Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Uprising: The Beast Wars ❯ Sometimes I get away ( Chapter 6 )

The Winhill couple walk along the unpaved road at a lesiurely pace; clouds have filled the sky from the east, and they're blocking out the sun's harsher conditions leaving the weather on the pleasently warm side.

Hand on Squall's shoulder, he gives him a shove to the right over to where a shop is located. "We should get some worms or shrimp flecks." The sniper explains when they're under the awning of the fishing shop.

The owner is sitting outside, watching the pair enter his store. He'd of gotten up, but he's decided to let his visiting nephew tend to the customer. The pair are nearly regulars when they come over to stay for a while, so he knows they won't give the newbie grief if he's a little 'wet behind the ears'. So, that settled, he pulls out his pipe to take a smoke.

"Sounds like Fisherman's is in the middle of a nasty storm." The ashy blond youngman says when turning off the FM radio's news station, that his Uncle had left on.

Spinning the knob around, he decides on any one playing music at the moment to be perfect. He let out a cheer when L.I.O.N's newest song: Diggin' blasted from the speakers. The group's unabreviated name is 'Let It Out Now' and they're an R&B/Rock group that's really shocking parents into thinking something is wrong with their children. Small wonder when they begin banging head hard enough to crack their skull open over whatever surface they're nearest to.

Frankly, the couple like their music, other adults would too if they'd really listen to the lyrics and stop assuming the guitar in any shape or form is Devil worship.

"So boss!" The teen rocks out neverminding the two walking around the store for fish food.

The wind blew hard through the sky, bringing with it pounding on the little town's houses and shops. Splatters of rain can be heard snapping off like when you light a fire cracker and the fuse is moving up the whick in a spatter of taps and sizzling sounds against the tin roof. Just as quickly as it blew in, the rain had left. It must have been a stray cloud from Fisherman's Horizan.

"Whatever you wanna dooooooo!" The youngman sang with enthusiasm.

"I wanna buy some fooood." Irvine sang back when dropping their purchase on the counter top.

Blushing, the boy laughed. "Sorry about that..."

Ringing the purchases up, he doesn't have to tell them the price because they've already got the precise amount held out to him. The temporary-clerk can only assume they've been in a few times before.

"And here you go." They hand him the bag. "Hey you're up there, right?" The teen asks.

"I plead the fifth on that question, but shoot." Irvine replied.

"This band rocks- don't you think so?"

"Oh yeah, our son listens to them. We listen to them... they're good."

"THANK YOU! Tell that to my old-timmer Uncle, he'll pitch a fit then turn on the news." He sneers at the fourty six year old man in mock detest; he's got his back to them, standing off of the porch while he looks up at the clear sunny sky, so he wouldn't have seen him anyway.

Looking back at the young man Irvine shrugs. "You gotta know when, what, and how loudly to play something... eventually they'll take to it."

The teen nods as though he'd really gotten some good wisdom from those words.

"Have a nice day!" He says to the couples retreating back.

Mounting Renz and Ammo, the two are walked to lake Maite where their wooden dinghy is tied to the pier waiting for its owner. When they're not in town the boat remains in the garage of their home, when in town its brought down to the lake the day before they intend to use it; its light blue cover is left over it and, like a puppy at the door with a leash in its mouth, it wait for them to come down to the lake to use it.

"Big crowd." Squall says sarcastically when spotting four other boats out on the water. "Looks like you'll have to wait on that penality, Wolf."

"Eehhh, maybe not." And he can't help but smirk at one of the many private names the two use with each other, 'Farmboy' being the second.

Irvine had said he's a lone-wolf because of his job description, and in all counts he meant it. But he's really one at heart as well, like he was made to be the adult he is now; watching and waiting in quiet to shoot or to speak. He's got iron-will and true grit.

Squall's taken to calling him Wolf, because Lone just doesn't fit as well since Irvine enjoys the company of others- but- he's got those times when he'll quiet-up and wander about by himself or just around the group not saying anything. So Wolf fit better.

Irvine calls Squall the obvious of his lover's joys, which is Lion. And knowing how much it was true on Squall, he took to calling him the other half of his given petname: Lone. And when referring to their tiny family, they'll use Pride- even if he and Kait are considered a wolf and a bird. The sweetness and thought put into it is enough to make you sick, which is why it stays strickly between them. But, their friends are 'the orphanage gang' when they're spoken about as a whole.

Observing the lakes dynamics, he continues saying. "I mean, two to one says three are asleep, and the fourth is deaf."

Cocking his head, Squall holds out a hand. "I'll take those odds."

Shaking it, Irvine replies. "Let's do it then."

Squall climbed in first, stowing away the items that are being handed to him: the rods, their basket of food, the oars brought with them from home. Its kind of like keeping your car keys from your car- not that they don't trust their neighbors, but young Tony at the counter just proved that the young are prowling around as well. Its just a boat, but still, better to have it intact for when they want to use it, instead of knowing its broken because some happy-go-lucky thieves took it for a joy ride down a hill.

Giving the boat a shove out, Irvine steps easily into it and takes up a place on the wooden bench seat beside Squall, grabbing the oar on his side to help with the rowing.

"Wanna play 'other lovers'?" Irvine asks once they're out in the center of the lake.

"Why would I wanna do that?"

With a shrug, the sniper baits his hooks with a wriggling worm. "Just for the Hell of it."

"What kind of couple?"

"Umm, one that's just bickered about something, and are just about to reap some good make-up sex."

"Assuming we can have good, mock, make-up sex on a boat with other people around."

"Mhm."

Squall seemed to be thinking that over. 'I can't believe I'm doing this.' Clearing his throat, he begins to speak but is cut off by Irvine.

"Just because I appreciate someone's kindness it isn't a sign of my loving them."

"Oddly pointed comment... are you saying that you think I'm thinking that?"

"You've done it."

"No I haven't."

"Have."

"No... I haven't."

"Think about it."

He hates when Irvine says that. As if he's THAT dense... Wouldn't he know his own feelings about certain things?

"We're just being the other lovers..." Irvine says when it's quiet for too long.

"I know... still sucks to hear you say it, though." Replied Squall. He isn't down about it, just thoughtful. "And anyway, don't behave like others aren't going to see it that way."

"I'm not that stupid, I know when to draw back."

"And that's the problem, they should know from the start that you're not serious- you play too hard."

With a side-long glance, Irvine chides. "Kind of like you are now?"

The two glare at each other as if a bomb is about to go off, but the fuse is snipped free when Irvine begins to laugh. "Damn, we're good at this."

Smirking, Squall pats his lover on the shoulder. "Put the rod over here."

He removes the oars and rests them across the front tip of the boat, and in their places go the fishing poles. Once he's sure they're secured, Squall scoots closer to Irvine to allow the male better access to him.

The wolf is glad for the initiative, and he moves his hands up beneath Squall's t-shirt around at the back to massage the thick and tense muscles just beneath his shoulderblades; gunblades and gun posture can be harsh on the body this way.

Squall leans forward to rest his forehead against his lover's chest. He's breathing deeply from the comfort brought on by the strong touches, and he hums his enjoyment when Irvine's gentle scent blows into his sense of smell whenever the wind cruises by. Its like a mixture of the cleaning oil he uses on his guns, White Musk body spray, and the soap from his shower. They blend together so nicely, dulled by the heat and time spent out in the day's earthly aromas. The sniper once told him that he smells nice, that it was natural but perfumed because of his lotion.

Irvine's hands knead into the thick muscles forward and down, back and up then his fingers drummed up and down his spinal column before the tips dig in and are moved around the the gunblader's sides. Figuring Squall's hand on his thigh was a silent request, Irvine changes positions on the bench so that he's straddling it. But instead of having his Lion climb onto his lap, Irvine is instead shoved over to the right, where he rolls over onto his back; chuckling, the sharpshooter tries to fix his legs so that they're either both over or under the wooden bench but his movements are stopped by Squall's grip on his legs upper and lower thighs.

"Hey, hey, hey... it was only a game, remember?" Irvine reminds the male, when seeing the compremising position he's in with his manhood and the edge of the wooden seat should Squall tug him forward into it.

"Relax, I'm not gonna do that..." Squall says, but thinks. 'Although I've got every reason to.' His unbuckling Irvine's jeans is disrupted by his lover kicking him on the side of the head with his elevated foot.

"None of that, now." He comments to Squall's loaded silence.

"Whatever."

Done unfastening the button and zipper, he tugs the jean shorts down Irvine's hips and thighs until they can go any lower; dipping his head down, he licks over the male's sacks like a ghost were doing it, blowing at the moist heat he'd left behind to cool the trail. Irvine's whimper sounded more like a pleading sob inwhich the comply was taking one into his mouth for some playful rolling and tugging.

Irvine's thigh tensed beneath Squall's grasp, and his hips buck up and down from the body of the boat pleading the Lion for more; they're supposed to be discrete, but it's hard to not move when you've got shivers running up and down your spine like its a race to his twitching member put on repeat. He slapped a hand to his moaning mouth to keep the activity between them, and kept his dark blue gaze to the sky because he wants to see the view he's floating in... the lovely ocean blue sky with its bright sunny glare, not enough to need sunglasses but sunny.

The four other people are out there fishing with concentrated bliss, so they don't notice the pair's disappearance beyond the walls of the "Pal-style" fishing boat, or the busy movements whenever Irvine's bent resting leg wags up into the air like a doctor is doing a nerve test on him.

Its almost too perfect for this sort of thing's privacy. The wooden walls are high, the boat's width is wide, and the seat is a good distance apart from the front to the back of the boat for someone to slip down inbetween the spaces comfortably, if their legs are bent in.

Squall's now moving his tongue languidly, playfully, and ticklishly around the head of the sharpshooter's pistol, along with a small portion of Irvine's shaft, while his right hand has got a vice grip around the rest to tug roughly at the base and the rest of the exposed length.

Hyne, it feels good. Squall can really simulate what its like being inside of him, every moist temperature, every tightening grip set to match as if it were being done when the tip of his appendage finds just the right angle to touch inside of his lover's body. Irvine's really trying his best to keep it down, but its hard. Even if their elderly friends would understand, Squall has his pride after all; but the way Irvine's body is arching and thumping against the boat, he may as well just let the verbal explosives fly.

The sharpshooter's strong fingers found their way into the male's soft hair, combing through its mass and caressing the edging with his thumb. The hand Squall has planted on Irvine's rear-end gave it a squeeze when his Wolf's thumb brushed the lobe of his pierced ear, that just happens to be wearing the one from their wedding set: a sterling silver wing.

The little tugs and touches alternating from pinching the lobe of his ear, to rocking the earring up and down are sending his body over the edge with shock waves that are rolling around like ants getting at a meal that's landed on the colony. Said meal would be his erection that's been freed to stand tall and proud out of his jeans but its hidden up beneath his tank-shirt causing a great deal of leakage to gather in it like a puddle.

He'll just have to deal with the mess later. Its not like he couldn't just take his sullied shirt off on the walk home- in this heat wave- no one would look twice at him, since half the male population of this town is doing the same. But, speaking of gatherings...

He unclamps his grasp on the sniper's lower cheek to stuff his index and middle finger into his mouth right up along with Irvine's package. The cry the sniper made probably scared the fish away. There was just no ability to concentrate on muffling sounds when the two fingers are currently rubbing slickly up and down against the underside of his engulfed length, while they're getting coated in the semen and saliva gathered Squall's mouth.

"Ssshhh." Squall warned when his mouth and head come free from between Irvine's thighs, in order for him to look around.

Their boat's been lazily bobbing up and down on the water, and thankfully no one has noticed them; odds are they weren't going to heard anyway, these men are all 65 and up. Hearing-aids, and lack of interest are likely on their sides. That or he owes Irvine 10 gil.

"Schooch up." Commands the lion.

Irvine scoots his hips up, then slides backwards until his long legs are both down beneath the seat. Crawling up beside his Wolf to lay down, Squall gives him an instructing knee to the thigh so that he lifts his legs back over the bench; fingers coated in saliva and semen, Squall tucks them inbetween his lover's lower cheeks pumping them in and out to stretch him.

Irvine's back arches and his hips squirm and rock into the intrusion of the pleasureful feeling inside of him; laying down beside him, Squall kisses Irvine's pant-parted lips, his tongue slips in brushing against Irvine's tongue and teeth as it explores around the apple tea flavored cave. The lion let out a low and hummed moan when Irvine's tongue came over for a look around his mouth; and Hyne it does that thing Squall loves so much, which is brushing the tip beneath the underside of his- its a soul tingling delight to the gunblade specialist.

Feeling the inner muscle relaxing to his touch, Squall then pulls his fingers free to swipe up the wetness gathered on his shirt to run around his erection to coat himself; having already taken the initiative, Irvine tucks his legs back beneath the bench and he rolls over onto his stomach.

Rolling over so that his lover's rump is straddled between his thighs, Squall pushes himself inside with ease. Lips pressed against the dip of Irvine's shoulderblades, he whirls his tongue around the bones of his spine. Moaning at the tightening around his member; Squall's hands grip Irvine's hips so he can move in at a faster pace.

Cheek to cheek, the two's heated breaths mingle together leaving little clouds against the polished wood surface of the boat's floor; Squall rocks and thrusts in a lazy buoyant rhythm that's got the dinghy drifting over the lake's surface in a different sort of row, while its passangers are in their own sort of concentratedly-unconcentrated bliss as the other fishermen are.

Squall chuckled at the moaned out gasp when his nibbled down on Irvine's earlobe; his right hand on Irvine's hip spidered its way up to the base of his hair line, and the kisses on his ear move to the sensative exposed neck.

Renz and Ammo picked at mites beneath a wing, or scratched at the muddy waters edge for minows and worms. The fish swams scurried away from the oncoming surface traffic of suddenly dropped lures, and the bowed undersides of boats moving slowly about the lake. It seemed that everyone was on auto-pilot today, because by the time the two's dinghy made it forward and back over the lake and their wardrobe is returned to its rightful manner of dress, the lake's patrons proved that the entire time they'd definitely been asleep!

They couldn't help but laugh at the situation when casting their lines. They really did pick a great place to call their second home. Too bad they're be back in Garden in a couple days. Not that they don't love their jobs, but sometimes they think they could use some more time together.

They're now seated in the base of the boat, opposite sides, with their backs resting on the bench; their lures sway beneath the water's surface, while they stare at the sky waiting on a catch.

"Irvine..." He turns the reel around the spool. "There was some truth to that though, wasn't there?"

Irvine shakes his head to the male's fears; "You can be" and he's speaking slowly so that his words are clear. "as insecure about me as you like, just as long as you know... completely... that I'm not going anywhere ever again without your being aware of it."

"I know that in a lot of ways."

"But not enough to not have developed a sense of knowing when I'm sincere or just tolerating people, when I give them attention..." Irvine finished his thought. "Like I'll realize hanging out with everyone is too consuming, and just ditch out."

Squall remained in loaded silence.

"Y'know, we can be mad at each other just as easily as we can love each other... I'm not mad at you, Squall."

"I'm not mad at you."

"...Then what are we talking about?"

"I'm talkin' about how easily you don't care about being on your own. Irvine..." He shifts to that he can see the male's face. "You spent four years as Imari Karver, and half a year as-.."

Cutting him off, he comments. "We said we weren't gonna bring that up again."

"I know, but my point is, just assuming a new name, or even features... will have you walking away, and even if you did have amnesia that one time... you didn't the other. So part of me thinks that even when you did start returning to yourself... you chose to stay away because what'd it matter if you were with us or not."

"You're gonna make yourself a nice patient somewhere living in a 'what if' conversation." He shrugs. "What if I'd seen that statue of Laguna, and the Tribe called him down because I admired your father as much as they do, and they wanted us to meet? You don't think he would have called me out?" He tugs his hat off his head to fan himself. "Even if I'd said he was nuts, Laguna isn't one for the word 'no' when he wants something badly enough."

Squall knows this to be true; look at how hard he worked to form a relationship with him.

Pulling his line in, he turns to face Squall better. "And you're right, that little boy needed me... I was no man back then, and I couldn't take care of a kid by myself, but I would have figured it out and stayed as Bahou subconciously. But I didn't because I was just getting to really know the real you, I was falling in love with you... and the last thing I wanted was to just up and leave all that.

I stopped myself a long time ago from thinking about 'what if you don't remember me from way back when'. All that hurt me deeply... you guys were all together and doing good, even if you didn't remember the details, you were together... Point is, I remembered y'all because I wanted to hold onto the memories of our youth as the gang, and to all of us."

"You didn't choose to seek us out, though. You just stayed put in Galbadia until we came to you. Even back then you were invisible until you wanted to be noticed... by Selphie, by the others, and me..."

With a shrug, Irvine says softly. "...My nature, I guess. But you've got that figured out that I don't mean nothin' by it. I love you guys, and I want you around... but I don't need you, not like you've all come to need each other."

Nodding, Squall readjust his seat so that his arms are resting on the seat. "Listen... its your nature to be without, and its mine to have people around. ...If you ever run off on us again- on me again... I'll break every bone in your miserable body and drag you back."

Glancing at him, Irvine offers a weary smirk before shoving his fisherman's hat over the ruffled brunet's face. He laughed when the hat is returned in the same manner.

"Don't make fun of me, I've got a lot of problems Kinneas and they're all stemming from abandonment. You and your wandering ways aren't helping it." He then teased him by saying. "Tell me yours someday and I won't feel so desperate, because then I can make you worry too."

"Careful with that, I might actually let you peek in some day... and when I do, don't you cast me a "good luck" when you hear it." Grabbing his lover by the chin, he kisses his scarred forehead.

"Wanna go home?"

"Yes. I've still got some heat left over, and I don't wanna do it on the boat."

"Me either." Grabbing the oar on his side, he sits up on the bench and begins rowing when Irvine joins him. "I felt a little sea sick when we started moving."

8 8 8

"Are you gonna be all right?" Zell asks Seifer's reflection, that's seated on the bed behind him. "You look reeeally sweaty."

"Shut up, chicken-wuss." Seifer snips wiping sweat from his brow. "Besides, I feel fine now." And he meant that, it was like magic the way his feverish heat just stopped existing.

"I didn't know you were sick."

Slipping his favorite dark blue ribbed-tank top over his head, he tugs it down over his waist, then slips into his comfortable black shitabaki pants with the yellow, orange, and red flames on the cuffs. He reached for the black belt that's on the bed, but Seifer pulled it away from him before snatching the shorter blond by the wrist to tug him close.

"I wasn't sick, I was hot." He snipped through his teeth.

Snipping back, with mock avengance, Zell retorts. "Its just a little heat, grow up!"

Stealing a kiss from the angry little pout on his lover's mouth, Zell smiles cheekily when swiping his obi, and he books it for the exit before Seifer can pounce him- not that his grip would be any good if he'd of grabbed his leg or shirt, the Judogi weights are practically teflon to the touch, which makes them so popular with martial artists who often compete for titles and things. The weaving is heavy too, so its good for training.

"Idiot." Seifer sighs out.

Stretching his arms over his head, he looks about the room for his own clothing. He'd just taken them off to take a rest after a training session with Rinoa while they talked about their conditions, and he got jumped by a half-pint. He didn't understand how he could be feeling the same affects she's gone through when he was nowhere near the toxic site. But she described it to a degree. There were things that didn't match his own, though: the scratching, the heightened sense of smell, and the speed. He didn't, and hasn't just started speeding up his movements for no reason.

But there have been odd things about him. He didn't tell Irvine when they were at the beach, but he'd been shedding. But could he even really call it shedding? That's what it seems like. He's too young to be going bald, and he hasn't actually lost any hair on his head... its seems more like its growing up there. But everywhere else... his arms, legs, armpits they've been dropping hair into the shower drain like the water were Nair or something.

He wondered if Zell had noticed while they were having their little roll around the sack. Like he were mentioning earlier, he wanted heat relief and stripped to take a rest, and Zell walked in and figured that the naked peepshow was an offering for him.

Seifer smirked at the memory. It was always so weird being fucked by Zell, and not because of the height difference- he was on all fours- but because Zell's got so much damned enthusiasm at it. You'd think it were an Olympic sport or something.

Snickering, he thinks. 'My boyfriend fucks like a dumb teenager, terrific. Wait 'til the girls at the salon chew that over.' He could hear Irvine laughing at that very minute.

Grabbing his black jeans from the floor he tugs them on while he's seated, standing once they're up at the knee to bring them up around his hips. His dark purple, sleeveless, crew-neck with the silver cross on the front is found in the corner, and after a snappy fluffing out, he slips it on over his head then tugs it down the rest of the way.

With the way he'd staggered away from his reflection in the mirror, you'd think he'd hit a brick wall, or that one is about to fall on him. Seifer gripped the metal frame with avengence to stare at himself better. It couldn't be real?! It can't be real?!

"What the fuck happened to my hair!?" Shaking hands release the frame of the mirror to latch onto the outgrowth of hair resting against neck.

Not enough to make a ponytail, thank Hyne, but enough to be damned noticable to anyone who sees him! How was it possible?! When did it happen? Why did it happen!?

"Clippers... clippers..." He heads into the closet to fish out his toiletries.

Inside of a black nylon zippered bag, he pulls free an electric clipper. It'll be butchered for sure with the urgency he's in to rid himself of the new four inches, but whatever, right? He'd rather be a skinhead than look as though he has a hegdehog sitting up there.

The plug is shoved into a socket beneath the window; the mirror is pulled from the wall, since the plug isn't long enough to reach the mirror's distance in the room. Kneeling on the floor, he rests the mirror against his knee then runs the razor through his hair going forward then back, from his forehead to the nape of his neck. Seifer's dilagiant with his task until its done.

Turning his head from left to right to be sure it was even, he wonders out loud. "Shit... what the fuck is going on with me?"

"Seifer!" There's a knock on the door following his name, then another knock.

"What?" He returns the mirror to where it once was.

"Come get lunch with us, we're gonna be docking soon."

Selphie sounded like she were leaving from infront of the door before she'd gotten through with what she'd been saying.

Not bothering to reply, he checked himself over one last time before heading out of the room. The door slid over in a whiff, and closed just as soundly. He looked both ways as if he'd just gotten through mudering someone, and is now wondering about witnesses to the crime, but the hall is nearly empty. Relieved, he heads to the cafeteria.

He'd gotten a few shocked looks over his radical new buzz-cut, but what does he care? He doesn't know 73% of them, nor would he care even if he did. People are always looking at him, whether its because of his past, admirers, or even over something as simple and stupid as his height to them. So let them stare over his hair. He didn't expect the reaction he got when finding the table his friends and lover are sitting at, though.

"Whoa!" Shrieked Zell and Selphie.

While Rinoa and Quistis gave a scream-esque yelp.

Rolling his eyes; he takes a seat beside Selphie before reaching across the table to swipe a bite of Zell's supreme hot dog. "What?" He asked around his bite of food. "I told you that I was hot earlier."

Quistis, getting over the shock, comments through baffle. "So you put weave in?"

"What weave?" Seifer asks.

Chuckling, Selphie runs her hands through the mess. "She's talking about this, Goldie Locks."

Frozen, Seifer swallows his bite then very carefully lifts the napkin dispencer from the center of the table. Bracing himself mentally, and physically by cocking his head as though he were simply popping his neck, he looks at his reflection. ...Impossible! How the hell did it grow back?! And so quickly!

Composing himself, he says. "I'm trying something new." There. That should explain it.

Setting the dispencer down, the made-over blond pushes his seat back from the table then stands and heads for the line-up with dignity, despite the snickers he can hear from the nerd-herd.

Something weird is definitely going on, and its got something to do with Rinoa. He's sure of it! She and Selphie were at that toxic site not too long ago, maybe they brought something weird back with them. The sanitation people could have missed something when they scrubbed them down- do they do genitals? The girls could have done them themselves and did a sloppy job at it. But wouldn't that mean they'd of washed it off by bathroom trips? Women can't seem to get enough of washing their hands. But is soap effective enough?

'But wouldn't Zell be infected too? He's been around them... maybe its a sweat thing? The shedding didn't start until recentely, though. So when would either of them have been sweating around me before training earlier?' He crossed his arms in thought, then dropped them. That's how Leonhart thinks. He shudders. 'It was at the beach! Selphie's sweat could have mixed with the water while we were playing that stupid game. Dammit!'

Seifer suddenly felt very nauseaus. His stomach is doing flip-flops on him, and his skin is crawling all over. Rubbing his arm, he moves his other hand over to scratch his stomach. Hyne!

...

Kadowaki looked over her charts and shook her head. "Seifer, for the hundreth time... you're fine. There isn't one thing wrong with you physically- mentally is another story."

"Don't sass me woman, I know what I felt. I know what I see!" He points to his hair.

"So you grew your hair out, that's nothing to be frightened about." Smirking, she adds. "Don't tell me you didn't know that hair grows after a period of time. Did you miss a trip to the barbers?"

Its what he gets for being a smart-ass his whole life. Right? "But I'm itchy, and I was hot for days- feverishly hot!"

"Seifer, its July. Not only that, but you had the chickenpocks before, being itchy now... you could have shingles- which you don't- or maybe you've got a heat rash. You did say you were hot."

Seifer thought that over. "But the girls too?"

"Selphie's never come in?"

"She was at that toxic site with Rinoa in the desert." He stands up from the cold metal table.

"Send her to me then; but, if the sanitations people say that she's clean... what can I do?"

"Obviously nothing."

The Garden's doctor shrugs. "You said you were feeling fine now. Why not just ignore the hair thing, or tell everyone you're in a boyband."

Sneering at her, he stalks out of the room. What a waste of time that was. Taking in the noise and the scenery, the sulking and grouchy blond notices the elevator is in high demand. Looks like they've docked at Hell finally. Slashing monsters ...perfect way to vent his rage.

"Dinky! ...Dinky!" Seifer called over the noise when spotting his lover at the elevator.

"You are not going to turn around to that name, Zell. ...You're better than that now." He coached himself through mutters. He can hear the ex-knight pushing his way through the crowd of cadets. "Hurry... hurry... Finally!" He hops onto the descended elevator the moment the doors began to open after the 'ding'.

"Dinky, save me a place on the elevator."

Shoulders slumped, he sticks his hand out to bar off a free space from a student taking it. Why always him? He could have loved anyone in the world. He had to pick a guy who insults him like its a bodily function.

"Good boy." Seifer says patting the shorter male atop his head.

"So," He jerks his head from beneath the assault. "what did Kadowaki say?"

"She said shingles, and a case of the crazies."

Seifer looks around with anoyance at the repeated metal on metal sound of cadets junctioning and rejunctioning themselves with magic, while trying to figure out which would be best for the island.

"You seen Messenger Girl?"

"Selphie? She's already outside doing a head check." He walks off the elevator. "What do want with her?"

"Kado' said to bring her in for questioning- and before you ask- I told her that Selphie was at the toxic site with Rinoa, and they might be infected with something."

"Like what? A disease that has the ability to grow hair? Just point them to a hair club for me if that's the case. And its July... you don't really think that because you're hot you've got some kind of illness, do you?"

"I'm not ruling anything out."

Zell scoffed into a laugh at the nerve of some people. Its actually kind of cute that his big bad firestarter can be so psychosomatic about it. Wouldn't he have been infected with something too? The girls have been around him as well. Wouldn't he be showing signs of some kind of ailment?

Walking down the long metal ramp, he adds. "And its not just me, Irvine said something about Squall being cold- if only." He rolled his eyes over Squall having all the luck. He'd kill for a chill in this weather.

"So?"

"So." He mocked with a lunk-head's tone. "So, Leonhart was around the girls."

"And so was Irvine! But he's fine!" Zell throws his arms up in the air, exhausted with the topic.

Seifer's fine. He's not fine. He's fine again. Frankly, he's probably just going a little bonkers from heat-stroke. Zell scoffed when figuring that it made more sense that the girls should be acting this way- and they should. Looking over to them, he sees the obvious; they're cool, and casual. Nothing new there. And if there were anything wrong, they would have said something- girls love harping, right? Although, with the way Seifer's whining, one would wonder if its men who whine like babies when they're sick.

"That's the last of them..." Rinoa says to Selphie. Lowering her clipboard, she looks into the crowd and waves when spotting Seifer and Zell. "Seifer's new look is pretty adorable, huh?" She whispers to Selphie before the boys make it over to them.

"Ahaha," She hunches over in a laugh, holding an arm over his gut as to if to stop her pain of laughter. "He looks like an Estharian soccer player... what do thinks up with the new look? Some kinky bedroom stuff?"

Rinoa almost turned green on that thought; last thing she wants to be thinking about is her friends playing dress up in the bedroom. And what's the appeal of the look anyway? Something to run your hands through?

'Oh no. Now I've got an image.'

"You guys ready to rip it?!" Zell flexed his muscles before punching at the airspace.

Rinoa burst out laughing, and the infection spread to Selphie who laughed just as hard. Zell and Seifer cocked a brow choosing to ignore them.

"Everyone find your instructors and sub-instructors!" Exam coordinator, Byron Lesthat, called out with his smoke roughened voice over the dulling murmurs.

The six instructors wait around for their groups of four to group up around them, before they lead them out into the field.

Hell is like a Savannah only the animals aren't in cages, and they will definitely take your head off if you ever thought about feeding, petting, or snapping pictures of them. The grass is low in some places, waist high in others, there are vines spun and twisted everywhere, so running is carefully done if you plan to. Harsh terrains for better testing.

It would seem that the monsters are in agreement with the new testing methods, because it isn't long before the first set of students come across a wild Malboro. Its tentacles were hiding in the tall grass, and when it felt the brush of a young teen's foot it popped up from its hiding place, face down on the ground and gnawing at a bird it caught before it was interrupted.

"Holy shit!" A female cadet shrieked at the full height of the monster.

Zell scoffed in disbelief. "There's nothing holy about that thing... execute it!"

"Yes sir!" The group bellowed as they snap into battle attention.

The large mutated flytrap took one look at the quantity and largely proportioned meal before it, and just let the semi-eaten little bird drool out of its mouth. Roaring with its head reared back in its gluttonous desires; it takes a strong Firaga blast to the chin while its distracted. Unphased, a spit of bad breath coats the four opponents, casting spells upon the cadets; that some reflect better than others.

"Shoot!" A big brunet calls out. "I've got a countdown in my head! Somebody cure me!"

A perky, smiling teen jumps in casting Esuna, once on the kid in trouble, and another time on the girl beside him. She'd cast Double when the battle first started, incase she needed to cure everyone. But in a time like this she feels a little sheepish, and hoped that Instructor Dincht didn't see. Tucking a chunk of platinum blonde behind her ear, she looked his way and gave a dry laugh.

Zell cocked a brow in wonder of why he's being gawked at, then mouthed something to her.

Before the cadet could figure out what it was, she's knocked to the grass by a long vein covered vine, whipping about the battle field beneath all the cadets' feet like a big game of double dutch.

"Ooooh, this isn't working!" She flailed her limbs in protest. Turning her black gaze to a teammate she called out. "Raeal, watch it!"

The Malboro charged forward to a male with a long black braid that ends with a teal dyed tip from the band; he'd been slumped over after the attack of bad breath and fell asleep, then roused by the vine whip slapping him onto his butt.

He yelped in surprise when the cloud of sleep wore off, and his bleary vision cleared. Springing quickly into action, he uses his naginata like it were a simple spear by plundging the sharp double-edged blade into the freak of nature's forehead. The weapon went right into its warm gooey upper face, causing a purple spray of blood to shoot out everywhere; but Raeal didn't end his attack there, and he cast Blizzaga right into its body through the length of the pole.

A clot of ice froze its way through the monster's hot purple blood, freezing it to ressemble a slush from the gas station's drink dispencer. It seemed like the right thing to do until it splintered out hard enough for a jagged piece of ice to shoot forward out of the Malboro's face, punching the cadet across the cheek beneath his eye. The force knocked him back, freeing him ultimately... but it also really hurt.

Zell watched his troop wondering what they'll do to stop the thing, when they have no battle strategy as a team. He marks that down on the clipboard. He was having that headache enducing flashback of his own SeeD exam in Dollet. Seifer was so fired up, all he wanted to do was 'go wild!' and 'crack open some Galbadian conspiracy' with the tower. And for what? He just skipped out on them the moment the battle really got going. Hell, he was back on that submarine so fast, he didn't even know that big mechanical spider had been chasing them until he heard Quistis opening fire on the damned thing.

"Team, formation D!" Beefy Hector called out.

'Here's my team!' Zell beams, watching in wait of their actions.

Blonde cadet, Stacey, grabbed a vine from the grass directly at her feet; squad commander Hector does the same and the two- in opposite directions- run circles around the large beast, tying its slithering viney legs together. Raeal and Sheven begin whailing on it from front to back, his weapon is junctioned with fire. For every icy spearing to the face the Malboro receives, its followed by a spike gloved punch to the back of its vein throbbed head against the exit wound of the naginata.

Beyond agitated, the beast opened it massive mouth releasing an eerie sound wave that would cause your ears to bleed whether you've covered them or not. The sound could be heard everywhere on the plain, and it alerted monster's to its cries before it finally gave up its life and collapsed to the ground.

"Thank Hyne..." Stacey hunched over before letting out a foul smelling belch that had a cough follow in its wake. Spitting the horrible taste out of her mouth, she then perks up and smiles at her concerned teammates, offering a thumbs up on her status. "I just learned Bad Breath!"

Even Zell had to laugh at her enthusiasm over something so... not cool. He turns his nose away from the up-lift in the wind. She should really learn to just convert her Blue Magic attacks from parts of the monster, like Quistis does.

He wanted to tell them all the things they've done wrong, but he's sure that they know. Not only that, this is an exam. They've been training for this, testing for this... if they don't have it by now, they're not ready to make SeeD.

"Come on, let's find some more prey!" He whistled over three of his four man team's hooting and cheering. Hector tends to be very stoic, but Raeal won't talk at all if he can help it.

Moving with his team to another part of the field, he hopes they come across a Grendel. Those things aren't as clumsy and big as a Malboro or Ochu... they're fast, and that means you have to think on your feet even faster.

"Do it Mittens!" Selphie called to her cadets.

She can't help it, she likes to cheer them on, and if they're any good they won't be distracted by it; the monster is a different story, but she's not worried about that her weapon can take out anything.

"Thank you Instructor Tilmitt!" Called a chipper male with dyed blue hair, name, Bishop.

Selphie could only marvel at the cutesy male. His weapon of training is twin kodochi swords and he's ridiculously leathal with them... but he sure acts like a big-eyed chibi. And her friends thought that she was bad. And like Seifer, the kid flirts with her but is gay to the nines. She's a legendary beard magnet, it would seem... Super. At least she has a real guy, if he ever returns from Esthar.

A battle cry ripped from Carlotta's throat as her claw-tipped metal fans rip through the leathery wing span of a Blue Dragon. It flapped its injured wings through the assault to toss her free, and when she hit the ground its large foot raised up and stomped down on the ground with intentions of smashing her like a pancake, but she rolls out of the way; assisted up on her feet by her teammate Omar.

The great blue beast is using its tail like a large pike, swiping hit for hit against Bishop's swords until they're pinned in an X before the cadet's face by the dragon's pointed tail. Teeth grit, he's leaned backwards in an arch that he removes himself from by dropping to one knee.

"Not to be a burdon but- HELP!" He called out to his other teammates.

Cadet Courtney tossed four on-contact detonating explosives into the beast's face, following the explosives up with large ninja stars aimed at the newly made craters. The dragon staggered backwards in pain with its clawed hands scratching at its bloody bruises.

Omar cast Thundara on the beast. The claps of lightning bolts shot from the sky like bullets, striking the monster on the forehead and its right knee. Weapon poised, he then shoots an array of arrows at the things gut from his crossbow.

"They're so amazing." Selphie cheered them more to herself, so it was said quietly. She wondered how the other teams were doing now. 'Probably not as good as mine.. Tee hee.'

A loud bellow sounds when a Guardian Force enters the scene. Its an ash of greys, black, and white Ifrit. The great beast opened its mouth and spat out magma at the Blue Dragon finally bringing the monster's life to an end.

The Mitten's gave a cheer as they watched the monster sizzle and fade away, leaving behind its essence as a Draw point of Blizzaga.

"I'll take that." Omar declared walking into the swirling pink spirit to remove it into himself from the battle field.

There are actually Draw points all over the island from slain monster's spirits just twisting in the wind and latching onto something for them to stick to Earth again. But they can't just roam about blindly looking for free magic- this is a test! The instructors wanna see how well they take to everything, not how easily they can gather up magic and shoot it off in battle.

Selphie cocks her head at the other, of many, Ifrit had strange movements when it had come out. It just sort of stood there for a good 15 extra seconds longer than it should have, when a G.F. swaps places with its Charge to do battle. Was it listening to something? Or looking at something? Its hard to say now that its gone... but it sure is odd.

"Instructor!" The team Commander, Omar, called out when seeing teh woman standing there on the field, spaced out.

"Oh... Coming!" Plowing through the tall grass, she catches up with her team.

At Galbadia things aren't going nearly as well.

Kait's friends: Sorin, Leo', and Billie; plus public enemy number one, Hyland, watch as Kait mutilates a candy bar while sitting on the bench in the front hall. His scowl is professional, you'd think he were doing a live promotional video for what appending wrath looks like.

"You should talk to him..." Sorin says ducking back behind the girl. "you're his girlfriend... he won't chew your head off."

"Says you! He already has..." Biting her bottom lips, she thinks out loud. "Do you think he's sick?"

That seemed to deepen the male's scowl, and he cut them a sidelong glance that could slice an iceburg.

Billie, with her nose turned up, looked away from the intimading glare from her friend. "I don't think that's it."

"Maybe its not the real Kait!" Sorin panics hard enough to grab at his crew-cut spikes. "He could be an evil clone... I mean, we all know dude is super nice- even to this ass." He juts his thumb at Hyland, who just scoffs and rolls his eyes. "Speaking of which... why are you over here, you're not Kait's friend?"

Sniffing, the white haired male crosses his arms over his chest. "Because its funny... this loser's gone from boring goody-goody to someone I could like hanging out with." He cocks his head enough to bend him sideways to see the other viewers' faces. "Did you just not hear how he talked to Bakula back there? The guy's flipped!" He then burst into a laugh until receiving a candy bar to the head. "Hey!"

"Losers. I do have ears."

Knowing the jig is up, the four wander closer to the wrath.

"K'... sweetie..." Leo begins. "What the Hell is your deal today?"

"Mr Bakula told me I'm not taking the SeeD field exam."

That surprised her; sitting her hands down on his shoulders, she asks. "Why not?"

"Because I was hired to go on a search and rescue mission, by the leader of the Forest Foxes." He wipes the back of his hand across the sweat beading at his forehead. Why the Hell is it so hot?

"Just you?" Leo tried keeping her tone low and sweet, sos not to provoke the disgruntled any further.

"No. Vola, Sorin, and Amada are coming too."

"So see! Its not just you... you don't see them sulking?"

"Oh stop whining already..." Straddling the bench in front of the pissy male, Hyland pokes him in the chest. "Bakula said you get to have extra credit towards your exam for this shit... and you're gonna gripe like an idiot who didn't get picked up from Regulars by your Daaaddyyy." There term for non-military schools.

Sighing, Kait says softly. "You're right... and at least Sorin will be there." Though with the down-trodden tone and frown, you'd think he'd just said that Hyland was going.

"Definitely, bro!" He punches his best friend on the back of his shoulder.

"Is it hot to you guys?" Kait asks out of the blue.

A slew of 'No' goes around the small crowd.

"I'm gonna shower. Leo," He pecks a kiss from her lips. "Thanks man."

Grimaced, she then smiles. "Maybe next time you could leave out the 'man' part." Leaning forward she smooches him back.

Taking a few steps away from them, he snaps his fingers then turns around. "One more thing," Leaning over to whisper in Hyland's ear, he says for his ears only. "I meant what I'd said in class before... My main element is gravity, y'know... be afraid."

Scoffing, he replies without turning his head directly with a tone just as quiet, and meant just for the bird-brain. "And mine is time... who do you think has the better advantage to hurt the other?"

"Just stay away from me." Shoving his rival on the back, he then strides away.

"What a freak." Hyland declares watching after the male's departure.

8 8 8

Azena paces slowly back and forth before the large containment tube. Siren is still rattling away inside, pushing against the glass in attempt to break free. The Guardian Force looks worn, and small inside there. But Azena can only smirk knowing that its about to get worse for her.

A dark cloud of smoke swirls before the sorceress; little bolts crackle about its mist making it appear to be a glimmering shapeless crystal ball. Sorceress Azena's eyes are on the mist, looking through it to the picture forming inside; one of her men is in Dollet broadcasting to her the events going on there.

"Amazing... its better than I could have hoped for. All the people of the town... monsters... just like me." A twisted smiled curls on his thin lips. "The devastation... the ruin..." Spotting a larger creature pacing the streets with an over-sized axe, her brows raise in wonder. "That's... different considering the spell that was cast." That seemed to make her beam even more! And she tapped her finger tips together with delight. "The spell is evolving better than expected; the people are coming their innermost monster!"

Azena marched across the room, to where three of her men are standing around a large black pot resting on a fire, mixing away at the boiling strange brew inside. She's been waiting for days for her tincture potion to be completed, but with this new found discovery she's lost her patient will and in one quick swoop, she swipes the bottle for a taste. She'd been stand-offish about taking an experiemental potion, but after seeing how well her natural spell worked, she can't help but want to speed up the progress of taking over the world.

She's already planted one of her men in Winhill; and thanks to Siren's whispering in her companions ears, Leviathan is about to make Fisherman's Horizon an actual place for the fishies. Tilting the vile back to her lips, she takes a sip. It burns like acid and taste like how tar smells, worse than that its actually burning its way down her throat!

Dropping the vile, she grabs her throat with both hands and tips back into a fall to her knees. Her scream is making her throat raw, and her eyes water to bleed. They tricked her! They've poisoned her! That must be it! And when her men swarm her, she lashes out at them in belief that they're trying to rip her apart with their hungry, reaching hands- just as the men at the temple back home!

"No... get away from me! Get away!" Grabbing one by the collar of his cloak; a large toxic spray shoots from her hand causing the grab to burn a hole through the robe and his collarbone, killing him within seconds.

Siren watched this panicked display with an almost delighted smile, and her soft delicate voice began to laugh. This child is so scared of whatever she's running from and destroying for, that she can't even see what's really going on. She could very well have been poisoned by that tincture, but she's not... old remedies don't work with new magicks... at least, not right away.

Azena's withered form began to slowly cease its violent trembling, from the panic and the medcine's constrictions as it swams her bloodstream to match with her cells.

Sirens from long, long ago have bared witness to the very same thing she's seeing right now. The men and women from that time took potions meant for magic users, when they began using the aid of the acient Guardian Forces of their time; those men and women had to allow their bodies to run through the pain to adjust. Being human, it took a long time. But it would seem Azena got the worst of it from being born half human, half Guardian Force but the effects are adjusting a lot faster.

The sorceress's breaths thin out from the rasp, and through her nostrils she's taking deep breaths. The lightness in her head is going away, and she's feeling more like herself again. Her men hoover just slightly near her, but not enough to have her killing another one of them. They all whisper in surprise when her head lifts, and they spot a blister of veins ressembling a spider's web decorate her forehead and left eye and cheek.

That only seemed to delight Siren more, and her laughter rang out.

"You... miser...able... BITCH!" Staggering like she were being shoved over by an invisible force, Azena dropped her palms down onto the machine's needle points. "O-BEY. MEEE!"

A shock rang through Siren's body, frying her like a bug caught in a stray ember. When the tourment stopped, the Guardian lay still in the boiling water.

"Your will is..." She pulls her bleeding hands free from the machine. "stronger than I had expected." Accepting her men's help to rest, Azena continued speaking. "But no more... you'll join the rest of your friends when the reign comes down upon this miserable rock, and you'll wind up destroying your enslaver with as much enjoyment as I had, when I killed mine."

Looking at her men, whose eyes are all to the cold dirt with their heads bowed, she realized that they had no intention of harming her with the tincture. She had taken it from them too soon, no doubt. She had given them time to prepare it, and in her haste for world conquest she became greedy. They almost have it right though, she zapped Siren but she still feels her usual strength.

"Perfect this... before anything more happens to me." Holding her burning face with one hand, she pops the fist of her free hand to the earth's floor. "Ugh! Dammit this burns!" Touching her face tenderly, she sighs out her frustration. "What could have gone wrong?"

A chubby worshipper knelt before her, and spoke quickly to her for their next plan of action.

"I don't know... pick somewhere." Standing from the floor, she walks into her tiny hole in the wall for a room.

Curling up on the bedding, she hugs tightly to the pillow beneath her. And damn her... she misses her parents comforting hugs. Curling in further, she imagines that they're there with her now, to battle back her pains outer and inner...

...

Author's Note: This chapter might seem a bit odd, but I've had major paste for brains these past two weeks and it didn't seem to wanna end anytime soon. So I've made this a filler.

And, sorry for getting so heavy with Squall and Irvine there, but this movie had a line in it that made me think of them the one about loving someone's company ahaha. I had to use it.

Thanks Asylum-Straps! I like your story too- for real! And google translate really works! You should play FFVIII its one of the best Fantasy games made.

Thanks for reading, voting, and leaving a review if you choose to.