Marinanthe: Thank you so much for your review. I am so glad that you enjoy this story. I won't think about discontinuing this story. I had this idea for a while and I'm happy you like it. About the fluff…to tell you the truth I am not a very romantic type author, but…I'll think about it There certainly will be embarrassing moments, and I think there will be fluff, just later.

Evaeriefele: Thank you for your review. I just have a performance at Carnegie Hall this weekend and I am really busy right now. I am trying to update every weekend though. Just two more chapters will be about this length and then I'll have more time on my hands and I'll make the chapters longer. So please do bear with me, because if I would have made this chapter longer you would probably not see it till like the next month.

Vivi: Thanks for the review. I will certainly make my chapters longer once I finish my Carnegie Hall performance. I am just extremely busy right now, but I won't be once the concert is done. Or at least I won't be as busy.

Thank you so much for reading my story and reviewing if you did that! I will certainly make chapters for this longer soon enough. I just have a performance in Carnegie Hall and I have rehearsals almost all the time. Once this is done I PROMISE the chapters will be longer!

Beyond the Reflection

Disclaimer: I do not own FFVII.

Summary: When Reno takes on the investigation of a case in Wutai, he gets more than he bargained for. Mainly: one obnoxious, spoiled, sarcastic, and infuriating brat. (Among other things of course.)

More Water Less Oxygen

By:ClassicLit

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&Somewhere in the Forest

"We're lost aren't we?" Reno's question sounded more like a statement than anything else. Yuffie flinched. She assured the Turk that she knew the forest like the back of her hand, but she overestimated her knowledge and right now they were undeniably lost. Heck if she was going to admit it to him though.

"For your information, I know exactly where we're going." Yuffie said while huffing and speeding up. Reno just had to snort at that. He almost felt sorry about having to break to Yuffie the news about them walking in circles for the past half hour. Almost being the operative word.

"Oi brat, if you are sooo not lost, then please do answer me why we've passed that exact spot" he pointed to a tree that was particularly memorable considering that it was the largest one in the forest "more than three times." She froze in place and gave the tree a very dirty look. Reno could almost see her eating away at her lip. He shook his head and smirked at Yuffie's back. She was easier to get to than Elena was, and that in itself was a feat to accomplish.

Yuffie turned around and started glaring at Reno. Even as he kept his expression that of dry amusement he couldn't help but think about the man that got away. Even though Reno didn't get a good look at the figure that escaped the silhouette somehow looked oh so familiar. It wasn't the man himself as much as the way he was dressed. Reno shook his head and concentrated on the glaring Yuffie.

"Well then smartass" she said while folding her arms over her chest "if you know where we are please by all means inform me." Reno smirked and folded his own arms over his chest.

"Don't you dare get me into this." He said defensively "I never said that I knew my way through the forest…unlike someone else I know." When she huffed out a breath and glared harder at him, Reno's smirk widened to a grin.

"You're enjoying his aren't you?" she said more than asked.

"Not half as much as you are." He shot back while unfolding his own arms. Yuffie opened her mouth, but whatever she was about to say was lost as both heard a roar of thunder and lightning cut through the cloudy sky. Before either could react their bemused expressions were met with a downpour of rain. That in itself though was only a setback compared to what they saw rise in front of them…

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&Outside of Wutai

"Did you?" came a cold, sardonic voice from the man in the wheelchair. The only answer he received was a curt nod. There was a flash of white teeth within the depth of the black shadows. "Good." The man in the wheelchair whispered. He waved off the large figure in front of him and closely examined the small object held tightly within his grasp.

The object twinkled when a speck of light fell on its surface. A very cold laugh ran through the dark room. "Yes, this is it."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&Somewhere in the forest

Hearing faint splashing coming from his right, Reno turned his head slightly. What he saw was certainly not what he expected, nor in fact had a particular desire in seeing. The small stream that Reno and Yuffie stopped in front of was in fact inhabited as Reno, unfortunately, found out. A rather large…no, that would be an understatement, a huge snake like creature was crawling out of the stream and slowly but deliberately was making its way towards the two arguing people. Yuffie, who had recovered from the thunder, but had yet to notice the snake, was saying something that sounded a lot like insults, but Reno didn't waste his energy on listening since he had the misfortune of actually seeing the thing in front of them.

"Uh..brat?" Reno began uncertainly while following the snake like creature with his eyes. Now, under further scrutiny, the thing looked like a Leviathan summon. If this was true, and Reno could almost bet it was, they were in real trouble. Yuffie didn't seem deterred though, Reno noticed, she kept mumbling something that sounded oh-so-much like asshole over and over under her breath while glaring daggers at him. It was obvious that she had not noticed Leviathan making its way towards her.

"Don't 'brat' me you jerk." She screeched reaching the levels of ultra violet. "Unlike you…" 'Finally,' Reno observed 'she noticed the damn thing.' Yuffie froze. Reno couldn't possibly pass up this opportunity though, so now he forgot about the imminent threat.

"You're not that great for a ninja, brat." He said smirking "Aren't you suppose to…feel this stuff, or some other absurd thing like that?" Even though he tried desperately to not pay attention to the fact that the Leviathan summon was about six feet from them, the less than clam expression on Yuffie's face really didn't let him forget the fact completely.

"What do we do?" she whispered while keeping her hand poised over the shuriken, which was strapped to her belt. Reno let out a sigh, keeping his gaze trained on the opponent. What should they do? How these adventures always came to haunt his ass was something Reno never understood. They were screwed; he really couldn't put it any nicer. This was the exact time the summon chose to attack. The creature lounged forward at Yuffie, but she managed to get just far enough. What the creature was trying to do was beyond Reno. The thing didn't have any claws, or any particularly sharp teeth. What would be the point of lounging at Yuffie? Then it clicked. Wasn't someone controlling this? Yes, obviously someone was. So that meant that this person didn't want to kill them, just to scare them away. This made Reno curious. What was there beyond the stream deeper into the forest? He took out his electric mag-rod and prepared to fight, but before he could even take his stance he saw a figure dressed in all black (the same figure they were chasing earlier) sprint into the forest.

He really didn't have time to explore the subject further as a cold wave of water covered him. It was hard enough concentrating on trying to get to oxygen, without having to think about the implications of the attack. He didn't quite make it to the surface though as the something very sharp embedded itself in his side. Alright, perhaps the creature didn't have sharp claws and teeth, but the spikes on its tail certainly made up for the fact. Reno learned that the hard way as he saw his crimson blood spread through the blue hue of the water surrounding him. Pain shot through his body, but his clouded mind still registered that he had a fire material in his weapon. He concentrated hard on trying to cast the spell even though he had quite the sufficient amount of problems that kept demanding attention (such as the lack of oxygen and loss of blood). He managed to do it though and a warm flame shot through the water. This of course was not necessary anymore as with the black figure the summon disappeared as well.

As the water dissipated, Reno fell on the ground coughing and trying to gulp as much oxygen into his lungs as he possibly could. His hand instinctively went straight to his side and he felt the warm temperature of blood which was contrasting with the freezing temperature the rest of his wet clothes were. He turned over onto his back and allowed himself the luxury of relaxation when he remembered one little thing. Yuffie. Where was she?

He scrambled to his feet and looked around. This was probably the fifth time today that he seriously considered Reeve killing him. If something happened to the brat…

"Hey, kid" he called when he noticed her form lying not seven feet from him. He approached her, and a very unsettling feeling came over him when she didn't answer. "Oh Princess" he called in a sing-song voice "breakfast is ready, you might wanna…" at this he stopped and crouched next to her. She didn't look so good. She was deathly white, and she didn't seem to be breathing. Reno turned her onto her back and checked her pulse. It seemed to be there, but it was so weak. He leaned over her and checked her breathing. Remember when his diagnosis was that she didn't SEEM to be breathing? Well, she wasn't.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&Wutai

"Hello, Reeve?" Godo said into the phone while pacing up and down his chambers with Staniv sitting in an armchair and watching Godo's every move.

"Yes" Reeve answered a bit disgruntled on the other end of the line. It was after all two in the morning.

"I have a problem…" Godo answered worriedly.