Chapter Thirteen
Brian's Treat
The Winhill Massacre
Mishima Takes a Bath
The Unmasking of a Spy
Selphie woke up and glancing around the room observed Brian must have already arisen since his bed was empty. She decided to forego showering, as she had taken one the previous evening and also because she felt the need to dress quickly since Brian was already up.
Arising from the bed, Selphie padded across the room and pulled out her one clean pair of underwear from her knapsack. "Darn!" she thought, "I forgot to do laundry yesterday." Pulling her panties up quickly, she reached over and picked up her yellow dress and just had it poised over her head to slip on, when the door open and Brian entered the room!
Standing half nude attired only in her panties, Selphie snarled at the frozen figure of Brian who appeared to be mesmerized by the sight of her bare breasts. "Don't you ever knock?"
Brian quickly retreated closing the door. Selphie, blushing furiously, thought "Geez! I hope Rinoa doesn't hear about this."
When Selphie finally went downstairs after doing her makeup and hair, she discovered Zone and Watts waiting. She noticed Brian was refusing to make eye contact with her.
"Serves him right!" Selphie thought.
Watts bowed and explained, "We were wondering if you and your comrade would like to travel with us to Winhill? We're continuing to search for our missing members."
Selphie glanced at Brian to ascertain what he thought of the invitation, but since he was still refusing eye contact she decided to hell with it and replied, "We'd love to."
"But Selphie." Brian finally looked at her. "What if Zell and them come back?"
Selphie answered, "Then they'll come here and Sayoko will tell them where we are and they'll wait. Isn't that right?" asked Selphie nodding at the Forest Fox leader.
"Yes, I'll be here."
Selphie glanced at Watts, since she was attempting to avoid the adoring expression on Zone's face and asked, "But how are we going to get there? There are no trains that run to Winhill."
"That's a surprise," Watts answered.
"Come on outside and we'll show you" explained Zone.
Once they were outside, Selphie observed two 750cc Deling City Special motorcycles resting on their kickstands. "Oh wow!" Selphie exclaimed. She realized the Deling City Special was the best motorcycle manufactured. "Where did you get those?" she asked.
"We have our ways," answered Zone mysteriously.
"Do you still want to go?" Watts asked.
"Of course" Selphie exclaimed, but Brian asked, "Aren't these things dangerous?"
Watts answered, "In the hands of a skilled driver, they're no more dangerous than an automobile."
Selphie snapped at Brian, "If you're frightened, stay here."
Brian flushed and answered, "I'm not scared. I'll go."
"Good" Watts replied, while mounting one of the motorcycles and lifting up the kickstand with his left foot.
Zone started the second motorcycle and naturally insisted Selphie be the one to ride behind him. After Selphie swung her leg over the back of the bike and sat down, Zone adjusted her hands across his chest and started the engine. The vibrating of the huge motorcycle, which Selphie was hugging with her thighs to maintain her balance, was physically exciting to her.
After Brian climbed on behind Watts who had started his bike, Zone gave Watts thumbs up and they roared down the main street and out of Timber
Squall didn't know how long he had been there or what time it was or even what day it was when they came to interrogate him. The first thing he realized he was being flung off his bunk, where he had finally fallen asleep exhausted. Squall looked up from the cell floor to perceive an extremely tall man wearing a black mask that covered his eyes and the bridge of his nose.
"What's this?" Squall asked, "Some kind of costume party?"
The man drew back his right foot covered by a large black military boot and planted it hard into Squall's ribs causing him extreme pain, because of the previous beating he had recently experienced and literally knocking the breath out of him. "Take care, boy," the man replied. "Keep a civil tongue in your head, if you wish to live to see tomorrow."
As Squall lay gasping for breath, the tall man squatted athletically resting on his toes, picked up Squall's head by his hair and explained, "I'm seeking information. Do you suppose you can help me?"
Squall managed to answer in a raspy voice. "Depends on what you want to know."
The man viciously slammed Squall's face into the cell floor causing him literally to see stars and almost passing out from the blow to his forehead. The man arose and retorted, "I already advised you to keep a civil tongue in your head. I don't believe you're listening to me. Tomorrow I will return and I won't be nearly as patient as I was today. You have until then to reconsider your attitude or the consequences will not be pleasant, I can assure you."
The man spun and tapped on the cell door. When the cell door was opened by a guard, the tall man quickly exited. Squall lay on the cell floor moaning in pain.
Kasumi sincerely hoped that Mishima returned soon, before Zell drove her completely out of her mind. Zell was pacing back and forth on the forest floor and had been for the past hour.
"Zell, will you please knock it off!" Kasumi entreated.
"I just can't help it. I'm worried about Mishima."
"Mishima is fine" Kasumi reassured him. "Not only is she able to take care of herself, but she has friends in Dollet."
Zell responded, "Anything can happen, you know that! Look what happened to you and Shinji."
Kasumi retorted, "One would think you're in love with Mishima."
Zell stopped pacing with a start. "In love with Mishima! I already have a girlfriend." Zell began to think how ridiculous it was that he would be in love with Mishima. True, she did have a fabulous figure and was extremely beautiful, but was that anything to base a love on? Suddenly Zell visualized a picture in his mind of he and Mishima living in a vine-covered cottage with three or four loving children at their feet and both of them completely and deliriously happy.
"What the heck are you all yelling about? I could hear you from a half of mile away" Mishima exclaimed, suddenly stepping into the clearing in the forest.
"Oh, thank Hyne you're back. Zell has been driving me out of my mind with his worry."
Mishima crossed to where the stunned Zell was standing and stepped up on her toes and gently pinched his cheek. "Aren't you sweet? You were worried about me? Well, I'm fine."
Zell began to blush furiously and Mishima laughed, "Same old Zell."
Kasumi asked, "So did you have any luck?"
Mishima exclaimed, "Bingo! The resistance people have Shinji hidden away."
"Oh, thank Hyne" Kasumi whispered.
"But there's a problem. He's been seriously injured and may not live."
"Oh no!" Kasumi screamed as tears began to roll down her face.
Zell quickly stepped to her and took her by the arm and looked down in her face. "Pull yourself together. This is not the time to fall apart. If we are going to help him, you need to be at your best."
Mishima agreed "Zell's right, Kasumi. I couldn't have said it better myself."
Kasumi ceased her crying and tersely replied, "I understand. Thank you."
Zell asked Mishima, "So what's the plan?"
"Kasumi and I will return to Dollet and we'll meet with my friend and he's agreed to lead us to where they're hiding Shinji. Then they've agreed to transport Kasumi and Shinji to Balamb by boat."
"Wrong!" Zell contradicted, "You're not leaving me here unable to do anything, but worry."
"Zell," Mishima explained patiently, "There's no need for all three of us to go into town. It just increases the risk."
"There!" Zell exclaimed, pointing his finger "You said it yourself. There is risk involved" he declared, while glancing at Kasumi with an I told you so look.
Mishima accused, "Zell, you're going off half-cocked."
"That may be, but you're not leaving me here to do nothing except worry about you and Kasumi."
Kasumi asked, wearing an impish grin, "Oh, does that mean you love me too?"
Mishima appeared startled. "Love? Who loves me?"
Zell whirled and ordered "Kasumi, you be quiet! You're complicating things." Returning his attention to Mishima, he declared, "It's settled! I'm going with you."
And so it came to pass that two hours later the three SeeDs walked into Dollet together.
Quistis had finally fallen into a vaguely uncomfortable light sleep for a few hours. Suddenly waking, she momentarily wondered why she was sleeping on a floor and then it all came rushing back to her. She opened her eyes and glanced around the huge compartment and observed all was as it had been when she initially entered the cell. The three women were seated talking on the far wall and the one woman, who spoke with her, had remained sitting in the opposite corner. When Quistis sat up, she realized she was hungry and wondered if she had missed a meal being served or even if she were going to be fed.
Suddenly the cell door opened and two guards and one of the men, who had arrested her, entered the cell. The three women prisoners seated against the far wall fell silent. The guards and the black suited man approached Quistis. One of the guards demanded "Get up!" As Quistis struggled to her feet, he waved the black nightstick he was carrying at her face ordering "Hurry up!"
Once she had regained her feet, the guard ordered, "Turn around!" and when Quistis obeyed, the guard locked a pair of handcuffs behind her. "Let's go," he ordered and Quistis turned around being slightly off balance with her arms thrust behind her body. He pushed her in the back with his nightstick, until she began moving forward through the cell and out the cell door. The second guard clanged the cell door shut, after he and the black suited man left the cell following the other guard and Quistis. As soon as the cell door closed, the three women sitting against the wall began quietly talking again.
As they walked Quistis along the prison floor outside of her cell, she desperately attempted to discover what floor she was on, but she realized all of the floors appeared exactly identical. There was no way of knowing where she was, she realized with a sense of desolation. They marched her down to another cell on the same floor and after they opened the cell door and pushed her inside, she realized the cell was devoid of other prisoners. They seated her in a straight back chair in the center of the cell and they blindfolded her.
Suddenly a voice, she was not familiar with, said, "Quistis Trepe, I need some information from you."
Quistis responded, My name is Madoka Mitaka and I attend East Academy University."
Suddenly Quistis felt a hand slap her face hard causing her to gasp in pain. "I'm not fooling with you, woman!" the mysterious voice exclaimed. "I want to know what your assignment was in Deling City and I want to know now!"
Quistis answered, "My name is Madoka-."
Suddenly a clenched fist struck her just above her temple on the left side of her head rocking her head back and causing blinding pain.
The mysterious voice ordered, "Take her back to her cell." And then a hand suddenly gripped her chin and Quistis recognized the man was close enough to kiss her when he spoke, "Tomorrow when we speak, you will give me answers or you will live to regret it - that is, if you live very long at all."
When the guard removed her blindfold, the cell was empty again except for the two guards and the black suited man. They marched Quistis back to her cell, removed the handcuffs and then unlocked her cell door. The guard pushed her into the cell so violently she tumbled to the cell floor barely able to move quickly enough to break her fall. When the cell door clanged shut, Quistis just laid on the floor attempting to not weep.
The two-hour ride to Winhill was uneventful, although Selphie found it as exciting as anything she had ever experienced. Watts and Zone roared their motorcycles into Winhill, no doubt disturbing the serenity of the little town more than anything else had done since Laguna had left.
After Watts and Zone shut their motorcycles off, Selphie and Brian dismounted with Selphie discovering her body was still vibrating. "Wow! That was awesome!" she exclaimed, her face extremely flushed.
Watts and Zone dismounted from their bikes and, pushing them over in front of the vacant house Laguna formerly resided at, they put the kickstands down and parked them.
"Where are we going to look?" asked Selphie.
Watts answered, "I thought we'd ask those flunk-out SeeDs, if they've seen anything."
"If that's the case," Zone retorted, "we should have come in at the other end of town."
"I thought we'd work our way down and question everybody," Watts snapped at him.
"Why didn't you just say that, then?"
Selphie interrupted "Hey! Hey, knock it off! I'm not going to listen to you two argue all day."
Zone flushed uncomfortably and apologized "Sorry, Selphie. You're right, of course."
Selphie suggested they begin at the mansion that sat on the town circle, where they were presently standing because the owner was indebted to them for their discovering all the pieces of his broken vase.
When they questioned him, he informed them he hadn't noticed any strangers around the small mountain town and there had been precious few Galbadian soldiers around either. They decided to skip questioning the woman, who lived in the house that used to house the bar that Rainey ran, because she often had a nasty attitude towards uninvited visitors.
They walked down toward the other end of the quaint little town pausing momentarily at the Chocobo crossing to allow a large Chocobo to cross. Before questioning the two would-be SeeDs, who were hired on to protect the town, they decided to eat lunch at the Flower Restaurant.
Mishima quickly and quietly led Zell and Kasumi down to the church where she ordered, "Wait here. Hopefully I'll be right back."
Mishima stepped inside of the church and immediately observed her friend kneeling in the same pew as earlier. Quickly joining him, she explained, "I have brought my comrade, who will accompany Shinji. Is he still alive?"
"Yes, he still lives, but I do not know how much longer it might be. For that reason alone, we have a need to hurry. Come" he directed arising to his feet.
Mishima and the resistance leader stepped outside into the bright Dollet sunlight. Mishima, finally getting a good look at him, discovered he was much taller than she with shining blonde hair he wore in a spike hairstyle. He had a very nice build with a fairly large chest and strong looking, but not weight lifter oversized, biceps and a fairly tiny waist compared to his upper trunk. He was wearing some sort of a military jump suit Mishima was not familiar with.
Mishima exclaimed, "Well, you've certainly grown up since I last saw you, Cl-."
Kasumi interrupted as she rushed up. "Is Shinji still alive?" she asked breathlessly.
He looked down at her and bestowed the most wondrous smile Mishima had every witnessed and tersely replied, "Yes."
Zell strode forward and demanded in a harsh whisper in Mishima's ear "Who's that guy?"
Mishima cautioned "Zell, hush. Behave!"
The resistance leader took Kasumi by the hand and, glancing at Mishima ordered, "Come with me."
Mishima directed "Zell, I want you to go up the street to that outdoor restaurant we passed and get yourself a good breakfast and wait for me. I won't be long."
When Zell began to protest, Mishima gave him a look that promised him, in this case, argument was futile and so he acquiesced reluctantly and turned and began walking slowly up the street.
Mishima said to her friend, "Lead on, McDuff."
Mishima's friend led them slightly up another street that intersected with the road to the beach area and the streets in the business district and stopped at the first house on the right. He knocked on the door one time and Mishima observed a tiny burst of light come from inside the house from what surely was a peephole. The door opened and the resistance leader quickly led them inside.
Shinji was lying on a mat covered with sheets and blankets, some which had faint bloodstains. Kasumi rushed to his side and sinking to her knees, she began to sob. "Oh, Shinji. What have they done to you?"
Mishima's friend moved to Kasumi and hoisted her up to her feet effortlessly with one hand and looking her square in the face whispered, "He surely is a fortunate man to have the love of one as beautiful as you. He is unconscious and cannot hear you. We waste precious time. Come with me down to the boat."
Kasumi stood too stunned to speak and allowed herself to be led back outside, as Mishima followed them. The resistance leader explained, once they had returned to the street, "My friends will transport him when the street is clear. We will go down to the beach area."
He led them back down the street and, moving past the church, they came to metal stairs that led down to the beach area. Moving onto the beach, Mishima suddenly felt the high winds blowing off the water that seemed to suck the very warmth out of the sunlight. They walked down to the water line where a small boat was pulled up on the shore and tied down to a small post buried in the sand. Glancing around at the small, somehow, dirty appearing beach area, Mishima decided it still appeared as depressing to her as it did when she was a child.
Mishima instructed Kasumi, "When you reach Balamb, go straight to Zell's Mom's house and explain to her the situation. She will take you in. I know there's some kind of doctor in Balamb, but I don't know if he's any good. After you get Shinji settled in, then you can go and see if the Garden's back, although I doubt it will be. You wait for us to return to Balamb."
Kasumi nodded her understanding.
"Oh, and another thing," Mishima continued. "Don't disturb anything in Zell's room. He gets real hyper about that."
As the resistance leader's cohorts had already carried Shinji down to the beach and placed him in the bottom of the boat, Mishima embraced Kasumi and said, "Take care of yourself. He'll be fine...You'll see."
The tears began falling freely from Kasumi's eyes as she whispered "Thanks" and then she stepped into and sat down in the boat. One of the resistance people followed her into the boat and started the engine, while another cast the boat off. Mishima stood and watched until the boat was out of sight. Turning to her friend she declared, "I could never thank you enough. We owe you so much."
He bent down and lightly grazed his lips across hers startling Mishima. "It was so good to see you again," he said. "I hope I will see you again very soon," he said with a glint of promise in his eyes. And then he walked up the stairs leading back to the main part of Dollet.
After Selphie, Watts, Brian and Zone finished eating lunch at the Flower Restaurant in lower Winhill, Zone paid their bill. He questioned the owner extensively concerning any new movements of Galbadian Army troops and whether he had observed any of Zone and Watts' missing comrades. Zone admitted, when he rejoined the group, there was nothing to report. After leaving the restaurant, they wandered down and conversed with the town's two guardians. Again they were frustrated in their attempts to gather any information, pertaining to anything out of the ordinary.
They began their trek returning to the other end of town and, when they reached the Chocobo crossing, Zone suggested they travel down the road that led around the mountain the town was partially built upon to possibly discover anything new. Since it was only mid-afternoon, everyone agreed.
When they were more than halfway along the curving mountain road, Selphie paused to look down at the acres of farmland and pasture in the valley below. "It looks so peaceful from here" Selphie thought. "So far from fighting and violence."
Suddenly she heard "Halt! Who are you people?!"
Whirling quickly, she observed two Galbadian soldiers and, as she was formulating a response that would satisfy them, Watts suddenly began to run off while Zone crouched on the ground moaning with his back to the soldiers.
"I said halt!" the first soldier angrily shouted. When Watts continued running, Selphie sensed the Galbadian soldiers were preparing to attack as they drew their weapons and Selphie sprang into action swinging her Strange Vision at the first soldier killing him instantly. Brian leaped forward and swung his whip Slaying Tail knocking the last soldier backwards as Selphie again let fly with her weapon killing him, as well.
With the two soldiers, who had just recently been so full of their own lives, now laying needlessly dead at her feet, Selphie felt all of the joy she had experienced from the day drain out of her body. She looked at Brian and ordered in a flat tone, "Grab his head."
Selphie seized the first soldier's feet and began to help Brian carry the dead soldier down the path that led down the mountain to a dock where a river ran by. They threw the soldier's body into the swiftly moving body of water and began to climb back up the path to retrieve the last soldier.
Zone, who was now standing, stammered, "Wh - What are you doing?"
Now that the danger had passed, Watts had returned to the scene and explained, "They are throwing the soldiers into the river, because they hope it will carry them away from the immediate vicinity of Winhill, so when they are discovered by the Galbadian Army, the town of Winhill won't be blamed. Isn't that right, Selphie?"
Selphie, who was halfway down the path with the second soldier, turned her head and gave Watts such a cold stare that it finally caused him to turn away. After she and Brian finished their loathsome task, Selphie said in the same flat voice to Zone and Watts "Let's get the hell out of here."
Arriving back in Timber in the early evening, Selphie begged off dinner claiming no appetite and climbed the staircase wearily and went right to bed. After settling between the sheets, she turned her head toward the window where the cool night air gently blew into the room and realized she was tired of being here and missed the Garden. "I want to go home," she thought mournfully.
Mishima walked back into the beach area with Zell tagging after her. She had returned to the city proper from the beach area after her friend had left and discovered Zell sitting at an outside table at the restaurant, where she had directed him. He was fidgeting by an empty plate that had once held a large number of hot dogs. Ignoring all of his questions, except for the ones involving Kasumi and Shinji, she had insisted he accompany her back to the beach area.
She led him to the far end of the beach and announced, "I'm going to take a bath and I want you to watch out for me and keep people away from the immediate vicinity."
"What?!" he asked, not believing his ears and reddening slightly.
"You heard me. We've been on the road for three days and I'm filthy. We can't go to the hotel and I want a bath."
"But, Mishima," Zell protested stating the obvious, "we're in public!"
"I know that. That's why I want you to look out for me." And booking no further argument, she quickly turned and removed all her clothing. She glanced back over her shoulder and observed Zell completely turned away from her and staring back up at the street in Dollet.
Outraged she exclaimed, "Zell, turn around!"
Zell complied as ordered and when he perceived the back of Mishima's totally bare body, he began to blush furiously and appeared as if he were going to faint.
"Zell," Mishima explained patiently. "You can't watch out for me, if you're not going to be looking at the beach area. I realize you find this embarrassing, so I'm going to try to be quick."
Mishima unwrapped a bar of soap she had purchased from a shop on the way back to retrieve Zell and she ran into the pounding surf. She was as good as her word and bathed quickly. When she came out of the water, she glanced quickly at Zell and ascertained he was watching the beach area and then she looked away, not wishing to embarrass him further by establishing eye contact with him. As she did not have a towel, she was just going to have to dress over her wet body, but the high winds did dry her some before she was once again completely dressed.
As she approached Zell, who stood further up the beach towards the stairs, she said, "Thanks a lot, I really needed that." She asked, "Do you want to wash off? I can keep an eye out for you."
"No, no" answered Zell. "I'm fine."
"Oh, Zell - You're just as dirty as I was."
Zell responded, "Yeah, but that dirt protects me some."
Mishima grinned to herself. "Same old Zell."
Irvine, Rinoa, the pigtail girl and Akane were sitting around a late afternoon coffee shop table waiting for their dinner shift to be announced.
Rainoa asked, "Akane, have you seen Arnaz around anywhere?"
"No, I haven't" Akane answered icily biting off each word.
Rainoa glanced at Irvine and rolled her eyes. Irvine offered a grin in return.
Irvine made a large production out of pulling a pocket watch out of his coat pocket, hoping in vain Akane would notice, snapped it open and checked the time. Snapping it shut and slipping it back into his pocket, he stood up and offered, "Ladies, they are going to be calling our shift momentarily. Shall we retire to the cafeteria?"
As they were leaving the coffee shop, Akane suddenly darted ahead and explained over her shoulder as she moved quickly up the corridor towards the first floor. "I just remembered something important I have to do."
Irvine commented, "That kid's acting awfully strange."
Cid glanced up from his constant paper work on his desk and said "You may go to dinner now, Fujin, if you would like. I think I'm going to take a short nap."
Fujin replied "THANKS" and arose from her desk and rode the elevator down to the first floor.
When the elevator arrived on the first floor, Fujin noticed Akane took her place on it and rode up. Raijin, as usual, was pacing back and forth in front of the elevator waiting for her.
Fujin exclaimed, "RAGE!"
"About time, no da!"
Fujin replied, "GO" and they walked down the steps on their way to the cafeteria.
Seifer was already seated and eating hot dogs off his plate, when Raijin and Fujin arrived at the table holding their trays. After they were seated, Raijin accused "Seifer, you didn't wait for us, no da!"
"Why should I have to wait to eat, when Fujin works late?"
Raijin answered, "Because we're a posse, no da."
"You're the posse. I'm the sheriff."
"Aw, Seifer" Raijin whined. "That's no way to act, no da."
Seifer looked at Fujin and stated, "You know I've been thinking about this and I've finally remembered where I know that Akane chick from. She was in Deling City at the same time I was, when Edea was still Sorceress. I saw her, at that time, because she was the daughter of some big-shot."
At that instant it occurred to Fujin the only place Akane could have been going was Cid's office, because all the classrooms were already closed and locked for the night. Remembering Cid had indicated he would be taking a nap, which would leave his office empty, Fujin jumped up from the table and shouted "AKANE! CID'S OFFICE!" She began running out of the cafeteria. At the doorway, she, paused and glancing back, shouted "SEIFER! FOLLOW!" And then she was gone running up the corridor.
Seifer suddenly understood and he exclaimed, "Akane's the spy! Let's go, Rage," and the two of them leaped up and hurried from the cafeteria.
At their table, Rinoa spoke to Irvine and the pigtail girl. "What in the world is going on with them? Why is Fujin shouting out Akane's name?"
Irvine, already pushing himself back from the table, replied, "I've got a bad feeling about all of this. Let's go check it out." And with that Irvine, Rinoa and the pigtail girl all left the cafeteria.
When Fujin exited the elevator on the third floor, she observed Akane attempting to open a locked file cabinet with a burglar's tool. Several file cabinets had already been opened and their contents rifled, as evidenced by their drawers still hanging open and files scattered all over the floor beneath. Cid was nowhere to be found. Akane was so preoccupied with opening the cabinet, she apparently did not hear the elevator arrive.
"STOP!" ordered Fujin.
Akane looked up and distinguished Fujin for the first time. Being much younger and far more agile, she was able to reach Fujin in four quick steps and, launching herself in the air, she kicked out Fujin's left knee tumbling her to the floor. Akane landed on her feet in the elevator, whose doors were still open, as Fujin had been standing between them. The doors closed quickly and the elevator traveled down.
Cid wandered out of his apartment, obviously wiping sleep from his eyes and asked "Fujin, what are you doing here?" Finally noticing the condition of his office, he asked, "What's been going on here? Who did this?"
Fujin pulled herself to her feet, puched the button for the elevator and explained "AKANE!" The elevator doors opened and, as Fujin hurried on and pushed the first floor button, she heard Cid ask "Akane? Who's Akane?"
When Fujin exited the elevator on the first floor, she took in the entire situation in a glance. Akane was running halfway down the staircase, while Seifer and Raijin closely followed by Irvine, Rinoa and the pigtail girl were coming around to Fujin's right from the cafeteria and the Doctor, Xu and some upper-classmen were coming around to Fujin's left from the direction of the library.
Fujin shouted "SEIFER! GRAB AKANE!"
Seifer ran forward and, as Akane cleared the last step, he was able to wrap his arms around her and lifted her completely off the floor, holding her away from his body as she was attempting to free herself by kicking at him.
"Let me go, you idiot!" she screamed as Irvine, Rinoa and the pigtail girl came running up.
"Seifer, put her down" said Cid, who had just exited the elevator and was quickly walking down the staircase.
"Now Seifer!" Cid ordered stepping down to the first floor and facing him. Seifer gently returned her to the floor.
"Now, young lady" Cid asked, "What was so important that you felt it necessary to break open my locked file cabinets?"
Akane looked up at Cid with one tear running down her face from the corner of her left eye and responded in a tremulous voice, "I'm so sorry, Headmaster Cid. I have just heard so much about the Legendary SeeD that I wanted to know about him and I was so scared to approach you." She began to cry in ernest.
Cid replied, "Where did you come from? We have no students with the name of Akane."
Akane began to sob and, burying her head in her hands, explained, "I've only been here a short time. My professor got me in. I'm certain you just haven't seen my paperwork yet."
"No, I'm positive we have no one here with that name."
Rinoa stepped forward and hugged the weeping teenager and, looking up at Cid, she responded, "Cid, I'm certain you're mistaken. This girl is a very good friend of mine and has been here for a while. Now please allow her to calm down. You're frightening her. I'm sure we can get this whole mess straightened out, if you back off for a moment."
"There is nothing to straighten out, Rinoa" Cid replied in a stern voice that few people had ever heard. "This girl does not belong here!"
Akane suddenly arose and in the same motion pushed Rinoa away from her. Akane spoke to Rinoa in the same icy tone she had used in the coffee shop. "You empty-headed, neurotic slut! Because of you and all the information you gave me, your boyfriend Squall and his buddy Quistis have been arrested and taken to the D-District Prison and have probably already been executed as we speak!"
Rinoa let out with a blood-curdling scream and sank to her knees holding her head with both hands. Akane quickly reached inside of her blouse and underneath her bra and pulled out a potassium cyanide capsule and was attempting to place it in her mouth, when Seifer leaped forward and knocked her hand causing the capsule to fly high in the air and land several feet away breaking completely apart when it hit the floor.
Akane screamed in frustration, "My father is worth a thousand of you scum!"
"Your father?" Cid asked totally mystified.
"Yes my father, you fat middle-aged twit! My father is the Legendary SeeD!"
Cid appeared completely nonplussed for a matter of seconds and then ordered "Seifer, lock her in the disciplinary room."
Glancing around the crowd and distinguishing Xu and the Doctor standing in a group of upper-classmen, he ordered "Xu, assign around the clock guards to observe her and then come immediately to an emergency staff meeting. Doctor, I want you to attend also."
Cid turned and went up the stairs and entered the elevator, as Irvine knelt down attempting to comfort the sobbing Rinoa.