Final Fantasy XIII: Episode Zero -Promise-

"Stranger", Chapter Four

"Stranger", Chapter Four

The overwhelming number of people did not bother her as much as it had the previous day, and Vanille felt calm and relaxed as she walked through the streets.

Not wanting to run into those two men they had met the other day, Vanille suggested they walk in an area slightly apart from the place they had been the day before. Fang insisted that if they saw them again it would be easy for her to take them out, but she agreed to the plan anyway.

The street they had seen yesterday had been lined with clothing and accessory shops, but today the place they found themselves in had an abundance of both food and drink.

"Look look, they're selling vegetables!"

The stalls were bursting with colors of bright green, yellow and red. On closer inspection they saw that each was large and looked fresh.

"Nothing like those vegetables from the garden we saw the other day."

"But don't these look, I don't know, artificial? Like someone made them. I wonder if you can even eat them."

The vegetables were unnaturally matched in size and shape, like each was a replica of another. The ones they had picked from the garden were scrawny and tasteless, but you could tell they were meant to be eaten.

"Maybe they have some strange way of making them."

"Well, it is Cocoon." Vanille imagined them pressing colored liquid into the shape of vegetables. Surely not, she thought, shaking her head.

"They can't support this many people with a little pathetic garden like the one we saw."

"Cocoon is pretty big..."

"... maybe if we go somewhere else I'll be able to get my memory back."

Vanille didn't answer, looking off into the crowd. Fang was getting impatient, Vanille understood that. She looked at Fang, knowing what she was thinking. That girl had been turned into a l'Cie because of them. Because they were taking so long to complete their Focus.

But that was wrong, Vanille knew that was wrong. Fang wasn't the one who had screwed up. That blame was all Vanille's. She sighed, then looked up as she felt Fang turn around beside her.

"Fang?"

"Wait over there."

"Wait!" But Vanille didn't stop her in time. She could only watch as Fang disappeared into the crowd. It seemed she would have no choice but to wait for Fang's return. She leaned against the nearest wall.

Most of the shoppers walking in and out of the shops were women, and many of them had children tagging along with them. Perhaps because the shops here sold food stuffs, and the women were buying dinner for their families. But there was something strange about them, as she watched Vanille thought there was something unnatural in what they were doing. Then she realized: most of the people coming out of the grocery were empty-handed. While some of the might have simply not bought anything, it was unthinkable that it would be true for all of them.

"Maybe they get it delivered?" Vanille thought. On Gran Pulse you could pay to get things delivered that were bulky or heavy, but something small like food was something you took home yourself. So maybe... but there could be another reason entirely.

Vanille just shook her head, confused.

"Did you wait long?"

Suddenly Vanille felt something cold pressing up against her forehead. She screamed and jumped.