Chapter Twenty-Three: New Day

"Oy, I should have seen this one coming," a female in an accent said.

Another girl giggled. "Hush! We don't want to interrupt this."

"We?" The first woman scoffed. "I want to interrupt it. I want to see the look on her face when she's busted for cuddling with somebody in her sleep."

"It is very unlike her," the girl agreed, though she was smiling.

Before them was the infamous Lightning. Hero of Cocoon, Warrior of Valhalla whose trust was betrayed by a goddess. She was the warrior that everyone now owed their lives to, along with the man who was lying underneath her arm as she slept. Caius Ballad. The two women in the room had heard much about him as well, and how he too was deceived and turned to their side. That was good enough for these two.

"Well, nothing is going to stop you from giving her a rude awakening, is it?" the shorter girl asked.

"Nope. And I won't let you stall me any longer either."

The woman with wavy, dark brown hair stepped past the girl with two pigtails and stood right next to the sleeping Lightning. A characteristic smirk appeared on her lips, despite how her friend didn't want her waking up Lightning in this way. That wasn't about to stop her. "Hey, wake up sunshine!" she cried.

*…*…*…*…*…*

Feeling startled was one of Lightning's least favorite feelings to experience. Whether it was being caught off guard in a battle or in any other situation, she hated feeling surprised. The loud cry in her ear certainly encouraged the feeling that she hated so much. Lightning's blue eyes bolted open immediately, though her reaction was much more than that once she realized that she still had an arm over Caius. She was so embarrassed to be caught in an intimate moment that she rolled away from him.

She was already at the edge of the bed. With a surprised cry, Lightning toppled to the ground by the feet of the person who gave her a very unpleasant wake-up call. It was the same person who was now laughing as if Lightning's reaction was the most hilarious thing she had ever seen. The laughter of that person blended with another person's. The first person, she realized, she hadn't heard laugh before. But the latter—

Lightning's head sharply went upward to see the two girls standing by her. "'Bout time you woke up, Sleeping beauty," one mocked with a smirk.

It was the one with untamed brunette hair that spoke to her, the one whose blue sari was distinctive to who she was. Fang. And the other, dressed in that peach top with the fur pelt around her waist. Vanille. Lightning blinked, shaking her head as if disoriented. "I'm still dreaming," she guessed. There was no way this was real. No way at all.

"Nope," Vanille giggled. "You're wide awake. Sort of. You still look a little dazed to me."

"For good reason," Fang filled in with the same confident smirk. "Seein' the two of us return from the dead isn't something that happens every day, is it Vanille?"

"Nope. But it happened today! Or yesterday, since it's probably morning now."

"Eh, whatever."

The bantering seemed real enough to her. This was exactly how Fang and Vanille would act upon catching Lightning off guard. Maybe this was really happening. "How are you here, then?"

"You still don't believe if fully, do ya?" Vanille asked, still smiling. "Don't worry about it, we'll fill you in."

"Right," Fang agreed with a nod. "You can blame Etro for us not comin' back sooner. When we were frozen in Cocoon's pillar, holdin' the world up, she kept trying to get inside our heads. She said that she could free us so that we could live again."

"But we knew that Cocoon would fall if that happened," the redhead continued. "So we stayed strong and frozen in that crystal pillar as long as we had to support the world."

"Of course, once we were taken out of it, Etro kept us frozen. Didn't want us getting rewarded for holding out against her for five hundred years. Once she was defeated we were naturally freed from the crystal prisons and…Well, here we are," Fang finished. "That help convince you, Light?"

"Yeah. But…That's incredible. No offense to you guys, but I had pretty much given up hope that you'd ever be free again."

"Oh, we're incredibly offended," Fang said sarcastically.

"Don't worry, Light," Vanille encouraged. "We know you had your hands full with a lot of other stuff."

"Yeah, like being conned by a goddess," the brown haired female stated with a scoff. "That's probably why she didn't recruit me; I never would have been fooled by that."

"You're making me feel so much better for falling into a trap," Lightning said sarcastically.

"'Ey, if you're feelin' good enough to get sarcastic with me, then you're just fine," Fang smirked.

Vanille nodded her agreement. "Something else tells me that you're better than just fine, though." At that remark, her gaze shifted to the man who was just now starting to awaken. How he managed to sleep through all of that was a mystery to all of them.

But another mystery to Lightning was how she was going to respond to that remark. Finally, she rose to her feet and looked over at Caius herself. Sure enough, he was coming to. "Yeah," she said after a few moments. "Everything's…good."

The two girls from Gran Pulse smirked at each other. "We'll be outside," Fang said. "You probably still have a short amount of time before the others make it. We hitched a ride on a bird while Hope was still wrapped up in stuff in Academia."

"Everyone's okay, right?"

"Yup," Vanille confirmed. "Some people died, but all of our friends are alright. It was good to see that Snow was still bein' himself, the hero."

"Ha," Lightning laughed softly. But she was actually relieved too. With the loss of Serah, she hadn't been sure how much fight would be left within Snow Villiers. Apparently it had been enough to get him through the day. "That hero's too stubborn to die."

"That he is," Fang agreed with a smirk. "Well, we'll go keep a look out for the hero then. And we'll give you too some privacy." She sent a wink their way before she and Vanille headed out of the bedroom, presumably to stand outside. But not too close to the windows, hopefully; Lightning didn't want them eavesdropping and picking up any details that they shouldn't know. Not that she really had much to talk about with Caius anyway.

Lightning glanced down at Caius as he sat himself up. His expression was confused, and for good reason. "You've never met Fang and Vanille before, have you?"

"No," he confessed with the shake of his head. "I heard of them though, over five hundred years before your time when they first became l'cie with the task of destroying Cocoon. But I also know how they wound up in your time and triggered all the events of your day."

"Amazing what one or two people can accomplish, huh? Even one or two people have the power to change history…"

"You're speaking of us now, aren't you?"

"Yeah."

"We did manage to change history, but we only accomplished it because we were together," Caius said. "One person alone cannot stand strong for long. I realize that now."

"You were always a lone wolf too, huh?" she surmised.

Gravely, he nodded. "I didn't want to trust anyone. Trust is still a hard thing to give out."

"Almost impossible, after seeing how easily corrupted people are," she agreed. "But there are a few people worth trusting in life."

"Lightning," he started. He turned and set his feet on the ground, rising as he gazed at the girl. "Do you trust me?"

What kind of a question was that? She and Caius talked about trust multiple times throughout their journey. But that was always in reference to battle. What he was really asking was this: Did she trust him as a person? Did she believe that he was a good person who would always look out for her and want what's best for her? She thought she made it clear how she felt through her actions, but in this case, words were needed. "Yes," she said quietly. "I do."

Caius's hands gravitated towards her face. He was still shirtless, so she could see the muscles contract in his arms well even if her eyes were locked onto his. "Do you trust that I will want to be your guardian from this day forward, to the very end of time?"

She laughed quietly, shaking her head. "I don't need a guardian, Caius. I can protect myself."

"Of course you can," he said, cupping her cheeks. "That is why I admire you so much. You're not easily defeated or harmed. Yet I will always look for ways to protect you, from physical harm and emotional attacks. Will you allow me to do this?"

Lightning pondered it. Only for a few moments. "I will, as long as you let me do the same for you."

"That's a fair deal. Alright, we will guard each other then."

"As long as we can put up with each other," she joked.

"No," he disagreed. Lightning started to frown, though his next comment made her smile softly. "Even when we cannot stand each other. Whatever it is that we have—this bond of ours—It is special and I want to protect it even if my emotions sway me."

She nodded her head faintly, so that she didn't make Caius's hands move from her cheeks. "Right," she agreed quietly. He wouldn't give up, and neither would she. They had something worth protecting and it wouldn't always involve a physical battle. It was going to be new to her, fighting battles of the heart instead of battles of the sword. But this was a step that she was willing to take.

Caius's lips turned up in a small smile. Up until this point, Lightning had been faintly aware that Caius's face was inching closer and closer to hers. "Shall we seal this deal?" he murmured lowly.

"We shall," she agreed. She moved her head a little closer to his, only two inches separating them now. Her eyes went down to his lips, staying half open as she watched him finish coming at her.

His lips connected with hers in a kiss completely different from the last one that they shared on the shores of Valhalla.

Lightning's eyes fell shut gently this time, without her eyebrows furrowed in worry or confusion. His lips moved gently with hers and showed no signs of desperation or pain. Only care and dedication. He meant his promise to her, and she meant his to him.

They were connected now. Joined together by the heart.

Both Lightning and Caius pulled away at the same time, though they didn't pull back far. Their faces lingered right in front of each others'. She dared to open her eyes, but she did it slowly. Her eyes drifted upward to find Caius's looking right back at her.

"It's done, then," he whispered.

"Yeah, it's done," she agreed in the same tone. The deal was sealed.

But Lightning had no complaints when Caius leaned in and gave her another kiss on the lips. This time, she lifted her arms and wrapped them around Caius. She interlinked her fingers behind his neck, underneath his hair. A few strands tickled her hands. Surprisingly soft. Just like his heart.

After a minute, some murmured shouts came from outside. Shouts that were alerting them that everyone else was arriving. Lightning looked up at Caius as they both took their hands back. Their eyes conveyed the same message: neither wanted to leave this moment.

Yet he was the realistic one in this case. He chuckled. "There will be plenty more moments like that in the future," he murmured. "I promise you that."

"I'm going to hold you to it," Lightning said with a blush.

Caius smiled softly and nodded. "Go." He motioned to the door with his head.

Lightning nodded as well before she turned and walked out the door. She felt like her feet weren't firmly planted on the ground; she was normally light on her feet, but this sensation was completely different. Her feet were on the ground and her head and heart were in the clouds. She was certain that as she walked outside the old NORA house, her cheeks were still red with the blush that came after Caius's kissing.

She'd blame it on the heat. That was what she would do.

Fortunately for her, her friends noticed that she was alive before taking in the blush. "Light!" Hope cried in relief. The young man was the first to close the distance between his group and Lightning, meeting her at the bottom of the stairs and embracing her in relief. She hmphed in satisfaction, lifting a hand to set on his back. It was really good to see him again, that was for sure. He didn't appear hurt either, which was also great.

"'Bout time you came back, Light," said Snow Villiers with a casual smirk. As Hope released Lightning from the hug, Snow put a hand on her shoulder and looked down at her. He was doing better than the last time Light saw him. Still suffering with losing Serah, but he had some fire back in his eyes along with some happiness. "You would make us wait three months before comin' back."

"Wanted you to experience some time away from me so that I could be missed," she said with a smirk of her own.

Snow smiled at the joke, patting her shoulder and stepping to the side as another friend approached.

"Well, you managed to save the world again, kid," Sazh said, smiling as he stopped before her. "What's on the agenda now? Gonna go out and tame every Behemoth that ever wandered the planes of Pulse?"

"Gran Pulse," Fang corrected from a few feet away.

"I think I'll let the Behemoths continue in peace for a while," Lightning answered. "And I'll take some of that peace for myself. I'm done fighting for a while." Fighting was all that she did, her whole life. It was time to sit back and enjoy peace. It was time to feel secure for the first time in her life.

"Oh well," Fang said. "That means there'll be more for me to tame. I haven't had a good fight in way too long, right Vanille?"

"Right," she agreed. "You were getting pretty agitated, being cooped up in one place for so long."

"Darn right I was."

"Don't go getting into trouble too quickly," Sazh advised with the wagging of his finger. "After all that we survived today, it'd be a shame to lose you two."

"Yes, Dad," Vanille giggled.

"Dad? That's a little creepy."

"You're the one acting all parental on us, funny man," Fang said.

"That's because you all are acting like crazy kids, lookin' for a thrill after only being alive again for one day. Crazy, crazy kids," he muttered. As soon as he realized just how parental he sounded, he couldn't help but chuckle. Vanille, always one to laugh when she got the chance, joined in. And so did Fang, Snow, Hope, and Noel.

But Lightning just smiled. She had missed these people more than she could have realized. Fang's reckless spirit, Vanille's smiles, Sazh's comical mannerisms, Snow's sensitivity, and Hope's…well, hope. Noel she didn't know well, but seeing him laugh and smile now, she admired that he could be so optimistic after all that he went through. That was Noel's defining trait: optimism.

Sometime in the chuckling, Caius came out of the NORA house. The top half of his armor was back on so that he was clothed as usual.

"There you are, Caius," Noel said when things quieted down. "You feeling alright?"

"Yes," he nodded. "I'm fine."

"Better not be lying," Snow said in good nature. "Lightning really can't stand people who lie."

"There are many things that Lightning cannot stand," Caius said, glancing down at the pink haired young woman beside him. "I learned that very quickly. And how to cope with it."

"Did she punch you?" he asked. "I got punched. A lot." He gave Lightning a look of mock pain.

"Well, I don't regret it too much," Lightning muttered with a small smirk. "Somebody had to knock sense into that thick skull of yours."

"Words hurt you know," Snow said. He lifted a hand to his heart, grimacing more deeply as if deeply offended by Lightning's words.

"But my punches hurt worse."

Snow let up the act, chuckling. "Very true. I know now not to get on your bad side."

"I guess you're smarter than you look."

"Hey!"

Everyone burst into laughter again. People always used to say that laughter was medicine for the soul. That it could take away pain of any hardship. It was more the principle that choosing to laugh even in a hard time meant that you had the strength to find happiness even in the worst. When you realized that you could be happy then, you could be happy anytime.

Now they were finally out of their time of hardship. Happiness and laughter were the medicines that would heal the wounds that they took during the past.

When things calmed down once again, it was Hope who was the most mature and got them down to business. "I want to hear all about what happened on your end," he said to Lightning and Caius.

"Better sit down," she advised. "It's a long story."

A circle was formed in the sand; it was nicer to sit outside and enjoy the sunshine rather than sit inside the NORA building, which wasn't in the best shape. Besides, it was wonderful to see signs of life again. The sun was just rising in the sky, shining over oceans that weren't dried up. No dragons flying around to destroy the world, no monsters breathing down their necks. And, most of all, a future without the goddess of destruction.

Lightning told most of the story. How she and Caius first began to encounter dragons as they went along their journey. She said how they met with NORA, but left out the details about their harsh grief when they realized that Serah was dead. Mostly she talked about the battles, not the personal stuff. Making enemies with Corin and being hunted by him.

Bringing up how they were taken to Valhalla after defeating the five dragons was when the story became difficult. That was when the emotions truly imbedded themselves in the journey. Emotions weren't pushed to the side; they were right there in their faces. How was she, the stoic Lightning who always had control of her emotions, supposed to tell them all the heartache that Etro's curse put her through?

She couldn't. She lied to them and said that Etro attempted to kill them both, but they managed to flee for a time. They were hunted still, but they found a way to avoid all the enemies, recover from the wounds that Etro inflicted, and create the weapons necessary to defeat her.

And that was that. Somehow she managed to keep the heartache out of the tale. Was it only to keep up the image that she was always in control? Always composed? Maybe partially. More than that, she didn't want her friends knowing the horrors of their journey. She didn't want sorrow felt for her sake when everyone should have been happy.

"I'm just confused about one thing," Snow said. "How'd you guys get back here after Valhalla suddenly exploded?"

Right. That, Lightning thought. She glanced over at Noel, the only other person she knew encountered Serah in their dreams. The fact that Noel saw her and Snow didn't could definitely create some trouble. But this was one thing that she couldn't lie about. "Caius and I were separated," she began lowly. "We were both sent to a world between life and death though. We were given a choice of whether we wanted to go to the afterlife or come back here? At least to me, the choice was presented by…Serah."

"What?" he grunted.

"She presented the choice to me as well," Caius inserted.

Lightning looked over at him, nodding slightly. She'd have to ask about that later. For now her attention turned back to the former fiancé of her sister. "She and every other lost soul had been trapped in a dark and cold place by Etro. They couldn't go on to their heaven, but once Etro was dead, they were free. Serah reached out to us before she moved on."

"She didn't have the choice to come back?" Hope asked.

"No. She was already gone. But…She was happy with how everything turned out. That was what she told me."

"And me too," Noel added.

"You too?" Snow asked, utterly confused and probably feeling brokenness setting in again. Serah took the time to contact Noel but not him, her fiancé. That had to hurt.

"When I was knocked out in battle, she came to me in a dream," Serah's friend explained. "I'm sure the only reason she spoke to me and not you is because I was out. She could probably only speak to us through dreams."

"…Right." The hero didn't appear too certain of that.

"The important thing is that everyone is alright," Hope inserted to cease the awkward tension. "Serah's free to move on to happiness and so is everyone else here. Now we can focus on creating a happy future instead of just saving it from being doomed."

"It's not gonna be an easy path," Sazh warned all of them.

"When's anything ever easy?" Fang laughed. "I'm over a thousand years old and I still got nothing right! Don't think I'll be able to settle everything in this life either. But I have a feeling that this time, my end is gonna be when I die, not when I'm frozen into crystal."

"I like that idea much better than being frozen for another five hundred years straight," Vanille said with a small smile. "We won't just exist anymore. We'll actually get to live and enjoy our lives."

Noel smiled, staring up at the sky. "The long night is over," he said. "The light of a new day is shining over everything."

"Finally, we have the promise of a new day," Vanille continued for him.

Lightning stared off into the distance, listening to all that her friends had to say. The future wouldn't always be happy. People would still hurt each other and lust for power. Yet they could choose for themselves what kind of lives they wanted to live now. She knew that she wasn't going to be a soldier fighting in every war anymore. She had the possibility to be anything that she wanted. Lightning. Light. Claire. Or maybe a combination of the three. Have Lightning's strength, Light's compassion, and Claire's ability to face challenges head on without running away. She wouldn't be doing this alone though. Caius's gaze on her was enough to tell her that she wouldn't be abandoned any time soon.

Her lips turned up in a slight smile as she gazed at the bright blue sky.

"We'll create a new future. And it'll be a good one."

*…*…*…*…*…*

Where are my peeps?! Didn't get a huge amount of reviews for the last chapter. Don't make me scold you guys again. xP But anyway, I hope you enjoyed the story! That was the final chapter, except for the epilogues. Yes there are two of them. The first one is self-explanitory; the other you'll find out more about at the end of that one.

A general response to prompt requests: I would have a hard time with any Caius/Lightning that isn't based in this reality where they're together, and I don't want to add anything canon just in case I write a sequel someday. Maybe someday I'll post something underneath its own title, who knows?

Also, I posted a 3-shot about the Farron sisters a few days ago, so go check it out!

Ballad Jr: I'd have a hard time with Yuffentine right now because I haven't played VII in so long. :/ But if you want, I have another story written that's a Cloti but has Yuffentine thrown in the mix. (: It's older but not a bad piece of work. I forget what it's called at the moment, unfortunately.

Riku91/Darkis0777/i: Yup, you three sensed Vanille and Fang xD I should have known people would be looking for subtle hints like that! Way to be awesome guys! (i, now you know why I was ignoring all your questions about Fang and Vanille, haha)

MaroonAngel of Darkness: Can Caius still turn into Chaos Bahamut? Hmmm…I didn't even consider it, to be honest! If I ever do a sequel, maybe it'll be answered there. (;

That's it for the responses guys. I do have a request though: everyone who read, please review! I wanna get the story to at least 300 reviews by the time it's all done. That would just be INSANELY AWESOME to me.

Thanks for everything guys!

Peanut