Clans lived separately, but there was nothing to stop them conversing. As in any culture, there were friendships and rivalries all over Gran Pulse, but Oerba was a relatively neutral zone. The buildings around our patch of land were inhabited by those from the Yun clan. The men - and women - were broad-shouldered and strong-willed, with much darker skin than ours.
One girl that used to play with us was Fang, who was particularly fierce, but had a soft heart underneath. She had Vanille had a strong relationship and often went out hunting together, coming back with some kind of beast's hide more often than not.
One day they returned looking ashen-faced, and showed us their brands. Not too long after this, and after we had all said our somewhat tearful goodbyes, they left. I wanted to scream at them, no!, but their minds were made up, and they weren't the first to be turned into l'Cie. Not by a long shot.
We watched them transform and try to pull Cocoon, that hated orb suspended so low in the sky you could almost touch it, down from its lofty perch. We watched as that dark skinned, iron-willed woman tore through its surface and our own pale beauty helped in the attempt to destroy those up above. We watched as those terrifying forms fell from the sky, change back into the girls we'd grown up with, and with one short but blinding flash breathed no longer, twinkling in the sunlight.
We moved them to the vestige later that day.