Jeez, I'm terrible for starting a second fic, but this idea had been burning a hole in the back of my mind for ages and was screaming to be written. Truthfully, this was written well over a month ago, way before I started Of Salt and Pepper. Bits and pieces of the next couple chapters are already written, as well as the plot outline. I swear I'll finish up OS&P before this one _

It's amazing what hits you at 2:00 AM in the morning when you're in a state of half-consciousness.

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy XIII, or any concepts introduced by the game. They all belong to SquareEnix.

"A person often meets his destiny on the road he took to avoid it."
- Jean de La Fontaine

Gravel scuttled across the ground. In the calm night, the noise of the rocks colliding with each other was deafening. Not a soul was awake in Oerba. Except for two figures lounging by the South Gate of the village proper.

Little light was offered during this time of the year, when the nights stretched and the warmth retreated. Lying on the ground, Vanille could barely pick out her friend in the darkness. Fang's navy blue and black attire blended her perfectly into the shadows, along with her raven hair. All she saw was the outline of the huntress leaning easily against the shelter, which was more or less a couple of fallen boulders. Casting a curious gaze at the planet in the sky, she murmured quietly, "Wonder what they're planning."

Fang followed Vanille's line of sight. Wordlessly, she appraised the ethereal orb in the sky; the lack of clouds accentuated the planet, setting it at the focus of her attention. For as long as she could remember, Cocoon always had a surreal bronze glow to it, surrounded by wispy blue and green fog that shrouded hid portions of the planet. Compared to Gran Pulse, Cocoon was unnatural down to its creation; it was a world created by Lindzei, who had supposedly stolen resources from Gran Pulse for its construction. How could something of that magnitude defy gravity without problems? They were facts that bothered Oerba Yun Fang to no end.

Perfection wasn't a concept she believed in. And Cocoon's promise of paradise only spited her further. Lies. All of it.

Emerald eyes grew hostile, narrowing at the viper's nest in the sky. Fang snorted. "They," began Fang confidently, "are just a bunch of cowards. They are asking for trouble if they even try to invade... Nothing but a bunch of brainwashed pets to their beloved government." The hatred in her voice grew with each word.

"I wonder..." Vanille mused, tugging her fur pelt closer as a gust of wind blew by. "I wonder what life's like up there."

"Nothing spectacular, I'm sure. I'd rather wrestle with a King Behemoth than explore that hell," Fang spoke easily. "Don't forget, they're our enemy. They're the whole reason why were at war. Heck, they're the reason why we're on this lousy guard shift right now!" Fang kicked the gravel in disgust. "I'm bored out of my skull... And it's freezing!"

The younger girl smiled her friend sympathetically. Age wasn't an indicator of patience, as Fang had demonstrated many times in the past. She patted the patch of land on the ground beside her, sitting up. "Come here! I'm warm!" Arms out, she invited the older Pulsian with a wide grin on her face.

Fang started to decline the offer, but stopped short. She couldn't go and hide under a security blanket! Oerba Yun Fang just didn't shy away from discomfort. Goosebumps covered her arms and she shivered as another breeze swept by. She shot the blanket a calculating look. "You better be," Fang mumbled, teeth chattering. Begrudgingly, she slid under the baby behemoth pelt beside her friend. Warmth immediately enveloped her and she couldn't help but sighed in contentment. "This is more like it..."

In their close proximity, Vanille could trace out the L'Cie brand on Fang's arm. Two arrows had grown since Fang had been branded ten weeks ago. Guilt pooled in her chest. Her brand was still forming its first arrow. Reaching out, she laid a hand on Fang's exposed arm. The skin was frozen to the touch, prickling the nerves on her palm. "Wow, you are cold!"

"I said I was frozen, didn't I?" She felt her arm being shifted; Vanille had draped it across her shoulders. Fang closed her eye and leaned back against the shelter. Not exactly five-star accommodations, but it offered security. Besides, home was just right behind her, undamaged and standing. "Paddra's really gone... I still can't believe those vipers managed to take out that entire city-state. That's a couple hundred thousand - maybe a million - people right there!"

"They're still fighting," Vanille offered quietly. She could feel the muscles in Fang's arm tense.

"Without their own L'Cie?" Fang was sceptical. L'Cie had more resources and far fewer weaknesses than the normal human. It wasn't to say that they were invincible. Just a bit hardier and less susceptible to what was usually classified as life-threatening situations. "I'd be surprised if anything there is still left standing. Most of the people got –"

"They're still fighting," Vanille insisted. She reached to her shoulder and squeezed Fang's hand. "We can't lose hope. Not now. Everyone on Pulse is counting on us."

Fang looked at the girl in surprise. She knew what her friend was implying. "Vanille, Ragnarok isn't what you think –"

"Fang –"

Fang sat up and grabbed the red-head's shoulders, stopping her naive protests – if she only knew... Whenever the Seers of the Vestige had requested an attendance with the 'chosen L'Cie,' Fang insisted that she went alone. That was the tactic she relied on to protect the innocent girl. Intuition told Fang that they were merely tools in much larger plans. Whose plans? Not even Fang could fathom who they belonged to. But she understood that keeping Vanille safe was her top priority, Focus be damned. If it meant withholding knowledge from her, then so be it.

"Ragnarok's not that easy, Vanille," she explained evasively, standing up and looking out into the horizon. Finality was evident in her tone.

Taejin's Tower stood on the tower, broken and bruised at its attempt to pierce the heavens. As the sun rose, the colossus was illuminated brilliantly, giving it an empyrean glow. The surrounding area gradually awoke, came to life with the many beasts' movement. Fang squinted at dusk's picturesque offering, silently admiring the world around her.

"I never knew you liked sunrises."

Fang smirked. "Yeah, you just learn something new about me every day, don't you?" It was hard to believe that within the horizon of the beauty housed a wild and untamed world. Ungoverned by any restrictions, the hinterlands of Gran Pulse were merciless to the weak.

A white flash caught the corner of Fang's eye. Beside her, Vanille gasped. "Fang! Did you –"

"Yeah, I saw it." Satisfied that it wasn't her vision playing tricks on her, she took a few steps forward in confusion. They were living in pretty weird times, but since when did the tower start flashing like an oversized light house? Or started to spew smoke like a power generator? Another flash of bright light confirmed her suspicions. "Yep, that's definitely not normal."

"Looks like there's the action you were looking for." The moment the words left Vanille's mouth, she regretted them. Now wasn't the time to urge an already reckless Fang into looking for trouble.

"You're right! Well, this just might make my day." Excitement crept onto her features and tugged her lips into a grin. "Come on, Vanille! I want to get there before those old geezers do! They ruined all my fun last time."

"You call challenging both a Behemoth King and a Megistothestrian at the same time f- Fang!" Vanille's arm nearly ripped out of its socket as Fang eagerly took off. As she was dragged, she glanced back at their abandoned post. She stumbled as she attempted to keep up with the taller woman's strides. "Fang, what about our guard shift?" She protested.

"Our shift was over the moment the explosion happened." The warrior replied in an end-all-be-all tone. Her pace quickened into a light sprint. Adrenaline coursed through her body. The ground beneath her hastened into a blur of russet, copper, and greens as they closed in on Taejin's Tower.

Vanille hesitantly looked at the sky tearing tower. Distant yet distinct shouts transcended the heights, a tell tale sign of the discord within. Periodically, a blinding glare would erupt from one of the tower's balcony. Suddenly, a body flew out of the tower; gravity took over and pulled it towards the earth with a sickening crunch. Vanille felt her stomach lurch at the sight and sounds. "We're not going to climb down into that, are we?"

Fang laughed and unhitched her spear. She was either unfazed by the death and destruction or was hiding her disgust very well. Years of living with the warrior told Vanille it was probably the former. The desire to fight and conquer ran deep in the Yun bloodline - Fang's included. "Of course not! We're going to take the lift. Don't stray too far, all right?"

As Vanille followed Fang, rushing up the trail, she extracted the binding rod at her hip. The fog of smoke thickened as they gained altitude; the shouts grew in volume as well. A pillar of blackened ash rose from the center of the tower. "Fang, I can't see!"

Immediately, a familiar hand clasped her arm and slid down to her hand, guiding her. "I got you. Don't let go and just follow me," Fang instructed as they wandered through the haze. The metal under their feet soon gave way into rustic tiles.

"There's more of them?" Someone cried incredulously.

"Where?"

"Over there!" A female voice echoed off the walls. Gunshots followed. Bullets ricocheted off the walls, making sparks of light dance in the near darkness.

"Stop shooting!" The same female voice ordered angrily. "You're going to hit one of us!"

"I have to, Light! You want them to get us?"

They weren't Gran Pulsians. Fang growled and squinted, trying to locate the sources of the sounds; it was an impossible task. Anything beyond a ten feet radius faded into the gray clouds. Movement in any direction could have them nearing an enemy. Staying put like a sitting Chocobo wasn't an option either.

"Maybe we should go down?" Vanille suggested.

Fang nodded and strengthened her hold on Vanille as she took point. She didn't have a clue where she was going, but it comforted her to know that they were doing something instead of nothing. A sharp, strong gust of wind tore down the center of the spire. Chain links rattled as the Fal'Cie Dahaka knocked against the rocky confinements, sending pieces of the tower crashing down. Tucking Vanille under her arm, Fang evaded a sizeable boulder and ducked into an alcove. "I hate it when he does that," Fang mumbled, blinking furiously to clear her vision.

Vanille coughed out an unintelligible response. She wheezed. "Where are they?" Worriedly, she watched as her friend futile struggle to move the earth that was blocking the threshold.

"Dunno," Fang grunted. She scanned the room they were now trapped in. The fog was less dense. "Looks like we're not going back the way we came. There's an exit this way." Fang waved, taking lead.

"Stay together!"

"Easy for you to say," a dark haired man grunted. The semi-automatic rifle in his hand coughed, firing blanks at the Fal'Cie. Frantically, he began to reload, cursing when his hands shook, scattering the ammo on the ground. "Lightning! We need a plan B!"

A female voice huffed angrily in response and swore. Her hand instinctively went to her hip and grasped at air. Her radio had apparently decided to grow legs at a wonderful time and run away – which was probably a pragmatic course of action in their situation. "Where's the rest of our squad?"

"Don't know! All I know is that we need a plan to get out of here."

"I'm not the leader! Where's Cid?"

"Don't know, but if you don't come up with a plan soon - argh!"

"Rygdea!"

"I'm going to kick that serpent's ass!" He hissed, squeezing his eyes shut.

"You need a potion."

"It's okay, I'm fine, Light. I don't need some damn drug." Taking deep breaths, Rygdea grasped his shoulder and leaned against the statue. Luckily, that thunder spell barely touched him; he flexed his fingers, relieved that nothing had been seriously damaged. The rifle had skidded out into the clearing when he'd been shocked.

Azure eyes flickered between the Fal'Cie and the firearm. Dahaka was currently laying waste to all the intruders in the tower, Pulsians and Cocoon alike. They had the Pulse L'Cie to thank for distracting the God with flurries of attack from multiple directions. Their supposed enemies had stopped pursuing them when Dahaka returned to his lair.

"I'll get it." Lightning pulled out the blade from her holster, ready to tempt fate. The ten feet between her and the rifle seemed more like ten miles. She steeled herself and crouched at the edge of their hiding spot.

Sensing her gamble, Rygdea grabbed her arm and snarled, "You wanna get your ass shocked into a crisp?"

Lightning shot him a cold glare. "Of course not. But we're going to be stuck here for a good while. You were the one who wanted to get out of here, right? Well there are three ways we can get out of this: a) get the gun and make a break for it, b) wait for a Pulse L'Cie to gut us alive, or c) wait for the Fal'Cie to demolish this statue we're hiding behind so we can be buried alive."

"You don't even have the proper gear! Is this what you wanted? To get yourself killed? Whatever happened to completing the squad's mission? What about your mission?"

Lightning looked at her sleeping attire of a pair of sweats and a long sleeved shirt. There hadn't been time for her to change when Dahaka decided to return and throw a tantrum. And before that, there had been barely enough notice when Pulse L'Cie began tracking them. "I'll do things my way." She wretched her arm away. And without waiting for a reply, she shot out from behind the statue and dove for the gun, hitting the switch on her Grav-Con Unit.

A screech careened off the tower's confines as Dahaka made a swipe for Lightning. Sharp talons crashed into the land right behind her; she rolled to her feet and began sprinting. Rygdea's colorful language told her he was still alive despite the previous attack. Speed was her only advantage. Even so, it gave her a minute edge as there really was nowhere to hide in the tower.

The walls were splattered painted with blood and bits of human remains littered the corridors. A bloodbath would have been an understatement. Bounding over the carnage of fallen comrades and enemy L'Cie alike, she took aim and unleashed a rain of bullets that peppered the Fal'Cie's face.

A smug smirk tugged at her lips as the serpentine god roared in anger, reeling back. The Fal'Cie clawed his eyes. She had struck without a warning and evaded the blows with blinding speed. She wasn't called 'Lightning' for nothing.

Three leaps landed her atop a statue, where she fired off another barrage from the rifle. The Fal'Cie responded by flying upwards and swinging its tail at her, effectively demolishing the gargantuan stone sculpture. Dust and shrapnel flew exploded into the air, mixing with the heavy fog of smoke and ash. She dodged the strike, but was caught unaware by a thunder spell. Only a timely twist of her torso saved her. Her blade wasn't as lucky; Lightning cursed as she watched her weapon plummet down the tower, out of her sight.

Don't lose focus, Light.

Swiftly, she ducked behind another monolith, feeling the heat of a fire spell scorching the other side of a monument. The smell of burning flesh reached her nostrils and she winced, fought the bile back down her throat.

The sweet triumph was short lived as she felt the ground rumble. "An earthquake? Now?" She cursed incredulously. A back flip safely placed her out of the way at a toppling statue, but she stumbled on her landing. The ground buckled, drawing webs into the once-assumed indomitable stone. Lightning howled in pain as her ankle was caught tightly in the maws of a newly formed fissure. Ignoring the searing pain as best she could, she fired the last rounds at the rocks by her feet. They wouldn't let go. Shit! Shit! She tugged desperately as Dahaka turned his attention on her. Fear froze her as her mind blanked; her cerulean eyes stared at the oncoming attack without comprehension.

Lightning felt the wind knocked out of her as she took the beast's fist without any substantial defence. The force ripped her from the ground and sent her crashing into the wall, made her drop her gravity manipulating device upon impact. Her chest, legs, and throat now burned more painfully than her ankle. Lightning's fingers came away from her neck red, slick with pumping blood. Shaking her head only made her surroundings swim more, made her throat protest at the twisting motion. She coughed into her elbow. The red drops that stained her sleeve mortified her as she pulled her arm away. A horrible ringing sounded in her ears – are my ears bleeding, too?

"Hey! You overgrown snake! Over here!" Lightning snapped open her eyes. A Pulsian, but where?

"You're provoking him, Fang?" A high pitched voice squeaked out. The smog was obfuscating, but Lightning still managed to draw a faint outline of a girl frantically conjuring cure spells. Another figure launched herself at the Fal'Cie and struck multiple times with a spear before gravity returned her to the ground.

"We have to cripple him first! My protect just wore off!" Lightning watched in amazement as a glow enveloped them both before fading. Pulse l'Cies... fighting their own deity? "Replenish our buffs, Vanille! After that, get back to healing."

"Right! Haste coming right up!"

"Stay, dammit!"

Vanille looked at Fang, who was busily attempting to get one of her slow spells to stick. Fang growled in frustration. Her dark brow creased with immense focus. Maybe she should've listened to Vanille when she suggested that practicing her saboteur role would be a good idea. It was a bit late now. A grin spread across her face when she succeeded. In her hasted state, dodging the Fal'Cie would be less problematic now. She shifted roles again, and shoved her spear in the ground for mediguard. "Almost done?"

"Almost!" A hexagonal pattern formed in front of Vanille, indicating a successful cast. "I'm not just smiles and sunshine, you know."

The ground reverberated as the tiers began shifting once more. Fang dug in as the Fal'Cie brought its claw crashing down into the surface once more. This time, the ground underneath Fang's feet began to crumble. She felt her spear loosening before falling out of her grip and onto the storey below. She swore under her breath. "Take cover, Vanille! I'll be back!" Crouching, she leapt down a nearby collapsed section of a corridor to retrieve her weapon. The Fal'Cie's eyes followed her descent. Chain-like tail whipping, it took off after the warrior.

"Fang!" Vanille protested, but the god's roar reminded her of the possible danger she could invite. Taking heed of her friend's warning, she slowly retreated away from the edge, moving backwards. Her feet slipped on a wet spot on the ground and she tripped, landing beside something corporeal. A scream escaped her lips before she clapped a hand over her mouth, teeth clenched against the back of her palm.

Lightning grimaced and drew a sharp breath. The pain wasn't really noticeable anymore, replaced by a numbing sensation brought on by her copious amount of blood loss. But it still hurt all the same. She cracked opened her eyes and saw a blob of red and a face oscillating in and out of focus.

Vanille gasped, taking in her complexion and dilated pupils. The pink-haired girl's irises were nothing but a faint ring, so thin that she couldn't tell what color they were. Eyelids drooping salubriously, Lightning grappled for consciousness; she knew if she closed her eyes, she might never open her them again. A tingling warmth invaded her chest, right above her heart, before spreading out to her arms. She opened her mouth to protest, but only emitted a raspy groan. The same warmth now prickled her face and tickled her legs. Am I... dying? I can't! Not now!

The Oerban looked nervously as the girl before her twisted and writhed in the ground, as if fighting off an invisible enemy. The cure spell in her hand disappeared into the battered body, and she watched as the torn flesh sewed itself back together. "Can you hear me?"

Lightning peeked open her eyes, and was taken aback by the surprising sharpness of her surroundings. Making eye contact with her supposed savior, she nodded. Her mind recognized the voice as one of the two L'Cie that had been fighting Dahaka.

Relieved, Vanille continued on with a gentle smile. "Can you tell me your name?"

Instincts told her to lie, but her mouth reacted faster than her mind. "Éclair," she rasped out, a bit surprised at the lack of power in her voice. She coughed and cleared her throat. Her hand ran to her neck, feeling a rather sizeable scar caked in blood.

"Éclair?"

She nodded in affirmation.

"I'm Vanille. Can you stand?" Vanille stood, offered Éclair a hand and helped pulled the girl to her feet. Standing, Lightning wobbled a bit on her legs, not trusting their strength especially having been crippled moments earlier. Exhausted, she toppled forward, only to be caught by the Pulsian. Vanille looped Lightning's arms around her shoulders, supporting her.

"Fang!"

"Over here!" Vanille did her best with the added weight and waved, catching Fang's attention.

"Vanille!" A sigh of relief left Fang's lips. The reprieve was temporary as she felt her hackles rise at the stranger that her friend was supporting. Quickly, she walked towards them. With a forceful yank, she separated the two and assumed a defensive position in front of Vanille, spear poised. Anyone she couldn't recognize right off the bat was a potential threat.

"Fang –"

"Leave her alone, Vanille." Muscles coiled, Fang was ready to spring at a moment's notice.

Vanille quickly ducked under Fang's spear and placed herself between the girl and the warrior. She spread her arms out, preventing any possible rash actions from occurring. "Don't attack her! She's not an enemy!"

"You don't know who she is –"

"Sure I do. Her name's Éclair," Vanille interrupted. She glimpsed at the pink-haired girl about her age, not daring to completely shift her attention from the blade of Fang's spear. Lightning sluggishly sat up, rubbing her neck where the older Pulsian and unexpectedly grabbed her. "Am I right?"

The girl weakly inclined her head, eyes fixed to the ground. Terror invaded her entire being and rooted her to the spot. The world around her swam, all the colors blurring into a brilliant mosaic. That wasn't at the top of her list of worries though – her burning throat was. It was getting difficult to breathe and black spots flickered in and out of her vision.

Fang frowned, she walked over and picked up a nearby gun. Lightning felt her heart speed up in panic. The rifle had been Rygdea's, given to him as a standard issue by the Sanctum Army. The firearm had 'Cocoon' written all over it. "Her comrades will come and get her. We have to get back home."

"I know, but I'm not leaving her here. It's dangerous out here! And she doesn't even have a weapon! What if the Fal'Cie comes back? There are tons of fiends out here, Fang."

Lightning winced as Fang lobbed the rifle in front of her. "Now she does. Let's go Vanille."

"I'll bet you anything that there are no bullets in the gun." Lightning inwardly grimaced at the coincidence. The chamber had probably been emptied thanks to her trigger-happy firing at the Fal'Cie.

Fang didn't understand why her bubbly friend was suddenly being so persistent. It reminded her of the time when Vanille had found an injured Chocobo outside the village and refused to leave it behind. Fang still had scars on her forearms where the younger Oerban had clawed her. She wanted to avoid that scenario at all costs. "Vanille, she's not a pet."

"Exactly – that's why I won't leave her here alone!"

"Vanille –"

"What would your parents say if they knew you were leaving someone out to die? What would they say if they knew you could have saved them, Fang?" Fang winced. It was a low blow, but Vanille knew it was the only way to break her friend's tenacity. "I know you're a good person, Fang. Even if you don't want to believe it, you are. You don't kill people without a good reason."

Fang avoided Vanille's eyes and stared hard at Lightning's exhausted form on the ground. With blood stained skin and ripped clothes, she looked as if she had been left out on the Archylte Steppe to die. With each passing second, Fang felt her guard being lowered. "Looks can be deceiving," Fang argued in a last ditch attempt to have Vanille abandon the girl. As the words left Fang's mouth, she knew she'd lost.

Ignoring Fang's comment, Vanille jumped her friend and hugged her, squealing delightfully. Fang bit her lip, trying to hide her own smile. It'd been a while since she had seen her truly happy. Fang couldn't recall the last time Vanille had a genuine grin on her face. Not since they became L'Cie, anyways.

"Fine, but I'm not babysitting her. I absolutely refuse."