Once Again

A Final Fantasy VIII Fan Fic

Characters and Locations from said game belong to SquareSoft.

By Robertdogwood

Once Again

Chapter Five

'Rinoa Learns the Naked Truth'

An hour later they emerged from the sewers and were back up in Deling City.

“Thank God,” exclaimed Quistis. “I get so sick of that stench down there.”

“Well, you better get used to it, if you don’t want to stay home a lot,” replied Squall.

Quistis asked, “Which way?”

Squall pointed to the street that would eventually take them through the park. They walked briskly and attempted to do nothing that might attract attention.

As they walked along the path through the city park, Quistis suddenly exclaimed, “Squall, look!”

Squall turned his head and peered into the park in the direction that Quistis was gazing. He observed a young woman sitting under a large bush gently weeping. Squall looked at Quistis with an expression of puzzlement on his face that appeared to ask 'so what?'

Quistis explained simply, “It’s Kasumi.”

'Kasumi!' Squall thought, 'What in the hell is Kasumi doing here?'

Squall suggested, thinking rapidly. “Quistis, we need to get her out of the public eye as quickly as possible. You go over there and attempt to scoop her up and calm her down a little. I’ll walk up about a block ahead, so I can keep my eye on you two. When she appears as if she can start moving without attracting attention, walk her down and we’ll meet at the doorway leading back to the sewers.”

“Good plan, Squall,” Quistis complimented and turned and headed toward Kasumi.

Squall walked down the path until he was far enough away to just barely distinguish them and paused. He knelt down by his guitar case and opened it up, so he could keep a closer eye on the entire perimeter in case any Galbadian soldiers or Secret Police suddenly arrived in the area. He was gratified to observe Quistis didn’t waste any time in assisting Kasumi up on her feet and moving towards him. Squall closed up his guitar case and walked ahead of them down to the sewer entrance.

Kasumi and Quistis came walking up. “Squall,” Kasumi said.

Squall shook his head sharply and whispered, “Not here,” and pointed through the door.

Once they were downstairs in the sewers, Squall breathed a sigh of relief and said to Kasumi, “Now you can talk. What are you doing here?”

Squall could perceive from her appearance she was close to the breaking point and recognized he needed to be gentle with her in order to not push her over the line.

Kasumi sniffed back a couple of tears, appeared to draw on some inner strength and launched into her explanation.

“Brian, Shinji, Mishima, and myself were assigned to basically infiltrate Timber and Dollet and attempt to consolidate resistance to the Galbadian Army. When we initially entered Timber, we were in contact with Watts and Zone. At that point, it was decided that Shinji and myself should move on to Dollet. Everything appeared to be going well. Dollet was calm and we were able to meet some resistance people and do some networking.”

Squall grimaced. He hated these new jargon code words.

Kasumi continued, “We were foolish. It appeared so peaceful we were staying in town – in the hotel. We should have been camped out somewhere in the forest. One night around midnight the Galbadian Secret Police made a sweep through town. When they got to the hotel we were trapped. There was no back way out. We attempted to escape. There was gunfire. I saw Shinji fall. I don’t know if he was hit. I attempted to get back to him. I would have been captured myself. I had to run. The next day Dollet was sealed up tighter than a drum. Either everyone was in hiding or they wouldn’t talk to me. I myself had to go down to the beach and swim down the coast to escape.”

Quistis questioned, “So you have no idea what happened to Shinji?”

Kasumi looked up, shook her head no, while tears silently started falling from her eyes.

Squall suddenly remembered that back at the Garden Kasumi and Shinji were a couple.

‘No wonder she feels so guilty,’ Squall thought. ‘They were staying at the hotel in Dollet playing house.’

Squall glared at Quistis for interrupting Kasumi and encouraged Kasumi. “Go on when you think you can.”

After a minute or two, Kasumi pulled herself together and began again. “I managed to get back to Timber. But I couldn’t find anybody! No one at all – not even Zone or Watts. I talked to that Forest Fox lady and she said she didn’t know anything except two days previously the Galbadian Secret Police made a sweep through town and arrested a lot of people. She was kind enough to let me rest for a few hours, but after that she said I had to leave because she was too 'hot' herself. She was afraid they were going to come to her house anytime and I would be captured along with them.”

Kasumi paused for a moment and then began again. “I didn’t know what to do. I could have returned to Balamb, but what good would that have done? I couldn’t return without knowing what had happened to everyone and without accomplishing my mission.”

Squall nodded approvingly.

Kasumi went on, “I managed to get up here to Deling City. I thought maybe I’d find one of them or at least I could learn something about where they were or what happened to them. But I ran out of money yesterday and I’m so hungry and I have no where to stay.”

Kasumi began quietly sobbing. Quistis reached over with her right hand and squeezed one of Kasumi’s arms and said quietly, “It’ll be alright now, Kasumi. You’re among friends.”

Squall realized instinctively it was time to instill some backbone into this capable young woman. “Kasumi!” he said sharply as Kasumi looked up and Quistis gasped moving her right hand to her mouth.

“I’m sorry,” Squall went on, “that you were too busy playing house with Shinji in that hotel to pay attention to your assignment. I’m sorry that it might have cost him his life, but it’s time for you to fight back. You’re a SeeD! Act like one!”

Kasumi instantly snapped to attention, her tears dried up and she offered Squall the SeeD salute.

As Squall returned it, he said in a softer voice, “That’s better. Now we will get you to a place to grab some sleep and some food to eat. Then you’re going to take some critical information pertaining to our mission back to Garden for us. Once you’re back there, they’ll decide how they want to handle finding your lost comrades.”

“Yes, sir!” Kasumi answered emphatically.

“Now let’s go,” Squall said while turning his head towards Quistis and giving a quick wink. The trip back to the General’s mansion was uneventful consisting of a few battles with bats. Because of her weakened condition, Kasumi was unable to add much in the area of fighting, although she was able to keep everyone healed.

When they stepped into Gen Caraway’s den through the hidden door, the General looked up from his chair at his desk. “Ah,” he said. “I see my ‘niece’ has brought a friend home with her.”

Standing up the General explained, “Excuse me while I go to the kitchen,” and bowed slightly and left the room. Squall understood the General was going to bring them food.

They hadn’t been in Quistis' room very long at all, when a soft knock came upon the door. When Squall cracked the door open and looked out, he saw three trays of food lying on the floor.

After they had eaten, Kasumi curled up and fell instantly asleep on Quistis’ bed. Squall and Quistis quietly left the room and entered Squall’s bedroom, but left the adjoining door open so they could be aware of anything that occurred in the next room.

As they sat down together on the side of Squall’s bed, Quistis said, “When you started going off on Kasumi I thought ‘what a jerk!’ But then I realized I was giving her what she wanted. You gave her what she needed! You were magnificent, Squall.”

Squall ducked his head with a grin. “Oh, go on with you now,” he joked.

“No, I mean it Squall!” insisted Quistis.

Squall looked up. “Arigato,” he said.

………………..

Xu was in the middle of the daily dormitory inspection when she reached Seifer’s room. She took a deep breath and stepped inside.

“Well,” boomed out Seifer’s voice. “If it isn’t my dear Xu. Have you come to threaten me or just lock me in the disciplinary room?”

Seifer was seated on his bed with his back to the wall, wearing his same long gray military coat, with his legs and feet stretched out over the seat of a straight back chair and holding his gunblade up by his right shoulder.

“Seifer!” Xu exclaimed loudly noticing that Seifer had stiffened just a little at the sound of her voice. “I have come to talk. May I sit down?” she asked.

“Please do,” responded Seifer sarcastically removing his feet from the chair and putting them down on the floor, while sitting up from his slouching position.

Xu sat down. “Thank you. Seifer,” Xu went on, “I have come to ask for your forgiveness.”

Seifer appeared extremely perplexed and at a loss for words. Seifer realized when he returned to Garden that he eventually was going to encounter Xu and he had his verbal attack prepared. This was totally confusing him. Xu inwardly smiled. She recognized this approach would throw Seifer off his guard.

“Forgive you for what?” Seifer finally blurted out.

Xu explained, “A good teacher, instructor, administrator – whatever you want to call it – would have attempted to draw you out, win your trust in an attempt to help you. I never did any of those things. When you failed, I blamed you instead of looking at how I failed you. Will you forgive me?”

Seifer still appeared totally confused. “Uh, sure,” he said. “I forgive you.”

Xu stood up. “Good, that’s settled. Now you make sure you come to me, if you’re experiencing any problems at all – Raijin and Fujin too. Do you promise?”

“Uh, sure,” said Seifer.

Xu smiled to herself when leaving the room. Wait ‘til she tells the doctor this one she thought.

………………..

Rinoa met Zell in the parking garage in the afternoon and they set out for Balamb in a Garden truck with Zell driving; a little haphazardly by Rinoa’s thinking, but they arrived there safely.

Pulling into Balamb, Zell explained, “We have to load all the cases into the back of the truck. This is a monthly order, so the shop will have everything ready for us.”

It took them about an hour to load the truck and once they were finished, Zell looked at Rinoa, who was sweating profusely. “Man, you look zonked,” Zell said.

Rinoa agreed, “I feel zonked.” Rinoa realized she was really feeling the effects of remaining up all night studying.

Zell informed her, “I’m going to visit my parents for a little while. Do you want to come along?”

Zell felt relieved when Rinoa declined the invitation. His friends were usually quite bored, if they went along with him.

Rinoa explained, “I’m going to crawl into the back of the truck and get a little sleep.”

Zell exclaimed, “Hey, no prob! Catch you later,” and ran off down the street toward his parents’ house.

Rinoa opened the back door of the truck and climbed in, shutting the door behind her.

'Whew,' she thought. 'It’s so hot in here. I’ll never be able to sleep in here.'

Rinoa decided to remove her clothing in order to feel a little more comfortable. She folded it all neatly and placed it in the corner of the truck. She assumed that she probably wouldn’t be able to fall asleep anyway and even if she were, Rinoa was positive she would either awaken when Zell returned or he would know enough to awaken her before their arrival back at Garden. Rinoa lay down and fell asleep immediately.

Two hours later, Zell emerged from his parents’ house and returned to the truck. He climbed into the cab and glanced into the back of the truck. Rinoa was lying sideways against the supplies and Zell could only distinguish her head and shoes.

‘Still sleeping,’ Zell thought. ‘Poor kid. I’ll let her sleep until we get back to Garden.’

The next thing Rinoa realized Zell was opening the back door of the truck and a group of upper-classmen, including Akane, was standing there to help unload the truck. Someone reached out with a hand to help her down, so they could unload the truck.

Still groggy from sleep, Rinoa automatically accepted the hand and stepped down from the truck stark naked, her entire body glistening with perspiration. Someone in the crowd gasped when they caught a glimpse of Rinoa and a male upper-classman wolf whistled. A look of total shock and disgust crossed Akane’s face that she was quick to hide.

When Rinoa finally woke up enough to glance around and then down at her total nudity, she at first thought she was still asleep and having one of those inappropriately naked in public nightmares. Rinoa finally realized it was real when a female upperclassman told her to have the decency to at least cover some of her more private parts. For long seconds after, Rinoa was frozen in abject embarrassment as she stood totally nude in front of a crowd of laughing, jeering upperclassmen and then she screamed, “Oh my God!” This brought the situation to Zell’s attention who quickly handed Rinoa her uniform. She wrapped it around herself and ran down the corridor.

When the unloading was completed and practically everyone had left, Akane turned to Zell, smiled sweetly and asked, “Rinoa is General Caraway’s daughter, isn’t she?”

Zell, caught off guard, answered slowly, “Why, yes she is, but where did you hear that?”

“Oh, somewhere around the Garden,” she answered blithely.

………………..

It was mid-afternoon by the time Kasumi woke up. Squall had already gone down to the kitchen and brought up an early dinner and, as soon as Kasumi had eaten, they schooled her in the information they needed her to take back to Garden. Squall wisely decided that she should carry nothing written regarding this information in case the Galbadian Army or Secret Police stopped her.

Squall explained, “Here’s more than enough money for you to get back. It will pay for several days of meals and lodging, plus I want you to rent a car here in Deling City. Forget trying to use the trains. They’re watching them too closely. Make sure to use your false I.D. when you rent the car. If they insist on a deposit, pay it without a murmur. At all costs, you want to get out of Deling City, because I think things are going to get worse before they get better. Take the train from Timber if you can. If you absolutely can’t risk the Timber train, go over to Dollet again. There are a number of smugglers in Dollet. For enough money, they’ll take you anywhere. You have to get to Balamb! If the Garden is not there, you are to go to Balamb City. You look up Zell’s mom and tell her who you are. She’ll hide you until the Garden comes back. Don’t stay at the hotel, even if you still have money left. We have no idea when the Galbadian Army might show back up there. Is all of that understood?”

Kasumi hopped up from her chair, stood at attention and snapped up the SeeD salute. Squall returned it and said, “At ease.”

Squall explained in a softer tone, “I’m not going to wish you luck, because you’re not going to need it. People who need luck are incompetent and doomed to failure, because one day their luck runs out. You are a young, capable, strong SeeD backed by the finest training in the world.”

Squall reached out and shook her hand. “Thank you, sir,” she responded.

Once they were safely out of the sewers and back to Deling City proper, Squall and Quistis saw Kasumi safely out of town by following her at a discreet distance to the Rent-A-Car business.

As she drove the car past the city limits, Quistis turned to Squall and said, “I hope she makes it okay.”

“She’ll make it,” Squall stated without equivocation.

“Thanks to you, Squall,” Quistis said softly.

“Stop it! You’re embarrassing me, Quistis.”

Quistis turned and looked at him thinking not for the first time, ‘Rinoa certainly is a lucky young woman to have the love of this man.’

Quistis snapped herself out of her reverie and asked, “What now, Squall?”

Squall answered, “Now we have to put our heads together and figure out where in the mansion the General will be meeting the President!”

………………..

Squall and Quistis discussed the possible meeting place of the President and General Caraway on their return through the sewers. As Squall stepped back into the General’s den, he wasn't surprised to see General Caraway absent. He realized the General wouldn’t want to be questioned as to where in the mansion the meeting would take place.

Squall understood that if the General chose to tell him, it would place the military officer in grave danger.

As they entered into Quistis’s room, Squall said, “I think I know where they’re gonna meet.”

Quistis protested, “So don’t keep me in suspense.”

Squall crossed the room, sat on her bed and began talking. “We’ve been wracking our brains trying to come up with the place that fits the following criteria – safe from the outside means no windows, doorways easy to block and a central place to whisk the President in and out from, right?”

Quistis nodded her head.

Squall said, “The front foyer!”

Quistis replied, “You’re right. They can bring him right in the front door. There’ll be guards on the front door, guards on the back door, it’s a big open room with no place to hide, no windows to the outside and ground level for easy access.”

They sat in silence for a moment and then Quistis asked, “But how are we going to get into the meeting and hear what they say?”

“Oh, that’s easy,” Squall said glibly. “We’re not.”

Quistis appeared completely baffled. “What are you saying, Squall? Are we giving up?”

“No, of course not,” he replied. “But we have to face the reality of the situation also. The President’s tantamount concern is remaining incognito to the general public. I want to see who he is. Of course, I would like to know what they talk about, but that’s not possible. And anyway the General might tell us.”

“So what you’re saying is that we need to see if he looks anything like the picture of the Legendary SeeD!” Quistis said excitedly.

“That’s right,” Squall agreed.

“But how are we going to do that, Squall?”

“We’re not, you are,” Squall answered. Perceiving the puzzled look on Quistis’s face, he pushed on, “We’ll already be in the house. You come down the staircase, as if you’re going out. You stop in surprise as you notice what’s going on. Don’t worry. The General will have to cover for you. He won’t want to incriminate himself. You bow embarrassedly and excuse yourself running back up the stairs.”

Quistis exclaimed, “Squall! That might work.”

“Of course it will,” he replied. “But Quistis, one thing,” he went on. “Make sure you carry your backpack in front of your breasts. They’re way too large for a schoolgirl.”

Squall turned his head, so he wouldn’t see Quistis blushing.

………………..

Squall was waiting in Quistis’s bedroom in the huge walk-in closet. He had decided hiding under the bed would afford him little opportunity to launch an attack if he was discovered. He stood patiently in the closet holding ‘Lion Heart’ in his right hand not making a sound, except for quiet breathing, when his thoughts drifted back to Garden and Rinoa. He hoped she was doing all right without him. He felt so sorry for her sometimes. She wanted so badly to fit in and seemed to always get herself in such terrible situations. He shook his head, impatient with himself. He needed to stay alert. It wouldn’t do at all if a Galbadian soldier suddenly pulled the door open and he was in here daydreaming!

Suddenly Squall heard the bedroom door open and shut quietly. He waited apprehensively until he heard, “Squall?”

He opened the door and stepped out. Quistis was standing in the center of the room looking around.

“Well?” he asked her.

“Worked like a charm!” was the answer from Quistis. “And Squall? It was him! It was the Legendary SeeD,” Quistis exclaimed excitedly. “He was a little older looking, but it was definitely him.”

Squall made no comment other than to say, “Now we wait.”

………………..

Zell, Selphie, Irvine, and the pigtail girl were sitting around a table in the coffee shop just before dinner hour later that afternoon.

Irvine asked, “Did you hear about Rinoa’s latest escapade?”

Selphie responded tartly, “You’re more than a little late, Irvine. Zell was there!”

Irvine glanced at Zell. “Aw, man. You’re so lucky!”

Selphie glared at Irvine. “Irvine!” He sat back in his chair.

“It would seem to me,” Selphie went on, “that the longer Squall is gone, the more these episodes will occur, because Rinoa, feeling inadequate, will need to continue to check out if men find her attractive.”

“Aw, Selphie,” Zell complained. “Where do you come up with this crap?”

“Oh, I just make it up as I go along.”

“Come on, let’s go eat,” said Irvine, pushing back from the table and standing up.

………………..

Xu was in her now customary seat on the stool in front of the doctor’s desk. Doctor Kadowaki was laughing uproariously. “Did you really say that, Xu?” the doctor asked.

“I swear to God!” Xu responded holding her right hand up. “And you know, doc,” Xu went on. “You were right. By actually saying those things, it turned out I meant some of them. I probably didn’t do right by Seifer all the time. There were times I should have backed down, but I let myself become involved in an ego struggle with him. But he was just a student – I was one of his commanders. Of course, I was always going to win. But what exactly did I win? So, all I’ve got to say to you is thank you.”

Doctor Kadowaki said seriously, “You’re welcome, Xu.” Standing up from her desk, the doctor said, “Let’s go eat.”

………………..

Akane was sitting beside Rinoa on Rinoa’s bed literally holding her hand. “Oh, that must have been horribly embarrassing for you,” Akane cooed. “I felt so sorry for you and I just wanted to slap all those horrible people, who kept laughing and didn’t have the decency to turn their heads away.”

Akane went on, “It was a natural mistake that anybody could have made. I don’t why everybody is so hard on you. You’ve been wonderful to me.”

Rinoa realized this young girl was actually helping her to feel better. She supposed presently she was so hungry for any kind of support it didn’t matter where it came from, but she didn’t care. She was just grateful for what Akane was saying.

Rinoa squeezed Akane’s hand and said, “Thank you so much, Akane. I really appreciate your friendship.”

“By the way,” Akane asked off handedly, “has anybody heard anything from Squall on how he’s doing in Deling City?”

Rinoa felt an instant pang at the sound of Squall’s name. She forced herself to maintain an even tone when she replied, “No, not a word. But I’m sure he’ll be back anytime.”

“Oh, good,” Akane smiled.. “I really want to meet him.”

As they stood up and started out the door, Akane asked in an innocent voice, “Rinoa, shouldn’t you put some clothes on before we go out?”

“What!” Rinoa shouted quickly glancing down at herself. When she saw she was attired in her uniform, she heard Akane laughing. Akane said through her giggles, “I’m sorry. I just couldn’t help myself.” Rinoa looked up and smiled weakly.

……..……..

Cid stood up from his desk and said, “Fujin, you may go to dinner now.”

Fujin stood up from her desk and said, “OKAY.”

Cid walked over to Fujin and said, “I want to tell you that you’re doing a fine job.”

Fujin said, “THANKS.”

Cid went on, “And I wanted to thank you for the way you’ve been helping Raijin adjust to the Garden.”

Fujin said, “WELCOME.”

“Well, see you tomorrow,” Cid said while walking her to the elevator and helping her on it.

When Fujin stepped off the elevator on the first floor, Raijin was pacing back and forth in front of it.

Fujin said, “RAGE!”

Raijin looked up from his pacing. “At last you’re here. It’s dinnertime, no da. I’m starving, no da.”

Fujin said, “GO!” They began walking down the staircase.

Raijin asked, as he and Fujin reached the first floor and began walking toward the cafeteria corridor, “What’s it like working for Cid? Is it weird, no da?”

Fujin agreed, “WEIRD,” as they began walking down the corridor toward the cafeteria.

Raijin continued, “And what’s with Seifer? He’s acting strange, no da. He actually went to class this afternoon, no da.”

Fujin replied, “BIZZARE.”

Raijin and Fujin entered the cafeteria and joined the line of people waiting to be served.