Star Shadow: *Drop kicks her muse*

Dark Stratos: *Soars into the distance*

Star Shadow: *Watches in appreciation* Ah, the sight of that moron becoming a speck on the horizon makes me happy.

Dark Stratos: *Stomps back to his original position* What was that for!?

Star Shadow: You have been neglecting to give me my much-needed inspiration.

Dark Stratos: Well, sorrrry! I'm only human you know!

Star Shadow: *Glares* You are not. Perhaps I should get a new muse.

Dark Stratos: Who'd want to be your muse?

Chibi Soujiro: *Hugs Star's leg and looks up with a smile*

Star Shadow: Oh! How cute! *Picks him up* Would you like to be my new muse?

Chibi Soujiro: Aa... *Sticks finger in his mouth and thanks for a few seconds* Okay!

Star Shadow: *Huggles him* You are now officially my muse!

Chibi Soujiro: Yay! *Throws his arms around her neck*

*Star and Soujiro go off to type*

Dark Stratos: Hey! That's supposed to be me! *Pouts*

Disclaimer: *Runs around in a field of flowers* I'm free! I'm free! I'm free! I'm-- *Sees the intimidating men in black suits and sunglasses looking at her* *Rambles in monotone* I do not in anyway, shape or form own any of the copyrights to Final Fantasy VIII or Rurouni Kenshin. I am making no money off this fan fiction. *Blinks and looks confused* *Continues frolicking through the field* I'm free! I'm free!...

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The Journal

Star Shadow and Dark Stratos

Chapter Five: The Revelation

Seifer stared out the window as Quistis lectured, yet again, on the importance of not leaving GFs junctioned for extended periods of time and how doing so affected you memories of the past. For him, this would be the sixth time he had heard it since he had gotten back. It wasn't very interesting anymore.

A bird flew by the window and he watched it go. It must be nice out there, Seifer thought with a soft amused smile. At one point when he was younger, he had wanted to be a bird. They didn't have bedtimes or responsibilities. He had wanted that then, but he no longer yearned for it as he once did.

At the moment, he just wanted to get out of this world of boredom that had ensnared him. He wanted to be doing something, anything. Something told him that if he didn't do something soon he was going to have a mental breakdown.

As he moved to bang his head on his desk, he spotted an escape. The notebook was sticking out of his desk. It was strange. He thought for sure that he had left it in his dorm. Oh well, as long as he wasn't bored it was for the best. After putting it in his lap where Quistis wouldn't see it he opened it to the page where he had left off.

Seifer was greeted with a page filled with doodles. The interesting characters and strange scribbled looking things that adorned the page were slightly faded, and there was a stain of something that looked like Dr. Pepper of Pepsi covering half the page. Some of her characters had names beside or beneath them. Some of the names within themselves made him want to laugh. He turned the page to look at the next entry.

Hello again!

Wow! It's nice to see that you're still reading this thing! Nothing interesting has been going on today or week. It's really boring. I almost wish that school would start up again. Note the word 'Almost'.

I took my sisters swimming today. Some of the lifeguards were staring at me. My sisters and I were the only ones there and all the lifeguards were guys. What a headache. It took me a minute to figure out why they were all staring at me. The reason, drum roll please, was because it was very hot outside and I was wearing black pants. Oh well, it was fun although I never got into the water.

Hey! Guess what! There's someone at the door. Perhaps it's someone interesting. I'll write more later!

~Rachel Coley

Seifer sighed. This wasn't helping very much. He looked at the large scribble at the bottom of the page. It looked like someone had abused the paper to let out a lot of frustration. Curiosity getting the better of him, he turned the page to see another angry scribble at the top of the page. He looked down at the entry below it.

I now wish I had never gone to the door. My father was there. I really don't like him. He's a very fake person. He tried to come into the house, but I wouldn't let him. He's not even supposed to come here because my mother has a restraining order on him. He wanted to see my sisters, but they went with Mama to go do something. He tried to talk to me, but I can't stand him. I know what he's really like and I know that he isn't as nice as he was acting.

My father is not a kind man, not in the least. When I was younger he used to threaten and beat my mother. Not only that, but he's been a drunk longer than I've been alive. He cusses and goes into rages more than you'll ever know. When we all lived together, he wouldn't come out of the computer room to save his life. He sat around and drank Jackson Daniels all day. He only went to work when it was absolutely necessary.

When I got older, I had to keep him from beating my sisters. I normally sent them to a neighbor's house when he was getting to drunk to remember what he had just said. He never had any friends. He used to beat me too. I normally don't tell people about it, but he makes me so mad. He tries to pretend that it never happened, that he never hit Mama or me. He tries to pretend to be my friend, but in reality, he just wants to control me. He always called Mama a slut too. Now he says he loves her. I know it's not true.

I don't think I can ever accept him again. I've now seen how men are supposed to act, and there's no way that they were supposed to act like that. I see fathers playing with their children and loving their wives genuinely and even walking their dogs instead of putting it in their dryer or kicking it down the stairs. I know it's because of him that I have so little trust for anyone. I can't stand him! I think I think I hate him. I hate him mire than anything in the entire universe.

I'm sorry for anyone reading this. Please forgive me.

~Rachel Coley

After rereading the words once again, Seifer closed the journal in a bit of a shock. He didn't understand. It just didn't make any sense. How did this happen to someone like her? He couldn't see it happening. It just wasn't possible. He ran her words over again through his head as Quistis dismissed the class.

Could anyone really do that to people or animals? How? Why? Was she cold and closed off deep within her heart to keep herself from becoming hurt? His thoughts sped out of control as he passed by Squall without even slinging an insult at him. When he finally realized he was in his room was when he heard a knock at his door.

In almost forced motions, he opened the door only to see a smaller brunette looking up at him. Steely gray-blue eyes looked up at him with a flicker of concern. Squall was standing before him with his features set and arms crossed.

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Star Shadow: Wow! We made a cliffhanger, Sou-chan!

Chibi Soujiro: Yep! Like it?

Star Shadow: *Huggles him* Yes! You're a wonderful muse!

Chibi Soujiro: *Beams* Read and Review! Even Flames are welcome Mina-san!

Dark Stratos: *Glowers at the cute child from Rurouni Kenshin* That's my line...