a small light flickers in the dark
minute hope lingers in the air
when all seems lost and gone
just remember I love you
. . .
A tale by
. . . Morning Zephyr . . .
r e m i n i s c e n t d r e a
m s
Paperwork. Loads and loads of it.
He couldn't even remember how it felt to hold a writing utensil; his fingers
were numb. While giving them a rest, he
stared down at the amount that was left to be completed. As he does, he secretly cursed the President. He was a Turk. Assassination was his field; scribbling the
night away about some nonsense was not.
A small sigh escaped his slightly chapped lips.
He swiveled the chair around and pulled the window curtains to the side
for a scenic view of Midgar. Oh, I
forgot. It was Midgar. Picturesque views still remained a myth. Eight dead reactors, run down buildings, and
reconstruction machines at every corner of the streets was about it.
He lazily propped his long navy-clad legs up on the window sill.
"Screw this. I don't need all this
writing." He intertwined his still sore
fingers and tucked them in a pillow-like position behind his head.
The door behind him quietly opened in time for the last remark to be heard. Looking around, Elena immediately recognized
the patch of flaming red sticking out against the black fabric of the
chair.
The blonde Turk had wanted to ask if Reno
finished his share of the paperwork, but the inch thick pile answered her
question before it was even asked.
"What?" asked the red-head from behind the chair.
Damn it!
He does that every time. She
could have sworn that no noise was made when the door opened. Then again, it was Reno Hiiragi
of the Turks.
He took his legs down and turned back to face the door. This time, he pulled out a cabinet and used
it as a foot rest. "You know it never
works when you try to be obscure about your entrance." A smirk adorned his face.
She seriously hated his arrogance. The
fact that he was right just made her snappier.
"Oh be quiet. Stop daydreaming
about girls and get that paperwork finished.
It needs to be on Reeve's desk 8 o'clock
sharp tomorrow morning."
He slowly pulled the eyelids over his aquamarines. "Elena . . ."
"Yes, sir?"
He didn't understand how she could turn her pissed-off attitude into a
reverential one in the blink of an eye.
Nevertheless, his grin grew even wider at her response. "You talk too much."
"Ugh!" She slammed the door and
left. So much for being respectful.
Reno left his eyes shut,
planning on taking only a five minute break.
-.-.-.-
I swear to all that is
Holy – I will never forgive you for this, Godo! Yuffie
Kisaragi roughly grabbed the hinges on the double Wutaiian-styled
doors and slammed it towards the center.
A sudden bang reverberated throughout the imperial palace as the wood
met midpoint.
A few maids scurried to their lady's room as they picked up the echo. They crowded around her door, asking if
everything was alright.
Yuffie grabbed her backpack and made her way towards the closet. She took all the necessities she would need. While she was packing, her face held many
sorts of emotion. Her eyes, though, told
a different story. She felt hurt and
betrayal. He was her father. Yet he never acted like it. Not once did he take up the responsibility of
fulfilling the role of Daddy. She hated
him for it.
And now, he sold all her materia gained through her journey with
AVALANCHE. Worst part about it is she didn't
know until this morning . . .
Yuffie had just finished her morning
exercises and was walking down the garden's stone pathway and past the mini
one-story pagoda when the phrase "sold her materia" gained her attention. Stealthily, she tiptoed back and stood in the
shadows of the fully grown sunflowers.
She heard the General of the Wutai army repeat what Godo just finished saying.
"You sold her Lady's materia?"
"Don't make me repeat my words. You know
how much I dislike that," said Godo in a reprimanding
tone. The general could only nod
apologetically in response.
Not waiting to hear the rest of the conversation, Yuffie ran with the speed of
a flying bullet to her own house on the outskirts of town. Once in the basement, she lifted the loose
floorboard only to confirm that what she overheard had been the absolute truth.
Her father Godo had sold her materia without consulting
her.
She blinked back the tears that loitered at the edge of her eyes. Replaying the morning's happenings made her
furious. The maids' continuous worrying
outside her door only added to the feeling.
Yuffie made her way over to the nightstand and took the leather bag filled with
gils. She looked hesitantly at the porcelain vase and
grabbed its slender neck. With all her
strength, she threw it at the wall and watched the flowers dance slowly to the
floor with the shattered ceramic pieces.
The voices on the other side of the door ceased abruptly.
The young ninja looked at the Conformer hanging on her wall. It gave off an invisible aura of glory. She was proud of it as memories with
AVALANCHE flooded her mind. Carefully,
she took it down and ran a finger over the smooth surface.
Yuffie slung the backpack across her shoulders and closed her eyes. She took a deep intake and pressed the weapon
close to her heart. Just as she was
about to climb out the window, she suddenly remembered a forgotten
article. The girl reached under her
pillow and pulled out a navy blue velvet box.
Gently lifting the top off, the box revealed a simple necklace. As a matter of fact, it was only a ring with
faded, engraved initials on a silver chain.
Nevertheless, Yuffie lifted it out of the box slowly – almost afraid
that it would break. She unhooked the
clasp and placed it around her olive-skinned neck.
Now she was ready to leave.
Author's
Notes – After a huge hiatus, I am finally getting back on track. One day left of school and exams and I am
done with it for three months. As for
this story, I have no idea where I am going with it. I barely have it planned out; at least I'm writing,
which may or may not be a good thing depending on who you are. =)
© Jennifer, Jun. 1, 02