Chapter Fourteen
Rinoa Takes Charge
Irvine Finally Scores
Zell's Treat
Cid declared, "I hereby call this emergency staff meeting to order. Any immediate feedback?"
Cid, Xu, the Doctor and Fujin sat around the long conference table. The doctor spoke "Obviously we have to send somebody to investigate this girl's allegations."
"Yes, and it needs to be someone highly experienced as a SeeD and also highly experienced in Deling City and also the D-District Prison" added Xu.
"From what you're saying," Cid replied, "it sounds as if we don't have anybody to send. That is not feedback!" Cid angrily declared. "We are not leaving Squall and Quistis out there to die!"
Doctor Kadowaki cautioned, "Calm down, Cid. You're going to send your blood pressure skyrocketing." The doctor was the only person in the Garden, who could have spoken to Cid in that manner at that particular moment and had an affect.
Cid appeared slightly chagrined and expressed, "Sorry...But I meant what I said. Now who are we going to send? Time is of the essence here."
Xu tersely suggested, "Rinoa."
Cid slammed his hand down on the table causing everyone, except Fujin, to flinch. "Absolutely not!" he protested. "You saw her down there. She is completely emotionally overwrought."
Xu countered, "Of course she was. Who wouldn't have been at that particular moment, if they were in the same position as she? But I know Rinoa and I know she will pull herself together quickly and she's the only one who fits the criteria. She grew up in Deling City and may still have some contacts there, plus she knows the D-District Prison floor plan completely."
Cid muttered, "I still don't know about this."
Fujin suddenly spoke "RINOA!"
Cid's eyes widened in surprise, as he had come to respect Fujin's insights.
The elevator arrived on the third floor. As everyone seated at the table turned to look, Rinoa and Irvine stepped off and approached the table.
Xu noticed that Rinoa's face appeared red and swollen from crying, although she appeared now to be in complete control. "Excuse us for interrupting your meeting," Rinoa declared, "but I've come to tell you your decision."
Cid started, "Now hold on a minute, Rinoa."
"No, you hold on Cid!" Rinoa replied in a steely voice. "Squall and Quistis's lives are on the line, as you sit here and debate. The only two people you can send are Irvine and myself. We're the only people who know Deling City and the D-District Prison. Now I'm going downstairs and get ready to leave. The only decision you have left to make is how you're going to get Irvine and myself to Deling City."
With that said, Rinoa and Irvine turned and crossed to the elevator and entered it. As the doors closed and the elevator began its trip to the first floor, the doctor asked, "How are we going to transport them to Deling City?"
Cid looked at Xu and asked, "Is the Garden fixed yet?"
"No, they haven't even located the problem."
Fujin spoke "BOAT!"
Xu replied, "Hey, that's right! Maybe Trabia Garden has a boat. If they do, I'm sure they wouldn't mind transporting them."
So that's how it came to be that two hours later Irvine and Rinoa stepped off a small water craft onto the beach located on the Great Plains of Galbadia, a short distance away from Deling City.
After Zell and Mishima crossed the Dollet city limit, Zell asked, "So are we taking the train or renting a car to get back to Timber?"
Hurrying Zell along the highway leading away from the immediate vicinity of Dollet by slightly pushing him along. Mishima answered enigmatically, "Both and neither."
Zell responded rather heatedly, "Mishima, what in the hell are you talking about?!"
"I think you should rent a car and I'll take the train and we'll meet outside of East Academy" Mishima explained.
"No!" Zell strongly objected. "I don't think we should separate."
Mishima stopped walking and grabbed Zell by the arm and spun him around. Looking him square in the eye, she firmly said "I don't need you to protect me and I resent it that you think I do."
Zell began to stammer "Uh, now Mishima...I-."
Mishima interrupted in a much kinder tone. "I appreciate your concern for me, but we don't know if Galbadia is still searching for Squall and Quistis, so we will be safer at this point traveling separately. Our goal is to get everyone back to Balamb as quickly as possible, so we get Shinji the medical attention that he needs, if he is going to live."
"Okay, you convinced me" Zell acquiesced. "But what are we doing now?"
Mishima answered, "We are headed back into the forest. We need to get a good night's rest, because we're going to have a busy day tomorrow."
Zell declared, "Well then, let's get going." And the two young SeeDs began moving again toward the forest.
Reaching their destination in the dusk of the early evening, they entered the now familiar clearing, which emotionally had begun to represent their home away from home. Mishima laid down and, just before closing her eyes, said, "Thanks for taking the first watch. Now don't be foolish and stay up all night. Make sure you wake me up in a few hours, because we need you sharp tomorrow."
Zell, who was already gathering pieces of wood in preparation of building the fire, responded, "Okay, sleep sweet."
As Mishima closed her eyes with a faint smile on her lips, she thought to herself "That Zell's a sweetheart."
By the time Rinoa and Irvine walked into Deling City, it was almost midnight. She led him through what appeared to Irvine as a series of haphazard side streets until suddenly they were standing in front of the door that led to the sewers.
"What are you doing, Rinoa?" Irvine demanded.
"We're going in the sewers" she replied in a not so patient tone.
"We can't go the mansion. General Caraway's not there" he protested.
"Irvine, I realize that man isn't there. If that man were there, then we wouldn't go there. It is my home. I have a right to go to my home."
As Irvine began to protest again, Rinoa asked "Did you think we were going to spend the night at the hotel? Now come on - Now!"
Once they were on the lower level, Rinoa explained, "You're going to have to do all the fighting, if we're attacked by anything. I didn't bring my weapon."
"What?!" Irvine practically shouted, "What are you thinking about?"
"I'm thinking about," Rinoa bit off each word in a firm voice, "that this is a covert operation and the last thing I need to be doing is carrying a weapon out in the open. You can hide your gun under your coat. Where do you think I should carry Shooting Star - down my shorts?" she asked sarcastically.
"Okay, you win" Irvine replied throwing his arms up in mock surrender. "Let's just go."
Three times on their journey through the sewers, Creeps attacked them. Each time Rinoa attempted to evade their attack, while Irvine blew them away with his Exeter. She was nicked in a minor way a couple of times, but Irvine cast cures on her as soon as the battles were over.
When they stepped into General Caraway's den, Rinoa explained, "Don't worry about the servants. The servants adore me and they've always taken my side against that man and there shouldn't be anyone else here. Now I'm going to my bedroom and get a few hours sleep and then I'm going out."
Noting the apprehension on Irvine's face, Rinoa spoke quickly to forestall any argument on his part. "I need to go by myself and I need to go at night. Where I'm going, the people will not trust you, because they don't know you."
Irvine questioned, "How are you going back through the sewers by yourself without a weapon?"
"I'm not going through the sewers. I am going out the front door of my home. I have every right to go out of where I live. I only insisted we come in through the sewers, so we wouldn't be noticed until we could get some sleep. Once I leave here, I'm not coming back, no matter what happens. You are to meet me in front of the hotel at 12 noon. Be on time!"
Irvine was at a complete loss concerning how to deal with any of this. This was a Rinoa he had never known, so he simply replied "Sure."
"And another thing" Rinoa exclaimed, while smiling impishly, "stay away from the young maid on the staff - she'll eat you alive!"
A few hours later, Irvine was standing by a fourth floor window and observed Rinoa step lively down the front walk and out into the street in front of the General's mansion. He watched as she boarded a #10 bus, which drove her away down the boulevard. He hoped she knew what she was doing and would be safe from harm, while all he could do was wait.
As morning staff meeting commenced, Xu immediately stated "I have something of the utmost importance to report, so I need to jump ahead of the agenda this morning."
"Go ahead, Xu" offered Cid.
Xu reported, "Akane attempted to hang herself last night by removing all her clothing and tying it together into a makeshift rope. Luckily it was noticed in time and she was cut down without any permanent damage being suffered by her. For that reason, we've had to remove anything in the disciplinary room she might find useful to harm herself with. She appears hell-bent on destroying herself; I suppose, because in her mind, she failed in her mission."
Cid suggested, "To be on the safe side, why don't we double the around-the-clock watch?"
Xu nodded in understanding. Cid continued, "And also make certain that one of Doctor Kadowaki's interns are on each shift."
Xu responded, "Yes, sir" and thought to herself, "Cid can sometimes appear so ineffectual and then turn right around and take complete charge of a situation."
Xu continued, "Outside of any humanitarian concerns regarding the sanctity of human life, we also need to keep her alive because, if she is indeed the daughter of the President, she could become a useful bargaining chip."
Cid commented, "If she is who she says she is."
"What do you think, Cid?" asked Xu. "Could she possibly be the daughter of the Legendary Seed?"
"I think she could be" Cid replied. "Ask yourself - Why would Mamoru send a fifteen year old child here, if she wasn't somehow connected to him very closely? And there's something else," Cid elaborated. "I've always felt Mamoru's disappearance was of his own choosing and there was a major part of him he never allowed me to know. It may have been the missing part was the fact that he had a four year old child hidden somewhere."
Xu concluded, "Well it's indeed a mystery that we don't have enough information at present to solve."
Cid asked, "How is the Trabia Tech Squad coming along with repairing the Garden?"
"That's the next item I was going to bring up." Xu explained. "The Garden is fully repaired and up and running. I wanted to ask your permission to have Nida take it out for a little test drive."
"Make it so," Cid stated with a slight grin on his face.
When the first ray of sunlight gleamed through the heavy forest foliage, Mishima awoke on her forest floor bed. She was momentarily disoriented until she rolled over and observed the dying embers of the fire that Zell must have been feeding throughout the long night. It was then she noticed Zell sitting cross-legged and smiling at her.
Frustration coursed through her body as she realized he had allowed her to sleep all night. Suddenly sitting up, she snapped "You idiot! Why didn't you wake me up for watch?"
Zell, who appeared completely unruffled by Mishima's derogatory remark, answered, "Because you looked so beautiful sleeping there, I just couldn't disturb you."
Mishima gained her feet quickly and began advancing on Zell. "I'm not kidding," she declared.
Zell held his right hand up in surrender. "Alright, I didn't wake you for your watch because, over the past couple of days, I was able to get plenty of sleep when you, on the other hand, had to get up early both days. Plus I basically did nothing, while you had to make several trips back and forth to Dollet."
Mishima paused and replied in a soft voice, "Okay, I'm sorry I called you an idiot. I just thought you were trying to treat me again, as if I was some kind of a weak sister."
Zell quickly responded with a twinkle in his eye, "Well, I know you're not weak, you're as strong as I am and I certainly don't think of you as my sister."
Mishima flushed slightly and said "Excuse me while I go tend to my morning toilet." Mishima wasn't completely in touch with what her true intentions were, but only realized on something more akin to a primal level that she suddenly felt the need for her and Zell to be more intimate, so she unsnapped her suspenders and pulled her blouse over her enormous, beautifully shaped breasts. Mishima then pushed her skirt and panties down and stepped out of them revealing her black bushed vagina and walked off into some nearby undergrowth leaving Zell still sitting on the ground crimson with embarrassment.
When the wantonly stark naked Mishima stepped back into the clearing a quarter of an hour later, she noticed Zell was standing where the fire had once been. Zell had not only put the dying fire out completely, but also had destroyed all remnants of it leaving no evidence they had ever been there.
Mishima nakedly crossed the clearing to him and enveloped him with her arms holding him in an embrace so tightly Zell could hardly breathe.
Stretching on her toes, Mishima offered Zell a long, lingering kiss on his mouth and declared, "You're a good man, Zell Dincht."
Mishima, feeling something hard pressing against her lower belly, reached down with both hands and quickly pulled Zell's shorts and boxer shorts down to the ground. Zell moaned as Mishima knelt down and began to work on the root of the problem with her mouth. A short while later, after reaching a successful conclusion, Mishima offered Zell one last kiss and suggested, "Shall we be on our way?"
Zell silently nodded and, after Mishima gathered her outfit and redressed, they walked silently in the early morning sunlight out of the forest and across the Hasberry Plains in the direction of the Dollet Train Platform, which was located outside of the city, each of them keeping their true feelings hidden - even from themselves.
Reaching the platform in about thirty minutes, Zell waited with her until the train arrived. As she was preparing to board, Zell whispered in her ear, "Take care." Mishima rewarded him with a big smile saying "You too" and then stepped onto the train. Zell stood and watched until it disappeared from sight and then continued his walk into Dollet.
A half an hour later, Zell roared out of Dollet in his rental headed toward the East Academy Train Station.
Selphie woke up suddenly with the sunlight streaming through the open window striking her fully in the face. Squinting her eyes to minimize the effect of the bright light, she turned her head and perceived that Brian had already left the room. Hoping to forestall any occurrence as the one that happened the day before when Brian walked in on her while she was dressing, she quickly arose from the bed, crossed the room and pulled her dress over her bare body.
It turned out to be not a moment too soon, as the bedroom door opened and Brian walked in carrying a towel and dripping wet from the shower. Selphie quickly averted her eyes, but not before noticing he was quite flabby with a minuscule penis. When Brian crossed the room to his backpack in preparation of dressing, Selphie, who realized she had already observed far too much of him, crossed to the door and opened it on her way to the bathroom. She said on her way out, "Don't be in here when I come back from my shower and knock before you come in here next time!"
"Alright, Selphie" Brian meekly said, himself greatly embarrassed.
While standing uder the hot shower, Selphie realized she wasn't enjoying it as she had other days and understood why. She had remained depressed over the needless killing of the two Galbadian soldiers the day before. She thought "I pray to Hyne they get back from Dollet today. I'm sick of this damn town. It's always been nothing, but trouble to us."
After drying off thoroughly, Selphie stepped into her dress and pulled the front zipper up. She applied her makeup and brushed her hair for a few minutes and then checked the heels of her boots. Returning to the bedroom, she began to rummage through her backpack to locate a pair of panties that weren't filthy and finally decided on a pair that weren't too bad. Lack of clean underwear notwithstanding, she was now ready, she thought, to face Brian and the rest of the wackos she had to deal with in this Hyneforsaken town.
Coming down the stairs, she observed Brian sitting at the kitchen table with Sayoko, who quickly stood and offered her some breakfast. When Selphie declined, a look of dismay crossed Sayoko's face. She exclaimed "Hyne, Selphie! You don't eat enough to keep a fly alive."
Selphie grinned, "Works for me."
Stepping quickly to the door to forestall any conversation with Brian, Selphie explained, "I'm going out. I'll be back later." She quickly moved out the door and stepped into the street. She had no idea where she was going, but anywhere was better than being trapped in the house with those two, she thought to herself.
Irvine awoke in the muted light of the semi-darkened first floor bedroom in the servant's quarters. Absently moving his right arm across the other side of the double bed, he realized Usagi must have reported for household duties hours before. Irvine smiled to himself and thought bemusedly "Rinoa was wrong. That maid wasn't half as tough as she thought!"
Sitting up in the bed, Irvine distinguished by the alarm clock that sat on the bedside table that it was already past ten o'clock. "I'd better get a move on, if I'm going to make the hotel by noon" he spoke aloud. Irvine arose from the bed and began to gather his scattered clothing that lay around the room on the floor. Taking only ten minutes to completely dress, he placed his cowboy hat on his head and picking up his rifle, he quickly strode from the room.
A little over an hour later, he emerged from the door that led to the city sewers and looking around he was relieved to discover no one was looking his way. As he hurried down the boulevard, he hoped he remembered the correct route to the downtown hotel, because he certainly didn't want to face the wrath of an angry Rinoa.
As soon as morning staff meeting was adjourned, Cid announced over the intercom that the Garden was going on a short test flight. Xu then took the elevator up to the bridge and ordered Nida to take the Garden up.
The Garden appeared to have no difficulty acquiring lift and Nida gracefully guided the Garden over the various forests that were scattered on the Trabia terrain.
Xu asked, "How does it feel?"
"Fine, no problems at all."
Suddenly while flying over the Hawkwind Plains, Nida pointed to his right and asked, "What's that over there behind that forest?"
Xu's heart skipped a beat in her chest when she recognized the newly built Galbadian Missile Base! "Nida! Get us out of here before they spot us!" Xu ordered.
Nida made the widest turn to the right possible, throwing he and Xu a little off balance while the Garden turned completely around so they were now heading in the opposite direction.
While moving toward the elevator, Xu ordered, "Take us over and land outside of Trabia Garden. I'm going down to tell Cid."
Cid was seated at his desk attempting to straighten the papers that had moved helter-skelter all over his desk when the Garden had turned. He looked up irritably, when he sensed Xu standing before him and demanded, "What the hell is Nida doing?"
Xu answered excitedly "Cid, we just discovered the Galbadian Missile Base!"
Cid appeared completely stunned for a second and then replied, "Well Xu - what's the plan? I know you already have one."
Xu answered while moving behind Cid's desk and taking his arm and lifting him completely off his chair. "Yes, I do! But first we're going to Trabia Garden and talk to Dyne Barrett." And then Xu hustled Cid over to the elevator and on to it before he could lodge a complaint.
After Cid, Xu, Seifer and Fujin exited the Garden, Xu suggested to Cid he remain close to her or Seifer until they had entered the friendly confines of Trabia Garden and he would be fine. Fortunately for Cid's blood pressure, they were able to cover the short distance to Trabia Garden without incident.
Unlike the first time they visited two days earlier, because of all the interactions between the two Gardens, Xu was able to just walk right in and down to the Headmaster's office. Xu knocked on the door and heard the voice of Dyne Barrett invite them in.
When they entered and Dyne Barrett saw Cid, he stood up with surprise written on his face. He quickly stepped around his desk and striding up to Cid, he exclaimed, "Cid! Long time no see."
While Cid held out his right hand, Dyne Barrett ignored it and grabbed Cid in a big hug, which Cid appeared to handle with a great deal of forbearance. Dyne Barrett stepped back and exclaimed, "You look great, Cid!"
"You're looking good yourself, Dyne." Cid was finally able to get a word in edgewise.
Returning to his chair behind his desk, Dyne Barrett invited, "Sit anywhere, people."
Glancing around, Fujin noticed, unlike Cid's office, Dyne Barrett had many chairs scattered around his office. He obviously encouraged interactions with his students and SeeDs.
"So what has caused the reclusive Cid to leave his cave and come calling on me?" asked Dyne Barrett with an impish grin.
Xu covered her smile of laughter with her right hand and then explained, "We have an emergency that will also affect you in the long run and we have come to ask for your assistance."
Xu proceeded to inform him of the discovery of the rebuilt Galbadian Missile Base and outlined her plan of attack. When Xu was finished, Dyne Barrett sat back in his chair and said thoughtfully, "Yes, indeed. The base being that close to us would pose a definite threat to the very existence of our Garden. We will be happy to help you in any way we can."
Xu stated her gratitude and then asked "Would you be willing to send us some SeeDs and possibly some older upper-classmen to join us in our frontal attack? I need to be honest and tell you it will be dangerous. But I don't think they have over a hundred troops and officers in the entire base and some of them will basically be technicians, plus we will have the definite element of surprise on our side, if we strike quickly enough."
Dyne Barrett quickly responded, "Yes, of course! I will hand select them myself and they will be in your Garden in full battle garb within the next thirty minutes."
Xu stood and bowed. "We will be forever in your debt." After Cid and Dyne Barrett shook hands goodbye, they returned to their Garden.
It took Zell almost two hours to reach the vicinity of East Academy Train Station, as he took Mishima's advice and stuck closely to the 55 mph speed limit. As he realized the train would have arrived in half the time it took him, he naturally was apprehensive about locating her immediately upon his arrival. It also worried him that, with the train station actually being located outside the city limits, Mishima would have no place to blend in because of it being an extremely small station and she would attract attention, if she remained there for an extended period of time. Her only alternative would be to loiter, awaiting his arrival, in the Vaulny Canyon countryside, so Zell felt extremely relieved and happy to observe her waiting when he pulled off the highway by the East Academy Train Station.
Mishima ran quickly up to the car and opened the door. Climbing into the car and closing the door behind her, she turned to Zell and flashed him a smile saying, "Not a moment too soon. I was beginning to worry about you."
"How did it go?" Zell demanded, while pulling the car back on the highway.
"Oh, it was fine," Mishima answered offhandedly, "although I did have some problem with a Galbadian soldier trying to mack on me."
"What?!" Zell shouted turning his head to look at her.
"Zell! Watch the road!" Mishima ordered.
Zell righted the car, which had begun to swerve off the highway.
Mishima explained, "There's no need to get so excited. I handled it fine."
"What did you do?" Zell questioned imagining Mishima going upside the soldier's head in retaliation.
"I told him I was General Caraway's mistress! You should have seen him," she laughed. "He couldn't get away fast enough."
At the wheel Zell remained silent, but began to blush furiously. "Same old Zell" laughed Mishima beside him.
Twenty minutes down the highway, Zell noticed they were approaching a roadside cafe. He asked, "Would you like to stop and get something to eat?"
"I'd love to, I'm starving."
Turning off the highway and into the cafe's parking lot, Zell exclaimed, "I sure hope they serve hot dogs!"