3. Out with the Old


Luggage-wise, there was little preparation to do. I foisted off the box containing Sparky onto a couple of helpful villagers who promised to take it to the helicopter. After a moment's deliberation, I also handed them my worn-out backpack. I didn't fancy lugging it around in the midday sun. It contained more books than clothes, after all.

Most of Cosmo Canyon's inhabitants had retreated to the caves to escape the heat of noon, so it didn't take long to track down those I wanted to say goodbye to. The last of them was the valley's protector, whom I found sitting on his haunches right outside the bar door.

"Safe travels," he rumbled.

"Thanks, Nanaki," I said with a smile. "As much as I've enjoyed my stay here, I must admit I'm looking forward to seeing more of the world."

"Hmm. I may do the same soon."

My eyebrows shot up in surprise. I had picked up on a wistfulness from time to time when Nanaki had described places he had seen during his stint with the eco-warriors of AVALANCHE, but I had thought his role as guardian would keep him in Cosmo Canyon.

"Is that so? Anywhere in particular?"

Nanaki turned his head and peered out over the desert landscape with a distant look in his eye.

"There is much on the Planet I have not seen. I wish to change that."

"Well, safe travels to you too, then. Perhaps we'll run into each other."

His lips drew back into the feline equivalent of a smile.

"Perhaps."

Locating the Turk took a bit more effort. I squinted under the makeshift shield of a raised hand, regretting never getting around to buying sunglasses. I hadn't needed them, thanks to Sparky's helmet.

It was the weaving glow of his cigarette that alerted me to his position. Reno had propped himself up against the hewn rock wall in the deepest shade to be found around Cosmo Canyon's natural version of a village square. No wonder, really. The Turk uniform had to be stifling in this weather.

As I approached, I wondered why he hadn't chosen something more appropriate to wear, especially since the uniform seemed to be a warning sign for more than one of the villagers. Then again, perhaps that was the reason. Besides, different clothes wouldn't change much. The man flaunted disdain, laced with just enough menace to keep even the friendliest of Cosmo Canyon's hippies at bay. Between his outfit and his attitude, his brick-red hair was the only part of him that blended in around here.

He would have to try harder to deter me, though. I had a grievance to air.

"You ready?" he asked once I was within his little realm of shadow.

I crossed my arms over my chest and shot him a withering look.

"For you to 'give it to me'?"

I should have known an apology or even a look of remorse would be too much to ask for. Instead the reminder just intensified his smug satisfaction.

"You ain't mad 'bout that, are ya?" he chuckled. "Wanted to piss off baldy, not you."

"And why, exactly, would you want to do that?"

A slow drag on the cigarette, followed by an even slower release of smoke.

"Didn't like his attitude."

I scoffed and shook my head.

"So you decided the best way to deal with it was to make me sound like a slut. Gee, thanks."

A look of surprise flitted across the man's face, before he schooled his features into a mask of indifference.

"C'mon, Fitz, no one takes my bullshit seriously. 'Sides, anyone with frickin' eyeballs in their heads can see you're too classy to fool around with some fucked-up Turk."

It was not the reply I had expected, but it was the note of bitterness that caught me off guard. I studied his face for several moments, but discovered no more clues in the nonchalant expression.

"Let's just get going," I muttered, adjusting the rifle slung over my shoulder.

"'Bout damn time, yo."

Reno took one last drag off his cigarette before grinding it out with unnecessary force, then led the way out of the settlement.

"Should I have suited up?" I asked as we passed underneath the sun-baked village sign, trying to recall the exact route to the airfield.

"Don't trust me to keep ya outta trouble, babe?"

"I trust you to get me into trouble."

I expected that to earn me a grin or even a laugh, but all I got was a quick tug of his lips.

"Sorry to disappoint, but I got no trouble planned this time. Just a nice smooth chopper ride, yo."

"Uh huh," I mumbled, gripping the rifle strap tighter.

Reno glanced at me, then snorted.

"Don't worry, Fitz. The talkin' cat's right behind us. I bet he's plenty happy to save your ass if we run into somethin' nasty."

"Nanaki?"

I peeked over my shoulder to see the telltale light of his tail swaying back and forth some distance behind us, easily spotted in the shadow of the cliff that supported the stairs we were descending.

"Yeah. He's been on my tail ever since I got outta the chopper." A sardonic twist of his lips. "Guess he don't trust me either."

"He doesn't," I said thoughtfully. "I can't help but sense a history here."

"Sharp as ever, darlin'. Let's just say I don't blame the cat for holdin' a grudge and leave it at that, all right?"

Well, that explained a whole lot. I didn't inquire further; I knew Reno liked to dwell on sordid past deeds just about as much as I wanted to hear about them.

As Cosmo Canyon's popularity had increased, an airfield had become a necessity. It was just a hangar and an open area kept free of excess sand, but it did the job. Today, the only aircraft present was a black helicopter. As soon as it came into view, the set of Reno's shoulders loosened and his gait slipped into the carefree strut I knew. I hoped that meant he would shake off the touchy mood, too.

"So, do I know the pilot?" I asked as we approached.

He shot me a sideways glance. To my relief, the cold edge in his eyes had been replaced by the twinkle I was used to seeing in them.

"Yeah, you know him."

"One of the Turks?" I guessed, eyeing the red Shinra logo on the side of the aircraft.

"That's right," he said, sliding the cabin door open. "Gimme that rifle of yours, will ya?"

I did as he asked. The Turk turned it around in his hands, checking the bolt mechanism and peering down the sights.

"Ifrit's ass, Fitz, what the hell are ya packin'? This thing oughta be in a museum."

"Well, Emmet did say it belonged to his grandfather."

"Emmet?" he wondered, glancing up.

"The village mechanic. He gave me the gun in return for a favor some months back."

"Can ya even shoot it without fallin' on your ass? It looks like it could take the head off a fuckin' behemoth."

His tone was teasing, but I detected a trace of excitement, too.

"The first time I tried, that's exactly what happened," I admitted, smiling at the memory. "Almost broke my damn shoulder. Emmet laughed until he was so red in the face I thought he'd have a heart attack. After that, I've only used it with Sparky's help."

Reno grinned. "Heh. Guessed as much."

Once the rifle was secured next to the crate containing my hazard suit, I expected to take a seat myself, but instead the Turk closed the door and headed for the front of the helicopter. I followed, but when he pulled the cockpit door open, I stopped and gave him a puzzled look.

"C'mon, in ya go," he encouraged with a flick of his head.

I stood on my tiptoes and peeked in. I had expected to meet the pilot, but both seats were empty.

"I'm sitting in the front?"

"Yeah. Figured you can make yourself useful. You're my copilot."

My jaw dropped. "You're the pilot?"

"You don't have to look so shocked," he said, laughing. "You're gonna hurt my feelings, y'know."

In a mild daze, I climbed in. The seat was warm to the touch, heated by the sun. I absently wondered if helicopters had air conditioning.

"Buckle up while I have a quick look at the bird. I know it's real temptin', but don't touch anythin', all right? Don't wanna get my head chopped off, yo."

I nodded, scanning the array of instruments before me. It was difficult to picture him in control of all this. When I thought of a pilot, the adjectives that came to mind were methodical and careful. Meticulous. Disciplined. None of them were words I would use to describe Reno.

Then again, it could have been one of his jokes. Maybe he left to fetch the real pilot. Yes, that made more sense. With that figured out, I could breathe a bit easier.

A few minutes later, Reno hopped into the other seat and handed me a headset before pulling on one of his own.

"'Kay, here's what I need from ya," he said once I had placed the headphones over my ears. "If you see somethin' comin' at us, yell and point at it. Otherwise, don't do nothin' unless I say so. Simple, ain't it?"

A nervous fluttering invaded the pit of my stomach as I watched him press buttons and flick switches.

"You're... not joking, are you?"

With a toothy grin, Reno started the engine.

"I happen to be the best goddamn chopper pilot east of Rocket Town. Just kick back and enjoy the ride, babe."

While he engaged in a dialogue with the airfield attendant, I watched the blades above our heads begin to chop. Even with the headphones, I could hear their rhythm over the whine of the engine, speeding up to a steady hum. My heartbeat followed much the same pace.

When the whirlybird lost contact with the ground, pushing me down into the seat, the butterflies in my stomach gave way to an exhilarating rush. A squeal snuck out before I could stop it, followed by a heat spreading over my cheeks when Reno's snicker filled my ears.

"Relax, Fitz. This'll be fun, yo."

He wasn't wrong. The ascent was smooth, more so than my first time in a helicopter. That was reassuring. Better yet, the pilot's seat soaked up the last remnants of the man's tension. As Reno sat back and settled into the journey, so did I.

"This is a bit like old times, isn't it?" I remarked once I had released my death grip on the seat edges. "You escorting me to a meeting with Reeve."

"Huh, guess so, when ya look at it that way. The view's better now, tho'."

Again, he was correct. I spent the first half an hour mesmerized by it, watching the rise and fall of Cosmo Canyon's rugged mountain ranges until they gave way to a short stretch of jungle. As we flew, Reno pointed out sights of interest, often with his own garrulous commentary. The gleaming spire of giant multilayered mushrooms that was the Gold Saucer inspired a whole anecdote of a magical night filled with drunken gambling and other misadventures.

Little by little, however, my attention shifted. I found myself watching the pilot almost as much as the landscape below. The last time I had seen Reno, the day after Meteorfall's terrible climax, he had been pallid and haggard, with deep shadows under his eyes. Now, his smiles were frequent and his skin had a much healthier hue.

"Enjoying the scenery?" Reno asked when he caught my eye.

I should have known the man would notice. The tone was teasing, but his grin was genuine and his eyes glittered. It was as if he had shed several layers of pretense, showing a more unguarded side I had never seen before. I responded with a small smile of my own.

"You could say that."

For a second I got to enjoy the rare pleasure of catching the Turk by surprise, but he was quick to recover.

"Well, you're in luck, baby. Except for a quick stop in Costa to refuel, you've got me all to your pretty self for the day."

"What a treat," I said dryly, although the smile didn't leave my face. "How did you get roped into being my chauffeur, anyway? I thought Reeve was sending someone from the WRO."

"No ropes required. I volunteered, yo."

Now that was a surprise. Back at the village, he had given the impression Cosmo Canyon was the last place he wanted to be.

"Really? You, volunteering for... Well, anything?"

"Are ya kiddin' me? Gettin' to fly my bird all day, with my fave scientist along for half the ride? 'Course I'm gonna fuckin' volunteer. It's like volunteerin' for a day in bed with a bag of candy."

"Well, I suppose I've been compared to worse than a bag of candy," I mused, craning my neck to peek at the coastal town of Costa del Sol as it took form on the horizon.

"Did I say a bag of candy? I meant, like, two bags of candy. At least."

I laughed and aimed a fond glance at the grinning man.

"It's good to see you too, Reno."


A/N:

This is the last we'll see of Nanaki for a while. I'll miss him - he's fun to write - but he'll be back in later chapters.

Many thanks to Fang and Vendetta for the lovely comments. They're much appreciated!