The Fallen
Chapter 1
A wind blew in from the southern shoreline causing ripples to fan out across the lake. The browning, orange and yellow leaves of the autumnal season on the surrounding trees, swaying, some breaking free from their branches, swirling round high into the air, travelling along the breeze in kind of dance. They floated out over the lake, before gently floating downwards in a spiral coming to rest on the pale green surface, riding the ripples like waves.
The peaceful tranquillity of the scene was shattered as a pebble crashed into the leaf, having skimmed its way across from the embankment.
"Man this is boring" he said as he scoured around for another pebble to throw, kicking the dirty around with right foot, scraping away at the ground, small clouds of dust rising. "Ah ha" he bent down to pick up the small round flat stone unearthed by his black boot. He bent down and picked the stone up. Dusting it off with his thumb. Tightly gripping it between his thumb and finger, arm bent at the elbow, shoulder arched back ready to throw. Midway through the swing however, an arm reached out and caught his by the wrist.
"…"
His red ponytail whipped round with speed at he turned his head to see why he was having his only fun spoilt.
"Rude, man! Come on I'm slowly losing the will to live here!" He almost pleadingly exasperated. Reno wrenched his arm free of Rude's grasp and threw the stone onto the floor. The stoic expression of his comrade's sunglasses adorned face unchanging.
"Ok, ok. It's the lifestream, no stone skimming." Reno ran his hand through his red locks and sighed in frustration. "But this place is killing me. The chances of him actually comin' here are zero. I don't care if he managed it." Reno said cutting in before Rude reminded him that it had already been done once and was entirely possible. "Rufus is wasting our time." Reno kicked the dirt and leaves up in the air in anger.
A rustling behind them made the pair of Turks stand to attention. Reno's hand slipped in between his jacket and his shirt as he reached round to his back, his hand encircling the handle of the cosh tucked neatly in the small of his back. In one quick fluid movement the telescopic motion had sprang forth extending the cold solid steel to its full length and ready to break someone or something's bones. Rude, ensured that his sunglasses were perfectly placed on his face, and balled his leather-gloved hands into tight fists. The creaking and squeaking of leather rubbing against leather filled the air as he did so.
"That better have been your gloves" Reno wisecracked.
The rustling sound moved closer and closer towards the pair, yet they could still see nothing except for the shaking of the branches and leaves of the ground shrubs. Reno charged in the direction of the intruder screaming all the way "AHHHHHHHHHHH"
The next thing he knew, he was flat on his back, his face being licked. "Ahh what?" The intruder turned out to be the dog of the once locals of Mideel, after the eruption of the lifestream, the town had been destroyed and the locals thought it would be wiser to rebuild away from the epicentre. "Get off me you stupid mutt" Reno scowled as he batted the hound off of him. Rude, behind his trademark sunglasses, rolled his eyes.
"GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR" The dog suddenly began growling intensely. Then charged at full pace towards them.
"Hey now, nice doggie. Wow… Wow… Whoa!" Reno and Rude dived out of the way as the dog came charging down, and then past them and to the lifestream's edge. There it continued to growl menacingly, before loudly barking over and over again.
"Hmph! What's your problem pooch" Reno asked as he lifted himself up off the floor and dusted himself down. "You lose your bone in there or somethin'?" He looked out over the lake of consciousness to see if he could see what the dog was so interested in. "There's nothing there flea bag".
It began ever so slightly that you wouldn't have noticed even if you had been looking intently. Slowly bubbles rose from within the depths of the lifestream. Microscopic at first, slowly growing larger in size and number as is it had began fizzing. Larger and larger the bubbles grew in size, bursting as they reached the surface spitting the lifestream up into the air, higher and higher as the intensity of the bubbles increased. First in only a small area, then growing larger and larger in size. It was almost as if a small submarine was surfacing from underneath at the far side of the lake. All of a sudden there was a loud splashing sound as solid block of materia emerged and began to bob gently where it lay in the lifestream. Rude gave a satisfied grunt, somewhere between a laugh and hmph. Reno just stared at the spot. "Jackpot".
The two Turks scanned the area quickly to see if anyone was prying in on their business, but there was no one to be found. They walked round to the other side of the lake and stared at the materia. Reno reached into his inside jacked pocket and pulled out his phone. Flipping the clam style phone open and scrolling through the contact list. Slowing down when he reached the R's then pressed call. The phone hadn't finished its first ring when someone answered.
"Well" They asked.
"Yeah. He's here." Was all Reno said in reply, ending the call by flipping the lid closed. A quick nod to Rude signalled their next move. Rude lifted a gloved hand and made a beckoning motion towards the horizon. A ShinRa helicopter that had been circling round the area approached. The downdraft blowing the leaves from the trees sending them flying in all directions spray from the lifestream dampening them as the collided in the air. One slapped Reno in the face. "Watch it damn it!" he shouted at the pilot as he peeled it off. Hovering over the lake, a winch began lowering down from the helicopter.
After finally securing the block of materia to the winch, which saw Rude catch Reno by ankle just as he was falling into the lifestream. The helicopter headed off with its cargo. Its destination… Midgar. "You know" Reno said turning his head to talk to Rude on the walk over to their own transport. "If he's still alive in there... When he wakes up he's going to be seriously pissed off." Rude's solemn nod in reply said all that was needed.