AN: This story was created for the purposes of National Novel Writing Month, so expect it to be long; novel-length in fact. Most of the story is already written. I only need to edit it now, so the first few chapters should be up pretty quickly.

I also feel that this story is original enough that if you haven't played Final Fantasy 8 then you shouldn't have any problem following this story. Any spoilers that are in this story are so obscure that it shouldn't really make any difference.

Also, just a few warnings that the rating of this story is to go up as soon as I post the next chapter to PG-13 and the story might eventually make it to R. It will be rated for language, violence and eventually yaoi (i.e. two men in romantic situations.) If you don't like any of the above then I suggest you stop reading. Flames are fine as long as they're not because of the content I just warned you about.

Disclaimer: Unfortunately I don't own Wedge and Biggs, or any other Final Fantasy 8 character that appears in this story, even though 99 of their characterisation was done by me. Honestly; if I had run with only what was shown in the game then you'd have a couple of cardboard cut-outs for main characters. What was I saying? Oh yes. Wedge, Biggs and some of the other characters in this story belong to Squaresoft. I'm not making any money out of them, so if you sue me you'll get nothing.

Okay? Have we covered everything? We have? Good. Let the story begin then.

"By the accident of fortune a man may rule the world for a time,
but by virtue of love he may rule the world forever."

Lao-Tsze

It wasn't as though the silence around the Lomani family dinner table was awkward. Rather, it was the silence of a close-knit extended family right after the meal had finished; a time when aunts, uncles and cousins alike were running out of things to say; but to Wedge, it felt awkward.

The weather had been discussed in length, as had politics, especially politics that involved Galbadia, and whether or not Galbadia was or should be attempting to expand its borders. (Being a family that had lived in the small city state of Dollet for the past three generations the possibility that their beloved home would be overrun by a foreign power was always bound to be a hot topic.)

Being one of the youngest members of his extended family, Wedge chose to sit at one end of the table, concentrating on pushing the last few mouthfuls of ice-cream around his nearly empty dessert bowl. Wedge had barely said a word the entire night, and had no intention of starting now. He was dreading speaking as it was; dreading the moment when someone realised that Wedge had been studying at Galbadia Garden long enough for him to have taken the glorified SeeD test. Sooner or later someone would want to ask how well he had done, and then he would tell them that he scored the highest out of the three students that had passed, and then the random relation that had asked him in the first place would congratulate him quickly followed by the rest of his extended family.

And then he would tell them all what they would consider to be very bad news, disrupting what was currently a perfect picture of a family get together.

It hadn't been an easy decision to make, especially since he had known that his entire family would disapprove, but studying at Galbadia Garden had given him a unique perspective of the world; one that his family could never gain while they stayed inside the safety of the borders of Dollet.

The conversation soon started again, jumping backwards and forewords across the table, much like the ice-cream in Wedge's bowl.

Then, as if reading from a prompt card, Wedge's Aunt Pipper spoke.

"So, Wedge, how did your SeeD test go?"

If he hadn't been so tense with dread at the prospect of the upcoming conversation, Wedge would have laughed. As it was, he shrugged.

"Yeah," he said noncommittally. "I did really well."

"Wow!" Aunt Pipper exclaimed, followed, as Wedge had expected, by a chorus of congratulations.

"Well," Pipper's husband Tai exclaimed. "A SeeD in the family. Now that is something to be proud of."

"Aren't you a little worried that he might get hurt?" Aunt Lessie, Wedge's father's sister asked Wedge's mother, completely ignoring the nineteen year old.

"I'm just glad that he's finally given up that ridiculous rock music he was hoping to get a career in a couple of years back," Wedge's father answered for his wife.

Wedge's older sister Tina stared at him from the other side of the table, tossing him a sympathetic raised eyebrow while none of their older relatives were watching.

"Oh," Wedge's mother sounded exasperated as she carelessly flung her hand up, and to Wedge's knowledgeable ears, completely fake. "I'm glad we've gotten rid of that rubbish! It just goes to show what a decent education can do for you."

"My, my, my," someone commented. Wedge wasn't game to look up from his bowl to discover exactly which of his relative's it was, but it sounded a lot like his uncle Milleph. "So you're a trained mercenary now, eh Wedge?"

"Actually," Wedge said, his voice coming out of his mouth so quietly that it couldn't even be called a squeak. He had been dreading this moment the whole night.

Oh well, best to get it over and done with, he told himself, not really believing it.

"I was thinking of joining the Galbadian military."

Every single clink of glass and cutlery, every twitter of congratulations and gossip stopped in an instant.

"Well," Wedge began in attempt to explain his decision, still not willing to look up from his bowl. "With my SeeD rank I could probably make General or Major within a couple of months, and the Galbadians are doing some rather good things for the local populations. I mean, they could probably turn a backwards city like Dollet into a thriving centre of business."

Wedge finally looked up from his bowl to find that every face at the table had turned to stare at him; some with undisguised amusement, others with a touch of hatred, but most bore a look of dumb shock.

"So," Wedge tried unsuccessfully to smile as he spoke. "What do you think?"

Approximately twenty-five seconds later, when Wedge's parents had gotten over the initial shock, Wedge Lomani was promptly disowned.