Author's Note: Hellooooo! If you were waiting for this to update, don't kill me! I just recently came up with a more solid plotline, which is why it's been like, two months-ish. But here's chapter 6!

"What was that?"

Fang had only been free for about ten minutes, and she was already almost wishing she wasn't. It was much less confusing to just be stuck in crystal.

"Something I hope I never see again." Hope growled.

"Me too." Vanille said. She did not like that woman.

"That was just the Chaos messing with us. Just like your mother, Hope." Noel said, "And Yeul. It's just trying to confuse us. Let's just forget about Alyssa, we have more important things to worry about."

"Noel's right." Hope sighed, "But... what do we do?" He hated this, he hated not having the answers. He didn't even have a clue. Ressurect the goddess. How were they supposed to do that?

"I really don't know. I was kinda hoping Lightning would give us a hint." Noel turned towards the Temple, "Hey, Lightning! Think you could give us a shove?"

Silence.

"Lightning?"

"...I can't...help you...anymore..." Her voice was very distant. It sounded like she was fading.

"Lightning!"

"...Fang...Vanille..."

As the last gentle whisps of her voice faded away, they knew, this time, she was gone.

"Lightning..." Vanille whispered.

"You come back, Soldier girl!" Fang shouted, "You can't just leave us!"

Hope grabbed her by the arm, "Fang-"

She ripped herself free, "Don't you tell me to calm down, Estheim!"

Hope backed off, "I wasn't going to. Before she set you free, Light said that you and Vanille would have some answers."

"Answers to what?"

"She didn't specify..."

"That's helpful." Fang huffed.

Noel stepped up, "Look, Lightning can't help. I say we start by looking around. It's better than just standing here."

"I agree." Vanille said, "So, where do we start?"

Noel gestured to all of Valhalla, "Anywhere. This place is ancient, there's gotta be clues somewhere."

So they searched. Which was harder than it should have been. Half of the buildings weren't even actually there; they appeared solid but turned to hardly more than smoke when approached. Needless to say, it didn't take long before some of them (*cough* Fang *cough*) started to get discouraged.

"This is hopeless." she muttered to herself after watching yet another building turn to mist before her eyes, but continuing forward, "How are we even supposed to-" Her frustration cut her off, because the building before her turned to mist, just as the last. "AUGH!"

She knew it wouldn't do any good. She knew her hand would go right though. But she didn't care. Fang took an angry swing at the building in front of her. As expected, her hand slipped right through.

"Got a score to settle with the building?" Noel joked.

Fang whipped around, she could have sworn he went off in a different direction, but this place was so messed up, who really knows. "Got something to say, pretty boy?" She snapped.

"As a matter of fact, I do." He took a step forward, swirling up Chaos with his sandals, "You seem pretty stressed out."

"So?"

"So... when was the last time the weight of the world wasn't on your shoulders?"

Now that really pissed her off, "You don't know what you're talking about, so shut it."

"I know more than you think I do. Serah told me-"

"She doesn't know either!" Fang growled, "Her Focus was over before it even started! I've been dealing with mine for the past thousand years!"

Noel backed off, raised his hands in surrender, "Sorry. Just thought I could help. You know, being an unbiased third party."

"It's too late for that." Fang's expression hardened, "No one can help me now."

"Not even Vanille?"

"What is wrong with you? Are you always this anoyying?"

Noel just gave a small chuckle, and at that moment, Fang saw something she didn't quite understand.

'Did his eyes just flicker?'

Noel had very blue eyes, which was one of the first things she noticed about him. But at that moment, when he laughed, they went from blue to, well, black. Souless pitch-black. If it had only happened once, she would have dismissed it, maybe not even have noticed. But Noel's eyes flickered several times, even if only for an instant.

Fang backed away from him.

Noel gave her a quizzical look, "Are you okay?"

"I don't know who, or what you are, but stay away from me."

The look on Noel's face caused white-hot adrenaline to shoot through her.

"I was wondering when you'd finally catch on."