Note: This is set in a universe combining The Vestige and Ordinary Heroes.

Eidolon Kids

The inter-dimensional portal in the Vestige had been closed and the war against the fal'Cie had been won – at least for now. But although most of the world was content to celebrate and embrace a safer future, there were others who refused to let their guard down. More than anyone, Marshal Claire "Lightning" Farron understood that this peace might only be temporary.

If the fal'Cie had been able to open a portal once, there was no reason they couldn't open a portal again.

But if the fal'Cie did open another portal, they wouldn't find a defenceless world. No, they would find a world armed to the teeth and ready to greet them with the kind of firepower they could only imagine in their worst nightmares.

Of course, Lightning didn't spend all of her time managing the Eidolon Program. If the war had taught her anything, it was that she needed to seize what happiness she could, when she could. Fang may also have had something to do with the whole happiness thing. Her most obstinate pilot – and wife – had refused to let Lightning stay in her bitter, icy shell.

And if Fang hadn't been enough, the two kids they'd had made sure that Lightning remained open to human contact.

But there would be plenty of time to think about those sorts of things later. Right now, she had bigger concerns – like the construction of a new Bahamut that was taking place under hers and Fang's watchful eyes.

"What progress have they made?" Lightning asked.

Fang grinned. "Well, they're putting the main chassis together. So far, it all looks good."

"It should." Lightning's lips thinned. "I designed it. When it's done, it should weigh about the same as your old Eidolon but have far superior strength, speed, and agility."

"And let's not forget the armour."

"Of course. Your sister was quite… vocal about the new armour she and Rikku put together." Lightning could remember that particular presentation very well. Vanille had been at her overenthusiastic best, as had Rikku. The new armour was virtually impervious to any form of chemical attack, highly resistant to mechanical damage, capable of withstanding enormous amounts of energy, and highly resistant to changes in temperature. In short, it was a masterpiece. "My only choice was to approve their proposal, or I doubt I would have left the conference room alive."

"You make it sound like they're a threat." Fang chuckled. "You might need a cane, Lightning, but you could still take both of them with one arm tied behind your back."

Lightning had seen Vanille's impersonation of a hand-to-hand combat specialist – Fang wasn't wrong. "You might be right about that. Have they given you a schedule about when they're going to start fitting the advanced electronics?"

"Soon. Vanille is over there now with Lebreau making sure that everything checks out. I've had a go at some of these new systems, and they do take some getting used to."

"You'll have plenty of time to calibrate it with Serah once Bahamut is up and running again."

"I still don't know why they had to call it Bahamut."

"Sentiment." Lightning smiled gently. It was something she understood very well. "Bahamut helped save the world. They want to see him standing tall again. It's the same reason they gave us the funding to rebuild Odin the first time around."

"I guess." Fang peered out over the catwalk. A small army of mechanics and technicians were swarming over the Eidolon's half-built body. "Have you seen the kids yet?"

"They were with Snow and Hope, so I'm guessing we've got another five minutes, max, before they find their way over here."

Fang was almost right. The kids managed to do it in four.

"Is that your new Eidolon, mommy?" Diana leapt off Snow's shoulders. Fang's eyes widened, and she just barely managed to catch her flying six-year-old daughter in time. The other two children, Claire and Averia, chose to adopt a more normal approach – they walked over, Claire holding her father's hand and Averia chatting with Hope. "You caught me, mommy!"

"Of course I did. Your mom would demote me to private if I dropped you." Fang grinned as Diana scrambled onto her back and began poking at her hair. As rambunctious as Diana could be, she directed most of her craziness at Fang. The kids understood that Lightning's old injuries meant she couldn't play with them the same way that Fang did. But Lightning was always there to read stories, help with homework, and sit down on the couch. "And, yes, this is my new Eidolon. Although it is isn't just mine – it's your Aunt Serah's too."

"He looks awesome." Diana leaned precariously over Fang's shoulder until Fang pulled her into her arms. "I bet he'll have all sorts of things like lasers, missiles, flamethrowers, and maybe even a nuclear bomb!"

"Uh… he won't have all of that." Fang blamed Vanille for turning her younger daughter into an Eidolon technology fiend. When Diana wasn't imagining what it would be like to pilot, she was coming up with ideas for new weapons and armour. "But he will have some cool stuff."

"Like what, mommy?"

"Your Aunt Vanille and your mom made sure to give him a pair of shoulder-mounted plasma launchers."

"Cool." Diana cackled. Fang's brows furrowed. That was a little too much like Vanille. She'd have to watch to make sure that Diana didn't develop Vanille's addiction to energy drinks that not even Lightning and Serah had been able to wean her off completely. "Could I pilot it one day?"

"You're a little young. And whom would you pilot it with?"

"Averia and Claire."

"They don't really build three-person Eidolons."

"I bet mom and Aunt Vanille could build one with Aunt Rikku."

"Well, not until you're older." Fang put Diana back on the catwalk. "Have you had lunch yet?"

"I can have lunch later. I want to look at Bahamut now."

While Fang and Diana went down to take a closer look at the Eidolon, Lightning fell into step beside Hope and Averia. In the meantime, Snow and Claire moved over to the next construction bay where the new Shiva was also being built.

"You're not going to take a look at Shiva?" Lightning asked.

"I will." Hope glanced down at Averia. "But Averia and I were just talking about a few of my missions."

"I was curious," Averia explained. "I've asked mommy and Aunt Serah plenty of questions about their missions, but Uncle Hope and Uncle Snow fight quite differently. I guess some of that is because of the different specifications of their Eidolon, but a lot of it has to do with their different fighting styles. I wanted to know more about that."

"Oh?" Lightning and Fang had talked about Averia's hobbies in recent years. Averia had immersed herself in the Eidolon program, eagerly devouring every scrap of information she could find. It was impressive – but worrying – that Averia could accurately provide a blow-by-blow account of most of Fang or Lightning's missions. "And why would you want to know more about that?"

"Different styles of fighting work better against different kinds of fal'Cie." Averia looked over the side of the catwalk, her eyes narrowed in concentration as she tried to picture how the Eidolon would look when it was done. They hadn't put the core in yet, which was a shame since she wanted to see it in action. Maybe she could ask her Aunt Vanille to let her see it? "For instance, fal'Cie with powerful projectile weaponry are best fought with highly mobile Eidolons since armour technology hasn't progressed far enough to completely negate energy-based weaponry."

Hope grinned. "If you ever feel like retiring, marshal, just put Averia in charge."

"Call me Lightning, Hope. I'm not here in a strictly formal capacity." Lightning hobbled over to stand beside Averia. Gently, she put one hand on her daughter's shoulder. "I won't forbid you from joining the Eidolon program, Averia. But I won't let you join it until you're ready."

"But –"

"Averia, one of the reasons we fought was so that our children could have a childhood."

"Yes, mom." Averia looked up at Lightning. "Are you going to be able to come to my athletics carnival this weekend?"

"Of course I am." One of the benefits of peace was that Lightning could reschedule things without possibly causing the end of the world. "I wouldn't miss it for anything."

"Thanks, mom." Averia glanced at Lightning's leg. "Do you want to sit down somewhere?"

The question reminded Lightning of the soreness in her leg. She'd been on her feet for hours now supervising the work and going to and from meetings. But she could stand for a while longer.

"No, it's fine. I'll sit down when I eat. Do you want to have a look at the reactor? You mentioned that you wanted to see it last time you were here."

"Can I really see it?" Averia had to fight from jumping up and down in excitement.

"Sure. They're doing a few activation tests today." Lightning nodded at the far end of the catwalk. "Come with me."

They made their way over to one of the elevators and then through a series of winding corridors to another large construction bay. At the centre of the bay was Bahamut's heart – the reactor that powered the Eidolon. It was a magnificent sight, a quantum leap ahead of the previous generation.

"Are you going to be conducting another stress test?" Lightning asked. Averia stood half a step behind her, standing in perfect posture. It was like Averia considered herself to be her second-in-command.

"Yes, ma'am." One of the techs saluted and then flashed a quick smile at Averia. The girls had grown up here, and they had been "adopted" by most of the staff in the Ark. "Have you come to see the test, Averia?"

"Yes, sir." Averia saluted. "Do you mind if I watch?"

"Not at all." The tech grinned. "It's always nice to have a fresh pair of eyes in case we miss something. We're just waiting on Dr Dia. The reactor has already passed its initial activation tests and all the tests at normal operational parameters, so it should be perfectly safe. However, we're going to be simulating a heavy combat draw on it today, so she wants to be here."

"Cool." Averia followed Lightning over to one of the observation posts. She watched her mom out of the corner of her eyes. It would have been impossible for anyone else to notice, but she saw the minute signs of relief as her mom sat down at one of the consoles and began leafing through the data. "Is it okay if I go watch with Aunt Vanille when she comes?"

"Of course."

Vanille didn't keep them waiting long. She bustled in a few minutes later and immediately began taking charge, ordering the techs and mechanics around as she flipped through the readings from the last set of tests.

"All right, boys and girls, we're putting the reactor through its paces today. I want everybody sharp and ready for action." She waved at Averia. "We've got a guest today, so I want us to look our best."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Initiate activation sequence."

The reactor began to hum, and a faint glow filled the testing section of the construction bay, which was sealed off from the rest by the highest quality shielding that money could buy. Countless members of the Eidolon Program had fallen victim to radiation poisoning over the years – the shielding ensured that no more of them would.

"Start up sequence is progressing. We've got a green light on stages one through five. Secondary readings on the safety systems are all looking good. Power production has begun."

"How long until full power."

"Ten seconds, ma'am."

"Good."

One of the biggest advantages of the new reactor was its unbelievable start up time. It allowed for an extremely rapid response from the Eidolons. In addition, reactor failure and skipping was common under extreme stress. The ability to rapidly restart the reactor was critical.

"We're looking good, ma'am. We're ready to get started."

"Excellent." Vanille gave Averia an indulgent smile. "What weapon would you like to simulate firing first?"

"The plasma launchers." Averia's eyes were riveted to the reactor. It was shining like a small star, the pale glow of it filling the testing area. "They're probably the biggest drain other than movement and emergency systems."

"Good choice. All right guys, you heard her. Fire it up."

X X X

Claire had to take several steps for every one of her father's, but he had slowed his pace, so that she didn't have to push herself. He was so much bigger than her, but his hand was gentle around hers.

"When will Shiva be ready, dad?" Claire eyed the half-built Eidolon. It had the same slender shape as her father's old Eidolon, but she knew that it would be much stronger and faster. Her Aunt Lightning and her Aunt Vanille had seen to that.

"It will be a while yet." Snow leaned over the railing. "They want to make sure they've got things right every step of the way. And you know your Aunt Lightning – everything has to meet her standards. She makes sure that everything meets her standards."

Claire giggled. "I know." She'd heard some of the mechanics and techs joking about her aunt, but in a good way. The marshal was obsessive about standards, but all of them understood why.

"So, do you want to go down and have a look?"

"Sure, dad." Claire smiled. "Let's go take a look."

Claire loved watching the mechanics and techs at work. True, a lot of the work was done by machines, but people had to control those machines, and every last inch of the Eidolon was examined to ensure it met the marshal's exacting standards. Right now, she was watching a host of mechanics secure several plates of armour to Shiva's arms.

Each plate of armour was secured in place by a host of rivets and welds. Beneath it, Claire could make out the complex array of parts that served as the Eidolon's muscles. When Shiva was done, it would be able to lift more than triple the weight over its head that it had once been able to.

"Do you think I could ever pilot an Eidolon, dad?"

Snow stopped mid-stride. "I hope you never have to."

"So do I, dad. But do you think I could pilot one if I had to?"

Snow paused to consider the question. Claire acted very much her age most of the time – unlike her older cousin, Averia – but she had a serious look in her eyes now. She genuinely wanted to know.

"Physically, I think you should be able to make it, if you continue the way you're going." Claire had excellent genes from him and Serah, and she was close to the top of her class in pretty much every form of athletic activity. "You're smart too, which helps, and mentally stable." His grin was met with a playful scowl. "The big thing will probably be finding you a co-pilot. That's not easy. It took a long time for me to find your Uncle Hope. Most of the time pilots are either spouses or siblings."

It went unsaid that Claire didn't have any siblings. Or maybe she did. Claire spent most of her time with Averia and Diana. Snow had watched the trio when they were together. There were times when it was almost like they had their own language. How many times had he seen the three of them exchanging looks but having entire conversation with nothing more than quick glances and body language? More times than he could count. And as much as Diana was Averia's little sister, she was every bit as affectionate with Claire as well. In fact, he could remember one particular incident that had happened only yesterday.

Diana had been mucking around on top their couch when she'd lost her footing and fallen. The fall would have ended in a nasty bump on the wooden coffee table, but Claire simply reached over to catch her without ever looking up from the book she was reading. Diana had leaned down to give Claire a cuddle before bounding off to find more mischief.

Snow had spent years as a pilot and had spent a lot of time in the company of other pilots and cadets. He'd come to recognise some of the signs of a potentially successful partnership. The kind of unspoken rapport that existed between the three girls was something he'd seen in every strong co-pilot pairing.

But that did raise the interesting question of who would co-pilot with whom? Unless they somehow came up with a three-pilot Eidolon, that is.

"But I'm sure you'll find someone you can pilot with, and I'm sure you'll make a great pilot."

"Thanks, dad."

Claire followed her dad over to where Lulu was supervising the instalment of Shiva's missile pods. "Are those your new missile pods?"

"That's right." Snow beamed with pride. "I've always said that if it isn't broken, then there's no need to fix it. But I have to admit I'm impressed." He waved to Lulu. The woman gave him a nod and then went back to work. "Improvements in technology mean that Shiva can now fire missiles twice as quickly, and the missiles themselves are vastly more effective than the old ones. We've also got a new kind of missile."

"What is it, dad?" Claire was hanging on his every word. She'd seen footage of Shiva in action. Watching it freeze fal'Cie solid was awesome.

"A little something extra. High penetration missiles with a high explosive payload." Snow's grin was a little savage. "They're designed to punch right through the fal'Cie's armour before exploding inside them."

"Ew…" Claire made a face. "But I bet Diana would love that."

Snow chuckled. "And on that note, why don't we get something to eat? I'm feeling hungry."

X X X

Author's Notes

As always, I neither own Final Fantasy, nor am I making any money off of this.

The Vestige is one of my favourite stories, although I've fallen a little behind schedule with it. That said, I thought it might be fun to find out what the kids would be like in this universe. This chapter is my attempt to answer that. The changes in the world have changed the girls. Diana has become a huge fan of Eidolons – they and their pilots are her superheroes, and even better, she's got two of them for parents! Averia, being more seriously inclined, is already considering the future and trying to get involved in the program. Claire is the same way, and her concerns about her relationship with her two cousins have even greater ramifications given how pilots are selected. But they're still the girls, and they still love each other. If ever a trio could make a three-pilot Eidolon work, they could.

This chapter was also a bit different from my usual routine – what you're reading was the first and only draft of the chapter. I guess that just goes to show how long this idea has been kicking around in my head.

I also write original fiction. If you like my fanfiction, I'm sure you'll love it. I've recently released my newest original story, Durendal, on Amazon. It runs to ~80,000 words, making it the first novel-length original story that I've made available to the public! It's a coming-of-age story and a Western with elements of science fiction. If you've enjoyed my other stories, I know you'll love this one. You can find links to it in my profile (along with links to a longer preview). Here's the blurb:

Twelve-year-old Billy Winchester's got a feeling that the war made Duren a monster, but maybe he and his sister can make him a man again.

Billy's always dreamed of leaving Sahara VII, a backwater mining planet, for some adventure. But with the galaxy still reeling from decades of war, and an older sister desperate to hang onto the only family she's got left, he's not having much luck.

Then he meets Duren, and suddenly adventure's right on his doorstep.

The rugged stranger from another planet is everything Billy wishes he could be. When his sister hires Duren to help at their diner, Billy does his best to make him a part of their family. Trouble is, Duren's got a past, and it's the worst sort of bloody. To Billy though, he's just a man, and a good one at that.

But danger's never far on a planet like Sahara VII.

A cruel mining magnate, Stratton sets his eyes on Billy's sister, and he won't take no for an answer. When Stratton kidnaps her, Billy's going to need the man Duren used to be, the man he hoped Billy would never have to see.

But Stratton isn't stupid, and he isn't alone. He knows Duren is coming for him, and there are people who've been waiting a long time for Duren to show himself. Duren won't have to beat just Stratton and his men – he'll have to stand toe-to-toe with the vengeful ghosts of his past while keeping Billy clear of the crossfire. Billy's finally got his adventure, but it might cost him the only family he's ever known.

If you're more interested in fantasy, then you might want to check out the Last Huntress Series. It's fantasy with plenty of atmosphere and action. You can find links to it in my profile too.

As always, I appreciate feedback. Reviews and comments are welcome.