witchesreign | 001 [Action-Garden Entrance]

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001 [Action-Garden Entrance]

[It had been a long year since Lightning had last been here, walking through the turnstiles to get back into Garden. One year of chasing a monster all over the continent without any backup. One more year with only her thoughts as company, and not so much as a clue to get home for it. Just more gil and a teaching job to look forward to come morning.

Nothing had changed, really. Not even the place looked different as Lightning looked up, eyes narrowing in thought. Would she ever find a way back? Hard to say. But she was going to try, and standing around wasn't going to solve anything. So she stepped forward, never turning her head from what was in front of her.

It would honestly be a wonder if she didn't crash into someone or something, at the pace she was following.]

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[ After that last encounter with Lightning in the quad had ended in Vanille skipping classes to hide by herself in her dorm, she wasn't exactly happy to see her walking in her direction. Vanille froze in her spot, not able to decide whether she should keep walking and try to slip past her undetected or turn tail and run back the way she was going, fists clenching at her sides. The closer she got, the more she felt her stomach curl up— and the last option won out. ]

Ah— [ Spinning on her heels, Vanille started marching away doubletime, much faster than she had been going moments before. She didn't relish the idea of Claire spotting her and yelling at her for... Existing, again. ]

[Lightning's singleminded focus of getting back to the doors was broken by the sound of Vanille's footsteps, and she looked up in time to catch the Pulsian turning on her heel. For a moment, she just stood there in surprise: the last time she'd seen Vanille had been...when dealing with Orphan, hadn't it? What in the world was going on around here?]

Vanille?

[It's hard to keep the surprise and wonder from her tone, though there really isn't much of either yet.]

[ She stops in her tracks at the sound of her voice— not quite as harsh as she would have expected, but still enough to make her back stiffen. It had been the voice of family a while back... But now... ]

[ She turned back around slowly, keeping her hands at her sides, not able to meet the taller woman's gaze. ]

Yes, ma'am? [ She was probably in trouble for something. She hadn't even done anything, but she really doubted that mattered to her. Not anymore. ]

[Something is...definitely wrong. Vanille has never acted like this before. Sure, she and Lightning hadn't been exceedingly close like Vanille and Fang were, but Vanille had called them family. And family didn't act like this.]

What's the matter? [Whose ass is she going to have to beat Fang into kicking?}

[ She has to bite back the sass that actually rises up in her. How could she even ask something like that? She should know what was the matter. Why was she even bothering to talk to her, anyway? Vanille sighs hard, frustrated. ]

I'm sorry! [ She stomps, just wanting to go, voice filling with far too much emotion. ] Whatever it is I did, I'm sorry..!

What are you talking about? I haven't seen you in over a year.

[And what a long year it's been, for Lightning to actually let a note of confusion into her tone. She's....actually starting to get worried.]

I was just in class last... [ Wait just a moment. ]

[ Vanille stands there, still, blinking up at the other girl in awe, until the words explode out of her. ]

Lightning?!

[Class. Lightning hadn't taught a class in over a year. There was no way she could have taught Vanille, so that comment sends alarm bells ringing in the ex-Sargeant's head. But it was something to deal with later, and she simply nodded.]

Who else were you expecting? [Sure, she's not Fang, but still.]

Well... I knew it was you, but...

You're... [ How does she ask something like that? ] You're back to normal, now?

I didn't know I'd been anything but normal. [Vanille, child, you are making her so confused.]

[ She's confused, too, it's cool. She shakes her head. ] You were mean!

... You don't remember? [ You made her cry, man. ]

[Confused look is giving way to narrowed eyes. If Vanille thinks she was mean when Lightning hadn't seen her in over a year, then something has to be up. She has to get an answer to make sense of this.]

When was this?

About a week or so ago... The first week of classes.

[ This is very bizarre. Lightning had been... Well, downright horrible since she'd gotten there. From the moment she'd run into her in the hallway until Vanille had found herself in her class. ] You said... You weren't the Lightning we knew, and that you weren't a Pulse l'Cie, and...

[ It's starting to sound like it was all a really bad dream. ]

[A week ago...a week ago she'd been on her way back to Balamb, not in Garden. Something's not right here. Especially the comment about how she wasn't a Pulse l'Cie.]

That couldn't have been me. A week ago I wasn't even in town, let alone giving classes. You couldn't have run into me. [But maybe....no. That can't be it.]

[ *~*Time Compression*~* ]

You asked me why I was in your class, and told me you weren't going to help me in class anymore... [ She could go on. She's clearly pretty hung up about it. ] But...

I guess...

If you don't remember it anymore, and you don't hate us anymore, then...

It's fine?

[Fine? Oh, not really. Lightning's just crossing her arms over her chest, posture getting a tad defensive as her eyes narrow. This can't be happening.]

If you think I'd actually say something like that to one of you, things aren't fine. You know I wouldn't do that.

[ And Vanille kind of shrinks a little. Normally she'd be used to Lightning's more accusatory stares, but, after dealing with 'Claire,' they're a lot harder to take. ]

You were acting strange, so... We all just thought... It was how you felt. So we decided the best thing to do was to stay out of your way.

[ She doesn't want to tell her about how she'd hurt Serah, though. She keeps her lips sealed on that one. ] You were really convincing, you know?

[Really convincing, huh? Well. Time to see if that's the same now. Lightning's posture slowly eases, and she shakes her head.]

Vanille, how long did we travel together before any of us got here? If I didn't want to help you, you'd have known it back then. I wouldn't have waited this long to spring it on you.

[Especially after...well, that's a long story for another time.]

[ She really, really doesn't understand just how convincing she was. Vanille never thought she'd see Lightning be outright belligerent with any of them, but, she had been. ]

[ Still... If things are back to normal, then, she doesn't want to force the conversation to go on longer than it has to. If they can avoid it altogether, she'd be just fine with that. ]

I know. [ She nodded, corners of her mouth turning up into a smile. ] We're family! You wouldn't just abandon us like that.

[ Even though she had. ]

[The idea that Vanille still thinks it was her that said those things and acted that way just doesn't sit right with Lightning, but it's obvious that forcing the issue will not help. It's never helped with the Pulsian.

So Lightning just nods, letting her posture ease the rest of the way. Family is family, isn't it?]

Exactly. If I'd have known you were here I'd have come back a lot sooner. [As in months ago.]

[ It wouldn't, no. And besides, the fact that Lightning would find out she was right later probably didn't help matters much, either. ]

[ She wants to say, "but you were here!" but... Going around in circles wouldn't help them a bit. ]

Now it's almost everyone! Sazh, Hope, and Snow are here, too. And Serah!

[ She didn't know how Lightning would react to that one, so... She watches her expression cautiously. ] Guess there's only one left to wait on.

[ The most important one, to her. ]

[No, that fact wouldn't help matters at all. But that's for a later time, once Lightning runs into Claire and things...get hectic.

For now, however, she smiles faintly at the mention of Serah. It'll be good to see her again after all this time.]

She'll show. It's not like Fang to keep you waiting longer than she has to.

[Because Lightning remembers Fang saying she'd tear down the sky to save Vanille. And she doubts that's changed at all.]

[ Vanille nods. Of course she knows that's true... But it's still been a while. She's seen everyone except Fang... It kind of feels like there's an entire chunk of her missing, sometimes. ]

I know.

... I just hope she doesn't have to make me wait much longer.

[ COME ON, TIME COMPRESS THAT WOMAN INTO MY ARMS. ]

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001 [Action-Garden Entrance]

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