FOUR

Late on our second day on the road since escaping from the Shinra tunnel and collapsing it behind us, we stopped in a wooded clearing to eat dinner and rest for a while before driving for a few more hours. We were in the lowlands now, having left the upper slopes behind, and had reached the southern end of the eastern mountains where they met the shorter Argen range that ran across their path. After following that line of peaks west for most of the day, we'd finally rounded the far edge and had a clear path south to Fort Condor.

As I checked on the bikes while Biggs worked getting the fire going and Wedge and Lena started on the food, I looked for a moment at the mountains rising up on our left. We were still pretty close to them, and I knew if we were to follow them east long enough, we'd eventually get to South Argen and its huge mythril mines. I was sorely tempted to go that way since Cloud and the others would have to go through there to get to Fort Condor from the marshlands. But after thinking about it for a while, I sighed and decided to stay on course.

I missed Cloud and the others and couldn't wait to see them again, but I knew we had to get to the fort as soon as we could to help prepare for the battle. We didn't have much time, which was why we'd spent so many hours on the road well into the night. We could've reached South Argen in a day from here, but Fort Condor was just as close. Cloud and the others would make it over there soon enough. And then we'd all get ready to kick some serious Shinra ass.

"Well, shit…" Biggs swore.

I looked over at him. "What's wrong, Biggs?"

He patted his pockets and grimaced as he knelt by the small pile of wood and kindling he'd arranged. "We're outta matches, Jessie. Knew I should've brought more of 'em with me."

"We're not gonna skip dinner, are we?" Wedge asked.

"Nope!" I smirked, lifting my index finger. "Not to worry! I can get this puppy lit. Just leave it to me, guys."

Lena nodded. "Magic?"

I drew one of my blaze talons, the one with the Fire materia. "Yep. Might wanna stand back first, though."

Wedge and Lena did, but Biggs stayed close, adjusting the circle of rocks he'd made around the little pit. The others had already set up the burgers and hot dogs on a makeshift grill over where the fire would be. Concentrating on my materia, I channeled the magic and directed it at the wood. It ignited in a sudden burst of flame that roared up from the small pile of sticks and twigs and swept over the food in a blazing rush of fire and heat that cooked it right away.

"Whoa!" Biggs exclaimed, falling backwards.

"Whoops!" I laughed, putting my weapon away. "Sorry about that, guys. I hope you like 'em well done."

Actually, the food was pretty good, and only a little charred. Wedge ate two burgers and three hot dogs, which was as always more than the rest of us. We all had our fill, though, and marshmallows on a stick for dessert. It was kinda fun, being outside like this. We'd decided it would be best to sleep outside and away from inns for now to keep outta sight and make it harder for Shinra to find us. We weren't done traveling for the day, but we decided to rest for an hour or so before getting back on the road. No tents yet, just the sleeping bags.

I wasn't tired enough to shut my eyes, so I kept watch while Wedge and the others dozed. When he started snoring, I gave him a light little smack to get him to roll over. It was late in the day, and the sun was on its slow way down as the fading daylight filtered through the branches of the trees. The only sounds were my friends' breathing, the crackling of the fire, and the gentle whisper of the wind.

Then there was another.

A faint rustling in the trees nearby, almost on the edge of hearing. I was starting to get used to the way the mako was enhancing my senses, and I was pretty sure the others wouldn't have heard it. The sound was getting steadily closer, as if someone was trying to sneak up on us. And doing a really good job of it, too. Whatever was out there was creeping up behind me, so I decided to act as if I hadn't heard anything. But as I sat next to the fire, I slowly let my hand drift down to the hilt of one of my blaze talons and tensed myself to move.

Then, outta the corner of my eye, I saw a small, slender hand reach for the glowing blue and green materia orbs in my mythril armlet. Just as the fingers got close, I shot to my feet, drew and ignited my weapon, and spun around all in a single fluid motion. But the thief was fast, too, and my blaze talon clanged against a giant, four-pointed shuriken. The others woke up at the sound, but I kept my eyes fixed on the thief, who was nothing like what I'd been expecting.

She was a kid, maybe sixteen, with short, dark hair around her ears and a pair of slanted, almond eyes. The girl had a bright green top that left her belly exposed, skimpy white shorts, red shoes, tall white socks, and a pair of fingerless orange gloves. On her right arm, the girl wore a tough leather bracer that went up above her elbow, and a thick gauntlet covered her left arm all the way up to the metal shoulder guard the girl had on. A dark, netted brace was fitted around her left leg, and a bright yellow scarf hung from her shoulder guard.

I glared darkly at her. "Looking for something?"

"Huh…!?" she exclaimed. "Shit! So much for finding an easy mark. Guess I'll have to do this the hard way."

"What the hell!?" Biggs shot to his feet.

Wedge yawned. "Who's that?"

Lena quickly whipped out her guns. "Drop it, kid!"

"I don't think so!" the thief quipped.

Fast as lightning, she whipped her arm out and threw her shuriken in a tight arc, knocking the guns away. Lena gasped and stumbled back a few steps but was otherwise fine, just startled. As the shuriken sailed back into the little thief's hand and the others looked on, I drew and lit my other weapon, my eyes never leaving her.

"What're you after?" I demanded. "And who are you?"

She sneered. "What I want's your materia. As for who I am, well… if you wanna know, you've gotta beat me first!"

I hefted my weapons. "Fine by me."

"Whoa, whoa…" Biggs blinked. "You're gonna fight her?"

"She seems pretty good," Wedge added.

I didn't doubt it. "So am I, guys. Remember the tournament? And I think I know who our pickpocket is. By reputation, if not by name. She might come in handy where we're going."

"As if!" the girl snapped.

"Don't make the mistake of thinking this is a discussion," I warned her. "We're gonna have it out, kid. Just you and me. And then you'll be coming with us to help defend Fort Condor."

She snorted. "If you can beat me, Brainiac! And if you can't, then I get to walk away with all your materia. Deal?"

"Deal," I agreed.

"You sure about this?" Biggs asked.

I nodded. "It'll be fine. If she's who I think she is, she's not as bad as she seems. Just a little full of herself."

The girl put her hands on her hips. "Hey! I heard that!"

"Good!" I smirked.

Moving to the side of the clearing, we got into position while Biggs and the others watched. There was enough room for us to maneuver in here—the space was pretty big and surrounded by trees. The thief and I stood facing each other about twenty feet or so apart, weapons ready and eyes locked. My suit was fully charged, the grooves on the hip pad and the backs of my gloves pulsing white with energy as the girl hefted her massive shuriken and the light breeze idly tossed the long straps of her thick black headband behind her.

Weapons raised, the thief and I rushed at each other.

"So what's the plan?" Tifa asked.

I looked at her as the five of us crouched behind a collapsed tent in what was left of the underground trading post. "We lure the rest of the monsters away from the archdragon. It'll be easier for us to beat it if we fight it alone than together with its friends."

Aerith winked. "Good idea. And I'll be the bait! Monsters just love a maiden sacrifice. They'll come running!"

"Aerith!" Tifa gaped.

"No, I see what she's gettin' at," Barret said. "She gonna stand out in the open where they can see her. Then she'll run off an' get them things to follow her an' leave the dragon. You an' Red'll be waitin' outta sight, an' as soon as you see Aerith comin', y'all spring your ambush an' catch them bastards completely by surprise."

I nodded. "Right. And at the same time, Barret and I'll go after the archdragon and take its ass down. Hard."

"Damn straight!" Barret agreed, pumping his fist.

Red glanced at the clearing. "We should act quickly. I'm not certain how long we can remain undetected."

I drew Buster. "Yeah. Let's mosey, everyone."

Readying ourselves for the fight, we got into position, Barret and I creeping quietly around the edge of the center plaza while Aerith, Tifa, and Red all snuck away in the opposite direction to set up the ambush. Barret and I crouched down near an overturned cart and waited for the signal as the archdragon hovered in the air with its back to us. None of the other monsters had seen us, either.

A moment later, Aerith skipped out into the open on the far side of the area, loudly tapped one end of her bladed staff against the ground, and waved cheerfully. As soon as she did, the monsters all snarled and hissed and faced in her direction, just as we'd planned. Aerith was calm as could be as she stood there and smiled.

"Here, little monsters!" she beckoned. "Nice, juicy human! Hungry for dinner? Then come and get me!"

They didn't hesitate. At a roar from the archdragon, the nightclaws and crawlers rushed after Aerith. She laughed, then ran off in between a pair of ruined merchant stalls. The creatures followed, all too eager to snack on some easy prey, and took the bait. As soon as they were gone and the archdragon was alone, Barret and I darted out from our hiding place and attacked the monster from behind.

Barret opened up with his gun-arm. "Eat this, asshole!"

The archdragon flinched, snarled, and spun around just in time for me to greet it with a flurry of quick slashes from Buster followed up by a blast of lightning magic as Barret peppered it with bullets. And then I heard the sounds of another battle erupting not too far from us as Tifa and Red ambushed the rest of the monsters. Aerith joined right in with her magic, closing the net as she sprang the trap.

"Gotcha!" she laughed.

At first, the archdragon stayed low in the air, well within the range of my sword. But as I struck at it with a backhand slice and blocked its swiping claws, it began flapping its wings faster and rose up toward the high ceiling amidst the stalactites. Frowning, I grasped Buster firmly in my hand and swept it across in a quick forward slash. And as I did, the Long Range materia at the base of the blade glowed brightly. A cut tore across the dragon's hide, and as I kept attacking, the purple orb flashed in perfect sync with each and every hit.

Barret chuckled as he kept firing. "Not bad, merc. Now you got the long reach, too. Pretty handy, ain't it?"

I nodded. "Of course. Now let's pin this thing down."

"Ain't nothin' to it, SOLDIER boy!" he boasted, smacking his chest with his good hand. "I'll show ya how it's done!"

"Or go down in flames," I smirked.

Barret snorted. "Still the lil' smartass, ain'tcha?"

I couldn't deny it as I made a few more cuts at the archdragon with the materia's help. "Wouldn't wanna disappoint you."

"No worry 'bout that," Barret quipped.

Just then, the monster swooped down at us, breathing fire from its mouth, and we had to dive outta the way to avoid it. As we sprang back to our feet a moment later, the archdragon whipped its tail at me, and I ducked as it flew barely a foot above my head. Barret fed it another hail of bullets as I blasted it with more lightning magic. Snarling, it recoiled and flew backward before gathering itself again. It dove at me, swiping its claws and snapping its teeth, but I held my ground and brought my sword up just in time to block the attacks.

Then I heard Aerith again. "Hey, ugly! Over here!"

The archdragon whirled around to find Tifa's foot flying toward its scaly face in a leaping forward spin kick as Red leaped up alongside her with his own claws unsheathed. As he landed on the monster's neck, he tore at it again and again while Tifa's kick crushed its collarbone. Barret followed up with one of his orange fireballs while I slashed the dragon's chest and Aerith unleashed a tempest of magical energy. As it tried and failed to shake Red off, the archdragon breathed another stream of fire, this time at Tifa, who didn't even try to move.

In the midst of it, she stood there completely untouched thanks to the blaze ring Domino had given her as the Enemy Skill materia in her glove flashed with yellow light. Seemed she'd picked up another useful trick, and when the archdragon tried to rise up again, Red hit it with a blast of ice magic. The monster shrieked as the cold swept over it, and I took the opportunity to jump up and slice Buster through its left wing. The archdragon dropped to the floor like a rock, and we quickly closed in on it to finish it off before it could escape.

It didn't last long. The dragon bit and clawed at us but didn't get in more than a glancing blow or two before we finally took it down. With a yell, I hefted Buster and cut at the archdragon with three quick, hard slashes that left trails of blazing energy behind them. At the same time, Red charged in with a leaping rush while Aerith refreshed us with one of her healing winds and Tifa bombarded the monster with a blinding shower of blows. Barret finished it off, running in to slam the barrel of his gun-arm right into the archdragon's head.

The blow struck hard as a sledgehammer, and there was an audible crack as the creature's neck snapped backwards and broke. It collapsed and slumped over, dead before it even hit the ground. For a moment or two, we all just stood there and caught our breath. Then Barret put one booted foot squarely on the archdragon's head, folded his arms in front of him, and grinned wickedly at us.

"Well, how'd ya like that?" he laughed. "Taught this flyin' lizard not to mess with miners! Hell yeah, baby!"

"We sure did!" Aerith agreed, giving him a high five.

I nodded as I shouldered Buster. "Not bad."

"Ha!" Barret chuckled, puffing his chest. "You impressed, merc?"

"I wouldn't go that far," I quipped.

Tifa smiled. "Well, I am. We do good work! And we've got another tool in our belt as well. That thing's fire breath."

"Cool!" Aerith cheered.

"I think you mean hot," Tifa smirked, correcting her.

Red cut in while they and Barret were laughing. "I hate to break up the celebration, but we mustn't forget to reactivate the communications relay before moving further into the mines."

Barret snorted. "Cold as ice, ain'tcha? Wouldn't kill ya to lighten up a bit, Red. Try it sometime, you might like it."

"If you insist," he said.

Then he gave us one of his big, toothy smiles. Aerith and Tifa both laughed at the sight while Barret just shuddered. I looked on, smirking faintly in amusement. Red did have a point, though, so after a moment or two, I headed toward the relay as the others followed close behind. It didn't take long for us to get it back on. After I pushed the lever up and touched a few buttons, it hummed to life, and several lights on the side lit up while a few others blinked steadily.

"Nicely done, Cloud!" Aerith giggled. "Jessie'd be proud."

I'd thought so myself. "Thanks."

There wasn't much we could do for the dead miners, but I knew it wouldn't be good to just leave them lying there where scavengers could get to them. We didn't have any way to bury them, either—the ground was solid rock. So after Barret, Tifa, and I had laid the bodies out along one side of the central plaza, we covered them all with a few sheets and tarps that Aerith and Red had found amidst the ruined tents and stalls. Then Aerith whispered a little prayer over them.

Dorgan and Bear would see to the rest soon enough. Now that we'd killed the archdragon, the rest of the monsters would scatter back into deepest parts of the mountains before long, and the few stragglers that would be left behind wouldn't pose too much of a problem for the men from the two towns to deal with. So once Aerith had finished with her prayer and Barret had said a few quiet words, we got underway, leaving the trading post behind and heading on into the southern region of the mines to continue our underground journey.

The thief was fast, but so was I, and after our weapons had clanged against each other and we'd exchanged a few quick blows, deflecting or dodging each other's attacks, I used the base of my left blaze talon's hilt to hit my right glove switch. Acceleration kicked in, and I struck faster, my arms and legs a blur as they moved. The thief kept up as we fought, though, her giant shuriken meeting my blades again and again. Sparks flew with every impact as we circled each other.

"Not too bad, Brainiac," she taunted. "But you're gonna have to do better than that to beat me! Watch this!"

The thief concentrated for a moment, then a sudden, fierce gust of wind swept through the clearing, nearly knocking me off my my feet as it pulled me toward her. First blood was hers. I took a nick on my arm, but it also allowed me to get into position to return the favor before she could recover, and she yelped in surprise as one of my blaze talons cut across her right leg, the one without the brace.

"You haven't won yet!" I smirked.

The little thief quickly backed away and hurled her shuriken at me with a flick of her wrist. "Neither have you!"

It spun through the air, but I was ready for it and knocked it aside. As it flew back to the girl, I rushed at her, the speed boost from my suit letting me close the distance between us while she was still unarmed. I greeted her with a string of short, sharp kicks to her chest and stomach that sent her flying backward. She reacted fast, though, springing back to her feet in less than a second, catching her shuriken, and slashing at me again and again, her weapon glowing with energy. I barely kept the barrage at bay, though I did take a few hits.

I responded with a flurry of slices as we went back and forth across the clearing, and although the thief blocked or evaded most of them, a few got through. Then she jumped backwards and threw her shuriken at me again, and I had to dive to the side to avoid it. As soon as I got to my feet, I whipped my blaze talons across in front of me, using them to throw a wave of fiery orange energy at her as my acceleration wore off. I slowed but didn't let up as she took the hit.

"You like it hot, don'tcha?" she teased. "Well, so do I!"

I spun my blades in my hands. "Bring it!"

The thief concentrated again for a moment, and then her shuriken glowed with bright, flaming energy. Then she rushed toward me, and I had to move fast to keep up with her relentless stream of attacks. She'd be pretty hard to beat, I had to admit, but I thought I knew a way. I just had to buy myself a bit more time for my suit to recharge. And stay on my feet long enough to put my plan into action.

She wasn't making that easy, though. Despite being a kid, the thief was really good, though I'd already suspected as much before we'd even started fighting. She frequently alternated between close range slashing attacks and throwing her shuriken at me whenever I'd back away or try to put some distance between us, but I still kept up with her and got in my own attacks as well, keeping the pressure on as we spun, sliced, and dashed our way around the wooded clearing.

Then she drove me back with a furious barrage of blows, finishing with a blast of magical energy that threw me to the ground as a bright, glowing orange rune hung in the air for a moment. Ignoring the thief's laughter, I shook off the pain and quickly got back up again. Although my suit had softened most of the hits, I still hurt a bit. But I ignored it, pushing through it as I resumed the fight.

I answered the thief with a furious assault of my own, sweeping my talons around to deflect her attacks before forcing her on the defensive again. Blades and shuriken sheared through tree branches and dug into trunks again and again as the battle took us to the edge of the clearing. And then, flashing me a little smile, the girl jumped right over me, her shuriken flashing as she struck at me while passing overhead. I reacted instinctively, quickly looking up and crossing my weapons above me in an X pattern to block the sudden attack.

"Shit!" she swore as she landed. "Thought I had you there!"

I winked at her. "Not by a long shot."

"Then how about this?" the thief snickered, bracing herself. "See if you can keep up with me now!"

Just as I launched a pair of kicks at her, she disappeared in a puff of smoke, easily evading the blows, then reappeared right behind me only a split second later. I heard her and spun around just in time to deflect her shuriken. Our weapons clanged together as she tried again, and for a moment, we stared each other down.

"Nice try," I taunted.

"Come on! Just let me kick your ass already!" she fumed.

I smirked. "Get used to disappointment."

Then, with my suit fully charged again, I drove a kick into the little thief's stomach, driving her back before hitting my left glove switch to activate the cloaking field. I disappeared with a jaunty wave amidst the rippling orange energy grid and the kid's angry yells as she slashed and swiped in every direction again and again.

"Hey!" she snarled. "No fair!"

I struck at her once, twice, three times, each from a different angle, kicking her in the back, side, and chest. Then I went low, sweeping her legs out from under her. She didn't stay down long, though, but sprang to her feet again and braced herself. The thief deflected my next attack, knocking my foot away when she heard me coming, but I didn't let her do that again. Instead, I immediately struck from the opposite side, my leg shooting out toward the back of her knee.

She groaned as she crumpled forward. "Aw, hell… knew I shouldn't have skipped my blind-fighting lessons…"

"Bad idea," I agreed.

Just as she whipped her head up, I reappeared in front of her about halfway across the clearing. Not wasting a second, I slammed my right blaze talon into the ground, sending a line of fire straight at her before she could react. It exploded on impact, hurling her straight up into the air as her shuriken flew from her hand. Then she fell back down only a moment later, hitting the ground hard.

"Damn…" she swore. "Can't believe I lost…"

I holstered my weapons and walked up to her. "Well, can't win 'em all, you know. Still, you put up a good fight."

The girl sat up. "C'mon, Brainiac! One more time!"

"Nah, I'm good," I told her.

"Guess you must be pretty scared of me, huh?" she chuckled.

I rolled my eyes. "Petrified."

She got to her feet, retrieved her shuriken, and snickered. "Figures! What do you expect with my amazing skills? Anyway, if you feel like it, we can always go another round or two."

"Another time, maybe," I shrugged. "Anyway, you'd better be ready to used those skills to defend Fort Condor. We had a deal, remember? I won this fight, so you've gotta help us."

"Yeah, yeah… I know," the girl agreed.

Biggs frowned as he and the others walked up to us. "Sure this is a good idea, Jessie? What if she bails on us?"

She glared at him, hands on her hips. "Hey! I'm a ninja, and ninjas never go back on their word. I agreed to help you guys out if I lost, and I will. Water God's honor! Understand?"

"I believe you," I told her, seeing the sincerity in her eyes.

"Thanks!" the girl smiled. "Besides, if you really want me that bad, how can I refuse? Guess you just can't deny how good I am, can ya? Oh and now that I think about it, I've got the perfect way to commemorate our new friendship. Just a sec and I'll show you!"

Putting her shuriken away, she reached into one of her pockets and took out a small cloth pouch. Then she opened it and poured a handful of brown beans covered in a tough-looking shell out onto her palm. As she put the pouch back in her pocket, she offered them to us. We each took one, and she kept one for herself as well.

"What are these?" Wedge asked.

"Da-chao beans," the girl explained. "You eat 'em!"

I nodded. "Thanks."

She grinned. "Sure! All together now, guys. Gotta bite down hard if you wanna get to the good stuff. Ready?"

We all put them in our mouths and did as she said. It was tough, as the girl had pointed out, but I felt the shell crack once I bit into it hard enough. Biggs and Lena didn't do quite so well, though, yelping in pain as they tried and failed to eat theirs. And as for Wedge, he just chewed contentedly, easily crushing his as the girl skillfully tossed hers into her mouth and ate before looking at Biggs and Lena.

"A little too hard for ya, guys?" she asked. "Sorry about that. But at least some of you foreigners have strong jaws."

Biggs blinked. "Foreigners? You from Wutai, then?"

The girl chuckled. "Yep! Sure am."

"I've never met anyone from there before," Wedge said. "You seem nice enough, though. And those beans of yours are really good! Think I could have a few more of them?"

She grinned. "Sure, big guy! Coming right up!"

As Wedge and the girl happily shared a few more of those Da-chao beans, Lena folded her arms in front of her and glared at them. I could almost see the smoke rising from her head, and I knew exactly why. As usual, Wedge was completely clueless.

"Don't get any bright ideas, kid," she said. "He's taken."

The girl look at her. "Huh?"

Lena frowned. "Don't play dumb with me."

"I don't know what you're…" she started. Then she snickered as she finally understood. "Oh, I get it. Somebody's jealous."

"Excuse me!?" Lena snapped.

Biggs stepped in before things could get outta hand. "Alright, back off, sis. You know how Wedge feels aboutcha. Girl's just bein' friendly. I don't think you've got anything to worry about."

"I guess you're right," she admitted.

"He's cute, but I won't step on your toes," the girl promised.

Wedge looked back and forth between her and Lena. "Uh… what's going on, guys? Did I miss something?"

"Nothing, Wedge," I laughed. "Don't worry about it."

"What she said!" Biggs agreed.

Then Lena took Wedge's face in both of her hands and pressed her lips against his. "When we stop for the night, I'm gonna make you your favorite snack. We'll share it together, okay?"

"That'll be great!" he gushed. "Thanks, Lena."

As they kissed again, the girl rolled her eyes. "Gross! I really didn't need to see that. The things grownups do…"

Taking that as a cue, Lena chuckled, then intensified her embrace, pulling Wedge into a full-on make-out session. Biggs and I let her have her fun, knowing that it would help ease the tension, and while she and Wedge spooned contentedly, I turned to the girl, wanting to make sure of something that had been on my mind.

"You were in Kalm for a while, weren't you?" I asked.

She nodded. "Yeah, why?"

I went on. "Some friends of mine mentioned you to me. Super hot blond guy with a sword, an even bigger guy with a gun on his arm, two women, and a talking panther with orange fur."

"You know them?" the girl gaped.

"Yeah," I said. "They're on their way to Fort Condor, too. They said you gave them the runaround in Kalm."

She giggled. "I sure did! They cornered me in the end, but it was a fun chase all around. I got away, of course, but I gave them back what I took. Well, most of it. I do have expenses."

"So I heard," I said. "You'll pay Barret back the rest?"

The girl sighed. "I suppose. I was just looking for some excitement, really. Needed to lift my spirits a bit after… well, nevermind. Anyway, I ran into those guys again out in the marshes."

"You did?" Biggs wondered.

"Just a few days ago," she told us. "Being the heroic ninja that I am, I helped them escape from a nest of giant snakes."

I raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yeah! It was a pretty close call, I tell ya. It took me a little while to shake off the two snakes that went after me. Even after I outran them, I just kept on going until I got outta the marshes."

I nodded. "Thanks."

The girl grinned. "Sure! After that that, I made it to that little town in the gorge, slipped right past the guards, and went into the mines the same day. I only just got to the other side early this morning. Managed to sneak by that dragon without being seen, but your friends'll have to fight it, most likely, if they haven't already."

"They'll beat it," I assured her, not a doubt in my mind. "Anyway, I think we oughta get going. Daylight's wasting."

She blinked. "Wait! I haven't even told you my name!"

"What is it?" Biggs wondered.

"Glad you asked!" the girl winked, holding up a finger.

Then, after bowing low for a moment or two, she threw down a bit of flash powder and let off a string of different effects as she tossed her shuriken in a tight circle, juggled several materia orbs at the same time, pulled a whole bunch of lavender flower petals out of her pocket, spun around with a flourish, and threw them into the air while narrating an elaborate and overly dramatic introduction.

"Some know me as a beguiling ninja!" the girl announced. "Others as the world's foremost materia hunter. But! Who am I really? Well, my excited onlookers, wonder no more! Because standing before you now is a rare and exquisite bloom—none other than the single white rose of Wutai… the one and only Yuffie Kisaragi!"

For just a moment, she stood proudly in front of us, arms and legs outstretched and her head held high. But then she started coughing on the smoke from her flash powder grenade and doubled over. I slapped her on the back a couple times to help her out, and as the smoke slowly dissipated, she relaxed and straightened up.

"Award-winning performance, there, Yuffie," I smirked.

She chuckled. "Thanks. Really gotta work on that last part, though. I always seem to get smoke in my face… Jessie, was it?"

I nodded. "Yep. Good to meet you!"

"And you!" Yuffie held out her hand for a fist bump. "Glad I let you guys team up with me. I think we'll go far!"

"Welcome aboard!" I grinned, returning the favor.