Disclaimer: The purpose of a disclaimer is obvious enough, right? I don't hold copyright over shit except what I adamantly claim is mine, i.e., OCs and…that's about it. Maybe the plot, the premise. TOTALLY AWESOME.

The Reign Game

1

The story here is this. I'm Yuffie Kisaragi, ultra famous shinobi and daughter of Lord Godo, master of our great motherland Wutai. We were a mighty force of the mysterious West; we commanded all manner of awesome materia left and right. No one could stop us, no one. That is, until…the Shinra Electric Power Company arrived. They tried to conquer us in the past with their Mako power but we refused. Because we Wutain are just that cool. We wanted no part in being controlled by their awful tyranny. So my dear pops rose up against Shinra and declared war.

For a couple years, we dominated with our ninja skills. We were kicking ass and taking names. But who knew that stupid old company would commit such dastardly deeds for victory? Honestly. What did they do? I'll tell you what they did.

They made Sephiroth, and SOLDIER. And a lot of ugly things I don't want to talk about here. Although Sephiroth wasn't ugly; he was really kinda hot, but he was still a mean, old man that killed a lot of my people.

In short, Wutai's awesome ass got kicked. Bad. We failed in a way we never failed before. We lost the war. And then, oh, then we lost our materia. Our materia! Our land's pride and joy. Materia ranked us up there with Shinra and Corel and everybody. Now, look at what we became. A goofy little nation resort, hanging off the world map by a thread.

Back then, I decided. When I grew up, I would march out into the world to reclaim Wutai's former glory and get my revenge on Shinra. I wouldn't just be a master shinobi; I'd be a master materia hunter, too. I would take all the precious materia I could gather, bring them back home, and make us kings again. Then I'd pulverize Shinra into the ground so hard, there'd be nothing left but a nasty stain. Those were my dreams. Glory and revenge. But…

Who knew my dreams would nearly take me to the end of the world? Holy crap, that was a wild ride. I'd get into that story but it's been told so many times, in so many ways, I should be asking everybody else to tell me about it. It was that crazy.

But thanks to me and my almighty self, the world is at peace.

I am Yuffie Kisaragi, heroine of Gaia. Bow down to me, peons, and give me all your materia.

-

"Yes, I'm at it again. Don't give me that look! Just give me my materia!"

"You're…. fucking kidding me."

"I am quite serious, Mr. Potty Mouth. I might've spent time helping you guys save the world, and yeah, we're all chums to the end, but there's no use denying it. All your materia are belong to me. I want that box!"

"Go away."

"How rude."

Yuffie didn't come to Edge, often, especially since resuming her grand hunt for materia. But when she did, she made it a habit to bug Cloud at the orphanage for her rightful property. As the self-proclaimed guardian of all the materia they'd amassed together on their old journey, he politely refused. Now she was getting progressively more ridiculous and she knew it, too. Eventually, the broody blond would break. Eventually, she'd get her materia back. Eventually, Wutai would be whole again. The world was full of eventuals but they were decisive on Yuffie's part.

Today, the nagging ninja barred the bathroom doorway, sealing Cloud in like a caged cat. Behind her, a line of children formed, some whining, some laughing. Her friend's usually somber eyes were now fully annoyed. It was one thing to block a person's path. It was another thing to intrude on one of man's domains.

"I really need to use the bathroom, Yuffie," he droned unhappily. "I can't get back to work if you're in the way."

"Then tell me where my materia is and I'll be on my way."

"Cloud, just tell her where it is," whined one of the boys in line. "We needa pee, too."

"I thought we agreed it'd be for the team," Cloud mumbled.

Yuffie scratched thoughtfully at her button nose then blinked. "Yeah. It's still mine, though. So I'm taking it."

"Huh."

Suddenly, the blond swung his foot forward. The girl's foot flew out of the wedge she made in the doorjamb's corner, and with the shove of a hand, she slipped. The bathroom door closed squarely on her incoming face where she dropped in a heap on the floor. Children gathered around her, mostly giggling but helping her back to her feet. He'd won this round, but Yuffie would win the war.

"Very funny, Cloud," she said, nasal and irate. She rubbed her nose, waded past the gathered children, and stumbled downstairs.

There remained little left to do in Edge but leave. No matter. In the meantime, Yuffie would travel and recoup on the matter of her precious materia unjustly hidden away. She'd get even with Cloud. But since he was a friend, she'd have to hold back a little. Otherwise, someone was going to get hurt. And it wouldn't be her.

The girl suddenly shivered, but not quite out of eagerness.

It was a time for cool weather here in Edge. Gusts of wind scattered throughout the streets, which men and women begrudgingly stumbled in to go about their daily errands, while kids delighted in nearly getting blown away. As Yuffie stood out in front of the orphanage, the bare leg between her shorts and knee-high boots visibly prickled. She had to wish that sometimes she liked wearing pants, but no self-respecting ninja overdressed. Light clothes were necessary in her line of expertise.

"Hah… What to do now?" she asked herself, tugging on her headband. "I guess I could get a drink from Tifa before leaving. Maybe… she'd know where my materia is, too…"

-----

On the other side of town sat Tifa's bar, Seventh Heaven. According to stories, she once had a bar of the same name in Midgar, but along with the Sector 7 slums and city plate above it, the bar was crushed in an attempt to kill their little anti-Mako group, AVALANCHE. Other than lives lost, there seemed no real foul. Tifa's business flourished no matter where she went, and she even gained some friendly competition from a long-time friend and patron, meanwhile.

Though disjointed, everyone's lives after Meteorfall couldn't have been better, if a bit grungy. Cloud, Tifa, and Barret watched over Edge and the orphans of Midgar; Cid collaborated with Reeve trying to put his world restoration plans into action; Vincent ghosted himself off to who knew where, likely angsting the rest of his life away; fiery old Red courted back in Cosmo Canyon; and finally, Yuffie, herself, hunted for materia. These weren't exactly normal lives they lived now, but it was better than nothing. Funnily enough, she'd been the only one to openly admit it was a lost cause to aim for total normalcy; really, all they had to do was live. Being who they were, normal wasn't in their dictionary. Normal would have been the gaping hole in their spirit.

Yuffie expected things to wind down, but never really die in the way of excitement.

A long road still lay ahead of them.

And it'd be just right.

But today, the ninja would rightly enjoy a pit stop at Seventh Heaven. And since it was only midday, the bar wouldn't be packed. She could get in, say hi to Tifa, grab a drink, and get out in a few snaps of a finger. Sweet. No steps lost meant more materia, better materia, just waiting to be picked. Confident, Yuffie strode into the gritty, down-to-earth establishment, greeted with the odors of alcohol, smoke, and lemon-scented disinfectant. Smirking, she watched the wispy, long legged woman circling tables and rubbing them down with a towel. As diligent a bartender and maid as always.

"Tifa!" she shouted across the room, raising the heads of a couple daytime drunks.

"Hmm?" Slowly, Tifa turned, her big, curious brown eyes all too obvious over the small distance. Then a smile crept its way across her eternally soft face. "Yuffie, long time no see."

"Yup, been out and about," the girl replied.

"No doubt searching for materia," the other laughed.

"Heh, it's my passion."

"So…" The brunette bartender dropped her towel and leant against the table, folding her arms under that gratuitous bosom of hers. She cocked her head to one side in preparation to ask, "What brings you to Edge?"

"Oh you know. Just dropping by to bug Cloud."

"Let me guess. About 'your' materia?" The woman smirked.

"Damn right, my materia. Problem is he hid it. You don't hide somebody's materia. That's just not right. It's like hiding a person's kidney."

"Just like it's not right to steal their materia? Or… kidney?"

"One time thing. I said I was sorry. But this is serious. I need that materia."

Tifa hung her head for a second before pushing herself away from the table. With a slight tilt of her head, she motioned Yuffie towards the bar. "I'll fix you a drink. On the house. Non-alcoholic, of course."

"Oh, c'mon," the girl whined. "Back home, I drank sake with the best of 'em."

"Well, here in Edge, we do things a little differently."

"Great…"