Warning!: Sexual situations may be present within the chapter
I do not own FFVII characters – though I wish I did. lol
I do own my own character – Jalyne and other originals.
Chapter 70- The Mending
They laid together, short blond hair underneath the chin of a Wutaian with soft dark brown-black hair. They were supposed to be sleeping, but neither of them found that to be an easy task. Each was worried of their partners, including the one that escorted two queens back to his apartment.
"Will they be alright?" Elena finally asked, tracing circles upon the chest of the Director.
Tseng brushed a stray strand of hair out of her eyes as she looked up to him. "I believe so."
"Do you think Rufus will really try to snatch Jalyne from Reno?" she questioned seriously.
"I wouldn't think so." He sighed, closing his eyes.
"What are you thinking?"
"That there is many more perceptions between the three of them." Tseng replied. He thought of the night's events, pulling Elena upward so she lay in the crook of his neck. The Director observed Jalyne through the night's events. She was led by emotions, which could be very dangerous in different situations. "Jalyne needs to learn to control her emotions." He commented evenly.
"Maybe she's the exception to the rule." Elena surmised, breathing into his neck lightly. Tseng snapped his head to her.
"What do you mean?"
"It just seems that when she tries to control it, they mess her up." The blonde shrugged. "Maybe Jalyne unconsciously uses them as strength and her powers are reactive to the emotions."
Brown eyes widened as she kissed him, then turned to the ceiling in concentration, unconsciously gripping the tiny woman tighter. After a few minutes of slowly rubbing Elena's back, her voice rang into his thoughts.
"What would you do if Rufus wanted me instead?"
The jewel on his forehead glinted in the low light and surprisingly Tseng growled. "I wouldn't let it happen."
Elena stared at him for a moment. "But we are under his orders at all times. If he ordered it, you would comply."
The Director narrowed his eyes at her. "I'd take you away."
Elena continued staring at him. "But to leave the Turks is a death sentence."
"Not always." Tseng replied mysteriously.
Elena kissed him again and slowly melted into him. They were both tired and wanted rest. She straddled him, bringing her hands to cup his face. The blonde finally found someone that respected her, loved her and she cherished Tseng. In the last few months, their feeling grew and evolved into something deep and meaningful.
Elena looked at him. "You would fight for me?" she said teasingly trying to lighten the somber moods.
"Yes." Came the short response.
Elena gave him one last kiss before settling back into cuddle position as both of their phones beeped with notifications. Checking them, they drifted to silence. After a moment, she spoke again with a yawn. "Do you think Jalyne would take Reno away?"
"No."
"Why?" she continued as her eyes drifted closed.
"Because Reno will fight for her."
"My Lord?"
The normally unexpressive Turk turned to the voice with brows raised at the honorific, but nodded at the auburn haired queen before turning his eyes once again to the outside world beyond the patio doors.
"Is sis sleeping?"
"Yes"
"Then why don't you get some rest?"
"Thinking."
"About?" Staerlyia stood beside him, dressed in a robe after her shower. She studied him shrewdly.
"What Solaria asked me."
"You won't hurt her, right?" Staer seriously asked. "She always been too busy to really form a relationship."
Rude turned to the younger queen and shook his head. He was very fond of Solaria and would never dream of hurting her.
"Good." She paused. "She always talks about you. Ever since your first visit. You intrigue her."
"How so?" Rude asked turning towards the queen.
"Our worlds are devious, Rude." Staerlyia started to explain. "Full of deceipt, scandal, treason, and they are a political nightmare. Only the strong survive and some of our rules are…archaic." She laid a hand on his forearm, looking at him with her orange eyes. "It's tough being royalty. No one is ever true to us or themselves. They want us for no reason other than power. It's quite lonely."
Rude brows shot upward as he studied this queen of Litrandan, placing a hand over hers. His mind was calculating and imagining different scenarios and his eyes travelled to his bedroom, where the queen slumbered.
"But here you are." She continued waving towards the city beyond the glass. "You don't treat her differently. You don't expect anything in return or have a different motive. Your intelligent, caring." Staerlyia met his eyes. "And you can protect her."
Rude raised his fists. "I use only these. That's hardly impressive compared to the queen's power. Or yours."
"Does that matter so much?" Staerlyia asked raising her power engulfed hand to his fist. It swirled around both of them. Rude shook his before continuing.
"She is queen."
"And?"
"She deserves better."
"Better than what?" Staer chuckled lightly but then conceded. "I suppose it is different. It would be the first time in Litrandan history that a queen or king didn't have an arrangement for bonding."
The bald Turk turned his gaze to her in question. "Arrangement?"
To this she laughed again. "Of course. It is prevalent throughout the nobles of the empire. Jalyne had many noblemen seek her hand. She dismissed them all at the chargrin of her father. It is the same for us. Our parents were forced to bond. It usually works out as the years go on and they get used to each other." She concluded sadly. "The forges are rare though. That bond of love."
Rude watched as she pushed the ruddy light towards his chest. It brightened considerably as it hovered. "And you think…" he started to ask.
"I believe it is a possibility, Rude." The younger queen asserted studying the ruddy glow over his chest. "Sol always wanted adventure, to see new places to experience life."
"And you?"
"Sis will tell you that I was meant to rule." She explained. "That I have the knowledge and capacity to facilitate the figurehead." Staer paused and looked out at Midgar, the light beginning to glow on the horizon. "But this last year, I feel differently – a pull to luistawdae – wanderlust. I suppose that is why Mother and Father's last directive was the three of us were to rule jointly."
"Conflict of interest?"
"Not really, Rude." She hesitated. "We lost Suuna a few years ago but never understood why. All of a sudden he returned. My siblings and I are each different but together complete the whole in terms of political necessity. Perhaps it was Fate's way of saying it is time for change."
"Fate?"
"Of course." She turned placing a light hand on his forearm in goodnight. "Look where it landed Jalyne. Without her, Sol and I wouldn't have ever experienced Gaia. She wouldn't have ever met you and experienced happiness and joy in the way that she does with you. Perhaps everything happens for a reason." Staer reached and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "Good night, My Lord, and thank you for the hospitality." She took a few steps before turning back to him with a nod.
"Honesty always shines brighter than deviousness."
He ascended the stairs to enter his suite, deep in thought about all that occurred. Reno didn't give a straight answer, choosing not to go against him at the moment. He sighed before pushing the door open. As he walked through the sitting rooms of his apartment, his thoughts travelled to the woman currently occupying his bed.
He could order it. He was the President after all. The blond shook his head slowly as he made his way to the bedroom to check on Jalyne. She made him soft, but then so did his mother. Rufus thought of the words Jalyne had silently said before she fell asleep. It was the reason he decided to accompany her to Trerran.
As the president reached the door, he stopped, thinking upon the night's events. They ranged from opening the Gate in two places to Jalyne having a nervous breakdown. He idly reflected upon his past and how much has changed since Jalyne entered his life. Rufus opened the door and stepped through slowly, quietly shutting it. He didn't want to wake her, exhausted as she was.
"Rufus?" Jalyne's soft voice reached his ears. "You don't have to be quiet. This is your place."
Rufus turned, the only surprise to be noticed was within his eyes. He walked to her as she turned to the gaze out of the window. "You're supposed to be sleeping."
She chuckled lightly. "Sleep comes at a price." Jalyne watched him through the window's reflection, noting how tired he must be in this early morning. She could see the light beginning to glow on the horizon. The President pulled out his phone, typing something and quicky put it away. Something nagged at her and it revolved around him. "I will return to the apartment. I didn't want to leave without telling you."
He nodded lightly but with question. "Are you sure?"
"I am." She paused. "I must quell the flames."
The president didn't miss in intended reference and came behind her, lacing an arm around her waist. Jalyne studied him through the reflection of the glass.
"You have questions." She commented with a nod before turning towards him. "About the bond."
"You're tired." Rufus countered, taking a step backwards and leading her towards the bed.
"So are you." Jalyne stated and stopped, reaching up to lightly graze the circles beginning to show under his blue eyes.
"You need to sleep." He started again.
"As do you."
"Lay down."
"I already slept."
"No, you didn't."
"Yes, I did."
"I can tell you are still exhausted."
Jalyne glanced to the side for a moment before returning her gaze to him.
"You feel the pull."
"The Forge, yes." She conceded.
"And the bond?"
"What of it?" Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"Do you feel it?" the president questioned.
"I will always feel it." She concluded staring at him. "Just as it will always tell me when something is amiss."
"Like what?" he challenged, pulling her closer.
Jalyne softened a bit against him, not wanting a struggle or for the situation to turn into one. She raised her right hand slowly allowing the orb of the bond to be seen by him. It swirled at the edges in dark purplish energy. His eyes widened momentarily.
"It tells me there was something that affected you long ago." She started. "It is in part, the cause of your pain."
It was Rufus's turn to soften and he dismissed the statement with a sigh. "It is nothing."
Jalyne stepped back letting the orb disappear but called Frae's instead. His eyes widened, staring at the materia like crystal blue orb that was appeared to be snowing above her palm.
"Frae's bond with me." She explained. "Within it, carries our friendship. The love, loyalty and caring. It also carries how we feel."
Rufus reached for it, allowing the energy to react to him. He raised his eyes in question to Jalyne.
"Bonds are different than Forges." Jalyne continued. "It is the gut instinct that can occur in many situations."
"Subconscious?" he asked.
She nodded to him. "Only that most beings do not look for them. Faterian says that I am one to see, once I recognized how to look, or what to ask."
"You're doing just fine at that." Rufus stated taking his hand away from the energy.
Jalyne paused in concentration bringing theirs forth once again. "Yours tells me something went wrong in your past. Something that isn't quite reconciled yet."
The president's eyes snapped to hers and narrowed threateningly. "None of your concern."
Jalyne studied him intently. She saw a glimpse of it in her dreams after Faterian departed. It wasn't whole but just a snippet of a vision that centered around his mother and father. The empress knew he lost his mother when he was young, but Rufus never said how or why. It bothered her. She was sure this was the cause of his suffering and perhaps an answer to why he was ruthless and uncaring when she first met him. He never healed from it or even reconciled the event. It still caused him great pain.
The pull of the Forge was stronger but Jalyne buried it as best she could. She would deal with that in a few moments. Reno was upset and she believed she knew why or at least believed it was because she was here. Jalyne stepped forward and the president unconsciously pulled her closer with one arm.
She was exhausted. What little sleep she did obtain was not restful and the day's events drained her. Her heartbeat was strained and she struggled to keep her breathing regular. Her muscles ached and felt numb at the same time. But this president needed to start the mending process.
"Will you let me in?" Jalyne questioned inching closer to his face.
Rufus clutched her closer as she lifted a hand to his face, pushing a stray blonde strand away from his eyes. He analyzed her intent, gazing into her green hour-glassed eyes. Finally, he closed his eyes.
Jalyne took the opportunity to move, raising to her toes, her breath trailing his cheekbone as she threaded the other hand at the nape of his neck. Closing her eyes, she pushed outward lightly…and found what she was looking for. Tears welled up under her eyelids.
"It was not your fault." She whispered into his ear. "Your mother's death."
"It was." He quietly stated, trying desperately not to recall the images.
"No, it wasn't." Jalyne reiterated, feeling him tighten his grip on her hips. "Witnessing her death by your father's hand, however, left you angry and empty."
If it was anyone else, Rufus would have struck outward in anger. Jalyne…was his dearest and he refrained from the first instinct to dismiss angrily. Instead, the blond president pulled her to him even closer…and broke. He relived that scene as if it was just occurring and sighed deeply, a single tear running down his face. He heard her exhale and the fluctuation of energy.
Jalyne sighed as he pulled back, feeling her power encase her momentarily and knew something else changed within her. The tears ran freely down her cheeks as she felt him cup her face and kept them closed even as the shocked gasp escaped him. He reached up to trace her cheek bones and diamond mark.
"Do not cry for me." He commanded. "I do not deserve or need it."
Jalyne allowed her energy to flow lightly around her, aware of the transformation that occurred. "I cry for all in the Heavens." She whispered quietly, completely composed but looking at him sadly as she opened her green orbs to him.
Rufus's eyes widened as he felt something shift when she closed them again. She placed the swirling energy of their bond to his chest and brought her left forefinger to her lips. Slowly opening her eyes, a determined half smile started to appear as the Light of the Heavens gleamed within her orbs.
The blond saw it – the finality of what this empress was to become and it shook him to the core. He watched as galaxies of all colors swirled in her eyes and illuminated, gaining strength. Protection. Guardian. Love.
"Jalyne…"
"Shhh." She breathed, wrapping him in her energy so he wouldn't fall and placing him on the bed, releasing Sleepel. Jalyne whimpered as she fell to her knees beside him and cried.
A few moments passed when Jalyne unsteadily rose to her feet, exhausted, and looked down at the sleeping president. Brushing his bangs away from his eyes, she placed a hand on his chest, giving back the bonds energy, only this time, it held her healing light.
"A bond is a two-way street." She whispered knowing he would hear them. "What one gives, the other takes and vice versa. You have seen it, months ago." Jalyne paused, leaning down to kiss his forehead. She tapped his chest lightly. "I return what you gave, molded, transformed and with my healing light. In return, you saw what I will become."
Jalyne stepped backwards and stumbled, enervation setting in rapidly, catching herself on the window frame, energy fading quickly. She glanced out the window at a peculiar intuition that she suddenly felt and closing her eyes in concentration. The Lifestream was calling out. Something was amiss.
She turned back to his sleeping form. "It is time for both of us to heal."
He didn't know why he came here. He has his own place. Perhaps it was the comfort of her place, the smells, the familiarity. Perhaps he needed comfort as he knew what the president wanted with her.
Reno took a deep breath, staring at the Shinra building from Jalyne's patio, the soft rumbling of the pool's filter humming lightly behind him. The red head was miffed, angry that Rufus would even think of commanding Jalyne to help in healing him.
He gripped the railing tightly and let out a scream of frustration and disgust. He pushed outward lightly, searching for her as she taught him. Vaguely, he started to feel Gaia's Lifestream and his eyes widened. But he still wasn't strong enough to feel her.
Reno hoped she would be able to resist the president. She was vulnerable though, and exhausted. It was a perfect time for anyone to persuade her to do anything or strike against her. He stared at the stars in the night sky for a moment longer before disgustedly turning to enter her apartment, missing the blue light streak upwards from the building.
He paused at the french doors, swearing he heard his name. Shaking his head and thinking it was just tiredness, Reno headed indoors. He needed sleep, but he couldn't, not without her. He wanted her there with him, to soothe his rage, to tell him everything is okay.
As he entered Jalyne's bedroom, his mind wouldn't stop playing different scenarios. It was a good thing that Rufus texted they were on stand-by tomorrow and to escort the queens around the city. He wouldn't be able to face the president at the moment, in fear of just outright killing him.
Reno snorted lightly at that thought. He wouldn't never do something like that, no matter how much he wanted to. It was Tseng that recruited him from the streets long ago and Rufus kept the Turks from being killed five or six years ago. Reno was loyal to him no matter what.
Then he thought of her. The one woman he couldn't stand to be without. It was a deep in the stomach feeling, almost like butterflies or nervousness. How far he had fallen. Reno chuckled at the thought. He was the eternal bachelor, or so he thought.
Jalyne stumbled down the stairs, her legs starting to give out with the exertion. Maybe she should have stayed. She shook her head. No, that wouldn't have been a good idea at all. Not now anyway. She could feel Reno, he was angry, but for why, she couldn't tell. Perhaps something happened while she was asleep.
Jalyne fell into the doorframe of the helipad with a grunt. Looking around quickly, she ignored the cameras nor dared to exert any more energy. The air was still chilly but it felt good to her as she realized she was hot. Jalyne felt different, weird. Too much energy was expended and she needed to get to the apartment.
She didn't dare open a Gate. That would render her unconscious. Jalyne dragged herself towards the middle of the helipad so she had room to extend her wings. She paused, collecting her thoughts and reached deeply for her abilities.
Please, let me get to safety. She thought idly. Jalyne concentrated, thinking of her Baelo and reaching subtly outward to find him. She needed him. The Forge was growing stronger and their ties were binding.
He was at her place. Why, she didn't know, but was glad he was there. Jalyne couldn't explain it, the reasoning behind the need to be in his arms. Never was she so dependent on someone else. Was it weakness? She didn't think so.
Her wings rustled in the breeze as she crouched low to jump skyward. Her power circled around her in whisps. Jalyne flexed her wings once and jumped, the blue color of her power streaking across the night sky.
Reno.
As she soared through the air, the empress could feel her body giving out and her eyes closing unwantedly. Jalyne focused to the skyline below, allowing her sense of direction to guide her. It only took a few minutes for her to find her apartment and start to descend.
Her power gave out as she closed in on the patio. With a crash, she landed on the cement with a light scream, near the french doors. Jalyne moaned in pain and rolled over to her knees, struggling to make it to the doors and grasped the handle to open it, pulling herself into a standing position.
She tumbled into the living room bumping into the pictures and the sofa table on the way to her bedroom. He was there, she could feel it. Her wings shifted and flared, knocking over some of the statues and knick-knacks she had around the place. It was like she was drunk, weaving and stumbling down the hallway.
The Forge was merciless and either it would be completed or it was going to tear her apart. Maybe she shouldn't have hid the effects for so long. Either way, she was going to be with him in this early morning.
Jalyne pushed open the bedroom door, only to see the turquoise glow of his eyes staring back at her, mag rod brandished and ready. She lurched forward, wings getting caught in the doorway, stopping her and she fell to her knees.
Closing her eyes, she concentrated on dissipating her wings. Jalyne raised up on her feet once more and pushed to step towards him, an arm outstretched, before stumbling again to her knees. On the second try, the empress made it in the room.
He sighed, feeling the rage begin to grow inside and his eyes hardened while gazing at the city through the bedroom window. He would fight for her and tell Rufus to back off. Not that he could really stop the president from having his spoiled ass get everything he wanted, but that didn't matter to Reno in the slightest. His mag rod felt hot and as he looked down at it, it flared and quieted.
Something was about to happen, he could feel it but all it did was aggravate the situation. A tug pulled at him and his thoughts went to Jalyne once more. The red head closed in eyes. The images flashed rapidly behind his eyelids and he breathed steadily, letting them flow, though he ground his teeth.
Reno saw her, the white haired empress and the object of his affection. She was with Rufus, crying at his bedside. He growled, naturally assuming the worst. It flashed again, showing the Turk her casting a spell. The third one revealed her struggling at the helipad. Was the Forge relaying something to him?
A loud noise broke him out of his thoughts. No one should be here and the crash was a little too close for his comfort. No one but the president and the Turks knew Jalyne lived here. Well, Sephiroth knew, but Reno highly surmised it wasn't him. His gut instinct told him that. Grabbing his mag rod, he waited, listening to the surroundings.
Reno listened as a few noises started coming closer to the bedroom. His weapon still felt hot and he dropped it to hang low, ready for any intrusion.
The bedroom door flew open and he stared at his beloved, astonished. Her wings were outstretched and she fell to her knees. There was something different with her as he watched her concentrate to hide them and lurched into the bedroom.
Recovering from surprise at his Beloved, he moved forward as she lunged a second time into the room, faltering. Sliding on his knees, he caught her before she hit the ground.
"Reno."