Author's note: We don't own this! Another collaboration between Ceara Ivory and Asirainis!

Tears Of The Moon

Disc 1: Part 3: Just Desserts

The ride to the train had been tense, but quiet. Airlia could have sworn that Rinoa was trying to bait her into saying something, so instead, she talked with Tess. "Sae Tess, hink ye coods make 'er skirt onie longer? Naethin' tay lang, jist enaw tae cowre 'er underpants?"

Tess responded by pointing her finger at the blue skirt. "Och aye. Forgife me fur overlookin' th' skirt." She said to Rinoa. "Honestly, a body woods hink ye waur tryin' tae attract perverts."

Selphie giggled. "I have to agree. Besides, long leggings with a short skirt. Talk about fashion nightmare!"

Rinoa glared. "Will you leave my clothes alone!"

Tess feigned offense. "Aam jist tryin' tae help ye hen. Yoo're obvioosly tryin' tae attract a cheil wi' 'at wardrobe but yoo'll only attract bad men dressed loch 'at. If mah hen wants tae attract a prince, she main frock an' act loch a princess, nae a wench."

Airlia nodded, "You know Rinoa. She's actually right. Dressing like that invites trouble. She just wants to keep you safe from said bad people."

The brunette stuck her tongue out and uttered one word. "Sleep."

Seifer frowned as he heard the spell and looked to Airlia for signs of needing help. The targeted brunette frowned as she braced herself for her lungs to possibly stop working.

Tess fortunately had foreseen this retaliation thanks to good instincts and she stopped the spell with a spell of her own, "Watch yerself, whoor'. Ur aiblins we willnae help ye sae yer precioos Timmer."

Squall got between the combatants. "Stop it all of you! You're all behaving like children!"

"Says th' cheil fa was spoilin' fur a barnie yesterday," Tess retorted at him. "Ur ye alrecht, Airlia? Did it burst ye at aw?"

Airlia shook her head. "Nae, Ah was lucky ye waur able tae gonnae-no th' speel. otherwise ah dunnae kinn whit it woods hae dain tae me... i've only hud puckle reactions, but aw bad."

Seifer checked her over before nodding gratefully to Tess. "Thank you Tess. It would be bad if something happened to her. She's a gentle person."

He turned a deadly glare on Rinoa, "You even think of trying that again on her and you'll find my gunblade in your gut. I left you because of your spoilt attitude the first time. It's clear you used me yesterday to upset my friend and to get to the Headmaster. Now to use me to make Squall jealous? Ha!" He turned a strange look to Squall, "If you want her, you can have her. I don't want anything to do with a woman who resorts to spite to get what she wants."

Rinoa harrumphed angrily, "Says the spoiled man that I dumped!"

Tess got up and stood in front of the girl. "Ah hink Aam dain hearin' yer voice fur lae ay thes joorney. Keep in min', Squaa haur woods hae lit yer toon rot in favur ay his ain mission. He's only helpin' ye coz Ah took pity oan ye. Noo, ye can shut yer jealoos trap, ur Ah can shut it fur ye."

Rinoa growled. "You used magic that wasn't drawn! You're a sorceress! One the evil children of Hyne! Why should I listen to you? Squall would have helped me without your wicked help. Wouldn't you Squall?"

Squall put a hand to his forehead and groaned. Why me? "Whatever Rinoa. I'm doing it because I was on orders to. It's nothing more than that." Because this woman got me docked a hundred thousand gil. It'd be wise for me to keep this to my own thoughts. All over the death of a monster who she claims was her brother. But that girl, the fear in her eyes when the spell was cast over her. That's not faked. That was actual fear, fear of something terrible happening to her.

Tess' eyes grew dark and narrow and Zell trembled. He remembered that look from that night. She squeezed her hand shut and a spell lift Rinoa from her seat. "Yoo're jist anither scared human. Hatin' whit ye dornt kin. Yoo're jist loch these bigots fa killed mah brither. An' Ah hink aiblins we'll lit yer precioos toon rot. Since ye dornt seem tae caur fur it loch ye claeem."

Rinoa glared but realized she was close to losing the help for Timber that she wanted-needed. "No...please…let me go. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Please Timber needs your help or it will be under Galbadia's control forever."

Seifer helped Airlia up, moving her to the corner, furthest away from Rinoa while Zell took Airlia's spot. Her frantic expression melted away as she sagged in relief. "Just remember what my best friend told you Rinoa. She's only trying to help."

Rinoa had to keep from glaring at the woman. She had done enough to harm her chances, so it was time to suck up to everyone. "I… I understand. Thank you for your suggestions Tess. I prefer this to be this length to help me get around quicker. But please, I need your help. I can't do it without you."

Squall sat back in his seat. "I think your skirt being a little longer won't hurt your mobility. Now, what is your plan for Timber? We can't help unless you tell us."

Rinoa nodded. "The man who leads Galbadia, Deling, is going through Timber on his way to Galbadia. We're going to commandeer his train and force him to leave Timber alone forever. The way to do it is to grab him on that train, and tell him that if he doesn't leave my town be, he will wish we had killed him the first time."

Zell whistled low, "Isn't that a bit extreme? Why are we kidnapping him though?"

Rinoa shook her head, "He is poisoning my town, killing the trees around it. If we do nothing, it will be all concrete with no more wildlife. My people make their living with the forest itself. They take what they have to, and never more than is needed to make furniture that they export all over the world."

Zell still seemed skeptical, "But kidnapping him? How will that make him stop? Why not just talk to him rationally?"

Rinoa refused to budge, "I've tried to get to him to talk. Every time, they block me. This is my only way to get to him to tell him to not do it any more."

Zell shrugged his shoulders. "I'm sure having three SeeDs with you would be impression enough for him to talk instead of taking over his train."

"Kidnapping him is the stupidest idea I've ever heard. Especially by taking his train," Selphie said. "I agree with Zell, you should try talking to him now that you have SeeDs backing you. He'll take you seriously with us around."

"Kidnappin' heem will only prove tae heem wa he shooldnae tak' ye serioosly," Tess elaborated. "Act loch a bairn, be treated loch a bairn. Hoo waur ye plannin' tae kidnap heem anyway? Whit exactly is yer plan? Frae point a tae point b."

She explained the train, and how they were planning a fake train to continue with an empty cargo, through uses of signal lights, and how to hide from the guards by going along the roof of the train. Seifer couldn't contain the snort of disdain at hearing the plan.

"That's really stupid Rinoa. If you were looking for my advice, here it is. Go with Zell's suggestion. Coming forward with three SeeDs has more weight than you're giving them credit for."

Rinoa gave him a pleading look, "Please Seifer! I know you could make it happen easily."

Seifer shook his head, "Nope. I have a different mission. When you get off in Timber, I stay on going towards Galbadia itself. But you had wanted my opinion, and I'm giving it to you. Try and talk with them. You'd be surprised how much is accomplished through talking only."

Squall took a deep breath. "As much as I HATE to agree with Seifer, I'm afraid he's right. That plan is way too complicated Rinoa. It's practically assured failure."

"But...but…" Rinoa stammered. Things were not going her way. "He'll never listen to me! This is the only way!"

"How do you know? Why are you afraid of talking to him?" Selphie asked gently. She didn't want anymore fighting. The infighting scared her. "Maybe we can help if you tell us that."

Airlia frowned. Something was nagging the back of her mind about this. "Won't you at least try Rinoa? Let them see for themselves if it's assured such failure. Then they can figure out a better plan to get you to him to talk if it does."

Seifer nodded, the suggestion was simple enough and shouldn't cause problems for anyone.

Rinoa quickly realized she was outvoted. The idea had seemed good to her. How could it possibly be such assured failure but even the two leaders who were constantly at each other's throats thought it was a bad idea. "I...guess we can...try talking to the President."

"Guid idea. besides whit ur th' chances he woods e'en be oan 'at train. a smart cheil woods use a decoy," Tess said.

"But you four get to figure out how we do that," Rinoa countered.

Squall nodded. "That's fair enough. We can discuss the details in Timber as we're nearing our stop. This way Seifer, Airlia, Fujin and Raijin can begin planning what to do to for their own mission."

Seifer leapt at it, "Definitely - thank you Squall." He didn't like thanking his rival, but they had gotten the woman to at least leave Airlia alone who was finally fully relaxed enough to know the spell wasn't coming near her.

Rinoa grumbled but accepted it nonetheless. Perhaps, she could get the sorceress to put a spell on Deling to get him to listen to reason. I don't want to go home. I want to stay with the Timber Owls because they treat me like the princess that I am!