A cold chill ran down Rufus's spine as he lay on his back, looking at the stars. Yesterday had been another tiring day. The only thing that kept Vincent and Rufus awake during their walk, was the constant chatter of Elena. Rufus rose to his feet and leaned against a broad tree. The bark scratched his bare arms. He had left his trench coat back at their camp, letting Elena use it was a blanket. He wasn't sure why he couldn't sleep that night. He had risen over an hour ago, but he could find nothing to get him back to sleep.
Again he looked at the stars. They shone brightly, almost mockingly. They were cold presences in a sea of black.
"Is all you can do is mock us!" Rufus's temper risen. "You know where Tifa is! You know where everyone is! Why can't you help me!?" He slammed his fist against the trunk of the tree, scratching up his skin.
"Stop yelling at the stars, Rufus." Vincent said walking up behind him "They cannot help you." Rufus shot a glare at him.
"I wasn't yelling at the stars, I was yelling at the life stream." Vincent laughed lightly and took a seat on the cold stone Rufus had been laying on.
"I used to do the same." Rufus glanced over at him.
"You did?" Vincent silently nodded.
"You are in denial of yourself. I went through all of this once I had woken from my slumber. I would not except who I was. I would not let myself believe what has happened was true. I hated myself and everything I had become." Absent-mildly, Vincent ran his real hand over the metal hand he had acquired. "But doing that is useless."
"I don't understand..." Rufus stammered. Vincent rose from his setting position, looking Rufus in the eye.
"Don't deny to me that you don't think these things. You hate yourself for what your company has done. You deny to yourself that all of that happened." Rufus looked away from the older man's crimson eyes. A cold breeze cut through the air, but neither men shivered. Finally, when Rufus spoke, his voice was in a whisper.
"Yes." Vincent turned his head, freeing man young ShinRa of his deadly gaze.
"Forget about it. That past is the past. Blaming yourself will not bring back all the lives your father took. The only thing you can do now, in concentrate in how to help undo the damage your company has caused. Right now, the best thing you can do, is concentrate on how to find Tifa." Vincent turned, walking back to the camp. For awhile Rufus stood there. Vincent's words bothered him, but he knew they were right. Finally, the young ShinRa went back to the camp, and fell asleep.
"Rise and Shine, sleepy head!" Elena cheered as she shook Rufus. Rufus managed a groan and rolled over, facing away from her.
"Rufus, wake up!" She tried again.
"Meetings are not until nine o'clock, Elena, go away." Elena giggled and jabbed him in the side.
"Newsflash, Rufus, we don't work for ShinRa anymore. Their are no meetings." Rufus stirred and pulled himself up into a setting position. He looked dazed for a moment before his eyes fully focused.
"what time is it, El?" She laughed at his expression and checked her watch.
"About six in the morning." Rufus looked over at her, then up to where Vincent was putting out the camp fire.
"Why are we leaving so early?" he asked. Vincent tossed Rufus's bag to him.
"If we leave now we can reach Rocket town before nightfall. We only have enough food for today's breakfast and one more meal. Also we are almost out of potions. We have no other choice." Rufus nodded and stood up. After a quick breakfast of oatmeal, the three set off in the correct direction towards their destination.
Tifa stirred in her sleep. Slowly she opened her eyes, allowing them to adjust to the dark light. The room was dark, only a little light seeping in through a barred window high in the wall. The walls were made of thick damp stones and the floors were made of the same. Across from her Marlene slept contently on Barrett's lap. Yuffie's head rested on Red's back, while Cid sat in the corner by himself. They were all still unconscious.
Slowly she rose to her feet and walked over to the window. Standing on the tips of her toes she held onto the ledge of the window and pulled herself up to look outside. It proved to be very little help. The outside was dark inky black. A few times she saw a swift movement, but never enough to clearly see where they were. Letting go of the window cill, she walked over to the cell wall and slid down against it, pulling herself into a ball.
"Rufus, help..."
------------
There, it's finished. I know a lot of you have been complaining that my chapters are too short, and I'm sorry. But this is the way I like to do it. This way, I get a new chapter up every week. Also, I've been trying realllllly hard to make the chapters longer, but I'm not feeling very well right now, so I promise the next chapter will be much longer. Oh, and if you have any ideas or comments please e-mail me or post them in your review... Remember, if you don't review, I'll hit you with my Carnet Case Of DOOM! :)
Again he looked at the stars. They shone brightly, almost mockingly. They were cold presences in a sea of black.
"Is all you can do is mock us!" Rufus's temper risen. "You know where Tifa is! You know where everyone is! Why can't you help me!?" He slammed his fist against the trunk of the tree, scratching up his skin.
"Stop yelling at the stars, Rufus." Vincent said walking up behind him "They cannot help you." Rufus shot a glare at him.
"I wasn't yelling at the stars, I was yelling at the life stream." Vincent laughed lightly and took a seat on the cold stone Rufus had been laying on.
"I used to do the same." Rufus glanced over at him.
"You did?" Vincent silently nodded.
"You are in denial of yourself. I went through all of this once I had woken from my slumber. I would not except who I was. I would not let myself believe what has happened was true. I hated myself and everything I had become." Absent-mildly, Vincent ran his real hand over the metal hand he had acquired. "But doing that is useless."
"I don't understand..." Rufus stammered. Vincent rose from his setting position, looking Rufus in the eye.
"Don't deny to me that you don't think these things. You hate yourself for what your company has done. You deny to yourself that all of that happened." Rufus looked away from the older man's crimson eyes. A cold breeze cut through the air, but neither men shivered. Finally, when Rufus spoke, his voice was in a whisper.
"Yes." Vincent turned his head, freeing man young ShinRa of his deadly gaze.
"Forget about it. That past is the past. Blaming yourself will not bring back all the lives your father took. The only thing you can do now, in concentrate in how to help undo the damage your company has caused. Right now, the best thing you can do, is concentrate on how to find Tifa." Vincent turned, walking back to the camp. For awhile Rufus stood there. Vincent's words bothered him, but he knew they were right. Finally, the young ShinRa went back to the camp, and fell asleep.
"Rise and Shine, sleepy head!" Elena cheered as she shook Rufus. Rufus managed a groan and rolled over, facing away from her.
"Rufus, wake up!" She tried again.
"Meetings are not until nine o'clock, Elena, go away." Elena giggled and jabbed him in the side.
"Newsflash, Rufus, we don't work for ShinRa anymore. Their are no meetings." Rufus stirred and pulled himself up into a setting position. He looked dazed for a moment before his eyes fully focused.
"what time is it, El?" She laughed at his expression and checked her watch.
"About six in the morning." Rufus looked over at her, then up to where Vincent was putting out the camp fire.
"Why are we leaving so early?" he asked. Vincent tossed Rufus's bag to him.
"If we leave now we can reach Rocket town before nightfall. We only have enough food for today's breakfast and one more meal. Also we are almost out of potions. We have no other choice." Rufus nodded and stood up. After a quick breakfast of oatmeal, the three set off in the correct direction towards their destination.
Tifa stirred in her sleep. Slowly she opened her eyes, allowing them to adjust to the dark light. The room was dark, only a little light seeping in through a barred window high in the wall. The walls were made of thick damp stones and the floors were made of the same. Across from her Marlene slept contently on Barrett's lap. Yuffie's head rested on Red's back, while Cid sat in the corner by himself. They were all still unconscious.
Slowly she rose to her feet and walked over to the window. Standing on the tips of her toes she held onto the ledge of the window and pulled herself up to look outside. It proved to be very little help. The outside was dark inky black. A few times she saw a swift movement, but never enough to clearly see where they were. Letting go of the window cill, she walked over to the cell wall and slid down against it, pulling herself into a ball.
"Rufus, help..."
------------
There, it's finished. I know a lot of you have been complaining that my chapters are too short, and I'm sorry. But this is the way I like to do it. This way, I get a new chapter up every week. Also, I've been trying realllllly hard to make the chapters longer, but I'm not feeling very well right now, so I promise the next chapter will be much longer. Oh, and if you have any ideas or comments please e-mail me or post them in your review... Remember, if you don't review, I'll hit you with my Carnet Case Of DOOM! :)