Chapter Thirteen
The Mission Restarts
Quistis couldn't stop shaking that morning so Tyrren had offered to drive her back to Garden. She accepted the offer gratefully. At 0950 she was sitting outside Cids office waiting for the others to arrive. One by one the rest of her friends arrived. Squall and Rinoa were the last to arrive, arm in arm, with Cid in the lift with them.
Once everyone was seated in his office, Cid began explaining the second part to their mission.
"Xu and I have been discussing the next stage of this mission. We have received reports of heavier Dollet military activity around the Centra Ruins. This could be to either protect the Phoenix Wing or a decoy to lead us into a trap." Cid looked at the group, "Three groups must be decided. Again, two of these groups will search the two places where the Phoenix Wing is suspected to be and the other will protect Ellone. Squall," Cid looked at the boy. Typical, Squall thought, It's my choice again. "You've probably guessed that you'll be the leader on this mission. Any thoughts on the groups?"
Squall leaned back on his chair. "Irvine, Selphie and Rinoa will go to Centra. I'll go to Dollet Tower with Quistis and Zell will stay with Ellone."
Zell sighed.
"Right," Cid smiled, impressed with the young soldiers decision, "We have a new destination for you, Zell. Please wait a moment. The rest of you are dismissed. The mission starts at 1100 hours, be at the gate by then.
Everyone left apart from Zell and Ellone.
"Right," Cid said once everyone had left. "Zell, you are to take Ellone to Dollet."
"What!?" Zell stood. "I thought I was going to protect her, not hand her over to Dollet!"
"Calm down, Zell. You aren't going to hand her over." Cid moved behind his desk. "You'll be in disguise. As you know, there's a festival being held in Dollet all of this week. You'll go there as tourists and lay low until the others have found the Phoenix Wing."
"Sir, what will happen to the Phoenix Wing when it is found?"
Cid frowned. "You don't have to worry about that, Zell. Concentrate on the mission. You might even have some fun." He smiled.
"What about Ellone?" Zell continued. "What'll happen to her when the Phoenix Wing is destroyed? She'll be in even more danger, won't she?"
"We are unsure what will happen once the Phoenix Wing is found," Cid said seriously, "But for now I advise you to concentrate on your mission." Cid lifted a box onto his desk.
Zell gritted his teeth and tried to calm himself down.
"What sort of disguise?" he asked.
******
At 1100 hours Squall and Quistis were on a train heading to Dollet. They got off just outside the town and followed a rough track up to the Communication Tower.
"Squall..." Quistis broke the silence that had lingered since they had reached Dollet, "Seifer's back."
Squall frowned and stopped in front of her. "How do you know?"
"I...met him last night." Quistis bit her lip nervously.
"Did he say anything?"
"No."
Squall turned and started walking up the track again. Quistis followed silently and wondered if she should have said anything.
******
"Woo Hoo!!!" Selphie yelled as loud as she could, sitting in the pilots seat of the Ragnorok. Rinoa smiled and sat behind her.
"Let's go, Sephie." Irvine said from the other pilot seat.
"Right!"
The airship lifted off the ground and rose up out of the trees in which it had been hidden.
"Next stop, Centra!"
******
"Do I HAVE to wear this?" Zell complained again. Ellone couldn't help but laugh. Cid had instructed Zell and Ellone to cut and die their hair, as well as wear plain, inconspicuous clothes.
"Stop complaining!" Ellone insisted.
"Well it's OK for you!" Zell argued, "You look amazing in those!"
Ellone smiled, "Thanks"
"But these are just...just..."
"They look fine!" Ellone insisted.
Zell wore a black sleeveless shirt and long grey trousers. His hair had been died brown and cut short, despite Zells complaining and resistance. Ellone had traded her skirt for a pair of black jeans, white T-shirt and denim jacket. Her hair was tied back in a tight ponytail.
Ellone looked at the new watch she had been given.
"Come on, Zell. We'll miss the train."
Reluctantly, Zell followed Ellone out of the Garden and through the forests to the nearest station.
The Mission Restarts
Quistis couldn't stop shaking that morning so Tyrren had offered to drive her back to Garden. She accepted the offer gratefully. At 0950 she was sitting outside Cids office waiting for the others to arrive. One by one the rest of her friends arrived. Squall and Rinoa were the last to arrive, arm in arm, with Cid in the lift with them.
Once everyone was seated in his office, Cid began explaining the second part to their mission.
"Xu and I have been discussing the next stage of this mission. We have received reports of heavier Dollet military activity around the Centra Ruins. This could be to either protect the Phoenix Wing or a decoy to lead us into a trap." Cid looked at the group, "Three groups must be decided. Again, two of these groups will search the two places where the Phoenix Wing is suspected to be and the other will protect Ellone. Squall," Cid looked at the boy. Typical, Squall thought, It's my choice again. "You've probably guessed that you'll be the leader on this mission. Any thoughts on the groups?"
Squall leaned back on his chair. "Irvine, Selphie and Rinoa will go to Centra. I'll go to Dollet Tower with Quistis and Zell will stay with Ellone."
Zell sighed.
"Right," Cid smiled, impressed with the young soldiers decision, "We have a new destination for you, Zell. Please wait a moment. The rest of you are dismissed. The mission starts at 1100 hours, be at the gate by then.
Everyone left apart from Zell and Ellone.
"Right," Cid said once everyone had left. "Zell, you are to take Ellone to Dollet."
"What!?" Zell stood. "I thought I was going to protect her, not hand her over to Dollet!"
"Calm down, Zell. You aren't going to hand her over." Cid moved behind his desk. "You'll be in disguise. As you know, there's a festival being held in Dollet all of this week. You'll go there as tourists and lay low until the others have found the Phoenix Wing."
"Sir, what will happen to the Phoenix Wing when it is found?"
Cid frowned. "You don't have to worry about that, Zell. Concentrate on the mission. You might even have some fun." He smiled.
"What about Ellone?" Zell continued. "What'll happen to her when the Phoenix Wing is destroyed? She'll be in even more danger, won't she?"
"We are unsure what will happen once the Phoenix Wing is found," Cid said seriously, "But for now I advise you to concentrate on your mission." Cid lifted a box onto his desk.
Zell gritted his teeth and tried to calm himself down.
"What sort of disguise?" he asked.
******
At 1100 hours Squall and Quistis were on a train heading to Dollet. They got off just outside the town and followed a rough track up to the Communication Tower.
"Squall..." Quistis broke the silence that had lingered since they had reached Dollet, "Seifer's back."
Squall frowned and stopped in front of her. "How do you know?"
"I...met him last night." Quistis bit her lip nervously.
"Did he say anything?"
"No."
Squall turned and started walking up the track again. Quistis followed silently and wondered if she should have said anything.
******
"Woo Hoo!!!" Selphie yelled as loud as she could, sitting in the pilots seat of the Ragnorok. Rinoa smiled and sat behind her.
"Let's go, Sephie." Irvine said from the other pilot seat.
"Right!"
The airship lifted off the ground and rose up out of the trees in which it had been hidden.
"Next stop, Centra!"
******
"Do I HAVE to wear this?" Zell complained again. Ellone couldn't help but laugh. Cid had instructed Zell and Ellone to cut and die their hair, as well as wear plain, inconspicuous clothes.
"Stop complaining!" Ellone insisted.
"Well it's OK for you!" Zell argued, "You look amazing in those!"
Ellone smiled, "Thanks"
"But these are just...just..."
"They look fine!" Ellone insisted.
Zell wore a black sleeveless shirt and long grey trousers. His hair had been died brown and cut short, despite Zells complaining and resistance. Ellone had traded her skirt for a pair of black jeans, white T-shirt and denim jacket. Her hair was tied back in a tight ponytail.
Ellone looked at the new watch she had been given.
"Come on, Zell. We'll miss the train."
Reluctantly, Zell followed Ellone out of the Garden and through the forests to the nearest station.