Undying.

Before anyone asks, this story is a direct sequel to I'll Protect You. So, if you are confused about the story, or any OCs, I suggest you read that story first.

Yes. This is the sequel. I had it planned for a long time, but I really didn't want to post it unless someone asked me to. So, Vaexar, thank you for your support. You must be one of my biggest fans right now.

So, this story takes place just before Serah's wedding, about 5 months after Cocoon's fall.

Edit: Small grammar mistakes

Word Count: 3069

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy XIII or Final Fantasy XIII-2. I simply write about the game without their permission. This is in no way canon.

Everything happened so fast after Cocoon fell. Serah's wedding, the relationship between Lightning and Fang, and then the rebuilding of Oerba. It was a lot to take in. Not only were we finally getting our chance at life, but it all seemed so perfect. Gods know that perfect only lasts for so long…

Undying

Chapter One: Measures

The sun rising far to the east cast it's orange/red hue over everything in the half rebuilt village of Oerba. Gone were the Cie'th that had once controlled it's streets, as was the layer of crystal dust that covered anything and everything. The buildings, though not habitable or fully restored, were, for the most part, rid of their unending rust. Everything seemed to be coming along nicely.

Children were already outside, relishing in the morning sunlight without a care in the world. Many people made their short commutes to work, most of them carpenters or foremen. Many security guards had also been roaming the streets, in the event that fiends might try and attack the small village. Though many were uniformed and well trained, some of them looked as though they were hired for the job, wearing simple outfits for mobility and protection.

Many of the houses in the village were heavily decorated or colored, adding a vibrant atmosphere to the village. Most of the people who lived here had been the residents of Cocoon's Bodhum. Seeing similarities to their former home, many people took Oerba into their grasp, enjoying the familiarity they could experience.

However, along a row of vibrantly colored houses, one stood out in particular. It stood out not due to it's extravagant colors and decorations: Quite the opposite in fact. The house was fairly bland, the only decorations being a small flower garden and a sign that read "No Trespassing", both in Cocoon and Pulsian. The house was colored a rosy red, and the grass, though well kept and alive, was not as green as the neighbor's lawns, nor as lush. It had a small, dirt path where there should've been a stone walkway, but it seemed the person (or people) who lived here either forgot to have one put in place, or just didn't want one.

Whatever the reasons for this neutral appearance, one thing was known about the house: The one person known to live here was a person of power in the military. She was a deadly combination of speed and power, and extremely intelligent. She was one of the military's finest members, and had worked her way through the ranks faster than any woman (or man, in that case) before her.

She was none other than the infamous Lightning Farron. Anyone who had suffered, or even seen the suffering, of her right hook knew not to make the soldier angry. She was a very inward person, never allowing her true emotions to show, and it seemed she always had a scowl on her face. She was dangerous and, at times, unpredictable.

But this rage had subsided over recent months, much to the notice, and relief, of the people from Bodhum. She seemed more carefree, more at ease since Cocoon's fall, and even had let smiles grace her face, however short she let them stay. People were speculating as to what had caused the tight-ass woman to become so normal. Many thought it was regret for everything she did as a l'Cie. Others thought it was due to her sister getting married, though many people knew Lightning never liked Snow much. Finally, some people thought that maybe Lightning had found someone of her own to love.

In a sense, it was all three. Yes, every day Lightning felt remorse for what she had while a l'Cie. All the PSICOM and Guardian Corps soldiers she killed haunted her every night. She could push them down behind the masks she had built so well, but she could never get rid of them entirely. She could only grin and bear it as she went about her daily routines.

And yes, she was happy that Serah was getting married, despite her initial concerns about Snow and his group, NORA. But, fighting for survival with a person tends to make you see them in a different light, and see what they are truly fighting for. Over the course of their journey, Lightning saw exactly how loyal Snow was to Serah, and she was thankful for that loyalty. It meant that Serah was happy, and Serah's happiness made Lightning happy.

But, most of all, Lightning was changed because of the last reason. She was in love, yes, with perhaps the last person she ever could've fallen for in normal circumstances. This person was perfect, from her body, to her loyalty, to her tenderness, even down to her voice. It had made Lightning uneasy at first, trying to keep the barriers up around emotions. But this woman was far too persistent, both squeezing her way into the soldier's heart, and changed her forever.

The entire root of her change was one simple person; Oerba Yun Fang.

xXxXx

The rising sun crept in silently, casting it's orangey glow over the bed Lightning shared with Fang. Both woman were fast asleep, and didn't seem to phased by this assault on their closed eyes. They only seemed concerned about each other, caught in an embrace that seemed like a slide out of a cheesy romance film. Content and peaceful. Those words would be the best possible way to explain the looks on the two women's faces.

Fang was the one who held Lightning, her slender chest fitting perfectly to the curves of the pinkette's back, as if it was made for this very reason. Each light, steady breath the warrior took seemed to be in perfect sync with Lightning's. Each rise of Fang's chest was matched with the soldier's exhale, and the warrior would exhale as her lover would inhale. It was as if they were breathing each other, and not the elements that made their life even possible.

Fang's twisted white l'Cie brand was cleanly visible in the sunlight, contrasting sharply with the tanned musculature of the Pulseborn's body. Her clearly toned body was surprisingly (or maybe not so surprisingly) curved, creating the vast beauty that Lightning was so enthralled by since their first meeting in Palumpolum. Each muscle was defined and rough, yet her skin was ironically smooth and soft. It only made her touches that much more enjoyable.

The soldier's l'Cie brand was also in the open, though you'd have to strain to actually see it. Lightning's skin was so naturally pale that the white marking was nearly invisible on her chest. Her musculature was much less defined compared to her partner's, giving her the (more) feminine appearance. Her slender limbs were currently tangled with Fang's (her arms were, at least at first sight), contrasting deeply with the tanned limbs. Her most unusual feature, her strawberry blonde hair, was currently a tangled mess, haphazardly patted down to at least contour with her scalp.

The peaceful looks on the pairs faces soon turned sour as a sharp ringing echoed throughout the household. On the table nearby, Lightning's cell phone was buzzing, droning a loud, currently annoying sound: It played a normally peaceful song that had become the main ringtone for Light's sister, Serah.

Blindly, a pale hand reached for the phone, flipping it open and ending the audible torture. "What, Serah?" a groggy Lightning asked, her eyes not opened, while still being held by Fang. The younger Farron giggled on the other end.

"Sorry, did I interrupt anything?" She asked slyly, still giggling. Lightning's un-amused groan was enough to sober Serah up. "Sorry. You sound like you just woke up." Serah said, her voice made slightly annoying by the fairly crappy reception in the room.

"I'm not awake." Lighting said simply, turning to face the ceiling of her bedroom, eyes still closed, Fang's arms still wrapped around her mid-rift. Again, Serah giggled.

"Well, when you do wake up, could you come over to my place? I've gotta get your measurements for your dress." Serah spoke casually, eliciting another groan from her older sister. "Oh, come on, Claire. You have to wear a dress to my wedding." Serah's voice got a little bit more forceful now. "You don't have any choice."

For a few seconds, Lightning didn't reply. She still had her eyes closed, her breathing steady and light. "Sis? You still awake there?" Serah's slightly amused voice came. Lightning once more groaned, signaling that she was, at least now, awake. Serah laughed again.

"Well, since you probably didn't hear a word I just said…" Serah said accusingly. "I'll send Vanille over around eleven thirty, k?" Lightning didn't even respond this time, and Serah gave up. "Well, see you then, Claire. Love ya!" And with a silent click the other line went dead.

Lightning slowly set the phone back onto the nightstand, a tired sigh escaping her lips. She cocked an unopened eyebrow as the sigh was answered with a small chuckle. "Shut up." Lightning said simply, rotating her body to face Fang's, and finally opening her eyes. The Oerban was smiling widely.

"Make me." Fang challenged, the smile changing to a seductive one. Light matched the expression, before silencing the Pulsian with a fierce kiss.

xXxXx

Noon was fast approaching, and the atmosphere in the Villiers/Farron household was one of urgency. The wedding was only 2 days away, and everything was in overdrive. Gamenern and Snow were hauling around large statues and fountains that were going into the yard where the ceremony would be held. Vanille and Serah were talking idly about nothing, watching the men as they struggled to fit a large pedestal through the door.

"Tilt it to the side!" Snow remarked.

"No, keep it straight up!" Gamenern retorted.

Sazh, who was trying to help herd the two men, face palmed as they bickered about trying to fit the stand through the back door. "I'm definitely to old for this…" He said, shaking his head in his hand.

Meanwhile, Fang and Lightning were upstairs with a lady who was taking various measurements to find the right dress for them. Fang wasn't going to be actively in the wedding, though Serah still convinced the huntress into wearing a fancy dress to the event. Lightning, however, was one of Serah's bridesmaids, as well as the one who would walk Serah down the isle. Lightning was in agreement into walking her little sister to the alter, but not too thrilled with having to stand up there, especially in a dress!

As the woman finished jotting down the numbers, she disappeared behind a foldout wall, to a large wardrobe she had brought up. She was muttering quite loudly in frustration, making Light's face crinkle with annoyance herself. A hand on her shoulder from Fang seemed to relax the soldier, who let her own hand cover Fang's, a small smile creeping onto her face.

Before anything could start, the woman yipped "Eureka!", and stepped out with a large, frilly pink/light blue dress in the air. Lightning's face became apprehensive.

"I'm going to be wearing that!" She asked incredulously, taking a step off of the box she was currently standing on. The woman nodded with a smile that made Lightning nervous, but Fang seemed all too pleased. Lightning shot the woman a glare. "You enjoying this?" She asked with a slight hint or sarcasm. Fang just responded with a loud laugh, clutching her stomach with both hands as she leaned forward. Lightning scowled even more, but reluctantly took the dress to try on.

The other two girls walked through the door after Lightning went to change, curious as to Fang's sudden laughing fit. Vanille walked up to her sister, and looked into her half-opened eyes. "You okay?" Vanille asked, half-concerned and half-amused. Well, maybe 90% amused and 10% concerned. Scratch that. 100% amused.

The warrior allowed her laughs to subside before she spoke. "Fine. Just amused with Light, that's all." Fang hardly stopped her fit from starting again, only because Serah spoke up, talking to the woman who had been fitting the two women.

"You found a dress for Lightning, Rosa?" She asked the woman, who nodded as she searched for another dress, obviously for Fang. "Si, senorita Serah." Rosa spoke, pulling back with a lavender dress, much simpler than Lightning's, and handing it to Fang. "Take this one." Rosa spoke to Fang, who nodded and disappeared behind another door.

Despite being handed her dress almost two minutes after Lightning, Fang was still the first one out. The dress looked very much like the sari that Fang was known for, though she hadn't worn it in a while. The dress came off the shoulders, following Fang's cleavage snugly, coming to a point just above her heart. The back not a zipper, but instead it held in place by a sash, much to Fang's delight. The sash was a light blue, matching the theme of the wedding; Nature.

Vanille thought the dress looked perfect on Fang, smiling and nodding as Fang examined herself in the mirror. "Hmm. It'll do." Fang said, her voice falsely uninterested. Vanille gave her a playful slap to the forearm, though Fang simply shrugged it off. "Well, where are ya, sunshine?" Fang asked Lightning through the door, amused at the frustrated sound that came from the other side.

"I can't get this damn thing on right!" Lightning half-shrieked after a few moments of grunting and growling. Fang smiled widely, before she knocked on the door twice.

"Coming in." She said, turning the knob and pushing her way inside.

Light spoke the truth. She was hidden in a mess of frills and silk, her undergarments the only thing she had on at the moment. Though Fang looked the soldier up and down, the scowl on that face made Fang think twice about trying, or saying, anything. "Right." Fang spoke, picking up the dress and doing a circular motion with her finger. "Turn around."

Lightning complied, facing away from Fang as the warrior placed the dress over Light's head. With some tugging and a little squirming, the pink locks on Light's head popped out of the other side. The dress had no shoulders, and had a zip-up back. 'I can see her struggling with that, but the damn thing has no shoulders!.' Fang thought silently, now working on fixing the dress so it was oriented properly. Once lined up, Fang took the zipper in her hand and pulled upwards, tightening the material over Lightning's body.

The dress fit snuggly, but not suffocating her, either. It showed of Light's curvature, but didn't look trashy or slutty. It was a very nice change of appearance for her, if Fang could say so herself. It looked very attractive.

As Lighting turned around, Fang could finally take in the entire outfit. It was cut just above Lightning's bust, allowing Fang to barely make out Light's whitened l'Cie mark. The dress was, despite it's frills and folds, very plain. It was a powder blue on the upper part, but the lower half of the dress was a rose pink, matching Light's hair perfectly, as well as the blush currently covering the soldier's face.

"You look beautiful, Light." Fang said breathlessly, cupping the soldier's cheek in her right hand. This didn't seemed to help Lightning's blush, and it only spread further down to her chest. Fang smiled sincerely, motioning to the door. "Well, the others wanna see it, too." Fang was able to coax Lightning out of the dressing room and into the sights of her sister and Vanille. As she stepped out, the redhead let out an audible gasp of surprise.

"Wow, you look beautiful, Light!" Vanille chirped, conveying exactly what Serah was trying to articulate. The younger Farron was simply smiling, her eyes locked with Lightning's. The soldier let a faint smile grace her lips, before turning to face the mirror.

Even she had to admit it looked good. The way it hugged her body was quite alluring, indeed. She could tell that it would turn a lot of heads at the ceremony, though it had already done so with Fang, Serah and Vanille. She actually felt more confident in being up on that stage, now.

xXxXx

The tender moment was broken when two sets of footsteps, one extremely heavy and the other more graceful, were sounding up the stairs. The voices of the two men were all that needed to be heard. Gamenern and Snow were currently walking this way, arguing about the pedestal they had just recently gotten set up properly.

"If you would've listened to me, we could've been done ten minutes ago!" Gamenern spoke, just as they reached the top of the stairs, annoyance obvious in his voice. Snow released a frustrated breath.

"It wasn't my idea try and take the pedestal trough the house, now, was it!" Snow made a good point, because Gamenern sounded like he was going to retaliated, but could only sigh in defeat. Snow audibly grinned. "I win." He said in a smug voice.

Just as he said that, the duo pushed their way into the room, gazing at Lightning in the dress. Snow's mouth hung limply from his jaw, as Gamenern simply smiled. "Looks nice." He said, giving a wink in Fang's direction. Lightning's face was still red, though anger seemed to be the main cause now.

"Snow, what do you want?" The soldier asked in an extremely annoyed tone. The man's jaw immediately remade friends with his skull, sobering up at Light's tone. "Uh, I was just….I needed to talk to Serah." He motioned for Serah to come closer, though his eyes were still focused on Light's, no longer looking at her dress.

"What, babe?" Serah asked, stopping a few inches short of Snow. The man gave a weak smile before speaking.

"The baker kinda thought today was the day of the wedding, and he already baked the cake and had it delivered." He spoke with slight annoyance as Serah got noticeably frustrated. She huffed heavily, turning back to the group girls in the room.

"Sorry, Light. I gotta go take care of this." She said, frustration tinting her words as she led Snow and Gamenern out of the room.

Even though Serah was outside and on the floor below them, they could all still hear her shouting at the caterer who had royally screwed up his orders.

Yeah, this was going to be a very exciting wedding.

Now this is just me, but I found this chapter hilarious! I tried to make room for all the characters, but I couldn't find a way to naturally fit Hope into the chapter. (I don't hate him that much) Anyway, the next few chapters are going to cover the more day to day lives of the l'Cie, and build up to the main villain of the story. So, you'll have to wait and see.

Also, in case you haven't read my profile (not many people do...), I broke the tip of my left middle finger. Nothing like a serious break, just splintering the tip of the bone. It still hurts like hell, so my writing will be slower. This update will hopefully make up for that fact.

And, I want to ask you guys something, if I may. I'm thinking about posting a prequel to I'll Protect You, that goes more into Fang/Vanille/Gamenern and their past in Oerba. It'll be a darker fic, much more angst and drama. Will be Fanille for the most part, with a possible love interest for Gamenern. If no one wants the prequel, I can incorporate the ideas into this fic, but I myself would rather give it it's own story to go in depth. Up to you guys, though.

K, R&R and wish me luck!