Chapter Nineteen

Flight

It had taken longer than she cared for, but a few moments ago one of Morrigan's men had informed her where the group was. It came at no better time, as she had been on the cusp of relaying her failure of locating the l'Cie to her boss when the notification came in. Her original assumption of Nautilus had been correct, albeit late. Morrigan's armada was already en route; if she had to raze the entire port to the ground to find that group, she would.

It had been made clear to her that this was her last chance. Get what was required, or suffer a fate like Raiden's.

"I won't be just tossed aside…" she muttered to herself, slunk down in her chair. "They may have skill, but it's untrained…" Her words brought her little solace; Lightning had woken up, meaning somehow those imbeciles had found a way to usurp her master's power. "All we need now is the hero, and everything will be in place."

—

It was one thing to steal an airship and then flee as fast as one could from the area. To have a near mutiny onboard, led by none other than Fang and Snow, due to the fact that they were trying to leave, was something else entirely. It seemed that since Lightning had lost the bet - which she had never actually officially agreed to - they now needed to procure alcohol. It wasn't that this rather luxurious ship didn't have any... but in Fang's opinion, it surely didn't have enough, nor did it possess the fun atmosphere they needed.

So they had stolen the ship, and forced Sazh to land it out of sight in an enclosed hangar near the poor sector of the port. Shiny had agreed to guard it, though Lightning wasn't entirely sure on whether or not the machine could actually refuse to do something Fang requested. It was then that the group moved out and became part of the daunting nightlife of Nautilus.

"Bet's a bet," Snow noted, giving Lightning a sly grin as they walked. He had his hands behind his head, a typical resting stance for him.

Lightning didn't respond at first; she didn't like the plan because it felt like they were forgetting about Hope. "What about Hope?"

"Honestly, Light, if we don't do this..." His gaze fell upon their friends in front. Sazh, Fang, and Vanille were laughing about something. "We might just crack. We haven't had a break since… well, since all this started."

Lightning didn't comment. Her eyes fell to the ground until she felt the man nudge her. She looked up at him with joyless curiosity. "Hm?"

"Cheer up, it's one night."

Fang looked back, a sly look on her face, and it was clear she had been listening. "Yeah, Sunshine - for one night, let's pretend we're normal."

†

The bar they eventually settled on was nestled on what they could only assume was a busy intersection. Inside resembled more of a club then a bar, though none of them particularly felt like dancing. Instead they found themselves a table off to the side and sat down, Snow opting to pay for the first round of drinks. The group was rather quiet until the first drink was down them and snacks arrived; then, suddenly spirits seemed to pick up.

"Food," Vanille moaned, finding the fries and wings far more satisfying than anything else on Cocoon. "Glorious food…"

Fang snickered. "People are gonna think we never feed ya."

"You don't," the girl protested, hoarding the fries.

Sazh nudged Lightning, who had been staring quietly at the dance floor the entire time. "What's with you? You want to dance or something?"

Light snapped out of her daze. "Definitely not," she hastily replied, taking another drink.

Snow narrowed his eyes. "You know, Serah told me you know how to dance…"

The glare he received was cold and deadly. Fang beamed - if he got that sort of look, it meant he was right.

"Really, Light?" Fang tilted her head playfully. "You can dance?"

"No," she retorted, shooting a look to her.

She could see the curiosity in Fang's emerald eyes, dancing in the cool colouration. She wasn't going to drop it... maybe she'd let it slide at the moment, but it would come back to haunt her eventually.

"Can you?" Lightning shot the question back at the pulsian, suddenly finding herself curious.

"Eh, well enough." Fang shrugged, not bothered by her admittance. "Probably not as good as you, Sunshine."

"I don't dance."

Sazh stood up suddenly, catching them all by surprise. "Well, I do." He waved to them dramatically. "And I plan on struttin' my stuff."

On cue, the chocobo in his hair peeped and popped out, fluttering over to Vanille. She giggled.

"I don't think chocobo thinks you can dance well."

Sazh shrugged off the lack of faith. "Bah, what does she know?"

And then he walked off, confidence radiating from him.

Fang leaned over to Snow. "Ten gil says it's a disaster."

Snow chuckled. "Alright, you're on."

As it turned out, Sazh's moves were less about dancing and were far more in line with random flailing. Lightning had to give him some credit; occasionally the man would flounder in time with the beat, but those moments were naturally ruined when he nearly took someone out. He didn't seem to care, though, as a circle formed around him and people cheered. Light and the others joined in, clapping and cheering as the song reached its climactic end and Sazh attempted a dramatic spin for good measure.

But much to the chagrin of his friends, he fell and lay splayed out on the floor, panting and dizzy.

"Oh crap." Snow hurried out of his seat. "Man down!"

Vanille followed eagerly, clapping. "Sazh! You did fantastic!"

Lightning eyed Fang, a playful smirk on her lips. "I think you made ten gil."

Fang laughed and wrapped an arm around Light. "Pretty much."

†

It was late when the group chose to return to the ship, though that didn't stop them from being horribly loud. Snow, Sazh, and Vanille were singing a song that the last two women couldn't understand. Vanille would sometimes chime in with a rhyme that was from Gran Pulse, to which everyone laughed, but only Fang understood. Lightning hadn't shied away from Fang's attention; she walked next to the pulsian with a smile on her face, occasionally skirting a glance at her tan companion.

Snow was right, though Lightning would never admit it. They needed this, just for a moment, to feel normal... not like there were a thousand things for them to do.

'How long has it been since you were normal?'

Shiny hurried to the group when it heard the shouting, though as it neared it slowed its pace and watched the trio in absolute confusion. Fang heard the baffled whirling noise the machine was giving, failing to understand whether the group was in distressed or just insane. Lightning chuckled, patting the orion on the shoulder as she moved past.

"They're drunk," she offered as an explanation, though that did little to alleviate its concern.

Shiny looked to Fang for some sort of further reasoning.

"They're fine, they just need sleep." Fang gestured to the trio. "Go herd them into their rooms."

†

'Herding' took less time then Fang expected. Shiny easily persuaded Snow to drag a plastered Sazh into a larger bedroom with two double beds - which apparently the machine had designated was for the boys. Vanille had been ushered into a room that mirrored the first, and had taken up one of the cots. Fang had originally assumed that Lightning would've opted for the single bed room, but when she had attempted to go to bed, she had found the soldier sound asleep in the same room as Vanille.

Fang's eyes lingered on Lightning longer then the soldier would've probably liked, but the pulsian took comfort in the fact that she wasn't awake. She smirked and walked away, closing the door quietly behind her.

It was near three in the morning before anyone moved. Shiny had been loyally keeping watch, his scanners disturbed only by the sudden emergence of Lightning from her room. Shiny immediately noted her lack of boots or coat, giving her something of a more civilian appearance. The machine beeped quietly at her, inquiring as to what she was doing.

The woman looked at Shiny somewhat fearfully until she realized who it was. She brought a finger to mouth, a gesture Shiny knew to signify silence. The machine nodded and then hunkered back down, but watched in child-like wonder as the soldier silently opened Fang's door and slipped inside.

Lightning pressed her back against the door as it shut, her eyes adjusting to the small amount of light in the room. Fang had left the lamp on, casting the room in a golden-orange hue and creating long shadows. Fang had discarded her sari; it sat neatly draped over the back of a chair while the pulsian was stretched out on her bed, half covered in the blanket.

Light took the moment to admire Fang. The woman was covered in scars, most of them faint. Her skin was tanner than Lightning could ever hope to achieve, and her midriff showed the faintest hints of her muscle. She neared, watching as Fang's face twitched in the slightest as she dreamt.

The ex-l'Cie briefly wondered what Fang was dreaming about, up until the woman turned in her slumber and Lightning saw the new brand. It had grown, albeit not much. The arrowhead shape was larger and more elaborate, but the rest of the design had yet to appear. There was a small comfort in that, but not much. Hesitantly, Lightning quietly strode forward and sat down next to Fang.

Then she reached out, and ran her fingertips over the Cocoon brand.

Lightning's eyes flicked down to the floor. "Idiot," she uttered, irritation clear in her voice.

Fang's body suddenly shifted, and Lightning found her fingers entangled with the pulsian's. Fang was staring at Lightning with equal parts concern and amusement.

"You have a hard time imaginin' someone could care for ya, don't ya?" Fang chuckled.

Light gave Fang a hard stare. "Why did you do it?"

"I just told ya."

Lightning gritted her teeth together, and Fang expected her to pull her hand free of the hold. Yet instead, her companion did nothing but look away, her gaze focused on something in the corner of the room. "It's dangerous to care about me."

Fang's eyes glanced down to the woman's hand, her grip had tightened a little. "Oh?"

"My family is gone." Still the woman refused to meet the pulsian's gaze, but Fang let it slide. "Everyone I cared for, they're dead… or might as well be."

"I'm not." Fang's assertion made Light look back at her, confused. "I'm not dead, been pretty close at points… but still 'ere."

A small, sad smile spread across Lightning's lips as her gaze flicked to Fang's hand gently grasping hers. "Is this normal?"

Fang laughed a little at the woman's sheepishness and then sat up. "Close," she smiled and softly pressed her forehead against Lightning's. "I know I, uh... can be forward." Fang's eyes had a hard time meeting Lightning's then, as suddenly the pulsian was staring at the blanket in her lap. "I don't mean to make ya mad, just tryin' to get you to open up."

It was Lightning's turn to laugh, the quiet chuckle escaped her before she spoke. "I don't actually get mad."

Fang's emerald sight was back to staring at Lightning, her eyes flicking to the soldier's lips. "Oh," Fang said, smirking. "Well that's good, then..." She tilted her head somewhat and leaned closer. "I was a little… worried."

Fang's kiss was gentle and soft, not at all unpleasant. In that first moment, Lightning stiffened, unaccustomed to such attention. But her body relaxed in the following moment, and a soft heat spread across Light's cheek as blush began to make its appearance. They parted as gently as they met, Fang smiling slightly with satisfaction at the blush on the woman's face.

"Embarrassed 'bout something, Sunshine?" Fang joked, but then found her lips captured by Light's. The soldier shifted forward, using surprise and subtle strength to force the pulsian onto her back. Fang's lips opened, inviting Lightning to deepen the kiss.

It was an invitation that didn't go unanswered. Lightning's tongue met Fang's as the soldier straddled her, and a quiet hum of energy travelled up and down her spine as Fang's hands slowly rose up and pulled the woman closer. Lightning moaned into the kiss, and it was a sound that was music to Fang's ears.

When Lightning broke the kiss, Fang couldn't stop the disappointment from crossing her face. She had never seen Light look so conflicted, like an entire war was playing out inside her head, and there was no clear victor. Fang could at least give her credit for trying. The woman was giving this her best attempt, but she couldn't fight her own nature. She had to plan everything out... she needed to know where this was headed.

"What happens at the end?"

Lightning's question wasn't a surprise. Fang managed to hold back a snarky response and instead chose to leave it to the other woman. "Whatever you'd like, I s'pose."

"You think it'd be that easy?" Light's head tilted, and it would've been adorable, were it not for the serious look on her face.

Fang shrugged. "Maybe, ya never know."

Fang's confidence in the future gave Lightning a little hope. She leaned down again, snatching a kiss. Fang was greedy, and as Light pulled away, the pulsian hungrily followed, wanting the liplock to linger a little longer. But as their lips parted again, she could see Lightning mulling over what they had said and what she wanted.

"Promise me," Lightning spoke, making it sound more like a command then a request. "That at the end of all this, you'll still be here."

"Exactly where do you think I'll be goin'?" Fang laughed, giving her companion a baffled look. "Gran Pulse is a lil' far, and I'm growing fond of the scenery here." She didn't take her eyes off of Lightning, her tone light but serious.

When Lightning's gaze wavered, Fang's faint smile disappeared. "Ya really worried I'm gonna vanish?"

The lack of a response answered Fang's question, making the warrioress scowl and then tug Lightning down on top of her. The soldier ended up with her head gently resting in the nook of Fang's neck, with the pulsian's strong arms wrapping around Lightning in a protective, comforting hug.

"I'm not goin' anywhere, Sunshine, you shoulda learnt that by now." Her whisper was delicate and like silk, exactly what Lightning needed to hear. Her body relaxed and stretched out, and slowly she reached up with one hand to gently touch Fang's cheek.

"Promise?"

Fang smirked, drawing lazy patterns on Lightning's back.

"Promise."