Hey guys new chapter for this fic. Enjoy and review

Chapter Eight

Parting of Ways

When Vaan had gone to find his brother, he had never expected to find the scene he was looking at right now. He was surprised, shocked even that they were even another soldier here, one he recognized quite clearly.

Colonel Farron, he thought.

Both the Colonel and Basch were facing against Éclair who had her sword in her hand, but she wasn't attacking. It looked like a fight was about to take place considering the tense atmosphere that had been settled over the trio.

"W…What is going on?" he asked.

He was confused as to why Basch will turn against Éclair, thought something in the back of his mind keep asking how the Colonel arrived here.

"That woman had been lying to all of you," the Colonel spoke in a clear voice, "Whatever she had told you before are nothing but lies."

The Colonel raised her weapon toward Éclair who had quickly glanced back at her.

"She is a Pulsian," Lightning said, "Enemy of Cocoon."

"Fuck me," Paine said, more like murmured, and Vaan could hear the shock and surprise from her voice.

But the young man wasn't thinking about this right now. His entire mind was settled upon one thing and that was, Éclair was a Pulsian.

She is a Pulsian, he thought, a full blooded, living Pulsian.

Vaan was amazed at the discovery. This could be everything that his great-grandfather had been trying to achieve. This is history right there, for Éclair to be a Pulsian nonetheless.

He was right, he thought, giddy with happiness, great-granddad was right.

Vaan quickly asserted the situation.

He knew that the Colonel will do all in her power to kill Éclair, knowing what Éclair represent to everyone on Cocoon. She was an enemy, and anyone that help, talk or even walk by her will be considered tainted by Pulse. He cannot allow Éclair to die…not now…not when he had finally found proof that there is life on Pulse.

Human life on Pulse, he thought, this was the reason why the Sanctum refused to send more expedition to Pulse, because of lack of human life…but Éclair by just being here…

"Paine, give me a grenade."

"What are you…?" Paine started.

"Going to give Éclair a hand," he said, smirking.

Paine glanced at him.

"You do that…you'll be tainted, and treated as an enemy of Cocoon."

Vaan let out a smirk.

"It's worth the risk," he said taking the small but powerful ammunition from Paine's pouch.

Paine's red eyes showed shock.

"Why?"

"You wouldn't get it," Vaan said.

While they were talking, Basch had approached Éclair, his weapon still trained to the girl when Vaan started to charge toward them, drawing their attention.

"Vaan, what are you doing?" he asked.

Vaan didn't answer as he threw the grenade toward them and yelled, "ÉCLAIR RUN…"

The grenade arched toward them, missing them by miles and landing down near the wall and then exploded, causing the ruins around them to rumble. Choosing this moment, Éclair had started to run and Lightning drew her weapon at her, opening fire, the bullets whizzing past Éclair's head, when a noise above her caused the soldier to look up.

The wall which the grenade had exploded against was no longer stables as it started to crumbles causing them to fall back into another place, separating her from the Pulsian woman and the young man that had saved her.

When it stopped Lightning glanced toward where the Pulsian had gone, finding a good chunk of rocks blocking the way.

"They've escaped," she murmured.

Beside her, she saw Bartholomew Basch, looking at the rubbles in front of him, his blue eyes looking disbelieves at what had occurred.

"Now they are allied with the Pulsian," Lightning said, "All of them are now enemies of Cocoon."

"I…I didn't think Vaan would," Basch said slowly.

Lightning approached him, standing beside him.

"He made his choice," she said, "Will you make yours?"

Basch didn't answer her, but Lightning didn't expect one. She pulled out a small thing out of her pouch.

"Hopefully this little thing is still functional," she said quickly putting in a code upon it.

Basch looked at it.

"What is that?"

Lightning looked up at him, a smirk crossing her face.

"I've alerted the S.A. that I am alive," she said, "and I have set it to code red, meaning they are hostile involved. When the military get here, they will have no way out."

Then she hissed softly.

"You're hurt?"

"No," Lightning said, "It's nothing…"

The Colonel walked off, as she put a hand against her sleeved forearm, rubbing it.

"This is crazy," Paine said as both she and Vaan ran down from where Basch and the soldier were.

Never would she have thought this turn of event to take place just a few moments. The crazy girl was a Pulsian and she now Vaan had just sold himself as an enemy of Cocoon because he helped the girl and now her, well, she could have simply joined them as an accomplice.

This is crazy; she thought to herself, this entire thing is crazy. We just helped a Pulsian escape…Gosh Vaan, just when I thought you couldn't do anything more stupid.

Then Vaan slows himself down, chancing a look behind him at the path they had just ran from, huffing slightly.

"I don't think they are following us," he said his breath coming in gasp.

Paine looked at him.

"Don't you realize what you've just done," she yelled at him taking hold of his shirt, "You realize that you singlehandedly mark yourself as an enemy of the Sanctum? of Cocoon?"

Vaan looked at her, seemingly surprised at her actions.

"Paine…"

"By Maker Vaan," the silver haired girl said, "Don't you think about how this will affect your life?"

Vaan removed Paine's grasp from his clothes.

"I…I just had to do it," he said.

"Why?" Paine asked, "Just because you got the hot for crazy girl…"

Vaan had the decency to blush at that.

"It's not about that okay," he said.

"Then what is it Vaan?" Paine yelled at him, "What is it about her that you've had to turn yourself into enemy number One for?"

"That's because it's the only way to prove him right," Vaan said, now yelling back.

Paine stared at him her red eyes flashing with anger thought confusion was seeping through her. She stepped back a little.

"Prove who right?"

"Bartholomew Augustus," Vaan said, looking at her straight in the face, "It's the only way to prove him right."

Paine knew that name. Everyone one Cocoon did. They knew the name of the man that was called insane and crazy by the other Cocoon philosophers. It was in the history books which she learnt in school back in Palumpolum.

"It's the only way to prove that there is human life on Pulse," Vaan continued, his fist clenching, "He was declared insane and out of his mind because of his theories by the Sanctum."

He turned toward Paine.

"Éclair is a Pulsian," he said, "A fully living person from the 'Hell world' we were taught to hate. This is the only way to prove that he was right. That all this time, he was right."

Paine anger had now but evaporated as he stared at the young man across her.

"Is this worth everything you have here on Cocoon?" she asked him.

Vaan looked up at her, his eyes looking more decisive than Paine had ever saw before and even before the young man opened his mouth, she knew his answer.

"Yes."

She sighed, looking down at the ground.

"Somehow I knew you were going to say that," she said.

Vaan looked at her.

"Then you know why I have to do this," he said, "It's the only way that I can clear his name."

"I know…and I'm coming with you," Paine said, looking back up at him.

Vaan's eyes widened.

"What? Paine…I can't ask you to do this," he said.

The girl stared at him.

"You're not asking, I'm offering my help. I'm going to be labeled as an enemy also. So I best stay here and keep you out of trouble."

"I guess you can tag along," he said, "C'mon, let's go look for Éclair…she ought to be nearby."

The young man started to walk forward.

"Vaan," Paine called after him.

The young man turned.

"H…How will you deal with Basch?" she asked, "He is your brother you know."

Vaan's face darkened hearing the name and he simply turned around continuing to walk away without even answering. Paine sighed to herself.

From the way they are acting, she thought, I don't think that they will ever be friends again.

The silver haired girl followed after him, all the while giving a glance back toward where they had come from. This was getting out of hand, very fast. All she knew she was going to do that day was to infiltrate the Purge train and save Vaan from being murdered.

We're getting into something too big for us to handle, she thought, and I don't think it's something that we should have found ourselves into in the first place. I hope that entire thing is worth it…never thought I'll be dragged into a Pulse-Cocoon conspiracy theory.

The silver haired girl shook her head.

With the entire Sanctum after us, I doubt that we will be able to even survive…

Swallowing thickly, Paine wondered if she had made the right choice into joining up with Vaan.

Looking forward, she noticed Vaan's back in front of her, the young man seemingly looking left and right looking for Éclair and sighed.

Maybe…ever since we were children, I have been following him around, she thought, and if I didn't…I'll be dying of worry…

She was brought out of her thoughts when Vaan shouted, "ÉCLAIR."

Paine looked followed his gaze and sure enough, the armored girl was there, and she turned around startled facing them and Paine saw something odd on the girl's chest…a pink light that seems to be…glowing for lack of better word.

"It took us a while to find you," Vaan started.

But he was suddenly cut off by Éclair raising her sword toward him, all of her posture screaming danger causing Vaan to stop walking toward her.

"Stay back," the girl yelled at them, "I'm warning you."

"Éclair…we just saved your life," Vaan told her, and Paine can hear the confusion in his voice.

"Oh really," Éclair sneered, her blues eyes flashing dangerously, "What will causes me to believe that you will keep your word? What will make me believe that you won't turn against me Vaan? What?"

As she was speaking, Paine notices that the light on her chest was becoming brighter and brighter and she can almost seen a symbol in the light.

This is magic, she thought, A Pulsian curse.

"Éclair," Vaan said, "I won't betray you…"

Mistrust and anger were visible upon Éclair's face as the light becomes even brighter around her as she yelled, "JUST LEAVE ME ALONE."

Then it happened.

A large symbol of pinkish light appeared underneath the girl who let out a grunting sound as she fell upon her knees. Paine saw Vaan stepping back and knew he was taken aback by the display of magic. Then a large orb appeared above Éclair drawing Paine's attention as more symbols appeared upon it.

Holy Maker, she thought.

Then the orb exploded outward, the shockwave causing Paine and Vaan to fall back on their asses as a shape materialized from the light. It was tall, lean and armored with a giant sword and a large shield ironically matching with Éclair's outfit. The large creature towered above them as its glowing eyes turned toward Paine and the silver haired girl feels her breath catch up in her throat.

Oh shit, she thought, oh Maker…

Then the creature charged at them, sword raised and Paine screamed.

So it ends...i must say, i thank you all who have supported me so far...and yeah, an Eidolon just appeared.

What will happen next?

Next time: Eidolon

Jacques0 out.

R&R.