Page 32 - RKJ 2019 Online Flip Version

Raijin's question from earlier remains rocky gray, it's the center of the face that is
The One They Left Behind
by Lily (h34rt1lly)
Up above, the sky rumbles in warning; the
deafening booms are a missive to the people
below who are scrambling for safety—hurry,
hurry, hurry, they seem to say. The underbelly
of the clouds are tainted with disturbing rivulets
of crimson, and when Fujin looks upwards,
shielding her eye from the bright flashes of
lightning, panic lances through her. It's been
eons since the Lunar Cry last occurred, and
she never thought she'd be around to see the
next one. She never thought it would happen
again at all.
As she's still staring up at the ominous
view, Raijin sprints past her and falters when
he realizes she isn't right on his heels. With
wide eyes, he looks back over his shoulder at
her. "Fuu! What are ya doin'?" he exclaims,
throwing his large arms out in disbelief.
Unsure of what to say, Fujin shakes her
head. The motion is slow, filled with dread and
hopelessness. Up until this point, she hasn't
realized just how hopeless she's felt. Losing
Seifer to his own mind and lust for glory has
traumatized her enough, but now . . . does he
really plan on taking down the entire world with
him? Maybe if they had left him sooner, parted
ways earlier and told him that they couldn't
bear to see him like this—a broken, crazed
shell of the man they thought they'd known so
well—things wouldn't have reached the
breaking point.
The loaded question, one they'll never get
the answer to, haunts her. She continues to
stare up at the foreboding sky, wondering
where they'll go and what they'll do without
their leader. It's been years since the three of
them have been separated for longer than a
day, and the gaping hole in their trio leaves her
hollow, numb.
unanswered, and, concerned, he sidles up to
her. With a furrowed brow, he watches her
intently for a moment before he too looks up at
the sky. A few tense seconds tick by before, in
a quiet voice, he says, "Fuu . . . we gotta go,
ya know?"
She fights to swallow the lump in her
throat. Barely louder than a whisper, she asks,
"How? How do we just . . . leave him behind?"
His normally jovial expression falls into a
deep frown, and he looks back over her
shoulder. They're only a few feet away from
the door they'd just come through, the door
that leads back to Seifer. It would be so easy
to turn around and go back. The sound of
metal clashing against metal rings out, audible
even through the thick walls of Lunatic
Pandora. Seconds later, the bell-like tinkles of
magic being cast echo down the hall, before a
resounding crash follows. With each clang,
they both wince, knowing what's happening
behind the door.
Eventually, Raijin tears his gaze away from
the doors—from their past—and looks over at
Fujin. "You told Squall that it was up to him
now, ya know? Ya gotta trust in 'im. Trust that
he's the only one who can help Seifer now."
Fujin's eye slides shut, and a tear escapes
from the corner. "Did I . . . Was I right in
making that choice?"
As always, Raijin seems to be able to
sense her state of mind. He lays a heavy hand
on her shoulder, prompting her to meet his
gaze. "You're always right when it comes to
Seifer, Fuu." She offers him a tentative smile,
and he adds, "But right now, we gotta get outta
here! Things are about to get much worse, ya
know?"
At his words, Fujin looks back up. As if on
cue, the clouds drift apart, revealing, inch-by-
inch, the unnatural face of the moon. It's
hanging much lower than is normal, nearly
filling the entire expanse of the dusky sky.
While the surface of the moon is its usual pale,
everyone's worst fears come true. Shades of
red, burnt orange, and chestnut mix together,
undulating as if the surface of the moon is now
alive—and really, it is. She knows the
movement of the colors is actually a plethora of
monsters, scrambling over one another as they
wait to rain down on the planet and wreak
havoc.
In the center of the "eye" is the greatest
concentration of monsters; a mesmerizing,
living orb that transitions from a pale, sky-blue
around the edges, to a deep, sinister shade of
indigo in the center. As they stand there,
staring up at the sky, the blue orb begins to
stretch downwards towards them. The tip of
the teardrop swells, visibly filled to the brim
with monsters that none alive have seen
before. For a moment, the drop looks as if it's
suspended in the sky, frozen in time. Then,
without further preamble, it gushes forth
towards the surface of the planet.
The entire sky, from edge to edge of her
vision, is quickly filled with the tears of the
moon. Her heart stops for the briefest of
moments, and she sways in place. Raijin
reaches up to steady her, and shouts, "We
gotta go! Now!"
Fujin meets his eyes, wide with fear that
she is sure mirrors her own.
Suddenly, Seifer's face flashes through her
mind. For as long as she has known him, he
has always been sure, cocky even—so utterly
confident that things will work out in his favor,
so long as he surpasses everyone else,
becomes the best. If he were out here, facing
this threat with them and not as the one
causing it, he would remain brave in the face of
danger, even if it seemed as hopeless as this.
Briefly, she closes her eye and takes a
deep breath, steeling herself. When she opens
it again, she offers the most assured nod that
she can manage, remembering Seifer and the
man he used to be.
"AFFIRMATIVE."