Rise of Ragnarok
Chapter 4: A New Life
The atmosphere inside Lightning's car was frosty, while Lightning focused on driving, Fang stared disinterestedly out of the passenger window, while Vanille sat in the back looking from woman to woman waiting for one to speak. The heavy silence was oppressive and Vanille slumped in her seat, suddenly feeling guilty, "Fang?"
"Yeah?" There was no humor in her voice.
"Are you angry?"
"At?" Fang drawled out, still looking out the window, Lightning audibly sighed in the background.
"I don't know…me?" The brunette remained silent and the lack of sound spoke volumes.
"Vanille, she's not mad at you, just jealous." The pink haired woman's voice was level with an undertone of sarcasm. Fang scoffed but didn't deny Lightning's words. Vanille sat up a little straighter as an awkward silence descended on the vehicle.
"You ready to explain how you used your powers?" the trio was now sitting in Lightning's living room around a coffee table. Sighing the redhead took a sip from the cup in her hands before looking up at Lightning.
"I don't really know what happened, I just followed Fang's advice and thought of who I wanted to protect, and before I knew it I was slaying those things,"
"Cie'th." Lightning corrected quickly.
"And then Fang showed up…" she averted her gaze as the brunette's apology fully sank in. The pink haired woman nodded as Vanille explained her story.
"That makes sense. Now that you understand the power you hold are you willing to join us?"
The redhead shrugged, "I don't have much choice do I?"
"None." The brunette chimed in seeming more herself now.
"Okay, but can you answer one question?" Lightning motioned for her to proceed.
"Who are you people exactly? And who are the people after me?"
Lightning sighed, "First off, we're not from this planet, at least I'm not, Serah was born here though, and I lead a group of intergalactic peace keepers committed to stopping Sanctum." Lightning paused for a moment noticing the blank look she was getting and rephrased her words, "Most of us, come from a world in a different galaxy. A planet called Cocoon, which is ruled by Sanctum, the group that wants to revive Ragnarok."
Vanille nodded, still slightly confused. "Right, but what does any of that have to do with me?"
Lightning sighed, "Fang I thought you already explained this?"
The woman in question ran a hand through her hair, "I did, but she didn't believe me…"
The pink haired woman sighed and looked back at the redhead staring directly into her eyes, "Vanille, you're the only person with enough power to destroy Sanctum."
"But I'm just a normal person-" Lightning quickly cut her off, "You saw for yourself what you could do, that doesn't make you not normal, just special." Her ever present frown turned into a slight smile as she put a reassuring hand on the redhead's shoulder, "Starting tomorrow, I'll have Fang teach you how to channel your abilities and I know you and Serah took a couple self defense classes together this year, so I'm not particularly worried about that." The redhead nodded. What have I gotten myself into?
0000
As promised the redhead found herself being treated to lunch at a local fast food restaurant, Fang sitting across from her in a shared booth. After her brief talk with the older Farron sister, the redhead was left with more questions than when she was first attacked, questions that she was dying to have answered.
"Why is it such a big deal to destroy Sanctum?" eyes widening, Vanille quickly covered her mouth with a hand, not meaning to blurt the question out loud.
Fang looked up from her food somewhat startled at the break from quiet. "It's not that we're trying to destroy them, Light really used too harsh of words there, but we just wish to stop them."
"Why?" Vanille blurted out again before she caught herself, cheeks reddening from her outburst.
Fang just chuckled, "Depends on who you ask, Light wants to destroy them for taking away her parents, Sazh, who you'll meet later, just wants to get his son back, and me, I want to pay them back for what they did to Gran Pulse." A deadly flicker passed through emerald. The redhead watched the emotions wash over the brunette's face as she seemed to be recalling something from long buried memories.
After a long moment Fang sighed and visibly deflated before continuing, "Gran Pulse was once a beautiful place, very stagnated but open and clean. In between all the cities there was a thriving ecosystem, sure it could be a bit dangerous at times but it built character. The best part though, everything was green," Fang smiled, this time it was much different. Her usual rakish smirk replaced by a smile that held an enticing warmth causing Vanille's heart skip a beat or two. "and I'd love to take you to see it one day." The redhead's heart skipped once again. This can't be healthy; I can just imagine the guys lining up to go out with her, wait... Before the redhead could ask the newest question that ran through her thoughts, the brunette warrior stood, "I'm gonna go throw the trash away and then we'll head out."
The duo walked through the streets in silence, both seemingly preoccupied with their own thoughts. As they walked Vanille found herself comparing Hope to Fang. After dating the teen for a month she'd seen a few different sides of the silver haired youth. Hope was slightly clingy and whiney while Fang seemed self assured and independent. Hope had a great since of humor and the brunette told jokes that she barely understood. To top it off Hope was twice as nice as Fang but Vanille couldn't shake the nagging feeling that told her Fang was a lot nicer than she generally appeared. Hope is a normal teenager my age, and Fang…she's like the cool older rebel that fights the establishment…The redhead smiled to herself as she summed up her thoughts unsure why she had even began comparing them in the first place, she was with Hope and she planned to keep it that way.
0000
"Jihl Nahbaat, you have failed me for the last time!" The woman in question cringed; she was back on Cocoon, meeting with the only man more excited about the eminent return of their savior than she was Primarch Galenth Dysley.
"Primarch please give me another chance, I wasn't expecting her to use her powers, and they showed up. I-" The man lifted his staff and snapped it back down with enough force to cause an echoing boom in the large throne room.
"Enough! Capturing that child should not have been a difficult task. If you hadn't been out trying to have fun, the L'cie wouldn't have shown up in time." Sliding a boney hand under the thin veil that masked his aged face, he ran a hand over his face and sighed. "We should be ushering in the Savior. I should be happy right now, Jihl." He paused and flipped the veil away from his face, "I should be rejoicing and celebrating a job well done. But you have failed me, after having two chances to capture her, you have failed me." Sitting back and letting the veil slide back into place, "I believe it's time for your replacement." With a flick of his wrist two guards appeared on either side of the distraught woman each hoisting her up by an arm.
"But before you go," he chuckled darkly and signaled off to his left, Nahbaat followed his movement, "I'd like you to see your new replacement. I hear you two had a stent in the Sanctum academy together."
Nahbaat's jaw dropped, standing in front of her was Yaag Rosch, the man she had easily outscored twenty years ago. His now grey hair trimmed and cut to fit his new uniform. "I always did think I'd look good with spiky hair."
The ex-Sanctum general pulled against the guards holding her and began to scream, "How dare you take my job! I thought you retired?"
He regarded her with the cold unfeeling eyes of a tactician, "Who better to take the number one spot after the number one herself fails miserably?"He all but sneered at her, but continued on without delay answering her next question, "My retirement was only a formality, and an easily shrugged off one if a higher purpose calls upon your service. Plus, I believe it's time for the reinstitution of the PSICOM special forces." His words seemed to kill any resistance that Nahbaat had and she slumped against the guards allowing herself to be dragged away. Not sparing the broken woman another glance Rosch approached the throne and dropped to one knee.
"How may I serve you, Primarch?"
Nahbaat lay in her prison cell, she felt hollow. She knew she failed the Primarch but had she really deserved the imprisonment. She cast a dismal gaze at her surroundings with a life like this; the best she could hope for was a quick death. Maybe she should have listened to her mother all those years ago. Her mother had always warned her that her ambition would be the end of her and she was skeptical at first. But after obtaining the rank of general, her mother's words seemed like bitter lies, told to her by a woman who missed her husband. Now her words made sense, they were the words of a woman who knew from experience. A sigh escaped her lips as she gazed up at the white wash ceiling; distantly she heard the click of boots approaching her cell block.
"Fate got ya down sweetheart?" Nahbaat jumped in surprise, quickly sitting up and looking between the thick cell bars. "I'm kinda surprised Dysley threw away his precious Jihl, musta pissed him off real good huh?"
"Silence, Rygdea!"
"Geez Cid, don't be so stiff man, makes you seem old."
"Yes, well, you should mind your tongue; I will not have you alerting everyone of our presence." There was a shuffle of boots and the clink and jingle of something metallic, "Well Nahbaat, how would you like to join us? It's better than staying in this place."
The door swung open and a dark haired man stepped in the cell, his white cloak billowing out around his white boots. "I've got nothing else to live for, this can't be any worse."
"That's the spirit sweetheart." The shaggy haired man looked in from the cell opening his eyes alight with some unknown humor. Cid only sighed and put a hand against his face.
"Let us make haste Jihl, it's only a matter of time before the guards come back." Offering her a hand that she willingly took the two made their way out of the cell.
The trio walked out of the prison and Nahbaat took a deep breath, "Welcome to the Cavalry." Cid looked over to Nahbaat and gave a small smile, "Let us go forth and free this world from Sanctum."
"First though, let's get you a new uniform. Prison garb won't fit your new position." The raven haired man looked the now free convict up and down. Nahbaat smiled. Maybe losing my job wasn't so bad, seems like I'm a little freer now, and maybe there's something better for the world than bringing about its destruction.
A/N: Yeah, chap 4's up on the blocks. Its shorter than all the previous chapters, because there wasnt really a lot that needed to be covered story wise and it was a good way to showcase the main antagonist for the rest of the story.
So, moving right along than, thanks to those you dropped me a review, it was much appreciated;
Phoenixian Stardust, Hotcutii3, Pen Journey, TheWarrior12
Once again thank you. And I bid you gentle folks and readers ado until next time.
