Wutai Town

[Sin]

"Sin. Is this all yours?"

H walked through the different rows, and finaly stopped, admiring a beautifully inlaid onyx sword. The blade was black, and sharpened so much that it was able to cut through most swords. The back was serrated, and there was roughly a two hand blunt bar in the back, in which someone could hold it and then use it as an extra reinforcement. nThe hilt was wooden, and wrapped in a red silk cloth, with a long ribbon coming from it decorated with black and deep purple dragons. The scabbered was a deep deep blue, with red tribalistic marking going down the sides. In the center of the blade, and the scabbered was a red and black rose, respectively.

"Can I see this one?"

[Amnesty Lazuli]

"Huh?" Yuffie had paused to examine a set of shuriken in a wooden case. "Oh, sure!"

She came over and opened the combination lock on the case cover. "Like I said, this isn't actually MINE... I'm just watching over this stuff for the tribe. But hey, if you don't tell, I know I won't. What good is all this stuff collecting dust?"

****

Cloud gave Kidd a strange look. "Maybe I should hear this long story."

He spotted Tifa coming slowly out of the cargo bay, driving the pickup truck she'd found there. The kids were already settled into the backseat. "But... I guess I can wait."

He climbed in as she adjusted the mirrors, pointedly avoiding eye contact with him. "I thought you were going to bring your sword for repairs."

"No. Sin took care of that." He too looked carefully away.

Tifa paused. "Cloud... I..."

He glanced over at her. "What?"

She sighed and put on her seatbelt. "Never mind."

"Shouldn't we ask first?" piped up a small voice from the backseat.

Cloud gladly turned his attention elsewhere. "Ask what, Marlene?"

"Ask if we can borrow their truck."

Tifa sighed. "We're not sure who it belongs to, honey. We'll have it back in a few minutes--"

"I know whose it is!"

"Oh?"

"The middle one with the long hair!"

Denzel didn't get it. "The middle one?"

"The monsters! The middle one has long hair. This truck belongs to him. But..." She almost sounded sad. "It used to belong to someone he misses a lot."

Tifa swallowed hard. "We can tell him when we get back."

Cloud leaned out the window. "Kidd, you coming?"

[Sin]

Sin held them up carefully, and examined it from its balance and weight, to its straightness and easiness to be drawn. It was wonderful, a blade beyond his wildest dreams. He took the scabbered, and set it carefully on top of the case, and with the sword he did a few ornate movements, ending with a flick of the wrist, and sheathing it midair.

"I would like to use this one if you do not mind."

He took the sword, and buckled it across his back.

"Yuffie, If I can get him to agree, maybe I will tell you about my reason for destroying the town."

[Amnesty Lazuli]

Yuffie eyed him curiously. "Sounds interesting... Well, no use just hanging around this popsicle stand! We've got shopping to do!" She grabbed him by the arm and pulled him out of the room, towards the village.

****

"Me?! A selfish brat?! I could KILL that girl!"

Kadaj stalked around the ship furiously. Most everyone else seemed to have gone-- now he and his brothers had nothing to do but idle until their business was done.

Of course, they weren't TOTALLY alone... the Turks were hanging around inside the ship, grateful to have a drama-free atmosphere for once. Reno was munching popcorn as he watched them through a porthole. "Tell Nikky to get out here, Rude. This is better than cable TV, yo."

Kadaj continued to fume, hacking down random tufts of tall grass which had done nothing to hurt anyone. "Self-centered... tell me one time she has ever really sacrificed for someone else--"

Loz tugged at his collar uncomfortably. "Well, there was that time when--"

"Oh, shut up!" He hacked still more furiously. "I've spent my LIFE sacrificing for this family! What right does she have to--"

"Kadaj, I believe you should get used to trusting her judgement," Yazoo said calmly.

Kadaj exploded at him. "Her judgement?! Her judgement?! Are you trying to tell me you think SHE is in the right?!"

Yazoo continued, unfazed. "No, simply reminding you that within a matter of days, she will..."

"No!" Kadaj went back to pacing and hacking. "She is NOT READY! And at this rate she is never GOING to be!"

Yazoo looked at his brother solemnly. "She has to be. And you are not helping."

Kadaj huffed and paused for a moment. He spun around. "We have no future here."

Yazoo got up and calmly, quietly, kneed him in the groin. Reno winced in sympathy. "Ohhh..."

"I have more right to believe that than anyone. But I choose... hope."

Kadaj could only look up at him from where he lay curled on the ground.

[Sin]

Sin was dragged anime style through the town as Yuffie led him around. They stopped quickly at the materia shop [of course,] and he was then taken to a clothing store, a shopping mall, an items shop, and just about evey other shop before she finally took him to the weaponsmith.

"How did I end up buying and holding onto all this stuff for you..."

He shook his head, and handed the smithee the buster sword of Clouds, as well as his hilt and bit of broken blade still attached.

"Can you repair the buster sword, and can you remode my sword into this one?" He said, taking the sword off of his back.

[Amnesty Lazuli]

The smithy took the Buster without question, or indeed comment. He eyed the ancient sword and Sin's broken one. "Remode?" he repeated gruffly.

"Hold it! I never said anything about you modifying it!" Yuffie blocked the smithy from taking the sword. "For the third time... are you listening? This thing doesn't BELONG to me! If the tribe finds this thing messed with, they'll have my head!" She gave Sin a glare that could have bored a hole through a mountain. "And just when are you gonna tell me about barging through here a couple days ago?"

The smithy began to eye Sin suspiciously.

[Sin]

Sin stared at her.

"Did you even listen? I asked to remodel MY sword after THAT sword. As for the second question, I would have to get Vincent to agree. So unless he tells me it is okay to tell you, I would rather keep my mouth shut."

He took the sword back and set it on the table, as well as pulled out another bit of GIL from his wallet. He was halfway through his money, thanks to Yuffie, and this was probably going to take a decent chunk out as well.

[Amnesty Lazuli]

The look on Yuffie's face was a clear expression of indignity, for what that was worth. "Oh!" She turned away in a huff, arms crossed. "Well, aren't WE Mr. Manners! I doubt you have any idea how to treat a worthwhile woman!"

The smithy rolled his eyes and took the sword, along with the gil.

"You know," she continued, "I could very easily turn you in to these jerks down here and nobody would be the wiser! But I don't! Because that's not how civilized people act!"

Her strident voice was beginning to attract attention.

[Sin]

Si sighed.

"Fine then. If I am such ungentlemanly, I will just take these things back. I can probably get most of my money back for them anyways."

He picked all of the bags back up, and headed for the door, taking out a materia and tossing it up in the air, before cathing it again. He put it in his pocket, and started towards the closest shop.

[Amnesty Lazuli]

"HEY!" Yuffie gave chase. "Whoa whoa whoa!" She braced her hands against his shoulders and forced him to come to a stop, particularly eyeing the materia pouch. "You know, you're REALLY not doing anything to get on my good side here. Don't be so hasty!"

[Sin]

"Oh? Well I guess it is because I am SO uncivilized, and SO ungentlemanly."

He walked around her, and headed back towards the house Vincent and Ami were, still holding onto the bags Yuffie had conned him into buying.

[Amnesty Lazuli]

Yuffie, pouting all the way, followed him back, kicking rocks sullenly. "Geez. What rock did Vincent find you under, anyway?"

****

Ami watched as Shelke did a final check on Vincent's IV drip line. He lay unconscious on a plain white cot in a small room with two matching cots on either side of him. The place looked for all the world like a post-op in a general hospital. "Never thought I'd see the day..." she muttered to herself.

"He'll need a few hours for the drugs to wear off," Shelke explained, drawing a divider curtain. "In the meantime, I feel the two of us could gain benefit by discussing our common link." She gestured to a chair by Vincent's bedside.

Ami took it and tilted her head. "Common link?"

[Sin]

Sin ignored the comment, and headed on through towards where they had last seen Vincent. From there he gave Yufie back everyhting except the materia pouch.

"I will hold on to this till you yourself can be more civilized."

[Amnesty Lazuli]

"Heeeeeey!" Yuffie whined, struggling to catch up and hang onto her bags at the same time. "Give me those, you creep!"

****

Shelk pulled up another chair. "A certain scientist named Dr. Lucrezia Crescent."

Ami paled. "What about her?"

"I have reason to believe she has been communicating with you. There are certain details about her demise I have not yet been privy to. I had hoped you would be willing to compare notes."

Ami's demeanor turned cold. "Not interested."

"Why? Why do the memories disturb you so?"

Ami refused to comment.

"I see. You fear your genetic link to her instills in you a similar attitude towards self-inflicted injury--"

"No! Never." She looked over at the still sleeping Vincent. "I won't leave him like she did."

Shelke was silent for a moment. She glanced down at her hands... still apparently too big for her arms. Her body had only marginally matured since leaving Deepground... "Then you may be comforted to know, I strongly suspect it wasn't suicide."

Ami's blood chilled. "What do you mean?"

[Sin]

Sin sighed and lifted the bags up, and carried them inside. He followed Yuffie to a room and set them down, except for the materia.

"Now, I promise I will give you these before we leave, or when you can act civil and like a true ninja. When you can calm down and act nice, you may have these. Are we clear on this?"

He tossed the bag from hand to hand, and finally tucked it away.