AN: By the way, unlike other chapters where the perspective carries on from whoever finished the previous chapter, Act 6 will begin with Seifer's perspective, not Fujin's.

Ameli Stoncius: I'll try to stop cliffhanger-ing (is that even a word? OO…most likely not…). Sometimes I can't help it and I have a really bad habit of stopping at a really crucial point. I'll try and round this chapter off a bit more this time. I don't want one of my valuable reviewers to die on me!

aratcorien: Yay, I made an impact on one of my dear readers! Whoo! I've never really written a fairy tale either, only something that is fairly ordinary when put into context of the world of the story. Yet I can feel this walking down a much more fantasy type road, with a more obscure story line than anything I've ever written…save my horrible Gundam Wing story XD. Ah well…I'll see how this turns out…

Fuu-sama: Ah, don't hog Fujin! She's…er…everyone's Fujin…But I do agree, I like her a lot as well. You just know how cool it would be to have a red eye! XD coughs from random stares from random people… Yes…anyway, I hope this chapter is as enjoyable as the last one.

Act 6 - Fate; Wind; Fire

I had never seen such a more hopeful yet frightening scene unfold before me. All of a sudden the doors had been ripped open without so much of a warning, flapping noisily in the torrents of wind and my heart jumped, beating twice as fast as usual. Then from out of nowhere, Fujin had appeared from above and was in my arms before I knew what had happened. At first I hadn't noticed anything different, but when I actually looked down at her, opening my eyes to the immaculate white wind-swept hair held in my grasp, I suddenly became worried.

Fujin looked so pale and so utterly fragile, it seemed that death was knocking at her door. She trembled underneath my touch, her breathing laboured, and her eye lazy with fatigue. But aside from those signs of exhaustion, my eyes couldn't leave the top of her head, where the once grey streaked hairs, had been stained a pure, elderly white.

She had looked up and she must have seen the terrified look on my face, for she began touching her colourless skin. Her fingers fell into her face, the two identical colours merging into one deathly frost as they frantically dancing over her cheeks. Her left hand came to rest on the contrasting black eye patch; abruptly highlighting how many colours were devoid of her skin. Hesitantly, Fujin lifted the dark material from her head, her hands shaking all the while.

I had gasped silently to myself, hoping to Hyne that she wouldn't hear my shock, for what I thought would be a crimson mess of scars, was revealed to be a clear haze of churned skin. The lines of deep cuts were still embellished upon her beautiful but ghostly face, but now the sore and perpetual redness had completely disappeared. Her eye too was clean of its bloodied memory, a swirling milky substance taking its place.

Fujin had called out my name desperately, and I saw the lost and confused look on her face. She didn't even know what was happening to her…and I had felt powerless to even utter a single word.

And now, looking at her inside Esthar hospital I still couldn't even muster the strength to speak words of comfort to her unconscious form. I rested my hand on the glass separating me from her, peering through the clear glass into the room devoid of all other life except her. But even now, I wasn't sure there would be any heart beating inside that room for much longer. If I hadn't known whom the fragile girl was lying underneath the white sheets; a drip sunken in her pale arm; beige patches stuck to her skin; connected to a life-support machine, I would have thought she was a sick, old woman. Tears were threatening to fall from my eyes at the mere sight of her.

"Come on, move along now Almasy." Called the hard voice of a soldier. They shoved me forward and I started walking, but my eyes never left Fujin's comatose form until the walls and doors shut me away.

As soon as we had fallen together to the floor in the transport, they had rushed in and ripped Fujin from my arms, bounding us both with chains and rope. They had arrested her right there and then despite being unconscious. But out of sympathy, they had consented to sending Fujin to a hospital and allowing me five minutes to see her. I guess they weren't completely merciless.

"Read me a story!" a small girl had cried rushing into the wooden room, clasping a book in her small hands. She flung the book into her father's lap, her wide eyes waiting expectantly for affirmation. The old man grinned warmly and lifted his daughter up in his strong arms.

The fire crackled in front of them, the room glowing with friendly shadows dancing on the walls of the small living room as the man walked up the creaking stairs. He set the excited girl down and she scrambled up into her bed and pulled the thick covers tightly around her. The old man sat himself down on a chair and flicked through torn, stained pages.

"Read me the one about the sorceresses!" the girl cried happily.

"But I always read you that one. How about a different story?" but the look on the stubborn girl's face was more than enough to answer his question. "All right." He smiled. The girl smiled too and lay down on her side to face her father.

"Once upon a time, there were many great sorceresses and sorcerers. Each of them had unbelievable powers, and each one of them could call upon a mystical beast from a different dimension. These sorceresses and sorcerers were all chosen by these mythical beings and were therefore very special people.

"All together there were about fifteen main Guardian Forces, but there were five very important beasts in the balance of the world, and many more that no one has ever recorded. The first was Bahamut, king of dragons and watcher of the most powerful wizard in the entire world. Second was Ifrit, the fiery demon, the guardian force of the fire sorcerer, and third was Shiva, a beautiful water sprite, who was the guardian force of the ice sorceress. Fourth was Quetzacoatl, a magnificent bird, watching over the thunder sorcerer. And lastly was Pandemona, an odd creature who watched over the wind sorceress.

"If a sorcerer was powerful enough to control one of these forces, then they began to acquire features of their partner. Sometimes these were harmless, but some caused many wizards to lose control, destroying the bond they and their guardian force shared."

"What did they look like?" the girl asked. The old man chuckled, amused by the same question he was asked every night.

"Well, Bahamut," he said pointing to a picture in the book. "His sorcerer had wings and scales. Ifrit's sorcerer had red hair and horns. Shiva's sorceress had blue hair and found it difficult to live in hot places. Quetzacoatl's sorcerer had wings too and Pandemona's sorceress often had white hair and was very pale. But this is only a legend. No one knows if its true or not."

The girl peered at the book, seeing familiarities between the drawn characters and the creatures. All except Pandemona who had no person standing next to her. "Why doesn't Pandemona have a wizard?"

"I'm not really sure. Some people say that although Pandemona was the least of the five, her attributes were sometimes too powerful or life threatening for the sorcerer to handle. She made people's skin very sensitive to the sun and they got very sick." The man squinted at the writing, and found an answer. "It says here that Pandemona has had more masters than all of the other GFs because of the difficulties when it bonds with its master.

"But there's one person who managed to harness this power. She became so powerful, so much in sync with Pandemona that legend says she became a part of her, disappearing into the wind one day when the sun was blood red and all the skies were dark. No one ever saw her again after that day. Ever since then Pandemona has searched for the one person to truly be its master."

He closed the book seeing his daughter's eyes droop with fatigue. Getting up, he slid the book back onto her shelf and picked up a music box from her bedside. Winding the small metal key, a quiet and beautiful tine erupted from the box as he set it down on the small table. The tune floated through the air, soothing all ears that listened to the calming music. The single tune then grew to a thicker sound, harmonies ringing through the notes.

"It's a bit like music isn't it daddy?" the small girl asked.

"Yes, I suppose it is."

"Pandemona will find a new master someday, when the tune comes back again." The old mad chuckled again and went to ruffle his daughter's hair.

"You really amaze me sometimes. Yes…Pandemona will find a new master, when she finds the person with the same tune as before." He turned to go, kissing the girl on the forehead, but before he shut the door, he stopped. "Do you know what this type of music is called?"

"No."

"It's a concerto." He smiled again and quietly closed the door.

---

I opened my eye to the white ceilings, the white walls and the white sheets that enwrapped my body. Where was I? All I could vaguely remember was…I couldn't remember anything. A pain stung through my head and I clenched my eye tightly shut in a vain effort to numb the piercing drills tearing up my mind.

Rolling onto my side, hands holding my head, I noticed that the left side of my face ached particularly underneath my eye patch. Suddenly I remembered the frightening vision I saw when I had last taken off my eye patch…and Seifer…Where was Seifer?

I sat up and various things ripped off my skin, a sickening scratch of sticky material quickly ripping through the beeping air. I winced for a moment, taking note of the eerie noises echoing inside the room. I saw a square machine next to me and watched with a child's curiosity as the lines on the monitor changed and travelled across the dark green glass.

"Come little one, now is the time to smite the flames." A loud voice bellowed in my splitting head.

"WHAT?" I said nervously to the empty room.

"Surrender to me and I'll guide you toward salvation." It said soothingly. The voice sounded so familiar…so tempting. I closed my eye and felt the pain seep away, warmth coursing through my veins. "Don't be afraid, many have gone before you down this path to ease pain."

I was in no position to argue, for the pain was beginning to invade even the deepest regions of my body, fighting its way through my defences, destroying everything in its path. I cried out and gave myself to this mysterious voice, unsure of what would happen. At once I felt winds sweep around me, shouts coming from outside the walls, and before I was taken by the spirit I saw guards burst in through the doors looking horrified up at me floating above a whirlwind, arms spread like eagle wings.

"The President will see you now." A calm receptionist said to me. I rose from the stiff, uncomfortable chair and two guards stalked behind me. It had been a while since I had last since Laguna. I opened the plain looking door and stepped into a large, circular room. The wall-length windows stretched round the entire far wall, looking out onto the whole of Esthar. In front of them sat an aged Laguna at his desk, his long black hair greying slightly. I laughed inwardly when I saw him rise from his plush chair, wearing a formal suit; something I thought I'd never see him wear.

"Leave us." He said to the guards, and at once they left us, closing the door with a soft click behind them. "Seifer, please have a seat." He said smiling as he motioned toward a smaller, undoubtedly more comfortable chair than the one outside.

"So, why exactly am I here?" I said. I had assumed it had been for some sort of trouble I'd caused, but I never actually been told what I had done to deserve a calling from the President.

"This is probably the last thing you want to hear, but many petitions and treaties have been signed concerning the arrest of anyone to have had anything to do with Ultimecia and the war, and I'm afraid that it mainly affects you. But that's the least of your troubles at the moment." Laguna said running a hand through his hair, pausing for a moment. I looked at his strangely and he took a deep breath. "I have reason to believe that Fujin is in grave danger." Laguna's green eyes caught mine in a serious gaze and my mouth dropped open.

"Why? W-What's wrong? How?" I couldn't order to my words, and the utterly solemn expression on his face frightened me.

"One of my men reported some strange 'things' that happened on your journey here. It turns out that Fujin demonstrated some quite unusual power. Did you know she could fly through the air?"

"What? I…I never knew she had that kind of power…" I said bewildered. And then it hit me. "You don't think that…No…NO! I don't believe that she's the next one!" I shouted, remembering an old story told to me long, long ago. Everyone knew that legend…that fairytale from times of old, where powerful sorcerers were numerous in number, ruling over the planet with their Guardian Forces. But then they gradually fell in quantity, dwindling down only to one that came along with every generation, resulting in the occasional war against the sorceress that we have today. But there was another ending to the story too… While all the GFs chose to be harnessed by anyone, one had remained tied to the path of finding a master for it to rule over. I had never known which one it was…I couldn't remember.

Laguna sighed, "I think that she is indeed the next seer to be chosen by a master." I rose from my seat and paced back and forth, swearing blindly and holding my head in my hands. "Seifer! Please calm down! We can help her!" The man said, trying to restrain me from knocking anything over. "Sit." Obediently I sunk back down into the chair again. "It might not be too late to save - "

At that moment a phone call rang through the room, shrieking in my ears. While Laguna answered the seemingly important call, I drowned in the silence cursing myself for not noticing the signs earlier. Why else would she have gotten so sick? Why didn't I ever ask about why she was so sensitive to the wind? Why in Hyne did I not see the danger I put her in!?

"What? How could you let that happen? Where is she now?" my head snapped up. "What do you mean you don't know? Hang on, I'll be right there." He slammed the phone back down, slid out of his blazer, rolled up his sleeves and reached for a case underneath his desk. "Come with me, there's something we need to take care of."

Laguna strode out of his large office and I had to jog to keep up with him. "Fujin's in trouble." He muttered to me. My eyes alighted with worry and I grabbed the older mans shoulder, stopping him in his tracks.

"What's happening to her?" I growled, wanting to know what the hell was going on. I could hear my own heart beat thump in my chest, pulsing in my ears and catch in my throat. My hands were still shaking from the aftershock of my thoughts, and Laguna took that moment of weakness to remove my hand.

"Seifer, if I would tell you, I would. Right now, all we can do is hope she's all right."

"Why are you helping me?" I shouted after him as he turned to leave again.

"I'm the only one who can, and the only one who will help you." And he said no more. I walked after him, knowing that that wasn't the only reason he was helping me. My eyes narrowed at him in suspicion, but I would remind myself later to find out what his motives were. Right now, my sole concern was Fujin…what could have happened to her?

---

We arrived at the hospital in no time at all in Laguna's private transport and as the car pulled up outside the tall building, the whole atmosphere was screaming turmoil and catastrophe. Fumbling with the lock I frantically opened the door and stepped outside, shielding my eyes from the blinding light shining from the clouds. But as I looked through my fingers, I saw that the sun wasn't at all present in the sky for dark storm clouds veiled the entire sky. Lightening flashed through the sky, forming a static orb in the centre of the chaos, and strong flurries of wind were blowing trees sideways, leaves streaming in the air currents, whipping clothes and rubbish around in the river. And it was there that I spotted her, amidst the terrible apocalypse that was about to unleash its fury upon the earth.

"FUJIN!" I shouted at the top of my voice, feeling utterly helpless.

"Hey! You there," Laguna shouted, taking control of the situation. "What's going on down here?"

"Sir, the girl was possessed by some kind of spirit and now she's gathering power for what seems like full scale attack. We don't know what the source of the power is yet. We've tried using our jetpacks to attempt to stabilise her, but it's too dangerous sir. "

"Move out my way!" I said, barging past the soldier. "Give me your jetpack."

"Didn't you hear what I just said? It's - "

"Do it." Laguna stated.

"B-But sir, he'll die!"

"Just give him the pack!" Laguna ordered, and instantly the grumbling soldier unclipped the equipment on his shoulders and handed the pack to me. Just then a bolt of lightening struck the concrete ground, inches away from my foot, singeing the grey slabs of stone a dark black, smoke swirling up from the floor. I pulled the trigger and I shot through the air, dodging everything Fujin was sending my way.

"If anyone will save her, its him." I heard Laguna say quietly as I roared through the sky, the heat from the enclosed flames warming my legs. I rolled through the air, careering in spiral patterns toward the floating woman trapped in the vortex of energy. I came about level with her when I heard a voice thunder from the clouds.

"Your efforts are futile. You cannot interfere with fate."

"Watch me!" I spat vehemently as I conjured a spell in my hands. No one would take Fujin away from me. Not even the gods or death would dare touch her. I cast Gravity, but it deflected off the barrier of lightening, almost coming straight back at me. The strange voice came back again, taunting me once more.

"Nothing can touch her, for wind rules over all. It will guide or destroy anything that falls into the air, for the air is necessary for anything to exist. This one is chosen to be my master. You must not interfere with fate! This is her destiny, her future."

"Why should you get to decide what happens to Fujin? Why can't she decide?" I yelled as I cast my own element and strongest magic at the barrier. Charging forward, I threw my hands forward just as they were about to hit the fatal wall of energy and blasted a Firaga against the barrier, concentrating with all my might and will to break through. I could see Fujin through the electricity, her head limp on her slumped shoulders. Her hair was flying around her pale face, becoming a brighter white than I thought possible as she glowed with power and strength.

My hands were aflame as I scratched and pulled at the barricade, but I noticed that as more wind came to extinguish the fire, it only grew in might and ferocity. With a renewed hope I plunged my hands deeper into the fray and for a split second I tore open a hole, the fire keeping the lightening at bay. I grabbed Fujin from within, and suddenly the orb cage disappeared, sending us tumbling back down toward the ground as I dived downward.

"SEIFER?" a small, faint voice whispered from in my arms.

But before I could answer, the voice from the skies interrupted me. "You chose to alter fate. Now you will pay the consequences, and next time your flames will be no help to you. The wind will smother your fire and the girl will be claimed, following in her chosen ancestors' footsteps. When the time is right, you will fall." The skies suddenly became clear as I lowered us to the ground.

"SEIFER…HELP" Fujin said softly into my chest. I looked down at her, and hugged her tightly to me, never wanting to let her go. Suddenly she began shaking, her back heaving irregularly, and as I listened in the stunned and shocked silence, I heard her crying.

I cradled her against me, stroking her head with my warmed fingers, and I looked up to see Laguna, now joined by Kiros and Ward, running over.

"Good job," Laguna congratulated me, clapping me on the shoulder before turning to Kiros. "Surely this can help clear his name, saving an innocent woman from death?" Kiros nodded.

"It could be used, but we need further evidence." He stated. Laguna nodded back and muttered something to him I couldn't hear.

"Hmm…Ward, would you escort these two back to my office? There's still some things we need to discuss." Ward simply nodded. "Thanks buddy." Laguna said smiling cheerfully and left us to finish attending to the rising commotion.

I wished that this would all be over soon, that we could all go home…wherever that was…and live in peace. Why did we of all people have to get caught in this mess of a nightmare? Legends were meant to remain stories, and stories were meant to remain myths never to truly surface in the world to be fulfilled. Hadn't we suffered enough? Hadn't Fujin suffered enough?

I didn't know why this was happening…All I knew was that we were right in the middle of this terrible dream, and that we'd have to see it through till the end…