Up above, the sky rumbles in warning; the deafening booms are a missive to the people below who are scrambling for safety—hurry, hurry, hurry, they seem to say. The underbelly of the clouds are tainted with disturbing rivulets of crimson, and when Fujin looks upwards, shielding her eye from the bright flashes of lightning, panic lances through her. It's been eons since the Lunar Cry last occurred, and she never thought she'd be around to see the next one. She never thought it would happen again at all.

As she's still staring up at the ominous view, Raijin sprints past her and falters when he realizes she isn't right on his heels. With wide eyes, he looks back over his shoulder at her. "Fuu! What are ya doin'?" he exclaims, throwing his large arms out in disbelief.

Unsure of what to say, Fujin shakes her head. The motion is slow, filled with dread and hopelessness. Up until this point, she hasn't realized just how hopeless she's felt. Losing Seifer to his own mind and lust for glory has traumatized her enough, but now . . . does he really plan on taking down the entire world with him? Maybe if they had left him sooner, parted ways earlier and told him that they couldn't bear to see him like this—a broken, crazed shell of the man they thought they'd known so well—things wouldn't have reached the breaking point.

The loaded question, one they'll never get the answer to, haunts her. She continues to stare up at the foreboding sky, wondering where they'll go and what they'll do without their leader. It's been years since the three of them have been separated for longer than a day, and the gaping hole in their trio leaves her hollow, numb.

Raijin's question from earlier remains unanswered, and, concerned, he sidles up to her. With a furrowed brow, he watches her intently for a moment before he too looks up at the sky. A few tense seconds tick by before, in a quiet voice, he says, "Fuu . . . we gotta go, ya know?"

She fights to swallow the lump in her throat. Barely louder than a whisper, she asks, "How? How do we just . . . leave him behind?"

His normally jovial expression falls into a deep frown, and he looks back over her shoulder. They're only a few feet away from the door they'd just come through, the door that leads back to Seifer. It would be so easy to turn around and go back. The sound of metal clashing against metal rings out, audible even through the thick walls of Lunatic Pandora. Seconds later, the bell-like tinkles of magic being cast echo down the hall, before a resounding crash follows. With each clang, they both wince, knowing what's happening behind the door.

Eventually, Raijin tears his gaze away from the doors—from their past—and looks over at Fujin. "You told Squall that it was up to him now, ya know? Ya gotta trust in 'im. Trust that he's the only one who can help Seifer now."

Fujin's eye slides shut, and a tear escapes from the corner. "Did I . . . Was I right in making that choice?"

As always, Raijin seems to be able to sense her state of mind. He lays a heavy hand on her shoulder, prompting her to meet his gaze. "You're always right when it comes to Seifer, Fuu." She offers him a tentative smile, and he adds, "But right now, we gotta get outta here! Things are about to get much worse, ya know?"

At his words, Fujin looks back up. As if on cue, the clouds drift apart, revealing, inch-by-inch, the unnatural face of the moon. It's hanging much lower than is normal, nearly filling the entire expanse of the dusky sky. While the surface of the moon is its usual pale, rocky gray, it's the center of the face that is everyone's worst fears come true. Shades of red, burnt orange, and chestnut mix together, undulating as if the surface of the moon is now alive—and really, it is. She knows the movement of the colors is actually a plethora of monsters, scrambling over one another as they wait to rain down on the planet and wreak havoc.

In the center of the "eye" is the greatest concentration of monsters; a mesmerizing, living orb that transitions from a pale, sky-blue around the edges, to a deep, sinister shade of indigo in the center. As they stand there, staring up at the sky, the blue orb begins to stretch downwards towards them. The tip of the teardrop swells, visibly filled to the brim with monsters that none alive have seen before. For a moment, the drop looks as if it's suspended in the sky, frozen in time. Then, without further preamble, it gushes forth towards the surface of the planet.

The entire sky, from edge to edge of her vision, is quickly filled with the tears of the moon. Her heart stops for the briefest of moments, and she sways in place. Raijin reaches up to steady her, and shouts, "We gotta go! Now!"

Fujin meets his eyes, wide with fear that she is sure mirrors her own.

Suddenly, Seifer's face flashes through her mind. For as long as she has known him, he has always been sure, cocky even—so utterly confident that things will work out in his favor, so long as he surpasses everyone else, becomes the best. If he were out here, facing this threat with them and not as the one causing it, he would remain brave in the face of danger, even if it seemed as hopeless as this.

Briefly, she closes her eye and takes a deep breath, steeling herself. When she opens it again, she offers the most assured nod that she can manage, remembering Seifer and the man he used to be.

"AFFIRMATIVE."

Thanks to Arenoptara for beta-reading.