Disclaimer

Don't own, no money… *breaks out crying* Well, anyway… I can make them do whatever I  want!!! Mwahahahahaha!!! Now be ready for some monster bashing… And weird things. Yaoi material, fluffy, fluffy, fluffy… Enjoy!

Htress

htress@jenovaproject.com

Return from Wutai

Wutai. In the middle of rocky mountains many figures were searching for the entrance of a secret bunker. Monsters were roaming in the area, unlike the sites they'd visited before. Cloud, Barret and Cid marched at the front while Vincent, Rude and Nanaki followed behind. They had left Yuffie with the Highwind in the green fields. Gradually, as they were approaching their goal, many beasts attacked them.

- I don't even want to think about what it will be when we are going to enter this damn lab, Cloud said, Okay, here we are. Vincent, you Rude and Nanaki are going directly to Tseng. You must free him in a minimum of time while we will cover you. Now, let's mosey!

Cid and Barret groaned and shook their heads.

******

Reno found himself embraced in a woman's arms. She was rocking him gently, humming a soft lullaby. The redhead relaxed and let the soothing green wash away his fear and guilt. The girl passed a smooth hand into his hair.

- Do you see, Reno?

- Mmm?

- You shouldn't be so hard on yourself, Reno, the girl said, it was meant to happen. What you did was indeed a mistake, but somehow the Planet needed this energy, if this hadn't happened… something else should have… For I died to save the Planet and soothe it's suffering hearts…

- Who are you?

- I am the Cetra of Peace…

- Aerith?

A light chuckle rang through his ears and Reno sagged a little more into Aerith's lap.

- Close your eyes and make peace with yourself… Don't ever forget, everything happens for a reason, Reno of the Turks…

As he closed his eyes he felt himself being lay down on something comfortable, in a haze of cozy warmth. He was back in reality. A masculine voice were calling him and although his eyelids were closed, a tear slid down his cheek.

- Reno? Are you back?

And for the first time since the sector 7 incident, Reno cried.

******

- Hurry up! We won't be able to stand if they keep coming at us like that!

Nanaki and Vincent were trying to find out the code unlocking the Mako tank. They had tried everything, MAKO, JENOVA, SEPHIROTH, HOJO (hey, maybe the man wasn't creative), LUCRECIA… well, everything. Rude was waiting near the tank, trying to break it, but it was in vain. The man inside floated within a green substance, connected to so much tubes you couldn't count them. Then Nanaki had an idea.

- Try revival!

Vincent taped.

- Won't work…

The ex-Turk thought for a moment and taped another word. REBIRTH. The computer screen displayed the vital signs of the specimen and the different options available. Vincent emptied the tank, disabled the mechanic restrains and finally unlocked the door. Rude stepped in and tear off all the electrode wires and undid the oxygen mask that were keeping Tseng from moving and took him out. For the second time, Vincent lend out his cape to cover a naked man. Rude scooped Tseng in his arms while Nanaki was alerting the other they were done.

- Okay! Barret and Vincent! You go with Rude and protect him and Tseng! Nanaki, Cid, we must not let those bastard follow them!

Vincent adjusted the Death Penalty while Barret raised his gun-arm. They fired a passage between the tentacle monsters and vicious snakes that lurked nearby and made their way outside. Inside the bunker, the three fighters reached their limits.

- Highwind!

- Cosmo Memory!

- Omnislash!

Still, many monsters were not defeated, but the breach was large enough for them to make their escape. They ran to the Highwind, where Yuffie and the others quickly helped them to hop aboard, leaving the area of the bunker the fastest they could. Cid promptly collapsed near the commands and slept the ride off. On the other hand, Cloud felt his motion sickness wanting to come out… in a very near future. It intrigued him, because he never have been so queasy on the Highwind. He paced along the ship, trying to get his mind occupied. But the feeling didn't want to fade.

- Yo kid, ya're okay? Ya're as green as the brat…

Barret haven't had the time to finish. Cloud just ran to the nearby bathroom, almost knocking out Vincent on the way. He burst into the cabin were Rude, Nanaki and Tseng were and shut the bathroom door closed behind him. Tseng bolted up on his bed.

- Who was that? He asked

- You didn't see him?

- Rude, I can't /see/ anymore…

******

- Boring… Stupid… Boooooooring… News… Gaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwd!!! I'm boooooooooooooored!, Reno whined.

- I told you there were nothing good on TV this afternoon…

- So what? I wanted to check myself!

Just when Sephiroth was about to answer that one, a big shadow hovered above the house. The two of them watched as the Highwind landed in the fields. Reno ran to the door but Sephiroth stopped him.

- If you go out with nothing else than your pants, you are going to catch a cold…

- But Tseng…

- They will bring him here… don't worry.

And indeed few minutes later Cloud, Rude and Vincent arrived. Well the two Turks entered but Cloud tripped on the doorway and fell flat on his belly. Vincent crouched down and helped the shaky, green and unsteady blond on his feet. Rude had to deal with a very excited Reno while Sephiroth was rushing Cloud to the bathroom, muttering something about still having his combat gear on.

- Reno… calm down, he'll be there in a minute… But you must know something about…

- He'll be there? He'll be there!!! YES! Thanks, Rude! I'm happy, happy, happy!!!!

Excited… Scratch that. Rude was dealing with an hyperactive Reno. He didn't have to wait longer as the door opened on his former boss. The Wutaian was lead by Nanaki who was guiding him thanks to a leash that Yuffie had been kind enough to make. Reno didn't notice and threw himself on Tseng, hugging him tightly.

- Tseng! You… you missed me…

- R-Reno?!? Reno, is that you?

He lifted his hands and passed them into his hair, on his face, touching the twin scars under the eyes…

- It's really you, Reno?

The red head eye's widened as he waved a hand before his lover's face… And he realized… that Tseng was blind. The bathroom door opened and Sephiroth got out cradling Cloud in his arms, his face covered by a damp washcloth.

- Set him on the couch, I'm pretty sure some rest will be useful to him., he said to Reno.

- You… I-I know you…

The silver-haired man bit his lower lip, expecting an outburst of rage or a streak of insults.

- Sephiroth… Hojo… blinded him… Reno answered to the puzzled expression of his host.

- Sephiroth…?, Tseng whispered

Reno gestured to the tall man to go. Sephiroth climbed the stairs and disappeared in his bedroom. Tseng had begun to shake and his face had turned pale a little.

- Tseng… Leave that for later… Come with me. You're tired., Reno lead him toward the living room, Here, all the way down…

Reno lay Tseng on the couch and covered him with his wool blanket. The Wutaian tried to argue but were silenced quickly wit a soft kiss and a simple order: 'sleep'.

******

The briefing started after diner, and everybody agreed on the fact that if Hojo was to find JENOVA cells, the difficulty of finding a host will be considerably lowered. They spotted few possible site where such cells could still exist: Nibelheim Mako reactor, Midgar and the Northern Crater.

- I'm going back to Midgar, Rude said

- And I'm going with you!, added Barret, I will be able to see Marlene at Kalm after that!

Sephiroth stood up and asked who wanted to go to the Northern Crater and Nibelheim. Nanaki and Cid volunteered to go north with Sephiroth, leaving Vincent, Cloud and Yuffie to go to Nibelheim. They decided to leave Reno with Tseng. With this, Sephiroth excused himself and went straight to bed, from where Cloud hadn't moved since he'd came back. Cid did the same, muttering something about a bloody headache.

- Anybody wants to play a poker game?

Quickly teams were formed and everybody gathered around the table to see if Barret and Vincent could beat the unbeatable Turks.

End

Author's notes

Tseng is alive… but he's blind. It's too bad, but everybody knew that Hojo was a bastard. Now we are going after him! The 1,000,000 gils question is: Who will find Hojo? And a last thing : Thanks to all of my reviewers!!! I LOVE YOU ALL! AND THE 25TH REVIEWER WILL HAVE THE PRIVILEGE TO ASK ME TO WRITE A FIC FOR HIM! (FF7, though, I never played the other games… sigh…) Next chapter: Nursing break!