"So she just ran off like that?", Yuffie asked, her back on the guardrail of the observation deck in the park. The view from the deck was amazing at night the stars shined brightly as did the moon now at it's fullest of the month giving light to a silent monolith in the desert. Ruby Weapon's corpse had turned to solid earth upon the sands after Avalanche had defeated it long ago. It seemed right for it to become part of the planet seeing how it was made by the Planet.
"Yup.", Cloud said wondering how Yuffie could comfortably rest how she was with her giant shuriken strapped across the back of her green/white parka..
"Then you got a text message from that Serina person saying she wants to end the relationship right?". Yuffie asked looking at Cloud. He nodded silently sighing. "That sucks Cloud.", she said with sympathy.
"At least she's out of my hair.", Cloud commented.
"Maybe the arcade might cheer you up?", Yuffie said in her bubbly voice.
"Sure why not? I got time to kill.", Cloud said following the hyper-active ninja. Cloud was amazed at the number of teens competing in simulation fighting games. Getting yanked to the nearest free one by Yuffie, Cloud read the title with surprise: Mortal Kombat: Deception. Was what it was called, "You really want to play a game this violent? I played the first one when I was training for SOLDIER. Zack couldn't beat me when I used Scorpion."
"Things got a lot more difficult since those 8-bit days Spiky.", Yuffie said sliding a few gil coins into the machine. Seeing the range of characters Cloud was slightly stunned.
"Well they got more characters.", Cloud said moving his cursor over to Scorpion. Yuffie chuckled selecting a character named Kira.
-Two rounds, much swearing on Yuffie's part and a bloodfest later.-
"No way.", Yuffie muttered seeing her character falling to her death from a tall tower splattering on the ground in a mess of gore the head bumping into the screen.
"What was that about things being more difficult?", Cloud said smiling.
"Best two out of three!", Yuffie said changing her character. The second fight was a fluke due to Yuffie making Cloud laugh hard with one of her obscenities she shouted during the match, thereby giving Yuffie enough chance to kick Cloud's fighter into a death trap causing a gory end to Scorpion in a meat grinder.
"This the tie-breaker Yuffie so don't try to make me laugh again.", Cloud said. Yuffie grumbled going with a character named Havik. The match seem pretty well tied until Cloud gain the upper hand in the last moments of the final round. Worrying she might lose Yuffie did what she did best in these situations. Cheat. Swinging her leg back Yuffie's foot mad contact with Cloud's bottom causing him to turn around thinking someone was harassing him.
He only realized Yuffie's trick when he heard, "Finish Him!", from the game announcer. Cloud turned around only to witness Havik smashing Scorpion's head clean off his shoulders. With Scorpion's own leg no less.
"You cheated.", Cloud said.
"You can't prove it Spiky.", Yuffie replied with a toothy grin. Cloud stared at her. She had a point, Cloud couldn't prove it.
"I'm going to head back to the hotel.", Cloud said. "I need the rest.", he continued walking off.
Yuffie, discouraged that her only means of entertainment was walking away to go to sleep, brighten as an idea popped in her head. "Vincent never sleeps. Maybe I'll just go mess with him.", she said taking an alternate route to the hotel. She wanted to 'borrow' some candy from one of the vendors.
Vincent had barely been aware of Tifa's, Rocky's, or Cloud's entering the ghost inn. His whole concentration had been focused on a game of chess. Though it seemed at first Vincent was playing himself. Through his eyes Chaos sat across from him. Vincent had felt his personal demon's influence grow stronger very recently. As it happened before when Vincent rejected the idea of using his forbidden power Chaos challenged him to a battle of wills. Each test as been getting more challenging and more intense for the brooding gunman while Chaos became craftier with each defeat.
You seem to be getting tired Vincent. The entity before him said one his chess pieces moving without the touch from Chaos. Vincent made no comment. He knew his will was getting tired it was due to his concentration being split. It had been a good three hours since Cloud, who was the last person came into the hotel, during that time which seemed like years to Vincent. He began to question his sanity. Well what was left of it. The demon sitting across from him smirked. Vincent knew that he was truly in danger of losing control of himself. Chaos was counting on this, it would be a disaster with all the innocents in the Gold Saucer. The sins that he would commit. Vincent grabbed his head as it ached.
"Checkmate.", a bubbly, feminine voice said. Vincent looked at the chess board, Chaos had disappeared the pieces he controlled where still in the places they had been during the chess match. A slender female hand held one of Vincent's chess pieces on a square that had trapped his opponent's King. Following the hand to it's owner and nearly dropped his jaw in surprise.
"Yuffie?", he asked making sure he was still sane.
"Who were you expecting, Tifa?", the young shinobi asked.
"Sorry," Vincent began getting up, "my mind was elsewhere."
"Chaos?", Yuffie asked. Vincent seemed taken aback by this statement.
"How would you know?", he asked.
"Oh? Some files Reeve found that Hojo and Lucrecia did on a theory about Chaos.", Yuffie said. "He has it at the new Shin-Ra headquarters."
"You didn't tell me this because?", Vincent asked glaring at Yuffie.
"I would have, if you had a phone to actually call!", she retorted. "Didn't you promise to buy a phone so everyone could stay in contact?", Yuffie demanded poking Vincent in the chest.
"I've been busy.", Vincent said getting up making his way to the stairs.
"No you don't!", Yuffie exclaimed jumping in front of Vincent. "You're getting a cell phone now mister!", she nearly yelled, taking Vincent by surprise Yuffie grabbed him by the wrist dragging the shocked gunman out of the hotel.
Cloud stared across the planes through the rims of his sunglasses as the group left Corel. Although Rocky, Denzel, and Marlene had stayed behind to gather supplies in town. Cloud and Tifa walked apart both feeling an awkward silence from Cloud's action last night. Thankfully Yuffie lighten the air by making small chat with Tifa. While Vincent brought up the rear reading as he walked, it was a cell phone manual. Yuffie, more than once, sent him a message Vincent, in turn, snapped at her saying she had no right to contact his phone.
As the group neared the newly built bridge over the river that connected the Corel and Gogana areas, they became aware that someone was waiting for them at the other end of the bridge. Then man has silver hair coming down to his shoulders, green Mako cat-like eyes. Though the most disturbing feature Cloud noticed was a long katana. Inhumanly long, then in a flash one word came to his mind. Masamune, but it couldn't be…. The rest of them seem disturbed as well.
"I thought we killed Sephiroth!", Yuffie exclaimed. "How the hell could he still be moving after the butt-whupping we gave him!"
"That's not Sephiroth.", Tifa said.
"Then who the hell is it?", Yuffie nearly yelled.
"Prospero.", Cloud said recognizing the man waiting on the bridge.
"Who?"
"We'll explain later, first we have to find out what he wants and stop him.", Cloud said walking out onto the bridge expecting almost anything.
Almost anything…..
I know I'm evil making it a cliffhanger. I promise though I'll update more regularly, bi-weekly if not weekly. Also I'll be adding a little extra section to the story, all I need is question you want to ask about the story and what not. Please review!