Days of Exile

A/N: Yep, so I made a boo-boo in the previous chapter! Will be more vigilant in my proofreading!

Are you able to spot the Final Fantasy X reference?

Chapter 4 – Reunion

10 December 0007

The front of the church was obviously empty. But the smell of magic lingered, confirming to Reno of someone's presence. Reno frowned. He could very well return to his motley three soldiers and capture Aerith, or he could step outside… just to be sure…

Screw this. He fumed to himself. If Aerith manages to escape from those dumb soldiers, then Tseng will just have to wait…

He walked towards the church door, but found himself increasing his speed until he was running towards the open door that will lead him to the outside of the church. The place was empty until he saw a movement; a figure running down the path. "Oh, no you don't." He muttered to himself and chased after the figure.

They ran, past the Sector 5 slums and soon Reno found himself at the Sector 6 slums. The entire area was completely obliterated because of the destruction of Zirconiade, but he'll look at that later. For now, Reno had caught up with the runaway. He grabbed hold of the slender figure and pulled the running person back. When her hoodie fell and her face was revealed, Reno knew that he didn't mistake the person at all.

"… Reno." The girl with dark, silky hair and bright hazel eyes stared at him. No doubt scared that she will be captured by Shinra and turned in. "I-"

Before allowing her to continue, Reno pulled the girl into his arms. "Meia." He said, his eyes stinging. "I knew it was your 'Aero'. … I'm so glad that you're alive."

"… Reno." Reno felt Meia relax and wrap her arms around him tightly. She buried her head and sniffled. "Reno." She said again. That was all she could say without breaking into tears.

"I found you, little Meia." He said affectionately. He felt Meia nod her head against his Turk uniform. They hugged each other, neither wanting to let go of the other. None of them cared about the occasional glance from passers-by. Not that the slums needed to care, the Turk uniform on Reno was a huge deterrent from prying eyes and ears.

At last, not really remembering who released the embrace first, they stared at each other. "You look old." Meia observed with a sly smile.

"YOU look old." Reno grinned, but he was lying. Meia's hair was no longer in pigtails. Instead, she let her hair down, curling it up at the ends. Meia was wearing a forest-green long-sleeved tunic that hung over her buttocks. She wore knee-length tights beneath her tunic to help her move around easier. In her hands, she clutched a large duffel bag. The same duffel that she took with her when she left Shinra and Midgar. "Finally lost the pigtails, yo?" He commented cheekily, pulling her soft hair as he spoke.

"Yeah. I guess I should comment how pretty your ponytail looks." She grinned. Reno groaned. It was Meia's idea, a long time ago when she was a Turk. She wanted Reno to keep his hair long and tie it into a ponytail. He did, when he was in Nibelheim with Rude. Thereafter, because of their clashing schedules, they barely had enough time to see each other, much less talk about hair.

"Why are you back here?" Reno asked. His face darkened. "Don't you know that you're exiled from Midgar forever?"

Meia hesitated. Should she tell Reno about what she saw in Icicle? If she did, how will it affect Shinra? She had not figured out what were Sephiroth's plans when she saw him in Icicle. Meia merely wanted to return to Midgar to be sure of Sephiroth's heritage and figure out his plans.

If Meia told him, what if Reno didn't buy it and take her back to Shinra? That was when she realized how close she was to playing with fire. In front of her stood a man that could decide to end her life there and then, wasn't that the reason why she ran away when she saw Reno inside the church?

No, Meia. She chided herself. You HAD to peek into Sister Aerith's church just to say hi. And when you saw Reno in the church, you HAD to stare and admire him. And when you saw that he was perspiring under the Turk suit… She really wanted to kill herself now. You HAD to 'send' some wind to cool him.

She was the biggest idiot in history.

She couldn't trust Reno yet. Not until she knows where Reno's heart lie.

"I came back to visit." She answered simply. Reno nodded and she knew that the Turks had indeed been keeping tabs on the whereabouts of Rod and Cassie. At least they knew that they are in Midgar, and not hiding someplace else. Meia hesitated, but Reno said nothing. The fact that Reno has yet to order any capture meant that the Turks have not taken any action on them. That gave Meia some hope. She peered at Reno. "What are you doing in Sister Aerith's church anyway?" She asked, hoping that her question will distract Reno.

Reno started at her question. "I… I was observing the Ancient." He fibbed coolly. "Since Cissnei left and Tseng became leader, there was no one to look out for her."

Meia knew that he was lying, but didn't want to press further. "Okay then."

"Meia," Reno stared at her, feeling uncomfortable at how easily she took his answer. "We… we shouldn't be seeing each other like this." Seeing that she stiffened at his suggestions, he continued to explain. "We are enemies now. I'm supposed to kill you on sight…" He trailed off, knowing that he couldn't hide anything from her. Not if he planned on ever seeing the girl again. "And you're right. Tseng has ordered the capture of the Ancient."

"What?"

"President Shinra has waited long enough for her. He wanted Tseng to capture it. And fast."

"But…" Meia struggled to keep her new thoughts out of her head. Images of Aerith being strapped down to the experimental table while Hojo grinned menacingly at her. Images of Aerith being connected by many tubes, or infused with Mako. Meia shook her head violently. "But Tseng has been… delaying the capture, hasn't he?" She asked, whispering on the word 'delaying' for fear of bringing the Wutaian trouble.

Reno looked away. "I was sent to capture her." He stared down the road, where the church was at. "I suppose she has gotten away."

It was moments like this that Meia couldn't understand what the redhead Turk was thinking. Whether he has completely returned to being a Shinra dog or whether he too, desires to be free from its death cycle. "Reno," She began. "About Tseng…" She trailed off, hoping that Reno would take over and answer her unasked question. Instead, he kept quiet. So Meia had to ask it explicitly. "Tseng, Rude and you did not answer us. We assumed that you are not leaving Shinra with us and it does seem the case." She said, observing his Turk uniform. It was now a shade of navy blue instead of the usual black that they used to wear. Looking at the change made her sad, for she felt the significance on how disposable the Turks were.

"Yes, it is." Reno said in a stiff voice.

"What are your plans then?"

"I follow him."

Meia felt her lip trembling at his words. "Really?"

"It's my job."

"What happened to all that guilt trips you had?" She asked Reno, forcing him to stare into her eyes. "The times where you know that you know that you know…" She paused, briefly not sure what she wanted to say. "… That Shinra is not doing good."

"You said that Shinra was a necessary predator in this world." Reno accused.

"I was naïve!" She gritted her teeth. How many times must she be reminded on how foolish she was to think that Shinra was doing evil things for the bigger good? "You know very well in your heart that Shinra cares absolutely nothing but his own prosperity!" She grabbed his shoulders and shook them. "It's all about the money, not the lives of the people! It's precisely because he killed his own people to attain that, that I can't see eye-to-eye with it anymore!"

She released her grip on his shoulders and paused to take a breath, but instead she thought of everyone who has died for Shinra's benefit. One by one, she whispered the names of those who gave their lives for a selfish cause. "Genesis, Angeal, Shelke…" Her heart ached at the girl whom she might never see again. "Patricia, Marshall… Our very own people… Zack Fair… and even that missing infantryman with him!" She looked at Reno, whose face was as emotionless as marble. "How about the other countless soldiers who died for Shinra? What did Shinra do? Simply bury them and hide their information. Using us. WE do the hiding and burying of evidence for Shinra!"

"Stop." Reno said, sighing. "I know all these. Nevertheless, I'm a Turk." His face bore no trace of warmth. It was cold and hard, the look that his enemies see on his face right before his EMR smashed their skulls. "A Turk pledges his life to Shinra and does his mission, no matter what cost. Haven't Veld instilled this to us enough?"

Meia choked a dry laugh. "Veld… Of all people to use to defend Tseng, you bring up Veld?" She glared at him. "Who was the genius who killed the very person who kept us together throughout the years?"

"Veld betrayed Shinra." Reno said coldly. "We could've gotten on fine without him."

"Because he wanted to reunite with his daughter. And you know very well that without Veld, the Turks would be an empty shell of puppets." Meia exhaled quick, angry breaths. "He was the only one who cared for us!"

"Stop!" Reno begged Meia. He grabbed her and pulled her close.

"Let… go!" She struggled violently against his strong grip in vain.

"Meia, listen." His voice appeared beside her ear and for some reason, Meia relaxed, slightly. "Listen to me, this may be our last chance."

Meia now, grudgingly, stopped thrashing in Reno's arms and listened. If they were to leave each other like this, it will be confirmed that they will become unwilling enemies. "I'm listening." She murmured.

"I can't leave." He spoke, so softly that if the Sector wasn't deserted, Meia wouldn't have heard him. "I can't leave Tseng and Rude behind."

"Re-"

"No, let me finish." Reno interrupted. "Tseng and Rude are my greatest friends. I owe it to them to be where I am today. If I leave Shinra, I cannot protect them and ensure that they don't perish under Shinra's oppression."

Meia thought that Tseng and Rude were a lot stronger than what Reno thought, but offered no correction.

"But being inside Shinra, not only can I keep the two of them. I can protect the other Turks… protect you. And if I don't behave this way… then everything will be futile."

Meia shook her head. "I'm not getting it."

For a moment, Reno did not speak. "You don't need to understand." He said. "Just… trust me. Even in the future when Shinra does worse things, don't… don't give up on me."

In Reno's arms, where all their issues melted away into nothingness, Meia felt hope and strength. "… Okay."

Suddenly, she felt Reno push her away. "Good Gaia, Meia! How can you trust my words so easily?" Reno placed a hand on his face. Meia raised an eyebrow at him. "I swear you will be defeated by the flippant trust you give everyone."

A moment ago, Meia would have argued back. But after Reno's words, Meia knew that trust was her only solution. She must believe in the man whom she adored and trusted all her life. Meia gave him a look that was full of sincerity, purity and warmth. "No, I do not place my trust flippantly. It's not your words I trust, it's you I believe in." She smiled. "If you say that you need to act like this… I believe you."

That was exactly why Reno was worried for her. Worried that she would one day be betrayed beyond his ability to save her. She was the oasis of his morality, what made Reno so inferior and strong at the same time. It has been a while since he thought of her as that, what with his romantic feelings for her replacing his initial feelings. Thinking back, Reno really treasured Meia because of how pure her presence was in Shinra.

He must protect her, every bit of her. She had lost enough of her innocence while she was a Turk. Reno cannot bear to lose anymore of her. Being in Shinra will at least, help him be in the know of many things. As long as Shinra doesn't see her, she'll be safe.

"… Whatever you think is fit." Reno said. Suddenly, he felt stupid for even allowing his cold exterior break for her sake. But he simply cannot be cold and heartless… not for her… never in front of her.

Meia held his hands gently, bringing Reno's thoughts back into focus. "I trust you, Reno." She said seriously. "It… It has been good to see you." She admitted with a bit of a blush. "I was worried for you. Worried that Shinra might execute the surviving Turks." She smiled at the turquoise eyes. "I'm glad that you're safe."

Her simple words never failed to break any façade that he carried. "I'm glad that you're back too." He pushed a small part of her fringe to the side. "I know it's a little… inappropriate to ask… but I don't know when we'll meet again." Meia cocked her head questioningly at him. Reno cleared his throat. "If you remember, which of course you do… we said that we'll take some time to figure out our feelings for each other…"

"Oh. That." She mumbled and looked down, suddenly very interested in her boots.

"Do you think…" Reno lifted her chin gently. Her bright hazel eyes stared into his own and Reno wondered how long it has been since he could admire her eyes and her fair, porcelain skin up close. "Do you think that maybe we still have a chance?"

"… Reno…" She said. "I-"

A loud ring from Reno's PHS stopped whatever she was going to say. With a nod from Meia, Reno gave an apologetic look and picked up his cell phone. "What is it, Tseng?" He asked in a dark voice. Why must his leader call at such a time as this?

"Where are you?" Tseng's deadpan came over the phone.

"… Somewhere." Reno replied with equal coldness.

"Return to HQ now. The Ancient has escaped."

"Tseng…"

"I expect a good reason from you for neglecting your mission."

Reno grimaced. The soldiers failed their mission much faster than he thought. He was hoping that they would still be chasing Aerith by the time he was done with Meia. Couldn't they at the very least contact me before returning straight to HQ? Reno grumbled within.

"Yes, sir." Reno replied respectfully and ended the call. Turning to Meia, Reno explained that he needed to leave immediately. With that, Meia was too happy to say goodbye, leaving his question unanswered. "We will meet each other again, right?" Reno asked hopefully. If this was the last time that they were going to meet, then screw Tseng's orders. He'd face any punishment for one more hour with Meia.

Fortunately, fate was kind to him. Meia smiled. "Of course we'll see each other. You better head back to the Shinra Building before Tseng comes pecking at you." She giggled as she straightened his collar and brushed some lint off his uniform in a manner that Reno could only describe as loving. "This won't be the last time we'll see each other." She assured and gave a cheeky grin. "Someone still owes me a trip to Chocobo Farm."

Reno grinned back. Damn her and her photographic memory. She doesn't forget a single event in her life, including this one where Reno promised to bring her to Chocobo Farm to cheer her up. "Sure."

Meia held up her pinky-finger and asked in the child-like manner that Reno had always adored. "Pinky promise?" She asked.

A thought lit in Reno's head. He smirked. "Better than a pinky promise." He bent slightly and gave the girl that he had been pining for a kiss on her lips. He pulled away and smiled triumphantly when he saw how she blushed. Served her right for not answering his question sooner. "You can count on me bringing you to the Chocobo Farm."

With that, Reno headed in the direction of the Shinra Building, but not before turning back one last time to look at the brunette to be sure that her appearance here in Midgar was not a dream.

Once Reno was out of sight, Meia pulled out her PHS and called Rodzen. Soon, a male voice picked up the call. "Rod here."

"Rod!" She cried happily.

"Meia?" Rod exclaimed. "Where are you now?" Meia explained to him that she had just returned to Midgar and needed to find them immediately. Although Rod sounded confused as to what the matter was that was so urgent, he did not ask further. "Cassie, Alana and I are in Kalm now. Hurry here."

"Couldn't you return to Midgar?" Meia asked in a small whiny voice. She had just traversed fields to reach Midgar and Kalm was about four hours away on foot.

"We won't be back till tomorrow. Come over, it's important."

Something in Rod's tone told Meia not to question further. Although Rod treated his work with seriousness, he bore no blind loyalty like that of the other Turks. Like Meia, he questioned the integrity of his job. Not that he was some righteous freak, he was a gang leader after all. There were many aspects of being a Turk that simply disagreed with his own morals, and he never tried to hide his displeasure. As such, when Rod was serious about his Turk job, Meia trusted him because it meant that he saw purpose and reason. Meia eventually agreed to go to Kalm and decided that she had better not become a child again, even if she had to walk four hours to Kalm.

She picked up her duffel bag and walked towards the gate leading to the world outside. Subconsciously, she touched her lips, where Reno's warmth lingered. No words could explain how just a touch could make all her fears and doubts in the past months disappear. However, now was not the time to soak in romance. Meia had an objective here and she had to find all her answers. Pushing her thoughts of Reno to the back of her mind, Meia began her trek to Kalm.

To her surprise, the trip to Kalm was easier than she remembered. Meia realized, with an amused smile, that being stronger in her combat skills, she was more capable of handling monsters and battles. At least, much better than she was traveling to Kalm for the first time, at 13 years old. She was very lucky to meet a few monsters then. This time she faced more adversity but it barely hindered her.

Kalm was situated close to a cliff by the sea. Meia almost keeled in delight when she first saw the sea. But that was years ago. Now, Meia had traveled many places across the Planet. She no longer faints over the joy at such a unfathomable thing, but she still finds herself admitting that there's nothing that she'll enjoy more than to sit by the sea.

Upon entering Kalm, she immediately noticed Rod by the gate. "Oi!" She yelled. Usually she would keep a low profile, but the streets of Kalm were unusually quiet today. Rod spotted Meia and immediately ran towards her, giving her a hug when they met.

"Good that you're here." Rod spoke in a low voice. "But it's too dangerous to talk here, come with me." Bewildered, Meia followed Rod. They entered a house to their right, where an old lady looked up from her sewing. She smiled at Rod and beckoned him to carry on.

"Rod?" Meia sounded very confused now. "Can you tell me why we are barging into someone's house?" Instead of answering her question, Rod walked to what looked like a closet door. Pulling it open, Meia gasped, for what was inside was not a closet, but a staircase leading down. "What is this place?" Rod grinned and assured her that she'll know soon. Giving the old lady an 'okay' sign, they descended the stairs.

It was dark, but Meia's eyes soon became used to the dimness of the room. What was in the old lady's basement was a studio apartment by itself. Complete with a small kitchenette, study table, a living room and two small rooms, the basement was enough for two. As she recognized Cassie and Alana sitting on the sofas in the living room, Meia felt that the place was a tad squeezy for four.

Both women stood up when they saw Meia. Cassie hugged Meia excitedly and Meia laughed at the friendliness the shotgun specialist exuded, it was as if nothing has changed. At the side, Alana gave Meia a nod but Meia wasn't going to accept that. Meia ran to Alana and gave her a fierce hug. "It's good to see all of you again." Meia said. Cassie had been one of the friendliest colleagues in the Turks and Alana was her mentor who spent more than what was required of her duty to train her in using a gun. Alana was someone who showed her loyalty and love through her absolutely subtle actions rather than her words. Hardly anyone remained offended once they knew the motivation behind her sharp words and polite-yet-apathetic attitude.

"We've just arrived when you called." Rod explained. "We've just met Alana today as well."

"I returned from Wutai last week." Alana added. "Rodzen and Cassie said that they had something urgent to show me…" Alana allowed herself to make the smallest of grins. "And it is something."

"So where are we?" Meia looked around her. No matter how she imagined, she could only imagine that these were living quarters of somebody. "Is this some sort of hideout away from Midgar?"

Then, the door opened and two people stepped out. When Meia turned to see who it was, her jaw almost dropped. "… V… Veld?"

Edit: Changed some grammatical mistakes. And apparently I seem to mistake Reno and Rod too much. Must. Change.

Thank you for reading.

I have been busy with work, but I'm still blogging here and there about writing and my stories. Feel free to visit: aichioluv blogspot. I'm sure you know what to put in between :)