The Art of Conversation

Night had fallen over Oerba Neo and the majority of the village had eventually gathered at arguable the most convenient place one could sit back, relax, drink, eat, even sleep if needed. And by 'most convenient' one really meant 'the only'. And even then, the term was used loosely. More or less an inn, it was merely the largest of the buildings in the village which served as a recreational club of sorts. It also offered a few spare rooms for visitors to Oerba Neo from the city.

Running the club were co-owners Renee Lebreau and Yuj Tano. The latter usually handled the visitors and recreational facility aspects while Lebreau handed the bar/restaurant they'd integrated into the inn. Currently however, both owners were entertaining both their most frequent patrons and those that decided to show up only now and again; along with a few they'd never met before.

Fang, Snow, Serah and Sazh were sitting at a table near the windows. Hope and Dajh were talking at the bar, Vanille was engaged in a rather heated discussion with Yuj about neo versus original Oerban fashion. Lightning had excused herself to get some air out on the porch along the lakeside part of the building.

The air was chilly but not unbearably so. The lapping of the waves and gentle hum of the creatures in the night reminded Lightning of how much she missed the village. The city was beautiful, she couldn't deny that—but there was just something about the complete calm you could feel while standing anywhere in Oerba Neo that was unmatched by anything Crystallinus could offer. It sounded so incredibly cliché in her head but being in the village calmed her enough to let the thought slide. The presence behind her however, would not get the same leniency.

"Y'know, skulking in the shadows is rather unbecoming, DeFluo." She turned to see Eve stepping out from behind the corner of the building. The Lance Corporal had originally declined the offer to join the welcoming gathering at the inn but under pressure from both Vanille, Dajh and Serah, she'd eventually caved and told them she'd join later in the evening.

"My apologies, Commander." The young officer walked to stand near Lightning, leaning against the porch railing.

"How is Alva?" Lightning decided to ask the obvious question.

"Better. Vanille found a rather effective elixir for her." Eve reported with a lightness in her voice that gave away her relief, "Her fever's completely gone, she's actually able to move around the house now—and her appetite..." Eve trailed off, shaking her head.

"I should be glad I don't stock my fridge?" The pinkette found a small smile almost reach her lips as the Lance Corporal let out a short laugh.

"I wanted to thank you, Commander." Eve said, turning to face Lightning, "For letting us come. I realize this mission is important to you-" The phrasing of the other officer's sentence struck something deep in the back of Lightning's mind, "-to Crystallinus." Eve corrected, as if realizing she may have said something she shouldn't have.

"I'm glad your sister is going to be okay." Lightning chose to ignore the odd moment, "And it isn't as if I couldn't use your assistance with this investigation. I appreciate the help."

"You lead, I follow, Commander." Eve stated, saluting formally.

"Lightning." The pinkette said, turning to look out at the water again.

"Commander-?"

"The rank serves me little out here—for this particular investigation." Lightning sighed softly, "Just Lightning." Seeing the bewildered expression on the other officer's face, she sighed again, this time heavier, "Think of it giving you less of a chance to piss off my sister."

"Of course, Lightning." Eve responded almost immediately. The both of them shared a look of a amusement before the door leading into the restaurant swung open. The two soldiers saw Fang standing two bottles, eyebrow raised as she sauntered over toward them.

"Well, ain't this quite the view." The tall Oerban asked through a smirk. Lightning merely rolled her eye while Eve straightened up off the railing. Fang moved toward Lightning but her gaze remained on the Lance Corporal, "Not interrupting any top secret military meeting, am I?"

"Fa-"

"Actually, I was just leaving." Eve interrupted. While she was taking her leave, there was clear challenging tone to her voice, "Lightning." The Lance Corporal bowed her head slightly before brushing past Fang towards the door.

"I'd really appreciate it if you didn't go picking fights with Eve." The pinkette requested, hesitantly taking the drink Fang held out to her.

"First name basis now?" Fang raised another eyebrow, "Don't you soldier types have a code of conduct about things like that?"

"Don't start." Lightning pointed a finger at the Oerban warrior in warning.

"Easy there, someone's a little on edge."

"Says the one who's acting like a jealous ex-lover." Fang nearly spat out the gulp of her drink as Lightning finished her retort.

"Whoa-ho! Where did that come from? Speaking from a little experience there, Sunshine?" Lightning merely sipped her drink, staring off into space, "C'mon..." Fang continued to pry, "Little sis is married, running around with two mini-Snows-" She smiled when she received a quick glare of a reaction from the pinkette, "-with another on the way. And big sister Lightning is still all by her lonesome?"

"We are not talking about this." Lightning failed to ignore Fang's verbal prods to her side. She turned to move away from the railing but was stopped by a hand on her arm.

"Fine, but we need to talk about something." Fang's voice was lower now, more serious, "We haven't talked since I saved you and the little puppy from the big bad Cie'th." Fang motioned in the direction Eve had left in, with her chin.

"It's such a relief to know your ego is intact." Lightning all but groaned, "We've spent the past day and a half around each other. We've talked-"

"No, we've bickered. And as entertaining as it's been, we're about due for an actual conversation." Lightning stopped her retreated and turned to face the other woman. Fang grew confused at the perplexed look on the pinkette's face.

"Can you have an actual conversation?"

"And just what is that supposed to mean?"

"I mean without joking or flirting—or both." Lightning paused, thinking for a moment, "Usually both."

"Hey, I take my flirting seriously, I'll have you know." Fang stated with a straight face, "I never joke about flirting."

"Of course you don't." Lightning began to move away again. This time, Fang used more than just a hand on the pinkette's arm to prevent her from leaving. The woman swung one of her arms around the soldier, trapping her against the porch railing. The close proximity initiating a particularly agonizing silence. It was ended quickly however as Lightning attempted to break free. But Fang refused to budge.

"Fang-"

"We're just talking, Light." Fang said, her voice low as a result of the closeness between the two, "I knew you weren't much of a talker but never figured you to run away from me."

"It's called personal space, Fang." Lightning argued, but no longer struggled.

"Why won't you talk to me?"

"We're talking right now."

"No, I'm practically pleading." The Oerban frowned, "And you're running away—I haven't even asked you how you been." Lightning met Fang's gaze. The look in the pinkette's eye confused the Oerban so much, she found herself leaning back, releasing her hold on the railing on either side of the soldier.

"How I've been?" Lightning struggled to put words to the rising feeling in her chest, "Fang it's been ten years. You can't just ask about an entire decade with 'How you been?'..." The pinkette immediately closed up again, forcing herself to quell the violent wave emotions threatening to burst through her careful crafted control.

"Well how else would I ask?" The question was innocent enough—and she daresay Fang's tone of voice matched it appropriately. But Lightning was still too busy trying not to think irrationally, to think clearly. She pulled away from the Oerban, avoiding her eyes.

"I don't know, just not... I just meant..." The pinkette reached and grasped for words but found herself constantly empty handed, "It's not something I can just... answer, so simply."

"Who said anything about simple?" The unusual calm in Fang's voice did nothing to help Lightning slow loss of control, "Tell me Light. Just... talk to me. Please."

"This conversation is over." Lightning response hit Fang like a juggernaut, "I'm going to get some rest—you should too, we have a big day tomorrow." Fang didn't try to stop the pinkette from walking away this time, but it didn't mean the sting of being denied hadn't cut deep.

"Don't treat me like a subordinate, Light." The sharpness of her words caused the soldier to pause in her leave, "The uniform's borrowed, remember? I ain't no CRYSIS soldier." Fang folded her arms across her chest, "Meaning I don't answer to you, and you don't order me." Not expecting anger, Fang was caught off guard when the pinkette whirled around, temper flared.

"You're right." Lightning shrugged, exaggerating out of irritation at how childish she found Fang's behavior. She had neither the energy nor patience for it, "It also means you aren't my responsibility. Whereas Eve, is." She was aggravated enough to use the low blow—knowing Fang would react resentfully to the mention of the Lance Corporal.

"So enjoying your babysitting then?" Came a last counter from the Oerban.

"It's a hell of a lot less stressful than babysitting you!"

The two women had intermittently begun stepping towards each other in challenge and now found themselves right where they'd started, a mere foot and a half away from each other. Realizing this, both their tempers began to wane yet neither pulled away. Lightning swallowed a lump in her throat as she saw Fang lick her lips that had evidently gotten dry.

"Eeeek!" A high-pitched squeal followed by a loud crash and thud forced the two of them apart. Both Fang and Lightning's heart were pounding—neither because of the sudden interruption.

"Vanille?" Fang said through a heavy breath. Lightning followed the Oerban's gaze to see the orange-haired woman on her behind, next to a broken potted plant, rubbing her side, grinning sheepishly.

"S-Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt and I tried to sneak away, over the railing to head around the front but my belt caught on the plant and it was going to fall so I tried to catch it then I-"

"Vanille!" Lightning barked, quickly shutting the smaller woman up, "Just... calm down—were you going to tell us something or..." The pinkette softened her voice, not wanting to take out her frustration on the other Oerban.

"Well just... Eve came and joined us and it just reminded me of Alva and the elixir I used—the only one that really worked." Lightning noticed Vanille kept throwing glances at Fang and found her curiosity overpower her previous frustration.

"Wait, what elixir... what about it?"

"Well..." Vanille threw another look at Fang.

"Vanille?" Fang questioned.

"It's made of talonroot, felseeds, waterlily petals and... thornweed." Vanille's hesitation to recite the ingredients only piqued Lightning's curiosity and concern more, despite not know the relevance of the combination. Fang apparently did, for a wave of disquiet seemed to take a hold of the warrior. Lightning continued to look between he two.

"And... those things are significant because...?"

"It's the Dissidium Elixir." Fang revealed, staring at the pinkette with an almost apologetic look, "Our village used it occasionally, back before our first crystal stasis." Fang began to explain, "Vanille spent a long time learning from the elders, how to make it right, should we have had to use it." Lightning remained silent but her facial expression urged Fang for elaboration. The two Oerbans glanced once more at each other before turning to the soldier.

"It was used to slow the process of a l'Cie turning Cie'th..."

A/N:

DUN DUN DUN!

Sorry, I realize there was a bunch of talking and not enough action (and by action, I don't just mean with the kicking and punching ahem).
But I'll say it once and I'll say it again. This is 10 years from the end of the game. No insta-FLight will be found here. There are plenty of other wonderful fanfics that can give you that heheheh.
Like my Sunshine and Rainbows piece-wait, that's more like ice cream... nevermind =\

Ugh it took forever to come up with a name for that elixir...

Also, there is now random art for the near-to-last scene floating around my dA gallery. Check it out if you wish.