On the Way to a Smile – Episode:Shin-Ra
Rude and Reno examined the area of the wall that had a different colour.
“It’s just a wall, Rude.”
Before Reno could finish the wall shaked a little. A panel approximately one metre squared sank into the floor and disappeared. Rude and Reno looked at each other before they rushed over to it. They could see a white wall deep inside through the hole. It looked like a small room.
“Anyone there?” Reno asked but just as he was about to peep in, Rufus’ face appeared.
“Good work,” the young Shinra Company President said before collapsing to the floor.
“Boss!”
Rude walked into the white room and passing Reno who was looking over Rufus. He knew immediately that the room was a shelter.
Taking a quick glance around, Rude saw four of the buttons on the keypad were still lit up but were quickly dimming again. Never did he know that it was a habit of the late President to set the same passkey on any equipment that he might be using. It was made up of numbers that the late President would never forget and that was the birthday of his son.
“Rude, go find a doctor. And check outside while you’re at it.”
“How’s the Boss?”
“He’s sound asleep.”
Just as Reno said, the soft breathing of the sleeping President could be heard.
“Looks like he’s relieved to find us again,” Reno tried to joke but failed.
“I’m glad,” Rude said with a serious tone before going outside.
* * *
Rude stood in the darkness with the rain and harsh winds blasting against him. They were at the Shinra Building’s back door. Rubble that looked as if it was broken off from the upper plates or the building itself were scattered everywhere. A spotlight was set up on the ground to aid the rescue groups and the powerful search light from the helicopter hovering above glistened over the shattered glass. Rude took a good look around but remained calm. Finding out Rufus was still alive gave him courage. Rufus himself was Shinra Company. Whether for the good or bad, Shinra was going to live on. If Shinra was going to live on, so will the Turks. Just thinking about life outside of being a Turk was painful.
The helicopter descended and the powerful wind from it sent a palm-sized splinter of wood bouncing off Rude’s forehead. Rude smirked. Rude loved thrills. And Rufus always guaranteed some for him.
Taking care where he was stepping, Rude made his way towards the main entrance of the building. A group of people were squatted over there. Rubble were flying all over the place as they used their hands and feet to move it away. He tried calling out to them to see how many were alive. Most of them looked scared the moment they saw Rude. For someone with a skinhead and dark sunglasses on, he just reeked of violence. Rude was satisfied with the reaction he was used to getting.
Busily rushing about at work were the rescue team that was made up of hospital staff funded by the Shinra Company. He grabbed one of them and told them where he needed help. He didn’t know how they would react if they heard Rufus’ name so he made no mention of it.
“Is he a member of Shinra?”
“Yeah.”
“Then he has priority.”
“I’m counting on you.”
The man nodded and called over to his colleagues who were carrying a stretcher then headed towards the back door. Rude followed afterwards thinking he should lead them there. At that moment, a young woman speaking over a radio caught his eye.
She was one of Cloud’s friend named “Yuffie”. She was also one of Shinra’s enemies but for the time being, there was no reason to fight with her. The Turks only had to fight when they were given the order or if someone or something was in their way.
Rude quickly hid out of sight and watched the frantic Tifa rushing about.
* * *
As the rescue team moved Rufus onto a stretcher Reno asked, “Where are you going to take him?”
“We’ll take him to the hospital first but we can’t say what happens afterwards.”
“Can’t say? What the hell does that mean?”
“I mean Meteor is on its way. What can we do when the planet’s about to be destroyed?”
“Well, that’s true. Come on, this way.”
Reno lead the rescue team through the lobby and then a small door.
“This place is really messed up. That skinhead could have told us about this shortcut.”
“It’s a passageway for executives only. Don’t tell anyone.”
“—Yes, sir.”
Reno nodded, satisfied with the answer and lead them towards the main entrance. He continued walking through towards the outside until he saw the back of a familiar figure, Yuffie. He stopped.
“Could I leave the rest to you guys? Something just come up,” he said turning round to the rescue team.
“Of course. He’ll be in good hands. By the way, what is the patient’s name?”
“He’ll tell you himself once he wakes up. Put him inside a good hospital room like you should.”
“Could he be— Rufus Shinra?” one of the people carrying the stretcher from the back muttered.
“Shh!”
Not long after the rescue Rufus experienced a miraculous moment in Kalm, a town near Midgar, which he refers to as “The Fated Day” or simply as “that day”. The Turks couldn’t guarantee Rufus’ safety at Midgar’s hospital because it was filled with all sorts of people therefore after Rufus woke up, Reno reported their situation to him and they moved to a small house in Kalm that Shinra owned. They could have travelled further away because they had access to a helicopter but, Rufus chose Kalm. Rufus had moved respecting his subordinate’s advice but he didn’t believe in the aesthetics of running away when the planet was going to be destroyed.
Meteor was so close that you would think you could touch it just by reaching out your hand. With such a surreal situation before them the four Turks patrolled Midgar. The Meteor’s impact was imminent and the Turks may not be able to ease Rufus’ mind but, they chose to ensure the President’s safety and carry out their job to the very end.
“There is no point in thinking about what happens after the Meteor impacts. We will keep working and assume the planet will overcome this disaster,” said Tseng before he ordered his subordinates to help with rescue efforts while taking everyone else to shelters. The town was already feeling the effects of the Meteor in close proximity. Soon the powerful storms and earthquakes rocked Midgar, bringing down the buildings. The city of steel screamed as if it was caught in surprise.
“It’s just like the chief to use his last orders for good deeds,” muttered Rude.
“What about it?”
“Atonement.”
“I see.”
Not long later, the original head of the Turks, Veld and their other colleagues gathered together in Midgar. Reno thought it was a dream – just another effect of Meteor.
Once long ago, the Turks had done something that wasn’t in the interests of their company. Now that Reno thought about it, they probably never made such great efforts to keep a promise than that time. As he helped the citizens of Midgar back at that moment, Reno pushed himself beyond his limits and never stopped to take a break.
After the incident, President Shinra and the executives ordered the Turks to be disbanded and killed but rescuing them from such a grave situation was Rufus who was the Vice President at the time. Rufus was their patron and now that Reno has helped secure his safety and reunited with the colleagues who he never thought he would see again, Reno was glad that he will have no regrets to leave behind any more.
* * *
Meteor was destroyed directly above Midgar and the Planet escaped destruction. It was the power of the Lifestream bursting out of the Planet that saved it. That very moment when the powerful Ultimate White Magic “Holy” won against the the equally powerful Ultimate Black Magic “Meteor”, people could only think of it as the Planet protecting itself and didn’t know how much effort Cloud and his party had put in to help.
At that very moment when the two magics were battling against each other, Reno and Rude had split up with the rest of their colleagues and were heading towards the Shinra Building located directly underneath Meteor.
“Why does it have to happen now?”
The building shook violently as the Lifestream burst out of the ground. It burst through the window, its light almost like a monster destroying everything in its path as it rushed inside. The two of them ran to safety— talking to each other over the cubicle walls in a toilet.
“This is my fault.”
“What is?”
“If I didn’t suggest we come back to collect the tool box then— ” Rude began with a sorry face.
“Forget it, man. Now’s not the time to feel sorry.”
Noticing Reno’s voice was different from usual, Rude quietened down.
“Rude?”
As if he couldn’t stand the silence any longer Reno called out to him, “What is it?”
“We’ve been together for a long time.”
“Yeah.”
“Partners right?”
“Yeah.”
“The best partners.”
Rude noticed that Reno was back to his usual self and could hear him leaving his cubicle. Almost immediately afterwards, the door on Rude’s cubicle gets kicked down. Rude catches it and kicks it back.
“What the hell!”
“My last present to my best partner.”
“A door?”
“A thrill. The sort of thing you like.”
“—Not enough,” Rude replied as he got out of his cubicle.”
“Then why don’t we take a look outside? I bet it’s exciting.”
“It’s a festival.”
The two of them sprinted towards the front extrance of the building as the wind picked up and grew stronger around the Lifestream. Beams of light bundled together, whipped their way pass before their eyes.
“Woah!! That was the Lifestream wasn’t it?”
“Reno.”
“What?”
“This is the best.”
