As her head exploded up through the surface of the water, Fujin Kazeno closed her one eye against the heavy mid-day sunlight that beat down all around her, glistening off the water that encircled her, and baking the soft sandy beach nearby. It gave her wet silver hair a sparkling quality as she tread there, out several feet into the ocean, enjoying a few moments alone, away for only a short while from the constant fearful and frantic beat of life that she was now so used to. She wished to great Hyne that she could stay here forever, with the waves gently pushing her body back and forth, ripples spreading around her with a calm and tranquil slowness that she'd come to know as paradise. But she knew that couldn't be, as she was already promised to the man who it all revolved around, and tomorrow she knew she would be gone again, some other place, probably not as beautiful. It was likely that she would be staying in someone's back alley or dirty attic, or maybe stowing away on a ship to get to some other secluded island, just to leave again the next week yet again.

The sunlight began to burn the place where her broken eye had once been, the use of which had been taken away by a well-placed gunshot all those years ago. The man who'd shot it had been a friend of hers, up until the night when he'd gotten very drunk at a bar, and had come back to Garden, and had suddenly viewed Fujin as a conquest for his manliness. While fighting his efforts to rape her, Fujin had provoked him to finally shoot her down to the ground, taking out her eye and a part of her pride that she'd never be able to regain. He'd had her then, as hard as she struggled and screamed, and that had been the end of the life-loving Fujin she'd used to be. She'd started using one-word phrases, no longer willing to really speak to people. She'd started believing that there was no love, no real purpose to life at all, and had then fallen in with Raijin and Seifer, and had been changed yet again. She'd learned to believe in Seifer, and his pride and confidence, and had learned to trust and care about him over time. Now he was on the run from the relatives of all the people he'd helped kill while fighting as Ultimecia's knight, and she and Raijin, who'd sold their souls to him by then, were along with him wherever he went.

She'd been so sure that they'd be able to be safe at Balamb, they all had, really. But when they'd arrived at the Garden gates, Squall had come out to meet them, had looked at them for a moment, then just turned away and left them there, standing in the pouring rain, and made sure to lock the gates securely behind him. That had been yet another blow to Fujin's heart in the scheme of things. Turned away from the place they'd grown up, from the people they'd fought with for so long, the people they'd cared about, and whom they'd used to joke around with, train with, and even the people they'd loved. Of course, Fujin knew full well why they were no longer accepted. Seifer had been the one who killed their families and friends, and they were not for a moment going to let him back into their lives. And loyal Raijin and Fujin were simply taken as part of Seifer, and treated the same.

A brief pang of bitterness engulfed Fujin at how she'd thrown her life so willingly into Seifer's hands, and how he'd accepted it, what he'd done with their friendship, their trust, their loyalty, and how he'd thrown all three of them into complete darkness. For the first time in her life, she doubted Seifer, almost hated him…but couldn't, and it all faded into gray. She couldn't hate Seifer, because they were all in the same boat now, and they had to face it all together…or they really would be nowhere, without anything, without even the knowledge that if one of them died, someone would pray for them. Because Fujin knew now that it really did matter whether or not you had someone to hold on to…and Seifer and Raijin were all she had left. She couldn't desert them, not even if she desperately wanted to, because she needed them, needed someone to talk to, needed someone to be able to turn to when it all fell apart, and say, "Help me." And though she'd never ever admit it to anyone, Fujin was so scared sometimes that she'd wake up someday and they wouldn't be there anymore.

She shook the water out of her hair as she climbed up onto the beach and dried herself off with a borrowed towel, dressing quickly but leaving her feet bare to walk through the foaming surf, and feel the water tickling her toes, and try to remember what it was like before all this had happened, before Ultimecia, before exile, before everything. She tried to remember what it was like when she'd been happy…and couldn't. And it scared her more than anything else in the world. Quickly grabbing her shoes, she rushed up to the small shack where they were presently staying, trying to get these thoughts out of her mind.

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            When she entered the house, it was obvious that Raijin was making dinner, by the horrendous smell of badly cooked fish wafting through the house. She wrinkled her nose in disgust, holding her breath as she walked through to the kitchen, and ran straight into Raijin, who seemed to be heading out of the house. "Oh, good, was just about to go looking for ya, Fuu, ya know? Dinner's ready!" She swallowed convulsively. "SMELL," she reprimanded, giving him an I'm-not-eating-that look. "NOT GOOD." Raijin scratched the back of his neck. "Aw, c'mon, it'll be better than last night, I promise. That was just a little mistake, ya know?  I really am a better cook than that, ya know?" Fujin shook her head sternly, thinking of the night before's appalling over cooked fish, marinated in some suspicious yellow sauce. "NO MISTAKES," she admonished, brushing past him into the kitchen, and observing the fish simmering on the stove. "I don't want to get sick," she said, dropping her usual one word phrases. "Seriously, Raijin, what is this stuff? It's disgusting."

"Ah, well, I bought it off this guy in Balamb, ya know? I-!" But before he could finish his sentence, the door burst open, and Seifer stumbled in, breathing hard. "Fuu, Raijin, we gotta get out of here now. They know we're here! Some Balamb fish seller ratted us out. Don't know how he figure out we were here, but we have to go, now! Quick, grab your stuff…and what is that nasty smell? Raijin, you cooking again? Ich." Fujin and Raijin exchanged a look, and Raijin sheepishly backed out of the room, and quickly up the stairs to gather his belongings. Fujin sighed, and shook her head, giving Seifer a long look before turning to follow him. "Hey, Fuu-sama, what's up?" He asked, stopping her with a hand on her shoulder. He gently spun her towards him, opening his mouth to say something, but she broke away and hurried up the stairs, not looking at him. Seifer stood, watching her go, a confused and hurt look on his face as she disappeared into the upstairs room.