Purging the Pain
Chapter 2: Gone
Disclaimer: Don't own FF& or HP. This is my first story. Read and review
A girl with black hair and dressed in a suit gazed outside the window in Healin Lodge. Her amber eyes glittered with remorse when she turned her eyes back to the other figure with her in the room. The said figure was a blond man she was told to clandestinely protect by the head of the Turks. The said man slept without a care in the world. Though covered in bandages and lying on the bed, Rufus Shinra still managed to look as ethereal as ever. The girl crossed the room and checked for any changes of her charge's condition. She bit down on her lip when she noticed a black spot on Rufus' right hand.
Not good. She thought
She was drawn out of her musings when she heard the door of the room opened. A man in a suit with black hair crossed the room and stood near the bed of the man.
"Any changes with Rufus' condition Ophelie?" the man asked as his brow furrowed
"None sir…or I think so" Ophelie said meekly
The onyx haired man placed his hand on her head. This forced the girl to look at him, her amber eyes shifting once in a while to the figure on the bed.
"We've known each other for years, yet you still call me that" the man said, his hand never leaving her head while his coal eyes bored into her amber ones.
The girl cast her eyes back to the figure on the bed and muttered "Sorry Tseng"
Tseng sighed and spoke gently "It isn't your fault you know. I didn't call you earlier"
Ophelie's lips thinned "Yes" she retorted bitterly. Her hands clenched hard on booth sides that her knuckles were starting turn pale.
"It couldn't be helped" Tseng said while removing his hand from her head. He noticed the black spot on Rufus' hand and frowned. Ophelie noticed this and sighed.
"Still doesn't mean that I'm off the hook" she whispered, then she turned back to Tseng and gazed at him melancholy.
"We seem too have another problem, I'm sure you've noticed" she indicated to Rufus' hand
"Yes. I'm quite aware of that. I had Reno and Rude research on it" Tseng replied and checked his watch
"And what of their research?" she asked, fiddling with a strand of her short hair out of habit.
"It's still on progress" Tseng replied evenly while staring at the figure on the bed. He scanned for other markings that might have been missed by Ophelie.
Ophelie picked up on Tseng's tone which she interpreted as It means he's going to die.
After checking for markings he settled on a chair next to the window which Ophelie joined him after a while. They both sat in silence. Once in a while, they caught themselves gazing back to the figure on the bed – the one who once had the world on his finger tips. Rufus Shinra, heir to the Shinra Electric Company who provided the world with mako.
The company now lay in ruins together with the city once known as the Capital of the World, Midgar. Forced out due to the attack of Weapon, The Turks retreated to Healin Lodge with their fallen leader.
Tseng and Ophelie were brought out of their musings when they heard a groan coming from the bed. They both rushed to the side of Rufus to give assurance to the man.
The man slowly opened his eyes to his surroundings while both Turks waited anxiously for the man to give a sign that he was alright. The man met their gaze with a puzzled look.
"Who are you?" the man said
Both Turks were a bit shocked at the statement, though Tseng hid his expression well. Whereas Ophelie, she was…so to say…a bit pissed.
"You don't know?" she growled out.
The man on the bed looked a bit frightened, which caught her and Tseng by surprise. Rufus is never afraid
Tseng decided to humor the situation since he knew that Ophelie getting furious was unusual, meaning that violent things could happen and he did not want to experience it…again.
"What is your name?" Tseng began while Ophelie turned to him and raised an eyebrow.
"Malfoy. Draco Malfoy. And you?" the man asked, meeting his gazed with a smug aura.
Well, he certainly acts like Rufus. What's he playing at? Ophelie thought.
Ophelie glanced at Tseng and asked calmly "What you remember?"
'Draco' thought for a moment then said "I think I caught a bludger to the head and fell off my broom."
Both Turks excused themselves from the room and went to the kitchen. Tseng sat down on a chair while Ophelie leaned on the wall near the stove.
"He's gone mental" Ophelie said bluntly while Tseng raised an eyebrow.
"I don't think so. I think it's amnesia but having developed another persona is strange given the fact that there weren't any other variables to affect him"
"But what about the bruise on his hand?" asked Ophelie
"I think we both know that that isn't a bruise" Tseng replied
"Yeah…geostigma" muttered Ophelie
"I have a theory but it seems far-fetched" Tseng replied
"Well enlighten me" challenged Ophelie
"Well geostigma is connected to the Lifestream" Tseng began
"Yeah, go on" Ophelie nodded
"The Lifestream contains other…souls" Tseng continued
Realization dawned on Ophelie You don't mean…Tseng nodded his head in silent agreement with the girl.
"But how is that possible?!" Ophelie almost shrieked
"I don't really know. It's like asking how did we survive Meteor?" Tseng replied.
Ophelie thought for a moment before getting up from her position on the wall and heading out the front door.
"Where you going?" Tseng asked
"Nibelheim" Ophelie replied
"Going to see if Hojo had any ideas?" Tseng asked
"Yeah. Say hi to others for me" stated Ophelie
