Title: What Won't Happen
Rating: R – Just in case.
Theme: Desertion
Pairings/Characters: None, insofar.
Spoilers/Warnings: After AC, so might include some spoilers for the movie and events for the FFVII Compilation, excluding DoC.
Time Period: One year after Advent Children.
Summary: The Shin-Ra Company has fallen. But even in the heart of the man who dealt the deathblow, there is sorrow and heartache over the necessary decision he had to make. Written post-AC.
Word Count: 903
Dedication: To my Rufus. Because there never was a one like her, and in my heart, there never will be again.
Disclaimer: I don't own FFVII, though I love it so~
A/N: I started writing this because I was thinking back on some of the events that had happened in my FFVII RP… the downfall of the Shin-Ra Company, specifically. And looking back over all the heartache and despair that event had left us all with, I was suddenly angry at myself—because I play Tseng, and it was my fault for destroying what we all so dearly loved. So I basically was carried away on my wild, desperate emotions and began to just write. In a way then, this is a fic dedicated to what I now think I maybe should have done… instead of… letting him… letting all of them go like I did.
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A single footstep could shake the very earth apart.
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Silvered irises were momentarily lost behind shuttered lashes and in a thoughtful silence—perturbed though it might be. Then—sharp, piercing—they returned to the hesitant figure donned in a hastily thrown together Turk uniform, red hair askance as usual, and clearly uncomfortable being the bearer of bad news to such a figure. The redhead could feel the fire in Tseng's gaze far clearer than he could see it. That storm-cloud grey was ever so carefully masked, as always it had been, but Reno could sense the thunder raging behind so cleverly controlled a visage.
"B—boss," the Turk choked, stumbling over his words he couldn't get them out fast enough. "Hey, dun throw that look at me. Come on, 's not like I'm his keeper. Or any 'a us for that matter!" Reno threw up his arms in exasperation, grasping onto any fickle strings that could prove he was innocent in the matter at hand, however desperate an attempt it was. But the other Turk's impassive gaze made something in the redhead snap and he stepped forward, fists clenched, angry at the accusation in those unyielding eyes.
"Listen, it's not like I told da bastard ta leave in the first place!" he shouted, only encouraged when the gaze steadily drilling into him narrowed venomously. Reno took another step forward, lifting an accusatory finger at Tseng, sitting casually behind the desk. "You were the careless, apathetic dipshits that didn' give a damn 'bout how we would feel 'bout this, this, this whatever it is!—fucked up piece 'a shit decision ya made on a God-damned whim!"
He was way out of line. As a matter of fact—he had totally hopped over it and kept running—treating it as exactly what it was: a stupid regulation that had once dictated the way things were run in the Turks. But things weren't the same anymore. Nothing was the same anymore. Midgar was left a ruinous pile of rubble, Shin-Ra was despised by everyone from the elderly to little children who couldn't damn well know better, and what last vestige of the Turks Reno and the others had desperately clung to was just another side-note in the annals of history.
Every part of Reno wanted to leap over that desk and strangle the living daylights out of the calm, collected, pansy-ass of a leader Tseng was for the Turks, screaming at the top of his lungs about 'why he had let it all fall apart' without even a moment's grace of notice! There was no warning. None. Sure, there was nothing left of Headquarters but rubble. Sure, with the passing of the years the people were frantically flopping around, trying to rebuild their world after the demise of the Shin-Ra Corporation had thrown them for a loop. But even a year ago—after the incident with Sephiroth's momentary return, and the three remnants of whatever Jenova experiments had still been going on in the shadows—there had still been enough left of the company to keep the Turks alive. No, they didn't try to rebuild Shin-Ra—not all of it, anyway. But they had stayed alive, were putting things together, were pulling through it all and in sight of better days ahead!
And then…
"The Shin-Ra Electric Power Company has died then, fallen into a final ruin."
Those very words had proceeded from the mouth of the man he stood before at this very moment. And thinking back to that hour, remembering the death knell that had sounded in all their hearts, cast them into the abyss with such finality that it had surely been the end of the world, Reno was furious again. How this man could sit before him and glare at him for messing up a simple task was beyond his comprehension! Had the man no shame? No guilt in what he had done to them?!
"Reno," came the raven-haired Turk's voice, cool and steady, splashing him in the face like a bucket of ice water and quenching the angry fire that had risen at the memories Tseng had instilled without effort. Reno gathered himself and stiffened visibly, sure he was not going to like the way this conversation would soon be going. "What?" the redhead bit off bitterly, shoving his hands in his pockets and fighting back the urge to seriously hurt the man before him.
But Tseng stood, causing Reno to flinch and step back a bit before he could turn his eyes back to his leader's gaze. The dark haired Turk seemed to have lost a bit of his edge, however. Reno couldn't feel the anger in his boss's eyes anymore. That encouraged him to open up a bit more cautiously, and he answered again with mild wariness. "Yeah?"
Whatever had just passed seemed to be nothing like what would come of this. A strange light glanced across those quicksilver irises. It was unusual and suspiciously unreadable, almost as much so as the man himself. And the quiet, normal way in which he next said his words sent ungainly chills and shivers throughout Reno's bones, and he had a sudden overwhelming desire to hug his arms and try to rub away the goosebumps that were running up and down them.
"Get Rude in here. Then I want you both to tell me everything."
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Author's Note: I never wrote more than this, but because my thoughts continue to stray back to this point in time, I may continue this, or I may not. I don't have any steady plans on whether or not I want to write any more. I guess that'll all depend on how I feel, and if anyone wants to see me continue this fic or not.
You can only let me know through one simple way: Read and leave me a quick Review.
Thank you for reading this tiny installation.