Author's note: I'm not sure if it's possible in the game to visit Wutai before you get Cloud back and take care of getting All Creation, I want to say it is, since the whole thing with Yuffie stealing AVALANCHE's materia needs Cloud in order to be effective, so… against everyone's assumptions, I am either a) changing the time line so Yuffie receives All Creation before stealing their materia, or b) getting All Creation before finding Cloud. Either way, nobody's getting robbed… this time… Thank you for your patience. Also, there is some… abuse… in this chapter. It isn't incest or anything but if it offends anyone, or hits to close to home, I am sorry. It isn't meant to offend, it's meant to make people FEEL.
Reviewer Comments:
Lady Sonora the Black-Rose: Safe they maybe, but sound they are not… Yay for freak outs!
Sorceress Fujin: Dear Sweet Leviathan, you are pushy! Just kidding, here's that "more" you asked … err… demanded.
Tetsuya Shiraishi: Thank you very much, I am glad you like it. And I can't wait for that kiss either, though it will be a while in coming. But hey, Rome wasn't built in a day.
IamAudrey: Heh, I thought it was a nice touch. And thank you.
Spirit Rose: Thank you! I am happy with the number of reviews I get, though I hope to break the fifties by chapter ten.
Keyo-Red Angel of Hope: I don't know about the Cloud thing, though I don't think you can get the event without him. Anywho, I was actually fine when it came to fighting without materia, I didn't really use magic for anything but healing and the occasional elemental magic or summon. I found that boss fight remarkably easy; though my mother did the same thing you did in your first game and died no less than four times in the battle. As far as Vincent and the Turks, his confrontation with them, when it happens, will not be good for anyone involved.
Chocobo Obsessed (Iris): First off, I love your name. Secondly, Thank you. Thirdly, YAY! You used the word uber! I love that word! Heh, here's your update.
Lexy Lex: Sorry about the wait, and thank you.
Disclaimer: You'd know if I owned this, therefore, I do not own FFVII some rich video game tycoons do, and they live happily ever after knowing they own Vincent… Those lucky asses...
A Door Beyond Absolution
Chapter Eight: I'd Give Up Heaven…
Wutai was once a bustling metropolis, filled with ancient codes and rituals. It was an old place, set in its ways, and content to leave the rest of the world alone. All that changed when Shinra proposed a Mako Reactor.
Godo Kisaragi was many things, bull head, thick skulled, and short tempered; but he was not stupid. He'd seen how Midgar, once a fine place to live, had gone down hill after the reactors had come, and he wanted no part of them in Wutai's future. He threw the negotiators out and barred Wutai's gates.
War erupted then, a bloody war fought with ninja's and weapons Wutai could only fathom in the deepest reaches of their minds. The war wasn't over easily, it was a struggle on both sides. Ayume Keira Kisaragi played negotiator, going from Shinra to Wutai every other week to try to recreate the precarious peace that had existed before. The answer to all Ayume's negotiations was a sword through her abdomen and the destruction of her only daughters childhood.
Yuffie walked through the gates of Wutai, her head bowed as Vincent and Tifa followed her. She didn't look around, she already knew the path to the dojo, she walked the streets with her face down cast, her eyes locked on the tiny pebbles beneath her sneakers. Many people watched her, most of them turning to whisper with their companions, but one observer grinned and approached the trudging princess.
"And who says Princesses are regal creatures who walk with the arrogance of a god?" The girl asked, Yuffie's head snapped up to glare at the impertinent young woman. The girl was a full head taller than Yuffie, with long red curls cascading down her back and framing her heart shaped face. The green eyes glittered in mirth as she folded her hands over the blue kimono adorning her obviously ninja-trained body.
"Nari?" Yuffie said softly, her voice cracking as the red-headed girl nodded.
"It's been a long while," she replied stepping up to embrace the ninja. "So much has changed since you've been gone…"
"What's changed?" Yuffie asked suddenly, gripping Nari's shoulder in her left hand. "What'd he do?"
Nari's fist clenched as she looked at the shorter girl.
"Yuffie, he has opened up nearly everything that was sworn to us to the outsiders, he's even considering opening up the dojo to them!" Nari hissed, Yuffie's face went white. "Most of the old ninjas have refused to serve him any longer, Yuffie, we are bordering on a uprising."
"He can't do this…" Yuffie shook her head. "Do what you can to calm the revolt, let me handle my father."
"You intend to battle for All Creation?" Nari asked, Yuffie nodded and the girl embraced her once more. "Oh! We've been waiting for this for so long!"
Nari ambled off down the road leading to an residential area of Wutai, motioning for others to join her as she went. Vincent and Tifa drew level with Yuffie now, staring at her.
"Who was that?" Vincent asked quietly, Yuffie sighed.
"Childhood friend and rival Narika Kayolin," Yuffie replied.
"Kayolin… one of the families that swore fealty to the Kisaragi line." Vincent stated for Tifa when the busty young woman drew her eyebrows together in confusion.
"We need to go," Yuffie whispered before she took off at a brisk walk once more, leaving her two companions to trail after her.
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A man can handle many things. He can handle battle wounds at their worst, victories at their best, dealing with blood-lusting monsters and Shinra soldiers. He can handle the death of a wife, the casting aside of a child for the simple crime of being her mother's daughter, forcing that child to steal materia to heal the aching in an old heart. All this a man can abide, the one thing he cannot, however, is usually that which triggers his greatest weakness.
In this case, boredom.
Godo Kisaragi may have sent his daughter away for holding her mother's image, but he did give her some compensation. An endless desire to explore, fight, and move with the simplest freedom. Needless to say, Godo disliked sitting, waiting for students of the dojo to come and face the five gods of the pagoda. So when he heard the ruckus on the floor beneath his, he abandoned his deck of cards, and gathered his robes about him to appear like the chief member of the pagoda should look.
The first to enter on his level was a young woman with long dark hair, she was followed by a black haired man whose face couldn't be seen because of his cloak, the final was someone he saw every night and day. His daughter, the embodiment of his deceased wife, Yuffie. She didn't seem to notice him until she was directly across from him and looked up. Her eyes widened and her hands shook, her face lined with surprise.
"D, ...Dad?" She gasped, her fingers tightening around the shuriken she grasped in her left hand.
"I'm glad you made it this far, Yuffie!" He said with a grin, Yuffie rubbed her temples with the fingers of her right hand.
"Why," she took a nervous breath, "why are you…"
"I'll answer you by having you try your skills against me!" He interrupted, his eyes glittering in the dimly lit room. "Hold nothing back. Come as if you're trying to kill me!" Yuffie opened her mouth to protest, "if you don't...then I'll have to kill you!"
"H...hey!" Yuffie shoulders shook and she nearly took a step back, but caught herself at the last moment.
"What are you doing!" He growled at her, thrusting both of his arms high into the air. "OMNI-Change!"
Yuffie shielded her eyes as light flooded the room, behind her she heard Tifa gasp, and her hand quickly fell away from her eyes. In place of Godo stood a large monster, standing high above her. It lashed out, and Yuffie dodged it by rolling under the blow. She threw her shuriken into its exposed back, satisfied by the gurgling sound of pain that greeted her as the weapon lashed through and returned to her nimble fingers. She jumped above a second blow, but was unable to dodge the third, which sent her flying to the wooden floor.
Stars exploded in her vision, but she regained her grasp on her shuriken, and, once more, let it fly. Green blood splattered the walls as the shuriken ripped through the monster, but the creature seemed otherwise unaffected. Rolling out of the way of another strike, Yuffie found herself crouching, weaponless, before the monster. It raised both hands to lash down at her as her mind fumbled for something, anything, that would save her. Red light glinted off of a single-set materia in her bangle, a familiar, comforting glow. Yuffie back flipped out of the creatures fighting radius and raised her hands in the air, channeling her minds energy, and all her focus, into this summon. The air around her crackled and popped, and her voice rang out.
In place of Yuffie stood a blue and purple goddess. Long blue tresses tumbled behind her as the air in the room cooled rapidly, she raised her hand, lightly, gently; and released a wave of razor sharp icicles at the creature. It screamed as the shards tore through it's body, inflicting pain and agony in every inch of flesh as the cold poison flowed trough it.
As suddenly as it began, it ended, with Yuffie crouched, breathing heavily before her father, Lord Godo Kisaragi, one the floor of the pagoda.
"...heave... heave…" She couldn't breathe, the strike to the floor had robbed her of all her oxygen.
"... huff... Puff…" he was no better, several tiny cuts bled on his exposed skin.
"O...old coot…" she rasped out, her lip splitting from effort. "N...ot...bad…"
"You've... also... Improved…" he replied, recovering faster than his daughter.
"Hah...ha, ha…" The smile she plastered on her face didn't reach her eyes, and both father, and daughter, knew it.
"...Heh, heh…"
"Ha ha haaaaaa...!" For the first time, Yuffie was aware of Staniv, Chekhov, Gorky and Shake's presences within the room.
"Waha haaaaa...!" he suddenly grew solemn, "Later... It's time I give you this to you, Yuffie…" He fumbled around inside his cloak his right hand finally emerging with a stone of shiny red materia. "This is Leviathan Materia. Take it."
Yuffie moved forward mechanically and took the gift without touching her fathers hands, nor meeting his eyes.
"But, Lord Godo." Staniv objected, stepping away from the wall. "The Leviathan Materia should only be given to the person who conquers the takes over this Pagoda. That is our custom…"
"CUSTOM, CUSTOM, CUSTOM…" Yuffie growled, rounding on him, the materia clasped in her hand. "I'm so sick of hearing that! It's so stupid!"
"Silence, Miss Yuffie!" Gorky snapped, Yuffie stared at him.
"Then what 'bout all the rest of you? You have all that power…" They looked away from her as she turned to each of them in turn. "Are you satisfied being cooped up in this tower?"
"Yuffie...!" Godo exclaimed, Yuffie faced him over her left shoulder. "You too, dad...!" she snapped. "Just because you lost the war! And turning Wutai into a place like this!"
"...What do you want to say?" Chekhov asked her softly, Yuffie ignored the strange looks she was getting from Tifa and Vincent.
"You turned Wutai into a cheesy resort town peddling to tourists... How dare you?" She declared, throwing her hands in the air and pointing an accusing finger at her father. "Da-chao Statue and Leviathan are ashamed!"
"…" Godo was silent, his eyes moving past Yuffie to lock on the uncomfortable Vincent and Tifa behind her.
"She IS a kid." Shake grumbled, Yuffie froze and turned to face the boy that was only a few months her senior.
"Wh, what did you say...?" she whispered softly, her voice cracking. Godo interrupted.
"Yuffie! Forgive me... It's all my fault…" He said dramatically, Yuffie turned to stare at him with wide eyes.
"What are you saying, Lord Godo!" Gorky cried, exchanging glances with the other keepers of the Pagoda.
"Losing the war...turning Wutai into this. It was all my fault…" He said simply, hiding his face in one large hand, Yuffie didn't move.
"Lord Godo!" Chekhov breathed.
"Silence!" Godo growled at her from behind his hand, he turned to his daughter. "Yuffie... I am the same now as I was before when I wanted the war. But, after I lost the war, I began to think... Is strength, only for defeating the enemy? ...or just something to show-off to others...? Might begets might. That's the same way as the Shinra…"
Yuffie didn't reply, her eyes locked untrustingly on the only man she could still call family.
:I knew you were looking for Materia for the good of Wutai. But, the reason I hide my strength now, is also for the good of Wutai…" Yuffie flinched and prayed that neither Vincent nor Tifa knew what he was talking about. "And now, I realize both are necessary... Strength without determination means nothing. And determination without strength is equally useless...!"
"Lord Godo…" Staniv uttered, his voice a silent warning not to speak further.
"You there, please take Yuffie with you! I perceive that you all have both determination and strength!" He said to Tifa, who stared at him shocked. She only nodded her response before turning to Vincent and nodding to the door. The other four Gods of the Pagoda left the room leaving only Yuffie and her father.
The air was no longer reverent nor understanding, Godo rounded on his daughter.
"Why do you travel with them?" he growled, Yuffie sighed.
"They mean to kill mom's murderer…" she replied gently, not looking at her father.
"It isn't your concern nor your duty…"
"Fuck Duty!" Yuffie cried suddenly, her hands tightening into fists. "My whole life you've called this my duty; all it brings is hurt!"
"It will restore…" Godo began, Yuffie interrupted him.
"It has restored nothing!" she said softly. "Our people are aliens in their own home, our ninja's made players in some play for the amusement of foreigners. And sending me to steal…"
"Materia can save our honor!" Godo growled, Yuffie shook her head.
"Materia can only destroy," she replied. "I've fought for the stuff, I've lied for it, I was almost raped for it; all it brings is pain."
"But you use it," Godo growled at her.
"Because I deserve to be destroyed!" Yuffie growled back, one hand pressing the Leviathan materia to her chest. "I've taken half mastered materia from poor people in slums, weary travelers who rely on it to live, from the rich, the poor, the living, the dead, the well, and the ill! All for you!"
"I didn't ask you..."
"No, you didn't!" Yuffie cried out, tears brimming her eyes. "You never asked… you never cared… you don't…"
Suddenly Yuffie couldn't breathe, her back was pressed against the wooden walls of the Pagoda, her feet dangling above the floor. Godo's hand pressed into her windpipe, silencing her in his rage.
"We need Materia to save Wutai," he growled. "You will steal it from those vagabonds. You will go on to defeat Sephiroth, if you feel it will purge you of your sins. You will master All Creation, and you will return here when you're finished; or Leviathan help me, you'll never return at all."
He released her, and she slid, limply to the floor her hands clutching her throat as she gasped and coughed. A vile of milky purple liquid fell into her lap, as tears stung her eyes.
"Stay the night to celebrate and leave in the morning." Godo said simply, looking away from the pathetic sight. "I did not mean to be so rough with you, but you need to understand…"
Yuffie coughed again, painfully, tears falling from her eyes as Godo approached the stairs leading down.
"Wutai is what matters."
---------------------------------
Vincent and Tifa went to the airship to collect the others. When they returned, Yuffie's friend Nari told them she was atop Da-chao, and wished to be left alone. They honored her wishes.
Nari had been summoned by a gruff Lord Godo moments after he descended the Pagoda stairs. He told her to watch out for the members of AVALANCHE, pamper them for the night, and make sure Yuffie was well taken care of, and her injuries tended.
Nari knew how hazardous the challenge of the Five Gods was, having completed it the previous year, but no one ever needed injuries tended. After seeing Yuffie descend the stairs minutes later, Nari understood. The tell-tale bruise about the younger girls neck spoke volumes more than anyone ever could. And Nari had smuggled Yuffie out of the pagoda without alerting anyone else to the situation at hand, she knew it was best that way.
Nari had grown up in an abusive household. Her mother having died when she was young, and her father having drunk himself into a stupor every night after that. Becoming a ninja saved her, broke her out of the household that nearly killed her more times than she could count, and placed her in a nice little one person home with anything she would ever need. Looking at Yuffie brought up painful memories.
"You know, we aint her shit from the brat all night!" Cid declared fom across the room, Nari all but leapt to her feet.
"Lady Yuffie is atop Da-chao and wishes…"
"Not to be disturbed," mimed Barret. "We heard you the first nine times!"
"That is all I can tell you master Wallace," she said with a slight bow. "She wishes for solitude after her difficult battles…"
"Pardon me," Vincent said. "But Yuffie did not struggling during her trials, she was only hit once…"
The look Nari gaze him was one of mixed shock and alarm, and it raised questions in Vincent's mind. The two stared at each other for long moments, and, at last, Nari looked away.
"Perhaps you should go see her master Vincent…"
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Yuffie sat at the highest peak of Da-chao, staring down at her home. It couldn't have been past ten o'clock and already the tiny lights flickered off in places. Yuffie smiled ruefully.
At night they slept without tourists asking to have their pictures taken, or needing escorts up Da-chao. At night they were nobles, and merchants, and soldiers, and ninjas; born to privilege and poverty within a town of customs. At night, they lived in Wutai, in its old splendor; singing songs of Leviathan and Da-chao, regaling one another with tales of her mother.
"You would weep to see them now," Yuffie murmured to no-one. "Bowing and scraping before Shinra-dogs… Oh Mama… how you would weep…"
"Perhaps you weep enough for them," a voice said from behind her. Yuffie scrambled to her feet, wiped her eyes, and fixed Vincent Valentine with her best glare.
"What do you want?" she growled. "I asked not to be…"
"What transpired before you left the tower?" he asked simply, Yuffie swallowed.
"We argued…" she muttered.
"That is not all, I think." Vincent replied, coming to stand level with her.
"It is…" she whispered, staring out over Wutai. "It's all it ever is."
"You are weary…" Vincent said quietly. Yuffie shook her head.
"I'm afraid for them… Godo is… he can be… bull-headed…" she choked back the urge to say 'abusive'. "It isn't good for them."
"They will wait for you then," Vincent stated. "You will rule them justly."
"I would do anything for them…" Yuffie said softly, leaning against the crown of Da-chao. "I'd give up anything just to see it restored."
"Anything?" Vincent asked, and eyebrow raised, Yuffie ignored it.
"Anything…" she replied softly. "I'd give up heaven… just to see it like it was when I was young…"
"Is that all you'd give up heaven for?" Vincent nearly bit his tongue off when he couldn't keep the question from spilling out. Yuffie fell silent, her grey eyes still staring out at Wutai.
"No…" she said gently. "I'd give up heaven to see my mother again…"