Just as we were about to launch our offensive on the PSICOM troops at Palumpolum to protect at least Lightning and Hope, Rydgea managed to intercept two PSICOM reports. I could see him running up to our mini war council on the bridge of the Lindblum, his face concerned.

Raines saw it and stood up straight. "What news?"

Rydgea was panting, his hands on his knees before he straightened. "Two PSICOM reports, Captain. One from a battalion near Nautilus, the other in Palumpolum itself."

Fang put a hand on her hip. "What'd they say?"

"The Palumpolum report said that Yaag Rosch will be leading them."

Raines' face became slightly panicked. "Rosch? That is bad news."

"How's that?" Snow asked.

"Rosch is the Director of PSICOM as a whole. He's a ruthless soldier who sees nothing but the goal he has been set."

"Great. Now we've got that to contend with," I drawled, turning to Rydgea. "Did the Palumpolum transmission say anything else?"

The Cavalry officer nodded. "They're procuring the services of the Guardian Corps."

"That's not good," I remarked. "You know things are bad for PSICOM when they're demanding help."

Raines nodded his agreement. "What about the Nautilus report?"

"It came from Jihl Nabaat, sir."

The Captain flinched slightly, but motioned for him to continue.

"It stated that they've captured two l'Cie within Nautilus itself, using a boy, a Sanctum l'Cie named…Dajh."

My eyes widened. "Dajh…that's…"

Fang looked at me. "That's what?"

"Sazh kept saying that name. I asked him about it once, in the Vile Peaks. He said…" I looked seriously at them all. "Dajh is his son."

Snow gasped quietly. "PSICOM used Sazh's own son to get to him?"

Rydgea seemed shaken as well. "Him and a girl. She didn't seem old, but the report suggested she may be older than she looks."

Fang flinched at this news, but regained her composure quickly.

"Must be Vanille," I mused, still a little shaken. "So we know now that it's only Light and Hope at Palumpolum. Once we pick them up, we'll have to grab Sazh and Vanille of PSICOM as well."

Raines nodded, all business. "Agreed. For now, let's focus on our assault. Fang, lead Snow and Remus to the armoury."

The tall woman nodded and started walking. Snow followed closely behind, while I moved quickly to fall into step beside her.

"So how do you know Vanille?" I asked her.

She glared at me, but there was shock behind the glare. "How did you…"

"Your reactions every time she was mentioned. It implies a strong connection, like sisterly or romantic love, or something like that. So…"

Fang sighed. "Vanille and I aren't from around here, as you've probably figured out by now. We're from Gran Pulse."

I blinked. "Gran Pulse? Have we been getting the name wrong?"

She smiled. "Probably. I should mention, we were born a long time ago."

"Meaning…"

"We were encased in crystal hundreds of years ago. I can't remember why, but we were."

"No wonder Vanille's brand looked so different."

She became deadly serious. "What did it look like? Did you see it?"

"I-I did. It was bigger than ours, and there was a red…eye-ish thing forming on it."

Fang's face softened a little. "Okay."

"Well, now that that's done, can we continue with your story?" I asked then, hefting a rifle. Snow was nearby doing the same thing.

"We woke up a few days ago in the Vestige, not remembering anything about what our Focus was. Something reacted when we tried to leave. Apparently a girl had come into the Vestige, and it marked her."

A terrible suspicion dawned on me. "Serah…" I breathed.

She nodded. "I would say I'm sorry, but it wouldn't wake her up."

I nodded slowly. "It's fine. Nothing you could do about it."

"We were separated a few days later. My brand's been scorched, but Vanille's hasn't, as you already know. I wasn't gonna just let her get turned into a Cie'th."

"I can understand that," I said, remembering something I'd said not long after I'd been branded.

Fang smiled at me. "We got separated because we accidentally got that Dajh boy branded by the Sanctum fal'Cie. I wasn't gonna let them take Vanille. The Cavalry found me before PSICOM did, and this is the end result."

A tear had started to fall at the sad tale. It was like I was feeling Vanille's pain for accidentally allowing Serah and Dajh to be branded as opposing l'Cie and accidentally causing the Purge in the process.

She clearly saw the tear and smirked. "Don't go crying over me, kiddo. You might forget all about your soldier."

I did a double take. "She's not my…"

Fang and Snow laughed. If it weren't for the alternative, I'd have seriously considered killing them.

We saw Director Rosch of PSICOM land, accompanied by several hundred troops and a few camera drones. A Cavalry trooper had managed to hack into the camera feed and had noticed that Lightning and Hope were surrounded, and that Lightning seemed to be telling Hope to run.

I looked at Snow. "Now?"

His response was to grin. "Now!"

A trooper set off a bomb on the wall to open out a cavern in it; we charged. Snow and I carried rifles, but I probably wouldn't be using mine for long.

Once the balcony was cleared, Fang put her hands on her hips. "What's the plan, Snow?"

My brother put his gun on his right shoulder and grinned at her. "Since when have heroes ever needed plans?"

I sighed and threw my gun at Fang. "Again with the hero thing."

Snow put his arm in front of him. The brand on his wrist started to glow and a crystal resembling an ice shard rose from it. "Shiva!" he shouted, throwing the crystal in the air and shooting it.

A massive aura of light and dark blue runes appeared where the crystal once was, two lights at the epicentre. Eventually the lights coalesced into what appeared to be women, one a dark blue, the other a lighter shade. They fused hands and their bodies changed, transforming into – of all things – a motorcycle.

I started back. "What the hell?!"

"Remember what I said about Eidolons?" Fang shouted. "That's Snow's. The Shiva Sisters."

"Nice," I breathed.

Snow jumped aboard the Shiva-cycle (like the name I gave it?) and turned to us. "Fang! Hop on! Remus, you slide on behind us and get below! Help Light!"

"Slide?! Slide on what?!"

He grinned. "You'll see." He took off, leaving a trail of ice behind him.

I shook my head. "Damn show-off." I grinned and started sliding down the ice to ground level. When I reached that, I jumped off the ice and grabbed two fallen rifles. Spreading them wide, I emptied them of bullets, taking down several PSICOM and GC troopers in the process. When the guns were empty, I threw them away and ran to Lightning, who stood nearby. "Long time no see!"

"What did…"

"Long story short, I got taken in by the Cavalry..." Here I pointed at one of the soldiers in blue. "…and we organised this little rescue party. You like it?"

"Tch," she scoffed, looking away. "You've spent too much time with Snow."

"I know, and it's made me impulsive. Impulsive enough to do this, at least." Risking life and limb, I grabbed her by the waist and pulled her in for a kiss.

Lightning protested, hammering my shoulder with the hand that didn't hold her gunblade, before I pulled back, panting.

"Sorry. Had to do it at least once. If we're gonna die here, I'm gonna die not regretting any missed chances."

She glared at me, but there was a blush hidden behind that glare. "Next time…warn me."

"There's gonna be a next time, then?" I grinned.

Lightning raised a fist, and I shut up.

Snow, sans Fang, pulled up on the Shiva-cycle, grinning. "Good to see you, sis."

"I'm not your sister," she replied flatly. She tilted her head at Hope, who had been watching on, his face a mixture of rage and confusion. "Take care of him. We'll meet at his house. It's further inland."

"I'll keep the kid safe," he promised.

I pulled out my communicator and called Fang. "It's me. We're meeting up at the Estheim residence further into town. Can you meet up with us there?"

"I can do better than that. I'll catch up to you near the town square."

"Copy that." I put the device away and looked at Snow. "You hear that?"

He nodded. "I'll see you there." Having banished the Sisters, he dragged Hope along by the arm, going further in town, beyond the field of ice he'd left behind.

I turned to Lightning. "Shall we?"

She rolled her eyes and walked forward. I grinned as I remembered what I'd just done and followed close behind.