Holy crap, chapter three appears after just over a year! Yeah, I'm not exactly gonna get any prizes for my updating speed.
ADarkknight: Funny thing, this chapter, minus the title, clocks in at exactly 4,000 words. In your face :P
Kai: Doesn't everyone love Fujin yuri? Zell's a fairly simple person, fairly good-natured. While he never got on with Seifer because of the relentless teasing, I can't really see Fujin treating him the same way, and so he wouldn't have so much of a problem with her, beyond the invasion of Balamb. With his beloved matron on Fujin's side, after getting over his initial abger, he's the kind of guy who'd forgive her. He's just, well, nice. And easy to make fun of xD As for Fujin having a sense of humour, it's not exactly as if it was shown she doesn't in the game; truthfully, she doesn' get much characterisation in the game at all, so most bets are off when it comes to her. Still, Fujin doesn't seem like much of a laugher, but it doesn't mean she's utterly incapable of it.
renny-chan: Frozen is such a pain in the arse, I swear! I'm constantly second-guessing everything I do in this, wondering whether it's too similar to Frozen, which just results in me getting hacked-off.
spikesagitta: It's the eyepatch, I swear. All women with eyepatches instantly become hot. Or maybe it's just my fetish!
I'd like to really apologise to everyone I've kept waiting for this chapter for so damn long.
There's a few notes at the end of the chapter
Chapter Three - Bailong Rising
Her spirits had been high when she'd returned to the dormitory the previous day, still abuzz from her reacceptance to Balamb Garden, but the night had been long and slow without much rest, her nerves getting the better of her. Sure, she had been approved of by the administration, but that was the easy part. Now she had to deal with her fellow cadets, and they would be far harder to gain acceptance from. She knew she wouldn't be able to keep the things she had done secret; several of the students came from Balamb and would know all about her part in the occupation of the small town.
Not that she wanted to whitewash it all away. She had done those things, she deserved to live the rest of her life carrying that burden, but who could blame her for wanting to try and move past it? All those who suffered because of her actions, that's who.
She lay on her bed - her bed, not having to share with her over-muscled brother, a simple fact she revelled in - one hand resting on her chest over her heart, the back of her other hand draped over her forehead as she stared up at the ceiling, unseeing. For a moment, she considered packing her things and just leaving, going back to Fisherman's Horizon and... well, she'd be running away, and Fujin didn't run from anything she didn't have to, and always felt ashamed when she did. No, she would stick through with this, however nasty it might get. She owed it to herself to not give up.
Rolling onto her side, she glanced at the clock, noting it was still a few hours before her first class, GF Theory. She wouldn't learn anything new, but her attendance was mandatory, and she'd get Pandemona back, reason enough to make sure she'd be there. She frowned at that thought though, remembering what Dr. Kadowaki had said the previous day. She supposed it was all down to her journey from FH to the Orphanage, where she almost constantly had to fight to stay alive. She had quite enjoyed it really, the only muscles she needed to use being the physical ones, not the one in her head. There was something satisfying about just beating the hell out of anything that got in her way. Maybe that was the sort of attitude she should take on her path to becoming a SeeD, just barging straight through whilst paying no heed to those she left in her wake. But then, she knew she could do that quite easily. No, she came here not just to become SeeD, but for a second chance at being... normal. There were things that she could not help, which would certainly hinder such a task, but she didn't want to shy away from it. She wanted friends that weren't Seifer and Raijin; she loved the pair of them, she really did, but they still drove her crazy most of the time, and being cooped up with them for over a year had only exacerbated her exasperation towards them. And what about female friends? So she might not be the most feminine of women, and not much taken to gossiping and general girl talk, or even talking at all, but she still felt somewhat isolated in that sense. The only girls she ever spent time around in FH were whichever bimbos Seifer and/or Raijin were trying to get into bed, whilst Fujin had to sit by herself. They tried setting her up with a few guys, not wanting her to be left out, but it never worked out, mostly because none of them interested her. She was sick of it being just her, Seifer and Raijin all of the time, so now she was throwing herself into a situation where she could potentially make new, different friends. And that's why she couldn't afford to just plough through this year as a cadet, however much easier that might be for her.
She looked at the clock again, noting only a few minutes had passed. It wasn't like her, she decided, to be this nervous. Not for herself at least. She rolled off the bed and quickly dressed herself, grabbing her chakram before leaving. At least this morning she could work off her stress. She paused outside of Alleyra's door, listening to the curious noises coming from inside, but she shrugged her shoulders and ignored it, instead heading for the training centre.
She found she quite liked the silent hallways, even though the normal bustle was part of what made Balamb Garden what it was. It was these quiet times that she felt most at home there, just her and Garden. Arriving at the training centre, she ran her card through the reader attached to the door, resulting in a beep and a red light flashing up on the display. Fujin frowned, running her card through the reader again, only getting the same response. Looking closer at the display panel, she read the message that appeared upon it, before lashing out with her foot to strike the unmoving door. If Raijin had been here, she'd probably have kicked his shin, but he wasn't, so the door would just have to suffice, even if it hurt her more than she had hurt the door.
As she strode down the long corridor, back towards the central hub of Balamb Garden, Fujin had an idea, taking the elevator up to the second floor, heading for the balcony. A lone figure stood there, looking out towards the lightening horizon.
"INSTRUCTOR," Fujin said, eliciting a squeak and a jump from the unsuspecting woman.
"Don't sneak up on me like that!" she said as she turned around, clutching a hand to her chest, as she willed her heart rate down.
Fujin just stared back at her impassively, arms hanging loosely by her side as she cocked her head.
"Can I help you with..." Quistis's eyes trailed down to the chakram still held by Fujin, before quickly looking back up to meet her gaze.
"TRAINING CENTRE. CAN'T GET IN."
"Oh... Oh! You had me worried for a moment there."
"AFRAID?" Fujin asked, raising the chakram held in her fist.
"Well, more nervous than afraid. I should know better than to think you'd just attack me or something."
"SHOULD YOU?"
Quistis felt chills run up her spine at the cold tone in Fujin's distorted voice, but swallowed it down. "I should believe in you, in the fact that you want to change, that you want to better yourself. That you're here for yourself, and not some hidden agenda. You deserve a second chance, and you won't get that so long as people like me cling to suspicion around you."
"NEGATIVE. SHOULDN'T FORGET."
"And you're alright with that? With not being trusted, with being constantly watched with suspicion?"
"FIGHT. STRUGGLE. EARN TRUST. REDEMPTION."
Running her fingers through her hair, Quistis sighed in frustration. "I can respect that, but I still think it's making things unnecessarily harder upon yourself. Though, it's not like I can control the attitude of everyone in Garden to make it easier on you, so there'll at least be some people who will treat you that way, but there'll be people like me as well, those who believe in you. Whether you like it or not!"
Fujin growled, making Quistis laugh. "You are such a grouch, aren't you?"
"TRAINING CENTRE!" Fujin barked out, desperate to change the subject.
"Oh right. Well, technically you're not allowed in there unsupervised without passing the battle proficiency tests, and in theory, you haven't done that yet." At another growl from the white-haired woman, Quistis gave a small smile before continuing. "The bureaucracy is irritating, I realise, but it's there for a reason. You'll have to do the exams, even though we both know you're more than capable of passing them, so I'll try and get the first one set up for sometime this week, alright?"
"WILL SUFFICE."
"Well, I should probably get ready for the day ahead. Don't forget your first lesson with me is in just a few hours. I'll see you then Fujin."
For the second time in as many days, Fujin found herself alone on the balcony, staring out at the horizon as the sun slowly rose. Returning to the dorms, she paused outside of Alleyra's door once more, the noises from earlier seemingly unabated. She hesitated for a moment, before deciding to leave the younger girl alone and entering her own room. Putting her chakram away, she sat on the bed, staring at the wall for a few long minutes, unsure of what exactly she should do. In the old days, she'd be training right now, passing the time until Seifer and Raijin got up, and from then until the end of her day, she always knew what she was doing. But now, now she had time to herself, so much of it, and she had no idea how to spend that time. Even with access to the training centre, she couldn't spend all of her free time there; she'd get bored and fed up of it. But being unable to leave Garden severely restricted the possibilities. No, there was only one thing for it. She was going to have to make some friends, or die trying.
Rising from her bed, she moved into the small communal area and knocked on the door to 29a. The sounds from within ceased, but no reply came, so she knocked again, harder this time.
"Go away!" she heard Alleyra yell through the door, her voice still deep with fatigue.
"MORNING. GET UP," Fujin replied, rapping her fist a third time upon the door.
"Six A.M. is not the morning, now piss off!"
"SUN ROSE. IS MORNING. GET UP."
"For the love of Hyne... Alright, alright, I'll get up! Stupid freak."
Fujin waited, her arms crossed over her chest as she stood before the still-closed door. As a startled yelp followed by a cry of pain came from inside, she quickly moved into action. Reaching out, she slid open the hidden panel by the door, unlatching the magnetic bolt. Sliding the panel closed as she pulled open the door, she found Alleyra sprawled on the floor, clutching at her thigh. The younger woman looked up in surprise as Fujin moved to crouch before her.
"How did you--"
"HURT?" Fujin quickly interrupted.
"I just lost my balance. Anyway, how did you--"
"PUT WEIGHT ON BAD LEG?" Fujin interrupted again.
"I'm fine already! Now stop interrupting and just tell me how you got in?" Alleyra bellowed.
"SECRET," Fujin replied simply as she rose to her feet, her face impassive as she loomed over the girl still sprawled across the floor.
Alleyra flinched momentarily as the hands came out towards her, Fujin reflexively shifting backwards, an unreadable expression upon her face. They remained like that for a few moments before Fujin again extended her hands out to Alleyra, coming to a rest before her. Ignoring them, Alleyra grabbed onto the bed, using it to haul herself to her feet, wobbling somewhat unsteadily. "I'm not a cripple, I don't need your help," she snarled, as she steadied herself with a hand upon the wall.
"NOT A FREAK, NOT NEED YOUR CRAP," Fujin replied, crossing her arms over her chest. "GET DRESSED. BREAKFAST." She turned to leave, but her eye was caught by the weapon hanging from two hooks embedded in the left wall. A six-foot long metal shaft bearing a pointed weight upon one end, a large curved blade on the other. Looking back at Alleyra, she gave a small smile. "GUANDAO. NICE," she commented before exiting the room.
Striding into the attached bathroom, she turned on the tap, splashing water onto her face. Turning it off, Fujin dried her face with a towel, before staring into the mirror, trying to erase the image of Alleyra wearing nothing but a skimpy dressing gown from her mind. She frowned as a stray thought crossed her brain. Alleyra had flinched away from her hands. Fujin's movements hadn't been sudden, and yet, Alleyra's instincts told her to be afraid. Did she know of Fujin's past and feared her because of it? The idea disheartened her, that she might have already lost a potential friend, someone she could actually reach out to and connect with.
Heading back to her room, she passed Alleyra clad only in a towel, presumably going to take a shower. Closing the door behind her, Fujin opened up her closet, reaching inside and withdrawing a large blue jacket. It had been quite a while since she'd worn it, since it had proved neither thick enough while climbing through the mountains of Esthar, nor thin enough whilst crossing the Kashkabald Desert. Freshly cleaned by Edea, a fact that still mortified her to think of, it was now fit to wear, but still she hesitated. To her it was a symbol of who she had been back then, a uniform marking her membership of the posse, something that would only serve to remind herself and others of that time. Shaking her head, she moved to hang it back up in the closet when a screech sounded from the bathroom. Dropping the jacket, she barrelled out of her room as the bathroom door opened up, a naked Alleyra dripping water over the floor as she glared at Fujin. Turning her head away, the older woman stared at the wall, a look of consternation crossing her face.
"TOO COLD?" she asked hesitantly, having realised what must have happened.
"Yes," came the icy response from Alleyra, scowling with her hands on her hips.
"APOLOGIES. NOT GOOD WITH HEAT. FORGOT TO TURN BACK UP. WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN."
"It better not!" Alleyra replied, spinning around and stalking back into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. Jumping slightly at the loud banging noise it made, Fujin turned to face the closed door, scratching her head nervously. The younger girl puzzled her, so antagonistic and expressing confidence in her movement, and yet... Fujin couldn't help think back to Alleyra flinching away from her hands.
Returning to her room once more, she pulled out a black polo-neck, pulling it on over her t-shirt, carefully arranging the collar to cover the jagged scar across her throat. Picking up the book she had been reading, 'Hidden World: Esthar After Adel', she went back to the common area and curled up in a chair, opening up to the bookmark.
Approximately fifteen minutes later, Alleyra returned, dressed in her cadet uniform, crutch tucked under her arm. Replacing the bookmark, Fujin slipped the paperback into the back pocket of her jeans and walked to the front door, holding it open for Alleyra. Though the sun was indeed up, no one else seemed to be moving about as the two made their way through the dormitory block, their footsteps echoing in the silence around them. Fujin noted that her companion was manoeuvring a lot better than she had the previous day, having gotten the hang of using the crutch. As they reached the cafeteria, Fujin once more opened the door for Alleyra, entering behind her.
"We haven't got anything ready yet!" yelled out a voice from the depths behind the counter, startling the younger of the pair. Fujin, on the other hand, flipped up the panel in the counter, slipping through while motioning to Alleyra to follow her, a smile tugging at her lips.
"Didn't you hear me? We haven't got anything for y--" The voice cut off abruptly as the owner of the voice stepped into view. Easily topping six feet, the woman was heavyset, her limbs thick and strong, though they showed signs of having gone to seed over the years. Her black hair was pulled back into a messy bun popping out from the back of the hat she wore, a few loose strands tucked behind her ears. With her darkened skin and almond-shaped eyes, Alleyra couldn't place where she came from.
"Well I'll be damned, I didn't think I'd see you again!" the woman cried, a smile on her face as she moved towards the albino.
Alleyra gasped as the punch connected.
Truth be told, the blow hadn't caught Fujin off guard, she had just chosen not to avoid it. Staggering backwards a few steps, she caught her balance, drawing herself upright and holding herself with dignity as she stared back unflinchingly as the older woman drew near again. Readying herself to step in with her crutch, Alleyra was surprised when Fujin was scooped up in those strong arms and lifted off the floor in a large hug.
"Hyne, how long has it been?" she asked, setting the younger woman back down on the floor, a large grin gracing her features.
"FIFTEEN MONTHS, TWENTY-THREE DAYS," Fujin replied, self-consciously.
"You don't call, you don't write!"
"HARD TO HIDE WHEN SENDING MESSAGES," came the stony response, contradicted by the small smile upon Fujin's face.
Alleyra was confused. Why had the tall woman hit Fujin? Why had Fujin been hiding? She knew she was missing something, but she had no idea what it was.
"So you've come back. Signed up as a cadet again have you, Bailong?"
"Bailong?" Alleyra echoed, confusion plainly evident upon her face.
The taller woman turned to face her, surprised. "Forgive me, I forgot you were there, miss. Bailong means White Dragon in our language. And just who would you be?"
"Alleyra Velmar, ma'am."
Turning to Fujin, the older woman raised an eyebrow in question.
"ROOMMATE," answered Fujin, offering a shrug.
"Our language, you said?" Alleyra interrupted again, somewhat irked.
"Yes, we're both from Wa, a small island between Esthar and the Centra continent. I was quite surprised when two of my countrymen turned up here at Garden. We mostly keep to ourselves these days, living our lives in isolation from the outside world."
Silence crept over the three as they stood in the large kitchen, each lost in their own thoughts.
"Well, I should get back to the food. It won't be too long until I have a hoard of hungry cadets storming the counter. Help yourself to whatever you want, Bailong, and the same goes to you, Miss Alleyra."
"Thank you," Alleyra responded. As the older woman turned away, she called out again. "What's your name?"
"Oh, did I forget to say? I am Inari. Kaizoku Inari." And with that, she was gone.
Laughter caused Alleyra to turn to face Fujin who had a hand over her mouth, trying to stifle the noise. "What's so funny?"
"NAME. MEANS BOILED RICE PIRATE."
"And what does yours mean?"
"GOD OF WIND."
"What about your family name?"
"NO FAMILY. NO NAME. ALONE EXCEPT BROTHER. NOW SIT," Fujin said, gesturing towards a nearby stool.
Perched upon her seat, Alleyra watched the older girl as she started to cook. Neither of them spoke, the only sounds those coming from the food and that of Inari and her colleagues working elsewhere in the kitchen.
Alleyra still didn't know if she liked Fujin, or was just incredibly annoyed with her, but she was certainly intrigued by the little snippets she had picked up here and there about her mysterious roommate.
The food done, Fujin dished it up, leading Alleyra back out into the dining area, sitting at a table near the large windows that covered the far wall. Alleyra tried to remember when was the last time she'd eaten with someone, but struggled to bring a time up in recent memory. No, she was very much the outcast here in Balamb Garden, and it was only a matter of time until Fujin turned away from her as well. She knew better than to look for friendship from the albino. Everyone always ended up hating her.
As they ate, a steady flow of cadets entered the cafeteria, the increasing number making Alleyra more and more nervous, something that didn't escape Fujin's notice. Her brow furrowed in puzzlement as she glanced around the large room, but nothing particularly stood out. She wasn't very good at this, but she'd at least make the effort. Reaching out, she placed her hand over Alleyra's, who flinched at the touch once again. "WHO MADE YOU AFRAID?"
"I... I'm not af--"
Alleyra was cut off by the arrival of someone standing by their table. Fujin didn't look, instead watching Alleyra's eyes open wide in fright as she turned her head.
"Aw, look at the dykes holding hands!" a male voice spat out filled with venom. At his words, Alleyra snatched her hand away, clutching it to her chest as she cast her eyes downwards. Pushing her chair backwards, Fujin rose to her feet, the scraping sound causing Alleyra to look back up at her.
"DYKES?" Fujin said emotionlessly, as she turned to face the newcomer. He stood an inch or two taller than her, spiked brown hair adding another inch or so, his frame toned and trim, but not especially large. He looked familiar to her, but she couldn't quite place him. The same couldn't be said for him, as his face paled in recognition.
"Fujin... what are you..." he trailed off. Whispers started to spread around the room as more and more people recognised the white-haired woman. Alleyra didn't know what was going on, but it seemed that Fujin was somewhat famous here at Balamb Garden. Alleyra was still fairly new at the Garden, having transferred from Trabia the previous year after the Second Sorceress War.
"Traitor!" someone in the background cried out. "How dare you come back?" a second voice called, and soon several other people joined in, crying out foul imprecations towards her. Fujin held her head up high, letting all their curses pass her by like she didn't care.
"Hey! Shut it!" a new voice bellowed, drawing attention to the source. Zell stood in the centre of the room, fists clenched at his sides as he sucked in breath, before continuing. "We all know Fujin's past, and no one here's got more reason than me to hate her, but it don't matter! Cid, Squall, and even Edea have all given their blessing to her rejoining Balamb Garden, so just suck it up! If you don't back the hell off already, I'll write the whole lot of you up!"
As several people sat back down, or left the cafeteria quickly, the boy who instigated it all leaned in towards Fujin. "This isn't over, freak," he hissed, malevolently. "We'll be seeing you again."
Realisation finally dawned on Fujin. "CAPTAIN PEE-PEE PANTS!" she cried out in exclamation, the name Seifer had given him after an unfortunate incident with the Disciplinary Committee.
Silence suddenly echoed around the room as the boy's face turned a deep red, everyone staring at him. Letting out a cry of rage, he lashed out, smashing his fist into Fujin's face, snapping her head backwards.
Slowly, she turned it to face back at him, a sick grin spreading across her face. "THANK YOU." As he swung again, this time she caught his fist within one of her own, squeezing hard as she pulled it to one side. Jabbing the fingers of her free hand into his throat, he gagged harshly, before crumpling to his knees as she drove her knee into his chest. Releasing his hand, she clasped hers together and smashed them downwards across his temple, pulling back for a second hit. Hands grasped her wrists, and she turned to face the cool grey eyes of Zell as the boy slumped face-first to the floor, unconscious.
"Cool it Fujin, it's over!" he said, looking her in the eye. Satisfied that she'd calmed down, he let go of her and took a step backwards.
Looking down at her victim, Fujin sneered, dropping her arms by her side. "MESSAGE SENT."
Alleyra sat perfectly still in her seat, having not moved a single inch the whole time. Who the hell was this woman?
Bailong : White Dragon, as explained in the chapter. It's one of the five canonized dragon kings, named by Emperor Huizong of Song.
Guandao: A gnarly looking spear. It's use is actually quite unconventional for a spear; it relies heavily upon agility and dexterity, often incorporated into a very flowing, dance-like style. It's mostly used in Wushu these days. An example can be seen at http://www.ampg.asso.cc-pays-de-gex.fr/Images/guandao-t.jpg
Wa: The ancient name for Japan. I wanted a distinctly oriental name, but logically, I couldn't use China or Japan. Xu is a very Chinese name, alongside Fujin and Raijin, who are Shinto gods (Japanese), so there's most likely a somewhat oriental region in the FF8 world. For me, I'd be somewhat inclined to just label Esthar so, but it doesn't quite fit (maybe more Russian than oriental). The island I picked for Wa (which I should note, Xu DOES NOT come from) is just on the south-west corner of the Estharian continent.
Inari: God of Fertility, rice, agriculture, and others; Kaizoku: Sea Robber/Pirate. Also, interestingly, different writings of Fujin produce some interesting translations; heartlessness/inhumanity, battle formation/lineup, woman, etc.
One last thing, a small request. Does anyone remember the name of an FF8 fanfic that focuses mostly on Xu, Quistis and an OC starting several years before the game as Quistis first joins Balamb Garden as a cadet? I really liked the fic, even though there's no femmeslash in it at all, but I can't seem to find it anymore.
Thanks for reading, and here's hoping it's not another year 'til chapter 4!