Elena

*

                The water shifts like a restless warrior, a deep, violent blue like a cheap imitation of the night sky, the reflection of the stars dancing on the surf and the thrashing waves.

                Elena doesn't understand how a lake can look like this; she thought only oceans moved in that ruthless, dangerous manner. She does understand why the Wutaians believe that there is a water god here. Only a deity could explain the savageness of the deep water, only a god could keep it from ceasing, from settling into a calm pond. "Leviathan," she whispers. It sounds like a curse.

                "Elena," says a voice.

                Elena spins, she though she was alone, she wants to be alone now.

                "What are you doing, Elle?"

                It's Reno, of course. It could only be Reno; he'd be the only one who'd interrupt her now, the only one either stupid or maybe smart enough to.

                "I'm not doing anything, go away."

                Someone had told Elena once that you couldn't tell someone's hair was red in the moonlight, it looked black, but Elena finds this isn't true. Reno comes and stands beside her, his hair flaming like the dormant sun. "Like hell you aren't doing anything."

                Elena doesn't reply. The wind continues to whip the frenzied water like a tortured slave, the stars are like wounds. Elena feels tortured. "How'd you find me?"

                Reno shrugs. He has a cigarette in his hand, he flicks off the ashes, they drift downward and disappear in the waves. "We're both Turks, aren't we? I didn't know there were any lakes in Wutai, thought it was all the stupid barren desert." He raises the cigarette to his lips, then lowers it without breathing. "You weren't… you weren't going to jump, Elle, were you?"

                Elena looks down. Below the rocks where she stands, the water reminds her even more of an open wound. She'd have to be a lot braver to jump into that aquatic Hades. "No, of course not. Why would I jump?"

                Reno shrugs again and then throws down his cigarette, stamps on it. When he speaks, Elena can't tell whether it's his answer or if he's trying to change the subject. "It's been pretty hard on you. You really did… you know… like Tseng, didn't you." He says it just like that, doesn't end it like a question.

                Elena begins to turn away, decides she looks idiotic, turns to face Reno instead. "No. Just a silly crush, a schoolgirl thing. I'm surprised you even noticed."

                Reno doesn't look at her, gazes at the water instead. He doesn't look healthy, the moonlight is making him more pale, his scars look like they're still knife wounds that haven't healed over yet. "'Course I noticed." He smiles a little bit. "I'm not that stupid. Yet."

                Elena tries to laugh and doesn't succeed.

                "You don't have to lie to me, Elle."

                "Excuse me?" She knows perfectly well what he said.

                "It was more than 'schoolgirl'." He shrugs, smiles again, only very slightly. "I thought you were going to have a nervous breakdown after he asked you to dinner. Hell, I thought you'd loose it and cry all over your shrimp pasta."

                Elena looks down and away. She doesn't want to talk about this. Reno shouldn't make her talk about this. "Well, I never got the chance to prove that hypothesis, did I?"

                Reno lifts one thin arm up and around her shoulder. The movement is awkward, but the meaning sincere. He doesn't say anything.

                Elena wishes he'd say something.

                "Aeris Gainsborough died too. That Ancient." Says Reno.

                This was neither what Elena anticipated nor what she wants to hear. She stiffens instead, hunching her shoulders under Reno's touch. "Yes, I know Tseng liked her, don't bother to point it out, thanks."

                Reno shakes his head. "I wasn't going to. Anyway, that's irrelevant because our Ancient buddy was in love with Cloud, I hear from very reliable sources."

                "What sources, exactly?"

                "Very reliable ones. Anyway, I congress. Let's run through this. Who did Sepiroth kill?"
                Elena feels hopeless but answers him anyway. "Tseng and Gainsborough."

                "Who was in love with them?"
                "Cloud."

                "Cloud and?"

                Elena swallows hard. "Me."

                "Very good, very good, ten points. Now then, enough about you, let's focus on Cloud. Now, he was in love with Aeris, true or false?"

                "True, according to your 'sources', anyway."

                "Now, Aeris is dead, true or false?"

                "True."
                "Now, let's take a brief overview. Sepiroth killed the woman Cloud loved. Cloud, naturally, was very depressed about all this, he was very sad indeed, he was no mood to continue his annoying little quest, he wanted to settle down somewhere and change his name to George the Fish and just wallow and feel sorry for himself."

                "And how do you know all this?"

                "My Very Reliable sources, how else?"

                Elena shakes her head.

                Reno continues. "Well, now, that's covered. Now, bonus question, what is Cloud doing at the moment? A: Changing his name to George the Fish and getting ready to wallow, or B: Screwing around in Wutai, working diligently on his little quest and annoying us during our vacation?"

                "B?"
                "Dingdingding, twelve points! Now, what is the moral of this story?"

                Elena feels petulant. "Don't change your name to George the Fish, it'll cause bank problems?"

                "Don't get snarky with me, rookie. The moral of this story is that if someone you love dies, you don't go and feel sorry for yourself, you live with the knowledge that they're watching over everything you do and act accordingly!" Reno nods and drops his arm back to his side. "That is the moral of the story."

                Elena doesn't reply, she peers at the lake again. The water is beginning to calm a little bit as the wind subsides, the stars look like sequins on a piece of dark blue silk. Or maybe some silver coins scattered over the back of a Turk uniform.

                Reno begins to leave.

                "Hey!" calls Elena irritably. "Where are you going?"

                "Back to the Turtle's Paradise," replies Reno. "I feel like getting drunk." He looks Elena in the eyes, turquoise striking topaz. "Are you going to come with me?"

                "I…."

                "Tseng probably would have wanted you to," adds Reno casually.

                Elena looks at the lake, then back at her colleague.

                There is a silence, heavy as velvet in the misty night air. Reno starts to walk away again.

                "Wait!" cries Elena. Reno grins and begins to speed up.

                "You moron!" says Elena, scolding him with laughter in his voice. "Wait for me, I said!" she catches up to him, and they walk away together, the forest finally hiding them from view.

                On the surface of the now-calm water, you can see the reflection of a shooting star.