Ira Senkai Ura
"No Turning Back"
No turning back now. I was in for it this time—not even the great Summon, Alexander, could save me, though his form was hoisted along in my bangle.
I had no desire to fight and die alone, but if I was ordered to… hey… them’s the breaks. I could never back down on an order… especially not one that would cost me a big bonus not to mention my job if I botched it up. Odin knows I botched things up pretty bad when I was told to collapse the plate above Sector Seven. Jesus God I hated that assignment. Hurt me pretty badly that they had to recruit some crybaby.
So where was I going now? Who knows… all they said to me was good luck, you’ll need it where you’re going. I’ll… need it? What would this be? A suicidal trip? I have another whole half of my life to live—but hey… I heard that 27 is the year of death… and Turks never live for long.
The shores held many bodies… beings that had passed during the destruction that a force known as Sin had caused.
Reno walked along those shores, unknowing of what was in store for him. He had transcended onto an unknown Planet (well, to him) on an assignment that would have cost him his life in the first place. Heidegger knew that and, hating Reno with a passion, gave him the assignment. Reno, and Reno alone.
He sighed. Something happened a short while back, and he hadn’t known anything about it.
He looked to the sky. The azure blueness held an unsettling nature, and only that and the God that reigned over the people here knew how the Turk had landed upon this plane. Reno cursed in his native tongue and kicked at floating debris, sending it flying near a beautiful water fountain. Not a fountain, Reno noted, as he looked closer. A waterspout… and a woman was dancing on top of it, while souls of the departed danced around her, gliding into the sky.
Simply amazing.
Yuna finished the Sending and walked atop the water onto the sand, heading toward her sister-figure, Lulu.
"Did I… do a good job?" she questioned, not noticing the still astonished face Tidus had on.
"Yes, you did. But next time, no more tears."
Yuna leaned on Lulu wiping away the remaining salty stinging in her eyes. She looked up to Lulu, and admired the strength that woman held. It wasn’t until a villager cried out that she turned and saw a somber expression on Tidus’ face. He was looking out near the water, and yet not. Yuna looked to where Tidus was facing, then she headed over to the cries of the Kilikian villager. Kimahri Ronso, Yuna’s trusted and able-bodied… bodyguard, immediately followed the young Summoner, curious, as well, as to who was causing a ruckus.
"WHERE THE HELL AM I?!" Reno snapped at the Kilikian villager, who lay crumpled at his feet. When the villager did not answer, Reno was ready to give him 50,000 volts of electricity. The golden metal tip of the nightstick was two inches away from the villager’s neck when a brute force knocked Reno back, nearly losing grip of his weapon. He looked up, startled at the sight of a cobalt-gray furred lion type creature, holding a deadly looking spear in his hands, if you could consider them hands.
"Easy, Fido…" Reno, responded, holding his hands up in defeat, "Not enough kibble in your diet?" The lion growled and prodded the Turk with the spear.
"OW! Cut it out! What’d I do ta get you on my case, eh?" Reno muttered as he got up, placing his nightstick in a "ready-and-firing" position.
"Kimahri, back down," a gentle voice said. The beast concurred and put away his spear as the young woman from the waterspout glided in front of Kimahri. Reno blinked, still in ready position.
"You, too…" she continued smoothly. Reno blinked again, but obeyed, placing his nightstick in its holster.
"Wh-where am I?" Reno asked again, a little calmer this time. The young woman spoke again.
"Kilika."
"Who are you people and why—where am I again?" Reno tilted his head, locks of shock red hair falling into his eyes.
"Perhaps he’s gotten too close to Sin. The toxin can warp your mind…" another woman came up behind the first. Her pale complexion and dark attire, along with crimson eyes reminded Reno of Vincent Valentine. Perhaps he’d ask her if she knew him… later.
"I’m Yuna… that’s Lulu, and behind me is Kimahri."
Kimahri growled. Yuna clapped her hands together. "Would you like to come with us to the temple? You can pray to Yevon in the hopes that your memory comes back… uhhmm…"
"My name’s Reno, and I don’t have a memory problem. I don’t know who this… Sin is… or Yevon, and let’s face it… I don’t know where I am… and I sure as Hell ain’t praying at no temple." He retorted and turned, heading into the jungle. Yuna sighed.
"That’s where we’re heading anyways…"
Well, at least my Materia still works here… that I can rely on… if not, then my magic. I’d hate to live in a place that had no forms of magic—a place like that would be boring, my God.
I’d hoped there was a way to get out of this… Kilika… and I’d hoped that it was through this jungle. I hoped wrong.
Reno began to hum a song he’d heard in Midgar—while working under Tseng’s wing—as he crossed through to find a way out.
"Hey!" A voice called behind him. Instinctively, he stopped and pulled out his nightstick-jutting it out at a young blonde’s collarbone.
"OW! What was that for?!" the kid cried. Reno shook his head as he saw the two women, the beast and another guy he didn’t recognize.
"What now?" Reno groaned as Yuna caught up to them. She glanced at the kid, who was rubbing at his bone.
"That’s Tidus. And… uhmm… we’re not following you—this is the way to the temple." Reno cursed loudly in his native language and leaned against a tree, standing in silence. The others waited for a response from him for about three minutes.
"I’m not gonna be able to go back, huhn?" Reno mused sadly.
"Back where, ya?" the other man asked. Reno looked up at him.
"Why should you care, eh? Just… leave me here to think, a’ight?"
Yuna thought for a moment.
"I can’t do that, Reno. There’s got to be a way to get you back to wherever you came from." She glanced at Tidus, who looked away. She placed a reassuring hand on Reno’s shoulder and continued, "I have to go to the fayth. Wakka, over there, is going to pray—perhaps he’ll teach you how and you can pray to go home." Wakka puffed out his chest.
"Fine. But I’m not promising anything, okay? Whatever you nutters are planning, I’m not in on it." Yuna squeaked with glee and hugged the Turk tightly, letting go after he pleaded with her to give him some air to breathe.
"Hey… Luzzu and Gatta are over there—" Wakka exclaimed and pointed to a spiky red-haired man, and a dark-haired man, standing in front of a weird plant-like creature. Reno was curious.
"Be careful, that’s Lord Ochu, the forest guardian…" Luzzu tried to warn Reno, but his curiosity was instinctive. Ochu grew to an immense size, and while Luzzu and Gatta were backing away, Lulu, Wakka, Kimahri, Yuna and Tidus advanced. Reno held them back, though, as Ochu tried to snap its vines at the party.
"To roast a plant," Reno started, heading for Materia, but stopped as he felt the eyes of the others on him. He blinked and cast a magic spell.
"Firaga!" the Red Mage Turk cried as he set the oversized houseplant aflame. Ochu literally screamed and exploded with a sickening sound, covering the ground with its remains.
"Oh, man, I think I’m gonna be sick…" Tidus groaned.
"Hey…" Reno started, feeling a bit woozy himself; "you don’t do that for a living…"
When he felt the eyes of the others upon him again, he straightened up. "Come on, um… you guys got a temple to pray at…"
All the while I was thinking I just wanted to go back home… back to Midgar with Rufus and Rude… back home where I knew where I was. I was homesick—and I wanted to get laid, let’s face it… I had to keep it in—hold my intentions for Rufus… I wanted to go home.
Wakka taught me how to pray here—it felt so familiar, like they could have done that in Wutai or something like that. I’m sure Tseng taught me it a long time ago when he taught the Turks the various forms of Martial Arts.
I’m thinking of home again…
"A race, huh?" Reno heard Tidus say through his thoughts.
"Yup. First one to the top… Yuna… do the honors." Wakka had said. Reno looked up as Wakka, Tidus and two other men had taking their positions for the race. He had stayed back with Lulu and Kimahri, lost in thoughts of Midgar and Nibelheim, Wutai and Costa del Sol.
Yuna giggled and took off after saying, "Ready". The others followed.
"What? Hey!" Tidus, startled, replied. Then he ran after the other four.
Lulu chuckled. "Kids…" She looked at Reno. "Are you okay?"
"A little homesick… I guess," he responded softly, and began to head up the steps.
"SINSPAWN!" Wakka called from the top, then he yelled something else, but couldn’t be heard by Reno, who was being nearly trampled by Lulu and Kimahri.
Reno finally made it up to the top as a fight had gone underway with a shielded monster and two tentacles that reached behind the party.
"Hit the tentacles!" Tidus called out. Bringing out his nightstick, Reno ran over to the nearest tentacle and slapped it hard. The tentacle reeled back, but remained living. Reno jumped back.
"Damn… what the Hell is this?" he pondered as Tidus destroyed the left tentacle with the Brotherhood.
"It’s a Sinspawn… we’ll explain later." Lulu replied as she let go of the Moomba in her hands. The stuffed toy walked over to the tentacle and hoisted itself against the long arm, giving it miniscule damage. Then Kimahri Ronso speared the arm, still not giving it enough damage to subside.
"No magic?" Reno asked as Wakka threw his Scout at the tentacle.
"Those things absorb it, get rid of the arms, then hit it with every bit of magic you can," Wakka responded.
The shielded part of the Sinspawn had gone unnoticed and so it had attacked with Sigh, hitting all but Reno and Yuna.
"Vile stench…" Tidus moaned as Yuna used a Cure spell on the less fortunate warrior. Reno’s turn. He hit the tentacle with all his might, destroying the arm.
"Hit it now!" Reno ordered as he readied his Bahamut ZERO Summon.
Tidus hit Sinspawn Geneaux with his brotherhood, Lulu cast Fire, Kimahri speared the creature and Wakka had thrown his Scout again. Yuna looked at Reno as he hopped up to her.
"We summon at the same time…" Reno started. The eyes of the others were upon him again. "No fooling. I know you’re a Summoner—some strange thoughts I have—so we summon together to defeat this thing." Yuna nodded.
Just as Reno had screamed Bahamut ZERO’s name, Yuna had began summoning Valefore.
The colorful new summon was dwarfed by the silver Bahamut, but they worked together, ZERO casting Terra Flare, and Valefore Overdriving and using Energy Ray. The two attacks had converged and together destroyed Geneaux.
After the fact, Yuna had congratulated her Summon, while mine flew away. I thanked it mentally as it leveled up, becoming more powerful—I had a feeling I’d need it to be Mastered. Lulu and Wakka had told Tidus and myself about Sinspawn, then they had a small argument, something about no one can replace Chappu… Lord Braska… and Sir Jecht for that matter. I didn’t think I heard right so I asked Tidus about it. He gave me the silent treatment and followed Wakka.
Before we were able to enter the temple, however, we were confronted by three of Wakka’s… rival team members… one of them… Brickson… he’d looked almost exactly like myself… and had that same cocky sound in his voice.
I was afraid to think of where I was anymore… I’d get more homesick than I already was.
The temple held a familiarity to Reno, mainly because he’d heard the song before. Wakka walked over to a statue and began praying. Tidus followed. Reno, on the other hand, looked around the temple, coming across a familiar cloak and silver hair, and next to that, an unfamiliar violet and gold-trimmed vest and silver-violet hair. They seemed to be praying. Reno cautiously walked over and prayed next the black-cloaked silver hair. All three prayed in a similar language, but the prayer was the same: "Please bring me back home before this nightmare had begun."
Sephiroth was the first to look up and at the redhead. He stood and tapped Kuja on the shoulder.
"It seems we have another lost puppy."
Kuja looked up at Sephiroth ad then at Reno, who had opened his eyes.
"How long have you been here, Reno?" Sephiroth asked as the Turk stood up, still looking at the statue.
"Since… I’d say about an hour ago." He replied softly. The One-Winged Angel looked at the Angel of Death briefly.
"A little after we arrived…" Kuja responded.
"After the Tidal Wave which destroyed half the village, we found each other and, after talking to some of the villagers—"
"You threatened them, Dear Sephiroth." Kuja added promptly, aware of the glare he was being given then.
"They told us of this temple and their prayer…" Sephiroth finished. Reno looked back for his new comrades, but to no avail. "Who are you looking for?"
"Uhmm… I… came in with five other people… they… told me to pray to get home—but I guess they left me here."
Kuja chuckled. "Impractical chap… the ones that you came in with went to the Cloister of Trials. Be patient and they’ll be out in no time."
And so Reno stood patiently.
This Kuja character seemed a little odd to me… why had he been put here and why was he with Sephiroth? All these thoughts wracked my brain; I wanted to know the answers!
I needed some alcohol, I needed a smoke… I needed to get laid… I felt sick.
A little while later, Yuna and the others came out of the Cloister of Trials. Reno wanted to run up to them and hit every single one of them with his nightstick, but something was up. He looked to Sephiroth and Kuja and walked over to the Summoner and her guardians (and Tidus), the silver-haired men following.
"Off to Luca you guys—hey… who are these people?" Wakka asked.
"Two other people lost in this world," Reno said bluntly.
"I’m afraid there might be others we’ll recognize from our worlds," Kuja said, "I’m picking up signals of the others’ Life-forces."
"Good. Can we do that after Blitzball? I don’t want to sound too forwarding, but this is my last game, after all." Wakka replied impatiently. Tidus agreed and Reno, Sephiroth and Kuja looked down. Snapping his head back up, Sephiroth glared at the party.
"Do what you must. There are lives at stake, and I for one, am not going to wait around while this… Sin is destroying the Planet." He growled and turned, storming away. Tidus scratched his head as Kuja ran after the black-clad Demigod.
"Jeez, what’s their problem?"
Reno stayed silent.
I knew how Sephiroth felt, about the Planet, even though it wasn’t ours; I knew that he didn’t like the fact that this creature is attacking this world like he did while JENOVA had him in her clutches—now that he was free and was able to do stuff, he didn’t want to sit around and wait for others to follow—he felt remorse, as did I, and he wanted to repent. I wanted to follow Sephiroth and Kuja, but I felt as though I had to stay with Yuna. As we walked out of the temple, the Kilikian villagers that were at the temple to begin with greeted her. I felt out of place as I stood there.
We entered onto the S.S. Winno 15 minutes later. I stayed on the deck, watching the unfamiliar water as it passed by. I leaned on the side and looked out, feeling more homesick than normal. It reminded me of a boat trip from Junon to Costa del Sol.
"That was the Jecht shot, wasn’t it?" Yuna said through Reno’s thoughts. She and Tidus had a conversation about Jecht and Blitzball, and Reno just watched the water. He could have sworn he saw Rufus’ reflection next to him, but when he turned, his heart saddened. Nobody.
"Ow!" Tidus cried out when a Blitzball was thrown at him and hit its target.
"Show me that move again." Wakka called out from the bow of the S.S. Winno. Tidus concurred and walked over to him and his team with the Blitzball, while Yuna decided to sit next to Reno.
"Are you okay?" she asked, putting a hand on his shoulder. Reno shook his head.
"I’m quite homesick… I don’t know where I am and…" he felt tears form in his eyes. Holding them back, he continued. "I was on an assignment when I got sucked into a vortex that led me here…"
"Hey, you two! It’s late, let’s go to bed, ya?" Wakka called out, giving Reno a chance to calm down.
There was one word to describe Luca… huge. As the Blitzball teams were called out, Reno sensed a familiarity in the air. He peered over the edge and saw Sephiroth, Kuja and two other people. One of them was obviously someone of Kuja’s time, and the other was—
"RUFUS!!!" Reno cried out and leapt off the Winno, holding tight to his lover.
"Like I had said earlier, I had felt the presence of others we know." Kuja said blandly, patting the hat of a small being. "Am I right, Vivi?"
The small being looked up at Kuja and nodded.
"Are there others we know around here?" Reno questioned.
"I… don’t know."
"Perhaps you could sense them, Kuja, only because you were closer to their signals. Perhaps if there are others from our worlds, if we get close enough to them, we’ll be able to find them," Sephiroth replied. The other three agreed with him.
"Reno! Hey!" Yuna called as she ran up to them. The Turk straightened up and looked at the young Summoner. "Uhmm… Maester Mika’s going to be getting off the boat, and… I wanted you to come with me…"
Rufus glanced at Reno. The Turk blushed slightly.
"Uhmm… okay… but I want these four with me, too."
Yuna smiled. "Of course," she said, "I love the company of others. Follow me, please." Yuna walked away, Sephiroth, Kuja and Vivi following. Rufus hit Reno over the head, making his sunglasses fall.
"Ow! I dinit do anything," Reno whined as he bent over and picked his glasses up.
"I was worried about you, you bloody fool."
Reno blinked and put his hand around Rufus’ shoulder, walking alongside him.
"Oh."
I loved being around Rufus for specific reasons… he was my emotional crutch, as I was to him, and the fact that he had me around his finger was enticing. I loved the guy to death, and if there was ever a time I needed him most, this was it.
The five of us were in the back when a guy called Maester Seymour had come down off the ramp out of the boat. There was an evilness about him that reminded me of Sephiroth—and by the looks of it, both Sephiroth and Kuja could feel it too.
Yuna had also made mention of a guy named Auron, and curious as I was, he sounded like the guy who could tell us what was going on. The five of us, along with Yuna, Tidus and Kimahri, headed to the place where he was sited, to no avail.
"I need some liquor…" Reno whined as they exited the cafe.
"Stop whining, or I’ll GIVE you something to whine about," Rufus growled. Tidus ran past then.
"Yuna’s gone!" he cried, then went looking for Lulu, Kimahri following. Reno decided to head along with them, as well as the others.
"I was thinking…" Vivi started, "Maybe Yuna’s the key to get us home… maybe that’s why we have to follow and protect her…"
"Maybe—what… are those?" Sephiroth questioned as the party stopped, confronted by two robots.
"They look like an odd spin-off of a mighty grunt or senior grunt…"
Lulu looked at Reno oddly.
"Those are ancient Al Bhed machina."
"Good for them—can we do this so I can go home?" Sephiroth said impatiently as he cast Fire3, destroying the robots instantly. Tidus gawked as the Haryuu no Hanekata walked past.
"Damn! Again!" he cursed.
"They were… expecting us…" Lulu noted. Sephiroth took out his Masamune.
"Hey Turk… have you a Slash-All?"
Reno muttered obscenities as he brought out the small yellow orb and tossed it at the black-clad silver, who threw back a Steal As Well Materia.
"Taste steel!" he shouted as he sliced through the machina.
Kuja clapped. "Very unintelligible wording for a man of your stature."
"Shut up," Sephiroth growled as he sheathed Masamune.
"More!" Vivi squeaked. Kuja stepped up.
"I’ll handle these four," he replied as he cast Demi, smashing the metal together. "Well, it seems our work is done."
"No it’s not, Kuja." Reno responded. "Do you want to go home or stay here?" Vivi looked up at the tall figures.
"I want to go home…" he squeaked. Murmurs came from Rufus and Sephiroth as well.
"Then I suggest you four find your Summoner. I’ll find my own way out, thank you much," Kuja said, bowed shortly, and walked away. Sephiroth shook his head.
"He’ll be back, as soon as he figures out that Lady Yuna is the only way to go."
Reno had a feeling that the arguments were just about to begin between the party and the White Mage named Kuja.