"What the hell!?" Livid turned from Salix Almasy, seeing the flames as well "Th- that's Shiro Garden!"

That's when Salix realized why there wasn't any response from the villagers; there weren't any. But, there was blood streamed out on the streets. Salix gulped as her throat felt heavy "IRVINE! SELPHIE!!!"

She turned, pushing past Livid, as all three took off in top speed for Shiro Garden "Please... Be okay... Irvine... Selphie... Sabbath..."

They all stumbled an all too real scene. Shiro Garden members were strewn out across the floor, in their own pools of blood. Also, were the bodies of faceless villagers, their skinned faces sitting next to their heads. The women, men, babies... all of Garden or Shiro, dead. Salix stopped, feeling her fingers turn to ice. She scanned the body's with expressionless eyes, afraid to death of if they might land on a cowboy, cheerful woman, or young red haired boy.

"S- Salix?... Di- did you d- do this?" Salix looked up to greet the eyes of Sabbath, and behind him Selphie and Irvine.

"N- no! Why would I?!" Salix backed up, shaking her head as her foot sickeningly splashed on a body-less head.

"You hated the fact that you saw me and Ysamla together... So, you murdered them... The villagers, the staff, the students, and the SeeD... and now your holding one of Balamb's SeeD's hostage!"

"...? What!? Oh, Livid! No, no..."

"She's not holding anybody hostage! We're together, okay!? That's all!" Livid stepped forward, hate in his eyes.

"... Together? Is he speaking the truth, Salix?" Sabbath ignored all of Livid's other words.

"What?! No, of course not! Look, calm down Sabbath..." she stepped towards him, dropping her gunblade on the ground. The weapon cracked, and broke, with a hollow sound, like one would imagine a heart breaking to sound.

"Stay back!" Sabbath drew his rifle and aimed at Salix, even to the shock of his parent's in the background. She still stepped closer, tears in her eyes "you can't believe I did this... I need you to drop the weapon... Sabbath..."

"... I- you always were insane! Don't hurt me or my parents!" his finger's fumbled to cock the gun.

She still advanced "don't hurt yourself... Please, no good comes out of it... The dead get off easy... it's those who are left behind are left to deal with pain... There's been too much death here already... Sabbath..."

He dropped the gun on the ground, as fired and shot off in a different direction, into the Garden, not harming anybody. He fell on Salix, who was only half a foot away, sobbing on her shoulder.

"... Salix... that was very brave..." Irvine approached slowly, as every body else stayed behind and caught their breaths. She smiled up at him "... Irvine... Thank you... What happened here...?"

"We don't know. We just got here a few minutes ago... Look's like the place was attacked... By what, though?"

"We just got to Shiro, Sir. Salix here was the first to see the flames on Garden, therefore we came straight here. We just found this scene..." Livid stepped forwards, saluting Irvine in the proper SeeD fashion.

"... Like this... But, no, there are more bodies than a few minutes before when we got here... In fact, I just talked to the girl over there as soon as we came in!" Irvine looked at a body, astounded "so, whatever did this is still..."

"Here? Yes, yes it is..." came a deep, gruff evil like voice as a huge shadow approached the group.

BREAK

"?! What and the hell are you!?" Selphie ran behind Irvine, clutching his trench coat as she stared up at monster that had came up from behind her. It was as huge as the room, with shaggy brown long fur. The beast had a tiger shaped face, and walked on all fours like a monkey, on it's knuckles. Two long white fang's glistening in blood hung out of the monster's mouth, and a lazar gun was strapped to the beast's back.

"I am called Jiango... I was sent by Jaromaru to destroy this Garden, as my sister Vencita was sent to Sai's Garden in Kiba city. That is far more than a village, so the death rate will be higher... Hmm, she gets to have fun... But here, I can take out the infamous Salix Almasy, Livid Locksmith, and the headmaster's son!" Jiango raised a paw, swinging at Salix and Sabbath, who cringed together as they were weaponless. As Salix waited for a huge mass of fur and bone to fall on her head, but her wait was canceled when she heard the sound of a blade clashing on the paw. She opened her eyes as she was showered with blood, seeing Livid slicing Jiango's paw off.

"LIVID!" she stood up, looking around, and to her horror seeing her broken gunblade. Sabbath wasn't too pleased with being dropped and hearing Livid's name being called out.

"Shit, Salix! Hurry up and get a weapon!" Hega and Kega ran up from behind, flailing fists and blades along side Livid. Sabbath picked up his rifle, and Tilba pulled out his spear, Selphie and Irvine amazingly yanking their old weapons out of nowhere, all except poor alone Salix heading in for an all out attack.

"I need a new weapon... One I think I can use..." Salix looked around quickly, her eyes falling on a staff in a dead member's hands "Aha! Livid, Tilba, battle stations, every body else retreat!"

BREAK

Livid placed a well-evened attack, as did Tilba, while Salix cast cure on a tired yellow health Livid. She herself was running low, at only 102 of health, but she was saving for next turns limit break. Jiango himself was running low, but far higher than any of the other three put together.

"Not bad, for humans... But, try this!" Jiango slammed his paw on the ground, sending a shock wave as it slammed against Livid, making him fall over at 0 health. Salix got a great rush of pain as well, even though the attack didn't touch her. She decided this was because she had to hold onto her limit break for a second so she could revive Livid, which she did.

"Okay, now, try this for starters. Dearest!" Salix tossed her staff in the air like she would for a gunblade after a turn, closing her fingers together and saying a prayer softly, as everybody in the party was healed completely from health that was taken from Jiango, who howled with pain as the staff was driven into him and then flew back into Salix's hands, bringing MP along with it.

"Pretty good, little Dogma! Hmm, speaking of Dogma... Dogma!" Tilba played through his limit break, which where he sent out a bunch of random attacks in a stream that smashed against Jiango with fits of 520 attack damage on average.

"DAMN ALL OF YOU!!!" Jiango roared as he lunged and smashed his fangs on Livid, taking a huge chunk out of Livid's health.

"Three limit breaks in a row? Aren't you unlucky! SCORN!" Livid took his gunblade, flinging it like a boomerang as it landed smack dab on the center of Jiango's head, gathering energy from that point. Livid then dived forwards, snatching up his gunblade, taking an uppercut from the forehead, doing the vast amount of damage of around 15000. From that point, Jiango fell, and the battle was won. Or, so thought...

"Thanks... Salix... That last limit break was... replenishing..." Livid nodded, stretching and wiping blood off of his gunblade "good ol' Scorn, it always did come through for me."

"? Hey, Livid... That's the first time you said anything nice to me..." Salix smiled softly as she approached Livid, wiping blood off of a cut on his forehead.

"Hey, no pretty girl mushy gushy stuff, ya hear!? Just continue fighten' like that!" he turned, putting away his gunblade and starting to walk off.

"Hmm... Ha, I smell young love... How about you?" Tilba laughed, following Livid along with Hega and Kega, who nodded.

Selphie giggled, trotting over to Salix, hugging her "you saved us! All! Thanks you three... Your father will be sure to hear about this!"

"... I'm caught, aren't I? End of my adventures..."

"I'm afraid so... but, hey, when you graduate, I'll get you a rocket launcher!" Selphie laughed. "Anywho... Hey, I wonder what that lazar cannon was for?! I didn't ever see Jiango use it once... Did you?"

"... The cannon?" Salix frowned. That cannon was an X6150, a cannon that used a little beam that would kill the first thing it hit. It was programmed for only one shot, and to go off when the thing it was attached to pulse stopped... Which should be, for Jiango, right about...

"SEPHY!!!" Irvine dived out of nowhere, shoving both of the girl's out of the way. Selphie and Salix realized that while they were talking, the cannon was starting and aiming at Selphie Kinnease, which only Irvine noticed. The red beam it shot out, small and narrow but deadly, and straight through Irvine's chest.

BREAK

"NO!!!" Salix threw herself on Selphie to keep the screaming now widow from running smack dib into the cannon's beam as well. After what seemed like eternity while having to painfully watch Irvine's shocked and dieing face, the fallen member finally was swept off of his feet and onto the ground, never to be a pervert again.

Salix, without realizing it, let Selphie go. The brown haired woman threw herself on her husband's dead body, shaking him, as though trying to threaten him to come back to life. "... No, you can't! This can't happen! We survived this! I know we did! You have to live too, Irvine!" she mourned, falling onto his chest.

Salix started to walk towards Selphie, before her own pain caught her. She fell to her knees, holding her sides as she tipped over, sobbing helplessly. Irvine... He was a family that was chosen, he, Selphie, Zell, Quistis, daddy, and mom. They were her family, one she chose. They were closer to Salix than Salix's own grandfather, aunt, uncle, or any other relative. Now, one was gone, due to bad placement in standing...

"... You made it, he didn't" Salix looked up at Livid's slow, cranky voice as he placed his hand on Selphie's shoulder, sighing and looking down.

BREAK

Salix walked slowly through the tiny halls of 'Naughty Dog', her head tipped down and eyes watery. Just a hours before, she had nearly been caught, discovered a massacre, nearly shot, attacked, been complimented by the least likely, lost a dear friend, and buried that dear friend. Selphie had placed Irvine's hat on the shady, tree covered and on the lee side of a stone grave, along with a daffodil. She had then turned to Salix, and asked where they were going now. When Salix had replied 'To Quagmire's building, as they are the real Jaromaru, and I'm getting revenge and answers', Selphie said 'call me Selphie Tilmit, cause I'm going with you. First, we have to save Quistis and Zell.'

Salix stopped in a huge room she was yet to see. It was like a pent house, really. It even had a little bar. There were floor to ceiling sized windows on one side, too, revealing a blue night sky and ocean the 'Naughty Dog' was passing. Sitting on one of the railings next to a window was a young boy who had lost his father.

"Sabbath?... Your mom says she's not going to tell Seifer of our whereabouts, so we're going to get revenge for your dad... This means, it's not all over yet..." Salix approached Sabbath, as he sat with his head on the glass.

"Okay... I guess... Somebody has to pay... But, revenge is so futile... Why can't fighting just stop?"

"I... don't know... Do you expect me to know why?" she walked over, hoisting herself up onto a railing opposite of him, scooting in so that she was between his legs, and laying her head on his chest.

"... Why do you fight?" he his fingers fall on her shoulder.

"I fight because... it's what I believe in... I think that as long as one fights, one can still continue to thrive, right?... If I didn't fight, I wouldn't have a purpose, and I would never get an answer unless a persevere..." she nuzzled his neck, pushing closer.

"... Hmm... Inspiration, La'lala... Reason, Buta'Ma... Perseverance, Tuto'Nei... and Intriguing, Plunk... the four spirits of Tatsume Island..." Sabbath looped his arms around her waist.

"? Tatsume... isn't that an island in Spiral?" she looked up "and, La'lala is one of my GFs, as is Plunk..."

"You remember where you got them?"

"... No, I just found 'em in my inventory once for my Birthday... I assumed my dad gave them to me as a Birthday present..."

He shook his head "no, I gave them to you as a Birthday present, I snuck them into your inventory one night, and never left a note. Too shy, I guess... The night before your birthday, I made a trip to Tatsume, and fought La'lala, Buta'Ma, and Tuto'Nei for Plunk's challenge... Afterwards, I was awarded the siblings of the island GFs. But, they came in two sets, the two older brothers together, Reason and Perseverance, and the younger brother and second youngest sister together, Plunk and La'lala. I gave you Plunk and La'lala... They are used together, right?"

"Yes, they're attack is called 'Half Full'..."

"And my GF's attack is called 'Half Empty'... I bet if we used them in a battle at the same time, they all would summon somebody amazing, because it's completely full..."

"Yeah, maybe... Thanks, Sabbath..." she smiled, kissing his cheek, then his lips, holding the kiss, until she felt his hand curve around her backside.

"Ow! I thought we were heading somewhere good with that!" Sabbath rubbed his cheek, laughing slightly from the slap.

"I ain't that easy, you know!" she leaned back, putting her hands on her hips.

"... Hey, guys..." Selphie walked in from the doorway, smiling slightly at two, heading over and wrapping her arms around them "better be prepared... with GF and all... We're nearly to... Kiba City... and we can see flames... Godspeed, I hope we get to them in time..." Selphie burst in tears.

Salix smiled, lifting Selphie's chin "Seph... sumthin' keeps tellin' me, Quistis and Zell won't fall too easily..." 'It's Ysamla I'm worried about.'

CONTINUED

Notes: Ya'll know who I own and who I don't...! O.o I smell... Bacon. And another character death? Or, is that just me? Hnnn...

Penguin Aide: It doesn't hurt to put SPOILER when you write a spoiler.

Me: FO ME IT DOES! I AM EVIL AND I AM LAST TA SAY I CHEATS!