His Wish
On the hand of Da Chao with her legs dangling thousands of feet above the rest of the mountain rocks Yuffie sits folding white paper stars and dropping them like lifesavers for drowning invisible sailors in the air. She is thinking of her mother, with her strong jaw, finely groomed hair, and delicious bedtime stories. These were not bedtime stories that one might typically tell a blossoming young princess, but stories you might tell around a blazing fire among comrades. She sends another star spinning with the slow long whistle. Pirates would capture pretty ladies and rob them of their pride. A ninja might be ruthless and quick to slit a throat but reaping the innocent was not part of their reputation. At least not her mother's definition of ninja.
In the capital of Wutai below her friends are browsing the local shops and enjoying a taste of the culture. Her lip curls ironically. So much culture had been lost in the war, and it was a sluggish recovery. Another star floated away; a prayer for Wutai. She thinks of the past and dreams for the future.
Below white shapes are blinking through the sunlight, and catching his eye. His thoughts are far away with a girl in love, clad in shorts and clumsy bruises. Vincent sits on a bench hidden among the paths and gardens of the palace watched by the mountain where a paper star tumbles into his lap, and he thinks that hope looks like a white feathered bird in the sky.