Chapter 23: Dreams of Friendship

Seifer's POV

It was a long time before she stirred. Rajin had come home, shocked to see me inside his house. He had smiled and shook my hand harder than what I'd expected. He had grown strong over the years, and his muscular tanned arms showed it. He had slapped me hard on the back too, welcoming me home. I had smiled back and had left Fujin's side to talk with him.

I wanted to ask him if Fujin had been acting strangely, but Rajin was so wrapped up in asking me questions, I couldn't get a word in edgeways. He had long since turned in for the night after our talk, leaving me alone in the living room with Fujin, still sleeping on the couch. I straightened the rug on the floor as I knelt down beside her, hoping that she was all right.

I took her hand once more, flinching slightly at how cold her fingers were as they grazed my wrist. But as I touched her palm, her eye fluttered open, revealing a dull red orb. Her eye had changed too. Once I had seen fire blaze with passion there, but now the flame lay extinguished.

"Seifer?" she mumbled as her hand left mine to rub her face. She sat up, my trench coat falling to the ground, and looked hesitantly around her. Her eye settled on me finally, looking as worried as when I had first seen her open the door. I got up off the floor and sat down next to her, placing a hand gently on her shoulder. Her eye trailed my movements and she looked up at me.

"Are you all right?" I said, barely more than a whisper. Just by looking at her frightened face, my words left me. She didn't reply, but nodded uncertainly. "Tell me what's wrong Fujin…" She turned her eye away, but my hand caught her face, forcing her to look at me. Her breathing had quickened as she stared blankly into my eyes. "Please Fuu…" I pleaded.

"Seifer…" she whispered, her face showing her pain and sorrow. Her mouth opened, but no words came out. She took in a deep, shaky breath and let her head fall between her shoulders. "She's… she's gone." It was hardly audible. Her tiny hands clenched into fists, resting on her knees and her body tensed up under my hand.

"Who's gone Fujin? Tell me…It's ok…Come on Fuu…" I said, coaxing her to tell me what had happened. She brought her head up to look at me again, tears now streaming down her face. I was shocked to say the least. I couldn't take her being in so much pain anymore. I hated to see her cry when I couldn't do anything to comfort her. "Fujin…" I whispered while I enveloped the girl in my arms. "Don't cry Fuu…"

"She's gone Seifer," she said with a little more strength in her voice. "She's gone…"

"Who?" I said closing my weary eyes.

"Pan…Pa…" she couldn't bring herself to complete her sentence, but I could tell from just those few utterances who she meant. My eyes sprang open, wide with worry and concern.

"How?" I said taking her back to look at her. I couldn't understand what she was saying.

"I woke up and…and…she was gone!" Fujin whispered, her lips quivering. "I couldn't find her…she wasn't there when I woke up…and now…now I…I don't know…what to do anymore…Seifer," she rested herself back against my chest. "Please…help me."

"Fujin…" I sighed. I thought back to times before when she had bad dreams as I cradled her against me, rocking her slightly back and forth. There had been a time similar to this before…but I couldn't remember when it was…But I remembered that something had happened to her in her dreams and she had woken up with that done to her. "This has happened before hasn't it?" I questioned her.

"Yes."

"What happened then?"

"I was going to die…" the way she whispered it with such fear sent shivers down my spine. "Matron was…hurting me and…she was going to kill me…"

"And what happened when you woke up?" I pressed on, trying to solve this strange mystery unfolding before me.

"I woke up… with…the wounds…" she said, a realisation in her words. She pulled away and looked at me. There was a brief silence in which I thought nothing. I stared into her red eye, the fire now rekindled. I smiled inwardly as I saw the life slowly exude back into her face again. This was the Fujin that I knew and loved.

"This is the same, isn't it?" I said. She nodded.

Suddenly from nowhere, a strange high-pitched ringing noise entered my ears. It grew louder and louder as the seconds passed. I cried out loud as I couldn't take it anymore. My hands shot towards my ears, but it didn't help in the slightest.

"Seifer!? What's…happening?" Fujin shouted from beneath me, her hands also covering her face.

"I don't know!" My eyes felt heavy, and despite how I fought to keep them from falling, I failed. They closed tightly shut and I was whisked off to sleep, the droning screech slowly dying away…

***

Fujin's POV

I didn't know where I was when I opened my eye again, but I really didn't like what I was feeling at that moment. I was frightened. Truly terrified to the centre of my being. I stood in an unfamiliar territory of land, alone, the silence beginning to become deafening amongst the rain.

I called out, shouting Seifer's name, but no one answered. I shouted to Rajin, but again I was met with nothing. Only drops of rain falling on the grass.

I heard a footstep behind me. A heavy, lumbering stomp. I turned around suddenly, my mouth dropping at what I saw.

A huge, deep violet beast had materialised behind me. The spiral horns that erupted from the sides of its head followed the slow movement of its wide face, while its long, muscular arms hung lazily against its thin, hairy body. Bony wings stuck out of its back, the thin transparent film connecting the skeleton waving in the breeze. Its breath puffed out of its nostrils below its glaring yellow eyes. Long fangs hung over its mouth as it snarled and wheezed. Giant, powerful legs came from its almost non-existent body, sharp claws extending further along the ground.

I trembled, uttering meaningless words of fear as I stepped back, wanting to be as far away as possible from this omen of death as possible.

"You don't want to be running away shrimp," Its deep voice bellowed. A bright light began to shine in his huge hands, and I shielded my eye. "Not when these two are in line." I opened my eye again gasping as I saw Seifer and Rajin clutched lifelessly in the beast's paws.

"Seifer! Rajin!" I shouted to them, but they remained silent, frozen in movement and speech.

***

Seifer's POV

I didn't know how the hell I had gotten here, but all I knew was that I was soaked through to the bone, and that something was clamping my body so tightly I couldn't move. I saw Fujin standing alone in front of me and I looked across and saw Rajin in the same state, being held by some…damn huge purple hand! I began to panic slightly, but I jumped as I heard a huge voice explode from above me.

At that moment my head seared in pain and I shut my eyes tightly and clenched my teeth in agony. This feeling became frighteningly familiar and I suddenly realised that this was exactly the same as when sorceress Edea had possessed me…

I fought off the incoming attack, proving to be difficult. I felt the energy force itself deeper and deeper into my mind, but I couldn't let myself succumb to this again. I wouldn't hurt Fujin again!

I screamed out, feeling the mind control retreat from my head and the hand gripping me suddenly loosened from the shock. I took my chance and freed my arms and pushed myself out of the prison and leapt to the floor before I could be caught again. I ran to Fujin looking back every few seconds to avoid getting swept away again. I reached the relived looking girl and spun around, Fujin safely behind me. I now gaped at the monster standing before me, baring its yellow stained teeth as it smirked.

"Seifer…"

"Don't worry…I'm here. I will protect you Fujin." I said very seriously as I glanced toward her.

"So…you think you've escaped me do you? You're friend finds it a little harder to break free. Come, just try and save him." It taunted as it began to slowly stomp towards us.

***

Fujin's POV

I looked up at Seifer and heard him growl at the remarks the beast was giving him. His escape had somehow given me a little more courage and faith in myself and I felt ready to face this monster.

But as I reached behind to my back, I realised my pinwheel wasn't lying in its usual place. Neither of us had any type of weapons, or magic for that matter. Now that I didn't have Pandemona, I couldn't use any of my wind magic, and I didn't think Seifer had any GFs either.

We were both defenceless.

"Guess we'll have to fight hand to hand won't we?" Seifer said, not looking at me.

"Yeah…But what can we do against that with no weapons?" I asked, keeping my sight fixed on the creature drawing ever closer to us. Seifer was silent for a moment.

"This is a dream isn't it? Think of them and maybe we'll get them." He suggested. So I shut my eye and concentrated on my pinwheel. Time was running out and the only hope we had was this.

I felt something weigh down my back and heard a clink of metal as something slid into place. I opened my eye again and without looking I went for my pinwheel behind me, waiting for my hands to touch something, hoping with all my heart that it would be there.

My hands grasped the wet, cold metal weapon and I felt power soar through my veins. Our chance was back with us.

I looked across and saw Hyperion lie poised and ready for battle in Seifer's hands. I sighed in relief, but I suddenly felt something disappear in my hand. My pinwheel had disappeared.

"You've got to keep concentration…otherwise what we've materialised will disappear!" Seifer said, and I could hear the strain in his voice. I concentrated again and saw my weapon reappear in my hands.

The beast took its last step and we lunged into battle, readying our attacks. I let my pinwheel fly through the air, being careful not to aim at, or accidentally injure Rajin. It cut through the purple skin of its arm and it roared in pain. I saw Seifer jump high up into the air and thrust his blade downward into the monster, firing three bullets through the tough hide.

It roared again, thrashing its free arm in the air, trying to swat Seifer down to the ground. Each time he jumped out the way, barely missing the long claws of the paw. From where I was standing I saw his gunblade gradually fade away into nothing as Seifer dodged the punches.

As my pinwheel returned to me, I threw it into the air again, distracting the monster away from Seifer. It cut the side of its neck, sending dark blue blood spraying out over its curved horn. It fell forward slightly, and I realised my mistake. From that little extra distance it gained, the swaying arm caught Seifer clean across his left side. He was thrown to the ground; his gunblade vanishing as the monster steadied itself.

Its yellow eyes glanced over toward me for a spilt second before picking up Seifer's body in its hand. It turned to face me, the only opponent left. A pale blue light began to radiate from its mouth, and before I could register what was happening, a beam of light shot through the air, unleashing the full capacity of its attack directly at me.

I landed on the ground, rolling and spinning over from the blast. My pinwheel too had disappeared, my concentration diminished. At once I tried to get up, but my body, weakened from the blast, couldn't even move. Pain engulfed me as I screamed in agony as I got up to kneel; my shaking arms supporting myself. I craned my head to look upward, biting back the pain. I breathed deeply as my vision wavered. I wasn't going down like this. Not now…

I saw the blurry picture of the beast facing away from me, its black skeletal wings in full span.

"Seif," I whispered, not having the strength to even finish my sentence. "Come…back…Seifer…Rajin…" I choked out as I began to crawl along the dusty plain of land, pulling my aching body over the grass.

I staggered to my feet, waving from side to side as I stumbled toward the monster. But I couldn't carry myself, and my legs buckled and I fell to the floor in a heap.

The monster turned round and began to walk over to me again, the dirty grin never leaving its ugly face.

"What in Hyne are you trying to do? You can't save them. Look at you. You can barely breathe you albino filth. What makes you think that you can rescue your friends now?

I pushed myself up, forcing my legs to stand and hold fast. I wouldn't let this sack of flesh take away my friends. I couldn't let that happen, for if I woke up…they may be lost forever…

"I could crush you right now," it shouted down at me. "But I'll think I'll kill you slowly instead… Where would the fun be in destroying you right now?"

I said nothing, the only sound being the slow deep exhale of our breaths.

The monster brought her two hands forward, each squeezing the limp bodies of Seifer and Rajin. It set Rajin down on his feet, his eyes blank.

"Kill her." At once Rajin began to move mechanically toward me, his face set as grim as the dark skies above us. His staff materialised in his hand and sparks of electricity began to encircle him as Quetzacoatl appeared behind him, its wings drifting in the thick air effortlessly.

"Rajin…" I shouted at him. "Wake up Rajin!" but he kept coming, not hearing a word I'd said. I stepped backwards unsteadily. Without warning, a bolt of electric energy cracked through the air, landing less than an inch away from my foot. I gasped and looked with disbelief at Rajin.

'How could he?' I thought. 'How could he not see its me?'

More bolts came firing at me, Quetzacoatl providing Rajin with an endless supply of ammunition. I ran, dodging each one with barely enough luck, every part of my body screaming in agony with each movement.

I ran round to the side of the monster, Rajin close behind me. I looked up for a brief moment and saw him look menacingly at Seifer and his claws tightened around him, pressing the life out of his body. I saw its claws dig into the side of his body, piercing his clothes and flesh, blood dripping to the floor in a messy puddle.

"Seifer!" I screamed as I froze in motion. But I realised as soon as I stopped I was struck down to the ground once more, the rain amplifying the blast. Rajin placed his heavy foot on my broken back keeping me still, forcing my to watch Seifer slowly die. I couldn't take watching my friend, my lover, die in the hands of this animal. Tears cascaded down my face, mixing with the rainfall and mud smeared across my cheeks as I cried out, begging Seifer to wake up, and for the monster to stop.

But it appeared deaf to my pleas, and continued to push its claws into Seifer's unconscious body.

"Seifer!" I cried as loud as I could. I pounded the ground and looked up towards the sky. The rain had stopped.

The heavens opened and something strangely familiar fell out of the sky. I smiled slightly as I laid down my head, letting sleep take me back to the world of the living.

(AN: When they fell asleep, I was trying to be similar to the game, that time on the train when Squall and people were all sent to sleep by that noise…Just to clear that up.)

Haha! Never thought you'd see that again would you? Or should I say 'she'? All of you people who've read the sequel to this will know what I'm talking about…

*gasp* The final chapter is coming up! The very last chapter! I'm going to try and make it a whole year and update on New Years Day… Thank you all you readers who have bothered to read this. Special thanks to Platinum Angel1 and Fuu-sama, who kept my spirits up by reviewing this story, thank you! I'll try and post again on January 1st 2004! Have a good New Year everyone!