Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Final Fantasy 8 Continues ❯ Dark Blade ( Chapter 3 )

Chapter 3

Dark Blade

The ocean breeze blew calmly over the shores of Balamb. Dark Blade Almasy sat watching the sunrise from his window at the Garden. I was so close to being a SeeD but he failed. What the hell am I suppose to do now? Now I'm gonna have to wait until I turn seventeen to pass the next exam. Dad is going to pound me to smithereens! Blade slipped back into bed only to hear knocking on his door.

"Who is it? I'm sleeping." He said out loud.

"You're not sleeping! If you were you would have not answered me." A voice said. "Anyway did you forget that we have vacation!? I gotta get home to Balamb. My mom is gonna be so happy! I finally passed my exam!"

"Shut up Dylan. You passed on you fifth try so why celebrate?" Blade groaned.

"Oh come on man at least I tried. Plus there will be other tests for you to pass." Dylan said. Blade groaned again. Dylan was lucky to have passed! His father was Garden's best trainer in combat and his mother, the niece of Esther's president. Dylan scratched his ash blonde hair back and sat in a chair.

"Cheer up all right, your old man isn't gonna do a thing. Maybe a lecture or two, but nothing more. C'mon, I bet you the girls will be happy to see you." Dylan sneered and ducked when Blade threw a pillow at him. "Get up sleepy head."

"I'm coming, I'll meet you in a few." Blade replied. Dylan left and Blade got out of bed. Damn kid…might as well face dad and get it over with.

A few minutes later, Blade stepped out of his room and swung his bag over his shoulder. Few minutes later he met Dylan and Troy at Garden's entrance.

"Hey man what kept you?" Troy asked. Troy too had passed the test but barely. Troy was sixteen a year older then Dylan. Troy was one of those tough guys who could do anything, yet Blade was the leader of the pack. Troy's weapon was guns and Dylan's? Who knew! He could just call upon great magic's. His mother was strange too, but that was why the evil sorceress wanted her.

"Nothing kept me, I just took my time." He answered.

"Hey don't look now, here comes Robune and his cronies." Dylan muttered. Blade and Troy looked at Robune walking down the steps like he was a king or something.

"Well look here everyone! Isn't it Blade who failed the exam?" Robune asked. His buddies started to laugh but blade held his ground.

"I also heard that you didn't pass either." Dylan said. Troy shushed Dylan and stepped up toward Dylan just in case Robune wanted to assault him. Robune stood frozen in place, anger building in his face.

"Who told you that kid?" he inquired.

"Everyone knows about it." Blade said in a neutral tone, "I guess you're a screw up. Except the difference between you and me is that you're a natural in failing." Troy began to chuckle, while Robune and his group left furiously.

"I guess he couldn't take a joke." Blade assumed as he watched them leave. "Oh and Dylan, don't pull a stunt like that again. He would have pound you into the earth. We were outnumbered there."

"Sorry man, I just couldn't help it." Dylan replied.

"It's all right. Let's go." Troy said. Their journey home was quick. When the trio arrived, they split off. Blade walked all the way home to the Balamb hotel. His father, Seifer, owned it and before he was born he rebuilt it from an average hotel into a inn and pub. Though it was his mother's idea to buy the hotel. His mother Fujin died when he was born. He never knew how she looked like but his father had pictures. He missed her a lot, but it didn't stop him from living. He arrived at the lodge to see several people enter the inn. I guess dad is having a great time handling the business. Might as well go face my doom. Blade walked in and saw his father behind the bar table serving a couple their drinks.

Seifer looked up to see his son enter the inn and was very pleased to see it. He looks happy, he probably passed the test, but hey if he did then he's better then I ever was.

"Dra'kan! Son, your home early! Everyone, this is my son." Seifer announced. People smiled and said hi as Blade passed by.

My god, he just had to do that. It's not like him to go announcing things. Blade sat down in one of the stools as his father finished giving the bill to a few people. Seifer walked around the bar table and sat down next to Blade.

"So?" he asked.

"I failed." Blade muttered. Seifer looked away and stared at the wall. Blade felt like such a sore looser, until he heard his father chuckling.

"What's so funny?" blade demanded angrily. His father should be pissed off at him and not laughing!

"I'll tell you what's funny, I was your age when I failed the exam and not twice but three times. Then I got in trouble and got kicked out. Though that's another story." Seifer explained.

"Are you telling me that you failed too when you were my age? Are those words coming out of my father?" Blade teased. Seifer began to laugh, "Yup and get used to it, but don't get your heart trapped in one little failure. You are only sixteen and there is always next year."

"I promise you dad, I won't fail this time." Blade guaranteed. Seifer got up and walked across the pub to the case, which held his father's weaponry. Seifer unlocked it and took out his gun blade. He walked over and placed it in Blade's hands.

"Now you won't fail, not without this." Seifer said.

"Dad…I can't it's yours."

"Not any more it isn't, she's yours Dra'kan." Blade stared at the silver edge; it gleamed aqua and he smiled, finally a weapon of his own. Blade ran out of the pub with it raised in his hands. Then Blade stopped and walked back in.

"Dad, I'm not Dra'kan, my name has always been Blade." Blade said.

Seifer turned around and laughed out loud, " You'll always be Dra'kan to me no matter how many times you change your name." Blade rolled his eyes and hooked his sword at his side. He had to tell Troy and Dylan about this! He ran out and was stopped by Vila. Vila was his age and had a major crush on him since he was little. She was petite and her scarlet hair was tied in the back, revealing her ivory face and azure eyes.

"Hey Blade, what are you up to now?" she implored.

"None of your business."

"I said, where are you going?" she said with more force behind her words.

"Um…away from you." He blurted out.

"Oh, don't be such an ass. Anyway, there's this party coming up at the Garden and I know you trainers are looking for dates. Well, even though I'm not a cadet, I have spared you the trouble of looking for one. Me."

Blade groaned, god damn it… "Listen Vila, I'm not going to any party all right. It's too formal for me and so are you!" he yelled. He walked passed her and hurried to the weapon's shop. She'll never give up will she? Plus the dance isn't until another month! Women!

Blade arrived to see Dylan already working on one of the gloves his father invented. Dylan's father, Zell, bought the shop and traveled around the world to collect rare items. Now he hardly ever had time for that; training young people in combat skills was his life.

"Hello Blade, how's your father?" Zell asked. He sat behind the counter, polishing some daggers.

"He's all right."

"Did your father get mad when you told him?" Dylan asked. Zell was already smiling.

"No, he began to laugh and said that I was like him when he was my age. Then he gave me his gun blade! Isn't she beautiful?" he exclaimed. Zell examined the weapon and smiled at the glinting edge.

"Not bad. She may be old, but she is strong."

"Thanks." Blade replied. His smile beamed with pride at Zell's admiring comment.

"Oh another thing Blade, there's a new magazine that just came in. It's over there on the shelf if you want to look through it." Zell went back to working on those daggers. Blade walked over to the shelf and Dylan joined him. There were several kinds of weapons and many of them seemed appealing to Blade. Though only one caught his eye. The specialized gun blade saber called the Draken. (Dray-ken) It seemed to go along with his name Dra'kan, but he liked the design on the saber. The saber was silver and gray entwined with a dragon design. The dragon's jaws were opened and to it the blade came out. It looked like the dragon Tiamalt and every second he looked at it he desired it even more. It cost twenty thousand gil, not to mention some rare items he never heard of before.

"Oh I see you caught your eye on that one." Dylan noticed.

"Yeah it's beautiful and it costs so much. Whoever heard of an item called Water dragon's mane ?" Blade asked.

"I have heard of it and it is very hard to get. Many have died to obtain such a rare metal." Dylan's father spoke out.

"It's a metal?"

"Of course, I'm an expert on these things." Zell chuckled. "No go do something else besides staying in this muggy old shop. You're scaring the customers off."

Dylan made a retort and they both left. Once outside they decided to go check out the cars, which Troy said he had designed and built. Blade stopped Dylan short and they were both still. Blade heard a noise…so eerie that no other could have ignored it. Then Troy came running.

"We're being attacked!" he shouted, gasping for breath. He noticed the weapon at Blade's side and his face questioned him.

"This here girl is mine, dad gave her to me. Let's go see what the hell is going on." He demanded smiling. "Maybe I can test her out!"

The winds began to pick up speed and the clouds grew dark, heavy with rain. The trio ran put of town and saw a sea creature a few yards from shore. It was as black as the churning depths of the ocean. It was similar to the guardian force Leviathan but much uglier. It had large bone crushing jaws and it spit ice out of its throat. It had no legs at all resembling only a sea snake. The creature's eyes sparkled with emerald and it swerved toward them.

"Oh fuck!" Dylan muttered. "Its…"

"Huge and…" Troy added.

"…And coming this way! Steady yourselves! We're going to fight this one!" Blade commanded.

"You're joking…" Troy muttered.

"Nope."

"Shit and I didn't get to tell my mom goodbye." Dylan muttered as he quickly shoved his gloves called Galactic, on.

"Shut your whining." Troy ordered. Blade looked at Troy and Dylan and nodded; both of them wore large grins on their faces. The serpent slithered ashore and coiled itself in front of the group. "Prepare to die you pathetic humans! In the name of the Empress, meet your doom."

"It talks…" Dylan's jaw dropped.

"Everyone! Protect and shell!" Blade shouted. Dylan casted shell and protect over everyone and gave Troy and Blade time to equip themselves. Blade nodded his thanks and threw a fire attack on the serpent.

"Firaga!"

It was Troy's turn, "Tornado!" They all had double cast on them and Dylan waited for his turn. The attacks seemed to lessen as each attack hit their enemy. The snake started to hiss happily and it rose above them.

"Now fear my wrath, for you shall die easily! Tidal Storm!" it commanded. The sea from behind the snake rose to at least twenty-four feet and crashed into Blade and his comrades. Their Hp diminished to less then 100. Blade was badly hurt then Troy or either Dylan. The snake attacked on troy unexpectedly and he died. Dylan quickly cast Life on Troy and Troy once again stood his ground. Now it was Blade's turn. He was too weak and his gun blade clicked.

"What the..?"

"Use your limit break!" Dylan shouted.

"Limit break?" he asked. Suddenly information was thrown into his mind and he knew what it was called.

"No Mercy!" he roared out. His weapon began to shimmer and he felt unlimited energy storm through him. "Oh yeah baby!" Blade yelled. He ran at the creature and swung his attack on the monsters chest. It screamed and fell to the sand. It was alive, yet weak.

"Finish him off son!" a voice yelled out to blade. He turned around to see Seifer not far behind. Blade smiled and attacked the monster. It's shriek died out in his own blood, which seeped out of the serpent's gullet. Troy, Dylan, and Blade hugged each other and cheers could be heard from the town. Blade turned to see his father smiling at him. That son of a gun knew that this would happen sooner or later. Blade put his thoughts away and walked back into town after Dylan searched the dead serpent.

"Hey look what I found!" Dylan held a crystal in the palm of his hand. Each sharp and jagged edge gleamed red, yet It was clear as daylight.

"Keep it, maybe you'll use it someday." Troy said.

That night the group had a celebration and the women went wild! Blade was having so much fun that he didn't even mind seeing Vila all over him that night. Oh it's great to be a hero…

"Hey Blade, We have to head back to garden in a week so let's enjoy this while we can." Troy whispered. Dylan groaned, "Did you have to remind me!" They all laughed. Blade was learning his skills slowly. Zell gave up on him a lot when he was training in class. He would be throwing pranks at everyone or doing outrageous and even dangerous stunts. Hellfires! Who gives a damn.

"Dark Blade c'mon! Let's go dance." Vila shouted over the noise. She grabbed his hand and pulled him up towards the crowd of people already dancing their feet away. Oh boy, I should have died back there…he thought.