Can you write?", she asked handing the kid the pad and paper. The kid took the gifts and began writing with his left hand on the pad.
'Yes, I can.', he wrote with the penmanship of a seven-year old.
"Yuffie. She was running away from a mob of fan-girls when she bought two backstage passes to that 'Linkin Park' concert.", I said.
Tifa laughed slightly, "She'll be ok.", she said.
"Could you tell us your name please?", I asked the orphan. The kid nodded writing happily and turned the pad to us. We both read the name and I saw Tifa smile.
"Hello Denzel, I'm Tifa Lockhart and that's Cloud Strife.", Tifa said. Denzel smiled innocently at us. He then his face brighten with an idea and wrote on the pad again.
'Can I come with you?', he wrote nervously waiting for our answer. Tifa looked at me silently asking me if I mind.
"Well….", I began.
Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please review too. Try to get a few friends to read the story too please!