Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Legend of the Final Materia ❯ Chapter 61

Chapter 61

"This is a battlefield where Shukera and I fought a long time ago. The battle haunted her forever, plagued her with nightmares. If I'm not mistaken, she should be down by a house next to…well you shall see for yourself." He took in a deep breath as he gazed at Raijin. "I suppose that this's my fault really." He gazed around the place as he silently nodded.

Aerith smiled at Raijin knowingly. "You have to find her right now and save her. She's closed herself off to everyone else, now you are her last hope. If you don't want her to remain here forever, then you have to reach her! I know she doesn't show it, but she believes in you, Raijin."

Raijin blinked at Sephiroth and Aerith, now seriously confused. "Huh?? Didn't you disappear?? Where did you two come from??" He heard Aerith's words and nodded. He wanted to save Shukera more than anything.

Aerith held her hand to him, "Come, we will help you reach her."

Raijin accepted her hand and nodded, "Let's go…I don't want her to suffer any more, ya know."

Raijin, Sephiroth, and Aerith caught up to Shukera when everything around them quickly shifted and changed form. A house stood untouched by destruction amongst a blackened village. Suddenly the house erupted into flames and Shukera charged into it. Moments later she returned with a bundled blanket. For a brief second a smile crossed her lips, until she pulled the blanket back. When she looked into the blanket, she let out a cry and everything began shifting once again.

Aerith shook her head in disbelief, "She's trying to change something, but what??" Sephiroth stared at Shukera as he replied, "I don't know. This is something I am unaware of. She never spoke of this."

Raijin looked on even more confused. He listened to Aerith's words and cringed a bit when he felt Shukera's pain. He knew his suspicions were right all along…Shukera was hiding something deep inside. Every time he faced her he saw a deep seeded pain in her eyes.

Shukera looked away from them and said nothing as she charged into the burning house again. She stepped out of the house clutching the blanket to her and held her breath as she pulled it back, but to no avail, it was still dead. Once again the scene repeated, but no matter how hard she tried, she still emerged with the blanket and the dead infant.

Raijin's eyes filled with tears, he had seen enough. He knew too well that it was useless to keep trying to change what happened, the past couldn't be changed. He walked up to the door of the house after the scene repeated 5 times and waited. Shukera emerged with the blanket and this time Raijin held his hands out. "Let me take a look."

Reluctantly Shukera handed the blanket over to him and sobbed, "I didn't know…I tried to save it, but I couldn't. I wanted to save it…" She lowered her head and buried her face into her hands.

Raijin peeled the blanket back and stared into the innocent dead eyes of the infant. Tears fell from his cheeks as he folded the blanket back, recovering the infant.

Shukera stammered as she looked back at Aerith and Sephiroth with tears in her eyes. "There's…no need…for me anymore. I'm a fighter…a soldier. Without a war…what good am I?? I only cause death wherever I go, you saw it Aerith! Raijin! Death…is a part of me."

Aerith stared into her eyes and smiled, "But Shukera, fighters are always needed. Who will protect the world and keep it peaceful?? Someone has to protect everyone from future Shin Ras."

Shukera shook her head and looked away from them. "No! There's too much darkness inside me!! I will go where all the other Shin Ra soldiers went. I am staying in the hell that I have created for myself…this is where I belong." Tears dropped continuously from her chin as she motioned to the infant. "I couldn't even save the child… I…" She collapsed to her knees and buried her head into her hands.

Raijin knelt as he smiled contently at Shukera. When she realized that he was not leaving, she became confused. "Why are you still here?? You belong…with Fujin. Aren't you afraid to be here??"

Raijin shrugged, "I trust you completely, ya know. I know there is nothing here that can hurt me cause you would never hurt me. We are best friends, ya know. I know you will not harm me nor Aerith."

"I don't understand…you're not making sense. I killed this child." She pointed to the headless body on the ground. "That's its mother…and over there…the body on its knees is its mother's friend." Tears ran down her face as her voice broke with emotion. "I didn't even know if it was a boy or girl!! Their house…I set it on fire…and the baby…I tried to save it…but it…died in my arms." Shukera looked down at her arms and crossed them across her chest. "I can't stand it anymore!! The baby…it was innocent…just like all those people I killed here." She lowered her head and cried so hard that her body shook.

Sephiroth looked away and whispered, "This is all my fault. I pushed you into doing things like this. Shukera, you have done some things for Shin Ra…that was my fault. But you came to a point where you figured it had to stop."

Shukera shook her head; "I can't allow you to take the blame Sephiroth when I did it myself. I did nothing but spread fear and suffering everywhere I went!! People avoid me out of fear…" She lowered her head once again, averting Raijin's gaze.

Raijin placed his hand on her shoulder and whispered, "There's nothing that scares me about you, ya know. You may have done some things for Shin Ra…I know how it is Shukera, ya know. I turned against my home and helped Seifer attack it. But just like I did, you came to a point where you figured it had to stop, ya know." He placed his hand on her chin and turned her face towards him. "This baby…changed your life, ya know. Think about how many lives this baby saved. Think about how this baby led to Shin Ra's destruction."

Shukera looked at the baby in Raijin's arms and realized he was right. It was after that battle that she had changed completely. But still…it didn't change anything.

Raijin pulled her into his arms and held her against him as he whispered, "It's alright Shukera. I understand how you feel, ya know." She looked up at him and he caught a tear on his finger. "I don't know about the others, but I need you Shukera, ya know. I shared things with you that I haven't been able to share with anyone, ya know. And…if you remain here, we won't have anything new to share. We will end up sitting here day in and day out, until we'd grow to hate each other."

Shukera turned away from him and lowered her head. She looked down at the baby and realized he was right. "I don't deserve to have people care about me. I'm nothing more than a monster. I should remain here and pay for my crimes."

Raijin felt frustrated and knelt down and pressed his head to the ground. Tears fell from his cheeks like rain and dropped to the ground where he knelt. He didn't know what other words to say, or what else he could do. He feared Shukera was unreachable, that he was going to lose her forever. Out of rage he pounded the ground with his fist. "The only way you will truly recover is to bury the past Shukera, ya know!!" He broke the ground and began scooping the dirt away, making a small hole.

Shukera looked at him curiously. "Raijin…" She noticed his tears and dropped to her knees next to him. "I'm…sorry…I didn't mean to…hurt you." She sobbed as she lowered her head, "I'm so sorry…"

Raijin looked up from the hole and pulled her into his arms. He held her against him as he whispered, "It's alright Shukera. I understand how you feel, believe me I do, ya know. Just let me help you and…" He dropped his arms from her and went back to the hole he was digging.

It took Shukera a moment to realize what he was doing, and soon she began helping him. Together they dug the hole deeper until it was large enough for the baby's body to fit comfortably in. When the hole was ready, Shukera took the baby from Aerith and placed it into the hole. She filled the hole with the dirt, covering the baby, lying her past to rest.

She turned from Raijin and faced Aerith. "You are coming back with me also right??"

Sephiroth stood behind Aerith as he placed his hand on her shoulder. Neither of them said anything at first. Aerith walked towards Shukera and stopped before her. She gently embraced Shukera and smiled gently. "You will have to go on for me Shukera. I am no longer able to return with you."

Shukera stared at her through her tears and shook her head. "NO!!! I'm not going without you Aerith!!! I don't understand!!!" She looked at Sephiroth and asked, "What is she talking about?? Sephiroth, answer me!!! You owe me that much!!! I'm not going on without my sister!!!"

Aerith joined Sephiroth as she whispered, "You don't belong here. I want you to experience new things. I want you to live your life the way it's meant to be lived. I want you to be happy."

Sephiroth gazed at Shukera almost sadly. He could see the pain she was feeling over the loss of her sister. Aerith smiled at Shukera, "I have to return to the Promised Land soon. You will have to go on for me." She cupped her hand for a moment then held her open palm out to Shukera. "Take this and keep it with you always."

In her hand rested a silver chain with a cage like decoration large enough for her materia to fit into.

Sephiroth took his sword from around his body and handed it to Shukera. "This is a part of me that I want you to have. Use it to protect the world Shukera. Use it, to make up for the mistakes I have made."

Shukera slowly grasped the sword and nodded. "I will do as you asked. Sephiroth…" She paused as she felt Raijin's hand resting on her shoulder. "Take care of Aerith. She's the only family I have now."

Aerith smiled, "Shukera you are wrong. You have another part of your family that is still with you. Please, watch over her. Protect her and never let anything make her unhappy. You are all she has left Shukera. Don't let her suffer the way we have. Let her know how much we love her and that we will be watching over her always." She placed her hand on Shukera's shoulder and gazed past her at Raijin. "Take care of her Raijin. Make her understand that she's not alone anymore."

Shukera watched through her tears as they began to fade. Aerith's voice echoed in her mind, "I'll always be with you." She held the sword in her hand as she sobbed, staring in the direction Aerith had disappeared from. Guilt rose inside her as she began blaming herself for Aerith's death. The only sound that could be heard was the sobs that escaped her throat.

Raijin moved before her and held his hand out to her. "I don't want to see you remain here. I don't want to see that happen Shukera, ya know. I want to experience new things with you, then we would have more secrets to share."

Shukera stared at Raijin through her tears for a moment. Aerith's words echoed in her mind as her eyes shifted from Raijin to his hand. Slowly, she lifted her hand and placed it into his. "I'm scared Raijin, what if I don't fit in a peaceful world??" He grasped his hand around her's as he filled with hope inside. "You remember what your sister said, you will not be alone, ya know. Bethany will be there for ya and I know Selphie will. But, no matter what happens, I will be there. Ya just need time, ya know. What do ya say??"

Suddenly Shukera threw her arm around Raijin's neck and sobbed, "Take me back Raijin!! I don't want to be here anymore!!! I want to be with you!!"

Raijin hugged her then brushed her hair from her forehead as he held his arm around her waist. "Come back to Balamb with me, you and Bethany. I know she would be happy there, ya know."

Shukera smiled through her tears and nodded, "With you…yeah." He smiled and kissed her forehead. "I'm sorry I told you that I loved Fujin. I didn't know until…"

She placed a finger upon his lips and shook her head. "Not here…not now…please wait until we get back to Balamb. We should talk about that when this is all over."

Raijin smiled as it dawned on him what she was saying. He swung her around as he shouted, "Whooo Hooo!!! Thank you Shukera!!"

She laughed at him as she hugged him. "For a moment, you sounded like Selphie." She lowered her head when he put her down. "Selphie…Bethany…I miss everyone." Raijin pressed his forehead against hers and grasped her hand. "Then let's go back. Together I know we can make the darkness disappear. Give me a chance to make it better for you, ya know."

Shukera smiled and gently squeezed the back of his neck. "Let's go." He grasped her hands and they concentrated on going home. In the background the world they were in began to rumble and shatter. Shukera took one last look at the disappearing world and a smile slowly formed on her face. "Good bye." She looked at Raijin and smiled, "I'm ready."

All around her the hell she built began to crumble. Raijin and Shukera faded just before the ground opened up and began to disappear. The wind howled around the house that slowly faded. A figure appeared and with a smile, held its hand out to the ground. "It's time for you to rest in peace." A ghostly image of the baby formed on top the ground where it was buried. It stood up and accepted the hand that was offered to it. On the winds a whisper sounded, "Thank you…Miss Shukera."