(3,704 words) I'm sorry if this took a bit to update, I'm the idiot with nine stories being written at the same time. Plus my beta got distracted by playing XIII so she wasn't on fanfiction, but luckily I reminded her of them and she did this. Now she just has the other DOCX and the one I'm putting up later today to do.

Disclaimer: I don't own this, I just want to steal the legal rights to Serah.

Dance against the wind

Chapter 8: Leaving behind

Fang sat near her bedside window, on a burgundy cushioned chair pushed across from her dressing table. She sat in her mother's old wedding dress; two days previous its hems had been adjusted so it reached her feet. That ecstatic woman had arranged everything so fast the time had gone like a blur. A part of her was joyful, but still she felt the most peculiar sense of sadness and fear. She was going to leave this place, like she'd always wished that someday she would. But this had been her whole world for the short eighteen years or her life; even if she hated those people she called her parents, this was home. She'd befriended many of her father's slaves and got along with them all very well, it was a shame she would never see them again. She had no idea of life beyond this household, it was going to be so different, so the fear she felt as normal.

A bird chirped somewhere out in the distance, as she sighed and rested her head on the gold painted window sill. The dress was beautiful; even she had to admit that. It flowed down her legs with large ruffles curving in and out, on the waist was a silver slash tied in a bow-knot at the back. The bust had been adjusted as well to fit her body-type as it differed greatly from her mother's; the silver butterfly patterned lace that went up the middle had been stretched out to allow more room. The collar was square shaped, close to her neck at the sides and dipping at the back and front, the edgings were made of the same silver lace that covered the middle of her chest but was cut into small triangular shapes around her neck. The sleeves puffed out slightly at her shoulders and then clung tightly to her arm the rest of the way down to her elbows where they stopped and were met with blue-tinted white gloves. She had on a pair of elegant white heels and under them thin white stockings to cover the rest of her feet. The maids had attempted to fix up her hair, but it still remained quite similar to the mess it usually was. It was straighter at least; many of the strands stayed down but one or two were too stubborn to obey. She'd been told it didn't matter anyway as her veil would cover her hair and those disobedient locks would be missed.

The ceremony would start soon. A silly part of her wanted to laugh, but the rest of her made the thought stay a thought. She was marrying a friend; it seemed so weird a thought. Neither felt anything either physically or emotionally for each other, but everyone else had fallen for their lie so easily. It showed how little people cared to think about what went on in other's lives. You could say anything and it'd be believed, only because they didn't have the proof it wasn't the truth anyway.

Fang looked to the side as her door creaked open; she rose up out of her seat when surprisingly the woman at the door happened to be Annette. Her hair was a mess at the moment thanks to all the sleeping she'd been doing lately. Her skin was strangely radiant, and her stomach was considerably larger since last time she'd been able to talk with the woman.

"Annette? What are you doing here? You should be sleeping; Sazh might get worried about you." She spoke up, but the elder only smiled brightly at her.

"Oh come on Fang, you've been like a daughter to me, don't you think I would have loved to see you on your big day. I missed my actual daughter's because of your papa; do you think I'd dare miss this?" She asked in sweet voice.

Fang smiled slightly at that, she had missed out on much of her children's lives because all three had been sold off as teens. This woman had been a second mother to her and Vanille for as long as she could remember, she would have wanted to be here no matter what she was supposed to be doing right at this moment.

"You still care even though you know the real reason behind this?" She chuckled dryly, Annette was silent as she strode over to her and placed her hands on the younger woman's shoulders.

"Of course it counts, no matter what the reason you're doing this. It's a good deed you're doing too."

"Good deed?" She looked up into her bright hazel eyes.

"Yes, we've heard plenty about Mr Raines's parents, none of us would've been surprised if his mother decided she'd set him up with some pretty young lass. And most of us know as well about that Ben's differences, we could guess he'd have to make many sacrifices to avoid more troubles in his life. That plan you've created saves them both form having to make those sacrifices." Annette beamed brightly at her. Fang tried to give her a smile in return, but couldn't bring herself to make one.

"But are you alright?" The motherly woman put a hand on Fang's chin to keep her looking into her eyes; she was trying to find the fear in those jade orbs. "You know you'll be alright in the end, you don't have to worry so much."

"But…!"

"It'll be alright, believe me." She told her sternly, eyes firmly stuck on her.

"But how am I to know that it will be for me just because it is for them?" She asked her pleading for some kind of answer.

Annette didn't give a straight away reply; she stayed quiet while her expression was switching between one expressing thought to a soft look.

"People never know what the future holds. You can only wait and find out; you can't know now, because it's yet to pass."

Fang smiled at her attempt to cheer her up, she was always trying her hardest to make others feel better, even if she has her own problems to deal with. The raven haired woman opened her mouth to say something but was stopped when Annette pulled her into a hug and whispered softly against her ear.

"It's too late to back out now, you know that well enough, but don't you dare be afraid, you've nothing to fear."

She pulled back and gave her a smile, to which Fang returned this time.

"I'll miss you, you know that right?" She mumbled as a tear rolled down her cheek.

"Of course I know that, it'll be the same for us." The ageing woman gave a pause, "He wants to move to Cocoon from what I heard; that's a long way away."

"Hell yeah it is, but it's for the best. It's far away from those that know us so no one will get suspicious if something seems a little up, plus they don't have slaves there so it will be better for Ben." She laughed but still a tear rolled down, it wasn't happy or sad, it was both.

"I wish you luck then sweetie, new places can be scary."

"Thanks Annette, I really mean it." She wiped the droplets from her eyes.

The woman beamed at her, "I know. But I've got to get going before Awana finds me here, can't judge a book by the cover with that woman, she can get angry pretty easy." She pivoted and headed for the door.

"Wait!" Fang called as her hand touched the knob, she twisted her head around with a questioning look planted on her face. "What?"

"Can you tell Sazh that I promise him that I'm going to save Vanille from that place, it was never right that they sent her there. I need to take her out."

Annette smiled a melancholy smile, "Of course Fang. Goodbye." And with that she exited the room and shut the door behind her.

Fang had to wish that it wouldn't be the last time she saw her, but the future was anyone's guess. So for now it had to stay as simply a wish.

She sighed and swiped at another tear that dared to fall, before returning to the chair at her window, and waiting until she had to go downstairs for the ceremony.

….

The sun was slowly falling behind the hills and the sky was painted a beautiful gold. A pair of maids had come in earlier to do her make-up before it all started. It wasn't long now, she would soon be made to go downstairs after all the guests had arrived and had settled down in the grand hall, for that was where her mother had set it to happen. And another room almost just as grand had been set up for the reception.

She sat in front of her mirror, staring at her own reflection with a blank stare. Why did she have to be so scared, what was it that made her feel this way? Was she scared her parents would find out the truth? She knew they wouldn't, she had them under her thumb believing each and every lie that she fed them. They were blind, loving a side of her made up for them, for the sake of the delusion that they had raised one daughter the way they wanted her to be. They would never know, she could scream the truth at them and they would think she was messing with them and that was it.

"Dove?" A light voice called from behind her, looking in the direction of the sound she spotted her mother dressed up in her best outfit standing by the door, with one hand resting on the knob.

"Yes?" She replied, her voice void of emotion.

Her mother didn't voice a reply, instead she watched as the woman's face turned into a smile that spread all across her face and a joyful tear dripped down her face. She crossed the space between them in a second and stood in front of her, trying her dandiest to hold in all her emotions lest they explode out of her.

"Oh I knew you would look beautiful in that dress, you look even better than I did in it. Oh I'm so proud of you." She rested a dainty hand on her daughter's right shoulder, beaming.

Fang's eyes lingered over to the gloved hand before returning to look at her mother's face.

"Thanks."

She knew the woman was still talking, but she couldn't hear it. Her mind had made her go deaf, she could only see the mouth movement. If she didn't have those lines on her face, if that hair wasn't so long, if it was lighter, she'd look identical to her younger daughter; the one she refused to admit even existed.

"Fang are you alright?" The question broke through her trance; she blinked twice like she'd forgotten the woman was there, despite having her right in front of her.

The redhead looked so concerned; those big pea green eyes were filled with sadness.

"Why do you ask?"

"You look like your mind is on something else, are you worried about today?" She inquired, being the concerned mother she was for once.

"I don't think that's it." She shook her head and looked back at her reflection in the shining mirror.

"What is it then?" She leaned over her shoulder so if Fang wanted to look at her reflection she was stuck seeing her mother's as well.

She thought about that, it was a lot of things in all honesty. But what was most important?

Then it clicked, "I miss my sister." She choked back tears. Oh god she did, every day she did with all her heart, all her joy filled childhood memories contained that happy go lucky girl. She'd always been there; all those times when they'd made wishes for the future, she'd been there. Was it because this, for whatever reason, was a milestone in her life. One she had to make alone without Vanille's smiling face.

Her mother stood up abruptly, staring at her incredulity, like what she said just wasn't possible.

"Vanille? That girl? But why?" She questioned severely.

It was her daughter's turn now to return the look she'd been given at her words. "She's my sister, I love her. She's the only one that has really cared."

"But she's insane, there's a reason your father sent her to that place you know!" Awana screamed harshly, any joy she felt had been washed away by anger.

"Because she told you that she had befriended a man who was trying to do his best for his family, but because his skin was a different colour to yours you reckon she was nuts, do you know how insane that sounds!" She growled, startling the petite women.

"They're not like us…"

"Of course they're not; they aren't a bunch of bitches and assholes who think they own the world."

"Fang how dare you speak this way to me! I'm your mother!"

"Well if you don't want me to then leave!" Her daughter snapped and stood up, towering above the redhead.

Awana gave her a hurt and fearful look. "Dove, what's gotten into you?"

"Nothing, I'm just giving you my own thoughts on things. I don't care right now what you think of who she chose to befriend, but she's my sister and I have a right to have wanted her here!"

"But Fang..!"

"Leave, for the goddess' sake just leave!" The raven hair screamed at the top of her lungs.

Her mother looked like she was in pain, but the look stayed in her sight for a second only as she got the message and left the room. Fang exhaled noisily and sat back down; she hoped no one had heard that. Bad thing how loud she'd chosen to be.

Fang sat in silence for the rest of the time she remained in her room. She barely knew if she should feel bad or not for what she'd said to her mother. But she deserved it so much, someone needed to tell her off, she had this stupid mindset that whatever she thought was right, but it never was, not once.

"Miss Oerba?" A quaint voice spoke up from the doorway; she tilted her head to see the teenage face of one of the slaves looking over at her.

"Yes?"

"It's starting; you need to go downstairs." She informed her; the Pulsian woman nodded and flipped her veil over her face.

"Right." She rose from the burgundy seat and moved past the young girl at the door.

…

The grand hall had been set up with silver chairs on each side in perfectly straight rows; the end had been made to look as similar to a church as it could be. A red carpet had been rolled out down the aisle for her to walk on which ended on the second step up the small stage that had been created just for this. When she stood at the entrance, all eyes fell upon her in her flowing white dress. The bouquet was filled with red roses, heh, the flower of love, when she thought about it, it seemed so funny. There was no love on this occasion. When she began her walk down the aisle, she looked up into Cid's eyes; they held that same fear as she had had before. The fear that somehow everyone would find out this was all one big lie, to escape a fate neither wanted.

She had already convinced herself, however difficult it had been to do so, that that just simply wasn't possible. This crowd would believe anything you'd tell them, and they were utterly convinced that she and Cid were in love, and that was the thought they would always think from now on. She flashed him a smile that might hopefully give him more confidence in this moment, knowing most would misinterpret it as her being happy. She wasn't happy, she was marrying her best friend; it felt strange, if this wasn't her only choice she would be visually showing that weird feeling screaming to her in her poor head.

The only people she recognised in the crowd were her parents and Rygdia, and he was only there because their fathers were good business partners. Her mother, as she noticed, was acting like she hadn't been affected at all by their argument earlier. Well she had gotten her acting talent from somewhere hadn't she?

She reached the end at the aisle and stepped up onto the stage by Cid. It was peculiar that she still felt scared, even without love being a factor of the occasion. She wasn't a shy person for sure, but maybe no matter what a moment like this could freak anyone out. Luckily her mind blacked out so much after a minute for standing there, her ears blocked out the sound of voices almost completely, she more than once missed what the priest was saying, but it was fine as long as she heard what needed to be heard.

"Do you, Cid Raines, take Oerba Yun Fang as your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better; for worse, for richer; for poorer, in sickness and health, until death do you part?"

There was a quick pause as Cid struggled to get the words from out of his throat, "I do."

The priest turned his face to Fang,

"And do you Oerba Yun Fang take Cid Raines as your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better; for worse, for richer; for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"

She looked at him as he gave her an expectant gaze, she found it almost unnerving coming from his old scrunched up face. So she switched it to Cid, who was giving a similar one, but she wasn't bothered from it coming from such a familiar face.

"I do."

…

The rest of the night went smoothly, and not even one person suspected a thing. Even those who noticed that little conversation Rygdia had with them at the start of the reception, no one heard it as he made himself quiet on purpose, but something was certainly off about it.

Fang was surprised at herself that she managed to keep calm, she even did when her gaze passed by her mother and she was reminded of their argument from earlier. She wondered if her father knew yet. By judging how he still looked so damn joyful at the moment, she took it as a no.

Cid was a little unsettled, but unless you were close to him; to which only a few in the room were, you wouldn't have even taken the slightest bit of notice.

Her plan had gone off perfect, only a little remained; that being them leaving this bloody place, but she was sure it would be fine from now on.

…

She was elated how fast that day did come, though they had planned to leave only a couple days after the wedding. They were heading to Cocoon, south Bodhum to be exact; Cid's father ran a small business there and using his connections he had secured getting them a house up there. She sat out on her house's porch as the last of the luggage was loaded onto the carriage. It was a two day's trip from Oerba to Bodhum, but a family friend had opted to let the newly-weds stay for one night at his house before they moved on.

She didn't know how to describe how she felt leaving this place; she was going to miss those she knew, excluding her parents who she was glad to be leaving behind. Bodhum would be a totally new experience for her, and she welcomed it with open arms.

"Leaving soon are you?" A familiar voice piped up from besides her, she tilted her gaze and was astounded to see Sazh standing by her with his back against a pillar.

"Sazh!" She shouted happily, getting up to stand by him.

"Just wanted to see you once before you leave is all, nothing wrong with that right?"

"'Course not, but guessing from how you said that you're not actually allowed to be here right?" She asked chuckling.

"Oh I'm supposed to be at the stables, on cleaning duty. But I decided this was better than cleaning up horse poop."

"Nice way to put it." She rolled her eyes.

Sazh joined in in a quick laugh, before continuing the conversation, "So I got told your dad's not letting you leave empty handed or something?"

"Yeah, said we need help with things, so we could pick any two slaves of our choice and they were to help us in our new home so we wouldn't have to go through with the trouble of finding maids and the like." She smirked at that.

"So you picked that Ben kid obviously?" He laughed,

"Well of course, makes you feel like they're playing right into my hands. Picked him and his big sister, her name's Jane if I can remember right." She clasped her hands together with a cheeky look.

"That'd be right." He chuckled dryly, "Well sorry to say but I've gotta get going, before anyone finds out I'm gone. Good luck alright?" He placed a hand on her shoulder. "And don't forget about your promise; you gonna rescue that girl?"

Fang gave him a melancholy smile. "Of course I will." She placed her hand atop his. "But could you promise me one more insane thing?"

"And what would that be?"

"That I'll see you again." She answered, looking up to his dark eyes with her begging ones.

"We'll see. That's up to life, alright?" And stepped back and gave her one last wave, before he walked around the corner of the massive home. She waved back, but he wouldn't have seen it.

"Fang!" She heard Cid call out, she looked his way curiously.

"Come on, we're going." He informed her.

"Right."

Don't worry, it's still FLight and all that, her being married means nothing. Just saying for any fearful fans of the FLight match-up.

I'm starting to think that my fans don't like me any more, I haven't gotten a review in so long. The only one that has is my sister but she's being nice because she knows the full extent of my paranoia. Seriously guys, so over 200 people read the last two chapters and not a single one had it in their heads to review? Do you understand how much that hurts me? I'm a paranoid idiot, sure I see the hits and views but without a review I feel like no one really cares, that they're just reading this so they have something to read. Be nice. And give me a review, concrit is welcomed, I know I deserve some at least, I'm not briliiant.

PS, I'm taking a break to plan out my stories and could you be nice and maybe read my big sister's stories, her name is 'seeker of the skies'. Also I like to see some more hits of my tragic masterpiece 'Wings of regret' and it'd be nice if you paid a visit to my new story that should be up in a couple of days, it's called 'Innocent eyes'. But be warned that story is messed up.

Bye bye,

~Serah Villiers Valentine