CHAPTER 55 – RUFUS AND THE TURKS
[ ν ] - εγλ 0008/01/21
After what seemed like an eternity, Reno and Rude made it to the Shinra Building, crashing through the windows at full speed.
They jumped off their motorcycles and slid under the staircase, steadying themselves above the shaking ground. The white light of Holy had blinded them for just a moment as it soared higher and higher towards Meteor. Reno poked his head out as the magics clashed with a deafening boom, their colors splattering like fireworks in the sky. He shielded his eyes for a moment before looking out again, only to see a monstrous stream of magic bursting through the broken windows. Rude pulled him back as it rushed inside and flooded the lobby, swallowing the ground beneath their feet. Thinking fast, Reno pointed at the closest room above the staircase. Rude nodded, and the two ran up to safety—the women's bathroom.
Hiding in separate toilet cubicles, Reno shouted, "Damn! The hell's going on outside?!"
Rude hung his head over the wall. "This is my fault."
"What is?"
"Us being here. I wanted to get my kit, and now—"
"It's cool," Reno cut him off. "Don't beat yourself up over it. Now's not the time to feel sorry."
Rude noticed a different tone in Reno's voice. Usually, when Reno was scared, he still spoke with energy and excitement. Just now, his voice was dry and shaky. Rude stayed quiet as he thought about how Reno was feeling. He rubbed his cheek and felt blood, only now realizing the wounds he'd received during the motorcycle sprint.
"Rude?" Reno called to him, as if he couldn't stand the silence.
"What?"
"We've been working together for a pretty long time."
"Yeah."
"Partners, right?"
"The best partners."
He'd been with Reno for as long as Reno had been a Turk. They'd fought side-by-side through thick and thin, and he was forever thankful for all the missions they had completed together, all the meals and jokes they had shared, and all the troubles they had inadvertently caused each other. If this was truly the end, there was no one else Rude would have wanted more at his side.
"Hahahaha..."
Hearing his laugh, Rude noticed that Reno was back to his usual self. He heard him leave his cubicle, and watched his feet make their way in front of him. Suddenly, the door of Rude's cubicle came crashing in. The baldhead caught the door and kicked it back, missing his target as it clattered to the floor. "What the hell?!"
"Heheheh," Reno chuckled, "Just one last present for my partner."
"A bathroom door?" Rude muttered, staring at him in confusion.
"A thrill! Your favorite."
"I've had better thrills eating breakfast..."
"Then how about we go outside?" Reno gestured towards the exit. "I bet it's insane out there."
Without waiting for a response, he ran out the bathroom. Rude followed him reluctantly, and up the stairs to the third floor. The powerful tempest whipped against them as they stepped out on the balcony, directly above the main entrance.
What they saw was nothing short of spectacular. The entire landscape was covered by tendrils of cyan light, flowing through the air and rising, little by little. Holy and Meteor were still clashing, but the whiteness of Holy had diminished significantly, coursing downwards as it blended in with the cyan magic. The combined energies increased tenfold in brightness, and suddenly surged upwards, approaching the massive fireball with unbelievable speed.
It was the Lifestream.
The Turks could only stare as the three forces collided with a blinding flash of light, and instantly, the red glow began to weaken. Meteor turned smaller and smaller as it was gradually engulfed by the power of Holy and Lifestream, which had solidified into an enormous force field. Then, with another blinding flash, the force field began to fade entirely, leaving no trace of Meteor's existence behind. All that remained were delicate swirls of vibrant green, falling from the sky like tiny snowflakes.
"Holy shit!" Reno cried as the sparkles rained down on him. "The Lifestream's everywhere, man!"
Rude stayed quiet as he looked at the wreckage ahead, and then the sky above. The destruction was... well, bad. But at least from what he could see, the city's Plates had remained intact throughout the destruction, suggesting that people were safe in the Slums. Far above, Rude saw a vast dark sky with stars, hundreds and thousands of them, shining brightly over the Planet. They were just regular stars, but he'd never seen anything more beautiful. The world was going to live on.
"Reno."
"What?"
He leaned forward and wrapped his arms around him. "This is awesome."
In the end, it was the Planet that saved itself from destruction.
Of course, that was only made possible by the actions of a few brave people, who risked everything to ensure a future for this world. The general public had no idea; they simply believed that the Planet had summoned the Lifestream as a defense mechanism, using its own lifeblood to protect itself and vanquish Meteor. While the Planet's actions were clearly understood, the majority of the population knew nothing of the true heroes.
Fortunately, the Turks knew what had happened thanks to Reeve, who had been there to witness everything through Cait Sith. Reeve had reached out to them shortly after Meteor was destroyed, during their return trip to Kalm.
"Cloud Strife... and the rest of Avalanche: Tifa, Barret, Cid, Nanaki, Vincent, and Yuffie. We defeated Sephiroth and freed Holy. Thank you, Aerith... thank you for your prayer."
The following morning, the Turks reunited with Rufus in their new home. The President was still in his wheelchair, still gravely injured, but on the road to recovery.
"Tseng, Reno, Rude, Elena... what do you all plan to do from here?"
"Uh, I don't remember getting the pink slip," Reno answered, drawing a quiet snicker from Rude. The other two nodded in agreement.
"The world may not have ended after Meteorfall," Tseng said, "But our work is far from complete. We will do whatever you feel is best for humanity and the Planet."
"The Turks must live on!" Elena added cheerfully. "If there's no work, there's no Turks. And if there's no Turks, there's no Shinra..."
"And I ain't goin' anywhere, even if we didn't have work," Reno said with a shrug. "You guys are the only family I have."
Rufus raised his chin slightly and gave a long look at his four subordinates. "If that's how all of you feel... then I have orders to give out. However, now would not be the best time to start your next assignment. You're all short on rest..."
"Four hours was more than enough!" Reno protested. "C'mon! There are millions of survivors out there, cryin' for help! And the sooner we help them, the sooner we can start celebrating. You up for celebrating, boss?"
Rufus looked away briefly... and for the first time in a long time, a smile crept over his lips. The redhead's enthusiasm was... infectious, to say the least. "You better get started then. Gathering allies should provide an adequate foundation for rebuilding our world. But keep in mind: not everyone affiliated with the company is going to be friendly."
"Got it," Reno agreed, and then asked, "But what do we need allies for?"
"Information, for now... as much as we can get."
"Sounds like a good plan, sir," Elena saluted, her smile bright and genuine.
Rufus gazed at her for a moment. The Turks had been in his debt ever since he saved their lives and their jobs, but Elena was never part of the original group. She was still a new Turk, much like he was still a new President. He nodded to her, grateful that she had chosen to stay with them. Elena nodded back, and he looked at Rude, the silent professional. Rude nodded.
He finally turned to his most senior subordinate, the man who disappeared from Shinra while recovering from his injuries. "Tseng..."
"Sir."
"I thought you might be ready to retire."
"Not at all, sir," Tseng replied. "There's much to be done that only Shinra can accomplish."
Rufus looked very pleased. "Well... if nothing else, you won't be bored. Thank you... everyone, for staying by my side."
Life after Meteorfall was not going to be easy. The world was half-dead and the Shinra Electric Power Company had fallen to just a small handful of employees. But Rufus was the Shinra Company, and the Investigation Sector of the General Affairs Department was still in one piece. The Turks still had their purpose in life, and as long as Rufus was alive and close by their side, they would always cherish it.
The End
