Hey guys I had this playing in my head for sometime now and I finally got the time to write this little one-shot.I hope you guys like. :)

Disclaimers: I don't own anything from Final Fantasy franchise, God I wish I did!

I'm only borrowing the characters ;)

ENJOY!

"Let's Finish this!" Lightning commanded as Fang threw a glance over her shoulder interlocking with the soldier's eyes. Both knew at that moment exactly what to do next. As soon as their gaze broke off and back into focus upon the Fal'cie before them it was as if their minds stayed in zinc no words were exchanged just actions. Fang left her defensive post as the team's sentinel and launched at Dahaka with full force for one final blow at the beast. It was a relentless assault as both Light and Vanille's Magic intertwined with Fang's powerful Lance attack in unison. The beast disappeared into thin air with a dark purple aura consuming it in defeat. Each team member stood about staggered from such an exhausting battle and tried to recompose themselves.

One more Fal'cie down. Who knows how many more to go...We're running out of time…..Serah..… Lightning thought, shaking her head out of her reverie seconds later as she straightened herself out and placed her Gunblade back in its holster. She wiped the sweat trickling down her forehead and cheeks with the back of her gloved hand as she shot a glance around to see if everyone was okay. Her eyes finally landed on a certain Pulsian native which she nodded towards as an acknowledgment for her work on the battle field. Fang could see a flicker in Light's gaze but little did she know it was one of full admiration. Lightning still couldn't believe how much strength Fang had; she was the reason why their team was held in place here in Gran Pulse. They all would've been lost out there if it wasn't for the two Pulsians. Correction if it wasn't for Fang. She knew the valleys inside and out; and the strength the woman possessed that accompanied that knowledge of her home land had truly made her a leader throughout their voyage. Maybe it's her hunter instincts that kick in or maybe it's because she's in the comfort of her home…. Yea that must be it….. Light mentally kicked herself as she realized she had been staring for far too long, so she quickly broke her gaze with the older Pulsian and continued about her business getting lost in thought about Serah again.

They were all exhausted taking a break at the apex of Taejin's tower, what was left of it anyway, since most laid in ruins. Hope broke the silence first calling out from the ledge as he took a look out into the valley before him. "So Oerba is just down there right?"

Vanille stood up from her crouched position as she was trying to normalize her breathing once more and responded hesitantly "Yea it is…" This action didn't go unnoticed to Fang.

"So how's Oerba like?" Sazh joined in also staring out into the field below.

"It's beautiful surrounded by flowers and nature." Vanille once again responded; this time a little more upbeat, recalling the memory of happier days that now seemed so far away.

"I'm afraid I don't see such a picture from up here girls." Sazh replied with a sort of sympathetic tone which caused both Fang and Vanille to freeze and look at each other with a sense of loss and helplessness. The Older Pulsian knew why Vanille had replied in such a reluctant way earlier, almost as if she didn't want to know that Oerba was just a little further ahead and could be seen from the Apex of the tower. She knew why because she felt it too, they were both afraid of what Oerba would look like after all this time. And after hearing Sazh's saddened description it only confirmed to them both that Oerba wasn't the same. 500 years of Crystal stasis gone out the way, the small town was bound to look different they both knew but weren't ready to face it yet.

The soldier was a little ways parted from the group taking a look around alert at all times in case of enemies. She kept true to her name quick to be ready if anything came to harm the group. But although she was keeping her senses alert she was also paying close attention to the conversation at hand. When both Fang and Vanille finally made the effort to walk closer to the ledge of the tower and take a look toward the horizon, the soldier had never seen Fang so filled with emotion. She couldn't tell if she was at the verge of crying or taking somebody's head off. All that attrition in Fang's head was understandable to the soldier she could only imagine how it would be like if her hometown of Bodhum was ever in the same state and everyone she ever knew was dead, she would feel the same too.

"It's gone" Fang and Vanille said in unison and Vanille tried to hide the tears already building up in her eyes as Fang grabbed her close to comfort her, but Lightning knew Vanille wasn't the only one that needed comfort at the moment. She kept that mental note for later as she planned to talk to Fang whenever they reached their destination.

The gang finally made their way to the entrance of what was left of the small town of Oerba. Buildings that once stood tall, strong, and filled with life, now laid in misery abandoned by the natives that were long gone half a millennium ago. Broken cracks scarred the streets and became the home of protruding green patches of plants lying in between. The only things now roaming the town we're packs of Cie'th and other malevolent critters. Vanille couldn't help her sobs, and Fang could only hold the girl in her arms, her mask unbreakable, not even a tear could be seen in her stoic expression. And Lightning knew all what it meant, she knew that face all too well because she herself had been wearing that facade for years now since her parents died. She couldn't help but feel the other woman's pain, and it hurt her to her core, she felt sympathy for the woman a foreign feeling to her.

As the sunset scurried away the team of L'cie decided it was best to scout one of the buildings and call it a night. They picked the biggest one of all where Vanille and Fang once resided in. Once everyone was settled and ready to sleep Fang took the first watch and made her way to the entrance of the facility and set up a fire with a few sticks she'd encountered on her way. She sat by the fire, Lance in hand in case of an attack.

Lightning wasn't able to sleep, her thoughts still on Fang and as she watched the other woman leave for her shift she decided maybe this could be the time to talk to her. So she made her way down the stairs to the fire Fang had lit up and cautiously sat next to the huntress.

"Hey" She said while shifting to make herself comfortable around the fire.

Fang only nodded in acknowledgement, words no longer there since all had seemed to escape from within her. So after a few moments, Lightning was impelled to break the silence again.

"I'm sorry about what happened here."

Fang was trying to force herself to say something but silence consumed her. Lightning could see the struggle in her as she opened her mouth to say something and closed it again. After a few seconds she was finally able to respond to the expectant soldier. "Don't worry about it, everyone died in the war anyway, it shouldn't have been a surprise to see Oerba like this," she shook her head.

"Look I know how you feel, I—" before she could finish, Fang interrupted.

"No!" The warrior cried out, "You don't. I highly doubt you've lost everything you've ever cared for and loved. Cuz from what I see, Cocoon seems to be lookin fine and purty from down here soldier." She huffed out and as soon as the words left her mouth, she regretted it. She knew the words would only pierce right through the soldier, so she silently cursed her impulsiveness.

Lightning looked at her with a raised eyebrow and eyes slightly wide in surprise at the warrior's response. She knew Fang to be aggressive and fierce when it came to battle, but she had never heard such hostility in her tone of voice. In any other situation this would have set off her inner alarm telling her to hide behind her walls and be as menacing as Fang had seemed only a few seconds ago, but she knew all too well that Fang was just hurting and didn't mean to come off in such a way.

All she had wanted to tell Fang is that she understood, that she too had to be strong for Serah when they lost their parents, that she too had to eat all the pain and didn't shed a tear because she felt obliged to be the one to comfort her younger sister. That she too had lost everything she ever cared for or loved, but what Lightning really wanted to do is tell the woman next to her what the warrior herself had said to her back in Palumpolum, "Your sister, that's a reason to keep on fighting." Lightning remembered what Fang had once told her. When all hope was lost, Fang had been there to help her find a reason to keep going. She wanted to do the same for the warrior woman.

Coming back from her thoughts Lightning averted her eyes from Fang and stared off into the horizon. A few minutes passed and she said "Cocoon is not my home anymore… I'm a L'cie, a runaway, a cast off, same as you." She looked back toward Fang interlocking their eyes together.

Fang still feeling guilty could only remain in silence as she timidly looked back at the soldier. Waiting for Lightning to slap her or worse. But it never came.

"You know everything might be gone, but your true home is with the people that love you. You still got Vanille you know, she's reason enough to keep on fighting."

Fang felt a knot start building in her throat and as much as she wanted to say something, anything, she just couldn't bring herself to vocalize any words.

"You still got the rest of us too….. you still got me." With that, there was nothing else to be said. Lightning stood up from her seated position next to Fang, gently grazing the huntress's shoulder as she did so, and before she turned around to make her way back to the others she smiled such a gentle and genuine smile that fang couldn't believe what she was seeing.

Fang was left there trying to take it all in. She could only feel her heart pounding faster in her chest as she remembered the last four words Lightning had said. You still got me.

Fin

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