Author's note: Guys guess what I found myself addicted to writing; and now i can't stop. Here's another chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own FF, SquareEnix, and any of its merchandise and characters! xD everything here is purely fictional, any event that may seem to relate to anybody is purely coincidental.

--Chapter three--

Great now it rains on me big time

Squall thought as he walked on the crowded streets of Esthar as the rain poured down heavily.

Damn, I have to get back to the airport pronto.

Seeing that all the cabs were full and inaccessible he went to walk on his own back to the airport, which was almost 20kilometers away from where he is. The city is busy, even when it is raining, it doesn't stop the people from doing their business. People from different establishments, state of lives, and places gather in this place, this place they call the market place.

ugh, I took a wrong turn!

"Great, just great! Now I'm stuck here in the market place and I bet my ride is already panicking at the airport." he sighed as he ran through the great cluster of people in the market place. No one really noticed even when Squall slipped and almost fell head-on on the fish stand; instead they all went different ways, attending to different needs. It was filthy, musky, slippery, and somehow slimy in the market place. If you were to buy bargains, then this is the place to be, no joke, but to come here at this time, in this weather was no picnic, and most definitely not appropriate.

"Fantastic!" He let out when he saw the signage for the airport saying:

"Esthar International Airport 2km"

He sprinted, not really minding who he hit, or who he collided with. He just went straight to the infrastructure that was now forming before his eyes. "Almost there!"

There's my ride! Damn I hope they don't notice my wet clothes. Ahck! Who am I kidding? Who wouldn't notice? I'll just have to make up an excuse... he thought as he sped off to the Benz that had the plate number, PRES on it.

"Sire! We were almost to send off a search party when you didn't arrive on time." the chauffer said.

"Oh c'mon Leonardo, don't over react I just needed to get something from my friend out there on the market place, no harm done, I'm here in one piece and with my clothes and baggage..."

"And not to mention an upcoming cold!" Leonardo interjected. "Tsk tsk sir we have to take you home before you get the flu and get me fired for not watching too closely." and he added a smile.

"Leonardo, you have been my chauffer since I was a kid," squall said. "And you know I don't like it when you intervene with my personal matters."

"I'm sorry sir; I am just trying to do my job and trying to protect you from harm."

"Leonardo, my pal, you know you can't really protect someone from their own selves now, can you?" Squall said with a smirk.

"Oh sire, you know I still try, because a little boy told me to 'keep on pestering them and they'll succumb to your need!'"

"Whoever said that Leonardo must have been someone really mischievous and not to mention handsome."

"Well the mischievous I agree to, but the handsome... maybe I still need a few more"pestering" for me to believe that." Leonardo said with a smile. "Now sir, if you will please fasten your seatbelt because I need to break a few traffic rules to get you to the Presidential palace on time for the ball!"

And with that Leonardo placed the pedal to the metal and within a matter of minutes; they arrived at Esthar's Presidential Palace and Squall's home.

It was a huge estate, with lots of lights and a lot more guards. It was surely protected, since the president and his family resides there. Squall grew up in this lofty estate, with his older sister Ellone. They moved there right after the Estharian revolution, where there father, Laguna Loire, fashionably won the battle and eventually chosen to rule the country until the time they find a suitable person to replace him; in his case, Squall's case, he was the heir.

"Squall! I thought you turned into a goat!" Ellone screamed. "Now, get your butt in here and change for the ball!" she added harshly as she shoved her little brother into the grand hall and eventually to his room.

"Alright, alright! I'll change into more "suitable" clothes! Just hold your horses and give me 2minutes wilya?" Squall yelled as his sister was ushering him into his room.

"Alright, be at the grand hall in two minutes," she said holding up her two fingers to his face. "Two minutes! Or else" she added threateningly.

"Geez, you think she could be a little more welcoming." Squall muttered to himself.

Squall marched into his bathroom to quickly shower and put on a nice tux. Ugh Ellone you put me up to this.

Ellone was nothing short of a perfectionist. She always wanted everything perfect, and spic and span, it sometimes pisses everyone but then no one had the heart to disagree with her, because if Squall can make them succumb with his "Death" glare, then Ellone can make them follow her every command with her raveshing smile. Ellone took most of their late mother's looks, unlike Squall who only inherited their mother's eyes, Ellone got everything, except for the attitude, and she got almost all of that from Laguna. She stood up as their family's acting "mother" when she was 13, and Raine, their mother, fell into a terrible disease that also took her life. Squall was only 8 when their mom died and Ellone was the one who helped him through his childhood. Laguna was not able to help them for he was way too busy running his country alongside his long time buddies, Kiros and Ward.

Squall looked at himself in the mirror while trying to fix his tie; he never liked tying up a bow tie. "Squall, you done in there?"

"Yeah Ellone I'm fully clothed, you may come in."

"Ugh, I see you still have trouble with bow ties, come here I'll help you with that." she said as she started on his tie.

"Wow, from naughty to nice in a matter of minutes!" Squall commented seeing that Ellone was back to being nice to him.

"What's up sis?"

"Nothing, who would've thought they would really take the "fashionably late" add-on on the invitation seriously," she said while finishing up his tie. "Well anyway... there we go! All done."

"Not half bad sis, you really should do this for a living." Squall joked. "And you should really use joking as your source of income, since you are so good at It." she replied sarcastically. "Anyway my dear brother mind telling me why you are late and soaking wet?" she asked him with a raised eyebrow trying to imitate Squall's death glare.

"Well you see..." Squall said, but he was cut when Laguna came into the room.

"Hey guys, how do I look?" he asked them while twirling.

"Great now no one knows how to knock!" Squall commented sarcastically.

"You look like a president of a country as usual, with the matching flashing fake smile." Ellone said while trying to fix their father's tie as well. "Now I know where Squall got his clueless ness in tying ties!"

"Yeah right Elle, anyway both of you, the guests will be arriving soon, better get your smiles ready and you butts ready to boogie in a matter of minutes!" Laguna told them as he checked himself in the mirror and finally leaving the siblings alone.

"Yeah dad's right, we better get down there to meet the guests." Ellone said while checking her make up and leaving Squall.

"Make sure you get your butt down there Squall." she added with her famous, or rather infamous, smile.

"Yeah, yeah I'll be down there I just need to finish up tying my shoes."

Ellone rolled her eyes and finally left to meet the guests. As soon as her footsteps faded, Squall took out his cell phone and quickly dialed Rinoa's number.

"Hey you have reached me, Rinoa, but unfortunately I am not able to answer this call, so just leave a voicemail after the beep! Love yah!" her voice mail said.

"Oh hey Rin, it's me Squall, I was just calling to check up on you, well I myself got to where I needed to be, just in the nick of time. Well anyway, since you are not able to answer can you call me back when you do? It'd be great if you did, well anyways, goodnight. Bye." and he flipped his phone off.

--

The great hall was fully enveloped with gold and silver making it look like a scene in a movie, the ceiling's tens of hundreds of chandeliers were sparkling with gold and yellow lights, while the sounds that the band was playing was simply breathtaking. It was like a scene from a fairy tale as far as Squall was concerned; only his princess was not there.

"Finally!"

"Ellone, do I really have to be here? I mean, the duchess's niece, Irene, is here and I don't want her to catch a glimpse of me."

Squall whispered to his sister while trying to fake a smile for the incoming guests.

"Well, you just have to deal with the little brat. You know how she makes slaves out of everyone, well not all, because she can't take over me." she added, as she shook the hand of the Lady Zissa, land owner of one of the most prestigious clubs in Esthar.

"Tell me about it, she's a little you." Squall muttered under his breath while smiling at the incoming guest, who was awfully pretty indeed.

"I heard that Squall, and as of a matter of fact she is a little me, because she always arrives on time." Ellone whispered to her brother while trying to motion to the little devil that just walked in the hall.

"Oh brother she's here!" Squall gasped. "This time I won't be her little pony!"

"Good luck!" Ellone hushed to her brother as Squall gave the guest a kiss on the cheek and went to run to his father.

"Dad, I have to go now, I'm not feeling so well, you know... jetlag... "And he acted as if he was about to blow.

"Oh okay son, now go to your room, sorry for putting you up for this." Laguna patted his son's back. "No worries dad, next time I promise."

Squall then stalked off to his room, smiling inwardly as he basked in his glory and success. He slammed the door shut, locked it and lied down on his bed. The night was getting deeper, and he had a message on his phone, this is the only time he realized he left his phone on the bed.

"You've got a voicemail" it read.

"Oh shit! She called me back!" Squall exclaimed as he pressed play.

"Hey Squall, sorry. I was in the shower so I wasn't able to answer, well I see that you yourself is not available too... hmm maybe we could talk some more tomorrow i know we are both tired from the travel... so I guess I should bid you goodnight now. Well anyway I'll call again tomorrow morning... hope you're awake then... kidding... Well anyway... goodnight"

Squall snapped his phone shut, while smiling to himself because a hot girl was calling his cell in the night, and he also was disappointed that he left his phone on his bed.

Well, too late now Einstein. I'd better change and get some sleep for tomorrow...:

"Rinoa's gonna call."