Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Legend of the Final Materia ❯ Chapter 60

Chapter 60

Hours later the ship landed outside Cosmo Canyon. Cid shut down the engines and met the others in the Ops room. Raijin lifted Shukera up and carried her off the ship and into Cosmo Canyon.

Nanaki went ahead to alert his grandfather of the situation. Selphie and Irvine walked behind Raijin as he made his way into the town. Squall, Rinoa, and Cid entered the village last. Quistis, Fujin, and Seifer hung behind everyone as they followed somberly. Even though they had no idea about what happened, they felt responsible.

Nanaki rejoined Raijin and asked him to follow him. He led Raijin to where Burgenhagen lived and the others followed. Still, no one said anything. Nanaki stopped in front his grandfather's house and let Raijin enter first. Raijin layed Shukera on the floor of the machine and stepped back away from her until he was standing next to Selphie. He glanced at the child sleeping in her arms. Despite the pain he felt, he smiled feeling hope once again.

Once they were settled, Selphie layed the child down and explained to Burgenhagen what had happened. He nodded when she was done and looked down at Shukera, "I see…" He held his hand out to Selphie and opened his palm. "I need to see both materia for a moment and I need the person who can get through to Shukera. There's a possibility she's being stubborn at the moment. I need someone who can break her stubbornness."

Selphie frowned and looked away, "That would be rather hard since Aerith has her materia and…she's no longer with us. She died protecting Shukera then returned to help her daughter use the materia to fight Jenova. When it was all over, she returned for Sephiroth and they left for the Promised Land."

Burgenhagen nodded and fingered his beard. "That could be a problem." He stared down at Shukera as he wondered what to do next when he spotted the pale green orb resting in the tiny hand of the child. Immediately he knew Aerith had passed the white materia on to her. "Maybe not." He walked up to the sleeping child and carefully removed the materia from her hand. He repositioned himself before the group and asked, "Now then, who is the closest person to her in this room??"

Selphie wiped her eyes as she replied, "She's close to all of us, but if you are looking for the person she believes in…I…" She turned around to see Reno standing in the doorway. Pressing her lips together in a thin line, she turned away from him and sighed.

Fujin brought her hand to her chest and nodded, "Raijin and Selphie. They are very close."

Raijin turned to see what Selphie was looking at and spotted Reno. When he heard Fujin he flushed as he scratched the back of his head, "Uh, don't cha think she's closer to Reno?? After all, it's him she loves, ya know."

Selphie grabbed Raijin's hand. "Let us both try to reach her!!" She wasn't about to allow Reno anywhere near Shukera after what he had done to her.

Burgenhagen placed the materia in both their hands and they cupped their hands together. Slowly they closed their eyes. Putting all other thoughts out of their minds, they concentrated on Shukera with all their strength.

They found the edge of the fog after running for what seemed like forever and walked out of it. Immediately they froze at the sight they beheld. The sky hung above in an angry shade of red, the color of blood. Black lightening scorched the ground randomly. Dark menacing clouds loomed overhead, casting shadows upon the dead land. Piles of dead bodies scattered everywhere in various stages of death. The wind blew making an eerie whistling sound to complete the macabre that unfolded before them. Pain filled Selphie to the point of making her faint and she stumbled a bit only to be caught by Raijin.

Raijin helped Selphie regain her footing. She rubbed her arms as she looked around. "Man, this place is creeeepyyyy!!! I wonder what it is." She stared at the surroundings and remembered the words Shukera said back when she first met her.

Raijin shook his head and sighed, "This must be a battlefield where Shukera fought a long time ago, ya know." He took in a deep breath as a tear rolled down his cheek and down to the ground. "She once told me that the battlefield is where she rightfully belongs; that there was no place for her in the peaceful world. This must be what's inside her mind, ya know." He gazed around the place as he became serious like he never had been before. He wiped his eye as he confessed to Selphie, "No one knows how much my heart aches for her, ya know. And I never realized it before until now how empty my life would be without her in it, ya know."

Selphie's eyes grew wide as she gasped, "What are you saying??" Then it dawned on her what he was telling her.

Raijin wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and shrugged, "I dunno. All I know is I have to find her and save her. And…if she wants to stay in this place, I am staying also."

Selphie opened her mouth to protest but stopped. She knew nothing she said would make a difference. Raijin had made up his mind and there was no changing it. He turned his back to her and began searching for Shukera. Selphie followed behind knowingly and a bit surprised. This was nothing she had ever expected to happen.

Raijin suddenly stopped and looked around. "She's near…I can feel it." He faced to the right and began running off. "Come on!! She's over here!!!"

Selphie ran behind him as she asked, "How do you know??"

Raijin shouted over his shoulder, happy that he found her, "I have a feeling, ya know."

They ran over a hill and spotted Shukera, sitting on the ground with her knees hugged to her chest in the center of the battlefield. Raijin pointed as he shouted, "There's Shukera!!"

He ran down the hill towards her and stopped when he reached her. He then walked up to her and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Hey Shukera, long time no see, ya know. What are you doing here??"

Shukera looked up at him when she heard his voice, "Raijin??" She turned her face away from him and sobbed through a broken voice, "This is where a monster like me belongs!!!"

Selphie chimed as she waved, "Me too!!" She squatted in front Shukera and smiled. "Heyyyy what are you talking about??"

Shukera cried as she lifted her tear-streaked face and shouted, "Look around you Selphie!! You were lucky enough not to have been subjected to this kind of life." She lowered her head, "Sephiroth and I destroyed lives here in the name of Shin Ra!! We were a part of it!! Everyone who carried out Shin Ra's crimes were killed and carried off to the death stream. It's not right for me to continue to live when I have carried out their crimes myself!!"

Selphie pleaded with Shukera. "What I meant was people like Scarlett, Rufus, Hojo, and Reeve!! They were part of it from the beginning. They created it!!! Sephiroth and you were just pawns in their little game. You were deceived, all of you were!!!"

Shukera spat back, "We still spread their poison, killed people, and caused enormous amounts of suffering. We were no better then Scarlett, Hojo, or Reeve!!"

Raijin had heard enough and grabbed Shukera by the arms angrily and spat, "How dare you compare yourself to that trash!!! I've always believed that you would destroy Shin Ra, ya know!! When you appeared at our home I felt there was something different about you. Your desire to save everyone in our home overshadowed anything that you have ever done in the past!! You and Aerith saved everyone from Shin Ra!!! But it was your power that destroyed them!!! Aerith's powers protected the planet from your power!!!"

Shukera pulled away from Raijin and sat back down on the ground. "Go Selphie, leave me here!! Raijin, Fujin needs you!! Selphie, Irvine is waiting for you to return!!! Neither one of you should waste your time here with me!!!" She jumped to her feet and stuck her finger in Selphie's face, "Don't keep your happiness waiting because of me!!! I have done enough damage in people's lives!!" She spun on her heals and raced away from them.

Raijin watched her leave and bowed his head. After a moment's thought he replied, "Selphie, go back and tell the others I'm staying here…with Shukera. I'm not leaving until she comes with me, ya know."

Selphie opened her mouth but Raijin pointed, "Irvine is probably worried about you, ya know." Selphie stomped her foot, "I'm not leaving you here like this!!! I can't!!!" She made fists at her side as she looked at Raijin. "It's not fair!! You guys are my best friends!!"

Raijin smiled, "I will reach her, don't worry. Just…give me this chance. We will be fine, ya know."

Selphie stomped her foot again and nodded. "Fine, but you better not be long!!" She disappeared from the battlefield. When she came to, Raijin slumped to the ground; the stones rolled out of his hand and fell to the floor.

Seifer shouted, "What the hell's going on??" Fujin gasped and brought her hand to her mouth. "Raijin!!"

Burgenhagen quickly checked Raijin over and shook his head sadly. Selphie cried, "Raijin decided to stay with Shukera!! He's not leaving without her!!"

Burgenhagen looked up at them and sighed, "There's nothing more I can do. He did this of his own free will. The only hope of them coming back is for him to reach her before it's too late. For now, we wait."

Selphie cried, "NOO!!!" Irvine grabbed her and wrapped his arms around her to calm her down. She faced Burgenhagen and asked, "What happens if he can't reach her??"

The man just stared at Selphie without answering. She became hysterical and shouted Shukera's name. Irvine pulled her out into the night to get her away from the scene. He held her tightly as she sobbed heavily into his coat. "They're my best friends!!!! Why did they both have to go???"

Reno stood at the doorway cursing himself. But despite what he was feeling inside, he appeared his usual calm self. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and quietly made his way to the center of the town. There was nothing he could do and he knew it. Rude silently followed, his hands hanging at his side, his dark sunglasses forever hiding his eyes and emotions behind them.

Fujin suddenly felt out of place. She grabbed Seifer's hand and pointed to the door. "Let's leave them…" Seifer nodded and they walked out the door. They met Tifa and Cloud by the constantly burning fire, the Cosmic Candle and waited.