Internal Crisis

A/N: Now editing earlier chapters.
Chapter One now edited. I apologise if my grammar is not the best. But I promise it is an improvement.

Story set out (Time line)
Okay, I will explain how I got my numbers to make things clear. Vincent was 27 when he was put in the coffin, my research has led me to believe he was there for 30 years before Cloud woke him up in FF7, this would mean that Sephiroth is 30 during FF7 and (according to me) Tseng is the same age. SO: at the start of this story it has been 10 years since Vincent disappeared and Tseng is also 10 years old, he is 25 when this story ends at the start of Before Crisis hence giving this story a span of 15 years. It also means that when Tseng is sent after Aerith he is 15. I hope everyone is okay with time line and how I've set it out.

Warnings:Semi-graphic violence, implied Rape. (NOT YAOI)

Please enjoy the story, there are notes at the bottom of the chapter that explain a few bits and pieces that appear in this chapter.

Chapter one: Akuma

From the day of his birth Tseng had been marked. He was born on the Fourth of the Fourth, unlucky in Wutai. He was born in the early hours of the morning before the sky turned grey with the rising sun the hours of witching. A range of factors far beyond Tseng's control determined that from the moment of his birth, he would be an outcast. He was named Akuma, demon. A dot was burned into the flesh between his eyes so that everyone would know that he was demon spawn. Tseng was kept away from the house, living in a barn just within sight of the mighty house his family lived in. He was raised by a maid who feared him greatly and he could not bring himself to like her as she drew away from him whenever he reached out. His sole comfort was his sister Yuka who gave him the name Tseng.

'Tseng.' Yuka smiled at the small boy as she entered the barn, 'how are you today?' she asked closing the door behind her.
'The same as ever.' Tseng turned his dark eyes to his sister and smiled softly as he bowed his head respectfully to the older woman. 'How are you?'
'That's a good boy.' she reached into her kimono. 'I bought you a gift.' she handed the boy a small ball, 'It's called a gob stopper, you suck on it.'
Tseng cautiously took the treat from his sister. 'Where did you get it?' he asked rolling the ball in his palm lightly touching it with his fingers.
'A man from the Eastern continent is here, he went to see Lord Godo. I heard he is from a large corporation. I didn't get to hear much.' her smiled widened when Tseng popped the ball in his mouth and made a strange face at the taste, 'Enjoy it Tseng, the man said it will last you several hours, most probably days.'
Tseng took the ball from his mouth and smiled at Yuka. 'It's sweet. I like it.'
Yuka kissed Tseng on the forehead over the burn mark that sat between his eyes, 'I will see you tomorrow Tseng. Your maid will be here soon with your dinner.'
'Good night sister.'

Once Yuka was gone Tseng put the gob stopper back into his mouth and curled up on his bed. It was a thin mattress stuffed with straw and placed in the corner of the barn. Tseng hated the loneliness bought on by his exile, the short amount of time he was able to spend with Yuka was all that kept him sane. Tseng could not comprehend a life without her there. From the barn window he could see the house the rest of his family lived in. He saw the people that were always visiting Silhouetted on the thin walls. Tseng would often dream that his father would come down to the barn with clean clothing and bring him up to the party. There he would praise Tseng and introduce him to many people who would become his friends… but as Tseng grew older he realised it would never happen. At only ten years old that dream had almost completely died. Tseng's head snapped towards the barn door when it opened and his maid entered.
'I bought you dinner Akuma.' she said brining the food towards the boy's bed.
Tseng stared at the woman with his black eyes making her shift in discomfort. 'You may go.' The maid quickly exited with a bow of her head while Tseng wrapped the gob stopper in a cloth and turned to the thin broth that was served as his dinner.

Tseng sat by the barn window while he ate his dinner, the sky outside was darkening and storm clouds brewed. Tseng sniffed the air and smelt the coming storm as rain softly began to fall on the ground. Staring up at the grand house Tseng could see the golden light of candles and the fireplace streaming through the windows and onto the grounds. The silhouette of his family at the table showed on the thin doors. Since his birth Tseng had only been to the house once when he was five years old. The adventure had earned him a beating delivered by his father, elder brother and brother in law. Yuka had begged them to stop but they hadn't until Tseng was lying on the ground bloody and defeated. Yuka had tended to him out of fear that his maid would just let him die. Thunder clapped outside as Tseng finished eating his meagre meal, he washed his hands and face in a bucket of water as a chill ran down his spine. The boy moved over to the window and closed it shaking his mane of black hair.

It was about midnight when the barn door quietly opened and roused Tseng from his sleep. Blinking the child was able to make out a feminine shape by the door, lightning flashed and illuminated the woman for less than a second.
'Yuka?' His sister closed the door and moved towards him
'I am sorry Tseng, I did not mean to wake you. Please go back to sleep.'
Tseng sat up lighting the lamp by his bed as Yuka moved towards him, he gasped. 'Your face?' his beloved older sister had dark bruises over her cheek and a bloody lip, she walked with a slight limp and her kimono was torn.
Yet, she still smiled for her little brother. 'I had a fight with Iwoa, it is nothing to worry about.' she swallowed removing her kimono so that she only had a light under dress on which had flecks of blood on it. 'May I stay with you little brother?' Tseng nodded pulling back the sheets on his bed. 'Thank you.' She lay beside him and pulled the blankets back up and pulled Tseng close to her.
The young boy began to cry, 'What did he do to you?'
Yuka stroked the back of Tseng's head, her eyes gazing at the wall of the barn. 'He beat me.' She said simply.
Tseng swallowed, 'But why didn't anyone stop him?' he pulled back to look Yuka in the eye.
Yuka affectionately stroked her brother's face, 'when I married Iwoa I became his property.' She explained. Do not worry little one, everything will be better in the light of the morning.'
'But that is not fair!' Tseng's black eyes were full of confusion as he stared at his sisters marred face. 'I am the one they hate, not you.'
A tear broke past Yuka's own brown eyes. 'My dear little brother,' she stroked his cheek, 'you know so little of this world… what will you do when I am gone?'
'Gone?' Tseng's voice broke. 'Where are you going?'
'To live with Iwoa, we have been married six years and he wants to return to his family in the south of Wutai, as his wife I will go with him.' Another tear streamed down her face. 'Do not worry Tseng, I will still come and see you.' she tenderly kissed his forehead. 'Now stop your worrying and sleep.' she blew out the lamp and pulled Tseng close to her chest.

Yuka's breathing had become even and deep signalling that she had fallen asleep. Tseng tenderly stroked his sister's damaged face. It would heal flesh usually did, but still the fact that she was hurt at all was what bothered Tseng. Wasn't Iwoa meant to love his dear sister? As her husband wasn't he meant to protect her? Tseng carefully pulled away from his sister. Wasn't the rest of his family meant to also care for and protect her? Tseng kissed Yuka's cheek.
'I won't let them hurt us anymore.' He whispered pulling out of her arms. He pulled on a shirt and with bare feet left the barn. The mud squelched under his bare feet as he moved towards the grand house, the only light was from the dying fire place. But Tseng was use to the darkness and the lightning helped him find his way. By the time he reached the door his hair was dripping and his clothes were soaked through. Licking his wet lips he silently slid open the door and stepped inside. The house was awfully hot, the boy had always lived out in the gusty barn and it made the still air of the house seem stuffy and hot. Shaking his mane of black hair Tseng refocused himself and headed for the kitchen. He had witnessed the servants slaughter animals before and supposed killing a human wouldn't be much different so he began to search for a sharp blade. He found the item he was seeking imbedded in a piece of wood on the table in the kitchen, it took all of his strength to free the blade from the wood and he clutched it to his chest as if to stop it from returning to its place.

Leaving muddy foot prints in his wake Tseng moved down the hall way towards the bedrooms. Though he had only been in the house once he had been able to figure out its layout from the movement of people around the house and the lights at night. Tseng may have been uneducated but he was by no means stupid or incompetent. With the blade clutched to his chest he made his way down the hall and towards the first bedroom. Tseng swallowed sliding back the paper door, it made little noise as it slid along its light wooden frame. He blinked allowing his eyes to quickly adjust to the light of the room. Lightning struck the nearby mountains and thunder shook the earth as he stepped into the bedroom of Daitaro, the beloved first son and Daitaro's pregnant wife. Together they lay peacefully asleep unaware of Tseng as he entered the room with his knife. With silent footsteps Tseng made his way over to the pallet where the lovers slept, he crouched down beside Daitaro and recalled how the servants slaughtered the beasts. He adjusted his shaky grip on the knife and took a deep breath pressing the blade against Daitaro's throat, with a swift, sharp and precise movement Tseng sliced his brother's throat. Brown eyes opened wide with shock and he weakly clutched to his throat in a futile attempt to stop the bleeding.
'Akuma…' he gasped before his hand fell to his side limply covered in blood. Daitaro's wife, Yumi quickly came to the same end as her husband. Daitaro had failed to protect Yuka from Iwoa as was his duty as a brother, for not fulfilling said duty Tseng punished Daitaro and his wife along with their unborn child. It was strange, he had fantasised about this moment for almost three years, but he had always imagined himself to be in a fit of rage, screaming and stabbing wildly, but he felt calm, controlled and cold… oh so cold.

Blood had spurted over Tseng's clothing and it dripped from his fingertips as he moved down the hall way to the room of his next victim, Iwoa. Yuka's husband lay peacefully in his wedding bed alone. His toned chest was showing as the sheets pooled around his legs and naval, it was a wonder how Yuka could sleep with the man since he took up more than his share of the bed. Tseng's heart skipped at beat and he licked his lips in anticipation tasting the blood of Daitaro on his lips. Leaving muddy and bloody foot prints in his wake Tseng moved over to the bed and stood over the sleeping man, with the blade in one hand he prepared himself. Small fingers tangled themselves in Iwoa's thick black hair and he jerked the man's head up.
Grunting in surprise Iwoa opened his eyes and stared at Tseng for a long moment, in the darkness he couldn't see the blood covering the boy.
'Akuma! What do you think you are doing in the house?' lightening flashed and illuminated the room for a split second, long enough for him to see the blood on Tseng, but it was too late. As if truly possessed by a demon the child plunged the knife into Iwoa's throat as he tore it back out blood spurted all over Tseng and Iwoa stared at him in shock as his eyes lost their light and he fell limp against the bed. Tseng released him and moved on, he wasn't finished yet.

Yuka awoke to a particularly loud clap of thunder that shook the barn, she gasped slightly looking around with confusion. Her cheek ached and she recalled what had happened and why she was in Tseng's barn, but strangely her beloved little brother was not there with her. She blinked looking around, despite the raging storm it was eerily quiet, something wasn't right.
'Tseng!' she called out for the boy but there was no reply. Standing up she grabbed her kimono and rushed towards the house, all her senses were on edge and all she knew was that she had to get back to the house. She quickly opened the door and stepped inside, Tseng stood in the centre of the main room covered head to toe in blood, it along with water dripped off his clothes, hair and skin.
'Tseng,' she whispered in fear and shock.
The child turned to her. 'It's okay Yuka, they won't hurt us anymore. I stopped them, all of them.'
Yuka gasped her hand covering her mouth in shock and her eyes widening with horror. 'Tseng, what did you do?' she whispered.
Tseng blinked in a somewhat innocent fashion. 'I killed them.' he replied quietly. 'I didn't know how else to stop them.'
Yuka fell to her knees her hand still over her mouth and a high pitched sob escaped her lips, her beloved brother was a murder, could it be that it was true… was he the spawn of a demon? Yuka was shaking with fear as Tseng moved over to her his bloody hand reaching out to her. His eyes seemed darker to her and even though she was twice his height she felt small.
'Akuma…'
He frowned. 'Yuka… you never call me Akuma… I'm sorry but I had to stop them from hurting us. They are gone now, now Iwoa can't beat you…'
Yuka trembled with fear as Tseng drew near and embraced her, black eyes stared out the open door into the stormy night.

Notes: Akuma- Japanese for Demon
Four is unlucky in Asian countries.

A/N: I hope you all enjoy this story!