Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale—sudden gasp—cough.
Your breathing stopped suddenly as you shot awake. Coughing violently, you sat up to find yourself in bed rather than on the back porch of Prompto's house. A relieved sigh escaped your lips as a small, damp, white cloth that was folded into a thin rectangle fell from your forehead, onto your lap with a small pat. Your palm went to your forehead, and it jolted back from the heat in the same second. You made a disgusted noise at getting sick again, but even that was altered into a weird snort, indicating a sore throat. Groaning, you plopped down on your back, hands covering your face and ignoring the burning heat in protest.
Staying in that position for a few more minutes, you finally exhaled deeply and sat up again, placing the small cloth on your nightstand, beside your phone, as you got out of bed. You were still in the dress from last night, hair disheveled, eyes slightly reddened, and face spotted with thin beads of sweat. Dragging your feet in the soft house slippers, you grabbed a towel and exited your room, glancing outside the window at the blue sky, the sun peeking out every now and then between migrating gray rain clouds.
About a half hour later, you exited the shower and got dressed for the day. Finding a bathing suit in your closet, you were thankful Desu had forced you into taking it as your fingertips brushed against the silky black pieces of clothing. On top of that, you threw on a black off the shoulder shirt and red shorts similar to the ones you wore for P.E, before tying your hair in a ponytail. You then shoved your phone in your pocket, as well as your wallet, health folder, a towel and change of clothes into your duffel bag after removing your treasured belongings in it into a spare box within the closet beside the unopened ones from your suitcase.
Slinging the bag across your torso, you exited the room, yawning as you wrapped black cloths similar in texture and appearance to bandages around your hands for a better grip than gloves. Making sure you had also gotten your glasses, you trudged down the stairs one by one, holding onto the wooden banister for support, almost tripping at the last step. Kei looked up from typing on his laptop at the counter and frowned as you sat next to him; Kai placing a plate of solely bacon in front of you.
"[Name]-hime, you really shouldn't go try out in your condition," Kei sighed, pushing away a loose, short strand of hair from your eye. "You're still sick."
"I told you not to call me that. Besides, I'm fine," you croaked, voice hoarse, causing you to clear your throat. "It's just a sore—"
"You have a fever again," he interrupted as you began eating. "And why are you feeding her that?" he turned to Kai. "She's sick—at least give her some orange juice!"
"Nu-uh," Kai shook his head. "She's trying out. Too much food will be bad in water, and she needs meat, it'll last longer in her stomach. After this, it's one bottle of water."
"That's..." Kei's jaw tightened. "[Name]...[Name], you're not going, and that's final."
"Who are you—Wasurete?" you scoffed, his eye twitching. "I WANT to go Kei-seok, and as far as I'm concerned, you're in no position to order me around."
"Ooh~, she called you by your whole name," Kai snickered. You stood, chewing the last of your bacon as the younger twin placed a few pieces of what looked like wrapped little candies in your bag. "Cough drops~! They'll hold up every two hours just in case. Also, you're going to Cid's for a project right?"
You nodded, turning," Might be home late too."
"[Name]," Kei frowned, grabbing your wrist. "Please, stay home. You're really sick and we can't risk you—"
You sighed, turning around," Kei, I was really hoping I didn't have to do this."
"Do what?" his face crossed with worry, as Kai chuckled, leaning against the wall.
"As your uh...princess....and kudan holder, it is an order that you stop trying to keep me from going, and THAT is final," you said sternly, yet unsurely.
The ravenette's hand dropped from your wrist as he nodded slowly and sat on the stool," Okay; I won't push it, but be careful."
"I will...and I'm sorry."
"Don't worry, hyung needs a life anyway," Kai waved your off, arm slung around your shoulders as you both walked towards the door, he grabbing a skateboard by the hall. "Now let's go! I'll walk ya! Oh," he reached into his pocket, handing you a pair of contacts. "Since you're in water; they'll be good for a few hours, but once you get to Cid's take them off, glasses on—got it?"
"Got it!"
You wore new black high tops splashed with dark gold and gray; their presence unknown to you until Kai pointed out he had gotten them for you two days ago for good luck. Higher than the normal height with black laces, they were comfy, and you even tried jogging with them a bit until coughing horridly where you were forced to take a cough drop after drinking your dosage of the water bottle the younger twin had talked about earlier. Walking on your own pace after that, you split with him at the school where he said he was going to the park, riding off on his board as you crossed the campus to the pool building.
Inside, the majority of players had already arrived, as well as onlookers who were seated on the bench, and new ones who didn't come yesterday. You spotted the girls there, and were to make your way to them when Tidus told you to put your things with everyone else's as he handed you a number on a sticker which you plastered on the left leg edge of your shorts—forty seven. Doing as you were told, you decided then to warm up while you had the chance, and find a way to control your breathing while you were at it. Plugging your headphones into your phone to listen to music, twenty four minutes passed before Jecht came in with Masayoshi and a sick ridden Wasurete flanking his sides with clipboards—a few other players arriving as well, but being cut due to tardiness.
While Jecht took roll, everyone warmed up, you getting a second dose of it as he ordered you all to run around the pool for laps the next twenty minutes. Nobody talked other than the audience, and while they cheered people on, you blocked the sound out by increasing the volume as you paced yourself to the beat of the music. When the whistle blew—which you knew when everyone stopped—you threw the electronic device into your bag and stood in line with the others. Masayoshi pulled his white shirt off—leaving him in black swim trunks and white high tops—as he took the ball and juggled it with kicks, demonstrating as the coach said what was expected. However you, like the other girls who watched, were mesmerized with his looks rather than skill.
Then, put in order of height, each person was to hit back the ball that came at them while leaping off the diving board. You ended up last in this, behind a boy you recognized from P.E, and waited patiently as they took their turns, observing on what to do differently. After all, the ball could go in any direction, not just in the pool. When it was finally your turn though, Jecht cocked an eyebrow, stopping you.
"Nochi...what are you doing?"
"Going up the diving board?" you spoke slowly, voice coming out better than it had earlier.
"With a shirt on?" he cocked an eyebrow. "Look, nobody cares if you're fat, it's just gonna slow ya down."
"Yeah! Take it off!" Dante called; Vergil—who had come to watch—smacking the back of his head.
Sighing, you removed the white shirt and placed it on top of your bag before climbing up the ladder, Axel whistling, making Rika now smack the back of his head. Once reaching the top, you spotted Masayoshi on the other end of the pool on ground. He smiled," Ready Ami?"
You nodded," Ready!"
Taking a few steps back, the brunette tossed the ball in the air before kicking it. As it flew, you ran across the diving board and jumped, meeting it halfway where you spun a few times before kicking it at an angle with your dominant leg. It hit the wall and ricocheted off, coming back for you while you were falling head first. Catching it, you flipped and threw it back towards Masayoshi just before your body slapped against the water. Shoes hitting the floor of the pool, you pushed yourself back up and shook out the small strands of hair from your face as you made way to the stairs.
Wasurete announced those cut after fifteen minutes of debating passed, limiting the tryout number to forty eight. Cut into three groups, sixteen people were assigned to one coach; you going with Masayoshi along with Weiss, Noctis, Prompto, Vanitas, Roxas, Zero, Demyx, Dante, Maqui, Raizo, Yuj, Kadaj, Shuyin, Vincent, and an unknown ravenette whose hair shielded his face; he was one of the many who had just come today. Along with the group, Stella and Yunalesca also came, arms linked.
"Alright everyone, we'll be split into teams now," Masayoshi smiled. "We're not going to be playing a normal blitz game necessarily, but we'll be heading to the gym. With some technical modifications from Fai—who I'm sure you all know—there'll be a slight...difference in the atmosphere. Now let's move out!"
You grabbed put on your bag and stuffed your shirt inside, following the brunette out across the slightly crowded campus as Dante slung an arm around you," So~ are you—"
"Would it kill you to NOT flirt with every girl you see?" Vincent rolled his eyes.
"Who said I was flirting?" he pouted. "I was just trying to start a conversation."
"Yeah, conversations are nice," Maqui grinned, Vincent sighing at his innocence.
A loud groan coming from Prompto was enough to stop Dante from answering again as a few of you turned to see what was wrong. Head in his hands, he whirled you to face him completely," Okay, Amaya, is your name [Name]?"
You cocked an eyebrow," I'm sorry—what?"
"See!" he spun on his heel, smacking Noctis in the face—hard—with his palm, making him fall onto his back. "This idiot thinks Koji called you [Name]."
"He did!" Noctis whined rather childishly as he stood. "Why don't you believe me!?"
"Because when we were talking on the balcony, you already had a few drinks, rambling on about [Name], [Name], [Name]! As your best friend, I think I have the right to say it's getting annoying!"
"Geez, if you wanted to have a threesome, you could've just asked Amaya! I'm sure she wouldn't mind a little role playing. After all, isn't that why she's the only girl present?"
You summoned your katana, holding it up to the blonde's throat, as the surrounding boys immediately jolted back," I'm going to let that go for now, Stella. So shut up and keep walking."
She scoffed, heading back in the pool room with Yunalesca who sneered. Vanitas applauded as he laughed," Heads up guys, she might hurt us if we ask her for a threesome!"
"The only one that's gonna get hurt now is you!" you yelled, voice cracking at the end as you chased after the ravenette.
Entering the gym, you found the building to be empty except for a ball and a single case of bleachers. Setting your things down on the bleachers, eight people stood on either side of the half court line with Masayoshi in the middle. You took a spot beside Kadaj and Demyx, everyone waiting as the brunette considered the teams.
"I'm changing it up; it'll be a team of two."
"That's eight teams!" Raizo cried out. "How are we supposed to—"
"The tougher the conditions, the better it is to show your skill. Besides, that's how they do it in the professional leagues. Now, let's see..."
"Oh no," the blonde beside you frowned.
"What's wrong Demyx?" you turned to him worriedly.
"I hope he doesn't pair me with Raizo. I've got nothing against the guy, but sometimes he gets so competitive it's just ridiculous!"
"Don't I know it," you muttered to yourself.
"Well, this'll be fun," Maqui grinned, plopping down on the floor. "I haven't done this before, maybe it won't be so bad!"
"Hopefully it won't," Yuj shrugged.
Roxas nodded. "We could have gotten Jecht."
"Something against him?" Shuyin cocked an eyebrow.
"We have a better chance of making it with Tanimura—don't you think?" Kadaj rolled his eyes; the blonde, nodding after a moment.
"Round it up!" Masayoshi called.
"Guy works fast," Dante smirked. "Maybe I got Amaya."
"Seventy two and nineteen!" Demyx sighed in relief as he stood beside Roxas. "Twenty one and fifty!"
"Could be worse," Yuj muttered as Vanitas sighed, reluctantly standing beside him.
"Sixty seven and eight!" Kadaj rolled his eyes, pairing with Weiss. "Ninety eight and thirty six."
"Oh we are so winning!" Raizo grinned, high fiving Shuyin who shared his expression.
"Eighty four and zero!"
"Why~?" Dante pouted. "Noctis is so whiney!"
"And you're not?" the ravenette scoffed, the silverette giving him a face.
"Sixty eight and one hundred four!" Vincent nodded curtly to Prompto who waved. "Forty seven and one hundred thirty."
"Awesome! I got Amaya!" Maqui grinned. "Ready to show these guys whose boss?"
You smiled back," You bet I am!"
Masayoshi smiled, turning to the two remaining boys—the ravenette and Zero. "Which means fifteen and one, you two—"
"FUCK THAT GUY!" they said, pointing at one another at once.
"Aw trouble in paradise already~?" Kadaj cooed; the duo glaring immediately.
"Listen; Fai already told me you won't be getting along, but I also know Vanitas and Yuj aren't on well terms either. Look at them though; they're not being bitches about it."
"You look surprised," Dante noted with a chuckle. "Sure Masa's 'hot'," he air quoted," but he doesn't take shit AT ALL."
"Do you know who I am?" Zero stepped forward threateningly. "If you—"
"I know very well what REALLY happened during summer," Masayoshi crossed his arms. "And knowing that, I have a little insight on A LOT of people here; therefore, my decision still stands."
"He knows about last summer...," you murmured, thinking. You didn't meet Masayoshi until the first week of school though...
"Hm?" Shuyin looked towards you, thinking you had asked what happened. "Last summer...um...there was..."
"A fiend outbreak," Weiss finished. "I was in Midgar, but I know for a fact that's why HB was leveled. It was all over the news. How could you not know?"
"You think you just know it all don't you?" Kadaj chuckled rather darkly. "Of course though—just a few whimsy little fiends as you said."
"Fine...I'll play," the ravenette boy spoke with a sigh. "Besides, we SHOULD be able to make a formidable team."
"...Whatever," Zero grunted as Masayoshi smiled in triumph.
When everyone stood on either sides of the shorter perimeter of the basketball court, with the ball in the center circle, Masayoshi went off to the side and flicked the light switch in such a pattern that they flashed numerous times before staying on with a deep blue tint, and everyone was lifted off the ground and into the air at least five feet as a barrier that went along the boundary lines of the basketball court and in a dome like shape that manifested. As it filled with water, the basketball nets that were being held by metal attached to the wall rearranged itself to form a blitzball net in the middle of the longer edge of the perimeter. Then when finished, the brunette smirked as everyone marveled, and explained the rules for the game.
The pairs were supposed to make a goal within the net, working together against the oncoming flood of the other invading teams. Once they did, they could sit out the rest of the game, and it would continue like that until it was last team standing—which in this case would be bad, meaning they couldn't get a goal. Each of them could make partnerships with other teams as well, but a chance at treachery had to be cautioned. In addition, no powers were to be used, and although there was no goalie, the chances of making a goal would still be a fifty-fifty matter. Last but not least, if tackled out of the perimeter, the entire group of whoever was in the scuffle would be out automatically.
As soon as the whistle sounded, you all dashed for the ball. The first to get it was Shuyin, however, before he could move, he was tackled by Roxas, sending the sphere afloat where Dante grabbed it. Vanitas landed a kick in the silverette's stomach, making him wince but not stop; he came in three meters from the goal when Kadaj swiped it as he swam past and threw for a goal. As it was to be grabbed by Zero or Prompto who had jumped for it, Weiss kicked it in. Masayoshi blew the whistle, and the players dispersed to their original positions as the boys jumped out from the pool of water with victorious smirks.
Whistle.
Vincent grabbed the ball this time, swimming fluidly as he made his way to the goal. Passing it to Prompto, he swam around Roxas as it was thrown back to him. However, he was stopped by Demyx—the blonde tackling, and swimming off as he held the item in his hands. He was kicked by Raizo, the ball going flying and towards you.
Catching it, Maqui guarded you as best as he could before being pushed out of the way by Zero as his ravenette teammate came after you. He tackled, and you dodged, grabbing him and using him as leverage to swing and throw the ball in your hands even though you didn't get time to aim. It was caught by Yuj after traveling a short distance, and as he held it up to pass to Vanitas, Vincent swiped it once again, kicking it towards Prompto who caught and flung it into the goal.
Whistle.
Zero took the ball, throwing it instantly. Demyx caught it and passed it to Roxas, but it was intercepted by Vanitas who you kicked in the gut as Maqui went for it. With the ball in his grasp, you played as guard as he swam towards the goal. Shuyin came for you then, and you took his hand, knocking him into Raizo, before swinging off to kick away Dante, and use Noctis as a shield against Zero. You were however, tackled by Demyx, and then knocked into Maqui who accidently kicked your stomach. Lurching forward in pain, you waved him off to shoot.
Whistle.
Sighing in relief as you exited the force field of water, you coughed violently, scurrying to the bleachers where you grabbed an unopened water bottle and chugged it down. You felt dizzy, but pushed it away as you plopped down on the floor rather than the bench, popping in your mouth a cough drop. Maqui sat beside you, and you watched as the remaining five groups battled for a goal—the other two coming to where you were as well.
"So you're good at the whole dodging kicking thing," Maqui grinned. "What are you going for?"
"Center actually," you smiled, scratching the back of your head sheepishly.
"You'd be a great defense though," Weiss pursed his lips. "You're better than the majority of us at that. If you noticed, that's why it's so hard to score—because of the excessive offense."
"I could see her as center though," Vincent said quietly.
"I agree," Prompto nodded on your other side. "Never seen a cute girl as center. Most of them are all steroid built."
"Those are called muscles blondie," Kadaj crossed his arms, leaning on the stand behind him.
While they continued to speak, you turned your attention back towards the game. The ball was in Roxas' position currently, and he was being chased by Raizo, Dante, and Zero. Demyx was fighting off Yuj, Vanitas, and Shuyin, leaving him to fend for himself. However, when he was about to be tackled by Dante, Demyx whirled around and swam towards his teammate who took his hand as they both swung one another around—kicking away any nearby attackers. Still spinning, the ball was thrown into a clean goal.
Whistle.
"Whoa," you leaned forward, the conversation stopping. "Did you guys see that?"
"It's called the scythe!" Demyx grinned as he and Roxas approached. "If we can do it in a video game, why not real life?"
"Great philosophy," Vanitas scoffed as he, Yuj, Raizo, and Shuyin approached.
Whistle.
"What the hell happened?" Noctis furrowed his eyebrows.
"Idiot here tackled Yuj outta the ring!" the ravenette growled, pointing at Raizo.
"I'M the idiot!? You tackled out Shuyin!"
"DUH! You messed with my pom-pom of my teammate! Don't you think it was only fair?"
"Do I smell a secret bromance going on~?" Maqui cooed, the group laughing unanimously.
"Oh shut up!" Yuj groaned and pushed him in irritation. "He's my teammate; even if we dislike each other, we still got work together."
"That sounds like the beginning of a bromance," Demyx nodded as he hummed.
"Can you guys shut up?" Shuyin asked monotonously with his eyes hooked on the game. "I wanna see how this ends."
The quiet ravenette was currently in position of the ball, and Noctis was fighting Zero's defense for him. Dante was going for tackle after tackle, and so far had missed. When he was about to throw the ball though, the pale haired teen grabbed it from his teammate and attempted to do the honors instead. This seemed to trigger anger within the boy, and rather than stopping Dante and Noctis from advancing, he tackled Zero.
The opposing team watched in confusion as they unsurely floated. As for those outside, you stood in shock as the two boys kept one another in a chokehold. Masayoshi sighed, motioning for Dante and Noctis to exit the pool. He then flicked the lights in a pattern once again, having the force field of water disappear as the basketball nets rearranged themselves and went back into place. The two fell with a loud thud onto the floor and groaned, seconds later getting up and running for one another again.
"Break it up!" Masayoshi yelled as Weiss and Vincent restrained the ravenette; Dante and Roxas for Zero. When they calmed, he spoke again. "I've evaluated you all enough. You'll know the results be next week. Jecht might call for another assessment, but that is of high doubt—keep it in mind though."
"Does that mean we're done?" Prompto asked, raising his hand.
The brunette nodded," You all did well despite a few things, but that is what you're being tested on so I didn't care much for it other than the headache... Anyway, you have half an hour until the baseball and fencing tryouts assemble here, so go ahead and shower if you wish. Otherwise, head off to do your things. Again, great job, and have a good rest of the weekend."
You watched as the boys headed to their side of the locker room," Um...Tanimura-sensei?"
"Formalities again Ami?" he mock frowned. "Call me Masa—we're not in class."
"Hm...Aniki," you called, making him smile," is the girls locker room open?"
He nodded," Be careful though, some girls are just here to loiter."
"I will," you nodded, waving as you walked off in the direction.
The locker room was fairly crowded, and after stuffing your things into the locker, you grabbed your towel and headed for the showers. The tile floor in the large room was a pale pink, and the walls were light beige. The showers themselves were individual booths with doors and a lock which at the moment, weren't inhabited by anyone. You finished as quick as you could—uncomfortable by the fact you were still in public—and exited, wrapping yourself up in a towel over your undergarments.
It was empty as you changed into a dry set of clothes—the same black shirt along with matching, and slightly baggy, cargo capris that lengthed to the bottom of your knees with two chains on either side. You rewrapped the now dry black cloths around your hands and repacked your things into the duffel back before slinging it over your shoulder and exiting.
Checking your phone as you came into the light of the peeking sun outside, you found a missed call from Cid Raines. You pressed redial and held it up to your ear, passing the field and spotting Noa at the softball tryouts, posing as pitcher in his own white and neon green ensemble. The ravenette you were calling answered after the third ring, and you averted your eyes from the blonde to the campus ahead of you as you continued walking.
"Hello?"
"Cid? Did you leave school yet?"
"Oh, Amaya," he sighed. "Yeah, yeah I did; Noctis was getting a little impatient about eating lunch. I'm so sorry."
"That's alright. Think you could give me directions on getting to your place?"
"I'll email them to you on your phone's navigation app. You'll have to take the subway though if you don't have a car. We live on the eastern end of this part of town."
"That's fine; I'll see you in a bit then."
"Great, bye." Click.
You exited the campus as soon as you received directions, and made way to the subway station. As you went, you stopped by a fast food restaurant nearby the station entrance and got yourself a medium order of seasoned potato wedges. With the box in hand, you left for the underground plaza and bought yourself a one way ticket. Fifteen minutes went by until the subway came as you sat on a bench beside the platform, watching the bustling people of the Saturday afternoon. When boarding, you handed the guard the ticket and sat at a window seat, leaning back in relaxation as the vehicle began moving minutes later.
The subway came to a stop and you jumped off, still eating. Climbing up the stairs to the surface world, you checked your phone—only a four block north walk to the Caelum household with another half block going east. You went in the designated direction and continued on eating as you marveled at your surroundings. They alternated between small shopping districts and large, expensive, manors. The cars, as well as the people you passed on the sidewalk also gave off an air of grace, making you feel slightly out of place.
Checking your phone again, you turned the corner into the small alleyway between a cluster of shops and restaurants as a shortcut rather than taking the side street you were supposed to on—the house should be at the end street according to it. Since the sun had disappeared behind the clouds when you came, the air felt chillier, and chillier as you walked. Now though, it was drizzling rapidly, making you frown as you shivered from the sudden change.
A whizzing of something sharp cutting through the air made you stop in your tracks, the item hitting your food's holding box and pinning to the ground. You pouted, thinking it was a diner owner who had not seen you as you glanced at the spilled mess. However, you froze in place.
It was a shuriken.
Frozen not in fear, but in indecisiveness on what to do next, you looked at your pierced potato wedges, jaw locking in anger as they slid away into the rain gutter with the metal object that hit them. You waited—whether it was for your foe to show themselves or for you yourself to shift your eyes away from them you did not know. However, you finally moved a minute later as four figures leapt from the rooftops and surrounded you in the two way alley with two behind and two in front.
They wore all black: the masks on the bottom half of their faces, the skin tight long sleeved shirts, the jeans, and the shoes. Their weapons weren't concealed either, and their exposed hair let you keep tabs on them much more easily: a katana was latched onto the brunette's back, the ravenette held rope darts at the hips, sais for the redhead, and twin machetes for the blonde. By the way their bodies were built, they were all male, and by their stances, they were low ranking. Readying yourself, you made sure the bindings on your hands covered your fingertips; just in case, there shouldn't be any trace of you left.
"How's it going [Name]?" the blonde called, smirk evident in his voice. "Long time no see!"
"I'll let you know now I'm not interested in fighting you," you answered with a sigh, summoning your katana. "Which means almost every attack I make may be lethal."
"Some nerve you got," the redhead murmured. "You killed Ryuushin. Then you make him into a wimp before leaving oblivion. Jason told us; we're avenging him too."
"Do your worst," you shrugged. "Not like it'll matter though; you'll all end up dead."
"That confident are you [Name]?" the brunette chuckled. "Well then, let's play."
The quiet ravenette was the first to go for you with his rope darts swinging overhead simultaneously. Once he was close enough, he lashed them out, and you allowed the first to coil around your katana, pulling him towards you as you grabbed the other in your free hand, stabbing him in the chest when he was in range. Surprised, he gasped, as blood caused him to cough violently, and you bolted back to avoid getting any on you.
With him slowly dying in a pool of his own blood, you were suddenly kicked against the wall by the redhead who almost stabbed your left cheek if not for you dodging it—the sai's blade barely grazing your skin as it lodged into the brick wall. You ran to a nearby dumpster across from you as he followed when removing his weapon. Jumping, you kicked off the side of it, and spinning midair to face the redhead, you swung your katana. Upon landing, you were confirmed of his death by hearing his head hit the dumpster, neck spewing with crimson liquid as the clatter of sais became splashes on damp concrete.
You were rushed then by the blonde and brunette, immediately coming to a power struggle with the brunette after kicking away the blonde. When he had regained himself, and you were stricken to the ground by your enemy sweeping the floor beneath you, you pushed yourself back up on your hands and instantly clashed blades with him. His machetes came swiftly back at your single katana, and if you hadn't twirled it between your fingers the many times you did, you wouldn't be able to block the chained stabbing attempts that came every now and then.
"[Name]!"
Your eyes shifted away momentarily from the shinobi as they huffed, and you had flipped back, away from them as you caught your breath as well. You expected to see Kai, or Kei, but froze when seeing rather the worried face of Seifer and dumbfounded one of Leon. They kept their blue eyes on you, unmoving as they stared. With them staying in that position, you broke your gaze from them and turned your attention back to the boys who you were fighting as you charged for them.
The two began attacking you more in sync now—silver pieces of metal clashing against a black one continuously. You on the other hand, were getting worn out from the continuous weapon ramming. After colliding katanas with the brunette, you turned on your heal and blocked another attack with your foot while stopping the twin machetes from the blonde from coming down on your head. While in the position you were already in, you pushed against the blonde, extending your foot to have the brunette stumble back. As he came back for you full on with a raised blade, you shifted your weight and forced yourself to fall on the pavement, rolling a few feet away.
Sitting up, you glanced to find the brunette had decapitated his own companion whose body fell lifelessly onto his knees before his side, head plopping on the floor as the ends where each were attached profusely pooled blood. Mouth open in shock, the brunette shook violently as he dropped his katana. Standing slowly, you crept towards him in silence, sending your blade through the back of the soft section of the nape of his neck. He came back to reality then as he fell to his knees and you removed the blade from going through his Adam's apple, but when he found that the action of breathing was excruciatingly painful, his moments didn't last long.
A long sigh escaped your lips as you called back your katana, and you turned to face the two boys after checking to make sure there wasn't any blood on you. You slowly walked up to them, and Leon was the first to react, stepping back with fright behind his eyes. Seifer raised a shaky finger, causing you to slow your approach and stop with a foot distance between you.
"Your fighting style is the same as [Name]'s! Just who are you!?"
"Amaya?" the brunette's mouth hung slightly open. "You're not [Name]...You're Amaya...and those...Those were shinobi..."
"You're going to hurt [Name] aren't you!?" Seifer suddenly gasped.
"I'm gonna what!?" your eyes widened. "I just got attacked!"
"By shinobi! SHINOBI!" Leon ran a hand through his hair. "Which means you're associated with them in some way!"
"I'm telling dad," the blonde shook his head rapidly. "We need to tell dad!"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," you shook your head in disbelief. "That's not going to happen."
"You're in no position to—Seifer!" Leon called after his brother who had gone running off. He took a quick look at you before darting in the same direction.
You groaned, pulling out your phone as you ran after them in the alleyway across the street and dialed. The two were speaking to one another in a panic, and you were sure that they were going to split when getting the chance unless you miraculously came to a dead end. As for the person who you called, they answered on the second ring.
"[Name]? Do you—"
"Kei you and Kai needa get here now!" you cut him off as you huffed. "I'm chasing Seifer and Leon. No time to explain but we NEED to catch them! I'm at—"
"I know where you are we'll be there right now," he answered, suddenly alerted by your tone.
You hung up and shoved the electronic device into your pocket, focusing on the boys once again. There was an upcoming split in the alleyway, just as you had expected, and with Leon going right, Seifer left, you had the chance to follow only one of them, and paces behind from your phone call, you needed to choose now before you lost sight.
Deciding on Seifer—who was in a more panic oriented state—you kept your eyes on him as you pushed yourself to run faster. The two were just turning the corner, and you were about to lose sight on them when you witnessed their bodies being bolted back and slammed into one another, into your vision of the alleyway. They were knocked out cold, and as you slowed to a stop, the twins emerged from either side, Kei empty-handed, and Kai with a curious look on his face, skateboard between his hands as he overlooked the wheel mark that slowly began to form on Leon's cheek.
"I owe you guys one," you huffed, coughing as you laid your palms on your knees, hunched over for air.
"You're soaked [Name], what happened?" Kei frowned, pulling you under the cover of a fire escape as he looked you over, pushing away the loose strands of hair from your face.
"Shinobi...they remember me," you sighed, leaning against the wall in defeat. "Four of them attacked me when these two I guess walked in on it. Seifer noticed my fighting style, running off in a panic, and even Leon looked scared of me following after him... I don't know what to do...about them anyway."
"As your friendly neighborhood kudans, may I suggest we tamper with their memories a bit?" Kai raised his hand. "Don't worry, we'll be gentle unlike Chiyoko, and for all they'll know, this was a bar fight gone wrong."
"A bar during the middle of the day?" you cocked an eyebrow. "Think that'll work?"
"Seifer's known for getting into fights at that bar over there," he pointed to the right side of the alleyway split where Leon was facing," so it'll be a pretty solid deal. Leon could've gone over to bail him out too."
"That's a foolproof plan," Kei nodded. "Let's do it."
"You guys go on ahead," you stood straight," I need to get to Cid's place."
Kei dropped Seifer's body immediately, Kai sighing as it splashed back onto the wet floor. The elder twin shook his head," I'll walk you there, you might get attacked again."
"I'm a big girl," you smiled slightly, popping a cough drop into your mouth as you put your glasses on. "I can handle myself."
"But—"
"But nothing!" Kai huffed. "I am NOT going through your load of work in this babo! Get over here and help before I embarrass you in front of your girlfriend!"
Kei glared at him, picking the blonde up by the arms," You're asking for it."
You giggled, running off," I'm already pretty late. I'll see you guys later! Thank you!"
Running back the way you came, you tried breathing in the scent of the rain better—which ended up working out well as it cleared your sinuses too. The rain itself slowed to barely a drizzle, and you took the route you neglected to the first time. You continued along the path until you turned left and came to the designated house after checking your phone. Slowing to a stop in front of it, you rechecked and rechecked before accepting that the mansion before you was the correct house.
There was a high white brick wall that surrounded it, and as you slipped through the open black gates into the driveway as the guards were preoccupied with the security system, you marveled at the large fountain in the center of the gray paved circle drive where the water beautifully flowed with the lights illuminating it beneath. You walked along the driveway to the actual house which was smoothed out brick, painted over with an off white color, with black shingles. There were numerous windows and a low hedge surrounded the house, having trees as well.
You approached the main door and took a deep breath before ringing the bell. It opened after a moment to reveal a middle aged woman in a black and white maid's outfit. She overlooked you before smiling warmly, and gesturing you to come inside. You did as you were told and entered the house as she closed the door behind you.
"Master Cid, your guest has arrived!" she called.
"Thank you Mia, I'm on my way," the prince's voice called back.
She turned to you," Please wait here, I'm sure he'll be down shortly."
Nodding as the woman went off upstairs, you awkwardly dripped onto the white marble floor. You were in the main room where a chandelier hung above the circular area of the area, and in front of you, there was a hallway under the two flights of stairs on either side of the one upstairs. In addition, two other doorframes were present—one on the left of you the other on the right. The walls were patterned with light beige, and music was faintly heard in the distance.
Just as the maid had said though, Cid arrived shortly, leaving you to put your observation fun aside. He wore a black muscle shirt and skinny jeans that complimented his height even though he was wearing socks rather than shoes. His blue eyes closed as he yawned and descended the high staircase, indicating he had just awoken. As he came to the bottom of the stairs, he caught sight of you and you smiled with a wave as he shook his head with a surprised face.
"Amaya, what happened?" he frowned. "I knew I should have sent a car for you."
"Just a little rain," you shrugged, still smiling. "Sorry I took so long though. I got a little snack to eat and kinda got lost."
"Do you have any dry clothes with you?"
"Not really," you mumbled, looking down.
Cid chuckled," Alright then, how about you give the clothes to Mia so she can put them in the dryer? Maybe we can find something for you for the time being until then."
You removed your shoes and followed the young prince back up the stairs and into his room. There, you waited for the maid, Mia, to arrive before going into the private bathroom and giving her your clothes through the door, as well as your duffel bag itself after you removed the slightly damp folder from it. Then left in your bathing suit, you wrapped a dry towel around yourself and exited, meeting Cid who was inside the walk in closet.
Inside, it was a plain white blue color with circular lights illuminating it. It was bordered with golden metal, and the clothes that hung on the hangers were suits, then the school uniform's blazer, and finally numerous other jackets. The clothes themselves were neatly folded and arranged in style, color, and type. On the opposite end of the entrance, there was a mirror with a wooden frame that occupied most of the wall, allowing a flawless reflection. Beside it, a tinted glass case sat on a red velvet pillow with small gold tassels in each corner, making you guess that it must have been the crown.
The ravenette hummed as you leaned against the doorframe," So do you think you could handle being in...well...maybe without pants...for a while?"
You nodded," It'll be like being in the beach, so I don't see a big deal."
"Here you can wear this until then," he said, reaching up on one of the top shelves and pulling down a black long sleeved sweater.
You took it from him and pulled it on over the towel, finding that it reached the top of your knees like a dress. The removing the towel, you giggled lightly," I think this'll be fine."
"Thank goodness," he sighed in relief. "I have these too," he handed you a pair of black socks. "They shrank when washed, and I haven't worn them since. If you don't mind the fact that they're a little lower than ankle high, you could wear them."
"I'll take you up on that offer," you nodded, taking the pair and sitting on the bed as you put them on. "Thank you, Cid."
"My pleasure Amaya," the teen nodded, turning off the light and exiting the room. "Let's get started on that project then, shall we?"
Taking your phone and the folder, you followed Cid down the stairs and into the living room. The walls were white here as well, and the large bay window allowed for a nice view of the lush green backyard grass, trees, and flowers. The couch was black leather, and was present in addition to a matching recliner, and loveseat. Between the three, there was a dark gray framed metal coffee table which held a few papers, pens, and a laptop. Across from where you both sat on the main couch, there was a flat screen connected to a few gaming systems, and surround sound speakers.
Moments after you sat, a butler entered the room with a silver tray, placing a plate on the table along with two bottles of water. The plate itself held small triangular sandwiches, and sliced pieces of fruit. Then taking the tray, the man exited as he came, and you took a sandwich in your hand as Cid clicked open an internet tab on the laptop.
"What skeletal system should we focus on?"
"I dunno," you shrugged, swallowing the piece you were chewing on, then humming. "How about the flan? They don't have a skeletal system either; they're just blobs, but they move back and forth when you hit them as if they do have a backbone."
"That would be interesting," Cid nodded. "But the fact that it doesn't have bones might make it a popular choice for the slackers."
"That's true," you pouted. "What about you—any ideas?"
"Maybe one," he answered, typing into the laptop. The picture of a brownish green at the root red mushroom appeared on the search engine. It had two mouths, but no eyes, and was found with a greenish fog surrounding it. "The Funguar. It's originally a rooted mushroom fiend that's commonly seen on the Mushroom Rock Road in Spira."
"I'm all for it," you nodded, opening your folder and pulling out the rubric for the project. "I can make the model if you do the power point."
"Sounds like a plan," he smiled as he stood. "I'll get some clay and paint then."
Cid came back a few minutes later with the supplies, and joined you in eating before you two got started. When you finished the food and did, he set a picture on your phone of the fiend for you to follow as you worked on the model and he began on the power point. You commenced with the roots on the six by six wooden tile the model was placed upon, and worked your way from there in every detail, especially the mouths of the mushrooms themselves.
Three and a half hours later, when the darkness outside caused one of the maids to turn the lights on and the rain pounded outside again, Cid offered music. Agreeing and putting your side of the headphones in your ear, you immediately returned to perfecting the curves of the mushroom. Finishing on the fourth song, you leaned back in delight and grabbed a pen to write down your names on the empty space of the board. Then, helping the ravenette on the finishing touches of the power point, you waited for the clay to dry before painting it.
The power point was settled on being done a half hour later, when you both decided there was enough information, on the background, and went over your facts in case Balthier wanted a presentation. Checking the model, you found the clay dry as you and Cid grabbed brushes, eager to paint the figure. A new song started then, and after it went in a bit more, you recognized it as the Beethoven symphony from when you both met.
When that occurred, your slight giggling due to the retelling of an incident the teen had said about when he was little abruptly stopped, and your hand lowered away from painting both slowly and sadly as your [color] eyes stared at the table blankly. Noticing your sudden change, Cid's smile gradually faded as well, and he nudged your hand with his, triggering a spark with the music continuing to play.
*Flash*
It was a few weeks into your arrival in Hollow Bastion, and you were in the airship on the way to Destiny Islands for the mission administrations. Cid shifted himself to give you space on the lower bunk bed of the room you were set to share with him, and pushed the Sudoku book between the two of you. Like him, you found comfort in leaning against the wall and examined the almost completed puzzle. He gave you one side of the headphones as a Beethoven symphony played; the piano giving the room a relaxing atmosphere.
While working on the puzzle, the two of you got carried away in joking around with each other and you soon realized that your head was on his shoulder, his arm around you. It felt weird, yet there was nothing weird about it; you weren't doing anything wrong, and you were thankful that he wasn't flirting with you. A knock came to the door and neither of you bothered to acknowledge it. A few more knocks came and since the two of you still didn't hear it, the door swung open, Cloud's eyes narrowing at the sight of the closeness being shared.
*Flash*
Cid's hand jolted back from yours and you looked away, biting your lip, as you dipped the paintbrush within the water cup, leaving it there. You turned to the ravenette and was about to speak when he leaned forward and gently pressed his lips against yours, hand softly resting on your left cheek. It wasn't urgent, or forceful, just simple and sweet.
The young prince jolted away and your heads snapped to the source of the snort of disgust to see a shirtless Noctis in black jeans—arms crossed over his chest and face sickened. Remembering Cid's hand was still on your cheek, you removed it along with the headphone, and he, coming back to reality, took out his side as well, clasping his fingers and resting his chin on them as you went back to finishing the painting portion. Another scoff came from Noctis, and his brother's eyes shifted to meet his.
"I didn't know a make out session was part of the skeletal system project—and with Amaya no less," Noctis sneered.
"You wouldn't understand if I tried explaining it to you which is why you're the younger brother," Cid murmured, Noctis' gaze on him instantly becoming a glare.
"Whatever, I came to see if your guest is staying for dinner—father wants to know."
You shook your head, standing as you dipped the paintbrush back into the water," The project's finished, and I don't want to impose, so I'll be leaving."
"Are you sure? It's raining heavily outside Amaya," Cid stood as well, eyes on you in an observant manner. "I assure you, you don't have to leave just because Noctis is being rude."
"Yeah, don't go because I'm pointing out all the things that are completely RIGHT in this picture," Noctis said sarcastically.
"For your information, you're not important enough to have an impact on my actions," you shook your head, eyes on the younger prince. "I have a life of my own, and if I wanted to stick around a jerk like you, I have better chances of living through a conversation with Vanitas—or even Seifer."
"I couldn't have said it better myself," Cid smirked, Noctis' mouth hanging open as he looked at you in disbelief.
"Noctis," a deep voice called as approaching footsteps were heard against the hard floor. "What did she say?"
"Good evening father," Cid greeted, the middle aged man looking up from his phone and towards him, then to you and Noctis who were still glaring at one another as he put it away.
"This is your company?" he cocked an eyebrow. "What happened to her clothes...? Is she your girlfriend? Did you...you know?"
"What!?" you shrieked with a red face, catching his drift. "Oh no, no, no, no—you got it all wrong! It's not like that at all!"
"She's telling the truth," the elder prince chuckled, though his cheeks were lightly tinted with pink. "Her clothes got dampened in the rain on her way here, and we've been working on the project, so she hasn't gone to change yet."
"Ah, well, my name is Lucis Caelum, it's a pleasure," the man chuckled, holding his hand out.
"Amaya Nochi," you smiled sheepishly, taking his hand.
"Master Caelum, the food is ready," a butler stated from the hallway.
"We shall eat then," he nodded. The two brothers went towards the kitchen with the butler, and as you went to follow, Lucis tapped your shoulder. "[Name], how are you?"
You whirled around with wide eyes," Sir! You remember me!?"
"Of course I do," he chuckled, patting your back. "I sadly can't say the same for anybody else though. Are you holding up well?"
"So far," you nodded with a sigh. "I'm very grateful you remember me though. But...how?"
"My power," he smiled. "I cannot forget."
"That truly is a wonderful power," you nodded. "Memories should be kept intact."
"Yes, well if you are in need of anything, I'm happy to help—don't forget that. Additionally, I insist you should stay the night. It is TOO cold for travel, especially with the weather, and I just called the twins—they agree."
"They must know about you then," you frowned slightly. "It's not fair, but I'll comply just this once to celebrate being reacquainted with a former friend."
"You haven't changed a bit," Lucis chuckled as the two of you left for the kitchen.
Before eating dinner, you were informed of your dried clothes, and slipped on the shorts you wore during tryouts, then was escorted to the dining room. You also learned that Genevieve was currently travelling, saving you from an encounter with her. During the time you ate, you told a little about your created background as Lucis asked customary first meeting questions. Additionally, Cid also asked some, in return getting himself numerous glares from his brother whenever his behavior was mentioned towards you.
After eating desert, you helped Cid clean up, then took your phone and went off towards his room where you were arranged to stay for the night, he bunking with his brother. You stepped onto the balcony and clicked the app that allowed you to video chat. It connected after a few tries, revealing the elder of the two twins back at home before you. He was wearing a headset, and immediately set down the controller in his hands onto the couch, the only illumination in the dark room from the TV.
"Hey [Name]," he murmured, a smile slightly lighting his face. "Is everything alright? Lucis called about an hour ago—you're staying the night correct?"
"That's right; I just wanted to call to check in though," you smiled, leaning against the railing. "How's everything at home?"
"Kai-seok is already asleep. I'm not tired, so I'm playing online a bit."
You furrowed your eyebrows," Are you worried because I'm not home?"
"You could say that," he nodded with a shy smile. "Especially since...well this afternoon."
"I'm fine Kei—I told you I'm a big girl."
"And I told you I can't help it," he frowned, making you giggle. "Get to sleep alright? I don't want to keep you up."
"Alright oppa, I'm going," you stuck your tongue out.
"Oppa?" Kei smiled slightly. "Really?"
You nodded, his smile contagious," We're close enough for that right? Anyway, you get some sleep too okay? I'm sure you've had a long day. I'll get going. Goodnight."
"Sweet dreams [Name]," he nodded.
The screen then went blank, and you turned off your phone, turning when hearing the balcony door creek open. Cid came out wearing checkered pajama bottoms instead of jeans, and awkwardly shuffled over to you, leaning forward against the railing as you curiously looked at him. He sighed, turning to you.
"Listen Amaya...about earlier...I didn't mean for that kiss to happen. I just got a little carried away in the moment and I remembered something and...my apologies if it offended you in any way, it was highly uncalled for."
"It's alright," you shook your head. "A simple mistake—no big deal."
"Thank you for your understanding," he nodded, standing up straight. "Ready to go inside?"
You nodded," I'm pretty sleepy."
"Well then, shall we?" he leaned over, elbow out with a slight smile.
You smiled back as you hooked his arm with yours," We shall."
--------------------------------
Zoom: You're a Horrible Partner!
Zero slammed the door as he entered the house, the ravenette from earlier following him in irritation as they both went towards the kitchen for lunch. Fai turned with a warm smile, greeting them from the stove. When they both grunted in response, he sighed, nudging Kurogane who slammed his hands on the table where they were already giving one another a death glare.
"Alright ladies, what the fuck happened at the blitz tryout?" the ravenette demanded.
"HE COST ME THE POSITION!" the said simultaneously, pointing at one another.
"I'm not doing this," the ravenette man sighed. "Fai—"
"How can you two possibly hate each other?" the blonde frowned, leaning against the refrigerator as the food fried. "This isn't hate either; it's more like childish bickering."
"But he—"
"He's right, my apologies for the inconvenience," the ravenette bowed.
"You kiss ass," Zero hissed.
Fai shook his head," So did anything interesting happen during the tryouts?"
"There was only one girl there," the black haired teen spoke, leaning back. "She was paired with Maqui. By the way she played, I'm pretty sure she's gonna make the team."
"Is it Amaya?" he cocked his head to the side.
"Who else?" the pale haired boy scoffed, crossing his arms.
"So that's what her name is...I want to meet her."
"Oh? And I should introduce you? Hah! Forget it! If you like her so much, talk to her yourself. Better yet, how about you have [Name]? She's so—"
"Oi! No badmouthing anyone! All is forgiven and over!" the blonde man scolded.
"Why is Kiryu so mood swingy?" Kurogane sighed. "It's irritating."
The teen opposite Zero chuckled," He's always been a sore loser."
Zoom: The Caelum Brothers
"Who just called you?" Noctis asked, coming down the stairs shirtless in skinny jeans. "I could hear it from upstairs."
"We'll be having a female guest coming over," Cid said, stretching. "Due to your lack of patience, we needed to leave her behind at the school."
"Why didn't you tell me then?" the younger prince frowned. "I didn't know a girl was coming."
"You're on the rebound," snorted the elder. "Why would I?"
"If you want to play it that way then fine," he scoffed. "I'll charm her myself; not like I need to change what I'm wearing."
"Oh I'm sure she'll love to be swooned by just your looks," Cid rolled his eyes as he got up from the couch. "I'll be making lunch. She's coming over primarily for the health project."
"Which means—"
"You will not embarrass me by acting like a manwhore."
"Sheesh... Touchy now aren't you?"
Zoom: Call Me Maybe
"If you're so worried just call her," Kai rolled his eyes, leaning against the chain link fence as he took a break. The two were at the skate park with a few of the boys—Kai of course, unwillingly dragging his brother after dropping you off.
"I'm not worried," Kei muttered, cheek pushed up by his fist as his phone rested in his other hand; finger unsurely hovering over your number. "I'm just...unsure of how she's doing."
"You're her kudan," the younger ravenette sighed. "You can just GO there. Besides, if she needs you she'll call you."
"But I want to trust her; I don't want to impose like I did this morning."
"Who said you were imposing? She was just pissed because you're overprotective."
"But last time—"
"Can you shut up about last time already?" Kai suddenly snapped, hissing as he lowered his voice. "This is a new life for us ever since we became kudans—why can't you just accept that and call your freaking girlfriend already!?"
"She's not my girlfriend and I'm not calling her!"
"Hey um..." a girl bit her lip as she shyly approached with a small wrinkled piece of paper.
"No, no!" Kei groaned, storming off.
"What's his problem?" she asked quietly.
"Can I help you?" Kai sighed, turning to her.
She held the paper out with a smile," I'm...um...I've seen you around a lot, and I was wondering if you wanted to get together sometime so...Call me, maybe?"
Zoom: [Name]...?
Leon and Seifer were out, unwillingly, to visit their all so loving aunt today. The woman was nice, but they dreaded her house, friends, and most importantly, her wet kisses. As the silently strolled down the now pouring streets, hoods up, the brunette of the two stomped within a puddle, causing a significant amount of water splash against the jeans of his blonde counterpart.
"Dammit lamer, can't you walk right!?" Seifer groaned, feeling the water slowly drip into the opening of his shoe.
"Nobody told you to walk so close to me," Leon muttered, ignoring him as he trudged along.
"You know, just cuz you and Rinoa are having problems, doesn't mean you gotta take it out on the sidewalk," he rolled his eyes. "If you're so miserable, why don't you dump her?"
"You are giving me advice? Really?" the brunette scoffed. "No thanks."
"Wait," the blonde froze, eyebrows furrowed as he listened intently. "Do you hear that?"
"It's called rain."
"No, lamer, listen!"
Leon did as he was told in slight annoyance, finding that Seifer wasn't just losing his hearing. He heard it too—the sound of metal clashing continuously against metal. It wasn't anything industrial, this wasn't the area for it, meaning that could only be one other thing: weapons. Giving one another a look, they ran for the source. The two stopped at the alleyway, seeing through the rain that one figure was fighting two, two more on the ground in pools of blood. Before Leon could draw his weapon though, or recognize you, which neither boys did at the moment, Seifer instantly remembered the fighting style.
"[Name]!" he called, as you broke away from your two attackers.
"[Name]...?" the male beside him repeated to himself, unsure of what, even who, he was seeing.
Zoom: Cleaning Up
"You have SUCH a big mouth," Kei grumbled, setting Seifer down beside Leon, the two of them facing the bar across the street. "Calling [Name] my girlfriend—could you BE any more disrespectful to her?"
Kai shrugged, pressing a palm to Leon's forehead," [Name] didn't mind."
"Of course she doesn't! She's [Name]!"
"Don't you think you're overreacting a little hyung?"
"I'm acting just fine according to how I feel towards her! You know—"
"So you broke a rule, you like [Name]—who cares? The two idiots here not remembering her is not your fault. This whole Chiyoko thing was kinda bound to happen with all the shinobi that's left."
"Still...it could've been better," the elder murmured, pressing a palm to Seifer's forehead.
"You're just too picky," Kai sighed, shaking his head.
Zoom: Idiot, Idiot, Idiot!
Leon was the first to awaken, and when his eyes darted to the bar across the street, he groaned and stood, touching the left side of his face which felt sore, as if he were hit with something. Turning to see his brother curled up on the sidewalk peacefully, he kicked him, causing the blonde to jolt up awake.
"You idiot! I can't believe I bothered saving your ass again here."
"Boy was that bad," Seifer muttered, rubbing his shoulder. "We got our asses handed to us."
"Six guys three times our size," the brunette glared. "Why do you THINK we got knocked out?"
"You heard what I did too though," Seifer pointed as he stood," so don't try putting this whole thing on me!"
"But we checked and there was nothing! You being notorious is the problem!"
"I'M the problem!? Nobody said you had to follow me!"
Leon pinched the bridge of his nose, shutting his eyes in annoyance," I'm not going to argue about this. I'm going to Aunt Penelope's—follow or not I don't care."
P.O.V
Cid Raines
What just happened? That memory...was with [Name]... But then I see Amaya and it feels correct. I kissed her to top it off... That's...that's bad. She'll forgive me though right? It was an accident. Not that I can explain for that flash though...
Dante
Well, I think I've learned that Amaya's a little...strange. Now that I really take a look, her reflexes are so precise sometimes. I might be wrong and she could have gotten fighting training but...
Demyx
Water, water, water~ I bet that move impressed Amaya didn't it? I knew it would have—wait...If she was impressed by it, was she impressed by me doing it or by Roxas?
Kadaj
Weiss...that arrogant bastard, always being a know it all in front of girls—he wasn't even there when the whole thing happened in Hollow Bastion. Just like every other person, he thinks it was a fiend attack because he saw it on the news and scoffs about it like the rest of us don't know. It's just so...irritating.
Kei
[Name] used the princess label against me. That means something doesn't it? Am I getting too forceful? I'm just worried—I mean well. I guess I should tone it down though... After all, she's not a child.
Leon
My face hurts—it's like I smacked with some blunt object. If Seifer hadn't 'heard a noise' and gone into that stupid bar, we could've gone to where we're going early and out of the rain. I should've stopped him too... Hearing swords in a bar, hah! I'm getting stupid now, just hanging out around him.
Masayoshi
Oh, she's definitely going to make the team. Hah, Amaya beating out people like Zero, Shuyin, or Noel? Yes, I can see that very clearly. The only problem would be persuading Jecht—though I'm sure he'll agree—and Wasurete. Now that...is a challenge.
Maqui
I'll be honest, I expected Amaya to be kinda bad at blitz. She didn't look like a player, but then again neither did [Name]. All in all though, she's so making the team! I can't wait for the results!
Noctis
Did anybody NOT see that? I wasn't doing much in the tryouts just so I could observe Amaya, and I'm sure I've seen those moves somewhere else. I've seen a lot of blitz games too and maybe I could have been mistaken, but ever since yesterday, I've been piecing together what I know of Amaya so far and she kinda fits [Name] but...maybe...maybe I'm just being paranoid like Prompto says.
Prompto
I didn't want to put Amaya on the spot like that but Noct is just getting so annoying about it! I mean Amaya as [Name]? There's no way! Amaya's Amaya and [Name]'s [Name]! Two DIFFERENT people entirely! It's just so...ugh!
Raizo
...Am I really the only one who saw how fluidly she got her katana summoned, and in that position no less? This is really...bugging me now. I'm actually...worried about my life around her a little bit.
Roxas
The scythe move worked out well. I'm glad that Demyx came up with it. Amaya saw it too—wonder how she liked it. Guess we'll find out next week who made it and who didn't.
Seifer
So I heard a few swords in a bar, and we got beat. Lamers are stronger these days, and we haven't been training so what's the big deal? Besides, the idiot didn't bother stopping me so he must've heard it too. Now that I think about it, it could've been a movie on the TV in there...
Shuyin
Amaya's got my vote! I can sway the old man like Tide can to get her in too—not that she needs it. I was being a baby about not getting her as a partner, but like I'd care if she gets on the team!
Vanitas
Feisty little Amaya, getting all red while chasing me—hah...Ugh...There's something wrong with me. I don't—never have other than [Name]—ever have THIS much enjoyment in messing with a girl. And it's not the mischievous enjoyment either; more like the 'can't get any better than this kind.' ...Doesn't make much sense to me.
Vincent
I didn't get much of a chance to speak to Amaya again. I don't think Noel did either before we got split into groups... This might take longer than we thought...
Weiss
Hmph. Now that was strange wasn't it? Amaya didn't know what happened in HB during summer... If she's from this universe there's no way she COULDN'T have known. Unless she's a traveler of some sort, but she just got her powers... There's definitely something she's hiding.
Yuj
Maybe it's just me, but I think it'll be great having a girl on the team. Since [Name], we haven't had another, but Amaya shows promise!
Zero
That stupid idiot ruined my chances! I'd rather be paired up with Amaya if Tanimura decided to pull something like that on me.
--------------------------------
Author's Note: Thanks for reading ^^