Rude opened the red-trimmed door and breathed in the crisp morning air. He was on the second floor of the Turtle's Paradise, accesible by an outer staircase at the back of the restauraunt. This establisment—like the rest of Wutai—had bounced back considerably since the end of the war; the Turtle's Paradise was now world-famous, with ads and flyers in several different locations throughout the Great and Eastern Continents. However, despite the restaurant's newly found fortunes, some things remained the same—the food and drinks remained as good as they had been all those years ago.
         "'Morning, Rude," said Reno as he pushed past the bald Turk to access the staircase. "Sleep well?"
         "Yeah. You?"
         "Oh, hell yeah. Better than I have in a long time. It's just so… clean here." He breathed in deeply. "Well, I'm gonna go wash up before breakfast. By the way, Elena's just gotten up; she's getting dressed right now. Say, while you're here…"
         Reno hooked an arm across Rude's shoulders and coaxed him halfway down the steps.
         "Listen," Reno said in hushed tones. "I'm gonna help you hook up with Elena."
         "Don't waste your time."
         "You gonna try and bluff your way out of this one like in Gongaga? We both know you like her. Why'd you think Tseng allowed her to come with us on this trip in the first place?"
         "You mean…"
         "Yeah, and I'm not gonna let this opportunity go to waste. C'mon man, you know Tseng's not interested in relationships, especially not one with Elena. She has eyes for him, sure, but we can divert her gaze, know what I mean?"
         "I think we may need more time for that than the few days we're spending here."
         "More time for what?"
         Rude and Reno looked over their shoulders, almost simultaneously, to see Elena standing at the top of the steps, who was staring back at the two men with a raised eyebrow. Reno removed his arm from Rude's shoulders and said, "Don't worry about it. So, umm, I'll be right back. Gotta take care of some business, you know."
         Before Rude could stop him, Reno shuttled down the steps and disappeared into the bathroom underneath the staircase.
         "Wow, he sure left in a hurry," Elena said.
         "Must've been urgent," Rude replied, clearing his throat. "Do you want to go in next?"
         "Nah, that's okay. I'll take forever."
         "Are you positive? I don't mind the wait."
         "Thanks, but I'll be fine."
         About a minute or two later, Reno came out and called to the other Turks, "Which one of you've got dibs?" Rude pointed to Elena, only to find that she was pointing at him. Reno shook his head.
         "Okay, okay. Since Rude's already halfway down the steps, I guess the bathroom's his. I'll be out front. Don't keep me waiting." With that, Reno started walking toward the main entrance of the restaurant.
         Rude took another look at Elena, who simply shrugged in reply, before making his way down the stairs.

         The call came during breakfast. With two chopsticks dangling from his mouth, Reno pulled out his ringing PHS and answered it. "Hello?"
         He listened for awhile, rolling his eyes at the other Turks as if to say, I don't believe this shit. After a few Okays, Uh-Huhs, and one protest along the lines of "but we're on vacation", Reno hung up the phone and slammed it on the table, his other hand running back through his hair.
         "Who was that?" Elena asked.
         "Heidegger. Don Corneo's rumored to be heading to Wutai for his own vacation, and Heidegger wants us to help the army capture him."
         "You're kidding," Rude replied.
         "Nope. Tseng warned me that we'd be getting a call like this."
         "Wait a minute, back up," said Elena. "Who's this Don Corneo guy, and why does Heidegger want him caught?"
         "He leaked some sensitive information to AVALANCHE," Reno replied, staring off to one side.
         "About what?"
         "Shinra's plans to fell the Sector Seven plate," Rude answered in hushed tones. Elena's eyes widened.
         "You mean AVALANCHE wasn't responsible for that?"
         Rude and Reno exchanged glances. The latter replied, "Nope. In fact, I was the one who set the self-destruct mechanism. Don't tell me you believed the 'official' story this whole time."
         "Well, I… I just assumed…" Elena trailed off.
         "The Company," Rude muttered, "is full of dark secrets. This is simply the latest addition to the pile."
         Elena, for once, had nothing to say. Instead, she lowered her head and continued eating her breakfast. Rude turned to Reno and asked, "Hey, you think it was okay to tell all that?"
         Reno sighed. "She probably would've found out sooner or later."
         "Yeah, I guess you're right."
         "Anyway, Heidegger's offering us a bonus if we forfeit at least a part of our trip to help out the MPs. Personally, I don't need the money, and I really don't care about capturing that fat pervert anyway."
         "Too many good memories of the Honeybee Inn?"
         A sly grin formed on Reno's face. "I didn't even have to say anything."
         Elena groaned. "Something tells me that I don't wanna know."

         After breakfast, the three Turks spent the rest of the day sightseeing; they browsed in the shops and even attempted to check out the Pagoda of the Five Gods before finding that they couldn't go any higher than the first floor. Throughout the day, they made return trips to the Turtle's Paradise for meals and, of course, those warm little cups of rice wine. The trip seemed to be going well so far; that is, until lunchtime the following day, when Rude heard the Turtle's Paradise's front door open and turned his head. A certain young ninja dashed into the main dining room, her pockets bulging. Upon spotting Rude and the other Turks, she dashed out again. Neither Reno nor Elena seemed to notice her at all. Then, about a half hour later, Cloud showed up. Not surprisingly, every single one of the materia slots on his sword and armlet was empty.

*****

         Reno glanced at his watch. Quite a bit of time had passed since Elena had joined the MPs in their pursuit of Don Corneo, and he was starting to wonder if she was all right. He couldn't blame her of course, especially since she was, at the time that Cloud and his buddies rushed in, the most sober of the three of them. She must've really wanted that bonus.
         He paid the bill and left the Turtle's Paradise with Rude, walking out into a bright, sunny afternoon. Just then, Reno spotted an MP running toward them, coming down the path that led to Lord Godo's house and the Pagoda of the Five Gods.
         "Sir, it's Ms. Elena!" the MP shouted. "Corneo's got her!"
         "Dammit! Rude, let's go. Look like she's got in over her head."
         Rude nodded and the two of them rushed off. They reached the gateway of the royal courtyard, only to see Corneo disappear into the woods to their right. Reno stared off in the direction that Corneo was heading—toward the Da-Chao mountains—while he and Rude stopped to catch their breath.
         Cloud and two others—Cid Highwind and a tall man in red and black—arrived on the scene not long afterward. After forming a temporary alliance with them, Reno and Rude headed to Da-Chao and began their search for Corneo, Elena, and the ninja Yuffie. The five of them succeeded in finding Corneo, defeating his pet monster Rapps, and sending the fat pervert himself to the rock beds far below. Not long after, a call arrived—the Turks were being asked to take up AVALANCHE's trail again, orders which Reno duitifully ignored. By this point, Yuffie's shrill protests were getting on his nerves. Reno sighed.
         "What a goddamned brat."
         "She sure is," Cloud said. "Some days I don't know how I can put up with her."
         Reno gave Cloud a sidelong glance. "No one asked for your opinion, Spiky—"
         "HEY!" yelled Yuffie, who was, along with Elena, hanging upside down from a giant stone head. "You guys really don't want your materia back, do ya?"
         Reno ignored her, keeping his attention on Cloud. His cocky stance and manner of speaking reminded the Turk, once again, of Zack. "All right. I guess we've gotta get these ladies down." Reno rushed up the path toward the back of the large scuplted head to which Elena and Yuffie were tied up against. While Rude began working at Elena's bindings, Reno climbed across to the other side of the stone head and did the same with Yuffie. Cid, Cloud, and the tall stranger showed up not long afterward, and began helping them—Cid with Yuffie and Cloud with Elena, while the tall man served as a sentinel, keeping an eye out for Corneo or his flunkies.
         "Thanks for the help, you two," Cid said as he fidgeted with the mythril-reinforced rope. "Couldn't have done it without you."
         "It was nothing. Corneo had both of our teams by the nuts. So what're you doing with these guys?"
         "Heh, I was afraid you'd ask that. That asshole President of yours had no plans of restarting the Space Program after all—he just wanted to 'borrow' the Tiny Bronco. No way in hell I was gonna give up my baby. Shinra's fucked with me long enough."
         "I'm sorry to hear that. We may have to fight you in the future."
         "Yeah, I know. It's a damn shame… you guys're too good to be workin' for the likes of Shinra. Seems like a lot of the upper management in the Company's being run by jackasses these days."
         "I really don't care about that. I just do what I have to."
         "Shit, that's fine with me. It's your life."
         Maintaining his grip on her lower legs, Reno undid the last knot in the rope that secured Yuffie's ankles. "Finally! Now hurry the hell up, Cid!"
         Man, what a brat! Reno thought to himself before casually continuing his conversation with Cid. "So who's the guy in the red cloak? I've never seen him before."
         "He used to be one of you guys—a Turk."
         "Really?" Reno replied. He looked up at the sentinel again, examining his lean face, long black hair, and the gleaming metal glove on his left arm. The man's blood-red eyes suddenly caught sight of Reno, who immediately averted his gaze, having just sensed an incredible power lurking within him.
         "This is just a hunch," Reno said as he started working on Yuffie's other wrist, "but is his name Valentine?"
         "Uh, yeah. Vincent Valentine. How did you know?"
         "Like I said, just a hunch." Reno said calmly, but inside he was elated. Vincent Valentine! The same Vincent who had disappeared over twenty years ago! The guinea pig that his own summonary mutation experiments had been based upon! The greatest marksman the Turks have ever known! And now he was traveling with Cloud and his friends!
         Uh-oh.
         At that moment, Reno realized just how much trouble this might cause for the Turks in the future, especially if Vincent's mutations lay dormant, waiting for just the right moment to unleash their fury through his body. In retrospect, perhaps Reno had done the right thing by rejecting the orders they received after Corneo's defeat.
         The bonds on Yuffie's right wrist were now undone, and she immediately started assisting Cid with those on her left, while Reno continued to hold on to her. After another minute or two, Yuffie was completely freed, and Reno scrambled up the rock face to the top of the figure's head. He sat there, stretching his sore muscles, while Cid escorted Yuffie to the path below. On the other side of the giant stone head, Rude was undoing the last of Elena's bonds, while Cloud held on to her. The three of them ended up on the opposite path, and Reno watched as Elena gave Cloud a reluctant little bow, and Rude shook his hand. Cloud then headed down the path to rejoin his friends, while Rude and Elena just stood there, looking around. Reno got to his feet and waved his arms.
         "Hey! Up here!"
         Rude and Elena turned to look at him, and he smiled. Despite this unexpected turns of events, the second day of their stay in Wutai wasn't turning out half-bad.

         The three Turks spent what little was left of the afternoon climbing and exploring the mountains, taking the time to enjoy the sights, now that they didn't have Corneo to worry about. Reno had called the MPs beforehand to have them pick up Corneo's body. One of them called back while Reno was checking out the Fire Caverns to say that Corneo was alive, but paralyzed from the waist down. Reno grinned to himself on this bit of poetic justice, then ordered the MP not to bother him or the other Turks again as long as they were in Wutai.
         They watched the sunset from the highest peak of Da-Chao, and at one point, Reno tried to slip away, to leave Rude and Elena alone. This strategy backfired as Elena caught Reno sneaking off, and the latter found himself stuck without an alibi. Needless to say, their dinner afterwards was fairly uneventful, except that Elena insisted on paying this time, as a small token of thanks for her rescue.
         Reno excused himself from the table during dessert—and their third round of drinks—telling them that he was going to go outside and smoke a cigarette. The ploy worked in his favor this time, as neither Elena nor Rude protested his departure from the smoke-free interior of the Turtle's Paradise. He walked out onto the wooden pathways, lighting himself a cigarette as he did, then stopped when he saw Vincent standing at the railing of one of the small bridges, gazing into the clear water flowing beneath. Not without hesitation, Reno walked over to the bridge. Vincent must've heard the redhead's footfalls, because he turned to face Reno as he approached.
         "What do you want?" Vincent asked in a deep, almost menacing voice.
         "I'm just out for a smoke, Vincent."
         The cloaked man paused. "How do you know my name? Did Cid tell you?"
         "No, I just had a feeling. It's like they say, it takes one to know one."
         "I no longer consider myself one of the Turks."
         "That's not what I was talking about. I'm like you, or rather, I made myself like you. Let's just say we both have our own inner demons."
         Vincent squinted at the redhead, staring into his eyes. "You're a mutant, too…"
         "Yeah, but… that was a decision I made," Reno replied, leaning forward against the railing. "It wasn't exactly in the interest of 'science', either. So, who are they? Which summon gods do you carry? The records that I studied all those years ago were incomplete in that respect."
         "I… I believe there's at least four of them. The only one I'm fully aware of at the moment is a great purple beast, almost like a behemoth that walks on two legs."
         "Hmm," Reno pondered. "Sounds like Galian…"
         "So that what it's called."
         "Yeah. Galian Beast. A pretty low-level summon, by most standards."
         "And what about yours? Who did you inflict yourself with, using Hojo's knowledge?"
         Reno narrowed his eyes at the former Turk, then figured that there wouldn't be much harm in him knowing. "Just one. Bahamut-ZERO. The most powerful of the dragon gods."
         Vincent's lips parted, as if to say something, but paused in their motion. He closed them again and stared off into the distance.
         "What drove you to take on such a burden? What sin are you atoning for?"
         Reno stared at his sorrowful eyes, and for some reason, felt he could tell this man anything, even the one detail of the Battle of Leviathan that only he and Yoshiro were alive to know.
         "The god that I carry would've been Leviathan, but that materia was stolen from me during the war," Reno started in a quiet voice. "The man who stole it was my lover and best friend at the time. Turned out he had been a spy for the other side the entire time I knew him. I never did get that materia back, so I used another in its place for my experiment. And then…"
         "You killed him," Vincent said, the menace in his tone having slipped away.
         "Yes. He was the first of many that day."
         "Indeed, a tremendous sin. One which calls for great repentance. How have you managed since?"
         "I quit being a materiologist and set out to do something a bir more mundane. Did some piloting for awhile, then somehow I wound up in the Turks. After Rocket Town, I didn't want to enjoy work anymore, but things didn't end up that way… I came to like being a Turk. Still, it's not the same as my old job. Doesn't fill me with that same satisfaction."
         "A strange reason to become a Turk… but then, I suppose I shouldn't talk."
         "What do you mean?"
         "I loved my job as a Turk—I had interesting assignments, got to travel quite a bit, and met all sorts of people, including… her."
         "Your own lover?"
         "No, she was never mine. But as her friend, I foolishly allowed her fate to fall completely into the hands of the one she had chosen, the one who, in the end, did nothing to save her life."
         Though Vincent's words were vague, Reno had some idea of where he was coming from, though their "sins" seemed rather different. Changing the topic, he asked, "Why are you traveling with Cloud and his friends?"
         "They awakened me, and are after this one, the one I let slip from my fingers." Vincent stared down at his clawed metal glove. "The one who damned me to my own nightmare."
         "Hojo…"
         "Yes, Hojo."
         Reno paused, then replied, "Vincent, what if I told you there was a way to reverse the summonary mutation process? Would you be willing to go through with it?"
         "Why, have you found such a way?"
         "I'm not sure yet. There's one element I was missing at the time of my latest experiment, but I think I'm close. Anyway, would you be interested?"
         Vincent paused, regarding Reno with a seemingly curious stare, before answering, "Not at this time, as I have to absolve for my own sins first. Why are you making this offer to me, an enemy?"
         "Because… I don't know if you're aware of this, but you're a legend back at Shinra. They call you the greatest sharpshooter ever to work for the Company. And of course, we Turks admire you the most. But you're right. We are enemies. I might as well tell you the same thing I told Cid: if you're going to be in Cloud's company, expect to fight us in the future."
         "It's nice to be remembered," Vincent said, a small smile on his face. "Please send my regards to your comrades. Now I must be on my way, as Cloud and the others are doubtless wondering where I am. Just one thing; I don't believe I've caught your own name."
         "Reno Cerise, second-in-command of the Shinra Turks."
         Vincent seemed to ponder over Reno's name, then replied, "I recall meeting a young warrior named Aka'lupo Cerise during a mission in the Cosmo Canyon area, back when I was a Turk. Come to think of it, he looked a lot like you."
         Reno nodded. "Lupo Cerise was my dad. Aka'lupo was what the Kapa'a called him."
         "I see. Until we meet again, Reno."
         "Yeah…"
         Vincent raised his hand in a farewell gesture, then turned around and walked off into the night, his cloak fluttering lightly in the breeze. Reno watched him go, then turned around and made his way back to the Turtle's Paradise, where Rude and Elena were waiting for him outside the front door.
         "That guy you were talking to…" Elena said, "he was with Cloud and Cid, right?"
         "Yeah. Turns out he's Vincent Valentine."
         Both Rude and Elena gasped in surprise. "The Vincent Valentine?"
         Reno nodded, scratching his head. "I found out it was him while I was helping to untie Yuffie. He sends his regards, by the way."
         "Why didn't you tell us sooner?" Rude asked.
         "I don't know! I guess I just forgot, okay? It's been one of those kinds of days. Besides, he's traveling with Cloud. As much as I hate to admit it, that means Vincent's an enemy of the Company. Now are we done here?"
         "Yeah," Rude replied.
         "How about we head back to our room?" Elena offered.
         "Sounds good."
         The three Turks walked around to the back of the Turtle's Paradise and up the stairs to their room. At the top of the staircase, Reno noticed a pair of materia sitting on the railing; tucked underneath them was a small note, which simply read, "For the Bald Guy." When Reno showed the materia and note to Rude, the latter just smiled and pocketed the items, not saying a single thing. Elena simply shook her head, yet she too seemed to understand what this was all about. Reno watched as the two of them entered the room, and was about to follow, when he saw a small shadowy figure dart from the woods just adjacent to the Turtle's Paradise, and turn her head toward Reno, before running off again. Reno smirked.
         "Yuffie, I may not know the story behind Rude and those two materia, but I think I can guess at least a part of it. You're welcome."
         He turned and went inside, closing the door behind him.

*****

         It was now their third day in Wutai—the final day of their vacation—and Elena still hadn't asked either Reno or Rude about the unwritten rule of having no more than three active Turks. She wasn't sure how to broach the subject, and even if she was, she didn't want to risk ruining their vacation, as she had nearly done with her running off after Don Corneo. Cloud and his friends were now gone, having left Lord Godo's house first thing that morning. Where they were going and what they were after, she had no idea, but naturally, it was of some concern to her.
         The afternoon wore on as the three Turks idled about the decks and courtyards of Wutai, soaking up the fresh air and sunlight before their return trip to the Western Continent. They were walking back to the Turtle's Paradise when Reno's PHS went off.
         "Hello?" he said, answering the call. "Oh, hey Tseng… Yeah, it's our last day here… What?…Yeah, well, we did see them… No, we didn't. It's a long story… What?… Shit… Okay… Okay… Hold on a minute." Reno cupped his hand over the receiver. "Listen, you two get lost. There's something I need to talk to Tseng about, alone."
         "What, is it personal?" Elena asked.
         "Hells yeah it is. Now get goin'!"
         "All right, all right. C'mon, Rude."

         As Reno strode off in the opposite direction, Elena and Rude headed to the large courtyard before the Pagoda of the Five Gods. Elena regarded Rude thoughtfully, watching him as he stared up at the tall Pagoda. Such a somber figure of a man he was—strong, yet with a sensitive side lurking underneath. He seemed to her an oyster with an especially sturdy shell.
         The superstition still weighing heavily on her mind, she thought over how best to ask him about the subject. She'd originally thought to bring it up to Reno, but feared that he'd just brush it off, telling her not to worry about it. Wanting a straightforward answer, she realized that if anyone was to give it to her, it would be Rude.
         Elena walked up to him. "Hey, can I ask you something?"
         Rude remained silent, but his face was inquisitive.
         "Well, it's just about something Shera told me while we were in Rocket Town. She'd heard of an unwritten rule where there can't be any more than three Turks active at one time."
         Rude nodded. "Yes, I've heard of this as well."
         "Is it bad luck to have four of us? She said it was a superstition…"
         "I'm not sure, but I wouldn't worry about it. What's done is done."
         "But then why did Tseng make me a full-time Turk to begin with? He must know about this tradition as well!"
         "Of course he does. And Tseng is… a bit of a skeptic. I don't know why he kept you on. I'm sorry."
         Elena nodded sullenly. "It… it just bugs me, you know?"
         Rude remained still, and Elena sensed that he didn't know what to do about this situation either. It was around this time that Reno arrived. He explained the situation to the others.
         "Tseng's been asked to ride to the Temple of the Ancients, since Rufus has decided not to go there himself. However, he needs an item called the Keystone to be able to get in. He believes that Cloud and his buddies might've picked up some similar info and have been looking for it." Reno sighed heavily. "We probably should've stopped them when we got the chance, but there's nothing we can do about that now. Anyway, Tseng's current plan is to let Cloud find and obtain the Keystone, then have Cait Sith steal it from him. Tseng wants Elena to accompany him to the Temple once he gets the Keystone from Cait. It probably won't be for at least another day, depending on how long it takes for the Keystone to be found."
         "R—right," Elena replied. Was she hearing things correctly? Was she about to go on a mission with just her and Tseng? "So, uhh… did he say anything else?"
         Reno shook his head. "Not really. After this trip's over with, Rude and I have to head back to Midgar and go through a stack of applications for SOLDIER candidates. You know, our 'real' work. You should probably come with us, so you can prepare for the mission."
         Elena nodded, though she was barely paying attention to what Reno was saying. She was excited about this new mission, but also anxious. Why, exactly, was she picked over Reno and Rude?
         The three Turks ate their last dinner at the Turtle's Paradise, then headed to a secluded hot spring north of the Da-Chao mountains. It was a small day resort tucked away in the woods, a place that Rude had suggested, calling it "Wutai's best-kept secret." His words proved to ring true, as they were the only ones there upon their arrival.
         The spring was separated into two areas—one for the men, and one for the women. Elena left her male companions and went into the women's side, where she undressed and stepped into the warm, clear spring. She closed her eyes and sank herself deeper into the water, breathing out a long, relaxed sigh, mentally reminding herself to thank Rude for this suggestion.
         Elena nearly fell asleep, there in the spring, when she was lulled out of her reverie by a pair of voices coming from behind the bamboo fence that separated the two sides from one another.
         "Man, I can't believe it's almost over!" Reno's voice.
         "Yeah…" And Rude's.
         "So, what do you think of my idea?"
         "It certainly sounds like a good option, though I don't know if I want to get Tseng involved…"
         "C'mon, he loved it! He knows how much this means to you!"
         "You've certainly put a lot of thought into this."
         "All for you, man."
         Elena edged closer to the fence, being careful not to make any sudden moves.
         "Well, Reno, I… appreciate it."
         "Glad you do. Come to think of it, I—ow!"
         "You okay?"
         "Yeah, just pulled a muscle in this shoulder. Shit, it hurts."
         "Come closer."
         "Huh?"
         "Just trust me."
         "Okay."
         For a moment, all was silent. Elena held her breath, wondering what was going on. Then she heard some very quiet, relaxed sighs that seemed to come from Reno.
         "Mmmm… damn, that feels good. Where did you learn how to do that? Don't tell me that was a part of your monk training too!"
         "No. Someone else taught me that… a practicing masseuse. He lived in Fort Condor, so I had to sneak out to get lessons."
         Rude was giving Reno a massage?
         "Fort Condor, eh? Must've been some teacher."
         "Yeah."
         "He teach you any of that tantric shit?"
         "Tantric massage? A little… why?"
         Reno laughed. "Just curious, that's all. So, is that stuff really as big a hit with the ladies as I hear it is?"
         "I… I wouldn't know."
         "'Course not… Oh… ohh yeah… a little higher. Yeah…perfect… Say, I just got an idea…"
         "What?"
         "You should, uhh… try that tantric stuff on you-know-who…"
         You-know-who? Elena felt her cheeks grow hot. She had no idea that Reno and Rude were…
         "You mean…?"
         "Yeah."
         "W—wouldn't that be going too fast?"
         "Well I didn't mean right now… just, y'know, someday."
         "I'll think about it."
         "You do that. Damn, man, you know how much you drive me crazy with all your waffling?"
         "Look, it's none of your—"
         All of a sudden, the bamboo barrier came down. Turns out that Elena had been leaning against it just a little too hard. She fell through with the barrier, splashing down into the water on the other side. Raising her head, now dripping wet, she sheepishly looked at Reno and Rude, clutching her arms to her chest even though it was completely submerged. Rude was sitting directly behind Reno, with his hands parked on the redhead's shoulders. Both of their faces were flushed a bright red.
         "How much did you hear?" Reno asked, his voice low and steady.
         "I—I didn't hear anything!"
         "That's bullshit. You were eavesdropping, weren't you."
         "Please don't be mad at me! I didn't mean to listen in."
         "Just tell me what you heard."
         "Something I couldn't really understand about Tseng, and an idea, then the massage—it's all so confusing!"
         Reno smirked. "Oh, is that all? Okay, I guess that's cool."
         "Uh, I'll be going now! Just want to leave the two of you alone!"
         A trembling Rude quietly asked, "What the hell are you talking about?"
         "Aren't you and Reno…?"
         Rude quickly shook his head, while Reno lazed back against the former's chest, folding his arms in front of him. "Rude and I are friends, sure, but I'm not attracted to bald men. No offense, big guy."
         "None taken," Rude murmured, his cheeks having grown slightly redder.
         Elena cocked her head to one side. "Then who was the 'you-know-who' Reno was talking about?"
         "Don't worry about it," Rude replied. "It's just someone… I…"
         "Someone he likes," Reno finished, winking at her. "That's all you need to know."
         "Oh, okay," Elena answered, regarding the two men warily. It didn't matter to her if Reno and Rude were involved with each other—why should she care? She considered herself pretty open-minded about these sorts of things; it was nothing for them to be embarrassed about. But still, the initial scene came as a shock to her, a shock that would take awhile to subside. "Well, uh… guess I'll head back to my side."
         "You sure?" asked Reno. "I don't know about Rude, but I have no problem with you sticking around here for awhile. Hell, you're one of us now."
         "Reno," Rude said, "if she wants to go, then let her."
         "Shit, I'm just trying to be courteous. But I mean it, Elena. Think of yourself as one of the guys."
         "No… I'm sorry, but I can't… Not now," Elena mumbled, before backing out of Reno and Rude's side of the spring to tuck herself away in a far corner of her own.

*****

         Tseng sighed wearily, wondering just what it was that he'd gotten himself into.
         He was standing on the private helicopter platform that rested near the very pinnacle of the Gold Saucer. Some days ago, Cid had rejected Rufus' demands and taken off with Cloud and his gang. Aside from the episode in Wutai, which Reno had given him a brief summary of, Cloud's group had been wandering aimlessly, trying to find any information regarding the Keystone of the Ancients. Then, Tseng got word from Cait Sith that they were headed to the Gold Saucer to see Dio, who, as it turned out, was the Keystone's owner. All nine members of Cloud's group were now trapped in the Saucer, the Ropeway having been rendered "down for repairs". So now here he was, waiting for the operation to commence.
         In the meantime, he thought over Reno's latest scheme to get Elena and Rude together, one that Tseng himself had been talked into. This time, the plot involved a bit of outright deceit—Tseng was to ask Elena out to dinner, then back out at the last minute, offering Rude as a substitute. It all seemed a bit harebrained to Tseng, but he wasn't going to complain, as it might actually work. His main reservation was what Elena would think of him once she finds out that she'd been tricked.
         Tseng's train of thought was broken when his PHS went off. He pulled it out and answered, "Yes?"
         "I've got it," Cait Sith answered. "Chocobo Square, right?"
         "Right. See you there."
         Tseng climbed into his helicopter and took off into the night sky.

         While Cloud and Aeris gaped at the helicopter in disbelief, Tseng looked down upon the deadpan face of Cait Sith staring back at him. The Head Turk ordered the pilot to get them out of there, then settled into the back seat, placing the aquamarine orb in his lap. Staring at the softly glowing Keystone he and Reeve had worked so hard to secure, he wondered what the future held in store for Cait, knowing that no simple excuse was going to convince Cloud to keep the machine by his side.
         The helicopter dropped Tseng off at the base of the Saucer, where Gau was being taken care of by Mr. Coates, the liason between Chocobo Square and the desert prison. The Keystone now carefully tucked away in his duffel, Tseng walked through the prison cautiously; it being the dead of night, there was no one around, but all the same, he remained alert. Behind him, he heard a door open, and footfalls, softly crunching against the packed sand. As Tseng came up to Mr. Coates' door, he heard a muted chirping, from the same direction the footfalls had come. He glanced around the corner of Coates' trailer, and saw two figures standing in the shadows—a person in a long coat and wide-brimmed hat, and a chocobo. This person seemed to turn their head in Tseng's direction, and remained focused on him until he entered the trailer. As one of Coates' men arranged for Gau's release, Tseng wondered who the person in the long coat was, and what they wanted.
         "Your chocobo's in the back," Coates' assistant told Tseng. "We had a Sleepel spell cast on him this afternoon so he'd be rested up for tonight."
         "Thank you, and be sure to thank your boss for me," Tseng replied, before leaving the office and heading to the pen where Gau was, guarded by another one of Coates' men. The guard waved him through, and in a few minutes, Gau was saddled up and ready to go.
         On foot, Tseng led the bird out of the pen and toward the borders of the prison. It was to be a long ride across the ocean to the Temple of the Ancients, but Gau did look well-rested, and Tseng himself was eager to get there. He wanted to find out once and for all what Sephiroth was really after, and Tseng felt that it may have something to do with whatever secrets were locked away in the Temple. Perhaps it contained a map to the Promised Land, or was it something more sinister?
         Once they were through the last fence, Tseng mounted Gau and galloped off over the dunes that used to be the Corel Woods. As he'd expected, Tseng soon heard another pair of chocobo feet galloping behind him; a brief glance over his shoulder confirmed his assumptions. It was the person in the long coat, riding their own chocobo, whose feathers glistened a dull red in the bright lights of the Saucer behind them. Tseng noticed the outline of a sheath slung to one side of the stranger's saddlebags, but the sword itself didn't seem to be drawn. Still, he didn't want to take his chances. As he rode on toward the ocean, Tseng cast Wall on himself and Gau, then drew his pistol from the folds of his coat. He yanked hard on Gau's reigns to get him to stop, then had the bird turn around to face their pursuer.
         "Who are you?" Tseng demanded. "Answer me!"
         The red chocobo halted right before Tseng and Gau. The man—Tseng was now certain it was a man, judging by the hints of facial hair that he saw—nodded at Tseng, the upper half of his face completely covered by the low-hanging brim of his hat.
         "Have I caught you at a bad time?" he drawled, like some sort of desperado.
         "I'm not in the best of moods, if that's what you mean. Now state your business, I'm in a hurry."
         "That's too bad. I was hoping you could spare a few hours," the man said, raising his hand up to the front of his hat, slowly pulling it off.
         Tseng gasped when the hat was removed and the man's entire head became visible. Though his slightly curly brown hair and other defining features looked much as they always have, there was a strange light in his eyes, even as the splendor of the Gold Saucer shone directly behind him.
         "How in the world did you manage to get out of Midgar?"
         "I told everyone that I had some urgent business to take care of at the Gold Saucer." The man laughed, "Naturally, they understood. Anyway, the reason I'm here is because I need to talk to you about something—namely, what happened tonight."
         Tseng sighed. If he's gone through all this trouble, then I suppose we could at least talk en route to the Temple…
         "Very well, Reeve. Come with me."