Yuffie

*

The raging river has been sacred to the WuTaians since ancient times. It started its never- ceasing journey to the sea before even life began, the wise ones say, and Leviathan itself swims under the whirling and foam-strewn surface. They say it was Leviathan who created life- first his counterpart Da- Chao, then the people of Gaia- from its frothing waves, from the bubbling depths, which even now are WuTai's very soul. The people of WuTai treat it with the respect given to an angry adder and the love destined for a newborn child. Leviathan's river is more holy than life itself.

            Crown Princess of WuTai, Yuffie Kisaragi, six hundredth in the line of Shinobi ninja and official treasure of WuTai- protected by Leviathan and Da- Chao themselves, you know- leans forward and spits into the rushing water.

            She straightens back up, wiping her mouth with the back of a slender, pale hand. "Leviathan. Feh. Holy. Hah. Noble. What a joke!" she shakes her head, blowing a strand of dark hair away from her face, her voice as bitter as a winter wind. "Some god you turned out to be, Leviathan. Your priceless WuTai is a laughingstock."

            She begins to turn away, then suddenly spins back. "You're probably dead by now. Hah, hah, how funny! I bet my highly intelligent ancestors had us worshipping a common sea snake! Oh, gods, that would be so amusing!"
            There is silence except for the rushing river.

            "Not." Adds Yuffie.

            She squints at the water, the white- hot rays of sun a little bit blinding. "Hell, yeah. When was the last time someone saw you, not-god? A thousand years ago? More? Oh, definitely more. Well, it's not like you care anymore." She shakes her head, more brown hair falls over her eyes; she doesn't attempt to push it back. "Yeah, why would you care anymore?"

            She nods, not realizing her hands are clenched, her lips pressed together in an ill-contained fury towards this silent patron. "Well, guess what, Leviathan! Your precious WuTai? The one the ancestors swore you would save in times of trouble, the one my dear old daddy promised me would always be protected? You're a little late on the ball, buddy, take a look at you sacred WuTai now. It's a joke! A resort town!" She shakes her head violently. "Our inns are staffed by your sacred samurai, Leviathan. The geisha work at brothels." She raises her hands, anger unleashed. "I wouldn't be surprised if by tomorrow the Pagoda is finally a tourist attraction! Yeah, it's gonna have to be soon, isn't it? After all, you never did protect us, this must be what you want, 'Mighty Sea Dragon God'! Godsdamnit, Leviathan, ANSWER ME!"

            She stops speaking.

            The river rushes.

            The sun shines.

            A frog hops over her foot and into the water.

            There is no answer.

            "Damn," says Yuffie quietly, so softly you can't hear it over the watercourse, and begins to walk away.

            :YUFFIE KISARAGI.:

            She stops, stiffens to an almost corpse-like state, and turns back.

            :YOU CALLED ME, PRINCESS OF MY WUTAI?:

            The river begins to swell like a kettle full of boiling water. Slowly but surely, the waves stop rushing out towards the Gaian sea and begin to flow straight upwards, creating a pillar of raging river water in front of the ninja princess.

            Something is happening now, something is truly happening, Yuffie is terrified.

            :I AM HERE.:

            The voice is powerful as the rushing river and louder than even a raging waterfall, and as suddenly as was formed, the water falls back down into the river. In its place is Leviathan, huge, powerful, sunlight glinting on its dewy scales and reflected back into Yuffie's eyes as it flips, using its tiny fins and flippers as wings to stay in the sky before Kisaragi. Leviathan's golden eyes remain locked on the princess' own as she drops to her knees in submission and fear, trembling like a poplar in the bitter cold WuTai winter, pale as the white and shining winter moon. When she speaks, it is not with the cocky tone of a girl screaming a challenge at her deity. "Oh, god, kill me now."

            There is a long silence.

            :WHY?:

            She shakes her head, still petrified, still shivering. "I have dishonored you, great lord of my ancestors. I have dishonored the Shinobi. I entreat you to punish me, Lord Leviathan, and I swear I am sorry."

            :GET UP.:

            Yuffie doesn't move.

            :STAND UP!:

            Shaking all the harder, she pushes herself off the ground and stands, so afraid that she's hardly able to keep her grip on her shruiken.

            :STOP TREMBLING, PRINCESS. SAVE THAT FOR THOSE WHO WOULD TRULY HURT YOU. YOU'LL FIND ENOUGH OF THEM IN THE WORLD IF YOU LOOK.:

            Yuffie stops, slowly, staring steadfastly at the ground and clenching her hands together as though the wind could blow her away if she didn't have at least that anchor.

            :I WILL NOT KILL YOU. YOU ARE BOTH A CHILD AND ONE OF MY SACRED SHINOBI. I WOULD SOONER KILL MYSELF.  BUT THEN…: Yuffie thinks she can almost detect ironic amusement in his tone. :YOU SEEM TO THINK I AM ALREADY DEAD?:

            The girl drops back to her knees. "I am sorry, lord!"

            :STAND! THE WUTAIANS KNEEL BEFORE NO ONE! NOT EVEN BEFORE GOD!:

            Yuffie jumps back up. "Yes, Lord Leviathan!"

            :YUFFIE.: Yuffie wouldn't have believed that the aquatic deity's voice could become at all gentle if she hadn't heard it, but Leviathan's voice became quieter and he lowered his head slightly, getting closer to her. :YOU CALLED ME, PRINCESS OF MY WUTAI. NOW SPEAK WITHOUT FEAR.:

            Yuffie takes a deep breath, then exhales slowly, the summer breeze catching her tiny sigh and carrying it along to places far away.

            Leviathan waits.

            Finally Yuffie straightens and looks the deity in the eye. She is neither a youthful heretic nor a frightened child anymore. She is every inch Princess of the Shinobi. "Lord Leviathan, listen to the words of your princess!"

            Leviathan seems to almost smile. :I LISTEN, PRINCESS OF MY WUTAI.:

            "Your WuTai, my lord, has fallen. For three years now your sacred ninja have labored under the cursed ShinRa. Three years ago the damned ShinRa and their demonic General Sepiroth defeated us in battle, and since then the Shinobi and their great land have been trapped in the cage that the war and the barbarians wove for us. My father, King Godo of the Kisaragi line, dares to allow this atrocity." Yuffie bows her head, not out of fear but true respect. "I am Yuffie Kisaragi, Crown Princess of WuTai, six hundredth descendant of the Shinobi. Great Lord Leviathan, I entreat you to come to your WuTai's aid!"

            :PRINCESS YUFFIE.:

            She lifts her chin again and looks her god in the eye. "Yes, Lord Leviathan."

            :I ALSO ENTREAT YOU, PRINCESS. I ENTREAT YOU TO REALIZE I HAVE NOT ABANDONED MY WUTAI AND MY SHINOBI, AND NEVER WILL. I WILL CRUSH THE SHINRA LIKE A FALLEN STAR. AND I WILL DO SO WITH YOUR HELP, YUFFIE, IF YOU AGREE. BUT IT WILL NOT BE EASY.:

            Yuffie smiles, the proud smile of a princess and a warrior. "The more difficult the task, great Lord Leviathan, the more eager I am to help you."

            :YOU SPEAK THE TRUTH, PRINCESS OF THE SHINOBI, FOR I CAN SEE YOUR VERY HEART. YOU ARE NOT BEAUTIFUL, PRINCESS OF MY SHINOBI. YOU ARE NOT GRACEFUL. BUT YOU HAVE YOUR FATHER'S HOT BLOOD AND THE PROUD SPIRIT OF LEVIATHAN'S NINJAS.:

            "My lord, I must speak," says Yuffie desperately. "My father is a coward and a fool. He does not drive out the ShinRa. He did not stop WuTai's fall. If he-"

            :YUFFIE! ENOUGH. YOUR FATHER DOES RIGHT, YUFFIE, HE IS A KING AS YOU ARE A PRINCESS. YOU WILL LEARN THAT IN TIME, YUFFIE, THAT I PROMISE YOU. BUT THAT IS NOT YOUR CONCERN RIGHT NOW, PRINCESS OF THE SHINOBI. RIGHT NOW I MAKE YOU A PROMISE. YOU ASK ME TO SAVE OUR WUTAI?:

            "I beg it, Lord Leviathan."

            :THEN DO SO!:

            "W-what? Lord Leviathan, I asked that you-"

            :I WILL DO IT, PRINCESS OF THE SHINOBI, BUT I WILL DO IT THROUGH YOU! WILL YOU HELP SAVE YOUR WUTAI?:

            "Of course, my lord!"
            :THEN TAKE YOU SHRUIKEN, YUFFIE KISARAGI, WEAR THE CREST OF LEVIATHAN AND BE AVATAR OF THE PROUD SHINOBI! YOU MUST LEAVE WUTAI AND FIGHT WITH THOSE YOU WOULD CONSIDER FOES, FIGHT AGAINST THE SHINRA WHO HAVE ENSLAVED YOUR NOBLE RACE! BUT AT THE SAME TIME, YUFFIE, YOU MUST USE THE CUNNING OF YOUR NINJA HERITAGE. YOU CANNOT BE ABOVE BLOOD AND SHEDDING IT, YUFFIE. YOU CANNOT BE ABOVE TAKING WHAT SHOULD NOT BE YOURS. THESE ARE THE ONLY WAYS YOU CAN SAVE YOUR HOMELAND, FOR PROUD AS YOU AND YOUR PEOPLE MAY BE, THERE COMES A TIME FOR ALL TO BE HUMBLED.

BUT THIS IS NOT A COMMAND, YUFFIE, YOU ARE FREE TO REMAIN IF YOU CHOOSE. IF I MUST, PRINCESS OF MY SHINOBI, I WILL FIND ANOTHER.:

"No, Lord Leviathan!" Yuffie yells, the pride and joy of her people and her land coursing through her veins, her fingers tingling and her will as strong as Leviathan's own. "I welcome this challenge, the quest of saving the spirit of the Shinobi ninja, and the journey to fight for my great WuTai! I swear to you, the Shinobi will not be defeated, Lord Leviathan! I am Yuffie Kisaragi, Crown Princess of WuTai and six hundredth Shinobi ninja, and I accept this task!"

:THEN GO, PRINCESS OF MY SHINOBI. GO AND SAVE MY PEOPLE AND KNOW THAT LEVIATHAN IS WITH YOU.:

And Yuffie goes, her heart full of fire and her soul full of Leviathan's light, as Leviathan sinks into the holy river once again.