A/N: This work comes between Phoenix Down and Limit Breaks in my Reno Cycle (which begins with Enemy Skill Materia). I hope you enjoy this and all my Final Fantasy VII works. If you do, please consider taking a moment to favorite and/or review.
As I stood at the entrance of the Pagoda, Vincent and Reno were off to the side to witness either my triumph or epic failure. I wasn't surprised that the only people here to support me were former Turks. One of them called me his son, despite the shame associated with my parentage. The other called me Boss, despite threats, pleas, and bribes. Marriage had mellowed them both, and Vincent's arm curved protectively around Reno's waist, making my former subordinate look smug. I took the photo of Jade from my pocket, reminding myself why I was here, and then handed it to Reno for safe keeping.
Jade and I sit on the couch – Elena is out tonight at Book Club – watching late-night programming from Wutai. It's just a stupid gameshow, the kind where people dress in silly costumes and try to run through an obstacle course, but Jade loves it because it is in Wutainese without subtitles. When we are alone we practice the language – her school courses and my rusting memory of the language often clash – but this is real Wutainese, spoken by natives and it helps her prepare for her midterm exams. At sixteen, this is her last year of required formal education… I sigh, thinking of how grown up she is, even as she slouches against me, her head on my chest as she laughs at the current contestant.
"Chichi," she says, as I mute the program for the commercial.
"Umm," I murmur, petting her hair which is as long and beautiful as my mother's had been. She didn't live to see her granddaughter; it is another shame I must live with.
"I've decided where I want to go to college," she declares, sitting up. She pulls a packet from her school bag and hands it to me. "Wutai'nodaigaku! They have a translator program like no other school in the whole world! And because you're half-Wutainese, I'll get half off my admission! I'm so excited."
Bottom Floor/First Floor
"Would you like to climb the Pagoda today?" asked the man guarding the entrance. He didn't speak to me in Wutainese.
"Hai," I replied, throwing him off just a little. He gave me a courtesy bow and I returned the gesture.
"Are you gentlemen here as witnesses?" he asked Vincent and Reno.
"We are. We understand the rules and we will not interfere. He comes only with that which he can carry." Vincent didn't speak in Wutainese either, despite being fluent in the language.
"Prepare yourself; then proceed to the first floor," he said, gesturing to the staircase.
There was no point in rechecking the weapon on my hip, nor the armor, or even the Materia slotted into each. If the last five weeks hadn't prepared me enough, there was nothing a double-check could do at the precipice.
Vincent nodded once at me, while Reno mugged and gave me two-thumbs up. I led the way up the shallow, rickety stairs. On the first floor, a man awaited me. He saw the mark between my eyes and gave me a once over before simply saying, "Come, Power Change!"
As the battle began, the simple man in green transformed into a red and purple flying beast. As we'd strategized, I used Big Guard the first chance I got, and thankfully the Counter-Attack Materia functioned flawlessly, wasting no time in answering back his multiple physical attacks. Of course, since I had a perfect affinity for all elements, it slashed at me, and cured itself. I only had to outwait the opponent and it soon ran out of MP, and then HP. The first battle was over.
As soon as she is in bed, I call Vincent. It doesn't matter the hour of day, he's never failed to pick up his phone when I call, and this time is no different.
"I'm thinking this isn't a social call," he says, with an edge in his voice.
"No, but there is no one in immediate danger."
"Good." His tone lightens. "What threat on the horizon can I help you ward off?"
"Jade wants to go to Wutai'nodaigaku. She thinks that because I'm half- Wutainese that she'll receive a scholarship. She knows that I'm a bastard – she grew up understanding that my parents weren't married and that because of that my family ran us out of town – but she doesn't have a proper feel for the situation.
"Ah, I'll sell off a couple of my Mastered All Materias. That should pay for her studies, and perhaps give her a cushion for living expenses."
"That's…" Unbelievably generous, is what I want to say, but it isn't the reason I've called. "That's not necessary, I don't think. I want…"
"You want to be recognized as Wutainese. I see, that may be more difficult. Let me speak to some people, and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. If nothing else, I'll provide a scholarship for Jade through the University. She doesn't need to know where it came from."
He clicks off without saying goodbye.
Second Floor
I dosed myself with a generous helping of potions and ethers to bring my HP/MP back up to full and then I followed the young man up the stairs. He didn't even seem to notice my brand, only that I was there to challenge him. The young man ran at me, screaming "Speed Change" and the battle began without further ado.
He morphed into a bird-like creature and hit me with Fury before I had a chance to throw up Big Guard, and suddenly my actions were twice as fast. Zack used to kid that my Limit Break was an Air Strike, but that was far from the truth. The first time it was an option, I unleashed the poorly named Presidential Bodyguard that added Regen and Reflect to the Haste and Wall that I'd already got.
We traded high-speed blows, until I hit Limit Break again. I choose another option, which is also unfortunately named, Presidential Body-Double, casting darkness, sadness, silence, and poison. Everything missed with the exception of sadness and darkness, so it wasn't a complete failure. I heard Reno's giggling in the background and firmed my resolve. I had two more Limits up my sleeve, but even with the new weapon, I had not developed a third level; I'd spent far too much time behind a desk or standing in front of a spoiled brat who never deserved my loyalty. Unlike Reno, who served under the same man in a different capacity, and for obvious and bad reasons, I had no such excuses. I stayed because he accepted me, and in return, I allowed him to waste my youth and potential on his whims.
The fight ended with one last suicidal Rage Bomb, and I held on with a tenth of my HP remaining.
The next call begins just as abruptly.
"Godo agrees with me that you should never have been exiled from Wutai in the first place."
"Godo Kisaragi? Lord Godo, the leader of Wutai? You just happen to have him on your speed dial?"
"No, I have Yuffie. She gave me her father's number when I told her why I needed it. She supports your full return as well. She has a history of bucking tradition, as it were, and she's rallying to your cause."
"Yuffie? She likes to call me names –"
"But she talks to you, even though she knows what that brand means."
"True, true. So, what did Godo say?"
"If you can pass the Pagoda Challenge, no one will be able to dispute your right to be a full Wutainese citizen. Your name will be restore to its place on the family register, along with Elena and Jade."
"I have to prove myself? That's ridiculous. I did nothing wrong."
"That's true, but Godo felt that it would be the best way to save face for those who wronged you."
"I'm fifty years old, Vincent, and I haven't fought in years. I don't even know if I can…"
"I've got you covered there. Yuffie, Reno, and I have all fought our way up the Pagoda. We can help you prepare."
"All I've got is an old Quicksilver and a handful of banned Materia. For Leviathan's sake, I don't even own a Ribbon."
"We've got you covered on all basis. I have a cabinet full of guns and ammo for you to pick from, and if I don't have the Materia you need in my collection, I know multiple someones who will lend it to me for a weekend. Stop complaining and get focused on what you need to do to prepare."
Third floor
"Magic Change!" my next opponent cried as the battle began. Right off the bat, I attacked with my remaining power left over from the previous fight and rained down a hail of bullets in my next show of Limit Break strength, ironically called Presidential Pardon. It retaliated with absorb and did about two-hundred points worth of damage, from which I Counter Attacked for almost double. It tried, and failed to petrify me, thanks to Aerith's ribbon and after a few more hits, the fight was over.
I settle on Vincent's Outsider. It's a comfortable weight and not much bigger than my Quicksilver, but it has two sets of linked Materia slots, and four single ones beside. Reno lends me his Bolt Armlet with all its advantages. I bring my Master Magic Materia and Elemental combo which makes me not only immune to all elemental magic thrown at me, but because it is also Mastered, it absorbs those same spells. They are the only two Mastered Materia I've kept, despite the ban, and I'm glad of it. Vincent lends me his Ribbon, the pink one they all wear in memory of Aerith. It breaks my heart to remember her – our last words were so ugly – but I'll wear it in honor of her and for the love of my daughter.
Fourth Floor
"Weapon's Change!" was the cry that began the fourth fight of the day. The man disappeared and a suit of armor, swinging an oversized flail, appeared. As with the other fights, I followed the strategy of casting Big Guard, and then I noticed I hadn't used enough ethers after the last battle. I picked Magic Hammer as my next attack, and syphoned off 100 MP from my opponent and cast Regen. The blunder could have cost me the entire fight, but the armor made him slow and predictable.
Every crack of the gun took at least a thousand hit points from him, and I was glad I'd listened to Reno and attached an Added-Effect/Poison combo into one of the few linked Materia spots available. After six hits, I was victorious.
They help me not only train, but to keep the whole thing secret from Elena and Jade. If I fail – and that reality still looms, despite their best efforts – I'd rather no one outside of the four of us know. Elena's total trust of me is to her disadvantage, so that when I say I'm going to help Vincent purchase a birthday present for Reno, she suspects nothing. When I come home with bruises from that event, she believes the story about falling off of a Chocobo. Jade isn't fooled, but with a conspiratorial wink, she is convinced she is in on something and lets it all slide. Great, now I have to worry more about the precious women in my life.
Fifth Floor
Tradition, and the experience of my tutors, told me that the final fight would be against Lord Godo, but that wasn't to be. Yuffie stepped out of the stairwell and took her place across from me.
"I wish it wasn't me," she said. "But, Dad said he's too old to be the final fight and have anyone see it as valid. I won't go easy on you, even though I support your cause, Turkey."
"I wouldn't accept anything else."
She was good, there was no denying it, and I spent more time healing than I did attacking, hoping against hope that I'd hit my Limit Break or she'd run out of MP. Eventually, I did hit my Limit and brought out the last one, stupidly called Presidential Veto. Reno had once complained how all his Limit Breaks were named Turk this or Turk that, but I'd always envied that his had classified him as a Turk, while mine named me only another tool of President Shinra. Veto cast Death and even though Yuffie was wearing a Ribbon, which stops instant death, Veto's counter appeared over her head and began counting down from sixty. It wasn't inevitable, but it made me feel stronger as we approached a new deadline.
"You, frickin' Turkey, you double-dealing, son of a Chocobo," she groused.
I was exhausted, completely baffled, and just a touch pleased, as Lord Godo handed me the Leviathan Materia.
"It's only a newly born Materia, but it is a symbol of your heritage. Use it well, and make us proud." He turned to another spectator, one who hadn't spoken the entire trial. "The family register?"
"Yes, Lord Godo, I will file it immediately."
He turned to leave, then stopped and looked back at me. "My name is Hachiro Fukuda," he said. "I am your mother's nephew, your cousin, welcome back, Tseng Fukuda."
I bowed. "Thank you, but my name is Tseng Valentine now."
He searched my face, then nodded at Vincent. "You taught wisdom to this son of yours, we will honor that."
As we leave the Pagoda, I pull Jade's admission packet from my satchel.
"On the way out of town," I tell Reno, "I need to drop this off."
"That's awesome and all," he said, throwing his arm over my shoulder, "but first I need to show you around town and introduce you to the best bar in all of Gaia. They make this Sake drink that's on fire, yo!"