Chapter 09
The day of the sale of the sphere had finally arrived. The day before was spent mostly flying to Mushroom Rock Road. The Gullwings, earlier in the day, safely landed on top of a plateau close by the Youth League Headquarters and would soon leave the Celsius for their meeting with the meyvn.
Yuna was in the bridge waiting for when the time would arrive for her to depart. She was in a discussion with some of her teammates involving the day's plans. There wasn't much to discuss. When the time came, she would go to the meeting, complete the sale, and return with the payment. If something happened along the way, there would be plenty of time to deal with it. Now they were trying to decide on who would be going.
"I most definitely want to go. If we're lucky, the Youth League will be having another battle tournament. Since they have nothing major to do most of the time, they hold one often. I'm really itching for some action." Rikku hasn't been in any type of battle in weeks.
"Is that all you think about?" Brother sometimes seriously questioned his sister's priorities.
Rikku just shrugged. "I have to go anyways since I'm the one that made the deal. I see no problem in having some fun in the process."
"Is Paine going as well?" Buddy asked.
"I believe she will. I'm sure she would like to see Nooj." Yuna knew that Paine admired him very much as an old friend and leader.
"Where is she now?" Asked Brother.
"I think she's hanging out with Squally in the cabin. They've become the best of buddies. And who knows, maybe even more than that." Answered Rikku with a suggestive wink.
'…!?' Yuna's brow produced a few droplets of a cold sweat. She didn't know what to think. "…Well oh…now that you mention him, I better go down there and tell Squall that he should go with us." She then tuned and began walking to Shinra's workstation.
"I don't think he'll want to come along. I'm pretty sure he will describe this as not being part of his job." Rikku had gotten to know Squall well enough to know he only cooperates with them when he feels his services are needed.
"It won't hurt to ask." Yuna answered over her shoulder. She subsequently moved to stand behind Shinra's chair. "Do you have the sphere? I'll be leaving soon."
"The sphere is right here." Shinra spun around in his chair and handed it to Yuna.
"Thank you." Yuna gazed into the orb that rested in both her hands. 'Squall fought valiantly to get this and without any help from us.' She recollected her memories of his battles with Paine and the Zu. Watching him fight mesmerized her, as if the way he fought was somehow magical. She then secured the sphere inside the pouch of her belt.
-o-
At the same time in another part of the airship, Paine and Squall were just finishing their last round of drinks at the bar.
"It looks like it's almost time for me to head out." Paine set her empty glass back on the counter.
"What are you going to do?" Squall casually sat on a barstool facing his friend as he leaned against the counter.
"To accompany Yuna while she completes the sale of the sphere you so effortlessly acquired for us." Paine gave him a slight grin and stood up from her stool.
"I was just doing my job. That isn't something too remarkable if you ask me." He never took praise well.
"I'm also going to visit an old friend. Want to come along? I would like it if you met him. I think you two might have a few things in common." To her, Squall possessed the same type of aura and commanding presence as Nooj. They were both silent pillars of massive strength. She believed Squall would also make a great leader, only he would not hesitate to reject such a role.
"Can it wait until later? I haven't trained very much lately so I was planning on going to a sealed cavern close by."
"You mean the Den of Woe! Are you sure? It's very dangerous in there." Paine had a bad history with that cavern. She came close to dying twice before in that place.
"You should know by now that I can handle myself. I wouldn't go there if I knew it was too tough for me." He would still go even if it were too tough. "Besides, Yuna told me I can use this commlink thing to call for help." He pointed to the collar of his jacket where it was attached. 'There's no guarantee I will use it even if I were in danger.'
Paine had to trust his judgment and she now knew his true strength after crossing blades with him. "Alright. When you're done with your training, we will go together to meet my friend. Okay?"
"Yeah sure." He nodded as he responded.
"I'll see you later then." Paine heads towards the exit, to go meet up with the others. "Don't underestimate the Den of Woe, be careful in there." With that last warning she disappeared thru the door.
When Paine reached the end of the corridor, the elevator had just arrived with a passenger. "Are we leaving soon?"
"Yes. I just wanted to invite Squall to come with us. I think it'll be a great opportunity to introduce him as a new Gullwing to everyone." Yuna stepped off the elevator and stood in front of Paine.
"I think that is good and all, but he won't agree to that. You know how he feels about that." Paine objected.
"What he doesn't know won't hurt him. I'll say he's a Gullwing when he is not around to protest." Yuna had a sly smile. She would love to see the day when Squall calls himself a Gullwing.
Paine shook her head no. "Well it still might not matter. He said he already had other plans."
"I guess I'll just have to talk him into postponing his plans. It's important to me he comes with us." Yuna put her hands on her hips and wore a face of determination.
'I hope you can. I'm not thrilled about him going to the Den of Woe.' Paine went into the elevator. "Good luck with that. I'll wait for you in the bridge."
The mentioning of the bridge reminded Yuna of Rikku's last comment before leaving. 'Could they be more than friends?' Yuna turned around to face Paine again. "…Um. What have you been doing with Squall today?"
Paine was reaching for the control panel when she heard the question. "We just sat at the bar and talked for a while." 'Where did this come from?' She found such a question from Yuna to be peculiar. Rikku was the one expected to ask something like that. "Why are you asking?"
"Because…oh…" Yuna was becoming nervous, having some difficulty coming up with an adequate excuse. "…I've noticed you two have become good friends recently and I was just curious about the things you two do together."
'There's something more she's not saying. She is even starting to sweat.' Paine's suspicion gave her enough reason to probe Yuna for some answers. However, now was not the time for that, soon they had to be on their way. "Well yes. I consider him a friend, but we don't do anything special."
Yuna wiped the sweat off her brow. She was relieved that Paine didn't question her motives. She felt she was still pushing it but she was compiled to find more answers. "You've told me Squall was also a Crusader. Did you know him back when you were one?" 'Maybe I can see where their relationship is going by learning where it started, if it ever did.'
"No, I did not. It would have been impossible for me to know the thousands upon thousands of Crusaders." Paine could still close her eyes and picture the countless numbers of men and women in large squadrons.
Yuna was pleased and disappointed, there was no history between them but she also couldn't learn anything. Not knowing what else to say at the moment, her gaze slowly drifted to the floor. 'Damn. I can't go any further into this without alerting more suspicion. What else can I do? Asking Squall about this is far too risky. I learned the hard way about his exceptional ability in reading people. He'll see right thru me.'
Paine saw that Yuna wasn't going to speak any time soon, so she had to set things in motion. "Yuna, right now is not the best time to talk. If we wait much longer, we're going to be late for the appointment with Nooj." She pressed a command into the elevator and it started to rise. "Go and quickly talk to Squall and let me know how it goes."
Yuna looked up from her deliberation at the sudden noise of the moving elevator. "Yes you're right. I will call you on the commlink in a few minutes." Not wanting to waste anymore time, she quickly strode thru the hall to the cabin.
She found Squall still leaning against the bar watching an entertainment program on the sphere monitor situated at the far end of the counter. She began to feel nervous again when she saw him. Since his back was turned to her, she thought he had not noticed her yet. Yuna lightly paced across the floor, she didn't want to alert him of her presence. Until she calmed her nerves, she felt she wasn't ready to face him just now. In the meantime, she could make her way towards him.
"What do you want?" Squall had known she was there the moment she stepped off the elevator. Ever since the last time she managed to get close without him noticing, he had kept a constant vigilant of her. What notified him of her presence was her scent. Every time Squall picked up a floral aroma in the air, he knew Yuna was near. It remained him of a moonlit night he once spent alone in the Moonflow. The variety of flowers found in that area had the same aroma.
Yuna was only a few steps behind him when he unexpectedly addressed her. She as she jumped back surprised. "…How did you know I was here?"
"I saw you approaching thanks to your reflection on the sphere monitor. Now hurry and state your business, it's obvious you're here to bother me with something." He continued to nonchalantly watch the monitor.
Yuna glared at his back with an irritated expression. 'Is he angry with me because of what happened the other day? What am I thinking? He always treats me like this.' "I've told you quite a few times already that speaking to someone like that is very rude." She then punched him in the shoulder. "And will it kill you to look at me?"
'It just might!' Squall growled under his breath and turned on his stool to face her.
Yuna smiled sweetly at him. "Good, now that's better." She liked to gaze into his beautiful steel blue eyes. "I just wanted to invite you to come along with me and the other girls. I think this will be a good opportunity for you to see how sphere hunters conduct business."
"No thanks, I already have other plans." Squall rested his back against the counter and crossed his arms. He wanted to get comfortable because he knew Yuna was not about to drop the subject.
"Well then you'll have to postpone them. I'm sure it can wait until later."
"No."
Yuna stomped her boot on the floor. "Why not? This is an important part of the job?" He never fails to irritate her.
"Because I don't want to and my job is to hunt spheres not sell them."
Yuna rested her hands on her shapely hips. 'He's one stubborn bastard. But he is also a straightforward and truthful type of guy. Maybe I can use that.' "Is there anything I can do to make you change your mind?"
"Yes."
Yuna waited a few moments to see if there was more to his answer. "…And how would that be exactly?"
Squall shook his head. "You really are dense! You should realize by now that you're my employer and I have to follow any orders you give." He didn't like it sometimes but that was the way he operated. It kept things simple for him.
She wanted to strangle him. "I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS. You still insist on regarding me as your boss. Fine, if that's the way you want it. I'm ordering you to accompany me while I attend a meeting with the meyvn. I expect to see you outside in the next few minutes." With nothing more to say, Yuna started walking away to the corridor.
Squall sighed in defeat. 'That woman never quits. She'll do almost anything to get her way. Is this her power I've heard so much about?' He then gazed at her retreating form. "Tell me something, has there ever been anyone you haven't been able to bend to your will?"
Yuna stopped in her retreat. She looked over her shoulder with a playfully smile. "As a matter of fact, no there hasn't. But you most definitely have proven to be the most challenging one."
"Whatever."
-o-
After a quick stop at his room, Squall retrieved the gunblade and was now on his way outside thru the cargo bay. 'Damn it. Why couldn't she leave me alone? I want to avoid everyone in that damn Youth League.' He was obviously not too thrilled about accompanying the girls. He found them waiting for him as he descended the hatch.
"I can't believe Yunie actually convinced you into coming with us." Rikku was the first to approach him.
"Neither can I." Squall reluctantly agreed with the petite blond.
"Never underestimate the power of Yuna." Paine added.
The commentary caused Yuna to giggle. "…Okay you guys, we ought to get a move on. The league is close by, however it's still a fairly long walk from here."
The high summoner began leading the way with the others following from behind. Squall didn't move until everyone else was ahead of him. He took it upon himself to cover the rear flank of the group. If they were ever attacked, it would most likely come from their backs.
After a few minutes of traveling in silence, Yuna looked over her shoulder and noticed Squall was far behind them. She stopped and turned around. "Squall, I don't want you following so far behind. Come over here and walk next to me." She yelled her command.
'That woman has no sense of proper team formations.' Squall kicked a small pebble on the ground in annoyance. Without a word, he march on over to her.
Yuna showed her appreciation with a cheerful smile. 'This is much better.' She started walking again but didn't go too far since Squall didn't budge. "Come on, nothing will happen to you. There's no need to be nervous." She waved him over with a gesture of her hand. She spoke to him in a warm and gentle way, as a mother would to her child. He gave her a slight glare of irritation. With a loud grunt, he took his place at her side. They all started moving again. Yuna covered her month as she snickered. His display of childish defiance was too adorable.
Paine walked closely next to Rikku. "Do you also think Yuna wanting Squall right next to her is odd?" She spoke quietly for only the blond to hear.
"No. She just wants to show off the Gullwing's new toy. She said so before we left the Celsius." Rikku made sure to keep her voice low as well. If Squall heard her, there could be some trouble.
The party went on hiking for quite some time. It was mostly quiet and they enjoyed the scenery. The view of the ocean from the top of the rock formations was awe-inspiring.
Yuna, on the other hand, was enjoying the hike very much for other reasons. She wore a smile that never left her. She was relishing in the feeling she got from just being near Squall. He never said anything or even looked her way, but he still gave her a quivering feeling of joy. His presence gave her the reassurance of warmth and security.
As the party was finally approaching the rocky path that lead to the league headquarters, the mercenary caught sight of a hopping figure that was closing in on their location. "We've got company! Be on your guard!" He announced while reaching for the gunblade strapped to his side.
Yuna promptly grasped his arm to halt his action. "No wait! That machina doesn't pose a threat to us. It's under the control of the league, it was programmed to attack only fiends."
"Are you sure?" Squall was doubtful.
"Yes I am." Yuna pulled him to the side as the machina hopped on by them. "You see. It commonly patrols this path throughout the entire day. The league has been using them for the past few years. How could you not know about that?" He had previously mentioned he had constantly traveled all over Spira for various jobs. It made perfect sense that he, at some point, had gone thru Mushroom Rockroad.
Squall just shrugged. "Every time I pass thru here, I always take the trails that are furthest away from any of the Youth League members."
"But why?" Yuna found that peculiar. She knew he probably had a history with some of them since they were once Crusaders. However, his reason for avoiding them still needed explaining.
"LADY YUNA!" Someone's shout suddenly came out of nowhere.
Yuna gasped in surprise. She looked further down the path and spotted someone running towards her. "Gatta, is that really you!?"
Gatta wasted no time in wrapping Yuna in a short embrace. "It's so good to see you again my lady."
"Yes, it's good to see you too. I can't remember the last time I saw you." She pulled away from his embrace.
"I believe it has been almost two years now ma'am, shortly after the Vegnagun incident." Gatta then noticed the other two girls. "Lady Rikku and Lady Paine, it's a pressure to see you both."
The two girls causally waved at him, they weren't as enthused as him.
Now that greetings were taken place, Yuna happily took it upon herself to introduce her newest companion. Without delay, she pulled in Squall next to her and locked her arm around his. "Gatta, I'd like you to meet my friend Squall Leonhart. He recently started working with us as a sphere hunter."
"Any friend of Lady Yuna is a friend of my." Gatta extended his arm in offer of a friendly handshake.
Squall glanced at this other man's hand for a moment and then looked away with a grunt. He had no interest in becoming acquainted with any of Yuna's friends. He would have walked away but she was still holding him in place.
Yuna saw that Gatta was slightly offended by the rejection. "Please, don't mind him. He always acts like this when meeting new people." She tried to excuse Squall's rude behavior. She gave Gatta an apologetic smile and then looked at the man next to her with an evil gaze. "Shake his hand now or else!" Yuna murmured with vicious undertones to Squall. To show she meant business, she tightened her grasp on his left arm and even stomped his foot.
'Or else what? What can a little girl like you possibly do to me?' Squall told her as much thru the sharp look he gave her out of the corner of his eye.
'Damn you!' Yuna knew exactly what he was trying to say. She looked fiercely at him and could feel her blood begin to boil until a spark of light appeared in her sight. The intense eye contact between the two of them caused an electric reaction in her. For an instant, she saw sparks of energy before her very eyes and felt it run down her spine. She looked away to the ground in confusion. 'What was that!?'
As soon as she broke the eye contact, Squall switched his gaze back to the man in front of him. '…I suppose she did give me an order.' Without another thought, he finally took Gatta's hand into his own. "Sorry about that. Like the lady said, I don't deal with people very well sometimes."
Gatta forgot to pull his hand away due to his preoccupation with observing the bizarre staring contest between Yuna and Squall. He regained his composure when he felt Squall taking his hand. "It's alright sir, I understand. I was once kind of the same." He was referring to the time after the death of his mentor, Luzzu. Gatta took back his hand and shook his head to rid himself of the painful memory. "Anyway, I must say I kind of envy you sir. You not only have the honor of traveling with the world's savior, but the most beautiful lady in all of Spira as well."
Yuna instantly became embarrassed. "Please don't say such things. There's no way that could ever be true." Whatever she was pondering before was instantly forgotten.
"You are far too modest Lady Yuna. It's a fact that your beauty grows with every passing day. Only the luckiest man in the world will be able to claim you as his own." Gatta assured her. He looked at the mercenary and nodded. "Wouldn't you agree sir?"
Yuna released her grasp on Squall's arm and loosely clasped her hands together in front. She repeatedly gave him sideway glances for only spilt seconds. She was eager to hear his answer and yet frighten by it.
'Would I be lucky to have someone like her?' Squall had not once considered such a thought. With every intention of giving Gatta an honest answer, he stepped away from the ex summoner and carefully scrutinized her appearance.
Once Yuna felt his penetrating gaze on her, she became very self-conscious. She had to resist the urge to adjust her outfit and fix her hair. Now she didn't dare to look at him. She locked her sight to the ground and felt herself becoming more and more nervous.
Squall was not satisfied with observing only one angle of Yuna. He needed to examine her more thoroughly. He began to gradually pace around her, closely looking at her from head to toe, at every visible part of her body. When he completely circled Yuna and returned to her side, Squall gave her one last look over before returning his attention to Gatta. "She is a nice piece of ass, but I personally can do better."
Gatta was astonished, never before had he ever heard anyone speak of the high summoner in such a manner. His cheeks even took on a light shade of red.
Yuna stupidly gaped as her face deeply flushed. '...!?' She didn't know what to think or how to react. She salvaged some sense of mind when she heard the loud laughter of one of her best friends coming from behind. She looked at Squall, who was as composed as ever, and realized she didn't know how to react because of her mixed feelings. She couldn't determine whether what he said was a compliment or an insult. Even if it was a compliment, it still wasn't very nice.
"What?" Squall noticed the stare of the high summoner. He felt as if he had said nothing wrong, only the truth of his opinion.
Yuna did what came naturally to her; she became enraged. "…You. You JERK!" She shoved him hard on the chest, forcing him to tumble back a few steps. She then angrily stomped away from the guys with a flushed face and went thru the rocky path to the league headquarter.
"Excuse me, sir." Gatta, not knowing what else to do, turned and hurriedly ran after Yuna. It was his duty to safely escort the visitors.
Squall watched the retreating form of Yuna with a raised eyebrow. 'What did I do now?' He honestly wasn't sure what had angered her this time. Since he had just mentioned the word 'ass,' he had no control as his eyes slowly drifted down to her lower backside. His eyes locked onto the swaying action of her rear as she walked away. The motion of it seemed to enchant him somehow. Squall was brought out of his trance when he felt someone's hand on his shoulder.
"Are you crazy!? She just forgave you and now you actually made her mad again." Paine was greatly agitated with the spectacle he just pulled.
"What's the problem? That Gatta guy asked for my opinion, so I gave him an honest answer." He gave her an innocent look.
Paine furrowed her brow as she gazed at him skeptically. "Then you were too honest. I hope you know that the brutal truth can hurt." Afterward, she turned to Rikku. "You better go on ahead and see if you can do some damage control."
"Alrighty." Rikku cheerfully exclaimed. She began to jog after Yuna. "That was mean of you to say, but it was still really funny." She said to Squall as she passed by him, laughing as she went along.
When the blond was out of sight, Paine focused on Squall again. "What are you going to do now?" She was referring to his next action with Yuna.
He saw this as a good opportunity to do what he had planned for the day. "I'm heading towards the Den of Woe."
"You still intent on going there, but what about the meeting?" Paine still had her reservations about him going to that deadly cavern.
"My orders are to be present at the conference with the meyvn. Until then, I am free to do as I please. The meeting was scheduled for right about now, nevertheless, it won't be held for at least another hour or two. I heard the meyvn is notorious for the long waits his guests are put thru."
She reluctantly nodded in agreement. "Nooj can't help it, he partially runs the entire league by himself. He wasn't always like that." She felt compelled to justify the meyvn's reasons.
"I'm sure you're right." He knew how much her old friend meant to her. "You should go and try to see him now. I'll catch up with you after I'm done with my training."
"Just be careful in there." Paine waved him off as he left for the cavern.
"You know I will."
-o-
Nooj succeed in living up to his reputation, he had kept the Gullwings waiting for a little over two hours so far and there was still no sign of him. Yuna sent most of that time thinking of Squall's last words to her. She had gotten over her initial shock and anger. She decided to settle on what he said was mostly a compliment. He had basically said she was a beautiful woman, in his own perverted way.
She was standing just outside of the league headquarters with Rikku and Paine not too far from her. She wanted to speak with Squall and maybe even apology for the way she reacted. Yuna scanned the area for him from where she stood, however he was nowhere in sight. She figured he was probably close by and he was just trying to stay out of her way. That kind of made her sad. '…At least this time I didn't hit him.' The thought caused her lips to curve into a small smile. She continued to gaze around for him and because of which, she failed to notice two feminine figures approaching her.
"It's been a long time Lady Yuna." Lucil, 2nd in command of the Youth League, greeted the former summoner with her longtime friend and faithful comrade Elma.
"What!?" Yuna was slightly surprised by the sudden acknowledgment. When she turned, she came upon two dearly familiar faces. "Lucil, Elma, it's so good to see you guys again." She quickly embraced them both.
"Please accept my apologies for the long wait. The meyvn has been busy with the preparations for the latest battle tournament." Lucil even bowed to show her regret.
"It's perfectly alright."
"What are you doing here Lady Yuna? I thought you had quit being a sphere hunter." Elma had last seen her, a short time after the reappearance of Tidus.
Lucil nodded to show her accord. "That's right. We haven't seen you with the Gullwings every other occasion we've dealt with them in the past few years. We all thought you settled down in Besaid with Tidus."
The smile that Yuna wore faded as she was reminded of her failed love. "Yes, but I rejoined the Gullwings months ago." She spoke in a subdued voice. "There were adverse circumstances that forced me to leave Besaid." Her spirit took on a gloomy air while she slouched down with dangling arms.
"So the rumors must be true!" Elma declared.
Yuna's heart quite suddenly seemed to stop. She looked at Elma with wide eyes of an unspoken fear. "W-Wh…What rumors?"
Lucil and Elma exchanged a cautious glance. "…Well, for a while now we've been hearing gossip about you and how you broke up with Tidus. I personally have heard all sorts of reasons for it, from him having an affair with another woman to him refusing to ever take your hand in marriage." Lucil commented.
Yuna felt as if someone had stabbed her thru the heart with a dagger. 'On the contrary, it's quite the opposite.' She recalled the night before she left Besaid, the night Tidus actually proposed to her.
"But the commander and I knew better. We wouldn't allow ourselves to believe such things so easily." Elma contributed.
Recalling the heartache Yuna caused to her first love always brought a sharp pain to her insides. At this point she wanted to cry, although she maintained her composure. "That's good because I haven't really ended anything with Tidus." She prayed that was enough of an answer. If she went any further into that topic, she really will burst into tears.
"You see! I knew all that gossip was a bunch of bullshit." Elma cheerfully proclaimed. "It's all ridiculous, just like the latest rumor about you madly chasing after some guy across the desert of Bikanel."
Yuna laughed nervously while scratching the back of her head. "It is amazing what people will say about you when you're Spira's top celebrity. Sometimes it's a real hassle." The rumor was absolutely true but she didn't want to confirm anything.
"What are you saying Yunie?" Rikku had been listening to the last of their conversation. "That just happened a couple of days ago." Before the blond knew what happened, Yuna instantly appeared behind her and wrapped an arm around her neck to strangle her. "…What…aaare…youuu…doing!?" Rikku's choked gasps barely escaped her as she struggled to pry off the arm from her neck. Her slip of the tongue had seriously incensed Yuna.
"Rikku, my dear cousin, this isn't a subject to crack jokes about. You know my feelings towards my celebrity status." Yuna's kind words did not hide the dark undertones of her voice. "You and I both know such a thing never happened." She then adjusted her grasp and brought the other girl's ear closer and spoke into it. "Right?" The last word was a warning oozing with unspeakable peril.
Rikku felt a shudder of fear run down her spine. She hadn't felt such debilitating fear since the days thunder still scared her. She nodded as much as she was able. "…Right." No one in their right mind would dare to say otherwise.
Lucil and Elma weren't the least bit concerned with what was happening. They themselves have been known to quarry in a similar fashion. To them it was a normal occurrence in any friendship.
Rikku fell to her knees gasping for air after being released from the strangle hold. "Jeez, you sure have been…more violent ever since…Mr. Meanie joined the team." Her panting made it difficult to speak properly.
Yuna crossed her arms over her chest and looked away from the petite blond (in very much the Squall fashion). "I don't know what you're talking about." She said with a pout. It's true she had gone thru a few changes in the last couple of weeks but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. She had more confidence and had been standing up for herself. Of course, Squall was the only person she had physically assaulted until now.
"Sorry to interrupt, but did I hear correctly when she said someone else has joined you?" The thought of an additional member to the already dynamic Gullwings didn't sit well for Lucil. She respected and admired them greatly, however they were hard to deal with sometimes. Another one would only bring more trouble for her. (If only she knew how right that was)
Yuna's earlier smile returned at the chance to introduce the newest teammate. "Yes, that is right. We recently acquired a very skilled sphere hunter. In fact he was the one who found the sphere we're selling to you, all on his own no less. I must say I couldn't be happier with him." She beamed as she spoke, though she felt she might have said too much with that last part.
"Really!? I can't wait to meet him." The visible excitement of Yuna was rubbing off on Elma. "Where did you find him?"
"He sort of appeared out of nowhere, it's a long story." Yuna quickly looked around again and found Squall was still nowhere in sight. She then glanced down in front of her. "Rikku, have you seen him?"
"…No." Rikku was massaging her sore throat. "Paine was the last person to see him."
"Did someone say my name?" Paine was just returning from her causal walk around the headquarters.
"Good timing." Yuna said while running up to the stoic swordswoman. "Can you tell me where our new friend is?"
Paine suddenly became nervous. She knew Yuna's reaction to Squall's present location would not be favorable. "…Well ummm. He said he wanted to do some training before the meeting, so he went to the…" She hesitated at the last moment. She took a deep breath. "…Den of Woe!"
Yuna was horrorstricken from what she heard. She grabbed onto Paine's shoulders with wide eyes of fear. "This can't be true. Are you saying you just let him go to that place without a fuss?" Her desperation grew with each word.
"I tried at first but he assured me he would be fine. I trust him. Maybe you should to. He is more than capable of taking care of himself." Paine winced in pain as she felt the high summoner's grip tighten on her shoulder.
"Do you realize what you've done!? Don't you remember we almost killed each other? SQUALL WILL DIE IN THERE!" Yuna's scream reverberated throughout the rocky walls. She let go of Paine and dashed off at an unbelievable speed towards the cavern.
'Squall! It can't be…' Lucil was visibly alerted by the name, as was Elma.
Rikku jumped to her feet, ready to run after Yuna. "Come on Paine. We shouldn't chance this." She would have normally agreed with Paine, except the Den of Woe was an exception.
"I can't believe this." Paine groaned and then ran along with Rikku to catch up with their leader.
Lucil watched the girls of the Gullwings drawing away with a frowning disapproval. 'It must be him. He always has that effect on women.' "I'm going with them."
"Commander, do you think it's really him?" Elma was concerned for her friend.
Lucil clenched her fists. "Do not say another word or else!" Her threats were always taken seriously. She left to confront one of the mistakes of her past.
'This is not good. I better inform the meyvn of this development.' Elma hastily made her way to the main building.
-o-
Yuna waited for no one as she ducked and weaved thru pillars of rock, sprinting as fast as she could to reach her friend in peril. 'I'm almost there. I have to hurry. I have to save him. Please let me get there before it's too late.' She had no real plan of what to do once she got to the cavern. She intended to just run in, grab Squall, and drag him out.
The passage that led to the Den of Woe was finally in her sight. When she was about to reach it, a ray of light reflected off a metal pendant and hit her in the eyes. In the second Yuna was blinded, she ran full force into a hard body. The collision caused her to tumble backward and land on her rear. She didn't bother to look up at what she collided with because her first concern was to tend to her throbbing head. "That really hurt." She winced while cradling her head in her hands.
"What else do you expect when you don't watch where you're going?" Came the gruff voice of an annoyed mercenary.
Yuna looked up with a gasp. Her eyes of disbelief met with Squall's, as he stood tall over her with the Lionheart in hand resting on his shoulder. It appeared as if he didn't budge an inch from the impact. "Squall?"
The look she gave Squall made him a little uneasy. 'I don't like this. She is probably here to bitch about me being at the meeting.' "Yuna, I was about to head over to the headquarters…and…" He didn't get to finish his explanation.
Yuna didn't listen to anything he said as she promptly got to her feet. She stood in front of him and began to carefully check him for any injuries. She moved his arms and jacket around and even lifted his shirt to expose his abdomen. There wasn't a single scratch on him. Once she saw there was no harm done to him, she swiftly enveloped him in a tight embrace. The sound of his strong heartbeat sent a single tear of joy streaming down her cheek as she rested her head on his chest. 'Thank goodness you're alright.'
Squall gazed down at her with a raised eyebrow. He misread her again. He wasn't sure whether he'd ever met a more confusing woman. What she just did to him, he found to be very odd. It felt like his mother had been checking him for cuts and bruises. "…Oh. Yuna, is something wrong?"
"No, nothing at all. Everything is fine." Yuna released him from her arms but let her hands linger on his chest, rubbing it in circular motions. "I'm just glad you're safe." She smiled while she stared into his eyes, captivated by its piercing glamour. After a moment of blissful silence, without thinking about it, she started to slowly drift closer to him.
Squall thought she was going to hug him again, much to his annoyance.
Nothing was going thru Yuna's mind as she gradually positioned her arms around his neck, her eyes never leaving his. She was hopelessly lost in the moment. She pressed her ample bosom against his chest. She then began to stand on her toes, inching her face closer to his. When she closed her eyes and parted her lips, someone else showed up.
"Squally! There you are!" Rikku had finally arrived, shortly followed by Paine.
Quite suddenly Yuna returned to her senses with wide-opened eyes of shock, she realized her face was only a mere inch from his. So mortified, she froze in place still keeping him locked in her arms. She couldn't look away of him, even as the blush on her entire face intensified. When Yuna heard footsteps of someone approaching from behind, she swiftly took back her arms and moved away while hiding her embarrassment from everyone. 'WHAT WAS I ABOUT TO DO!?'
As Yuna stepped away, Rikku went up to Squall to show her relief. "I'm glad to see you're still in one piece. I was worried there for a while when I heard you went to the Den of Woe." She playfully swatted him on the shoulder continually, as she spoke.
Squall gave her a narrow look. "Stop that!" He voiced his irritation when he saw no end to the constant hitting.
Rikku felt a chill of fright and promptly ceased her hand's action. "…Sorry."
He looked at her for a few seconds more, until he finally looked away to fasten the gunblade. "Is that why you three are here?"
"…Um, yeah." Rikku said once she saw it was safe to speak again. "Paine told us where you were, so we all came running here because we thought you were in danger."
"Well it appears that you've wasted your time once again." Squall said flatly.
Rikku was a little bewildered by his uncaring attitude. 'He could show some gratitude.' But there was no point in arguing with him about it. "Did you even go into the cave? You don't have a scratch on you."
"Of course I did. That's the whole reason why I came here." He was becoming annoyed again. 'Why do these women keep on mentioning my physical condition?'
"Didn't you run into any trouble in there?" Paine had also thought he hadn't entered since he was unharmed.
"Just a few bothersome pyreflies." He dismissed it as if it were nothing.
Those same pyreflies, that were partially nothing to Squall, had claimed the lives of many. Most of the Crimson Squad candidates met their doom when the pyreflies within the cave possessed them body and mind. They were overwhelmed with feelings of despair and anger, causing them to go mad and turn on one another.
Paine still vividly remembered her nightmarish experience from the first time she entered the cave. The massacre she witnessed isn't something she can easily forget. For her to actually see someone like Squall, so unaffected by the pyreflies, was hard for her to believe. "Didn't they try to possess you?"
Squall shut his eyes for a moment in thought. "Yes. Something like that could have occurred. The pyreflies did try to do something to me, but whatever it was did not work. I guess they can't really do anything to you if you have enough willpower and mind control."
The girls were astonished by what they were hearing. Yuna, who was still mortified, hadn't worked up the courage to speak or even look at him yet. She just stood by and listened to everything that was said.
"However, that wasn't the strange part." Squall continued. "Afterward, they started gathering together in large numbers to form three fiends that resembled some of Spira's political leaders. I believe they were Nooj, Baralai, and Gippal."
"Those things actually appeared again!? We've encountered them as well." Rikku was somewhat infuriated by the revelation. After the pyreflies took over her body and almost claimed her life, those humanlike fiends showed up to try and do the same. What mostly angered her was one of the fiends was a copy of someone she deeply cared about.
"No matter what they were, they weren't a challenge at all. My whole expedition in the carven was a complete disappointment. I was expecting more from the infamous Den of Woe." Squall shook his head to show his dissatisfaction.
"But those fiends you're talking about are just as tough as the real ones. They even have the same skills." Paine countered.
That was news to him. "Really?! I guess I must've disposed of them too quickly to have noticed." He knew Nooj, Baralai, and Gippal were formidable warriors since his days as a Crusader and by the fact that they were candidates for the Crimson Squad.
'Who is this guy!?' Rikku was stunned again along with Paine. Even Yuna was as well, enough to forget what had happened before and she stared at him.
Now that Yuna was her normal self, she decided to address her concerns with what Squall had done. Discussing what transpired within the cave was too much to handle right now. "Squall, you did it again."
He turned to her and crossed him arms. "Did what?"
Yuna sighed and placed her hands on her hips. "You went out on your own without telling me and exposed yourself to danger."
"You're wrong. I told Paine where I was headed." The mercenary contradicted.
Yuna shook her head. "No. You should have told ME."
"Wrong again. Before, you've instructed me to inform 'someone' whenever I left, not you specifically." Squall countered.
"I DON'T CARE WHAT I SAID, YOU STILL HAVE TO TELL ME!" Yuna yelled at him and stomped her foot. She was beginning to get anger.
Squall ignored her outburst. "You also said I should use the commlink in an emergence. So now I'm asking you, why didn't you use the commlink before coming here?" He argued back.
Yuna was unfortunately stumped, she had completely forgotten. "…I…I was in such a rush to get here I…I forgot to." She struggled for an answer. 'Shit!' She just made a fool of herself in front of him once more. And to top it off, she lost another argument to him. At least this time she didn't yell at him as much.
"I see you're still as stubborn as ever. Refusing to listen to anything except the orders from your superiors." The new voice had caught everyone's attention. They turned to see Lucil giving Squall a rather hateful look.
He narrowed his eyes and returned the same look without saying a word.
Yuna felt a little out of place at the moment. She gazed back and forth between them trying to figure out what was going on. "Lucil…um…do you know Squall?"
"Regrettably, yes I do." Lucil nodded but didn't take her eyes off of him. "He is one bastard I wish I've never known."
'Bitch.' Squall angrily growled while baring some of his teeth. He had had enough of this place. He began walking away from the girls to leave the area, although he still had to go thru Lucil, who was standing in the way.
"Hey wait." Yuna tried to stop him, however he didn't pay attention and kept on walking. She then turned her anger to the other woman. "Lucil, how could you say such a mean thing? He…" Before she had the chance to say more, someone had stopped her by placing a hand on her shoulder.
"We should stay out of this. This isn't any of our business." Paine could see that something had happened between those two in the past. It was best for her to stay out of it and make sure Yuna did the same. The ex summoner had a tendency of sticking her nose where it doesn't belong.
Paine was right, but Yuna didn't like it. She hated not being able to do anything as she watched her dear friend being offended. 'Why did she have to say that about him?' Seeing Squall upset was hard on her.
Lucil do not look back at Squall when he walked past her and kept looking straight ahead. "I will allow you to conduct whatever business you have here, but afterward I expect you to leave and never return." She spoke to him in her most strict tone.
Squall didn't spare her a glance either. "You won't hear any arguments from me." He then went on his way. He didn't get very far before someone else showed up.
"Well, if it isn't Griever: the Black Lion of Carnage." The new arrival said with a slight smirk.
'Black lion?' Yuna was at a loss as to its significance and how it related to Squall.
'Squall is THE Griever!? That is not possible.' Paine evidently knew something about it but couldn't quite accept it as truth.
'Why do I have to hear that stupid name again?' His frustration was growing with every passing moment. First it was Yuna with her hugging and shouting, then his run in with Lucil, and now this. Squall looked at the man in front of him. "If it isn't Nooj: the Deathseeker." He returned the same greeting.
"I'm pleased to see that Elma's report of your presence here wasn't an exaggeration. I have to admit, I didn't quite believe it. You're one of the last people I ever excepted to see again." Nooj, with cane in hand, walked with a slight limp to get closer to his old acquaintance.
"Sorry to disappoint you." Squall sarcastically remarked.
Nooj was glad to see he still had his wit. "After the fall of Sin, I imagined you would disappear to some small corner of the world, never to be heard from again. Like a weapon of mass destruction in this time of peace"
"You're not completely wrong. For a while, I lived a very discrete life, staying under the radar. I did the odd job here and there to earn a living. Currently, I'm under the employment of the Gullwings." Squall despised talking about himself. He would only give out that kind of information to those he could tolerate.
"Really?" Nooj found that very interesting. 'Squall never voluntarily worked with a team before.'
Lucil's nails almost cut into her skin because of her tightly clenched fists. Her patience was wearing thin. Watching the honorable meyvn freely conversing with a treacherous scum like Squall was maddening. "Sir, I believe you have other, more pressing matters to attend to." She didn't make much of an attempt to hide the malice in her voice.
Nooj looked upon his right hand woman with a knowing eye. 'It seems Squall being here is opening up some old wounds.' "Yes, you're right." He then turned to the girls of the Gullwings. "Please accept my apologies for the long wait. If you'll follow me back to the base, we'll commence the meeting." There was no more time for pleasantries.
'No, not now!' Yuna had just lost another opportunity to learn more about the man that was a mystery to her. She would have gladly postponed the meeting in order to hear the rest of the conversation between the two men. At any rate, she had found two individuals that can answer some of her questions. As everyone else began to wonder off, she considered what had transpired. 'Why does Lucil hate Squall? And what was that black loin name about?' Those answers will just have to wait until later.
