14

CHAPTER 14 – OF LOYALTY AND FRIENDSHIP

The training center's fluorescent lights high above reflected off the small pond. Supplemented by the water brought forth from Rinoa's palm in the last hour, the girl had likewise managed to conjure a fair amount of rainbows. She'd stuck to her regimen every day since they'd left Fisherman's Horizon. Though Quistis would drop in and out to check up on her every so often, each session was now effectively a do-it-yourself affair. The new feeling of independence suited her just fine. Even without a proper instructor, she could tell her proficiency with the Guardian Force was growing by the day. Neither did she require protection from the local fauna anymore; with food supplies still low, the wildlife population had already been hunted to near extinction.

Besides water, Rinoa hadn't been one to shy away from other varieties of spellcraft Squall had shown her. Erecting a defensive barrier had become second-nature. Occasionally, she would even attempt wind conjuration; channeling the energy into her legs still perplexed her, though doing so with her arms was no more challenging than with her standard element. She'd already managed to send several reasonably strong gusts careening across the clearing in the last few days. She was positive Squall would be impressed by her progress, whether or not he'd be willing to admit it.

And yet, she longed for something more. If she were truly to master the sphere's power, she would need to learn how to summon the creature whose essence was tied to it. She remembered the awe she'd felt at the towering sea serpent; not even Squall's own horned demon had been able to stand up to its might. She'd brought it up to him once over the course of the first two weeks, only to be told it would take about a year for her to become experienced enough. She could accept as much, but had hoped he would at least give her an inkling as to how the process worked.

For the moment however, she was content to make due with what knowledge she had. She concentrated the energy into her palm, feeling the rush of the torrent flow through her arm. It shot out as if from a fire hose, soaring clear across the pond to the outer edge of the trees. Her range had increased again. She chuckled to herself; to think, she'd only been able to form a light spray just weeks ago. Surely it wouldn't be long before she earned her place on the battlefield.

"Nice one!"

Rinoa jumped and spun around. Selphie's yellow overall-skirt combo was a glaring contrast from the surrounding greenery. Her brown boots were significantly more appropriate, carrying her over with a distinct spring in her step.

"Hard to believe you just started. It sure didn't come that easy to me at first."

"I wouldn't say it's easy," Rinoa modestly downplayed the praise. "I think I just lucked out, having the right guy to show me the ropes."

"Good point," the girl conceded. "Kinda makes me wish I'd had someone like that to help me out in the beginning. Either way, keep up the good work! The rate you're going, maybe someday you'll be showing me a thing or two."

"Thanks for the morale boost. Right now though, I'm just hoping to get on your level one day. I'm not even sure how to pull off a summon yet."

"Yeah, that one's gonna take time. Took me like… a year and a half, maybe? At least to sustain it for more than a couple of seconds. That's the tricky part."

Selphie rummaged through one of her pockets, procuring her own sphere. Its bronze outer casing was a definite contrast to her own. The brilliant white light which began to seep out was likewise far more radiant, leading Rinoa to ponder which particular element was tied to her GF. She briefly considered lightning, when she remembered the passing mention Quistis had made in the D-District Prison.

"I've never seen anyone other than Commandant Xu use holy spellcraft before. And I don't remember there being another GF of that kind on record."

"Yeah, guess I kinda won the lottery there, huh? For all the good it does us now."

She watched with bated breath as the light essence was cast from her hand. The amorphous glow quickly took shape on the grass; it was just as she'd seen on the train, when Selphie had summoned her creature to fend off the grotesque body double. The familiar rabbit ears outstretched from its head to complete the vague silhouette. A flash of light then prompted her to shield her eyes. When she brought her arm back down, the summon was complete. A coat of short, pale-green fur covered the creature, offset by the bulging ruby ingrained above its beady eyes. It stood roughly two feet tall on its hind legs. Rinoa couldn't help letting out a coo of adoration.

"He's friendly," Selphie assured her. Sustaining the summon didn't seem to be taking much out of her. "Just as long as you don't make yourself a threat."

Heeding the precaution, she gingerly approached. She slowly reached her arm down to pat the fidgeting rabbit's head. As her hand met its fluffy mane, she was amazed by the warmth and softness. For something purely comprised of energy, the sensation was remarkably realistic. It made her wonder just what the true nature of the energy contained within each sphere was.

"After I finally learned how to do it, I'd always bring him out whenever I was lonely," Selphie explained. "You know, just to have a little company, and something cute to snuggle up with."

"It was the same for me and Angelo," Rinoa smiled. She silently hoped she would get to see her beloved dog again one day.

"The problem is, it really starts to take it out of you after a couple minutes."

On cue, the rabbit's coat began to illuminate. It slowly reverted to sheer white, prompting Rinoa to step back and shield her eyes again. In a flash, the creature was gone.

"And just like that, I'd be all by my lonesome again," Selphie muttered. "But hey, that's just how life is sometimes, right?"

"I… guess."

Rinoa quickly set aside her earlier compulsion to ask her for help. Something was clearly amiss; that statement almost sounded like something that could have come from Squall.

"So, what brings you here?" she redirected the topic.

"Just thought I'd take a little hike to clear my head. You know, get some… well, the closest thing to fresh air I can. It helps me think."

"About what?"

"Well, about all this crazy stuff that's been going on. About everything that's happened around here since me and the guys have been away. About this whole war. About-"

"Trabia?"

Selphie's eyes went wide. She abruptly cast them to her feet.

"That… that's the one thing I don't want to think about," she stammered. All traces of her happy-go-lucky facade had fallen away completely. "It was all I could for those two weeks, and I've been trying really hard not to since then."

"That's not good for you," Rinoa insisted. "Living in denial isn't going to magically make everything better."

"I know that. It's just… I can't even tell you how happy I was when this place came crashing into Fisherman's Horizon. It was like a huge weight came off my shoulders. I didn't fail Balamb Garden, after all. That's what gave me the motivation to get the festival organized. But… whenever I start thinking about Trabia…"

She trailed off, seemingly at a loss for words. If she continued to speak any, they were too faint and breathy for Rinoa to catch.

"It's hard," she sympathized with her. "It was the same for me when I thought Seifer had been executed. Before… well, everything went to hell. It was hard for me to come to terms with, but I knew it was the only way for me to move on with my life. So, how about this: when Squall gets back from town, we'll tell him about it, and see if he can put in a word to the commandant about heading up there to survey the situation. It'll give you the closure you need. Better to know what's happened than keep yourself in the dark forever, right?"

Selphie kept her head craned down to the soil beneath her feet. Gradually, her right arm alone began to raise itself, as though she were a marionette tied to invisible strings.

"It's… it's bad enough not knowing what's happened to the people you love," she spoke in a broken voice. Her eyes were now fixed to the bronze sphere still clenched in her hand. "That's a feeling I already know too well. But… actually going there, and having to see it all with my own eyes… it's too much. And when I think that it's all my fault… for not being fast enough…"

The tears began rolling down her cheeks before she could finish. Not wasting a moment, Rinoa stepped forward, and wrapped her in a tight embrace. The heartbroken girl began bawling in her arms, wrapping her own around Rinoa in return. They stood locked together for minutes on end. Selphie proceeded to let out every ounce of pent up frustration and sadness, no doubt kept bottled up for the better part of a month. All the while, Rinoa remained the caring, gentle confidant she needed to be, just as she'd done for Squall the night of the festival.

"It's not your fault," she finally told her. "You did everything you could. You're one of the strongest people I've ever known, Selphie, and a real inspiration. To all of us. So, please, don't cry. We'll be right by your side when we get there. And whatever we find, we'll face it together. I promise."

Selphie sniffled, and finally withdrew from the embrace. She wiped away the last of the tears from her puffy eyes.

"You mean it?"

"Of course, I do. We'll set course for Trabia as soon as Squall gets back. I'll tell him it's an order from his client if I have to."

The quip hadn't been serious, merely a means to help lift Selphie's spirits. Like clockwork, a faint smirk crossed her lips.

"You still haven't told me how things went that night, you know," she reminded her. Rinoa suddenly felt her face become flush.

"Er, well, um… it went fine. Nothing major."

"Oh, come on, spill it! I want dirt!"

There's the Selphie I know.

"Really, it was nothing big," she insisted, letting a relieved chuckle seep into her words. "I just told him what we talked about, we danced, and we watched the bands play together. That's it."

"Well, it's a good start," Selphie smiled in return. She already seemed far more lively than when she'd first strolled up.

"And how about you and the lone gunman?" she fired a taste of the girl's own medicine back at her. On cue, she too blushed.

"N-not much different. Anyway, thanks for listening, and for the pep talk. If you need anything, just let me know."

"Well, if you're not too busy, I could still use a training partner," Rinoa hinted.

"Say no more!" Selphie agreed on the spot.

"Thanks. And actually… maybe there's one other thing you and the others could help with…"

The ocean breeze and scent of saltwater were more refreshing than Zell could ever recall. Wind whipped through his spiked blonde locks. A light spray licked at his exposed ankles. His last month away had put into perspective just how much he'd taken Balamb's simple comforts for granted. Though the state of affairs in town were worrying, he could at least be thankful for his mother's safety.

He'd changed out of the Galbadian disguise, swapping it for a set of his own clothes, and left the house ahead of the others. Much like his surroundings, the lengthy slab of metal he balanced on was its own source of sentimentality. It had been just as long since he'd last ridden one of his T-Boards; the one he'd kept in his room at the Garden had been confiscated the evening they'd set out for Timber. Both had been a product of his own handiwork. Capable of functioning over both land and water, the board was kept perpetually aloft by a pair of turbine engines on the fore and rear; the generator behind his right heel supplied power to them. The accelerator and brake pedal were both set at the front, to be controlled by his left foot. He presently kept the former floored, kicking up a trail of waves across the shallows as he sped towards the docks.

A looming man was seated on the nearest pier. He rested with his back up against the right-hand post, with a fishing rod in his hands. He visibly stirred as the sound of the turbines drew closer. His stubbled face darted to and fro, only settling on Zell as he made his final approach. Maneuvering himself around the fishing line, he sped along the inside, and bent his knees to dip his right hand into the water. He splashed it squarely in the man's face as he ripped on past.

"What the hell?!" Raijin angrily shouted. He dropped the rod as he shook the wetness away.

Zell released his foot from the accelerator, pivoting back around to face him. The bronze muscle-head's glare radiated sheer fury.

"Long time no see, y'know?" Zell irately greeted him. "You and your pals better start packing, and get the hell outta my town!"

"Well, if it ain't the chicken-wuss!" Raijin shot back from the pier. He reached down to take up his over-sized fighting staff. "Seifer told us to give you guys a whoopin' if we saw you, y'know? Get up here so I can knock that spiked head o' yours off!"

"Hey, not so rough, you hear?" he taunted him with a finger raised to his temple. "Lotta info stored up here you might want. Like, say, where Ellone's hiding out."

Raijin's menacing eyes bulged at the bluff, just as Squall had predicted. Zell tilted his T-Board towards the docks, and flashed him a knowing smirk. He floored the pedal again, sending him lurching forward towards the raised waterfront. Carefully maneuvering his right heel into position, he depressed a small switch, and braced for lift off. The board shot up vertically as it neared the stone barrier. Zell was carried over and onto the docks, courtesy of a sudden burst of additional thrust from the turbines. He stuck the landing as he'd practiced countless times, and tore off in the direction of the town.

He glanced back over his shoulder. Raijin charged after him a fair ways behind, his boots pounding on the docks. Even weighed down by the staff he now carried on his back, his speed was intimidating. Had the chase been on foot, he would have surely caught up already. The plan didn't necessitate he completely outrun Raijin. Still, he found it hard to justify taking his foot much further off the accelerator.

Zell zigged and zagged along the waterfront, before taking a sharp turn up the winding roadway into town. The street was completely free of traffic all along its length. He soon swung around the corner, and onto the straightaway where the Balamb Hotel sat. Finally, a contingent of soldiers for him to dodge stood in his path. He ignored their frenzied demands to pull over, blowing by them without a second thought. Turning his head back again, he saw the rampaging Raijin come careening down the street, nearly bowling them over. Zell chuckled as they scrambled to get out of the way. Several ducked inside the hotel, doubtless to inform the 'commander'.

All according to plan, so far…

He continued to lure the blundering 'captain' along, up to where the road intersected by his own house, and abruptly turned the opposite way. He flew by roughly two dozen infantrymen and sorceress knights, very nearly slamming into a few as he rounded each closely cut corner. The buildings on either side melded together in his peripheral vision, barely distinguishable from one another. His familiarity with the town's layout was the only reference he needed. With each glance behind, Raijin kept barreling after at top speed; he paid no more heed in avoiding his comrades than those outside the hotel. More frightening still, he seemed to be gaining. The anxiety reminded Zell of when the spider-bot had chased them down the mountain.

At last, he turned the corner into a dead end alleyway, and took his foot off the accelerator. The T-Board gradually decelerated as it continued past the dumpsters and assorted piles of trash lining either side. It swiveled back around at Zell's command to face the entrance. He stepped off with one foot, killed the ignition with his other, and kicked up the board just as Raijin rounded the corner. A pair of Galbadian soldiers followed him into the alley. It was just the number Zell had hoped to see.

Having already begun channeling the GF's energy into his arm in advance, he slammed his fist down. The ground shook as his glove's steel knuckles connected. A small faultline erupted, snaking its way forward like a lit fuse. Raijin stopped in his tracks as it passed right between his legs. The two infantrymen sidestepped to either wall of the alley, neither appearing surprised in the slightest. As the crease finally reached the intersection with the road, Zell willed the energy to surge upward. The ground violently sprung up to form an earthen barricade, barring all passage in or out of the alley.

Raijin craned his neck back to the newly erected wall. With his face turned away, Zell was left to imagine his surprise as the two infantrymen suddenly trained their weapons on him.

"Hands up!" the nearest one ordered. "Get down on yer knees, an' don't move a muscle!"

After a moment of what looked to be disbelief, Raijin complied. He turned back towards Zell, placed his hands over his head, and lowered himself to his knees. The soldier approached, keeping his weapon trained to his captive. He motioned for his comrade to take the fighting staff strapped to his back. The second soldier stepped forward, gingerly holding one of Zell's grandfather's rifles; his body language betrayed a lack of assertiveness. That the old-fashioned weapon held no ammo was one explanation. That he was an untested cadet without experience in the field was another.

As he reached forward to take the staff, Raijin's leg abruptly shot out. The sweeping kick traveled in a full 180 degree arc in the blink of an eye. Both infantrymen were toppled from their feet, crying out in unison. Zell swiftly cast the T-Board aside and charged in. He conjured a set of earthen gauntlets to meet the staff head on as Raijin swung it off his back.

His first two jabs were deflected with ease; the weapon's sturdy frame didn't budge despite his amplified strength. It came whirling back around from the side the next moment, forcing him to raise his left gauntlet for a block. The impact was immense; his sneakers skidded several inches back as he fought against it. He followed with a right hook before Raijin could release himself from the parry, provoking him to step backwards. As the fist whizzed harmlessly through the air, the muscle-head glanced back over his shoulder. The pair of soldiers had both risen from the tumble they'd taken. He began turning back in their direction, whirling his staff wildly to keep Zell at bay.

Just then, a third soldier suddenly fell from above, landing right in the divide between them. A clanging of steel echoed through the alley as the gunblade halted the spinning staff in mid-motion.

"Drop it!" the swordsman commanded. "You're outnumbered, with nowhere to run. Just do as we say, and no one has to get hurt."

They stood locked in a stalemate. Zell took the opportunity to further close in on Raijin's rear to limit his mobility. Flanked on both sides, it should have been obvious he couldn't hope to fight his way out of the ambush. On cue, the toned muscleman begrudgingly let the weapon fall from his grasp. Zell placed one of his gauntlets on his back, and forced him to his knees again. Squall removed the helmet from his head, letting it fall to the ground beside the staff. Irvine and Collin moved around him in either direction, keeping their firearms fixed to Raijin.

"Dammit!" he swore as Irvine knelt down to secure his weapon. "It's jus' not fair, y'know?"

"If you want to leave this alley in one piece, answer my questions," Squall menaced. He lowered his blade to where it hovered threateningly beside his neck. "Why have you sworn allegiance to the sorceress?"

"Get real! Me an' Fujin don't give a rat's ass 'bout her, y'know? We're only in this for Seifer's sake."

"What's the fucking difference?!" Zell raged. He strengthened the pressure on Raijin's back to force him further down. "This thick-headed loyalty you've got for that guy has to stop, now! Can't you tell he's lost his mind?"

"Even so, we've still gotta-"

A sudden explosion cut him off. Zell's eyes shot up to the stone barricade he'd erected at the alleyway entrance. Chunks of dirt and cobblestone shot forth from a newly incised opening, followed by a small platoon of three soldiers and two knights. They froze on the spot as they noticed the hostage situation in progress. As the squad spread out as far as they were able, a sixth figured stepped in from the streets. Her lone functional eye darted back and forth beneath her silver fringe. It widened at the sight of her second in command.

"Tell them to wait outside," Squall craned his neck back to Fujin. "We're just looking to talk."

The terse young woman stood motionless for several moments. Zell kept his hold on Raijin all the while; it was as much to keep him in place as to stabilize himself amidst the rising tension. Finally, Fujin gestured to the platoon. They obeyed, filing out of the alley one by one. As soon as the last had cleared the opening, she turned her menacing glare back to them.

"Release!" she ordered in her usual, concise manner.

"Not until we get an explanation," Squall countered. He kept his gunblade close to Raijin's neck as he circled around to face her. "I don't care how you two want to dress it up, siding with Seifer is siding with the sorceress."

"False!"

"Then why are you doing her bidding? How can you be alright with holding this town hostage?"

"You think we enjoy this?!" Raijin exploded. "Don't go gettin' things twisted, y'know? Seifer put us in charge o' this place, an' told us to keep an eye out for this 'Ellone' girl. An' when we took that responsibility, the first thing we did was tell the troops they couldn't put a finger on the townsfolk, 'less they get permission straight from us. They wanted to round everybody up for interrogation, y'know? We said that wasn't right, and we weren't gonna stand for it. If we were gonna do this, we were gonna make it as painless as possible for everyone here, y'know?"

"Tell that to this guy right here!" Zell motioned to Collin. "What about him, and all the other students you've been hunting down for days? His shelter family was nearly killed this morning for hiding him!"

"That's not on us, y'know? Seifer's the one who ordered the knights to go after them. We don't got the authority to go against that, y'know?"

"Yes, you do!" Squall roared. His usually stoic face was more fraught with emotion than Zell had ever seen. "You can put your foot down, and tell him how you really feel. You're not obligated to follow him in every single thing he does."

"Choice," Fujin quipped.

"So, you know it's wrong, but decided to go along with it anyway?" Zell muttered with disgust. The temptation to slam Raijin into the pavement was almost too much to bear.

"Jus' listen," he begged, obviously straining under the pressure. "We're not followin' him because we have to, y'know? We do it because we're his friends… his only friends."

"Aw, ain't that sweet," Irvine sarcastically growled through gritted teeth.

"Truth!" Fujin insisted.

"Yeah, I mean, jus' think about it. Seifer has a lotta followers now, but we're still his only friends. We're a posse, y'know? The soldiers an' the knights, they only go along with him because they're afraid of the sorceress. Without us, Seifer wouldn't have a posse. He wouldn't have anyone to help him keep bein' the guy we know he is, deep down, y'know? You don't gotta tell us this sorceress lady's bad news. We jus' wanna make sure Seifer doesn't lose who he is along the way. We're friends, an' sometimes friends hafta make sacrifices for each other, y'know?"

"Yeah, I do know," Squall cut him off.

Zell momentarily took his focus off Raijin. He was amazed such words could have come from the temperamental lone wolf of Balamb Garden.

"What I want to know is why if you stand behind him so much, you just go along with all this like it's nothing! If you really believe he's still the same friend you've always known, then you need to be the ones to help turn him back from this road he's started down. Take a stand for what you believe in. Order the army to withdraw, and tell him he needs to stop this nonsense! Either that, or we bring in SeeD, and do a clean sweep."

Squall's ultimatum hung in the air for an uncomfortably long time. Zell swiveled his eyes between Raijin below him, Collin and Irvine on either side, Squall to his fore, and Fujin standing still as a statue by the hole in the wall. He expected a force far greater in scale waited on the other side. The threat to bring in the Garden's forces was entirely contingent on them escaping. It was possible Squall had arranged for the commandant to send in reinforcements after a set amount of time, but that did nothing to help them now. He sucked in a breath through his nose, preparing himself for the fight of his life should Fujin refuse to listen.

"Ellone isn't in this town," Squall went on. "That I can tell you for a fact. You have nothing to gain by keeping your forces stationed here. Tell your men, and order a withdrawal back to Galbadia on the intercontinental line. It'll save a lot of unnecessary bloodshed. And based on what you've told us, I get the impression you'd want to avoid that, too."

Fujin's eye, downcast to the ground, finally rolled up to meet his. She snapped to attention, and performed the Garden salute.

"Affirmative."

"Yeah, we ain't lookin' to turn this place into a war zone, y'know?" Raijin agreed. "If that's what it's gonna take, then fine. We ditch this place, an' you guys don't follow after, y'know?"

"Sure thing," Squall accepted the terms. "So, for the record… you and the others want nothing to do with Balamb Garden now? If it comes down to this again, we're not going to hold back, understand?"

"I guess we'll see what the future holds, y'know?"

The response was satisfactory, even if it didn't inspire much confidence in Zell. Squall finally motioned for him to release Raijin. He complied, allowing the hulking man to rise to his feet. Irvine and Collin lowered their weapons, the former handing the guard staff back to him.

"Three days," Squall said bluntly. "We'll be back to check in on this place. If you're not gone by then, we bring in the troops."

"Fair," Fujin accepted.

"Yeah, don't worry 'bout us, y'know?" Raijin boasted. "We'll be gone by tomorrow."

"I'll hold you to that one," Zell quipped.

He disengaged his conjured gauntlets, and turned back along the alley to retrieve his T-Board. Placing it under his arm, he followed his fellow Garden operatives, both current and former, out through the hole in the earthen barricade. His eyes went wide as he stepped on through. Thirty or more soldiers and knights crowded the street, their weapons all held at the ready.

"Listen up!" Raijin bellowed. "Everybody stand down. We've had a good little chat, y'know? Turns out we were lookin' in the wrong place all this time. This town's clean. So, start packin' your stuff, 'cause we're headin' back to Galbadia tomorrow mornin'!"

The troops lowered their arms as commanded. They instantly began muttering with one another; evidently, none of them could believe the news.

"Dismissed!" Fujin belted at the top of her lungs.

"Yeah, move your asses! Go, go, go!"

The soldiers and knights all scattered as Raijin began twirling his staff every which way. He just barely missed several of those who'd been standing on the outer rim. Zell stifled a chuckle; given their quick reaction time, he guessed it couldn't have been the first time they'd been shepherded about like so. Not waiting for express permission of his own, Squall re-donned his helmet, and started down the street.

"You sure 'bout this?" Irvine skeptically asked him. "You're really alright with jus' lettin' 'em go?"

"They genuinely believe they can bring Seifer back to his senses," he stated matter-of-factly. "I'm not so sure it can be done, but… if there's anyone who could…"

He trailed off without finishing his thoughts. Zell fell in line with Collin, likewise taken aback by Fujin and Raijin's determination. Almost equally startling was Squall's own, however. For what animosity he'd shared with Seifer, even before the emergence of Sorceress Edea, he was still willing to hedge his bet on a chance, however slim, that he could be saved. Even if just for a brief instant, he'd shown genuine concern for his rival's fate. This couldn't possibly have been the same self-absorbed, uncaring husk Zell had known for so long. It was perhaps the most remarkable change of heart he'd ever seen. And he intuitively knew just who it was owed to.

I swear, before this is all over, I'm gonna make sure those two get together…