The lonely shore of the western peninsula welcomed the first visitor in what seemed like countless ages since that one group of travelers who had returned to their old "home." The reminiscent waves of the past that had welcomed and played with those travelers welcomed this newcomer and he welcomed it on his sore feet, sore from his journey just like those others and in his hands, calloused as they were from many hard battles. They splashed its cool substance onto his face and wiped it off again, leaving just a few droplets on that slid slowly down the scar that fell from his left eye to the right side of his nose. A cautious finger slowly slid down his defining mark, careful not to awaken any memory suppressed from the not so distant past. He closed his eyes, the pain of the scar had died long ago, but it's meaning had not.

"*Sigh*… I wonder where you are…?"

"What did u say, boss?"

"…? Oh, nothing…? Raijin! Didn't I tell you before not to sneak up on me like that?"

"Uh…Yeah…"

"And didn't I just yell at you and Fujin to leave me alone for at least five minutes of my life?"

"…"

"DIDN'T I?!"

"I'm sorry, boss…but…" Raijin's head bowed down in order to avoid his "boss's" rage at his insolence, those eyes of his burned more passionately than before and the flames were always directed toward him and Fujin, "…but…Hell, I don't know…ever since Squall and the others…"

"I TOLD YOU NEVER TO MENTION HIS NAME IN FRONT OF ME EVER AGAIN!"

Raijin jumped back in fear but ready for his rebuke. He had forgotten not to say any of those names in front of his boss for sake of pride and especially that one but he did. He knew that his boss could hide off emotions just as well as his rival, but gradually, as time went on and with every step of their journey, those emotions began to slip out, little by little, but only he noticed it. If was real or not remained to be found.

"What the fuck is so hard about following orders, Raijin? Can you tell me that?"

"…*He still acts like nothing bothers him…*"

"That's right! Nothing! Nothing is hard about following orders, especially the ones I give you! Unless you find it hard to walk and breathe at the same time?"

"…I…I'm sorry, boss…" The sincerity of his apologetic tone caught his boss off guard. His head still down, he cast a quick glance up into the deep green flames that screamed the truth that was afraid to be told. His stare back on the ground, Raijin quietly stood, braced for attack, but, oddly, his boss just stood there, emotionless, save for his eyes. They were no longer as cold as they used to be, not as Raijin had remembered them in the years at Balamb, but the change was not unwelcome. Raijin stared again into his eyes, this time they stared back.

"…Don't let it happen again…" said the man in his usual cold and seemingly uncaring manner. He turned around slowly, his white trench coat swung lightly, catching a light eastern breeze that whipped the man's bangs across his forehead to the side. He squatted down and placed his hand in the tangible past, allowing it to launch itself into his palm and slowly slip between his fingers.

"Boss…I'm really sorry…"

"Stop apologizing," he said, still emotionless, but concentrated in the waves of the ocean, as if it held a meaning, unknown to everyone but himself, "…it doesn't do me any good. You, either. Now get out of here."

"But…"

"Now!" The wind that blew erupted into a typhoon, the man's head turned toward Raijin, his hair whipping in wisps, like a bright, yellow flame come to life by its complementing element and with that, his emerald flames reemerged from the depths of the darkness of his pupils, this time, Raijin only felt confusion, only saw his boss on his feet again, muttering something slowly, but the word echoed in the tempest that raged about him, the very air around him seemed to grow…warmer…warmer…hotter… "…Firaga…" echoed the wind…