Okay...I'm sorry there was such a delay. 13-2 came out and totally bombed and killed my muse for continuing this. (Especially since they messed up everything for us 13 fans...thanks Enix...thanks) Anyway, I had a review that sparked me to continue. This, though, unfortunately, is now AU, (thank you yet again Enix) but I'm going to be continuing again! So, characters credit goes to Enix of course, and the idea is mine! So I hope you enjoy, (And don't worry, you'll figure out who 'him' is, though you might already know...lalalala) Anyways! Get to reading ^_^


Galenth Dysley…Gran Pulse. Images floated through her mind, all fuzzy, grey images. Yet something was happening. Lightning watched as Gran Pulse seemed to implode within itself, and there she was, watching as Fang and Vanille did something to themselves, beckoning to her. With steady strides she walked toward them, hands outstretched. That image faded as a new one took its place. Was that…could it be-…


Lightning groaned and blinked, raising herself up for a moment before sinking down again. Weary body had been put through too much, she could feel it screaming when she attempted to move. Unfortunately, another warrior had other ideas.

"Get the hell up Loight, we got problems."

Fang…

It all came rushing back the second she felt herself being shaken awake. Gritting her teeth to ignore the screaming that her body was doing, Lightning shrugged off the hand that was shaking at her. "Alright Fang, I'm awake," she growled out, successfully sitting up, hunched over herself, hand clasped at her chest. Where…

The hell.

She remembered Titan…why had Titan scooped them up in his giant hand? He was charged with keeping the ecosystem in check, balancing it out. From what Lightning had seen though, he had never left his lair up in the Faultwarrens. For anything…ever. And now why-

"God dammit," came the curse, followed by a "Fang!" Lightning really had missed these two. Glancing up to see what the problem was, however, she suddenly noticed the burning on her chest. Grunting, Lightning curled her fingers up into more of a fist and looked over at Fang and Vanille. She instantly saw what Fang was swearing about. Fang's brand…it was back, and-…it was active. Recoiling in surprise, she watched, almost as if in a nightmare, as Vanille lifted her furs to reveal her own brand, active as well. "Faaaaaaaaaaaaang!", came her squeal, before the older Pulsian went to the younger. With shaky fingers, Light started to unzip her top, down until she too uttered here own opinion on the matter. "Shit."

Zipping it up just as quickly, Lightning sat with a dumbfounded expression on her face. They had…had completed their focus! But wait-…what had those images been? "Looks loike we got ourselves some problems again, eh?" Fang's bitter tone made her glance up quickly, aqua eyes piercing into the Pulsian's. "You saw him? You saw…Pulse?"

"Gran Pulse," came the immediate correction.

Lightning nodded the correction. "Gran Pulse."

Vanille had to interject then. "Was it…Gran Pulse being…being…" her squeaky voice faded then, before she did her praying thing with her pinkies. Fang had stopped to look at her orange haired friend, before turning back toward Lightning. "I did, Tha' damned Barthandelus 'ad better stay the hell away from 'ere. I'll kick his ass myself." Lightning bowed her head a little bit, trying to remember. "Not him…Fang, the other man?" She got a shrewd, calculating look from the Pulsian. "Could be, then again, moight not be, ya' never know, Loight. But hell, we got better things ta' discus then a damned man, no matter who 'e is!"

Fang was right, but…why him?

"I don't WANT TO be a l'cie.", came another pitiful squeak from Vanille. Lightning had had about enough of that. "None of us want to," she snapped out, taking in her thoughts to continue when she got a sharp look from Fang. "Tha's enough Loight. She's jus' gettin' it out, no harm in tha'." Fang was right, of course, and so Lightning backed off, but still. She'd had enough squealing about matters like this.

So they were l'cie again. What was their focus this time? It had to involve Dysley, Gran Pulse, and him. Why…he was supposed to be dead. Then again, weren't Fang and Vanille? Wasn't Dylsey supposed to be dead? "In that vision, Pulse was being destroyed, was it not? Is Dysley going after Pulse-" "Gran Pulse." "…Gran Pulse," she corrected quickly, before continuing. "Is Dysley going after Gran Pulse because he failed with Cocoon? He could be after the same thing, you know. Bringing the Maker back…but why Titan? Why did he brand us?"

Thankfully Fang seemed to have an explanation for that. "Titan keeps things runnin' 'round 'ere. He doesn't normally step outta his little cove ta' be bothered by things, but if Gran Pulse was threatened…he'd try to protect it. I've never 'eard of 'im brandin' anyone in the past, but there's first toimes fer everythin', ya know?"

So their duty was to protect Pulse? That sounded like something Snow would say.

Sitting on the grassy plains that surrounded the crystallized Cocoon, Lightning glanced up at it, wishing she could have all the answers. Vanille once again spoke, dragging Lightning from her thoughts. "We can do it! I know we can!" Fang's nod didn't elevate Lightning's doubts, but it sure did help. She was used to Vanille being optimistic, but Fang was different. The hand that was lowered down to her caused Lightning to glance up into the intense green eyes belonging to the Pulsian huntress that was offering it. "Come on then Loight. Missy's roight. We can, an' we 'ave. It's either tha', or cie'th city. What would ya rather?"

"Tch." Clasping Fang's hand, Lightning allowed herself to be pulled to her feet, before she brushed herself off.

"Fate deals its hand again. Or so it would seem."

The new voice caused all three of the women to whirl around, before Lightning recoiled slightly in surprise.

It was him…