Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy XIII. All credit for characters and places go to Square Enix and its affiliates.
Summary: There is a fire there, a freedom in her eyes that Fang has never seen before. Despite herself, despite the battle that is waged around her, she cannot bring herself to look away. Loose mentions of Flight; Fang/Lightning.
Author's Note: Okay, so I should probably get around to updating my story, but as you all probably know, we writers are notorious procrastinators, and I really can't get into it—I've writing a part of the chapter, but I lost the rest when my computer crashed. Stupid me and not saving. Oh well. Anyway, the title was inspired by a song of the same name by Poets of the Fall, from their album Carnival of Rust—I highly suggest any of their songs.
/I feel the fire flare alight inside me, higher so I can see, and aspire to survive this fight./
Fire
The Font of Namva was infested again.
The three of them looked upon the familiar scene with matching sighs, and from the corner of her eye, Fang spotted Lightning cross her arms irritably over her chest, displeased. Around them, Chocobos flapped and squawked as they passed by, feathers ruffled, some bleeding, away from the pack of Sahagin that had seen fit to invade their territory.
Huffing indignantly, Fang leapt back as she was almost trampled by a particularly careless bird. On either side of her, Chocobos swerved to avoid running over her two companions, neither of which seemed particularly bothered by it—though Hope did look a little bit nervous, taking in the curved talons that sprouted from their feet.
It was not unusual that the Font was overrun, since they had arrived, they had already cleared out the area twice, and it was getting old. Sometimes, she wondered how the birds managed to survive so long on their own. Nevertheless, it was facing up to be another extermination mission. Sahagins had a habit of infesting the Font, even in her own time, as far as she knew. They would simply have to clear it out again if they wanted to keep riding the giant birds.
Slowly, a smirk blossomed across her lips as they continued to advance on the group, which was still tousling with a few stubborn Chocobos. Nothing more exciting than batting around a few beasties after all.
"Let's have some fun."
No one responded, but as she drew her lance off her back, she knew they were ready. They had been working as a group long enough for her to take cues off them—in fact, though she would have rather have been able to keep an eye on Vanille, she found herself warming to Hope's company.
Moving at a light jog, Fang let the very tip of her Dragonhorn drag across the sand, kicking up a light wave of it behind her. She heard Hope's cough as the two followed after her, but paid it no mind. Adrenaline pumped in her already, tingling through her every pore—like a true hunter, true to her origin, Fang felt no fear, only exhilaration as she moved closer to the Sahagin pack.
"Tireless Charge!" Lightning called, drawing even with Fang.
Lagging behind a little, his stamina and speed not quite up to par with the two women, Hope nodded. He was to play medic, while the two of them would take the group head on. "I got your backs!"
She grinned at Lightning's order, tugging her lance up in front of her, baring it to the Sahagins, which had finally noticed their approach. Already, the aquatic creatures were hissing at them, their scaly wings beating up and down threateningly. Lightning blurred off in front of them—and Fang was not exaggerating, the soldier could move—launching herself at the nearest of the creatures.
"Let's do this!"
She branched off from the soldier, taking to the right while Lightning took the left. But Lightning had already slain the first by the time her lance touched a single Sahagin. She hurried to carve her way through the first one, spurred on by the unspoken challenge between them. Although Lightning was faster than her, Fang was stronger and could deal her opponents more damage than Lightning could in one blow, though she wouldn't deny that the damned gun was effective.
By pure instinct, Fang glanced over to see how Lightning was doing and faltered.
In that moment, Fang could see past the blankness that usually crowded the soldier's eyes, into the passion, the fire that smoldered within. The emotion, it burned brighter than anything Fang had seen; it was rage, it was resolve, it was lust for blood. Blue eyes had never looked so thrilling, so deadly…so utterly enticing as they did in that moment, as a smooth line of metal and sharpness and blood drew level with squared shoulders, arcing down in a smooth circle. Lids narrowed, eyes became slits, and Lightning glared down at her opponent.
The pure lack of restraint in the soldier eyes startled Fang so abruptly, so thoroughly, the competition was forgotten as she watched Lightning move through their ranks, Hope casting healing spell on her when required. She knew she was staring, but she couldn't tear her eyes away. Seeing Lightning so free was amazing—from the looseness in her movements, to the way she held herself —and she had never noticed before. Fang swallowed suddenly, loudly.
Lightning was beautiful, she thought to herself.
She was oblivious to the glances Hope spared her, his forehead creased. "Come on, Fang!" he called tauntingly. "You're falling behind."
And she liked Hope, she decided irritably, catching herself, better when he was afraid of her.
Growling, she launched herself back into the fray, just in time to avoid the water spell thrown at her by the Sahagin she had been previously batting around. But even as she fought, she couldn't help but let her eyes drift to Lightning. The expression was still there, still burning through her eyes, and though Lightning did not look at her, Fang felt she knew, more so she had felt, the eyes on her. She could not forget that look.
Even as she curled sleepily in front of the fire at their camp that night, Fang would never forget the liberated look in Lightning's eye, as if all the problems of the world had simply fallen away.
Most of all, she would not forget the smile Lightning offered her when it was all over, even if she called her an idiot afterwards.