FINAL FANTASY VIII: BRIDGES
by Corvus
PART THREE
The room was just too empty. Raijin lay on his new bed and stared at the ceiling, trying his best not to think. Things just didn't feel right, not without the sensation of Fujin's presence. Not without her quiet breathing, or her jacket hanging limply from the chair. He didn't mind so much that there were no possessions of his individualizing the space. It didn't feel like home because his sister was missing.
This was exactly what he hadn't wanted to do. Everything he tried to think about came back to Fujin, no matter how hard he tried. With a growl of frustration he swung himself off the bed and stabbed one thick finger at the computer panel to bring it to life. Seifer had taught him how to use the network years back, but Raijin had never seen much reason to put the knowledge to use. Now he immersed himself in the digital chatter of cadets on the message boards, browsed the information site for the upcoming Garden Festival.
Sheer stubbornness kept him at the panel for over an hour. On an impulse he checked the Garden "address book", the cadet-accessible list of assigned rooms, but he didn't see any names he recognized. "Time keeps on sailin'," Uncle Michel used to say, "and it don't wait for no man." Time, it was starting to seem, had almost left Jean-Paul waiting on the dock. Now he was hanging off the stern and trying to pull himself into the boat.
On the dock... Raijin's face nearly split with a grin as he remembered the day, just after the end of the War, when he, Fujin and Seifer had been fishing off the docks in Balamb. Everything was quiet, and then his line had begun to jerk. The fish he'd pulled out of the water was average, as Balamb-fish went, but it had been his catch, and Seifer hadn't caught a thing all day long. One moment he'd been proudly admiring the fish, the next Fujin's boot planted firmly in his rear end and propelled him, his pole and his fish into the water. Raijin didn't remember the comment he'd been about to make; all three of them had been silenced by the graceful passage of Balamb Garden overhead. His fish had somehow slipped the hook, but he hadn't minded. He could have forgiven anything Fujin or Seifer did or said; he still could, probably.
Even with the panel, Raijin eventually found himself back where he started. He could go to the Training Center, but he didn't have a weapon, and if his pants or shirt were torn in a fight he didn't have anything else to wear. He could go to the cafeteria, but he wasn't really hungry. He could go to the Infirmary... No, all he'd do then was stand around and mope. Maybe he could get a walk to Balamb in. Nah...
Well, there was always the lobby.
A peculiar dread snuck out of the shadows of Raijin's mind and curled around his spine. He'd never been good about meeting new people, especially on his own. Which was worse, sitting in this empty room or standing around in the middle of a bunch of people he didn't know and tripping all over himself?
Fujin's voice told him, quite clearly, "Room."
"All right, Fu, I'm goin', I'm goin'," he replied out of habit, levered his bulk out of the chair in front of the panel and strode into the corridor without a second thought. Before he could question what he was doing he emerged from the hall into the lobby, to be greeted by the inquisitive faces of the SeeDs already gathered there. (Oh, boy,) he thought, but it was already too late.
None of the four present challenged Raijin's right to be there. The dormitory was specifically constructed to prevent "wrong turns" by visitors, so it was obvious Raijin belonged. "How ya doin'?" one of the SeeDs, a small black-haired man with a thick Galbadian countryside twang. "Ain't seen ya 'round before, you transfer in?"
"Uh... well..." Raijin began. How would he explain this? "Sorta, yeah."
"Have a seat," invited a boyishly cute redhead, her hair cut into a short fashionable shag atop her head. Raijin hesitated for a moment, then took one of the chairs from the unoccupied square card table, turned it around and sat down. "I'm Amber," the redhead informed him. "This is Jake, Latitia and Shock," she continued, pointing in turn at the man who had first spoken, a pretty dark-chocolate-skinned girl with her ebony hair in tightly-woven beaded braids, and a wild-looking blonde stringbean perched on the back of the couch.
"Name's Herman," the wildman said, "but I only respond to that from the Commander."
"I'm R--"
"STUPID!" Fujin's voice warned him.
"--really glad to meet you guys," Raijin continued, hoping nobody noticed his flub. "Don't know many folks around here, ya know?"
Jake laughed and slapped the arm of his chair. "Well now ya do. Where'd ya come in from?"
This, at least, Raijin could answer truthfully. "Galbadia."
"Ain't that somethin'," Jake replied. "Ya must not a' been there long, I don't remember ya."
"Wasn't there too long." Okay, this was turning in the wrong direction.
"Hey, that's cool. Since the War lotsa SeeDs been bouncin' around. Just had a bunch from here move up to good ol' Trabia."
The instant Jake finished speaking, Shock vaulted off the couch and stuck his hand in Raijin's face. "Yeah, but Balamb Garden's still the best!" Raijin took the other man's hand and was surprised by the pressure he felt in the shake. "If you've never been here before, oh man, you're gonna love it."
"Oh, I was here for a while, back before the War, ya know." Raijin felt a small knot loosening between his shoulders. "Good to be back."
"Welcome home, then," Latitia said. "What's your name?"
Backed into a wall. Raijin cleared his throat nervously. "Um, Jean-Paul."
"Well, Jean-Paul," Shock said as he clamped a hand on Raijin's shoulder, "you're in luck. We, the Fearsome Foursome, just happen to have a position open to take a newly-arrived SeeD transfer under our wing. Stick with us and you can't go wrong."
For a moment Raijin wondered if Shock had heard about Seifer Almasy and his posse. With that kind of statement, the forcefully-extroverted blonde was sounding a lot like Seifer in some of Almasy's more grandstanding moments. "Sounds good."
Latitia flashed a killer grin as she stood from her seat. "Never fear, Shock is here. Unfortunately, ladies, gentlemen... Shock... I have to be on my way. We still on for tomorrow night?"
"'Course we are," Jake told her. "You seriously think any of us would miss it?"
"Didn't think so. See you later, Jean-Paul." The gorgeous dark woman winked at Raijin and sauntered out of the lobby, down the females' wing corridor.
"Oooh," cooed Shock, "I think she likes you."
"Naw, she's jus' bein' friendly," Jake disagreed with a laugh.
The unexpected camaraderie was doing a great job of lifting the dark burden on Raijin's mind. He figured he'd get along with these people really well. The moment that thought crossed his mind, Shock looked over Raijin's head and said, "Hey, Quisty. Come and meet the new guy."
Instructor Quistis Trepe stepped forward with her hand extended, and stopped dead when Raijin turned to look at her, his eyes wide like a cornered animal. "What are you doing here, Raijin?" Quistis breathed.
Silence reigned supreme. Jake and Amber looked at each other and shrugged, having no clue what Quistis was talking about, but Shock backed up two paces. "Whoa. No way," he blurted after several seconds of gawking. "Like, *the* Raijin? As in, Fujin and Raijin, Seifer Almasy's cronies?"
"It... it ain't... like that, ya know?" Raijin fumbled. "Yeah, that's me. Was me. Aw, hell," he cursed, slumping in his chair. Any chance he'd had at making solid friendships had just been blown.
Quistis looked from Shock to Jake and Amber. "Do you mind if I take him outside? I have a few questions for him."
"Lighten up, Trepe," Amber said, her eyes rolling. "He's a nice guy."
Raijin assured the redhead, "No, it's okay. I... got a lot of things to answer for, ya know?" He looked at Quistis, saw the glacial ice in her blue eyes and felt his stomach drop. "Okay."
"Come on," the lanky Instructor said simply. Raijin stood and followed her to the elevator in the females' wing, trailing a few paces behind her the entire way.
(I shoulda known this was too good to be true,) he thought. (It was goin' too easy.) Quistis took up a position in a back corner of the lift, commanding him with her eyes to stand as far away from her as he could. He got out first on the bottom level and waited for her; she stalked out and down the corridor, still not speaking. The cadet at the security desk looked questioningly at Raijin when the Instructor strode past without so much as acknowledging his salute. All the big man could do was shrug helplessly.
Quistis led him to a wide open space along the exterior of the curving inner wall of the dormitory section, then whirled around and skewered him with her gaze. "What," she demanded, her voice all the more threatening because she was nearly murmuring instead of shouting, "is going on here?"
Shock had become fear. Fear was now becoming anger. Raijin scowled at the beautiful blonde and spat, "I don't gotta tell you anything, ya know?"
"What are you doing here?" Quistis repeated, her voice rising.
"Go ask Squall," he told her, and turned to walk away. (I've had enough of this.)
"Dammit, Raijin, answer me!"
Raijin turned his head to look at her. The Instructor's hands were clenched, much like his had been a few hours ago. Something was eating at her, he could tell. "Why you gotta be like this?"
"Remember Lunatic Pandora, Raijin? You broke two of my ribs and probably would have killed me if Squall hadn't stopped you. Not exactly friendly of you."
(Oh... yeah. I guess I... Hey, wait a second!) "Remember Balamb? You wrapped your whip around my neck and hauled me down to the floor. Damn near killed me, ya know?" Wind rustled the bushes nearby. "I know I ain't exactly been your best friend. But you weren't too nice to me."
"I was doing my duty. You turned your back on us, then signed up with the ones we were trying to stop. No matter how hard you try, you can't justify that."
No, he couldn't. She had him there. After all this time he couldn't use his loyalty to Seifer as a defense against what in any country would be treason. But dammit, he would do it all over again. "Sometimes doin' what's right ain't by the book, ya know?"
That caught the Instructor off-guard for a moment, but she was back on the attack before Raijin could say anything more. "Doing what's right? You turned against SeeD and served the Sorceress. How can you call that right?"
"I didn't serve the Sorceress! I was helpin' Seifer!"
Quistis just kept coming like a shark on a blood trail. "Seifer Almasy was the Knight to Sorceress Edea while she was being used by Ultimecia. Her orders came down to you through Seifer. Which means you were serving her. Technically you're still absent without leave, and I could have you arrested this very moment."
"Arrested? Thrown in the stockade?" Raijin glanced around, almost convinced security would be closing in that very second.
"That's right. But I'm not going to."
He stopped hunting the lengthening shadows and looked slowly at the Instructor. "What's the catch?"
"The catch is, you talk to me. If you're here, it means Commander Leonhart let you in. I might not always agree with him but I have to trust his judgement, especially now." Her combative stance relaxed slowly, and the glacial coldness was gone from her eyes. "Xu got a message a little while ago. It upset her a great deal. She muttered something about Fujin and ran off. Xu doesn't get spooked easily. Tell me what's going on."
And here it all came back, like he'd never stopped thinking about it even for a second. Raijin rubbed at his forehead and sighed. Quistis had him beat, but she was willing to deal, so... "Fu's really sick. The medicine I got for her didn't work, and we were broke. I didn't know what to do, ya know? So I called... I called Squall, told him about it. Fu and me, we'd been thinkin' about comin' back anyway, tryin' to make amends. So Squall sent somebody to get us."
"And if whatever it is frightened Xu," Quistis reasoned, "then it must be..." She trailed off, the breeze toying with the long golden locks that framed her delicate face. "All right. If Squall can give you the benefit of the doubt the least I can do is play along."
"I'm scared too. I'm scared real bad."
"I know it must be difficult coming back here, just so that you could get Fujin to Dr. Kadowaki." For a long moment the svelte blonde was silent, and she looked thoughtful. "You know, now that I think about it, the occupation of Balamb during the War was relatively peaceful. I know you and Fujin were in charge of that operation, so I suppose it could be said that you're to thank for the lack of bloodshed."
That was the truth. The occupation of Balamb... Looking for the girl. Ellone. Orders from the top, find the girl and capture her. A lot of the troopers had wanted to simply skewer random townsfolk until one of them talked, but there was no way Raijin would have let that stand. Between him and Fujin they had managed to pound it into the soldiers' heads that the occupation was not to become a bloodbath, troopers and citizens battling each other in the streets in perverse guerilla warfare.
Not like Timber.
"Yeah," Raijin agreed. "Didn't seem right to let 'em just kill people."
"Perhaps in time I could even make myself think that you infiltrated the Galbadian Army on a special SeeD mission." At the beginnings of a smile on Raijin's face, Quistis added forcefully, "In time."
Raijin swallowed down a throat that had gone very, very dry. "All right. Now what?"
"Now," the Instructor told him, "I'm going to go look for Xu and see if I can help her."
"She's probably with the Doc now."
"Probably."
Raijin shook his head sadly, not knowing what to do or say. There was one other thing he wanted to know, though. "I woulda thought you woulda stayed mad. How come you let go so easy?"
Quistis shook her head, sending her bangs waving. "I haven't let go. But as I said, as a SeeD I have to trust my commander's judgement call, so I'm going along with it. I don't quite trust you and I certainly haven't forgiven you, but Squall thinks you're worth the effort. I can be civil."
It sounded fair enough. He held out his hand, which the Instructor took and shook quickly before letting go. One more battle won... and a lot more to come.
Quistis said, "Now that we've got that settled, let's go see if we can get some solid information." With his nod of assent, she led the way to the Infirmary, to get some answers to a mystery that was growing more frightening by the minute.
--------------------
The Infirmary was a place Quistis didn't usually find reason to visit without a great deal of coercion. She was on very good terms with Dr. Kadowaki, but her health was excellent, and her students were, for the most part, careful. Other than regular required physicals, the Instructor had little interaction with the physician. As she stepped through the doorway, however, she was forced to remember that she actively avoided the Infirmary for a quite different reason.
It was unfortunate, really, that the lingering ghost of Raven Argent's presence still drove a wedge between Quistis and Kadowaki's assitant, Dia L'nar. It wasn't anyone's fault, to tell the truth; a simple, unfortunate domino chain of emotional attachments that began with Dia and ended with Quistis had wound up hurting everyone involved.
(No, Quistis, don't start editing your history. You weren't interested in Raven because you thought had a thing for Squall.)
Raven never noticed Dia as more than a friend because his eyes were locked on Quistis... who, in the same vein, never thought of him romantically either. Resentment fermented and concentrated like some mad scientist's experiment on the human heart. Dia gave Quistis the frigid treatment; in the middle of the Ultimecia War, following the battle with Galbadia Garden, Raven quit SeeD and vanished; Quistis was left staring at the empty seat where Raven used to sit when he, Quistis and Xu would get together to play cards and banter, wondering how things might have happened differently.
Time had begun to heal the wounds, but the blonde Instructor didn't feel comfortable around Dia. For her part, the businesslike medical assistant demonstrated no blatant ill-will toward Quistis. (I'm just paranoid. I have to be. It wasn't my fault any more than it was hers.) But Quistis just couldn't shake the guilt.
The first thing she noticed when she entered the Infirmary was how empty it was. The door closed behind Raijin and he said, "Where's Fujin?"
"Not sure." Raising her voice, Quistis called out, "Doctor Kadowaki?" There was no response. The physician was, she assumed, in the lab. She reached over to touch the comm panel on the doctor's desk when footsteps on the polished floor made her look up.
Kadowaki's platinum-blonde assistant looked from Quistis to Raijin more than once. "You're here to see Fujin?"
"Yeah, wanted to find out how she was doin', ya know?" the sun-bronzed man said quietly.
Something was troubling Dia, Quistis could tell that much from the rigid way the woman stood, the way her eyes flicked back and forth between them. (Okay... this has nothing to do with me,) Quistis reasoned. (That's probably not a good sign.)
"Just a moment, please." Dia walked over to the doorway to the decontamination chamber and disappeared inside.
"I'm not likin' this," Raijin muttered.
Quistis shook her head. "Let's not jump to conclusions." (I'm not liking it any more than you.)
Almost immediately, the desk's comm panel came to life. "I'll be right out," the voice of the doctor informed them. True to her word, Kadowaki emerged from the decontamination chamber thirty seconds later. "Just the two people I wanted to see, how fortunate. I haven't seen you for some time, Jean-Paul, how have you been?"
Raijin shrugged. "Been survivin'."
"Not your usual boisterous self, I see. I assure you, we're doing our best for Fujin." Kadowaki smiled in a motherly fashion at the worried man and motioned for him and Quistis to follow her. "Come with me." She led the pair back to the room in which Fujin lay unconscious. The doctor stopped without entering and turned instead to a terminal on the wall. "I've got her in isolation because I have no idea of the severity of what's happening to her. Let me show you what we've found out.
Quistis watched intently as the doctor brought up the recordings she'd made while performing tests on the albino's blood. Kadowaki carefully explained what they were seeing to Raijin, answering his questions calmly and warmly, helping him to understand the highly advanced aspects of what was occuring. Quistis herself was enthralled with a kind of horrid fascination; para-magic was her field of expertise, and whatever was happening to Fujin was striking at the heart of that. (It's just not possible. If Fujin were completely drained of her UPM energy she'd be dead.) "Doctor, could the... entity... somehow be supporting Fujin's life functions in a manner we aren't familiar with?"
"I had the same question. I think, however, that it's somewhat more mundane than that." The Doctor looked to Raijin and said, "How much do you remember about para-magic from your classes?"
Raijin's dark brows furrowed. "I remember learnin' about spells and how to Junction. I remember learnin' that para-magic energy is in everything, especially plants and animals and people."
The doctor nodded her graying head. "That's right. All of us standing here, Fujin lying there, the trees and grass outside, have para-magical energy in varying strengths. It's not just part of life, it's part of existing. We have stronger energy because we're alive."
"Yeah, that's how it went."
"So what do you think would happen if we drained all the para-magic from a living thing? Just sucked it all away?"
"It... It would die."
Again the doctor nodded. "And Fujin is still alive."
"So she has to have somethin' left. But what you just showed us said she didn't have anything. So..." Quistis was impressed by Raijin's reasoning when he continued, "So maybe she's got some but not enough for your machines to pick up?"
"Precisely," Kadowaki said with a beaming smile. "I've sent several samples of Fujin's blood and a full report on my own findings and experiments to Anson Benedict at the Hyne's Grace hospital in Esthar. Dr. Benedict should be able to detect UPM fluctuation several orders of magnitude smaller than I can with his equipment. If we're burning with para-magic like the sun," she said to Raijin, "Fujin might only be a candle right now. But her fire is still there. Dr. Benedict will see it."
The big man slowly leaned his forehead against the transparency through which he could see his adopted sister. "Can ya let me in, Doc? Please?" Quistis felt a twinge in her heart at the plaintive tone of Raijin's voice. (Maybe I was too hard on him?)
"Not right now. We're not certain just how contagious this entity is. I know you were exposed to it before, but it might not jump from host to host unless its 'food supply' runs very low. You can help me help her, though."
"How?"
"Come talk with me," the doctor told him, placing a gentle, reassuring hand on Raijin's arm. "Tell me about what was happening, where you were. You could very well hold a vital clue to ensuring Fujin's recovery."
"Yeah... Yeah, I can do that."
Kadowaki turned then to Quistis. "In-depth knowledge of para-magic will be vital to our efforts."
Quistis nodded. Not only was it her duty as a SeeD, it was her responsibility as an expert in the field and her nature as a human being. "I'll do anything and everything I can."
"I wouldn't ordinarily ask this, but could you ask for a substitute to take over your classes at least for tomorrow?" Kadowaki inquired. "This won't be an overnight effort, I fear."
The Instructor nodded her assent. "I think I'll be able to swing it, this is important."
"Thank you. While I'm talking with Jean-Paul you should probably join Dia in the lab. We've got a few things left to try while we're waiting on the results from Dr. Benedict, and the sooner we get started, the better," Kadowaki told her.
(Professionalism, Quistis.) "I'll call for the sub and get right on it." Perhaps with something to focus her mind on, she wouldn't be so busy feeling like she and Dia were destined for a screaming match that would bring down the Garden. She took another look at Raijin's face, his desperate worry written so large in his eyes, and sighed. (Damn.) "Raijin?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm sorry about... earlier." It wasn't easy, but the subtle change in Raijin's expression told Quistis the admission was worth it.
"Thanks..." He turned back to look at Fujin again. "Sorry, Fu," Quistis heard him whisper. "I'm tryin'."
It was just possible, the blonde Instructor thought as she turned away and began walking back to Kadowaki's desk to call in for a substitute, that she had badly misjudged Jeal-Paul LaFleur because she was looking at him in entirely the wrong light. Especially after the twin debacles with Raven Argent and Squall Leonhart, Quistis led with her mind, thinking her way through everything. Raijin led with his heart first and foremost. From a logical standpoint he was at best a dupe and at worst a traitor. From an emotional one, though, he was a big-hearted man who would do anything for the people he loved.
(Maybe he just needs a gentle steer once in a while to help keep him on track.) She brushed at an irritating tickle on her face and blinked in surprise when her fingertip came away damp. (And just maybe I don't need a heart transplant after all.)
Other concerns re-entered her mind as she sat in Kadowaki's chair and dialed for the staff office. Xu was the Staff Director for Balamb Garden, and had gone running out of the room the moment she'd heard about Fujin. Had she already been here and learned of her sister's condition? Was she off somewhere in the Garden or out on the Alcauld Plains, alone and hurting? Response from the office cut off Quistis's dark musings. "Garden Staff Office, this is Trent." Trent Sothersby, Xu's assistant, was apparently in control of things for the time being.
"Trent, it's Quistis. A couple things -- have you heard from Xu?"
"Yeah, just a few minutes ago," he told her. "She's gonna take a few days off, so I'm in charge for the moment."
"Do you know where she is now?"
Trent "hmmed" for a second as he thought. "She's in her quarters. According to a buddy of mine in C-and-C, she asked for a communications connection to Tai Shan a little bit ago, so they're working on that. Figures she would pick the one place on the planet we don't have direct access to. She sounded really exhausted, though. You have any idea what's going on?"
"No," Quistis lied. It would be better if this didn't get out immediately, at least here at the Garden. Doubtless Xu was calling home to tell her family what was happening. "The other thing is, I need you to line up a sub for me for tomorrow, it's really important."
"Short notice," said Trent. "It's really difficult to line up a substitute for our best para-magical Instructor so fast."
"I know," she agreed, "but it's sort of an emergency. I can't explain right now. Please?"
"I dunno, I may have to clear it with Squall or the Headmaster..."
"Trent!"
Trent laughed brightly at her exasperation. "Hey, easy, just jerking your chain. I'm all over it. You have fun, now."
If Trent Sothersby weren't such a good guy Quistis would probably have clocked him a good one on several occasions for his antics. "Thank you, Trent."
"Sure thing. Maybe you can pay back the favor by going out with me next Friday night?"
"Good-bye, Trent." Quistis broke the connection with a smirk. (Nice to know some things in this changing world are staying the same. That's only the forty-sixth time he's asked me out. Maybe I should say "yes" some day.)
She turned around in startlement as Dia spoke behind her. "He's quite a character, isn't he." When Quistis nodded mutely she continued, "The doctor asked you to help?"
"Yes. This is my field, so I hope I have something to offer."
"I do too," Dia said, shocking the Instructor even further. "This one is dangerous. I don't like it at all. Come on, I'll fill you in while we start working."
by Corvus
PART THREE
The room was just too empty. Raijin lay on his new bed and stared at the ceiling, trying his best not to think. Things just didn't feel right, not without the sensation of Fujin's presence. Not without her quiet breathing, or her jacket hanging limply from the chair. He didn't mind so much that there were no possessions of his individualizing the space. It didn't feel like home because his sister was missing.
This was exactly what he hadn't wanted to do. Everything he tried to think about came back to Fujin, no matter how hard he tried. With a growl of frustration he swung himself off the bed and stabbed one thick finger at the computer panel to bring it to life. Seifer had taught him how to use the network years back, but Raijin had never seen much reason to put the knowledge to use. Now he immersed himself in the digital chatter of cadets on the message boards, browsed the information site for the upcoming Garden Festival.
Sheer stubbornness kept him at the panel for over an hour. On an impulse he checked the Garden "address book", the cadet-accessible list of assigned rooms, but he didn't see any names he recognized. "Time keeps on sailin'," Uncle Michel used to say, "and it don't wait for no man." Time, it was starting to seem, had almost left Jean-Paul waiting on the dock. Now he was hanging off the stern and trying to pull himself into the boat.
On the dock... Raijin's face nearly split with a grin as he remembered the day, just after the end of the War, when he, Fujin and Seifer had been fishing off the docks in Balamb. Everything was quiet, and then his line had begun to jerk. The fish he'd pulled out of the water was average, as Balamb-fish went, but it had been his catch, and Seifer hadn't caught a thing all day long. One moment he'd been proudly admiring the fish, the next Fujin's boot planted firmly in his rear end and propelled him, his pole and his fish into the water. Raijin didn't remember the comment he'd been about to make; all three of them had been silenced by the graceful passage of Balamb Garden overhead. His fish had somehow slipped the hook, but he hadn't minded. He could have forgiven anything Fujin or Seifer did or said; he still could, probably.
Even with the panel, Raijin eventually found himself back where he started. He could go to the Training Center, but he didn't have a weapon, and if his pants or shirt were torn in a fight he didn't have anything else to wear. He could go to the cafeteria, but he wasn't really hungry. He could go to the Infirmary... No, all he'd do then was stand around and mope. Maybe he could get a walk to Balamb in. Nah...
Well, there was always the lobby.
A peculiar dread snuck out of the shadows of Raijin's mind and curled around his spine. He'd never been good about meeting new people, especially on his own. Which was worse, sitting in this empty room or standing around in the middle of a bunch of people he didn't know and tripping all over himself?
Fujin's voice told him, quite clearly, "Room."
"All right, Fu, I'm goin', I'm goin'," he replied out of habit, levered his bulk out of the chair in front of the panel and strode into the corridor without a second thought. Before he could question what he was doing he emerged from the hall into the lobby, to be greeted by the inquisitive faces of the SeeDs already gathered there. (Oh, boy,) he thought, but it was already too late.
None of the four present challenged Raijin's right to be there. The dormitory was specifically constructed to prevent "wrong turns" by visitors, so it was obvious Raijin belonged. "How ya doin'?" one of the SeeDs, a small black-haired man with a thick Galbadian countryside twang. "Ain't seen ya 'round before, you transfer in?"
"Uh... well..." Raijin began. How would he explain this? "Sorta, yeah."
"Have a seat," invited a boyishly cute redhead, her hair cut into a short fashionable shag atop her head. Raijin hesitated for a moment, then took one of the chairs from the unoccupied square card table, turned it around and sat down. "I'm Amber," the redhead informed him. "This is Jake, Latitia and Shock," she continued, pointing in turn at the man who had first spoken, a pretty dark-chocolate-skinned girl with her ebony hair in tightly-woven beaded braids, and a wild-looking blonde stringbean perched on the back of the couch.
"Name's Herman," the wildman said, "but I only respond to that from the Commander."
"I'm R--"
"STUPID!" Fujin's voice warned him.
"--really glad to meet you guys," Raijin continued, hoping nobody noticed his flub. "Don't know many folks around here, ya know?"
Jake laughed and slapped the arm of his chair. "Well now ya do. Where'd ya come in from?"
This, at least, Raijin could answer truthfully. "Galbadia."
"Ain't that somethin'," Jake replied. "Ya must not a' been there long, I don't remember ya."
"Wasn't there too long." Okay, this was turning in the wrong direction.
"Hey, that's cool. Since the War lotsa SeeDs been bouncin' around. Just had a bunch from here move up to good ol' Trabia."
The instant Jake finished speaking, Shock vaulted off the couch and stuck his hand in Raijin's face. "Yeah, but Balamb Garden's still the best!" Raijin took the other man's hand and was surprised by the pressure he felt in the shake. "If you've never been here before, oh man, you're gonna love it."
"Oh, I was here for a while, back before the War, ya know." Raijin felt a small knot loosening between his shoulders. "Good to be back."
"Welcome home, then," Latitia said. "What's your name?"
Backed into a wall. Raijin cleared his throat nervously. "Um, Jean-Paul."
"Well, Jean-Paul," Shock said as he clamped a hand on Raijin's shoulder, "you're in luck. We, the Fearsome Foursome, just happen to have a position open to take a newly-arrived SeeD transfer under our wing. Stick with us and you can't go wrong."
For a moment Raijin wondered if Shock had heard about Seifer Almasy and his posse. With that kind of statement, the forcefully-extroverted blonde was sounding a lot like Seifer in some of Almasy's more grandstanding moments. "Sounds good."
Latitia flashed a killer grin as she stood from her seat. "Never fear, Shock is here. Unfortunately, ladies, gentlemen... Shock... I have to be on my way. We still on for tomorrow night?"
"'Course we are," Jake told her. "You seriously think any of us would miss it?"
"Didn't think so. See you later, Jean-Paul." The gorgeous dark woman winked at Raijin and sauntered out of the lobby, down the females' wing corridor.
"Oooh," cooed Shock, "I think she likes you."
"Naw, she's jus' bein' friendly," Jake disagreed with a laugh.
The unexpected camaraderie was doing a great job of lifting the dark burden on Raijin's mind. He figured he'd get along with these people really well. The moment that thought crossed his mind, Shock looked over Raijin's head and said, "Hey, Quisty. Come and meet the new guy."
Instructor Quistis Trepe stepped forward with her hand extended, and stopped dead when Raijin turned to look at her, his eyes wide like a cornered animal. "What are you doing here, Raijin?" Quistis breathed.
Silence reigned supreme. Jake and Amber looked at each other and shrugged, having no clue what Quistis was talking about, but Shock backed up two paces. "Whoa. No way," he blurted after several seconds of gawking. "Like, *the* Raijin? As in, Fujin and Raijin, Seifer Almasy's cronies?"
"It... it ain't... like that, ya know?" Raijin fumbled. "Yeah, that's me. Was me. Aw, hell," he cursed, slumping in his chair. Any chance he'd had at making solid friendships had just been blown.
Quistis looked from Shock to Jake and Amber. "Do you mind if I take him outside? I have a few questions for him."
"Lighten up, Trepe," Amber said, her eyes rolling. "He's a nice guy."
Raijin assured the redhead, "No, it's okay. I... got a lot of things to answer for, ya know?" He looked at Quistis, saw the glacial ice in her blue eyes and felt his stomach drop. "Okay."
"Come on," the lanky Instructor said simply. Raijin stood and followed her to the elevator in the females' wing, trailing a few paces behind her the entire way.
(I shoulda known this was too good to be true,) he thought. (It was goin' too easy.) Quistis took up a position in a back corner of the lift, commanding him with her eyes to stand as far away from her as he could. He got out first on the bottom level and waited for her; she stalked out and down the corridor, still not speaking. The cadet at the security desk looked questioningly at Raijin when the Instructor strode past without so much as acknowledging his salute. All the big man could do was shrug helplessly.
Quistis led him to a wide open space along the exterior of the curving inner wall of the dormitory section, then whirled around and skewered him with her gaze. "What," she demanded, her voice all the more threatening because she was nearly murmuring instead of shouting, "is going on here?"
Shock had become fear. Fear was now becoming anger. Raijin scowled at the beautiful blonde and spat, "I don't gotta tell you anything, ya know?"
"What are you doing here?" Quistis repeated, her voice rising.
"Go ask Squall," he told her, and turned to walk away. (I've had enough of this.)
"Dammit, Raijin, answer me!"
Raijin turned his head to look at her. The Instructor's hands were clenched, much like his had been a few hours ago. Something was eating at her, he could tell. "Why you gotta be like this?"
"Remember Lunatic Pandora, Raijin? You broke two of my ribs and probably would have killed me if Squall hadn't stopped you. Not exactly friendly of you."
(Oh... yeah. I guess I... Hey, wait a second!) "Remember Balamb? You wrapped your whip around my neck and hauled me down to the floor. Damn near killed me, ya know?" Wind rustled the bushes nearby. "I know I ain't exactly been your best friend. But you weren't too nice to me."
"I was doing my duty. You turned your back on us, then signed up with the ones we were trying to stop. No matter how hard you try, you can't justify that."
No, he couldn't. She had him there. After all this time he couldn't use his loyalty to Seifer as a defense against what in any country would be treason. But dammit, he would do it all over again. "Sometimes doin' what's right ain't by the book, ya know?"
That caught the Instructor off-guard for a moment, but she was back on the attack before Raijin could say anything more. "Doing what's right? You turned against SeeD and served the Sorceress. How can you call that right?"
"I didn't serve the Sorceress! I was helpin' Seifer!"
Quistis just kept coming like a shark on a blood trail. "Seifer Almasy was the Knight to Sorceress Edea while she was being used by Ultimecia. Her orders came down to you through Seifer. Which means you were serving her. Technically you're still absent without leave, and I could have you arrested this very moment."
"Arrested? Thrown in the stockade?" Raijin glanced around, almost convinced security would be closing in that very second.
"That's right. But I'm not going to."
He stopped hunting the lengthening shadows and looked slowly at the Instructor. "What's the catch?"
"The catch is, you talk to me. If you're here, it means Commander Leonhart let you in. I might not always agree with him but I have to trust his judgement, especially now." Her combative stance relaxed slowly, and the glacial coldness was gone from her eyes. "Xu got a message a little while ago. It upset her a great deal. She muttered something about Fujin and ran off. Xu doesn't get spooked easily. Tell me what's going on."
And here it all came back, like he'd never stopped thinking about it even for a second. Raijin rubbed at his forehead and sighed. Quistis had him beat, but she was willing to deal, so... "Fu's really sick. The medicine I got for her didn't work, and we were broke. I didn't know what to do, ya know? So I called... I called Squall, told him about it. Fu and me, we'd been thinkin' about comin' back anyway, tryin' to make amends. So Squall sent somebody to get us."
"And if whatever it is frightened Xu," Quistis reasoned, "then it must be..." She trailed off, the breeze toying with the long golden locks that framed her delicate face. "All right. If Squall can give you the benefit of the doubt the least I can do is play along."
"I'm scared too. I'm scared real bad."
"I know it must be difficult coming back here, just so that you could get Fujin to Dr. Kadowaki." For a long moment the svelte blonde was silent, and she looked thoughtful. "You know, now that I think about it, the occupation of Balamb during the War was relatively peaceful. I know you and Fujin were in charge of that operation, so I suppose it could be said that you're to thank for the lack of bloodshed."
That was the truth. The occupation of Balamb... Looking for the girl. Ellone. Orders from the top, find the girl and capture her. A lot of the troopers had wanted to simply skewer random townsfolk until one of them talked, but there was no way Raijin would have let that stand. Between him and Fujin they had managed to pound it into the soldiers' heads that the occupation was not to become a bloodbath, troopers and citizens battling each other in the streets in perverse guerilla warfare.
Not like Timber.
"Yeah," Raijin agreed. "Didn't seem right to let 'em just kill people."
"Perhaps in time I could even make myself think that you infiltrated the Galbadian Army on a special SeeD mission." At the beginnings of a smile on Raijin's face, Quistis added forcefully, "In time."
Raijin swallowed down a throat that had gone very, very dry. "All right. Now what?"
"Now," the Instructor told him, "I'm going to go look for Xu and see if I can help her."
"She's probably with the Doc now."
"Probably."
Raijin shook his head sadly, not knowing what to do or say. There was one other thing he wanted to know, though. "I woulda thought you woulda stayed mad. How come you let go so easy?"
Quistis shook her head, sending her bangs waving. "I haven't let go. But as I said, as a SeeD I have to trust my commander's judgement call, so I'm going along with it. I don't quite trust you and I certainly haven't forgiven you, but Squall thinks you're worth the effort. I can be civil."
It sounded fair enough. He held out his hand, which the Instructor took and shook quickly before letting go. One more battle won... and a lot more to come.
Quistis said, "Now that we've got that settled, let's go see if we can get some solid information." With his nod of assent, she led the way to the Infirmary, to get some answers to a mystery that was growing more frightening by the minute.
--------------------
The Infirmary was a place Quistis didn't usually find reason to visit without a great deal of coercion. She was on very good terms with Dr. Kadowaki, but her health was excellent, and her students were, for the most part, careful. Other than regular required physicals, the Instructor had little interaction with the physician. As she stepped through the doorway, however, she was forced to remember that she actively avoided the Infirmary for a quite different reason.
It was unfortunate, really, that the lingering ghost of Raven Argent's presence still drove a wedge between Quistis and Kadowaki's assitant, Dia L'nar. It wasn't anyone's fault, to tell the truth; a simple, unfortunate domino chain of emotional attachments that began with Dia and ended with Quistis had wound up hurting everyone involved.
(No, Quistis, don't start editing your history. You weren't interested in Raven because you thought had a thing for Squall.)
Raven never noticed Dia as more than a friend because his eyes were locked on Quistis... who, in the same vein, never thought of him romantically either. Resentment fermented and concentrated like some mad scientist's experiment on the human heart. Dia gave Quistis the frigid treatment; in the middle of the Ultimecia War, following the battle with Galbadia Garden, Raven quit SeeD and vanished; Quistis was left staring at the empty seat where Raven used to sit when he, Quistis and Xu would get together to play cards and banter, wondering how things might have happened differently.
Time had begun to heal the wounds, but the blonde Instructor didn't feel comfortable around Dia. For her part, the businesslike medical assistant demonstrated no blatant ill-will toward Quistis. (I'm just paranoid. I have to be. It wasn't my fault any more than it was hers.) But Quistis just couldn't shake the guilt.
The first thing she noticed when she entered the Infirmary was how empty it was. The door closed behind Raijin and he said, "Where's Fujin?"
"Not sure." Raising her voice, Quistis called out, "Doctor Kadowaki?" There was no response. The physician was, she assumed, in the lab. She reached over to touch the comm panel on the doctor's desk when footsteps on the polished floor made her look up.
Kadowaki's platinum-blonde assistant looked from Quistis to Raijin more than once. "You're here to see Fujin?"
"Yeah, wanted to find out how she was doin', ya know?" the sun-bronzed man said quietly.
Something was troubling Dia, Quistis could tell that much from the rigid way the woman stood, the way her eyes flicked back and forth between them. (Okay... this has nothing to do with me,) Quistis reasoned. (That's probably not a good sign.)
"Just a moment, please." Dia walked over to the doorway to the decontamination chamber and disappeared inside.
"I'm not likin' this," Raijin muttered.
Quistis shook her head. "Let's not jump to conclusions." (I'm not liking it any more than you.)
Almost immediately, the desk's comm panel came to life. "I'll be right out," the voice of the doctor informed them. True to her word, Kadowaki emerged from the decontamination chamber thirty seconds later. "Just the two people I wanted to see, how fortunate. I haven't seen you for some time, Jean-Paul, how have you been?"
Raijin shrugged. "Been survivin'."
"Not your usual boisterous self, I see. I assure you, we're doing our best for Fujin." Kadowaki smiled in a motherly fashion at the worried man and motioned for him and Quistis to follow her. "Come with me." She led the pair back to the room in which Fujin lay unconscious. The doctor stopped without entering and turned instead to a terminal on the wall. "I've got her in isolation because I have no idea of the severity of what's happening to her. Let me show you what we've found out.
Quistis watched intently as the doctor brought up the recordings she'd made while performing tests on the albino's blood. Kadowaki carefully explained what they were seeing to Raijin, answering his questions calmly and warmly, helping him to understand the highly advanced aspects of what was occuring. Quistis herself was enthralled with a kind of horrid fascination; para-magic was her field of expertise, and whatever was happening to Fujin was striking at the heart of that. (It's just not possible. If Fujin were completely drained of her UPM energy she'd be dead.) "Doctor, could the... entity... somehow be supporting Fujin's life functions in a manner we aren't familiar with?"
"I had the same question. I think, however, that it's somewhat more mundane than that." The Doctor looked to Raijin and said, "How much do you remember about para-magic from your classes?"
Raijin's dark brows furrowed. "I remember learnin' about spells and how to Junction. I remember learnin' that para-magic energy is in everything, especially plants and animals and people."
The doctor nodded her graying head. "That's right. All of us standing here, Fujin lying there, the trees and grass outside, have para-magical energy in varying strengths. It's not just part of life, it's part of existing. We have stronger energy because we're alive."
"Yeah, that's how it went."
"So what do you think would happen if we drained all the para-magic from a living thing? Just sucked it all away?"
"It... It would die."
Again the doctor nodded. "And Fujin is still alive."
"So she has to have somethin' left. But what you just showed us said she didn't have anything. So..." Quistis was impressed by Raijin's reasoning when he continued, "So maybe she's got some but not enough for your machines to pick up?"
"Precisely," Kadowaki said with a beaming smile. "I've sent several samples of Fujin's blood and a full report on my own findings and experiments to Anson Benedict at the Hyne's Grace hospital in Esthar. Dr. Benedict should be able to detect UPM fluctuation several orders of magnitude smaller than I can with his equipment. If we're burning with para-magic like the sun," she said to Raijin, "Fujin might only be a candle right now. But her fire is still there. Dr. Benedict will see it."
The big man slowly leaned his forehead against the transparency through which he could see his adopted sister. "Can ya let me in, Doc? Please?" Quistis felt a twinge in her heart at the plaintive tone of Raijin's voice. (Maybe I was too hard on him?)
"Not right now. We're not certain just how contagious this entity is. I know you were exposed to it before, but it might not jump from host to host unless its 'food supply' runs very low. You can help me help her, though."
"How?"
"Come talk with me," the doctor told him, placing a gentle, reassuring hand on Raijin's arm. "Tell me about what was happening, where you were. You could very well hold a vital clue to ensuring Fujin's recovery."
"Yeah... Yeah, I can do that."
Kadowaki turned then to Quistis. "In-depth knowledge of para-magic will be vital to our efforts."
Quistis nodded. Not only was it her duty as a SeeD, it was her responsibility as an expert in the field and her nature as a human being. "I'll do anything and everything I can."
"I wouldn't ordinarily ask this, but could you ask for a substitute to take over your classes at least for tomorrow?" Kadowaki inquired. "This won't be an overnight effort, I fear."
The Instructor nodded her assent. "I think I'll be able to swing it, this is important."
"Thank you. While I'm talking with Jean-Paul you should probably join Dia in the lab. We've got a few things left to try while we're waiting on the results from Dr. Benedict, and the sooner we get started, the better," Kadowaki told her.
(Professionalism, Quistis.) "I'll call for the sub and get right on it." Perhaps with something to focus her mind on, she wouldn't be so busy feeling like she and Dia were destined for a screaming match that would bring down the Garden. She took another look at Raijin's face, his desperate worry written so large in his eyes, and sighed. (Damn.) "Raijin?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm sorry about... earlier." It wasn't easy, but the subtle change in Raijin's expression told Quistis the admission was worth it.
"Thanks..." He turned back to look at Fujin again. "Sorry, Fu," Quistis heard him whisper. "I'm tryin'."
It was just possible, the blonde Instructor thought as she turned away and began walking back to Kadowaki's desk to call in for a substitute, that she had badly misjudged Jeal-Paul LaFleur because she was looking at him in entirely the wrong light. Especially after the twin debacles with Raven Argent and Squall Leonhart, Quistis led with her mind, thinking her way through everything. Raijin led with his heart first and foremost. From a logical standpoint he was at best a dupe and at worst a traitor. From an emotional one, though, he was a big-hearted man who would do anything for the people he loved.
(Maybe he just needs a gentle steer once in a while to help keep him on track.) She brushed at an irritating tickle on her face and blinked in surprise when her fingertip came away damp. (And just maybe I don't need a heart transplant after all.)
Other concerns re-entered her mind as she sat in Kadowaki's chair and dialed for the staff office. Xu was the Staff Director for Balamb Garden, and had gone running out of the room the moment she'd heard about Fujin. Had she already been here and learned of her sister's condition? Was she off somewhere in the Garden or out on the Alcauld Plains, alone and hurting? Response from the office cut off Quistis's dark musings. "Garden Staff Office, this is Trent." Trent Sothersby, Xu's assistant, was apparently in control of things for the time being.
"Trent, it's Quistis. A couple things -- have you heard from Xu?"
"Yeah, just a few minutes ago," he told her. "She's gonna take a few days off, so I'm in charge for the moment."
"Do you know where she is now?"
Trent "hmmed" for a second as he thought. "She's in her quarters. According to a buddy of mine in C-and-C, she asked for a communications connection to Tai Shan a little bit ago, so they're working on that. Figures she would pick the one place on the planet we don't have direct access to. She sounded really exhausted, though. You have any idea what's going on?"
"No," Quistis lied. It would be better if this didn't get out immediately, at least here at the Garden. Doubtless Xu was calling home to tell her family what was happening. "The other thing is, I need you to line up a sub for me for tomorrow, it's really important."
"Short notice," said Trent. "It's really difficult to line up a substitute for our best para-magical Instructor so fast."
"I know," she agreed, "but it's sort of an emergency. I can't explain right now. Please?"
"I dunno, I may have to clear it with Squall or the Headmaster..."
"Trent!"
Trent laughed brightly at her exasperation. "Hey, easy, just jerking your chain. I'm all over it. You have fun, now."
If Trent Sothersby weren't such a good guy Quistis would probably have clocked him a good one on several occasions for his antics. "Thank you, Trent."
"Sure thing. Maybe you can pay back the favor by going out with me next Friday night?"
"Good-bye, Trent." Quistis broke the connection with a smirk. (Nice to know some things in this changing world are staying the same. That's only the forty-sixth time he's asked me out. Maybe I should say "yes" some day.)
She turned around in startlement as Dia spoke behind her. "He's quite a character, isn't he." When Quistis nodded mutely she continued, "The doctor asked you to help?"
"Yes. This is my field, so I hope I have something to offer."
"I do too," Dia said, shocking the Instructor even further. "This one is dangerous. I don't like it at all. Come on, I'll fill you in while we start working."