LEFT BEHIND


LOVELESS

May 30--PM--Bearnin


When the war of the beasts brings about the world's end

The goddess descends from the sky

Wings of light and dark spread afar

She guides us to bliss, her gift everlasting

"Will you quit babbling that stupid poem? You sound like a crazy person!" Reno said as he shivered huddled under a blanket at last.

"Oh, I quite like the poem," Lore said. "It speaks to me on so many levels," he whispered.

"I mean, what the hell is that supposed to mean anyway? Wings of light and dark… yo, it is all babble to me," Reno cussed and grumbled

Wings of light and dark spread afar

She guides us to bliss, her gift everlasting

"Damn it. I don't know what any of it means! Is this your idea of torture? You guys already squeezed every bit of information that I know out of me, why are you torturing me with that piece of poetry now?" Reno whined and he didn't care how he sounded. He was tired. He was hungry. He was cold. He was hurt. He was pining for a nice good rye and coke. Hell, a damn whiff of some second hand smoke would even hit the spot right now. He was tired of being a prisoner. And most of all, he didn't want to hear anymore of that Loveless crap!

"The wings of light and dark are the opposing forces of good and evil and how they spread across the land, even overlapping," Lore said. "Creating the shades of grey."

Reno frowned as he looked at Lore who was sitting looking quite comfortable in a warm looking chair with his feet pressed against the bars. He didn't need to have things analyzed for him. He didn't care! He was not an English major and as far as he was concerned. Loveless, was a peace of crap.

"Like ShinRa's grasp on the control of the planet. Its wings, I would say, are dark, and the life stream would be an example of the light and they are in constant conflict."

"Great, are you planning on killing me with this, because I think you are." Reno muttered. He liked it when they were asking him questions.

Infinite in mystery is the gift of the goddess

We seek it thus, and take it to the sky

Ripples form on the water's surface

The wandering soul knows no rest

Reno cringed as he flipped the page of his book. A book that looked old and worn and as if he had read it many times. He was pretty sure that this was the way that he tortured people now. He would take her cutting him with a knife anytime over this poetry crap.

"The world is full of mystery, and the goddess can give us the answers," Lore said.

"Oh, that clarifies everything," Reno mumbled. His head was starting to hurt.

Lore was unfazed by his comments. He continued on. "We seek the sky for our spiritual comfort, for that is where we see her, someone who could be so magnificent should be. We wish to join her in the sky."

"It would be better than here," Reno mumbled.

"But we can't get to her that way," Lore said as he flipped the page. "We are become part of the Gaia, the life stream and those that do not or cannot be accepted into the life stream, are forced to ripple the surface and wander, unaccepted by the true goddess."

"Wonderful," Reno muttered. "I get to live forever as a miserable as I am now. Great."

There is no hate, only joy

For you are beloved by the goddess

Hero of the dawn, Healer of worlds

Reno began to tap his head against the wall trying to drown out the pathetic poetry.

"The goddess accepts all into her arms. Accepts all that are for the planet. Accepts those that will heal her and help heal with her." Lore continued oblivious to Reno hitting his head against the wall. "But there is a threat in this statement. What if you hurt her? What if you are tainted? Hum? Where do you go then, if you are not a hero of the dawn or a Healer of the worlds? You are not accepted by the goddess and therefore, you are forbidden to a life of hell."

"Sounds like where I am here now," Reno mumbled. "Pretty sure, that is where I am now. Yeah. Sounds like I am in hell."

Dreams of the morrow hath the shattered soul

Pride is lost

Wings stripped away, the end is nigh

Lore adjusted his feet on the bars. His bare feet on the cold bars. Damn cold blooded mountain people! How could he stand how cold he was under his clothes and the thick blankets he offered and he was putting his bare feet against the cold bars, like it was nothing.

"The shattered soul. Stripped off all that they were. Stripped of pride, stripped of what is right or wrong as the time of death approaches…

"I hope it is soon," Reno interjected.

"…you are laid bare. A shattered soul that can only dream of what the morning can bring or is it what the morning can bring to the shattered soul. Maybe a peace can be found either way, once the truth is found hidden beneath those wings."

"I could go for some wings. Hot and spicy ones with a nice cold beer about now," Reno stopped hitting his head against the wall and just rested it against the cold stone. Damn. This talk of wings was making him hungry.

Lore made a disapproving noise, but it didn't stop him from continuing his painful analysis.

My friend, do you fly away now?

To a world that abhors you and I?

All that awaits you is a somber morrow

No matter where the winds may blow

"Where would you go, if all around you hate you?" Lore said in a somber tone. "How sad would it be to wake up in the morning and no direction but to follow bur the direction of the wind? Always on the run, even when you do have a friend still waiting for you."

Reno was still thinking of the thought of wings when Lore slammed the book closed and startled him.

"There is always a chance," Lore said. "A world may hate you, but there still will be places where you can be accepted, don't you think?"

"Whatever," Reno mumbled.

Lore snorted. "You just wouldn't understand that, would you, Turk?"

"Don't get the poetry crap, yo." Reno said.

Lore actually sneered at him. For a moment, he looked very much like her sister. It was a little creepy.

My friend, your desire

Is the bringer of life, the gift of the goddess

Even if the morrow is barren of promises

Nothing shall forestall my return

"Well! What do you think of that?"

Reno blinked. Was he serious! What the hell was he supposed to think of that? He didn't what to even think of that. "Yo, Loveless was not on my reading list, back when I was in school and I cheated off the cute girls in Literature class."

Lore look really annoyed. Reno found that he didn't really care.

"It is saying that the desires do not change. They were always there. There is an ebb and flow but the desires remain and they return!" Lore snapped.

"Whatever. I thought it was about the dead rising from the grave and all." Reno said. Lore was glaring at him pretty good now. Okay. He had to learn to keep his mouth shut. He was pissing off the one guy that was keeping him alive right now but the poetry and lack of sleep were seriously addling his mind.

Lore opened the book again.

He groaned.

My friend, the fates are cruel

There are no dreams, no honor remains

The arrow has left the bow of the goddess

Lore went back to his recline and relaxed posed as he read the passage. He was defiantly determined to torture him with the terrible piece of poetry and Reno was pretty sure that it was going to be the death of him, in one form or another.

"Being stripped bare, being exposed; having nothing left to hide your true self, the self that you hide from the world can be cruel and painful. Because even then, the goddess can reject you and turn her weapon on you. The ones you love can hurt you, even in your times of need and the times where you need more than anything to be loved."

"Sappy," Reno moaned. "pft, what a bunch of…"

"What are you about to say, Turk?' Lore said in a strange and stern tone. Yeah, his sister was crazy about, well pretty much everything, and here Lore was a bit mad about Loveless.

"Nothin'," Reno whispered.

My soul, corrupted by vengeance

Hath endured torment, to find the end of the journey

In my own salvation

And your eternal slumber

Lore seemed to be taking a few deep breaths. "find the end of the journey, the sweet release of death, the eternal slumber to reach salvation."

Reno wanted to start beating his head against the wall again and he wisely kept his mouth shut. This passage obviously was important to him and he was supposed to understand what the hell was saying. Hell, he would rather be reading the ShinRa human recourses policy rather than listening to this. At least the words would make sense!

Legend shall speak

Of sacrifice at world's end

The wind sails over the water's surface

Quietly, but surely

"Even at the end, there will be still those that suffer, even if they were to sacrifice themselves, and did most surely they did. Sacrifice is always necessary when one is to pass on and to move forward, but the suffering is still strong enough to stir the water's surface."

"Just skipping stones, dude," Reno chuckled. "That is the best way to disturb the surface and there is no suffering involved in it" He was pretty sure that was the last part of the damn poem. Hopefully he would close the damn book and leave him in his misery before his next questioning session with Lira began.

Lore gave him a deeper frown but flipped another page in that damn poetry book.

Even if the morrow is barren of promises

Nothing shall forestall my return

To become the dew that quenches the land

To spare the sands, the seas, the skies

I offer thee this silent sacrifice

Now, Reno was no expert on Loveless, but he was not familiar with that quote. He was also pretty sure that he missed a few quotes along the way as well, but hell, he was no expert and he really didn't care.

Lore sighed and read the stupid passage again. Man, it was really grating on his nerves.

"silent sacrifice" Lore whispered. "People shouldn't have to suffer so and …, there is always some promise at ever return? Isn't there?"

Reno didn't answer. He was pretty sure that question wasn't even directed at him. Lore sighed heavily and stood from his comfy chair. And without another word, poetry or otherwise, he left him alone.

Alone, with the damn Loveless poem rattling in his head.

He let out a string of curses and he pulled the blanket tighter around him. "Damn crazy people," he yelled.

Listening to that damn poem being analyzed was one thing, but now it was stuck in his head. It was worst than any song being stuck in his head because now he was trying to remember the missed passages. He had to listen to Genesis spout off at one time with his small stupid poem book and his interpretations of the passages, which were strikingly different…

"Damn it!" he screamed into the room.

He preferred being whipped, stabbed or beaten over having the poetry stuck in his head.


tbc

NC… Surrounded & Torture