II - Angel and Elfin
Disclaimer: I don't own Fuujin, Raijin, Seifer, or any other character in this fanfiction. They belong to squaresoft, I just use them for fun
A.N.: Thanks to everyone who reviewed chapter one. I hope you like that one, too.
"What do you mean with "I don't know if she will ever remember or not"? You can't tell me she'll stay like that forever!"
"I'm sorry, Seifer, but it's impossible to promise anything." Sighing slightly, Dr. Kadowaki took a look at her patient behind the glass wall. Fujin was a fighter, so the chances were better than with anyone else she could imagine sitting there. "It's quite a wonder she is still alive, Seifer. Others would have died of such a head wound."
"So she'll have to learn everything anew?" She gave him a bewildered look. "Who told you that? True, she can't remember anyone including herself, but that doesn't mean she can't remember ANYTHING. She has kept her habits of talking in short cut sentences and she remembers Balamb Garden. In fact her memory is totally fine except for the "persons-department". There are medical expressions for such phenomena, but I imagine you're not interested."
Silence spread through the room again. "So, will she remember us one day, ya know?" Raijin asked faintly. Hell, he couldn't believe that his sister didn't even recognise him anymore. When Kadowaki shook her head, he sighed in frustration. "I can't tell, Raijin, sorry. It would be best if you'd try to lead her back into her normal, ordinary life and surroundings. The Disciplinary Committee for example."
She watched Seifer's eyes darkening in anger. "I've talked to headmaster Cid." She added quickly. "You're accepted back at Balamb Garden for Fujins sake, so please don't ruin her best chance of recovery by acting foolish again."
He watched her leaving the room to take a last look at Fujin's wounds and swallowed the curses he wanted to throw at her. For Fuujin's sake…
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The next few days simply went without any special incidents, almost too boring, although the Disciplinary Committee kept him quite busy. He and Raijin had been introducing Fujin to everyone she had ever known by his or her name in order to bring back her memory, but the result was the same every time. She would just shake her head, apologize for not being able to recall anything and then leave again. He could see that it hurt her to live within these crowd of "strangers" she should actually know.
"Causing trouble. Apology." She mentioned on her fifth day at the cafeteria. She knew that both of them, the knight and the guardian, tried everything to make her remember, while she just couldn't.
"You don't cause any trouble, ya know." Raijin mentioned to cheer her up a bit. Dr. Kadowaki had advised them to keep Fujin in the best mood possible, as missing memory was a dangerous basement for depressions. Thinking of the classes they had attended a few hours before, a vile grin crept across Seifer's face. "Really, Fujin, you don't. Except for Raijin being called a lousy loser with his four points in the last G.F. basic tests compared with the maximum of 18 you, as his sister, got." She watched the colour fade from Raijin's face and smiled sadly. "Thanks, Seifer. Still, no memory."
His smile vanished. "Fuu, don't say that, please. You'll remember, I'm sure. Just wait a bit. Dr. Kadowaki said it may take a while."
"Just excuse." She answered. "Never, actually."
"Fuu!" He surprised them both by slamming his fist on the table. Damn, how did he get that furious? "Stop saying that; got that?" She nodded slightly, then turned to look at the two girls who where approaching them. "Angel. Elfin." She murmured and didn't even realise that she had said it loud enough for Seifer's attention to snap back.
"Hey, Seifer! Raijin! Fujin!" The two men turned around, their faces pale from shock when they noticed Rinoa and Selphie ambling towards them. Alone they were easy to face, but together they formed a dangerously nerve-racking duo of talkative girls. "So you're back from the mission in Dolllet? Had fun beating some insane assassins to a pulp of bones and blood?"
"Seifer!" Both disgusted and angry, Rinoa gave him a slap on the back of the head.
"So how are you, Fujin? We heard about the accident in Balamb Must have been terrible for you, but you seem to be quite fit again. We also heard you've been accepted back to BG and are studying for Seed Exam now. Want a few tips from a Seed? Could give you some extra infor-"
"Selphie!" Again Seifer slammed his fist on the table, wishing he would have been able to hit her stomach, so she would stop prattling like a waterfall. "Would you be so kind as to shut up, please?" He mentioned, remembering that insulting her could be enough to cause him and his posse serious trouble. "It's been a rough week, ok?"
"Sure… mister bad-mood-forever." She turned to leave again, shooting Seifer an angry look before she slipped through the door.
"Sorry for that. I've got to go now." Smiling at Fujin, Rinoa left, too. "See ya at the next training session, Fujin!"
"Whatever." Ignoring the relieved sighs from both Seifer and Raijin as the two girls were out of sight, she went back to her meal. "Those girls. Who?"
"Rinoa Heartilly and Selphie Tilmitt." Seifer mentioned in disgust. "Hell of a talkative duo. Watch out they don't get on your nerves for too long. The one belongs to Squall, the other to Irvine. Poor guys." She smiled again, but had to admit that none of those names rang a bell in her head.
According to Dr. Kadowaki's advice, Seifer and Raijin offered her a few hours just for herself alone, after they had introduced her to the rest of Squall's strange posse. Even looking at Leonhardt made Seifer's muscles wince due to the urgent wish to beat up that I'm-the-silent-broody-anti-hero-guy, but that wasn't worth risking being kicked out of Balamb Garden again. Instead, he went for an unplanned talk with Kadowaki.
She was busy, as always, but also friendly enough to offer him to sit down and wait until she was done with her patients. Probably for the same reason – habit. When she finally sat down opposite to him, she could see he was there because of Fujin.
"How is she, Seifer? Has she made any progress?" She expected a clear no, somehow, but found herself surprised by his answer. "Maybe."
He watched her usually serious and tired eyes sparkle with interest. "Really? Has she recognised someone?"
"Not exactly." He tried to explain. "But I think the memory has already returned. She just can't reach it." Her eyes changed again. They showed confusion, maybe even doubt. "Explain it to me, Seifer. How did you get the idea?"
"I don't really know." He waved his hand reflexively. "We've met Rinoa and Selphie in the cafeteria today and Fujin said something strange. She looked up from her meal, saw them approaching us and murmured something like "Angel" and "elfin"."
"You mean she connected Rinoa and Selphie with those words? Like she would catch the best word to describe someone and attach it to that person?"
He nodded slightly. "Of course it's just an idea, but maybe that could be kind of a system for her to regain the memory. I mean, she already has her habit of talking in one word sentences."
"Hm…" The idea was logical, Kadowaki had to admit. And the pattern would definitely fit Fujin's character. "It's worth a try." She said finally. "Maybe you should take her here, so I can ask her a few questions about the system. You could bring Raijin along, too. Interviews, no matter in what topic, are always kind of exhausting for patients where the wounds have an effect on the mental state and abilities. Let's say…" She gave a short look at the calendar, frowned slightly and then decided: "Tomorrow. 4 pm. Try not to tell her too much about it, just say we'll have to do another testing session. Oh, and Seifer…"
He had almost been on his way out of the door, when she called after him. "Don't tell anyone but Fujin and Raijin. It's hard enough for her, anyways."