Chapter Fourteen

Galbadia Garden or Bust

The next morning the group prepared to leave just as the sun was beginning to rise over the rooftops. Chief stood near the door, waving them past.

"You be careful now," she murmured. The group started to file out, but she caught Seifer's arm before he could pass. "Here take this." She handed him a small leather case. Seifer opened it to find a few Potions, some Remedies, an Antidote or two, an injection of Soft—a cocktail of muscle relaxants able to counteract paralyzation—and even a few vials of Phoenix Down inside. All in all it'd make a nice replacement to the supplies he'd been forced to sell off to get a train ticket here. He closed it again and gave her a smirk.

"Thanks," he murmured, then stuffed the case in his coat pocket before following after the others.

They regrouped outside and had just started to head out when all of a sudden a Galbadian soldier—a somewhat short, pudgy one—ran up to them. Everyone but Squall, Seifer and Angelo fell into fighting stances, as apparently an itch on his rump was more important to the dog.

"Not good," Zell growled.

The soldier quickly raised his arms and waved them. "It's me, sir! It's me!" he cried, and by that it became obvious that the soldier was in fact Watts in disguise. "Got some info sir," he pronounced when they all relaxed accordingly. "Timber station will be shut down temporarily."

Selphie whined, stomping her foot. "Mega-bummer!"

Watts shook his head, grinning beneath his Galbadian helmet. "Not necessarily, sir. It's not completely shut down yet. The last train out of here is bound for East Academy."

Squall scowled, features set. "We're getting on that train," he pronounced. He turned and started to move off.

Watts turned to Rinoa. "You're going too, right Rinoa?" he questioned, tone heavy. She sighed.

"Yeah. What about you, Watts?" He shrugged.

"No need to worry 'bout me, I'll go gather more info." She smiled sadly, taking a step toward him.

"I promise I'll be back," she vowed. "You take care, ok?"

Watts turned to Squall and Seifer. "Squall, Seifer, please take care of Rinoa," he murmured, tone almost reverent. Seifer just nodded while Squall sighed heavily.

"Yeah, don't worry," he heaved. "Client's orders."

Watts completely missed the byplay of that statement, nodding eagerly . "Thank you sir! 'Til we meet again, sir!"

Rinoa hung back as Watts ran off in the other direction, fingers covering her mouth, eyes troubled. Eventually from a whine from Angelo she finally turned and hurried after the others, who had already begun toward the train station. What little remained of Galbadia's military presence in town didn't bother questioning them or chasing them down, too busy with other worries apparently.

As they reached the entrance to the train station, an older gentleman with a thick gray mustache—wearing a long-sleeved gray shirt, baggy green pants, suspenders and a matching golf hat pulled low on his head—suddenly waved them down.

"Rinoa!" he called. "Seifer! It's me!"

Rinoa scowled, stepping closer, then gasped. "Zone!"

He reached into his shirt. "You need to go to East Academy right? There's no more tickets left."

Selphie stomped her foot again. "Super-duper-mega-bummer!" Squall just shot her a look, then sighed.

"We'll do whatever it takes to get on that train."

"Just stuff these two motor-mouths on board," Seifer sneered. "They'll chase everyone else back off in no time."

Zell and Selphie gave the tall blonde dirty looks but he ignored them. Zone just laughed.

"You won't have to do that," he assured, then pulled his hand out and produced several slips. "Looky here!" he crowed, to everyone's stunned disbelief. "I have everyone's tickets right here!" He handed one to Rinoa. "One for you," he murmured. Then he moved to Squall. "Three for you SeeD people," he continued. "Here, I'll give them to the leader," and then did so.

Selphie made a face behind him, mouthing the words SeeD people? as if he'd just called her a slug. Zone either didn't notice or didn't acknowledge it. He went to stand in front of Seifer, who quirked a brow. "The last one is for me . . ." Zone sighed, then held it out to Seifer. "Go on, take it."

Seifer met his gaze steadily, shaking his head.

"I can't take that, Z. That's your ticket, man."

Zone suddenly grabbed at his stomach and hunched. "Ouch!" He shoved the ticket into Seifer's hand, then spun around and stumbled a few steps away, falling into a crouch and cradling his middle. "Just get going!" he cried, voice muffled. "The train's leaving!"

Seifer stared at the ticket stub in his hand, then sighed and turned his gaze back to a prone Zone. "Thanks, Z," he intoned heavily. "I owe you one."

Rinoa moved to stand beside him. "Zone . . . we're gonna see each other again, ok? No matter what, you have to survive," she exclaimed, voice shaking with conviction. Then she forced a smile. "We have to liberate Timber together, remember?"

Zone winced, but nodded through his phantom pain. "I know, I know," he heaved. "I'll go hide in a bathroom or something." He motioned. "Now get going."

The group headed into the train station and made their way through the press. Overhead the PA system sounded out in the cavernous room; "This train, bound for Dollet, is stopping in East Academy. This is the last train for today. Please hurry on board."

The five of them wasted no time in boarding the waiting train. Zell move to the rear of the train near the window while Selphie bounced right up to the door leading into the SeeD car. Rinoa and Seifer stopped near the center and Squall pulled up the rear, the door shutting behind him.

"This train, bound for East Academy, will depart shortly," the train's intercom suddenly buzzed.

Squall sighed. "Well we—,"

Selphie began hopping in place. "Open, open, open!"

"—made it," he finished grimly, turning to glare at her back while Seifer snickered and Rinoa shook her head.

Selphie turned her pleading gaze toward the bland-faced leader. "Please!" she whined. "Open up!"

Better let her have her way, he decided with a roll of his eyes, accepting the fact that she wasn't going to shut up or leave it be until he opened the door for her. He stepped over to the console, punching in the appropriate code. His ID check was confirmed, and access was granted with a cheery bleep. Selphie grinned.

"Tee-hee!" she giggled. "Thanks!" Then she ran off into the other car. Soon enough they could hear her singing again, that same sad train-inspired lullaby.

"Well, we pulled through that by the skin of our teeth," Squall intoned after a moment.

"Yeah," Seifer heaved with a smirk. "Who would've guessed Zone and Watts would've pulled through like that? Great guys," he sighed, "but not always the most competent." Rinoa chuckled.

"Zone's into naughty magazines, if you want to repay him," she announced. Seifer winced.

"Yeah, thanks for reminding me," he growled, and she openly laughed at that.

Neither noticed Squall turning his back on them and glaring off moodily out the window. Zell slumped, obviously depressed, but no one bothered him. The rest of the train ride passed in relative silence.

An hour later they were disembarking at the East Academy station. The five of them hoofed it into the woods near-by, and Seifer estimated about another two-hour march through the heavily forested canyon before they'd emerge out the other side. The trek was passed mostly in silence as well. They stopped for a break a little over half way through. Seifer sighed heavily, wiping the sweat from his brow onto the sleeve of his coat.

"We're not too far from Galbadia Garden, now," he murmured.

Selphie stretched out her legs with a wince, then turned to Squall.

"Heeey, I was just thinking," she called. "There might be some bad news from the Galbadian government. What if we get caught and then get broadcast to the whole world!"

Zell turned to her, expression thunderous. It seemed all the silent brooding he'd been doing since yesterday was about to blow out. Sure enough, he fisted his hands and growled.

"Whatever happens, happens," he snarled. Selphie blinked, slightly taken aback. Zell turned away, jaw firming. "Now come on," he insisted. "Let's just keep going. I . . ." he slumped then with a heavy sigh. "I'm worried about Balamb Garden. If anything happens to Garden, it's all my fault." He lifted his tortured eyes to the group, meeting Seifer's sneering gaze and Squall's apathetic one. "I'm the one who said we were all from Garden." He swallowed with some difficulty. "Do you think the president will retaliate on Garden?"

"Maybe," Squall murmured. Seifer scoffed.

"More like, definitely," he snapped. Instead of growing angry—as he would've normally reacted—Zell grew even more despondent.

"Figures," he murmured miserably. Then he suddenly stepped forward and grabbed Squall's arm, expression desperate.

"B-B-But, we have a bunch of SeeDs at Balamb Garden! They wouldn't lose to the Galbadian army, would they?"

Squall made a face, pulling his arm out of Zell's grasp. "Depends on how strong the army is," he replied then, tone set upon.

"And how many ground-to-air missiles they fire at it," Seifer seconded, heartless. Zell finally turned on him then, looking suspiciously close to tears.

"Shut the fuck up, Almasy!" he snarled, tone unsteady. "You don't have any room to criticize me!"

"Why the hell not?" Seifer shot back, arms crossed. "You're the one who couldn't keep your big mouth shut. If Garden gets leveled, it will be your fault."

"And you're the one who just couldn't stay where you were supposed to be and leave well enough alone!" Zell screamed back, and Seifer tensed as the martial-artist began hitting a little too close to a few fresh wounds still striping his soul. "You and your big badass ego just couldn't stomach the thought of someone else getting any of the glory, could you! It's your fault I was even in that stupid TV station in the first place. I wouldn't have said anything about Garden if it hadn't been for you! Just like it's your fault Instructor Trepe got captured, and probably killed!"

"One more word, you little bastard, and I'm going to gut you like a fish," Seifer snarled, hand grabbing the handle of Hyperion.

"Enough!" Rinoa suddenly yelled out. She stomped forward and placed herself in between the two volatile blonds, hands on their chests and doing her best to shove them back. It wasn't working too well, however. She was no where big or strong enough to move those two unless they wanted to be moved. She turned to Squall—who had been standing by watching the scene unfold silently—and shot him a dirty look.

"Oh you're just a great leader, aren't you," she sneered.

Squall rolled his eyes, scowling. Not again.

"Do you actually have fun acting so callous toward your comrades?" she continued bitterly and he sighed.

I knew it was going to be something like that.

"Two of your friends are about to tear each others' heads off, and you're just standing there staring at them, that bored look on your face as if you were watching a Triple Triad game!" She stepped from in-between Zell and Seifer—who had paused in their own argument to watch Squall's upbraiding—and marched right up to the brunette, her finger jabbing in his chest.

"Zell needed your support, and so does Seifer. Any kind of encouragement will make—,"

Squall scowled down at her finger jabbing into his front, then turned to stare at a rock just over her shoulder, tuning her out. That's just to ease your mind, he thought to himself. Am I the only one who thinks that?

Squall was forced to bring his attention back to Rinoa when she suddenly smacked him in the arm. His eyes shot back to hers and she gave him a hateful glare. "Don't you ever worry about or even think about the well-being of your comrades!?"

I don't believe in relying on others, he answered silently, his eyes narrowing.

"Don't you understand?" she nearly shrieked, apparently attempting to get a reaction—any reaction—from him. Squall's face remained as impassive as ever.

Whatever.

Rinoa was coming the closest she'd ever had to hitting someone just for the fun of it. She felt like screaming at the top of her lungs or pulling her hair out by the roots. What, was this guy a friggin' machine?!

He just stood there, staring at her with those flat steel-blue eyes of his, his face expressionless. Blank. His wispy brown hair sifted around his head with the slight breeze blowing, but that was the only movement he allowed. She might as well have been pleading with a statue. Squall Leonhart was probably one of the most attractive men Rinoa had ever seen; tall but not too tall, his 5'8" frame toned with mouth-watering slabs of muscle due to his mercenary training and with a perpetually sulky, heavy-lidded-bedroom-eyes face that made anyone with more estrogen in their bodies than testosterone sit up and take notice.

It was just too bad that he had all the emotional softness of a rock.

"Are you even listening to me, Squall?!" she demanded then, tone going shrill.

Something flickered behind those two mirror-like eyes, and he opened his mouth to say something finally. And then all of a sudden his face went pale. Rinoa blinked, confused and startled when Squall suddenly grunted with pain and then hunched over, grabbing at his head.

"Squall?" she called tentatively, wondering with baited breath if she'd caused him to have a brain aneurism or something.

Squall didn't appear to hear her. Instead he hit his knees, and then collapsed completely at her feet, face down. "Oh Hyne," Rinoa breathed, horrified. Had she killed him?

"What the . . ," she turned to see Seifer cradling his skull as well, and then he fell back into the bushes near-by with a crash. And then Selphie began tottering.

"M-Me too . . ." she murmured, and then she fell to the ground, too. Zell quickly darted over to check on her, then sat up, eyes wide. Rinoa had crouched near Squall's head, and felt tentatively for a pulse in his neck. She nearly fell over with relief when she felt one, strong and healthy. Yet he lay completely prone on the ground . . . as if he'd passed out. Or fell asleep.

"What's going on?!" she demanded of Zell. He had sat back on his rear in the grass and sighed.

"I think . . . they went into the dream world."

"Dream world?"

In the hour that followed, Zell filled her in on the strange phenomenon that had occurred on the train yesterday morning and the shared dream that they'd had. He told her all about Laguna, Kiros and Ward and everything about their misadventures outside of a war-torn Timber to their brief visit to the capital of Galbadia.

Rinoa was silent throughout the tale, biting her lip. She was especially disturbed by it, more so than Zell. Not because they had all shared a dream about the same people, but because she knew one of the "characters" in the dream quite intimately. The famous pianist and singer of Deling City, Julia Heartilly, was her mother. Rinoa had never met her—Julia had died in giving birth to her—but she knew a great deal about the song that Zell spoke of. A beautifully poignant melody that had gone on to become her mother's greatest hit, Eyes on Me, written in tribute to a man her mother had had an unrequited love for. And now Rinoa knew the name of that man, apparently.

Laguna Loire . . . I wonder why that name sounds so familiar . . . .

Rinoa shrugged. Now that she knew the connection to he and her mother, she must've seen the name somewhere in her mother's writings. Julia had kept a daily journal throughout her entire life, and her father had kept those journals after her death. Reading them had been the only way young Rinoa had had of connecting with the beautiful woman who had given birth to her. They were her greatest treasure.

Just as the sun began nearing high noon, the others slowly began to stir and come awake. Zell stopped in his pacing, and both he and Rinoa watched eagerly as the other three sat up with groans.

"Was it Laguna again?" Zell questioned. Selphie nodded, eyes wide.

"Sir Laguna's in big trouble!" she exclaimed, then she sighed. "I hope he'll be ok . . ."

Seifer held his head in one hand and leveled the other three with a dark look. "Doesn't look like this is the first time for you all," he muttered. "Just what in the hell is this?"

Rinoa almost opened her mouth and told them what she knew, but changed her mind at the last minute and held her peace. The others turned to Squall, who got up off the ground and sighed, brushing the dirt and leaves from his clothes.

"We'll just be wasting our time trying to figure it out," was his response. He straightened and fixed them all with a stern, bland stare. "Let's keep going."

Zell was all for that. He turned forward and motioned. "Yeah, let's go! I think we're almost there! While you guys were out of it, I could've sworn I heard drills being yelled out in the distance."

Seifer levered himself up with a wince, and Selphie got to her feet with her own painful grumbles. The others started forward. Rinoa hung back, eyeing Squall and biting her lip. This past hour had been plenty of enough time for her to forget her anger and start to feel extremely guilty for yelling at him as she'd had. A guilt which was only compounded by how he'd collapsed shortly afterward. Squall just stared down at her, as expressionless as always.

"Um . . . Squall?" she called, wringing her hands. "I think I might have said too much. I'm sorry."

The attractive male just rolled his eyes, then sighed and shrugged before turning and walking after the others. Rinoa stared after him, jaw firming and eyes narrowing with sudden determination. One of these days, Squall Leonhart, I'm going to get you to open up and actually show me some real, human emotion, she vowed to herself. One way, or another.