Note: I hope everyone is ready for this. If you think things are odd in Yuffie's world now, then let's see what you say when this chapter is completed. (If you want to know who Sakura is, then read Psych Heart Chapter 18)

Also, when I use Japanese words in this chapter, I'm not claiming to have a lot of knowledge in the language. However, I have been doing research from a lot of reliable sources. Don't worry if it's not quite right, because this is probably the only time i'll be using it.

Chapter 7- It's All Chaotic From Here

Vincent couldn't help but to scratch at the sores that were developing on his lower body. Since Yuffie had stolen away his medication, the days and nights were becoming steadily less enjoyable.

"Itchy?", Sakura asked.

"Like you wouldn't believe."

"Of course I would. I understand perfectly. You do know that I have a ..."

"Yes, everyone knows that it's your prized possession."

"Uh, yeah. How far do you want me to drive?"

"Don't stop until you reach the opposite coast."

"Ah, so it's an all-nighter. How are you so sure that Yuffie made it there safely?"

"I can feel it in my bones."

"Well, it doesn't matter much anymore."

"Why is that?"

"Gosh, Vinnie, are you that disconnected? Rufus and his cronies are planning a coup! You and Yuffie won't have to run anymore."

"Let's hope so. But how are they taking over? Is it a peaceful occupation?"

"Not by a long shot."

"Will there be bloodshed?"

"There doesn't have to be. Reno and Rude are infiltrating the big businesses as we speak."

"Will you please tell me something!?"

"The Turks are tapping into the factories' smokestacks and releasing psychedelic mist into the atmosphere."

Vincent practically jumped out of his seat when he heard the news. "Are they crazy?! Why?!"

"Beats me. It was one of Reno's tipsy ideas. Don't worry, though. It's a small concentration, so it won't kill anybody. It'll just make everyone trippy."

"What about the children and the elderly?"

Sakura frowned and confessed, "Oh, that's right. I guess Rufus forgot."

Vincent sighed deeply and muttered, "I quit."

"You quit what?"

"I quit trying to believe that our leaders have brains. I quit thinking that earth contains even one good person. I just quit."

"Vincent, I don't know what your problem is. I think it would be cool to go on a 'trip'. The environment is safe enough. The stuff is clear, so there won't be smog issues. What's not to love?"

"When will it go away?"

"Uh...hmm. We have no way of knowing."

"Just peachy. What did those idiots think they could achieve by doing this?"

"I don't know. World peace?"

For a second, Yuffie thought that she smelled something a bit odd in the air, but a strange feeling of peace fell over her. She and Hunter were on the road again, having ferried the car and themselves across the waters separating Wutai from the rest of the world.

As Yuffie inched closer to Wutai, she could tell that the years of the past had molded the town into something new and frightening. Where the quaint little village was once small and inviting, it now seemed to be a budding metropolis. She knew that tourism stats had been through the roof, but Yuffie had no idea that Wutai had become such a constantly busy area, and it made her uncomfortable.

The entrance into town was preceded by one of the last remaining artifacts: A welcome sign that said 'Now entering Wutai'. At the bottom of the sign was a new message that warned, 'For your safety, please do not inhale the air too deeply."

Yuffie drove up to the house that she had lived in long ago, before the adventure that made her a hero. The house had long been protected as a local landmark, so that Yuffie could come back to it anytime that she wanted.

Yuffie parked the sports car in the driveway. As she and Hunter exited the vehicle together, Yuffie inhaled a big whiff of the tainted 'acid air'. She almost stumbled as she approached the door and opened it. Her mind felt as if it were floating in the sky, and from the look of things, Hunter felt the same.

Yuffie switched on the lights, and truth be told, the scene set before her didn't quite register in her 'sky high' mind. There was a familiar person sitting on the couch. 'Are my eyes right?' 'Sure. They must be right.'

Yuffie Kisaragi found herself staring directly at Yuffie Kisaragi.

"Vincent, pump for me."

"Sakura, I don't think that came out quite the way you wanted it to."

"That's alright. I never claimed to be pure and wholesome anyway. Just pump the gas while I take a bathroom break."

When Sakura entered the small gas station, she realized three things:

1. She was making very good time. The pair of friendly strangers were already in the coastal region, and the clock was only reaching 8:00 PM.

2. Riding in a car with Vincent Valentine for ten hours was very boring. He didn't talk much, and when he popped a CD into the stereo system, it was always some low-pitched druid chant that sounded like a reject from an Ingmar Bergman soundtrack.

3. Gas station workers are too masterful in the art of staring.

Sakura felt as if every eye was on her, especially as she entered the men's restroom. Unfortunately for her, there was already someone occupying her position of choice: the urinal closest to the door. Sakura stepped in front of the second urinal, and she was bracing herself for what she knew was coming. The man next to her would, as usual, try to look over her shoulder and see the 'freak' in action.

That was always the worst part about having a particular male appendage. Rather than others being scared or grossed out, she was usually included as 'one of the guys' in ways that she never wished for.

Oddly enough, it didn't happen that way. The man in the urinal next to Sakura did not look down at her. He looked Sakura in the eyes and stated, in a creepy monotone voice, "It's all getting Darko."

"I'm sorry, I don't know what you're talking about."

Sakura zipped her pants and dashed out of the restroom, very tense after the odd saying that the mysterious man had muttered. Before she could make it out the door, the cashier whistled at her and said, "Hey, little lady. Your friend out there went over."

Sakura looked out the door and saw Vincent with a surprised look on his face, shrugging his shoulders. Sakura asked the cashier, "How much do I owe you?"

"Ten gil."

"Hey, Vincent! Bring me a Ten-gil Coin."

Vincent fumbled around in the car for a quarter, and finally hit paydirt. Once he had found it, Vincent warned, "I'm gonna toss it to you."

"How am I going to catch it?"

"You don't have to. I have pinpoint accuracy."

"Oh really! I'd like to see you try!"

Vincent let loose, tossing the Ten gil at Sakura. Sure enough, the coin found its mark as it hit Sakura in the chest and fell down her shirt.

"Vinnie, you loser!"

Sakura re-entered the store, but had to dig inside her shirt for the coin in order to pay for Vincent's mistake. If the men in the store weren't drooling before, they were now. Thankfully, the pair of strange friends could jet out of town and toward the coast.

When they had finally reached the land's edge, Sakura asked, "So, what now?"

"I can fly from here."

"Wait! Why couldn't you fly the whole way?"

"Because i'd get tired."

"Whatever. Just don't inhale the air."

"That's kind of hard to do."

Vincent exited the car, and he turned back around to see Sakura smiling.

"You know, Vincent, those first few hours were so boring, but the ending wasn't half bad. Maybe if you and Yuffie get back together, we can all go out some time. The movies, maybe?"

"Maybe. In a perfect world."

"Man, where would we even be in a perfect world? I'm glad this isn't a perfect world."

"Point taken."

RRRRIIIIINNNNGGGG!!!

"Is she actually calling you now?! I'd be ready for an earful, if I were you."

"Hello, Yuffie. It's so nice of you to call on such short notice."

On the other end of the line, Yuffie sounded surprisingly happy. "Oh, you aren't mad?"

"Yuffie, that was sarcasm. I'm itching like crazy, and I need my medicine."

"Oh, I lost it."

"You did what!?"

"Calm it, Vin. That was sarcasm."

"Yuffie, why do you always do this to me? I'm not the enemy, and I don't like being mocked."

"Gawd, chillax, will ya'? You wouldn't believe how much Wutai has grown since we last saw it! There are lights everywhere, and the streets are full. There's all kinds of things to do for fun, and it may be even cooler than Midgar! But I don't like it."

"That doesn't surprise me. You seem calm. Did you inhale the air?"

"So what if I did? It's awesome!"

"Yuffie, do you even know what's in the air right now?"

"I can feel it in the air tonight!"

"I'm serious."

"I don't have a clue."

"It's LSD. Reno and Rufus have some stupid idea that making everything peaceful will allow them to take down Elena's parliament. Don't they realize that they will be rendered loopy too? Or maybe they'll fail. I'm sure Elena's smart enough to put on a gas mask."

"LSD, huh? Well, guess what?"

"What?"

"I found my twin today."

"Stay there, and don't move. I'm flying in, and i'll be home in a matter of minutes."

"Vinnie, it's not the air that's got me loopy! She really is here! I can touch her, and she really is my twin! Her name is Kasumi Kisaragi."

"Ha! That's ironic!"

"What are you talking about, Vincent?"

"Kasumi is a Japanese name that means 'mist'. Tell me that's a coincidence."

"Uh. It's a coincidence?"

"Whatever. Just be safe. How's Hunter?"

"He couldn't be better. He's giggling a lot, and almost has a kind of 'spacey' look in his eyes. Well, I need to get off the phone. I told Kasumi that we'd bake cookies together. Gawd, I swear that she's like my identical twin! I love her already."

"Yeah, that's nice. It's just that I..."

"You're tense."

"It's just because I have never been to Wutai before. I know there are a lot of customs that I don't quite understand."

"Don't worry. I'll help you out as much as I can. Hey, I'm trying to teach Kasumi how to speak Japanese. Cool, isn't it?"

"I don't know much myself. All I know is that 'Konnichiha' means 'hello'."

"Then I guess that you don't know any Japanese words."

"Why? What did I do wrong?"

"I hate it when everyone else says that it means 'hello'. It doesn't. It simply means 'good day', and you only use it at around noontime."

"Put Kasumi on the line. I want to see how much you've taught her."

"Okay. Here she is."

"Moshi-Moshi!"

"Um..what?"

"Gomen nasai. I don't know enough words to explain. I just know that Yuffie said that's how you greet someone on the phone."

"Nice. I'll be over in a minute. See you then."

"Oyasuminasai!"

"Oh, and Yuffie, I know that's you. There was no change in the voice. We really need to talk when we get home."

"No, you're mistaken. I'm Kasumi. I'm not Yuffie."

"Someone with the name Kasumi would know Japanese. Sorry, but I don't buy it."

"I am sorry that you feel that way. Goodbye, Mr. Valentine."

Kasumi ended the call, and Vincent looked back at the still-running vehicle that he had rode in. Sakura casually asked Vincent, "What's up?"

"I'll be flying now. But I do have a question."

"Sure. Go ahead."

"Do you think it's possible for someone to be born in an area that speaks Japanese, but then forget so much of it that you can't carry on a conversation?"

"Just look at me. Everybody calls me Sakura, and I'm not Japanese at all. It's a family name. My great-grandparents left Wutai many years ago. Do you know what Sakura means?"

"Cherry blossom."

"Correct."

"But that's not your real name, is it?"

"No. My real name is Tsuyoka. It's not common Japanese, but it's from the dialect that my ancestors spoke."

"I'm not familiar with it."

Sakura smiled as she put the car in reverse and replied, "It means 'strong'."