Hey everyone, sorry for the long wait, enjoy

Chapter 10

Strange feelings

Fang walked through the halls in a brooding mode. She hadn't meant to sound so cold to Vanille, it just came out. Sure the girl was far too innocent for her own good.

I'm going to have to apologize to her later; she thought to herself, it's not even her fault anyway.

She continued to walk, heading out of the Dorm.

Outside it was getting darker, as the sun bathed everything in its' orange glow. The wind blew a little, shaking the branches as she walked down the path. She couldn't understand why she was having so many feelings for a single girl. Sure they had known each other for only a few weeks but doesn't a person actually get to know each other for a really long time before starting to get to that level of relationship?

Or is her situation is more complicated than that?

Running a hand through her wild hair, Fang came to stop, her eyes finding a familiar figure walking with a batch of plants in his arms. Wanting to do something to remove those thoughts from her mind, she headed straight for him.

"Hey, Olivier,"

The man turned around, his eyes searching for the one who called his name before they found Fang, and a grin split his face.

"Oy, there," he said in greeting.

Fang arrived beside him.

"Haven't seen you around here for a few while," he said, as they started to walk side by side, "School been keeping you busy?"

"Something likes that," Fang said, shrugging her shoulders.

Olivier looked at her.

"What bring you out here then," he asked.

"I just want to clear my mind," Fang answered him.

"Ah," Olivier said, a small smile, "It's one of those problems."

That drew Fang attention.

"What?"

"Hey I was young too you know," Olivier told her a sly smirk on his face, "when I got too emotional over things, I just go to my happy place."

Fang looked at him.

"I didn't get emotional," she told him.

They had arrived in front of the glass domed garden and Fang opened the door for him as the two entered. The place was as beautiful as it looked when she had first seen them as many flowers blooming all around them. Olivier put the flowers he was carrying down the ground before turning toward her.

"You want to talk about it or just ignore it?" he asked.

"I don't want to talk about it," Fang said, "This is one of the main reasons I am out here."

"Oh," Olivier said, shrugging, "Suit yourself if that's what you want to do."

The man leaned back toward the plants he was taking care of and said, "I think love is just like a plant. You nourish it, and it continues to grow strong and beautiful. Neglect it, it will wither and die."

Chuckling a little he turned his head toward Fang.

"Listen to me, talking about love when I couldn't even keep my own life together. Kinda sad if you look at it."

That drew Fang's attention. From what Vanille had told her, no one in the school knows about Olivier's past.

"I can tell you one thing from my experience thought," He continued, "You don't keep thing like this inside yourself, you might lose it. All those feelings bottled inside of you, you'll feel like you want to explode and you will."

Fang looked at him.

"You sound like an expert on the subject,"

Olivier gives her a smile.

"As I said, I was young too," he said, chuckling.

Fang returned his smile.

"Yeah, maybe I'll put your experience into mine," she said, "but thanks again, for the words."

"Least I could do," Olivier said, "Now, go get whoever is causing you so much lovesickness."

Fang chuckled at this, and waved at him before leaving the building. Even if she hadn't got whatever she wanted out of her head, she had learned something off Olivier's past.

As she made her way toward the dorm, she noticed that it was getting dark, the sun had long since set. The light poles in the school were already lit up, buzzing in the silent night. She still had to apologize to Vanille.

Sighing, she entered the dorm.

Vanille looked up from her book as a slight knock ran from the door. Confused as to whom it was, she quickly crossed the way and opened the door. The person on the other side is someone she had least expected.

"Is Fang there?" Lightning asked.

Vanille stared at her, blinking for few moment before she register the question that Lightning had just asked.

"No, I'm sorry, she left a little while ago," Vanille said giving the girl a sad smile.

A frustrated look crossed Lightning's face, but she nodded.

"Thank you," she said.

Then she abruptly turned away walking down the hallway.

Weird girl, Vanille thought shaking her head before closing the door.

Where did Fang disappear to?

Lightning had expected to find the girl in her room, but she had no such luck so far. She wanted to get out of the school already and go find the ship signal but, Serah had convinced her to talk to Fang first. Lightning didn't get why Serah would want her to do this, after all, Fang wasn't going anywhere for she is a student there.

Do I even really need to speak to her, Lightning thought to herself, Do I even need…to see her?

Running a hand through her pink hair, the girl stopped walking at the sudden thought. Earlier, Serah had asked her if she would be able to leave without looking back…

Could she?

"Lightning?"

Fang was standing at the end of the hallway a look of surprise etched on her face. Her green eyes sparkled with curiosity.

"F…Fang," Lightning said, more like stuttered.

Fang approached her, "I didn't know your room was up there?"

"It's not," Lightning answered, "I…I was looking for you actually."

Fang blinked, now her curiosity written all over her face. It was so innocent that it almost made Lightning laugh out loud.

Almost.

Not the time for laugh, a small voice said in her head.

Agreeing with herself, Lightning refocused herself.

"I have to leave school for a few days."

Fang blinked, and blinked again.

"What? Why?"

"Family problem," Lightning told her.

Fang's eyes narrowed, "Serah's going to?"

Lightning shook her head.

"No, just me, but while we are on that subject, can I ask you for a favor?"

Fang nodded.

"Can you keep an eye out for Serah for me?"

Fang let a smile showed on her face.

"You really care for your sister don't you? But, don't you worry about a thing while you're going Sunshine; Serah's going to be fine."

Here is that infernal nickname again, the pinkette thought, a slight twitch in her eyes, but some relief seeped through her body.

"Thank you Fang,"

Fang laughed, "No problem, we're friends. That's what we do."

Lightning let a smile work on her face.

"I know, but thank you."

When Fang's laughter subsides, she looked at the pinkette.

"Just make sure you come back okay."

Lightning glanced at Fang, surprised at that, and she was even more surprised to see how serious Fang's expression was. For some reason, it made her feel…strange.

"I will always come back Fang," she answered, smiling.

Fang suddenly turned her head sideway away from Lightning, an action which confused the girl greatly. She stepped forward, a slight worry growing within her.

"Fang, are you okay?"

"Y…yeah, I'm fine," the latter stuttered.

"Are you sure…," Lightning said, getting even closer.

"I'm fine sunshine…really," Fang told her, stepping backward a little, "Just got something in my eyes."

"But…"

"Trust me…I'm fine," Fang said, still not looking back at her.

Lighting now was truly confused at Fang's actions.

"C'mon Fang, tell me what's wrong? Hiding your face like that is not going to help anyone. C'mon, look at me."

She had her hand on Fang's chin and she gently turned the girl's head toward her. Fang suddenly grabbed her arm, before looking at the girl.

"I'm fine sunshine, just go to what you have to do and haul your ass back here," Fang said, "You understand?"

"Okay," Lightning said, taking her hand out of the Oerban girl's hand which to hers was extremely warm and confortable.

"Take care alright," she finished.

Fang nodded.

Lightning walked past her, down the hallway, not once looking back.

When she disappeared, Fang leaned against the wall, her entire body trembling. It was like she had been doused in freezing cold water; making her think if Lightning was the cause of all these feelings that were rising from within her, and that smile earlier... Maker, she had almost jumped the girl in the hallway, and Lightning…

How someone can so effortlessly make me feel this way, she thought, and I don't think she is even aware of it.

Vanille had been right, again.

Shaking her head, the Oerba native, headed back toward her room arriving in it, as Vanille look up.

"Lightning was just looking for you…" she started.

"Met her in the hallway," Fang told her.

"Oh, okay then."

An awkward silence followed.

"Vanille,"

"Hm,"

"I…I'm sorry about earlier," Fang said, "It's just..."

The orange haired girl looked at her, her green eyes sparkling a little.

"Don't worry about it," Vanille said, "Lebreau blow fuses all the time, her temper is worse than yours, trust me."

"I wish I could have seen that," Fang smirked.

Vanille stared at her, "You have a death wish or something?"

The two laughed a little.

"What did Lightning want by the way?"

Fang sighed.

"She'd be leaving the school and came to tell me," Fang said, "She must have thought that I would be mad at her if she didn't."

"Wouldn't you?"

Fang stared at her for a few moment, "No, I wouldn't...just surprised at her disappearing act...but i wouldn't...really,"

"Oh,"

After a few moments of silence.

"Vanille,"

"Yeah,"

"You were right," Fang said, "about everything."

With that tone of finality, she turned away, letting Vanille stare at her back in astonishment.

Lightning had arrived by the school gates. She stopped there, and turning to look back at the building behind her with a thoughtful look on her face. It was strange moment as she looked back at it, wondering why the feeling of leaving it was so different than it was before.

When she had first arrived in the school, she hated it, more than she could have hated anything in her life. She and Serah were actually going to stay there, moving from places to places, exploring and learning about the world...

She glances down at the watch that was showing the pulsing signal from the ship.

This changes everything, she thought to herself, We can leave this place and not look back…

But something in her had changed.

Lightning realized that a couple of minutes earlier. She didn't want to leave, not when…

Fang's face swam in her mind, making her glances down at her hand, the very same hand Fang had held earlier, before tightening it in a fist.

Don't worry Fang, I will return…that is a promise, and Serah, you were right after all, I wouldn't want to leave this place.

That thought in mind, Lightning's body was taken in a flash of pinkish light before it disappeared.

And that's it for now. expect action in the next chapter thought, but i'm not making any promises...sorry again for the long wait for update. i was focusing on finishing my Autelas Chronicles fic...if you somewhat like Twilight, you can check it out, it won't be based on the books character either and since i've never opened those books in my life, i just used the knowledge i've gotten from reading fanfic and a little help from wiki. XD. okay then later,

Jacques0 out.

R&R