Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Final Fantasy VII ❯ Chapter 4 Mysterious Girl and Reno's Info ( Chapter 4 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

"She passed out," Cloud said as soon as the door shut to the room they had entered.
"I know, it was all because you said his name," Tifa agreed turning from the door.
"She looks just like her, just like Aeris," he said.
"Cloud!" Tifa gasped.
"What? You don't agree?" he questioned giving her a puzzled look.
"No, I do, it's just that's the first time you said her name since she was killed," she replied.
"You don't think....you don't think that that could be....?" Cloud started but trailed off.
"I don't know, she reacted to Sephiroth's name, she reacted to your face and name and she didn't get offened when you were looking at her," Tifa pointed out.
Cloud glared at her. "What do you mean 'looking at her?'" he asked a little offened by Tifa's term.
"Well normally, women shift in their seats when someone is eyeing them, at least I do, and she didn't move a muscle," she explained.
Cloud didn't say anything to Tifa's observation, he hadn't noticed that Alana didn't react to him in that way. He sat silently for a moment and then raised his head he knew what he was gonna do and who he had to talk to. He headed towards the door to the room.
"Where are you going?" Tifa asked running after him as he swung the door open.
"To find Reno, he knows some things and might be able to help," Cloud said and left the room.
About an hour later Cloud had Reno in the alley in the slums. Reno was pinned to the wall because he was claiming he didn't know anything. Cloud was too on edge to give in to Reno's games and demanded that he told him what he knew about the rumors.
"Ok, the other day you didn't wanna hear it. Now all of a sudden you hunt me down, pin me to a wall, and demand I tell you," Reno said.
"I don't have time to play games with you Reno, I need to know what you know about Sephiroth!" Cloud insisted getting irritated.
"Whoa, something's come up huh? That's why you wanna know!" he said avoiding Cloud's demands.
Cloud lifted him off the wall and slammed him into again hard this time as warning that he was getting impaitent. Reno put up his hands to show he had nothing on him, but his eyes held their amused glow. He was suddenly very interested in the reason why Cloud had gone out of his way to hunt him down.
"So, what's goin' on Cloud?" he asked ignoring the pain that surged through his back and shoulders.
"Reno!" Cloud said in a warning voice.
"Here's the deal, I'll tell you what you wanna know, if....you tell me why you went outta your way to find me," Renos said taking in Cloud's tone.
"Fine...." Cloud agreed, he had little choices and knew there was no other way to get him to cooperate.
"So, what's goin on then?" he pressed curiously.
"I found a girl who looks like Aeris, I need to know if Sephiroth is alive. If he is...he might have...." Cloud began to explain and trailed off.
"I get it. I get it. You don't have to finish that sentence. Alright, here's the thing. When I went in with the team to retrieve his body, there was no Sephiroth. However, rumor has it that a mysterious stranger just came into a town not far from here a few days ago," Reno confessed.
"What town? Where?" Cloud demanded.
"I'll tell ya, but I wanna see this girl first," he said.
Cloud gave him a hatefull look and tightened his grip on Reno's collar. Reno just smiled. After a moment he loosened his grip and looked down. Then slowly he nodded in agreement. Cloud needed any infomation that Reno could give, even if it meant getting him involved deeply. Reno followed Cloud back. When they arrived Tifa was standing near the staircase and Alana was sitting on the stairs. Her eyes rose to the two men who had just entered the room.
"Whoa, you weren't kiddin'," Reno said inspecting Alana.
"Alright you saw her now tell me," Cloud said.
"Hold on, hold on, we haven't met yet," Reno said and smiled then held out his hand to her. "My name's Reno."
Alana looked at Cloud for a moment and then to Reno and catiously took his hand. "Alana..." she said soft toned.
Cloud moved in between the girl and the turk so Reno was forced to release her hand. He looked at Cloud and grinned. Cloud's eyes were angry and fuming with hate. Reno put up his hands in a sign of surrunder as he had done before. They went outside where they could talk alone.
"Now...tell me," Cloud ordered his voice cold.
"Ok, ok, a deal's a deal. It's a town called Hoyt, just east of here. A small town, but the people there are pridefull," Reno spilled.
"Thanks, you can go now," Cloud said turning to go inside.
"Wait, I wanna go with you," he called after him.
He stopped and turned to Reno with a puzzled look. "What?" he asked.
"That girl convenced me, the rumors may be true and I wanna know if they are," Reno said.
"What?" Cloud repeated.
"Come on, you're gonna need some help," he begged.
"Fine...." Cloud sighed. "I'll get you before I leave."
"Good, I'll see ya then," Reno said and walked away.