"Light.."

"Huh?" She turned her head back at the sound of her name, trying to find the source. Snow was staring at her expectantly. When she remained silent and slightly mystified by who wanted her attention he said "Are you finished eating?"

Lightning looked around and noticed everyone had finished eating, except hers which was barely touched. She looked sheepishly at her food, no longer having the appetite to finish it but knowing she needed it to keep her energy up.

"Sorry, I was just thinking." She said blushing as everyone was staring at her.

"So are you finished?" He repeated, not really acknowledging that she said anything at all. Lighting looked down at the strange meat in her hand and contemplated telling Snow that she would put the rest in his dog bowl as soon as she had had enough, but her attention was diverted immediately. Which is lucky, she considered as an afterthought, because she didn't think she could stand another scolding from Vanille for being unnecessarily rude, and she might have felt a little guilty if Snow hadn't taken it as a joke.

"Care to share your thoughts, Sunshine?"

There was no question as to who the owner of that voice was. She knew the nickname was meant to be ironic but she couldn't help but think Fang was making fun of her stoic demeanour. She turned her head to glare at Fang, who flinched slightly but returned her glare with equal intensity and a small smirk on her face. They stared into each other's eyes for mere moments but it was enough for Lightning to realise that she had never really looked directly into Fang's eye's before and found herself getting lost in the emerald green. It reminded her of endless fields of grass where you can just run for eternity with no more worries. She considered silently that it was a place the she wanted to be. No more death, no more corrupt government hell bent on destroying an entire population, no more searching for someone you didn't think you would be able to find. Fang's face lost its smirk as she quirked an eyebrow and then like on cue to Fang's arching eyebrow Vanille started giggling furiously behind her hand. She glanced at the smaller Oerban, frowning at the unknown joke. Vanille raised her eyebrows and ceased laughing immediately.

Lightning shook her head slightly then said "Excuse me" as she pushed herself of the tree she was leaning against, threw her untouched meat to Snow and disappeared behind it into the thick population of browns and greens. She didn't want to be around for Snow's after dinner ritual where he delivered a sermon on being a good person or demonstrated his latest melee attack to a cheering Vanille but mostly she wanted to be alone. She felt guilty at the thought of wanting to disappear to a place where she didn't have to worry about Serah.

Serah. Serah was all she ever thought about. She would dream about finding Serah but never being forgiven. She would dream that she would find Serah and then Snow would take her away saying that Lightning wasn't able to protect her properly and she only needed Snow. But the worst dreams were the ones where she was happy because in those ones Serah was never there. She unsheathed her blade and started hacking a small tree. She quickly disposed of all its branches and then went to move on to another one when she heard a muffled sound behind her.

"Need a sparring partner?"

Lightning spun around almost so fast that she nearly lost her balance. And there was Fang leaning against a thick tree with vines bent and twisted from the ground up to its topmost branches

Of course it had to be Fang to come find me.Lightning cursed silently.

"What are you doing here?" She asked dismissively, turning back to her next victim and attacking it violently.

"Well, you know just trying to save the world and your sister." Fang replied moving to look at the random patterns the vines made on the tree.

"I don't need help saving Serah" Lightning replied while still focusing all her attention on the nearly branchless second tree.

"Hmm.." Fang deliberated for a moment "But I know your glad I'm here" She said boldly, before adding "I think your winnin there Light."

Lighting disregarded her first statement and responded to the second, turning to look at her directly in the eyes "No I'm not, Im trying to get rid of my frustration but the stupid things won't yield, they just stand there mocking me, taking every hit I give with no reservations."

"We still talking 'bout the tree's you're massacring?" Fang mused.

"Tch, what else would I be talking about" Lightning clipped before turning her back to Fang once more and attacking and even larger tree.

Fang was silent, for so long that Lightning thought she had gone and stopped attacking and dropped to her knee's panting and wiped the sweat from her forehead.

"You know what your problem is" Fang said startling Lightning and causing her to swing around extending her gunblade to point directly at Fang's throat. A reflex action, but she didn't remove it.

"What." Lightning snarled.

"You don't express your emotions." Fang stated matter-of-factly, still composed despite Lightning's weapon threatening to decapitate her.

"Of course I do." Lightning responded dismissively.

"Oh yeah, then how come you never smile?"

"Because i'm never happy" Lightning suggested.

"Just admit it, you are stone cold." Fang snapped at Lightning frowning.

"I'll show you emotion." Lightning said as she swung her blade at Fang who blocked her with ease.

"It's always anger with you Light "

"Maybe you just piss me off." Lightning started again feigning a left blow a twisting her wrist to strike a Fang's right leg.

"Ah, what the fuck,Light?" Fang blocked the second blow that had so much force it caused her to stagger backward a few feet the pain in her leg causing her to look down and see a small pool of blood seeping from her leg. It was a minor cut would be bleeding for a while yet. Fang didn't want to hurt Lightning despite the stream of blood that was now dripping of her knee so with all the strength she could muster she swung her lance forward as Lightning attacked again and knocked the soldiers weapon out of her hand causing it to clatter on the ground.

"Violence and anger, you're full of it. That's why Serah is the only friend you have got in this whole world and now even she is gone" Fang regretted saying it immediately but the pain in her leg was throbbing and Lightning just attacked her for no reason and still her own anger had not dissipated.

"Well are you happy now, Light?" She demanded letting her own weapon fall to the ground,

"Not yet." She replied swinging her fist at Fang who caught it by her wrist and held it tightly.

"It's not just me that pisses you off Light, you're pissed at everyone." Fang yelled forcefully her voice cracking at the end "Why?".

"That's not your concern." Lightning went to swing her free fist but Fang swung her around so her back was to her and wrapped her arms around the soldier to restrain her arms.

"WHY Light? Think about it, why do you always feel like hitting people?" Fang struggled to get her words out as the woman in her arms writhed furiously, trying to get free.

"I don't know." She said through gritted teeth, busting free of Fangs arms and swinging again only to have her fist caught again.

"ENOUGH OF THE ANGER!" Fang yelled. And Lightning could see the sadness in her face, Fang felt sorry for her which made Light feel sorry for herself "Please, just try another emotion, For once."

Lightning didn't know exactly what it was that made her change, the sadness in Fang's eyes, the desperation in her voice, either way she found her anger toward Fang replaced by something entirely new. She frowned at the warrior as a single tear rolled down her face. That one tear held all her emotions, her guilt, regret, the sadness and the anger. Fang's faced softened as she released her fist and wiped that one tear from her face with her thumb her hand cupping her cheek as she did and not moving even after her face was dry. "Wasn't so hard was it?" Fang smiled.

Lightning into Fangs eyes again for the second time today and in her life. She found herself getting lost again in the endless fields of green. "You got a look on your face Light that I only seen once before and it was back at camp earlier". Fang mused as she bent down t get a closer look at Lightning's expression.

"What is it?" Light mumbled softly but not really sure of what she was talking about because the sea of green had her mystified.

Fang deliberated for several moments before comprehension filled her face and she answered in her husky whisper "Longing".

And then Light did something she never expected she would do, she closed the small distance and caught Fang's lips in a light kiss before pulling away to gauge the warriors reaction, but Fang merely chased her lips as she pulled back and captured them in a more forceful kiss pulling Lightning into her arms and resting her hands in the small of Lightning's back as she separated her lip's with her tongue, silently asking for entry. Lightning allowed her to explore her mouth as she curved her hands around Fangs neck not allowing her to escape.

But Fang didn't want to escape, instead she pushed Light against the vined tree with her hips and pressed their bodies together where they kissed until Lightning had to pull away for air where she stared at Fang her eyes heavy lidded.

"Is this the emotion you wanted?" She asked softly.

Fang leant in and gave her another soft kiss before whispering "It's the best I could have hoped for."

"I understand now why you piss me off so much" Lightning started coyly.

"Oh?" Fang replied staring thoughtfully at Lightning

"We're just two people destined to collide" and for the first time Fang could remember Lightning smiled at her.