FicWad

A few hours later, they could see the unfamiliar world in the distance. Aerith shifted in her seat nervously. She felt uneasy suddenly. "You okay?" Piper asked her. Aerith just nodded, but she knew it was a lie.

Leon eased the ship onto the desert like surface. The coliseum was gargantuan. Tall white pillars held the broad roof in place. Large statues of the heroes of the past were standing proudly around the dome. The steps led to the grand wooden doors.

Yuffie and Emi giggled as they approached the massive signup sheet attached to the wall. "Look at all these names!" Yuffie said. "This is going to fun, right Sora?"

Sora nodded slowly as Yuffie messily scribbled her name. His stomach was doing flips! A name suddenly caught Piper's attention as she scanned the names. Cloud Strife.

"That's an odd name," she said pointing it out to Aerith. Piper saw a glance of apprehension cross her new friend's face.

Emi signed the list just as incoherently and quickly as Yuffie. She handed the marker over to Leon behind her, their fingers brushing against each other's. Emi quickly followed Yuffie into the dome without looking back.

Sora followed after Leon, giving Piper the marker next. Unlike the others, she took her time to write out her name nicely. She turned to hand the marker to Aerith, but Aerith backed away from the writing utensil like it was poisonous.

"Why not?" Piper inquired.

Aerith shook her head. "I'm a healer." She turned her head slightly embarrassed. "I don't know how to fight..."

A few minutes of silence followed before the girls went in to take their seats in the bleachers. To their surprise, no one was there except for their group. Yuffie was already getting ready for her fight...

Yuffie checked her weapons carefully. Going first was always intimidating. Plus, she didn't even know if her opponent had a name!

She pushed her fingers through her hair and straightened her posture. Her confidence was soaring in spite of her nervousness. Without taking another second away from her fighting time, she entered the stadium. She was just as shocked to see that only her companions were in the bleachers. She had been expecting a roaring crowd! She did a full circle, confusion swirling in her head. Where the heck was everybody?

Suddenly a bell clanged. The fight was on, without announcement! Panic rose in her. Where was the other guy? And then it appeared as black as a storm cloud. A Heartless, along with a few of his friends. "Crap..."

"Yuffie!" she heard Emi calling to her. "Look out!"

As she turned around, a sword met with her shoulder, slicing the end of her skin. The little monster had crept behind her! She fell to her knees. "Well this sucks," she said to herself.

"We have to do something!" insisted Emi. "She'll be killed!"

"Have a little faith, Emi," said Piper. "Yuffie the great ninja remember?"

Emi could only cross her fingers. Piper peered over at Sora and Leon. Sora was standing up, intrigued by the violence. Leon was tense. "Do you think she can do it?" she asked him.

Leon smirked. "Knowing Yuffie, I have no doubt in the world that she won't win."

Yuffie had begun to cast her throwing stars. One dug itself into the forehead of one of the Heartless. "SCORE!" she cried.

Slowly, one by one, the Heartless went down until all that was left was one. His yellow eyes stared at her. "You're going down scum!" she screamed. She let out a war cry and released her fury. She threw five stars at once, all hitting him in the chest. He was dead before he hit the ground.

"Yeah I won!" Yuffie sang happily. Even though she had won her match, the fight had just begun.