Put Your Trust In Me
Chapter 11 – Pasts Revealed
"You sure they can be trusted?" Lightning asked as she walked along the sidewalk beside the brunette, who was matching her every stride.
"He owes me one back then for the time I helped him out of a mess, so I guess it's payback time. If Sazh really did find out we're missing because of him, then it's just a matter of a broken nose." Fang said with a nonchalant shrug.
The pinkette gave a soft hum at the response, "And perhaps broken limbs." She added quietly.
Fang laughed softly at the addition, "A violent bunch we have here now, don't we?" She said with an amused, arched eyebrow.
"Just following someone's lead." The pinkette replied with a small smirk.
The brunette whistled at the comeback, "Seems like someone's been honing their sarcasm."
Lightning gave a shrug, "Only the best master can bring up the best student."
"Is that a compliment? Because my cheeks are getting warm despite the weather." Fang said with a chuckle.
"Compliment or not, it's up to you to decide." Lightning stated plainly as she continued to walk.
"Smooth." Fang said as she too matched the pinkette's stride as they continued down the sidewalk, lightened up only by the street lights as the sky had now darkened to a dark velvet purple. After a short moment of silence, Fang started again, "By the way, care to share where we're headed?"
Lightning paused briefly at the question, "… We're going to my place." She said softly before resuming her walk.
Fang raised an eyebrow at the response, suddenly halting in her tracks, "Your place…? As in your… home?" She asked curiously.
Lightning stopped walking when she felt the brunette had stopped, and then she turned slightly to face Fang as she replied, "Yes."
Fang's other eyebrow raised to match the other, surprise clearly written on her features, "That's… surprising. I thought you just wanted to head out somewhere."
"I promised my sister that I'd visit when I come back on this field trip." A pause from Lightning. "That's why I broke the rules this time." She said as she then turned to continue down the path.
Fang nodded slowly, starting to walk again and caught up with the pinkette at the front, "A promise is a promise, ey." She said with a smile.
The two young women continued to walk side by side in silence. After a short while though, the silence was once again broken by Fang.
"Do you need me to go elsewhere and wait for you?" She queried.
Lightning's eyebrows arched in surprise at the sudden query, "Why would you suggest that?"
Fang gave a soft hum and shrugged, "Well, I thought i wouldn't want to be bothering your little family reunion if I was there, y'know?" She said with an understanding smile, so soft and considerate that it warmed the pinkette's heart.
Lightning paused in her tracks and turned to face Fang fully, "I'm okay with you coming over with me, Fang. Besides, where else can you go alone? It's getting dark and Bodhum is a new place to you, I'm not about to let you get lost on your own."
Fang frowned at the last part, "Oy now, I can always ask around for the nearest coffee shop y'know. Plus I'm a huntress, I don't get my arse lost that easily."
The pinkette remained silent for a bit at the statement, and then stated again, "Are you okay with this?"
Fang arched an eyebrow at the pinkette, "Okay with what?" She asked back, not understanding the question.
"Okay with… going back to my home to see my sister?" Lightning asked, a little hesitant.
The brunette arched a quizzical eyebrow at that, "Why would I not be? I chose to tag along and I'm damn glad you let me. I just hope I'm not a bother when you get to finally spend some time with your sister."
The pinkette nodded slowly then, a small relieved sigh escaped through her lips. Even though Fang was the one who insisted on following her, but a part of her was a bit worried if the brunette might find it awkward to follow her home. Now that it was settled, Lightning continued on with a lighter heart having less of a worry. "Right." She uttered gently.
XXX
Serah stepped out of the bathroom with a towel draped over her head as she continued to rub her pink locks dry. The girl then moved to the dressing table and seated herself in front of the mirror, all the while still rubbing at her hair. Shortly after, Serah peeled the towel off and threw it onto her bed, then she picked up the hairdryer and started blowing her hair dry.
About five minutes later, Serah put down the hairdryer and combed through her hair with her fingers, feeling for pink locks which might still be wet. Satisfied that her hair was thoroughly dry, she ran a comb through it then to smoothen out the knots caused from the shower. With her hair done, she stood and turned then –
"AHHHHHHHHHH!" Serah screamed with all the air that she had in her lungs as her eyes fell on someone, who was currently standing at the door to her room. "Holy-Maker-Etro-Cocoon to the moon and back! Are you trying to give me a heart attack at the age of 17, Lightning Farron!?"
Lightning smiled faintly at the sight, her eyes hinting mild amusement. "Good to see that you still have a strong heart then."
Serah huffed at her sister and stomped towards her, "Why didn't you knock on the door?"
"I knocked, in fact I almost knocked down the front door when you wouldn't answer, I was so worried." Lightning said with a small frown.
"You could have waited for a bit…" Serah mumbled softly, feeling half guilty since she knew she was at fault, but half of her still felt agitated that her sister scared the shit out of her for sneaking up on her.
"We were waiting out there for almost ten minutes already, Serah. You're lucky I found the spare keys, or else you'd need to find a door repairman."
Serah's ears perked up, "Wait, what did you say?"
Lightning sighed, "I said, you're lucky I found the spare keys."
Serah shook her head violently from left to right and back to left, "No, no, the one before!" She said as she held onto Lightning's shoulders.
The pinkette blinked at her sister, "You mean 'we were waiting-" She started halfway before she got cut off by a now seemingly very excited Serah.
"You said 'we'! Right? Right?" Serah tried to confirm as she moved in closer to Lightning, much closer than Lightning would have liked, causing the woman to back away as she held a hand up between herself and Serah.
"Yes, I said 'we'."
And with that, Serah released her hold on her sister and whizzed past her then down the stairs and towards the living room. Her cerulean eyes scanned the living room until her eyes fell on half a head that poked out from the top of the sofa. Excited, she skipped towards the figure and finally stopped right at the side of the sofa, startling the sofa's occupant slightly in the process.
"Hi!" Serah said ecstatically with a wide smile, she was practically brimming with joy.
Fang, who was a little bit startled by such enthusiasm displayed by someone who donned the same shade of champagne pink hair and similar features as the stoic woman known as Lightning, blinked a little at the younger Farron before finally regaining her composure and stood. Watching the broad smile on the girl's face caused Fang to give a smile of her own, how could she resist such a bright smile? "Hey, you must be Serah, right?" She asked with a smile as she put out a hand towards the girl, all the while curiously wondering how could someone related to Lightning – who rarely smiled, let alone grin – display such a bright, irresistibly happy demeanour? Fang could feel that joy was literally pouring out from the girl's smiling face when she eagerly grabbed onto her hand with both hands and shook it.
"That I am! I'm Serah, Serah Farron! We'd already spoken to each other over the phone, do you remember?" Serah asked.
Fang forced out her next few words without sounding too wobbly due to the fact that her whole arm was currently being shaken up and down by the ecstatic girl, "'Course I r-remember, it was when your sister was sick. Not that I can forget about it when she woke up scowling at me."
Upon hearing that, Serah finally stopped and stared with a small frown, "She did what?" The younger Farron asked.
Fang shrugged, a smirk tipping the corner of the lips up at the sudden change in expression. This girl sure was interesting, though not as interesting as a certain pink haired soldier-in-training. "Yep, she went all grouchy and scowly at me when I picked up your call while she was out cold."
Serah dropped Fang's hand and now turned to glare at her elder sister who just rounded the corner and set her first step into the living room, "Lightning Farron! How could you?" She asked with a displeased frown and an angry tone.
Lightning paused her second step at the sudden hostility directed at her, a quizzical eyebrow raised, "What?" She asked puzzledly.
Serah huffed and then she put her hands on her hips, "Fang told me that you went all crazy when she picked up your phone while you were still asleep! You should be grateful and say thank you!"
The elder Farron raised her other eyebrow at the statement, then looked to a mischievously smirking Fang – who seemed to be clearly enjoying the whole interchange – and narrowed her eyes, then back to Serah with an eye roll and a sigh, "Serah, I did not go 'crazy'. I was a little grouchy yes, but you know how much I worry about you living in Bodhum here alone, that's why I couldn't help but get a bit jumpy when I knew you called but I didn't answer it. And most importantly, it's been months since then, why are you bringing it up?" Lightning directed the question more so at Fang than at Serah, who was still smirking and shrugged, and narrowed her eyes questioningly.
Serah shook her head and gave a small sigh, "I know you're worried about me… but you need to be kinder to those who helped you and took care of you too, Light."
"Just so it makes you feel better, I did apologize to Fang after that." Lightning said with a straight face, and then stared pointedly at Fang.
Serah looked to the brunette curiously.
As much as Fang was enjoying the whole scene unfolding – with the usually strong and capable woman of few words now appearing to have so little power over the conversation with her little sister – she figured that it would still be best not to push too far. After all, she and the pinkette just only got back on better terms this morning. And so, Fang responded with a nod, "Yep, she did little Sunshine."
Lightning's eye twitched.
Serah's head cocked to one side at the nickname curiously, "Who?"
"You, you're little Sunshine." Fang supplied helpfully with a grin. Sure, she should not push the argument too far, but a little teasing was still necessary. It was her nature to tease the stoic woman after all.
Serah paused for a short moment as she took in the information, then she asked again with an index finger tapping on her chin thoughtfully, "So… if I'm little Sunshine…" the younger Farron trailed off as she slowly turned to look at her sister.
Fang replied with a smile, amusement clearly laced in her tone of voice, "Yep, Sunshine is standing right there. It fits her, don't you think? Always getting up with the sun along with that pretty scowl too."
Lightning let out a controlled, but exasperated sigh. Though, she said nothing of the nickname, knowing that asking Fang to stop calling her 'Sunshine' would only prompt the brunette to come up with more idiotic or funny nicknames. So, instead of resisting the nickname using words, she merely glared at the brunette for the unwelcomed nickname and for using the nickname in front of her sister, which she was sure the younger Farron would use that to tease her for days to come as well.
Serah chuckled and agreed with the brunette that it did sound pretty fitting with her sister the more she repeated the nickname as she looked at Lightning, "I suppose I won't argue."
With a groan of frustration at the two poking fun at her expense, she turned and headed towards the kitchen to escape the amused pairs of eyes. "I'm going to make some coffee, let me know once you two are done laughing at me." She said with a long sigh.
"Oh, oh! Since you're already at it in the kitchen, do you mind cooking up that super-duper delicious pasta of yours for me? I've been craving it and tried cooking it several times, but I just couldn't get it right." Serah said happily.
Lightning then turned her head and scowled at her, "You were enjoying a little too much at my expense earlier, don't you think?"
At that response, Serah put up her best pair of puppy eyes and completed the pitiful look with trembling lips as she said, "But I haven't eaten my dinner…"
Without another second's delay, Lightning was already off into the kitchen opening cupboards which Serah knew were where the pots and pans were being placed. Then she grinned and turned to face Fang.
Fang merely stared at the whole exchange and couldn't help but wonder, do all little sisters have such power over their older siblings…?
"So, how about we have a chat while Light busy herself in the kitchen, Fang?" Serah asked cheerily as she moved along and plopped down onto the couch, then looking up at the brunette expectantly.
Fang nodded and took her seat on the couch that was placed perpendicularly from the couch Serah was seated on. "What do you want to talk about?" the brunette asked casually.
"So, Fang, right? How did you become friends with Light?" Serah asked as she wagged her eyebrows, emphasising on the word 'friend'.
A reminiscing smile came crawling its way up to grace the brunette's lips as she recalled the incident months back instantly – the moment where Lightning jumped in and moved together with her flawlessly around their enemies, downing one after another swiftly and smoothly. It was the first time that they had fought together, and not against each other, yet the chemistry between them in battle just clicked and everything fell into place. "You know how people say, 'the best way to know someone is through a fight', Serah?"
Serah's eyes widened and her eyebrows raised with surprise, "You mean you two fought with each other? Were you alright, Fang? My sister can be a real brute in a fight…" The younger pinkette trailed off softly towards the end, wincing a little as imagination made its way towards her mind's eye.
Fang gave a soft laugh at the response, "Well, if it makes you feel better and you think of your sister as less of a brute, I got her back pretty damn good too. I'm in CT too, after all."
The younger Farron gasped, "YOU are in CT too? Lightning has never mentioned this to me! I only know that you're her roommate and nothing else." Serah let out a huff and crossed her arms irritably as she muttered, "Lightning always keeps things to herself."
The brunette let out a chuckle, "I'm surprised you're only crossed at your sister for not telling you things and not at the fact that I pretty much kicked your sister's arse."
At that, Serah turned her head and glared at Fang, "Well I do care, but honestly, I do think that Light had also got you down on the ground eating dirt as much as you did to her, so that's why I'm more irritated when I hear something that's entirely new info."
A full laugh escaped Fang at the response, and she had to calm herself before she could resume talking, "You're really unpredictable, little Farron."
Serah gave a shrug followed with a cheeky smile, "That's what makes little sisters special."
Fang shook her head and gave an amused smirk, "You sure remind me of my lil' sis, Serah."
"Oh, you've a little sister? Where is she? What's her name?" Serah asked the questions without pause.
"Yep I do, name's Vanille and she's in Gran Pulse now, we go to the same university. She's not in CT though, she's into natural medicines." Fang said.
Serah nodded her head and made a silent 'oh' at the new information, "I see, I'd sure love to meet your sister someday!" She said clapping her hands together happily. "So," Serah started again as she returned her focus to their previous topic, "You're telling me that you and Lightning fought with each other and became friends?"
Fang arched an eyebrow at the sudden change of topic, but still amused nonetheless at how she had to keep up with the younger Farron for constantly changing pace. With the elder Farron, everything was generally more stable and consistent… except for a few occasions, and Fang had to shake her head slightly to keep the bad thoughts away. "You got it half right, I did get to know her better through our… rather violent fight, but we didn't become friends right there and then after the big hoo haa. In fact, we still remained pretty stiff and tensed around each other until one day… She just changed my perception. And I'd like to think that sometimes, another way to know a person is to fight together with them." The brunette ended with a genuine smile, which the younger Farron mirrored upon seeing that.
"That smells like a story to me, so what happened?" Serah asked enthusiastically.
"Don't you want to know." Fang gave a brief wink as she continued, "So here's what happened…" She proceeded to share the series of events from when they fought, to how they realized they were working together, then to knowing that Lightning could sing surprisingly well, and how some bastards tried picking on her and then she stepped in and put a stop to it. Fang then went on to explain how she ended up being surrounded by 13 men and then the pinkette jumped right into the fight and fought together with her, and how they claimed victory and then finally, became friends. At that point when she was finished, Serah's mouth was hanging open with disbelief clearly displaying across her features.
"Are you serious? That sounds straight out of some fictions I read!" Serah said with a hint of doubt lining in her voice.
Fang gave a firm nod accompanied with a grin, "Sounds pretty interesting, ey? But everything I said is the truth. If you don't believe me, you can double check with your sister." She said with a thumb pointing at the direction of the kitchen where the pinkette was currently making some industrious noise with the pots and pans.
Serah pursed her lips with a small calculating frown, but then the frown eased away, and a smile replaced it, "Oh well, I guess it's a believable story since it involved my sister. I was also doubtful that she made friends with you the easy way." She said with a chuckle.
"Trust me, it was tough." Fang said with a shake of her head and then she eyed the pinkette who was still busy in the kitchen, then she leaned in closer to the younger Farron, "But I'm glad you gave me a few tips to help me get through, otherwise I might have failed at my attempt to befriend her, so thanks a lot." She said softly, making sure that it was well out of the pinkette's keen earshot.
Serah giggled at the brunette, "Thought you'd need it. But if someone needs to say thank you between the two of us, it would be me." She said with a genuine wide smile.
Fang arched a curious eyebrow at the statement, "Why is that?"
"For being friends with my sister, and for not giving up even though it was tough getting through to that thick head of hers. Even though Light's always been alone back here in Cocoon, I still can't help but be really worried for her when I heard that she will be heading to Paddra for her studies, because I know she will be alone in a foreign place if no one actually reached out to her… but then you came along, and I was wishing so badly that you'll actually be able to make it. So, thank you, Fang." Serah said warmly accompanied with emotions swirling about in her blue eyes.
Eyeing such rich emotions filling the crystal blue pools, Fang couldn't help but think that there could be more than just mere concern from Serah that had prompted such a display. So, the brunette chose to explore the deeper story that seemed to fuel Serah's emotions, "No problem at all, lil' Sunshine. I'm just as glad to be friends with your big sis, so you don't really need to thank me y'know. But… I could sense that there seems to be more than what meets the eye, mind sharing?"
Serah bit her bottom lip as she hesitated on whether to share or not to share with the brunette. After a moment of thought, the girl quickly glanced over her shoulder to check if her sister was still busying herself in the kitchen. Satisfied that the older Farron was still busy handling pans and pots, Serah turned back to Fang, "I can let you know… but don't let Lightning know what I'd told you." If it was Fang, then Serah felt that she could trust her to help with what she was about to say and ask of her. After all, for a Pulsian like Fang to get through to Lightning and becoming friends and actually allowed here, it probably meant that this young woman surely was special to her sister, considering that Lightning had never once brought any friends back home at all in the past.
The brunette raised an eyebrow slightly at the statement, but wisely accommodated with a nod. "Of course, you've my word." She said firmly.
The younger Farron tapped her chin lightly as she wondered about where to start, which after a short while, she started, "I think explaining about our past will make more sense as to why Lightning acts the way she does with people, so I'll just start there." She said with a smile, then a brief pause as she looked down a little before looking back into Fang's eyes, "There's only the two of us left, orphaned because of the war. We lost our parents nine years ago to some rogue armed Pulsian forces running along the streets where we stayed back then. They… gunned down our parents. In front of us."
Fang dipped her head slightly, a faint frown made its way to her features, "I'm sorry to hear that." She said. She understood the pain of losing someone close to the heart, which she had experienced this in the past from a long, long time ago when she was only three. Even at that age, she could already feel the deep hurt of losing her parents while only she was spared – saved because she was out and away from the house. The hatred she felt back then lasted for so long until a certain pinkette finally came along and showed her a different perspective. So, when Serah told her that they had lost their parents, Fang could not help but wonder the hurt both the Farron sisters felt at their age, when their conscience and understanding had already grown considerably. At the thought of the pinkette, Fang could finally understand the hatred the woman displayed when they first met each other, though she was utterly glad that the hatred in the woman towards Pulsians – towards her specifically – had seemingly died down after the time spent together. Finally, Fang looked back to Serah worriedly, who was quiet with a distant look in her eyes, but which after a while faded away and was replaced with a small smile accompanied with a gentle shake of her head.
"I'm okay, and don't worry if you're wondering if I hate Pulsians, because I don't." Serah confessed with a smile.
The confession surprised Fang a little, but she responded with a small smile of her own, "I'm glad to hear that, I don't really want to go through the same cycle with you as what I did with your sister." Fang joked a little, attempting to lighten up the solemn mood.
Fang knew it worked when Serah gave a soft chuckle, "I don't think I would stand a chance against you if you could beat my sister to the moon and back, not without my bow at least I don't." The younger Farron said before falling back to her previously solemn demeanour. "I took it… easier, compared to Lightning. Lightning she… she took the brunt of the blow from our parents' death the hardest, because she was the one that actually saw them shooting at mom and dad. She was shielding me in her arms and covered my ears and eyes, so I wouldn't hear or… see anything." Serah said as she clasped her hands together tightly, a small frown appearing across her features.
Fang chose to only observe quietly and intently, a mirroring frown on her own face.
"We didn't have a lot of relatives, and some were even killed as well due to the widespread chaos across Cocoon. The GC did manage to get one of our relatives in contact, but that relative refused to take us in, saying that they could barely look after themselves, let alone us." Serah said with a sad smile as she recalled the memory. "I understand… why they'd said that. It was war period, everyone had to care for themselves. When we were left with no one to turn to, PSICOM, another armed forces under the command of Cocoon's Sanctum, had sent us into a temporary shelter holding victims of the war who lost their homes." The frown visibly deepened on Serah's features as she recalled the painful days being at The Hold, but shook her head then to clear off the incoming memory as she continued, "I was considered lucky because I was the younger one, you don't get a lot of things shoved in your face and forced you to face it… And being the eldest, Lightning took it upon herself the role of my guardian, to care and provide for me… for us. She was literally forced to mature overnight, even though she was only 10 years old. When we were at The Hold, those were quite horrible days for the both of us. We had to struggle to survive each day since the army only provided a limited ration to the evacuees, and everyone was fighting over the limited rations so that they won't be starved to death. Lightning had to fight a lot in order to get us a bottle of water and some crumbs to eat, and if we're lucky, we get a small chunk out of a proper meal sometimes." The younger pinkette's jaw clenched visibly as she narrated the story of their past, and Fang could see a fleeting moment of anger and then great hurt passed through the girl's eyes. "At one time, Lightning was up against a brute that was trying to snatch our rations from us and had her head hurt so badly, she almost had a concussion. I… I was so angry, but yet I couldn't do anything." Serah's eyes snapped shut then, small jolts going through her smaller frame as she fought to keep her tears at bay.
Fang tensed then, she was not one that was used to consoling other people, mostly because she had little to no friends, and because Vanille was the better one at it. She looked around then for some tissues and spotted the box on an end table right on the other end of the sofa she was seated on, so she quickly got up and grabbed the box and gingerly offered it to the younger pinkette who was sniffling very, very softly. Most likely to keep her elder sister from hearing her cry. Serah took the box and set it down on the coffee table before grabbing a piece of tissue to wipe at her eyes.
"Sorry." She mumbled.
Fang shook her head, "Hey, it's okay… everyone is entitled to their feelings."
Serah smiled faintly, "Thank you, Fang. I used to be a lot worse back then whenever I recall these memories, but I'm much better today with only a few drops of tears."
"Do you… think about it a lot?" Fang asked.
Serah shook her head, "I don't think about it, but you can't help it when it comes attacking you when you're doing nothing, and alone." She said with a shrug.
Fang nodded understandingly as she had such experience in the past.
"Anyway," The younger Farron started again, "We were… I'd say lucky at that time that we'd met someone in The Hold that actually came to our help then seeing that Lightning was injured and couldn't possibly get any rations for us both. She was four years older than Lightning, and was much taller and stronger than a 10-year-old, of course, though she couldn't fight as good as Lightning, but she somehow managed to get us rations to keep us going in that hell-hole. She helped took care of us until Lightning was well enough to be on her feet again, and from there onwards the two would always go together and fight for rations for the three of us. We quickly became friends and somewhat like comrade-in-arms as we strive through each day together, day in and day out. As she got better with Lightning teaching her some basics to fighting, we managed to grab just enough rations for us each day. It was until a year later that we finally got out of that place thanks to Amodar, who is a friend of our deceased father."
Fang arched an eyebrow at the familiar name then, "Amodar? Is he like a… dark skinned man with a stout build and a moustache?" She asked.
Serah nodded, "Yes, that's him. I supposed you met him at the GC today."
"Yea, I did. He's real good at messing with your sister's feather." Fang said with a chuckle.
Serah giggled, "That's how he is. Thanks to him, we finally got back a bit of normalcy. He took us into his own place and took care of us, all three of us by the way. He also managed to send us all to a small community school in the area so that we can get the education we need at our age. The three of us were doing fairly well in school, and Amodar was pleased. But he was a little mad at Lightning because well, she just really likes to meet someone new with her fist when she doesn't like them much, and also because she wanted to keep bullies off of me so she gets into a lot of brawls with the others in the past. When Amodar knew about the bullies and how Lightning constantly got hurt when fighting for me though, he decided to train her how to fight and fend off enemies properly. And that… was also how Lightning started to pave her way into joining the GC." Serah frowned a little at this point, remembering the many arguments she had with her sister because of this decision the elder Farron made. "She knew how well the job pays, so she made it clear to us that she wanted to join the GC so that she could provide for me and her in the future, saying that we can't always be living under Amodar's care. She had always minded a lot about using Amodar's money from the very beginning we were being taken in, so she would go to school and work a couple jobs at the same time to keep our expenses to a minimum. Of course, she helped as well."
"I see. It seems that you all are doing fairly well then." Fang stated.
Serah smiled sadly then, "Yea, everything was getting better… until one day when I was held hostage."
Fang's eyes widened with shock then upon hearing that statement. "What happened?"
The younger pinkette frowned as she bit her lower lip, "I… It was my fault. Lightning was 15 then and she could register for the GC soon once she reaches 16. Her birthday was only half a year away and I started to get desperate… I wanted to stop Lightning from joining the GC, so we fought and I ended up running away to a bar near our place… Amodar was not around at that time because he was away in the barracks that week, and she was away too at a camp so no one stopped me as I ran away." The girl continued as her hands clasped together even tighter, "I… I was stupid to have done that, a 13 year old brat without any brains at the time. I thought by making myself troublesome, I could get Lightning to stay and… watch over me. So I went into the bar and started drinking even though I knew I didn't have any money with me… I tried giving Lightning a call then, to tell her that I was going to drink my life away at the bar if she insisted on going to the GC… But she didn't pick up."
The brunette merely looked at the girl, concern clearly shown in her emerald eyes. Serah looked to Fang then and matched those concerned eyes, "So I continued to drink until I couldn't walk straight anymore. Then I bumped into a group of delinquents gathering in the bar and accidentally crashed their bottles of very, very expensive liquors to the ground when I stumbled over my feet because I was drunk… They got really mad and surrounded me then, and that was when I finally had some senses kicked back into my head and fear started kicking in. The men wanted me to pay for their losses, but as you know, I had no money. So I got taken away into their own private room in the bar and got tied up as they dialled Lightning's number."
Fang nodded slowly as she comprehended the situation as told by the girl, "Then what happened?"
"She picked up." Serah said as she released a shaky breath, the memory was still fresh from only a mere few years back, so she was still affected by that day's event. "They told her to bring 50,000 gil within the next 30 minutes in return for my safe return, otherwise they would take me back to a brothel they run… and take their turns to… to make me serve them." She said with a disgusted cringe.
Fang's features melded into a dark frown upon hearing that, jaw clenched as she asked, "And what happened next?"
"Lightning turned up… but of course she turned up without the gil, we don't even have that much in our savings. She called the GC and reported the case to them before coming over, but it would take time considering the nearest station at the time was 30 minutes away… So she tried to talk and buy us time until GC's forces arrive. But obviously… things didn't go well. At all." Serah let out a shaky sigh again to calm her slightly disturbed nerves before continuing on with the tale, "It went awry the moment the gang's leader grabbed me by my hair and wanted to grope me, and that was when Lightning struck."
"How'd it go?" Fang asked, both concern and curiosity heavily laced within her voice.
"When Lightning kicked the liquor bottle at that guy, the bottle immediately crashed into his head and broke into pieces due to the force, knocking him out in the process. Then the rest were on her in an instant. She could still manage them fairly well considering the years of training Amodar personally put her through, and what she lacked in strength she made up with speed. So, she downed one after another within a couple of minutes." Serah explained, and then her eyes started to display that same hurt that she had shown earlier when she said Lightning was injured back at The Hold.
Upon seeing those same swirl of emotions, Fang's worries spiked – despite knowing that the pinkette was well and all now – and she quickly questioned again, "Did something happen?"
Serah bit her bottom lip as her pained frown deepened, "Just when we thought we were safe… the leader woke up and pulled out a knife."
*Flashback*
Lightning stood with her fighting stance still ready as she breathed harshly after finally downing the last one. When she was done scanning around the floor at the bodies beaten out cold, she dropped her stance and put her hands on her knees as she took in deep breaths to calm herself from the adrenaline still coursing throughout her veins.
Serah was sitting on the floor, still tied at her wrists and ankles, "Light! Are you okay?" She asked with concern clearly evident in her voice, for she had seen her sister endure several blows throughout the fight.
Lightning took in a deep breath before straightening again, "Yes, I'm okay." She said, then she started to turn and look at Serah, "Are you- WATCH OUT!" Lightning shouted immediately as she sprang into action.
Serah turned to her left and her eyes widened at the sight – the man was up, his head bleeding ugly with chips of glasses still stuck in his scalp, and with an army knife held high in his hand.
"GO TO HELL YOU BITCH!" The man shouted angrily as he grabbed Serah's shirt by the front, the knife already coming down in alarming speed.
Serah shut her eyes tightly as she waited for the impending blow, but it never came. Instead, she was abruptly pulled away from the hold and fell backwards.
When Serah opened her eyes again, she saw Lightning kneeling in front of her, while the man was in front of her sister.
Lightning took the blow to her chest above her left breast, the knife was two inches in deep. It would have been in deeper if Lightning had not caught the man's hand and stopped the force from proceeding even further.
Outraged, the man pulled away from the pinkette. In the process, his knife cut down and leftward on Lightning's flesh right to where her sternum was before coming off with her blood. Lightning hissed sharply at the pain and took in a harsh breath then as the knife was being pulled out, a hand immediately held over her open wound and her eyes widening as the immense pain coursed through her entire body.
The man then raised the knife again with both hands, intending to finish Lightning once and for all.
Just then, a single gunshot was heard. And the man fell backwards onto the floor limply.
Lightning on the other hand, continued to take in ragged breaths as she struggled to stay awake when she felt her sight going hazy and black spots were appearing quickly. Her white shirt mostly a bloody mess as blood continued to pour out from her wound despite her hand pressing hard against the wound painfully.
"Lightning!" Serah called out as the pinkette passed out.
*Flashback ends*
Fang was silent as she took in Serah's words, both her hands clasped together tightly as she rested her lips against her clasped hands while she hunched over. Serah on the other hand, was looking away guiltily. Fang watched for the girl for a short moment before she slowly reached out a hand and patted Serah gently on the shoulder as she urged her on gently, "So… What happened next?"
Serah looked to Fang slowly and her eyes softened from the guilt she was experiencing, glad that Fang had been so kind to offer her some comfort despite hearing her horrible and selfish actions that had almost cost Lightning's life. "The GC forces finally arrived, and the man was shot dead with a bullet right in the head. They immediately rushed us to the hospital and got Lightning into a surgery."
Fang nodded as she followed along the account, "And surely she ended up alright, right?" She said with a faint smile along with a reassuring squeeze, trying her best to ease Serah's guilt that was starting to build again at the mention of the surgery.
Serah nodded, "Yes, she was alright. The doctor said she was lucky that the knife did not get in any deeper than that and that we'd managed to send her in on time, or else…" the girl trailed off again, a frown slowly creeping its way up.
"Hey now, what matters most is that she's safe and alive now, yea?" Fang said with a consoling smile as she glanced towards the direction of the kitchen at the still busy pinkette.
The younger pinkette eyed the smile and turned to look at her busy sister. Then slowly, a small smile formed on her face as well. "Yes… You're right."
"And I'm glad to hear that you're alright too." Fang added.
Serah's smile grew slightly, "Thank you, Fang"
Fang blinked curiously, "What for?"
"For you were kind enough not to judge me." Serah said as a warm smile formed, "Strange… Even though we'd just only met, I felt that I could tell you these things… without restraining myself. I feel as though I'd known you for a long time." The younger pinkette said with a soft chuckle.
The brunette let a grin hung on her face then, "Well I'd always been told that I'm reliable and trustworthy." She joked.
"Which I agree, it's true. You do emit a sort of… reassuring aura. No wonder Lightning would finally be friends with you in the end." Serah said.
Fang scratched her chin lightly then as she faked to be pondering on the statement, "Or maybe it was because I was persistent as hell."
Serah let out a chuckle, "Well that, too. But trust me… Lightning could never form a bond with someone else without knowing that she could at least trust them a little. Not after that incident…"
The brunette's ears perked up then, "The incident? Where Lightning got injured?"
Serah was silent for awhile, her eyes darting left and right as she contemplated something in her head. A short while later she spoke up again, "When Lightning got injured… she was struggling to get a grip on herself after that close call. She was emotionally weak and very much distraught at the incident… I tried my best to give her the assurance that she needed but whenever I'm around, she always put on that fake mask of hers that says 'I'm okay' and brush me off… but I know that she wasn't okay, then again there was only so much I can do since she wouldn't let me in. I was young and helpless to her…" The girl paused a little to look at the direction of the kitchen before continuing, "Then finally, she came to Lightning and offered her what I couldn't, it was love."
Fang's eyes widened with surprise and interrupted then, "What's the girl's name?" Fang asked then, finally noticing that she still had not known the girl's name which Serah has been mentioning.
Serah paused a little, her eyes darting briefly to the kitchen again before she continued, "Her name is Lion Armstrong. Lion was… really close with Lightning, and I did sort of noticed Lion's actions toward my sister prior to the incident. It wasn't quite like familial love but more like the… romantic kind of adoration whenever she looked at Lightning. I wasn't so sure then, and we were so close with one another so I didn't think too much about it. But when Lightning got hurt… I knew then that Lion was definitely in love with my sister. The way she took care of her, the way she comforted and cradled Lightning in her arms back then were the proofs I needed to confirm my suspicions. After caring some time for Lightning, Lion finally confessed, and Lightning accepted her confession."
Hearing that, Fang couldn't help but felt her heart clenched a little, but she buried the disturbing feeling away. After all, it was only normal that Lightning would be seeing someone, what with her intelligence and brutal beauty. And Fang supposed that this was the reason Lightning always rejected others' attempts to ask her out or turn down anyone who seemed to be interested in her. Fang wished bitterly that Lightning could have shared with her some personal details sometimes, considering how close they have come to with each other as friends. "I see. It seems nice that Lightning found someone to be with, I thought no one could put up with the ice queen." Fang attempted a joke as a masquerade to the dull ache in her chest.
The younger Farron dropped her head and frowned then, "The 'ice queen' that Lightning had become… happened because Lightning broke up with Lion. She broke up with her almost three years ago."
Fang nearly fell from her seat at the news and her eyes widened with surprise again, "What?" She choked.
"I don't know the details about this, Lightning wouldn't share with me at all. When I tried to contact Lion, she seemed to have disappeared as well." Serah explained.
Fang frowned, "That's strange." She commented.
Serah nodded, "Yes, I thought so too back then. They seemed to be very close with each other, and Lion always had these wonderful surprises for Lightning to make her smile, and the little things she did for her was really sweet too. I was just as shocked to know that Lightning had broken up with Lion when I asked her where she was since I didn't see her around anymore."
"You mean she didn't come home for some time?"
"Oh, Lion moved out to a small apartment room to stay when she hit 18, saying that it was much closer to her workplace. But she came to visit us every day without fail, of course it was mainly to see Lightning since they were dating. So, when Lion didn't drop by for a couple of days, I asked Lightning about this and she only told me that they had broken up and nothing else. No matter how I prod, she wouldn't let up at all." Serah said.
"Maybe she just wanted some privacy to herself or it was too complicated to explain?" Fang commented.
Serah shook her head, "No, Lightning always tells me things when I prod her enough. She would tell me anything, but just nothing on Lion's case. I'd tried to pry it out of her years back, but to no avail. That was also when I noticed that Lightning had changed, more closed off and almost non-social with other people, almost as if she was building a wall to cut herself off from forming any forms of relationship with other people. The only ones that she actually engages in a conversation with were me and Amodar. As for the rest, she only talks when she needed to get things done."
Fang leaned back against the sofa and crossed her arms, "Oh I totally get what you're talking about here, seeing that I was at the receiving end of it in the past."
The younger Farron showed an apologetic smile as she continued, "Somehow, I feel that Lightning couldn't come to trust anyone anymore ever since Lion left, because it was exactly when this happened that she changed into more of an entirely different person than the previous Lightning that I know when our parents died. She has been alone since then with no other friends, Lion was sort of like her best friend and she didn't look further since she had a busy training schedule." Serah explained.
Fang was quiet as she took it all in and processed them in her head. Then her mind played a flashback to before when she had first approached Lightning with good intentions to help her, but the woman kept her suspicions and constantly pulled away. "I'm guessing you're pretty much right, Serah. I do agree that she seems to have some issues trusting others. No wonder she wouldn't accept any help from me, because she simply couldn't trust me back then. The bonus point is I'm a Pulsian too."
Serah smiled apologetically, "Sorry, Fang."
The brunette waved a hand at the younger girl, "For what? You're not the cause of it. I'd bet my head on it that it was something that Lion did that broke her trust and made Lightning who she is today." She said with a huff, slightly irritated at the mention of Lion as her mind came to a solid conclusion that Lion was the cause of Lightning's trust issue.
The girl continued to smile apologetically, "I knew it would be difficult getting through to Lightning but I still asked you to befriend her, I'm sorry that you had to go through a difficult process, but yet at the same time, I'm truly thankful that you did managed it in the end."
"Keep the thank you and throw the sorry away, lil' Sunshine. I'm not here to listen to you saying sorry to me now, am I?" Fang said with a knowing smile along with a fine eyebrow arched.
Serah nodded and her smile turned into a grateful one instead, "You're right, so thank you again, Fang."
Fang let a warm smile showed, "You're most welcome, Serah." The brunette paused then and sat up straighter, "And I don't know what happened between your sister and Lion, but I promise you, I'll surely do my best to make Lightning open up to trust again. Just as I'd promised Lightning that I'll make her put her absolute trust in me." She said with a wink along with a confident smile.
Serah finally released a happy giggle for the longest time since they started talking, "I trust that you can do it, Fang."
Fang nodded firmly, "I'm glad you can trust me so easily, lil' Sunshine."
"You're definitely making progress, otherwise Lightning wouldn't have brought you home. I half thought that Lightning would turn up alone." Serah said.
The brunette shrugged, "Well, I may have threatened her on a few things." She said with a smirk.
Serah raised an eyebrow, "And you believe that was the reason Lightning brought you home?" She questioned with a knowing smile.
Fang quirked a questioning eyebrow back at Serah, "It wasn't?"
The younger Farron chuckled, "Fang, Lightning has a will stronger than steel itself. If she doesn't want to do something, nobody can bend her will. It just goes to show that she probably did want to bring you home, or cared enough to do so." Serah explained.
Fang's other eyebrow joined her raised one as surprise registered, "That so? If that's the case, Light was pretty good at hiding it."
Serah shrugged, "She does a pretty good job with that cold façade of hers after having it on for so long."
A chuckle sounded from Fang, "I wouldn't doubt it."
"You don't know how truly glad I am that someone finally made a crack in it." She said with a big, beaming smile.
The dull sound of plates being placed on the wooden table sounded from the kitchen then, and it was not long before Lightning called out to the two in the living room, "Dinner's ready, come and eat right now, Serah." The voice commanded sternly.
"Yes, ma'am." Serah called back with a wave of her hand. "Come on, let's head over to the kitchen. I think it's time to talk about you now that you know so much about us." The girl stood and beckoned Fang with a wave of her hand.
The brunette gave a complying nod, "No problem, fair's fair. But I got to warn you, my past wasn't as interesting as what you two had." She said with a teasing smile as she stood.
"I've a feeling that's not too much of the case." Serah replied with a knowing smile as her eyes dropped to the slight tip of tattoo poking out of Fang's black T-shirt sleeve, which would have otherwise went unnoticed with someone without some keen observation skills. The girl then turned and headed towards the kitchen.
Fang crossed her arms and pursed her lips, "This girl's got a sharp eye…" She muttered under her breath to herself as she followed Serah's trail towards the kitchen.
When the two entered into the kitchen, Lightning was already seated at the dining table sipping her freshly brewed black coffee. The table had two plates of pasta along with two drinks; one being a cup of latte while the other was a glass of fresh watermelon juice. The plates of pastas were placed along the table where there were two empty seats, and Serah immediately took the seat where the glass of watermelon juice was placed. Fang eyed the set-up and then looked over to Lightning with a quizzical eyebrow raised, "Is that… for me?"
Lightning looked up to Fang then, "Yes. I thought you were complaining to me that you were still hungry on the ride back to the inn?"
The brunette's eyes widened mildly with surprise, this was something entirely out of expectation. She didn't think that the pinkette would remember something she casually said, especially when the woman seemed to be lost in her own world of thoughts when she was talking to her earlier. When the initial surprise was gone, Fang quickly regained her composure and with a warm smile, she thanked Lightning before taking her seat, "Thanks for the treat, Light." Then Fang started to eat along with Serah, who was already inhaling her plate of pasta.
The pinkette merely looked away and brought the cup of coffee to her lips as a faint blush spread across her cheeks.
Serah did not miss that, but she wisely chose to remain silent. Though, her grin was ear to ear even as she continued to inhale her pasta.
The meal went on peacefully, and it was not long before the two were finished. Lightning stood then and took the dishes to the sink and started washing the dishes. Fang intended to help, but was immediately shooed away by Lightning muttering something along the line of 'you're a guest'. Since she was not allowed to help, she joined Serah back at the dining table again to enjoy her remaining cup of latte. To the brunette's surprise, the younger Farron was now eyeing her with narrowed eyes when she took a glance at the girl, almost as if she was calculating or contemplating something.
After some time, Fang could not stand the gaze anymore. "Something on my face?" She asked casually as she rubbed her cheek with a thumb.
Serah's eyes remained glued on her, the same contemplating look plastered on her face. However, she did not respond to Fang's question.
"I'm going to the washroom for a bit." Lightning announced when she was finished with the plates.
When the pinkette was finally out of the kitchen, Serah immediately pounced – not literally, "Are you and Lightning dating and not telling me?"
Fang, who was currently drinking her coffee, spat the coffee out from her mouth uncontrollably and coughed vigorously as she choked on some. After a short while, Fang finally got her cough under control and stared wide-eyed at the younger Farron, "'Course not! What were you thinking when you asked that?" She said in disbelief.
Serah pursed her lips and pouted then, "Well… I was just wondering, but too bad you two aren't dating. I like you." She said with a shrug as she got up and took a tablecloth to wipe clean of Fang's spit on the table.
"You barely know me, Serah, and you're already good with me seeing your sister?" She said with her mouth hanging open, her expression one of incredulity.
"I barely know you, yes, if you're talking about your background. But if I were to judge you based on you as a person now, I'd say I'd known you enough to leave Lightning in your hands. From when you first took care of her, up to how you get through to her, to how you were so understanding throughout my explanation of our past… and how you'd made a promise to me and Lightning. I'd say you're a good enough person that I can trust. I may be young, but I do have sharp eyes, I know when I see sincerity in your eyes." Serah said with a smirk.
Fang gave a look telling that she was clearly impressed, "You're definitely not someone to mess with."
Serah smiled her sweetest, "Of course."
Mental note to self: Not to mess with ANY Farron. Fang noted down in her head as she continued to drink her coffee with an amused smirk.
"So," Serah said at the sink as she gave the tablecloth a rinse, "How would you like to start your storytelling?"
"What storytelling?" Lightning said then as she stepped into the kitchen again and took her seat.
"Oh, Fang was just about to tell me about her past!" The girl said as she wrung the tablecloth dry.
The pinkette looked to Fang with a raised eyebrow then, "Seems like you two are already getting along with each other better than I did." She said as she raised her cup of coffee to her lips.
"Your sister is pretty talkative, after all, unlike a certain someone. Oh, and less hostile." Fang said with a chuckle.
Lightning shot her a mocked glare before looking away again as she began, "The stage is all yours." She simply uttered with a wave of her hand.
Fang pursed her lips as a hand came to rub her chin gently, her expression one of thoughtfulness. "Now, where do I start… Well, I've got no parents. I lost them when I was three, and then I grew up at the orphanage." She said.
Lightning and Serah's eyes both shot to her then, slightly wide-eyed at the new information.
Fang chuckled softly, "There's no need to be so surprised now, yea? I'm just another victim of the long, dreadful war. The war broke out when I was about three or close to four. That was when both forces were starting off strong and violently against each other, dealing great explosions through the air."
*Flashback*
The warning siren sounded throughout the area when a fleet of Cocoon bomber planes were sighted to be nearing the area. The village leader announced through the village's public address system then.
"WARNING! WARNING! COCOON BOMBER PLANES SPOTTED, EVACUATE TO THE SAFE ZONE IMMEDIATELY!"
Fang was clutching tightly onto her chocobo doll in her small, trembling hands as fear ran through her, not knowing what was happening when the loud siren started to go off repeatedly and her parents started to dart up and down, quickly grabbing some supplies and chucking them into a bag.
Fang's father turned to her mother then, "Get Fang outta here now! I'll meet ya at the front!" He shouted above the loud siren.
Fang's mother nodded and came to Fang then, who was standing at the doorway to her parents' room with wide, worried eyes. "Come, sweetheart. We're heading out." She said to her daughter as she put her hands on Fang's shoulder in an attempt to calm her trembling daughter.
"Wut's goin' on, Mama?" Fang asked, fear clearly evident in her voice.
"We need to leave, Fang. It's dangerous here. Come." Fang's mother pulled Fang up into her arms, then she turned to shout to Fang's father, "Abel! Get out soon!"
"I got it, Karleia! Get Fang and go NOW!" Abel shouted back.
Karleia dashed out of the house then. Just as Fang's mother got out of the house and some distance away, the first explosion was heard not far from their place. Karleia paused then and looked up at the sky.
Another bomb was already falling. And it was right on top of their house.
Abel just only stepped out of the house.
Karleia quickly put Fang down behind a brick-pillar and then ran towards Abel as she screamed desperately, "ABEL!"
The next thing Fang knew was darkness as she was knocked out cold due to the force of the explosion.
*Flashback ends*
"When I came to, everywhere was burning, my house included. I found my parents lying on the ground near where my house used to be, both pretty much charred. I stayed there for Maker knows how long until I was finally brought away by a GP rescue team who was searching the area for survivors. I was one of the few survivors in Oerba, along with Vanille. Most of the villagers didn't make it." Fang said with a bitter smile as she looked into her cup of coffee, which she was holding onto with both hands to stop her own fidgeting. "Vanille and I were brought into an orphanage that belonged to a small community up in the secluded mountain region named Yaschas Massif that was considered to be safe from Cocoon's assault since the place was difficult to navigate around, be it by feet or air. From there, Vanille and I both took each other as sister and grew up together."
Both Lightning and Serah were quiet as they both listened with troubled and apparently pained frowns on their faces. After a while, Serah spoke up first, "I'm sorry to hear this, Fang…"
Fang shook her head, "No worries, it's been a long time, after all. I'm starting to… learn how to let go. The hatred towards Cocoonians for my loss back then isn't too bad anymore. I'm glad the Maker decided to show me some Cocoonians that proved to be different from the crooked lot." She said with a smirk as she looked to Lightning, who blinked a little and looked away mildly embarrassed when Fang's eyes fell on her. "Besides, life was not too bad after that, except for bullies in the first couple of years when we were at the orphanage. Vanille and I were the youngest in the orphanage, and without the ability to fight, we were usually the target of those bloody bullies along with a few other weaker kids. We often get half our food and some other essential supplies snatched away, and if we didn't give in, they would beat us up. We couldn't tell the matron too since they threatened that if we told her, we'd have more coming for us. I finally got tired of that fucked-up shit one day and retaliated for the first time when they were picking on Vanille again."
"And so you learned how to fight from there onwards." Lightning interjected softly.
Fang nodded, "Yep. Figured that I was tired with begging the bullies to let us go off easy too. I remember I was about 7 then, up against those four idiots who were about 10. Good thing for me was that they got so fat from snatching everyone's food, I got to use my light weight to my advantage in my first fight against them. By the end of it, they were down on the ground eating dirt while I got off unscathed." The brunette said with a wide grin.
Lightning raised a questioning eyebrow at that, "You sure you didn't exaggerate?"
The brunette's grin turned into a slightly sheepish smile, "Yea well, a few bruises and scratches here and there, but nothing big. The point is, I wasn't the one eating dirt on the ground." She said as she leaned back against her chair, looking pleased with herself.
Serah clapped her hands together happily along with a big smile on her face, "That's great! You go Fang!" She cheered.
Fang gave a casual salute followed by a wink, "Thanks lil' Sunshine."
"Did the bullies let you two off after that then?" The pinkette asked curiously.
"Unfortunately, no." Fang said with a wry smile. "They got me back pretty good, ambushed me in the middle of the night. It was the coldest night during the winter, and those bastards bloody poured cold water over me and my bed. Got sick and was down with high fever for about a week. The one lucky thing – no, two lucky things were that I didn't get my brain burned and turned into an idiot, and the matron caught the bullies and got them back for me really good. She made them wash toilets and scrub the floors with toothbrushes for a month!" She said with a chuckle as she recalled the memory.
The younger Farron let out a chuckle while the older one was clearly trying to hide her amused smile. Serah started again then, "Bet they'd learned to stay off from there onwards, huh?"
Unfortunately, it was not a nod that the Farron sisters expected, but rather another shake of her head. "Nope, bullies never give up easily, especially if they have a grudge against yer. They are like cockroaches, I can tell you that. But I decided that I was not going down easily, so I took every chance I had to train myself, to grow my strength and agility so that I could at least fend them off. I was about 10 years old when I could finally hit them hard enough to stop bugging us." Fang explained.
Serah nodded thoughtfully, "I see, then after that it must've been peaceful for you and Vanille!" She said with a smile.
Fang returned a smile, "Sort of. I didn't stop training though, decided that the best way to protect the ones I care about was to get stronger then, so I kept training and training and training. Vanille's admirers were good practice for me." The brunette grinned widely as she cracked her knuckles. "But of course, after a few warnings from the matron, I stopped hitting 'em whenever they tried to get close to Vanille."
Lightning interjected then, "Did you get where you are today simply from training on your own and getting Vanille's admirers as practice…?" She asked curiously with a raised, questioning eyebrow. After all, the pinkette herself had fought first-hand with the brunette, and her skills were definitely remarkable though she will never admit it in front of the other woman.
A chuckle sounded from Fang then, she clearly understood the pinkette's suspicions and decided to make it easier for her, "Some of my admirers who wouldn't stop bugging me were also good practice. But, I did manage to get trained under one of Gran Pulse's skilled warriors back in middle school. I entered middle school when I hit 13, and well, you know how bad I'm with studying from the books, so I'd usually slack and my results were all red. And with the amount of fights I got into in school, I'd almost gotten expelled from the school, saved only by this trainer who saw me fought and decided to train me. He took me under his wing and trained me by my clan's warrior rite."
Lightning's eyebrow arched curiously, "Your clan's warrior rite?"
Fang nodded, "Yea, there are many different clans in Gran Pulse, and each clan are known for their specific specialties. For example, Vanille being a Dia, she is especially good in areas related to healing and caring for the wellbeing of the body, which is also one of the reasons why she is studying natural medicines now. As for the Yun clan, we are famous for being the warriors and protectors of the land, and we all have to go through a rite of passage to adulthood and warrior by hunting a beast from Gran Pulse and being able to fend off the Master within a set duration. Once we've gotten the beast from the wild, we'll get a tattoo marking the beast we've slain." She explained and brought her left arm where her tattoo was and lifted her sleeve slightly. "For lil' old me here, it's the marking of a Dire Wolf."
The younger pinkette hummed thoughtfully, "So I suppose saying you're born with the natural talent to fight isn't wrong, yes?"
The brunette gave a shrug, "I suppose so, I didn't know until much later when I was with my trainer who told me about my clan's background. I lost my parents far too early in my life to get to know anything about my clan at all, didn't exactly know if my father was a warrior or not too." She said with a chuckle.
Serah gave an apologetic look then, "I'm sorry, Fang."
The Pulsian waved her off, "Nah, I'm through it now. Besides, I got to know what I needed to know about my clan from my trainer and he brought me up following that exact rite of passage, so I didn't exactly missed a lot. Anyway, he was a great master, skilled with handling a variety of weapons, but his favourite was the spear, which I'd also taken up after. He trained me throughout my years in school to become one of the most skilled warriors around in Gran Pulse now." She ended with a wink directed at Lightning, who merely rolled her eyes.
Serah 'ooooh'-ed and then she continued, "That is amazing, Fang! Then it's no surprise why you can take on my sister."
"I could say that your sister is easily on par with the warriors of Gran Pulse too, considering the damage that she'd previously done to my head. I was lucky to not have suffered concussion." Fang said with an easy laugh.
The younger pinkette laughed along while Lightning snorted softly before she spoke up once more, "I should have done more damage to be considered a 'skilled' fighter then, huh." She idly commented, giving some emphasis on the word to indicate her sarcasm.
Fang let a smirk on her face then, "Couldn't stand to lose now, ey?" She teased.
Lightning shot her a glare, "If you need me remind you, it was a draw. If the fight had continued, I'd have got you down on the ground."
The brunette chuckled then, "Oy no need to get all defensive now, yea? I clearly know that it was a draw alright."
Sensing the slight tension in the air, Serah interrupted then, "So, Fang, was that how you ended up taking the CT course too?"
Fang brought her attention back to the younger pinkette then, "Part of the reason, I s'pose. My trainings in the past did earn me a smooth ticket to join the CT course since it had gotten me a scholarship thanks to my skills. But, even if I hadn't started training to get stronger back then, I'd still have taken up CT so that I could join the Warriors Guild, and get trained during the course."
"Why is that?" Serah asked curiously.
"Figured the best way to protect the ones I care about is by getting stronger, tougher, and more powerful." Fang gave a brief pause as she held her hands together tightly before she continued, "I'd lost the ones I care deeply about once, so I'm not about to lose another. That's why I'd decided to join the army and fight against my enemies, so that I could keep them safe while I seek my own revenge against them. So, that led me to where I am now." She said.
Lightning looked away then, a slightly troubled frown was on her face as her muscles tensed involuntarily. Serah on the other hand, got a little anxious and worried at the response. Considering when Lightning graduated, she would join the GC, which is Cocoon's army while Fang would join Gran Pulse's military forces, so if the two nations did open fire again, then… Serah gulped at the following thought. "Well… it's good that both our nations are getting on better terms now then, isn't it…?" She tried a weak smile as she trailed off.
Sensing the worry and anxiety in Serah's voice and how the pinkette visibly tensed, Fang smiled reassuringly, "I'm indeed glad that both Gran Pulse and Cocoon are on better terms now, otherwise I'd still be thinking that all Cocoonians are good for nothing vipers." The brunette joked a little, and her smile widened slightly as Serah released a small breath of relief while Lightning relaxed a little as well. "Like I said, meeting a certain someone helped change my perspective. So even if I join the army, my priority is only to protect those I hold dear, not to shed Cocoonians' blood. I too wish that our peace can be long-lasting so that we won't have to meet each other on the field." Fang said as her gentle eyes fell on the pinkette again.
Lightning made a soft noise in her throat and turned to look away when she saw Fang's eyes on her again, which prompted her to stand then, "I'm getting a glass of water to drink before we head back to the inn." The pinkette said as she moved to a counter to grab a glass.
Fang's soft – and adoring – eyes followed the pinkette's figure moving around the kitchen with a knowing smile, she had now sort of come to know the way Lightning tended to act whenever the woman felt embarrassed. Then the brunette saw a hand waving from the corner of her sight, so she turned her attention back to Serah who was waving at her. "Yea?"
Serah's – very cheeky – smirk made Fang raised her guard then, "I saw that."
The brunette backed away slightly, "Saw what?" She said with a dubious frown.
The younger Farron merely smiled warmly as she gestured to the other Farron with a side glimpse of her eyes, and then her smile widened, "I know what I saw." She said cheekily.
Fang bit the inner side of her lower lip as a frown came onto her face, was it that obvious? Grr damn these feelings… The brunette thought in her own head. Feigning a cough, Fang held her head high to try her best in feigning cluelessness, "I don't think I understand."
Serah giggled at the very, very poor attempt. "Relax, I won't tell her. Not now anyway." The girl said with a cheeky smile along with a tongue poked out playfully.
The brunette groaned softly, annoyed not only at the fact that she failed to put on a fake mask, but also at the fact that her cover was being blown away by a- wait, how old was Serah again? "How old are you again, Serah?"
"I'm 18, just one-year younger than you two." She said with a smile.
Well, not too bad then. Cover blown by an 18-year-old. Still, it irked her that she was that poor in covering up for her own arse. "Anyway, like I said-" Before Fang could continue, she was interrupted by Lightning then.
"I'm done, we should move along now before it gets too late." The pinkette said before moving to the hallway leading to the door.
Serah stood and followed behind her sister as she gave Fang one last playful wink, which earned an eyeroll from Fang.
As always, constructive criticism is welcomed! Leave a review if you could and let me know what you think.