Disclaimer: I do not own Yuffie and Godo Kisaragi, Vincent Valentine, AVALANCHE, all characters and concepts related to AVALANCHE, or, in fact, anything that is from Final Fantasy VII (that honour goes to the wonderful bunch at Square-Enix).
Claimer: I DO, however, own the concept of this story, the name Phe Tsen Shu, the rest of the Shu family, the concept of North Wutai and South Wutai being separate countries, the city of Le Phe Tan, the bastardization of the name Leviathan into Le Phe Tan, and other things not found in FF7. I also own the concept of Heavenly City Da Cha O, the bastardization of the name Da Chao into Da Cha O, and the concept of the Wild Ace's Deuce's Wild Casino. Feel free to use my ideas and original characters, but please give me credit. If you don't give me credit, Tsen Li will turn into a Gary Stu, ruin your story, and then eat your liver.
And When that Day Comes
Dig my head down deep so I can't hear the cars
Outside on the street, and the stars are laughing
They get a kick out of my misery.
I've tried everything short of Aristotle,
Dramamine, and the whiskey bottle,
I pray for the day when my ship comes in
And I can sleep the sleep of the just again
—Insomniac, Straight No Chaser
Chapter Six
City of Wutai (formerly Da Ch O) --- Palace
"They're here!" Yuffie announced as soon as the motorcycle came to a halt and she'd kicked out the kickstand.
Behind her, Tsen Li made puke sounds.
"Remember the rules, Tsen Li? Hold on tight, don't puke on the bike?"
"I'm not vomiting."
"You sure sound like it."
The puke sounds became more distinctive.
"…Not on the bike, anyway."
"I am never walking on that side of the road again. Ever. Just so you know."
"Whatever you like. After we're married, I intend to return to Le Phe Tan and announce my claim on my Intended."
Yuffie blinked. "Is that even possible?"
"I never said I was going to marry her."
"So, more like a permanent mistress sort of thing?"
Tsen Li visibly bristled at the term. He obviously didn't like thinking that claiming his Intended would be infidelity.
What a jerk. And her father had said that members of the House of Shu were unselfish and polite.
Well, if that wasn't just about the biggest crock of shit he'd ever given her, she'd eat Vincent's cloak.
The cart pulled up in front of the palace. The driver helped Mao Li out of the cart and onto the ground.
Mao Li leaned heavily on his cane.
Yuffie bowed. "Please, let me show you to your rooms…"
Mao Li and Tsen Li followed her.
…
"Yuffie, just listen to me. Please."
"You don't have anything important to say. I'm sorry Cloud, but I've made this decision. It isn't your place to second-guess me."
Tifa glared at her as she held her teacup in both hands. Cid, sitting next to her, held his teacup in one hand and glared at the tea.
It probably didn't look like Shera's tea. And it probably didn't smell or taste like Shera's tea.
"Come on, Yuffie. We're your friends. What could it hurt to listen to us?"
"I gave my word, Cloud. I don't have a choice in the matter, not anymore." She managed not to add, Not that I ever did, anyway.
"Yuffie. Come on. Think about it. You're seventeen. This guy's, what, nineteen? You've never met him before."
"I met him when I was eight. I confused him with his third cousin."
"You've met him once before. Big whoop. That's like me marrying Scarlet."
Yuffie sighed. How was she supposed to explain that South Wutai was blackmailing her and her father? That they were threatening war? How did you say something like that, without coming out and saying it?
Damn my honour, she thought to herself. Damn, damn, damn.
No. Damn her father's honour. It had been her father's honour that had put her in this position. Apologize, or make Wutai a vassal state.
That son of a bitch. He was determined to ruin Wutai, wasn't he? That stupid, selfish bastard. First turning it into some tourist town with associated villages. And now… And now…
Leviathan above and below, she didn't even want to think about it. She desperately wished that this was a dream from which she could wake up. She wanted so badly for this to just all be over.
That he would dare choose to make Wutai a vassal state, the puppet of a nation that had been under Kisaragi rule not a century before…
In those two weeks, she had begun to hate her father as she'd never hated him before. In those two weeks, she had spent countless hours plotting his demise. His vicious, horrible, painful, embarrassing demise. His vicious, horrible, painful, embarrassing demise that no one could trace back to her in any way.
After all, if she killed him and ascended the Pagoda, she could so easily get out of this. So easily. She would give the apology, hand over her PHS, and get on with her life. Problem solved.
Oops. Tifa had been talking, and she hadn't been listening.
"…Yuffie, you just aren't ready to settle down. I know it, you know it… Why are you doing this to yourself? I mean, is it some sort of tradition? You always have a choice. Always."
Yeah, Yuffie thought. I've got a whole host of other choices, Tifa. But you know what they are? They're all just different ways of committing suicide. So $& you.
"Tifa, please. Stop. This was my decision. Stop trying to pin all the blame on Godo," Even though he deserves every bit of it, "and stop trying to convince me to go back on my word."
"Are you sure?" Cid asked. "This ain't some kind of blackmail thing, right?"
Gawd, who knew Cid was smart?
Uh-oh. Territory she couldn't tell them about. They'd start freaking out.
"No, it isn't. And if you keep on like this, I'm going to have to ask all of you to leave Wutai."
Cloud stood. For a foreigner, he wasn't very tall, but he still managed to tower over her.
Yuffie refused to feel intimidated.
"We're not leaving," Cloud said. His voice and posture gave a clear message.
She felt her chin lift. That Cloud, of all people, was trying to threaten her! Cloud had never scared her. Not even when she'd betrayed him and stolen his Materia.
She met his eyes, stared at him, glared at him. She made her voice as cold as she possibly could.
She didn't want to say this.
"Cloud Strife, Tifa Lockheart, Cid Highwind: you are no longer welcome in Wutai. Da Chao-statue closes his eyes at the sight of you. Heavenly City Da Cha O bars her gate."
And then she called for Division Six. The nine ninja, clad in the colours of House Kisaragi, bowed so low their heads touched the floor as they slipped into her room.
"Remove these foreigners from Heaven," Yuffie told them.
Cloud never stood a chance. He'd given up the Ultima Weapon as part of receiving an audience. Cid hadn't bothered to bring the Venus Gospel. And Tifa, lovely Tifa, who used her fists as her weapons, made the worst mistake possible.
She failed to understand the intensity of her situation.
Nine fully trained, extremely competent ninja against two unarmed men and a woman who was reluctant to hurt them.
It wasn't even a contest.