Edited as of May 12, 2o11
Well... my cold went away but a slew of new medical issues arose (not even connected to my cold). Sorry for such a late update guys. I am trying, and this is probably one of my favorite fanfics I've written in a long time. I wont say I'll never put it on haitus, but I really do writing in it when my brain sparks to life. ;D
Warnings: This chapter is very much unbeta...ed (I dunno if that is a word or not but I like it. xD). I was gonna said it to a friend, but my documents don't like her computer and vice versa. I have reread it a few times to get the worst, but I might have missed a few things. Please do not maim me. Dx Hahahahaha.
This chapter can also be very confusing. There is a point to everything that is going on though.
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy 13. Almost every fanfic between Fang and Lightning sums up what I'd want to happen if I did own it. xD
"So… you asked Snow if you could hit on Lightning?" Vanille questioned, mulling over her words carefully, and plucking small, black leaves from a plant hanging over the water's edge. Behind her, Fang had wound her fingers into the fabric of the younger girl's pink top incase she were to pull an ungraceful stunt and fall into the dancing waters of the Subterranean Lake. Fighting Bismarck to save the girl didn't seem too…thrilling, though she would do it without thought.
The warrior women snorted, twirling her lance mindlessly while observing the surrounding floating rocks for creatures. The monsters in the area were more docile then most, keeping to themselves unless someone intruded on their territory. Snow was on official look out, but he had wandered to the other side of the rocky landing to inspect a chest they had missed on their way through. Lightning had been in such a hurry to leave the area…. "Not in those words exactly."
"Close enough." Snow laughed. The Pulsian rolled her eyes, tightening her grip as Vanille bunny hopped closer to the edge, the tips of her boots hanging inches over the edge.
In fact, 'hit on' had been far from what Fang had really said and/or used, and the big lug knew it. She had asked more along the lines of 'If we survive this whole ordeal, would you mind if I took your future sis-in-law out for lunch or somethin'?' (Though, she was dead set on completing their focus, it was nice to hope). Of course, that didn't stop Fang from openly teasing, bordering line flirting with the woman, or being there whenever Lightning really needed her. For instance, being the first to volunteer to be the soldier's body guard when she had first gotten sick.
Fang could exactly pinpoint the time she had found out she had some sort of feelings for Lightning; when the soldier had offered her hand to Fang and fought Bahamut. After she had turned on the group and was very close to attacking them. Even now, the raven haired woman had her doubts about the whole 'defying their Focus'. Light knew this, yet she still trusted her.
Though she felt it, the warrior hadn't put her feelings into words, and when she did, it was completely by accident.
"Yo, big guy." The warrior jumped on the rock next to the brawler, crossing her legs and balancing her staff across her thighs. She was in for a long, boring night, that was for sure. Only enemies she had seen were a family of Gorgonopsid and they had scampered off hours ago. Nighttime in the Yaschas Massif tended to be quiet.
Crashing into the ground had helped scare any beasties away too.
Snow gave a tired salute, cracking his knuckles. "Well, well, we're safe with our sleeping guard." Fang teased, leaning back on her arms. Oh well, boring meant she could try to organize her thoughts and make backups plans to Lightning's initial ideas.
"Hey, tired can sometimes be good. I sleep through Sazh and your snor- ow." He held his head where the Pulsian had jabbed her lance.
"I don't snore."
"That's not what Rygdea said." The large man chuckled, grunting when the weapon once again met the back of his skull, a little more forcefully. Fang had to grin though. Snow was one of the few people she could tease who would tease back without getting angry.
And his head was hard enough she could hit him without fear of killing him.
A comfortable silence fell over the two. The warrior thought the man would have left by know, but instead he had taken out that crystal jewel he kept with him and fidgeted with when he had something on his mind. "I'm sorry about Serah." Fang felt the need to say.
Snow held the crystal tear up to the light of Cocoon. "She's not angry, so I can't be either. Shit happens." Silence. "I do have a question though?"
"Yeah?"
"Why do you…If we can defy our Focus…" He trailed off, still looking through the crystal tear.
When he didn't say anything more, the woman shrugged and drawled, "I don't want Vanille or Light to turn into a Cie'th. She doesn't deserve it." When Snow turned to stare at her wide eyed and mouth opened, the darker woman raised an eyebrow. Had his brain fried with her simple answer? Honestly, he must have something in there. "What?"
"You just said 'I don't want Vanille or Light'-"
"No I didn't."
"Yes you did! Quote "I don't want Vanille or Light to turn into Cie'th"! Sence when did sis get added into that?" The warrior felt her mouth open and close, no words forming in her mind or on her lips. For once, she was speechless. Did she say that? No, she couldn't have. Light was just a viper from Cocoon…Oh fu… Snow was smiling at her widely. "You like sis?"
"Shuddup. I do not like Lightbulb like that." Snow's grin couldn't get any bigger, and instead of stabbing him in the face like she oh so desperately wanted (Light might like that too…wait! No! Bad Fang!), she jumped off her rock, grabbed Snow by his stupid coat and forced him against the rock painfully. Snow did something no one would dare dream of doing; he laughed and tapped the tear shaped crystal against Fang's forehead.
"I think you need to talk to Serah." Serah? Why on Gran Pulse would she need to do that?
Out of instinct, when the mammoth of a man let the crystal drop, Fang stepped back to catch it. The brawler took his chance, wiggled out of the woman's grasp, and running as fast as he could back towards camp.
Leaving a very confused and angry Pulsian with Serah…
After a while, the wild haired woman had finally calmed down. It had taken all of her shift to gather her thoughts, and in the end, Fang had to hang her head in defeat. She did like the older Farron.
At first, the warrior had been rather worried about the idea. She didn't know if she was interested in Light for herself, or she liked her because the soldier looked like Averia. And for the next two days, she stayed clear of both Villiers and Farron (after giving Serah back to her finance and punching him in the face). It wasn't until she spoke with Vanille that she knew that she loved Lightning for herself. From there, it just got worst.
Watching the soldier girl fight… it made Fang's heart pound furiously against her ribs. All her steps and leaps were coordinated like a vicious dance. Each kill only an actor in a ballet, while Light was the star. The two could dance through enemies without a word to each other. The soldier being easy on the eyes was helpful too; her body was agile and strong, and more alluring than it really should have been…
"Hello~ Earth to Fang! We're finished here!" Vanille laughed, waving her hands in front of her older sister's face. "You can think of Light's bellybutton ring after we get her up and moving!"
"Sis has a bellybutton ring?"
Fang raised a dark eyebrow, tearing her thoughts away from the strawberry soldier and ignoring Vanille's smirking eyes. "You didn't know?"
Throwing his hands up defensively, the blond brawler exclaimed, "I don't exactly look there! And Serah never mentioned it…"
"But it's right there! With all her flips you can see it easily."
"I don't make it a habit to watch my fiancé's sister."
"Good boy. I might have had to hit you." Fang easily hopped over the gap between the rocks, holding out a hand to catch the red headed Pulsian as she jumped down. "Where to next?"
Vanille raised her arm, jumping around playfully while pointing in the direction of their next destination. "Vallis Media!"
OOOOO
A day turned into a week, and a week turned into two. The eldest Farron sat on her bunk, scribbling answers onto the grammar sheet she had been assigned for makeup homework. The school's only teacher didn't want the girls, the Mei sisters, to fall behind in their studies, so she had given them both a list of homework and access to all the textbooks they would need; which different people would periodically wander into her 'home' and give to her.
Unlike her 'older sister', Lightning had decided to do all her homework right away. She had nothing better to do until she woke up… or whatever it took to get out of hallucinations. The soldier had long given up thinking of this world as a dream. She felt everything; heat, cold, the breeze from the ocean, pain…
Weirder things had happened… it would not surprise her if this was one of Barthandelus' tricks. Vincent, and her sickness, were most likely more tricks. Just more Fal'cie smoke and mirrors. Lightning didn't like the idea, but she knew she would have to simply live with it until she figured a way out.
When did I stop fighting? Am I really going to just sit here and wait for someone to rescue me?
What else can you do? You do not have enough information to formulate a plan, and you are weaker in this body than your own.
Thanks for the vote of confidence. Lightning thought dryly.
"That's wrong." Lightning jumped. Beside her, little Vanille was sitting on her heels by the bed with tiny arms wrapped around her knees, craning her head to see the paper. "The answer is 'heart', not 'knife'."
The woman turned child looked at her assignment, re-reading the scratchy text. Pulsian characters were so…confusing. She had taken the language class in high school, and further pursued it in the military, but that didn't make some of the words any less frustrating to translate. The little girl had been correct though. Lightning jotted the answer down…
"No, that line goes there." Little Vanille snatched the pencil away from Light. With a practiced hand, she wrote the word down. "You had the right idea though. The knife radical is in 'heart'. This is how you do it!" The girl stuck the pencil back into Light's hand before directing the captured appendage in the correct way to write the character.
"Um… thanks."
The brightest of smiles lit up on the small child's face as she giggled into her palm. "I like learning the languages of the past, and Fang isn't very good at it so I like being able to help her."
"Yeah… she never seemed the book type." Lightning smirked, pushing her rose colored braid over her shoulder.
If possible, the grin of Vanille's face grew. "You aren't scary at all!" She leapt up and wrapped her thin arms around the older girl's shoulder. Lightning stiffened, but the red head didn't seem to notice or ignored it. "You looked and sounded so scary! Laura said you were acting differently and Troy kept saying 'Cocoon ghosties are in her head'. I kept saying you were probably shy, but Fang believed Troy over me! She doesn't like outsiders." Rolling off the bed, and taking most of the blankets and books with her, Vanille dragged on Lightning's arm. "C'mon, c'mon! Lets prove her wrong, Averia! Let's go play with the others!"
The soldier couldn't break the child's grip if she wanted too.
Little Vanille ran no less enthusiastic than her older version; a hop/skip with her arms way out in the air. She bounced gracefully off the metal steps, waiting at the bottom as Lightning made a much slower exit. The girl had just as much energy as ever, swaying back and forth.
The moment the soldier's feet hit the ground, Vanille started dragging her down the road to where- if Lightning was correct- the school stood. It never ceased to amaze Light that this little town, bustling with activity and fully alive, was the Oerba she knew. The two walked around a small cluster of women, some wearing jeans and t-shirts while others wore more ethnic garbs, chattering excitedly about one thing or another. Vehicles Lightning had only ever seen in picture books lined the road, and the tell tale grumble of a train could be heard over the crashing waves.
"There they are~ There they are~ Faaaaaaaaang!" the heavily accented voice sang. She untangled herself from the other, rushing to the teen that had hauled herself over the low wall. Bouncing on the balls of her feet, Vanille waited until the elder had stable footing before hugging her.
Laughing, Fang ruffled orange locks. "I see ya brought Sleeping Beauty with ya."
"I did! I invited her to play with us!"
The wild haired teen arched an eyebrow. "Looks more like ya dragged her here."
"I kinda did! But it's not good to stay inside all day and she's not as scary as you said she would be! She's not from Cocoon either!" Vanille exclaimed.
"Ya never know… she could still be possessed by Cocoon spirits."
"Will you quit talking about me like I'm not here?" Lightning growled, unintentionally puffing her cheeks in a childish manner.
"Well, she's too spineless for a Pulsian. Why don't ya make me, Sleeping Beauty." Fang sneered. Vanille frowned, protesting loudly to her sister. But Lightning wasn't listening. Her own devilish grin had found its way onto her young face. Younger Fang wouldn't know about her punches, and little or not, they would probably still hurt.
Yes.
Fang crumpled to the ground, swearing profusely while clutching her tanned arms around her stomach. Her now throbbing stomach. Lightning grinned as she rubbed her aching knuckles. These hands had never fought. Apparently 'Averia' wasn't much of a fighter. "You were saying?"
Vanille looked worriedly between the two, kneeling next to her sister and looking on the verge of tears… until Fang started laughing. A gasping, breathy chuckle. "Etro… she hits hard…" Stumbling to her feet, the wild haired child smiled widely. "Ya pass the test, I suppose. Come on over and join us. We're playing Freeze Tag. Your sister is already over there." Leaping neatly over the stone wall, the older Pulsian escorted her younger sister to where a small fenced in area hung over the crashing waves of the ocean.
"Haha. That encounter is always very interesting." A large hand handed on Lightning's rose colored head, ruffling the hair affectionately. Sapphire eyes met reddish gold, shocked expression meeting amused. Time seemed to freeze. Lightning, who only seconds before stood at the man's waist, now glared strait into his eyes. Her chest flared in pain as her brand scarred her pale skin once more. "Fang's initiations are a bit odd. She somehow trust those more who physically attack her. She was such an weird child…woops."
Vincent ducked the fist swung at him, catching the thin limb and twisting his body just so, trapping the captured arm against his side and his free hand pushing against her bared throat hard enough to choke, but not to kill. "I really don't want to hurt you, Lightning."
"What the hell is going on?" the woman snarled.
"A project. A gift. A blessing." Vincent shrugged, frowning. "I need you to help me… it will save Oerba. It will possibly save Gran Pulse! Matron… everyone will be okay. Fang and Vanille will not ever have to become Ragnarok…"
"What if I refuse." was the choked remark. Vanille and Fang becoming Ragnarok? What?
Vincent's eyes clouded. "You don't have a choice. Enjoy it while it last. It's a second chance for you to be a child once more."
The world around the two seemed to warp. Lightning felt herself shrinking and her brand fading, saw her hair darkening. While Vincent, gazing at the drooping sky above, merely disappeared into nothingness, leaving the woman stranded with no answers as the world caved in on her.
OOOOO
"C'mon, Averia. Snap out of it." the soldier girl jumped, immediately bringing her fist up to strike the person that had so gently touched her shoulder. Long fingers wrapped around her own, stopping the fist from connecting with the concerned face of Fang: who in the last few hours seemed to have shot up a few inches.
On that note… when did it get so dark? And how come I don't remember going back to the Orphanage?
"Ah thought ah told you never to wake her when she's sleep walking." Matron scolded quietly, carefully letting go of Lightning's captured limb. Fang rolled her eyes.
Hands once again touched her shoulders, spinning the very confused girl around. Light, who didn't like being so confused, scowled darkly at the ground, ignoring the matron's concerned gaze. She wanted out of this hallucination. Now. She wanted to introduce Blaze Edge to Vincent. Why hadn't her friends busted through yet? Was it even possible…?
"Fang, why don't you go back to sleep." The tall woman instructed, clasping Lightning's hands in her own. When the wild haired child started to argue, Edia shot her a firm look that left no room for argument. The teen sighed and crawled up to the right most middle bunk, snuggling close to a snoozing Vanille.
"Ah have a project you can help me with until you fall asleep. How does that sound, Ava?" Edia shuffled the girl to the table in the middle of the room, drawing the curtain that separated the sleeping area from the small living room. "Vanille's birthday is coming soon, and she's always wanted a pet. Sadly, your sister and myself are very much allergic to dogs… and ah fear she'd kill anything else." Lightning was set down on one of the chairs while the Matron took the seat beside her, picking up a screwdriver. "So, ah thought of making her a robot. Well, it was Vincent's idea-"
"Where is Vincent?" Lightning interrupted, crossing her legs and arms. She had a bone to pick with that man.
"Don't you remember? He left last month to go to New Dollet." Matron placed her screwdriver down, brushing Lightning's bangs back… at which she flinched at. Lightning had opened up a lot… but touching and letting people into her personal space was still new too her. Everyone just accepted it…
But the raven haired giant of a woman seemed more worried then before. "Must have been a very bad dream. You scared Fang half to death, scared me too." When Lightning didn't answer, Edia smiled sadly and stuck a screw driver in the former soldier's small hand. "We'll talk when you are ready, Averia."
Doubt that… I don't even understand what is going on myself.
"But for now, ah need assistance!" With a large smile, the matron bent down to retrieve a box on the ground. She peeked behind her shoulder to make sure everyone was snoozing. "Ah'm not good with mechanics, but Troy can't keep a secret. Vincent is going program the little guy with Ebara's father when he gets back."
With a flourish, Edia lifted a half finished robot from it's cardboard hiding place and placed it on the table, dumping the rest of the components beside the half worked metal. "Ah don't have a name for it, but it's not everyday someone turns twelve. And Vanille has been a very good girl."
"Bhakti." Lightning breathed, looking at the half finished rabbit looking robot.
"Oh my! That is a cute name! See, ah knew you would be good." the matron laughed. "It's hard to believe… Fang turned fourteen last week, Vanille is turning twelve. You and Laura will have been here six months tomorrow too." with a sigh, the woman started tinkering with Bhakti, unaware of Lightning's trembling and distant eyes.
Éclair 'Lightning' Farron wasn't afraid of much. A professional spider and bug squisher at home, with life in the military had stripped her of a lot of fears. However, this revelation had truly terrified the woman turned child; She had been stuck in a hallucination/dream/nightmare for half a year?
Oh noes! Poor Lightning! And what is up with Vincent? Is he working for the old man in the funny hat? Stay tuned!
Question time: What do you think 'Mei' (Averia and Laura's last name) means?