Emerald Storms
Silverium
Squaresoft not Silver with the exception of Trianon, Psyche, Michelle and Kerei.
It was evening when Trianon was released from her duties of watching over Selphie. The tall woman slipped back to her special quarters and breezed through her doors with a sigh. Being a guard was a terribly boring duty, especially when she didn't believe she was really needed. Selphie was no longer the target. Who needed the creator of the Aries when it was completed and ready for the taking itself?
Trianon shrugged softly to herself and looked around the dark quarters. The main colour she had chosen for her little apartment was navy blue. Navy blue and silver, lots of black and little else. With no lights on the place was inky and every detail seemed merged together, but Trianon had no troubles weaving around furniture to find her bed. The lithe figure dressed herself in a pale shift that fell mid thigh and was as translucent as one of Irvine's pick up lines. Letting her hair down in a thick shower of curls, the woman crawled into her bed and lay down, letting her glassy eyes watch the ceiling until they closed.
She awoke into the haze of what could only be a dream world. Voluminous trees of spongy magenta leaves stood in clumps with twisted trunks sprouting out of a blue-green grass that swayed ever so gently. Trianon walked passively through it, reaching up into the tall trees and pulling herself into the branches to look around. A pale-faced woman watched her from a higher branch and then gracefully climbed down, ropes of red hair falling around her spider thin body. Her skin was bleached, her eyes pools of black and nothing else, yet a charming and shy smile lit her face.
"Trianon."
Trianon nodded, watching her quietly, holding on to the tree and pulling herself up enough that she could sit comfortably.
"You chose me, Trianon,"
"I thought you were right for the job,"
"I want to be with you Trianon,"
"It is not possible,"
"You can make it possible, you do what no other has done!"
"It is not possible, I junction with no one," Trianon replied in a musical voice, though emotionless as it was.
The woman looked sad and she climbed forward, hanging upside down in front of Trianon, red braids swinging down and coiling amongst the wood and leaves. She leaned forward and planted her lips against Trianon's while the cerulean haired woman stayed still, her eyes unjudging.
"Was I right for the job? They sealed me away,"
"I picked wrongly." Trianon said quickly, for once showing some care, "I am to be blamed, and I will…remedy the problem,"
"Thank you my sister," The woman smiled again and nuzzled Trianon's cheek like a faithful pet,
"Sleep Psyche," Trianon whispered, letting herself fall from the tree.
Trianon awoke in the middle of the night. She blinked a few times and then stared out her window for a moment before yawning. As her head hit the pillow once more she heard a crinkle. Frowning she reached up and plucked a crimson-magenta leaf from her hair. Slender fingers twirled it in the graceful moonlight before setting it aside. This was not the first time Psyche, or any other Guardian Force, had come to her at night.
xxxxx
Dawn filtered in through the curtains gently, landing on Trianon's pillow and crossing her face with a trail of hazy gold. Her eyes opened, appearing a strange pale amber with the sunlight reflecting off them, and she sat up to begin untangling her hair. Time to go meet Selphie.
The cafeteria line-up wasn't huge at this hour so Trianon grabbed breakfast for both her and Selphie and then trekked down to the mechanics room. Selphie always forgot breakfast when she was thinking about her machines, she had both told this to Trianon and accidentally demonstrated the fact yesterday, much to the older woman's secret amusement.
The mechanics room was empty save for the girl and her lone guard. Trianon relieved the man of duty and sat down looking pensive. Selphie, meanwhile, had accepted the breakfast and went back to tinkering while singing out of earphones.
"It's harder t' breathe, when you're rais-ing the stakes!"
Trianon decided that Selphie could not hear her.
"Cause Heaven aint close to a place like this!"
Trianon sighed softly and went back to her thinking. She had promised the Guardian Force Psyche a place as a junctioned GF but who would take her after an incident like the one with Seifer? It was no secret about what had happened that day, especially with the effects it had on Quistis. Every junior had had the horror of seeing the most composed SeeD and Instructor break down and even be put off duty due to the after shocks of the mysterious guardian force that many didn't even know exist. Though, truth be told, Garden had several GFs that no one knew about.
As an instructor of the stealth and weapon techniques, Trianon wasn't really supposed to know about the magical field in Balamb but through connections in staff and just general courtesy that the other instructors had, most of the secrets had been told to Trianon simply so that she wouldn't make a mistake later in her career.
Balamb had a lot of secrets that it had to keep from the students, for their safety and because some of them involved test material. Psyche, for instance, was an illegal guardian force, untrained and used "raw" for the greatest of effects. Trianon didn't mind it, she knew that when used properly, no guardian force would put their master or allies at risk. The instructions given to Psyche must have been flawed, perhaps the user hadn't known of Psyche's powers. It was no reason to keep a guardian force locked in their relic form.
A moving shadow snapped the woman's attention back into place but it was merely the result of Selphie's fluttering hand as she added some dance moves to her singing debut. The brunette had been more cheerful than usual for the past few days which had the cerulean haired woman wondering but Trianon wasn't stupid, and she knew it had to do with Squall's constant presence around the young girl.
Trianon wasn't sure where she fit in with the elite SeeDs. Constantly the cerulean haired woman was paired with them but she lacked the history the teens had had and thus she felt odd, out of place, even with the cowboy's obvious desires to include her. A smile crossed her lips when she thought of Irvine Kinneas. He was an interesting individual, and one she felt she could trust.
An explosion of sparks brought Trianon's attention back again to Selphie who laughed a little and looked sheepish.
"Sorry about that," She grinned, emerald eyes dancing,
"Not a problem. Do you require lunch?" Trianon asked curiously,
"Hey, that'd be great! I think the café has watermelon today! Thanks Trianon!"
Selphie beamed up at her, a streak of oil down her cheek and smudges of grime on her arms. Trianon smiled softly and headed out, telling the outside guard to be especially wary.
As soon as Trianon left, Squall came in. He looked a little tired and instead of saying anything he simply sat down beside Selphie and watched her work. The girl recognized this as a "quiet time" moment and kept tinkering away, flashing him a smile to show that she had seen him come in.
Squall rested his gunblade across his legs, the hilt and tip resting on either knee as he watched her. He had received 26 phone messages from Rinoa and after the eighth he had stopped listening. She was very whiney. Very annoying. Squall had decided he had been very desperate when she had first found him. Or stupid. He was still debating.
Grey-blue eyes watched Selphie as she concentrated on the hunk of metal in front of her. She was screwing on plates of metal to protect it now, and inserting wires and taking others out. Her little tool flashed in the fluorescent lighting and reflected in her eyes.
A sudden surge of affection washed over Squall as he watched the tiny girl playing away with a silly grin on her face. He placed his gunblade off to the side and crawled over, wrapping his arms around her tiny waist and placing a kiss on the corner of her mouth. Selphie's eyes slid closed, and she leaned back into him, surprised but delighted by the sudden tenderness. Her multi-tool dropped from her fingers and she ran her hands through his hair, her back against his chest and his arms running down her sides.
"I'm so glad you're back," he whispered huskily, "I was going crazy when you were missing,"
Selphie smiled, tears in her eyes at the memories, "I knew I'd be saved though, I knew you'd keep looking for me, when you rescued me…I was so happy, Squall,"
He held her tighter and buried his face in her hair, the scent of watermelon shampoo lingering there, made him smile, and then hold her as close as he could. This little body, this cute girl, she was his.
Behind them the door opened silently and Trianon slid in with a tray. Her expression had sobered since and, kneeling on the ground, she set the tray on the floor and backed out of the room without disturbing either SeeD.
Leaning against the door on the opposite side of the guard she closed her eyes. After the Aries was done she could complete her semester of teaching. After that…her plans ended. Would she transfer to a new Garden? Switch occupations entirely and travel the world some more? Perhaps take up an apprentice for weapon crafting. It was too much to think about at the present moment.
Trianon shifted slightly and felt a cool breeze on her cheek. Her eyes snapped open and her dagger fell into her hand immediately. The guard was fanning himself with his hand. Trianon relaxed. The guard, meanwhile, had frozen with wariness at the cat-like movements of the woman next to him.
Half an hour later Squall came out, a flushed face and tangled hair. Trianon watched him sedately and then sauntered back inside to see a cheerful Selphie popping on more casing and then rigging chains up to the engine.
One of the thick chains she was using refused to clamp on though, and no matter how Selphie pulled and pushed it into place it always clattered to the floor. Biting her lip and wondering how she'd move the engine into place, the brunette balanced a hand against the hull of the Aries and glared at her engine.
"Stop being stubborn," she told it sternly.
Trianon watched her yank the chain back up and then scowl as another fell off in result. A smile tugged on the corners of her lips as she watched the little woman dance in frustration. The blue-haired instructor walked over and held the chains still while Selphie moved them into place, and then they tied the chains in place with normal wires that had been left on the floor.
"I'll go use the crane to hoist the engine up, can you help steer it into place?" Selphie asked breathlessly when they finished,
"Yes." Trianon nodded and stood up as well, hooking a lock of hair behind her ear.
Selphie scampered up into the portable crane and grabbed the two levers in front of her. Lights clicked on sending beams down on Trianon and then the purring sound of a well-maintained machine began to fill the chambers. Selphie sent a massive hook reeling towards Trianon and then, surprisingly, made a very graceful pick up. The engine creaked into the air slowly and lurched towards the Aries, making both Trianon and Selphie wince. Swinging past without scraping the Aries at all, the engine swung in the air until Trianon grabbed it roughly and steadied the large hunk of metal.
With the brunette's instructions, Trianon ended up climbing inside the 'guts' of the Aries and twisting her body into a weird feat of contortion to push the engine to where it would rest permanently. Selphie climbed out of the crane and then switched places with Trianon, wedging her body inside and beginning to attach the engine to the Aries itself.
By the time they were done, both were sweaty, sore, and tired. Trianon stretched out wearily on the floor, now as dirty as Selphie and not caring for whatever scraps became tangled in her hair. Selphie swayed over to the cockpit and then flicked her fingers over the controls. With a soft shudder the main control panels in the Aries lit up. Selphie flicked the engine on and smiled in relief when all systems showed up bright green.
Test flights could be done another day. The brunette was exhausted, and so was her guardian. The two women trailed out of the mechanics room and, after a brief discussion, decided to head for the pool.
Xxxxx
Selphie tilted her head back and sighed. Hot water lapped at her sore muscles and soothed away all the fatigue from her cells. Across from her, Trianon also relaxed, her long hair had been braided and piled atop her head, but two strips on either side of her face had been kept down and now floated in blue coils around her body. Selphie smiled, wondering how long it had taken the woman to get her hair that long. It had to be heavy at that length.
"SMILE!"
"Eh?"
Selphie's eyes widened as Zell grinned at her, camera in hand. Dazzled by the flash, Selphie blinked for a moment and then stared at the beaming blonde.
"What was that for?"
"Irvine told me to keep an eye out on you and make sure you were happy. He also said to take advantage that this is the last week for the pool to be open, he was sad he was missing all the pretty girls," a wicked grin crossed Zell's face.
Trianon raised her eyebrows and said nothing. She looked down at her swimsuit, it was black, but not made of any spandex material. Instead the suit was of supple scales, made from the stretchy hide of a young dragon. Waterproof, and a thin coat of armour, as if she'd have anything less, the suit was glittering gently and an odd contrast to Selphie's two-piece bright yellow shorts-and-tank bathing suit…featuring a clear-plastic ducky with yellow sparkles contained inside in the middle of it.
"What a playboy!" Selphie shrieked, reaching out and splashing Zell.
The blonde yelped as hot water sprinkled over his clothes and legs. Selphie grinned and then stood up, latching on to a leg and trying to drag him in. Zell slid the camera to safety across the floor and began to claw at the tiles, desperate to avoid getting wet. Giggling as she tugged her friend closer and closer to the water, Selphie gave Trianon a pleading look for help.
Caught in surprise by the invitation, Trianon reached over and took a hold of Zell's other leg. The blonde was able to manage one last scream before he was thrown into the hot tub. Selphie burst out laughing and nearly began to cry as Zell came up, hair limp and clothes floating around them as the bagginess was picked up by the water. He spluttered, eyes wide, and then swore a blue streak that brought a chuckle from Trianon.
"Why are you punishing me!? I'm just carrying out orders!" The blonde cried out in protest,
"Taking scandalous pictures of us! How dare you!" Selphie shouted in mock-anger,
"Punishment? Dunking!" Trianon announced, joining in with the playful banter,
"Hear, hear!"
Zell was allowed a small breath before he was mercilessly pushed under the surface.
Xxxxxx
Review my Pretties!
Author's Corner:
Shortey: Thanks, I'm still sorry though. You reviewers put up with so much from me!
Emrelle Elendal: No worries. I'll take care of Rinoa. And…my time with my boy was very well spent, thank you :: winks :: Updating frequently is not easy, no doubt about that.
Rob-h-09: Ah, a new noter! Thank you!
Crazy-Katy: Yes, maybe Rinoa does serve a purpose. Maybe.
Hikari Heijin: Welcome to the fic! I'll have to keep in mind that this is also a Seiftis… Eh heh heh ::sweatdrop::
Rage Aomori: No worries, I love Irvine a lot so I won't see him hurt too bad. Glad you don't…mind…my boniness…I'm happy you…still want to…eat me…er…um…Anime con! Yes, it was a small con held at my university, Simon Fraser, you're welcome to come. It's fairly cheap.
CMAK: Hah! Your review made my day.
Selphie108: She would have a lot of potential in Galbadia though…
Black-Lily1704: Hope you don't mind, I'm going to use this name for you still. Thank you SO much for the recommendation, it means a lot. I'm glad to hear you got a job, I need another one, and university is so crazily expensive!! Your reviews are much appreciated, you're really too kind. Unfortunately for the moment I don't have much time to proofread, I write this in the spare minutes during my lunch breaks.
Fireflydreams: Tee! If the time spent with my boy came into the story I may have to change the rating! But…um…shhh!
Well that's it for now! Thanks for reviewing!
Silverium.
Ooh: POLL TIME!!!!!
Are you here for the:
Squall and Selphie!
Quistis and Seifer!
The two together!
No Rinoa! Finally!
Irvine, that sexy, sexy cowboy.
Other…?
Please pick ONE . teee.