Reno and Nanaki sped towards Cosmo Canyon as swiftly as they could. Maduin's strong legs carried them both across the ocean; upon reaching the Great Continent, Nanaki returned to the ground and ran alongside the red chocobo, only mounting the bird again at river crossings. They reached the Canyon at sundown the following day, the surrounding sandstone cliffs faintly twinkling in the reddish orange light. After his recent experience in Midgar, Reno found the familiar sights of his hometown to be comforting. Nanaki, in the meantime, kept his head bowed.
         "Welcome back, Kekipi, Nanaki," the watchman greeted, once the pair had reached the top of the stone steps. "It's comforting to see that you both survived the disaster on the far continent."
         "Thanks. It's good to be back," Reno replied. "I'm here to pay my respects to Master Bugenhagen."
         "So you have heard…"
         "Nanaki told me."
         The watchman nodded. "Come on in."
         "Are the Elders around?"
         "Both Elder Bughe and Elder Hargo are in the observatory. They're making preparations for the funeral and have asked not to be disturbed."
         "Ah. I guess we'll have to see them later. Thanks."

         After getting Maduin situated in a vacant stable, Reno and Nanaki made their way up to the observatory on their own and, as expected, were turned away. With little else to do, they wandered back downstairs, exchanging pleasantries with some of their old friends and acquaintances along the way, and eventually winding up before the Cosmo Candle. The eternal flame glowed brightly in the twilight, and although Reno could feel the urge to hit up the nearby Starlet Pub tugging at him, the fire's hypnotic dance kept him from leaving. He settled down next to Nanaki on the large stone platform. For a long time, neither of them said a word.
         "So you were present when Master Bugenhagen died?"
         "Yes. Grandpa gave me my father's old headdress, then lay down to sleep. I could tell that he wasn't going to wake up."
         "Hmm. Must've been rough, witnessing something like that."
         "You could only imagine. I felt my heart break at that moment. It was the saddest day of my life."
         Reno nodded, and they resumed staring at the flames. After awhile spent in this trance, Reno thought he could see someone staring back at him. He did a double-take; it was no illusion, someone was staring back at him. Directly across the flames were a pair of stern, pale eyes framed by furry brows and cheeks. Reno scrambled to his feet to get a better look at this newcomer when he noticed that it was not alone. Ringed around the Cosmo Candle were a few dozen wolflike beings of various sizes and pelt colors, the flames on the ends of their long, slender tails flickering in the dimming light. With his foot, Reno nudged at Nanaki, who was lying down with his one good eye closed.
         "Hey Nanaki," he whispered. "Get up. We've got company." And you ain't gonna believe the kind of company we have.
         "Human!" boomed the kapa'a whose eyes he'd originally met from across the flame. This creature, unlike the others, sat atop the platform along with Reno and Nanaki, and bore a thick grayish-brown coat and tattoos on all four legs. Atop his head sat a magnificent headdress adorned with several colorful feathers and beads. "Let the young one be. What are you doing here in these sacred lands? You have the air of civilization about you, of machinery and material wealth. Such a corrupted soul has no business being here, unless he seeks to cleanse himself."
         Reno narrowed his eyes at this old kapa'a. What business did he have saying such things in his hometown? "Nanaki…" he grumbled, gritting his teeth and nudging into his side once more, harder and more abruptly this time. Nanaki got up with a yelp.
         "Sorry, I fell asleep." Nanaki shook his head, then looked around him, his eye wide. "W-what's going on?"
         "That's what I'd like to know," said Reno. "Who are you, old timer?"
         "Such disrespect from someone so young. A kapa'a who has lived as long as you is yet a child to us, but you are deemed mature by your people," the old one replied.
         "I wish you'd stop with this 'your people' business, since you obviously don't know anything. Just ask my tribesmate here," Reno replied, indicating Nanaki.
         The old kapa'a raised an eyebrow. "Your name, youngster?"
         "Reno, but my kapa'a name is Kekipi. My father was Aka'lupo, and our chief was Seto."
         "Do you bear the mark of your tribe, Kekipi?"
         "Of course."
         "Show it to me."
         Reno grumbled under his breath as he shed his coat and then pulled off just enough of his shirt to expose his upper right arm. The first tattoo—the mark of the Cosmo Kapa'a—glistened proudly in the firelight above the second, which represented his tribal name. As the surrounding crowd murmured amongst themselves, the old kapa'a smiled, while Reno continued glare at him.
         "So you tell the truth. Two hundred and fifty years have passed since we took our leave of this canyon, and all that time not once did I think I'd see another of our kind outside my own tribe ever again," he said, momentarily shifting his focus to Nanaki. "However, I could never have imagined that another human would have been made an honorary member of a kapa'a tribe during our long departure."
         "Another human? You aren't talking about my father and mother, are you?"
         "Young Kekipi, I never knew your parents. I speak to you of someone else—ah, here he comes now." The old kapa'a looked beyond Reno, who then turned his head, following the former's line of sight. Walking through the crowd of kapa'a toward the Cosmo Candle was a lean, muscular man with lightly bronzed skin wearing little else save for a loincloth. His red hair danced like flames atop his head and cascaded into two long tails that tapered at his ankles, each one tied with a string of leather, beads, and feathers; his eyes were the color of amber. His jaw agape, Reno could not tear his eyes away from this man, who carried with him an air of familiarity, even though this was, as far as he knew, their first meeting.
         "Kekipi…" Nanaki started. Reno exchanged glances with him, then faced the strange man once more. This time, Reno's eyes alighted on the pair of tattoos that he wore, one on each arm. The pattern of the first matched the one he had noticed on the old chief and several of the other newcomer kapa'a. The second was completely unfamiliar to him.
         "This was the one the elders here spoke of, wasn't it?" the twin-tailed man said, speaking in a deep and even tone. "They called him 'Reno', or 'Kekipi'."
         Reno whirled around to face the old one once again. "Hold on a second. You mean to tell me that you knew who I was this entire time?"
         "I was told who you were, but the idea of your existence was so improbable that I had to verify it for myself."
         "How is it 'improbable' when you have a human in your own tribe?"
         The kapa'a said nothing. Behind him, Reno could see Elder Hargo coming towards them. "It's because, Kekipi, or should I say, Reno," Hargo said, "the man behind you is Serchiro Cerise, your long-lost older brother."
         "My what?"
         At this point, Reno needed to hit the pub. Dumbfounded by this revelation, he stared at the twin-tailed man again, examining him a bit more carefully this time. Certainly, the resemblance was there, but the fact that he had a brother to begin with was going to take some getting used to. Serchiro leaned forward, sniffing at Reno's bare shoulders and chest.
         "What the hell're you doing?" Reno said.
         "You have the smell of metal and stone about you. Clean, sterile, dead."
         "What about it?"
         "The life you lead is an unnatural one, disconnected from nature. And your eyes—" Serchiro said, taking Reno's jaw into the strong grip of his right hand and bringing it to face him. "—your eyes have a strange glow about them, as though you've gorged on the knowledge of the Planet."
         While it was true that his eyes did change color after his experiments in Rocket Town all those years ago, he hardly thought of this material contamination as a "gorging" of the Planet's knowledge. Certainly, this brother of his was a wild one, in the truest sense of the word. He tried to protest, but Serchiro's grip was too strong.
         "Let him go," said a gravely voice at his side. It was Nanaki. "Kekipi and I are the only ones left in our tribe. Harm him, and you'll have to deal with me."
         Tension filled the air, as did several gutteral growls from many of the surrounding kapa'a. Clearly, this was a losing battle.
         "Kanoe, let Kekipi go."
         It was the old kapa'a who said this, and after he did, Serchiro loosened his grip. Reno sunk to his knees, rubbing his sore jaw, while Nanaki came to sit beside him.
         "Thanks for… what you said," Reno whispered. Nanaki didn't reply.
         The chief got to his feet. "Kekipi, Nanaki, Elders and residents of Cosmo Canyon, we must be off for the night. We shall return again in the morning." He walked past the last two members of the Cosmo tribe, then into the waiting crowd of his own. Serchiro—tribal name Kanoe—exchanged one last glance with his younger brother before following the chief out of the village.

         "How the hell did I get a brother?"
         Reno slammed his Lifestream cocktail on the table, frustrated over the evening's events. Seated across from him, Nanaki quietly lapped at a bowl of soup.
         "I'm sure the Elders will be able to explain everything once they get here," the kapa'a replied.
         "They damned well better."
         "There was something that Kanoe said tonight, something about you…" Nanaki trailed off.
         "What? Spit it out."
         "That your way of life is unnatural. I couldn't help but think he may have a point."
         "You would," Reno deadpanned. "If that's the case, why did you defend me?"
         "A lot of the most important people in my life are now gone," Nanaki replied, bowing his head. "I…"
         Reno just nodded and propped his head up with his arm, suddenly feeling like a heel. A few minutes passed in silence; Reno took occasional sips from his drink, and Nanaki laps from his bowl. Then, Elder Bughe walked into the pub and ordered a drink at the bar. Upon the Elder's entrance, Reno bolted up from his seat.
         "I'll be right with you, Kekipi," said Bughe. As Reno settled back down, Bughe paid for his drink and took the spot next to Nanaki.
         "I'm sure you have many questions about Serchiro—"
         "Damn right I do, Elder. How come no one ever told me about him before?"
         "Well, let's start with that, then. I suppose the reason you never heard about Serchiro is because he was believed dead before you were even born."
         "Go on…"
         "It happened during the Gi War. Your father and mother had their first son, but only a few months after his birth, he was abducted by the Gi. The Cosmo tribe and others here searched for the child for months, but gathered not so much as a lead. You were born two years later."
         Reno nodded; he understood what was going on now, even though deep in his gut, he felt somewhat cheated by having been deprived of this information for his entire life. "And how did he end up in that other kapa'a tribe?"
         "The Cosmo tribe split into two many years ago due to some sort of internal conflict; one of these groups left the Canyon and took up residence in lands far from here. As for Serchiro, it seems that one of their scouts came upon the infant, who had been abandoned in the Ancient Forest by the Gi, and took pity on him. The child was brought back to the tribe and made one of their own."
         "Damn," Reno said, taking it all in. "So I guess Serchiro never found out where he came from?"
         "Not until recently. I imagine he's as shocked by all of this as you are."
         "Yeah, well the guy looked more disgusted by me than shocked."
         "Hmm," said Nanaki, not looking up from his bowl.
         "You have something to add?"
         "Not at all. But Elder, I do have a question of my own."
         Bughe turned to Nanaki. "What is it, Nanaki?"
         "Why has this other tribe returned to the Canyon after so long? For several years, I thought I was the only one of my kind left."
         "So did we. They had disappeared so completely that, perhaps, everyone thought they had vanished. As for why they've returned, it's a bit complicated. They're gathering information about Meteor and the Lifestream's uprising, and at the same time, they wish to reconcile their differences with the Cosmo tribe."
         Reno drained the last of his drink. "Is that so. Maybe Nanaki and I can take care of both those things. What time are they due back tomorrow?"

         The following day, Reno and Nanaki, along with Elders Bughe and Hargo, sat down with a group of representatives from the Zango tribe, as they called themselves. This group included Chief Makakoa, the old kapa'a from the previous evening, as well as Serchiro and a small gathering of others. Reno and Nanaki told the Zango representatives everything they knew about the events that led up to the Meteor crisis: the Shinra corporation and its experiments, the discovery of Jenova, the creation of Sephiroth, the black and white materias. Although Reeve had previously told Reno about what he had learned while being in Cloud's group, hearing much of the same things again from Nanaki's perspective opened his eyes even more to the extent of the damage to the Planet that his former employers—and former co-workers—had caused. The Zango tribe, for their part, listened in silence, only interrupting once or twice to ask questions.
         "That was certainly an interesting tale," the chief said once Nanaki had concluded it. "And for all this reckless human behavior, the Planet's inhabitants are rewarded with a weakened Lifestream, one which will not allow itself to shoulder all of the burden. Not this time."
         "What are you talking about?" Reno asked.
         "Turn off your physical senses, young Kekipi, and listen to the Planet, if you remember how to do so. She no longer cries in pain, but in her placated tones is an undercurrent of fury."

         The rest of the day passed quickly, and as the sun neared the end of its daily westward journey, Reno and Nanaki were summoned to Bugenhagen's observatory. The old man himself lay on a mat of tightly-woven straw in the middle of the living room. Upon seeing his still body, Reno could feel his body grow weak. He tried to say something, but choked on the words as they escaped his mouth.
         "Reno," said Elder Bughe, who was also in the room with them, "are you ready?"
         "Give me a minute," Reno replied, wiping his arm across his eyes. He closed them and stood still, focusing on the world beneath his feet. Indeed, the Planet's voice had changed in tone since the last time he had made an effort to listen to it. He concentrated even harder, and found himself startled when he thought he heard a familiar ho ho ho. Reno's eyes shot open to the sight of Bugenhagen's dead body once again, but he was calmer this time. He placed his right hand atop Nanaki's head and took a deep breath.
         "Okay, let's do this."

         The Cosmo Candle shone brighter than Reno had ever seen before as Bugenhagen's body was given to the flame. The entire village was in the square that night, along with their guests, the Zango tribe. A few speeches were made, some songs were sung, and many tears were shed. After the funeral ceremony, Reno wandered off to a darkened corner of the village and stared up at the stars. He thought of his friends and his lover back on the continent to the east, and wondered what they were up to right now in this new, upended world.
         "Kekipi? I was told I'd find you here."
         Reno turned his head. It was Serchiro; though he still went without shirt and shoes, at least now he was dressed in a pair of hand-stitched trousers as opposed to a bit of hide around his waist.
         "What do you want?"
         "I just want to talk to you. Was I interrupting something?"
         "No, just thinking of my other home, back east. The civilized one, or what's left of it."
         "What is the appeal for you in such a place?"
         "Many things, but mostly people who love and accept me for who I am."
         "And you can't get that in Cosmo Canyon?"
         Reno sighed. "It's different here. There were things I wanted to do that aren't possible in this place. Besides, I was never the type to stay in my hometown my entire life."
         "I'm not sure I understand."
         Reno ignored this. "But anyway, back east I have friends who mean the world to me. Tomorrow, I'll be leaving to join them again."
         "And Nanaki?"
         "He's staying in the Canyon. He's had enough of the rest of the world for awhile."
         "And this is all right? He is your tribesmate, after all."
         "True. He's the only kapa'a family I have left. However…" Reno trailed off, thinking of how he should phrase the rest. "However, we've never been especially close. Neither of us will suffer by being apart."
         "I see," Serchiro frowned. Reno stared at him; there had been something about the way Serchiro had been looking at him this whole time that he found unsettling.
         "You've got something on your mind, Kanoe. C'mon, spit it out."
         "Eh?"
         "Tell me why you're staring at me."
         "Very well. It's those marks under your eyes. I've been curious about them this entire time. What are they?"
         "You know how members of a kapa'a tribe receive the tribe's tattoo when they reach a certain age?"
         "Yes. When we have completed our physical growth, we receive the pattern of our tribe and that of our own names inscribed upon our skin."
         "These scars under my eyes have a similar meaning."
         "So you are the member of another tribe?"
         "In a manner of speaking. I told you and the others earlier today that I worked for a special Shinra division called the Turks. These marks brand me as a Turk member."
         "The Turks…"
         "Yeah." Reno eyed Serchiro, finding his current ponderous state a little odd. "Don't tell me you've heard of them."
         "I did not wish to bring it up during yours and Nanaki's tale, but yes, I had heard of a group called the Turks before today. Whether or not you are of this same group, however…"
         "What the hell are you talking about? There's more than one group called the Turks?"
         "I couldn't tell you," Serchiro replied, waving Reno off. "Just forget that I said anything."
         Reno cocked an eyebrow, wondering exactly what was going on inside his brother's head. "Anyway, yeah, I'm a member of the Turks. They're more family to me than anyone in Cosmo Canyon."
         Serchiro frowned, "You truly do have the crude air of human civilization about you."
         "And that's why I can't accept you as my brother," Reno countered. "We're completely different."
         "I understand, though you cannot deny our shared blood."
         "I don't."
         "So do you have someone who you do consider to be a 'brother' in this extended family?"
         "All of them, but the one I was closest to, the one who was most like a brother to me, was Tseng." Reno sighed; his pangs of longing for the east—for his adopted home—were now stronger than ever. "And if you recall the story I told you earlier today, you know what happened to him…"

*****

         By the time Reno returned from Cosmo Canyon, most all of Midgar's refugees had been moved from what was left of the slums to a stretch of barren land just north of the ruined city. In the weeks and months that followed, this makeshift camp began to take on the look of a permanent settlement, as buildings replaced tents and dirt paths were paved over with stone and asphalt.
         In the midst of all this activity was Reeve and various top level planners and managers, all formerly of Shinra's Urban Development division. This loose-knit band of like-minded individuals was the genesis of the World Restoration Organization, and in the wake of Meteor's destruction, they served as the region's provisional government. A few former Peace Preservation generals and various others who had worked in Weapons Dev., the Space Program, and the Science Division were brought into the fold, along with people whom Reeve had dealt with in the past through his old friend Kramler.
         These latter contacts proved to be the most useful of all, as mako energy was no longer an option; every single mako reactor had been completely shut down shortly before Meteor struck, and remained that way ever since. With his numerous secret investments in alternative forms of energy, Reeve was able to pick and choose from the projects he thought to be most useful. At the moment, petroleum was the most promising of these, though the thick clouds of smoke produced by the engines that used this fuel reminded Reeve, disquietingly, of Midgar. Elsewhere in the world, other energy-generating projects—many of which had been stifled by Shinra's monopoly—were well under way, and a vital air of competition excited everyone from the companies' founders down to the consumers.
         In "The Edge", as the new settlement was commonly known these days, as mako generators were retrofitted and buildings constructed, other, more difficult, problems presented themselves. Chief among these was a sickness that first appeared shortly after Midgar's destruction; it spread randomly throughout the world, but hit the former residents of the "Mako Metropolis" the hardest. Distinguished by black marks on the skin—darker than any bruise—this illness typically brought about chronic pain, and eventually death, to those unfortunate enough to contract it. Little about it was known, but what had been generally agreed upon by the populace was that it came about largely as a result of Meteor's landing and the Lifestream's uprising. It was eventually coined "geostigma", a term credited to Elder Hargo of Cosmo Canyon, who himself came down with a minor case.

         Several months passed and the Edge continued to grow. Reeve and Reno now lived in a fine brick building designed by the former manager of Sector Four, while Reeve worked with the rest of the WRO's staff out of a facility near the heart of the city, In the meantime, Reno ran various odd jobs for the WRO and others, such as transporting goods from Junon or rooting out criminals. Elena and Rude had returned to the area after a couple of months in Kalm around the same time that Elmyra and Marlene did, but independently of the pair. Upon settling in the Edge, Rude took on a steady job as a construction supervisor, while Elena joined Reno in his freelancing ways.
         Reeve had heard about Elena's new pet chocobo from Rude, but when he had asked to see the bird after the couple's move to the Edge, Elena muttered something about Jiro running away shortly before they left Kalm and changed the subject.

*****

         His first stirrings of consciousness, in who knows how long, came when he suddenly felt something warm hitting his skin. He was lying down, his body prone and covered in what felt like bedclothes. After a while, he slowly opened his eyes. His right eye was struck by the brightness of his room, while his left one only encountered darkness. As he adjusted his vision, he looked around the room; it was not one that he recognized.
         He began to pull himself up into a sitting position, but stiffness in his joints, coupled with extreme pain, made even just moving his arms an unbearable experience. Groaning, he settled back into his former position. The last thing he remembered was a massive ball of fire roaring toward him, the searing heat enveloping his body, the flames threatening to take him back to the Planet with them. He was now aware of bandages not just covering his left eye, but other parts of his body as well; undoubtedly he had received some serious injuries from the Weapon's attack, and someone had found and treated him. However, although his left eye was open, he couldn't see any indication of the bandage obscuring it. He also noticed that there was no feeling in his legs.
         "Sir!" he heard a woman gasp. His eyes roved toward the source of the sound, where his right one saw his secretary and personal assistant, Angela.
         "Hello, Angie," said Rufus, feeling weak but doing his best to mask this in his tone of voice. "Where am I?"
         Angela came to his bedside and started to explain, but stumbled over her words as if she didn't know where to begin.
         "Just tell me where I am. We'll take this one step at a time."
         "You're in the largest suite of the Healin Lodge," she replied.
         "The old medical retreat? I didn't know it was still in business."
         "Some friends of mine work out here. I figured this would be the best place to bring you."
         "So you rescued me?"
         "I had some help. When the Weapon hit your office, I had an emergency team sent up there. You had some very severe third-degree burns, among other injuries. It's a miracle you survived."
         Rufus could see the concern on his secretary's face as plain as day. "How long have I been asleep?"
         "About fourteen months."
         He tried to nod in response, but his neck was stiff; the bandages wrapped around it didn't help, either. With this tiny bit of knowledge, many more questions flooded his mind. Had Meteor struck? What became of Sephiroth? And AVALANCHE? However, for the time being, he decided to keep the line of questioning focused on himself. "How have I recovered?"
         "It took me awhile to find a good plastic surgeon who would operate on you while you were unconscious. I know how much you prize your looks, but nearly all of the doctors I talked to wanted your permission first. Most of the necessary surgery—cosmetic and otherwise—has been successfully carried out, but shards of glass and steel hit your left eye and puncture the central nerves in your legs…"
         A dry, hollow feeling suddenly manifested in Rufus' throat. "Well that explains the partial blindness and paralysis."
         "Yes, sir. And on top of all that, you have that new disease, the one they call 'geostigma'."
         "Geostigma?"
         She simply nodded, then turned back some of Rufus' bedsheets so that his right hand was visible. The skin was marked with black splotches, but they were unlike any bruises he had ever seen. Rufus stared at the hand, horrified. Angela lowered her head and said, "You have marks like that all over your body. Most of the pain you're feeling right now is probably from the geostigma."
         "What is it, exactly?"
         "A sickness shared with the Planet as it works to rid itself of Jenova cells. What you are going through now is similar to what the Planet has had to deal with for the past two thousand years," replied a deep, masculine voice.
         Rufus recognized the voice instantly; it was one that was once soothing, then merely irritating, but now, it terrified him. Ignoring the pain in his body, he propped his upper body up on his elbows and looked around.
         Then, Rufus saw him, standing in a corner, arms folded across his chest and his face fixed into its regular stoic expression. Rufus gasped, his eyes firmly fixed upon the impossibility in front of him, his body trembling uncontrollably.
         "It's been a long time, Rufus Thaddeus Shinra," Yoshiro "Tseng" Kawaguchi said, emphasizing each part of Rufus' name as he stepped toward his bed. "There is much we need to discuss."