--An Unexpected Visitor—

The Shinra wedding was supposidly a grand event, it was even televised. I didn't watch it though. It was just too strange. Rufus Shinra kissing a girl…who he cared about instead of kicking her to the ground. The whole time I sat there remembering what I had heard him say at the funeral.. "I shouldn't have made you and Reno go out looking for Tseng. He came back right after you left…I was such a hardass on you guys" It was so awkward, I hadn't noticed it then, but Paige had made a change in him, perhaps if we had only stayed a little while longer things would have been different for all of us. But we had left and things were different still, a lot different.

I sat in front of the television the night that Rufus's son was born. Yukio Shinra they called him. Reno sat quietly in the back of the room, I wasn't really sure anymore about what was going on with him. He had gotten really quiet over the past month, he hardly said a word to me…or even the customers. It was strange. He spent a lot of his time in the yard staring out into the sky. Numerous times I asked him if things were fine…and he would always reply the same thing. "It's all great, we have everything we wanted…" But I knew that wasn't true, he was upset about something, there was something he wanted but didn't have. I could never really figure that one out.

On the night that Yukio Shinra was born there was another news

The city of Wutai that had just began their process of rebuilding was on fire, but not from machines, or workers…but a flame that came from one man. Yazoo Jenova had attacked Wutai, killing many of the inhabitants including Miss Yuffie Kisaragi.

I turned around looking to Reno, who was no longer sitting behind me. I looked around the room. I guess he was tired of hearing the news. I took a deep breath and sighed as they flashed the picture of Yazoo across the screen. The entire world was once again in peril as the return of evil spread quickly from city to city. I knew he would come here for us, he knew who I was…and had even said he wanted me on his side. I was ready, Reno and I would fight him to the death. We were never going to give into a Sephiroth clone!

I got up and walked into the next room, where Reno sat at the table looking out the window.

"He's coming for us all…and I don't know how we can stop him." Reno said still staring out the window.

I didn't really know what to say. I didn't know how to stop him either. Cloud Strife had killed Sephiroth, but was this fight to be any different? I sat down across from Reno.

"Perhaps…with this alliance between Esthar and Shin-Ra…they can defeat Yazoo." I said trying to assure not only him, but also myself.

He nodded slightly. "I just don't understand it, everyone knew that he was back…Rufus, President Loire…SeeD Leonheart. They all knew the clone had come, and that the black materia had been stolen from Cloud Strife. Supossedly that SeeD Kinneas that we saw in the bar before we left Junon…he found Cloud knocked out in an allyway…the black materia gone." Reno said still staring intently out the window.

I listened closely, I had heard only minor details about Yazoo before we left, and I wasn't briefed much on the stolen materia. I looked over to him. "Reno…we can stop him...Sephiroth was stopped and he was much more powerful than this Yazoo." I said slowly.

Reno shook his head. "No…now he is strong, very strong…and some of it…is because of you."

A shocked look crossed my face, I couldn't believe Reno had just said that. I looked to the ground. "I didn't think it would make him stronger…really…I didn't think at all I guess." I said trying to compensate for my mistake.

"Shut up with the sorry Elena, I don't want to hear it." Reno's voice was tense and cruel as he spoke. "I am sure that Shin-Ra will find some way to take care of this problem." Reno rose from his chair and looked back to me. "I'm going to sleep…I will not open the shop tomorrow. Good Night." He slowly walked away to his room.

I watched him walk away. Things had become different between us. We still played our parts as brother and sister, but it was now more than only around other people. Reno had gotten cold and callous around me. We never spoke about that night on the train, I guess it was like I said…"Maybe….we could just forget it ever happened."

But I could never really forget…I thought about it a lot actually. Sometimes I'd even catch myself smiling at him when he wasn't looking. I hated to admit it…but I was falling hard…or wait…I had already fallen for Reno Hikaru. But of course, I was now his "sister" and that was how we had to act. So that is what I did, I treated him like I would have treated a brother…but he was different now. I couldn't figure it out, I didn't know what I had said or done…but something had changed with Reno.

A few weeks later I had began to sleep in, we weren't opening the shop much, so I saw no need to get up. However a sudden knock on the apartment door made me jump. Sleepily I made my way across the apartment to the door, I looked around a moment wondering if the knock had woke up Reno. Shrugging I opened the door revealing an unexpected vistor on the other side.

"Darius?" I said quickly recognizing Darius Noire, our neighbor.

Daruis smiled and bowed a little. "Yes, I thought I would stop by…I wanted you to meet someone." He said.

"Oh? I said as he slowly moved out of the way of the person behind him.

Standing behind him was a small woman with long brown eyes and large brown eyes holding a small child in her arms.

"Rini, I want you to meet my sister Paige..."

I stared at Paige a moment shocked to see her on my doorstep. "Oh! Come in…" I said bowing and moving out of the way. The slowly came in and took a seat on the couch. I sat down across from them and smiled sweetly at Paige.

"Yes, my sister was in town visiting me…and I thought that you would like to meet her." Darius said smiling. "And this little thing…is my new nephew Yukio!" He said picking up the baby.

I smiled gently. "Oh! He's lovely…It is really great to meet you Miss Noire…" I said kindly.

Paige smiled and nodded to me. "You…look fimiliar…have we met before?" She said turning her head a little as she stared at me.

I had began to neglect my looks…or at least Rini's looks. My hair was now blonde again, however it was chin length, when I left Shin-Ra it was just touching my ears. I never wore my colored contacts…or even did my makeup…I now looked like a slightly altered Elena…but did Paige see that? I blinked a moment then shook my head. "Hmm…I don't really know, my brother and I have traveled a lot…perhaps in passing?" I said quicky.

She nodded. "Did you know…anyone from Junon?"

My eyes widened a moment.

"I remember seeing you…at a funeral…almost a year ago…" Paige continued.

I didn't know what to say. Suddenly the front door opened and Reno waltzed in. He had obviously been drinking. He stopped suddenly as he saw Paige sitting on the couch. "What are you doing here?" He said quickly.

Reno's hair was still white, however he had also neglected his facial fetures. To someone who had known him for a while would instantly recognize him.

"Oh my…" Paige said as Reno walked into the door, She quickly scanned Reno then turned to me. Her breathing heavy…I knew she knew.

"Oh shit…" Reno said staring at Paige.

"Reno…." Paige managed to say.

Darius looked at his sister then to Reno. "This is Dimitri VanBraff…he is Rini here's older brother." Darius said quickly.

Paige nodded. "Oh…I am so…sorry…you look so much like someone else."

Reno looked over to me then back to Paige. "Hmm, you do too…wait I saw you on the news…your married to that Shin-Ra president right?"

Paige smiled a little still not 100 trusting that it wasn't Reno Hikaru standing in front of her.

"Yes, Rufus Shinra is my husband…" She said nodding.

Reno groaned a little and took a seat. "So what is with all these attacks on villages? Wow, that Jenova man needs to be stopped!"

Paige was quiet a moment. "Yes, an alliance has been formed with many countries including this one"

Darius nodded. "Yeah, I heard this morning that President Loire is recrutting people from Winhill to join his army in the fight against the evil! I was thinking about joining up.." Darius said happily.

Reno stood up quickly. "You mean Loire is talking about fighting this man?"

"Yeah and he is getting everyone he can to back him up…" Darius said.

"Yes, Cloud Strife, the man who defeated Lord Sephiroth has already joined up…he is commander in the Esthar Army…" Paige broke in.

Reno turned back to me. "Well, that's wonderful…I want a piece of this action. Darius…I too will join the alliance…"