Tempest Rising Part I

It was late in the afternoon by the time the group reached the tight passage through the cliffs that would eventually lead them across a small plateau and through a large set of ruins. Reaching the flat, open area, the expedition decided to take a break. Vanille and Eve tended to Alva whose condition no longer seemed to be held at bay by the Dissidium Elixir. Hope continued to study the Pulse-shifts they'd experienced, having recorded data using some of the equipment they'd salvaged. And Dajh busied himself with giving his foot a massage.

Lightning had decided to at least scout the passage continuing through the mountains towards the ruins that came before Truthseeker's Rise. She almost didn't notice Fang follow her. She'd been well aware of the awkward distance that'd been between them since reaching the Steppe. More specifically since she'd confessed ten years worth of feeling on a whim after almost being crushed by the world they'd been so desperately trying to save up until now.

"Looks like the land hasn't shifted too much in a decade." Lightning spoke aloud—still not quite directly at Fang, "We could probably use the original passageway to the ruins."

"Right." Came a distracted mumble of an answer. Lightning, finally looking directly at Fang for the first time in hours, raised an eyebrow at the Oerban. The darker-haired woman cleared wanted—needed—to say something but was just as clearly struggling with how to. Lightning knew the reason why and accepted that it was probably her fault. But she'd said anything and everything she'd needed to say to Fang—what was important anyway. It was up to Fang to continue the conversation.

"The ruins will provide better cover during dark." Lightning said as she moved past the warrior, back towards the rest of the group, "We'll rest another few minutes then head through-" She was stopped both mid-sentence and mid-step as she felt Fang grab her arm. Slowly, the pinkette's gaze dropped to glance at the hand, then up into forest green eyes. As soon as Fang had grabbed her, she released her grip.

"We need to finish our conversation." Fang finally managed to get out, still avoiding Lightning's gaze. If the topic weren't so serious, Lightning could probably have cracked a smile. But she didn't. She remained stern, serious, completely focused on the Oerban in front of her.

"Do we now?"

"Hell bloody yes we do!" Fang snapped a little too quickly, too loudly.

"I've said all I had to say Fang." The pinkette stated in a matter-of-fact tone, "Was there something you had to add?"

"Wh- You... I..." Lightning still found herself both shocked and amused at the sight of Fang struggling for words; her suave, flirtatious charm swiped out from under her. But the soldier didn't really mean to tease. She wanted as much as Fang to discuss whatever came next. But she also wanted Fang to have thought about it enough to be ready to actually have a proper conversation about it. It took herself years to sort out her feelings—and this was without having been confessed to, out of nowhere.

"Well, I'm ready whenever you are-" Once again, Lightning was prevented from leaving as the Oerban stepped in front of her.

"You say that as you walk away. Again."

"Talking involves speaking more than disjointed words, Fang." Lightning sighed in mild exasperation, "Y'know... meaning you use actual sentences?"

"Well if you'd let me finish-"

"You'd say what, Fang?" Lightning—reminded once more of Fang's younger, less experienced logic—felt a spark of irritation begin to flare up, "Words of rejection-?"

"Not... exactly-"

"What then?" Lightning urged, her control slipping slightly, "Words of acceptance?" Not receiving an immediate answer from the Oerban, Lightning felt a flicker of something in her chest, "Could you say you loved me too? Right now?" The pinkette stepped towards Fang, causing the warrior to back up against the rock face behind her, "C'mon, all that flirting and none of it had any seriousness to it?" Lightning practically had Fang pinned—literally—as she continued to push.

"If you would give me me time to-"

"I'm not the one rushing here, Fang." Lightning explained, "Nor am I running away from or avoiding you. Giving you time is exactly what I'm doing." The pinkette's expression softened ever so slightly, "Why can't you see that?" Fang could do little more than swallow the giant lump that had formed in her throat. Cerulean blue pierced through forest green as the silence became deafening. And for a moment, Lightning could have sworn the distance between them was continuing to close.

"Hey, Ligh-oh... uh..."

The two women jumped apart at the sound of Dajh's voice. The dual sighs the two of them let out were both a mixture of relief and annoyance.

"I just interrupted an important moment, didn't I?" The question didn't need an answer. And no answer was given. There was just silence. Awkward silence, "Ah... good." Dajh eventually cleared his throat, "Because that would've been awkward-"

"What is it, Dajh?" Lightning asked, recovering first. She looked to see the cadet holding out a few power cells. She shifted her gaze to her gauntlet as Dajh came over and turned her wrist. As he popped open the cover near the bottom, the pinkette saw the two cells inside were flickering dimly, "Already?"

"Yeah, I dunno." Dajh quickly began the exchange of cells, adjusting certain wires as he did so, "Something interfering with the energy transfer. The cells are burning out faster and faster."

"As we get closer to the Faultwarrens." Fang piped up, finally recovering from the one-on-one talk with Lightning.

"Yeah," Dajh scoffed, "Coincidence? I think not."

"Did you check Hope and Eve's?" She asked, referring to the other soldiers' devices.

"Yeah, I got Hope's just before... wait, Eve's?" Dajh looked at the pinkette, confused. Lightning didn't look any more enlightened,

"Eve's T-FA? It runs the same way as mine and Hope's."

"I didn't give her any cells. Her equipment seemed to work fine without them, anyway." The cadet stated slowly, shaking his head, "I assumed because you kept saying it was some sort of prototype that it ran differently, didn't need the same kind of power." Lightning remained silent. Yes, Eve's weapon was one of the newest developed by CRYSIS but it ran exactly the same as the others—hers included, "So... somehow Eve is... powering her equipment herself?" Dajh's hypothesis broke Lightning's train of thought.

"It's possible. The weapons use Crystal Force—remnants of fal'Cie magic." the Commander sighed, "If Eve is somehow related to Titan—as the Pulse-shifts suggest—it makes sense that the equipment would respond to her." There was a pause before Lightning began shaking her head, "But she hasn't shown any signs of possessing magic, it's all been Alva." The pinkette found herself looking towards Fang but the Oerban was still avoiding her gaze. Something Lightning had learned Fang did when she was nervous, or hiding something, or both.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me." Dajh's all but whined.

"What?" Both Fang and Lightning turned to the cadet, who merely pointed in the direction he was facing.

"That." As the two women looked, they were met with a blast that was strong enough to stagger them. It forced their eyes closed and, when they'd opened again, had changed their surroundings. Even ground, Gran Pulsian markings etched into it. Smooth-cut stone to form the wall surrounding the area. The stronger wisps of air confirming they were no longer on a small mountain plateau, but somewhere fal'Cie-made, high in the air.

"Taejin's Tower." Lightning heard Fang mutter what she was thinking. She only barely noticed the others in the party across the platform before there was a huge crash to the side. As the pinkette recalled the memory of the area, she cursed.

"This is a problem."

"What?" Dajh asked, almost frantically at the disturbed tone of Lightning's voice and the equally distressed look on Fang's face. Before he could repeat the question a loud blast of cracking stone caused all three to jump.

"That." Fang answered the question, motioning at the source of the destruction. Dajh found himself pulled away by Lightning before he could look. The three began running along the wall towards the other half of the group. Regaining control of his legs, Dajh finally looked towards what Fang had pointed out. Floating just above the platform, a massive figure of a serpentine-looking demon sitting on a throne was channeling a firestorm.

"That is a big damn problem!" Dajh yelled as he turned to re-focus on running. As the three of them reached the others, who'd been unable to move much with a weakened Alva, the firestorm was released. As the group braced themselves as it flew towards them, the fact that they were in a memory did not make it any less intimidating. The size, the intensity, the heat-

As the flames reached them, they seemed to split, part and flow around the group. As Lightning looked closer, she saw the flickering gold shimmer of a Shellra spell. She also saw Hope standing up front, hand outstretched, maintaining the protective barrier. But eventually the flames began to penetrate it. Hope seemed to be struggling enough trying to keep the spell stable, let alone powerful enough to withstand the firestorm.

Before Lightning could think of a plan B if—when—the Shellra spell broke, she felt Fang brush past her, flipping her lance in hand.

"Fang- What are you-?"

"Vanille." The warrior said in a resolute voice that carried over the fiery wind. Lightning turned to see the smaller Oerban whimper slightly before she raised a hand toward the front. A dull orange glow surrounded Vanille and from out of her hand flew a stream of what looked like black smoke. Lightning watched It float forward, between the members of the group.

"Fogga..." The pinkette said under her breath as the inky stream suddenly spread, filling the inside of the Shellra spell with a haze. Other than limiting the visibility, the Fogga spell didn't effect the group. It did, however, nullify the flames that were eating their way through Hope's Shellra.

"Light!" Fang's voice caught the Commander's attention. Lightning looked to see Fang glowing yellow and—if she remember correctly—had adopted a Fringeward stance. She met dark green eyes filled with fire as real as the flames licked at her skin. It told Lightning the time for thinking was long gone.

Quickly unfolding her gunblade the soldier whirled around, sweeping her gunblade in a Blitz clearing away both the Fogga spell that would only hinder what she was about to do. As the Fog dissipated, the flames began to creep forward again. Hope's Shellra had all but dissolved, leaving Fang to take the damage the firestorm would inflict on the group, if Lightning didn't act fast.

Channeling the Blizzaga spell in her free hand, the pinkette let it loose, the chilling winds colliding with the fire that surrounded them. The Blizzaga held the flames off for long enough for the group to recover but they still proved to be stronger—it was a fal'Cie's firestorm after all. The relieving gusts of cold air soon completely disappeared and the intense heat began to surround them again. It was whipping at their faces, invading their lungs.

As her vision blurred, Lightning saw the outline of the Sentinel still standing at the front of the group. She wasn't sure if it were just the proximity of the flames that made it look like it or if Fang was actually on fire. Lightning attempted to call to the Oerban as she reached for her, but it felt as if her throat was on fire. Losing her footing, she eventually managed to grasp Fang's shoulder and as she did so, it felt as if something pulled the both of them backward.

Taking in a gulp of clear, cool air, Lightning found herself—along with the others—back on the plateau. There was strained breathing and pained coughs from the entire party as they recovered from the Pulse-shift.

"Fang!" Vanille cried, running over to the Oerban's side. Lightning's eye widened as she saw the burns on Fang's arm. They were quickly fading as Vanille had begun healing them but the poorly-hidden pained looks on Fang's face told Lightning that the Oerban had most certainly did more than just 'remember' Dahaka's wrath.

"Alright," Hope had made his way over, "That was a little too intense."

"You're telling me." Fang muttered through a pained, sharp intake of air as Vanille finished healing her burns.

"Why... is Fang smoking?" Dajh's voice caught the attention of the three crowded around the warrior.

"You know what this means?" Lightning asked Hope quietly. The First Lieutenant hesitated before nodding, sighing heavily.

"Know what, what means?" Came another question from the cadet. Apparently not quietly enough, "Why it still feels like we've just been barbequed alive?" Dajh motioned to the burned ends of his jacket, "Even after the memory of it has passed?" There was silence as the Hope and Lightning glanced at one another again.

"It means as we get closer to the Faultwarrens..." Hope began, rubbing the back of his neck, "...the more intense the Pulse-shifts. Like how we're able to use magic again." Hope continued to explain, "What happens to us in the memories, effects us in the present as well. It means that time lines are beginning to overlap-"

"Which means we're running out of time." Eve spoke up. The group looked towards the Lance Corporal, cradling a shaken Alva in her arms. Lightning noticed Eve seemed distracted. The Lance Corporal seemed to be listening for something, "We should get to the ruins."

"Of course, because we'd never get a break." Dajh threw his hands in the air in exasperation, "If it's not being run over by a fal'Cie, it's being burned alive by one; or swallowed by the ground; or being attacked by Cie'th!" His voice had grown louder as his rant had run on. The sound echoed around the clearing before fading into silence. Almost silence. There was the faint sound of cracking rock from above them. The group looked up at the rock wall

Lightning noticed it first. The rock was moving. No, it wasn't the rock. A piercing screech filled the air as the group scrambled away from the side of the mountain. As they did, the entity on the wall became clearer. It shifted to reveal a crimson crystal at it's center, and tattered wings jutting from it's back. None of the party moved as another, similarly-winged creature appeared from a large crack in the rock wall near the first. A second screech was followed by a third from a creature circling overhead.

"You just had to say it, didn't you?" Vanille whispered to Dajh, who just gave her a look.

"Run." Lightning said in almost a whisper but was heard by every member in the group, "Now."

All seven of them turned and made a break for the passage towards the ruins as the sounds of flapping wings, falling rock and pained screeches filled the air behind them.

A/N:

Wow. An update. Would ya look at that?
Hopefully better than the previous update...
...which apparently sucked. *shrug*
Amusing, since I liked it better than this one.

I really hope the slow updates aren't due to losing interest.
Because I really want to break the habit I have of not finishing what I start...
Anyhow. There you go.