Author's Notes: Well, here is a new fanfic for all you FF7 lovers, and those who love Reno and Rude. It's kind of a past story, taking place long before Meteor and all of that. Just read and enjoy. First off, Square-Enix and Final Fantasy are not mine, because if they were Final Fantasy 7: Advent Children, Dirge of Cerberus and Before Crisis would be out already, Final Fantasy 8 would have a sequel in which Rinoa died, and I'd be a happy person. Also, I do not own Reno and Rude as they are in GAMES AND MOVIES. For the purposes of this fanfic I own their personalities as they are herein. Finally, the ideas of Buterfluas, Cytledorma the Black Butterfly of Doom and Death, Dveyantriaenayotcheyvanyshlavarth the Silver Butterfly of Life and Purity, and Kayathrandyl the Purple Butterfly Messanger of the other two, belong to my favorite male author, Ktrenal. For some background I think you should read Ktrenal's stories Spirituality and Butterflies, Enlightened Glowyness, and the yet to be finished Ouroboros. Read Terror Incognito for a good laugh and Human Nature to feel upset. Um... Buterfluas is actually the joint property and creation of myself and Ktrenal through countless conversations. The 'full' names of Reno and Rude are mine, and most of the ideas. Oh yeah, and this is for K-man and Lemur-Boy, my inspirations! That is all for now. But for now, here is 'For the Love of Another'.

Chapter 1: Coming of Age

Once upon a time there was a great and powerful King who ruled over a gentle, wise people. There was also a beautiful and merciful Queen, with eyes of blue and wings much like those of a butterfly. You see, the King, Queen and the people were not human, but a learned and peaceful species called the Buterfluas. They held great wings like the butterflies they worshipped, a longer lifespan than humans, an advanced technology influenced by myths and beauty, and the most powerful magic known on the mortal world. So, the King and the Queen of these people ruled kindly until jealous humans began to attack them. But the stronger Buterfluas put down the human attacks, and once again lived in peace with the humans, some even marrying and living with them. It was at this time that two males were born, destined to change the world. One was the Prince of the Buterfluas, a handsome young man with everything. The other was a mysterious child, one never remembered in the words and actions of the future. Both had everything to lose and everything to gain. Through their childhoods they lived happily ever after... But that was really just the beginning.

"Milord? Milord Prince! Arise Milord! Rise before the breakfast hour is past!"

"My breakfast waits for me," the youth groaned and pulled the blankets over his head before the servant could fling open the curtains to blind him with the morning sun.

"That is true, but your father does not my dear Prince. Come come, get up! I will prepare a bath for you and fetch some ladies to clean your wings. OH GET UP! Your food is already here!"

The teen groaned again and pushed the covers away from his body. Tseng was right; the Prince could keep his father waiting and get away with it. Wishing for the hundredth time that he wasn't the Prince, Reno rose from his bed and wrapped a half robe around his waist. While the gray haired and silvered winged caretaker Tseng laid out a meal, Reno took a small walk around the room, stretching out vibrant, red wings. When the young man sat down at his gold and ebony table he glanced at the foods brought to him. From fish to meat to fruit to honeyed wine, there was not shortage for a prince at any time.

Once he was finished with his meal the Prince moved to the bathroom. Already two lovely Buterfluas girls waited for him by the large, deep bath. Both were naked, bore black wings and just seemed, to him, to be begging him to touch them. Yet Reno did know better than that. These two were priestesses of the Cytledorma, the Black Butterfly of Doom and Death, and even if the King was to touch them he would be put to death. Then again, there were no others so intent on honor and so trustworthy as to tend to such delicate things as the wings of the royal family.

"Good morning my prince," one of the girls said, hands flickering in the sign language of the royal family.

"And good morning to you, oh dear ladies. I am sorry, I know we were not scheduled for a few days..."

"That is okay my lord," the other girl signed, "Your father asked this of us. Come, bathe and we will tend to your lovely wings."

As directed the Prince moved to the sunken tub and removed his half robe. The two girls, probably his age, mixed special oils in bowls, cups and great deep dishes. While Reno quickly washed and cleaned his hair the two poured fresh warm water over his delicate wings with care. The simple ritual of cleaning wings, Reno noted, was far from simple. For those who worked hard in labor the intricate patterns on the wings faded for the oils used to clean their wings made the membranes stronger and the colors solid. People with solid wings were most honored, just slightly below the royal family for they were the back bone of the culture. Craftsmen, artists, scientists and others bore faint patterns and color variations because they would often forget for months to have their wings tended to since they were so absorbed in their work. Nobles wore many colors and patterns to impress people, but the colors were dull to show they served the people. Yet the royal family could often wear their wings any of these ways, showing there they thought importance was. Often colors mixed with ground up gems were used when royals, or anyone, had a very important event to tend to. The exceptions to these patterns of wings were soldiers and the temple attendants and priests. Any who fought had their wings cut off as a sacrifice, but magic could bring them back to retired fighters as well as the natural regrowth after five years. Priests and Priestesses often wore jewelry and gems upon their wings, something no others did.

"My lord," one signed before I stretched out, "We must do a total work today..."

"Fine," he said, "I think I can handle the weight of it."

She nodded and took a brush from her younger aide. While the younger held a bowl of red oil the older, Tailye, Reno believed her name was, brushed the oil onto his wings to give them a red ruby shine. Once both wings were complexly covered and dried the two set about tracing the lines and flow of color upon his wings with other gem oils. For an hour Reno laid still as the girls gently gave his wings a luster from gems he'd never heard of. Once the oils were setting in the females carefully pressed wafer thin papers onto the Prince's wings to absorb the extra oil. When Reno sat up they presented him a sight of the paper, showing off the prefect symmetry of his wings.

"As always I thank you," Reno said as he stood, taking a moment to check his balance before walking to where his outfit for the day was. Once the billowing pants were on him and the crimson red shirt, zippered carefully around the newly perfected wings, he bowed low to the females. Already they'd packed up their oils and pulled on the black robes that bared their backs and lovely wings.

"Be careful dear prince," Tailye spoke softly.

"You can talk?" he asked, his eyes wide.

She walked to him and looked into his ice blue eyes and smiled, "Be careful with him..."

Before he could ask who she was talking about they were both gone. With a sigh the Prince moved back into his room, only to be met at the door by Tseng. The wise guardian of the Prince smiled softly. Reno knew right away that Tseng marveled at how much a prince he actually looked now. From the other side of the room a soft gasp came. The Prince looked up at his mother, her smile enough to make him feel ten feet taller. Her pale blue wings glowed from sunlight reflecting off the gems that had been used to treat them.

"Oh Reno!" he said, tears in her eyes as she stood and ran to his waiting embrace, "Oh my little boy, you look so handsome."

"Oh come on Mom..." he said, letting a rare smile grace his features.

"You are really a man today," she said, tears in her perfect blue eyes.

"That is what everything is about?"

"Yes," Tseng supplied, "Come, your father wants to you pick out a guard."

The moment the prince or princess chose their first personal guard was the moment they were recognized as an adult and ready to come into their inheritance. So of course Reno was quickly growing excited. Most did not receive this honor until they were in their twenties, but he was only 17! It did not strike him that there could be another reason his father wanted him to come into his inheritance.

There were dozens of young men and women fighting in the largest of the training rooms, showing their prowess and skill off for the young prince. All females wore tan shirts cut like a normal Buterfluas's would be to show the scars left when their wings had been removed and the males wore no shirt at all for the same reason. On the brow of each fighter was a cloth embroidered with an image of what their wings once were like, crowned by the royal seal. The King walked amongst them, Reno at his side, smiling. Once the pain would pass a group of fighters, the trained people would stop and stand for inspection.

Up to this point none of them had really seems right to Reno, only a few even remotely suitable. When at last Reno though there was no hope his eyes were drawn to the sound of fighting. Through an open door he could see older soldiers training rigorously, all attempting to take down a boy that seemed little older than the Prince himself. The older fighters would come at the dark skinned teen with weapons and would never hit him. On top of all of this the dark teen did not wear a headband like every other wingless Buterfluas soldiers here. Was this one even a Buterfluas was that thought that consumed Reno?

"Who is that?" Reno asked the head of the soldiers he was supposed to choose his guard from.

"He, milord, is unimportant."

"Nonsense!" the King said with a frown, "Is he a fighter or a human? He does not wear a headband like our fighters, but the scars on his back show he's been cut just like the rest of you."

"He helps our elder members to remain fit my liege," the commander offered with a frown.

"Then he is Buterfluas?"

"Yes my King..."

"Wait," Reno cut them off as the apparent exercise came to an end with the dark one's back to them, a dull dagger at his throat marking his defeat, "The scars... They aren't clean and smooth, they look painful actually. Why is his different? It almost looks as if they have been hacked off several times, and none too gently."

The commander inwardly cursed the Prince's observation, for it was not far from the truth, "I do not know."

"I desire him as my guard," the Prince announced, not noting the glares sent at him by the ones specifically trained for him.

"But..."

"My son has made his choice Commander. Have him clean up and then present him to my servants. They will bathe him and clothe him... They do so enjoy new guards."

Again the commander swore to himself, but gave into the King, "Rudelynth! Get over here!"

Shocked to hear his name said aloud, Rudelynth, or Rude as he was also called, moved to the man that normally called him bastard and freak. He knew the Commander was the one that trusted him least, and had tried once to kill him. Of course the man had failed, only one could beat Rudelynth, and that older soldier enjoyed to fight with Rude. The teen recognized the red-haired teen as the Prince Renonalte and the dark haired man with purple wings as King Orinus. Silently Rude bowed, praying they were not here to kill him.

"Your name is Rudelynth? Rather odd that you, a soldier, bears the name of the first High Priest of the Buterfluas. He was a peace loving man..." the Prince said with a smirk.

"Milord, he will not answer. He does not speak..."

"I'm sure he can," Reno said confidently to his father.

"Why don't you take him yourself Reno? You know the way, and I think it'd be better if you showed your new guard there yourself. He must learn your routes and behaviors very quickly."

A yelp escaped the dark one's lips, shocked that anyone would ever want him to protect them, much less the prince! Yet when Reno bowed to the King, there was a smile on his face. Rude did not dare show relief, for it could bring the young Prince's wrath upon him. When Reno casually gestured for Rude to follow, the older teen didn't try to point out that he had a few possessions that he wanted to get. The fighter merely followed his Prince to what he hoped would be a better life.