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Chapter Eighteen

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Vaan looked at the duo in front of him, a light frown crossing his face.

"You guys want to help?"

Zack nodded.

"You need help to get to Eden right?" he said, smirking a little, "I know a guy that can help us get there."

Paine approached him.

"What's with the change of heart?"

Zack chuckled a little.

"Look you guys are right," he said, "Barret may not want to admit it, but this is the kind of situation that AVALANCHE was created for. Make things harder for the Sanctum, and if your friend Éclair is going to do just that, then what else can we do than landing a hand."

Vaan was staring at the two of them in front him as if he couldn't believe what they were saying to him.

"Barret?" Paine asked.

"He is not coming," Tifa said, "If it's a rescue mission we're going to stage, we won't need much people. As Zack said, we can get you guys into Eden, so interested?"

Vaan and Paine exchanged glances. Then, the young man stepped forward.

"So, how are we going to do this?"

Zack grinned, showing his pearly white teeth.

"I thought you will never ask, but first you guys need some sleep first," he said.

Vaan was quick to disagree.

"But…"

Zack sighed.

"Look, Vaan you want to rescue that girl right?" he said, "You can't do it if you're tired. We will start moving early in the morning tomorrow so we can get to Eden quickly. If Éclair is actually a Pulsian, then the Sanctum will have big announcement to fuel the fire, and that way we will known exactly where to find your friend."

As much as he hated the idea of waiting, Vaan knew that the young man was right. That way he had no idea where in Eden Éclair would be anyway.

"Alright," he said.

"Good," Zack said, "C'mon, let's get out of here."

The four walked back toward a car that had parked there and Vaan wondered how he hadn't heard them coming. It was deadly quiet in the night but he had missed the sound of the arriving car, and maybe his moment with Paine had caused that…

Now that he was thinking about it, Vaan could feel a light blush coming on his cheeks at this. What had exactly happened back there anyway? Vaan had never thought that Paine would be interested in him like that. She wasn't exactly the first girl that popped in his head if he was looking for a girlfriend…

But you have to admit, she is good looking in her own way, a voice said in the back of his head.

Vaan shifted his eyes to the silver haired girl that was walking beside Tifa and getting into the car.

"Seat in the back with Paine," Zack said, as he took the wheels.

Vaan nodded at him and entered the car, taking the seat beside the girl. Paine attention however was away from him at the moment so he can't see the expression on her face at this arrangement. He simply leaned backward into his seat as Zack's car started up and taking off into the road.

"Zack?" he asked.

"Yeah."

"How are we going to get to Eden anyway?" Vaan asked him.

Zack chuckled.

"Well, someone own me a favor and now I'm taking up on that," Zack told him and Vaan can hear the smirk in the young man's voice.

"Who?"

"Remember that guy we rescued from that case a while back?" Zack asked him, "From Urdial."

Vaan eyes widened a little.

"No way, you're telling me…"

"Yep," Zack grinned.

"How the hell did you get in contact with him?" he asked amazed.

"Well," Zack said, "Tifa helped with that."

"How?" Paine said, her attention refocused in the conversation.

Zack laughed as a light blush worked its way unto Tifa's face. Paine seated up looking at her sister in surprise.

"Tifa, what did you do?"

"I…dated him for a few months," Tifa told them, the blush still on her face.

"Yeah, and one day, I found them…." Zack started.

Tifa slammed a punch against his head knocking it sideway.

"They don't need to know that."

"I probably don't want to know anyway," Paine said, leaning her head back and closing her eyes.

Vaan who had turned to glance at her at that and found that he was taken aback by Paine's features.

I never actually took the time to but Paine really is pretty, and it makes me wonder what would happen if Tifa and Zack had arrived a little later…

The young man suddenly turned his head sideway at the thought, drawing the attention of the girl that seated beside him.

"You okay Vaan?" Paine asked.

"Y…yeah, I'm fine," he said.

Paine looked at him in confusion, but turned her attention sideway, but she wasn't able to erase the almost non noticeable smirk on her lips.

The Lindblum

Colonel Lightning was in her quarters. She didn't want to believe what the Pulsian woman had told her, but even if she didn't want to believe the woman, she knew that the Pulsian was telling the truth. After all, she hadn't anything else to lose if she lies so, she simply told her to truth.

Is this the reason why I'm branded, Lightning thought, To destroy Cocoon.

But Cocoon was her home, the place that she had given her life to protect. She wanted to lay down her life to protect her world…but this brand will change everything for her. Her entire life and her future will be destroyed because of it.

There are no alternative. When the Fal'Cie gives you a Focus, you have to complete it. It's your life that is on the line.

The Pulsian's words were echoing through the soldier's mind. She didn't want to destroy her world…she didn't want to…

You don't have a choice. You either complete your Focus or you die.

Lightning can feel her own hand trembling. She approached her things and pulled out her small handgun. The weapon feels oddly light in her hands and she stared at it for a few moments. Thinking about what she was about to do.

To protect Cocoon, she thought, it's all to protect Cocoon.

She raised the weapon and pressed the muzzle toward her head. The metal of the gun feel cold against her head and she can feel the gun shaking, telling her how much her hand was shaking. She didn't want to destroy Cocoon but the vision flashed in front of her eyes, the large planet crashing into the World of Pulse below…

She felt her finger move, pressing the trigger…

I promise you, I'll find the money.

Lightning feel her hand freeze, a particular memory comes up into her mind. She could feel tears falling from her eyes…

Flashback

The room was well put up and Lightning approached her sister who was on the bed, her face a lot paler than normal, the blue eyes looked up at her, and she gives her a smile.

"Hey Serah, how are you feeling?"

"I…I didn't think you would come," Serah said softly.

Lightning took her sister's hand.

"A chance to visit you," she said, "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

Serah smiled at her.

"I promise you Serah, I will find the money," she continued.

Her sister looked at her.

"You will be well again," Lightning told her, "All the money I earn will be investigated into getting you better. You can count on me."

"I know I can count on you Claire," Serah smiled, "We are family after all."

Lightning smiled before putting a kiss on her sister's forehead.

"Yes we are," she said, "I will keep my promise to you Serah…that I swear it."

She felt Serah's hand squeeze hers.

"Thank you Claire."

End of Flashback

The gun falls out of Lightning's fingers and to the ground landing with a loud clang. She stood there frozen at what she almost did…

God, she thought looking at her hands, What was I going to do?

The Colonel put both of the hands into her head, her tears continuing to falls.

What should I do?

In another part of the ship, Éclair was still taken aback by what she had just learned. Colonel was an l'Cie, same as her and she was tasked with the same task that she was tasked, the same Focus as hers.

I don't understand, she thought, Why would the Fal'Cie chose her as a l'Cie. Why was she chosen?

Éclair narrowed her eyes in thought.

She didn't like the thought she was having at the moment. Now that woman didn't only look like her but now had the same Focus as her. Every time she thought something was about to be over, another reason sprung forward as to remind her that her Focus will be carried out.

But then the Colonel had been with her when she was in the Ruins, and she had seen the same strange woman…and had the same vision as her. Éclair found out that it was foolish of her that she hasn't thought of this possibility. But at that time, she was so shocked that Basch had betrayed her so easily that she hadn't really thought about it and since she was a Pulsian, the entire World just automatically thought that she was an enemy.

They never realized that one of their own had been also branded…cursed by Pulse magic.

The Colonel didn't seem she had a good time with the brand either, Éclair thought thinking about the woman.

She didn't expect the woman to have a good time either. The Colonel was simply afraid of the unknown since she was branded and didn't have anyone else to turn to…or could trust. Since anyone that had been cursed where to be Purged and the woman had found herself trapped into the very system she was working for. She had probably thought that Éclair will probably have an answer…and Éclair had seen the desperation in the woman's eyes.

Talk about a case of bad luck, she thought.

The door whooshed open drawing Éclair's attention. She had expected to find the Colonel again, but it wasn't the pink haired woman.

"Basch?" she said, more like surprised to see him here.

Basch stepped in and the door whooshed close behind him. He was still dressed in his same outfit that she had last saw him thought it looked like he hadn't shaved in a few days.

"Éclair," he said.

"What do you want?" she asked him.

"Is Vaan alright?"

Éclair stared at him.

"What makes you think that I was with him?"

"The Sanctum captured you in front of my family house Éclair," Basch told her, "And I know Vaan was the one who led you there, but you were the only one that made it out…I was just asking about his welfare."

Éclair narrowed her eyes.

"I can't trust you Basch," she said, "You betrayed me back at the Ruins."

The soldier sighed.

"And I'm regretting that decision ever since then," he said, "I know something is going on with the Colonel ever since I've found you and her passed out. I've seen her favoring her arm…I don't know what is going on but I keep thinking something bad is going to happen to her."

The soldier looked up at her.

"Vaan is my little brother," Basch told her, "I have promised my dad on his deathbed that I will look after him…but, I've been doing so poorly. I won't be surprised if he hates my guts now."

Éclair stayed silent.

"I'm not asking you to trust me again," Basch told her, "I just want to know if Vaan is still…alive."

"He is."

Basch looked up at her.

"Vaan is still alive," Éclair told him, "He is with Paine and probably AVALANCHE."

Basch seemed to relax greatly, hearing this.

"Barret will look after him," he said, nodding to himself.

"Now that you have what you came for," Éclair told him, "Why don't you leave now?"

Basch looked at her.

"For what it's worth Éclair," he said, "I'm sorry about betraying you."

Then the man walked out of the room, leaving her in the room.

Palumpolum

The following day, Vaan, Tifa Paine and Zack found themselves entering an old abandoned warehouse. As he had promised them the previous night, Zack had wakened them up early this morning and had driven them to this location here.

"Are you sure he's here Zack?" Paine asked him.

"Yes," Zack told her.

Then a man stepped out from a door, whistling a tune. Vaan recognized him. It was the same man from two years ago, thought now Vaan saw that he had a light bear unlike last time. Then the man's eyes found them and stopped dead in his track, his brown eyes widening a little seeing them here.

"Jacques," Zack said.

"Zackary," the man boomed quickly walking forward, taking the young man in a bear hug before letting go, "You could have told me you were coming for a visit."

Zack chuckled a little.

"Well, it was on a short notice."

The man, Jacques, smirked slightly.

"I'm sure," he said, his eyes taking in the group that was with Zack, and Vaan found that his eyes stopped on Tifa for a few moments before moving to Paine.

"Well, well, The Lockhart sisters," he said, grinning, "Always a pleasure to have young beauties in my presence."

Paine sighed as if he couldn't believe the man and Tifa let out a giggle.

"Flattery will get you nowhere," she said.

"Well, I had a few girlfriends in the past," Jacques told her winking at her, "I can say it gets me very far."

"Jacques, there is a reason I sought you out you know," Zack told him.

Jacques turned his attention toward him.

"I thought so," he said, "So what do you need."

"We need to get to Eden…under the radar," Zack told him.

"Planning to cause some troubles eh Zack?" Jacques told him, "Well under the radar is a pretty big thing. But don't worry I got just the thing for you. It could get you in Eden under an hour."

"That will be great," Zack told him, "So where is it?"

"Come with me,"

They followed Jacques toward the end of the warehouse and the man put a control in the lock and the ground in front of them opened as a ship started to rise out of the ground. It was small, and foreign in designs.

"This is a Pulsian ship," Paine said, looking at it, her eyes showing her shock, "How did you get your hands on this?"

Jacques chuckled.

"Let's just say some people are really bad at poker," he said.

Paine glanced at the man.

"I'm serious?"

"So am I."

Zack had already run inside the ship probably inspecting it and Vaan had followed him. He was shocked at how modern everything was. Everything Pulsian was about thousands of years old.

"I've modified it a little," Jacques told him following after them, "Not something I will like to try again. But with a little paint and a good mechanic, Bam! You have this."

"How can I repay you Jacques?" Zack said, looking at the man in gratitude.

The man smirked.

"Just a little thank you for saving my ass back then," he said, "and when you come back, I want free drinks at the Seventh Heaven."

"You've got it," Tifa told him.

Now all inside the ship, Paine took the pilot seat and in seconds the ship was flying out of the warehouse and into the sky. Jacques stood there looking at them go before he smirked slightly.

I wonder how this one is going to play out…well, better go take care of my garden, he thought.

The man walked back toward his garden.

He had work to do.

Next time: The Pulsian delegation arrives in Eden and one of Cocoon's darkest secret is about to be revealed...

Yeah, finallly updating again...i'm glad that you are still with me on this fic. Hope you enjoy.

Jacques0 out.

R&R.