As Xu was standing by the long conference table in Cid’s office in anticipation of the morning staff meeting that was scheduled to begin in five minutes, she was startled to hear the sound of the elevator arriving at the third floor. She knew no one had been summoned to Cid’s office and it was unusual for anyone to arrive voluntarily at this time of day. She was even more startled a second later when Edea stepped out of the elevator.

“Permission to come abroad, Xu?”

Xu nodded seriously, then quickly crossed to her and offered a quick hug. She took Edea by the hand and led her to the front of Cid’s desk. Cid, as usual, was preoccupied with his papers and had files laying everywhere.

Xu announced “Cid, there’s someone here to see you.”

“Hmmm” said Cid, as he continued writing, finally glancing up.

“Oh!” he exclaimed, “What are you doing here, Edea?”

Cid flushed and said, “I’m sorry. I was just surprised.” “I meant how are you, Edea?”

“I’m fine, Cid. And you?”

Cid answered, “Oh, you know me. I’m doing the best I can.”

Cid stepped around from his desk and embraced Edea, who finally returned it.

“Actually” he admitted, “I’ve been very lonely. Very lonely indeed.”

Cid took Edea by the hand and led her to the door of his apartment. He informed Xu “Staff meeting will be starting a little late this morning” and then he led Edea into the apartment and shut the door softly behind them.

Xu turned and smiled at Fujin, who offered thumbs up. ………………..

Zell, Kasumi and Mishima met outside of Timber and started off on their long trek to Dollet. They decided to stay off the main roads as much as possible to avoid Galbadian Army vehicles and other government officials, including the much-dreaded Galbadian Secret Police. They set off on a brisk pace, which they realized they would need to maintain as much as humanly possible, due to Dollet laying two hundred miles to the Northeast.

Zell thought to himself ruefully the same trip by train would take a couple of hours but, of course, the train was a bullet train, which traveled over a hundred miles per hour.

Kasumi suggested, “We might as well follow the railroad tracks as much as possible. The trains aren’t running anyway and, if one does come through, maybe we can hitch a ride on it somehow.”

Zell replied “Trying to play hoboes on a Galbadian Army train might just be a trifle dangerous, eh Mishima?”

“Oh, Zell! You haven’t changed a whit!” laughed Mishima. “Let me see your gloves” she demanded. “Very nice” she commented. “What are they called?”

“They’re called ‘Ehrgeiz’, cool huh?” answered Zell. “Let me see yours.”

Mishima held out her gloves. “They’re called ‘Premium Heart’ and I just got them.”

Zell went on “That looks like an awesome weapon on your shoe. I wish I had one of those.”

Kasumi listened with some amusement as they walked double-time with Zell and Mishima comparing weapons and fighting styles.

Zell said excitedly “You know ‘Dolphin Blow’! Oh man, that’s great! Here, let me show you ‘My Final Heaven’.” Zell proceeded to shadow fight displaying the moves of ‘My Final Heaven’ dancing all around her as light as a feather and throwing himself high in the air with a laughing Mishima mimicking his every move.

“Zell! Mishima!” Kasumi had to shout to allow herself to be heard over the noise Zell and Mishima were making. After finally getting their attention, Kasumi admonished, “I’m glad you all are having a good time, but this isn’t a nature walk. You’re causing a commotion and you need to cool it. Now let’s go.”

Totally chagrined, Zell and Mishima muttered their apologies and began walking double-time again.

………………..

After Kasumi had left, Selphie decided to go downtown and see if she could locate Zone. After letting herself out of the house, she took a left and walked down to where a staircase to the left led to some shops and the Amphor Pub and straight led to another train station. She discovered Zone speaking with an attractive young woman, who was sitting on one of the benches by the staircase.

Selphie glided up next to his right side and whispered in his ear “What cha doing, Zone? Found somebody better to hit on?”

Zone leaped back in surprise, his face flushed; as he had been so engrossed in his conversation he had not noticed Selphie’s arrival.

Clasping Selphie by the arm, he guided her in the direction of the train station. “No, but I think I might have discovered where Watts is hiding. Meet me for dinner at 7 o’clock at the Hamptons and I’ll probably know more,” he explained.

“Okay, it’s a date.”

Zone turned crimson and scurried away back towards town.

“What a strange little dude” Selphie thought not for the first time.

………………..

Rinoa woke up early, excited about the proposed beach outing. She quickly dressed, putting her student uniform on over her yellow t-back bikini. After doing her makeup and hair, she left to go search for Akane.

Rinoa discovered Akane, Arnaz and Irvine waiting at the front entrance. Akane was wearing a simple one-piece white bathing suit and Arnaz was wearing red trunks. Irvine was dressed the same as usual topped off by his long cattleman’s coat and cowboy hat. Rinoa also noticed he was carrying his weapon.

“Aw” Akane complained to Rinoa “I thought you were going swimming. You’re wearing your uniform.”

Rinoa smiled mysteriously and teased, “We’ll see. Maybe I’ll change on the beach.”

“Hot damn!” thought Irvine.

“Let’s go” directed Irvine and trudged behind the three excited teenagers talking among themselves as they exited the Garden.

Upon reaching the beach area at the Cape of Good Hope, Rinoa began to strip off her uniform displaying her yellow t-back bikini that left very little to the imagination.

“Wow!” gasped Arnaz as his face flushed.

“Alright!” thought Irvine “That girl knows how to fill out a bikini.”

Akane gushed “What a beautiful suit, Rinoa. I wish I had the guts to wear something like that!”

Rinoa responded, “You have a perfect figure, Akane. I’d be happy to help you pick something out at the beach shop the next time we’re in Balamb.”

“Oh, no” protested Akane. “I’m too shy to ever wear anything like that.”

Rinoa shouted out, “Let’s hit the water!” and ran laughing into the surf. As Irvine watched the three of them bobbing up and down in the ocean water, laughing and splashing each other, he now wished he had worn his bathing suit, but he had been serious about the viciousness of the monsters on this beach. Someone had to be equipped with a weapon, if they should suddenly show up.

After about an hour in the water, Rinoa, Akane and Arnaz returned to the beach and laid down their beach towels on the sand in preparation to lie on them. The towel Rinoa put down had a picture of Balamb on it. As she sat down, she noticed Akane’s towel naturally had a picture of East Academy on it, but Arnaz’s towel had a picture of Deiling City.

“Hey, Arnaz!” she called out. “Where did you get that Deiling City towel?”

Arnaz glanced at Rinoa and answered off handedly “I don’t really remember. Probably somebody gave it to me. Why do you ask?”

Rinoa explained, “I never knew anyplace other than Deiling City that sells them. I just wanted to get one. I’m from there, you know.”

“Yeah, Akane told me.”

Rinoa laid on her stomach in order to receive some sun light on her back initially and spoke excitedly to Akane. “Xu informed me that Squall and Quistis are probably at East Academy and maybe will return soon.”

“Oh goody!” squealed Akane clapping her hands as if she were a small child. “But what are they doing at East Academy?”

Rinoa explained, “Xu said they are probably posing as students until the heat dies down enough so they can return to Balamb.”

Akane replied, “I wish we could take the Garden and go get them. I want to meet him so badly.”

Irvine entered the conversation “We can’t do that for two reasons.” “We’d be not only risking their covers but also we’d be risking retaliation from Galbadia.”

“Aw, pooh” Akane replied.

Suddenly three Fastitocalon-F rose up through the sand on the beach and began to launch a furious attack! Arnaz continued to sit on his beach towel, too stunned to move. Both Rinoa and Akane jumped up from the beach. Rinoa was frantically looking around the beach hoping to discover something she could use as a weapon, while Akane assumed her traditional fighting stance.

Irvine leaped into action by blasting one of the Fastitocalon-F into oblivion with his ‘Exeter’. One of the two remaining Fastitocalon-F, in response to Irvine’s attack, glided forward faster than the eye could follow and attacked Rinoa rending her flesh above her left breast and pulling her bikini halter top off totally exposing her beautiful breasts!

Rinoa cried out in pain and stumbled backwards, but managed to maintain her footing on the soft sand. Irvine shot and killed the Fastitocalon-F that attacked Rinoa. The remaining fish darted forward, bit Rinoa twice in the lower thigh area and yanked her thong down to her ankles. Rinoa tumbled backwards stark naked onto the beach.

Akane sprung into action but this time, unlike at the training center, she came in low hooking the Fastitocalon-F from underneath and kicking it high in the air as she did a complete somersault. On her way down, Akane killed it with several vicious right-handed chops!

Irvine ran to Rinoa’s side, knelt down and cast several cures on her bare breasts and pubic area. He realized she needed more medical attention but the cures would, at least, deaden her immediate pain, until they could return her to the Garden and into the clinic.

After Akane discreetly helped Rinoa don her bikini, Arnaz and Akane bundled Rinoa up in some of the beach towels to help with the bleeding and to prevent her from making another spectacle of herself when they entered the Garden.

As Irvine walked behind them, he experienced the strangest feeling that he had witnessed Akane hesitating on purpose before attacking. “Nah” thought Irvine “I’m imagining things.”

………………..

Arnaz and Akane hurried the bundled up Rinoa to the clinic. Dr. Kadowaki stood up from her desk and stepped past it. “What seems to be the problem, Rinoa?”

Akane answered for her “Rinoa was attacked by some Fastitocalon-F on the beach.”

The doctor replied, “Oh, that really isn’t a swimming beach.”

“Irvine told us that, but Rinoa wanted to go swimming anyway,” explained Akane.

“No use crying over spilt milk,” sermonized Dr. Kadowaki. “Let’s get her into a bed” instructed the doctor, who followed the three teenagers down the hall. “Go in the first empty room you can find” directed Dr. Kadowaki.

Once inside the room, Dr. Kadowaki directed Rinoa to remove her bikini and wrap herself in a sheet and wait for her to return and then exited the room. Arnaz discreetly left and as Akane began to accompany him, Rinoa reached out and touched Akane’s arm and pleaded “Please stay with me.”

“Sure, I’d be happy to!” replied Akane. “You strip down and I’ll wrap you in this sheet,” Akane suggested, while holding up the top sheet she found lying on the bed in the center of the small room.

As Rinoa, turning her back, began to peel her bikini off, wincing in pain as she had to pull her thong over her wounds, Akane looked around the small room taking it all in with a single glance. There was a small stool in the corner for visitors or the use of the doctor, a water pitcher and glass on a bedside table, a bendable lamp that hung over the bed, a bedside call button and blue curtains that hung down over an open window. As Akane turned around to look behind her, she was amazed to see a full plate glass window running down the entire wall that looked into the next patient room. Each room had a window to the next room so, in case of an emergency, the doctor could monitor more than one room simultaneously.

When Akane observed Nida in the next room, who was apparently paying a visit to a sick friend, Akane’s face took on a malicious expression. She paused until she sensed Rinoa was beginning to turn around to be wrapped in the sheet and then Akane knocked on the window loudly to attract Nida’s attention and, whirling out of the way, Akane exclaimed “Look Rinoa! It’s Nida!”

As Rinoa turned her body fully toward the window, she instinctively glanced up and observed Nida standing there with his mouth agape on the other side of the glass staring at her standing there totally nude in all the beauty that nature had bestowed upon her.

Rinoa screamed and fell into a crouch attempting to cover her abundant breasts and mons pubis, while Nida fell backwards against the bed in the other room. By the time the doctor ran into the room, Akane had wrapped the weeping Rinoa in the sheet and Nida, who had already fled, was nowhere to be seen.

The doctor asked quickly “I heard a scream. What’s the problem?”

Akane answered, “Gee, I don’t know. She just suddenly started screaming. Maybe it’s the pain.”

………………..

Irvine stood outside of the door of Rinoa and Selphie’s dorm room and distinctly heard the sound of sobbing emanating from inside the room. Irvine thought he was really beginning to feel sorry for that girl.

He knocked gently. “Go away!” the voice of Rinoa called out from inside the room.

“Rinoa, it’s me – Irvine.”

“I said go away!” “I don’t want to talk to anybody right now.”

“Rinoa, please” Irvine pleaded. “I’m not supposed to be on the women’s floor and I brought you your uniform.”

“Oh, all right” Rinoa sighed and just barely cracked the door open. “Give it to me” she demanded.

Irvine protested, “You’ll have to open the door more than that. I can’t fit your uniform in that small of a space.”

Feeling suddenly frustrated and very angry over everything that had happened to her over the past week, Rinoa flung the door open as hard as she could. It was thrown with such force that it bounced off the wall of the room and ricocheted back toward her.

Rinoa stood with the slightly bloody sheet that she was forced to wear from the clinic carelessly draped around her shoulders, seemingly unaware of the view of her nudity that she was offering Irvine, who was struck again with the enormity of her physical beauty.

Handing her the uniform, Irvine said “I’m really sorry you got injured, Rinoa. Are you in a lotta pain?”

“No, not anymore” she answered appearing perplexed.

“Well, I heard you crying and everything.”

“That’s a different matter that I don’t wish to discuss” Rinoa responded tartly. “Now if you will excuse me” she replied attempting to close the door.

Irvine placed his hand on the door and said “There’s something I need to ask you about Akane.”

“What now?” Rinoa asked resignedly assuming it would have something to do with Irvine attempting to score.

“I get the weirdest vibration from her – like something’s just not right.”

Rinoa responded heatedly “Irvine, I think she’s just a sweet young girl, who happens to be the best friend I have right now! Thank you for bringing my uniform. Now goodbye!” And saying that Rinoa slammed the door in Irvine’s face!

Irvine turned away from the door thinking, “Whew, that girl’s turning into a tiger.”

………………..

Doctor Kadowaki peered over the ever-growing stack of medical files on her desk and remarked, “That was a wonderful thing you did, Xu, for Cid and Edea. I’m proud of you.” Xu flushed, ducked her head, shifted uncomfortably on the stool and finally stood up and replied, “Arigato, Doctor. Coming from you that means a lot, but let’s drop the subject.”

The doctor gently smiled “Alright, Xu. Ever since you were an adolescent and probably before that, although I didn’t know you then, you have been unable to accept a compliment.”

Xu began to leave, but suddenly remembered one of the reasons she had come to visit the doctor. “How’s Rinoa doing?” “Was she badly injured?” Xu asked.

The doctor leaned back a little in her chair. “I’ll say this – You don’t miss much that goes on around here. But to answer your question, no it was just basically some nicks.”

Doctor Kadowaki glanced shrewdly at Xu and stated, “You’re making Rinoa one of your projects, aren’t you?”

Xu answered, “Well, I feel sorry for her. She seems to have a good heart, but when she operates without Squall, she doesn’t appear to have a clue as to how to go about everyday living.”

The doctor replied, “Rinoa will be fine in the long run. She is an intelligent, strong, beautiful young girl who will grow into a loving, capable woman very shortly. And if she doesn’t, you send her to me. I’ll straighten her out!”

As Xu and Doctor Kadowaki were laughing, the intercom came on and Cid’s voice announced “Attention, everyone! We are preparing to leave Centra and journey to Trabia. All necessary personnel report to duty stations immediately.”

Xu smiled at the doctor. “Well, that’s me. Thanks again for everything.” Xu turned and left the clinic beginning her trek that would lead her back to the bridge.

………………..

Akane and the pigtail girl sat at a late afternoon table in the coffee shop. Akane asked excitedly “Did you hear? We’re going to Trabia! I’ve never been anywhere near Trabia in my life.”

Akane glanced around the room and exclaimed “Boy, oh boy! Where is everyone? It’s just you and me.”

The pigtail girl smiled and answered, “Well, I don’t know about everyone else, but Zell and Selphie have been sent to Timber. I hope he’s alright.”

“Timber! Do you suppose they were sent to help Squall at East Academy?”

“Squall?” the pigtail girl repeated, “No, I don’t think so. I think it’s something else entirely.” “Aw, foo” Akane pouted “I so want to meet him. What’s he like?”

Before the pigtail girl could formulate an answer, Irvine strolled up and, sitting down, replied “He’s usually moody and surly and doesn’t have much time for people, particularly young girls.”

As Akane turned to Irvine, the pigtail girl giggled at Irvine’s remarks. “Where’d you come from?” asked Akane.

“I had to take her uniform back to Rinoa. Man, is she upset about something! But she wouldn’t tell me what.”

“I know what it is” confessed Akane, proceeding to explain to Irvine and the pigtail girl the entire episode that occurred at the clinic.

When she had finished, the pigtail girl responded “Oh, the poor thing. No wonder she’s upset.”

Irvine explained “All I know is she looked like she had really been crying about it.”

Akane replied “I’ll go visit her after dinner and try to cheer her up.”

“Speaking of which” Irvine said while beginning to stand up “shall we be going to dinner?” Irvine held his arm out for Akane to take, so he could escort her. Akane and the pigtail girl arose from the table.

Akane turned to her and asked, “Do you want to eat with us?”

“Well, yes. I usually eat with Zell, but since he’s not here I’d be happy to.”

“Let’s go, ladies!” Irvine directed.

………………..

Seifer, Raijin and Fujin were seated around their customary table in the cafeteria. As Seifer was eating from a large pile of hot dogs on his plate, Raijin exclaimed “Seifer! Give me a hot dog.”

“No” answered Seifer while placing another half a hot dog into his mouth and chewing.

“Seifer, no da, this isn’t fair. You having all those hot dogs and we can’t even get one, no da!” Raijin replied.

“I don’t care.”

“Seifer, no da, this isn’t any way to treat your posse, no da” Raijin said attempting a different tack. “Too bad.”

Fujin laughed as Raijin attempted to quickly lift a hot dog off Seifer’s plate, only to have Seifer pin Raijin’s hand to the table with a fork.

Fujin exclaimed, “RAGE, BEHAVE!”

“It’s not me, no da. It’s him, no da” Raijin accused.

Raijin asked, “Did you know Edea is back in the Garden?”

“Did I know?” asked Seifer. “Of course I knew” Seifer explained, “I was instrumental in her returning.”

Raijin exclaimed “No way!”

Fujin responded “WAY!”

Raijin, still not quite believing Seifer, asked, “Why would you do that, no da?”

Seifer finished the remaining hot dog on his plate, stood up and looked Raijin straight in the eye and replied, “Because I lust after her too. I can’t stop dreaming about her at night. Let’s go, men.” With that Seifer turned and began to walk away.

“Aw Seifer!” Raijin whined while trailing behind him and the silently laughing Fujin.

………………..

Their first day of classes passed quickly for Quistis and Squall, what with their needing to discover the location of the necessary different buildings and classrooms and not really understanding their way around the large campus yet.

They compared notes of their day as they sat in their dorm apartment after the dinner hour. Quistis was seated in the easy chair with her long legs crossed and Squall sat on the edge of his bed.

“Who was that guy I saw you having lunch with?” Squall inquired.

“Oh, just some guy in one of my classes.”

“Oh, does he have a name?” Squall asked slightly sarcastic.

Quistis sighed but said, “Of course he has a name! It’s Godai.” And then she went on to say “But you have no reason to get so pushy. I saw you with Kyoko most of the day.”

Squall grinned but said, “I feel as if there’s something strange about her.”

“Yeah, I bet” Quistis retorted.

“No, I don’t mean like that.” Squall elaborated “She asks way too many questions about where we’re from, what our family is like and a whole lot of questions about you.”

“About me?” Quistis asked surprised. “You don’t think she’s working for Galbadia?”

“Could be” was Squall’s response. “We need to be careful with her. I don’t trust her.”

“Squall, how long do we have to stay here?”

“I’m not sure. All I know is it’s going to be a while longer” Squall answered.

Quistis stretched her arms straight up and stood up. “Oh” she sighed. “Uh, Squall” she began to say.

“I know, I know, you want to take a shower and will I go somewhere else.”

“Uh, huh” confirmed Quistis.

“Mata ne” Squall said while leaving the room.

…………………

Akane knocked upon the door of Rinoa’s room.

“Go away” came the voice of Rinoa.

“It’s me, Akane!”

“I don’t care who it is. Go a way!” replied the voice of Rinoa from within the room.

“I’m going to stand here all night and bang on this door until you open up!” shouted Akane “And I’m not kidding.”

Suddenly the door opened and Rinoa stood in the doorway. Her hair was disheveled and her face red and swollen from incessant crying. She was still carelessly draped in the sheet, which inadvertently displayed her stark naked charms to Akane’s startled gaze.

Rinoa asked in a surly tone “What do you want?”

Akane pushed by Rinoa and into the room, closing the door behind her. “What do I want?” “You’re my best friend and you’re in pain.”

“Go away, Akane.” “You’ve already done enough for me today” Rinoa retorted.

Akane suddenly dropped to her knees and wrapped her arms around Rinoa’s legs. “Oh, please forgive me. I had no idea it was a window. I thought it was some kind of weird two way mirror.”

Rinoa responded, “Please get up, Akane and go.”

Akane answered, “Not until you forgive me and mean it. I can’t stand having you upset with me.”

Rinoa’s heart somewhat softened at the sight of the young teenage girl pouring her feelings out to her and replied, “Alright, I forgive you.”

Akane acted as if she was going to arise, but instead clutched the bottom of the bloody sheet and ripped it off Rinoa rendering her stark naked! Rinoa gasped and jumped back fearing for her physical safety.

Akane ordered, “Now this is enough, Rinoa.” “Go over there” Akane directed while pointing to the mirror over Rinoa’s bureau “and fix your hair and do your makeup, while I look for something for you to put on!”

Despite her nudity, Rinoa did as she was ordered. Moving as if in a dream, she crossed to the mirror and, using a brush that was lying on her bureau, began to brush her hair.

Akane became a bundle of energy darting here and there, pulling open a drawer and placing fresh underwear for Rinoa on her bed. Rinoa turned around to discover what Akane was doing. Akane ordered, “Do your makeup and then put this underwear on!”

Meanwhile Akane was already going through Rinoa’s closet searching for a good outfit for Rinoa to wear. She felt as though it would be good for Rinoa to wear something this evening other than her uniform. She, ironically enough, since she had never observed Rinoa wear it, pulled out Rinoa’s black blouse and shorts, her short blue skirt and her long blue vest!

When Akane turned back with the outfit, she noticed Rinoa was now appareled in her bra and panties. “Here” she said reaching out with the outfit “put this on.”

“Oh, I can’t believe you picked that. That’s my favorite outfit!”

“Good.” “Now put it on” ordered Akane and stood over Rinoa until she was fully dressed, except for her shoes.

“Put your shoes on. We’re going out.”

As Rinoa sat on the edge of her bed to put her shoes on, she asked, “Where are we going?” “Nothing’s open.”

“We’re just going for a walk. It will do you good to get out of this room.”

When Rinoa was fully dressed, Akane literally pushed her out the door.

As Akane was shutting the door behind them, Rinoa glanced down and said with some emotion, “You’re a good friend, Akane.”

“I know” the ebullient teenager exclaimed, “I’m the best!”

………………..

Selphie readied herself for her date with Zone by taking a long, luxurious, hot shower, drying and fixing her hair and applying her makeup. She decided to leave off with any perfume, not really desiring to entice Zone any further.

Then Selphie slipped into her cotton panties and took a damp washrag and dabbed at some spots on her yellow dress that needed to be cleaned. Rinoa’s friend had offered to have her dress cleaned, but since she didn’t feel as though she wanted to sit around all day half naked wearing only her panties, she had to decline. She was still angry that the Forest Fox leader’s daughter didn’t offer to lend her any clothes so she could have her dress cleaned, but she figured she should never had made that cutting remark so many months ago about her mother’s beauty being a legend!

After giving her dress a few minutes to dry, she then slipped it on and pulled up the front zipper. Giving her hair a toss for placement, she grinned at herself in the mirror, checked the heel of both of her boots and then exited the steamy bathroom and proceeded downstairs.

“Don’t you look nice” Rinoa’s friend complimented.

“Arigato.” Selphie ducked her head, never comfortable with being complimented. “I guess I’ll go now.”

“Say hi to Zone for me and tell him I’ll come look up him up tomorrow.”

Selphie agreed as she opened the front door and shut it behind her, stepping out into the street. Taking a quick glance around the immediate area, she espied several Galbadian soldiers scattered around, who were paying absolutely no attention to her. After checking the heel of each of her boots, Selphie began walking toward the other end of town.

Fifteen minutes later she was approaching Hamptons when she noticed Zone. She was surprised to observe he wasn’t wearing a disguise and wondered to herself if that wasn’t dangerous for him at this time with so many Galbadian solders lurking about.

“Hi, Selphie. You’re right on time.”

Selphie asked “Is it safe for you to be out without some kind of disguise?” “No, probably not” he grinned ruefully “But I can’t go on a date with my favorite girl in some sort of clownish getup.”

“Uh, Zone” Selphie began to explain, but was interrupted by Zone, taking her by the arm and, suggesting, “Let’s get off the street” and escorting her into the restaurant.

After they were seated at their table and had placed their dinner order, Zone leaned forward and began whispering to Selphie causing her to lean forward so closely, to hear him, she could have kissed him.

“I found Watts,” he explained.

“Oh, Zone. That’s wonderful!” “Where was he?” she asked.

“When we first fled Timber I guess he ran all the way to East Academy and then back again,” Zone explained with a soft chuckle. “I found him hiding with a family, who took him in, down by the train station.”

“And guess what?”

“Tell me, Zone” Selphie answered patiently.

“I found your comrade! He’s hiding with Watts.”

“Oh, Zone! That’s fantastic!” Selphie exclaimed with a large smile crossing her pretty face.

Zone, who found her to be so completely adorable at that moment, couldn’t restrain himself and leaned forward and kissed her fully on her open lips, while slipping his tongue into her mouth!

“ZONE!” Selphie screamed causing diners in the crowded dining room to turn and stare at them. Selphie instinctively reached back her right hand and delivered a substantial slap across the side of Zone’s face and then arose preparing to flee the dining room.

Zone quickly grasped her by the wrist and pulled her down onto her chair. “Selphie, please! “You’re causing a scene we can ill afford.”

Selphie, who was still furious but realizing Zone spoke the truth, remained in her seat.

Zone began to apologize so abjectly and totally, plus constantly mentioning her immense beauty had caused him to act in such an impolite manner, that she forgave him with a stiff warning she would seriously damage him, if he ever attempted anything like that again.

After they had eaten and Zone paid the bill, they hurried from the restaurant and headed toward the other end of Timber. Selphie and Zone walked along in complete silence so as to not attract any attention to themselves and to also prevent being overheard saying anything of a sensitive nature. As they moved along, Selphie wondered who Brian was. She realized she didn’t recognize the name, but hoped, at least, she would recognize him or visa versa because it certainly wouldn’t do, if he didn’t recognize her as a fellow SeeD. It was only her innate modesty that prevented her from realizing there weren’t any SeeDs who didn’t know who she was from the time she was so instrumental in Ultimecia’s destruction.

Finally at the end of one of the streets that ran by the lower railroad passenger loading areas, Zone pointed at a house and explained, “This one.”

Zone knocked once and waited and then knocked four straight times. The door was immediately opened by Watts, who said to Selphie “Welcome sir. So good to see you again.” As Selphie stepped into the small two-story house closely followed by Zone, she understood that her concern was unnecessary as she immediately recognized Brian as the SeeD, who was known to practically everyone in the Garden as the conceited SeeD. Selphie also remembered he was well known for always spending time in the library attempting to chat up the pigtail girl, which could quite possibly make the remainder of the mission, when Zell returned, quite interesting.

Fighting down her initial feeling of dislike towards him, Selphie offered her right hand and said, “It’s real good to see you, Brian.” Taking her hand and attempting to crush it, he said, “I imagine it would be.”

Watts invited everyone upstairs to one of the small bedrooms on the second floor in order to allow the family who lived there their personal space and also to insure some privacy for themselves. Upon entering the bedroom, Selphie checked the heel on both of her boots and flopped down on her back on one of the beds and listened as Watts wove his convoluted tale of he and Brian originally fleeing the considerable distance to East Academy and actually remaining there for a few days before beginning to wend their way back to Timber only arriving early in the morning.

When Watts was finally finished, Brian asked, “What’s our new objective?”

Selphie sat up on the bed and responded in a slightly cutting tone “Our new objective is to wait in Timber until Zell returns and lets us know what he discovered, if anything, in Dollet.”

“What if he doesn’t return?”

“If he doesn’t return,” Selphie answered “and there is no doubt in my mind that he will return, we will then proceed to Dollet ourselves.”

Watts explained to Selphie “Sir, I am going with Zone, because we need to communicate with our organization immediately and you and Brian should return to Sayoko’s house and not tax this nice families’ hospitality any more than necessary.” Selphie realized with a start that he had just referred to the Forest Fox leader as Sayoko. “So that’s her name!” Selphie thought. “They certainly do keep things a secret in this town, when it comes to the underground resistance.”

Selphie readily agreed and, as they were preparing to depart the bedroom, Zone suggested, “Please meet Watts and me down near the railroad station tomorrow and possibly we’ll be able to coordinate some plans.” “You might want to come alone, in order to allow Brian to rest.”

Selphie agreed, thanked Zone again for the dinner and, more importantly, for locating Brian and then she and Brian exited the bedroom and returned downstairs, leaving Watts and Zone deviously rubbing their hands together and giggling concerning something.

Once they were on the first floor, Selphie bowed to the family, who were seated watching TV in their living room and thanked them for everything and then offered Brian directions to Sayoko’s house and suggested he leave first and that she would follow shortly thereafter. He nodded and left the house. As Selphie paused for a short time before leaving, she discovered herself wondering what exactly she had become involved in.

………………..

The moon was high in the night sky as Zell, Kasumi and Mishima trudged along the railroad tracks. They had walked all the long day, except for two quick breaks for meals that consisted of dried fruits and nuts. Zell, noticing that Kasumi appeared to be slightly weaving as she walked along, suggested, “Maybe we better stop for the night?”

Kasumi glanced gratefully at him and responded, “I second that emotion.”

Mishima suggested, “We better look for an appropriate place.”

“How about over there?” Mishima asked pointing to one of the many small clumps of forest still remaining in the Vaulny Canyon.

“Sounds good” Zell agreed taking the lead of the two women and trudging into the forest.

As they collapsed gratefully onto the forest floor, Kasumi asked, “Are there monsters in these woods?”

“Yeah” answered Zell standing up. “I’ll go gather some firewood. A fire will help keep them at bay. Plus someone will have to stand guard.”

“Oh, no” moaned Kasumi. “Someone’s going to have to stay up all night?”

Mishima shook her head no. “We’ll stand watches.” “I’ll take the first watch for three hours.” Zell volunteered for the second watch for three hours and they allowed Kasumi the third watch for two hours, because she appeared to be the one most exhausted.

Kasumi whined, “I can’t believe I have to walk sixteen hours a day and then stay up half the night.”

Mishima retorted, “No one ever said being a SeeD was going to be easy.”

As Zell was kneeling and placing the wood he had gathered in preparation of starting a fire, Kasumi pointed to some distant lights and asked, “Is that Dollet?”

“No, that’s East Academy” Mishima answered, “We’re about half way to Dollet. We have, at least, another day or maybe more to go.”

Kasumi groaned and fell instantly asleep.

Zell finished starting the fire, winked at Mishima and lay down on the ground.

“Sleep sweet, Zell,” she said.

After waking up at the crack of dawn and, having their usual meal of dried fruits and nuts, Zell, Kasumi and Mishima set off once again on their long trek to Dollet. The initial enthusiasm they first experienced when leaving Timber had worn off completely and they walked quickly mile after mile in complete silence unless communication was dictated by their immediate situation.

The closer they drew to East Academy, the more east they walked because they recognized the danger of traveling too close to the Galbadian authority at East Academy. They had, as a matter of caution, continued to travel off road as much as possible.

………………..

Rinoa, Akane and the pigtail girl were already seated around their early morning coffee shop table, when Irvine walked up. Pulling up a chair and sitting down, he asked “How are you feeling, Rinoa?”

Rinoa, glancing up from her battle tactics textbook, answered “Hello, Irvine.” “I’m fine, thank you.”

“I was really worried about you yesterday.”

“I took care of everything, Irvine!” exclaimed Akane. “There was no need for you to worry your pretty little head about it.”

Rinoa smiled at the excitable teenager from across the table.

The pigtail girl interjected “Not to change the subject, but we have a little mystery in the library. The picture of the Legendary SeeD has disappeared!”

“Oh, that is weird,” responded Irvine.

“Who’s the Legendary SeeD?” Akane naturally asked.

Rinoa glanced around the table and, observing no one appeared as if they were going to respond, answered, “The way I understand it is the Legendary SeeD was the very first SeeD graduate a number of years ago. His fighting skills were supposed to be unmatched, but he disappeared on a mission and nobody has seen him since. But the person to ask is Cid. He seems to be the only person who knows anything about it for certain.”

“Oh no” protested Akane. “I’m too shy to go anywhere around Headmaster Cid. He doesn’t even know who I am and, besides, I hear his sorceress wife is back.”

Rinoa contradicted, “Edea is no longer a sorceress and there is absolutely no way anything could happen again. You’re just being silly, Akane.”

“That may be, but I say better safe than sorry.”

Attempting to change the subject, Rinoa asked “Where is Arnaz this morning?”

“I don’t know” Akane pouted “I haven’t seen him since yesterday. Maybe he got a bad sunburn on the beach and is laid up sick in his room.”

It had become obvious to everyone at that table Akane hadn’t appreciated being informed she was acting silly.

Rinoa, continuing to ignore Akane’s body language, replied, “No, I don’t remember him looking particularly red yesterday.”

“Oh, who cares Rinoa?” Irvine asked while arising from the table. “He’ll turn up. Come on ladies. Let’s go to breakfast.”

………………..

Nearing the end of the morning staff meeting, Xu reported “At the present rate of speed we’re traveling, we should be approaching Trabia by the end of the day tomorrow. I hope we find they’re alright.”

Cid replied, “I’m sure we will. By the way, have we made any progress on ascertaining if there is a spy loose in the Garden?”

“I’m sorry to report that we’ve discovered nothing so far.”

“NOTHING” echoed Fujin. Cid ordered “Well, keep after it Xu.” “Anything else? Good, then the meeting is adjourned.”

Everyone arose from the table and Fujin crossed to her desk and sat down. As Xu began to move toward the elevator, Cid stopped her with “Xu.”

As she turned, he spoke in a soft voice “I just wanted to thank you for what you did for Edea and myself.”

“My pleasure, sir” responded Xu with a smile and entered the elevator.

Cid thought to himself “She should smile a little more often.” “It looked good on her.”

………………..

When Selphie finally rolled over and woke up, the initial thing she noticed was sunlight pouring through the window in a manner that immediately informed her it was not early morning. She yawned and stretched her youthful body in a position of a drawn bow and then placed her feet on the floor. She couldn’t remember the last time she had slept this late. Of course it was impossible to sleep late at the Garden what with early breakfast and classes or duties.

After she and Brian returned to Sayoko’s house, they had remained up late conversing concerning his adventures with Watts and what their immediate plans might include, if Zell did not return in a reasonable time. Selphie glanced over at the slumbering Brian and realized he wouldn’t be awake for hours, possibly not before nightfall due to his being so exhausted from his and Watt’s travels or was it travails, Selphie giggled.

She arose from her bed and padded to the bedroom door and peered out. Not observing anyone, she dashed into the bathroom and locked the door and proceeded to take another long, hot, luxurious shower. She hoped Sayoko had a good hot water heater. Stepping out of the shower, Selphie toweled herself off as best she could and wrapped the towel around her as she stepped back out into the hall and traveled directly to her bedroom. Dropping the towel on the floor, she retrieved her makeup kit and hairbrush and retreated once more to the bathroom locking the door behind her. After fifteen minutes of applying makeup and brushing her hair and, after peeking out of the door, she again dashed to her bedroom shutting the door softly behind her. It certainly wouldn’t do to wake Brian at this point with her standing there totally nude.

She crossed the room and retrieved a pair of clean panties from her knapsack – she must remember to do some laundry today – and stepped into them. She quickly stepped into her yellow dress and slipped it up over her shoulders and pulled the front zipper up. After putting on her boots and checking the heels individually, she was ready to go. Coming down the steps, she perceived all of her dashing was an exercise in futility, because apparently no one was home.

Selphie stepped out of the front door making sure to lock it behind her and, after glancing around and discerning the usual gaggle of Galbadian soldiers lurking about, she set off down the street to locate Zone and Watts.

Selphie discovered Zone in his favorite spot by the staircase. He appeared happy to see her, as he came equipped with a large smile on his face. He clasped her by the elbow and escorted her to a far corner where they could converse in private.

“You look positively radiant today, Selphie.”

“Uh, thank you” Selphie responded slowly, although actually wanting to say “Cut the crap and let’s talk business” but didn’t because she realized how sensitive his stomach was.

“So what’s up, Zone? Did you and Watts formulate any plans for today?”

“Actually” Zone explained, “Watts is out trying to find as many of our former comrades as he can and I’m just kicking around Timber.”

“Oh” Selphie said vaguely disappointed. She had thought she was going to travel with Watts and Zone today.

“But” Zone went on “I have a special treat planned for us today.”

“And what might that be?” Selphie asked sardonically.

“How you’d like to spend the afternoon relaxing at the Amphor Pub?”

“Zone! I can’t drink there. I’m not old enough.”

“It doesn’t matter, Selphie. Those people owe me big time. I’ve kept that place from being burned down by the Galbadian Army so many times I’ve lost track.”

“Oh, I don’t know. I don’t really drink much.”

“Come on Selphie” Zone insisted “It’ll be fun or are you chicken?”

Not many things rile Selphie as much as someone accusing her of cowardice, so she responded “Okay, let’s go.”

The Amphor Pub had a long bar a person could drink at or individual tables with chairs. When they entered the pub, Selphie indicated that she would prefer a table.

“Then a table it shall be” laughed Zone with a false hilarity.

“All of the sudden this guy is reminding me of Irvine” thought Selphie. After they were seated, a waitress approached and asked, “What’ll it be?”

Zone looked expectantly at Selphie and, when she didn’t respond, he said, “Bring us a couple of jars of Sake, please.”

“Coming right up” the waitress answered, she being a master of clichés.

The waitress brought over the two jars and two moderate sized bowls to drink from.

“Arigato” Zone replied. The waitress bowed “Call me if you need anything further” and retreated to the bar area.

Zone filled up both bowls and handed one over to Selphie. “Now you have to drink this slow because if you don’t, it has a habit of sneaking up and kicking you in the behind” warned Zone.

As if to answer him, Selphie tipped up her bowl and drank the entire contents and held it out for Zone to refill. It was then she felt the incredible warmth spreading instantaneously throughout her entire body causing her to flush and perspire immediately. And she began to cough.

Zone leaned over to clap Selphie on the back until she shot up a warning hand to him. He immediately sat back having learned the night before Selphie’s blows could be swift and deadly. Selphie finally finished coughing. “Wow” she exclaimed, “that was awesome.” “Give me some more.”

“Now Selphie” Zone warned, “you shouldn’t go so fast. I’m telling you.”

“Oh, ho! So who’s the chicken now?” she almost cackled.

“Okay, it’s your funeral” Zone replied prophetically.

Selphie downed two more quick bowls and that was the last thing she remembered for several hours.

Selphie awoke in the Timber Hotel with the worst headache she had ever experienced and the muted sunlight coming through the heavy curtains actually seemed to be sending knives of pain into her brain. She thought, “What am I doing in the hotel? I don’t remember coming here.”

Sitting up too suddenly, Selphie felt as though she was going to vomit. As she moved to arise from the bed, the sheet dropped off her bare breasts. Even in the condition Selphie was in, she was able to comprehend she wasn’t wearing her dress. Almost too frightened to look, she picked up the sheet and glanced down at the rest of her body. “Nope” she thought “Not a stitch!” Feeling totally disoriented and trying hard not to panic, she began glancing around the room for her clothes. Selphie wrapped the top sheet around her and attempted to stand up, but immediately felt too dizzy to stand. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Selphie mumbled aloud “Where are my clothes?”

Suddenly Selphie remembered enough to think, “Where’s that damn Zone?” and finally when full consciousness struck her, she stood up, dropped the sheet on the floor at her feet and began to minutely check every inch of her body. When she had finished, she reseated herself on the bed and thought, “Well, at least I don’t have to worry about that” because everything appeared to be undisturbed and intact.

A knock came gently upon the door. “Selphie, are you awake yet?”

Recognizing Zone’s voice, Selphie jumped up, rewrapped the top sheet around her and screamed, “Zone! You get in here and give me my clothes” while attempting to charge the door.

Zone quickly entered the room, hoping to forestall any more screaming on Selphie’s part, because of his anxiety she would cause enough of a scene the Galbadian Army soldiers, who were in the lobby, would become involved.

Selphie, perceiving the object of her immediate anger, continued screaming as she attempted to launch herself at him, “Give me back my clothes, you pervert!”

“Selphie, please. Try to remember. You got sick.”

As Selphie launched herself through the air at Zone, her sheet unraveled revealing her naked body. Zone clutched it and rewrapped her, “Selphie, calm down! You’re losing your sheet. I’ll tell you where your clothes are. Don’t you remember? You got sick!”

Suddenly Selphie did experience a glimmer of a memory of drinking so much she began to vomit all over herself and the pub and her and Zone being ejected from the bar.

“Okay” Selphie replied slightly calmer, “I do remember being sick. But how did I get here and why did you take my clothes off, you sick pervert?”

“Selphie, I couldn’t very well take you to Sayoko’s in that condition, so I brought you here. Your clothes are out being cleaned.”

Selphie, feeling somewhat mollified, still insisted, “What gave you the right to take my clothes off when I was passed out, you filthy pervert?”

“Selphie, it wasn’t me. The desk clerk helped you. She was very understanding and I wasn’t even in the room. I haven’t been in the room one time until just now.”

As if on cue, a knock came at the door and when Zone opened it, the desk clerk, an attractive dark haired, middle age woman entered the room. She handed Selphie her outfit with her precious boots on top and said “Here you go – good as new.”

“We are so grateful, Madame” Zone bowed from the waist.

“My pleasure, I was young once.” “Now if you will excuse me, I have to return to my duties,” the desk clerk explained and exited the room.

Zone stared at Selphie, who responded “Okay, Zone. I’m sorry I called you a pervert, but you can hardly blame me.”

Zone smiled “Apology accepted” and continued to stare at Selphie.

“What are you waiting for, Zone? Get out of here so I can get dressed!”

Zone scurried from the room quickly.

………………..

Zell, Kasumi and Mishima stopped and had their noon meal a short while after high noon and then took a short rest.

Kasumi asked Mishima “How much longer to Dollet?”

“At least another day” was the answer.

“Oh” Kasumi moaned, “I can’t believe it. My feet are killing me.”

There was little Zell and Mishima could offer to that, because they didn’t feel much differently.

After fifteen minutes had passed, they arose and started again. When they reached the other side of East Academy, Zell breathed a sigh of relief that they had apparently skirted the Galbadian forces.

A few minutes later, it became obvious his relief had been premature as a Galbadian Army vehicle suddenly appeared around the side of one of the many rocky mountains in the area. It happened so quickly the three young SeeDs were afforded no opportunity to hide or even avoid confrontation.

Mishima quickly directed, “Let me do the talking since I’m from Dollet.” Zell and Kasumi quickly agreed, although Zell thought Mishima volunteered because she was the one who had the best chance of sweet talking the soldiers.

When the driver finally observed them, he screeched the vehicle to a halt and he and another soldier leaped out. Mishima began stepping forward to speak; when it became obvious the Galbadian soldiers had no intention of asking questions or even taking prisoners as they opened fire.

Being closest, Mishima had no opportunity to do anything but throw herself flat on the ground to avoid their fire. Kasumi immediately threw her ‘Rising Sun’ and hit one of the two soldiers killing him outright and Zell threw himself at the other one doing a combination of Punch Rush and finishing with Heel Drop which broke the soldier’s neck. Zell could hear the neck snap and then immediately became aware the dead soldier’s bodily functions had been released.

Mishima, sitting up, turned and thanked Zell for saving her. Zell, meanwhile, had spun around to check on Kasumi and was startled to perceive her on her knees sobbing.

Zell quickly ran to her and knelt down by her side. “Are you injured?”

Kasumi appeared so overcome she was unable to stop weeping, but managed to shake her head in an indication she wasn’t hurt.

Mishima quickly knelt down and began to hug Kasumi and gently rock her, while whispering in her ear. Mishima glanced up at Zell and with a quick flip of her head was able to communicate to him they needed some personal space. Zell regained his feet and wandered a few feet away.

Finally Kasumi appeared to be under more control of herself and she and Mishima both stood up also. Mishima approached Zell and spoke quietly “She’s never killed anyone before. She’s never seen death this close up.”

Zell understood immediately having been there, once upon a time, himself, although it now seemed as if it was light years ago. Zell approached Kasumi and told her to hang in there. Turning to Mishima, Zell explained, “We have to bury these soldiers. See if there are any shovels or something we can use for digging located in their truck.”

As Mishima began to open the truck door, Kasumi asked “Shouldn’t we just get out of here?”

“No, we have to hide the evidence of what happened here as long as possible,” answered Zell. “If another Army vehicle came by this afternoon and discovered this, the entire area would soon be blanketed by Army personnel searching for us.”

“What about just dragging them into the forest and leaving them?”

“Vultures” Zell answered tersely.

Mishima called out “We’re in luck! I found some shovels.”

Zell began dragging one of the soldiers toward the forest and directed, “Let’s start digging.”

………………..

Rinoa’s class on advanced diplomacy let out an hour early, due to the instructor having a meeting scheduled with Headmaster Cid. She realized that Akane would still be in class, so having nothing better to do she returned to her room.

Once she reached her room, she felt as though she was a cat on a hot tin roof. She didn’t really feel as though she wanted to immediately launch into studying, as she and Akane had already made a date to study in the evening, and she really didn’t have any other friends to spend time with.

Rinoa attempted to lie down to nap, but wasn’t tired and soon became bored with just laying there. She began to brood about Squall’s continued absence and feeling the worry and fear well up in herself, she thought, “This is no good! Obsessing isn’t going to help anything.”

“I know” she spoke aloud “I’ll go for a swim in the pool.”

Reaching into her bureau, she pulled out her bikini, grabbed a towel and left her room and began the long trek down to the swimming pool.

The swimming pool was located on the sub-floor at the end of a corridor that also connected with the gym and a locker room. The pool was extremely large, overly chlorinated to a deep blue and often too cold in the winter and too warm in the summer.

Having reached the swimming pool area, Rinoa entered the locker room that was connected to both the gym and the pool. There were six rows of lockers with benches and a large shower room. There were strict rules regarding the time of the week the facilities could be used by the men and women upper-classmen and SeeDs, as there was no way to separate the facilities for the different sexes.

Since this was Saturday of the second week, Rinoa knew she was within the rules. The time alternated on an every other day basis. After quickly stripping off her uniform and underwear and placing all of her clothing in a locker, she pulled on her bikini, grabbed her towel and entered the swimming pool area. She crossed to the bleachers that were built for swim meets and placed her towel down. She then turned and, with a running start, jumped off the edge of the pool and did a giant cannon ball into it. After a few minutes of vigorous swimming, she felt much calmer and knew she had made the right decision to get out of her room.

Since it was now so close to dinnertime, Rinoa realized it would be unlikely that anyone would enter the pool this late in the day, so she decided it would be more fun swimming in the nude. Swimming close by the wall, she paused and removed her bikini and placed it up on the floor outside of the pool. Swimming up and down the pool, Rinoa decided it did feel much more liberating and, besides, she thought with a grin, it was a bit risqué.

After thirty minutes, she began to tire and pulled herself out of the pool. She sat nude on the side of the pool dangling her legs in the water and, finding herself being sorely tempted to masturbate in a public area, she decided she’d better go shower.

Retrieving her towel and bikini, she crossed the tile flooring and entered the locker room. Placing her bikini and towel on a bench, she entered the shower room and began to luxuriate under a hot shower. “Darn it!” she thought, “I forgot to bring my shampoo.”

It was then she heard what sent shivers of terror straight down her spine. It was an unmistakable male voice! And then two of them and then three of them! “Oh no!” Rinoa thought, “It is Saturday, isn’t it?”

Rinoa quickly turned the water off, so as to not be heard in the locker room. She crept along the wall of the shower room toward the entrance listening to hear if the voices were growing louder. She was hoping to possibly run out into the locker room and go down one row of lockers and stay hidden until either the male visitors left completely or went into the shower room and then quickly get to her clothes and get dressed and out of there.

Not hearing any voices at all, Rinoa hoped they had either entered the pool area or the gym and she stepped out of the shower room and was immediately confronted by three nude male upper-classmen standing right in front of her! Rinoa couldn’t help but notice they developed instant erections as they stared at her totally nude body.

Rinoa screamed and lowered her body in an effort to hide her breasts and vagina and dashed through them and to her locker.

“What the hell?” someone exclaimed.

Rinoa seized her bikini and uniform and sprinted out of the locker room and into the corridor. Fortunately no one was coming down the corridor at the moment and Rinoa quickly pulled on her skirt and blouse and began running back to her room. As she moved along, she realized with a start that it was Sunday!

………………..

The three upper-classmen students, whose main preoccupation in life appeared to be the adoration of the former instructor Quistis Trepe, sat around a back table in the cafeteria. They were so universally known in the Garden as Trepies that no one even remembered their actual names. It was late afternoon, and the Trepies had cut their last class to commiserate about the continued disappearance of Quistis.

Trepie #1, a physically well-put together young, black man, was sprawled on a chair at one table while Trepie #2, an attractive brunette, young woman and Trepie #3, an attractive young woman with short brunette hair were at another table playing Triple Triad.

According to the official Garden philosophy, Triple Triad playing was greatly discouraged, because the powers-that-be felt it led to conflicts between the students and prevented them from concentrating fully on their studies, although many people still played clandestinely and some of these people, it was rumored, were on the Garden staff.

“How do I love thee, Instructor Trepe? Let me count the ways” rhapsodized Trepie #1.

Trepie #2 retorted, while placing a Blitz card in the upper left corner of the board, “Will you please get serious? We’re here because we are extremely worried about Instructor Trepe’s continued absence from our lives.”

“That’s right,” exclaimed Trepie #3 while placing a Mesmerize card directly under the Blitz and flipping it.

“Yeah, right” Trepie #1 responded sarcastically “You all are so upset you’re playing cards!”

While placing a Jelleye in the top middle of the board next to the Blitz and thereby flipping it back, Trepie #2 said, “Yeah, but at least we’re not making bad poetry.”

Trepie #1 responded “You all are just jealous, because I can declare my romantic love for her.”

Trepie #3 confessed, while placing an Abyss Worm card in the upper right corner flipping the Jelleye, “I too romantically love Instructor Trepe and I, for one, am not ashamed to admit it.”

Trepie #1 replied, “I’m shocked and appalled to hear such a thing!”

“Me too” said Trepie #2 while placing a Jumbo Cactuar card in the middle space in the middle row underneath the Jelleye and beside the Mesmerize flipping both of them.

Trepie #1 continued “How can you corrupt something as pure as our adoration for Instructor Trepe with something as mundane as physical lust?”

“Oh, grow up!” retorted Trepie #3 while placing an Elvoret card underneath the Mesmerize flipping it back.

“Well, I’m not going to listen this trashy drivel any further,” exclaimed Trepie #1 while gaining his feet. “I’m going to the former classroom of the Instructor Trepe and I am going to fall down on my knees and pray for her safe return,” he said while striding from the room.

“Get him!” Trepie #2 complained while placing a Tiamat card in the right space on the middle row underneath the Abyss Worm flipping it.

Trepie #3 placed a Hexadragon card in the bottom right space underneath the Tiamat flipping it and stated, “I have nothing more to say about any of this.”

Trepie #2 placed a Fujin, Raijin card in the bottom middle space flipping the Hexadragon card and winning the game. “I win,” she shouted. “Give me that Elvoret,” she excitedly declared while snatching it off the board.

“Hey” said Trepie #3 “your Fujin, Raijin card is autographed!”

“Yeah, I had them autograph it, when they came back to Garden.”

“Oh, man! That’s way cool! Wanna go again?” asked Trepie #3.

“Sure.”

………………..

As Zell, Mishima and Kasumi began walking again, after the unpleasant task of burying the soldiers’ bodily remains was completed, and, Zell had hidden the Galbadian Army vehicle as best he could, Kasumi said, “I still don’t understand why we couldn’t take the truck. We could reach Dollet so much more quickly.”

When Mishima heard Zell heavily sigh with frustration in prelude to speech, she quickly forestalled him by explaining “We would be running a high risk, if we happened to pass any kind of Galbadian vehicles.”

“Yeah, but so what?’ Kasumi persisted “We’re apparently running a risk now.”

“You know, Zell, she does have a point.”

Zell nodded “I wonder what in the hell is going on?” “I’ve never seen Galbadian soldiers act like that.”

After they had traveled another mile, Zell suddenly exclaimed, “I’ve got it!” “They’re looking for Squall and Quistis. They have orders to shoot to kill.”

“Oh, that’s not good,” replied Kasumi.

“That’s an understatement,” commented Mishima.

When the sun began to set, they stopped and had their usual meal of dried fruit and nuts, and then took a short break. Kasumi responded “I’ll be so glad to get to Dollet, so I can get some real food. I’m really getting sick of eating dried fruit and nuts three times a day.” “I know that’s right!” chimed in Zell. “What I wouldn’t give for a hot dog right about now!”

Mishima joked, “Look at this way, Kasumi – at least you’re losing some weight.”

“Yeah” she said “but I’m losing it where I don’t want and not where I need.”

As Zell appeared totally perplexed, Mishima leaned over and whispered “She means she’s losing it in her breasts and not in her hips.”

Zell immediately turned bright red and attempted to turn away. “Same old Zell” Mishima laughed aloud.

Zell jumped up and announced, “Let’s get going” and set off on a brisk pace trailed by the two giggling young women.

…………………

Irvine and Akane sat at a table in the coffee shop waiting in vain for somebody to show up.

“Boy!” Akane exclaimed, “This sure is weird. Everybody’s gone.”

Irvine wondered aloud where Rinoa was. Akane answered, “I don’t have the slightest idea. I haven’t seen her since this morning, but I’ll see her this evening. We have a date to study.”

“Oh” Irvine replied disappointedly “I thought maybe we could go to the training center this evening.”

“Whatever for?” asked Akane suspiciously, remembering her last experience with Irvine.

Irvine went on to explain, “I think I lost my grandfather’s heirloom watch on the balcony. I need to look for it.”

“Irvine, Selphie told me about that too.”

“Darn that Selphie” Irvine thought.

Akane reached across the table and pinched Irvine on the right cheek. “Oh, you’re so cute.”

Irvine had the grace to blush slightly. Akane continued “I think every young girl should have a friendship with an older gentleman to help guide her through life’s twists and turns and I’m so glad that you’re him for me.”

“Older gentleman?” Irvine questioned. Akane jumped up from the table, pulled Irvine up from his chair, intertwined her arm with his and exclaimed, “Come on, Sensei. Let’s go eat!”

………………..

Seifer, Raijin and Fujin were eating their dinner in the cafeteria. Seifer had his plate stacked high with hot dogs, while Raijin and Fujin each had a bowl of Tomato Miso soup and a bean sprout salad on a side dish.

“Now let me get this straight,” said Raijin.

“Take your time, Rage. We’ve got all night,” quipped Seifer.

Ignoring that, Raijin turned to Fujin and said, “You’re saying there’s a spy in the Garden?”

“YES” replied Fujin.

“No way” exclaimed Raijin.

“WAY!” retorted Fujin.

“We would know, no da,” stated Raijin.

Seifer interjected “Rage, take a look around the room. Do you know anybody in here?”

“Yeah, I know Irvine.”

“That’s good, Rage. We can eliminate Irvine” Seifer went on sarcastically.

“Somebody would know, no da” Raijin continued unwilling to concede.

Seifer glanced at him and just shook his head. Standing up, Seifer ordered, “Let’s go.”

………………..

Squall and Quistis had just finished eating their dinner in one of the many cafeterias on campus. Pushing back from his empty plate, Squall asked “So where was your boyfriend today?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t seen him all day. He wasn’t in class. I wonder if it means anything?”

“Yeah” answered Squall “It means you got dumped.”

“Oh, you!” Quistis wagged her forefinger on her right hand in a playful manner at him. “So where’s your precious Kyoko?”

“As a matter of fact, we have a study date tonight.”

“Oh, yeah? Which subject?” Quistis sarcastically inquired.

“I believe it’s anatomy 101.”

Quistis replied “I don’t remember seeing that course in the curriculum.”

“It’s special credit” Squall retorted smiling.

“I’m telling Rinoa on you” Quistis responded in the voice of a small child “You’re gonna get in trouble.”

“She won’t believe you.”

Quistis sat forward. “Yes, she will when I get finished.”

“Well then, I guess I’d better behave myself.”

“Yes you should,” agreed Quistis.

Squall arose and pulled Quistis’s chair out, while she stood up and said, “I’m going back to the dorm and-.”

“Take a shower” Squall finished the sentence.

Both laughing, they left the cafeteria.

………………..

Quistis stepped back quickly into their dorm apartment wrapped in a large towel still damp from the shower. Locking the door behind her, she began to cross the room when two men, who had been hiding in the corners, stepped up suddenly behind her. One of them jammed a small handgun into her back and instructed “Quistis Trepe! Turn around very slowly, if you don’t want to get hurt.”

Quistis froze, her brain locked, her blood ran cold and it took every bit of her strength to retain her towel as adrenaline raced through her body. She slowly turned and observed two tall, dark haired men, who were dressed in black suits with white shirts and black shoes and, who so closely resembled each other, they might have been twins.

The one with the handgun explained, “Quistis Trepe, you are hereby under arrest for crimes unspecified against the internal security of the Empire of Galbadia. You will be transported to the Galbadian D-District Prison where you will await execution.”

Quistis exclaimed, “I don’t know what you’re talking about or who this Quistis whatever is! My name is-.” “Save it!” the other man ordered. “Don’t waste our time!” “Now let’s go!” he said clutching her roughly by the arm.

“Wait!” Quistis entreated, “At least allow me to get dressed.”

“Fine” the man said, dropping her arm “Go ahead.”

“You don’t think I’m getting dressed with you two standing there, do you?”

“Lady, personally I don’t care what you do” the man with the gun retorted “But if you think we’re turning our back on you, you’re wrong! Now either get dressed or let’s go.”

Quistis knelt down by her backpack and began to open it. The man holding the gun quickly crossed to her and stepped down hard on her hand pinning it to the floor. As pain shot through her hand, Quistis gritted her teeth against it refusing to cry out or show weakness.

The other man leaned down and opened the backpack pulling out Quistis’s ‘Save the Queen’. “Pretty interesting piece of clothing, don’t you think?” he joked displaying it to the man holding the gun.

“Quit screwing around and put it back.” The man holding the gun continued “Lady, I’m quickly running out of patience with you. Either get dressed or let’s go! And if you try anything else, we’ll just kill you here and be done with it.”

Quistis, realizing she had just run out of options, stood up, dropped the towel on the dorm floor revealing her stark naked body and turned her back and began to dress.

“Hmmm, nice” one of the men said.

………………..

Squall knocked on Kyoko’s door wondering why she had insisted he pick her up at her room rather than just meet somewhere as they had always done previously.

“Come on in! It’s open” came the voice of Kyoko from within the room.

Squall opened the door with some trepidation; his mind whirling with possibilities of what Kyoko might have planned for him. So it was with a great sense of relief when he observed her fully dressed standing in the corner of the room holding a book.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, “You look a little frightened.”

“Oh, nothing” Squall answered “I just wondered why we met here all of the sudden?”

“Oh, I get it” Kyoko said setting the book down and crossing the room toward him “You think I had you come here, because I have plans to seduce you.” “That thought did occur to me,” Squall admitted.

“What if I did?” she asked.

Squall answered “I did tell you from the beginning I have a girlfriend in Deiling City.”

Suddenly Kyoko rushed at him and, throwing her arms tightly around him, causing him to drop his guitar case, she said, “What was her name? Oh, yeah – Rinoa, isn’t it?”

Before Squall could respond his shocked surprise at hearing Rinoa’s name when he had never mentioned her to Kyoko, the door suddenly burst open and two dark haired men dressed in black suits, white shirts and black shoes ran into the room. Squall attempted to whirl quickly, while Kyoko hung grimly onto him. Squall jammed his right foot down on one of her feet hard enough to cause her to weaken her grasp and he flung her off and reached to open his guitar case, when one of the men stepped up and brought the butt of his handgun down hard on Squall’s forehead knocking him unconscious.

When Squall regained consciousness, his head pounding with enormous pain, he realized the two men and Kyoko didn’t yet recognize he was awake so he laid quietly in order to regain some strength and possibly spring a surprise attack and still be able to obtain ‘Lion Heart’. He needed to warn Quistis!

“Good work” one of the men informed Kyoko.

“I always do good work. You could have been a little quicker, you know. He almost broke my foot!”

Squall quickly rolled to his guitar case unclasping and flipping it open, while he rose to one knee. The man with the gun began moving towards him and Squall reached inside the case pulling out the guitar and rising up swung it wildly at him hitting him squarely in the face causing the gun to discharge wildly. Squall then grabbed the false bottom and smashed it straight down on the head of the second man knocking him to the ground. As Squall reached down for ‘Lion Heart’ the man with the gun regained control of himself and ordered “Stop right there!” Squall never hesitated, but gripped ‘Lion Heart’ and, as he perceived the man preparing to shoot, he brought it straight down over the man’s gun arm severing it just above the elbow. The man in black screamed in agony and fell back with his blood pumping out of his stump where his arm had once been and drenching Kyoko with blood, who was doing some screaming of her own. Squall quickly crossed to the door and opened it just to have a gun stuck into the middle of his forehead by a man in the hallway, who ordered “Alright gunblade boy, drop your weapon now or the next time you wake up, you might wake up dead!” Squall dropped ‘Lion Heart’ to the floor with a clatter.

………………..

Rinoa and Akane sat on opposite ends of Rinoa’s bed with Akane’s textbook lying in the middle. “What’s your test in tomorrow?”

“Elementary magic” answered Akane “It’s so stupid. I already know all this. My father taught me all this a long time ago.”

“Is your father a military man?” Rinoa asked curious.

“No, not really.”

As Akane appeared hesitant for some reason, Rinoa decided not to press it. “Well, let’s get started” she said picking up the study sheet.

“Where were you this afternoon?” Akane suddenly asked.

Rinoa flushed slightly before answering, “Oh, I was tired and came back here and took a nap.” Rinoa always felt uncomfortable lying to her friends.

Akane glanced over at Rinoa’s bureau, where Rinoa had carelessly thrown her wet bikini when arriving back from the swimming pool. It was dripping water onto the floor and a small puddle had formed.

“Why is your bathing suit wet?”

“Uh, because I wore it in the shower,” Rinoa badly lied.

“You were wearing your bathing suit in the shower! Since when did you become so modest?”

Rinoa exclaimed, “You’re just trying to avoid studying. Now what’s the answer to question #1?”

Several questions and answers later, Rinoa noticed that Akane began to blush furiously and had looked away.

“Uh, Rinoa. I guess it shouldn’t really bother me since there are no guys here, but why aren’t you wearing any underwear?”

Rinoa glanced down and noticed her short skit had ridden up dangerously high on her thighs, exposing her wide open vagina. “Oh my God!” she thought while quickly pulling her skirt down “I forgot I didn’t have time at the pool to grab my underwear!”

Rinoa arose, quickly crossing to her bureau, and, with her back to Akane, reached into her bureau drawer and pulled out some panties stepping into them quickly and pulling them up under her skirt.

As she turned back toward the bed, Akane asked again “How come you weren’t wearing any underwear?”

Rinoa couldn’t think of one plausible lie and suddenly blurted out “I forgot to put some on this morning.”

Akane appeared to seriously consider this ridiculous answer and then rejected it, asking, “Are you cheating on Squall?”

“What!” shouted Rinoa. “Where would you get such an idea? I’m not cheating on Squall. I love Squall very much!”

Akane explained, “The reason I asked is nobody knows where you were this afternoon and now tonight you’re not wearing any underwear, which you seem unable to explain.”

Rinoa again attempted to deflect the young teenager, who was beginning to highly irritate her. “Let’s get back to studying.”

Akane ignored her and responded “Because I was afraid Squall wouldn’t want to meet your best friend, if you were cheating on him.”

“Akane!” Rinoa practically screamed.

“Okay, okay. What number are we on?”

………………..

Zell, Kasumi and Mishima walked until the moon was high in the night sky and then Kasumi announced, “I can’t walk another step. I’m not saying we have to stop, but I am saying that one of you will have to carry me.”

“Okay” Zell laughed “point taken. Let’s stop for the night.”

The young SeeDs scouted the area searching for as much protection as they could locate and finally decided on an area behind some huge rocks. They could not risk a fire. Because of the flat terrain, a fire could be spotted from miles away.

Mishima volunteered for the first watch and, as Kasumi and Zell were falling asleep, she pointed toward the highway which lay about ten miles west and said “Straight up that road is Dollet. We’ve got about another eight hours to walk, if we continue to make good time.”

“Oh thank God” Kasumi muttered as she fell immediately asleep.

“Sleep sweet” Mishima whispered to the already slumbering Zell. In the morning, the three young SeeDs once again arose at the first sign of daylight and silently ate their meal of dried fruits and nuts. They then set off walking again toward the City of Dollet.

………………….

Irvine, Rinoa, Akane and the pigtail girl were sitting around their early morning coffee shop table waiting for the second shift for breakfast to be announced.

Irvine asked “Rinoa, what are you looking so excited about?”

Before Rinoa could answer, Akane glared at her and announced, “She’s got a new boyfriend!”

“What!” Irvine and the pigtail girl exclaimed in unison.

“I do not!” shouted Rinoa attracting a few stares from people at other tables. Irvine suggested she lower her voice.

Rinoa attempted to answer Irvine’s initial question “I’m excited because-.”

Akane interrupted “Get her to tell you why she wasn’t wearing any underwear last night.”

Rinoa furiously hissed “Akane, if you don’t shut up about that right this instant, you can leave this table immediately.”

Rinoa could feel her anger subsiding somewhat and glanced around the table. Irvine appeared pruriently curious about Akane’s statement and the pigtail girl was blushing.

Rinoa answered Irvine “I’m excited because we’re going to Trabia Garden and it holds a lot of special memories for me.”

“Yeah, I guess for me too” Irvine agreed.

Rinoa finally allowed herself to glance at Akane, who was appearing rather subdued and once again Rinoa’s heart went out to the cute, irrepressible teenager and she reached across the table and clasped Akane’s hand before she could pull away and expressed “I’m really sorry, Akane. I didn’t mean it. I’m just a little on edge about not hearing anything about Squall yet.”

Tears began to roll down Akane’s face and she sobbed “I’m sorry too, Rinoa. I’m just in a bad mood this morning and I took it out on you.” Rinoa, observing Akane’s tears, began unaccountably to have tears roll down her face also.

“Ladies, please!” Irvine pleaded, “Pull yourselves together. They’ve just called our shift in the cafeteria.” Rinoa stood up and, moving about the table, she pulled Akane up from her chair and embraced her. Irvine arose and asked the pigtail girl “Shall we leave this mutual admiration society to wend their way behind us at their own leisure, in order that we don’t miss out on the most important meal of the day?”

When the pigtail girl nodded yes, Irvine slipped around behind her chair, pulled it out for her and took her arm and helped her up and escorted her out of the coffee shop followed by the weeping Rinoa and Akane. Many people in the coffee shop were disappointed the morning’s entertainment had just left.

When the four of them were moving up the corridor to the first floor, Irvine glanced behind him and asked “Rinoa, why does Akane know you weren’t wearing underwear last night?”

As Akane giggled, Rinoa snapped “You shut up too, Irvine!”

When they were strolling into the cafeteria, Cid and Edea were approaching them on their way out. Irvine paused in preparation to greet Edea when he suddenly heard Rinoa ask, “Akane, where are you going?”

Irvine turned his head to observe Akane already out in the corridor and moving the other direction. Akane called out “I left something important in my room. I’ll catch up with you all later.”

“Strange” thought Irvine “She really is scared of Cid and Edea. I wonder why?”

………………..

Nearing the end of morning staff meeting, Xu announced “We should reach Trabia Garden sometime in the late afternoon, although just before I came into this meeting Nida informed me the Garden was losing some power. He told me it was nothing of major consequence as of yet, but it felt a little sluggish on turns. Would you like me to call him in, so he can elaborate?”

“No, that won’t be necessary,” answered Cid. “Just be certain to monitor the situation closely with Nida today” he ordered.

“Of course” Xu promised.

Cid asked, “If we continue to lose power, do we have anybody that can remedy the problem?”

“Not really, Cid. It’s too bad we’re so far from F.H., because I know their technicians could help. If we can arrive at Trabia Garden and, the fault somehow lies in our computer system, I think their Tech Squad could help us.”

“Well, then let’s hope we can make it all the way there” Cid replied. “Tell Nida to cut the speed down and not push it so hard. Anything else? Okay, the meeting is adjourned.”

………………..

Selphie woke up still not feeling a hundred percent due to her drinking experience of the day before. “Never again!” she thought. “I hope Irvine never hears about this!”

Selphie, noting that Brian was still sleeping, thought to herself “This guy certainly likes to sleep. Oh, well. I may as well get dressed.” Selphie quickly donned her usual apparel and after checking her boots, she went into the bathroom and performed her necessary duties.

Coming downstairs, she greeted Sayoko “Good Morning.” Sayoko turned and greeted her in return and then offered her breakfast, which Selphie declined claiming an upset stomach to which Sayoko nodded knowingly having heard the entire story from Zone earlier in the morning.

As Selphie moved toward the front door, Sayoko informed her “Zone was by early this morning and he and Watts will be out of town all day.”

“Did he say why?”

“No” Sayoko answered, “Actually he was quite mysterious about the whole thing.”

“Well, you know Zone – he’s always mysterious.”

As Sayoko laughed, Selphie replied “I think I’ll go out anyway and take a look around town.”

As she opened the front door, Sayoko called out “Be extra careful!”

“I’m always careful” Selphie answered as she shut the front door behind her, but then found herself wondering if that were really true.

Selphie strolled all around Timber and discovered nothing out of the ordinary. In fact, she thought ruefully, she didn’t even observe anything interesting. Due to her present debilitated physical condition because of her recent drinking episode, she tired quickly and decided to return to Sayoko’s house. It was already past noon and she was hungry, but assumed she had already missed lunch. She was just going to have to wait until dinner.

………………..

At high noon Zell, Kasumi and Mishima stopped and ate their noon meal of nuts and dried fruit, while Zell maintained a close eye on the horizon, since there was absolutely no land cover in the area. When they had finished eating and were taking a short break, Kasumi asked resignedly “How much further?”

Mishima answered “A couple of hours.” “You’ve been saying that for days” Zell smiled.

“Sometimes I say it for weeks” Mishima quipped back.

Zell stood up knocking the dust from his body. “I could use a shower.”

“Well, why didn’t you say something yesterday when we passed that lake? Kasumi and I could have stood guard while you bathed. Of course, we would have had to keep a close eye on you since those lakes can be dangerous” Mishima replied while winking at Kasumi.

Zell blushed and said curtly “Let’s go” and set off once again being followed by the two giggling young women.

………………….

Mishima proved to be as good as her word, because two hours later they entered the general vicinity of the City of Dollet.

“Oh thank God,” whined Kasumi. “Now I can take a shower!”

“Wrong!” Zell replied sternly “I think you’ve already proven that staying at the hotel is a bad idea.”

Zell glanced back at the young SeeD and recognizing the hurt expression on Kasumi’s face softened somewhat and said “Sorry, I didn’t mean to come down on you.”

Mishima immediately stepped up behind Kasumi and began to massage her shoulders while saying “You know Zell has always been overzealous! Get it? – Overzealous.”

Zell moaned at the weak pun and Kasumi managed a small smile. Mishima explained, “I have some childhood friends who are involved in the resistance. I’m going to go in and try to find them. They may know what happened to Shinji.”

“Okay” Zell agreed. “We’ll be waiting in those woods over there” he explained while pointing due north.

“Good luck” Kasumi called to Mishima as she began striding down the highway toward Dollet.

Squall was lying on his metal bunk in a cell in the D-District Prison. Actually calling it a cell was a misnomer – it was actually an extremely small oblong box with just enough room for his metal bunk, which was attached to a wall and a metal toilet with no lid. There was barely enough room to stand, much less walk around.

Every part of his body ached with massive bruises already forming from the savage beating he received after being forced to drop his weapon. In fact, he believed, if Kyoko (that bitch) hadn’t finally pulled herself together enough to apply a tourniquet to the bleeding man’s arm and then come out in the hall to pull them off him, he’d be dead now.

How was he going to escape this? Last time he was an inmate in the D-District Prison, he received help to escape. Now it was only him. “Or was Quistis here too?” he wondered. He hoped she’d gotten away, but in his heart he realized that was probably a pipe dream, because of the ruthless efficiency that led to his capture. “I just pray she’s alive” he thought drifting off to a much-needed sleep.

………………..

Quistis was actually more fortunate, even though at the moment she didn’t realize it. She was in a cell with four other women and there was plenty of room to walk around. Referring to this as a cell was also a misnomer, because there were no bars to provide a view. There was no way of knowing about anything outside of the huge compartment that consisted of twenty foot metal walls and no bunks or any other places to sit or lay down, other than the hard metal floor. There was one toilet sans lid open to public view in the corner of the room. The lights, which were located high up along the wall near the ceiling, were on twenty-four hours a day causing it to be extremely difficult to sleep.

So far Quistis hadn’t said a word to her cellmates. Three of them were sitting along a far wall communicating in low tones among themselves, while the fourth one sat as solitary as Quistis. She could only recognize what one of them had probably been arrested for, since the woman in question was wearing a dirty blonde wig and a outfit similar to the one Rinoa favored except she had forgotten the long shorts, but had retained the extremely short skirt. Quistis considered herself fortunate, as she sat across from her, that at least the woman in question was wearing a thong beneath the short skirt.

Quistis wondered how the Galbadian Secret Police had discovered them so easily in such a short time. “I hope Squall was able to get away,” she thought. “I never thought the end would come this ignominiously,” she thought resignedly “but I guess it will.”

………………..

Entering Sayoko’s house, after the daughter opened the door for her, Selphie noticed immediately that Brian had finally arisen for the day. Greeting him briefly, she went straight up to the bedroom but, unfortunately as far as Selphie was concerned, he followed her upstairs and spent the afternoon attempting to make small talk with her, which she attempted to ignore as much as possible because he mostly was attempting to question her about the pigtail girl.

After dinner, Selphie announced she was exhausted and was going to bed. She decided to take a quick shower in an attempt to feel better and, after toweling off haphazardly, she slipped into the bed still damp. She wondered if everything was going okay with Zell, Mishima and Kasumi. Before drifting off to sleep she thought wearily “This certainly was a wasted day.”

……………….. Irvine and Rinoa were sitting at a table in the coffee shop late in the afternoon before dinner.

Rinoa said, “I wonder where Akane is? I know her classes are over.”

Irvine asked, “Should we wait until the last dinner shift is called to see if she shows up?”

“Yeah, let’s do that. I still feel badly about the way I came off at her this morning. I hope her not showing up has anything to do with that.”

Irvine asked, “Did you notice how weird she acted this morning when she saw Cid and Edea? I still say there’s something strange going on with her.”

Rinoa’s voice took on a hard edge when she answered, “She’s just fifteen years old! Isn’t that strange enough for you? Or don’t you remember being fifteen and particularly with her always being around older people like us. She really needs some friends her own age. I wonder what happened to that boy Arnaz? I haven’t seen him since that day at the beach in Centra.”

Irvine exclaimed, “Yeah, that’s another strange thing about her – that kid Arnaz disappears and she doesn’t even seem to notice.”

“Okay, okay” Irvine replied throwing his hands up in self defense as Rinoa lunged at him across the table and punched him hard in the bicep. “I won’t say anymore about it.”

Rinoa smiled sweetly at him from across the table. Suddenly the Garden lurched and then swerved drastically to the left throwing Rinoa off her chair and down to the floor, while it flung Irvine face down on the table.

“What the hell?” Irvine shouted.

………………..

Up on the bridge, Xu was shouting to make herself heard over the unpleasant loud whine the Garden was producing and the sound of the wind rushing by the shatterproof circular front window that wrapped around three-fourths of the bridge, as the Garden plunged earthbound.

“More to the right! Keep going! Now try to level it up some” Xu shouted at Nida.

“Try the brake!” she screamed. “Try it again.” “Good, now try to level it up again.”

Nida stood at the controls, which were twice again taller than he, pulling one and then the other and then back pushing one. The Garden’s speed downward had decreased somewhat, but it was still headed down!

“Okay!” Xu shouted, “Keep trying to level it up. Watch out for those woods on the right!”

“Okay, okay” Xu continued to shout, “You missed the woods!” “Good, keep trying to level it up!”

The Garden landed with a hard jolt that threw Xu off balance crashing into Nida, who spun and caught her forward progress.

“Good job, Nida” Xu complimented.

“Thanks.” “It appears that Trabia Garden is two miles due west of us.”

Xu reached down and pressed the bridge intercom button.

………………..

Once the Garden settled on the ground, Irvine crossed quickly to Rinoa’s side and helped her regain her feet. “Are you okay?” he asked.

“I think so,” Rinoa answered.

“Wow!” Irvine exclaimed, “What the hell was that?”

“We crashed” Rinoa replied quietly. All around Rinoa, students and SeeDs were picking themselves and tables and chairs off the floor.

Suddenly the intercom clicked on and all activity ceased in the coffee shop, “Seifer Almasy and Rinoa Heartilly, please report to the bridge immediately. I repeat, Seifer Almasy and Rinoa Heartilly, please report to the bridge immediately. That is all.”

Irvine stood there with his mouth agape for a second before protesting “Hey, what about me? Why am I always the one left out?”

Rinoa thought “Me and Seifer?” “Good grief! Now what?”

………………..

All around the cafeteria, students and SeeDs were still picking themselves and tables and chairs off the floor, where they had been thrown. Seifer, Raijin and Fujin had remained comfortably seated at their table and, in fact, Seifer hadn’t even missed one bite of his hot dog during the forced landing. After the intercom message was delivered, Raijin said “They just called you to the bridge, no da.”

“I know,” replied Seifer flatly while preparing to stuff half a hot dog into his mouth.

“What’cha gonna do, no da?”

Seifer stood up. “I’m going to report to the bridge.”

Raijin exclaimed “Good luck, no da.”

“UH, OH” Fujin stated.

Seifer leaned down over Raijin and asked “What did I tell you about luck?”

“Uh, uh” Raijin stuttered attempting to remember “Oh, yeah. Luck is only for the incompetent.”

“That’s right” Seifer replied while pinching Raijin’s cheek “I don’t need luck.”

Seifer turned and walked out of the cafeteria, while Raijin shouted behind him “Well, it couldn’t hurt to have some, no da!”

………………..

Rinoa was already waiting in front of the first floor elevator, when Seifer came sauntering up the staircase. Rinoa glanced at him out of the corner of her left eye and perceived he was standing staring straight ahead.

She thought, “How long does it take this elevator to get here?”

Finally she spoke “Hi, Seifer.”

“Hi.”

“How are you?” Rinoa asked.

“Fine.”

The elevator landed on the first floor and the doors opened. Rinoa stepped on first and moved to the back. Seifer got on and punched the #3 button. They rode up in complete silence. When the elevator stopped on the third floor and the doors opened, Seifer stepped off and then Rinoa. Xu was waiting for them.

Xu explained, “We are two miles due west of Trabia Garden. We are leaving immediately to walk there.”

Rinoa asked, “Do I have time to change out of this skimpy uniform?”

“No, it is imperative we arrive there before it grows too late. The later it becomes, the more dangerous the snowfields will be. Now let’s go.”

………………..

Seifer and Xu appeared to be vying for the position of point man, as they moved across the Bika Snowfield toward Trabia Garden with Rinoa lagging behind a poor third. It had been a few months since Rinoa had been involved in any sort of fighting outside of hand-to-hand combat class and she was feeling more than a little anxious. Plus she was already starting to freeze in her short skirt. “Darn that Xu” she thought “wouldn’t let me change into my warmer outfit. What she does care? She’s wearing that long woolen skirt.”

A sudden thought occurred to Rinoa, who asked, “Xu, why didn’t we just travel in one of our trucks?”

“Because” Xu answered “without special snow tires our trucks would become immediately bogged down to their axles in this snow.”

Rinoa continued to grumble to herself, so when a Gayla and two bite bugs attacked she was caught slightly off guard and was nearly hit by a spew of poison from the Gayla. A Gayla was a particularly nasty flying monster with the ability to place a person asleep and then hit them with a fiery poison that could conceivably kill a person. The bite bugs were mostly annoying, although they could hit a person with a minor poison that was not pleasant.

Being slightly off guard, Rinoa allowed Seifer and Xu the opportunity to leap forward and attack the Gayla while she remained back and killed both bite bugs with her ‘Shooting Star’. After the Gayla lay dead at Seifer’s feet, Seifer turned and glanced at Rinoa. As she had been slacking off, she felt instantly guilty and glanced away.

Suddenly three Mesmerizes, who resembled giant unicorns, except the growth in the middle of their foreheads was long and curved and deadly sharp, bounded out of one of the forests right in front of their path. Seifer leaped forward killing the one on the far right and then moving quickly sideways avoided the attack of the middle one, while Xu swung her bola and brought it down on top of the head of the middle one breaking its horn off, but not finishing it. As Rinoa threw her long range weapon ‘Shooting Star’ at the one on the outside left killing it, the middle one dashed past Xu and Seifer and head butted Rinoa in the pit of her stomach slightly breaking her skin and knocking her roughly to the ground. When Seifer finished the last one, Xu jumped back and quickly cast a cura on Rinoa healing her injury.

The main trouble with fighting, Rinoa realized, was that it caused her to perspire heavily and then once the fighting was finished, the perspiration froze leaving her even colder. As they continued their journey towards Trabia Garden, Rinoa’s teeth chattering became even more pronounced until Seifer paused, spun around and walked back to Rinoa. Shrugging his open gray duster off his shoulders, he handed it to Rinoa “Here put this on.”

“Oh, Seifer. I can’t wear your coat. You need it.”

“Look, your chattering is driving me crazy. You sound like a one-woman band. Now put this on right now.”

“Thank you” Rinoa expressed donning the coat. The coat was so long on Rinoa, it was dragging through the snow and Rinoa realized she needed to pay close attention now or she might trip on the coat and fall head long onto her face.

Suddenly Trabia Garden sprang into view. It sat glistening in the winter moonlight, as if something out of a fairy tale. Rinoa immediately recognized there had been immense renovation on it in the months, since she was here last. For one thing, there was a front gate that one could enter rather than having to climb up a wall to enter their Garden.

They quickly hurried to the front gate, where they encountered two SeeDs acting as guards. Xu quickly identified who they were and the SeeDs allowed them in and one of the SeeDs offered to escort them to the Headmaster’s office. Xu turned to Rinoa and Seifer and directed, “You two wait here. I’ll try to do this as quickly as possible.” And then Xu was escorted down the corridor.

Rinoa took the opportunity to return Seifer his coat and to scrutinize all the changes that had been wrought since her last visit there. There was now a complete ceiling on the first floor and, from her vantage point near the front gate, it appeared as if the entire first floor had been completely renovated.

From a couple of doors being left ajar on the first floor, Rinoa could perceive that these rooms were now bedrooms. Xu was as good as her word and she returned to the front gate in a very few minutes. Rinoa asked “Well?”

Xu responded, “They understand our situation and they are going to send their Tech Squad over tomorrow to help us. But there’s something better than that – they’re going to give us a ride back to our Garden in one of their trucks.”

“Oh, thank God!” Rinoa thought.

………………..

Far later in the evening, after three of Quistis’s cellmates had lain down and fallen asleep, the quiet woman in the corner stood up and approached Quistis. “What are you in for?” the woman asked. Close up, Quistis could see the woman didn’t look as young as Quistis had originally thought, but she was still an attractive looking red haired woman in her mid-thirties. Not knowing who might be a Galbadian plant, Quistis remained in her role.

“I have no idea what is going on. I’m a student at East Academy University and they seem to have me confused with a woman, who is some kind of mercenary.”

The red haired woman replied in a flat tone “Uh, huh.” “Yeah, I know kid.” “It’s funny, there isn’t a person in here that’s guilty of anything. It’s all been a horrible mistake.”

Quistis protested, “No, I mean it.” “I’m really just a student.”

“Save it for the interrogation room” the red haired woman responded cynically. “When you’re ready to be honest, I just might be able to help you.”

The red haired woman returned to the far corner and reseated herself.

………………..

Night had fallen completely and Mishima still hadn’t returned. Zell had built a large fire to keep the wild animals and monsters at bay, while Kasumi slept on the forest floor. Zell felt sorry for the small, young female SeeD, whose first assignment had been so dangerous and demanding and promised to possibly become worse. He was also worried about Mishima.

Suddenly hearing some rustling in the woods near by, he sprang into his attack position when Mishima walked into the slight clearing around the fire.

“Don’t scare me like that,” she laughed.

“I’m so glad you’re back. I was really worried.”

“No need to worry” Mishima reassured him “I know my way around Dollet.”

Mishima was carrying three bundles that she laid on the ground. She leaned down and lightly shook Kasumi awake. “I’ve brought dinner!” she informed them.

Kasumi heard the word dinner and quickly sat up wide-awake. “Oh man,” she moaned, “I can’t believe it. It smells so good.”

Mishima handed one of the bundles to Zell, who quickly opened his. “Hot dogs!” shouted Zell.

Mishima warned “Zell, keep your voice down.”

As they sat voraciously eating the first real food they had had in the last three days, Mishima offered them a detailed account of her day in Dollet.

“I was finally able to make contact late in the day with one of the resistance members. Naturally enough, these people are extremely paranoid. There are Galbadian soldiers and Secret Police everywhere in town. Although I don’t know what it is, but something has changed. The trains seem to be running on a limited basis now and they’re no longer checking everybody’s I.D. all the time. Anyway, like I was saying – I’ve arranged a meet with their leader for tomorrow morning early.”

“That’s great!” exclaimed Kasumi. As they were finished eating, Zell gathered their trash and began to dig a hole with his hands. Kasumi glanced at him and said glibly “Afraid to be a litterbug?”

As Mishima giggled, Zell growled, “No, I don’t want to leave any evidence we were here, Kasumi.”

“Oh” she responded in a small voice.

“Well, I don’t know about you all, but I’m going to sleep” Mishima said lying down on the forest floor.

“I’ll take the first watch,” Zell volunteered as Kasumi stretched out on the ground.

A few moments later, as Zell sat on the forest floor observing the two sleeping, beautiful young women, he hoped the morrow would bring them happier news.

………………..

Mishima was as good as her word. By the time the sun had risen, she had left on her trip returning to Dollet. Kasumi was on watch as Mishima left and she wished her luck. As Zell was still sleeping, Kasumi decided to allow the excitable boy to sleep late, since there was nothing they could do all day until Mishima returned.

The resistance people mainly resided close to the water down by the beach area in Dollet. Dollet was a seacoast town. Prone to being attacked from the direction of the sea, many years earlier the City of Dollet had erected huge metal batteries that were built along almost the entire length of nearly half the city. There were some small docks near the entrance to the city, but there was no landfall area or dock large enough for anything other than a small craft to berth at. This left a small beach area that only small crafts could land at. Because many of the people in the resistance earned their living from running weapons to other resistance groups, it was only natural they lived in the immediate area of the beach. It also allowed them an opportunity to escape by boat, if a Galbadian sweep suddenly occurred.

When Mishima entered Dollet that morning, she strode down, what many people who resided in Dollet refer to as, the back way, but in actuality it lay parallel to the main business district. The beach area itself was actually the back of Dollet.

Mishima walked down a curving road by a small dock area. Looking out toward the water, she observed a variety of larger vessels bobbing up and down on the water. The sea was rough that morning, as the wind had increased. It was cold by the water. Mishima shivered in her skimpy outfit.

As she moved down the red-bricked streets, she kept a close eye out for anything suspicious, but it was so early yet there really wasn’t any activity to speak of. She walked almost all of the way down to the beach area and then stepped inside a large church, the site of the assignation. She had only received this interview, because she had known the resistance leader since childhood.

She stepped inside the church from the front foyer and distinguished him kneeling in a back pew. Mishima entered the row he was in and knelt beside him. She had already been instructed to not use his name because of security reasons.

“I hear you’re working for Garden now” he said. “How is it?”

“It’s good” Mishima answered. “It’s exciting. It’s never boring.”

“Would it be exciting, if you were hired by Galbadia?” he cynically asked.

“Galbadia would never hire us, because they consider us their enemy and, even if they tried to hire us, we would never agree.”

“Good answer” he replied. “Now what do you need to ask me?”

Mishima went on to explain to him the entire original mission and the consequences from such. “So do you know” Mishima finally asked “anything about where Shinji might be?”

“As a matter of fact, I do” he answered. “I know where he’s at.”

Mishima’s heart skipped a beat when she asked “Can you take me to him?”

“Certainly, but he won’t know you.” “He was badly injured in the police raid. If it wasn’t for the fact the whole situation was completely chaotic in the hotel that night, plus your comrade running drew a lot of attention from the Secret Police away from Shinji, he would probably be dead right now. As it was, we have personnel in the hotel and they were able to whisk him out of there. But he has suffered severe internal damage and we don’t have much of a doctor here.”

Mishima replied “We have a very good doctor at the Garden.”

“Where’s your Garden now?”

“I’m not sure” Mishima admitted “But if we can get to Balamb, I think we can get to it.”

“Oh, we can certainly transport you to Balamb. In fact, the sooner the better, because his health is continuing to fail and it’s growing increasingly more difficult for us to keep him hidden.”

“Okay” Mishima informed him. “I’m going to go back and inform my comrades and then we’ll all come in. Can I meet you back here in, say, four hours?”

“Yes, that would be fine” he answered. “Okay, thanks, see you then.”

Mishima arose and left the church.

………………..

Xu was explaining in morning staff meeting, “The upshot of our visit to Trabia Garden yesterday evening is I talked to their Headmaster, who was very cooperative.”

Cid interrupted “Yes, I’ve known him for years. What is his name. It’s-.”

“Dyne Barrett” interrupted Xu in return.

“That’s right.”

Xu suggested “I think it would be nice if you went over to visit him during our stay here and offer him personally our gratitude.”

Cid replied, slightly frustrated “Since I don’t feel as though I want to trudge through two miles of snow, fighting monsters as you all did last night I think I’ll pass on that.”

Xu, completely understanding this was just an excuse, so Cid could remain reclusive as ever, replied, “You don’t have to do that, Cid. You can take one of the Trabia Garden trucks over. They’re going to be traveling back and forth all day.”

Cid answered, “Well, we’ll see. Go ahead with your report.”

“Their Tech Squad has already arrived and is currently working on our problem. At my suggestion, some of Trabia Garden’s upper-classmen are sitting in today in some of our more advanced classes and I have sent some of our students and SeeDs over to Trabia Garden to help with their construction. They have made great strides in the last few months. They have completely renovated the first floor and are framing the second.”

“Good, good” Cid commented rather absent-mindedly. “Is there anything else?”

As Xu and Fujin remained silent, Cid announced, “Meeting adjourned.”

………………..

Selphie woke up and glancing around the room observed Brian must have already arisen since his bed was empty. She decided to forego showering, as she had taken one the previous evening and also because she felt the need to dress quickly since Brian was already up.

Arising from the bed, Selphie padded across the room and pulled out her one clean pair of underwear from her knapsack. “Darn!” she thought, “I forgot to do laundry yesterday.” Pulling her panties up quickly, she reached over and picked up her yellow dress and just had it poised over her head to slip on, when the door opened and Brian entered the room! Standing half nude attired only in her panties, Selphie snarled at the frozen figure of Brian, who was intently staring at her beautiful breasts, “Don’t you ever knock?”

Brian quickly retreated closing the door. Selphie, blushing furiously, thought “Geez! I hope Rinoa doesn’t hear about this.”

When Selphie finally went downstairs after doing her makeup and hair, she discovered Zone and Watts waiting. She noticed Brian was refusing to make eye contact with her. “Serves him right!” Selphie thought.

Watts bowed and explained “We were wondering if you and your comrade” nodding at Brian “would like to travel with us to Winhill?” “We’re continuing to search for our missing members.”

Selphie glanced at Brian to ascertain what he thought of the invitation, but since he was still refusing eye contact she decided to hell with it and replied, “We’d love to.”

“But Selphie” Brian finally looked at her “what if Zell and them come back?”

Selphie answered, “Then they’ll come here and Sayoko will tell them where we are and they’ll wait.” “Isn’t that right?” asked Selphie nodding at the Forest Fox leader.

“Yes, I’ll be here.”

Selphie glanced at Watts, since she was attempting to avoid the adoring expression on Zone’s face and asked “But how are going to get there? There are no trains that run to Winhill.”

“That’s a surprise,” Watts answered.

“Come on outside and we’ll show you” explained Zone.

Once they were outside, Selphie observed two 750 cc Deiling City Special motorcycles resting on their kickstands. “Oh wow!” Selphie exclaimed. She realized the Deiling City Special was the best motorcycle manufactured. “Where did you get those?” she asked.

“We have our ways,” answered Zone mysteriously.

“Do you still want to go?” Watts asked.

“Of course” Selphie exclaimed, but Brian asked “Aren’t these things dangerous?” Watts answered, “In the hands of a skilled driver, they’re no more dangerous than an automobile.”

Selphie snapped at Brian, “If you’re frightened, stay here.”

Brian flushed and answered, “I’m not scared. I’ll go.”

“Good” Watts replied, while mounting one of the motorcycles and lifting up the kickstand with his left foot.

Zone started the second motorcycle and naturally insisted Selphie be the one to ride behind him. After Selphie swung her leg over the back of the bike and sat down, Zone adjusted her hands across his chest and started the engine. The vibrating of the huge motorcycle, which Selphie was hugging with her thighs to maintain her balance, was physically exciting to her.

After Brian climbed on behind Watts who had started his bike, Zone gave Watts thumbs up and they roared down the main street and out of Timber.

………………..

Squall didn’t know how long he had been there or what time it was or even what day it was when they came to interrogate him. The first thing he realized he was being flung off his bunk, where he had finally fallen asleep exhausted. Squall looked up from the cell floor to perceive an extremely tall man wearing a black mask that covered his eyes and the bridge of his nose.

“What’s this?” Squall asked “Some kind of costume party?”

The man drew back his right foot covered by a large black military boot and planted it hard into Squall’s ribs causing him extreme pain, because of the previous beating he had recently experienced and literally knocking the breath out of him. “Take care, boy,” the man replied “Keep a civil tongue in your head, if you wish to live to see tomorrow.”

As Squall lay gasping for breath, the tall man squatted athletically resting on his toes, picked up Squall’s head by his hair and explained, “I’m seeking information. Do you suppose you can help me?”

Squall managed to answer in a raspy voice “Depends on what you want to know.”

The man viciously slammed Squall’s face into the cell floor causing him literally to see stars and almost passing out from the blow to his forehead. The man arose and retorted “I already advised you to keep a civil tongue in your head. I don’t believe you’re listening to me. Tomorrow I will return and I won’t be nearly as patient as I was today. You have until then to reconsider your attitude or the consequences will not be pleasant, I can assure you.”

The man spun and tapped on the cell door. When the cell door was opened by a guard, the tall man quickly exited. Squall laid on the cell floor moaning in pain.

………………..

Kasumi sincerely hoped that Mishima returned soon, before Zell drove her completely out of her mind. Zell was pacing back and forth on the forest floor and had been for the past hour.

“Zell, will you please knock it off!” Kasumi entreated.

“I just can’t help it. I’m worried about Mishima.”

“Mishima is fine” Kasumi reassured him, “Not only is she able to take care of herself, but she has friends in Dollet.”

Zell responded, “Anything can happen, you know that!” “Look what happened to you and Shinji.”

Kasumi retorted, “One would think you’re in love with Mishima.”

Zell stopped pacing with a start. “In love with Mishima! I already have a girlfriend.” Zell began to think how ridiculous it was that he would be in love with Mishima. True, she did have a fabulous figure and was extremely beautiful, but was that anything to base a love on? Suddenly Zell visualized a picture in his mind of him and Mishima living in a vine-covered cottage with three or four loving children at their feet and both of them completely and deliriously happy.

“What the heck are you all yelling about?” “I could hear you from a half of mile away” Mishima exclaimed suddenly stepping into the clearing in the forest.

“Oh, thank God you’re back. Zell has been driving me out of my mind with his worry.”

Mishima crossed to where the stunned Zell was standing and stepped up on her toes and gently pinched his cheek. “Aren’t you sweet? You were worried about me? Well, I’m fine.”

Zell began to blush furiously and Mishima laughed “Same old Zell.”

Kasumi asked, “So did you have any luck?”

Mishima explained “Bingo!” “The resistance people have Shinji hidden away.”

“Oh thank God” Kasumi whispered.

“But there’s a problem. He’s been seriously injured and may not live.”

“Oh no!” Kasumi screamed as tears began to roll down her face.

Zell quickly stepped to her and took her by the arm and looked down in her face. “Pull yourself together. This is not the time to fall apart. If we are going to help him, you need to be at your best.”

Mishima agreed “Zell’s right, Kasumi. I couldn’t have said it better myself.”

Kasumi ceased her crying and tersely replied, “I understand. Thank you.”

Zell, looking at Mishima, asked, “What’s the plan?”

“Kasumi and I will return to Dollet and we’ll meet with my friend and he’s agreed to lead us to where they’re hiding Shinji. Then they’ve agreed to transport Kasumi and Shinji to Balamb by boat.”

“Wrong!” Zell contradicted, “You’re not leaving me here unable to do anything, but worry.”

“Zell” Mishima explained calmly, “There’s no need for all three of us to go into town. It just increases the risk.”

“There!” Zell exclaimed pointing his finger “You said it yourself.” “There is risk involved” he declared, while glancing at Kasumi with an I told you so look.

Mishima accused, “Zell, you’re going off half-cocked.”

“That may be, but you’re not leaving me here to do nothing except worry about you and Kasumi.”

Kasumi asked with an impish smile “Oh, does that mean you love me too?”

Mishima appeared startled. “Love? Who loves me?”

Zell whirled and ordered “Kasumi, you be quiet! You’re complicating things.” Turning back to Mishima he declared, “It’s settled! I’m going with you.”

And so it came to pass that two hours later the three SeeDs walked into Dollet together.

………………..

Quistis had finally fallen into a vaguely uncomfortable light sleep for a few hours. Suddenly waking, she momentarily wondered why she was sleeping on a floor and then it all came rushing back to her. She opened her eyes and glanced around the huge compartment and observed all was as it had been when she initially entered the cell. The three women were seated talking on the far wall and the one woman, who spoke with her, had remained sitting in the opposite corner.

When Quistis sat up, she realized she was hungry and wondered if she had missed a meal being served or even if she were going to be fed.

Suddenly the cell door opened and two guards and one of the men, who had arrested her, entered the cell. The three women prisoners seated against the far wall fell silent. The guards and the black suited man approached Quistis. One of the guards demanded “Get up!” As Quistis struggled to her feet, he waved the black nightstick he was carrying at her face ordering “Hurry up!”

Once she had regained her feet, the guard ordered, “Turn around!” and when Quistis obeyed, the guard locked a pair of handcuffs behind her. “Let’s go,” he ordered and Quistis turned around being slightly off balanced with her arms thrust behind her body. He pushed her in the back with his nightstick, until she began moving forward through the cell and out of the cell door. The second guard clanged the cell door shut, after he and the black suited man left the cell following the other guard and Quistis. As soon as the cell door closed, the three women sitting against the wall began quietly talking again.

As they walked Quistis along the prison floor outside of her cell, she desperately attempted to discover what floor she was on, but she realized all of the floors appeared exactly identical. There was no way of knowing where she was, she realized with a sense of desolation. They marched her down to another cell on the same floor and after they opened the cell door and pushed her inside, she realized the cell was devoid of other prisoners. They seated her in a straight back chair in the center of the cell and then blindfolded her.

Suddenly a voice she had never heard said, “Quistis Trepe, I need some information from you.”

Quistis responded, “My name is Madoka and I attend East Academy University.”

Suddenly Quistis felt a hand slap her face hard causing her to gasp in pain. “I’m not fooling with you, woman!” the mysterious voice exclaimed. “I want to know what your assignment was in Deiling City and I want to know now!”

Quistis answered, “My name is Madoka and-.”

Suddenly a clenched fist struck her just above her temple on the left side of her head rocking her head back and causing blinding pain.

The mysterious voice ordered “Take her back to her cell.” And then a hand suddenly gripped her chin and Quistis recognized the man was close enough to kiss her when he spoke, “I’m not fooling with you. Tomorrow when we speak, you will give me answers or you will live to regret it – that is, if you live very long at all.”

When the guard removed her blindfold, the cell was empty again except for the two guards and the black suited man. They marched Quistis back to her cell, removed the handcuffs and then unlocked her cell door. The guard pushed her into the cell so violently she tumbled to the cell floor barely able to move quickly enough to break her fall. When the cell door clanged shut, Quistis just laid on the floor attempting to not weep.

………………..

The two-hour ride to Winhill was uneventful, although Selphie found it as exciting as anything she had ever experienced. Watts and Zone roared their motorcycles into Winhill, no doubt disturbing the serenity of the little town more than anything else had done since Laguna had left.

After Watts and Zone shut their motorcycles off, Selphie and Brian dismounted with Selphie discovering her body was still vibrating. “Wow! That was awesome!” she exclaimed, her face extremely flushed.

Watts and Zone dismounted from their bikes and pushing them over in front of the vacant house Laguna formerly resided at, they put the kickstands down and parked them.

“Where are we going to look?” asked Selphie.

Watts answered, “I thought we’d ask those flunk-out SeeDs, if they’ve seen anything.”

“If that’s the case” Zone retorted “we should have come in at the other end of town.”

“I thought we’d work our way down and question everybody,” Watts snapped at him.

“Why didn’t you just say that, then?”

Selphie interrupted “Hey! Hey, knock it off! I’m not going to listen to you two argue all day.”

Zone flushed uncomfortably and apologized “Sorry, Selphie. You’re right, of course.”

Selphie suggested they begin at the mansion that sat on the town circle, where they were presently standing because the owner was indebted to them for their discovering all the pieces of his broken vase.

When they questioned him, he informed them he hadn’t noticed any strangers around the small mountain town and there had been precious few Galbadian soldiers around either. They decided to skip questioning the woman, who lived in the house that used to house the bar that Rainey ran, because she often had a nasty attitude towards uninvited visitors.

They walked down toward the other end of the quaint little town pausing momentarily at the Chocobo crossing to allow a large Chocobo to cross. Before questioning the two would-be SeeDs, who were hired on to protect the town, they decided to eat lunch at the Flower Restaurant.

……………….. Mishima quickly and quietly led Zell and Kasumi down to the church where she ordered, “Wait here.” “Hopefully I’ll be right back.”

Mishima stepped inside of the church and immediately observed her friend kneeling in the same pew as earlier. Quickly joining him, she explained, “I have brought my comrade, who will accompany Shinji.” “Is he still alive?”

“Yes, he still lives, but I do not know how much longer it might be. For that reason alone, we have a need to hurry.” “Come” he directed arising to his feet.

Mishima and the resistance leader stepped outside into the bright Dollet sunlight. Mishima, finally getting a good look at him, discovered he was much taller than she with shining blonde hair he wore in a spiked hairstyle. He had a very nice build with a fairly large chest and strong looking, but not weight lifter oversized, biceps and a fairly tiny waist compared to his upper trunk. He was wearing some sort of a military jump suit Mishima was not familiar with.

Mishima exclaimed, “Well, you’ve certainly grown up since I last saw you, Cl-.”

Kasumi interrupted as she rushed up. “Is Shinji still alive?” she asked breathlessly.

He looked down at her and bestowed on her the most wondrous smile Mishima had ever witnessed and tersely replied, “Yes.”

Zell strode forward and demanded in a harsh whisper in Mishima’s ear “Who’s that guy?”

Mishima cautioned “Zell, hush” and then “Behave!”

The resistance leader took Kasumi by the hand and, glancing at Mishima ordered, “Come with me.”

Mishima directed “Zell, I want you to go up the street to that outdoor restaurant we passed and get yourself a good breakfast and wait for me. I won’t be long.”

When Zell began to protest, Mishima gave him a look that promised him, in this case, argument was futile and so he acquiesced reluctantly and turned and began walking slowly up the street.

Mishima said to her friend “Lead on, McDuff.”

…………………

Mishima’s friend led them slightly up another street that intersected with the road to the beach area and the streets in the business district and stopped at the first house on the right. He knocked on the door one time and Mishima observed a tiny burst of light come from inside the house from what surely was a peephole. The door opened and the resistance leader quickly led them inside.

Shinji was lying on a floor mat covered with sheets and blankets, some of which had faint bloodstains. Kasumi rushed to his side and sinking to her knees, she began to sob “Oh, Shinji.” “What have they done to you?”

Mishima’s friend moved to Kasumi and hoisted her up effortlessly with one hand and looking her square in the face whispered, “He surely is a fortunate man to have the love of one as beautiful as you. He is unconscious and cannot hear you. We waste precious time. Come with me down to the boat.”

Kasumi stood too stunned to speak and allowed herself to be led back outside, as Mishima followed them. The resistance leader explained, once they had returned to the street, “My friends will transport him when the street is clear.” “We will go down to the beach area.”

He led them back down the street and, moving past the church, they came to metal stairs that led down to the beach area. Moving onto the beach, Mishima suddenly felt the high winds blowing off the water that seemed to suck the very warmth out of the sunlight. They walked down to the water line where a small boat was pulled up on the shore and tied down to a small post buried in the sand. Glancing around at the small, somehow, dirty appearing beach area; Mishima decided it still appeared as depressing to her as it did when she was a child.

Mishima directed Kasumi, “When you reach Balamb, go straight to Zell’s Mom’s house and explain to her the situation. She will take you in. I know there’s some kind of doctor in Balamb, but I don’t know if he’s any good. After you get Shinji settled in, then you can go and see if the Garden’s back, although I doubt it will be. You wait for us to return to Balamb.”

Kasumi nodded her understanding.

“Oh, and another thing” Mishima went on “Don’t disturb anything in Zell’s room. He gets real hyper about that.”

As the resistance leader’s cohorts had already carried Shinji down to the beach and placed him in the bottom of the boat, Mishima embraced Kasumi and said, “Take care of yourself” and then “He’ll be fine.” “You’ll see.”

The tears began falling freely from Kasumi’s eyes as she whispered “Thanks” and then she stepped into and sat down in the boat. One of the resistance people followed her into the boat and started the engine, while another cast the boat off. Mishima stood and watched until the boat was out of sight. Turning to her friend she declared “I could never thank you enough. We owe you so much.”

He bent down and lightly grazed his lips across hers startling Mishima. “It was so good to see you again,” he said. “I hope I will see you again very soon” he said with a glint of promise in his eyes. And then he walked up the stairs leading back to the main part of the city.

………………..

After Selphie, Watts, Brian and Zone finished eating lunch at the Flower Restaurant in lower Winhill, Zone paid their bill. He questioned the owner extensively concerning any new movements of Galbadian Army troops and whether he had observed any of Zone and Watt’s missing comrades. Zone admitted, when he rejoined the group, there was nothing to report. After leaving the restaurant, they wandered down and conversed with the town’s two guardians. Again they were frustrated in their attempts to gather any information, pertaining to anything out of the ordinary.

They began their trek returning to the end of town where they had initially entered and, when they reached the Chocobo crossing, Zone suggested they travel down the road that led around the mountain the town was partially built upon to possibly discover anything new. Since it was only mid-afternoon, everyone agreed.

When they were more than halfway along the curving mountain road, Selphie paused to look down at the acres of farmland and pasture in the valley below. “It looks so peaceful from here” Selphie thought “So far from fighting and violence.”

Suddenly she heard “Halt! Who are you people?”

Spinning quickly, she observed two Galbadian solders and, as she was formulating a response that would satisfy them, Watts suddenly began to run off while Zone crouched on the ground moaning with his back to the soldiers.

“I said halt!” the first solder angrily shouted. When Watts continued running, Selphie sensed the Galbadian soldiers were preparing to attack as they drew their weapons and Selphie sprang into action swinging her ‘Strange Vision’ at the first soldier killing him instantly. Brian leaped forward and swung his whip ‘Slaying Tail’ knocking the last soldier backwards as Selphie again let fly with her weapon killing him, as well.

With the two soldiers, who had just recently been so full of their own lives, now laying needlessly dead at her feet, Selphie felt all of the joy she had experienced from the day drain out of her body. She looked at Brian and ordered in a flat tone “Grab his head.”

Selphie seized the first soldier’s feet and began to help Brian carry the dead soldier down the path that led down the mountain to a dock where a river ran by. They threw the soldier’s body into the swiftly moving body of water and began to climb back up the path to retrieve the last soldier.

Zone, who was now standing, stuttered, “Wh- What are you doing?”

Now that the danger had passed, Watts had returned to the scene and explained “They are throwing the soldiers into the river, because they hope it will carry them away from the immediate vicinity of Winhill, so when they are discovered by the Galbadian Army, the town of Winhill won’t be blamed. Isn’t that right, Selphie?”

Selphie, who was halfway down the path with the second soldier, turned her head and gave Watts such a cold stare that it finally caused him to turn away. After she and Brian finished their loathsome task, Selphie said in the same flat voice to Zone and Watts “Let’s get the hell out of here.”

Arriving back in Timber in the early evening, Selphie begged off dinner claiming no appetite and climbed the staircase wearily and went right to bed. After settling between the sheets, she turned her head toward the window where the cool night air gently blew into the room and realized she was tired of being here and missed the Garden. “I want to go home,” she thought mournfully.

………………..

Mishima walked back into the beach area with Zell tagging after her. She had returned to the city proper from the beach area after her friend had left and discovered Zell sitting at an outside table at the restaurant, where she had directed him. He was fidgeting by an empty plate that had once held a large number of hot dogs. Ignoring all of his questions, except for the ones involving Kasumi and Shinji, she had insisted he accompany her back to the beach area.

She led him to the far end of the beach and announced “I’m going to take a bath and I want you to watch out for me and keep people away from the immediate vicinity.”

“What?” he asked, not believing his ears and reddening slightly.

“You heard me. We’ve been on the road for three days and I’m filthy. We can’t go to the hotel and I want a bath.”

“But, Mishima” Zell protested stating the obvious “We’re in public!”

“I know that. That’s why I want you to look out for me.” And booking no further argument, she quickly turned and removed all her clothing. She glanced back over her shoulder and observed Zell completely turned away from her and staring back up at the street in Dollet.

Outraged she whirled and exclaimed “Zell, turn around!”

Zell complied as ordered and when he perceived Mishima standing stark naked in front of him, he began to blush furiously and appeared as if he were going to faint.

“Zell” Mishima explained patiently “You can’t watch out for me, if you’re not going to be looking at the beach area.” “I realize you find this embarrassing, so I’m going to try to be quick.”

Mishima unwrapped a bar of soap she had purchased from a shop on the way back to retrieve Zell and she ran into the pounding surf. She was as good as her word and bathed quickly. When she came out of the water, she glanced quickly at Zell and ascertained he was watching the beach area and then she looked away, not wishing to embarrass him further by establishing eye contact with him. As she did not have a towel, she was just going to have to dress over her wet body, but the high winds did dry her some before she was once again completely dressed.

As she approached Zell, who stood further up the beach towards the stairs, she said, “Thanks a lot. I really needed that.” She asked, “Do you want to wash off? I can keep an eye out for you.”

“No, no” answered Zell “I’m fine.”

“Oh, Zell – You’re just as dirty as I was.”

Zell answered “Yeah, but that dirt protects me some.”

Mishima grinned to herself “Same old Zell.”

……………….

Irvine, Rinoa, the pigtail girl and Akane were sitting around a late afternoon coffee shop table waiting for their dinner shift to be announced.

Rinoa asked “Akane, have you seen Arnaz around anywhere?”

“No, I haven’t” Akane answered icily biting off each word.

Rinoa glanced at Irvine and rolled her eyes. Irvine offered a grin in return.

Irvine made a large production out of pulling a pocket watch out of his coat pocket, hoping in vain Akane would notice, snapped it open and checked the time. Snapping it shut and slipping it back into his pocket, he stood up and offered “Ladies, they are going to be calling our shift momentarily. Shall we retire to the cafeteria?”

As they were leaving the coffee shop, Akane suddenly darted ahead and explained over her shoulder as she moved quickly up the corridor towards the first floor “I just remembered something important I have to do.”

Irvine commented, “That kid’s acting awfully strange.”

………………..

Cid glanced up from his constant paper work on his desk and said “You may go to dinner now, Fujin, if you would like. I think I’m going to take a short nap.”

Fujin replied “THANKS” and arose from her desk and rode the elevator down to the first floor.

When the elevator arrived on the first floor, Fujin noticed Akane took her place on it and rode up. Raijin, as usual, was pacing back and forth in front of the elevator waiting for her.

Fujin said, “RAGE!”

“About time, no da!”

Fujin replied, “GO” and they walked down the steps on their way to the cafeteria.

………………..

Seifer was already seated and eating hot dogs off his plate, when Raijin and Fujin arrived at the table holding their trays. After they were seated, Raijin accused “Seifer, you didn’t wait for us, no da!”

“Why should I have to wait to eat, when Fujin works late?”

Raijin answered, “Because we’re a posse, no da.”

“You’re the posse.” “I’m the sheriff.”

“Aw, Seifer” Raijin whined “That’s no way to act, no da.”

Seifer looked at Fujin and stated, “You know I’ve been thinking about this and I’ve finally remembered where I know that Akane chick from. She was in Deiling City at the same time I was, when Edea was still Sorceress. I saw her, at that time, because she was the daughter of some big-shot.”

At that instant it occurred to Fujin the only place Akane could have been going was Cid’s office, because all the classrooms were already closed and locked for the night. Remembering Cid had indicated he would be taking a nap, which would leave his office empty, Fujin jumped up from the table and shouted “AKANE! CID’S OFFICE!” She began running out of the cafeteria. At the doorway, she, paused and glancing back, shouted “SEIFER! FOLLOW!” And then she was gone running up the corridor.

Seifer suddenly understood and he exclaimed, “Akane’s the spy! Let’s go, Rage,” and the two of them leaped up and hurried from the cafeteria.

At their table, Rinoa spoke to Irvine and the pigtail girl “What in the world is going on with them? Why is Fujin shouting out Akane’s name?” Irvine, already pushing himself back from the table, replied, “I’ve got a bad feeling about all of this. Let’s go check it out.” And with that Irvine, Rinoa and the pigtail girl all left the cafeteria.

………………..

When Fujin exited the elevator on the third floor, she observed Akane attempting to open a locked file cabinet with a burglar’s tool. Several file cabinets had already been opened and their contents rifled, as evidenced by their drawers still hanging open and files scattered all over the floor beneath. Cid was nowhere to be found. Akane was so preoccupied with opening the cabinet, she apparently did not hear the elevator arrive.

“STOP!” ordered Fujin.

Akane looked up and distinguished Fujin for the first time. Being much younger and far more agile, she was able to reach Fujin in four quick steps and launching herself in the air in a forward slide position was able to kick out Fujin’s left knee tumbling her to the floor. Akane landed on her feet in the elevator, whose doors were still open, as Fujin had been standing between them. The doors closed quickly and the elevator traveled down.

Cid wandered out of his apartment, obviously wiping sleep from his eyes and asked “Fujin, what are you doing here?” Finally noticing the condition of his office, he asked, “What’s been going on here?” “Who did this?”

Fujin pulled herself to her feet, punched the button for the elevator and explained ‘AKANE!” The elevator doors opened and, as Fujin hurried on and pushed the first floor button, she heard Cid ask “Akane?” “Who’s Akane?”

When Fujin exited the elevator on the first floor, she took in the entire situation in a glance. Akane was running halfway down the staircase, while Seifer and Raijin closely followed by Irvine, Rinoa and the pigtail girl were coming around to Fujin’s right from the cafeteria and the Doctor, Xu and some upper-classmen were coming around to Fujin’s left from the direction of the library.

Fujin shouted “SEIFER! GRAB AKANE!”

Seifer ran forward and, as Akane cleared the last step, he was able to wrap his arms around her and lifted her completely off the floor, holding her away from his body as she was attempting to free herself by kicking at him.

“Let me go, you idiot!” she screamed as Irvine, Rinoa and the pigtail girl came running up.

“Seifer, put her down” said Cid, who had just exited the elevator and was quickly walking down the staircase.

“Now Seifer!” Cid ordered stepping down to the first floor and facing him. Seifer gently returned her to the floor.

“Now, young lady” Cid asked “What was so important that you felt it necessary to break open my locked file cabinets?”

Akane looked up at Cid with one tear running down her face from the corner of her left eye and responded in a tremulous voice “I’m so sorry, Headmaster Cid. I have just heard so much about the Legendary SeeD that I wanted to know about him and I was so scared to approach you.” She began to cry in earnest.

Cid replied, “Where did you come from?” “We have no students with the name of Akane.”

Akane began to sob and burying her head in her hands explained, “I’ve only been here a short time. My professor got me in. I’m certain you just haven’t seen my paperwork yet.”

“No, I’m positive we have no one here with that name.”

Rinoa stepped forward and hugged the weeping teenager and, looking up at Cid, she responded, “Cid, I’m certain you’re mistaken. This girl is a very good friend of mine and has been here for a while. Now please allow her to calm down. You’re frightening her. I’m sure we can get this whole mess straightened out, if you back off for a moment.”

“There is nothing to straighten out, Rinoa” Cid replied in a stern voice that few people had ever heard. “This girl does not belong here!”

Akane suddenly arose and in the same motion pushed Rinoa away from her. Akane spoke to Rinoa in the same icy tone she had used in the coffee shop “You empty-headed, neurotic twit! Because of you and all the information you gave me, your boyfriend Squall and his buddy Quistis have been arrested and taken to the D-District Prison and have probably already been executed as we speak!”

Rinoa let out with a blood-curdling scream and sank to her knees holding her head with both hands. Akane quickly reached inside of her blouse and underneath her bra and pulled out a potassium cyanide capsule and was attempting to place it in her mouth, when Seifer leaped forward and knocked her hand causing the capsule to fly high in the air and land several feet away breaking completely apart when it hit the floor.

Akane screamed in frustration “My father is worth a thousand of you scum!”

“Your father?” Cid asked totally mystified.

“Yes my father, you fat middle-aged twit!” “My father is the Legendary SeeD!”

Cid appeared completely nonplussed for a matter of seconds and then ordered “Seifer, lock her in the disciplinary room.”

Glancing around the crowd and distinguishing Xu and the Doctor standing in a group of upper-classmen, he ordered “Xu, assign around the clock guards to observe her and then come immediately to an emergency staff meeting. Doctor, I want you to attend also.”

Cid turned and went up the stairs and entered the elevator, as Irvine knelt down attempting to comfort the sobbing Rinoa.

………………..

Cid declared, “I hereby call this emergency staff meeting to order. Any immediate feedback?”

Cid, Xu, the Doctor and Fujin sat around the long conference table. The doctor spoke “Obviously we have to send somebody to investigate this girl’s allegations.”

“Yes, and it needs to be someone highly experienced as SeeDs and also highly experienced in Deiling City and also the D-District Prison” added Xu.

“From what you’re saying” Cid replied, “It sounds as if we don’t have anybody to send.” “That is not feedback!” Cid angrily declared. “We are not leaving Squall and Quistis out there to die!”

Doctor Kadowaki cautioned, “Calm down, Cid. You’re going to send your blood pressure skyrocketing.” The doctor was the only person in the Garden, who could have spoken to Cid in that manner at that particular moment and had an affect.

Cid appeared slightly chagrined and muttered “Sorry” but went on to say “I meant what I said.” “Now who are we going to send?” “Time is of the essence here.”

Xu tersely suggested “Rinoa.”

Cid slammed his hand down on the table causing everyone, except Fujin, to flinch. “Absolutely not!” he protested. “You saw her down there. She is completely emotionally overwrought.”

Xu countered, “Of course she was.” “Who wouldn’t have been at that particular moment, if they were in the same position as she?” “But I know Rinoa and I know she will pull herself together quickly and she’s the only one who fits the criteria.” “She grew up in Deiling City and may still have some contacts there, plus she knows the D-District Prison floor plan completely.”

Cid muttered, “I still don’t know about this.”

Fujin suddenly spoke “RINOA!” Cid’s eyes widened in surprise, as he had come to respect Fujin’s insights.

The elevator arrived on the third floor. As everyone seated at the table turned to look, Rinoa and Irvine stepped off and approached the table.

Xu noticed that Rinoa’s face appeared red and swollen from crying, although she appeared now to be in complete control. “Excuse us for interrupting your meeting” Rinoa said “But I’ve come to tell you your decision.”

Cid started “Now hold on a minute, Rinoa.”

“No, you hold on Cid!” Rinoa replied in a steely voice. “Squall and Quistis’s lives are on the line, as you sit here and debate.” “The only two people you can send are Irvine and myself.” “We’re the only people who know Deiling City and the D-District Prison.” “Now I’m going downstairs and get ready to leave.” “The only decision you have left to make is how you’re going to get Irvine and me to Deiling City.”

With that said, Rinoa and Irvine turned and crossed to the elevator and entered it. As the doors closed and the elevator began its trip to the first floor, the doctor asked “How are we going to transport them to Deiling City?”

Cid looked at Xu and asked, “Is the Garden fixed yet?”

“No, they haven’t even located the problem.”

Fujin spoke “BOAT!”

Xu replied, “Hey, that’s right!” “Maybe Trabia Garden has a boat. If they do, I’m sure they wouldn’t mind transporting them.”

So that’s how it came to be that two hours later Irvine and Rinoa stepped off a small water craft onto the beach located on the Great Plains of Galbadia, a short distance away from Deiling City.

………………..

After Zell and Mishima crossed the Dollet city limit, Zell asked, “So are we taking the train or renting a car to get back to Timber?”

Hurrying Zell along the highway leading away from the immediate vicinity of Dollet by slightly pushing him along, Mishima answered enigmatically “Both and neither.”

Zell responded rather heatedly “Mishima, what in the hell are you talking about?”

“I think you should rent a car and I’ll take the train and we’ll meet outside of East Academy” Mishima explained.

“No!” Zell strongly disagreed. “I don’t think we should separate.”

Mishima stopped walking and grabbed Zell by the arm and spun him around. Looking him square in the eye, she firmly said “I don’t need you to protect me and I resent it that you think I do.”

As Zell began to stammer “Uh, now Mishima, I-.”

Mishima interrupted in a much kinder tone “I appreciate your concern for me, but we don’t know if Galbadia is still searching for Squall and Quistis, so we will be safer at this point traveling separately.” “Our goal is to get everyone back to Balamb as quickly as possible, so we get Shinji the medical attention that he needs, if he is going to live.”

“Okay, you convinced me” Zell acquiesced “But what are we doing now?”

Mishima answered, “We are headed back into the forest.” “We need to get a good night’s rest, because we’re going to have a busy day tomorrow.”

Zell declared, “Well then, let’s get going.” And the two young SeeDs began moving again toward the forest.

Reaching their destination in the dusk of the early evening, they entered the now familiar clearing, which emotionally had begun to represent their home away from home. Mishima laid down and, just before closing her eyes, said, “Thanks for taking the first watch. Now don’t be foolish and stay up all night. Make sure you wake me up in a few hours, because we need you sharp tomorrow.”

Zell, who was already gathering pieces of wood in preparation of building the fire, responded, “Okay” and then he spoke, “Sleep sweet.”

As Mishima closed her eyes with a faint smile on her lips, she thought to herself “That Zell’s a sweetheart.”

………………..

By the time Rinoa and Irvine walked into Deiling City, it was almost midnight. She led him through what appeared to Irvine as a series of haphazard side streets until suddenly they were standing in front of the door that led to the sewers.

“What are you doing, Rinoa?” Irvine demanded.

“We’re going in the sewers” she replied in a not so patient tone.

“We can’t go to the mansion. General Caraway’s not there” he protested.

“Irvine, I realize that man isn’t there. If that man were there, then we wouldn’t go there. It is my home. I have a right to go to my home.” As Irvine began to protest again, Rinoa asked “Did you think we were going to spend the night at the hotel? Now come on – Now!”

Once they were on the lower level, Rinoa explained, “You’re going to have to do all the fighting, if we’re attacked by anything. I didn’t bring my weapon.”

“What!” Irvine practically shouted, “What are you thinking about?”

“I’m thinking about” Rinoa bit off each word in a firm voice “that this is a covert operation and the last thing I need to be doing is carrying a weapon out in the open. You can hide your gun under your coat.” “Where do you think I should carry ‘Shooting Star’ – down my shorts?” she asked sarcastically.

“Okay, you win” Irvine replied throwing his arms up in mock surrender. “Let’s just go.”

Three times on their journey through the sewers, Creeps attacked them. Each time Rinoa attempted to evade their attack, while Irvine blew them away with his ‘Exeter’. She was nicked in a minor way a couple of times, but Irvine cast cures on her as soon as the battles were over.

When they stepped into General Caraway’s den, Rinoa explained, “Don’t worry about the servants. The servants adore me and they’ve always taken my side against that man and there shouldn’t be anyone else here. Now I’m going to my bedroom and get a few hours sleep and then I’m going out.”

Noting the apprehension on Irvine’s face, Rinoa spoke quickly to forestall any argument on his part “I need to go by myself and I need to go at night. Where I’m going, the people will not trust you, because they don’t know you.”

Irvine questioned “How are you going back through the sewers by yourself without a weapon?”

“I’m not going through the sewers. I am going out the front door of my home. I have every right to go out of where I live. I only insisted we come in through the sewers, so we wouldn’t be noticed until we could get some sleep. Once I leave here, I’m not coming back, no matter what happens. You are to meet me in front of the hotel at 12 noon. Be on time!”

Irvine was at a complete loss concerning how to deal with any of this. This was a Rinoa he had never known, so he simply replied “Sure.”

“And another thing” Rinoa exclaimed, while smiling impishly, “stay away from the young maid on the staff – she’ll eat you alive!”

A few hours later, Irvine was standing by a fourth floor window and observed Rinoa step lively down the front walk and out into the street in front of the General’s mansion. He watched as she boarded a #10 bus, which drove her away down the boulevard. He hoped she knew what she was doing and would be safe from harm, while all he could do was wait.

………………..

As morning staff meeting commenced, Xu immediately stated “I have something of the utmost importance to report, so I need to jump ahead of the agenda this morning.”

“Go ahead, Xu” permitted Cid.

Xu reported, “Akane attempted to hang herself last night by removing all her clothing and tying it together into a makeshift rope. Luckily it was noticed in time and she was cut down without any permanent damage being suffered by her. For that reason, we’ve had to remove anything in the disciplinary room she might find useful to harm herself with. She appears hell-bent on destroying herself; I suppose, because in her mind, she failed in her mission.”

Cid suggested, “To be on the safe side, why don’t you double the around-the-clock watch?”

Xu nodded in understanding.

Cid went on “And also make certain that one of Doctor Kadowaki’s interns are on each shift.”

Xu responded, “Yes, sir” and thought to herself “Cid can sometimes appear so ineffectual and then turn right around and take complete charge of the situation.”

Xu went on “Outside of any humanitarian concerns regarding the sanctity of human life, we also need to keep her alive because, if she is indeed the daughter of the President, she could become a very useful bargaining chip.”

Cid commented, “If she is who she says she is.”

“What do you think, Cid?” asked Xu “Could she possibly be the daughter of the Legendary SeeD?”

“I think she could be” Cid replied. “Ask yourself – Why would Mamoru send a fifteen year old child here, if she wasn’t somehow connected to him very closely?” “And there’s something else” Cid elaborated “I’ve always felt Mamoru’s disappearance was of his own choosing and there was a major part of him he never allowed me to know. It may have been the missing part was the fact he had a four year old child hidden somewhere.”

Xu concluded, “Well, it’s indeed a mystery that we don’t have enough information at present to solve.”

Cid asked, “How is the Trabia Tech Squad coming along with repairing the Garden?”

“That’s the next item I was going to bring up,” Xu explained. “The Garden is fully repaired and up and running. I wanted to ask your permission to have Nida take it out for a little test drive.”

“Make it so,” Cid stated with a slight grin on his face.

………………..

When the first ray of sunlight gleamed through the heavy forest foliage, Mishima awoke on her forest floor bed. She was momentarily disoriented until she rolled over and observed the dying embers of the fire that Zell must have been feeding throughout the long night. It was then she noticed Zell sitting cross-legged and smiling at her.

Frustration coursed through her body as she realized he had allowed her to sleep all night. Suddenly sitting up, she snapped “You idiot! Why didn’t you wake me up for watch?”

Zell, who appeared completely unruffled by Mishima’s derogatory remark, answered, “Because you looked so beautiful sleeping there. I just couldn’t disturb you.”

Mishima gained her feet quickly and began advancing on Zell. “I’m not kidding,” she declared.

Zell held his right hand up in surrender, “Alright, I didn’t wake you for watch because, over the past couple of days, I was able to get plenty of sleep when you, on the other hand, had to get up early both days. Plus I basically did nothing, while you had to make several trips back and forth to Dollet.”

Mishima paused and replied in a softer voice “Okay, I’m sorry I called you an idiot. I just thought you were trying to treat me again, as if I was some kind of a weak sister.”

Zell quickly responded with a twinkle in his eye “Well, I know you’re not weak, you’re as strong as I am and I certainly don’t think of you as my sister.”

Mishima flushed slightly and said “Excuse me while I go tend to my morning toilet.” As if in answer to Zell’s flirting, Mishima unsnapped her suspenders and pulled her blouse over her enormous, beautifully shaped breasts. She then pushed her skirt and panties down and stepped out of them revealing her black bushed vagina and walked off into some nearby undergrowth leaving Zell still sitting on the ground and blushing furiously.

When the wantonly stark naked Mishima stepped back into the clearing a quarter of an hour later, she noticed Zell was standing where the fire had once been. Zell had not only put the dying fire out completely, but also had destroyed all remnants of it leaving no evidence they had ever been there.

Mishima nakedly crossed the clearing to him and enveloped him with her arms holding him in a hug so tightly Zell could hardly breathe.

Stretching on her toes, Mishima offered Zell a long, lingering kiss on his mouth and declared, “You’re a good man, Zell Dincht.”

Mishima, feeling something hard pressing against her lower belly, reached down with both hands and quickly pulled Zell’s shorts and boxer shorts down to the ground. Zell moaned as Mishima knelt down and began to work on the root of the problem with her mouth. A short while later, after reaching a successful conclusion, Mishima offered Zell one last kiss and suggested, “Shall we be on our way?”

Zell silently nodded and, after Mishima gathered her outfit and redressed, they walked silently in the early morning sunlight out of the forest and across the Hasberry Plains in the direction of the Dollet Train Platform, which was located outside of the city, each of them keeping their true feelings hidden – even from themselves.

Reaching the platform in about thirty minutes, Zell waited with her until the train arrived. As she was preparing to board, Zell whispered in her ear “Take care.” Mishima rewarded him with a big smile saying “You too” and then stepped onto the train. Zell stood and watched until it disappeared from sight and then continued his walk to Dollet.

A half an hour later, Zell roared out of Dollet in his rental headed toward the East Academy Train Station.

……………….

Selphie woke up suddenly with the sunlight streaming through the open window striking her fully in the face. Squinting her eyes to minimize the effect of the bright light, she turned her head and perceived that Brian had already left the room. Hoping to forestall any occurrence as the one that happened the day before when Brian walked in on her while she was dressing, she quickly arose from the bed, crossed the room and pulled her dress over her bare body.

It turned out to be not a moment too soon, as the bedroom door opened and Brian walked in carrying a towel and dripping wet from the shower. Selphie quickly averted her eyes, but not before noticing he was quite flabby with a minuscule penis. When Brian crossed the room to his backpack in preparation of dressing, Selphie, who realized she had already observed far too much of him, crossed to the door and opened it on her way to the bathroom. She said on her way out “Don’t be in here when I come back from my shower and knock before you come in here next time!”

“Alright, Selphie” Brian meekly said, himself greatly embarrassed.

While standing under the hot shower, Selphie realized she wasn’t enjoying it as she had other days and understood why. She had remained depressed over the needless killing of the two Galbadian soldiers the day before. She thought “I pray to God they get back from Dollet today. I’m sick of this damn town. It’s always been nothing, but trouble to us.”

After drying off thoroughly, Selphie stepped into her dress and pulled the front zipper up. She applied her makeup and brushed her hair for a few minutes and then checked the heels of her boots. Returning to the bedroom, she began to rummage through her backpack to locate a pair of panties that weren’t filthy and finally decided she would just have to do without. Lack of underwear notwithstanding, she was now ready, she thought, to face Brian and the rest of the wackos she had to deal with in this Godforsaken town.

Coming down the stairs, she observed Brian sitting at the kitchen table with Sayoko, who quickly stood and offered her some breakfast. When Selphie declined, a look of dismay crossed Sayoko’s face. She exclaimed “Lord, Selphie!” “You don’t eat enough to keep a fly alive.”

Selphie grinned, “Works for me.”

Stepping quickly to the door to forestall any conversation with Brian, Selphie explained, “I’m going out. I’ll be back later.” She quickly moved out the door and stepped into the street. She had no idea where she was going, but anywhere was better than being trapped in the house with those two, she thought to herself.

………………..

Irvine awoke in the muted light of the semi-darkened first floor bedroom in the servant’s quarters. Absently moving his right arm across the other side of the double bed, he realized Usagi must have reported for household duties hours before. Irvine smiled to himself and thought bemusedly “Rinoa was wrong.” “That maid wasn’t half as tough as she thought!”

Sitting up in the bed, Irvine distinguished by the alarm clock that sat on the bedside table that it was already past ten o’clock. “I’d better get a move on, if I’m going to make the hotel by noon” he spoke aloud. Irvine arose from the bed and began to gather his scattered clothing that lay around the room on the floor. Taking only ten minutes to completely dress, he placed his cowboy hat on his head and picking up his rifle, he quickly strode from the room.

A little over an hour later, he emerged from the door that led to the city sewers and looking around he was relieved to discover no one was looking his way. As he hurried down the boulevard, he hoped he remembered the correct route to the downtown hotel, because he certainly didn’t want to face the wrath of an angry Rinoa.

………………..

As soon as morning staff meeting was adjourned, Cid announced over the intercom that the Garden was going on a short test flight. Xu then took the elevator up to the bridge and ordered Nida to take the Garden up.

The Garden appeared to have no difficulty acquiring lift and Nida gracefully guided the Garden over the various forests that were scattered on the Trabia terrain.

Xu asked, “How does it feel?”

“Fine, no problems at all.”

Suddenly while flying over the Hawkwind Plains, Nida pointed to his right and asked, “What’s that over there behind that forest?”

Xu’s heart skipped a beat in her chest when she recognized the newly built Galbadian Missile Base! “Nida! Get us out of here before they spot us!” Xu ordered.

Nida made the widest turn to the right possible, throwing he and Xu a little off balance while the Garden turned completely around so they were now heading in the opposite direction.

While moving toward the elevator, Xu ordered, “Take us over and land outside of Trabia Garden. I’m going down to tell Cid.”

Cid was seated at his desk attempting to straighten the papers that had moved helter-skelter all over his desk when the Garden had turned. He looked up irritably, when he sensed Xu standing before him and asked, “What the hell is Nida doing?”

Xu answered excitedly “Cid, we just discovered the Galbadian Missile Base!”

Cid appeared completely stunned for a second and then replied, “Well, Xu – what’s the plan? I know you already have one.”

Xu answered while moving behind Cid’s desk and taking his arm and lifting him completely off his chair, “Yes, I do! But first we’re going to Trabia Garden and talk to Dyne Barrett.” And then Xu hustled Cid over to the elevator and on to it before he could lodge a complaint.

………………..

After Cid, Xu, Seifer and Fujin exited the Garden, Xu suggested to Cid he remain close to her or Seifer until they had entered the friendly confines of Trabia Garden and he would be fine. Fortunately for Cid’s blood pressure, they were able to cover the short distance to Trabia Garden without incident.

Unlike the first time they visited two days earlier, because of all the interactions between the two Gardens, Xu was able to just walk right in and down to the Headmaster’s office. Xu knocked on the door and heard the voice of Dyne Barrett invite them in.

When they entered and Dyne Barrett saw Cid, he stood up with surprise written on his face. He quickly stepped around his desk and striding up to Cid, he exclaimed, “Cid! Long time no see.”

While Cid held out his right hand, Dyne Barrett ignored it and grabbed Cid in a big hug, which Cid appeared to handle with a great deal of forbearance. Dyne Barrett stepped back and exclaimed “You look great, Cid!”

“You’re looking good yourself, Dyne” Cid was finally able to get a word in edgewise.

Returning to his chair behind his desk, Dyne Barrett invited, “Sit anywhere, people.”

Glancing around, Fujin noticed, unlike Cid’s office, Dyne Barrett had many chairs scattered around his office. He obviously encouraged interactions with his students and SeeDs.

“So what has caused the reclusive Cid to leave his cave and come calling on me?” asked Dyne Barrett with an impish grin.

Xu covered her smile of laughter with her right hand and then explained, “We have an emergency that will also affect you in the long run and we have come to ask for your assistance.”

Xu proceeded to inform him of the discovery of the rebuilt Galbadian Missile Base and outlined her plan of attack. When Xu was finished, Dyne Barrett sat back in his chair and said thoughtfully “Yes, indeed. The base being that close to us would pose a definite threat to the very existence of our Garden. We will be happy to help you in any way we can.”

Xu stated her gratitude and then asked “Would you be willing to send us some SeeDs and possibly some upper-classmen to join us in our frontal attack? I need to be honest and tell you it will be dangerous. But I don’t think they have over a hundred troops and officers in the entire base and some of them will basically be technicians, plus we will have the definite element of surprise on our side, if we strike quickly enough.”

Dyne Barrett quickly responded, “Yes, of course! I will hand select them myself and they will be in your Garden in full battle garb within the next thirty minutes.”

Xu stood and bowed. “We will be forever in your debt.” After Cid and Dyne Barrett shook hands goodbye, they returned to their Garden.

………………..

It took Zell almost two hours to reach the vicinity of the East Academy Train Station, as he took Mishima’s advice and stuck closely to the 55 mph speed limit. As he realized the train would have arrived in half the time it took him, he naturally was apprehensive about locating her immediately upon his arrival. It also worried him that, with the train station actually being located outside the city limits, Mishima would have no place to blend in because of it being an extremely small station and she would attract attention, if she remained there for an extended period of time. Her only other alternative would be to loiter, awaiting his arrival, in the Vaulny Canyon countryside, so it was with a great sense of happiness when he pulled off the highway by the East Academy Train Station and observed her waiting.

Mishima ran quickly up to the car and opened the door. Climbing into the car and closing the door behind her, she turned to Zell and flashed him a smile saying “Not a moment too soon. I was beginning to worry about you.”

“How did it go?” Zell demanded, while pulling the car back on the highway.

“Oh, it was fine” Mishima answered offhandedly “although I did have some problem with a Galbadian soldier trying to mack on me.”

“What!” Zell shouted turning his head to look at her.

“Zell! Watch the road!” Mishima ordered.

Zell righted the car, which had begun to swerve off the highway.

Mishima explained, “There’s no need to get so excited.” “I handled it fine.”

“What did you do?” Zell questioned imagining Mishima going upside the soldier’s head in retaliation.

“I told him I was General Caraway’s mistress!” “You should have seen him,” she laughed. “He couldn’t get away fast enough.”

At the wheel Zell remained silent, but began to blush furiously. “Same old Zell” laughed Mishima beside him.

Twenty minutes down the highway, Zell noticed they were approaching a roadside café. He asked, “Would you like to stop and get something to eat?”

“I’d love to, I’m starving.”

Turning off the highway and into the café’s parking lot, Zell exclaimed, “I sure hope they serve hot dogs!”