This is the first chapter of what I hope will become a long story. I will write another chapter in the next couple of days. Please enjoy and review!

When The Glass Shatters

First Touch

Lightning's mind was only on one thing – the mission at hand.

As she sat on one of the rocks overlooking the pool at the furthest end of the Archylte Steppe her mind raced with images of the trials she has had to overcome since starting her journey on that train, so seemingly long ago.

Lightning shut her eyes tight, the darkness was welcoming, comfortable and almost familiar.

Only she could be in this darkness, only she could be the one to affect it.

She could hear the others voices in the background "Hmph" she thought to herself "Why wont they just be quiet just once?" Flashes of each of their faces sprang across her darkness, invading it like some unwanted guest.

Each only presented itself for a mere moment, before she dismissed them with a little remark in her head "stupid, they are all so childlike and unfocused" she thought to herself again.

She could sense movement approaching her, but didn't move as she was too busy within her thoughts.

She listened intently, trying to figure out who the assailant was to attempt to catch them with a sly remark.

The breathing was soft, footsteps light and not every foot touched the ground fully. Lightning heard a faint clinking of jewellery in the mix.

Just as she sensed a tingle of static between her shoulder and the person's fingers, still with her eyes closed she remarked "Vanille, if you come any closer to me you will not want to wake up tomorrow"

"Oh" Vanille froze in surprise that the calm soldier had sensed her even approaching. I swear I was so quiet this time. Vanille liked to creep up on people in moments of quiet, just to be friendly and mainly to hear a laugh. The group was so tense at times.

"I'm sorry Light, I was only playing"

Playing? This isn't the time to be playing anything, this isn't a game its real life Vanille, one momentary slip and it's over. We become Cie'th.

"It's ok Vanille. Just don't let it happen again ok?"

Vanille smirked. "Ok" and her eyes lit up with a deviance rarely seen in the youth.

She held out both hands, and positioned them in line with Lightning's shoulders. She counted in her head.

1,
2,
3!

And with that last count in her head she leant forward and gave an almighty push which sent Lightning off of the rock she was sitting on and head first into the pool of water below.

Vanille giggled to herself as she watched the splash and saw Lightning sink down into the water.
One second went by, and then another and Lightning had not resurfaced. Vanille was sure Lightning could swim but grew worried nonetheless.

She moved around to the edge of the pool, and knelt down, looking curiously in. The water was almost clear but she couldn't see Lightning at all.

When Lightning found herself pushed into the water, anger initially spewed over her like venom. But after a second of floating down into the water she came up with a plan.

I'll stand on the bottom of the pool and use my cape to shield myself from Vanille's view, and then I can rush up to her and grab her ankle.

Vanille leant in even closer and suddenly felt a hand grab her chest and pull her down into the water.

"Arhhh!" she screamed.

Vanille fell into the water with an equal splash as Lightning's

"See, that's what you get as punishment for pushing me in Vanille."

"Oh is it really?" Vanille's smile grew to a cheeky extent now "and what's your punishment for grabbing my chest?"

Lightning turned her head, trying to move away from the topic but Vanille had suddenly laid her hands on the soldier's waist, preventing her from moving.

"I, I didn't grab your chest!" she looked nervous now, desperately trying to find an excuse.

"I grabbed your top"

"Sure you did…"

"Light, this is ok you know? This is all natural"

Vanille was teasing Lightning now, stroking her fingers slowly up and down, reaching into her jumper so her fingers touched Lightning's skin.

"No, it's not. I'm sorry"

Lightning shrugged off Vanille's grip and quickly swam to the edge of the pool and got herself up and onto the grassy terrain. She hated her clothes being wet, mainly because they were the only good outfit she had.

Why didn't I bring more clothes with me on this journey?

Lightning looked like a drowned rat; her hair was all out of shape, her clothes soaking and her make-up running.
She walked abrasively over to the group who all smirked at the same time.

"No-one says a thing. I mean it!"

Snow looked at her up and down and just before he could utter a word, he felt some water splash on his face, followed immediately by a pain in his stomach – Lightning knew what he was going to say and promptly stopped him before embarrassing her.

"Right, I'm going to go and dry off in that cave over there"

Her arm swiftly pointed to the east, where a rocky outcrop lay and a small opening lay there just in view of the group's camp.

"No-one follows me. Got that? Good."

Vanille swam about in the water for a little while longer after Lightning had so quickly bolted following their recent 'exchange'

Her thoughts went immediately to Lightning, closing her eyes tight, she was almost willing them to be projected to that beautiful pink-haired female.

Vanille was always different. Growing up in Oerba meant a life of strange duty. She only had one friend in her entire village, Fang and this kept her strong during the tough times. Fang knew everything about Vanille, including the fact that she liked girls.

While almost drifting off to sleep in the water, daydreaming about Lightning she heard Fang's voice shout her name. She snapped back to life and swam over to the edge and jumped out.

"So… here's where you've been hiding. Y'know Light came out of this very same pool pretty wet not five minutes ago. What have you been up to?"

A cheeky giggle bounced across Vanille's face. "I, I pushed her in the water. And, and then she grabbed me and pushed me in with her"

"Oh" Fang laughed. "That's a bit playful for her, that can't be why she's in such a bad mood. What else happened?"

Vanille couldn't stop smiling at telling her friend this news "I kissed her!" she giggled once again.

I know I lied, but it seems better this way. I couldn't tell her what really happened and Light started it.. could I?

Fang looked surprised; she had not thought Vanille would be able to do such a thing. No one in their entire journey together so far had anyone laid even but a finger on Lightning without getting some sort of repercussion.

"Well done girl, what are you going to do now?"

"Well I don't know. Maybe I'll leave it a while. I wouldn't want to put too much pressure on her right now. She might get upset" Vanille could hardly bare to hold in her excitement.

"Good plan, well why don't you come and we'll get you all dried up? I'm sure Snow wouldn't mind lending you his coat for a while"

Vanille winked at Fang and clicked her fingers, intentionally causing the pool to steam and grow warmer.

"Hot tub later?" She giggled once more and walked back to the camp to dry off.

Lightning was getting comfy in the cave by herself. She had removed all her armour and clothes and wrapped herself up in the White Cape she had just purchased from the shopping station near the group's camp.

That's 3000 gil wasted, but I'll be damned if I am going to sit in this cave naked. Thank you very much.

In her travels she had learnt only the basic level of magic from Hope. She remembered the day when she had to approach him and ask for help.

"Eurgh" she grunted. Asking for help was not her forte.

"Hope? Erm… would you, would you be able to teach me some magic?"

"Sure Light, its easy now that we are L'Cie. Just use your emotions"

"Emotions?" Lightning pondered this for a second. Emotions were not her forte.

"Yeah look, just watch me" Hope danced on the spot, making himself happy.
Light emerged from his fingertips and a breeze surrounded him.
Hope formed this into a ball of energy before flinging it at the nearest wall.

"See, happiness made me cast Aero"

Please don't say I have to dance around every time.

"Right ok… so I just have to be happy and magic will work? Because I can't see that happening any time soon"

"No, its not just happiness. It can be when you're mad or angry or even in love"

"Ok Hope, I'm going to stick to the angry magic then. That's probably more useful in a combat situation"

Magic… magic. Hope said I just need to get angry to make this damn fire spell work.

Hope isn't the only one who can cast magic though, Vani-

Damn.

Lightning punched the ground.

Now she's in my head. That damn pool. Why did she have to go and push me in?
and I did not grab her chest. Wishful thinking by her. That's all it was.

Lightning clicked her fingers and fire erupted from them, forming a nice neat ball of warmth and light in the centre of the cave.

Ah excellent it worked. See, Vanille is good for something after all.

She put her clothes near the fire and lay down on her side facing it. As Lightning closed her eyes to go to sleep in the warmth of the cave, her darkness was invaded by images of Vanille.

Her.

She was in the pool with me, she had her hands on me, around me.

"Eurgh" she made that sound again. That tomboy-ish semi grunt which only she could make.

I must not let that distract me from what is really important. The mission. It's always been the mission. We are so close now. To falter would mean certain death.

She looked down at the brand on her chest, she could swear it moves sometimes, even closing it's eye when she is tired.

Delirium. That's all it is.

As she started to close her eyes, the only thing Lightning could picture was Vanille's face, water dripping down that soft, peachy face of hers. Dripping onto those two pink roses sitting astride her face. Some call them lips.

"Vanille, your fingers are touching my tummy. Why is that?"

"Don't be silly Light you put them there. See? Yours are drawing patterns on my lower back"

"Oh yes, sorry I forgot."

Lightning heard Vanille giggle, and she closed her eyes. She pressed her lips softly up to Vanille's and Vanille massaged them gently back with her lip. Lightning knew what she was doing, and she enjoyed it.

The fire extinguished in the cave, and a smile drew across Lightning's sleeping face.