Days of Exile

Yes! I'm back as promised! This is a pretty special chapter because it marks another milestone in the story. Sit back, and try not to flame me!

Chapter 47 – The Way Back Home

Previously on Days of Exile…

Meia and Legend were chased out of Wall Market by a group of slum citizens who distrusted Shinra. They distrusted the company so much that they would rather die under Meteor's inferno than to be led by Shinra again.

We have also caught a glimpse of Ruvie (who was Reeve Tuesti's mother), Denzel and their life living in Sector 5. Reeve's personal assistant, Kent, had gone to Ruvie to encourage her again to leave Midgar. He also hinted to her that Reeve was withholding visiting her due to his shame from allowing Sector 7 to be destroyed. Ruvie showed her forgiveness by delivering her hand-made handkerchiefs to her son.

Back to AVALANCHE, Cloud had sent everyone away to search for what they were fighting for. Everyone had somewhere to go to, except Tifa…

14 January 0008 (Seven days to Meteorfall)

Cloud and Tifa spent a long time talking to each other, though Tifa felt that something was different between the both of them. What was once a barrier that she could not penetrate was gone. Cloud's heart was opening up again. Their heart-to-heart talk was the first step towards recovering their friendship.

I'm just glad that things are free and not withheld from each other. She smiled to herself. I don't want him to keep secrets from me anymore. From today on, we will slowly find our way back to what we once called "home" again.

Cloud suddenly stopped talking. "Hey, Tifa…" he said, soundly a little embarrassed. "I… There are a lot of things I wanted to talk to you about."

Huh? He does?

"But now that we're together like this, I don't know what I really wanted to say… I guess nothing's changed at all… Kind of makes you want to laugh…"

Tifa shook her head. Oh Cloud, why is it that you are so unsure about yourself? What is it about yourself that you cannot trust? Do you really think that people cannot tell how you feel when you say nothing?

"Cloud… Words aren't the only thing that tell people what you're thinking…"

Your actions, your behaviour, your reactions… they speak so much louder than your words. They are definitely more honest about your thoughts than your verbal fabrication. Everyone knows that you are not the cocky, nonchalant SOLDIER that we met in Sector 7 at all. Tifa tucked a piece of hair behind her ears and closed her eyes. The fact that people trust you with their lives, doesn't that speak volumes about the character that you are?

Cloud did not respond. Tifa Lockhart turned around to see Cloud, turning a shade of red. Tifa looked at him in confusion. "Um… actually…" he stammered. "I kinda wanted to talk about us."

Tifa's pink face matched Cloud's. "Good Gaia," she groaned. "And I just said about not needing words…! That was not what I was thinking!" She quickly tried to explain. "I thought you were going to apologise about how you had been since the Sector 1 bombing. Not…!" Tifa covered her face with her hands. "I'm so sorry!"

To her relief, Cloud Strife burst out laughing. "Why are you apologizing? You could not have known what I was going to say!" He said in between his laughs. "Although what you said was pretty titillating."

She smiled. That arrogant ex-SOLDIER she met a few weeks back would not have that kind of expression that he was having now.

"That being said, I am serious about this." Cloud quickly sobered. "I'm afraid that I have to be frank." Tifa's heart sank, knowing where this would lead to. "We were sort of close as children, and I have a tiny idea of how you feel towards me…"

Tifa quickly turned around, suddenly embarrassed that Cloud knew of her feelings. She knew that she was obvious in her actions, but had she been THAT obvious? Oh well. Who was she kidding? She cleared her throat really loudly when Cloud and Aerith were doing their whole I-knew-you-will-rescue-me skit while being locked up in the Shinra Building. Tifa groaned inside. Why could she not tell how Cloud felt towards Aerith then? She really did not like where everything was going, but it was too late to regret.

"I appreciate your support, Tifa." Cloud's voice was soft, but sincere. "Without it, I would have died out in Midgar, or in the Lifestream. However, I cannot reciprocate your feelings now… not now at least."

"I know," said Tifa. "I know you care for…" She trailed off as she realized what he said. "Not now?"

The blond nodded. "I have business to settle with Sephiroth, and the Planet is in a crisis… I'm not in the best state of mind. I'm still not very sure which memories are mine, and which are Zack's. As much as I would like to sort out this mess, I can't." He walked towards Tifa and held her hand, not romantically, but of one giving a promise. "Give me some time after this," Cloud said firmly. "And I will give you an answer that you deserve. It's a promise."

"…" Tifa clenched her fingers around his hand firmly. "It's a promise," she echoed. "You have all the time you need. I'll be right here."

15 January 0008 (Six days to Meteorfall)

A throbbing headache.

That was the first thing that registered in Rufus Shinra's mind when he regained consciousness. He squinted against the brightness of the room, groaning.

How long was I out? The last thing I remember was…

He remembered. The attack of WEAPON on Shinra Building. Sliding down the escape chute. Finding out the password to opening the panic room. Seeing the relieved faces of Reno and Rude.

Rufus tried to sit up, but found it hard to do. His broken ribs were still sore and healing. So it had not been that long since the attack.

"Oi, boss," murmured a familiar voice. "Try not to get up, yo?"

The rude phrase and manner could only belong to Reno, the person in charge of the Turks while Tseng was away. He had always found Reno annoying. Could he not act more like his age (which was, by the way, the same age as Rufus)? However, Rufus had seen how Reno handled everything when Tseng was away. Rufus Shinra had to admit; Reno had some quality of a good leader, if he was not fooling around in his work most of the time.

Rufus' voice was slurred, like someone jabbed his lips with a paralyzing sting. "Where… What time…"

"You're in the Midgar hospital, it's about two days since you passed out." Reno answered for him. "The Shinra Buidling is safe, but the people here are not." He glanced around him. "They do not know who you are. But if they do…"

Rufus closed his eyes to indicate that he understood. He was alive. He was really alive. He was supposed to die when WEAPON attacked the building, but here he was. He cheated Death and was alive. All intentions of dying were removed from his mind.

Reno's voice forced him to pay attention again. The Turk quietly gave him a detailed report of what had happened. Rufus barely registered what he had said. Then, Reno said, "As soon as you are ready, we will arrange the helicopter to bring you to Nibelheim."

Rufus frowned. "What for?"

The Turk tried his hardest not to give him a "duh" stare. Rufus could tell. "We need to move you as far away from Midgar as possible," said the redhead flatly.

"No," said Rufus firmly. "Move me to Kalm. Father should still have that villa around."

Reno was taken aback by Rufus' answer. "But… Kalm is too near…" He groaned. "Tseng will kill me if I moved you there."

"I insist." The President closed his eyes to end the conversation. He could hear Reno sighing in resignation. Kalm would be a good place. He would be able to stand by and watch everything be destroyed. Furthermore, if he could come up with a solution later on to destroy Meteor, then Kalm would be an easier location to give his orders from.

Like it or not, Midgar was his home. He will at least sit by and watch it be destroyed, if it came down to it. It was just not like him to run away from a problem like that. Not when his family were the main perpetrators to the whole disaster.

16 January 0008 (Five days to Meteorfall)

Meia was back at Sector 5 again, as a ten year old child. They were playing hide and seek in the Wall Market. Meia peeked out from the gaps of the wooden crates. Sunny had already found Carmelle and Tihan. The three of them were now looking for her. She tried not to giggle loudly. No one would ever find her – she was the best hider in the entire group. She knew every corner like the back of her hand.

Suddenly, the top of the crate lifted – Meia looked up, her hazel eyes wide-open. Was she already found so easily? A familiar face looked down at her, his face full of surprise. "Me-" He stopped when Meia placed a finger over her lips. Then, he smiled, understanding fully what was happening. He promptly closed the lid of the crate and walked away.

Thank you, Brother Samuel. Meia beamed. Of all the shopkeepers in Wall Market, Brother Samuel was the youngest shopkeeper. Naturally, he understood children's' desire to play. It was times like this that he would not interfere with their play, even if it interfered with his business sometimes.

Meia watched the trio run around aimlessly, flipping through as many things as they can without getting scolded by the shopkeepers. Finally, the trio neared the crate where Meia was hiding. She grinned and with a flourish, she stood up from where she was standing.

"Boo!" She laughed.

The looks on the children's faces were priceless. "Meia!" Carmelle gasped. "You've been hiding here all this while?"

"But… But Samuel said that he did not see you… Ah!" Sunny turned to Samuel with realization. "You helped her!"

The man chuckled. "I was speaking the truth! I saw her after you asked me." He folded his arms. "I just conveniently didn't tell you guys!"

"No way!"

Tihan laughed and turned to Meia. "You've got yourself an ally, huh?" He smiled warmly.

"But you know that my best allies are the three of you, right?" Meia giggled, hugging her three friends tightly. "I rather be allies with the three of you than with anyone else in this world!"

Sunny and Carmelle patted her head fondly. "Alright!" said Sunny. "Playtime is over. We need to finish up our work before we can go home!"

Everyone chorused in agreement.

Meia opened her eyes, recognizing the plain white ceiling in front of her.

Heh. She smiled to herself. It's been a while, Sunny, Tihan and Carmelle.

The bed and room, which she shared with KK and the girls, was empty. Sunlight was streaming in her grimy window and broken blinds. We ought to fix this place up, but I guess there's no need for it now.

Where is everyone else? A quick look at the clock told her the answer. It's already 12 in the afternoon? I guess everyone's out with the evacuation. Meia sat up on her bed and scratched her hair. Last night everyone had reported that the evacuation had been rather successful. Even citizens who initially showed distrust eventually obeyed the orders. Only Legend and I have not done anything in Sector 5. She recalled how it hurt to see Samuel's face, one that once had a ready grin for Meia, Sunny, Tihan and Carmelle, was now a full scowl at her uniform.

Meia walked out of the room, yawning. When she caught sight of the person sitting at the table, she tripped over her own feet in surprise. "R… Reno!" She exclaimed.

"Good morning, little Meia." Reno smirked. He looked most at home with a cup of coffee and newspaper in his hand. "Rather, good afternoon. Sleeping in at a time like this? You must be enjoying the high life, yo?"

Meia glanced around her. "Where is everyone?"

"Rod's out in the front, fixing a motorcycle. He was the only one at home when I came here. He let me in and gave me coffee." Reno looked around him in fascination. "So… this is where you guys hide, huh? A pretty comfy place for the few of you." He glanced at Meia's skeptical look. "Aww come on, it's not like I'm here with the cavalry, swearing to bring the four of you back to Shinra." He grinned.

"The four of…" Meia realized that Reno had no idea that everyone (except Jasper) was back in Midgar. For some reason, Rod did not tell Reno too. It seemed likely that Rod did not tell Reno that everyone else was here in case Shinra decided to come here to arrest everyone. However, Meia sensed more mischief behind the intention of Rod's omission, and she smiled to herself. She would play along for now and ask Rod later. "When did you find out about our hideout?" Meia asked. "I figured that you would know where we are eventually, but just curious."

"Tseng knew of this place long ago, but he only told us yesterday, because I asked him." Reno looked at Meia's getup. "Are you going to go out with me looking like that?" He teased.

"Looking like what?" Meia looked at her own pajamas. "Won't this do?" She grinned.

"It's cute, but you might consider wearing jeans today."

"Huh?"

The metal door rattled and Rod walked into the living room. "Sup, Meia," Rod greeted. "Have you had your breakfast? Cassie left eggs and ham in the stove."

"Where are the others?" asked Meia, going to the refrigerator to get herself chocolate milk. "You know… Cassie and KK?"

Rod was mildly impressed when he heard Meia's words. He did not expect Meia to catch on to his scheme and play along with it. "The others have left early. I will join them later. You coming?"

"Oh no, she won't," interrupted Reno before she could say anything. "I am bringing her out today."

"But… the people…"

Reno looked at her seriously. "Are they going to be affected if you were not there?" Meia looked away, thinking painfully of Sector 5. "I guess not." Reno looked at Rod. "I'll get her back by nightfall so that she could start early tomorrow."

"I'm not her father. You don't have to report to me." Rod broke into a slow grin. "You can have her through the night for all I care." Meia turned to Rod, horrified of his bold suggestion. "Although it would be awesome to see you show some manners around the old man, huh?" He teased, stroking an imaginary beard.

"Stuff it, Rod." Reno looked at Meia. "So are we going out today or what?"

Meia broke into a wide and sincere smile. "Of course! I'll just get changed. Um, Rod? I kinda want to take a shower but I'm having trouble with the water. A second, please?" Rod shrugged and followed Meia. When they were alone, she looked at him suspiciously. "What's with the secrecy of not telling Reno about Haato and the others?"

The redhead shrugged. "Why not? We don't know whether Reno would go back and cry 'Wolf' on us, not that I don't trust him. Anyway, isn't it more fun to keep things under wraps? We'll reveal everything to him in due time, I'm sure."

Meia shook her head at him. "For Gaia's sake, I hope you know what you're doing." Then, she felt a little uncomfortable saying that. For once, a phrase such as 'for Gaia's sake' had so much more truth in it than plain exaggeration.

Out in the fields of Midgar, Reno pulled his motorcycle to a stop and motioned Meia to get off too. Meia did, thankful that she heeded his advice on wearing jeans. She looked around her. She did not expect him to bring her out of Midgar. Moreover, the sight of a red-tiled roof, a silo and a stable made her gasp.

"Chocobos!" She looked at Reno excitedly. "You are bringing me to see chocobos!" She could almost hear the warks of the yellow creatures.

"I haven't forgotten our promise," said Reno fondly. If he knew how happy it would made her, he would have made it a point to bring her here earlier.

Her face flushed with happiness and excitement. "That's because I kept reminding you!"

"No way!" Reno protested. "Now, aren't you glad you wore jeans now?" He wrapped an arm around her waist. "Wouldn't be a pretty sight to see you riding a chocobo with a dress, would it?"

Reno shook his head at Meia. "I can't believe it." He shook his head again and repeated. "I really can't believe it."

Meia stuck out her tongue at him. "Admit it, I am a much better chocobo rider than you are!"

The redhead sighed. "This is why I hate people who learn things so easily!"

"Chocobo riding is not THAT hard! You should try snowboarding!" said Meia, reaching out a hand to caress the soft feathers of the bird's body. Her other hand stretched out and the chocobo dipped its head to meet her hand. "Oh, you're such a sweetheart," she cooed. "You are especially sweet because you helped me win against Reno so many times!"

Reno sighed. He professed that he was not a good chocobo rider, but he did not expect to lose to Meia so easily, in such a short time. It was no surprise that she could learn quickly – he remembered that she learnt how to do handstands in less than an hour. However, it kinda sucked to lose to an amateur like that sometimes.

"Alright, the best chocobo rider in all of Gaia," said Reno, dodging a playful punch in the process. "I will treat you to dinner, yo?" Meia cheered in response.

"And so I was saying to KK, 'I think it's better that I take over the cooking.' She looked so bummed out," said Meia to Reno. They were walking towards the Shinra Building, because Reno said that he had something for her but left it in his room. "Rod was like, 'KK, aren't you the specialist in knives?' And KK said, 'I am trained to stab people, not cook them.'" Meia giggled. "Poor KK."

"… Yeah."

Meia peeked at Reno. After dinner, Reno seemed so… distracted about something. She thought. She wondered what happened or what he saw that made him so distracted. I hope it's not because of the chocobo race thing, she thought, half in jest. She did not question him further, but tried very hard to keep the conversation going. It was difficult, because Reno became more distracted.

The Shinra Building was empty when they entered. Last time, there would be a couple of straggling overtimers and SOLDIERs. However, with the current crisis, almost all the staff had left the company. Meia doubted that anyone would notice her entrance. They entered the elevator, and Reno pressed the button to Floor 53. Meia smiled. It used to be such a casual action, but Meia missed it. How she wished nothing had changed since she became a Turk! Meh, she scoffed. Still thinking about these things. They will lead me to nowhere.

"Meia, you okay?" Reno pushed back her fringe gently. "You went quiet all of a sudden."

Meia snorted. "I was just… reminiscing… You're one to talk. You are freaking me out with your silence." Reno laughed dryly. The elevator doors opened, leading to a familiar corridor. "Seriously, Reno… are you alright?"

"I'm fine… Meia, I was just thinking… about something." Reno coughed. "Anyway," he said quickly in an effort to change the subject. "Guess you miss this place, huh?"

Meia shrugged. "Of course."

"We have been through so much. Do you… Naw, I know you don't, but I still wonder if I should've brought you back here last time." Reno quickly continued when he saw Meia's face turned into a look of horror. "I mean… you had all those ideals, things that I never really cared about anymore." They stopped right outside his room. "If you hadn't become a Turk, you would still hold those wonderful values and live happily."

"Wrongo." Meia slapped both sides of his face with her hands. "If you were not there to take me back, I would have died."

Reno laughed. "Meia, Meia. Your mindset is so different. You had no idea how much of a change you've made over here. You completely messed up everything that I had planned, you made me feel so small sometimes." He pinched her cheeks. "I really wonder how life would be if I didn't meet you."

"No, Reno," Meia argued. "You don't understand. You are the one who changed my life, gave me a new family, gave me a purpose to live. I'm sorry that I messed up whatever plans you have," She laughed. "But you gave me everything that I could ever hope for." She hugged him tightly. "You may think that I would have a better life had I not been a Turk, but I think I'm living the best life now. You can't chase me away. I'm not going anywhere else, Reno." Meia smiled, squeezing him tighter. "This is where I belong."

Reno looked around him. "In Shinra?"

"You sure know how to kill a mood." Meia sighed.

Reno smirked. "But I definitely know how to get it back." He leant forward and kissed her. She held onto him and breathed in his scent. But he quickly pulled back, his face full of embarrassment. "I'm sorry…"

Meia stared at him quizzically. "Sorry?" She said.

Reno slapped his hands onto his cheeks in embarrassment. "I lied to you, Meia. I had no intention to bring you back to your house tonight." Meia listened, her face burning as she realized what he meant. "Asking you to come by my room because I left something… that was a tactic that I always used with… with the other girls…"

If Meia was not in shock herself, she would pity Reno on some level. She could not describe how embarrassed he looked. "Reno… you-"

"But I don't want it to be like that with you!" Reno said firmly. "You are special; the one and only Meia. And… I don't know, please don't laugh at me." To Meia's surprise, he took her hand and brought it to his lips. "Meia Etsky," he said with sincerity. "I love and care for you more than anything that I could imagine. Please spend more time with me, as long as you can… well, at least for tonight." He ended cheekily.

Meia stared at him… and then she burst out laughing. "Oh my gosh, Reno! You do know that for the rest of your life, I'm going to laugh at how awkward you look tonight." She grinned. "Men are THAT willing to put their egos down, just to score?"

"Nope," Reno denied quickly. "It's just you. I'm not afraid to look stupid in front of you, Meia." He smiled.

"And I'm not going home tonight, Reno." Meia said boldly.

Of course, in her mind, thoughts were buzzing. She did promise that she will return to the hideout tonight. She intended to leave with Legend the next morning to try her luck again at Sector 5. She would need to leave real early in the morning, would she not? Wait, first of all, what was she going to do, now that she boldly expressed her intention to stay? She had no experience, she did not know what to expect.

Legend would definitely laugh at me if he knew about this-

Meia's thoughts all fled when Reno kissed her again.

Heck, Legend can wait. He of all people will understand.

All she could feel was his lips, gentle, yet eager. She vaguely remembered him pulling her closer and carrying her by her back and the small of her knees. She had a fuzzy idea of wrapping her arms around his neck, clinging on to him. Then, there was the sound of his door opening and them entering the room without switching on the lights.

The last thing she remembered clearly was how in the moonlight, his flaming red hair seemed to glow in delight.

And his signature scent of fresh laundry.

Tada. Done. Now after you guys stop screaming and pulling out your hair in either ecstasy, disgust or apathy, do drop by my blog, or leave a review below!

Once again, I salute your patience! Have a wonderful week ahead!