A broken body surrounded by creepy figures in a golden room.  Stairs and an altar that had this strange box.  Some sort of clergy member standing by Vanille who happened to be wearing this ugly hat. Guns trained on the person watching and yet not on Vanille...

What was going on?  If the intricate blend of physical pain and despair that wrecked her body was any indicator, Vanille was in danger!  Something to do with that golden box.  If she could think straight, Fang could remember why she would be here.  

But what is Vanille doing?  Why isn’t she fighting them?  Doesn’t she know by now that she needs to survive no matter what?  It has to be a life or death thing, otherwise why would I have tried to stop it?

“Vanille!!!” Fang called out, only for the events transpiring to continue as if she hadn’t been there at all.  If only she could stand, grab her lance and destroy whatever the hell is emitting that light!  

One final pulsing light emitted from the freakish chest, resulting in Vanille falling halfway down the stairs.  Fang felt the sob of grief release, accompanied by what felt like a blown out throat.  

The bastards just celebrate and pay no attention to their precious ‘Sacred One’ lying breathless.  Gone, their all gone, and all they....

Looking at the body and listening to the bells toll, it felt like a beginning of years of regret.  She failed to save Vanille...

~~~~~~~

Fang jolted upright as a blast of thunder echoed through the room.  Sweating, hurting, the huntress felt some relief finding herself in an ordinary room.  Tanned hands clamped around her mouth screaming only one name.

“VANILLE!!!!” 

Fang found herself in tears just as she was, hands muffling shouts to the best of her ability.  For five minutes she did this while wits were gathered.

“Vanille...”  Fang breathed, body remembering the traces of how that dream felt.  “That was Vanille. Nightmare...  Just a bad dream!  Gotta be.”

Fang turned to stare at the clock before releasing a groan.  Too early to want to start a new day, but hell will freeze over before she can go back to sleep. It shook her to the core, and since others are still sleeping, Fang quietly got out of the bed to head to the living room.

Still shaking, the huntress picked up her lance and a maintence kit.  Scenes still played through her head, which meant she needed to do something to try and distract herself.  If not, then the ptsd will add another problem, and wake up everyone.

Starting with the blades, Fang started to adjust them, letting one of the blades knick her palms.  Fang hissed a bit and took a quick look at it.

“Nothing serious.” she muttered, if she were in a calmer state of mind, she would have tended to it.  Oddly enough, it was painful and nothing to enjoy about it.  Merely use it ground herself to reality. “This better not become a habit though...”

Her hands weren’t bleeding in that dream, so this has to be the reality.  Another knick happened, this time Fang merely held a cloth to it since she didn’t want to just bleed all over her lance, continuing to work.

Quiet night out on the park.  Not a soul in sight.  It was a good time to sit and think.  Think about where she's been, possibly where she's going.  The future is uncertain.  Nothing to really do about it but live for the day and enjoy what she has.

Familiar land and yet new at the same time.  Same citizens yet different experiences.  A fresh slate and yet things seem to be the same.  Gods, how many times has she agonized over the fate of Vanille?  To have lost her and yet find her alive once again? To encounter familiar faces and they seem like a stranger at the same time?

Threats against family, love lost.  Love reunited at the same time.  New life in the merry little band and brand new faces. 

Who would have thought that Hope would have a cranky brother, who would have a family of his own?  The kids are adorable, and Gaia seems to be the interesting woman to not piss off.  Noel and Hope are engaged while Light is in morning.

Noel has the loyal to Hope vibe going on, and that ugly sweater war was a welcome distraction.  

and What is it with the one called Wind?  Why does it feel like Fang should know her?

If there was a perk to wearing these gloves, it was keeping her hands warmer.  They are distracting for someone who prefers to feel the steel of her lance instead of the cloth, but it keeps her hands out of the eyes of nosy reporters who are looking for the smallest thing to blow up.

If one thing about Nova Crystallia has taught her, media are assholes.  They don't care about the lives they imact, they just want the gil.  If there is one thing that Fang can do about Light's suffering, it's giving the asses something to feed on.

The crisp cool air however, that was in the now and pretty relaxing.  Can't get much of a view of the stars with the noise pollution, but the park is relaxing.  As relaxed as a person could get in this city.

    Raising his hand, tumbler clutched firmly between his gloved fingers, Cloud cast his azure gaze around the room as the rim of the glass touched his lips and he tilted his head back minutely to sip some of the amber liquid within. The beverage burned as his throat muscles constricted around the mouthful of whiskey while his Adams apple bobbed when he swallowed the alcohol, his lips pulling into a small grimace, even as he continued to drink from the translucent container. It was unusual for the blonde to resort to such tactics to entertain himself, but since he wasn’t working that evening, he’d decided to relax, possibly try to mingle with some of the patrons of 7th Heaven. It wouldn’t hurt to try interacting with the clientele, hell he might even make a companion or two out of the deal and that couldn’t be a bad thing. 

    Rolling over onto his back and flattening his blonde locks to his scalp, Cloud gazed up at the sky, squinting his cerulean orbs as the sun pierced through his vision, causing it to blur momentarily in a small flurry of water. “Ugh…” the sound left his throat in a low guttural growl of annoyance and he threw an arm over his eyes, shielding them from the invasive, persistent light, shining down from above, completely ignoring the sound of someone approaching somewhere off to his left. Cloud was close to home, he felt safe lying there on the grass with his friends nearby, he could hear them off in the distance, the sounds of their laughter reached his ears and brought a ghost of a smile to his lips. Whoever the blonde could hear breaking blades of grass beneath their feet would likely be someone he knew anyway, it left him in no rush to move even an inch. 

    Straddling the seat of his Fenrir, his chest lowered towards the broad body of the bike as it vibrated with life between his thighs, Cloud allowed his gaze to travel over the sign posts along his route. He recognised none of them. With a deep groan reverberating in his chest, the blonde reluctantly admitted defeat and pulled up to the nearest kerb to reread his latest instructions. Lowering a leg to rest with ease against the sidewalk, he pushed himself to sit back on the bike as a heavy, dejected sigh escaped past his lips. He wouldn’t admit to being lost, not to anyone, he was simply deciding which road to take that would get him to his destination quicker. His teeth ground together while he reclined enough to reach down and fish the delivery note out of his back pocket, the paper torn and damp from the rain but the writing scrawled across the sheet was still legible.

     “Where the hell is this?” he muttered to himself, the confusion furrowing his brow and pulling his lips down into a frown.

Fairies...  This was going to take some creativity to pull off a victory.  Dragon moves against her opponent were pointless, the buffers were still pretty useful.  Some of the strongest moves available to her wouldn't be effective, so the tactic here is to rely on the pokemon's other strengths.

Oerba Yun Fang wasn't the eighth ranking gym leader for no reason.  This trainer thought relying on only fairy type moves was a solid strategy.  This girl dressed like an Ace Trainer, but is bound to make a mistake sooner or later.  That's when Fang was waiting for.

First came the speed and agility boosts.  Evasion is going to be a nessesity.  A few good hits and her team would be beaten.  Naturally the brunette became interested in the match.  A good challenge is what kept the heat rolling, and she has an advantage level wise.  

Every now and then every gym gets challenges from trainers that didn't use the gym ranking system on their adventures.  It was just a thing of life, and until their league officials demand the trainers follow the ranks, then it's something to have to be tolerated.

"Dragonair! Aqua Tail!" Fang called out, instructing her closest partner to switch from defense to offense.  Her last pokemon as well, but it was also their last.  This match is going to be close. "Remember to keep moving!  Make it harder for them to hit you!"

Dragonair moved in to take the hit, but the trainer's sylveon was waiting for it.  A Moonblast attack hit Dragonair while her own attack connected.  Both pokemon appear to look like they felt like hell and about the same amount of energy left.  It appeared like they both could take just one more attack.  

"You alright Dragonair?" Fang called out while the other trainer started to urge the Sylveon to get up.  The debate was to either have Dragonair go for the finishing blow and try their luck or call it a match now. 

Fang gave a soft smile. "It's okay Dragonair.  I've got a Full Restore for ya, come 'n get it."

She flew over and accepted the healing.  Fang gave the trainer a sympathetic expression.  This one was another with potential, and if she had gone the marked path, she would have won this not too long ago.  As much as Fang thought she deserved the win, backing down just on sympathy alone wasn't how things worked.

Sylveon got back on her feet and was planning another attack.  "Dragonair, use Thunder Bolt and finish the match!"

The pokemon done as Fang asked and moved in for the finishing blow, causing Sylveon to be unable to battle.  Vanille called the end to the match and Fang grinned at her pokemon. "Good job girl.  Go take a rest."

The trainer's jaw dropped in dissapointment.  Unable to believe that she had lost.  

"It was a good match, Amanda, but as much as I would have liked to give you the win, it's not wise to set a precedent like that. If I did, then everyone that comes in and shows me a good time would expect a badge, and then what's the point?"

"Understand, Miss Fang," she replied, calling back her pokemon.  Then she turned to head out, a group of friends falling behind.  

More importantly, there was something that happened to be on her mind, and yet nothing she can really do about it at the moment.  Where would she even begin tackling these things?  Was it really any of her business?

Well, even then...  These do involve people she cares about...  So that kind of makes it her business, and at the same time, Fang feels like she's an outsider.

Door was open since the weather wasn't too bad out, best to get what breeze can be got.  Won't be too long before it's time to keep doors shut.

Bulk cooking and storing only somewhat helped.  Helped save her from going out of her mind. "Too many questions..." Fang muttered while she went to work chopping up meat.  Stews were good to store, thaw and heat on a cold day...