The months went past quickly, and soon, Reno was a fully fledged member of the Mounted Unit. The day went by in a blur, but he remembered ending up in his mare's stall.

He had changed. He had lost a lot of weight, not that he had the weight to loose. His hair was dull and lifeless, and spent most it's time tied back and hidden. He paled, and spent all his time at work. He missed Sarjah more than he let on. He hadn't been able to let go since their affair which had been ended by none other than Vincent Valentine who had always had it out for Reno. From then, he had always admired Sarjah from afar, and had persuaded her to let him have Lily. The girl looked so much like her Mother.

He had ended up naming her Spirit of Sarjah. Her nickname was Spirit. He adored her, and was surprised when he discovered how attached he had become. He looked forward to working with her. William's nicked the mare, every so often, and Reno never relinquished her willingly. She was his horse. And he didn't like sharing. He hadn't liked sharing Sarjah with the SOLDIER Puppy, but he had no choice.

But on his first day, he sat on her back as proud as a new Dad. He wore cargo trousers, and a body vest under the white shirt and fluorescent jacket. He had his helmet on, flattening his bright red hair. She was causing a stir with passers by. Everyone wanted a pet, or a stroke, and to her credit, she took it well. She stood still, flicking her tail and swivelling her ears. A blonde woman and black haired male appeared, shielding their eyes from the sun as they gazed up at him.

"Reno! It's good to see you! It's been too quiet in the office without you." Elena breezed, and stared up at him. She cocked her head, and smiled.

"Well, I've been busy. Y'know, Mounted Unit and all." He muttered, almost bitterly.

"I have to say Reno, I am impressed. I didn't think you'd manage it. You can have your job back." Tseng announced, clearly expecting Reno to start crying and thanking him for his kindness. Instead, the red head tipped his head.

"No thanks."

Elena stared at him, the shock clearly written on her face, her blue eyes wide. If Tseng wasn't so stoic, Reno was sure he would've spluttered or cursed loudly. Instead, he swallowed his shock and nodded once.

"Why do you refuse your position Reno? I heard you were bitching that you thought I was being unfair." He said in his monotone voice, staring up at his old friend. Inside, he was freaking out. Reno was their best chopper pilot, and a damned good Turk. He couldn't afford to loose him, but he had never considered that his plan could backfire. His plans never backfire.

"I like it here. This is good fun. And it's a relaxing job. I don't know yo. This just seems to fit with me."

"Uh-huh. What have you named the horse again?"

"Um…Spirit." He looked down at Tseng's face, and rolled his eyes, "Spirit of Sarjah."

Tseng nodded, and walked off. Elena gave Reno a sympathetic wave, and jogged to catch up with Tseng before they returned to their "patch" where they patrolled for a few hours each day.

Reno sighed, patting the neck of his mare and glaring at them between her ears. Her coat seemed to have become brightened a lot, and seemed to glow. Her mane and tail were just a black, raven black, and she was still as gangly and leggy as she had been. She hadn't filled out like they thought.

She snorted softly, and a passing group of school girls stopped to take a picture with her and pat her neck. She took it in silence, seeming to know what they wanted and barely moved.

He nudged the girls aside, and squeezed her sides to ease her into a trot. She obediently launched herself into a springy trot, and let him direct her. He stopped her, and leant over to surprise the male he had been pursuing. Leaning out of the saddle, he reached out and gripped the back of the black haired male's collar.

"Zack? What the hell, yo?" He suddenly protested and the violet eyed male looked up at him. He looked so lonely and so depressed that Reno felt a huge surge of pity roll towards the male.

"What now, Reno?" He snapped, and pulled away from the Mounted Officer's hand. He jumped when the mare stuck her nose into his hands, but he instinctively found himself rubbing her neck and her forehead. She snorted softly, and nuzzled at his cheek. Reno could swear she understood the need to be sympathetic towards the 2nd Class SOLIDER.

"I just…I wanted to know how you were."

"Fine. Thanks for asking." He murmured, and stroked her forelock. She nudged him, thrusting her nose into his hands and nudging at his pockets. Zack actually chuckled and kissed the whorl on her forehead. She stood stock still, and allowed him to do so.

Reno slipped down, and took hold of the reins under her chin, but she didn't move. She stood patiently, ears swivelling to the sounds of the city around him. She pushed her nose against Zack again, and Reno handed him the mints to allow him to give her one.

"She seems to like you." Reno murmured, rubbing his hand down her neck. Zack smiled, and held his hand out flat. She snatched the mint off him, and tossed her head while she ate it.

"Sarjah owned a couple of horses. I even had my own." He replied and looked to the read head before gazing around the city. His dead fiancée was a touchy subject for him. His dead parents, he could talk about them until the cows came home. But there was no way he would willingly talk about the woman he loved so much. They had two children, twin girls. They lived in a very cute little house and had brilliant jobs each which meant they never had to worry about money. And then their peace and happiness was cruelly snatched away.

"How are the children?" Reno asked quietly, tenderly broaching the subject. Zack looked at the floor, and fiddled with the engagement ring he refused to take off.

"They're…they're not doing so well. They keep asking for Mummy, keep asking me when she's coming home. How can I tell them that she's never coming home? They're five."

"You don't know she's never coming home. She went missing, Zack. Yes we found her blood, but we never found her body."

"Reno, don't. You need to let go. Stop clinging onto hope and face the facts. She's never coming back."

"That's what everyone thought about Sephiroth."

He watched the raven haired pup and the SOLDIER let his shoulders slump. Pain flickered briefly across his face, and he looked away from the Turk with a nibble on his lip.

"I named her Spirit of Sarjah."

"Yeah, I know. I saw it written on her door when Angeal sent me down. Sweet." He looked around and checked his watch, "You should rest Reno. You look awful."

Reno watched him as he walked away, and frowned. He lifted himself back into the saddle, and started to move the two of them forwards. It was a nice evening, but a cold one. He shivered into his jacket, and pulled the collar up around his face.

He kicked her into a fast walk, and the two of them hurried back towards the Shinra building. He was nearly at the end of his shift, when he could go home, and go out and just get himself trashed. Although he looked forward to getting laid, his senses were still on high alert, all though maybe he was a little more highly strung than usual.

She walked on quietly, and he looked to his right. A flash of dyed red caught his attention, and he turned her. But he slumped when he realised he was imagining things. He stared at the empty bus stop, and ruffled the mane in front of him.

He missed Sarjah more than he ever thought possible.