DISCLAIMER I do not own the rights to Final Fantasy 7
Enjoy In Us All
Chapter 1
"I'm a different person now."
"I know you are, but you've never really been that responsible, Tusca."
"I regret the things that I've done, doesn't that help at all? I admit that I've lied about being a lot of things, but not this. I need to know why the sword won't work for me!"
"Its because you're soul is still too tarnished," she told him.
"What do I have to do to get it to work, for it to lend its power to me… like it did to my father?"
"You must cleanse your soul. You must go to the City of the Ancients. You must go and pray at the resting spot of Aerith."
"What will that accomplish, besides make my father happy after all these years. I've never once gone there with him there."
"That is why you must go now, Tusca, to know the pain that your father felt for all those years. He lost so much now. Feel his pain!"
At this I turned away from Heather and left Junon with my sparse amount of belongings, and headed for Kalm, and then possibly Midgar…
My father, he left me this sword. He used for so long but then for a while he set it as a monument for those who came before him. Mainly his pal Zack. When he knew that his time was almost up he left me his sword and this funky materia. The materia is a black one; I'm not sure what it does.
My father's name was Cloud, and my mother's was Tifa. My mother died giving birth to me, and my father died just 17 years later during a hunting trip, he was using his submarine you see, and there was this one spot he found when he was younger. A crashed Shinra plane, full of monsters. He was poisoned and confused and all sorts of different things, I didn't have the expertise then. I took care of him for 2 days and then he just, died. I think that was the only time I've ever cried.
I made a trip to Nibelheim to bury him. It didn't take too long, 3-4 days. I buried him next to my mother, in front of the old destroyed mako reactor in the mountains. I had brought the black
materia with me, and on the way back down I made a wrong turn and wound up in this cave with a lifestream fountain. There was a large crystal forming on the top and when I drew close to the crystal, the black materia sapped some of the energy out of it. After that the black materia looked brand new.
That's how my father died, and why I'm where I'm at now. Staring at the front of a destroyed, but partially rebuilt church, with a large pool of water in it. All around the pool stand different citizens of Midgar, some are sick, some have recently been cured. On the ground along the entire church floor is a hug web of vines with flowers of every color. The smells waft in and out of different conversations and carry the scent of new dawn.
I walk in to the church and every face, man woman and child looks at me in response. The applause I received shocked me so that one woman walked up to me and realized that I wasn't who they thought I was.
"Son, what is your name?" the woman asked.
I said, "Tusca Strife ma'am."
"Oh my word, you're his son!"
"If you mean Cloud, then yes."
"Tell me, how is your father?
"I, uh…he passed away."
"No! How is this possible, what could have killed him?"
"It was a monster, we were out hunting and he was attacked."
"I'm so sorry, son."
"Its alright ma'am, I've moved on," I told her.
"You are so strong. We are in good hands with you here."
"Thank you," she walks away and I continue under my breath, "I just hope you're right about that."
A girl with long, dark brown hair walked up to me and smiled. I had no idea who she was, it startled me. I tried looking another way, maybe she would leave and stop making me feel so awkward, she didn't. Her smile only got bigger.
"Whats so funny?" I asked her.
"You," she replied.
"What about me?"
"Its because you looks so much like him."
"My father you mean."
"Yes, I knew him he was nice to me, he gave me a flower when I was a little girl."
"Who are you?"
"My name is Marlene."
"I think I remember my dad talking about you a little, he talked like he was your uncle, but I don't ever remember meeting any relatives of his."
"Him and my father were friends, why, didn't he ever tell you that? He used to visit on his way to pray at Aerith's grave, then he just stopped coming."
"I didn't even know he had ever been in Midgar. Yeah I heard stories from people about him using the Buster Sword here," I point at the sheathed sword on my back, "and about him saving the world, but not about Midgar."
"He actually lived here with my father and your mother. He was a mercenary."
"Wow, I didn't know that! He never told me anything about his life before I was born."
"There is a lot to tell you. Follow me."
I followed her out of the church and through the junk ridden slums to a small house, with a garden and a fence. We walked to the front door and she opened it. Inside, we sat at a small table with a large man with a gun for an arm, and a mousy brown-haired woman in her mid 50s.
"So, your Cloud's son, eh?" the man asked me.
"Yes, I'm Tusca, but I don't know who you are."
"The name's Barret, but I don't know why I'm telling you, you should already know my name."
"I don't though, and that's what's bothering me. My father never really mentioned you."
"Opps, let me introduce myself, I'm Elmyra, I raised Aerith."
"Really, now that's another new thing."
"Why are you here Tusca?" Marlene asked.
"I'm here because this sword, the Buster Sword, it won't work like it did for my father. I can't even get it out of the sheath."
"That's strange, any ideas why that might be?" she questioned.
"I, uh, I think I do, my friend, she told me before I left its because my soul isn't clean."
"What have you done?"
"All sorts of things, I've killed so much. I'm afraid there is nothing left of my soul. I'm afraid my heart is too black to wield this sword."
"What have you killed, Tusca?" Marlene asked.
"When I started out 3 years ago, I was 17. I did some travelling, doing odd jobs, apparently I was a mercenary just like my father was. For starters, my mother died giving birth to me, then my father died because I couldn't save him. Then I started working for more shady people, gangs and the like, they needed a hired hand and I was skilled enough with my fists to help them out. First it was stealing from banks and other storage facilities, then it was taking people out for turf and money and drugs and the like. I am sorry for the things I've done, but it doesn't erase them from my soul. I seldom got caught, and that attracted them to me like swarms, because I could escape the law. No I fear its all caught up to me and there is no way to get away this time."
"That's a lot to have on one's mind Tusca," Elmyra stated.
"Yeah, how can anyone live like that?" Marlene asked.
"I would have never guessed that lookin at ya kid," Barret said.
I turned my head and let it fall a little bit. I wanted to cry, but I couldn't, not in front of these people. Not in front of my father's friends. I lifted my head and looked at them in turn. Barret, large and formidable, even in his older age. Elmyra, calm and sure, caring and sensitive, but always steadfast in her beliefs. And Marlene, quiet beauty and strength. Marlene spoke first.
"I will help you fix your soul if it's the last thing I do."
I looked at her in disbelief and she smiled that beautiful smile.
"Why, you barely even know me. Nobody knows how to fix a soul. Once their broken they stay that way. That's just how things are."
"Don't talk that way, even we've just met, I feel I've known you for so long. I knew your father and that should count for something. If you're anything like him, then you would do the same for someone else."
"I would, but I can't involve you in this its too dangerous. Barret help me out here."
"She has the right to do as she pleases. She is 26 now and can make her own decisions."
"So your gonna follow me anyway, even if I leave in the night?" At this Elmyra jumps a little.
"What, did I say something Elmyra?"
"No, you just reminded me that I had your father do that to Aerith when I first met him. It was a foolish move and I regret every day that I made it."
"Well, you won't have to make a decision because I guess Marlene is coming with me."
"Really? You mean it? I will help you become whole again, Tusca, I promise."
"Thanks, I'm gonna need all the help I can get."
End Chapter 1