Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII or any of the characters. All rights reserved by SquareEnix.

Backstep

To say it was blistering hot was possibly a bigger understatement than saying he was scared as he approached the crimson red monster that towered over him. With the dark red of the Weapon in stark contrast to the pale bade of the sand, it was easy to spot the massive being from almost any distance.

The spiky blonde looked up at the monster and drew his sword. Bracing himself by firmly setting his feet in the sand he stared at Ruby Weapon who glared at him with eyes that retained no feeling.

Its long arms simply hung loosely at it sides like they were useless appendages but the sharpen claws on top of the sand were all the proof he needed to tell that it was ready for whatever challenge it would eventually face. Atop its massive body was a dragon like neck with a head that wore a permanent grimace and the red orb in its chest shined like a gem thanks to the rays of the sun.

Ultima weapon gleamed in the light and a pink shade of color fell on the sand as Cloud hoisted the large sword into the air. With a shaky breath escaping his lips, he watched as Ruby Weapon lifted its arms.

The sight itself was enough to make him nervous…

He shook his head to free himself of his delusions. He was right to knock out Cid and Yuffie in order to come here alone. If he couldn't beat this by himself, what could he possibly do to Sephiroth and, if he lost, he would be saving them from the fate he would suffer.

The ex SOLIDER didn't want anyone else to die because of him.

The weapon went into motion and he reacted by bringing his sword up to block. The heavy arm crashed into the dark purple sword and sent it and its owner flying through the air until they finally came to rest a few meters from where he once stood.

Cloud slowly got up and looked at the monster as it started to dig its claws into the ground.

It was going to much harder than he imagined.

He was about to charge forward until he heard the unmistakable sound of his name being yelled. Looking over his shoulder as Ruby Weapon advanced, he cursed as he noticed that Yuffie was running in his direction.

The frown on her face held no resentment despite the fact that he knocked her out. Looking closer, he could see the understanding in her eyes as she neared him. Of course, he never took anyone in the party as stupid but he always though Yuffie was a bit slower than the rest.

That's why he was so surprised when he knew that she could tell he was doing this not only for himself but for their safety as well.

Still… He had to do this on his own.

Turning back around, he dashed forward as fast as he could, "Yuffie! Go-"

The arm that flew past him halted any words he could have uttered.

With speed that didn't match his frame or the large sword he carried, he quickly retracted his steps and ran towards the young girl to prevent her from taking a hit like the one he experienced no more than a few minutes ago.

His heart stopped as he slid in between the gap that separated Yuffie from its claws and covered her. Again, the attack collided into Cloud and he blocked it with everything he had.

Somehow he managed to divert the attack to the side and the blue eyed girl behind him breathed a sigh of relief. As his heart beat returned to normal, he addressed the ninja as he kept his eyes on the monster, "Yuffie…"

"You can't do this alone."

Her words hit just as hard, if not harder, than the hits Ruby Weapon just dished out.

"I didn't have the time to go back to the airship and," She looked at the materia she held in her hand, "Cid is mad at you…"

Cloud shrugged as the Weapon started to dig its claws into the ground, "I wanted to make him mad… the same with you."

If she was offended, she made no mention of it as she stepped from behind him. Yuffie placed the materia back inside the weapon, "I not going anywhere!" She declared as the claws came out of the ground behind them.

Wasting no time, the ninja jumped forward to evade the lashing claws and decided to cast magic. The name of the spell came from her lips and the Weapon gradually stopped moving as the time around it came to a stop.

With a great leap into the air, he decided he would end it as fast as possible as he reached his peak of his jump. He started to descend on the motionless weapon and the only thing he carried with him besides his weapon and a small collection of materia was his will to defeat the thing under him.

"Braver!"

The heavy sword crashed into the monster's head but the only thing that resulted from the attack wasa dull clang.

"Impossible…" Cloud muttered as he landed back on his feet, the Weapon already rousing from the spell that was cast on it.

The monster pulled its arms out of the ground and roared causing the ground to tremble. Caught off guard, the blonde almost fell victim to the thin, red beam that traced the ground. Dashing backwards just in time, Cloud narrowly avoided the ray that caused the ground in front of him to explode.

"Cloud!" Yuffie called out, drawing his attention easily despite the monster in front of him. In seconds, he understood and moved backwards as the sky started to darken. Seemingly out of nowhere, knights just as large as Ruby Weapon started to appear and attacked the monster with attacks so hard that it was forced to resort to defending.

However, before the summon was even finished, Cloud advanced on the Weapon with an attack of his own, "Omnislash!"

Without effort, the swordsman heaved the heavy sword into the air and started to slash at the monster so fast that the naked eye couldn't even see every attack. The frustration he felt at not being able to put a dent in the monster showed as he neared closer to his final attack.

The final knight sailed through the air and Cloud gathered energy for the final strike. At the same time, they attacked the weapon and the monster succumbed to the bright explosion that occurred thanks to the raw power of the dual offensive.

It was a sight Yuffie would never forget.

Cloud softly landed back on the ground as the monster faltered.

He did it… Another weapon was defeated and he did it alone for the most part. The spiky blonde looked over his shoulder at the ninja who quietly looked at the scene in front of him.

"Cloud! It's not-"

The small green orb of pure energy between the two of them cut her off as the environment around them became a pitch black. It was the monster's final spell but possibly also its strongest.

He already knew he could take the full attack but Yuffie obviously wasn't as strong as he was. Again, he rushed to cover the girl but the Ultima spell proved to be too quick. For a moment, nearly the entire desert became a void that was filled with an explosion that could have completely destroyed the planet if it wasn't retained in the endlessvoid.

Ruby Weapon crashed into the sand as it inhaled its last breath.

Cloud pushed himself off the ground and looked around. Save the fact that both the weapon and Yuffie were missing, the desert looked the same as it did before the devastating spell. Abandoning his sword on the ground, he overlooked his own wounds and yelled his companion's name.

"Yuffie!" He yelled, oblivious to the blood streaming down his head.

No response.

Again, he yelled the girl's name and, when he heard no reply, he desperately started to search for the ninja. It couldn't have happened again… If she died because of him…

It was a soft sound. A light laughter erupted from the girl beside him as she rested on the ground, "I'm right here Cloud…" Yuffie said weakly.

With a sigh full of relief, the SOLDIER almost dropped to his knees, "I thought-"

He paused when he saw the condition she was in. She did well in surviving the spell but didn't fair half as well as he did. Her favorite weapon was missing but that was the least of her problems. Besides the various injuries inflicted on her, the most drastic injury by far was the lost of her arm.

Blood flowed freely from the broken stump that used to be her arm and it was only then that he remembered that Yuffie was the intended target of the attack. If she didn't guard herself using her weapon then it was a chance that she wouldn't even be alive…

Without a word, Cloud reached into his pocket and pulled out one of the most valuable materia he had on him. The deep green of the Full Cure materia did little to ease his panic as he decided to put it to use.

"Full Cure!" He cried, as the spell started to take effect.

Still the girl continued to chuckle weakly, "Don't waste your time…"

"Shut up!" Cloud roared as he cast the spell again, seeing that she didn't seem to get any better, "I'm not wasting my time!"

This was more important than beating a weapon and, right now, it was more important than defeating his hated rival. He couldn't allow her to die… No, he wouldn't let her die! This was his fault! If she had left with Cid this never would have happened.

"Cloud…" She smiled as he cast aside the green orb and instead opted to look for something better to use, "I'm glad… I helped."

"Don't waste your energy talking Yuffie!" The blonde said as the ninja looked up at the beautiful blue sky. It was the first time she looked at it and actually admired the sight in a long time…

She started to feel sleepy but Cloud pulled out the most useful spell he had, "Life Two!"

Yuffie rolled on her side and coughed up blood. It hurt so much… She could still feel the burning heat from the spell and the sand that entered her wounds didn't make the experience any better. It made her feel good to know that he tried but she just couldn't live like this…

Before she knew it, she was being hoisted in the air. With his arm securely around her shoulders and under her knees, Cloud held the frail ninja as close as possible and started to run towards his sword. Softly placing the injured girl back on the hot sand, he quickly grabbed his sword and the valuable materia Yuffie brought with her.

It wasn't long before he was running across the desert with the girl in his arms. The heavy sword on his back and the beaming sun did little to lower his resolve, "Yuffie, listen to me."

"Yea…" The ninja softly said, his sweat dripping on her the moment she looked up.

"You… You are not going to die." He paused to catch his breath as he continued to run as fast as he could, "I swear you're not going to die."

What was once his own personal battle against a Weapon became something much more dismal. The awkward young ninja he held in his arms was more than just a member of his party. More than a materia thief or immature girl, she was still his friend and that was what mattered the most.

He wasn't going to watch another important person die in front of him.

For two whole hours, he ran as fast as he could without rest only pausing to cast another spell on the girl he held. In the silence that was only interrupted by the quick sound of his boots digging into the sand and his rapid heartbeat, Yuffie discovered what dripped on her was not only his sweat but also his tears.

The man stumbled and almost fell but he continued nonetheless. He wouldn't be able to keep it up for much longer but he could already see the mountains in the distance. If he could make it out of the desert then he would be able to at least set up a tent.

"Yuffie?"

"Huh?" She asked, her eyes barely open.

"Stay awake… I'm going to set up this tent." Cloud voiced as they finally made it out of the desert and onto the grassland, "I'm going to make it quick."

True to his word, he was almost half done putting it up not soon after he placed her on the grass but that didn't mean she could hold up on her half of the deal. With her eyelids becoming heavier by the minute, the girl finally gave in closed her eyes.

0

It was cold. Not just a chill like the kind that normally came across her home town, this was on a completely different level. As a matter of fact, it wasn't even common to experience these kinds of temperatures that were on par with the ones at Bone Village.

Yuffie opened her eyes to find herself lying down inside a tent. With the dim lamp beside her providing the necessary light, she also discovered that she was wrapped up in bandages. By sheer reflex, she looked around for her favorite weapon only to remember in the haze of her mind that she lost not only that but her arm as well.

Still, even though the limb was obviously missing, it felt like it was still there…

She groaned as she sat up. It felt like she haven't moved in days and her stomach reminded her that she couldn't remembered the last time she ate. Upon finding out that she was indeed too tired to move, she laid back down and sighed.

"I bet he's angry…" She whispered as she looked at what was left of her arm. Tenderly, the bandages were securely wrapped around the injury. It was easy to tell that he used his sword to make a clean slice so tending to her would be easier. Sadly, but thinking of the swordsman she remembered the expression on his face.

The way he looked when he was carrying her was the same look he had on his face when Aeris died.

Around the sky blue-eyed man, the subject of Aeris was completely taboo and it was a silent rule that everyone, even the rowdy Cid and gruff Barret, all shared. If she had died, would she be added to that taboo list? Would anyone cry for her like they did for the flower girl who met her untimely end?

Of course not, she was just a materia thief.

Even with that in mind, it surprised her that she took the thought of death so lightly. She could even recall laughing since they defeated the thing but without her arm… she was useless. The best she could do now only dealt with using support magic from the back and that didn't fit her at all.

They had a reason to throw her out now… a reason to abandon her. The same people she fought along side and laughed with were no more than associates. While they may call each other comrades, saying that they were friends was stretching the truth. Much like Cait Sith, she found herself being more an outsider than anything but at least he proved himself useful by doing things that others couldn't. She was just considered a nuisance…

She honestly was just playing around when she took the magical orbs. When everyone got so angry, she was left with no choice but to run away and hide.

"Maybe I should have stayed in Wutai…"

"Yuffie…?" A tired voice caused her to turn her head towards the opening of the tent.

Cloud threw the blankets on the floor of the tent and rushed to her side, "T-Thank goodness… I thought you would never wake up." He softly said, sounding more like a worried mother than a former member of SOLDIER.

Her eyebrow raised in question, "How long was I out?"

"Four days…" He remarked, Ultima weapon falling on the floor with a clang as he kneel towards the girl.

"Why didn't you go back to-"

"I can't leave you alone." Cloud stated with ease, "It'll take me a day and a half at least to try to find where everyone is and… I don't think you can make it back across the desert."

She barely made it here alive. If he tried to haul her back across the desert in the same manner then it wouldn't be surprising if she died in his arms like she almost did before. Overlooking that, he was just glad she wasn't in a coma… All she needed was a few more days and then they could try to make it back to the Highwind.

After everything was said, they descended into an awkward silence.

Cloud pulled out the usual materia and started to cast healing spells on the girl while she quietly rested on floor of the tent. Quietly, he reached back into the pile of stuff he threw on the floor and pulled out a roll of bandages and what looked like some newly purchased materia.

Without a word, he reached for her bare chest and Yuffie turned away by reflex. The blush on her face made it apparent what she had in mind, "Do… do you have to do that now?"

The blonde sighed, "Just let me change your bandages. I promise I won't look any longer than I have to."

Without protest, she sat back up despite the wishes of her body.

The light red on her face took a darker shade as he reached for the bandages wrapped around her thin frame and started to undo them. With the aid of the lamp he slowly pulled back each white strip, some stained in her blood, until her body was exposed.

Once he was finished, the girl brought her hand in front of her chest and turned away from him in obvious embarrassment, "You promised…" Yuffie muttered as she clumsily shielded her breasts with her forearm.

This drew a blush from the man tending to her. The usually brash young ninja in front of him was now a blushing girl trying to shield herself from his eyes as he treated her. For the first time, he realized how cute she actually was.

Her steel blue eyes peeked at him through the dark locks that made up her hair while the green edges of her white headband lay on the floor. Her petite body fit her age perfectly. From the blushing face that turned away from him to the small, firm breasts that she sought to cover and from her long beautiful legs to her thin waste, Yuffie was extremely beautiful… and he just took notice of that now.

"C-Cloud…!"

Her alarmed voice snapped him back into the present, "Huh…?"

"Stop… Stop staring." She pleaded, her tone softening as he shook his head to clear his mind.

"Oh," He said simply as he pulled the roll out of his lap and started to wrap them around the girl after casting another cure spell. It wasn't long before he was finished and turned his attention to the injury he was most worried about…

While the nicks and scratches could be tended to with ease, a few full cure spells would never bring her arm back and, worse, this was something just magic couldn't help. She had to see a doctor soon…

Yuffie bit her lip as he pulled back the bandages with as much restrain as he could manage. Strip by bloody strip came off and she let out a breath she didn't know she was holding when the cool air flowed across her exposed arm but she knew it wasn't over yet.

"Listen to me Yuffie…" Cloud stared her in the eyes as he picked up the materia he brought when he got the blankets and food, "I… I know this is going to hurt okay? I just need you to be ready for it.

The ninja looked at the green orb, "Don't tell me that's-"

He removed his shoulder guard and placed it aside, "I'm going to hold you okay?"

With a quick nod, she allowed the swordsman to take her into his arms. Idly noticing that it felt more like a hug than what it was supposed to be, Yuffie braced herself but it was no way to prepare for the overwhelming pain that she was going to be forced to endure.

Cloud tightened his hold around the girl, "Fire."

A flame sparked and her arm was on fire. The simple act of setting the wound on fire was easy enough for him but the girl almost passed out as the heat forcefully seared her arm.

"Just a while more…" He whispered, both of his arms wrapping around her as she sealed her eyes closed to prevent tears from falling. Regardless of her attempts to hold them back, her tears stained his shirt as her fingernails clawed into his back.

Before she knew it, he was putting the fire out and quickly wrapping the bandages around the stump that was her arm. Yuffie raised her tear streak face and somehow managed a smile, "I can tell you like your meat well done." She whispered, never missing a chance to lighten the situation.

"That's not funny Yuffie… I should have done it while you were sleep." Cloud remarked as he reached into a bag behind him and pulled out some bread and a bottle of water.

"Where did you go?"

"I got lucky and found that North Coral wasn't far from here but we left the Highwind near Costa Del Sol… I just climbed a mountain to see our location and saw the town." He placed the loaf of bread in her lap, "They didn't have much but I got as much as I could carry."

Again, she blushed as she fumbled the bread around before managing to grasp it with her hand, "Thank you… for going this far for me."

His bright blue eyes fell on the ninja, "You don't have to thank me. I would do the same for anyone."

Oddly enough, she felt glad to hear his words but, at the same time, she felt overlooked. If he would do the same for anyone in the party then that also meant that she was accepted by him but it also meant that she wasn't special…

"I'm sorry though…" Cloud continued, "For knocking you out and getting you caught up in this."

"I chose to come." Yuffie chewed the soft bread and swallowed it, "You don't have to apologize." She said, mimicking his voice.

To her credit, he actually laughed. The light sound of amusement coming from his throat betrayed the serious nature of the situation. In retrospect, she realized that this was the first time he honestly laughed with her.

For a moment, she forgot…

She forgot that she wouldn't be able to fight anymore and she forgot that it was a chance she wouldn't see next week. The female ninja didn't take notice of the fact that they more than miles away from anyone they knew or cool wind that made her shiver occasionally.

"I haven't seen you laugh like that since Aeris-"

Cloud immediately stopped laughing and turned to her with a look of mild shock as she broke the unwritten law. The raw emotion in his eyes told her that he was already having flashbacks just at the mention of her name.

Dropping the bread, Yuffie motioned to apologize but the damage was already done. He stood up and turned around to dig in the pile of stuff he dropped on the floor when he entered.

"Cloud… I'm sorry for bringing it up but you know it wasn't your fault." The black haired girl paused but the words slipped out of mouth before she could hold them back, "You have to mo-"

"She said she loved me…" He whispered his confession, as he pulled out a smaller piece of bread.

It was her turn to be shocked. The peaceful flower girl was certainly important to everyone and she was even sad to see her go that way but she always figured Cloud took it the hardest for other reasons.

"She loved me." Cloud repeated with his back turned.

Still, none of those reasons had anything to do with the thought of love.

"You fell in love with her?" Yuffie asked, her understanding of the feeling minimal at best.

"That's what makes it hurt so much," He looked over his shoulder at the girl as she continued to eat, "I never got the chance to…"

Cloud sat back down and looked out the opening of the tent at the night sky, "You know, I always hated looking at the Highwind because she never got to ride on it. She never really got to enjoy anything…"

"You shouldn't keep all that inside Cloud." Yuffie stared at him and their eyes locked on one another, "It'll only make you more depressed."

He laid the half-eaten piece of bread down as the girl sneezed. Wasting no time, he neatly unfolded the blankets he got and placed them on top of the girl who looked up in awe, "You… You got all this stuff for me? Cloud… I-"

"Just rest." He said softly, cutting her off again in the process.

With only half a loaf of bread, Cloud returned to his side of the tent as she continued to eat as much as she could. In minutes, the bottle of water was empty and the bread she had was gone. Feeling uneasy since she had everything he bought back with him, Yuffie tried to fall asleep in the comfortable warmth provided by the blankets until she heard the sound of him lifting his sword.

"Wait!" She yelled just in time to stop him from going back into the night.

"You're still thirsty?" He asked, his eyes telling her he would faithfully get more water if she wanted him to.

"It's not that… Where are you going?"

"To stand watch." Cloud voiced honestly, "I have to stop any monsters that come looking for something to eat."

"When was the last time you went to sleep though?"

The question caught him off guard, "I… I don't know."

She appreciated the fact that he was going out of his way for her but he was going over his limit, "Come sleep with me then."

The grip on his sword loosened and Cloud almost tripped as the weight of the sword nearly brought him down with it as the weapon fell to the floor, "Ex-Excuse me?"

"Don't be stupid!" Yuffie roared as she sat back up with a blush to match the one on his face, "I don't mean like that!"

With his face still flushed with color, he moved back towards her, "Are you-"

"Just do it Cloud. It's too late in the night to be arguing." She said, taking her turn to cut him off for once.

With an air of nervousness surrounding him, he pulled the blankets back and kept as much space between them as possible. Unconsciously turning to sleep on her side, she rolled over to find his bright eyes staring directly at her. She didn't notice it before but she could smell the mako energy that was infused with every part of his body. Almost on cue, a breeze blew into the tent and she pulled the blankets over them as they continued to stare at each other.

While looking at his sky blue eyes, she only understood now how fragile he was. As long as she could remember, Cloud hid himself from everyone even though he was at the center of everyone's attention. Using extreme caution, he covered his true feelings with his cold nature. Even if his emotional barrier cracked every so often, he never told anyone how he really felt.

In those eyes, she saw a reflection of herself. In a similar fashion, she attempted to conceal her feelings but she already knew she couldn't do it as well as the man beside her.

She cried aloud and didn't care who witnessed her sobs but Cloud shed his tears quietly and alone. They were alike but, at the same time, they were so different.

"I'm… sorry about your arm." His voice was calm and collected but his eyes betrayed him. The concern in the depths of his aquamarine eyes became even more apparent as he directed his line of sight to the blankets on top of them.

Yuffie smiled to lighten his mood more than anything else, "You have to stop apologizing so much. It doesn't suit you."

"I'm serious Yuffie," Cloud sighed, "I know saying sorry isn't enough and I can't possibly make it up to you…"

"Just don't throw me out of the party…" She said slowly, the thought of returning to her home as a failure becoming more disturbing than the idea of supporting everyone from the back.

"N-Never!" Cloud blinked, "I won't throw you out because you can't fight!"

He stared her directly in the eye, "If you can't protect yourself then I'll defend you from anything!"

"Something you'll do for anyone right?" Yuffie spat out, not intending to word it that way.

"It's something I'll do for you." He said lightly, the words leaving his mouth the moment she posed the question.

Again the wind blew, and she moved closer to him. However her sudden movement wasn't because of the breeze or even because of an attempt to seek more warmth. The distance between them was closed in a kiss.

His eyes went wide with shock as her lips pressed into his.

In the seconds it took for the ninja to advance on him, he found himself in a daze brought on by the fact that his first kiss was stolen from him. Was he upset? Not in the least. The only feeling he could accurately convey was the confusion that shined in his eyes.

Yuffie's tongue swirled from the corner of his mouth and across his lips causing them to part. Before he knew it, her tongue was flicking around in his mouth and her slightly opened dark blue eyes stared at the man under her as they shared a kiss.

Needless to say, he relented without any attempt to push her away and that itself urged her forward. She didn't need her arm to be able to do things like this and that fact was made clear as he kissed her back.

His arms drew her even closer to him but, this time, their closeness was far more intimate. The passionate kiss continued and Cloud, thanks to his lack of experience with things of this sort, allowed her to do what she wanted.

Like the fresh scent of mako, she could taste it in his mouth.

He tasted like water… Overflowing with raw energy at times but could be as quiet a thin stream. With that, the kiss was broken and the small trial of saliva that connected their lips glistened in the dim light before disappearing.

It was nothing to be said.

It was simply a reaction. A reflex brought on by his words with no mind paid to the eventual outcome of her actions. The thought that he would get angry? Never occurred. The belief that he would laugh it off? Overlooked. The chance that he would want more…? Simply unfeasible.

'No… It wasn't a reflex,' The ninja thought as they stared into each other's eyes, 'I did it because I wanted to.'

Yuffie was never a logical person. She did what she wanted to do and didn't care if it didn't make sense to others. Her ideals blended with her way of life and because of that she was not so much ignorant of others but intolerant of them. That's why she separated herself from the others and felt so alone when she was around them.

She could tell by the look in his eyes that he was the same in that regard.

"Yuffie…" The silence was broken with the mention of her name and Cloud shifted under her as his mind went back to functioning properly, "I… Why?" He fumbled his words around.

She licked her lips, "Because it's something I can do for you."

Of all the people that came to mind, the young ninja was the last person on his list of people he thought would kiss. As a matter of fact, he never even thought about a relationship with anyone after Aeris died. With a burning resolve to save the world by destroying her murderer, his love life was put behind him as he wielded his sword to protect not only those around him but also the planet itself.

To say he never thought about her like this would be a lie but he certainly could honestly admit to not having repressed feelings for the girl. With as much care as possible, he slid from under her, "This… I-"

"You're uncomfortable with me?"

"It isn't like that," He shook his head, "It's just so sudden."

"It's a thank you Cloud." She flashed him a smile as he blinked.

The shock written on his face faded into a pink shade of embarrassment, "You could have just said it." The ex-SOLIDER said dryly.

"It wouldn't have been fun then though." She giggled, "It was your first kiss right?"

Cloud coughed and turned away to hide his blush, "It was…"

The smile on her face became larger, "I'm glad you liked it."

The spiky blonde rolled on his side and faced his companion. The light amusement in her voiced eased him enough to make his eyes close. Before he felt himself drifting to sleep, he stared at her, "You're welcome…"

Yuffie felt a warm sensation in her chest as his words reached her. Quietly, she watched her leader fall asleep as the days he spent without rest finally got to him. Abruptly, she started to cough. With each violent cough, her body shook and her throat started to burn. Despite her best efforts to stay quiet, Cloud's eyes snapped open and he immediately reached for the materia on him.

"I'm okay," She said as her coughs died down, "I'm alright…"

Her words didn't go along with the blood on her hand. She already knew she was hurt but it was only now that she seriously accepted the fact. As the blood started to drip on the blanket, Cloud cast a spell but it didn't have any effect. She still felt the same regardless of how many times he used Full Cure and she didn't want to hurt him by letting him know that his efforts were in vain.

The thought of taking a nap was now replaced with the need to aid her as he pulled the blankets back and got up. After making sure that she was really okay, Cloud grabbed his weapon.

The sword was now so pale that it was nearly transparent but he paid no attention to the state of his weapon. He hoisted the weapon into the air, "Yuffie, you are going to live. I swear on everything I have I won't let you die…" He declared more to himself than her.

He walked back into the darkness of the night and she was powerless to stop him.

"Cloud…" Yuffie whispered, falling into small fit of coughs.

0

She woke up in a cold sweat and bolted up like someone shook her awake. That dream… No, that nightmare was so terrible that she thought it was real. Now fully aware of her surroundings, Yuffie could only recall fragments of the nightmare but the images that came to mind still weren't at all pleasant.

Even though she could barely recall what transpired in the dream, she could faintly remember lying in the desert. Alone… she baked under the desert sun while she slowly died.

Although it was ghastly, it almost perfectly mirrored how she felt.

If… If she was going to die then she didn't want to be alone when it happened.

The same beams of sunlight that assaulted her in her nightmare filtered through the flap that covered the tent's opening. Everyday was the same in his place. It was hot during the day and almost bitter cold during the night. The sky was always void of clouds and the sun remained the shinning yellow dot that made her resent the desert so much.

Yuffie rolled off of the makeshift bed and held back a groan as she stood up. Put off balance thanks to the fact she was missing an arm and also because she haven't walked in days, she swayed and started to fall.

The impact she was expecting was instead a steady grab.

Cloud carefully caught the girl who was surprised that she didn't see him the first time. However, what really shocked her was the fact that he was obviously half sleep. His aquamarine eyes slowly opened as he too was surprised to find the girl in his arms, "Yuffie…?" His voice sounded scratchy, almost like went too long without saying anything.

"Cloud," She slid out of his grasp and looked him up and down, "You don't look too good…" The ninja said softly, her tone completely serious as her eyes focused solely on him.

Besides the fact that he lost weight, the bags under his eyes made it all too easy to tell that he went far too long without rest and his skin seemed even more pale than before. The distant look in his eyes alone was enough to tell her that he lost all the energy he had a long time ago, he was running completely off his resolve.

A normal man would have died from exhaustion.

No, someone didn't just start looking like that after a couple of days, "How… How long was I sleep?"

"We have to leave," Cloud ignored the question and picked up the almost perfectly clear sword, the red line in the center being the only color left on the black, "More monsters are coming everyday since our location and the fact that he have food aren't easy to hide…"

"You didn't answer me."

"Eat something and put your clothes on…" He muttered as he started to step outside the tent, "We have to go before more monsters come. We can't try waiting for them to find us anymore."

"Cloud stop!"

Slowly, he continued to move out of the tent but she grabbed his shoulder. Giving him a sudden shock, Cloud's half closed eyes snapped open and he spun around with the intent to kill glowing in his eyes until he discovered the girl in front of him wasn't a monster. He stopped mid-strike and both the weight of the weapon and speed of attempted slash brought him falling to the ground in a crash.

It was just like she suspected. Even Cloud had his limits…

Yuffie, completely serious for once, did a double take at the swordsman and then looked outside for the tent. Just like she remembered, they were at the base of a mountain and it wasn't hard to spot the desert that wasn't that far away. What surprised her though wasn't the blistering hot day but the vast number of slain monsters on the dry grass.

She gulped as she realized that it was a good chance that they would have seriously died if they had slept together. Quickly shaking her head to get the wrong image out of her mind, the ninja decided Cloud was right. If that many monsters were coming… then they had to leave or else risked being overwhelmed when another group of them came.

What worried her most wasn't her condition but Cloud's…

The man in front of her that fought to get back to his feet was barely awake. That wouldn't be so bad if he had just woke up, but the SOLDIER obviously went without sleep for far too long. Add that with the fact that he didn't drink or eat his share, and then you had someone that wasn't even remotely in shape to go anywhere.

Feeling bad for making him fall in the first place, she offered a hand. Using all her strength to help him to his feet, Yuffie dug her heels into the floor of the tent and aided him in getting to his feet.

Releasing him so she could retrieve her shirt, she opted to leave everything else behind. She didn't need her arm guard since she wouldn't be fighting and Cloud already carried all the materia.

"Get on my back." He ordered, crouching to the ground for her.

"Are you crazy…? You can barely walk straight!"

"Just do it…" The look in his eyes told her that she didn't have a choice.

A lone arm wrapped around his neck and her chest pressed into his back. Wrapping her legs around his waist, she was sure he was going to fall backwards when he stood but he surprised her by standing firm despite his lack of energy.

"Yuffie… Costa Del Sol is where we are going." The gasp that he heard honestly didn't surprise him, "It has to have a doctor who can treat you."

"You should worry about-" Her own coughs cut her off and Cloud told her to hold tighter as he started to walk outside holding his weapon at the ready. The slow walk eventually evolved into a jog which in turn became full out running.

Step after step was left in the sand and Cloud continued to maintain his balance as he ran as fast as he could. With nothing but the hazy view of the horizon stretching in nearly all directions, he ran in the direction he only thought the vacation town to be. If he was wrong…

'No… I can't be wrong… for her sake.' The swordsman thought as a group of Land Worms turned their attention to him. Without wasting a second, he put some of the materia he had to use.

The Deathblow materia gleamed in the desert sun and the advancing monster got its head sliced clean off. As the giant's worm body fell into the sand, Cloud used his momentum to jump off the creature's head and launched himself into the air, "Hang on!"

The ground below them started to breakup below them thanks to the earthquake the monsters caused but neither he nor Yuffie took that into account as they soared through the air. She squeezed her arm around his neck and her legs got tighter around his waist. Like the calm before the storm, it was almost peaceful as they sailed through the air towards the gigantic worms.

Yuffie held her breath as they started their decent… right towards the thing's mouth. She shivered as she looked at the circular rows of sharp teeth but Cloud was already wise to what it was trying to do.

"Meteorain!" He yelled as he started spinning the large sword in the air. Large chucks of rocks sped towards the monster and smashed into it with enough force to kill it.

Cloud gritted his teeth as the final worm summoned a sandstorm. He landed on the sand and nearly fell off balance until he placed his sword in the ground to stable himself. Taking advantage of his opening the worm quickly slithered across the sand but, again, he was ready for the attack.

He was past his limit already… it was useless to hold back now.

His glowing eyes calmly looked at the monster as it rapidly approached them.

"Cloud!" Yuffie yelled, closing her eyes as the monster bounced off the ground and opened its mouth to devour them.

"Finishing touch."

He summoned a tornado that sucked everything up in front of him. The sandstorm disappeared as the large worm was pulled into the air. Cloud sighed in relief as the monster didn't drop back down.

"Oh my god… I swear I love you Cloud." The black haired girl whispered, extremely thankful that they didn't get eaten.

"Never thought you'd say something like that…" He replied with a slight smile as he started to run again. What he didn't say though was that, even if he was holding it just as tightly as she was holding him, he couldn't swing his sword anymore.

If they encountered another monster he would have to avoid it.

He couldn't even feel himself running anymore… Now he was just floating. He finally took notice of how hot it was as sweat started to build on his brow. At this rate, they weren't even going to be close to the resort town when he passed out.

His eyes were completely opened as he furthered strained himself by picking up his speed. The heavy footsteps he left before became lighter and he lowered himself closer to the ground. Although this was the wrong time to think about it, it felt like she was riding a chocobo.

Cloud was perhaps the strongest and fastest person she knew. Even though he was exhausted, he still managed to carry her at this speed. As the wind lashed at her face and made her hair flutter, she came to the conclusion that he was probably as, if not more, deserving of the label ninja as she was.

Swiftly the man continued to run at speeds he only that he normal people couldn't possibly attain and, of course, it wasn't soon before another land worm started to give chase. Diving under the sand, the monster was quickly gaining on them and Cloud knew that it wasn't long before they were going to be caught.

He took his hand off his sword and reached in his pocket. Randomly pulling out one of the small orbs, Cloud frowned as he decided to use it anyway.

As he continued to run forward while carrying the girl, a moogle riding a chocobo sped pass them in the opposite direction. Yuffie couldn't help but chuckle as the moogle stood and saluted them. Returning its attention to the monster, the moogle pointed forward as the yellow chocobo ran directly into the worm the moment it appeared on the surface.

The collusion was terrible and she cringed when the sound of the impact reached her ears. She turned her head back to the sight in front of them were she could finally see something besides sand. He did it again…

Cloud tripped and landed hard on the sand. Yuffie rolled off his back and skidded on the desert sand until she came to a stop a few feet ahead of him. The ninja sighed and rolled on her back, "He almost did it…" She corrected herself.

Looking over at her companion, she saw that he was attempting to get up but his body wouldn't allow it. Even if his will was still intact, his body just started to shut down. He too turned over on his back as he decided he wasn't getting up anytime soon.

Both of them simply laid on the hot sand while the sun baked them.

So this was finally it? Cloud tried his best and this was all it amounted to?

She wasn't disappointed in any sense of the word. Instead, she was glad that he tried. At least he would be able to get his rest for a while and then run just a few more miles, but this was the end of the line for her… She didn't feel like moving anymore. She didn't feel like dragging him down with her.

"I'm sorry Yuffie…"

She smiled, "For what? Feeling me up?" She said, remembering how his gloved had slid across her thigh.

He wiped the sweat of his forehead with the back of his hand, "You can still talk like that even now."

"Yea," She placed her arm over her eyes, "Not like we got much else to talk about…"

Cloud turned towards the girl he shared his first kiss with, "Did you mean it…?"

Yuffie didn't have to ask him what he meant. She remembered blurting the words out at the time but she still meant them regardless, "Yea, I love you." The girl said quickly not needing long to think about it.

Love was a fickle thing. It was a feeling that the girl never did ponder much about until recently. She inhaled the dry air of the desert and slowly exhaled as she thought about the man beside her. How could her feelings not grow after the extent he went to in order to ensure her safety? Even if he failed, she knew that she loved him and nothing could change that.

"I think… I love you too."

"Mushy stuff before I go huh…?"

"Don't say it like that." Cloud whispered, his concerned blue eyes making her feel bad for her callous words.

"You know," Yuffie looked at the cloudless sky, "I real reason I wanted materia was so I could go back and really kick my father's sorry ass. Restore the pride of my country? Haha."

"I didn't want anyone to find out but I made a mistake and dropped my sword on Cait Sith once. I think it was the third one." Cloud said as they both chuckled.

"Was it really a mistake?" Yuffie asked curiously wondering if he still didn't trust Reeve.

"Yea, but he deserved it for that garbage fortune he gave me."

Their soft chuckles turned into full blown laughter. Under the unmerciful heat of the desert, the two continued to laugh. It was only in the midst of his amusement did he start to understand why she was laughing after they defeated Ruby Weapon. This hopelessness was actually funny. The idea that they would die here was quick becoming more real than either would like and that is why it was so amusing.

In the middle of nowhere, two people who dispatched a Weapon were going to meet their end not in battle but instead on the sandy ground.

She wiped a tear out of her eye, "If we survive… let me have all your materia."

"Yea," Cloud replied as his laughter died down, "If… If you let me have another kiss."

Yuffie blushed, "You didn't have to ask."

She received no reply. Turning her head, she found that he had already passed out. Suddenly, she recalled that nightmare she had. Alone, she was in the middle of nowhere. With no one to spend time with or talk to in her final moments, she withered away in the desert.

She coughed loudly and made no attempt to stifle the fit of coughs. At least she had the small pleasure of knowing that she couldn't wake him up this time.

The ninja smiled brightly despite the blood dribbling down her chin. She wasn't alone and she did have someone who was with her. Yuffie turned towards Cloud and started to close her eyes with the knowledge that, even if no one else really accepted her, it was someone who loved her.

0

"Well, damn. Slap a gunarm on her and I bet she'll kick more ass than he does."

"You betta watch who ya talk to cuz I bet I could whoop yo ass."

"Uh…"

"You two be quiet! She's waking up…"

Yuffie opened her eyes and the only thing she could see was the worried face of Tifa staring down at her. Those scarlet eyes held much of the same concerned that shined in Cloud's eyes. She sat up in the bed and everyone in the room quieted down.

With an exception or two, everyone was in the room. Red XIII took a look at the girl as she looked around and made his exit after he was sure that she was alright. Barret looked up from the chair he was sitting in and Cid moved closer to the bed as she noticed that they were in an inn.

"Vincent and Cait Sith went to look for your weapon." Tifa said, offering the information because of the look on her face, "He left you one of his guns in case-"

"They didn't have to do that…" Yuffie rubbed her head as the headache made it feel like her brain was spinning around, "I'm not a big fan of guns. I'll thank him later but… what happened?"

At that Cid took the cigarette out of his mouth, "I'm looking all over the damn desert for sight of your scrawny ass and then I came back to the airship so we could use the Highwind to search for you."

Despite the rough way he talked, it was easy to tell that the man was glad to see her alive thanks to the small smile on his face. Placing his cigarette back in his mouth, the pilot bent over and looked the girl in the face as he told his story, "So, about eleven days in, I'm on the deck still looking and I throw the cigarette I finished overboard. Then, if you can believe it, I see a blue and green dot next to each other in all that sand. A damn miracle I tell ya."

Finishing his story with a broad smile, Yuffie almost laughed at the thought that his habit of smoking saved their lives. However, at the thought, the ninja noticed that Vincent and Reeve's alter ego weren't the only people missing in the room, "Where's Cloud?"

"That idiot! Knocking me out so he could fight alone? I should have beat his-"

"He's right there." Tifa voiced softly, cutting off Cid before he could go off into how angry he was that Cloud knocked him out. While it was funny seeing that he really didn't mean what he said, her dark blue eyes could only focus on the foot of the bed where she could see the blonde edges of his hair.

"Well," Cid took the cigarette out of his mouth and dug it into the ashtray that was already littered with cigarettes, "Just came to see how you were doing kid. Got to get back to the crew before things get too crazy without me."

With that, the black man sitting in the chair stood up also, "Guess I best to be leaving too, I can get sum done to ya arm if ya want me to."

Yuffie shook her head, "I'm alright… thanks for the offer though."

The two grown men followed Red's example and left the room after they were certain that the kid was okay. Now, besides her, the room was empty save Tifa and the blonde sleeping in front of the bed.

"We all should have gone to fight it…" The older woman took a seat on the edge of the bed, "I knew he would do something reckless but I never thought he would try to fight it alone."

"Don't worry about it." Yuffie laid back down, "Besides we beat the thing."

Tifa looked at her best friend as he peacefully slept for the first time in nearly two weeks, "The doctor said you two were seriously about to die… Especially you Yuffie."

The ninja blinked, "What?"

"Severe head trauma, broken ribs, internal injuries, your arm, burns, and the list went on… All they demanded was that Cloud take a few days of rest but they had to operate on you." She never took her eyes of their leader, "They don't know how he did it but he really did save your life."

"You don't need to tell me that."

"I know. It's just that he almost died taking care of you…" She whispered.

It wasn't a surprise that he did it. Tifa always knew that he would do something like this if his friends were in trouble but now she had a horrifying example of it. Would he have gone to this extent for the rest of them? For her? For Aeris…?

"He'd do it for anyone." She said as she looked at the ceiling of the inn, answering Tifa's questions like she read her mind.

Tifa hopped off the bed and smiled at the girl, "Guess that's about right. I'll let you get your rest now."

"Wait Tifa," Yuffie waited for the fighter to turn around until she asked her question, "Can you tell them to comeback… I won't need my weapon anytime soon."

"Sure." She replied before leaving out of the rented room.

Yuffie smiled as she pulled back the sheets. The swordsman did exactly what he said he would do. They made it to Costa Del Sol and her nightmare didn't at all become reality simply because of Cloud's efforts to make sure she lived.

Not only that but now she knew… She knew everyone in the party cared. Even if it took such a dire situation to bring it to the light, she could tell that everyone really cared but there still wasn't many people who honestly loved her. Taking a look at the tips of blond hair at the front of the bed, she already started to set her mind into motion.

Like always, she had mischief on mind as she brought her legs to the edge of the bed and got up. Taking her first few steps to make sure she could keep her balance, Yuffie then started to quietly make her way to the front of the bed where her savior slept.

Peeking at the closed door, she tiptoed towards Cloud and barely held back a laugh at the happy expression on his face. The same serious SOLIDER that slaughtered monsters left and right was sleeping with a childish smile on his face but she couldn't blame him because she had the same smile on her face.

With ease, she reached her hand into his pocket and grabbed handfuls of the magical orbs, "A deal is a deal." She stated as she robbed him of his materia.

His lips pressed into her cheek and her eyes went wide with shock. Yuffie raised her hand and touched the spot on her face where he kissed her as he looked her in the face, "Yea… it is."

The young ninja was never the type of person to cry but she couldn't stop the tears that started to come as she wrapped her arm around her boyfriend and nuzzled her head into his chest. She couldn't recall ever being this happy, "You're still an idiot with spiky hair."

As she made his shirt damp with tears of happiness, Cloud rubbed his hand around in her hair, "You're still a materia thief." He said with a light laugh.

He held her close to him as he started to fall asleep again.

"But I still love you…" She said easily as he yawned. This time, she watched him fall asleep in peace and, without having to just hope, he knew that she was going to be alright.

-Fin

Author's Note: A fan sent me an email asking me to do a story and I did it. I like how it came out especially since it isn't many Cloud / Yuffie stories in the first place.While this is probably my first and lastFinal Fantasy VII story, I'm glad to say that I think it's alright.Now that I'm finished, I think I'll take a look at some other Final Fantasy VII stories.

Also, this story goes out to Miho wherever she is. o.o

Many thanks for reading and many many thanks for reviewing.