Thanking You
There something almost. . . unclean about this place now. Not that Midgar was ever the nicest place in the world, but you get my point. No one would dare go in there now, not after all that's happened. The seven sectors of hell have fallen, and now they will remain forever to remind us of how close we came to losing everything.
And now, standing on this cliff I feel like an outsider looking in. Looking at the untouchable, just beyond the glass. Looking at the past, the remains of my life, the shades of everyone who died to set this godforsaken Planet free. I can't help but look around and see the desolation; the ruins that are the only grave those in Midgar during Meteor will get. And we all know who did this.
Oh, in the end everyone's blameless. Rufus Shinra, Scarlet, Heidegger, Hojo. . . even Sephiroth. Because in death there is a peculiar liberty, a release from everything and everyone left behind. Yeah, it's not their fault they fucked up; we're all human after all. We all make mistakes, we all die. It's just damned unfair that those of us still here have to live with their mistakes.
I didn't use to think you know. Once upon a time I'd do whatever shit people told me to - paid me to - and I was happy because I thought that's how things were supposed to be. Don't get me wrong, I was never naïve. I lost my innocence down a blood stained gutter at the age of three. But let's not go there. That's not why I'm here.
I'm here to remember. 'Lest we forget' and all that crap. . . But, you know, maybe it wasn't such a bad idea. I've got too many things on these shoulders, and maybe if I look them in the eye they'll stop haunting me. I know, I know. Reno of the Turks developing a conscience!? Just shut the hell up and listen for a minute. I'm not sorry for what I did. I got no regrets, and I won't bow to anybody. If you were so damned 'wronged', than you weren't strong enough to save yourself and it's no one's fault but your own. That's not to say I haven't changed. You live and learn, people.
Back to why I'm standing here freezing my ass off. To tell the truth, I'm not really sure. I told myself so many different things. . . I wanted to think that I was making sure this place was really dead, or something. But you know, I think I'm really here because of AVALANCHE. Sounds stupid, don't it? Wait, don't answer that. I thought I already told you to shut up
The sun's coming up over the scrap heap, and down below I can just see the twisted spire of the sector five church. It just kinda brings it all back. I think that we wanted to believe we were doing it for the good of the company, for somebody. Or, when all else failed, that we were at least the big bad. Everyone wants to mean something. No, the Turks were just Shinra's hired help. Didn't want to get their own hands dirty so they tamed their own personal demons and dressed them up in blue suits.
I think it was in that church that I first met the Ancient. Don't remember her name, but I won't ever forget those eyes. Like Strife's, they sparkled like there weren't no gem prettier anywhere. But unlike his, hers weren't stained by Mako. They shone like, well, now that I've seen it myself, like the bloody Lifestream. I guess now, looking back, I can see why.
That Ancient, she meant a lot to her friends. And I guess they must have meant a lot to her, too. I don't know the whole story, I wasn't there, didn't see it happen. But I do think that she did it for us. Maybe not me personally, but for all of us who have to go on living here, even after those we care about have left us. She died to save everything she loved, and she loved the whole damned Planet. I've been told so many things about her, and I can tell that none of AVALANCHE ever really let her go. Kinda like us and Tseng, really.
Tseng. Still hurts to say that name out loud, even after all this time. Well, to hell with that. Tseng, Tseng, Tseng, Tseng. I'll scream it to the sky if I want to.
Well, now that we got that over with, let's continue, shall we? Yeah, the Ancient and Tseng grew up together, or so I'm told. I know he loved her, anyway. But we were Turks and there was a job to be done. Never ask your guy to choose between his job and you. Professionalism wins every time, baby.
I think in the end Tseng saw what we couldn't. We were too blinded by the high on which a Turk permanently lives; the people, the places, the money, the power. But before he died, Tseng told AVALANCHE the truth and wished his sweet Ancient a final farewell. No, romance never sounded good on me.
But the Ancient, well, she loved Strife and lived for Strife. If we were blind, then he must've been decapitated at birth to miss that. Still, he managed to not see how the Ancient smiled with her shiny eyes and went and got herself skewered all for him. If I said I cared it would be out of character, but hey, it's a little late for that already. So. . . let's just say I'm sorry for what happened and let it go at that.
There's a lot in life to live for, even if times have gotten hard. I don't have a nice place to go back to anymore, I'm hated wherever I go. But don't feel sorry for me, I'll shoot you before I give in to that. You get over it, and you go on with what you have. Personally, what I had after meteor was a whole lot of debts, too many memories and a sudden urge to get very drunk.
But it's because of her that I still had that, even if I'm the only one who realizes it. No one gives a damn what I do, where I go anymore. And still, she's the one that made sure there was still a damn to be given. I'm going in circles. We want to believe in heroes and happiness for all, and for a while it's been messing me up. But. . . I think I've finally figured it out. Strife and friends, they did what they did for themselves. They each had a score to settle, and no one ever thought about the rest of us who might not want to die a fiery death from Meteor.
The only one who remembered us, gave it all up for us. She's the only real hero of the bunch, if you ask me. Even if I only met her a few times, and never in happy times, I guess in some ways she was the strongest person I ever met. Hey, she was no ninja, but she didn't need a sword. She had something else.
Tseng, you were our leader, the one we looked up to. We may be bastards, but when you died you left a hole in our hearts. Contradiction in terms? Like I give a damn. You were our partner in crime and I hated you for that, but you were also our teacher, our role model and our friend. For that, a little bit of you goes on in every one of us.
You know, Tseng, I hope you find your Ancient wherever you've gone. You were a devil and she was an angel, but you just gotta hope that there's someone to forgive you after all's said and done. I don't pretend to know what happens, where death takes you. I've seen more of it then anyone should, and I still don't know. Go figure. All I can say for sure is that I owe the Ancient my life, and Tseng my soul. Wherever I go from here, everything I do I know I'll have you guys watching my back just like old times.
This? S'a bouquet. Roses. Half of them are red and half are black. Don't worry, I'm leaving them here. There's only two people that ever gave a damn about me enough to care, and these are for them. I won't forget, not ever. Maybe this was a pointless trip, or maybe. . . maybe someone somewhere smiled, and that would make it all worth it.
Devil, may you find your angel and never be alone again. Me? I've gotta get going home. Yuffie tends to worry if I'm gone long. She always seems to think I'm out drinking or something. Wonder where she gets ideas like that, huh?
Just. . . one last thing. When you find your Ancient, tell her that I. . .
No. Just. . . tell her that I said. . . Thanks.
~* Note from the Author*~ Hey everybody! Yeah, I know. This sure is a weird one. I was sitting in computer class when this idea hit me. I started writing, not even knowing which character it was talking to me. For a while I thought it was Tifa, but man was I surprised when it turned out to be Reno! This was supposed to be an AVALANCHE thing! Reno's a difficult character to work with. Sometimes he uses these beautiful, descriptive sentences. Other times, he treats grammar like it shouldn't be touched with a three-foot pole. Sigh. After he finished telling me his side of the story, I finally chased him. . . off. . . What have I done!? NOOOOOOOO!!! *Chases after sexy redhead*
There something almost. . . unclean about this place now. Not that Midgar was ever the nicest place in the world, but you get my point. No one would dare go in there now, not after all that's happened. The seven sectors of hell have fallen, and now they will remain forever to remind us of how close we came to losing everything.
And now, standing on this cliff I feel like an outsider looking in. Looking at the untouchable, just beyond the glass. Looking at the past, the remains of my life, the shades of everyone who died to set this godforsaken Planet free. I can't help but look around and see the desolation; the ruins that are the only grave those in Midgar during Meteor will get. And we all know who did this.
Oh, in the end everyone's blameless. Rufus Shinra, Scarlet, Heidegger, Hojo. . . even Sephiroth. Because in death there is a peculiar liberty, a release from everything and everyone left behind. Yeah, it's not their fault they fucked up; we're all human after all. We all make mistakes, we all die. It's just damned unfair that those of us still here have to live with their mistakes.
I didn't use to think you know. Once upon a time I'd do whatever shit people told me to - paid me to - and I was happy because I thought that's how things were supposed to be. Don't get me wrong, I was never naïve. I lost my innocence down a blood stained gutter at the age of three. But let's not go there. That's not why I'm here.
I'm here to remember. 'Lest we forget' and all that crap. . . But, you know, maybe it wasn't such a bad idea. I've got too many things on these shoulders, and maybe if I look them in the eye they'll stop haunting me. I know, I know. Reno of the Turks developing a conscience!? Just shut the hell up and listen for a minute. I'm not sorry for what I did. I got no regrets, and I won't bow to anybody. If you were so damned 'wronged', than you weren't strong enough to save yourself and it's no one's fault but your own. That's not to say I haven't changed. You live and learn, people.
Back to why I'm standing here freezing my ass off. To tell the truth, I'm not really sure. I told myself so many different things. . . I wanted to think that I was making sure this place was really dead, or something. But you know, I think I'm really here because of AVALANCHE. Sounds stupid, don't it? Wait, don't answer that. I thought I already told you to shut up
The sun's coming up over the scrap heap, and down below I can just see the twisted spire of the sector five church. It just kinda brings it all back. I think that we wanted to believe we were doing it for the good of the company, for somebody. Or, when all else failed, that we were at least the big bad. Everyone wants to mean something. No, the Turks were just Shinra's hired help. Didn't want to get their own hands dirty so they tamed their own personal demons and dressed them up in blue suits.
I think it was in that church that I first met the Ancient. Don't remember her name, but I won't ever forget those eyes. Like Strife's, they sparkled like there weren't no gem prettier anywhere. But unlike his, hers weren't stained by Mako. They shone like, well, now that I've seen it myself, like the bloody Lifestream. I guess now, looking back, I can see why.
That Ancient, she meant a lot to her friends. And I guess they must have meant a lot to her, too. I don't know the whole story, I wasn't there, didn't see it happen. But I do think that she did it for us. Maybe not me personally, but for all of us who have to go on living here, even after those we care about have left us. She died to save everything she loved, and she loved the whole damned Planet. I've been told so many things about her, and I can tell that none of AVALANCHE ever really let her go. Kinda like us and Tseng, really.
Tseng. Still hurts to say that name out loud, even after all this time. Well, to hell with that. Tseng, Tseng, Tseng, Tseng. I'll scream it to the sky if I want to.
Well, now that we got that over with, let's continue, shall we? Yeah, the Ancient and Tseng grew up together, or so I'm told. I know he loved her, anyway. But we were Turks and there was a job to be done. Never ask your guy to choose between his job and you. Professionalism wins every time, baby.
I think in the end Tseng saw what we couldn't. We were too blinded by the high on which a Turk permanently lives; the people, the places, the money, the power. But before he died, Tseng told AVALANCHE the truth and wished his sweet Ancient a final farewell. No, romance never sounded good on me.
But the Ancient, well, she loved Strife and lived for Strife. If we were blind, then he must've been decapitated at birth to miss that. Still, he managed to not see how the Ancient smiled with her shiny eyes and went and got herself skewered all for him. If I said I cared it would be out of character, but hey, it's a little late for that already. So. . . let's just say I'm sorry for what happened and let it go at that.
There's a lot in life to live for, even if times have gotten hard. I don't have a nice place to go back to anymore, I'm hated wherever I go. But don't feel sorry for me, I'll shoot you before I give in to that. You get over it, and you go on with what you have. Personally, what I had after meteor was a whole lot of debts, too many memories and a sudden urge to get very drunk.
But it's because of her that I still had that, even if I'm the only one who realizes it. No one gives a damn what I do, where I go anymore. And still, she's the one that made sure there was still a damn to be given. I'm going in circles. We want to believe in heroes and happiness for all, and for a while it's been messing me up. But. . . I think I've finally figured it out. Strife and friends, they did what they did for themselves. They each had a score to settle, and no one ever thought about the rest of us who might not want to die a fiery death from Meteor.
The only one who remembered us, gave it all up for us. She's the only real hero of the bunch, if you ask me. Even if I only met her a few times, and never in happy times, I guess in some ways she was the strongest person I ever met. Hey, she was no ninja, but she didn't need a sword. She had something else.
Tseng, you were our leader, the one we looked up to. We may be bastards, but when you died you left a hole in our hearts. Contradiction in terms? Like I give a damn. You were our partner in crime and I hated you for that, but you were also our teacher, our role model and our friend. For that, a little bit of you goes on in every one of us.
You know, Tseng, I hope you find your Ancient wherever you've gone. You were a devil and she was an angel, but you just gotta hope that there's someone to forgive you after all's said and done. I don't pretend to know what happens, where death takes you. I've seen more of it then anyone should, and I still don't know. Go figure. All I can say for sure is that I owe the Ancient my life, and Tseng my soul. Wherever I go from here, everything I do I know I'll have you guys watching my back just like old times.
This? S'a bouquet. Roses. Half of them are red and half are black. Don't worry, I'm leaving them here. There's only two people that ever gave a damn about me enough to care, and these are for them. I won't forget, not ever. Maybe this was a pointless trip, or maybe. . . maybe someone somewhere smiled, and that would make it all worth it.
Devil, may you find your angel and never be alone again. Me? I've gotta get going home. Yuffie tends to worry if I'm gone long. She always seems to think I'm out drinking or something. Wonder where she gets ideas like that, huh?
Just. . . one last thing. When you find your Ancient, tell her that I. . .
No. Just. . . tell her that I said. . . Thanks.
~* Note from the Author*~ Hey everybody! Yeah, I know. This sure is a weird one. I was sitting in computer class when this idea hit me. I started writing, not even knowing which character it was talking to me. For a while I thought it was Tifa, but man was I surprised when it turned out to be Reno! This was supposed to be an AVALANCHE thing! Reno's a difficult character to work with. Sometimes he uses these beautiful, descriptive sentences. Other times, he treats grammar like it shouldn't be touched with a three-foot pole. Sigh. After he finished telling me his side of the story, I finally chased him. . . off. . . What have I done!? NOOOOOOOO!!! *Chases after sexy redhead*