Parachutes
Part 3
He counted his money one last time before entering the store. And with a slight grin he realized that he had earned every single gil in there. Take that Felix.
"Welcome! How may I help you good sir?" asked the portly, yet jovial shopkeeper.
Rude looked around the store warily; he was quite out of his element here. Jewelry was more Lara's area of expertise.
"I'm looking for a ring."
"Ah rings yes, we have many kinds of rings." Said the shopkeeper as he scurried over to the ring case.
Rude surveyed them, with no idea what to look for.
"What exactly is it you're looking for in this ring?"
"I need an engagement ring." Said Rude sheepishly.
"Oh ho! I have just the thing!" said the shopkeeper as he tried to find the ring he was talking about.
A few moments later he shot up, triumphant in his search. In his open palm lay one of the most beautiful rings Rude had ever seen. The ring held a single diamond in the center, which sparkled with a fierce intensity even in the dim shop. The sky blue would look great on Petra.
"I'll take it." Said Rude without hesitation.
"This girl will be quite lucky for both the ring and her new fiancée." Said the shopkeeper as he rang up the ring.
Rude walked out 6,000 gil lighter and with an ego twice as large.
****
The next day Rude found himself walking down the long hall from the furnaces to the outside world. His shift had just gotten over and he was discussing plans for the night with his small friend Ronny.
"So you going to pop the big question tonight?" asked Ronny quizzically.
"Yeah I think so. I got a reservation at Shinra Gardens, supposed to be a great view."
"Of what? The Mako reactors? But what about your shoes?" Ronny said pointing at Rude's only pair of shoes.
Rude had accidentally dowsed his shoes in a bucket of a liquid metal used in the gun manufacturing at the very end of his shift. His shoes were now encased in a shiny substance, which had instantly hardened up.
"Damn I forgot about them." Cursed Rude.
"No problem. Just stop by my place on the way and you can borrow a pair o' mine."
"Really?"
"Sure, just don't spill any wine on 'em." Joked Ronny.
"Oh very funny." Said Rude as he rolled his eyes.
As they walked out the doors they were buffeted by a refreshingly cool breeze.
"So just stop by on your way to pick up Petra. I'll be there." Said Ronny as he headed off.
"Yep!" Rude yelled after him.
****
A couple hours later Rude stood at Ronny's door. Now showered and dressed for the occasion, in a black leather sports coat and his favorite khakis, but still with the silver shoes.
He knocked once more but still no answer. He waited another minute before trying the door, it was unlocked. Slowly he opened it, hoping not to intrude.
"Ronny?" he yelled.
No answer.
He was probably just in the bedroom listening to his headphones, and hadn't heard Rude knock.. In the hallway he saw the shoes he was going to borrow, but decided to ask Ronny first. As he rounded the corner he found the bedroom door open, odd Ronny should have heard him if it was open. But soon all of it came together, as he walked through the door.
Ronny was sprawled on his bed, a bullet in his chest, and a red hole in his shirt.
"No..." was all Rude could utter.
His next instinct was to run outside and get someone to deal with this. His legs pushed him out of the apartment and down the stairs to the street.
He could go to his parents' house down the street, but he was his own man, he didn't need them. But this wouldn't be a show of weakness, his friend was dead, he had to do something. So against his better judgment he ran down the street to report Ron's death.
But his progress was halted as a massive explosion shook the street and shattered every window for three blocks. Rude was thrown back by the sheer force of the explosion and landed roughly on the sidewalk. And as he stood up it dawned on him that it was his parents' house, which had just been reduced to rubble.
Lara, his mom, his dad. All gone, it was too much to bear. And it was too much of a coincidence, first Ron, now his whole family! Felix had to be behind these systematic killings.
He'd definitely have to cancel his date with Petra, but she'd understand. Then it hit him. Petra wasn't safe anymore. He bolted through the streets like a prize chocobo. He had to get to Petra, he heard sirens in the distance. They'd deal with the explosion. Petra was the only thing that mattered to him now.
He didn't even ring the buzzer at her building. Instead he went up the fire escape, it was quicker. He attracted a few suspicious glances along the way but he didn't care, all he cared about was Petra. Luckily she only lived on the third floor so his ascent wasn't too tough. The window was stuck but he soon changed that, he stumbled in through the window amidst the broken glass carelessly, ignoring the pain.
"Petra. Petra!" he screamed repeatedly.
"I'm in here Rude." Replied Petra's voice.
He let out a long sigh of relief and walked to the kitchen where the voice was coming from. The first thing he saw disturbed him, a tape player lay on the counter repeatedly spouting Petra's reassuring reply.
"Petra." He asked confusedly.
All he got was the tape player's reply.
Where was she.
But that answer came all too soon. Behind the counter was his answer.
A fresh crimson pool was spreading around Petra's body. The newly opened holes in her chest reflected even in the dim light, just like the ring he was going to give her tonight. Next to her body lay a Brauer gun, missing two bullets, which would surely be found in Petra's chest.
As if in a daze Rude sank to his knees and for the first time in 10 years bawled his eyes out. He pulled the ring out of his jacket and gently placed it on her finger. And with that he looked upwards to the skylight and let out a cry of love, hatred and despair.
All the while Petra's reassuring call still played on the tape recorder, lulling him into submission.
Author's note-Closure, that was rather emotional for me to write. But I think the end result was good. I plan to write a follow up to this which will include both Reno and Rude, and you can look for more In the Absence of the Sun.
Part 3
He counted his money one last time before entering the store. And with a slight grin he realized that he had earned every single gil in there. Take that Felix.
"Welcome! How may I help you good sir?" asked the portly, yet jovial shopkeeper.
Rude looked around the store warily; he was quite out of his element here. Jewelry was more Lara's area of expertise.
"I'm looking for a ring."
"Ah rings yes, we have many kinds of rings." Said the shopkeeper as he scurried over to the ring case.
Rude surveyed them, with no idea what to look for.
"What exactly is it you're looking for in this ring?"
"I need an engagement ring." Said Rude sheepishly.
"Oh ho! I have just the thing!" said the shopkeeper as he tried to find the ring he was talking about.
A few moments later he shot up, triumphant in his search. In his open palm lay one of the most beautiful rings Rude had ever seen. The ring held a single diamond in the center, which sparkled with a fierce intensity even in the dim shop. The sky blue would look great on Petra.
"I'll take it." Said Rude without hesitation.
"This girl will be quite lucky for both the ring and her new fiancée." Said the shopkeeper as he rang up the ring.
Rude walked out 6,000 gil lighter and with an ego twice as large.
****
The next day Rude found himself walking down the long hall from the furnaces to the outside world. His shift had just gotten over and he was discussing plans for the night with his small friend Ronny.
"So you going to pop the big question tonight?" asked Ronny quizzically.
"Yeah I think so. I got a reservation at Shinra Gardens, supposed to be a great view."
"Of what? The Mako reactors? But what about your shoes?" Ronny said pointing at Rude's only pair of shoes.
Rude had accidentally dowsed his shoes in a bucket of a liquid metal used in the gun manufacturing at the very end of his shift. His shoes were now encased in a shiny substance, which had instantly hardened up.
"Damn I forgot about them." Cursed Rude.
"No problem. Just stop by my place on the way and you can borrow a pair o' mine."
"Really?"
"Sure, just don't spill any wine on 'em." Joked Ronny.
"Oh very funny." Said Rude as he rolled his eyes.
As they walked out the doors they were buffeted by a refreshingly cool breeze.
"So just stop by on your way to pick up Petra. I'll be there." Said Ronny as he headed off.
"Yep!" Rude yelled after him.
****
A couple hours later Rude stood at Ronny's door. Now showered and dressed for the occasion, in a black leather sports coat and his favorite khakis, but still with the silver shoes.
He knocked once more but still no answer. He waited another minute before trying the door, it was unlocked. Slowly he opened it, hoping not to intrude.
"Ronny?" he yelled.
No answer.
He was probably just in the bedroom listening to his headphones, and hadn't heard Rude knock.. In the hallway he saw the shoes he was going to borrow, but decided to ask Ronny first. As he rounded the corner he found the bedroom door open, odd Ronny should have heard him if it was open. But soon all of it came together, as he walked through the door.
Ronny was sprawled on his bed, a bullet in his chest, and a red hole in his shirt.
"No..." was all Rude could utter.
His next instinct was to run outside and get someone to deal with this. His legs pushed him out of the apartment and down the stairs to the street.
He could go to his parents' house down the street, but he was his own man, he didn't need them. But this wouldn't be a show of weakness, his friend was dead, he had to do something. So against his better judgment he ran down the street to report Ron's death.
But his progress was halted as a massive explosion shook the street and shattered every window for three blocks. Rude was thrown back by the sheer force of the explosion and landed roughly on the sidewalk. And as he stood up it dawned on him that it was his parents' house, which had just been reduced to rubble.
Lara, his mom, his dad. All gone, it was too much to bear. And it was too much of a coincidence, first Ron, now his whole family! Felix had to be behind these systematic killings.
He'd definitely have to cancel his date with Petra, but she'd understand. Then it hit him. Petra wasn't safe anymore. He bolted through the streets like a prize chocobo. He had to get to Petra, he heard sirens in the distance. They'd deal with the explosion. Petra was the only thing that mattered to him now.
He didn't even ring the buzzer at her building. Instead he went up the fire escape, it was quicker. He attracted a few suspicious glances along the way but he didn't care, all he cared about was Petra. Luckily she only lived on the third floor so his ascent wasn't too tough. The window was stuck but he soon changed that, he stumbled in through the window amidst the broken glass carelessly, ignoring the pain.
"Petra. Petra!" he screamed repeatedly.
"I'm in here Rude." Replied Petra's voice.
He let out a long sigh of relief and walked to the kitchen where the voice was coming from. The first thing he saw disturbed him, a tape player lay on the counter repeatedly spouting Petra's reassuring reply.
"Petra." He asked confusedly.
All he got was the tape player's reply.
Where was she.
But that answer came all too soon. Behind the counter was his answer.
A fresh crimson pool was spreading around Petra's body. The newly opened holes in her chest reflected even in the dim light, just like the ring he was going to give her tonight. Next to her body lay a Brauer gun, missing two bullets, which would surely be found in Petra's chest.
As if in a daze Rude sank to his knees and for the first time in 10 years bawled his eyes out. He pulled the ring out of his jacket and gently placed it on her finger. And with that he looked upwards to the skylight and let out a cry of love, hatred and despair.
All the while Petra's reassuring call still played on the tape recorder, lulling him into submission.
Author's note-Closure, that was rather emotional for me to write. But I think the end result was good. I plan to write a follow up to this which will include both Reno and Rude, and you can look for more In the Absence of the Sun.