The Platinum and the Wolf

Ch.4

Nightmares



Disclaimer: You all know the drill, I don't own anything that's related to Squaresoft, including finalfantasy8 and all characters within. The new character, Josh, is mine, so is the GF Lunos



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Fujin and Josh had danced three slow songs, and a Waltz, before the Float spells began to wear off. Josh began to walk towards a set of seats to rest. "Come on, lets have a seat."

Fujin looked hurt by his idea. "NO WANT DANCE?" Josh looked at Fujin's face and saw the problem instantly. Fujin was still self- conscience about her eye patch. Josh wanted to kick himself when he saw that he might have hurt her.

"I'd love to keep dancing," He whispered in her ear, "But I think that we need to leave the other couples a shred of dignity, don't you?" Fujin looked around at the other couples, and saw that they were stealing jealous glances at her and Josh. She smiled at this, and allowed herself to be taken over to the chair and waited while Josh got some drinks. She realized that even now that she was alone, she was the object of many a jealous look.

She tried to figure out why they were staring. she figured the men, were looking her down in her new SeeD uniform, and the women, were jealous of her for having a boyfriend who could literally sweep her off her feet. Wha?...Had she just thought......of Josh as...........a boyfriend? She felt herself beginning to blush at that thought. She couldn't have him comeback and see her in deep crimson. She got up and started to rush out. She bumped into a male SeeD, who was carrying two drinks in his hands, she accidentally caused him to spill it all over his uniform, but she didn't stop, couldn't stop, wouldn't stop. She refused to make a fool of herself by letting Josh see her blushing like a little school girl.

She ran to her room, locked the door, and jumped onto one of the beds crying. She had just run out on someone she truly cared for, and who might have been able to find it in their heart to love a cyclopic monster like her, but not now. She had realized her mistake, half way to the dorms. but she couldn't go back and act like nothing happened.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~SeeD Ball~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Josh had been carrying back two glasses of fruit punch, Fujin's favorite. A blur of silver hit him, causing him to spill both drinks on his uniform. he lost his balance, and tumbled on top of Squall and Rinoa. Rinoa had recognized him right away, and began drilling him about why he was letting 'poor Fujin' sit all alone by herself. Squall got mad, because he had ben about to make a move on Rinoa, and try to steal a kiss.

Josh tried to say that he would explain later, but Squall was to angry. First, made it clear that he didn't want to be around anyone by leaving at breakfast. Then he had insulted Rinoa in front of himself and the Headmaster. Now he had interrupted a dance that Squall was actually enjoying. Too much was too much, Squall launched a left hook that hit Josh just above his left jaw. Josh was close to losing his temper, at being attacked for no reason apparent to him. He tried to tell Squall to be reasonable, but Squall was infuriated at him, and wouldn't listen or reply.

When Rinoa tried to stop Squall, he pushed her away, a little to hard, Squall sent Rinoa into a table, spilling red punch all over her silver evening gown. Squall took one look at Rinoa's dress, the hurt in her face, and turned to Josh. "Look what YOU made me do." Squall threw another punch, and blood flew as it collided with Josh's nose.

That was too far. Josh lost control over his temper. "Pain." Josh released his magic to make sure that Squall wouldn't try to use a GF and wind up destroying Garden. Squall had forgotten to junction his status guards, and was now unable to do anything but attack. "Meltdown." Josh sent a tide of energy ripping through the gunblader's body. "Surrender, and I'll walk away Squall." Josh said, hoping in vain that he wouldn't have to do this. Everyone had cleared back, Seifer and Quistis were helping Rinoa to move, being pushed down had knocked the wind out of her. Squall's locked up fury for so many years was still in control. He rushed forward, pulled his gunblade out from his belt, and tried to initiate a Renzokuken. Josh was ahead of him, and dodged most of the attacks.

He thought it would end there, be cause no one had told him, about the additional moves Squall could do. No one had mentioned that Seifer had been marked by the Rough Divide, and no one told him that he could do what he did. Squall jumped into the air, and whirled around. The Fated Circle attack hit Josh dead on. The flames leaped up, and almost caused Josh to pass out. He looked at Squall, hated crossing his face.

Josh put a hand to his forehead, concentrated, and then, shot his hand forward, initiating an attack that in Squalls present state he couldn't stop. "Ultima." Josh and the ball room disappeared. Squall felt the pain start, as the green fireball exploded and consumed him. When the attack finished, Squall was nearly dead.

"I give up!" Squall said weakly. "You win!" Josh walked over to Squall, and everyone tensed, as josh reached into his pocket. He picked Squall up, and threw something up into the air. The Mega-lixer took effect, and healed both warriors. "Thanks," Squall said, "I'm sorry for exploding like that, it's just......."

Josh stopped him, "I know, no need for an explanation, just do us all a favor, and take a vacation, you need one." Josh turned, and ran in the direction Fujin had gone.



~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*The next day~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Fujin woke up in a strange bed. This wasn't hers, she looked up, saw the vest hanging from over a chair, and knew, she had slept in Josh's bed, cried on Josh's bed. She got up to look around. the night came back to her, the dance, the fears, the running. She wondered if Josh would ever forgive her. She walked out, and saw that her bed was down, and that there was someone under the covers. She saw Quistis' head on the pillow, and stepped back.

"Seifer brought her back here," Fujin turned around to see Josh, still in uniform, laying on the couch, had he slept there? no pillow, no sheet, no blanket.......because of her? "She was to drunk to be left alone. I'd suggest we get changed and leave before she wakes up, I don't want to be around." Josh stood up, the sleep marks on his face showed Fujin that he had slept there, but she also noticed his swollen cheek, and the dried blood under his nose.

Josh realized what she was looking at. "Squall and I got into a fight after you knocked me on top of him." Fujin noticed the stains on his uniform, and realized that he was the person she had run into. "Mega- lixers won't cure bruises that are already forming."

Fujin grabbed Josh's hand, and pulled him into the bedroom where they could turn on a light and she could clean him up. She owed him that much. "Before you start fussing over me, I believe I have a promise to keep."

Fujin realized what he meant, and started to take his jacket off him. "BREAKFAST. YESTERDAY. WHY."

"This goes further back then breakfast." Josh reached over to his vest, and pulled out a picture of him and a dark-haired woman. "That, is my Ex-girlfriend. Remind you of someone?"

Fujin looked at the picture. The woman had slightly darker hair, and green eyes, but the resemblance was uncanny. "RINOA."

"Close, her name was Raven. We dated for twenty-seven months. I was about to propose, I went downstairs to get the ring, she was waiting in my room, picking out what she thought would go with her outfit. I was going back upstairs, when the phone rang. I talked for a few minutes. This family wasn't mine, I was adopted when I was 5. I took a message for Ron, my adoptive father. I went upstairs, eager to ask her that life-altering question. I went into my room, and looked for her, the outfit was laid out, but she wasn't there." Josh stopped there.

Fujin had gotten his jacket clean, using cleansing wipes, and was working on his shirt. She heard him stop, and look at him. She saw the doubt in his eyes, and gave him a light kiss, on the left side of his face of course. She looked at the picture. He had thought about proposing, but he wasn't married.. something had to have happened. Seeing Rinoa would have brought back the memories of whatever happened. That would have been enough, but he had more to tell, and she would let him. He needed to tell someone, and it looked like she was that someone.

"I heard her talking, and walked down the hallway. I saw that my adoptive brother's door was open, and her voice was coming from in there. I opened the door, and saw her.......and him..........Naked, and sweating. It was clear that they had been having sex. I just told her that it was over. He grabbed her roughly, kissed her and said, 'Good, more for me.' She slapped him, told him that this had been a mistake, and tried to kiss me. I backed away, told her that I would never forgive her, and tole her that we were through. My brother tried to kiss her, she kicked him, and told him to leave her alone. George, my adoptive brother, has never been one to handle rejection well. I heard her scream, ran back, and saw him slice her throat open with his dagger. I still see her, and the dagger in my nightmares." Josh looked at Fujin, ashamed.

"Fujin, if I had only forgiven her, said it would be alright, she would be alive. It's my fault she died. I still don't know how I got out of the house alive. I didn't get out unharmed though." He pointed to his back. Fujin looked and gasped at the scar running across his back. His brother had cut him as he ran. "It's my fault Fujin...it's all my fault. She wouldn't have died if it weren't for me. That's why I can't be around Rinoa......seeing her reminds me of what a failure I am."

"Your not a failure." Seifer's voice made both Fujin and Josh jump. "You survived. Most men at this Garden would be dead from heartbreak or suicide. 25 months, and she goes and cheats on you. What a slutty whore."

"SILENCE." Fujin said, giving Seifer a death look. She looked a Josh, cleared her throat, and then spoke in her normal voice. "Josh, you can't keep beating yourself up. She choose to cheat on you. You couldn't have stopped her. The past hurts. but you need to learn from it and move on." Fujin leaned over, and planted a soft kiss on Josh's lips. Fujin pulled away before he could react, and started to shoo Seifer from the room so that Josh could change.

"Josh."

"Yes Fujin."

"Are you mad at me? For running out on you, that is."

"No, I'm not mad, you had your reasons."

Fujin smiled, perhaps things could work out between them. She cared for him, now she needed to know if he cared for her.

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I know, it's a little disturbing, but hey, now you know the secret to Josh's past.

Thanks to my reviewers.....er reviewer that is.



Faultering Hues--Thanks so much for continuing to review my work. I really do appreciate it.



To the rest of you.. Why aren't you reviewing? If you want to make a non- public review, just e-mail me at Tenchicloudzero@hotmail.com tell me you don't want to be mentioned in the fan fic, and I won't.