Hey guys! Yeah i know, i said chapter 10 would take long. I guess i lied, sorry! Dont hurt me...Anyway, i had an idea for this chapter so i just got done with my homework and started typing madly. Anyway, Reno sounds emo in this chapter a little and i'm sorry for that but it fits the story so hope you like it!

Discalimer: again...dont own the turks, or shinra or final fantasy. (sighs) I dont own anything at all do i? Except Ryu...I made him up. Yeah for imagination!!

Chapter 10

They both sat there, on Reno's bed, looking at the album. Reno pointed to the brown-haired man. "That's Ryu…He was head of the Turks at the time. He was in charge of me so he had to train me and take me into battles. He was like an older brother to me, and he told me I was like his younger brother. We were inseparable and we did almost everything together." Reno started.

He chuckled a little, which made Elena look at him confused. He smiled and shook his head "He never called me by my name, even when we first me. He nicknamed me Red because…well…you can probably guess why." Reno said. Elena smiled and nodded. "Well, you hair is very red." she replied. He shook his head and smirked. "Oh shut up. It's not like I wanted it to be this red."

He turned the page explaining each picture in detail, saying how he got his goggles and his haircut. Elena listened to the stories, finally glad Reno was being more honest with her. When Reno got to the picture of Ryu in the bed, badly hurt, Elena heard a heavy sigh from Reno. She looked up at him and saw his face darken. It reminded her of how he looked in the picture. "Reno…You alright?" she asked, touching his arm lightly.

"Yeah…I always get a bit depressed from this picture. " He replied, still looking at it. He couldn't take his eyes away from the photograph, which worried the younger Turk. "Maybe you shouldn't tell me what happened. I don't want you becoming depressed." She said quietly. Reno shook his head slowly and replied "No…I've told you everything else…You should know the whole story."

Elena nodded. She suddenly began to regret asking him about the pictures, because he looked like he was taking it pretty hard. Rude's voice began to play in her mind "Last time I got Reno to talk to someone about it they drove him insane and he became depressed." Elena looked at the ground; she didn't want Reno to be in that much pain again. Especially after what he had just done…She wondered if he really meant the kiss but this wasn't the time to ask such a question, because Reno was beginning the story.

"Well….This picture was taken after Ryu passed away. He was only 29 when he died…" He said. Elena looked back at him and asked "How did he die so young?" Reno remained quiet for a while. Elena shifted uncomfortably in the awkward silence, hoping she didn't upset the redhead. "He saved me from the Wutains. They killed him." he said.

"How did he save you?" Elena asked quietly, hoping he wouldn't hear. Unfortunately for her, he did and answered "I went on a mission that the President, Rufus's father, gave me. I was supposed to go into enemy territory and spy to see what their next plan of attack was. I was to go alone, and I guess, Ryu didn't take that to well…

FFFFLLLLAAAASSSSHHHH BBBBAAAACCCCKKK!!!!

"Hey Red! Where do you think your going?" Ryu called, as the young boy started walking closer to the enemy's camp. He turned to look at his mentor. "The President said that this is my last mission! If I pass this, I can become a Turk! "The redhead said proudly, as he smiled broadly.

Ryu shook his head and put his hand on his recruits shoulder. "I'm going with you. You need back up." He said in a serious tone. Reno shook his head and took his shoulder from Ryu's hand. "No! I have to do this alone or I can't be a Turk!" he protested, taking a step away from the older soldier. Ryu stared at him calmly.

"Red, you're going to get killed if you go there. I can't let you go alone." he said. Reno stared back at him in disbelief. "But Ryu, I have to! It's a mission! And if I survive I can-" Ryu cut him of "You won't become a Turk!" He yelled over the boy. He wasn't about to let Shinra kill this boy just because they needed extra soldiers. Reno stared at him, as if Ryu had just told a horrible lie.

"Y-yes I will…Mr. President said…" Reno said in a tone that showed he was about to break down. Ryu shook his head and looked at the redhead. "He was just using you…They needed more soldiers for the war. When you came wanting to be a Turk, they saw it as the perfect opportunity to get another fighter. You were never in Turk training, and you'll probably never be a Turk because of this war." He said the regret clear in his eyes.

Reno looked at him for a very long time. "Why didn't you tell me? Why did you lie to me? Why did you let them toy with me?" He said, his voice shaking. Ryu, who had been his brother through this horrible time, had known about this manipulation and never said a word about it. Reno just couldn't understand it. Why did he betray him like this when the redhead had looked up to him for so long?

"I'm sorry Red. I didn't want to have them do this to you. I wanted them to send you back home, not get mixed up in this. They said if I didn't that they would kill me and hire you anyway. Either way, you would have wound up in this. I wouldn't have minded if they killed me and let you go back home, but if you were going to go into the war, I wanted to be there to protect you and make sure you got through this alive. I'm sorry I never told you earlier." Ryu wasn't looking at Reno anymore. He was ashamed with himself and couldn't look the redhead in the eye.

Reno had stared at him with a confused and disappointed look. "So…I'm never going to be a Turk, huh?" he asked, sorrow filling his voice. Ryu looked up at him and ruffled his hair. "I'm sure you will be. Just try out when the current president dies. I'm sure his son will do a better job then him. Let's get back to camp before-" a loud gunshot cut Ryu off.

Reno looked up at Ryu, a couple bloods drops landing on the boy's face. Ryu had been shot in his chest, next to his heart. As he fell to the ground, Reno knelt by him quickly. "Ryu….Ryu! Get up! Come on, please get up! Ryu! Ryu!!!" The redhead yelled, shaking his mentor, trying to get him up. When Ryu didn't move, Reno stopped shaking him and began breathing heavily. "No….no…."

Reno felt someone kick his back, which made the redhead tumble away from his comrade. He looked up to see a couple of wutains, pointing and laughing. "Well, look what Shinra has for soldiers. A dead bastard and a scrawny brat. Tell me kid, how did you get in this war? Go back home and play with toy guns!" One of them yelled, as Reno sat him and glared at them.

The other wutain laughed and walked towards Reno. "Now….Tell us where the president is, and we'll kill you quickly and painlessly." he said, pointing a gun at the boys head. Reno stayed quiet, his face reflecting anger towards the two intruders. He knew even if he did tell them, they would torture him for the rest of his life. The wutain became annoyed when the boy didnt answer, so he slammed the end of the gun against the redhead's skull. "Tell us now kid!" he screamed.

Reno immediately put his hand on the side of his head to stop the bleeding. "Make me you son of a bitch!" He yelled back at the man. The wutain grabbed the front of Reno's shirt and sliced both of his cheeks with a dagger. "The kids got a mouth on him! You're going to pay for that you smart-ass…" he said, throwing Reno to the ground as he started kicking him. The other joined in and the laughed as the redhead began to gasp for air. He didn't do anything to stop them, it's not like he had anything to live for anymore. His mentor was dead and he was never going to be a Turk. He thought he was better off dead so he just lied there, waiting for it to end.

Suddenly, two gunshots were heard and the kicking stopped. The redhead slowly looked up and saw the two men fall to the ground, covered in blood. He sat up slowly, even though the pain killed him, and looked at where the bullets came from. Ryu was standing there, a gun in his hand. He smiled as he saw Reno's surprised face.

"They…couldn't get rid of me that easily…Huh Red?" he said, right before he collapsed. Reno scrambled to get up and ran over to Ryu. "Ryu! Are you ok? Don't worry Ryu, I'll call for help. Your not going to die, ok?" he said quickly. Ryu just laughed and shook his head. "No, Red. It's alright. Just…never get give up and get beaten like that again, ok? Just cause you think your life doesn't matter doesn't mean other people think the same."

Reno nodded and smiled. His eyes filled with tears. "Don't you go giving up either…We need to get you to a hospital now… come on…" Ryu grabbed the redhead's wrist and smiled. "Its alright, Red. Don't you start crying. Soldiers don't cry. I'm sure you'll do fine for the rest of this war. I'm just sorry i wont be with you when we win it. You're going to make a great Turk one day, I know it, and I'm proud of you, Reno." He said, as his eyes slowly closed. His hand released the boys arm and fell to the floor.

Reno looked back with tears in his eyes. "Oh Ryu…Please get up! You can't die! You just can't!!" he yelled, as he shook the man violently. He knew Ryu was gone, and with this thought in mind, he broke down and cried. "You can't die Ryu…you can't…" Reno said in between sobs, as he cried himself to sleep next to his mentor.

Elena stared at reno. "Reno….I'm sorry…" she began but Reno shook his head. "Its alright, you didn't kill him. That's why I joined the turks when Rufus was president. Ryu said that I should and well, I'm glad I did. I just wish he could have seen it…" he mumbled the last part.

Elena nodded and hugged the redhead. "I know he saw…Thank you for telling me, Reno." she said. Reno blushed but hugged her back. He was happy that Elena listened to him. He admitted it, he liked her. He wanted her to know so maybe, they could become closer. Even if they didn't, he was glad he had her with him.

They stayed like that for a few minutes, then Reno looked at Elena. " 'Lena?" he said quietly, only to find she had fallen asleep in his arms. He chuckled to himself and lied down, with her head still on his chest. She snuggled up to him, still asleep. Reno smiled and kissed her forehead softly. "I wish we could be like this forever" he whispered to himself, thinking that she was asleep.

Elena stirred a bit and smiled. Reno looked at her and blushed, knowing she heard him. He sighed and smiled. "Oh well…" he said. He didn't feel like thinking of an excuse for why he said it because he meant it. Soon, he fell asleep with her head still on his chest.

Long chapter i know. I was going to stop at the end of the flash back but i didnt feel like it. No wonder Reno hates Tseng...Hes from Wutai...Aw... Elena and Reno look cute like that... Next chapter coming either tommrow or later. It depends if i have an idea. Anyway, Peace out!

Kay Tagohna