Author's notes: The story continues! I'm happy that so many people enjoyed the previous entry in the series, despite how it ended and mostly likely tore at their feels. I'm happy to say this one will continue from there, and expand on quite a few things that happened in the previous one - namely Lightning's hidden feelings for Fang, along with ties her dream has with reality.

What will happen next? Go forth and find out~

Disclaimer: As usual, I do not own Lightning Farron, Oerba Yun Fang, or anything else related to Final Fantasy XIII.

Twisting and turning in her sleep, cold sweat drenched Lightning's form and seeped into the mattress her body lay sprawled across. The nightmare that haunted her subconscious state had shaken her body, her head turning against the comfort of her pillow. Suddenly jolting upwards, Lightning's form was stiffened with a gut wrenching fear. Her cerulean hues were riddled with panic as her hands quickly grasped at her body. She glanced down briefly, finding no blemishes or traces of the intense fight she had been a part of; or thought she had been apart of with Ragnarok. Her sheets lay strewn open, one of her blankets a heap on the floor next to her bedside. Strands of her rose locks clung to her neck at the slight moisture that resided on her skin, droplets formed across the porcelain surface.

Her chest rose and fell in short paces, the pinkette's breathing irregular as she swallowed a large gulp of air. In one swift movement, she slung her legs over the edge of the bed before her toes hit the cold wooden floor. Rising from where she lay, her head spun in many different directions as she tried to grasp at the apparent dream she had just finished having. Her eyes desperately searched the nothingness before her while the soldier tried to make sense of everything that had shaken her in her slumber. She could still feel the prickling of the charred splinters and the sizzling of her skin where Ragnarok had singed through her attire.

Shaking the thoughts away, she heard a ruffling of sorts in the next room. Almost terrified at the sound, she began to draw herself into her rational train of thought. It was just a dream. It couldn't have really happened. Her eyes flung over to her red cape that sat idly on the chair next to her bed before she walked over and examined it for any evidence that the battle had been real. There was nothing; no burned material, no holes from the fireballs, no water damage from the heavy rain. Moving a free hand, her fingertips traced the silky article before she was shaken from her overwhelming thoughts by a loud clap of thunder and another clatter in her home.

Making her way out of the stale room, the pinkette readied herself for any intruders. She noted the kitchen light that illuminated a small margin of the hallway as she proceeded with caution towards the clattering of items that had dropped onto the floor. Emerging partially from the hallway, she peeked in to see the familiar brunette huntress rummaging through the refrigerator. A shockwave of confusion surged through her, losing all sense as she finally emerged entirely from the darkened corridor. "F..Fang?" She stuttered out, her features scrunching in complete shock as if a bombshell had just been dropped on her. Thunderstruck, Lightning staggered a step backwards, not willing to believe what her eyes were seeing.

How could she possibly be..? I killed her.

I killed Ragnarok.

XXXXXXXXXX

Not too much earlier from that moment, the low rumblings of the storm brewing outside had muffled the pulsian's entrance into the soldier's home, though it wasn't an odd thing for Fang to do at times given how late she was kept out for work. It had become a habit to stop by a friend's house, whoever tended to be nearby at the time, and procure some sort of nourishment to accommodate for meals missed through the day. Lightning's home just happened to be the closest place this night, and was rather grateful too that the woman had left her front door unlocked. The faint pattering of rain soon filled the air behind her, right before the door was quietly closed and she took a few steps into the home.

Fang didn't make it a point to enter without permission, save for a few times where it was sorely needed. But she hadn't eaten all day, and her own home was another 20 or so minutes away by walking - probably even longer given the intensity of the storm raging outside.

Fingers fumbled around the wall, until tips brushed against the light switch and turned it on. Bright light flickered through the room, and jade eyes quickly adjusted to view the vaguely familiar kitchen. She didn't take her time in strolling over to the refrigerator and pulling it open, glancing around inside at it's contents. A few items were pushed to the side, a small huff escaping her as she tried finding something that wouldn't take forever to prepare. Eventually Fang settled for a wrapped sandwich on the side of the door, and while she busied herself in freeing the meal from it's confinement and taking a sniff to make sure of it freshness - she hadn't noticed the presence lingering in the hall.

Until she made herself known.

XXXXXXXXXX

The sandwich was clenched between the huntress' soft lips for a moment, while using her hands to reorganize things to how they had been. Though it was then that she turned on the spot at her name being called, viridian eyes widening a fraction when she realized Lightning was actually up.

Playing the situation off casually, Fang leaned back against the now closed fridge, and lifted a hand to retrieve the dangling sandwich from her mouth - while tearing off a bite in the process. "—Yeah?" Came her reply, while tilting her head and glancing over the roseate's face. She seemed… Paler than usual, and honestly looked like she had just had a brush with death; or something close to that effect.

Kind of concerned now, the brunette folded her arms loosely over her chest and paused in her eating. "Oi… Are ya okay? Ya don't look so good, Sunshine."

Had she been sick perhaps? Would explain how she looked, anyway.

"…I didn't wake ya up or anythin', did I?

Lightning blinked a few times, her glossed over orbs taking in the sight as she let it sink into her mind. The Farron sister heard the confusion in her friend's words, her cheeks growing hot suddenly. Taking a step towards her, Lightning examined every inch of her body; again, nothing visible except for her sandwich in the woman's mouth.

Fang went still when the other woman's gaze looked her over, rather intently at times in fact. For a brief moment she had to wonder if Lightning was just figuring which part of her to hurt first, as she had caught the look azure orbs gave the sandwich currently in her possession.

Pressing her lips into a thin line, Lightning eagerly shook away the haunting images from her slumber that crept to the front of her memory. Gingerly, she took another step towards her, scanning the brunette's body further in awe that she was indeed still living and breathing. It was as if she were seeing a ghost as she slightly gaped at the pulsian.

Watching as Fang's face grew with even more confusion, her own cheeks grew warmer, a flushed rose color appearing on the skin. Suddenly, she was also aware that she was still in her pajamas. A loosely fitted t-shirt framed her upper body while a pair of pajama shorts fit her bottom and thighs. Lightning feeling suddenly under dressed took a few steps back, crossing her arms over her chest in a hasty manner as she eyed Fang.

Why did I dream about her like that? I can't possibly have those type of feelings..

Fang did raise a brow when her companion backed away suddenly. Jade eyes studied the slight flushed that had crept onto Lightning's face too, though she had shrugged it off as the woman being embarrassed of still being in her pajamas - something no one she knew had seen before, or lived to tell the tale anyway.

Trying to collect her thoughts, Lightning's heart jolted when the beautiful viridian orbs met her azure ones and she seemed to melt into them before tearing her gaze. "It's nothing." she finally deflected the huntress and her worry.

Her rose colored locks swung with the movement of her head as she shook it in response to Fang's question. Taking a step to the side, Fang made way for the soldier to pass by and get to the kitchen sink. The sandwich was slowly lifted to her mouth again, and another bite taken while brows furrowed at how Lightning was acting. She had never seen the strong soldier act so strange, and frankly she wasn't entirely sure how to feel about it.

A free hand flicked the faucet on, and she brought both of her hands underneath the running water. "No, don't worry about that. You didn't wake me." Lightning stated, the water from the sink pooling into her hands, swirling in succession. Lowering her face, she splashed some of the cool substance onto herself and allowed it to try and wash over the feelings that had seemed to bombard her internally. As another roar of thunder sounded above, a quick shiver slipped down her spine and the wet drops on her face dripping back into the sink brought more flashes of her nightmare to the front of her thought process; as if to provoke her.

Eyes popping open wide, she hastily turned off the faucet, her palms resting on the sink while she propped herself up. What the hell is going on with me? It was only a dream, wasn't it? Why is it bothering me this much? Her body tensed at another clap from the storm outside her home and her eyes laid on the counter next to her; the same counter she had leaned on for comfort in her nightmare. Everything was reminding her of the dread she had endured against Ragnarok; against Fang and she began to feel sick to her stomach.

More thunderous booming could be heard all around them from outside now, and her gaze was soon lost out the window about the sink. Streaks of electricity snaked across the sky, darting in between the darkened clouds with ease. Slight movement from the corner of her eyes pulled back at her attention, and Fang barely managed to catch how the pinkette's body tensed. A hand reached out without her even thinking then, and gently placed itself on her shoulder.

"—If ya sure nothin' is wrong, then I won't bug ya about it." There was a small pause, and fingers gave a little squeeze. The concern on Fang's was very apparent now, and it was obvious she didn't like seeing the roseate in such a state. Eyes darted back towards the window for a moment, and the heavy rain smacking against the glass. Well, it honestly didn't look like she was going anywhere for awhile, so if anything she could keep an eye on the woman for the time being.

As rain broke from the clouds again after another forceful rumble, it was eerily similar to the night she had dreamt about. Lightning figured the storm above her home had influenced some of the setting of the nightmare she had but that didn't allow her to swallow things down easier. The pinkette was still rather unnerved by the whole dream, forcing back the painful memories of stabbing Fang and clutching her lifeless body in her heavy arms.

She tried to focus on her breathing, to focus on the now versus the nightmare that made her head spin. A flash of lightning illuminated the kitchen with a blinding brightness momentarily, another severe chill racing down her spine. However, a warm hand was softly gripping at her; Fang's hand was gripping at her shoulder. Lightning's head hung slowly over the sink while she remained facing away, the comfort of the pulsian's fingers bringing a small wave of relaxation down her back.

"Anyway, whatever it is that is buggin' ya… Try to let it go, yeah? An' don't push yourself too hard. I mean, yanno—" A hand gestured to all of Lightning, emphasizing she was talking about her completely. "Don't want ya collapsin' on me or somethin'.."

Shifting to face the brunette once again, cerulean eyes glistened with an apologetic feature to them - though she didn't realize she was showing such. Lightning gave one simple nod of her head when Fang mentioned not bugging her about it. It's probably better if it's not brought up between us. The comforting hand didn't budge, and she found herself lost in Fang's gaze once again, realizing how very real the huntress still was. Taking note of her rising and falling chest, the roseate was grateful to be back in reality and not savagely killing one of her closest friends; or was it her lover?

Retracting the thought, she shook it to the back of her mind. "I'll try to refrain from collapsing." Lightning spoke finally, her voice less tense than before, a softness appearing on her features.

A blinding flash filled the space outside for a moment before dying down, followed by a loud boom and resulted in Fang letting out a small sigh. "Uh.. Hope ya don't mind, but I think 'm gonna hang around til this storm is over as well. Besides, someone's gotta keep their eyes on ya for a bit anyway."

Cerulean orbs followed jade orbs as they landed on the window pane, rain sloshing against the fragile surface heavily with a downpour. Slowly, her gaze shifted back to Fang with a simple nod of her head once more. "Looks pretty nasty out there." The roseate agreed and her head gave the smallest of tilts before she looked at Fang almost amused.

"Give me a reason why I should let you stay, when you're inviting yourself in and raiding my fridge?" Her back muscles eased, despite them wanting to tense at the furious winds and rain overhead. Using a free hand, she reached over to Fang's shoulder as she let her own hand grip her comrade. There was no mistake when she gave a teasing squeeze in response to Fang; she was alive and more real than Lightning had remembered her to be.

The huntress let Lightning's words sink it, starting to feel like she was about to be booting out of the house - all over a dumb sandwich no less. She hadn't expected the sudden gesture though, mimicking her own given in a reassuring manner a moment prior.

Retracting her hand, Lightning snatched the sandwich from Fang and took her own bite before offering it back over, a small smirk gracing her lips as she eased into reality. And how suddenly the expression on Fang's face changed. Now this really was strange, and the pulsian had to wonder if her companion had hit her head on something to be acting so… Not her.

She let it slide though, when the re-stolen piece of food was offered back, minus a chunk where Lightning's mouth had been. Fang glanced at the woman from the corners of her eyes, unsure if this was becoming a joke or she genuinely didn't mind her eating it after all. Fingertips brushed against the soldier's hand then, as she took it back with a slight crinkle of her nose to let Lightning know it was entirely hers now.

Azure orbs sparkled at the huntress in amusement before she scolded her. "You make sure to keep your dirty tracks outside, by the way." Lightning had no problem with Fang lingering around for a while. She could surely use the company and at the same time it seemed to cause her worries and distress to subside.

"Oi! I'll have ya know I got inside before it started pourin' cats an' dogs out there.." As if making a point, her free hand gestured over her shoulder at the floor in the living room. The floor was spotless, and if it hadn't been the call for food from her stomach, she was confident not even Lightning would have known she had been there. With a tiny huff, the pulsian turned on her heels and headed into the other room, and promptly flopped down on the sofa.

Spinning around to rummage through the cabinets, Lightning pulled out two glasses from the shelves, bringing both of them to rest idly on the counter. Shifting her attention to the fridge, Lightning pulled out a pitcher of lemonade and poured both glasses with the sweet substance. Shaking her head once more when Fang mentioned she had invaded her home before it began the downpour she shrugged at the woman's words. "Whatever the case may be, just keep the place clean." Lightning reminded her, part of her serious while the other part completely joking. She tried to push the numb feeling rising in her gut to the back of her mind and teasing Fang was helping to a certain extent.

Her azure orbs caught a glimpse of Fang waving her into the other room. Lightning followed willingly and passed one of the drinks to the huntress, before settling a shoulder against a nearby wall and leaning on it for support. Fang's form was draped casually against the corner she sat in, and was content on nibbling the rest of her sandwich.

"Ya know.." She started, while taking another bite in between her words. "I'll pay ya back for the sandwich, Sunshine. I jus' haven't eaten all day, since I got stationed outside the city limits to catch some young lobos roaming around this mornin'." Fang rolled her shoulders once her stomach was full enough for the moment, and folded both arms behind her head. "—Dunno what it is, but all the good bits of meat from the beasts have been in high demand lately.. So, trust me when I say I get worked to the bone. …Least the pay is good though."

Lightning brought the glass to her lips, sipping on her drink with her eyes shut while Fang spoke. "Don't worry about the sandwich." The roseate didn't want Fang to feel guilty and she was just poking a little fun at her. Whether the huntress caught onto her odd behavior or not, that was uncertain to Lightning.

"They're working you that hard, hm?" Her eyes flicked open, the curious cerulean hues finding the vibrant jade orbs even in the darkness before she felt paralyzed. Lightning adverted her attention back to her drink and stared at the lemony liquid before pacing over to the coffee table and setting her drink down.

"Oh yeah… Pretty damn hard." Was Fang's simple reply, as she eyed the lemonade that swirled around in the cup given to her. "I mean, I don't mind helpin' out an' stuff… But bein' one of the few who can take a full grown behemoth out solo, makes ya services come highly requested." Truthfully, due to working so much recently, it had been easier to stay fit and healthy. But the main downside to all the work, was she could get called in any time for anything really; especially on days where she wasn't feeling up to it, or wanted to laze around.

Walking towards the window in the living room, Lightning came into a trance from watching the droplets of water that slid down the other side of the glass. Goosebumps began to rise on her arms and she folded her arms over her chest once more in an attempt to rid herself of them.

Taking a few sips of the rather tasty and sweet beverage, jade eyes followed the pinkette as she moved over to the window. "—Uh… Sunshine?" Fang called over to her, but only ended up pursing her lips into a thin line when no response was given. Lightning was doing it again, or rather whatever it was, and it was starting to pique Fang's interest.

The pang of guilt Lightning had felt in the nightmare began to seep into her bones, an uneasy feeling overriding her simple frame of mind. It seemed no matter how she tried to push away the intensity of the dream, it wouldn't cease to invade her mind. A thick lump formed in her throat as the thunder rumbled and words Fang said in her slumber crept into her mind.

I love ya too though… Ya know I do, an' always will..

Another strike of lightning in the distance startled the soldier, even though her form remained collected and calm, her eyes widened for a split second; Fang's admittance echoing in the back of her mind. Pursing her lips into a thin line, Lightning tried to fight the anxiety that bubbled under her skin, the despair that intruded everything that she knew. The way Ragnarok's molten blood sizzled against the muddied earth rang through her ears, and the beastly cry caused her head to feel suddenly lighter than usual. Her eyes remained fixated on the droplets of water while she blinked as if to distract herself from her own mind. At this rate, Lightning was going to go berserk with the pool of thoughts that swarmed her insides like a disease.

It wasn't real.

…See ya on.. the other side…Claire.

Claire. Such a name that Fang had never been allowed to call Lightning, and yet in the dream she was confident in doing so. Her lips felt oddly chapped in the moment she remembered the faint kiss she shared with the huntress before her last breath. Lightning could still feel the soft fingertips on her cheek, stroking her warm tears away from her frail cheeks in an attempt to console her.

Lightning gripped at her arms a little tighter, remembering the force of strength she had to use in order to thrust her trusty gunblade into the belly of the beast; another shiver caressing her spine at the thought of Rangarok succumbing to demise on the end of her blade.

If Fang had any lingering thoughts on how strange the soldier was acting, they were confirmed when she became unresponsive. Fang pushed herself up on her spot on the couch, and cocked her head curiously when arms fell and rested on her knees. "Light…?" She tried again to get her attention, but only succeeded in failing again.

Every effort Fang had made to call out to her just didn't register with her. Lightning's ears seemed deaf with only battle cries from the behemoth and herself ringing within them. The wailing of the injured Ragnarok drowned out the rest of her world as if she were still standing in the midst of the broken battlefield. Once the lightning from the window flashed another time, she felt a jolting tremor release through her back and her body seemed to remember the moment where her l'Cie branding had given her rise to new power. It was as if on instinct her body shook again, the slight fizzling of the electric tendrils on her skin causing the goosebumps on her arms to form in a stronger fashion as it burned in her memory.

Leaning back into the cushioned seating of the sofa, Fang let out an exasperated sigh and stared at the back of her head - almost as if trying to read Lightning's mind. It seemed to the pulsian, that whatever had been bugging the woman before, had come back full force. Wasn't much else that came to mind, that could cause such distraction in the otherwise alert Farron. So what could it be then? A hand came up to rest under her chin, as her index finger lightly tapped against her cheek. It had to be bad, she knew that much, though there was very little Fang was aware of that cold cause this behavior - unless it involved her sister Serah in some way.

Standing up now, the huntress turned her attention back onto Lightning, whom still hadn't budged from her spot. The distance between them was closed, and she soon found herself at her side. Leaning over, Fang peered at the pinkette's face and noticed her azure orbs seemed a bit glazed over. To make sure her own eyes weren't playing tricks on her, she even waved a hand in front of Lightning's face. "Liiiiiiiight..?" The name was drawn out, in a last ditch effort to snap the woman out of her trance. "Come on now… This ain't funny, missy. What in Etro's name is goin' on with ya?"

Snapping out of her daze, the soldier blinked a few times and shook her head with a rather small shake before her eyes met the concerned jade hues. Lightning was more aware of how close the space between them was and she caught her breath briefly while she tried to think of something coherent and normal to say.

"I'm fine, really." Her voice almost in an urging manner as if to tell Fang to stop pressing for answers. What was she to do? Admit her nightmare to the huntress and the possible feelings she carried for her?

Confusion about the woman was quickly overtaking her, and evaporating every sense of normalcy she had left.