Heya Guys.

So, not many reviewers on the last chapter huh? Well, one actually. Thanks TheNomade5, It's nice to know you are still enjoying the story.

Well, I'm continuing regardless, I guess I'll just have to step it up slightly, so here is the next chapter, a faster update for you all.

I guess it's good that the story is getting a lot of hits though, it shows people are still reading it. On with the story.

Gran Pulse was beautiful, in a way that she would never forget.

As her feet brushed along the glistening white sand one more time she sighed. It was goodbye.

Goodbye to her beautiful planet, the last time she would see her home. See Oerba, and all of the other places she had grown up knowing.

She wanted to be alone for a while, to take in the fact that they would probably never return here. Whatever happened next, good or bad she doubted they would ever leave Cocoon. Hearing footsteps behind her she sighed, well, the silence was good while it lasted. Yet, if it was who she thought, she didn't mind.

"Fang?" She turned around at the sound of a small voice, a girl like herself, saying goodbye to her home planet.

"Are you alright?"

She was about to ask Vanille the same question. Instead of speaking she simply nodded. Not wanting to give her emotions away too easily.

"It's going to be hard isn't it? Leaving here?" Vanille mused. She latched her fingers together and walked forward so her feet were paralel with the older womans. Then she too looked up at the sky, her eyes scanning a light blue horizon, something she would remember for a very long time. She was half looking forward to what Cocoon would hold for them. It was a new start, away from all the memories. She was ready to start again.

"I promise..." Fang began, her voice quieter than usual. "I promise that, no matter what happens, good or bad, I'll keep you safe... we were okay on Cocoon before, so we can do it again right? It's just going to be hard for a while"

Vanille nodded, unlatching her hands she slowly took Fang's in hers. Giving it a gentle squeeze she smiled up at the older woman. It was right that they should spend the last few hours on Pulse together. In the place it all started. Oerba.

"Just tell me something Vanille?" Fang asked slowly, she looked down on the young l'Cie with curiosity in her eyes. There was one thing she needed to know, and Vanille needed to admit it to herself.

"What is it Fang?" Vanille mused curious. It was very unlike Fang to have a heart-to-heart with anyone. Not unless it was completely important.

"Do you love her?" her question was simple, and with a more compassionate tone than she would usually speak with. It also caught Vanille slightly off-guard.

Vanille didn't need to ask who she was talking about, in fact she had been asking herself the same question lately. It was something that deep down she already knew the answer to. She didn't answer straight away, she wasn't quite sure how to respond. Her and Fang had been friends for so long, it was difficult to win Fang's approval.

"Yes..." she answered quietly. "I do"

"Tell her..." Fang answered, much to Vanille's surprise. "She needs to hear it, for both of you. I've seen you two together, she makes you happy, and I can see you make her happy too, you just need to voice it. Vanille, don't lose the oppertunity that's in front of you. Whatever happens, you owe it to her, and to yourself"

"Fang I..." Vanille didn't quite know what to say, hearing the words from Fang's mouth struck a cord somewhere within her.

"Just promise me something?" Fang added.

"Anything..."

"Promise, through it all, you won't forget me yeah?" Her voice was a little lighter and she was grinning sideways at the younger girl.

Vanille giggled to herself, looking down at the ground she shuffled her feet.

"Never, you'll always have me, I can promise you that, I'll never leave your side. We told ourselves that we would be together forever and I meant it. Count on it."

"That's all I need to know.." Fang's voice trailed off, the breeze picked up her dark hair and blew it out behind her in one sweeping motion. She smiled, Gran Pulse was saying farewell back.

"Hey Light, we nearly ready to go?" Hope asked as he walked up to the older l'Cie. When he had come here, after all the heartache back on Cocoon, he was sure they would find the answers they had been looking for. Now that it was leading them back again, he wasn't sure what was running through his head. Going home was going to be a big step for all of them. Just as they were addapting to the creatures and the harshness of Gran Pulse they were going to have to shift again. He knew as soon as they landed PSICOM would be on top of them.

Lightning would know what to do, she always had the answers, and right now he needed the reassurance from the woman that had turned his life back around, she had almost become a mother figure to him. Helping him to overcome the death of Nora, now it was his turn, she had changed recently and it wasn't just him that could see it.

"Light, you okay?" He asked again, louder this time, he could see the soldier had been daydreaming by the way she jumped and looked up. He saw her mentally growl at herself.

"Uh, yeah Hope I'm fine, we about packed up?" She answered, smiling down at the young boy.

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about, Fang and Vanille arne't back yet."

"They will be, I think they just need a little space, after all, it's got to be hard for them. Knowing they will probably never see home again. It's nice for them to have a little time together, they both need it..." Deep down her heart was aching at the fact Vanille wanted to be by herself, Lightning found herself wanting to spend every waking minute by the younger girls side. She understood however, how vanille was feeling. If it was her she would want some space, and she respected that.

"You seem different around her Light, you know? Brighter?" Hope dared to push the conversation, everyone had been itching to ask what was really going on between the two women.

"It's nice, seeing you happy... well... what I mean is... Its nice that you have someone else to fight for." Hope spoke softly, Lightning needed something else to drive her exept rage at the fal'Cie.

Lightning didn't answer, she was beginning to think Hope was wiser than she gave him credit for.

"Anyway, when your ready, we need to start loking for a way home, it can't be too difficult, we found the ship to come here alright. It would be best to do it before night falls." Hope said, slowly starting to walk away.

"Hope?" Lightning turned to call after him. She needed to know he was ready, going back to Cocoon might be a little difficult if it dragged up memories of the past.

"Are you sure your ready? To go back I mean?" He nodded his reply, he had to be, it wasn't about what he wanted anymore. It was about fighting for what was right, and helping Lightning, who they all owed so much to, to get her sister back. The brands almost seemed worthless now, now that time was running short, he was beginning to think about how the time they had left should be spent. The journey was coming to an end. One way or another...

"I'm sure, we'll face anything we need to. This isn't about just one of us anymore, we are a team. I'll fight with you untill the end. I promise."

With a final nod he began the walk back to the others, grabbing his arm he squeezed the l'Cie mark tightly. He would fight to the very end, courage had replaced the doubts he used to have and courage would drive him forward. No more looking back at the past.

Lightning looked after him with a blank expression on her face. He had grown up in the past few weeks. He used to be a boy, someone who needed protection. Now he had grown into someone she couldn't help but be proud of.

She whispered lightly, just too low for him to hear.

"Thanks Hope..."

"Are you ready to head back? The others will be wanting to go." Fang was the first to break the silence between the two women, the mid-day sun was beating down on their skin and they were sat on the hot ground, their knees pulled to their chests, waiting until the time was right to depart.

Vanille nodded, there was no time like the present, and they couldn't dwell forever. It had to come sometime, so better to get it over with.

"I'm ready, it's not about the planet anymore. Everything I need is going back to Cocoon with me..."

"I second that..." Fang smiled. Picking herself up off the dusty floor she brushed herself down quickly, reaching down she picked her trusty lance up too, placing it back in it's rightful place across her back. She then reached down and offered her hands to the younger girl, Vanille took them gladly and allowed herself to be pulled up off the floor. She too brushed herself down, removing the last peice of Gran Pulse from her clothing.

"Here, this is for you..." Fang said quietly. She held out her hand. In her palm was a perfectly bright white flower. Like the ones Vanille had seen just before Hecatoncheir appeared.

Vanille's eyes widened, she hadn't seen one in Oerba yet, she thought they had died with the rest of the village.

"Where did you...?"

"It's the only one I could find, I thought you would want to take a little piece of home back with you." Fang smiled and held her hand out further, willing Vanille to take it.

"Oh thank you, Fang it's perfect." Vanille took the flower carefully, picking it up by the stem she carefully slotted it through her hair, fixing it into place she giggled. She used to wear them all the time when she had been younger.

"Suits you" Fang smiled. Vanille lurched forwards and pulled Fang into a hug. She didn't know what to say.

"Your welcome" Fang laughed. Hugging her back. "Let's get moving"

"Wait? Whats that?" Vanille said puzzled, pulling back from the hug she looked up and frowned slightly. Something had moved in the corner of her eye. Sitting on one of the broken brick walls was an owl, she was sure they had seen it before. The patterns across it's wings were familiar. Maybe they had seen it back on Cocoon?

"What's what?..." Fang too looked up, just as the bird took flight. She felt the colour drain from her face. They had seen it before. This wasn't good. If he was here they could all be in serious trouble, it was bad enough fighting him when they had all been together to help, now they were seperated, they had to hurry.

"Barthandelus!" she said quickly. "It's Barthandelus, we need to warn the others"

Vanille felt her heart skip slightly. He had followed them here, the last time they had seen him was back on Cocoon. She needed to get back to Lightning, quickly.

"Are you sure?" she hoped they were wrong.

"Did you see the pattern across its wings? Its the same, I'm sure". We need to move"

Vanille didn't argue, something bad was about to happen, she was sure of it.

"Hey, Light, was this here eariler?" Snow called her from a few buildings away. She looked in the direction he was pointing, straight across the broken old railway line was something she felt sure they would have noticed.

"Hey it's a ship!" he yelled. "We can use it to get back!" stumbling forward in his usual demanor she stopped him abruptly.

"Don't go rushing on in, I'm sure that wasn't there earlier. We explored this town comple tely" she was puzzled. Or maybe somehow they had just managed to overlook it?

"Looks good to me, besides we've got to wait for the others. I say we check it out. Might just have survived all these years. Probably won't even fly." Sazh said, stepping forwards. Any way off this planet was a bonus.

"Hmmm, I don't know. I think we need to be careful..." she was happy to see something that might act as a way out of here, it's wasn't like any of them had crossed the railway either. It was possible that they hadn't seen it. It just seemed doubtful. Sighing she walked forward. They had faced so much on this planet already, maybe this time it would be something simple. They could all hope at least.

"Finally, a way off this rock!" Snow yelled, running forward.

"Hey, what did I say about rushing in?" she shook her head. When was Snow ever going to learn.

'Never' she thought. 'It's just not his style.'

She had an uneasy feeling, she found herself looking over her shoulder, scanning the horizon for signs of Vanille. She was always calmer and more relaxed when she was by her side, it made things a little bit easier to deal with. She hoped the young redhead would be back soon, then she was sure her worries would depart quickly.

Looking back towards the ship she squinted slightly, allowing her feet to grind to a halt she felt her heat beat speed up. She was aware that Snow too had stopped dead.

There was a figure not too far ahead that she hadn't seen before now, a familliar shape that was calling to her.

It couldn't be. It was impossible. It was completely irrational, there wasn't a chance it could be true.

Her feet were rooted to the spot, they refused to move, even from this far away distance she could see as clear as day, and as the person walked forwards she recognised every movement. Every footstep, she had memorised them for every day of her life growing up.

It just couldn't be.

The world around her didn't matter anymore, everything else left her mind and her line of sight. She didn't even see Fang and Vanille come skidding round a corner towards them. The longing she had been feeling for Vanille had left her quickly at the sight before her.

"Hell no, look!" Fang half yelled to Vanille. She skidded to a halt and pointed in Lightning's direction. Vanille had already seen what Fang was referring too, this was worse than bad. This was just plain cruel. She had only met the girl once in her life, yet as she stood in front of her sister, Vanille couldn't mistake who she was looking at.

"LIGHTNING!" she yelled, desperately trying to get her attention, it was no good, Lightning was too fixed on the sight in front of her. They were too late.

"Come on, we need to get there" she yelled, already running ahead of Fang. They were just too far away.

Lightning never even noticed them. Forcing her feet to walk forward her eyes fixed into baby blue's like her own. She forgot for a brief second, all of her training. All the survival instincts she had honed so well.

She was alive, walking, breathing right in front of her. Close enough to touch. She tried to find her voice, to say something, anything. Yet all that came out of her mouth was a barely audible whisper.

"Serah?...