Word of Mouth,

By Ealinesse

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing of the Final Fantasy series - characters, items, ideas, nothing. I do not claim to. The only characters I do own, are Carlos and his cronies… Ugh, lucky me.

Summary: Three years after the fall of Sephiroth, Yuffie receives a cryptic letter from home that tells her all is not well in Wutai... But what does a certain Turk have to do with anything?

Warnings: Just a little angst, drama…

Category: action/adventure, slight humour? - (not a lot in this chapter though)

Chapter Fifteen: To Trust A Turk...

Shake knew the instant that he heard Staniv's voice echo down the halls that something, or someone, was in trouble. At that moment in time, he had no idea of the implications that the sound reserved for him – whether Staniv knew about what had been going on or not – but he was loathe to find out. Either way though, he found his feet pounding in time with his shocked heart as he darted up the flight of stairs, following the sound of the older aide's voice.

Shake reached the top of the last set of stairs and sprinted to where he recognized his peer, Staniv, standing by the entrance to Yuffie's room. Out of breath even from the short run, Shake planted his hands on his hips and slowed his pace to a walk, which spoke even more of his reluctance to meet the other man. His shock peaked however, when Staniv merely handed a note to him. His chocolate eyes widened, and for an instant he thought it to be the arrogant message Reno had left for him earlier that the other man held. It wasn't.

Even as his mind fumbled for an explanation, Shake's already wide eyes sponged up the information that his sight was relaying to him. His heart fell, and he wondered idly why he had ever worried so much about his own well being. A sudden anger that he could not place filled him with anxiety, and he raised his gaze to meet Staniv's.

After about ten seconds, and what he thought to be intense scrutiny, Shake lowered his eyes first, and grabbed at a torrent of words. "Is she in there? Is Miss Yuffie all right? Have you-"

"Quiet," Staniv raised a cloaked arm to silence the man, "and listen."

There was a second of uncomfortable silence, which made Shake feel like even more of a fool. His characteristic impatience soon got the best of him when he failed to see the point of his peer's actions. "What do you mean, listen? I can't hear anything!"

The older aide lowered his head and reached out to the door handle, his weathered lips drawn back into a grim line. "Exactly."

Shake's face flushed in shame, and he ducked his head. Such observations were the primary step of even the most untrained Wutaian. "I… Where is she?"

There was a low sigh. "I have no idea. For all we know, she could be in there sleeping, completely oblivious to us or anything else." Staniv paused, his hand hovering worriedly above the handle. "Then again, she could be gone, and we would have never known had we not received this." The aide gestured disgustedly at the note, his voice filled with loathing and distress.

Shake lowered his eyes to the floor, and stepped forward to open the door. He was met with a resistance that could be brought only from a lock, and he muffled a curse. "Why is it still locked! We need to get in there!"

"And how do you suggest we do that, Master Shake?" Staniv said wryly with a tired sigh. "Pick the lock?"

"Yes!" But even as he said it, Shake realized that it was pointless. He knew neither of them had that ability anymore. And even if they had, the locks in the master bedrooms had been changed earlier in the year to ones that only the inhabitants of the room could unlock with the key. They didn't possess them, and they were accessible only to Godo and his daughter. Unless a person could get their keys, Shake noted with regret that they would need an expert to even try; a professional; someone who knew what they were doing and could get them in there fast, before it was too late…

If it wasn't already.

"I threw away my lockpicks years ago," Staniv continued, "as did you. These doors are also too heavy and thick to be taken down by just us. I'm afraid we didn't pay enough attention to old Master Reedav's lessons when we were younger, Shake. Perhaps we wouldn't be in this situation if we had..."

"We can always try."

"By all means, go ahead."

Shake shook his head at the irony in Staniv's voice. This wasn't the strong, capable man he knew. He tried again. "Is there anything we could use?" The instant he said it, Shake answered his own question, picturing elegant curtains crumpled on the floor, surrounded by small metal elements, some broken, some not. "I'll be back shortly."

He didn't wait for any confirmation before he sprinted headlong down the hall.

* * * * *

Twenty minutes and four broken curtain brackets later, the two Wutaian men found themselves in, unremarkably, the same situation. Knelt uncomfortably by the now-scratched lock, Shake bit his lip in anticipation as Staniv stood worriedly behind him, awaiting one of two results. He twisted the small slip of metal a little further, feeling small drops of sweat bead on his forehead. Under the agonizing pressure in the room, though, the fifth makeshift lockpick bent, then snapped completely.

In frustration, Shake threw the remaining piece left in his hand down the hallway. The accompanying clang as the item found its way down a set of stairs was all-too familiar; it only echoed their failure. He turned to Staniv, who was glaring at the unforgiving door with a cold loathing he had not seen before.

"We failed."

"We did not fail. All we need is someone who can pick locks," Shake stated bluntly, scowling. And at that, the aide groaned in realization. The solution was now painfully obvious after their deficiency. Couldn't that Turk could pick locks… And wasn't he still around somewhere…

But even as the thoughts occurred to him, he pushed them back. He had told Reno that he would never need his help, ever. He still wished to retain that idea, but recognized it as futile. It was only common sense… after all, they were saving their ruler… one of the few who was of a pure Wutaian bloodline remaining… a young woman who had been his friend and companion for many years…

Caught in an internal struggle all his own, Staniv didn't notice Shake's warring emotions until the shorter man took a small, uncertain step forward.

"I know someone who may be able to help us."

To this Staniv opened his eyes, and couldn't place the unease he felt in his companion. "Who?"

"It all depends if he could help us… I might not be able to find him… I know he's around here somewhere," Shake continued, avoiding the question.

As Staniv went to ask again, he found himself faced with nothing but open air. He narrowed his eyes as he observed Shake's receding figure tearing for the second time around the corner. He pulled out the other note he had in his pocket, wondering just how many of his suspicions would prove to be correct upon his associate's return.

* * * * *

Shake tore down the courtyard's stairs blindly, checking building after building to no avail. He had already searched much of the Royal Grounds, but there was no sign of Reno anywhere. Everyone he had asked had no clue who he was talking about, and only fixed him with looks of uncertain doubt and confusion. Internally, he realized there was little doubt that Reno had hidden himself well, though being able to act stealthily was certainly part of a Turk's job description. Although no trace of him remained, he had to be here somewhere…

Didn't he?

Sweat from both physical exhaustion and anxiety streamed down his face, and onto the high neckline of his official robes. He stopped and bent over to momentarily catch his breath, placing his hands on his knees, watching the artificial lighting of the outdoor courtyard play with his shadows. There weren't many other places he could be. And it was true, he was just about to give up, when a familiar figure through an open doorway caused him to pause.

He blinked, then scowled at the irony of finding Reno in such a place. He stood fully, placing his hands on his hips. In the space of the four seconds it took him to enter the temple's doorway, Shake thought of everything he was doing this for, what it was worth, and why. Then he squared his shoulders, and hoped like hell that this wasn't all for nothing.

'This is your chance to fix what you started. Now do it…'

* * * * *

Reno sat back tiredly on the chair he'd stolen from one of the Pagoda's hallways. He had long since become bored, and he wondered briefly at the wisdom of his promise to stay on the grounds.

There was nothing to do here, no one worthwhile to talk to - the place was uneventful at best. As it was, he didn't quite know how he'd come to arrive here, at this specific place. He had wondered the corridors for a while, thinking over the past few days, and somehow – and hell if he knew how – his two feet had found their way here, to the Temple of Leviathon, of all places.

The inhabitants of the small shrine had not bothered him as he had walked in, and so he and his trusty seat had been allowed to rest here for the last two hours without question. He looked up at the people around him briefly, noticing how occasionally their ebony gazes would come to rest on him. They never said anything, and had not even so much as approached him; more interested in their own chanted mantras at the foot of the large jade statue.

That was the good thing about this place, Reno decided. In a temple all was forgiven and forgotten; any guest was unquestioned. And, even so, scars of the past gave you all the more reason to crave the solace of a penance…

The Turk scowled and rubbed a callused hand over his face. He closed his eyes and held back a yawn at the thought of how tired he must actually be to have a thought like that occur to him. He hadn't thought of such a thing in years. Not since Tseng's death, when in his will even the calculating Wutaian man had requested to have his ashes scattered over Da Chao, where his roots lay…

Reno slapped a hand to his forehead. "Shit, do I need to get some sleep."

This time he was granted a glare – a vast change in expression compared to the dull mask of expressionless. He almost left then, not liking the outlook this place was giving his dulled mind. He was ready to pack up and go when a familiar face walked through the door. He had a sudden urge to just walk out and leave the bumbling aide behind, but thought better of it.

Instead he sat back in his seat and assumed a neutral but amused expression. 'Might as well get comfortable, 'cos he sure as hell isn't…'

* * * * *

Shake regarded the redheaded man with a look of barely withheld disapproval. He stood stock-still for a moment and watched as, by the second, the man's short-lived tension dissipated, and he sat back in the chair. He ignored the remainder of the people in the room; they would not question his association with such a man, no matter how strange the connection would at first seem.

Reno smirked, his casual countenance once again acquired. "Well, it's about bloody time."

Shake blanched at the calm cloak Reno had donned. Reno certainly wasn't about to make things easy for him. He wrung his hands together behind his back, hoping the Turk wouldn't notice the rigid tenseness in his shoulders underneath all of the heavy official clothing he wore.

What do I say…?

"Well…?"

Shake sighed, realizing that time was of the essence. There was no point delaying the inevitable. He took a step forward, his expression resolutely serious. "I need your help."

This time Reno could not hold back his shock. He blinked. "You what?"

Shake lowered his eyes. "We. Staniv and I. We need your help."

"Why the hell would you possibly want me to help you? What was that you said earlier? Something about not needing me ever?"

Shake grimaced as Reno's voice raised to intolerable levels for such a place. He looked up briefly, noticing that everyone else in the room seemed to have focussed solely on the two of them. In an action borne of frustration and shame for causing such a reaction, Shake darted forward and latched onto Reno's arm, forcibly dragged the resisting Turk outside into the darkness.

When they were free of prying eyes, Reno irritably shrugged Shake's hand off. "What the hell was that for?"

"You were drawing attention to us."

"So what?"

"You-" Shake shook his head dismissively, pushing aside his desire to press any blame. "Look, are you going to help us, or not?"

He watched as the moon glinted dangerously off the Turk's eyes as it would off a cold steel blade. After a moment, Reno crossed his arms, considering Shake's words against what would have usually been his better judgement. When he spoke, his voice was ominously low. "What do you need help with?"

Shake turned. "Follow me." A firm hand on his shoulder stopped him mid-stride, and he sighed. "What now?"

"I didn't say I was going to help you, I only asked what you could possibly need my help for."

"Well, if you'd follow me I could explain, couldn't I? Just come with me, I don't have time for this."

"Well then that's your own stupid fault."

Shake scowled, resigned, and stared the Turk right in the eye. "Must you be so difficult?"

"I wouldn't be being nearly so difficult if you would answer my questions in the first place."

The short aide resisted the urge to seriously hurt the man. There was no doubt they needed him right now, and aggravating him any more than he already had was out of the question. Instead, he forced his face to remain neutral, and raised an eyebrow.

"You will perhaps help us if I explain right now?"

"Perhaps."

"So you wish me to explain, then?"

"Please."

Shake had never heard that word sound so false, so sarcastic. He continued anyway, but with a withering gaze, as if the very problem would sound insignificant to a Turk. When Reno didn't reply, he narrowed his gaze. "Did you even hear a word I just said?"

Again, there was no reply. The Turk was looking off in some other direction. "Reno!"

"What!"

"Were you even listening?"

"Quiet!"

"Why?"

"Just listen, will you?" Reno scowled as the aide fell silent, and struggled to make out the minute movement he had just seen. A hushed rustling accompanied the action, then it was gone. Had he imagined it? Surely the guards by the fence would have noticed anything should there have been any disturbance, especially considering the distance from them that he was.

Shake, whose patience was already wearing thin, interrupted Reno's thoughts. He was fast regretting becoming this desperate for help. "What are you talking about?"

Reno pointed. "There was someone just over there."

Shake looked for a second, but didn't see anything. He glared, and seriously considered walking away. "Stop fooling around, Turk."

"I'm not fooling around!"

"Look, we have more important things to worry about right now."

"Like what?"

"Like getting Yuffie out of her room so we can talk to her."

Then it all clicked. Reno turned to see the figure make its way silently out of shadows, before it disappeared altogether, only to flit seconds later to another location across the street. The silvery slip of a moon silhouetted the figure before it went… a figure that was very familiar. He began to turn to Shake, trying not to lose sight of the person before it disappeared completely. "It's her."

Shake had heard nearly enough. "What are you on about now? Stop wasting time. We have to get back and get Yuffie out!"

Reno gestured toward the shadows at the street's entrance. "It's Yuffie. Over there." He followed his own movements, but it seemed that even after an inattentiveness of only a second, the frame had disappeared completely into the hazy blackness.

"Nonsense," Shake spat. "The guards would have noticed her leave." For Shake, that was it. He turned to leave. "Are you coming to help, or not?"

Reno cursed the man's disbelief, then followed, unsure why. A feeling of unease formed in the pit of his stomach, and no matter what he tried, it wouldn't go away. He had been listening to Shake about that note even as he'd been scouting the shadows, and if the words from Carlos were right, and if that was Yuffie sneaking away, then she could be headed right into a trap…

* * * * *

When the two figures walked back up the stairway, Staniv forced himself to reserve his own judgement. He glanced first at Shake, then his disapproval came to settle upon Reno. It seemed that the redhead's unpredictability was, well… exactly that. He forced himself to breathe, and remind himself that any help from anyone at this time was necessary. However, he still couldn't hold back his disappointment of the Turk not being at the last meeting, despite his word.

He took a step forward, his expression guarded. "Where were you before?"

Reno smirked and cast a sidelong glance at Shake, who blanched. "I was delayed."

Staniv narrowed his eyes. "You gave us your word you would be here."

"I did."

"Well then, where were you?"

"Oh, I was here, all right." There was another smirk on Reno's behalf at his own puzzlement, then another glimpse at the shorter aide. The Turk opted for a companionable clap on his shoulder. "Ask ol' Shake, here."

Staniv spared Reno a quizzical glance. "And why should I ask Shake?"

"Because he was the one who locked me in the room."

'Well this is certainly getting more interesting by the second.' He paused, then, "He locked you in a room?"

"Don't look at me as if it were my bloody idea! Hell if I know where I was. It didn't take me too long to get out, though. Your locks are useless."

"If Shake locked you in, how did you get out?"

"I used the curtain brackets."

"Indeed?" Staniv appraised Shake with a wary gaze, before flicking his gaze back to Reno, who seemed to be delighting in making his peer sweat with anxiety with as few time-consuming words as possible. After racking his mind of anything else he could question the Turk about, he came up blank. The image of Shake futily trying to pry open the doors with broken curtain brackets popped into his mind.

"So that explains the disturbed decor on the fourth floor?"

A grin, and a wince. "I guess so."

Staniv turned to Shake, who was now rather pale. "So you've taken to locking our guests away in rooms, Master Shake? Even ones who have valuable information that could have possibly saved Lord Godo's life?" His voice rose to the point where the younger aide began to tremble.

"I… I never meant to… but-"

With a small smile, Staniv raised his hand and shook his head slowly. When Shake's stuttering quieted, he pulled the note he'd recovered earlier from his pocket, handing it over to the frightened man. He opted for a sympathetic, but knowing smile, while the other man couldn't help but look more surprised. "I know you never intended for this to happen. We'll talk later. Right now, we have to fill Reno in on all the details, like we were supposed to earlier." He turned to the Turk in question without second thought, and gestured at the lock. "Can you pick this?"

Reno folded his arms and cocked his head to the side. "You'll tell me everything that's happened since I've been gone, if I do?"

Staniv nodded. "I will. The Shinra are no longer our enemies." Shake jumped at this, but Reno smirked.

"Well about time."

* * * * *

When Reno felt the lock click, he let out a sigh of relief. The same curtain bracket had held out its luck for him. Again, he pocketed it. He stood and turned the handle to the door, feeling the satisfaction of knowing that he could do something that the other two men with him couldn't.

"Access ala Reno," he grinned.

He pushed the door open and stepped inside, feeling something sink inside him as he soon realized that Yuffie was no longer there. In the two seconds that it took Shake and Staniv to follow him - and in the time he'd surmised that he'd been right earlier, and Shake wrong - he had already surveyed the room for every telltale sign he could. The gasps behind him, no matter how smothered or secreted, told him that the men behind him were in shock, stuck in the black tar that lay between denial and acceptance.

He said nothing as he began to examine everything a second time. He walked past the open window, spotted his bag in the corner, the tearstained desk, the music box which had yet to be rewound, and the slightly rumpled bed. A small crumpled object caught his eye and he followed his line of sight, and picked up the note that lay by the obviously quite pummeled pillow.

"Want revenge, leader? Showdown. Now. Come alone…"

Reno almost dropped the paper at what the note implied. He crushed the small item in his fist and closed his eyes, unsure of what should happen next. There was no doubt that that lone figure in the darkness had been Yuffie, and he also held little doubt that she was seeking vengeance. From what both Staniv and Shake had told him, she was surely not thinking clearly…

"What is it?"

It seemed Staniv had momentarily recovered himself, though his face was white as parchment, and his lips were drawn in a thin, grievous line. His shoulders were slumped, and his arms hung in a look that spoke of defiant failure. Shake soon followed, looking no less composed.

Reno handed the paper over, carefully gauging both men's reactions as they allowed their eyes a first, then a second read of the contents.

"Surely she wouldn't… " Shake let his voice trail off into the darkness. His own uncertainty echoed the knowledge that Yuffie would have indeed gone after Carlos for revenge. Whether she knew how much she was getting herself into, was another story.

Shake turned to Staniv. "We have to go after her! We have to do something!"

"Of course we do, Master Shake. We have to leave at once! Call Gorky. Gather your weapons-"

"Wait just a minute!" Reno spun to face them, incredulous. "You mean to say that you're just going to leap into the building right now – if you even know where it is to start with – and go after Carlos and Yuffie like it's actually going to be easy?"

The looks on the two men's faces mirrored Reno's words.

"No way. Do you know how risky it is to the future of Wutai if you just go leaping after that man without any thought? Just who the hell is going to look after this place?" There was another silence. "Shit. Okay, do you know anything about that man? Or the men with him? Do you know where they are? Their abilities? Anything?"

"We don't know whether…" At Reno's sour look, Shake fell silent.

"Look," he said, shrugging. "What use to Yuffie and Godo are you going to be if you go stumbling blindly into one of those old buildings without knowing anything about the situation? That's right, none. I know you have your pride, and you may not like it, but the best you can do right now is call the remainder of the authorities together and get plans of the buildings, identities of the men, et cetera, and hope like hell you're going to get there in time." He paused, judging the grief on the men's faces. He could easily see that he had struck a nerve. "You both know how much time that's going to take. And as warriors you both know what a liability is."

"There's no way we can help? We can't just sit back and wait for news! We have to do something!"

"Shake's right, Reno, I'm certainly not sitting back and waiting for any news, knowing that there was nothing I could do to prevent me from failing anymore."

"Look, I'm not saying that. Just think, all right? There's no use in busting into a building where you could fuck up any advantage Yuffie might have had. You don't want to push Carlos, trust me, right now that's the last thing we want. You'd be better to gather all of you and scout the outside of the building. Keep an eye the on the location. Stop anyone who comes out, stop anyone from going in. Remain out of sight, but watch the place. It's potentially a hostage situation." It felt strange him being the voice of reason, but just why was everything Tseng had taught him just surfacing now?

Shake didn't like the sound of Reno's words. "We can't help the inside? Surely we can't leave them in there without help?"

"It's way too dangerous for any of you aides to go in there. I know you're fighters, but if you got yourselves killed, and Yuffie and Godo are dead, then who's going to run the country? Come on, you must have something that covers this!"

"That's all we can do?"

Staniv's lowered gaze lifted to meet that of Reno's. "I'm afraid that Reno is right. We all have knowledge too valuable to lose. In the case that Yuffie is also now gone, we can't do anything but be spectators." There was a moment's silence, after which Staniv began walking out the door. He held it open for Shake, his control momentarily regained. "But even to watch and scout we must have equipment. Come, we have to hurry, and call the rest of the authorities. Research can still be done in order to see what else we can do. As Reno said, we have to seize what little time we may have, and pray to Leviathon that the Gods are with us tonight."

As Shake walked out the door, Reno felt an odd emotion fill him that he couldn't place. As he watched the two aides move to leave, he made another decision. Hastily, he grabbed his bag and checked for materia, before arming his weapons and slipping knives into his boots. He thought the other two had gone, but as he was readying himself, a voice spoke in the doorway.

"And just what are you going to do then, Reno?"

He turned to Staniv. "I know a hell of a lot more about the place than you do." He crossed his arms, slung his bag over his back before swooping under the window frame, sure to escape faster that way. Someone had to go after Yuffie possibly before it was too late. He knew of no one else, and that it couldn't be any of the aides. He had the most knowledge of the place, as well as the area around the alley. He knew the location, and it was not only a matter concerning him, but it was his mission. Strangely, it was all logical.

Shake stepped inside again, his expression wary. "So you mean to say it's you going to go after them instead of us?

"Of course."

"But-"

He smirked. "I'm a Turk. Improvisation is what I do best. Just trust me. I'll have back up. I'll even signal you if it's all clear, okay?"

He didn't wait for an answer. He was out of the grounds and on his way down the alleys before the two aides could say another word. Staniv had been understanding, and even knew it was his case; he had seen it in his eyes. He had explained that to them whilst unlocking the door… they had been through everything. He had earlier obtained maps from the city the day before, and had studied them in between a few beers. He did know what he was doing more than them...

And besides, he needn't tell them he didn't have much back up, that Rude and Elena had yet to arrive tomorrow.

He scowled as the cool night air whipped harshly at his face. He couldn't tell what was driving him to do this. He knew that those files he had been looking for earlier were his ticket out of here, and off this mission. If he could somehow get his hands on those documents, and Carlos before he made a run for it, his work for the case would be done. There would be less tracings to be done, less research, and most of all, less paperwork. Back up would have been logical, but unlike what he'd said to Staniv, did he have the time?

No, he thought. He'd made up his mind. He kept running. Time was ticking, and his opportunities were fast flying out of the proverbial window.

He only hoped that it all showed through in the end.

* * * * *

Author's Notes: Eep! Okay, so a plus is that the ball is now finished, meaning I don't have to worry about many time consuming things such as decorations, and bands, and photographers, etc…

I know it took me a long time, but seriously… *wipes forehead* … phew!

Tell me what you think about this chapter. *Dances around* Nearly done, nearly done! Only hope I didn't disappoint you all too much… provided you didn't just wonder off thinking I'd never update ever again…

Arcander: Eee… Sorry! I really didn't mean to make it take this long, but you know how time all adds up? Yeah yeah, enough with my excuses. I apologize! Lol.

CelesteSpring: I didn't mean to imply that! I know I am really wordy, so I appreciate your feedback. A good constructive review generally means more to me because then I know that the person has actually taken the time to actually analyze the fic, and tell me what they think could be improved, etc. It is often really hard to get a constructive review for some fandoms.

The Wanderer5: The builders are no problem now,… I think they got sick of us, really… Lmfao. I'm sure that they won't bother me any more. Well, I'm not sure of that, but as long as my brother doesn't go bashing *another* hole in the wall, I'm sure everything will be fine… Hehehe…

Thesaxmaster: Thanks for your review. I'll be sure to pop over and review your work sometime soon. I have a lot more free time on my hands now with the senior ball over, so I have actually read fics as well as review them!

EVERYBODY: Hang in there, the end is in sight!

Cheers!

~Ealinesse. ^_^ (… Who is moving right on to the next chapter).