Meanwhile, Seifer concentrated and a large spike of ice thrust up and through the body of the colossal purple beast known worldwide as a behemoth. With barely a whimper, it collapsed sideways and fell to the ground.

"Aww Seifer!" Raijin used his staff as a crook to support his not inconsiderable weight, his bottom lip stuck out in a childish expression of disappointment. "I wanted to card that beast, ya know?"

"Dammit, Shut up!" Seifer whirled on Raijin, a fierce grimace on his face. "You've been bitching this entire time and if I may be quite honest, it's beginning to grate, ya know!? So stop acting like such a damn baby!"

Raijin's bottom lip shot back in like a cash register drawer. They had been treading through rubble outside the old pub near Winhill Mansion. "Hey, where's Fujin?" Raijin shielded his eyes from the glare of the high noon sun and then pointed. Fujin had trod carefully over to a pile of rubble, and was stood on it as steadily as if she were on solid ground, looking out to the hills.

"SHINY." She rasped.

"What?" Seifer approached and strained to see whatever it was she was seeing. "I can't see anything."

Fujin pointed at what she was looking at. "THERE."

Seifer followed her finger. Sure enough just off to the right of a small forest, at the base of the mountains, something was glinting brightly as the sun caught it.

"Hold on, there's nothing artificial in that area, it's all just forests and plains."

"Think something's there?" Raijin asked, sidling over.

"Yeah... I think there just might." Seifer was grinning.

"GO?"

"I think so. Let's get moving."

"This is Rinoa calling Squall. Come in. Repeat this is Rinoa calling Squall. Are you there?"

Squall pulled out the communicator and spoke into it. "This is Squall. What's the problem?"

Rinoa's hand twisted at a rogue strand of black hair. "Selphie and Irvine. They said they'd be back in sixty minutes and if they weren't, then I should radio you to tell you, so I did."

Damn, this day just gets worse and worse.

"Okay. We're done with the last sweep. While we head back, call Garden and request that they send some soldiers through to continue the search."

"Acknowledged, Squall." There was a click as she cut the communications link.

"Right, guys. Let's head back."

Zell smashed his fist into his open palm in frustration, but said nothing. Quistis merely started to walk in the direction of the Ragnarok.

When Selphie awoke, she went to rub the sleep from her eyes. Her hands felt unusually heavy. She kept her eyes closed instead. Her head was thumping a steady rhythm of pain.

Ouch. She thought groggily. What happened. One glass of wine too many? No, hang on. Oh Hyne, I remember now. We were on a mission... we spotted Galbadians... and... We got caught and knocked out. Nuts.

Her eyes opened wide, and she looked at her hand, which she now realised was shackled to a cold, black metal wall, low enough so she could sit down and with chains long enough that she could use her arms freely but not escape. Harsh strip lighting illuminated a room, which was all too familiar. Oh, balls. I'm never in the D-District Prison again! Wait. Where's Irvine? Ooh, my head.

Selphie experimentally pulled away from the wall. No such luck as for her to be bound with rusty and weakened shackles. She was beginning to panic. Where's Irvine? He must be close...

"Irvine!" She called. There was no answer. Oh, Hyne, what if something happened to him? What if he tried to put up a fight? That's just the sort of thing he'd do... What if they're torturing him for info like they did to Squall? What if, what if...

A tear rolled down her cheek.

There was a light scraping from outside the heavy door for a second, and it slid open to reveal a squat but lean lion-like creature holding a tray. "Laguna!" It said.

It padded over and put the food down in front of Selphie. Then it regarded her critically, sniffed at her once or twice, let out a large squeaky growl/purr and jumped up and down, clapping it's massive paws together. "Laguna! Laguna, laguna, laguna!"

"Hmm?" Selphie looked the Moomba over quizzically and then it dawned on her. "Have we met?" The moomba nodded furiously, its orange spiky mane flying every which way.

"Here?" Again the evolved Shumi made with the furious nods.

"Hey..." Said Selphie. "...Have you seen a guy with a brown pony-tail and a trenchcoat?"

The moomba stuck a clawed thumb upwards.

"Is he okay?"

This time the thumb went down, accompanied by a small whimper.

"Oh, Hyne... Is he alive?"

Nod.

"But in bad shape, right?"

Nod, nod.

"Will he be okay, do you think?"

A pause, then a thumbs up.

"Could you please take care of him?"

Nod.

The moomba took a cautious look outside the door, and went to look at Selphie's chains. Selphie watched it. She had no doubt that it would be able to break those chains. She'd read about moombas. They were apparently extremely strong, but so docile that they weren't enough of a danger to humans to be classified as a monster. The same applied for chocobos. They were so tough that monsters wouldn't dream of attacking them, so that made them the safest land transport around.

The moomba apparently had found an ideal weak spot in the chain and had just raised its paw to deliver a chop to it, when Selphie hissed "Stop!"

"Laguna?"

"Don't free me. Squall and the others will be along soon to rescue me and Irvine soon, so don't get in trouble for no reason, okay?"

"Laguna..."

"Trust me. Just come back to visit now and again, okay?"

"La... Laguna!" It hopped away from the chains, scampered out of the door and with a final wave, slid the door shut again.

Selphie smiled to herself. Squall will come and save us... won't he?