Hey guys, here is the next chapter.

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Chapter Twelve

The Whitewoods

"Éclair…Éclair wake up,"

The young woman could feel someone shaking her as her from her slumber.

"W...what?" she murmured.

"We need to move," Vaan's voice said sounding muffled, "The ships that shot us down are getting closer."

Éclair groaned as she seated up from the position she was in, putting a hand against her head. She noticed that they were still inside the Sanctum ship which had a good portions of metals destroyed and even the windshield had been broken, and had showered the inside of the craft with twinkling glasses.

"Where is Paine?" she asked.

"She's fine for now, but we need to go," Vaan said urgently.

Éclair nodded and crawled after him out of the smoking craft and glanced around herself.

The entire place was covered in a bluish forest around them; the light seems to come from the trees themselves. Never before as she seen something that looks so beautiful.

"W…What is this place?"

"We don't have time to take in sight," Paine said shouldering her weapon, "We need to leave."

As she spoke, Éclair can hear the sound of a ship approaching close to their location.

"C'mon," Paine urged them.

Éclair and Vaan took after the girl, taking off into the large woods leaving the smoking craft behind them. Éclair followed them through the woods, all the while chancing a glance behind her as if expecting something to jump out and attack them, but nothing came after them…

"Paine…you're alright?" Vaan asked.

Éclair snapped her attention toward the silver haired girl and noticed that she was holding on her shoulder and was it her eyes or did it seem that her clothes had darkened?

"I…I'm fine," Paine gasped.

"You're sure you're alright?" Vaan pressed.

"I said I'm fine," she snapped at him.

Vaan stepped back from her.

"Okay, okay, no need to get angry."

They continued into their treks, with Éclair glancing around herself taking in the sights.

"W…Where exactly are we?"

"The Whitewoods," Vaan answered.

Éclair glanced at him.

"Whitewoods?"

"At least, that's what the Palumpolum calls it," Vaan said to her.

"We can get to Palumpolum from here?" Éclair asked.

Vaan nodded.

"Off course," he said.

Éclair nodded at him.

Then a sound caused them to stop as Éclair suddenly drew her sword, glancing around. Paine had also raised her machine gun glancing around herself as Vaan did so.

"W…What the hell was that?" he said.

The trio stood alone, glancing around themselves waiting to hear that strange sound again but it was silent as it was always been.

"Could have been an animal," Éclair said, lowering her gun.

"Maybe," Vaan said.

"But I don't think we should lower our guard," Paine said, "If whatever it was wanted to come out…"

She didn't even have to finish when something jumped out of the shadow attacking her from behind, causing the girl to let out a scream as the creature tackled her down. The sound drew both Éclair and Vaan's attention.

"Wild Pantheron," he whispered.

Éclair was the first of them to act as she charged her hand with magic yelling.

"Thundara,"

The lightning strike slammed upon the wild Pantheron, sending it flying away from Paine's form. The creature rolled on the ground and was quickly on its feet, snarling at them angrily.

"Paine," Vaan yelled.

He was at her side in instant seeing that the Pantheron had already slashed her body with claw marks and the girl wasn't moving.

"No, Paine," he yelled.

The Pantheron let out a growl before charging toward him and Paine, completely ignoring Éclair's presence. Vaan, quickly took the fallen weapon that Paine had dropped, aiming and pressing the trigger.

The weapon shook in his hand as the bullets started to pierces the Pantheron body completely mowing it down as blood spluttered from its wound. The creature was on the ground dead the next second, blood spilling from his body riddled bullet holes.

He dropped the gun and returned his attention to the unmoving Paine.

"Paine can you hear me? Paine?"

The girl didn't answer him.

"She's unconscious," Éclair said, looking at her, "and those wounds from the claw marks. They aren't deep."

Vaan looked at her, surprised.

"How can you tell?"

Éclair paused slightly at this.

"I've seen wounds like this before," she said, "But we need to clean her quickly."

Vaan picked the girl up and they quickly found place so that she could threat the wounds. She removed the clothes from Paine's from and noticed the slashes upon the girl's form, causing her to wince a little.

This must have hurt a lot, she thought.

She didn't know how she was supposed to be able to do this.

How would I…

Use your magic, a voice spoke within her mind.

Éclair jumped slightly at the voice, but she recognizes it instantly.

Odin?

Yes, it is me.

How?

We are bonded through your brand, Odin spoke, You're in need of help to heal your companion. I know a spell that can cure her…but it will be exhausting you to be able to cast it.

What is it? Éclair asked.

Curaga, Odin spoke, in his calm voice, You will need to draw upon your magic and concentrate on healing all of her wounds.

Guide me through the steps, Éclair told him.

I will now draw upon your magic.

Éclair concentrated as the feeling of the magic started to run through her body as a soft pink light glowed from her chest area. She gasped slightly feeling the amount of power that she was drawing in…

Woah.

Concentrate upon holding this power as you put your hands upon your companion's body, Odin continued, Be careful, too much of it can do more harm than good.

Thanks for the advice, Éclair told him as she put her shining hands upon Paine's form.

Then the light turned from pink to a greenish glow which took over Paine's entire form. Before Éclair's very eyes, the wounds started to close up and disappearing, not even leaving a scar behind. She heard Vaan gasp behind her as the wound and blood dissolved into nothingness.

Then the light faded from Paine's form.

Éclair then felt a massive exhaustion hit her then, causing her to fall sideway upon the ground.

"Hey…Éclair, are you alright?" Vaan asked.

You have done well, Odin said within her mind.

Éclair chuckled a little.

Couldn't have done it without you.

"Éclair, snap out of it," Vaan said.

Her eyes found Vaan's worried ones.

"What did you just do?" he asked.

Éclair smirked.

"I…I healed her wounds," she said, "But I will need to rest…for a little while."

The young man must have noticed the exhaustion upon her face for he nodded sharply.

"But we have to keep moving," he said, "Pantherons usually moves in packs. We don't want to run into the rest of the group."

Éclair nodded.

Vaan picks up Paine unconscious form and the two walked off through the trees, all the while hearing the sound of the woods around them. Éclair was feeling the exhaustion of the magic she used form earlier taking it's toll upon her body. She felt like as if she wasn't that good enough with healing spells.

Serah was the one who was good at this thing, she thought to herself.

Then as soon as the thought left her head, the woman froze in her walk.

Wait…who's Serah?

The pink haired woman frowned to herself wondering about the name. It was one of the names she had heard herself say in the flash of memories she had. She put a hand against her head. She knew that name means something to her…but what, she couldn't remember quite clearly.

"Éclair?"

Vaan was a good fifteen feet away from her, and he looked back at her, confusion showing in his eyes.

"Is everything alright?"

Éclair looked at him for a few seconds before shaking her head.

"I'm fine," she said.

They arrived by a large tree which towered over everything around them, and Vaan placed Paine against the trunks. Éclair seated beside them and sighed softly, as she glanced around them, seeing the little sunlight that were passing through the large bioluminescent leaves.

"How come the Army is not following us?" she asked.

Vaan looked at her.

"The army avoid going into the Whitewoods," he said.

Éclair looked at him in confusion.

"Why not?"

Vaan shrugged.

"It's mostly rumors…well, I think it's a legend," he said, "but they say that something evil lives in those woods."

"Something…evil?" Éclair repeated, feeling perplexed.

"That's what they say," Vaan said, "Magic related I suppose. Everyone on Cocoon think that magic is a curse from Pulse so they avoid the Whitewoods so that they don't get tainted by the curse of Pulse magic."

Éclair looked around the trees.

"Magic related…," she murmured.

"That's what most is saying," Vaan told her sighing softly.

The two stayed silent for a while, simply listening to the many sounds around them. Éclair herself was thinking. She couldn't believe that the Sanctum had people believing such things. Magic were part of the world they lived in…that much she knew for if it wasn't for magic, she wouldn't be here…

"People here really hate Pulse don't they?" she murmured.

Vaan glanced at her, probably having heard her speak.

"What was that?"

Éclair shook her head.

"It's nothing."

Vaan nodded at her.

Paine groaned a little as she opened her eyes. She had expected to feel pain all over her body but, to her utmost surprise, she felt fine. Curious as to why, the silver haired girl seated up from her position, looking down upon herself.

Her clothes were slightly ripped but otherwise, she couldn't even feel the wounds upon her body. Shock started to run through her as she checked her shoulder, where she was shot at.

There was no wound there either.

How…she thought.

"You're awake?"

Paine glanced at the voice, finding Vaan.

"Yes," she said, "H…How long was I out?"

"Probably an hour or two," he said, smiling at her.

Paine looked around them again, and her eyes found Éclair, or crazy girl, as she had dubbed her, dozing against a tree, her chest rising and falling at each breath.

"W…What happened to my wounds?" she asked.

"Éclair healed you," he said, "The wounds simply closed up right in front of my eyes...but she got extremely tired after that, so we had to pause here so she could rest."

Paine looked at him shocked.

"W…What about the soldiers that was following us?"

"Relax Paine," he said, "The soldiers wouldn't dare step into the Whitewoods. I'm sure you know the legend."

Paine frowned.

"So they didn't follow us in?"

"Nope."

She let out a breath.

"That's good," she said, "Maybe then; we can focus on getting to Palumpolum without getting tripped over by them….where is my gun?"

Vaan chuckled at her before throwing the weapon at her.

"Here"

Paine caught it in midair and inspecting it.

"Vaan?"

"Mhm,"

"What will we do...after Palumpolum?" she asked, "When we found out about Éclair's l'Cie thing. What next?"

Vaan sighed.

"I…I haven't really thought about it," he said, "Maybe we can help Éclair with her thing."

Paine sighed.

"Vaan, Éclair is a Pulsian," she said, "What do you think her task is?"

Vaan looked at her.

"I don't believe what you're saying," he said, "Not for one bit."

"I'm not saying anything," she said, "I'm trying to tell you to be prepared for the worst. I don't want you to get your hopes up about something than have it brutally turn against you."

Vaan looked at her.

"I know what you mean," he said, "I just…don't want to believe that about Éclair. I don't believe she is someone that could be out to destroy Cocoon."

Paine stared at him for a few moments.

"Fine whatever you want to believe," she said.

Paine walked off pulling out a small compass and held it up, calculating her position.

"Well, we need to go into that direction to get to Palumpolum," she said, "Wake her up."

Vaan nodded and walked up to Éclair's sleeping form, and Paine noticed that he had some kind of softness in his eyes as he watched the sleeping woman for a few seconds before gently shaking her shoulders. The woman opened her eyes, looking around blinking sleep out of her eyes and Vaan said something to her which she nodded at.

Vaan put a hand out which Éclair took to help her up.

Paine snapped her eyes forward, setting off toward the path that they had to take. She hated seeing Vaan like this, all mushy over that woman…a woman he barely knew.

It's because of that he put himself into this mess, she thought darkly, because of this…he couldn't stay away from her.

The young silver haired girl was so into her thoughts that she didn't hear the yelling from her companions until it was too late. A large shadow fell from above, giving out a large screech echoed around and Paine looked up.

A large winged creature was flying above her, yellowish in color as it roared at her before sending a large blast of lightning at her. Paine was so shocked that she simply stood there watching the lightning blast came at her before a body pushed her out of the way.

Paine heard the blast of lightning slamming behind her and smells a light rose's scent causing her to look at her savior.

It was Éclair.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

Paine didn't have time to answer as the large creature that had attacked them started to spin around, still screeching. Éclair helped her up and pulled out her sword.

"You know what that thing is?"

"A bioweapon," Paine told her.

She opened fire upon it, the bullets creating small holes upon its body.

"Vaan take cover," Éclair yelled at the boy behind them.

"Okay," Vaan yelled.

Both Paine and Éclair stood in guard as the large winged creature flew above them.

"The Sanctum sends their bio-weapon after us," Paine said, "Just because they couldn't enter the Whitewood themselves."

"Get ready, here it comes," Éclair said as the large bio weapon turned toward them, and coming straight for them, jaws wide open.

"Duck," Paine yelled.

Both she and Éclair send themselves down on the ground as the bio weapon flew above them, and Paine could feel the strong wind of the creature passing above them. Then, the two stood back up and Paine opened fire again.

The bullets slammed upon its large form as it let out a piercing screech.

Éclair summoned magic upon her hand and launched lightning blast at the creature which let out a screech of pain this time, the strong lightning blast. The creature spun around itself and charged toward them.

Paine let out a yell as she continued to fire her weapon upon the oncoming enemy and Éclair letting out spells after spells toward the large bio weapon. Then it suddenly flew upward the sky, causing Paine and Éclair to look up at it.

"What is it doing?" Éclair asked.

Paine didn't bother answering her as she looked at the creature and noticed that a large ball of energy being discharged upon its tail.

"It's charging up," Paine said.

Suddenly Vaan voice screamed at them.

"PAINE, ÉCLAIR GET AWAY FROM HERE."

Before both girls could move, the large blast from the tail went straight toward the two girls…

Then a large blinding explosion occurred.

AN: In this Cocoon, there is no Vile Peaks unlike canon since this Cocoon never went throught a war against Pulse so it means that this Cocoon is whole and undamaged unlike the canon Cocoon which had a large hole on it's side. That's what i wanted to make clear for everyeone. The Whitewoods unlike canon is a large untamed forest with a lot of wild creatures. I based it off the Amazon so you can get an idea of how it is.

Dangers closes in in the form of a bio-weapon and Eclair and Paine is...

Find out next chapter: The Whitewoods Prt 2

Jacques0 out.

R&R.