Once Again

A Final Fantasy VIII Fan Fic

Characters and Locations from saame ame belong to SquareSoft.

By Robertdogwood

Once Again

Chapter Nine

‘Selphie’s Date’

‘A Trip to the Beach’

‘Nida Redux’

‘Akane to the Rescue’

After Kasumi had left, Selphie decided to go downtown and see if she could locate Zone. After letting herself out of the house, she took a left and walked down to where a staircase to the left led to some shops and the Amphor Pub and straight led to another train station. She discovered Zone speaking with an attractive young woman, who was sitting on one of the benches by the staircase.

Selphie glided up next to his right side and whispered in his ear, “What cha doing, Zone? Found somebody better to hit on?”

Zone leaped back in surprise, his face flushed; as he had been so engrossed in his conversation he had not noticed Selphie’s arrival.

Clasping Selphie by the arm, he guided her in the direction of the train station. “No, but I think I might have discovered where Watts is hiding. Meet me for dinner at 7 o’clock at the ‘Hamptons’ and I’ll probably know more,” he explained.

“Okay, it’s a date.”

Zone turned crimson and scurried away back towards town.

‘What a strange little dude,’ Selphie thought not for the first time.

………………..

Rinoa woke up early, excited about the proposed beach outing. She quickly dressed, putting her student uniform on over her yellow bikini. After doing her makeup and hair, she left to go search for Akane.

Rinoa discovered Akane, Arnaz, and Irvine waiting at the front entrance. Akane was wearing a simple one-piece white bathing suit and Arnaz was wearing red trunks. Irvine was dressed the same as usual topped off by his long cattleman’s coat and cowboy hat. Rinoa also noticed he was carrying his weapon, although he appeared to be moving rather gingerly and was casting nasty looks at Akane every now and then.

‘Hmm,’ she thought. ‘I wonder what went on last night in the Training Center.’

“Aw,” Akane complained to Rinoa. “I thought you were going swimming. You’re wearing your uniform.”

Rinoa smiled mysteriously and teased, “We’ll see. Maybe I’ll change on the beach.”

‘Hot damn!’ thought Irvine.

“Let’s go,” directed Irvine and trudged behind the three excited teenagers talking among themselves as they exited the Garden.

Upon reaching the beach area at the Cape of Good Hope, Rinoa began to strip off her uniform displaying her yellow bikini that was so minuscule it left very little to the imagination, as it just barely covered her nipples and pubic cleft.

“Wow!” gasped Arnaz as his face flushed.

‘Alright!’ thought Irvine ‘That girl knows how to fill out a bikini.’

Akane gushed, “What a beautiful suit, Rinoa. I wish I had the guts to wear something like that!”

Rinoa responded, “You have a perfect figure, Akane. I’d be happy to help you pick something out at the beach shop the next time we’re in Balamb.”

“Oh, no,” protested Akane. “I’m too shy to ever wear anything like that.”

Rinoa shouted out, “Let’s hit the water!” and ran laughing into the surf. As Irvine watched the three of them bobbing up and down in the ocean water, laughing and splashing each other, he now wished he had worn his bathing suit, but he had been serious about the viciousness of the monsters on this beach. Someone had to be equipped with a weapon, if they should suddenly show up.

After about an hour in the water, Rinoa, Akane and Arnaz returned to the beach and laid their beach towels on the sand in preparation to lie on them. The towel Rinoa put down had a picture of Balamb on it. As she sat down, she noticed Akane’s towel naturally had a picture of East Academy on it, but Arnaz’s towel had a picture of Deiling City.

“Hey, Arnaz!” she called out. “Where did you get that Deiling City towel?”

Arnaz glanced at Rinoa and answered off handedly, “I don’t really remember. Probably somebody gave it to me. Why do you ask?”

Rinoa explained, “I never knew anyplace other than Deiling City that sells them. I just wanted to get one. I’m from there, you know.”

Rinoa laid on her stomach in order to receive some sun light on her back initially and spoke excitedly to Akane. “Xu informed me that Squall and Quistis are probably at East Academy and maybe will return soon.”

“Oh goody!” squealed Akane clapping her hands as if she were a small child. “But what are they doing at East Academy?”

Rinoa explained, “Xu said they are probably posing as students until the heat dies down enough so they can return to Balamb.”

Akane replied, “I wish we could take the Garden and go get them. I want to meet him so badly.”

Irvine entered the conversation. “We can’t do that for two reasons. We’d be not only risking blowing their covers but also we’d be inviting retaliation from Galbadia.”

“Aw, pooh,” Akane replied.

Suddenly three Fastitocalon-F rose up through the sand on the beach and began to launch a furious attack! Arnaz continued to sit on his beach towel, too stunned to move. Both Rinoa and Akane jumped up from the beach. Rinoa was frantically looking around the beach hoping to discover something she could use as a weapon, while Akane assumed her traditional fighting stance.

Irvine leaped into action by blasting one of the Fastitocalon-F into oblivion with his ‘Exeter’. One of the two remaining Fastitocalon-F, in response to Irvine’s attack, glided forward faster than the eye could follow and attacked Rinoa rending her flesh above her left breast and pulling her bikini halter top off totally exposing her breasts!

Rinoa cried out in pain and stumbled backwards, but managed to maintain her footing on the soft sand. Irvine shot and killed the Fastitocalon-F that attacked Rinoa. The remaining fish darted forward, bit Rinoa twice in the upper pubic area and yanked her thong off. Rinoa tumbled backwards stark naked onto the beach.

Akane sprung into action but this time, unlike at the training center, she came in low hooking the Fastitocalon-F from underneath and kicking it high in the air as she did a complete somersault. On her way down, Akane killed it with several vicious right-handed chops!

Irvine ran to Rinoa’s side, knelt down and, much to her great embarrassment insisted that Akane and Arnaz pull her hands away from trying to protect her modesty so he could cast several cures on her bare breasts and pubic area. He realized she needed more medical attention but the cures would, at least, deaden her immediate pain, until they could return her to the Garden and into the clinic.

Arnaz and Akane bundled Rinoa up in some of the beach towels to help with the bleeding and to prevent her from making another spectacle of herself when they entered the Garden.

As Irvine walked behind them, he experienced the strangest feeling that he had witnessed Akane hesitating on purpose before attacking. ‘Nah.’ thought Irvine. ‘I’m imagining things.’

………………..

Arnaz and Akane hurried the bundled up Rinoa to the clinic. Dr. Kadowaki stood up from her desk and stepped past it.

“What seems to be the problem, Rinoa?”

Akane answered for her. “Rinoa was attacked by some Fastitocalon-F on the beach.”

The doctor replied, “Oh, that really isn’t a swimming beach.”

“Irvine told us that, but Rinoa wanted to go swimming anyway,” explained Akane.

“No use crying over spilt milk,” sermonized Dr. Kadowaki. “Let’s get her into a bed,” instructed the doctor, who followed the three teenagers down the hall. “Go in the first empty room you can find,” directed Dr. Kadowaki.

Once inside the room, Dr. Kadowaki directed Rinoa to remove her bikini and wrap herself in a sheet and wait for her to return and then exited the room.

Arnaz discreetly left and as Akane began to accompany him, Rinoa reached out and touched Akane’s arm and pleaded, “Please stay with me.”

“Sure, I’d be happy to!” replied Akane. “You strip down and I’ll wrap you in this sheet,” Akane suggested, while holding up the top sheet she found lying on the bed in the center of the small room.

As Rinoa, turning her back, began to peel the towels off, wincing in pain as she had to pull at the wounds that had already become adhered to the fabric, Akane looked around the small room taking it all in with a single glance.

There was a small stool in the corner for visitors or the use of the doctor, a water pitcher and glass on a bedside table, a bendable lamp that hung over the bed, a bedside call button and blue curtains that hung down over an open window.

As Akane turned around to look behind her, she was amazed to see a full plate glass window running down the entire wall that looked into the next patient room. Each room had a window to the next room so, in case of an emergency, the doctor could monitor more than one room simultaneously.

When Akane observed Nida in the next room, who was apparently paying a visit to a sick friend, Akane’s face took on a malicious expression. She paused until she sensed Rinoa was beginning to turn around to be wrapped in the sheet and then Akane knocked on the window loudly to attract Nida’s attention and, whirling out of the way, Akane exclaimed “Look Rinoa! It’s Nida!”

As Rinoa turned her body fully toward the window, she instinctively glanced up and observed Nida standing there with his mouth agape on the other side of the glass staring at her standing there totally nude in all the beauty that nature had bestowed upon her.

Rinoa screamed although she was presently too physically depleted to bother covering her nudity and she merely watched as Nida fell backwards against the bed in the other room. By the time the doctor ran into the room, Akane had wrapped the weeping Rinoa in the sheet and Nida, who had already fled, was nowhere to be seen.

The doctor asked quickly, “I heard a scream. What’s the problem?”

Akane answered, “Gee, I don’t know. She just suddenly started screaming. Maybe it’s the pain.”

………………..

Irvine stood outside of the door of Rinoa and Selphie’s dorm room and distinctly heard the sound of sobbing emanating from inside the room. Irvine thought he was really beginning to feel sorry for that girl.

He knocked gently. “Go away!” the voice of Rinoa called out from inside the room.

“Rinoa, it’s me – Irvine.”

“I said go away! I don’t want to talk to anybody right now.”

“Rinoa, please,” Irvine pleaded. “I’m not supposed to be on the women’s floor and I brought you your uniform.”

“Oh, all right,” Rinoa sighed and just barely cracked the door open. “Give it to me,” she demanded.

Irvine protested, “You’ll have to open the door more than that. I can’t fit your uniform in that small of a space.”

Feeling suddenly frustrated and very angry over everything that had happened to her over the past week, Rinoa flung the door open as hard as she could. It was thrown with such force that it bounced off the wall of the room and ricocheted back toward her.

Rinoa stood with the slightly bloody sheet that she was forced to wear from the clinic carelessly draped around her shoulders, seemingly unaware of the view of her naked body that she was offering Irvine, who could barely tear his eyes away from her.

Handing her the uniform, Irvine said “I’m really sorry you got injured, Rinoa. Are you in a lotta pain?”

“No, not anymore,” she answered, appearing perplexed.

“Well, I heard you crying and everything.”

“That’s a different matter that I don’t wish to discuss,” Rinoa responded tartly. “Now if you will excuse me,” she replied attempting to close the door.

Irvine placed his hand on the door and said, “There’s something I need to ask you about Akane.”

“What now?” Rinoa asked resignedly, assuming it would have something to do with Irvine attempting to ‘score.’

“I get the weirdest vibration from her – like something’s just not right.”

Rinoa responded heatedly, “Irvine, I think she’s just a sweet young girl, who happens to be the best friend I have right now! Thank you for bringing my uniform. Now goodbye!” And saying that Rinoa slammed the door in Irvine’s face!

Irvine turned away from the door thinking, 'Whew, that girl’s turning into a tiger.'

………………..

Doctor Kadowaki peered over the ever-growing stack of medical files on her desk and remarked, “That was a wonderful thing you did, Xu, for Cid and Edea. I’m proud of you.”

Xu flushed, ducked her head, shifted uncomfortably on the stool and finally stood up and replied, “Arigato, Doctor. Coming from you that means a lot, but let’s drop the subject.”

The doctor gently smiled. “Alright, Xu. Ever since you were an adolescent and probably before that, although I didn’t know you then, you have been unable to accept a compliment.”

Xu began to leave, but suddenly remembered one of the reasons she had come to visit the doctor. “How’s Rinoa doing? Was she badly injured?” Xu asked.

The doctor leaned back a little in her chair. “I’ll say this – You don’t miss much that goes on around here. But to answer your question, no it was just basically some nicks.”

Doctor Kadowaki glanced shrewdly at Xu and stated, “You’re making Rinoa one of your projects, aren’t you?”

Xu answered, “Well, I feel sorry for her. She seems to have a good heart, but when she operates without Squall, she doesn’t appear to have a clue as to how to go about everyday living.”

The doctor replied, “Rinoa will be fine in the long run. She is an intelligent, strong, beautiful young girl who will grow into a loving, capable woman very shortly. And if she doesn’t, you send her to me. I’ll straighten her out!”

As Xu and Doctor Kadowaki were laughing, the intercom came on and Cid’s voice announced, “Attention, everyone! We are preparing to leave Centra and journey to Trabia. All necessary personnel report to duty stations immediately.”

Xu smiled at the doctor. “Well, that’s me. Thanks again for everything.” Xu turned and left the clinic beginning her trek that would lead her back to the bridge.

………………..

Akane and the pigtail girl sat at a late afternoon table in the coffee shop. Akane asked excitedly, “Did you hear? We’re going to Trabia! I’ve never been anywhere near Trabia in my life.”

Akane glanced around the room and exclaimed, “Boy, oh boy! Where is everyone? It’s just you and me.”

The pigtail girl smiled and answered, “Well, I don’t know about everyone else, but Zell and Selphie have been sent to Timber. I hope he’s alright.”

“Timber! Do you suppose they were sent to help Squall at East Academy?”

“Squall?” the pigtail girl repeated, “No, I don’t think so. I think it’s something else entirely.”

“Aw, foo,” Akane pouted. "I ‘so’ want to meet him. What’s he like?”

Before the pigtail girl could formulate an answer, Irvine strolled up and, sitting down, replied, “He’s usually moody and surly and doesn’t have much time for people, particularly young girls.”

As Akane turned to Irvine, the pigtail girl giggled at Irvine’s remarks. “Where’d you come from?” asked Akane.

“I had to take her uniform back to Rinoa. Man, is she upset about something! But she wouldn’t tell me what.”

“I know what it is,” confessed Akane, proceeding to explain to Irvine and the pigtail girl the entire episode that occurred at the clinic.

When she had finished, the pigtail girl responded, “Oh, the poor thing. No wonder she’s upset.”

Irvine explained, “All I know is she looked like she had really been crying about it.”

Akane replied, “I’ll go visit her after dinner and try to cheer her up.”

“Speaking of which,” Irvine said, while beginning to stand up. “Shall we be going to dinner?” Irvine held his arm out for Akane to take, so he could escort her. Akane and the pigtail girl arose from the table.

Akane turned to her and asked, “Do you want to eat with us?”

“Well, yes. I usually eat with Zell, but since he’s not here I’d be happy to.”

“Let’s go, ladies!” Irvine directed.

………………..

Seifer, Raijin, and Fujin were seated around their customary table in the cafeteria. As Seifer was eating from a large pile of hot dogs on his plate, Raijin exclaimed, “Seifer! Give me a hot dog.”

“No,” answered Seifer, while placing another half a hot dog into his mouth and chewing.

“Seifer, no da, this isn’t fair. You having all those hot dogs and we can’t even get one, no da!” Raijin replied.

“I don’t care.”

“Seifer, no da, this isn’t any way to treat your posse, no da,” Raijin said, attempting a different tack.

“Too bad.”

Fujin laughed as Raijin attempted to quickly lift a hot dog off Seifer’s plate, only to have Seifer pin Raijin’s hand to the table with a fork.

Fujin exclaimed, “RAGE, BEHAVE!”

“It’s not me, no da. It’s him, no da,” Raijin accused.

Raijin asked, “Did you know Edea is back in the Garden?”

“Did I know?” asked Seifer. “Of course I knew,” Seifer explained. “I was instrumental in her returning.”

Raijin exclaimed, “No way!”

Fujin responded, “WAY!”

Raijin, still not quite believing Seifer, asked, “Why would you do that, no da?”

Seifer finished the remaining hot dog on his plate, stood up and looked Raijin straight in the eye and replied, “Because I lust after her too. I can’t stop dreaming about her at night. Let’s go, people.” With that Seifer turned and began to walk away.

“Aw Seifer!” Raijin whined while trailing behind him and the silently laughing Fujin.

………………..

Their first day of classes passed quickly for Quistis and Squall, what with their needing to discover the location of the necessary different buildings and classrooms and not really understanding their way around the large campus yet.

They compared notes of their day as they sat in their dorm apartment after the dinner hour. Quistis was seated in the easy chair with her long legs crossed and Squall sat on the edge of his bed.

“Who was that guy I saw you having lunch with?” Squall inquired.

“Oh, just some guy in one of my classes.”

“Oh, does he have a name?” Squall asked slightly sarcastic.

Quistis sighed but said, “Of course he has a name! It’s Godai.” And then she went on to say “But you have no reason to get so pushy. I saw you with Kyoko most of the day.”

Squall grinned but said, “I feel as if there’s something strange about her.”

“Yeah, I bet,” Quistis retorted.

“No, I don’t mean like that.” Squall elaborated, “She asks way too many questions about where we’re from, what our family is like and a whole lot of questions about you.”

“About me?” Quistis asked surprised. “You don’t think she’s working for Galbadia?”

“Could be,” was Squall’s response. “We need to be careful with her. I don’t trust her.”

“Squall, how long do we have to stay here?”

“I’m not sure. All I know is it’s going to be a while longer,” Squall answered.

Quistis stretched her arms straight up and stood up. “Oh,” she sighed. “Uh, Squall,” she began to say.

“I know, I know, you want to take a shower and will I go somewhere else.”

“Uh, huh,” confirmed Quistis.

“Mata ne,” Squall said while leaving the room.

…………………

Akane knocked upon the door of Rinoa’s room.

“Go away,” came the voice of Rinoa.

“It’s me, Akane!”

“I don’t care who it is. Go a way!” replied the voice of Rinoa from within the room.

“I’m going to stand here all night and bang on this door until you open up!” shouted Akane. “And I’m not kidding.”

Suddenly the door opened and Rinoa stood in the doorway. Her hair was disheveled and her face red and swollen from incessant crying. She was still carelessly draped in the sheet, which inadvertently displayed her stark naked charms to Akane’s startled gaze.

Rinoa asked in a surly tone, “What do you want?”

Akane pushed by Rinoa and into the room, closing the door behind her. “What do I want? You’re my best friend and you’re in pain.”

“Go away, Akane. You’ve already done enough for me today,” Rinoa retorted.

Akane suddenly dropped to her knees and wrapped her arms around Rinoa’s legs. “Oh, please forgive me. I had no idea it was a window. I thought it was some kind of weird two way mirror.”

Rinoa responded, “Please get up, Akane and go.”

Akane answered, “Not until you forgive me and mean it. I can’t stand having you upset with me.”

Rinoa's heart somewhat softened at the sight of the young teenage girl pouring her feelings out to her and replied, “Alright, I forgive you.”

Akane acted as if she was going to arise, but instead clutched the bottom of the bloody sheet and ripped it off Rinoa rendering her totally nude! Rinoa gasped and jumped back fearing for her physical safety.

Akane ordered, “Now this is enough, Rinoa. Go over there,” Akane directed while pointing to the mirror over Rinoa’s bureau, “and fix your hair and do your makeup, while I look for something for you to put on!”

Despite her nudity, Rinoa did as she was ordered. Moving as if in a dream, she crossed to the mirror and, using a brush that was lying on her bureau, began to brush her hair.

Akane became a bundle of energy darting here and there, pulling open a drawer and placing fresh underwear for Rinoa on her bed. Rinoa turned around to discover what Akane was doing. Akane ordered, “Do your makeup and then put this underwear on!”

Meanwhile Akane was already going through Rinoa’s closet searching for a good outfit for Rinoa to wear. She felt as though it would be good for Rinoa to wear something this evening other than her uniform. She, ironically enough, since she had never observed Rinoa wear it, pulled out Rinoa’s black blouse and shorts, her short blue skirt and her long blue duster!

When Akane turned back with the outfit, she noticed Rinoa was now appareled in her bra and panties. “Here,” she said, reaching out with the outfit. “Put this on.”

“Oh, I can’t believe you picked that. That’s my favorite outfit!”

“Good. Now put it on,” ordered Akane and stood over Rinoa until she was fully dressed, except for her shoes.

“Put your shoes on. We’re going out.”

As Rinoa sat on the edge of her bed to put her shoes on, she asked, “Where are we going? Nothing’s open.”

“We’re just going for a walk. It will do you good to get out of this room.”

When Rinoa was fully dressed, Akane literally pushed her out the door.

As Akane was shutting the door behind them, Rinoa glanced down and said with some emotion, “You’re a good friend, Akane.”

“I know” the ebullient teenager exclaimed, “I’m the best!”

………………..

Selphie readied herself for her date with Zone by taking a long, luxurious, hot shower, drying and fixing her hair and applying her makeup. She decided to leave off with any perfume, not really desiring to entice Zone any further.

Then Selphie slipped into her cotton panties and took a damp washrag and dabbed at some spots on her yellow dress that needed to be cleaned. Rinoa’s friend had offered to have her dress cleaned, but since she didn’t feel as though she wanted to sit around all day half naked wearing only her panties, she had to decline. She was still angry that the Forest Fox leader’s daughter didn’t offer to lend her any clothes so she could have her dress cleaned, but she figured she should never had made that cutting remark so many months ago about her mother’s beauty being a legend!

After giving her dress a few minutes to dry, she then slipped it on and pulled up the front zipper. Giving her hair a toss for placement, she grinned at herself in the mirror, checked the heel of both of her boots and then exited the steamy bathroom and proceeded downstairs.

“Don’t you look nice,” Rinoa’s friend complimented.

“Arigato.” Selphie ducked her head, never comfortable with being complimented. “I guess I’ll go now.”

“Say hi to Zone for me and tell him I’ll come look up him up tomorrow.”

Selphie agreed as she opened the front door and shut it behind her, stepping out into the street. Taking a quick glance around the immediate area, she espied several Galbadian soldiers scattered around, who were paying absolutely no attention to her. After checking the heel of each of her boots, Selphie began walking toward the other end of town.

Fifteen minutes later she was approaching ‘Hamptons’ when she noticed Zone. She was surprised to observe he wasn’t wearing a disguise and wondered to herself if that wasn’t dangerous for him at this time with so many Galbadian solders lurking about.

“Hi, Selphie. You’re right on time.”

Selphie asked, “Is it safe for you to be out without some kind of disguise?”

“No, probably not,” he grinned ruefully, “But I can’t go on a date with my favorite girl in some sort of clownish getup.”

“Uh, Zone,” Selphie began to explain, but was interrupted by Zone, taking her by the arm and, suggesting, “Let’s get off the street,” and escorting her into the restaurant.

After they were seated at their table and had placed their dinner order, Zone leaned forward and began whispering to Selphie causing her to lean forward so closely, to hear him, she could have kissed him.

“I found Watts,” he explained.

“Oh, Zone. That’s wonderful! Where was he?” she asked.

“When we first fled Timber I guess he ran all the way to East Academy and then back again,” Zone explained with a soft chuckle. “I found him hiding with a family, who took him in, down by the train station.”

“And guess what?”

“Tell me, Zone,” Selphie answered patiently.

“I found your comrade! He’s hiding with Watts.”

“Oh, Zone! That’s fantastic!” Selphie exclaimed, with a large smile crossing her pretty face.

Zone, who found her to be so completely adorable at that moment, couldn’t restrain himself and leaned forward and kissed her fully on her open lips, while slipping his tongue into her mouth!

“ZONE!” Selphie screamed causing diners in the crowded dining room to turn and stare at them. Selphie instinctively reached back her right hand and delivered a substantial slap across the side of Zone’s face and then arose preparing to flee the dining room.

Zone quickly grasped her by the wrist and pulled her down onto her chair. “Selphie, please! You’re causing a scene we can ill afford.”

Selphie, who was still furious but realizing Zone spoke the truth, remained in her seat.

Zone began to apologize so abjectly and totally, plus constantly mentioning her immense beauty had caused him to act in such an impolite manner, that she forgave him with a stiff warning she would seriously damage him, if he ever attempted anything like that again.

After they had eaten and Zone paid the bill, they hurried from the restaurant and headed toward the other end of Timber. Selphie and Zone walked along in complete silence so as to not attract any attention to themselves and to also prevent being overheard saying anything of a sensitive nature.

As they moved along, Selphie wondered who Brian was. She realized she didn’t recognize the name, but hoped, at least, she would recognize him or visa versa because it certainly wouldn’t do, if he didn’t recognize her as a fellow SeeD.

It was only her innate modesty that prevented her from realizing there weren’t any SeeDs who didn’t know who she was from the time she was so instrumental in Ultimecia’s destruction.

Finally at the end of one of the streets that ran by the lower railroad passenger loading areas, Zone pointed at a house and explained, “This one.”

Zone knocked once and waited and then knocked four straight times. The door was immediately opened by Watts, who said to Selphie, “Welcome sir. So good to see you again.”

As Selphie stepped into the small two-story house closely followed by Zone, she understood that her concern was unnecessary as she immediately recognized Brian as the SeeD, who was known to practically everyone in the Garden as the ‘conceited SeeD.’

Selphie also remembered he was well known for always spending time in the library attempting to chat up the pigtail girl, which could quite possibly make the remainder of the mission, when Zell returned, quite interesting.

Fighting down her initial feeling of dislike towards him, Selphie offered her right hand and said, “It’s real good to see you, Brian.” Taking her hand and attempting to crush it, he said, “I imagine it would be.”

Watts invited everyone upstairs to one of the small bedrooms on the second floor in order to allow the family who lived there their personal space and also to insure some privacy for themselves. Upon entering the bedroom, Selphie checked the heel on both of her boots and flopped down on her back on one of the beds and listened as Watts wove his convoluted tale of he and Brian originally fleeing the considerable distance to East Academy and actually remaining there for a few days before beginning to wend their way back to Timber only arriving early that morning.

When Watts was finally finished, Brian asked, “What’s our new objective?”

Selphie sat up on the bed and responded in a slightly cutting tone, “Our new objective is to wait in Timber until Zell returns and lets us know what he discovered, if anything, in Dollet.”

“What if he doesn’t return?”

“If he doesn’t return,” Selphie answered, “and there is no doubt in my mind that he will return, we will then proceed to Dollet ourselves.”

Watts explained to Selphie, “Sir, I am going with Zone, because we need to communicate with our organization immediately and you and Brian should return to Sayoko’s house and not tax this nice families’ hospitality any more than necessary.”

Selphie readily agreed and, as they were preparing to depart the bedroom, Zone suggested, “Please meet Watts and me down near the railroad station tomorrow and possibly we’ll be able to coordinate some plans. You might want to come alone, in order to allow Brian to rest.”

Selphie agreed, thanked Zone again for the dinner and, more importantly, for locating Brian and then she and Brian exited the bedroom and returned downstairs, leaving Watts and Zone deviously rubbing their hands together and giggling concerning something.

Once they were on the first floor, Selphie bowed to the family, who were seated watching TV in their living room and thanked them for everything and then offered Brian directions to Sayoko’s house and suggested he leave first and that she would follow shortly thereafter. He nodded and left the house. As Selphie paused for a short time before leaving, she discovered herself wondering what exactly she had become involved in.