"So you three are en route to Gongaga, eh?"
         "Yeah. Our 'man in black' is reportedly headed that way," Reno replied. After a day and a half of traveling, he and the others were only a couple of hours away from the place. To kill time on the trip there, he talked to Reeve on his PHS while his black chocobo galloped southward at a steady pace.
         "Have you ever been there before?"
         "Nope. I must admit that I'm kind of curious to see your hometown."
         "I'm afraid there's not much to see. It's always been just a plain little village, and ever since the reactor exploded…" Reeve trailed off.
         Reno bit his lower lip. "I'm sorry, Reeve… I really don't know what to say."
         "That's okay. These things happen in life."
         "Yeah, I know. If you don't mind my asking, why did the reactor explode, anyway?"
         "For the same reason the Corel reactor did: plate tectonics."
         "Explain."
         "A very small earthquake occurred in the region three years ago," Reeve replied. "The shock went largely unnoticed by those living in the area, but it caused a crack in one of the central mako chamber's intake valves. Mako fumes leaked out and ignited some sparks from one of the turbines. You know the rest of the story. It was a similar situation in Corel, but a different part of the reactor was damaged—one that wasn't connected to the central mako chamber."
         Reno nodded to himself. "So basically, forces of nature damaged the reactors."
         "Yes. And ironically enough, both reactors sit along the same fault line."
         Reno envisioned a map of the world in his head so he could better understand what Reeve was talking about. When he did, a thought struck him. "But if that's true, then isn't the Gold Saucer near that fault as well? How come it's still standing?"
         "Because I designed it to my own environmental specifications, taking the region's unique geology well into account. The Corel and Gongaga reactors weren't. I wasn't Senior Planner or Urban Development Chair back when any of the Great Continent's reactors were built, so I had little influence over their final design. On the other hand, I had an enormous amount of control over the construction of the Gold Saucer, since I also provided a good deal of the money to build it."
         "Makes sense, I guess," Reno shrugged. "Listen, I'd love to discuss technical crap with you some more, but I really have to get going. We're almost at Gongaga and have to keep an eye out for Sephiroth and AVALANCHE."
         "Right. I wish you guys luck."
         "Thanks, man."
         "Oh, and tell Elena and Rude I said hi."
         Reno bristled involuntarily when Reeve uttered the female Turk's name. "Sure thing. Seeya."
         "Goodbye."
         He hung up the phone and slipped it back into his pocket. Just ahead of him was a patch of dense forest, and for the first time, he could make out various large pieces of metal jutting out from the top of the canopy.

         The three Turks arrived in Gongaga village by sundown, and after making the rounds with the residents, they decided to turn in for the night. Their hard ride had been well-rewarded; from the information they'd obtained from the locals, it seemed that neither Sephiroth nor AVALANCHE had made it this far. Once the Turks had checked into the local inn, Reno coordinated a watch plan; one Turk would keep an eye out for their targets, while the others slept. After dinner, Elena went out on the first watch.
         At around midnight, Reno was shaken awake by a yawning Elena. "Your turn," she mumbled, just before staggering over to her bed. Reno stretched and pulled himself out from under the covers, picking his clothes from off the floor as Elena took off her coat.
         "Say," she said, quietly so as not to disturb Rude. "You seem awfully comfortable getting dressed with me here. You sure you don't want me to leave the room?"
         "Nah. It's no big deal. I've had female roomies before, so I'm cool with it. What about you?"
         Elena stifled a laugh and continued shedding her clothes. "I had to live with my brother growing up. I think that says enough right there."
         Reno finished buttoning his shirt, then pulled on his pants. "Right. Is that how you think of me? Like a brother?"
         "Yeah, sort of. But I'm still not sure if you're more like a big brother, or a little one."
         "I'm insulted," Reno smirked. He sat down on the bed and pulled on a fresh pair of socks, glancing over at Elena in her pajamas, who was climbing into her own bed. The one detail he had left out about his old housemates is that he had slept with them a few times. He had no desire to do so with Elena; it would be too weird.
         As he slipped into his shoes, he heard Elena drowsily mumble, "G'night, Reno."
         "'Night Elena," Reno replied. He stood up and left the room, softly closing the door behind him.

         Reno was startled by how brightly the stars shone over Gongaga. There had been no electricity in this town ever since the mako reactor exploded; the few artificial lights that burned in the houses came from oil lamps. As he patrolled the village, he would occasionally glance up at the stars; the fourth time he did this, he caught the silvery streak of a meteor zipping across the sky. Silently, he thought of a wish to accompany the shooting star; of course, it was his most secret, most selfish desire.
         I wish Reeve could love me.
         Almost reluctantly, he pulled his eyes away from the crystalline sky and glanced around the buildings with cautious vigilance. The architecture, he noted, was unlike anything he had ever seen before. Reno wondered if it had influenced any of Reeve's own designs as he walked toward the edge of town, where the graveyard was.
         The Turks had stopped there on their way into the village earlier in the day, but didn't stay long. Now, Reno walked in, drawn by an ever stronger curiosity about Reeve's personal history. His eyes scanned the tombstones, noting that many of them dated from the time of the reactor's explosion. It was in a cluster of these graves that he found one marked REEVES, which had two names—that of a husband and wife—inscribed below the surname. He stood before the tombstone and stared at it in quiet reflection.
         "It's sad, isn't it… how much death and destruction Shinra has caused."
         Startled, Reno looked up, his hand instantly snapping to the Electro-Prod attached to his belt. Standing behind the grave was Sephiroth, his sword sheathed and his left hand resting atop the tombstone. From the shadows behind him, two other figures emerged. Both of them were hunched over and completely draped in black cloaks.
         Reno drew his Electro-Prod and activated its bolt materia charge. Sephiroth held his hands up.
         "I'm not here to fight."
         "That's too bad… because I am," Reno replied coolly. "You're a criminal, and as such, you have to pay for your actions. My orders were to stop you at all costs."
         "Really?" Sephiroth inquired. "Why is that? Do you even have any idea of what I plan to do?"
         Reno took the questions into consideration, but instead of answering them, he shot back with one of his own. "What do you want a Black Materia for?"
         Sephiroth merely raised an eyebrow.
         "C'mon Sephy, don't play dumb with me. My intelligence sources have reported that you're seeking a Black Materia."
         "Is that so…" Sephiroth murmured. "Well, if you'd really like to know what I want with it, head to the ruins of the Cetran Temple."
         "Right," said Reno, having no idea what Sephiroth was talking about. "Is that where you're headed?"
         A sly grin formed across Sephiroth's face. "Possibly… though I have some other business to take care of on this continent beforehand."
         Reno returned the grin. "Well you know what? I have some business to take care of now, if you know what I mean." He slipped his left hand in his pocket and pressed the emergency signal on his PHS, to wake up his fellow Turks back at the inn. Then, taking the Electro-Prod in both hands, he bolted toward Sephiroth. The silver-haired swordsman dodged the attack and drew his Masamune while the two cloaked figures quickly retreated into the shadows from which they had come.
         "You're quite brave to be challenging me," said Sephiroth.
         "Well, it's not like you're the only hero of the Wutai War."
         "How very true. Rocket Town, wasn't it?"
         "That's right buddy, and don't you forget it!" Reno deftly sidestepped the sweep of Sephiroth's blade. "Now, shall we take this somewhere else? My best friend's family is buried here and I don't want to disturb them."
         Sephiroth stepped toward him and in turn Reno edged back until they were clear of the tombstones. The swordsman's eyes locked with the Turk's, and Reno found himself trapped in his cold, probing gaze. A strange sensation shot up Reno's spine, into his brain, and was gone. Then, a wicked smile formed on Sephiroth's face.
         "Your 'friend'? Don't you mean lover?"
         Reno froze. He flexed his fingers, which had suddenly grown tense.
         "Oh, but he isn't your lover, is he?" Sephiroth continued, his grin growing unnaturally wide. "He rejected you, didn't he?"
         "You…" Reno growled. "How the hell do you—"
         "He doesn't love you."
         At that moment, the trembling Reno realized his hands were soaked with sweat, and he struggled to maintain his grip on both the Electro-Prod and his sanity. He theorized that the sensation he felt before was from Sephiroth somehow probing his mind, reading thoughts the swordsman was now cruely taking advantage of. Although he told himself that he shouldn't listen to another word Sephiroth said, Reno knew it wouldn't take many more of them to push him over the edge.
         "He never—"
         "RENO!"
         A small black object sailed through the air and landed before Sephiroth, where it exploded with a muffled boom. Reno turned back to see Elena and Rude running toward him.
         "What was that?" Reno asked.
         "A silencer grenade," Elena replied. "One of Scarlet's prototypes."
         The smoke quickly cleared, revealing a scowling Sephiroth still standing there. The explosive had left barely a scratch.
         "I don't think that thing's getting out of beta," Rude dryly remarked as he got into a fighting stance. He turned to Reno, "You all right?"
         "Fuck no," Reno replied. He took a step back and pulled a capsule out of his pocket. "Take him on," he ordered. "I'll join you guys in a second." He popped the capsule—a less potent form of tranquilizer—and swallowed it dry. As he waited for the effects of the drug to take hold, he watched as Rude and Elena launched into their attacks. Sephiroth dodged them effortlessly.
         "Even though this is all so very amusing…" Sephiroth purred, his feet lifting off the ground, "…I really must be off. I'm sure we'll meet again."
         Sephiroth raised higher in the air and flew off into the twinkling sky. The three Turks stood still, watching him until he disappeared from their field of vision. When he was gone, and the night had once again grown quiet, Reno collapsed to the ground and took a deep breath.
         "Damn, that was close! If you guys hadn't shown up when you did, this town might've been destroyed… again."
         "What do you mean?" Rude asked.
         "My 'limit break'," Reno muttered. "Sephiroth was really pushing it."
         Hunching down beside Reno, Elena asked "Just how powerful is this other form of yours?"
         "Elena, you don't even wanna know."

         The rest of the night wore on without incident. Rude, who had taken the last watch, came into the inn just as Reno and Elena had finished getting dressed. The bald Turk brought some toast and coffee with him, which had been obtained from the inn's proprietor. They sat down on their beds and started to eat.
         "I can't believe there's not even a restaurant here," Elena grumbled in between bites.
         Reno answered, "I don't think this town needs it. It's pretty small…"
         "I suppose you're right," Elena said. She finished her breakfast and stood up. "Well, I'm going to take a walk. By the way, when's Tseng supposed to get here?"
         Glancing at his watch, Reno replied, "Any time now."
         Elena nodded and headed for the door, which opened right before she touched the doorknob. She gasped and took a step back as the door opened. Standing on the other side was Tseng.
         Reno smirked. "Like I said… any time now."
         "How are you three doing?" Tseng asked as he strode into the room. "Have you anything to report?"
         "We saw Sephiroth last night," Elena said with a shudder.
         "Yeah, but it certainly wasn't the Sephiroth I remember," Reno added. "Elena, Rude—you guys take off for awhile. I'll tell Tseng what happened."
         "Well, if it's okay with Tseng…" Elena started. The Head Turk looked at Reno, then replied, "Yes, it's fine."
         Once Elena and Rude had left the room, Reno closed the door and stared at Tseng, who was laying himself down on Reno's bed.
         "Comfortable?" Reno asked.
         "Quite. You can't believe what that… Scarlet has been putting me through with this whole materia business."
         "How'd you get here?"
         "Submarine. Docked at the old port east of the Corel Desert. Scarlet arranged to have a helicopter brought in from the Saucer, so we took that the rest of the way. So… about Sephiroth…"
         "Yeah…" Reno sighed, pulling over a chair and plopping himself down in it. "Well, like I said, it's like he wasn't the same guy…"
         "I'm not surprised, if the rumors are indeed true about the events surrounding the Nibelheim incident."
         Reno shook his head. "It's not just that. Tseng, he… read my mind."
         Tseng sprang up, leaning on one elbow. "What do you mean? Not literally…"
         "Very literally. And he used my thoughts against me. He used me."
         "Reno…"
         Frustration crept into the redhead's voice. "Tseng, he was pissing me off so much. I nearly summoned ZERO."
         The Head Turk's eyes widened and he sat up; many years ago, he had been a witness to the consequences of Reno's first and only transformation into Bahamut-ZERO.
         "Why on earth would you want to do that again? What exactly did Sephiroth do to you?"
         Reno felt his ears burning as he mumbled, "Sephiroth said… that a certain person doesn't love me. That he'll never…" He turned away from Tseng, teeth clenched, trying to keep his composure. "Sephiroth never named names, but it was obvious… I knew who he meant…" Reno trembled as he felt Tseng's fingertips press under his chin and coax his head to turn back. Reno's eyes met Tseng's; they seemed as calm as ever, yet they were tempered with concern.
         "It's Reeve, isn't it."
         Reno's eyes widened slightly, then lowered. He nodded slowly, his chin still in Tseng's grip.
         "So it's true," Tseng said, letting go of Reno. "I thought you had a thing for him."
         "Maybe Sephiroth was right," Reno muttered. "Maybe I should just forget about Reeve. I mean, sure, we're friends and all, but he could never love me that way."
         "Perhaps…" Tseng mused, his voice drifting off. Reno looked up at him wonderingly. Tseng was an astute observer, but at the same time, he rarely shared his thoughts on the things he saw. Finally, Tseng said, "Reno, I don't think you should worry yourself over such things. You've discussed this matter with Reeve, of course."
         "I keep trying to, but…"
         Tseng lay back on the bed. "Maybe he needs more time to think these things through by himself. I'm sure he'll come talk to you when he's ready. Don't rush him."
         "Right. It's hard, though. Every time we meet up, I think of how much I want him."
         "You're obsessed. That isn't good."
         Tseng's expression had grown dark. Reno had seen that look before, and he usually knew what it meant: that Tseng was thinking about Rufus. However, this darkness had a slightly different patina. Reno leaned forward and folded his arms across his legs. He had long known that Tseng hated Rufus, but this was one of the few times that he found himself wondering why.
         "…But," Tseng continued, "I've always known you as being trustworthy, honest, and humble. I'm sure you can overcome your obsession. The both of you will be much better for it."
         Reno smiled weakly. "Thanks, man. I'll try. For your sake."
         "Not for mine," Tseng replied, shaking his head. "Do it for yourself and for Reeve."
         Reno nodded, then stood up from the chair and started wandering around the room. "I guess you want to hear the rest of what Sephiroth said to me?"
         "Only if it pertains to your mission."
         "Right. Sorry if I bogged you down with all my personal crap."
         "That's all right. Now, the details?"
         "I asked him about the Black Materia," Reno explained, "and he said that if I wanted to know what he was planning with it, then I should head to the ruins of the 'Cetran Temple'."
         "Cetran Temple…"
         "Yeah, that's what he said. Confusing, huh? What the hell is a Cetran Temple?"
         Tseng closed his eyes and lay still for a moment. Then, he said, "Think, Reno: what's the common name for the Cetra?"
         "The Ancients—ohh, I see where this is going…"
         "The place Sephiroth referred to must be the Temple of the Ancients, just north of the Mideel Islands." Tseng bolted up into a sitting position. "That means we've been heading in the wrong direction. We need to secure the Temple and find out more about this 'Black Materia' before Sephiroth can get there. We've no time to lose."
         "Actually, he said he had some 'other business' to get out of the way before heading to the Temple, so that may buy us some time." Reno paused, trying to recall any other particulars that might be of interest to Tseng. "By the way, there were two people with Sephiroth, covered head to toe in long black cloaks. They stood behind him, doing nothing, until our battle started. Then they simply slinked away."
         "Cloaked beings…" Tseng mused. "That's peculiar."
         "You're telling me."
         "I hope they really are as benign as they seem to be, judging from your description," Tseng said as he stood up. "For right now we have to worry about getting to the Temple. I don't know if chocobos will be enough for this mission, and the Highwind is still grounded for repairs. I'll have to discuss our options with the President. Now, was there anything else?"
         "Well, about our vacations…"
         Tseng sighed. "All right. Seeing as how you've uncovered some new information regarding Sephiroth's motives, I'll give you and Rude some time off after you're done here."
         "What about Elena?"
         "Her too?"
         A conspiratorial smile formed on Reno's lips. "Yeah, well I was thinking it would be the perfect opportunity to hook her up with Rude…"
         "Not a bad idea," Tseng replied, returning the smile. "All right, I'll make arrangements for her as well. Hopefully my mission with Scarlet will be over after today, so I'd be able to cover for the three of you, if necessary."
         "Thanks, man. So what do we do now?"
         "Keep an eye out for AVALANCHE. We already know of Sephiroth's next target, now we need to make sure that Cloud and his friends don't learn of it."
         "Right."
         Tseng opened the door and left the room, with Reno following behind him. Outside of the inn, Scarlet was waiting.
         "Are you finished?" she snapped.
         Tseng nodded. "Yes, ma'am. Let's head to the reactor."
         The head Turk nodded a goodbye to Reno, then left with Scarlet to get back on board their helicopter. Reno walked in the opposite direction, past the graveyard, toward where Rude was standing. He could barely make out Elena's form on a path that branched out to the left. Reno smiled as he approached Rude, prepared to ask him once and for all who he really liked.

         Cloud didn't injure Reno nearly as badly this time, especially since he and Rude ran off during the heat of battle. Rude had taken off first, leaving Reno by himself to face Cloud, Tifa, and Aeris. The latter girl looked all right, though a little bit weary from the rigors of travel. She also looked to have grown stronger since the last time he saw her. Reno had to fight her, of course, lest he give himself away, but he made sure that his blows didn't strike her too hard. Finally, just as he started to break out in a sweat, he turned around and bolted away from the group, following Tseng's orders to the letter: fight, but not too much.
         Reno ran deep into the woods until he was sure he had lost them. As he stopped running, he found that he was completely surrounded by trees. Just then, a orange-red blur bolted out from behind some bushes and leaped at Reno; the Turk immediately drew his Electro-Prod, turned it on, and held it in a defensive position. The creature came in contact with the nightstick, where it yelped from the electric shock and fell to the ground.
         Reno walked closer to the creature and stared down at it. He nodded to himself once he spotted the tattoo on the animal's left hind leg. "Long time no see, Nanaki."
         The beast struggled to get to its feet. "That voice… Reno?"
         "Yeah, it's me. You mean to say that you ambushed me without even knowing who I was?"
         "I saw the dark blue of a Turk's uniform through the trees," Nanaki answered in his gravely baritone. "The actual identity of the Turk was of no concern to me."
         "Is that so…" Reno began pacing around Nanaki, examining him. Just as Tseng had indicated, Nanaki did have a third tattoo; this newest one, a Roman numeral XIII, seemed to be only a few months old, and sharply contrasted against the others. The rest of him was more or less the same; the war paint, the large scar on his face, the flame at the end of his tail. "You haven't changed much."
         "I can see that you have," Nanaki replied, staring back at Reno. "So it's true that you gave up science to become one of Shinra's elite thugs?"
         "Turks," Reno corrected. "One of the Shinra Turks. And what's this whole business about you being one of Hojo's lab rats?"
         "I happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. That's all."
         "I thought you weren't supposed to leave the Canyon," Reno shot back. "That you had to stay and protect it."
         "I cannot protect our homeland effectively if I don't know what the rest of the world is like."
         Reno nodded. Nanaki's excuses was as thoughtful as ever.
         "And why didn't you stay, Kekipi?" Nanaki asked, invoking Reno's Kapa'a tribal name. Even though he was human, Reno and the rest of his immediate family had been made honorary Kapa'a by the tribal leaders during the war against the Gi; his father had been a close friend and ally of the Kapa'a and fought alongside them in many important battles.
         "No one's called me that in years," Reno remarked, smirking. "Anyway, unlike you I had no reason to stay in the Canyon. Just felt like I didn't belong there."
         Nanaki narrowed his eye at Reno. "But to work for Shinra…"
         "Initially, it was what the Elders advised me to do."
         Shock crossed Nanaki's face. "I don't believe it… That can't be true."
         "Believe it. Listen," Reno started, "you may think that Shinra is entirely evil, but it's not. Sure, our current leadership isn't the best it could be, but there are good people working for the Company."
         "I have yet to see proof of that," Nanaki grumbled as he started walking away.
         "Thanks for the vote of confidence," Reno deadpanned. Of course, Nanaki wasn't going to believe anything he said. He still remembered the young Kapa'a's fury over his father's "desertation". Reno's dad had told him that this hadn't been the case, that Seto had permanently left the village to defend a very vunerable part of the Canyon. However, after the war was over, it was hard to tell that to Nanaki, whose jealousy of Reno had gone over the boiling point. Reno understood perfectly: he had a celebrated war hero for a father, and Nanaki did not, and nothing Reno could say would convince Nanaki otherwise.
         The Turk watched Nanaki leave before backtracking to the main path. He called Elena and Rude via PHS along the way. Their mission in Gongaga was over, and it was time to move on.