Fang woke with a start, and her eyes flew open after a quiet gasp, only to find that just a single hand was resting on her shoulder, shaking her awake.
"Fang, you need to hear this." Lightning's eyes were wider than usual, and she turned around to face Laq once more. "Re-read that last part."
Fang slowly rose into a sitting position, blinking the sleep from her eyes. "Hold on, what's this about?"
Laq cleared his throat. "It seems that I've acquired a first-hand account of Kujata's experiences as a child." He glanced down at the open page. "As we were... 'I pulled my brother back from the edge of the hill, and it was at that point that I realized we were well in over our heads; below us, limping along beside the thicket, stood the bear that I had struck.'" Laq paused for a moment, before he began to speak in a slower, clear tone. "'The creature possessed an eye color that I had never seen before; each fleck of orange seemed as bright as a crackling fire... It also sported a small pair of horns, the likes of which sat directly between its ears, curling slightly to the front.'"
Fang could only sit in place for a moment, until she finally found her words. "Is this... For real? A legitimate book?"
Laq's face fell slightly, before he turned the book around to examine the cover. "Well, I would certainly hope so..." He traced a finger over the spine, testing the strength and feel of the binding. "It was gifted to me along with several other books from the library of a close friend... I would need to ask her if she knows of its origins beyond that point."
Lightning glanced at Fang from the corner of her eye, but there was an intensity to her gaze, even as she faced the book itself. "If this is real..."
Fang held up her left hand, and she slowly began to press the bottom of her index finger against her thumb. "It could explain where they got it from, yeah."
Laq looked up from the book, and his eyes went wide as one of Fang's fingernails to started swell, quickly rising up to form a pointed, curving claw, which eased its way out from the tip of her index finger, all while her thumb began to do the same.
Lightning watched the process without comment, and after a moment, she broke the silence with a whisper. "Our eyes are orange for a reason." She glanced over at the book, gazing along the intricate, woven cover. "It had to come from somewhere."
Fang suddenly leaned forward, revealing that her face had become almost completely covered in carapace, possessing a set of flared, flat nostrils. "I never forget a smell... Let me see that for a sec."
Laq passed her the book with a slightly trembling hand. "I can see what your friend meant by 'transformation'..."
Fang attempted let out a low chuckle, but it was more of a rumbling series of clicks. "Not something you see everyday, is it?" She began to turn the book over in her hands, before she opened it, inhaling the scent within with a low hum. "Well, well... Did anyone check this out before us?"
Laq nodded right away. "As I said before, I haven't had many, if any visitors during the past few years, much less from the north." He smiled at the book. "I had the pleasure of aiding an exploratory group of scientists from Cocoon; they were most interested in the local myth of Paddra, as well as some of the rarer examples of both flora and fauna-"
Lightning's shoulders suddenly tensed, but she simply grit her teeth, slowly shaking her head. "Fang, which one?"
Fang shrugged, before she handed the book back to Laq. "Both of 'em, but it's real faint... Definitely a few years back."
Laq looked between them, with single eyebrow raised. "May I ask, what..?"
"Nothing to get worked up over." Fang leaned back, propping herself up against the wall beside Lightning, while she began to shift her face back into its human shape. "Well, to make a long story short... It sounds like you might have inadvertently helped get us to the way we are today."
Laq let the words sink in for a moment, before he slowly bowed his head. "I apologize, even as it was inadvertent."
Lightning inhaled, attempting to calm herself. "It's alright... You wouldn't have had any idea how twisted things would get; they'd act so normal, back then... Like what they were doing to us was normal."
Fang nodded. "If I'd met any of them on the street before all of that, I wouldn't have been any the wiser." She thought back for a moment, closing her eyes. "Hell, they even fooled Vanille into a job interview for the two of us, and she's always had a good head on her shoulders."
Lightning glanced back at the book. "Well, this could explain how they found it... Where they found it."
Laq's expression suddenly brightened, and he stood up with a slight nod. "One moment."
Fang watched as he disappeared further into the library, and after a moment of silence, she turned to face Lightning. "I'm guessing that this is more of a 'historical' account of Kujata?" Fang pointed at the book. "I've heard a of couple versions, myself, but the origins of 'the beast' were always either vague, metaphorical, or non-existent." She reached up to scratch at the side of her neck, thinking back. "But I shouldn't spoil it for you... It's a pretty good story, all things considered."
Lightning crossed her arms over her chest, lost in thought for a moment. "Alright, but what does all of this have to do with the tree? With the fish and the serpent?"
Fang tried to stifle a laugh. "Don't get too ahead of yourself, Light..." She smiled a bit, folding her left leg over her right, before she reached down to smooth out the folds of her sari. "If you really want to know, you'll just have to hear the rest for yourself."
Lightning nearly rolled her eyes as she gestured at the size of the tome. "I'm not about to camp out here for long enough to hear it all."
Fang's expression fell slightly. "Well, we could ask if he'd loan it to us..." She kept silent for a moment, chewing her bottom lip. "Or, I could try to tell it to you by memory, but I have a feeling that this version is definitely something else."
Lightning's gaze shifted to drift along the aisles of books, and her eyelids began to droop. "I really wish... I wish we didn't have all these limitations."
Fang nodded with a quiet yawn. "Same here." She slowly reached over to place her palm atop Lightning's knee, to which a paler hand quickly covered her own. "Light, we'll be okay, though; I know we don't really talk about... You know. Back then, but you got hold of yourself pretty quick."
Lightning closed her eyes. "Not quick enough."
"Don't." Fang let out a low, quiet sound, and she gently squeezed Lightning's hand with a single click of her tongue. "She came out just fine, and so did you, in the end."
Lightning didn't reply, but she started to move her fingers over and across Fang's knuckles, tracing each indent with the pad of her thumb, until her eyes began to open at the sound of approaching footsteps, before her nostrils flared slightly.
Laq returned to his seat while presenting a thin, yet sizable book in his arms. "This was left behind by that very expedition; I would bet that it has something useful to you within." He began to brush away a thin layer of dust from the cover. "Now, normally I would be one to look down upon rifling through someone's belongings, especially without their permission, but this has been left unclaimed for quite some time, now..."
Lightning blinked at the scent. "Anima."
Fang nodded, inhaling it as well. "Wonder why she'd leave it here..." She accepted the book from Laq, before she began to open it to the first page. "She just seems like the type to keep her research close."
Lightning leaned over to look at the paper, and she narrowed her eyes at the flowing, yet tiny lines of writing. "That, she does..." Lightning eased back after a moment, but she kept an eye on the pages as Fang leafed between them. "Well, I guess sticking random stuff into whoever they could find, took priority..."
Fang tried to stifle a laugh. "Guess so." She began to trace her index finger over a sketch of an unusual plant; it was a fern with ragged leaves, somewhat pointed at the tip. "I wonder if she even remembers leaving it here."
Laq shrugged. "The group came and went for many months; I'd often see only a few of them at a time as they returned for more information." He moved to pick up the first tome, gently opening it again. "But it would seem as if we've happened upon a very intriguing circumstance... If we were to cross-examine the historical accounts with those notes of your scientist, there-"
Lightning cleared her throat. "We can't stay for long." She tried to smile at Laq, but her expression was slightly strained. "I wish we could, but between previous arrangements, and-"
Laq nodded before she could finish. "It's no problem at all." He moved to look Lightning in the eye. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but there is something about your reaction to these findings..." He began to tap his index finger along the edge of the book. "This information is of paramount importance to you."
Lightning moved away from the cushioned wall, resting on crossed legs. "It is, but we... We have certain limitations on how long we can be around people." She glanced away, lowering her gaze. "I can't put anyone in danger just because I'm curious."
Laq thought in silence for a moment, before began to rise to his feet again. "Two days." He smiled to himself, before he turned, facing the front of the library. "Give me two days, one to read the book myself, the second to copy down the most important chapters for you to take."
Lightning's eyes widened, and she turned to meet his gaze. "Are you serious? All that, just for a stranger... Why?"
Laq shrugged. "Well, as your friend said, Nsu are trained in the art of judging individuals at face value." He looked over his shoulder to smile at Lightning. "We may have only just met, but there's something about the two of you... I would feel as if I had failed as a librarian if you had left without the knowledge you need."
Fang stood up with a grin, and she clapped Laq on the shoulder as she walked past him. "Good on you, but I'd feel better if we helped to at least cover the cost of writing it down."
Laq glanced at the large tome, and then over at the thinner book. "You know the owner of that, correct?"
Fang nodded.
Laq picked up the thin book. "Are you on friendly terms with the person in question? I would like to see it returned to its original author, if possible."
Lightning spoke up. "Anima's helped us out before, actually..." She kept back the snarl in her throat. "She seems to know her boundaries, too."
Laq smiled. "Return it to her, and any debt you have with me will have been repaid."
Fang glanced over at the front of the library, and she began to squint along at the deeper rays of sun that filtered down through the stained glass. "Two days... Well, we'll be sure to come back in time to pick them both up." She began to walk forward between the aisles of book, with both Lightning and Laq following behind her.
"Thank you for translating the first part." Lightning nodded at Laq. "Fang, you can pick up from where we left off, right?"
Fang nodded as well. "I had to nag some of the elders to teach it to me, back when I was a kid... Damn shame, when you think about it."
Laq frowned. "A tragedy, for sure... It is a beautiful language." He cleared his throat as they entered the main entryway, reciting a quick handful of Pulsian phrases.
Fang smiled a bit. "Glad to see that someone's keeping it alive." She turned to face the door, yawning softly under her breath. "Hey, how long was I asleep? Feels like its nearly sundown already..."
Lightning nudged at Fang's shoulder with her own. "Long enough for us to get through a decent bit of the introduction... You'll just have to catch up."
Fang rolled her eyes as she walked up to the doorway. "Well, forgive me for not operating on just a few hours of sleep..."
Lightning nearly rolled her eyes as well, but instead, she turned to face the library itself. She began to glance along the rows and rows of books, and for a long, yet fleeting moment, she wanted nothing more than to move back into the aisles and surround herself with the thousands upon thousands of words, but a lingering, constant image pushed itself out from the back of her mind. She thought back to her sister, and soon, the image of pale skin etched against the endless expanse of winter began to flicker in and out of her consciousness, flooding out above even the sprawling text. Lightning closed her eyes for what felt like an eternity, before she opened them to nod at Laq.
Laq nodded back. "Two days."
Lightning blinked once, and for a split, miniscule moment, a slim, pale form stood just beside the librarian. "Two days." She blinked again, and Laq was alone, standing nearly motionless within the silent, tranquil place of words, and there was no pink hair to interrupt the muted browns of wooden shelves, nor the cool, solid grays of the weathered, stony walls.
Moonlight spilled out through the ruffled curtains, illuminating the room with a soft, placid glow.
Serah lay back against the softness of her pillow, staring up at the empty span of ceiling above, the likes of which was only punctuated by the round, plastic surface of a smoke alarm. She blinked when it gently flashed red, and her eyelids drooped, falling shut alongside the constant hum of crickets in the distance, or more prominently, the quiet snores of the man beside her.
Serah smiled to herself, curling up deeper into the blankets, and she reached over to gently twirl a strand of blonde hair between her fingers, before she drifted off to sleep.
A woman stands tall against the warm, golden tile, and her shoes brush softly against the light, sunlit dust of the kitchen floor. Her braided, pink hair sways by her back, but several stands simply refuse to be contained, sticking out against the afternoon sun to remain pointedly apart from their fellows.
A child sits beside the woman's feet, barely tall enough to see over the counter, but the little girl finds herself far too occupied with brushing the silken hair of her stuffed animal to notice her mother's movement beside her.
"Serah, would you like to help me with this?"
Serah's gaze remains on the plush horse, frowning when the brush snags against it. "It keeps getting stuck!"
Her mother kneels beside her. "It's not really the kind you can brush, sweetie... We could get you a doll, if you want-"
Serah shakes her head with vigor. "Claire says dolls are dumb!"
Her mother lets out a soft, yet belabored sigh. "Claire says a lot of things are dumb."
Serah keeps shaking her head. "Horses aren't dumb."
"Does Claire say horses are dumb?"
A smile crosses Serah's face, and she turns to to face her mother. "No, we're gonna have tons of them someday! We won't have to take the bus anymore, or walk to-" She's suddenly wrapped in a hug, and Serah squawks, squirming to reach for her stuffed horse again. "Mooom..."
Her mother pulls her close. "Serah, horses need lots of clear land, and someone to train and take care them every day."
Serah stills after a moment, having finally clutched hold of the plush horse's mane. "They can't stay in the woods?"
Her mother's head moves back and forth, and Serah is finally released to stand against the kitchen tile, barely as tall as her mother's waist. "Your dad will be back soon, and then you'll have Claire and Riley to play with."
Serah looks over at the counter, standing on her tiptoes to see inside the assorted bowls upon it. "Riley didn't want to play the other day."
Her mother suddenly pauses, but Serah doesn't quite notice the way she chews at her bottom lip, mulling over her words. "Serah, you know that doggies get older much faster than humans do... Your dad and I have had her for a long time."
Serah tries to reach for a bowl of something soft, but her fingers can't quite reach. "How long?"
Her mother finally smiles. "Longer than you..." She turns to face the counter. "Do you want to help me out, today?"
Serah bounces on her toes. "Yeah! What is it?"
"Go get your stool."
Serah runs off for a moment, returning with a painted, wooden stool in her arms. "Got it!" She pushes the platform to rest just beside her mother's feet, before she climbs up to stand beside the counter, staring down at the wide assortment of flour and seeds, as well many other ingredients that she can't yet place.
Her mother reaches over for a pinch of flour. "Wash your hands, first... Remember? No touching food without washing our hands."
Serah whines, reaching for the flour as well, but her mother blocks her way with a gentle hand. "Serah."
Serah finally drops down from the stool, racing off to another room with a tiny scowl.
Her mother can't help but smile when the bathroom sink groans to life from the room beside her, and she turns to gaze out the window, staring off into the woods that rest just beyond the empty, rustling yard.
Tall, darkened grass swayed back and forth beside a pair of pointed, hair-covered ears, twitching in time with the chirping insects that filled the night air with song.
"Light, you okay?"
Lightning licked at her teeth, re-tasting the rich, copper tang from her recent exploits. "Just peachy."
Fang let out a soft snort, before she flopped back against the grass as well, yawning with a lazy stretch. "You looked a bit out of it for a minute, there."
Lightning's ears fell back, still twitching as the grass rustled around them. "The blood does it me."
Fang glanced over at where they had sat just a moment ago, gazing along the scattered bones of an antelope, completely picked clean. "Been a day or two, hasn't it? You did fine up in the city, though."
Lightning nodded, but her eyes began to drift shut. "Glad you think so."
Fang couldn't quite find it within herself to roll her eyes, so instead, she snuggled closer to her companion, wrapping her arms around Lightning's chest to pull her close. "I know so... I think it helps when you have something else to focus on."
Lightning's eyes slid open, and for a brief moment, she could only stare up at the trio of stars that hovered just above the horizon, before her gaze drifted down to the bones within the grass. "We haven't been thanking them... For a while, now."
Fang suddenly tensed, and she reached up smack at her own forehead with her hand. "Shit. You're right..." She yawned after a moment, waving off an imaginary image. "Fine, fine... Thank you, everything we've killed; let's hope you're better off, wherever you are now."
Lightning closed her eyes, breathing out with a sigh. "It's alright, I'm sure they understand."
Fang rolled her eyes half-way. "Got enough sass left in there for the both of us, huh?"
Lightning didn't answer, having already started to doze.
Fang would have smiled to herself had her mouth been currently capable, so instead, she leaned forward to bury her face in Lightning's hair, moving them both even closer to each other. "I love you, stupid."
Lightning yawned, barely whispering in response. "Same."
Birdsong echoes out over the mountainside, while the creatures in question soar high above the rocky expanse, swooping back and forth within the blustering sky.
A man steps carefully over the stone-covered path, glancing down at the hound at his side, before he clicks his tongue. "Riley, stay close."
The dog keeps at his heels, but her ears perk up, swiveling in place.
A girl watches the animal for a while, before she turns to face her father. "Her muzzle's getting gray."
The man reaches down to scratch the dog behind her ears, but he maintains a steady march along the path. "She's at a ripe old age, just like your dad."
The girl tilts her head to the side, narrowing her eyes. "You aren't that old."
Her father shrugs, before he smiles over his shoulder. "Snagged your mom, didn't I? Old dogs can still get plenty of game, Claire."
Claire looks off to the side, staring down at the valley below, before she turns back to her father. "How far are we going to go? I don't recognize any of this..."
Her father pauses for a moment, and he lifts his hand to shield his eyes from the sun. "Should be... Nearly half-way to Bodhum."
Claire's eyes widen slightly. "That's far, right?"
Her father grins. "Good endurance, huh?" He turns back to face the trail, adjusting the backpack against his shoulders. "You're a tough kid, Claire."
"I'm only ten." Claire moves to sit down on a weathered rock, dangling her legs over the edge of the cliff. "But... Promise you won't tell mom?"
Her father soon sits down beside her, idly scratching at Riley's chin. "As long as I don't have to, sure."
Claire's expression wavers for a moment, until a smile begins to form over her face. "I punched one of the sixth graders at recess last week."
Her father doesn't react at first, but after a while, he lets out a long, quiet sigh, running a hand through his hair. "And why was that?"
Claire's smile falls, before a scowl settles in place over her features. "She said Serah was stupid."
"Serah's..." Her father quirks an eyebrow. "Six."
Claire frowns as she reaches to tug at her father's sleeve. "But she's not stupid! I'm the only one who gets to call her that, even if she isn't!"
Her father attempts stifle his laughter, but as he stands up once more, he can't help but let out a chuckle. "Promise you won't tell your mother..."
Claire nods, following after him.
He turns, and cracks a smile. "Good for you."
Claire waits until her father has looked back at the path, before she grins, walking forward with just a little more of a spring to her step than before.
They continue on in silence, even when they pass by a large, rigid figure, standing taller than even the man himself. "I want to see who got punched."
An identical form peers out over the mountainside, her ears flicking back and forth. "I can't even remember what she looked like..." Lightning rises to her full height, claws held against her palm. "Honestly though, I think you'd rather see what we did next."
One's eyes widen, and a just moment later, her pupils dilate.
Trees tower above the mossy, shadowed glen, while a quiet stream burbles along between the tall, waving grass. A pair of horns hover just within them, curling beside the water's edge, while a soft set of eyes swivel back and forth, scanning the forest floor.
"Breathe out..." The man holds his daughter's arm steady, counting under his breath. "You've got it, Claire."
She doesn't even react when the rifle sounds, and her expression remains the same when the creature falls, splashing down into the rocky stream. Her fingertip drifts away from the trigger, and her arm relaxes, before she finally, finally inhales.
Lightning's eyes flew open, and she nearly jolted out of Fang's arms, but the grip holding her was steadfast, gently keeping them both in place.
"Hmm?" Fang stirred, blearily opening her eyes. "Light..?"
Lightning's breath rattled throughout her form, and she began to shiver, silently tightening her jaw.
Fang mumbled something unintelligible, before she leaned in, nuzzling close to Lightning's ear. "...Dream? Was it bad?"
Lightning's eyes fluttered shut. "No."
