AN - Happy new year the lot of you! We're moving on and soaring into the futureeeeee!
The low whistle cut across the ship yard as Fang came to a stop before the warship. They had buffed and polished the aircraft to a brilliant finish, far more than anything she'd witnessed he last time anything from this fleet had been airborne. Frankly, with the war going on nobody had time for a "decorative finish" on anything.
Working with Lightning for the last several months on the issues with her inner demons becoming outer demons had been taxing but overall progressive. She still hadn't mastered being able to shift into Ragnarok at will, but was at least far enough along that her instincts did it on autopilot when she or anyone she cared about was in danger.
Fang tied her hair back in a loose elastic as she watched the workers racing to finish the last of the mountings on the ship. Noting the length, she contemplated hitting up Vanille for a haircut before they left.
"Gil for your thoughts?" Came an amused, gruff voice from behind her. Sazh sidled up alongside the Pulsian and gave an appreciative nod towards the vessel. "She's quite impressive. Your generals would have been proud of her." He noted, receiving a quiet nod from Fang in response. "I'll have to brush up on my Pulsian to figure out the controls."
The brunette huffed and rolled her eyes at the comment, turning to her friend with a smack on his arm. "Don't fret dad... They retrofitted the consoles and equipment in there so there's not a speck of Pulsian as soon as you get inside and- wait. What?" She stared at the smug grin on his face and scratched at her hair in confusion.
"I'm coming with you, you dolt." He replied with a laugh, watching her expression shift from shock to excitement. Sazh just barely managed to keep his footing as the Pulsian crashed into him with a giant hug. "Somebody has to come keep you out of trouble, and we all know Lightning isn't up for that job. She invites just as much chaos as you do."
"I'm sure she'd take offense at that comment."
"The first time I met her she blew up a train and waged her own personal army of one against Sanctum's troops." He deadpanned with a sardonic tick of his eyebrow.
"... Point taken."
They stood side by side with Sazh holding a protective arm around Fang's shoulder while they observed the construction. "You gonna be ok with this trip?"
Fang remained silent, careful how she would answer. His question had a million layers and about another million conflicting answers awaited exit from her mind. They could find nothing but ruins, they could find a civilisation that was the remnants of her people. If they found her people alive they could welcome her with open arms and kill the rest, they could string her up for her failure, they could hesitantly craft a path towards peace between the worlds for the first time in history. Or they could kick start the war all over again.
"To be advised, Sazh. To be advised. I'm hopeful, I'm terrified, I'm angry that we're even taking this risk to potentially stir shit up again after we've finally found peace. But to do nothing invites just as much danger."
Sazh nodded, pre-empting the answer. "To know is better than ignorance huh?"
Fang nodded in agreement with a quiet hum. A week from today, the ship would be airborne and begin its trek across the western sea. By now the public knew if its existence, but was currently being downplayed as a research expedition. Which wasn't a lie, they just omitted the key information regarding the possible existence of the remnants of her people.
"Are you sure, Sazh? We don't know what we'll find."
He took her by the hand and patted it gently. "After everything we went through together, everything it took to get my son back... I'm not willing to take the risk of inaction, or let you go through it alone. We're all family."
A brilliant, toothy smile spread across Fang's face and she drew Sazh into a tight hug. "You're alright, funny man."
The week came and went faster than Fang was prepared for. The eve of their voyage found the Pulsian standing out on the deck of their home, overlooking the rest of New Bodhum. She leant on the railing and bit her lip, thinking about whether she was going to see this place again. A strange sort of peace had fallen on her, on Lightning, in the wake of gaining most of her control over Ragnarok.
Fang never thought she could settle down, be content, look forward to lazy days and peaceful nights. She recalled her earlier words to Lightning, that night the soldier came for her in Oerba. She could see herself now having a peaceful life on the Steppe and looked forward to it.
Soft hands made their way around her waist and she smiled, leaning back into the arms of her partner. Tilting her head to the side, she gave room for Lightning to plant kisses along the cord of her shoulder, nibbling a little at the base of her neck.
"What's gotten into you there?" Fang murmured, her jaw hanging open with a sharp inhale as she felt the pinkette's hands start to wander.
"You, mostly." Lightning replied with a purr against her skin. "I know tomorrow is going to be pretty big for all of us, but I'm more concerned about you than anyone else."
There was once a time where the soldier's concern would have irritated Fang and wounded her pride. But with how far she had come and how far they had come together, Lightning's words only made her heart swell.
"I've got you, so I think I'm going to be fine."
They stood silently for a while, just content to gaze out over the town. Fang heard the pinkette take a deep breath and hold it, before releasing her hold. The Pulsian's back felt cool from where the night air was now hitting it and she turned to bury herself back in her partner's arms. Instead she found Lightning looking pensively at the rest of the village below them from their spot on the outskirts.
"We'll see it again, Light. We've been through far worse, haven't we? I held up your entire bloody world for three years. I think we can take a sky cruise across the ocean and back without too much –mmph!"
"Don't. Tempt. The Gods. Fang." Lightning warned, her hand clamped firmly over the brunette's mouth. "How many times do I have to tell you?" The pinkette suddenly burst out laughing as Fang pulled her into her arms and buried her face in the pale hair.
"I love you, you know that?"
"Yeah, and you're lucky I love you too." Lightning replied with a subtle twitch of her lips. "Come on, big day tomorrow, let's head in. Serah's swinging by in the morning to grab the keys before we go so she can look after the place while we're gone."
The two women made their way inside and fell into bed together, doing whatever they could to ease their fears for what was to come when the sun rose. Despite their wandering hands, exploring lips and pleasured gasps both could still feel the tension wracking each other's bodies.
Neither commented on it, as there was nothing more to say on the matter. Tomorrow they would embark on a new journey, and hope that they will both return home.
By the dawn, they were both up and getting ready, but Lightning kissed Fang on the cheek gently and told her to head into the docks, as she had to wait for Serah to show up to get the keys. The Pulsian was reluctant but suspected her partner was up to something else, a surprise perhaps. In the time that she had known the pinkette, Lightning wasn't as much of a closed book as she liked to think she was. She gave a wave and headed off, leaving the soldier to stare at the closed door behind her.
The silence was deafening in the house, and Lightning realised it was the first time in almost a year that it had been empty like this. Once she might have cherished the silence but now it was just cold and unwelcoming. A knock at the door startled her from her thoughts and she paced over to answer, thankful to get this all underway.
A frown crossed her features when Serah stoodnin the doorway, looking nervous. "Hey Claire," She greeted, "You all... Ready for today?"
The pinkette fought to not get emotional at her words. "As much as I'll ever be. Did you get a hold of what I'd asked for?" The young Farron nodded cheerfully and pulled the box out from behind her.
"Yep, as requested. Vanille pulled it and a bunch of others like it from that vault in Oerba that they were able to salvage from Yama's damage anyway."
A genuine smile crossed her face and she nodded, taking the box from her hands. "Thank you, Serah. Take the keys and head off, I'll see you down at the docks. I'll just close the door behind me when I'm done." Lightning said quietly, She closed the door and took the box to the bench, smiling broadly as she took the lid off.
"Perfect."
Fang puttered air through her lips as she shifted her weight from foot to foot on the pier at Academia Port. Waiting for the others was becoming aggravating, and she fidgeted nervously with her sari. Vanille skipped up alongside her, wearing her own traditional Pulsian attire, and wrapped her hands around her adopted sibling's arm.
"We're going to be fine, Fang. We've got state of the art equipment on board, there's four smaller aircraft on board which will each individually fit our entire crew if something goes wrong, and Hope has been working on long range communicators to transmit information back here. Amodar and Rygdea are coordinating from here, and... Organising defensive measures and reinforcements if needed."
The redhead ducked, waiting for the inevitable explosion. She opened her eyes after a few moments when it didn't come to find Fang with a resigned expression on her face. "Good thinking, Vanille," She said, exhaling slowly. "Any other good ideas before we set off?"
A sly grin came from the younger Oerban as she took a quick glance behind her. "Oh, I dunno," She replied scratching her cheek, "I think I have one or two ones left up my sleeve..." Vanille drawled, walking away with a wave. Fang narrowed her eyes and rubbed the back of her neck.
"You're not even wearing sleeves!" She yelled out after her, jumping at the feeling of a hand on her shoulder. A smile crossed her face when she recognised the gentle touch, and relaxed a little. "About time you showed up."
A chuckle tickled her ear as Lightning's arms wrapped around her. "Sorry I'm late, had something I had to pick up. What do you think?" She asked. Fang turned to query what she was talking about but any comments vanished from her mind at the sight of her.
"What… What are you…"
Lightning blushed and straightened out the sari she wore, the purple silk fabric accenting the traditional scout armour beneath it. "Vanille thought it would be a good idea to dress as a Pulsian would have on our way over there, if we run into anyone it may assist in them not shooting first and asking questions later."
Fang just gaped at her, not able to form words. The last time she saw a Pulsian scout was when one was getting shot out of the sky during the war. There was something both simultaneously thrilling and terrifying to see her partner now in the same attire. It suited her, and the deep purple scarf was an amusing nod to her constant need to wear a cape. Her belt was tied off around the sari, which held her trusted gunblade firmly behind her.
"You look… Beautiful, Light." She finally got out, pulling the pinkette close by the sari. "Beautiful and tactical. You really are the perfect woman."
The pinkette smacked her lightly on the arm with a laugh and stood quietly next to her, looking up at the huge war ship. Fang took a deep breath and held it, before taking the soldier by the hand and moving towards the vessel.
"Come on, let's get this over with before I start turning blue."
They moved onto the gangway and walked up to the main deck, fingers entwined. The Pulsian could feel her heart speeding up with every step she took. "Just take the time you need, Fang. They won't leave the port until I tell them we're ready."
"No I'm… I'm ready now. Let's go."
Lightning smiled and tugged her by the hand. "Come on, there's something else I want to show you." Fang allowed herself to be led onto the ship, the interior painstakingly restored to its former glory, possibly even better. The advanced technology of Cocoon had merged with the old-world aesthetic of the Pulsian vessel, bridging the two worlds together.
"I'll show you our quarters shortly, but first… In here." Lightning whispered, punching in a code to a door and letting it slide open. Inside was the recreational room, carefully rebuilt with wooden panelling and metal trimming, restored couches and a card table in the back. Fang immediately noticed Lebreau behind the bar and laughed.
"Couldn't stay away from the opportunity to pour me a drink, could… You…" The Pulsian trailed off, mid-quip as her gaze drifted to the left. There, on the metal wall beside the bar was a mural of herself as Ragnarok and her breath caught in her throat. Beneath it was neat, engraved text in her language that read Pride of Pulse.
"We commissioned an artist from Palumpolum to so something better than what we found when we salvaged the wreckage. You are the pride of Pulse, Fang. This whole vessel is going to open up our world one way or another, all while being mindful of our roots, where we've all come from. The ship is named after your home, yours and Vanille's."
There wasn't any point trying to hide the tears as they fell from Fang's eyes, emotions overwhelming to the point of her trembling. Lightning held her close as she heard the rumbling of the engines starting up well below them.
"Welcome on board the Spirit of Oerba."
"Systems check, this is Katzroy to base, over." Sazh announced over the communicators, bringing everything online. He fancied himself an experienced pilot but was beyond grateful for the simulations he trained in over the last few months to get used to the controls and manoeuvring. He'd never flown anything this large before. The ship rivalled the size of the Palamecia and the Lindblum, and even though he was the chief pilot for the vessel there were at least fifteen other co-pilots under his command on the bridge.
"Reading you loud and clear," Hope replied back at the HQ in Academia. He had decided to stay behind with Amodar and Rygdea to oversee the technological aspects of their endeavour... That and his father likely wouldn't have let him leave. Sazh frowned at the thought. How much of a hypocrite did that make him when he had brought his son along with him? "Everyone on board and accounted for?"
"Pretty much."
Lightning looked around from her spot on the bridge to find Fang nowhere to be found. She hadn't been shown their quarters yet, so was immediately concerned.
"She's up on the deck with Vanille." Sazh called over his shoulder, punching in the last of the calibrations before waiting for clearance. The soldier nodded in thanks and made her way through the ship to get to the exit. She pulled open the hefty steel door and stepped out onto the open roof, which in its time would have been used for launching warplanes off the deck. She even spied a few smaller ships parked nearby, mechanics crawling all over them to make final adjustments and ensure they were secure.
The pinkette found the Oerbans standing at the front of the deck, the wind tussling Fang's hair about as she stood with an arm around Vanille's shoulder. Lightning approached and placed a hand on her back, stroking the bare skin beneath the sari with her thumb. She could feel the corded tension, and the slight catch with every careful inhale. When the engines started whirring, the soldier was surprised at the level of noise. It was far quieter than she was anticipating for a machine of this size, and she felt Fang laughing through the hand I on her back.
"Viper ingenuity," the brunette joked, remembering how deafening the warships used to be over the city. Lightning only just managed to hear the quip over the roar of the engines and rolled her eyes. All three of them felt their stomachs drop as the vessel began to lurch from the ground.
"O' Fal'Cie, I beseech thee, return me to my home.. That I may sleep a crystal sleep, not a Cie'th to roam." Fang's voice was deep and soulful, and Lightning stared in shock. She knew the brunette could hold a note from the times she'd heard her humming while meditating or cooking. But this was the first time she'd heard her sing, putting words to the tune heard many times before.
"O' Fal'Cie, I beseech thee, have mercy on my soul.. I have served for clan and kin, to pay the mournful toll. All I've done for hearth and home, a focus I can nay recall. By Etro's blessing I stand and sing, fighting true for all."
Even the mechanics nearby had stopped what they were doing and listened, and Vanille had joined in as well, her voice softer and adding harmonies that offset the husky drone of Fang's voice. "O' Fal'Cie, I beseech thee, return me to the plains.. Overlooking my love, my land and home, as the Cocoon wanes. All I've lived and loved and lost, I did so without fear. But now I wish to see my lands as the dark end nears."
Lightning felt an arm slip around her and Fang drew her into an embrace. She rest her head in the crook of the Pulsian's neck, watching the skyline of Academia start to shrink as the ship slowly ascended. "O' Fal'Cie, I beseech thee, return me to my home.. That I may sleep a crystal sleep, not a Cie'th to roam." Fang finished with a whisper, and felt Vanille hug her tightly. The three women remained close, until Sazh's voice blared over the intercom for all personnel on the deck to get inside before their altitude got any higher.
"Come on, let's go see the rest of the ship and our quarters." Lightning said, taking the brunette by the waist and giving Vanille a comforting squeeze on the shoulder with her other free hand.