Serah stared at the bottle atop the coffee table, an opaque liquid resting within. She sighed, leaning back on the sofa, before she gazed over at Vanille, who lay asleep with the photographs still beside her hands. Hope lay sprawled out on the opposite couch, a soft snore in his throat.
Serah began to close her eyes, her worries bleeding away as she fell asleep.
Fang blinks, gazing around at the forest. She stands up, before taking a deep breath; a hint of rain clings to her nostrils, as well as another familiar scent. Her eyes narrow, and Fang follows the trail for a while, before she pauses at a clearing.
Five wrestles with an anaconda, the creature nearly crushing the carapace around her neck. She chokes for a moment, before ramming her claws into the serpent's brain, and it falls limp upon the moss by her feet.
Fang tilts her head to the side. "If it's just a dream... Why are you fighting?"
Five licks the blood from her claws. "What else is there to do?" She laughs, rising to her feet. "Spar with me."
Fang snorts. "You look a bit banged up, there."
Five narrows her eyes. "This is a dream." Her injuries heal in an instant.
Fang raises her arms after a moment, flexing her fingers. "Alright then, but don't say I didn't warn you..."
Five lowers her head and charges. Fang jumps up, charging as well, and their horns crash together with a resounding crack, spittle flying from their teeth.
Fang rakes her claws along Five's neck, barely piercing the skin, but a trickle of blood flows out into the air. Five roars, knocking her head forward to bash against Fang's forehand, pushing her away. They back up for a moment to circle one another.
"Knew you had a hard head..." Fang chuckles as she licks her teeth. "But that's something else."
Five snorts, rising up to puff out her chest, her mouth open in a snarl. "Enough talk."
Fang chuckles. "You're not much fun, are you?"
Five pauses, and she lets out a deep laugh. "This is already plenty fun..."
Fang rushes forward, but she feints to the side, narrowly avoiding a whistling blow as Five's fist swings through the air in a sidelong punch. Fang clamps her jaw down on Five's neck, before releasing to dodge another swipe, blood streaming out in an arc from her teeth as she falls back. Five slams a fist into Fang's chest, before her other hand crashes against Fang's face, claws sinking into her eyes. Fang cries out, twisting her head back and forth, before falling on her back as she kicks at Five's belly, her hind claws hooking along Five's carapace, yanking her away.
Fang raises her hands, and she wills her eyes back.
"Cheat..." Five's eyes narrow with a snarl. "You cheat."
Fang snarls as well, standing up. "Can't very well fight without seeing..." She tries to open her eyes, blinking away the blood. "And just who healed themselves after fighting snaky over there, eh?"
Five turns away. "Fine."
Fang blinks, her eyes settling back into place. "What, you're done?"
Five races off without another word, quickly crawling up a tree trunk. Fang follows after her, and they wind up into the branches, climbing into the canopy. Five leaps out upon a branch, and she sits down. Fang moves to rest beside her, walking slowly along the bark.
Five sits in silence for a time, only speaking once Fang relaxes upon the branch. "She feels nice." Five speaks without looking at Fang. "Why is that, do you think?"
Fang nearly falls off of the branch, but her claws keep her in place. "What, you mean Light?"
Five nods, gazing out at the forest. "She could easily kill you in this state, and yet it feels... Safe?"
Fang's eyes widen. "It's because I know that Lightning wouldn't do that!"
Five stays silent for a while. "How do you know?"
Fang looks down at her claws. "Trust."
Five grits her teeth. "I don't like trust."
Fang laughs, rolling her eyes. "You sure we're in the same mind, here?"
Five shrugs. "I don't know."
Fang takes a deep breath as she leans back on the branch, her tail falling to hang over the edge. "Why don't you like trust?"
Five snorts, and she looks over at Fang. "It puts us in danger."
Fang chuckles. "There's always danger."
Five bristles, gritting her teeth. "I know."
Fang closes her eyes as dream fades around her. "You'd better get used to it, then."
One stands upon the endless white, with her back turned to Lightning. "Everyone leaves...?" She pauses, gazing out at the nothingness. "Now where have I heard that before?"
Lightning snarls, and she narrows her eyes. "Drop it."
One sifts through her mind, quickly settling upon a particular memory. "Oh... That's when you really changed, isn't it?" She recreates the scene, stepping out on the roof.
A girl sits atop the tiles while a nearly identical child hugs her, resting upon her lap. "We're going to make it."
The younger sniffles, tears flowing down her face. "How... How do you know?" She muffles a cry, burying her face into her sister's shirt.
The older looks up at the sky. "I know... Because at some point, everyone leaves; we have to look out for us, now." She closes her eyes, silent for a long while. "Nobody else will."
One tilts her head to the side as she circles the pair. "Survivors, even so small..."
Lightning releases out a low growl, standing up with a snarl. "I said drop it!"
One shrugs, and the memory disappears. "I'm only curious; you did survive, after all..." She forms another scene, quickly stepping into it before Lightning can protest.
The older stands before the house, her head barely reaching the height of the mailbox. The younger holds her hand, and her eyes dart back and forth.
The older takes a step forward. "They left us enough, for this... I'll find a job, tomorrow, and we can figure out a school for you."
The younger frowns, gazing around at the yard. "I don't want to... Can't we just go back home?"
The older closes her eyes. "No."
Lightning stares down at her younger self, her eyes wide.
One jumps atop the house, looking around at the roof. "This is your home, then? A pile of walls..." She runs along the rooftop, before leaping back down to stare Lightning in the eye. "You don't need walls, now."
Lightning tries to look away, but One's eyes are suddenly everywhere.
One soon hangs down from a tree trunk, her claws sinking in the bark. "Who are you, then?"
Lightning sits upon a tile surface, and a circular wall moves to surround her, barely as tall as her ankles.
One narrows her eyes. "You can't have it both ways..."
Lightning closes her eyes, and she turns away.
"Wake up."
Snow opened his eyes, blinking against the sudden brightness. "What? What's wrong?"
Caius shook his head. "Nothing. Follow me." He tossed a lunchbox at Snow, before striding out the front door.
Snow sighed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he stumbled after Caius. "Is getting up at the break of dawn a normal thing for you, or..?"
Caius nodded, and he began to walk down the porch, stepping out into the field below. "I am recovering more and more of my memories... There are a few places nearby that we are going to visit, today."
Snow watched as Caius lowered to all fours, before taking off into the wildflowers. Snow placed the lunchbox in his teeth, quickly following after him. Caius took long strides as he leapt over the field, his tail whipping behind him.
Snow was pleasantly surprised when he found himself keeping up with the pace, and they soon came upon a small outcropping. Caius jumped up to climb it, his claws scraping against the rock. Snow copied his ascent, and they soon walked out over a circular hill, twin pieces of stone standing guard atop the grass.
Caius took a step forward, before kneeling down beside the tablets, bowing his head.
Snow peered over at the stones, and his eyes widened. "Graves?"
Caius nodded, gesturing at the first. "My mother." He closed his eyes to slowly lay his hand upon the second. "My father."
Snow kept back, waiting in silence.
Caius steadied his breath, his eyes closed in concentration. "We were young, when my mother passed." He pulled his hand back, before opening his eyes, clawed fingers awaiting him. "My father raised us."
Snow sat down upon the grass.
"He was... A good man, yet strict." Caius chuckled under his breath. "I suppose that's why I am."
Snow tilted his head to the side. "Was he in the army, too?"
Caius nodded. "He came here from Gran Pulse; honor is very important to them... We tried to live up to his legacy." He paused, gazing at the engraving upon the stone. "Noel was stationed at a different base, one much less fortified than mine, and I had to pull every string I could reach to receive a transfer."
"Is the stuff that Noel talked about..." Snow averted his gaze. "Did that happen after?"
Caius kept silent for a moment. "I was asked once, if I would lie for the benefit of another..." He closed his eyes. "The outpost was a joke... A crumbling joke; they put those soldiers there to die." Caius grit his teeth. "I told him to run, but he stayed with me..." Caius clenched his fists, before forcing himself to relax. "We owe Yeul our lives."
Snow sat up straight. "That's your sister, right?"
Caius nodded. "Yeul worked at one of the command centers as a pilot... She saw the attack from afar, and she broke protocol to notify the surrounding bases." Caius sighed. "The Cavalry were the only ones who would listen."
Snow picked at a blade of grass. "So... What did you mean about lying for someone else?"
Caius kept silent for a while. "With Yeul's help, I managed to keep the details withheld... Noel and I held the base for hours by ourselves, but it was never reported."
"Why?" Snow asked, "Why wouldn't... You'd have been awarded something for it, right?"
Caius opened his eyes. "Yes." He stood, and his shadow cast upon the stone. "But I wanted to get us out of there... We had no need for the pay, and a legacy is no excuse to throw one's life away." Caius stood in silence for a moment, and he turned to walk down the hill. "Follow me."
Snow took one last look at the graves, before following after Caius. They ran down through another field, traveling in silence. A treeline appeared in the distance, and Caius took off after it, darting into the forest. Snow struggled to keep track of him in the trees, but they soon made their way to a small clearing; a tiny stream burbled out from the trees, widening into a pond within the grass, before returning to the forest once more.
Caius sat beside the water's edge. "Sit."
Snow sat down as well, crossing his legs beneath him.
"Listen."
Snow thought better than to question Caius at that point, closing his eyes to listen. He focused on the water, the wind brushing against his hair, the sounds of the forest; birds called out from the trees, insects chirping away from all sides.
"Awareness." Caius kept his voice low. "You never know when a threat will approach... Listen at all times."
Snow opened his mouth, and he took a deep breath. "I can't really listen like this all the time, can I?"
Caius kept silent for a moment. "Can you?"
Snow shrugged.
Caius exhaled. "That's up to you."
Snow opened his eyes, and he looked over at Caius. "I'll try my best, then."
Caius narrowed his eyes. "Just be aware..." He stood up, walking over to stand beside the pond. "Close your eyes."
Snow did as he was told, soon losing track of where Caius stood. His ears twitched, searching for any hint of movement, before a pebble tumbled along the dirt from behind him, and Snow ducked to the side.
Caius stood with his arm out, his claws narrowed to a point where Snow's neck had been mere seconds before. "Good."
Snow laughed under his breath as his eyes went wide. "How were you that quiet?"
Caius leaned back, and his arm fell to his side. "You were listening to the water because I stood beside the pond." He lifted a foot, before slowly bringing it down upon the grass. "I also know how to be very silent."
Caius sat back down, and he reached to open the lunchbox that Snow had carried, removing a pair of wrapped sandwiches. He tossed one to Snow, before using his claws to peel the paper away from his own.
Lightning mumbled, her muscles stiff beneath her skin. She forced her eyes open, taking in the morning light as she blinked away the sleep. Fang's chest lay beneath her, rising and falling with each breath, and Lightning closed her eyes at the rhythm, snuggling into the warmth of Fang's skin. She felt an arm circle around her back, and Lightning opened her eyes again.
"Light..." Fang mumbled, hugging her close. "I've got an idea, Light."
Lightning nodded against her skin. "Yeah?"
Fang forced her eyes open, gazing around the room. "Later, though..."
Lightning snorted. "Why'd you bring it up, then?"
Fang blinked, her brow furrowing in thought. "Because I dreamt it, just now."
Lightning tensed, but she quickly relaxed when Fang began to massage her shoulders once more. Leaning into the touch, her eyes fluttered shut with a sigh.
Fang grinned for a moment, before she flipped them over, straddling Lightning from atop. "How's that score of yours?"
Lightning slid open a single eye. "Even."
Fang smirked. "We'll see..." She ran a finger along Lightning's nightshirt, lingering at the hem. "You're very clothed."
Lightning raised an eyebrow. "And just what do you plan to do about it?"
Fang's smirk widened, and she leaned back, before quickly snapping forward, her lips crushing against Lightning's. Fang captured a tiny gasp as her teeth nipped at Lightning's bottom lip, before her tongue moved out to caress her mouth. Lightning threaded her fingers into Fang's hair, wrapping her legs up and around Fang's waist with a whimper.
Fang broke this kiss, gasping for breath. "How's this..?" She ducked down to take the edge of Lightning's night-shirt in her teeth, pulling the material up and over her head, before she used one of her hands to help completely maneuver it past her horns.
Lightning gasped when Fang began to lay kisses into her flushed, heated skin, running her mouth along Lightning's chest. Her tongue darted out upon Lightning's breast, causing her to shiver with a sigh. Fang ran her tongue in circles, taking the peak into her mouth to suckle, closing her eyes with a hum.
Lightning held back a moan, the sound kept tight in her throat as she squirmed upon the sheets. Fang leaned forward to run her teeth over Lightning's neck, a gasp escaping her throat as she bit down gently.
Fang mumbled, moving her lips across Lightning's skin. "Don't hold that in... At least, not too much." She kissed at Lightning's pulse, and smirked against her neck.
Lightning panted as sweat trickled down her forehead, her hair sticking to her back. She trembled when Fang's hands traveled upon her chest, moving to cup the swell of her breasts.
Fang nipped once more at her neck, before returning to offer the same treatment to Lightning's opposite breast. Tongue circling, her mouth opened in a quiet sigh before she closed it, humming against Lightning's skin.
Lightning kept hold of Fang's hair, her eyes squeezed shut as a tightness began to coil in her belly, fueled by Fang's near constant touch.
Fang lowered her hands and pulled back from Lightning's breast, a bit of saliva taut on her lips. She lingered along the hem of Lightning's bottoms, before looking up, a silent question on her face. Lightning opened her eyes after a moment, rolling them as she gave Fang a curt nod.
Fang grinned, and she tugged away the fabric to move forward, drawing a knee against the join of Lightning's thighs. Fang pressed into her, leaning down to hear the hiss that escaped from Lightning's lips, before capturing it with her own.
Lightning whimpered into Fang's mouth as her knee rocked forward, the coil winding, tightening with each touch. Fang let out a soft snarl, her eyes half-lidded, sweat running down her forehead as she pressed on, smirking at the tiny sounds that Lightning made.
Lightning writhed, and she bucked against Fang's knee, her mouth open in a silent cry. She quivered, reaching up to cling at Fang's back, fingernails digging into her skin.
Fang pushed Lightning down into the sheets, crushing their lips together again, her tongue snaking out to taste her, moaning into her mouth.
Lightning cried out, her voice muffled by Fang's lips as the coil snapped, her body trembling when the boiling heat tipped over, spreading, unfurling into her entire body, her lungs shuddering for breath as she writhed against the unyielding push.
Fang kept on with the same pace, riding out the waves until a slick heat trickled against her knee, and she chuckled, leaning forward to kiss along Lightning's forehead, sweat upon her lips.
Lightning panted, murmuring incoherently with a soft cry upon her tongue.
Fang slowed with a tiny smirk, revealing just a bit of teeth. "What's the score?"
Lightning moaned under her breath, and she covered her face with her hands.
Fang chuckled, leaning back upon the bed. "That good, huh?"
Lightning attempted to roll over, burying her face in the blankets while she curled up and hugged herself, her limbs still trembling.
Fang lay back with a smug grin across her face. "Just let me know... Once you manage to talk again, of course."
Lightning hissed under her breath, resting a long moment, before she leaned over to nip at Fang's shoulder.
