Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Legacy ❯ Legacy ( Prologue )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Disclaimer: Hey! Did anyone know that Faye Wong does a ripping version of Bohemian Rhapsody? Well, she does, and boy is it interesting! Oh yeah, and I don't own Final Fantasy, Squaresoft, or Everclear... I am, however, the mastermind behind Ziplock, Velcro, and Post Its. Have a nice day!

I know what they think about me.

I'm cold, heartless. No one's ever seen me cry, nor bleed. I'm an arrogant, selfish bastard. A power hungry tyrant. I am the picture of Macchiavellian ethics. The only thing colder than my gaze is my heart.

I know what they think about me.

But I've never given a shit what they've thought.

And that's the key to my success. My legacy.

Something my father never did and never could attain.

His way took too long. Why waste your time building up the people's trust when you can get what you want now? Why wear a thin charismatic facade when the general public will still hate you for your power over them? I explained it to him time and again, but he never would, never could listen.

He was as bad as me. He just hid it better.

But he met his end, eventually. Why should I bother and complain?

I look toward the horizon, toward the creature careening my way. Weapon. One thought is etched into its small brain. A mission that it will die for should the need arise. It was created with one sole purpose : protect the planet. Destroy whatever stands in its way.

And it just so happens that I am standing in its way.

And one question remains.

Will I meet my end as well? Will now be the time?

I shake my head, clearing away these thoughts as best as possible. A man's voice comes in over the intercom, piercing it's way through my reverie. Heidegger.

"Gyah, hah, hah, Mr. President, preparations for Sister Ray are now in order"

No... I definitely don't see that as happening. Not now. Especially not now.

I turn my head, hearing the annoying laugh of yet another one of my executives. How many times did she have to sleep with dear ole dad to get her position? Hell... I've lost track of how many times she's tried to slip her way into my bed...

"Kya- ha -ha! Anytime is fine!"

I sigh, turning back to the window. It's now or never, and I've never been a man of inaction.

"...Fire."

I close my eyes in anticipation. My greatest engineers have worked on our own little 'weapon.' Weapon will be destroyed. I will succeed.

Rufus Shinra never fails.

Another voice comes in over the intercom. An low ranking operator, I'm guessing.

"Sir! Weapon's been defeated!! The barrier has disappeared!"

I open my eyes. Just as I thought. The Planet may be strong but its power pales in comparison. A smirk plays upon my features as I watch the damaged Weapon struggle. It most certainly pales in comparison.

"Sir!"

The operator again. What can he possibly want?

"A mass of high-density energy is heading towards Midgar!"

I turn, stunned, back towards the window. This cannot happen. I will not fail. It must be... a miscalculation, a mistake somewhere along the line. The Weapon was destroyed, it could not have fired again.

Could it?

I watch the energy ball, whatever it is, screaming in my direction and the strangest feeling overtakes my being.

Panic?

Fear?

It strikes. A searing pain overtaking my body as the force and heat barrel into me. I feel myself lifted from my feet and slammed into the wall with bone crushing force, and yet... I'm not dead?

The initial blast over, I hear the roar of another danger. The prone and damaged building, a symbol of my family, my company's very power and existence, is falling, raining down to the ground, piece by piece. I crawl as best I can to take refuge in the only shelter I can find: My huge metallic desk. The desk of the President of Shinra Power and Electric.

I shudder.

My father died here.

...Will I?

Darkness overcomes me, extinguishing all remnants of pain and doubt. I'll get my answer soon enough...

The sounds of creaking wood, and slowly crackling fire greet me as I painfully open my eyes, squinting at the remains of a once proud legacy. My building is in shambles, my executives are gone, some dead, my people are preparing for the coming apocalypse.

But I'm alive.

I crawl out of the rubble, feeling the stings and protests of cuts, burns, and broken bones. A cold, dry wind rips through this graveyard of wood, metal, and charred and smoldering bodies.

But I'm alive.

I look up to the sky, expecting my gaze to be met with that reddish rock, meteor, an inevitable sign of the end. Instead, my eyes see a vast array of stars, the sky unmarred by that vicious sight.

And I'm still alive...

Fireworks alight the atmosphere. Celebration. I guess Avalanche beat Sephiroth. He was never my problem, just a mistake my father made in his youth. I have to hand it to Avalanche, though. Without their victory, I don't know if I'd have the necessary clearance to begin anew.

To start a legacy of my own.

I pull myself painfully to my feet, stifling the urge to groan, to show weakness. Standing atop the remains of my battered company, I chuckle, then begin to laugh.

They think I'm dead. They think they've defeated me.

Little do they know... Little do they know...

Author's Ramble: I'd like to say I've been a little blocked lately, but according to my screenwriting teacher, 'there is no such thing as writer's block.' So yeah. I started this a while ago, and finished it just today, all of a sudden. I'm hoping that this signals the beginning of more writing. Maybe? Perhaps?

I hope I got the characterization pretty well. Rufus isn't quite as easy to write as Reno, and I think I've gotten a bit lazy writing and creating a past and personality for my favorite little turk. Hopefully this is somewhat good. I'm not too sure what my overall feelings are on this little thing.

Tell me what you think! ^_^