Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VIII and all characters are creations of Squaresoft.
Summary: Slightly A/U. Raijin and Fujin search for Seifer after the Timber incident in Disc 1, only to find him brainwashed by the Sorceress Edea. He cannot recognize them any longer because of Edea's messing with his mind. How far will the posse go just to get Seifer's memories and the old him back?
"Tell me her name, I want to know
The way she looks and where you go
I need to see her face, I need to understand
Why you and I came to an end"
---"Broken Vow", Lara Fabian
Night soon turned into day, and Fujin opened her eyes, wishing somehow that by a miracle of Hyne or some other unexplainable circumstance, the whole situation they were in would somehow turn out to be a nightmare. But then sometimes there were some nightmares one couldn't run from, and this was one of them. Rubbing her temples lightly, she got up groggily and went to take a shower.
She was startled by a loud knock at the door. "Hey, Fuu. Heard you didn't sleep well last night. You OK? 'Cause... she might not like it, ya know."
"FINE. BELIEVE ME. NOT DYING," she snapped.
"O-okay. I was just checking on you, ya know." Fujin sighed in relief as she heard Raijin leave. Although she knew that he meant well, she just wasn't in the mood for his cheery attitude. She just wanted to be left alone, at least for the time being.
Stepping out of the shower, she smiled, looking slightly happier as she remembered her little chat with Seifer last night out on the balcony. Though it was awkward and there wasn't much interaction, she didn't really mind. For as long as Fujin could remember, she had always admired Seifer from afar. She knew he wasn't really the bastard that most people had perceived of him. There was a side of him that she and Raijin were only allowed to see.
Just now she had set her mind on meeting up with Seifer once again. Though her new mistress surely wouldn't approve of her behavior if she only knew, it was worth a try. If only she could reach deep into that part of his subconscious where all his vague memories of the past were stored; if only she could bring back the Seifer she once knew and resume their life at Garden... she'd do anything.
Anything.
Luckily, Deling was out of town for a few days, and she, Raijin, Seifer and Edea had the Presidential Residence all to themselves. She decided to explore the grand mansion for a while.
Fujin shuddered as she passed by Edea's room. The room always had an ominous aura around it, as if something evil was arising in there. The Sorceress had never failed to strike fear in Fujin's heart, since Edea enjoyed toying around with people's minds and hearts, not to mention her lust---or was it obsession?---with Seifer. Silently hoping that the Sorceress was still asleep, she crept by like a feline.
Creak. She heard the door open.
"Ah, good morning, Fujin. I did not expect you to be up so early. Come, we must talk."
Frozen in place, Fujin stuttered weakly, "No. Please, I've got to go."
Her lip curled. "Tut, tut. This won't take long. Time will wait." She dragged Fujin by the arm into her chamber.
"Close the door. This conversation shall take place between us only." Edea sat down on the bed and motioned for Fujin to sit beside her. Reluctantly, she obeyed.
Edea looked at Fujin with scorn. "So," she sighed, "where shall we begin? Oh, yes. Last night I saw you. You were out on the balcony, am I right? And with someone. Now, I wonder who that someone was? Could it be---" her eyebrow arched, "Seifer?"
A wave of anger rushed through Fujin. Was it a mortal sin to talk to him? Feeling brave at the moment, she shot back defiantly, "Yes, he was with me last night. So what if he was? Have I committed a crime? Or a sin?! Seifer is not a child. He can take care of himself! He has the ability to discern between right and wrong. But no, you couldn't accept that. You had to keep him like a caged bird. You had to hide the truth from him! I---I can't bear to see him like that---"
The Sorceress looked furious. She held up her hand. "Stop your mindless babbling." She glared at Fujin icily and slapped her all of a sudden. "How brave of you to talk to me in such a defiant manner. Filthy, shameless girl! How dare you; filling my Knight's head with untruths! You say I have caged him. Yes, I have and I admit it with no shame. But I did it for a reason. So that he would be loyal to me. And also to keep him from falling for the manipulations of someone like you. I wonder why you refuse to just keep silent and comply with me, like your other companion. Unless---"
"---you are in love with Seifer?"
Shocked, Fujin opened her mouth in protest. "That's not true. As a part of his posse, I simply care for him as a friend."
"Friendship. You care for your friend so much that you would work for me and even deliberately disobey me just for him to return? My dear, that goes beyond the bounds of friendship. That seems much, much more than just friendship. Again, I repeat my question. You are in love with him, are you not?"
She stood up and clenched her fists tightly. "I could say the same to you. Edea." Even her name sounded like poison on her lips. "I think that you are hanging on to Seifer a little too much. You wish he was much more than a pawn to you, hmm? You lust for him. I am only stating the obvious." Fujin looked smug as she waited for the Sorceress to reply.
"Maybe I do, and maybe I don't. And you? You have been avoiding my question for two rounds now. It is obvious by now that you love him."
The sound of silence filled the room.
Taking a deep breath, Fujin finally replied. "Maybe I do. Maybe I do care for him a little more than friends usually do. There's this feeling I feel for him. Much more than friendship or infatuation, but I don't know if I love him or not. I do not understand. So I am sorry, Mistress, but I cannot answer the question."
"I see." She poured champagne into a nearby goblet and took a sip. "I do not want to see you talking to Seifer again. I admire your free-spirited nature, but I regret to say that there is nothing, absolutely NOTHING you can do to bring him back. Your words or emotions will prove to be futile. Unless you stick to our agreement, that is. But until then all your efforts will be in vain. So there's no use trying."
"And what if I do?"
"It shall lead to your demise."
"Oh?" Fujin expressed her disbelief.
A pause. The Sorceress took another sip and crossed her legs.
"You don't have enough reasons to stay away from Seifer, do you? Well, then listen closely. His lips were so warm. I should know; I kissed him last night. They were so warm... how I long for his touch again..." She stood up and opened the door, calling to a maid walking past her room. "Summon Seifer for me."
The maid looked scared. "A-as you wish, madam."
Edea looked arrogantly at Fujin. "Maybe now you will learn your place. You will never be anyone to Seifer, be it an acquaintance, friend or lover. Just a weed, whom he has to step on in order to reach his dream."
Just then, there was a knock. "You called for me, my Lady?"
"Ah, yes. Come in, Seifer. The door is open."
Seifer entered and bowed with reverence to his Lady, just the way Edea taught him to. "Is it about the parade?"
She smiled. "No, no, no. It is about something much more personal. Just leave everything to me. No questions." Turning to Fujin, she said with eyes burning in excitement, "Watch me."
Edea walked over to Seifer and kissed him passionately on the lips. Their lips locked for a long time, but Fujin could clearly see that there was no passion nor love in the kiss; merely another display of the Sorceress's almost perverse lust for Seifer.
When their lips parted, Edea looked satisfied. Seifer looked like he enjoyed it, and his eyes seemed to beg for more. "I enjoyed that," she said gleefully. "We really should do this more, shouldn't we, Seifer?"
He nodded. Edea seemed pleased by this. "Do you see now? It is me he clearly wants, and not you. You may go now, girl. Mark my words. We must rid Seifer of the weeds that will interfere with his dream."
Her face burning with rage, Fujin left, slamming the door with all her strength.
TO BE CONTINUED
Author's Notes: Apologies if the chapters may seem too short. I am going to try and make them longer last time, as it's already been 5 chapters and still we haven't tackled the parade at Deling City. Also, I haven't been giving Raijin much exposure here. But don't worry, since this is a posse and at the same time Seifuu fic. He'll play a vital role in this fic soon.