A/N: There seemed to be a positive response to the one-shot so I decided to humor myself and write a second chapter just for kicks. Enjoy.
"I'm not paying these fines!" Papers flew up into the air and gently floated above Lightning's head. She plucked one out of the air and looked at the numbers on it with a grim expression. "Five-thousand gil just cuz we stopped a Vampire?!" The officer in front of the two young women looked quite annoyed. Lightning looked down at the officer's desk, reading off "Rosch" from the gold plaque next to the overturned pile of papers that Fang had slapped into the air in rage. The Pulsian in question was standing up and glaring down at him.
Officer Rosch waited until the last paper in the air finally fell before speaking. "Ms. Fang, I don't think you truly understand the consequences of your actions today. You are not a registered Meister, Ms. Farron here isn't a registered Weapon, and neither of you are registered as Cie'th Hunters by any of the Academies in Cocoon nor Gran Pulse. Imagine what the citizens of Cocoon would think if they discovered that unlicensed, untrained, unpracticed-" Fang's scowl grew darker. "-, and uncouth pairs of Meisters and Weapons were going around, fighting anything they deemed a threat." He gestured a gloved hand in the air. "Your very actions would hurt the Academy's reputation and cause chaos among the populace." Fang sat down on her hard chair, crossing her arms in frustration.
"Officer Rosch, I will accept the charges," Lightning said, looking directly at Rosch. Fang's eyes widened in surprise."I should've called a Meister and Weapon pair to help but instead, I provoked the Cie'th and attempted to take it on my own. However, uptown Palumpolum is notorious for having very few Weapon and Meister officers due to the incredibly low rate of Cie'th appearances in the area. I figured it was unlikely that any help would arrive in time to keep property damage and casualties at a minimum." The officer did not hide his frown. "Please send the bill to this address." Lightning reached into her vest pocket and pulled out a small notepad and pen. She scribbled down her address and handed it to the officer before standing up.
Fang awkwardly followed the pink haired woman, unsure of what to say. As soon as they made it out of the doors and into the evening sunlight of downtown Eden, something fast and pink crashed into Lightning and sent her flying onto the concrete. "Oi! Get offa' Lightning!" Fang exclaimed, trying to pull off whoever this person was that was holding Lightning in some kind of death grip.
The young woman that was holding onto Lightning looked up with puffy red eyes and tears streaming down her face. "Sisyou'reokayIthoughtyouweregonnadieIsaw-" Lightning slapped her gloved hand on the woman's mouth (who still continued to talk despite being muffled).
"Fang, help me up," she said with a deadpan expression. The Weapon raised her free hand up for Fang to grab. As soon as Lightning was upright, she took her hand off of the young woman's mouth who proceeded to bury her face in Lightning's vest and cry. "This is my sister, Serah. Please excuse her. She's very emotional." Fang looked between the two, finding great family resemblance in their matching pink hair and pale skin. Serah was dressed in a sheer light pink vest and a button up white shirt (also sleeveless) with a very short plaid skirt and black leggings. It was quite clear they both really liked sleeveless outfits.
"Nice to meet you," Fang said, crossing her arms. "By the way, Lightning, why'd you go and pay the damn bill on your own? I would've given you half of it; least I could've done since you saved my skin." Lightning shook her head, looking grateful that Serah was reduced to sniffling instead of full blown sobbing.
"You allowed me to eat a Cie'th's core for the first time in my life. For that, I owe you at least this much," Lightning replied. She glanced down at her sister who was listening quite fervently to the conversation. "Oh, you finally stopped crying."
Serah let go of Lightning and pouted. "You got to eat a core so you don't deserve my tears anymore!" she said, playfully glaring at her sister through teary eyes. "I saw you two on the news being escorted to the police station. I was so worried, Lightning. What if you'd been hurt, what if your new friend was hurt, what if-"
The Weapon let out a quiet sigh and pulled her sister in for a one armed hug. "Sorry, Serah. I wasn't allowed to call anyone while we were being questioned. It's over now so there's nothing to worry about," Lightning reassured. Fang looked at the two curiously, wondering if Vanille was also worrying about her. "Fang." The Pulsian cocked her head to the side. "I'm afraid I have to leave right now. The last train to Bodhum gets suspended early today."
"Well in that case..." Fang pulled a black cellphone out of some hidden pocket. "Gimme your number, Light. I wanna find you at the Academy tomorrow." Serah eyed the two with a devious grin on her face. Lightning glared down at her sister.
"Oooh, you're letting her call you 'Light.'"
"Shut up, Serah."
Interesting.
That was the first word to surface in Academia Head Director Hope Estheim's mind as he watched one of the dozens of news clips featuring a Meister and Weapon fighting a Vampire in Palumpolum. This specific clip had caught the very beginning where the Meister uprooted a stop sign and tried to use it as a weapon. What followed was a chase and a rooftop fight that looked like something out of a fairy tale. Facial recognition scans had been run on the videos, revealing them to be Claire Farron (though it was noted across multiple attendance sheets that she preferred to be called "Lightning") and Oerba Yun Fang, a student who had come to Cocoon for training. Several manila folders were scattered on his desk, mostly containing information about the two young women.
He folded his arms and leaned back in his office chair, staring up at the tall ceiling of his office. Word had already spread through social media that the C'ieth Hunters were members of the Bodhum Academy and were unregistered. He'd received an extremely formal apology from the Bodhum Academy's director, Amodar. The burly man of a Meister had been completely out of character, kowtowing on the floor just twelve hours ago in an attempt to ask for Hope's forgiveness. It was unnecessary (but humorous) and the Academia director had to drag Amodar off the floor to calm him down.
Hope folded his gloved hands together and decided it'd be better if he could meet the two young women in person and assess their abilities. They displayed excellent teamwork and their souls were synchronized perfectly despite pairing up for the first time. "As expected of a Farron," he thought, flipping through Lightning's information for the tenth time. "How interesting that the two were branded by the fal'Cie Anima. Perhaps it was fate that led them to meet again."
The young man buried his fantastical thoughts. While Hope enjoyed his daydreaming, he still had work to do.
"I'm home!" Fang closed the door behind her and saw Vanille sitting near the shoerack. The Pulsian had red eyes and a pout on her face. "Oh uh... I forgot... I forgot to call you..." Fang trailed off while laughing nervously. After several minutes of loud crying, flying fists, and tissues, Vanille calmed down enough that Fang could get an ice pack for the bruises on her arm.
"Okay I'll admit it was dumb to not let you know I was safe," the Meister said, plopping down on the couch. "But didn't you see the news? Or look at your phone?"
"Fang, I was too worried to check. What if your dead body appeared on the front cover of Borgbear Daily or what if your mugshot was all over social media?!" Fang looked mildly offended at the idea that Vanille had considered arrest as bad as death. "I couldn't have handled it."
The older woman set aside her ice pack and used her good arm to pull Vanille in for a hug. "Ya know I'm tough as nails. No way a Vampire would off me, Vanille," she reassured. The redhead made a noise that indicated reluctant agreement.
Vanille suddenly pulled away from the hug with a rather devious look on her face. "Who's the Weapon? Are they like super incompatible with everyone else? Are they rich? Will they help us buy a coffee table?" The questions went on well into the night to the best of Fang's ability to answer them. Damn, why'd Vanille have to be so talkative?
The very next day, Lightning was squirming in her seat for the first time in her life. Well who wouldn't when one was unexpectedly called up to the director's office during class and forced to wait an excruciating five minutes? The secretary was tapping away at her keyboard, oblivious to Lightning's silent suffering. The Weapon decided to get up and stretch, walking up to the tall windows that lined the wall.
The office was located in the highest floor of the Bodhum Academy with the waiting room featuring a tall ceiling and floor to ceiling windows that were cool to the touch. Against the wall was the secretary's ergonomic battle station, piled high with paper stacks that were fenced in with monitors. The secretary in question was busy working on something Lightning couldn't see from the windows but it seemed important. Chairs were lined opposite of the secretary's desk and were well worn from years of use. There were a few potted plants here and there but not of any plants Lightning could identify; all she knew was that the plants were real since she could sense the very small souls in them up close. The door to the director's office was a wooden one made of palm wood with a silver plate nailed into the center that read "Director Amodar's Office."
The Weapon recalled entering the office on her first day in the Academy due to wishing for her name on the attendance sheet to be changed from "Claire" to "Lightning." It had created quite the disturbance among her various teachers earlier that day. Lightning was standing here just a year ago, looking out the great windows like she was now.
The door to the office opened and Amodar's bulky figure stepped out. He gave Lightning a warm smile and gestured for her to come inside. "Good to see you, Lightning." Lightning nodded in return and looked around the office. A massive palm wood desk was in the center of the large room and was surprisingly clean with just a few manila folders and a computer. Bulky metal cabinets containing decades worth of records had been shoved against the wall with more potted plants sitting on top of them. Amodar's chair had seen better days and was likely on its last legs as it groaned from the director's weight. In front of the desk was a familiar tall, lean Meister.
"Fang?" The name had leapt out of Lightning's mouth and the young woman turned around. It was Fang in the flesh and she looked just as nervous as Lightning.
"Hey, Light," the Meister greeted, flashing a smile. The Weapon returned it with a small smile and stood next to her. Amodar looked at the both of them with amusement in his eyes.
"I think you both already know why I've brought the two of you up here. Remember the little stunt you two pulled off in Palumpolum?" Fang grimaced and Lightning was prepared to hear the worst. The Weapon saw her life flashing before her eyes. Her scholarship could be taken away. The money leftover from her parents that was keeping her and Serah afloat in their small apartment could be taken away by the government. Fang could be deported (probably not). Negative thoughts flooded Lightning's mind. "... could you do it again?"
A look of mild confusion passed over Fang's face and what felt like the weight of the world flew off of Lightning's shoulders. "By Etro, I thought you were going to expel us..." the Weapon said, holding onto Fang's shoulder for support.
"Vanille would kill me, fal'Cie be damned," the brunette mused. "You're gonna be alright, yeah, Light?" Lightning nodded.
"To be honest, several staff members here asked me if I was going to expel you two. The obvious answer was no," Amodar revealed, shrugging. "You two make an excellent team despite never taking synchronization tests together. It would be an incredible waste of talent and skill to force you two out of the Academy's system. So, I've decided to give you two the opportunity to pair up together as Cie'th Hunters." The two young women shared excited glances. "But! There's a catch."
Fang's brows lowered. "Oh c'mon. We just gotta take a synchronization and psychological test! What else could there be to do?!" She folded her arms across her chest.
"Well, Officer Rosch gave me a call yesterday." Fang paled and Lightning pinched the bridge of her nose. "Seems Lightning here was complaining about a lack of Weapon and Meister officers in uptown Palumpolum. So, I decided to have you two and several other students from the Academy help clean up the debris that pesky Vampire left behind. Heavy machinery won't be able to reach that area of the Palumpolum until Monday so it's all elbow grease." Amodar looked at the exasperated looks on the student's faces. "I know it appears excessive of a catch but it's only one weekend. Hey, you two could build up some teamwork skills while you're at it."
"Etro help us, we're going to be work Chocobos for two days," Lightning said as soon as they left the waiting room. They were now in a wide and tall hallway that was relatively empty of students. Any minute now, the bell signaling for lunch break would ring.
"It could be worse. It could be three days of work," Fang noted. "'Sides, how hard could it be to lift some bricks and metal?" Lightning thought about it. Palumpolum wasn't "brick" but more so "metal." After all, it was an area that was very well developed and had mostly shining metal and glass buildings. They descended the stairs, warm sunlight filtering in from the polished windows in the stairwell. Even through the glass, Fang could smell the ocean.
"It's still dangerous to lift up debris with your bare hands. I suggest bringing some work gloves." The Meister nodded and they separated to go to their classrooms.
Just as Lightning was about to leave the stairwell entirely, Fang patted her shoulder. "Wanna have lunch together? May as well since we're gonna be workin' together for a while." The Weapon considered it. Serah wouldn't mind another person with them right?
"I'll be in the greenhouse. Don't keep my sister and I waiting."
The Meister nodded then caught onto Lightning's words. "Wait your sister's eating lunch with us too?"
The greenhouse of Bodhum Academy was an old structure, its age surpassing all of the teachers at the Academy. It was said to have been installed sometime after the Great War between Cocoon and Gran Pulse but its age did not show in its polished glass panes and stainless steel frame. The Pulsian flora within the greenhouse were in full bloom thanks to the excellent care put in by the horticulture club. Lightning almost considered it a shame no other students ever used the area during lunch or study breaks. Then again, if they did use this area, she'd have to find some other secluded spot to spend time.
Lightning was nibbling on her sandwich, watching Serah chat with Fang. Their conversation had long since drifted from the "how do you do's" to the blunt "what the hell is that on your shoulder." Every time Fang laughed, Lightning felt a gentle hum from the l'Cie mark on her chest and its echo in her soul. The Weapon wondered if this was normal. It probably was. She finished her sandwich while the other two had a heated debate about what specific cuts of Adamantoise were the best to pair with a vinaigrette sauce. Lightning had no idea how the conversation had drifted to that point.
"So Light, the T-bone or the strip steak?" Fang asked, nearly spilling her bowl of instant ramen from her enthusiasm. "C'mon you gotta pick the T-bone, for your Meister!" Serah pouted and glared at the Pulsian.
"I am not picking a side on this argument," Lightning replied, getting a disappointed response from her two companions. "Hey, Serah, where's Snow?"
"Um..." Serah trailed off as she mindlessly picked at her fruit salad. "He said he was busy with something today. NORA stuff." Lightning frowned at the mention of "NORA." "Oh c'mon, sis. It's important to him."
The Weapon didn't say anything more, not wishing to start an argument in front of Fang. Funny enough, the Pulsian stepped in to fill the gap of the conversation, "Damn shame he couldn't meet me. He needs to meet his Cie'th huntin' competition, yeah?" Lightning exhaled in reply as Serah giggled.
"Snow and I are still trying to keep up a consistent track record with our hunting. The numbers have been increasing way too much lately. It's almost like some kind of invasion," the younger Weapon groaned.
"Well luckily for you, Fang and I will become registered Hunters by the end of next week," Lightning comforted, crumbling up the aluminum foil her sandwich had been in. "Your work load will decrease and we'll get paid enough to finally resolve whether a T-bone or a strip steak tastes better in vinaigrette sauce."
"Yay!"
The spring air was refreshingly cool. Except it wasn't. It burned in Lightning's lungs as she made her twentieth 100 meter sprint for the day. Damned weekly endurance tests. Fang wasn't doing any better at her side, barely making it to the finish line in time with their examiner's sharp whistle. They had changed into white t-shirts and dark gray shorts for their physical examination like the other one hundred students all around them.
"Not bad, Farron," the examiner yelled out as they scribbled something (probably) important onto their clipboard. "You too, Yun! Keep up the good work you two for next week. Now, onto the pull-ups!" They turned on their heel and the two exhausted young women walked after them. "Come now, come now! No dragging your feet! You two are youthful students of the Bodhum Academy! Show it!"
"By Etro, how in the world is Coach Jihl able to say those kinds of things?" Fang gasped, wiping her face with her shirt. Lightning didn't answer, merely shrugging. "Ugh I feel like I'm gonna puke."
As Fang tottered closer to Lightning, the Weapon stiffly said, "Please don't," while backing away. "Come on. Pull-up time." Just ten feet away, Snow was doing quick pull-ups, amazing all who laid eyes upon him. His athletic prowess was known all throughout the school but his magic abilities were always very severely lacking. "Hmph. What a show off." Snow landed on the packed dirt with an audible thud and cheered as sweat dripped down his face. Someone with a stop watch screamed out something about five minutes and twenty-six seconds.
"Hey, Light, think I could beat that time?" The Weapon thought about it as Snow was paraded around by his classmates. He looked extremely exhausted, so sweaty in fact he had pulled off his black bandanna to slick back his hair properly.
"Maybe. But you look exhausted," Lightning replied matter-of-factly. "Here. Hold my hand." She held out her left hand, palm up, and Fang placed her right hand on top. "I read in an old textbook that smaller soul resonations can help with physical recovery." Their hands slowly shifted to allow their fingertips to meet before intertwining. "Breathe with me, Fang." The Meister listened closely to Lightning's breathing despite the fact they were drowning in the noise of sweaty teenagers cheering each other on in (normally) physically impossible challenges. Her l'Cie mark pulsed gently and her soul felt a connection forming with Lightning's own soul. "Resonate with me."
It felt like an eternity as their souls stabilized each other, their bodies copying the calmness that was shared between them. Fang didn't even realize her eyes had closed until Lightning shook her. It was their turn to be tested for pull-ups. Their hands separated and Fang felt the connection grow thin as the distance increased until Fang couldn't detect Lightning's soul at all. "Snap out of it, Fang! You've got one hundred pull-ups to do!" Jihl screeched, smacking her pen on her clipboard.
"Yes, ma'am!"
A/N: I guess I'm writing a third chapter too.