Chapter Eight: Water Walker or Sky Warrior?

Vanille hopped happily from ledge to ledge behind Lightning. The younger woman was moving fast. She had a lot of negative energy that she was in desperate need of burning off. If things went well. There mission would only last a few weeks.

Vanille wondered how she could use this time alone with Lightning to her advantage. The redhead smiled and hurriedly caught up. She would do the one thing she knew got on Lightning's nerves the most. Ask questions.

"Have you always been this way?" Vanille asked. She saw the look of annoyance pass over Lightning face and grinned.

"Yes," Lightning answered. "For the most part."

"That's funny," Vanille said. "Serah said you use to be more amiable. Who am I to believe?"

Lightning rolled her eyes. Why did it seem like people were always talking about her. She wasn't all that interesting. It seemed no one around her had anything better to do. Between Serah and Fang opening their mouths every five seconds she couldn't keep anything secret anymore.

"Me,"

"I'm hard pressed to accept that as true ,"

"That's fine with me,"

Vanille scanned ahead and saw that they had reached the end of their stretch of land. Lightning approached the edge and looked over. They were nearly two hundred feet above their next stretch.

"I'll race you to the bottom," Vanille challenged hopping over the side and beginning her decent.

"I'll give you a head start," Lightning said. She watched as Vanille easily clamored down. More than an hour later. Lightning had thought she'd wasted enough time.

"Oden," Lightning called. There was a flash of light and the large summon stood before her. She climbed onto his back and he jumped over the ledge. Vanille glared at her on her way back by and Lightning watched the redhead shrug her backpack off of her shoulders. The pack fell down into the rocky area below.

Oden landed with a thud and Lightning climbed off and he disappeared. She huffed looking upward it would take her a few more hours before she'd reach the bottom and she would undoubtedly be tired.

Lightning took off to find Vanille's discarded pack. Once she found it, she'd make camp in a suitable location.

Lighting shoved her hands in her pockets and began her search.

Cold.

It was the only thing Fang's mind could process. She opened one eye and looked around. Jihl was no where to be seen. It was quiet but there was a draft originating from the back of the house.

A few minutes later she heard a door shut and the draft ceased. Jihl's humming began to fill the air as she made her way into the living room.

"You sleep like a rock," Jihl told her. "even after I fought to get out of your grasp you remained asleep."

"Luckily for you," Fang responded. She sat up straight and stretched.

Jihl moved forward, around the coffee table, and took a seat on the couch. She rubbed the top of Fangs head with her left hand. Fang leaned into it contently. Her pocket vibrating pulled her attention away from her administrations.

She pulled it out and glanced at the caller identification. It was Serah. She pressed the talk button and put the phone up to her ear.

"Fang,"

"They're gone!" Serah said, her voice frantic. Fang could hear Hope and Snow in the background trying to calm the young woman down. "You better not have had anything to do with this or I'm killing you too."

"Serah what are you talking about," Fang asked. Jihl got up and went in the kitchen to give Fang some privacy.

"Lightning and Vanille took that job," Serah said. "They're out there alone. What if they're ambushed?"

"Light and Vanille will be fine," Fang tried to reassure the younger Farron. "They've gone through worse things."

"I would be okay if I at least knew what the job was," Serah said. "God that woman infuriates me. That stupid, stubborn, pain in the ass…"

Fang heard a crash and some movement in the background.

"Serah just tried to kill the phone,"

It was Hope.

"If I'm needed I'll come over," Fang offered.

"I think Serah's planning on going after them," He said. "We might need your help."

"How hard could it possibly be to contain someone Serah's size?" Fang asked. She stood up and fixed her clothing. "Never mind I'll be right there."

Fang disconnected the call before he could say anymore. She walked into the kitchen while rubbing the back of her sore neck. Jihl was sitting at her kitchen table, her nose buried in a book. She barely took notice of Fang when she entered.

"I'm having a bit of a family emergency, I think," Fang told her.

Jihl looked up and shrugged. Fang sighed. She didn't want Jihl to feel like she was always putting her on the back burner. She noticed Jihl's ridged posture and knew she was upset, but the younger woman would never say anything, she never had to, her body language said it all.

"Well don't let me stop you," Jihl said, relaxing. "I'll see you whenever."

Fang nodded and Jihl turned back to her reading. The taller woman left after that. She felt anger well up inside her. It was just like Lightning to run away from her problems instead of dealing with them head on.

She stopped by her own home and picked a few things she'd need, mainly her spear. She reached the Farron residence in no time and was relieved to find people still inside. She knocked on the door and Snow promptly opened it. She entered the house and looked around the house. Serah was sitting on the couch still fuming. Hope was trying his best to sooth her temper. There was no soothing a Farron temper.

"Well if you're ready," Fang said to Serah. "No use wasting all the energy. I say we have ourselves a hunt."

"Lightning," Vanille whined. She was really hoping to get on Lightning's nerves so the younger woman would be more "willing" to answer her questions.

"Shouldn't you be wiped out by now," Lightning said irritably. "It did take you half the day to haul all that fat down the side of that ridge."

"You cheated," Vanille reminded her. "and I know you enjoyed the view."

"Yeah because I couldn't get under your skirt if I wanted to," Lightning said tauntingly. Vanille went dead silent and that pleased Lightning. The two women weren't best friends exactly but they were comfortable enough with each other to be able to tease without any harm being done.

"I knew you were into women," Vanille said finally. "The way you used to get all clamed up when I asked you questions…"

"You asked me what my favorite sexual position was," Lightning interrupted her. "That is not information I'd like to indulge to you."

"But why not?" Vanille said. "You're probably the only person I could have a decent conversation with."

"I'd really rather not,"

Vanille huffed. She knew Lightning would be tough to crack but this was ridiculous. Vanille's eyes turned to slits as she stared over the campfire at Lightning. There had to be something she could get out of the other woman.

"When I was younger, before Fang and I became L'cee, I fell absolutely head over heels…"

"This isn't an "If I tell you mine, you'll tell me yours," attempt is it? Because if it is it won't work."

"Awe come on!" Vanille said. "There had to be someone once upon a time. Some gorgeous water walker, or a brave and courageous sky warrior!"

Lightning looked up at Vanille over the flames and her heart broke at the expression the other woman wore. She sighed and set down the cup she'd been holding. She carefully considered what she was about to do. There was so little that was dear to her heart that the things that were, were closely guarded.

"Her name was Emily," Lightning said. "and I was very much in love with her."

"What happened to her?" Vanille asked. Her eye growing wide. Lightning smiled lightly and turned to look into the flames of their small campfire.

Lightning shook her head slowly. "When the purge first began she was caught helping survivors escape."

"Oh," Vanille said.

"Yeah," Lightning sighed.

The two became silent and Vanille didn't ask any more questions. She could sense when the time to bother Lightning was inappropriate. The older woman got up and spread out her furs. She secured their packs and whispered a spell over their gear, shielding the contents from animals.

"I'll take first watch," Vanille said. Settling down on the edge of their camp, she needed to meditate. Lightning nodded from behind her and pulled out her own light blanket. Lightning settled down on Vanille's furs and placed her hands behind her head.

"Emily…" Lightning whispered into the wind. Memories swarmed her mind, all of them pleasant thoughts as she drifted off.

Vanille listened intently as Lightning's breathing evened out. The air around them no longer held sadness. Vanille paced her breathing and cleared her mind. Perhaps something positive would come of this.