Reno: Forced Relations and Strange Sensations.


The nearest place to us was Kalm. We could make it just outside there, use the woods to travel and get over the mountain range on foot. I was sure that Seph hadn't thought any of this out. To be honest I was a bit miffed at letting myself be ordered around by him. With all this shit I was going through, I was damned if I was going to be a patsy again.

This chopper's full tank didn't have the amount of fuel I would have liked it to have (landing on the sea side of Kalm would have been best), but the woods to the east were all I could get.

I landed the chopper without much problem, in a clearing surrounded by woods. We could use it as a tent if weather didn't permit sleeping outside. I killed the engine, lighting a cigarette and rubbing at the side of my ear. Damn Se, he had to take everything so personally. I laughed a bit to myself, but the sound carried now that the engine was off.

"What Reno?" Seph snapped. Whoa, big guy was pissed off. I swear, he should have been thanking me.

"You don't think Se's a good actor?" I asked, hopping from the chopper.

Seph smirked, earning a look of pure shock from Aerith, who was still cowering behind him. "You didn't need to flip him off."

"I was flipping off Rufus." I responded, pulling a knapsack out of the chopper. Aerith almost fell backwards, I swear, loose your mag rod in someone's ribcage and kill one pesky person or two with a surgical tool, then with your boot, and everyone labels you a homicidal case.

The big cat jumped down, looking around. He seemed at least to understand things, pulling a pack out as well. "Where is this going?" He asked me.

I pulled out my materia and walked around the clearing. "Just around the edges, we should be safe for the night." He nodded, then began to do just as I asked him. I liked this cat.

"Seph, uhm, love, can I talk to you? Alone?" I could feel Aerith's scared green eyes on me. This would be quite a trip I could already tell.

The two love birds took off, and I helped the cat, while Aerith called him Red, he told me his name was Nanaki. We found a few logs worthy of sitting on and made a fire. He watched me cautiously, while I looked over my shirt and tie. I began to walk back to the chopper to see if any of my old clothes were still in it. Then he spoke at last.

"You frighten her," he said quietly. I didn't need to ask who he meant.

"I know I do, but there really isn't anything to be done about it." I responded, fishing out an old tee shirt. Further inspection of the space I had stored clothing revealed that I had a hoodie in there as well, but no clean pants.

"You kept your word." His one eye gazed steadily at me, measuring. "You came back to help us. I don't think you're as bad as she thinks."

"I- ah, thanks…" I blinked at him, rolling out the hooded sweatshirt. I threw both my tie and dress shirt into the craft with a growl. I promised myself I would never wear a tie again, I haven't, just in case you were wondering. I slid into the tee- shirt, when I flipped the hoodie over to put it on, my copy of Candide flopped onto the dirt. I could have cheered, I was worried I would be bored to death.

Nanaki's eye widened. "You read Voltaire?"

I laughed then, figured that the cat would be well read, he certainly sounded like he was. "Yeah, I liked Tartuffe better then Candide though, and Borges is always going to be my favorite writer." I stopped myself from ranting, the cat's face was far more expressive then I would have thought.

A slow smile spread across his face. "You are...not quite what I thought. I believe we will have a lot to talk about." He yawned, showing huge pointed teeth, and settled down. "You should talk to Aerith. She is afraid now, but she's in shock. She's really very nice, you know."

I scooped up the book and walked with him back to the fire. "Yeah, I know she is. I, however am not exactly the right person to connect with someone like her. I understand she's afraid, but what else was I supposed to do?"

He shrugged. "I don't see why you can't connect with her. All you need to do is talk." He lashed his tail once, twice, then curled it around his paws. "She's taking a long time with General Sephiroth."

I returned the shrug. "He was worried about her." I tried and failed to run a hand through my hair. "Damnit…" The blood was literally caked to me. I know I looked like a mess. Back at Seph's I had barely had the time to push any excess Mako from my wound and wrap that up. My hair and clothing were not an issue then. Now, however, I did have time. I pushed the book at Nanaki. "I'm going to clean up a bit, there's a stream north of here."

The cat flipped a page with his nose. For not having hands, he had amazing control. "Be careful, Reno." I fished for another smoke without responding to him and walked into the clearing.

I hadn't wanted to, honestly, I didn't mean to. But I overheard Seph and his flower girl. Her voice was strained, can't say I blame her. I was going to put it off and go to the stream, but then I heard my name mentioned.

"I don't like it, Seph," she was saying. Were they actually arguing? There was a novelty. "He's a killer."

He frowned, rubbing the back of his neck. "He's not a killer, Rith." He started. Sephiroth was defending me? Oh this was good.

She fixed him with an incredulous glare. "Not a killer?" she began loudly, then hushed herself. "Not a killer? What about those scientists? How do you explain them?"

"He was scared Rith, you don't understand," he tried again. Wow, and here I thought he really always hated me. Damn did I feel loved. And itchy in my scalp where the blood had dried. More so itchy then loved...

"And the President?" She dropped his hand and paced a few steps away, then a few steps back. "Listen, Seph, he may be your friend. But he enjoyed killing those men. He quite obviously enjoyed killing the President" she looked a little green at the memory. "How can you think he's stable? I'll admit it, I'm afraid. I don't like this!"

Stable? Well no, I wasn't. But hell, you look at the man that had previously ordered you to kill a wheelchair bound man and his two kids and NOT want him dead, in a pool of his own blood, with piranhas eating his insides. I kept my mouth shut. At least leaving the group wouldn't be hard. I debated walking away right then.

"Aerith, I know, I know he did, but you don't understand what kind of person ShinRa was." He raked a hand through his hair reminding me of my inability to do so. "And what other choice did he have with the scientists? They would have called Hojo right then and there."

She looked away, blinking like she was about to cry. She didn't have an answer for that. "I don't know," she said, much softer than her earlier words, "I don't know. I'm so scared, Seph."

He then walked over to her, ala cheesy romance novel and wrapped his arms around her. Thankfully, Seph wasn't one for purple prose. "Aerith, it is going to be okay. I promise, I won't let anyone hurt you. I promise."

She leaned back against him. They were like some greeting-card couple, I swear. Whatever else he said made her relax, just a little. At least I knew where I stood with her. Before I moved away, I heard her speak again. "I will try. I don't like it, but I'll try. I trust you, Seph."

I rolled my eyes and made my way to the stream. As far as I was concerned, they had nothing to worry about, I was going to be gone as soon as possible. ShinRa wouldn't be on our heels for days. And that in and of itself was going to be a massive cover up. After all, the two men who tore the whole place apart were supposed to be dead.

Zax Valence and the newest wonder boy in ShinRa, Cloud Strife. Both thought dead at Neibelheim. Neither one dead at all. Zax, while a nice enough guy, had a bad habit with younger people, both male and female. Also, it didn't take a rocket scientist to tell he was very bitter about Seph usurping his position. Of course, Seph wasn't your average rocket scientist. I had about 6500 gil that said Seph had no idea the dark haired man harbored any ill will.

And then there was Cloud. I had trained with the guy myself for a while. He was quiet, very good with a sword, fairly boring. That is if you leave out his supposed trysts with Zax. Regardless of how the two felt about each other, they dismantled that base. When I met Cloud's eyes, there was no recognition. He was in another world. I shuddered involuntarily. They were remarkable. I hoped to never see them again.

I removed my shirt and the rest of my clothing and sat them on the bank. Testing the water with my foot first I drew it back with a growl. The water was cold, despite spring starting to make way in the area. A quick jump into the water made me feel a little better, at least it broke up some of the blood in my hair. I couldn't manage to stay in long enough to get rid of it all, and my arm positively throbbed.

Getting out of the water I examined the spot the needle went into my arm. There was a deep purple and black bruise, outlining the place it had been inserted. Another shiver raked me and I put my clothes back on. Sitting on the rock, rubbing my arm, I looked back to the clearing. I knew I should have walked away. But looking behind me into the woods and most certain nothingness, I felt very small. Getting up I limped my way back to the camp. All I knew right then was I was sore, tired, and I really didn't want to be alone.

The others all stopped speaking and stared at me when I got back to the fire. It felt good to be warm. However, looking at the three of them, I felt like an intruder. "Where were you for so long?" Seph growled at me.

I just glared at him, eyes narrowing. I then stood up and shifted through the supplies. I was being anti social I know, but I didn't give three whoops in hell about that. "Someone needs to go to the 24 hour store in Kalm." I started, ignoring his pervious question. "We don't have any ammo, sleeping bags, or enough food for all of us." He had packed for two, three tops, the idiot. Of course, it was the flower girl, and she caused Seph's brain to go bu-byes.

Seph blinked at me like I was speaking in tongues.

"But won't they recognize you?" Aerith spoke up, surprising me. She still stood half-behind Seph. But hell, it was better then her previous insistence that I was an insane killer.

"The cops would be on me before I got three feet in the town line." I responded. "Seph, however, won't be that easy to spot. There are all those people that dress up like him anyway."

Nanaki laughed. "Yes, you could just be a cosplayer." I smiled back at him, it was nice that irony wasn't lost on all of us.

Oh, I didn't mention that yet? People around here are strange sometimes let me tell you. It's very common place to have people dress up like or emulate their favorite celebrity. Seph was one of the more famous people around, meaning cosplayers abounded. Hell, I bumped into at least three of him a day. I couldn't imagine what that would be like. At least I didn't have to ever worry about things like that. No one idolized Turks.

He pulled out a hooded coat from his pack. "Right. Just what I need, to parade around like someone parading around like me."

Sometimes, he has moments of brilliance that he makes without notice. I laughed at what he said, earning a look. "You have no idea how interesting that sentence was do you?" I questioned, earning a smile from Nanaki.

"Just stay here and keep an eye on Aerith." He snapped. "No running off, no leaving this spot. Understood?"

Again my eyes narrowed. When would he get with the program and learn that we were out of ShinRa and if he wanted something done he would have to ask nicely?

Nanaki broke the tension, offering to go with Sephiroth. Seph nodded to the cat, and wrapped Aerith up in another hug. He ignored me rolling my eyes, I know that he saw me. "Are you going to be alright love?"

She looked a little panicky, but calmed down after he hugged her. "II'll be ok. Just...hurry back?" She couldn't disguise her fear.

I shook my head and scooped up the book, saving Nanaki's place. What did she think? That I was going to rape her and then eat her heart out while damning all twelve gods and demons to whatever hell I made up? I had risked my ass to help them. And so far, lets count the thank yous… yup, zero.

She started wandering around the camp, inspecting flowers, the trees, and other near dawn life forms. Then she started moving away from the clearing. "Hey." I called to Aerith, trying to keep my voice more cordial then I felt.

She jumped at the sound of my voice, clutching her hand to her heart. "Y-yes?"

I stood up, sitting the book down. "Just be careful. We didn't check the place out very well, and trappers like to leave things behind out here." I sighed, I didn't want Aerith to be afraid of me, but I wasn't going to be saying I was sorry when I wasn't.

"Trappers?" she looked genuinely confused. "What kinds of things would they leave?"

I blinked at her, remembering she was from Midgar, and odds are, Aerith wasn't into the old nature person books I had read. I walked over to her, and then motioned for her to follow me. "You know, game traps and things like that, the hunters leave them over night. Getting your leg caught in one of those is bad news."

Her fear seemed to be put on the back burner after hearing that information. "What about the animals who get caught? Doesn't it hurt them?"

Frowning I nodded. "They die, but it's a way of life out here, people gotta eat." Once on the game trail it didn't take me very long to find one, Tseng had showed me a few the first time I was in the woods. I didn't forget steel trap doors with teeth very easily. "Here," I pushed her back, picking up a larger stick and pressed against the metal plate. The trap snapped up loudly, waking some birds who, by all rights, should have been up already. I mean the sun was rising, they needed to get with the program. I then looked at Aerith, holding up the now broken stick. "See, you have to watch out, that could have been your foot."

She looked horrified. "But...the animals...that's awful!" She was on the verge of tears…again. At least my message got through to her; she got a lot more careful of where she put her feet after that.

Well, fuck, I hadn't wanted to make Aerith cry, only make her be more careful. Tossing the stick on the ground we looked at each other, I wanted to say something, but damn me if I am not a nice guy at all. At last an idea came to me. If it hit me hard the first time I saw one, a sunrise would floor Aerith. "Come here, I wanna show you something a bit nicer then that."

Her expression was skeptical, but she followed me. "What is it?"

There was a hill, back where I had jumped in the stream, I lead her on top of it and pointed east. "Look there, trust me." I pointed to where the sky was starting to lighten, purple melting into pinks from the dark sky.

She gasped at the sight, and the best part hadn't even happened yet. "What is this?" she whispered, eyes fixed on the changing colors.

"Sunrise," I responded, with no little feeling of satisfaction. The sky seemed to realize that it was being watched that morning, it really put on a show. Gold melted into the horizon line, followed by the light of the sun. It chased up the clearing, bathing everything in new light. "It happens every day." I said simply.

Wouldn't you know it, she started crying anyway. After I tried to show her something she'd like, too. She seemed to realize what I was thinking, though, and she turned to me. "I just... this is- you say it happens every day? Just like this?"

"Hey, ah, I," This is all I needed, Seph would ream me one, and I was too sore to handle that. "Yeah. Every day, sometimes the colors are different, sometimes its raining, sometimes, well, sometimes its all red." I looked at the grass. "I just remembered how I felt the first time I saw one..."

"How can they do it?" she asked, not really directing the question to anyone. "How can they hide this? I never knew...I never saw anything like this." She began to sound angry. "How can ShinRa hide the sky?"

For the first time, it seemed, Aerith and I understood each other. "I don't know how ShinRa did a lot of things," I hissed. It was a luxury to be able to actually say that out loud, though from the venom in my voice, one wouldn't have known it.

Her thin hands clenched into fists. "They are wrong. I always knew but I never understood until now. People live their whole lives under the Plate, and they don't have to! Look at this!" She gestured widely, taking in the whole forest, the whole meadow. "It's green and alive! The air is pure! What do they gain by keeping all those people in Midgar?"

That I did have the answer to. "Money, power, fear." I looked away from her. I knew how she felt, but I lacked her passion. I knew Midgar, I was a product of it. Despite the fact that we felt the same way, I knew how it worked. More then that, I had excepted it. "They got whatever they wanted, Aerith." I responded. "People, we weren't people to them."

She looked back out at the sunrise like she still didn't quite believe what she saw. "We could stop them," she murmured.

What did she just say? I blinked at her. "What?" I would have laughed, but she was serious. "You and what army?" She spun at me, eyes wide again. "Aerith, I don't mean to sound like an ass here, but listen to yourself. ShinRa is a super power. They get their way or else. You really can't be serious, can you?"

She raised her chin, still watching the sun. "We have Sephiroth. Red has friends. We could build an army. You took down the President all on your own." A sly glance came my way from the corner of her eyes. "The Turks aren't loyal to ShinRa. We could go to Wutai"

"No." I responded as soon as she mentioned Se and Rude. "No way, no way in hell I am going to make them risk Hojo for some dream." Gods, did she hear herself? "I removed the President yes," I continued, then I raised my arms in a shrug. "'The king is dead, long live the king' Rufus is there to take his place. And Wutai? If I were Seph I would want to stay far away from there." I turned to head back to camp. "Please Aerith, I know how you feel, but think about what you are saying."

"I am thinking. I mean it, Reno. We could do it. Sephiroth knows all the weaknesses of the company he's just never exploited them. You and Se know whatever Seph doesn't. If we could get him to go to Wutai, maybe no one would expect it!" She practically bounced, she was so excited. "There has to be a way to do it. All those peopleReno, you were one of them once, you said so yourself. I was one until just now. Imagine if you'd had this to grow up in, instead of the slums?"

She had to go there, didn't she? She had to go there. I looked down, still with my back to her. "But I did grow up in those slums Aerith. You said it yourself, you pegged me right away. I'm no hero. None of the Turks are, as nice as Se has always been to you. And neither he nor Seph would be wise to go to Wutai…" Was she forgetting that Tseng was branded a traitor? Did she forget that Seph single handedly leveled the royal house of Wutai?

"There has to be a way." She really believed it, I could tell. Did Seph know she was like this? "There has to." We stood there, me looking backwards and her looking at the sunrise. Just as I was about to go back to camp she spoke up again. "Reno?"

I took a breath before looking over my shoulder to her. "Yes?"

"I'm sorry about what I said earlier." I could hear her playing with her dress a bit, trying to word herself properly. "I didn't even thank you for helping us back there...so thank you. You didn't have to come back, but you did."

I blinked at her, totally taken off guard. Someone actually thanked me? And the girl that basically hated me less then an hour ago? I needed to lay down. "Don't mention it, I did promise ya, and I don't break promises." I responded, feeling extremely awkward. "Let's go back to the camp, Seph will think I have run off with you or something equally demented." Him and I had a great deal to talk about, when we got back to camp. Primarily getting this stupid idea out of his girl's head.

She laughed. She really laughed. Maybe she was nuts, or maybe she was just naive. Either way, it felt a little better to have one less burden to worry about. Now if only she would stop talking like a revolutionary, I thought we may even make it out of that mess alive. Regardless, I wasn't interested in helping her, not at that moment.

Together we walked down the hill where Seph and Nanaki were waiting. True to my prediction, the general looked at me as though I was trying to take his woman. "What were you doing?" He snapped at me. I scowled, both of us knew that if I wanted Aerith, I would have killed him by now. Ignoring him yet again, I walked to the chopper to plug in my mag rod and check my clips.

I heard him draw breath to speak, but then Aerith leapt into his arms. "Seph! I saw a sunrise!" I looked over my shoulder, enjoying yet again, the confused Sephiroth expression. I should take a picture of that and sell it as a cheer me up. Worked wonders let me tell you. "Reno showed me!" She chirped, "I never knew anything like that could happen, Seph. Do you ever look at them?"

Even with my back turned, I could feel his eyes on me. He was being ridiculous, really he was. There were more important things to do then make up an excuse to fight. I returned to the camp, watching Seph divvy out some food. "Any news on things?" He blinked at me again. "You know, ShinRa?" I snapped.

I could almost hear him growl at my tone. "Well, it appears that you are now public enemy number one. Stealing a helicopter, two prize specimens, killing two high end scientists, and the President. Good job there."

Oooo sarcasm. I was so bitten. See how good I am at it too? I held out my hand for something to eat, receiving an apple and a sandwich. I sat down next to Nanaki, crossing my legs and leaning my back on a log. "I figured that much. No word on you or the intruders on the stairway?"

Taking a bite, Seph laughed. "Oh, there's word on me. I, in a flurry of bravery and call to defend the honor and position of ShinRa, have vowed to hunt you to the ends of the earth and not return without your head... or something to that effect, Rufus babbled on forever."

For the first time, Seph and I laughed together. It was also the first time I didn't feel like an outsider around this group. "That means, Se and Rude are the lucky two huh?"

Seph nodded. "Takes a load off my mind I am sure. I would hate to have that general come here and tear things up."

Again I laughed. Sephiroth had humor! Call the press, the paper, and the national guard. "What about the intruders?"

Seph shrugged. "Not a damn word. Oh, you apparently let off a few bombs too, on your way to kill the president. You're quite the terrorist."

I gritted my teeth, well aware that there was a pretty hefty price on my head. I was, however, not thinking about how much Rufus would be able to pin on me. "Then, Seph, I think you and I have a problem."

He blinked at me. "What do you mean?"

"On the stairs, looking for the labs, the intruders were Zax and Cloud." At his blank look, I filled in, "blond kid, about my age, can actually lift an ultima weapon and use it-"

"I know who you are talking about!" He snapped. "Reno, that's impossible."

"We never found their bodies in Neibelheim." I responded.

"They. Are. Dead." Seph ground out. "We didn't find a lot of people."

I was sore, tired, the food hit my stomach with little appeasement. I was done with talking to this sliver haired brick wall. "Look, why the fuck even ask me then? I mean shit, you've made it quite fucking clear I am unwelcome, don't you worry, I don't plan on traipsing around with you any more then I have to." Tossing part of the paper from the sandwich into the fire I stretched and winced. "So lay off." I got out a bedroll and flopped it out.

"Reno-" Seph started, but Aerith put her hand on his arm.

"But Reno, what about what we talked about? What about stopping ShinRa? What about stopping Zax and Cloud?" Well she believed me at least.

Kneeling to look at her from the bedroll, I shook my head. "I thought I made myself clear, Aerith. No way in hell, heaven or anywhere in between am I going to do that hero stuff. Goes against my character."

She looked at Seph for support. "But, but this isn't right! They have to be stopped."

"Good luck with that." I responded as I started to lay down. "I'm out of here in the morning."

She shook her head. "No, no, Reno, we are so close to Midgar, what if they catch you and take you back to Hojo?"

I sat back up, cocking an eyebrow at her. Seph was as shocked as I was it seemed. "That, I can assure you will happen over my dead body."

"Please, just, stay with us till we get over the mountain then? At least hear us out when we plan things?"

I flopped on my back, "I'll sleep on it." I muttered at her.

I was already half asleep when I heard her say thank you.