After the Storm
Chapter 1
In the midst of raging darkness, the frothing waves sweep over the bow of a fast sinking ship, carrying many into the cold void below. Lightning splits the sky, and a single young woman struggles to keep her head above the screaming water.
Her scream is drowned out by the chaos all around her, and her thrashing grows weaker and weaker. There are bodies around her, but she can't see them as she is drawn down. She knows she is losing consciousness as everything about her starts to dim.
But as she starts to sink, a last crash of lightning lights up another person nearby. Clawing against the watery grave that calls to her, she clings to the person with her last strength. Arms circle around her, and as all sight and sound fade, two people cling together as if they would never let go.
* * * *
Pale light broke into the little cabin, and cascaded across the wooden floor. Under a light blue blanket, Yuffie stirred. She tried to sit up and groaned with the effort. It felt as if her entire body had been smashed against the rocks repeatedly.
She forced her aching body up a little ways, but didn't dare stretch for fear of the pain it would bring. What the hell had happened? She did her best to prop herself up, wondering at how weak she was. She scanned the room. And where the hell am I?
She was surprised to find she was warm. Not yet very conscious, all Yuffie could remember was a feeling of incredible coldness that she could only compare with the snowfields. She tried to make her mind work in the warm morning sunshine. Nothing came at first, but she pushed a little deeper.
Darkness. Black waves pounded all around her and something was sucking her down. down.
Yuffie opened her eyes with a start. Something beside her had moved. Despite her legs' violent protests, she scrambled away from the blanket. The first thing she noticed was that there was indeed someone else there under the blanket. The second thing she noticed was that she wasn't wearing anything.
Blushing, Yuffie looked desperately around for something, anything, to put on. Her search was not immediately rewarded. There was a pile on wet clothing just by the threadbare couch that was vaguely recognizable, but definitely not wearable. Moving slowly, she carefully avoided the makeshift bed on the floor, and went searching in the next room.
She didn't know this place, of that she was certain. Yuffie Kisaragi certainly would not deign to live in a place so. so. uncivilized. Everything was worn out and looked as if it hadn't been touched for a year. To her merit, Yuffie found a too large bathrobe in the other room. It was old and a little moth eaten, but also soft and comfortable.
She felt sort of disoriented, as if she wasn't totally there. She was obviously exhausted even though it felt like she'd been asleep forever. Still, she had to find out who was sleeping in the main room. Whoever it was, she didn't envy him or her the hard floor.
Returning to the other room, Yuffie approached cautiously. Although the person was still sleeping, they might wake up at any time. Although the place was warm enough, the floor was cold, and Yuffie wished she had a pair of fuzzy slippers. She padded softly over the silent figure.
She refused to admit she was afraid. The lady of Wutai never admitted she was afraid. For some reason the thought of Wutai was like circling a giant black abyss. Mentally, Yuffie backed away. Anyway, if the person had meant her any harm, it would have been done long ago.
Bending down, Yuffie knelt down on the floor where she had been sleeping. Sitting with her legs folded under her, Yuffie gently pulled back the blanket to get a good look at this mysterious person. She blinked.
The man stirred as the light reached his eyes, and for a second Yuffie just stared at him. She knew this man all too well. The flaming red hair left no room for doubt.
Reno opened his sharp blue eyes, and winced in the light. He was as obviously dazed as Yuffie was. His face was pale, and his shocking hair was much more of a mess than she remembered. Suddenly realizing the implications, Yuffie quickly reached up to her own hair. Sure enough, it wasn't much better.
Reno sat up with a groan.
".Oooowww. Fucking hell." He looked up at Yuffie, noncomprehendingly. "Where am I?" She just continued to stare for a moment.
"Re. Reno!?"
He winced at her tone of utter astonishment. Squinting, he tried to make sense of the confused messages his brain was sending him.
".You're that. AVALANCHE ninja girl." He stopped and tried to think. "Yuffie, wasn't it?"
She nodded, temporarily mute. This was a Turk sitting in front of her. The last time they'd met it had been in Midgar, and she had only wondered in passing if they had got out before Meteor hit. Well, at least this answered her question.
Reno brushed the blanket, and it fell off to reveal more then Yuffie was comfortable seeing. Reno had a slender, though muscular frame and strong arms. To her relief he was wearing boxers, and she blushed furiously for the second time in ten minutes. He didn't seem to notice.
Lying back down, he pulled the blanket back up about him as if he were freezing to death, and stared at Yuffie. He hesitated before deciding to speak.
"I. I'm glad you're there. I thought you were a dream."
"A dream?" Still angry with herself Yuffie was staring at a ragged corner of the blanket. Reno chuckled softly.
"It was either that or a nightmare."
Yuffie's head whipped around with an angry retort on her lips, but she stopped herself. Reno had drifted back off to sleep, his eyes closed peacefully. A small grin still played on his lips.
Too tired to think anymore, Yuffie let herself fall back onto the floor beside him. Lying down, she pulled the blanket over to cover herself before consciousness left her. Outside, the birds began to sing, but there was no one to hear.
~*
Chapter 1
In the midst of raging darkness, the frothing waves sweep over the bow of a fast sinking ship, carrying many into the cold void below. Lightning splits the sky, and a single young woman struggles to keep her head above the screaming water.
Her scream is drowned out by the chaos all around her, and her thrashing grows weaker and weaker. There are bodies around her, but she can't see them as she is drawn down. She knows she is losing consciousness as everything about her starts to dim.
But as she starts to sink, a last crash of lightning lights up another person nearby. Clawing against the watery grave that calls to her, she clings to the person with her last strength. Arms circle around her, and as all sight and sound fade, two people cling together as if they would never let go.
* * * *
Pale light broke into the little cabin, and cascaded across the wooden floor. Under a light blue blanket, Yuffie stirred. She tried to sit up and groaned with the effort. It felt as if her entire body had been smashed against the rocks repeatedly.
She forced her aching body up a little ways, but didn't dare stretch for fear of the pain it would bring. What the hell had happened? She did her best to prop herself up, wondering at how weak she was. She scanned the room. And where the hell am I?
She was surprised to find she was warm. Not yet very conscious, all Yuffie could remember was a feeling of incredible coldness that she could only compare with the snowfields. She tried to make her mind work in the warm morning sunshine. Nothing came at first, but she pushed a little deeper.
Darkness. Black waves pounded all around her and something was sucking her down. down.
Yuffie opened her eyes with a start. Something beside her had moved. Despite her legs' violent protests, she scrambled away from the blanket. The first thing she noticed was that there was indeed someone else there under the blanket. The second thing she noticed was that she wasn't wearing anything.
Blushing, Yuffie looked desperately around for something, anything, to put on. Her search was not immediately rewarded. There was a pile on wet clothing just by the threadbare couch that was vaguely recognizable, but definitely not wearable. Moving slowly, she carefully avoided the makeshift bed on the floor, and went searching in the next room.
She didn't know this place, of that she was certain. Yuffie Kisaragi certainly would not deign to live in a place so. so. uncivilized. Everything was worn out and looked as if it hadn't been touched for a year. To her merit, Yuffie found a too large bathrobe in the other room. It was old and a little moth eaten, but also soft and comfortable.
She felt sort of disoriented, as if she wasn't totally there. She was obviously exhausted even though it felt like she'd been asleep forever. Still, she had to find out who was sleeping in the main room. Whoever it was, she didn't envy him or her the hard floor.
Returning to the other room, Yuffie approached cautiously. Although the person was still sleeping, they might wake up at any time. Although the place was warm enough, the floor was cold, and Yuffie wished she had a pair of fuzzy slippers. She padded softly over the silent figure.
She refused to admit she was afraid. The lady of Wutai never admitted she was afraid. For some reason the thought of Wutai was like circling a giant black abyss. Mentally, Yuffie backed away. Anyway, if the person had meant her any harm, it would have been done long ago.
Bending down, Yuffie knelt down on the floor where she had been sleeping. Sitting with her legs folded under her, Yuffie gently pulled back the blanket to get a good look at this mysterious person. She blinked.
The man stirred as the light reached his eyes, and for a second Yuffie just stared at him. She knew this man all too well. The flaming red hair left no room for doubt.
Reno opened his sharp blue eyes, and winced in the light. He was as obviously dazed as Yuffie was. His face was pale, and his shocking hair was much more of a mess than she remembered. Suddenly realizing the implications, Yuffie quickly reached up to her own hair. Sure enough, it wasn't much better.
Reno sat up with a groan.
".Oooowww. Fucking hell." He looked up at Yuffie, noncomprehendingly. "Where am I?" She just continued to stare for a moment.
"Re. Reno!?"
He winced at her tone of utter astonishment. Squinting, he tried to make sense of the confused messages his brain was sending him.
".You're that. AVALANCHE ninja girl." He stopped and tried to think. "Yuffie, wasn't it?"
She nodded, temporarily mute. This was a Turk sitting in front of her. The last time they'd met it had been in Midgar, and she had only wondered in passing if they had got out before Meteor hit. Well, at least this answered her question.
Reno brushed the blanket, and it fell off to reveal more then Yuffie was comfortable seeing. Reno had a slender, though muscular frame and strong arms. To her relief he was wearing boxers, and she blushed furiously for the second time in ten minutes. He didn't seem to notice.
Lying back down, he pulled the blanket back up about him as if he were freezing to death, and stared at Yuffie. He hesitated before deciding to speak.
"I. I'm glad you're there. I thought you were a dream."
"A dream?" Still angry with herself Yuffie was staring at a ragged corner of the blanket. Reno chuckled softly.
"It was either that or a nightmare."
Yuffie's head whipped around with an angry retort on her lips, but she stopped herself. Reno had drifted back off to sleep, his eyes closed peacefully. A small grin still played on his lips.
Too tired to think anymore, Yuffie let herself fall back onto the floor beside him. Lying down, she pulled the blanket over to cover herself before consciousness left her. Outside, the birds began to sing, but there was no one to hear.
~*