The dawn sunlight slowly crept through the trees and tents as the day started itself. Yufffie rolled over in her sleeping bag, unaware of the intruder entering her tent. A small furry animal tried to climb up Yuffie’s back as the ninja girl rolled back over lazily, knocking the animal off her. The moogle resumed its quest to wake Yuffie as Mistress, Lulu had ordered. The magical creature stood upright on Yuffie’s chest and flicked its magic ball on its head.
A small ball of water started to grow over the brown haired girl’s face, as Yuffie remained completely oblivious. The ball grew to the size of Yuffie’s head as it floated idly, waiting for its final and glorious moment. The moogle’s mouth slowly opened as Lulu’s voice projected loudly from it.
“Wake up Yuffie!” Lulu yelled as the cool ball of liquid crashed down on Yuffie’s face. Yuffie jerked upright splitting and coughing as she rubbed her eyes clear. The ninja girl blinked down at the moogle as it tilted its cute face.
“Time to get up!” The moogle yelled brightly as it jumped and started to dance around. Yuffie didn’t know why but for some reason…
“I’m starting to really hate moogles.”
Yuffie stretched her tensed muscles as she threw off her blankets and shook her head. Half awake, Yuffie began to dress herself.
“A simple wake up call to much to ask?”
Yuffie thought distastefully as she glared at the moogle still dancing around and stepped into the open sunlight.
“Glad you could join us.” Lulu voiced gladly as she stood shy of shading Yuffie from the sun.
“Us?” Yuffie shaded her eyes as another figure stood next to Lulu.
“What’s she doing here?” Yuffie snarled as she focused darkly on Selphie.
“You’re not the only one with materia problems Yuffie...” Lulu reminded as she tossed a pack to Yuffie who caught it clumsily.
“…And unlike you, Selphie packed her own bag.” Lulu continued to berate the ninja girl as she turned her back and walked off. Selphie grinned mockingly as she turned into Lulu’s wake and walked up next to her.
“Kiss up.”
Yuffie griped scornfully, looping on the pack and hurried to catch up with the others. Yuffie fell into Lulu’s left side and looked over at Selphie. A smile worked across Yuffie’s face as she could see the dampness in the young girls hair, showing she got the moogle rain dance as well. Selphie caught Yuffie staring as she drew a frown.
“What’s so funny thief?” Selphie grumbled as she hiked up her backpack.
“Nothing, it’s nothing.” Yuffie looked away as she couldn’t sedate the wildly grin on her face.
“We’re going into town for breakfast then heading out.” Lulu’s mothering tone soothed the two spunky girls into neutral as they walked on into the village in silence.
The three found a quite little restaurant and ordered. Lulu sat back smiling at Yuffie and Selphie as she sipped her coffee. Yuffie and had Selphie had gotten full meals and proceeded to race to see who’d finish first.
“You shouldn’t eat like that before going out training.” Lulu warned caringly as she smiled at an old couple that had picked up on Yuffie and Selphie’s eating competition. Yuffie drained the rest of her orange juice and slammed the empty glass down next to an empty plate, first. Seeing her defeat Selphie slowed her milk chugging and set it down empty next to a matching plate.
“If you put more of that competitive spirit in you’re materia use, you wouldn’t have any problems using matria and the faster you learn that the better.” Lulu watched the two girls as they stared daggers at each other, waiting for the next chance to prove better then the other.
“Some are jus’ slower then others.” Yuffie smirked at Selphie as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.
“And some others are jus’ stupid little pickpockets.” Selphie gritted her teeth irritably as she gripped the edge of the table tightly.
“Knock it off, let get going.” Lulu moved to her feet swiftly as she motioned the others up.
“My, those girls can really put away food.” An old man smiled walking up, ready to clear their table as Lulu quickly palmed the smalls of the two young girls backs and pushed them lightly.
“Growing girls got to eat.” Lulu smiled coolly as she walked the two out.
“Your bickering is becoming very vexing.” Lulu whispered frostily as her hands moved up from their backs and gripped the back of their necks.
“Sorry Lulu.” Both girls moaned in unison as dark haired woman let them go.
“Ok, now let’s started training.” Lulu’s smile faded as they stepped out of the village and straight into a fight. Wild coyotes and hawks pestered them endlessly as they had only gotten a few miles from the village.
“Don’t these animals have anything better to do?” Yuffie yelled back to the gray-eyed woman watching in the rearguard, smiling. Selphie attacked other coyote as Yuffie whipped her pinwheel at a hawk. Yuffie could see Selphie paling as her attacks became more sluggish. She had noticed a growing pain in her stomach as the heat and fighting started to wear her down. After the last creature fell, Lulu walked up to the swaying girls.
“Your getting slow.” Lulu proclaimed as she looked at the pale girls.
“I don’t feel good.” Selphie hiccupped as she split up bland saliva that just made you sick if you swallowed.
“Me either.” Yuffie groaned as she held her belly.
“What did I tell you about eating your food like that?” Lulu reminded them and at the word food Selphie covered her mouth and raced to a near by bush and unloaded. Lulu looked to Selphie then back to Yuffie struggling with her own sickness.
“You feeling alright Yuffie?” Lulu asked slyly as they both listened to Selphie throwing up violently in the distant.
“I’m fin…” Yuffie covered her own mouth and ran in Selphie’s direction and started throwing up next to her.
“I’ll wait!” Lulu yelled after Yuffie as she sat down on a large stone and lit up a pipe hidden in her belted dress. After a 10-minute puke-fest both girls wobbled back, holding each other up.
“Better?” Lulu questioned as she took a long drag from her pipe and exhaled. Both girls shook their heads as their knees did the same.
“Drink these...” Lulu offered as she produced two small bottles from her vest and held them out. Yuffie and Selphie looked at a blue and red colored bottle in front of them and in an instant both grabbed at the blue bottle then the red.
“Hands off thief!” Selphie snapped as she gripped the blue bottle, popped the top and started drinking as fast as she could.
“Hope you choke!” Yuffie barked back as she snatched the red one and gulped it down. Lulu smirked at the thought that they didn’t let her finish as she reached back into her dress for her pipe and sat down. Both girls sighed longingly as their sickness slowly disappeared.
“Thank you Lulu.” Selphie thanked as she and Yuffie tried handing back their bottles.
“Don’t thank me yet, you got about 5 seconds before you get sick again, If you’d let me finish before I was going to tell you to drink them together, sharing half of one of the bottles mixed with half of the other you would have been fine, but separately? Well you’re about to find out.” Lulu confessed knowingly as she looked both girls honestly in the eyes.
“Why didn’t you tell us?” Yuffie snapped as she threw her bottle down.
“I tried, but you’d already made up you minds.” Lulu kept her dark smile in place as Selphie gripped her belly and ran off again. Yuffie glanced meanly at Lulu’s crude trick as the dark haired woman counted aloud.
“3-2-1.” Lulu chuckled as Yuffie ran off after her teammate.
“I’ll wait!” Lulu yelled again as she loaded her pipe and continued to smoke.
To be continue...