It was a bright, sunny morning in Nibelheim as Reeve stepped out of the Shinra Mansion. A weary, yet calm expression was on his face as he walked toward the crowd that had gathered at the gates. Saber was there, waiting for him; as were Cloud, Lord Godo, and Sephiroth, who were all lined up against the Mansion's brick fence, unarmed and defenseless. Saber wished the Blue Shinra president luck as he handed his boss an elaborate sword, the Force Stealer. Reeve nodded and looked out into the crowd, a mixture of regular citizens, protestors, and media, all being kept in line by a unit of Blue Shinra MPs. Out of the corner of his eye, Reeve saw a man in a dark suit, standing in the nearby mountain passes. The man's cold, dark eyes connected with Reeve's for a brief moment. Reeve broke away from the man's gaze and addressed the audience.
           "As you all know, a terrorist named Hiroshi Tseng blew up the Gold Saucer some weeks ago. In order to prevent any more attacks, I have agreed to his demands and thus, will personally execute the three men you see before you. I would like to note that all three of these gentlemen fully understand the situation and have volunteered their lives so that the East Continent, and perhaps even the world, may be spared. Thank you."
           The camera crews focused even tighter on Reeve as Saber handed him the Force Stealer. As Reeve drew the blade, the crowd fell silent.
           Reeve closed his eyes for a meditative moment, focusing. He opened them, and immediately charged forward, plunging the Force Stealer into Cloud's chest. Cloud flinched as Reeve pulled out the blade, now dripping with dark crimson fluid. Reeve delivered the mortal blow and the lifeless Cloud collapsed.
           Godo watched the proceedings, horrified. "You know, Reeve, I'm starting to have second thoughts… Omni Change!" But before Godo got the chance to morph, Reeve attacked, drawing blood from the ninja Lord's legs. As Godo fell to his knees, Reeve stabbed him in the back. Godo buckled.
           Sephiroth had been watching these proceedings with a mix of shock and admiration. "Really, Reeve, I never knew you had it in you." Reeve replied, "Yeah, funny how people can surprise you like that." Reeve swung the blade at Sephiroth's neck, decapitating him in one stroke. Reeve turned back to the crowd, with a quick glance thrown toward the shadows in the mountains. "Tseng, if you're out there, the deed is done. Meet me in the ballroom."

           Elena had been standing in front of the Mansion for over two hours when she spotted a tall figure walking toward her from the mountain pass. He had long flowing hair that was as black as the suit that he wore; slung on his left shoulder was a large, bulging satchel. At that moment, Elena felt a sharp, sudden pang in her chest. She lowered her eyes; despite the previous day's events, her feelings for Tseng flowed back as strong as ever. She turned away from the mountain pass, and instead chose to look straight ahead. Anything necessary to keep her composure.
           The man's footsteps grew louder and louder, and finally stopped. Elena turned to the source of the footfalls. Indeed, it was Tseng… but it was not the Tseng she once knew. His usual serious demeanor had been warped into a more sinister expression. His once smooth hands were now rough and calloused, a result of one too many nights spent in the wilderness. Then, without warning, Tseng's eyes locked with Elena's own. She gasped. Gone was the stern but understanding gaze that he bore in the past, and in its place was malice, intimidation, cunning, and… green. Tseng's corneas were tinted slightly green. Mako green, Elena thought as she broke from the lock he held on her eyes, to open the gates. With a bowed head, and a heavy heart, she led Tseng into the Mansion.

           The three bodies lay on the floor of the Mansion's ballroom, covered with a white sheet. Reeve sat on the piano stool, the crimson-stained Force Stealer propped up against its side. The bloodstains on his suit long since dried, Reeve gazed at the sheet, his mind in another place. A knock came at the ballroom's double doors, and Elena poked her head in. "Reeve," she said, quietly. "Tse-- He's here…"
           Reeve looked at her eyes, which darted away from him at that moment. She stepped aside and Tseng entered. Without another word, Elena closed the door behind the two men, leaving them alone in the massive ballroom. Reeve stood up and looked his enemy straight in the eye, in an attempt to match his hard expression; "So… we meet again."
           Tseng remained silent. He bent down and examined the bodies beneath the sheet, nodding and smiling cryptically. He picked up the head of Sephiroth and turned it around in his hands, a look of amusement on his face. Reeve stood and walked toward the bodies as Tseng placed the head back under the sheet. Casually, Reeve asked, "The Huge Materias?"
           Tseng handed over the satchel. Reeve promptly dismantled one of the Materia Bombs and pulled out a large yellow crystal. It shone brighter and more vividly than the fake ones found in Cosmo Canyon some months ago. He quickly examined the other two devices and smiled. The lives of millions had now been spared. Reeve nodded twice.

           That's the signal…

           Suddenly, Sephiroth, the real Sephiroth, dropped down behind Tseng and put him in a hold, the Masamune's sharp edge a hair away from the former Turk's neck. Cloud dropped down to Tseng's right and pointed the Ultima Weapon at him. Saber burst in from the double doors and bound Tseng's wrists in Mythrill cuffs; from behind him, Elena followed with a small black leather bag. Yuffie popped out from inside the grand piano and quickly frisked Tseng, collecting a couple of weapons, a Tetra Elemental, and about a dozen mastered Materia orbs. The ninja took out her shuriken and pressed the sharp edge against Tseng's chest, enough to slice the end off his tie and draw a small trickle of blood. "Now let's see how you like it!", said Yuffie, a slightly menacing edge having been added to her usual chipper voice. Reeve smiled and quickly pulled her away.
           "Come now, none of that. Can you look at these Huge Materia for me?"
           Yuffie reluctantly retracted and examined the three large crystals. "Yep! These are definitely the ones I stole from Cosmo Canyon!" With Tseng's wares in her pockets, Yuffie handed the bag back to Reeve and ran out of the room to meet her father, alive and well, in the greenhouse upstairs. With the Masamune blade still at his throat, Tseng angrily lashed out at the calm Reeve.
           "What the hell's going on here? How did you--"
           "In a word: Phoenix."
           "The Phoenix Project? You used…clones?"
           Reeve nodded, still smiling. Tseng hissed, "You sneaky bastard… I should've known…"
           "Yep, had to steal some papers from Midgar to pull it off, but it was for a good cause. Elena, Saber; the serum, if you will…"
           From the black bag Elena pulled out a syringe and filled it with a clear liquid. Lowering her head, she handed it to Saber; he rolled up Tseng's sleeves and plunged the needle into a vein on his arm. Sephiroth loosened his grip on the former Turk as the latter's muscles slackened, and his breathing grew ragged. Tseng sank to his knees, and the swordsman sheathed the Masamune. Reeve looked to Saber. "I just need a few minutes with Tseng. I'll call you and Cloud when we're ready."
           Saber nodded and left the room with Cloud, Sephiroth, and Yuffie. Elena started to follow him, when Reeve grabbed her arm.
           "Elena, I want you to stay here with us for the interrogation."
           Elena shook her head, her voice cracking. "I… I don't know if I can…"
           "We don't have much time… the serum will render him unconscious in half an hour. Please, Elena…" Still holding on to her arm with one hand, Reeve took Elena's chin with his other, and gently turned her head so he could see her face. "Please…"
           Despite having their faces directly across from one another, Elena averted her eyes away from Reeve's. Quietly, he spoke again.
           "You know… last night, after all was said and done, I had the feeling that I'd been lied to. Elena… such strong feelings can't be destroyed that quickly, I know."
           With small reluctance, Elena turned to look into Reeve's deep brown eyes. They were quite unlike Tseng's; in them she saw compassion… and concern. She nodded, and Reeve let her go; he then turned his attention to his captive.
           "Do you have anything you'd like to say?"
           The drugged prisoner turned his bloodshot eyes to look at the Blue Shinra president. "What do you want to know?"
           "Why you did it. Why you kidnapped the crown princess of Wutai, forced her to steal the Huge Materias from a politically neutral settlement, blew up the Gold Saucer, attempted blackmail with the lives of three great warriors--"
           "Reeve," Tseng interrupted. "Some things… are better off not knowing." After he said this, he looked pointedly at Elena, who stared back at him questioningly. After a brief pause, Tseng continued. "If there's one mistake I made… it was in requesting Cloud's death… she wouldn't have wanted that…"
           Reeve looked at Elena, then back at Tseng. "Who's 'she'?"
           His voice barely a whisper, Tseng replied, "Aeris."
           Reeve's eyebrows pinched together as he stared at Tseng. The greenish tint in his eyes seemed to glow white for a moment. Reeve hung his head in silence, feeling a small amount of pity for Tseng. The Mako poisoning he had suffered had obviously rendered him mad.
           "There was a time when I… loved her," Tseng added. "You might have already known that we were childhood friends…"
           In a low voice, Reeve answered, "No, I didn't know that…" Still looking at Tseng, Reeve felt Elena brush up against his arm. Cautiously, he slid that arm around her shoulders. Tseng looked up at Elena.
           "I'm sorry, Elena… Aeris was always a part of me… she never left my heart. I still remember the Temple… she was the last thing I saw, before I passed out…" A small, genuine smile passed across Tseng's lips. Elena turned and buried her head against Reeve's chest. Not knowing what else to do, Reeve wrapped his arms around her as he pondered Tseng's words.
           "But… that still doesn't explain why you did all that you did…"
           "Mako poisoning can be a funny thing, to be sure…" Tseng mused. "But I don't think I was misguided. Aeris spoke to me… and she said, 'With death comes rebirth'…"
           A harsh undertone entered Reeve's otherwise calm voice. "Haven't you ever read Bugenhagen's book, Tseng? That is the way of all life on the Planet! I don't understand what you're getting at…"
           "Oh… you will, Reeve… you will…" Tseng gasped for air; his eyelids grew heavier by the second. "Reeve… I do have a… favor to ask of you, if you would be so inclined…"
           Reeve sniffed, "Depends on what it is."
           Tseng coughed, and caught his breath. "I promised Elena a date. Please see that she gets one. A good one."
           Elena turned to look at Tseng, her eyes wide. "Tseng…"
           "Elena," said Tseng, shaking his head. "I could never do for you what Reeve could. He's a good man… I should know." She looked into his eyes, and was surprised to see a glint of the old Tseng shining through the madness. She returned his gaze, a small sparkle in her own eyes.
           "I'll take your word for it."
           Tseng smiled and struggled to stand. Elena froze as Tseng leaned forward, placing a kiss on her forehead. "I'm sorry."
           Elena whispered, "Don't be."
           Shifting his weight to his other foot, Tseng turned back to Reeve, and bowed as deeply as he could.
           "Until we meet again… my most honorable Lord…"
           "Your… Tseng?"
           The former Turk closed his eyes. The last of his waning strength disappeared as he slumped to the ground, as limp as the clone corpses under the sheet. He was unconscious.

           "Dammit, this guy is heavy!"
           "Don't sweat it. We're almost there."
           Saber and Cloud were carrying Tseng's body down the winding staircase that led to the Shinra Mansion's basement. They were going to place the sedated prisoner inside of the chamber that Hojo had imprisoned Vincent in, nearly thirty years ago. Finally, they reached the bottom of the staircase. Saber turned to Cloud.
           "You got the key?"
           "Right here."
           From his belt Cloud unhooked a large ring containing a single key, which he used to unlock the door to Vincent's chamber. However, the door wouldn't open right away, and Cloud had to jimmy the key to coax the door into unlocking. Saber looked up to the ceiling, and mused, "I wonder how they're doing up there…"
           "What, you mean the press conference? I imagine they're doing fine. Reeve and Sephiroth were always great speechmakers."
           "No, I mean Reeve and Elena." Saber smirked. "This morning before the execution, he told me what happened last night."
           "Yeah, I heard about that too", Cloud replied.
           The security guard's smirk disappeared. "She was acting kind of funny today, when Tseng came in. I wonder what that was all about?"
           Cloud lowered his eyes and frowned. "Umm, Saber… Elena liked Tseng…"
           Saber looked surprised. "Really? I didn't know that…"
           Cloud shrugged. "No one expected you to."
           At that moment, the door swung open. Cloud stared into the empty room in silence. "I can't imagine how Elena's taking all of this. She's not as strong in these matters as Aeris was. I hope that she's all right-- Reeve as well."
           Saber looked down at the limp Tseng, whom they had set on the floor for the time being. He took a deep breath and lifted Tseng up by the feet, as Cloud took him by the arms. Maneuvering their way into the dimly lit room, they set him to rest in a nearby coffin and closed the lid. Cloud and Saber then turned to leave.
           Saber went on ahead to the staircase, but Cloud lingered by the doorway. He stared at the coffin, remembering the last time he had seen Tseng, at the Temple of the Ancients. To Cloud, it appeared that, like so many others, Tseng had cheated death… but how? And why? For a moment, he thought about the things that Aeris had told him about the Turk, about their childhood friendship.
           Finally, he took a deep breath. "See you later, Tseng."
           After locking the door and returning the keyring to his belt, Cloud ran down the hall and followed Saber back up the winding staircase.

*****

           The next morning, a few hours before sunrise, one of the front doors of the Mansion crept open and Reeve sauntered out, haphazardly dressed in an untucked white shirt and rumpled navy trousers. His bare feet silently crept down the front steps, then turned left, stopping near one of the porch's columns. Reeve let out a small yawn as he leaned his back against the stone pillar and stared out into the early morning mist that was spread thick across the tiny mountainside village.
           After an idle moment, Reeve reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette package bearing Cid's seal. Seeing as how he couldn't make it to the dinner party, Cid sent the cigarettes as his congratulatory gift to the Blue Shinra president. Reeve had quit smoking ten years prior, but now, he had felt the urge to light up once more. Perhaps it was his curiosity surrounding the cigarettes themselves, which were hand-rolled with the potent Zeio leaf.
           Reeve tapped a Zeio cigarette, or "Special", as Cid called them, out of the package and put it to his lips. Shielding the Special from the damp mist, he managed to light it and took a small drag. At first, the stuff went to his head with a bit of a shock, but he soon got used to the strange sensation, and let his muscles relax some more.
           Reeve turned his attention to the sky beyond the mountains. The stars had begun to recede as the sky to the east turned lighter shades of blue and violet. From behind him, Reeve heard the squeaky hinges of the front door being forced to move, followed by the soft footfalls of knobby, pale feet. The feet stopped at the top step, and Reeve turned his head to see that they belonged to Reno. The Turk stood staring out into the humid morning, not a shred of tiredness on his sharp face; he was barefoot as well, and dressed in a thick indigo bathrobe.
           Reno caught a whiff of the Zeio smoke and turned to his right, where he saw Reeve, who nodded toward him and greeted him with a "Hey."
           "Good morning sir… didn't think you ever got up this early."
           "Usually don't. And please, just Reeve is fine."
           Reno nodded. "All right, Reeve."
           Silence. Reeve walked back to the front step, where Reno was still standing, and sat down. "Are you usually up this early?"
           "Yeah. Before I joined the Turks I had this job where I'd have to be up before sunrise every single day. Just never shook the habit, I guess…"
           Reeve stared out onto the lawn and nodded. He took another drag as Reno sat on the step. The Turk asked, "Reeve, I don't mean to pry, but… should you really be smoking that stuff?"
           Reeve smirked. "Get into a position of high authority and you can do damn near whatever you want. Actually, they were a special gift from Cid."
           Reno raised his eyebrows, obviously intrigued by the pedigree of the cigarettes. "Is that right… Well, can I… get a hit of that? It's been a while…"
           Without a word, Reeve placed the lit cigarette between his lips and dug around in his pocket, eventually bringing out a fresh Special from Cid's packet. Drawing out his lighter from his other pocket, he handed both to Reno. "Better than just a hit, eh?"
           Reno muttered an affirmative as he worked on lighting the cigarette. Reeve continued, "Savor it while you can… Cid didn't send me all that much, and I'm not so sure I'll be this generous the next time you catch me."
           A small laugh escaped Reno's lips. He took a slow drag. "You know something Reeve? You can sure as hell surprise me sometimes. I always saw you as this real tense, uptight guy. Never thought you knew how to relax…"
           "Well, it's not like I've had any time to relax. At Shinra, they worked me to no end, and starting up Blue Shinra's been even more stressful. It's been one logistical nightmare after another. And then Tseng showed up…"
           Reno just listened and nodded. Reeve looked at him, puzzled.
           "I wasn't starting to ramble, was I?"
           "Nope," said Reno, shaking his head. "I was just thinking of how weird this is. I'm sitting here with you, the mogul of the Eastern Continent, smoking Zeio. Damn if there's anything stranger…"
           "Maybe it's because we don't know each other as well as you might think we do."
           "Somehow, I don't think that's it…" Reno trailed off.
           "Go on."
           Reno shrugged. "Nah. It was just an idle thought. Nothing overly important."
           "All right."
           The sky before them began to turn from purple to red as the last of the stars fell behind the Western horizon. The two men sat in silence for a long time, smoking and watching the day break. Reeve stood as the first rays of sunlight hit the front of the Mansion.
           "Well, I have a lot to do this morning before Elena and I leave on our trip. I really need this vacation, but I still can't help worrying about this place."
           "Well then, don't. The Company's in good hands."
           "I know it is."
           Reno smiled. "Thanks, Reeve. Glad to know you have confidence in me."
           "It's because I trust you, Reno."
           The Turk simply nodded in response and took a final drag from his cigarette. He stood up and started for the front door, turning to face Reeve, who's own Special was long gone. "And thanks for the Zeio."
           Reno opened the doors and walked inside the Mansion. Turning back to face the lawn, Reeve saw that the mist was lifting. He gazed at the rising vapors for a moment before following Reno back through the front doors.

---

Completed October 2002 | Copyright 2002, The Blue Shinra Project.

Once again, thanks go out to Darwin Delantri and Cyrus Dogstar, my faithful editors. Extra ups to Dar for playing such a badass Tseng in the FF7 Citadel's original Post-Meteor roleplay (I had to work extra-hard back then to find a way to catch him!).

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