Yuffie in her sailor uniform slid paper-walled bamboo door harshly. She saw the view of the old man's back in a purple yukata who seemed didn't budge from the sharp noise.
"Father, you must be kidding me!" Shouted Yuffie indignantly. She stomped the tatami carpet. "How could you decide my life for yourself! You selfish old man!"
"It is for the good of the country," said the old man Godo.
Yuffie folds her arm on her chest. "Then tell me the good of transferring to the enemy's school!"
Godo turned his back facing her only daughter. He sips the green tea from his table. "Sit down and recite to me 'The Art of war' chapter 10 verse 31," said Godo.
The art of war was written by the famous Sun Tzu, Wutai's greatest tactician in the warring states period. It was compulsory for every Wutai's children to memorize the book besides the analects by the philosopher Kong Zi in the spring and autumn period. The spring and autumn period was named because at that period the kingdom was just like spring and autumn, rise and fall not even within a year. And what with these classics written during the period of suffering?
For the young lady, she has memorized the books in her palm of the hand. So without a hint of nervousness, the young lady knelt, with both hands resting on her laps. She recited. "Hence the saying: If you know the enemy and know yourself, your victory will not stand in doubt; if you know Heaven and know Earth, you may make your victory complete." ... and what was that have to do with her transferring to Midgar?
"This is the problem of our country's education. Memorizing by heart but no pondering." Godo sighed.
What is the matter with this old man?
"But it will be better if I was transferred into military school. I could learn their materia, latest weapon, or even war strategies," protest Yuffie. "But what with this commoner's school? How can this commoner's school be superior to our nation's school?" said Yuffie proudly with a patriotic heart.
The old man's face straightened. His stern thick eyebrow stared at the young lady. "The country's sustainable force is not only on its weaponry but in its leader and its people virtue. You must learn what makes their country strong. This is the mission for you as the leader's only daughter," said Godo in a stern voice.
The moment his father said this word, she knew she couldn't reject her father's order. She bowed. "As your command, Father."
"You are lucky, you can go to the civilized country. Ah, how I wish I could go there," sighed Shake with her chignon hair as she rested her head on her hand facing the window which shows the pagoda's top emitting smoke from the incense.
"What's luck! I could not graduate with you. Haven't we promised to climb the Da-Chao mountain as our graduation celebration?" She put her most plain cloth in her luggage. She heard that Midgar has a strange obsession with t-shirts and jeans. "I mean I can't do that anymore. I was tossed in a strange land," wailed Yuffie as she was packaging her luggage. She even can't wear her traditional clothing without being called uncivilized. "It was so sudden too! I need to go to Midgar tonight by ship. You know how I am the worst seasicker in the whole universe!"
Shake faced her with a sense of assurance. "It is okay, though. You are strong. You are our leader's only daughter. You are the best in our class too! I know you can do it."
Yuffie was touched by the sudden compliment of her friend.
"Will it help lessen my seasick?"
Her friend sighed.
"Don't forget to send me a postcard of Midgar's view. I bet it will be an amazing gift to our class," said Shake with a bright smile.
"Don't you dare change topic!" said Yuffie in a teasing voice.
The young lady stared at her junior high school picture on her wall, particularly a lady with a black bun and sharp eye like a siamese cat.
"I bet she will be the held her nose high up as she has no rival anymore," said Yuffie.
"I bet Chekhov will miss you so much," said Shake as she knew who her friend refers to.
"Impossible. The moment she missed me is the moment the Da-Chao mountain exploded!" said Yuffie.
"Who knows... Maybe she just wants to befriend you," said Shake.
Yuffie gasped as she closed her luggage. "How could you arrive at that conclusion?"
"Let me help you take it to the harbor," said Shake lightheartedly. She grabbed one of her luggage and left as soon as possible.
"Don't you even dare to change the topic!"
The ship made a huge noise as it was nearly ready to depart. The west wind from the cold land blew hard to the warm sea as the night came.
"Thank you, Shake." Yuffie smiled. She waved her hand at her chignon friend. She was going to miss her badly.
Shake runs as fast as she could to the edge of the harbor and waves her handkerchief, praying for a safe journey.
His father Godo, as usual, just stand sternly as he watched her. He silently prayed. "May our ancestor protect our daughter in a foreign land, and may she learn to be humble as she journeyed the foreign land."
Yuffie saw the Wutai land no more. She turned to see the soon-to-be Midgar. It is still a sea though. She has to mingle with commoners that want to migrate to Midgar for a better life. What made Midgar great, though. Isn't it was a polluted country and a company dictatorship? She has to find the answer.
Her new journey has just begun. She can't wait to learn what made Midgar great and superior to Wutai.
Her stomach started to churn. She closed her mouth tried to hold her vomit.
The journey has just started to begin.
The ship journey was indeed rocky. The ship was moving according to the waves. The air too to the moving of the west wind. The only thing that was appreciable was the warmth of sunrise. The view was indeed enjoyable if only she was not inflicted by her seasickness.
She just hoped to end the ship travel.
"Seasick? Try this."
She raised her head to the grumpy yet warm voice. A charcoal colored on the back of palm and cute pink colored on the inner palm handing her a plastic box full of thin pieces of dried plum.
It struck her into silence. It was similar to monkey hand that resided on the hot spring. Yet she decided to keep her mouth shut for her own safety.
She only could mouthed 'thanks'. She took a piece of dried plum into her mouth. Sweet yet sour. Thankfully her dizziness had subsided considerably.
"Never see a black man before, eh," said the kind man who offered her dried plum.
"Sorry for staring," said Yuffie. She heard about the melanoid but never saw one to be honest.
"We are not scary you know. Outside we look fierce but inside is just a teddy bear," said the man.
Yuffie forced her smile. That's what the kidnapper said to lowering the potential victim's guard, she guessed.
"What makes you come to Wutai? Vacation?" asked Yuffie.
"Nu-uh. Try to guess," said he.
She peek at the bags of translucent mini materias. "No way. You are selling bubble tea?" She gasped.
"Yeah, the best quality of tapioca in Wutai," said he.
"It is interesting. You can make bubble tea?" said she.
"Nope. I was just a supplier and a boss of my little girl in Seventh Heaven. Here take my card," said he.
She took the card. A chocobo drinking bubble tea on the left. 'Barret Wallace' on the middle.
"What made you come here? You are too young to work," said Barret.
"For studying," said she..
"Where do you study?" asked he.
"Midgar high," said she.
"Hey, that's where my worker studied there," said he. "She is a good worker, I tell ya. Tifa's her name. She is my valuable bartender in my tea shop," said he.
"Wow, she is working while studying?" Yuffie gasped.
"It is common for migrating student to work while study to cover cost. Seems like you don't need it ya?" said he.
Yuffie shook her head. "I never even thought about it. It seems cool. To earn money while studying."
"You can work my tea shop if you are intrested. We are short handed," said he.
Nah, too fast to pass judgement. "I will think about it. Thanks."
The ship journey is bearable as Barret her new pal kept telling stories about his immigration from Corel. There was long famine in Corel. His friend died in sickness and he had to take care of his friend's daughter. It seemed like she knew him more than her best friend!
Thanks to the ancestor, her journey was safe. She could finally step a flat land. What a joy. She did not need to suffer dizziness anymore.
She waved at Barret. "Good luck."
"Don't forget to stop at my store ya!" Barret waved back.
She took a deep breath. She had finally arrived at the most sophisticated place in the world. Midgar. The wind was dry. The land was like a dessert. It was a desert. Is Midgar always that dry? It was not what her textbook said though. Cosmo Canyon was the driest place.
She stared at humongous stadium plate like cities. It was completely different from her rural place. She had to complete her father's mission. To learn their culture.
"Yosh," she exclaimed. She got a grip and grabbing her luggage.
She arrived at the lower plate. It was packed with people. But now she wanted to find the highest place. She needed to find that one place first.
She arrived at the highest terrain she could get. She looked below. Just a boring flat bright yellow brig. There must be a special place. She looked at the right edge. A waterfall, garden, and a prayer place of Midgar like she saw in her textbook. Yes, that's the place she must go.
"Well, well, look what we have here."
Yuffie turned back.
Two thug were smirking at her. "We did not want to harm you. Just leave your luggage and we will let you go. How?"
Nonsense. Getting robbed in a broad daylight. Now? Midgar must be something.
She gritted her teeth. Is there any way she could flee? No. She was surrounded and outnumbered. She felt helpless. No. She was not going to give her luggage to these two thugs.
"Move an inch closer and I will jump from the cliff, with my luggage!" said Yuffie. She guess she can jump with this current height.
The two thugs were perplexed at her remark.
"See ya." Yuffie jumped.
The two thugs moves forward. "Wait. You don't have to kill yourself!"
She landed safely. It was not that high actually. Guess what. Playing around at Da Chao mountain somehow trained her. She stucked her tongue and ran away.
"You little pest!" The thugs growled and chase her.
Yuffie ran and jumped downhill as fast as she could. She hoped her luggage would not broken at this rate. She arrived at an abandoned playground. She slipped inside the cat dome.
"Where is that girl?" said the thugs. "I guess she ran that way."
She hugged her luggage waiting for them to leave. She started to take a peek at the entrance.
"You can safely get out now," said a red haired man.
She screamed.
The man just laughed. "You are so funny. Thanks for the entertainment."
"You watched all thing and you did nothing?" said she.
"I was going to. But then you jumped off the cliff. I mean who was in their right mind going alone with a luggage at a deserted area. You are just inviting robbery," said he.
"I was going to find a place though. I thought it will be easier if I go to high place," said she.
"Haven't you heard a map?" said he.
Dang it. Why she haven't think about it. "How am I supposed to know? I was into intuitive rather than having to rely on map," said she as she tried to hide her embrassment.
"Where do you want to go anyway? Maybe I can bring you there," said he.
"No thanks. I already found out where I want to go," said Yuffie.
"Okay then. Be safe and don't go to deserted place alone. You will not be so lucky to meet handsome guy next time," said he.
Unbelievable. She stomped toward the place she would like to go.
Maybe it was because she hadn't go to that place she met a misfortune. She was going to the Midgar's deity shrine to ask for blessing. Perhaps she would not have to meet that brash guy in the future.
Thanks for reading. Would love to hear your thought about the development of the story.
