Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Past Grudges, Saving Graces ❯ Chapter 4 ( Chapter 4 )

Chapter IV
Materia hunting tips, a night under the stars, and an unwilling recruitment.

"Yuffie!"

A dark haired, beared man in a black suit stepped out of the large helicopter, just in time to be glomped by the girl. Some things would never change. She let go with a grin, "How are you, old man?"

He shook his head in mock frustration. After Meteor, when he'd revealed his true self, Yuffie had been the first to befriend him, the man formerly known as Cait Sith. Surprisingly, even after he had told her that the only materia he carried with him was a low level cure.

Two months after the reconstruction of Neo Midgar was complete, President Reeve Harrison formally signed a policy that would protect and aide Cosmo Canyon, as well as help rehabilitate the struggling Mideel and Wutai. Two years later, his undertakings seemed to be working.

Elena and Rude stepped up to Reeve, weariness written on their features. Years of friendship, formalities were all but forgotten between the president and his Turks.

"Sir..."

Well, mostly in regards to Reno. Some habits wouldn't die so easily. Nor would they form.

Reeve looked up and nodded to Elena. "...And Reno?"

Yuffie grinned at the president. "Oh, Turk boy? He's sleeping. It's amazing what a mastered cure and a sleepel will do to a guy."

Darkness, and a haze of pain that would not end. Reno Charlemagne felt himself drift out of the welcoming bliss of unconsciousness, and into harsh reality. He opened his eyes slowly, attempting to blink away all remnants of blurriness.

Finally his senses focused on a wrinkly old woman, obviously Wutainese. He took in his surroundings, noting several paintings on the walls, the simple furniture adorning the room, and the small fireplace to his far left. The bed he lay in was soft, the pillows filled with what was most likely Chocobo down. Someone had expensive taste.

"Where am I?"

The old woman turned around, after placing a tray of tea on the table. She glanced at him with curiosity, "I bring tea. You want tea?"

Reno sighed as he attempted to sit himself upright. "Do you understand a f... a word that I'm saying?"

The woman turned around and walked to the door. "I get Lady Kisaragi for you."

He sighed once more and slouched back into the bed. Avalanche girl... So I'm in Wutai?

But how did I get here? How did I... We get out of that building... and that Constantine guy...

Reno shook his head and looked out the nearest window just in time to hear the door open and the clicking of Yuffie's boots against the hardwood door. She stood in the doorway, looking half angry, half amused with the Turk, and placed hand on hip as she leaned on the wooden supports.

"You shouldn't have spoken to her that way."

Reno snorted. He hated being bossed around and hated being admonished. "And what are you going to do? Sic Daddy on me?"

Yuffie laughed. "I have more power around here then you apparently know. And for your information, she understood everything you said. She graduated top of her class, Midgar, Sector 2 University."

"Big words, brat. I'm amazed."

She ignored him. "I want to know what all that was about."

Reno again attempted to sit up and fell back down, panting and biting back a groan. "All what?"

"I want to know who those guys were and why they were here in Wutai."

He rolled his eyes. Someone was on a mission. "Do you think I'd know?"

"I'd assume, since you seem to have pissed them off."

He looked down, thoughtfully. He had questions of his own. Who was this Constantine guy? Why did he look familiar? Obviously Yuffie didn't know.

Yuffie sighed and turned around. "Godo and Reeve want to meet with you as soon as you're able. They're in the meeting hall. It's hard to miss..." She paused a moment, thoughtfully. "But if you get lost, I'm sure someone will be able to point it out for you." With those words, Yuffie left the room, closing the heavy door with a loud thud.

Reno sighed and pulled himself to his feet. It was going to be a long day.

"I would like to thank you for rescuing my daughter." Godo nodded to the side of the table where Elena and Rude sat, calmly sipping tea. "She has a habit of going off alone..."

Yuffie rolled her eyes in annoyance, slightly embarrassed. When would he think of her as an adult? Someone who could take care of herself? She'd defeated him four years earlier... Proven herself as competent time and again, but still...

Rude nodded silently, allowing the more vocal Elena to fill the man in on how they went about retrieving his daughter.

"Well... We searched out the area, per regulation, when we found a clue..."

"-a clue?" Reeve raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, sir... a clue." Elena felt a sharp jabbing sensation in her side - Rude's elbow. Growling under her breath, she dug through her jacket pocket and produced a glowing red stone. Phoenix materia.

"I guess there's a little bit of a materia thief in us all, eh 'Lena?"

Reno walked stiffly into the room grinning at Elena. She rolled her eyes and handed the summon back to a thoroughly amused Yuffie.

"Not bad. Not bad at all."

"Yeah, maybe she can give you some pointers. Didn't know you were into that kind of thing..." Reno smirked as he seated himself next to Reeve. "So you wanted to see me?"

"We're trying to get everyone's story together. Godo is a little curious as to what this... criminal is doing in Wutai and what Yuffie has to do with it."

"Does the name Constantine Brandt ring a bell?"

"Constantine Brandt... Constantine Brandt. Nope, can't say I've heard of him."

"I've seen him somewhere, but I'm not quite sure who he is..."

"So in other words, you probably pissed someone off while drunk, and now he's after your ass, is that it?" Yuffie sat back in her chair, leaning on the two back legs while tossing the materia from one hand to the other.

Godo glared at his daughter. "If you're bored, you may leave."

"No... really, I'm interested in what kind of trouble Reno's bringing us."

Reno snorted, audibly annoyed. "No... he's after the three of us. Elena, Rude, and myself."

"Maybe someone we put away?" Rude queried, thoughtfully.

"Yeah... maybe. Either way, this guy's probably out of Wutai by now anyway. I don't think anyone would be that stupid to stick around..." Reno stood up and stretched his tired muscles. "Are we done here?"

Reeve looked to Wutai's leader. "Yeah. We'll station some SOLDIERS here in case anything happens. But other than that, everything will most likely be okay..."

Godo nodded. "Thank you again. All of you. You may stay in the guest quarters overnight if you wish."

Reeve gave the man his thanks and exited the room with the red headed Turk. He grinned. "You, Reno, look like shit."

A sly smile spread across Yuffie's face as she too exited. "You should have seen him yesterday."

Reno laid in the bed, staring at the shadows that played upon the ceiling. He'd spent most of the day unconscious, and he had a mad man hunting for him. How could he sleep? Slipping his blue jacket on, he crept out of the room, hoping not to awaken his friends.

He silently opened the double doors wondering where they led... Anywhere was better than the darkened guest bedroom. What he found, however, was far better than what he expected.

A small stream cut its way through the dark green, moonlit vegetation of what seemed to be a meditation garden of sorts. Reno smirked as he followed the cobblestone path, leading him to a small Koi pond at the base of Da Chao. He sat by the pond, eyeing the small fish and frogs.

Wonder what kind of a pansy they'd think I am...

He sat back, leaning against a large sandstone rock. Too much was going on now... Too much... and he wasn't sure if he could deal with it. Reno looked up to the stars in the sky, thinking of his mentor. A man who could be kind one second, and ruthlessly cold the next. Things hadn't been easy since Tseng's death.

"Been missing you, boss."

Reno coughed nervously. He'd always felt strange talking to someone and no one at the same time, but something in him wanted, needed to talk to the man, even four years after his death. Even if he received nothing in the way of an answer, Reno felt like someone was listening.

"I bet if you were still around, you'd know what to do." He laughed. "What can I say? I'm making a pretty lousy leader. It's a wonder the Turks are still around... I dunno... I've always been a screw up."

He thought for a moment, staring at the swimming fish and vaguely wondering if they ever slept. He shook his head slowly and leant back against the rock once again.

"Yeah, I know you'd whack me in the back of the head and say something about me being one of the best Turks you've ever trained, I'm talented, I get the job done, blah blah blah... Yeah. It'd just be so much easier if you were around... I dunno..."

He looked back to the twinkling stars, so far away and yet so close.

"...If you could just help us out..."

The loud whirring sound of a helicopter once again filled Wutai as Reeve's personal pilot warmed up the machine, prepping for take off. The president was about to step onboard when -

"Sir!"

Reeve turned around to see Shake, the man frantically waving him down. "Yes?"

"Godo wishes to see you before you leave."

Entering the building as quickly as possible, Reeve was almost afraid that something had gone wrong, or that something was going to go wrong... What he heard, however, was something that he didn't think he would ever hear.

"I have a request of you... Please keep in mind that you can turn it down if you must."

Reeve nodded, needing to hear exactly what this 'request' was. He was nervous. He looked to Yuffie, who sat aside her father, hoping to see some sort of reaction from the girl, but she seemed to be about as bewildered as he himself was.

"As you know, Yuffie has proved herself to be quite competent as a ninja..."

Reeve nodded again, "Yes... I remember her being good back during Meteor."

"Because of the threat this Constantine presents to Wutai, and because your people have given so much to our own, I am requesting that Yuffie go along with you and help you apprehend this criminal."

Yuffie's face contorted in shock. Reno, Rude, Reno, Elena, Reno, Reno, Reno...

"I see no problem with that." Reeve said, noticing the look on the girl's face. "That is, if Yuffie accepts."

"I... I..."

Godo glared at his daughter, knowing full well that, if given the choice, she wouldn't accept. "This is for Wutai, Yuffie. Remember that."

Yuffie looked down to the floor. I've always wanted to prove myself to him... Make him believe in me... And it is for Wutai's good... Maybe... I can put up with that ass... Maybe...

She groaned. "Fine..."

Yuffie stood up and wordlessly headed for her room, intent on packing as slowly as possible.

Just because I'm going doesn't mean I want to go... She trudged up the stairs and into her room, grabbed her backpack from a large closet, and tossed it onto her bed.

I wonder what Reno's going to say to this?

She smirked as she tossed a shirt, a pair of shorts, and pouch full of mastered materia into her bag.

Yes... That would be reason enough to go...

"THERE AIN'T NO WAY!"

The words echoing into her room, Yuffie could do nothing but laugh.

A/N - Well... A day after I post another one shot and claim that this chapter will be out... before Christmas, I end up (finally) finishing chapter 4. I must really be that bored... My muses must really be that pent up. O.o

I'm sure I have a few technical facts wrong here. (ie- the geography of Wutai) I hope they're not that terrible. Sometimes I'm really dense. ^^;

I don't know if anyone's still following this, at least anyone who started this back a while ago. But either way, if you have a thought or something, I'd love to hear it. ^^;