AN- I am in single digits til moving day! Upside- HOUSE. TO. MYSELF. WITH NO. FRIGGIN. IN-LAWS. Downside- we all know Telstra is going to fuck up the internet relocation so... You know, I might be offline for a week or two depending on how it goes. So I'm going to try to update everything before next week! As always, you're amazing, thanks for reading, hoorayimuseful. tumblr. com if you want updates art and renders in relation to these and other fics.
Fang lay sprawled on the bed in their quarters, which she was more than satisfied with in terms of its size. If only the matron from the orphanage could see her now. Captain's quarters in a Pulsian warship.
"Ha. Suck it, Yifat, you uppity old bat." She murmured happily to herself.
Lightning looked up from her spot at the desk at the sound of the brunette's voice and smiled. Almost a week into travel and thus far no issues. She knew it wouldn't last, whatever they found would mean hard work, adventure and very likely danger. But until then she would enjoy the peace of the drifting over the clouds and the sea.
They would spend the sunsets out on the deck, Sazh lowering the altitude enough for people to go out and sky watch, and dimming the lights on the ship once the sun set to illuminate the night sky. Even Fang wasn't able to continue regaling the pinkette with stories of the stars, lost in the beauty of the darkness.
"Hey, Fang?"
"Hmm?" The Pulsian hummed from her comfy position on the bed. She felt the mattress dip as Lightning climbed onto it and grinned, pulling the soldier on top of her. An undignified squeak escaped Lightning's mouth and she scowled, knowing full well that the expression no longer had any effect. Fang just simply found it adorable.
"I was wondering, did you want to go downstairs for a drink? We don't have much else going on, and it'd be good to catch up with people."
"You? Social? You runnin' a fever?"
"Oh hah hah. You want to go or not?"
The Pulsian nodded and sat up, straightening the shirt she wore that had ridden up from her constant stretching on the bed. She was delighted by the distracted dart of her partner's eyes as they snapped to the skin on her torso. She pulled Lightning against her, making a contented sound in her throat as the pinkette's arms moved automatically around her waist.
"We fit well together, don't you think?" Fang whispered against the soldier's ear, indulging in playing with the pale hair and causing the shorter woman to shiver. She received a light smack against her side as Lightning untangled herself and gave a small grin.
"If you want to go for that drink we'd better leave now, before we fit together for the rest of the evening."
Fang smirked and followed her up the small steps to the door, feeling happy and relaxed for the first time in ages. Her thoughts drifted from Lightning to the rest of her impromptu family and she frowned, remembering a key absence from the docks the day they left.
"Random question. You heard from Serah on the comms?" She asked as they made their way to the elevator. Lightning shook her head and worried at her lip.
"No. I haven't. Hope hasn't heard from her either. I think she might still be mad that I told her to stay behind. She came to grab the keys and was fine that morning but then I didn't see her... At the port..."
Her eyes narrowed and Fang flinched, following the soldier's train of thought. "You don't think that... Surely not. We haven't seen her or Snow on board?"
Lightning didn't respond, merely quickened her pace towards the bar as she felt her temper rise. For once she hoped she was wrong. She prayed to the Goddess Etro that she was wrong. The door slid open and Lebreau looked startled as the pinkette strode into the room.
"H-hey Light, here for a night cap?" the bartender squeaked, feeling the soldier's scrutiny like it was burning her skin.
"Where. Are. They." Lightning ground through her teeth. The room was so silent it hurt the Pulsian's ears. Fang sighed and strolled behind the bar to help herself, narrowly avoiding tripping over the two hiding bodies in the process. She fixed herself a drink slowly throughout the tense silence, not saying anything while she took a long sip.
"Look, you can either stay down there like a pack of idiots or you can come clean and get it over with. Lebreau this is one tasty liqueur, I hope you've stocked more of it." Fang drawled, her casual demeanour contrasting the anger pouring off the pinkette in waves. A long sigh drew out from below the counter and Serah slowly stood, followed closely by Snow, who kept the younger Farron between him and the glowering soldier as a shield.
"You. With me. Now." Lightning snapped, pointing at her sister. Serah swallowed hard and tensed her shoulders, walking out from behind the counter and following the soldier from the bar. Snow moved to go after them but was grabbed by Fang around the arm. She pulled him back to the stool and motioned for Lebreau to hand him a beer.
"I'd recommend not following. You and I both know she has a mean right hook."
Snow sat down and side-eyed the brunette, as if he expected a trap. "You're... Remarkably calm about this." He cautiously observed while the Pulsian chuckled and swirled the drink in her glass.
"Haven't you been keeping up with the news? Getting stressed is dangerous for me these days, so I try to just take things as they come. While our Sunshine has a few more things to work through with her own anger issues, I am content to sit here and have a drink."
The blonde smiled and brought his can up, which Fang clinked her glass against. "Here's to Lightning not killing your fiancé, I guess." She said with a twitch of her lips, while Snow groaned into his beverage. "Why is she still your fiancé anyway? Haven't you two gone through the ceremony yet?"
"We were... Waiting on you and Vanille to come home. Waiting to make sure you were... You know, better."
Fang smiled broadly and they bumped wrists. "It doesn't bother me that you're here, Snow. I personally welcome it. Don't tell Light I said that though."
Lightning had found a storage area down by engineering that was out of the way, and the hum of the engines would more than suffice to drown out any screaming, or gunshots. She stared at her sister with folded arms and Serah simply mirrored the expression, both waiting to see who would crack first.
With a huff, the elder Farron dropped her arms and placed her hands on her hips, beyond exasperated at this point. "I honestly don't know what to be more impressed by. The stupidity of you being here, or that you've somehow managed to hide both yourself and your six foot fiancé from me for the better part of a week. Lebreau was in on it wasn't she?"
"So what if she was?" Sarah snapped back, refusing to be intimidated by her sibling. "I wasn't about to let you go on this trek across the world where I was just going to sit back and wait for a call that something had happened to you."
Lightning opened her mouth to give a scathing retort but was surprised by the younger Farron stepping into her space and jamming a finger into her sternum.
"No. No. And no. You don't get to start the whole overprotective... Thing all over again. That was what landed us in this whole L'Cie mess in the first place."
The words came like a slap to the face and stung her to the core. It was her overbearing need to protect the last remnant of her family that pushed Serah away in the first place, that set them on the chaotic path that brought down Cocoon's entire way of life. She couldn't say one way or another if things would have turned out different, she was glad things didn't turn out different but... Any argument she had suddenly deflated and she sat down on the stairs, her head in her hands.
"Do you really resent me for everything that happened after our parents died?" She whispered. Serah looked mildly panicked by the rapid shift in her sister's demeanour. She sat down next to the older pinkette and placed one hand on her knee, and the other around her back.
"Why would you think that?"
"The way you rebelled so hard against anything I tried to do to... I was so scared of losing you too, yet in the end I did exactly that anyway. I pushed you away because you hated me taking on the responsibility to keep us both out of the system and in our home."
Serah's heart broke at the thought of hating her sister. "Claire... No I don't resent you and I don't hate you. I was angry, back then. I wanted you to be my sister, not my parent. But I understand now that I'm older why you did whatever you had to so that we didn't get separated."
"I'm scared of something going wrong on this trip. There is so much that could go wrong..."
The younger Farron rubbed her sister's back to try to offer any comfort she could, worried at seeing her in this state. "We live on Gran Pulse now, Claire. Most of the people that could protect me are here on this ship. New Bodhum could get flattened by an adamantoise tomorrow. Or another Fal'Cie could crop up and brand us all."
Lightning had to concede the point. At least she could keep an eye on her while they were away.
"That's not to say I'm willing to stay on the sidelines either. I'm a pretty good shot, I learnt from the best. Snow is here with me too because you are his family too. Just as much as Fang, Vanille, Sazh and Dajh are our family as well. We're here to protect-"
"We're here to protect you too, you bloody idiot!" Fang snapped, pushing into the soldier's space. "Stop trying to take all of Cocoon onto your damn shoulders!"
The rest of the group remained silent while the two women stared each other down. Sazh took Vanille by the shoulders and whispered about going to find herbs, making a tactful retreat. Snow and Hope decided to do the same, muttering about scouting the area.
The tall stalks swayed in the gentle breeze, the only sound in the immediate vicinity. They had chosen to take a detour through Vallis Media hunting for a mark that carried more surprises than one. Not only was it an alpha beast that dwarfed the gorgonopsids on the Steppe, it had amassed a following of the smaller fiends that ambushed them as soon as the group approached.
Lightning went it alone as per usual, trying to keep everyone else from harm. She trained for this, and with the powers of the L'Cie she was faster, stronger... Possibly more stubborn too. A lucky swipe at the back of her leg had her drop to the ground and had a gorgonopsid on her, biting into her arm savagely. It was inches from her throat before it was pierced through the side from a familiar red lance.
The Pulsian was more than angry, starting an argument the instant the alpha beast was slain. Now, they stood in silence, Lightning still clutching her arm against her torso tightly, in an attempt to stem the bleeding. Fang threw her hands in the air and let them drop to her sides. "What the hell is your damage, Light? I'm meant to be the reckless moron and here you are throwing yourself into the fray, damn the consequences."
With a click of her tongue, the pinkette looked away as the huntress approached. "I don't have to worry about anyone else. It's easier that way."
"That's bullshit and you know it."
Lightning stepped forward and shoved Fang backwards, grimacing at the pain in her arm. "What's it matter to you anyway? Why would you care if I go and get myself killed? Aren't we all just vipers to you?"
"No, you're closer to family now, and all we got left." Fang said quietly, startling the soldier into silence and stillness. "Look around you, Light. This is it. I don't believe for a second that we will find anyone else alive down here."
Lightning shook her head, disbelieving the nihilistic outlook. "You can't give up-"
"It's not about giving up, Sunshine," Fang laughed bitterly, "These plains would be teeming with hunters this time of year while the game is good. We've doubled back from the sub-terra to get a few more marks before heading onto Oerba, but we haven't come across anyone yet. If none of the usual settlements are here, there's going to be nobody back home."
The Pulsian's voice broke on the last few words, and Lightning watched her blink back tears. "So yeah, I do care if you go and get killed." She croaked, gently taking the soldier's arm and applying any curas she could muster. "I'm not as good at this as Vanille or Hope, but I figure you're about as stubborn as I am when it comes to injuries and showing weakness so... Hopefully it's enough."
Lightning looked away, tears stinging at her own eyes. She felt tanned fingers sliding around her jaw and guiding her face back to find Fang standing close. Threatening to lose herself in the jade eyes watching her, she swallowed hard as the huntress leant forward.
"Try to stick around with us to the end, Light. I'm getting too fond of your bitchy stubbornness to lose you now." Fang said with a grin, breaking the mood with her candour. She let go of the soldier and sauntered away, not before throwing the final word over her shoulder.
"You're not alone in this, Lightning. So don't try to be."
"… Claire?"
Lightning shook herself out of her memory and stared at the faint scars that ran along her arm. "You will be in the hangar tomorrow, after breakfast."
"If you think you're sticking me on a jet and sending me ba-mmph!" The elder Farron placed a hand over Serah's mouth to stifle the protests.
"After breakfast. With Snow. I'm going to put you through basic training. I need to see if you've been keeping up with your self-defence, and then after lunch we're going up to the deck so I can see you handle a weapon."
The younger pinkette's eyes glistened with tears as Lightning slowly removed her hand. "You mean it?" She asked, hesitant and disbelieving.
"I do, yes. If you're staying you're expected to pull your weight on the ship and you'll be expected to know how to defend yourself. So, after breakfast."
Lightning quickly stood and turned on the steps, before Serah pulled her back down them and into a hug. "Thank you, sis." She whispered against the soldier's neck. After a few moments the embrace was returned, and they stayed there a while, quiet save for the hum of the engines below them.
"Hmmmm."
Fang looked up from the datapad she was reading and frowned. "Sazh, you're at the helm of a giant ship resurrected from the scrap yard. I can't begin to tell you how much I don't like that sound coming from your mouth."
The pilot turned and stood from his chair, stretching to pop the bones in his neck. "It's nothing concerning," he replied, rolling his shoulders.
"I sense a but." The Pulsian drawled, unimpressed.
"But, the engines are overheating a little. It's been a week and we've been going non-stop with a little over halfway to the Safe Zone. We will have to touch down somewhere soon and get the engineers to check it out before it becomes a problem."
The Safe Zone was the designated area that would be the base of operations for the ship to touch down. Far enough off the coast of the lands they deciphered on the map, but close enough to run scouting missions with the smaller jets.
The Pulsian sighed and brought up the map on the large screen on the bridge. They'd have to find somewhere safe enough to touch down, with no evidence of active civilisation, but with resources for the others to track down while the ship was being seen to.
"There. There's a chain of islands arranged in a weird fashion about thirty klicks east of our current position."
Sazh brought up the coordinates and nodded in agreement. "This bird will double as a sailer if we need to, it'll be a good time to test it in the shallow waters nearby. Go get your girl and scout the area, scanners are picking up some sort of ruins."
With a lazy salute and a huge grin, Fang leapt over the railing on the bridge and raced down the corridor to the elevators. She passed Vanille in the hall as she was coming out of her quarters and waved. "Looks like we get to go stretch our legs for a little while, 'Nille. They've found some ruins nearby and we don't have records of anyone out this far!"
The redhead's jaw snapped shut mid-yawn and she was suddenly very wide awake. "Light's up on the deck with Serah running through target practice. I'll go get a jet prepped."
"You're not flying it." Fang replied and ignored the rude gesture she received in return. She impatiently rode the elevator up to the deck, tapping her foot with equal parts excitement and trepidation. She instinctively ducked when the doors open and the sound of gun shots rang out. It took a couple of seconds of controlled breathing to calm her racing heart when she remembered that Serah was up on the deck running drills with Lightning.
As she approached, she saw a warm smile on the pinkette's face and leant in to kiss her on the cheek. Lightning stole her lips instead for a more thorough morning greeting, not caring that her sister was standing right there with wide eyes. The soldier suddenly blushed, realising that was the first time she'd shown any public displays of affection with Fang. She cleared her throat and stepped back, nudging the Pulsian with her hip.
"There a reason we're decelerating and descending?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Ship needs to be looked at," Fang replied, holding up her hands before anyone could panic, "it's nothing serious, just being proactive so it doesn't become a problem. We've found some islands nearby that could be worth an investigation while we're waiting, you keen?"
Lightning smiled and nodded, turning back to Serah with a squeeze of her shoulder. "I would like if you stayed here, if that's alright." She said quietly, causing both her sister and partner's eyebrows to raise respectively. "You've got a better aim from the last time I saw you at the range, but your reflexes are a little short. Practice for me over the next couple of hours, and I'll test you when I get back."
"Alright," Serah relented, knowing that this was new that her sister wasn't demanding she stay but giving her the opportunity to defy if she truly wanted to. She didn't miss the relief in her sibling's eyes and shook her head. "But you're testing me the minute you get back."
"Fair enough."
Fang took the pinkette by the waist and led her away from the impromptu range they'd set up and over to the jet Vanille was prepping. "You're doing very well, with your sister there." The Pulsian observed, and Lightning clicked her tongue.
"I figured it would be hypocritical not to work on my stress levels while constantly telling you to do the same."
They got into the jet and Lightning settled into the pilot seat, calibrating the controls to her liking. They were airborne within minutes, not interested in waiting for the warship to reach ground. The small craft soared through the clouds, before dipping back down sharply towards the ocean. The pinkette was being a little reckless with the controls, but they were long overdue for some fun. Vanille squealed and clapped her hands as Lightning did another dive towards the island they'd found.
"Look! You can see giant spires from the ground!"
Fang peered out the window as the jet levelled out, seeing large structures sticking out of the ground at odd angles. They didn't look like any kind of building she remembered, or even any rational architecture from any other civilisation that wasn't Pulsian. They looked like spears, she noted, taking images for the database.
The jet touched down on the beach, a pristine white sand bar that stretched for a few kilometres either side from where they landed. Vanille jumped out and started running up the beach towards the nearest ruin at the edge of the trees. Fang stretched as she exited the jet, yawning loudly.
"This sun's damn nice, shoulda brought a towel and take a nap."
"And leave Vanille to whatever trouble she could get into?"
"... Valid point. Let's go."
They jogged up the beach, nudging at each other before their competitive natures got the best of them and they broke out in a sprint. Lightning was always going to win, and she slowed at the edges of the trees with a laugh.
"One... Day... I'll ... Get you..." Fang panted, bending over and resting her hands on her thighs as she caught her breath.
"Mmm perhaps. But definitely not any time soon if that performance was anything to go by..."
Fang's look of outrage at the jab would be enough to fuel the pinkette for days to come. They followed the overgrown path through to where Vanille was crouched, taking scans of the broken pillar.
"The markings are... Definitely Pulsian." The redhead breathed, her hands shaking with excitement. "But... They pre-date the War of Transgressions. These ruins are old."
The other two women looked at each other with surprise. "What do the markings say?" Lightning asked, intrigued at the implications of an early Pulsian settlement older than her companions.
"Hard to say, it's pretty eroded. All I can make out is that it's a warning. For what? I dunno."
The pinkette instinctively reached behind her and gripped at the hilt on her weapon. When Fang gave her an exasperated look she shrugged and gestured at the air around her.
"Don't care if these ruins are five thousand years old. A warning is a warning."
They spent the next few hours sifting through the rubble and ruins, moving through the jungle carefully. Fang felt itchy the deeper in they went. It was a familiar feeling, one that she had discovered was usually a precursor to her turning into Ragnarok.
"How are you holding up there?" Lightning asked quietly as they carefully climbing up a gully and took a rest at the top.
Fang tilted her hand horizontally with an uncertain noise in her throat. She leant against a tree observing the jungle beyond them. There was something on the edge of her awareness here, something she couldn't place and it made her nervous. She kept quiet about it though, not wanting to seem paranoid or like she was losing control. The pinkette's lips thinned as she watched her partner. She'd spent enough time training with Fang to see the signs. She pulled out her comms device and dialled up the ship.
"How's it going back there?" She asked as Sazh answered.
"Good, engines just needed a rest for a while. They're not designed to have this long haul travel for so long. If we keep an eye on it we'll be fine."
Lightning looked back over at Fang and saw the narrowed eyes and flare of her nostrils, as if she were trying to literally sniff out the island's secrets. "How much longer will we need?"
"Couple of hours, give or take."
"Take, Sazh. At this point, take. Get the ship back away from the island just in case we need to make a sudden exit."
If she listened carefully, the pinkette could hear Sazh swearing away from his headset. "For the love of... What have you found?"
"Nothing yet. Just... Just a feeling. I'll be in touch." She replied, hanging up and pocketing the device. With a gesture at the two Oerbans they continued on further into the island landscape.
Soft humming could be heard from the older Pulsian as they walked. Vanille was taking photos and skipping ahead, scanning the ruins and collecting samples. They hadn't run into anything dangerous for hours. Not even wildlife, Fang thought with an annoyed twitch of her eye. Her pace slowed with that realization until she came to a stop. Kneeling down, she scooped up a handful of dirt with a frown.
"There's nothing here..." the brunette muttered to herself. A part of her tried to draw the logical conclusion that the island was too isolated, but even that didn't stack up. There weren't even insects. Or remnants of deceased animals. No bones, no old nests, nothing. As a hunter it unsettled her. This was a place of death.
Vanille waved with a yell, drawing her from her thoughts. When she and Lightning approached, there was a huge statue that bore a barely visible mark on its chest that despite the erosion all three knew what it was.
"That's a L'cie brand." Lightning whispered, looking around at the nearby spires. Fang pursed her lips and suppressed a growl, her hackles well and truly raised at this point. She ran her hands over a vine covered portion to find an old stone carving that had been protected by the elements a little better from its natural encasing. With s frown, the brunette brushed the plants away and traced the carvings with her fingertips.
"Karr'yatha… Place of… Arachna?" Fang translated slowly, before paling. Oh. Fuck."
"What?" Lightning asked, not having time to get an answer when the Pulsian grabbed her by the arm and dragged her backwards, already breaking into a run. Vanille shot up at her sister's words and took off into the jungle immediately.
"Leaving! We're leaving! Everyone haul it back to the jet, hurry!"
They slid and leapt over the rubble in the jungle, not breaking pace. The pinkette was only further confused by Fang's sudden turn from laid back and lazy to panicking and retreating. A low rumbling sounded in the distance, and they felt the tremors beneath their feet. Suddenly countless mechanised fiends came pouring from the ground, tiny arachnoid creatures chasing the trio down.
Lightning cursed as they ran, pulling the comms unit out and bringing it to her ear. "Engines on, Sazh," she panted, not dropping her pace as they scrambled to the beach, "get the ship airborne and away from this island now."
"You wake up something big and ugly?"
"You could say that!" the pinkette replied sharply, pocketing the device and hauling it over rotted logs and vines that threatened to trip her up.
After Vanille stumbled for about the fifth time, Fang looked behind her to see the landscape moving and rising behind them, and the sea of spiders rushing towards them. "Screw this," she hissed under her breath and balled her fists, calling on her training and everything they'd spent months working tirelessly on. Her skin rippled as it shifted into a more muscular, bestial form. She felt taller, faster. With a growl she scooped up a startled Vanille and then came for the soldier as well. Lightning gave a yell that was caught somewhere between surprise and annoyance as Ragnarok took off at an incredible pace.
"Um, what are you doing?" Lightning asked, staring at the form of Ragnarok hesitantly. They'd yet to test this in the field under stress. Fang's lop-sided grin still somehow showed through the blue, armoured face.
"Too... Slow..." The beast replied, breaking out from the jungle and high-tailing it across the beach. She practically threw the two women into the jet, and thankfully Lightning wasted no time getting the wheels off the sand. "Senses... Brands... Senses... Me..." Fang said firmly as the jet became airborne, causing the pinkette to cast a nervous glance over her shoulder.
"What are you talking about? What can sense us?"
"Fal'Cie."
Lightning was suddenly forced to take evasive manoeuvres as a massive rock came hurling at them. "Etro, that looks like it threw half the mountainside at us."
"It... Did.." Fang replied with a growl, words coming slower and harder to speak in this form. The others stared in shock as the whole island came alive, shifting and moving to try to capture its prey. The sand bars that they thought were arranged in an odd fashion were in fact the Fal'Cie's enormous legs, sand and nature falling from them as it rose from the earth.
"That's a Fal'Cie that could rival Titan in size..." Lightning breathed, banking hard on the controls to get away from the living island as quickly as possible.
"Um. Lightning? What the hell is that thing?" Sazh asked through the communicator on the jet.
"We... May have accidentally woken an ancient Fal'Cie." She replied, pulling on the controls to get more height and punched the jet through the clouds. The pinkette turned to find Ragnarok standing in the open doorway, brow furrowed and eyes closed.
"Fang? You ok?"
A pained hiss escaped the beast and a hand was held up to stop anyone approaching. "Quiet. Talking."
"Talking? Who are you talking to?" Vanille asked nervously, double checking her seat belt for safety.
"Fal'Cie."
The redhead and soldier stared at each other. The violent hurling of bits of the island had ceased the moment Fang had shut her eyes. "Well that's... Different..." Lightning muttered, bringing the jet in line with the runway on the ship. They landed without further incident, the ground crew shying away in shock when Ragnarok stepped out on the platform and moved to the edge of the deck in silence. Sazh came running out with his guns drawn, slowing up as he saw Fang calmly walking away.
"Gods... I am never going to get used to seeing her like that."
"You'd be surprised," Lightning replied folding her arms while keeping an eye on the Pulsian. Serah appeared on the deck with a change of clothes for Fang and a fierce glare for her sister. The elder Farron rolled her eyes and clicked her tongue at her sibling. "Before you say anything, we weren't exactly planning for that island to be a damned Fal'Cie."
"No, not damned," Fang replied, walking over and taking the clothes from Sarah with a nod of thanks. The younger pinkette blushed and averted her gaze, though Fang cared little for matters of dignity at that point as she tugged the shirt over her head and pulled on the gym shorts. "Just startled him, that's all. It's been... Thousands of years since he'd seen anyone."
Lightning stared incredulously. "Unbelievable. You spoke to the Fal'Cie." She stated, unsure of her partner's state of mind. Fang nodded and gave a curt smile that showed her exhaustion.
"Yes. We're good for now, he won't cause us any grief. He's content to sleep as long as we don't go back. Oh, and," she called over her shoulder as she moved off to head back to the cabin, "he thanks us for ridding the world of Barthandelus. Apparently thought him to be a bit of a prick."
The pinkette just stared after her retreating form and rubbed her face with her hands. "For Etro's sake... If this is what we're dealing with at this point, I don't want to know what is waiting for us at the other end."