You eat, you sleep

You drag your feet

Get out of bed and earn your keep

Then rinse, repeat, and take your seat

Just let them think they've won

Now the road ahead is steep

And yet I feel the urge to run

So go ahead and leave

I know you hate that I've become

Like you...

(Fox Stevenson - Like You)

Part I: Becoming

Chapter 1: Entering Eden

Fang isn't sure when the change happened.

Not that she's ever really sure of anything anymore. It's been weeks and weeks of hiding in this damn hellhole as Cocoon troops trample over the land she calls home.

Gran Pulse had been a force to reckon with at the start of the war until the head general, who had lead the clans to what seemed like a brilliant victory, had fallen in battle. From there, things just fell apart. The once united clans turned on each other, each vying to place their own general in power, and Cocoon had leapt on the chance, knocking the clans down one by one in devastating defeats. The only remaining clan now is Oerba, and it barely clings to the edge of destruction. More than that, the other defeated clans of Gran Pulse have defected to the enemy's side, leaving Oerba to stand completely and utterly alone. Surrender is on the horizon, the only things between it and Oerba are stubborn pride and desperate hope.

No matter how little Fang wants to admit it, there really is no point in continuing this fight.

Except, maybe there is.

It's so subtle that even Fang doesn't notice it at first. The skirmishes on Oerba's borders, which had been increasing in intensity over the last few months, have forced Fang into hiding since she became a recognizable target on the battlefield. But as of the last two weeks, the number of troops flooding into the outskirts of Oerba has begun to decline. The steady rumble of footsteps and clinking of steel armor plates overhead that Fang has been listening to from her underground hideout has decreased in volume. She emerges with a small group of warriors to flank the Cocoonians whenever a battle breaks out, and they begin to pull out their first victories in nearly two weeks.

And then, suddenly, the change isn't so subtle. The Cocoon army begins falling back despite having the obvious advantage, leaving the Oerbans puzzled. The number of enemy soldiers dwindles until the Cocoonians are the ones outnumbered on the battlefield. And the soldiers are tired, worn down from constant ambushes from the Oerbans, unable to keep up with the pace of battle. Fang has never felt so alive, tearing across the battlefield with unrivaled speed and power. Oerba has returned to its former glory, seemingly indomitable once again.

But honestly, there is no reason that Cocoon should be faltering now, especially having just been on the brink of victory. It leaves Fang slightly bewildered, but she does the only thing she can think to do: she capitalizes. Winning battle after battle, she leads her warriors across fields of blood, bringing the Cocoon army to its knees.

In hindsight, the reason for Cocoon's fallback should have been obvious.

Fang berates herself for not seeing it, even five months later.

Cocoon had been playing the Oerban forces all along: Pulling back, pretending to lose hope, drawing Fang and her warriors further and further out of their own territory, right into a trap that should have been obvious. The Cocoon Imperial Army, the king's personal army of trained soldiers, surrounded and collapsed onto Fang's comparatively small force, and four hundred of Fang's soldiers were captured and held as prisoners of war as Fang was forced to retreat. Oerba surrendered that same day, refusing to lose any more lives.

Now Fang is stuck in Eden City, at the mercy of the Vipers.

Cocoon had been surprisingly merciful when it came to Oerba's surrender, but they had determined Fang to be too big a threat to their empire, and forced Fang to live in the capital in exchange for Oerba's autonomy. Fang had been indignant at first, but wanting freedom for her people, she begrudgingly left her home, her younger sister Vanille tagging along, not wanting to leave Fang by herself.

Gazing at the towering castle ahead of her, Fang lets out a resigned sigh. Vanille glances over at her, then lets out a sigh of her own.

"Fang, I know what you're thinking, and I've told you a thousand times now. None of this is your fault. It was all bound to happen."

As much as Vanille is trying to console her, the words only make Fang feel worse. But she gives a small grunt and urges her horse forward, fumbling with the reins and cursing under her breath. She's still not familiar with these damn abominations of animals that Cocoon seems to insist on calling transportation.

They arrive at the gates to the Inner City, and the guards stop them, eying the visitors suspiciously. They take an extra minute to review the their papers before allowing the two Pulsians to pass through. Another guard waiting on the other side greets them.

"Welcome, Oerba Yun Fang, Oerba Dia Vanille. I am here to escort you to your new home."

Fang is tense now, and she can feel Vanille casting a nervous glance in her direction.

Control yourself, she reminds herself. No matter what they try and do, this will be temporary.

"Thank you," she says, forcing a polite smile on her face. It must look pretty grotesque, because the guard only grimaces back at her. Vanille giggles a bit despite herself, and the guard's grimace turns into a slight grin. Turning, she gestures for the two Pulsians to follow.

"I'll admit," the guard says, "I was worried how you two would act, coming into a brand new country and all, but you seem to have the casual interactions of Cocoon already down."

"Are people all as awkward as Fang here?" snickers Vanille, and Fang feels a bit of anger flare up in her. These people are the enemy, and Vanille seems perfectly happy to instantly buddy up with them.

The guard snorts in response, leading them up a road bustling with vendors and people. "Only the important ones. Miss Yun will certainly fit right in."

Fang grips the reins tighter and grits her teeth. Are you mockin' me?

They leave the busy street, and after a few minutes, find themselves at the castle's main doors.

"Wait, are we staying in the castle?" Vanille is gaping up at the incredible building.

"Well, they want me to tell you that your comfort is of great importance to us, but for the sake of transparency, I'll go ahead and tell you that it's much easier to keep tabs on you this way." A young man standing at the doors begins making his way toward them. "Well," the guard grunts, dismounting her horse, "it's been nice meeting the two of you. If you ever want to meet up for drinks or anything, go to the tavern. The owner, Lebreau is always open to some new faces, and most of the guards go there at least one night a week." Waving her hand, the guard tugs her helmet off her head, tucking it under her arm, and leads her horse through the doors, into the castle.

"She seems nice," ventures Vanille, glancing pointedly at Fang, who in turn pointedly ignores her.

Fang and Vanille dismount their horses too as the young man draws closer.

"Greetings, Oerba Yun Fang, Oerba Dia Vanille," he says, dipping into a stiff bow. "I am Hope Esthiem, son of Lord Bartholomew. I will be taking you to your new quarters." Despite his formal and obviously practiced speech, the man's voice wobbles a bit, and Fang realizes he is barely more than a boy. She holds back a glare. Tryin' to ridicule me, those damn vipers. Sending a kid to pick us up? They're not even concerned about us.

More guards - How many of them are there in this damn place? - arrive and lead their horses to the stables, and the sisters follow Hope to a small cottage a short walk away from them.

Hope turns around. "As new citizens of the Cocoonian Empire, you will be assigned jobs while you live here. Miss Yun here is to be assigned as a bodyguard for one of our officials, and Miss Dia will be sent to work in our newly constructed laboratory."

Vanille's face lights up at the same time Fang's darkens. "You're really trustin' us with those kinds of jobs? Not worried we might take the chance to take you out?"

Hope's face pales a bit, and he turns away. "Not...not in the least," he mumbles. "Please get some rest. You begin work tomorrow."

Fang's grin of satisfaction is short-lived, however, when she turns to Vanille, who is glaring at her. "What?"

"Don't 'what' me, Fang! Are you trying to get us in trouble before we even spend an hour in here?"

"...Maybe."

"Fang!"

"Why're you so eager to spend time here anyway?"

"A laboratory, Fang! I can get the proper supplies and equipment for my experiments!"

"You really think they're gonna let you near anything important in there?"

Fang almost feels bad for raining on Vanille's parade, especially when the younger girl's face falls so dramatically, but she's still too angry and bitter to apologize, and she just sighs, shifting the bag on her back, and trudges into the house. It's empty, save for some simple wood furniture and a biting sense of defeat comes over Fang.

How long are they plannin' to keep us in here?