Author's Note: Sorry for taking so long guys. I kind of lost my muse for the story after playing Requiem for the Goddess when it came out back in May. I'm gonna try and get back in the mood to at least complete this story though I'm also going to be gone for vacation and stuff like that. I'm also job hunting so I'm going to apologize now if the next update doesn't come for awhile. That being said please remember not to be rude when you leave comments, I'll get to the story when I get to it.
Also just to clear up something that I noticed a few people say in the reviews, The Archylte Steppe - ? AF and The Archylte Steppe - Year Unknown are NOT the same year/period. AF is clearly the one from Final Fantasy XIII-2 with the hunting village and the The Archylte Steppe - Year Unknown is the one we've never gotten to see in the games – a time when Gran Pulse is full of native-life.
I hope you enjoy the chapter.
Word Count: 2,184
Chapter 6
The Archylte Steppe - Year Unknown
"Oerba Dia Vanille." she heard the councilmen call out as all eyes seemed to fall on her. Clutching the edge of her skirt, she finally got up from her knees – her whole body quivering with fear on the inside. This was it. Her big moment, the same moment she'd been dreaming about ever since she was a girl of five.
Walking up the stone steps, she kept her eyes on the iron-made building. At the top of the stairs and the room to the left was where her destiny resided. 'Deep breaths…' she told herself as she slowly made her way up the familiar steps of the Oerbain town square – eyes flocking to her as the rest of the community rode around doing their everyday routines.
Reaching the door, she placed a clammy hand on the steel door handle. Entering the small room, I saw her. Clear as day. Paddra Nsu Yeul the seerees, who was practically a legend. Our eyes locked onto one another while she gave a small yet adoring smile as she held up a hand motioning her to sit. Nodding, I headed to the chair opposite of her. Looking up, I felt my heart beat hasten as I tried my best to give her a smile as I introduced myself like countless others had done before me.
"Hello there, I am Oerba Dia Vanille." she told the young girl uneasily. Almost as if reading her thoughts, Yeul let out a small laugh while saying in a raspy almost monotone voice, "Relax."
"Right…" Vanille breathed out as she looked down at the table in front of her.
"Shall we begin, you who I've seen?" Yeul asked her, her emerald orbs examining her - a small tinge of worry crossing her child-like features.
"Yes." Vanille answered, her hands once again clutching the cotton material of her orange skirt. 'It's now or never. No matta what she tells me…'
"I've seen you, as well as many others multiple times now, rippling down the timeline," she began.
"The timeline?"
"Yes. You and them. You all have a connection. A connection, like me, formed by the Goddess herself. In the days following, your fate will be known. You and a friend will be put through multiple trials. Whether you succeed or fail, will be your decision in the end. However, whatever you think you decide will be all part of fate's plan. You cannot change it and you cannot escape it..."
Her eyes shot open - She could hear Hope's gentle breaths under the moonlight. Rolling over on her back, her accessories jingled and jangled creating almost a musical tone. Her emerald orbs shot up to the sky as the stars twinkled over head above them. 'Yeul…could everything that happened yesterday be what she meant? A trial that involved that strange monster and… a friend who'd go through it with me.' Vanille thought to herself, her eyes falling on Hope's sleeping form beside her.
'Could it be Hope?'
The Archylte Steppe - ? AF
"How much longer?" Sazh spat out as he wiped some sweat from his brow - it had seemed like days had passed since they left the debris of the airship and headed out onto the Steppe of Gran Pulse.
"I'm sure it can't be too much longer," Vanille tried to assure him with a smile; her own eyes slowly making their way over to the young hunter, Noel, who was walking a head of her a good ways. Shooting a glance back at the party he rubbed the back of his head, his fingers rustling his brown hair.
"Remember, I never said it was the same time period now. For all we know we could just be wasting our time. But I think it's at least worth a try. If we are in the same time period as when Serah and I came here… then I'm sure the hunters we met would be willing to give us some help or at least shelter in food."
Tossing an aggravated hand over towards him, Fang clenched her teeth. "We don't have time to playing around. You saw it back there, the world's falling apart," she scolded. Trying to ignore the hot-tempered woman, Noel kept on walking tired of her doubt in him, a small sigh escaping his lips.
"I know. You don't have to remind me," he muttered out as he remembered everything they had just managed to escape from. Caius' defeat, Serah's death, Lightning's epitaph, Acedamia being swallowed by the chaos of Valhalla and Hope's disappearance into the timeline. All of it was like a never-ending nightmare for him. I never wanted anyone to die. Not Caius. Not Yeul. And definitely not Serah, but in the end every one of them…' he trailed off as he continued on, his pace slowing ever so slightly.
Letting go of Dajh's hand Vanille made her way over to Fang – the tall grasses of the Steppe tickling her legs. Putting a reassuring hand on her sister's shoulder, the redhead couldn't help but say, "Don't worry, Fang. Everything is gonna be all right, you'll see! We'll fix things right up. Remember you told me that."
Sighing, Fang shook her head a bit a gentle smile crossing her face as she looked down at Vanille, "Right." Pressing on, the group finally saw a structure out in the distance – it was made up of iron and scrap metal structures looking like walls and ramp ways.
"Is that it?" Vanille asked as she ran up beside Noel and looked out across the large grassland they still had to cross.
"Looks like it." Noel chimed out, a grin plastered on his face. 'Guess this really is the same time period or at least close enough to it. I wonder if Tipur is still around? If he is that'll make this a hell of a lot easier.'
Looking back at everyone as they all made their way over the rolling hills of the Steppe, he found himself asking "Shall we?"
"Let's go!" Dahj replied happily as Chocolina gave a small pip of agreement as Noel took off, Dahj following close behind – the baby chocobo clinging to the young boy's growing afro. Reaching the top just in the nick of time, Sazh saw the gang being to jump down and make their way through the waist-high grasslands.
"Whoa, can't you let me at least catch my breath?" Sazh bellowed out as she doubled over and placed his hands on his knees taking a few much need breaths. Stopping in her tracks, Vanille made her way over to him.
"Later old man, let's get going." Vanille giggled out as she ran behind him and gave him a few helpful pushes – while Fang just made her way over quietly – still worrying about just what they were doing.
The Archylte Steppe - Year Unknown
"Rise and shine!" Vanille's voice echoed out startling Hope from his sleep. His eyes sprung open, only to be blinded by the bright sunlight that cascaded down over the Steppe. "Whoa!" he cried out at the sound as he instantly jumped up, his jacket falling down to his lap; while his back shot out pain all through his body.
Seeing his face cringe up, she felt her heart sink a little as she mumbled out a small, "Sorry". To be honest she'd almost forgotten about his injury, however, it was clear he was far from healed.
Winching, Hope rubbed some sleep from his eyes and tried his best to focus in on her while blink battling the sun spots away. "Wha-what time is it?" he managed to ask, his heart beat finally starting to slow down from his startling wake-up call.
Despite that his back was still sore as ever, he had to admit he'd slept rather well! Which for him was something he hadn't had in quite a while. 'Maybe it was because I didn't have to worry about her…I mean all these years I've always been uneasy about the pillar falling and her crystal being shattered but… here she is. Safe and sound.'
Not thinking about it, his left hand had made his way towards his back to check for anything that might have come out from his sudden movements. Not feeling anything or seeing it, he left out a sigh of relief. 'That's good. The last thing I'd want to do is make her feel bad about it…' he told himself, his eyes slowly looking over at her.
Chuckling a bit at his response, Vanille Leaned down toward him. Her smile beamed down almost as brightly as the sun as she stood there, her face in his. "Let's eat!"
Hope cocked his head to the side clearly not expecting that – since the fact that it was morning seemed to have escaped his mind. "Eat what?" he asked groggily.
Sure they had the Leyak from yesterday, but, if they ate that, then what would she take back to Oerba when she left him.
Not wasting a second, Vanille answered him, "This little guy of course!" holding up the dead little monster in the process. Jumping up like a spring Vanille looked down at him, her eyes inviting him to get to his feet. Making his way up slowly and painfully, he was soon standing right in front of her. His head looking down at her like she'd done with him back when he was fourteen.
Eyeing the Leyak he couldn't help but cringe. It had been awhile, since he had to rough it out on the Steppe, in fact he was quite certain the last time he had ever had a Leyak was back before the fall of Cocoon and their fight with Orphan.
And if he remembered correctly, he really didn't care for it. Even now, it still didn't look too appetizing. Then again, this could possibly be his only chance to eat, at least for the day since he'd probably be on his own for the rest of the day looking for his artefact. Clearly reading his face Vanille let out a small laugh as she looked up into his eyes.
"Don't worry Cocoon, it won't kill you!" she called out cheerily as she let go of his arm.
"Cocoon?" Hope repeated clearly taken back by his new nickname - his eyes looking down at her as he gave her a stern look. It wasn't that he didn't like it. In fact he kind of liked it but, after waiting so long to hear her say his name again, he really didn't want to give up the chance. Taking the hint, Vanille gave a small shrug.
"Fine. Fine. Hope." She finally said as if reading his mind. "First things first though. We need to make a fire – that won't attract anyone's attention." She told him as she shot a glance out over the grassland, obviously in the direction of Oerba. After all she didn't go back last night, which meant she never met with Fang. She wouldn't be surprised if a small search party hadn't started for her already.
Following her eyes, Hope could only guess she was thinking of home. After all she did stay out on the Steppe all night. ' Fang's probably worried… if she saw me here with Vanille she'd probably punch me,' he mused as he remembered the older Pulsian girl's temper when it came to the two of them sleeping too close to one another back when they were all traveling together. 'or kill me.'
'If Vanille doesn't go back soon and people start looking for her then… it'll be bad for me. I need to try and get her to leave that way I won't have to worry about getting caught out here.'
Picking up what was left of his blood stained jacket he slowly wrapped its sleeves around his waist while talking, "If you're so worried, why not just go back?" Hope found himself asking her. He was after all a complete stranger to this time's Vanille. Even if it was her fault for him getting hurt in some ways, though he never really looked at it that way since he'd jumped in to save her all on his own. "I mean… someone's gotta be looking for you, right?"
"Because…" she began only to pause. Why have I stayed? I mean I couldn't really have left in the night since there was no tellin' what might have snatched me on up, but why did I stay till Hope to woke up? Was it because I was worried about his back or… somethin' else'
Meanwhile back in Oerba, Fang made her way down the metal steps that went into their community hut, her brow furrowed.
"That kid. I specifically told her to meet me out there last night!" she raged more to herself then the passing Oerbans. "Hope nothing happened to her," she breathed out, as a look of concern crossed her stern features. Reaching the stables to the rear of the village, she grabbed her lance and saddled up her Chocobo – preparing to ride.