~Yuffie's POV~
I peek into the twins' room one last time before closing the door quietly and going to our room. Barret's loud and obnoxious snoring can be heard even up here and I'm so about to stuff a bunch of bananas down his throat. Opening the dresser, I search for something comfortable to wear to bed. Cloud comes out of the bathroom minutes later, hair dripping wet and a spikey mess and clinging to the towel around his waist. Dude, is it really that hard to take clothes with you into the bathroom? Really?
"How many times are you going to shower today?" I laugh.
"I'm sorry that I don't like to smell like sweat and dirt?" He raises an eyebrow before moving around me.
"Well neither do I but..."
"I know, I know. Girls are so perfect and they never sweat or get dirty or do anything wrong, right?"
"Cloud Strife, you better than anyone had better know I'm nothing like that," I laugh again, poking his nose. He jerks his head back.
"Stop, you're taking away my manliness."
"Your manliness was never there, sir."
"Excuse me, but I think..."
"I wasn't talking about that!" I groan, covering my face.
"You sure?" he smirks.
"Yes! I'm positive! Geeze!"
"Okay," he shrugs.
I sit on the bed and dig through the bedside table, fiddling with random pens and junk. Cloud drops his towel and I squeal, burying my face into a pillow.
"I did not need to see that, Cloud."
"Sorry," he chuckles.
"I'm forever scarred by the Cloud butt."
"Hey, you said my butt was cute," he protests.
"A long time ago, buddy."
"Aw. That's not nice."
"Just get dressed so that I can stop freaking suffocating myself."
"You're such a girl," he ruffles my hair before going back into the bathroom.
"No duh," I roll my eyes. "What did you think I was, a..."
A violent shake rumbles through the whole house and I let out a small noise of surprise. Clinging to the wall and ignoring my stupid motion sickness, I move to the window, peeking outside. Balls of flames pour from the sky. Men in Shinra uniforms shoot at random, killing women and children that cling to each other as they run, and men that hold precious possessions of theirs in their hands. Someone knocks on my door and flings it open, Vince and Tifa standing in the doorway.
"We've gotta get outta here," Vincent grabs my arm and pulls me toward the doorway. I shake my head and yank my limb free.
"Just..." The bathroom door opens and I confused Cloud stumbles out, trying not to fall in the violent rolling of the house.
"What the heck is going on?"
"No idea, but we've got Shinra people out there shootin and fire fallin from the sky," Barret says, now awake and gun arm ready to go.
"Get the kids up," Cloud commands and digs under out bed for something.
I follow his demands and shake the two toddlers awake. How are they still asleep? This is not Mother Nature's vibration setting, y'all. Mikey rubs one of his dark brown eyes and Kara yawns.
"What's wrong Mama?" She frowns, holding onto my hand.
"We've gotta go," I say simply, pulling she and her brother after me.
Denzel stands in the hall with everyone else, the battle staff Cloud got him for his birthday in his hands. He's gotten quite good with it, but now's not the time to be thinking about fighting. Someone tosses my large shuriken my way and I release the kids' hands, catching it easily. Did I just say now's not the time? Ha! I haven't had a chance to use this in a while. Vincent passes me my mothers knives, which I gratefully pin my hair back with just in case. What else am I supposed to do with them?
"Let's go," Cloud urges us forward and down the stairs.
"How are we supposed to avoid them getting hurt?" I frown at him, nodding toward the twins. He simply picks Michael up and makes me keep walking, his giant sword strapped to his back.
"Do we fight back?" Tifa calls.
"I don't that'd be a good..." Vince starts. A piece of brick chips off the side of our home as a bullet whizzes by my head. "On second thought, let's do this."
"Cmon Kara," I pull my daughter along quickly, following Cloud down the hectic streets. A Shinra soldier aims at us, but Barret has him gunned down before he can pull the trigger. more gunshots follow us as we go. They must be after us then, right?
"Jesus Christ, has Reno lost his marbles?!" The dark burly man beside me mutters, taking down another soldier.
"He wouldn't do something like this," I shake my head.
"Don't be so sure," He replies dryly.
I hear the barking of a dog and feel a slight pang in my heart. Poor Max. But I just keep going, ignoring Kara's frightened sniffles and jogging at a brisk pace. Cloud is far up ahead, Mikey snuggled into his chest and Denzel smacks some guy in the face with his rod. Go Denz! Wait, am I supposed to encourage violence at this age or not?
"Just a little..." I start and Kara trips, her hand falling from mine.
The ground splits a wide boundary that I can't get over. I skid to a stop a freeze when I see about three men prepared to kill her. Don't you ever mess with a stresses mother. Ever. You kill die. Just like that dude I killed by throwing a knife at just now. Another eats my shuriken and the last one ducks under my last knife. Through the smoke I can see something running towards us as I hopelessly try to find someone to call for. Everyone ran ahead, obviously not noticing Kara's scream for help when she fell.
"Kara!" I yell for her and she looks up, her blue eyes brimming with clear tears. Suddenly the shape running towards us opens its large jaws and grabs the back of her shirt, leaping over the hole. My shuriken flies back toward me. I'll get the knives later, that or I have a whole bin of them in the Seventh Heaven for safe keeping.
The Rottweiler drops her in front of me, whining, and I scoop her up, hushing her quiet sobs. Then I scratch behind my dog's ears.
"I always told Cloud you'd do something useful one day," I murmur before standing and running through the thick smoke to where my practical family ran.
Max follows at my heels, panting. Even though I spent almost all of my life here, with the exception of random raids and my little Avalanche adventures, I have no idea where we are. My eyes are stinging from the thick, dark gray smoke and my lungs beg for a breath of fresh air. The heat is drenching me in sweat and I can only wonder if this is what the Nibelheim fire mixed with the happenings at Corel would feel like. Poor Barret and Cloud, this must be like living a memory that they'd rather not.
"Yuffie!" I hear a youngish voice yell.
"Denzel?"
"There you are," he runs up to me, out of breath. "I don't think anyone realized you were gone until now." He eyes the dogs and his worried face drops. "You went back for the dog?"
"No, he followed us and saved your sister's life," I snap, walking quickly forward.
"They're at the clinic, we're trying to help the patients get out."
"I can't exactly see."
"Which is why I'm leading," he shrugs, running ahead. I can see the flashes of guns being fired and the sounds ring through my ears. We eventually make it to the rest of the group, where Mikey is huddled against Vince's long leg, crying and watching the clinic go up in flames. Vincent gives me a "Please help" look and I shake my head quickly, setting Kara down and looking for Cloud.
"He's inside," Tifa pretty much reads my thoughts. "Helping them get out."
"How are we gonna get out?" I frown at the guards surrounding the city, still firing at random.
"I don't know," Vincent shakes his head. The sound of a helicopter overhead catches my attention and the wind it creates whips through my hair, tugging at my clothing as it lands. The door opens and a red headed, spiky haired man waves for us to come in.
"What's goin on, Reno?" Barret demands.
"Can't explain right now. Actually, in have no idea. Hop on, we're gettin you outta here," He demands.
"There ain't no way I'm trustin you," Barret scoffs.
"Mikey, Kara," I call the kids. The big man gives me a look of bewilderment as I take my kids' hands and put them in the chopper.
"Reno, I swear I will make sure your funeral sucks if these two get hurt," I threaten him. He gives me a gentle but unstable smirk.
"They won't. But you sure this is a good idea? Mr. Purple Pants don't look too happy," he nods toward Cloud, who is now leaving the building and glaring in our direction.
"Just go. Be good kids! See you in?"
"The Edge. We'll be at the Seventh Heaven."
I nod and run back toward Avalanche, minus Red, Cid,and Cait. Cloud scowls at the dog and then accepts my nearly tackling hug.
"So how we gonna get out?" Barret asks again.
"I don't..." Cloud starts, twirling off and his eyes flicker something I can't read. I turn and look for what he's looking at. Three men dressed in dark blue, large weapons, and a thick belt with the Shinra logo on it stomp our way. SOLDIERs...
"What the heck do these guys want?" Cloud grumbles, drawing his sword.
"You Avalanche?" The first one demands, his orange hair looking ridiculous on top of his small head.
"Naw," Barret scoffs and holds up his gun arm.
"You're coming with us."
"Nope," I laugh and throw my shuriken at the second man, which gets lodged in his unprepared head.
"Gale!" Man three freaks and glares at me. "It's so on."
"I'm terrified," I reply sarcastically as my friends easily take he and his friend down. Wow, and SOLDIER is their best fighting rank? I'm ashamed, Shinra.
"Here," Cloud returns to Conformer to me and we run for the outside of the city, Max still at my heels. I turn and smile at him for a split second before I look back forward and see something huge looming over us. I can only pray it's what I think it is. But that means I'll have to leave the dog...
"Come on, get up!" Vincent commands Tifa as she struggles to climb the ladder. A painful looking bullet wound drips blood from her left forearm.
"Bye Max," I kneel in front of our dog and give him a final peck on his big wet nose. He whimpers and licks my cheek. I give him a weak smile and then follow my husband up as fast as I can go. I'll just have to hope one day we'll find him again.
"Everyone up?" Cloud looks at us all as soon as we swing the metal door closed behind us.
"Welcome to the Shera," Cid says proudly from the wheel.
"Wait, where's Denzel?" Tifa frowns. Cloud rushes forward to look out the front window. The boy is running as fast he can go towards the ship.
"Someone go get him!" Tifa shrieks again.
"I'm on it," I sigh, going back outside before Cloud can protest. The thick smell of blood and smoke, along with the shaking, is enough to make me want to vomit, but I keep my dinner in and run for the trouble maker. He spots me and opens his mouth to say something, but then it just turns into a shout of pain and a bullet punctures his leg.
"Cmon, Cid's just up there!" I rush him, now jogging along beside him.
"I can't..." he pants. I sigh and put an arm under his, helping him along. Another bullet zips past my head and my heart continues to beat wildly.
Then the men begin shooting st the airship. No no no! Cid has no choice but to turn and fly away, not allowing himself to risk the lives of more people than two. I don't blame him, but we've got some serious running to do. I cast a simple Cure spell on Denzel and we sprint as fast we can through the dry canyon that is also on this awful island. I have a place that I used to hide around here when I was kid, I just need to remember... There it is! I point toward the stone door that doesn't look like anything but part of the canyon walls. He nods and follows me as I scramble for my childhood hideout and slam the door behind us, locking ourselves into the darkness.
"Here," I mumble, turning on a lamp nearby.
"How could they leave us like that?" He frowns, plopping down in one of the old wooden chairs.
"How else was he supposed to save everyone else and the ship? He'll be back, Denz. Just give him some time."
"What if they find us?"
"They won't. I used to hide here all the time."
He sighs and we both look around the room. A locked wooden chest in the corner holds a bunch of unleveled materia, a round table and a chair, the that Denzel is in, sit along the wall, and a tall lamp in the corner illuminates a short wood shelf that holds a bunch of materia and fighting books, a journal resting on top of the shelf.
"So you lived here?"
"No, I just escaped to here," I shrug. "Sometimes you need a break."
"Mhmm."
"Well, I guess we're stuck here together until they get back, so let's get that boo boo of yours fixed."
"Don't," he whines, reluctantly letting me see his calf.
After half an hour of struggle, I manage to get the bullet out while he bit his shirt to keep from screaming in pain. He's still such a sissy.
"We don't have any bandages," I frown, looking around me for anything we could use. Then I sigh and take my head band off and wrap it around his wound.
"This isn't the most sanitary thing, but everything else is so dusty, I don't if we should trust it."
"Yeah, well, I just hope they get back here soon."
There's a scratching noise at the door of the hideout and I stiffen, grabbing my shuriken. More scratching and then a low growl follow.
"Max?" I wonder out loud. Then I open the door a crack and gasp. A large black paw reaches in through the opening and swipes at my leg, cutting it open where the long claws dig in. Someone pushes the door open and gives me a dark smirk, his light hair shining in the light of the lantern.
"Why can't you just die!" I yell in frustration. Denzel remains silent and looks at the sleek black panther that followed the intruder in in wonder. "You and your stupid pet!"
"Hmm. That's a good question, Kisaragi."
"Strife," I correct hatefully.
"Strife? Are you cross dressing again, Cloud?" he taunts and I roll my eyes.
"What do you want, Shinra?"
"Hmm, what do I want? I want that stupid Turk to step down from my place..."
"Which he will do gladly," I interrupt.
"I want to rebuild Wutai..."
"It's not going to be a tourist spot."
"And I want Avalanche's forgiveness."
"No."
"No?" He looks at me with his eyebrows raised. "And why not?"
"You tried to kill us. You killed my father, you killed Scarlet for goodness sakes!"
"That old hag was a perverted woman I didn't need. Besides, 'Gya-ha-ha-ha' gets annoying after awhile."
"What does that have to my dad? Or us?"
"By 'Us' do you mean your family? Or just Avalanche? You do know I wasn't really in control at the time," he says in that stupidly formal voice of his, swiping a piece of reddish blonde hair from his eyes.
"What do you mean?" Denzel speaks up finally, eyeing him in suspicion.
"Those three doohickeys, Remnants or whatever. They threatened Shinra and all of the planet, which ultimately left me the most threatened out of anyone."
"So you tried to kill us because..."
"I left you space to live," he shrugs, leaning back against the wall. "That Vincent man is invincible, rather, was, and I knew he and Cloud would get you out on time. When you almost didn't live, I sent that Dr. Frederick the vial of Jenova that saved your life. Yes, before you go all ninja on me, he works for Shinra and not the men at the Fort."
"But he..."
"Not all of Shinra is the enemy, Kisaragi."
"Dude, it's either Yuffie or Strife. I haven't been a Kisaragi for two years," I punch the bridge of my nose. Denzel chuckles to himself and I begin to wonder why we didn't kill Rufus when he first walked in.
"Wait, didn't Dark Nation die?" The boy speaks up. A small flicker of emotion moves in the young man's eyes before he easily covers it up with a heartless shrug.
"There's more than one panther to name Dark Nation, you know. This just happens to be number two."
"So you replaced your animal just like that?" Denzel raises an eyebrow.
"No one could ever replace Dark Nation," he shakes his head and looks at the floor. "Childhood friends are not so easily lost."
"What about Wutai? Did you destroy it to have it rebuilt?" I scowl at him.
"I commanded what they did only half way. They weren't permitted to shoot the citizens unless they were attacked by them. All I instructed was to surround the palace so that I could convince your cousin to let the building begin. But when the fire and the shaking started... Let's just say Reno's strong point isn't in general skills."
"So you expect me to trust you just like that?"
"No, and if you did I'd take you for a fool. You're no fool, Yuffie. You know Shinra and the world will do better if you'd just take the position on my side. You go and Cloud will follow."
"If only," I scoff, crossing my arms. "Look, it's not my decision to make and I'm not tearing up Avalanche over it. Plus, I know you're going to say that Cait is still from Shinra. Cait is a cat robot controlled by Reeve. He's not a person. Therefore he does not count."
"Look at you, Miss Smarty-pants. But you obviously don't believe I wasn't in control, so let me explain. I was pretty much being held hostage and being forced by Sephiroth. He controlled me sometimes, shape shifted others, forced me yet other items. If I were to try and defeat him, I would lose and that means you would've lost the Turks as well. So I helped from the sidelines. He never knew and you are all alive, are you not?"
"Why did you disappear for two years then?"
"Reno out strict orders to have me brought o him if I was found. Funny how he knew I wasn't dead all this time, huh? That news reporter that reported my death? She was just Elena in disguise, got in pretty easily after Rude hacked into the system. I still have the loyalty of my company, Kis... I'm sorry, Strife. You turn me down, Reno and Rude go down the drain too."
I bite my lip and glare at my feet. What more can I do? He's either threatening me or threatening the Turks, I can't tell, but this won't turn out well if I turn him down. And Reno knew all this time?! That traitor... Wait, the kids!
"You said Reno works for you still, right?"
"Technically he does until the day he dies," Rufus shrugs.
"Where did you tell him to take the kids?"
"The Seventh Heaven." The look of disappointment on my face must've been obvious. "Yuffie, like I said, I want to gain your trust again. Not destroy it. I'll give you my cell phone to call your friends and have them pick you up. I understand you left your PHS at home."
"But the troops.."
"Have been sent back for execution of those who disobeyed my orders directly," he finishes calmly, stroking the top of Dark Nation's head.
The animal growls at me as I accept the phone from the President, dialing Cloud's number. He doesn't answer the first time around, like always. But then I remember that his phone is back at home and sigh, calling Vince instead. Tifa will just shriek in my ear and Barret and Cid would cuss me out. Red can't use a phone and Cait is just a robot, so I'd technically just be calling a Shinra worker.
"Hello?"
"Hey, this is Yuffie," I sigh with relief that I didn't accidentally call a pizza man or something.
"Where are you guys? We've been flying around looking for you!"
"Just... Land in the grass and walk around in the canyon for a bit. I'll have the door open."
"Okay, but..." he removes the phone form his face and I can hear a conversation going on in the background. "Two things. Cid says sorry for leaving you behind and Cloud wants to talk?''
"We'll talk when I get there," I say firmly, glancing at Rufus, who's tapping his foot patiently. "Also, I need to talk to all of you about something today. I don't care if it's three in the morning, this is really important and I need everyone to listen without interrupting me. Got it?"
"I'll let them know."
"Okay. Oh, and go pick Kara and Michael up from the Seventh Heaven before you come get me."
"Got it... Um, Cloud says he really needs to talk...?"
"Tell him to wait," I sigh.
"I did at he's now probably going to punch me in the gut."
"Just hang up, this isn't even my phone," I sigh. Vincent does as he's told and I hand the cellphone back to Rufus. He nods and shoves it in his pocket.
"I trust I'll be expecting lots of calls from your boyfriend?"
"Husband."
"Oh so that would be the reason for the name change," he chuckles. "Got it."
"That's nice, now go. I'll go through Vincent's recent calls to find your number and call you when we decide."
"Okay," he shrugs. "But just remember, you're losing a whole lot if you say no, Yuffie."
Dark Nation glares at me when he walks past, leaving the hideout. Denzel laughs when I shut the door.
"What?"
"You could've just used my..." His phone rings and he rolls his eyes.
"Who is it?"
"Cloud."
"He can wait," I roll my eyes. I told him to wait, he's gonna wait. He calls too many times to count before I just tell Denzel to pick up.
"Hello? No, she's not here. What do you mean where would she be? What's she doing? Oh you know, just, um... Milking the cows?"
"Really?" I mumble. He shrugs with a confused face and frowns.
"No we're... I'm in a mud puddle with a chocobo. Wait, I think it's mud... Ew!"
I cover my mouth to hide my laughs and he has to take a deep, calming breath before continuing.
"Mhmm. Sorry, she said that the cow's utters are too sore. Yeah they're... green. Yeah, there green and blue. No, not like veins. Of course not! Maybe... Bye!" I hear yelling on the other side of the line as Denzel quickly hangs up.
"He was onto me! Apparently he doesn't think you'd ever milk a cow or that I'd ever bathe in chocobo crap."
"I don't either," I laugh, my stomach growling.
"Oh cmon, it's so believable, right?"
"Sure Denzel."
"So I guess we've gotta wait for the ship full of morons to come pick us up," I yawn, leaning up again the wall in a sitting position.
"Mhmm."
This is gonna be a long wait. LONG.
YAY! WUTAI IS DESTROYED! HAHAHAHAHAHA! OKAY, BUT... IT'S THE CLASSIC "MAKE-EVERY-BAD-GUY-SOMEHOW-LIVE-AGAIN-TRICK"! DARK NATION THOUGH... AND RUFUS MOVING HIS HAIR FROM HIS FACE? GAH....
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