Chapter Three
Something Special.
Zidane hung from his tail, staring down at the people who had just entered his forest. "What the hell?" He covered his mouth and blushed, then stared at his daughter. "Sorry, Merle, honey. Daddy's got a potty mouth today."
His daughter laughed. "That's okay Daddy. Are we gonna fleece them? I know Mom's been wanting a new Summon Card for her collection."
Zidane laughed. "You just want to see your old thieving dad in action!" Merle smiled, then flipped up onto the branch they hung from. She looked roughly 3 years old, and had a horn on her forehead. Zidane swung up and patted her on the head. "Run on home now, sweetling, they're getting closer, and I don't want them to see you."
Merle smiled. "All right then." She disappeared into the trees, and Zidane turned to his quarry at hand.
Beneath him, he watched the men approach. One of them looked positively deadly, with an enormous sword hanging on his back and a deadly glare in his eyes. Another looked somewhat dangerous, what with the enormous spear he carried. The last however, looked just right. He was tall, blond, and looked about as smart as a rock. Not to mention that, Zidane saw the telltale cardholder attached to the man's belt.
"YES! Great. A Cardplayer."
He dropped slowly into their path, until he hung just ahead of the group. His tail held him stable, and he stared upside down at the approaching group. The moment they saw him, they stopped, and weapons were out.
Zidane eeped, then ducked back into the trees. He grabbed his Ultima Weapon, and ducked back down.
The group was directly under him.
Zidane yelled out. "I'm harmless people! Name's Zidane, and these are my lands you're on, so you better put away those weapons!"
Auron grinned. He liked the cocky kid. Cid just stared at the kid with the tail, clutching a weapon bigger than his spear. He shook his head. 'Will wonders never cease?' He thought in his head.
Zell, being the eager little chickenwuss, hopped toward Zidane, his fists cocked, his feet bouncing. "Come on then. I'll beat you up. I'll tear our your liver. I'll make you eat that weapon. Doubt you even know how to use it."
Zidane grinned, then fell at their feet, landing gracefully. He ran his hands down the Ultima Weapon and smiled. "I can use this.along with other things."
Zell stared at him, wondering what that comment was supposed to mean. Then he laughed. He saw the cardcase on Zidane's belt. "Yeah! A card player. I challenge you!"
Zidane flicked a hand disdainfully. "You're not my level."
Zell puffed out his chest. "I'll take you on, any rules you want."
Zidane smiled, and pulled out his deck.
****30 minutes later****
Zell groaned, and watched as Zidane picked up his last set of cards, the set of Summon's cards he had worked so hard to collect.
Zidane smiled. "That wraps that up. Now may I ask what you all want?"
Auron smiled. He liked the kid's spunk.
Cid laughed. "Damn it kid, you sure as hell beat Zell out of every damn one of his cards."
Zidane grinned, and looped his fingers in his pockets. "Damn right I did. And I'm not a kid. Name's Zidane Tribal, and I'm 18 years old, married, with two children. I've earned my status fighting for the freedom of this world, and I've earned the weapon I carry. I don't know about the rest of you, but this is my place, and unless you tell me what you're doing here, I'm going to have to herd you out on the points of my blade."
Auron stepped closer to Zidane. "That won't be necessary. We are an elite fighting team from other worlds, set to keep all worlds from destruction. Each of us played a role in saving our worlds, just as you have here, and now, we collect the remainder of our team. Because we have come here, that must mean that you are the next member of our party."
Zidane burst into laughter. "Dear Eidolons, that's funny. I gotta tell Dagger about this one, she'll get a kick out of you. Magic must have scrambled your brains. I'm not going anywhere with you."
Zell looked at him. "You leave us no choice then. If we have to take you with us bound and gagged, we will. Do you honestly want that? You're too small to be of much harm to any of us, but you might inflict some damage as part of a group. You're coming with us, pipsqueak."
Zidane grinned, baring his teeth. "Alright. A challenge. I love those."
He swung his blade, and the battle began. In no time at all, a group of three unconscious men lay sprawled before him. Zidane laughed, and lugged them to the castle, where Dagger waited for him to bring home his day's work.
When Zell woke up, he was naked as a jaybird. Looking around, he saw Auron and Cid in similar states. He moved around the room they were in, and found some sort of soft pink gowns. Lifting one, he held it up to him.
"Damn that punk. Making me crossdress. There is no way in Hades' dominion I'm wearing a woman's night gown. But I'm just as much not letting those two see me in the buff."
Zell put on the nightgown.
When Auron and Cid woke up, they did the same. It was not long before Zidane opened the door. "So.nutcases, are you ready to play nice? Don't tear those, they belong to my wife."
Zell shook his head. "You're still going to come with us."
Zidane looked at them. "Somehow, I doubt that."
Dagger laughed when she saw them. Zell stared at her carefully framed collection of cards. His own had found a place next to other sets, and he laughed. "That's what you do with them, Mr. Zidane? Give them to wifey- poo?"
Zell found himself throat to literal dagger.
Zidane smiled. "You'd do well to watch your mouth."
It was some time later before the three were given their clothes back, clean and bare of any money or accessories they had carried.
Auron whistled. "Damn, Zidane, you're sure as hell something special. I've never met anyone who could defeat me like that. We really could use a hand you know. Your skills would come in handy."
Zidane grinned. "I sure am something special. I've seen all of you bare as babies, and you've got nothing on me. Plus, I gotta tail."
Zidane hooked his hands into the pockets of his pants. The other three could not help but notice that Zidane was most definitely an adult.
Zell laughed. "That's the biggest damn whanker I ever did see." The other guys laughed too, and they proceeded to share their dirty jokes with each other.
Zidane looked at them, his face serious. "I think I'll go just for the hell of it. I need some adventure. Plus, you people had some fascinating items on you, and I want to get some more trinkets for my wife. Count me in. You know, an all-guy party, that sounds like a lot of fun. Don't dissapoint me now, or I might have to defeat you all again. You all did help me go up a few levels though. A few more points, and I'll be a level 99."
Zidane said goodbye to his wife, and told Merle to watch the family business, and exercise her tail while he was away. Rubbing her horn for luck, he left to join the three where they waited, at the edge of his forest.
Zidane clasped their hands, and the darkness swallowed them all. He kept a careful grip on his bag of weaponry, accessories and magic that he had decided he had enough of and could share. He laughed as he felt the whirl of the darkness around him, and the others just barely heard his yell.
"Feels like a giant swirly!!"
Zidane hung from his tail, staring down at the people who had just entered his forest. "What the hell?" He covered his mouth and blushed, then stared at his daughter. "Sorry, Merle, honey. Daddy's got a potty mouth today."
His daughter laughed. "That's okay Daddy. Are we gonna fleece them? I know Mom's been wanting a new Summon Card for her collection."
Zidane laughed. "You just want to see your old thieving dad in action!" Merle smiled, then flipped up onto the branch they hung from. She looked roughly 3 years old, and had a horn on her forehead. Zidane swung up and patted her on the head. "Run on home now, sweetling, they're getting closer, and I don't want them to see you."
Merle smiled. "All right then." She disappeared into the trees, and Zidane turned to his quarry at hand.
Beneath him, he watched the men approach. One of them looked positively deadly, with an enormous sword hanging on his back and a deadly glare in his eyes. Another looked somewhat dangerous, what with the enormous spear he carried. The last however, looked just right. He was tall, blond, and looked about as smart as a rock. Not to mention that, Zidane saw the telltale cardholder attached to the man's belt.
"YES! Great. A Cardplayer."
He dropped slowly into their path, until he hung just ahead of the group. His tail held him stable, and he stared upside down at the approaching group. The moment they saw him, they stopped, and weapons were out.
Zidane eeped, then ducked back into the trees. He grabbed his Ultima Weapon, and ducked back down.
The group was directly under him.
Zidane yelled out. "I'm harmless people! Name's Zidane, and these are my lands you're on, so you better put away those weapons!"
Auron grinned. He liked the cocky kid. Cid just stared at the kid with the tail, clutching a weapon bigger than his spear. He shook his head. 'Will wonders never cease?' He thought in his head.
Zell, being the eager little chickenwuss, hopped toward Zidane, his fists cocked, his feet bouncing. "Come on then. I'll beat you up. I'll tear our your liver. I'll make you eat that weapon. Doubt you even know how to use it."
Zidane grinned, then fell at their feet, landing gracefully. He ran his hands down the Ultima Weapon and smiled. "I can use this.along with other things."
Zell stared at him, wondering what that comment was supposed to mean. Then he laughed. He saw the cardcase on Zidane's belt. "Yeah! A card player. I challenge you!"
Zidane flicked a hand disdainfully. "You're not my level."
Zell puffed out his chest. "I'll take you on, any rules you want."
Zidane smiled, and pulled out his deck.
****30 minutes later****
Zell groaned, and watched as Zidane picked up his last set of cards, the set of Summon's cards he had worked so hard to collect.
Zidane smiled. "That wraps that up. Now may I ask what you all want?"
Auron smiled. He liked the kid's spunk.
Cid laughed. "Damn it kid, you sure as hell beat Zell out of every damn one of his cards."
Zidane grinned, and looped his fingers in his pockets. "Damn right I did. And I'm not a kid. Name's Zidane Tribal, and I'm 18 years old, married, with two children. I've earned my status fighting for the freedom of this world, and I've earned the weapon I carry. I don't know about the rest of you, but this is my place, and unless you tell me what you're doing here, I'm going to have to herd you out on the points of my blade."
Auron stepped closer to Zidane. "That won't be necessary. We are an elite fighting team from other worlds, set to keep all worlds from destruction. Each of us played a role in saving our worlds, just as you have here, and now, we collect the remainder of our team. Because we have come here, that must mean that you are the next member of our party."
Zidane burst into laughter. "Dear Eidolons, that's funny. I gotta tell Dagger about this one, she'll get a kick out of you. Magic must have scrambled your brains. I'm not going anywhere with you."
Zell looked at him. "You leave us no choice then. If we have to take you with us bound and gagged, we will. Do you honestly want that? You're too small to be of much harm to any of us, but you might inflict some damage as part of a group. You're coming with us, pipsqueak."
Zidane grinned, baring his teeth. "Alright. A challenge. I love those."
He swung his blade, and the battle began. In no time at all, a group of three unconscious men lay sprawled before him. Zidane laughed, and lugged them to the castle, where Dagger waited for him to bring home his day's work.
When Zell woke up, he was naked as a jaybird. Looking around, he saw Auron and Cid in similar states. He moved around the room they were in, and found some sort of soft pink gowns. Lifting one, he held it up to him.
"Damn that punk. Making me crossdress. There is no way in Hades' dominion I'm wearing a woman's night gown. But I'm just as much not letting those two see me in the buff."
Zell put on the nightgown.
When Auron and Cid woke up, they did the same. It was not long before Zidane opened the door. "So.nutcases, are you ready to play nice? Don't tear those, they belong to my wife."
Zell shook his head. "You're still going to come with us."
Zidane looked at them. "Somehow, I doubt that."
Dagger laughed when she saw them. Zell stared at her carefully framed collection of cards. His own had found a place next to other sets, and he laughed. "That's what you do with them, Mr. Zidane? Give them to wifey- poo?"
Zell found himself throat to literal dagger.
Zidane smiled. "You'd do well to watch your mouth."
It was some time later before the three were given their clothes back, clean and bare of any money or accessories they had carried.
Auron whistled. "Damn, Zidane, you're sure as hell something special. I've never met anyone who could defeat me like that. We really could use a hand you know. Your skills would come in handy."
Zidane grinned. "I sure am something special. I've seen all of you bare as babies, and you've got nothing on me. Plus, I gotta tail."
Zidane hooked his hands into the pockets of his pants. The other three could not help but notice that Zidane was most definitely an adult.
Zell laughed. "That's the biggest damn whanker I ever did see." The other guys laughed too, and they proceeded to share their dirty jokes with each other.
Zidane looked at them, his face serious. "I think I'll go just for the hell of it. I need some adventure. Plus, you people had some fascinating items on you, and I want to get some more trinkets for my wife. Count me in. You know, an all-guy party, that sounds like a lot of fun. Don't dissapoint me now, or I might have to defeat you all again. You all did help me go up a few levels though. A few more points, and I'll be a level 99."
Zidane said goodbye to his wife, and told Merle to watch the family business, and exercise her tail while he was away. Rubbing her horn for luck, he left to join the three where they waited, at the edge of his forest.
Zidane clasped their hands, and the darkness swallowed them all. He kept a careful grip on his bag of weaponry, accessories and magic that he had decided he had enough of and could share. He laughed as he felt the whirl of the darkness around him, and the others just barely heard his yell.
"Feels like a giant swirly!!"