Snapshots

A Final Fantasy VII Fanfiction by ntc

Part 6

Nightfall had descended by the time Reno decided to make a break in their journey. He brought the Fenrir to a complete halt near what looked to be a dry patch of springy grass that would be ideal as a campsite. The sounds of a flowing stream also alerted him to a convenient source of water nearby. For the past hour, the blond sitting behind him had been quiet and leaning his full weight against his back, leading him to the conclusion that Cloud had fallen asleep. A wry smile curled Reno's lips. He had often dreamed of the day when he could remain by the blond's side while he slept, but he had never envisioned it to be under such circumstances.

Reno fished out a small key from his trouser pocket and used it to unlock the handcuffs that held Cloud's hands together. In an effort to quell any feelings of guilt for his own actions, Reno tried not to pay too much attention to the red and raw lines marked around Cloud's wrists where the cuffs had dug in too deeply. He wouldn't have resorted to this if the blond fighter hadn't been so damned stubborn. Maybe he should consider getting one of those padded handcuffs he once saw at… Reno shook his head vigorously to disrupt that particular train of thought. That was one big distraction he really could do without right now.

He was pulled out of his thoughts when he felt Cloud sliding off the motorcycle as soon as the cuffs came off. Reno twisted sharply to catch the falling blond, grunting at the pull of muscles in his back. "Cloud? Yo, wake up. Your head is going to have an extremely close encounter with the ground soon if you don't…" Reno's eyes widened when he finally realized that Cloud wasn't asleep. He was unconscious. Or worse, maybe even…

No! In a blur of motion, Reno leapt off the bike and carefully lowered Cloud's unresponsive body on to the ground. "Wake up. Wake up. Don't you die on me now… Don't you dare!" Reno noticed his hands were shaking again and he cursed himself for losing his calm so easily. He should be used to this by now. Just go through the motions. It's nothing you haven't done a dozen times before. Feel the pulse, there, right at the spot adjacent to his Adam's apple. And breathing; his chest is rising and falling, is it not? Not sure? Bring your cheek close to his nostrils. Yes, that's definitely breath you're sensing there. Soft, so soft, a tiny tickle of airflow. He's breathing… He's breathing…

A sob of relief escaped Reno. Why does he still feel this way every time this happened? So many times… And yet every time felt just like the first time. Always. He had had nightmares in which he waited and wished for Cloud to wake up from another one of his episodes of Geostigma-induced coma, only to discover later that the blond was already dead. A cold corpse. Breathless. Lifeless.

"I couldn't do anything for you…" Reno did not bother to hide the tremor in his voice. Cloud couldn't hear him anyway. "I tried… I tried… but I'm too stupid… Too stupid to be of any help. Rufus was right. What was I thinking? I should've spent all that time doing something much more worthwhile. I should've spent all that time with you instead…" His lips trembled as he pressed them against Cloud's forehead, almost reverently. "Instead of doing the smart thing, instead of making the most of the time we have left, I have to go attempt the impossible. I was greedy. I wanted more time with you. I wanted… Gods, I wanted…"

Reno clung onto Cloud as if he was a lifeline, feeling as if he would shatter to a million pieces if he let go.

xXxXxXx

Someone was sobbing. Someone was howling. Someone was grieving.

When Cloud came to, the first thing he did was listen out for that sad voice. When only sounds of crackling timber greeted him, he began to wonder if he had imagined it all, or whether all he had heard were merely figments of a troubled dream.

There was a warm pressure on his hand and Cloud craned his neck to find Reno clutching his right hand. The redhead appeared to be sound asleep; his lanky body curled up right alongside his. Cloud carefully disentangled his fingers from Reno's and shifted the blanket so that the thick material now covered the slumbering Turk. As he was about to get up, Reno's eyes suddenly flew open, the transition from deep sleep to full wakefulness almost instantaneous.

"Uh, hey, sorry to wake you up." When Reno failed to respond, Cloud assumed that the redhead was still angry with him. He walked to the duffel bags leaning against the motorcycle and began rummaging for provisions. All the while, he could feel the heat of Reno's gaze on his back. "You hungry? I could open an extra can of beans for you."

Still no reply. It seemed that Reno was determined to sulk for a while. Cloud shrugged and proceeded to peel off the top of a can with a can opener. As he was about to dig in, the can was swiftly snatched from his grasp by the seething Turk who had moved to sit down beside him. Cloud merely sighed and set to work on another can.

After a while, Reno grumbled, "I like my beans hot. Why didn't you warm it up by the fire?"

"Well, I like my beans cold," retorted Cloud.

They ate in silence after that. But it was a somewhat more comfortable silence.

The silence was broken when both of them had decided to retire for the night and Reno insisted on cuffing himself to him. "You can't be serious," protested Cloud as cold steel closed around one of his wrists.

Reno secured the cuff at the other end of the chain around his own right wrist. "I've hidden the key, so don't you start getting any ideas."

"You're the one with the ideas here. Don't you think you're being a tad paranoid?"

"Paranoid? Like when I chose to shield myself with a Reflect Materia the other night?"

Cloud wisely decided not to argue any further and settled down to sleep. As he preferred to sleep on his side, it was inevitable that he ended up in a position where he had to come face to face with Reno. He promptly closed his eyes to block out Reno's piercing gaze. The Turk was acting more strangely than normal tonight for some reason.

"How do you do it, Cloud?"

The anguish in Reno's words was so tangible that Cloud was forced to open his eyes and confront the other man's pain. "Do what?"

"Pretend that everything is alright, when it's clearly not. Pretend that you're not dying, when you clearly are."

So that was the reason. "Strictly speaking, we're all dying, Reno."

There was a flash of irritation in Reno's eyes. The redhead was obviously in no mood for glib remarks. "I'm being serious here."

"What do you want me to say?" Now it was Cloud's turn to feel irritated. Why was Reno looking at him like that? Hadn't he done all he could to push the redhead away? Was it his fault that Reno was too stubborn to budge? Cloud had learnt to accept his imminent death. He had been near death too many times in the past to be afraid of it. To him, death was a long awaited opportunity for him to be reunited with beloved friends and family who had been torn away from him in bloody violence. The Lifestream had beckoned to him several times already, always in surreal visions of a field of flowers and her. He didn't want to think about the people whom he would be leaving behind after his death. It was less difficult that way; but the annoying Turk just wouldn't let him forget, let him ignore… "What do you want from me, Reno? Do you want me to break down and cry my eyes out? Do you want me to… what… act more miserable than I already am? What do you want?"

"I want you to care!" Reno hollered, his face suddenly dark with tightly controlled anger. Cloud instinctively moved away from the redhead, but the handcuffs could only allow so much separation. "I want you to give a damn that you're dying! I want you to fight; to fight for your life instead of this infuriating, sickening, quiet acceptance!"

"Why are you getting so worked up over this? You know as well as I do that Geostigma isn't some beast that can be killed with sword or magic. No one can fight it."

"What pisses me off is that you're not doing anything to fight it at all! You just don't care whether you live or die!"

It was impossible to ignore the truth in those words. No point in denying it too. "So?"

"I care! Why is it that I can't make you care?"

"You can't. Just learn to accept it." Cloud turned his back on Reno but that action only succeeded in pulling them closer together. Damned cuffs. Before he could readjust his position, Reno's other arm, the one that wasn't chained to his, snaked around his waist and drew him even closer. His breath caught in his throat when he felt Reno nuzzling against the nape of his neck.

"What can I do to make you care, Cloud?" Reno breathed, his hands gradually becoming bolder in their touches.

It took all his willpower to suppress the shiver traveling down his spine. Reno had never attempted… had never dared… But then again, this was the first time he had pushed the redhead so hard. "Well, groping isn't it, in case you're wondering." His attempt at levity was completely ignored, seeing how Reno did not pause in his movements. His heartbeat quickened in spite of himself. "What are you trying to do, Reno?"

"Isn't it bloody obvious? I'm teaching you what it means to be alive. You can thank me later."

"Would you stop thinking with your gonads for one second!" yelled Cloud exasperatedly, only to flinch when he felt something warm and wet brush against his earlobe. Could that possibly be the tongue? Best not to think about these things. He really should do something before Reno robbed him of his ability to think straight. "I suggest that you cease what you're doing before I start breaking a few bones."

Paying no heed to his warning, Reno started to tug on the zipper of his jacket. "I'd like to see you try—"

The birds in the nearby woods took flight as Reno's earsplitting shriek of agony rang out.

xXxXxXx

"You broke my bloody finger!"

"Dislocate, Reno, dislocate. And it's just the pinky on your left hand. Don't worry, I can fix it easily if you would just…"

Reno scooted further away, or attempted to, at least. They were still linked by the handcuffs after all. "Keep your hands off me, you lunatic."

Cloud gave him an incredulous stare. "Coming from you, that's really rich."

Reno pointedly ignored the remark; the reminder that he had nearly lost control a short while ago. He took a deep breath and yanked his finger back in position, a hiss of pain escaping through gritted teeth. He had participated in enough bar brawls to know how to handle minor injuries like this.

"Here, let me ease the pain a little."

He did not pull away this time when Cloud reached out to weave the healing magic of a Cure Materia around his hand. As Reno silently watched the blond at work, it occurred to him that Cloud's concern was genuine. Cloud may not care about what would happen to himself, but he did care, in his own way, about the people around him. Even Cloud's self-imposed isolation was part of his screwed up way of showing that he cared. And therein Reno found the solution to his problem.

"Is there really nothing that ties you to the living world?" Reno asked, his expression solemn. "Nothing that makes you want to live longer?"

"Are we back to this topic again?" Cloud's eyebrows drew together in a frown. "Give it a rest, Reno. I'm not in the mood to discuss it right now."

"What if I say that I will live for only as long as you're alive?"

Confusion flitted across Cloud's face. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that the day you die is the day I die, Cloud." It was all so simple, really. There was no need to torment himself with thoughts of a life without Cloud. All he had to do was ensure that there wasn't a life without Cloud. "I'm saying that the day you return to the Lifestream is the day I bring a gun to my head and blow my brains out. I will follow you in death if I have to."

"You…" If Cloud was moved by his little speech, he gave absolutely no indication of it. In fact, the blond looked more pissed off than anything else. "Why the hell would you do something so utterly dumb and insane? Spare me the nauseating melodrama already."

Those words would have stung if Reno hadn't figured out what Cloud was trying to do. "I'm merely informing you of what will happen." Reno smirked. "No offence, but I don't think the invincible Cloud Strife can do anything to stop me when the time comes."

"I can always put you in a straitjacket and haul you to an asylum beforehand. Those places take in suicidal idiots all the time."

"I'm not suicidal." Reno did not deny the 'idiot' part of Cloud's accusation. Only an idiot would fall so violently in love with the maddening man before him. "I just thought you might want a bit of company when you go. You can act all aloof and everything, but I know you hate to be alone, Cloud. You're just too stubborn to admit it to yourself."

"Don't presume you know what I want!" Cloud's blue eyes blazed with an anger that served only to mask the hidden distress underneath. "Don't presume you know me, you…!"

It was at this point that Reno decided he wasn't terribly interested in what Cloud had to say, especially when the blond was in such a high-level repelling mode. Bracing himself for another rib-cracking elbow jab, he sealed Cloud's mouth in the only way he knew how, and in the only way he really wanted. The elbow jab never came. Reno finally detached himself from Cloud, more out of curiosity and surprise than any true desire to do so.

Far from becoming shocked and flustered, Cloud's entire demeanor had taken on an eerie calm. "Promise me one thing, Reno." There was a look of sad resignation in the blond's eyes. "Promise me that as long as there's the faintest possibility that I'm still alive, you won't seek to end your own life."

"Idiot." Like a child testing the limits of what he was and wasn't allowed to do, Reno slowly began to lean towards Cloud again. "I want to live as much as the next guy. Why should I kill myself if you're still alive?"

Cloud did not shift backwards, and Reno took it as a sign of encouragement. "So, it's a promise then?"

Their faces were only centimeters apart. So close that they could feel the warmth of each other's breath on their cheeks. "Hell, no."

He didn't know how Cloud did it. One second they were about to have, in Reno's opinion, some serious fun, and the next second found him fighting for air in a choking headlock. "May I ask why not?" demanded Cloud, his reasonable tone of voice in sharp contrast to his extreme actions.

"Can't… breathe…" Reno gasped out. The crazy blond didn't know his strength sometimes.

The pressure eased slightly but Cloud maintained his firm chokehold. "Why, Reno?" he asked again.

After an exaggerated fit of coughing and wheezing, Reno managed to growl out, "I don't see why I should promise you anything when I get nothing in return."

"You're… bargaining with me?" said Cloud in disbelief. "When all I'm trying to do is to stop you from doing something irreversible and stupid?"

Reno grinned shamelessly. "A promise for a promise. It's only fair."

"I know I'm going to regret asking you this but…" Cloud sighed in defeat. "What is this promise that you want from me?"

Dizzy from the countless possibilities, Reno closed his eyes. His hands moved to tentatively caress the arms that were wrapped around his neck. "I want…"

xXxXxXx

"Damn you, you jerk! You fiend! You scheming bastard!" Reno kicked at the ground in frustration, only to succeed in scuffing his shoe and stirring up a cloud of dirt. He glared once more at the impassable Sleeping Forest before him, its secret paths currently closed to him. Yeah, he needed a Lunar Harp. He knew that now. Cloud had conveniently forgotten to mention that fact before disappearing into the forest on his own.

Damn it! He should never have unlocked those handcuffs, no matter how blatantly the village people stared. When he found out that it would take a few days for them to excavate another harp (Don't these people have spare ones lying around? Damn them!), he nearly lost whatever tenuous hold on sanity he had. His first reaction was to wave his electromag rod around like a mad man while threatening to use it as a torture device in highly creative ways. It earned him an extra burst of speed and enthusiasm in their excavation efforts but little else. His second reaction was to drown his frustration in the blank haze of inebriation, heedless of the horrid taste of the village's locally brewed ale. That earned him a hangover that basically incapacitated him for the better part of a day. His third reaction was to exercise the few brain cells he hadn't killed with alcohol poisoning to come up with a plan to make sure Cloud didn't escape him again.

Which was why he was currently camping out on the main path leading to the forest, living on baked beans and stale bread. He may not be able to follow Cloud into the forest for the time being, but he'd make sure that the devious blond wouldn't be able to leave without confronting him first. Now he understood why Cloud was so insistent on him making that promise a few days ago. By disappearing completely, Cloud ensured that Reno would have no way of knowing for certain if he was dead or alive, thereby forcing the Turk to stay alive indefinitely if he was to keep his promise.

No matter; Cloud had yet to fulfill his side of the agreement too. That meant Reno had no obligation to keep his promise. He took a bite of dry bread and washed it down with a mouthful of lukewarm water. Something alcoholic would have been nicer, but he didn't want to risk missing Cloud on his way out of the forest. How long was that damned blond planning to stay in there anyway? He fervently hoped that Cloud had not left the Forgotten City by some secret back passage he wasn't aware of.

First things first. He needed to get hold of a Lunar Harp badly. Maybe he should make another quick trip back to the village to see if the excavators had had any luck so far.

xXxXxXx

Cloud spent most of his first day in the City of the Ancients keeping true to his original intention, using up several rolls of film to capture images of the ethereal and crystalline city around him. Like his previous visits, he had spent the night sleeping in one of the uninhabited houses at the outskirts of the city before making his way north. Like his previous visits, he began to lose his nerve as he passed by the mirror-like pool where Aeris's water burial had taken place. To recollect himself, he would offer a small prayer to the flower girl who had touched his life so profoundly in the short time he had known her. It was always difficult for him to think about Aeris without being wracked by guilt. Cloud could not forget the time when he, in the grip of Sephiroth's formidable will, had nearly cut her down with his own sword. However, in this quiet, sacred place, he could dare to hope that he had been forgiven. She had died with such a peaceful smile on her face…

He reached the shrine where he remembered holding her rapidly cooling body for the last time. The blood that had once stained the glass platform was gone. His vision blurred and when he wiped the moisture away, he found himself standing in an expansive field of yellow flowers and green grass. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a brown ponytail and the hem of a pink dress. Though he could feel her standing behind him, he would not turn around for fear of shattering the illusion.

"I am glad that you've come, Cloud." Aeris's voice had not changed over the years, its underlying tone of playfulness still present. "Though you can reach me anywhere, your thoughts are louder when you're here."

"Aeris…" Cloud managed before the lump in his throat stole away his power of speech.

"I miss you," said Aeris, echoing his own thoughts. "But I don't miss you enough to bring you across to where I am now. It would be terribly selfish of me to do so, especially when there are so many people waiting for your return." Undaunted by his silence, Aeris continued talking. "Why are you here, Cloud? Something is troubling you."

Cloud allowed his eyes to drift shut as her warm, soothing presence enveloped him. For a moment, Cloud was reminded of the embrace he used to receive from his mother when she was still alive, and the unconditional, maternal love that came with it. "I just want to get away for a while, I guess."

"Ah, but what are you getting away from?" Cloud heard the giggle he remembered so well. "Or should I say who?"

"Reno has nothing to do with…!" Cloud clammed up immediately when he realized that he had accidentally revealed too much.

"Forgive me for being blunt, but I believe Reno has a lot to do with why you're here now. And why you're currently so afraid and miserable."

"I'm terrified, Aeris." Cloud wanted to laugh when he recalled how confident Tifa was when she boasted of his courage. He had never been a courageous person. All that he had ever done in the past that could be misconstrued as courage were merely acts of revenge spurred by blind rage and anguish. "I've never asked for him to tie his life so closely with mine. I'm dying soon and I don't want his death to follow mine. I don't want that responsibility."

"I believe you're running away from him for other reasons, Cloud, but we can discuss your emotions another time." He could hear the smile in her voice. "From what I can see, if we can just get rid of the source of all your problems, everything will turn out fine."

"Source?"

"Geostigma. If you're cured of the Geostigma, you would have no reason to be afraid of maintaining your bonds with the people around you. You would not have to fear hurting them with your early death."

For some reason, the prospect of surviving the Geostigma was even more alarming than the prospect of dying from it. He had never dared to hope; had not even wanted to hope… until recently. "Is that even possible?"

"It is now." When Cloud opened his eyes, he could see Aeris standing in front of him, a gentle smile gracing her face. "Through your strong link with the Planet, the Lifestream can study the alien infection within you and develop a means to combat it. If it succeeds, it would mean a cure for not only you but also everyone who is afflicted with the Geostigma. But I have to warn you, Cloud, that being cured of the Geostigma may mean having to lose all the physical enhancements that made you such a capable SOLDIER."

"I'm a photographer now. I don't need my fighting skills anymore." Ever since Sephiroth's death, he had no further need for his honed abilities to kill. "Tell me what I have to do."

Aeris extended a hand towards him in invitation. "Hold onto my hand, Cloud."

Without any hesitation, he reached out. The field of flowers faded away, to be replaced by an ocean of pure white light.

xXxXxXx

"You what!?" Reno's eyes gleamed with murderous intent as he loomed over the trembling digger before him.

"I had no choice! He threatened me, sir! I had to hand over the harp!"

Reno whipped out his electromag rod and brandished it ominously. "Have you forgotten what I said about electrocuting your unmentionables if you don't give me the first harp you dig up?"

"But he threatened to cut them off, sir!"

"Let me assure you that having them fried while still attached is a great deal more excruciating!" roared Reno. He was about to make good his threat when a young girl, roughly the same age as Barret's brat, boldly stepped in front of the cowering man and blocked his way.

"Please, mister, my dad is as much a victim as you! Harming him would do nothing to bring you closer to acquiring that harp. You should seek the man who had taken it from us instead."

What the girl said was entirely logical, of course, but Reno's pride would not allow him to forgive the offence so easily. "Why should I spare this cretin's life? Your father knew I've been waiting for days for that harp; and yet he still chose to surrender it to the next person who happened to pass by and demand for it! I've already made it abundantly clear to him what the consequences would be. What excuse can you possibly give me that justifies his cowardly actions?"

"The man who threatened my dad was here, mister, whereas you weren't," said the girl. "And that made all the difference."

Reno could not have come up with a better excuse himself. Despite his simmering anger, Reno could feel the corners of his mouth tugging upwards in a smile. "Well said, little brat."

"I'm not 'little brat'!" cried the girl indignantly. "My name is—"

"Not interested, brat. Just tell me where that man went and I'll leave you two alone. What does this robber look like?"

The girl blew out her cheeks in a child-like show of displeasure. "He's as tall as you, mister, maybe even taller. His hair is grey-white in colour, sort of like silver, and is as long as a woman's. And… uh… and…"

Reno was not sure what expression he was wearing at that moment, but whatever it was had caused the girl to falter and shrink away from him. It can't be him, he thought, as a whirlwind of frantic thoughts overwhelmed him. It can't be! "Where did he go?" he asked in a hoarse voice.

"I don't know…" The girl was now hiding behind her father's larger build. "But if he took the harp, there's only one place he would be going to…"

Without another word, Reno leapt onto the Fenrir and sped off in the direction from which he came. His mind barely registered the screaming people who scrambled out of his path as he rode the motorcycle recklessly through the village. Why did he come here? Why now? He couldn't be looking for… He couldn't be… Regardless of why and how that deadly spawn of Jenova ended up in the vicinity, Reno knew what he had to do. He could not allow those two to meet. He could not.

With wind whipping past his face, Reno cast his eyes about for the man he thought he was looking for. Calm down. It could've been some punk with dyed hair who took that harp. Hell, from that scant description you got from the girl, it could even be an old geezer who couldn't afford a pair of scissors. Stop assuming the worst. Despite his own mental efforts to calm himself down, Reno remained high-strung. He could not convince himself that he was mistaken. He could not allow himself that degree of hope and optimism.

And what do you plan to do if it really turns out to be him? Reno knew his own limitations when it came to combat. Given enough leveled Materia and explosive devices (which he didn't carry with him this time round, dammit), he might be able to hold his own for a short while against a seasoned SOLDIER. His previous fights with Zack had shown him that. However, he still lost in the end even though Zack had been holding back.

Sephiroth would not be holding back.

His hands that were gripping the throttle turned clammy with sweat. Reno did not fear death. That was one of the qualities they looked out for when he was recruited as a Turk. What he feared was a pointless death. If he died, he wanted to die knowing that his death had achieved something. In this case, he would willingly fling himself into the deepest pits of hell if it meant he could drag Sephiroth along with him. He would willingly die if it meant that Cloud would be safe.

With that determination in mind, Reno caught sight of a cloaked figure walking on the road ahead of him. The harp that was being carried in one hand identified the figure as the person he was after. Perhaps sensing his hostile intentions, the figure suddenly spun around to face him. Eyes similar to Cloud's but of a different colour bored into his like augers. Reno had only a split second to react and jump off the Fenrir before it was cleaved in two by a powerful swipe of a long sword.

xXxXxXx

Cloud nearly stumbled as he was being gently guided by Aeris to the edge of a pool of crystal clear water.

Aeris looked at him worriedly. "What's wrong?"

Cloud shook his head and tried to conceal his feeling of unease with a forced smile. "It's… nothing. I'm all right."

Aeris did not appear convinced but she let it pass. She knelt down and immersed one hand in the pool. What she sensed in its waters caused her to smile in delight. "I believe it will work, Cloud. The Lifestream has lent its power and this water that you find here can now be used to cleanse the Geostigma." She cupped a handful of the pool water and turned towards him. "You don't have to suffer anymore, Cloud. Hold out your left arm."

Cloud nodded and began removing the bandages wrapped around his left arm. As his fingers brushed against the blackened flesh, his arm suddenly flared up in a pain so intense that he nearly blacked out. The unexplainable feeling of unease he felt earlier returned with a vengeance. The feeling was a disturbingly familiar one; and it finally occurred to Cloud when he had felt it was only one person on the Planet who could cause the Jenova cells inside him to resonate to such a fevered pitch. Trembling from the pain and the strong emotions that gripped him, Cloud slowly stood up on shaky legs and backed away from the pool.

"Cloud?"

"I'm sorry, but I don't think I can do this now." He could not afford to lose his strength at a time like this. Not when he knew, with a frightening certainty, that Sephiroth was somehow still alive. "I have to go."

"But if we don't treat your Geostigma now…"

"Please, Aeris."

The Ancient saw the unwavering resolution in his eyes and reluctantly relented. "I can't change your mind, can I? I didn't want to say anything earlier because I was afraid this would happen. Forgive me, Cloud."

Cloud gave her a confused look. "What do I need to forgive you for?"

Aeris bowed her head in shame. "I have kept silent because… if you go out now, you could die, and Reno's sacrifice would have been for naught."

"Sacrifice? What…?" The implications of her words eventually hit him. Cloud whirled and dashed out of the shrine without a backward glance.

"Forgive me," whispered Aeris as her astral form vanished in white light.

xXxXxXx

The harp was damaged beyond repair, reduced to a pile of splintered wood and snapped strings. He shifted his rage-filled gaze to the crazed red-haired man responsible for destroying the instrument he needed to awaken the Sleeping Forest and reach his destination.

It had been a short, vicious battle. Out of the blue, the other man had charged at him with a concentrated fury, swinging his electricity-generating rod wildly like a man possessed. He could not fathom the reason for such antagonism from someone he hardly even knew. Despite his perplexity and surprise, he could still focus on his sword work, dealing out thrusts and strokes in rapid succession until his opponent lay immobile and bleeding on the ground. The battle had not been without cost to himself, seeing how his assailant had managed to break the Lunar Harp he had acquired with well-aimed shots fired from a pistol.

"Who are you?" he demanded of the wounded man on the ground who was struggling, and failing, to get up. Some of those cuts were quite deep as he had been too irritated by the loss of the harp to show any mercy. However, he had refrained from landing a fatal blow so that he could get some answers.

A hand was twitching towards the rod that lay just out of reach. He negligently kicked the weapon away, earning himself a baleful glare from the other man. Grabbing a handful of red hair, he pulled his attacker's head backwards until it bent at a painful angle. He took a moment to note that the man's eyes were not blue. "Why did you attack me?"

The man spat in his face. "Because you're a bastard who deserves it."

Even though it was refreshing to deal with open defiance instead of stark terror for a change, his patience was wearing thin. He roughly slammed the man's face against the ground and pulled the head back up. Crimson blood now dripped from a broken nose.

"It seems to me that you're deliberately trying to stop me from going to the City of the Ancients." His eyes narrowed in suspicion. "You wouldn't happen to know someone by the name of Cloud Strife, would you?"

A sharp intake of breath already gave him his answer, even as the redhead's bloodied mouth spouted his lies. "I don't know anybody by that name."

It would appear that no truthful answers would be forthcoming from his attacker unless he resorted to more brutal methods. He had found such acts repulsive but undeniably effective. He had no choice.

His first stab into the back of a thigh brought on a muffled grunt of pain. The redhead only started screaming in earnest when he twisted the sword. "Spare yourself further agony and just tell me what I want to know. I'll even let you live."

To his frustration, his offer of leniency only seemed to ignite his attacker's stubbornness. All he could elicit from the other man was a string of creative profanities. He was mildly impressed when this went on for a good fifteen minutes without any repetition. When it became obvious to him that the redhead would not break, he pulled the sword out and stepped away. He could respect loyalty, even in one who was weaker than him. "What is Cloud Strife to you? Why are you willing to go to such lengths to keep me away from him?"

"Screw… you."

"I have no intention of harming him, if that is what you're worried about," he said, swinging his sword sharply to flick away the blood on the blade.

"As if I'll believe you… Asshole!"

Shaking his head in exasperation, he began to walk away. He had been sidetracked long enough by this whole unpleasant incident. He would have to find a way to get another harp. To his bewilderment, the redhead's left hand shot out to seize hold of the heel of his boot, halting his movements.

"Where… do you think you're going? Do you think you can… just walk away like this?"

The redhead must have been delirious from pain and blood loss, to even attempt something as monumentally foolish as this. "Don't force me to kill you, worm."

"Do you think…" Eyes glazed and darkening, the other man did not appear to have heard him. "… that you can just come and take… what I've spent years working so hard to attain?"

Years? What the hell was the man talking about? Was he referring to the Lunar Harp? But the redhead himself had destroyed the harp without any sign of regret. "This is my last warning. Remove your hand before I remove it for you."

When the grip on his boot only tightened in response, he let out a hiss of annoyance and pivoted on his heel, his sword poised high above his head and ready to strike. At that precise moment, something heavy cannoned into him from his blind spot, knocking him over.

xXxXxXx

After seeing the state Reno was in, Cloud wanted more than anything else to continue pounding the monster responsible, to take full advantage of the initiative and element of surprise. In the end, his concern for the injured Turk overruled his bloodthirsty fury. He used those precious seconds when Sephiroth was momentarily stunned to gather Reno up and move back while simultaneously casting the strongest healing spells he had. He focused on sealing the larger wounds first to prevent further loss of blood.

"Cloud…?" croaked Reno.

Cloud almost wept with relief, but he could not afford to let his guard down. Sephiroth was already standing up and staring at him intently. Cloud glared back into those aquamarine eyes unflinchingly, at the same time using all his reserves to keep the redhead in his arms alive.

"You idiot! What are you doing here?" Reno snapped, pushing him away feebly. "If you plan on running away anyway, why bother coming back? You should've stayed inside the forest!"

"I should be asking you the same question." Cloud could not help smiling a little. An irate Reno was a Reno who wouldn't be dying anytime soon. "Isn't it the specialty of Turks to run away and hide when defeat is imminent?"

"The correct term for it is 'tactical retreat', you jerk. And stop changing the subject!"

Cloud would have broadened his smile if his mind wasn't too busy working out a plan to deal with the threat before him. It was too late to berate himself for not bringing along the Ultima Weapon or any of his attack Materias with him when he left Kalm. He hadn't foreseen the possibility of the resurrection of his old foe, though he wondered why he hadn't. It wasn't as if this was the first time Sephiroth had reappeared in front of him when he should have been dead.

Fight or flight? It would be madness to take on Sephiroth unarmed. Even as Cloud thought this, he made a mental note of the location where he had last caught sight of Reno's electromag rod. Escape would have been the smarter option, but Cloud knew better than to attempt it when Reno was still too weak to stand on his own. The option of escaping and leaving Reno behind was not even worth considering. His mind made up, Cloud shoved all the healing Materias he had in his possession, as well as the Lunar Harp, into Reno's hands. "While I distract him, turn around and head towards the Sleeping Forest," said Cloud softly so that only Reno could hear him. "A path will open up for you. Stay there and stay hidden."

Reno jolted into instant rigidity in his arms. When he spoke, there was an undercurrent of outrage in his voice. "If I have the strength now, I would have knocked your teeth out for daring to suggest that."

Cloud hardened his heart to exhibit cruelty that he was usually not capable of. He would rather have Reno alive and furious with him than… the other scenario that he did not even want to think about. "You're a hindrance, Reno. You're useless here. Get lost before you get killed." Without waiting for the Turk's response, Cloud dropped Reno on to the ground and slowly approached the silver-haired man who was silently watching them. He didn't turn around to see the expression on Reno's face and he didn't want to. He could only hope that Reno had the sense to follow his instructions.

It was truly unfair, Cloud thought as he faced off Sephiroth, to be offered life so shortly before death comes to claim him in the form of his most dangerous enemy.

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A/N: Believe it or not, the original ending I intended for this story is one whereby we don't know what the outcome of Cloud and Sephiroth's fight is, we don't know if Reno lives or dies, and we don't know whether Cloud and Reno would ever get back together. Something like what you've just read… And if you're anything like me, you'll feel like kicking the writer for coming up with such a crappy ending. So does this mean that there'll be another chapter? Most likely, yes.

I like happy endings. Sue me.