Chapter I: Discovery
Walking for any distance was unusual for Rufus. At any time, there would be a helicopter or an airship or, at worst, a chocobo waiting for him. The only walking he had to do would be an effortless stroll from one room to another, or perhaps, one building to the next. Now, he was surrounded by greens, browns, and the careless, ambiguous blue sky that had no end. Only a small shadow stood on the horizon, beyond the aching ground. It had no definite shape and could not be identified. An hour of walking ruined Rufus. Sweat was all he had to hydrate himself with, even though the day was not hot. Two hours of walking made the shadow in the distance larger. It's shape now resembled something more familiar, a town or village. Three hours made this apparent. Rufus could not give a name to it, but he recognized where it was he was heading. His white t-shirt was soaked with sweat. His feet were sore.
"Rufus, this town is called Kalm. Can you say Kalm?" A female's voice replaced a heartbeat. "We own this town, now. Mako energy powers every home and store here. The stupid villagers are indebted to us now." A man's voice triggered anger. "We welcome the new era of Rufus Shinra with open homes! Our president is a good leader." Now, he heard many voices. He saw the faces of people mouthing these words of admiration. His father was dead and now he reigned and the people loved him for no reason at all. The memories stopped coming when a tear escaped from his eye. He did not cry because he was sad, happy, angry, or in pain. He only shed one tear but was unaware of its meaning.
Small places do not change like big places. The only change was the centerpiece of the town, which had disappeared in favor of a statue of a hero. Its hair formed spikes, and an oversized sword hung tightly behind the statue's back. A plaque read: "A hero is a man who does not know he is a hero. A hero is a man who does what he wants to because it feels right. The Town of Kalm proudly remembers and honors Cloud Strife." A homeless man sat in its shadow.
"Excuse me." The sound of his own voice startled Rufus.
"I ain't took yer food!" The homeless man stuffed a pickle down the front of his shirt while turning to look at the speaker.
"Is this man dead?"
"I said I ain't took yer food, now what'ya want with me?" It was now obvious that he was drunk.
"...Is Cloud dead?" The feeling of impatience had returned without problem to Rufus.
"Yep, that ol' boy died just right over there a few years ago." The man pointed outside of town. "Papers say it were a heart attack. You got money for my cup?" From behind his back, he dug out a small cup filled with various coins. Rufus had already gone off in a different direction.
The view outside of town was becoming gray. Streetlights came on. Rufus Shinra had no money to satisfy his stomach at the pub, and he had only enough energy to carry himself to the inn to inquire about a room. He had never seen the inside of it before. It was bright. Shades of brown reflected the yellow light in all directions.
"Welcome. Can I help you?" A female in pink met Rufus's gaze, smiling. He gave her no response. He had not heard her say anything. Everything was new to him again. He was a child. "Excuse me. Can I help you, sir?" Rufus walked outside, slowly making his way to the homeless man.
"Money for the cup fund! Money for the cup fund!" Drunken shouting filled the courtyard while nameless people shuffled to and fro. Rufus stood next to the old man for a few seconds, looking at the cup dangling between two scarred fingers.
"I want that cup." He didn't know what he was doing. "I'll give you something if I can have that cup and the money inside it."
"You say you want my cup fund? I ain't givin' it to ya."
"We can trade. You smell bad and your shirt is dirty. My shirt for your cup." He would be wearing only khakis if the man accepted.
"Aw what the hell's wrong with you folks these days, always lookin' to take off yer clothing. I tell ya, when Rufus was president things'd never be like this." Hearing his own name in that context shattered his thoughts. "Here, take the cup, but you can't have the money. It's special to me. Cloud looks after it for me." The smelly creature dumped out the money into his free hand and pushed the cup into Rufus's chest.
"I want the money, too. I'm sure this shirt was expensive. You'll pay me for it." He was falling into the role he once played with startling ease.
"I ain't got enough money to buy yer clothes from ya! Alls I got here is a thousand gil, an' I'm saving it for a hooker."
"I'm going to have you arrested for loitering. Isn't that still illegal here?"
"Fine! Fine! Do whatever ya want to, damn hooligan. Just give me the damn shirt and get outta here, you're taking away business!" He dropped the coins back in to the cup and handed it to Rufus.
The former president took it and walked back to the inn. His shirt was still on.
