In a way, it felt like another world. It was unreal, carnivalesque...it seemed that everything around her was one large living entity, unified and pulsing with life. Yuffie held Tifa's arm with a light, but firm grip, her side brushing against the woman's side as they walked together through the arcade. They each looked about for a game to settle their score, every now and then pointing out one: Night Riders, Warriors of the West, Ring Fighters 3. They stopped for nothing. "An arcade full of games and not a thing worth chucking gil for." Yuffie said, after turning her nose up at Mecha Mash Kings: Apocalypse. "What happened to some of the old games Dio had? Like the snowboarder game? That game was ace!" "By now, the games we played then would have been rendered obsolete today. I'm surprised he still kept the 3D battler." Tifa said. Yuffie sighed, "I didn't realize but geeze, Shinra was really suffocating the world wasn't it? I mean...yeah we said it. But we never really realized the extent of it did we? All this popped up once it was destroyed. Imagine how far technology will go in the coming years? For all I know, we'll probably be able to play these games at home!" Tifa blinked, "It'd be kinda foolish then, wouldn't it? To have an arcade like this when in a couple of years or even a couple of months this all could be somehow shipped to people's homes for them to enjoy whenever they please?" At this Yuffie's eyes grew bright. "You could buy a machine and...and little program discs and play games on them. You wouldn't have to come all the way out here to play! Better yet...what about personal computers? Set-up a network like the ones Shinra used to function and circulate information?" "How many developers do you think are working on those ideas?" Tifa said thoughtfully. Yuffie smiled faintly. "No idea." The woman, picking up the tone in her companion's voice, glanced at the girl curiously. "What are you thinking? You've got that look in your eye like your planning something." "I've got a look like that? Really?" "Yuffie, you've always worn your heart on your sleeve." The girl smiled sheepishly, "Yeah...well...I don't wanna say anything. Not now anyhow. I've just got a bunch of ideas for Wutai, stuff that needs a lot of tweaking, but thinking about them...I can't help but get a little excited." The girl said with this with a skip, a large grin on her face. At this Tifa's eyebrows rose. So Yuffie was making plans for her coming leadership? It made sense...but Tifa never imagined Yuffie mucking through something so technical. The girl's plans had always been simple and straightforward, requiring little time to think and more time to act. But for Yuffie to be contemplating the economy of her hometown? That spoke leaps in bounds in terms of the development of her character. It seemed whatever Yuffie was planning involved the new technological and commercial era the world was going through, a vital thing to try and get involved in. If Yuffie could manage to hitch a ride on the steadily rising technology market before it broke wide open, it could very well restore Wutai of its wealth and worldly importance, bringing it up form the dregs of some tourist resort town. Tifa looked at Yuffie and placed her hand on top of the girls, an odd sort of pride spreading through her. Yuffie looked back at her blinking at the look on Tifa's face. "What's up?" she said, confused. Tifa shook her head and looked away, smiling. Giving the woman a weird look, the ninja returned to looking around for another game to play. She stopped when she spied a rather large group of kids crowded around a booth, screaming "Me, I wanna play!" At the booth stood a frazzled young man with short, wispy black hair that stood out in odd directions, behind him a door leading into a dark hallway that twisted out of sight. Blaster sounds and shouts of surprise could be heard from the hall. Hanging above the booth, a sign read. "Laser tag." "There!" cried Yuffie, her eyes shining with childish enthusiasm. "That can be our tie-breaker! Come on Tifa, let's sign-up for the next game!" The ninja began to tug the fighter insistently towards the booth. But Tifa dug her heels in, looking alarmed at the gaggle of kids crowding around the booth. "Yuffie are you kidding?" Tifa cried. The ninja gave her a quizzical look. "What's the matter, Tif?" She looked back at the booth and then rolled her eyes. Looking at Tifa with a look of scorn, she said, "Please, Tif. Tell me that group of rugrats isn't the reason why you don't wanna play." Tifa blushed, faltering a little. "It isn't one-on-one." She said lamely. Yuffie shrugged, "There isn't any co-op. Heck, we can even just do this: the one who has the most points in the end wins." Tifa bit her lip. "I dunno, Yuffie. There are so many variables. What if we both get eliminated? What do we do then?" Yuffie pointed to the large screen near the booth, where camera feeds broadcasted what was going on in the arena. Next to them, a board listed each player and their current health points. Those who were eliminated had times next to them. "Look there. If we both get eliminated, we can see who got eliminated first. Come on! It won't be so bad!" But at the look of doubt on Tifa's face, the girl sighed. "Well...we can keep looking then, if you really don't wanna try..." But at the look on Yuffie's face, so imploring, the fighter caved. With a heave of breath, Tifa rolled her eyes to the ceiling. "Okay...Okay! We can play laser tag." Yuffie, smiling ecstatically, began to pull Tifa along, the fighter's legs leaded with trepidation. Fighting her way to the front, (much to the protest of the children) Yuffie tapped the booth to catch the young man's attention. "Oi! Sign us up for the next game!" The man, his eyes looking down at his list, answered with a reedy voice. "Sorry, the game's full. You'll have to wait for the next one." Yuffie's face fell. "How long till the next?" "Fifteen minutes." Yuffie stomped her foot. "No way!" "Way." The man said flatly, his large nose still pointed down at the papers in his hand. The ninja crossed her arms with a 'humph'. "Well just put us down for the next game then!" The man shrugged, finally looking up. "All...right...uh." his voice fell away as his large eyes widened. Yuffie, giving him a lethal look, snapped, "What?" The man, his mouth dropping, raised a shaking pointed finger. "You're...you're Yuffie Kisaragi!" he said, his voice cracking. Yuffie's eyes narrowed some. "Yeah, so what's it to you?" Tifa blinked at her friend's barely contained hostility. Why was she being so defensive with a young man that was obviously a fan? Then she remembered what she had told Barret just yesterday. Stepping forward, the woman placed a reassuring hand on Yuffie's shoulder. The man's eyes fixed on Tifa and a hand flew to the side of his head, "And Tifa Lockhart is with you? Oh wow!" People glanced curiously at the commotion now taking place. The children, who had watched the entire exchange, began to jostle the two women, crying things like: "Can I have your autograph?" "Did you really save the world?" "Is Cloud here?" "My daddy says your boobs are fake!" Tifa recoiled, stepping closer to Yuffie as the group of children pressed them back into the booth. "Your stories are amazing! All the thing's you went through, it's inspiring!" The young man, who was leaning forward over the booth, shouted in the women's ears. Yuffie glared, "Yeah, whatever, that's real nice! Look-seeing as how you've set this mob of kids on us, you wanna help us out and just let us into the next game?" The young man frowned; his large pointy nose and the way his neck craned over the edge of the booth making him seem oddly bird-like. "I dunno..." he said slowly. "If I mess with the list I could get into a lot of trouble..." "What if we gave you our autographs?" Tifa cried desperately as she shied away from a young girl that was latching and drooling onto her leg. "Please?" The man's eyes popped and he let out something of a strangled squawk. ---------- The arena was a giant two-leveled maze of platforms and tunnels and pillars. Tifa gazed through the window with a forlorn look, wondering how she was to manage a win in this one. The arena was smoky, lights and lasers slicing through the haze, delivering a confusing mix to the senses. The intent was to make the arena seem like it was some unknown realm with its own batch of surprises hidden in the dark corners, behind the tall black pillars, or atop the fluorescent colored structures leading upwards. Dio never was a man of small things. The view was cut away from the woman as she and the other players, a rather strange group ranging from young to old, were lead down a hall. The hall was dark and lit only by red lights, which did nothing to help Tifa see. As they continued walking, they entered into a sort of locker room, another view window (larger than the one before) offering the sight of the playing field. The Gold Saucer employee who had led them there turned around and said loudly, "If you'll please slip on those armor vests over there and leave anything un-allowed or undesirable in the lockers." He went on to list things not allowed, like food, bags...animals. The last managed a laugh from the group. When the man finished, Yuffie hurried over to one of the lockers, snatching up the armor vest inside of it. Slipping it on over her head, she turned to the older woman and jerked her head towards the locker next to her. Tifa, slowly, went to the locker, picking up the armor vest and giving it a questioning look. "Go on, Tifa." Yuffie said, as she strapped her sides. "It isn't going to hurt you." Tifa didn't say anything in return. She simply put the vest on, grimacing as she did so. "It feels weird..." she muttered. Yuffie looked at her. "Why's it feel weird?" Tifa blushed, blinking rapidly at Yuffie. Shoulders hunching around her ears, the woman turned away and began to fiddle with the straps on the side of her vest. She didn't know why, but when it came to Yuffie, the fighter was easily embarrassed. "Nothing, nothing, never mind..." she mumbled quickly. "Hey, you want me to ask if they've got vests with more room for you?" "What?" Tifa had in fact heard the ninja perfectly. She was just too flustered to say anything else. "You know, for your jugs." Yuffie said unabashedly, tilting her head to one side. She jabbed her finger at the front of Tifa's armor. "Your puppies there are a bit squished, I see." Tifa slapped the girl's hand away. "Cut that out!" she squeaked. A group of teenage boys using the lockers down from Tifa snickered loudly as they watched the entire exchange from where they stood. Unkempt hair shading their beady eyes, the teenagers were now grinning seedily at Tifa. Tifa wished with all her might that Meteor would come crashing through the ceiling and obliterate her, saving her from her own embarrassment. Yuffie glared sharply at the teenage boys, and was about to make a snide remark when the Gold Saucer employee called for their attention once again. Having finished helping the smaller children with their gear, the man now held up both his hands. "Ladies and gentlemen! The game is now about to start! Let me just run down the rules really quick before we get this started!" clearing his throat, he began to tick off the rules. No co-op play, no physical contact...Tifa's ears only perked up when he went on to explain how many hits a player could take. Eight hits. Only eight. Tifa would have to be careful. The man turned around and went to the door behind him, pressing a large red button next to the door. The door hissed as it slid open to reveal a dark corridor that seemed to wind around the arena. Red lights glared down from the low ceiling, and as the man led the players into the corridor, Tifa closed her eyes and sighed heavily. She felt ridiculous, the paint on her large plastic gun chipping off and the 'armor vest' she was wearing pressing awkwardly on her chest. Yuffie however seemed completely stoked, a fierce smile on her face as she followed the rest of the group into the corridor. Turning, she said happily. "Let's go, Tifa!" Tifa, reluctantly, went after her. One by one, the players were led into solitary rooms along the perimeter of the arena. Tifa was the last for the first level, and as the door slid shut behind her, she gave a faint wave to Yuffie, who was proceeding with the others to the upper level. Turning to face forward, the woman was given a restricted view of the area before her, a small view window showcasing the various platforms and structures, the smoke creeping along the ground like a ghostly fog. The room she stood in was more of a sort of box, very dark save for the small black light overhead. With not much to look at while she waited for the game to start, Tifa took this moment to examine the gear she wore on. The armor she wore was predominately black, save for the fluorescent green bars that glowed in the black light. The shoulder pads felt heavy and unfamiliar on her shoulders, the breastplate molded to resemble the front of a man's chest...not a woman's. All in all, Tifa felt like a soldier from some cheesy sci-fi movie. The gun in her hand was large and spacey-looking, the handle feeling foreign in her hand, the long thick wire connecting from the end of it to the bottom of the front of her armor. Tifa was never one for guns. How did she allow Yuffie to drag her into this? Tifa had no real idea how large the playing field was, but she figured if she kept her back to the wall and kept her head low, she would be fine. Yuffie, no doubt, would be joining the fray. "Fine, let her get blasted then." The woman muttered. A voice sounded through the room. "All right laser troopers! Ready your guns because this game starts in three, two, one-Go!" The door in front of Tifa slid up and out of sight. Alarmed, Tifa dashed out into the swirling fog and fluorescent colored structures. Many of the walls and platforms went well above Tifa's head, and suddenly frightened of actually engaging someone, the woman ducked into a nook, crouching into the fog with her back pressed against the wall. Pulsing rave music was resonating throughout the arena. Tifa swept her tongue over her lips, her eyes darting around for any sign of an attacker. Shouts and hoots grabbed her attention as one of the teenage boys from before came charging around the corner, gun holstered and a large grin on his greasy face. More shouts could be heard as someone was no doubt ambushed. Tifa, gripping her gun nervously, grit her teeth, wondering what it was that she could do. The fog around her was warm and humid, making the woman feel sick to continue kneeling in it. But at the same time, where could she go? She had no idea, honestly, but she reminded herself that a lot of the time, when Avalanche went to accomplish something, they did it on the fly. There was no time to plan out infiltrations and there were many a time that they had to infiltrate Shinra's facilities. Nodding to herself, the woman stood, and without thinking too much on where she was going, she charged forward, turning sharply around the corner the teenage boy had come from. Tifa held her gun up, ready to pull the trigger should anyone come at her. It was when she looked up that she ducked down, yet again and pressed against the wall. Flipping onto another platform, trails of fog following her lithe form, was Yuffie, laughing as one of the other teenage boys from before chased after her, an angry look on his face. Tifa shook her head, muttering, "Yuffie, you're too much." Little did she know that from above, on the large fluorescent green block across from her, a small boy with glasses was peering at her from over the edge. Carefully bringing his gun over the side, the red laser of the boy's gun fixing on the front of Tifa's armor, he cried in a triumphant voice, "Gotcha!" Tifa's armor beeped and flashed, causing her to jump and shout as the boy withdrew, out of sight. Looking down at her front, she stood and stomped her foot. "Shoot!" "Okay." It was the little boy again, this time firing at her from further down on a taller, pink block. Tifa brought her gun up, but much too late. The little boy scored another hit, and he scurried off laughing. Tifa stood flabbergasted, her gun still trained on the spot the boy had been. Brows furrowing, she cursed. Commotion came from where Tifa had come, and the fighter turned to glance over her shoulder before hurrying forward, this time taking more care and checking all around her. Up, down, left, right. An opponent could come from any angle at any time, and the woman found herself somewhat paranoid at the idea. This game was mad. Deciding she had enough of feeling like a running target, the woman went to climb up one of the shorter blocks leading up to the second level. From there she could make ground on one of the platforms, no longer feeling like a target to little snipers such as the boy from before. Hoisting herself up, Tifa glanced around to see if the boy was still around. If he was, she couldn't see him, so she stood and moved forward, her gun held up with shaky hands. From where she stood, she could go up to the second level, and if she hopped around a bit, she was sure to find a spot that was high enough to snipe safely from. Far on the other side of the field, through the columns and pillars, Tifa could see at least two others lurking up above. She didn't want to meet them, so she decided going to the second level was probably the best choice. As she went to climb the ascending platforms, she heard the scuffing of shoes as someone climbed up one of the pillars. Looking down, Tifa groaned. It was the little boy from before, and he was smilingly fiercely up at her from where he stood. "Hiya!" he cried, lifting his gun. But Tifa lifted her own, and seeing the laser light upon the boy's armor, she pulled the trigger. The boy's armor lit up, and he looked down in surprise, letting out a cry. Taking advantage of his distraction, Tifa turned and tried to scramble the rest of the way up to the second level. "Get back here!" the boy cried angrily. Tifa leapt up onto the second level floor, clawing so that her entire body made it. Scrambling to her feet, the woman took off at a full run, gun held up across her chest. It was when she collided head on into someone that she went flying to the floor. "Ouch!" "Ow!" Sitting up quickly, the woman winced at the pain in her side, where she landed. The other person, one of the teenage boys, sat up slowly, rubbing his head. "I'm really sorry!" Tifa cried over the music, her face broken up with anxiety as she attempted to stand. The boy stood to his feet as well, a confused look on his face. "Where'd you come from?" he said dazedly. Tifa bit her lip and indicated behind her, as she turned and looked, however, she saw the little boy hoisting himself up from the last platform. "You can't run!" he cried, a little out of breath. Tifa's eyes widened, and squeaking out a second apology, the fighter took off running, past the bewildered teenage boy and down the path he came from. As she ran, she passed Yuffie, who blinked at her in surprise. "Hey--!" "Can't talk!" Tifa blurted as she zipped past, her friend gazing at her in confusion. "What's the matter?" the ninja asked in a shrug. Her answer came when the little boy, who stood just a little past her waist, came veering around the corner, gun waving in the air, screaming with a devilish face and a dangerous glint in his eye. Yuffie, momentarily forgetting what she was doing, stared after him blankly. ---------- If she didn't move from where she was, the boy wouldn't find her. He couldn't. His legs couldn't possibly climb this high. Tifa was lying flat on her back on the highest block on the second level. She had been there for at least five minutes now, and thus far she hadn't so much as looked over the edge down below. Commotion happened all around her as the rave music continued to blast, rattling her bones and causing a strange tingle to spread over her skin. The lights and lasers were giving Tifa a headache, and idly she wondered how ravers stood all of it. Perhaps it was the drugs, but regardless, Tifa doubted she would like all the flashes anymore if she were under the influence. Another minute went by before Tifa's anxiety won over her desire to be safe. She was hearing so much going on around her, but had no idea what was really happening. It was driving her mad. Flipping onto her stomach, the woman crawled to the edge of where she hid, peering down below where she could see players darting around, popping out of tunnels and scrambling over platforms and columns. She spied Yuffie taking on two of the boys who seemed to be momentarily ganging up on her. Co-op play was not allowed, but when two players shared a similar interest in a target, what else was there to do? Funny thing was, the girl seemed to be winning the shoot-out, a predatory smile stuck on her face as she darted and dashed between the pillars. Tifa looked around to see if she could spy the little boy, but as her eyes roamed over the surrounding area, she didn't see him. Perhaps he was on the first level? In which case, Tifa probably didn't have to hide anymore. The game was nearing its end. She could crawl down from her hiding place and chance walking around for a bit. Tifa didn't want to admit hiding to Yuffie, and at any rate, if she got down, she could try and take a few shots at the ninja while she was preoccupied with the two teenage boys. All was fair in war, as Tifa recalled someone once saying. Biting her lip, the woman backed up, lowering herself over the edge behind her. Hanging for a moment, she allowed herself to drop, and at that moment her armor flashed again. Swiveling around with her gun raised Tifa grit her teeth. The little boy was standing there, gun raised and a triumphant smile on his face. "Waited for you." He said with a laugh. Tifa growled. Why did this boy choose to follow her around of all people? "Then let's see if you can keep up!" Tifa cried, turning and jumping to another column. The jump had a fair gap, and the woman stumbled slightly as she landed, feeling her heart skip a beat as she did so. Hopping down to the lower ground on the other side, she dashed into a dark round tunnel, smiling. The boy wouldn't get her. She was disappointed then, when she heard the sound of small footfalls behind her. Dashing out of the tunnel, the fighter turned and blasted a few shots into the dark tunnel, and was satisfied to see the flash of the boy's armor. Twisting back around, the woman continued running past the columns and walls until she heard Yuffie's laughter over the pulsing rave music. "Take this suckers!" Veering around the corner, Tifa was greeted with the view of Yuffie shooting at the two teenage boys from behind a pillar, her intended targets hiding behind low walls. Behind Tifa, she could hear the little boy coming. Lifting her gun, Tifa pressed herself against the wall waiting as she heard the boy coming closer. Popping out from the corner, she blasted wildly with her gun, shouting angrily, "Leave me alone!" The boy, who was coming at high speed toward her, lifted his gun to shoot her. But it was when his armor flashed red that he stopped and stared down. "Huh?" he said, then stomped his foot. "No way!" Tifa blinked. Was the boy eliminated? A slow smile spread over the woman's lips. The smile was wiped clean when her armor flashed again. The woman whirled around to see Yuffie, gun pointed at her, wearing a smug grin. "Hiya, Tifa." She said. Tifa raised her gun in response. "Hi, Yuffie." The ninja reacted quickly, rounding onto the other side of the pillar she hid behind and continuing on towards the low wall the two boys had been hiding. Vaulting over it, the girl darted into a large tunnel. Tifa quickly followed her, leaping over the wall. She spared a quick glance over her shoulder and saw the two boys sitting on the ground, dejected and their armor flashing red. Yuffie's laughter echoed through the tunnel as Tifa ran, the woman turning gently with the tunnel as it opened into yet a new clearing of low blocks and walls. She couldn't spy the girl, and yet she knew the ninja was there, hiding somewhere. Crouching, Tifa hid behind a low block, her eyes scanning over everything. "So Rusty, what'dya think of this whole thing? Spiffy ain't it?" Yuffie's voice drifted from the other side, and Tifa tried to pinpoint where her voice had come from. "I think this is crazy!" Tifa cried, eyes sweeping the area once more before she darted forward, ducking quickly behind a low wall that was closer to the center of the clearing. "I think it's fun." Yuffie cried. It was coming from the left side of the clearing. Tifa began to creep that way, using the wall as a cover. "You always were good at hiding, Yuffie." The woman said this exaggeratingly, hoping the ninja would pick up on the derogative comment hidden beneath. "You were hiding too! I saw you!" the girl said this indignantly. Tifa smiled as she looked up at a group of columns. "Oh, I hid for 'strategy', as I'm sure you did." The woman said flippantly. A pause. "I know what you're doing, Tifa it won't work." Tifa crept closer, hearing the girl's voice float from atop the column. She raised her gun. "That so?" "Yeah. You aren't going to get a rise out of me. That's my thing." "Sure is." Yuffie sat up, eyes scanning the area. "Are you saying I'm annoying?" Tifa aimed and pulled the trigger, the ninja's armor flashing red. "No." Yuffie shouted in surprise as she looked down at herself. Tifa shouldered her gun, grinning smugly. "I'm just saying you talk too much sometimes." ---------- Yuffie followed Tifa with a scowl, her arms crossed huffily over her chest as they went to stand in line at the old roller coaster in the Speed Square. The lines here were smaller, due to the fact that the new roller coasters were attracting more people. Tifa didn't want to be mean to Yuffie, so she decided to ride this one because it wasn't as bad as the newer ones. "This is lame..." Yuffie muttered sulkily. "Hush. I won fair and square, you can't deny it." "You tricked me!" "Like you did to me?" The girl grit her teeth. At the front of the line, the Gold Saucer employee nodded to them both. "10 GP?" "Here." "Thank you very much, enjoy the ride!" Tifa nodded and with Yuffie trailing behind her, the fighter climbed into the first seat of the roller coaster. Buckling in, the older woman called over her shoulder. "You ready, Yuffie?" The young girl, though Tifa couldn't see, was gripping her harness with a white-knuckled grip. After an employee made sure they were buckled in right, the coaster began to move, slow at first before gaining speed. Tifa gripped the blaster in front of her, laughing as she shot at the passing objects with zeal. Meanwhile, Yuffie was squeezing her eyes shut. The rush of air gave an exhilaration that Tifa had forgotten, the way the roller coaster dipped and rolled, eliciting a breathless cry as they rose again like birds in the air. Tifa swiveled the blaster as best she could, shooting at the ghosts, the UFOs, the rocket ships, the balloons, and even the cactuses. It all ended with a smooth roll in back to the station and a blast of fireworks. Grinning from ear to ear, Tifa climbed out of the car, stretching her arms up over her head as a sudden laugh bubbled up her throat. "That was great!" Hopping about face, she was about to ask Yuffie whether or not she wanted to go again, but she stopped at the sight of the ninja stumbling from her seat. Standing woozily, the girl stared blankly ahead, her face a light green. "Yuffie?" Tifa said tentatively as she moved forward. Grabbing her shoulders, the fighter examined her friend's face. "Hey...Yuffie, you all right?" The girl shook her head, brushing away Tifa's hands. "M'fine," she mumbled, stumbling a few steps towards the exit. "Excuse me!" Tifa turned reluctantly to regard the woman at the booth. "Would you like to know your score?" the woman asked. The fighter bit her lip as she turned to look at Yuffie. "Um...sure." Getting closer to the booth, Tifa waited nervously as the woman looked to her screen. "You scored 15, 223 points." The fighter blinked. "Really?" "Yes ma'am. Can I have your name to enter for the high scores?" "Um...yes. Tifa Lockhart." The woman stared at her. "...Really?" Tifa nodded reluctantly. "Wow...um, well Ms. Lockhart. It seems you topped your friend Mr. Strife's score. Up until now, no one's topped him." Tifa blinked rapidly. "Even after three years?" The woman shrugged, "It would seem so." Reaching beneath the counter, she procured a mog plushy. "Here's your prize!" Tifa smiled happily. "Thank you!" Her smile was wiped clean when she heard Yuffie throw up nearby. Groaning, she didn't even look. Closing her eyes, she asked wearily, "Did she throw up in a trash can?" The woman leaned forward, peeking out of the booth. Grimacing, she shook her head. "Nope." ---------- "I'm really sorry, Yuffie." "You don't need to be sorry. I'm the one who threw up." "I shouldn't have gotten you onto that roller coaster. I knew it'd make you sick." "Well in that case you're an asshole. But regardless, stop apologizing." They were back in the hotel room, Yuffie lying on one of the beds with a wet rag on her forehead. Tifa was kneeling next to her, a worried look on her face. "You want me to get you more water?" "No." The fighter sighed. "I, uh..." she scratched her head and lifted the mog plushy she had sitting next to her on the ground. "I won something." She said lamely. Yuffie glanced at her, smiling faintly. "Nice job, Rusty. You can give that to Marlene when we get back." "Yeah..." A pause. "Man this sucks." Yuffie said with a huff. Tifa winced, "Yuffie I'm-" "Say it one more time, I dare you." "Um..." "Screw this." Yuffie sat up quickly, tossing away the rag with disgust. "I'm not going to spend my time at Gold Saucer sitting on my ass...neither are you, for that matter." Tifa shrugged. "Well what do you want to do?" "Well heck...I'm in no shape to fight at that new Battle Arena...but there IS someplace else we can go." "Where's that?" Yuffie smiled and pointed out the window. "There." Tifa blinked. "You wanna go to the haunted mansion?" "Sure." "But what about your nausea?" "I feel better. Come on, let's go!" Tifa bit her lip. Then with a sigh she stood to her feet. "All right, if you want to." The way down to the mansion wasn't grand or elaborate. A simple dirt road leading from the graveyard in front of the hotel cut through the dark forest, straight to the mansion. Screams floated from the forest and as Tifa and Yuffie neared, the ninja began to hop about excitedly. "Hear that, Tif? It must be crazy in there!" Tifa, unimpressed, only shrugged. "Sure, it sounds scary Yuffie." Leaves crunching beneath their feet, the two girls entered the dark of the trees, the forest canopy allowing little of the fabricated moonlight to shine through. Yuffie stopped hopping around and began to huddle close to Tifa, head snapping around every time she heard a bush rustle or a twig snap. Not too long into the forest, the girls reached a split in the path. Tifa glanced at Yuffie, "Wanna split up?" "Wha-" Yuffie glanced at her with alarm. Then quickly masking it, she straightened and shook her head. "Uh, no...no, I'll stay with you Tif. So you won't, y'know, get scared." Tifa raised an eyebrow. "Okay." She began to walk down the path leading to the right. "Let's go this way." "Hey wait!" Tifa looked back at Yuffie, who hadn't moved. "You sure you wanna go that way?" the ninja asked, barely keeping the tremor from her voice. Tifa shrugged. "Sure, why not?" "But...but it's darker than this path here." Yuffie pointed meekly down the other path. Tifa smiled. "Are you scared, Yuffie?" At this the ninja stiffened, a frown coming over her face. Squaring her jaw, she stomped past Tifa muttering under her breath, "Geez, you point something out to people and they twist it all sorts of ways..." Tifa, stifling a laugh, followed after her. Truthfully, this path was darker than the other, the trees packing closer together and their withered faces grinning sinisterly at the passing girls. Yuffie had one arm across her trunk, her other hand brought up to her mouth as she bit her thumbnail. Tifa walked idly, her hands clasped behind her back with a relaxed expression. "So when're they actually gonna try and scare us?" she said. Yuffie glared at her. "You're ruining the mood, Tifa." The fighter gave the ninja an amused look, "Sorry, didn't mean to. But really, we've been walking for how long now? We've yet to actually see anything yet." There was a snap behind them, and they both stopped to look back, one confused, the other terrified. A silhouette of a large hulking person was stomping toward them menacingly, eyes glowing from his otherwise indiscernible face. Yuffie screamed grabbing Tifa as she took off running. The woman in question stumbled as she attempted to keep from falling. "Yuffie-hey!" Behind them, they could hear the man giving chase, and Yuffie began to whimper as she pulled away from Tifa. The fighter struggled to keep from falling behind too much, feeling the unnerving sensation of someone following behind her. In the near distance, they could see the path lead out of the forest, and from where they were they could make out the fa‡ade of the mansion. Glancing back as they burst out into the open, Tifa saw the man following them emerge as well, his face masked by a brown leather mask. But the man slowed down, coming to an eventual stop near the forest, Tifa turned her attention forward again and saw there was a small line to get into the mansion. Slowing to a stop along with Yuffie, the two girls looked back to see the large man was gone. "Creep." The ninja muttered shakily. Tifa smiled and rubbed the girls back reassuringly. "It's all just show, Yuffie." "I know that." The girl said, her voice a little resentful. At the gate, there was a small booth in which an old man in a musty old suit was allowing a certain number of people into the mansion. The path leading up to the large oak doors cut through a dead lawn that was riddled with actors made up as zombies. Chains around their ankles and necks prevented them from reaching whoever they passed, however, every time they lunged, they managed to elicit a squeal from at least one of the people in the group, usually just the girls. Tifa gazed at them with intent as she and Yuffie stood in line, thinking, "They did a really good job with makeup." After a certain time of waiting, the old man began to allow the next group into the mansion. When Tifa and Yuffie reached the booth, the fighter turned to her friend. "You sure you wanna go in?" Yuffie glared at her. "I'm sure, okay?" Tifa held up her hands. "Just asking." Turning to the man, she paid the required GP and, with Yuffie grabbing her arm, went through the gate. The zombies reached for them, as they did for everyone else, but Tifa didn't flinch from them. Yuffie, however, whimpered slightly and held Tifa's arm tighter as they passed. Reaching the oak doors, they went in. Inside, the main hall was lit by a dim chandelier, a winding staircase leading up to the second floor. Gazing at everything with interest, Tifa began to move towards the stairs, but Yuffie held her back. "N-No." she said. Biting her lips she gestured around, "Let's...Let's look here first." Tifa gazed at her, then shrugged. "Okay." Others had come into the mansion now; a young couple both chewing gum, were gazing around as if they were in a museum, while a father and his son were coming through the door. The father looked nervous and the son excited. "We'll stay close to this group." Tifa muttered to Yuffie and they, along with the others, went through the doors across from the entrance. The doors creaked as they opened into a ballroom, light from the moon filtering in through the grimy windows. Walking to the center of the room, the group looked around. The gum couple, as Tifa came to regard them, smacked their gum loudly as they gravitated toward the dusty old piano in the corner of the room. The little boy, leaving his father to stand in the middle of the room with Tifa and Yuffie, went to examine the portraits on the walls. "Neat!" he exclaimed. A note sounded from the piano and the couple standing near the piano gave startled jumps. All eyes turned to regard the piano as it began to play of its own accord, playing out the haunting melody of some nameless waltz. Yuffie hugged close to Tifa, arms wrapping around her waist as she buried her face in the woman's shoulder. The fighter could feel the girl shaking with fear, and feeling the need to reassure her, the woman wrapped her arms around her shoulders, holding her close. "Hey! Do you see that?" Cried the young man. "Where?" cried his girlfriend. "Look, Kellin!" "What dad?" Yuffie clutched at Tifa's back as she peeked over the woman's shoulder. "T-Tifa!" she squeaked. The woman was smiling, her eyes lighting up as she looked around the room. "I see." They all saw it. Ghosts were drifting across the dance floor with eerie grace as they waltzed and spun to the music of the piano. Tifa knew they were all just holograms, but regardless of its inability to frighten her, she still found herself enthralled. The faces in the portraits changed as they cackled and laughed at the show the ghosts put on, silver phantoms of people garbed in dated clothing making a symphony of sight for the small audience in the ball room. Tifa was reminded of the Shinra Mansion, and the fighter didn't doubt that Dio used it as a model for this mansion. The elegant designs, the sense that life was interrupted, it was all reminiscent of the Shinra Mansion. Maybe that was why Yuffie was so scared. Tifa remembered how the ninja trembled when she, Cloud, and Yuffie went and found Vincent in the basement. The fighter was rather unnerved herself, as she recalled. Then like that, the waltz came to an end. The ghosts gave a bow, their stony faces masking well what were really actors under a lot of white powder. They faded out of sight, and it was over. The portraits were back to normal, the piano was still. The group let out sighs and nervous laughs, pairing back up. Yuffie was still clutching to Tifa in a tight embrace, her body still shaking even with the show done and over with. Tifa stroked her hair. "Hey...Yuffie?" The girl looked up at her with wide eyes and didn't move. Neither did Tifa. "What're you doing?" The two jerked away from each other, looking down at the boy who was giving them weird looks. "Kellin!" The father came and steered the son away, giving the two women an apologetic look as he went on to the door at the other side of the room. The couple went on to follow them, and embarrassed, Tifa and Yuffie trailed behind. ---------- Coming back from the mansion, Yuffie had been extremely jittery, though Tifa couldn't understand why, as the rest of the mansion was rather pale in terms of the show the ballroom offered. Plastic skeletons, fake blood, and cheesy background noises were all that were left when the group moved on. Tifa supposed the mansion was still in its beta stages so to speak. Dio couldn't possibly settle for something as simple as what they just went through. There at the hotel, Tifa was fast asleep in her bed, exhausted by the day's events and dreaming once again of her angel. She was wrapped snugly in her blankets, ready to ascend to heaven with the ethereal being when Yuffie hissed her out of her dreams. "Tifa...Tifa! Hey are you sleeping?" Tifa opened her eyes slowly in confusion, squinting as she tried to make out Yuffie's face in the dark. "...Huh?" Yuffie sighed in relief. "Good, you're awake." The fighter rolled her eyes, rolling onto her back. "Now I am." She muttered, rubbing her eyes. Yuffie sat up, her sillhoutte outlined by the moonlight. "Can't sleep..." the girl said quietly, gazing at the window. Tifa gazed at her. "Yuffie, are you still thinking of the mansion? None of it was real. All actors, and projected images. That's all." Yuffie bit her lip and turned to look at her. "Tifa, have you ever seen a ghost before?" "Um...no, I don't think I have." The ninja looked down at her lap. "Oh." Tifa sat up too, now intrigued. "Have you ever seen a ghost?" Yuffie didn't answer right away. She fiddled with her hands for a moment before answering. "I thought I saw my mom once...and Aeris too." Tifa blinked. She'd almost forgotten that Yuffie's mother had died when she was younger. "When did you think you saw her?" Yuffie shrugged, looking at her fingernails as if she could actually make anything out. "I dunno...I thought I saw her the day I came back to Wutai...after that fight with Sephiroth. She was wearing this yukata, the summer dresses women in Wutai wear...it was the one she wore the last day I saw her alive." Tifa didn't say anything, she didn't really know what to say. Her mother died when she was young too, but memories of her were painful, and she doubted anything she had to say about her would help Yuffie feel better. Frustrated, the woman stared down at her lap. "And..." Yuffie faltered, "And I thought I saw Aeris when we snuck back into Midgar...y'know, at the church where she grew her flowers." Yuffie smiled faintly. "She waved at me and smiled before she disappeared..." "...Really?" "Sounds crazy, huh?" Yuffie looked at Tifa again, a bitter look on her face. "Seeing my dead mother and friend...a real nut job...They'd be floating along the Lifestream or something...their energy broken up to different things like plants and bugs. What if one day, I killed a fly, and I accidentally killed a part of my mother? How crappy would that be?" "Yuffie, I don't think you're crazy for seeing ghosts. It isn't impossible for spirits to linger before returning to the Planet." "Yeah..." the girl hugged herself and looked back out the window. "...Yeah." Tifa gave her a concerned look. "Yuffie?" The girl looked at her again. "Tifa, do you think I could...sleep with you?" The fighter stared at her for a moment. Then, wordlessly, she slid over to the other side of the bed and pulled the cover back. Yuffie quickly threw her covers off her and slipped into Tifa's bed, drawing the sheets up so that they were bundled under her chin. Tifa settled back down as well, her eyes gazing intently into Yuffie's shadowed face. "Thank you, Tifa..." the girl said quietly. The woman leaned forward and kissed the girl on the forehead. "Good night, Yuffie." She said.
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