Chapter 6-Balamb, rated next

Under Squall's order, Nida piloted the Garden back to Balamb after hearing some suspicious rumors. Which turned out to be true, Zell's hometown was under marshal law by the sorceress and the Galbadia government. The Galbadian army was looking for Ellone and wouldn't allow any one in or out until she was found, the guard in turn told them to find the 'commander'. They gained entry by telling the guard that they had information on her, a simple lie that worked. The first place, being one of the closest they headed was to Zell's home after a small talk with Ma Dincht, they were up to speed on the situation.

Squall, Zell and Irvine searched high and low for the 'Commander' but after their search didn't yield any results, they ended up being lead by a search dog.

They were taken to the train station where the 'Commander' was sleeping, who turned out to be Raijin who they followed to the Balamb hotel.

The two guards at the door warned them as they approached.

"Hey, you! Stand back, the commander's just about to"

They didn't even finish before Raijin came flying head out of the hotel doors and slamming on to the stone road. But he quick picked himself up, in an attempt to save face, but he couldn't help rubbing his behind. "YEOW! Ouuuch... F-Fujin... C-Control you temper, ya know? I was patrollin', just like ya told me. I even woke up that search dog, sleepin' on the job, ya know?" Raijin turned to the two guards pleadingly "You guys help me out here! We've gotta clam Fujin down, ya know?"

Somewhat annoyed that they weren't even being noticed, Zell shouted loudly "RAIJIN!" Getting in a fighting stance.

Raijin flinched, turned around abruptly. "Wooooow! What are you guys doin' here?"

"We're here to liberate Balamb, ya know?" Zell paused, realizing what he had just said. "...I mean...uhh... We're here to liberate Balamb!" Zell, feeling mildly embarrassed about his mistake, played it off nicely.

"Seifer told us to give you a whoppin' if we saw you, ya know!" Raijin lifted his staff, waving the two guards over towards him "You soldiers help me out, too!" The two men lined up along side of him, ready to go.

Squall readied his gun blade, Zell tightened his gloves, and Irvine loaded and aimed his shotgun. "You'll pay for this, Raijin!" Zell growled. (Ready Carbuncle?)

'Always.' Carbuncle said with his usual enthusiasm, some how when Zell was mad or really excited, he gain some boost of Energy. Must be the junction.

Zell's first move was a defensive one, summoning Carbuncle. The small, green GF opened a hole in the ground, jumping through while curled into a ball and rising high into the air. When he reached a curtain height he instinctively uncurled, the red jewel on his forehead shining with a crimson light. It radiated a light over the three, casting a reflect spell.

Irvine was ready, following up with a Triple spell on himself. Squall took a more direct approach and charged at the nearest Galbadian soldier with his sword hung low to his side, when he got in range he lifted the blade slashed the man across stomach. The soldier stumbled back, wildly swinging his sword at Squall. Squall jumped back, avoiding the blow that created sparks when the blade struck the ground. But the blue clad soldier wouldn't give up that easily, he dashed after him, pulling his sword across his shoulder and slashing Squall across the chest.

The second Galbadian soldier planted the tip of his sword on the ground, holding it with one hand and lifting the other, he cast a Fiargea spell. A line of fire trailed across the stony path, erupting under Irvine in a spinning inferno that nearly covered his whole body.

Zell rushed the first ,already weakened by Squall's attack, Galbadian soldier. Knocking him back with a thrust of his shoulder, while the man was stumbling, Zell drove two tabbing punches right in his stomach then a strong right hook to the side of his head.

"Got you now!" Raijin came after Zell, spinning the large staff above his head with both hands. In a fluid motion he pulled it down to his side, still spinning, and trust the base of the staff upward in to his chin. Zell was knocked off his feet, soaring threw and forced into a full flip in mind air before landing hard on the ground. Raijin was strong, but he had always been strong.

(Are you alright Zell?)

"Fine!" Zell shouted out loud.

Back in the garden Raijin was one of the strongest, if not the strongest fighter, he may have made a good SeeD if had bothered to take the test but unfortunately he didn't consider himself a test person since most of the SeeD exam was written response. Nida was always helping him in classes, and tutoring him out of them, he would have passed with all the help Nida had given him. And it was mutual, Raijin and his physical training was the helped Nida make it past the field exam.

The second Galbadian Soldier took the opportunity to attack the downed Zell. Seeing him coming Zell crawled backwards, still on the ground. He almost made it out the way, but the soldier managed to thrust the sword down and hit him across the arm side.

The other Galbadian soldier ran for the still recovering Zell, but he was blown off his feet by two well placed rounds from Irvine, knocking him on his back painfully. Using his triple effect Zell cast Blizzard. The first bolder of ice fell on top of the fallen soldier, taking him out. The second striking Raijin atop his head hard enough to cause a visible wince and the third hitting the last soldier. Squall followed up, striking the last Galbadian soldier with a swift slice from the gunblade and knocking him out.

The situation wasn't looking too good. "Damn..." Raijin cast aura on himself, noticing that Zell was already glowing with the energy of a limit break. This suddenly became a one on one fight.

"Zell, catch!" Irvine tossed Zell a Hi-potion, he hastily drank the bitter liquid, tossing the empty bottle aside with the ching of hard glass bouncing against a harder surface.

Raijin attacked him first, unleashing his Raijin special limit. He held the staff with both hands out as far as his arms could extend, striking Zell with an unusually quick blow from the left end, then the right. Then with a small spin he brought the staff upward for an upper cut, striking Zell in the chin with equal or even greater strength then last time, but quickly bring it back down on Zell's head before the boy's body could be thrown backwards from the force of the previous strike. Last he brought the staff around his back and trust the end of it in Zell's stomach before he could hit the ground. Launching Zell outward and sending him flying backwards into the side of the hotel wall, visibly leaving an imprint behind.

Zell slid down out of the imprint in the brick wall, landing on his hands and knees, expelling blood from his mouth with a painful cough. (Are you ok, it must have hurt.) Carbuncle said in a worried tone.

Zell didn't want Carbuncle worrying about him, in fact he found it embarrassing that Carbuncle had to see him end up in this condition when fighting one person. He snorted with narrowed eyes, wiping the blood away from his cheek. 'Not that much.' Zell lied, it actually hurt a lot, but In costmary Zell style, he was driven in to anger and back in to his limit break.

"RAIJIN!" He ran at Raijin with a speed previously unachieved, delivering two punches to his chest hard enough to knock the wind out of him. Pummeling the side of his head with more blows. When Raijin stumbled to the left from the force of his blow, Zell delivered a fierce roundhouse kick with his left foot. Then jumping up slightly and thrusting a kick directly into his face. While he was still stumbling backwards disorientedly , Zell ran at him, going past his side and under Raijin's right arm and grabbed him by the waist. He picked him up, lifting Raijin above his head and tossing him in the air. Raijin landed painfully on his stomach, scrambling to his feet. But Zell was ready, coming at him again, with practiced agility Zell ran up Raijin's torso, giving a swift kick in the chin before he kicked off of Raijin into a back flip. He landed a considerable distance from where Raijin was barley standing.

The aqua aurora of a higher level Limit break few ever achieved engulfed his body like a raging fire, erupting in a blast of blue energy. Zell's shoulders ignited with intense red flames from his Burning Rave finisher. With a loud outcry Zell lifted his fist in the air, and slammed it in to the ground, transferring that force that ignited the flames with the punch. A rush of energy tore through the ground like a shark through water, exploding under Raijin with a white flash of a localized explosion, sending his body flying in to air and crashing to the ground hard enough to knock some debris into the air.

Carbuncle gasped in amazement 'Wow Zell! Your REALLY strong!'

(Damn right!)

Raijin tried to lift himself up, but fell back down to the ground. "Ughhh, you got me, ya know………"

Felling rightly confident in his ability's he shouted "OHHHH YEAHHHH! The commander's gonna get a whoopin' too!" and dashed in to the hotel.

Squall tried to stop him "Damnit Zell, don't just"but he was already gone (I'm just talking to myself.) Squall rubbed his head, this was becoming stressful, so with no choice he just ran after him, Irvine following.

! - ! - !

Inside Fujin was waiting on them, she couldn't help but be after all of that commotion.

"So I guess you're the commander! Pack your bags and get the hell outta Balamb!" Zell shouted, partly still trying to impress Carbuncle and running on an adrenalin high.

"...RAIJIN, DEFEATED...?"

"That's right, BABY!" Zell yelled. "Now, where's Seifer and the sorceress? You're all goin' DOWN!"

Squall placed his hand on Zell's shoulder and pulled him back, he was a little too excited "Zell, clam down." With Zell mildly under control, Squall turned to Fujin. "Fujin, looks like you're on your own. Are you still willing to fight?"

"RAGE!"

A deep voice came form the doorway, "Oh man, no way." Irvine lifted his hat lightly and looked back at Raijin standing in the door way.

"BWA HA HA HA! She's not alone!" Raijin called out triumphantly as he walked to Fujin's side. "Major come-back, ya know! Actually, I feel a lot betta, ya know! I feel invincible, ya know!"

Zell was almost stunned, he did all of that and Raijin was only down for 2 minutes? "How the...? I thought we defeated you!"

Raijin may have recovered but Zell hadn't, he was going in to battle still weak from his a last. "Time to get serious, ya know?" Raijin went strait for Zell, tucking the end of his staff under his arm, turning around and striking him with a backhand. Zell stumbled back, falling to the ground, unconscious.

Squall quickly used a Phoenix Down on him, making him sit up with a deep breath. "Uh, thanks."

Irvine tossed him a Hi-potion. "Next time be careful." Irvine told him.

Zell drank the bitter liquid hastily, then tossed the bottle aside and climbed to his feet.

"I warned you." Squall said, obviously annoyed.

"Yeah, Whatever." Zell was ready to fight again, but Carbuncle summoned himself on the field before he even realized it. "Huh?" A black hole opened up with a stream of red light above their heads, out of thin air. Carbuncle fell through, landing on the ground at Zell's feet with a thump. "Carbuncle?" Zell looked down at him questingly, lowering his fist lightly.

Squall looked over at Zell, who couldn't have summoned the GF since he had been incapacitated 10 seconds ago "What?" Zell didn't even notice him and Irvine just shrugged.

Carbuncle rubbed his head with his small paws, since he landed on his back, then got to his feet "Hold on, I wanna try something! I promise it wont hurt," He used his Carbuncle limit break, the red Jewel on his forehead shifting to white and his whole body glowed with the same colored light. "Hnnnnngggga!" With a strained growl the light expelled from his head in such intensity that it rushed toward Zell and the others in a wall.

It stopped just ahead of them and vanished along with the small GF, Casting protect, shell, Barrier, haste, regain, aura, and reflect, along with some other effects still not known.

Irvine summoned Leviathan right after, the 3 of them the serpent appeared in the form of water. A steep mountain of rock rose from the ground beneath Leviathan as his long body began to glow then exploded in to tidal wave of rushing water that roared down the small mountain. The thick wave crushed Raijin and Fujin, washing them out.

Fujin made her way to her feet soaking wet and angry, she drew her arm back and tossed the bladed projectile at Squall, slashing him across the chest with a rapidly drilling weapon. On the boomerang it stuck him across the arm and returned to her.

Squall winced lightly, noting the high damage of that was inflicted, lifting his hand and countering with A Tornado spell. Strong winds from nowhere started to whip around them, tearing them up away from the ground along with a few chunks of the from. They were ripped and torn by the strong winds, crashing to the ground.

Apparently one of the effects or carbuncle was that it raised magic, that was all it took to defeat them.

! - ! - !

! - ! - !

The next destination was Trabia Garden by the request of Seiphie, but apon arrival they found that it had been destroyed by missile attacks.

With nothing better to do, they ended up talking in an attempt to figure some things out, also reveling the down side to junctioning, memory loss. They established that their next destination should Edea's orphanage. But before heading off they decided to rest at the Garden.

Never too busy, I'm never too busy for you babe, never too busy
I've got things on my mind

Zell went directly to his room, heading strait for the bed to shake off the exestuation of the Trabia snow cap acquired by 2 hours of hard training with his GF. It felt good to get off his feet, enough to make him inanely let out a sigh of relief, the first thing he did was kick off his shoes and take off his shirt, tossing it messily aside and watch it land on top of his dresser. The cooler air felt good against his overworked and over heated skin.

Carbuncle came out eventually, laying in his favorite spot between Zell's waist and stomach, but it took a moment to find it exactly since it wasn't the easiest place to find. Zell didn't mind, he just laid with his arms behind his head and one knee drawn up, finding it amusing to watch how Carbuncle grunted in annoyment when he didn't quite get it and have to get up and shift around again.

I'm not too busy for you, I'm not too busy
If you're feeling alone

Zell smirked when after twenty minutes or so Carbuncle had found what he was looking for. "So, was it worth it?"

"Huh?" Carbuncle laid his head and his paws, letting his ears drop down to his head.

"That thing you always do." Zell was referring to the ritual Carbuncle did every time he decided to lay on Zell, some times he found the position he wanted immediately, other times it took him a lot longer, but either way he always kept going until he found it.

Carbuncle nodded, "Yup." And it was, this was comfortable, just the right amount of tone and softness. He liked this spot. "Definitely worth it."

Zell laughed lightly, at lest he was happy. "Alright keep going." Zell lowed his hand to Carbuncle's hand and petting softly him.

Carbuncle may have been 483 years older than him but he still liked being held by Zell, he always knew the right spots to rub, which some times put him in a bad position when Zell wanted him to do something. "With what?"

"The story you were telling me." Zell closed his eyes, still petting the small GF.

I'm not too busy for you, I'm not too busy

"Alright, today I'll tell you about Centra, well... the Centra Ruins now." Carbuncle leaned his head upward into the warm hand, letting out another deep breath before he started. "Way back 100 years ago it used to be 6 cities that made up a huge kingdom. I know, I went a few times. It stretched almost over the whole Centra content, well you really couldn't see it now that content used to be a lot bigger than it was. It was great, the safest place in the world. No monsters or nothing like that, they had people to take care of em. " A hint of forlorn came into his voice "It was great, just wide open plains and fields and stuff like that, even a forest."

Girl when we first started we were spending all our time together in love
Now we're growin' on and you're afraid of losing me, don't be

"Really? It doesn't look anything remotely like that now."

"Well it was back when Adel first became sorceress and the Lunatic Paradona was first found out about and being excavated. They found it under water someplace really close to Centra, turned out to be a bad thing... This thing they called 'Battleship Island' found it."

Zell knew about that... "I know what that is, it was a mobile research facility."

That explained a lot. "Oh. Now that make sense."

I've got a heart full of love even though I might not show it
Girl it's you I dream of and just so you know it

"Well they were trying to figure out how it worked, it took them ten years, I know, I was watching the whole time. But Centra was growing, it was the perfect place to be, I was watching that happen too. It was a... What's the word for it………uh?" Carbuncle paused, looking over at Zell questingly in the hopes that he could offer a suggesting.

"A utopia?"

"Yeah that's it, Utopia. It was also the only place not under Ester's... well Adel's control. It was run by a guy named King Baron, I think that was his name... whatever it was, he was doing a good job."

You have my attention, anything you need at all
I'll be there when you call me

Carbuncle shifted a little, the jewel on his head gleaming lightly "This was also when the world was still evolving too, I wish you could have seen the changes, amazing really. Just a hundred years ago people were still using Materia."

Zell's eyes rolled up to the ceiling, he knew he heard that... "Materia………I learned about that in history class. Weren't they these orb things."

"Yup, But people kinda had to stop, all of it just snapped one day."

That was confusing..."What do you mean snapped?"

I've got things on my mind, takin' my time, but I'm...
I'm not too busy for you, I'm not too busy

"Well a long time ago, this thing called the life stream used to go all around the world, it was under ground, like the blood of the planet kind of ting. It used to be a place called the………what was it………Farplane but it kinda changed into the Life stream after a long time." Carbuncle said, realizing he was digressing on what he'd heard some 200 odd years go. "Well anyway it changed again, and all the Materia broke, people found out that the Life stream was connected to the Materia, and when that changed, the Materia weren't running on anything. What was I talking about?"

Carbuncle definitely was digressing... Zell had almost forget the original conversation. "How good Centra was."

"Yeah, great place."

"Wait, If all the Materia broke, how did people summon and use magic and stuff?"

If you're feeling alone, just pick up the phone, 'cause I...
I'm not too busy for you, I'm not too busy

"We changed in to GF's, I told you evolution." Carbuncle hadn't changed, it wasn't even a metamorphous per say, just a realization of a new way to use their powers.

"Cool."

"Yeah, yeah well, anyway, Adel, out of greed or the possibility that there were more things like the Lunatic Pandora hidden there, declared war with Centra. Well not declared per-say, they didn't say anything to King Barron, he just kinda figured it out when a whole bunch of soldiers came barging into one of their cities. Which was kinda stupid because they were also fighting Galbadia at the time and Centra was ready and waiting with a really big army."

We used to dream that one day we'd have everything we want
But now that things are movin', I hope that we don't move apart

You still have my heart

"Really, sounds exciting." Zell slowly began to lift himself up, slow enough to give the GF some warning "Oh man, I'd better take a bath."

Carbuncle jumped off of him with a disappointed groan, landing on the bed, Zell pushed his legs over the side of the bed and pushed himself on his feet, stretching his arms above his head with a light yawn. That much training really took it out of you.

Zell crouched down next to his drawer and retrieved one of the towels sitting on top. Throwing it over his shoulders and clinching at the sides with both hands. He walked out he door, then stopped and walked backwards.

I've got so much to do, but girl it doesn't matter
But when it comes down to you I can't think of nothing better

"Hey!" Zell turned around, "What are you waiting for, come on! I wanna hear the rest of the story."

Carbuncle rose up from the bed questioningly but didn't really ask, he just slowly followed the boy to the bathroom and sat down on the tiled floors next to the door... "What are you doing Zell?"

"I wanna hear the story." Zell untied his belt, letting his shorts fall to the ground where he kicked them aside. Carbuncle had to step to the side to avoid them.

When his hands grabbed the rim of his boxers……… "What are you doing!" Carbuncle shouted.

Every time I'm stressin', I find that it's a blessin' to
To be hearin' from you

"What are you talking about, You seen me naked before."

He had, many times actually, but still this time was a little different, a lot of time had passed between now and when they first met. "But………"

'What's with him?' "Calm down." He pushed his boxers down and opened the shower door, reaching in to turn on the water. He waited until it was filled almost to the rim, taking off his socks and giving Carbuncle a light pat on the top of his head, pushing down his ears. After a few more moments he turned off the water stepped in to the tub when it was thoroughly full. "Come on already."

Carbuncle let out a sigh of defeat, jumping into the tub with a small splash. The water was the perfect temperature, dually noted. Carbuncle opened his eyes, looking through the wavy vision as his body sank to the bottom of the tub, landing directly in Zell's lap, he was tempted to stay there if not for his need of air, damn lungs. So after a few seconds Carbuncle swam to the surface, finding himself look up at Zell.

I've got things on my mind, takin' my time, but I'm...
I'm not too busy for you, I'm not too busy

"Well anyway." Carbuncle started again, climbing up on to slippery porcelain surface and setting himself on the edge of the tub next to Zell's head. " Centra kept waiting and waiting, and Ester never really and truly attacked. Until one day the Lunatic Paradona floated over the center of Centra."

If you're feeling alone, pick up the phone and call me, 'cause I...
I'm not too busy for you, I'm not too busy

"It was actually the lunar cry called down Lunatic Paradona. I was there."

Zell reached up and petted him softly, it was a habit. "Hey, don't you need a bath too?" Zell asked.

"Uh, maybe." Why not, he was already wet.

Carbuncle slowly eased on to Zell's chest, staying barley above water by half swimming and half clinching to the wet flesh. "What was it like?"

Carbuncle shuttered at the thought, and Zell immediately pulled him closer in a comforting matter when he saw the reaction. "It was the scariest thing I ever been through in my life. Everything was on fire, and the earth quakes were so strong, you couldn't even try to move with out falling. The sky was red, everything was so dark you couldn't see anything, and monsters were raining from the sky. If they didn't die from the fall... "

Whenever you need me

Carbuncle decided to skip that part, he just didn't want to think about it. "The content broke in half, then the half broke in half. Nobody survived... No somebody lived, if you could call it that." Zell slowly went over Carbuncle's body with the soap, dipping down in the warm water and gently scrubbing his short fur as he held him with one hand against his chest. "The king became Odin."

"What? How dose a human become a GF?"

"I don't know..." That would just remain an unsolved mystery, there was no real way of finding out. "After the lunar cry, the place was destroyed, and Thornberrys moved in to what was left of Centra. The only thing still standing is the castle...all of that gone...it was that Damn machine's fault."

I've got things on my mind, takin' my time, but I'm...
I'm not too busy for you, I'm not too busy

"Don't get too mad about it, can't change the past right?" Zell lifted himself out of the tub after rinsing Carbuncle in a rather undignifying mater, quickly drying off with the towel he had carried in and then using it on Carbuncle.

"I guess." Carbuncle followed him out of the bath room, watching Zell ruffle the towel into his hair to dry the blond strands. Giving the small GF an interesting view, not one he hadn't seen before though.

Zell found a fresh set of clothing in his dresser and changed into them, Carbuncle took his seat on the bed, Zell laying down next to him. "Long story short, everything was destroyed and somehow Odin became a GF." Carbuncle on to Zell's torso, who quickly found his prized spot. "I'm going to sleep..."

"Yeah, me too."

If you're feeling alone, pick up the phone and call me, 'cause I...
I'm not too busy for you, I'm not too busy

! - ! - !

Never to busy by Kenny Lattimore