Final Fantasy VIII, Final Fantasy X 1. Chapter 1

_**the squall of red ribbons:**_

_C 1 . _

_The gates of balamb military high were beautifully adorned with gold _

_and silver, the designs reminisent of mythical artwork and amalgamated_

_with military themes._

_i stood there for a few moments admireing the architecture of theis brilliant _

_military installation slash high school._

_A golden plack on the left gate clearly stated " to commemorate the bravery and _

_valour shown by the men and women in the esthar and spira war ". _

_i walked through the iron gates a beautiful path with many steps, plants and _

_water features showed the way towards the main entrance, the beauty was _

_astonishing, even though this was a military academy it had so much life and_

_vibrance which you couldnt expect. _

_even before my father laguna took over as principal of this magnificent school _

_i heard the landscape and atmosphere of balamb and its military school were _

_rivaled to none. _

_they were aesthetically plaeasing but i had to press on and find the dormitories,_

_today was only a moving in period for many students who were passing me oviously_

_confused as to what to do and where to go._

_i decided to head to the main reception and on the way even dodging some very rushed_

_off there feet students, they were lucky i moved out of the way or what they were carrying _

_would of been broken by a very angry me._

_as i came towards the reception desk i noticed there were two females on duty and all the _

_students seemed lost, strange i thought they must not be doing there job. _

_god laguna couldnt run a school if his life depended on it i muttered to myself quietly,_

_i stood before the desk after narrowly escaping a student with boxes stacked so high in her _

_hands she couldnt see straight ahead. _

_hi where are the dorms, i asked nonchalantly trying not to make eye contact with the girl as _

_i did not want to have to listen to the girl muttering on about some shit. _

_umm... follow the black line sir there are different coloured lines situated to different areas of_

_this military installation, if you ever need to see the principal laguna walk up the steps towards _

_elevator and he is 3F. _

_god she was actually helpful i thought to myself, then she actually analysed me i could tell_

_by the way she was staring. _

_she was staring at my face god why do women do this i thought, then she tried to make small talk_

_which i narrowly avoided by telling her i was in a hurry and walking off following the black line._

_i could here her telling her colleauge that i was a catch and its a shame he didnt stay long enough _

_for me to give him her number, like she'd have a chance ignorant women. _

_why do they find me so attractive im 6,4 with long'ish brunette hair and a well built physique, it _

_must be my piercing blue eye's quisitis used to say people would lose themselves in them if they_

_look into my eye's for too long. _

_i smirked remembering the times i spent with them all. quisitis, zell, selphie, irvine and even seifer, _

_if only they were here i'd still ignore them to no avail like the old days. _

_i followed the black line around for 10 minutes until i got to the dormitory, i entered to see a long path_

_leading into a seperate building made of white stone. _

_the long hall had no glass windows and was also made of this white stone but outside of these _

_large glassless windows were small lunch area's and gardens with beautiful flowers and statues. _

_there were many students running in and out of here and it would probably be like this for the best _

_part of the day, all of them running through the automatic glass doors into and out of the dorms. _

_i entered the doors which might as well be permamently open now walking past student noticing a _

_sign which stated girls left and boys right, so i went down the right corridor and look for my room._

_laguna said it would be 777, bet that was a joke for him or something but i was aparently sharing with _

_a girl so why would boys and girls be seperate i thought from seeing that sign._

_damn laguna's been pulling strings again i bet zell would even be next door, wait no... thats just scary_

_i whispered to myself. _

_i came up to room 777 after 20 minutes of looking and damn did this place have alot of rooms i moaned _

_constantly walking up corridor after corridor, i think this is gonna make me even more physically fitter than _

_i already am. _

_the door was black and had the numbers 777 on them as well as a card reader, i took the black card with a red strip out of my pocket and swiped it in the card reader realising the lock on the door, thankfully they sent this _

_key to me via post so i didnt have to go back to reception. _

_as i twisted the handle on the door and entered the room i heard what i thought was zell shouting my name, but i dismissed it until i heard it again. _

_so i turned around to see the spiky blond standing only a small distance down the corridor so i went in my room and shut the door, i couldnt be bothered with him today i just wanted to sleep the flight from esthar was 5 hours long and i was ready to drop. _

_the room was beautiful, there were two bedrooms adjacent from eachother i would take the left as it alrady had a name plaque on it and the left would be for a rikku, nice name i though it was different like mine._

_the rest of the room was dull at the moment i knew laguna and he would have sofa's and tables in here soon, he would even have small gadgets for me every now and then. i told him not to but he is my dad and the principal of this academy shame he was also esthars president i would beat him to a pulp. _

_the room only had one tall glass stand which held a red rose in a see through vase next to a letter, the letter had "to squall" written on the envelope. _

_i opened the letter from laguna and began reading : _

_to my son :_

_hi son sorry for the lack of my prescence which i know you enjoy so much :) but you will have to play_

_host to an al-bhed girl, her name is rikku and she is a really nice person you mistreet her i will_

_personally ruin your life more than you think i already do ner ner. _

_i know relations have been a bit frayed since the world of spira joined ours son and yes the war was a _

_mistake and now we are trying to make public realations better, 10 years and now were finally getting_

_alone eh! _

_i am asking you to do me a massive favour which you cannot refuse, you have to look after rikku and_

_i mean actually speaking to her son not your usual recluse lone wolf act. _

_me and your mother need you to do this we promised her father you would protect her so yes that does_

_he is an important al bhed leader. _

_still dunno why she wanted to enroll here but it will look good for everyone ok, i know this is gonna _

_be hard on you since you push every male and female away from you all the time even your friends_

_but this will come down on you like a ton of bricks if you dont do it ok. _

_now she will be arriving at 4 and her things are already in the room, all your friends are in single rooms_

_in the same corridor that means, seifer, zell, quistis, selphie and irvine are there as well. _

_if you need help ask them i dunno why but they're so loyal to you squall your time in the orphanage did _

_you well in many ways, me ellone and raine are rooting for you and ellone said she is gorgeous so dont _

_fall for her ( not that you would ) :).i know im terrible oh and the new leather sofa's and glass table will be_

_delivered when your in your first class tommorow and yes im treating you both, get over it. _

_bye son: dont you screw up or i owe your sister 100 gil man!_

_i closed the letter and shook my head in dismay, was this for real laguna had put all my friends around me and a complete stranger in my room without even batting an eyelid._

_god he knew how to annoy me, i punched the wall and returned the letter to its place on the glass stand, she was going to be here at 4 and the clock said it was half 3 now, damn it !. _

_just then there was a knock at the door so i decided to answear it just incase it was this rikku, i slumped over to the door and opened it fully only to be tackled to the floor by an overly energetic selphie. _

_can you beleive it squall! were all right next to eachother and we get to have the BIGGEST rooms in the school oh my god this is awesome, without even taking a breath she continued speaking at supersonic speads while i just laid there on the floor. _

_zell walked in with irvine, quisitis and seifer, dude you seem to be enjoying that to much again, zell laughed. _

_i threw selphie off my torso and sat up, like hell did i what you all doing here i thought i escaped you lot, they all laughed not realising oviously i was serious by my stern face and im gonna kill you disposition. _

_dude you would't live without us and ya know it, irvine smugly told everyone, he was oviously more shocked that i threw selphie off me though as he was on the floor with selphie making sure she wasnt hurt. _

_squalls a meanie irvie! tell him off for me, to which he retorted, yh and have the same done to me how about i just kiss you better and help you up. _

_ok but no tongue or i kick you again cowboy, so he kissed her passionately and helped selphie to her feet holding her there in place from her torso, its amazing how he doesnt look at another women now ever since he found selphie. _

_you've lost your touch irvine, you used to be such a ladies man seifer joked only to get smacked round the head by a very annoyed quisitis, he's done something again i thought. _

_i got up and told them all to leave but as usual they didnt listen, seifer told it straight as usual though, cmon man we come to see the poor girl who has to share a room with you, he was laughing his head off now._

_he'll probably freeze her with his presence like he does most people, quisitis joked although now everyone was laughing which was severly annoying me but i let it pass as usual since there friends. _

_look leave all of you im sure you'll end up pissing me off anyway, i angrily told them, yet they refused to move and just stood there pouting like they usually did until i gave in. _

_it wont work i told them, yet they continued standing there pouting and zell just kinda giving me a thumbs up ( what an idot ) oh well might as well stand my ground with this one. _

_i told you to leave now!, i stood there moving closer and closer to the door and they all moved except seifer. _

_im sure you dont want this to get rough again seifer, i growled in a low tone. _

_your right i dont but it seems you really wanna be alone with this girl, he smirked as he left the room. _

_whatever you think i dont care, you already know i couldnt care less about anyone, at that moment i slamed the door shut and i heard each one return to there rooms except irvine and selphie were probably in the same room. _

_i locked the door becuase it was ovious rikku would have a card key and went into my new room and sat on the nice kingsize double bed that was fixed to the wall, it had black silk sheets and when you sat on it you could see out of the window which had a beautiful mountain and sea view. _

_there were weapons compartments in the closets and a stand for my gun blade and even a ammo dispenser in my room, the HD tv was atleast 50 inches and had a ps3 hooked up with shelfs of games and accesories._

_damn laguna knew how to treat me it was probably the same for everyone though i thought, knowing quisitis and zell they most likely had replacement weapons due to the fact neither of them used guns or gunblades, i thought. _

_in 10 minutes she would be here and i would have to pretend i care, damn i cant really be bothered, i cringed at the thought knowing i would have to lie to the girl about myself just to not get annoyed by dad 24/7. _

_well who cares im being myself to the end, i mumbled out loud as i laid back on the bed trying not to close my eye's cause if i fell asleep now i was out for the night. _

_there was music i could listen to on the ps3 i thought so i switched it on and realised dad had it set up already with profiles for all of us even him rikku and ellone, god he was planning ahead i thought._

_i used the internet to listen to music and turned on johnny cash, aint no gravecan hold my body down, damn i like the oldies and classic rock as well as piano pieces. _

_it was the soothing melodies and hardcore rock music that kept me going, life was so boring and droll and people so unpredictable just ready to betray you at any moment for whatever pathetic reason they could think of. _

_i was maybe to hateful i know but the only people who deserved to be in my life were my friends and they know i care in my own way, strange they stay around though i never treat them well, well sometime's i remembered. _

_the song repeated itself again and again but the song meant so much to me growing up, we all had our own songs i remember the day we chose them all. _

_zell at age 8 sat in the orphanage and came to an epiphany that if we all died what would define us, yeah it was hard hitting for an eight year old but zell was a man who life in the moment and had alot of moments. _

_selphie said music was what defined her and irvine, yh she always made descisions for irvine it was kinda cute i thought looking back on it, he chose a small jazz piece from his favourate anime called " julia " and selphie chose " iris by the goo goo dolls ". _

_quisitis thought it was a game as did seifer, god they were so immature when matron wasnt around, i laughed. _

_seifer chose " iron maiden can i play with madness " and quisitis chose a beautiful song in japanese called " alumnia by nightmare " _

_mind we were all young but these songs are played everyday by us because of that promise and what zell said after we chose, " if we dissapeared like most orphans atleast the songs we chose would live on forever ". _

_we all know he is so much smarter than he lets on but i would never fault him, he brings us together in these beautiful moments and fixes so many situations he is more of a saint though i wouldn't tell him that cause of his damn ego. _

_i would hold on to my music forever and i hope they do aswell, they are my friends but most of all when i was in that orphanage waiting for laguna to find ellone they became my family, i had to apologise for the way i treated them just then i thought. _

_i jumped off of the bed and opened my eye's bolting for the door and as it opened i saw a young blonde women standing over a very beaten zell and a very angry seifer, what the hell was going on, i wondered. _

_zell was on the floor wincing in pain with seifer on top of him who now had a black eye, i walked over to watch this girl move back and go into a defensive position as if she saw me as a threat. _

_why did you do that its my job to kick there asses, i yelled with a deep commanding voice almost knocking this young blonde girl back with fear. _

_she looked at them and then towards me, she was about to say something until seifer got up and interrupted her, zell got to familliar squall and when i was trying to protect him she got the best of me sorry man. _

_he stood there with a genuine look of guilt on his face, he picked up zell who was in real pain holding his ribs but knowing him they were probably only bruised. _

_is this true i asked the girl and she replied with only a nod signalling a yes, "well dont worry then " i told her as i stepped back and let her go. _

_im rikku by the way i take it your squall, she smiled a half hearted smile then went into her room with a very angry prescence about her as she slammed the door shut. _

_seifer was nearly out of the door before i grabbed his arm to stop him, he stopped and turned with zell in a firemans carry staring at me with a genuine look of guilt. _

_man me and zell are sorry we just wanted her to let us into annoy you and she got the wrong idea when zell got physical as usual who knew she would be freakishly strong for such a small girl man, i thought she was cute until then. _

_seifer and zell im sorry i shouldnt of had a go at you earlier, i apologised and saw a smile appear on both of there faces, it was as if they were pleased to hear such words escape my lips. _

_seifer was loving it though, no problem man were always your friends yknow stop being so dark and gloomy now and then, he laughed then left with a very hurt but now pleased zell in his arms. _

_i closed the door only to realise now i would probably get told off by quisitis for not apologising to her as well, ah damn it oh well... might as well just leave it, i mumbled to myself. _

_as i crossed the expanse of the room to enter my own living space i looked over at rikku' s door, i thought well dad wanted me to look after her even though its ovious she can do that herself. _

_should i knock on her door or just leave it, i heard there aint no grave still playing quite loudly so i went in to change the song and i chose ' to zanarkand ' a favourate piano piece of mine which calms me down when i lose my temper. _

_i left my door open so i could hear the beautiful song as i crossed the room and knocked on rikku's door, it took her awhile to answear but she open the door fully and stood there eagerly awaiting what i had to say to her. _

_she was 5.9 with long blonde hair and quite a petite frame, she was wearing black levi jeans with a red silk shirt but what was even stranger is that she seemed to cover her arms with scarlet silk ribbons. _

_these ribbons were beautiful and were tied so skillfully around her arms all apart from her hands, i thought i should not ask about them as it was probably a personal matter or a strange al-bhed style that was in at the moment, ( not that i would know or care oviously ). _

_her eye's were a striking emerald green with little swirls inside them that hit the light and glistened whenever you saw them, i was shocked to see such beautiful eye's like hers i had never seen anything like them before. _

_i snapped myself out of the gaze of her beautiful emerald swirl eye's and got to the matter at hand, so im squall by the way i told her. _

_yh i guessed that it said that on your door which i noticed before you came out of it, rikku smirked at me and stuck out her tongue oviously she was a cheerful person just easily angered and i can see why if it was those two. _

_well look im sorry for those idiots they're friends, your gonna have to get accustomed to that living in this room which may i add was not my choice blondie. _

_i stood there nonchalantly awaiting her retort witty or otherwise, the song was playing in the background still and she seemed to be listening to it rather than thinking of a reply. _

_she stood there until she started to walk over to my room as if to inspect where the music was coming from, she stopped just outside and mutter ' this is my favourate song, i never imagined such a cold man would appreciate such beauty '. _

_so she said as she turned to look up at me and meet my gaze, you actually have a taste in music, she stated with a solemn look. _

_yes i do rikku why are you so suprised, i tilted my head and was actually genuienly concerned as to why she thought what she said and then it hit me. _

_i was actually that cold and emotionless that she would assume i have no interests, how strange i thought but anyone's honest reaction i guess. _

_well i just assumed since you have such a cold disposition and quite a muscular frame you would be a war mongering lunatic with a fetish for guns, she giggled and mimicked out me loving a firearm which was actually a very ammusing process. _

_your very speacial aint you, but you should learn how to caress a gun i smiled and even let out a small laugh that she heard and even smiled back to. _

_its ok you can be as cold as you want, rikku said, it honestly wont bother me just be yourself cause to many people piss me off by pretending there something there not yknow. _

_yh i guess your right, i have to tell you though my father told me to look after you and make sure your all right, i know it sounds weird but im sure he already told you himself. _

_i walked into my room and sat on the bed so she edged towards the door and leaned against the frame stating that she already knew because her father and laguna had talked, nowone is fond of us al bhed even in spira after my cousin saved them all from sin. _

_yh i heard i have studied your history and i thoroughly enjoyed it including your architecture and machinery ( or machina as you call it ), its been ten years but i guess you have even more problems since our worlds have combined. _

_she looked around the room and then back towards me with sadness in her eye's, yh your right but i like this world it also has such vibrance and life to it even with its destructive past you still live in peaceful times looking forward to an uncertain future, i guess our worlds are more alike than you think, she sadly looked to her feet. _

_yh i guess so make's you think the world were lovers who came together atleast thats what i think, dont you, i smiled as she brought her head back up and met my gaze and she smiled back to me. _

_i guess your right squall just two lonely planets coming together, then an alternate version of ' to zanarkand' came on and it was the piece i wrote for piano even with my introduction on it, damn you laguna. _

_im squall leonheart and i will be performing " to zanarkand " just with a bit more force and a softer ending piece, enjoy. _

_rikku sat there listening amazed at the fact i could play piano and so well, she came into my room and sat on the computer chair next to the computer desk and listened intently. _

_for 5 minutes and 35 seconds she had heard something i never wanted another living soul to hear and it turns out laguna had put it on here and knew about it. _

_i sat on the bed embarrased with my head in my hands, after then song was over she stood and clapped me even praising me for an amazing job, cmon squall that was amazing why dont you get a piano in here your dad said to mine he liked to treat you. _

_she was jumping up and down until i rose from my seat on the bed and turned off the ps3 stopping the music dead before it had another chance to play, she even followed me out of the room and closed my door behind us. _

_rikku was now standing behind me waiting for me to answaer her and i really didnt want to so i just said " whatever " and walked out of the room leaving her there not even saying a word. _

_damn laguna putting that song on there i didnt even know he knew about it, he is gonna pay but first im hungry so cafeteria, i started walking only to be followed by rikku which i only noticed when i got to the cafeteria and sat down with a lasagne and a glass of coke. _

_she ordered the same and sat down on the same table directly facing me and not even saying a word, so we sat there and ate in silence which she didnt seem to mind other then the odd look of confusion._

_i finished my lasagne and sat there watching her eat and at times saw her look up to make sure i was still there, she was waiting for me to say something but i didnt want to disturb her she looked happy just sitting there with her food. _

_when she finished i waited for her to speak but she didnt so i had a sip of coke and decided to say something and i mean anything, nice weather were having i said. _

_ummm... yh i guess so she giggled, rikku sipped from her glass as well and placed it silently on the table and looked at me as if to say your very strange. _

_yh i know what you want to talk about so just forget you ever heard it i didnt expect laguna to know it existed let alone put it on my computer, i grimaced at the thought he damn man nearly knew everything about me. _

_she sat there with a smile on her face which made me look at her rather strangely, dont worry it will be our secret i promise, im sure your friends dont know you can play piano that, whats there names again she asked. _

_zell and seifer but dont worry you will probably meet selphie, irvine and quistis later, and yh your right your the first person to know i play ( i think ). _

_wow kinda honoured i guess, she got up and left her plate and drink on the cafeteria table, cmon then squall we gotta be up early for our first lesson tommorow lets go get some sleep yh. _

_i got up from my chair and followed her to the dorms chatting along the way about the military academy and why she enrolled. _

_it turns out she defied her father and this was a punishment and it was all because she flew his new airship before him, so his excuse was its a great education and a career to go into. _

_his name was cid and aparently he was quite an easy to anger man, the complete opposite of laguna who was a crazy bastard with absoloutely no fear in the slightest. _

_the world spira had combined with our own causing many large earquaked and landscape changes but in ten years everything returned to normal planet wise and spira was situated on the other side of the world and all our continents were situated adjacent to spira. _

_there was a war for a year mainly due to fear and panic but in the last few years we have built quite a relationship with spira to the point there are even bridges and airports connecting us to the land of spira which is unique in itself. _

_rikku was telling me of her home but seemed to leave many details out probably for her own personal reasons i guessed but it was fine i wasnt telling her anything about me and i think she knew i wasnt going to, which was probably why she was asking me about balamb itself. _

_i told her all i knew, it was a seaside town with unique architecture and landscape and people here always lived in peace and harmony with nature up until the esthar spira war where everyone fought for there world. _

_we had now entered our room and passed a very bruised zell in the hall who seemed to be very wary of rikku but also quick to get into quistis and seifers room, probably to stir shit again i guess. _

_i was about to go into my room before rikku apologised for the zell and seifer thing, i told her not to worry but she was probably over it anyway i thought. _

_look its ok rikku they were both stupid and unprepared to deal with your ovious fighting skill, you did a good job im sure you'll get to know and like my friends soon anyway, just remember im only looking after you cause laguna will make my life a living hell if i dont ok._

_ok thats fine squall good night yh, she smiled and went into her room locking the door behind her as did i that night and as i got undressed and hit the bed i just feel into a deep sleep under the silk covers of warmth and comfort. _


	2. Chapter 2

_**The squall of red ribbons: **_

_c.2: _

_As i woike up that morning i had a sense of relief because of the good nights sleep but also a lingering dread because it was my first lesson today and i had only 2 hours to get ready. _

_my gunblade was in its holder next to the ammoa dispenser in my room, thank god my dad did things like this for me ammo dispensers cost so much and at the far end of the room was another room with a work desk so i could fine tune my gunblade. _

_i put on my jeans and tight red sleeveless shirt and moved around the room to try and find my black steel toe cap boots, they turned out to be at the foot of the bed as usual. _

_god you think i would remember that, i thought to myself, i placed my silver griever necklace around my neck and walked over to the workshop room._

_all i had to do was go into the next room which was my workshop to get the gunblade holster, so i loaded the gunblade and put on the holster around my waist sheathing the gunblade._

_i was almost ready for my first day and then i realised i didnt even shower first, damnit i shouted as i ran to the shower with my towel undressing as i was running to the shower. _

_thank god rikku wasnt awake yet i thought cause the shower was situated on her side of the room since she didnt need a workshop to fix her weapons like i did._

_she must be a fighter rather than a swordsman i thought to myself as i entered the shower with a loud thud, after 20 minutes in the shower i got myself dried and slowly went round collecting my clothes and gunblade. _

_i managed to get my socks, boxers, necklace and jeans on before rikku walked out of her room, she stood there frozen as if she was made of ice. _

_i found my red sleevless shirt on the glass stand next to the rose which shoced me because i didnt think i threw it that far, rikku was still frozen there as if i had cast some strange ice spell on her so before i put the shirt on i placed it back down on the glass stand and walked over to her. _

_are you ok rikku you look kinda frozen, she was also wearing black jeans and small black boots with metal buckles on them, a blue shirt with a silk black shirt on top which was unbuttoned. _

_yh im fine what about you half naked man, she nervously laughed, i looked down not realising that my body would most likely make rikku a bit nervous she was sharing a room with a man. _

_sorry i thought you were actually frozen you didnt move, i walked over to put the red shirt back on and as i walked back over to rikku she seemed to unfreeze and even have a small smile. _

_"sorry" i said, but she just smiled even more and told me to ' forget about it as long as your comftable with this arrangement im sure i can live with you bolting for the shower half naked every morning ' she laughed and waited for me at the door._

_i straped the gunblade to my side and we exited the room locking it on the way out only to be greeted by all of my friends, they were listeing in i know it, i angrily walked past them with rikku. _

_selphie was buzzing and i mean she was actually shaking she wanted to say hi but oviously someone had said something to stop her, dont worry selphie say what you want, i told her. _

_YAY! right number 1 is im going to say hi im selphie and numbertwo is why did we hear something about squall being half naked and number three is are you a rocker cause you look awesome, she said all of that without even taking in a breath which was kinda astonishing. _

_ok well numbre one is easy selphie, hi i am rikku and im a rocker so you guess right, she giggled as selphie realised she needed to breath in, selphie was red from lack of oxygen now but she began breathing normally again after her spazz attack. _

_so what about numer two you only answeared one and three, selphie pointed with an evil look on her face which was completely directed at rikku. _

_she backed off playfully giggling as selphie chased her all of the way out of the dormitory and god knows where else, so did you all expect that or was it just me, all of them and even seifer started smiling. _

_yh well shoulda seen it coming, irvine nodded to me. _

_yh well yknow i dont expect selphie to be that spazzy i mean did you see her nearly lose her breath and die for moment there i stood there only to have them all laugh at me. _

_squalls jealous over selphie getting along better with rikku, zell shouted in seifers and quisitis's ears only to get a high five from both of them and irvine. _

_whatever!, i said as i continued walking out of the dormitory, zell high five'd seifer who then whispered to irvine something which made him belly laugh. _

_i just thought it be best to leave it as we caught up to a very out of breath selphie and a nonchalant rikku, wow i thought selphie was the most energetic person in the world rikku you havent even broke a sweat, zell stood there in shock and awe. _

_yh well she never caught me and she pulled some really evil tricks that kinda made me laugh, rikku said while standing there looking at the dumfounded look on zell and now irvine's face. _

_aint my fault she is like a cheetah and i am not a good actor selphie giggled and wheezed. _

_well who knows what our first lesson is then, trying to move on to another subject that would be more interesting oviously, we gotta meet at the training centre and be briefed by your dad squall, irvine was smirking after he said this he saw the annoyance plastered onto my features. _

_rikku interjected with, he's nice albeit a bit eccentric at times i met him once he is a funny guy nothing like dark and broody over there. _

_this sent everyone into fits of laughter with me just standing there with the usual cool look on my face and my catchphrase whatever whip which would strike at any moment. _

_yh its amazing they are related to be honest, quistis joked, laguna is the opposite of squall well actually all of his family are. _

_yh i still think the best one was last year at squall 18th where he threw laguna over the cake, everyone apart from rikku laughed at the rememberance of this event even i had a smirk of satisfaction on my face. _

_rikku came and stood by my side and nudged me with her elbow causing me to look at her, why'd ya do that then squall he's awesome. _

_as i looked deeply into her eye's and became entranced i came out with the most stupid remark, cause he's an idiot who showed everyone a picture of me when i was five naked. _

_rikku broke her hold over me by trying her hardest not to laugh but laughed anyway, she was walking off laughing her head of with selphie who was describing the event of my 18th birthday to rikku as if it was a joke. _

_zell at this moment patted me on the back and reassured me in his own little way, man ya aint gonna live this down and you know it yh just move on that picture is even in quistis's room. _

_that remark led to zell being beaten round the head with quisitis's whip repeatedly while he was being called a liar and a horrible person for saying such a thing. _

_ok im me and seifer are gonna leave you two alone for some much need " alone time ", so me and seifer walked off and left zell there to be beaten half to death by quisitis and her whip ( poor guy i thought ). _

_as me and seifer closed in on the training centre we couldn't help but feel sorry for zell but once quisitis got started you didnt want to try and stop her she was like a mad women. _

_do you think it was right to just leave him there again i mean you saved me last time squall, seifer said with a very concerned look on his face. _

_yh but your her boyfriend man not a zell who says the right yet wrong things, i smirked and this reminded seifer that zell had it coming eventually that means it was only squall who had never received a beating from quistis in angry mode._

_yh but i like it you lot dont, seifer laughed manically so i just shrugged my head and kept walking. _

_yh you are a bit of a weirdo remind me to never save you again yh, i remembered at that time what i walked in on thinking she was actually torturing him and she was but wasnt. _

_yknow you would like it to, he smiled. _

_whatever, keep her man if you like getting a beating that much, to which he smiled even more and said: yh i hope i get the same treatment tonight. _

_i pretended not to hear that last comment and entered the training center where i found selphie rikku and irvine all talking to laguna who was running the class today. _

_i wondered where irvine was he just dissapears all the time damn cowboy, i whispered to seifer._

_yh i know no wonder he is a top marksman you never know he's there unless selphie is around, you think the cowboy hat would draw attention to him seifer stated. _

_he is just a good shot thats all, as i said that laguna stood there silent as he saw me which made me tense up since i knew he was about to put me through my paces today. _

_squall get over here i was just hearing about your escapades this morning i told you to look after her not scare the poor girl son, laguna smiled looking over at rikku. _

_i dont need looking after sir you know that after i threw you off that airship for you giving my dad idea's again, he shrugged and retorted with, well he is a good friend i cant help it. _

_wow i thought i never knew he was thrown off an airship damn idiot probably had mum worried again, i walked over to him and slapped the back of his head. _

_owwww! why'd ya do that son, and i told him because you a bloody idiot now what are we doing today i wanna get this class over and done with. _

_wait there damn your impatient son, yh but im hard working you lazy git, me and dad would end up arguing for a week if i didnt end it here but he beat me to it this time. _

_yh your right son, all you all gotta do is destroy 5 monster's everyday for the next week ok, easy for you lot i guess, he laughed and walked off with a maniacle smile. _

_what did he say to you all then, i asked. _

_nothing much just asked how it was living with you then i told him about this morning and then you made him leave, rikku smiled even though i now had my head in my hands. _

_oh well i said as i got my head out of my hands, atleast you made me laugh with chucking the old bastard off of an airship. _

_yh well shouldnt give my dad idea's then should he really, rikku grinned and walked of into the tall iron gates of the training centre. _

_damn she is as violent as me when it comes to laguna the question is was the airship in flight, irvine and seifer looked at eachother with an awkward look then shrugged it off and followed rikku into the training centre with myself close behind them. _

_ahh nevermind i'll ask her later i guess, as i walked into the training centre there were hundreds of students including my friends and rikku trying to kill monsters left right and centre. _

_rikku already beheaded 2 dragonlings and was closing in on her third, at that moment she was ambushed by two t-rexaurs and 3 flans. _

_i ran as fast as i could while unsheathing my gunblade, unloading three bullets on the flans killing them stone dead and then i focused my attetion on unloading bullets on the t-rexaurs. _

_the bullets although .44 magnum were barely penetrating the skin so i ran up ones tail and as i got to the creatures neck i backflipped off while decapitating the t-rexaur landing safely after to lay my sights on the last one. _

_i landed safely to see rikku unsheath two daggers in her leather gloved hands and run between the creatures legs slick both ankles bringing the t-rexaur to the ground face first screeching in pain. _

_he was writhing in pain and growling maniacally until rikku walked over to the creature neck and sliced its throat letting all the blood flow out of its neck silencing the beast. _

_so you got four squall and me three cmon you know you wont beat me, rikku playfully joked as she ran towards me in a cute way with her hands behind her back. _

_we were now face to face now and i knew i had one bullet left and then out of the peripheral of my eyes i saw a wendigo, so i raised my gunblade and let the last round escape only to be placed directly in between the eye's of the wendigo who then dropped dead. _

_c'mon that just isnt fair and you know it squall, she playfully punched me in the arm as i sheathed my gunblade, only to see her opportunity arise in the form of two sparrowhawks. _

_she ran over to them 20 yards away and sliced there neck leaving them to drop to the ground dead, damn she had a thing for slicing throats glad she doesnt know where i keep my silver cutthroat razor, i mumbled to myself. _

_she ran back over happily and said, cmon then lets get going squall we both got five today you know im gonna win tommorow right, i listened to her and then just said whatever. _

_cmon you know it you just got lucky yh, rikku ran off to the training center exit signalling for me to follow so i followed her passing my friends on the way. _

_i tripped seifer on the way out as payback for the dirty comment about him and quisitis but was gone before he even noticed it was me, as i reached rikku and exited the training center i had to wonder where the hell were we going. _

_but i just followed her aimlessly until we got to the gardens just outside the dorms, i sat on a bench with her and we just sat there in silence i had no idea why she brought me here but im sure it was just to relax after killing all those monsters. _

_rikku was the first to break the silence, so do you want to know anything about me you must have questions squall your dad said you wouldnt really care though even if i was this asked you, she smiled and leant back against the bench looking at me anxiously awaiting an answear. _

_its not that i dont care i just think i would end up finding out anyway so why ask the questions unless i have to really know, i told her as i leant back against the bench as well. _

_ok well i assume in the 3 years we are going to be enrolled here squall that we might as well be friends, it saves us being recluse room mates really she said. _

_well selphie has taken a liking to you anyway and the rest of them will end up liking you anyway, i told her. _

_im not asking to be there friends squall im asking to be your friend i mean cmon you dad is making me share a room with you and my dad agree's and that is really weird, she giggled. _

_well yh but i guess its easier if your not a job from laguna, i laughed remembering the letter he really was a task master when he wanted. _

_exactly and i will take that as a yes mister, she pointed at me then gave me a thumbs up, i knew she was definately strange i just hadnt realised how strange yet. _

_fine you win but dont expect me to be nice every second of the day cause im just not like that yknow, she nodded and accepted the fact that i wasnt as caring as everyone else ' strange' i thought. _

_ok but you gotta get used to me then ok ' deal' squall, i nodded back like she did as if to say yes. _

_ok then were friends now, what do friends do then im confused, i shrugged my arms at rikku's question, how was i supposed to know how friends act i normally try my hardest not to pay attention to mine. _

_i dunno ask my friends they should know, i told her. _

_yh but im asking you not them, its ok if you dont know squall, rikku edged closer as i had my head in my hands again it was becoming a habit of mine when i was thinking. _

_are you ok squall? rikku asked, i quickly turned my head and said yes trying to make sure she didnt think low of me but from the smile and the way her eye's were glistening i could tell she didnt have that kind of judgement inside her. _

_rikku can i ask you a question i asked her, yes of course you can what is it she said. _

_i sat up straight and turned to look at her again but i couldn't stop focusing on her eye's they were of a beautiful emerald green and they were glistening in the sun, nothing in this garden could even compare to the beauty of those eye's. _

_no statues, no flower and none of the architecture in balamb could even rival her eye's and the way they caught the light. _

_its your eye's rikku why are they so beautiful im confused, there not like mine yours have cute little swirls in them and i dont mean to pry but they keep fascinating me. _

_rikku began to blush and look away for a long time but when she calmed down after a minute or two she turned her face back to mine and answeared me with, its because im al bhed. _

_we have different eye's to the rest of the people in spira and we are judged for that and alot of other things, thats why your father gets along with mine so well we were the first people to trust laguna and he hasnt failed us yknow. _

_oh so the people of spira arent very fond of the al bhed then i stated, she just nodded and smiled at me as if there was nothing wrong with the fact people from her own world were prejudice to her race. _

_its kinda sick aint it rikku? i asked her_

_what is ? she asked me with a a confused look on her face. _

_how your own people could be that prejudice to such a beautiful difference i think it must be jealousy i know for a fact any women would be jealous of those eye's. _

_i had made her blush again without thinking and at that moment all of them came round the corner and spotted me and rikku, zell seifer qusitis irvine and selphie. _

_before they came over rikku noticed them and stopped blushing before they noticed but she was still a bit red faced when they got over to us. _

_selphie squatted in front of rikku and poked her in the face to check if she was ok and her diagnosis was, squall has embarassed her or made her angry, irvine get him ! she shouted with an evil look in her eye's. _

_no way in hell you get him last time i tried to even hold him back he threw me in the see and i dont fancy that again so i bid you farwell my lady, irvine tipped his cowboy hat and started running into the dormitories followed by a very angry selphie hitting him. _

_well that was strange i thought, but you could tell they all thought the same becuase we all had a very confused look on our faces whenever selphie did stuff like that. _

_so what did you do then squall rikku's all red faced zell asked me looking over at me and rikku, zell did look beaten you think he would learn to shut his mouth espeacially since he was already standing there with bruises all over and a black eye from quisitis. _

_nothing! we both said in unison much to the disbeleif of seifer and quistis are most perverted friend who were now standing there with huge grins on there face staring at us they looked like hungry cannibals. _

_yh squall probably did something but its very unlike him hmmm... i wonder what our own lone wolf could of done or said to make little rikku blush seifer joked. _

_hey i aint little how about i beat you up again and we'll see how little i am eh! seifer back off a bit remembering what happened last time. _

_wait you said you and zell were play fighting quisitis laughed, oh my god you got your asses handed to you by a girl and both of you. _

_nahh it werent like that seifer yelled but i stated that i had to stop rikku and it just made quisitis laugh even more louder than before to the point where she was almost crawling on the floor with laughter. _

_god am i that dominating that you cant even protect yourself against any women, quistis joking said but of course seifer took it to heart and stormed of to his room followed by a very tearful eye'd quisitis ( she was laughing to much ). _

_wow i dodged a beating zell laughed sweet!, hey squall wanna play the ps3 for a while there is nothing else to do yknow, he smiled eagerly awaiting my answear. _

_ok but only cause you got beat up by quisitis ok, he jumped in the air shouting wooo hooo! ! ! !._

_ok then come on rikku you coming as well i asked, but she shook her head signafying a no and when i asked why she just said, because i want to be alone for a while with my thoughts._

_ok i said as me and zell left to go play the ps3, i was wondering why she wanted to be alone but i guess it was her choice in the end cause i was about to kick zells ass on DC universe online and he knew it. _

_me and zell spent 3 hours in my room playing DC universe online after he spent 30 minutes setting his ps3 and t.v up in my room, it was now 12.35 and rikku still wasnt back yet i was begining to worry but then again why would i need to she can handle herself. _

_zell left about 1 and took all of his things with him like the t.v and ps3 cause he was getting hungry and he wanted to go train for the rest of the day, saying i will be the strongest in the world one day man ! yhhhh!. _

_god he was an idiot at times i thought to myself before i turned of everything in the room and went to go get something to eat, laguna would probably have new furniture in there by the time i get back anyway the man was sneaky as hell. _

_i locked the door and walked out of the dorms walking faster and faster as i thought of the food i could be eating right now if i wasnt so slow, i was close to drooling by the time i got out of the glass doors and into the corridor connecting the dorns to the main building. _

_rikku was still sitting down on the bench taking in the suns rays while talking to selphie and quisitis, i continued walking and i swear i heard my name mentioned a few times before i had a very happy rikku and selphie jump on my back. _

_ok, why you two jumping on me i asked rikku and selphie, they looked at eachother while gripping onto my back for more support and selphie was the first to answear. _

_cause were hungry you gotta take us two lovely ladies to dinner now broody man and rikku just smiled and said you dont have to if you dont want to squall. _

_hey rikku dont say that he wont take us now you see what you did, i smiled at there little argument selphie oviously dragged a reluctant rikku into this, it was kinda funny. _

_no i replied i will only take rikku she didnt try to force me into it, i smiled and let selphie get down off me still carrying rikku on my back towards the main building and the amazing heaven sent cafeteria food. _

_selphie followed shouting how unfair it was that i would only treat rikku to dinner but its all free her and she knows it what a strange girl i thought, dont worry squall its fine if you dont want to eat with me i can go, rikku whispered gently in my ear. _

_i could feel the warmth of her breath caress the back of my neck and send a warm tingle through my entire body, its ok i whispered back, i dont mind if we eat together. _

_rikku was still on my back and i carried her legs in my arms and she cradled her arm across my neck, quisitis was about to say something until she saw rikku whispering in my ear and me whisper back. _

_quisitis watched us talking until we were halfway to the cafeteria and even selphie had began watching us since we were in our own little bubble me and rikku didnt notice this. _

_so what have you got planned for the rest of the day then squall, rikku whispered sweetly in my ear, i continued carrying her since we were halfway there and i was enjoying this for some reason. _

_nothing gonna grab something to eat with you and then wait for laguna to put in new furniture like he said he would but knowing him he will have it done by the time we finished eating, i laughed. _

_wow he is sneaky aint he rikku giggled in my ear, god you dont know nothing yet he is a mad man when you get him started never speak about the galbadian esthar war he was in it and he never shuts up bout it. _

_i can use that as a ice breaker one day yknow, she smiled, yh maybe you could i replied to her in a low tone. _

_rikku's head now rested on my back and her eye's were closed i noticed once i turned my head quisitis and selphie were looking at us strangely espeacially quisitis it was as if she was angry at me for some reason. _

_what are you two looking at i said loudly accidently nudging rikku making her eye's open, we were nearly at the cafeteria and there werent many people around but selphie shoulted out another strange comment. _

_" you two make such a cute couple ", selphie was now jumping up and down saying one hundred word per second and i swear i heard, i never thought anyone would tame squallie, its a miracle lordi its a miraclee!. _

_god she could over react for no reason, hey selphie shut up nothings going on, to which she retorted oh yh then why you whispering to her and smiling at her and carrying her everywhere. _

_thats not like you squall quisitis interjected, rikku got off my back and we stopped dead outside the cafeteria, her remark was well placed and true but i dismissed it due to the fact i didnt think i did anything wrong and they were shouting at me. _

_im sorry rikku said i didnt want to make squall look like that, i grabbed rikku's hands and told her everything was ok, quisitis and sephie were just acting weird. _

_the two girls shrugged there heads and carried on into the cafeteria, we'll be waiting for you unless you want some time alone selphie said with a sticky out tongue face and a wink._

_rikku apologised again but also started walking into the cafeteria with me still holding her by the hand, i stopped rikku dead and she bumped into me nearly knocking me off my balance but i smiled and got my composure back. _

_rikku was now against my chest and i could feel both our hearts thumping in unison together, dont worry i said they will stop it soon im sure they know were friends now. _

_yh i told them before you appeared we were having a chat and i was getting to know them both but they said that you act weird around me and that your usually a lone wolf, she said with a serious tone. _

_yh there right but i have off days when im nice yknow you might see the lone wolf come back again, how about you dont listen to what they say and you try and figure me out by being around me ok._

_ok you got it squall but is it ok if we start stopping them talking about us like they do its winding me up yknow, rikku sighed wearing a sad look on her face. _

_of course but no weapons involved last time that happend we had to get zells finger stitched back on, i smiled and walked into the cafeteria holding hands with rikku almost dragging her in. _

_ok so all we gotta do is skillfully hack at any conversation concerning us or completely ignore what they say, she giggled. _

_whatever i smiled this was going to be fun with rikku around but she did keep asking about explosives which i kept having to tell her no about. _

_yh im using that when your not around she joked, she was getting in line before me so i stood behind her and let go of her soft delicate hand._

_the line moved rather quickly thank god for girls on diets not that rikku was one she ordered a large portion of spaghetti bolognese with 2 large mountain dews then waited for me to order so i just had the same. _

_we both joined quisitis and selphie at the table and began eating, selphie was asking quisitis what she thought of the school so far and she told her she loved the place and the enviroment. _

_everyone is so well behaved and nowone breaks the rules and oh my god the architecture is beautiful, even our rooms are perfect i mean laguna was really nice to us we even have an entire corridor to oursleves._

_quisitis was so happy she was close to all her friends and espeacially seifer but from what i heard they slept in her room anyway so why couldnt laguna just give them a double. _

_mind you if they had a fight they could both have there space which was always needed when those two have an argument the strange thing is you cant tell if they're being kinky or having an argument its actually quite scary at times. _

_i knew sitting here having another dinner with rikku was begining to make people like quisitis and selphie talk but laguna did ask me to and i kinda wanted to she was a nice person and for once a person with depth and real emotions that im sure she hid away from the rest of the world. _

_i guess you could say i liked my new friend and i made this friendship on my own, not because of circumstances at the age of 8 in an orphanage. _

_i knew my time here would go quick with rikku by my side but i couldnt help but wonder why she wore those beautiful silk scarlet ribbons around her arm and when she yawned across her chest as well, she was quite an intriguing person i cant wait for this week to be over then we learn magic. _


End file.

Final Fantasy VIII, Final Fantasy X, Drama, Romance