Well hey guys, I'm back. I have to confess to something before I even start: I wrote the beginning chapters of this story last year, in Octoberish. So, if you start to wonder why I didn't post this back then, sorry! T3T

Something else - yeah, this is a Caius and Lightning fic. Spoiler alert. I couldn't help myself. XD But, there is a second part to the story that focuses on another pairing. You'll probably figure out who it is partway through. And don't worry, I'll post that one too.

Meanwhile, it looks like I'll be doing my updates on Mondays again... If I'm not too lazy. Heh.

Arrival: Intrusion

Lightning emerged from her room and stepped onto the adjoining balcony overlooking the center of Academia. It was only about the third time she'd actually seen anyone that day. The other two times were while she looked for her sister Serah and Serah's fiancé Snow, but she hadn't gotten a chance to speak with either of them. Though they'd been in Academia no longer than twenty-four hours, she felt the need to be away from everyone else and isolate herself in her room.

Their Academia was a time bubble, belonging to a space in the timeline that didn't quite connect with the rest of the events—kind of like the way Lightning was feeling now. The time bubble was like a refuge for them. It sealed them off from the broken timeline so they could regroup. Hope had told them about it earlier, individually redirecting them to the place so they could escape the chaos going on outside. And now here she was, back with her old friends and enemies and old problems.

She glanced down at herself for a second, once again analyzing her outfit. It was one of few she'd found in her room's closet, and none of them had resembled her old military uniform. As of now she was wearing a tank top along with a pair of shorts that seemed a size too small. She figured she wasn't going to see anyone until the next morning, but still she didn't like the new clothes much.

Lightning realized that rain had long since been spattering Academia. She wondered why she hadn't noticed it. Apparently not many others had noticed either, because people were crowding the streets down below her. She wished she could have been like them, running around the city like a bunch of kids without a care in the world, laughing and joking with their friends. But things weren't quite resolved between Lightning and her friends. Not yet.

She was jolted out of her thoughts by the sound of the door sliding open behind her. She spun around and saw an all-too-familiar figure that she almost didn't recognize in new Academia clothing.

Lightning found herself freezing in confusion as he spoke to her, a phantom smirk crossing his face.

"Evening, Lightning."

"…Caius?" she asked, crossing her arms. "How did you get up here?" Now she really wished she wasn't wearing the outfit she had on now, since it covered little. It was basically the last thing she would want Caius to see her in.

"Does it matter?" he replied, his eyes dancing across her silhouette.

"Yes, it matters. What the hell do you think you're doing?" She twisted her head at an angle and looked at him sideways. "Oh, right, you've followed me here to kill me. Well, good luck. This is a time bubble. I doubt murder is even possible here."

"I am not here to murder you." Caius laughed slightly. "Let's just say my arrival here was unexpected."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Lightning retorted.

"So many questions." He shrugged, still smiling sarcastically. "I will speak with you tomorrow. I wanted to ensure you were really here." Caius then looked up at the darkened sky, squinting into the rain.

Lightning shook her head, turning to face the city of Academia again. Yet his voice came again from behind her. "Don't you think it's a little cold out here?"

Before she could formulate a reply, she felt the light weight of a jacket over her shoulders, and then a few seconds later, the door slid open and shut again.