Exit

Chapter 3: Time and Place

Summary: While fiddling with an Exit materia, Cloud thinks back onto the events of Meteor. Something unthinkable happens. Time-travel.

Author's Notes:

Scarlet Rhapsody: I do realize that the amount of information in that last chapter was hardly enough to fill a peanut shell. But I swear to the Goddess that I'm trying to make these longer. But there is the perfect stopping point and I can't help myself. This one WILL BE LONGER.

Genesis: …Just keep telling yourself that. Oh and readers, I will inform you that this in NON YAOI. I refuse to hit on anyone of the same sex. Scarlet didn't think that this would be an issue so she hasn't said anything before.

Scarlet Rhapsody: *swats Genesis* READERS! Tell me about any typos, they drive me crazy when I know they are there but I can't seem to find them. I'm going without a Beta and my spelling skills rival a dumbapple.

Genesis: Don't insult the dumbapples; they are a perfectly fine piece of fruit. Scarlet wants to give kit572, kittykitten02, ladysubaru83, and everyone who faved/ added to story watch list and any who do so in the future a dumbapple!

Scarlet Rhapsody: You can hand out the dumbapples, just shut it and do the disclaimer already!

Genesis: Fine, but I expect payment in dumbapple juice for this. Scarlet Rhapsody does not own any part of FFVII, not even the dumbapples. Also, Scarlet is guessing again, this is rated T for Reno's mouth. Someone PLEASE tell her what proper ratings are.

~*~

Reno walked up the crumbling stone stairs to the church. Frankly, he was surprised it was still standing, being under the plate and in the slums of Midgar and all that. Today was his day to watch the Ancient. Woop-de-do, he got to sit in the church watching Aeris tend flowers. Reno hated it. Yes, flowers in Midgar, holy crap, alert the fricking media. But she came every single day, for hours and hours at a time. Reno could hardly stand it.

He opened the doors widely and called out, "AERIS!" in a sing-song voice. The sound echoed slightly, making the church ominous. Not hearing a response from the girl, he looked to the flower garden. He frowned, not seeing her there either.

'Well if she's not here then I don't have to stay, right?' he thought, the idea of playing hooky appealing to the young Turk. He turned on his heel, with a wicked grin on his face ready to leave when he heard a sleepy voice.

"Reno, shudup…"

The voice obviously belonged to a male, as there was no way a girl could have that voice. The owner sounded tired, as Reno's grand entrance stirred him. It wasn't unusual for Aeris to let people stay at the church, so Reno thought nothing of it. What was unusual was that this mystery man knew his name.

Deciding to investigate, he swaggered down the center aisle, toward where the voice had come from. Finally, he found a man with spiky blond hair using a pew as a bed. Somehow the Turk didn't see the giant sword the man possessed.

"Did I wake you, sleeping beauty?" he remarked sarcastically. The blond mumbled something that Reno didn't catch. Smirking, he poked the man in the side with his foot. Before he had a chance to draw his foot back or realize what was happening, he found himself on the ground on his stomach with his hands held behind his back. The blond had twisted his foot, therefore tripping him while turning him around, and then had taken both of Reno's hands in one of his and pressed his knee into the red head's back.

"Shit, man! I didn't mean anything by it!" Reno protested, struggling against his captor. The man wouldn't budge. "What the hell you made out of? Steal?" he yelled, face still one with the floorboards.

"You should know better that to wake me like that." his captor retorted, not releasing his hold on the ShinRa employee.

"I don't fucking know you, yo! And how the hell do you know my name?" Reno yelled at him. "Aeris let you in, didn't she? She knows I fall for this stuff! I swear to the Goddess I didn't step on her fucking flowers!" Slowly the pressure was released from his back and he could breathe properly. The red head took the opportunity to glare at the blond. Then he noticed the glowing eyes.

"Hey, you're a SOLDIER! That's why you're so fucking strong!" he exclaimed, receiving a startled expression from the blond.

"Holy…" the blond practically whispered. Alarm shown in his eyes, and Reno could hear panic in his voice. "You… Your… Younger!" Reno was very confused.

'What is this kid on?' Reno thought.

~*~

'Wha… Wha… WHAT THE HELL?' Cloud thought, looking a younger-version of the Reno that he knew in the eyes. The events of the day before caught up to his sleepy mind. Generally, he didn't interact with the ex-Turks, but Reno was a social butterfly, pushing his way into other people's lives whether they wanted him or not. He had shared a few drinks with him, but that was as far as their friendship got.

Now he was staring at a very young Reno. His face was younger, and his eyes didn't show the pain of the events of Meteor and beyond. His strawberry red hair was cut short with no ponytail in the back.

Cloud quickly released him, stepping back and almost tripping over the First Tsuguri. Subconsciously, he noticed that he had left light green marks on the otherwise unflawed blue suit. Mako dust had been rubbed off Cloud's cloths and onto Reno's suit. The annoying red head got up as soon as Cloud had released him, dusting off his suit. To his annoyance, most of the green dust didn't come off.

"Fuck, man! Tseng is gunna kill me! This is the third new suit in a week!" he complained. At the mention of Tseng, Cloud froze.

"Tseng?" he asked quietly. He was beyond confused. Reno looked at him as if he were a talking chocobo.

"Yeah, everyone knows Tseng. He's a Wutain guy, short ponytail, has a birth mark in the middle of his forehead, leader of the Turks?" Reno said matter-of-factly. Cloud decided that this was too weird and to play dumb. He shook his head no.

"Damn, man! Where the hell have you been?! The Northern Crater?! Go read a newspaper or something! How do you know me and not Tseng?!" Reno practically exploded. "Tell me you know the General. He's known around the world, renowned for his unmatched fighting skills. Making kids join ShinRa everywhere."

Cloud's memory supplied him with an image of Sephiroth killing the towns people of Nibelheim while Cloud's hometown burned.

"I know him. The Great General Sephiroth, Demon of Wutai, etcetera, etcetera." Cloud growled, mocking his name. Reno frowned.

"The Demon of Wutai? That's a new one. I didn't even think he had been deployed to Wutai yet." Reno said, leaning back on a pew, usual cocky grin plastered on his face.

Then it clicked in Clouds head. It all connected. The reason that the church looked like it did. The reason why Reno looked so much younger. The reason that Reno talked about Tseng and Aeris so freely when it was barley heard in Edge.

He was in the past.

Nibelheim hadn't happened yet.

Meteor hadn't happened yet.

Aeris and Zack were alive.

Cloud sat down on the pew, the knowledge that he could change everything overwhelming. Suddenly his migraine was back. It was like someone was knocking on the inside of Clouds mind and Cloud couldn't do anything about it.

"Yo, you okay?" Reno asked, actually sounding concerned. "Ya look pale as a frickn' sheet."

Cloud managed to nod, still feeling overwhelmed by everything. Meteor prevented, Sephiroth being sane, Zack and Aeris saved. Cloud could save the Planet without anyone knowing they were in danger.

He was dimly aware that Reno was still talking, mostly about Tseng and how amazing he was. With a jolt, Cloud realized that Tseng was Reno's hero much like how Sephiroth had been Cloud's when he was a cadet.

'Oh crap' Cloud thought. 'I was a cadet when everything started. That must mean that original me must still be here.'

"Yo! Earth to Blondie boy?" Reno asked, waving a hand in front of Cloud's face. Cloud glared at Reno for using that nickname."Yo, you seem to know my name, but what's yours?" he asked, looking curios.

'If I tell him my name and then he meets cadet me, then I'll be screwed for sure.' Cloud thought, while saying "I'm leaving Midgar soon, so why does it matter?"

Reno looked like Cloud had slapped him. "Of course it matters, yo! I gotta tell Tseng about you!"

Cloud eyed him suspiciously. "Why would you tell you Turk leader about me?"

Reno had a giant smile of pure delight that rivaled Zack's. "Because you frickn' knew me and not him, and you knew my name, yo!" By this time he was waving his hands excitedly. Cloud decided that this was a good time to get going before he screwed up the future.

"I'm a Turk, yo, so that means I'm also a detective! I've figured you out, yo! I know what you are!" Reno went on. Cloud froze. Did Reno know he was from the future? He himself had just figured that out. Maybe Cloud didn't give the red head enough credit. He picked up the First Tsuguri, examining it for damage.

"You're my fan!" Reno announced proudly, the words echoing around the church.

Cloud choked and very nearly dropped his sword on his foot.

~*~

I TOLD you it would be longer!