Chapter 6

Lightning ran back and forth up and down the streets, searching for any signs of a six-foot seven guy with a petite pink-haired girl on his shoulder - she didn't think it would be too difficult to spot the two.

But despite the two's unique characteristics, Lightning couldn't spot hide nor hair of either one of them.

"Damn," Lightning cursed as she stopped to catch her breath. How could she be so stupid? She thought to herself. She should have predicted Snow would have pulled such a ridiculous stunt like this.

Just as Lightning was ready to walk towards Snow's house - which she doubt that he would be there, for it would be too obvious - Fang walked over from across the street.

"Hey!" she shouted to catch Lightning's attention. "What in the hell is going on here?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" Lightning responded, while continuing to walk onwards.

"Didn't you just see that?" Fang asked incredulously. "Snow had Serah on his shoulder and was sprinting down the street like a madman!"

Lightning stopped in her tracks. "Snow? You saw him?"

Fang looked as confused as anyone would be if they saw such a bizarre sight. "Care to explain?"

Lightning cast her eyes down to the pavement and shifted uncomfortably under Fang's piercing stare. "It's … kind of a long… and bizarre story," Lightning added.

Fang continued to stare at Lightning expectantly - waiting for Lightning to tell this "bizarre" story.

About half an hour later…

"WHAT?" Fang bellowed out in disbelief - her voice must have echoed throughout Bodhum city.

Lightning couldn't help but jump back from how loud Fang had yelled. "I-it couldn't be helped," Lightning justified.

Fang's eyes were wide with shock and she looked as if she was about to faint. "S-so, you and… Serah…" Fang repeated out loud to herself.

She placed a palm on her face and said, "Of course! Why didn't I see it before?"

Lightning couldn't follow Fang's reaction to things even if she tried.

"No wonder you were so overprotective of her, and always whopping Snow around like a rag doll - you were jealous!" Fang concluded.

"I wouldn't say I was jealous…," Lightning pouted at the accusation, but she knew it was true.

"Ah, but you got her in the end, but now Snow's gone all proud macho-man and whisked Serah away from you," Fang summarized in her own colorful way.

"Well, yeah," was all Lightning could say.

"Well, I say, let's get her back!" Fang shouted, as she pumped a fist in the air.

Lightning stared at her blankly.

"What? Come on, I can help you," Fang said.

"But, I don't even know where Snow went…" Lightning said, feeling guilty for not being able to protect Serah.

Fang placed a comforting hand on Lightning's shoulder. "Hey, don't worry about it - we'll find her."

Lightning conjured a small smile as Fang led her down the way where she last saw Snow and Serah.

"I last saw him going down to the end of this street and then he took a right, but after that I lost him," Fang pointed down at the street, but there was no sign of the two of them.

"I'll just ask around," Lightning said and walked over to an elderly lady selling beach umbrellas.

"Can I help you?" the sweet old lady asked as her eye glasses reflected off the sun's rays.

"Yes ma'am, did you possibly see a man about six-foot seven carrying a girl with pinkish hair while running down the street earlier today?" Lightning cringed at how ridiculous her question sounded.

"A man with six feet carrying an imp?" the old lady responded, clearly not hearing the question well enough.

"No, a six-foot seven mancarrying a girl with pinkish hair - did you see them?" Lightning enunciated the words the old lady misheard.

"I'm sorry dear, but you must know that there is no such thing as a man with six feet," the lady said and smiled sweetly.

Lightning sighed and looked over at Fang for help when suddenly a silver flash of hair walked over towards them.

"Hey, Hope!" Fang greeted the shy boy as soon as she saw him. Hope nearly dropped his bag of mandarin oranges as Fang patted him enthusiastically on the back.

"Hello Hope, what are you doing here?" Lightning asked as Hope's face blushed under Lightning's gaze.

"I-I came here to grocery shop because I heard they sell the best mandarins at the stalls here," Hope replied, and offered Fang and Lightning an orange.

Fang took it and thanked him before she peeled it quickly and started devouring the fruit right before their eyes.

Lightning politely refused, causing a hurt look to appear on Hope's face.

"What are you guys doing here?" Hope asked.

Fang looked at Lightning with a mouth still full of orange - not sure whether or not to answer the question for her.

"We're looking for Snow. Have you seen him?" Lightning asked, but Hope only shook his head no.

"No, sorry. Why are you two looking for him?"

Lightning wasn't sure how she was going to answer the question - she really didn't want to tell the poor boy the truth - it would be too much information for his young mind to process.

"He took something of mine…," Lightning vaguely answered.

Hope looked puzzled. "He took something of yours?" he repeated, wanting more details.

"He took Lightning's knife, yeah, that's it, " Fang interjected, much to Lightning's surprise. She gave Fang a wary look.

"Oh," Hope said, "Why would he do something like that?"

Lightning only shrugged her shoulders and crossed her arms - she was sick and tired of all the questioning. She started to walk away after she simply waved her hand in a quick goodbye to Hope.

Fang gave Hope a small nod and a smile and followed Lightning.

"W-wait!" Hope yelled out with a hand outreached towards the two of them. "M-Maybe I can help?" he suggested.

Fang looked at Lightning as Lightning stared at the awkward young boy in front of her - she couldn't find it in herself to turn away from his pleading puppy-dog eyes.

"Sure, why not," was all she said, and continued to walk onwards. "Just make sure you keep up."

Hope smiled widely and nodded eagerly as he ran to catch up to Lightning's side.