Disclaimer – I do not own the characters of Final Fantasy XIII. They belong to Square Enix

Setting - Alternate Universe

Star Light, Star Bright

"Okay people! Let's make some movie magic here. Lights! Camera! ACTION!" The director cried out as all the lights on the set focused on the star of the sequel, to the one of the biggest action blockbusters of the year.

Claire Farron, but who usually liked to be called 'Lightning', was streaking across the movie set. Which was made up to look like a warehouse scene, complete with bad guys to pound into the ground, and extras dressed like mob bosses, all pointing fake guns and shooting blanks at the star.

Fang Yun stood waiting in the shadows of the set, waiting for her cue. Once given by the director she flew into action on the set, and began trading carefully choreographed blows with Claire.

A small figure with bright russet-red hair and twinkling-green eyes stood by near the director, a clipboard in her arms as she winced and cringed, at each blow exchanged between the two action stars.

She knew that no real harm was being done, but she still worried for her best friend Fang, whom she knew could sometimes go a little overboard with her work. Like now for example, when instead of swinging up and to the left like they had practiced, Fang got a little over-excited, missed her mark, and swung up and right...and her fist made firm contact with Claire's nose.

The blow sent a spurt of blood flying from the strawberry-blond's nose, and Claire thought that she saw stars twinkling before her eyes, before she suddenly found herself sitting dazed on the set floor.

The cries of the director screaming "CUT CUT" and "would someone please get a Medic" were the only sounds that she could make out in her suddenly ringing head.

Then suddenly a face framed by the most wavy dark locks Claire had ever seen appeared before her blue eyes, and for just a second or two she thought that she was seeing an angel.

Then she quickly realized that it was more like an arch-angel, as she realized it was the idiot who had just punched her in the face.

"Dammit Fang. How could you screw up on the moves like that," Claire demanded, as she roughly pushed Fang out of the way as she shakily rose to her feet. She then began making her way over to her trailer, shoving several people fussing over her out of her way as well.

"I'm sorry babes, you know how I can get sometimes. I moved right when I should have gone left. Now you're going to have one hell of a welt on that pretty nose of yours, and that is the tragedy of all this," Fang replied in her smooth as molasses voice, as she trailed after Claire.

"Would you just go away already? I'm currently bleeding out of the nose here, and I don't have time to deal with you right now," Claire snapped back, her voice muffled as she held a hand up to her nose, to try to stem the flow of blood leaking onto her nice white top.

Fang got a very apologetic look in her verdant-green eyes, and opened her mouth to properly apologize to Claire, when she was stopped by the sight of the bright-red haired young lady softly dabbing at Claire's nose. Fang hadn't even seen Vanille appear before she had quickly stopped Claire, and began wiping gently at the blood present on the young star's face with a damp white cloth.

Vanille looked at Fang over Claire's shoulder, and gave the dark-haired young woman a small wink as she helped lead Claire to the privacy of her trailer.

Fang let out a deep sigh and turned around to head towards the gym, set up to be the place where they all practiced their moves for this latest blockbuster action movie. She knew that the director was probably on a witch hunt looking for her, and she really was not in the mood to deal with all that right now. Better to let Vanille handle Claire...for now...while she went and pounded out all her frustrations on a boxing bag.

"Ow, ow Vanille. That stings...ow," Claire complained, as Vanille applied a final dab of alcohol-laden cotton ball to the inside of her no-longer-bleeding nose.

"I'm sorry Claire. Just had to make sure that all the blood had been cleaned o-" Vanille never got to finish her statement as the door to Claire's trailer flew open, and a younger copy of Claire flew into the semi-large trailer space.

"Sis! Oh my gosh, are you alright," Serah exclaimed as she fell to her knees before her big sister, and reached up to gently cup the side of Claire's face.

"Hey lil sis," Claire replied, the usual hard-as-nails attitude she usually showed to everyone else, instantly melting away in the presence of her baby sister. The two of them were all they had left in this world, after their parents had been taken away from them in a terrible accident years ago.

"Yep! She's fine now. Thanks to yours truly," Vanille piped up, flashing a peace sign with her fingers before her.

Serah looked back at Claire for confirmation, which was provided with a small nod from her big sister, and she finally allowed her body to sag a little with relief, as she gently took her older sister's hand into her own.

"When I came onto the set to visit you, the place was in chaos as everyone was talking about how you'd been hurt on set, and I didn't wait around to find out how. I just had to make sure you were okay sis," Serah said softly, as she gave her sister's hand a light squeeze.

Claire raised her free hand and gently stroked her fingers through her sister's hair. "Thanks for caring and worrying, Serah. I am okay though. We have a very capable director's assistant, and she did help to fix me right up," here Claire briefly paused to give Vanille a small smile. Vanille returned it with one of her own. "Though now I can already feel my nose swelling, thanks to that idiot's punch," Claire continued as she all but growled, as she thought about who had put her into this situation.

"Oh come now Claire, please don't be like that. You know that Fang didn't mean to hit you. It was a complete accident," Vanille pleaded Fang's case softly, as she looked imploringly at Claire.

Claire opened her mouth to reply, but yet another interruption came, this one in the form of a very tall, blond-haired, blue-eyed guy striding in through the trailer door.

"Gotta remember to get a very...very...strong lock for that door," Clair mumbled under breath, as she looked up into the smiling face of her brother-in-law-to-be.

"Ah you know you're actually really happy to see my smiling face," Snow replied with a winning grin.

Claire just stared at him, for just long enough that Snow cleared his throat nervously, and gave a soft weak laugh. Claire had beaten the snot out of him once, and he wasn't in any hurry to have it repeated...especially not in front of his future wife.

"Anyways, I have a message from Fang. Saw her headed towards the gym not too long ago. She told me the whole story and wants to tell you that she is deeply sorry for what happened, and if you would please meet her in the gym so that she can properly apologize to you in person," Snow said as he leaned causally against the trailer wall.

Serah gave Claire's hand one last squeeze, before she rose to her feet and went over to her future hubby, and snuggled against his side. Snow immediately wrapped his arms tightly around her, and pulled her close against his lean strong body.

Claire almost gagged at the sight, as Snow really did irritate her, and she just wasn't sure...yet...if he was truly good enough for her baby sister.

"You say that she's waiting for me at the gym? Okay, I'll go. The gym is the perfect place for me to get a little...payback," Claire said, as she formed her hand into a fist and tightly squeezed.

"Claaiirre," Serah said with a slight warning tone in her voice.

Claire paused...looked over at her sister...and with a roll of her eyes said, "I mean get an 'apology'...not payback."

Serah let out a small sigh and looked imploringly over at Vanille, who gave Serah a quick wink.

"Already way ahead of ya, Serah. Come along, Claire. Let's both go see Fang so that she can apologize to you," Vanille chirped as she reached out and took Claire's hand, and pulled the young woman to her feet.

Claire let out a sigh of her own, but allowed herself to be led out of the trailer, and across the movie lot towards the gym.

Her mind was still made up though. When she saw Fang...it was going to be payback.

To be continued...?

AN: Hope you all enjoyed this first chapter! Please let me know what you all thought of it =3