FINAL FANTASY!!!!

OMGWTFDIE.

Over the weekend, I retrieved my FFX from a friend who had borrowed it – for TWO YEARS! So, finally, Sulhadahne once again has the awesomeness of Auron and Blitzball in her own living room.

AND…

I BOUGHT FFVIII ON EBAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In a matter of days, the Leon-kitty will be at my demand, and I will make him run in circles! CIRCLES I TELL YOU!!!

And this all leads up to the Christmas present my mom accidentally let slip…

I'M GETTING FINAL FANTASY SEVEN FOR CHRISTMAS!!!! OMG!!!!!!

So, if I don't update for days, you know why – I am either busy destroying Machina with Rikku or running around wielding the Gunblade. IT'S GONNA BE SO MUCH FUN!!!!

Now, the characters in my story will celebrate Christmas, but I don't think that episode will come out until the end of January. So, oh well!

7 SCHOOL DAYS UNTIL I TRACK OUT.

13 DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS!

WOOT WOOT! I can already feel my mind and free time ROTTING!

So, anyway… today's gonna be fun. Because of all this Final Fantasy goodness, today I shall focus on FF characters… and maybe a little conspiracy occurring in Hallow Bastion…

HERE WE GO!

ON WITH THE SHOW!!

The fire was meek and timid, fluttering in the wind weakly. Both girls huddled over it in an attempt to keep it alive and to keep themselves warm. The woman's magic was running low, too low to warm their bodies, so both the girl and the sorceress had to rely on luck and hope to get through the night.

Rubbing her arms, the teen looked to her older companion. "How's Leon doing?" She asked.

The sorceress' eyes were deep with concern, and she said nothing. Shaking her head, the teen, Victoria, leaned into her knees. "… Run over by a car… how out of it was he?"

Rinoa didn't respond.

The old ruins Rinoa and Sulhadahne sat in were part of an area called the Al Bhed territory, on the world Spira. It was abandoned, mostly. Water trickled down the cracking, falling walls, and the ruins was slowly sinking into the ocean.

Eyes twinkling, Sulhadahne rocked back and forth, looking about aimlessly. "So… why are we here?" The girl questioned.

Rinoa stared into the fire, cold. "I had to run someplace. I was sure he'd find me when he caught up with Nicholas." Sulhadahne smiled at the memory.

"That was a nice thing you did, saving him." Despite their situation, Sulhadahne smiled. Rinoa nodded.

Silence descended, but didn't survive long. "Don't worry…" Rinoa began. "We won't have to run but for a few more months. I promise." Sulhadahne nodded half heartedly.

"I want to know what my father's planning… what he wants…" Sulhadahne mumbled, teeth chattering.

Rinoa chuckled. "I can only surmise. I think he's mad at your uncle for their, well… you know what happened…" Sulhadahne nodded, eyes dark. "I think he's looking for you."

"Well, duh." She smiled. "He's looking in the wrong place, though." Rinoa chuckled, shaking her head.

"Oh, no, he knows where you are. But he needs the gate… he's looking for a way to keep you."

Both girls fell quiet and let silence drift uncomfortably in.

Above him, there was darkness. There had been lights, but when nighttime drifted in, the blaring light had been switched in favor of a dark sanctuary.

He was still unable to move, sitting there in that bed. He was missing time to look for Rinoa. Missing the big discovering that Vexen had. Missing Demyx's performance.

But he could not move.

Every once in a while, the little girl would come in and talk to him. She was a happy, giddy child, and did not mind doing all the talking while Leon listened half of the time.

As for the other child, (Denzel, Leon thought it was), the boy would come in less often, and never utter a word. He would sit on the bed beside Leon, staring at the scar on his face, or at his wounds, or just at nothing. And without a word, he would leave.

Leon found himself in a state of dreams. Part of him felt the truth, the truth that he was on Gaia, Cloud's home, with strangers, in a city called Edge…

And there was a distant part of him that was 17 and was lying in Balamb Garden's sick ward, with a bandage wrapped around his forehead and the bridge of his nose…

The black man with the cyborg arm, Barret, came in with a tray of food. But in his delirium, Leon saw two scenes at once.

"Hey, man. You look famished. Got ya somethin to help ya to your feet." Barret smiled, setting the tray on Leon's lap and helping him sit up.

"Oh, I knew it when they called me that it was either you or Seifer…"

"Sorry, Professor…"

"Come along, Squall…"

Barret let Leon lean back against the pillow.

The walls of the Balamb Garden Military Academy gleamed that afternoon… the day he would take the exam…

"Professor Quintis Trepe…"

"And do be sure not to injure your partners during training…" Quintis insisted.

As Seifer chuckled, all he and Leon could do was share a look…

"Hey, man, are you okay?" Barret implored nervously. Leon was just staring blankly at his food.

As if he was lost.

There curtains were down. The orchestra was ready. The seats were filled.

And Marluxia was trembling.

"Why the HELL did I agree to this?" He whispered angrily off stage. Behind him, someone gave him a light shove.

"Come on, flower boy, it isn't so bad! You're the antagonist, so it won't be hard for you to be the bad guy! Just pretend you're back in Castle Oblivion and fighting against Sora!" Yuffie told him as she stood behind him. Leaning forward, she took a glance at his face.

Marluxia was trembling, his eyes brimming with angry tears.

"My poor Castle!" He mumbled. Yuffie chuckled nervously.

"Guess I went too far…" She muttered.

"But really, just calm down and remember your lines and your movements, okay? And keep eye contact with Ariel and the crowd when you're singing." Yuffie coached him indifferent to his weeping.

The crowd began to clap and cheer as the curtains began drawing back. Behind them, Ariel and Alora, Ariel's sister, sat in their places.

Marluxia was in the third act, only thirty minutes away. He was stunned, and Yuffie had to drag him away from the curtain so that the crowd wouldn't see him – yet.

As she did, down in the orchestra pit, Demyx could've sworn he'd seen someone really familiar…

Thirty minutes later; the second act was ending. Ariel was dreaming of whatever it was and whatever, and now was the time that Marluxia's servants were coming to her, telling her that "Ursula" could fix it. Yes – this was the story of the Little Mermaid, and Marluxia was Ursula. Damn his feminine wiles!

The stage switched. Ariel was in Ursula's cavern, and now, Marluxia had to act.

He sat in his place as the curtain came out. His face couldn't yet be seen, a blessing. He was tearing up. Laxly reclining in the shell seat, he scanned the crowd as Ariel came in and spoke her lines.

Larxene was there – a beautiful yellow mermaid, of course.

The lines spilled from his lips perfectly – the movements, too – in synch with the story, with perfect emotion, he was brilliant. The crowd loved it, his evil persona. Unable to see Larxene, Marluxia decided that was a good thing – seeing her grinning face might destroy what was left of his courage.

Here it came – the song!

It's true that in the past I've been a nasty

The words played in his head, and he sang them. "It's true that in the past, I've been a nasty."

They weren't kidding when they called me, well, a bitch

"They weren't kidding when they called me, well, a witch."

What in the world? The lyrics in his mind were different than the real ones! But, since they were coming out of his mouth right, that was fine.

But that was weird… he had a picture coming into his head!

But you'll find that nowadays, I've mended all my ways

Repented, seen the light and made a switch


True? Yes

The lines came out beautiful.

And fortunately I know a little science

Wait, what? He was still singing correctly, but the lines in his head were askew. But then, he realized why. The voice that was singing in his head…

WAS VEXEN!

For some ODD, QUEER reason Vexen was singing "Poor Unfortunate Souls" in his mind; singing his own "Vexen" version of the song, as if he were offering Marluxia his aid, just as Ursula was offering Ariel hers! It was … so WRONG.

It's a talent I have always possessed

And lately please don't laugh, I use on behalf

Of the miserable, lonely, and depressed

(Pathetic)

Marluxia did the right moves, the right notes, and the right lines. And all the while, his inner mind was being savagely ripped apart by the image of Vexen as an OCTOPUS, singing. Ironic that his wife was named Ariel, Marluxia managed to think.

Soon, but NOT soon enough his song ended and he left the stage. Chest heaving and eyes bulging he rushed into his room. Yuffie met him there.

"That was great!" She cried. Marluxia screeched sissy like and clutched his heart.

"THE IMAGES!!!!" He shouted. Then he fainted.

Two hours later, the play ended, and all the actors and actresses came to the front to bow to the crowd. Ariel, the merman who played "Eric" and Marluxia came to the front ahead of the others, and received the loudest applause.

As he bowed, Marluxia's eyebrows twitched.

'Great… I embarrassed myself onstage, I dressed like a female octopus, and had my mind raped by mental images! Larxene'll hold this against me forever. What a drag…'

When he stood back up, his eyes went wide.

Larxene was "standing up" giving him a loud standing ovation. Well, it had to be him. Unless someone was standing right behind him.

His heart soared.

'I might've been mind raped, but maybe it was all worth it!!!'

Cheering loudly and enthusiastically, Marluxia "leapt" into the water and, somehow, ending up crashing into the floor face first.

Of course, Xigbar snickering over by the doorway had nothing to do with it.

His hands were caked in blood and dirt and splinters, but he kept digging. His friends didn't even know he was there, at the burned down mansion, digging again. He knew that somewhere there had to be some sort… clue, or something!

Exasperated, Hayner stood and wiped a bit of the blood onto a rag he kept in his pocket. Deciding the rag was too saturated to pocket again, he discarded it into the rubble.

"Nothing." He muttered. "Days of searching, and nothing."

Spitting, Hayner was about to turn away when he saw something. It was metal, and shining. He recognized it from when he, Sora, and his friends had gone with the King to find the alternate Twilight Town.

Was that were the picture was from? Was that were Roxas was from? The Alternate town?

Bending down by the metal, Hayner glared and got back to work again.

It was so dark. Cold rushed in everywhere, from everything, yet there was nothing around him… just cold…

Voices were echoing everywhere, voices from everywhere…

Denzel! Call Cloud, quick! This guy's falling fast!

He will be your captain, and Squall's, so you have to obey him, Zell…

But Seifer's such an ass!

What's wrong with him? Will he be okay?

I don't know, Marlene…

I thought you two hated each other, but now you're acting all buddy, buddy!

Just shut up about stuff you don't understand, Zell.

Barret! What's happened to him?

But isn't Seifer the one who gave you that scar? And you gave him his, right?

Darkness followed him, and so did the voices, as he ran nowhere. He was running in place, being swamped by the voices, drowning in the night…

He couldn't remember everything… but he did remember…

He'd been a student at a military academy… where? He couldn't remember.

And there, he'd been partners with another teen… Seifer? Zell? Which one?

It was Seifer. And they'd fight and train each other, as rivals, and held conversations as team mates. And then the test had come.

Seifer was named captain of their three man team, and a hyper active teen named… named… Quintis?

No, Quintis Trepe had been his teacher… the woman who was cold, but kind…

Zell became part of the three man team… and they went out for the test… but what happened afterward?

The name Rinoa kept coming to mind…

Denzel rushed into the kitchen and grabbed the phone off its cradle. Hurriedly pressing the buttons, the boy was practically running in place as he begged that someone answered. Someone did.

"Tifa? It's me, Denzel! There's this guy here, I think his name's Leon, he's sick! Really sick! Hurry!" His hurried speech was cut short as the doctor pushed him aside so that he could call his own team.

Denzel rushed to the front door, outside into the city, and stood at the bottom of the stairs by the doorway.

"Hurry, Cloud". He whispered.

Hey guys. I hoped you liked this installment. It's shorter than I wanted it to be, but this is a good place to end it. Hehe.

How've I been doing guys? I need your help. Please, review and fill this info out!

Have I been true to the characters and the OC's?

Have I stayed true to the story line?

Did the writing and punctuation make sense?

Have you read any of my other work? If so, was it up to these standers?

And lastly; Does the story entertain? Do the sadness and romance and other things meet your standards?

Its time for Sulhadahne to be evaluated! Tell me what you think! Thank you!

runs off to play video games

SULHADAHNE