Outside, while the teacher sponsored snowball fight was ensuing, an area on the window keep fogging up, and then fading, only to fog, then disappear again. Mark watched as the snowball fight was ensuing. He was always nervous to ask if he could play, and for many several reasons. One was the pain that he knew came with the game. He was not the kind of boy that enjoyed getting hit in the chest by a snowball, especially the one with a rock in it, just like the one Mewt usually got. He felt sorry for him. He also was a shy kid. He wasn't the kind of person that would take charge of something, especially if it was in his own life. The third just threw a snowball missing a kid, and hit the window where Mark had been day dreaming. Looking at the snow for a second, as it fell down the window, he shivered at what just happened, then smiled. He looked up to see the beautiful red head look to him and wave, a playful sorry look on her face. Mark just waved back with a big smile on his face, "Don't worry! I'm fine!" She nodded, and kneeled down to gather more snow. "Oh Ritz… why do you have to be so beautiful?" He turned and leaned against the wall with his back, as he slid down, letting out a sigh all the way down.

After a moment of his new daydream, he reached over to his bag and pulled something out. He was against what he bought, but he got one anyway. It was the strategy guide to the newest Final Fantasy. He got it so that he could use it for the pictures. You see, he was the kind of person that just loved to draw, even though he knew he wasn't very good at it. He was always envious of his friends that could draw. But it was drawing he liked to do, especially Black Mages. They were the easiest to draw; it was just a robe and a hat. Everything was blacked out, the face and hands he didn't have to worry about, and the robe did a nice job of covering the rest of the body.

This was also the guide to his newest addiction. Final Fantasy had always impressed him, and this game was no different, in fact, he thought this was the best one yet. He flipped the page to look at his favorite picture in the entire thing. It was a picture of an assassin, a Viera assassin. He loved that in this game, they broke out of the conventional human only game, and inputted different races in the game, and the Viera were his favorites. Right next to them were the humans. He liked being in the middle, right where he was. He would always fantasize about being in the game.

"I thought you hated those things…"

Mark shot his head up from behind the book to see his two best friends: Dule and Tom. "I do! You know how much I hate these things…"

"Then why do you have one in your hand?"

"I'm using them… as reference."

"Sure… whatever. What are you doing tonight?" Tom asked.

"Why?"

"Dule and I were thinking of playing through Final Fantasy."

"Oh. I can't tonight. Especially if we're going to play Final Fantasy. We'll be up for hours, and tomorrow's school. In fact, what about tomorrow? It'll be Friday, and we can stay up late."

Tom thought about it, then nodded, "Great idea. Besides, I want to get ready for tomorrow. I'm going as a bangaa!"

"A bangaa? In your scrawny frame? I'd love to see that." Dule pointed at Tom's body. Tom stood at a mighty five foot seven, and weighed a whopping 145 pounds.

"I'll get one done!"

"Just because you love strength, doesn't mean you can fake it."

"You'll see! My costume will be the best thing to happen to this school since Mr. Redman!"

"We'll see. Maybe my Nu Mou costume will be the talk of the town." The two kept up that argument as they walked away.

The bell rang for everyone to go home. Mark looked at his watch and saw that the bell had rung right on time, and he was eager to get home. Tomorrow was dress up day. The school was famous for holding this once every school year. The kids would get all dressed up and go to school in any costume that the kid choose. Mark knew what he was going as. He was going as the Black Mage, his favorite class of the game. He couldn't wait for tomorrow. Who knows? Maybe Ritz will come in and see him. He just might sum up the courage to say hi. Throwing the book back in his bag, He got up and ran for the door, and headed for the local bookstore. Right next to it was the costume shop where he was going to buy that hat to complete his costume. His mother had made fun of him for wanting to go as a mage. Didn't want him to hide his face was her excuse, but Mark didn't care, his mind was set. He was going as the mage.

He wasn't the fit kid in the town, but he got to the store in little time. Throwing the door open, he waved to the clerk and walked right over to the hat that he wanted. Pulling it up from the head it sat on, he dropped it on the counter.

"This it?" The clerk smiled.

"Yep, that's all I want." Mark nodded.

"You sure? You don't want a staff, or magic scrolls?" He continued his taunting. Mark was always in the store, looking at all the mage things.

"Nope… I'm going to get that stuff at the weapon shops. Not to mention, you know scrolls aren't real. You get all the magic from the weapon you wield."

"How could I forget?" Clerk hit himself in the head with the palm of his hand lightly.

"It's ok… it's hard to be old." Mark nodded and walked out.

The clerk leaned over the counter and shouted through the door, "How dare you, you young whipper snapper!"

Admiring the hat, he knew he made the right choice. It wasn't the most expensive hat in the world, but it was just the one for him. He looked around and threw it on, fitting it over his head. "Perfect…" He said, looking around him. That's when he saw Mewt coming out of the bookstore with a strange, dirty book under his arm. He went to call to Mewt, but held back. It looked like he was in a rush. Mark just settled back, and knew that he would see him tomorrow. Setting his sights for home, he started on his walk.

"Hi Mark." A soft female voice called out behind him. "That is Mark right?"

Turning around quickly, he found his other good friend Dani. "Oh, yes it is. How could you not… oh." As he realized that the hat did do a good job of hiding his face. Taking it off, he gave her a sheepish grin. "Yep… sorry about the hat."

"Let me guess… Black Mage?" Mark nodded. "Oh, how did I guess that one?"

"Well… maybe cause of the hat or it's my favorite class in the game. You pick whichever reason you like better." The two started to head home together, the two living on the same street. "Now it's my turn. You're going as the viera assassin, correct?"

She dropped her head. "You know me too well."

"Well that… and the stage knife you have in your bag is a dead giveaway."

"That could be for a ninja."

"You hate ninjas. You're always telling me that a viera assassin could take on a horde of ninjas…"

"She can!"

"Well, I agree to that fact, but if it was a no holds barred match between your assassin and my mage, she'd fall easy."

"If she could hit…"

"When she got hit, you mean. You can't dodge magic."

"I can! So far, of all the times magic has been casted on me, it's only hit twice."

Mark gave her a sarcastic look, "Let me guess, she's been casted on twice?"

"Shut up." She shoved him playfully. "We're just going to have to find out one day."

"Oh yeah, good idea. The new linking feature that the game will soon be offering."

"Or what abut online play. It is all the rage now-a-days."

"That would be easier, wouldn't it?"

"But… I couldn't see your face when my katana runs through your throat."

"You wouldn't be missing much, because that blade is getting nowhere near me, but your face when you're might assassin is encased in a giant ice cube would be a Kodak moment."

"I'll be sure to take a picture… of my celebration."

"We'll see Dani… We'll see." Mark stopped in front of her house.

"What about tonight? I could use a good laugh before bed tonight."

"Naw, not tonight. I have some finishing touches on my costume, then I want to get some sleep tonight so I'll be ready for tomorrow. Me and the guys are going to play through Final Fantasy."

Dani raised an eyebrow, "So pretty much you're telling me that you're too afraid to face me?"

"Where did you get that idea?"

"You don't want to face me… that's all right. I'll just have to tell the guys…" she emphasized that word for extra damage, "…that you were too afraid to take on a girl…"

"I am not afraid! Oh… you are SO going down when I talk to you next!"

"Maybe I could tag along tomorrow. That was I can take you all down. Prove to you just how much better a female really is."

"All right." Mark nodded sarcastically. "I'll be sure to tell them to be ready… to take you down. Of course… if you wanted the help of a mage, we could take them down together…"

"Are you kidding? You would only slow me down. I'd have to stop what I was doing to come over and save your sorry butt every five minutes."

"Sure! See if I aid you with my magic if you're in danger… which you will be."

The two glared at each other for a moment, relaxed, then laughed. "I love these conversations… we must have them more often."

"I agree Dani. Good night, I'll talk to ya tomorrow."

"Good night Mark." She gave him a quick hug, walked down her driveway and walked in her house.

Mark was stunned for a second. That was the first time that she had done that. Shaking his head after realizing that he was staring at her door for a minute, he turned his head for home. The rest of the walk home, he could help but think of that battle that he was going to have with Dani. Maybe he would invite her over to his house this weekend so that they could try the linking system that was developed. "Man that would be fun. I'll get the wire Saturday after sleeping over Tom's house, Dani will come over, I'll kick her butt, then after that I'll try to console her with some popcorn and a movie. I know how much she enjoys that." He grinned softly, "Yeah… that might be fun."

"Wait!" He shook his head, "That sounds a little too much like a date." He shivered. He liked Dani, but not like that. Well… at least he didn't think so.

Before he could argue anymore on the subject, he found that his door was right in front him. Turning the knob and pushing the door aside, he called out, "Hi mom! I'm home!"

She stuck her head out from the other room, "Oh! Hi Mark. Do you know how late it is?"

"I'm sorry mom; I was caught up walking home. Dani stopped and challenged me."

"Dani, huh? She's a nice girl, you know."

"I know she's a nice girl mom. That's why she's my friend."

She grinned and relaxed back in the living room. "I know she's a friend…"

Mark waited for the sentence to finish, the tone in her voice leading him to await more. Soon after, he finished the sentence himself, "No mom… I have another apple for my eye."

"Oh… I must know more…"

"Never mind mom. I'm going upstairs to finish my costume, play Final Fantasy a little, then I'm off to bed. Good night mom!"

"Good night hun. Don't stay up too late! You have a big day tomorrow."

"I know. I won't!" And he rushed up the stairs, tossed his bag aside into a corner and looked at the robe his mother had made for him. "I am going to look… so… COOL!" Slipping his arms into the huge sleeves, relaxing the shoulders on him, and tying the sash across his waist, he placed the hat he had bought on his head, then looked to the mirror. "Oh yeah, baby…" he shot the glass with his fingertips, his voice now dark and raspy. "White Mages, here I come." Chuckling, he took off his outfit, returned it to its hanger, changed into his sleep pants, and crawled into bed. "I can't wait for tomorrow…"