Author's notes: I've had this story living in my head since I first listened to its namesake. I just needed an excuse to put it down on paper. I wrote this for Verdot's 'breakup' meme. It might be a breakup in only the vaguest sense of the word but I'm still fond of the story. I'm placing this approximately ten years after Advent Children. Picture Yuffie in her mid-to-late twenties and Reno a bit older.
I'm putting a small disclaimer here because in this story I talk about terrorism in its proper sense. I feel justified since FF7 was about terrorism. I just realize that this might bother some people.
One other thing of note: Veld is Verdot from Before Crisis. He was Turk leader before Tseng and used to be Vincent's partner.
Enjoy.
Life 2: The Unhappy Ending
When the world went so bad so quickly, even its former heroes found themselves living as refugees. Thief turned national icon, Yuffie learnt very quickly to smile and hide her daggers when upstarts made demands in her kingdom.
Reeve, quietly disposed of and living in exile, cautioned her with patience. Neither of them had expected Rufus to move so quickly. After surviving death twice, the man's hard-bought arrogance had turned epic. In his blind vanity, he'd never expected the people to turn on him so violently. All of his Turks and hired mercenaries hadn't been enough to save him when a veritable tide of people rose up to crush him.
The group that eventually took responsibility for the riot was rather appropriately named TSUNAMI, deliberately playing off the popularity of the now-legendary AVALANCHE group. Cloud was at the forefront of the moderates but the hard-liners found it all too easy to dismiss him as he looked on at them with his SOLDIER's eyes.
Yuffie hadn't been with AVALANCHE when its main goal had been to destroy mako reactors instead of hunt down one-winged angels but she finally understood what it meant to be beset by terrorism. Anything touched by the old regime was deemed profane. Materia and the tools of magic were considered sacrilegious. The Wutaians and their backwards worship of false gods were all labelled infidels under the upsurge of violent insurrection.
For the first time in over three centuries, a Lady of Wutai was forced to welcome an outsider in the Pagoda of the Five Gods. The rumours on the Island were that old Godo's death had been far from natural and that if their young queens did not concede to this small request then she would be pulled under the tide just as easily as her father had been.
Yuffie stood in her full ceremonial dress within the Pagoda's inner sanctum. The circlet of Wutai sat on her head. Centuries ago its sapphires had been crafted to resemble serpent fangs. They pricked against her forehead every so slightly. In the view of all the gods, the last Lady of Wutai passed on her nation's greatest treasure to a non-believer.
The so-called general of the Planet smiled at her oh so condescendingly.
Now, Little Princess, you get to live.
.o.o.o.o.o.o.
He stumbled in her palace three weeks later. A refugee like all the others, in his Shinra pride he hadn't bothered to dye his hair or even change out of his suit. Reno looked like he'd been through a war zone but he still managed to smirk up at her, lighting a cigarette in her private dressing room like he belonged there. He made no show of hiding the fact that he was eyeing every inch of her skin that wasn't covered by her white silk shift and Yuffie, the last of a generation of Kisaragis, didn't make any pretence of trying to be better covered.
Puppet-queen or not, the Lady of Wutai still held sway in her own palace. She had serving girls bring up liquor and bandages but ordered them to be left at the door of her private apartments. To make the fiction more complete, Yuffie shattered one of her dressing mirror and used a shard to cut a long jagged line on her forearm.
Lupine, Reno's eyes watched her as the blood started to roll. In a dead voice couched in anger, Yuffie recounted that there were spies in the palace and that her father had quite likely been poisoned by one of his own people. An ex-Turk was too great a liability.
"So send me to the wolves, Princess," Reno said, eyes unblinking. Yuffie made a disgusted noise.
"They'll never get anything from me again." In her body and countenance, Yuffie was the Lady of Wutai. Reno didn't question her resolve.
That night, Yuffie fed Reno the whiskey he probably needed while wrapping his wounds carefully. SOLDIERs and Turks recovered from injuries fast but a month hadn't been quite enough time for the burn on his side to heal properly. Anyone else would've died from the infection.
"Some bastard cast Fire3 at me. Fucking hypocrites; they preach the benevolence of the Planet while hoarding materia." Reno looked askance at Yuffie. "I heard you gave them Leviathan."
"One week after Rufus died in the riot at Central Square, I found out that there were over a thousand sleeper militants in Wutai. It was either hand over Leviathan or be slaughtered in front of an angry mob while half the city burned."
Something had broken in Reno's eyes now, Yuffie realized. Whatever check he'd once been able to put his violence was gone. It was unbridled and ferocious.
That night, they fucked like their worlds were ending. Blood seeped through Yuffie's bandage but Reno's hands, tongue, and teeth were more than enough to make her forget about the pain. She wanted new bruises. She wanted …
Serpentine, much later, she crawled up against his skin. His breath tasted a bit like whiskey and cigarettes. His hands were large enough to cup her hipbones. The back of her hair just barely touched the base of her neck now. She'd been growing it longer.
"I'm going to get it back," she whispered against his mouth as she moved her hips suggestively against him.
"Leviathan?" he asked, breath hot and hands grasping where he cupped her. Yuffie nodded.
"The gods are Wutai's," she said, her voice deadpanned. Reno caught the venom from under her tongue and realized, all at once, that this was the woman he'd always wanted. He'd known the girl she'd been but this vixen, this serpent-woman, was his.
Yuffie's tongue teased his earlobe when she posed a question. She knew what violence looked like now.
"Will you help me kill people?" she asked, breathless against his ear.
Reno grabbed the back of her neck hard enough to pull out hairs and pushed her beneath him, claiming her mouth like he owned it.
He heard her laugh and realized that he was probably laughing too.
.o.o.o.o.o.o.
They made it to the mainland in perfect secrecy. Yuffie's family had hundreds of retainers over the island. She'd chosen one of her most loyal to ferry her across the ocean. Still, Reno had been nervous the entire trip, constantly checking and rechecking his ammo.
They landed a few miles north of Junon and waved the old sailor good-bye. Yuffie couldn't help but wonder if he'd be the last of her people to see her alive.
Reno stole them a car in the city and they drove out of it as quickly as they'd arrived. He filled her in along the way.
"Before the riot Rufus had finally uncovered what the terrorists are planning on doing with all the materia they've confiscated. The energy of mako is strongly compressed within your standard orb of materia. If you could design a program to tap into that energy, it would be incredibly powerful. More powerful than a reactor's output for over a full year."
He glanced over at his companion. She'd shorn her hair short again. More practical, she'd said.
"The greatest magic rests in the old summons. Bahamut, Shiva, Leviathan. If they could unleash their energies, they'd have a source of limitless power that could last them years if not decades. But the summons are too unstable. No grid could handle that energy. The only way that they'd be useful –"
"They want to make weapons," Yuffie said without taking her eyes off the road. Reno nodded.
"Yeah, they want to make weapons." He glanced over at her again.
"Are you sure that it's alright for you to be here? You're a value to your people, you know."
Ever since Rufus had died, the part of Reno that made him look at people like objects had intensified. He saw the value in Yuffie objectively. It made her laugh.
"My oldest cousin, Darian, is eighteen years old. The insurgents don't understand wutaians. Our royalty was created with the sole purpose of creating and preserving a land for the sea god to reside over. We're taught that one day he'll regain corporeal form and take his rightful place on the throne of Wutai. All the Lords and Ladies are just place-holders. I'm no more useful than Darian or Fallia or any of the other cousins."
Her tone turned conspicuous.
"Even if they murdered all of us so that there wasn't a shred of Kisaragi blood left on the Island, the next family would take the throne. There will always be a Wutaian on the throne of Wutai… but I refuse to be the caretaker that lets the sea-god become a shot gun shell."
Reno eyed Yuffie askance for a long time before he spoke again.
"You know it's just a spell; like ice or cure. There's nothing there, Yuffie. Just magic."
Yuffie laughed low in her throat.
"All magic comes from somewhere, Reno."
.o.o.o.o.o.
The research facility that Reno took her to was on the outskirts of Gongaga, deep in the jungle. Yuffie couldn't help but think that it was appropriate. She'd heard rumours that TSUNAMI's mysterious leader had been born in Gongaga. His followers claimed that he'd heard the voice of the Planet during mediation in that very city. Yuffie thought that it was more likely that the angry scar of its reactor had driven him mad from hate. It seemed vaguely appropriate to her that Rufus had finally been brought down by one of his oldest mistakes.
But that was unfair to the man standing beside her. Another younger Yuffie might've wondered if they'd ever truly be free of the pallor that Shinra had left over them. This older, newer one didn't really care.
She just wanted to kill something.
.o.o.o.o.o.o.
They'd almost made it out unscathed. Reno had told her that they'd been monitoring the facility for months before Rufus died. He knew his way in and out. The plan had almost been perfect.
But there was always one more alarm – one guard more alert than the others.
Yuffie laughed when she let her shiruken fly. She had the sea-god in her bangle again and she could hear him screaming through her skin.
This new Reno was efficiency personified when he fought. Yuffie couldn't help but admire him as he ducked, weaved and turned. He spun and a man died. Truly extraordinary people didn't need materia to cast magic. Reno splayed his fingers out and men burned around him.
When the stray bullet lodged itself into Yuffie's stomach, the sea-god roared. Reno turned because he heard it too.
.o.o.o.o.o.o.
Reno drove like a man possessed. They'd left the research center burning but it wouldn't be long before they had pursuers. He dialled on his PHS one-handed, his eyebrows knitting together. He didn't know if they were still alive to receive the call but he didn't care.
He could see Yuffie sprawled in the back seat, her blood seeping from beneath her hands to stain the car's leather.
He drove faster.
.o.o.o.o.o.o.
Shinra was dead on the table but the certain parts of it still existed and likely would remain intact for years. The Turks had small fall-out shelters scattered across all the continents. The one that Reno took Yuffie too hadn't been used in years.
He carried her in, kicking up dust under his feet.
There was a weapons cache, armed with hand guns, ammo, and an assortment of materia. He riffled through them.
"Fuck!" he shouted, punching the wall over-head.
Minutes later he walked into the building's bedroom. He'd propped Yuffie up on the pillows and he stretched out beside her, his hand resting on her good hip. She looped her hands around his neck.
When it wasn't violence in Reno's eyes, Yuffie was vaguely touched by what she saw there.
"I can't make you better," Reno said, his eyes betraying more than the words did. Yuffie looked down and stroked the materia in her bangle. When she looked up again, Reno could see the ghost of the sea-god touching her eyes.
"Then there's only one thing left to do."
.o.o.o.o.o.o.
They let the fools surround the cabin and listened to the announcements they made over their megaphones. The undertone was that the materia they'd stolen was too valuable to risk damaging it in a firefight. They would be offered fair terms.
Even Yuffie laughed at that; fair terms.
Yuffie looped her arm over Reno's shoulder. She'd only needed to ask him once if he'd be able to play his part. He'd nodded. The Turk in him was invincible with that anger in his eyes. The wolf in his throat snarled.
They opened the cabin's door and limped out together. Yuffie couldn't help but smirk at the sound of so many guns cocking. There had to be at least fifty of them. It was pretty good odds.
She kissed him once more on the lips. That part hadn't been rehearsed but he didn't mind discarding their script for a moment.
Yuffie turned to face the assembled and grinned ferociously. Reno didn't speak wutaian but he knew what she said.
Now you all drown.
With a flick of his hand Reno cast the spell. Fifty perfect golden pyramids appeared from thin air. The force of the spell made his legs give out from underneath him but he didn't release it. The men shouted and then looked up at the sky.
Yuffie spread her arms like she was giving a benediction. Vision blurry, Reno looked up to see the water begin to fall. A roar greater than the ocean rose up and Yuffie shouted something else in wutaian. Her laughter filled the air as the sea-god crashed down.
When the water hit Reno released his stunning spell. The screams of the men rang out like bells, drowned by the water's torrent. On his knees, Reno caught the briefest glimmer of the great serpent's eye and he couldn't help but feel noticed; acknowledged.
The water left a path of destruction like Reno had never seen. Trees were trampled and the militants' vehicles had been overturned … but the water had disappeared like it'd never been. There wasn't a drop to be seen. Even the bodies had been carried away.
He didn't quite catch Yuffie when she fell.
.o.o.o.o.o.o.
Reno awoke to the sound of voices. His hand reached under his jacket.
"Easy kid," a steadying voice said. Reno groaned and opened his eyes.
He blinked. Veld leaned back, letting Reno get his bearings.
"Sir," he finally said. Veld nodded. Reno sat up slowly and groaned again. He looked around. They'd clearly moved him from the cabin.
Reno's fingers suddenly dug into the dirt.
"Yuffie," he said her name without a question. He wanted to hear it.
"Her heart gave out in that spell, Reno. Too much for her body to cope with. I'm sorry."
Reno shook his head slowly, pinching the top of his nose. She –
She'd known all along.
"She saved your life, you know," Veld said, poking a bit at the fire by his feet. The noise that Reno made was impossible to classify and so Veld didn't comment. He knew what that felt like.
"Why are you here, sir?" Reno finally asked. Veld shrugged.
"You put out a call," he said simply.
"You're supposed to be dead."
"I make an exception in times of insurrection."
Both turned at the sound of a twig being snapped. In a moment, Valentine steeped into the clearing.
"There was no pursuit," he said simply, taking a seat by the fire. Reno eyed him a moment. At least he'd finally lost the cape.
"Reno!" the redhead turned to that voice and let out a sudden breath. It was incredibly unprofessional to have a Turk dart into another's arms but he decided not to make a point of berating the younger woman. He patted her head.
"Hi 'Lena," he said quietly. He looked over her shoulder and didn't quite smile. Tseng and Rude managed a bit more detachment standing at the edge of the clearing, but Reno saw the slight bit of a smirk that touched the edge of both their mouths.
Elena pushed herself off of him and sat on her knees, her eyes turning downwards.
"I'm – I'm sorry we weren't there, Reno. We buried her body. But I –"
Unable to finish, the youngest Turk held out the red orb to him. Reno took it and watched its colours swirl a moment before tucking it into his bangle. He looked over at Veld.
"We'll need to take this to her successor."
Veld nodded. Vincent was the one who spoke, however.
"There will be mass uprisings now. They openly murdered the leader of a foreign nation. The moderates will never stand for this. It will be revolution."
"Good," Reno said, his voice dead and hard. Elena shifted beside him. Veld nodded and stood.
"We'll be reporting to Reeve now. The WRO is the last legitimate governing body." He cast a glance at Valentine.
"This is Shinra's mess. We'll finish it our way."
All of the Turks nodded and stood. Veld was the first out of the clearing, followed by Valentine. Elena cast Reno a baleful glance before heading off as well. Rude clasped his shoulder when he passed him and Tseng nodded at him once. Reno kicked some dirt onto their fire and stared at the ashes a moment.
Something ferocious slithered in the back of his mind.
"I'll avenge your princess," he promised to the dead of the night. Casting one last glance at the empty clearing, he followed after the others.