Final Fantasy VII 1. The Saviors In Between

**Beyond Paradise  
**  
_Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII, the characters, or the places in the game. Squaresoft/enix does. So, no point in attempting to sue me now!_  
  
**Author's Note: Yes! I'm starting on a chaptered story for a Yuffentine. I've had this one planned for a long time, as well. If you don't like the pairings of CloTi and Yuffentine, then you won't like this story, so I don't recommend it to you. Unless you can suck up your pride, then you can read it anyway. :D Have fun! Enjoy! I know I will. :3******

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_Would you like to hear  
Of the terrible night   
When I bravely fought the—   
No?   
All right.  
  
The Battle   
-- Shel Silverstein_  
  
**- Chapter 1: The Saviors In Between**  
  
AVALANCHE had won. AVALANCHE had saved the planet. The saviors fled from the sight of the crumbling Midgar, only to stop at Rocket Town. The large airship landed a mile from the town due to Cid's consistent yelling that it would "flatten the town into no more than a piece of shit on a chocobo's foot" if they had landed too close.  
  
Yuffie gladly leapt from the airship, landing ungracefully on Barret's shoulders. "Hey, big guy! Thanks for the catch." She grinned and hopped off as he started swinging his good arm around in hopes of swatting her off as if she were a bug. She gave him a short bow and skittered to hide behind Tifa as he began to yell about her being impolite and uncaring of others feelings. The ninja merely laughed this off and remained in the protective shadow of Tifa.  
  
The rebellious group gathered on the empty plains, each finding a comfortable spot for themselves. Cloud stood at what was supposed as the head of the circle – though Yuffie couldn't see how that made sense – with Tifa by his side. Barret stood off to the side, arms crossed over his hulking chest and head held high with pride. Nanaki, as the group had become accustomed to calling him, lay quietly in the grass by a pile of stones, head resting on crossed forepaws. Yuffie sat on that stone pile, legs swinging back and forth just above Nanaki's still figure. Cid stood by Vincent, cigarette hanging loosely from his lips and hands placed firmly at his hips, whereas Vincent did nothing but stand there, gaze locked on the nothingness in the distance. Cait Sith had been left on the Highwind after Reeve shut him down from his place in the refugees escape route.  
  
The only one truly missing from the group was Aerith.  
  
"She's the one that saved us all, you know," Cloud started quietly, feeling the sympathetic look he received from Tifa.  
  
Barret let out a 'humph' and looked off to the side. "That girl... Really did a lot, yeah?" Despite his appearance, the tone of his voice turned gentle when he was thinking of the deceased flower girl. It was the same with all the members of AVALANCHE.  
  
An uncomfortable silence fell over the adventurers and a few shuffled their feet in the awkwardness of the moment. Finally, Cid spoke up.  
  
"Well, where does everyone want to be dropped off?"  
  
Yuffie shot up from her position on the rocks and waved her arms around. "Wait, what? Dropped off? Shouldn't we be having some sort of celebration or something? We just saved the whole freaking world!"  
  
"She has a point, Cloud," Tifa helped out. Yuffie smiled at the older woman, glad that she had someone on her side. But even Cloud wasn't going to take it.  
  
"There's nothing to celebrate. We may have stopped Sephiroth, but Aerith stopped Meteor. Even so, we killed or have been the reason to the deaths of many people. There's nothing to celebrate," he repeated.  
  
Yuffie felt her spirits fall, but she hid it well. Frowning, she put her hands on her hips and stuck her nose up into the air. After this, each member gave their destinations to Cid and he gave a nod.  
  
"Alright everyone, back to the—"  
  
"Wait one second!"  
  
"Yuffie, god dammit, not again. What is it now?" Cid frowned at the young girl as she ran into the center of the circle. Immediately, she pointed at the red caped man distancing himself from the group.  
  
"You! Vincent Valentine!"  
  
He turned to her sharply as she shouted his name, crimson eyes boring into her own stormy hues. She felt herself getting nervous under the intense gaze and cleared her throat before continuing.  
  
"Don't go back to your coffin, you hear me?"  
  
Tifa's eyes widened in remembrance and she came to Yuffie's side, arms crossing beneath her bust. "She's right. Don't go back to your coffin."  
  
The older man remained silent, waiting for everyone else to gang up on him. When it didn't happen, he decided to respond. "Where do you intend on having me go?"  
  
Tifa blinked at the question, clearly not expecting it. She turned to Yuffie and gave a light shrug. "I don't know. Yuffie, where do you intend on having him go?" she echoed.  
  
The little ninja frowned slightly, thinking about it carefully, then finally, "Costa del Sol!"  
  
Everyone nearly fell over.  
  
"Costa del Sol?" he repeated.  
  
"Costa del Sol. You need a tan!" she countered, grinning more to herself than to him. There was a long pause as he appeared to be thinking about it, though she didn't truly believe that he was.  
  
Vincent suddenly felt very uncomfortable. Everyone was watching him, expecting him to give a yes, no, or to simply walk away and never be seen again.  
  
"I'll think about it."  
  
Another near heart attack for the members of AVALANCHE. 

--------------------  
  
Yuffie felt it was unfair that they dropped her off first in Wutai. She wanted to see where Vincent decided to be left, but she had no choice. She said her heartfelt goodbye to Tifa, gave her nose-pat to Nanaki, a good swat upside the head to Cait Sith, she took Cid's pack of cigarettes and threw them over the side of the deck ("What the hell d'ya think you're doin', brat!?"), gave Barret a big hug around his gun arm, waved a little goodbye to Cloud, and warned Vincent one more time to stay away from the coffin.  
  
Then, with a startled cry from Tifa, she leapt over the edge of the railing, freefalling into the arms of a rather surprised Staniv who caught her and swung her around before setting her down on the ground, which she then made a dramatic deal of dropping down and kissing the grass. She laughed and stood back up, waving to them as the Highwind ascended into the sky and took off like a blazing bullet.  
  
And she didn't hear a word from them for a month.

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_Yuffie Kisaragi,  
  
The members of AVALANCHE are gathering in the home of Cloud Strife and Tifa Lockheart in Kalm for a meeting of secret matters. It would be appreciated if you would come to this meeting to discuss it. Thank you.  
  
Sincerely,   
Cloud Strife   
Tifa Lockheart  
_  
Yuffie read the smaller print further down the paper.  
  
_P.S. Sorry about the formalities, Yuffie. Cloud thought it was best written this way. With Love, Tifa.  
_  
The little ninja laughed at the letter and folded it again. A month and _now_ they needed her again? She decided it would be better if she didn't think too much about it.  
  
Just then Gorki came rushing in, a confused look on the old man's face as he looked over the smiling Yuffie. "What is it, Yuffie? What is so funny in here?" Yuffie giggled at the older man and shook her head.  
  
"It's nothing. Hey, tell pops I'm leaving, 'kay?" Yuffie stood up and started going through her closet, pulling out the comfortable things she could wear and throwing them into a duffel bag.  
  
"Leaving? You know very well that Godo will not permit that. He believes that—"  
  
"There is no reason for me to leave if materia is gone now, right? I know, I know." Yuffie finished for him. Gorki frowned slightly, opening his mouth again to protest the young ninja's leaving.  
  
"Your father doesn't want you to leave." It was his last hope at keeping Yuffie home.  
  
"I know."  
  
It didn't work.  
  
"It's the main reason I'm leaving," Yuffie continued before zipping the bag up. She hooked the Conformer to her back and the Oritsuru to her side before sliding her orange sneakers on. "See ya around, Gorki!" She smiled and gave the old man a quick hug before dashing out to the chocobo stalls to grab her beloved Green.  
  
The old man sighed and hung his head low. "Godo will not be pleased."  
  
Yuffie pulled the stable doors open and calmly walked to the stall in the back. "Levia," she whispered softly. The Green ruffled its feathers and cooed softly to her mistress. Yuffie smiled and reached out, a handful of greens held tightly in her grip. "C'mon, Levia. We're leaving. We'll catch a ferry to the closest continent and get out of here," she continued to her faithful bird. The chocobo stood and stretched its neck out, snatching the greens from Yuffie's hands and swallowing them quickly.  
  
"That's a good girl," she pulled the reigns up and over the oversized bird's neck then lifted herself up and onto Levia's back, tying the straps of the duffel bag around her waist before giving the chocobo a small kick into the side to get her moving. Levia warked quietly and trotted out of the stable, stopping by the doors to allow Yuffie to close and lock them before heading off into a run towards the shore.  
  
She had made it far enough to save herself from hearing Godo's enraged roar after Gorki told him Yuffie was gone.

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Tifa was pacing worriedly in the living room of the house she shared with Cloud. Nanaki had arrived with Cid and Barret not too long ago, the latter two complaining about the attitudes people were giving them, and the only ones to wait upon were Yuffie and Vincent. "Are you sure they got the letters?" She turned to Cloud, eyes pleading with him.  
  
He held his hands up and smiled reassuringly. "Yeah, I sent them both. One to Wutai and the other to the ShinRa Mansion in Nibelheim."  
  
Tifa stopped her pacing to rush up to Cloud, hands clasped in front of her as if she were praying. "To the ShinRa Mansion? But don't you remember Yuffie telling him not to go back there? What if he really isn't there?"  
  
"Tifa, calm down. Cid dropped him off at Nibelheim at his own request. And even if he doesn't show up, at least we know Yuffie will. She isn't the type to avoid—"  
  
There was a knock at the door. Tifa ran for it, stumbling over Nanaki on the way. She threw the door open with such a force that the members of AVALANCHE were surprised that it didn't fly off its hinges. There, in the doorway, stood Cait Sith with a little note in its hands. "Hey, Tifa! Long time no see, huh? Reeve fixed me all up, and he gave me this to give to you," and with that, the black cat handed the note over to Tifa.  
  
She looked over it and gave a sigh. "Reeve is busy with the refugees of Midgar, so he couldn't make it. But it says that he remade Cait Sith's program to give it its own mind." She stared questioningly at the black cat and the fat moogle beneath it, then shrugged. Quickly, she gave a good look around the outside before closing the door again. _No sign of Yuffie or Vincent..._

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Vincent sat quietly in his living room, staring quietly down at the small piece of paper held in his hand and claw. He folded it and carefully placed it into a small box filled with many other papers, each having their own oriental design, hand drawn.  
  
Slowly, he stood, leaving the box by the chair, and made his way to the back of the ShinRa Mansion where he held the black chocobo that AVALANCHE had given him after Choco Billy began helping other travelers with their chocobo's. When the Black had been born, AVALANCHE – Yuffie more than the others – threw it at him and told him to raise it "because it resembles you." Of course, much to Yuffie's frustration, he never named it.  
  
Vincent sighed at the memory.  
  
He quickly mounted the black bird and gave it a light squeeze with the heel of his boots. The bird dashed off in a flurry of feathers and dust, leaving the ShinRa Mansion as empty as it had ever been.  
  
While riding off the land and into the shallow waters, Vincent couldn't stop his mind from wandering to the month before.  
  
_"You! Vincent Valentine!"_  
  
She had suddenly looked scared. The girl had guts to continue.  
  
_"Don't go back to your coffin, you hear me?"_  
  
She had wanted him to go to Costa del Sol. Even Tifa had helped her. He hadn't seriously thought about it, but telling her he would had made her happy. Yet he didn't crawl back into his coffin either, and he couldn't figure out why.  
  
It didn't take long for the black chocobo to come trotting into Kalm. People stared in both wonder and hate as the dark-clothed man and his bird walked around the town. Since the Meteor incident, Kalm had expanded. There were more houses, a paddock behind one of the houses, and a stable for the chocobo's of random travelers opposite of it.  
  
"Vincent!" He heard his name and turned to see Tifa rushing out of the house, smiling happily. She looked around, as if expecting more than just him standing there.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
She shook her head and let her smile grow.  
  
"Oh, nothing. Come on. You can put your chocobo in the paddock with the others and then join us inside. We're just about ready to start," _but someone is still missing_ "so hurry." She quickly turned and led him to the paddock, then returned to the house.  
  
Vincent frowned slightly, then removed the reigns from his black chocobo and watched as it trotted to the Blue, Yellow, and two Gold chocobo's off on the other end. When he was sure that it was safe, he entered the household.

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Yuffie let out a deep breath, then sucked in another. "Gawd, Levia. Aren't you glad we got off that stupid ferry? All those waves and the rocking..." she put a hand over her mouth and held her stomach with her free arm. "Ugh..."  
  
Levia warked to her mistress and started trotting towards Kalm, knowing it wasn't too far off now that they had landed by the ruins of Midgar. Yuffie leaned against the neck of her Green and let out a sigh. "It'll be nice to sit down on a nice couch or sleep in a bed once I get there."  
  
The bird seemed to take this as an insult and warked unhappily. Yuffie smiled and patted her crest lightly. "You know you want to get some rest, too," she chided, laughing softly before straightening herself up again. "Alright, Levia. Let's get there as fast as we can!" She whooped and kicked the chocobo in the side while leaning forward, urging the bird into a fast run for the town, for her friends, and for some rest and a nice cup of hot chocolate if Tifa was up to it.

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"Has anyone heard from Yuffie in the past month? Anybody?" Tifa glanced around the group of misfit friends, hope evident in her wine-colored eyes. The silence that responded dropped her heart to her stomach.  
  
"I have."  
  
Tifa's gaze shot up to stare in wonder at Vincent. It didn't make sense that Yuffie would keep in contact with him, and yet – at the same time - it strangely did. "How is she? Do you know where she is? Maybe she really wasn't in Wutai..."  
  
"She was in Wutai," he responded flatly. "I am sure she'll show up eventually, to steal from us if not for the meeting."  
  
He figured that _what_ the young ninja had written him wasn't their business, and he knew they wouldn't ask. While watching Tifa begin her pacing again, he thought back to the box in his home, filled with the oriental papers. All of which were addressed to him, from Yuffie. He must have had about twenty of them that simply read 'Hi!' Exactly that. Nothing more. Just 'Hi!'  
  
His thoughts were interrupted by shouting from outside. AVALANCHE all quieted down to listen. It sounded as if the mob looking for Frankenstein had come to grab Vincent, and nobody would be surprised if that was what stood outside their door.  
  
Tifa slowly opened the door to see a circle of townspeople, all yelling in jumbled words, and Yuffie on her green chocobo in the middle, yelling back. It was a sight for sore eyes. Tifa grinned and waved her arms in the air. "Yuffie! Yuffie come inside!"  
  
And Yuffie did just that, steering Levia to either walk through or over the angered townspeople.  
  
It was to everyone's surprise, sans Vincent, that she brought Levia in with her.  
  
"Erm, Yuffie. You can put your chocobo in the paddock with the others," Cloud grumbled as the bird tracked in mud from outside. Yuffie smiled and started leading Levia away when Tifa suddenly stepped in front of her.  
  
"Actually, Vincent, could you take Yuffie's chocobo? I need to talk to her," the woman said with a smile towards Vincent. The older man frowned slightly then nodded.  
  
As Vincent reached for the reigns, Levia's head reared back and she warked for her mistress. Yuffie was immediately at her side, fingers brushing over the glossy feathers. "It's alright, Levia. Vincent here is a nice guy, aren't ya Vinnie?" she glanced over to him at her question and he simply stared back.  
  
"Er, yeah... Like I said. Vinnie's a nice guy..." she grumbled as Levia calmed down. Yuffie took the reigns and put them in Vincent's claw. "Be careful with her. She gets jittery," she warned before returning to Tifa.  
  
Vincent stared at Levia. Levia stared back. Slowly, the two made their way to the paddock in the back, where Vincent removed the reigns and let her go to the others. The first to meet Levia was his very own Black.  
  
Levia nipped at the Black's neck then ran on to join the others, the Black following behind to then join with the Blue.

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"Alright, now for rooming... I believe it would be safer for you all to stay with us instead of going to the Inn," Cloud started. The sun had already begun to set, calling for the moon to take its shift. "Barret, you and Cid will be sleeping in the room closest to the stairs. Nanaki, you can sleep in mine and Tifa's room since your ears are sensitive and we're furthest from Barret's room,"  
  
"You sayin' I snore?" Barret interrupted, gun arm waving through the air, narrowly avoiding Cait Sith's shut down figure.  
  
"Yes, Barret. I am. You and Cid both. And loudly."  
  
Cid snorted and lit another cigarette, stuffing it between his lips while he flicked the recent one out the window.  
  
Cloud took this as a sign to continue. "Yuffie, you can have the room closest to the bathroom—"  
  
Another interruption. "What? But that room is right next to Cid and Barret's! I'll never get to sleep!" Cloud ignored this and continued.  
  
"Vincent will be in the room across from Yuffie," Cloud paused, as if waiting for another argument. When nothing came, he let out a relieved sigh and pointed towards the kitchen. "Tifa will have breakfast ready for you guys sometime around eight, right?" He glanced to the busty woman with a smile.  
  
She nodded and made her way over to Yuffie, gently taking the fuming girls hands and giving them a light squeeze. "It's alright. I'll give them coffee so you'll be sure to go to sleep long before they do, how about that?"  
  
Yuffie sighed in defeat and nodded.  
  
Soon, the two older men had their coffee and AVALANCHE was on their way to bed.

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Despite what Tifa had said, Yuffie wasn't able to even close her eyes. The walls shook with every snore that came from the other room, and if Yuffie hadn't been with AVALANCHE for as long as she was, she would have thought that the Planet was opening beneath them to suck them all into the Lifestream.  
  
With a frustrated growl, she rolled out of the bed, straightening the oversized shirt and shorts she substituted as pajamas. The wall between her room and the two men's shook again and she grumbled a few insults before leaving her room to suffer alone.  
  
Yuffie found herself standing uncomfortably in the hallway, arms wrapping around herself at the sudden chill of the open area. She stared at the two doors she could choose from. _What's behind door number one?_ Her mind took on the voice of an announcer and she giggled to herself.  
  
Slowly, she moved up to the door and knocked lightly on it. She waited for what felt like forever in the cold hallway before the doorknob turned and the door opened. Storms stared into cold scarlet.  
  
"Mornin' Vinnie, I can't sleep," she explained hurriedly. Vincent stared down at her silently, glanced back to the digital clock, then glared down to her again.  
  
"Yuffie, it's three in the morning."  
  
"And I'm surprised that you sleep at all, what with being asleep for thirty years, huh?" She smiled as innocently as she could up at him. _Might as well get to the point,_ she thought to herself.  
  
He beat her to it.  
  
"You would like to switch rooms." It wasn't a question. She nodded meekly up at him and he ran his human hand through his hair. "Fine." And with that, he walked past her to her abandoned room. Glancing back, he noticed her still standing by the door, stormy hues watching him.  
  
His claw hovered by the doorknob, but he stopped at the doors vibration from the snores nearby. As if to give it a second thought, he stepped back to stand beside Yuffie, both staring at the rooms across from them.  
  
"You know, we could easily just stay in this room for the night... I can get a room at the Inn in the morning, don'cha think?" Yuffie spoke softly, her gaze still locked on the rooms ahead. She didn't see it, but Vincent nodded in agreement and he slowly shut the door.  
  
Vincent made his way back to the bed and carefully began to fix the covers he had thrown to the foot of the bed. "You may sleep here."  
  
_As if I need his permission,_ she grumbled in her mind. She climbed into the bed and lay her head on the pillow. "Where are you gonna sleep?" Vincent looked to her momentarily, then pulled the chair from the desk and leaned it against the wall, as if it would answer her question.  
  
"Fine, Mr. Moody. But don't complain to me when you wake up with a stiff neck," she mumbled and pulled the blankets up to her chin, burying herself into her dreams.  
  
Vincent gave no response and sat in the chair, right ankle crossing onto his knee and his arms folding over his chest as he returned to his nightmares.

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**A/N: This chapter was for the characters, as you can see. The main plot of the story (yes, I have one) will be revealed in, maybe, the next chapter. So, until then, review for this one and wait patiently. Thank you.**


	2. It's Us Against the World

**Beyond Paradise**  
  
_Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII, the characters or places of the game, and whatever else about the game. Squaresoft/enix does. Still can't sue me! Besides, you'd only get three bucks and twenty three cents...  
_  
**Author's Note: Hmm, this chapter is going to be harder to write. Well, hope you enjoy nonetheless. I love the reviews so far! The relationships are going to be slow developments, don't we just love those? I know I'm a fan of those 'falling in love' Yuffentine's or something. Yes. Read this next chapter. Just do it.******

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_Oh I am a chickie who lives in an egg,   
But I will not hatch, I will not hatch.   
The hens they all cackle, the roosters all beg,   
But I will not hatch, I will not hatch.   
For I hear all the talk of pollution and war   
As the people all shout and the airplanes roar,   
So I'm staying in here where it's safe and it's warm,   
And I will not hatch!  
  
I Won't Hatch  
-- Shel Silverstein_  
  
- **Chapter 2: It's Us Against the World**  
  
The morning sun found AVALANCHE gathered around the dining table, each talking about the small things while Barret and Yuffie tried to be the one who could fit the most food into their mouth without coughing, choking, or needing a drink.  
  
To shorten the competition, Barret ended up grinning proudly from his place on the sofa while Tifa was in the corner, patting Yuffie on the back as the young ninja coughed out bits and pieces, struggling for air.  
  
Suddenly, there was a loud pounding on the door. Cloud stood from the table and made his way to the front, opening the door and pulling a sheet of paper off. He closed the door and leaned back against it, reading over the contents.  
  
Yuffie, apparently over her choking fit, slid up beside him and looked over the paper. "Sheesh, and I thought people didn't like _me_," she commented as Tifa came up to read it. Cloud, beginning to feel a little crowded, handed the paper over to the martial artist and sat on the couch beside Barret.  
  
The silence droned on, until Cid began flailing his arms around. "Well, come on, woman! What does it say?"  
  
Tifa crumpled the paper up in her fist and smiled. "Nothing, Cid," then she turned her attention to Cloud, "You still have to start the meeting, you know. We never got started on it yesterday."  
  
"Who do you people think you are!?"  
  
Apparently, no one had noticed Yuffie open the door again.  
  
"You should be ashamed of yourselves! We saved your _lives_ you—agh!"  
  
Tifa snatched the girl by the arm and pulled her into the house, slamming the door shut and locking it as she released Yuffie. The little ninja stumbled back, catching her balance with the help of Nanaki.  
  
Vincent calmly glanced over Yuffie for injuries before turning his gaze to Tifa. "What did the letter say?"  
  
Cloud came up beside the woman and gently took the crumpled ball of paper into his hands. "I can explain it if we could just get to the meeting." AVALANCHE seemed to take the hint and began making themselves comfortable in the living room.  
  
"Yuffie, would you kindly take your feet off of me?"  
  
"Aw, but you're like a footrest!"  
  
"Just do it, Yuffie. Cloud's gettin' impatient."  
  
"What me an' Red talk about isn't any of your business, you old fart!"  
  
"What'd you call me?"  
  
"Yuffie, please. It's getting uncomfortable."  
  
"Old fart!"  
  
"Thieving brat!"  
  
"Guys..." Tifa tried.  
  
"Chimney!"  
  
"Good fer' nothin'!"  
  
"Guys..!" Tifa tried again.  
  
"Walking Lung Cancer!"  
  
"Scrawny Klepto-Freak!"  
  
"Guys!!" Tifa shouted out, the walls shaking with the sudden boom of the female's voice.  
  
All went quiet. AVALANCHE stared in wonder at the woman and she smiled sweetly. "Please, Cloud's trying to explain what's going on."  
  
Yuffie stood up, taking her feet off of Nanaki, then plopped down next to Cid and the two sat quietly, watching Cloud expectantly.  
  
Their leader cleared his throat uncomfortably and shifted his weight before leaning back against the wall. "As you might have figured out, the people of Kalm don't exactly appreciate what we've done for them. Saving the planet doesn't seem to be enough.  
  
"A new... organization, is forming. They're somewhat like a protest group, but against us. For what reason, I wish I knew. The people that have not joined this rebelling group come from Cosmo Canyon," a look to Nanaki, "and Wutai," a quick glance to Yuffie. "So I believe that we are safest in those areas."  
  
"What about Fort Condor?" Nanaki barely lifted his head.  
  
"They're busy with their own problems. That baby condor came back and now they've got their hands full taking care of it," Cloud responded lightly.  
  
"Costa del Sol?" Cait Sith piped in.  
  
"It's too hot," Nanaki replied before Cloud could think about it.  
  
"Gold Saucer!" Yuffie grinned, hands clapping together in front of her.  
  
"It's too loud there," Tifa countered, hand going to her head as if she were already gaining a headache from the unheard music.  
  
"North Corel," Barret offered. Cid merely shook his head at the idea.  
  
Vincent quietly observed his teammates from his corner, arms crossed beneath the covers of the crimson cape. His eyes closed as he listened to the freezing winds of Chaos' existence. 

--------------------  
  
"Alright then, Cosmo Canyon it is!" Cloud decided, an hour later, with a victorious grin on his face.  
  
"One question," the black cat tilted its head to the side. "Why are we going anywhere at all?"  
  
"It isn't safe here. The people of Kalm are part of this rebellious protest and they aren't exactly all 'tea-and-crumpet' when it comes to us," Tifa explained, one hand resting on her chin as if in thought. "In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if they tried to kill and eat our chocobo's last night."  
  
Yuffie shrieked and leapt off of the couch, making a mad dash for the paddock.  
  
The others arrived just in time to see Yuffie cradling her Green's head. The chocobo cooed to her mistress in confusion and warbled with affection. Tifa laughed, one hand resting on her stomach as if to ease a pain.  
  
"I was just joking, Yuffie! These people aren't that sadistic! They may hate us, but they wouldn't hurt an innocent chocobo," Tifa said between laughter at the younger girl's sudden impulse to protect her chocobo.  
  
Yuffie ignored her and gently brushed her fingers through Levia's crest. Vincent's Black trotted up behind Yuffie and pecked lightly at her shoulder, as if calling for some well needed attention as well. The little ninja smiled and patted him on the neck.  
  
"He seems to like you well enough," Vincent said calmly. Yuffie jumped and clung to Levia. The Green warked and pecked at the Black's neck.  
  
"Gawd, Vincent! Did you have to sneak up on me like that?" she growled, slowly releasing her death grip on the chocobo.  
  
Vincent shrugged as he buckled the reigns to the Chocobo's beak and neck. "I'm sorry. I did not mean to frighten you," he apologized before swiftly leading the Black to the fence and tying the ends of the reigns to it.  
  
Yuffie stuck her tongue out at his back in a childish manner before tugging on Levia's beak. "C'mon, let's get you ready to go."

--------------------  
  
The chocobo's were ready, but another problem had announced itself.  
  
"Someone's going to have to drive the buggy," Tifa commented, staring down at the rather sheepish look Nanaki had and the withering Cait Sith.  
  
There was a long pause before Barret swung off his yellow chocobo, much to the bird's happiness. "I'll drive it. 'Sides, Sugarplum would'na made it," he grumbled.  
  
Another pause.  
  
Finally, "Sugarplum?" Yuffie asked, hand over her mouth to hold back the laughs.  
  
"It was Marlene's idea!" Barret roared, thumping his feet on the ground in frustration. Yuffie simply laughed and waved a hand in the air, as if to dismiss it all.

--------------------  
  
AVALANCHE was on their way. Five chocobo's ran along the sides of a red buggy, and it was quite a sight to see for the random monsters that watched them go by. Really, it wasn't anything more than a blur of red, blue, gold, black, and green that went by, followed by a cloud of dirt.  
  
They reached the ferry, and thus the problems continued.  
  
"I can't let you on the ferry, ma'am," the old man said, hands resting firmly on his hips. His dulling blue eyes glared up at her as if he could stop the travelers on chocobo's and three in a buggy in their tracks.  
  
Tifa let out a sigh, fingers rubbing at the bridge of her nose. "And why not?" she asked, trying to fight the headache that was pulsating throughout her skull.  
  
"Yer nothin' but troublemakers, you are. We can refuse service to anyone!" he argued, waving a wrinkled fist in the air at her.  
  
"That's fair," Cloud spoke up, steering his Gold chocobo to herd the group away from the fuming man. Once at a safe distance, he let out a defeated sigh.  
  
"We can't get across by ferry, and the only chocobo's that can run across the water are King, Bronco, May, and Vincent's Black..." Cloud explained. "King and May are the stronger ones, so Barret and Nanaki can ride with me and Tifa," he continued. He sent a sympathetic glance towards Yuffie as she hugged Levia's neck tightly.  
  
The Green cooed and nipped at Yuffie's short hair before pulling away and dashing off. Levia knew her way around, so Yuffie wasn't too worried. She turned to glance at her two choices. "Hm, Cid or Vincent, who will be the lucky man today?" she grinned and looked to Cait Sith.  
  
"I don't know about you, but those red eyes still give me the creeps," the black cat shivered and leapt off of the fat moogle and up onto Bronco's head. The blue chocobo warked and scratched at the grass in annoyance.  
  
Yuffie glared as the stuffed animal hopped up, struggling to climb into Cid's lap. "This is just one of those fucking days, ain't it?" Cid grumbled just before a big, soft fist slammed into his left leg.  
  
Yuffie's laughs came to a stop as a hand, Vincent's hand, lowered in front of her face.  
  
"Aw, my knight in not-so-shining armor!" Yuffie joked before grabbing onto his wrist and, with his help, hauling herself up to sit in front of him on the Black.  
  
The buggy was deserted in its place as AVALANCHE rode off, onto the waters, and into the horizon.

--------------------  
  
"So," this would be Yuffie's attempt at a conversation. "What's his name?" She asked.  
  
"He doesn't have a name," he replied flatly.  
  
Yuffie frowned as she gently pet the Black's neck. "Well then, we should give him a name, shouldn't we?"  
  
Tifa glanced over from her place in front of Barret and smiled. "We could name it Viffie! Or Yuncent!"  
  
Yuffie laughed and shook her head. "Those names are stupid! You can't just put two names together and make a new one. It never turns out right."  
  
The older woman smiled and turned her attention back to the waters stretching out in front of them. "How can he stand 'er?" Barret grumbled, shifting uncomfortably on the back of May, Tifa's gold chocobo. The woman laughed and shrugged her slim shoulders.  
  
"The same way you and Cid, and everyone else can. She's our friend. It's not so much that we tolerate her, but that we understand her and accept it with everything else she is," Tifa tried to explain. Barret grunted in response and shrugged.

--------------------  
  
The afternoon was fast approaching, and they had just moments ago reached the beaches of the Corel area.  
  
"I'm hungry," Yuffie groaned, leaning back against Vincent as her stomach growled loudly at her. She put a hand over the snarling beast that was her stomach and sighed at the memories of her breakfast that she had no time to enjoy. Her competition with Barret had been a crucial part of her day! She couldn't go without it.  
  
Vincent glanced down at her quickly, body going rigid at the sudden contact with another human. The little ninja seemed to take no notice and continued to complain.  
  
"Shaddup!" Barret called back to her just as his stomach gurgled in response to the younger woman's. Tifa laughed and gently patted Barret's human hand.  
  
"We should be at Cosmo Canyon soon," she reassured him. "Cloud! How much longer? Our friends here are getting hungry!"  
  
Cloud looked back, a strange look of sickness and understanding flickering over his face. "I'm hoping in another hour," he responded.  
  
"Cloud, are you alright?" the lion-beast questioned from his place sprawled over the chocobo's back. The blonde leader nodded, one arm curling around his stomach.  
  
"I don't want to admit it, but I'm getting really hungry, too..." he grumbled, leaning slightly into King's neck. The gold chocobo warked and began to speed up, as if understanding the pain its owner was going through.  
  
The other birds followed in pace, the random warks scaring off the monsters that dared to attempt and ambush the riders.  
  
One figure stood alone on a dusted canyon wall, the warm breeze playing with a jester's hat. The golden bells began to jingle in harmony and a pale finger rose to lips painted purple. "Shh..." and soon they were lost with the wind.

--------------------  
  
AVALANCHE had filled their stomachs and soon sat comfortably around Cosmo Canyon's famous flame.  
  
Nanaki stretched his legs out and curled up close to the fire. "You are all welcome to stay here until we can figure out what to do about this potential threat," he spoke idly, as if it weren't an important matter.  
  
Tifa smiled and gently scratched behind his ears in a 'thank you' gesture.  
  
Cait Sith danced in place for a few seconds to gather attention. "I need to shut down for a little bit. Cid's smoke got into the circuits." And with that, the black cat sagged against the stuffed moogle.  
  
Yuffie laughed as Cid spouted off insults about the robotic cat. Nanaki purred softly before standing up on all fours. Tifa's hand slid back to her side as he looked around at his friends. "I'll talk to the people, see if they know anything about this," he announced. With a nod, he started off.  
  
Barret and Cid glanced to each other, exchanging knowing looks before grinning to Tifa. "We're gonna get some drinks." They were grown men, they didn't need permission, despite the disapproving look Tifa gave them as they got up and left for the bar.  
  
This left Cloud, Tifa, Yuffie, Vincent, and a shut down Cait Sith.  
  
"You think he'd wake up if I tossed him into the fire?" Yuffie asked, her gaze locked on the nonliving creature beside her. "Nobody'd miss him, would they?"  
  
"Yuffie! That's horrible," Tifa reprimanded her, shaking her head at the cruel idea of it all.  
  
Yuffie laughed nervously and rubbed at the back of her head. "I wasn't serious," she said in defense.  
  
"You wouldn't like it if any of us wanted to throw you in the fire, would you?" Vincent asked from his place by the fire, crimson pools staring into the burning embers. The little ninja frowned and crossed her arms over her stomach.  
  
"Can't anybody take a joke around here?" she grumbled.  
  
Cloud smiled and stood up, dusting his pants off before walking around the fire to Yuffie. He gently patted her shoulder as he stepped past her. "I'm going to look in the observatory, see if I can find something like a notebook to keep a record of what we find... if we find anything at all," he added as an afterthought.  
  
Tifa suddenly looked up, as if everyone were leaving her. "Oh, wait! Cloud, I'll go with you!" She jumped to her feet and jogged off after him, waving a quick goodbye to Yuffie and Vincent before following him up the stairs.  
  
Yuffie grinned. "Isn't it cute?"  
  
Vincent glanced over to her, then back to the fire.  
  
"Those two together..." she continued, as if he had asked. "Maybe Tifa will get a chance to tell him."  
  
Silence.  
  
"Yeah, I think they're going to get married one day."  
  
A slight shifting noise from Vincent's side.  
  
"Maybe I'll get to be the maid of honor!"  
  
Boots kicking up the dust.  
  
"You think I'd get the bouquet of flowers, Vinnie?"  
  
Silence again.  
  
"Vinnie?" Yuffie glanced over to where he sat. There was nothing there. "Vincent? Hey! Don't walk away from me while I'm talking to you!" she shouted out as she spotted him headed for the Inn.

--------------------  
  
Cloud sifted through a few boxes, shoving the contents around for a journal, notebook, anything with paper. Tifa came in quietly, hand resting on his shoulder. "I don't think Nanaki would like it if you went through Bugenhagen's things without asking him."  
  
The blonde man rubbed at his nose as dust floated up from the old photos. "Yeah, I guess not. I don't know where else to look, though."  
  
Tifa smiled and glanced around the room. "Well, he might have something in the observation room. You know, the room with the stars and planets," she ventured, gesturing a hand to the wooden door.  
  
Cloud nodded and opened the door. "You can check one side, and I'll get the other."  
  
She smiled and followed him in.  
  
The room became dark as the door closed. They stood quietly, Tifa's hand on Cloud's shoulder, until their eyes became adjusted to the darkness. Soon, the search commenced.

--------------------  
  
Vincent let out a heavy sigh as Yuffie repeated the same tune she had been humming for the last ten minutes. It wouldn't have bothered him so much if it just hadn't been the same five or six notes throughout the entire song.  
  
"Yuffie, please silence yourself."  
  
The humming came to a stop. But this could mean only one thing.  
  
"Vinnie, why did you go back to Nibelheim?"  
  
Vincent gave her the Look. That Look that said 'shut up' without actually saying it. She didn't notice it.  
  
"Even after I told you not to..."  
  
"You told me not to go back to the coffin," he corrected her.  
  
Yuffie snorted at the comment. "Yeah, but still. I figured you'd know that meant the entire Nibel area!"  
  
He continued with his silence, but it didn't last long. "How did you find out?"  
  
"Well, I know you never replied to any of my letters,"  
  
Vincent thought back to the twenty or so letters that had 'Hi!' printed on them. It seemed that she had put more thought into how she would decorate the letter than to what she would actually write.  
  
"But I just had a feeling, you know? Then, yesterday, Tifa told me."  
  
Vincent nodded and stopped in his steps. He didn't know where he had been intended on going, but the iron gate that led to the Gi Cavern wasn't what he had had in mind. "Yuffie," he turned to look down at her. She was a good foot shorter than him. "If it makes you feel any better, I didn't go anywhere near the basement of that mansion."  
  
Yuffie looked up at him and smiled, hands clasped behind her back. "Yeah, that makes me happy. Thanks, Vinnie."  
  
He stared down at her for a few seconds longer before holding his hand out.  
  
"What?" Yuffie took a step back, holding her hands up in defense. It took a full ten seconds before Yuffie let out a defeated sigh. "Fine, fine! But I was gonna give it back, I swear!" she claimed in her defense as she placed the 104 gil into his hand.

--------------------  
  
Night was beginning to fall, and AVALANCHE began to regroup by the bonfire.  
  
Cloud proudly held up a dark brown notebook, waving it around in the air as if it were a mystic relic. "Now we can record what we learn about this new group! Anything we get, we write in here," then he sent a dark look to Cait Sith and Yuffie. "No writing stupid comments, got it?"  
  
Cait Sith and Yuffie laughed together before giving him their 'I promise''s. The black cat hopped down from its perch on the fat moogle as Yuffie leaned against the stuffed animal. The smaller half of the robot curled up in her lap, head resting on her knee.  
  
"Tomorrow, we can split up into different groups to gather more information. Everyone has a PHS, right?" Cloud glanced around at the nods of his friends. "Alright, then. Let's see..." he put a hand to his chin while figuring out the groups.  
  
"No way in hell are you gonna be able to group me wit' that robot!" Barret shouted, waving his gun arm around. Cait Sith stuck his tongue out at the big man in response.  
  
"Alright, alright. Barret, you come with me and Tifa to Nibelheim. Cid, Cait Sith, and Nanaki will go to Rocket Town,"  
  
"You're groupin' me up wit' the goddamn cats!?" Cid argued, pulling the cigarette out of his mouth for long enough to spit into the fire. It sizzled and a few embers flared out his way.  
  
"Hah! Serves you right!" Cait Sith spat, stretching out lightly on Yuffie's lap before shifting to make itself more comfortable. Cid grumbled a few colorful words before shoving the cigarette between his lips again and taking a long drag from it.  
  
It quieted down again and Cloud took this as a sign to continue. "Vincent, you and Yuffie will head to the Gold Saucer. Lots of people go there, so you have the highest chance of finding something out. You don't mind, right?"  
  
Vincent shook his head.  
  
To everyone's surprise, Yuffie had nothing to say. But the surprise was lost when Tifa let out a quiet "Aww..."  
  
There sat their little ninja, fast asleep against the soft moogle with a shut down Cait Sith in her lap. Cid chuckled at the young girl and, using his Venus Gospel to pull himself up, walked over to her, gently gathering her into his arms as Nanaki pulled Cait Sith off and set it next to the fat moogle. "Alright, where's she sleepin'?"  
  
Tifa smiled and stood up. "I guess it is about time to turn in for the night. I'll see you guys early tomorrow morning," she waved to them, then led Cid to the room she and Yuffie were to share for the night.  
  
Slowly, one by the one, each member of AVALANCHE retreated to their rooms, only to think and dream of what the next day would bring to them.  
  
_Cid smells a lot like I thought he would... smoke and oil... grossness!_ Yuffie thought as the older man dropped her into the bed and Tifa tucked her in from maternal instincts. She listened as they said their 'goodnight's, then drifted off into her own dream world. A world of darkness and green mists that threatened to drink the very life from her.  
  
It was a terrifying world of the dead.

* * *

**A/N: I kind of like the way this one turned out, surprisingly enough. I think my favorite part to write was the "fine, fine!" and Yuffie giving the gil back to Vincent. Anyhow, yes. That's me rambling. Please, review with what you thought, and... await the next chapter! Thank you. **


	3. Toys in the Attic

**Beyond Paradise**  
  
_Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII, the characters or the places in the game. It all belongs to Squaresoft/enix. Can't sue me, nyah!_  
  
**Author's Note: I really love the reviews, thank you so much! This chapter will be revolving around Yuffie and Vincent since I just love them so much, and you know you do, too. Also, if you haven't noticed, the poems by Shel Silverstein have some sort of connection with the chapter it's in, so yeah. A little fun there.**

**

* * *

**   
  
_And here we see the invisible boy   
In his lovely invisible house,   
Feeding a piece of invisible cheese   
To a little invisible mouse.   
Oh, what a beautiful picture to see!   
Will you draw an invisible picture for me?  
  
Invisible Boy  
-- Shel Silverstein  
_  
**- Chapter 3: Toys in the Attic**  
  
It didn't take long for the members of AVALANCHE to pack up their few belongings and ready the chocobo's. They waved their goodbyes to each other, along with many good luck's to Vincent, and mounted the colorful birds.  
  
Tifa sat timidly in front of Cloud on May, reins held tightly in her hands while Cloud finished arguing with Yuffie as to why Vincent needed the luck more than she did.  
  
"Goodbye, Yuffie! Try not to talk too much to poor Vincent, y'hear?" Cait Sith called back from his perch on Bronco's head. Yuffie threw her hands up in the air in frustration and leapt up onto Vincent's black chocobo.  
  
"Yeah, yeah, whatever! Just get going already!" she called back, steering the Black around so Vincent could mount behind her.  
  
Cid was spouting out curses as he spurred Bronco onward, Nanaki running along its side. Tifa smiled and waved a final goodbye to Yuffie and Vincent before urging May to follow the blue chocobo. Cloud sent a quick glance to King and Barret, whistling for his gold chocobo to follow behind them.  
  
"I feel kind of left out all of a sudden," Yuffie commented as Vincent took the reins from her. "Off they go, riding together and leaving us to go the other way, all alone... Not that it's bad being stuck with you," she added as an afterthought. "But, frankly, I think I'd have a better conversation with your chocobo here," and she patted the Black's neck. "Which reminds me!"  
  
Vincent was slowly beginning to ignore her.  
  
"We still need to name him."  
  
Nothing.  
  
"Vinnie, you need to relax, loosen up a bit. Help me name your stupid bird," she ordered. The chocobo warked in annoyance and sped up as it crossed the shallow river.  
  
This would be a long day.  
  
"Fine, I'll start on names first," Yuffie started counting through the many names that flitted through her mind. "Vampire? Blacky! No... Beauty! ...Beast?"  
  
This would be a very long day, indeed.

--------------------  
  
"Cloud, do you think it was wise to team Yuffie and Vincent together?" Nanaki asked as he began to run beside May.  
  
The blonde man shrugged as he readjusted his hold around Tifa's waist to stay on the gold bird. "Well, they balance each other out nicely. Besides, they can take care of themselves better than anyone else in our group can," he explained to the red beast.  
  
The answer seemed to settle the growing worry in Nanaki's mind and he nodded. "I guess you're right." He looked up ahead and picked up his pace, passing May easily. "We're coming up to Nibelheim," he announced.  
  
Barret had to be the happiest when they reached the gloomy town. He leapt off of King's back and stretched out as King trotted away from him and over to Cloud as he and Tifa slid off of May. They waved as Cid, Cait Sith, and Nanaki continued on through to Mt. Nibel and on towards Rocket Town.  
  
"Well, what now?" Barret rubbed a hand over his gun arm and looked around the town, noticing as people scowled at them and retreated into their houses.  
  
Cloud scratched the back of his head and smiled as well as he could despite the glares he was receiving from the people standing by their windows. "We go about finding the safest way to get information from people that really don't like us."

--------------------  
  
"Odin? Bahamut? Titan? Ramuh?"  
  
"Yuffie, you have run out of creative names," Vincent commented as he turned the black chocobo to run between the mountains towards North Corel.  
  
"You noticed? It's not like you're helping me any, here," she grouched. Vincent ignored this and gazed ahead, watching as the tents of North Corel slowly grew in size as they got closer.  
  
They were greeted respectfully as the two dismounted from the nameless Black. One miner took the reins and led the chocobo to a tent to care for it as the two travelers made their way to the ropeway.  
  
The blue doors slid open and they entered quietly. Vincent sat in one of the cushioned seats while Yuffie leapt to another, looking excitedly out the window to watch the desert pass below them.  
  
Finally, Yuffie spoke up. "I have the perfect name!" She swiveled herself around to face Vincent. "Your chocobo's name will be Valentine!"  
  
Vincent glanced to her as the ropeway came to a halt in the station. "And how long did it take you to create that one?"  
  
Yuffie frowned and crossed her arms over her stomach as she got up to leave the blue machine. "Hey, at least I thought of something! Which is more than I can say for you!" she huffed as she stalked past the bouncing man in the chocobo suit.  
  
Vincent followed her quietly, glancing around quickly to be sure that their surroundings were safe. "Yuffie, be careful around here. Anyone could be a part of this—Yuffie?"  
  
All he saw was a flash of green sliding down a tube towards the Wonder Square.  
  
When he finally caught up with her, she was too busy playing the crane game. "Oh, come on! I had it!" she snarled at the contraption and gave it a swift kick before stomping off, grabbing Vincent's human wrist in the process of walking past him.  
  
"Yuffie, I believe we should get a room in the hotel before continuing our search," Vincent offered as she dragged him down the stairs and towards the tubes.  
  
"Aw, Vinnie, I didn't know you thought of me like that," she laughed and hopped into the tube marked 'Ghost Hotel', popping out of the other end and landing gracefully on her bottom. Vincent came out shortly after, landing beside her in a crouch.  
  
"Pfft, show off," she grumbled as she stood back up, dusting herself off.  
  
The two made their way into the hotel, ignoring the cheap moans of agony coming from the speakers hidden in a corner of cotton cobwebs. Yuffie glared at Mr. Hangman as he fell from the ceiling.  
  
"Can I help you?" the puppet asked in a haunted tone. Yuffie rolled her eyes.  
  
"Yeah, we need two—"  
  
"One room, two beds," Vincent interrupted her.  
  
Mr. Hangman nodded and produced the key from the desk, handing it over with the exchange of the GP that was needed. Wordlessly, Vincent took the key and headed up the stairs, Yuffie following silently behind him.  
  
The door opened and the two entered, Vincent closing the door before making his way into the room.  
  
"Why one room?" Yuffie asked as she plopped down on the bed closest to the bathroom.  
  
Vincent stepped over to the closet and opened the doors, ignoring the maniacal laughter that would answer every time it was opened. "It is safer for us to stay together than to be in separate rooms. You must remember that there are people that don't appreciate our being here, and that they are potential threats to our lives."  
  
"Ah," Yuffie nodded as if she understood, then shrugged before removing her arm and leg guards. "Whatever you say, Vinnie."  
  
"Why do you insist on calling me that?" Vincent slowly closed the doors, positive the closet was hiding no assassin, and turned to face Yuffie as she unbuckled the armor that joined with her arm guard.  
  
"It's easier than calling you Vincent all the time. And besides, it's a lot like my name, and I _know_ how you want to be just like me," she chuckled at her own joke and set the guards down on the bed.  
  
If Vincent had it in him, he would have rolled his eyes.

--------------------  
  
It had been hours since the two had split up to find answers to their dilemma. Much to Vincent's irritation, Dio had made him battle in the Battle Arena for the information. But he had what he felt was needed and headed back to the Ghost Hotel.  
  
Upon entrance, he noticed Yuffie curled up in her claimed bed. She mumbled something in her dreams and turned over, hugging a pillow to her chest.  
  
Vincent made his way to the bed by the window and sat down, pulling the PHS out of his pocket and dialing in Cloud's number.  
  
Minutes later, Yuffie sat up groggily, opening her eyes to look at Vincent as he finished the phone call.  
  
"Yes... Tomorrow morning is best." A pause. "Alright, goodbye."  
  
Yuffie blinked at him when he turned to face her. "Tomorrow morning we'll head back to Cosmo Canyon. It seems that the people of Nibelheim aren't being hospitable, so Cloud and the others are going on to stay with Cid."  
  
"Ah," this was the second time Yuffie nodded without completely understanding. "Did you find anything out?" she asked.  
  
"Yes, Dio seems to know the leader of this rebel group. Apparently they are of family relations, though Dio expressed his feelings that he would be happier without the other man," Vincent informed her while moving to close the curtains to the window.  
  
"Sounds nifty," she replied sarcastically, tossing the covers off of herself and swinging her legs over the side of the bed. "Well, I'm bored! Let's go do something."

--------------------  
  
The young man kissed the green dragon's cheek and the woman in the pink frilly dress shrieked, slapping the man across the face before rushing off. The audience laughed as the young man shook his head in confusion and twirled off with the other actors.  
  
Yuffie was still giggling as she and Vincent left the Event Square. "And then, when the Wizard told him to kiss her! Did you see his face, Vinnie? He looked so scared," she burst into another fit of giggles.  
  
Vincent let out a sigh and nodded as passing people gave them strange looks. "Yes, Yuffie. He was petrified... Let's go back to the hotel room, now."  
  
He hadn't realized that his words were poorly chosen until an older couple passed by, muttering things such as 'he's far too old for her' and 'he's from AVALANCHE... for shame, to be rooming with such a young girl.'  
  
And then another comment that forced him to subdue a slumbering rage. "Such a young girl... a prostitute, she must be, like that Scarlet from ShinRa. Remember them?" an old woman muttered to her husband, oblivious to the flare in Vincent's crimson eyes.  
  
"Yuffie, we're going." He took hold of her arm and tugged her towards the tubes, pulling her down to the Round Square.  
  
The two came out and Yuffie's arm slid out of his grip. "Gawd, Vinnie, if you wanted to go do something else, you could've just said so."  
  
"Would you two like to ride the Gondola? It's almost time for the fireworks," a young woman interrupted cheerfully, smiling at Yuffie as she gestured to the wooden house on the rope. Yuffie smiled in return and started on her way in while Vincent paid for the ride and received the two tickets.  
  
With a creak, the Gondola began to move along the ropes, moving slowly up into the darkening sky. Yuffie looked out the window and waved down as the woman became smaller and smaller.  
  
"Don't lean that far out," Vincent said as he looked out the window, watching the rollercoaster take an upside down turn.  
  
Yuffie twisted from her position to look at him over her shoulder. "Oh, yeah. I see how much you care," she grumbled before shifting to sit in the corner of her bench, legs stretching out to cross at the ankles in the other corner.  
  
The two remained silent as they listened to the sounds of children screaming on the rollercoaster. They passed through the loop and began to rise again, towards the moon and where the tracks for the Chocobo Race's were held.  
  
Yuffie waved to the jockey's as they passed by, then let her gaze settle on the gunslinger across from her. He seemed to feel her eyes on him and returned the stare to her. "What is it, Yuffie?"  
  
"Did it hurt?"  
  
Vincent had no idea what she was talking about. Yuffie smiled goofily and shook her head.  
  
"Never mind. The fireworks are about to start!" she exclaimed happily and stood from her bench, moving over to sit next to Vincent. "At least try to enjoy them, 'kay?"  
  
Vincent glanced down at her beside him, then looked out the window, watching as brilliant bursts of blue's, red's, and green's painted the sky.

--------------------  
  
The ride came to its end and the two exited. The woman in her uniform called a quick goodnight to them as they headed towards the Ghost Hotel.  
  
Vincent opened the doors, holding them open for Yuffie as she made her way in.  
  
Yuffie's gaze immediately locked on a young girl at the counter, talking to Mr. Hangman. Suddenly, she turned around, eyes of a bright blue staring into Yuffie's own stormy hues. The girl giggled and ran over, grabbing onto Yuffie's hand tightly and shaking it up and down.  
  
"Oh, it's you, it's really you! I had no idea what I would do! I had looked for you, but you were gone! I knew that my resources were not wrong. But now here you are, in all your glory, I have waited so long to hear your story!" the girl rhymed happily, as if she had been doing it all her life.  
  
Small bells that decorated her outfit jingled along with her words and Yuffie simply stared at her.  
  
"Yuffie, we have an early start tomorrow morning," Vincent reminded the young ninja, golden appendage reaching out and gripping her shoulder lightly. "I apologize, young miss, but we will be leaving now," he spoke to the small girl in her strange attire.  
  
Purple lips pulled into a smile and she shook her head, bells continuing their annoying ring. "It is alright, you need your sleep. But Yuffie, _my_ dear, you can not keep. Chaos, you are still too young, to truly see the nightlife's sun."  
  
The demon stirred within Vincent's mind, but it was not Chaos' doing that made the man pull Yuffie away from the strange girl.  
  
Yuffie squeaked in surprise and suddenly the girl was gone, just like that. No flash of light, no puff of smoke, she was just gone, as if she were never there to begin with. The two comrades looked to Mr. Hangman to find him simply staring at them.  
  
"You kids and your drinking..." the puppet grumbled as it rose into the ceiling. "What alcohol can do to the mind," he finished.  
  
Vincent frowned and looked down to Yuffie, still held close. "Come, Yuffie... We can discuss this with Cloud tomorrow. Now we need to rest..." he spoke cautiously, senses at their peak in case there were any other strange people waiting for them.  
  
"Right," Yuffie agreed, slowly making her way up the stairs and to their room.

--------------------  
  
"Moira..." a voice sighed into the darkness. A spotlight flashed down onto a small girl, arms wrapped around a female jester puppet. "Have you been playing with her again?"  
  
The child shook her head innocently, hugging the puppet closer to her small body. "No! I just wanted to talk to her... I'm so lonely..." she whimpered. "It wasn't my fault!" she cried out as the shadows began to spill into her only light.  
  
A scream echoed through the darkness and the light was lost. The puppet clattered to the cold ground and the cries of the girl were heard. A blackened tear fell from the blue eyes of the puppet, staining its beautiful white face.  
  
The tiny bells on the puppet began to jingle, and a cold wind silenced the girl's cries, followed by a murmuring voice, telling the young one to stop crying, to be strong, and to fight for her life.

--------------------  
  
Tifa just about dropped the tea cup she was holding when she heard a scream. Immediately, she ran into the room, only to see Shera clinging to Cid at the horror movie playing on the television set. Letting out a relieved sigh, she calmly made her way back to the kitchen.  
  
"You know, you should try to get some sleep," Cloud commented as he watched Tifa re-enter the room.  
  
She smiled wearily and shook her head. "I know, but I'm just worried about Yuffie and Vincent."  
  
Cloud tilted his head to the side in question.  
  
The martial artist laughed tiredly at herself and set her tea cup into the sink. "Yeah, I know. I'm crazy." She made her way to the couch and sat down next to Cloud, wine-colored eyes staring down at her fists in her lap.  
  
"Tifa, don't worry. I'm sure they're fine. If anything happened, Vincent would make sure Yuffie made it with her life," Cloud tried to reassure the woman, arms closing around her shoulders and holding her close.  
  
Tifa felt her cheeks heat up as she rest her head against his shoulder. "You're right, Cloud. You're always right," she said with a smile.

--------------------  
  
The shower water stopped and Yuffie stepped out of the bathtub, drying herself with her towel before wrapping it around her body. She looked into the fogged mirror and stuck her tongue out at the holograms of ghosts that stared back at her.  
  
She pulled her white tank top and black shorts on over her still damp skin and sauntered out of the bathroom, using the towel to dry her hair. She glanced over to Vincent and frowned slightly. "What are you doing?"  
  
The man being questioned opened one eye to look at her, then closed it again. "Thinking," he replied.  
  
"About what?" she asked, tossing the wet towel onto the chair and plopping down on his bed in front of him. This time, both crimson eyes opened to look down at her.  
  
"What we are going to tell Cloud."  
  
"That's easy! It doesn't take a genius to figure that out. We're going to walk up to old spikey and say 'Hey there, Cloud. Have a nice trip? We sure did. We found out who the leader of this whole shenanigan is and we found some strange little girl that idolizes Yuffie!' That's what we're going to say to him," Yuffie said abnormally happily, trying her best to impersonate Vincent.  
  
There was a long silence as the two stared at each other.  
  
Finally, Yuffie found a new subject. "You know what, Vinnie?"  
  
A questioning glance that allowed her to continue.  
  
"Your hair takes a long time to dry..."  
  
"That's very interesting, Yuffie," he responded.  
  
"Yeah, I know. Hey, you never answered my question."  
  
Vincent mentally went through their day together. "You never explained it."  
  
"That's true," she nodded and reached out. Vincent didn't know how to interpret this, and immediately drew back from her.  
  
Yuffie laughed and held her hands up in defense. "This is why I didn't explain it. Maybe I'll ask again when you warm up to me sometime," and with that, she crawled off of his bed and into her own.  
  
Vincent watched her cautiously before reaching out and turning the light off. "Goodnight, Yuffie..."  
  
"Goodnight, Vincent. I hope the bed bugs bite you in the butt," she said with a yawn.  
  
The older man slid under the covers and lay awake in the darkness, only to find that Yuffie had been correct. His hair was, in fact, still wet.

* * *

**A/N: I could have made this chapter better, but it was just really hard to think. Do you realize how hard it is to make a long chapter? But Moira has been introduced, so I have not lost all my love for this chapter. Please, Review and let me know what you think. Thank you.**


	4. Fools Dare to Dream

**Beyond Paradise  
**  
_Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII, the characters or places, or anything else from the best selling game. Squaresoft/enix has full copyright and ownership to it all. Damn them. I offered them a buck if I could at least own Vincent, but they said no and I was kicked out for threatening their lives. ::sigh:: Maybe next time._  
  
**Author's Note: This chapter will be a result of what comes out of my ass while I'm sick and passing out on my bed every five minutes. I apologize in advance if you don't like it. T.T Oh, I absolutely love the reviews so far, though!**

**

* * *

**   
  
_Have you been to The Land of Happy,   
Where everyone's happy all day,   
Where they joke and they sing   
Of the happiest things,   
And everything's jolly and gay?   
There's no one unhappy in Happy,   
There's laughter and smiles galore.   
I have been to The Land of Happy—   
What a bore!  
  
The Land of Happy  
-- Shel Silverstein_  
  
**- Chapter 4: Fools Dare to Dream**  
  
The sun had barely risen over the horizon when Vincent and Yuffie checked out of the Ghost Hotel. The two made their way down the ropeway and into North Corel where the newly named Valentine met them happily.  
  
Yuffie smiled tiredly and reached out, hugging the black bird around the neck and leaning against it as her eyes began to close. The morning chill sent a shiver down her spine and she hugged the bird closer.  
  
"It's barely six in the morning and you're chipper..? What's wrong with your bird, Vinnie?" she asked groggily, stifling a yawn with her hand as goose bumps began to form along her bare arms and legs.  
  
Vincent could sympathize with the cold girl. Back in his Turk days, he could remember standing outside at six in the morning, colder than ice, waiting for Lucrecia and Hojo to finish their "scientific business" as the mad scientist had called it.  
  
Yuffie was beginning to doze off leaning against Valentine when she felt warmth close around her shoulders. Her eyes snapped open and she looked up to see Vincent buckling his cape around her. There was a fluttering in her stomach and she smiled up at him, but it could not be seen from behind the high collar.  
  
"Thanks, Vincent. What about you? Aren't you going to get cold?" she asked while watching him hand feed Valentine some Sylkis Greens.  
  
He shook his head before mounting the black chocobo, holding his hand out to her to pull her up. With some difficulty from the extra length of the cape, she finally got up and settled herself in front of him.  
  
Sometime during their trip back to Cosmo Canyon, Yuffie dozed off again. Vincent watched her from the corner of his eye as she sagged against him, murmuring something about food that was still alive, while pulling the folds of the cape tighter around herself.  
  
Vincent took this silence as an opportunity to think back to the strange girls' words. _"Chaos, you are still too young, to truly see the nightlife's sun."_ Vincent visibly frowned at it as his eyes closed.  
  
In the deep recesses of Vincent's mind, the demon lurked in the shadows. Three forms; Hellmasker, Galian Beast, and Death Gigas, joined in, all taunting and laughing at him.  
  
Suddenly, Chaos thrashed against his mind and Vincent's eyes shot open just in time to see the canyon wall. The reins were quickly gathered into his right hand as the golden appendage wrapped around the small girl in front of him.  
  
Valentine ran up the cliffside with a sudden burst of speed, waking the little ninja held in Vincent's mechanical arm. "Huh..? Vinnie, what's happening?" she asked drowsily, looking ahead to find herself staring at the sky.  
  
"It seems that Valentine is taking a shortcut," he replied, leaning forward and into her slightly to keep close to the bird.  
  
Yuffie grinned as she leaned against the chocobo's neck. "Ah, I see you're warming up to the name."  
  
The two made it over and Valentine came to a stop at the bottom of the stairway that led to the front gate. The two dismounted and Vincent began leading Valentine up and into Cosmo Canyon. Yuffie bunched the cape up around her knees like a dress and followed him in.

--------------------  
  
Yuffie had spent an hour letting Vincent know how bored she was when the rest of AVALANCHE finally arrived. The little ninja leapt up, nearly tripping over the excess cloth at the end of the cape, and dashed over to Tifa, hands clapping together in her excitement.  
  
"We found out who the leader was! Did Cloud tell you? Vincent didn't tell me," she said in a rush, just happy that she was with her mother-sister- figure again.  
  
Tifa laughed and fingered the crimson cape lightly. "What's with the new look, Yuffie?"  
  
The younger girl laughed nervously, fingers fumbling over the buckles to remove it. "No, no! I was just cold and Vincent decided to be nice," she quickly explained, folding it over her bare arms. "I just forgot about it, that's all."  
  
Tifa grinned teasingly and put her hands on her hips. "Geez, Yuffie. And here I was, beginning to think that you didn't like guys."  
  
Yuffie flushed and shrieked, "Oh my gawd, Tifa! It's not like that!"  
  
The men of AVALANCHE stared in wonder as Tifa waved them off, holding in laughter as she patted the younger girl on the back. "I was joking, Yuffie, just joking," she said with a helpful smile.

--------------------  
  
AVALANCHE gathered around the fire, all fully rested from their trips, and began with the information.  
  
"So, Dio made you fight for the information?" Cloud interrupted as Vincent was getting started.  
  
Vincent nodded, seemingly not bothered by this, and continued. "Afterwards, of which, he told me that this man was his cousin. His name is Zeb Mahonney. Dio believes he was residing in Midgar before Meteor fell."  
  
"But if Midgar was destroyed, where would he be now?" Tifa asked, head tilting to the side. All eyes fell on Cait Sith.  
  
The robotic cat looked at its comrades. "What, what!? I don't know nothin'!" the cat shouted in its defense, waving its gloved paws in the air.  
  
"You may not, but Reeve does. Where is Reeve now, Cait Sith?" Nanaki sat back on his hind legs, good eye focusing on the cat and its fat moogle.  
  
"That sounded like an insult..." the robot muttered before continuing loudly, "He might still be in Midgar."  
  
"Don't you have some kinda radar or somethin'?" Barret grumbled, arms folding over his chest.  
  
Cait Sith hissed in a strange robotic way and lay on top of the fat moogles head. "No. I'm not a submarine or anything!"  
  
"No shit," Cid grumbled, lighting a cigarette and stuffing it between his lips.  
  
"Our story isn't finished yet!" Yuffie suddenly shouted, pulling all attention towards herself. She shifted uncomfortably and looked away, making it a point not to look at Vincent. "Tell 'em about the girl," she mumbled.  
  
"Girl? What girl?" Tifa looked from Yuffie, to Vincent, and then back to Yuffie. "There was a girl?"  
  
Vincent brushed his hair away from his eyes and settled himself down in front of the fire. "Yes. She was dressed strangely, and she seemed to know Yuffie."  
  
"Well, that would make sense. Strange people know other strange people," Cait Sith teased. Yuffie sent him a cold glare and he quieted down immediately.  
  
"She was different," Yuffie started, gaze traveling to focus on the flames. "She was... so cold," she murmured. And, as if she snapped out of a spell, "She seemed to know Vincent here had Chaos, too," and she jerked a thumb in his general direction.  
  
"Do you remember what she looked like?" Cloud asked, hands folding in his lap.  
  
"Yeah. She looked like some sort of clown. And she had these really bright blue eyes. It was kinda freaky," Yuffie commented, stretching her legs out in front of her.  
  
"Ah... Then what happened?" Cloud gestured for her or Vincent to continue.  
  
"She disappeared," Vincent said flatly, as if it were an everyday occurrence. Cloud blinked at him, then looked to Yuffie, hoping she had a more detailed explanation.  
  
"Just as he said. She disappeared. Poof! into thin air." Yuffie shrugged and fell back, arms folding behind her head as she stared up at the reddened sky.  
  
The members of AVALANCHE remained quiet as each tried to envision the young clown. Slowly, Tifa stood up, brushing the dirt from her skirt.  
  
"Well, I'm going to get something to drink. Yuffie, come with me," she smiled down at the little ninja and held a gloved hand to her. Yuffie took her hand and, with Tifa's help, pulled herself up to her feet.  
  
"Anybody want anything? No? Good. Wasn't going to get you anything anyway," she said as she and Tifa walked to the bar.

--------------------  
  
"Yuffie," Tifa began after ordering herself and the younger girl a glass of water, "Are you alright? Back there... you weren't..." she trailed off.  
  
Yuffie blinked at her in confusion, smiling thankfully to the barkeeper as he gave them their water before turning to face Tifa again. "I'm fine, Tifa. Really. Don't be a hen," she giggled as she took a sip from her glass.  
  
The two women sat down at a table and Tifa set her glass down in front of herself. "You know, if you ever need to talk about something, I'm here for you."  
  
Yuffie smiled and took another drink. "I know, and I'm here for you. We _are_ the only girls in this parade," she smiled to herself before setting her glass down as well.  
  
Tifa, seeing that she wouldn't get anywhere further, decided to change the subject. "So, what's up with you and Vincent, huh?"  
  
"What do you mean? Nothing's up with me an' him. It was just a cape, Tifa!" Yuffie sputtered. Tifa laughed and shook her head.  
  
"Yeah, I'm just teasing you."  
  
"Well, you shouldn't. Don't you know what happens when people do that?" Yuffie stared at her accusingly.  
  
"Do what?"  
  
Yuffie rolled her eyes, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "When you start teasing someone about liking someone else, that person you're teasing starts actually thinking about it, and then they start liking them, and then they get embarrassed 'cause the other person doesn't like them back," she explained.  
  
"It's like, if I started asking you if you like Cloud, and then started saying that Cloud might like you. Then you'd start thinking about it and stuff," she finished, trying to make a revengeful point.  
  
Tifa blinked at the speech, then smiled warmly. "Am I that transparent?"  
  
Yuffie nodded successfully. "Yeah. I really think you should tell him. Before he just goes away or finds someone else."  
  
The older woman let out a sigh and picked up her glass, sipping idly at it. Yuffie glanced down to the table, then to her own drink.  
  
"Besides, Vincent's way too old for me." Yuffie said and finished her water before standing up and leaving Tifa to smile knowingly at her own unfinished drink.

--------------------  
  
All eyes turned to watch as Yuffie approached them, a grin on her face. "Hey, guys. I'm going for a walk. Which one of you young men would like to escort me?" She laughed as Barret and Cid attempted to avoid eye contact. "Red, you lucky dog, you. C'mon, show me around or something," she called to Nanaki.  
  
The red beast let out a heavy sigh and stood on all fours, trotting over to Yuffie's side as the two walked off to explore the canyon.  
  
Once at a safe distance, Nanaki glanced up to Yuffie. "Why didn't you ask Tifa to go with you?"  
  
Yuffie shrugged, hands folding behind her head as she stared up at the sky. "Tifa's going to be busy with her own things, so I figured you were the next best thing."  
  
Nanaki rolled his eye and lowered his head to sniff at the ground. "Ah, yes. To be second choice on your list. It is a joy," he said sarcastically. Yuffie laughed and patted him on the head.  
  
"That is not your scent," Nanaki remarked as she stopped to glance up a canyon wall.  
  
"What are you talking about?" she asked without a care to what he was actually saying.  
  
"Your hand. The scent isn't yours. You smell of Wutai and the ancient dust of Da Chao. The one on your hand isn't yours," he repeated, a little more loudly so she would stop ignoring him.  
  
Yuffie blinked down at him. "You know my scent? That's a little creepy, Red..." she grumbled.  
  
"That's beside the point, Yuffie. What is it that's on your hand?"  
  
The little ninja thought for a few seconds, then stormy hues became wide in remembrance. "The clown! It's her scent!" flashes of the young girl grabbing onto her hand flitted through Yuffie's mind as she hopped around Nanaki excitedly. "We can find her if you can follow the scent!"  
  
"I'm not a dog, Yuffie..." Nanaki muttered before she dashed back to Cosmo Canyon. He let out a heavy sigh and followed in her trail.

--------------------  
  
"Guys! Guys, we can find her!" Yuffie shouted out as she approached the members of AVALANCHE gathered around the fire.  
  
"Who, Yuffie?" Tifa asked as the young ninja stopped to catch her breath. Nanaki came up beside her, nudging her forward with his paw.  
  
"The clown-girl! We can find her! She grabbed my hand, and Red here can follow the scent!" she said between gasps for air.  
  
Cloud slowly stood up, arms crossing over his chest. "Yuffie, even if she is strange, what does she have to do with the Zeb?" he asked, slightly annoyed.  
  
Yuffie stared down at the ground as she thought about it. I know she might have nothing to do with this at all... but I want to find her again, she thought to herself. "Please, Cloud," she pleaded as she looked back up to him.  
  
"Cloud, you can send some of us to look for the girl and the rest of us to find Reeve. We shouldn't need all of AVALANCHE to find him, right?" She smiled up at him and he let out a defeated sigh.  
  
"Fine, fine... My half of the team will look for Reeve, Yuffie's half will find the clown. Cait Sith, you're coming with me since I need you to help find Reeve. Nanaki, Yuffie needs you to help search for the clown. As for everyone else, it's your choice," he ordered.  
  
Tifa smiled over at Yuffie and the young ninja mouthed an _'I owe you'_ in response.  
  
"You jus' had ta' put someone annoyin' on both sides, didn't ya'?" Barret grumbled as he stood up. "I'll go wit' you, Spike."  
  
"Hah! Good choice. I'd die if I had to travel for too long with a bear like you!" Yuffie stood mockingly, hands pressed to her hips.  
  
Tifa smiled and walked over to Yuffie. "I'll go with you, Yuffie."  
  
The little ninja frowned and shook her head. "No. Go with Cloud. You're ignoring everything I said to you."  
  
Tifa laughed and nodded. "You're right. I am. Alright, then you be careful, okay?" At the ninja's nod, she smiled and walked over to Cloud's side.  
  
"Ugh, god dammit," Cid grumbled, flicking his burnt out cigarette into the fire before standing up. He scratched uncomfortably at the back of his head before looking over to Cloud. "You don't mind if I go back and stay wit' Shera for a bit, do ya'? I mean, people back home are startin' to side with these bastards and Shera couldn't do a damn thing to protect herself if anything happened..." he trailed off.  
  
Tifa smiled and nudged Cloud lightly in the side. The swordsman groaned and waved a hand towards Cid. "Go ahead."  
  
"If worse comes to worse, she is welcome to stay here. My people will protect her," Nanaki spoke up to try and calm Cid. The older man grinned and picked his Venus Gospel out of the ground.  
  
"Well, Red. Looks like it's just gonna be you an' me. Can't you just see the fun we're gonna have?" Yuffie teased, poking the beast lightly on the nose. He snorted and turned away.  
  
"Oh the joy..." he mumbled.  
  
"What about you, Vincent?" Cloud asked, gaze focusing on the dark gunslinger.  
  
The silent man broke from his thoughts and looked between the two groups. "I will accompany Yuffie. There are things I would like to know about this 'clown' as well," he replied, moving to stand beside the ninja.  
  
Yuffie, just as surprised as anyone else, was the first to recover and grinned mischievously at her comrades across from her. "Well, then. Looks like we have our groups." Then, making her best impersonation of Cloud that she could muster, "Let's mosey!"  
  
A few laughed, then AVALANCHE separated throughout Cosmo Canyon to gather needed supplies. Yuffie started to follow Tifa when a hand grabbed her shoulder.  
  
She turned on her heel and found herself having to tilt her head back to look up at Vincent. "What?"  
  
"How is it that her scent still clings to you? You took a shower, did you not?" he questioned her, removing his hand from her shoulder to hide it under his cape.  
  
"Duh, Vinnie. It probably just stuck to my glove or something," she replied with a roll of her eyes. "Now, c'mon. Let's get some Potions an' stuff. You never know when we'll need it," and with that, she left him there to ponder things over.

--------------------  
  
"It's still early, so we should head out now. You each bought yourselves some tents, right?" Cloud asked the group as they reassembled by the front gate. Yuffie nodded to him, arms crossed impatiently over her stomach.  
  
"Yeah, we got everything. Now get going!" She urged them on.  
  
Cid mounted Bronco and waved to them before sprinting off towards Rocket Town again. Cloud and Tifa hauled themselves up onto May while Barret threw himself and Cait Sith onto King's back. Vincent helped Yuffie onto Valentine before pulling himself up behind her.  
  
"We all ready?" Cloud shouted over their heads. Tifa winced and he immediately regretted it. "Sorry, Tifa," he quickly apologized. She smiled softly and shook her head.  
  
"Alright then, Let's—"  
  
Barret glared over at him.  
  
"...err... Move out!" he waved a hand out and his half of AVALANCHE rode off towards Costa del Sol.  
  
Only the three of them remained. Yuffie glanced down to Nanaki. "You remember what she smells like?" she asked.  
  
Nanaki nodded and closed his eye, thinking back to it. "It was paint, wood, and... something else..." he frowned as he concentrated on it.  
  
Yuffie shoved her hand in his face, much to Valentine's and Vincent's displeasure. Vincent held her legs tightly to keep her from falling headfirst into the dirt as Nanaki leapt back from her.  
  
"Yuffie, please settle yourself back on the chocobo," Vincent said as he began pulling her back up.  
  
She laughed. "Thought you needed another whiff, Red."  
  
Nanaki let out a heavy sigh and shook his head. "It's hard to pinpoint because your scent is stronger, but it can either be oil or mythril," he concluded.  
  
Yuffie tapped a finger to her chin as she thought about it. "That gives us three destinations," she closed her eyes and flipped her short hair back to give herself a dramatic appearance. "Mythril Mines, Junon, and the Weapon Seller."  
  
_When the time calls for it,_ Vincent thought as the little ninja nudged Valentine with her heel to get him moving, _Yuffie will make a good leader._

--------------------  
  
"Moira!"  
  
The spotlight fell on the small girl, dressed in blue with black bruises decorating her pale skin. The jester puppet remained in her arms, black streak tainting the white face. "Yes?" she spoke in a broken voice.  
  
"They're coming for you. For all of us."  
  
The small girl looked down at her jester puppet and smiled slightly. "I don't want to hurt anyone."  
  
"Oh, but you must."  
  
Her dulled blue eyes began to fill with tears, but the smile never faltered. "I want friends."  
  
"They don't want to be your friends. They want to use you."  
  
The bells on the jester began to ring as the small girl trembled with held back sobs. "She would be my friend," she replied to the disembodied voice.  
  
"...are you sure about that?"  
  
Blonde curls shadowed her facial features, yet that timid smile turned spiteful. The jester fell to the cold ground as the spotlight faded away.

* * *

**A/N: Yes, finished another chapter. I'm actually quite happy with the way this one turned out. I think I should write stories while I'm sick more often. It also helped to lie down, 'cause then I was able to just focus on what to write instead of what was on TV or what I was listening to. I hope you enjoyed the wonderful Yuffentine-ness and the soon-to-be CloTi-ness and Cera... Er... Shid? I don't know how we would put Shera and Cid together in one name. But you will enjoy it! I hope. Please, Review and let me know what you thought of this chapter. Thank you. **


	5. A Pack of Jokers

**Beyond Paradise**  
  
_Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII or anything inside of the game. Squaresoft/enix does. Wish them luck as I plot to own Yuffie and Vincent._  
  
**Author's Note: I had the sudden idea for the start of this one while I was entering the fourth chapter, so it's a little strange. This has been done, I understand this, but that doesn't take the humor from it.  
  
Noriko: I've had that teasing-liking someone thing happen to me, too. XD Doesn't it suck? Oh, and it's alright to like the villains. Just wait. There's gonna be more. :3  
  
Read on, enjoy!******

* * *

  
  
_I went to find the pot of gold   
That's waiting where the rainbow ends.   
I searched and searched and searched and searched   
And searched and searched, and then—   
There it was, deep in the grass,   
Under an old and twisty bough.   
It's mine, it's mine, it's mine at last....   
What do I search for now?  
  
The Search  
-- Shel Silverstein_  
  
**- Chapter 5: A Pack of Jokers**  
  
"Ugh, Vinnie, either it's too small or you're too big. Get out real quick," Yuffie grunted.  
  
"Sorry, Yuffie," he apologized quickly as he slid out.  
  
"Agh! Too fast! Watch out for Red, he's still right there, you know."  
  
Vincent apologized again.  
  
"Gawd, and Cloud made it seem so easy when I did it with him..."  
  
"You did it with Cloud?"  
  
"Yeah. He was helping me out 'cause I'd never done it before."  
  
"But I thought you..." Nanaki spoke up.  
  
"Yeah, well, now you know. Alright, Vinnie, go back in."  
  
"But Yuffie..."  
  
There was some shuffling, and then "Shut up and just try again. Harder this time, 'kay?"  
  
"Yes, Yuffie."  
  
The sound of pounding echoed over the plains, then a relieved sigh.  
  
Yuffie let go of the side of the tent and plopped down on the grass, wiping the back of her hand over her forehead. "Y'know, they could've made this so much easier if the stupid things were manufactured to pop into the shape it was needed to be in by the pull of a string," she grumbled to herself and the setting sun.  
  
"Find the manufacturers and let them know," Nanaki said as he curled up next to her.  
  
"I'll do just that," Yuffie muttered as she fell back, arms stretched out at her sides. "When I have the time. I'm feeling rushed right now."  
  
Vincent quietly came out and sat down beside her, right leg bent at the knee with his arm draped over it. "Who is going to take the first watch?"  
  
Yuffie glared at him before flinging an arm over to cover her eyes. "You."  
  
"I will take the second watch. Yuffie, you'll take the last," Nanaki finished.  
  
Yuffie frowned from beneath her arm. "Nah, Vinnie can take the third watch after you. I need my beauty sleep."  
  
"But Yuffie, that wouldn't give him much time to sleep," Nanaki argued with her.  
  
"It's alright," Vincent interrupted, holding his hand up to quiet them both. "I don't need the sleep."  
  
There was no argument. Yuffie cooked up a small dinner for the three, then she and Nanaki crawled off into the tent and went to sleep.

--------------------  
  
Yuffie had no idea what time it was, only that it was still night. Glancing off to the side, she noticed Nanaki was either still asleep, or just asleep after his watch. She quietly crawled out of her sleeping bag and out of the tent, closing it up behind her.  
  
The fire had long since died out, and the night wasn't warm like Cosmo Canyon had been. Yuffie unconsciously shivered and wrapped her arms around herself as her gaze fell on Vincent. "Vinnie?"  
  
No reply.  
  
"Vincent?" she tried again, taking a hesitant step towards him.  
  
The gunslinger couldn't hear her, though. All his concentration was focused on the demons that resided in his darkest thoughts.  
  
_'Chaos, what did she mean about the nightlife's sun?'_ he questioned the demon. Chaos ignored his question and played with a pack of cards, all of which were nothing but jokers. Death Gigas took his hand and crushed them in his fist, angered at the fool's hand.  
  
Hellmasker laughed, its head twisting around while Galian Beast snarled at it, snapping its jaws at the chainsaw.  
  
_'Chaos!'_ Vincent demanded for its attention.  
  
Empty eyes of black mists turned up to face the mental vision of Vincent. All four demons suddenly turned, facing a shadow. Thin strings glinted off what little light was in Vincent's mind.  
  
"Vincent..." he heard it faintly. _'What's there, Chaos..?'  
_  
"Vincent..!" it was getting louder. A female voice, so soft.  
  
"Vincent! Open your eyes!"  
  
Scarlet eyes snapped open to stare into the frantic eyes of... "Yuffie?"  
  
The little ninja let out a relieved sigh and collapsed against him. "Gawd, Vinnie... You scared me," she said. She quickly removed herself from him before he had the chance to push her off. "You make a sucky sentry, Vinnie," she grumbled.  
  
"I'm sorry, Yuffie. I was..." What, trying to talk with Chaos? That would give Yuffie a field day. "Thinking," he finished.  
  
"Of course you were thinking. It's about all you do," she commented, gaze focused on Valentine sleeping by a tree. She hugged her knees to her chest and placed her chin on top of them, eyes closing halfway. "Has Red been up for his watch yet?"  
  
Vincent nodded, following her gaze to watch Valentine as well. "He went back to sleep maybe half an hour ago."  
  
"Did you go to sleep at all?"  
  
He didn't answer.  
  
Yuffie let out a sigh. "You should really try and go to sleep. Now that I'm awake, I could take up sentry duty until we leave."  
  
"You don't have to," he started.  
  
"You're right. I don't. But I am. It's what friends do," she cut him off.  
  
It fell silent, neither one moving.  
  
After five minutes passed, Yuffie decided that the silence should be shattered, swept up, and stuffed into a chest which would then be thrown into the depths of the ocean never to be seen again. "Let's go back to Wutai."  
  
"Wutai?" Vincent turned to give her a questioning glance.  
  
"Yeah... All of us. Just for a little while, at least."  
  
He shook his head then leaned back against the grass to gaze up at the starry sky. "We can't just drop what we're doing and go to Wutai, Yuffie."  
  
"But why not? When they find Reeve, we can all just go to Wutai. They can figure their stuff out while I..." she paused in thought. "Well, I left without really saying anything, so we need to go back just so I can make sure Godo didn't have a hernia or anything."  
  
"You'll have to take this up with Cloud," Vincent remarked.  
  
"...Could you?" Yuffie hesitated, then quickly went to explain. "Cloud's already a bit peeved with me for wanting to look for the weird girl, and if you talked to him about going to Wutai, I'm positive he'd say it was okay!"  
  
"Yuffie..." but before he could refuse her, she was down on her stomach, lying beside him with her hands clasped together in front of her face.  
  
"Please, Vinnie? Vincent? Please?" she begged.  
  
The two stared at each other for what felt like forever before Vincent let out a sigh. "Alright. When we meet up with Cloud and the others, I will propose the idea to him."  
  
Yuffie smiled happily and inched towards him like a worm, hugging him tightly once she was close enough. "Thank you so much! You are my most favorite guy in the world right now."  
  
Vincent struggled in her grip, then gave up and remained still, gaze focused on the stars above while Yuffie clung to him till she fell asleep.

--------------------  
  
"Do you think they're doing alright?" Tifa asked as the four members of AVALANCHE walked into the ruins of Midgar.  
  
"I'm sure they're fine," Cloud assured her, placing a hand to her shoulder. "All three of them are incredible fighters, and they can easily take care of themselves."  
  
"I guess so, but Yuffie..." she trailed off in thought of their talk in the bar.  
  
The black cat of Cait Sith leapt up onto her shoulders and nuzzled her cheek lightly. "I'm sure Cloud'll let you call 'er up after we find Reeve," he piped up.  
  
"Speakin' of Reeve. Where'dya think he is?" Barret grabbed the cat by the scruff of the neck and lifted it up to his eye level.  
  
Cait Sith squeaked and started flailing its arms around. "Put me down, you brute!" Barret dropped it on top of the fat moogle. It started to brush itself off before responding to the question. "Probably where Sector Five was."  
  
Suddenly the cat stiffened, its hairs standing up on end.  
  
"Cait Sith? Are you alright?" Tifa asked worriedly, reaching out to touch it. Cloud caught her hand and pulled it away.  
  
"Don't touch him. It might be some sort of electrical surge..." he warned. She nodded and held her hands away.  
  
Cait Sith shook its head and began hopping up and down. "I know where he is! Follow me!" and with that, he dashed off, leaving the three and the fat moogle to follow after him.

--------------------  
  
"AVALANCHE is to blame for this!"  
  
"Yeah, they shouldn't be able to live freely!"  
  
The people were arguing with Reeve as the man stood up on a makeshift stage. "Please, please, calm yourselves! AVALANCHE saved your lives and you believe they must be punished?"  
  
"AVALANCHE is the reason my husband is dead!" a young woman shouted out.  
  
"It's because of them that these children have no home," an older man yelled.  
  
Reeve began to rub at the bridge of his nose. These people were becoming increasingly difficult. Suddenly, there was a familiar voice.  
  
"Reeve! Reeve, it's us!" Tifa called from the crowd. The few members of AVALANCHE had to literally shove through the crowd to get up onto the stage. "Reeve!" Tifa smiled and threw her arms around the man in a hug.  
  
Cait Sith leapt into his arms as Tifa and Cloud turned to face the angry crowd.  
  
"Because of you, we have no where to live!" one old woman shouted.  
  
"You're the cause of all of this! If it weren't for you, we'd all still be happy!" another added.  
  
Tifa frowned, hands balling into fists. "It wasn't our fault! ShinRa was the reason for any of the deaths that occurred!" she cried out.  
  
"Was it ShinRa who made the Sector Seven pillar fall?" Came a rather calm voice from the crowd.  
  
"Yes!" Cloud shouted out, arms folding over his chest.  
  
"Was it ShinRa who summoned Meteor to fall on us?" it questioned them again.  
  
"Well, no... but that wasn't us either! That was Sephiroth," Cloud argued.  
  
"Ah, I see... And were ShinRa or Sephiroth the only ones that ran around killing anyone who stood in their way?"  
  
Tifa opened her mouth to argue, but found that she couldn't. AVALANCHE had run around, killing men who stood in their way. She knew she had killed, and she knew she had wanted to kill at one point of her life. No one could argue.  
  
Barret growled and waved his gun arm in the air. "Who 'da hell do ya' think you are!?"  
  
A man, maybe in his late twenties, stepped through the parting crowd, a grin on his face as his cold grey eyes focused on the four AVALANCHE members on the stage. "I am the leader of this rebel group. Zeb Mahonney."

--------------------  
  
Yuffie leapt off of Valentine and dashed into the Weapon Seller's home. The older man blinked in surprise as she came skidding to a stop in front of him. "Uh... can I help you?"  
  
"Yeah! Do you know anything about a clown type of person?" she asked, hands folding behind her back while she put on her most innocent facial expression.  
  
"A clown type..? Ah! I remember making something like that," he smiled down to her. "Would you like one, too?"  
  
"Making one? What are you talking about?" Nanaki asked as he walked in, followed by Vincent.  
  
"Well, some strange man came in asking me to make him a puppet with some mythril. Now, you know very well that you can't make a puppet out of mythril, and I argued with him about it, but he said that it didn't matter as long as the mythril was in it, so I made him a jester puppet. It was a real cute thing, too," The weapon seller explained.  
  
"Did you catch his name?" Vincent asked.  
  
"Um... Let's see now... It was something really weird, I know that." He rubbed at his chin in deep thought, then gave them a helpless shrug. "I'm sorry, I can't remember for the life of me. But he had these really bright blue eyes."  
  
"Think harder you old coot!" Yuffie shouted in impatience. Vincent's hand fell onto her shoulder and she looked up to him.  
  
"That is alright. Thank you for your time," and he led her out of the house and back to Valentine.  
  
A few minutes later, Nanaki came out as well. "It makes sense now. The smell of paint and wood, and then the mythril. The girl you encountered was a live puppet. Should we call Cloud?"  
  
_Ring. Ring.  
_  
Yuffie blinked and looked down at her pocket.  
  
_Ring. Ring._  
  
She grabbed the PHS and lifted it to her ear. "Yeah?"  
  
"Yuffie? We found Reeve..." Tifa responded.  
  
"Speak of the devil," Yuffie smiled. "Good. We got some kind of information about that girl and—"  
  
"Yuffie... We ran into some trouble... We found Zeb, as well," the older woman interrupted.  
  
"Well, kick his ass!" she countered.  
  
"Cloud wants us all to talk, him with all of AVALANCHE."  
  
Yuffie remained silent for a few seconds. Then, "Alright. We'll see you guys soon," and she hung up.  
  
Vincent and Nanaki watched her expectantly as she put the PHS away. She smiled up at them, hands moving to rest on her hips. "Alright guys. Valentine's about to get crowded!"

--------------------  
  
It had taken a little more than half the day, but by nine at night all of AVALANCHE was together in Kalm. Zeb sat across the table from Cloud, and thus the chaos ensued.  
  
Barret and Cid were spouting insults left and right against Zeb while the young man sat calmly in the chair, hands folded in front of him. Ten minutes of this passed when Cloud finally slammed a fist into the table. "Quiet!"  
  
Shera gently took hold of Cid's arm and led him back to sit in a chair. "Please, calm down, Cid."  
  
Barret grumbled a few choice words while sitting down, Tifa patting his arm gently to calm him down.  
  
"Why are you building a rebel against AVALANCHE? We've done nothing to harm you, not intentionally at least," Cloud started, mako eyes glaring into the steel grey.  
  
"Because of you, the people of today can't live happily. Many loved ones have been lost,"  
  
Yuffie frowned, arms crossing over her chest. "We've lost people that we cared about, too, you know!" she spit out at him. Vincent placed a hand to her shoulder to calm her, and she effectively shut up.  
  
Zeb continued. "Many people have had to find a new home because you did not defeat Sephiroth sooner,"  
  
Yuffie bit down on her tongue to keep from interrupting again. _I'm sorry we're not fast enough, fucker..._ she grumbled in her mind. From the look Barret and Cid had, they were thinking along the same lines.  
  
"And, because of you, ShinRa, our greatest government in history, is no longer existent."  
  
This time, Yuffie didn't hold back. "Hah! You should be kissing our feet for that! ShinRa's done nothing but bring unhappiness!"  
  
"You know nothing," Zeb responded.  
  
"Nothing? I know that ShinRa was the reason to Wutai's shame and the reason the Planet was dying!"  
  
Zeb glanced over to her, then stood up and began to approach her. Suddenly, Vincent was between them. Zeb stopped and glared at him before glancing down to see Yuffie peeking around him.  
  
Then, he smiled. It wasn't a nice smile, either. Yuffie felt a shiver run down her spine as she unconsciously gripped Vincent's cape.  
  
"Your country brought the shame upon itself, and you know this to be true..." he spoke softly before turning on his metal heel and leaving the house. Yuffie felt her anger rise and she stomped past Vincent.  
  
Tifa ran over and grabbed Yuffie before she could jump the opposing man. Zeb glanced over his shoulder and smirked before leaving. Another man joined him from the side of the fence. He looked over to Yuffie, then turned to follow Zeb.  
  
All Yuffie could catch were a pair of bright blue eyes. She immediately calmed down and Tifa loosened her grip on the small girl.

--------------------  
  
"Was it wise to rile her up like that, Zeb?" the blue eyed man asked as he mounted his black chocobo.  
  
"She's harmless. Are you worried?" He replied, pulling his own black chocobo around and hauling himself up onto it.  
  
"No. But Moira seems to like her."  
  
"Jethro... Just because Moira likes someone doesn't mean we can't pull their strings a little..." Zeb said darkly before spurring his chocobo forward.  
  
The blue eyed man, Jethro, glanced down at the jester puppet attached to his belt and smiled. "Did you hear that, Moira?"  
  
In a place of darkness, a light spilled over a small girl, holding her puppet. "He's being mean," she whimpered softly.  
  
"Don't cry. Find that girl. You want to be friends with her, do you not?"  
  
The little girl grinned sadistically into the shadows and held her jester up to eye level. "We want to play!"

--------------------  
  
"Yuffie?" Tifa called for the young girl. The little ninja sat quietly on the rug in front of the fireplace, watching the flames lick at the chimney walls. "Sweetie, are you alright?"  
  
Yuffie's head tilted just enough to let Tifa know she was listening. "I'm fine. Just a little annoyed..." Then she put on a smile and turned around to look up at Tifa. "Hey, do you think Cloud would let us all go back to Wutai for a bit?"  
  
Tifa blinked down at her, then smiled. "I guess so... You need to go fight with Godo again?" she teased.  
  
Yuffie shrugged and turned to look back to the fire. "Something like that, yeah." She slowly staggered to her feet and began to walk past Tifa. "I'm gonna head off to bed. G'night, Tifa," she called back as she went up the stairs.  
  
The martial artist let out a sigh and doused the fire out before moving to clean the kitchen counter. She had far too much on her mind to be able to sleep now.  
  
Yuffie stopped by her room, listening to the snores vibrate through the walls. _Back to square one,_ she thought to herself before entered her room and closing the door behind herself.  
  
"Hello, Yuffie!" a cheery voice said from her window. Yuffie squeaked in surprise and looked to see the clown girl from the Gold Saucer.  
  
"You!" She pointed to her and backed up against her wall. "What do you want?"  
  
The jester giggled. "I'm not a 'you.' I'm a Moira," then her blue eyes focused on Yuffie. "I want to play. I'm so lonely here in the dark," she said as she seemingly floated over to the little ninja. Pale hands took hold of hers and she began to spin around in a dance.  
  
She let go of Yuffie and the little ninja stumbled back into her bed. "Agh! What are you talking about?"  
  
Moira was in front of her, blue eyes twinkling down into storms. "You aren't a princess yet, little lady. Don't take it. Stay with me forever!" she smiled and leaned down, purple lips placing a light kiss to Yuffie's forehead.  
  
Yuffie felt her breath catch in her throat and her body temperature began to drop drastically. Suddenly, there was a crack in the air and a hole in Moira's head. Vincent stood in the doorway, Death Penalty aimed and ready to shoot again.  
  
Moira shrieked and jumped back. "She's my friend! You can't have her, Chaos!" she screamed out before blinking out of existence.

--------------------  
  
The small girl began to scream with her sobs as the white paint on the puppet's face cracked. "She's supposed to be my friend! Mine!"  
  
"Calm yourself, Moira."  
  
Immediately, the blonde girl sat down, all traces of unhappiness gone. She began to cradle the jester puppet to her chest, gently brushing back the blue hair. "I'm sorry. I wanted a friend. Moira will be nice. I promise," she said quietly.  
  
"That's a good girl..."  
  
The light faded away and the jingle of bells echoed through the everlasting darkness. "Shh, child. You won't be alone..." the voice said softly.

* * *

**A/N: Finally. Both sides of this battle are now introduced. How do you like them? I think I'm falling in love with my own bad guys. Damn. Well, let me know what you thought. It's a little confusing, I know. Review with your thoughts, please. Thank you.**


	6. Everyone is Sad in a Land of Smiles

**Beyond Paradise**  
  
_Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII or anything that's in it. Squaresoft/enix is the owner and whatnot. Lucky bastards. I'll find a way, I swear to it!_  
  
**Author's Note: ::hugs Moira plushie:: :3 Next chapter is gonna be fun to write. ::sends Yuffie to rip Chaos open and pull Moira out of its stomach:: Yuffie's had a near death experience! Read on, enjoy!******

* * *

  
  
_There is a voice inside of you   
That whispers all day long,   
"I feel that this is right for me,   
I feel that this is wrong."   
No teacher, preacher, parent, friend   
Or wise man can decide   
What's right for you—just listen to   
The voice that speaks inside.  
  
The Voice  
-- Shel Silverstein  
_  
**- Chapter 6: Everyone is Sad in a Land of Smiles**  
  
"Yuffie!"  
  
The little ninja opened her eyes reluctantly. There was a bright light in her face. She rolled over and slowly sat up, a hand unconsciously moving to touch her forehead. Her skin was cold.  
  
"Yuffie!"  
  
There it was again. _Ugh... Shut up..._ she thought as she put her hands over her ears. Her entire body felt cold to the touch. _Where the hell am I?_ She looked over her surroundings, then up to what she supposed was the sky. Such a bright light in the sky, but everything else was dark.  
  
A jingle of bells came from her left and she immediately turned. _Who's there..?  
_  
"Little lady of Wutai... We want to play! We're so lonely... here in the dark..."  
  
Yuffie slowly stood up, one hand still resting on her head as if she had a headache. _Who's there? This place is so strange...  
_  
"Yuffie!"  
  
That same voice from before. _What do you want..?_ So many voices began talking at once, some moaning about darkness and others calling her name. _Stop it!_ She couldn't scream. She couldn't make any kind of sound.  
  
Everything went quiet and a little girl stepped towards her. Blonde curls held up in pigtails, tiny body dressed in pink and blue frills. The girl looked up, dull blue eyes flashing a deep emerald.  
  
"Yuffie... Wake up... Our friends are worried about you."  
  
_Aerith!?_

_--------------------  
_  
"She's waking up! Cloud, quick, get her some water!" Tifa shouted out. Yuffie stirred again, fingers twitching to grasp onto something. A hand took hers and stormy hues slowly opened to look into the wine-colored orbs of Tifa.  
  
"How are you feeling?" She asked softly, using her free hand to brush rogue strands of Yuffie's hair away from the younger girls face.  
  
Yuffie smiled up at her. "Fine, mommy. What about you?" she giggled weakly and glanced around the room to see most of AVALANCHE sitting restlessly, eyes trained on her. Cloud came rushing in with a glass of water.  
  
"Drink this," Tifa ordered as Cloud handed the water to Yuffie. The ninja took little sips, watching as Cid shoved Tifa out of the way.  
  
"Damn, girl! You had us scared shitless!" He put a hand to her forehead, checking for a fever. "Stupid brat, take better care o' yerself!" he barked down to her.  
  
"Gawd, I hope you don't end up treating your kids this way," she grumbled as she sat up, shifting to lean against the headboard of the bed.  
  
Barret headed towards the door, Nanaki following behind him. "Now that yer doin' fine, I'm gonna call Marlene."  
  
Shera tugged Cid away, giving Tifa room to squeeze back over to Yuffie. Soon, the room emptied, leaving the two women alone. Tifa took the glass of water from Yuffie and set it down on the nightstand before sitting down at the edge of the bed.  
  
"You know, you really gave us a scare, Yuffie."  
  
The little ninja tilted her head to the side. "I really have no idea what happened..."  
  
"No one would have noticed if Vincent hadn't made so much of a ruckus trying to wake you up in the first place. You know you've lived when you hear Barret telling Vincent to 'shut the hell up,'" Tifa remarked, laughing softly at the idea.  
  
Yuffie laughed at the image that ran through her mind. "Hey, where is Vinnie, anyhow?"  
  
Tifa blinked a few times, then looked towards the doorway. "Well, he was right over there... He might be in his room, now. Yuffie," Tifa looked back to the girl, "we don't want you trying to find that girl anymore. She's obviously dangerous."  
  
"Don't I know it..."  
  
"Yuffie," Tifa smiled to her, "Vincent asked Cloud if we could go to Wutai. Was this your doing?"  
  
Yuffie felt her cheeks heat up and she immediately pulled the covers up to her nose. "I didn't think he'd actually do it!"  
  
The older woman laughed and patted the top of Yuffie's head. "When morning comes, we're going to head off to Wutai." Then, Tifa did the worst possible thing she could do to the poor ninja girl. "Do you think maybe... Vincent might like you?"  
  
"Tifa!!!!"

--------------------  
  
Vincent glanced to his locked door at the sound of Yuffie screaming at Tifa. Frowning, he tried to block her voice out and focused on the town that lay outside of his window. The night sky stained the town with shadows, where anything could be lurking, and this made Vincent uncomfortable.  
  
_'Chaos... Why did you save her?'_ he thought to the demon. Earlier, no body could hear anything. It had been dead silent, but while Vincent was getting ready to fall into his nightmares, Chaos had begun thrashing, throwing images of Yuffie and that clown girl around in his mind. Vincent frowned as he remembered doubting the demon, but going to check on the little ninja anyway. Then the sight of that strange girl, Yuffie's apparent fear as she fell into a dreamlike state. He hadn't hesitated to shoot the clown in the head.  
  
_"You can't have her!"_  
  
Vincent shook his head and leaned back in his chair. There was a gentle knocking on his door and he stood up, walking over and opening it only to look down at Yuffie. She smiled up at him, hands behind her back.  
  
"Hey, Vinnie... Wanna go feed the chocobo's or something with me?"  
  
"...No." He started to close the door, but she quickly stuck her foot out and caught it.  
  
"Please, Vinnie? I'll feed the chocobo's, and you can just stand there and look pretty or something," she pleaded with him. Vincent let out a sigh and stepped out of his room, starting down the stairs towards the paddock.  
  
The two stood quietly by the fence, Yuffie's arms folded on top of it while she watched Valentine peck at Bronco.  
  
"Yuffie, I thought you were going to feed the chocobo's."  
  
She smiled and stepped back, turning to look up at Vincent. "I lied. I wanted to see if Levia came back... and I wanted to say thanks, to you." She shrugged and turned back to the chocobo's. "But Levia isn't back yet, so she's probably in Wutai. Tifa said you asked Cloud about it," she continued.  
  
"Tifa tells you everything she hears?" he asked, genuinely curious.  
  
"Pretty much. We _are_ the only two girls in this thing, y'know." Yuffie watched him from the corner of her eye as he nodded, copying her position by leaning against the fence, arms folded on top.  
  
"Vinnie? Do you like me?" she asked quietly. Vincent took in a sharp breath before looking down to her. After a moment of deliberation, he chose the suitable words.  
  
"Yes, Yuffie. I like all of you."  
  
"Ah, that's good. I always thought you didn't like any of us," Yuffie replied. _Dammit, Tifa! Look what you did to me... I told you not to do that!_ She made a mental note to refuse to give Tifa a place to sleep when they got to Wutai.  
  
Two pairs of eyes watched the little ninja and the gunslinger from the kitchen.  
  
"Aw, aren't they adorable?"  
  
"Tifa..? What are you talking about? It's Yuffie and Vincent... Nothing adorable about it."  
  
"Oh, shush. I think it's cute."  
  
"You think a lot of things are cute..." Cloud responded dully.  
  
"And you don't think anything is cute."  
  
"Guys aren't supposed to _do_ cute..."  
  
"Well, they should. It makes them more likeable."  
  
"Are you saying I'm not likeable?"  
  
"Of course you're likeable. I like you, don't I?"  
  
"Does that make me cute?"  
  
Tifa stared at Cloud as he pointed a finger to himself.  
  
Yuffie watched through the window, back leaning against the fence. "Aren't they cute?"  
  
Vincent looked over his shoulder to see what she was talking about. "Yes, Yuffie," he replied carelessly.

--------------------  
  
With the help of Cid's Highwind crew and the beloved PHS, AVALANCHE was at the gates of Wutai in close to half an hour. Yuffie dropped from the ladder and the first to meet her was Levia. The chocobo cooed over Yuffie's head as the young girl hugged the bird around the neck. Unfortunately, the next person to meet AVALANCHE at the gates was Lord Godo.  
  
"Yuffie! You left without a word! And you knew that I didn't want you going anywhere!" he boomed out over to his daughter. Yuffie rolled her eyes, patting Levia's wing before hopping up onto her back. Valentine had been too tall for her to just hop up onto. She hugged Levia around the neck, leaning down on her back as Levia trotted past the fuming Godo.  
  
"Yeah, yeah. Going to my house. C'mon guys! Avoid the foaming old dog at the gate. No feeding it, it might bite!" she called back to the rest of AVALANCHE. Her friends were wise enough not to laugh and just followed quietly.  
  
It was when all of AVALANCHE plus the green chocobo tried to squeeze into her house that Yuffie realized they weren't going to fit. Not comfortably at least. So she ushered them all downstairs into her basement where the steel cage hung ominously over their heads.  
  
"Alright! Everyone comfy? You guys stay down here for a bit, 'kay? I'll be back soon," she assured them by leaving Levia with them before going back upstairs.  
  
"Nobody go near the levers," Tifa warned, eyeing the contraption warily.  
  
Yuffie shut the door behind herself and looked to her doorway just as Godo came stalking in, arms crossed over his chest stubbornly. "Yuffie, you will do what you've been raised to do! You will become our princess and heir to the throne," he growled.  
  
"Alright."  
  
"I thought you'd say that, so I brought Staniv and Gorki to— Alright?" he blinked in surprise at his daughter as she shifted nervously in her place. She looked up to him then put her hands on her hips.  
  
"Yeah! I'll do it just so that when I _do _become the leader of Wutai, I'll be sure to do a better job than you and fix this place up!"  
  
Godo grinned proudly. "Now that's the daughter I raised!"  
  
"Pfft, you raised? I raised myself, old man."  
  
Tifa winced as she heard something crash upstairs. She heard Godo yell something, then there was another crash. Yuffie told him to get out, there was one last crash, then the door opened and Yuffie came downstairs, a smile on her face.  
  
"Do you think we can stay here for a couple days?"

--------------------  
  
"We want our revenge on AVALANCHE!" a young man shouted, palms slamming down on the desk. Zeb folded his hands over his lap as he looked over the small group gathered to take a stand. "We've been doing nothing but standing by, letting our anger build up! We want to make 'em see what we have to go through now!"  
  
Jethro stood silently at Zeb's side, arms crossed over his stomach as his blue eyes glared into the wall ahead. "There's no need to shout," he spoke into the air.  
  
"Calm yourselves, men. You will have your revenge soon enough, don't worry. Now, leave. We have personal matters to attend to," Zeb ordered calmly, gesturing with a nod to the doorway. The man who had been arguing with him in the first place spit a curse at their leader and turned on his heel, herding the others out the door.  
  
Once the door was closed, Zeb put his elbows up on the desk and buried his face in his hands. Silver strands fell into his eyes as he looked up to Jethro whom remained at his side. "Jethro... My right hand man... My friend... I would like to see my daughter again." Zeb appeared to be vulnerable at the moment, open to anything.  
  
Jethro looked down to the weakened man at his side, then to the jester puppet attached to his belt. With a nod, he removed the puppet and sat it down on the desk. "Moira, our friend here would like to see his daughter again."  
  
The bells on the doll began to ring and she began to grow in size. Soon, she was sitting like a normal human on the desk, ankles crossed while her legs swung back and forth. "Hi, daddy!" she smiled to Zeb.  
  
The young man reached out, gently pulling the clown girl into his arms. She hugged him around the neck, smiling happily. "How are you doing, my dear?"  
  
She nodded and pulled back, sitting herself down comfortably in his lap. "Mommy says she's never been happier, here in Paradise. The other kids here are real nice, too," she said with a smile.  
  
Zeb smiled sadly in return, gently brushing his fingers through her blue hair. "Alison, my dear... Daddy will be with you soon. My friend here and I... we're going to find Paradise, and then I'll get to be there with you forever," he said dazedly.  
  
Jethro put a hand to Zeb's shoulder. "That will still take some time... Moira can't hold the soul forever. Say goodbye."  
  
The young leader of the rebels nodded and gave the clown girl one last hug. "Tell your mother that I say hi, and that I love you both very much. Soon, Alison... Very soon..." he whispered into the puppets ear as it shrank back down in size. Jethro picked the puppet up and reattached it to his belt.  
  
Zeb let out a sigh and slowly stood up. "I'm going for a walk. Watch the people, I believe they're becoming restless," he said as he walked out of the room. Jethro looked down at the puppet and grinned.  
  
"Moira, are you alright?"  
  
In the darkness, the young girl looked up at the only stream of light. "His daughter is such a sad girl. They are all sad, in Paradise..." she murmured, stroking the blue hair of the puppet in her hands.

--------------------  
  
AVALANCHE slept easily that night. Cait Sith was curled up by Reeve in the room they shared with Barret while Cid and Shera slept in the room next door. Across from them was the room Cloud shared with Tifa and Nanaki since Yuffie had told Tifa she wasn't giving her a room to sleep in, and the room by the goldfish pond was to be Vincent's.  
  
But the latter of the group was not in his room. He sat on the steps of the Pagoda, staring down the road in thought. Yuffie watched him from her perch on a building roof and smiled to herself. _I wonder if I'll be able to scare him..._  
  
She started to creep around on the roof, trying to find the best way to scare the living daylights out of someone who scared everyone else by just looking at them.  
  
"Yuffie, if you keep that up, you'll fall," he said calmly. Yuffie squeaked in surprise and slid off the rooftop and onto the gravel.  
  
"Ouch, Vinnie! You weren't supposed to know I was there, you big oaf!" She growled and stood up, rubbing her backside. With a frown, she stomped over and plopped down next to him, elbows resting on her knees and her palms under her chin. "Vinnie."  
  
He watched her from the corner of his eye.  
  
"You're a butt."  
  
"That is what my demons tend to think of me," he responded casually.  
  
Yuffie's jaw dropped as she stared at him. The silence droned on as she fixed her composure and stared sullenly towards Da Chao. Cautiously, she leaned to the side, resting lightly against Vincent. She could feel him stiffen beneath the layers of clothing and smiled. "Your demon's rock, Vincent."  
  
The older man didn't know how to react. He chose to ignore the heat emanating from the younger girls body. "They are reminders of my sins, Yuffie. They do not 'rock.'"  
  
With a shrug, she stood up and stepped away from him. Vincent hesitated to notice the sudden loss of warmth. "Whatever. Hey, you're gonna stick around tomorrow right? You won't leave?"  
  
"AVALANCHE wouldn't leave you behind without telling you," he replied.  
  
"I'm not asking about AVALANCHE. I know they wouldn't. But you would. Don't leave, okay? I'm doing something tomorrow that I want everyone to be there for." She smiled, proud of herself, and turned her back to him. "So don't leave. I want you to be there." Then she walked off, back to her own house.  
  
Chaos shifted in Vincent's mind, snarling against the walls that cut the demon off from Vincent's most personal and secret thoughts and feelings. "Yuffie is... none of your concern, demon," he spoke aloud to it. He slowly got to his feet and made his way back to the room Yuffie had given him.

--------------------  
  
Tifa stirred in her sleep, eyes opening slowly to stare into the darkness. She let out a sigh and sat up, brushing her hair back from her face. To her left, she saw Nanaki sleeping peacefully, and to her right was Cloud.  
  
Timidly, she crawled over to Cloud's futon, hesitantly poking him in the shoulder. "Cloud?" she whispered. He mumbled something about chocobo's and turned over, back facing Tifa. With a slight frown, she poked at him again, this time a little harder. "Cloud, wake up."  
  
The man's eyes opened, heavy lidded from exhaustion. "What, what is it? We didn't miss any, I swear..." he groaned. Tifa smiled down at him and sat back. "Oh, Tifa... What's wrong?" he asked, concern clear in his voice.  
  
"I know it sounds a little childish but... I had a nightmare... Do you mind?" she gave him a shy smile, head dipped low so her bangs covered one eye. Her restless sleep had wrinkled her oversized shirt and the rest of her long hair was a mess. To Cloud, she was beautiful.  
  
"Yeah," he murmured, scooting over so she could lie down next to him. Tifa let out a content sigh as his arm unconsciously draped over her waist.  
  
"Cloud..?" she whispered to him. He seemed to realize the position and began to move his arm.  
  
"Oh, sorry Ti—"  
  
"No, no... It's okay. I just..." she could feel her heart beating rapidly in her chest. Looking up, she found herself getting lost in his mako eyes. "I... thanks... For not laughing at me. It's a little embarrassing telling someone you just had a nightmare," she willed her heart to calm and smiled up at him.  
  
His arm fell over her again and he held her close as she fell asleep in his arms. He glanced over her shoulder to see Nanaki laying there, one eye open and watching them with amusement.  
  
"You should tell her how you feel, you know. You'd be surprised with the results," Nanaki spoke quietly before turning to go back to sleep. Cloud mentally shrugged and placed his chin on the top of her head, falling asleep soon after with the flowery scent of her shampoo invading his senses and following him into his dreams.

* * *

**A/N: It was about time I got to the CloTi-ness. Oh, don't worry, Aerith won't be coming back in this fic. She just makes cameo appearances an' stuff. Nothing big. My favorite part of this fic was when Tifa and Cloud were spying on Yuffie and Vincent. XD Anyhow, let me know what you think of this chapter and review! Thank you. **


	7. The Flame of an Unsure Heart

**Beyond Paradise**  
  
_Disclaimer: I own nothing from Final Fantasy VII. I wish I did. But I don't. I don't have the money for it. But Squaresoft/enix does... Damn them all._  
  
**Author's Note: Sorry for the late chapter, but I was having a serious case of Writer's Block. It's such a horrible thing... But here it is! This chapter is filled with Yuffentine goodness and a good Yuffie section (if you like her). Please, read and enjoy!**

* * *

_I'm making a list of the things I must say for politeness,   
And goodness and kindness and gentleness,   
Sweetness and rightness:   
Hello   
Pardon me   
How are you?   
Excuse me   
Bless you   
May I?   
Thank you   
Goodbye   
If you know some that I've forgot,   
Please stick them in your eye!  
  
I'm Making a List  
-- Shel Silverstein_  
  
**- Chapter 7: The Flame of an Unsure Heart**  
  
Yuffie stretched up towards the sky as the sun began to rise over the horizon. Her body flopped forward onto the index finger from the Da Chao Mountain, arms wrapping around the stone digit in a "good morning" hug. Eyes of storms reflected the mix of orange and red that painted the ocean beautifully, the white foam of the waves giving her view a picturesque look.  
  
She glanced down to her beloved Wutai and watched as the people, soon to be her people, began to awaken. "What are you doing up here?" she asked casually, remaining on her perch. The dirt shifted behind her and she slowly sat up.  
  
"Come, Yuffie. You should prepare for tonight's events..." Chekhov replied in her reserved manner. Yuffie smiled and stood up, balancing on the thin finger with much practice. "Please, be careful up there. Wutai wouldn't know what to do if you were to fall," Chekhov pleaded as she stepped forward.  
  
Yuffie laughed softly and jumped down to stand next to the older woman. "I'm sure. Leviathan forbid I fall, right? Pfft, I'd have to be really stupid to do that." Yuffie patted the woman on the shoulder and started on her way down the mountain path. "Don't fall behind, you old bag! I might not come back for you!"  
  
Chekhov let out a heavy sigh. "Young ladies of Leviathan are supposed to be calm, lady-like, and quiet..." Brown eyes glanced up to the heavens. "What'd you _do_ to this one?" If she had it in her, she would curse the gods for turning Yuffie into the complete opposite of what was wanted for Wutai.

--------------------  
  
"So, Tifa, what's with the blush?" Cait Sith asked, winking to their resident martial artist as she turned her gaze downcast. She kneeled on the mats placed around the short table and began to twiddle her thumbs over her lap.  
  
"Leave 'er alone, damn cat." Barret lifted the black cat by the red cape and was ready to toss it over his hulking shoulder before Reeve grabbed the robot from him.  
  
The ShinRa ex-employee fixed the crown on Cait Sith's head before placing him back on the pink moogle. "He may be a robot, but he can feel things. Artificial Intelligence, Barret. Think of it as a human," he scolded the larger man. Cid laughed at the black man's misfortune, but a Look from Shera quieted him.  
  
"Whipped!" Cait Sith shouted across the table at the smoking man. Cid retaliated in insults littered with curses while Shera tried her best to calm him. Barret spouted his own thoughts about the robot and Reeve argued intelligently.  
  
Tifa sipped at her drink and ate her breakfast quietly with both Cloud and Nanaki.

--------------------  
  
Vincent remained in his room, sitting on the inside-sill of the window that overlooked the fishpond and organic garden. He heard a crash from the room his comrades were having their breakfast in and could only sigh. If truth be told, they were embarrassing at times.  
  
He turned his head at the sound of his door sliding open and watched as the Wutainese maid walked in, eyes wide in shock at the man sitting there. "A- ...anou..." Her face turned an interesting shade of vermillion as she backed out of the room, bowing in apology before rushing off.  
  
Seconds later, Yuffie came in, an amused look twinkling in her eyes. "Gee, Vinnie... I didn't think you'd have that kind of affect on the servants. What'd you do to her?"  
  
The man slid off of the sill and went about fixing the covers on his futon. "I did nothing. I believe she expected the room to be empty," he responded flatly.  
  
Yuffie didn't accept the answer. "Yeah, right. I bet you started stripping for her or something..."  
  
"I did no such thing."  
  
"Right. And Leviathan is my uncle," she rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips.  
  
He looked up from the mattress to watch her momentarily before going back to his work. "Do all of your servants speak nothing but Wutainese?"  
  
The fact that Vincent was starting a conversation shocked the little ninja into a few seconds of silence. She quickly covered it up and laughed nervously. "Yeah. They haven't left Wutai since the day their shiny butts popped into this world, so they can't speak anything else."  
  
Vincent merely nodded and moved to organize his few belongings. "What you have planned today... it has nothing to do with thievery?" he asked nonchalantly. He could sense the sudden anger at his inquiry and her hands balled into fists.  
  
But their little Yuffie knew how to control and replace her anger. "Of course, Vincent. What else do I know how to do?" Sarcasm could be an ugly thing.  
  
He saw the error he made and began to apologize, but Yuffie had fled. "I really am no better than my demons, am I?" he questioned the thin walls around him.

--------------------  
  
Nanaki glanced up to his silent friend, briefly wondering what went through his mind. "Is there something troubling you?" He watched as Vincent dropped his gaze to look down at the beast.  
  
"I said something this morning that upset Yuffie." As plain as that. He stared ahead as the two continued down the path which would eventually lead them to the Da Chao Mountains. Nanaki smiled as well as something of his kind could and shook his head.  
  
"She'll get over it. She's that type of person," he replied quietly, as if it were an afterthought.  
  
Vincent thought back to the many times Yuffie had been scolded for the little things, and how, five minutes later, she smiled, laughed, and commented on the stupidest things to cover it up. To cover up the guilt and unhappiness that shone in her eyes.  
  
The gunslinger frowned at his thoughts and quickened his pace. Nanaki found himself trotting on and off to keep up with the man. "Where are you headed in such a hurry now?" But he was tiring from keeping up with the long legged man and slowly came to a stop without an answer.  
  
Vincent, on the other hand, hadn't paused in his pursuit of the young ninja invading his mind. _And why is she..? _He would have to question himself later. He made his way up the stairs and tapped lightly on her door with his claw.  
  
The door slid open, and instead of a smiling girl with eyes that held a mystery stood an old man with short gray hair and dressed in green robes.  
  
"If you are searching for Miss Kisaragi, she's busy preparing for the events tonight," Gorki told him, arms folding over his chest. Vincent stared down at the old man then glanced quickly around the empty room.  
  
"When will I get to see her?"  
  
Gorki frowned at Vincent's disrespect by looking for the young ninja and began to slide the door shut. "Tonight. Good day, Mr. Valentine."  
  
Vincent stared the door down, as if it would burst into flames at his will. When the door refused to burn at his command he simply turned on his heel and left.

--------------------  
  
Jethro watched as Zeb looked over his cards. "What do you plan on doing with AVALANCHE right now? The people are growing more and more impatient as you sit around and do nothing," he commented.  
  
Zeb threw a card down on the table then shrugged. "I know. For now, we'll allow things to sink in. I'm sure our heroes need time to understand that their beloved people are rebelling against them, and there's nothing they can do about it."  
  
The blue eyed man pushed a few blonde locks away from his face and tossed a card down. "Maybe so... but don't give them too much time. They'll fight back eventually..."  
  
Silver bangs covered one steel grey eye as Zeb stared at his hand of cards. "We'll make them kill the people they fought to protect." He pulled one card out and lay it face down beside the growing stack they were creating.  
  
"...You know I don't always agree with you, Zeb..."  
  
"Than why do you continue to stand by me?" The man grinned to his friend, head tilting to the side. "Your turn."  
  
Jethro frowned and fanned his cards out on the table. "You win."  
  
Zeb reached out and turned the facedown card over.  
  
"You cheat," Jethro remarked as he stood up.  
  
Zeb followed his example and stood as well. "But I still win. Come, my friend, we'll calm the people so you stop worrying."  
  
Jethro nodded, unhooking the puppet from his belt and setting it down gently on the table with the stack of cards. The door shut as the two men left and the jester fell onto the winning card, the Joker.

--------------------  
  
Night was growing near and Yuffie could feel her heart beating loudly in her chest. Sure, this was a big step for a Wutaian daughter of the Lord, but that didn't make it the most important thing in her life! _...It kinda does,_ she thought to the other half of her mind.  
  
Her guardians had long since left her to ready herself, and here she was, an hour later, still sitting around in her bathrobe. Her elbows were placed on her knees as she buried her face in her hands. "What if I mess up? Gawd, that would totally suck..."  
  
The door slid open and a maid walked in, smiling kindly to Yuffie before shuffling off to clean and replace the towels in the bathroom. Yuffie let out another heavy sigh. "Ugh, and I'd have to get used to that everyday, wouldn't I?"  
  
"Is that a problem?" a voice responded. The little ninja turned her attention to the window, only to find none other than Vincent Valentine standing there, leaning quietly against the outside wall.  
  
"What the hell are you doing here? You're not supposed to be seeing me until tonight, you know... And when did you turn into the type to roam around my house, huh?" A thin brow rose as she questioned him, arms crossing over her chest so she was sure her bathrobe wouldn't flutter open for him.  
  
Vincent shrugged lightly and stood up straight, turning to look at her through the window. "I wanted to apologize for my comment this morning. I was out of line," he apologized in his Vincent way. Yuffie almost laughed.  
  
"Great, thanks Romeo. Get out of here before you get caught," she said as she began to shoo him away. He nodded to her and left without another word. To anger Yuffie was one thing, to anger her entire hometown was another.  
  
Yuffie let out a sigh as she watched his retreating form. She had completely forgotten the servant until a small hand was placed on her shoulder. The little ninja looked up to stare into the curious eyes of her maid.  
  
"Kare o shitte imasu ka..?" the woman tilted her head to the side, glancing up just as Vincent turned a corner. Yuffie smiled softly and nodded before standing up.  
  
"Hai." Then she frowned and waved the maid off. "Tachisaru."  
  
The short maid nodded and bowed down to the girl before shuffling off.

--------------------  
  
Cloud stirred his drink idly while Tifa and Reeve went on about their new opponent, Zeb. He knew he should have been listening, but they were practically repeating themselves! He shoved the drink off to the side slightly, nodding his head when Reeve glanced to him.  
  
Five more minutes passed of the same information being formed into different words when there was suddenly a loud 'thud.' All occupants of the Turtle's Paradise turned to see Cloud jump up, rubbing at his forehead embarrassedly.  
  
Tifa stood up to check if he was alright, but he took a step back. "I'm fine. I guess I just didn't sleep much, you know? I'm gonna go check on Nanaki. I'll see you guys later," he covered for himself before leaving the bar as quickly as he could.  
  
"Ugh, how embarrassing," he grumbled to himself as he came to a stop next to Nanaki.  
  
"What is?" the beast questioned, glancing up to the blonde man.  
  
Cloud shook his head and tried to forget the event ever happened before looking ahead towards the Pagoda. "What are they doing?" He watched as a few citizens of Wutai began throwing wood into a pile and setting up cushions around the vicinity.  
  
Nanaki sat back on his hind legs and shook his head. "I haven't the slightest clue... I believe they're making a bonfire. It might have something to do with the events of the night that Yuffie wanted us to stay for."  
  
"Ah... Seems like fun. How much longer till it starts?"  
  
"Another hour, I think."  
  
Cloud nodded as his arms crossed over his chest. "Hmm... Would you like to join me up on Da Chao till then? It'll be good if we could get some training done since we might have to fight with Zeb at some point."  
  
Nanaki nodded in agreement and the two started off to practice their skills in fighting.

--------------------  
  
The time had come, and Yuffie was nervous as hell.  
  
The dance was a well practiced routine from the day Yuffie could walk. Her usual tomboyish garb was replaced with a short kimono-type, the red silk ending at the thighs. The lavender lining extended its length enough to no longer become a rival to Tifa's leather skirt, a black sash tied around her waist saving her the worry of her rear becoming exposed as the remaining length of the two ends gently brushed the back of her knees. Matching arm warmers finished the ensemble along with the fishnet that wrapped up her left arm. One red ribbon was tied around her right ankle to signify that the young heir to the throne was not married off. At least, not yet.  
  
Yuffie stood quietly in front of the mirror, watching the stranger that stared back at her. With a deep breath, the little ninja pulled a black ribbon, a copy of the sash around her waist, from her dresser and tied it around her forehead. Her arms dropped to her sides and she took a step back. "Let's get this over with."  
  
The bonfire in the center of her beloved city was a rival to that of the Cosmo Canyon's own flame. Children ran around it happily, giggling at each other as they played a Wutaian game of Serpent. A game Yuffie had enjoyed playing with the servants beneath her father. It was similar to the game other children knew to be Tag.  
  
But this had nothing to do with what Yuffie was so nervous about. Staniv and Chekhov met her at her doorway, bowing to their princess before each taking the hand on their side and leading her to the flame. Shake and Gorki met the three on a bridge over the creak and bowed as they passed, soon following behind them. Godo looked above the fire from the steps on the Pagoda and smiled warmly.  
  
Tifa watched the expression on his face curiously and turned to see what was so fascinating. Her jaw dropped and she let out a gasp. "Oh, Yuffie..."  
  
Cloud frowned and glanced over her shoulder, the knit of his eyebrows turning into a shocked expression. "What have they done to her?" At this, Nanaki picked his head up from his forepaws and glanced over, along with Barret, Cid, and Vincent. Each had their own expression for the entrance of their youngest member. Even Vincent found himself holding his breath as she walked by them.  
  
The children became quiet, as did the citizens of Wutai. Yuffie could feel her heart racing in her chest as she approached Godo. The smile he gave her made something harden in her mind. "Lord Godo Kisaragi." She acknowledged him and gave a low bow, followed by the four Mighty Gods of the Pagoda that led her to this point.  
  
The grip that Staniv and Chekhov had on her hands became tighter and suddenly Yuffie felt like a hostage. Shake and Gorki moved past them and shuffled to Godo's side. Shake reached behind their Lord and grabbed a thin brush and a bottle of what seemed like brown paint. Yuffie's first instinct was to fight back, but this was her father, these were her going-to-be- advisors, and the ones behind her were her friends and people.  
  
Godo approached her and dipped the brush into the brown liquid, then pulled it up and began to paint an intricate design beneath her left eye. When he pulled away, Staniv and Chekhov slowly turned her around to face her people. Those stormy hues were closed and the fire light glinted on the fresh paint beneath her eye.  
  
Now the dance was to begin. Staniv and Chekhov released her as a light strumming of a wind instrument could be heard from both sides of the blazing bonfire. With eyes remaining shut, she slowly walked down the stairs. The music came to a slow stop as she neared the flame, then started again, just as slowly. It was a beautiful melody that matched with the fluid movements as Yuffie seemed to sway with the breeze to the right.  
  
She shifted her weight to turn her body around to balance on her hands, slowly moving back around, one foot long before the other. The black sash around her waist flitted with the night's sigh as she continued this motion around the flame. There was a high note as she stopped in the place she had started. The gentle tune continued as she leaned back, palms pressing into the ground.  
  
Her body was straightened as another entered the circle, a Wutaian man dressed in black. He gently held onto her bare legs as she pulled herself up, no longer touching the ground. Tifa let out a gasp as she was slowly placed onto the ground again, where she stood up, one foot before the other, and faced the man.  
  
"She looks so serious..." the martial artist commented quietly, leaning over to Cloud. The man nodded as he watched AVALANCHE's youngest member fall into the embrace of the unknown man. Cid's cigarette fell from his mouth as the man brushed his hand up Yuffie's thigh.  
  
"No way in hell is that our brat," Barret grumbled in awe. Shera let out a sigh and lifted both his and Cid's jaws to close their mouths.  
  
Something inside of Vincent twitched.  
  
If Yuffie could have seen their faces, she would have started laughing, and that wouldn't have been a smart thing to do. She dipped back, then slowly came back up as the two stepped away from each other.  
  
The tune rose as if the music would repeat its same slow rhythm, and Vincent didn't know if he could stand by and watch as another man touched their youngest member for much longer. He shifted uncomfortably and Nanaki looked over to him. "Are you leaving?"  
  
_"So don't leave. I want you to be there."_  
  
He shook his head. "No."  
  
Suddenly, the music picked up. A clicking beat came from the right, then more from the left, and then the string instruments picked up again in a much livelier pace. Yuffie's arms came up above her head and her hips moved with the beat. The two were soon circling each other, and this time Yuffie was having fun.  
  
The music took a dangerous tone and the two started backing away from each other. Yuffie cartwheeled away from the man and stood on the other side of the flame. Her feet moved with the rhythm as she dance-stepped around the fire, arms remaining above her head. She spun and leapt up and over the flame as the snapping quickened, no longer keeping a beat.  
  
She hit the ground on the other side of the bonfire just as the sound of even more instruments joined in. String, wind, flutes, and the replacement of the snapping beat. The orchestral music filled the night air as she took a firm grip of the man's hand, the two dancing around each other in unison.  
  
He lifted her into the air and spun her around then set her back down and the two continued their dance. The pause came again, then the music picked up and there was applause and cheers from the citizens as the two danced around each other. The music suddenly stopped, only leaving the string instrument and a drum. The two tapped around each other, never remaining on their toes for long.  
  
The man dipped her back then swung her around and back up, lifting her up by her waist. She leapt out of his arms and landed back in a crouch, her eyes closed. There was a silence, then the music blasted once again as her eyes snapped open. Her ceremonial dance was over, and now she was going to have fun.  
  
Children ran into the circle, giggling and laughing as they danced with her. She spun around with a circle of the children, skipping around before releasing their little hands. The Wutaian princess turned and watched as Tifa pulled Cloud out to dance with the others, doing their best to imitate the Wutaian dance. Cid was pouting as Shera pulled him out to dance with her, and Barret was somehow forced to rock awkwardly beside one of Yuffie's maids. Nanaki was doing his best to dance on his hind legs with the children, making Yuffie laugh. Even Cait Sith was trying to dance with Reeve. This was truly a night to remember.  
  
But, once again, Vincent was distancing himself from the fun. Yuffie sighed and sauntered up to him, hands behind her back as her fingers played with the ends of her black sash. "Hey, Vinnie... I'm glad you didn't leave."  
  
The man glanced down to her, grunted, and looked away.  
  
"Aw, c'mon Vincent. What's wrong now?"  
  
He shook his head and crossed his arms to keep himself from grabbing and shaking the life out of her. "You let him touch you like that."  
  
If Yuffie didn't know any better, she could have sworn Vincent was being as childish as she ever was. "Jealous? Ah, I see... Well, let's go," she reached out and grabbed his human hand, pulling it out of its fold.  
  
"Go where?" he questioned her as she tugged weakly at him.  
  
"We're gonna go up to Da Chao. That way, you don't have to be anywhere near the happiness of this place. Now come on," she grunted as she tried to pull him again. If this man didn't want to go anywhere, no one would be able to make him.  
  
He let out a small breath and started walking, much to Yuffie's relief that she wouldn't have to literally attempt to drag him. It didn't take long for the two to reach one of the hands of Da Chao.  
  
Yuffie sat down on the thumb, swinging her legs back and forth as she watched the citizens of Wutai and her friends dance around the large fire. Glancing back, she noticed Vincent was still keeping to the shadows.  
  
"Oh, c'mon. We're about as far as we can get from it and you're still trying to hide? You know what, I give up!" she huffed and crossed her arms over her stomach. Silence passed, then finally Vincent sat down beside her, claw and hand pressing into the stone. "That's what I thought," she grumbled in annoyance.  
  
Vincent quietly watched the festivities below, unsure of what to do at the moment. Even Yuffie wasn't trying to talk to him, and that was unnerving.  
  
"It was required that a man touch you like that?" he asked softly, watching her from the corner of his eye. She barely moved.  
  
"Yeah, I guess. Godo said that to be a princess, I have to be comfortable with other people."  
  
"But in such an intimate way?" Vincent regretted his words. Yuffie was her own person. He shouldn't have let it bother him.  
  
Yuffie simply shrugged and wrapped her arms around herself. "I wish I didn't have to wear this stupid outfit, though. And what the hell did they do to my face?" she reached up, touching the design beneath her left eye.  
  
Vincent glanced to her, gently taking her hand with his human hand and pulling it away to inspect the painting. "It seems to be a word. 'Sun' I believe..." he replied. Yuffie's cheeks turned a light shade of red as her hand slid out of his. She quickly looked away from him, the fire below becoming increasingly fascinating.  
  
"Ah... You can read Wutaian?" She stammered, fighting to think of anything but how warm Vincent must be if she could feel is body heat from where she was sitting. But then again, it wasn't as if they were a mile apart.  
  
He seemed to notice her distress and looked away. _She's a princess now, Valentine. You can't look at her the same way, not here at least._ "A little. Not enough to understand. It was needed when I was a Turk."  
  
Yuffie nodded slightly, index finger drawing random designs into the dusted side of the thumb. The awkward silence droned on until Yuffie couldn't take it anymore. She wasn't a silence type of girl. It drove her insane, really.  
  
"Uh, Vincent you—"  
  
"I should head to bed now..." He interrupted quickly, getting to his feet and swiftly starting down the mountain path.  
  
"Vincent, wait!" she called after him, scrambling to her feet and running after him. He stopped abruptly and she plowed into his back. The two tumbled forward, ending with Vincent catching onto the wall with his claw and snagging Yuffie to him with his human arm. Once the two regained balance, Yuffie blushed and apologized profusely.  
  
"What is it, Yuffie?" He didn't know why, but he had to get away from her. She made him hesitate, made him think about his actions and words, and this wasn't to Vincent's liking. It made him uncomfortable with himself.  
  
"Don't leave me," she blurted out without really thinking. After another moment of silence, she tried to explain her words. "I mean... Tonight. Stay with me for at least tonight." _Oh Leviathan, that sounded even worse!_ "Not like that, though!" she hurriedly tried to find the best words. "Vincent, I don't want her coming near me again... Please? Just so I feel safe... You can even leave after I go to sleep or something, if you want!"  
  
Vincent blinked down at her, having to think about what she was saying. Her..? The clown... "Alright, Yuffie... I will accompany you for the night."  
  
Yuffie smiled and jumped up, hugging him around the neck. Vincent staggered back slightly, catching himself quickly enough so the two didn't tumble down the mountain. His human arm wrapped around her awkwardly to return the hug before she dropped back down to her feet. "Thanks..."  
  
And the two started on their way down to her house where Yuffie would sleep, and Vincent would watch her the entire night through, wondering what the little ninja had done to make him feel so unsure about everything he did.

* * *

**A/N: Yes, all the Yuffentine yumminess. :3 I love it. I leave you with this chapter for a few days because I am going to be gone till July 5th. The music for Yuffie's dance is actually the Flamingo dancing song in Riverdance. Download it. It's really fun to listen to, and you'll get a better feel to the scene. By the way, the Wutainese is Japanese (given the fact that everything in Wutai is written in Japanese characters, I believe). The 'conversation' between Yuffie and her maid goes as: Maid-"Do you know him..?" Yuffie-"Yes." then "Go away." Alright, please review and whatnot. Thank you. **


	8. To Kill Your Hero is a Sin

**Beyond Paradise**  
  
_Disclaimer: I don't own anything that involves Final Fantasy VII. Squaresoft/enix does. I own Jethro, Zeb, and Moira. That's it. Sad for me._  
  
**Author's Note: I know, I know! I said I'd be back on the fifth! So sorry! Just, there was a lot of drama afterwards, and a lot of stuff happened that kept me from the computer. But here's the long awaited Chapter Eight! Enjoy, please!**

* * *

_Ricky was "L" but he's home with the flu,   
Lizzie, our "O," had some homework to do,   
Mitchell, "E" prob'ly got lost on the way,   
So I'm all of the love that could make it today.  
  
Love  
-- Shel Silverstein  
_  
**- Chapter 8: To Kill Your Hero is a Sin**  
  
Yuffie's eyes fluttered open as sunlight spilled into her room. "No... Ten more minutes..." she grumbled and turned onto her stomach, grabbing her pillow and pulling it up and over her head. A hand grabbed the pillow and tore it away from her, taking the blankets along with its attack. Yuffie knew this monster well and did the only thing she knew how to do.  
  
"Yuffie! Stop kicking!" Godo roared as he fought to restrain his daughter. A fist slammed into his nose and he stumbled away from her. "That's it..." he held onto his nose as he stormed out of the room, only to return moments later with a grinning Shake.  
  
One stormy eye opened just as the bucket of ice was thrown towards her.  
  
All of Wutai cringed at the scream that echoed throughout the continent. Anybody who wasn't awake was most definitely awake now.

--------------------  
  
Nine pairs of eyes watched the little ninja as she dragged her feet on her way into the crowded room. She weakly shoved Cait Sith out of her way and plopped down next to Shera and Tifa, which she then proceeded to tilt until she fell onto Tifa's shoulder, eyes half-closed. There was an awkward silence that filled the small room until Cloud remembered his practiced speech.  
  
"Erm..." He cleared his throat to gather their attention so he could begin. "As I'm sure you've all noticed, we're a pretty big group. At the moment, this is both unsafe and slow. If we want more information, then we need to be split up. But we also need there to be a few of us at a home base. Nanaki, is it alright if we use Cosmo Canyon for that?"  
  
A nod from the beast allowed Cloud to continue. "Alright. I want Cait Sith, Shera, and Reeve to stay in Cosmo Canyon."  
  
"I would like to be there as well. It is my home, after all. Besides, there are some books I remember Grandpa having that might have some information concerning the Clown that attacked Yuffie earlier."  
  
Cloud nodded his agreement then turned to address the group again. "So Nanaki, Shera, Cait Sith, and Reeve will be stationed in Cosmo Canyon. Cid and Barret..."  
  
Vincent stopped listening as Cloud went on about who went where. From his place crushed in the corner by Barret and Reeve, he could see Yuffie falling in and out of sleep. The painted symbol of 'sun' remained below her left eye, apparently permanent or long lasting since it survived her tosses and turns in her sleep.  
  
He truly was a horrible man for watching such a young girl in her bed from night till the moment the sun broke over the horizon. Even after that, he couldn't force himself to leave her side. It was only the sound of her father approaching that made him flee her room. For Yuffie to catch him watching her was somewhat safe, if Godo were to find him sitting beside his daughter while she slept... That would mean only Vincent's death.  
  
Barret shifted uncomfortably from his squished position, prodding Vincent rather painfully with his elbow in the process. "Sorry, man," he grunted as he sat down, unknowingly on Vincent's foot.  
  
"Vincent and Yuffie, you two will go back to Midgar. I want you two to follow Zeb and try to find out as much about him as you can. Is that okay?" He was mostly concerned about Yuffie. She looked as if she would collapse if she tried to take one step out of Wutai. But the Wutaian princess just nodded in her sleepy daze. This movement ended with her head down on the table.  
  
"On the other hand, maybe Yuffie should stay here for a while. Cid could always come back and pick her up when she's feeling better..." Shera spoke up as she gently pulled the girl straight up again, one hand brushing against her forehead to check for a fever.  
  
Yuffie waved her hands around in front of her and staggered to her feet. "I'm fine! Just not a morning person..." she grumbled. "Gawd, let's get going already! It stinks in here!" And with that, she pushed her way out of the room, taking in a deep gulp of clean air once she was out in the hallway. Everyone eventually followed with a few grunts and a yelp from Nanaki, and soon AVALANCHE was on their way.

--------------------  
  
"They're coming, Zeb. What do you plan on doing?" Jethro asked with a smile, one hand gently stroking the blue hair of the puppet hanging from his belt.  
  
"We'll make things simple for us, and maybe give them something more to grieve about. Let the people have their revenge. If they succeed in killing AVALANCHE then we're one step closer to our goal..." Zeb said without looking up from his papers. Jethro unhooked the puppet from his belt and sat on the desk.  
  
"And if they don't kill AVALANCHE?" He started making the jester dance in front of Zeb's eyes. His blue eyes wandered from the silver eyes of Zeb to the papers he had been looking at.  
  
"Then AVALANCHE will have to kill the people they fought to protect, wouldn't they?" And the leader grabbed the dancing puppet around the torso, pulling the strings out of Jethro's hands and cradling the doll to his chest.  
  
Jethro ignored this action and took the forgotten papers, blue eyes scanning over the contents. A picture of a little brunette girl with brown eyes, followed by her information. The next paper was identical, but different statistics and a different picture. A woman with short brown hair and hazel eyes.  
  
"You shouldn't look into other people's things, Jethro. It'll get you into trouble," Zeb warned him as he snatched the papers back, dropping the jester in the process. The wooden doll clattered lifelessly to the floor as the two men glared at each other.  
  
"I apologize, Zeb," Jethro said softly before standing and picking the jester up. The doll's painted smile betrayed the empty look in its blue eyes as it watched the subsiding anger in Zeb.

--------------------  
  
"I'm bored," Yuffie stated while stretching her arms up. It had been an hour since Cid dropped her and Vincent off a mile from Midgar ("We don't want anyone spotting you guys," Cloud said while crossing his arms) and Yuffie couldn't take the silence anymore. "Vincent, what's your middle name?"  
  
"..."  
  
"C'mon, it's not like I'm going to tell anyone."  
  
"..."  
  
"Do you even have a middle name?"  
  
"..."  
  
"Alright, fine. Just because you don't have a middle name doesn't mean you can take it out on me!"  
  
"We're in."  
  
"Pfft, figures that's the only thing you'd say to me. You talked to me more when Red was around, y'know?"  
  
"Be quiet, Yuffie."  
  
Yuffie narrowed her eyes at the gunman and huffed. Who was he to tell her to shut up? _He didn't exactly tell you to shut up..._ Yuffie frowned as her mind took Vincent's side. This was beyond unfair. Before she could get into a drawn out battle with herself, Vincent snatched her arm and dove into the shadows of the ruins.  
  
"What are you do—!?"  
  
Vincent's human hand clamped over her mouth as he pressed her into a corner, using both himself and the protection of the shadows and debris around to hide her flailing form. She immediately settled down at the sound of footsteps. A lot of footsteps. And angry, angry voices.  
  
Vincent's hand slid from her mouth and the two crouched down. A group of men with various weapons trudged by, arguing the many ways to kill AVALANCHE.  
  
"Why kill the women, though? I'm sure we could have some fun, first. Zeb wouldn't disagree with it, would he? 'Specially if we let him have them first," one man cackled.  
  
"Ugh, that's just wrong. I know we're supposed to hate them, but let them have some form of dignity," another man argued in disgust. Suddenly, the group stopped to stare at him. Something flashed dangerously in their eyes that made Yuffie scoot further into the corner.  
  
"Why are you protecting them, huh? Weren't they the reason your wife died?"  
  
"Well, yeah, but... They did stop Meteor, didn't they?" the poor man said in his defense. He seemed to be shrinking away from them as he spoke.  
  
"Ah, so you're going to stand against us now? Well, you know what Zeb told us..."  
  
The man began to whimper as he tried to back away from them. Chains wrapped around his neck and he immediately began scratching at the hands that held them. A relatively quiet man stepped forward and raised his machete.  
  
Yuffie's breath caught in her throat as Vincent wrapped his arms around her, holding her close while pulling his cape around her small figure. She buried her face into his chest to muffle her cries at the sounds of steel hacking away at flesh.  
  
The men couldn't possibly hear her. The inhuman screams of the man drowned all other sound out. Vincent hushed Yuffie as the men started walking off, chuckling to themselves as they turned the corner and left the two AVALANCHE members and their 'friend'.  
  
Vincent pulled away from Yuffie and walked over to the man on the ground. His face was now a bloody mass from when the machete was stabbed into his nose and twisted till there was nothing left to identify the man with. Red marks were left around his neck from the chain and his hands and feet had been cut off, leaving bleeding stumps.  
  
Crimson eyes studied the figure to check for any clues that would lead them to Zeb. There was no point in checking for life, the man was obviously gone. The sound of vomiting took Vincent's attention from the body and he slowly made his way over to Yuffie. He patted her back lightly with his human hand before leading her away from the sight.

--------------------  
  
Cloud shifted uncomfortably as the PHS began to vibrate in his pocket. He put a finger to Tifa's lips to quiet her and placed the PHS to his ear. "Yeah?" he whispered softly as he backed up into a corner, hidden by the crates around him.  
  
"The people following Zeb seem to be looking for the members of AVALANCHE. I thought it best to warn you of this—"  
  
There was a shuffling noise from Vincent's end of the PHS then a new voice took over.  
  
"And they're not afraid to kill each other! Watch out!" Yuffie whispered- screamed into the phone. Cloud nodded, although neither of his comrades in Midgar could see it, and peeked around the crates.  
  
"Thanks for the notice. We're in a bit of a bind right now, so we'll call you back when we have the chance."  
  
"It would be wise not to," Vincent had the PHS again. "Depending on the cooperation we receive, we may or may not be in Zeb's headquarters and... Yuffie, please stop threatening the man with your weapon."  
  
Cloud winced slightly at the sound of a man crying on the other side and let out a sigh. "Try not to kill anyone. Cloud, out." He put the PHS back into his pocket, then crawled out from behind the crates only to find Tifa standing with an apologetic smile, one of the men they were following holding her from behind.  
  
"You guys gave us quite a scare earlier on. We thought we were being chased by monsters!" The bald man said with a grin, using the barrel of his gun to caress Tifa's neck. Cloud growled at the man and started pulling the Ultima Weapon out, but instead was met with four automatics aimed at his forehead.  
  
"That's not very nice. You should know not to try and attack us. Especially in a safe house that we built! We know every way in and out..." He chuckled as he pushed Tifa towards Cloud. She fell against him and he wrapped an arm around her as if to protect her from the guns.  
  
"Yeah," another guy agreed, body shaking with his laughter. "For an hour, I thought I was gonna die from some stupid monster," he continued.  
  
Tifa stepped away from Cloud slightly and turned to look at the five men. "An hour?"  
  
"Shut up, bitch!" One of the men holding the automatics lashed out, smacking her across the face with the butt of his gun. Tifa immediately sagged against Cloud from the blow.  
  
"Tifa!" Cloud gently placed his hands on her shoulders, steadying her back to her feet. She smiled slightly at him and turned to face the men again. The smile turned dark and angry. A smile that scared the hell out of Cloud.  
  
"We've only been following you for twenty minutes..." she said darkly.

--------------------  
  
"I think I found something!" Shera said excitedly as she hopped up from her place in the small room. She stumbled over to Nanaki and held the book out in front of him. "It says that Mythril is connected to the Promised Land! It comes from the planet, and the Planet holds the Lifestream, and the Lifestream connects people to the Promised Land, right?"  
  
Nanaki listened carefully to her words as they came out in one breath and he nodded as she finished up. He glanced over the book with his good eye and sat up straight. "And the puppet was made with Mythril inside of it. Shera, please make a note of this, then go find Reeve and let him know."  
  
The woman nodded enthusiastically and dashed off to find Reeve and Cait Sith.  
  
Nanaki let out a sigh and glanced down at the book in front of him. "He made a puppet that could connect with the Promised Land... Does that mean we'd be able to talk to the ones that have left us? I'd be able to talk to Grandpa again... And mother, too." The beast lay down again, head resting on his forepaws.  
  
"Considering the circumstances... Would it be the right thing to tell the others? We've all lost someone close to us..." He closed his eye and concentrated on the pros and cons of the situation.  
  
"We would all want to see Aerith again... Wouldn't we?"

--------------------  
  
The wooden walls of the safe house shattered as the tail of the dragon swung around. Cloud tackled Tifa down just in time as it came for another swoop. Two of the men weren't as lucky, and they got caught by the heavy ligament. Their ribs gave a sickening crack as the tail crushed them against a few nearby trees.  
  
"Shoot it, you numbskulls!" the bald man barked out at the men and they did as ordered. The automatics rang out in a symphony at the large dragon. The monster started backing away, the shots apparently annoying it.  
  
"C'mon, Tifa. Let's go!" Cloud said while pulling Tifa to her feet.  
  
Tifa nodded and the two started running into the safety of the forest. All Tifa could do was try her best to ignore the pained screams of the men being ripped apart by the dragon they left behind. This is the right thing to do, she repeated to herself as they continued to run.  
  
The two finally came to a stop at the edge of the forest. Cloud let go of her hand and bent over, hands on his knees, as he attempted to regain his breath. Tifa slumped back against a tree and placed her hand over her heart, eyes closing as the sunlight began to beat down on them.  
  
After a few minutes of resting, Cloud finally smiled over at her. "You run slow," he managed to croak from his dried throat.  
  
Tifa stared at him, then started laughing. "_I_ run slow? I'm pretty sure I was ahead of you, Cloud," she said with a smile as she shifted to sit down next to him.  
  
He grinned and shook his head. "Never in a thousand years will you be ahead of me. I bet even Barret could run faster than you." He gently pinched her arm playfully and she swung a light punch at him in retaliation.  
  
What she didn't expect was for Cloud to catch her fist in his hand and pull, bringing her into an awkward position over him on all fours. Her heart caught in her throat and she felt her cheeks heat up with a blush. Cloud seemed just as surprised as she was and the two simply stared at each other in the silence of the forest.  
  
For what seemed like eternity, Tifa finally pulled herself away from him and up to her feet. She brushed the dirt nervously off of herself and turned her back to him as he stood up as well in his confused state.  
  
"Uh... We should get going. If those guys got away from the dragon, they might already be informing others that we're here..." Cloud said awkwardly as he walked past Tifa.  
  
Tifa looked down at the dirt, then put on a smile and followed behind him.

--------------------  
  
"Yuffie... You didn't have to drag this guy around with us," Vincent said as he watched the little ninja ahead of him, dragging their hostage behind her by a rope tied around his ankles.  
  
"Yeah I did. If it's a trap, then they wouldn't be able to hurt us 'cause we'd have him, too!" She countered, stopping to turn around and point down at the unconscious man. Vincent let out a sigh and put his human hand to his forehead.  
  
"If you don't remember, these people don't care for the lives of their comrades..."  
  
Yuffie visibly paled at the image of the bloodied mass earlier and dropped the rope. She stared down at the hostage and slowly turned away. "Fine, let's go..." she spoke softly. Vincent frowned and followed behind her quickly, hand reaching out to grab her shoulder and effectively stopping her.  
  
"Yuffie, I'm sorry you had to see something like that... You are—"  
  
"Too young... Is that it? I'm too young, right?" Yuffie turned on her heel and glared up at him. She didn't know where this sudden anger came from, but she couldn't hold it in any more. All the memories of AVALANCHE telling her she was too young, or too innocent. Too anything! "I was too young to fight Sephiroth. Did you know they made me wait for you guys? I was too young to go to my mother's funeral. I'm too young to see someone dead... I'm not too young!" she shouted out at him.  
  
Vincent stared down at her, wondering if she had bottled all this anger and frustration since she was a child. _That's right, Vincent... She isn't a child anymore.  
_  
She seemed to calm down as the silence fell over them. With a slight smile, she reached out and put a hand to his chest, where his heart lay. "Did it hurt?"  
  
This question would haunt him till the day he died.  
  
"Falling in love... Did it hurt?"  
  
Vincent didn't know how to answer her, but he wouldn't have to. Someone was clapping. Footsteps followed and soon Zeb emerged from the shadows.  
  
"That was beautiful," he said with a smile. "But... isn't there a large gap in the age differences? It would be wise, princess, if you stayed away from a creation such as Valentine."  
  
Yuffie stepped away from Vincent and frowned as a group of both men and women came up behind Zeb.  
  
"You have caused so much pain and suffering for these people... I think it's time they had their revenge," he spoke softly and waved a hand. The ten or so people lunged at Vincent and Yuffie, and the two could do nothing but defend themselves.  
  
"Vincent! We have to fight back! We can't just let them beat us like this!" Yuffie shouted out as she cut her Conformer through the air, fending off another set of attacks. Vincent backed up into Yuffie and shook his head.  
  
"We can't attack them. They're people like you and me, it isn't right," he argued with her, catching a blade with his claw and throwing it off to the side. Another blade came in and cut across his shoulder. Vincent hissed through his teeth and clutched at it.  
  
Yuffie held her Conformer up defensively as a barrage of bullets came at them. One grazed her left leg and she cried out in surprise. A woman came in with a spear, separating Vincent and Yuffie. "Vincent!" the little ninja shouted as a pole was slammed into his shoulder.  
  
Suddenly, she found herself backed into a pile of rubble, eyes focused on the barrel of a gun pointed at her forehead. _This is it! I'm so sorry!_ Her eyes squeezed shut and the shot rang out.  
  
One eye opened first, then another. The woman holding the gun in front of her slumped forward, blood leaking from her forehead and staining Yuffie's shirt. The Wutaian princess shrieked and shoved the dead body off of her before staring, wild-eyed, at the other dead bodies that littered the area.  
  
_Vincent!?_ She glanced around frantically, soon finding the man off to the side, Death Penalty raised and shooting down the rebels one by one. All were gone and a maniacal laughter filled the air.  
  
Yuffie quickly looked to see Zeb standing proudly, laughing at the sight that lay before him. "You know, I didn't expect you to kill them all!" he said between chuckles. He wiped at his silver eyes before turning his back to them. "That really was an entertaining show. I hope to see it again. Now... leave!" he barked.  
  
The little ninja scrambled to her feet just as Moira came out of the shadows, smiling widely at the gunslinger and ninja. She skipped over to Yuffie and gently pushed her hair behind an ear before taking her hands and twirling around with her. Her bells began to ring harmoniously as she laughed. Yuffie stumbled around until Moira flung her into Vincent. The two tumbled to the ground in a tangle of limbs as Moira hovered above the two of them.  
  
"We'll play again later, princess!" she giggled before blowing them a kiss. A bubble of ice formed around the members of AVALANCHE and the two blinked out of the area. Moira turned to Zeb with sad eyes and pouty lips. "I wanted to play with them a little longer, you know," she said childishly.  
  
Zeb shrugged and walked away, leaving Moira to stomp her foot into the ground in frustration. "Meany!" she shouted as she disappeared.

--------------------  
  
Vincent let his gaze wander throughout the darkness of his mind, searching for the four demons that slept within him. _Where are they..?_ The thought echoed and a snarl was his reply.  
  
Wings like blood washed away the darkness and Chaos emerged from the shadows, fangs showing in a grin. _'What do you want?'_ Vincent glared at the demon as he listened to the howling winds of his mind. A smaller figure leapt out of the shadows and into the waiting arms of Chaos. _'Yuffie?'_  
  
Chaos gently set the girl down, claw tracing the painting of 'sun' on her cheek. The blood from his mark slid down to her chin in rivulets, dripping down to the non-existent floor every few seconds.  
  
_'What do you want with Yuffie?'_ Vincent couldn't understand. The demon was cryptic in everything it did, so this, like many other things, didn't make sense to him.  
  
Yuffie looked up at him, tears of blood spilling from her eyes. Vincent took a step towards her, but realized he couldn't move. He began to sink into the pool of blood forming beneath him and struggling was doing him no good. The bleeding Yuffie reached out, hand gently taking his claw.  
  
_"Falling in love... Did it hurt?"_  
  
The question echoed throughout his mind and Chaos faded away into his private thoughts. The bleeding Yuffie reached even further, arms wrapping around his neck as the two began to sink even deeper into the blood.  
  
_It hurts... Right now, it hurts so much..._  
  
"Vincent!"  
  
Crimson pools snapped open to stare up at the darkening sky.  
  
"Gawd, I thought you would never get up! I was getting so scared," Yuffie blabbered. Her voice was hoarse, Vincent noted. "You twitch when you sleep... Did you know that?" she said with a smile.  
  
Vincent sat up and rubbed at his head. "How long was I out?"  
  
Yuffie tapped a finger against her chin as she thought about it. "I'd say three or four hours... I was starting to wonder if I should try to carry you to Kalm," she replied. Vincent watched her as she started to fuss with his shoulder.  
  
She looked up at him quickly, then smiled and went back to his shoulder. "While you were out, I fought for some potions then fixed up your shoulder and my leg. We should be as good as new," she said while pumping her fist into the air.  
  
Vincent nodded and slowly stood up, helping Yuffie to her feet as well. "I'll call Cid," Vincent said as he reached for his PHS. Yuffie made a noise in the back of her throat and grabbed his arm. Vincent's eyes flickered to hers for a second, searching for a reason to stop him.  
  
"Erm..." Yuffie paused and slowly let go of him. "I tried that already... The PHS is broken..." she mumbled, digging her toe into the ground.  
  
"Broken? How?" he questioned.  
  
Yuffie smiled nervously. "I guess during the whole fighting an' stuff, it just broke." Somehow, Yuffie knew that telling him she got mad that she was getting nothing but static and threw it into a rock wasn't going to help the situation. And besides, what Vincent didn't know didn't hurt Yuffie.  
  
The gunslinger watched her carefully before nodding and heading towards Kalm. "Well then, let's go to Cloud and Tifa's home... We can call them from there."  
  
Yuffie nodded happily and the two walked side by side in silence, each thinking of the same thing, but along different lines.

--------------------  
  
Cloud leaned against the desk as Mr. Hangman retrieved a key. "Here you are. It's so nice, seeing young couples. You know, we had another couple here not too long ago. A tall guy and a much shorter girl. Strange pair, I'd say, but adorable nonetheless. It's too bad, though. They seemed to be having some sort of fight," he rambled on.  
  
Tifa tilted her head to the side as she listened intently. Cloud frowned and began pulling her up the stairs. "That's very interesting, but we're tired and we'd like to get some sleep." Tifa waved a goodbye to Mr. Hangman before she disappeared into the room she and Cloud were sharing.  
  
Mr. Hangman frowned slightly as he began to pull back up into the ceiling. "Strange couples these days. All in some sort of fight, it seems."  
  
Cloud shut the door and leaned against the wall with a sigh. "Ugh, I thought he would never shut up..." he groaned.  
  
Tifa grinned as she sat down on the bed closest to the window. "You know... I think he was talking about Vincent and Yuffie. He's right, too. Adorable together. Is that why you keep pairing them up?"  
  
Cloud shook his head and plopped down on the only bed left, burying his face in the pillows as he kicked off his shoes. "No. I pair them up because they balance each other out. Didn't you hear me explaining this to Nanaki?" He turned to look at Tifa and smiled at her pout. "But I guess I pair them up because they would look cute together..."  
  
Tifa seemed to brighten up as she leapt from her bed to his. He bounced up slightly then sighed as she stifled a giggle. "Hah! I thought you said guys didn't _do _cute!"

--------------------  
  
Vincent closed the door behind Yuffie and locked it before following her up the stairs. He avoided tripping over her discarded shoes and armor as she trudged into **his** room and collapsed on **his** bed.  
  
"Yuffie... I believe your room is across from mine."  
  
"I know. But I don't trust the people here at Kalm. They could break in at any second, and I'm sure you don't want a poor defenseless girl like me being intruded on," she mumbled as she sat up to look at him.  
  
"No, I guess not," he replied before walking back out to grab the phone and call Cloud. Not more than ten minutes later, he returned to the room and locked his door. "Cloud said they'll come by in the morning."  
  
Yuffie watched him quizzically and he shrugged. "I don't trust the people of Kalm either."  
  
The Wutaian princess nodded and scooted over to sit on the edge of the bed. The silence reigned over the room and it seemed to grow colder as the seconds passed. The springs of the bed shifted as Vincent sat down on the other side.  
  
"I can't feel anything," Vincent said quietly as he stared at the wall opposite of him. Yuffie glanced over her shoulder, hoping the silence would tell him to explain. "Falling in love... A monster like me can't feel anything, so I can't answer the question."  
  
Yuffie frowned, hands balling into fists in her lap. "You fell in love with Lucrecia didn't you?" she hated the name. She hated the woman.  
  
Vincent shook his head sadly. "At the time, I thought I did. But now... I'm not so sure anymore." He lay down under the covers and his gaze focused onto Yuffie. "When it came to Lucrecia, I don't think I loved her so much as I was just infatuated with the idea of loving her," he explained thoughtfully.  
  
Yuffie couldn't take his stare anymore and quickly looked away. Slowly, Yuffie got to her feet and moved away from the bed. Vincent watched her cautiously as she turned to smile back at him. "I'm not so tired anymore, so I think I'll just clean my Conformer..."  
  
The gunslinger watched as she sat down in the cushioned chair and pulled the Conformer up to her lap. She produced a cloth from her pocket and gently began wiping the blades of her weapon.  
  
Vincent watched as the moonlight played along her features, giving her stormy hues an inhuman glow. He felt Chaos shift in his mind and slowly turned away so his back would be facing the girl.  
  
Everything about her was confusing his senses, but now wasn't the time to think about it. _I shouldn't be thinking about it at all..._ He chastised himself as he allowed Chaos to pull him into a land of nightmares, accompanied by the sound of Yuffie humming her continuous six noted tune.

* * *

**A/N: Oh wow... Finally!!! This is what writer's block does to you. I can't stand it. I could've made this chapter better, but I didn't want to make you guys wait too much longer. Things are going to really start progressing in the next few chapters! Please, review and let me know what you think! Thank you.**


	9. A Deal With the Devil

**Beyond Paradise**  
  
_Disclaimer: The places, people, and stuff of this fic belong to Squaresoft/enix's best-selling game, Final Fantasy VII. The only things I own are Jethro, Zeb, and Moira.  
_  
**Author's Note: I'm glad you guys liked the last chapter. Personally, I thought nobody would like it. Also, Tifa and Cloud didn't summon any dragon; it was just a random dragon that decided to save their lives (or try to eat them afterwards). Now, onto the Ninth Chapter! Enjoy!******

* * *

  
  
_Agatha Fry, she made a pie,   
And Christopher John helped bake it.   
Christopher John, he mowed the lawn,   
And Agatha Fry helped rake it.   
Zachary Zugg took out the rug,   
And Jennifer Joy helped shake it.   
And Jennifer Joy, she made a toy,   
And Zachary Zugg helped break it.  
  
And some kind of help   
Is the kind of help   
That helping's all about.   
And some kind of help   
Is the kind of help   
We all can do without.  
  
Helping  
-- Shel Silverstein_  
  
**- Chapter 9: A Deal With the Devil**  
  
It was early in the morning when Vincent awoke to the sound of rushing water, a type of maniacal laughter, and a strange sound that resembled the squawking of the crows in Corel. He tiredly glanced to the door, only to shoot out of bed at the sight of the mahogany crafted object lying flat on the floor.  
  
How could something have broken in without him hearing it? This brought confusion along with worry when he noticed he could not see Yuffie anywhere. He made a dash for the bathroom and kicked the door open, only to stare in wonder at the sight that lay before his eyes.  
  
There sat Yuffie, laughing loudly with the squirming cat that was one half of Cait Sith over an overflowing bathtub.  
  
"Oh my god! Vincent! Save me!! She's trying to kill me!!" the cat screamed out in fright, gloved hands clawing at the curtains to try and escape from the grip Yuffie had and the water below.  
  
Vincent stared for a bit longer, allowing the laughter of his four demons to subside before leveling his gaze on Yuffie. "You do realize that if you put him in there, it will electrocute you as well, right?"  
  
Yuffie paused in her laughter and tugging to think about it. A roasted Yuffie for the death of the annoying robot in her hands. Was it worth it?  
  
She seemed to make her decision as she released her death grip on the cat and turned the water off. She reached into the water and pulled the plug, allowing the warm liquid to drain. "You know," she started, "I was only getting revenge for what he was planning on doing to you."  
  
Vincent tilted his head to the side in question as the black cat made a mad dash to hide behind the man's legs. "And what was he going to do to me, Yuffie?"  
  
The little ninja grinned and pointed to the fat moogle that was stuffed in the cabinet below the sink. "He was gonna sit on you and wake you up with his megaphone."  
  
The cat quickly came to its own defense. "I was not! That's what you were going to do!" the black cat pointed accusingly to her from between Vincent's legs, then ran out the door and down the stairs, the fat moogle popping out of the cabinet and following close behind.  
  
Yuffie watched quietly before shrugging and standing, her bare legs wet from the puddle forming at the side of the now empty bathtub. "Tifa's going to make you clean that out," Vincent commented on it as Yuffie made her way past him.  
  
"That's okay. I'll make you help me anyway."  
  
"Why should I help you?"  
  
"Because, you were part of the reason it's there."  
  
"I had no part of this."  
  
"Yeah you did."  
  
"No, I didn't."  
  
"Yes. You did."  
  
"No, I—" He let out a sigh, seeing where this would lead. "Let us go downstairs and take the verbal abuse for your mess." He could already hear Cait Sith blaming Yuffie for a mess that Tifa hadn't seen yet, but was quickly becoming frustrated over.

--------------------  
  
Jethro watched calmly as Zeb passed him for the fifteenth time. The silver man had been pacing the length of his office for what felt like hours upon hours when, in truth, it had only been a few minutes. The bells of the attached puppet rang as Jethro shifted in his position against the wall, arms crossing over his chest from lack of anything better to do. "You really should sit down," Jethro said with a crack of his neck. Zeb sent him a glare as he passed by the seventeenth time. "Or not..." he grumbled.  
  
Zeb's hands flew up in frustration and he stopped to stand in front of his friend and right-hand man. "Despite everything we're doing, we're not getting anywhere! And Moira," he spat while pointing at the jester attached to Jethro's belt, "is becoming less and less cooperative! Explain this to me, Jethro. She's a doll; she shouldn't have a mind of her own."  
  
The other man stood up straight and stretched his arms up above his head. "She's more than a doll. Moira is the link to us and the Promised Land. You say she shouldn't have a mind of her own, and she doesn't," he countered angrily, annoyed that someone he had once considered a friend was insulting a creation of his. "She has the minds of everyone in the Beyond..."  
  
His silver-haired friend turned away and stalked to his desk, sitting in his leather chair and shuffling through the paperwork of AVALANCHE information collected throughout the Meteor crisis. "Everyone, huh? Anyone these crooks would know?" He motioned with the papers to his friend, grinning at the possibilities.  
  
Jethro cocked his head to the side, then lifted the jester to eyelevel. "Well, is there anyone in there they might know?"  
  
In the darkness, the blonde girl smiled softly, nodding a little though she knew the disembodied voice couldn't very well see her. "Yes. So many people they have loved and lost." She picked up her jester doll and gently stroked the blue hair back.  
  
Zeb gave a crooked smirk as he lifted one paper from the stack. "Aerith Gainsborough. Ancient, or Cetra, wanted for scientific purposes by ShinRa. Deceased," he read off the paper, silver-colored eyes inspecting the contents of the white sheet before traveling up to meet with Jethro's own blues. "Could Moira break AVALANCHE down with her?"  
  
Jethro stared into the blue eyes of the puppet again, repeating the question for the blonde girl in the shadows to hear.  
  
"She's one of them..." The blonde girl's voice faded away and she wiped away at tears that began to brim her dulled eyes. She hung her head low and hugged the doll closely.  
  
"It's impossible to reach the Cetra. Their race is far too protected." This voice was older, innocence lost and thick with wisdom from the decades that had passed. Pale arms wrapped around the crying girl from the shadows, blue strands brushing over the blonde girls bare shoulders.  
  
Jethro's gaze hardened as the blue eyes of the puppet flashed darkly. He shook his head and glanced to Zeb. "We can't use the Ancient."  
  
Zeb frowned and went through the separate papers again. "Well, we'll just have to break them... one by one, won't we? Each had someone close to them." Silence fell over and Zeb's silver eyes flared angrily up towards Jethro. "Make her do it!"  
  
The crying girl fell limp in the arms from behind and a body emerged from the darkness, long blue hair becoming a curtain around the bare figure. Lips painted purple spread into a smile as bright blue eyes focused kindly onto the sleeping ghost in her arms, tears staining the child's cheeks. "This girl is no longer needed. Let her sleep... I'll do the rest." The light faded and the ring of bells echoed in the darkness.

--------------------  
  
Yuffie huffed and crossed her arms sourly over her chest. Cid ignored her and took a long drag from his cigarette, puffing out the smoke towards the window. Tifa leaned patiently against the railing, fingernails tapping thoughtlessly against the steel. The little ninja huffed again, stomping her foot against the metal flooring of the airship.  
  
"God dammit, stop fidgeting!" Cid finally shouted in annoyance. Yuffie poked her tongue out at him and stomped her foot again just for good measure. The older man flicked his cigarette out the open window and lit up another one. "Impatient brat... It's only been five bloody minutes!"  
  
"Yeah, but I don't see why I couldn't go with them!" she argued, arms uncrossing to flail around at her sides. "I'd be just as helpful as Vincent, you know." Lower lip protruded in a pout and she went back to crossing her arms stubbornly over her chest.  
  
Tifa let out a sympathetic sigh and stood straight, arms stretching out in front of her. "Well, they just went to talk with Zeb, so I'm sure they'll be... alright..." she was almost uncertain with the ending of her sentence, but covered it with a smile. "And if anything goes wrong, I'm positive they'd call us. Right, Cid?" she turned to the walking chimney for help.  
  
He grunted in response and took another unhealthy drag from the burning stick.  
  
Yuffie grumped and allowed herself to relax only slightly. "Maybe, but I don't see why the three of us had to sit around in this stinky airship," she stifled a chuckle at the glare Cid gave her, "while everyone else besides Spike, Vinnie, and Red get to lounge around in Cosmo Canyon."  
  
Cid lifted the cigarette from his chapped lips only to respond. "If anythin' happened, they'd hafta call me an' Tifa for backup. You, on the other hand, I have no fuckin' clue. I sure as hell wouldn't want to rely on you to save my ass if—"  
  
A swift smack on the back of the head by Tifa was all that was needed to take his insult to an end. Wine-colored eyes moved to settle on the younger member, in human aging, of their group, smile never faltering. "Don't worry, Yuffie. Just relax, and in another couple of minutes they'll be coming back—" the PHS rang.  
  
Three pairs of eyes fell onto the ringing contraption on the table, only one hand reaching out to silence it. "Cid."  
  
Both women watched the older man as his expression became troubled. "Yeah... Gotcha." Then he hung up and set the PHS down on the table. "They're comin' back," he started, ignoring the relieved sighs as he finished, "With company."

--------------------  
  
Rewinding the world back a few minutes, the sun shone down on the blonde spikes of Cloud Strife as he and two comrades trudged through the rubble of Midgar. Vincent was silently leading the way to where he and Yuffie had last seen Zeb, and Nanaki was attempting to sniff out the man.  
  
Vincent stopped and pointed a golden claw towards an opening. "That is where we met with Zeb." He failed to inform Cloud of, what he considered to be, the murder of the people Zeb had forced upon Yuffie and himself. The leading man nodded and made his way forward, senses on high alert for any sort of ambush should the man they were looking for know they were coming.  
  
Nanaki stepped into the opening cautiously, tail flicking this way and that as he sniffed around at the ground. "This place smells... strange," he managed between thoughts as he tried to separate the scents.  
  
Vincent wasn't the least bit surprised at the lack of bodies that should have been littering the area. The only thing that brought on shock was the missing stench of the blood that should have been staining the dirt. He crouched down and brushed his human fingers along the ground, hoping to find some signs of a cleaning crew having come through. Nothing came up that he could recognize.  
  
A breeze whistled through the air and Nanaki lifted his head immediately. "Someone's coming."  
  
Indeed, in a matter of seconds, Zeb emerged from the shadows, arms folded over his well tanned and very bare chest. "I thought I had taught you not to come here unannounced." His gaze leveled on the ex-Turk as his head tilted to the side cockily.  
  
Cloud ignored his comment and stepped into his line of vision. "We needed to talk." An understanding went between the two leaders and Zeb led the three through the shadows and into a second opening, a small hut built in the center. Zeb held the door open courteously for the men as they entered cautiously.  
  
Vincent immediately glared at the other man standing in the corner, blonde hair a contrast to his tanned skin and blue eyes shining brightly. Zeb shut the door and maneuvered past Nanaki to his desk, sitting calmly with hands folding beneath his chin. "You wanted to talk. About what? As you've noticed, your presence isn't appreciated."  
  
The blonde AVALANCHE leader frowned and placed his hands at his temples, rubbing lightly at them to rid himself of a growing headache. "A member of AVALANCHE was attacked earlier this week by... something, we weren't entirely sure what..."  
  
"And you think that we sent it," Zeb finished for him, gray brow rising in question. Cloud nodded to him, arms folding over his chest.  
  
"You have something dangerous in your possession and I want to know what your plans are with it," Cloud finished in annoyance, unhappy with the stare of the unnamed man in the corner. A bodyguard for all Cloud knew.  
  
Zeb grinned and nodded as he leaned back in his chair. "I understand your concern, Mr. Strife, but that creation is no longer under our control. It seems that it has grown a mind of its own and is now out, terrorizing whomever it pleases," he replied, far too calmly for Nanaki's liking. The extra man chuckled and stood up straight, arms hanging limply at his sides.  
  
Vincent placed his hand over the holster of his Death Penalty, watching every move the extra man made carefully. To trust the situation completely was a suicide note waiting to be written. Zeb seemed to take notice of this and merely grinned in amusement.  
  
"You want us to help you control it again, don't you?" Nanaki inquired.  
  
Zeb nodded to the beast and slowly stood, hand held out towards Cloud.  
  
"What makes you think we'd want to help you with anything? You're the one who organized the entire rebellion against AVALANCHE," Cloud pointed out, hands resting on his hips in a way to avoid the outstretched hand in front of him. Zeb laughed and shrugged at him.  
  
"I understand your concern. If it pleases you, I will call off the 'angry mobs'." The hand was once again offered in a truce.  
  
Cloud shook his head. "You'll call off the entire thing. You know for a fact we meant no harm to the people. Do it or there's no way in hell that we help you find and control your creation."  
  
Zeb seemed to think this over, sending a questioning glance to the silent man in the corner awaiting his words. With a nod, Zeb smiled towards Cloud. "Alright then. Everything's off. No more rebellion as long as you find our creation, with the help of my right-hand man here."  
  
Cloud sent a wary glance towards the man, then took Zeb's awaiting hand and the two shook on the deal.

--------------------  
  
The phone call passed and soon four extra bodies were boarding the Highwind, much to the displeasure of Yuffie. The little ninja just about jumped at Cloud the moment he stepped into the bridge, but Tifa had beaten her to it, yet for an entirely different reason Yuffie refused to pay attention to.  
  
Nanaki moved to his normal post on the ship, Vincent following closely behind. Yuffie watched the extra man cautiously from her perch on the railing, stormy hues staring holes into his back. A chill ran down her spine as he turned to look at her, blue eyes burning into her memory. Flashes of Kalm and the meeting with Zeb ran through her mind and she suddenly remembered the blue eyes from the outside darkness, waiting for the man that had insulted her home. With a surprised squeak, she toppled backwards in an ungraceful attempt to run away from the thoughts.  
  
Vincent, just as surprised as she was, caught her before she hit the ground and gently set her down to her feet. "Yuffie?" He followed her gaze up to watch the mystery man approaching them, a glimmer of amusement tainting his features. Vincent resisted the urge to push Yuffie behind him and settled with placing a protective hand to her shoulder.  
  
Blue eyes filled with laughter as the blonde man leaned against the railing that separated him from the lowered section Yuffie and Vincent stood in with Nanaki relaxing by the stairs. "Well, dear, are you alright? Would've caught you myself if I were closer," he said with a suggestive wink. Yuffie's cheeks grew hot and she took an unnoticeable step back towards Vincent. "The name's Jethro. You might as well get used to me now. I'm going to be here with you guys for a while."

--------------------  
  
Zeb stepped up onto the makeshift stage and held the megaphone up to silence the crowd of rebels forming before him. He was a man true to his deals and would stop the fight against AVALANCHE, if only momentarily. "My friends, AVALANCHE has had enough weight to handle on their shoulders as of late, haven't they?"  
  
One man stood angrily, waving his machete in the air. "They killed our friends and family, what does it matter?"  
  
Another woman agreed and shook her spear around. "My son is gone and my husband lost his job since they got rid of ShinRa. Why should we give them a break?"  
  
Zeb smiled down at his followers, agreeing full heartedly with them. But he had a deal to keep if he wanted to destroy his main obstacle. "True that they have caused us pain, but we mustn't give them such trouble during these times. Besides, we know how weak they are... Let them rest before we finally take them down, hm?" he offered.  
  
The people murmured their complaints and agreements then finally settled as Zeb raised the megaphone again.  
  
"We'll strike them down only when they think it's safe. I have faith in you, my friends. You're such great actors, aren't you?" he said with a grin.  
  
A cheer rose from the people and Zeb took this as his finish. He walked off the stage and disappeared into his hut, sitting calmly at his desk. He looked over the spread out papers of AVALANCHE and almost laughed. "This is too easy. So trusting..."  
  
His gaze flitted over to the corner and he smiled. "You know they're searching for you. You should leave if you don't want to ruin the plan."  
  
A pale finger twisted around a blue lock as purple lips pulled into a smirk. "I don't like being called a creation," she said slowly, the bells that decorated her jester outfit remaining abnormally silent as she sauntered over to stand in front of him. "You will call me by my name..."  
  
"You aren't a living creature, therefore you should have no name. I'm surprised Jethro tried to give you one," Zeb argued in annoyance, legs crossing and hands folding in his lap.  
  
The female jester shrugged and sat herself down on his desk, hands venturing to pick up a paper with the picture of a young Wutaian girl. "Who shall I destroy first?" she said, changing the subject.  
  
Zeb glanced up at her then back down to the papers littering his desk. "The one that gives us the most trouble. Watch them closely, and whichever you tend to dislike first is the one you can... hurt," he replied, pausing for his choice of wording.  
  
Blue eyes glared down at him momentarily before she blinked out of his office, the paper of Yuffie Kisaragi floating down into Zeb's lap. He looked down at the picture of the smiling girl and couldn't help but smile back. "Jethro was always my favorite actor, you know," he said to the picture. He didn't really expect a response.

--------------------  
  
It had taken both Cid and Vincent to hold Barret back as Cloud had explained the reason for Jethro's arrival. "What the fuck d'ya think you're doin', ya Spikey-ass!" he roared, waving his fist and gun angrily in the air. Jethro smiled calmly from his standing position behind Yuffie and Nanaki, knowing fully well that he was safe behind the two youngest members.  
  
Cloud stood in the center, arms stretched out at his sides to stop the oversized bear of a man if he were to break free of Cid and Vincent. "He can find this thing and stop it, Barret!" he explained over the fuss the black man was making.  
  
Barret growled and thumped his feet on the floor in frustration. "He's the damn ass who created it in the first place!" he argued. "What makes ya thinks he's trustworthy, huh?"  
  
Jethro chuckled and held a hand out as if in proof that he was unarmed. "I know that I've created it, and I regret doing so, but to stop it, you need me around. Even to recognize it—"  
  
"What is it?" Yuffie suddenly turned from her stance, storms glaring into the blue eyes of the man she had previously been protecting. Hands were placed firmly on her hips as she watched him visibly struggle for a response. "Well?" she was growing impatient.  
  
Jethro covered his uneasiness with a smile and shook his head. "A weapon. Similar to the ones the Planet created for its own protection."  
  
Yuffie frowned, finding herself unable to trust his answer, and turned back to Barret. The larger man calmed himself greatly and simply turned to grouch in a corner of the room. Nanaki, finding no more threat, trotted to the door.  
  
"I'll have the Inn ready some rooms for you guys..." he informed them as he exited through the doorway. Cloud whispered something to Tifa and readily followed Nanaki out. The woman made her way to Barret and began to tug at his arm.  
  
"Let's go outside, hm? Maybe you can get a call in to Marlene," she offered as the man slowly started on his way out. He grumbled a response and the two left the room, the tension in the air following him out.  
  
The remaining occupants of the room filed out slowly, each finding their own comfortable destination. As the others gathered to their own locations, Jethro found himself wandering up to the observation deck, arms folded over the railing as his gaze traveled up to the ever-present stars above. It hadn't been long till someone joined him.  
  
"Your friends don't trust me," he said towards the horizon, knowing very well the young girl heard him. She came up to his side and leaned against the railing as well, gaze falling to the Cosmo Candle below.  
  
"It's not like I trust you, either," Yuffie retorted, legs crossing at the ankles as she supported her weight with one leg. She watched him out of the corner of her eye, inspecting his features and choice of clothing. To her relief, he wore nothing that could hide a weapon.  
  
As if noticing her inspection, Jethro took a step away from the railing and pulled his pockets out. "I'm safe, don't worry. Nothing that could hurt you is hidden away." He smiled as he settled back against the railing, blue eyes trailing over her figure. "You know, I don't believe I ever really caught your name..."  
  
"You don't need it," she spat at him.  
  
"Ah, but it would be nice, wouldn't it?" He could easily see the reason Moira had taken such a liking to the Wutaian princess standing beside him. Yuffie sent him a glare, then returned to watching the fire below and the people wandering around it.  
  
"Yuffie. Kisaragi, Yuffie. Princess of Wutai and whatnot." Her arms unfolded as she pointed down to a familiar figure walking into the building. "That's Vincent Valentine. He's an ex-Turk. Very good with a gun, so you'd be smart not to try anything."  
  
Jethro was almost saddened at the admiration she held in her tone as she spoke the gunslingers name. "Ah, yes. Vincent Valentine. So I take it you're off the market."  
  
Yuffie gawked at him and immediately, as if on instinct, moved to smack him upside the head. His fingers caught around her wrist in lightning speed and she felt a sudden fear build in her chest as he held her arm up above her head, blue eyes laughing at her misfortunate position now. Yuffie's free hand moved to scratch his grip off, but his own free limb took hers and held it away.  
  
Jethro chuckled as he leaned towards her, head tilting to the side in amusement. "Maybe not..?"  
  
A shot rang out, bullet barely missing Jethro's nose as he jerked away from the little ninja, effectively releasing his hold on her. She squeaked in surprise and fell back, dust blooming around her as she landed on her bottom. Eyes turned to the man standing by the entrance, gun aimed at Jethro.  
  
"You would be wise to never lay a hand on her again..." Vincent spoke darkly to the shocked expression on the opposing man's face.  
  
Jethro quickly relaxed himself and shrugged. "I didn't think she'd be so touchy on the subject," he responded coolly. He flashed a grin to Yuffie before sauntering past Vincent and down the ladder behind him. "She gets flustered so easily," he murmured on his way down.  
  
Yuffie stood up and brushed herself off, cheeks still red from the previous moment. Vincent quietly made his way over to her, gaze running over her figure quickly to check for any extra injuries the blonde man could have done before he had arrived. "You're not injured?"  
  
The young princess shook her head and hesitated to smile up at him. "Thanks, Vinnie."  
  
Vincent looked away from her, finding himself unable to look directly into her eyes without feeling a dull ache in his chest.

--------------------  
  
Jethro was halfway down the stairs when a familiar voice stopped him.  
  
"What do you think you're doing?"  
  
The blonde man looked up and smiled at the woman he recognized from his 'missing' jester puppet. "Ah... Moira. How long were you watching me?"  
  
The woman frowned, arms crossing over her stomach. Thin blue brows knitted together in frustration as she took a step towards him, bells remaining eerily silent. "Don't you ever attempt such a thing with her again, do you understand me?" The puppet's voice had changed and Jethro smiled as he recognized it.  
  
"I'm sorry, ma'am. Would you mind allowing me to speak to the one I created now?"  
  
The jester shivered slightly, then the blue eyes calmly glanced over to him. "Oh my, it seems her mother doesn't like you very much."  
  
Jethro laughed and ran a hand through his blonde hair. "I guess not. Who does Zeb want you to break first, hm? Are you really going to hurt the Kisaragi girl?"  
  
Moira shook her head, blue locks curling along her waistline. "I would never willingly hurt her. I've chosen my doll for the meantime. He's a mean one, he is," she stated simply as she blinked out of his vision, bells ringing in her place.  
  
The blue eyed man laughed and continued down to the Cosmo Candle, finding the way events were going quite humorous.

* * *

**A/N: ...No way in hell do I like this chapter. =.= In fact, I have no idea why I'm allowing it to be put in. Probably 'cause I don't want to make you guys wait forever. So sorry... Well, the next chapter may take another long while to come in because I have the worst case of Writer's Block ever known to man at the moment. I'm really beginning to wish I had planned the chapters out... Well, review with your thoughts and whatnot. Thank you.**


	10. We All Fall Down

**Beyond Paradise**  
  
_Disclaimer: I don't own Vincent, Yuffie, or any of the other characters or places in Final Fantasy VII. Squaresoft/enix owns it all. The only things in this fanfic that I do own are Zeb, Moira, and Jethro. Everyone seems to love the last two. o.o Lucky..?_  
  
**Author's Note: Wow, you could never comprehend the joy I feel when I get an e-mail at roughly three in the morning, telling me I received reviews. I swear, I just about started giggling like a madwoman in my glee. Now, concerning the questions and confusion about Moira, she's the jester (::gives cookies to Noriko::). The blonde girl is just another one of the dead from 'Paradise'. ("**She has the minds of everyone in the Beyond...**" The blonde is simply the dominant one. I should've explained this, huh?) :O I hope no one's confused now. On with the chapter! Enjoy!**

* * *

_It's the deadly eye   
Of Poogley-Pie.   
Look away, look away,   
As you walk by,   
'Cause whoever looks right at it   
Surely will die.   
It's a good thing you didn't...   
You did?...   
Good-bye.  
  
The Deadly Eye  
-- Shel Silverstein_  
  
**- Chapter 10: We All Fall Down**  
  
Arms stretched up and Yuffie let out a loud groan that was sure to wake the sleeping woman in the bed five feet away. Tifa murmured something in her sleep and twisted in the thin sheets to bury her face in the pillow, yet no other movement announced an awakening of any sort. With a snort, Yuffie rolled off the bed and placed her bare feet to the wooden flooring of the Inn. _Cheap,_ she thought to herself as she slid on a pair of sandals and left the building.  
  
Outside, the night was cool compared to the heated days in the canyon. Yuffie wrapped her arms around herself and made a beeline for the Cosmo Candle centered in the town, hoping for the warmth of the ever burning flame. As she approached the fire, she came to realize that she wasn't alone. Stormy hues flickered to the shadow beyond the flame and she frowned. "Shouldn't you be asleep?"  
  
Jethro grinned and made his way over to the young Wutaian girl. "I should, but you know how hard it is to sleep when you've got someone eyeing you the entire time." He jerked a thumb to the right, and Yuffie realized there was another shadow watching them.  
  
Metal tipped boots stepped out into the circle of light and Vincent glared down at Jethro, whom was only two or three inches shorter than him, then down to Yuffie. "Why aren't you in bed?" he questioned her, arms folding beneath his cape. Watching Jethro had been a simple enough task, but the moment Yuffie had arrived, a sudden sense to protect the ninja had risen in his chest.  
  
Yuffie turned away from both men, her hands balling into fists against her hips in a defiant manner. "What, do I have a curfew now or something? Gawd, Vinnie, you're starting to act a lot like my dad, you know that?" In truth, she was hurt that he didn't want her around, but her nature refused to allow the pain to show.  
  
Jethro watched on as Vincent visibly winced at the comment, yet he covered it up with the high collar of his cape and turned his glare towards the fire. The blonde man of the trio was far too amused to wish for the moment to end, but end it would, with a scream of terror that could only be recognized as Shera.

--------------------  
  
Yuffie rushed to the room that had been given to Barret and Cid and kicked the door open. She stumbled in, Vincent and Jethro close behind her, and let out a gasp at the sight. Time stood still as Yuffie frantically looked over the scene. Shera was cowering in a corner, cradling an unconscious Cid closely as wide chocolate hues stared at the female jester floating just above Barret.  
  
Time resumed and Yuffie focused her fear and anger on the creation. "Moira!" she shouted at the puppet.  
  
The jester smiled down at the black man and danced over to Yuffie. "He's mine now!" She giggled and disappeared as soon as Vincent pulled Yuffie back. Yuffie jerked away from him and rushed to Shera and Cid just as the other members of AVALANCHE barged in as a group.  
  
Tifa cried out in shock and ran to Barret's side, fingers pressing to his neck. She visibly calmed and placed her hand to his forehead, her own screwing up into a frown. "He's alive, but he has a fever..." she murmured as the room went silent.  
  
Cloud stepped over to Yuffie, who was still trying to calm Shera down, and crouched down beside the two women and unconscious man. "Shera, what happened here?" he asked calmly, much to Yuffie's surprise. Then again, he was the leader and should have been used to situations like this.  
  
_Well, maybe not quite..._ Yuffie thought to herself as Shera's wild-eyes turned to Cloud.  
  
"There were noises, and I was worried, so I came in and this girl was doing something to Cid. Her eyes... They were terrifying! Cid was... was screaming, and then – oh, it happened so quickly! – Cid was out, and she was over Barret, and he looked like he was in so much pain... Then Yuffie came in! The girl left... but..." all sanity seemed to settle back into the engineers mind and she took a deep breath. "I'm not sure what she did to them..."  
  
Cloud nodded in understanding and slowly stood up. "Nanaki, do you have a doctor of some sort that can come in and take a look at them?" At the lion- beasts nod, Cloud turned to the others and motioned for them to leave. "It's too crowded in here. Vincent, help me put Cid back into his bed. Tifa, take Shera to yours and Yuffie's room. Nanaki, go get the doctor. I don't care how late it is, he's checking on them now. Everyone else, get the sleep you're going to need. We'll be up and in search of that thing in four hours," he ordered. AVALANCHE did as told and filed out of the room.

--------------------  
  
The doctor exited the room, closing the door behind him before shuffling over to Cloud. Dulled eyes stared up into sapphires tainted with mako as his wrinkled hands wrung themselves raw. "Their vital signs are normal. The old one," Jethro snickered, despite the situation, "should wake up soon, but the one you call Barret..." The doctor seemed to hesitate as he chose his words carefully. "He seems to be in a type of coma. Although he is physically in the best of health, his emotions and mentality are fluctuating abnormally."  
  
Cloud frowned in thought, rubbing at his chin before letting out a sigh. "Is there a chance of just waking him up?"  
  
The elderly doctor shook his head sadly. "I'm afraid not... He will only wake up of his own accord. I'm very sorry." With a nod, the doctor left the three men to stand in the hallway.  
  
Jethro snorted and scratched idly at the base of his skull. "Bull... He doesn't have a choice in whether he wakes up or not," he grumbled. In one quick motion, Cloud's fist balled around the collar of his shirt and slammed the blue eyed man against the nearest wall.  
  
"What the hell do you know?" he growled. Vincent stood off to the side, threatening enough with his ever present silence and the icy glare.  
  
Jethro laughed and held his hands up defensively, ignoring the pain that darted through him the moment his head had hit the wall. "I know nothing that could help you, Strife."  
  
"But you know something, don't you? Something you're not telling us," Vincent spoke up, hand falling dangerously over the Death Penalty.  
  
Jethro took the silent threat well and avoided eye contact with the gunslinger. He focused on the man holding him to the wall and managed a grin. "Someone's coming."  
  
It was at that precise moment that Yuffie came racing in, hand over her heart as if she had run a marathon. Cloud released his tight grip on Jethro and turned to face her, giving her time to catch her breath before explaining her rush.  
  
"Something-... Something happened to Red!" she exclaimed, arms flailing around before pressing to her heart again. It took less than a second for Cloud and Vincent to break into a run, Yuffie close on their heels, to get back to the lion-beast.  
  
Jethro stood silently, rubbing at his throat where Cloud's fist had been digging into it. A soft breeze and the sound of a bell announced the arrival of his creation and he smiled sadly. "You work fast, dear..."  
  
Moira frowned at him, pale fingers running over the forming bruise. "They hurt you?"  
  
"Only the stupid one..." he grumbled in response. Moira looked up at him in silence, studying his expression thoroughly before turning away. "What's wrong now, hm?"  
  
She snorted at him, a very ugly sound coming from such a beautiful doll, and crossed her thin arms over her stomach. "Your _friend_," she nearly spit the word out, "wants me to work faster. I don't think he realizes how tiring it is on my mind. I've taken two with me in one night, and another is out for the time being, am I right?"  
  
Jethro merely nodded, though she wouldn't be able to see it. "It's enough for now... Let them figure things out." The jester spun on her heel, blue eyes wide in question. Jethro smiled down at her and stepped forward, arms circling around the puppet and chin resting at the top of her blue hair. "Take a break, Moira..."  
  
For once, the female jester simply faded away.

--------------------  
  
Cloud began to rub at the bridge of his nose, eyes shut tightly to block out the problems that were rising at each moment they could. Vincent stepped out of the room across from the blonde leader, quietly shutting the door behind himself. Mako sapphires opened to watch the gunslinger. "Is it the same?"  
  
Vincent gave a nod, confirming the idea. "He's fallen into a comatose state."  
  
"Cid, too?" Yuffie asked from her place leaning against a wall. She hadn't been nearby to listen to the doctor, whom was now fretting over Nanaki inside the room.  
  
"No. Cid was knocked unconscious... He should be waking up at some point. But Barret and Nanaki..." Cloud trailed off in thought, trying to figure it all out. He ran a gloved hand through his spikes and let out a puff of air. "In not even an hour, we've lost two of our friends to a long-lasting sleep... And Jethro knows something that—" There was a sudden intake of breath and Cloud spun around. "Where _is_ Jethro?"  
  
"I'm right here. Don't have a heart attack..." the man in question grumbled as he approached the three.  
  
"Yeah? Where were you earlier?" Yuffie countered, arms crossing angrily over her chest as she took a threatening step towards him.  
  
Jethro smiled down at her, palm resting on the top of her head and ruffling her hair. "Worried about me?" She swatted his hand away and stepped back as he chuckled. "I see the love..."  
  
"Oh, you'll be seeing _something_, that's for sure," Yuffie snarled, right hand balling into a fist. Cloud grabbed her wrist and pulled her away before she had the chance to swing at him, and she stumbled back into Vincent. "Psh..." she snorted and jerked herself away from the taller man before storming out of the hall.  
  
The men watched her till she turned a corner, then all focus was on Jethro. He shrugged, hands folding behind his head in a careless manner. "She's a feisty one, huh?"  
  
Cloud glared at him, arms crossing over his chest. Jethro could've sworn he was puffing his chest out to make himself seem bigger. "Don't go near her. If one of us doesn't like you, and she seems to have good reason not to, then you won't find AVALANCHE to be as cooperative as you might be hoping." Cloud let the threat hang in the air as he turned and entered the room holding Barret, Cid, and Nanaki.  
  
Vincent settled with glaring down at the man. "I warned you once already, haven't I? I didn't think you'd need a second..." And with that, the self- proclaimed demon left Jethro standing alone, once again.  
  
"It's not like you've claimed her yet, anyway," Jethro grumbled to himself before leaving the hallway to the prying ears of a jester.

--------------------  
  
"Rise and shine!" Cait Sith shouted with his megaphone, waking the occupants of the ladies room. Tifa bolted up in her bed, her hair a tangled mess around her head. Cait Sith visibly cringed and backed out of the doorway as a rather annoyed Yuffie, similar in appearance to Tifa, shot him a glare.  
  
"Two hours of sleep, Cait... Do you hear me? **Two** hours!" Yuffie grabbed a pillow and threw it at the robot. The bag of feathers smacked into the face of the fat moogle and fell to the ground, leaving the moogle with the same goofy smile on its wide head. Yuffie was not pleased.  
  
Cloud tilted his head to the side. He quickly quieted the others of the group down and listened more intently. "Duck!"  
  
Reeve sent him a questioning glance, but did as told. Everyone in the bar dropped down just as the moogle came flying through the air, smashing into the wall and landing, upside down, on the counter. There was a cry from upstairs and the black cat came soaring through the air as well, body hitting the wall and falling limply into the stomach of the fat moogle as it attempted to right itself.  
  
Various colors of eyes shifted up the stairs to Yuffie in her oversized nightshirt, fists at her sides and angry eyes focused on the remaining of AVALANCHE. "Who's the smart ass that sent Cait Sith to wake us up?" Tifa came up to her side, dressed for combat that she and Yuffie were ready to deliver.  
  
All fingers pointed to Cloud.  
  
This was the day Cloud Strife learned never to wake a woman from her sleep. As he would be told later in life, it is always safer to wake a woman with a bouquet of apology-flowers.

--------------------  
  
Yuffie yawned loudly, making it a point to smack Cloud upside the head for the umpteenth time while stretching her arms out. The battered leader of AVALANCHE sat warily between the little ninja and Tifa, vulnerable to their revengeful attacks that were seemingly accidents when they gave him sarcastic apologies. Although Tifa's attacks had ended quite a while ago, Yuffie's were just becoming worse, and he had a feeling it wasn't just because he sent Cait Sith, of all people, to wake her up.  
  
"Stop hitting me," he grumbled to the younger girl.  
  
Yuffie eyed him. "I'm not hitting you. You're just in the way of my stretching." With that said, the girl brought her arms back to her sides, fingers pinching his upper arm in the process.  
  
"Agh!" Cloud jumped up and backed away from her, teetering on the edge of the raised platform holding the Cosmo Candle. He glared down at the innocent face Yuffie was giving him before letting his gaze travel over the remaining members of AVALANCHE. "We're going to find and get rid of this Weapon... Shera, I want you to stay here with Cid, Barret, and Nanaki. Call us when Cid wakes up," he ordered. The engineer gave a firm nod and rushed off to the room holding the three members. "The rest of us can split up and—"  
  
"We don't need to split up," Jethro interrupted him, blue eyes closing as if in thought. "I know where she is." The silence he received urged him to continue. "She would be where she fits in the most," he opened his eyes to glance over each and every expression on his listeners faces. "Where do clowns love to play?"  
  
Tifa smacked a fist into her opposing palm with a grin. "The Gold Saucer! Right? It's an amusement park, so I would assume that a clown would be happier in that type of area."  
  
"Just my area of expertise!" Cait Sith shouted out in glee, bouncing around on the fat moogle.  
  
"Alright, then. The Gold Saucer, it is! It'll take a while with Cid out of the picture, so we'll have to walk..." He got a few groans in response, but quickly waved them away. "Besides, some of you need the exercise," and this statement was said with mako-sapphires focused on Yuffie.  
  
The little ninja poked her tongue out at him as he chuckled and walked past, the few members of AVALANCHE following behind him. "Pfft... I'm in perfect shape..." she grumbled to herself. A hand was placed onto her shoulder and she just about jumped out of her skin.  
  
"Perfect shape, indeed," Jethro commented. Yuffie sent him a glare just as Vincent stepped up to the two. A glare went between the two men and Jethro's hand slowly slid off of Yuffie's shoulder. "Right, right. Warnings, yeah?" He grunted to the taller man and folded his hands behind his head before sauntering off to follow Cloud and the others on their long trek to the Gold Saucer.  
  
The two remaining watched the group head down the stairs in silence. Yuffie figured silence wasn't her thing. "You don't have to keep coming to my 'rescue', y'know." Vincent said nothing, crimson hues simply focused on the top of her head as Yuffie refused to look anywhere but straight ahead. "Let's go, before they leave us behind..."  
  
Vincent nodded and followed the young Wutaian girl out of Cosmo Canyon, pace quickening to catch up to the group.

--------------------  
  
It was during that day and age that Yuffie chose to loathe water. They had no chocobo's and no Buggy, which meant to wade through the river that ran between Cosmo Canyon and the Gold Saucer. Yuffie's entire lower half of her body was soaked, and she let out a whimper every time she felt a fish slide against her legs. "Oh, grossness!" she shouted out as something else just as slimy caught on her right leg then slid by with the current.  
  
Tifa smiled sympathetically to the younger girl and continued on, fingers closed around the back of Cloud's shirt so she wouldn't be swept away by the stronger currents she was passing through. She heard Yuffie yelp again from behind her and let out a sigh. "Maybe the guys should've carried us girls..."  
  
Cloud chuckled at this and shook his head. "You're fine. It's just some weeds and fish, they won't kill you."  
  
Reeve grunted from his place in the back, shifting the weight of the fat moogle in his arms before continuing across. Jethro was walking beside him; the black cat perched gleefully on his shoulders. "Sure you don't wanna switch?" Reeve managed to say past the stuffed animal. Jethro just laughed at him and continued on.  
  
Another shriek from Yuffie and she was next seen climbing up onto Vincent, arms circled around his neck and legs tied around his waist. "There's something in there! It touched me!"  
  
A golden claw reached in, much to Yuffie's horror, and pulled out a long blade of seaweed. "I'm sure it meant you no harm..." he murmured with a slight turn of the head to watch her from the corner of his eye.  
  
Yuffie frowned in her own embarrassment and made sure to look away, far off into the distance. "Pfft... I knew that's what it was... Well, now that I'm up here, you can give me a ride for the rest of the way."  
  
Vincent let out a sigh and slid his right hand under her thigh to prop her up. He was much more hesitant with his claw as it was placed in a similar fashion beneath her left thigh, holding her up more carefully. He was well aware of Yuffie's small breaths against his neck as her chin was settled onto his right shoulder, and all his attempts to ignore it were useless.  
  
It had taken a full five minutes to get out of the river, and another five to pull both the fat moogle and Reeve out of the current together. AVALANCHE was exhausted and Cloud opted they took a break, if not just to dry their legs off so walking wouldn't be such a battle. As others settled themselves down quietly, Yuffie went about making sure everyone knew just how tired, wet, and hungry she really was.  
  
"Did we bring any food? Wait, never mind. If we did, it's soaked by now. How 'bout towels? Those would be the same as the food, huh? Well, what about water? We have to at least have some water around here. No water? What are you guys, crazy? When I was traveling by myself I carried probably too much water!"  
  
"Gah! Yuffie, Shut up!" Cait Sith shrieked, gloved paws slapping over its own ears to muffle her voice out.  
  
Yuffie grinned and tackled the stuffed robot down, rolling the two of them closer to the river before leaping off. "Bwa!" She started a laugh and crouched by the river, cupping her hands and splashing the water onto the robot.  
  
"Yuffie, stop! You'll damage him!" Reeve cried out in annoyance, scrambling to save his precious Cait Sith. Yuffie rolled onto her back and started laughing as the ex-ShinRa employee nursed the cowering robot and stuffed animal duo.  
  
Cloud shook his head at the scene and slowly got to his feet. "Alright, guys. Let's mosey," he grumbled as he turned on his heel and headed towards North Corel. The blonde leader barely got two feet before he heard Reeve yelling at Yuffie again.  
  
"I told you to stop splashing at Cait Sith! His circuits might blow."  
  
"I didn't do anything!" Yuffie shouted in her defense. There was a low hissing from the river and all bodies turned to stare at the River Zolom, slowly growing in size to glare down at AVALANCHE.  
  
The oversized river snake slid out of the water and circled around the group as they inched closer to each other. Forked tongue shot out every once in a while as its elongated body surrounded AVALANCHE, leaving them no possible chance of escape. Its tail flicked out, sharpened scales cutting along Tifa's leg and receiving a cry of pain in response. Beady black eyes focused on the blood trickling down her leg and it let out a hiss, folds of skin flaring at the sides of its head. The creatures jaw opened wide and it shot forward...  
  
...only to meet with the Ultima Weapon's blade. Fang met with steel and the battle had begun.  
  
"Tifa!" Reeve rushed to her side, pulling a Potion out of his knapsack and pouring the liquid substance over the wound. The blood dried and the cut closed as the bottle emptied and Tifa gave him a silent 'thank you' before tightening her gloves over her fists. Reeve went about his items, pulling out a Bolt Plume and tossing it into the direction of the snake. "Cover your eyes!" He shouted just as the bagged item made contact with the scales.  
  
All did as told just as a bright flash of light and a crashing sound surrounded AVALANCHE and the snake. The creature blinked back the spots just in time to see a spiraling Shuriken whiz through the air, nicking its right side as it flew by. The Zolom seemed to laugh down at Yuffie with its eyes and it lunged forward, once again being stopped by a sharp sting in its back. The tail flung about wildly, with Cait Sith hanging on for dear life, as it hissed angrily. Yuffie smirked and leapt up onto the stiller part of the snake and ran up the body, jumping up to grab hold of the Conformer which was now dug into the back of the snake. But, to her frustration, the weapon refused to budge from its place buried into the scales and the thrashing of the creature had become wilder with each attempt to pull the Conformer out.  
  
"Yuffie!" Tifa shouted with worry evident in her voice. She refused to stand by and watch her friend be thrown around and quickly buckled the metal toeing to her boots. She rushed up to the snake and dug her heel into the side of the Zolom, using the next thrash to propel herself up to Yuffie. Gloved fingers dug into a scale that caught the Conformer and she pulled it out, ignoring the warm blue blood oozing over her covered hands. The weapon came free and the two girls were allowed only a second of happiness as the head of the snake swiveled and a fang caught on Tifa's right suspender strap, thus throwing the woman into a nearby rock.  
  
Yuffie slid down the snake's back and, with a flick of the Zolom's tail, fell into a tumbling ball with Cait Sith. Reeve went to curing the wounds on the two girls as quickly as he could as Cloud was forced to fight, steel to fang, again. "How are they?" He managed to shout out to the man.  
  
"Tifa's knocked out, and I don't have any Phoenix Down's! Cait Sith's wires have been cut pretty badly and need repairing, and Yuffie is..." He trailed off, looking over the girls wounds as they slowly healed together after the potion. "She's good to go!"  
  
Cloud leapt up and sliced the sword towards the Zolom's neck, but only cut through air. The creature slithered back and into the river, the only thing visible becoming the top of its head.  
  
"Is it retreating..?" Reeve asked as he finished dragging Cait Sith to Tifa's side.  
  
"Be careful," Vincent spoke up, remaining in the same place he'd been for the duration of the battle.  
  
Yuffie staggered over to stand beside him, fingers pinching his human arm. "You don't have the right to say anything! You just stood there looking pretty!" she said angrily, brows knitting together in frustration.  
  
"No he wasn't. He couldn't do anything. It's hard to get a clear shot at something that doesn't stop moving," Reeve said in defense of the crimson- caped man. "Same goes for Jethro. He doesn't have a weapon," he continued before Yuffie could spit another insult.  
  
The Wutaian ninja couldn't respond intelligently. A wave of water fell over AVALANCHE as the Zolom jumped out of the river, jaws wide open as it fell towards the group. Yuffie cried out in shock and held her Conformer out to protect herself, eyes closing tightly as she readied herself for death. Two clear shots rang out, followed by a loud thump, and she could only feel the upturned dirt falling over her in a sheet. All she could hear was screaming. Something grabbed the Conformer from her and she could feel the air slicing apart as the weapon was thrown. There was a sickening crack, then silence.  
  
One stormy eye opened, then the other. The dirt had settled over the ground and her comrades, giving her a clear view of the crumpled up body of the Zolom, her Conformer buried deep between its shot out eyes. Blue blood sprayed out from the three wounds in the head, but nothing else showed signs of life within the monster. She eyed the Conformer warily, taking a few hesitant steps towards the snake to get close enough to pull it out before scrambling back to her friends. _I didn't throw it..._ she thought to herself as she examined the blue blood trickling off the blade.  
  
Vincent placed the Death Penalty back into its holster, gaze focused on the man standing by Yuffie. "When did you learn to throw the Conformer?"  
  
Jethro glanced to Yuffie first then up to Vincent to answer his question. "It was a lucky toss... Adrenaline kicked in." It would be enough to silence any questions for now. All he would have to do is avoid any alone- time with the ex-Turk. He looked back down to Yuffie, smile forming across his face. "Looks like I saved your life, huh?"  
  
The ninja frowned and hooked the Conformer to her back, ignoring the warm blood soaking into her shirt from the shuriken. "Don't you ever touch my Conformer again," she said tersely before turning on her heel and walking off to help Reeve with Cait Sith.

--------------------  
  
The sun had just set as AVALANCHE staggered into the blue ropeway that would lead to the Gold Saucer. All were exhausted from the walk after such a fight and their muscles were screaming to rest. Cloud sat down slowly, careful since he held Tifa in his arms. Although she was awake, she was still far too weak to move on her own. "How are you holding up?" He asked her as he placed her beside him.  
  
Tifa smiled and let her eyes close. "I'll be fine. Just have to get some sleep..." she murmured, head falling against Cloud's shoulder. The leader of AVALANCHE relaxed his muscles and tilted his head back against the headrest, his own eyes closing in hopes of getting just a little rest to get him to the Ghost Hotel.  
  
The blue car stopped and AVALANCHE filed out, slowly making their way to the Ghost Hotel. Three rooms were rented out and Cloud helped Tifa to her room with Yuffie before leaving for the room he was going to share with Reeve. The ex-ShinRa employee was a little reluctant to let the staff of the Gold Saucer take Cait Sith away for repairs, but eventually did so and passed out on his bed soon after.  
  
In another room, Jethro's worst nightmare came true and he sat on his bed quietly, watching as Vincent hung his cape over a chair and tucked the Outsider beneath his pillow, Death Penalty getting its own place in the drawer of the nightstand by his bed. But the man didn't question him, and he idly wondered if Vincent even cared about what he knew about the ninja girl's weapon. Anger rose in the back of Jethro's throat as he thought more about it. _He doesn't deserve her admiration,_ he thought to what he supposed was himself as he lay down in his bed, eyes closing as darkness closed around the room.  
  
In Vincent's mind, Chaos refused to rest peacefully. Its wings beat against the frozen winds and sharpened claws thrashed against the walls of Vincent's mind. His host refused to listen, and all the demon could do was fight against those walls until it tired itself out.  
  
Tifa groaned and turned to rest on her side, ignoring the pain that shot through her body from the pressure to her ribs.  
  
"You shouldn't move too much," Yuffie said in the darkness, shadows hiding the concern written over her features. "You got hurt pretty badly back there. Just rest." There was silence, but Yuffie felt she had to at least say one last thing before the woman fell asleep. "Thanks for helping me with my Conformer, Tifa. If you didn't come up, I'd probably still be hanging from that stupid thing's back."  
  
She heard a muffled 'y'er welcome' from Tifa before she knew the martial artist dozed off. Yuffie's own eyes fell shut as she let sleep claim her. But sleep would not come. Not yet, at least.  
  
A knock at the door forced Yuffie to remain awake and she muffled a cursing grumble with the pillow before rolling out of bed and dragging her feet to the door, fingers fumbling with the lock before pulling it open. Yuffie stared tiredly at the person standing in front of her. "Vinnie? What's up this late?"  
  
Without a word, the man pulled the Outsider from the Death Penalty's holster and aimed between her eyes.  
  
Yuffie was now wide awake. "Vincent? What are you doing!?"  
  
Vincent ignored her panicked question and pulled the trigger.

* * *

**A/N: Yes... Yes, you hate me. I know! ;.; I had a really bad case of writer's block, then this came up, and I fell in love, and I had to do it. I guess I own the River Zolom (think Midgar Zolom... but with a blue tint), but it's dead, so no point in that. As you can tell, I'm shooting down some of the characters so I don't have to fret over if they seem in character or not. Well, hopefully I'll have the next chapter up sooner. You guys are great for having so much patience with me and 'Beyond Paradise'. Thank you!**


	11. Insomniac By Choice

**Beyond Paradise**

_Disclaimer: I don't own Yuffie, Vincent, or anything else in this fic. It all belongs to Squaresoft/enix. Except for Jethro, Zeb, and Moira. They belong to me. The River Zolom halfway did, too, but it's dead._

**Author's Note: O.O I really didn't expect to take this long to update. Seriously! I had planned on updating like, within the week... Not the next month. I'm so very, very sorry! Blame writer's block... Well, I promise to make no more cliffhangers like that one. Woo... Especially if I'm not sure if I'd be able to update the next day. Heh, well, enjoy!**

**P.S. For some reason unknown to me, I can't put my usual scene breaks in there, so I'll just have to put these long lines in. I'm not happy with having to do that, but it's the conclusion I've come to after trying to put my breaks into it over... and over... and over again. Enjoy.**

* * *

_Listen to the mustn'ts, child,  
__Listen to the don'ts  
__Listen to the shouldn'ts  
__The impossibles, the won'ts  
__Listen to the never haves  
__Then listen close to me—  
__Anything can happen, child,  
__Anything can be.  
__  
Listen to the Mustn'ts  
__-- Shel Silverstein_

**- Chapter 11: Insomniac By Choice**

Yuffie stared in horror as the scene played out before her wide eyes. "Vincent? What are you doing!?"

The man ignored her question and pulled the trigger.

There was a loud crack, soon followed by a thud against the wall. Yuffie crumpled to her knees, ignoring the sting in her left arm. Somewhere in her mind, she registered the cut on her arm from the bullet grazing it and instead snapping the legs of a chair a few feet behind her and finally embedding itself into the dresser beyond the desk, but why this had happened was at a standstill.

The light from the hallway silhouetted the struggling figures of Jethro pinning Vincent to the wall, thus explaining the earlier thud. There was a groaning from the ninja's left, announcing Tifa's awakening. It seemed to take the older woman a few seconds to realize what was going on. "What are you doing? Yuffie, you're bleeding!" Tifa leapt out of the bed, staggering slightly and soon falling to Yuffie's side, hands wrapping around the arm with the cut.

Vincent kicked his boot into Jethro's abdomen, forcing the other man to slam back into the opposing wall. A look of pain flashed across Vincent's face and a ghastly mist seeped out of his chest, soon taking the solid form of none other than Moira.

The female jester lowered her head, body trembling as her pale hands balled into fists at her sides. "Why did you stop me?" she choked out, fighting the inky tears that marred the white paint on her face. "You want her, don't you?" she shouted out, angry blue eyes focusing on Jethro as he slowly straightened himself up. "I know all of your emotions. But she treats you... so horribly... Ignores you!" Those black tears continued to fall as she sucked in a deep breath. "And even in front of you... She runs to Chaos!" The anger faded and the trembling stopped. "I wanted to help..."

Jethro took a hesitant step forward. "Moira... You misunderstand."

"No!" Moira stepped back, bumping into the rock-solid form of Vincent. "If I could make him hurt her, she would want you, right? You would be happy..." Her voice took a darker tone as she continued in her rage. "But you fought me. None of you deserve even Paradise..." Purple lips turned up into a spiteful grin. "I'll take you all to Limbo! One by one!" With her last threat, she blinked out of the room and to only the Planet would know where.

The room went eerily silent as the four in the room slowly registered every word. Jethro remained silent as he stepped forward, fingers pressing to Vincent's neck and pinching the skin. Vincent's body jerked awkwardly and he swayed away from Jethro, claw pressing into the wall to steady himself. He quickly scanned his surroundings and was about to question as to why they were in the women's room when Cloud and Reeve came in, the former holding a pillow like a shield.

"What's going on in here?" Reeve asked innocently, sleep encrusted eyes surveying the room.

"Moira's gone mad," Jethro replied calmly, fingers running through his blonde hair only to have the rebellious bangs fall back into place.

Cloud loosened his grip on the pillow-shield and tilted his head to the side in question, brows furrowing together. "Moira?"

"Moira is the Weapon that Zeb and I wanted you to chase. It would have been a pointless waste of time in your case since she would go where I told her to go... But now, she listens to no one," Jethro responded quietly, gaze focused on the broken chair behind Tifa and Yuffie.

"Well, now it seems you have no choice but to explain everything to us," Cloud said in annoyance, weight leaning against the doorframe.

Reeve yawned and shook his head. "You guys can brief me with it in the morning. I'm going back to bed..." He said his goodnights and left the remaining members to learn the secrets of Moira.

Jethro gave the leader a nod. "Make yourselves comfortable, this may be a little long..."

* * *

Zeb looked up from his desk, silver eyes training onto the misted figure in the corner of his office. "What are you doing here?" He stood from his chair, fists crumpling the AVALANCHE reports in his hands. "You're supposed to be taking those ingrates down and out of my way!"

Blue eyes flashed up to glare at him, but quickly softened into a sickeningly fake smile. "Your friend has betrayed you, Zeb. I overheard him telling AVALANCHE the plans. Now they all know about your hopes of finding the Promised Land and bringing the Calamity from the Skies back... just so you can see your wife and daughter again." Moira laughed at the feeling of anger boiling in Zeb's heart. "Jethro said you were a selfish man, and that you didn't deserve the peace of your loved ones."

Zeb's fists slammed into the desk and the papers scattered. "How dare he... Such a traitor." His eyes narrowed and he took a deep breath, slowly allowing it to hiss through his gritted teeth. One hand slid over his hair, tucking it calmly behind his ears before settling himself back into his chair. "Get rid of him along with the rest of AVALANCHE. His usefulness has worn itself out..."

Moira bowed her head, hiding her smile as she slid into the wall with her remaining words. "You share the same fate..."

He chose to ignore her words and began to smooth out the crumples of the papers he'd been holding. Using a red marker, he crossed out the names of Barret and Nanaki. "Two down... It's not enough. She has to work faster."

"Zeb, sir?" A voice interrupted his thoughts and he glanced to his doorway to the timid man poking his head into the room. "The people would like to know whether you want to dispatch the first level..." he stammered.

"Not yet," Zeb replied. "They still have enough strength now that they've got Jethro on their side. But soon enough, we'll break them down."

The man in the doorway nodded and left Zeb to his thoughts of his traitorous friend.

* * *

"Zeb lost his wife and daughter to the Sector 7 incident and blamed it solely on AVALANCHE. After that, he was hell bent on revenge. He got into the ShinRa documents and gathered information on each member as your group grew in size," Jethro explained. "He became so immersed in his revenge that he lost sight of sanity. I've been by his side since we were children, but I lost true respect for the man when he started rambling about projects with Jenova and the Promised Land."

Tifa looked up momentarily from cleaning the cut on Yuffie's arm without the use of a Potion to question the man speaking. "He doesn't know that was ShinRa's fault?"

Jethro shook his head. "No. He believed the lies fed to him and, after Meteor, swore his revenge on AVALANCHE."

Cloud cleared his throat to interrupt, arms crossing over his chest. "We don't care about his or your sob story. I need to know everything about this Moira you created. What is she capable of doing, and what has she done to Cid, Barret, and Nanaki?"

"She's taken Barret and Nanaki to a dreamland. Think... Wonderland from that storybook. Everything's a little upside down. But they won't awaken, because the spirits of the dead they connect with are holding them there." Jethro nodded his head towards Vincent. "She would have taken you as well, and Yuffie would be in the same state as Cid. You see, Cid isn't in this so-called Wonderland. He has no dead connections to hold him into a comatose state, but Barret's attack hit him dead on."

"Barret? But Shera said Moira was attacking Cid," Cloud said amidst a yawn.

Jethro smiled sadly, rubbing at his eyes as he felt a wave of sleep hit him. "Moira took the form of Barret, much like she took Vincent's, and attacked Cid. The sound of their fight was what probably alerted Shera to the attack. My guess is that Moira dropped Barret's body and got rid of Cid so she could drag Barret into his coma before anyone was able to stop her."

During the explanation, Yuffie tuned him out and let her gaze travel to Vincent. By the looks of it, he wasn't paying attention either. She knew all too well what was going on in his mind and decided it was better not to interrupt the mental battle with his demons.

"...and she won't listen to me, either, so I don't believe any of us are safe," Jethro finished.

"What? Safe?" Yuffie asked as she caught the last sentence.

Cloud frowned to her, a silent look telling her to be quiet. "So, what you're saying is that if we go to sleep, we'll become vulnerable to her attack?"

Jethro nodded, hiding his disappointment that he was under the threat of the attacks as well now. "While you sleep, she'll send the dead souls that will hurt you most and tie you into her Limbo, and the only way to wake up again is to destroy her."

There was a pregnant pause as the same question rolled through the listeners' minds, finally tumbling out of Vincent's mouth. "How do we defeat her?"

The many answers were tossed around in Jethro's mind as he tried to pick out the right one. After a few seconds, he gave a shrug with a lopsided grin. "I'm not sure."

"So she gets us in our sleep..?" Yuffie spoke up, senses rising as a thought rampaged through her head. A confirming nod from Jethro was all she needed before she sprung to her feet, ignoring the surprised cry from Tifa. "Reeve! We have to check on Reeve!" The possible threat on the ex-ShinRa employee's waking life dawned on the members of AVALANCHE and the five of them rushed towards the room Cloud was to share with Reeve.

The door was shoved open and they stumbled in, the first to reach the sleeping man being Tifa. She gripped his shoulders tightly and began to shake him, hoping beyond all that was holy that the man would wake up and tell her to get the hell off of him. When no response came, she slowly pulled herself away from him, hands moving up to cover her mouth. "How'd she get him without us knowing?"

"He didn't put up a fight... He was asleep," Jethro murmured. Cloud glared towards Jethro, giving the man only a second to comprehend the pain he would feel in his cheekbone as Cloud's fist connected.

"Cloud!" Tifa rushed to the AVALANCHE leader and grabbed hold of his arm. "Stop it, Cloud. It isn't his fault! He doesn't have control over Moira." She felt his muscles relax beneath her hands and let out a slow breath before letting go. "Now... What do we do with Reeve? We can't just leave him here, but trying to take him back to Cosmo Canyon could be dangerous if we run into another one of those water Zolom's..."

Jethro rubbed a hand over his cheek where another bruise would form. "Makes me wonder why you need a sword..." he grumbled before cracking his neck.

Cloud ignored the man and turned to watch Reeve in his coma. "We'll have to trust Dio to take care of him and Cait Sith... Besides, we aren't going back to Cosmo Canyon." He caught the question before Tifa could open her mouth. "We're paying Zeb a little visit..."

* * *

Much to Cloud's discomfort, the little trip to Midgar was stretching into a much longer timeframe. The sun had long since risen once again and the humor in the smaller group leaving the Ghost Hotel the same night they checked in was lost to him. A quick glance over the shoulder gave him a head count of his remaining members of AVALANCHE, plus one too comfortable Jethro.

"Well, Miss Lockheart... Are you chained down to anyone?"

Tifa bit down on the inside of her cheek and continued forward, gaze locked on the growing buildings of Costa del Sol. _Fifteen more minutes... Just fifteen more minutes,_ she continuously reminded herself. She would have to plead on her knees with Yuffie to never leave her with the man again.

While Tifa continued to ignore Jethro's teasing pick-up lines, said ninja was fast asleep in the arms of their resident monster. Jethro had assured them that Moira would come to the sleeping victim physically, and so with four others awake, the sleeper would be safe. Upon hearing this news, Yuffie had been the first to 'volunteer' ("I need it more than you guys! Vinnie, carry me.") for a nap.

Vincent, on the other hand, didn't seem quite as comfortable as the sleeping nymph in his arms. He shifted his claw beneath her knees awkwardly and pulled her closer, being as careful as possible not to scratch her bare legs with the sharpened digits of the golden appendage. Yuffie murmured something in annoyance and tried to turn onto her side, achieving nothing more than burying her face into Vincent's chest.

It had made him wonder why, even after the incident in the Ghost Hotel, she still wanted to be around him. Much less allow him, of all people, to carry her while she slept peacefully. His gaze dropped to her closed eyes, mind wandering to what could possibly lie beyond her obnoxious façade and happy-go-lucky exterior.

In her sleep, her foot twitched and a bruise began to form along her shin. This action went unnoticed by Vincent as a slap broke his thoughts. Blood reds looked up to watch as Jethro rubbed his reddening cheek, gaze following Tifa stomp up to walk beside Cloud.

"It was a compliment!" Jethro shouted after her.

* * *

Yuffie hovered a hand like a visor to shield her eyes from the brightening light in what she figured was the sky. She blinked a few times until her eyes adjusted to the darkness straight ahead and the brightness up above. _Now where am I?_ Her thought echoed like speech around her, bouncing off imaginary walls.

A hand, cold as ice, slid along her shoulders and the Wutaian ninja twirled on her feet, eyes searching for the being. _Who's there!?_ But, besides her own thoughts, all was silent. Another cold hand slid down her leg and Yuffie stumbled away. _Stop it! Get away from me!_ The scent of dust and dried jasmines washed over her senses and she felt the same cold fingers on her cheek, tracing the 'sun' mark beneath her left eye.

The voices suddenly came at her in full force. So many, begging her for freedom, for peace and liberation of the darkness. Yuffie let out a shriek as the cold hand grabbed her ankle, pulling her down to drown into the inky water the floor beneath her had become. Hands were everywhere, grabbing at every bit of her and pulling her apart. She tried to scream, but she choked on the darkness instead.

That scent was back. The oh-so familiar scent she could remember in the back of her mind, and the hands were gone. Eyes she didn't know she closed slowly opened and she stared in wonder at a field of dead flowers. A figure rose from the dead plants and emerald eyes focused on the stunned ninja.

_Aerith... again. This is the same place?_ Yuffie tried to make sense of it all. 'Aerith' sadly shook her head and turned away. Chestnut locks melted into a blue shade and her peach skin took a deathly pale hue. 'Aerith' turned back around, and she was no longer the flower girl Yuffie thought she was. _Moira..._

"Little princess... You've come to see my beautiful paradise? This is your pathetic 'Promised Land' everyone speaks so highly of. Did you really think it would be so beautiful?"

Yuffie glared angrily at the jester and took a threatening step forward, only to realize that she couldn't move. She was suddenly very aware of something rough, much like leather, spiraling up her legs. The vines tightened and thorns pushed into her skin, strangely enough not causing blood.

"Relax... You don't belong here yet. Go back to your sad excuse of a reality."

_Moira! What have you done with my friends?_ Yuffie wasn't going to leave yet. She had questions that needed answering.

The jester canted her head slightly, rivulets of blue shifting along her bare shoulders. "Your friends? They sleep peacefully..." There was a pause as Moira slowly made her way towards the Wutaian girl. "You wonder about your Cetra, do you not? Don't worry your pretty little head over it. She's _dead_, just like the rest of them." The female jester cackled as she faded out of view.

The vines around Yuffie slid away and she was back in the darkness with the bright light above her. She brushed her fingers over the 'sun' symbol over her cheek and slowly closed her eyes.

* * *

After a full day of walking, the downsized group set up camp and built a small fire to sit around. Yuffie, whom had been silent for the long walk after waking up in a fit of tears, sat herself down closest to the fire, arms wrapping tightly around drawn up knees. Tifa, worried about the girl while they walked on in silence, sat beside the little ninja, one hand resting lightly on the Wutaian's arm.

"Yuffie, are you alright?" The older woman tried to smile, but it came out far too fake. "You can tell me, you know..." This she was sincere about, but she couldn't smile. Not truly.

Yuffie shook her head and shrugged, more to remove Tifa's hand from her arm than to respond to anything. The hint was taken and Tifa slowly got up and left her to her thoughts.

There was an awkward silence as the others began to settle themselves around the fire, each trying to start a conversation, sans Vincent, but not knowing how. Cloud cleared his throat uncomfortably, figuring that if anyone was going to say something, it would have to be him. He opened his mouth and...

"I think, since Yuffie's slept for most of the day, she and I should keep watch as the others sleep," Jethro spoke up, smile and intentions apparent in his eyes. A shiver ran down his spine as four pairs of eyes glared straight through him. "Well, it would make sense..."

"He has a point. Yuffie has slept through most of the day... so she and _someone else_ will keep watch while the other three sleep," Cloud said, making a point that it wouldn't be Jethro alone with Yuffie.

The Wutaian snorted and stretched her legs out into a 'V', her torso falling between her legs and her arms stretching out in front of her, fingertips brushing the rocks around the small fire. "You talk like I'm not here, sheesh. Vinnie can stay up with me. At least I know he won't yammer my ear off." There was a pause as everyone seemed to attempt to register this joke. "Ugh, never mind! Go to sleep, Vincent and I will watch out for anything suspicious! ...like the tooth fairy."

Within a number of minutes, the three were asleep and all that remained was Yuffie, Vincent, and a dying fire.

"Sorry for forcing you into sentry duty again. You can go to sleep if you want," Yuffie said softly, gaze traveling to her silent companion.

Vincent didn't even look at her. "You didn't tell Tifa was what troubling you." It wasn't a question, but Vincent's statement did call for a response.

Yuffie shrugged and decided the fire was more interesting than a stone-still Vincent. "You eavesdrop on us?"

"It was so quiet that not listening is nearly impossible."

"Nearly, but can still be done. Never thought you had it in you, Mr. Big and Bad Valentine." She chuckled to herself and shook her head. "Nothing was or is wrong. I just had a bad dream."

"You woke up crying."

"Bad dream," Yuffie repeated, fighting not to glare at him. "It's over now. Let it go." A silence followed and Yuffie soon feared she had angered him. "Vinnie..?"

"What happened to your leg?" Vincent shifted slightly, but this movement managed to get him around the fire to sit beside the princess, human fingers pressing lightly on the bruise that had gone unseen until now.

Yuffie blinked down at the purple and black spot on her shin and, intelligently, poked her own finger into the center of it. "It doesn't hurt..." she said thoughtfully, poking at it again. Finally, she shrugged and stared back at the fire. "I probably got it from fighting that Zolom yesterday, in which you didn't help at all until the end," as if just the fact that he hadn't been there to help her out would jog his memory of the fight.

Vincent seemed to ignore this and turned watch the fire sizzle and die with its last breath. "It will be getting cold... You should go into the tent and sleep with the—"

"No!"

The outcry caught him by surprise and he shot her a quick glare.

A head popped out of the folds of the tent and Tifa stared tiredly at them. "Anything wrong?" she asked in the midst of a yawn. Both shook their heads and Tifa frowned slightly. "Then keep quiet..." And she was gone back into the tent.

Yuffie let out a heavy sigh and rubbed at the back of her head. "I guess this means no more talking, huh?" She looked up to Vincent and put up a lopsided grin. "That means shut up, Vinnie."

The caped man chose to make no comment and simply poked a stick into the embers of what was once a fire. Silence reigned and he could feel Yuffie shift uncomfortably beside him, fighting off the chills of the dark night. Soon, a smaller hand gently fell over the hand that held the stick and he stopped his attack on the embers. "Yuffie..."

"I thought I said shut up," she half-whispered as she pried his fingers from the stick. "Be a gentleman and don't let me freeze," she continued, forcing his arm to drape lazily over her small shoulders, thus bringing the cape around with it so only her head popped up beside him. If anyone were to look now, they would believe Vincent had two heads instead of one.

_And if Barret or Cid were awake... they'd tell him he had five demons..._ Yuffie thought sadly to herself. "Tomorrow... we'll make Zeb pay for everything he's done," she murmured, taking in a deep breath to fight off the frustration Moira gave her in her dreams. Suddenly, the familiar scent from her dreams drowned her senses and her body stiffened. "Vincent!" she squirmed slightly beneath his arm and smiled up at him as he stared at her quizzically. "Thanks."

Vincent didn't know how to respond. The warmth from her body, the feeling of her heart beating, the scent that was only hers... It was confusing his demons and giving him a headache. He had to get her away from him. "Yuffie, I—"

"Vincent, stop talking. You'll wake everyone up," the Wutaian ninja said as she rested herself comfortably against him. "Oh, one more thing."

Vincent watched her from the corner of his eye, not wanting to be any closer than he already was. "Yes, Yuffie?"

"Protect me like Cloud does for Tifa..?" she knew it sounded stupid. Like it would come from a hopeless romantic. Well, Leviathan be damned if she wasn't one.

He found this to be strange, but no matter how much his mind screamed for him to avoid any and every subject that included the Wutaian princess, he found his voice breaking past his lips and speaking from what he had believed was a long-since dead emotion.

"Yes, Yuffie..."

* * *

**A/N: Oh, yes... This chapter is done. I know now that it will be another long and agonizing month or so until I update again. Why? Because school is starting... ::dun dun dun:: Horrible, I know. Also, I need to end Beyond Paradise sometime soon. If I don't, it will never end and I will have no idea where it's going. O.o; So... yeah. Let me know what you think and the next chapter will come when I get a hit-like-a-brick of inspiration. Thank you.**


End file.

Final Fantasy VII, Adventure, Romance