It was quiet, peaceful. It was unusual for this town, way out in the barren desert. As the sun slowly set past the flat landscape, there were more tumbleweeds than people roaming the streets, simply because of one building. The 'Siren's Saloon' was the most popular place to be during the evening, and if you weren't there past sunset, you were at home. Naturally, the hours of darkness were quite busy for one young woman running the bar. She was busy almost day and night, either preparing or executing the routine of evening work. Her soft green eyes and brown hair flipped up slightly at the edges made her look more approachable, and she was always there for a drink or a chat. A yellow dress that went down to her ankles covered her brown boots, and she always had a pocket in her skirt for a weapon. No one could trust the streets, or people in a bar. That night, one man walked in, black travelers cloak hanging about him loosely. His black clothing almost blended in with the shadows, and his brown hair was shadowed in a hood. He pulled the hood down after sitting down in a chair and looked at the barmaid with his piercing grey eyes.

"Hey, Squall; what are you here for? Thought you'd be on your way out by now," the girl said, pouring a drink into a spotless mug and passing it to him. He picked it up and drank slightly before setting it down again and stretching out, relaxing as long as he could.

"I got caught up, this place holds a lot of memories for me," he said quietly. The barmaid nodded and went back to her spot in the far end of the bar, chatting silently with a few customers. Squall looked around the bar. He was considered the wanderer, the one no one wanted to be around. He was always moving on, always roaming from town to town. However, this town seemed to have him rooted to one spot. He had so many memories here from his early childhood. His family history also registered here, and he found it fascinating to read about those he had never known. Squall had been an orphan, mother dying and father not there. After a long search that had triggered his desire for wandering, Squall had found his dad in a town, but not just a citizen, the mayor himself. Content with knowing where he came from, Squall had taken hold of his new-found wanderlust and traveled from town to town, occasionally doing odd jobs to keep money in his pocket.

"It's on the house! Stay for a while, Squall!" the barmaid called. Squall sighed. That girl had eyes like a hawk, and she had caught him trying to slip money onto the table and sneak out quietly. He stretched out once more, fingering his sword slightly. He had modified it himself, combining a clunky sword and a gun into one by attaching a mini-barrel to the side of the blade. It could now be used as a gun and a sword, a combination he liked to call a "gunblade." For money, many years ago, he had created a few different models of the gunblade and sold them for a while, but after his materials started running low, he closed that business. His eyes swiveled around the bar, and he caught sight of a man, swerving slightly at the table.

"We -hic- need more of these -hic- drinks at -hic- the bank," the man slurred, and put his elbows on the table. "I mean, -hic- this could be -hic- a brand new -hic- cheese!" With that, the man slumped over on the table, muttering about cows and their outrageous demands recently. Squall smirked slightly; that was the local banker, a blonde fist-fighter who had settled down enough to pick up a stable job. "Hey, Sierra? Bring me another one of them whatcha-majiggers," he was able to mutter loud enough for the owner to hear.

"That's Selphie, stupid," she said, walking over with a glass. She slapped him upside the head as she set it down, walking back.

"What was he talking about?" a man asked her, touching her arm slightly to catch her attention. Selphie laughed and motioned a thumb behind her.

"Zell was talking about cows and their delivery payments." The saloon erupted with laughter, and Zell lifted his head slightly.

"Wazzat you said? Sows had their converting maid hit?" Zell said. Even Squall cracked a smile as he put his boots onto the chair besides him. He looked at his glass and realized that it was empty. Before he could say anything, Selphie appeared besides him and put a new one down.

"Hey, Squall, there's someone I want you to meet!" she said happily. Squall looked at her with a confused smile on his face.

"Me? Meet your friends? Look, I'm not staying here for long," he started, but she grabbed his arm, yanking him off the chair. As he let her drag him through the room, she stopped suddenly, making him run into her back.

"Squall, this is Quistis!" The name-sake lifted her head from a stack of parchment and nodded slightly. Her small rimmed glasses covered her blue eyes, and a pink simple dress showed her thigh-length black boots. Strawberry-blonde hair fell into her eyes as she looked back down at her papers. "And this," Selphie paused for emphasis, "This is Rinoa!" A girl sat with her back to Squall, but turned around at the mention of her name. Squall's eyes slightly widened as he looked this new girl up and down.

Her black hair shone in the lamplight, her chocolate brown eyes fixed on his. Her long blue dress spread out at her ankles, and she had simple lace-up shoes black in color. A small pendant hung around her neck. As Squall looked closer, he realized it was a circlet of silver, shaped like a ring. She extended her hand and Squall reached to shake. Just as their hands met, the doors banged open.