~Cloud's POV~

After Snow leaves me, I stand and turn in the direction Lightning ran off in. Wonder where she went? Definitely into those stinking woods. Ugh. I grab my sword and start after her, not bothering with the weak monsters around me. I hate the forests on Gaia. Touch Me's are the worst, especially with no Maiden's Kiss. Goblins will kick your butt if there are too many for you to handle. Enormous bugs will sap the life out of you, and are hard to kill with their hard shells. Gross too. They stink and have this gross oozy stuff that comes out when you cut them. Bleh.

"Lightning?" I call into the woods. Nothing. Dang it. Taking a deep breath, I step into the stupid place, sword readied. No sounds except for the crunch of leaves under my boots can be heard in the silence. It's almost creepy how I can't hear anything in a place usually so full of life.

"Yah!" I hear someone yell and then I'm on my stomach, wind knocked out my lungs. Wincing, I roll to my feet and split my sword in time to block a flurry of blows. The person tries to sweep my feet out from under me, but I jump over them and hit them with the end of my sword. Who the heck...? Grumbling under my breath, I fake a strike that they fall for and knock them back into a tree trunk, holding then there with my blade.

"Lightining?!"

"Just testing you," she smirks, not even bothering with the weapon at her throat.

"I'm sure," I scoff, slamming my sword back together before turning to walk out of here.

"So where're we going from here?"

"Why are you so talkative all of a sudden" I ask without looking back.

"Why are you so standoffish all of a sudden?" She fires back. I just keep my mouth shut and continue walking. "Cloud?"

"What?"

"Are you scared of the woods?" I clench my jaw and ignore the rose haired soldier. "Hey! I'm talking to you!" She snaps, grabbing my shoulder and whirling me around.

"And I'm ignoring you," I fire back, jerking my arm out of her and continue my trek.

"Why?"

"I'd rather not talk about it." She groans and I have to force an amused smile down.

"Fine. Hey, what's that?"

"Don't!" I yell as she approaches a vibrant green frog. She gives me a flat look and keeps going, reaching out toward it.

"I'm sure it's... Ah!" I have to blink away a few spots in my vision after a bright flash blocks everything out. I release a frustrated groan and cover my face with my hands. Another frog sits in front of me, a horrified look in it's icy blue eyes. I sigh and pick her up.

"I told you not to do it." Lightning croaks loudly and scowls at me as best as she can. "The only way to fix this is a Maiden's Kiss." The look of horror expands and I get a great idea. Cloud, you're evil. I know.

"When who're you gonna pick?" I cover my smirk with an impatient frown. "Vanille, Fang... Tifa maybe? I don't think you'd want to kiss Yuffie. I did once. Wasn't half bad."

"Ribbit!"

"It's not my fault! Of course, it wasn't so hard for me to choose."

"Croak! Ribbit! Crooooooaaaaaak!"

"Oh shut up. I'll carry you back and then we'll have to call your girlfriends."

I end up carrying the slimy amphibian, I mean, Lightning, all the way back to camp. Tifa raises and eyebrow and Sazh blinks at me.

"Uh... So you like frogs, huh kid?" He tries to make sense of the situation.

"This is Lightning," I hold her up a little bit.

"Look, it's nice to know you have a crush on the woman," Snow yawns. "But honestly, that's just not a good name for a frog. Something more like Hoppy would be more appropriate."

"Croak!"

"No, this is Lightning. As in the crazy pink haired lady turned into a frog."

"Aw, are you gonna have to kiss her back?" Marlene cheers. I blush and shake my head quickly as Lightning ribbits again in protest.

"Um, no. She needs a Maiden's Kiss. Tifa?"

"I'll go get..."

"Fang," I interrupt. Snow snorts and tries to hide his laugh and Sazh looks shocked.

"Hold up, is this some fairytale or somethin?"

"Nope," I set her down and lean close to Tifa's ear. I can practically hear her heart pounding and internally groan. Get over your stupid crush, Teef. "Just play along."

"Okay," she shrugs. "Hey Light? I can't get ahold of Fang or Vanille."

"Ribbit!"

"Look, I'm flattered that you'll let me, but I'm not interested," she says as if she could understand the poor woman/frog.

"Croak!"

"Poor Light," Yuffie coos. "I'd kiss you, but I like someone else," she winks at me and I roll my eyes. No. Not you too. Grr. Ladies, I know I'm hot and all, but I don't like either of you.

"Stop teasing her," I chuckle. "Yuffie, did you wanna go get it?"

"What? A tranquilizer to knock her out so that she's not scarred for life?"

"A Maiden's Kiss," I glare at her.

"Oh! Right!"

The ninja scampers off to get the object I requested. Lightning frowns at her frog feet and halfheartedly hops in a circle. I laugh and catch what Yuffie just threw at me.

"Pucker up, Buttercup," I tease, dumping the contents over her. In a flash, Lightining is back, glaring at me as she hits my cheek with her open palm. But it doesn't hurt, and I'm too busy laughing along with Yuffie to notice.

"It's not funny!" She shrieks.

"Kinda is," Snow begins to chuckle. Sazh just blinks.

"I swear I will kill you," she threatens me. I just laugh harder at her angered face.

"Man, you really got her," Yuffie giggles. "Jeebus, that was funny! Good one, Cloud!"

"Did you still need Fang or Vanille?" Tifa hold up her PHS, asking a dead serious question that leaves my lungs begging for air, but my doubled over body doesn't allow it. Lightning turns beet red.

"N-no. I'm fine. Thanks Teef."

"No problem," Tifa smiles and puts her device away. "Cid's dropping the people who need to go off in a few minutes, and he'll pick Fang and Vanille back up on the way before going home. And after dropping them off, of course."

"No, I totally thought Cid was going to kidnap them," I retort sarcastically. Tifa looks away and bites her lip. I mentally roll my eyes. Way too sensitive. "Besides, Fang looks like the type of woman who doesn't take crap from anyone, and Cid's the ultimate crap spouter."

"I'm surprised the man's even still alive," Snow yawns. "Jeebus, I'm tired."

"Must be the change of atmosphere," Sazh yawns too.

"Or the fact that you two are lazy fatsos," Lightning glowers.

"Hey!" Snow protests.

"Respect your elders," Sazh narrows his dark eyes on her playfully.

"Where're we headed tomorrow?" Hope crawls out of one of the tents. So where he was.

"Midgar, right Snow?"

"I guess," the tall man shrugs. "It was just a suggestion."

"I kinda wanna see that place after your stories about it," Hope admits, scratching the back of his neck.

"We'll travel by chocobo then," I nod, pulling out my PHS.

"You have a chocobo's phone number?" Dajh blinks up at me.

"No," I smile and shake my head. "But I have a pilot's."

"Daddy's a pilot!"

"That's... Nice?" I glance up at Sazh and he shrugs. Then I dial up Cid.

"Yes! I'm bringin' the crazy woman and her orange haired minion back!"

"Watch it, Highwind!" I can hear Fang snap in the background and chuckle.

"I was just wondering if you could make a quick stop to the chocobo stables and grab as many as you can. Vanille might like the stop too."

"I ain't turning around, kid!"

"Fine. I just call Shera," I threaten with a smirk. Nanaki laughs to himself and Cait covers his mouth quickly to hide the creepy electronic giggles passing his speakers.

"No! Gosh dang it... Fine! I'll get yer stupid chocobos!" Then he hangs up.

"Who's Shera?" Lightning cocks her head to the side.

"His wife," Tifa answers. "Sweetest woman in the world, so quiet and obedient. Unless you make her mad. Then she's the devil," she laughs, shaking her head.

~|~|~|~|~

"Cloud! Your green chocobo is so cute!" Vanille squeals, petting the bird's head.

"She was in the stable the whole ride back," Fang shakes her head in disbelief. "And I nearly killed Cid for throwing Vanille out into the island."

"He threw her?" Snow raises his eyebrows at the preoccupied young girl.

"Don't worry, Vampy caught her," she smirks and waves him off.

"Now I'm really gonna call Shera," I grumble.

"You know what? Why don't we all just go to bed and get some rest before we have to get up early tomorrow?" Tifa suggests.

"But I'm hungry," Snow whines. "You guys like never eat anything."

"Well these two," she motions to me and Vincent. "Don't exactly have to eat much, so you either speak up or deal with it."

"I eat," I scoff. "It's just that the mako doesn't mix well with whatever random animal is out here."

"Suuuuuuure," Lightning. "I'm going to bed. Goodnight, weirdos."

"Well she's certainly opening up," Vanille comments once the rose haired woman has disappeared into a tent.

"Means she trusts you guys," Fang clarifies, crossing her arms and leaning her weight onto one long leg. "Me? Eh, you're alright, I suppose."

"Hey," Yuffie cocks her head to the side. "I just noticed something. Why do the guys in your group look ready for a snowstorm, and the girls like it's summer on the sun?"

"It's because they don't have much to show," she winks.

"Hey! What about my awesome abs!?" Snow protests.

"What? You mean those pebbles you had surgically placed under your skin?"

"What are you talking about!?"

"G'night Snow," Vanille giggles and hugs him tightly before she and Yuffie go to bed. The sun begins to sink lower on the horizon, it's last warm rays capturing my attention as the world's natural light source vanishes, only reds, yellows, and oranges in the sky for proof that it ever existed.

"Sleep well, Vince," Fang smirks, bumping her hip against him when she walks by. I hide my grin and take note of his reddened face. He had better not go back to thinking of Lucrecia when there's someone like Fang there for him.

"Cloud," Lightning pokes her head out. "Go to sleep, I don't want you falling off and getting trampled tomorrow." I'm not going back to thinking about Tifa with someone like Lightning around.

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