Rinoa failed to see the pothole. She hit it at full speed. The bike bucked up, throwing her head first into a patch of tall, matted grass. Lying face down in the dirt she started to cry, salty tears spilling from her eyes peppering the dry soil. Her hands grasped at tufts of grass and she ripped them from the earth in desperation. It was all too much. Too much stress. Too much burden. Too much for one person.

Timber, The Forest Owls, Seifer... All of it. It was all too much. Rinoa slumped onto her back, panting and sweaty. She replayed the thought of Seifer pulling away from her hug over-and-over again in her mind. Her heart sank in her chest. It was all a mess, everything was going wrong.

Purple clouds like puffy bruises hung in the sky now. The weather changed, a cold wind rustled across the plains throwing up dust in towering plumes. Rinoa lay there, panting, sweaty, tears still running down her face as she watched the clouds rolling in. Just a little break. Just a small break, she said to herself. Just to lay down for a few minutes, to cry it out. She deserved it. Thirty minutes melted away.

"Damn," Rinoa said aloud, "If the guys back in Timber could see me now."

She clasped both of her hands across her chest and closed her eyes. She could imagine them all; Zone, Watts, The Forest Fox, The Forest Duck, all looking at her, laying there in the tall grass with her hair a mess, covered in dirt and crying like a baby. What would they think?

They were all at home, fighting for the cause. Always on the move. Living day-to-day. Constantly in fear. Facing danger at every turn. They'd given her all the money they could pull together. All they had, just to send her to Balamb to see Cid. To get help; help they desperately needed. They'd put their last hope in her. But she couldn't do anything right. Couldn't even cycle a bicycle properly. Rinoa released a low whine as she smacked herself on the forehead several times with the palm of her left hand.

"Get a grip... Cry baby," She whispered, coming back to her senses. She might have been their 'Princess', but they needed her. Deep down she knew it. They looked up to her. Not just because she was the daughter of a high-ranking general. No. Her cheery optimism and unwavering determination were what drew them to her. Even if she wasn't always cheery and optimistic on the inside. She knew that she still needed to be a rock for her friends, for the cause. But she would never let them see her tears. Never let them see her sadness. As far as they knew she was never sad. It was better that way. Her strength was her infectious optimism. And they trusted her. All their hopes were riding on her success. She couldn't fail. Rinoa stood up, dusting herself off, brimming with new-found determination.

The bike had travelled several feet and came to a stop in a small stream. To Rinoa's surpise it looked to be okay, that is, besides a few new scratches and dints. She steadied the bike and straightened the now lop-sided saddle. The clouds burst, inundating the plains with torrents of rain. She pressed on regardless.

"The party," She murmured, "Seifer said Cid will be at the party tomorrow night... That's where I'll get Cid!"

Dawn's first rays crept through the window of Rinoa's room in The Balamb Hotel, tracing their way gingerly across her face. She woke with a low moan and series of stretches. From her balcony the hustle and bustle of the train station could be heard. The harbour was bustling as well. Swarms of students in full uniform had been making their way along the promenade bound for Balamb Garden since early morning. Rinoa had sat on the balcony and watched them as they departed on the following evening. Their uniforms pressed, smart and pristine. They walked with light steps, joking and laughing. But their demeanour was different now. They walked much slower, with deliberate steps. Their uniforms were soiled and torn. Their faces dirtied and in some cases battered and bloodied. Rinoa wondered how many of them had not come home, had not come back to their friends and families. She had come here to hire SeeD, to pay them to fight for her, for her cause. The idea confused and irritated her somewhat. But ultimately it made her sad – sad to imagine someone not only fighting, but possibly dying for a cause that they did not really believe in. Sad to think that people could die based on the orders that she gave. But that was life, that was the price that had to be paid when fighting for a cause, for a belief. Rinoa slowed her racing mind. Stretching her arms over the railings of the balcony the sun kissed her skin. It was a beautiful day and she had time to waste.

Rinoa pawed at the crumpled pile of notes in her hand. With the hotel paid for, and a little put aside for her return train ticket the wad of notes had diminished drastically. It was all the money the resistance had to spare now. Her eyes rose to the window of the boutique. The svelte mannequin in the window mirrored her own slight frame – making the job of imagining the beautiful, egg-shell white dress that it was wearing on herself all the easier. She swallowed hard as she pushed the door open. A small bell jingled over the door frame. Several other girls already in the shop turned to look at Rinoa, dresses dangling from their arms. They all had the same goal in mind, to wow at the SeeD inauguration ball tonight. Rinoa walked to the counter and pointed at the mannequin in the window. The shop-hand, a young woman with luscious ringlets of curly brown hair spilling over her shoulders nodded in agreement, "You'll be the belle of the ball", she quipped as she slid the mannequin off its plinth.

Rinoa sat on a low wall by the waterfront in front of the junk shop, feet dangling free from the edge, her new dress laying gently in its plastic cover by her side. The kind man from the previous day was absent. She'd love to see him again; to enjoy his snippy, but upbeat banter. She eyed the new dress shyly, throwing awkward glances across its surface before darting her eyes back to the ocean. The guilt that she felt was strong, overpowering. There were so many better uses for that money – she knew it. But she tried to tell herself that it was a necessary spend, vital, even. The party was to be tonight. The party to celebrate the ascension of the new SeeDs. Cid would be there, and that was where she would get him, corner him, convince him to help their cause. To be there she needed to look the part. Rinoa guilted herself a lot. She was always very hard on herself. It was a habit that she carried from childhood, and one she could never really shake.

"My mom was pretty mad at me," A gentle voice called out from behind Rinoa. She cocked her head back to see The Big Bad Rascal standing by the junk shop door. "I mean, it WAS her old bike – but you really screwed it up. She said the front fork was bent. I'm not sure what that means," The boy continued, furrowing his brow. "I mean a fork is something that you eat dinner with. But she said there's one on her bike and you bent it... Well she thinks I bent it, as I never told her that I loaned it to anyone..."

"Hey buddy," Rinoa said, throwing a toothy smile. "I mean you could have blamed me, I can take the heat from an angry mom."

"I couldn't blame you," Rascal continued, a determined look on his face. "'Cos if I told her it was your fault she wouldn't let me hang out with you. Then you couldn't keep your promise!"

Promise... The word lingered in Rinoa's mind. She'd made a lot of promises lately. She intended to keep them all. But, ultimately, her keeping many of them were not in her power. But one thing that she could do was make this little boy happy. She could make his wish of having his own pet cat a reality.

"Let's go keep that promise," Rinoa said, jumping to her feet. "Oh, by the way... What should I call you?

"Call me captain," The boy said, his happiness apparent in his demeanour. "And you're my lieutenant, and we're the cat capturers."

The two scurried on all fours along the waterfront, Rinoa in the lead, and her young friend close by her side.

"Two kittens spotted at 12 o'clock, Captain," Rinoa whispered. The boy froze in place, a perplexed look on his face.

"But it's nearly 3pm, Lieutenant," The boy finally retorted. Rinoa giggled, before raising her hand and pointing straight ahead. A few more seconds of perplexed squints and strained expressions later and the boy looked forward, spotting the two tabby kittens lounging by an upturned crate. The two scurried closer, closer.

"We have to be really careful, Captain," Rinoa gestured for her companion to slow down. "We don't want to scare them. We also don't want to force them to come to us, or do anything that they don't want to do." She continued. The boy nodded, a look of awe on his face. Rinoa had no real expectations that they'd catch a cat. She thought that they'd pass an hour together, have some laughs, but ultimately end up empty handed. To her surprise one of the cats sauntered over and plopped down in front of them. The cat eyed the two, before rolling on its back and playfully flapping its front paws.

"Should we grab him?" The boy questioned.

"Maybe just try rub him, gently." Rinoa quipped back.

The boy reached out cautiously, the index and middle finger of his right hand connected with the cats left shoulder, and he began to gently pet the small bundle of fur. The cat reciprocated by purring audibly.

"Does this mean that he's my cat now? The boy questioned, his eyes beaming with joy.

"It does," Rinoa whispered, "He'll be your cat from now on. But he's a little too small to leave his mom I think. Just like how you need your mom." She continued. The boy nodded in agreement. "So let's leave him here, and you can come visit him and play with him whenever you have time."

"I'll bring him fish every day!" The boy boomed, jumping to his feet. Rinoa thought that her compromise might have been seen as a cop out.

"Sounds like a plan to me," Rinoa giggled. "Now, I've got a party to get ready for!"