Chapter Eight: A Bitter Truth

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Final Fantasy VIII no matter how much I wish they were my works. Any additional characters added are mine.

oOoOo

Rinoa pulled up the hood of her cloak to conceal her face, hoping no one would identify her. She stalked through the streets of Timber, her pace brisk and decisive. She descended some stairs, pausing to look up at her destination: The Aurora Pub.

She set her jaw in determination, Timber will have its independence now. I was promised as much, she thought to herself, pushing the door to the pub open. She scanned the room, the patrons and members of staff not taking note of her arrival which she was thankful for.

She casually made her way to the back of the pub, noticing a drunken man leaning against the door she intended to go through. She sighed, having hoped she wouldn't need to cause any commotion, but her objective was more important to her. She stared at the man and with a slight movement of her hand, he was flung away from the door, colliding into a wall with a painful shout.

Alarmed, the bar manager, staff, and patrons hurried towards him where he was holding his arm and cursing under his breath. Rinoa used the ruckus to leave the pub through the back door and closed it hurriedly behind her. She paused, surveying the dingy alleyway for signs of anyone who would hinder her further before leaning against the wall and pulling her hood down. She took a deep breath, glancing back at the door to the pub as she debated on whether her actions had been impulsive. Maybe I should have had more patience… she trailed off in her thoughts, shaking her head. Too late now, and with that final thought, she turned towards the alleyway.

She grimaced in disgust at the condition it was in as she headed towards the stairs which would take her up to the TV Station. 'Rinoa?' came a voice she recognised, and she turned in astonishment, a smile blossoming on her face.

'Seifer!' Rinoa cried, running into his outstretched arms, and holding onto him tightly. She pulled back after a moment, gazing up at him. 'What are you doing here?' she asked quickly, beaming up at him.

Seifer smiled back at her tenderly, reaching out to tuck her hair behind her ear. 'I could ask you the same thing,' he said, his smile fading to a frown. 'Where's Squall? Is he not working for you?' he asked, looking around the alleyway for them.

Rinoa's eyes darkened for a moment, but the smile was back in place by the time he turned his gaze back to her. 'Yes, they're meeting me at the TV Station,' she lied, hoping Seifer wouldn't pick up on it.

Seifer nodded at her. 'I'll come with you,' he told her, taking her hand and guiding her up the stairs towards the huge TV outside the station.

As they reached the top of the stairs, Rinoa paused and tugged on Seifer's hand. 'Wait, why are you here?' she asked as he turned back to her in curiosity.

Seifer smiled. 'I came to help,' he replied vaguely before continuing along the walkway. They disappeared into the TV Station, quietly making their way into the room where men were rushing about setting up equipment. They hid behind some large screens out of sight, biding their time.

oOoOo

The Forest Owls train screeched to a halt in the station they had left when they first arrived in Timber. Watts exited the train, moving over to a map of the town on the platform as the four companions followed him out more sedately, with Squall holding onto Hermione to give her some support.

Watts turned to them. 'The TV Station is located behind Timber Maniacs, sir!' he told them, and Hermione grasped it must be the headquarters for the magazine she found at Zell's house. 'If you find Rinoa, please tell her to come back, sir!' he requested, and Squall nodded.

'Watts! Come on! The Galbadian Soldiers are coming!' Zone's shout came from the train as the door closed. The train shuddered before slowing making its way out of the platform.

Watts watched it apprehensively for a moment, before turning back to Squall. 'There's lots of guards patrolling Timber now, so please be careful, sir! You won't be able to stay at the hotel either, sir! You're all SeeD's though, so I guess you'll be fine, sir!' he said rapidly with the four of them struggling to take in what he was saying. It sounded like a blur of words strewn together.

They watched in mild amusement as he leapt off the platform and sprinted after the train. 'Unbelievable,' Zell muttered, shaking his head.

Hermione nodded, watching him go. 'I hope he'll be okay,' she whispered, leaning a bit more into Squall.

Squall raised his eyebrows as he glanced down at her resting against him. He swallowed harshly, ignoring the strange feeling he was getting in the pit of his stomach. 'I'm sure he'll be fine,' he replied, shaking his head. He detached himself from her, easing her down onto one of the benches and moved over to the map Watts had been looking at earlier. He examined it for a moment before looking over it and gesturing to a building just down the road. 'Timber Maniacs is just a few blocks away,' he told them, receiving nods.

Hermione sighed, looking at them for a moment, grateful they didn't seem to be focusing on her. Even though they knew she was a witch or Sorceress, it was still fresh, and she didn't want them to be afraid. She pulled out her wand, pointing it at her face. The cuts closed leaving faint white scars, and then she whispered another spell to get rid of the pain. She reached into her beaded bag, taking out a hand mirror and scrutinised her reflection. She looked dreadful and she lowered her head for a moment, thinking back to the beauty spells she learned from the gossip trio. She was pretty sure there was one for masking or vanishing blemishes such as scars, but there was so much going on in her mind she was straining to think of what it was.

Squall had witnessed her using magic to rid herself of the cuts, something he was finding rather fascinating since she closed his wound earlier. He was now watching the array of emotions flitting across her scarred face as she stared at herself in the hand mirror. She's still beautiful, he thought before he could stop himself. He vehemently forced that thought away, aggravated at his treacherous mind.

Regardless of the direction of his thoughts which would normally have him wanting to escape, he found his eyes were drawn back to her as her eyes lit up and she whispered another spell at her face. His eyebrows raised as the scars vanished completely, leaving her skin smooth and unblemished like it had been when he met her. She did the same to her neck, arms, hands, and legs. The only lacerations still there that she couldn't seem to mend were the deeper ones in her legs and a few on her arms which were still bandaged.

Squall glanced over at Zell and Selphie who were scanning the area and hadn't seemed to observe any of this. He then looked back at Hermione, moving over to her. 'You alright?' he asked, searching her eyes as she gazed up at him with a small smile.

Hermione nodded. 'I think I can manage,' she said, standing up from the bench. He took hold of her arm gently to steady her as she balanced herself. She had used the spell to remove the pain on the deeper cuts as well, but it wasn't potent enough, so they were still quite tender. They weren't unbearable now at least and not nearly as excruciating as they had been when she first got them.

Squall let go of her arm, watching as she took a few steps forward towards Zell and Selphie on unsteady legs. She seemed to be managing, but he made a mental note to stay close to her just in case. Zell and Selphie eyed her in amazement, but neither remarked on her now mended appearance and ability to walk without any help from Squall. Hermione was relieved that none of them asked, though she did reckon they were intrigued.

Squall nodded to them. 'Let's get going,' he said, letting Zell and Selphie lead the way down the road he pointed to earlier. He fell into step with Hermione who was still moving a bit slower than normal.

After a few minutes of walking, they could clearly see the large stone building ahead of them with a huge sign across the front: "TIMBER MANIACS". There was a man outside the building gazing wistfully into the window. They made their way over to him.

'Excuse me?' Squall said, watching the man turn to him, his eyes glazed over with melancholy.

He turned back to look at the building. 'Looking for Timber Maniacs? It's right here,' he told them, gesturing to it.

Zell shook his head. 'Well, duh,' he whispered, earning a giggle from Hermione and Selphie, but the guy didn't seem to hear them.

Squall rolled his eyes. 'No, we're looking for the TV Station,' he explained, shaking his head. 'We were told it's behind Timber Maniacs,' he said, crossing his arms.

The guy stared at him like this information meant nothing to him. Hermione sighed, shaking her head. 'Do you know how we can get to it from here?' she asked, and the guy turned to look at her with a brooding expression.

'Yeah, that's in this town,' he replied, tapping his chin and they wondered if he was even from here from the way he said it. That or he just wasn't interested in anything other than Timber Maniacs. 'As the trains aren't running, I'm not sure how to get to it from here by foot though,' he explained with a shrug before turning in the direction of the train station towards the right of Timber Maniacs. 'The lady next door might know?' he added, gesturing to a small stone house before turning his gaze back to the Timber Maniacs building.

Squall nodded. 'Thanks,' he muttered, walking towards the house the young man pointed out.

Hermione frowned, following him along with Zell and Selphie. 'Wait, we're just going to knock on some random's person's house?' she asked, and they paused, turning to look at her. 'Is that what people do around here?' she muttered, shaking her head.

Squall's lips twitched. 'Not normally, no,' he replied, crossing his arms as she looked up at him. 'It's our only lead for the moment though, so might as well take it,' he told her with a shrug.

Selphie nodded 'Come on, Hermione! It won't be all bad,' she said cheerfully, delicately taking Hermione's arm so as not to hurt her. 'I've heard the people in this town are really nice,' she told her, beaming at her.

Hermione chuckled, smiling fondly at her. 'Okay, I'll take your word for it,' she replied, letting Selphie guide her along the road.

Squall rolled his eyes, continuing towards the house and knocked on the door lightly when he reached it. After a moment a woman opened it cautiously, peering out at them from the small gap. 'What do you want?' she demanded, glancing at them all curiously.

Squall nodded in greeting. 'Sorry to bother you, ma'am, but we were told you might know how we can get to the TV Station from here?' he asked courteously, squinting at her through the gap.

The woman raised her eyebrows in disbelief. 'What? You're walking to the TV Station?' she asked sceptically, looking at the four companions with incredulity.

Squall sighed. 'We have no choice. The trains aren't running,' he answered with a light shrug.

The woman nodded thoughtfully before opening the door fully and stepping out of her house onto the street. She glanced towards the train station. 'Let's see…' she murmured before moving her eyes to a set of stairs to the left of it. She nodded to herself and turned back to them. 'There used to be a way to the back alley behind my house,' she clarified, crossing her arms. 'The pub down those stairs was built around the time they stopped broadcasting,' she explained with a shrug, pointing to the stairs. 'If you speak to the scary-looking, mean owner, he might help you,' she told them and they nodded, deciding not to comment on her description for the pub owner.

Hermione smiled. 'Thank you,' she said, bowing her head and received a smile in return.

The four companions watched as the woman retreated into her house, shutting the door promptly before walking along the path towards the stairs next to the train station. Along the way, there was a woman sitting on a bench next to the stairs and she stood up, holding out an arm to stop them. 'You guys watch yourselves. Some seedy lookin' guys were heading towards the pub,' she cautioned them, and they nodded in thanks for the warning.

As they were making their way down the stairs, two Galbadian solders came staggering out of the pub laughing. 'That was too easy man,' one of them snickered, shaking his head. 'For a country bumpkin he sure had some good stuff,' he said, examining a card in his hand.

The other solder shook his head, his expression sobering. 'Maybe we should ease off a little. These Timber hicks hate us enough as it is,' he told him, taking a step towards the stairs, and looked up to see the four companions at the foot of the stairs watching them cautiously. 'Got a staring problem?' he snapped at them, resting a hand on the hilt of his blade.

Squall subconsciously moved in front of Hermione, placing his arm out in front of her. 'We just want to get to the pub,' he explained as Zell and Selphie also moved closer to Hermione.

Hermione sighed, shaking her head. 'You know I can take care of myself,' she whispered, taking out her wand. She poked it through the gap between Squall's arm and his side.

The other soldier glared at them. 'And what if we refuse to let you in?' he answered, unsheathing his Gunblade and his partner followed suit.

Hermione whispered a spell, watching in satisfaction as the two solders stumbled before crumbling to the ground. Squall, Zell, and Selphie who had been getting ready to unsheathe their own weapons gaped at the soldiers in bewilderment. Hermione stowed her wand back in her beaded bag before walking around the three SeeD's. She moved towards the pub, making sure to stand on one of the soldier's chests on her way. She grabbed the door handle before turning back to her daunted companions. Maybe I should have let them handle it, she thought, taking in their expressions. Hopefully they would get used to her using magic soon. 'Coming?' she called to them, tilting her head.

The three walked towards the pub, pausing to glance down at the soldiers. 'What happened to them?' Selphie asked, kneeling beside one of them and checking their pulse. They were still alive.

Hermione watched this and sighed. 'Don't worry, they're only sleeping,' she muttered with a light shrug, before pushing open the door to the pub and disappearing inside.

The other three shared a glance at each other before following her. The pub was small and somewhat grubby. Hermione frowned at the cloud of smoke drifting in the air, wrinkling her nose. She loathed the smell of stale cigarette smoke. She scanned the pub, noticing there seemed to have been some recent commotion and wondered if it had something to do with the two soldiers now sleeping peacefully on the ground outside.

Squall placed a hand on his hip as he looked around the pub, spotting a waitress cleaning a table. He walked over to her. 'Hi, we're looking for the scary-looking, mean owner?' he asked in mild amusement, reciting the exact words the lady at the house had coined. Behind him, Hermione, Selphie, and Zell chuckled.

The waitress let out a loud laugh. '"The scary-looking, mean owner of the pub"?' she repeated, shaking her head amusedly. 'Did you hear that from his wife?' she asked, peering at them as they glanced at each other having not made that connection. 'The owner's actually a mellow guy, just not when he's with his wife. The two fight like wile animals,' she snickered before pointing to the bartender who was currently in a debate with a drunken man he was patching up.

Squall shook his head. Way too much information, he thought with a grimace. 'Thanks,' he muttered, and she nodded, going back to cleaning the table.

They walked over towards the bartender, who they assumed was the owner, and the drunken man, hearing their conversation. 'I've had enough of this city!' the drunkard was saying, shaking his head. 'I came from Dollet to have me a good time!' he slurred, almost falling off his seat as the owner rolled his eyes at him.

The owner shook his head. 'Then why don't you leave?' he asked, tightening the dressing on the drunkards arm.

The drunk shook his head. 'The trains are no longer running! Can't even stay in a hotel because of some stupid official!' he argued, wincing as the owner patted his now bandaged arm none-too-gently.

The owner stepped away from him, finally noticing the four companions who were patiently waiting for him to be done. 'Can I help?' he asked, disregarding the drunkard who was still whinging into his drink.

Hermione smiled at him. 'Yes, is there a way to the TV Station through here?' she asked, looking around for another exit.

The owner nodded. 'Sure,' he replied, motioning for them to follow him to the back of the pub where there was a door nestled between the bar and the hallway leading to the bathroom. 'This door leads to a back alley and beyond that is the TV Station,' he explained, gesturing to the door.

Hermione nodded. 'Thank you,' she said, receiving a nod as he walked away to take his place behind the bar. She turned to Squall. 'Should we go?' she asked him, and he nodded.

Squall pushed the door open, raising his eyebrow at a drunken man who was fast asleep next to some discarded boxes and an overflowing trash can. He cringed, holding the door open for them as they exited the pub before leading them slowly through the alleyway. This place is revolting, he thought, his face twisting in revulsion as he moved to avoid stepping in some sort of green slimy liquid on the ground which was spilling forth from a knocked over metal container.

Zell squirmed slightly. 'Looks like no one's been back here in years,' he muttered, reaching out and pulling Selphie out of the way of the slime puddle on the ground so she wouldn't step in it.

'Thanks,' Selphie griped, looking at bit green.

They continued along the linear path, reaching a metal staircase leading up to the TV Station. They looked around in disgust; there were bins there that looked like they had never been emptied and Hermione swallowed the bile rising in her throat from the odour.

They hurried up the stairs to get away from the stench, coming to a stop in front of a massive TV on the wall. 'Whoa, an outdoor TV!' Zell said excitedly, gazing up at it in awe.

Selphie frowned. 'That noise is weird,' she mumbled, covering her ears.

Squall nodded. 'This noise is broadcast over most of the frequencies. Something has to be done about this before they can broadcast over the air,' he explained, looking up at the TV with a frown.

Zell crossed his arms. 'Oh? I was wondering myself,' he said, shaking his head.

Hermione, on the other hand, was staring at the TV in perplexity wondering if they had caught on to what was actually displayed on the screen. The words were all aligned together without any spaces, but she could unmistakably see they held a message: "I am alive here. I will never let you forget about me. Bring me back there". The meaning of the words were a mystery to her, but it seemed bizarre that they were there, and she couldn't help speculating if there was some kind of significance to them.

Next to the large TV there was a smaller screen displaying scrolling text which read, "Galbadia TV Station: We broadcast important information regarding the future of Galbadia and Timber. Every citizen must stay informed everyday". This she found to be peculiar as well as they had been told the TV Station hadn't been used for live broadcasting in seventeen years. She wondered if Galbadia had intentions to use it on a more frequent basis now that the Communication Tower was back up.

Hermione shook her head, everything about this world only provided more questions with every passing moment. Forcing her thoughts away and deciding to focus on the present, she turned her back on the TV. Her eyes widened as she took in the view across Timber. 'Wow,' she whispered, clutching the railing, and gazing out. It was a stunning view, and she could see the forests in the distance from which Timber derived its name.

Squall turned towards Hermione upon hearing the awe in her voice, taking in her wide glistening eyes as she took in the town and surrounding countryside. She had tied her long hair up in a ponytail after they left the train, but a few curls had escaped to frame her face. He suddenly yearned to tuck them behind her ears and trace the curve of her neck, but he violently crushed that thought. He swallowed, his mouth becoming dry, not knowing where the impulse even came from. He shook his head, turning away from her to try and prevent any more of them emerging into his traitorous mind.

He was saved by Watts jogging up the stairs which startled them. 'Watts?' Squall asked, frowning at him.

Watts waved at them. 'I came to tell you that the President's in the studio now, sir,' he explained, receiving nods from them as he spotted something behind them making his eyes widen. 'Rinoa!' he called out, and the four companions spun around, finding Rinoa walking towards them casually.

Rinoa paused at the bottom of the steps, taking in their guarded expressions. She glanced at Hermione who was leaning against the railing. It would be so easy to just… she trailed off in her thoughts, taking in the bandages on her arms and the ones showing from under her three-quarter length black leggings. Shame that body double didn't get rid of her, she mused, before clearing her thoughts.

Rinoa took on a look of remorse as she gazed at Hermione. 'I'm so sorry about what happened earlier,' she said, wringing her hands. 'I panicked and thought only of my own wellbeing. It was… selfish,' she told her, shaking her head. 'Can you forgive me?' she asked, pouting, and lowering her eyes to the ground.

Hermione scowled, not buying it, but she was conscious of the contract Rinoa still had with the SeeD's. Until they could return to Garden to speak to Cid, they would have to keep working for her whether they wanted to or not. She made her expression blank before looking back at Rinoa. 'Sure,' she said, trying to keep her tone pleasant, but inside she was boiling with resentment and suspicion at the girl.

Squall observed the exchange, frowning at Hermione, but the witch just gave him a meaningful look. He gave her a tiny incline of his head to show he understood before turning on Rinoa. 'Go back with Watts. We'll handle this,' he said firmly, crossing his arms.

Rinoa laughed at him. 'I think not,' she countered, clicking her tongue. 'You are under my command, dear Squall, not the other way around,' she reminded them, walking over to him until they were inches apart. 'I. Do. Not. Take. Orders. From. You,' she snapped, jabbing him in the chest with every word, and Squall scowled at her.

Squall took a step away from Rinoa, purposefully putting himself between her and Hermione. Seeing this, Hermione wondered if he'd finally twigged that Rinoa was probably genuinely trying to murder her. 'Well, what's your strategy?' he asked, crossing his arms.

Rinoa shrugged. 'Well, the President is here, so we could storm in and take on the soldiers guarding him?' she suggested rashly, placing a hand on her hip.

Squall shook his head. 'Out of the question. There's too many guards and I'm not putting my comrades in danger,' he replied immediately, raising an eyebrow at her. 'What else?' he asked, narrowing his eyes at her.

Rinoa glared at him; he was ruining her plans. 'Then we wait until the President leaves. Hopefully his guards will leave with him and then I can do our broadcast,' she replied, shifting her weight to the other foot as she waited for Squall to consider his options.

Squall rolled his eyes before nodding. 'Whatever, just tell us when to go,' he muttered, turning away from her. 'We just want this mission to be over so we can leave,' he added quietly, crossing his arms, and shooting her a glare.

Rinoa laughed. 'Oh, yes, to leave and go back to your blissful existence in Garden,' she spat, narrowing her eyes at him. 'Keep in mind, Squall, that my broadcast won't necessarily bring Timber independence,' she told him, crossing her arms. 'There are other things to consider,' she said, sneering at him.

Squall eyes flashed angrily. 'We are not going to stay here and wait for you to fuck up your petty schemes!' he shouted at her, and Hermione's eyes widened in alarm. She had seen Squall visibly become angry, but to see it verbally was quite startling. He took a step towards Rinoa, his fists clenching. 'We are not pawns in your pathetic little game! We will do what we must to assist you in accomplishing your goal, and then we are gone,' he told her, his tone dangerous and his eyes telling her to back off.

Hermione eyed Rinoa to see her reaction to this and was troubled at the huge grin which was plastered on the girl's face. 'Well, that's Cid's decision, is it not?' Rinoa said softly, examining her nails indifferently before peering up and raising a daring eyebrow at Squall.

Squall took a step back, closing his eyes angrily. He moved over towards Hermione, leaning against the railing beside her and crossed his arms. Hermione didn't look at him, but she could almost feel his resentment for Rinoa radiating from him.

A tense silence followed this, and it swathed over them all like a blanket. Rinoa turned to face the large TV, the smirk still present on her lips and Hermione had the suspicion that she thought she had won this fight. She cast a sideways glance at Squall, seeing the churning rage in his eyes. She had no doubt that he was very close to walking away from this mission. Surely, Cid would understand if they did even if he received a poor report from Rinoa before they managed to get to him. Hermione, Zell, and Selphie would back him up as well and expound on their experiences of it as well.

The TV made a loud crackling noise as it stuttered to life, showing a podium with a camera crew making adjustments to the screens to make it clearer. 'They starting?' Zell asked, looking up at the massive TV in interest.

The broadcast commenced with a skittish announcer taking his place behind the podium. 'T-Testing… 1… 2… Testing… Testing…' he muffled, tapping on the microphone and the crew nodded to him, letting him know the sound was fine.

He gazed at the cameras in awe. 'Oh, this is incredible!' he said excitedly, reaching up to fix his tie nervously. 'People of the world, this is not a recording! This is an actual broadcast over the air! Yes, it's been seventeen years since a live broadcast has been possible!' he said quickly, wiping sweat from his brow. 'Oh, please excuse me… I seem to have lost my composure. We would like to present to you today a message from the lifelong President of Galbadia, Vinzer Deling,' he said, stepping down from the podium and looking off the screen to someone there.

Squall glanced over at Rinoa who had a scowl on her face as the President made his appearance, stepping up to the podium. He looked down at her clenched fists, her knuckles turning white before looking at her eyes. They were searching the screen for something, and he realised she was waiting for something to happen. He wondered what she had prearranged before she appeared before them from the direction of the TV Station. Did she do something that will disrupt the broadcast?

Squall cast a sideways glance at Hermione, gazing at her for a moment as she stared at the screen in fascination. He wondered what she was thinking, wanting to ask her but he forced the feeling away. He didn't know what was going on with him lately or why he was having these compelling thoughts.

Squall shook his head, tuning back into the transmission as the President adjusted his tie before speaking, 'Greetings. I am Vinzer Deling, Lifelong President of Galbadia. Today, I stand before you to make the following proposition. We, the people of the world, have the power to end all wars,' he declared, raising his arms out in what Squall presumed was meant to be a friendly gesture to the other nations.

Selphie laughed. 'It's a peace proposal to the world! I knew it!' she cried, pointing at the screen excitedly.

Rinoa rolled her eyes. 'This is not a peace proposal,' she snapped, deflating Selphie's enthusiasm with her tone. 'Deling doesn't do peace talks,' she added, shaking her head, and crossing her arms as she glared up at the man on the TV.

The five continued watching the screen as President Deling wiped imaginary lint from his suit. 'Unfortunately, some trifling problems are standing between Galbadia and other nations, and they must be resolved,' he paused as a loud noise disrupted him, followed by a shout, but the President disregarded it. 'I plan to convene with other nations' leaders immediately to resolve these problems. At this time, allow me to introduce the ambassador who will be my representative for the conference,' he said, nodding to an unknown figure off-screen.

Zell shook his head. 'Man! All this just to introduce an ambassador,' he said, gesturing to the TV.

'The ambassador is the Sorceress…' the President was saying, and their eyes shot back to the screen.

Squall frowned. 'The Sorceress?' he whispered, his eyes moving to Hermione whose eyes were wide, raptly watching the screen. He could understand to a point. He assumed Hermione knew that Sorceresses were rare so to hear that there was another one so close by and being announced to the world publicly must have been a shock to her.

He moved his eyes back to the screen but stopped them on Rinoa when he noticed she was quivering in fury. What's got her so wound up? he wondered, and opened his mouth to interrogate her, but loud clamours on the screen drew his eyes back to it.

Squall's eyes widened; Seifer was there in the TV Station, killing Galbadian Soldiers who were trying to prevent him from getting near to the President.

'Seifer!' Zell shouted, watching the events unfold on the screen.

Seifer slashed at another soldier, spraying blood on the camera which trickled down the screen. Hermione grimaced, looking away from it and closed her eyes. Two soldiers seized Seifer from behind, and he grappled with them as another came towards him. Seifer kicked him into the camera which fell to the floor, before managing to throw the other two off him. Seifer sprinted towards Deling, grasping his arms and held his Gunblade to his throat.

'What is he doing!?' Selphie screamed, pointing at the screen.

Quistis appeared on the screen then, pushing through the soldiers who were advancing on Seifer. 'Instructor Trepe!?' Zell yelled in surprise upon seeing her there.

Quistis held her arms out, stopping them from moving closer to them. 'Stay back!' she cried at them. When another crept forward, she shoved him back. 'For the last time, stay back! You're only going to provoke him!' Quistis yelled at him, and he took a step back with a nod, keeping his Gunblade at the ready.

'Rinoa!' Selphie cried as the dark-haired girl ran towards the TV Station.

Hermione frowned nervously. 'Squall?' she asked, taking hold of his arm as she glanced back at the screen before looking up at him.

Squall exhaled, rubbing his free hand over his face in frustration. 'It's none of our business,' he concluded, shaking his head. 'Rinoa may be our client, but it's her prerogative if she decides to run head-first into danger,' he told them as they gaped back at him in disbelief. He sighed, clutching Hermione's elbow gently and started to lead her towards the stairs away from the TV Station.

'Timber Team, are you watching?' Quistis' voice echoed from the screen, and Squall paused, hesitating as he glanced back at the screen. 'Get over here right now! You have permission! I need your help!' she ordered, and Squall cursed under his breath.

Squall turned on his heel, still holding Hermione's elbow, and nodded to Zell and Selphie. The four hurried towards the TV Station, bracing themselves as best they could for whatever was about to transpire there.

oOoOo

Rinoa crept past the commotion as soon as she found an opening to do so. She moved through a corridor into a back room with a stage, white curtains draping either side of it. A woman stood with her back to Rinoa in the middle of the stage, and she gazed at her in reverence. Rinoa paused at the bottom of the steps leading up to the stage and fell to her knees, lowering her head in respect.

The woman turned, looking down at the girl in disapproval, giving away that she was not at all thrilled to see her. She ran her hands over her purple skin-tight dress, its plunging neckline adorned with black feathers around the collar. She tutted calculatingly as she walked down the steps towards Rinoa, stopping in front of her. 'You are failing,' she ridiculed softly, reaching down and clutching her chin with a clawed hand, the sharp nails digging into Rinoa's cheek and drawing blood.

Rinoa whimpered. 'I'm trying, Mistress,' she replied, closing her eyes in disgrace.

The woman tilted her head at Rinoa, the jewels on her headpiece chiming. 'Then why is she still alive?' the woman asked, tightening her hold on Rinoa's chin.

Rinoa gasped, feeling those razor-sharp nails inching deeper into the skin of her cheek. 'Complications, Mistress,' she replied, forcing herself to look at the woman's golden eyes which were framed by white lines extending from the corner of her eyes to her cheeks.

The woman clicked her tongue, letting go of Rinoa's chin vehemently before striking her across the face. The force caused the girl to fall to the ground, grasping her throbbing cheek. She hastily moved back onto her knees, trying to fight back the tears welling in her eyes, as she lowered her head.

After a moment, the woman moved back up onto the stage. 'Get out of my sight,' she hissed, making an arching motion with her hand, and opening a portal within one of the curtains to her right.

Rinoa nodded, scrambling to her feet unsteadily, and hurrying through the portal before her Mistress could punish her any further.