AN: whoops forgot my note this time. Sorry it took so long to update! I've been a bit overwhelmed with college and dragon age 2 i must admit, though that second part leads to the question. "Wait...if your overwhelmed...then how are you finding time to play dragon age 2..." =D well you see the thing is =D hahaha anyway as always enjoy. P.S this is totally un-beta'ed so if you see any mistakes please tell me! i will gladly fix them.

The Other Side

After scrambling through a narrow crevice I know I'll have a few bruises and scrapes once this is over. But I carry on my speed unfaltering for a short time. I began to slow as I wove a precarious path through the large branches and cliffs of the Yaschas Massif. My legs are at the cusp of decline, acid already stinging my muscles. Juokas is closing the distance between us on these corners, of all the directions to go, I had to pick Yaschas Massif. To my credit it has been five hundred years, if I remember correctly there was a city up ahead.

I sprinted around a corner barreling over a small cliff before i knew it, I was kissing stone. Juokas laughed nearby as I groaned moving to stand. A firm foot pressed me back down, "Ha… Ha if I wasn't so out of breath I'd be laughin'." I pushed up again getting no reaction, "You're already laughing, now let me up please." "Why should I you ass. Runnin' off like that! Makin' me chase you, no! Serves you right, deceptive minx." I huffed, starting to feel the pointed pain of pebbles digging into my soft flesh. Taking a deep breath, I twist my body snaking my left arm around her leg. She hissed as I yanked, pulling her to the ground. I used the momentum to roll over her and propel myself to my feet.

"I wouldn't have made a very good Sanctum Security officer if I couldn't get out of a situation like that. Ahh the good old days when things were simple and I had a home to go back to every night…" My voice petered out, tone tinged with longing and sadness. "Enough of that, nothing will come of it." Pumping myself up, I hop from foot to foot a few times before rolling my shoulders and taking a deep breath. "I need to will the emotions away nothing good will come from dwelling on it…they won't come back."

[Juokas]

I watched silently frowning as Blue rationalized her sadness away. I suppose this is harder for her in a way. We both lost everything we've known but at least I can walk around Gran Pulse and see it for what is it. The cities are no longer there but there's something. Returning to my feet quietly I can see her brow is scrunched into a scowl as she concentrates going from foot to foot. She sighed; her eyes opened staring ahead at the ruins. "Sometimes I feel so hopeless Juokas. I wonder what's left for me. Of course I put on a brave face and smile but…ha wow…" She paused as something occurred to her "I'm the butt of my own joke." She shook her head with obvious irritation. My eyes narrow, "The butt of your own joke?" Her head turns, her eyes crystal clear, no doubt or hesitation. "Indeed I am!" Her head tilts as she peers into the sky, "Ah sweet irony you never cease to plague me, I wonder if I shall ever repay you for you close ministrations."

I watch her as she began to pace slowly in a circle, her head down, hands clasped behind her back. She stayed like this for a while as I thought to myself.

She isn't goin' to tell me what she's talkin' about. I've never seen this…cold? No it's not that it's a cool bitterness…frustration? Possibly, I wish she would tell me already, it's not like it's a military secret. She stopped her circular rotation and turned to face me. "Sorry." She muttered quietly, fingers running through her hair. "By that look, I gather that you want to me explain. I know you want to help, but it's a very long story. Unfortunately I don't remember all of it yet, when I do I'll tell you. But to give you a general idea it has to do with my sister…Ramstis." She said her sister's name sourly.

"You make it sound as if you two were the worst of enemies." I murmured.

She nods her head, "In a way we were, for a while everyone chalked it up to sibling rivalry but I wouldn't be shocked if my sister genuinely hated me." "That's horrible, I'm sure she cared for you, you were family after all." Her shoulders sagged, "Ramstis was an ass. Always questioning me…what I wore, my friends, career choice, my loyalty anything she could pick at she did. It was so frustrating! She was a bitter lout who swore up and down that I was our parent's favorite child. BAH! I was the one they were worried about, they thought I was going to follow in my mother's footsteps and become an 'Outlaw Pirate Queen extraordinaire" as she once described it. My Dad…Ramstis was his favorite; she was the most like him. I was just like my mother, rowdy and wild with a clever tongue and a resilient sense of humor. He didn't worry about Ramstis, she was serious and by the book, following all the rules. Mateo and I, we were the wild ones always getting into things. Even when we were older…Ramstis had a soft spot for Mateo, not me though. Not sure what about me made her act the way she did."

I wait for her to continue. Blue turned her shoulders straighten again and her smile renewed. "But enough of that sappiness! Where is it getting us but nowhere fast?" Blue chortled as she walked further on glimpsing into the ruins pointing. "Should we go inside or just explore those skyscrapers over yonder?" I paused thinking, "How about….Neitha'. We don't have any equipment on us, if we come across any high level monsters we'd end up minced meat."

[Blue]

Smiling I concede, "All very true, we'll have to come back here soon. Who knows what we'll find in this place." Juokas's eyes widen questioningly, "Nothin' but fiends and a graveyard." A name floats across my thoughts, "Paddra." Juokas leans in closer not hearing what I muttered, "Paddra" I say it again loud enough for her to hear.

"Now where did you learn that?" She cocked an eyebrow as she settled in against a shady pillar. I scratched my head trying to search deeper into my thoughts but to no avail, "It just floated across my mind why? What's Paddra?" Waving her arms to our surroundings, "This is Paddra. Have you been here before? Durin' the war?" I can feel a memory bubbling up but it slips away like sand through my fingers, "I think so, but for what and why I can't recall…Much like everything else, how annoying. Well if we aren't going to explore Paddra then we better start heading back."

"Why so early?" Juokas glances up at the sun, "It can't be more than an hour or two after 2 o clock." Blue flexed her legs, bending over stretching. She stood again, her face contorted in pain. "Most definitely over did the running, once we get back I'll sleep for weeks."

[Fang]

Fang walked through the streets of New Oerba keeping an eye out for the usual suspects. Down a little ways near a produce stand Fang can make out the hulking shape of Snow accompanied by the much smaller shape of Serah. "I wonder if I should go on over and say hello…I'd rather spare myself the daggered glares and mean spirited comments from Serah. She still hasn't forgivin' me for this mornin' but that one's on 'er" Snow glanced over spotting her in the crowd, Fang quickly made a "I'm not here" gesture before she ducked behind a stand. Serah twirled around all smiles following Snows line of sight. She punched him lightly, "I promise we'll go to the beach afterwards we need to get our shopping done first." Fang let out the breath she was holding, moving stealthily through the crowd. Once she made it past Snow and Serah she ran across Vanille in the town square.

The square consisted of a fountain in the center surrounded by a cobbled walkway. Beyond the walkway there is a wraparound garden filled to the brim with flowers of all sorts along with a few growing saplings here and there. Vanille was reclined amongst the flowers enjoying their floral aromas. Fang snuck over, took a deep breath before shouting "RAWRASKJDKASJDS". Vanille launched from her position fists up ready to fend off a fiend…she paused before pouting "FANG!" "Haha I'm sorry Vanille it was just too temptin'." Still pouting Vanille punched her lightly before returning to her seat.

"So what are you doin' here Vanille all by your lonesome? Where's Hope?" "He was helping Lightning with something real quick, he said he'd be back in a jiffy." "Ah mind pointin' me in Lightnin's direction, I've got a question to ask her." Vanille tossed her thumb over her shoulder, curling up into the flowers. Heading in the indicated direction Fang walked for a few minutes before coming across a gaggle of people all watching as the town sign is hung at the main gate. Lightnin' and Hope were standing towards the back. Hope was watching curiously while Lightnin' stood there shaking her head and pinching the bridge of her nose.

Fang saunters over, "Well well what do we have here?" Lightnin' looks up a scowl on her face despite her smile, "I ask for one or two people to help me mount the sign and suddenly it's a whole town affair." She grumbled crossing her arms, and stared crossly into the crowd. "Did you need something Fang? Or are you just here to stare at me?" Fang smirked, "Ha while temptin' as that may be I have prior…plans arranged." Lightning glanced at Fang long enough to catch her slightly smug and bemused expression. "Are these prior plans consisting of picking flowers with Vanille? Drinking beers at the bar with Snow and Nora? Or hunting?" Fang laughed, "None of the above actually! I had asked Blue to go fishin' with me today, but I can't find 'er anywhere." Lightning tilted her head looking at Fang, "I haven't seen them since they left the house this morning." "Them?" Fang quirked an eyebrow. Ligthning shrugged, "Yes them, like Juokas would let Blue wander off, she's as absent minded as you are at times Fang." Fang sagged noticeably, "Now that's just down right disappointin and woundin' all the same.'." She muttered quietly, "I am not absent minded." Hope turned smiling, "Vanille said she saw them running through the streets earlier. I'd ask her." "Of course…." Fang muttered rolling her eyes.

Fang walked back and stood over Vanille until she opened her eyes. "Hope has informed me that you saw Blue and Juokas earlier, yea?" Vanille nods, "I did, Juokas was chasing Blue. She probably said something that made Juokas mad." "Did'ja happen to see where they went off to?" Vanille nods again, "Yup they left town hours ago, they could be half way to Yaschas Massif by now." Vanille chuckled, closing her eyes. Fang sighed, "Alright hopefully they'll be back soon or else we'll have to send out the search parties."

[Blue]

We managed to sneak around the all the monsters we came across aside from a few Triffids. With some well used fire spells we managed to fight them off fairly quickly to walk away with only a few cuts. I paused looking out onto the steppe from under a shady outcropping, "Ha I regret running so far now! It's been an hour and we've only just now made it back to the Steppe." "Whelp now that you've heaped the blame on yourself we can get movin'." I huffed walking forward into the ocean of green grasses. A few Adamantoises lumbered across the horizon, "The first time I saw one of those I flipped. I'd never seen anything aside from a Fal'cie that was that massive! I felt bad when I crashed a gunship into one on accident, I'm not sure if it lived or not." Juokas turned her head as she walked giving me a skeptical look. "Oh really? The big bad Cocoon soldier had a conscience about Gran Pulse wild life? Aren't you full of surprises."

I rolled my eyes and continued walking. We stayed quiet as we crossed the open terrain of the Steppe. "What did Cocoon folk like yourself call us Pulsians?" I turn, eyebrows raised, "What do you mean exactly? Are you asking if we had any slurs? Or in general?" "Both if you're offerin'." Still walking, "We'll I was out of commission for a few years but aside from the generic 'savages', 'hellions' there weren't any slurs I can recall that were used against you all as a whole." I paused making drawing out a circle in the air. "But the Sanctum always preached that Pulse was hell! It was a really reallllllly bad place that no one ever wanted to go, ever!" I said with sarcastic flourish. She chuckled, "That can't be all of it." "Well I wasn't too hip on the hatemongering of a people we had no contact with. I saw it as pointless and unproductive. But the Sanctum hatemongered for a reason."

"That reason being?" I sighed facing her as I walked, "I'm sure you can figure it out, your smart…for a Pulsian." Muttering that last part I sped up my pace. "No I don't think so vipa', you're plan isn't goin' to work. I'm not gonna get flustered and forget my question." I raised my hands in surrender, "It couldn't hurt to try. Well to answer your question, they used the hatemongering to stir up fear in the populous." She nodded, "Why'd they want to do a crazy thing like that huh?" "They wanted to quell the unrest by introducing an outside threat. By introducing this outside threat they were able to make us all unite together under the Sanctum to fight against Pulse."

"So what would you say if I said Cocoon started the war, not Gran Pulse?" Her eyes narrowed. "I would say that that is more than likely what happened. After all if there was no actual attack people would call them out for spewing hot air and the unrest would ensue amongst the populous anew." Juokas nodded, "That all makes sense for the most part. I'm sure if we were in that situation we would have done the same thing." There was a comfortable pause between us for a while. "Why were you called Blur?" I laughed, "I should be asking you that question. Then again I have no idea which side that nickname originated from." "You have to have some idea?" "None in the slightest, but good news is I can see New Oerba!" Juokas looks over smiling before turning back with a frown. "It's a speck on the horizon and here you are raisin' my hopes."

It was late afternoon by the time we trudged back into town, exhausted. In front of us stood a group of ten people both able bodied men and women. They had on gear and weapons, Fang and Lightning were giving them instructions. "What's the occasion?" I couldn't keep the mirth out of my voice, "Don't tell me that you were going to send out search parties? We've only been gone a few hours." Lightning turned, arms already crossed, brow set to full scowl. "Yes, don't forget to mention without weapons or supplies." I tapped Juokas's arm lightly, "And I wonder why we didn't stay out longer." Juokas rolled her eyes. Fang turned looking as cross as Lightning, "We were supposed ta go fishin' today Blue or did you forget?" I chuckled sheepishly, "Well now that you reminded me…" Fang shook her head, "Alright everyone go home, seems you won't be needed after all." There was a chorus of disappointed groans.

"Oh don't act all depressed, there are fish out and about at all times of the day. If we're lucky we'll catch something interesting. All we have to do is set out some nets and reel in the catch tomorrow morning. Come on now we have some work ahead of us."

Several hours later after the last net was set, "I don't remember fishin' bein' this complicated." I chuckled, "Fang it seems you have gone fishing with nets before, usually the process is straight forward, but since we're fishing in the ocean not a river it's a little more complicated." Juokas called from the docks saying dinner was ready; Fang mumbled something about it takin' forever as she swam back to shore. "Eyy! Aren't you comin'? Grubs on!" "I'll catch up Fang! I'm just going to tie this off." I secured the net, testing it twice before letting it drift down into the water. I swam lazily back to shore, and toweled off before going upstairs to change.

Dinner was a little less crowded tonight now without Szah or Dhaj but everyone else was in attendance. After finishing my food I sat their quietly thinking as everyone else ate. I leaned back, "Would it be unreasonable to ask to have my things back?" Fang's eyes popped up from her food focusing on me. I could feel all eyes on me. I cleared my throat, "I understand why you may not be comfortable giving me back my weapons, but at least give me my hip satchel." Fang smirked, "Ha I was goin' to give you back everythin' but if that's all you want…" "Oh I didn't know you worked miracles Fang, now that you ask a sail boat or airship would be fantastic." Sarcasm stained my tone. Lightning watched from behind her glass as she sipped her coffee. Fang guffawed, "Wise ass, we'll give you your things back on one condition, you two can't leave the city until one of us," She points to herself and Lightning, "has seen that you are capable of wielding such weapons." I snorted, "ha alright, I'm sure I can satisfy you." "Oh I'm sure you could." Fang waggled her eyebrows and returned to her food as Serah's head popped up.

Since Fang had ducked and covered, Serah's wrath was directed down at me, "Stop encouraging her! Sometimes you're as bad as she is I swear!" I thumped my hand over my heart howling loudly, slipping out of my chair, to the floor. "Oh how you wound me Serah! Such harsh things you say. Oh my sensitive soul can't take anymo—" Juokas firmly kicked me in the stomach silencing me. Serah laughed, "It's nice to see something can shut her up." I lay on the floor nursing my newly earned bruise. I returned to my seat and leaned in close to whisper. "I'm going to get you back later…" Fang leaned back, "What was that?" "I was just telling Juokas to go easy on me later, I'm not sure I could make it through another—"Juokas clasped her hands over my mouth quickly, glaring at me. "Don't say it." She growled. I gave her an indignant scowl. She held her hand there until Lightning cleared her throat. I took a deep breath, "Like I was saying, I don't think I could make it through another," She starts to reach over again, "…sparing match."

Fang laughed, "Oh is that what you're calling it? Whatever makes you happy." Looking down the table I could see Serah blushing as she scowled down at her food. "Relax Serah I'm just teasing. What I really said was 'for the love of the maker Juokas go easy on me later'." My tone raised an octave and took on a pleading tone. Juokas elbowed me savagely in the ribs.