Beginning Notes:  Well, this is a slightly altered version of my first submission of this chapter. I didn't like the way a few of the things flowed, edited small details, and added a whole scene to the end part. I think the chapter flows MUCH better now. To all my readers, thanks for popping open my story to read it. Don't mind the endless paragraphs of Disclaimers and Story warnings. It'll ONLY be in the first chapter, so no worries. Read the Summery though, if you want some kind of idea of what the story is going to be about. Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it!

Disclaimer:  I do not own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters, cities, creations, or their ideas. I do not get money or make profit from this fan fiction. This is just a fan fiction written for personal enjoyment and the enjoyment of readers.

Story Warning:  This is a Yaoi fan fiction and contains swearing and extreme violence. Yaoi means guy on guy, so if any of this offends you or you are under age please turn back now. The pairing is Reno x Cloud. If you are not offended and are above age, then please sit back and enjoy. This is rated mostly for excessive language and extreme violence. Keep a watch on the chapter warnings to know what all will be in what chapter. Enjoy!

Summary of the story:

Two years after the fall of Meteor the proud city of Midgar is being rebuilt and ShinRa restored under the careful watch of the new President Reeve. The world is once again on its feet and life is good for the common people. Most of the members of Avalanche have gone back to their homes and buried the past behind them, forgetting about Sephiroth and Meteor or the disaster two years ago to concentrate on the now and helping restore the damage done to the world. Even the Turks have found a quiet little place in the world and are happy, or most of them anyway.

But in the little town of Kalm a certain red haired Turk contemplates why he let Cloud escape from Midgar back when Hojo had tried to fire the Sister Ray, and meets a strange little girl named Isrea who she puts him on a path he hadn't intended to take. Meanwhile, Cloud has a strange dream concerning an even stranger little girl who tells of a future threat and he sets out to discover the truth of the vision... And what happens when the Lifestream takes a turn for the worst in desperation and revives a certain pair of Ex-Soldiers to throw into the mix? Both Reno and Cloud soon discover one thing.

Trouble is brewing.

A great evil is stirring in an uncharted land far to the east, with a dark purpose all its own, just waiting for the right time to strike... A new battle is about to begin for the planet and old enemies must unite or fall against this new power...

All the pieces are in place and the board has been set. Fate is ready to play its game. But one question still remains:

Can old grudges be put aside long enough to conquer this foe? Or will foolish pride destroy them all?

Inspired by: The song "May It Be"

--=Complicated Souls=--

---Written by: Isrea---

--=Chapter One=--

---Beginnings---

It was dark. But then it was always dark in the depths of his own mind. And yet he always came back to look, drawn in to his thoughts with a never ending need, a longing that ached through his heart and soul. A longing for answers to questions he had not yet asked, and questions for the answers he already had. It made no senses, and he could only perceive it as madness.

Was he going insane?

No. He had seen what insane people were like. Had felt their vengeance and wrath on countless occasions. No, he was defiantly not insane…

So what then? If he was not falling into the rapid spirals of insanity then what was claiming him? What was this nonsense that invaded his thoughts and dreams and left every moment of his life, be it awake or asleep, in silent torment? What ached within his heart and mind in emptiness? Something in the back of his mind throbbed with the answer but he could not yet see it, let alone reach it. And yet despite this lack of ability to see the answer his mind made attempts to show him anyway. His thoughts always focused on one thing by the end of these ever-constant sessions to beat out answers, on one man alone. And by the end he was as confused then as he had been when he had started, if not a bit more frustrated…

Cloud Strife.

His thoughts raced with questions again, wrapping around the invisible form of the spiky, blond haired man before his mind's eye. His handsome, almost youthful face was always hovering just out of his vision, etched in his memory as finely detailed as a portrait. Indeed the man was a sight with his golden blond hair and cerulean eyes, broad shoulders with yet a slender build, stomach, arms, legs and chest chiselled to honest-to-planet perfection. He was so strong and untouchable, a flesh and blood god with those blue eyes that could make any man cower beneath their mako glow…

Why was he thinking this idiocy? He shook himself mentally. This was not the first time and would certainly not be the last. He could not deny what he was feeling but could not explain it either and most certainly could not name it properly… Was he lusting after Strife? He had long ago realized he swung 'that way', but to lust after his enemy? After the very man he had attempted to kill on any number of occasions? The very man who had taken on the great Sephiroth and survived?

The very man he couldn't stand?

The very man he couldn't stop himself from thinking about…

The laughter of children rang out around him but he took no notice of their squeals of delight. Talk and babble of every conceivable type flittered through his ears; merchants, workers, housewives and the like going about their daily business as though they had all the time in the world, and yet not the time to trouble themselves with the thoughts of a man they all feared and hated. He was alone here, more so now than before. His comrades had left on a weeklong trip, ungraciously leaving him behind. But they would be back soon, most likely today. They were probably on their way already, he told himself again, as he had done repeatedly for the past three hours.

Time changes people, its said. And anyone who was to look at him now would definitely see a change. Time had done its work on him well. Currently he was standing in the centre of town wearing a pair of loose, faded blue jeans and a black sleeveless shirt, his red hair tied back at the nape of his neck in a much neater tail then usual. The toe of one of his black Dockers tapped lightly on the ground, his legs crossed at the ankle as he stood leaning against the wooden pillar. A lone silver hoop glinted in his ear, a recent addition to his otherwise intimidating appearance. His lean body was well toned, his arms and shoulders much more muscular then what they had been. His eyes, a deep sea green, were much more clear then they ever had been. The only real things that had really stayed the same were the twin scars beneath his eyes, planted expertly on his high cheekbones.

They had come to Kalm right after the destruction of Midgar looking for work. Of course they found little. Neo-Midgar was being built in place of old Midgar, Reeve the president of Neo-ShinRa, the now mako-free company. One night he had gotten a phone call; the owner and operator of Caith Sith had wanted them to work for the company again. He had grinned and accepted.

Reeve, although organized and well thought of, just did not have the leadership skills that Rufus ShinRa had had, or old man ShinRa had had, for that matter. It had taken quite a while to get things operational again. He did his best though and the company was back on its feet, as was the city. It had been two years since Meteor had fallen and failed and the reconstruction of the world had begun… Two long years of being hated wherever he went, scorned and his name cursed right in front of him… No one had dared do such a thing to his face when he was a Turk; at least he had not had to listen to it day in and day out back then. He would return to Midgar at the end of the week, as would his friends with him, and they would all go back to their lives as before. He would not have to endure their taunts any longer. Once the Turk badge was restored to his name people would cease to bother him. He anticipated that moment with every fibre of his being.

Except now things were different. On top of the obvious Turk related duties the Turks now worked for Reeve as his go-betweens, dealing with a lot of the day-to-day work of the restoration. They also happened to handle a bit of the peace negotiations between the newly independent country of Wutai, since Avalanche couldn't do it because of that brat Yuffie being an influence with them. Truly, it wasn't surprising though. They might have been killers but they always got the job done, no matter what it was. And this was no different a situation. Besides, the Wutainese people respected the Turks, at least as much as can be expected when dealing with ShinRa related personnel.

A sigh escaped his thin pressed lips as he pulled the white cylinder from his mouth and let it rest idly between index finger and thumb, before throwing it to the cement beneath his feet and grinding his heel into the butt. He sighed again; watching indifferently as the ashes of the cigarette gently blew away under the treatment of the cool breeze, the glowing embers fading to nothing but a distant memory on the wind. Much like himself in a way. It almost caused him to laugh at the bitter irony of the situation.

"Dark, dark blue. Sadness. And grey too, swirling within that blue. Loneliness…"

Reno Sinclair snapped out of his momentary retrieve, green eyes settling on the form of the little girl standing before him. She wore a simple dress of pink that hung down to her ankles, plain in every way, and brown leather sandals. Her rich chocolate colored hair fell just past her shoulders and she looked to be no older then that of ten or eleven. A plain girl by anyone's standards and hardly even seen when in a crowd.

But oh, those eyes!

Sparkling jade met and held his gaze, green swirling within those endless depths, alight with some kind of inner power that made them glow without the tint of mako. He was entranced, as though looking away would break the magic that those eyes held. But he did look away once memory reminded him of the softly spoken words in a tiny girlish voice that held only happiness and understanding.

"What?" he answered lamely in response.

"Your soul. Sad and lonely... I can see it." The little girl replied as though her words were the most natural thing in the world.

"My… soul?"

She only smiled.

He shook his head to clear it, having not realized that all his attention was focused on this girl until just then. "What are you talking about?"

"Why are you so sad, mister?"

Reno started at her words, unprepared for the question. He fumbled for something to say, his lips moving to form words, sputtering nonsense for a moment. Finally he gave up and said nothing. He didn't know who this girl was -he hadn't seen her in Kalm before, ever- and yet he felt relaxed in her presence. It was like just having her stand next to him was enough to make everything good in the world, make everything right. He felt like he could talk to her, trust her. It was kind of like talking to an old friend who'd been away for a really, really long time.

"Well?" she prodded.

"Why do you care?" the red head asked after a moment of silence.

The girl's happy smile dampened into a small pout and he was immediately sorry he had made her frown, her cute face drawn up in a moment of seriousness. "Just because I believe that good people, with good hearts, shouldn't be sad..."

Good people… with good hearts?

The Turk shook his head and snorted in amusement. "I think you have me mistaken for someone else sweetie, why don't you go play with the rest of the kids?"

The girl shook her head furiously, soft brown hair swaying about her shoulders as she did so. Then her gaze fixed upon him again and she spoke quietly. "Pale green… doubt. You doubt, but its okay."

His eyes widened ever so slightly, red eyebrows raising a fraction at her words. She could read him like a book! She had been doing so for the last couple minutes he realized with awe struck wonder… What was this all about? "What do you want?"

She simply smiled and said: "To know why you are sad."

Reno watched the girl silently from his perch against the wooden pillar –the same pillar that held up the water tower in the centre of town- contemplating… What did he have to lose by telling this little girl? What did he have to lose at all? It sounded crazy, he knew it did, but… "Could we… move over there?" One index finger pointed to the left where a bench was hidden well away from the crowds under a small overhang, alone and unused and set far back between the buildings. They could talk there without being overhead.

The girl nodded and grabbed a hold of Reno's hand before the man could react. She held it in a firm grip and led him over to the bench indicated, the red head moving where she led, astonishment ruling out all thought of pride for the brief time it took. They sat, the girl and the Turk, for a moment in silence on that wooden bench. Reno focused on the thinning crowd before him and fought on how to begin as the girl watched his inner struggle intently. With an unnerving feeling and a glance her way Reno got the feeling she could see his soul, could look straight into his heart and see right through his façade...

And maybe she very well could…

His emerald gaze shifted back to the crowd in front of him. "It all started two and a half years ago…-" And so it began. He didn't know why, or how, but he suddenly found himself talking –unable or unwilling to stop his own words. "-With a woman named Aeris Gainsborogh… and a man named Cloud Strife"

"Aeris… Gainsborogh, Cloud… Strife..." The girl nodded, and urged him to go on with a gesture of the hand.

"I am a very bad man, you should understand. I did a lot of mean things… lots of bad things-" he missed the girls pointed stare and soft shake of head. "-And one day I was ordered to go to this church and capture this woman named Aeris. Well, Strife was there, and-…"

And so he told his tale to the girl, each word bringing back memories he had long since buried and emotions he had long thought forgotten. The girl listened carefully to every sentence -caught every detail and understood it, and asked about it if she didn't. Gradually as they went on in their conversation he began to loosen up, began to relax more and more, and he spoke often of the good times. Of Elena and Rude, drinking together, handing out or shooting pool. Of Rufus ShinRa, his long deceased friend. And Tseng, the closest thing to a father he had ever had. And he spoke of the bad times, of the sorrows of death, the stains on his hands, his pain, his loneliness…

And she listened. She listened to all of it. And in a way that was the best feeling he had ever had. Maybe all he had ever wanted in life was for someone to just sit down and listen to him. On second thought, maybe it wasn't, but that was a feeling he would never ever forget…

"And when we met them last in the tunnels of Midgar they were on their way to defeat Hojo and deactivate the cannon to stop his plans, and we were ordered to kill them. But when the time came… when we stood across from them, ready to do battle… I… couldn't. I felt something and…  I couldn't do it. I didn't know why at the time and perhaps I still don't but I couldn't kill him then" he sighed softly. "I couldn't fight the man who called himself Cloud Strife and fought for a cause so much more noble then mine…" he bowed his red haired head. "I ordered a retreat under the false idea that I owed him one for helping save Elena. I even tricked myself into believing that for a time." The red haired Turk paused a moment and took a shaky breath, filling his lungs with calming air. "We left Midgar and I never saw him again. He disappeared to fight Sephiroth and I never found out where he went after that. I know he is alive somewhere but I don't want to see him… and yet I do. I feel something, there is no mistake about that, but I don't know what. I think its lust… I have questions that I need answers to, and I have answers that don't fit any of my questions. I don't want to talk to Elena or Rude. They might understand me, I'm sure Rude would, but… Its… frustrating." His muscles were tight and his fists clenched as he spoke, almost willing to break down in hysterics at the unfairness of it all. Something he had never, ever allowed himself the luxury of doing.

The little girl put one of her small hands on his knee and he looked over into her smiling face. Her gaze was instantly calming and he began to relax again, unsure of why he had just spilled his guts to this unknown girl. He didn't understand why he had said anything to her at all… but he was content, and he felt as though a great weight had just been lifted off his shoulders. Hell, he felt more relaxed and thought out then he had in years. Maybe just sitting down and sorting all of this out was all that he had needed? He certainly felt a bit better.

She patted his knee before removing her hand. "Deep blue, a great sorrow. Dense grey, aching loneliness. Luring violet, endless longing. Rosy pink, a vast tenderness…" she cocked her head to the side, jade eyes blinking up at him. "And something else… Something buried beneath the rest, something hidden… You have such a colourful soul…"

Reno paused only a second to search the girls eyes before asking in a whisper so low that he was amazed she heard it; "What do you see?" He wasn't even sure he knew why he had asked it.

The girl smiled softly. "Gold…"

"Gold? What-"

"Reno!"

His head turned at the sound of his name, the high-spirited woman's voice unmistakable, and his sea green eyes watched Elena and Rude come toward him from across the street in a walk that was slow and unhurried. Both wore jeans, Rude's more faded then the blonde's at his side. Rude still wore his Turk jacket over a white t-shirt, as did Elena over a black one with the words "Army Chick" scrawled across the chest in glitter. Reno had left his at home today, not wanting to be even more signalled out while his comrades had been away, but he too wore the navy jacket most of the time. Elena had her hair longer now a days, blonde locks falling down her back in a very neat ponytail. She was surprisingly pretty with long hair. Rude had, like always, a clean-shaven head. A scurry at his side brought his attention back to the girl who was on her feet and walking away even as he turned. He called out to her and she turned back to him, jade depths levelling softly with his own gaze.

"What's your name?" he asked just loud enough that she would be the only one to hear.

The girl smiled, a beaming grin crossing over her features. "Isrea! Isrea Tashada!" she cocked her head to the side, and asked in return; "What's yours?"

He let a smirk play across his lips as he answered. "Reno Sinclair."

The girl known as Isrea smiled, clapped her hands before her chest happily, then turned on her heel and darted off into the crowded sidewalk. She disappeared from his vision almost immediately.

"Who was that?" Elena asked as she came up to the bench, blue eyes darting after the already gone little girl in pink. Reno shrugged and answered with a single name, his perplexed expression evidence of his knowledge, or lack thereof.

"Isrea."

Rude shook his head and peered down at the sitting form of Reno over the top of his shades. "Not going to ask... Anyway, we've been looking for you."

The red head raised one crimson eyebrow in question at his bald friend and Elena continued, picking up Rude's sentence where he left it off -old habits die hard he guessed. "We just got back from Corel and everything is up and running again. It took a long two years but Reeve managed to pull it off with such a low budget. The town looks as good as new. The Gold Saucer is as good as ever, too. Not much changes there anyway. Anything on this end?"

Reno shrugged. "Reeve's fossil fuels and solar power energy plan is working out surprisingly well. The budgets have been lower then normal this month, though I'm assured its not serious. With the mako reactors gone its been tight but we've managed to pull through, like usual. I'll tell you about the Wutai progress later."

Rude piped up a moment later, speaking the question that was on everyone's mind now a days. "Any sign of Avalanche lately?"

Reno shook his head and, standing lazily, brushed a hand through his hair. "None. They've taken to running things behind the scenes. With all the publicity they have its not surprising. Avalanche is famous, after all. If Cloud were to suddenly show his spiky head in public-" and Reno kind of wished he would "-He'd probably be hit with a storm of fan girls before actually getting anything productive done." There was a hint of bitterness in his voice.

Cloud and his gang had lain low from the beginning of the reconstruction, opting to help from the shadows and not get to heavily involved. They wanted the people to see they could count on and trust the new Neo-ShinRa Inc, rather then rely on the heroes who had saved them all from Sephiroth and Meteor. Or so the Turks had been told.

A sly grin then passed over his features as the conversation took on a lighter note, his nose crinkling in the ever-familiar way. His eyes flashed with a teasing glint and he rubbed his hands together expectantly.

"So, what did you bring me?" and he reached for the previously unnoticed bag on Elena's arm.

"I'm not telling!" teased the blonde, clutching the bag to her chest and taking a step back from the advancing Turk. She swatted his hand away and grinned, taking yet another step back until she was out of the small closed in alley.

"Aw, common 'Lena!" the red head made another attempt for the bag and she gasped and tried to dodge again. This time, it wasn't too successful and he managing to snag one of its handles with his fingers. With a triumphant cry he tugged, but she refused to let go, holding on to the bag as though her life depended on it.

" 'Leggo, Reno!!" she half laughed out, swinging her whole body around until the red head came with her, stumbling at the sudden and unexpected movement. She took this opportunity to swat his hand again, this time a lot harder, and cracked his knuckles with a good one.

With a "yeowch!" from Reno and a giggle from Elena she tore off down the street with his 'present' in hand. Rude looked on, more than amused at the two's behaviour and contemplating joining the fun. But then, just sitting back and watching was enough to make him grin ear to ear already.

"That hurt Elena! When we get home your sooooo paying for that!"

Reno caught up with her a couple streets from the small house they owned and chased her for a while, Elena still booking it down the street as fast as her legs could carry her, laughing at him all the way. She was admittedly faster then Reno was and managed to stay out of arms reach the entire time. The 'present' remained clutched to her chest the entire time.

Again Rude watched on from behind them, letting out a chuckle as Reno chased the only female Turk down the street. The crowd had thinned enough that they had a clear pathway, but he still couldn't catch her. The red head's next shout nearly caused the bald Turk to burst out laughing in the middle of the street.

"Why do I only have trouble with blondes!"

---To Be Continued---

Author's Notes:

1. Well, I was inspired to write this story after hearing the song "May it be" for about the tenth time one night, got a few ideas and was considering a plot when I said to myself, "Well, there aren't many Reno x Cloud fics out there that are any good, so I'd better get writing!" and well, this whole story line popped outta my head immediately, so I figured "Why not" and got down to it. I hope you all liked the first chapter; the next will develop the plot a bit, though not by much I think. I hope you are all patient with me through the first couple of chapters, I'm relatively new at this! ^_^;;

2. But other then that, that turned out better then I expected. I'm actually pretty proud of that chapter, considering my normal writing, though it was kind of long… but not THAT long... I'm honestly not sure how long my other chapters will be, longer or shorter depends on my mood I guess, and how motivated I am.  So send me emails guys and gals! ^_^

3.  Comments/suggestions and hate mail can be sent to AdinaWolf_X@hotmail.com I would like to hear from my readers about what they think so send those emails everyone! Please no flaming though. I did my best!  ^_^;;

4. And for those who don't know: "May It Be" is a Lord of the Rings song played in the credits of the first movie, and I think it is available on the sound track. (I'm not sure though.) It's a beautiful song sung by a woman, telling about hope in the darkness. It's very nice. I recommend buying the sound track.