This Chapter is dedicated to my friend and fan Astraea =) Cooling down. A loud pounding noise jolted Quistis awake with a start. She'd fallen asleep on the couch waiting for Fujin. Hopping up she rushed to the door hoping that it was her. Upon opening the door that hope faded as she encountered Squall's scowling countenance. "Where is she?" He said stiffly he's eyes glinting sharply. "Who?" Quistis said with a sense of apprehension, something was up. "Fujin." "Why?" Quistis went on the defensive immediately. "Come on, lets go for a walk." He turned and walked up the hall. "What's this about." Quistis called as she tossed on her shoes and scurried after him. "I've had enough of this." He responded gravely. "What the hell happened!?" Quistis all but shouted. "Fujin and Rinoa got into it." Squall said with an all to relaxed tone Quistis found unsettling. "What did Rinoa do to her?" "Rinoa isn't talking about it. I had to find out from Nicole." "Well tell me damn it!" "Nicole though it would be a good idea to get Rinoa and Fujin to sit and talk out their differences." Quistis paused and made a screwed up face. "What differences? I know Rinoa doesn't care much for her but I always figured Selphie was the one who hated her guts?" "That’s what I thought too." Squall shrugged. "Well go on what happened?" "Apparently Rinoa made a comment about you and Fujin belted her in the mouth, knocked her cold" "Oh gods." Quistis shook her head. "Fu..." "You two are close I take it." Squall said evenly, more of a statement of fact than a question. "What difference does that make?" Quistis said guardedly. "I'll take that as a yes. Regardless Fujin has taken to you and is protective; she was the same way with Seifer. You know how she was with Seifer; she'd be at anyone's throat if they dared insult him. " "I remember." Quistis sighed. "Well she's your friend now so you are going to have to teach her how to behave herself around the others until things calm down." "You aren't doing anything about this?" Quistis asked warily. "I can't appear to play favorites, besides Fujin won't listen to me but she will listen to you." "What about Rinoa?" "To be honest she started it, Fujin never did anything to her. Rinoa is just worried she's going to steal her friend away." "What?" "Rinoa sees you like an older sister." "I know but what does that have to do with Fujin?" "We'll look at it from her point of view. The past few months you've been moody and distant. Locking yourself in your apartment and not seeing anyone. Everyone was getting worried about you." "I..." Quistis started, having the urge to tell him he was partly the cause of her past woes. He held up his hands defensively to stop her. "I know, let's not go there, it's in the past, just leave it at that." "Fine..." She stiffened and nodded, she was over him now, her heart lay with Fujin and no one else. "Well all of a sudden you buddy up to Fujin whom, to be honest isn't a saint." "That’s not her fault." Quistis frowned. "I'm not here to judge, let me finish I want to get this over with so I can go to sleep." Squall sighed and ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "Alright then." Quistis relented. "Basically it comes down to this. Rinoa is jealous of your friendship with Fujin, she feels rejected by her best friend and is taking it out on Fujin when it's you she's mad at. Honestly you've been spending far more time with her than with any of us" "She's mad at me?" Quistis looked shocked. "Yes you." "How do you know all this?" Squall gave a dry smile that was devoid of any humor. "I'm a good judge of character." "Look I quit coming around so much because I feel like a third wheel every time I do." Quistis folded her arms and frowned. "That’s between you and the others, you know I don't go anywhere unless forced anyway." "So what do you want me to do about Fujin." Quistis sighed heavily. "That’s up to you but this fighting nonsense it out of hand and I'm sick of it. Keep her out of trouble, if she can't get along with the others don't bring her around them." "She can come and go as she pleases thank you very much." Quistis snapped angrily. "Don't make this harder than it has to be. I've already talked to Rinoa and the others they agree to just ignore her and leave her alone." "That’s awfully compassionate." Quistis snarled and walked away. "Quistis!" Squall shouted to her. "I get the point Squall!" She shouted back before leaving his sight. "For the love of..." Squall punched the wall with a resounding thud. ************************** "I think you over reacted." Zell said quietly as he and Nicole lay resting in the darkness of their bedroom. "She knocked one of my best friends senseless, what would you have done." "Rinoa's my friend too. I just think you where a little harsh. Rinoa has been bad mouthing Fujin pretty much none stop." "So you're saying she deserved it?" Nicole nearly shouted in shock. "Your putting words in my mouth now. I'm just saying I can see why Fujin snapped. She came over to try and be social not be to be verbally beaten all night. Now in light of all that she's put up with from Selphie and Rinoa both can you blame her for getting a little aggressive." "A little aggressive. Zell, she knocked her out cold." "Rinoa has a glass jaw." Zell said bluntly. "Your horrible." Nicole balked and kicked him bodily out of bed. He hit the floor hard and looked up at her pitifully. "Hey that hurt!" He sulked. "Good you deserved it you ogre." She tossed a pillow at him. "Yeah well I can live with that but can't you see my point?" Zell look at her pleadingly. "I guess." Nicole sighed heavily and helped him to his feet. "I thought you hated her too?" "Yeah I know, I used to but Miss Trepe really is fond of her and I guess she's not that bad once you get to know her." "You look up to her a lot huh?" "Who, Miss Trepe?" "Yeah." Nicole smirked wrapping her arms around his neck. "She's my teacher, she looked out for me and taught me everything I know. How can I not." "That’s sweet of you." Nicole smiled and kissed him softly. "Just being honest he shrugged." "Uh huh." She murmured pressing him back down onto the bed. ********************** It was late, nearly midnight. The full moon bathed everything in its soft blue glow. Fujin lay quietly atop wall out front of Balamb's main entrance. The same wall she came to anytime she wanted to think. She watched the stars overhead twinkle merrily and carefree in the night. She sniffed lightly and hated herself for her weakness. Not so long ago she would have let what happen roll of her back like water without a second thought. Now though, she had changed and words hurt as much as fists. "Monster." She thought, recalling Nicole's words. "She's right, they’re all right. Who was I kidding, I can never fit in with any of them." "You never cared for what people thought before." "Quistis." She murmured inaudibly. She knew Quistis would be disappointed and angry. "I thought I'd find you here." A voice called to her from the sidewalk. Fujin sat up and looked down from her perch, she was surprised to see Selphie looking up at her with a more than annoyed expression. She was in slippers and a nightgown, Irvine's coat hanging about her ridiculously. "GO AWAY." Fujin said grimly then laid back down. Selphie shoved her hands in her pockets and pulled the coat about her as a breeze kicked up tossing her short hair about. "Look I'm not here to pretend to like you, to be honest I hate your guts." Selphie said simply as she starting pacing back and forth. "I heard what happened and I know why. I figured I can try to help out." "I DON"T NEED YOU." Selphie laughed bitterly. "You presume to much, I'm not here for you I'm here because Quistis is worried sick, she just woke me up looking for you." "AND." "And.. She needs a friend right now, I know what she's been going through lately. She feels lonely and being around us makes that more pronounced." Selphie shrugged and looked up at Fujin who stared gloomily at the heavens. "If she feels comfortable enough around your sorry carcass to call you friend then I guess I need to accept that for better or for worse." Selphie shifted from uncomfortably trying to figure out how to continue. "Look I have to give you kudos, as much as I hate it. Rinoa badmouthed Quistis and you jumped to her defense, I respect that. Of course you hurt another friend of mine in the process, but considering what I've done lately I won't fault you on that. If you really give two cents about Quistis then don't upset her by letting this mess chase you off. You're the one she feels closest to right now, It sucks but I guess it's the truth." "WHY ARE YOU SAYING THIS?" "Because she's my friend and I'm worried about her. Don't think I'm going to go shopping with you and pretend we're all roses cause we aren't." "OF COURSE." "Glad we understand each other." Selphie nodded and turned to walk inside. "You know Fujin." She called as she walked up the steps leading into the lobby. "After this week, with the fighting and people being mad at me, I can see a bit of what it's like to be in your shoes." "AND?" Fujin asked genuinely curiously. "It sucks." Selphie admitted. "But you deserve it." She added as the lobby doors shut behind her. Fujin sighed closing her eyes wearily. She had no idea what to do; she didn't have the courage to face Quistis right now, to face the disappointment in her eyes. *************************** Quistis walked quietly out into the night. Selphie oddly enough had let her know where to find Fujin and feeling of trepidation crept into her as she neared the wall. "Aren't you cold out here?" She said softly to the darkness. "NO." Fujin answered. "Liar." Quistis chuckled following the sound of her voice. "WHY ARE YOU HERE?" Fujin sighed. "Why do you think silly." Quistis smiled zeroing in her friend and lover. "YOU KNOW?" "Yes, come down we'll talk about it." "NEGATIVE." "What have I told you about that." "RUINED EVERTHING." Fujin said bitterly. "Oh don't start." Quistis smiled and kicked off her shoes. She looked at the wall with a frown. "ANGRY AT ME?" "Yes." "I AM SORRY." "You should have decked her far earlier than that." Quistis giggled as she jumped in an attempt to find a handhold on the wall. "MOCKING ME?" Fujin sniffed. "Never hon. Just trying to cheer you up." She failed to find a grip on the wall and put her hands on her hips. "Come on down, talk to me." "NO." "What and why on earth not?" "ASHAMED." "That’s not like you." Quistis looked up and frowned sadly. "LET YOU DOWN." "Who put that crazy notion in your head?" "I AM MONSTER." Fujin said quietly. "Fu.." Quistis's heart sank as she heard the pain in her voice "You are not. Don't do this." "HORRIBLE." "Fu, please come down." Quistis cried quietly pressing her forehead to the wall. Silence answered her and she sank down to her knees. "I miss you..." She whispered to softly as tears burned her eyes. The sound of movement made her look up. Fujin peered down at her meekly; she seemed small and childlike in that moment and Quistis desperately wanted to comfort her. She stood and reached out to her. "Fu." She whispered with a gentle smile. Fujin swallowed and after a moment offered a helping hand. Quistis took it and was pulled atop the wall. Fujin sat down a noticeable distance away and hung her head. Quistis sighed and settled behind her wrapping her arms around her. "I've missed you." Quistis whispered and hugged her tightly. Fujin was stiff at first but soon melted back against her embrace. "LOVE YOU." Fujin said with a voice choked with emotion. "That's most sense you've made all night." Quistis giggled between tears. "I AM SORRY." "Don't be, it's not your fault, even Squall says so." "I DON'T KNOW." "Oh I do so don't think twice about it." Quistis rocked her slowly and blew playfully in her ear. "ACK!" Fujin giggled and squirmed. "Oh Ho!" Quistis laughed triumphantly then started an all out assault. "NO, NO, NO WE WILL FALL! Fujin warned between laughing and trying to wiggle loose. "Better be careful then." Quistis said wickedly as their laughter echoed into night.
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