Zell paced, "Well, how's that for ya? Huh? She's-not-here!" he threw his hands up, "What a waste of time!"

Quistis shrugged, and gave a half hopeful smile, "Well, we're not in a real hurry..."

Zell stopped dead and stared at her in disbelief, "I can't believe you! Don't you care!? We could search the planet and never find her!" He turned from her, "Probably the most caring friend she has, and you don't care."

Quistis looked to the ground, "I didn't say that!"

Zell glanced back for a second, "You did a good job proving otherwise!"

Quistis frowned, she knew where Rinoa had went. She was trying to play along with them, but she just felt guilty.

Squall sighed, "Where should we look next. Or should we continue?"

Zell stopped, "We should go to Deling! Her father could have caught her!"

The icy blue-eyed SeeD looked at him, "You've discovered brain power recently haven't you?"

Zell rolled his eyes too thoughtful to be shocked, "You've discovered humor recently?"

Squall shrugged, "Whatever."

Quistis looked up at them, "Why not Timber?"

Squall cocked his head and stared off at the setting sun, "It would make more sense to go to Deling, though."

Zell jumped and started practicing on his boxing, he was obviously full of energy, "Yeah, why would she go to Timber?"

Quistis shrugged, staring at the ground, " Maybe she had things to think about... Or she felt like... Seeing home?" She looked up with a hopeful expression.

Zell stopped and shook his head, "No, she would have told us. She's not the type to leave and not comeback on purpose."

Quistis stood up, from where she had been sitting on the street curb, "Maybe she got into a bit of trouble in Timber-"

Squall gave Quistis an interrogative glance, "Why are you so insistent we go to Timber."

Quistis shrugged uneasily.

Zell glared, "She doesn't want us to find her."

Quistis could hold it back no longer she felt a mixture of emotions well up inside her, sadness and anger, "Would you stop!?" She felt pressure like she would cry, and she realized there was a tear running down her cheek, "I want us to find her! That's why I say we go to Timber!" she began, "I know to go to Timber! It said in the note she left me, She was going to Timber..." Tears began running down her cheeks unable to stop.

Squall stared at her puzzled and Zell stared at her blankly.

"She told me she trusted me to keep the secret! She said to tell you she'd gone to Dollet to see a friend. She said she had really gone to Timber, she had things to think about....." Quistis was on her knees in the street, crying.

Zell and Squall were speechless.

"You should have told us." Squall said quietly, apparently unheard.

Zell knelt down beside her.

"She had things to think about and she wasn't supposed to be gone this long! I played along, she said she trusted me to keep the secret! I couldn't tell you..." She felt someone embrace her, attempting to ease her from the pain of being in badly characterised fanfiction.

Zell hugged Quistis humming a slow tune, "Stop crying, it's OK..." he repeated rudundantly til' Quistis was calm.

Squall's eyes widened and he stood, speechless, confused, he hadn't realized having someone trust you with something of the likes, could also give you a bit of stress. Quistis didn't handle stress too well.

Zell let go of her and stood up, breaking Squall's stare. "We're going to Timber."

The three left.

Waruitenshi drove a small rental car from Deling to Timber. She had located him quickly. She knew the way Yumenegau's mind worked. It was around four in the morning. She picked the lock and walked into the small hotel basement. It's dark gray, concrete floors were cleaner than expected, and the sound of her heels echoed in the small basement. She crossed a few rows of housecleaning supplies and found it.

The TV screen had been kicked in and glass lay all over the floor. The phone lay, smashed against the wall on the otherside of the room. A girl in a blue over dress, and black shorts and top lay on the floor asleep. Cards were kicked around her, and she was surrounded by a barrier. 'She must be Rinoa.' she thought to herself.

She looked and saw Yumenegau sprawled on the floor beside the broken TV. "YUME!!!" She screamed and kicked him hard in the back.

"Aa! Warui! What are you doing here!?" Yumenegau jumped up to stand before her, rubbing his back. Rinoa had woken up and sat up to watch the two.

"I want my money, Yume!" she seemed very mad.

Yumenegau gave her a charming smile. Rinoa watched as Waruitenshi's face went from anger to a warm smile.

Yumenegau wrapped his arms around her and whispered some soft words in her ear. In two minutes she sat in a chair by the TV table preoccupied with her nails. Rinoa stared in disbelief, Yume had this girl on a hook!

The girl could not hide her delight with him, she lit up everytime he entered the room. At first it entertained Rinoa, watching this sudden change of mood of hers. But then it got old, and Rinoa was sickened by it.

Rinoa was glad about one thing, though, they had forgotten about her. She had played solitaire so many times, to keep from listening, she was a pro at the game. She was tired of the game, and she was tired of this whole deal. 'How did I get myself into this?' she wondered.

By nine o'clock, in the morning, Rinoa had taken to plugging her ears, as so not to hear Waruitenshi's constant giggling. She had now met the girl, and knew the girl's name. She had even had the privilege of being insulted by Warui. Oh the joys.

Apparently, Waruitenshi had been the girl on the telephone with Yumenegau. She was in a bit of trouble with him for not following Squall, Zell, and Quistis. Rinoa kept repeating in her mind, 'What have I done?'

Waruitenshi had brought news the SeeDs hadn't known about the trap, and they still didn't. She explained this while giving herself a full manicure, pedicure, and doing her hair. Rinoa couldn't help but be a bit impressed with her, she was talented,'God help me if I ever meet another person like this!!'

It was following one-sided conversation Waruitenshi had with Rinoa after that, that really annoyed Rinoa.

Waruitenshi looked at Rinoa, "That Squall, he didn't care much for my questions."

Rinoa stared at her.

"Squall was a sweet character..."

Rinoa sat back to listen to the long lecture.

"I met him in the training center one day, I had been crying because Yume told me I would be fired if I didn't find him..."

"He was ever so nice to cheer me up..." Waruitenshi continued.

Rinoa listened further.

"He was ever so much a gentleman, with grace he put his hand to my face and wiped away my tears ever so gently." Her eyes were cloudy and distant as she spoke.

Rinoa laughed, it was a quick and insulting sort of cackle to her ears. Almost wicked. No matter how hard she tried she couldn't get a picture of Squall wiping away anyone's tears, much less those of this blond airhead who sat before her.

The goldenhaired girl narrowed her glistening blue eyes at Rinoa, anger flaring within her, like a prisoner waiting to escape the confinements of his icy cell. It made the girl in blue happy to be on the opposite side of the barrier wall. At least there was one good thing about having an extremely strong magically charged forcefeild around you.

Tenshi continued, "He told me to meet him in the training center that night... he hadn't told me why..."

Rinoa groaned rolling her brown eyes clockwise. This woman had to be out of her mind to think that Rinoa was going to believe any of this. This was Squall she was talking about, and the ravenhaired sorceress knew him far better than this pathetic excuse for a minion.

"I came and I saw him standing amidst some leaves and greenery, the wind rustling his silky hair-"

Sitting on the floor, Rinoa nearly stuttered with laughter, "Now you're inclining that there is a strong wind gust inside of the garden?" Rinoa was practically rolling on the ground with laughter.

Warui bit her lip and shrugged, "Well, it seemed like it... Beauty and handsomeness are perceived differently through the eyes of each beholder."

"And you see beauty and handsomeness as wind blowing someone's hair?"

Rinoa finally got control of herself and sat up quietly.

Waruitenshi glared at Rinoa and continued her far-off tale, "He took my hand and kissed it, kneeling like a gentleman..."

Rinoa tried her best to stiffle her laughter, but it seemed to grow unbearable and she had a quicker fit of laughs than previously, but still she laughed as hard as ever.

"....He embraced me softly...."

Rinoa could hold it no longer, she laughed until she was red, unable to stop. Finally Waruitenshi got sick of it.

"I've had it! Enough! Stop your laughing!!! STOP IT!!! It's not funny, it really happened!!" Warui stood up angrily.

Rinoa stopped laughing an looked up at her, "You are the worst liar I've ever met!" And she continued to laugh.

The golden-haired girl stormed from the room.