Timber - 3.20 p.m. (Timber Time), approximately 10 hours after train ride from Balamb
The first train arrived at the Eastern Timber Station. The crowd waiting along the platform watched as passengers got off the train one at a time.
Quistis and Xu stepped down from the train, spotting a standing black-brown box with yellow stripes gleaming under the sunlight at the exit of the train station. Quistis lunged towards it and pulled out an envelope from the box.
"Search for this person in this picture," the clue read, followed by a picture of a teenager in a hooded, long sleeve shirt standing among a crowd in front of a mosaic arch.
Squall and Rinoa reached the box, followed by the two Trepies.
"Oh I know, I know!" Rinoa said in excitement, as she was familiar with Timber. "This is taken at the Shopping District, the entrance arch!"
"Shh, don't be so loud!" Squall whispered, gripping Rinoa's left wrist.
"Hey Rinoa said we should be heading to the shopping district." Daniel and Rachel started running away from the group.
"Great job, honey," Squall teased.
With the Trepies leading, the pack dashed to the nearby taxi stand.
The underwater scenery soon turned into a dark tunnel, surfacing upon the plains of Timber. From afar, Zell and Irvine could see the view of Timber, a city surrounded by lush savannahs and majestic snow-capped mountains.
Kadowaki, Edea, Nida and Shelley slung their heavy backpacks over their shoulder and waited at the coach exit impatiently, while Seifer, Fujin and Raijin hung out at the lounge with Selphie glued to the window, her eyes locked into the suburban scenery of Timber; a cluster of houses and office buildings lined along the railway.
"Timber is so much advanced now since I first came here," Selphie said thoughtfully.
The train screeched and sparks flew out from the metal wheels as it stopped at the platform of the eastern station.
The teams dashed out of the coach as the double-doors flung open. Jack and King, who had their bodies glazed in slime, led the pack and got to the clue box first.
"Find this person in the picture. OK," King tucked the clue into his belt-pouch and then headed for the taxi circling the nearby square.
"Taxi!" Jack and King hailed a yellow cab and climbed in.
"Take us to this place, please!" Jack requested, waving the photo in front of the driver. The driver nodded.
Nida and Shelley, on the other hand, hailed a passing taxi across the street from the station. They followed Jack and King's taxi.
Edea and Kadowaki, Zell and Irvine, Seifer and Selphie and Fujin and Raijin waited all by themselves at the taxi stand in front of the red brick building of the Eastern Timber Station, watching the passing cars and motorcycles.
"Oh god. It has been ten minutes and not a single cab showed up!" Kadowaki exclaimed.
"Hey where's the taxi?" Zell cried, punching in the air trying to calm himself down. A taxicab then arrived at the stand.
"Hey, wanna play rock-paper-scissors to see who gets the taxi?" Selphie suggested, but Zell, Seifer and Fujin had started a commotion.
"Irvine and I got here first," Zell yelled.
"Quit yapping, chicken-wuss." Seifer raised his voice. "I'm the best here so I'll be taking the taxi."
"ME?" Fujin questioned Seifer.
"Hey cut it out," Kadowaki said, trying to break the fight.
"Rock-paper-scissors!" Selphie insisted. The three people were still arguing.
"Kadowaki, the cab's ours!" Edea hollered as she got in the taxi. Kadowaki then tiptoed to the taxi and squeezed in.
"I feel sorry for them. We should've waited there to break up the fight," Kadowaki said as the driver began to drive away from the stand. The other three teams that were left behind quieted down and watched Edea and Kadowaki leaving them.
"Edea, I thought we're allies!" Zell said to himself.
Edea's head popped out of the window as the taxi stopped momentarily a few feet from them.
"Don't worry, we'll try to arrange cabs for you all," she hollered. The taxi then sped off.
"Can we play rock-paper-scissors to see who gets the next cabbie?" Selphie cheered. Only Irvine and Raijin stretched out their hands.