Finding Fantasy

Chapter Six

The bright light of the fluorescents flooded the room, bathing the floor of Rufus’ apartment in an eerie glow. The young Vice President of The Shin-Ra Corporation was doing paperwork in the small office that overlooked Junon Harbor. If he were to look out that window, he would see the calm midnight ocean, lapping gently at the metal sides of the towering city, glowing in the light of the silver moon. As it was, he only saw the black ink on yet another report from Tseng, who had dropped by for a visit earlier that day.

It was always nice to see the Turk, even if he was there as a herald of grim news. Apparently, The Old Man had decided to take the last of Mayor Domino’s power and render Midgar completely his. Rufus tended to look at it as an advantage. That would mean he would have that much more control over the world, if AVALANCHE was indeed successful in its assassination attempt.

A soft thud broke him from his revere, and he glanced up from his thick stack of papers to see a young woman with copper colored hair lying, unconscious, on the ground. He stood up, walking over to her to kneel by her side. As a precaution, he checked her pulse, and found that she was still alive. He sighed, picking her up in his arms, completely unruffled, and carried her to one of the bedrooms down the hall. Like lightning, he flipped open his PHS, dialing Tseng.

“Hello?” The voice of the Wutain Turk beckoned from the other end, sounding nonchalant.

“A girl fell from my ceiling,” Rufus stated as a matter of fact, staring at her sleeping form.

“From your ceiling?” Tseng asked, though his tone was reasonable, and not at all disbelieving.

“Yes. From my ceiling. She has red hair and appears to have been knocked unconscious,” Rufus told him, sitting on a chair in the corner.

“That appears to be a pattern today,” Tseng said, a mild amount of humor in his voice.

“Something happened back in Midgar?” Rufus asked him, his voice laced with mild curiosity, though he hid it well.

“Yes. A young woman fell onto Director Heidegger’s desk this morning. She’s awake now and… spirited… to say the least. She apparently knows Dani, who I’m sure you remember,” came Tseng’s explanation.

“What should I do?”

“My advice? Wait until she wakes and then try to explain to her what happened. If she’s anything like Dymond, the girl in Midgar, she’ll wake up and make demands,” Tseng stated, and Rufus heard a faint crash and shout in the background.

‘What was that?”

“… Ah… Reno and Dymond aren’t exactly… getting along.”

“Okay. I’ll contact you later.”

There was a click as Tseng hung up.

Rufus turned to the girl, who stirred a bit and then sat up.

“ Hello,” he greeted, staring at her with his icy eyes.

“Uh…” she looked at him for a moment, then spoke again. “Where am I?”

“Junon, only a little bit away from Midgar,” he informed her, and watched as recognition sparked in her eyes.

“Damn that Jassamine… I’m going to kill her if we ever see each other again,” the girl muttered.

“Excuse me?” he asked skeptically.

“ She’s my friend… and the reason I’m here,” the girl explained.

“This Jassamine is the reason you fell from my ceiling?” he responded.

“Yeah, I guess,” she trailed off. “I’m Beth, by the way.”

“I’m Rufus.”

“Hello, Rufus,” said Beth.

The two stared at one another for a moment longer before Rufus suggested that they go get something to eat. If he was being completely honest with himself, he would admit that he was happy to have her company in his solitude.

… … …

“Worst. Day. Ever.” Dani growled to Reno as they prepared to go to Seventh Heaven, down in the Sector Seven Slums.

“At least she won’t be in our division,” Reno offered, his own voice a bit raw from yelling at the girl.

“Don’t hold it against her,” Dani warned him. “She’s just… a bit exited to be here.”

“I’ve never seen anyone recover that quickly from an unconscious state,” Rude added.

The three entered the train, leaning against the side of the car they were in. It was Dani’s first time on the train, and the corrugated metal walls of the plate sped past them on the way down from the pizza. They received a few skeptical looks from the other passengers, and the occasional scornful glare from a hobo.

She now had a taste of what it was like to be a Turk.

Little did she know she would be reunited with her old friend in an awkward way, and that this would only be the beginning of things.

A/N: Really short update to placate my friends. Sorry it isn’t better, guys.