Final Fantasy: Scarlet Eyes.
Author's notes: Chapter four and things really start to pick up. I've planned out the basic outline of the story so I won't need to spend as much time sitting thinking up the plot-line as I go along, so I should be able to update every three days or so. Enjoy! Dark Eva.
Chapter 4: First Day.
Scarlet awoke to the rays of sunlight coming through her windows and hitting across her peaceful face. She slipped from underneath the covers and stood in her nightdress. She crept across the floor and picked up the clothes she'd laid out for herself the previous day. Once she put all her clothes on she looked into the mirror on her desk come dressing table. Her hair was a wreck. She pulled out a brush and worked her hair with it before putting it in ponytail.
She opened her door a little and peered out, no one there. Good. She snuck down the stairs slowly carrying her bag and Dra'Kan blade and went through to the kitchen. She placed her bag and sword down in the corner of the room and then began raking through the cupboards, looking for cereal, nothing. She knew there was milk in the fridge, but no cereal. She kept looking, where is it.
"Cupboard next to the cooker, behind the rice." Said a female voice.
Scarlet spun round fast, as if to attack, it was Rinoa wearing a robe.
"The cereal, it's behind the rice." She pointed to the cupboard above the cooker. "That is what your looking for?" She smiled.
Scarlet treaded across the kitchen carefully and opened a cupboard. As she had said behind a box of rice stood a small plastic container filled about half way with cereal. She pulled it out the cupboard and sat it on the table. As she turned round she found that Rinoa had already sat the milk and bowl and spoon on the table for her. Scarlet sat down at the table and put the cereal and milk into the bowl. Rinoa sat down at the opposite side staring at the girl taking tiny spoonfuls of her breakfast.
"Yes?" Scarlet said coldly. "Is there something wrong."
"No nothing, just, is that why you get up so early?" Rinoa mused. "So you can eat slowly." She pointed at the bowl. "I would have thought someone who lived like you did, back in the palace I mean, wouldn't enjoy little things like this."
"I didn't like it there." She snarled. "It was too, high brow for me, a lot of posh people doing posh things, it didn't suit-"
"Your needs." Rinoa spurted out.
"You could say that, I guess." Scarlet blushed. She felt strangely comfortable talking to Rinoa about herself.
Just then someone else entered the kitchen wearing a guan, Squall. He yawned and plumped down on a seat next Rinoa and kissed her on the cheek. Scarlet gagged.
"So Scarlet, you ready for your first day?" He smiled. She gestured over to the bag and blade laying on the floor. "I see. Are you going to walk up with Tyranis?"
Scarlet gave her half-brother a shrug. She still wasn't comfortable around Squall, not like Rinoa anyway. Scarlet never got on with the men in her life, and even women she found difficult to talk to, but not this Rinoa, why?
"Well, it seven thirty, school starts in hour, Tyranis should wake up in about forty-five minutes. " Rinoa laughed.
"How long is it from hear to the Garden on foot?" Scarlet asked looking at Squall.
"Oh." Squall was surprised that she directed her question at him. "About a half hour, walking that is. You should try to there a little early, you'll be sent for a short introduction by the Garden's enrolment officer, a girl named Xu, she will explain your timetable to you."
Scarlet gave Squall a nod. She glanced over to the clock hung above the door. If she left now, she'd be there in twenty minutes, that would leave another forty minutes for the useless tour. She grabbed her bag and blade and left the house, as she left, a yawning Tyranis stumbled down the stairs.
"So what did you and Scarlet do before we got in?" Asked Rinoa
"Nothing much, she just tried to kill me then went to bed. I had pizza." He laughed.
Scarlet trekked across the streets of Balamb. She watched the store owners come to their shops and get ready for business. Once she had past the town's entrance she noticed that she could stray a little from the cement path and in doing so get into a few fights.
By the times she'd reached the Garden's rot-iron gates, she slain: six Geezards, three Grats and a Gayla. She picked up a few useful items from there bodies, not mention a little magic that she'd drawn from her opponents.
She entered the main hall, a dome with several different pathways all leading to different departments. She was a little taken back by the enormity of the Garden. There was no other students there, she was early. What did Squall say about an enrolment officer?
A woman approached scarlet, she was adorned in the Balamb military uniform and had several badges across her chest, indicating she was of importance.
"Excuse me Miss." Her feminine voice spoke. "Are you lost?"
"No." Scarlet replied. "I'm a new student, I was told to come early for a tour or something." Scarlet said, surprised at the lowered tone of her own voice.
"Oh, great." The woman smiled. "I'm Xu, I'm the enrolment officer here at Balamb Garden and if you follow me we'll get you registered." She said sweetly.
Scarlet followed Xu into the elevator that then took them to the third floor lobby. It was adorned with fine red carpets and curtains, with several decorative vases standing on marble tables, it reminded Scarlet of the palace where she once lived. She would avoid this place as much as she could.
Xu's office was a little room just off the main hall. It had a tiny desk with a computer sitting on it and shelves filled to burst with folders and stray sheets of paper. "Sorry about the mess." She giggled as she cleared some papers of a seat. She pulled out the keyboard from her desk and faced Scarlet. "O.K, Miss?"
"Leonhart." She replied. "Scarlet Leonhart."
"I see." Xu mused as she typed into her keyboard. "So I take it Mr. and Mrs. Leonhart are your guardians whilst your hear?"
Scarlet gave the woman a nod. This whole question - answer deal went on for another ten minutes. Scarlet had to give Xu her record from her time at the Esther school, Xu glanced over the sheet of paper handed to her. She congratulated Scarlet on her previous achievements and said she would do well in the Garden, even coming in a term late. Finally, Xu lead Scarlet outside her office and into the elevator. Once they reached the first floor hall Xu handed Scarlet her class schedule. Scarlet looked down onto the little slip of paper, Magical Arts first thing. No mention of the teacher. Please Hyne, not Squall.
***
Deep in the Centra ruins, on the throne of the fallen Guardian force Odin, sat the underworld demon, Crimson. He tapped in claw against the golden arm of throne in frustration.
His black armour covered his toned body. His devil's wings were concealed by the black and crimson streaked cloak attached to the shoulder plates of his dark armour by large black buckles, emblazed with the symbol of dark dragon. His face was covered with a black hood. Beneath the hood was an iron mask, welded into the shape of a dragon's snout and face. So much effort to cover his face.
His steel nails made a clinking noise as they tapped against the throne. One of the demon's minions, a crawling dragon, approached him carrying a bowl of fruit. Crimson waited until the wingless beast was just close enough before grasping it with its giant claw, dangling it in the air. Crimson watched its scaly body shine in the precious little light that managed to penetrate into this place, before crushing its throat. Its blood ran down the demon's claw and he licked it dry. Another of its minions cleared the dragon's remains away before offering the fruit to his master. This time Crimson waved it away, the fruit bearer returned back to the shadows.
"How much longer?" Crimson snarled.
A woman, dressed in a purple robe walked beside his throne and began stroking his arm.
"Fear not my liege." She said sweetly. "The Lunar Canon will be ready in a few short months."
"Months!" He snapped. "Time is against us, my dear witch. Double the workforce and cut their rations in half. Go!" He growled.
"Yes my lord." She smiled before leaving the throne room.
Morgana hated being referred to as a 'Witch', she much preferred 'Grand Sorceress', even if she wasn't a sorceress, yet. As her slender figure drifted through the halls of Crimson's newly acquired palace, she focused her azure purple eyes and brooded over her own agenda.
Her time playing servant girl to that madman would be over soon, very soon. Crimson's ideals of destruction and emptiness didn't suit Morgana, she much preferred the thought of ruler-ship, that and power. As the high priestess to the Oni tribe, she was endowed with great power and great beauty. However this power was not absolute. She killed the rest of her tribe and drew their magic from them. She travelled the world searching for the magically endowed and slew all she encountered. Her quest of murder eventually lead her to the demon Crimson. He had just escaped from the Hyne's imprisonment in the nether-realm. He invaded the domain of the deceased Guardian Force Odin and claimed it for himself. The demons 's influence over other monsters was revealed as he discovered he could bend there wills to serve him. Morgana saw him as a golden goose, ready to pluck of his dark powers. She knew however, that a direct conflict with Crimson would only result in her death, so, she pledge false allegiance to his cause, total destruction.
Even as his closest servant, Crimson had yet to reveal to her the full extent of his plan. He'd only made clear the necessity for a device called the Lunar Canon to be built, she had yet to see the plans for it, so she was unaware of its power. Clever beast.
***
Scarlet swung at her opponent, he raised his blade to block but her Dra'Kan sliced his sword clean in two, he fell to the ground in defeat. She stood over her defeated opponent and pointed her blade to his throat.
"That's enough Scarlet." Instructor Dincht yelled as he ran over to them. "This may be a combat class but it's still just practice." He smiled as he helped Trowa to his feet. "You O.K Maxwell?" Zell asked. Trowa shrugged.
The instructor left the two to continue sparing. Trowa came very close to Scarlet and breathed down her face.
"You embarrassed me" He growled. "Nobody does that."
"Well," Scarlet said, repulsed by his breath. "It looks like I just did." With that, Scarlet strode off.
So far, Scarlet's day hadn't been at all that bad. Her Magical Arts class, taught by a Mr. Conroy and not Squall, was a breeze. After that she had English, Maths, a double period of History with Rinoa, followed by lunch and then combat class, which she was currently in.
During lunch she had sat outside nibbling a hotdog, one of the few there was in the cafeteria. Some girls approached her welcoming her as a new student or something, but they were quickly brushed away. She was fine alone. Wasn't she?
Today's combat class was held in the training centre, and up till now all they'd done is spar. Zell called for everyone's attention.
"O.K class, now we're gonna do a little race, just for fun. " Zell smirked. "First one to make it round the training centre wins, remember there are some new monsters in here, even tougher than the T-Rex so be careful."
They all lined out and Zell shot a fireball in the air as the staring signal. Scarlet darted off in front, closely followed by Tyranis and Ariana, who were also in her class, then that idiot Trowa. Two Grats came up from the ground in front of Scarlet, she struck them with her blade, killing them instantly, no time to look for items. Tyranis and Ariana helped each other fend of a giant flying insect before continuing to run. As she reached the final bend she turned round to see those two 'love-birds' coming up close behind. Time for a plan.
Zell was standing at the finish line waiting. Two T-rexsaurs stood in front of Scarlet, she slowed down just a little until Tyranis and Ariana were just behind her. Then she leaped over the two beasts leaving the 'lovers' to fend them off. Scarlet made it first and looked on at how they would fair.
Although facing two beasts as big as a T-Rex was no deal for Scarlet, it was for Tyranis and Ariana. A T-Rex was still the toughest beast either of them had ever faced, well apart from Tyranis' ordeal with the Crimson Raptor, and now they had two to deal with. Ariana cast a protect spell on both herself and Tyranis to lower the physical damage one of the beast's attacks would do. Tyranis swung at the smaller of the two dinosaurs, causing it leg to bleed heavily, it tripped on a root and fell to the floor. It mouth continued to snap at Tyranis until he managed to put a sleep spell on it. Araina was starting on the second beast. She cast a blind on it, a dark cloud formed over its eyes causing it to wonder round confused, then she took out her 'Black Singer' chain whip and struck it across the gut with that. Unfortunately the blind spell wore off and the T-Rex flicked it's tail at her, knocking her over. Before it could trample on her Tyranis stood in it's way and started swinging at it, fending it away. Ariana staggered to her feet, her health was at a minimum, low enough for a Limit Break. She called for Tyranis to halt his attack and she stood before the beast, which now bore its jagged teeth.
"Chrono-Sting!" She howled as she drew her chain whip from its strap.
A red aura surrounded Ariana as she lunged at the T-Rex. Her whip stretched out as the black stinger impaled the beast in the neck. She ran round it, wrapping the dinosaur tight in the chain's embrace. Finally she pushed a small button on the back of the whip's hilt, tiny spikes, on each loop of the chain, forced themselves out and pierced into the T-Rex. Ariana retracted her whip and the T-Rex fell to the floor smothered in the red hue of its own blood. Tyranis and Ariana staggered over the finish line, last in the class.
Zell approached the two stragglers and patted them on the the back before addressing the class.
"O.K class. Although this was a race, it allowed me to see your battle mentality." He looked over in the direction of scarlet. "I was very … interested in what I saw and decided that the 'winners' are Tyranis and Ariana." Zell spoke, as he watched Scarlet's face turn into a violent scowl.
The bell rang, Zell left the class. Once she was sure no one was in sight, Scarlet grabbed Tyranis by the jacket.
"O.K pretty boy, let me lay down some rules." She snarled. "You and lover-girl can do what you want, but don't make me look bad. Don't."
She strode off and left Tyranis to think over her words.
***
Ariana was in the library, mulling over some notes she took in Magic class. Her head began to hurt, but she knew if she didn't memorize it all Instructor Leonhart would catch her out.
Aura, a magic that allows a fighter to access there limit break without their health being at a critical level. I want some of that. O.K, next is, Thundaga, level three magic that, is that Scarlet?
Scarlet trudged past the table Ariana was at and cast her rouge eyes down on her before flicking her hair, nearly in Araina's face. Ariana thought about shouting at her but decided against it. She watched Scarlet dump her back on a table, throw some books out and begin reading. Sloppy but determined.
"What?" scarlet said. She must have saw her looking.
"Oh, nothing." Ariana said, not wanting to seem scared of her.
Scarlet didn't speak to Ariana for the rest of that day. On the way home she and Tyranis saw her walking home, on th opposite side of the road. Neither part spoke to each other, something told them that this was how it was supposed to be. Scarlet eventually picked up seed and arrived at her new home. When Tyranis got in the door he saw that she'd already gone up the stairs. His mother came through from the kitchen, she must have got home early.
"So how was school?" She said.
Tyranis took in a deep breath.
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God! That one was long. Hope you managed to read all that O.K, I like to make sure I get everything in there ^_^. Next chappy up soon. Any ideas or weapons or limit breaks please include them in your reviews, lord knows I need them. Full credit will be given of course ^_^. R&R!
Dark Eva.