(A/N)
I am so sorry for being two weeks late, I'm not dead I swear! 'bow's low' Life's just been super busy. It's not an excuse for screwing up and not updating, I feel really bad. So I know I pissed some people off, heck I can think of a person or two I let down. So I'm really sorry. Honestly I should try and read back over the story, but I feel so guilty that I didn't an am just pressing forward. Sorry…
On another note a lot of people have been asking about the story where I have an older Hope in the game. I'll probably post the first chapter of that soon, maybe tonight. I don't know, I just have this super big self inflicted guilt trip going on with that… man I'm lame sometimes.
Anyways I wrote this whole chapter today when I got home from church, so the last four hours. I read over it once and made some edits but I'm not sure it's my best, sorry about that. I will do better in the future, just bear with me for now…
Review's (You all get a special I'm sorry for being late)
Thank you AssasinZAssasin, Venrosonitas, Riaries, Pookyilicous, ventus4ever, HopeXClaire, General Seig and EditorFin for reviewing.
If I missed responding to any of your reviews it was not on purpose. Life's been a… well you know, it rhymes with itch. So I may not have responded to a couple. Really sorry 'bout that. PM me if you had a question I didn't answer, I really feel lame about all of this…
HighLynx:
Thanks for reviewing.
Um it would be easier if you got a friend to tape you to the door. Then have him/her get the target, I mean victim, I mean… uh unwilling volunteer, to enter the room so you can give 'em the scare of their life.
Yeah. When I do anything to a sleeping brother I get a glare and if I'm not lucky chased out of the house with a foam sword... so generally I let a sleeping brother sleep. However I will say 'accidentally' replacing the salt and sugar on your cooking brother can be amusing… unless you have to eat whatever he cooked afterwards… then it's like self inflicted punishment.
I cuss a little bit myself. Personally my best friend has quite the mouth on him so cussing really doesn't bother me. Personally if your going to insult someone it's always funny to do it in such a way that they think your complimenting them. And freaking last I checked was not a cuss word. However personally I like the sound of fragging. When you make a kill in an FPS it's called a frag, so I picked the term up from that.
Personally when someone know's me long enough they realize I'm a bit odd. If I'm comfortable around someone I have the tendency to say exactly what I'm thinking, which can be very awkward sometimes… And most of the older people I know are great with computers. But some of them aren't, and that ain't nothing against older people. It's just an unfortunate fact…
Huh, how did I hurt my arm? I'm not sure, I was doing something stupid but I don't remember what… sorry.
Yes I have. I slept on my arm once and when I woke up it was like the entire limb was dead, just flopping around. Two things. One is that experience has come in handy in a lot of my writing. And two it's called a limb falling asleep, you foot in this case. It happens when blood circulation is cut off. And when it's restored you'll have a cold feeling, and it'll feel like pins are sticking into the darned thing. Happened to me in church once… in a cowboy church you get odd looks when you start hopping around on one foot for no apparent reason…
Yeah, that's a common thing for me. I tend to take pot shots at myself in my writing. I had a book where a character had amnesia and it went 'amnesia is the plot device of either good movies… or terrible books…' it's all in fun, and it's pretty funny to.
To the lab… it's an evil lab right? I'm there!
I think there's other reason not to get belly button rings beside electrocution… but that's a good one.
Well G'Night then… and that was very patient of you, you know that right?
Deviljho's Hatred:
Thanks for reviewing.
Actually that's about how it went in my head when I was writing… poor Pyros. He doesn't stand a chance…
I've only just begun to show you Oran. He's perhaps the single most deadly character I've ever written, and I love him for it! Actually that sounds weird, disregard that notion…
Fang and Beast's interaction is a secret, but I enjoyed writing it so I hope you like it to.
And sorry… it's a late chapter… really sorry…
:
Thanks for reviewing.
Sorry 'mate. And this is a short story? Man, glad I don't write long ones. And I'm afraid we're dealing with a lot more then just Hope and Lightning right now. This has become way more then the fluffy thing it was meant to be, but I love it anyways. Hope ya find a story more to your liking.
Disclaimer:
Alright square, I took a couple weeks off to lul you into a false sense of security. Now it's time to go back after the rights to Final Fantasy XIII!... tomorrow…
"My." Shade's yellow eyes roamed over the room full of dead bodies. "Lightning, she lives up to that name."
Shade walked forward slowly, his boots making a crunching sound as they landed on broken glass. There really wasn't any need to hurry. Oran would be keeping the army busy for a long time. And once Vex reached where they evacuated the civilians the sheer amount of bloodshed would keep almost everyone busy.
Except this Lightning Farron it seems.
"Hey… you…" Shade looked up to see a man in black armor staggering down the stairs.
His chest plate had an imprint of a boot on it. Meaning someone had kicked him with the force of a bomb, since these soldiers used a composite steel plate for armor. And the way he walked, something had chipped on his spine. This man would probably lose the ability to ever walk again in a few days.
"You better turn back." The man's shaky, black gloved, hand gripped the railing as his whole body shook.
"Why is that?" Shade turns to face the man.
"Because that pink haired woman." A hollow laugh and the man collapses to a knee. "She'll kill you if you try and stop her." Shade pauses a moment at this, seeming to think, and the shrugs.
"I have my mission." Shade states simply. "If she gets in my way then I will merely have to remove her."
"So you'd try and kill her?" The man scoffs, not believing this for a second.
"No, I could never kill her." Shade looks at the other end of the room, where he was heading. "But I cannot fail either."
"You're odd." The man laughs, which turns into pained coughing a moment later. "Good luck then."
"Is it not your job to stop me?" Shade raises an eyebrow at the soldier.
"I can't stop anyone like this, now can I?" The man fell to a second knee and slowly collapsed at Shade's feet. Though it was obvious from his groans to his body posture he was doing everything in his power to keep from fall. In the end it was useless and the man lay almost motionlessly on the ground.
"What is your name?" Shade asked as he watched the man's chest slowly, rythmatically, rise and fall.
"Riktor." The man said in between breaths. "What's yours?"
"Shade." Shade turned his back to Riktor and started walking again. "Though it is unlikely you will survive long enough to make use of it."
Riktor couldn't argue. Already he could feel his life start to fade away. Not even the curative magic his AMP system was producing would be enough to save him.
But I did it. Riktor was smiling under his helmet, the sound of his heart rate monitor starting to flat line filling his ears. I went toe to toe with her, Lightning. The strongest warrior the Guardian Corp has ever seen. At least now I can die with pride…
The room was dead. Silence had fallen, not even the small sprinkling sound of glass or the flickering light bulb made a sound. Even the clack of Shade's boots was gone, and the world was turning white. A small chuckle breaks the silence like a rock thrown through a window.
"Goodbye."
The silence is sealed permanently with the sound of a heart monitor flat lining. The continuous note a dead man's only guiding light…
Fang and Pyros pressed back to back. Both of them looking a hopeless fight.
"Hey Pyros." Fang asked quietly.
"Yeah?" Pyros responded.
"Are you and Vanille dating?" Pyros raised an eyebrow at that.
"No, I'm afraid not." Pyros responded. "Why?"
"Because if we survive this." A sly smirk. "I think I might owe you one…"
Pyros didn't know if he should be excited by that or scared out of his mind.
"You'll have to take that up with Vanille." Pyros swallowed; okay he admitted he found this idea more than a little appealing
"I don't think she'll mind." Fang had that sly tone of voice only a Pulsian women could have. "I think you've wound up like a big brother anyways…"
"Oh so nice of you."
"Any time." Fang elbowed him in the shoulder. "'Partner.'"
Beast's lips curled downwards. How could she be so carefree? She betrayed their people, threw away a lifestyle and family ties.
"Do we mean so little to you?" Beast snarled, getting Fang's attention. "I fought beside you in that war; we lived each and every day thinking we would die… and now." Beast's hand's started shaking in fury. "Now you turn your back to us. Throw away the lives of your clan like nothing."
"Beast." Fang took a tentative step towards him. "It's not like that…" Beast's head jerked up violently at her.
"Like hell!" Beast shouted. "You left us, to do what? Serve the cocoon vipers that attacked us!" Beast was like a coiled spring about to break. "Who killed our parents? Kill our families? It was those sick bastards who took everything from us…."
"Didn't we do the same?" something in Beast just breaks, he can't tell if it's his heart, his body or his very soul but something painfully dies in him.
"Then let's fight like people of the Yun." Beast raises his fist. "Kicking and screaming like wild animals."
Fang grins and plants her spear into the ground. With her new powers this would be easy, and then she could go give that Pyros guy the but kicking he deserved.
Oran grins as he watches the pair. The Yun clans patriarch Beast and his closest comrade Fang, how fitting. The Beast wants to tear out its own Fang's…
"Let's give them some privacy, shall we?" Oran grins as he raises both arms.
Pyros rolls to the side as an unbearably loud cracking noise fills the air. However it wasn't an attack like Pyros had expected.
Tendrils of crystal were forming in the air. Like spider silk they stretched and connected in such intricate patterns as to be indescribable. However indescribable or not they moved to fast for the human eye to see. Stretching and connecting across the street faster than an eye blink.
In less than a second a crystal wall had been formed, blocking Pyros and Fang from aiding each other. Fang turns around and tries to see Pyros through the crystal, but it's so muddy all she can see is a blurry black shape that might be Pyros, or might be Oran.
"Damn it!" Fang shouts and bangs her fist against the crystal.
"It doesn't matter." Beast settles into a fighter's stance. "Even a traitor like you should have the pride to fight alone."
Fang turns to look at Beast with a deadly flicker to her eyes. Beast could almost see what looked like white fangs swirling around her irises as they locked eyes.
"Fine, then we'll fight like the prideful warriors we are." Fang curled her fingers like claws and took a low stance to the ground, looking like some kind of wolf in a blue fur. "Just be ready to die with your pride as well!..."
"Something wrong Oran?" Pyros jibes, fists raised and muscles tensed. "Couldn't handle two of us?"
"No, actually I was just thinking about how fun a one on one fight is." Oran grin's in a lunatic way. "The death, the screaming, the devastation, hell add in an endless supply of toy soldiers and it'd be just like the war wouldn't it?" In Oran's mind he can see fire and hear pitiful begging. "Everything goes back to the war doesn't it?"
"I guess it does." Pyros drops his fists to his side and relaxes. "Everything does." Pyros may not have been able to read Oran, but he knew Oran wouldn't attack him without a warning.
Oran never struck without giving his enemy a warning, in the war that trait almost got them all killed. But now it was a good excuse to talk.
"Can't you feel the hatred in the hearts of these people?" Oran lifts up his right hand and looks at it. "It burned so bright back then. It nearly destroyed two worlds, and even after that it's still there."
"No it's not." Pyros argued, smiling lightly. "This worlds got a shot at being the utopia we dreamed of. And without the violence and loss we were ready to give to make it that way."
"How can you honestly say that?" Oran's eyes narrow like he was staring through his rifles scope. "Look at the men who locked Hope up? He was their savior and yet they still tried to have him executed, can you tell me that's a loving world?"
"No, I can't." Pyros shrugs. "I didn't say it was a loving world right now. But it's the first time in history that people are trying to be good. That instead of hating and not caring about one another their trying to rebuild and make a better tomorrow. To make the new dawn so much brighter then you and I ever could."
"Do you see anyone caring about anyone else? Their poor and homeless still lie out on the street where they will die. They're leaders are still corrupt and the whole populace would rather bitch about it then change it." Oran was getting angry now, his voice going lower and lower as he spoke.
"And they still look at anyone who's different like there's something wrong with them. And they still shun them." A single tear rolled down Oran's face, crystal particles swirling about the salty water. "And I've had enough. We all had enough, so instead of just complaining we decided to make this world change. Or did you forget the promise you made to your sister? That you'd change this world for the better?"
Pyros looked away from Oran. He remembered making his twin that promise just before they went into crystal stasis. He had been ready to damn the whole world for her, and he still was. But now…
"One person." Pyros whispered, he could feel Oran's eyes burrow into the side of his head. "That's all it takes. One person to be so radically different then our perception of what's normal. That's all we need to change the world, because other people will see the difference in him. And when they see the life he leads they will change to. That's what we have in Hope." Pyros looked defiantly at Oran, their eyes locking like missiles. "And his is a future I'm willing to fight for!"
"I had kind of been hoping you'd change your mind." Oran pointed his palms towards the ground. "Because we missed you. You were like our brother." A crystal handle rose from the ground and into each palm. "But nothing can stand in the way of the new dawn, not even my battle brothers will stand in the way,"
Oran charged. The crystal handles burst free from the ground and two paper thin swords, each five feet in length, came forth. The blades were pure white and in an intricately curving design.
Pyros raised his arms, covering them in blue fire, as Oran's blades flashed through the air. Pyros couldn't really see the thin blades move. But he could feel their weight as they clashed with his flames.
"Ten percent." Oran grins as his face is cast in a devilish glow from Pyros's flames. "That's all the power I'll have to use to finish you."
"How much were you using before?" Pyros couldn't help but exclaim, not really believing Oran.
"Three percent, that's all I've had to use all day." As Oran's deadly, lunatic, grin becomes broader Pyros has a sinking feeling in his chest. "If you hold back." Oran's eyes narrowed in an almost smiling way. "Then you'll die."
Pyros pushed Oran back and rolled to the side. Crystal spikes were bursting from the ground after him and Pyros's roll turned into a low, crouched, run.
"Do you think you can run traitor?" Oran raised his hand as a crystal pillar pushed his rifle through the air, the weapon spun almost slowly as it came through the air. "Because no one can out run me." And landed perfectly in Oran's outstretched hand. "Not even a traitor like you."
Oran pointed the rifle at Pyros and fired. With an ear deadening sound the rifle fired a crystallized bullet. The round spun so fast that Pyros could feel the wind tug at his skin as he jumped aside.
"You think you can kill me with a single…" Pyros started.
The bullet that missed hit the side of a building a tore a semi truck sized hole in it. The wind pulling in everything like a tornado, glass, sheetrock, concrete walls everything was pulling into its center. A center that exploded turning everything on the stores first story to ash.
"Holly shit!" Pyros shouted, the building falling backwards away from the blast almost as if in fear. "That's not ten percent! No holly way!"
"Okay." Oran grins. "We're not at ten yet, give me a moment I'm having too much fun!"
Pyros curses as he ducks under another bullet. This was not good. If Oran was serious and he wasn't even using ten percent of his power then who had a chance of beating him? Of course Oran could always be lying, this could be the extent of his ability's and he was bluffing…
Either way Pyros had to fight back.
"Burn baby!" Pyros raised both arms as he backpedaled away from a crystal spike that burst from the ground. "Burn!"
An eight foot ball of fire, so bright that not even Pyros could look at it, formed in front of his outstretched palms. Oran's next crystal bullet hit it and started to spin through the miniature sun like sphere.
It spun into it. But its rotation eventually stopped and crystal turned to slag.
"Well." Oran gave a whistle as the ball of fire pulsed softly. "That's going to hurt…"
The fire ball shot form Pyros's hands and moved through the air faster than a sonic blast. In that split second Oran raised his hands, and then the fire ball hit.
It exploded and a spire of flame shot up past the clouds. The surrounding concrete of the road and side's of building were pulled into the blast and thrown into the air as well.
"Man." Pyros looked away as he panted hard; his blood had started to boil gently. "I almost over did it there…"
Pyros was about to lay down when he the light suddenly became less bright. With his heart beating in panic Pyros looked into the flames, and froze.
An eight foot tall dark shape was slowly walking out of the flames.
It was a humanoid shape. Its legs were covered in black armor with red lines running across it. Ascending up to its stomach, a bare blue midriff. It was a woman's shape, with an armor clad chest with the same soul sucking black color and sealing red lines.
The figures shoulders and lithe arms were covered with same armor. A massive blue spear clutched firmly in its right hand while silk like wings came from its back, the white fabric like material contrasting greatly with the black bony structure it was connected to.
And then the helmet. It covered her head and was a tall piece with clean lines. It was not curved and rose like a square pillar, with no eye holes, from her head. The black lines run up the helmet just like the body, though in the middle of where her forehead would be was an blood like red eye.
"Are you surprised Pyros?" Oran's voice called. "This is Mateus." Oran walked around from behind Mateus, a smile on his half missing head. "She is my protector." Oran's body from above the waist to the tip of his head was completely gone on his right side.
Slowly crystal tendrils stretched from his wounds and slowly formed a new body. But the sight was one that would haunt Pyros for the rest of his life… which may not be very long.
"How did you do this?" Pyros swallowed hard as he looked up into Mateus's eye. "I thought it was impossible for a Next to summon his Eidolon…"
"She's not my Eidolon." Oran reached out a hand touched the warrior's stomach. "She's what remains of a Fal'Cie I killed. Her being is bound to me, even in death." Mateus shivered at his touch. "When she died I used my holy magic to connect her being to mine. This is why I am called the Maker's Oracle. I can summon either the Makers creation." Mateus grabbed his wrist gently and moved it away from her. "Or anyone I shared a deep connection with."
"But how is that possible?" Pyros took a step back; he wanted very much to run.
"Holy magic is called holy." Oran grinned, his white teeth flashing in the sunlight as his head was made whole. "Because it can defy scientific explanation…"
I… Mateus barred her spear and stepped between Pyros and Oran. Am… Pyros could detect a deathly aura coming off Mateus, like she was going to tear him apart for coming anywhere near Oran. So screwed…
"Gah!" Fang cried as Beast's shin hit her in the stomach, sending the lithe woman flying back.
"Oh come on." Beast grin's like a hungry animal. "It's been almost a thousand years; don't tell me you haven't improved at all in that time."
Beast was even stronger then Fang remembered. His muscles were tighter and while he wasn't faster his moves had a precision about them that even sharpshooters would be jealous of.
It was why he was the Yun's leader and not her. That unbeatable, beast like, power.
"Don't worry." But with her magic Fang had an advantage. "I'm just getting started!"
Fang shot forwards with a blinding speed, wind shooting from back like a jet engine. Beast's eyes widened for a fraction of a second as Fang literally flew at him.
But that fraction was all Fang needed. She sent a spin kick that was faster than lightning into Beast's stomach. There was sickening sound as Beast's stomach seemed to flatten under her foot.
However Beast was fast. As Fang's foot grabbed him his hands shot out and latched onto her shin. His long, strong, fingers closed around the thin limb like a vice grip. So as Beast was propelled backwards so was Fang's shin.
"Gah!" Fang screamed as her knee was nearly torn out apart, Beast's fingers leaving claw like marks in her boots as he was knocked away.
Beast hit a concrete store front. The hardened stone giving way as his back hit it like a sledge hammer. Splintering chunks of rock twirled around his body as it made a deep, six inch, indent on the concrete.
"What's wrong?" But not even this bone crushing hit was enough to stop him. "If you can't do any better than that." Beast ran at her, snarling like a wolf. "Then I'll destroy you!"
Beast closed in on her and let loose a storm of punches. There weren't fast, but the power was so much that Fang had duck and weave between his outstretched fingers, which looked like claws with his long nails, and hope she didn't get hit.
"What's wrong?" Beast leered. "You never could beat me." His right hand pasted by inches from her head, causing Fang to duck to the left. "And you never will." Where Beast's left arm grabbed her shoulders.
"Shit!" Fang screamed as Beast slammed his heel into her injured knee.
Fang's injured knee gave out on that hit and Beast flipped her to the ground. Fang landed on her back with a ground shattering smash. The concrete cracked around her back as her body hit it.
Then before she could recover Beast grabbed her hands by the wrist and forced them above her head so he could peer into her face.
"What?" Fang spat angrily. "Are you going to kill me or not?" Beast stared down at her a little longer.
"Why?" Beast said, almost a whisper really. "Why did you leave us? I thought we were family, but when it was time to attack you were gone. Why?"
Fang looked away. She'd rather die than have Beast start this with her.
"Answer me." Beast said, voice becoming more commanding as he regained his composure. "Why did you abandon your family? Why did you abandon me?"
"I had someone I needed to protect." Fang swallowed, remembering the day she turned into Ragnorak. "And to do that I had to leave. You understand how that is don't you?"
"You were supposed to be next to me so we could see Ragnorak destroy Cocoon." Fang winced at the hurt tones in Beast's voice. "We were united by blood on the battle field. You became my little sister…"
"That old tradition?" Fang looked away, this was harder then fighting. "I thought you'd have forgotten about it…" Beast had always been better at these emotional things.
"It's the only real way to have family in the Yun clan." Beast laughed a little bit. "Any warriors whose blood is mixed become brother and sister." Beast could feel one of the scars on his shoulder tingle at that. "You and that Vanille, you two were the ones who really wound up like siblings though."
"Yeah…" Fang swallowed. "That's why I left. Me and Vanille, we were the ones chosen to become Ragnorak. And I didn't let her join me. I became Ragnorak alone… but it wasn't enough to destroy Cocoon."
Beast just stared at Fang. The pair fell into silence for a moment, a silence interrupted as the sound of a massive explosion came from the other side of the crystal wall.
"Pyros!" Fang tried to get up, but Beast was to strong.
"We're not done." Beast let Fang go. "We still need to finish this."
"But why?" Fang shouted at Beast as he walked away from her, giving the pair space to start again. "Are you still mad at me? I didn't abandon you!..." Beast raised a hand for silence, he was probably the only person who could do that to Fang and get away with it.
"It's the honor of the Yun clan." Beast grinned as he turned around to face Fang. "Once you start something, finish it." They were almost twenty feet away now. "Besides if you're really interested in this Pyros guy then I need to know you can defend him."
Fang grinned. This was so much like old times that she wanted to laugh. It reminded her of them trying to wrangle chocobo's into submission when they were younger, or climbing the archelyte steep in nothing but their underwear armed with a pocket knife… that they couldn't agree who should wield.
"Isn't the guy supposed to defend the lady?" Fang swallowed, she was worried about Pyros. But Beast was right; they had to finish this no matter what.
"I'm not exactly sure you're a girl." Beast remarked.
"Oh." Fang drew her fist back behind her head, no magic this time. "That's low!" And ran at Beast.
"I know." Beast pulled his punch down low, by his stomach. "That's why I said it!" And charged his favorite Yun clan woman.
The two passed by each other, fists outstretched. Neither moved or showed signs of damage. A light wind even had the chance to pick up before Beast laughed.
"Damn." Beast fell to a knee. "Ya punch like a pissed off King Behemoth." And he coughed; scarlet blood flew from his mouth and splattered the ground. "You know…" Blood filled saliva fell uncontrollably from his mouth, vision swimming with dark spots. "I love you. I really wanted you by my side…"
"I wish I had been with you." Fang doesn't turn to look at him. "If I could do things over I would have just became a C'Ieth so I could have stood with you…" A tear drops down her face, wind seeming to dance within. "Because I now you would have protected Vanille. Even if it cost your life."
"Thanks." Beast falls face first unto the concrete, his head resting on its side so he can catch one last glimpse of his Fang. "I'll keep the gate open for you when I get there…" Beast's eyes closed and the world was still.
It was silent to. The silence seemed to roar in Fang's ears like a beast…
"Sorry." The wind seemed to embrace her for a moment before blowing away. "I've got to go help him…" Fang looked towards the wall. Every fiber of her being was going to smash it. "You understand, right blood partner…"
The new dawn. The cost of a new world is high. And its price isn't always paid by those who seek it. How many lives have been ruined in the pursuit of a perfect world? And how many more will be destroyed as the new dawn steadily approaches…
(A/N)
Yes. Oran's an overpowered bad arse. Yes that's not ten percent. Just wait and see. The final fight is going to be one of my favorite things to write, ever.
So no, Fang and Beast were not related like we think of brother and sister. A blood pact, the one I was taught to make, is when two humans mix blood. If I remember right it's an old medieval thing. Supposedly it bonds two warriors like brothers. And yes Beast looks a lot like Fang, but everyone in the Yun clan looked similar. No, this was not something I just added now for the heck of it. It was designed since Beast's creation. And I'm sorry the fight scene between them wasn't as epic as everyone thought it'd be, again sorry.
Now again I'm sorry I'm late, I feel bad. I will do my absolute best to be on time next time, and the chapter should be longer.
Late or not I do hope you enjoyed this chapter. I liked writing it, it's definitely the best work I've ever done in a four hour time frame…