Disclaimer: God, I hate these things. But no, I do not own any of the Final Fantasy characters, though I often dream that I do, in fact, own them in my own little fangirlish world. However, Mari Denali Kael and Nazifa Penelope Colfax are indeed mine. Love them, hate them, whatever you like, but please don't steal them.
Note: Mari refers to her sister as 'Nazi.' Its pronounced 'Nah-zee.' She is not, in fact, a Nazi, its just a shorter form of 'Nazifa'. Also, Mari is pronounced 'Mar-ee', not 'Marie'.
The song was barely audible, broken up and shroudded in white noise. Somewhere behind the static, the DJ's voice filtered through as the song faded out. 'And that was My Humps by Black Eyed Peas, requested from Lulu...and now its time for the weekends top 10, when we return from the break. Keep on rockin' in Midg--' The rumble of the engine cut out, as well as the radio.
Heaving a sigh, Mari slowly hoisted herself out of the ancient vehicle, coughing at the swell of smog from the tailpipe.
"Are you working tonight? Or did Cid let you off?" Mari asked Nazifa with a hint of hope that she did indeed have a free night as she gathered up her thick raven tendrils and captured them in a tight bun at the base of her neck. Knowing her older sister was near made the dreary nights of cleaning the Honeybee Inn just a bit more bearable.
"We finished fixing the Highwind, so he's given me a few day's leave," she murmured, fingers nimbly tugging the fabric of Mari's apron into a tight bow. Gravel crunching underfoot was the only sound for the proceeding minutes as the sisters carefully made their way through an alley that lead to the back of the Inn. Beneath the few flickering streetlights, Mari studied the dark circles that began to form under the other female's hazel eyes.The younger female's teeth gently pressed into her plush bottom lip, eyebrows knitting and lines of worry creasing her forehead. Though she smiled still, her laugh was hollow, eyes almost lifeless. Mari sighed again, rummaging through her pockets for her ring of keys. She'd have to ponder her sister's plight at a later date.
For quite some time now, she'd wondered how the combined wages of a housekeeper for the Honeybee Inn and a part-time mechanic managed to support three people, one of which was bed-ridden.
The product of needles and the intoxicating glow of neon lights. They never knew their fathers, and they doubted their mother did, either. The three of them had always been on their own, slowly consumed by the sinful allure of the underworld. Each day, Mari slipped further and further into the comforting grasp of the heavy perfume and cigarette smoke that filled every pore of her being. All for her. For the one that brought her into this world. All she could give was her meager minimum wage check, but if it kept her alive and made the pain go away...
Her morbid train of thought fell away as a very flustered, half-dressed woman skittered in her direction. Before she could so much as utter a hello, the woman had an iron grip on her shoulders and shook her violently as her words flowed a mile a minute.
"Mari, have you seen my garter belt anywhere?! I think one of the girls ran off with it...you know the one! Black lace...ooooh, I've GOT to find it!" For a brief moment, the frantic woman calmed, a devious little grin curling on her lips. "Reno's here..." she purred, a certain twinkle to her eye.
"You know, for as long as I've worked here, I've never so much as caught a glimpse of this Reno guy...what's so..." Mari pursed her lips, arms crossing under her chest as the petite female flittered away before she could even finish her sentence. Nazifa said nothing as she stooped to pick up the supposedly missing garter belt and tucked it safely into one of Mari's pockets; in her fit of panic, she'd dropped it right in front of her.
A deafening silence ensued. Mari's olive green orbs watched the statue of a sister from the corner of her eye. Eventually, Nazifa's own hazel hues flitted in her direction.
"Nazi, I was won--" Again, Mari was interrupted, but this time, by the ring of a cell phone. Her sister held up a finger as she said her greetings to whomever was on the other line. Patiently, she waited, recomposing her words while watching the other caramel-skinned female's face undergo an amazing range of emotions. Eventually, her features settled into an expression of intense worry. Or was that fear she detected in her eyes? It seemed yet again her thoughts would have to wait until a later time.
"I have to go meet up with a friend of mine. Wait here for me after work, alright?"
"But, Nazi..." She'd already turned away, heading off in the other direction hastily. Mari gaped after her bushy mane as it rounded the corner. Without another word, Mari drifted to the storage room, preparing her work material on her cart, and sauntered off in the same direction that her sister went with only the noisy squeak of the cart to keep her company.
It was dismal work, wondering from room to room changing sheets and replacing towels. Her thoughts kept her occupied as she carried out these now automatic actions. As her shift came to a close, she rummaged for her keys, and her hand clasped around the lost garter belt from earlier. With half an hour to kill, Mari wandered slowly towards the dressing rooms with the intent of returning the item and hopefully catching a glimpse of the infamous Reno. She knew next to nothing about this man and was rather curious to encounter him for herself. Who wouldn't be after hearing the many whispered stories about the mistress of the Inn's tirades with the promiscuous Turk? Turk. To her, it was just a meaningless word. With any luck, maybe the Turk himself could flesh out the empty word.
The halls were empty, the squeak of the wheels resonating through the dank hollowness. Not even the overbearing scent of powder and alcohol could permeate the eerie stillness. The blood-curdling scream that followed hadn't even reached her ears when her body lurched forward. Driven by pure instinct, the door to the opulent strip club flung open and hadn't even closed by the time she'd flown across the stage. A light pink glow, flash of red hair, and a few shrieks of surprise were all her senses could take in before a blur of the mundane colors of the halls filled her vision. Desperately, she threw one leg in front of the other and smashed open the door from whence the scream came with a thunderous crash.
Time froze. Torn clothes were strewn about. A rather large sum of money was scattered about, a few flecks of crimson brilliant against the gray of the concrete floor. A man she did not recognize was stooped over a quivering mass of bruised and bloody flesh...her sister.
The man was seething, his very breath full of an uncontrollable rage as he turned his gaze to Mari. His eyes were clouded over with a murderous intent, violently tearing through her very core. She stared straight back into those murky depths, daring him to lay another finger on her sister.
The battle of looks was broken by an incoherent groan. Nazifa sobbed, and began to plead. She pleaded not for her life, but for Mari's.
"Please, Deraj...don't hurt her..." was all she could croak before the man stood up suddenly and gave a sharp kick to her ribcage.
"Shut up you thieving whore!" He abandoned her, gasping for breath and coughing up a mouthful of blood. The monster of a man descended upon Mari like a shark that had caught the scent of blood. Slowly, she stumbled backwards, eyes darting around frantically for something, anything to help her. It wasn't until her back pressed against the cold wall that fear finally caught up with her.
"No..." Nazifa whimpered, tears streaming down her cheeks as she helplessly reached for her sister. Mari could almost feel the Deraj's ragged breath on her face. Was she destined to die in the storage room of a whore's hotel?
Not if the rather hefty chain on his wallet had anything to say about it. Fueled by a powerful surge of adrenaline, Mari let out a wild cry of anger. The change from trembling prey to terrifying predator startled their attacker. He thrashed about, knife slashing at whatever it could sever. And then the weapon fell with a clatter to the ground, a nearly inaudible sound over his red-faced spluttering. He clawed at the chain that wound tightly around his neck, gasping for fleeting breath. Mari couldn't feel the knife wounds he'd inflicted upon her, heart pounding in her ears.
A final, shuddering breath fell from blue lips. For a time, Mari still kept the metal twisted around his neck. This didn't satisfy her. He deserved more than this simple death. However, all the heinous acts she'd conjured up disappeared the moment Nazifa whispered her name. She all but threw the limp body as she scrambled over to her sister.
"I...I'm sorry...I should've..." Nazifa winced as her younger sibling dabbed at the cut along her cheek with the edge of her apron.
"Don't talk." Mari was trembling now, voice weak and shaking, the rush of chemicals finally surrendering her body to her control once more. "I'm going to get help...everything is going to be okay..." She muttered this more to herself than Nazifa to keep herself calm. The man that lay feet away from her...she'd taken his life with her own two hands. For a brief second, she stared at the small flecks of rust that powdered her hands. Swiftly, she began to stumble off in the direction of the nearest people. It was then that Mari became aware of the warm scarlet liquid that poured from a gash along the side of her stomach.
"I'm...bleeding..." Mari said incredulously. Pain took a hold of her body. Her vision blurred. The sound of approaching feet echoed somewhere nearby. Her legs crumbled beneath her, but before she could fall to the ground, someone caught her. The smell of menthol cigarettes and alcohol burned her nose. The last thing she saw before consciousness fled her was a shock of red hair and the brilliant glow of a man's mako eyes.
Garbled mumurs invaded her ears, joined by the steady beat of the heart monitor. Try as she might to open her eyes, her body refused to comply. Mari hadn't a clue where she was or who the male voice belonged to.
"Please, Miss Colfax, think about it. When you and your sister have fully recovered, don't hesitate to come see me..." murmured the unidentifiable voice.
"Thank you, Mr. ShinRa..." said a woman's voice.
"Just call me Rufus."
"Thank you, Rufus. I'll be sure to contact you as soon as possible." The sound of 3 pairs of retreating feet faded as a door closed. The woman sighed, settling herself in a seat nerby. Mari identified the warmth on her cheek as someone stroking her face affectionately. Her throat was dry, and her tongue felt like lead. All she could manage was a raspy groan. With a tremendous effort, Mari opened her eyes to mere slits.
"Mari!" the woman exclaimed, her face hovering in Mari's hazy field of vision.
"Nazi?" she asked slowly. The masses of curly hair that surrounded the female's head could only belong to her sister. Mari smiled weakly and made a motion to sit up, but Nazifa pressed her back into the hospital bed.
"Nazi...what..." Nazifa smiled softly and petted her hair.
"Shhh...I'll explain it all. You need to rest..."
Roughly half a year after the fall of Sephiroth, a rare and, thusfar, incurable disease struck a dozen or so unfortunate people in the Midgar slums. No one had heard of it before, and none of the unliscenced doctors Mari and Nazifa had taken their mother to could find a treatment. It had come to be known as Geostigma. It was a slow disease, but having already been a sickly woman, their mother was in very bad shape. Considering the financial situation they were in, real medicine was a laughable concept. There was only one other option to ease her pain.
Drugs. Namely, morphine. It liberated her from the pain, but she was a slave to it as well. Naturally after a few months of constant use, she'd grown addicted, the need becoming the driving force of her existance. At times, the sisters had questioned the morality of their personal healthcare methods. But in the slums, what else could they do?
Of course, they worked themselves to the bone to provide for themselves and the cost of maintaining their mother's well-being. Not long after she became sick, Nazifa had come across a very generous man. Her car was nowhere near perfect and had broken down on the side of the road, and to her luck, Cid Highwind happened along her path. From there, a delightful friendship sprouted. Cid served an almost fatherly role in the sisters' lives, offering Nazifa a job as an apprentice mechanic and, through a friend of a friend, found Mari a job as a housekeeper at the Honeybee Inn.
Though they could have found much worse jobs, it still wasn't enough to feed themselves and their mother's addiction.
That's why Nazifa sold herself into a prostitution ring.
She met her eventual owner, Deraj Granite, while waiting for her sister to finish work at the Inn. At first, things were well enough. Better than anyone selling themselves on the street could hope for. As the nights dragged on, Deraj became more and more demanding, paying her less and less. To save herself and her family, a small, one-sided romance grew between them. But she couldn't take the fighting, the abuse, the drugs and alcohol. Slowly, she tucked away some of her earnings, keeping them for herself to eventually take her family away from the hellhole they called home.
Nazifa meant the world to Mari and vise versa. She couldn't bring herself to put such a wieght on her shoulders. Mari never knew.
That is, until Deraj discovered Nazifa's thievery. Being the violent person he was, he lashed out at her physically. Nazifa never went into the details of what transpired before Mari rescued her, though her silence spoke more than her words ever could. In the span of less than 10 minutes, Deraj was no more, and Mari had suffered a potentially fatal knife wound diagonally along the left side of her lower abdomen, more specifically, the illiac crest. Nazifa walked away with a few bruises and a badly split lip, as well as injuries that ran much deeper than her flesh.
And along came Rufus ShinRa. An employee of his had been present at the time of the murder. Accordingly, word of what transpired at the Honeybee Inn came around to him. It appeared that the Vice-President was very distantly related to Deraj. Rufus was disgusted by his relatives actions. Though the idea of spending more money was rather depressing for him, he offered the sisters' a job at his company. He would never come out and say it, but his kindness was the result of his need to restore his honor and desire to apologize for his family's defection.
"You just rest...when the doctor says its okay, we'll go visit Rufus."
"Is Mom okay?" Mari asked tentatively. Nazifa's lips trembled slightly though she continued to smile. Reaching out, she tucked a lock of her sister's hair behind her ear.
"Just rest...you'll need your strength."
"You're free to go, Miss Kael..." It had been a long week spent thinking about things she didn't want to think about, and she'd thought about them for much too long. Mari inclinded her head in thanks, solemnly holding out her hand. The doctor gave her a puzzled look. "Don't I have a medical bill?" The doctor smiled brightly at her.
"No, it appears some friends of yours have paid it off in full. They're waiting for you at the reception desk. Remember, no strenuous activity for at least 2 months. Have a good day, Miss Kael." And with that, the doctor left her with Nazifa. Her elder sister's expression of utter confusion. Wthout a word, the sister's made their way towards the exit to meet their 'friends.'
Dark skin, shaved head, thickly built, tall and brooding. Despite the large amount of light, a pair of sunglasses concealed his eyes. Clad in a black suit, his gloved hand tapped his partner on the shoulder to pull his attention from flirting with the reception lady.
Again, the smell of menthol cigarettes and alcohol gently drifted toward Mari as those seafoam green hues drifted lazily in her direction. Mari's olive orbs were drawn to the red marks that lined his cheekbones. A smug half-smirk curled upon his lips, eyes slowly making their way up her body. The redheaded man also wore a suit, though much less tidy than his friend's. No tie was present, and his oxford shirt was half opened, exposing the expanse of his chest. Though nowhere near as well built as the other, the lean muscle beneath his pale skin was still obvious.
While Mari gawked at the two, Nazifa bowed low to them.
"Thank you very much. I'm assuming Rufus sent you?" Nazifa spoke as though she knew them, which further confused her younger sister. The hairless one merely gave a curt nod.
"Mari, I'd like you to meet Rude..." She indicated the one in sunglasses. "...and Reno."
She was absolutely speechless as the one and only Reno slipped his arm around her shoulder and led her to the exit, Rude and Nazifa following closely. Her moment of stupification was rudely interrupted by the rather obvious presence of the redhead's hand on her behind.
"Welcome to the Turks, babe."