Dark World
Chapter 3: If This Is a Dream
RENO
God above, the world is a twisted place.
The rain began again with the distant rumble of thunder. Lighting crashed in the corner of my eye. All I could see was the gun.
The man with the yellow teeth grinned at me, the dark-tinted reflective glasses hiding his eyes from sight, thank God. He'd probably look fucking deranged. The edge of my mind noticed that Elena's blood was dilluted in the puddle fast forming at my feet from the sudden torrent, but I pushed the notation aside. Tseng was between us, his hunched over form shaking violently.
Crying. My fucking God... Tseng was crying. "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO HIM!?" I bellowed as I reailzed my gun was aimed for Yellow-Teeth now.
The reedy voice chuckled in response to my demand. Damn him to Hell! "I did nothing, Turk. I'm only a pawn in this game."
I stared him down... In a second, we could end eachother's lives. But what would come of Tseng...? Uncertainty crept into me. Tseng was like a father. Like family. The only family I ever had. I couldn't abandon him.
I was angry. That's putting it lightly. I was so far beyond pissed off that I could barely breathe. This son of a BITCH killed the only family I ever knew! Rude... Elena... Had he broken Tseng as well? I barely had to think... I simply acted.
I pulled the trigger.
----
TSENG
Our laughter echoed through the dense foreset. We were children then, seated in the branches of a wizened tree. I was very younge at the time, and looked upon the world with an innocent eye. I was leaning against my older sister's shoulder as we idly watched a mother bird feed her chicks.
Reckless as ever, James stood on the brach next to us, a slight breeze ruffling his unorderly blonde hair. He was so foregin, my adoptive brother, with his accented speech and towering height. He was a Gaijin, a foreigner. Not of Wutaian blood. Yet I loved him as any brother can love his older sibling.
There was something about James. A certian power in the way he held himself, his speech and mannerisms. I believed him to be completely and utterly a thing of good. Untainted by the modern world. His eyes were blue. No eyes here were of such an incredible hue. I lounged with my sister and looked upon the boy I wanted to be just like. James was my idol.
Eri glanced over to James annoyedly. She was older than the both of us. Nearly a woman. My sister was a very beautiful girl. "James, sit down." she wasn't cross. Not ever. Her voice was gentle and soft. Soothing.
James plopped down upon the branch carelessly, causing the leaves to rustle. He looked over to Eri expectantly.
"What do you want to be when you grow up?" My sister asked thoughtfully, peering between the cover of leaves above us to catch a vague glimpse of the puffy clouds over head.
He smiled broadly. James was always smiling. "I'm going to take over the world." his response was calm. Not the jesting exuberance of other boys his age, but, rather a calm certainty. Icy around the edges.
Eri similed indulgantly. "Yes dear, I know."
--
It was many decades later. Eri had long since married, I hadn't heard from her in the better part of ten years. But James, he was diffrent.
I was standing with him, my older brother. Our backs were turned upon the luxurant office in which he spent his days pouring over paper work and sipping expensive wines from delicate glasses. We each stood with the rigid relaxation of men used to command. Yet with one another there was a certain ease. I recalled that day in the trees, and a bit of my former smile came back.
"What do you want to be when you grow up?" I asked him whistfully.
James seemed contemplative. He mulled over it a moment before coming to what seemed a reasonable descision. "When I grow up? I want to be a child."
Startled, I glanced his way.
"Responsability is heavy, little brother. You know that." I nodded in silence as he continued on, "Look out at the city.. My city. Midgar. It's a sprawling wasteland of technology." I began to protest, but he cut me off, "What good has ruling the world done for me, Tseng? I'm an old man. A tired, old man... But to the world, I am James R. Shinra. I can never have peace again."
I left his office shortly thereafter to attend to business. When next I saw James, Sephiroth's Masamune protruded grotesquly from his back.
Hail Shinra.
---
Author's Note: Well, lookit that, another chapter, and it's been less than a year.. I must have gotten sick or something.. Heh, heh, heh..
Anyways, I think the story's coming along nicely - slowly, but nicely.. Perhaps the next installment will bring a conclusion to the events n Midgar - and finally get the real story going!
-Ridia Seascar
Chapter 3: If This Is a Dream
RENO
God above, the world is a twisted place.
The rain began again with the distant rumble of thunder. Lighting crashed in the corner of my eye. All I could see was the gun.
The man with the yellow teeth grinned at me, the dark-tinted reflective glasses hiding his eyes from sight, thank God. He'd probably look fucking deranged. The edge of my mind noticed that Elena's blood was dilluted in the puddle fast forming at my feet from the sudden torrent, but I pushed the notation aside. Tseng was between us, his hunched over form shaking violently.
Crying. My fucking God... Tseng was crying. "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO HIM!?" I bellowed as I reailzed my gun was aimed for Yellow-Teeth now.
The reedy voice chuckled in response to my demand. Damn him to Hell! "I did nothing, Turk. I'm only a pawn in this game."
I stared him down... In a second, we could end eachother's lives. But what would come of Tseng...? Uncertainty crept into me. Tseng was like a father. Like family. The only family I ever had. I couldn't abandon him.
I was angry. That's putting it lightly. I was so far beyond pissed off that I could barely breathe. This son of a BITCH killed the only family I ever knew! Rude... Elena... Had he broken Tseng as well? I barely had to think... I simply acted.
I pulled the trigger.
----
TSENG
Our laughter echoed through the dense foreset. We were children then, seated in the branches of a wizened tree. I was very younge at the time, and looked upon the world with an innocent eye. I was leaning against my older sister's shoulder as we idly watched a mother bird feed her chicks.
Reckless as ever, James stood on the brach next to us, a slight breeze ruffling his unorderly blonde hair. He was so foregin, my adoptive brother, with his accented speech and towering height. He was a Gaijin, a foreigner. Not of Wutaian blood. Yet I loved him as any brother can love his older sibling.
There was something about James. A certian power in the way he held himself, his speech and mannerisms. I believed him to be completely and utterly a thing of good. Untainted by the modern world. His eyes were blue. No eyes here were of such an incredible hue. I lounged with my sister and looked upon the boy I wanted to be just like. James was my idol.
Eri glanced over to James annoyedly. She was older than the both of us. Nearly a woman. My sister was a very beautiful girl. "James, sit down." she wasn't cross. Not ever. Her voice was gentle and soft. Soothing.
James plopped down upon the branch carelessly, causing the leaves to rustle. He looked over to Eri expectantly.
"What do you want to be when you grow up?" My sister asked thoughtfully, peering between the cover of leaves above us to catch a vague glimpse of the puffy clouds over head.
He smiled broadly. James was always smiling. "I'm going to take over the world." his response was calm. Not the jesting exuberance of other boys his age, but, rather a calm certainty. Icy around the edges.
Eri similed indulgantly. "Yes dear, I know."
--
It was many decades later. Eri had long since married, I hadn't heard from her in the better part of ten years. But James, he was diffrent.
I was standing with him, my older brother. Our backs were turned upon the luxurant office in which he spent his days pouring over paper work and sipping expensive wines from delicate glasses. We each stood with the rigid relaxation of men used to command. Yet with one another there was a certain ease. I recalled that day in the trees, and a bit of my former smile came back.
"What do you want to be when you grow up?" I asked him whistfully.
James seemed contemplative. He mulled over it a moment before coming to what seemed a reasonable descision. "When I grow up? I want to be a child."
Startled, I glanced his way.
"Responsability is heavy, little brother. You know that." I nodded in silence as he continued on, "Look out at the city.. My city. Midgar. It's a sprawling wasteland of technology." I began to protest, but he cut me off, "What good has ruling the world done for me, Tseng? I'm an old man. A tired, old man... But to the world, I am James R. Shinra. I can never have peace again."
I left his office shortly thereafter to attend to business. When next I saw James, Sephiroth's Masamune protruded grotesquly from his back.
Hail Shinra.
---
Author's Note: Well, lookit that, another chapter, and it's been less than a year.. I must have gotten sick or something.. Heh, heh, heh..
Anyways, I think the story's coming along nicely - slowly, but nicely.. Perhaps the next installment will bring a conclusion to the events n Midgar - and finally get the real story going!
-Ridia Seascar
