A/N: Things may seem calm and peaceful on Gran Pulse. But it never is. And I'm not saying that because it's a wilderness world of brutal survival against bloodthristy wildlife and monstrous Cie'th. But secrets and old enemies, both to the l'Cie and Chantal and her friends, are returning. Who are they you my ask? Let's find out.
Keep an mind, that the characters listed here belong to SnowEmbrace from DeviantART.
Chantal. Sky. Violet. Kayla. Katryx. Kaylee. Maybe a few others, I haven't fully thought through. Guess we'll wait and see.
Schools are closed. Days are longer. It's warm and sunny.
Summer has just begin, and everyone is getting ready for vacations during the most relaxing season of the year. Just as a certain group of citizens who are on their way from Cocoon to Gran Pulse.
In the airship are five citizens.
One is an 18 year old girl, has blonde hair with bangs in a ponytail with blue eyes, in an ocean blue jack, gray shirt, fingerless gloves and boots and black shorts. Katryx.
An 19 year old tough boy who's dressed in black. Pretty much like me, only in a black leather jacket, light black jeans and in a black beanie. Sky.
A young fifteen year old teenager, black eyes, short blonde hair. Her clothing is in jean fabric. Sleeveless shirt and shorts with black shoes. Kayla.
Then there's a 12 year old little girl with sea blue eyes, light brown hair in twin ponytails, adorable yet shy. In a simple light pink shirt and black skirt. Rosy. And in her arms is a white cat. Snowball.
Lastly, there's Chantal. An 18 year old teenager. Brown hair in beans and folded in the back with a rose accessary. Hot pink and black shirt, silver raffle skirt. White shoes with rose prints.
"I'm so excited!" Kayla says in excitement. "I can't wait to see Gran Pulse!"
"Me too. Feels like it's been forever since I last visited." Chantal says. The last time she visited on Gran Pulse was on Christmas, when I invited her over. Chantal really had a fun time, made friends with Lightning and the rest of the l'Cie family. Not only that, but Hope developed a crush on her.
"I'm hoping I get to see this...friend of yours." Sky says. "He sounds very interesting."
"Well, we're certainly going have to meet him." Kayla turns her attention to her adopted daughter. "Since Kayla is going to be working for him."
Kayla gives a grumpy look. "I don't get why I have to work with ORPHAN over the summer."
Sky and Katryx gives her a disappointed, yet obvious, look. Not too long ago, Kayla get into some deep trouble against the law. Kayla is not a little princess that everyone sees her as. She's actually a bit of a rebel. She and her friends were running around at night, graffitiing houses, banging mailboxes and beating up the brother of one of her rebel friends. In the end, she got caught. The second Chantal told me what happen, I decided to do something.
Kayla was originally sentence to prison, but seeing that she's just a child, I decided to have her do community service in working in the Guardian Corps of ORPHAN, where she can learn how to work with the law instead of against it.
Kayla sits down, letting out a huff as she crosses her arms. She's definitely not looking forward to her summer job. "Well...This Patrick sounds like a really nice guy. Can't wait to meet him." Katryx says.
Chantal nods then she turns to Rosy. "What about you? You looking forward to meeting everyone?"
Rosy is a bit nervous on Chantals question. "Uh...w-well...I don't really feel comfortable...about talking to other people." Normally, Chantal is the only person Rosy would talk to. She also gives most of her friends small talk, even though she enjoys hanging out with Kayla. Unless the little rebel is getting herself into trouble.
"I understand you are nervous, but they are good people. I just know you'll get along well with them." Chantal says.
The airship lands at the landing zone just outside of the crystal pillar. The hanger door opens and Chantal and her friends walk right out in the nature grounds of Gran Pulse.
Katryx and Kayla are amazed, so is Chantal since she's never seen the nature beauty of the world in the summer. Only it's snowy land in winter. Rosy gasps as she smiles brightly. "It's so wonderful!" Rosy quickly shifts her eyes everywhere as she laughs in delight, as if she's in a middle of a dreamland garden.
"It's so amazing. It's like a dream. A nature wonderland." Katryx says.
"It's really amazing. Nothing like back on Cocoon." Chantal says.
Sky doesn't say anything, but the sight of Gran Pulse is indeed amazing. "...So. Where do we go?"
Chantal realizes the second Sky says that. "Oh...Right. Actually, Patrick said he'll meet us here."
Katryx doesn't even know what I look like, but she knows that i'm no where around. "Guess we'll just going have to sit and wait for a while."
Not really Kayla's idea for starting her Summer Vacation, especially before summer job. "I'm sure it won't be long." Chantal says.
Lightning walks down in the dread gray lands of the Neverwoods. She's in her full silver and gold armor, black sleeveless, both arms and legs, clothing underneath with a white feathered skirt that only circles around her from behind starting and ending on both sides. Valkyrie-like suit of armor.
The pink-hair soldier walks on the endless road of the forest of darkness. What she remains unaware is that something is following her. In the shadows. At high speed.
As she walks, her expression is cold and stern, but on alert. Even though there is nothing by sight, she scenes something. She stops once she has entered a widen open area. It's quiet. Too quiet.
Lightning rolls her eyes to the side, slowly reaching for one of her Gunblades over my shoulder. In an instant, she turns and slashes, splitting a high speed oncoming arrow in half. Facing the direction the arrow came from, there's nothing. Nothing but darkness.
She stand straight, she knows someone's out there. Still here. Still watching. "Is that really the best you've got?"
She doesn't turn around to know there's a blade right behind her back, the tip of the weapon touching the center of her breastplate. "You and I both know the answer to that." I say.
I stand against Lightning, right behind her. We stand frozen for mere seconds, then Lightning makes the first move. Instantly turning and thrust her Gunblade right at my head. I dodge the blade, only missing by inches. After five missed thrusts, Lightning sweep strikes, I block with one of the swords of the Bowblade. I grab the other half of my weapon right out of the quiver holster and strike Lightning.
Her armor protected her from the slash. My dual wielding, my left weapon backhanded, and Lightning with just a one-handed Gunblade. Lightning backflips to avoid my on coming attacks. In the end, she comes at me.
I parries and dodge each of her attacks. Lightning's strong with swordsmanship, but I'm fast and a master archer. Lightning takes out her second Gunblade, now she's dual wielding. She shifts into Shaman and unleashes Army of One. I see this coming and I shift into Sentinel, activating Vendetta.
My counterattacking defense technique blocks all over lightning's fast oncoming attacks. Gunblades. Kicks. Punches. Shoots and a finishing strike. The second she's doing, I unleash a powerful counterattack. Lightning gives a worried look seeing a red glowing fist coming at her.
Lightning dodges the first few, but she wasn't so lucky on the last one. My powerful blow knocks her attack, crashing into a tree. I shift into Commando, shift my blades into a bow, load with three arrows and shoot.
Lightning sees the arrows and docks at the last second. I grab some throwing stars and throw three in one hand of them at her. Lightning gets back on her feet and deflects the stars with her Gunblades then she jumps into the trees. She shifts both of her weapons into guns and shoots as she leaps tree from tree.
I shift into Synergist and apply Protect on myself. The bullets hit me like they're hitting a wall of iron. No effect. I shoot at Lightning with my arrows on the ground while she's shooting at me with her guns in the trees. After losing half of my arrows, I cast a Ruinga at Lightning. Well, right in front of the direction she's facing, and she ran into the white magic explosion. My eyes are locked in the white smoke of magic. Lightning has not come out of it. As I watch closely, she leaps right out it, coming at me with both blades.
With quick thinking, I take out a smoke bomb and set it off in front of me. Lightning slashes through the smoke the second it's out, only to discover my sudden disappearance.
Lightning stands in place, looking around. "Where are you..." She whispers.
As she looks around, I ambush her from behind. She sensed my attack at the last second and turns to block with both her blades. We fight with blades for a while, close combat. Fighting with all of our strength and speed.
In the end, Lightning has me beaten, performing a strike that knocks the blades right out of my hands and sweep kicks me off my feet and on the ground. I try to get up, but Lightning has her blade point down at me.
Her expression is hostile, but then it turns soft. Lightning sheathes her Gunblade. With a smile, she reaches her hand down. Suddenly, the world around us fades, turning into nothing but data. eventually transforming into the simulation training room.
I grab Lightning's hand and she helps me stand up. "Not bad. Your sword work has gotten better."
"I learn from the best." I say, then we both leaving the simulation room.
Hope checks his breath. Smells fine, then straightens his hair, then his tie. A 15 year old boy trying to look his best. For work? Not this time.
"H-hey Chantal...How are you doing? I'm doing fine. My leg's all healed and..." Hope turns and mutters to himself. "No, no, no. That's not a direct approach." It was a good thought to let her know, since he broke his leg saving her life. Hope takes a few deep breaths then clears his throat. "Chantal. Hi...It's been a long time. Y-you look really beautiful and..." Hope paces around in worry. "No. That's too much. Too soon."
Just as Hope is trying to practice his speech, Lightning and I walks right in. We just watch the kid worrying himself just to talk to the girl of his dreams. "H-Hi. Chantal. It's...great to see you again. Feels like it's been...a a long time?"
"Why not go for a lifetime?" I say, startling the young Hope.
"Patrick? Lightning? ...H-how long have you two been standing there?" Hope says.
"Not very long, but long enough to know you're trying to ask Chanty out." I say.
Hope looks down and sighs in depression. Lightning gives me a slap in the back of the head. "Leave him alone. The kid has a crush on a girl."
I never expect Lightning to say such a thing, even though she cares for Hope. "I get it, but in case you're forgetting Chantal has her immense crush on Sky. I still don't think he has a shot with her."
"Says the guy who put a mistletoe on top of Chantal and Hope." Lightning says.
I get a little upset at being reminded at that. "That was just one time, Farron. All right? The kid hurt himself protecting Chantal. I was just giving him what he deserved."
Lightning pats me on the shoulder. "Right. Sure you did." Lightning walks off, leaving me behind to roll my eyes and groan.
I follow Lightning down the hallway. "I just can't believe I have to share a room with Sky."
"What did you expect? We're a family of 11 trying to fit in five more." Lightning says.
"10." I correct. "Dajh is going to summer camp."
"Right. Same thing." Lightning says.
"I just hope Sky isn't anything like Snow. It's bad enough they already look a like." I say.
"I understand your frustration towards Snow, but it's no reason to compare other people to them." Lightning says.
I stop on my track, armed crossed. "I'm sorry? Who was it that accused me of being a bad guy because I was a Mercenary?"
Lightning stops, with a frustrated look. "Let it go already."
After our little sour conversation, we meet up with Hope in the laboratory on the 13th floor. Lately, Hope and the rest of the Academia scientists are working on an experiment of making humans into l'Cie. Straight and true without having to go through the whole Focus scenario. No worry of completing it and turn to crystal or fail and turn Cie'th.
"How's it going, professor?" I ask.
"So far, we're created a serum that temporary turns people l'Cie, but we've done a few changes with the formula. Hopefully it'll be permanent this time."
"Katryx would probably be hoping too. She wanted to become a l'Cie as well." I say.
I've only spoken to Katryx a short time. One of my offers for her is to make her into a l'Cie. So far, she's just a human girl with a bow for a weapon. But her boyfriend Sky is a l'Cie. I never found out how or why he's become one, but it's certainly surprising.
I look at my phone. "Speaking of which, we need to pick them up. They've probably landed right about now."
Lightning and I make our leave. Hope follows us in excitement. He's excited to see Chantal again. But before he leaves, he once attack practice his chance to talk to her. "Chantal. It's good to see you again. You look really nice...I-I was hoping that, if you want to...Maybe we can-"
I return to the lab and grab Hope by the back of his jacket and drag him. "Come on, Romeo! We're already late."
Hours have passed and everyone is still waiting for me to pick them up. It's already sunset and they're getting pretty bored, and tired...and hungry too. Kayla is already bored to death. Rosy is just sitting with Snowball in her arms.
Kayla groans in impatience. "What's taking him so long?" Kayla asks.
"I'm sure he's on his way. He's probably just...stuck on a mission or something." Chantal says.
"Maybe one of us should take a look around, maybe try to find the city ourselves." Sky asks.
"No. We don't know our way around here. We stick together and wait." Katryx says.
As the group citizens are sitting an waiting, a man with two soldiers by each of his sides watch them. The man has red short hair and mustache, a black eye and two mechanical arms and a mechanical eye., in PSICOM battle armor.
Xana.
"Is that them?" Xana asks to his earpiece.
The PSICOM director sees everything through Xana's mechanical eye. "That's them all right. Allies of the Shadow Hunter." A voice says. "Remember, you are an ORPHAN soldier and have orders to bring them to their headquarters."
"And if they figured it out?" Xana asks.
"Use force. But keep them alive...for now." The voice says.
"Understand, Director Nabaat." Xana says.
Xana thinks carefully about what to say, then he makes his move. As he approaches, Chantal and her friends are a bit startled by the soldiers approaching them. "Greetings, citizens. Which one of you is the girl name Chantal?"
Everyone exchanges looks, mostly confused, then Chantal approaches. "I'm...Chantal."
Xana gets a good look at Chantal. "My...what a nice body you have." Chantal's a bit startled to hear that. The comment sounds...pervert. "My name is William Marano. I have orders from the Shadow Hunter. He wants me to take you to him at ORPHAN Inc."
Chantal's about to speak, but Kayla steps in and speaks in full excitement. "Wow! A cyborg! That is SO COOL!"
Xana looks at Kayla in disappointment. "Yeah...It's cool to have your arms cut right off and your eye stabbed." Katryx gasps hearing that. Sounds horrifying.
"You...say Patrick is having you pick us up?" Chantal asks, and Xana nods. "He never really said anything...and he defiantly wouldn't sent some...prevent."
Xana is a bit nervous even though he doesn't sure it. "Yeah, well...it's pretty much last minute. So if you and your friends would please come with me-"
"If Patrick did sent someone, he would have let me know." Chantal takes out her phone and scrolls through her texts. As she's reading, a new text appears. It's from me. She widens her eyes open. The text says I'm on the way. She looks at Xana. "...He just texted me. He's on his way." Hearing that, everyone else is suspicious. Rosy, worried. "Patrick didn't sent you...you're lying."
Xana is silent for a moment, then he chuckles. "Well, not only you are sexy. You're smart too." Xana says it as a devious compliment. "Take them."
The two soldiers take out their stun rods, switching them one. Rosy screams at the sight of the electric sticks, even hides behind Chantal. Chantal steps back as the bad guys approaches. "Get away from them." Sky steps forward and punches one of the soldiers, knocking him out. When he's knocked, a silver-gold brooch that symbols the Cocoon Fal'Cie becomes loose and falls to the ground.
Xana notices something as Sky is fighting the other one. A l'Cie brand glows right through his shirt on his chest. The two guards are beaten down. "Well. Looks like we have ourselves a l'Cie." Sky yells as he attacks Xana. But Xana shifts into Sentinel and activates Vendetta. Sky fails to notice the protection powers before it's too late. After delivering his strong attacks, he steps back surprised, then Xana counterattacks with an even more powerful blow in the stomach.
Sky becomes overwhelmed by the pain and collapses. "Wh...What just happened?" Katryx says.
"Papa!" Kayla shouts in worry.
Chantal is shocked. "He's...a l'Cie."
The two soldiers stand up. Katryx takes out her bow. She laods an arrow, but Xana sees this coming. A dart shooter opens from Xanas right wrist and he shoots at her. Katryx gets hit in the shoulder and falls into unconsciousness.
The rest of the girls are now scared. The soldiers stands beside the group and Xana approaches them. "Take them to the prison base!"
Lightning, Hope and I show up. Hope and riding on Snowflake with me while Lightning drivers a Velocycle. We arrive at the landing bay near the Crystal Pillar. When we arrived, it's empty.
"...Where are they?" Lightning asks.
I hop off my white chocobo. "I don't get it...They should be here."
Hope walks right next to me. "Their luggage is still here." That's right. Several bags and backpacks, still here.
"There's no way they could have wondered off leaving their stuff. They must have been taken." Lightning says.
The three of us looks around for any clues. With any luck, the people that took Chantal and her friends must have left something behind, or maybe a note. Eventually, I find some brooch. It's a big small so I get a closer look. It's gold and silver, and the shape has me a bit confused. "A Cocoon l'Cie brand?" Looking closely at the brooch, my eyes shot right open. I remember seeing this once: Back on the New Cocoon, when I was in battle with Jihl Nabaat, the very women who destroyed my life seven years ago.
"Oh no..." I know who took them, and it has be pretty worried. It's none other then Jihl's older sister.
Jeanine Nabaat.