I'm back to writing :) Lenght of chapter - ideal for a warm up, not long enough to get winded :P

Thanks to LadyWolvie82 for beta-reading.

At the end my proposition of music. This song matches almost perfectly to the chapter 23 and I can't hide that I was listening to it while writing. - www_youtube_com/watch?v=GnkzvAXWV-0

The lashes of chilly wind rolled over Lightning's body giving her goosebumps. Her fingers twitched with a great effort. A feeling of cold sand under them, then under bare skin of her arms, legs and under her face shifted her attention away, from a pounding headache. It still was difficult to ignore it though. Her eyes started to open slowly, expecting the brightness of a daylight to intensify the pain which felt as if her brain was tearing itself in half with every thump. Nope. There was no daylight but there wasn't dark also. She closed her eyes again, with the effort of raising herself up. Agonized grunt left her mouth when her achy muscles protested against the idea. Eventually, she made her body get to her feet. She clutched her head with a hand and curved her mouth in a painful grimace when the world started to twirl around her. Finally, it settled down and Lightning opened her eyes once again, this time getting a glimpse of a place she was in.

The sky was dark gray though it didn't seem like a night. There were massive, thick clouds hung in quiescence over the abandoned looking city. Am I… dead? Towers of stone buildings, built tightly one next to another, were scraping the sky but dark, heavy clouds were out of their reach. In the middle, there was one building hovering over all the others, engulfed by green, odd-looking construction. On the peak of it was a huge clock. Even from the distance, Lightning could see a massive hand move to the thirteenth hour. Thirteen? The overwhelming chill took over her body once again. This time she knew it wasn't wind. There was no wind in this place, still the feeling of cold emptiness was so potent.

Lightning turned around only to see a dark sea just under her feet. Its surface was spreading up to the horizon. Tranquil... Just as the clouds hung in the sky. As if the time didn't flow there. She heard about this place in legends. Beyond time. Beyond life and death.

"Valhalla." Her soaked with anxiety whisper echoed in a dead silence.

The rest of small grains of sand, which clung to her body, fell lazily back when she started to walk. Every building, every narrow street looked the same. No signs of life, no signs of anything familiar. The place she was heading to could be easily seen from each place here. Towering over everything, waiting for her, calling her.

Etro's temple.

She came into the majestic building. Every attentive step echoed through the high halls. The building was just as deserted as the rest of this mysterious world. Only high pillars seemed to ominously observe every her step. Yes, she remembered clearly the legends about the champion chosen by Etro. To protect the goddess and future of this world. Etro's throne emerged from behind the bright light on the end of the hall. All mighty and intimidating… but empty.

"I'm not the one you're looking for…" Said Lightning weakly but in the dead silence her words resounded firmly. Lightning… it can't protect it only destroys… Her palms balled hurtfully and she couldn't help tears pulling into her eyes on the thought of recent events. She shut her eyes tight, preventing the tears from falling and gritted her teeth angrily.

"You hear me?! I won't be your champion!" This time her firm voice reverberated loudly through the empty halls and came back to her a few times as an echo. "I can't protect anyone! I'm only able to make things worse…" Fang is dead… because of me… and now I'm gone. Not even able to fulfill the promise which kept me going for all these years... I left Serah alone.

"Show up Etro! Stop playing with me!" Lightning took a few steps closer to the goddess' throne, barely keeping herself in control. Lack of any answer was only fueling her temper. "Since I can remember, you've been snatching everything that is precious to me… and now you expect me to be your pawn?!" Only a beam of bright light was separating her from Etro's throne but, still, empty halls weren't going to answer her accusations. "You like playing with peoples fate, don't you? Watching them suffering… wondering how much more they can take…" Her voice was filled with venom but it didn't take long for it to start creaking. "Leave me alone… I'm not a hero… I only want Serah to be safe…" That was a truth. With Fang gone there was nothing… no one… else she could live for… this time she wanted to do things right, to protect her little sister but let her be happy. "Let me go back… for Serah… please…" She waited a few seconds for an answer. In vain. "If you're not going to… then let me find peace at least." She added with tired, hopeless voice. She wondered if that wouldn't be for better. For everyone… If she had never been… I've just taken so many lives, without blinking an eye. They were only doing their job… "Why have you brought me here if you stay silent? Answer me!" She demanded an answer but deep inside she knew. That was all she deserved. To be erased.

Lightning took a tentative step forward into the beam of light and she immediately needed to raise her hand to shield her eyes from the blinding brightness. Finally, when she got used to the piercing light, she no longer could see neither the Etro's throne nor the temple she was in while ago. It didn't matter because in the light were standing her parents, smiling at her, their gazes warm and full of love. However, this characteristic for her mother frown of concern sneaked its way up her face. Before Lightning managed to take a step towards them the scenery already changed into the one she saw so many times in her nightmares. The crush. The wreckage of their car. The ambulance, police, fire fighters… her parents' senseless, devastated bodies. Her little sister crying in her arms. The face of a truck driver, then his body hanged on some branch. Thousands of words screaming in her head. Police workers, psychologists, pointless words of consolation from people she didn't even know were shouting over each other, all merging into one unbearable noise. She tried to cover her ears with palms but it didn't work. They were coming from inside of her head and she couldn't do anything about it. Then Serah's voice again, the only one distinctive, begging her to help Snow. Suddenly one more voice appeared... louder... making all the other ones fade.

"I've got ya, Sunshine…"

Lightning opened her eyes. The screams in her head subdued. There was now only one person standing in the bright light. Shards of spaceship were flying around them, scratching Light's fair skin but she didn't even acknowledge them. She was looking as hypnotized at the face she adored so much. It was concerned at first but gentle smile started to find its way.

"I've got ya." Repeated the melodic, accented voice and the woman beamed her best, lopsided grin, winking in the process. Suddenly, the brunette started getting further and further and Lightning realized she's falling down, into the darkness, away from the light hung over her head. She stretched her arm desperately towards the receding posture but it was already far away.

"Fang!"

"Fang!"

Lightning's dry throat felt like a sandpaper and her hoarse voice was far from a shout. Her arm was stretched towards the white ceiling. The woman sat quickly, ignoring both the pounding in her head and in her chest. The world around her hazed a little bit and she felt a small wave of nausea but she forced herself to concentrate anyway.

One look around was enough to tell her that she had no idea where she was and even less idea how she'd gotten there. The sun just started rising in the sky and its first rays were lightening the room. It was still dim though. Was that… a dream? The deep anxiety wasn't going to let her heart stop racing.

The dimness didn't prevent her from recognizing the posture sleeping soundly in the comfy-looking armchair set in the corner. She saw this peaceful view so many times coming back home from work. Late. As always. The dreamy expression on her sister's face, the messy ponytail of wavy pink hair falling over a shoulder. Serah… The picture was so calm and warm that she almost cracked a small smile. A breath of relief wanted to leave her lungs but it slowly started to die in her throat, before it was all out. There was no one else in the room. Yes, it was hard to admit but she didn't let the small hope go yet… Her eyes were desperately looking for another person, not wanting to make peace with a fact that there was none.

She remembered her dream and then the realization of what had happened just before started to get to her. The realization that she would never again see the certain person and that it was all her fault. Lightning clutched the blankets in her fists starring at it hatefully. What was I thinking?! How could I totally lose control over my own life?! She got her lesson. The lesson which marked her to the core of her being. That's what happens to people who listen to their hearts and not minds! There was no future for… this… from the beginning… and I was still rushing forward as a blind ox. We were never meant to be together. That was a mistake. She bit her lip trying to push out of her mind the smirking face she saw just a moment ago in the dream. To push out something that was forever gone. However, no matter how hard she tried, some part of her was still savoring the image, protecting, doing everything to not let her get rid of it. It was giving her what she was longing to and tormenting her to no end in the same time.

Desperate tears appeared in her eyes and this time shutting them tightly didn't help at all. Her sobs stayed silent and only the slight tremble of her shoulders was betraying her. She didn't want to wake Serah up. She was ashamed of her tears and it was hard enough to acknowledge them, let alone letting someone see her in such a mess. She didn't cry for all these years after their parent's death and lately she felt so weak, crying like a baby because of… some stranger woman.

Sunshine…

Lightning's heart sank, agonizing her stomach even more. The voice in her head was so real that she almost believed… When the quiet footsteps reached her ears, she froze, not daring to look in the direction of the noise. Then she heard the clatter of a mug hurriedly put on the nearby nightstand and before she could even give it a thought, she felt a mattress of the bed bend a little bit.

She was too terrified to open her eyes. Terrified that it all would turn out to be her imagination. Only when she felt the calloused from years of weapon wielding but gentle palm, caressing her cheek, brushing away the warm tears with a thumb, she whispered certain name as some magical spell.

"I've got ya Light."

Oh no, she couldn't mistake this accented, confident voice with anything else. She took the risk of opening her eyes and wondered if she wasn't still dreaming. There she was just as Lightning remembered. With the mane of dark hair, tanned skin, piercing green eyes, beauty spot and these savory, capable lips… Slight concern on Fang's face started to wear off when the still watery, cerulean eyes focused on her face with a mix of adoration, disbelief and confusion. Quickly it's place was taken by so typical for a brunette teasing smirk, though a pinch of concern and lots of warmness still stayed behind the emerald eyes.

"Hey ya, sleepyhead."

Even if Lightning was hesitating if that really was Fang, her doubts disappeared with these words. Only Fang could tease her in such a moment when there were so many urgent matters, so many questions demanding answers. She'd laugh on the familiarity of brunettes behavior if she wasn't so paralyzed and dumbfounded.

"Fang…" Was the only word she managed to say, despite thousands of thoughts and questions flying through her achy head. She tried to say something more but her brain overloaded leaving her mouth to move in a fish-like manner. It made the brunette's grin grew bigger and it looked as if she needed to bit her tongue to not add some mean comment.

"Yeah, I'm here. Don't ya worry, Sunshine." Said Fang instead in soothing low voice.

"But…" Words started slowly breaking through her confusion. "How…? You were… The space ship… I saw it…"

Fang laughed under her breath and leaned to place a tender kiss on her cheek. Though the lips were incredibly soft on her cheek they only raised her heartbeat, sending a faint jolt through her body and not soothing her anxiety at all.

"Ya look adorable when ya're stutterin' like that." She couldn't erase big, teasing grin from her face but Lightning didn't look amused at all. Her eyes demanded answers. Fang forced herself to get serious for a moment. "I wasn't on board. Vanille neither. When I was strugglin', she told that she didn't mind stayin' here a little bit longer. A second later we were out."

"Why? It was to be your only way to go back home." Lightning couldn't understand. There was no reason behind their decision… especially Vanille… but if they'd taken the different one…

"Why?" The brunette repeated the question arching her brow in surprise. She looked away and blew a tired breath away with a shrug. "Ya'll need to ask Vanille for her reasons… but me…" Her eyes came back to Lightning with a pinch of anger. "All this your pompous farewell…" She started sarcastically, gesticulating with her hands but after a moment her face relented. She shook her head and narrowed her eyes on Lightning, curving the corner of her lip before continuing. "Ya really thought I'd leave without a goodbye kiss?"

Ghost of a smile appeared on Lightning's face and she tried to roll her eyes, what was a terrible idea. The wave of a headache and intense nausea washed away the almost smile from her face and changed it into a grimace. She tried to lean her head on a hand when the world started to twirl around her but it didn't help much. The fact that she found her head bandaged neither. Fortunately, Fang was quick to come with help.

"Lie down, Sunshine. You need to rest a lot now. You took some beating Ms. Suicidal." She put the pinkhead carefully back in bed.

"Get lost." Growled the pinkhead what only made her feel worse and Fang snicker.

"And don't rack your brain too much."

"Easy to say…" This time Lightning only murmured warily. There were so many questions she wanted to ask but she wasn't able while she was fighting hard to not puke or pass out.

"I'll go tell the doc that ya're awake." The brunette got up but when she was in the middle of the first step she felt a tight grip on her wrist.

"Stay."

And that was what Fang did. She stayed.