Let children walk with Nature, let them see the beautiful blendings and communions of death and life, their joyous inseparable unity, as taught in woods and meadows, plains and mountains and streams of our blessed star, and they will learn that death is stingless indeed, and as beautiful as life. ~John Muir
The story of how the world was saved was not the Turk's story, not this time.
Meteor was obliterated directly above Midgar. The city was destroyed but the Planet escaped destruction. In the end it was the Planet itself that was responsible for its own salvation, for in fact it was the power of the Lifestream bursting out of the Planet that saved it.
Of course, that itself was made possible by the actions of a few brave people, but at that moment when the powerful Ultimate White Magic "Holy" won against the equally powerful Ultimate Black Magic "Meteor", the people watching could only think of it as the Planet protecting itself. Most never knew how Cloud and his party had saved the world. The Turks found out later, from Reeve, but at that moment they were as much in the dark about the fate of the world as everyone else.
At that moment, as the two magics battled against each other, Reno and Rude had split away from the rest of their colleagues. They were headed back to the Shinra building to look for supplies. The streets were empty and dark except for fires raging in the distance and the sparking of broken power lines. The fire reflected in the pools of water from the rain and broken pipes. The mixture of flame and flood, dark and light made the destruction all the more otherworldly. Rude supposed it was fitting for the end of the world to look this way. He turned his gaze to his partner. At the end of the world, there was no one else Rude would have wanted more at his side.
Reno was his partner; no, more than that, his brother. Rude had been at his side from the moment Reno joined the Turks, so it was only fitting that they face the end of the world together.
Rude thought back to the first night Reno had spent at his apartment. He had made up the couch for him to sleep on, since the guest room was beingom was being used for storage. Rude had planned toplanned to clean it out before Reno got back from school. He had no doubt Veld would set up at place for Reno at the Academy by Monday, so for now the couch would have to doto do.
The next morning, Reno wasn't there. For a moment, Rude wondered if he'd dreamed up the kid and then next he was on to more realistic worries. The kid wasn't stupid enough to rob a Turk and make a run for it, was he?
Rude had seen the hovel the kid had called home. The place had been stuffed with stolen property, Shin-ra property included; Reno was lucky Veld had been lenient, even offering him a job. If the kid betrayed that and took off now…
As Rude came into the kitchen he nearly tripped over the kid. He was curled up on the tile between the fridge and the counter.
"Reno?" he asked. Rude bent down to shake the kid awake, but Reno was up in a flash. He pressed himself into the corner, fists raised as he let out a cry of surprise. "Hey," said Rude, putting his hands up.
Reno took a deep breath, and then seemed to relax. "Right," he said, "morning."
"Didn't expect to find you there," said Rude.
Reno shrugged as he got to his feet. "Couldn't sleep…too soft and…open," he said.
"You've slept on the streets, I take it," said Rude.
"There are harder things in life," said Reno. "Mom's dead, dad ain't caring about me. Being cold, hungry, uncomfortable…all that's just life. Don't feel sorry for me none. I was happy there, so long as I was free."
"Do you think you'll be unhappy here?" asked Rude. He moved to start the morning's coffee. "There's cereal if you want some."
"Hell no," said Reno, "There's food here and more 'an that…I…I'm grateful, yo. To Mr. Veld, and for you for takin' me like this, even if it is just 'cause he ordered you to."
"I could have objected," said Rude. "You're welcome here, Reno."
Reno gave him an easy smile. "Been awhile since anyone said that."
Over breakfast Rude watched him tuck into his food like he was starving, drinking up the milk once he'd finished the cereal and practically licking the bowl clean. He ate like someone who knew what it meant to be starving, something Rude had never known.
Rude did not pity Reno, however. No, he did not think, poor kid. Instead, he thought, tough kid. In many ways a lucky kid, lucky to survive and make it this far. Rude doubted he'd waste a minute of the opportunity. As his mentor, Rude vowed to do his best to prepare Reno for whatever he'd have to face.
He had never imagined that they would have to face anything like this. As they made their way into the abandoned building the ground began to shake.
"Why does it have to happen now?" shouted Reno as they made a run for cover.
It felt like the whole building might come crashing down on top of them. This quake was worse than any of the tremors that had preceded it. It felt like they were running on the deck of ship during a storm. Then Lifestream erupted from ground. It burst through the windowwindow; the of light that swept through the building was like a monster destroying everything in its path.
The two Turks ran to safety, ducking into the brick stalls of the ladies' bathroom. Once, while Rude was visiting his mom in Costa Del Sol, a hurricane had struck, spawning tornados along with other severe weather. During such an event the safest place to be was in a closet or bathroom. Somewhere small, protected from debris. Rude had read that doorways were the best place to go during an earthquake. The brick cubicles of the toilet seemed like the best place to hide, or at least the best place they could get to on short notice.
"This is my fault," said Rude. He hung his head and sighed.
"What is?" asked Reno.
"If I hadn't suggested we come back to collect the toolbox, then— "
Reno would not let him finish the apology. "Forget it, man. Now's not the time to feel sorry." There was something different about Reno's voice when he spoke, and it told Rude that this was it: the end. Rude fell silent, and did not speak again until Reno broke the silence with a question.
"Rude?" Reno called out to him, as if he couldn't stand the quiet any long.
"What is it?" asked Rude.
"We've been together for a long time," said Reno.
"Yeah," said Rude. He nodded to himself. He'd been with Reno for as long as Reno had been a Turk. He'd watched him grow from a little kid fresh off the streets into a man, a Turk, who had much courage and honor as any man alive. It wasn't something everyone would recognize, the ones who saw Turks as dirty cowards who didn't know the meaning of honorable, but the Turks had their own code. The Turks had done their share of good, along with the bad, and they'd stayed strong through thick and thin.
Rude remembered the day Reno had become a killer, and what had happened a few days later.
The evening had started out normally enough. Reno got home from a mission kicked off his boots and tossed them aside along with his socks, before pulling off his jacket and throwing it over a chair. Rude had given up on telling him to hang up his uniform.
Reno's sense of professionalism did not extend to his mode of dress. It wasn't uncommon for him to sleep in his uniform and come to work the next day without brothering to change.
Ain't like it's gonna stay all nice, anyway. Not if we get a field mission, and if I have to sleep in at some point then, might as well get used to sleeping in it.
Rude wondered if it was more a matter of Reno being too dead tired to bother changing before bed or pulling out another uniform before hopping in the shower the next morning. Of course, there was evidence to support just plain laziness.
If I put on new clothes I have to take the time to pick out a shirt, and pants and socks, and then I have to take my belt off my pants and put in my new pants. Then I have to get my PHS and wallet out of my pockets, versus just picking up the things that are lying right there on the floor ready to go.
At first, Rude had picked up after Reno when he threw his coat off. When Reno fell asleep in his clothes, he'd wake Reno enough to get him out of his shirt and throw it in the laundry pile with his own, then lay out a new uniform for the next day. Then he'd see the shame in Reno's eyes when he'd say. You don't have to do that.
Rude had learned that Reno liked to do things for himself and didn't need to be looked after. So Rude let Reno take care of himself, and if we wanted to be a slob that was fine, because the moment Reno turned eighteen he was getting his own apartment and until then, he was willing to pay for a maid service. Rude could live with Reno's habits.
So long as he never 'lost' a loaded firearm in the couch cushions again, but seeing as Rude had felt obliged to report that incident to Veld, he doubted Reno would ever be that careless in the future.
As for the way Reno chose to dress, Rude tried to accept that Reno's standards were not the same as his, but that was ok.
Still, he would never understand Reno's refusal to wear a tie. It's just asking someone to strangle you with it, yo! When Rude pointed out that most Turks wore clip-ons for that very reason, Reno had just shrugged. I may be a Shinra dog, but that doesn't mean I want a leash. Rude let it go, it wasn't his job to police Reno's dress code. If Veld was willing to let it slide, then who was he to question it? He'd never question the chief, but at times he wondered if Tseng had.
He'd noticed the way Tseng regarded Reno. Rude had to give the kid some credit for not shrinking under that look. Cissnei didn't seem too impressed with Reno either. Well, the little girl was pretty cold to everyone, that was just her way, but Reno seemed to be an object of particular distaste. Although, the fact remained that Reno was the only one who'd managed to get her to crack a smile.
Rude had known Reno for years, and at this point thought nothing could surprise him. Then one night Reno swanned into the room with those things on his face. Rude had taken one look at him and done a double-take.
"What's that on your face?" He'd noticed the markings the moment Reno came in the door, bright red streaks like some kind of war paint under each eye. Rude new exactly what they were, of course. The angry pink of inflamed skin framed each dark red patch: they could only be tattoos.
"What, don't you like it, yo?" asked Reno.
"Facial tattoos?" He wondered what everyone at the office was going to say about this. Tseng's face might very well be priceless.
"Yup," said Reno. He went to the fridge and helped himself to a beer.
"Any reason?" asked Rude. Voice calm as ever. Who was he to judge? Rude had his share of piercings, which were arguably a lot worse than tattoos. A tattoo couldn't be grabbed and ripped out in the middle of combat. No that Rude would let anyone who'd think to try it be successful.
Reno flopped down on the couch beside Rude, and propped his feet up on the coffee table. "Remember the other day?" asked Reno, "when we came back to the office and I was all covered in blood?"
"After your first kill, you mean?" asked Rude. "Reno, are you doing ok?"
"What? Oh yeah, I'm fine," said Reno. He took a deep drink. "I mean…I will be."
"It'll get easier," said Rude.
Reno laughed and shook his head. "That's what I'm afraid of," he said. "That's why I got these, it's a reminder."
Rude was silent, but gave him a look that prompted him to go on.
"When we got back, Tseng took me to the bathroom to get cleaned up. While I was scrubbing my face I saw these marks, perfect streaks of blood here and here," he pointed to the messing lines on his face. "It was kinda…striking, I guess? So I took a picture in the mirror before I finished cleaning up for my debriefing. I took the picture with me when I got this done, to remind myself that even after you scrub it off the blood's still on you and so that when I do get used to the killing I can remember that it wasn't always like that. Was a time my face didn't have these marks." Reno set the bottle down, and looked to Rude to say something.
Rude put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Violence can make you lose yourself, but no matter what happens, you're a Turk. We are more than we are as individuals; we are part of something larger. As long as you wear that suit you'll never lose that, or us."
Reno nodded, and then laughed. "Could of said that before I permanently marked my face up, yo."
"At least they suit you," said Rude.
"Yeah," said Reno, "I think they do."
That had been the day Reno came home with his face forever marked with red; forever marked as a killer.
But true to Rude's words, the Turks had always been there for both of them, and he'd done his best to be there for Reno. Now they were together at the end of the world. What could be more fitting?
"Partners right?" asked Reno.
"Yeah," said Rude.
"The best partners!" said Reno.
Rude smiled because Reno sounded like he was back to his usual self. He heard Reno leave the cubicle, and then a moment later the door of Rude's stall came flying towards him as Reno kicked it open. Rude caught the door, then kicked it back. Reno stepped aside and the ruined door clattered to the floor.
"What the hell!" asked Rude. That thing had nearly hit him.
"My last present to my best partner," said Reno, shrugging as he grinned.
"A door?" asked Rude. What was Reno playing at now?
"A thrill," corrected Reno. "The sort of thing you like."
"—Not enough," Rude replied as he left the cubicle, stepping around the remains of the door.
"Then why don't we take a look outside?" asked Reno. "I bet it's exciting. Better than hiding in here anyway."
Reno had a point. If they died, they died, and Rude doubted the bathroom walls would make much a difference. It didn't really seem like a particularly fun way to go out, cowering in bathroom.
"Sounds like a party," said Rude.
The two of them sprinted towards the front entrance of the building as the wind picked up and grew stronger around the Lifestream. It whipped over Rude's skin like the sea breeze at Costa. Beams of light bundled together, snaked their way around the Turk's body in a swirl of vibrant green. It didn't hurt; it was almost like a current of water, a bright glowing… stream.
"Woah!" shouted Reno, spreading his arms out to let the strange current ripple over him. "This…this is the Lifestream isn't it?"
Together they ran out into the swirl of light like children into the first snow of winter. The wind was gentle now, just enough to feel nice. The city wasn't screaming anymore, and somehow they knew that it was going to be all right.
They were alive.
"Reno?" called Rude.
"What?" Reno turned back toward to his partner, framed by emerald light, beneath his feet, the wet street shown like silver.
"This is the best."