It was dark inside the conference room. Yuffie could see little in the dim light that emanated from several clamshell-shaped lamps built into the walls. She could see several other people sitting in chairs, waiting for the appointment to start. At the front of the room was a large wood desk with a leather chair. A large screen was on the wall behind and to the left of it. She took a seat in one of the chairs and began to twiddle her thumbs.
 After about ten minutes, a pair of burly guards closed the doors and locked them. The chair slowly spun around. A man with greasy, jet-black hair and cold grey eyes sat in it. He began to speak, in a booming voice that made Yuffie flinch.
 "My name is Sho-Dai. You have all received my message. I have a special mission for you."
 Yuffie blinked twice. This guy's weird.......he's creepin' me out!
 Sho-Dai tapped a button built into the armrest of his chair. A picture appeared on the screen on the wall. It was a picture of....
 Cosmo Canyon??? she thought, confused.
 "Something of great value has been stolen from me by the thieves who dwell here."  No way! Red's no thief! Yuffie wanted to scream, but she didn't say anything. Sho-Dai tapped another button. A picture of a piece of parchment appeared on the screen. It was hard to tell, but Yuffie could make out an image of what looked like a mountain with a gate in the side. Next to it were 2 small gems, one white and the other black.
 "This scroll is kept in their 'archives' where all their other stolen treasure is located. You will be sent in to retrieve the scroll. There can be no failure. Kill all those who stand in your way."
 Hot rage boiled through Yuffie. She stood up hurriedly and glared at Sho-Dai.  "What a load of crap!" she exclaimed. She marched towards the door, but the guards stepped in front of her. They smiled cruelly. Sho-Dai began to laugh.
 "You're in, girl. No more resistance will be tolerated." A smile crept across his lips. Yuffie sighed.
 I'm sorry, Red.......
 "All right, I'm in." she said quietly.

Yuffie, clad in tight-fitting black clothing and armed with a knife, took a deep breath and slid down the rope from the skylight into the archives. Already several of the other Ninjas were searching through the archives for the scroll. She got a good look at the room as she touched the floor.
  It was a large room, with massive wooden double doors being the only way in. It was filled with large shelves that covered both tiers of the room. They were packed with books and other assorted treasures. She quickly ran over to the nearest shelf, and began to sort through the objects on it, scanning back and forth for the scroll.
 A few minutes later one of the others held up a piece of parchment triumphantly. They all began to converge on the rope, their only method of escape. Yuffie ran towards it, but something on a lower shelf snagged on her clothes. It clattered loudly to the floor. Yuffie tripped and fell to the hard stone floor.
 "Waagghh!!" she yelled. Then, light poured in from the entrance as the door swung open.
 "Who's there!?" yelled a familiar voice.
 Oohhh, crap..... she thought.

 Ooowww......it hurts!
 It'll go away soon. That's what happens when you get a tattoo.
 But I want it to go away now! It hurts to walk.
 You have to be patient. You should lie down, then your legs won't hurt as much. They look beautiful on you.
 Really?
 Now you're really a warrior, just like me.
 Your tattoos are pretty too.
 Why thank you!
 Can I get earrings like you too?
 When you get older. I promise.

 What's the matter? You look sad.
 Sniff.......the other kids were makin' fun of me.
 Why's that?
 I dunno....they were calling me 'fur-face'.
 That's not very nice. Did you say anything to them?
 Nope! They were playing tag and I asked to play too. They yelled at me and told me to go away!
 That's too bad. Do you think they don't like you because you're older than them?
Maybe...... but I'm a kid, just like them!
 Do you want to play with me?
 Yeah! Thanks a lot!

 Mother, what happened to......him?
 Who?
 ........My father. Where did he go?
 Why do you ask?
All the other kids have fathers. They tease me because I don't have one. What happened to him?
 ..........He ran away.
 He ran away!? Why?
 He was scared to fight.
 Y-you mean he wasn't brave like you?
 No. He was a coward.
 A coward? Father was a coward?
 Yes, he was.
 Where did he go?
 .....Away.
 When is he gonna come home?
 ......Never. But let's not think about that now. Your grandfather and I love you very much. Always remember that.
 I will, Mother. Always.
 You'll always be my little warrior, Nanaki......

 "Nanaki! We have an emergency! Wake up!"
 "Huh?" Red grumbled, squinting at the bright light pouring through the door. One of the town guards stood over him, with a panicked expression on his face.
 "We have thieves in the archives!" he exclaimed.
 "Thieves!!" Red replied. He sprang to his feet, growling. The guard ran out the door, hefting his spear, but Red quickly passed him. The large wooden door lay in front of him. He swung it open, and his claws came out. "Who's there!?" he roared.
 He saw, with his darkness-attuned vision, several men in black scrambling up a rope out the skylight. One clutched a piece of parchment in his hand. There was still one thief left, floundering on the floor.
  Is that a girl? he thought. He stepped into the room, a low growl emanating from his throat as he bared his fangs menacingly. The thief still struggled on the floor, but her face had gone white. He pounced, with an ear-splitting roar.
 In an instant he was on top of her, pinning her to the floor with his greater weight. She struggled to break free, but to no avail. His claws dug into her shoulders, and tiny rivulets of blood stained the black cloth.
 "Who sent you!? Tell me!!" he growled.
 "Aagghh! Get offa me, you big dumb cat!" she yelled in his face.
 "What??!!" Red shouted, then he shook his head. "We'll see how time in a jail cell changes your attitude!" The guard with the spear grabbed her and dragged her away, kicking and screaming.
 "Her scent is.....familiar." he muttered, then he padded out of the archives towards the town jail. He could hear muffled yelling from behind the door. He pushed it open with his nose. There, the guard was forcefully shoving the thief into a cell. Then he slammed the door shut. Red sat down in front of the cell's bars.
 "Well, thief, will you take off your mask, or are you too much of a coward?!" The thief's grey eyes flashed angrily. She stood up and wrenched off her mask.
 There was nothing but silence for what seemed like an eternity. "Y-Yuffie!!?? I......can't believe it!" he said, shocked.
 She leered at him. "Take a picture, it'll last longer."
 Red's mouth hung open, and his eye gave a look of disbelief and betrayal. "How could you do this to me?? After all.......after all we've been through? Why did you decide to steal from the archives?"
 "Whoa!" she said, her manner changing abruptly. "I didn't do this because I wanted to! I was forced......" Red turned his back and slowly began to walk away.
 "I don't need to hear your excuses." he said sadly.
 "Come back, Red! I can explain!" she moaned. He kept walking away. "Dammit Red! Just hear me out! Stop being such a jerk!" Her voice began to crack.
 "I don't believe this....." he muttered, and with that, the door slammed shut.
 Red sat down outside the town jail, his head hanging. Part of him wanted to go back in and talk to her, to listen. The other part wanted to leave, and abandon Yuffie in that cell for the rest of her life. She had stolen from him in the past, but it had just seemed like a game then. This was serious, more serious than anything else she had done.
 Red felt a lump form in his throat. Due to the fact that his age was the eqivalent of a 16-year-old's, he'd always gotten along well with her.
 I'm so sorry, Yuffie. I've hurt you as much as I have hurt myself........

Meanwhile, in her cell, Yuffie stared blankly at the wall. She slowly crouched to the cold concrete floor, leaning on the edge of her cot. She rested her forehead on her folded arms. Yuffie's mind was a sea of confused emotions and thoughts, all trying to find somebody to blame.
 This is all Red's fault. How could he lock me up, after all the stuff we've been through? How could he attack me like that? I thought we were friends......but I betrayed him. I betrayed the trust we had in each other.
 This is all Sho-Dai's fault! If he'd let me leave that stupid meeting, then this would have never happened! But they still would have stolen it......and Red could have been hurt, even......
 This is all MY fault! If I'd never read that note, then I would even be here! If only..........if only I had..........
 Her sobs echoed in the dank cell. Nobody heard them.