The Paths We've Chosen (Vanille)

[Oerba Yun Fang]

The hike through the jungle had been tough enough after her late night on the beach with Kain. She hadn’t expected to run into anyone and so had been surprised when the young man had fallen not far from her. A grin spread across her face at the memory of her shirt still being unbuttoned as they had introduced themselves.

“Not the brightest time in your life” she chuckled at hers and his total obliviousness to her near barren chest.

The Jungle began to thin slightly as the path Fang had taken began to curve up and around. It seemed to wind up and around to the top of the Volcano she’d heard so much about. A bit of old excitement began to pump through her veins at the thought of how close to death she was coming. The massive mountain could suddenly erupt and she would have no time to get out of the path of the spewing red hot lava.

Though, she supposed, it wouldn’t matter where she was. Either way death would be inevitable. A half bemused half harsh laugh escaped her at the idea of falling to her demise by some act of God, Hyne, or fal’Cie –which ever human crushing higher being you believed in. With a snort she continued her way up the path until the air around her seemed to thicken,

“Must be gettin’ close”

A smile took over as her thoughts suddenly drifted back to her old life. The one she had lived before it had been torn apart by the l’Cie and fal’Cie. She had hated them with all her heart but chose to become a l’Cie to protect Vanille and Gran Pulse.

“Vanille” the name slipped past her lips as a whisper as she stopped in her tracks. “Where did you get off too?” she questioned the air around her as though it could answer back.

[Oerba Dia Vanille]

An echo of footsteps trailed around the area, as the girl wandered down the path, her emerald eyes searching around. There was nothing more exciting than a new place to explore, especially one she had yet to come across. The jungle was certainly exotic, with all its plants and weird little creatures running around. Nothing like being back on Gran Pulse, but its surrounding habitat did reminder her of the wilderness of her home. She couldn’t say she was scared, infact she was enjoying this, walking around a new place, taking in new sights. Of course she did feel homesick from time to time, but she had to get used to it. Thinking of the happier times did help in that manner, as it gave her the confidence she needed to make new friends while thinking of those she fondly remembered as well.

Vanille no longer tried letting those thoughts of insecurity enter her mind, as she did her best to do everything with a smile. She knew that she had done things wrong in the past, and was trying so hard to make up for it. Right now, her mind was elsewhere as she having some fun skipping up the long path. Now this was what she called entertainment, better than being stuck in a classroom all day long. This girl had to get out and just be herself, wandering around on this island, keeping as optimistic as she could. Running away was not option, as it was near impossible unfortunately.

Keeping herself occupied, she bounded past all the obstacles in her path, from large trees to weird looking plants. She smiled as she took a deep breath in, the air dense with moisture, the scent of nature at its finest. She happily sighed as she skipped on ahead, oblivious to where she was going. She skipped all the way up the path, up a large mountain.

It looked pretty intimidating at first but it wasn’t something she could be scared of. After all, there had been instances where she had faced scarier looking things. It had taken a lot of courage, but in time, she learnt not to be so afraid and run away. She smiled, the clear memory of her closest friend springing to mind. It was strange being away from her again, although it was almost like Vanille couldn’t help but go off in her own directions. But there was no denying that she still held onto the hope she would see her again, as it had happened before. Her light smile didn’t fade from her lips as Vanille collapsed on the ground with a gentle thud.

She had been walking all day, thus exhausting herself even further. Her legs stretched out before her as she tilted her head back, resting for a bit. ”Fang...” she whispered quietly, her eyes closing as she could almost hear her friend’s voice again. But then, she froze, as she realized that someone was heading this way and those words seemed too real to be true.

”Fang!” she said more prominently this time, springing herself upwards. It was hard to comprehend but there was no mistaking it, that was her voice. She bounded towards the familiar accent and was shocked to see her there in the flesh. Vanille had to blink a few times to make sure she wasn’t seeing things. ”Fang! It’s you, it’s really you!” she exclaimed, rushing to greet her friend, wrap her arms around her in a tight hug.

[Oerba Yun Fang]

There was a voice not far off that called out the young woman’s name; it seemed at first that it was just a figment of her imagination that was until a slightly smaller body crashed into her own "Whoa chicobo!" Fang held her hands up to rest on Vanilles shoulders not only to steady her but so she could gently push her back to get a better look at her friend, green eyes softened as Fang pulled her towards her where she wrapped her arms around Vanille to hold her close.
"Where have you been? I've been worried sick about you" her voice was soft though her words were a bit scolding.

Though she would hardly admit it the young woman would have nights where she couldn’t sleep due to her minds unwillingness to shut down. Her thoughts and waking dreams weren’t only of Vanille, but of her other friends as well. Once they’d all gone their separate ways after the battle Fang had found herself alone once more, a state that she found herself in all too much. As those feelings of being lost and alone filled her Fangs grip on Vanille tightened before she let go to step back.

“Well now, what are you doing out here all alone?” her brows rose as she crossed her arms “This is a new place Vanille, and though I know you can handle yourself what would you do if you couldn’t?” Her voice was tinged with sarcasm as she winked at the young girl in front of her, whom Fang knew would take as though she were really being scolded. The jungle seemed to have some mild monsters and creatures in it, ones that even a child could possibly take down. With the right equipment of course.

The trees that surrounded the two women were suddenly full of life; the birds above them sang different songs as the leaves around them rustled as creatures brushed past them. How Fang had missed all of this before was beyond her though she felt it could have been because she had been lost in her thoughts. That, she figured, and the volcano. The monsterous mountain they were climbing up began to resurface itself in her thoughts and so, without another word, Fang grabbed Vanilles hand and pulled her forward.

“Were going to check this out” She smiled over her shoulder as her strides lengthened as the hill became steeper. The birds that surrounded them chirped and squawked as the air seemed to thicken with the smell of sulfur. Not enough to make one gag, but just enough to make itself known. "Now, I wonder how far-" she stopped dead in her tracks as they rounded one last bend "Ah! There you are!"

The earth flattened a bit up at the top only to suddenly drop off into what seemed like a giant hole. It was here, closer to the edge that Fang released Vanilles hand. "The top of the Volcano." Her eyes scanned the magma below as a smile stretched across her face "Quite a site ain't it?"

[Oerba Dia Vanille]

To say she was happy would be an understatement. There wasn’t a word in the world to describe how relieved Vanille had felt to be reunited once more by her best friend. Just being in her presence made Vanille smile even more, her cheeks glowing. She was so glad her daily adventure had meant she had caught up with an old friend. When she first got here, she felt all alone, with no signs of her old friends. Sure, she put on a brave face and even tried making new ones. But even so, she couldn’t forget Fang, not after all they have been through together.

Vanille continued to smile, despite what her friend was saying. It took some time before Vanille could take it all in, embrace this moment with every ounce of her being. Only then did she tilt her head and gaze at Fang, relief in her eyes. ”I don’t know. I was just wandering around then I came here.” she chimed innocently, failure to comprehend the worry in her friend’s tone, although she knew she was just looking out for her as always. Her own eyes watched Fang pulled away, the look in her eye seeming serious.

The words made Vanille’s smile fade away, feeling sort of guilty now. She pouted slightly then looked away. ”I was bored and I wanted to explore. “ she spoke out rather innocently, not sure if she was joking or not. It wasn’t easy for Vanille to figure out, since she was childlike most of the time. ”I don’t know…” she looked up with a guilty look on her face, her hands folding behind her back. But her guilt didn’t last for long as Vanille rushed out a little giggle. ”But you’re here. Now I’m not alone!” she nodded, happy with her thinking.

She didn’t have that much more time to think as she felt her friend hand tug on hers, dragging her forward. She wasn’t sure what Fang was on about, but gladly obliged as they walk on up the volcano. An adventure was always fun, but even better when she was with a friend. A weird smell tickled her nostrils, making her wonder what it could be. ”Okay” she just nodded and went along with her friend. It all seemed so exciting, as she had no clue what was going on. Or what she was walking up to be exact.

Vanille put her trust in her friend though, the one whom she felt rather comfortable with. She didn’t bother to question what Fang was on about as quite frankly, she was albeit a tiny bit confused. She was curious all the same and happily went along with Fang. When they stopped, Vanille curiously tilted her head, her mouth gapped open in awe. Just in front of them laid a deep hole, although it was not a hollow one at that. Filled with molten lava, she gasped a little, gazing down. ”Volcano? Oh! Wow! " she chuckled, just realizing that this was now ordinary mountain. ”Yeah! It looks so nice.” she chimed rather enthusiastically, gazing in from the edge, trying her best to keep her balance. ”It’s so...hot. Why are we here anyway?” she commented, as the heat rose and caught her by surprise. It wasn’t everyday she was at the top of volcano, infact she had never gotten this close to one before. It was a whole new experience that was for sure.