A/N: There are a few disjointed and potentially confusing scenes ahead, but hopefully they will still make sense to most of you. Also, this story has AU elements to it, so if you find parts that don't tally with the FFVII universe you're familiar with, you know the reason.

Snapshots

A Final Fantasy VII Fanfiction by ntc

Part 7

Reno remembered the first time he had allowed Cloud to be taken by someone else. It was his own decision that time. He had understood how much Zack had meant to Cloud, and how much Cloud longed to return to his side. Despite all the hardships and danger that the SOLDIER had put Cloud through by rebelling against Shinra, Cloud had never once blamed Zack. Cloud's loyalty to Zack was absolute; as was his adoration. Reno was initially puzzled as to why Shinra's greatest traitor would keep a liability like Cloud, a non-combatant who didn't even know how to use the most basic of Materias, close to him. Reno gradually discovered the reason for that during the short period of his imposed association with the blond. Cloud had an uncanny ability of wresting a fierce protectiveness from the people around him, and Reno found himself falling under the same spell.

And that was why Reno had to send Cloud away, before the dangerous attachment could become too strong to break.

"Here." Reno deposited his nightstick in Cloud's hands. "Gimme a couple of good whacks to the back of my head. Make sure I get some impressive bruises to show later."

Cloud eyed the telescoping baton with obvious distaste. "This is insane. I'm not going to hit you."

"Look, you have two choices— Zack or Tseng. I'll have to hand you over to one of them. Which one would you rather go with?"

"You know my answer to that. I just don't see the point of bashing your head with this barbaric weapon."

"Do you have any idea how much I'm risking by setting you free?" Reno snapped in irritation at Cloud's hesitation. "I can get fired for this, and I'm not talking about terms of employment here."

"Why are you doing this then?" Cloud asked quietly. "Why are you risking so much…?"

"Let's call it a temporary lapse in judgement on my part." An inner voice whispered: Isn't that how some people have described love? Reno mentally took hold of that inner voice of his and throttled it. "Why do I even need to explain my actions to you? Just do what I say and be grateful that you won't have to experience Tseng's interrogation methods first hand. He was never quite convinced that you're an innocent party in all this mess."

"No matter what, I still won't hit you." Cloud shook his head and pressed the nightstick back into Reno's hands. "You'll just have to concoct another tale as to how I managed to escape from you."

"Why? Are you so afraid of getting your hands dirty, Shorty?" Reno attempted a sneer but his heart wasn't in it.

"Goading me won't work, Reno. I refuse to hurt you, and I refuse to get you in trouble. If the only way for you to be spared Tseng's wrath is for me to stay, I'll stay." The words were spoken with such sincere conviction, with no thought as to their impact on his sole listener.

Reno fought down his sudden impulse to hug the blond. He had to find a way to get Cloud as far away from him as possible, and soon. "Fine, I'll think of something. Just get out of my sight before I change my mind."

Cloud was about to argue further but Reno pointedly turned his back on him at that moment, the gesture a silent demand for Cloud to leave. Reno felt almost relieved when he heard the rustle of grass that signified that Cloud was walking away. However, in the last moment, he could not resist turning back for one final look. His mouth betrayed him before his brain could kick in. "Be warned, Shorty," he called out. "Next time, I won't let you go so easily."

Cloud looked back at him, the expression of surprise on his face slowly dissolved into a small smile. No doubt it was the prospect of being reunited with Zack that had instilled such genuine joy in that simple smile. "I'll never forget this, Reno. Thank you."

As Cloud disappeared from sight, Reno whispered, "I won't ever let you go again."

xXxXxXx

"Hey, mister."

Reno felt someone tugging on the sleeve of his jacket. He tried to slap the offending hand away but his arms wouldn't move. He couldn't even summon the energy to open his eyes. Even staying conscious was an effort. Already, he could feel oblivion coming to claim him once more. Some part of him was welcoming the numbness and lack of thought that came with that oblivion.

"You're bleeding, mister. I'll go get some help, okay? Hang in there." Reno could hear the pattering of tiny feet.

There was something that Reno was refusing to think about. He knew that if he did that, he would lose his mind. He even wished that he was dying, just so he could avoid having to think about…

Gods…

What had he done?

xXxXxXx

"Don't take him away from me." Reno almost didn't recognize his own voice; a croaky voice that was desperate and close to begging. He didn't care if he was begging or not. His pride meant nothing to him now. "Please."

"He doesn't belong to you." The tone was neutral, as if the speaker was merely voicing an observation.

"I know." Reno's hands were still clutching the hem of the dark-coloured cloak worn by the speaker. "But I belong to him."

A period of silence stretched; and just when Reno thought that his plea was actually heard and granted, a boot abruptly swung into his field of vision and connected with his temple.

And that was the last thing he remembered.

xXxXxXx

He waited patiently for the pale fighter to regain consciousness. He had spent nearly an hour stripping away the blood-soaked shirt and patching up the wound where his sword had gone through the upper chest, close to the right shoulder. He had been careless; so careless. He had never expected the blue-eyed man to hurl himself into the path of the sword strike that was meant to impale the redhead who was shooting at him.

His attempt to talk with Cloud Strife was a complete failure. There was too much rage; too much overt hostility. He suspected that it had something to do with the injuries he had inflicted on Cloud Strife's companion. Companions. Yes, there was no doubt that they were companions. What was it that the redhead had said earlier? Something about belonging to each other and such… A strange and fascinating sentiment. That could partly explain Cloud Strife's illogical actions. And what were Cloud Strife's words to him after he had bought the redhead's life with his own life's blood? 'I won't let you take away what's important to me. Never again.'

The word 'again' struck him. Had he done something similar to Cloud Strife in the past? He couldn't remember. He hated that. The not-remembering.

But there was one thing that he was sure of. Cloud Strife was just like him. They shared the same stigma; the same unnaturally luminous eyes. Also, the blond fighter's speed and strength could match his, when no one else he had encountered before this had even come close. Cloud Strife had fought him with the redhead's electric rod that had fallen on the ground; and it was not hard to believe that the only reason he had the upper hand in that battle was because of the blond's obvious unfamiliarity with the weapon he wielded. He was certain that Cloud Strife would have been a much more formidable opponent if he had a broadsword with him.

Even so, the battle had not been an easy one. He had tried to avoid injuring Cloud Strife, the one whom he needed to get answers from. It was his intention to tire the other fighter out before attempting to disarm him, but that plan was blown to smithereens by the annoying redhead who just wouldn't sit quietly on the sidelines. Enraged by the flying bullets, he had moved to get rid of the distraction, only to have Cloud Strife bear the brunt of his punishment on the redhead.

As he watched the wounded man lying on the ground next to him, his eyes strayed to the black-streaked left arm that was exposed. He could remember bearing a similar mark before, though his body no longer carried such a mark. It was a mark of death; a slow and painful one. The thought of losing Cloud Strife to something like this, after he had spent so much time and effort looking for him, was unbearable. He couldn't let Cloud Strife die. He didn't want to be alone again; to be sole survivor of his kind. Perhaps Cloud Strife could overcome the mark the same way he had gotten rid of his.

xXxXxXx

"Mister, you have to eat something. You'll waste away if you don't."

Reno barely registered the gentle voice and the tray of broth and bread that was being pushed towards him. It wasn't just his injuries that were making him weak and unresponsive. Not just his stubborn refusal to eat or drink. The part of him that used to fight tooth-and-nail for survival just didn't want to do so anymore.

They had hidden his gun from him. Or was it that he didn't have any more bullets on him? Either way, that option was denied to him. Can a man actually will himself to stop breathing? Starvation was actually quite a difficult means of suicide; one that was agonizingly slow. No matter. A quick death was something he did not deserve anyway.

They came for him on the fourth day. He was not entirely sure what he did or said while they were forcefully dragging him from the hut where he was pining away. He fought like a rabid animal, clawing and hissing at his captors to get them to release him. They held onto him tightly, and Reno began to regret not building up his strength when he had the chance. A prick of hypodermic needle was the last thing he felt before the welcoming oblivion came for him once more.

xXxXxXx

During the first few days they were together, Cloud Strife refused to say a single word to him. His actions were a language of their own though. Those blue eyes blazed with only disdain and defiance every time they fell on him. Initially, he had to force food into the blond's mouth to get him to eat; forcing him to choose between choking and swallowing. The indignity of it all eventually taught Cloud Strife to feed himself. He had lost count of the number of times the blond had attempted to escape. And when those attempts failed, Cloud Strife would charge at him barehanded, raining blows on him with folded knuckles and chopping his hands like axe blades. He would ward off the blows for as long as he could before putting an end to the fight with a burst of electricity from the rod he had confiscated earlier. The weapon proved itself to be very useful, with its ability to stun and paralyze an opponent without causing any real danger to life. He would then wordlessly carry the blond back to their campsite, all the while ignoring the fierce glower from his captive.

It was Cloud Strife who finally broke the tension-filled silence. "Why are you doing this? Do you keep me around for your amusement? Am I a toy for you to play with?"

He could feel his temper fraying at the unfair accusation but managed to keep it in check. "I just wanted to talk, but you wouldn't let me. You've left me with no choice."

"I have nothing to say to you, and I can't bear another second with you. Why don't you get it over with and kill me now? Just do me a favour and burn my body to ashes when you're done."

"Stop talking like an insolent child. You know very well that if my intention was to kill you, we wouldn't even be arguing right now." The effects of the electric rod had worn off sufficiently for Cloud Strife to turn his head away from him but he forced the blond to meet his eyes by holding onto his chin with one hand. "Why wouldn't you at least make the effort to converse with me in a civil manner?"

"Why?" Cloud Strife tried to pull his head away to no avail. "Because I have nothing but contempt for you, that's why."

"You lie. I saw the photograph you took."

"Photo…?" For the first time, a crack began to show in the shield of steadfast enmity that Cloud Strife had chosen to wrap around himself against him.

"I saw it in a gallery in Kalm. The man in that photograph… the one who looked exactly like me… the one who was known as Sephiroth. He was resting against a tree, and his expression was so serene and unguarded. His eyes were so gentle, without any sign of guile or mistrust in them. For him to appear so vulnerable in front of you, he must've trusted you, maybe even..."

"Enough! Stop tormenting me already!" There was a desperate note in his cry, almost as if the blond was trying to deny something he had kept hidden for a long time. "I… used to respect you. I admired you and, fool that I am, even dreamed of becoming like you. But that's all in the past. Now all I feel towards you is hatred. Only hatred."

It was a step in the right direction. Cloud Strife was beginning to become honest with him, and himself. "It's okay to hate me. I don't want your respect or your admiration. Those feelings are the furthest from true understanding, don't you agree?"

Cloud Strife was taken aback by his answer. "What…?"

"Hate me if you will. It matters little to me. What matters is that I find out who I am. I believe you're the only person who truly understands me; the person I used to be."

"If you really believe that, then you're even crazier than I thought. If you're just after someone who hates you, I can…"

"No, not just hate. Your photograph of Sephiroth does not lie. You had seen the man behind that mask, that image. And I want to find out exactly what it was that you had seen."

Cloud Strife contemplated this before replying, "And what do you hope to achieve with that knowledge?"

"'The ability to change one's looks, voice, and words, is the power of Jenova,'" he quoted from his memory. Even as he spoke it, he knew it to be the truth. For some reason, Cloud Strife appeared startled by his statement. Could it be that the old Sephiroth had said the same thing to him before? "I have changed and I am changing. But I need to know what to change into if I am to consolidate my identity. That is why I need you, Cloud Strife. Will you aid me? I have no right to demand something that you can only give freely."

Cloud Strife did not give him a definite reply. However, from that day on, there were no more escape attempts.

xXxXxXx

"Snap out of it, you sorry excuse for a Turk."

Was that Rude? Maybe even Rufus? Reno did not care. His eyes shifted to the PICC line in his arm that served as a route for liquid sustenance to flow into his body. Damn, that meant that starvation was no longer possible. He would have pulled the line out if his hands weren't shackled to the sides of his bed. Whoever had spoken railed at him for a while longer before giving up and leaving the room.

A woman's pained voice was the next to disturb his peace. "What happened, Reno? Please tell me. What happened to Cloud when both of you were out there?" Reno flinched as if the question was a physical blow. His mind shied away from the image of a bleeding Cloud shielding him, with the tip of a sword protruding out of his back. It was his fault… His fault… His agitated howls and thrashing drew the nursing staff who, to his great relief, escorted the woman out of the room and away from him.

A child's voice was next. A familiar one. The girl was crying and beating her tiny fists on the edge of his bed. "You promised! You promised that you would take care of him!" Reno could offer no words of comfort. He was too consumed by his own grief to care about the grief of others.

Reno did not know how long he stayed in that hospital in his semi-conscious state. It took a visit from her to finally pull him out of his funk and self-pity.

"He wants me to let you know that he's still alive," said the figure in the pink robe without preamble. "He also wants me to remind you of your promise."

"Hell, you're making this up. Why should I even believe you?" He could not allow himself to hope, for it would only prolong his torment. "Go ahead and gloat, now that you're reunited with him at last, you…" He was about to say something unkind that rhymed with 'witch' but he stopped himself at the last moment. "… woman." This was Aeris after all, with the power to turn him into a puff of wispy green Lifestream smoke if she so desired. Besides, the Ancient had not done anything to deserve his ire, aside from owning a piece of Cloud's heart. But he had known that, a long time ago, and had learnt to accept it.

"There's no reason for you to be jealous, Reno." Aeris's smile had an apologetic air to it. "Cloud is still upset with me for what I did or, more accurately, what I didn't do. It'll take some time before he trusts me again."

Reno was not interested in deciphering the Ancient's cryptic words. "I will need more than your word that he is still alive. I need proof."

"He had anticipated that you would say that." As his dream faded, Aeris's final words imprinted themselves on his mind. "You will find the proof you need on the cliffs overlooking the ruins of Midgar. Remember the day…"

xXxXxXx

"You're leaving me."

"Yes. And I would fight you if I have to."

"I won't stop you this time. That look on your face… I can't bear to see it any longer. Do I repulse you so… no, don't answer that. At least tell me why you're leaving me."

"He needs me."

"I need you too."

"There are different degrees of need. You're strong and smart enough to live on your own. He, on the other hand…"

"So, if I turn myself into a pitiful wreck such as him, you'd stay?"

"Isn't it your aim to find out who you truly are? I've done all that I can to help you. I can only provide some of the answers. The rest of it will have to depend on you."

"But I don't wish to become the person I was in the past. That person had tormented you and made you cry. I wish to become someone you want me to be."

"I can't stay with you for precisely this reason. You'll never develop your own individual identity if you meld it so closely with what I hope you'd be."

"I don't care about my identity anymore. The time I've spent with you had taught me what's truly important to me."

"And what might that be?"

"You. Family. Love."

"Haven't we discussed this before? We're not brothers."

"There is no point in denying it. Nothing changes the fact that both our genomes share a common strain. Jenova's strain."

"We're both victims of highly unethical science, nothing more."

"Why do you try so hard to cut all ties with me?"

"I'm not…"

"Don't lie. I know it when people lie to me."

"I just can't do this anymore."

"Do what?"

"This relationship we have isn't healthy. Can't you see that I've been using you all this time? Just look at yourself! Your hair is no longer silver… it's now black… and each day you look more and more like him and it's only a matter of time before I lose touch with reality again and start deluding myself into—"

"Hush. You don't have to say anything more."

"I'm… pathetic, aren't I? Weak and pathetic. How you must despise me."

"I'm disappointed that I can't become the one foremost in your heart and mind without changing into someone else entirely. However, I haven't been truly honest with you too. I've been keeping something secret from you for a while now."

"Secret?"

"I've been deliberately changing my hair colour to black, when it really should've been red."

"What… do you mean by that?"

"It means that it is time for you to return to the pitiful wreck you've left behind. This time, try to be more honest as to why you're returning to his side."

xXxXxXx

It took Reno a long time to convince his well-meaning captors of his mental and emotional stability. Little by little, they gave him back his freedom. The shackles came off when he stopped trying to rip off the lines and other monitoring devices on his person. After a while, they even stopped the intravenous nutrition when he showed signs of consuming adequate amounts of food and drink. Convincing the hospital shrinks that he was okay and not merely faking it was the hardest part. He had to train himself to talk about the incident surrounding Cloud's disappearance with just the right amount of emotion. Too much and they would think him too emotionally labile and at risk of self-harm. Too little, and they would think that he was emotionally shut down, blunted, depressed and god knows what other labels they could think of to slap on him to prevent him from leaving the hospital. The only time he nearly lost it was when they told him of the miraculous Geostigma cure that was found in the Forgotten City. Apparently a mysterious lady had appeared in the dreams of the children in the city to impart that information. The sight of joyous people who had been spared death from Geostigma only served to rub in how much more he had lost.

Rude and Elena were elated at his rapid recovery. Rufus was more skeptical of his turnabout, but had kept his suspicions to himself. As for the rest of the ex-members of AVALANCHE, he had avoided them to the best of his ability. He told no one of Aeris's message to him, or of the day he was waiting for. His aim was to regain his freedom completely before that day.

They did not leave him on his own during his first week out of hospital. Either one of the Turks, or a hapless Shinra guard, would accompany him at all times. He was not allowed near any weapons or even booze. The thinking all around was that he was capable of drinking himself to death if given the chance. They would not be too far off the mark too, if Aeris hadn't given him that foolish and desperate hope to cling onto.

When the day came, Reno knew exactly where he was supposed to go. Only one particular spot on those cliffs held any significance for Cloud; a spot marked by a rusty buster sword. Zack's sword. Incidentally, it was also the same spot where Zack was killed and his body buried in a grave dug by Cloud's own hands.

From a distance, Reno could see something lying on the soil in front of the sword. He broke into a run, not slowing down until he reached the gravesite. A bunch of flowers lay next to the buster sword. Crushed by anger and disappointment, Reno snarled, "What is this supposed to prove?" Was it just some cruel joke by Aeris after all? He snatched up the flowers to hurl them down the cliff, but paused when he noticed the electromag rod that was hidden beneath the flowers.

He sagged onto the ground and picked up the rod with trembling hands. The heavily chipped shaft bore testimony of its use in the battle against Masamune. There was no mistaking it. It was his weapon; the weapon that he had last seen in Cloud's hands. He could not imagine Sephiroth doing something like this, so it could only be Cloud.

"But… if you're still alive… why haven't you come back?" Goddamn it, why was he weeping like a milksop now? Damn the blond for doing this to him! "You liar…"

At that moment, a shadow fell across him and Reno immediately whirled with the electromag rod drawn, battle-ready. His blurred vision only allowed him to make out the long platinum hair that billowed in the wind. He struck out without hesitation but his wrist was caught in a vice-like grip before the rod could make contact. He drew back his other hand and curled his fingers into a fist. Before he could deliver his punch, the person suddenly moved forward to embrace him, catching him by surprise. Why the hell is Sephiroth…?

"Gods, Reno, how much weight have you lost?"

That voice…

"I can feel your ribs. And when was the last time you've taken a bath? You seriously need a haircut and a shave too…"

Reno dropped his weapon and pushed the person away far enough so that he could have a closer look at that face. His hands, however, still held fast to those slim shoulders; almost as if he was afraid to let go completely. Mako-blue eyes met his gaze, and it was undoubtedly Cloud. With only one difference…

Reno blurted, "What happened to your hair?"

Cloud laughed. "You haven't seen me for a year and that's the first question you could come up with?" He raised his hands to rest them lightly on Reno's arms, a simple gesture that was oddly tender. "Sephiroth used his own method to treat my Geostigma, and the change in hair colour was one of its… shall we say… side-effects. You're now looking at a complete Sephiroth-clone; though I have to say I feel no different from before. At first, I was half afraid that I would turn into a mindless drone, but all my memories appear to have survived the transformation intact."

"Damn that bastard," Reno growled with feeling. "He hasn't done anything else to you, has he? Nothing perverted, I hope."

Cloud's face reddened, whether in embarrassment or anger, he could not tell. "You sure know how to kill the mood. Is this also part of your training as a Turk?"

"I'm going to pulverize that bastard one day. That's a given. Your answer merely decides whether I actively hunt him down to do so or leave it till we cross paths next time."

"Leave him alone, Reno. He's actually quite harmless if you don't do anything to provoke him."

"Harmless? Him? We're talking about Sephiroth here! His very existence is a threat to the Planet!"

"So am I. Those of us who possess Jenova cells would always run the risk of being controlled by her. He and I have come to an understanding that should madness come upon one of us, the other would carry out the execution necessary to end the madness."

"I still won't forgive him," declared Reno stubbornly before pulling Cloud close to him. "He took one whole year of your life away from me. He deserves a gruesome death for that offence alone." He wrapped his arms around Cloud determinedly, as if he was trying to convince himself of the other man's solidity. "I can't believe you're back. Not as a hallucination or a dream this time, but for real. You've come back to me."

Reno could feel Cloud's smile against his cheek. "I promised, didn't I?"

(End of fic)

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A/N: Thanks to all of you who are patient enough to read this story to its conclusion. Cheerio.