Disclaimer: I own nothing of Squaresoft or the Final Fantasy gaming series, all characters and plots from the games are therefore not mine. The only things I claim to own in this fic are characters that I myself have created. Needless to say if the characters specifically designed for this fic are not in the Final Fantasy VII game, then they belong to me. So please don’t sue.

This fic is set straight after the end of FFVII, which is after Sephiroth has been defeated. It, like many other fic’s is based on the idea of Aerith returning to the living. More people also arrive on the scene (my own characters) to help AVALANCHE out. But help them with what, will soon become apparent.

So on with the show, please enjoy, and no matter who you are please review, it means a lot, I appreciate everyone’s comments so don’t be shy, press that dial.

That’s all for now

Namarie from Penanna Pen-Icus

Chapter 1: Materia Girl

Yuffie turned over on to her stomach for the eleventh time in five minutes, her face flat on the pillow, she sighed heavily and her socked foot touched the post at the end of the bed, she jerked her foot back instantly and turned over on to her back again. She found even the slightest touch of anything apart from her own clothes and the bed sheets seemed to irritate her, she didn’t quite understand or comprehend exactly what she and the other members of AVALANCHE had just done.

Tifa walked casually back in, a towel wrapped securely around her, her long dark hair dripping wet framed her fair face. She looked over squarely at Yuffie seeming to feel how irritated the material ninja was.

“You alright there, Yuffie?” She asked politely, Yuffie made no reaction to Tifa’s words at first; she then sat up suspiciously and looked in Tifa’s general direction,

“No. I am seriously annoyed now.” Tifa blinked skeptically at Yuffie and tilted her head to the side a little.

“Why? I thought you out of all of us would be the happiest, since you can have all our material anyway.” Tifa walked over to the dresser and sat on the stool, she had to say she wasn’t particularly thrilled at the idea of sharing a room with the Materia Ninja, but she had to admit, that it hadn’t been as bad as she thought; Yuffie didn’t snore, unlike Barret, Cid and Cloud, and she was easy to talk too, that is of course when she wasn’t asking you for your Materia, and when she wasn’t armed.

“ Well yes, that’s the only thing I’m happy about, I feel kind of useless if you know what I mean, Once I have everyone’s Materia, that’s it, I just go home to Wutai and play the innocent teenager again, the idea is starting to piss me off.” Tifa laughed a little and took the hair brush off the dresser; she began to run it through her wet hair slowly.

“Well, do you have to go home? Will your father be annoyed if you don’t?” Yuffie nodded positively, she realized Tifa couldn’t see her response, so she made to answer it in words.

“My father likes to think of me as his sweet little Ninja daughter, he still treats me like a kid, and he did admit that I had grown up when we went to Wutai a few months back, but he will be annoyed if I don’t go back, he’s expecting a lot of Materia.” The two laughed together and Tifa put down the hair brush and turned to Yuffie.

“If you don’t want to go back just yet, it’s alright with me if you come with me and Cloud back to Nibelhelm, it would take you a while to get to Wutai anyway. Barret is going back to Midgar to get Marlene, and then he said he was thinking of returning to Corel. Nanaki is going back to Cosmo Canyon, Cait Sith is obviously going back to the Gold saucer, Cid is going back to Rocket, and I don’t know what Vincent is going to do. You live far away from any of us, so it would be hard to stay in contact with you. But like I said, you’re welcome to come back to Nibelhelm with me and Cloud if you like.”

“Won’t Cloud mind? I know you two have a lot to talk about an all. I really don’t want to be a bother.” Yuffie smiled and swung her feet off the end of the bed, she put her hands by her side, resting her palms flat on the sheets.

Tifa was taken aback by Yuffie’s display to not be a bother, Yuffie was obviously in a very good mood, she was acting so mature and it was shocking, Tifa though that perhaps the events of the previous week had possibly changed the girl, hopefully for the better.

“I don’t mind, and don’t worry about him; I’ll take care of that.” Yuffie nodded and leaped off the end of the bed, she walked over to the wardrobe and opened the doors easily, and she gaped inside at her selection of clothes given to the AVALCHE members by the town’s folk.

Despite the cold weather Yuffie liked her style and she took out a pair of silver-white shorts, she took them from the hanger and dropped them onto the floor neatly, then she reached for a soft dark green halter neck top, she dropped that on the floor also. She leaned back up, reaching for the shelf above the hanging clothes; she had to stand on her tip toes to reach her pack that sat neatly upon the shelf. As she was struggling to reach it, Tifa appeared beside her and reached up taking down both their packs, she handed Yuffie her pack and smiled warmly at her, before walking back over to the dresser and sitting upon the stool once more.

Yuffie smiled and closed the wardrobe doors, she picked up the shorts and top from the floor and walked aimlessly back over to her bed, she placed her things on top of the sheets and turned to look back at Tifa.

“Did you say you don’t know where Vincent is going?” Tifa glanced over, she was in the middle of inspecting a scratch on the back of her shoulder, but she took her attention from it upon hearing Yuffie’s voice.

“Mmm?” she looked up blankly and Yuffie blushed a little, Tifa couldn’t see this, but saw that Yuffie was hesitating from repeating herself.

“Did you say that you don’t know where Vincent is going after this?” Tifa nodded quickly and raised a brow at Yuffie.

“That’s right, I asked him but he never answered, most probably in his own world again. Why do you ask?” Yuffie turned around quickly and put on the sweet and innocent face, she was beginning to regret asking Tifa.

“Oh nothing, j-just wondering.” Tifa stood up and walked over, the towel dropped from around her, she grabbed it quickly, but she was now wearing her underwear underneath, having slipped it on sneakily when Yuffie had turned her back. Tifa leant on the end of the bed and looked at Yuffie suspiciously. Yuffie looked rather on edge now as she fumbled inside her pack; she wished she hadn’t asked now.

“Say...You don’t like Vincent do you?” Yuffie looked startled and stood upright instantly, her arms firmly by her side, her cheeks turning a soft rosy color.

“Of course not! What on earth gave you that idea!? Me and Beastie boy!?” the look on her face told Tifa she was lying, but Tifa knew better.

“Oh c’mon Yuffie, I wasn’t born yesterday! I’ve seen the way you’ve been looking at him lately. I’ve just got one thing to ask you.” Yuffie gulped and looked at her friend; she still blushed but realized she couldn’t lie now.

“What’s that then?” Tifa smiled a little and sat on the bed a little more, at ease.

“Why Vincent?” She paused and Yuffie looked somewhat nervous “I mean you said his life was ‘Boring story number one and his existence was number two, and you weren’t too thrilled about it when he joined the team. Being honest here you two acted like Cloud and Sephiroth half the time. Not to mention the fact that he told me himself he find you an annoying little-” Yuffie cut Tifa off quickly before she had the chance to hear what Vincent had said about her.

“I know how he feels about me Tifa; he thinks I’m just a childish little Ninja, a clumsy schoolgirl who really hasn’t got a clue. But I like him all the same.” Yuffie sat down on the bed beside the half dressed Tifa, they looked at each other, and Yuffie a little weary of how much to tell Tifa. Tifa just smiled warmly and comfortingly back at the young Ninja. Yuffie sighed half-heartedly and smiled somewhat.

“I don’t know exactly why I like him; I mean we fight worse than me and my Dad do, I just find him so mysterious, and he is definitely in shape, he’s quiet, dark, calm, and when its just you and him, its really relaxing. I remember almost falling asleep on him, when we were in Wutai, he didn’t say anything, and he just smiled a little at me. The fact that he hides himself from the world, it makes me think that what we see of him, how we picture him, isn’t the real him.” Tifa nodded knowing all to well what Yuffie meant. But still couldn’t understand why the young Ninja would go for someone like Vincent.

Yuffie sighed and turned around; she opened her pack and bean rummaging. A few pieces of Glassy material fell out of the front pocket on to the bed; Yuffie ignored them and rummaged further in her pack. A few moments later she gaze a triumphant smile and withdrew her hand from the bag, a white bandana held in her hand.

She took her green and silver bandana out letting her she brown hair flop about her shoulders and face, she pouted a little, and Tifa giggled as she watched her young friend. Yuffie stood up and felt her way over to the dresser, she took hold of the brush and ran it quickly through her hair, once it was ‘decent’ she put the brush down and brought it from her face with her hands, she then made to fix the bandana around her head. It took her no longer than one minute to tie it neatly, she glanced in the mirror and satisfied she walked back over to the bed, she pulled her shorts down when she got to the side of the bed and stepped out of them, she then yanked her socks off with a mighty pull.

Tifa at this time walked over to the wardrobe and began taking out some clean clothes for herself, she took out a long sleeved belly top, and a black skirt that would reach her mid thighs. Yuffie meanwhile had slipped out of her shorts and was pulling her gloves off, she dropped them on to the bed alongside her shorts, socks and bandana, and she pulled her green polar neck over her head and flung it onto the bed also.

She took her white shorts and slipped them on, she buttoned them up and put a thin silver belt through the bars, she fastened it and picked up the halter neck she threw it over her neck and flipped her hair out of the way, she pulled the side of the halter neck around, covering her breasts and chest. She pulled the clips together but struggled to fasten them. She looked over to Tifa who was now fully dressed in her white long sleeved belly top and black skirt, complete with belt, braces and her gloves.

“Tifa?” Tifa looked up at Yuffie hearing her name; she looked at the Ninja warmly.

“Mmm?” Yuffie smiled a little embarrassed at having to ask Tifa such a silly favor.

“Can you clip these for me? Only I can’t do it, I can’t see.” Tifa smiled and nodded, she dropped her foot off the bed where she was tying a shoelace, she walked around the two beds and stood behind Yuffie she took hold of the clips, and it took her a moment to secure them. She thought it was a good thing that Yuffie sometimes went commando top-side; it meant she never had to worry about spending a lot of time getting changed. Tifa clipped the Halter neck together for her young companion.

Yuffie turned around and hugged Tifa, who didn’t object, she put her arms around the young Ninja and pulled her close, resting her cheek on Yuffie’s Head. Yuffie’s hands rested on Tifa’s thin, bare waist. They stood there for a moment, Yuffie was glad to have a friend like Tifa and felt like she had never been closer to her. Although Tifa didn’t feel exactly the same, she did care for Yuffie, and she was never afraid to say she did.

They pulled away almost at the exact same time and smiled at each other. “I’ll go and ask the other’s for their Materia, you can come if like.” Tifa sighed and rolled her eyes, putting her left hand on her hip.

“If I didn’t know you any better I’d say all you care about is Materia. But now I know that isn’t true.” Yuffie laughed a little and put her right foot on the bed, she reached into her pack and pulled out a silver anklet chain, she put it around her ankle and left her appearance at that.

“Yes, but you know me better now, so you can’t say that.” Yuffie dropped her foot and looked at Tifa again, she winked playfully and Tifa rolled her eyes.

“You’re still the same playful childish you, no matter how grown up you try to act.” With that she winked back at Yuffie and they both laughed together.

“Do you want to come with me Tifa? I really don’t feel like going by myself, and I’d hate to leave you alone in here, it’s too quiet.” Yuffie looked around suspiciously, and Tifa looked around also, after the quiet being mentioned she too felt it was a little too quiet.

“Yea, you’re right, it’s just a little too quiet, I’ll come with you. Might as well, I’ll go and talk to Cloud, nothing else to do in this place, you think Kalm would be a little more eventful after what’s just happened.” Yuffie nodded in agreement and walked towards the door, Tifa followed close behind. Yuffie opened the door and the two stepped out, Tifa shutting and locking the door behind them.

When the room was left in silence two young hands appeared on the window ledge, followed by a young teenager face. It was a girl she looked no more than 17, she had short blonde hair that spiked at the ends, soft light blue eyes that sparkled mischievously, her cheeks were a little rosy, but looked as though they were always that color. There was a rather large brown hat on her head, goggles were strapped around the rim of the hat, and she looked around the room innocently, mainly focusing on the Materia on Yuffie’s bed.

“Wow, AVALANCHE! Here! Just think! This is my chance to get in on something big! All my life I’ve been nothing but The Medic and the underage pilot. Well not anymore! The second they leave tomorrow I’m going to’ ask if I can join! Honestly AVALANCHE! Wait till I phone Levain, Lord is he going to be pissed!” She slid down the drain pipe that she had been using to listen in to Tifa and Yuffie, she hit the floor easily, the yellow scarf around her neck bobbing somewhat as she landed. She made to run off into the center of Kalm, but she stopped suddenly and looked back up at the window.

She smiled mischievously and her eyes glittered she ran back over to the drain pipe and climbed up it once more. She climbed through the open window and looked at the Materia laid out on the bed. “I don’t think she’ll miss these. What was her name? Yuffie, that’s it. Well if little miss Materia wants these back she’ll have to let me join. She won’t have a choice if she wants...Oh my God! Ultima!!!! What some of the Merchants here would pay for this!! Now she’ll have to let me join, or else I’ll just sell this. It’s a Master too! Oh boy! I can’t wait until tomorrow!” She looked around the room cautiously; making sure no one was still there or had heard her. She turned quickly and vaulted out of the window, not bothering to use the drain pipe this time. She landed a little roughly and fell onto her backside, but she got up swiftly never the less and ran off into Kalm, carrying seven Materia pieces with her...

*~~~~~~*~~~~~~*~~~~~~*~~~~~~*~~~~~~*

Yikes!! Who in their right mind would steal Yuffie’s Ultima Materia! She’ll Bloodfest her ass!! But still, there’s got to be a better reason than just wanting to join AVALANCHE? Oh well. Bring on Chapter 2.

Please! Please! Review!!!! I’ll luv ya if you do! Hey I’m a poet and I didn’t know it XD...

Namarie from Penanna Pen-Icus