Chapter 10
"Congratulations" Lightning smiled warmly as she handed a drink to Fang, taking the time to plant a firm kiss on the huntresses lips.
"I'm lookin’ forward to a proper congratulations later" Fang smirked giving the soldier a wink for good measure.
"I'm sure you are" Lightning shook her head with a smile in response.
"Do you two need some privacy?" Vanille asked suddenly with a grin.
Lightning tensed at a loss for words at being caught red handed.
"Awh don't torture her ‘Nille. You know how hard I've worked to get a kiss in public?"
"Not a clue" Vanille chirped merrily.
Lightning narrowed her eyes at the siblings crossing her arms grumpily.
"You're about to find out how easy work it is to get a beatin’ in public though" Fang grinned.
"No I'm not!" Vanille protested. "you wouldn’t hurt me, right Light?"
Lightning just sighed and rolled her eyes.
"Anyway, everyone’s ready to celebrate if your ready to join us" Vanille continued.
"Sure thing" Fang nodded
"See" Vanille mouthed with a wink to her sister as she walked away "ciao"
Fang slung an arm lazily around Lightning’s shoulder as they emerged from their secluded corner of Lebreau’s bar and made their way to the central tables where their friends were gathered. Lightning noticed how crowded the place was with their group, other NORA members and general members of the public, making a mental note to congratulate Lebreau on the places success. She suppressed the urge to shrug Fang’s limb away as the others turned to greet them and the huntress squeezed lightly.
"We knew you could do it!" Snow announced.
"Way to go you two" Serah smiled.
"Ahh I couldn't have done it without this one" Fang placed a hand on the pinkette’s shoulder.
"I...you worked hard for it" Lightning could feel the burn creeping onto her cheeks and looked elsewhere.
"Well congratulations to you both" Lebreau placed a large tray of drinks on the table.
"Here here" Snow said. And the group all applauded.
Their cheers were cut short as the tables rattled. It were as if the world were playing in slow motion. Lightning’s legs refused to obey and as she glanced around the room everyone looked frozen. No one moved as their brains raced to make sense of the information from their senses. Then all at once a terrible rumble erupted from below them as the floor began to shift and strain. The force sent some sprawling to the ground as others steadied themselves the best they could against furniture and fixtures. Lightning felt Fang’s hand grip hers tightly and as she gripped back they both stumbled across the room towards their sisters.
"Get to the doors!" Lightning shouted at the sea of bewildered and frightened faces.
"Now!" Fang roared in an effort to snap them from their haze.
Like some switch had been flicked everyone began to scramble for the doors, most fell in the effort reduced to a cautious crawl as the floor rippled beneath them. The ceiling fans swung violently and the lights began to flicker before going out altogether and Lightning thanked Etro that there was still light coming in from the wreckage that was left from the buildings few small windows. Lest they find themselves in an even worse situation. The walls began to crumble just as the first person was within reaching distance of the doors. The woman's arm covered her face from the dust, obscuring her view as a large sign suddenly fell earthward. Lightning’s warning was smothered as Sazh quickly grabbed the woman's ankle and dragged her away just in time. Cracks were appearing everywhere. The ground, the walls, the ceiling. And as more people reached the doors it was apparent something was amiss. They shoved and banged but the metal doors would not open.
Just then the rumbling subsided and Lightning cautiously clambered to her feet.
"We have to get out now" Vanille said anxiously clutching Fang’s arm for support. "Before the aftershock hits"
"Aftershock" Lightning repeated, her mouth dry as she whirled through scenarios in her head.
She quickly tried the doors and deducted that they were either blocked by rubble from the other side or jammed into place by structural damage. Either way it would take time they didn’t have to get them to budge. Her eyes darted to the windows, four in total. Small, too small for the likes of Snow and Gadot and a dangerous option, especially if the building gave way or the aftershock hit. But they were out of options and it was better than the grisly alternative if people couldn't escape. Blasting magic in a confined and fragile space could do more harm than good. If she could summon Odin maybe he could push the doors open, help keep the frame supported while people escaped.
"Hope, Vanille, Yuj, Maqui, clear the glass from the windows and start helping people out. If you feel the slightest vibration or movement stop" Lightning ordered. "Fang, Snow, Gadot let's open those doors. Serah, Sazh, Lebreau make sure everyone’s okay and keep them safe". The group nodded and moved out to do their tasks.
She strained forcefully against the doors with her comrades and the metal groaned as the gap opened up a few more millimetres.
"Lebreau what possessed you to get these monsters" Snow joked as he took the time to give the door a hefty boot.
"It was supposed to keep the beasts out in case of an emergency!" She called back.
"I'd prefer a whole pack of beasts right now!" Godot yelled adding his kick to Snows.
"Odin, damn it!" Lightning cursed again as the Eidolon failed to appear. "Now would be a good time!" She yelled as she kicked at the metal doors again.
"Cant we just use spells" Fang barged into the door with a shoulder
"Anything we throw at it's got more chance of hurting someone than helping" Lightning growled as she continued to push her weight against the doors. She flinched as a large chunk of the concrete ceiling barely missed her thanks to Snows quick reaction.
"If anyone can summon their Eidolon it's you Sis" he smirked triumphantly at her before returning to help the others push against the jammed doors.
Lightning nodded. She abandoned her post and let out a long exhale of air. Odin we need you, come on. She breathed in.
"Odin" she called out. She could feel the magnetic like pull as she moved her hand from her chest and she smiled at her success in spite of the chaos, until she opened her eyes.
No familiar pink hues greeted her. Instead the crystal was pure blue, radiating a soft light. She turned towards the others unsure of what to do but at that moment the cracks in what was left of the ceiling began to deepen and lengthen. On instinct she threw the crystal to the floor and as it shattered the room went dark for an instant before a circular symbol glowed on the ground and a blue light appeared. The light shifted and morphed into a humanoid figure and as it began to move forward through the wreckage it consolidated. Now it was a small child walking towards them. They wore the tattered remnants of what looked like purge robes. As they lifted their gaze and hand skyward Lightning could see their eyes were simply glowing points of light and slowly the surrounding carnage gave way to an endless cosmos, black with thousands of twinkling tiny lights of far off stars.
As the view slowly disappeared the group found themselves standing on solid ground once more somewhere near the towns edge. Lightning’s legs felt heavy and she dropped to her knees causing the others to run to her aid. The child walked toward her and knelt down on one leg placing a small hand on her shoulder. The hood of their garments now obscuring those hellish glowing eyes.
"We've been trying to reach you for some time now, Lightning"
"Reach me?" Lightning asked bewildered.
"Yes. You are Etro's chosen"
"Chosen?" The pinkette echoed.
"Etro has marked you as the saviour. To save her children from the coming danger" the child said using their free hand to point to the area on Lightning’s chest where her brand used to reside. Lightning’s eyes went wide and she promptly zipped down her top. Sure enough there on her skin was Etro’s symbol, bold and white and terrifying. Her blood ran cold.
"No..." Lightning whispered as she zipped her garment back up, her mind whirling. "I don’t want to be marked!"
"Etros will is absolute"
"Why me? What danger?!" Lightning appealed.
"You were chosen by the Fal’Cie. Etro simply countered that"
"What Fal'Cie?!"
"Lightning you must have many questions, but right now our connection is forced. We both need time to recover” the child gave a small smile. "I am Etro's messenger. My name is Djinn. Call on me again saviour” With that the child stood and faded away.
And in that instant Lightning felt the looming emptiness swallow her whole, ripping her away from herself to a place where reality no longer existed as it had done so before.
"We'll get through this" Hope broke the silence.
"Yea we got this" Snow agreed.
"Never a dull moment for us L’cie" Sazh tried to ease the tension.
Lightning spun,
“that's easy for you to say!” She hissed, fuelled by anger and fear as she glared at each of them in turn. Remembering the comments flung her way on their journey. Because she was a soldier. Because she was used to it. Because it was easy for her to say. Because she had more stamina, more strength and more training than they did. Like her struggles had never existed, like everything was simply handed to her. She clenched her fists and turned to walk away but as some of her friends called to her and started to move closer the storm she felt inside erupted from her hand as it lifted of it's own accord.
"Dont!" She yelled at them as the aero hit the ground a few feet from them. The force of its winds pushing the group backwards. "Leave me alone!".
Serah fell to her knees as her sister became a distant blur. Her head bowed low as tears flowed down her cheeks.
"...Claire" she whispered softly as Snow knelt down beside her and hugged her shoulders tightly.
"She’s just upset" Hope almost shouted. "She'll come around, she has to" he continued, kicking a nearby stone with a grunt.
Fang felt numb. Frozen in place as she looked around all the confused and worried faces. The vision of Lightning haunted her. The woman was far beyond pissed, she reminded Fang of an injured animal lashing out. Deep down Fang didn’t blame her. She could feel the cold stab of fear inside her own body. She looked to Vanille who wore a look of distress, her fingers entwined in some silent prayer. A firm hand on her shoulder broke Fang from her haze and she turned to face its owner. Lebreau's face exposed her unease but she smiled softly at the Pulsian non the less.
"Fang. You got this" Lebreau nodded once and squeezed the huntress shoulder in reassurance. Fang stared at her for a few moments before giving a hesitant nod in return, her wits slowly clawing their way back. Fang drove her fears away and gave one last nod with new resolve before turning and chasing after the long gone soldier.
She slowed her pace as she entered woodland, leaping and skidding over roots and undergrowth alike. It wasn’t long until she caught a glimpse of the pinkette against the greenery. Lightning was thrashing her gun blade repeatedly off a tree wildly, her yells and grunts ringing out with each strike. The tree was a disfigured mess with deep gauges that ran down its length, weeping sap. Even from her distance Fang could see the red that marred Lightning’s hands and face. It was unmistakably blood and the sight made Fang rush forward. The huntress barrelled into the shorter woman dragging her away from the tree and her weapon. They toppled to the floor in the process and Fang had to restrain the soldiers hands as they swiped at her in Lightning’s blindness.
"Lightning, it's me. Stop!" Fang barked gripping her wrists tighter. Lightning ceased her attack and struggled to regain her breath as the adrenaline faded away. "We'll figure it out, it'll be o-"
"Dont say it!" Lightning blared as she sat up swiftly. "It wont be!" She strained against Fang to stand, to try and get away. She pushed and she squirmed but Fang’s steady hands gripped her wrists again to stop her and she stilled as the huntresses vibrant eyes pinned her.
"Lightning" Fang spoke softly. "I love you"
For a second the pinkette was frozen. But then suddenly she closed her eyes to find a new escape as she leaned forward and crashed her lips against the Pulsians. She threaded her fingers into the mess that was Fang’s hair as their kiss deepened and bit down gently as the warriors tongue began to recede from her mouth. The huntress gasped at the shock and pressed against her eliciting a soft moan from the pinkette. As they parted the women panted eagerly for air and Lightning wasted no time as she gripped the material of Fang’s top and tugged it upward and over the brunettes head. Fang sighed as the soldier left a trail of hungry kisses down her neck and bit at her collar bone, all to aware of the uncharacteristic desperateness behind her lovers endeavours. With eager fingers Fang began to unfasten the soldiers shirt only to slow her actions as she felt the body beneath her tense followed by an abrupt hand pressed forcefully against hers to halt her. Fang took the hand in hers and kissed the raw knuckles gently then pressed the inured limb to her cheek affectionately.
"Light" Fang murmured kissing the woman's lips lightly, then her cheek. "I loved you with a brand there once before" she continued as her lips brushed the pale skin of Lightning’s neck. "I love you now" she went on as she finished undoing the womans shirt, her mouth working it's way lower. Lightning’s hands found their way to cup the huntresses face but didn’t move her or direct her away. Fang touched the brand tentatively with her finger tips before her lips settled on it and Lightning let out a sigh as the woman’s tongue joined the fray, "And I'll love you when it's gone again".