Disclaimer: standard, still do not have the rights to FFVIII. so no foreseeable sequel
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Time had passed swiftly, it was no surprise Fujin did more than exemplary on all her examinations, she had been a good student while at Garden and had become only better with Galbanian military conditioning while traveling with their army. Her medium range combat style made her a dangerous opponent to many SeeD even, who mostly favored close range. So she had a leg up, true but few could boast of skills like hers. In her free time they had given her back her GF and in the spare moments when she hadn't been people watching she was more often then not found in the training center doing things with spells that were far above basic levels, better even than many, anyone could aim an Aero spell, few could use it to grab and return an item from a dozen feet away. Magic was her specialty it seemed. She was also quite intelligent and had more than a passing mastery with anatomy she used to great effect with her Sai attack, as she called it, capable of weakening an enemy, leaving them at Death's doorstep.
There will always be problem areas though, she chafed and argued with her allies on many decisions entering a near fury if it proved to be problematic in the least when a solution other than hers was chosen, admittedly she never defied orders, nor directly opposed her commander but it was a slowly escalating trend. Dangerous if left unchecked, though no one seemed to be able to do that at all. Squall has spent more than a little time balancing this against her strengths, but sooner or later the scales would tip one way or the other. Too bad nothing could really be said definitely until it might already be too late. All the same she was in for the pre-Final test, acquiring a GF. Zell was sent as the SeeD operative in charge, figuring that his close range specialization would complement her most likely weakness if she was to fall into trouble at any point. At this point all that was left to do was wait, they had traveled to a cave network in Centra where their sensors indicated a new GF had emerged. The Howling caves, interesting place but should not present much trouble.
-X-X-X
Fujin was dressed in her normal clothes though anyone looking at her would notice something beneath her armor, it was a Hardened Body Glove, only a Veteran SeeD was likely to be able to tell that there was anything other than an optical illusion happening. Zell, as normal was oblivious as he warmed up somewhat acrobatically in the grounds outside the Howling Caverns. He was waiting for his "student" though she could hardly be called such. She arrived in the middle of his Kata prompting him to ignore her until it was done. She took a deep breath watching him, it was always a strange mix of emotions to see him in SeeD official dress, no one in a suit should be able to do the combat acrobatics he displayed on a regular basis. She walked up as the routine came to an end and she cleared her throat loudly to get his attention. He took a moment and turned with a smile.
"Heya! Ready to go?" He asked watching her out the corner of his eye as he turned his head toward the entrance where a pair of Garden Faculty members waited patiently. Zell mumbled something about automatons and Fujin smirked to herself. As they approached the Garden faculty members spoke first.
"Who is seeking entrance?" They asked in a way that sounded like a statement, confusingly.
"FUJIN KUROSAKI." she stated with a long buried force of voice unsurprisingly, neither member showed any sign of emotion.
"And who will be accompanying?" One of them turned his head a full three inches, (wow) to look at Zell, who stood up straight and spoke in the sort of calm and controlled tone that anyone who knew him well would suspect he didn't actually possess. Regardless, Speak loud and clearly he did.
"SeeD Instructor Zell Dicht Accompanying." The Garden faculty nodded noticeably then turned back to Fujin.
"Please choose a time limit that reflects your skills." She was then offered a small piece of paper and a punch card Fujin glanced at the card a moment checking everything, then punched out the lowest amount of time. Ten minutes, as it turned out. Handing the sheet back to them they turned aside and unblocked the entrance to the cavern, not that they were really blocking the wide mouth of the cave at all anyway.
"Proceed, the timer starts.... now." The one said clicking a small stopwatch with one hand and handing it to Zell. Fujin took off at a jog into the cavern eye open and ready as Zell came in behind without saying a word. Fujin had to admit to herself, she was rather interested about what sort of creatures such a cave system held. She did not have long to wonder, about a minute into the dark, the howling picked up, like a low moan that whistled on occasion and sometimes squalled hard from one side or another. The place was absolutely littered with close knit stalactites and little side paths which allowed the omnipresent wind to roar through the junctions. Carried on these hard gusts were creatures, fast moving ones at that, they were Windsurfers, something like a cross between a monkey and a bat they were swift as the wind and tough enough to headfirst a wall at seventy miles an hour and be not only fine but whip around for another go, as was their style of assault. The first to attack however was not expecting what it got, for it made a mistake no sentient thing would, it attacked the one wearing gauntlets first. It's shrieking battle cry resounded off the walls even as Fujin spun Zell was already in motion, he had ducked in a split second and lashed up with a boot catching the think in the tail, a little late, but the things were small and fast, that kick though was enough to send it spiraling out of control and to the ground, skidding even as it tried to find it's bearing.
"oops...." he said looking over at the small creature, scratching the back of his head. Fujin chuckled, it was hard not to seeing someone being that distraught over hitting something that attacked them, he looked guiltily at the small monkey that climbed into the stalactites gibbering in pain. The fliers stayed well clear for now. Fujin smiled to herself and Zell spread his hands out lifting the middle finger and turning in a slow circle.
"gonna have to add "king of the apes" to my list of battle honors." He said with a flex, Fujin raised her hand and lowered her face resting her forehead on her palm with a sigh.
"APE." she said casting a glare between her fingers and turned walking down the path into the wind. Zell sighed slumping forward and then stood up and jogged after her. Well, some people would have been impressed. He caught up shortly, after all he had a rather prodigious land speed. Advancing there were sounds mostly of rushing wind along with the cold air from beneath the earth in the rushing wind of the caves, as yet for an unknown reason. The downward trend took them eventually to an immense chamber with eroded holes making the room a giant honeycomb of earthen lacuna. There the wind rushed buffeting them from every angle, it was obvious that Zell was not comfortable here his eyes darting as his head turned always meeting a gust in his eyes that had his eyes watering and squinting. Fujin however had closed her eyes and was standing still, listening to the whistling song of the depths, admittedly they were on a time limit but some things deserved attention. Then the sound came, like a voice from every side, to her credit she merely flinched at the screeching voice like an enraged child blended into the screeching of twisting steel sending vicious shivers down the spine and grating pain across the mind. Zell however had a look of concentration on his face crouched in a battle ready posture prepared to engage the enemy from any angle shielded eyes looking around for any sign of movement.
"WhO InTruDES in MY DoMAin!?" The voice oscillated out from it's huge volume into an alluring and indeed beautiful voice before screeching back into volumes painful to all but the deaf. The being revealed itself, a hollow form like a billowing dress whipped around the thing along with it's grave matted hair it's eyes singular burning pits of smoldering rage and sorrow, it's hands ending in claws nearly a foot long each adding to the obviously once lovely creature before them, it's howling voice echoing as the winds swirled about it violently seemingly in tandem with the violence of the wind about them. The being swept a hand and the wind seemed to form a howling swirl like a whirlwind horizontally that stabbed out in a violent point toward them menacingly. Any well trained warrior knew what to do when an enemy sent anything your way, get out of the way. Both dodged to opposite sides as the vortex gouged a divot in the granite floors of the cave.
"Well that was a good decision...." muttered Zell over his shoulder as he looked at the end of the attack, well at least they knew what to look for this time. He rolled backward kicking his legs up and rolling into a crouch with a backward somersault, legs set one hand down ready to move. This action was well worth the effort as he was immediately forced into a side roll as a shimmering blade visible only by its aftereffects came roaring at him a veritable hurricane twisting into a long vortex at it's center that looked more than a little ominous, he had seen what a vacuum could do to skin, the impact of the assault smashed into the ground ripping a massive gouge through the earth leaving a wickedly long scar across the surface of the cave, changing the tune of the whistles ever so slightly making the peaceful tune that much more forceful and vile, almost to the point of malice, though that may be the howling undead looking thing in the center of the room. Fujin though had time to analyze now watch the attacks, they all seemed to come fro the hands and mouth. It telegraphed it's movements rather well easy to notice where it was going to strike as it turned to face it's target, she waited and as it continued its attack on Zell with a bubble of hyper compressed air that left an indent on the floor where it struck. She cast a spell on herself she lined up a spell, launching a heavy shot of lightning leaping from her fingertips through the floating GF the entire form of the creature wracked and writhed riding energy as it whipped through her body jumping fro her hair and feet to the rocks arching across her sharpened teeth and causing smoke to rise from inside her eyes sockets.
This attack gave Zell enough time to find his feet and close quickly giving the GF only moments before the impact of a heavily augmented fist. The being's eyes whipped into startled focus and a clawed hand rose not aimed at the fist that veritably glowed with enhancement but instead the blades struck deep in his wrist the speed of the attack whipping by even his schooled defenses and leaving a bloody tattered gash in his arm as he was sent into a side spin, not one to be denied even by the startling strength of the blow used the twisting momentum to twist himself into a circular spin sending a heavy heel whipping into the shoulder of the beast sending it rocketing to the wall.
The impact unleashed a hellish screech from the ghastly form sending both Fujin and Zell screaming to the floor as blood flowed from one of Fujin's ears as an eardrum ruptured. In the meantime the creature floated back off the ground back near the wall with both opponents in view and arched it's back, head tilting back and then let loose another shattering screech though this one so powerful that Zell lost his footing as it washed over him and Fujin's remaining eye felt like it was vibrating her entire chest thrumming with vibration and pain.
The two SeeD fell to the ground and the ghastly form floated into the air over Fujin looking down on her with a grisly smirk. Fujin muttered under her breath her eyes closed as the wailing horror raised a hand to land a crushing blow, the claw descended only to be blocked by another deformed appendage, this one of slightly more familiar twisted being.
GF against GF Diablos paused it's opponents attack and gave a new sweep of a tail as it raised a clawed foot and kicked back the unnatural being even as the terrain flushed away to an endless darkness as the horror rolled to a halt and began to stand. High above the GF Diablos drew in the swarm of shadowed fliers coalescing into the orb that was the hallmark of it's Dark Messenger.
Even as the massive ball descended the gaunt female form began to scream before suffering the super compression of the relayed message flatening and distorting its form as the gravity of its assault lay upon the howling horror's shoulders leaving it huffing and sobbing on the ground in pain as the whistling caverns rematerialized around it slowly bleeding back into real space. The recovered and ready pair began their attack anew. This new salvo of aggression began with a set of spells from the enhanced Fujin who drew forth two spells and cast them in conjunction. A Meltdown and Firaga spell the Meltdown compressing the fiery explosion into a shaft of screaming flames.
This was something Fujin had been working on for some time, she called it a Puncture Bolt for the simple reason that that was exactly what it did. The blazing missile impacted the GF hard in the midsection burning a hole clear through the being even as it stood to fight. Black tears staining its face began anew as the roaring pain from the instantly blazed and cauterized hole simmered in the middle of it's form it did not possess the will to counter. Zell, to his credit, finally was able to lay into the being again this time pulling a full four hit combination against the being. Scoring a punch to it's hip bending it off its guard, followed immediately with the other fist to it's gut to put it's head in range for the next stage. He swung a harsh kick toward its head with a spun laying the momentum laden heel onto its shoulder to set the stage for the final blow of the combination. He used that leg as a fulcrum to pull the other leg across this time in a heel to the temple that cast the being to the floor as it howled it's displeasure.
He swiftly broke as they landed and tried to escape, though this time he caught a slightly unexpected attack, the thing should hardly have been thinking clearly but none the less Fujin yelled something into the wind but all he could see was the movement of her mouth as the word seemed to flow in slow motion...
D...U...CK... The meaning flashed into his mind right as the pain exploded between his shoulders the compressed air bubble slamming into his back with the force as great as his hardest punch knocking the air fro his lungs and brought flecks of blood to his lips as he was lifted and throws a good five meters before plungeing to the earth writhing in the wracking pain of the blow, effectively decommissioned as the assault left him barely able to do more than writhe in pain.
The being floated back into the air even as combat joined again minus a combatant, the two squared off The burning pits in the face of the scorched GF clashed with the inky black ichor of it's oozing head wound. Fujin herself was looking a little scuffed up, blood from her ear trickled in a crusty line down the side of her head accompanied by the red twinge to her vision that had nothing to do with anger and everything to do with a ruptured blood vessel. They faced one another down, and even as the being arched it's back to loose another hellish scream Fujin mixed a pair of spells and cast them with the sort of speed that only practice and the gifts of Pandemonia can bring, Even as the screech began to bounce off the walls the fire engulfed the enemy the red angry flames lanced through with a toxic blackness that burned into a thick black smoke. The Banshee's voice caught in it's dried and burning ruptured through as its vision closed in on it and what felt to be liquid fire oozed through it's veins as it began the same pained, silent writhing that Zell was only just recovering from. Fujin walked forward, unhurried and planted her combat boot right on the creatures throat pinning it's head and leaned in.
"Join Me." She said in voice barely discernible above the Din and the being opened it's eyes the smoldering pits gone leaving only dark blackness and Fujin held out a hand laying it on the withered breast of the defeated GF and with practiced ability triggered her Draw, and unsurprisingly the being grew faint for a moment a visage of it's form pulled from it's body into her hand as the true form slowly faded the soft singing voice echoed through the suddenly calm and musical caverns.
"I Accept......" slowly lost on the cool winds as Zell punched in the end codes into his portable communicator signaling the time. He looked down at it and smirked looking up at her even as his glowing palm unleashed a cure spell to help him stand and breath a little easier speaking as he cast one to her.
-X-X-X
They had been walking in silence back toward the garden, Fujin was more than a little happy with herself after her good show and strong 'Force to show for it. Though she was so lost in thought that she completely missed that Zellhad started to talk to her animatedly and she caught him mid sentence with what he was going on about hoping her lapse of attention could be made up by feigning knowledge.
"...That thing you did with the pain and fire spells, that was hella cool. I didn't know you could even do that with a double spell... By the way how did you do that, I could always only use it to cast the same spell multiple times, not that that isn't a damn good way to use it, but still, what's the trick?!" he asked in that way that was both reassuringly jumpy and frighteningly quick to pick up on things, no matter how much of a fool he made himself to seem he was as sharp as the Lionheart when he put his mind to it...
"SECRET" She said with the cool finality of a veteran disciplinary member. Zell actually stopped walking for a moment looking at her with an expression somewhere between irritation and complete disapproval, all in all, it made for a very impressive glare that she returned just as harshly leading to a good thirty seconds of them gazing impetuously at one another before Zell shrugged without breaking eye contact and grinned.
"I'll pick it up from Squall later, after all he'll get it out of you after he reads my PAR..." He said with that cocky grin that had driven a certain blond gunblader right up the wall. She blinked and her head dropped, she had completely forgotten about the Post Action Reports, lovely, well secret's out and in Garden's hands. She'd be lucky if they named the technique after her. She returned to glaring at the tattooed blond but he knew he'd one, he had seen the defeat and threw his hands behind his head and began to stroll, her teeth met with an audible click of irritation, damnable ranking officers.....
A/N: Decided to finally run a little more combat as that seems to be something some poeple really wanted. More of Zell, this time being uncomfortably smart in his responses... Well anyway, I finally got back to my atrophied and starving stories. amazing how when I finally sit down to write I have a lot pouring onto the page. wrote this in a little under two days. Next chapter at..... about 40% as well. So expect that one soon, I'll see if I can't make up a little lost time. Sorry to you all, keep reading! it makes you smarter! even if my writing and grammer are atrocious! R&R, Last Harlequin