Just to Breathe
~Fujin's Story~
Chapter Four
What's In A Name?
"Now I can't believe it took so long to leave. Perhaps one day I'll breathe… or I never will." –Barenaked Ladies; "Told You So"
Raijin
came for me early, but I was all ready awake. Years and years of Her had
taught me not to dare to sleep past the crack of dawn. I sat on my
pillow, hooded by the blanket so that hardly an inch of my body was directly
exposed. Raijin chuckled when he saw this.
"Nice outfit, ya know?"
I gritted my teeth, offended. "No. Worried."
"About what?"
"Cancer."
"Why?"
"Sun," I nodded upwards. Raijin was confused.
"Why the sun? You can't get cancer from just being in
the sun, ya know?"
"Mother said."
"You're mother's nuts. I think she was trying to scare
you or something, ya know? Come on," he motioned for me to drop the
blanket, and I did, however reluctantly. "I want to teach you
something first. Creatures tend to prey on dawdling beings, ya know? So
I wanna teach you to use magic even before we get your weapon."
I listen with fascination as Raijin tells me how to junction a GF
to your mind. "GFs have awesome
powers," he tells me. "I have three of
'em. Quetzecotl, my favorite,
specializes in thunder magic. Pandemona
is a wind magician, and Kaiyama is a sprite that mostly does fire damage. I got her for fighting in the Fire
Cavern." I listened with unending
interest. "Which one do you want?"
At first I was taken aback that he was
asking me to pick one, but he assured me that it was okay with him. I thought hard a moment, and remembering the
flying feeling I felt when I ran from Mother, and decided on Pandemona. Next, I listened to Raijin explain how to
draw and use magical attacks. He lets me draw a few from him to start
with. I draw aero, cure, and fira. There are a lot of things to
remember, but it's so amazing that I don't think I'll ever forget.
"Oh yeah," Raijin mutters as we start out. "I
forgot to tell you, ya know? I hafta meet Seifer for lunch. I tried
to get out of it, ya know? But he just wouldn't listen, ya know?" I
nod, unsure what I'm supposed to do while he eats.
We begin our journey to Balamb, avoiding the roads so that we can
encounter one of the creatures Raijin told me of. Our first encounter with a creature is with a Bite Bug, which
looks like an over sized mosquito. Raijin allows me to make the first
attack. I summon up the energy required to cast aero, but it isn't
working. The Bug chooses to attack with fire. Magical flames spread
over my body. I thought I was screaming out, but I didn't hear anything.
The intense pain only lasted a few seconds, but it forced me to stumble
back and land on my butt. I felt considerably weaker, and incredibly
embarrassed.
I scrambled to my feet, but no longer had the energy to fight.
I half-hoped that Raijin would kill the bug, but instead he cast cure on
me. It felt like I was flying for just a second.
"Try again, ya know?" He shouted to me.
This time I concentrated even harder, and my aero worked! A
windy ring formed around the bug and zapped its energy. The bug wavered a
second in the air, then dropped to the ground where it was immediately
absorbed. Adrenaline was coursing through my veins. Raijin beamed
proudly.
"You did it! In one blow, too, ya know?! That was
amazing, Fujin!"
I almost didn't catch the words he said, but it hit me at the last
second. "Fujin?"
"That's what I'm gonna call you, ya know? It's perfect
for you."
"Fujin," I repeated, pleased and honored. Fujin:
Wind Goddess. I never smiled as much to
this very day.
~*~*~*~*~
When
Raijin and I entered the weapons shop in Balamb, I was astounded. I never
imagined so many horrible looking objects! I tensed up immediately,
expecting Mother to jump out with something in her hands. Raijin didn't
seem to notice, though, as he pranced happily around the shop like a little boy
in a toy store. "What would be perfect for Fujin?" he asked
himself. "Here's a whip...no...too wimpy. Nunchaku?
Nah... What do you think, Fuu?"
"Uh..." I shrugged, "Don't... know... what... they
are..."
He nodded, in response. "Okay, I'll show you. This is a
staff," he said, motioning to the line of huge oar-looking things he'd
been practically drooling over a moment ago. "Large blunt poles used
for hitting and beating on people repeatedly."
I pictured Mother with one of these large poles and winced visibly.
Raijin continued, "A staff would be too big for you, though, you aren't
tall enough. These," he moved his hand to present a showcase of
elaborate looking sword-like things, "are gunblades. This is
what Seifer uses. Causes the most damage of all weapons, but incredibly
expensive and difficult to use. Hmm... Your fists are too small to use
weighted or spiked gloves, and a gun just wouldn't do enough... a-HA!"
He cried out in triumph, picking up a blue pinwheel-type thing with
blades around it. "This is perfect! A shuriken! Can
throw from a distance, and slash right up front, and still cause plenty of
damage! Specially made so you can even junction wind to it!"
He grinned from ear to ear as he presented me with his prize.
"Perfect for you, don't you think?" I turn it over in my
hands to admire it from all angles. It's light weight and elegant, but
has a look that says 'destroy!' I'd love to use it against Mother
more than anyone. I flick my eyes down to the price. 2500 gil.
My eyes grow huge and I gently, but quickly, put it back down.
"What's wrong? Don't like it?" Raijin almost
sounds hurt.
I shake my head. "Expensive."
He smiles warmly, placing a large hand on my shoulder.
"Not a problem." Again, he picks it up, and this time
marches right over to the cashier to purchase it. I thank him graciously
for almost fifteen minutes.
~*~*~*~*~
While Raijin eats
lunch with Seifer, I sit on the docks of Balamb looking out towards to what was
explained to me was the city of Dollet. I think about Mother as my feet
dangle above the water. Does she think of me? Is she angry?
Sad? What would she do if I went back? Would she kill me?
The thoughts were less than comforting, and I found myself with my
knees drawn up to my chest sobbing. People passing by stared or laughed
coldly. A few children made fun of my torn, dirty clothes. I
realized, then, how alone I really was.
Nearly an hour later, Raijin came for me. He presented me
with a cone filled with a soft white substance I recognized as something Mother
had eaten on occasion. He smiled as I accepted one just like his.
"Have some ice cream, ya know?"
I mimicked him as I licked it, and decided I never had something so
wonderful tasting. Raijin chatted endlessly about my new weapon, and how
he was going to borrow some books from the library about it so he could teach
me. I just smiled as I walked beside him back to the forest. Again,
he asked me to join him at the Garden, and I refused. He smiled a sad
smile as he whispered. "You're a brave woman, Fujin. I hope I
see you tomorrow."
