Disclaimer: If I owned FF13, all of these cutscenes would have been in the game.
Smile
"It's best if we rest here for the night." The strawberry-blonde said simply, "We don't know what's out there in the forest at this time."
Vanille nodded her head and looked around for a comfortable spot, pointless as it seemed. The dark trees surrounded them endlessly, and the grass below was wet and swampy which really wasn't a good place to sleep on.
"Hey," The woman's voice broke her thoughts, "Over here." She gestured at the girl, and naturally, Vanille nodded once more before making her way towards her. Lightning was at least ten metres ahead – how did she get this far so quickly, anyway? Pointing at the ground in front of them as the redhead approached, Lightning muttered, "Let's rest here."
Simple as her tone may be, Vanille could tell that the woman was actually more relieved compared to earlier, when they crash-landed into the trees. Sazh's careless piloting skills lead to their ship colliding with a Pulse monster, and though Fang's Bahamut caught the crew in time, its crazy flying speed made her lose her grip… and this woman's recklessness and natural heroic instincts led them to be together right now.
"Thanks for saving me earlier," She said, breaking the silence.
"This is the fifth time you've said it." Lightning replied, almost as if she was annoyed, "And I already told you, I only did it out of reflex. I couldn't let someone fall a hundred feet from the air and not save them." She sat herself down and leaned her back against a tree that fell over. Some sort of battle must have happened here, otherwise the ground would not be so sandy and lifeless. Even the trees in the small radius were dead.
Vanille fixed her skirt and knelt down a few steps beside the woman. Had that person been somebody else in the group, they wouldn't be so far apart. This woman… this woman just gave off an incredibly scary, strict, and cold vibe; it was like she would eat anyone up if they got too close to her. The girl got this strange feeling because out of the whole group, she was the most afraid of her. Snow was a happy-go-lucky and cheery kind of guy, so he was easy to get along with. Sazh was even better because he was always a nice-father figure to her. In fact, the two practically have a father-daughter relationship. Fang was a childhood friend… and something much more, and then there was Hope. He was hard to approach at first, but he was just a boy who had trouble socializing with older people which, of course, wasn't a problem for Vanille. She acted immature most of the time, and recently, the two 'children' have bonded quite well. Lightning on the other hand…
"I'm going to get some firewood," She stood up and detached her gunblade pouch from her belt, throwing it carelessly beside Vanille. "Stay here and get some rest."
Naturally, the girl responded, "I'll do it! You rest!"
If there was anything else in the world that Lightning hated, it was a high-pitched, loud, and girly voice. She tried to hold back her anger, "No, really, you sit here. I'll go get the firewood."
"But your wounds—"
"I'm fine," The woman said sternly, her eyes getting sharper, "Just stay here, I'll do it."
Vanille narrowed her eyebrows. She was not fine. No way in hell was she fine. The ex-soldier just fell a hundred feet from the air while protecting the Oerba girl, shielding her with her body and arms from the trees' sharp branches. The cuts and bruises were visible on her arms and legs; there were even a few scratches on her cheeks. Moreover, Lightning was the one who fell first to the ground, and Vanille could definitely remember that she heard a yelp from her at the impact.
Sighing, she stood up and made her way to the taller woman. She placed a hand on her shoulder, and almost immediately, Lightning let out a wince. Vanille could swear that she was biting onto her tongue so hard that a few veins were popping in her neck. Giggling, she started, "See? I'll go, you rest!"
At last, Lightning gave in and nodded her head hesitantly. Watching the pigtailed girl walk into the forest, she slowly knelt down on the ground… only to realize that her knees were too bruised to be rested on. Shifting her posture a bit to find a more comfortable resting position, she leaned her back against the fallen tree. Perhaps she should tend to her wounds, now that she had nothing to do? Lightning began to take off the shoulder pad and her scratched armband and glove off. She sighed at the sight; it didn't look as bad when she had all those accessories on, and because it didn't hurt much. Looking at these wounds, it came to her how much pain she was in all this time. She took a white handkerchief from her crimson pouch and started to wipe off the dry blood – performing Cure on herself proved to be useless as she was dead tired.
A few cuts were present on her forearm, along with some bruises. Some deeper cuts were scattered all over her arm. The damage she received from the fall could be compared to the damage she received from the Fal'Cie Barthandelus. She looked at her thighs and groaned. More bruises and dried cuts could be seen. Perhaps there were more injuries underneath her clothes too – she could definitely feel some sort of pain in her chest. Though, the forest wasn't really a good place where she would strip naked. The most she could do right now was clean off the dirt to prevent any infection.
"Oh my gosh! You're hurt really badly!"
Lightning widened her eyes. Since when was she right in front of her! How could she have not noticed her presence!
"Sorry, I must have startled you…" Vanille said, "But your arm… oh my gosh! Your thighs! Aah! I didn't notice earlier, let me see your wounds!" She knelt in front of her and grabbed her left arm gently, "Would it be too late to preform Cure—"
"I'm fine!" She drew her arm back to herself forcefully, clutching it close to her chest and then looking away, "Just… start the fire…"
The girl tilted her head slightly. It was confusing how she had to act this way when they have nobody else to depend on but each other right now. But the Oerba girl was persistent; she had to tend to those wounds no matter what. "But, onee-san—"
"Just 'Light' is alright. And I already told you, I am fine."
"You are not fine!" She exclaimed. Her voice echoed in the woods, startling some creatures, and some rustling in the leaves could be heard around them. Covering her mouth quickly, "Whoops!" She started to whisper, "I must have been too loud…" And she giggled.
The woman rolled her eyes.
"Please, just show me. Or I'm going to annoy you for the whole night!"
She grunted and shoved her arm towards Vanille whilst looking away.
The redhead giggled again. Observing those cuts and bruises carefully, it was given that any Cure spells would be ineffective as these wounds weren't fresh enough. Vanille resolved to use the bandages in her pouch. As she wrapped the thin white fabric around the woman's arm, she realized that it really was better to clean them out first, but how were they going to find water around this forest? The nearest river could be miles away, and who knows what kind of bacteria would be in that liquid? Knowing Gran Pulse, the girl knew that everything here was living, everything was alive, and everything was dangerous. "Okay, done!" She clapped her hands together to indicate that she was happy with her work.
Lightning turned her head back to look at her arm. She frowned, "… What is this?"
Apparently, Vanille tied one of the bandage wrappings up in a nice and big butterfly above her wrist. "Isn't it nice? It suits you so well!"
"Wouldn't it be better if you saved the bandages up for better use?" She reached for the end, attempting to untie the embarrassing butterfly-knot that resembled a Christmas present wrapping.
"Oh, don't untie it! It's so cute!"
"Damn it, get rid of this thing!"
Vanille couldn't stop laughing. Out of all the things in the world, a mere butterfly-knot was bothering Sergeant Farron. She didn't even react as much when they had to face the monsters here and there, nor did she show much concern when she learned that her life was bound by an absurd Focus… The younger girl stopped her laugher and looked at the woman. It was then she took the time to understand and get a better feel of that unpleasant vibe. Actually, it wasn't all that unpleasant – just that her femininity carried this aura of elegance – an aura so strong it intimidated her, it made her admire her.
"Stop it! Just… ugh—"
"Onee-san," Vanille started suddenly.
The woman grunted, "I said 'Light' is fine,"
Ignoring her, she continued, "If you wanted to get rid of this, you could have done so easily without effort."
"…"
"So… the truth is… you actually like it!" The girl smiled tenderly.
And the woman didn't want to admit it, but she looked kind of cute. Keeping her face straight, "No," She managed to speak in her usual calm and collected tone, "I don't," And she tore the bandages off, leaving her arm exposed once again to the air. "Now get some sleep. We're going to have to walk a lot tomorrow."
It was even more amazing how she could keep her anger in like this. Vanille was expecting at least a slap or a punch in the face, much like the way she treated Snow back then at the Lowerworld Vertigo… so, she was able to conclude that Lightning had a soft side towards girls. Did this mean she treated Serah really kindly? The Oerba girl kept her eyes on the woman.
She treats Hope kindly… so maybe she's just nicer to younger people.
Vanille grinned. "Ne, ne, onee-san! You know you're actually really pretty, right?" She watched as the woman snapped her eyes open; they flashed in a dangerous azure colour, and then she gave the girl a held-in-surprised look. Vanille went on, "And I know you're actually really nice! You know how I can tell?"
A shade of pink gradually spread across her cheeks – a colour similar to her unique hair, "… Did Hope say something…?"
The girl burst into laughter. "Hahaha! I was only bluffing! Nobody told me anything, I just bluffed! Haha, onee-san, you're so cute!" Her laughter wasn't dying. In fact, it was getting louder.
Lightning pursed her lips with annoyance.
"But…" She wiped the tears away from her eyes, "… He did tell me that you smiled at him – only for a second though." The redhead scooted closer towards the ex-soldier, "Ne, ne, can you smile right now? I'd love to see! I've never seen you smile. Actually, I don't think anyone has! Come on, show me, show me!"
At that moment, she really wanted to punch her. She clenched onto her fists so hard that her nails dug into her palm. The blood soaked through the bandage, and she was sure that her wounds were reopening because of this god damn annoying-ass girl. Lightning wanted to explode… she wanted to punch her, kick her, so badly… but something in her held her down, urging her to be more gentle… especially to this girl. It didn't make sense; why – why was she holding back? Why did she have to hold back? It wasn't because she was too much of an innocent, kind, gentle little girl to get beaten up, it wasn't like they're related, it wasn't even because she was acting like Serah—
Serah…
No, what was she thinking? Vanille was nothing like Serah. Her little sister was quiet, polite, mysterious—
"I wonder where the others are right now." The girl said to herself as she looked above the sky. Lightning stared into her emerald eyes. They were nothing like Serah's crystal-blue orbs, but for some reason, there was a hint of similarity that she could not define.
—Mysterious?
Come to think of it, this girl gave little of her own background to anyone – she didn't even know this girl. Perhaps she talked about herself with Sazh during their time of separation, but Lightning only heard a bit about her from Fang. From what she knew, Vanille was a supportive and helpful friend; this was quite apparent, as she could see how desperately she fought for the group. This girl was always trying to brighten up that unbearable thick air, and she would even remain as cheerful as possible during battles. Still, as loud as she was, as happy and naïve she acted on the outside, Lightning couldn't help it but to sense something melancholic or perhaps even grim from inside the girl.
"Vanille,"
Her head snapped back down onto ground level, and she turned to the woman. She blinked. "Eh…?" Did the cold, ruthless, female-warrior just called her by name? If so, then it was the first time – ever. Not only that, but she was staring straight at her in the eyes. Lightning's orbs suddenly became… softer compared to earlier. She was still as calm as always, but somehow, she was more normal, more natural… more humane right now. Perhaps… this was the first sign from her of showing a kinder side?
"Why are you always so optimistic?"
"W-what…?" The girl was still lost in confusion; even her voice softened – it wasn't like usual. But more importantly, she did not really catch her question, for she was too surprised from hearing that rare, gentle voice.
"Never mind." She looked down, her bangs covered her brilliant azure eyes, bringing back the gloominess into her face.
"W-wait! Can you ask that again, please?" Vanille crawled towards the admired leader like a child who had yet to learn how to walk. She got close enough so that their faces were a few inches apart. Though inappropriate, she was doing this entirely for fun, and of course, it was only an excuse for her to look at those radiant eyes orbs again. "Come on, ask me again!"
Lightning sighed, "Why are you always so happy? No… how do you maintain this… mood all the time?"
The girl blinked again. "Hmm…" Pretending to be thinking, she threw herself beside the woman. The single hint of concern she presented has given Vanille the courage to come closer with her. Their bare arms touching, the feeling of tranquility and security surged through Vanille's skin. It was as if being beside this person would bring her the ultimate safety. Being with her made her feel protected – it was a feeling that exceeded that of Fang's presence. It was hard to understand, however, as she and Fang have been the best of friends since they were children, and they were as close as siblings. Yet, here she was, beside 'Lightning' Farron, feeling more protected, closer, and more related.
"Are you done thinking yet?" Her strong, feminine voice startled her. Vanille looked up and realized that the woman was still waiting for an answer.
She gasped softly, and couldn't help it but to look away even though she wanted to stare into her eyes much longer. "Well…" She could feel her cheeks heating up, "That's just how I am!"
The woman raised a brow. "Hn," A cold smirk followed instantly afterwards, "Even knowing that you are going to die whether or not you complete your Focus, you act as if there isn't a care in the world."
"Focus this, Focus that! Focus this, Focus that!" Adding a random melody, she continued to chant the words a few more times, and then she turned silent.
Hope, Snow, Sazh, Fang, Vanille. If Lightning were to rank the person she was closest with to the most distant one, it would be like that. Evidently, she cared most for the boy because throughout the journey with him, he unconsciously shined the way, encouraging her to pursue this rescue mission for her little sister. She didn't want to admit it, but she could see a bit of herself in the boy, and both of them know that they had a sister-brother bond. Snow… though doubtful at first because he was all about talks, gradually Lightning learned that the brute was actually not as bad as he first seemed. Yes, he was quite thick and radical at times, but she could tell that he truly loved her sister, and could definitely take care of her. Sazh and Fang were both wonderful companions to work with. Bother being good fighters, the woman considered them as good friends, though obviously, she wouldn't tell them directly because it just did not suit her image. Vanille…
"La la la la—"
Lightning glanced over at her. She was looking up at the night sky again, singing a lullaby-like song. Her high-pitched and annoying voice wasn't so bad when she sang quietly, the woman decided.
Though Vanille was one of the people who she has travelled with since the beginning of all this l'Cie nonsense, she was the most distant person. Oddly enough, she didn't feel distant—
"Well, I finally thought of an answer…" The girl interrupted her thoughts.
"What is it?"
She looked over at the fighter all of a sudden, emerald met azure orbs. "Hehe… before I answer…"
"…"
"Can I lean on your shoulder? I'm getting kind of tired…" Vanille then gave her the biggest smile ever.
If this were an anime, Lightning would be sweat-dropping. "W-whatever." She gave her an annoyed look and turned away.
"Waaaai—!" She wrapped her arm around Lightning's resting her head on her soft shoulder snugly. "Onee-san is so warm!"
It has been a long time since she'd come this close to another person physically before. "Ugh, if you're cold then don't wear so less. Now can you tell me?"
Vanille's grip on her arm loosened, even her head felt lighter on her shoulder. "Onee-san, when you think about the future, do you get scared?"
"Huh?" What's this all of a sudden?
"We are l'Cie. The future ahead of us is merely nothing but sadness. We know that there is nothing for us,"
The immature and naïve girl disappeared – her child-like voice did not suit her current serious tone.
Her voice was getting quieter. "That's why I only think of the happy memories. I embrace them, I treasure them… I use them to cover up the bad feelings. Lying to myself is how I get through everything, really…"
Vanille closed her eyes. Nothing could be heard in the air but the sparking campfire and the wild's calls in the trees. This peaceful and nostalgic sound of Gran Pulse reminded her so much of her home, the Oerba Village. She could remember that she used to lean on her friends' shoulders like this too, chatting the night away beside the campfire while looking at the stars and the beautiful yet told to be dangerous Cocoon. Though of course, the Oerba villagers were much more talkative, unlike the silent Lightning.
"Cry,"
"… Eh?" Hearing something unusual, she opened her eyes.
"Cry."
Lifting her head from Lightning's shoulder, she asked again, "What…?"
"Let it out," The woman said simply, "Be it you fears, sorrows, pains, let it all out."
"…"
The strawberry-blonde turned her body towards the redhead. "Everyone has his or her own ways to hide problems. In my case, I simply ignore, avoid, and show no emotion."
"Onee-san…"
Her voice has once again softened.
"Onee-chan…"
Then, another voice echoed, resonated in the woman's mind.
"Onee-chan!"
Calling to her repeatedly…
"Onee-chan, why did you change your name?"
Lightning gently placed a hand on the Oerba girl's head as images of Serah flashed across her eyes, "In your case, you'd laugh it away, you'd hide all the negativity with your positive attitude."
"I…"
Her hand slid down to the girl's shoulder. The warm touch once again put her at ease, reminding the girl of her closest friends from the village. "Though, I can tell you through experience that avoiding or hiding does not grant happiness. Rather, it builds up the pain."
Vanille was speechless.
"So let it out,"
She lowered her head, leaning into her chest, and then she closed her eyes. She started to whisper, "Ne, onee-san…"
"What is it?"
The girl wrapped her arms around Lightning's waist, "I'm quite jealous of Serah, really."
"…"
"I want an onee-san like you too."
That definitely stunned her. Thinking back, nobody, including Serah, had hugged her like this since she changed her name. The need to become an adult faster and the urge to become like a guardian, to protect her, to take her parents' places… it only severed the sisters' relationship. The woman sighed. Then, she did something even she wasn't so sure why she did.
"… Onee-san…?" Her face still buried in Lightning's chest, she was surprised when the fighter returned her embrace, holding her gently in her arms. A hand stroked her from the scalp to her neck. It felt… nice. Warm, comforting, close; she felt very much like a family member.
"… Do you feel better now?" Even though Vanille did not cry or let out anything, Lightning could tell that the weight she carried in her heart had become a bit lighter. She didn't know how she would know, but she could just feel it.
"Mmm…" The girl nodded her head, mumbling something in her chest. Then she popped her head up, smiling back at the woman, "Yep, I feel much better now." Vanille looked down at her bruised and cut arms, "Oh my gosh!" She backed off immediately, "I-I didn't remember that you were hurt – and… and I was leaning on you! I'm so heavy – aah! I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Panicking, she crawled back towards her to check on her wounds, seeing if they reopened at all.
"I'm fine," She said simply. "You were leaning on my uninjured side anyway. You know, the side I didn't fall on."
"But it's still cut. How is it uninjured?"
Really, it didn't matter which side she fell on; her whole body was aching all this time since the fall. She simply did not want the girl to get overly-concerned—
"Onee-san, were you holding in the pain so that… so that I could lean on you?"
Her heart almost skipped a beat. "I already told you it's not hurting. And don't be so paranoid, why the hell would I hold in pain just so you can lean on me? I'd rather have you rest five metres away from me, so that the air can be more peaceful, and I can also get some sleep." But she still managed to deliver her words as serious and calm as they always sounded.
"Heh… really now?" Vanille grinned, "Then, onee-san, you can lean on my shoulder!"
"What!"
"I said," Vanille sat close to Lightning again, and then pulled her body to hers', the process making the woman's head fall harshly onto her bony shoulder, "Lean on my shoulder!"
"Ugh…!" She grunted a sound of pain.
"See, you're hurting!"
"That's because you pulled me down!" She drew back but the girl held her down.
"Onee-san!" Vanille smiled at her again, even more sweetly and innocently than any of the times she's seen.
"… What?"
Her grin became wider, "Did you realize that you answered when I called 'onee-san'?"
"…" Lightning blushed a crimson colour so deep that it was possible to see the shade even in such little light. Surely, she did not realize it. Thinking back, all this time she had been treating the Oerba girl the same way she treated Serah – perhaps even better. Was this sympathy? No, she wasn't doing it out of pity. The woman looked at the girl with emotionless eyes.
"Onee-san, why did you change your name?"
She twitched.
"Onee-chan, why did you change your name?"
… and decided to ignore the question.
"Hmm…?" Maybe she did not want to answer, Vanille figured. "Okay then, onee-san, what's your real name? It can't really be 'Lightning', right?"
She closed her eyes. "It's something like that." It wasn't entirely a lie.
"Whaaat! Come on! If you don't tell me, I'm just going to assume that your real name literally translates into 'Lightning'!" Vanille said playfully.
Then, the slightest hint of a smile appeared on the woman's face.
Vanille's eyes widened. "… Onee-san…"
"…?"
"Y-you're…"
"Oh shit." Lightning quickly wiped the smile off her face, looked away, and tried her hardest to put that gloomy face back on.
"Onee-san, you were – you were smiling! Let me see it again!" Vanille got on her knees and leaned her face towards her.
But she struggled to push the girl off, "No! I wasn't smiling, go away!"
"I'm serious, you're getting cuter and cuter by the second – this is so fun!" Eventually the girls lost balance and fell to the ground, with Vanille on top of Lightning.
"Ow!" The woman cried out loud; she was still in pain after all. "Get off, damn it! Get off!"
"Nnnnno!" The girl giggled and buried her face in Lightning's neck.
This was really stupid. This was not fun at all. All this girly-talk, girly-actions, girly-playing, sister-like bonding—
Sister…?
"Vanille,"
She stopped moving and pushed herself up, her body still on top of the woman's. Their blazing eyes met again, and their gaze interlocked for the longest time.
"Why are you doing this?"
The girl blinked cluelessly. "Hmm? Why? Isn't this what sisters do? I figured that you missed doing this with Serah, so…"
"W-what kind of sisters would do these things! It's so wrong!"
Vanille tilted her head curiously, "Really? … Well, I'm pretty sure you did something like this with her when you were young, right?"
Lightning's eyes softened. Though vague, she could remember that she had, indeed, had fun like this with her sister long before their parents passed away. Come to think of it, she hasn't had a proper conversation with Serah since the death of their parents. As years went by, the sisters just drifted farther and farther apart… until finally, she lost her to Snow… and then to the Fal'Cie…
"Onee-san?" The Oerba girl felt weird for those eyes have been staring at her lifelessly for a long time now.
Then, the woman suddenly started, "When this is all over, and say, we get to live on, what are you going to do?"
Surprised, the girl answered her with a question, "Onee-san, are you going to miss me?"
She grunted.
Vanille giggled. "Hehe, I don't know. Should I stay here, or should I live up there?" She pointed at the glowing bronze planet. "But… if I were to live there, I think I would just camp around the Sunleth Waterscape, because it resembles most of Gran Pulse, which reminds me of my home – oh, what am I talking about? Why don't I just stay here? This is my home after all!"
Lightning widened her eyes.
The action only made Vanille smile again. "Seems like onee-san will miss me!" She lied back down on Lightning's body, "Don't worry, after we save Serah, you won't even remember me!"
It was weird how she could say that so happily. Wouldn't she be saddened by the fact that she wasn't going to see her friends again? "So… you're really going to stay here, on Pulse?"
"Does onee-san not want me to?" Once again, the playful tone.
"…"
"You don't have to answer me now." Vanille laughed as she felt some sort of hesitation from her. Obviously, the woman was too shy to admit it, but she really did possess emotions. Most likely, she had been cold for far so long that she'd forgotten how to show her warm side. "Goodnight, onee-san. See you tomorrow." She tucked herself snugly on Lightning's 'uninjured' shoulder, her sweet face buried in her neck.
Yes, it hurt. Her entire body still hurt – she was indeed lying earlier to calm the girl down. But…
Vanille breathed softly. She was already sound asleep. The girl must have been keeping herself awake all this time just to talk to her.
"Were you pitying me?" Lightning whispered.
The girl's body rose and dropped softly, in sync with her breathing sounds.
… but it didn't really matter. Seeing such a serene face of kindness and cheerfulness – even in her sleep is enough to make this night one of the easiest nights to pass.
"It's not because you look like Serah," The woman said and wrapped the arm the girl was resting on around her shoulder. Her fingers moved up to curl the girl's orange locks between her fingers. Then, she turned her body over, resting her other arm over Vanille, and stared at that peaceful face, "… that I let you call me 'onee-san' continuously."
Vanille shivered in her sleep, her body shaking lightly in Lightning's arms.
What a child.
The strawberry-blonde smiled at her cute reaction to the cold. "But maybe… maybe it's because your innocence fascinates me."
This fic didn't make much sense and had no huge point, but I just thought Lightning and Vanille needed more scenes together since they literally had none in the game. Seriously, they just talked like, what? Once? And that was indirectly too.
Also, I had to replay the game to find out the names of the locations haha, and also to point out some crucial plot-related subjects.
Anyway, North America/Europe/Australia release today! Hope you guys have fun! And ENJOY! IT IS A GOOD GAME! :)
EDIT: Yeah. So I decided to make more of the two. Rather than posting up new stories, I'm just going to add more chapters to save space (and for your convenience, so that you do not have to look for my LightningxVanille scattered fics).