Final Fantasy VII:
Restoration
Chapter One
In Need Of A New Life.
By Chiron
Author's Notes: Please forgive any misspellings! I tried to catch all of them before I uploaded, but I'm only human... Um, I guess. Anyway, please R&R.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Final Fantasy VII. Square does, along with my soul... ~_^.
It had been just a couple of months since Meteor, Holy, and Sephiroth, but already the rebuilding of the government, the lost homes, everything had begun. Avalanche sat around a small table in some deserted building in what was left of Midgar. Everyone was tired, but no one would admit it. They had never received a break. After the destruction of Meteor, they returned to Rocket Town for a day's rest. To regain some strength. People now looked up to them; so much so, they were chosen to head a new government. They really had no choice in the matter... Not that they would've ever turned the job down anyway.
Cloud Strife scratched the back of his head absent-mindedly as he glanced around the small, square table.
"What are your reports?" He asked, somewhat awkwardly. Cloud definitely wasn't used to such things. Sure, he had a good chance to practice his leadership skills, but that seemed different somehow. He was going to be the one who kept the world from breaking out into chaos. Though he did have the help of all his friends, and Tifa was always by his side anymore.
Vincent Valentine leaned slightly forward and stared directly ahead. "I found a girl in Junon... She said she had some interesting information. I'm going to Nibelheim to meet her," He said, indifference plaguing his oddly smooth, soft voice as it usually did. The years he spent as a Turk was aparent in everything. His speech pattern, his stone cold face, his cold gaze. He could strike fear into the bravest of men.
"I'm goin' back to Wutai. I want to finally beat Dad," The forever cheerful and arrogant voice of Yuffie Kisaragi piped in. Everyone knew she just wanted to get away from the battles. She wasn't much of a fighter. Mostly due to her lack of experience.
"And I am going back to Cosmo Canyon. I am still it's protector... I have to find Grandpa anyway."
Cloud nodded slowly. "Okay. Cid, can you take the Buggy back and drop Yuffie and Nanaki off?" Nanaki... It was strange calling him that. Everyone had grown so used to 'Red XIII'. Everything was kind of weird. Everything had changed. Yuffie finally gave up on the materia, Barret finally warmed up to Reeve a little... And somehow, along the line, He and Tifa had become a couple. Cloud found himself wondering what had happened to guys like the Turks, and what was left of SOLDIER. Most likely, they died in Midgar.
"Yeah, I have to pick up the Tiny Bronco anyway," Came Cid's gruff reply, rudely pulling Cloud from his contemplative state.
"I have ta' go back to Corel. Help rebuild everything. I figured it'd be pretty dangerous still, so I left Marlene with Elmyra." Tifa leaned closer to the spikey, blonde man sitting next to her and put her arm on his shoulder.
"I'm staying with Cloud."
"I'm staying also," Reeve added.
Cloud looked around the room, waiting to see if anyone else had anything to say. He realized that he felt a twinge of sadness. Everything was over. It was time for everyone to seperate... Live the rest of their lives in, at least he hoped, peace.
The young blonde reminded himself that it wouldn't be the last time he saw any of his friends. Afterall, they each were apart of the new government. Cid was going to train new pilots in Rocket Town, Vincent was going to be head of the new Turks, Reeve was going to handle most of the paper work, Tifa wanted to stay with him, he was sure he'd see Barret all the time, Yuffie would always be around also, but Nanaki probably wouldn't come back unless he needed assistance. He was very dedicated to the Canyon afterall. Shrugging the thoughts off, Cloud begun speaking once again. "Okay. We have to divide the materia."
"Me, Tifa, and Reeve probably won't need much. We'll take two Restores, an All, and Ifrit summon."
"Cid, you can take Neo Bahamut, Shiva, Restore, two alls, and a Revive."
"Vincent, take Hades, Bahamut, and a Restore."
"Barret, you can take HP plus, Restore, Poison, and Titan."
"Yuffie, you can have the Fullcure materia, and Odin. Nanaki, you can have the rest of the summons and a Restore."
***
How long had it been? A day? A week? Too long, Thought the small, long haired girl. She tiredly messed with the cuffs that bound her to the chair. She wasn't in the mood for any of their games today. She gently shoved the hairpin she had pulled from her hair two days ago, before they had decided to chain her completely to her chair, into the small hole on the handcuffs. She twisted it a little bit until... Clink. The cuffs fell off, followed by a loud clunk as they hit the ground. She searched the dark room. Nothing. She could see nothing. Perfect... Perfect. Just so freaking perfect. I'm stuck here until one of those ass's decides to come in here and tries to torture me again. Just so great.
Her head shot up as the door opened to the tiny dark room. Blinding light followed, causing her to squint a bit behind her dark sunglasses. Thank the Gods they hadn't taken those. A man stepped in, followed by three others. The leader, what was his name again? Misu? Something like that. She had been with them a month just to get the poor bastard's precious blueprints. The idiots hadn't even noticed they were missing until four days ago. She studied Misu for a bit longer. He was overweight, balding, and greying... Basically the picture of bad health. It sickened her.
The girl narrowed her emotionless eyes. Too bad they were hidden beneath her sunglasses. A strand of black hair fell in front of her eyes, slightly blocking what she could see. "I didn't steal from you," She replied in her usual cold, emotionless tone. "Believe me."
"We already know you took those blueprints. We want'em back," Misu slurred in a horrible, thick-accented voice. She growled. This man was really starting to get on her nerves. She wanted to kill him, but refrained as it would most likely cause too much of a scene. Instead, she decided to just run. Sure, they had guns, knives, but she was the fastest one here. She stood, and she instinctively fell into a fighting position.
"You guys know I'm a master at lock-picking," She said, allowing arrogance into her tone. Misu's face wrinkled in fright as he stepped back, mumbling 'Damn it.' She smirked at the fear painted clearly across his face. Don't piss yourself, old man, She hissed in her mind. She loved this for some reason.
But all good things must come to an end. The girl rushed forward and punched the old man in the stomach. His eyes widened as he stumbled back, along with the rest of his men. No time to savor the moment though. She took off running as fast as she could, along with one of Misu's thugs.
"Stop it! We won't kill ya if ya stop!" The man hissed. She loved it when they tried to lie. What did they take her for? An idiot?
She felt so tired. What was wrong? She shouldn't be this tired yet! Maybe this whole thing took more out of her than she had realized. She gasped as the man jumped forward, plunging a knife deep into her shoulder. She growled in pain as she watched the end of the blade appear through the other end of her shoulder, covered in crimson blood. Suddenly, the two stumbled forward. The man twisted the knife once more, causing the young woman to groan in pain.
Knowing that she couldn't stop yet, she pulled herself from the knife, and begun to turn around, instinctively kicking the man in the stomach. She continued running quickly. Blood oozed from the wound, soaking her clothing and trenchcoat. She would've used her weapons on them, but the bastards found all the places she had hid them. She couldn't stop moving until she picked up the bag she had put the blueprints she'd found in.
***
The flaming redhead slowly walked down an alley. His head was bowed, causing the shadows to split his face disturbingly. The stench of alcohol, cigarettes, and trash filled the air. Not that he cared. He was contributing to the smell of cigarrettes. It didn't even phase him. Hell, he spent almost all his life in Midgar. Junon's nothing compared to that.
I finally left... the Turks... my pals, everything. I'm sick of living in the past. Nobody fears me anymore. Nobody cares. Shinra's dead. Elena, Rude, me.... the Turks might as well be dead as well. I, Reno, am just a pathetic bastard now. I suppose I've always been. Only, when I was in the Turks, I was a feared.
You wanna know the reason I left? Well, I came in tonight and Elena started in on me again. She always complains. It makes me sick. She told me I should clean up my act, start acting more like my old self... Funny, I always thought she hated how I used to act. I told her to leave me alone. Told her I'm acting like I always have. She wouldn't though. I ended up mouthing something off. It must've really pissed her off since she slapped me. I remember staring at her for a bit then breaking out into laughter. Not normal laughter though. More like the laughter of a man who has no hope left.
The laughter of a man who has realized he is better off dead.
I left after that. Said I'm not coming back. I plan to stick to my word. I rented a room at some small inn even. Right now, however, I don't wish to think about it. I just want to head to the closest bar and get as drunk as humanly possible.
Reno looked up as footsteps grew closer and rose in sound. Was it Elena and Rude? Nah, they were both pretty pissed at him before he left. The Turk stepped back as a woman rushed down the alley, collapsing to her knees, breathing heavily. Reno stared, slightly shocked. He looked closer. The girl had long black hair, messily tied up in a ponytail, she wore a long, black trenchcoat and a pair of dark sunglasses. It was noticable that blood was soaking through the left shoulder. Her long slender face was slightly contorted in pain, long bangs hung over her sunglasses, her hair was brushed over her ears, revealing four piercings. More footsteps pulled Reno from his observation of the young girl kneeling in the center of the alley way. Four men appeared at the entrance to the alley. Reno watched as the young girl slowly turned to face them.
"Leave me alone!" She pleaded, tiredly waving a hand.
"This'll be the last time you'll steal from us, bitch," An older, balding man said with a thick-accent. Oh, great. It is just my night, isn't it? Getting caught up in some petty thugs' dispute is just what I wanted tonight, Reno thought angrily.
"I told you, I didn't take anything!" The girl stood unsteadily. Well, Reno couldn't just stand back in the corner and watch some criminals beat some woman up, could he? No, Reno did, afterall, have some humanity left. It wasn't much, but it was still there. The girl looked over and saw him, she then slipped back to her knees, grabbing at her shoulder.
"What's going on here?"
"This ain't any of your business," Came a gruff reply from one of the men.
"Well, maybe not, but I can't stand by and watch you kill some girl, now can I? Besides, you'll try to kill me just because I'm a witness, right?" Reno replied, indifference plaguing his tone.
"Why don't you leave? You don't want to be killed, do you?" The injured girl said, her voice cracking with pain. Reno looked at the woman. She trembled slightly from pain as she focused on him intently.
"To tell the truth, I don't care."
"Hmph, you must be insane then." Reno shrugged once as the young woman turned toward the group of thugs again.
"Please, be reasonable! I told you, I didn't steal from you, guys! I wouldn't do that!"
The old man stepped closer, a smirk crossing his wrinkled face. "I'm sorry, Sonrei, we can't believe you this time." So her name was Sonrei was it? Unusual name... but somehow fitting. The old man stepped forward again, this time holding a gun, followed by another holding a bloodied knife. Reno slowly stepped forward, in front of Sonrei.
"You've just made a big mistake, pretty boy," The leader sneered, causing Reno to grit his teeth. He slowly reached in his jacket and pulled out a small device. It almost looked like a pen. He turned it in his hand and pressed a button on the top. It extended to full length. It wasn't set high enough to kill them, but they'd be out for a couple days at least.
"Who's first...?" He asked casually.
"Hahahahaha, you expect us to be scared of a nightstick?!" Reno growled and charged forward, striking the man across the face. He smirked as he watched the man begin to shake uncontrollably as his nightstick sent bolts of electricity through his body. The man fell to the ground, unconsious just a few seconds later.
The other man rushed forward, slashing at him with his knife. Reno ducked as the knife flew of his head. The man stepped back, screaming as his nightstick made contact with his stomach. He stumbled back, falling onto his back.
"So, which one of you bastards'll be next?" Reno arrogantly asked, as he casually threw his cigarrette to the ground. The other two quickly picked their pals up and ran away, screaming. The former Turk smirked.
Sonrei shook her head slightly as the redheaded man turned toward her. "Are you okay?" He asked, back to his apathetic tone again. She sighed slightly. "Y-Yes."
"You didn't have to do that. I could've beaten them myself." It was a lie. She was far too tired to have fought all of them by herself... She was even too tired to stand for long.
"Hey, you'd be dead by now if I hadn't helped!" The Turk shot back.
"Well, don't expect a thanks," Sonrei replied.
Reno rolled his eyes. What an ungrateful little bitch. He looked down at the girl again. She had a small bag over one shoulder and the other was almost completely covered in blood.
"What happened to you anyway?"
"They stabbed me."
"Come back to my room at the Inn, you can clean up there."
"Are you insane? I don't even know you, and I do not make it a habit of going to strange mens' rooms."
"It'd be better than bleeding out here in the streets, right?
"What do you think I am? Some sort of whore?"
"I never said that. I offered you a place to clean your wound," Reno sneered angrily.
"Do whatever you want. I don't care. As a matter of fact, I was going to the bar. You'd just be in my way."
Sonrei looked up and sighed. She wasn't too keen on going to a strange man's room, but she didn't want to stay out here and freeze to death either. Oh, well, if he did try anything, she could easily snap his neck.
"All right... I guess I'll go with you. If you try anything, though, I won't hesitate to kill you."
Reno rolled his eyes again. Who did this girl thinks she was dealing with? He wasn't that easy to kill.
"Whatever."
***
Reno quickly fished in his pockets for his room key, as Sonrei leaned against the wall tiredly. She had almost lost her balance several times while walking to the inn. When he had offered to help her, she roughly pushed him away and spat something insulting out. He had no idea why he was even being nice to her. She had done nothing but mouth off, and threatened his life.
He finally found the key to the room, he turned to look at the female to his side. She glanced back once and sighed. Reno opened the door quickly, and stepped in, Sonrei walked in behind him, closing the door gently behind her.
"So, are you from out of town or something?" The girl asked quietly, more calm than earlier. Reno glanced back as he tossed his jacket on a nearby chair.
"Nope."
"Oh, so you just live in an inn?"
"Do now."
"Sit down and take off your coat," Reno said flately as he continued to remove unneccassary items. He threw his sunglasses on a nightstand beside him.
"Huh?"
"I can't clean your wound if you still have clothes covering it, can I?"
"Oh... Guess not," With that, Sonrei carefully begun to removed her bag and trenchcoat, growling in pain as she has to move her injured shoulder. After that task, she folded the artical of clothing over her arm and sat down, lying her bag down by the bed.
"Damn..." Reno hissed.
"What?"
"I forgot, I don't have anything that I could use for bandages. I don't have any potion either."
"What? Oh, great..."
"There's a store down the street. I'll run out and buy some bandages... Most shops that sell potion are closed. Wait here."
Sonrei watched as the redhead grabbed his jacket and rushed from the room. She shook her head as dizziness overtook her. She didn't like the feeling.
"Hope he gets back soon..." She whispered.
Reno entered the small store slowly. They better have what he's looking for. He didn't feel like running
over the whole damned place for bandages. He searched the store, quickly noticing the bandages and first aid medicines, he walked over and picked up what he thought he may need and quickly went to pay for the products.
The ex-Turk walked as fast as he could from the store. He wanted sleep, that's all. Any desire for booze now had vanished. He just wanted to sleep.
Hey, look at me. I'm helping a total stranger. Wonder why? Reno, of the Turks being nice... Who would've thought? Maybe because she's cute in that feisty sort of way? Nah, if that's all, then I wouldn't have even bothered. Maybe I'm getting soft.
Wonder what Rude and Elena are doing? Hmm, guess I already know what Elena's doing. She's planning a celebration for my leaving, Rude's showing no reaction most likely.
How did the Turks end like this? I thought I'd always be with them. Especially Rude. We've known each other for years. We've been best friends for a while. I feel a twinge of guilt for running out like that. That's about all I can feel anymore. Being a Turk has pretty much killed most of my emotions. Guilt doesn't even exist in me. Like it ever did. I can't believe myself how much I've changed since Shinra died. I used to be a laidback, wise-ass, slacker. Now.... Now I don't know. I go out, get drunk, come back home. I don't seem to even smile anymore. Sure, I've had my bouts of depression before, never lasted though. Wonder if this one'll go away like the others? For some reason, I don't think so. There's no enjoyment in life anymore.
***
Reno rubbed his tired eyes as he made his way up the inn's stairs. He allowed himself to ponder what that girl he picked up was doing now. Had she finally passed out? Was she robbing him blind? He had had some gil in his suitcase. It better still be there. He glanced around the halls. Taking in his surroundings. Not because he thought someone would actually be there, no, it was just a habit now.
He walked to his door and twisted the knob. Sonrei glanced up as he entered, frowning slightly.
"What took you so long? Gods, I'm glad my wound isn't serious! I'd be dead by now!"
"You complain too much," The former Turk stated matter-of-factly. The girl emitted a low growl as she narrowed her eyes on him.
"Don't insult me!"
"I'll clean your wound, and tomorrow you should buy some potion. You can sleep here if you want."
Sonrei's eyes widened. Why was he being so kind to her? There wasn't anything he could gain that she knew of. She lowered her head slight, feeling a twinge of guilt for her earlier rudeness.
"T-Thanks."
"Thought you said you didn't owe me a thanks."
"I was trying to be nice!"
Reno smirked slightly as he kneeled down beside her. The young girl unzipped her body suit slightly and pulled the shoulder down so he could clean the wound.
"This is worse than I thought," Reno said quietly. He glanced up at the face that was intently locked on his. He cleared his throat uncomfortably and stood up.
"I wasn't gonna give you this... But you obviously need it more than I do," He said as he begun going through his suitcase. He pulled out a small bottle of X-potion and handed it to the girl.
"It'll heal your wounds completely and restore almost all of your strength." The girl nodded and took the small bottle, and begun to drink it. Instantly, her wound was heal and she felt some of her strength return.
"How did you get those scars under your eyes?" Reno glanced back, taken aback by the question. It wasn't often that he thought about it. He tried not to think about the past that much. It was better that way.
"I... don't want to talk about it," He finally forced out. Sonrei lowered her head again. Even when she was trying not to be rude, she somehow managed to do it anyway.
"Sorry," she replied in a near whisper.
"It's okay."
"Say, you used to be in the Turks, right? Reno is your name, isn't it?"
There's something he didn't mind talking about too much. "Yeah."
"When I was younger, I thought I wanted to be in the Turks. I studied hard, y'know. I know how to use many weapons, and some hand-to-hand combat. But then Shinra fell, and well..."
"What makes you think I give a damn about what you want or wanted to be?" Reno replied hastily. He didn't want to hear someone whine about how screwed their life turned out to be. He never complained about his, and he expected people not to come to him bitching about their lives. He sat down in a chair. He watched as the girl lowered her head. Oh crap, what was she going to do now? Cry? Tell him what a bastard he is?
He decided to wait to see what she was going to do... But after a minute of silence, it was starting to make him uncomfortable. Say something, say something, He chanted in his mind.
"I was just trying to start a conversation," She finally said, aloofly. As if nothing had happened. He sighed slightly.
"I don't want to talk," He said, trying to keep his voice calm. He didn't want this woman pissed at him. Something about the way she carried herself... It was... different from most street thugs. She kept perfect posture at all times, and it was obvious she actually had some pride from how she spoke. She carried herself more like a... Turk...?
"If I agree to pay you, will you escort me to Nibelheim?"
"How much can you have? You're nothing but a thief."
"And you're nothing but a murderer."
"So? I worked for Shinra, babe, I'm rich," He replied smugly.
"Not if you keep wasting your life by getting drunk every night." Reno jumped up, and stalked toward the girl. He reached down and grabbed her by the throat, quickly tugging her up to face level. He leaned in closely, glaring at her.
"How did you know about that," He hissed.
"Tell me! Have you been spying on me!?" Had someone hired her? Was she there to try and kill him? Who was this girl? He could feel her breath quicken on his skin, as he squeezed tighter.
"I... I go to that bar every night, but I wasn't spying on you!" She finally admitted as she struggled for breath. Reno, satisfied with that answer, released her, she fell back on to the bed. Reno glared at her once again, and said, aloofly, "Listen, I won't hesitate to kill your sorry little ass if I find out you've been spying on me. That's one thing you never wanna do to a Turk."
The young girl returned his glare even if it was hidden by sunglasses. "I can see." The girl stood up and picked up her bag. He could clearly see her gritting her teeth as she went through it's contents. Reno had expected the girl to storm out after that, afterall, who wouldn't? She begun to lay several large gil bags on the bed. His eyes slowly widened.
"That's over one million gil there. I will ask you again; will you escort me to Nibelheim?" She replied, anger deepening her voice slightly. She pulled the shoulder to her body suit up quickly. Reno shrugged slightly.
"Fine."
"Are there any more rooms in this inn?"
"Nope."
"Damn..." Sonrei growled.
"Then I will have to stay here..."
"Hey, I don't care... You're payin' now," Reno said with another slight smirk. The girl standing in front of him growled angrily as she grabbed her bag and begun to walk toward the bathroom.
"I'm going to wash off," She said flately.
Reno watched as Sonrei walked into the bathroom, and slammed the door behind her. He laughed slightly. She was different. What kinda person would still want you to escort them to some place after you nearly, and would've, killed them? She must be insane.
The former Turk stood slowly and walked toward the bed in the room. He collapsed. He was tired for some reason. Reno stared blankly at the ceiling. Allowing his mind to wander a bit.
He turned his head toward the bathroom door as the shower stopped. A few minutes later, Sonrei opened the door. She wore a simple grey, oversized shirt, and held in one hand her sunglasses, and her bag in the other.
She stared at him for a second. Reno found himself unable to remove his eyes from hers. Her eyes were a light blue color, but they seemed different somehow. Before he could could pin-point the difference, the girl quickly slide her sunglasses back on.
"You're sleeping in those?"
"No, but... I don't like the way people stare at my eyes. Is there really anything that unique about blue eyes?" Reno paused for a second. Though he had only gotten a glimps of them, he thought he had just seen Mako eyes...? He should know. He used to see them everyday.
"Were you in SOLDIER?" He asked.
"No... Why?"
"No reason."
Reno's eyes widened as the girl laid down beside him. He rised up slightly on his elbows, and looked toward her. She lied flat on her back, her hands resting lightly on her stomach.
"What are you doing?"
"You didn't expect me to sleep on the floor, did you? Besides, I want to be prepared if that gang finds us," The young female replied while she removed her sunglasses and sat them on her nightstand.
"Hey, I thought I was your bodyguard?"
"You're back-up... There's a big difference. I can defend myself, but there are still plenty of monsters roaming around."
Reno rolled his eyes and rolled to his side. They had a long journey a head of them, so they needed their rest. Nibelheim, afterall, is along way from Junon.
***
Cloud walked slowly down the streets of Kalm, Tifa beside him. He glanced at her quickly. She wore her usual clothing, her hair was tied back in a pony tail that came nearly past her knees, and her ruby eyes were fixed upon something straight ahead of her. Her expression was one of deep thought and maybe concern. He pondered what she could be thinking. About the work that was coming? The hardships they still had to face perhaps?
Shrugging off his thoughts, Cloud gently placed one arm across her shoulders.Tifa glanced up and smiled. Her beautiful face lit up with her usual optimism and cheerfulness again. "Hey, Cloud, let's get something to eat! I'm starving!" She said finally. He nodded once and begun to search around the streets of Kalm for a restaurant.
Reeve had given them both the day off from their duties to rest up, and so he could have some quiet time also. Reeve had quite a bit of work to do. He was in charge of most of the dealings from Wutai, who was still very untrusting of anybody who used to work for Shinra. Mideel was still in dire need of repair from the Lifestream, and Junon wants to remove the upper city in hopes of getting more visitors. It seemed as if they all were on the PHS most of the day. It was tiring.
Cloud looked to his right, still looking for a good restaurant when something caught his eye. He noticed a group of people standing close to an old house, talking, but who was that that just disappeared into very that group?
"Aeris..."
Tifa glanced up, confused. What was Cloud talking about now? She glanced around quickly, then back to the ex-SOLDIER. "Cloud, what's wrong?"
"A-Aeris... I... saw her..." Cloud said, his voice but a whisper.
To Be Continued
Restoration
Chapter One
In Need Of A New Life.
By Chiron
Author's Notes: Please forgive any misspellings! I tried to catch all of them before I uploaded, but I'm only human... Um, I guess. Anyway, please R&R.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Final Fantasy VII. Square does, along with my soul... ~_^.
It had been just a couple of months since Meteor, Holy, and Sephiroth, but already the rebuilding of the government, the lost homes, everything had begun. Avalanche sat around a small table in some deserted building in what was left of Midgar. Everyone was tired, but no one would admit it. They had never received a break. After the destruction of Meteor, they returned to Rocket Town for a day's rest. To regain some strength. People now looked up to them; so much so, they were chosen to head a new government. They really had no choice in the matter... Not that they would've ever turned the job down anyway.
Cloud Strife scratched the back of his head absent-mindedly as he glanced around the small, square table.
"What are your reports?" He asked, somewhat awkwardly. Cloud definitely wasn't used to such things. Sure, he had a good chance to practice his leadership skills, but that seemed different somehow. He was going to be the one who kept the world from breaking out into chaos. Though he did have the help of all his friends, and Tifa was always by his side anymore.
Vincent Valentine leaned slightly forward and stared directly ahead. "I found a girl in Junon... She said she had some interesting information. I'm going to Nibelheim to meet her," He said, indifference plaguing his oddly smooth, soft voice as it usually did. The years he spent as a Turk was aparent in everything. His speech pattern, his stone cold face, his cold gaze. He could strike fear into the bravest of men.
"I'm goin' back to Wutai. I want to finally beat Dad," The forever cheerful and arrogant voice of Yuffie Kisaragi piped in. Everyone knew she just wanted to get away from the battles. She wasn't much of a fighter. Mostly due to her lack of experience.
"And I am going back to Cosmo Canyon. I am still it's protector... I have to find Grandpa anyway."
Cloud nodded slowly. "Okay. Cid, can you take the Buggy back and drop Yuffie and Nanaki off?" Nanaki... It was strange calling him that. Everyone had grown so used to 'Red XIII'. Everything was kind of weird. Everything had changed. Yuffie finally gave up on the materia, Barret finally warmed up to Reeve a little... And somehow, along the line, He and Tifa had become a couple. Cloud found himself wondering what had happened to guys like the Turks, and what was left of SOLDIER. Most likely, they died in Midgar.
"Yeah, I have to pick up the Tiny Bronco anyway," Came Cid's gruff reply, rudely pulling Cloud from his contemplative state.
"I have ta' go back to Corel. Help rebuild everything. I figured it'd be pretty dangerous still, so I left Marlene with Elmyra." Tifa leaned closer to the spikey, blonde man sitting next to her and put her arm on his shoulder.
"I'm staying with Cloud."
"I'm staying also," Reeve added.
Cloud looked around the room, waiting to see if anyone else had anything to say. He realized that he felt a twinge of sadness. Everything was over. It was time for everyone to seperate... Live the rest of their lives in, at least he hoped, peace.
The young blonde reminded himself that it wouldn't be the last time he saw any of his friends. Afterall, they each were apart of the new government. Cid was going to train new pilots in Rocket Town, Vincent was going to be head of the new Turks, Reeve was going to handle most of the paper work, Tifa wanted to stay with him, he was sure he'd see Barret all the time, Yuffie would always be around also, but Nanaki probably wouldn't come back unless he needed assistance. He was very dedicated to the Canyon afterall. Shrugging the thoughts off, Cloud begun speaking once again. "Okay. We have to divide the materia."
"Me, Tifa, and Reeve probably won't need much. We'll take two Restores, an All, and Ifrit summon."
"Cid, you can take Neo Bahamut, Shiva, Restore, two alls, and a Revive."
"Vincent, take Hades, Bahamut, and a Restore."
"Barret, you can take HP plus, Restore, Poison, and Titan."
"Yuffie, you can have the Fullcure materia, and Odin. Nanaki, you can have the rest of the summons and a Restore."
***
How long had it been? A day? A week? Too long, Thought the small, long haired girl. She tiredly messed with the cuffs that bound her to the chair. She wasn't in the mood for any of their games today. She gently shoved the hairpin she had pulled from her hair two days ago, before they had decided to chain her completely to her chair, into the small hole on the handcuffs. She twisted it a little bit until... Clink. The cuffs fell off, followed by a loud clunk as they hit the ground. She searched the dark room. Nothing. She could see nothing. Perfect... Perfect. Just so freaking perfect. I'm stuck here until one of those ass's decides to come in here and tries to torture me again. Just so great.
Her head shot up as the door opened to the tiny dark room. Blinding light followed, causing her to squint a bit behind her dark sunglasses. Thank the Gods they hadn't taken those. A man stepped in, followed by three others. The leader, what was his name again? Misu? Something like that. She had been with them a month just to get the poor bastard's precious blueprints. The idiots hadn't even noticed they were missing until four days ago. She studied Misu for a bit longer. He was overweight, balding, and greying... Basically the picture of bad health. It sickened her.
The girl narrowed her emotionless eyes. Too bad they were hidden beneath her sunglasses. A strand of black hair fell in front of her eyes, slightly blocking what she could see. "I didn't steal from you," She replied in her usual cold, emotionless tone. "Believe me."
"We already know you took those blueprints. We want'em back," Misu slurred in a horrible, thick-accented voice. She growled. This man was really starting to get on her nerves. She wanted to kill him, but refrained as it would most likely cause too much of a scene. Instead, she decided to just run. Sure, they had guns, knives, but she was the fastest one here. She stood, and she instinctively fell into a fighting position.
"You guys know I'm a master at lock-picking," She said, allowing arrogance into her tone. Misu's face wrinkled in fright as he stepped back, mumbling 'Damn it.' She smirked at the fear painted clearly across his face. Don't piss yourself, old man, She hissed in her mind. She loved this for some reason.
But all good things must come to an end. The girl rushed forward and punched the old man in the stomach. His eyes widened as he stumbled back, along with the rest of his men. No time to savor the moment though. She took off running as fast as she could, along with one of Misu's thugs.
"Stop it! We won't kill ya if ya stop!" The man hissed. She loved it when they tried to lie. What did they take her for? An idiot?
She felt so tired. What was wrong? She shouldn't be this tired yet! Maybe this whole thing took more out of her than she had realized. She gasped as the man jumped forward, plunging a knife deep into her shoulder. She growled in pain as she watched the end of the blade appear through the other end of her shoulder, covered in crimson blood. Suddenly, the two stumbled forward. The man twisted the knife once more, causing the young woman to groan in pain.
Knowing that she couldn't stop yet, she pulled herself from the knife, and begun to turn around, instinctively kicking the man in the stomach. She continued running quickly. Blood oozed from the wound, soaking her clothing and trenchcoat. She would've used her weapons on them, but the bastards found all the places she had hid them. She couldn't stop moving until she picked up the bag she had put the blueprints she'd found in.
***
The flaming redhead slowly walked down an alley. His head was bowed, causing the shadows to split his face disturbingly. The stench of alcohol, cigarettes, and trash filled the air. Not that he cared. He was contributing to the smell of cigarrettes. It didn't even phase him. Hell, he spent almost all his life in Midgar. Junon's nothing compared to that.
I finally left... the Turks... my pals, everything. I'm sick of living in the past. Nobody fears me anymore. Nobody cares. Shinra's dead. Elena, Rude, me.... the Turks might as well be dead as well. I, Reno, am just a pathetic bastard now. I suppose I've always been. Only, when I was in the Turks, I was a feared.
You wanna know the reason I left? Well, I came in tonight and Elena started in on me again. She always complains. It makes me sick. She told me I should clean up my act, start acting more like my old self... Funny, I always thought she hated how I used to act. I told her to leave me alone. Told her I'm acting like I always have. She wouldn't though. I ended up mouthing something off. It must've really pissed her off since she slapped me. I remember staring at her for a bit then breaking out into laughter. Not normal laughter though. More like the laughter of a man who has no hope left.
The laughter of a man who has realized he is better off dead.
I left after that. Said I'm not coming back. I plan to stick to my word. I rented a room at some small inn even. Right now, however, I don't wish to think about it. I just want to head to the closest bar and get as drunk as humanly possible.
Reno looked up as footsteps grew closer and rose in sound. Was it Elena and Rude? Nah, they were both pretty pissed at him before he left. The Turk stepped back as a woman rushed down the alley, collapsing to her knees, breathing heavily. Reno stared, slightly shocked. He looked closer. The girl had long black hair, messily tied up in a ponytail, she wore a long, black trenchcoat and a pair of dark sunglasses. It was noticable that blood was soaking through the left shoulder. Her long slender face was slightly contorted in pain, long bangs hung over her sunglasses, her hair was brushed over her ears, revealing four piercings. More footsteps pulled Reno from his observation of the young girl kneeling in the center of the alley way. Four men appeared at the entrance to the alley. Reno watched as the young girl slowly turned to face them.
"Leave me alone!" She pleaded, tiredly waving a hand.
"This'll be the last time you'll steal from us, bitch," An older, balding man said with a thick-accent. Oh, great. It is just my night, isn't it? Getting caught up in some petty thugs' dispute is just what I wanted tonight, Reno thought angrily.
"I told you, I didn't take anything!" The girl stood unsteadily. Well, Reno couldn't just stand back in the corner and watch some criminals beat some woman up, could he? No, Reno did, afterall, have some humanity left. It wasn't much, but it was still there. The girl looked over and saw him, she then slipped back to her knees, grabbing at her shoulder.
"What's going on here?"
"This ain't any of your business," Came a gruff reply from one of the men.
"Well, maybe not, but I can't stand by and watch you kill some girl, now can I? Besides, you'll try to kill me just because I'm a witness, right?" Reno replied, indifference plaguing his tone.
"Why don't you leave? You don't want to be killed, do you?" The injured girl said, her voice cracking with pain. Reno looked at the woman. She trembled slightly from pain as she focused on him intently.
"To tell the truth, I don't care."
"Hmph, you must be insane then." Reno shrugged once as the young woman turned toward the group of thugs again.
"Please, be reasonable! I told you, I didn't steal from you, guys! I wouldn't do that!"
The old man stepped closer, a smirk crossing his wrinkled face. "I'm sorry, Sonrei, we can't believe you this time." So her name was Sonrei was it? Unusual name... but somehow fitting. The old man stepped forward again, this time holding a gun, followed by another holding a bloodied knife. Reno slowly stepped forward, in front of Sonrei.
"You've just made a big mistake, pretty boy," The leader sneered, causing Reno to grit his teeth. He slowly reached in his jacket and pulled out a small device. It almost looked like a pen. He turned it in his hand and pressed a button on the top. It extended to full length. It wasn't set high enough to kill them, but they'd be out for a couple days at least.
"Who's first...?" He asked casually.
"Hahahahaha, you expect us to be scared of a nightstick?!" Reno growled and charged forward, striking the man across the face. He smirked as he watched the man begin to shake uncontrollably as his nightstick sent bolts of electricity through his body. The man fell to the ground, unconsious just a few seconds later.
The other man rushed forward, slashing at him with his knife. Reno ducked as the knife flew of his head. The man stepped back, screaming as his nightstick made contact with his stomach. He stumbled back, falling onto his back.
"So, which one of you bastards'll be next?" Reno arrogantly asked, as he casually threw his cigarrette to the ground. The other two quickly picked their pals up and ran away, screaming. The former Turk smirked.
Sonrei shook her head slightly as the redheaded man turned toward her. "Are you okay?" He asked, back to his apathetic tone again. She sighed slightly. "Y-Yes."
"You didn't have to do that. I could've beaten them myself." It was a lie. She was far too tired to have fought all of them by herself... She was even too tired to stand for long.
"Hey, you'd be dead by now if I hadn't helped!" The Turk shot back.
"Well, don't expect a thanks," Sonrei replied.
Reno rolled his eyes. What an ungrateful little bitch. He looked down at the girl again. She had a small bag over one shoulder and the other was almost completely covered in blood.
"What happened to you anyway?"
"They stabbed me."
"Come back to my room at the Inn, you can clean up there."
"Are you insane? I don't even know you, and I do not make it a habit of going to strange mens' rooms."
"It'd be better than bleeding out here in the streets, right?
"What do you think I am? Some sort of whore?"
"I never said that. I offered you a place to clean your wound," Reno sneered angrily.
"Do whatever you want. I don't care. As a matter of fact, I was going to the bar. You'd just be in my way."
Sonrei looked up and sighed. She wasn't too keen on going to a strange man's room, but she didn't want to stay out here and freeze to death either. Oh, well, if he did try anything, she could easily snap his neck.
"All right... I guess I'll go with you. If you try anything, though, I won't hesitate to kill you."
Reno rolled his eyes again. Who did this girl thinks she was dealing with? He wasn't that easy to kill.
"Whatever."
***
Reno quickly fished in his pockets for his room key, as Sonrei leaned against the wall tiredly. She had almost lost her balance several times while walking to the inn. When he had offered to help her, she roughly pushed him away and spat something insulting out. He had no idea why he was even being nice to her. She had done nothing but mouth off, and threatened his life.
He finally found the key to the room, he turned to look at the female to his side. She glanced back once and sighed. Reno opened the door quickly, and stepped in, Sonrei walked in behind him, closing the door gently behind her.
"So, are you from out of town or something?" The girl asked quietly, more calm than earlier. Reno glanced back as he tossed his jacket on a nearby chair.
"Nope."
"Oh, so you just live in an inn?"
"Do now."
"Sit down and take off your coat," Reno said flately as he continued to remove unneccassary items. He threw his sunglasses on a nightstand beside him.
"Huh?"
"I can't clean your wound if you still have clothes covering it, can I?"
"Oh... Guess not," With that, Sonrei carefully begun to removed her bag and trenchcoat, growling in pain as she has to move her injured shoulder. After that task, she folded the artical of clothing over her arm and sat down, lying her bag down by the bed.
"Damn..." Reno hissed.
"What?"
"I forgot, I don't have anything that I could use for bandages. I don't have any potion either."
"What? Oh, great..."
"There's a store down the street. I'll run out and buy some bandages... Most shops that sell potion are closed. Wait here."
Sonrei watched as the redhead grabbed his jacket and rushed from the room. She shook her head as dizziness overtook her. She didn't like the feeling.
"Hope he gets back soon..." She whispered.
Reno entered the small store slowly. They better have what he's looking for. He didn't feel like running
over the whole damned place for bandages. He searched the store, quickly noticing the bandages and first aid medicines, he walked over and picked up what he thought he may need and quickly went to pay for the products.
The ex-Turk walked as fast as he could from the store. He wanted sleep, that's all. Any desire for booze now had vanished. He just wanted to sleep.
Hey, look at me. I'm helping a total stranger. Wonder why? Reno, of the Turks being nice... Who would've thought? Maybe because she's cute in that feisty sort of way? Nah, if that's all, then I wouldn't have even bothered. Maybe I'm getting soft.
Wonder what Rude and Elena are doing? Hmm, guess I already know what Elena's doing. She's planning a celebration for my leaving, Rude's showing no reaction most likely.
How did the Turks end like this? I thought I'd always be with them. Especially Rude. We've known each other for years. We've been best friends for a while. I feel a twinge of guilt for running out like that. That's about all I can feel anymore. Being a Turk has pretty much killed most of my emotions. Guilt doesn't even exist in me. Like it ever did. I can't believe myself how much I've changed since Shinra died. I used to be a laidback, wise-ass, slacker. Now.... Now I don't know. I go out, get drunk, come back home. I don't seem to even smile anymore. Sure, I've had my bouts of depression before, never lasted though. Wonder if this one'll go away like the others? For some reason, I don't think so. There's no enjoyment in life anymore.
***
Reno rubbed his tired eyes as he made his way up the inn's stairs. He allowed himself to ponder what that girl he picked up was doing now. Had she finally passed out? Was she robbing him blind? He had had some gil in his suitcase. It better still be there. He glanced around the halls. Taking in his surroundings. Not because he thought someone would actually be there, no, it was just a habit now.
He walked to his door and twisted the knob. Sonrei glanced up as he entered, frowning slightly.
"What took you so long? Gods, I'm glad my wound isn't serious! I'd be dead by now!"
"You complain too much," The former Turk stated matter-of-factly. The girl emitted a low growl as she narrowed her eyes on him.
"Don't insult me!"
"I'll clean your wound, and tomorrow you should buy some potion. You can sleep here if you want."
Sonrei's eyes widened. Why was he being so kind to her? There wasn't anything he could gain that she knew of. She lowered her head slight, feeling a twinge of guilt for her earlier rudeness.
"T-Thanks."
"Thought you said you didn't owe me a thanks."
"I was trying to be nice!"
Reno smirked slightly as he kneeled down beside her. The young girl unzipped her body suit slightly and pulled the shoulder down so he could clean the wound.
"This is worse than I thought," Reno said quietly. He glanced up at the face that was intently locked on his. He cleared his throat uncomfortably and stood up.
"I wasn't gonna give you this... But you obviously need it more than I do," He said as he begun going through his suitcase. He pulled out a small bottle of X-potion and handed it to the girl.
"It'll heal your wounds completely and restore almost all of your strength." The girl nodded and took the small bottle, and begun to drink it. Instantly, her wound was heal and she felt some of her strength return.
"How did you get those scars under your eyes?" Reno glanced back, taken aback by the question. It wasn't often that he thought about it. He tried not to think about the past that much. It was better that way.
"I... don't want to talk about it," He finally forced out. Sonrei lowered her head again. Even when she was trying not to be rude, she somehow managed to do it anyway.
"Sorry," she replied in a near whisper.
"It's okay."
"Say, you used to be in the Turks, right? Reno is your name, isn't it?"
There's something he didn't mind talking about too much. "Yeah."
"When I was younger, I thought I wanted to be in the Turks. I studied hard, y'know. I know how to use many weapons, and some hand-to-hand combat. But then Shinra fell, and well..."
"What makes you think I give a damn about what you want or wanted to be?" Reno replied hastily. He didn't want to hear someone whine about how screwed their life turned out to be. He never complained about his, and he expected people not to come to him bitching about their lives. He sat down in a chair. He watched as the girl lowered her head. Oh crap, what was she going to do now? Cry? Tell him what a bastard he is?
He decided to wait to see what she was going to do... But after a minute of silence, it was starting to make him uncomfortable. Say something, say something, He chanted in his mind.
"I was just trying to start a conversation," She finally said, aloofly. As if nothing had happened. He sighed slightly.
"I don't want to talk," He said, trying to keep his voice calm. He didn't want this woman pissed at him. Something about the way she carried herself... It was... different from most street thugs. She kept perfect posture at all times, and it was obvious she actually had some pride from how she spoke. She carried herself more like a... Turk...?
"If I agree to pay you, will you escort me to Nibelheim?"
"How much can you have? You're nothing but a thief."
"And you're nothing but a murderer."
"So? I worked for Shinra, babe, I'm rich," He replied smugly.
"Not if you keep wasting your life by getting drunk every night." Reno jumped up, and stalked toward the girl. He reached down and grabbed her by the throat, quickly tugging her up to face level. He leaned in closely, glaring at her.
"How did you know about that," He hissed.
"Tell me! Have you been spying on me!?" Had someone hired her? Was she there to try and kill him? Who was this girl? He could feel her breath quicken on his skin, as he squeezed tighter.
"I... I go to that bar every night, but I wasn't spying on you!" She finally admitted as she struggled for breath. Reno, satisfied with that answer, released her, she fell back on to the bed. Reno glared at her once again, and said, aloofly, "Listen, I won't hesitate to kill your sorry little ass if I find out you've been spying on me. That's one thing you never wanna do to a Turk."
The young girl returned his glare even if it was hidden by sunglasses. "I can see." The girl stood up and picked up her bag. He could clearly see her gritting her teeth as she went through it's contents. Reno had expected the girl to storm out after that, afterall, who wouldn't? She begun to lay several large gil bags on the bed. His eyes slowly widened.
"That's over one million gil there. I will ask you again; will you escort me to Nibelheim?" She replied, anger deepening her voice slightly. She pulled the shoulder to her body suit up quickly. Reno shrugged slightly.
"Fine."
"Are there any more rooms in this inn?"
"Nope."
"Damn..." Sonrei growled.
"Then I will have to stay here..."
"Hey, I don't care... You're payin' now," Reno said with another slight smirk. The girl standing in front of him growled angrily as she grabbed her bag and begun to walk toward the bathroom.
"I'm going to wash off," She said flately.
Reno watched as Sonrei walked into the bathroom, and slammed the door behind her. He laughed slightly. She was different. What kinda person would still want you to escort them to some place after you nearly, and would've, killed them? She must be insane.
The former Turk stood slowly and walked toward the bed in the room. He collapsed. He was tired for some reason. Reno stared blankly at the ceiling. Allowing his mind to wander a bit.
He turned his head toward the bathroom door as the shower stopped. A few minutes later, Sonrei opened the door. She wore a simple grey, oversized shirt, and held in one hand her sunglasses, and her bag in the other.
She stared at him for a second. Reno found himself unable to remove his eyes from hers. Her eyes were a light blue color, but they seemed different somehow. Before he could could pin-point the difference, the girl quickly slide her sunglasses back on.
"You're sleeping in those?"
"No, but... I don't like the way people stare at my eyes. Is there really anything that unique about blue eyes?" Reno paused for a second. Though he had only gotten a glimps of them, he thought he had just seen Mako eyes...? He should know. He used to see them everyday.
"Were you in SOLDIER?" He asked.
"No... Why?"
"No reason."
Reno's eyes widened as the girl laid down beside him. He rised up slightly on his elbows, and looked toward her. She lied flat on her back, her hands resting lightly on her stomach.
"What are you doing?"
"You didn't expect me to sleep on the floor, did you? Besides, I want to be prepared if that gang finds us," The young female replied while she removed her sunglasses and sat them on her nightstand.
"Hey, I thought I was your bodyguard?"
"You're back-up... There's a big difference. I can defend myself, but there are still plenty of monsters roaming around."
Reno rolled his eyes and rolled to his side. They had a long journey a head of them, so they needed their rest. Nibelheim, afterall, is along way from Junon.
***
Cloud walked slowly down the streets of Kalm, Tifa beside him. He glanced at her quickly. She wore her usual clothing, her hair was tied back in a pony tail that came nearly past her knees, and her ruby eyes were fixed upon something straight ahead of her. Her expression was one of deep thought and maybe concern. He pondered what she could be thinking. About the work that was coming? The hardships they still had to face perhaps?
Shrugging off his thoughts, Cloud gently placed one arm across her shoulders.Tifa glanced up and smiled. Her beautiful face lit up with her usual optimism and cheerfulness again. "Hey, Cloud, let's get something to eat! I'm starving!" She said finally. He nodded once and begun to search around the streets of Kalm for a restaurant.
Reeve had given them both the day off from their duties to rest up, and so he could have some quiet time also. Reeve had quite a bit of work to do. He was in charge of most of the dealings from Wutai, who was still very untrusting of anybody who used to work for Shinra. Mideel was still in dire need of repair from the Lifestream, and Junon wants to remove the upper city in hopes of getting more visitors. It seemed as if they all were on the PHS most of the day. It was tiring.
Cloud looked to his right, still looking for a good restaurant when something caught his eye. He noticed a group of people standing close to an old house, talking, but who was that that just disappeared into very that group?
"Aeris..."
Tifa glanced up, confused. What was Cloud talking about now? She glanced around quickly, then back to the ex-SOLDIER. "Cloud, what's wrong?"
"A-Aeris... I... saw her..." Cloud said, his voice but a whisper.
To Be Continued