Tseng stood in front of Rufus. "You've decided then?" He asked. Rufus nodded. "Sector 7 is almost complete. We've been making great progress."
"Then I'll reclaim the company at the opening ceremony." Rufus said. He's voice was stony, as if he truly wanted to be somewhere else. He suddenly smirked. "It's too bad Scarlet and Heidgarr can't see it." He said in a suddenly different voice.
"Many mourned the loss of our top executives." Tseng said, smirking as well. "I wasn't one of them, but let's not get into that."
"What day do you expect the sector to be finished?" Rufus asked, changing the subject.
"In a few days." Tseng said. "Finally wanting to get back to work? I would personally enjoy a vacation myself. Under certain circumstances, of course."
Rufus smirked again. "You're a Turk." He said. "There are things that separate you and me."
"You've lived around business all your life, where's I have only been here what, ten years?"
"How time flies. I surprised you didn't quit." Rufus said. "Or have been killed by something. Genova for one thing. Sephiroth."
"I've come close to both." Tseng said. "A few times, I have come very close..."
"That's the job description." Rufus said. "If you want, I can set you up at an easy job as my vice president so you won't have to do field work." He wore an evil smiling, knowing Tseng's answer. The two laughed for a moment.
"And what fun would that be?" Tseng asked. "If I haven't been shot at, attacked, or some how threatened in a day, I'd go crazy."
"The how did you manage to take my place?" Rufus asked. He paused, thinking it over. "Oh yes! I forgot. Those two..."
"They were all that kept me sane." Tseng said. "They're idiotic ramblings. I shall remember them when ever I am truly bored." He wiped away a fake tear.
"Indeed." Rufus said. "I have to get going."
"What appointment do you have today?" Tseng said. "You're still a ghost. Why not stay and catch up with old friends?"
"Another day, Tseng." Rufus turned and walked toward the stairs. "Another day."
####
Rufus sat on the top of the small squirrel slide, outside of sector 7. He listened to the construction workers and machines move behind the huge wall. He smirked, looking up at the sky above him. He looked down, turning his attention the playground that lay before him.
After Sector 7 was destroyed, someone had cleaned the playground up, adding a small teeter-totter on the shell of a metal turtle. He smirked, imagining childbearing playing around him. No one ever came to the playground now.
"Visiting childhood memories, too?" Rufus asked to no one. "Or just dropping in to say, 'hi?'" He shifted, looking beside the slide to see Couri sitting on a swing, her back to him.
"Neither." She answered. "Just thinking." She pushed of the ground, swinging back and fourth. She began to hum a song under her breath.
"Are you sure?" Rufus asked, leaping off the kiddy slide. "That was the song we use to sing when we were kids." He walked up to the swing set. "Holding hands, singing songs, making promises we never kept."
Couri shook her head. "You were the only one who did that, Rufus." She said. He looked down at her, with a puzzled expression.
"Don't you remember a little boy and girl on this very swing?" Rufus said. He reached out, pushing her back gently so the swing moved. "The played on this swing day after day, each taking turns pushing each other."
Couri stayed silent, letting him push her again.
"They'd laugh and play all day." Rufus said. "Then there was one day that was different. Do you remember, Couri?"
Couri closed her eyes, thinking for a moment. A sigh escaped her lips. "Yes." She finally said. "I remember it too well..."
A small boy sat on top of the slide. He looked down at a small, raven haired girl, sitting on the swing and humming to herself.
"What do you want to be when you grow up?" The small girl asked. The boy shrugged after a while.
"I'm gonna be the president of my father's big company." The boy answered.
"How do ya' know that?"
"He said so." The boy answered. "I really don't care though." He looked back down at the girl. "What do you want to do." The girl shrugged, and stopped swinging.
"I want to fall in love." She said. The boy looked at her oddly. "It's when two adults like each other a lot. So much that they live with each other forever."
"I know what it is." The boy said, climbing down the slide. "That's really easy to do anyways." He said. "When I grow up, I'll fall in love with you."
"Can it work that way?"
"I don't see why it can't." The girl smirked at the words.
"Well I'll fall in love with you first." She said, making a game out of it.
"So? I'll still fall in love with you anyways." The boy said.
"Promise?"
"Promise." The boy ran over to the swing, giving the girl a huge push, and sending her into the air.
Rufus sighed. "It wasn't a broken promise." He said.
Couri shook her head. "I've tried to love. It just doesn't work out." She said. Rufus nodded, stepping away from the swing.
"Maybe you're right." He said. "Maybe, it was a broken promise." He looked at the slide. "But I still remember that little girl who always had a smile on her face."
Couri stood. "Things change." She said. "Things and people."
Rufus nodded. "The memories stay, don't they?" He said, turning around to look back at her. Couri had vanished. Rufus sighed, and sat down on the swing.
####
"Shinra has tried it's hardest in the last year to please the people of this city." Tseng said over the crowd. "It has remade this sector to be better than the others. Though we have had a few tragedies by losing two of our top executives, Shinra mourns for the losses, but does not let them die in vain." He paused, and glanced over the crowd of heads. "To introduce the new Sector 7, who not ask a ghost to do it? People of Midgar, I introduce to you, the president of Shinra Corp, Rufus Shinra!"
There were gasps from the crowd as Rufus walked up onto the platform. He wore his old while outfit, and smirked as he walked. He held up his hands, signaling the crowd to be quite. "It is true." He said. "I am not an imposter, nor am I a ghost. I stand before you as a mere man. I have been around the world, to other towns and islands, and have returned with a new belief in hand. Treat others as equals, and preserve the world we live in." He paused, taking in another breath.
"So, I welcome you all, without further a dew, to the new Sector 7, Angel's Haven!" He took out a pair of scissors, and cut the red ribbon behind him. There were cheers from the crowd as people walked into the sector, and Rufus stepped down from the platform.
"I think that went very well." Tseng said, appearing by his side. Rufus nodded. He looked up into the crowd. Two mako eyes glared at him, then bounded away.
"Sir?" Rankin said, walking up to Rufus. "Should I follow her?" He asked. Rufus shook his head.
"No." He said. "Just leave her alone now. That's what she wants." He sighed, and turned back to Tseng.
"You can't win them all, old friend." Tseng said, patting Rufus on the shoulder. "Hold strong to what you have." Rufus nodded, more to himself that to Tseng.
"Let's get back to work." Rufus answered.