Note from author: This can get quite complicated, especially if you haven't read much about Fang and Vanille's past, and the whole fal'Cie as gods and their creator buisiness. Hope you can understand it! (Basically the fal'Cie want to destroy cocoon in-order to summon a gate which will allow them to get their creator back. The fal'Cie are the 'gods' of the humans, they provide everything for them from power to food.)
Pulse, Lindzei and Etro. Two gods and one goddess created by the divine force Bhunivelze. With their power they created the Fal'Cie. But Etro? He was forgotten, and in an act of self-loathing suicide created humanity. All was well and fine, but these shadowy creatures called 'humans' soon became the hideous barrier which divided the Fal'Cie from their creator. And whilst they provided humanity with everything they needed to survive, they plotted their destruction.
Vanille awoke screaming to find the temple emptied of people. Fang lay unconscious beside her. Lifting her aching body, she managed to drag herself over to Fang before she collapsed beside her. A gentle tear rolled down her cheek as she remembered the painful vision she had just received. Yesterday she would never have imagined the kind of horror that would be born in the temple, now she saw it clean and clear in the vision - in the form of the beast Ragnarok.
'Fang, I can't believe this is happening.' Vanille sniffed, staring at the back of her friend's head as she lay unresponsive beside her. She looked at the individual strands of Fang's hair, finding warmth in its dark and glossy fibres. Gaining some strength now, the orange-haired girl managed to push herself off the ground. The world spun around her head as her head became acquainted with being back in reality after the vision. But something was niggling away at the back of Vanille's mind; although she felt like hell her body was slowly recovering, all apart from a burning sensation on her thigh. Fang began to stir, grumbling and scratching at her upper arm. She lifted herself up with much more strength than her small friend had done; the muscle of her toned arms defined by gentle caressing shadows. It always amazed Vanille how someone so strong and powerful could still be so feminine, but somehow her tanned friend managed it, and even though she beat them at sport and hunting, Fang still had all the village boys chasing after her. Vanille looked over at her friend who was staring confused out at the open land - a hand clasped over the top of her arm.
'Fang...' A small voice croaked from not too far off.
'Vanille. Thank goodness you're okay.' She rushed over to her and embraced her. But as she pulled away something caught Vanille's eye.
'Wait. What's that on your arm?' The small girl clasped her friend's tanned arm. On the upper part a strange pattern had appeared. A brand. 'This can't be.' She suddenly pulled up the hem of her own skirt to reveal the source of pain that had been imprinted on her own thigh. An identical brand had appeared on her pale skin too, and a sickness rose in her belly. Fang looked at the ugly mark that had been imprinted onto Vanille's delicate thigh, before gently brushing the soft, tattooed skin, spreading coolness over the burning brand. She looked into those soft green eyes and felt guilt wash over her. She had never planned to get her friend messed up in this, her original intention was to fight in order to protect Vanille.
'We can work this out', she swallowed hard and looked into those deep green eyes. The same worry that was on her own face was reflected back.
'Can we really? Fang, I- I mean we...we're going to hurt millions of people.'
'No'. A sudden voice boomed out over the small building of worship.
The two girls jumped and turned to face the left side of the temple. In between the mesh of brightly coloured decorations, the great, machine-bulk of Anima could still be seen glowing beside the temple; its sickly light seeping through the gauze of flowers, ribbons and trinkets the hung from the pillars and beams.
'Anima, there's been some mistake.' Fang called out. 'Vanille should never have been branded. I beg you to change her back'. She bowed down to the fal'Cie.
'Unfortunately, you will remain l'Cie until you fulfil your purpose'. Vanille looked down at her brand as it slowly sunk into her mind that she was now stuck with murdering millions, or a fate worse than death. 'You saw your almighty vision, now follow that path. Awake your own power and form the beast Ragnarok in order to destroy those humans that sleep in their cocoon in the sky.'
'Anima, tell me, why are you doing all this?' Vanille clenched her fists in anger, her small nails dug into the delicate, soft flesh of her palms. She pulled herself apart from Fang in order to turn angrily to the deity that lingered outside the temple.
'The humans must die'. The being spoke again.
'But why?!' There was a long pause before the fal'Cie spoke again.
'We must summon Etro's gate to meet our progenitor', Anima spoke. 'But, we cannot physically carry this act out ourselves. We are tied to the very matter of life that lives within cocoon with an un-breakable bond. We cannot bury in the dirt what we once cradled and gave life; it is prohibited'.
'So you mean to kill the humans; their sacrifice in order to summon your creator? No! No, no no!' Vanille now screamed at Anima. 'Change us back now. We are not going to carry out your murder.'
'Vanille! What's done is done. Why can't you accept that?', Fang shouted back at her. The orange-haired girl turned to face her, disbelief on her face. 'Vanille, it's cocoon or us. What would you do? What would you do if it meant giving up your best friend?' Fang's eyes were glazed over now, her features soft, the previous anger washed out by her sorrow. Outside a beautiful orange shade seeped across the red sky as the sun waited eagerly to break over the hills, bearing the world into the early morning.
'I just don't want to hurt anyone', Vanille's voice came out small, quieted by the hurt that was plaguing her heart. Fang couldn't help but feel a surge of pity and regret rush over her body. 'I just…I'm so sorry Fang'.
'It's know, Vanille. It's going to be alright, You don't have to hurt anyone' Fang moved over and reached forward to put her hand on Vanille's shoulder. She pulled her into a close embrace. Vanille wept for a whilst into the soft fabric of her friend's clothing, letting the warmth try and heal her aching heart. Lifting her friend's chin up, Fang smudged the tears away from her eyes. They looked at each other for a moment before Vanille realised what her friend meant. 'You're not the warrior, I am'.
'Fang, you don't have to do this,' she whispered. The small girl pressed a dainty hand over her friend's brand. 'Neither of us have to'. Her voice was soft now as she tried to persuade Fang to rethink.
'No, I have to. I can't put you through this Vanille, I've already seen that you're not ready. But I still need to save Pulse.' The tanned woman stepped away, and walked towards the front of the temple. Anima began to shine brighter, the clashing, green glow from its crystal turning the sky back to a deep murderous red. 'I promise you that everything is going to be ok', and with these final words Fang's brand started to glow.
'It has begun', cried the fal'Cie.
