Disclaimer – I don't own FF7

Coeurl

By Crimson Skies

Chapter Nine – Kitty Cat

Reno was determined. Today he was going to try his hand at pick pocketing. He'd been so successful the previous day he'd gained the courage to try again. Of course, it had its element of danger. In the slums, there was no law enforcement. People made their own law. If he was caught by the wrong person he could end up dead…or worse. He could end up in sector three. There was an underground market in sector three that sold unwanted kids like him to all sorts of people for all different purposes. Getting caught was unacceptable. He would have to pick his targets carefully. Making sure the cloth was secure over his hair, he headed towards the marketplace.

The boy had only been prowling around the market for half an hour (with little luck) when he heard a commotion off to his left. Curious, he scaled a pile of empty crates nearby to get a look down the street. Three shady looking men were dragging a howling blond into an alleyway. The kid looked far too innocent to have survived long in Midgar on his own, but his clothes were in worse shape than Reno's. His screaming and flailing had not deterred the men who held him captive. Reno could tell that several of those in the nearby crowd wished to help the kid, but didn't in the spirit of self-preservation. It would have been suicide for some old woman or sympathetic father to even attempt helping. And everybody else just didn't care. Reno felt a bit sad, but there was nothing he could do.

The men and the blond vanished around the corner, and shortly after, the blond stopped screaming. A frown crossed the redhead's face. His good mood was ruined. What a way to start the day. It was even worse knowing that if he was any less experienced, that could have been him. Already the surrounding people had moved onto other things, completely forgetting about what had just occurred. And so he spent the next five minutes observing the crowd and sulking. He was just about to hop down when a flash of brilliant gold appeared in the corner of his eye. Narrowing his eyes, he glanced back at the alleyway just in time to see a very grim-looking boy silently slip into the crowd.

Reno nearly fell from his perch in surprise. He had to talk to that kid! Quickly, his eyes scanned the area for that shock of blond hair. He managed to catch a brief glimpse of the boy in the crowd, but it was enough. He was headed straight towards Reno. With luck, he'd pass right by his stack of crates.

And he'd been having a very nice streak of good luck lately.

The boy did indeed pass right by him. Reno nimbly dropped from his perch and began following the boy. He managed to keep sight of him while still maintaining a good distance between them. The longer Reno watched, the more he began notice certain things. For one, it seemed the boy was wandering aimlessly. So he really wasn't from Midgar. But his clothing attested to the fact that he must have fallen upon some misfortune. Yes, definitely a foreigner. The boy had yet again glanced up towards the plate, as if he was nervous the thing was going to fall on him. Longtime inhabitants of the slums never looked up that often, or that nervously.

They had long since left the crowded mainstream into quieter parts of the sector. Reno had been worried about being detected, but not once did the blond look back. The redhead wanted to observe the boy a bit longer before introducing himself. He just kept wandering on, as if he had some destination in mind, despite the fact that he seemed not to know where he was going at all. Several times, he'd almost turned into a dead end, then backed up, shook his head, and went another direction. It was strange behavior. As they traveled on, Reno suddenly began to recognize the path they were taking. Warning bells sounded in his head. Sure enough, several minutes later, the blond stopped directly in front of Reno's hideout.

Without warning he turned and nailed the redhead with a piercing glare. Reno suddenly felt he was being judged. An irrational wave of fear washed over him. Who was this kid? The boy had glowing blue eyes with slit pupils. He sighed in relief when the sharp blue eyes turned away from him. The blond promptly entered Reno's own hut and waved the redhead after him. Haltingly, Reno shuffled after him. When he entered, he found the blond had made himself quite comfortable on the ground. Reno unceremoniously plopped down on his pile of rags and stared at the intruder.

"Why were you following me?" the blond asked softly. The tone demanded an answer, but not in the way Reno was used to. People who wanted attention, wanted obedience, often screamed and yelled, or at least raised their voice. This kid didn't have to. Actually, he was nearly whispering.

"I was curious," Reno told him, deciding to play along. "I thought you were done for when those men dragged you off. Next thing I know, you're walking away unharmed and those guys didn't come out again. Made me wonder, ya know?" he said honestly. An idea suddenly popped into his mind. It was crazy, absolutely irrational.

He loved it.

"I thought, maybe, we could team up or something. It's pretty obvious you're not from around here, but you seem to have some skills. I could teach you the ropes, and you could watch my back." Reno grinned. It was a gamble, but maybe this just might work. This kid was special. And he didn't even have to feel bad about this. He wasn't using the blond, seeing as the other kid would gain from the arrangement as well. It was mutually beneficial arrangement. He watched the boy carefully. He seemed to be considering.

"My name's Cloud," the boy said suddenly, holding out his hand, a grin on his face. Grinning, Reno gladly took it.

"Reno." The air around them lightened. Suddenly, the dim shack seemed to become much friendlier. "So, Cloud, why are you in Midgar?"

"There's a saying you know. 'Curiosity killed the cat,'" Cloud began seriously.

Reno frowned.

"… 'and satisfaction brought it back," the blond finished. "Most people conveniently forget the last half. I'll answer your questions if you'll answer mine. Though, you may not like what you hear. But you're honest, I can tell. You haven't lied yet."

"How…?" Reno sputtered.

"I can smell it." Cloud's eyes flashed. His wide grin revealed a pair of lengthened canines. Somehow, Reno didn't feel threatened. He'd seen stranger things within Midgar. What other city could boast freakish monsters that roamed about inside the city walls? Instead, he was more curious than before.

"You can smell it?" he wondered aloud.

"Indeed. How do you think I found my way here? I smelled you following me and decided to take the path here, as it was covered in your scent. I figured you must walk that way daily, which would lead me straight to your home. What better way to throw a potential threat off balance?" Reno's head whirled. The possibilities!

Reno's grin nearly matched Cloud's own.

Oh yes. It was the beginning of a beautiful partnership.

COEURLBYCRIMSONSKIESCHAPTERNINEKITTYCAT

The fan on the ceiling twirled lazily, barely stirring the stagnant air. A frown crossed Vincent's face. Grimacing, he slowly sat up. His cloak and shirt were gone and clean bandages were wrapped around his chest. His mind sluggishly began to respond to his demands. It was a slow process, but he began to gather his wits about him.

"Where…?" he mumbled.

"Junon, or rather, the outskirts of Junon," a young woman's voice replied. He turned his head to see a young brunette sitting next to the bed. She had smiling brown eyes and a pleasant expression. "My husband's a fisherman. He found you washed up on shore. He brought you back here."

"How long have I been here?" he inquired, his head still quite muddled. That was odd. It usually didn't take him this long to recover from injury or the like. It must have been a very close call.

"Two days. It's amazing actually. You had a high fever and a large gash across your chest. And now you're awake and talking, practically healed! Oh dear, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Rose" She smiled brilliantly. A muffled warble caught their attention. Sighing, the woman stood from where she sat. Walking over to a closed window, she flipped the latch and swung the glass pane open. "Sorry about that. I'd like you to meet Chika. You could say she's part of the family," the woman said. A tuft of yellow feathers poked through the window and was soon followed by the entire head and neck of a chocobo. Whatever reaction Rose expected, it was not the one her guest gave.

Vincent's eyes widened in sudden terror. A horrified gasp escaped his lips. In the haze of his awakening he'd forgotten. The bright chocobo feathers mocked him with their good cheer. And it had blue eyes. Big, blue eyes that seemed to stare at him accusingly.

"Was there anyone else? Were there any other survivors?" he asked frantically.

"No, we didn't find anyone else. And I haven't heard of anyone washing ashore in the town gossip," the woman said sadly.

And the truth dawned on him.

He had failed.

Again.

Vincent had promised himself he'd protect Cloud, but he hadn't even been able to do that. And here he was once again, while Cloud was dead. And he couldn't even shed a tear. He had long ago forgotten how to cry. He shut his eyes tightly. He tried to will himself to wake up from this bad dream. It was a nightmare. His whole life was a nightmare.

"Are…are you okay? She's very gentle. I promise. She won't hurt you," the woman stammered, misinterpreting his horror.

"Gone," the gunner whispered, completely oblivious. "And it's my fault. It was my responsibility. How could I have let this happen? What's wrong with me? WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH ME?!" he roared, completely oblivious to his audience. Chika had already retreated from the window. Even Rose had backed up a step when he slammed a fist into the wall, resulting in a sizable hole.

"I don't understand," Rose mumbled. "What's wrong? What's gone?" She was nearly frantic at seeing the slightly crazy look upon her patient's face. "I'm sorry. I took your things. You're shirt was ruined, and I was washing your cloak. I'll give it back, I promise!" she rambled. Frantically, she tried to calm him. "There wasn't anything else, but…oh!" she gasped slightly, and hurried over to the next room. Quickly, she returned. She held tentatively held out and object to him. "Please, is this what you want?" she asked. "It was in one of the closed pockets of your cloak. There wasn't anything else." He slowly opened his eyes, about to say that what he lost could never be found again when he gasped.

In her trembling hands she held a small figurine, only two inches tall. The little kitten statue stared playfully at him with unblinking eyes. The head was way out of proportion with the rest of its body, and the tail was far too short, but the ugly thing still looked rather endearing. It seemed to be fashioned from clear glass, but Vincent knew better. Slowly, he reached out and plucked the kitten from Rose's shaking hands. The little figurine was cold as ice. And that's exactly what it was made of. It was younger Cloud's first attempt at shaping ice with his unique abilities. He hadn't just shaped the ice either. Cloud had created it from his own power, and existed solely because of Cloud's power, which sustained it. Cloud had been horribly embarrassed at his first project, and had called the cat mutated. He still didn't know that Vincent had kept it.

A smile crossed his face. This was hope incarnate. Vincent knew a few things about Cloud's abilities from traveling with him for so long. As far as he knew, there were three things that would cause that little figurine to disappear. Cloud banishing the material, someone taking fire magic to it, or Cloud's death. It never melted and never disappeared because Cloud had literally put a little bit of himself, through his power, into it when he created it. That was how this particular ability worked. And it was a tremendous thing. A heartfelt laugh escaped his throat. Cloud may be in trouble, he may be hurt, but he was still alive. And for now that was enough.

Suddenly he felt very tired. It was very unusual for Vincent to experience so many strong emotions. Sighing tiredly, he lay back again on the bed. Still smiling slightly, he looked at his scared, and more than a little confused, caretaker. She was looking a bit relieved that he no longer seemed so distraught.

"I apologize," he said softly. "I thought I lost someone very dear to me," he explained. Gently, he fisted his hand around the cool surface of the kitten. "But I will find him again," Vincent told her. "I will."

"I'm sure you will," Rose agreed, not knowing what else to say. Her voice continued to ask the obvious questions, but it was too late.

The gunner was fast asleep.

ENDCHAPTERNINE

Whew. What an emotionally draining chapter. I had to literally channel emotion into writing the last half. I felt like crying for Vincent. I know he's really emotional in this chapter, but I figured it's pretty plausible, all things considered. When tragedy strikes people tend to do one of three things. They go into denial, or become numb/ stuff their emotions down, or they become emotional/hysterical. I have a tendency toward the second one. Obviously, I gave Vincent a case of the third. I won't try to explain now exactly why I think he'd react that way, as it is a lengthy and difficult explanation, but if anyone really wants to know, just ask.

Anyway, I would also like to mention at this time that I may or may not update again this week. I will say for sure that after the Dec. 22 there will be no updates until after Jan. 1. Sorry about that, but it can't be helped. I'll try to get out a chapter as soon as possible. Thanks all. Happy Holidays!

dogcollar – My muses are quite good at bombarding me with potential plot twists. I'm glad you like the story so far. Sorry to say this, but it will be a bit yet before Cloud and Sephiroth meet. There's quite a bit I have to add to the story before that can happen. Which is really too bad, because I'm getting somewhat impatient as well, but I don't want to rush the parts leading up to their meeting, as every aspect of this story will be important.

Cendrillo – Crazy things will happen indeed, though not quite yet. I will say three words…Zack, Cloud, Chickens…and that's all the hints you'll be getting for the moment. And it may not happen for a couple chapters yet, but who knows. (shrugs) I know a few people who just finished their finals. I hope you do/did well on them.

Crystaline-Dragon – Glad you enjoy it. Thanks much for your continued reviews.

rei – Well, it was a Cloud and Reno encounter this chapter…but who know what will happen in the future.

Dante007 – Glad you like it. And it is indeed the Reno we all know and who I happen to adore. (grins)

schu - Murphy's Law seems so appropriate at times. I couldn't help myself. I just had to mention it somewhere. My cat looks at me like I'm crazy all the time, but she has a superiority complex and believes everyone to be below her, so it's not really surprising. That doesn't mean I'm not crazy. MWAHAHAHAHA…er…ahem. It's going to be a long time before Vincent sees Cloud again. It'll be some reunion…now that I think about it, using the word 'reunion' while referring to Cloud and Vin, considering the story of FF7, is a bit weird. Maybe it's just me. The thing that I found freaky about Midgar was when I finally escaped it in the game, only to find it resides in this huge pit of darkness. I thought it very symbolic and felt I had to add a bit of that to my description. Poor Reno. I have a bad habit of torturing my characters, don't I? Oh dear. Writing is indeed very difficult, but I enjoy it…most of the time. I did not enjoy the essay I just had to write for my lit class, but oh well. We just got a scanner, and I have a bit of extra time now…unfortunately I'm a bit lacking in the talent department…so I'm unable to draw my own fanart. My favorite scene with Kakashi is when he's testing Team 7 and Naruto charges at him. He reaches into his pouch only to pull out…(dun dun dun daaaaaaa) Icha Icha Paradise! It was awesome. Keep an eye out for a Naruto fic from me. I may have to write one, if only to get my muses off my case. (They're very demanding.)

SarsMortis – Reno is so awesome. I just had to put him in this story. Don't you just love how he looks in Advent Children? (grins) Sorry about the shortness. I was a little more limited on time when I wrote that one. This one is a bit longer. I'll try to update as soon as possible after the holidays. I still have to do most of my shopping, and then I'm going to be out of town for almost two weeks, and then it's my birthday. Yes, my birthday is approximately two weeks after Christmas, and no I'm not telling anyone how old I'm turning.

Kiki-sama- I hope you have the time to finish reading this. Thank you for reviewing what you've read thus far. I hope the rest doesn't disappoint. Thanks much!