Michael seemed quite conservative with his estimate, as, on chocobo, the two arrived at the nearby port town of Kalm just before noon. It had grown considerably since the last time Yuffie had been by, although Yuffie had to admit, she hadn't been to Kalm for the last two years.
      An influx of commerce had moved in on Kalm, mostly due to the efforts of W&R Power, the company that replaced Shinra Electric Power Company in supplying most of the world with electric power. Unlike Shinra, they chose not to work with Mako energy as a source of electricity, but seemed rather to be focusing on water and wind power. Upstream, Yuffie could see the series of water mill generators, while overhead, high tension wires brought in power from the windmill generators on Chocobo Plains.
      Around the world, the touch of W&R Power could be seen. From the massive hydroelectric dam near Junon, to the watermills at Nibelheim, the windmills in Rockport, the double burning coal ovens at Corel, W&R Power's landmarks could be found all over. Wutai, surprisingly, had not been touched, again, despite Yuffie's reassurances as to this new company's environmentally safer methods, and absence of ambition to control as much as Shinra did.
      Michael stopped off at a bank and upon returning, he announced that he had enough money to book passage to Junon, and also to buy lunch in town before going. He also gave Yuffie a registered money order to the sum of thirty-eight thousand dollars, just over half the fee he and Yuffie had negotiated for the escort, which Yuffie deposited into a personal account of hers. Paying by registered money order was rare, payments were usually made in cash or money transfer, but it was not unheard of, and a money order was an acceptable form of payment, as the bank was already holding the money in escrow until the transaction was completed.
      The two had lunch at a café over-looking the port, although Yuffie stuck mostly to drinking a Lifestream, and refused any food.
      "You really should eat something," Michael said, digging into his forno roasted chocobo. "It's going to be a long day, and you won't get anything to eat until we make it to Junon."
      Yuffie nodded. "I'm not going to eat though. Whether I eat or not doesn't matter anyway, if I do, I'm just gonna end up puking it all up the second I step onto that boat."
      "Well at least you should do something to counter all the alcohol you're consuming."
      Yuffie shook her head again. "Nope, I intend to be drunk. It'll make the journey easier on me."
      Michael frowned. "You're not going to be much help to me if you're drunk."
      Yuffie shrugged in response. "I'm not gonna be much help puking my guts up either. Besides, it's an established route, and will remain near the coast. It'll be longer and harder going across the sea to Costa del Sol, and I won't be able to remain drunk then."
      "It's that bad for you?" he asked skeptically.
      Yuffie nodded. "Sad but true. You should have seen me with Avalanche. I swear, every time I was on a boat or the Highwind, I was ready to hurl."
      Michael's eyebrow arched up. "You were with Avalanche?"
      "Yeah, for a bit."
      Michael smirked. "Sure you were."
      Yuffie glared daggers at the young musician. "You doubting me? Where do you think I learned my business skills to my current capacity?"
      Michael shrugged. "I don't know. It just seems a little incredible that you were involved with Avalanche. These were the guys who managed to take out Shinra for the most part. Many of them are involved in exceptionally lucrative businesses, and yet you're a mercenary."
      "I don't think it's any of your business where I invested my money." Yuffie jabbed a finger at Michael, frowning.
      "Sounds like you didn't get a return on it. If you were in Avalanche that is."
      Yuffie made an obscene gesture. "I'm still getting dividends on it. And I don't have to answer your questions. You paid me to be a bodyguard, not to inform you of my business portfolio or explain my history to you." Yuffie gestured the waiter to bring her another drink. After having spent so much time at the Arsenal, she was glad to be drinking something that halfway resembled a Lifestream.
      "I am a little concerned about your drinking, though," Michael said, anxious to change subjects.
      Yuffie had been gulping down her second Lifestream, having finished a third of it. "Hey! You hired me in a bar, where I was obviously the most sober person there. This is a traveling consideration. I don't particularly like being drunk anyway. But being passed out and plastered is preferable to being sick."
      Michael looked on as Yuffie finished off her second Lifestream and ordered a third.

      Yuffie had managed to stagger onboard the boat that Michael had rented, and passed out on deck before they set sail. She stayed unconscious for a couple hours of the trip, and woke up with a severe headache due to her hangover. However, she found the headache infinitely better than the sickness she'd be feeling otherwise.
      Using one arm to cover her eyes from the sun, Yuffie lay flat on her back, trying to move as little as possible. She found that she didn't get as sick that way, unless it were really wild seas, which she usually got by curled up in a ball with her head between her knees and her back against a deck side bulkhead, where she would inevitably end up vomiting on the deck, but she wouldn't fall overboard, nor would she feel nearly as nauseous as in any other position.
      Within moments, Michael had walked up and taken a seat next to her. "How do you feel Yuffie?" he asked.
      "I've felt better," she croaked.
      "Can't say I blame you with all you had to drink. Anything I can do for you? Get you some water?"
      Yuffie smacked her lips. "Turn off the sun."
      "I'm sorry, but I can't do that."
      "Then shut up."
      Yuffie peaked at Michael, and could tell her comment hurt him, even though he was trying to hide it. She briefly considered whether she cared enough to apologize, and decided she didn't, at least not while she was feeling like this, but probably would once they were on dry land.
      "The captain says we'll make Junon in two hours," Michael said. "That should put it close to about five o'clock. Do you know any good restaurants there?"
      "Don't mention food," Yuffie groaned.
      "Yuffie, you haven't eaten a thing since we set out this morning, I think it would be best if you had some dinner tonight."
      Yuffie sat up and tried to grab Michael's arm. "I mean it Michael. Don't mention food." She suddenly doubled over and started to dry heave.
      Michael quickly caught her up in his arms. "Are you okay?"
      Yuffie pushed him away, and slowly laid back again. "No. Damn boats. I hate them."
      "I'm sorry I dragged you into this."
      Yuffie weakly shook her head. "I didn't get dragged into this. I agreed to it because you were paying me an outrageous amount of money for what was essentially a baby-sitting job."
      Michael smirked. "You'll be earning it though. I mean you've seen me in a fight."
      Yuffie tried to laugh but ended up coughing. "Yeah, I've seen you in a fight. It's not pretty."
      "Look, it'll only be a couple more hours, then we'll be in Junon and you'll feel okay."
      Yuffie glanced over. "You're joking. It won't be over, because Junon is the haven for my two least favorite ways to travel. And you're making me go on one of them. I suppose you're going to charter the boat, right? Not go commercially."
      Michael raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, how'd you know?"
      Yuffie gave a weak smile. "Easy. It's my job to assess these things. You hired me on as a bodyguard, mostly from pirates. If you were traveling commercially, you wouldn't need one, because pirates tend to prey on smaller vessels than the big commercial vessels. Also because the big cargo vessels only move between Costa del Sol and Junon, but all cargo after that is shipped by truck to other locales, or is flown out of Junon by Gelinka planes rather than shipped. Especially when the destination is Wutai. So you can't hop a cargo ship, which I can't say I blame you, they tend to lack in guest facilities. As for the pleasure cruises, you'd be taking upwards of a month to make Wutai, and you look like you're in a hurry."
      Michael nodded. "Well, you got me."
      Yuffie groaned. "Which means if you're going to try a chartered boat, it'll take a day and a half to make Costa del Sol. At least. Would you mind if I offered a suggestion?"
      Michael shrugged. "Shoot."
      "Take a cargo trawler anyway. If we leave in the morning, we'll hit Costa del Sol just after dinner. The cargo vessels are big and well protected, and faster than chartered sail boats. We can rent a small boat in Costa del Sol that will take us the rest of the way, hugging the coast or traveling up rivers. And we'll be less likely to get hit by pirates."
      Michael frowned. "But at greater cost. You're first off buying transportation on the cargo ship, then renting a boat in Costa del Sol when it would be cheaper to rent it once."
      "Theoretically," Yuffie responded. "But consider how much it will cost if you do get waylaid by pirates crossing between Junon and Costa del Sol anyway. Which is the most likely place they'll hit, being the high sea and all. And I wasn't aware you were on a budget when you paid me seventy-five thousand gil to accompany you."
      "I'll take my chances."
      Yuffie rolled her eyes in response. "Men!"

      Yuffie had been to Junon several times in the two years following the destruction of Meteor, and had seen it evolve from a military center to one of commerce. While Junon City had always had lots of shops, the only inn in the city was woefully inadequate, and there were only two cafés. However now that Junon was reclaimed in Shinra's destruction to be used as a center for mass transportation of the public, Junon now sported several hotels, restaurants, and a number of shops. Furthermore, much of the Junon military complex had been scaled back, partially for the raw materials, which could be recycled, and partially because the Shinra-era Junon was an eyesore. Yuffie noticed that a second wave of beautification had been underway, attempting to set up greenery and fountains along Junon's roads, and while the tiny Junon fishing village that lay below the city had been cleaned up of all its pollution in the first wave of beautification, she saw it was now being styled as a type of seaside market for the tourists.
      In Yuffie's eyes, it seemed artificial and contrived, but she figured that having seen the original Junon during the Shinra era, and having lived through a similar transformation of her own native Wutai in her childhood, her opinion was probably colored by experience. On the other hand, while a younger Yuffie might have scoffed at the manufactured appearance of the new Junon, the Yuffie of today was glad that some improvements were being made, especially to the fishing village. The residents of the village had been getting the short end of the stick for years, and it was nice to see them cashing in on the tourist trade as well, and they did seem happy for it.
      Michael likewise seemed nonchalant about the appearance of Junon, which indicated a lot of traveling. Tourists were prone to taking pictures of everything, staring around gawk-eyed, and generally, well, looking like tourists.
      "When was the last time you were here?" Yuffie asked.
      Michael glanced over to the ninja maiden. "How do you know I was ever here?"
      "Simple. If only on sheer size alone, newcomers to Junon tend to stare at the spectacle. I remember being here when this was a military base and being overwhelmed by the enormous size of it. Of course, back then, it was ugly as sin."
      Michael smirked and nodded. "Right. Actually first time I was here was about six months after Meteor, so they had done quite a bit to clean the place up. Must say the fountains are new. Place was clean before, but now they're trying to make it look classy."
      "We're gonna need a place to stay for the night," Yuffie said. "I don't think heading out now would be a good idea." She gave her stomach a gentle rub.
      "And we're gonna need to find someplace to eat. Any preferences?" Michael asked.
      "Nope. Where did you usually eat when you were here?" Yuffie asked.
      Michael gave a sheepish grin. "Room service. But I think we should find a restaurant."
      Yuffie sighed. "Before any of that, I need to hit the pharmacy, and get some ginger oil for my motion sickness. Spending the next few days at sea isn't gonna be much fun."

      Yuffie and Michael spent the night at a modest but functional hotel at Junon after a dinner at an understated seafood restaurant. Yuffie, despite her comfortable financial situation, had a pretty good knowledge of where to eat and stay on a reduced budget, ever since she first started traveling, and making her way as a materia hunter and thief.
      The next day, Yuffie and Michael set out early to the port and took stock of the independent ships that would be available to charter them to Wutai. After interviewing a few captains, and rejecting those that would not make a journey that long, as well as a few that Yuffie believed to be disreputable, they settled on one schooner that would cut them a bargain on the trip as they also had two other clients that were heading out to Costa del Sol that morning.
      As Michael and Yuffie stowed their bags in their cabin, they were suddenly interrupted as a girl entered the room, shouldering a pack. She looked startled as she entered to see Yuffie and Michael unpacking.
      "Oh, pardon," she said, giving a jaunty half curtsey. "Seems I've walked into the wrong room. You're going to be our neighbors then?"
      Yuffie appraised the girl, and was surprised that despite first and even second glances, that it was not a girl at all, but a pixie-like woman, full grown, maybe even a few years older than Yuffie herself. Her long brown hair curled slightly and a few laugh lines could be seen surrounding her mouth and sparkling green eyes, but she was so small and waif-like that she made even the short, slender Yuffie feel like an amazon. "You're the other passenger then?" she asked.
      The girl nodded and grinned, her smile seeming to dominate her freckled face. "I am Natalia Imperiale, and honored to make your acquaintance." She offered her hand.
      Yuffie shook it. "I'm Yuffie. He's Michael."
      Natalia cocked an eyebrow. "Just Yuffie and Michael?"
      Yuffie grunted. "Yup."
      Suddenly a man almost as tall and muscular as Natalia was small and waifish burst in. He too reacted with surprise. "Natalia, there you are. I thought . . . this isn't our cabin, is it?"
      Natalia shook her head and took his hand. "Nope. This is Michael and Yuffie's cabin."
      The man nodded, but seemed a little suspicious. "Hello."
      Yuffie studied the big man. He was of course tall and broad, with tightly curled blonde hair and a mustache, but dressed well, just like Natalia. "And you are . . . ?"
      "Simon," he replied.
      "Just Simon?"
      Natalia smiled. "This is Simon Poe, my fiancé."
      Simon looked at Yuffie. "So, you're just Yuffie?"
      Yuffie grinned. "Yep."
      Simon nodded at Michael. "And that's just Michael."
      Michael extended a hand. "Actually, I'm Michael Si. . . ."
      Yuffie slid up beside him and placed a finger over his mouth. "Shh, honey, you're not allowed to say." She kissed him lightly on the lips and then turned to Simon and Natalia. "We're newlyweds. It's part of the custom. If my family ever found out where we were, they'd come and harass us. Old Wutai custom."
      Natalia and Simon glanced at each other skeptically then smiled at Yuffie.
      "I see," Natalia said. "Well, sweetie, it's a good thing we're not from Wutai then, don't you think?" She turned to Simon.
      Simon grunted and nodded, then took Natalia's pack and left the room, presumably to their cabin.
      Natalia glanced around the room. "Oh my, what on earth is that?" She pointed at the Conformer lying on Yuffie's pack. Michael had done a good job of getting stuff packed away, starting with her arm guard and the Crystal Cross, and had his sax and the submachine gun hidden too, but Yuffie's main weapon was still sitting out.
      Yuffie grasped it. "Oh this? Family heirloom." She admitted that she might get away with it. The Conformer's design was fairly old.
      Natalia nodded. "Right . . . well I better go help Simon unpack."
      Yuffie and Michael watched Natalia leave and shut the door, then waited until they heard another cabin door shut.
      "Old Wutai custom?" Michael asked.
      Yuffie shrugged. "I look like I'm from Wutai, it works. I just don't want anyone knowing who you are. Anonymity is a good armor, helps me do my job."
      "Uh huh. And that's why you haven't told me your full name?"
      "That's exactly why I don't tell anyone my full name. No one gets to me that way."
      The two continued to unpack in silence. Then Michael finally cleared his throat. "Well, I suppose since we already said we were, we'll have to act like newlyweds, at least until Costa del Sol."
      Yuffie nodded. "We will. For one, we're not gonna leave this cabin."
      Michael cocked an eyebrow. "Really?"
      "Yes, really. For one, it'll be easier to protect you."
      Michael nodded.
      "And secondly, if I have to leave this room, I'm gonna puke."

      Michael showed up in the cabin near dinnertime with a plate of grilled tuna. Yuffie glared at him, and took another swig of ginger oil.
      "Do not bring that in here," she said.
      Michael frowned. "Yuffie, I'm gonna need to eat. And so will you."
      Yuffie frowned. "Not tonight."
      "You haven't eaten at all today!"
      "I'll eat tomorrow evening. When we're in Costa del Sol."
      Michael placed the plate on a sea chest, and sat down next to her. "Yuffie, I'm a little concerned. You're not going to be a good bodyguard if you starve yourself."
      Yuffie belched out an acrid, bile-tasting gas. "I hate feeling like this. I can't see how I'm gonna be a good bodyguard flat on my back anyway." She curled up on her side
      Michael started rubbing her back. "Poor girl. I'm sorry I brought you into this Yuffie."
      Yuffie sighed. "It's not your fault." She stretched her back a bit. "That feels nice."
      "Think you could eat something?"
      Yuffie shook her head sadly. "I don't think so." Her stomach rumbled.
      "You might be a little tense," Michael said. "Lie on your stomach."
      Yuffie rolled over and felt Michael work his fingers along her neck and shoulders, loosening the muscles there. As she started to relax, her stomach pains and nausea began to subside.
      "You're really good at this. Do it a lot?" Yuffie asked.
      "No. It's been a while."
      "Too bad. You've got talent." She felt Michael's hands work lower on her back. "Um, can I ask you a question?"
      "Sure."
      "What's so important in Wutai anyway?"
      Michael sighed. "My parents want me to get married."
      "Hmm. So you've got a bride picked out and everything?"
      "No. My parents have her picked out. I think so, anyway."
      "Yikes, arranged marriage. I don't think I would ever allow my father to do that to me."
      "I'm not sure I'm going to go through with it myself, but my parents want me to get married as part of a W&R Power deal."
      "W&R Power?" Yuffie pondered that. "Your parents are with that company?"
      "On the board of directors. Can I ask you a question?"
      "Shoot."
      Michael took a deep breath. "You're from Wutai. So you should know the ruling class, right?"
      "Personally? Or by reputation?" Yuffie tensed up slightly.
      "By reputation. The guy in charge is named Godo something?"
      "Godo Kisaragi. His official title is Shogun."
      "Does he have any children?"
      "One daughter. She doesn't live in Wutai though. Hasn't for years. Her and her father don't get along very well." She set her jaw tightly, hoping Michael wouldn't question further.
      "Really? How old is she?" he asked.
      "I dunno. About my age." Yuffie wished Michael would get off the subject but she also knew if she tried to change the subject, he'd pick up on it.
      Michael bit his lip. "She'd be about the right age, but I mean if she doesn't live there, I can't see them making a deal like that. Does Godo Kisaragi have any lieutenants, or cabinet, or something like that?"
      Yuffie took a breath. "Yeah, some."
      "And do any of them have any young adult daughters?"
      Yuffie thought. "Maybe. Staniv's daughter possibly. She's about a year older than me. A far more traditional example of a Wutai maiden too."
      "So she gets along with her father?"
      Yuffie nodded slightly. "Yes. She's very obedient. Kinda sickens me though."
      Michael chuckled. "You don't seem very traditional. I'm guessing you have much more in common with Princess Kisaragi then?"
      Yuffie smiled. "Yes, you could say we have some things in common."
      Michael gave the small of Yuffie's back a quick rub. "Feeling any better?"
      "A little."
      "You wanna try eating?"
      Yuffie shook her head. "No, I'm not up for it yet."
      Michael nodded, and started to massage her shoulders again. "There's a lot of tension here. It's like they tensed up again after I finished with them."
      "I dunno."
      Michael continued to work on Yuffie's shoulders, working out the stress she was feeling from all the questions. As he continued the massage, Yuffie relaxed even more, and then, without really thinking, took Michael by the hand and started kissing his palm.
      "Um, Yuffie?"
      Yuffie stopped and looked at his hand. "I'm sorry."
      Michael shook his head. "Don't be. I just don't want you to think I was doing this to get you to sleep with me."
      Yuffie smiled and turned over. Her stomach growled in protest, causing her to wince.
      Michael smiled and wrapped an arm around her, placing his other hand on her bare abdomen, and rubbing in a light circle. "Does that help?"
      Yuffie nodded. "That feels really good."
      "I'm glad. Just tell me when you're ready to eat something though. I don't want to worry about you."
      Yuffie sighed, and closed her eyes. After a few seconds, she put an arm around his neck and lifted her head up to kiss him. Michael seemed surprised at first, but after a few seconds he kissed her back. They finally broke the kiss and Yuffie looked at his surprised face.
      "Well, you might be getting married. I may not get another chance to tell you how attractive I think you are," Yuffie said.
      "I . . . see."
      Yuffie suddenly became aware of what was going on. She pretty much had thrown herself at him. Yes, he was attractive, but she always thought she had more strength than that. She wouldn't allow herself to become emotionally attached to a client.
      "I'm sorry Michael," she said, looking away in shame. "I was out of line."
      Michael placed a hand on her shoulder. "No, it's okay."
      "No, it isn't," Yuffie said, shrugging his shoulder off. She grabbed the bottle of ginger oil, and swallowed some. "And you're right. I need to eat something."
      "Yuffie, please, don't try to avoid this."
      "I'm not. I just . . . it was wrong. I can't become emotionally attached to a client. And I certainly can't let him get emotionally attached to me." She grabbed the plate Michael had brought in. The tuna had gone cold, but she tried to eat a mouthful anyway.
      "Yuffie, you can't ignore what just. . . ."
      Michael was cut off by what sounded like a gunshot, followed by a second on deck, then the sound of something landing hard on top of it.
      Yuffie sprang up to her feet, reaching for her Conformer. Her stomach groaned, and she silently cursed it to behave, then rushed to the door, and looked out it. A shadow passed in front of the stairs leading to the deck.
      Yuffie whirled to see Michael fishing out his submachine gun. She held the Conformer out pointed at him. "Don't move. Stay here. Lock the door. And don't come out after me. I'll go investigate myself."
      "But Yuffie . . ."
      "No! Don't open the door for anyone but me, and only if I use the code word 'Fenris'."
      "But . . ."
      Yuffie growled. "I'm earning my money. So stay here, where you'll be protected."
      Without another word from Michael, she slipped out the door, and didn't move until she heard him slide the bolt shut.

      Yuffie checked the other cabins first, and found them all empty, which was to her liking, because it meant no one would sneak up on her. She then quietly crept up the stairs and peeked her head out to view the deck.
      Up on deck were Natalia and Simon. Simon seemed to be clutching his arm, which was bleeding. In his hand was a bloody knife. Natalia was holding a smoking pistol. At her feet was the ship's captain. At his feet were the ship's cook and first mate. The ship was small enough that only those two men were needed for the crew.
      "You idiot!" Natalia shouted. "Why did you go ahead and do that?"
      "He recognized me," Simon said.
      Natalia let out a sigh. "You know what this means, don't you?"
      Simon growled and nodded. "What about the other couple?"
      Natalia turned her head, causing Yuffie to duck back down. After a few seconds, she started speaking again, and Yuffie popped her head back up. "Well, we're going to have to kill them. Be careful though. I don't trust that 'heirloom' the girl had. She seemed to be carefully guarding her words."
      "You don't think they're newlyweds any more than I do?"
      Natalia snorted. "Well, it's possible, but I wouldn't hedge money on it."
      Simon paused. "What are you going to do?"
      Natalia shook her head. "Well we certainly can't dock with this thing, and four dead bodies on board. I think there's a skiff we can take off on. I'll prepare to scuttle the ship, you go take care of the passengers."
      Yuffie scurried down the stairs as silently as possible, and rapped silently on the door. "It's me, Fenris," she hissed.
      Michael slid the door open and looked relieved to see her. That was until he saw her expression.
      "We latched on with some good ones," Yuffie said. "I dunno who that couple is, but Natalia and Simon are definitely criminals. Pack up as much as you can, now!" She pulled the door shut, and strapped her Conformer onto her back, pulling off a small green gem-like materia from it, and started to nonchalantly toss it in the air.
      Within seconds Simon had come down the stairs, but not from the direction she was facing, but behind. She turned casually to face him, and saw he was carrying the pistol that Natalia had been holding before.
      "Hey, Simon, what's going on?" She made a face filled with curiosity, continuing to toss the materia in the air.
      Simon didn't say a word, but raised the pistol and pointed it at Yuffie, cocking the hammer back.
      "Who are you guys?" Yuffie asked.
      "I don't think you're in a position to ask questions," Simon replied.
      Yuffie frowned. "We won't tell anyone who you guys are. I bet Simon Poe and Natalia Imperiale aren't even your real names. What could we possibly say?"
      "Nothing if you two are dead."
      "Don't be a fool. We'll give you whatever you want."
      Simon smirked. "If I kill you, we can take it anyway."
      Yuffie had to admit, whoever this guy was, he was certainly smarter than the average criminal. He knew that there could be no witnesses, and she had nothing to bargain with.
      "Please, don't kill me," she said, looking worried.
      "I don't see myself having much of a choice," Simon replied, aiming the gun in the middle of her chest.
      Yuffie dropped her hand to her side, and cupped the materia. "Please, can I say one thing?"
      Simon lowered his gun, amused. "What's that?"
      Yuffie looked down and smiled slightly. "Poison."
      The materia flashed green in her hand, softly illuminating the corridor. Simon looked down then raised the gun again, only to end up doubling over and vomiting. He dropped to his knees, feeling too weak to stand.
      "You bitch, that was materia," he croaked.
      Yuffie grinned. "Bingo. Now I know why the damn Shinra beat us in the war. Materia works much better than guns do."
      Simon wretched again, cursing. "I'll see you in Hell first." He tried to raise the pistol, but ended up shooting about a foot and a half off to Yuffie's right. He pulled the trigger again, and shot even further off the mark.
      Yuffie hurriedly rapped on the door again. "Fenris, open the door," she said.
      Michael opened, then looked down, eyes wide. "Is he . . . ?"
      Yuffie nodded. "Yes, he's dead."
      There was the sound of footsteps approaching the stairs, and they heard Natalia call down. "Simon?"
      Yuffie looked shock, then glanced at Michael. Michael yelled up, trying to make his voice deep like the dead man at their feet. "Yeah!"
      Natalia paused. "Simon, is that you?"
      Michael cleared his throat and yelled out again. "Yeah! It's me."
      "Are they dead yet?"
      Yuffie held up a hand, quieting Michael, and then pulled the gun from Simon's fingers, turned, and fired twice into their bed. She looked at him and nodded.
      Michael took a step into the room, then yelled out, "They are now."
      They heard Natalia's footsteps walk along the deck again. "Well don't take too long. I've almost got this rigged up to blow."
      Michael looked over at Yuffie who seemed to be a little green. Now that most of her anxiety was gone, she was starting to feel nauseous again. "Are you okay?" he asked.
      Yuffie nodded. "I will be. Get ready to abandon ship, okay?"
      Michael nodded, and resumed packing up as much of their stuff as possible.
      Yuffie fixed the Poison Materia back into her weapon, and started to make her way up the stairs, moving as slowly as possible. She saw Natalia was playing with the fuel lines, hoping to set the boat on fire and hopefully blow it up while she and Simon could make their escape.
      "Having fun?" she asked.
      Natalia turned, pointing a handgun at her. Apparently Yuffie was mistaken, Natalia had kept her own handgun, and Simon was using the one belonging to the ship's captain. Natalia stared at her in surprise and terror.
      "Where's Simon?" she demanded.
      Yuffie shrugged. "Didn't look good last time I saw him."
      Natalia pointed the gun at Yuffie's face. Yuffie responded by holding the Conformer in front of her.
      "Easy now," Yuffie said. "You've been playing in petrol this entire time. The spark of the hammer might be enough to engulf your hand, for all you know."
      Natalia took a deep breath and her hand suddenly steadied. "I'm not playing around here."
      "Neither am I," Yuffie said with a nod. "Now why don't you put the gun down and tell us who you are."
      "Who are you?" Natalia asked. "It's obvious you and the boy downstairs aren't newlyweds."
      Yuffie pursed her lips. "I'm a merc. I was hired by him to be his bodyguard. Simon came down trying to kill us. End of story. Who are you? If you put the gun down and answer me, I might let you live."
      "Funny girl, considering I've got a gun pointed at your head."
      Yuffie tightened the corner of her mouth in an expression of boredom. "I didn't get as good as I am by walking into situations I can't get out of."
      "I'd like to see how you're going to get out of this one," Natalia said.
      "Easy. You're going to put the gun down and tell me who you are. Chances are I won't care. Hell, I've done some illegal things before."
      "Me and Simon are a two-person hit team."
      "Working for whom?"
      Natalia sighed. "Right now, we're working for no one. We're on the run, since our last job botched."
      An alarm went off in Yuffie's head. "Really? A hit team. Where did you learn these skills?"
      "With the Turks actually. Why do you ask?"
      "So, you and Simon knew Reno and Rude, correct?"
      "Yeah, of course."
      Yuffie nodded. "When was the last time you saw either of them?"
      Natalia shrugged. "A week and a half ago, I suppose. We were involved in a job with them."
      Yuffie smiled. "I know. I talked to Reno a couple days ago. He mentioned the job. Frankly, the fact that you tried to kill Palmer doesn't worry me, I never liked that fatass, but what I want to know is which one of you two managed to put a bullet in Elena's leg?"
      Natalia went white. "What are you talking about?"
      "Reno told me. Him, Rude, and Elena were hired as security to stop an assassination on Palmer, because the assassins were ex-Turks. Now, I don't care about Palmer personally, but Elena was a friend of mine. Not a good one, but still a friend, and I don't think I should let the people who took out her leg go free."
      Natalia's jaw dropped. Then she slowly shut her mouth. "Very good Yuffie. You forgot one thing though."
      Yuffie raised an eyebrow. "What's that?"
      "You didn't disarm me." She turned the pistol in her hand.
      "Right . . . that's okay. You never took into account my client is holding a submachine gun pointed at you now." She glanced at the stairs. "Hi Michael."
      "Yuffie, you really must think me dim if you expect me to fall for the oldest trick in the book."
      Michael pulled back the bolt of the submachine gun and cleared his throat.
      Yuffie watched Natalia's face go slack. "I wasn't joking. You're going to be dead no matter which of us you fire at."
      Natalia was quick, Yuffie had to give her that. She spun on her heels, dropping to a crouch to fire at Michael. However, Yuffie was also fast, and flung her Conformer at Natalia's feet, and knocking her on her back.
      Unfortunately, Michael fired instinctively, and while it would have hit Natalia had she been standing, even if she was in a crouch, it missed her completely when she was lying prone. Instead, the bullets ripped through the fuel tanks, causing a small explosion that knocked him back down the stairs and halfway down the corridor, landing on top of Simon's body.
      Natalia was back on her feet at the same time that Yuffie's Conformer had returned to the ninja girl's hand, and she quickly snatched up Michael's dropped submachine gun. "I've got something for you Yuffie," she said.
      Yuffie quickly back flipped out of the line of fire of a burst from the submachine gun, but landed on some sail rigging, and hit the deck hard. Natalia shifted her grip on the weapon, and fired again at Yuffie, who managed to roll out of the way.
      As Yuffie had predicted, burning powder from the ejection port created enough of a spark to ignite the fuel soaked into Natalia's sleeve. The petite assassin cried out in terror, and looked around for something to douse the flames. The distraction was long enough for Yuffie to clamber to her feet, and throw the Conformer, which passed through the submachine gun, as well as Natalia's left forearm.
      Since most of her arm that was burning was now lying severed on the deck, Natalia instead shoved the stump of her arm into her armpit, extinguishing the fire and putting pressure on the bleeding. Being occupied, and otherwise unarmed, Yuffie decided Natalia was no longer a threat, and went to hunt down Michael, using the stairs at the bow end of the boat, rather than the more accessible, but now burning, stern.
      Michael was conscious, but only barely. He seemed rather disoriented when Yuffie found him. "What's going on Yuffie? What happened?" he asked.
      "You, you idiot. I told you not to fire that thing off. You set off an explosion. This boat is about to go up. We need to get out of here. Where's our bags?"
      Michael nodded toward the door, and Yuffie grabbed her backpack. Michael grabbed his saxophone case, and Yuffie reached out for Michael's arms.
      "Forget that! Where's your saddle bags?"
      Michael gestured blankly toward the room, and started to make his way there, when Yuffie pulled him back. "No time. We gotta get off now." She started hauling him back up the stairs, and over to the side.
      "Yuffie, I can't swim," Michael said.
      Yuffie groaned. "Can you tread water? Dog paddle? Is that damn case buoyant?"
      Michael shrugged.
      Yuffie cursed and grabbed the life preserver. "Hold onto this, and jump." She slapped the flotation ring into his chest, and once Michael had it shouldered, she pushed him over the side, then dove down herself.
      As soon as Yuffie hit the water, the stern of the yacht blew out, literally disintegrating it. Another explosion in the galley blew apart the starboard side, and the rest of the boat took on water too quick to keep it afloat longer than 30 seconds.
      Yuffie sighed. "Michael, stay here. I'm going to find some debris big enough for me to latch onto. You stay here, and try to get that preserver around you so you won't fall through it."
      Michael nodded and pulled it over his head, pulling himself back up through the center and stretching his arms out to either side. When Yuffie left him, he was busy trying to tie his saxophone case to the rope on it.
      Yuffie sighed and swam toward the debris caused by the explosion. She managed to find an anchor line from the skiff that Natalia was talking about, and tied it to some timbers, and wrapped it around herself, so that she wouldn't have to worry about falling asleep and drowning. As she tried to kick her way back to Michael something emerged from the water in front of her. It was Natalia, and she looked crazed, holding a knife, and moving quickly toward Yuffie.
      Without thinking, mostly on pure instinct, Yuffie unfastened her Conformer, and pitched it. Skimming across the water, it neatly decapitated the female assassin, and then coasted back to Yuffie's hand.
      Yuffie shook her head. "It's gonna be a long night."