Title: Ninj-out
Fandom: Dissidia Final Fantasy
Rating: PG-13
Length: 870 Words
Content Notes: Per the prompt, this is cracky.
Author Notes: None of these characters appear in the Dissidia games that have been released to date, but it is implied that any character from the Final Fantasy franchise is fair game to have fought in one of the previous "cycles" mentioned in Dissidia.
Summary: Ninja (Yuffie) meets ninja (Edge) meets ... ninja (Shadow)?

* * * *

He's strong, Shadow admitted to himself as he made a series of leaps from one stone spire to the next, dodging the flames of ninpo as they destroyed the landscape around him, but he lacks discipline. He's a fool if he thinks brute force alone is the way.

"You're quick," Edge called to him as he landed before him, spinning both of his katana before settling into one of his preferred stances, "but it's foolish to run. You won't beat me just by –" And he had to eat his words, since Shadow disappeared from in front of him and immediately reappeared almost behind him, his kunai less than a finger from turning Edge into a very dead Prince of Eblan. "All right, maybe you can, but not yet!"

Shadow disappeared again, seeming to melt into the shadows of the landscape, and Edge kept his senses, trying to anticipate his next appearance. Quiet as the grave. He's there, I know it, but I just can't see him coming until he's right up on me. ... He's good. Too good. How long has he – ? Behind him. Edge barely managed to parry the thrust.

"Give up," Shadow growled, "or die." It required all of his footwork to keep either of those katana from slipping past his guard, but he had a clear advantage in terms of experience. The real threat came from the ninpo Edge had at his command, but, if Shadow could keep his attention, he would have no chance of calling upon it.

"You don't strike me –" Edge whirled to one side, the kunai striking sparks as it dragged along one of his blades. "– as the kind of person who'd show mercy if I surrendered."

"I wouldn't," Shadow admitted, using the distraction his kunai provided to get his free hand close enough to his opponent – palm out – to hit him hard enough in the sternum to send him sliding backwards, dust rising from his feet. "And I shouldn't."

"Hey!" A female voice called down from above. "Did you save any room for me?" Edge looked up to see who it was. Shadow did not, taking advantage of the pause to hurl a shuriken, though Edge managed to turn his body enough to take it in the shoulder, not the chest, a spray of blood marring the stone spire closest to where he was standing.

"Not fair!" Edge said, grimacing behind his mask. He called up to the newcomer, sheathing the sword that had belonged to his injured arm, "It's not polite to interrupt!"

She hopped down, moving easily despite her small size and the cartoonishly large shuriken she carried, and she smiled, saying, "Sorry. It's hard to get a word in edgewise, so I figured –" She shrugged, then looked at Shadow, eyes bright. "Hey, there. Mind if I cut in, or are you just determined to kill this guy or something?"

"Not here to talk," Shadow said, hoping the implication might not be lost on her. He had been doing nothing but fighting since he had arrived in the strange world, after all.

"Ooo-kay," she replied, missing the point. "I was kind of hoping we'd share information before we get to ... you know." She wrinkled her nose. "But nobody's been willing to talk, so far. But, hey, we're all ninja here, so why don't we, you know, talk this out?"

Ninja. Not the first time Shadow had heard that word since his arrival. Almost all of the people he had killed had asked him if he had been ninja. Perhaps he looked like one to them, but, if he had answered the question instead of going for blood first, he might have said he was a thief and a killer, no more than that, certainly no less.

Edge said, quickly removing the shuriken from his shoulder and trying to stop the bleeding, "Okay, I'm willing to call a truce for a moment if this guy is willing to stop trying to kill me long enough for me to talk." Especially if it gives me a chance to drink a potion and not bleed! "And don't you try to kill me, either. I'm not big on people who lie to me."

"On my honor, I won't," the girl said, replacing her shuriken on her back and holding up both of her (empty) hands as a show of sincerity. "It'd kind of defeat my purpose."

Shadow grumbled, "I'll wait." But that's all I'm going to do. Terra's still out there. And trying to find her had led him into one bloody, pointless battle after the next.

"All right, then," she said, smiling broadly, "I'm Yuffie Kisaragi, and –"

Unseen, behind one of the stone spires that Edge had not destroyed, another shadowy figure listened to the conversation, smiling behind her mask. The fight had been interesting, but a third ninja in the mix? That made the situation downright volatile.

It's all right, though, Faris thought, one hand on the crystal fragment in her pocket that allowed her transformation, if they can afford to show a little patience, so can I.

Her other hand rested on the hilt of one of the katana she had on her back ....

END.