"Headmaster Cid?" asked Zell. He was shocked to see Cid on board the Ragnarok. He was more shocked to see him lying on a cot, looking like the face of death.

Cid smiled weakly. "I'm not headmaster anymore Zell."

Zell threw himself to his knees beside Cid's cot. "What's wrong? Why are you here?"

He looked up as Edea walked in the door. "Zell, you should probably ask me. Cid is very tired and needs to sleep." Now that he looked at her again, after they had gotten her on the ship, she did look a little ragged.

He had just come into the room to find some soda. Instead, he had found the dreadfully ill ex-headmaster. It made Zell want to cry. He looked up at the one guard in the corner. Did the guard know what was wrong with Cid? Why hadn't they told Zell to watch him, he would have gladly.

"Come on, it's time to tell everyone about our stowaway," she led him back to the bridge.

"So, no one knows what's wrong with him?"

Edea shook her head fretfully. "No, none of Kadowaki's crew had any idea. That's why we are going to the Shumi village. We've already contacted them and they have assured us that they can find a cure. You all know that they have better technology than we do, their medical science is also more evolved than ours."

"So, we aren't going to Trabia," said Quistis. With a smile she added, "Good thing, Selphie was jealous."

"No. Though, I'm sure Squall told all of you of the rebel group who has sprung up. It was dangerous for me to come on this trip. But, we spread rumor around FH that we would be landing in Trabia, so hopefully the Ragnarok is too fast to allow them to fix their mistake." Edea paused in her explanation. Her face raised up with pride. "I want to be with my husband at any cost. I'm sure you understand."

Zell and Irvine exchanged shy glances. They had been batting around the idea of marriage and though it was an inappropriate time, they were reminded of their love for each other. "We understand," said Zell.

The doors opened and Rinoa walked onto the bridge. She wasn't wearing her blue dress. Zell was absolutely sure she was wearing one of the outfits that he had seen her wear in a picture. A picture that was hidden in a gunblade training book.

"Oh, and Rinoa isn't so much a stowaway as a last minute addition to the crew. Squall feels the more bodyguards the better." She said it with gratitude in her voice. More than that, Edea and Rinoa had come across a common bond. They were part of a former sorceress club that made them good friends.

Zell and Irvine looked at each other thinking the same thoughts. Last minute addition? They had left Selphie behind, but she was a much better fighter than Rinoa. Anyone at Garden was. Rinoa was learning, but the rest of them had grown up training to fight. It wasn't backup fighting power to send her. Squall was trying to get rid of her. And there was only one reason for that.

"Shit," said Quistis. Obviously she had figured it out as well. "They'll kill each other and then no one can have her."

Still, the mission had to go on. Cid was near death and it might be his only hope. Their phone calls didn't work. Squall's line was coming up busy and Seifer wasn't answering. Their friends just had to hope that intelligence would kick in before a battle commenced.

Zone was whispering into the phone even though none of the group was around. "I'm in Trabia. It's fucking cold here."

"Good, are the leaders there yet?" asked Squall. Now that Zone had finally been accepted into the anti-sorceress group, Squall could crush the group before it got a chance to hurt his women. All Zone had to do was follow them to headquarters after the group realized that the sorceress was not coming to Trabia.

"Not yet. Grunts and newbies first. You know, scouts, that sort of thing."

"Keep me posted. I need to know when they find out that she's not there."

There was a sudden 'click'. Squall glared at the phone in his hand. Zone had better not have just gotten caught. He slammed his fist down on the desktop.

The situation kept getting worse. First he had to worry about Seifer taking away his girlfriend. Now he had to worry about Edea. If Zone didn't find out where their headquarters were, Squall would have to try and get another man on the inside. Someone that they wouldn't recognize from Garden.

On top of all the worry, he was about to kill Seifer Almasy. He didn't want to kill him. He just wanted to defeat him, but Squall knew that when both of them started fighting there would be no easy defeat. If Seifer had a blade to his throat, the only thing he could imagine himself doing was demanding the death. Without Rinoa, life wouldn't be worth living.

But the part that had his insides shook up was the fact that Squall wasn't sure she wanted him. Rinoa might pick Seifer. That thought destroyed his heart, blasting it into pieces. He had gone into space for her. For her sake, he had become a hero. But, it meant nothing to her. He could see her longing for Seifer and it stung him.

He had sent her away for fear that he would have Seifer near his death and she would come and beg for his mercy. Rinoa, hair perfect with eyes glittered with tears, would throw herself over the bleeding Seifer. She would say with her perfect lips, "Please don't! I love him!" And Squall would smash through them both with his gunblade, because the pain would overpower him.

Squall Leonhart set his face in his hands and cried.

Cid was set up in the infirmary of the Shumi Village. The Shumi recognized the illness right away. It was one of theirs. Since humans hadn't had much contact with the Shumi, no one had ever heard of a case of a human getting one. They would try a small dose of medicine and see if that didn't hurt his system. If it didn't, they said that it only took one week for one of them to fully recover. If it did hurt him, there was no doubt that he would die.

It was a stressful time for all the passengers of the Ragnarok.

Zell was officially in charge of the mission. It was his decision to leave immediately after hearing the results of the medication. Irvine had confided his uneasiness to him and it had made him nervous as well. He didn't want Edea outside of Garden for longer than necessary.

They paced. Even Rinoa, who hadn't grown up with Cid was overly anxious.

Though she had more than that to worry about. "I'm sure they'll be fine," said Zell. He wasn't. They were all sure of that. The two boys might have crisscrossed scars the next time she went back to Garden.

"How could I have not seen it? He must have found the gloves…" Rinoa was near tears. She would sit down only to get back up again. "He was just getting rid of me. If he hurts Seifer, I'll…"

"And what about Squall? Rinoa, where are your loyalties?" demanded Quistis. She wasn't exactly a relationship buff, but she would never lead to men on. "What were you doing with Seifer's gloves?"

"I missed him!" she cried out. All eyes were on her. The relaxing water sounds in the waiting room were driving her crazy. There was water everywhere in this village. It wasn't soothing, it was just making her have to pee. She was angry and worried and now she had to pee.

"Seifer loves you Rinoa. You know that. It was wrong to send him mixed messages."

Rinoa nodded, the tears finally slipping out. "I know. I need to make up my mind. And I will. Once I get back, I will choose."

"If you have two to choose from," said Quistis meanly.

Rinoa's mouth dropped in shock. They didn't want to console her, because they blamed her. "I'm going to the bathroom!" she shouted angrily. She stormed out of the room and they watched her walk off.

"Well, she'd better head to the Ragnarok…I don't think the Shumi can go to the bathroom," said Edea sheepishly.