AN:This is my AU on what would happen if other soldiers who fought during the war of transgression came out of crystal stasis. No worries this isn't a retelling of FF13's plot. It's set after the game's ending but Fang and Vanille didn't turn into crystal and some other details may be omitted to suit my convince. Nothing major no worries. It will feature the cast and my OC's as well. But the Story will primarily be told between past memories and present life. Hope you all enjoy it, please R&R!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything Final Fantasy related including FF13. But my OC's are my creation.


Everything with a Grain of Salt

Memory~

The war of transgression…I was there you know fighting for Cocoon. I thought I was doing what was best, protecting Cocoon, protecting my family and friends. But once the fighting started I realized something…Gran Pulse is full of people, just people. They weren't these monsters the Sanctum painted them as…They were afraid…like us.

I remember jumping from the drop ship with the other Cocoon L'cie, the Pulsians had these looks on their faces. Surprise maybe…disbelief? I like to think it was because we weren't the monsters they were expecting. But Maker that first battle was fierce, high casualties on both sides. It was so chaotic, I was only a 1st Lieutenant at the time a few of my fellow L'cie occupied the space to my flanks as we fought, gunblades blazing. Slowly my comrades fell, I was one of 3 Cocoon L'cie still standing.

I realized I was in peril surrounded by Pulsians, more than a few of them were too shell shocked to even notice me….they others were either dead or still fighting. I beat a hasty retreat or tried to…until I ran across this Pulsian L'cie. She was tall maybe around 5'9, she wore a white sari that was more like a dress in fashion but had the material pleated around her neck and shoulders to make sleeves and the rest of the material covered her back like a cape. Holding the sari together was a metal corset like vest which was black and out lined with gold gilding. Under her sari she wore black shorts and matching sandals. She was ferocious wielding duel katars.

She was beating down one of my fellow L'cie when she caught sight of me, a look of rage and hatred on her face. She had platinum blond hair with sharp teal eyes. I did what I thought was the smartest thing at the time…I hauled ass. I figured if I could get her into a less open area it would lower the effectiveness of her weapon as well as give me an opportunity to mow her down with gun fire.

I'll hand it to the Pulsian she was fast and as strong as a behemoth haha she almost caught me too! I ended up running towards a cliff. It was too late by the time I saw it to stop so… I went careening off the cliff like a champ. I landed right on Cocoon's reinforcements. A class B gunship, I laughed in disbelief as the ship rouse though the air and over the cliff to hover over the battlefield. A thankful roar came from the Cocoon troops as they saw the cavalry. The Pulsians looked downtrodden. The gunship opened fire cutting a path between the Pulsian troops and ours. The bullets mowed down whoever was in the way which if memory serves was 5 Pulsians and 2 Cocoon troops who were ensnared in combat.

A loud horn was sounded and the Pulsians retreated under airships fire. Out of one hundred Cocoon soldiers and twenty Cocoon L'cie, 43 soldiers were left standing and only 3 L'cie after that battle. The Pulsians faired about the same. After an hour of the medics hovering around treating everyone, high command sent the remaining L'cie to pick up the dead. A grim task, at the time I dreaded it…seeing the faces I'd grown familiar with over the past few weeks staring back at me devoid of life.

A light mist had settled over the battlefield giving it a somber appearance. The other L'cie, a roguish looking woman with dark hair and fiery red eyes and a veteran soldier from the looks of him. His hair was greying but his age didn't seem to dilute his muscled and menacing appearance. We set out cautiously across the field in different directions, carrying the bodies of our fallen brethren to a waiting airship. There were more Pulsians in my section, from all the bullet wounds I figured we killed more by our guns then anything.

I silently debated with myself for a few moments 'I can't just leave them here… there people too…or were. They don't deserve to be left for the fiends to eat' 'What's the point in messing with them? That's the Pulsians' jobs, do you see any of them here? Obviously they don't care.' 'No we drove them off with that gunship, they would be tending to them otherwise.' 'It would be more prudent to leave them be!' 'I'm not a monster…I'll place them near the edge of the forest…not to close though.'

Resolution set I gently carried the deceased Pulsians, and laid them near the forest edge. I laid each of them shoulder to shoulder in a line, with their hands resting on their stomach. If I found a weapon near the body I stuck it into the ground marking the spot where the body laid.

I was halfway through the Pulsians in my section when I head a gruff voice call out, "Leave those Pulse scum to rot! Come help us with our own." I turned to see the other two had stopped and were watching me. I held his scrutinizing gaze, then waved my hand at him dismissively continuing my work. A bitter bark of laughter lingered over the scene as the veteran called out again, "Oh that's just great! It's nice to know that our fellow COCOON L'cie is a Pulse sympathizer." He laughed again before resuming his body collection. The Roguish woman shook her head chuckling before saying, "Haha shut up & watch it old man, with those duel gun blades o' hers she can beam you in the head before you even knew what happened." He cast a glare her way mumbling to himself.

Once the other woman finished, she walked over. Offering her hand, "Names Na'dire Cabert, from Nautilus." Taking her offered hand, " 1st Lieutenant Kelionė už Vandens, Bodhum Sanctum Security Regiment. Most people call me Blue." She smiled then rolled her eyes casting her thumb over her shoulder, "Alright. That oh so loveable lug is Bert Bearden, he's a bit of a fanatical hard ass." I glanced over her shoulder before shrugging, "Figured him for one." Na'dire placed her hands on her hip letting out a sigh. "You need any help with this?" Still working I glance over at Na'dire, "Not if you don't want to, and I won't hold it against you if you don't" She sighed glancing over at Bert, "I'll go help him finish first alright?" "No problem" I wheezed out as I picked up a brute of a man.

After an hour Bert and Na'dire finished with the Cocoon troops. I only had a few bodies left to place. I heard a branch snap, my ears perked as I held my breath listening. A murmur that sounded like a taunt string being pulled echoed softly.

Kale pulled back his bow, arrow in place, aimed at the chest of the Cocoon soldier. Sulyya Gaisras Juokas the young Pulsian who had pursued this very Cocoon soldier earlier, watched her attentively. 'Why is this Cocoon viper botherin' with our dead. This doesn't make any sense…' Said Cocoon soldier continued in her work with an air of tenderness.

The Cocoon soldier had a black helmet on with goggles attached to it. There was a thick royal blue stripe down the center of her helmet. She was wearing a black short sleeved jacket. The jacket's collar stuck out from her slim neck defiantly. There is a white shirt of sorts underneath her outer layer. Metal guards on her shoulders with two vertical glowing orange stripes on each one. There were buckles on her collar connected by a blue leather strap that ran down past her shoulder and down her chest connecting to a bigger blue strap just below her bust. There were other buckles but the jacket was left unclosed. She had on a pair of royal blue shorts that came down to her knees. On her right leg she had a white leather satchel, along with two blue holsters on her back.

One of her comrades called out to her, "Hey sympathizer are you finished with that garbage yet?" Her head jerked to the side as her right hand deftly flicked to her holster quickly pulling out the gun blade within and popping off a wide shot towards the speaker. "That almost fucking HIT ME!" the speaker a gruff older man walked into view stomping closer to the soldier. She stands with a calm menace about her, "Please that shot was wide by eight inches, if I wanted to hit you I would have. But come any closer my finger might just slip on the trigger." Shrugging and finishing up with the last body, "Wouldn't want you to get hurt old man."

I stretched as I stood trying to work out some of the stiffness in my muscles. I gazed off into the woods, they're watching I have no doubt. But the question is why haven't they come out yet? I turned, my white cape flowing around me as I returned to the waiting airship. Lifting off , the hatch started to slowly close I saw the same L'cie that chased me earlier, with a stocky Pulsian man.

~Present Day~

I woke up facing a night sky full of stars…I slowly became aware of the warm weight pressing down on me. Shaking my head gently in an attempt to fight off my grogginess I glanced around. I look down seeing Sulyya Gaisras Juokas, arms wrapped around me firmly. Her head was face down nuzzled against my stomach. I groaned to myself quietly as I tried to recall what happened. It was all a blank…I tried to reach for the memory but it was like sand through my fingers, always slipping away.

Juokas grumbled tightening her grip slightly, I gasped when I felt her hand creep under my shirt. Thankfully her hand came to rest on my abdomen. Despite my attempts to shake of the grogginess, I slipped off into my dreams again, lulled into a deep sleep by Juokas's heat.