A/N: O___o fweem. no witty comment at this time! I'm sure you miss them. Yes. o__o; but it is late, and I am sleepy.. btw, as you might be able to tell, this story only focuses on one or two couples. I'll make some epic soon, I guess, but the main point here is.. Rufus/Tifa! YOU ALL SAW IT COMING, ADMIT IT O_O
90 reviews.. You guys are awesome o_o
Disclaimer: FF7 not Daisaku's...o_o...also, the song from Creed in the last chapter is also not Daisaku's! X_x damn my short-term memory. also, Evanescence's Exodus isn't nice to me either
---
-Well, you're alone again. That's what you wanted, isn't it? Selfish. Typical.-
My black backpack's stuffed with broken dreams
20 bucks should get me through the week
Never said a word of discontentment
Fought it a thousand times but now
I'm leaving home
The shimmering, prism-like Mako fountain appeared to gently reflect the steel in Rufus's eyes, creating a bit of an eerie glow. It was a somewhat rusted smell, like the scent of your hand after you've held a nickle or something for too long--well, alright, a little crisper then that, and it didn't quite bother him. That smell used to float about the walls and air conditioning of the Shin-Ra building, circulating unknowingly into the lungs of even a desk worker...and it never bothered Rufus anyway. Familiarity.
The blonde man was stationed near Mt. Nibel's resident Mako Fountain, where neon pools of spirit energy scrambled lightly into a rather large pond of the stuff. Nearby, flowers and even trees were all in full bloom in the area where sunlight couldn't reach... Rufus rolled his eyes.
The life, the colors...was intoxicating.
Not in the good way, either. To Rufus Shinra, it felt like all the carnations and roses that flourished around the small pond, in full bloom had been stuffed violently in his nose and ears. He rested his head on his fist, sitting in a cross-legged position with his elbow propped onto his knee. There was nothing much here for Rufus: small beams of sunlight spangled down onto the crystalline Mako formations, prompting multicolored beams to shoot out from the sides and filter onto the damp cave walls; the bubbling Mako coursed through the ground as a near replacement for water in a river; and it was cold and wet.
Rufus shifted slightly in his position, quite hoping to be inanimate for at least an hour or two to work out the ache in his muscles from walking up Mt. Nibel. For a few seconds, he wondered why'd he left in the first place.
Rufus was no longer part of Shin-Ra, yet only by name he felt any attachment to dealings of the past, nor was he ever with AVALANCHE. He didn't have much of a place, and being Shinra, it would never be possible for the man thought dead to try and lead a normal life from here on out. The ex-president had no place.
Or maybe he had a place, and he was just the only one in it.
Here in the shadows
I'm safe
I'm free
I've nowhere else to go but
I cannot stay where I don't belong
The sunlight shifted slightly to the left, causing the shafts of light that bounded off the Mako crystals to move ever so slightly. Rufus bent one knee and let the other relax, folding his arms and closing his eyes in an attempt to sleep. He was drifting somewhere between sleep and consciousness, but then something in his mind seemed to disturb him--one factor he hadn't mentioned in his...place. Tifa. What about Tifa? Rufus twitched slightly in his state of sleep. No big deal. He was pretty damn sure she could handle it.
-Now that's just cold.-
//Which means I'm back to normal.// finished Rufus, a small, triumphant look flickering slightly on his face and not really caring whether or not the voice could see him. He opened one eye and glanced at a bug skittering across the tattered surface of his longer coat.
-Is the concept of emotion really so alien to you?-
//And just who the hell are you, anyway?// Rufus inquired innocently, and yet quite curious as to who/what was acting like his damn mother in his brain. Unfortunately, the ex-president recieved no response except for something hollow, like resonating laughter from a demon. Rufus frowned slightly, somewhat puzzled yet not really surprised by the lack of answers. He chuckled silently, sardonically to himself: he really was going insane.
The ray of sun that shimmered through the holes on the ceiling of the cave flickered.
Rufus possessed several interesting traits--the art of quick draw was one of them; and in the short moments before the spark reappeared to add the small amount of heat in the room, Rufus leapt to his feet (working out the kinks in his knees and ankles) and pulled his shotgun from his pocket, aiming defiantly at the entrance to the fountain, where the cavern eventually took you to Nibelheim. All in all, this took Rufus about two or three seconds.
A small rumble shook the delicate soil of Mt. Nibel, and the snout of your average Dragon snuck in. It was difficult for it to go unnoticed--with its heavy breathing, Rufus could've shot it in the dark... He smirked, shifting his fingers. The gun was empty. He propped it lazily on his shoulder as a large claw came into his line of sight, and a roar rumbled the very walls.
-Nice going, genius. What's the use of drawing your gun all flashy if the DAMN THING'S EMPTY!?-
//...Well, it's more fun this way.//
Two months pass by and it's getting cold
I know I'm not lost
I am just alone
But I won't cry
I won't give up
I can't go back now
Waking up is knowing who you really are
---
"Hey, Shera." The door glided open on well-oiled hinges to reveal the one and only Cid Highwind, and he walked in and plopped himself in a chair as if he had never left. "I need some $&@*in' tea." After a moment of silence, he looked up at the brunette repairer that was his wife, clad in a white, somewhat grungy shirt, and a light blue jacket with matching pants (the pants, noticeably, with one leg hacked off), to note that she was gaping at him, open-mouthed. "What? Did I stutter?"
Shera set down the large wrench she carried in oversized gloves, whirled around on her heel and threw her arms around the captain's neck.
"Where have you BEEN--left only a NOTE--worried SICK--YOU--YOU--" Shera banged her fist on the Captain's shoulders, her other thin arm wrapped around his broad figure. Cid chuckled nervously as she pulled away, then reached into her back pocket and pulled out a card.
Out lookin' for Tifa. Cloud said she's missing.
Took the Highwind with me. Hope you don't mind.
Love ya lots.
--Cid
"Explain THIS, 'captain'." Shera glared at him menacingly, almost towering above the sitting Cid with flashing eyes. Cid sweat dropped anxiously, scratching the back of his head. "Imagine, waking up in the morning and there's a CARD SITTING ON THE OTHER PILLOW!? DO YOU KNOW HOW I FELT!?" She spun around, clasping her hands together in front of her. "Sniff..."
"Ah, crap. Sorry Sher. Cloud called early." Cid stammered for an excuse, scratching his head and slowing getting out of his seat. "Crap, fuck, damn. Are you okay? I didn't...uh...Shera?"
Silence.
"Do that again, and I WILL PERSONALLY ENSURE YOU NEVER LEAVE THIS HOUSE, CID HIGHWIND!!!!!"
Cid winced as the shrill scream pierced his ears, making small patterns on the floor with the toe of his boot. "Alright, alright." At the window, he took note of Reno, Yuffie, Barret, and Reeve snickering; he raised his fist and middle finger at the small group gathered there, making a short gesture to the Venus Gospel pinned to his back, specifically the pointy end. They vanished from sight, only for the door to slam open once more.
"Heeey Shera!" Yuffie greeted, giving Cid's wife a short hug and a grin; Shera smiled and began working at the stove again over a few cups and a kettle. "Uh, I think you know all of us, 'cept for Reno. He's stupid. Pretend he's not here." Reno's eyebrows tilted downward disdainfully at this remark, and he balled his fist and lightly bonked Yuffie over the head. "Ow! Stupid! Don't hit me!" she screamed. Barret whacked Reno with his...gun-arm. Reno promptly fell to the floor. "Ha ha!"
"Owww!" Reno whined, holding his skull in his hands and rocking back and forth on the tile. "That was uncalled for, Mr. T! You could've at least used your WORKING hand!" Reeve scratched the back of his head as Barret did a small "hmph" sound with his throat, and Yuffie snorted.
"Ahem. Hello Mrs. Highwind, I believe I met you when the space program was working on the rocket?" Reeve, always a cool guy and gentleman, picked up Shera's hand and kissed it.
"Woah, woah, watch it pal." Cid pointed out sharply, prompting a short chuckle from Reeve. "Anyway, Shera, I just gotta take these @%*@s home and then I'll be home and everything will be hunky dory." He jabbed a finger towards the small group that had collected themselves in his house, as well as out the window--where, presumably, the rest of the Turks and AVALANCHE were hanging out or something or other. The door opened once more to reveal Tifa, and she walked to Barret.
"Hi Shera--how're you--listen, I need to talk to Barret for a second, sorry--" Tifa made a short, curt gesture to Barret and walked out of the house; Barret glanced around and shrugged, walking after her. Tifa stomped over to some corner near where the rocket had been launched, rather distant from the remainder of the bustling town, then abruptly whirled around. "Barret," she said stiffly, "be straightforward with me; did you tell Rufus to 'fuck off'?"
"I didn't say THAT. I said that I didn't @%*(in' like him and he shouldn't...er, be here."
"That's not much better, Barret." Tifa's otherwise cherubic expression turned scornful and...well, pissed. "Barret, even if Rufus isn't part of AVALANCHE it shouldn't be a problem if he hangs around, okay!?"
Here in the shadows
I'm safe
I'm free
I've nowhere else to go but
I cannot stay where I don't belong
"Damn right he ain't gonna be part of AVALANCHE! He's Shinra! The @$^*# we've been fighting AGAINST, r'member!?"
"Barret, the whole crisis is OVER, okay? Shin-Ra is Reeve's now, and Rufus is part of it only by name." Tifa hissed, prodding him sharply in the chest with her finger. Barret flinched slightly at her somewhat seething expression, then scratched the back of his head. "So you GO BACK to the Highwind and apologize. Got it!?"
Barret sighed and shifted slightly.
"...A'ight...jus' don't want nothin' to do with him, ya know?" He shrugged and stalked off in the direction of the town exit, and the Highwind. Tifa sank down and onto the ground, fingering a piece of grass and hugging her knees to her chest in deep thought.
Here in the shadows
I'm safe
I'm free
I've nowhere else to go but
I cannot stay where I don't belong
Too bad Rufus would already be gone when he gets there.
Show me the shadow where true meaning lies
So much more is made in empty eyes
90 reviews.. You guys are awesome o_o
Disclaimer: FF7 not Daisaku's...o_o...also, the song from Creed in the last chapter is also not Daisaku's! X_x damn my short-term memory. also, Evanescence's Exodus isn't nice to me either
---
-Well, you're alone again. That's what you wanted, isn't it? Selfish. Typical.-
My black backpack's stuffed with broken dreams
20 bucks should get me through the week
Never said a word of discontentment
Fought it a thousand times but now
I'm leaving home
The shimmering, prism-like Mako fountain appeared to gently reflect the steel in Rufus's eyes, creating a bit of an eerie glow. It was a somewhat rusted smell, like the scent of your hand after you've held a nickle or something for too long--well, alright, a little crisper then that, and it didn't quite bother him. That smell used to float about the walls and air conditioning of the Shin-Ra building, circulating unknowingly into the lungs of even a desk worker...and it never bothered Rufus anyway. Familiarity.
The blonde man was stationed near Mt. Nibel's resident Mako Fountain, where neon pools of spirit energy scrambled lightly into a rather large pond of the stuff. Nearby, flowers and even trees were all in full bloom in the area where sunlight couldn't reach... Rufus rolled his eyes.
The life, the colors...was intoxicating.
Not in the good way, either. To Rufus Shinra, it felt like all the carnations and roses that flourished around the small pond, in full bloom had been stuffed violently in his nose and ears. He rested his head on his fist, sitting in a cross-legged position with his elbow propped onto his knee. There was nothing much here for Rufus: small beams of sunlight spangled down onto the crystalline Mako formations, prompting multicolored beams to shoot out from the sides and filter onto the damp cave walls; the bubbling Mako coursed through the ground as a near replacement for water in a river; and it was cold and wet.
Rufus shifted slightly in his position, quite hoping to be inanimate for at least an hour or two to work out the ache in his muscles from walking up Mt. Nibel. For a few seconds, he wondered why'd he left in the first place.
Rufus was no longer part of Shin-Ra, yet only by name he felt any attachment to dealings of the past, nor was he ever with AVALANCHE. He didn't have much of a place, and being Shinra, it would never be possible for the man thought dead to try and lead a normal life from here on out. The ex-president had no place.
Or maybe he had a place, and he was just the only one in it.
Here in the shadows
I'm safe
I'm free
I've nowhere else to go but
I cannot stay where I don't belong
The sunlight shifted slightly to the left, causing the shafts of light that bounded off the Mako crystals to move ever so slightly. Rufus bent one knee and let the other relax, folding his arms and closing his eyes in an attempt to sleep. He was drifting somewhere between sleep and consciousness, but then something in his mind seemed to disturb him--one factor he hadn't mentioned in his...place. Tifa. What about Tifa? Rufus twitched slightly in his state of sleep. No big deal. He was pretty damn sure she could handle it.
-Now that's just cold.-
//Which means I'm back to normal.// finished Rufus, a small, triumphant look flickering slightly on his face and not really caring whether or not the voice could see him. He opened one eye and glanced at a bug skittering across the tattered surface of his longer coat.
-Is the concept of emotion really so alien to you?-
//And just who the hell are you, anyway?// Rufus inquired innocently, and yet quite curious as to who/what was acting like his damn mother in his brain. Unfortunately, the ex-president recieved no response except for something hollow, like resonating laughter from a demon. Rufus frowned slightly, somewhat puzzled yet not really surprised by the lack of answers. He chuckled silently, sardonically to himself: he really was going insane.
The ray of sun that shimmered through the holes on the ceiling of the cave flickered.
Rufus possessed several interesting traits--the art of quick draw was one of them; and in the short moments before the spark reappeared to add the small amount of heat in the room, Rufus leapt to his feet (working out the kinks in his knees and ankles) and pulled his shotgun from his pocket, aiming defiantly at the entrance to the fountain, where the cavern eventually took you to Nibelheim. All in all, this took Rufus about two or three seconds.
A small rumble shook the delicate soil of Mt. Nibel, and the snout of your average Dragon snuck in. It was difficult for it to go unnoticed--with its heavy breathing, Rufus could've shot it in the dark... He smirked, shifting his fingers. The gun was empty. He propped it lazily on his shoulder as a large claw came into his line of sight, and a roar rumbled the very walls.
-Nice going, genius. What's the use of drawing your gun all flashy if the DAMN THING'S EMPTY!?-
//...Well, it's more fun this way.//
Two months pass by and it's getting cold
I know I'm not lost
I am just alone
But I won't cry
I won't give up
I can't go back now
Waking up is knowing who you really are
---
"Hey, Shera." The door glided open on well-oiled hinges to reveal the one and only Cid Highwind, and he walked in and plopped himself in a chair as if he had never left. "I need some $&@*in' tea." After a moment of silence, he looked up at the brunette repairer that was his wife, clad in a white, somewhat grungy shirt, and a light blue jacket with matching pants (the pants, noticeably, with one leg hacked off), to note that she was gaping at him, open-mouthed. "What? Did I stutter?"
Shera set down the large wrench she carried in oversized gloves, whirled around on her heel and threw her arms around the captain's neck.
"Where have you BEEN--left only a NOTE--worried SICK--YOU--YOU--" Shera banged her fist on the Captain's shoulders, her other thin arm wrapped around his broad figure. Cid chuckled nervously as she pulled away, then reached into her back pocket and pulled out a card.
Out lookin' for Tifa. Cloud said she's missing.
Took the Highwind with me. Hope you don't mind.
Love ya lots.
--Cid
"Explain THIS, 'captain'." Shera glared at him menacingly, almost towering above the sitting Cid with flashing eyes. Cid sweat dropped anxiously, scratching the back of his head. "Imagine, waking up in the morning and there's a CARD SITTING ON THE OTHER PILLOW!? DO YOU KNOW HOW I FELT!?" She spun around, clasping her hands together in front of her. "Sniff..."
"Ah, crap. Sorry Sher. Cloud called early." Cid stammered for an excuse, scratching his head and slowing getting out of his seat. "Crap, fuck, damn. Are you okay? I didn't...uh...Shera?"
Silence.
"Do that again, and I WILL PERSONALLY ENSURE YOU NEVER LEAVE THIS HOUSE, CID HIGHWIND!!!!!"
Cid winced as the shrill scream pierced his ears, making small patterns on the floor with the toe of his boot. "Alright, alright." At the window, he took note of Reno, Yuffie, Barret, and Reeve snickering; he raised his fist and middle finger at the small group gathered there, making a short gesture to the Venus Gospel pinned to his back, specifically the pointy end. They vanished from sight, only for the door to slam open once more.
"Heeey Shera!" Yuffie greeted, giving Cid's wife a short hug and a grin; Shera smiled and began working at the stove again over a few cups and a kettle. "Uh, I think you know all of us, 'cept for Reno. He's stupid. Pretend he's not here." Reno's eyebrows tilted downward disdainfully at this remark, and he balled his fist and lightly bonked Yuffie over the head. "Ow! Stupid! Don't hit me!" she screamed. Barret whacked Reno with his...gun-arm. Reno promptly fell to the floor. "Ha ha!"
"Owww!" Reno whined, holding his skull in his hands and rocking back and forth on the tile. "That was uncalled for, Mr. T! You could've at least used your WORKING hand!" Reeve scratched the back of his head as Barret did a small "hmph" sound with his throat, and Yuffie snorted.
"Ahem. Hello Mrs. Highwind, I believe I met you when the space program was working on the rocket?" Reeve, always a cool guy and gentleman, picked up Shera's hand and kissed it.
"Woah, woah, watch it pal." Cid pointed out sharply, prompting a short chuckle from Reeve. "Anyway, Shera, I just gotta take these @%*@s home and then I'll be home and everything will be hunky dory." He jabbed a finger towards the small group that had collected themselves in his house, as well as out the window--where, presumably, the rest of the Turks and AVALANCHE were hanging out or something or other. The door opened once more to reveal Tifa, and she walked to Barret.
"Hi Shera--how're you--listen, I need to talk to Barret for a second, sorry--" Tifa made a short, curt gesture to Barret and walked out of the house; Barret glanced around and shrugged, walking after her. Tifa stomped over to some corner near where the rocket had been launched, rather distant from the remainder of the bustling town, then abruptly whirled around. "Barret," she said stiffly, "be straightforward with me; did you tell Rufus to 'fuck off'?"
"I didn't say THAT. I said that I didn't @%*(in' like him and he shouldn't...er, be here."
"That's not much better, Barret." Tifa's otherwise cherubic expression turned scornful and...well, pissed. "Barret, even if Rufus isn't part of AVALANCHE it shouldn't be a problem if he hangs around, okay!?"
Here in the shadows
I'm safe
I'm free
I've nowhere else to go but
I cannot stay where I don't belong
"Damn right he ain't gonna be part of AVALANCHE! He's Shinra! The @$^*# we've been fighting AGAINST, r'member!?"
"Barret, the whole crisis is OVER, okay? Shin-Ra is Reeve's now, and Rufus is part of it only by name." Tifa hissed, prodding him sharply in the chest with her finger. Barret flinched slightly at her somewhat seething expression, then scratched the back of his head. "So you GO BACK to the Highwind and apologize. Got it!?"
Barret sighed and shifted slightly.
"...A'ight...jus' don't want nothin' to do with him, ya know?" He shrugged and stalked off in the direction of the town exit, and the Highwind. Tifa sank down and onto the ground, fingering a piece of grass and hugging her knees to her chest in deep thought.
Here in the shadows
I'm safe
I'm free
I've nowhere else to go but
I cannot stay where I don't belong
Too bad Rufus would already be gone when he gets there.
Show me the shadow where true meaning lies
So much more is made in empty eyes