Final Fantasy 0:Zero.
Art by: Jason Sunwoo
Written by: Tao Li, Grace Loe
Published by: _____________, 2002
Forward
Hello readers. If you are reading this out of a book or anything bounded, than that means that someone actually published our piece of… work. We'd like to begin by thanking censored. Thank You!
If you don't know what Final Fantasy is, than it's either that you are a klutz or this paper is one hundred years old. To refresh your memory, here it goes…
Final Fantasy began in the 1980's. By a Japanese software company called SquareSoft. The head of the company, Hironobu Sakaguchi, wants to use modern gaming technology with epic story telling. Unfortunately, the most advanced gaming console is as powerful as a calculator. So, by using Nintendo's SNES, the company focused more on the story than the graphics. After a few mediocre games, the series struck gold. Final Fantasy VI(6) was a smash hit. After the sixth one, Square wanted a better system, which uses CDs for better graphics, instead of cartridges. But for piracy reasons, Nintendo still stuck to cartridges (N64). For this reason, Square broke off with Nintendo, and went into hibernation.
Many CD consoles came out, Like Sega CD, 32X, and the Sega Saturn. But Square still didn't make a move. Finally, it came the PlayStation. This is the first system that truly supported full 3D rendering. Square finally decided that this was the one, and started working on a Final Fantasy for the PlayStation.
Because of it was an early generation game, 3D graphics is still developing. It took years and millions of dollars just to make the game. In the late 1990s Square published Final Fantasy VII(7). It took the Gaming industry by storm. Nobody has seen 3D graphics that immense in a game. Of course it sold millions, gave millions in profits to Square. Soon after, came out 8 and 9, both were on top of the RPG charts each year. At the time of this writing, Final Fantasy X(10) came out for the PlayStation 2. It has, again revolutionized the gaming industry.
If you read through the whole thing…, yay cuz it was worth writing it!
And that's the History of Final Fantasy so far. Of course, more is coming…
Legal Stuff
If there's any Square lawyers getting readying to sue us now, believe me, you won't get much. We are just some kids from California who worships SquareSoft. If this story is actually published, don't worry, we'll give you guys credits. Actually, it's right here:
Final Fantasies
Producer: Hironobu Sakaguchi
Director: Yoshinori Kitase
Original Art: Yoshitaka Amano
Character Design: Tetsuya Nomura
Music Composer: Nobuo Uematsu
You guys are semi-gods. So if you like our story, you are welcome to make it into an actual game if you give us profits…. Thank You!
R]-[
Prelude
'Zero?'
What?
'Zero? What are you doing?'
What do you mean 'what are you doing'?
'Zero… Open your eyes…'
White was all he saw. As if he was cloud nine. Looking around, mist surrounded him.
What the…
He stepped forward. The floor was oddly solid. Slowly, he moved himself, one step at a time.
After what seemed hours he saw a ghostly figure, a silhouette perhaps.
"He-he-hello?" Zero asked out.
He can hear footsteps, and saw the figure getting closer. When it was close enough, he can see the details. A girl stood before him. About his age. All that Zero can tell that she is perfect.
"Who are you?" Zero reached for her.
The girl smiled.
"Were you calling me?" He asked.
She placed one finger on her lips, and whispered something.
"What'd you say?"
She shook her head.
It was black. He sees an old man standing in front of him.
"Zero, is it? My granddaughter saw you wondering around."
"…Your granddaughter? She's your granddaughter?"
He nodded. "You have a gift, I could sense it."
"What kind of gift?" Zero asked again.
"The one that matters. I will meet you in person very soon."
"But wait! Who is that girl? What do you mean-"
White.
CHAPTER 1
"Zero! Wake up!"
"Whuh……!"
Whipping his over-greased head back, he woke with a start.
"Man! If you do that one more time, you're gonna be kicked off the squad!"
"Shut up! I need my beauty sleep!"
He looked around. He was in the back of a military truck, the roof of the truck was steadily dripping water. He peaked out a crack. They were going through a ran-down street. Nobody was out because it was raining…
"Ok, soldiers!" A voice boomed him awake again. "You know what to do! The place is suspected of drug trafficking. We get in, arrest all of them. Then we're done! Got that!"
"Yes sir!" All of them except Zero said.
The truck halted with a skid.
"Remember, we must surprise them!" A guy said to him.
"Whatever."
He grabbed his rifle, and checked his sword strapped at the waist, and got off the truck. The rain was pouring above them. Seconds later, he was soaking wet.
They got to the entrance of the club. The commander signaled the door bashers forward. A couple of guys with sledgehammers stepped forward.
The commander held up a finger, then another, then another.
BAMM!!
"PUT YOUR HANDS UP! THIS IS A RAID! PUT YOUR HANDS OVER YOUR HAND AND LIE DOWN ON THE GROUND NOW!!"
It was havoc. Half dressed girls every where.
Great, Zero thought, Cid would be loving it right now.
His squad members begin standing people up and putting them in handcuffs.
Zero walked around, patrolling the room. When he walked into the back of the room he saw something move.
He held up his rifle on reflex. Zero walked around the area, and saw a butt sticking out from behind a closet.
"Alright lady! You can come out now!"
She stood up facing away from him.
"Ok! ok…"
She turned around
"Holy Sh-"
The girl has sleek black hair down to her elbow. She has the whitest skin he has ever seen. Two brown eyes, clear as crystal, stared at him. She was wearing a milky-white colored silk ballroom gown. Pretty out of place at a club.
Zero had on an oddly dreamy face. He has seen this girl somewhere. But some how…
"What are you looking at?!" She said with her hands on the back of her head.
"Do I know you?" He asked.
She sneered. "Know me? Why do you ask that?! You're a cop!"
Weird. "Forget it. Com'on, girl." He grabbed her by the arm.
"Get off me! I know how to walk! And don't call me girl! You're barely older than me!" And she went.
"Sheesh…" Zero muttered.
He followed her to the front of the room, where all the other arrested people stood together, and she started talking to another girl.
"…Jerks! Even by looking at them…" Zero caught her saying.
"Zero! Get your ass over here!"
He turned around, and saw his commander yelling at him. He hastily ran over by the door.
"You, you and you." He pointed at Zero and two other person. "Accompany the arrested to the police station. Then someone else will take over. Got it?"
"Yes sir!"
"Yeah, sure." Zero said.
"Now get them in to the truck over there." He pointed at another military- style truck that just came.
"Alright people!" Zero said while waving his rifle. "Make a line and get into that truck! Don't do anything funny unless you want some holes in you!"
They didn't move.
"NOW!!" Zero yelled. Finally, they slowly form a line and walked toward the truck.
"That includes you, missy!" He said to the girl he arrested.
She was looking at him the most unusual way. she shook her head, and went into the truck.
He jumped in after the other two squad members, and sat down next to her.
"Ok driver!" He yelled to the front.
He heard the engine start, and they bumped down the road.
He put the rifle in his lap, and carefully took his sword from the sheath, and started polishing it. Slowly, he reflected the girl's face onto the blade.
I could've sworn I've seen her somewhere…Zero thought.
He saw her with her arms on her lap, her eyes closed. Taking a deep breath, she suddenly jerked and fell to the ground.
Some girls gasped and stood up.
"Stop the truck!" Zero yelled at the driver as he fell down next to her. Putting two fingers on the side of her neck, he tried to feel for a pulse.
"Shit…" He said to himself.
"What's up, man?" One of his comrades asked.
"Untie her and those two." He said to him, and pointed at two of the girls. "Give her CPR." And Zero ran to the front of the truck.
"Detour." He said to the driver. "City Hospital. Pronto!"
The engine started. And they were moving again.
He took out his radio from his shoulder.
"This is Zero Moon, ID code 14430! Anybody there!?"
"This is Rezna Central. What is your situation?" A voice answered.
"We have an ill captive onboard. Permission to arrive at City Hospital. Over."
"Permission granted. You will remain with the injured girl after you get to the hospital. Over."
"Cop-…What? Why?" Zero asked.
"Special clearance has been made by superior officials to have you remain with the ill personal."
"On whose authority?!" Zero hotly asked again.
"That's on a need-to-know basis. You know your orders. Central out." And the radio clicked off.
"What the f…" He muttered. Who would do that? Besides, the people on the truck were the first ones to know about the situation. How can somebody have that order in advance…
Then, it's that girl…he's having de javu feelings about her. Perhaps he has seen her somewhere before.
"She's not breathing!" A girl who was giving her CPR said to him.
"Just keeping doing it!" Zero answered.
"Driver! Use the siren, damn it! We need to be at the hospital now!"
"…Doctor Takaishi, please report to the ER, I repeat…"
Zero is slouching in a chair outside the door of the emergency room. Sipping his small cup of coffee, he tried not to fall asleep.
It has been three hours since he first came to the Hospital. This was the only one in the whole city, so it took them pretty long. When they got the place, Zero carried the girl to an awaiting stretcher. She woke up, in Zero's arms, for the first time since she fainted. The girl looked at him for a moment, then closed her eyes again.
A nurse came out of the Emergency Room and spoke to him half an hour ago. She told Zero that something's wrong with her brain activity. But Zero didn't bother listening. He is still thinking hard of where has he seen her before.
He went to get his free refill of coffee when a doctor went rushing into the ER doors. While filling his cup, he glanced at a clock.
It's eleven already… He thought. Picking up the cup, he walked back to the row of chairs.
He thought about what Cid, his friend at school, would say if he told him about it.
"God damn! If she really is that fine, then don't let her get away, fool!"
Zero snickered at his own imagination. After he finished the rest of his coffee, he stood up to stretch his legs. At that moment, the ER doors opened.
He quickly walked toward a doctor that's coming out.
"So what's up?" Zero asked him.
"Well, she's stable now. But she still requires a night or two to recover…If everything goes well." The doc said.
"That's good…c-can I see her?" Zero asked again.
"If you will, follow her to her room, then you can talk to her if she wakes."
"She's asleep?"
"Yeah." The doctor said again. "All thanks to heavy pain killers!… Just kidding."
"Weirdo…" Zero muttered when the doctor was gone.
The girls soon too came out of the room. It has seemed that she's alright. She doesn't have any of that respirator stuff on her. She was changed into a hospital gown.
Zero followed the stretcher up an elevator. She was still asleep. The nurse told him it was normal.
She went into a hospital room and the three nurses took her into the bed, and they left them alone.
Zero slowly sat down next to her on the bed.
Her face was expressionless. Her lips straight and white. But even that, it was like she was sending some sort of energy to him…Something that can't be described in words.
God, she's beautiful…
Zero put his hand on her cheek and ran it up to her temple. A chill ran down his back. Suddenly, the girl tossed her hand back, and Zero retracted his hand. Slowly, he sat back down. Slowly, he too, fell asleep.
'I'm alright. Don't worry. Things will get better…I promise.'
Zero was walking. Don't know where, but he was walking. It was bright, very bright…really bright…burning bright…
"My eyes!" Zero screamed out.
"Oh. You're awake." Someone said.
Zero blinked, and things came into view.
She was up, opening the curtains. It was morning. Zero was on the couch in the corner.
Immediately, Zero sat up checked for his rifle and sword. They were gone.
"Don't worry." She said. "I won't do that to you. The front desk has it."
"D-d-did you put me on the sofa?" He asked her drowsily.
"I don't want you to by blocking my view of the stars at night." She replied.
"Right. I suppose that's more important to you." Zero scoffed.
"Please…At least try to be a little more polite." She answered back while sitting down onto the sofa next to him. "Juice?" She held up a cup.
"It's not poisoned, is it?" Zero joked.
"Ha, ha." She said while shoving it to him. "Hurry up. you have ten minutes. I have to change into the stuff my butler brought me."
"Change? Butler?!" Zero said astonishingly.
"…I'm not the girl you think I am. Now drink!"
"I don't even know your name yet." Zero said to her.
She paused, and looked at him up and down.
"Narami." She finally said. "Now take your drink outside. You're taking too long." And she pushed him out the room.
"And my name is-" Zero tried to say.
"Zero Moon! Now go!" She finished for him. "Wait for me in the lobby!"
He went downstairs and retrieved his weapons. Hastily polished his sword again.
"Narami…" He said to himself. Yesterday, she was like black and white with him. Today, she would've passed on being his friend. He sighed and waited.
She finally came down. She was now wearing all leather: a snake-skin skin- tight pants, with a black leather jacket, and a white tank-top underneath.
"Damn…You desperately need to look at my wardrobe." Zero said while looking at her.
"I'll take that as a compliment. Hurry, my limo's waiting." Narami said.
"Limo?!… forget it…but I have to get back the academy!"
"And that's what we're going. Unless you want to hitchhike. Now com'on!"
"Whuh…" Zero dumbly muttered.
The stretch limo was parked just outside, standing next to it is a tall guy with black coat.
"Thank you, T.K." She said to him when he opened the door for her.
"Yeah, T.K." Zero said as he tried to get in.
But something tugged him hard out of the car.
"Is this…gentlemen here in your invitation, Miss Wishstar?" He said in a low voice.
"Oh, let him in. He's not that dangerous" She said
He growled at him, then took his rifle and sword away.
"Hey! They're mine!" He said as T.K. put them into the trunk.
"It's alright!" Narami said from inside the limo. "He's very protective of me."
"A little paranoid too if you ask me…"Zero said while straightening his collar.
"Rezna Police Academy, please." She said to T.K.
"I suppose he's your butler, huh?" Zero asked.
Narami pressed a button and rolled up the window between the front and the back.
"T.K.? No, no, no. Rick is a lot nicer."
"So…" Zero said as he looked around. The limo is decked out with everything. A TV, fridge, cell phone…
"You're rich, aren't you?" Zero suddenly asked.
"I guess…"
"Then what were you doing at a club in the city like that?"
She shifted uneasily.
"I…I wanted to escape, I guess. It's not that easily being a daughter for my dad. Everyday it's just parties after parties. Upping my family's social status…"
"…So now you wants to enter the academy to escape your parents? That's where you going, right?" Zero asked.
She nodded.
"But I gonna warn ya…It's not that easy in the academy either." Zero said while stretching his arms.
"Oh don't worry about that." She smiled. "I'm sure it's better than home."
"So, now that you're not that…hostile anymore. Have I seen you anywhere else before?" Zero asked.
"…I don't know…"
"I guess you are not comfortable with that question…Ok, let's change the subject….How the weather?"
"No. I'm not uncomfortable…It's just that I don't know either…" She quietly said. "I was going to ask you the same question."
"Oh. Ok. Well, tell me when you do." Zero said cheerfully.
She nodded.
Awkward silence.
"…What do you want to be when you grow up? When you're older, I mean." Zero finally said.
"Me?" Narami was blushing. "Oh a lot of things…I really want to be a singer. I have a very good voice"
"I can tell just by listening to you."
"How about you?" She propped her head on her crossed hands.
"I don't really care. I mean, my old man put me into the academy, hoping it'll make something outta me…But, I don't really care, you know…I'll just go where life takes me."
Narami looked at Zero admiringly. "Oh…I wish I had your attitude."
"It's not that hard. Take every opportunity life throws at you. Life is like a game. If you play it right, you'll come out the winner."
Zero looked out the window. They were running down a coast highway.
"I've never been to this part of the city before…" Zero said.
"It's beautiful here…I used to go to the beaches over there." Narami pointed out the window. "That's when I was very little. My friends and I from the neighborhood would come here during the summers. And we would just play and play all day."
"It must've been great having a good childhood."
She frowned. "You didn't?"
The limo went into a cluster of skyscrapers as Narami rolled up the windows.
Zero slouched on to the seat, looking up through the moon roof. "I was raised in the city, or the slums as we called it. I went to a public school. Oh, you probably went the a nice private school, right?"
She nodded.
"It was horrible there…You getting beat up everyday for lunch money. When my old man sees me coming home all bruised up, he sent to my to the Police academy in the city. So, here I am…"
"How long have you been in the academy?" Narami asked.
"About five years. I went in when I was twelve."
"Oh…"
The car made a right turn. Narami rolled down the middle window. "T.K.?"
"Yes, Miss Wishstar?" He answered.
"How long is it to our destination?" she asked him.
"Two hours if no traffic."
"Two hours…" She echoed him.
Narami suddenly got up and sat down on the carpet. She opened a crack on the table in the middle of the limo. A laptop popped up.
"You know how to work this thing, I'm sure? I'm not that great with this kind of stuff." Narami turned and asked Zero.
"Yeah! I live for the Internet!" he answered.
"Well, com'on!"
Zero slid down to the floor.
"I just gotta log on…" Zero clacked on the keyboard. "All set. Now, your commands, Miss Narami Wishstar?"
She smiled. "It's noon already, and I'm sure you're hungry. So how about you finding us a restaurant?"
"Ok." Zero cracked his knuckles. "I just gotta find out where we are…search for the nearest eat places…there we go. What do you like to eat?"
"Oh, anything decent will do." She answered while kneeling next to him.
"We got sea food… burger place… Chinese… we got a sushi bar… a squid specialty?!…ew…"
"You pick." She said.
"How bout…the sea food place. I've never had any sea stuff."
"Ok."
"I press print…there." He took the paper out of the printer. "Give this to T.K. I don't want him ripping off my hand…"
"You are so mean!" Narami laughed and playfully hit him on the back, then took the paper.
She stood up and gave the paper the T.K. "Let's go here, please." He heard her say to him."
They both sat back to their seats.
"Yesterday…what was I doing yesterday right now?" Zero thought out loud. "I was being punished to scrub the bathroom floor with a toothbrush. And today…I'm sitting next to the prettiest girl I've ever met."
Narami just looked at him.
"I got that from my friend, Cid…. I guess it didn't work…"
"Well, tell your friend that he needs to rethink his pick up lines, ok?"
"I'll do that…"
"Besides," Narami put a hand on Zero's shoulder. "You are already having lunch with me, does that count as a date?"
Zero was speechless.
She put a finger to his lips. "Don't answer that."
"We are here, Miss Wishstar."
"Finally." Said Zero, then he got out of the limo. Looking around, he saw that they were in front of a fancy looking restaurant.
"The Blue Lobster, huh?" Narami said.
"YO!! ZERO!" Someone yelled at him.
Zero turned around and saw someone running at him.
"Cid! What the heck are you doing here?" He said while giving him a five.
Cid has a really punk-ish look. His gold-blonde hair is gelled sky-high, and you can practically pass him off as a surfer dude.
"Look at yourself, man!" Cid said. "Oh my god! Look at that fine-ass girl over there!"
"Oh, her." Zero said as Cid stared at Narami. "I met her at the hospital." Then Zero told him about how he got met her and how she fainted.
"…and then we are here for lunch." He finished.
"You lucky dog!" Cid punched him on the shoulder. "Are you two hitting it off?"
"Heck, Man! I barely know her!"
"Well, you don't want that one to get away, alright?"
"Besides, what are you doing here?" Zero asked.
"Ah…personal escort for mister billionaire over there." He pointed over his shoulder to another limo.
"Cool…are you joining him for lunch?"
"Lunch? I wish! Luckily I brought some Hot Dogs."
"Join us then!" Zero said as he guided him toward Narami.
"Alright! Never say no to a free lunch!"
"Narami, this is-"
"Hi! My name is Cid Phoenix. What's yours?" Cid said as he grabbed her hand.
"…It's Narami. Are you the Cid Zero got the lines from?"
"Lines? What the heck is she talking about?" Cid asked Zero.
"Nothing!" Zero guided Cid toward the entrance.
"Don't tell him about that. You'll hurt his pride as a 'player.' Quote- quote." Zero said to Narami.
"Oh…sorry!" She said. "He's must have a huge ego then…"
Zero grinned as then made they're way to the restaurant.
Cid is already seated when they went in.
"Over here." He beckoned them while waving his hand.
"This place is pretty nice…" Zero commented. The place was your typical expensive-looking restaurant. With waitresses asking "What champagne would you like with your meal." That kind of place.
"Shall we order?" Narami said as she signaled for a waiter.
"Good-a day, mademoiselle. Haow may I searve you to-day?" The guy asked in a fake-ish French accent.
"I'll have the shrimp pasta and salad." She said after skimming the menu.
"And you, sir?" He asked Zero.
"I have…a…" He glanced at the menu. Most of it was in French.
"I have what she's having." He looked at Narami.
"Very well…And-"
"I'll have three hot dogs." Cid said instantly.
"Sorry, but we don't serve hot dogs in this restaurant…" The waiter said.
"Ok…I'll have a lobsters stuffed in three hot dog buns. Thanks." Cid said again as he gave him his menu.
Narami was stifling a laugh at both of them, but she didn't.
"And please bring your best drink with no alcohol please." She finished for them. "Thank you."
"So…what now?" Cid asked.
"We wait…" Narami said.
"Wait?!" Cid said, which earned him a look from a few people next to him.
"Narami! who gave you the idea to wonder into a place like this." One of the guys on the other table said.
"Daddy!?" Narami gasped out.
Art by: Jason Sunwoo
Written by: Tao Li, Grace Loe
Published by: _____________, 2002
Forward
Hello readers. If you are reading this out of a book or anything bounded, than that means that someone actually published our piece of… work. We'd like to begin by thanking censored. Thank You!
If you don't know what Final Fantasy is, than it's either that you are a klutz or this paper is one hundred years old. To refresh your memory, here it goes…
Final Fantasy began in the 1980's. By a Japanese software company called SquareSoft. The head of the company, Hironobu Sakaguchi, wants to use modern gaming technology with epic story telling. Unfortunately, the most advanced gaming console is as powerful as a calculator. So, by using Nintendo's SNES, the company focused more on the story than the graphics. After a few mediocre games, the series struck gold. Final Fantasy VI(6) was a smash hit. After the sixth one, Square wanted a better system, which uses CDs for better graphics, instead of cartridges. But for piracy reasons, Nintendo still stuck to cartridges (N64). For this reason, Square broke off with Nintendo, and went into hibernation.
Many CD consoles came out, Like Sega CD, 32X, and the Sega Saturn. But Square still didn't make a move. Finally, it came the PlayStation. This is the first system that truly supported full 3D rendering. Square finally decided that this was the one, and started working on a Final Fantasy for the PlayStation.
Because of it was an early generation game, 3D graphics is still developing. It took years and millions of dollars just to make the game. In the late 1990s Square published Final Fantasy VII(7). It took the Gaming industry by storm. Nobody has seen 3D graphics that immense in a game. Of course it sold millions, gave millions in profits to Square. Soon after, came out 8 and 9, both were on top of the RPG charts each year. At the time of this writing, Final Fantasy X(10) came out for the PlayStation 2. It has, again revolutionized the gaming industry.
If you read through the whole thing…, yay cuz it was worth writing it!
And that's the History of Final Fantasy so far. Of course, more is coming…
Legal Stuff
If there's any Square lawyers getting readying to sue us now, believe me, you won't get much. We are just some kids from California who worships SquareSoft. If this story is actually published, don't worry, we'll give you guys credits. Actually, it's right here:
Final Fantasies
Producer: Hironobu Sakaguchi
Director: Yoshinori Kitase
Original Art: Yoshitaka Amano
Character Design: Tetsuya Nomura
Music Composer: Nobuo Uematsu
You guys are semi-gods. So if you like our story, you are welcome to make it into an actual game if you give us profits…. Thank You!
R]-[
Prelude
'Zero?'
What?
'Zero? What are you doing?'
What do you mean 'what are you doing'?
'Zero… Open your eyes…'
White was all he saw. As if he was cloud nine. Looking around, mist surrounded him.
What the…
He stepped forward. The floor was oddly solid. Slowly, he moved himself, one step at a time.
After what seemed hours he saw a ghostly figure, a silhouette perhaps.
"He-he-hello?" Zero asked out.
He can hear footsteps, and saw the figure getting closer. When it was close enough, he can see the details. A girl stood before him. About his age. All that Zero can tell that she is perfect.
"Who are you?" Zero reached for her.
The girl smiled.
"Were you calling me?" He asked.
She placed one finger on her lips, and whispered something.
"What'd you say?"
She shook her head.
It was black. He sees an old man standing in front of him.
"Zero, is it? My granddaughter saw you wondering around."
"…Your granddaughter? She's your granddaughter?"
He nodded. "You have a gift, I could sense it."
"What kind of gift?" Zero asked again.
"The one that matters. I will meet you in person very soon."
"But wait! Who is that girl? What do you mean-"
White.
CHAPTER 1
"Zero! Wake up!"
"Whuh……!"
Whipping his over-greased head back, he woke with a start.
"Man! If you do that one more time, you're gonna be kicked off the squad!"
"Shut up! I need my beauty sleep!"
He looked around. He was in the back of a military truck, the roof of the truck was steadily dripping water. He peaked out a crack. They were going through a ran-down street. Nobody was out because it was raining…
"Ok, soldiers!" A voice boomed him awake again. "You know what to do! The place is suspected of drug trafficking. We get in, arrest all of them. Then we're done! Got that!"
"Yes sir!" All of them except Zero said.
The truck halted with a skid.
"Remember, we must surprise them!" A guy said to him.
"Whatever."
He grabbed his rifle, and checked his sword strapped at the waist, and got off the truck. The rain was pouring above them. Seconds later, he was soaking wet.
They got to the entrance of the club. The commander signaled the door bashers forward. A couple of guys with sledgehammers stepped forward.
The commander held up a finger, then another, then another.
BAMM!!
"PUT YOUR HANDS UP! THIS IS A RAID! PUT YOUR HANDS OVER YOUR HAND AND LIE DOWN ON THE GROUND NOW!!"
It was havoc. Half dressed girls every where.
Great, Zero thought, Cid would be loving it right now.
His squad members begin standing people up and putting them in handcuffs.
Zero walked around, patrolling the room. When he walked into the back of the room he saw something move.
He held up his rifle on reflex. Zero walked around the area, and saw a butt sticking out from behind a closet.
"Alright lady! You can come out now!"
She stood up facing away from him.
"Ok! ok…"
She turned around
"Holy Sh-"
The girl has sleek black hair down to her elbow. She has the whitest skin he has ever seen. Two brown eyes, clear as crystal, stared at him. She was wearing a milky-white colored silk ballroom gown. Pretty out of place at a club.
Zero had on an oddly dreamy face. He has seen this girl somewhere. But some how…
"What are you looking at?!" She said with her hands on the back of her head.
"Do I know you?" He asked.
She sneered. "Know me? Why do you ask that?! You're a cop!"
Weird. "Forget it. Com'on, girl." He grabbed her by the arm.
"Get off me! I know how to walk! And don't call me girl! You're barely older than me!" And she went.
"Sheesh…" Zero muttered.
He followed her to the front of the room, where all the other arrested people stood together, and she started talking to another girl.
"…Jerks! Even by looking at them…" Zero caught her saying.
"Zero! Get your ass over here!"
He turned around, and saw his commander yelling at him. He hastily ran over by the door.
"You, you and you." He pointed at Zero and two other person. "Accompany the arrested to the police station. Then someone else will take over. Got it?"
"Yes sir!"
"Yeah, sure." Zero said.
"Now get them in to the truck over there." He pointed at another military- style truck that just came.
"Alright people!" Zero said while waving his rifle. "Make a line and get into that truck! Don't do anything funny unless you want some holes in you!"
They didn't move.
"NOW!!" Zero yelled. Finally, they slowly form a line and walked toward the truck.
"That includes you, missy!" He said to the girl he arrested.
She was looking at him the most unusual way. she shook her head, and went into the truck.
He jumped in after the other two squad members, and sat down next to her.
"Ok driver!" He yelled to the front.
He heard the engine start, and they bumped down the road.
He put the rifle in his lap, and carefully took his sword from the sheath, and started polishing it. Slowly, he reflected the girl's face onto the blade.
I could've sworn I've seen her somewhere…Zero thought.
He saw her with her arms on her lap, her eyes closed. Taking a deep breath, she suddenly jerked and fell to the ground.
Some girls gasped and stood up.
"Stop the truck!" Zero yelled at the driver as he fell down next to her. Putting two fingers on the side of her neck, he tried to feel for a pulse.
"Shit…" He said to himself.
"What's up, man?" One of his comrades asked.
"Untie her and those two." He said to him, and pointed at two of the girls. "Give her CPR." And Zero ran to the front of the truck.
"Detour." He said to the driver. "City Hospital. Pronto!"
The engine started. And they were moving again.
He took out his radio from his shoulder.
"This is Zero Moon, ID code 14430! Anybody there!?"
"This is Rezna Central. What is your situation?" A voice answered.
"We have an ill captive onboard. Permission to arrive at City Hospital. Over."
"Permission granted. You will remain with the injured girl after you get to the hospital. Over."
"Cop-…What? Why?" Zero asked.
"Special clearance has been made by superior officials to have you remain with the ill personal."
"On whose authority?!" Zero hotly asked again.
"That's on a need-to-know basis. You know your orders. Central out." And the radio clicked off.
"What the f…" He muttered. Who would do that? Besides, the people on the truck were the first ones to know about the situation. How can somebody have that order in advance…
Then, it's that girl…he's having de javu feelings about her. Perhaps he has seen her somewhere before.
"She's not breathing!" A girl who was giving her CPR said to him.
"Just keeping doing it!" Zero answered.
"Driver! Use the siren, damn it! We need to be at the hospital now!"
"…Doctor Takaishi, please report to the ER, I repeat…"
Zero is slouching in a chair outside the door of the emergency room. Sipping his small cup of coffee, he tried not to fall asleep.
It has been three hours since he first came to the Hospital. This was the only one in the whole city, so it took them pretty long. When they got the place, Zero carried the girl to an awaiting stretcher. She woke up, in Zero's arms, for the first time since she fainted. The girl looked at him for a moment, then closed her eyes again.
A nurse came out of the Emergency Room and spoke to him half an hour ago. She told Zero that something's wrong with her brain activity. But Zero didn't bother listening. He is still thinking hard of where has he seen her before.
He went to get his free refill of coffee when a doctor went rushing into the ER doors. While filling his cup, he glanced at a clock.
It's eleven already… He thought. Picking up the cup, he walked back to the row of chairs.
He thought about what Cid, his friend at school, would say if he told him about it.
"God damn! If she really is that fine, then don't let her get away, fool!"
Zero snickered at his own imagination. After he finished the rest of his coffee, he stood up to stretch his legs. At that moment, the ER doors opened.
He quickly walked toward a doctor that's coming out.
"So what's up?" Zero asked him.
"Well, she's stable now. But she still requires a night or two to recover…If everything goes well." The doc said.
"That's good…c-can I see her?" Zero asked again.
"If you will, follow her to her room, then you can talk to her if she wakes."
"She's asleep?"
"Yeah." The doctor said again. "All thanks to heavy pain killers!… Just kidding."
"Weirdo…" Zero muttered when the doctor was gone.
The girls soon too came out of the room. It has seemed that she's alright. She doesn't have any of that respirator stuff on her. She was changed into a hospital gown.
Zero followed the stretcher up an elevator. She was still asleep. The nurse told him it was normal.
She went into a hospital room and the three nurses took her into the bed, and they left them alone.
Zero slowly sat down next to her on the bed.
Her face was expressionless. Her lips straight and white. But even that, it was like she was sending some sort of energy to him…Something that can't be described in words.
God, she's beautiful…
Zero put his hand on her cheek and ran it up to her temple. A chill ran down his back. Suddenly, the girl tossed her hand back, and Zero retracted his hand. Slowly, he sat back down. Slowly, he too, fell asleep.
'I'm alright. Don't worry. Things will get better…I promise.'
Zero was walking. Don't know where, but he was walking. It was bright, very bright…really bright…burning bright…
"My eyes!" Zero screamed out.
"Oh. You're awake." Someone said.
Zero blinked, and things came into view.
She was up, opening the curtains. It was morning. Zero was on the couch in the corner.
Immediately, Zero sat up checked for his rifle and sword. They were gone.
"Don't worry." She said. "I won't do that to you. The front desk has it."
"D-d-did you put me on the sofa?" He asked her drowsily.
"I don't want you to by blocking my view of the stars at night." She replied.
"Right. I suppose that's more important to you." Zero scoffed.
"Please…At least try to be a little more polite." She answered back while sitting down onto the sofa next to him. "Juice?" She held up a cup.
"It's not poisoned, is it?" Zero joked.
"Ha, ha." She said while shoving it to him. "Hurry up. you have ten minutes. I have to change into the stuff my butler brought me."
"Change? Butler?!" Zero said astonishingly.
"…I'm not the girl you think I am. Now drink!"
"I don't even know your name yet." Zero said to her.
She paused, and looked at him up and down.
"Narami." She finally said. "Now take your drink outside. You're taking too long." And she pushed him out the room.
"And my name is-" Zero tried to say.
"Zero Moon! Now go!" She finished for him. "Wait for me in the lobby!"
He went downstairs and retrieved his weapons. Hastily polished his sword again.
"Narami…" He said to himself. Yesterday, she was like black and white with him. Today, she would've passed on being his friend. He sighed and waited.
She finally came down. She was now wearing all leather: a snake-skin skin- tight pants, with a black leather jacket, and a white tank-top underneath.
"Damn…You desperately need to look at my wardrobe." Zero said while looking at her.
"I'll take that as a compliment. Hurry, my limo's waiting." Narami said.
"Limo?!… forget it…but I have to get back the academy!"
"And that's what we're going. Unless you want to hitchhike. Now com'on!"
"Whuh…" Zero dumbly muttered.
The stretch limo was parked just outside, standing next to it is a tall guy with black coat.
"Thank you, T.K." She said to him when he opened the door for her.
"Yeah, T.K." Zero said as he tried to get in.
But something tugged him hard out of the car.
"Is this…gentlemen here in your invitation, Miss Wishstar?" He said in a low voice.
"Oh, let him in. He's not that dangerous" She said
He growled at him, then took his rifle and sword away.
"Hey! They're mine!" He said as T.K. put them into the trunk.
"It's alright!" Narami said from inside the limo. "He's very protective of me."
"A little paranoid too if you ask me…"Zero said while straightening his collar.
"Rezna Police Academy, please." She said to T.K.
"I suppose he's your butler, huh?" Zero asked.
Narami pressed a button and rolled up the window between the front and the back.
"T.K.? No, no, no. Rick is a lot nicer."
"So…" Zero said as he looked around. The limo is decked out with everything. A TV, fridge, cell phone…
"You're rich, aren't you?" Zero suddenly asked.
"I guess…"
"Then what were you doing at a club in the city like that?"
She shifted uneasily.
"I…I wanted to escape, I guess. It's not that easily being a daughter for my dad. Everyday it's just parties after parties. Upping my family's social status…"
"…So now you wants to enter the academy to escape your parents? That's where you going, right?" Zero asked.
She nodded.
"But I gonna warn ya…It's not that easy in the academy either." Zero said while stretching his arms.
"Oh don't worry about that." She smiled. "I'm sure it's better than home."
"So, now that you're not that…hostile anymore. Have I seen you anywhere else before?" Zero asked.
"…I don't know…"
"I guess you are not comfortable with that question…Ok, let's change the subject….How the weather?"
"No. I'm not uncomfortable…It's just that I don't know either…" She quietly said. "I was going to ask you the same question."
"Oh. Ok. Well, tell me when you do." Zero said cheerfully.
She nodded.
Awkward silence.
"…What do you want to be when you grow up? When you're older, I mean." Zero finally said.
"Me?" Narami was blushing. "Oh a lot of things…I really want to be a singer. I have a very good voice"
"I can tell just by listening to you."
"How about you?" She propped her head on her crossed hands.
"I don't really care. I mean, my old man put me into the academy, hoping it'll make something outta me…But, I don't really care, you know…I'll just go where life takes me."
Narami looked at Zero admiringly. "Oh…I wish I had your attitude."
"It's not that hard. Take every opportunity life throws at you. Life is like a game. If you play it right, you'll come out the winner."
Zero looked out the window. They were running down a coast highway.
"I've never been to this part of the city before…" Zero said.
"It's beautiful here…I used to go to the beaches over there." Narami pointed out the window. "That's when I was very little. My friends and I from the neighborhood would come here during the summers. And we would just play and play all day."
"It must've been great having a good childhood."
She frowned. "You didn't?"
The limo went into a cluster of skyscrapers as Narami rolled up the windows.
Zero slouched on to the seat, looking up through the moon roof. "I was raised in the city, or the slums as we called it. I went to a public school. Oh, you probably went the a nice private school, right?"
She nodded.
"It was horrible there…You getting beat up everyday for lunch money. When my old man sees me coming home all bruised up, he sent to my to the Police academy in the city. So, here I am…"
"How long have you been in the academy?" Narami asked.
"About five years. I went in when I was twelve."
"Oh…"
The car made a right turn. Narami rolled down the middle window. "T.K.?"
"Yes, Miss Wishstar?" He answered.
"How long is it to our destination?" she asked him.
"Two hours if no traffic."
"Two hours…" She echoed him.
Narami suddenly got up and sat down on the carpet. She opened a crack on the table in the middle of the limo. A laptop popped up.
"You know how to work this thing, I'm sure? I'm not that great with this kind of stuff." Narami turned and asked Zero.
"Yeah! I live for the Internet!" he answered.
"Well, com'on!"
Zero slid down to the floor.
"I just gotta log on…" Zero clacked on the keyboard. "All set. Now, your commands, Miss Narami Wishstar?"
She smiled. "It's noon already, and I'm sure you're hungry. So how about you finding us a restaurant?"
"Ok." Zero cracked his knuckles. "I just gotta find out where we are…search for the nearest eat places…there we go. What do you like to eat?"
"Oh, anything decent will do." She answered while kneeling next to him.
"We got sea food… burger place… Chinese… we got a sushi bar… a squid specialty?!…ew…"
"You pick." She said.
"How bout…the sea food place. I've never had any sea stuff."
"Ok."
"I press print…there." He took the paper out of the printer. "Give this to T.K. I don't want him ripping off my hand…"
"You are so mean!" Narami laughed and playfully hit him on the back, then took the paper.
She stood up and gave the paper the T.K. "Let's go here, please." He heard her say to him."
They both sat back to their seats.
"Yesterday…what was I doing yesterday right now?" Zero thought out loud. "I was being punished to scrub the bathroom floor with a toothbrush. And today…I'm sitting next to the prettiest girl I've ever met."
Narami just looked at him.
"I got that from my friend, Cid…. I guess it didn't work…"
"Well, tell your friend that he needs to rethink his pick up lines, ok?"
"I'll do that…"
"Besides," Narami put a hand on Zero's shoulder. "You are already having lunch with me, does that count as a date?"
Zero was speechless.
She put a finger to his lips. "Don't answer that."
"We are here, Miss Wishstar."
"Finally." Said Zero, then he got out of the limo. Looking around, he saw that they were in front of a fancy looking restaurant.
"The Blue Lobster, huh?" Narami said.
"YO!! ZERO!" Someone yelled at him.
Zero turned around and saw someone running at him.
"Cid! What the heck are you doing here?" He said while giving him a five.
Cid has a really punk-ish look. His gold-blonde hair is gelled sky-high, and you can practically pass him off as a surfer dude.
"Look at yourself, man!" Cid said. "Oh my god! Look at that fine-ass girl over there!"
"Oh, her." Zero said as Cid stared at Narami. "I met her at the hospital." Then Zero told him about how he got met her and how she fainted.
"…and then we are here for lunch." He finished.
"You lucky dog!" Cid punched him on the shoulder. "Are you two hitting it off?"
"Heck, Man! I barely know her!"
"Well, you don't want that one to get away, alright?"
"Besides, what are you doing here?" Zero asked.
"Ah…personal escort for mister billionaire over there." He pointed over his shoulder to another limo.
"Cool…are you joining him for lunch?"
"Lunch? I wish! Luckily I brought some Hot Dogs."
"Join us then!" Zero said as he guided him toward Narami.
"Alright! Never say no to a free lunch!"
"Narami, this is-"
"Hi! My name is Cid Phoenix. What's yours?" Cid said as he grabbed her hand.
"…It's Narami. Are you the Cid Zero got the lines from?"
"Lines? What the heck is she talking about?" Cid asked Zero.
"Nothing!" Zero guided Cid toward the entrance.
"Don't tell him about that. You'll hurt his pride as a 'player.' Quote- quote." Zero said to Narami.
"Oh…sorry!" She said. "He's must have a huge ego then…"
Zero grinned as then made they're way to the restaurant.
Cid is already seated when they went in.
"Over here." He beckoned them while waving his hand.
"This place is pretty nice…" Zero commented. The place was your typical expensive-looking restaurant. With waitresses asking "What champagne would you like with your meal." That kind of place.
"Shall we order?" Narami said as she signaled for a waiter.
"Good-a day, mademoiselle. Haow may I searve you to-day?" The guy asked in a fake-ish French accent.
"I'll have the shrimp pasta and salad." She said after skimming the menu.
"And you, sir?" He asked Zero.
"I have…a…" He glanced at the menu. Most of it was in French.
"I have what she's having." He looked at Narami.
"Very well…And-"
"I'll have three hot dogs." Cid said instantly.
"Sorry, but we don't serve hot dogs in this restaurant…" The waiter said.
"Ok…I'll have a lobsters stuffed in three hot dog buns. Thanks." Cid said again as he gave him his menu.
Narami was stifling a laugh at both of them, but she didn't.
"And please bring your best drink with no alcohol please." She finished for them. "Thank you."
"So…what now?" Cid asked.
"We wait…" Narami said.
"Wait?!" Cid said, which earned him a look from a few people next to him.
"Narami! who gave you the idea to wonder into a place like this." One of the guys on the other table said.
"Daddy!?" Narami gasped out.