7
A Crowded Lunch
Her heart beating fast, Yuffie left the library. She took a moment to collect herself. Think, Yuffie. You can't give up already. This is a great chance to find out more about Rinoa. She could go back to the dormitory and chill out, take things slow. After all, it was only her first day, and already she had met the Sorceress. Making friends with Selphie would also provide her with the perfect route to Rinoa, if she trod carefully. But Yuffie was hungry, and she remembered that Selphie had been about to go to the cafeteria too. If Rinoa and Selphie went there, Yuffie could watch them.
Her mind made up, Yuffie strolled around Garden, noticing the pools of water below the walkways. The surface was calm, not a ripple stirring, and the green plants were still as well. She couldn't tell if they were fake or real. At first she thought she had lost her way again, so she was relieved when she saw the sign for the cafeteria, and the dark red stripes on the walkway that marked the correct entrance.
Once inside, Yuffie joined the short queue and ordered a hotdog with extra sauce. She looked around for somewhere to sit. A large crowd of students were lounging around two tables, some eating, some talking and a few playing cards. She recognised Theo, who waved to her. Sighing, she decided she might as well join them.
Theo grinned and indicated the empty seat next to him.
"Hey, Yuffie, how's it going?"
"I've been looking around. This seems like a nice place."
Theo started to introduce her to the other students. Yuffie smiled and nodded, but she was distracted by the appearance of Selphie and Rinoa. They took an empty table together in the far corner, where only a few other students sat. Yuffie shifted her chair slightly so they remained in her view. She only half-listened to the conversation around her.
Selphie bit into a hotdog with an enthusiasm Rinoa would normally have associated with Zell.
"I can see why he likes 'em so much," she said through a mouthful.
Rinoa picked at her salad. "Have you seen Irvine today?"
"Oh, so that's what you wanted to talk about. I went up to his classroom earlier but he was busy teaching. He said he'd meet us for lunch."
"How are you two?"
"We're spiffy." Selphie grinned and winked at her before taking another huge bite out of the hotdog.
"Irvine said that you have an open relationship…"
"Uh-huh."
Rinoa frowned. "And you're okay with that?" She had always thought that Selphie's notion of love was highly romantic. Selphie was the first person she had told when Squall proposed to her. They had both giggled about it – when Rinoa told her about the red roses, Selphie had dissolved into helpless laughter – but she also expressed admiration about how 'totally adorable' Squall was.
"Sure, I'm cool with it." Selphie's face was the picture of innocence.
"Do you… do you love him?"
She sighed and stared dreamily at the ceiling. "I don't know, really. I just know that's he's fun to hang out with, and he's a great guy. We're not serious or anything. We live the moment."
"Live the moment…" Rinoa lapsed into a thoughtful silence. She hadn't realised how different Selphie's outlook was from her own. Rinoa thought about the future a lot. She was always looking forward to better times – like to her wedding. And when she did reach that perfect moment, she wanted to stay there forever. It had happened only a couple of times, reaching that state when she was just perfectly content, desiring nothing. Like that time she was with Squall in the cockpit of the spaceship, just the two of them, together. But most of the time, her ambitions drove her onwards. The limits on her situation often frustrated her, but she was determined no matter what to get what she wanted.
Selphie was different. They were both naturally positive, but in some ways she envied the other girl. Selphie's immediate concern was always the here and now. As long as she stayed active, she was happy. And Selphie found it much easier to meet new people and make friends with them too. At least, that was what it felt like. What was the name of the girl Selphie had introduced her to in the library? Yuffie. That was it.
"Yuffie… that's a really nice name. I'm Dacha."
She shook hands with another boy, whose bright blue eyes reminded her of Cloud. But I guess they don't have Mako here, she mused.
Theo elbowed Dacha out of the way. "Have you decided what classes you'll be taking yet, Yuffie?"
"No."
"You should take GF lessons!" Dacha interjected. "All the top SeeDs use GFs."
"GFs?" Yuffie repeated blankly. Oh yes… she remembered reading something about them in the notes. GF stood for 'Guardian Force'. As far as she could make out, they were a kind of monster or spirit that people could use to enhance their powers.
"Yeah," Dacha went on, his eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. "You should try summoning one – they're awesome."
"Have you ever summoned one?" Theo asked.
"No, but I saw my instructor do it."
Yuffie ignored the conversation and glanced over to Rinoa's table. The two girls were still eating, their heads bent towards each other. They didn't look like moving any time soon. As she watched, a young man wearing a cowboy hat walked over to them. His long ponytail trailed down his back.
"Irvy!"
Startled out of her reverie, Rinoa looked up to see Irvine walking towards them. He tipped his hat.
"Hey, guys."
That was all Yuffie had time to see, however, as a second later someone blocked her view. Juna stormed up to the group; her eyes were black with running mascara and her cheeks a blotchy red.
"Did Irvine come in here?" she demanded.
"Yeah, he's over there," said Dacha.
"What's up, sweetie?" Theo asked. But Juna ignored him; at Dacha's words she whipped around and let out a strangled growl. Yuffie stood up and followed Juna's gaze.
Selphie jumped, snatched his hat and sat back down, grinning as she put it on.
"Whoa there," said Irvine. He placed the tray of food he was carrying on to the table, and slid an arm around Selphie as he joined them. Selphie snuggled into his arm. Irvine nodded to Rinoa, and then turned his attention to his girlfriend. "How'd the Esthar mission go, Sefie?"
Selphie pulled a face. "It was booooring. I wanted to blow it all up and start again, but they wouldn't let me."
As the two of them chattered, Rinoa wondered whether she ought to confront Irvine in front of his girlfriend. How much did Selphie really know about what was going on behind her back?
"That's Irvine? The one with… oh." Irvine was sitting down with his arm draped casually around Selphie.
"Does anyone have a tissue?" Juna asked, to the world in general. A female student, whose name Yuffie had forgotten though they had been introduced a few minutes before, handed her one and Juna wiped her eyes.
"What's wrong, Juna?" the female student asked. "Did he fail you on something?"
Juna shook her head, but it was obvious she wanted to tell everyone. She compressed her lips and dabbed her eyes furiously.
"Do you wanna find a more private table and talk about it?" Yuffie asked, all the while watching Rinoa. She could get a closer seat.
"Okay," Juna sniffed. The female student looked as though she wanted to come along, but Juna gave a tiny shake of her head, and the girl returned to her seat.
"Come here," said Yuffie, taking Juna's arm. She steered her towards a nearby table, right opposite Rinoa and her friends. Juna stared at Irvine and Selphie and growled again. She reminded Yuffie of an angry cat.
"What happened?"
"I went to meet Irvine… and he like totally blew me off!" Juna had finished wiping her eyes, but there was no trace of a tear now. Only suppressed rage. "He said I was fun to hang around with, but I should concentrate more on my studies. Then I came in here and saw him with her." She spat the word as though it was a poisonous snake.
"That girl? Who is she?" Yuffie and Juna both looked across to Rinoa's table. Selphie was leaning on Irvine's shoulder and the pair gazed into each other's eyes as they talked. They certainly look like a couple, Yuffie thought.
"She's a bitch!" Juna snarled. "Her name's Selphie; she's just got back from a SeeD mission and already she's stolen my boyfriend. I hope she dies on her next mission!"
"Rather you than me," Irvine was saying. "I much prefer teaching others how to shoot."
"A surprising number of girls signed up for your sharpshooting class," Rinoa commented. She watched the couple's reactions, but Selphie merely smiled while Irvine looked as unfazed as ever.
"That's right," said Irvine. "It's great to see more chicks with guns."
Rinoa rolled her eyes. Meanwhile, Irvine had finished his hotdog and he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
"I haven't got much time until my next class, so do you mind if Selphie and I take off?"
"No, not at all," she replied.
"See you later!" Selphie called.
"They're leaving," said Yuffie. She watched Rinoa intently, but the dark-haired girl remained at the table alone while Irvine and Selphie strolled past them together. Irvine didn't even glance in their direction; he appeared totally enthralled by whatever Selphie was saying to him. Juna glared at them.
"That's it. Selphie is going down!" Juna stood up, her fists clenched. "Are you with me, Yuffie?"
Yuffie hesitated. Her natural glee told her it would be fun to see Juna beat the crap out of Selphie… or rather the other way round, as Yuffie suspected the SeeD was much stronger than she looked; but Rinoa still hadn't moved, and Yuffie wanted to keep track of her.
"I… haven't finished my hotdog."
Their eyes met. As they looked at each other, a flicker of understanding passed between them. Yuffie didn't intend to support her new roommate.
"Fine," said Juna, and she turned her back on Yuffie and left the cafeteria without a second glance.
Rinoa watched their receding backs, then leaned her elbows on the table and sighed. If they wanted to be left alone, she shouldn't interfere. Their relationship was none of her business. She sipped a glass of water and gazed at the other students around them. She noticed a few of them sneak a sidelong glance at her before looking away. What were they thinking? Oh, look, there's Rinoa, the Commander's girlfriend. She was regarded as something of an anomaly in Balamb Garden: neither a student nor a SeeD. She recognised some of the faces, but didn't feel confident enough to go and sit with them. She would only make them uncomfortable anyway. So she stayed at her table, alone. The only thing she was certain of right now was that her place was by Squall.
If it wasn't for you, Squall, I'd still be playing the princess in Timber. I wouldn't be a Sorceress. What would I be doing?
She couldn't imagine it. Perhaps she would have returned to her father and lived in the mansion. He would marry her off to some politician… Or maybe he would know better. She never listened to him. He would realise the futility of introducing her to men he thought were suitable husband material. She thought he might approve of Squall, actually. Squall was the Garden Commander at only eighteen; it was clear he would have a powerful influence for years to come. She laughed inwardly at the thought. Yes, Caraway's analysis would be cold and clinical as usual. Squall's love and devotion wouldn't matter to him. He had been like that ever since her mother died. It was as though his heart had died along with her so that only his capable mind remained, devoid of emotion.
Why was she thinking all this now? She shook her head and pushed her empty plate away. She could go back to the library, but she didn't feel like it. She could go and find Squall, but he would be busy. She had checked on him a couple of hours ago and he told her that he was attending some kind of diplomatic meeting tonight. That meant she would be sleeping in the dormitories.
In that case, she might as well go and move her stuff. Having made her decision, Rinoa slid out of her seat straight away and walked out of the cafeteria. She didn't notice a girl get up and follow her.
Yuffie sat quietly by herself, every now and then throwing a surreptitious look towards Rinoa. She could feel her limbs trembling and forced them to keep still. Come on, Yuffie. You're stronger than this. Don't think how this is gonna end… Cloud had told her what Kelling had said about Rinoa being an evil Sorceress. Neither of them really knew what to believe. Maybe she could find out from Selphie later on.
When Rinoa got up, Yuffie was instantly alert. She waited for a few seconds, and then followed the other girl out of the cafeteria. I'm doing this for Cloud and Tifa.
"I just reported the incident to the boss."
"And what did he say, sir?"
"Oh, he was really pleased and said he'd go out and buy flowers for us."
"Really?"
"No, of course not! I had to listen to him yelling for about half an hour and then he told me he'd be cutting our salaries."
"Well, at least he didn't sack us, sir," said Wedge, trying to look on the bright side.
"I wish he had," Biggs grumbled. "He says we've been slacking off too much, and from now on at least one of us has to stay outside the prisoner's cell twenty-four seven."
"What about toilet breaks?"
"I don't know, piss on the floor!"
"Sir, I'll do the first watch," Wedge offered. He could tell his superior was in a bad mood and needed another cup of coffee. The other man was older; he needed rest more than Wedge did.
"I was going to order you to anyway," said Biggs. "I need a kip. I'll be down to relieve you in a few hours. If you need something, just yell at one of the guards. Pull rank on them if you have to. I don't want them pushing you around, got that?"
"Yes, sir."
Biggs left. After the drama two hours ago, the unnamed prisoner had been knocked unconscious and taken to a new cell. Biggs, knowing he had to report the incident to Kelling and realising that this would not be a friendly conversation, had let off some steam by shouting at the guards. While he did that, Wedge took advantage of the opportunity to get something to eat and had a pleasant conversation with the cafeteria lady. Then Biggs had called him to meet on the floor where the prisoner was now being held.
Deciding he ought to follow his new order now, Wedge walked over to the prisoner's cell and stationed himself outside it. He couldn't hear any noise from the prisoner. He wondered if she had woken up yet.
He recalled the moment when they had surrounded her. She had been so poised, even backed into a corner, and her face defiant with no hint of fear. Wedge found himself admiring her even more. Such a beautiful, confident woman. She was the kind of woman who wouldn't take any crap from the men around her. The kind of woman who could kick his butt without breaking a sweat. He liked that about her. It was stupid, he knew, to be fantasising about a woman whose name he didn't even know. But as he had to while away the hours of boredom on guard duty, he found himself imagining how she would react if he wanted to talk to her.
He imagined entering her cell and finding her dozing on the mattress. He would call out softly and she would sit bolt upright, startled at first. Her first reaction would be to attack him, he knew, but he would forestall her, holding up his hands to show that his sword was sheathed and he meant no harm. I only want to talk. She would be suspicious, of course, but then they would start talking and she would smile. He had never seen her smile. He tried to imagine what her smile looked like. It would light up her face, making her even more radiant.
He would ask her for her name. What would she answer? What name could suit such a woman?
He could do that now, couldn't he? Just knock on the door and ask what her name was. Her identity was supposed to be secret. He shouldn't do it.
Do it.
He took a deep breath and tapped on the door. No response. Maybe she was still out. But then he heard her voice, her wonderful husky voice, and he felt a pleasant tingling in his fingers and toes.
"What do you want?"
This was more difficult than he had thought. He pressed his face against the door. She was right opposite him. Only a few inches of metal separated them.
"I-I'm Wedge."
She didn't answer. He thought he could hear her breathing, but that had to be his imagination; the door was too thick for that.
"I've got a question for you," he added.
"What?"
"What's your name?"
He pictured her puzzled frown, her soft intake of breath. After a short pause, she said, "Tell me why I'm here and I'll answer you."
"I can't," he said. "I don't even know who you are. Please, can't you tell me your name?"
"Why do you want to know?" Her voice was full of suspicion.
"I… I just want to know. So I can call you by your name."
"If you want to chat, why don't you come in?" This time her voice was laced with honey, sweet and tempting.
He would like to, but he knew the scene wouldn't play out like it did in his head. "No, I'm under orders to stay out here and guard you."
"Under orders," she repeated mockingly. "You're just a grunt – following orders blindly. What kind of a life is that?"
"It pays the bills."
"What kind of people are you working for, who would do something like this?"
"You've been labelled as a dangerous criminal. So you should be locked up." Even as he said it, he didn't believe it. This girl was a pawn in some bigger scheme. Just like him. We have more in common than you think.
"You think because you're on the side of the law, that makes you right? I bet you're a Shinra lackey, aren't you? And that makes you one of the most corrupt soldiers on the planet."
Wedge paused, feeling puzzled. "Shinra? What's that?"
"Shinra – the corporation that used to be in charge of Midgar? If you're trying to mess with my head, it's not going to work. That's a stupid lie. Everyone's heard of Shinra."
"Midgar?" Now he was truly bewildered. He felt as though he and the beautiful prisoner were talking past each other, on a completely different wavelength. Why was she spouting nonsense? Unless she was from Esthar and Midgar was some obscure place there?
"You can't tell me you've never heard of Midgar. Where am I? Did you take me to a different country?"
"I – I'm not at liberty to say." There was something really strange about all this. She spoke as though he was the one who was crazy, as though this Midgar and Shinra were facts of everyday life that everybody knew about. It made him even more desperate to know who she was. She was an enigma.
"Oh, this is useless. You won't tell me anything. Well, let me tell you something, Wedge. I have two orphan children waiting for me back home. I don't know what happened to them, or if they're all right without me. Your people kidnapped me and now I'm stuck in this miserable hole, and I don't know where I am or why, and all you can say is, you can't explain what's going on!" Her voice broke.
Wedge shifted uncomfortably. His heart told him to help the girl, but his head told him that was a stupid idea; she would kill him as soon as look at him, and even if she didn't he would be shot for disobedience by one of Kelling's lackeys. For all he knew, the orphaned children sob story was an act. Biggs would tell him not to do it. There were so many reasons he shouldn't open that door. So many reasons. So many reasons…
Yuffie followed the Sorceress cautiously, keeping at a safe distance. Rinoa headed towards the main foyer. A few other students passed them, but Yuffie wasn't worried. It was perfectly normal for her to be strolling along. As long as no-one realised she was tailing Rinoa, she would remain inconspicuous.
Rinoa climbed some steps and pressed the button for the elevator. Yuffie hovered behind the notice board. She bit her lip. If she stepped into the elevator along with the Sorceress, she would find out where she was going. But she didn't want to make it obvious that she was following her. But if Yuffie stayed here and waited until Rinoa had gone, she wouldn't know which floor to pick. Yuffie dithered uncertainly for a few seconds.
Rinoa made the decision for her by stepping into the elevator and disappearing before Yuffie could run and join her.
Something vibrated in Yuffie's pocket. She jumped. Then she realised it was her mobile phone ringing. Talk about bad timing. She dug into her pocket and picked up the phone.
"Hello?"
"Yuffie," said a calm voice, "this is Kelling."
"I can't talk now," she muttered. "You got me at a bad time here-"
"Very well. I shall phone again in five minutes. Find somewhere quiet in that time."
The line went dead. Yuffie looked around in a panic and realised she was acting suspiciously. There was nothing wrong with answering a phone call. Rinoa would have to wait. Decision made, Yuffie hurried back to her dormitory. As she expected, it was empty. She lay down on her bed and took deep breaths to calm herself. In less than a minute, the phone vibrated again.
"Yes?"
"You are in a secluded location?"
"In my dorm."
"Good. I take it you have successfully infiltrated Balamb Garden."
"Yeah."
"How are you doing? Have you found the Sorceress yet?"
"Yeah, I met her. She seems just like an ordinary girl to me – why do you want us to kill her again?"
Kelling's tone became sharp. "I've already explained this. There's no need to go into it again. Now, how much time do you think you'll need to go ahead with the mission?"
"Dunno. A couple of days, maybe. I've met her, but I don't know where she's staying. I don't know how much protection she's got either."
"Find out where she sleeps. Disable security beforehand if you can – locks and so forth. This is a covert operation – I believe it would be best if it took place at night. The front gate is locked after sundown, however. Security is tight there. If you are unable to bypass it, find another way."
"That's easy for you to say," Yuffie retorted. The man's cold, calculating tone infuriated her.
"Yes. It is. It's your job to succeed, Yuffie. You know the price if you fail."
A click and he had gone. "Bastard!" she yelled into the mouthpiece, even though she knew he couldn't hear. Then she threw the mobile phone down on the bed and clenched her fists. He expected her to work out everything. And what was worse, she knew he was right. If she didn't find a way to Rinoa before the end of the week, Tifa's life was in danger. She wouldn't put it past Kelling to order all of them to be eliminated if she failed or didn't co-operate. For the first time, she felt the true pressure of her mission. It had all been going so well before Kelling phoned and reminded her what was at stake.
He thought he had her under control. Hatred rushed through her body. She screamed in frustration and kicked the bedside table, which made her feel a little better. She couldn't remember Kelling's face – everything had been so hazy when she'd first woken up – but his voice had imprinted itself into her brain. A lazy, confident voice, smooth with the assurance of power. Well, he'd soon find out not to underestimate the great ninja Yuffie. She'd find a way to betray him if she could. After all, it would be easy just to let his name slip out…
Cloud's voice echoed in her head. Think of Tifa. Don't do anything rash.
"What are you, my conscience?" she muttered. Maybe she should phone Cloud. Yeah, he'd want to know how she was getting on. She picked up the phone again. Two numbers were stored in the phone's memory, one of which was the phone's number. The other must be Cloud's number. She pressed the dial button.
Cloud answered quickly. "Hello?"
"Hey Cloud, it's Yuffie."
"Yuffie!" The relief in his voice was so obvious she almost laughed. "You made it!"
"Yup, I'm in."
"How… how are you?"
"This place isn't so bad. Nobody suspects me or anything. Give me a bit more time and I'll get you in."
"You sure?"
"Yeah." She sounded more confident than she really was.
"That's good. If I have to wait around here for too long, I think I'll go crazy."
She laughed. "You must be really bored, huh?"
"This place isn't exactly Gold Saucer standard when it comes to entertainment."
"Okay, I'll try and be as quick as I can so we can get this over with. I already found the target. I just need to find out where she sleeps and figure out how to get you in and we're rolling!"
"Good. Be careful, okay?"
"You know me. I'll be fine. Talk to you later."
"See you."
The phone clicked. Yuffie stuck it back in her pocket with a sigh. It was funny how talking on the phone was different from being face-to-face. It was easier to lie, for one thing. They had both tried to sound cheerful, both avoided directly mentioning the reason they were there. She imagined him pacing around the room as he talked. Or maybe he was lying on the bed, alone and apathetic. If she could have seen his face, she was sure it would have told her the real story.
His face lingered in her mind for a moment, his eyes full of concern, the way he had looked that morning. She pushed the image away. No time to be thinking and moralising. She had things to do.
