"That was a really stupid thing to do," came a voice from behind the Turks. Reno whimpered slightly. Tseng turned around to see the two remaining brothers.

Extending his EMR Rude got ready for battle. Tseng was already shooting at Yazoo who was firing right back. Rude tossed Reno the spare EMR that had been brought for Reno and then began attacking Kadaj.

Reno struggle into a sitting position and picked up the EMR. He wasn't sure who he should help. It'd be easiest to take out Yazoo as he only had a gun and that was focused on Tseng, however Reno really didn't want to help the asshole who'd just killed the man he had been planning on proposing to.

Standing up a bit shakily Reno did his best to sneak around behind Yazoo. He would have helped Rude but honestly it didn't look like he needed any help. Reno was within 20 feet of Yazoo, when said man whirled around and threw a knife he'd had hidden up his sleeve at Reno. Caught off guard, Reno couldn't fully dodge the knife, which embedded itself deeply into his shoulder. The distraction on Yazoo was just what Tseng needed to fire a shot at Yazoo hitting the man in the back of the head.

While Rude and Tseng took care of Kadaj, Reno slumped to the ground and carefully began trying to extract the knife from his shoulder. He knew of course that from a medical standpoint he shouldn't be trying to remove the knife, but all he was thinking about was getting the damn thing out. He was probably beginning to go into shock. Unfortunately or perhaps it was fortunately due to his weakened state Reno couldn't remove the knife, he passed out first.

"…eno…Reno, wake up," came a familiar girls voice. That voice sounds vaguely familiar, thought Reno. Slowly he opened his eyes to a world of white, but it was odd as he felt no pain. This confused him, and scared him slightly, as he thought he'd just been fighting for his life and could remember quite clearly being stabbed in the shoulder.

"Where am I?" He asked. The girl giggled. "That's a bit difficult to explain, but I guess to put it in the simplest terms you are between the land of the living and the life stream, you are in limbo Reno.

"So I'm dead?" asked Reno.

"No, not quite, if you were you'd of passed right through here. Something, or someone is keeping you grounded to the land of the living, and something or someone is keeping you from returning to the land of the living," replied the girl's voice.

"Who are you?" asked Reno, it was bugging him that he couldn't place the voice. "Also where are you? Why can't I see you?"

"I'm right next to you silly, don't you remember me? I'm Aerith. You can't see me because technically I'm not here" replied Aerith.

That's where he remembered the voice from, she was the ancient. "So if I can't go back to the land of the living, and I can't go to the afterlife what am I supposed to do?" asked Reno.

"Well only you know what's keeping you in limbo, so tell me, why can't you decide where you want to go?" asked Aerith.

"Well Cloud's in the afterlife, and I want to be with him, but I know Cloud would want me to live my life. The thing is I never got to ask him something, and I don't know that I can continue to live without knowing the answer to it. Otherwise I have to live, it's what Cloud would have wanted, and I need to bring his killer to justice." Reno stated.

"I…see" said Aerith contemplating something. "If I were to bring Cloud here, so you could see him and talk to him, ask him what you wanted to, could you move on then?" asked Aerith.

"Can you do that?" asked Reno not quite believing she could. "I can" Aerith said. Reno nodded "Please Aerith, I really need to know"

Aerith nodded in understanding. Concentrating on Cloud's image he materialized in front of Reno moments later.

"Cloud" Reno asked.

"I'm right here," came the reply.

Reno sighed, "Just wanted to make sure it was you."

"So what was it you wanted," Cloud asked getting right to the point. It wasn't that Cloud wanted to get rid of Reno, just that the longer Reno stayed in limbo, the less likely he would be able to return to life."

"I….I wanted to see if you could ever forgive me?" stammered Reno.

"Forgive….you, for what?" asked Cloud.

"If it weren't for me botching the mission and getting caught, you'd still be alive. If I had…."Reno began rambling.

"shhhh" Cloud soothed. "There is nothing to forgive you for, you did nothing wrong, but if it helps you, you are forgiven."

Reno sighed in relief. "Was there anything else?" asked Cloud.

Reno nodded, "I ummm, well, uh, ah you see…." Reno said stammering.

"Spit it out" Cloud said smiling at how flustered Reno was all of a sudden.

"It's just that ummm," Reno began again fumbling with a hidden pocket in his blazer. Once he retrieved what he'd been looking for he withdrew his hand from his blazer, took a deep breath and finished his sentence. "Will you marry me?" He then produced the ring he'd been concealing in his blazer for the past 3 months. It was encrusted not with a diamond but with a sapphire to match Cloud's eyes.

Cloud's face broke out into a sad smile and he reached into his own vest pocket and pulled out a ruby ring, "I was going to ask you the same thing, but couldn't work up the courage. I figured there would always be tomorrow."

"I guess we both waited too long, tomorrow will never come." Reno said sadly.

"I'm sorry; I of all people should have known that tomorrow isn't guaranteed." Cloud whispered.

"Cloud, I'm a Turk, I know better! Death is a daily thing for me! Anyway, even though we can't be together on earth, will you take this ring and wait for me?" Reno asked.

"I'll wait if you wait" Cloud promised and the two exchanged rings

From behind them Cloud and Reno heard sobbing, "What is it Aerith?" Cloud asked.

"It's just you and Reno can never be together. Cloud you are and will forever remain in the Promised Land happy forever, while Reno will go to the Life Stream when he dies. There he will barely exist. Aerith replied sniffling.

"Barely exist?" questioned Reno.

"Your essence will be in the Life Stream, but you cannot feel anything, nor can you do anything, you exist without existing, live without living, your sole purpose will be to sustain the planet." Aerith said in a saddened voice.

"Then I will go to the Life Stream too, an existence without Reno is no existence at all." Stated Cloud firmly.

Aerith just shook her head, "It doesn't work like that but…"

"But what?" asked Cloud and Reno.

"Reno can redeem himself in the eyes of the planet and go to the Promised Land, it won't be easy but it can be done." Aerith stated.

"I'll do whatever it takes, what do I have to do?" asked Reno.

"I can't tell you, you'll have to figure it out for yourself." Aerith said, "But you really must go back now, your human body can't handle being stuck in limbo for long without you going insane."

Reno nodded, he and Cloud exchanged hugs and promises of seeing each other again and then the world faded to black for Reno.

"Aerith? How likely is it that Reno will be able to redeem himself?" asked cloud.

"Nearly impossible," responded Aerith miserably.