Yesterday had been a good day. Well, at least the start had been good. But then again, that really didn't make an impact on today, did it? Yeah. All sorts of confusing thoughts ran through my mind. I was just that sort of person. I was confusing. It took some people years to figure me out.
It had been two years since Cacoon had fallen, and Orphan had been killed. Cacoon was silent, or forbidding sphere that rested above our heads, a reminder of the chaos and destruction that Fal'Cie could inflict upon a world. Why, if it were not for Fang and Vanille, the rest of us would have died with Orphan. The two inhabits of Gran Pulse were huddled together, solidified as crystal when they had taken to Ragnarok's form and had created a fragile looking pillar that held Cacoon above us. They had completed their focus. It was them that had saved us. It was their sacrifice that kept the empty shell of an old home from coming down on our heads.
The companions of Fang and Vanille had also played a huge roll in saving us all. Lightning, Hope, Snow, and Sazh had stood resolute for the past two years. They were guardians, protectors of a dead world, and thriving new one. They were heroes. It had not been so long ago that everyone had feared them, wanting them to die, but then again, that was what the Sanctum had told the people. L'Cie of Pulse were evil. They wanted to kill us all. No longer. They were revered as living gods now.
I watched them with admiration and in some cases, pride. They had been L'Cie, just like me. I had not told anyone about it. Well, there was one person that knew, but I trusted him with the secret. He was the only person that I trusted with my secret. My brand was settled upon my left hip. It was covered with the leather breeches that I had on. I was hardly going to let anyone see it.
I sat upon my small rock, looking of the city that had slowly been built back up to a modern and grand field. Gran Pulse had once been full of human life and scattered all over it's surface had been cities, towns, and villages. It had really not been all that long ago that all human life on Pulse had just disappeared, no clue of what had happened to them. Cacoon's banished residents had been astonished by the lack of human life when they had come across the ghosts of the buildings of the cities, and the left over road system. It had not taken long for us to rebuild everything, and bring it back to glory. Pulse was starting to come back to life again.
"Fang and Vanille would relish seeing that," I mused, a small smile on my face despite the heavy feeling I carried in my heart. I lifted my head, looking to the column in the sky that held Cacoon up. In the very core of that were my sister. Not by blood, obviously, but they had been there when I had been a child. Oerba had not been the same when they had left.
I had been a foolish child when I had been growing up, and when they had disappeared, I had tried to follow. I had become branded that day. My focus? Do not even ask me. I can't remember it. Perhaps it was something large like destroying a government, or something as simple as disposing of a deadly creature. I couldn't remember. I had completed my focus, because I had woken up in a cave, my body stiff from being crystal. I had been so shocked, but when I had looked at my brand, it had been a frosted looking color. Well, ya know, and I hard suddenly seen so many strange people hugging and kissing and rejoicing in the plains together. They had not been from Pulse, of that I had been very sure.
Vanille, Fang, and I were the only living natives of Gran Pulse. No one knew that though. They had all taken for granted that all those that had been on Pulse had either died out, or were Vanille and Fang. The fools. To everyone around, I was simply Luka. No one knew me. I had told everyone that my parents and friends had died during the massacure in Sanctum. Perhaps it was about time that I tell someone. After all, they had all been here for two years.
I smoothed back my unruly locks of tawny hair and leaned down. I plucked up my oriental bow and hopped down from the from. I needed some hang time. Perhaps I could summon my Eidolon. It had been awhile since I had allowed Frigga to see the light of day.
There was a sudden wind that seemed to pick up out of nowhere, my hair started to whip back and forth, my garnet eyes stayed focused. I looked down at my hand, a circle of glowing runes started to dance across my skin. I held up my glowing hand and thrust it skyward. The terrible that screech that resounded through the plains made me wince. Someone had to have heard that one.
"Frigga," was my tender reply as the flaming bird dropped down in front of my still form. She was raw power, life and fire. She was not afraid of anything. Nothing at all. She had been my sole companion for awhile. The bird nudged it's gracefully arched head into my hands. It was a good thing that her flaming fire didn't affect me. I would have been burnt to a crisp by now.
The wild pheonix had a saddle rested upon her shoulders, just before her wings branched off from her body. Even though she was my summoning, she had a mind of her own. I ran my fingers over her glossy feathers as she "turn off" the fire. Naturally, she had a steel looking color that was mingle with black. It almost looked like ash. I buried my face into her warm body and inhaled her scent. She smelled like home. I wasted not another second as I crawled up into her saddle.
Frigga spread her wings, her feathers burst to life once more as she pumped her wings into an upward motion. It looked so easy to fly, to hang onto a flaming bird. Yes, I was thinking of some massive sarcasm right there. While Frigga was not able to burn me, I could sometimes still get myself hurt if I fell off. So while I hung on for dear life, my Eidolon took to the clear skies.
Some people thought that it was fun to ride horses, or race through the countryside in a fancy and expensive car. None of those people knew what it was like to fly. I closed my eyes, threw my head back and extended my arms out. My legs were clamped a bit tighter around the saddle, to make sure I didn't fall. The wind ripped through my hair and quickly made my sweat slicked skin cool again. I loved flying, and Frigga was the only beast that I trusted to carry me. She had other uses than just flying. She could also turn herself into a deadly weapon if I were to be attacked. I trusted this bird. I would fly for awhile longer.
Normally after such a long flight, my rear end was normally sore, but today had been different. My heart had been soaring with my summoning. Frigga had since disappeared as I landed on the balls of my feet upon on of the grassy knolls of the plains. [i] Where is everyone? [/i] I wondered to myself. There was no one out and about. The quiet wind whispered in my ears and blew my hair all about. It was quiet. Peace and quiet was something that I reveled in.
"LUKAAAAAAAA!"
I turned just in time to see Dajh, Sazh's son, run toward me. The eight year old was one adorable kid. I wrapped him up in a playful embrace and had him squirming and giggling all the while. I loved the little guy. He was just a very cheerful person, and that was something that I loved. I had come to know him and his father. Sazh was a good guy. Vanille and Fang had trusted him.
"What are you doin? You know the plains are dangerous. You're such a small little guy to be out here on your own."
Dajh refused to answer my questions. That gave me a hinting suggestion that he had once again run off in hopes of dragging his father into yet another game of hide-and-seek. Poor Sazh was probably going crazy with worry while his young son was with me. Poor guy.
Dajh pushed the waist of my breeches down just an inch or two so that he could spy my odd looking brand. "It's still there. Why won't it go away like my dad's did?"
I really didn't know. I had complete my focus, so why didn't it go away. I wish it would. I couldn't take it for much longer, knowing that I was utterly and entirely alone. Dajh had once been a l'Cie, so he knew what it was like to be different. He had once had a brand, but even his was gone now. No one had seen a Fal'Cie in a couple of months, so no one else had been made in a l'Cie.
"Maybe I'm being saved for some larger scheme? Who knows, Dajh. Just make sure you don't tell anyone about this brand. You know how people react. The people of Cacoon still don't like me, nor will they like it if they ever found out I'm a l'Cie OR that I'm from Gran Pulse," I stated. As if that was bad enough. Half of the people would have a stroke if they found out I was also a native of Pulse.
"Promise!"
"Good. Now, shouldn't you run off and go find your father? It's not nice to run away while he talking to his friends. Even you know better than that, ya little monster." I grinned widely.
"Fine! I'll go, just don't tell him I left! He thinks I'm in my room!" The boy snigger and turned, running off. That got a grin and a shake of a head out of me.
I raised a hand, using it to shield the sunlight from my eyes. I loved watching the afro bounce up and down as Dajh ran back to his father's home. A smile cracked over my expression and I closed my eyes, sighing through a gentle laugh. Quiet again.
"You're from Gran Pulse?"
I jolted out my thoughts, my eyes snapped open and my hand instinctively drew up my bow and had an arrow held back as I turned. The minute I armed myself, so did he. His silver hair flashed and his bright eyes filled with surprise as he took a step back, his own weapon, a boomerang, was resting in his hand. He was in a stance to throw it, just as I was in a stance to shoot my arrow. I knew him. Hope Estheim was his name. Neither of us spoke for a long drawn moment.
"You're from Gran Pulse?" He repeated again.
I didn't want to answer. Gods, I really did not want to answer him.
"I already saw your brand. I know you're l'Cie. If you're from Pulse, just tell me."
I felt a strange emotion rise up in my belly. I was not sure whether it was an anger, or a numb feeling of being found out. I let loose the arrow from the string and put it back in the quiver. My bow was dropped onto the grass. I was defeated.
"Yes. I'm from Gran Pulse."
I would regret those words in the months to come.