Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Legend of the Final Materia ❯ Chapter 26

Chapter 26

At the garden, Raijin and Shukera parted from Irvine and Selphie. They both grabbed their weapons and headed to the Training Center. For about three hours they did nothing but fight monsters. Raijin became impressed with Shukera's fighting ability and had a hard time keeping up with her.

After the hours passed, Raijin leaned against his weapon, out of breath. "Man! Seifer is no match for you, ya know. He's really going to be in for it when he trains with you." He found a rock and sat down on it for a rest. "Hey, what was that you were doing with Zell in the field out there?"

Shukera sat down next to him and stretched her legs, "It's a form of martial arts I learned from my master." She looked up at him as she smiled, "Are you interested in learning a few moves?"

Raijin jumped up from the rock and stretched his aching muscles. "Sure! If you don't mind teaching me, ya know."

"Ha! Martial arts, who needs it? Look at Zell, it's never helped him." Shukera spun around to see Seifer standing on top the rock Raijin and her were resting on before. He jumped down from the rock holding his gunblade on his shoulder. Casually he walked up to Shukera as he held his usual smirk. "So, how's my training partner today?"

Shukera sneered at him, then picked up her sword. Not interested in a fight, she turned away from him and began walking away. Seifer laughed when he saw her sword. "That's a mighty large blade you have there! Don't strain yourself with it."

Shukera spun around and stuck the point of her sword in his face and snapped, "Are you always an asshole or this how you try to impress women? I'd say you have to be trying to impress your friend over there, cause you can't be an asshole all the time!! Or can you?"

Seifer glared at her, his smirk disappeared quickly, "Such strong words for a young lady! From what I see Sephiroth has never taught you any manners!!"

Shukera moved the point closer into his face, "Sephiroth taught me everything I need to know! And leave that sorry son-of-a-bitch out of this!!"

Seifer smirked once again, mocking her. "Mighty defensive towards someone you can't stand!"

Shukera glared at him without moving her sword away from him. "Mind your own damned business and stay the hell out of mine!!!"

Seifer laughed, ignoring the sword that was pointed in his face. "Seems Quistis was right! You couldn't handle your friendship with Sephiroth!"

Raijin and Fujin held their breath as Shukera lifted her sword above her head and slashed down at Seifer angrily. Seifer quickly blocked the attack with his gunblade. The force pushed him back a bit. Metal clashing against metal, they went at each other full force with the will to do the other one in. Each blow blocked by the other. Both of them filled with determination as the personal duel went on. Seifer swung his gunblade only to be blocked by Shukera's sword. Shukera had Seifer on the defensive, when he attacked with a cheap blow, much like the one he used against Squall. Shukera was knocked on the ground and her sword spun away from her. Seifer walked close to her to mock her, when she threw her body weight forward, and was back on her feet. With a sweep of her foot and a directly timed punch and kick, Seifer was on the ground and she held his gunblade in her hand, pointed at his chest. She smiled deviously as she commented, "Oh, did I hurt you?" He sneered angrily, "Don't think for one minute that you could ever hurt me!!!" She laughed and stuck his gunblade in the ground next to him and walked away from him to where her sword was.

Shukera picked up her sword and swung it through the air with ease. "Is that all you have? If it is, I want a new partner; you fight like a little boy." She turned to leave with Raijin.

Seifer filled with rage as he glared at her. His face turned a slight reddish shade as he shouted, "I can see why Sephiroth slept with another woman!! You are cold as hell!!"

Blinding rage coursed through Shukera, her face twisted into a snarl. She raised her sword and stormed after Seifer angrily. Raijin grabbed her and shouted, "I can't let you fight him like this!! You'll end up killing him, ya know!"

Shukera tried to pull away from him, "Let me go, he's asking for it!!!"

Seifer saw the rage on her face and smirked. Shukera fought against Raijin as she shouted, "I'm going to kill that pompous ass!!!!"

Fujin quickly grabbed Seifer's arm and began pulling him out of the Training Center. Raijin shouted after them. "That was uncalled for Seifer!!! You went too far man, ya know!!" Seifer yelled back, "She deserved it!!!" Fujin shoved Seifer out the Training Center area.

When they were gone Raijin let Shukera go. Her mind blinded with rage, she turned against him and swung the sword at him. Raijin jumped back and shouted, "HEY!! You have to get a hold of yourself before you kill someone, ya know!!"

Shukera spat, "How could you take up for him like that?!"

Raijin looked at her, "I don't want to see you get thrown out of here. You will be of no use to anyone if that happens, ya know."

Shukera lowered her sword and blinked. When she realized what was happening, she lowered her head. "Raijin…what's happening to me? Why does that ass make me so angry? The nerve of Sephiroth! He's going around telling everyone about our fight!! If they only knew what he was really up to!!!" She sighed and rubbed her temples. "I'm going to my room. It's late and these classes start tomorrow."

Raijin smiled, "I have class tomorrow also. I can come and get you for your classes and we can go together. Besides, someone needs to show you around, ya know."

Shukera smiled back, "Thanks Raijin. Just knock on my door when you are ready to go." Raijin nodded and walked Shukera back to her room where she bid him goodnight and quietly closed the door behind her.

Once inside, Shukera found the message light on her laptop. She immediately opened it and began reading the message marked urgent from Reeve: Hey! All hell is breaking loose here once again! Bombings went as planned, but they almost caught us. Someone killed Rufus and now Scarlet is taking over. Nebelheim is now gone, someone destroyed the entire town! A war just broke out between Wutai and Shin Ra. We are bombing the hell out of the reactors and Shin Ra isn't doing anything about it. I don't like it Shukera! The only things we have seen are reports of strange people walking about in the slums. But, on a good note, some evidence has surfaced which may prove that Aerith is still alive!! We're still searching for Hojo. There is no telling what he's up to now! I thought we killed him?? Anyway, I'm still working on trying to get evidence on Aerith's twin sister. As soon as I find out, I will let you know.

Shukera thought for a moment as a feeling a dread filled her inside. She quickly typed out: I have a bad feeling about this! Evacuate the sector! I mean get every single person out of there!! I have a feeling that we are going to have a repeat of the Sector 7 incident!! If Aerith is still alive, we will have to make sure that Hojo doesn't get near her, if he is still around. If he gets to her, then Shin Ra will stop at nothing to keep her there!! Evacuate the slums the minute you get this message!! It's no longer safe in the slums!!!

She sent the message, then anxiously waited a reply. Frustrated, she ran her hand through her hair as she wondered what kind of changes was going to come about with Scarlet in control now. The question of who killed Rufus burned in her mind, not to mention who destroyed Nebelheim. Her thoughts drifted to her friend back home as she began hating herself for not being there with him.

Thoughts began drifting in and out of Shukera's mind swiftly. She was torn between the friends she left back home and the new friends she made there. She knew the way Reno was; he could have very well killed Rufus himself. A part of her turned cold. She knew that if Reno did in fact kill Rufus, that she was to blame. She had a feeling that he was now in more danger since Scarlet took over at Shin Ra. Her thoughts drifted to the new friends she had there; they were all in danger, especially Selphie, Raijin, Rinoa, and her new enemy Seifer.

Thinking about Seifer made her instantaneously fill with rage. She left her home to protect his stupid ass, gave up everything to protect an ungrateful punk!! Shukera glared at his picture and spat, "You have no idea how much danger you are in!!"