Final Fantasy VII:
Restoration
Chapter Two
The Journey
By Chiron
Disclaimer: Same as first chapter.
Sonrei slowly breathed in as sunlight flooded down upon her. She rolled to her side and gently grabbed the glasses lying on her nightstand and slipped them on. The girl rose into a sitting position and looked beside her to the former Turk who was still sound asleep. She pushed a loose strand of hair from her face and stood. She would let Reno sleep for a few more minutes. Afterall, they had along journey ahead of them. They still had to buy some supplies, catch the ship for Costa del Sol, and then start their way toward Corel.
The girl knelt down by her bag and begun to rumage through it. She still needed a change of clothing. Her trenchcoat was stil soaked in blood, too. She had had that thing for years too.
Sonrei pulled some clothing out of the bag and walked toward the bathroom to change. She glanced in the mirror once and removed her sunglasses. She brushed through her hair quickly and tied it back. She hoped she would have enough money left to buy a new weapon and maybe some more potions and ethers.
Reno slowly opened his eyes, and stared up at the ceiling as his vision slowly cleared. Today's probably the first day in awhile he hadn't woken up with a hangover. In a while? More like since he was sixteen, and that was eleven years ago. He still wondered how he managed to make it through highschool... and still managed to get good grades. The ex-Turk turned his head to the side as he watched Sonrei exit the bathroom. She wore a simple black button down shirt, and a pair of dark pants. She had her hair tied loosely back and still had her glasses on.
"Reno, you'll have to go pick up the tickets for the ship to Costa del Sol while I pick some equipment up." Reno sighed and nodded. He then stood and walked toward the bathroom. Sonrei sat down in a nearby chair and begun to go through her bag, searching for some more gil. She glanced up as she heard the shower come on. She pulled out a small pouch and began going through it. "This should be enough." Sonrei gently put the pouch on a nightstand and turned toward the door.
***
Elena slowly stepped down the hall. Had Reno came in last night? She hadn't heard anything if he had. She finally reached her friend's bedroom door and gently opened it. She glanced around the room. Nothing. No sign of him. The bed hadn't even been slept in!
Elena turned quickly when she felt someone standing close. Her eyes widened when she saw Rude stood only inches behind her. "Rude! Don't sneak up like that!"
"Where's Reno?"
"I guess the bastard never came back last night. Probably passed out somewhere! I can't believe him, can you? He's been acting like an ass ever since we moved here! And now he's run away like a little kid would!" The blonde ranted.
"Maybe he's right, you know. Maybe it is time we split up." The blonde Turk stepped back, in shock. What was he saying? Turks are always supposed to stick together. Wait... What Turks? The young female nodded.
"Are you leaving also?"
"Not until we find Reno." Elena smiled slightly.
"Let's search around town. Isn't there an inn close by?" Rude nodded and begun to walk away, followed closely by Elena.
***
Sonrei walked into the small weapons shop. They probably didn't have much, and what they did have probably was expensive. She glanced around the store in hopes of finding a gun or a knife, or any sort of weapon. That is, until something caught her eye. Those bastards! They sold my weapons! She thought angrily as her eyes fell upon her Javelin Gun, and various guns and knives she always kept on her.
"How much for the Javelin Gun?"
"'Bout a thousand gil," The shop keeper replied, obviously content on something else at the time. A thousand? That's a lot... But I've had it for as long as I can remember. The girl continue to debate whether or not to buy it.
"I'll take it." She tossed the gil pouch on the counter as the shop keeper pulled the weapon from the shelf and handed it to her. She held it in her hands for a second, inspecting it. Well, at least she had her weapon back. Sonrei quickly exited from the store and entered another.
The girl behind the counter smiled kindly and nodded her head in greeting. "How can I help you?" Sonrei fished in the pocket of her pants and put a list down on the counter.
"How much will this cost?" She inquired, but dreading what the shop keeper's answer would be. The girl looked over the list and back up.
"Hm, about two thousand fifty gil." Sonrei let a sigh of relief at that and tossed the money down on the counter. The girl picked the gil from the counter and busied herself by packing the equipment. She put the few bags down on the counter.
"Here you go!" The girl said cheerfully. Sonrei nodded her head and left the store with her supplies. She hoped she had bought enough supplies. They had to be, her money was almost gone. She only had about five hundred gil left. Sonrei started her walk toward the inn, hoping Reno would be there.
Reno walked slowly backed to the inn. He wondered if Sonrei had purchased enough supplies to last their trip. He wondered if she even had enough money. She had only left him a little over a thousand gil to buy their tickets, which was barely enough to buy them, let alone the good tickets. They were stuck in some crappy little room the whole night. Great. Sighing, the Turk lit a cigarette.
"Reno!" The ex-Turk glanced quickly to his side to see Sonrei approaching quickly. She slowed as she neared him.
"Did you get the tickets?"
"Yeah, but we'll be sharing a room again."
"I know, but I had to save some money for supplies," The girl said, quietly. Reno shrugged.
"Hey, it's been a long time since I woke up with a girl next to me."
"Shut-up! You're sleeping on the floor. Hmph, besides, I wouldn't be telling."
"Hey, it's not like I couldn't get a woman, but I've been staying with some people."
Reno glanced at the girl, she shook her head. "Sure, Reno. When's our boat leave anyway?"
"Four." Sonrei nodded slowly.
"Hey, let's get back to the inn!"
***
Reno and Sonrei quickly made their way onto the ship. It had been a long day. Junon isn't really a place where you can just waste time. Most of the day the two just sat in the inn either talking or reading or whatever they could find to do. The two quickly made their way to their room to put their things away.
Reno quickly opened the door to the small room. He looked inside. There was a full-sized bed, a desk, and two doors. Sonrei raised an eyebrow at this. "Well, this is just great." The former Turk stepped in slowly and put down some of the things he had been carrying, followed by the young thief.
"I'm glad we're only spending one night here," Sonrei commented.
"Yeah, but there's no way I'm sleeping on the floor, babe."
"There's not room for both of us, you idiot."
"Of course there is," The redhead replied as he sat down on the edge of the bed.
"No, get off the bed."
"Hey, we're just sleeping, right? Sex would just be an added bonus." Sonrei rolled her eyes. Pervert. She smirked slightly. This whole situation was ridiculous. "You asked for a room like this didn't you?"
"Nope, I asked for a good room," Reno replied with a casual shrug. The young girl sighed a bit. "Then I'd hate to see what a bad one looks like."
"I'd have to agree."
"Well, Reno, I'm going to go check out the rest of the ship. Do you want to come?"
"No, I'm going to stay here and unpack."
"Okay, I'll see you later then!" With that, Sonrei ran out of the room. Reno sighed and leaned back on the bed.
It is official, Reno of the Turks has gone soft. I don't know why I agreed to follow her, nor do I know why I care. I just can't stop. I've tried being a total ass, so she'd leave, but it's not coming off all that great. I wonder what Rude and Elena are doing this very minute...? Ah, why do I care?
***
Elena ran a hand through her hair. "Are you sure you saw him boarding that ship, Rude?" The older man nodded slightly. "Yes. He was with some woman."
"So... he really did leave..." The blonde Turk said quietly. She felt kind of bad for all the things she had said before.
"I guess it really is time for us to move on," She added with a touch of sadness.
"Yeah, Reno was right."
"I guess you'll be leaving me, too?"
"No, not until we check on Reno. He's been acting weird since then," Rude replied with a slight shrug. Elena smiled a bit again.
***
Sonrei slowly walked back toward her room. She hadn't seen anything really all that interesting around the ship., but she had managed to waste some time. As a matter of fact, the sun was just about to set. She had come to see if she could get Reno to come watch it with her. She didn't even know why she wanted it that way. Just did. She opened the door slowly and walked in.
"Oh, great..." The girl mumbled as she sat down beside the now sleeping Reno. Sonrei glanced down at the Turk's sleeping form. He lay on his back, one arm resting on his stomach, the other behind his head, his ponytail laid to the left side of him, and his chest rose and fell with steady, even breaths. The young female felt her cheeks begin to grow hot with a blush. She sighed and put one hand to her face. Trying to think of something else.
Tonight's going to be long... I hate boats. No sleep for me tonight, I guess.
Sonrei cursed under her breath as she found her eyes wondering back to the sleeping form next to her. "What is wrong with me?" She asked herself angrily.
"Well... I guess he is kind of cute..." Sonrei sighed and looked back toward a wall. Once they reached Costa del Sol they would have to go straight to Mt. Corel. She wasn't too fond of the idea as there were many monsters which still live there, but that was the only way to reach Corel on foot. She hoped that she had purchased enough Hi-Potions to last. If not, then she would have to find a way of getting more money. Her options weren't good. Either rob somebody, or kill somebody. Those options weren't too appealing. Oh, well, there wasn't any use in worrying over something that no one can control.
Reno slowly opened one eye and glanced at the young girl next to him. Her brows were furrowed in deep contemplation, as she fiddled with her gloves. She laid the two pieces of cloth next her on the nightstand and turned her head toward a wall.
"Why didn't I take more gil...?" She whispered. Reno yawned quietly and sat up. Sonrei glanced over at him.
"We're out of money?" He asked as he rubbed his eyes tiredly.
"We have 500 gil left."
"Hm. Guess I'll be paying from now on."
"What?" Sonrei asked, puzzled.
"Like I said before, I'm rich. I'll pay from now on. At least we won't have to sleep in anymore crappy rooms like this."
Sonrei smiled slightly as she stood up. She locked her hands behind her back and leaned forward, cocking her head to the side slightly. "Well, since you're up," She begun quietly, "Come with me!" Now it was his turn to be puzzled. "What?"
"Come watch the sunset with me... It's no fun if you're alone." Reno shook his head. Afterall, he had fully intended to spend the rest of the day inside this room. He didn't want to go run around the ship like some idiot. He watched as the younger female frowned slightly.
"Why do you need me?"
"I already said. It's no fun if you're alone." Before he could respond Sonrei was already dragging him out the door. Damn it, Reno, what are you doing? You can always just pull away!... It's just no use... He thought, annoyed.
Once they finally reached the upperdeck, Reno pulled away. "All right already, so here we are. Happy now?" Sonrei smiled at him slightly and nodded. Reno rolled his eyes.
***
Cloud sat on the edge of a chair, his head rested in his hands. Am I going crazy? What was that? Was that Aeris... The blonde quickly forced those thoughts from his head. He did afterall witness her death! He had held her body in his arms. There's just no way.
Tifa slowly knelt before the ex-SOLDIER, Reeve stood a few inches behind her. "Cloud...? Are you all right?"
"Tifa, you were there. Aeris was dead! How could she still be walking around?!"
"Maybe it wasn't Aeris... Maybe it was someone else who just looked like her," Tifa said carefully. She didn't want Cloud to get angry.
"No! She wore the same clothes! She had her hair up the same way Aeris did! I'm not insane, Tifa! I know what I saw!"
"Maybe you just imagined it, Cloud."
"I'm not insane! I saw her! Reeve, you believe me, right?" Cloud glanced hopefully into his friend's eyes. Reeve cleared his throat and looked down.
"You can't expect us to believe that you saw a dead girl walking around," He said quietly.
***The Next Day***
Reno walked quickly toward Costa del Sol's exit, followed closely by Sonrei. They had only arrived in the small city a few hours ago, but decided to head toward Corel anyway. It wouldn't take them long to reach the small town anyway.
The roar of the ocean and the tourists of Costa del Sol slowly faded and the occasional chirping bird took it's place, along with the rustle of wind that slowly blew through their hair. The mountain loomed high above, reminding them of how much they still had left to walk.
The blazing sun beat down mercilessly upon them as they continued to make their way up toward the old Corel Reactor. Reno paused and glanced back at his raven haired companion. She stared back steadily as she drunk some water from a canteen. The two continued walking.
They stared ahead at the bridge that lead to Mt. Corel. Sonrei stepped out onto the narrow bridge and peered down at the endlessness below. She exhaled slowly and begun walking along the twisting path, followed closely by Reno.
The crimson haired Turk looked at the unstable tracks that spilled ahead of them and back at Sonrei. "This is going to be dangerous," The girl commented as she stepped carefully onto the tracks.
With every step taken, the sound of roting wood and rusting metal could be clearly heard. Gaping holes revealed the deadly fall that would be in store for the unlucky person. It was a struggle just to keep your footing while walking down the seemingly endless tracks.
The pale girl breathed in fear as her ankle slipped through the old wood. She felt an arm wrap itself around her waist. "Watch where you step," Reno said as he gently released her and knelt down to help dislodge her foot from the newly created hole. She stumbled back a bit as she tried to apply weight to her freed leg. "T-Thanks." No serious damaged aflicted to her ankle at all. The two quickly continued their way downward. The two silently thanked the Gods that things begun to even at.
"Not going to be much longer now," Reno stated as he continued across a small bridge, a step behind Sonrei. The two hurriedly walked across the remaining tracks to be faced with yet another bridge. Sonrei shook her head quickly and stared back ahead of her.
"Damn it... This better be the last bridge." Sonrei inhaled deeply as the rope bridge swung unsteadily with their weight, but kept pushing on none-theless. She smiled once she glanced up and saw a sign that said North Corel.
"We've made it!" She exclainmed happily as she quickly walked into the village.
Tents were set up almost everywhere, making it nearly impossible to move around. Few buildings were standing, and trash was laying about the ground, and a couple of Shopkeepers were set up by the Ropeway Station. A tall man, dark skinned man approached them slowly.
***
Elena and Rude hurriedly boarded the small ship. The two hadn't slept, they had been stuck at the dock most of the day trying to find information on when the next ship was leaving. It was almost one in the morning, but they would be at Costa del Sol in about nine hours so they wouldn't be too far behind Reno.
Elena glanced over at her companion who was now rubbing his temples. "I'm going to kill the little bastard if he decided to just to go there for a vacation," Rude growled. The younger female laughed a little.
"Knowing Reno, that's probably why he did go. You said he was with a girl, right?"
"Yeah. Wonder if he's there on business?"
"He would've told us if somebody paid him for a job though, right?"
"Maybe."
The two Turks made their way toward their rooms tiredly. The sound of the ocean pounding against the ship could be heard clearly. It sounded calm, yet eery. All the passenger hurriedly opened the doors to their rooms, ready to be lulled to sleep by that very sound. Elena shook her head slowly, trying to clear it of all thoughts. She felt guilty. A part of her wished that they didn't find Reno, so they could continue searching forever for him. So Rude wouldn't leave. Elena hated being alone. She was happier when she was around people. Even if it was someone as silent as Rude, she still felt more at ease. She knew, however, it was just a matter of time before they tracked down their companion now. The female reached in her jean's pocket and quickly pulled out the key to her room.
"Goodnight, Rude!" She called out as she stepped into the small room. She heard a muffled aknowledgment and a door slam. She smiled slightly and collapsed onto her bed. She was extremely tired.
***
Reno looked at the man who was quickly approaching. It was Barret Wallace of Avalanche. He hoped he would just let them go peacefully.
"What're you doin' here?" The man gruffly asked.
"We're just passing through," Sonrei replied as she attempted to walk past him.
"What do the Turks wan' here in Corel?"
"Like the girl said, we're just passing through."
"Where are ya goin'?" Reno glanced toward Sonrei, who was gritting her teeth in anger.
"It's none of your business." Wrong answer, Sonrei.
"We're not here to cause any trouble."
"The war's over. The Turks only did what we were told. We hold no grudges," Reno added as he tried to walk past the man. Barret shook his head.
"We don't trust anybody who used ta' work for Shinra here." This was getting tiring. Reno glared back, angrily. If this bastard wanted a fight, then fine. Reno begun to reach for his nightstick. That is until he felt a hand rest on his shoulder. He turned quickly to see Sonrei, who was smiling toward Barret.
"We understand. Don't worry, we're leaving now. We'll stay at the Golden Saucer tonight, but we won't be passing through here again. And I assure you that we are not out to harm anyone. I have something I have to take care of, and I asked if Reno would accompany me. There are still many monsters roaming around afterall," The young girl said, calmly. Barret nodded and walked off, castin one final glare.
"Let's go, Reno."
The two walked toward the Ropeway Station and quickly boarded. It felt good to sit down after almost five hours of walking without rest. Sonrei glanced toward Reno who was staring out one of the windows. "See, you can handle somethings without resorting to killing."
The small cart quickly stopped, and the two quickly made their way off. Reno quickly handed the gil to the woman standing at the entrance, she handed them each one ticket. They entered and glanced around.
"Let's go ahead and get a room at the hotel," Reno said as he quickly lifted himself up into the tunnel that led to the Ghost Hotel. Sonrei followed. The two finally reached the exit.
Sonrei glanced around the small graveyard. A mansion loomed over them in the background. Sighing, the young female begun following the ex-Turk up the stairs. The two entered the small mansion where a man greeted them at the door. Reno quickly walked past him, and toward the counter where a fake man dropped in front of them, a noose tied around his neck.
"Welcome! It's five GP a night. Would you like to stay?" The man asked.
"Do you take Gil?"
"No, sir, only GP."
Reno turned slowly toward Sonrei, scratching the back of his head. "Well, let's see... Guess we can go to the Wonder square and try to win some GP or leave tonight. I say we go to the bar before making any decisions." The girl shook her head, tiredly. What else could happen today? Well, after a day like today she would've preferred going straight to sleep, but since they didn't have the GP to do that, a drink would have to do.
"Okay... I guess. Let's go," Sonrei said as she turned toward the exit again.
***
They moved quickly toward the bar that was just ahead of them. The noise of the surrounding crowds was deafening, and small children ran wildly around their parents begging for merchandise. As the two neared the bar, Reno noticed the creature known as Red XIII lying at the bar's entrance. Reno stopped in front of him.
"Hello," Nanaki greeted.
"Hey, Red XIII. What are you doing here?" Reno asked.
"I'm going back to Cosmo Canyon. I'm just waiting on Cid. Who's your friend?"
"This is Sonrei. She's paying me to take her to Nibelheim."
"Oh, Sonrei, this is Red XIII. He was one of the one's who destroyed Meteor. He's more friendly than the guy back at North Corel."
"Hello," Sonrei quietly greeted.
"Actually, we only defeated Sephiroth. Holy and the Lifestream destroyed Meteor."
"Whatever. See ya later, Red XIII," Reno said, then quickly entered the bar. He scanned the area slowly. Nothing but a few drunks sitting up in the bar, and Cid Highwind, Yuffie Kisaragi, and the owner of the Golden Saucer, Dio.
The two slowly made their way toward the table where Cid and the others sat. The older pilot glanced up as they neared. "You like'em young, eh?"
"Yuck! I don't date bow-legged old men!" the drunken Yuffie yelled.
"Shut the hell up, you little brat."
"What're you doin' here? Where's Rude and Elena?" Cid asked as he finished his drink.
"The girl behind me, Sonrei, paid be to take her to Nibelheim. Rude and Elena are still in Junon." Reno and Sonrei sat down across from the pilot and thief.
"There ain't no way in hell you're even gonna get to Cosmo Canyon without a vehicle. That's the reason I have ta' drop Red XIII and Yuffie off."
"Hm. Could you drop us off at Nibelheim?"
"No, I have too many places to go... Besides, I don't really want a Turk on the Highwind anyway. No offense."
"At least buy us a drink," Reno said flately, as he glanced around the bar once again.
"Yeah, sure."
"If you win at the Battle Arena, I'll let you have the Buggy," Dio said. Reno paused, thinking it over for a moment. He slowly nodded his head.
"Okay."
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VII, characters, place, etc. are copyrighted © by Squaresoft. Sonrei and all other original characters are copyrighted © 2001-2002 by Chiron Childress. All rights reserved.
Restoration
Chapter Two
The Journey
By Chiron
Disclaimer: Same as first chapter.
Sonrei slowly breathed in as sunlight flooded down upon her. She rolled to her side and gently grabbed the glasses lying on her nightstand and slipped them on. The girl rose into a sitting position and looked beside her to the former Turk who was still sound asleep. She pushed a loose strand of hair from her face and stood. She would let Reno sleep for a few more minutes. Afterall, they had along journey ahead of them. They still had to buy some supplies, catch the ship for Costa del Sol, and then start their way toward Corel.
The girl knelt down by her bag and begun to rumage through it. She still needed a change of clothing. Her trenchcoat was stil soaked in blood, too. She had had that thing for years too.
Sonrei pulled some clothing out of the bag and walked toward the bathroom to change. She glanced in the mirror once and removed her sunglasses. She brushed through her hair quickly and tied it back. She hoped she would have enough money left to buy a new weapon and maybe some more potions and ethers.
Reno slowly opened his eyes, and stared up at the ceiling as his vision slowly cleared. Today's probably the first day in awhile he hadn't woken up with a hangover. In a while? More like since he was sixteen, and that was eleven years ago. He still wondered how he managed to make it through highschool... and still managed to get good grades. The ex-Turk turned his head to the side as he watched Sonrei exit the bathroom. She wore a simple black button down shirt, and a pair of dark pants. She had her hair tied loosely back and still had her glasses on.
"Reno, you'll have to go pick up the tickets for the ship to Costa del Sol while I pick some equipment up." Reno sighed and nodded. He then stood and walked toward the bathroom. Sonrei sat down in a nearby chair and begun to go through her bag, searching for some more gil. She glanced up as she heard the shower come on. She pulled out a small pouch and began going through it. "This should be enough." Sonrei gently put the pouch on a nightstand and turned toward the door.
***
Elena slowly stepped down the hall. Had Reno came in last night? She hadn't heard anything if he had. She finally reached her friend's bedroom door and gently opened it. She glanced around the room. Nothing. No sign of him. The bed hadn't even been slept in!
Elena turned quickly when she felt someone standing close. Her eyes widened when she saw Rude stood only inches behind her. "Rude! Don't sneak up like that!"
"Where's Reno?"
"I guess the bastard never came back last night. Probably passed out somewhere! I can't believe him, can you? He's been acting like an ass ever since we moved here! And now he's run away like a little kid would!" The blonde ranted.
"Maybe he's right, you know. Maybe it is time we split up." The blonde Turk stepped back, in shock. What was he saying? Turks are always supposed to stick together. Wait... What Turks? The young female nodded.
"Are you leaving also?"
"Not until we find Reno." Elena smiled slightly.
"Let's search around town. Isn't there an inn close by?" Rude nodded and begun to walk away, followed closely by Elena.
***
Sonrei walked into the small weapons shop. They probably didn't have much, and what they did have probably was expensive. She glanced around the store in hopes of finding a gun or a knife, or any sort of weapon. That is, until something caught her eye. Those bastards! They sold my weapons! She thought angrily as her eyes fell upon her Javelin Gun, and various guns and knives she always kept on her.
"How much for the Javelin Gun?"
"'Bout a thousand gil," The shop keeper replied, obviously content on something else at the time. A thousand? That's a lot... But I've had it for as long as I can remember. The girl continue to debate whether or not to buy it.
"I'll take it." She tossed the gil pouch on the counter as the shop keeper pulled the weapon from the shelf and handed it to her. She held it in her hands for a second, inspecting it. Well, at least she had her weapon back. Sonrei quickly exited from the store and entered another.
The girl behind the counter smiled kindly and nodded her head in greeting. "How can I help you?" Sonrei fished in the pocket of her pants and put a list down on the counter.
"How much will this cost?" She inquired, but dreading what the shop keeper's answer would be. The girl looked over the list and back up.
"Hm, about two thousand fifty gil." Sonrei let a sigh of relief at that and tossed the money down on the counter. The girl picked the gil from the counter and busied herself by packing the equipment. She put the few bags down on the counter.
"Here you go!" The girl said cheerfully. Sonrei nodded her head and left the store with her supplies. She hoped she had bought enough supplies. They had to be, her money was almost gone. She only had about five hundred gil left. Sonrei started her walk toward the inn, hoping Reno would be there.
Reno walked slowly backed to the inn. He wondered if Sonrei had purchased enough supplies to last their trip. He wondered if she even had enough money. She had only left him a little over a thousand gil to buy their tickets, which was barely enough to buy them, let alone the good tickets. They were stuck in some crappy little room the whole night. Great. Sighing, the Turk lit a cigarette.
"Reno!" The ex-Turk glanced quickly to his side to see Sonrei approaching quickly. She slowed as she neared him.
"Did you get the tickets?"
"Yeah, but we'll be sharing a room again."
"I know, but I had to save some money for supplies," The girl said, quietly. Reno shrugged.
"Hey, it's been a long time since I woke up with a girl next to me."
"Shut-up! You're sleeping on the floor. Hmph, besides, I wouldn't be telling."
"Hey, it's not like I couldn't get a woman, but I've been staying with some people."
Reno glanced at the girl, she shook her head. "Sure, Reno. When's our boat leave anyway?"
"Four." Sonrei nodded slowly.
"Hey, let's get back to the inn!"
***
Reno and Sonrei quickly made their way onto the ship. It had been a long day. Junon isn't really a place where you can just waste time. Most of the day the two just sat in the inn either talking or reading or whatever they could find to do. The two quickly made their way to their room to put their things away.
Reno quickly opened the door to the small room. He looked inside. There was a full-sized bed, a desk, and two doors. Sonrei raised an eyebrow at this. "Well, this is just great." The former Turk stepped in slowly and put down some of the things he had been carrying, followed by the young thief.
"I'm glad we're only spending one night here," Sonrei commented.
"Yeah, but there's no way I'm sleeping on the floor, babe."
"There's not room for both of us, you idiot."
"Of course there is," The redhead replied as he sat down on the edge of the bed.
"No, get off the bed."
"Hey, we're just sleeping, right? Sex would just be an added bonus." Sonrei rolled her eyes. Pervert. She smirked slightly. This whole situation was ridiculous. "You asked for a room like this didn't you?"
"Nope, I asked for a good room," Reno replied with a casual shrug. The young girl sighed a bit. "Then I'd hate to see what a bad one looks like."
"I'd have to agree."
"Well, Reno, I'm going to go check out the rest of the ship. Do you want to come?"
"No, I'm going to stay here and unpack."
"Okay, I'll see you later then!" With that, Sonrei ran out of the room. Reno sighed and leaned back on the bed.
It is official, Reno of the Turks has gone soft. I don't know why I agreed to follow her, nor do I know why I care. I just can't stop. I've tried being a total ass, so she'd leave, but it's not coming off all that great. I wonder what Rude and Elena are doing this very minute...? Ah, why do I care?
***
Elena ran a hand through her hair. "Are you sure you saw him boarding that ship, Rude?" The older man nodded slightly. "Yes. He was with some woman."
"So... he really did leave..." The blonde Turk said quietly. She felt kind of bad for all the things she had said before.
"I guess it really is time for us to move on," She added with a touch of sadness.
"Yeah, Reno was right."
"I guess you'll be leaving me, too?"
"No, not until we check on Reno. He's been acting weird since then," Rude replied with a slight shrug. Elena smiled a bit again.
***
Sonrei slowly walked back toward her room. She hadn't seen anything really all that interesting around the ship., but she had managed to waste some time. As a matter of fact, the sun was just about to set. She had come to see if she could get Reno to come watch it with her. She didn't even know why she wanted it that way. Just did. She opened the door slowly and walked in.
"Oh, great..." The girl mumbled as she sat down beside the now sleeping Reno. Sonrei glanced down at the Turk's sleeping form. He lay on his back, one arm resting on his stomach, the other behind his head, his ponytail laid to the left side of him, and his chest rose and fell with steady, even breaths. The young female felt her cheeks begin to grow hot with a blush. She sighed and put one hand to her face. Trying to think of something else.
Tonight's going to be long... I hate boats. No sleep for me tonight, I guess.
Sonrei cursed under her breath as she found her eyes wondering back to the sleeping form next to her. "What is wrong with me?" She asked herself angrily.
"Well... I guess he is kind of cute..." Sonrei sighed and looked back toward a wall. Once they reached Costa del Sol they would have to go straight to Mt. Corel. She wasn't too fond of the idea as there were many monsters which still live there, but that was the only way to reach Corel on foot. She hoped that she had purchased enough Hi-Potions to last. If not, then she would have to find a way of getting more money. Her options weren't good. Either rob somebody, or kill somebody. Those options weren't too appealing. Oh, well, there wasn't any use in worrying over something that no one can control.
Reno slowly opened one eye and glanced at the young girl next to him. Her brows were furrowed in deep contemplation, as she fiddled with her gloves. She laid the two pieces of cloth next her on the nightstand and turned her head toward a wall.
"Why didn't I take more gil...?" She whispered. Reno yawned quietly and sat up. Sonrei glanced over at him.
"We're out of money?" He asked as he rubbed his eyes tiredly.
"We have 500 gil left."
"Hm. Guess I'll be paying from now on."
"What?" Sonrei asked, puzzled.
"Like I said before, I'm rich. I'll pay from now on. At least we won't have to sleep in anymore crappy rooms like this."
Sonrei smiled slightly as she stood up. She locked her hands behind her back and leaned forward, cocking her head to the side slightly. "Well, since you're up," She begun quietly, "Come with me!" Now it was his turn to be puzzled. "What?"
"Come watch the sunset with me... It's no fun if you're alone." Reno shook his head. Afterall, he had fully intended to spend the rest of the day inside this room. He didn't want to go run around the ship like some idiot. He watched as the younger female frowned slightly.
"Why do you need me?"
"I already said. It's no fun if you're alone." Before he could respond Sonrei was already dragging him out the door. Damn it, Reno, what are you doing? You can always just pull away!... It's just no use... He thought, annoyed.
Once they finally reached the upperdeck, Reno pulled away. "All right already, so here we are. Happy now?" Sonrei smiled at him slightly and nodded. Reno rolled his eyes.
***
Cloud sat on the edge of a chair, his head rested in his hands. Am I going crazy? What was that? Was that Aeris... The blonde quickly forced those thoughts from his head. He did afterall witness her death! He had held her body in his arms. There's just no way.
Tifa slowly knelt before the ex-SOLDIER, Reeve stood a few inches behind her. "Cloud...? Are you all right?"
"Tifa, you were there. Aeris was dead! How could she still be walking around?!"
"Maybe it wasn't Aeris... Maybe it was someone else who just looked like her," Tifa said carefully. She didn't want Cloud to get angry.
"No! She wore the same clothes! She had her hair up the same way Aeris did! I'm not insane, Tifa! I know what I saw!"
"Maybe you just imagined it, Cloud."
"I'm not insane! I saw her! Reeve, you believe me, right?" Cloud glanced hopefully into his friend's eyes. Reeve cleared his throat and looked down.
"You can't expect us to believe that you saw a dead girl walking around," He said quietly.
***The Next Day***
Reno walked quickly toward Costa del Sol's exit, followed closely by Sonrei. They had only arrived in the small city a few hours ago, but decided to head toward Corel anyway. It wouldn't take them long to reach the small town anyway.
The roar of the ocean and the tourists of Costa del Sol slowly faded and the occasional chirping bird took it's place, along with the rustle of wind that slowly blew through their hair. The mountain loomed high above, reminding them of how much they still had left to walk.
The blazing sun beat down mercilessly upon them as they continued to make their way up toward the old Corel Reactor. Reno paused and glanced back at his raven haired companion. She stared back steadily as she drunk some water from a canteen. The two continued walking.
They stared ahead at the bridge that lead to Mt. Corel. Sonrei stepped out onto the narrow bridge and peered down at the endlessness below. She exhaled slowly and begun walking along the twisting path, followed closely by Reno.
The crimson haired Turk looked at the unstable tracks that spilled ahead of them and back at Sonrei. "This is going to be dangerous," The girl commented as she stepped carefully onto the tracks.
With every step taken, the sound of roting wood and rusting metal could be clearly heard. Gaping holes revealed the deadly fall that would be in store for the unlucky person. It was a struggle just to keep your footing while walking down the seemingly endless tracks.
The pale girl breathed in fear as her ankle slipped through the old wood. She felt an arm wrap itself around her waist. "Watch where you step," Reno said as he gently released her and knelt down to help dislodge her foot from the newly created hole. She stumbled back a bit as she tried to apply weight to her freed leg. "T-Thanks." No serious damaged aflicted to her ankle at all. The two quickly continued their way downward. The two silently thanked the Gods that things begun to even at.
"Not going to be much longer now," Reno stated as he continued across a small bridge, a step behind Sonrei. The two hurriedly walked across the remaining tracks to be faced with yet another bridge. Sonrei shook her head quickly and stared back ahead of her.
"Damn it... This better be the last bridge." Sonrei inhaled deeply as the rope bridge swung unsteadily with their weight, but kept pushing on none-theless. She smiled once she glanced up and saw a sign that said North Corel.
"We've made it!" She exclainmed happily as she quickly walked into the village.
Tents were set up almost everywhere, making it nearly impossible to move around. Few buildings were standing, and trash was laying about the ground, and a couple of Shopkeepers were set up by the Ropeway Station. A tall man, dark skinned man approached them slowly.
***
Elena and Rude hurriedly boarded the small ship. The two hadn't slept, they had been stuck at the dock most of the day trying to find information on when the next ship was leaving. It was almost one in the morning, but they would be at Costa del Sol in about nine hours so they wouldn't be too far behind Reno.
Elena glanced over at her companion who was now rubbing his temples. "I'm going to kill the little bastard if he decided to just to go there for a vacation," Rude growled. The younger female laughed a little.
"Knowing Reno, that's probably why he did go. You said he was with a girl, right?"
"Yeah. Wonder if he's there on business?"
"He would've told us if somebody paid him for a job though, right?"
"Maybe."
The two Turks made their way toward their rooms tiredly. The sound of the ocean pounding against the ship could be heard clearly. It sounded calm, yet eery. All the passenger hurriedly opened the doors to their rooms, ready to be lulled to sleep by that very sound. Elena shook her head slowly, trying to clear it of all thoughts. She felt guilty. A part of her wished that they didn't find Reno, so they could continue searching forever for him. So Rude wouldn't leave. Elena hated being alone. She was happier when she was around people. Even if it was someone as silent as Rude, she still felt more at ease. She knew, however, it was just a matter of time before they tracked down their companion now. The female reached in her jean's pocket and quickly pulled out the key to her room.
"Goodnight, Rude!" She called out as she stepped into the small room. She heard a muffled aknowledgment and a door slam. She smiled slightly and collapsed onto her bed. She was extremely tired.
***
Reno looked at the man who was quickly approaching. It was Barret Wallace of Avalanche. He hoped he would just let them go peacefully.
"What're you doin' here?" The man gruffly asked.
"We're just passing through," Sonrei replied as she attempted to walk past him.
"What do the Turks wan' here in Corel?"
"Like the girl said, we're just passing through."
"Where are ya goin'?" Reno glanced toward Sonrei, who was gritting her teeth in anger.
"It's none of your business." Wrong answer, Sonrei.
"We're not here to cause any trouble."
"The war's over. The Turks only did what we were told. We hold no grudges," Reno added as he tried to walk past the man. Barret shook his head.
"We don't trust anybody who used ta' work for Shinra here." This was getting tiring. Reno glared back, angrily. If this bastard wanted a fight, then fine. Reno begun to reach for his nightstick. That is until he felt a hand rest on his shoulder. He turned quickly to see Sonrei, who was smiling toward Barret.
"We understand. Don't worry, we're leaving now. We'll stay at the Golden Saucer tonight, but we won't be passing through here again. And I assure you that we are not out to harm anyone. I have something I have to take care of, and I asked if Reno would accompany me. There are still many monsters roaming around afterall," The young girl said, calmly. Barret nodded and walked off, castin one final glare.
"Let's go, Reno."
The two walked toward the Ropeway Station and quickly boarded. It felt good to sit down after almost five hours of walking without rest. Sonrei glanced toward Reno who was staring out one of the windows. "See, you can handle somethings without resorting to killing."
The small cart quickly stopped, and the two quickly made their way off. Reno quickly handed the gil to the woman standing at the entrance, she handed them each one ticket. They entered and glanced around.
"Let's go ahead and get a room at the hotel," Reno said as he quickly lifted himself up into the tunnel that led to the Ghost Hotel. Sonrei followed. The two finally reached the exit.
Sonrei glanced around the small graveyard. A mansion loomed over them in the background. Sighing, the young female begun following the ex-Turk up the stairs. The two entered the small mansion where a man greeted them at the door. Reno quickly walked past him, and toward the counter where a fake man dropped in front of them, a noose tied around his neck.
"Welcome! It's five GP a night. Would you like to stay?" The man asked.
"Do you take Gil?"
"No, sir, only GP."
Reno turned slowly toward Sonrei, scratching the back of his head. "Well, let's see... Guess we can go to the Wonder square and try to win some GP or leave tonight. I say we go to the bar before making any decisions." The girl shook her head, tiredly. What else could happen today? Well, after a day like today she would've preferred going straight to sleep, but since they didn't have the GP to do that, a drink would have to do.
"Okay... I guess. Let's go," Sonrei said as she turned toward the exit again.
***
They moved quickly toward the bar that was just ahead of them. The noise of the surrounding crowds was deafening, and small children ran wildly around their parents begging for merchandise. As the two neared the bar, Reno noticed the creature known as Red XIII lying at the bar's entrance. Reno stopped in front of him.
"Hello," Nanaki greeted.
"Hey, Red XIII. What are you doing here?" Reno asked.
"I'm going back to Cosmo Canyon. I'm just waiting on Cid. Who's your friend?"
"This is Sonrei. She's paying me to take her to Nibelheim."
"Oh, Sonrei, this is Red XIII. He was one of the one's who destroyed Meteor. He's more friendly than the guy back at North Corel."
"Hello," Sonrei quietly greeted.
"Actually, we only defeated Sephiroth. Holy and the Lifestream destroyed Meteor."
"Whatever. See ya later, Red XIII," Reno said, then quickly entered the bar. He scanned the area slowly. Nothing but a few drunks sitting up in the bar, and Cid Highwind, Yuffie Kisaragi, and the owner of the Golden Saucer, Dio.
The two slowly made their way toward the table where Cid and the others sat. The older pilot glanced up as they neared. "You like'em young, eh?"
"Yuck! I don't date bow-legged old men!" the drunken Yuffie yelled.
"Shut the hell up, you little brat."
"What're you doin' here? Where's Rude and Elena?" Cid asked as he finished his drink.
"The girl behind me, Sonrei, paid be to take her to Nibelheim. Rude and Elena are still in Junon." Reno and Sonrei sat down across from the pilot and thief.
"There ain't no way in hell you're even gonna get to Cosmo Canyon without a vehicle. That's the reason I have ta' drop Red XIII and Yuffie off."
"Hm. Could you drop us off at Nibelheim?"
"No, I have too many places to go... Besides, I don't really want a Turk on the Highwind anyway. No offense."
"At least buy us a drink," Reno said flately, as he glanced around the bar once again.
"Yeah, sure."
"If you win at the Battle Arena, I'll let you have the Buggy," Dio said. Reno paused, thinking it over for a moment. He slowly nodded his head.
"Okay."
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VII, characters, place, etc. are copyrighted © by Squaresoft. Sonrei and all other original characters are copyrighted © 2001-2002 by Chiron Childress. All rights reserved.