I'll Protect You
Hello all. My name is Juwpiter, and I will be your newest author in FF:XIII. This story is a little bit of a crazy idea I got while at work, and I wanted to take it seriously, so I will put as much effort into this as I can muster. I'll try to keep everyone in character, but I may slip (I've already seen that Lightning will be hard, her personality is simple, yet so rigid, No flexibility! XD) Innuendos aside, I will try to keep you updated on any news that I have to tell you guys.
But enough of me, you aren't reading this to learn about me or my mindless ramblings, so, enjoy the story.
Edit: Re-posted this chapter with new formatting and some grammatical revisions.
Name: I'll Protect You
Timeframe: Nearing the end of Chapter 11 in game, just arriving in Oerba.
Word Count: 2743 (story without A/N's)
Disclaimer: I did not come up with, own, or create Final Fantasy XIII or it's characters in any way. I own only a copy of the game and a game guide. That is all. I own nothing more.
Chapter 1: A Way Home
The calm night that rests over Oerba is only a solemn reminder of the pain everyone has faced to get to this point. The fear that everyone has is justified by their brands getting closer and closer to turning them into Cie'th, and ending their mission to protect Cocoon outright. Despite all of this, this band of L'Cie must press on if they hope to save their home.
However, tonight they must rest. The once prosperous town of Oerba is now an empty, barren wasteland crawling with the Cie'th of past residents. Though the pain of returning to their home only to find it gone is great, Fang and Vanille need to stay strong to see Barthandelus stopped and Cocoon saved. They decide to take the group to where they stayed most of the time, a small shack that still had the belongings of Vanille and Fang.
"Well, home sweet home." Fang said as they stepped inside. "It ain't much, but it'll do for tonight." Vanille ran up to her old makeup set, still perched on the windowsill where she left it 500 years ago. "It's been so long…" Vanille spoke as she clutched the box to her chest. "Um…I only count 3 bunks." Sazh said, looking over the bedroom that was just behind the entryway, concealed from the rest of the house. "Well, yeah, that's how it is on Gran Pulse." Vanille said cheerfully. Sazh's chocobo flew out and squealed as it flew towards Vanille, while Sazh's face went long.
"So, we're gonna have to share bunks?" Hope asked, his voice a little worried. "Yep!" Vanille said. Sazh's head hung down as low as possible. "I'm getting too old for this" he sighed. Hope's face showed concern as to who he'll bunk with, but was changed to shock when Snow patted his back. "Don't worry. You can share a bunk with me tonight." Snow's thumb pointed back at himself, with a smile on his face. Hope's face lit up slightly, knowing he'll be safe.
"You'll be bunking with me, old man!" Vanille cheerfully said, skipping over to Sazh, who sighed again. "Too old…" he said as the Chocobo flew back into his afro. "Guess that means you're with me, sunshine." Fang said to Lightning. Lightning sighed as well. She was used to tight living spaces; she shared a single bed with 3 other recruits in GC Training. She turned to the bunk that wasn't claimed yet and placed her gun blade under the cot.
xXxXx
Only about 30 minutes had passed, yet Fang had already finished the meal for the group. "Here we go, a Gran Pulse favorite." She said, setting the pot in the center of the table. Vanille was the first to grab a bowlful of the stew. Hope and Sazh looked at the viscous brown-gray concoction in disbelief. "Uhh….What, exactly, is that?" Sazh asked, with Snow grabbing his bowl worth. "Behemoth meat, stewed, and seasoned with a little chocobo down." Fang said, putting a large piece of meat into her mouth. Sazh, Hope, and the Chocobo all gulped as Fang explained the meal. "Oh..kay." Sazh said, slowly taking up a spoonful of the stew. Hope slowly followed suit. Snow had already finished his first bowl and was ready to grab a second helping.
"You actually ate this stuff?" Sazh asked in bewilderment, his spoonful still hanging in midair. "Yeah. It's actually pretty good." Snow replied as he took up another fork of meat. The chocobo fainted back into Sazh's afro as Hope reluctantly took a bite of the meat. Lightning had yet to grab any food, instead looking out the window into the distance.
"You okay, Light?" Vanille asked, reaching for her second course. "Hmm?" Lightning asked, looking at the young girl. "Oh, I'm fine." Fang finished chewing her meat, then said, "Well, you haven't even touched the stew. You're not hungry?" Lightning shook her head. "No, you're not hungry, or no, it's something else?" Hope asked, concern crossing his face. Lightning looked at the boy and said, "It's nothing. I'm not hungry, that's all." She stood up and walked over to the bedroom, concealed now by a simple cloth draped from the archway.
"She okay?" Vanille asked, grabbing some more stew on her spoon. "Yeah. She's just not used to being in a situation like this." Snow said, setting his bowl down and leaning back to stretch. "Give her time. I'm sure she's just tired."
xXxXx
After dinner, Fang and Vanille cleaned dishes as the rest of the group sat in the 'living area' that was just inside the doorway outside. Sazh was talking about Dajh, and about how they went to the fireworks festival. Vanille's normally cheerful expression turned sad as she heard Sazh talk about his son, whom she cursed and took away from Sazh. She turned away from the conversation, losing herself to all the lies that she wove to hide her true origins. "Vanille?" Fang asked the young girl, breaking the trance she was in. "You alright?" Fang asked, handing the bowl that Snow used to her. "Oh, nothing." Vanille said, her face returning to it's normal happy self. She continued to dry off the dishes that were handed to her by Fang, while Fang worried inside for her friend, who had been through too much at that age, and wondered how she handled it all.
When everyone started to come in to sleep, Lightning was sitting against her cot, polishing her gun blade. "So, which way do you want, pops?" Vanille asked Sazh, who scratched his head and said, "You pick." Vanille then hastily jumped into the cot and faced the wall, prompting Sazh to sigh again. Snow let Hope into the cot first, then looked at Lightning. She looked at him briefly, then back to her weapon. Snow rested in the cot, then pulled out Serah's crystallized tear. "Sweet dreams." He whispered as he held the tear up.
Fang stepped over to Lightning, looking at her with curiosity in her eyes. "You want the wall or the room?" Lightning's face seemed puzzled, though it was still mostly focused on her weapon. "Hmm…Okay then, I guess I'll be taking the wall." Fang crawled over to her part of the cot, gave a long yawn, and drifted to sleep. Lightning soon decided to get her rest as well, putting her back against Fang's and drifting into a deep sleep.
xXxXx
When morning came, Vanille and Fang were already awake and fixing breakfast. This time, the meal was a little more appetizing; fried fish with some bread Vanille made from some herbs still growing in a garden out back. The scent of the food awoke Sazh first, who stepped groggily out of the bedroom. "What's it gonna be this time?" he asked, his voice laced with some fear of what he'll be attempting to eat and the haze of just waking up. "Relax. It's just some fish I caught this morning." Fang said, setting a plate in front of Sazh, who looked at the patties with slight concern. Nevertheless, he ate the meat, as slowly, the other occupants rose to the smells.
Lightning was the last to awaken. Her eyes were fixated on the ceiling, with her hand over her brand. 'Bad dream', she thought, sitting in an upright position. She stretched to wake herself up, then stepped out of the room. By now, almost everyone had eaten, and Vanille was showing her robot Bhakti off to Hope and Snow. Sazh and Fang both watched on from different sides of the house. Fang was the first to notice Lightning enter. "'Morning, sleepyhead." she said, standing up as if to grab a plate. Lightning grabbed the plate herself, sat down and started to eat before anything else.
"Sheesh, not exactly a mornin' person, are ya?" Fang queried, sitting down in the seat next to Light. Snow looked up and asked, "So, how are we getting back to Cocoon?" The question was on the L'Cie's minds, but they didn't actually have a plan to return to Cocoon to stop Barthandelus. But Snow knew that they would find a way. He knew it in his heart. He knew because that's where Serah was, and nothing, not the Fal'Cie, not his focus, not anyone would stop him from rescuing her from her crystal slumber.
Silence was Lightning's best quality. She never wasted any breath, only speaking when necessary. It was Lightning's quiet nature that conflicted so much with Snow's jovial disposition. He could make the most out of the worst problems in the world, such as becoming a L'Cie, or their sudden arrival on Pulse. Or, as Vanille and Fang constantly reminded them, Gran Pulse. It was the worst thing that ever happened to Lightning. She was in a foreign environment. She was not able to find a rhythm. It was as if her gun blade was replaced with Vanille's staff-thing. She knew how it worked, but her style would change completely.
Fang looked at the soldier, her eyes sizing up the soldier's features. She was quite lovely for a cold person. She had a certain charm about her, and Fang could see it. It was evident that, outside of battle, Lightning rarely, if ever, bonded with someone. However, in battle, she was different. Lightning was at home on the battlefield. It really didn't surprise anyone that Fang, who was just as much of a warrior as Light, was able to read her mind in the heat of battle. It was as if they were at their closest in combat, chaining attacks to stun enemies and vanquish foes. It was like watching an extravagant, fast paced dance, perfectly choreographed, a breathtaking view to watch.
But outside of combat, Lightning and Fang were polar opposites. Fang's charm was, well, blunt. She was an extremely flirtatious woman, and seemed to like the soldier's constant distaste for her actions. It was almost as if they were at each other's throats, ready to flick the knife and cut the neck in twine. Lightning never blushed openly, yet her reactions to Fang, while usually ending in the soldier sending the warrior off her feet, was unusually held back. Snow remembered flirting with Light once, and ended up with 2 broken ribs and a broken jaw. That was how he met Serah.
xXxXx
Lightning finished her meal in silence, placing the plate in the sink and turning to the older of the Pulsians. "You know this place well, correct?" her voice was flat, as if ordering Fang to respond. Fang played the part perfectly. "Yes, sir!" she said, standing up straight and faking a salute. Vanille giggled openly at Fang's antics, which seemed to annoy Lightning. "Do you know if there's an airship or airfield nearby?" her voice this time seemed short, as if she was refraining from knocking the Oerban into the floating sphere of Cocoon the hard way. Fang gave a light laugh. "Don't get so tense, sunshine." Lightning hated that name. She knew that Fang was insulting her with it. She pushed it aside, waiting for the other's answer.
Sensing that Light wasn't in a joking mood, 'When is she ever?' Fang asked herself, she said, "I know of only one. It was run down even before we became crystal. Who knows what's there now." Fang didn't seemed worried, she seemed excited. Lightning saw this enthusiasm, and took it with a somewhat apprehensive approach. Last time Fang was this enthused, she tried to grab her ass. Fang was lucky that Vanille was in front of her then, or else Light would've taken Fang's head off.
Vanille piped up, "I know which one you're talking about. The one where you took-" Fang's glare told Vanille not to finish the sentence, which Vanille complied to. Snow and Sazh seemed interested, yet knew that asking may be the worst way to die they could think of, and decided against such actions. Hope naivete seemed to keep him from pressing the issue, much to Snow's relief. 'Last thing I need is Fang and Light mad at me. I'd never see daylight again.' he joked with himself, his hand ruffling Hope's already messy hair.
"Okay, I'll take you. Can you boys watch the house while we're gone?" Fang spoke, leading Light out of the house. Sazh and Snow looked dumbfounded as Vanille tore off after the duo, leaving the 3 behind in a house they had no clue where anything went. Snow looked at the door, then said, "I hope Vanille knows not to try to get between those two…" Sazh agreed as Hope just stared at the robot Vanille called Bhakti, it's readout fuzzy and jumbled from age.
xXxXx
Fang and Vanille were already a few paces ahead of Lightning, which surprised the Oerbans. "Guess Light's a little tired?" Vanille asked, pointing a thumb at the pink-haired soldier. "That or she's checking me out." Fang joked, silently, so Light wouldn't hear. Vanille stifled a laugh as she glanced back at Light. "Try to keep up!" The redhead shouted as she ran to the old airfield.
It was more of an aircraft hanger. It looked like it had taken the brunt of a powerful spell, like Firaga. Vanille's face went from excited to aggravated. She huffed, placing both hands on her hips, and said, "Guess it's farther along then we thought." Fang gave a short sigh, her fingers tracing the door of the majestic hanger. "Maybe. Maybe not." she spoke to the younger, just as Lightning stepped into the door. "Hey, watch yourself." Fang said, hastily following the stubborn soldier. Vanille followed and gasped at what they saw.
They saw no airship, but instead several Taxim Cie'th patrolling the hanger. Lightning drew her Blazefire, and Fang automatically drew her Bladed Lance. Vanille grabbed her Binding Rod, giving the pair a confirming huff, signaling the music. The two older girls lunged at a different Taxim, ambushing them with a flurry of attacks and magic. Vanille, though a capable fighter in her own right, wasn't able to keep up with the duo as they performed each step flawlessly. She found it much easier, and much more entertaining, to watch the duo perform the dance that was their combat awareness and effortless swings. They were a blur invisible to even a trained eye, and the only indication that they were even there, and not just some illusion or mind trick, was the wind whistling past them and their spells. Well, more Lightning's spells. Fang never trusted magic.
The few lone Cie'th fell in minutes, Fang's breathing rate increased. Light's breathing had increased also, but for a reason other than Fang's. "Guess there's nothing here anymore." Fang said finally, breaking the awkward silence that Vanille was ready to just shout to do so. "Hm." Was Light's response, and the trio stepped out to the harsh sunlight.
xXxXx
Light took point now, with Vanille and Fang falling in behind her. Fang's eyes, with their flirtatious and sultry expression, looked at Light's backside with great enjoyment. Her mind was thinking of any kind of pickup line that she could throw at the soldier. Vanille, however, tugged at her sari, telling her not to even try. Fang's broken eye contact came just as Light sprinted of to the house. "In a hurry there, Sunshine?" Fang shouted at the fleeting woman, a sigh forming when she did not return the answer. Vanille's voice broke her trance, "Fang, you there?"
It was exactly what Fang needed; a distraction. Vanille's smile always cheered her up, for as long as she could remember. Vanille was Fang's little sister, who she swore to protect. She never, ever backed down from an enemy who wished to hurt Vanille. Her bond with her adoptive sister was more than anyone could sever. More than anyone would ever have.
The two began to walk the steps of the house when a voice, familiar but not recognized, spoke out to them.
"Fang! Vanille!"
The two looked over in the direction of the voice to see a man, slender, built similarly to Fang, leap down from his perch on a church steeple, landing with grace. He too was a L'Cie, his mark whitened out, like Fang's.
"I've been looking for you two. Where were you?" the stranger asked.
He could tell, after a few seconds, and the greeting he got, that something was wrong. The next words spoken were by Fang, her voice no more than an challenging hiss.
"Who are you?"
Sorry if it seems short, will try to make sure later updates will be longer. Couldn't fit more in without it seeming crowded.
I'll try to write a few chapters ahead before I actually post a chapter. So, I will probably already have the next chapter, and maybe the one after that, written out before you see this.