Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Prophetic Fulfillment ❯ A Call Refused ( Chapter 4 )

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

Chapter 4
A Call Refused

Put up the barriers shut down your senses.
Cover up with all of your pretences.
See no evil, your eyes are blunted.
We are the hunters, we are the hunted.

Taking a tumble, I'm taking a dive.
Sometimes I stumble when my mind's made up.
Reaction levels seem strangely muted.
Ordinary acts of fun have been diluted.

Place it in your memory.
Leave it in your past.
But don't forget...

"In Your Memory"
Depeche Mode

Another night, and Reno couldn't sleep. This was getting ridiculous.

The night before he hadn't been able to sleep because of the memories, the confusion. Now Reno was just as confused but it was his alleged "powers" that kept him awake. The sheer bizarrity that was being able to see in the dark. It was just unnatural. He had grown accustomed to sleeping in pitch black darkness -- the boredom of not being able to see let his mind wander until he drifted away. But now? Now his eyes picked up the small traces of light emanating from the Canyon -- quite a feat since electricity was scarce in the town. The only real light that would be coming in would have shone from the full moon... and the Candle. And so Reno sat in this false visibility, his cat-like vision making out a chair, plainly seeing a table. He could even read the words on the newspaper placed on his nightstand. Should he even bother trying to get any rest?

Feelin' like a damned insomniac...

He turned, raggedly, over onto his side, staring at the small digital clock face that glared at him from across the room, glowing bright green, helping illuminate the room even further. He could cover it and that might darken the room, at least a little... but what was the point? He read the face -- 4:02 AM. How long had Reno laid there in a futile attempt to sleep? More importantly, how long would he remain? He sighed at the notion of spending another four to five hours in that same state. Sighed at the frustration. Sighed at the added stress in his life -- as if he needed it. Sighed at the feeling of powerlessness that had overtaken him. Sighed at the inevitability of it all.

I don't need this.

Reno leaned against the pillow, rubbing his arms slightly against the cold. The wind was cool and dry outside. He knew he'd be feeling that later, knew that, for as young as he was, his joints weren't too fond of this kind of weather... But he didn't move.

Indecision.

In truth, he was so used to doing what he was told, blindly following another's orders. It had been how many years since the fall of Shinra? He cracked his neck into place as he threw his legs off the side of the bed. Four? Another crack. No... five. Five years on his own and thing still hadn't gotten easier. Would they ever?

He remembered the fall... that fateful day when the entity known as Shinra faded into the annuls of history. Disappeared creating only a scar in the face of time. Something that people could look at in books, years into the future, and shun. He remembered being set free and cast out. He had been offered a job once Reeve took over the power industry of Midgar, salvaging the remaining scraps of a once proud, but tainted legacy.

Reeve Daniels. Now there was a piece of work if Reno was concerned. Between his lacking abilities as a spy and the ever famous stuffed android he toted around, Reno didn't know what to think. Sure he admired the man -- admired the way he stood up for his beliefs, despite the company's vital requirement for a sense of loyalty. Take a job from Reeve Daniels, former AVALANCHE spy? The answer was quite easy to come up with.

Maybe I should have...

Then again, Reno knew what they thought of him there. What they thought of him everywhere. Even without the threat of Shinra. Even without the bi-monthly paychecks telling him what to do, he was a Turk. And it seemed to him that that would never end. And who in their right mind would ever trust a Turk? The answer was plainly evident by Nanaki's response to seeing him. No one would. No one could.

I'd only be kidding myself if I worked there.

Sighing, he pulled himself from the bed and stared out the window, then proceeded to get up, grabbing a white shirt from a neary chair and putting it on solomnly. He ignored the buttons, letting it hang on his shoulders, swaying in the soft breeze. It was colder by the window, and leaning against the frame he could feel the stirrings of pain creeping over his right shoulder -- the dull throb of a body part torn to bits and barely reconstructed after four different surgeries. Sector Seven.

He looked up to the stars twinkling coldly down upon him, stars that almost seemed to disapprove of him looking at them. If anything sealed his fate, his future, it was Sector Seven. Kidnapping the Cetra - that wasn't so bad. Fighting with AVALANCHE wasn't horrible either. It was causing the plate's collase that triggered the mistrust and the hatred he presently bore. Because, even though it was covered up, the fame and heroic deeds of the terrorist organization made it very clear that the red-headed Turk was, in fact, the perpetrator. A truth that was slowly spreading across the world. No matter where he went, there was always someone who would ignore him, who would refuse him service, spit on him, or verbally abuse him. And, no matter how much he thought it didn't bother him, no matter how used to scorn he thought he was, it still built up. It still proved to be a nuisance. And somewhere in the depths of his psyche, he was afraid that it would be his end.

Rude and Elena. Sure, they were Turks too, but they weren't anywhere nearly as bad off as he was. And for that he was glad because they were all he had left and to see them in the same predicament as he? Reno didn't want to fathom it. Both received high status positions within the new company -- sort of a mix between intelligence and security. People were okay with them. Maybe it was because Elena had been the rookie and the least recognizable. Maybe it was because Rude was less confrontational, made less of a ruckus than his fiery haired best friend. Maybe it was because neither or them were quite as seemingly cold hearted as Reno. Whichever the reason, they didn't get the brunt of the heat that their friend got.

That's good for them, though... they desearve it...

And he really did truly believe it. That's why he hadn't taken the job. He didn't want to spoil any of it for them. They were getting their lives back on track and for him to be there... no. They were better off without him...

He raked his fingers through his hair, absentmindedly, looking at the still unpacked bag and smiled sadly.

Wasn't everyone?

Deep within the foggy sheen of light, a woman.

She had an air of beauty about her, but something was innately ugly, innately wrong about her. Something disgusting that caused the bile to rise up in Genesis' stomach. It made her feel raw. Dirty.

The woman smiled, standing in front of something, that Gen couldn't make out. The woman pointed a finger and began chanting in a foreign tongue that seemed vaguely famililar.

The woman smiled again, her eyes almost seeming to glow amber, her dark hair floating in an upcurent of breeze. And then she...

Genesis jumped, startled and bewildered, gasping for air. She was still in bed, still under the soft covers. It had all been a dream

But why? What was this about? Who was this woman?

An omen? She looked out the window, still gasping softly, regaining her composure as quickly as she could. There was no way she could sleep after that. And then she saw him, standing alone out there, his clothing and hair ruffling in the soft breeze. And even if she didn't know how to explain what she had just seen. Even if she wouldn't know what to talk about, she had a feeling that she should be down there with him.

"A woman of midnight hair and striking features. She will prove to be an important ally in the battle agai..."

Torn Manuscript Snippet

Rocky sand and gravel crackled underfoot as he made his way up to the Cosmo Candle, marvelling at the way the flames burned in the night sky, lighting up the town square around him. They danced as they had for years upon years, as long as anyone could remember. He sat and stared, his eyes ablaze, contemplating his next course of action, though knowing what he intended to do.

I shouldn't be here.. He sighed again and looked up to the stars -- two actions he noticed he had been doing a little too often. None of this was like himself, but ever since that night in the desert everything had changed and he was coping -- trying his hardest to stay Reno no matter what happened. The stars mocked him, making him feel small and stupid. Like he didn't matter. And he knew they were right. But he still admired them, trying to trace the patterns of constellations he couldn't remember the names of. How could anyplace as beautiful as Cosmo Canyon exist?

Red's right... I am defiling this place...

The had gone to his room early the night before, stared at his ceiling from his spot on the bed, listening to the loud cheers, the sheer happiness of the Cosmanii and the foreign scholars. Yes, they all believed what Gen said now. The Chosen One was found at last. Obviously none of them figured what that meant. None of them could realize what it meant to be a Chosen One. And why should they? All they knew was that he would save them all. Whatever that entailed. Reno didn't know either, he had to admit. He just knew that it meant responsibility. He could feel a two ton weight on his shoulders. His own world had falled apart at the seams. Why should he care if theirs did too? Couldn't someone else sign up to play hero for the day? He was through with the spotlight.

Reno scowled. He would rather no one depend on him anymore. He just let down everyone who did and he couldn't go through that anymore. He reached to his shoulder, kneading the tired, protesting muscles, feeling scarred flesh with his fingertips. A few bullet holes and stab wounds compliments of Tifa Lockheart and Cloud Strife. He gritted his teeth, massaging over the scars left over from incisions, remembering being put back together like a rag doll that had a fateful meeting with an angry dog.

"Reno?"

His eyes snapped open as he felt a soft hand over his own. She looked down on him, smiling in a white silken robe, her hair pulled back in a braid. "Is anything wrong?"

He looked back to the Candle, trying his hardest to plaster a different emotion on his weary face. But he was so tired. "No... just." He turned back to her, watching her lower her body next to him. "Nothing..."

"Okay then." She didn't believe him. He knew that she had seen the bag on the other side of him. She was just stalling. Playing dumb. "If anything's bothering you..."

"I know..." And just like that, silence. And then... truth. "I can't do this anymore..."

"Reno..." She paused. "Everyone's so happy... I know I'm right. It's you. When we saw mentioning of a disaster, no one knew what to do. It looked so grave, but so vague at the same time. But now... you're here. You're kind of a prophetic fulfillment. You..."

"Then it's too bad I'm not. You're... I don't know how, but you're wrong."

"Excuse me?" She spat the words at him.

"We both know it. You just don't want to admit it."

"Reno..."

"Don't Reno me. Don't bat your eyes, don't mention the past, don't DO anything. I'm no chosen one. I'm a murderer. A cold blooded killer. I"m irresponsible, undependable, and I damn well fucking don't care!"

"But..."

"I know what I am, Gen. No past, no future. You want Chosen One material? Go to the Seventh Heaven bar in Nibelheim. Ask the owner for Cloud Strife." He looked down to his bag, seething, then added with biting malice. "There's a real hero."

"You're... But I know..." She was on the verge of angry, hot tears.

"You don't know shit Genesis. Get your head out of this fantasy. You knew me. You don't know me. You don't want to know me." He stood quickly and she followed him up. "It's so easy for you to do this. You walk into my life and you fucking ruin it. I was fine. Just fucking swell. It is so fucking easy. Just pick me out of a crowd and have me rescue you. Rescue you all. Well you know what? I don't. Fucking. Care. You could all die, all get killed by whatever is coming and you know what else? More power to it." He breathed.

She bit back a sob that threatened to rack her body and slapped him across the face.

Reno's eyes narrowed, faintly glowing in the dancing embers of the Candle. "That the best you can do?"

"Bastard." She growled, animal like as she straightened herself to her full height. "How dare you?" This wasn't like him at all. Or was it? Doubt. Maybe Reno was right. He was a stranger to her now. It had been so long... But still, he had to be human, somewhere in there.

He looked at her blankly. She growled again, anger getting the best of her. "You don't care, do you?"

Still no response, his face never wavering. Common sense told him that he had gone too far. But he was angry. Furious. He knew he didn't mean any of it, but he had to push her further. Now he just wanted her to hate him. Wanted her to lose faith. Wanted her to be wrong. She was beautiful, smart, and didn't need him in her life.

He buttoned his shirt a little over halfway up and shouldered his blue coat. "A pity. You would have been a good fuck."

And then she literally saw red as she reared back and punched him square in the jaw. And with that, she turned around and ran back into the inn.

Alone, Reno raised a hand to his jaw, popped it back into place and winced.

What luck... she didn't break anything...

Turning away from the Candle, he spit, attempting to dispel the taste of blood from his mouth.

"Didn't know you had it in you, Gen..." He reached for his bag, but was stopped in mid grab by the growl of a voice behind him.

"There are many things which you do not know."

He closed his eyes and sighed in annoyance. Just when he thought he could escape in peace. "Listen, Furball. I don't need any shit from you either."

Nanaki padded next to him and sat on his haunches. "You may call me Nanaki or Red XIII if you so desire. Not Furball. Not Hairy. Not Meow Mix. Have I made myself clear?"

Reno looked over the cat, noting the gleam of firelight reflecting off his teeth. "Fine..." He grabbed his bag. "Doesn't matter much, though. I"m not staying any longer."

"I see." Nanaki looked over to the candle. "So was that your way of saying farewell to an old friend? Is that what you do to everyone who cares for you?"

He shouldered the bag, wincing as his sore shoulder protested. The pain made him think that it might rain at some point soon, which was just what he needed. "It had to be said. It doesn't matter if I wanted to..."

Nanaki was silent. It suddenly made sense, Reno's tactic. Or at least he thought it did. The cruel words seemed to be a bit much even for the red-head. Even if Nanaki hated Reno, he had to admit that he wouldn't stoop to the words he said. He had to give him credit. Reno wanted out. It was plainly obvious.

"Don't tell me you bought Gen's load of crap. I always assumed you were the one with sense in AVALANCHE."

"I have no opinion on that matter. I personally do not like you all that much, though you were redeeming yourself for a little while there. Still, I find it hard to believe you are the chosen one. But yet, you fit the profile far too well for Gen to be mistaken.

"Stranger things have happened, Fur... Nanaki."

"Indeed they have."

"Well, I guess I'll be seeing ya. "Reno turned to leave.

"Wait!" Nanaki ran in front of him, his eyes gleaming in the Candle-light. "I have something for you."

"Why Red, I didn't know you cared."

Nanaki rolled his eye in frustration, a very human motion. "It is yours, though I do have my qualms with giving this over to you. We found it amidst the old scrolls and possessions of the Mage Warrior families in Cosmo Canyon." He reached into a satchel that was strapped to him an pulled out a small package.

Reno opened it and stared at a small emerald colored stone pendant attached to a silver chain. "What is it?" The gem glittered.

"We do not know. It appears to be some sort of materia, but even that we are not sure of. We speculate it has been passed down the Charlemagne family line... There are more items there, but I suppose you won't be here..."

Reno was silent as he placed the chain around his neck, letting it hang. Nanaki looked him over... the way his eyes matched the color of the stone... they were amazingly similar. He shook his head. " I don't know why your parents would leave something so importent here..."

Reno thought a moment, fingering the stone. Could they have known something would happen? "Maybe they thought it would be safer here?"

"Perhaps."

He coughed nervously and turned away, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Thanks, Nanaki." The words forced their way out as he walked toward the exit. He stopped and turned around. "Listen... Tell Genesis I'm sorry for everything..."

Nanaki sat and nodded. "WIll do, Reno."

"... and... if anything happens. Look out for her. I know she can take care of herself, but..."

"I understand, Reno. Farewell."

Reno walked through the gates, allowing them to close behind him, leaving an empty courtyard glimmering with the first rays of sunlight, and Nanaki in the midst of it all. He turned around, passing the flame, and reflecting on Reno's words, on the saddened look in his eyes, and realizing that the former Turk wasn't nearly as bad as he had thought...

A/N: I'm quite shocked as well... another one. I'm just a writing maching this Spring break!