26
Contingency Plan
Back at the inn, Biggs was playing the waiting game. They had little to do but rest as they prepared for their next move. At one end of the room, Kelling and Piet were holding a whispered discussion. At the other, Biggs and Hawkson spent their time playing cards, watching the goings-on outside the window or standing guard in silence. During the silences, Biggs had time to think about his situation.
Wedge was going to take care of things back home, or so he hoped. But at his end, he didn't know what to do. He couldn't very well stroll off without any explanation. Even if he could plausibly get away, there was still the problem of how to get to Seventh Heaven, explain his situation and return. He would have to return – without Kelling, he had no way of getting home again. The more Biggs thought about it, the more he didn't like the idea of sneaking off. The prospect of being caught filled him with fear.
A movement across the room distracted him; Piet and Kelling had got up. Piet slipped a hand inside his coat and drew out a heavy pistol.
Frowning, Kelling asked, "Are you sure this is really necessary?"
"I think it would be safer if you were armed, sir," said Piet firmly, shoving the pistol into Kelling's hands.
Biggs leaned against the wall and watched, trying to keep his expression blank. His boss held the pistol like it was a dead thing; it looked clumsy and heavy in his hand. Piet showed him how to hold and aim it, how to flick the safety catch on and off, how to load the gun.
"What's that for, sir?" Biggs asked, though he thought he knew the answer.
"Rufus Shinra carried a weapon on his person," said Kelling. "I shall do the same, just in case of trouble. I may not be an expert when it comes to using these things, but Shinra doesn't know that."
"We use every advantage we can," said Piet. "Speaking of which, do I have permission to carry out my little idea, sir?"
Kelling sighed. "Yes."
"Idea, sir?" Biggs asked.
"You'll find out soon enough," said Piet. Biggs knew better than to ask any more.
"Look, kid," said Cid, "we ain't got any more leads to go on."
"It's not fair," Denzel muttered, downcast. "There must be something."
Barret looked at him with pity in his eyes. "I'm sorry, Denzel. Maybe he got nothing to do with it anyway."
"He did!" Denzel insisted, eyes blazing at once. "I know he did! And anyway, he's a murderer, so he must have been bad."
Barret had gone over to Piet's apartment with Cait Sith after hearing Denzel's story, but all they had found there was a dead body. It made Denzel shiver to think of the poor prisoner, now just a corpse, lying blank-eyed on the floor. He didn't know who he was and now he might never find out.
Perched upon the kitchen table in the middle of them all, Cait Sith coughed.
"What?" Cid snapped.
"Got some news," said Cait Sith. "Would y'all like to hear?"
"Yes!" said Denzel and Marlene at the same time.
"Rufus Shinra says he has some very interesting information for ya."
"Shinra?" Barret growled. "What the hell does that son-of-a-bitch want?"
Cait Sith told them about Shinra's visitors. His cheery expression faltered when both Cid and Barret stood up and started yelling expletives at the same time.
"They were right there and the bastard let them go? What the hell is he playing at?"
"I don't trust no Shinra scum! Rufus is up to something and I'm gonna stop it!"
Normally, Barret would have controlled himself in front of Marlene, but even he seemed to have forgotten Marlene's presence in his rage. If Tifa had been there, she would have told them to tone down their language, Denzel reflected miserably. As it was, the shouting adults only increased his sense of how desperate their situation was.
Finally, Cait Sith had to yell into his megaphone to get them to calm down. He looked around, his black-and-white face uncharacteristically serious.
"Rufus told me that he's gonna meet Piet, Kelling and the other folks at the same time and place tomorrow. And we've all got a personal invitation. I'll be there – I mean, Reeve will, so even if you don't go, you can listen in through me."
"I want to go," said Denzel at once.
"No," said Barret.
"But-"
"You're not going, so don' even try. Me an' Cid'll pay Shinra a call. 'Bout time I got a look round their fancy new headquarters."
His dismissive attitude made Denzel clench his teeth. He climbed on top of his chair, so he was at head height with Barret, and glared at him. "You're not my father, you can't tell me what to do!"
"Damn straight I can! You're already in trouble for sneaking off with Cait Sith, boy. Tifa'd have my ass if I let you get in any more trouble – you're staying here and that's final."
Denzel sat back down but his heart was simmering with resentment. Cid had watched the proceedings with raised eyebrows, chewing on a cigarette he wasn't allowed to light. There were rules in Cloud and Tifa's house and Denzel knew that Barret was right to uphold them but it didn't prevent him from casting a mutinous look at Barret anyway.
"Good luck, Papa," Marlene whispered.
Barret smiled, softening at once, and hugged his daughter.
"All right, kids," said Cid in a bored voice. "Go and play now. Barret and I got stuff to discuss."
Cait Sith hopped off the table, ready to play the role of babysitter again, and Marlene disentangled herself from her foster father's arms, but Denzel didn't move until she took his hand. The expression in her eyes clearly told him that he should give this one up. Sighing, he allowed himself to be led away, casting one final look at Barret and Cid still standing around the kitchen.
"You got spirit, kid," said Cid. "But you're too young for all this."
Too young. More than ever, Denzel missed Cloud. Cloud had always taken him seriously, treated him like an equal – with respect. He was more like a big brother than a father figure. Damn you, Cloud. Why do all the people I love have to disappear?
The curfew had gone by and they were still waiting for Yuffie. Tifa sipped a mug of hot chocolate, while Cloud gazed into the distance, thinking. He had long since exhausted the possibilities for Yuffie's absence – she was often late, but if she decided to pull an all-nighter he'd have a few choice words to say to her. His thoughts turned to home. Yuffie had once looked after the kids while Cloud and Tifa went out for the night. They had returned to find the kids still up, faces flushed from high doses of sugary snacks. Apparently Yuffie had 'forgotten' to put them to bed.
He wished he was there now, so that he could wish the kids good night. Tifa said they slept better when he was there. They took it in turns to say good night – a hug and a kiss on Marlene's forehead, a brief chat and a ruffle of Denzel's hair. It was bizarre for him at first. He felt like a fraud as a father – surely he couldn't really be up to all this dad stuff. Often he still felt like a kid himself. And it wasn't as though he had anything to go on – he had grown up without a father in the house, which probably explained a lot – so he didn't know how to behave. He had to keep looking to Tifa for reassurance – am I doing this right?
He focused his gaze on Tifa in front of him. She had finished her drink, but her head was bent down. Even her silence was comforting. Without her, he had been floundering alone in this world – despite Yuffie's best efforts, there had been moments when he hadn't known what the right thing to do was. Tifa brought everything into clear focus.
She looked up at him and smiled, but her eyes were troubled.
"What's up?" he asked softly.
"I'm thinking about Denzel and Marlene."
"Me too."
"Do you think they're all right?"
"They'll be fine with Barret."
"I know… Did you know that all the children here are orphans?"
He looked at her quizzically.
"Not just the children. All the children who've grown up – Squall, Selphie, Irvine, Quistis. Made orphans by a war, and then brought up to fight in battle… Now they're teaching the younger children to fight too."
He understood. Parentless students were being brought up by parentless adults. "You mean, a cycle…"
"Yes. And do you remember how Denzel asked you to teach him to use a sword?"
He nodded.
"I don't want him to fight, Cloud. He shouldn't have to. Didn't we fight so that others could live in peace?"
"It's not always that simple."
"I wish it were." She sighed. "I used to think that if Shinra weren't around, everything would be so much better. This world is so different, but it has all the same problems. It's kind of depressing."
"I think they're connected."
It was Tifa's turn to look puzzled.
"I'll show you." He stood up and went over to the window, beckoning her. As she joined him, he put one arm around her while the other pulled back the curtains. Gazing upwards, he could see a large patch of night sky in between the Garden structure. A few stars twinkled.
"Do you see that? It's the same sky. The stars are the same."
Tifa gazed upwards wonderingly. He looked at her and was struck all over again by her beauty. He was transported back to a night almost ten years ago: Tifa's shining dark eyes, the cool air against his skin, the promise they made under the stars. He had forgotten many things but the stars that night still burned in his memory.
She turned to him, her eyes shining with the light of those stars. "What does it mean?"
"Man, look at you two. Get a room already."
Startled, they turned as one to see Yuffie framed in the doorway, grinning at them.
"We are in a room," said Cloud.
Yuffie slammed the door shut and sauntered towards them, tossing a materia from one hand to the other. "Yeah, yeah, smarty pants." She flopped down at the table. "I'm beat."
"You're back late," said Tifa. "Where have you been?"
"Oh, y'know, here and there. Where're Vince and Red?"
"They got tired of waiting for you, so they retired."
Yuffie yawned hugely. "Hey, I found out something really interesting today. There are these things called draw points – they're like sources of magic. I'm getting tired of not being able to zap anything, so I figured, how about I junction a GF thingamabob? Everyone else here does it so it can't be that hard. I wanna see if I can use the magic here – imagine, all those spells, just lying around waiting to be absorbed! So I told Seifer to show me but he said he doesn't have access to GFs right now – Selphie does though and I know she'll totally be up for a little experimentation so I'm gonna meet her tomorrow morning for breakfast and before you know it, I'll be going pow zing pow! and it might even be better than materia 'cause it goes straight into your mind and you can carry as many as you can remember, no messing about with slots or pockets, which means I'll be kicking so much ass I'd blow away Sephiroth like a-"
She said all this without pausing for breath until Cloud interrupted her. "Yuffie!"
"What?"
He glared at her.
"Oh." Yuffie hastily stood up. "Privacy. Yeah. Never mind about my scintillating story."
"I'm sure we'll hear about it in the morning," said Tifa. Cloud was able to detect the tiny note of sarcasm in her voice, but Yuffie seemed oblivious.
"Yeah!" She leapt up. "Night, suckers!"
And, like a whirlwind, she was gone.
"I think she's starting to channel Seifer," said Tifa.
"I can't really tell the difference."
She chuckled. "Come on, then. We should sleep."
It was only later, when Tifa was breathing softly beside him and the hazy throes of sleep were beginning to overtake him, that he remembered their conversation had gone unfinished.
"Are you sure you want to talk to me?" Seifer asked. "Squall might have something to say about that."
They were in Rinoa's room; he had walked her up after encountering her in the library and she had invited him in. Seifer was lounging on the window seat. He had dislodged all the cushions. Soft lamplight, soft cushions and soft curtains formed a backdrop all around him; he looked like a figure in a portrait. Sitting with her elbows on the dressing table, Rinoa looked up at him through her hair.
"What do you mean?"
He told her what Squall had said to him.
Rinoa shook her head, frustrated. "I don't believe him; I thought we'd been through this. I hang around with Irvine more than I do you, and you know what Irvine's like. But that doesn't bother Squall."
"Well, Irvine knows that Squall'll snap his neck if he tries anything."
She laughed.
"I wasn't joking," said Seifer darkly.
"Oh, come on!" she said. "Anyway, Squall said he'd make you a SeeD after this mission, didn't he?"
"The mission's not over; it was aborted."
"As soon as we find out where the portal is, we'll all go," said Rinoa. "You'll be part of the team."
"Rinoa, I'm never part of a team."
"Yes, you are. Because I want you there. Or isn't that good enough for you?"
He shot her a piercing look. "Let me ask you something. Do you ever feel out of place here? Do you ever feel that something's not right – that you're only doing what other people expect from you instead of following your true path?"
"I – I don't know," she said, flustered. "Isn't it enough to be with your friends?"
"You can change your friends," said Seifer dismissively. "The only thing you can't change is your own nature. I think I've realised that… I don't want to be a SeeD. It's not for me."
Her eyes widened. "But… Seifer… all this time, the training you did, the exams…"
"I've got happy memories of this place," he went on. "Messing around with Fujin and Raijin, skiving off class, even all the fights I got into with Squall as a kid. I came back to try and recapture that but too much has happened; it ain't the same. Everyone around me is moving on – hell, Rinoa, you're getting married soon, it's crazy – and I'm still stuck here pretending to be a student. I need to move on."
"So… you're leaving?"
"Not yet. I'll finish this mission first and then I'll leave."
She sat still for a moment, stunned. "Wow."
She had grown used to Seifer being around – she had encouraged him to stay, to make amends, because despite everything that had happened between them, she believed that Seifer was fundamentally a good person. And he had seemed to be doing so well. He'd settled in, he'd received high marks in most of his classes; he'd even managed to have several civil conversations with Squall without either of them trying to kill the other.
"I don't understand," she said. "Why now? When you're so close – why leave as soon as you've achieved what you need to become a SeeD?"
"That's the best thing about it, Rinoa! I'll prove that I can do it. I'll get that promotion, but I won't take it. I can do better than that… I can move on to higher things, find myself a new dream. That's what we all want, ain't it? A dream to follow. Have you got yours here?"
The question surprised her. She answered in the only way she could think of. "I've got Squall."
"Yeah. Let me know how that works out."
She nodded. "Yeah! Write to me, won't you – and let me know how things work out for you."
"Gotcha."
He stood up, and she stood up too, walking over to the door to show him out. When he'd gone, she thought, My God. I think I'll miss him.
The nightly vigil was quiet. In any vibrant city, Biggs would expect the night to be full of party-goers and drinkers, of young people out to have fun and older people trying to recapture their youth. But not here, or at least not in this part of Edge. Perhaps it was the dismal atmosphere. Rain drizzled in fits and starts. But on the few occasions he drifted over to the window, all he saw was the odd drunk.
Close to midnight, the door connecting their two rooms opened and closed with a faint snick. Biggs tensed. The shadowy figure of Piet paused to straighten his long black gloves. He was wearing a dark cloak and boots. Without glancing at Biggs, he walked towards the exit.
"What are you doing?" Biggs asked.
Piet turned and smiled coldly. "Contingency plan."
He pulled the dark hood over his head and swept away.
Rinoa had barely been alone for ten minutes when Squall came in. She looked up, startled.
"Oh! Are you having an early night for once?"
Squall nodded and pulled off his jacket. "I need the sleep. It'll be a long day tomorrow."
She watched him undress, feeling pensive. He took care to fold all of his clothes and stack them neatly on the window seat. He was so anal retentive about it that he'd noticed when she'd shifted a sock forty five degrees out of place. She'd teased him all day about that. Seifer had been much more like she had expected a guy to behave – he used to toss his clothes all over the floor and sometimes random pieces of furniture too. She smiled nostalgically as she remembered how in the mornings they'd wake up in a warm haze, the hot sun seeping through the curtains, half the bed sheets trailing over the floor–
Stop it, Rinoa, she told herself firmly. He hasn't even gone yet and already you're getting all misty-eyed.
"I passed Seifer in the elevator just now," said Squall, distracting her. "Did he come up here?"
Blushing a little, she shrugged. "I don't know, I haven't seen him."
Squall didn't pursue the matter, to her relief. He went into the bathroom and she decided to get changed too. By the time he returned, Rinoa had dimmed the lamplight, changed into her nightdress (a different one; she had thrown away the blood spattered one) and got into bed, plumping up the pillows behind her. She liked pillows and cushions. Squall didn't. They compromised by Rinoa hogging most of the pillows on her side and Squall sticking with one on his side. She fluffed it up for him anyway.
As he began to climb into bed, she held out her arms. "Bedtime hug."
"I'm tired, Rinoa."
"Bedtime hug."
He sighed, turned towards her and she hugged him happily. She nuzzled his cheek and then whispered into his ear.
"So where are we going tomorrow?"
"I'm going to speak to Arin tomorrow morning. If we don't have any new leads, we'll probably go out to the city in pairs and see what we can find."
"The two of us, on foot? Wow, that'll almost be like a date!"
Squall shifted irritably. "What? No. You can stay here."
"Squall! Do I have to fight tooth and claw whenever I want to do anything?"
He sighed. "Sorry… It's just…For all we know, this might be exactly what they want. They might be hiding, waiting for you to come out into the open-"
"I don't think so. They wouldn't stand a chance, not when I'm prepared. Not even Cloud."
He made a small noise of dissent, but she continued talking. "Remember Edea? She deflected bullets, she knew they were coming. I'm learning too. I made a shield that night Cloud attacked me."
"You looked so scared," he said softly.
"I was. I know it's not safe – it'll never be safe out there, not for a Sorceress. But…"
"But sometimes you have to take a risk."
"Yeah. You do it all the time – all the SeeDs do. Why do you do that?"
"Because it's our job."
"Because it's your duty. And we have a duty to help. We'll put things in this world right again, and get Cloud and Tifa and everyone back where they belong so that they can put things right in their world."
"You're so hopelessly naïve, you know that?"
"And you're so cynical. But I love you anyway." She smiled and kissed him on the cheek. "Nighty night!"
He reached across and turned out the light. His voice reached her through the darkness. "Good night."
Denzel was dreaming about his foster parents again. Cloud was on his motorcycle with Tifa sitting behind him, her arms wrapped around his waist. The engine revved.
"Wait!" Denzel shouted. "Don't go!"
But the noise of the engine drowned out his cry. A roar, a cloud of dust, and they had gone. Desperately, he ran, but the smooth road turned into mud around his feet – the mud clung to his legs, holding him back – he couldn't run, he couldn't even take another step–
A cold hand clamped down on his face. Instantly, Denzel woke; for a panicked moment, he thought the dream had come true; he couldn't move, there was something holding him–
Cold air, cold leather. Denzel thrashed, tried to scream, but he couldn't – he couldn't breathe, he couldn't see; the gloved hand pressed upon his face and someone was lifting him up. He kicked out and felt his foot connect with something fleshy – a leg or a stomach, but his assailant didn't falter.
Panic clawed at him – he didn't know which way was up and which way was down anymore; all he knew was that he had to get air. He struggled wildly to no avail and felt the despair of his own weakness. Just a kid. No air. Not even strong enough to fight for his breath. He couldn't… he couldn't…
When Yuffie got up before dawn, there had to be an ulterior motive. "Where are you going?" Nanaki asked.
Yuffie froze at the door. No doubt she had thought her sneaking around would go completely undetected, as befitted an expert ninja, but Nanaki's ears and nose were better than that.
"Uh, breakfast," she said.
"This early?"
"Got a problem with that, kitty cat?"
The insult didn't bother him. Yawning, he got up and stretched. After sleeping on the hard floor for what remained of the night, Nanaki's muscles were aching.
"I'll come with you."
Yuffie scrunched up her face in displeasure. "Oh, all right."
"It wasn't a request."
"What, you wanna follow me around like some kinda guard dog?"
"I want to know what you're up to."
She huffed. Nanaki slipped through the door and into the corridor. Shrugging, Yuffie set off after him.
"If you've gotta be so nosy, I'm meeting Selphie. She's gonna show me how to junction a GF."
Nanaki was intrigued. He had suspicions about how this would work out – ideas that he had told no one about yet. Out of all of them, he was the one who felt most keenly the displacement from his own world. It wasn't only the uncomfortable floor that made it difficult for him to sleep. Hunger also gnawed at him. The others didn't know, but he hadn't eaten at all since he'd arrived. The self-imposed fasting was beginning to have an effect. He loped after Yuffie, feeling slightly faint, the corridor walls pressing around him.
When they reached the open interior of Balamb Garden's ground floor, he felt somewhat relieved. Unfortunately, Yuffie led him straight into the cafeteria, a place he had thus far avoided, and there all manner of smells greeted him.
Selphie was already there. "Yuffie!" she squealed, throwing her arms around the girl. "I've already ordered us a cooked breakfast – perk of being a SeeD." She winked, before turning to Nanaki. "Oh, Red – I'm so sorry, I wasn't expecting you – do you want me to order you something too? The cooks will be super duper quick, I promise!"
Nanaki shook his head, not trusting himself to speak. The smells drifting from the kitchen were making his mouth water and his stomach turn simultaneously.
"He'll go catch a rat later or something," said Yuffie. She was clearly thinking of her own stomach.
They settled down at a table with long leather seats, so that Nanaki could sit next to Yuffie without too much trouble. The rest of the cafeteria was deserted. It was a Saturday. No one else was up yet. The meal arrived quickly – a proper cooked breakfast: crispy bacon, sausages, tomatoes, fried eggs and toast. He was forced to watch Selphie and Yuffie tucking in enthusiastically. To distract himself, Nanaki began licking a forepaw.
"Are you sure you don't want anything?" Selphie asked. Her bright green eyes watched him in concern. "Sausage?" She wafted a forkful of sausage in front of his nose.
Feeling quite sick and hoping they didn't notice, Nanaki shook his head. "No, thank you."
"Anyway," said Yuffie, who had finished the ravenous shoving-food-in-mouth stage and was now eating the rest of her meal with the restraint more appropriate for a lady of Wutai, "do you have a GF junctioned right now, Selphie?"
Selphie nodded. "Uh huh."
"So can I junction one? How do you do it?"
"Normally it takes a bit of training. You've gotta prepare your mind to contain one. Some people take to it naturally though. I can try linking you. Squall, Rinoa, Zell, Quistis, Irvine and me – we're all linked together to our circle of GFs. 'Cause our minds are linked, we can switch GFs and spells quick as you like."
"A mind link? Does that mean you can read each other's thoughts?" Yuffie looked alarmed.
And she would be, Nanaki thought dryly. Thieves and liars wouldn't get anywhere if their minds could be read.
"No, no," said Selphie reassuringly. "All the link allows is for us to share magic. I've got Siren and Shiva junctioned right now – do you wanna try…?" She broke off, looking puzzled.
Both Nanaki and Yuffie sat bolt upright at the mention of Shiva. They looked at each other, and despite their vast differences both in species and personality, Nanaki knew that in that moment, they understood each other.
"Shiva?" said Yuffie. "Shiva exists in our world too!"
"Or a version of Shiva," Nanaki murmured, but neither of the girls heeded him.
"Really? That's so bizarre! Maybe she'll recognise you!"
"Maybe," said Yuffie. She swallowed her last piece of toast and gulped down her drink, before wiping her mouth. "Let's try it!"
Their breakfast finished, both Selphie and Yuffie stood up.
"We shouldn't use any magic in the cafeteria," said Selphie. "I'll show you the draw point – outside."
"Draw point?" Nanaki asked.
"You'll see. Follow me!"
They walked down the white steps, stopping within sight of the front gate. Bands of gold and pink stretched across the lightening sky, but the shadows were thick. Yuffie shivered a little in the crisp air.
"Here it is!" Selphie bent down next to the low wall which separated the dewy grass from the steps.
Hugging her body to keep herself warm, Yuffie crouched down too, with Red XIII at her shoulder. She squinted.
"I don't see anything."
"Right here, look." Selphie reached out her hand. A surge of pale pink light flared up her arm, dispersing the shadows for a second. Both Yuffie and Red recoiled in shock.
"Ugh, that stinks!" said Yuffie.
Red was backing away, his hackles raised. The acrid stench was vile to her – she couldn't imagine how much worse it must be for him with his sensitive nose. But she could see the draw point now, still faintly sparkling, like a pink fountain. Curiously, she reached out her hand…
"Don't touch it!"
Yuffie dropped her hand to her knee, startled. "Why not?"
"It'll burn. That stuff is like Mako."
Selphie looked at them both, bewildered. "Mako?"
"What do you mean, Mako? It looks nothing like Mako!" Yuffie got to her feet and glared down at Red XIII. "It doesn't even smell like Mako and you ought to know!"
"I said like Mako," said Red patiently. "Clearly this world has its own Lifestream. The spirit energy in this draw point must be a source of magic."
Yuffie wasn't stupid. She had a good idea of what the implications of Red's theory were. But she was annoyed that her attempt to use magic had once again been thwarted, so she answered sullenly, "So?"
"So it's alien to us. You can't draw on alien spirit energy."
"Do you mean our magic is like incompatible or something?" Selphie asked, her brow still furrowed.
Red nodded.
Sighing, Yuffie got up and backed away from the stench of the draw point. She felt deflated, crushed, and the sense of how much she missed home, the world where she truly belonged, returned to her. She sucked in a breath, and then held it, suddenly aware that she was breathing in alien air. Everything was different, in ways she didn't know how to articulate – it was the essence of all the life around her. Red looked at her, and for once he was the only creature who seemed right to her eyes. They were made of the same stuff in a way that Selphie, human though she might be, wasn't.
"Look!" said Selphie.
Startled, Yuffie tore her eyes away from Red, over towards the gate where Selphie was pointing. A short figure was jogging up the steps, dragging another figure in tow.
"Zell!"
Selphie rushed forward to greet the newcomer. Yuffie and Red hung back curiously. Zell grinned, contorting the tattoo which covered one half of his face.
"I'm back, baby!" His gloved hands shook the arm of the other man, a soldier dressed in the familiar blue Galbadian uniform. "Look who I captured, trying to sneak in!"
Selphie stopped short as she regarded the prisoner.
"No, sir, I wasn't trying to sneak in, I swear!" the prisoner protested.
That voice, thought Yuffie. It sounds familiar…
"I'm gonna take him to Squall," said Zell, puffing up his chest importantly.
"Wait!" said the prisoner. "Yuffie – it's me, Wedge! I've got something important to tell you."
As soon as Zell and Selphie had reported to him, Squall called a hasty meeting with Cloud in his office. Cloud looked more excited than he had ever seen him, as they listened to Wedge's story.
"An abandoned missile base…" said Cloud. "How long will it take to get there?"
"There are no trains that go that way now," Squall replied. "If you drive, it'll take about four or five hours. You'll have to go prepared – we can have vehicles ready for you in a couple of hours."
But Wedge was shaking his head. "There's no time. If you want to get home, you have to go to the missile base straight away!"
Cloud had been pacing around; he now stopped to face Wedge. "Why?"
"Because of what Kelling's planning to do…" He explained the situation. Cloud's face became grave. He turned to Squall.
"We have to stop him."
Squall nodded. "If we don't get to the portal before Kelling brings through more people from your side, this whole mess will become even worse."
"But can we get there in time?"
Squall hesitated for a moment before making his mind up. He nodded again and picked up the phone on his desk. "Go and collect everyone," he said to Cloud. "Tell them to meet me on the bridge immediately." He pressed the call button.
Xu answered at once. "Yes?"
"Xu, I want you and everyone assigned to the other world mission on the bridge right now. We have a destination in sight and we're good to go. Prepare Garden for departure."
"You're going to like this," Selphie promised.
Tifa smiled as they stepped out of the elevator. Their group was so big they'd had to take it in turns. First Zell and Xu had gone up to the bridge with Vincent, Red XIII, Wedge and a rather less than well-presented Irvine, who had been dragged out of bed by Xu. Then Selphie led the next group, which consisted of Cloud, Yuffie, Seifer and Tifa herself.
They were on the second floor, which was as high as Tifa had been. But Selphie took them straight past the door which led into Squall's office. They reached the end of the corridor – seemingly a dead end, but for the square platform which Selphie hopped onto. She indicated for them to do the same, and then with a whirring noise, the platform moved upwards.
Tifa was unprepared for the sight which met her. They had emerged into open air – she squinted as her eyes adjusted to the sudden change in light. The sun's brilliant rays shone down from a vivid blue sky. A fresh gust of wind blew into her face, refreshing after the close atmosphere inside the elevator. They were on a large platform – the bridge, on the very top of Balamb Garden. A man in a SeeD uniform stood by what seemed to be a control panel, in the centre of which was a very long lever. Squall was conversing with him in a low voice.
Meanwhile, the others were all looking over the edge of the wide platform, transfixed by the view. Tifa leaned against the white railing to see for herself. Beneath the curve of that bluest of skies lay the land: rolling fields, flat plains, a haze of green. And in the distance, a faint blue sparkle she thought was the sea.
Next to her, Rinoa turned and smiled. Her face seemed transported, cheeks flushed and her hair blowing about in the wind. "Don't you feel like you can fly?"
Tifa gazed at that sparkle, feeling irresistibly drawn towards it. "Yes."
"Attention!"
Xu's sharp voice broke off their conversation. She was speaking into an intercom which magnified her voice.
"All Balamb Garden students, staff and faculty: Commander Squall Leonhart is about to make a very important announcement. Please listen carefully and pass this message on to any members who cannot hear this right now." She paused, looking at Squall, before handing him the intercom.
"Hello there…" said Squall awkwardly. He didn't seem the type to enjoy making long speeches, Tifa thought. He looked rather uncomfortable. But as he went on, he seemed to get into his stride. "This is Squall speaking. As you may know, we've recently had foreign visitors to Balamb Garden. They would very much like to go home. And we're going to take them home. That's why, in five minutes, we'll be taking off. Garden is going to leave Caraway City a day earlier than planned. If you know anyone who has used their time off to go into the city, please let them know. Don't worry. We'll come back tomorrow to collect everyone. Meanwhile, please do not under any circumstances attempt to leave Garden. All flight rules apply. Our destination is the abandoned missile base in the Galbadian desert. SeeDs will be despatched around the Garden perimeter to protect us from possible hostile forces. The rest of you, please stay inside the building. You will not be permitted to go outside once we arrive. Our stay should be brief. Classes will go on as normal. That's all." He switched off the intercom.
There was a pause as this sunk in.
"We're taking off?" said Tifa.
Squall nodded. He turned to the man beside him. "Nida, are you ready?"
"Ready to go, sir."
They all felt the slight judder. Tifa grabbed for the railing and looked down, her heart beating fast. Below her, the glowing ring which surrounded Balamb Garden had begun to spin. An excited murmur arose from her friends. Wedge was standing with his mouth agape. She could hear a faint whistling as the speed of the ring increased – the whole building felt poised, ready to move. And Nida was ready to start the acceleration…
Rinoa went back to stand with Squall and Cloud took her place next to her. They looked at each other with identical expressions and she felt a thrill of exhilaration. It was like being on the Highwind when they had first flown on it – high, high into the sky, so high that she felt that she could escape from the Shinra-stained world altogether. But the sheer scale of this moving academy was something she had never imagined.
Above the babble and the rising noise of the concentric rings, Yuffie's voice rang out.
"This thing moves? Oh my gawd! I heard it, but I didn't actually believe it-"
She shrieked in mid-sentence as the entire bridge shook, throwing them all off-balance. Tifa stumbled against Cloud, who caught her, and she leaned against his shoulder. Nida heaved his whole body forward to push the lever, and slowly, like a gigantic behemoth, Balamb Garden began to move.
The others were talking – Squall giving instructions to Nida, Selphie chattering excitedly, Seifer attempting to reason with Yuffie – but the rising wind whipped away their words before she could hear them. She and Cloud leaned against each other, feeling their hearts beat as one, looking out to the horizon. They were gaining speed, the land rushing below in a miasma of shadow and light.
"It's so beautiful," said Tifa. She felt like they were antelopes galloping across the plain, so swiftly and lightly did Garden glide.
"We're flying home," said Cloud. For a moment, they were encapsulated in a world of their own: two birds in a bright blue sky, the wind carrying them home.
Reality had its way of puncturing holes in her imagination, however, as Yuffie brought her back to earth with a groan. "I'm gonna puke!"