"......Why?"
"....thats what I was born for, thats all I am......"
".....lies all lies....."
".....face the truth...."
"....damnit, maybe it's becase I love you!"
LOVE AND REALITY
by: Shayna Harvey
HARV@midwest.net
Chapter One:
Haunted
The young man hurried through the dim streets of Upper Junon as fog played in the early morning air. People stepped to the side as he past, most muttering gooday or some other nonsence. He had no need for their coments, he knew what they thought of him. At ninteen, he, Rufus Shinra was Vice President of ShinRa Inc. sole aire to his fathers throne. Who needs them, they would all stab him in the back givin the chance. Not that he realy cared. There was nothing they could do.
Rufus' thoughs where suddely interupted when he crashed into a young girl. Her bags scattered to the ground. "Watch where your going," Rufus snapped. "Sorry," the girl murrmered, struggling to gather her belongings. Any other time he would have went on his way, but something keep him there. A simple country acented 'sorry' not sir, or Mr. Vice President. He bent down and began to help her gather her belongings, wondering what had possesed him to do it.
"Thank you, kindly" the girl said, when they had finished. Rufus nodded curtly, and studdied her face. Red hair hung down past her shoulders and mahogany eyes staired back at him, thoughtfuly. Could this be the Rufus Shinra, the cold hearted bastered she heard so much about, the thoughts seemed to vanish as she staired into his saphire eyes, impossable. "I'll be on my way now, if you like," she said, turning to go. "Wait," Rufus called after her, "I didn't get your name."
The girl turned and their eye's me, "Tanara Bane," she replied, then hurried on her way. Tanara Bane, Rufus played the name over in his head. As much as he tried to push her aside, his thoughts were still haunted by her eyes.
Chapter Two:
A Smile
"Sir, the new secretary is here," came a female voice over the intercom. Rufus sighed in frustraition. He had been slaying over papper work for eight hours strait, the last thing he needed was to have to explain to some air head, vally girl how to put them away. "Send her in," was his reply. A few minutes latter the door opened and a young woman, about eighteen stepped in. Rufus looked up, strait into a pair of mahogany eyes. "We meet again it seems," Tanara said with a smile.
It took all of Rufus control not to spring from his seat. His heart raced, though his face showed no expression. "Well, arn't you gonna say somethin', honey?" Tanara asked. No reply came. "How 'bout hello?" she tried again, sitting on the edge of his desk. "Hello," Rufus said, pointing to a file cabnet, "I trust you know what to do, so get to work," he finished, handing her a stack of pappers. Tanara took them, and put them away, seemingly not fazed. "My arn't we friendly today," she ventured, putting the last papper into place. Once again she was meet with no reply.
Around ten o-clock that night Rufus spoke up, "You can go home now Ms. Bane, your shifts up," he said, glancing at her from the corner of his eye, it wasn't the first time. Tanara shook her head, "What, and leave lil' old you here all alone, naw," she said, pooring a cup of coffee, "I'd hate for you to have to fix your own coffee," she laughed, handing him the mug. "Thank you," Rufus replied.
Thank you, hadn't they met with those two words. Rufus' mind wandered back to that morning, two weeks ago. A small smile played on his lips, what had lead them to meet again, the odds being against it. What did fate have in store for him now. The smile widden, President Shinra had once told him, that he shouldn't tempt fate. Rufus had simply replied, fate shouldn't tempt me.
Chapter Three:
Love and Reality
Four weeks later Rufus stood over looking the vast turquoise ocean that lay beneath his office window. He had just recived a call from Palmer. His father had been murdered, yet he felt nothing, as he waited for the helicopter, Tanara stood at his side. "Odd, all this power at my fingure tips, yet I still feel small compared to the ocean," Rufus said, speaking more to himself. "Everyone does, I belive, hon" Tanara said, wrapping an arm around Rufus'.
"I shouldn't," Rufus muttered. "Why?" Tanara asked. Rufus pulled away, "Because, I'm a cold hearted bastered, whose only meant to set in a throne and get everything I want," he said, bitterly, "No emotions, nothing, thats what I was born for, thats all I am." "Bull shit, Rufus, "Tanara argued, "Thats nothin' but lies all lies, I tell you!" "Ha, its pure fact," Rufus said, watching the helicopter slowly approch over the horizen, "Why don't you face the truth. Why don't you just believe it, everyone else does."
"Rufus, damnit, maybe it's because I love you!" "What!" Rufus spun around, his eye's locked once more one her tearful mahogany eye's. For the last time. Tanara spun on one heel and ran from the room, her head burried in her hand's. Rufus stood there in shock, looking after her.
He spun around, to see bullets of energy headed strait for his office. He brought his arm up to shield his face, as glass shatered around him. His last though accumpanyed a clear picture in his mind, a pair of mahogany eyes. I love you, too.
At the same time, in a small house in Junon, a young woman sat in tears. "I know," she mouth the words, "and I love you." They would not meet again in this lifetime.