(And so happily ever after, right? Wrong! Let's just say... The author of
THE FIERCE FUZZBALL!!! Had a brain fart, can't think of a new plot, so
guess what? IT'S BACK)
**
"Let's see... Nature's first green is gold, her hardest hue to hold..." the platinum haired young girl muttered as she sprawled out across the bed of her dorm, stacks of papers on her stomach as her blue and gold uniform ruffled even more untidy than usual. The girl sighed, rolling her legs over her head and somersaulting off of the untidy half sheet-less bed, onto the old stained gray rug that was infested with clothes, papers, books, pop cans, and chip bags. Yes, as anybody could see, Salix Almasy was not the average 'clean' fourteen year old girl.
"Salix Almasy, you clean this dorm up right now!" came the squeaky, young female voice that still made somebody cringe. It boomed throughout the tiny room that was merely filled with a bed, computer, window, and a few shelves.
The girl looked up to stare at the angry, yet well known face of Ysamla Dincht. The short blonde hair poking out from beneath the pink headband, which Ysamla refused to remove, crowned the face that held the blue eyes that seemed as though they'd turn red each time the young lady was angry. The pink headband didn't go well with the blue uniform, but that's what friends like Salix are for, as quite frankly Sal didn't care what looked good.
"Hey, Yam, look at this!" Salix stood up, handing a sheet of paper to the blonde, who rejected it with a snobby look "Eww, okay, no!" "Huh? Why not?" "There's chewed up gum on it!"
Salix giggled slightly in her deep voice way. "Oops, sorry... hee hee..." she peeled the wad of pink gum off of the paper, tossing it behind her and just hoping slightly that it landed in the trash can.
Ysamla shuddered, leaning over and taking the paper "what is it?"
"I found out more about my aunt by researching on the web again."
"Hmm? Celbie has more articles? I did like the last one she did about how to make men grovel..."
"No! My other aunt..."
"Fuijin's got a sister?"
"No, you Airhead! Saranie!"
Ysamla looked the paper over, shaking her head from as she did nothing but glimpse at letters, then brushed the paper back to Sal "that's nice... Hey, that boy Sabbath was looking for you! I bet he's got a thing for you!"
"Sam... You're retreating from the point..." Sal and Sam never failed to amuse them. They always had loved playing with words, and the fact that Salix's last name was Ysamla's name backwards, since both of their parents had always been friends.
"Look, Saranie was gone before you were born, get over it! She's dead, and I'm sorry..."
"But, that's exactly the point of this article! Saranie was a hero for the world, and she died while doing that! It also says no bodies except for the five guards on that ship were found! Maybe..."
"Sal, don't go on a wild goose chase for a dead woman you think is still alive! You have SeeD tests coming up, and it's time you love bird's buckle down and you at least pay attention to Sabbath!"
"... Sabbath?" Sal sighed, ready to change the subject, knowing the next topic Ysamla would go after would be the dirtiness of her room, and ultimately make her start cleaning it. It wasn't so much as hard work, cleaning the room, but it was the fact that unless the room was dirtied Sal had trouble sleeping there. She hated a clean room because of so much space. Salix liked crowded spaces, she liked to have somebody watching over her. It must be because when she was little, she got used to her parents looking over her crib and smothering her by putting their huge selves always around her, so that she was comfortable in closed spaces only. She even hated to shut her eyes, because then there was nothing she could see that would surround her. Kind of like a reverse claustrophobic.
"You know, Irvine and Selphie's boy!"
"I know who he is! Why do you keep mentioning him?" Sal turned, picking up her bag and following Ysamla out of the door, into the empty hall as afternoon sunlight poured in through the glass ceiling.
"Because, silly, he likes you..."
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
"Well... remember when you and Sabbath and me were out on the 'deck' the other day? And after he put his money in, you pushed lemonade and took a drink? Well, he doesn't like sour drinks anyways, but he still drunk after you!"
"Maybe he was thirsty..." Sal shrugged it off as they passed a group while walking out onto the 'deck'. The deck was really a concrete deck looking structure with vending machines and tables that overlooked a deep dipping hill, which leg onto the Training Field. She overlooked the rail, and watched Raijin see to it that a few pairs of teenagers spar as they used a kick-and-hit-with-a-stick-stupidly, or as Salix described it.
Uncle Raijin was a bum. Out and out, a bum. He even lived with her parents! Salix knew that the three, Fuijin, Seifer, and Raijin, had all been good buddies since they were all twelve, but Raijin still lived with the now married couple sixteen years later. Not that Salix was complaining. No, Uncle Raijin was cool, and fun, too. Once, he had accidentally fed the Almasy family cat, or giant flaming cat, Rira, Cocoa Puffs, thinking it was the pets cat chow. But, even before Salix was born, the immortal cat had actually eaten raw meat, and Raijin knew that. He was truly a dope. She still had a letter that you'd think was written by a Kindergartener from Raijin she had gotten a few years earlier when he was away seeing something called 'Blitz Ball'. It seemed as though he played the game, but she never really understood it.
"Excuse me, but who is this gorgeous phenomenon that fools would disgrace to call 'little girl'? Why, she is a fine young woman!" came the country- accented voice she knew so well. She smiled, turning around and running over to throw her arms around Irvine Kinnease, who was a family friend since she was little. The last time she had seen Irvine was at her ninth birthday party, since he was on the he was on the other side of the world most of the time. Irvine was one of her most favorite people in the world, along side with Selphie, Quistis, Zell, Raijin, Ellone, Shun, Nanto, Novato, Ysamla, and of course her parents.
**
"So, what have ya been up ta lately?" came the goofy energetic voice of Zell Dincht, Ysamla's dad. Sal loved Zell to pieces, as she especially loved watching him try to get on a chocobo. It would stay still long enough until he almost had his leg over, but then take off, dragging Zell with him. Ysamla, on the other hand, didn't fair so well with this.
"It's 'what have you been up to lately', dad! Act your age for once!" Ysamla snapped, covering her head in shame as the huge group stood in the elevator up to Salix's own father's office.
Zell leaned back "just because I'm thirty-three don't mean I ain't got feelings!"
Quistis, his wife, who by Sal's opinion was completely opposite of him, and more like Ysamla, sighed. Quistis was a good person, really. And smart, too. "Now, now, stop fighting, my children."
The elevator reached the top, and the group of people piled out of it. Sal had realized all gardens have the same structure, this was exactly like Balamb Garden, though she had never been there. They walked into the waiting room, Salix and Selphie last as they listened with laughter at Ysamla and Zell argue. Selphie was really cool, too. Selphie was the cool soccer mom type, the one with peppy up beat taste. Too much for Salix's taste in mother, but good enough in taste of friend's mother.
"Hmm... How about this next upcoming dance, Sally? Sabbath keeps writing to me, and I doubt he'll ever shut up about you! I wonder if he likes you a little..." Selphie said slyly. This made Salix queasy. You don't talk about a brewing relationship with the guy's mom, even though she was a family friend. It just seemed a little odd. And she couldn't say she didn't really have interest in Sabbath, as Irvine might be offended. His pride and joy in life was his wife and the stunning good looks he had passed to his son.
Zell, Ysamla, Quistis, Irvine, Selphie, and then finally Salix entered the huge office of Seifer Almasy. The thirty four year old blonde, head master of a Garden, and out and out still gorgeous man turned to them, smiling slightly "well, if it isn't the Adams Family Reunion..."
**
Garden wasn't really a garden at all. They were a string of Military schools throughout two planets, and on Urone, Sal's home planet, the heads of the garden's were all linked in the past by a mysterious connection: sorceresses. In the past, her dad was the bad guy in the first event and from begin and near the end of the last event. Her mom was a bad guy for half of the first event and a good guy for the last event. Salix attended Spiral Garden, the biggest Garden on Urone. Seifer and Fuijin were headmaster's here. In the Sai Garden, Zell and Quistis were headmaster's, even though their daughter went here. And on Omigutsinu, Selphie and Irvine reigned, but had put their son in Seifer's care. That was because Spiral Garden was the best, and really nobody except Salix's father was willing to show their kids how to cold bloodedly murder a fella.
Salix sat on the railings that outlined the head of the deck, watching the empty Training Field as birds, such as crows and everything, of course, danced on the blades of grass. She liked it this way. When nobody was around... when she was in solitary confinement. She hated questions, and that was usually what people gave her. "Salix, will you help me carry this?" "Sal, clean your room please" "Sal, why do you always look up a dead girl and guy?" "Sal, this time on a computer could be spent with a nice guy... on a date, at the beach... on a sunset... Hey are you seeing that Sabbath guy? Cause if not, I'll take him!" "Salix, uh, will you go to the dance with me?" "Salix Almasy, did you do your homework!?" she usually just responded with a simple shrug and "Pickles". Or, sometimes, Fudge-Monkeys. And if it was a loser trying to get with her, she'd make them feel bad by saying "Go hug a rainbow, Jolly-Rancher."
"Mew!" a little cream colored with black stripes blob came bounding up to rest on her lap, pink eyes shining and three little tails waving.
"Rira!" Salix smiled, stroking her pet cat's head.
"That cat can run, you know..." came a huffing and puffing worn out voice as a young man with reddish brown hair and soft face bounded up from the shadows of the door way of the hall.
"Chasing my kitten again, Sabbath?" she smiled, as Rira leapt off of her lap and started to tumble happily into the Training Field.
"Uh... Oh, yeah, sorry, umm, yeah... Mrs. Fuijin said that Rira needed some exercise and all... Or more, 'FAT', 'CAT', 'EXERCISE!!!'" the two laughed at Sabbath's unmistakable impression of Salix's mom. Fuijin still had fits of rage, but never focused them at Salix, so she was fine with them. Sal smiled slightly, pulling off what her bloodline had pulled off for as long as it was recorded; 'being evil.' Salix knew that Sabbath had the same weakness Irvine did, and that was girls coming on to them instead of them coming on to girls "oh, it's not nice to chase a girl's... pussy..."
Sabbath nearly choked on his own tongue. He was clueless. Another puppet tied around another girl's finger. He shook the shock off, stumbling over and resting a hand on the pop machine, pulling out a dollar and letting the machine engulf it.
"Umm... Hmm... The coke's out again..."
"You know people always get it. Why don't you find something new to drink? How about lemonade?" Coke was Sabbath's favorite, and the rarely used sour drink that fitted Salix was his least favorite. He hated all sour drinks.
He frowned slightly, but looked up and saw her smiling at him, that same smile Fuijin gave. Passive-aggressive. It was the smile that said 'I love you, but I'll beat your head in if you don't do what I want', so he got the lemonade anyways.
He uncapped the top, then walked over and heaved himself onto Salix's railing, handing the lemonade to her. She took it from him, taking a drink, nearly emptying the bottle before realizing it wasn't her drink. He merely watched her, shaking his head.
She pulled her lips off of it, wiping off the corners of her mouth, holding it out to him "sorry, here, it's yours."
"I don't really want the rest. You have it... You can chug, did you know that?"
"Yeah..." she smiled slightly, leaning against the rail. He moved closer to her, placing his hand on her thigh. Garden kids weren't like other kids. They took risks everyday, so a light kiss demanded more attention than just a peck. It demanded rubbing, touching, groping, licking, anything that was just under those lines of sex itself. He leaned forward, sliding his hands up so that his fingers were underneath the fabric of her long blue skirt, as he pressed his lips against hers.
As it may have been a shock for him, his first kiss, it wasn't Salix's. Those long legs had been stroked before, those lips had been kissed before. It wasn't really a long time before this, about a year ago, actually. It was even Sabbath's best friend, Kiedar. Kiedar was tall, handsome, athletic, and charming too. He wasn't stupid, either, not smart, but not stupid. But, he wasn't really perfect. He was snobby, picky, rude most of the time when he wasn't looking for 'fun', and most of all he was really wussy.
They were in the library, and it was after hours. Sal hadn't really shown much attention to boy's, as she was thirteen and actually more interested in family, friends, and most of all SeeD Trainee missions. But, all was boring right now for Sal, and Kiedar saw her as a challenge. As the girl-next-door, as your boss's daughter, the headmaster's daughter. He asked her if she wanted to have some fun, and being irresponsible, she said yes. So, he picked her up, and sat her on the table. She being the headmaster's daughter, he a year older and allowed more privileges, there was little chance of anybody walking in on them. He leaned over, kissing her deeply, tongue and all. She enjoyed the make-out session, the warmth of his mouth, up until the point where he got bored with just kissing. He then shoved his hands up her skirt, playing with her underwear roughly. This, she did not like. He looped an arm around her, holding her still while she struggled to get away from his pushing as he tried to remove her undergarments. He yanked the panties off, revealing a mass of silvery pubic hair, and climbed upon the table as well. He shoved her down against it, laying on top of her as he scanned her over, a confused look on his face. A minute passed and all fear had departed from Salix, now converted into amusement "well, first you take out your dick, you idiot..." "Huh?" "... What are you trying to do?" "Hump you!" "And in order to do that, you need a 'key' and put it in my 'lock'." "... I ain't got a key..." "... How do you know what sex is, Kiedar?" "My friend's always tell me about it... they tell me as far as when they get off the panties, and now I don't know what to do..." "... Get off of me and I'll tell you what to do..." An awkward moment, really. The Rape-ee teaching the Rapist how to rape. Of course, Kiedar was too embarrassed at how he didn't get the analogy of what to do with his penis that he walked out of there, sad and awkward, and hasn't spoken to Salix since.
She decided against telling this to Sabbath, as when he leaned back his eyes held such eagerness, excitement, they were wide and bright. Like how a kid's is when you tell it that his sick dog is going to a happy, happy farm and will get well soon. She smiled, searching for an answer to his loving gaze, maybe even a lie "... your a good kisser..."
He smiled "maybe I get it from my father?"
"Yeah..." she smiled, leaning over and pushing all of her weight on him, making him fall back and onto the railing. She unbuttoned his shirt, which he did not object to. She was done with kissing. She was ready now to, as they say, 'go all the way.' She kissed his stomach softly, going lower as she fiddled with his pants buckle. He clenched the concrete beneath him, ready for whatever was next. She ran her tongue past his bellybutton, more than willing to cup her lips over 'him.' Then, she saw a pink headband in the corner of her eye.
**
"You were really going to do that to him, weren't you? You were going to do that awful, horrid thing those disgusting women in Girl's Next Door do, weren't you?!" Ysamla paced nervously through her and Salix's dorm, mostly through Sal's bedroom to yell at the silver haired heap on the bed.
As if she didn't already feel awful enough. No, it wasn't the fact that she was ready to suck Sabbath dry. She was actually willing to marry him at this point. But, the fact that she was caught, that was the problem. Ysamla was supposed to be her friend. But, she ran off and told Fuijin, Fuijin herself, that her one and only precious baby was ready to fuck a guy. Salix had fallen off of Sabbath, who had fallen off and rolled down the hill while trying to yank up his pants. They were both lucky they were Headmaster's kids, or else they'd be suspended right now.
"Salix Almasy, you are fourteen! You're far too young to be experimenting with sex!!! Ugh, I am disgusted. You're going straight to Nun school! And becoming a bride of Christ, not a pervert's vacuum! Now, get out of my sight!" "SALIX, ROOM, NOW, DEATH TOMORROW!!!" hot tears rolled down Sal's cheek as she knew she had done the worst in her life. What was so wrong, she had done what everybody wanted, she had gotten with Sabbath? But, something was wrong. Daddy was being daddy, not the gang leader she was familiar with. Mom, she was yelling at her, just like anybody else, not like at her own daughter. She was now a stranger. She had disappointed the adults. She could hear Selphie down the hall roaring at Sabbath, and occasionally Irvine booming in at him "yeah, use a condom!", which she could imagine a dark scowl from Selphie. She had heard and seen Quistis and Zell muttering on her way to her room. Quistis was whispering to Zell "I can't believe a girl as precious as Salix would do this..." Zell just sat with his hands in his head. A position she had seen before...
SQUALL LEONHART! Squall, the man who had supposedly died with her sister. She had a picture of him with a black haired pale looking cheery woman on his lap in an elevator, and he was in that position. The cheery black haired woman was Rinoa Heartilly, who was now an aid to the president in Pandemonium. Salix, Salix, Salix. How did you forget? You're on a mission, a mission from god. And either somebody's along for the ride, or their getting their ass off. Salix stood up, bending over and picking up her most prized possession; Her dad's old Gunblade, Blood Fest. It was old, yeah, but just as sharp as ever, due to her good care of it. She loved it's purple hue and how it was like a vibrant rainbow when the violet had taken over when it shined in the sun when she was little. She still loved how it's strength was good enough to hold off even magic.
"What are you doing? Put that weapon down and get back in bed. You know, just like you would if Sabbath was here..."
"Ysamla... You want Sabbath, don't you? For yourself."
"... Of course not! He likes it when you... lick him... there..."
"But you did, and that's why you snitched."
"..."
"Don't talk, Ysamla. Of course. When I actually want an answer, you won't give it to me. Look... I'm running away. Do not tell my parents... please... I'll be back in a while. In fact, come with me! Please! And we'll get Sabbath, too! We'll actually be on our real mission... In for an adventure!"
"..." Ysamla looked down, sighing "I can't let my friend go out without my protection, now can I?"
**
Two shadowy figures crept through the bushes outside of the dorm building, creeping silently. Salix was dressed in black, something that just called to her. A black ribbon in her silver her, and a black ruffled dress that look more like a heap of black cloth, and black buckle shoes. Ysamla, on the other hand, wore a bright orange and white striped shoulder-less shirt, green vest, pink ankle-less pants, with pink gym-shoes, and of course her pink headband.
"Hoist me up, Ysamla!" Salix hissed at the confused looking girl when they stopped outside of Sabbath's window.
Sabbath woke up abruptly to see heaps on his floor, muttering and hissing at each other. "You have to be gentler than that!" "What do you want, Dincht? Me to float you onto the floor!?" "No, but to be nicer about it!" "We gotta be more careful with our sneaking..."
"Salix? Ysamla?" Sabbath laughed, sitting up.
"Shush!" Salix hissed, seeing in the dim light that Ysamla had blushed at her name coming out of Sabbath's mouth.
"? Why are you two in my room..." Sabbath said, confused.
"Because, we want you to come with us! Nobody but us can know, okay?"
"Huh? Why not?!"
"Because we're running away. We're on a mission, Sabbath, and you're the last chosen member. Come on... Please?"
"I can't run away! I'm in enough trouble with my parents, the last thing I need is to make my mom madder! And how about you, Yam? You're not nearly prepared for this! You can't control your whip yet anyways!"
"I can too!" Ysamla frowned, now embarrassed that Sabbath though this about her.
"Sal! Your mom's so mad right now that if you ran off, she'd have a heart attack out of rage! You want that?"
"Look... I love my mom... But, I have to do something about this... something's calling to me... A force, something I have to find. Like the smell of smoke throws you into panic... Imagine that a small old fire is restarting, and it's throwing me into panic. Please come, Sabbath..."
"No! I'm staying right here, and there's nothing that can change my mind!" he shook his head, rolling over and flopping against the bed.
"Suit your damn self. I just hope that you have a damn good life staying here and getting yelled at" Salix stood up, turning away from Sabbath "come on, Yam."
**
"Where will we go?" Ysamla followed Salix through the long dark hall, blank and seeming endless.
"I'm going to see my grandpa... You know, the old president."
"Old president... this one is Perry Quagmire, right?"
"Yeah, but my grandpa is the one before that."
"Novato Almasy? Why?"
"Because he knows something I should know..."
"What's that, Salix?"
"... You'll see..."
"Tell me!"
"You know what? You talk too much" Salix looked up, smiling as she passed a green sign on the wall that said 'Parking Lot.' She opened the glass door, walking into the cold concrete garage, scanning her eyes over the dozens of Vehicles that were Garden property, but mostly hers, by family name, right?
"We can't steal!" Ysamla hissed, shaking her head.
"It's not stealing, it's just borrowing, without asking, and most likely never returning..."
"That's wrong!"
"Your a snitch, so I'm a thief. We're equal."
"I am not a snitch, I am an urban informer!"
"And I am not a thief, I am a borrower. Like that book you love."
"Growl... Look, we can't even drive!"
"We can't drive a car, but we can drive a Mini Ship..."
"What?!"
Salix pulled a pair of keys from her back pocket, pressing a button on one as a huge red machine that looked like a pod beeped. It was slick and shiny, with black tinted windows, and narrow too. Salix opened the door, peering inside "It looks tiny from the outside, but inside there's enough room if we want to camp out, and for supplies... Like, you have your mom and dad's credit cards, right? And I have some money I've been saving..."
"I don't have a good feeling about this... We're stealing..."
"Just get in! We're teenage girls, we'll be excused if we get in trouble."
"Not from me..." came the smooth voice of Sabbath, as he smiled at the two young while leaning on the doorway.
"Sabbath!" Ysamla smiled, running over and throwing her arms around his neck, causing him shock and her to just as quickly pull away and blush "oh, I'm sorry... Joy to see you overcame me..."
"... Uh, yeah, umm, so death rears it's ugly head?" Salix crossed her arms, glaring at Sabbath, or more at Ysamla for her idiotic way of covering up the fact of liking Sabbath.
"Salix... Please, I'm sorry. Lets not fight?" Sabbath frowned.
"Your acting like we're a couple" Salix shrugged, turning and rummaging through her stuff.
"Aren't we?" he frowned.
"Yeah, as if I'd have interest in somebody as wussy as you for more than just tempting you?!" Salix laughed. A fake laugh, but she was good at lying.
"Salix..." Sabbath was good at catching on by now, and merely smiled "okay, then..."
"So, then, Sabbath, or can I call you Sab?" Ysamla, slow as she was, wrapped her arm around Sabbath's, dragging him towards the Mini Ship as Salix sighed and leapt inside into the driver seat.
"Well, uh... some people call me Zip..."
"Zip?"
"Cause I don't talk, and I don't equal much..."
"Of course you do! But, if you like Zip, so be it..." Ysamla smiled, dragging the poor boy into the vehicle with a silver haired Venus Fly Trap and giddy blonde Snitching Weasel. But, both were extremely hot, and hot for him, so he didn't really mind.
**
"What time did they leave?" moaned Seifer, hunched over on his bed, hands on his head. Fuijin leaned over the doorway, puffy and red eyed "... The cameras caught their last movement at 12:00 AM precisely last night." Seifer looked at his clock. It read 1:45 PM. Classes had started at 7:00 AM sharp. Only five minutes ago had they discovered their daughter was missing, Mr. and Mrs. Almasy. Only five minutes ago had a teacher reported that neither Salix Almasy, Sabbath Kinnease, nor Ysamla Dincht had been seen in any of their classes. Remembering yesterday, Seifer had jumped to conclusions, and had promptly blamed Irvine for teaching Sabbath to lure his one and only child away from classes in order to get her pregnant, and doing such to Zell's kid. And now, it was discovered the Security Cameras had picked up on the three leaving the Garage Parking Lot earlier that morning. If only he paid more attention to Salix... she wouldn't have retreated to wanting to do sexual intercourse with boys, stealing from the Garden, and leaving him here to worry about her...
"... How bad of parents are we?! Our kid has just run off with her best friend and bad influential boy!" Seifer put his head in his hand.
"SEIFER! DON- don't do this to yourself, please... It must be a different answer, I mean, look at Sabbath's test scores. He isn't a bad kid... and every child wants to experiment with sex now and then... They're just kids, off doing things kids like to do..."
"... Fuijin..." Seifer didn't cry. Only once in his life as he can remember he had cried. And that was for his sister and most likely mutual feeling friend. Other than that, he can't remember crying. Now, he felt like bursting into frustrated tears.
She sighed, walking over and hugging his head against her stomach, shaking her head. She reigned this man's life, throughout his life since they were twelve, she had always been in control, forgetting her feelings. Now she realized that all the emotions inside of her had reigned over her for all of these years. "SEIFER!"
"..." he nuzzled her stomach, smiling hopefully. "Keep yelling... brings back memories, before any of this..."
"... Seifer..." she smiled, running her fingers through his hair.
"I said keep yelling, damn it!" he ordered her, sliding his arms around her waist.
"DON'T COMMAND!" she snapped, pausing to realize she had been commanded once again, and making her laugh.
He smiled, hugging her tightly, sliding his thumbs into the waist of her skirt "you know, we could always make new kids, right?"
"SEIFER!"
"Kidding, kidding, kidding... Or am I?" he said slyly.
"NOT, KID, ABOUT, SALIX!!!"
"Salix... why did we name her that anyways?"
"SALIX, DEMON, TRICKED, GABRIEL"
"Oh, right. Salix was the demon who tricked Gabriel into thinking Merlin was dead in order to make Gabriel his wife of the shadow... But what? Why did we name her somebody as bad as that?"
"... SA- Salix represented the darkness of both the witch's paths, therefore it means darkness in the ancient language. You are a darkness witch, so her name was in your honor. Mariah means sun witch... Rira means fire witch... Zaphal means Electricity... Divine no doubt means Divinity... Gelidity means ice... and Squall means wind..."
"Squall? Haven't heard that in forever... Humph. Squall..." Seifer chuckled, shaking his head.
"AWFUL"
"Yeah, he was pretty damn awful. Making Saranie stay behind in order to save his ass..."
"NO, AWFUL, DAY, FLAMES, HEAT, EXPLOSION"
"..." Seifer leaned back, shaking his head. Those two tears he had shed was all he could muster up in both of Saranie's and Squall's life. It made him sick to be him...
"... STOP!!!"
"... What?"
"STOP THINKING ABOUT THAT DAY! I'M SORRY I BROUGHT IT UP!!!" she shoved him down on the bed, putting her hands on her hips and glaring at him.
"You know how hot you are when you boss people around?" Seifer laughed.
"I GUESS THAT'S WHY YOU FIND RINOA SO ATTRACTIVE!" she turned her back to him, snubbing his gaze.
"How do you get Rinoa from my attempts of trying to get your pants off? Hey... That reminds me... Saranie, on the ship, fourteen years ago, she said she was going to take care of Rinoa... but it looks like she just ran away from Rinoa..."
"?! ARE YOU SAYING SARANIE WAS LYING!? YOU MUST HAVE MISHEARD..."
"... I guess... It'd be nice if those two were still alive to fill in the blanks for us..." Seifer sad up, shaking his head. His daughter was gone, just like his sister and his rival he had come to understand.
"..."
"Yeah, fucking slut sister stayed behind to save the next guy she'd do and got herself killed, leaving damn questions..."
"... Easy to tell she's your sister."
"Yep, and I ain't ashamed ta say it."
**
"Huh? Nanto? Oh, you must mean Toto. Yes, I'll go get him. Who is asking for him?" the annoying looking barmaid nodded, turning to walk back into the back room of the bar. Salix was lucky that they had gotten there before 7 PM, or else they wouldn't be allowed into the smoke filled cancer ridden bar.
"Hey, sweet cheeks, you lookin' ta give trim like Yuki?" came the sneaky weasel like voice of a creepy looking bug eyed man who sat in a bar stool next to Salix. "How 'bout you, blondie? You look like a virgin, though... Well, how 'bout I give ya a free spin in the back room there and see if your good enough for Sun Aim Pub."
"Huh? What do you mean, 'a free spin'?" Ysamla looked confused by the man's offer.
"Bill, I already told you this wasn't a strip club. This beers free if you leave these girls alone. They have an interest in Toto" the barmaid came back, her pink her falling over her red eyes. Tiny eyes. And dyed hair, too, as she had black eyebrows. Easy to tell that she was from Omigutsinu, her pale skin and little eyes. She had pink hair falling past her neck, a little in between Ysamla's crown of gold under that headband and Salix's mid-back platinum stream. Her skin was whiter than a ghost's, and her red eyes were very small. She wore a red jacket over nothing but a bra, with a single button in the center to shield very little of the black bra, which matched her black short shorts and black high-heeled boots.
"? They want the boss? At 28, he shouldn't have to get strippers... he should have a girlfriend... Come on, Yuki, let me lick 'em..." he reached out, stroking Salix's leg. How done she was with the whole leg stroking. But, Sabbath was done with it the most. He jumped up, punching Bill in the jaw, sending him scurrying off after Sabbath's rifle was revealed from under his black jacket. The woman named Yuki smiled.
"Gosh, if only Nanto would do that for me... hee hee... Whelp, follow me..." Yuki turned, picking up a lantern and going into the backroom as the three followed. Yuki chattered throughout the way, but it was low and to herself, so nothing was made out. They walked down a spiral staircase, and once all of the three were convinced that this stair case led to the center of the earth, Yuki finally spoke to them.
"So, what are your guys's names?"
"I'm Sabbath Kinnease, SeeD Trainee Level 8" Sabbath answered quickly, and formal like.
"Oh, so your the lead of all this? I doubt a SeeD Level 8 would be pimping women..."
"Huh?! We're only 14!"
"No, he isn't the leader. I am. I'm Salix Almasy, Nanto's niece."
"I'm Ysamla Dincht!"
"Salix? Pretty name... I'm Yuki, Yuki Wakimura. Nice ta meet ya. Didn't know Nanto had such pretty family members..." Yuki said, ignoring Ysamla.
"Uh, thanks..."
"Wish I had been born with silver hair. Alas, my stupid family had to be Omigutsinu. We all have dark hair... My sister had the prettiest, and my brother and me got black. Hers is a shiny blue that can catch sunlight and lays straight... Mine was curly and black. So, I straightened it, cut it, and dyed it. I think it looks better pink..."
'No, you look like an Easter Egg, and talk as much as a duck's ass' Salix thought, now annoyed "how long will it be til' we get there?"
"Oh, this? This is an underground Tunnel. You know how the bar, Sun Aim, was in the forest outside Pandemonium? Well, this tunnel leads into Pandemonium. It goes straight into a strip joint in the middle of Pandemonium. Your uncle also owns that. That guy Bill back there, he's been trying to get girl's to strip for him back at Sun Aim, cause he's a sex fiend. He was so horny once he touched one of the dancers, which is against the law. He got banned, so he stays at Sun Aim looking for hookers."
"Oh..." Salix hadn't gotten her answer, which made her annoyed... and she didn't like being annoyed. If there was a hulk that didn't turn green over ripping a pair of perfect purple pants, it was Seifer or Fuijin. And, combining them and making that mad was lighting a fuse for world destruction.
They finally came to a huge door, and Yuki carefully put in the coordinates on the lock and opened it. Inside wasn't as smoky as the last bar, and you could tell that no smoking was allowed and neither was drinking. But, you could hear shouts from old men and screams of young women, and got the idea of what was going on in the next room. Yuki led them down the hall, where she opened a regular looking door, which led into a regular looking office, but the man inside wasn't regular looking. Just how he looked fourteen years ago; Messy brown hair, bright brown eyes, and even the same type of clothes. Nanto Almasy sill had the same worn out and helpless expression as always.
"Toto, somebody's here to see you" Yuki held open the door as Salix rushed in, throwing her arms around her uncle.
"SAL!? Oh, no, not here! You know what this place is!?" Nanto gasped, pulling away.
"No, I thought it was Candy Land. This is Lap Dog strip club, right?"
"Yeah, and as in strip club your not allowed in here!"
"Nanto... Your my uncle, I can tell these Airheads to get out and take their sperm soaked pants with them if I wanted to!"
Yuki looked puzzled, looking at Sabbath "how old are you guys?"
"Old enough to know your a whore" Sabbath shrugged, turning and stepping into the office to evade Yuki's swing for a punch.
**
"Open up, your too tight!" Seifer growled, pinning Fuijin to the bed as she bit her lip underneath him. Not because she was holding back a scream, but because she was hiding it. You can't have an orgasm in a school full of little kids running around.
THUD, THUD, THUD!
"Go away, we're busy!" Seifer snapped, not even taking his hands away from Fuijin's wrists.
"You've... gotten... INto... SADISM SEifer..."
"You know it!"
"Yo, you idiots, get your fucking pants on and get the hell out here! The kids are heading for Pandemonium!" came a voice from outside the door.
Seifer sat up, turning to the door "what are you talking about, Zell?!"
"The kids are going to Pandemonium, right? And Novato left after he retired, right? So, there's only one person they know that's in Pandemonium..."
"NANTO!" Fuijin sat up, staring at Seifer.
"So, we can call Nanto, right?"
"YES! Oh my god your a friggen' genius!"
**
"Yuki, Wakimura, what an insanity... From the, town of Shiro, she's about to hit a Chestnut tree... AHHH!!!" Yuki slammed the brakes onto the red car the group was in, making it slam to a halt. Salix lurched forwards, rubbing the back of her head. Ysamla screamed and took a minute to gather herself afterwards. Sabbath landed on Nanto's up front, knocking his head against his.
"Very safe, Yuki. Now we're slammed against a tree and stuck in the middle of Sai, with a huge mountain and hot weather ahead of us. Really safe, Wakimura."
"Hee hee... Moogles!" Yuki jumped up and down, laughing as she got out of the car. Sabbath and Salix heaved a frightened Ysamla out of the car "C'mon, Yam. I guess we're walking, from now on... Now, off to see Celbie Almasy."
**
"Let's see... Nature's first green is gold, her hardest hue to hold..." the platinum haired young girl muttered as she sprawled out across the bed of her dorm, stacks of papers on her stomach as her blue and gold uniform ruffled even more untidy than usual. The girl sighed, rolling her legs over her head and somersaulting off of the untidy half sheet-less bed, onto the old stained gray rug that was infested with clothes, papers, books, pop cans, and chip bags. Yes, as anybody could see, Salix Almasy was not the average 'clean' fourteen year old girl.
"Salix Almasy, you clean this dorm up right now!" came the squeaky, young female voice that still made somebody cringe. It boomed throughout the tiny room that was merely filled with a bed, computer, window, and a few shelves.
The girl looked up to stare at the angry, yet well known face of Ysamla Dincht. The short blonde hair poking out from beneath the pink headband, which Ysamla refused to remove, crowned the face that held the blue eyes that seemed as though they'd turn red each time the young lady was angry. The pink headband didn't go well with the blue uniform, but that's what friends like Salix are for, as quite frankly Sal didn't care what looked good.
"Hey, Yam, look at this!" Salix stood up, handing a sheet of paper to the blonde, who rejected it with a snobby look "Eww, okay, no!" "Huh? Why not?" "There's chewed up gum on it!"
Salix giggled slightly in her deep voice way. "Oops, sorry... hee hee..." she peeled the wad of pink gum off of the paper, tossing it behind her and just hoping slightly that it landed in the trash can.
Ysamla shuddered, leaning over and taking the paper "what is it?"
"I found out more about my aunt by researching on the web again."
"Hmm? Celbie has more articles? I did like the last one she did about how to make men grovel..."
"No! My other aunt..."
"Fuijin's got a sister?"
"No, you Airhead! Saranie!"
Ysamla looked the paper over, shaking her head from as she did nothing but glimpse at letters, then brushed the paper back to Sal "that's nice... Hey, that boy Sabbath was looking for you! I bet he's got a thing for you!"
"Sam... You're retreating from the point..." Sal and Sam never failed to amuse them. They always had loved playing with words, and the fact that Salix's last name was Ysamla's name backwards, since both of their parents had always been friends.
"Look, Saranie was gone before you were born, get over it! She's dead, and I'm sorry..."
"But, that's exactly the point of this article! Saranie was a hero for the world, and she died while doing that! It also says no bodies except for the five guards on that ship were found! Maybe..."
"Sal, don't go on a wild goose chase for a dead woman you think is still alive! You have SeeD tests coming up, and it's time you love bird's buckle down and you at least pay attention to Sabbath!"
"... Sabbath?" Sal sighed, ready to change the subject, knowing the next topic Ysamla would go after would be the dirtiness of her room, and ultimately make her start cleaning it. It wasn't so much as hard work, cleaning the room, but it was the fact that unless the room was dirtied Sal had trouble sleeping there. She hated a clean room because of so much space. Salix liked crowded spaces, she liked to have somebody watching over her. It must be because when she was little, she got used to her parents looking over her crib and smothering her by putting their huge selves always around her, so that she was comfortable in closed spaces only. She even hated to shut her eyes, because then there was nothing she could see that would surround her. Kind of like a reverse claustrophobic.
"You know, Irvine and Selphie's boy!"
"I know who he is! Why do you keep mentioning him?" Sal turned, picking up her bag and following Ysamla out of the door, into the empty hall as afternoon sunlight poured in through the glass ceiling.
"Because, silly, he likes you..."
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
"Well... remember when you and Sabbath and me were out on the 'deck' the other day? And after he put his money in, you pushed lemonade and took a drink? Well, he doesn't like sour drinks anyways, but he still drunk after you!"
"Maybe he was thirsty..." Sal shrugged it off as they passed a group while walking out onto the 'deck'. The deck was really a concrete deck looking structure with vending machines and tables that overlooked a deep dipping hill, which leg onto the Training Field. She overlooked the rail, and watched Raijin see to it that a few pairs of teenagers spar as they used a kick-and-hit-with-a-stick-stupidly, or as Salix described it.
Uncle Raijin was a bum. Out and out, a bum. He even lived with her parents! Salix knew that the three, Fuijin, Seifer, and Raijin, had all been good buddies since they were all twelve, but Raijin still lived with the now married couple sixteen years later. Not that Salix was complaining. No, Uncle Raijin was cool, and fun, too. Once, he had accidentally fed the Almasy family cat, or giant flaming cat, Rira, Cocoa Puffs, thinking it was the pets cat chow. But, even before Salix was born, the immortal cat had actually eaten raw meat, and Raijin knew that. He was truly a dope. She still had a letter that you'd think was written by a Kindergartener from Raijin she had gotten a few years earlier when he was away seeing something called 'Blitz Ball'. It seemed as though he played the game, but she never really understood it.
"Excuse me, but who is this gorgeous phenomenon that fools would disgrace to call 'little girl'? Why, she is a fine young woman!" came the country- accented voice she knew so well. She smiled, turning around and running over to throw her arms around Irvine Kinnease, who was a family friend since she was little. The last time she had seen Irvine was at her ninth birthday party, since he was on the he was on the other side of the world most of the time. Irvine was one of her most favorite people in the world, along side with Selphie, Quistis, Zell, Raijin, Ellone, Shun, Nanto, Novato, Ysamla, and of course her parents.
**
"So, what have ya been up ta lately?" came the goofy energetic voice of Zell Dincht, Ysamla's dad. Sal loved Zell to pieces, as she especially loved watching him try to get on a chocobo. It would stay still long enough until he almost had his leg over, but then take off, dragging Zell with him. Ysamla, on the other hand, didn't fair so well with this.
"It's 'what have you been up to lately', dad! Act your age for once!" Ysamla snapped, covering her head in shame as the huge group stood in the elevator up to Salix's own father's office.
Zell leaned back "just because I'm thirty-three don't mean I ain't got feelings!"
Quistis, his wife, who by Sal's opinion was completely opposite of him, and more like Ysamla, sighed. Quistis was a good person, really. And smart, too. "Now, now, stop fighting, my children."
The elevator reached the top, and the group of people piled out of it. Sal had realized all gardens have the same structure, this was exactly like Balamb Garden, though she had never been there. They walked into the waiting room, Salix and Selphie last as they listened with laughter at Ysamla and Zell argue. Selphie was really cool, too. Selphie was the cool soccer mom type, the one with peppy up beat taste. Too much for Salix's taste in mother, but good enough in taste of friend's mother.
"Hmm... How about this next upcoming dance, Sally? Sabbath keeps writing to me, and I doubt he'll ever shut up about you! I wonder if he likes you a little..." Selphie said slyly. This made Salix queasy. You don't talk about a brewing relationship with the guy's mom, even though she was a family friend. It just seemed a little odd. And she couldn't say she didn't really have interest in Sabbath, as Irvine might be offended. His pride and joy in life was his wife and the stunning good looks he had passed to his son.
Zell, Ysamla, Quistis, Irvine, Selphie, and then finally Salix entered the huge office of Seifer Almasy. The thirty four year old blonde, head master of a Garden, and out and out still gorgeous man turned to them, smiling slightly "well, if it isn't the Adams Family Reunion..."
**
Garden wasn't really a garden at all. They were a string of Military schools throughout two planets, and on Urone, Sal's home planet, the heads of the garden's were all linked in the past by a mysterious connection: sorceresses. In the past, her dad was the bad guy in the first event and from begin and near the end of the last event. Her mom was a bad guy for half of the first event and a good guy for the last event. Salix attended Spiral Garden, the biggest Garden on Urone. Seifer and Fuijin were headmaster's here. In the Sai Garden, Zell and Quistis were headmaster's, even though their daughter went here. And on Omigutsinu, Selphie and Irvine reigned, but had put their son in Seifer's care. That was because Spiral Garden was the best, and really nobody except Salix's father was willing to show their kids how to cold bloodedly murder a fella.
Salix sat on the railings that outlined the head of the deck, watching the empty Training Field as birds, such as crows and everything, of course, danced on the blades of grass. She liked it this way. When nobody was around... when she was in solitary confinement. She hated questions, and that was usually what people gave her. "Salix, will you help me carry this?" "Sal, clean your room please" "Sal, why do you always look up a dead girl and guy?" "Sal, this time on a computer could be spent with a nice guy... on a date, at the beach... on a sunset... Hey are you seeing that Sabbath guy? Cause if not, I'll take him!" "Salix, uh, will you go to the dance with me?" "Salix Almasy, did you do your homework!?" she usually just responded with a simple shrug and "Pickles". Or, sometimes, Fudge-Monkeys. And if it was a loser trying to get with her, she'd make them feel bad by saying "Go hug a rainbow, Jolly-Rancher."
"Mew!" a little cream colored with black stripes blob came bounding up to rest on her lap, pink eyes shining and three little tails waving.
"Rira!" Salix smiled, stroking her pet cat's head.
"That cat can run, you know..." came a huffing and puffing worn out voice as a young man with reddish brown hair and soft face bounded up from the shadows of the door way of the hall.
"Chasing my kitten again, Sabbath?" she smiled, as Rira leapt off of her lap and started to tumble happily into the Training Field.
"Uh... Oh, yeah, sorry, umm, yeah... Mrs. Fuijin said that Rira needed some exercise and all... Or more, 'FAT', 'CAT', 'EXERCISE!!!'" the two laughed at Sabbath's unmistakable impression of Salix's mom. Fuijin still had fits of rage, but never focused them at Salix, so she was fine with them. Sal smiled slightly, pulling off what her bloodline had pulled off for as long as it was recorded; 'being evil.' Salix knew that Sabbath had the same weakness Irvine did, and that was girls coming on to them instead of them coming on to girls "oh, it's not nice to chase a girl's... pussy..."
Sabbath nearly choked on his own tongue. He was clueless. Another puppet tied around another girl's finger. He shook the shock off, stumbling over and resting a hand on the pop machine, pulling out a dollar and letting the machine engulf it.
"Umm... Hmm... The coke's out again..."
"You know people always get it. Why don't you find something new to drink? How about lemonade?" Coke was Sabbath's favorite, and the rarely used sour drink that fitted Salix was his least favorite. He hated all sour drinks.
He frowned slightly, but looked up and saw her smiling at him, that same smile Fuijin gave. Passive-aggressive. It was the smile that said 'I love you, but I'll beat your head in if you don't do what I want', so he got the lemonade anyways.
He uncapped the top, then walked over and heaved himself onto Salix's railing, handing the lemonade to her. She took it from him, taking a drink, nearly emptying the bottle before realizing it wasn't her drink. He merely watched her, shaking his head.
She pulled her lips off of it, wiping off the corners of her mouth, holding it out to him "sorry, here, it's yours."
"I don't really want the rest. You have it... You can chug, did you know that?"
"Yeah..." she smiled slightly, leaning against the rail. He moved closer to her, placing his hand on her thigh. Garden kids weren't like other kids. They took risks everyday, so a light kiss demanded more attention than just a peck. It demanded rubbing, touching, groping, licking, anything that was just under those lines of sex itself. He leaned forward, sliding his hands up so that his fingers were underneath the fabric of her long blue skirt, as he pressed his lips against hers.
As it may have been a shock for him, his first kiss, it wasn't Salix's. Those long legs had been stroked before, those lips had been kissed before. It wasn't really a long time before this, about a year ago, actually. It was even Sabbath's best friend, Kiedar. Kiedar was tall, handsome, athletic, and charming too. He wasn't stupid, either, not smart, but not stupid. But, he wasn't really perfect. He was snobby, picky, rude most of the time when he wasn't looking for 'fun', and most of all he was really wussy.
They were in the library, and it was after hours. Sal hadn't really shown much attention to boy's, as she was thirteen and actually more interested in family, friends, and most of all SeeD Trainee missions. But, all was boring right now for Sal, and Kiedar saw her as a challenge. As the girl-next-door, as your boss's daughter, the headmaster's daughter. He asked her if she wanted to have some fun, and being irresponsible, she said yes. So, he picked her up, and sat her on the table. She being the headmaster's daughter, he a year older and allowed more privileges, there was little chance of anybody walking in on them. He leaned over, kissing her deeply, tongue and all. She enjoyed the make-out session, the warmth of his mouth, up until the point where he got bored with just kissing. He then shoved his hands up her skirt, playing with her underwear roughly. This, she did not like. He looped an arm around her, holding her still while she struggled to get away from his pushing as he tried to remove her undergarments. He yanked the panties off, revealing a mass of silvery pubic hair, and climbed upon the table as well. He shoved her down against it, laying on top of her as he scanned her over, a confused look on his face. A minute passed and all fear had departed from Salix, now converted into amusement "well, first you take out your dick, you idiot..." "Huh?" "... What are you trying to do?" "Hump you!" "And in order to do that, you need a 'key' and put it in my 'lock'." "... I ain't got a key..." "... How do you know what sex is, Kiedar?" "My friend's always tell me about it... they tell me as far as when they get off the panties, and now I don't know what to do..." "... Get off of me and I'll tell you what to do..." An awkward moment, really. The Rape-ee teaching the Rapist how to rape. Of course, Kiedar was too embarrassed at how he didn't get the analogy of what to do with his penis that he walked out of there, sad and awkward, and hasn't spoken to Salix since.
She decided against telling this to Sabbath, as when he leaned back his eyes held such eagerness, excitement, they were wide and bright. Like how a kid's is when you tell it that his sick dog is going to a happy, happy farm and will get well soon. She smiled, searching for an answer to his loving gaze, maybe even a lie "... your a good kisser..."
He smiled "maybe I get it from my father?"
"Yeah..." she smiled, leaning over and pushing all of her weight on him, making him fall back and onto the railing. She unbuttoned his shirt, which he did not object to. She was done with kissing. She was ready now to, as they say, 'go all the way.' She kissed his stomach softly, going lower as she fiddled with his pants buckle. He clenched the concrete beneath him, ready for whatever was next. She ran her tongue past his bellybutton, more than willing to cup her lips over 'him.' Then, she saw a pink headband in the corner of her eye.
**
"You were really going to do that to him, weren't you? You were going to do that awful, horrid thing those disgusting women in Girl's Next Door do, weren't you?!" Ysamla paced nervously through her and Salix's dorm, mostly through Sal's bedroom to yell at the silver haired heap on the bed.
As if she didn't already feel awful enough. No, it wasn't the fact that she was ready to suck Sabbath dry. She was actually willing to marry him at this point. But, the fact that she was caught, that was the problem. Ysamla was supposed to be her friend. But, she ran off and told Fuijin, Fuijin herself, that her one and only precious baby was ready to fuck a guy. Salix had fallen off of Sabbath, who had fallen off and rolled down the hill while trying to yank up his pants. They were both lucky they were Headmaster's kids, or else they'd be suspended right now.
"Salix Almasy, you are fourteen! You're far too young to be experimenting with sex!!! Ugh, I am disgusted. You're going straight to Nun school! And becoming a bride of Christ, not a pervert's vacuum! Now, get out of my sight!" "SALIX, ROOM, NOW, DEATH TOMORROW!!!" hot tears rolled down Sal's cheek as she knew she had done the worst in her life. What was so wrong, she had done what everybody wanted, she had gotten with Sabbath? But, something was wrong. Daddy was being daddy, not the gang leader she was familiar with. Mom, she was yelling at her, just like anybody else, not like at her own daughter. She was now a stranger. She had disappointed the adults. She could hear Selphie down the hall roaring at Sabbath, and occasionally Irvine booming in at him "yeah, use a condom!", which she could imagine a dark scowl from Selphie. She had heard and seen Quistis and Zell muttering on her way to her room. Quistis was whispering to Zell "I can't believe a girl as precious as Salix would do this..." Zell just sat with his hands in his head. A position she had seen before...
SQUALL LEONHART! Squall, the man who had supposedly died with her sister. She had a picture of him with a black haired pale looking cheery woman on his lap in an elevator, and he was in that position. The cheery black haired woman was Rinoa Heartilly, who was now an aid to the president in Pandemonium. Salix, Salix, Salix. How did you forget? You're on a mission, a mission from god. And either somebody's along for the ride, or their getting their ass off. Salix stood up, bending over and picking up her most prized possession; Her dad's old Gunblade, Blood Fest. It was old, yeah, but just as sharp as ever, due to her good care of it. She loved it's purple hue and how it was like a vibrant rainbow when the violet had taken over when it shined in the sun when she was little. She still loved how it's strength was good enough to hold off even magic.
"What are you doing? Put that weapon down and get back in bed. You know, just like you would if Sabbath was here..."
"Ysamla... You want Sabbath, don't you? For yourself."
"... Of course not! He likes it when you... lick him... there..."
"But you did, and that's why you snitched."
"..."
"Don't talk, Ysamla. Of course. When I actually want an answer, you won't give it to me. Look... I'm running away. Do not tell my parents... please... I'll be back in a while. In fact, come with me! Please! And we'll get Sabbath, too! We'll actually be on our real mission... In for an adventure!"
"..." Ysamla looked down, sighing "I can't let my friend go out without my protection, now can I?"
**
Two shadowy figures crept through the bushes outside of the dorm building, creeping silently. Salix was dressed in black, something that just called to her. A black ribbon in her silver her, and a black ruffled dress that look more like a heap of black cloth, and black buckle shoes. Ysamla, on the other hand, wore a bright orange and white striped shoulder-less shirt, green vest, pink ankle-less pants, with pink gym-shoes, and of course her pink headband.
"Hoist me up, Ysamla!" Salix hissed at the confused looking girl when they stopped outside of Sabbath's window.
Sabbath woke up abruptly to see heaps on his floor, muttering and hissing at each other. "You have to be gentler than that!" "What do you want, Dincht? Me to float you onto the floor!?" "No, but to be nicer about it!" "We gotta be more careful with our sneaking..."
"Salix? Ysamla?" Sabbath laughed, sitting up.
"Shush!" Salix hissed, seeing in the dim light that Ysamla had blushed at her name coming out of Sabbath's mouth.
"? Why are you two in my room..." Sabbath said, confused.
"Because, we want you to come with us! Nobody but us can know, okay?"
"Huh? Why not?!"
"Because we're running away. We're on a mission, Sabbath, and you're the last chosen member. Come on... Please?"
"I can't run away! I'm in enough trouble with my parents, the last thing I need is to make my mom madder! And how about you, Yam? You're not nearly prepared for this! You can't control your whip yet anyways!"
"I can too!" Ysamla frowned, now embarrassed that Sabbath though this about her.
"Sal! Your mom's so mad right now that if you ran off, she'd have a heart attack out of rage! You want that?"
"Look... I love my mom... But, I have to do something about this... something's calling to me... A force, something I have to find. Like the smell of smoke throws you into panic... Imagine that a small old fire is restarting, and it's throwing me into panic. Please come, Sabbath..."
"No! I'm staying right here, and there's nothing that can change my mind!" he shook his head, rolling over and flopping against the bed.
"Suit your damn self. I just hope that you have a damn good life staying here and getting yelled at" Salix stood up, turning away from Sabbath "come on, Yam."
**
"Where will we go?" Ysamla followed Salix through the long dark hall, blank and seeming endless.
"I'm going to see my grandpa... You know, the old president."
"Old president... this one is Perry Quagmire, right?"
"Yeah, but my grandpa is the one before that."
"Novato Almasy? Why?"
"Because he knows something I should know..."
"What's that, Salix?"
"... You'll see..."
"Tell me!"
"You know what? You talk too much" Salix looked up, smiling as she passed a green sign on the wall that said 'Parking Lot.' She opened the glass door, walking into the cold concrete garage, scanning her eyes over the dozens of Vehicles that were Garden property, but mostly hers, by family name, right?
"We can't steal!" Ysamla hissed, shaking her head.
"It's not stealing, it's just borrowing, without asking, and most likely never returning..."
"That's wrong!"
"Your a snitch, so I'm a thief. We're equal."
"I am not a snitch, I am an urban informer!"
"And I am not a thief, I am a borrower. Like that book you love."
"Growl... Look, we can't even drive!"
"We can't drive a car, but we can drive a Mini Ship..."
"What?!"
Salix pulled a pair of keys from her back pocket, pressing a button on one as a huge red machine that looked like a pod beeped. It was slick and shiny, with black tinted windows, and narrow too. Salix opened the door, peering inside "It looks tiny from the outside, but inside there's enough room if we want to camp out, and for supplies... Like, you have your mom and dad's credit cards, right? And I have some money I've been saving..."
"I don't have a good feeling about this... We're stealing..."
"Just get in! We're teenage girls, we'll be excused if we get in trouble."
"Not from me..." came the smooth voice of Sabbath, as he smiled at the two young while leaning on the doorway.
"Sabbath!" Ysamla smiled, running over and throwing her arms around his neck, causing him shock and her to just as quickly pull away and blush "oh, I'm sorry... Joy to see you overcame me..."
"... Uh, yeah, umm, so death rears it's ugly head?" Salix crossed her arms, glaring at Sabbath, or more at Ysamla for her idiotic way of covering up the fact of liking Sabbath.
"Salix... Please, I'm sorry. Lets not fight?" Sabbath frowned.
"Your acting like we're a couple" Salix shrugged, turning and rummaging through her stuff.
"Aren't we?" he frowned.
"Yeah, as if I'd have interest in somebody as wussy as you for more than just tempting you?!" Salix laughed. A fake laugh, but she was good at lying.
"Salix..." Sabbath was good at catching on by now, and merely smiled "okay, then..."
"So, then, Sabbath, or can I call you Sab?" Ysamla, slow as she was, wrapped her arm around Sabbath's, dragging him towards the Mini Ship as Salix sighed and leapt inside into the driver seat.
"Well, uh... some people call me Zip..."
"Zip?"
"Cause I don't talk, and I don't equal much..."
"Of course you do! But, if you like Zip, so be it..." Ysamla smiled, dragging the poor boy into the vehicle with a silver haired Venus Fly Trap and giddy blonde Snitching Weasel. But, both were extremely hot, and hot for him, so he didn't really mind.
**
"What time did they leave?" moaned Seifer, hunched over on his bed, hands on his head. Fuijin leaned over the doorway, puffy and red eyed "... The cameras caught their last movement at 12:00 AM precisely last night." Seifer looked at his clock. It read 1:45 PM. Classes had started at 7:00 AM sharp. Only five minutes ago had they discovered their daughter was missing, Mr. and Mrs. Almasy. Only five minutes ago had a teacher reported that neither Salix Almasy, Sabbath Kinnease, nor Ysamla Dincht had been seen in any of their classes. Remembering yesterday, Seifer had jumped to conclusions, and had promptly blamed Irvine for teaching Sabbath to lure his one and only child away from classes in order to get her pregnant, and doing such to Zell's kid. And now, it was discovered the Security Cameras had picked up on the three leaving the Garage Parking Lot earlier that morning. If only he paid more attention to Salix... she wouldn't have retreated to wanting to do sexual intercourse with boys, stealing from the Garden, and leaving him here to worry about her...
"... How bad of parents are we?! Our kid has just run off with her best friend and bad influential boy!" Seifer put his head in his hand.
"SEIFER! DON- don't do this to yourself, please... It must be a different answer, I mean, look at Sabbath's test scores. He isn't a bad kid... and every child wants to experiment with sex now and then... They're just kids, off doing things kids like to do..."
"... Fuijin..." Seifer didn't cry. Only once in his life as he can remember he had cried. And that was for his sister and most likely mutual feeling friend. Other than that, he can't remember crying. Now, he felt like bursting into frustrated tears.
She sighed, walking over and hugging his head against her stomach, shaking her head. She reigned this man's life, throughout his life since they were twelve, she had always been in control, forgetting her feelings. Now she realized that all the emotions inside of her had reigned over her for all of these years. "SEIFER!"
"..." he nuzzled her stomach, smiling hopefully. "Keep yelling... brings back memories, before any of this..."
"... Seifer..." she smiled, running her fingers through his hair.
"I said keep yelling, damn it!" he ordered her, sliding his arms around her waist.
"DON'T COMMAND!" she snapped, pausing to realize she had been commanded once again, and making her laugh.
He smiled, hugging her tightly, sliding his thumbs into the waist of her skirt "you know, we could always make new kids, right?"
"SEIFER!"
"Kidding, kidding, kidding... Or am I?" he said slyly.
"NOT, KID, ABOUT, SALIX!!!"
"Salix... why did we name her that anyways?"
"SALIX, DEMON, TRICKED, GABRIEL"
"Oh, right. Salix was the demon who tricked Gabriel into thinking Merlin was dead in order to make Gabriel his wife of the shadow... But what? Why did we name her somebody as bad as that?"
"... SA- Salix represented the darkness of both the witch's paths, therefore it means darkness in the ancient language. You are a darkness witch, so her name was in your honor. Mariah means sun witch... Rira means fire witch... Zaphal means Electricity... Divine no doubt means Divinity... Gelidity means ice... and Squall means wind..."
"Squall? Haven't heard that in forever... Humph. Squall..." Seifer chuckled, shaking his head.
"AWFUL"
"Yeah, he was pretty damn awful. Making Saranie stay behind in order to save his ass..."
"NO, AWFUL, DAY, FLAMES, HEAT, EXPLOSION"
"..." Seifer leaned back, shaking his head. Those two tears he had shed was all he could muster up in both of Saranie's and Squall's life. It made him sick to be him...
"... STOP!!!"
"... What?"
"STOP THINKING ABOUT THAT DAY! I'M SORRY I BROUGHT IT UP!!!" she shoved him down on the bed, putting her hands on her hips and glaring at him.
"You know how hot you are when you boss people around?" Seifer laughed.
"I GUESS THAT'S WHY YOU FIND RINOA SO ATTRACTIVE!" she turned her back to him, snubbing his gaze.
"How do you get Rinoa from my attempts of trying to get your pants off? Hey... That reminds me... Saranie, on the ship, fourteen years ago, she said she was going to take care of Rinoa... but it looks like she just ran away from Rinoa..."
"?! ARE YOU SAYING SARANIE WAS LYING!? YOU MUST HAVE MISHEARD..."
"... I guess... It'd be nice if those two were still alive to fill in the blanks for us..." Seifer sad up, shaking his head. His daughter was gone, just like his sister and his rival he had come to understand.
"..."
"Yeah, fucking slut sister stayed behind to save the next guy she'd do and got herself killed, leaving damn questions..."
"... Easy to tell she's your sister."
"Yep, and I ain't ashamed ta say it."
**
"Huh? Nanto? Oh, you must mean Toto. Yes, I'll go get him. Who is asking for him?" the annoying looking barmaid nodded, turning to walk back into the back room of the bar. Salix was lucky that they had gotten there before 7 PM, or else they wouldn't be allowed into the smoke filled cancer ridden bar.
"Hey, sweet cheeks, you lookin' ta give trim like Yuki?" came the sneaky weasel like voice of a creepy looking bug eyed man who sat in a bar stool next to Salix. "How 'bout you, blondie? You look like a virgin, though... Well, how 'bout I give ya a free spin in the back room there and see if your good enough for Sun Aim Pub."
"Huh? What do you mean, 'a free spin'?" Ysamla looked confused by the man's offer.
"Bill, I already told you this wasn't a strip club. This beers free if you leave these girls alone. They have an interest in Toto" the barmaid came back, her pink her falling over her red eyes. Tiny eyes. And dyed hair, too, as she had black eyebrows. Easy to tell that she was from Omigutsinu, her pale skin and little eyes. She had pink hair falling past her neck, a little in between Ysamla's crown of gold under that headband and Salix's mid-back platinum stream. Her skin was whiter than a ghost's, and her red eyes were very small. She wore a red jacket over nothing but a bra, with a single button in the center to shield very little of the black bra, which matched her black short shorts and black high-heeled boots.
"? They want the boss? At 28, he shouldn't have to get strippers... he should have a girlfriend... Come on, Yuki, let me lick 'em..." he reached out, stroking Salix's leg. How done she was with the whole leg stroking. But, Sabbath was done with it the most. He jumped up, punching Bill in the jaw, sending him scurrying off after Sabbath's rifle was revealed from under his black jacket. The woman named Yuki smiled.
"Gosh, if only Nanto would do that for me... hee hee... Whelp, follow me..." Yuki turned, picking up a lantern and going into the backroom as the three followed. Yuki chattered throughout the way, but it was low and to herself, so nothing was made out. They walked down a spiral staircase, and once all of the three were convinced that this stair case led to the center of the earth, Yuki finally spoke to them.
"So, what are your guys's names?"
"I'm Sabbath Kinnease, SeeD Trainee Level 8" Sabbath answered quickly, and formal like.
"Oh, so your the lead of all this? I doubt a SeeD Level 8 would be pimping women..."
"Huh?! We're only 14!"
"No, he isn't the leader. I am. I'm Salix Almasy, Nanto's niece."
"I'm Ysamla Dincht!"
"Salix? Pretty name... I'm Yuki, Yuki Wakimura. Nice ta meet ya. Didn't know Nanto had such pretty family members..." Yuki said, ignoring Ysamla.
"Uh, thanks..."
"Wish I had been born with silver hair. Alas, my stupid family had to be Omigutsinu. We all have dark hair... My sister had the prettiest, and my brother and me got black. Hers is a shiny blue that can catch sunlight and lays straight... Mine was curly and black. So, I straightened it, cut it, and dyed it. I think it looks better pink..."
'No, you look like an Easter Egg, and talk as much as a duck's ass' Salix thought, now annoyed "how long will it be til' we get there?"
"Oh, this? This is an underground Tunnel. You know how the bar, Sun Aim, was in the forest outside Pandemonium? Well, this tunnel leads into Pandemonium. It goes straight into a strip joint in the middle of Pandemonium. Your uncle also owns that. That guy Bill back there, he's been trying to get girl's to strip for him back at Sun Aim, cause he's a sex fiend. He was so horny once he touched one of the dancers, which is against the law. He got banned, so he stays at Sun Aim looking for hookers."
"Oh..." Salix hadn't gotten her answer, which made her annoyed... and she didn't like being annoyed. If there was a hulk that didn't turn green over ripping a pair of perfect purple pants, it was Seifer or Fuijin. And, combining them and making that mad was lighting a fuse for world destruction.
They finally came to a huge door, and Yuki carefully put in the coordinates on the lock and opened it. Inside wasn't as smoky as the last bar, and you could tell that no smoking was allowed and neither was drinking. But, you could hear shouts from old men and screams of young women, and got the idea of what was going on in the next room. Yuki led them down the hall, where she opened a regular looking door, which led into a regular looking office, but the man inside wasn't regular looking. Just how he looked fourteen years ago; Messy brown hair, bright brown eyes, and even the same type of clothes. Nanto Almasy sill had the same worn out and helpless expression as always.
"Toto, somebody's here to see you" Yuki held open the door as Salix rushed in, throwing her arms around her uncle.
"SAL!? Oh, no, not here! You know what this place is!?" Nanto gasped, pulling away.
"No, I thought it was Candy Land. This is Lap Dog strip club, right?"
"Yeah, and as in strip club your not allowed in here!"
"Nanto... Your my uncle, I can tell these Airheads to get out and take their sperm soaked pants with them if I wanted to!"
Yuki looked puzzled, looking at Sabbath "how old are you guys?"
"Old enough to know your a whore" Sabbath shrugged, turning and stepping into the office to evade Yuki's swing for a punch.
**
"Open up, your too tight!" Seifer growled, pinning Fuijin to the bed as she bit her lip underneath him. Not because she was holding back a scream, but because she was hiding it. You can't have an orgasm in a school full of little kids running around.
THUD, THUD, THUD!
"Go away, we're busy!" Seifer snapped, not even taking his hands away from Fuijin's wrists.
"You've... gotten... INto... SADISM SEifer..."
"You know it!"
"Yo, you idiots, get your fucking pants on and get the hell out here! The kids are heading for Pandemonium!" came a voice from outside the door.
Seifer sat up, turning to the door "what are you talking about, Zell?!"
"The kids are going to Pandemonium, right? And Novato left after he retired, right? So, there's only one person they know that's in Pandemonium..."
"NANTO!" Fuijin sat up, staring at Seifer.
"So, we can call Nanto, right?"
"YES! Oh my god your a friggen' genius!"
**
"Yuki, Wakimura, what an insanity... From the, town of Shiro, she's about to hit a Chestnut tree... AHHH!!!" Yuki slammed the brakes onto the red car the group was in, making it slam to a halt. Salix lurched forwards, rubbing the back of her head. Ysamla screamed and took a minute to gather herself afterwards. Sabbath landed on Nanto's up front, knocking his head against his.
"Very safe, Yuki. Now we're slammed against a tree and stuck in the middle of Sai, with a huge mountain and hot weather ahead of us. Really safe, Wakimura."
"Hee hee... Moogles!" Yuki jumped up and down, laughing as she got out of the car. Sabbath and Salix heaved a frightened Ysamla out of the car "C'mon, Yam. I guess we're walking, from now on... Now, off to see Celbie Almasy."