1. Unbound

_I'd like to thank lady-yuna7 for giving me the inspiration to start this fic. Thanks so much! :) I don't own Dissidia or Skyrim. I wish I did, but I don't._

She heard the hooves of the horses plodding along the rocky road. Lightning's sight came back to her, blurry at first, but it became clearer in time. She saw the back of an Imperial solider's head and her comrade Ralof sitting adjacent to her. Her hands were bound by rope. She looked around to find Yuna the Stormcloak conjurer, Terra the Stormcloak battle mage, a dark haired man with sunken eyes, dressed in rags and a bound and gagged Ulfric Stormcloak. The trees covered in snow passed by slowly as the Imperial guided the horse onward. Terra's green locks bounced in the wind as the carriage bumped over rocks in the road. Yuna's mismatching eyes wandered the landscape of Skyrim with awe. The dark haired man stared at Lightning's pink hair and Terra's green hair in confusion and then he turned to Yuna, gazing at her single blue and single green eyes.

"Hey Lightning. You're finally awake. So you were caught trying to cross the border right?" Ralof asked.  
"Of course. I was there when we were attacked. These Imperials really know more about the campaign than we first thought." she replied.  
"We walked right into that Imperial ambush, along with that thief over there." Ralof said and gestured with his head towards the dark haired man. Terra stared down at the wooden wagon and said nothing. Yuna looked around their surroundings and sighed as she tried to break the bindings.  
"Damn you Stormcloaks. Skyrim was fine until you came along. Empire was nice and lazy. If they hadn't have been looking for you I could've stolen that horse and been halfway to Hammerfell." he snapped at Ralof. He turned to Lightning and sighed. Lightning rolled her eyes at the moody horse thief.

"You three women, we don't belong here. It's these Stormcloaks the Empire wants."  
"I'm a Stormcloak. Bite your tongue, or I'll cut it out as soon as these bindings are off." Lightning snapped.  
"I'm a Stormcloak too. We're only new to the Stormcloaks. But Lightning joined later than Terra and I." Yuna replied and gestured to the moody pink haired woman and the inquisitive green haired Esperkin.  
"Never again will I serve an Empire ruled by power hungry men with pointy ears." Terra said with a sigh, wondering if her nemesis was out there, waiting to take hold of her mind again.  
"We're all brothers and sisters in binds now, thief." Ralof said, backing up his fellow warriors.  
"Shut up back there!" the Imperial solider exclaimed and an air of silence swept over the carriage. Terra stuck her tongue out at the solider and Yuna chuckled.  
"Make me, Imperial scum." Lightning uttered with a hiss.

The horse thief turned to Ulfric and stared at him in wonder.  
"What's wrong with him, huh?" he asked rudely.  
"Watch your tongue! You're speaking to Ulfric Stormcloak, the true High King!" Ralof exclaimed. Fire burned in his eyes as he stared the man in rags down with rage.  
"Ulfric? You're the Jarl of Windhelm? You're the leader of the rebellion. If they captured you... oh gods, where are they taking us?" the thief asked.  
"Where do you think? I suppose to Solitude, where we will feast on the Imperial's lice infested bodies and drink their putrid blood." Lightning replied sarcastically, making sure that the solider next to her heard her response. The Imperial soldier shook his head and stopped the carriage before turning around.  
"Light... Don't. He's scared and you just got yourself into trouble." Yuna said with a sigh. She shook her head at the bitter pink haired woman.  
"She's joking. She's just pissed off because she believes that Cosmos left us here to die." Terra said to the thief and the soldier with an assuring smile.  
"Is that a Daedra, if it is you will be charged with Daedra worship." The Imperial said.  
"No, she is just a goddess who drags pawns into battle against Chaos, another god and his pawns." Lightning replied. Terra sat back up and stared at the trees. She watched the clouds slowly moved across the sky and wondered where Cloud could be in this expansive tundra. The Imperial guard turned around and got the wagon moving again, saying nothing to the pink haired female who insulted him.  
"I don't know where we're going, but Sovngard awaits." Ralof replied sadly.  
"No, this can't be happening. This isn't happening." the thief said, almost as if he was trying to convince himself not to believe that death awaited him behind stone walls with a heavy and sharpened axe in hand.

"Hey, what village are you from, horse thief?" Ralof asked out of pure curiousity.  
"Why do you care?" he snapped.  
"A Nord's last thoughts should be of home." Ralof replied sadly. Yuna wanted to reach out and comfort him, but her binds prohibited her to do so.  
"Rorikstead. I'm... I'm from Rorikstead." he replied uneasily. The carriage headed towards a stone walkway with a gate underneath. Lightning, Terra and Yuna didn't realise that the other carriages were so close to theirs. The city consisted of stone houses with thatched roofs. It seemed a quiet place to live, but the black and red Imperial banners changed their perception of the small town.  
"General Tullius, sir! The headsman is waiting!" an Imperial guard exclaimed.  
"Good. Let's get this over with!" the general replied gruffly. The thief was praying to the nine divines for help as the wagon was guided into the town. Lightning looked to the sky and wished that this was the war of the gods again.

Villagers stood at the edges of their houses and watched the Imperials bring in the Stormcloak army bound in ropes. The faces of the soldiers in the brown and blue were not fearful, but rather much like Ralof's. An expression of realisation and acceptance.  
"Look at him! General Tullius, the military governor! And it looks like the Thalmor are with him. Damn elves! I bet they had something to do with this." Ralof said with spite. Ralof looked around and recognised the town instantly. He sighed and looked around the town some more.  
"This is Helgen. I was sweet on a girl from here. I wonder if Vilad is still making that mead with the juniper berries mixed in. Funny, when I was a boy, Imperial walls and towers made me feel so safe." Ralof said with a sense of nostalgia to his voice. Parents told their children to get inside before their minds were corrupted by violence and bloodshed.  
"Ralof... I know what it's like to feel safe with something that governs your day to day life, and then once something changes that you have no control of, they turn against you and you feel so alone. People who you once were friends with won't speak to you anymore. People could sleep better if they knew you were dead. I know what you've been through. And I understand your point of view." Lightning replied with a slight smile. Ralof smiled at her and then continued to survey his surroundings.

The carriages pulled up one by one beside a stone fortress surrounded by many guards. People roamed the streets as the carriage stopped. The citizens surrounded the fortress and watched from their front porches.  
"What's going on?" the thief asked with fear.  
"What do you think? The end of the line." Ralof replied rather calmly. The captured warriors in the carriage next to them began to stand and file out.  
"Let's go. We shouldn't keep the gods waiting for us." Ralof said. The group got up and stepped out without a word. But the thief wasn't going to give up.  
"No! Wait! I'm not a rebel!" he exclaimed.  
"Face your death with some courage, thief." Ralof replied as they stepped out.  
"Don't expect courage from a man like him, Ralof." Lightning said and kicked the man in the ankle. He whimpered quietly as he stepped down from the wagon.

Before the group stood a woman in steel Imperial armour and a man in leather Imperial armour. The armour glimmered in the sunlight as she observed the last carriage of prisoners. Her stern face didn't show any mercy as the warriors were ushered towards the block.  
"You've got to tell them I wasn't with you! This is a mistake!" the thief exclaimed. Lightning, Yuna and Terra kept quiet and stood before the guards.  
"Step towards the block when we call your name! One at a time!" the Imperial captain instructed. The man standing next to her held a quill and a piece of parchment in his hands.  
"Empire loves their damn lists." Ralof uttered under his breath. Yuna and Terra snickered as Lightning stayed silent, watching the headsman approaching the block.  
"Ulfric Stormcloak, Jarl of Windhelm." Hadvar said. Ulfric took one breath of air before heading towards the block.  
"It has been an honour, Jarl Ulfric..." Ralof said sadly. Lightning, Terra and Yuna bowed their heads as the leader of the Stormcloak army headed towards the stone block.  
"I can get us out of here. Trust me." Lightning whispered.  
"Lightning, we lost. There's no escaping our fates. Not this time." Ralof replied and shook his head at the bitter female.

"Ralof of Riverwood." Hadvar called. Terra whimpered. Yuna prayed. Lightning plotted an escape. The townsfolk watched as the man with the paper looked up to see the Stormcloak soldier go towards the block.  
"Don't try anything." he whispered to Lightning as he headed towards the block.  
"Lokir of Rorikstead." Hadvar said. Fear appeared on the thief's face as his name was called.  
"No. I'm not a rebel. You can't do this!" he exclaimed and ran off.  
"Halt!" the captain exclaimed. The thief kept running.  
"You're not gonna kill me!" he exclaimed and ran faster.  
"Archers!" the captain exclaimed and the Imperial archers shot him down quicker than he sped off.  
"Anyone else feel like running?" the captain asked the remaining Stormcloaks.  
"Idiot..." Lightning mumbled.  
"Terra Branford, court wizard for Jarl Ulfric. Where were you born?" Hadvar asked.  
"The Land of Espers." Terra replied as she stepped towards the block.  
"Cosmos lives, so will we." she replied quietly to her fellow Cosmos warriors and headed off to the block.  
"Yuna of... What was your town name?" Hadvar asked the summoner.  
"Besaid in Spira." she replied.  
"Cosmos will help us. I know she will." Yuna said to Lightning.  
"Don't count on it." Lightning replied quietly. Yuna stepped towards the block and joined Ralof, Terra and Ulfric in what seemed like their last minutes of life.

"Wait. You there. Step forward." Hadvar said. Lightning sighed and walked up to the man with the list.  
"Who are you?" he asked.  
"Claire 'Lightning' Farron of Bodhum." Lightning replied, her steely gaze piercing the air of death around her.  
"You're a long way from home I'm guessing. Where is Bodhum?" he asked.  
"Cocoon." Lightning replied.  
"Captain, what should we do? Her name is not on the list." the man asked.  
"Forget the list. She goes to the block." the captain replied with her hand resting on her hip. Lightning resisted the urge to punch her in the face and use the Blazefire Pistol to blow her brains out of her head. But reality struck her as she realised that the Imperials stripped her of her weapons, even the green survival knife that her sister gave her for her birthday.  
"By your orders captain..." he said. He turned to Lightning and sighed.  
"I'm sorry. We will send your remains to Cocoon." he said.  
"Huh, you won't be able to. That planet is not longer accessible thanks to a turn of events. At least I can die and rest with my fellow Stormcloaks. That would be more than suitable for me." she replied.  
"Follow the captain prisoner." he said and Lightning followed her. She stepped toward the block and stood next to Ralof and her companions from the war of the gods. The road was very worn and she stared at the Imperial guards, the priest and the headsman before nudging Ralof.  
"Wait for my cue. When I attack, you get the others out." Lightning said quietly.  
"No. It's best we stay. Unless you want to end up like the thief." Ralof replied and they looked over the thief quickly before turning back to the commotion the Imperials were making.

"Ulfric Stormcloak. Some here in Helgen call you a hero. But a hero doesn't use a power like the Voice to murder his king and usurp his throne." General Tulluis said. Ulfric muttered something that was inaudible to everyone else.  
"You started this war, plunged Skyrim into chaos, and now the Empire is going to put you down and restore the peace." Tullius said.  
"Asshole..." Lightning uttered. She prepared a shock spell and waited for a chance to strike him with her namesake. Ralof nudged her with his elbow and shook his head at the pink haired paradigm commando. Terra waited for the right moment to turn into an Esper. Yuna tugged on her bindings as she tried to get out. The general turned to Lightning with daggers in his eyes. He reached for his blade and held it towards her face. Lightning scoffed and shook her head.  
"Nice sword. Mine's better." she replied with a smirk.  
A roar filled the air and everyone looked around to see what it was.  
"What was that?" an Imperial soldier asked.  
"It's nothing. Carry on." Tulluis insisted before putting the sword away and turning around.  
"Yes General Tullius." the captain said and beat her fist against her breastplate.

She turned to the priestess and nodded.  
"Give them their last rights." she commanded. The priest lifted her hands into the air and began to pray to the nine divines.  
"As we commend your souls to Atherius..."  
"Cosmos, hear us. Get us out of here." Lightning said quietly, loud enough for Terra and Yuna to hear and add to her prayer.  
"Give us our crystals so that we may not perish here." Yuna whispered.  
"Please, we need your help Cosmos." Terra whispered and looked over at Lightning and Yuna with worry in her eyes.

"For the love of Talos, shut up let's get it's over with." an impatient Stormcloak said and marched up to the block. The priest stopped the rites and put down her hands.  
"As you wish." the captain replied. The captain stood by his side as he spat commands at her. She stood there with a blank expression.  
"Come on! I haven't got all morning!" the soldier said impatiently.  
She pushed him down to the ground and used her foot to push him onto the block. Lightning closed her eyes and focused her power into a furry of shock barrages. Yuna stopped trying to undo the ropes and prayed. Terra tried to get her Esper claws to rip the bindings off of her hands. Lightning opened her eyes and prepared to strike. Ralof whacked her with his bound fists and shook his head.  
"My ancestors are smiling at me. Can you say the same, Imperials?" the soldier asked. The headsman brought the axe down on the Stormcloak solider's head. It rolled off into the basket and blood soaked the block. The captain stood back as the blood splattered back on her and she kicked the body away from the block. Lightning winced and shook her head. The whole town was in an uproar. The citizens exclaimed their cries either mocking the Empire or the Stormcloaks.  
"You Imperial bastards!" a female Stormcloak soldier exclaimed.  
"I could've saved him..." she said quietly.  
"Lightning, there's nothing you can do. He rests with Talos now." Ralof replied sadly in the midst of the town's screaming voices.  
"Justice!" a man from the village called.  
"I hate you, Imperials!" Terra exclaimed. So much built up rage inside her wanted to burst into her Esper form and eat the hearts of every member of the Empire.  
"Death to the Stormcloaks!" a female citizen exclaimed.  
"I'll pray for you..." Yuna whispered, tears threatening to wet her face in sorrow.  
"As fearless in death as he was in life..." Ralof said and hung his head.  
"Talos, guide him to Sovngard." Lightning added and looked over at a glassy eyed Yuna and a vengeful Terra.

"Next! The Stormcloak from Bodhum." the captain called. The same roaring from before echoed through the mountains. Everyone looked up into the sky and then looked at each other.  
"There it is again. Did you hear that?" an Imperial asked.  
"I said, next prisoner!" the captain exclaimed.  
"To the block prisoner, nice and easy." Hadvar said. Lightning scoffed and strutted up to the captain and got on her knees. The captain pushed her onto the block so that she looked at the figure masked in black, wielding the axe of death. She saw the blood staining the hay that was littered around the block. The roaring came again as a large figure flew over the mountains just as the headsman raised his axe.

"What in Oblivion is that?!" Tullius asked.  
"Sentries! What do you see?" the captain asked.  
"It's in the clouds!" the sentry replied. A large dragon landed on the fortress behind the headsman and knocked him down. The dragon was as black as night and its wings almost covered the entire town in darkness. Lightning stared at the beast in awe.  
"Dragon!" a female Stormcloak exclaimed. Swords were drawn out of their sheaths as they prepared to fight off the dragon. The dragon roared and everybody fell to the ground as the clouds swirled around the gigantic beast. Tullius barked commands at the guards as Lightning stood up from the block. Terra and Yuna rushed to her side and the Cosmos warriors watched the dragon reek havoc on Helgen. The houses were burning and the entire place smelt of burning flesh and hay.

"Hey! Come on, the gods have given us another chance!" Ralof exclaimed.  
"This way!" he exclaimed and led them to a fortress behind the block. Lightning, Yuna and Terra followed him into the fortress as he shut the door behind them, leaving the town to burn. Their fellow Stormcloaks sat on the ground, either grasping their wounds or tending to their wounded allies.  
"Jarl Ulfric, what is that thing? Could the legends be true?" Ralof asked the unbound Jarl of Windhelm.  
"Legends don't burn down villages." he replied. The ground rumbled as the dragon continued to assault Helgen. The dragon roared again and everyone looked up at the ceiling.  
"We need to move. Now!" Ulfric exclaimed.  
"Up through the tower, let's go." Ralof exclaimed. Panic filled the room as they scrambled up the stairs.

The dragon burst in through the wall of the tower and crushed a Stormcloak trying to help Ralof get everybody out alive.  
"Everybody get back!" Ralof exclaimed and everyone stumbled backwards as the dragon released flames into the building. The flames burned down into nothing and the four warriors stood at the edge of the crevice that the dragon had caused. Below them was a burning inn with shrapnel covering it, helping it burn. The ground rumbled as the rest of them approached the edge.  
"See the inn on the other side? Jump through the roof and keep going." Ralof said and pointed to the burning wreck beneath them.  
"Go! We'll follow you if we can!" Ralof exclaimed. Lightning, Yuna and Terra jumped onto the burning wreck and the roof began to cave in on them. They jumped down the hole in the floor and made for safety.

Lightning placed the middle of her bindings on a burning stick. The rope broke and Lightning picked up a lone iron sword before cutting Terra and Yuna free. She discarded the sword and kept shock spells ready at all times. Three Imperials had their swords out to fight the dragon. The huge scaly beast sent fire hurdling towards them and they jumped out of the way. Lightning prepared to cast shock as Terra prepared Holy Combo and Yuna picked up a stick, praying that it will do as a weapon. The town collapsed around them as they ran towards the keep. The houses burned as Stormcloaks and Imperials banded together to defeat the beast. The smell of burning flesh filled the air as they ran past the stone archway and met Ralof at the door to the keep.  
"Come on! Into the keep!" Ralof exclaimed. They ran into the keep and shut the door behind them, just in time to avoid the dragon's fiery breath.

They stopped at the red carpet and sighed as they found a fellow soldier dead. Ralof stopped by the body and knelt down.  
"We'll meet again in Sovngard, brother." Ralof said and stood up to face the Cosmos warriors.  
"Looks like we're the only ones that made it." Ralof said. Terra and Yuna exchanged worried glances as Lightning stared at the ground with both anger and hidden sorrow.  
"I just hope others made it out." Yuna said. Terra nodded.  
"That thing was a dragon. No doubt. Just like the children's stories and legends. The harbingers of the End times." Ralof said.  
"So, that thing out there is a dragon?" Terra asked.  
"What did you think it was? A fire-breathing clown?" Lightning asked Terra in reply. Terra shuddered.  
"Sorry Terra. I didn't mean it like that. I'm just angry." Lightning replied.  
"We better get moving." Ralof said.  
"Agreed." the three women replied. Terra looked around the room and found an unlocked chest. She walked over and opened the wooden box. She pulled out her rapier and tied the sheath to her material belt. She picked up Yuna's summoning staff and placed it in the ground before taking out Lightning's Blazefire Saber and her survival knife. Terra found a quiver of iron arrows and a long bow and picked that up too before closing the chest. Terra picked up the weapons. She gave Yuna her staff and Lightning her weapons before handing Ralof the bow and quiver.  
"Thanks Terra." they all said as Terra handed them the weapons. Lightning put her knife into her pocket and nodded to the others.

"I'm going to see if I can find some way out of here." Ralof replied and went looking around. Terra nodded and Yuna grasped her staff tightly. Lightning whipped out her Blazefire Saber and held it securely, poised to strike at any given time as she waited for Ralof.  
"Find anything?" she asked.  
"This one's locked. Let's try the other one." Ralof said with a disappointed sigh. They walked over to the other door and examined it.  
"Damn, no way to open this from our side." Ralof said.  
"Then I'll burn it down." Lightning replied as the dragon roared outside. Imperial soliders appeared on the other side and made a lot of ruckus.  
"It's the Imperials! Take cover!" Ralof whispered. They hid from the Imperials with their weapons drawn. The Imperials pulled at the chain and the gate blocking the path retreated into the ground. Lightning commando rolled out of hiding and shot the guard in light armour and slit the throat of the Imperial captain. Blood poured out of the two bodies but Lightning didn't care in the slightest. Ralof stared at Lightning in shock. Yuna looked like she was going to be sick as Terra patted her shoulder.  
"Guess I'm on a lucky streak." Lightning said and placed her hand on her hip. She walked over to the captain's body and shook her head.  
"Lightning, what in Talos' name did your weapon just do?" Ralof asked.  
"Ralof, we've fought together before. You know exactly what my gunblade does." Lightning replied.  
"Sorry, I'm not used to it." Ralof said. Yuna laughed at Ralof's response.  
"I hate that wretch." Lightning said and sheathed her gunblade before kicking the captain's dead head.  
"Easy Light." Yuna said and Ralof stood beside Lightning to see the path ahead. It was dark and dusty. Ralof inspected the bodies and found a key. He used it to open the locked and rusty gate.

"Let's go." Lightning said and led the party down the mossy stone walkway. As they walked down the walkway the dragon roared and Ralof pulled Lightning back.  
"Watch out." he called as the pathway collapsed in front of them.  
"Damn, that dragon doesn't give up easy." Ralof said and Lightning shook her head, hoping that the dragon knows that she was not amused by its actions.  
"It looks like the dragon from the war of the gods. Shinryu, was it?" Terra asked.  
"Yes, it was. I believe you're right." Yuna replied with a nod. They heard the mumbling of Imperial soldiers behind the door. Yuna summoned the ice queen, Shiva. The Aeon gave her conjurer her cloak of ice. They drew their weapons and Yuna sent Shiva in to fight for her. Shards of ice flew all around the room as Terra sent fire spells plummeting into the chest of an Imperial soldier. His back hit the wall and he fell to the ground with an almighty thud. Lightning swung Zantestuken around and sliced off the heads of the remaining two soldiers. Blood stained the stone floor as the bodies collapsed to the ground. They sheathed their weapons and continued onward. Terra picked up a cast iron pot, just in case she needed it later.

"This way." Terra said and pointed to a flight of mossy stairs. They followed the green haired Esperkin down the stairs.  
"It's a torture chamber." Terra said and placed her hand on her rapier. Ralof walked towards Terra and shook his head.  
"By Talos, it is a torture chamber!" Ralof exclaimed. His voice alerted the Imperial soldiers at the bottom of the stairs. Lightning drew her gunblade, prepared a few shock spells and ran into battle. She cast shock on her opponents. They yelped in pain as she quickly flipped the blade into gun mode and shot them down. Ralof still couldnt get over the strange blades Lightning always wielded. She put her blade away as the others came down the stairs. Yuna ran down first and inspected the cell with what looked like a dead Mage locked in. She found a knapsack on a small wooden table. She searched through it and took out the lock picks that were inside.  
"Can I have a dagger?" she asked. Ralof picked an iron dagger that he found next to the knapsack and handed her the dagger and she tried to pick the lock. The lock clicked and she opened the door.  
"Great job Yuna." Terra said with a clap. Yuna took the gold and the potions in the cell and followed the other three out of the torture chamber and into a huge cavern filled with water and bridges.

The Imperials turned to find Lightning, Ralof, Terra and Yuna coming into the cavern. Terra ran ahead and went into her trance to awaken her Esper self. She growled and ran up to the guards before slashing at them with her elegant purple claws. Strips of flesh landed on the ground with a squelch that made Yuna feel even more sick than before. Terra jumped onto an Imperial and ripped chunks out of his neck without hesitation. She glided over to another solider and cast Meltdown twice, slamming the soldier into the wall. Their screams of pure terror echoed through the cavern as Terra's bloodied claws ripped their hearts put of their bodies. Terra's Esper form disappeared and the green haired woman appeared again. She stared at the bleeding hearts in her hands and whimpered before throwing them into the lake and shaking the crimson off of her hands.  
"I see why you were appointed court wizard." Ralof said with wide eyes. Terra laughed and nodded. They continued into the caverns. The wooden floors became gravel and dirt. The trail crunched under their feet as they continued down into the caverns. The ground shook as the dragon roared again. The rocks began to fall down on the frame of the cavern behind them. Lightning pulled Terra and Yuna away as Ralof dived onto the safety of the gravel. He got up and dusted himself off as Yuna, Terra and Lightning coughed the dust out of their lungs.  
"Looks like we can't go back." Ralof said and led the women further into the caverns in hopes of finding an exit. The caverns smelt of old leather and rotting flesh. Terra wrinkled her nose with disgust.  
"Smells really bad in here." Yuna said. Ralof complained about the smell as Lightning took point. They walked into a cave filled with large spiderwebs covering every rocky column supporting the ceiling.

Huge Frostbite spiders came out of their dark hiding spaces and spat poisonous webs at the Stormcloaks. Lightning dodged the attacks as Yuna cast a barrier on everyone so that they could fight without getting poisoned. Ralof raised his axes over his head before bringing them down onto one of the spiders. Dark crimson fluid sprayed everywhere and stained his blue and brown cuirass. Terra sent a fire spell travelling across the ground and when it hit the spider, the overgrown insect flew up into the air and Terra used her Holy Combo followed by an Ultima attack. The spider crashed into the ground and failed to get up. Lightning attacked the spider with her gunblade and pulled out the swords of her Eidolon. She whipped Zantestuken around gracefully and powerfully. Sparks flew around the room and hit some of the other spiders surrounding her. Red rose petals littered the ground and the insect's blood splattered onto the petals, tainting their delicate beauty and finesse. Yuna sent Shiva back to the Farplane and called on Ifrit. The beast burst out of the ground with fiery light and caught the falling Yuna and placed her on the ground before roaring at the remaining spiders. The spiders were almost blown back by the force of his monstrous voice.  
"Show your flames!" Yuna exclaimed and held her staff in the direction of the spiders. Ifrit roared again and slammed the ground before pulling the rock up from underneath him and pulled three columns of fire out of the ground. The spiders were burnt to a crisp and Yuna sent the fire demon back into the Farplane. The Stormcloak warriors sheathed their weapons and continued deeper into the dark cavern.

The cavern grew darker and smelt of musty moss. Ralof squatted down and pulled the girls back. Yuna looked at Ralof in confusion.  
"Ralof? What's gotten into you?" Terra asked the blonde male.  
"Quiet! There's a bear over there!" he exclaimed quietly and pointed to the bear sleeping in the distance.  
"Let's try to sneak past her. You can fight her, but I'm not too fond of fighting a bear at the moment." Ralof said. Lightning drew her gunblade and advanced slowly towards the bear.  
"Anything's better than fighting manikins all day!" Lightning replied and ran into battle. She jumped onto the bear's back and switched the gunblade into gun mode before shooting the bear in the back of the head. The bullet pierced the bear's skull and bloody brains slid out of the wound. Lightning jumped down from the bear's back and walked back to Terra, Yuna and Ralof as they snuck around the back of the bear. Despite seeing Lightning shoot many of her enemies with her Blazefiree Pistol, the weapon still baffled him as he couldn't comprehend how it works.  
"Lightning, you're crazy." Ralof said and shook his head. The other three warriors stood up and joined Lightning in their quest for a way out.  
"Maybe using the gun part of your gunblade wouldn't be a good idea from now on. People around here aren't used to the technology." Yuna said.  
"I guess you're right..." Lightning replied with a shrug.  
"You'll still use it, won't you?" Terra asked the pink haired woman.  
"Of course." Lightning replied with a smile.

"We made it! That's the way out!" Terra exclaimed and ran ahead of the others. Lightning jogged to keep up with her and the others hurried to keep up with the Esperkin and the l'Cie. As they exited the cavern, Ralof sighed with relief as the sun beat down on his face. Rocks and grass covered the landscape and in the distance, a forest of trees stood and towered over everything in sight. Terra and Yuna gazed up at the sky and smiled. Lightning placed her hands on her hips and chuckled. They almost forgot about the dragon that terrorised Helgen as they enjoyed their freedom. The dragon roared and flew overhead.  
"Get down!" Lightning exclaimed and pulled her fellow Stormcloaks down behind a large rock. The dragon flew right past them and Lightning stood up when it was safe.  
"Is it gone?" Yuna asked. Lightning nodded and the others stood up.  
"Thanks for the heads up." Ralof replied.  
"Welcome." Lightning said.  
"So, where to now?" Terra asked.  
"Windhelm. We need to be in safety's hands before the Imperials find out that we escaped Helgen." Ralof replied.  
"Sounds like a plan." Lightning said. They walked down the stone path and headed towards the snowy city of Windhelm.


	2. Way to Windhelm

The mountains on the skirts of Helgen were treacherous. Terra helped Yuna up some of the slippery rocks as Ralof and Lightning climbed them with ease. Fields of green and white spread out before them. A small pack of wolves howled and ran up to the group, snapping at the Stormcloaks with their razor sharp teeth. Terra pulled her rapier out of its sheath and slashed at the wolf closest to her. Lightning whipped out her Blazefire Pistol and shot the wolves dead. Ralof stared at Lightning and her gunblade with curiosity and confusion. Terra breathed a sigh of relief as the two women sheathed their blades. Yuna looked at Ralof's face and laughed. The man shook his head to dispel his disbelief.  
"Let's keep moving." Ralof said and took point.  
"And try not to use the gun in front of non-Stormcloaks Lightning. Or Ralof for that matter..." Terra said and looked to the blonde warrior with eyes that laughed at his reaction to her gunblade. Lightning scoffed and then sighed.  
"Alright." she replied with a disappointed sigh. Ralof went ahead and the other warriors followed him closely. The rises and falls of the landscape began to take its toll on Terra and Yuna's feet. The girls stuck it out and kept moving. They reached a main road and decided to stick near the trees in case someone were to discover them on the road.

Suddenly, a group of three Imperials in brown and red studded armour walked by. The enemy soldiers used the main road whilst the fugitive Stormcloaks stuck with the trees. The group squatted and hid behind the trees to stay out of the Imperials' sight. Ralof picked up his longbow and pulled an iron arrow out of the quiver. He drew the bow back and aimed for the back of an Imperial's head. He released the arrow and as it whizzed through the air, Ralof hid behind the tree beside him. The arrow hit the man in the back of his head and he toppled onto the ground. He failed to get up after a few seconds.  
"What? Who's there?" an Imperial solider asked as he looked around.  
"Must be your imagination..." his ally said.  
"I guess you're right." the first man replied and the continued walking. Lightning smirked as she picked up a large rock, bounced it in her hands and threw it at the Imperial guards. It hit one of them into the back of the knee and he collapsed screaming. Ralof snickered and gave Lightning a nod. Lightning whipped her gunblade out and ran out to the guards before slitting their throats and putting it away, returning to her fellow Stormcloaks.  
"That wasn't too bad of a fight." she mused with a smile. The others laughed as they came out of their hiding places.  
"Come on, we don't want to get caught. We still have a while to go." Ralof replied. The others nodded and followed the warrior into the tundra.

The snow began to fall gently onto the soldiers as they continued to trudge through the snow. Yuna whined as her feet grew even more sore than they were before. Terra sat down on a rock and rubbed her feet, constantly complaining about the pain.  
"I think we might need to rest for the night." Lightning said. Ralof sighed and placed his back up against a tree.  
"I agree. Let's set up camp, we leave early in the morning." Ralof said and sat on the rock next to Terra and Yuna.  
"I'll get us some game." Lightning replied and unsheathed her gunblade before walking out into the wilderness. Lightning wandered the tundra of Skyrim, being careful not to stray too far away from their camp for the night. A deer ran toward the l'Cie and she sighed with relief. She aimed carefully and shot the deer in between its eyes. The wound wept blood as the deer fell onto the snow, turning the white snow red. Lightning slung the deer over her shoulder and carried it back to the campsite.

She let the deer fall off of her shoulder before pulling out her survival knife and beginning to skin the deer. Yuna and Terra shivered as the watched their fellow Cosmos warrior tear the skin off of her kill. Lightning stopped skinning the deer and looked over at Terra and Yuna.  
"Where's Ralof?" she asked.  
"He went to find firewood." Terra replied. Lightning shrugged and continued to skin the deer. Lightning ignored the reactions of the Cosmos warriors as her kill's blood dripped onto her hands.  
"I'm going to be sick..." Yuna said and held her stomach whilst Terra patted Yuna's back.  
"Don't watch then. Do something else." Lightning replied, her eyes never even leaving the knife removing the pelt off of the deer. Terra pulled out her cast iron pot and showed Yuna.  
"First, let's melt some snow and find some salt for a venison stew." Terra said.  
"But, Ralof hasn't come back yet." Yuna replied.  
"Then salt it is." Terra said with a shrug and helped Yuna off of the rock.  
"We'll be back!" Terra exclaimed.  
"Don't be long." Lightning warned. She sighed when the skin was off of the meat as she began to strip the meat off the bones.

Yuna and Terra came back with salt piles, carrots and potatoes for the stew. Ralof was back and he sat by the lit fire warming his hands. Lightning was cleaning her survival knife when Terra and Yuna placed the food on the rock beside her. Terra picked up the pot and filled it with white snow. Yuna constructed a plate to suspend the pot over the fire. Terra placed the pot on as soon as it was done.  
"Where did you get the food?" Ralof asked.  
"Lightning caught the deer. Yuna and I traded with a Khajiit caravan for the salt and the vegetables." Terra replied.  
"What did you trade with?" Ralof asked.  
"The gold and other things I found in the cell back in Helgen." Yuna replied with a smile.  
"Clever." Ralof said. Lightning said nothing as she handed Ralof an iron dagger.  
"What?" Ralof asked as he took the knife.  
"You're cooking." Lightning replied.  
"Why can't you?" Ralof asked.  
"Do you want to end up with food poisoning?" Lightning asked with an eyebrow raised. Yuna took the dagger from Ralof and headed towards the vegetables.  
"That will never happen again. For as long as Lightning is in our party, she won't ever cook." Yuna replied and began to chop the vegetables.  
"What happened?" Ralof asked.  
"Let's just say that everyone had diarrhoea the next day the last time Lightning cooked..." Terra replied, giving Lightning an unamused glare. The pink haired warrior laughed and shook her head.  
"I tried to warn you..." Lightning replied with a chuckle.

Yuna stirred the stew with the dagger as Terra and Ralof looked up at the stars, trying to pick out the different constellations. Lightning watched the camp from on top of a rock, scanning the area for any sign of danger. Wolves howled in the distance, but never really came close to the camp. The snow had stopped falling from the heavens. Yuna picked up four wooden bowls she traded for and scooped the stew into each of the bowls using the ladle she bought and passed the bowls of piping hot venison stew around, handing each person a spoon as well. She brought those from Windhelm with her. The night was still as each person tried to eat their stew as quietly as possible. The clouds passed over the large Skyrim moon and blocked some of the stars. Ralof was the first to finish his bowl of stew. Lightning was next. She placed the bowl down beneath her rock and perched back onto the stone protruding from the ground. She continued to scout for danger as Terra and Yuna finished their dinner. Terra's eyelids grew heavy and she let her head droop onto Ralof's sturdy shoulder. He turned to find the Esperkin asleep on his shoulder. He laughed quietly and let his own eyelids droop shut. Yuna rested her head on Ralof's other shoulder as she too drifted to sleep. Lightning got off of the rock and chuckled when she saw the three Stormcloaks asleep against a sturdy rock. Lightning let her head rest on Ralof's thigh and she let the fire warm her face as she let the sounds of the night lull her to sleep.

Ralof woke up first and found himself unable to move. The sun beat down on the four warriors as the flames from last night were reduced to smoking smoulders. He looked to his left and found Terra asleep on his shoulder. He looked to his right to find Yuna asleep on his other shoulder and Lightning asleep on his thigh. He looked up at the heavens and sighed.  
"Thank you, Talos." he said silently. Lightning groaned as she slowly pushed herself up from the snow beneath her and looked up at the blonde male.  
"It shouldn't be too long until we reach Windhelm right?" Lightning asked.  
"Hopefully." Ralof replied. Yuna and Terra woke up slowly and sat up straight, allowing Ralof to stand. Lightning stood up also and looked around the forest.  
"It should be that way." Lightning said and pointed due east. Yuna looked in the direction of Lightning's finger. She nodded.  
"Light's right. It should be that way." Yuna replied.  
"Let's get moving." Terra said. The others nodded and packed up the campsite before heading east towards Windhelm.

The snow began to fall again as the Stormcloaks trudged towards Windhelm. Yuna slipped on an icy rock and Terra caught her, only to be toppled over by the powerful gust of icy wind. Ralof and Lightning helped the other two up. Yuna shivered and her teeth chattered. Terra's green hair was dotted with little balls of white snow. Ralof grunted as Yuna pulled him toward her to inspect a poisonous web that had attached itself to him.  
"Take cover!" Lightning exclaimed as she charged into battle with three Frostbite spiders. The spiders lunged at her, but she dodged the attacks with ease. Ralof would've stared in wonder at the mysterious gunblade, but the spider's poison stung so badly that he couldn't keep his eyes open for long. She kicked one underneath its head and sunk her Blazefire Saber into it's head. The insect stopped moving as the blood spurted onto Lightning and its allies. Lightning took Zantestuken out of its hiding place and whipped it around her head.  
"Have some more!" she exclaimed and let Razor Gale slice the spiders in clean half. Rose petals gently fell onto the blood staining the snow as Lightning put the blades away. Lightning jogged up to Ralof, Yuna and Terra before kneeling next to Ralof and inspecting his wound. She cast esuna on him to expel the poison and healing hands to heal any damage dealt to his system. She stood up and led the warriors onwards towards the distant city.

Terra ran up to the nearest cliff and stood at the edge, jumping for joy.  
"Hey! It's Windhelm!" she exclaimed and waved at her allies. The others looked at each other before running up to Terra and examining the silhouette of a large snowy city.  
"It is indeed." Ralof replied with a smile. A huge pile of snow fell on his head of the tree above him. He frowned with distaste. The three women laughed as he shook the snow out of his stringy blonde hair.  
"What are we waiting for? Let's go." Yuna said and the others nodded before carefully scaling the side of the cliff.

Lightning went ahead, jumping from ledge to ledge like it was the most natural thing in the world. Ralof shuffled across the ledges behind Lightning, hoping that he wouldn't fall to his death this close to Windhelm. Yuna sat down on the rock and scooted down the rocky ledges slower than a snail. Terra slowly stepped across the ledges behind Yuna. Lightning turned around and shook her head at the careful warriors.  
"Come on! We're almost down!" Lightning called and turned around again to continue jumping ledges. She reached a four metre drop. Lightning jumped and gracefully flipped before landing on the main road with ease. She turned around and put her hands on her hips, watching the others come down intently. Ralof lost his footing and fell off of the ledge. His yelp of surprise echoing throughout the valley underneath him. He grabbed a rock that stuck out of the cliff's face. He swung his legs so that they dangled over a sturdy ledge and he jumped onto it. He turned around and climbed down the rock with ease before jumping half a metre down onto the safety of the main road. Lightning chuckled at Ralof as he joined her in spotting the others making their way slowly down the cliff. Yuna stood up and stepped across the ledges. Terra walked closely behind her.  
"Come on!" Ralof exclaimed. Yuna panicked and fell off of the cliff. Ralof cursed under his breath and ran to try and catch Yuna before she fell to her death. Yuna looked down and saw the ground closing in on her. She closed her eyes and braced for impact. That impact never came as she opened her eyes to find Ralof's staring back at her. Terra summoned her Esper self and glided down the cliff with ease. She landed gracefully and transformed back into her human form, following Lightning towards Yuna and Ralof.  
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." Ralof said sadly. Yuna laughed as he gently put her down onto the main road.  
"That's ok." she replied, her mood still as happy as ever. Lightning and Terra reached them as Yuna kissed his cheek.  
"Thank you." she said. Terra, Yuna and Lightning laughed as Ralof's face turned a bright shade of red.  
"Are you alright Yuna?" Terra asked. Yuna nodded.  
"Good. Windhelm awaits." Lightning replied and they headed into the snowy city for the first time since the capture of the Stormcloak army.


	3. Innocence Lost

Kefka raised his hand and brought his palm onto Sephiroth's face. The other warrior opened his eyes and batted the clown's hand away as Kefka went to slap him again.  
"Kefka, please don't slap me. Ever again." Sephiroth replied with a hidden snarl and stood up, brushing the dirt and dust from the streets of Riften off of his leather coat. Kefka crossed his arms and pouted before waving his arms around in defeat.  
"Fine, fine, fine, fine, fine... Whatever! You get your wish your majesty!" Kefka exclaimed and danced around madly before laughing loudly. Sephiroth brought his gloved hand up to his brow and shook his head. He was already contemplating killing the clown.  
"You're annoying..." Sephiroth growled and walked towards the market place in the centre of town. Kefka danced around the structure in the centre as the saddened citizens stared on at him. Sephiroth stood next to the sitting grey haired beggar Edda as she uttered her words to the passers by. It was almost as if she never saw the silver haired man standing next to her, hiding his bright green eyes from the normal citizens going about their business.

Kefka grabbed Sephiroth's hand and dragged him along the streets as he pranced around the dark and musty streets of Riften. Sephiroth yanked his hand away from the crazed clown. Kefka kicked the leaves on the wooden boardings up and let out a shrill cackle as he danced underneath them. Sephiroth followed him closely, but not so closely that Kefka could whack him with his flailing arms. The clown jumped before a set of closed doors and clapped his hands.  
"Ooh, the orphanage! Let's burn the entire thing down!" Kefka exclaimed and shrieked with laughter. The nearby guards turned to look at him as their hands moved over their blades.  
"I apologise for my... Accomplice. He's delusional." Sephiroth explained to the guards, turning to Kefka and eyeing him on the word 'delusional'. The guards turned their backs to them and walked away.  
"Well? Are we going to destroy this orphanage?" Kefka asked and rubbed his hands together.  
"No. That's not right." Sephiroth replied. Kefka looked at him in bewilderment.  
"Sephiroth! Don't tell me you're turning all good on me now?!" Kefka asked and gasped with mock horror. Sephiroth chuckled quietly and gave Kefka an evil glare.  
"How about destroying their sanity and then torturing them?" Sephiroth asked with an evil grin. Kefka laughed and shook his hips as he danced around again.  
"I like that! Let's do it!" Kefka exclaimed and ripped the doors of Honorhall Orphanage open. He pranced into the building with the smirking silver haired angel stalking behind him.

The building didn't smell much different to the outside of Riften. It smelt of misery and rotting food. Kefka tiptoed into the other room as Sephiroth followed behind him.  
"Those who shirk their duties will get an extra beating. Do I make myself clear?" An old and grumpy lady asked the group of miserable children around her.  
"Yes, Grelad..." they replied and trotted off to their beds. Kefka looked at Sephiroth, whose eye seemed to be twitching underneath his silvery tresses. This woman reminded Sephiroth too much of his own childhood.  
"Let's get started, shall we?" Kefka asked as the grey haired hag stormed towards the wall and stood there, probably planning on how to make the children even more miserable.

Sephiroth pulled Masamune out of thin air and grasped it firmly.  
"Excuse me for a second." Sephiroth said and stalked over to the woman next to the wall.  
"What do you want? You have no business being here!" Grelad the Kind exclaimed viciously. Sephiroth clasped his gloved hand around her neck and flung her to the ground before raising his katana into the air and sending it plummeting into her torso. Blood coated the surface of the blade as he slid it out of her body. The wooden floorboards were stained with her blood. The children looked down at Grelad's body and stared into the hole in her body and the hole in the floor.  
"Someone killed Grelad the Kind! Ha ha ha ha!" one of the children exclaimed triumphantly as the others laughed and jumped for joy. Sephiroth didn't bother to listen to their exclaims of glee as he sheathed Masamune and walked over to a confused Kefka.  
"What was that for?" Kefka asked as he scratched his behind. The children laughed at Kefka before going on with their celebration.  
"She reminded me of memories I'd rather forget." Sephiroth replied as the young woman ran around the orphanage screaming.

One of the children ran up to the silver haired angel and tugged on his coat. He turned around and gazed down at her.  
"Yes?" he asked.  
"Can you thank Aventus for us, assassin?" she asked. Sephiroth looked at Kefka and then shrugged before turning back to the little girl.  
"Of course. Where does your little friend live?" Sephiroth asked.  
"Windhelm." She replied and whooped before joining the others in celebration.  
"Kefka?" Sephiroth asked. The clown crossed his arms and looked at him in annoyance.  
"What?" He retorted.  
"We're going to Windhelm." Sephiroth replied and stalked out. Kefka face palmed and followed him out.

The two Chaos warriors walked out of the sullen city and walked down the trodden path before stopping at the carriage just outside the city gate.  
"We would like to go to Windhelm." Sephiroth said.  
"Climb on back and we'll be off." Signor replied. Kefka and Sephiroth climbed into the back of the carriage as Signor gave the horse instruction to leave. The horse neighed as it began the long journey to Windhelm.  
"Ever been to Windhelm before?" Signor asked. Kefka chuckled madly scooted closer to the driver.  
"No. But, wouldn't it be fun to destroy everything?!" Kefka asked wildly. The driver looked at Kefka with a weird expression before turning his back on the babbling clown. Sephiroth sighed and shook his head.  
"This is going to be one hell of a long ride." He said.

* * *

After entering the gates of Windhelm, Sephiroth and Kefka wandered the snowy streets, looking for any clues to Aventus Arentino's whereabouts. Kefka brought Sephiroth to a house with two locked bronze doors.  
"Some snot nosed brat said that the kid we're looking for is in here." Kefka said and pointed to the door behind him. Sephiroth examined the lock before looking around for any signs of the guards and knelt at the foot of the door.  
"Give me a lockpick and a dagger. Look out for guards." Sephiroth commanded. Kefka sighed and pulled out the requested items before turning his back on the one-winged angel. He watched for any signs of the men and women wearing the blue and brown uniforms.

Kefka saw a group of four warriors stride past the buildings a few feet away from them. One was a brown haired woman wearing an altered purple and white kimono, brandishing a large golden staff. Another one of the warriors was a woman wearing bright red clothing with a pink cape billowing behind her as her green curls bounced with her strides. Kefka smirked as he imagined all of the evil things he could do to torture that poor, innocent girl. The last woman of the group of four had a neutral coloured outfit with a burgundy cape billowing behind her as her pink hair stood out against the stark white of the city. The last warrior in the group was a male with blonde hair wearing a brown and blue uniform. Kefka stared as they left his line of sight.

"Sephiroth! Warriors of Cosmos! Yuna, Terra, Lightning and some random! Let's destroy them!" Kefka exclaimed and twiddled his hands with glee. Sephiroth grit his teeth and tried to ignore the clown as he continued to try and pick the lock of the Arentino household.  
"Come on! It'll be fun!" Kefka begged and wildly thrashed his arms about. Sephiroth couldn't take any more of Kefka's ranting and raving.  
"Shut up and let me concentrate!" Sephiroth hissed, his eyes never moving from the dagger and the lockpick. The pick broke and Sephiroth cursed underneath his breath.  
Kefka turned around when he heard the crack and placed his hands in his hips before staring him down.  
"Naw... Did you break the lockpick?" Kefka mused as he gave Sephiroth an evil smirk. Sephiroth stared back at him and shook his head.  
"Stop condescending me and give me another lockpick." Sephiroth snapped and held out a gloved hand.  
"Touchy..." Kefka muttered and reached into his pocket before pulling out another lockpick and handing it to Sephiroth. The silver haired swordsman went back to picking the lock as Kefka turned back around to stand guard. The lock clicked and Sephiroth's frown turned into a grin.  
"I'm in." Sephiroth replied and put the lockpick and dagger into his pocket before waving Kefka over and opening the door.

"Sweet mother, sweet mother, send your child unto me. For the sins of the unworthy must be baptised in blood and fear..." a young male voice chanted as Sephiroth and Kefka entered the cold, wooden house. Kefka did a little dance on the stairs and wiggled his fingers in delight.  
"Oh how it warms my heart to see a child wanting destruction!" Kefka exclaimed. Sephiroth smacked the clown over the back of the head and strutted up the staircase, his long silver tresses swaying behind him. Kefka uttered something before trudging up the staircase with Sephiroth. The house was dark, the only light shining in the household was the candles scattered in various places. Kefka let his jaw drop. He didn't realise that the house was going to be this big.

Sephiroth walked into the bedroom, trying not to let his boots make any sound against the wooden floorboards. The troubled youth kept chanting as Kefka kicked a basket out of his path. Kefka wandered up to the fireplace and stuck his head up the chimney as Sephiroth's eyes scanned the room before him. A single bed sat against the wall and various items littered the floor.  
"Please, how long must I do this? I keep praying. Night Mother, why won't you answer me?" the child supposedly named Aventus begged. Sephiroth could hear the hurt in the child's voice as he approached the room. Kefka heard the child's cry and pulled his head out of the chimney before shuffling towards the angel.

A child in a burgundy tunic and black pants was sprawled on the floor, wielding a dagger. He was surrounded by a semi circle of candles burning brightly. A skeleton as white as milk sat in the centre of the semi circle. Next to it, human flesh and a human heart sat next to the skeleton. A sprig of nightshade sat next to a book called, 'A Kiss, Sweet Mother'. Sephiroth walked up to Aventus and tapped him on the shoulder.  
"Are you alright?" Sephiroth asked. Kefka cackled loudly and Sephiroth elbowed him in the stomach. The clown groaned and leant against the wall next to him.  
"It worked! I knew you'd come, I just knew! I did the Black Sacrament, over and over. With the body... and the things. And you came! Finally an assassin from the Dark Brotherhood!" Aventus exclaimed with delight as he stood up from the ground. Kefka giggled madly behind Sephiroth and all the one-winged angel could do was ignore him.

"Sorry, boy. But he's not-"  
"Shut up!" Sephiroth hissed between his teeth and slapped the clown over the cheek.  
"Yes of course... The Black Sacrament..." Sephiroth replied, keeping his bangs over his eyes.  
"It took so long, so very long. And you're here! Now you can accept my contract!" Aventus exclaimed.  
"Contract?" Sephiroth asked the little boy.  
"My mother... She... She died. I'm all alone now... They sent me to that terrible orphanage in Riften. Honorhall. The headmistress is an evil, cruel woman. They call her Grelad the Kind. But she's not kind, she's terrible to all of us! So I ran away to home. And performed the Black Sacrament. And now you're here, so you can kill Grelad the Kind!" Aventus screeched in reply. Kefka cackled madly and shook his head.  
"Pay no mind to him." Sephiroth said with an annoyed sigh.  
"Grelad? As it turns out... I already killed her." Sephiroth replied.  
"You did? Really? This the best news I've ever gotten! I mean, I knew the Dark Brotherhood was good, not that good! You killed the old hag before I even asked! Oh, here, take this as payment. It's an old family heirloom. It's pretty valuable. It's should fetch you a nice price and thank you again!" Aventus exclaimed and gave them a grey plate. Sephiroth put the plate away and ushered Kefka out of the house.

The snow fell as nightfall came. The streets were quiet as Sephiroth and Kefka quietly made their way to Sadri's Used Wares. Inside was a little warmer than it was outside in the freezing cold of the 'Grey Quarter'. A dark elf stood behind the counter and smiled as he spotted his two late night customers.  
"Welcome." Revyn Sadri said.  
"Would you be willing to buy a rare family heirloom? Not stolen I can assure you." Sephiroth asked. Revyn laughed and nodded.  
"Sure. I can offer you forty two gold for it. Do we have a deal?" Revyn asked. Sephiroth placed the plate on the counter.  
"Deal." Sephiroth replied as Revyln handed him the gold and the left the store.

The cold bitter air was starting to take a toll on the clown, but the swordsman didn't mind it.  
"Argh! I can't take this cold weather!" Kefka exclaimed loudly. Sephiroth shook his head and handed the clown twenty one gold coins.  
"Get yourself a room then." Sephiroth replied and sauntered off.  
"Wait! Don't leave me here Sephy!" Kefka exclaimed and ran up to him. Sephiroth shook his head and cringed.  
"Fine. Follow me." Sephiroth replied and walked onwards.

A Windhelm guard walked past them and Kefka stopped to chat. Sephiroth shook his head and waited for the jester to finish his conversation.  
"Why hello!" Kefka exclaimed. The guard looked at him in confusion at first before replying.  
"Hello." the guard replied nervously. Sephiroth began to feel sorry for the guard.  
"Tell me why in earth you would choose to work as guard?" Kefka asked.  
"I used to be an adventurer like you, then I took an arrow in the knee." the guard replied.  
"Ouch! That's gotta hurt!" Kefka exclaimed. Sephiroth grabbed Kefka by the ear and the clown yelped.  
"I'm sorry about... Him." Sephiroth said and dragged the clown into Candlehearth Inn.

The sound of a female bard singing about the Stormcloaks greeted them as they walked towards the bar.  
"I'd like to rent two rooms." Sephiroth said. The barmaid nodded.  
"Sure thing, it's yours for a day." She replied and he paid her the twenty gold coins. Kefka pranced off to his room and slammed the door shut.  
"Idiot..." Sephiroth muttered as he stalked into his own room and shut the door gracefully.  
"Don't break anythin'!" the barmaid exclaimed as Kefka's giggling got all to much for her. Sephiroth tried to ignore the clown as he laid down on the bed to sleep. Back in the clown's room, Kefka yawned extremely loudly before scratching his butt. He jumped onto the bed and fell asleep. It wasn't long before he started to utter things whilst asleep.


	4. Travel to Whiterun

_The courier's first appearance in this chapter actually happened to me whilst I was playing. I could not stop laughing! After seeing what is inventory held, his missing things were there. Thanks to the voters! The poll is closed and the Valkyrie Chronicle will go ahead. On other words, Lightning is going to be High Queen. Anyways, enjoy. :) _

* * *

Sephiroth awoke and left the room to find Kefka terrorising the woman at the bar.  
"Come on! One kiss!" he exclaimed as she pushed him off of her.  
"No!" she yelled. Sephiroth kicked Kefka swiftly and he fell to the ground with a yelp.  
"Thank you." she replied with a smile. Sephiroth nodded in reply and grabbed Kefka's pointed ear before dragging him out of the inn. He tossed Kefka out onto the cold and icy roads of Windhelm as he made his way down the stone steps.  
"Don't try and be a hero, Sephy..." Kefka whined. Sephiroth gave him an evil stare before strutting onwards. Kefka clucked his tongue before shaking his head. The icy winds of Windhelm made the angel's hair fly about, making Kefka consider bringing him back to earth a bit. Kefka wound his fingers in Sephiroth's hair and gave it a good tug. Sephiroth growled and whacked Kefka's fingers away before grabbing his wrist and pinning him to the ground.  
"Don't. Touch. My. Hair." Sephiroth warned and let Kefka go before leaving Windhelm.  
"Don't touch my hair! Sounds like a woman if you ask me..." Kekfa replied with a sneer and followed him out.

Kefka looked down at the icy water beneath the bridge and contemplated pushing Sephiroth down there, but then he decided against it and obediently followed the one-winged angel for now. He ran up to Sephiroth and tried to keep up with his pace.  
"So, where are we going?" Kefka asked.  
"Who knows?" Sephiroth replied with a shrug. Kefka looked at him with confusion before following him down to the edge do the bridge connecting Windhelm to Skyrim. Kefka shivered before following him.

"Wait! I uh, got this note for you." the courier said. Sephiroth and Kefka turned around to find the courier stark naked apart from a tattered blue loin cloth and a pair of brown boots.  
"Oh! Hohohoho! Where did your clothes go?" Kefka asked. The courier turned a bright shade of red and Sephiroth slapped the clown. Kefka yelped and rubbed his cheek before shaking his head at Sephiroth.  
"No need to slap me, Sephy..." Kefka whined.  
"From who?" the silver haired warrior asked, completely ignoring Kefka.  
"Dunno. Some guy in a black cloak. He payed me heftily to deliver it to you. It's an invitation to a museum in Dawnstar." he replied and gave the letter to Sephiroth before walking off. Sephiroth placed it in his pocket as Kefka howled with laughter.  
"Very classy, Kefka. You might just outclass me..." Sephiroth sneered. Kefka bounced around before jumping into the air and letting out a screech.  
"What? I can't help it! That was hilarious!" Kefka exclaimed. Sephiroth shook his head and face palmed.  
"I can't stand you. I'm leaving." Sephiroth announced and turned his back to the clown before walking away. Kefka sighed before running up to Sephiroth and walking quietly beside him. Sephiroth glared at him from the corner of his eyes before sounding an unamused humph.

The snow crunched underneath the Chaos warriors' boots as they headed right. The path was uneven all the way up to the stone bridge that crossed the river. Snow covered the landscape as far as they eye could see. Kefka was eyeing the sides of the bridge, wanting to know if someone could be pushed off of it. Sephiroth and Kefka continued down the path. As soon as Kefka's foot touched the bridge, he sighed with relief. Sephiroth rolled his eyes and shook his head.  
"Kefka, if you are going to moan and groan all the way you may as well stay in Windhelm and find those Cosmos warriors you wanted to destroy. It's not that far if you want to go back, you know." Sephiroth said. He stood near the edge of the bridge and gazed out at Windhelm before looking up at the colossal mountain in the distance. Sephiroth rested his elbows on the icy stone as he looked to his left, mentally plotting their next move. Kefka snuck up behind Sephiroth and shoved him over the bridge. Kefka looked down to see Sephiroth plunge into the river before cackling madly. Sephiroth rose again and flicked his wet hair out of his face before looking up and Kefka and frowning.  
"I hate you." he uttered. The underside of the bridge had icicles as white as Kefka's make-up hanging above the water. He saw that the river headed somewhere and curiosity took over. Kefka's insane howling interrupted his thoughts.  
"Oh that was rich! You should see your face!" Kefka exclaimed and howled in laughter. Sephiroth shook his head at Kefka and stared down the river. He nodded to himself and bobbed his head underwater before swimming under the bridge. Kefka ran to the other side and stared.  
"Where are you going?!" Kefka called out. Sephiroth emerged from underneath the water again and looked back up at Kefka. The bright red of the clown's suit stood out against the cloudy sky and the grey stone bridge.  
"Exploring." Sephiroth replied with a chuckle before turning back around and swimming again. Kefka face palmed and shook his head.  
"I'm gonna die if I keep following him..." Kefka uttered before continuing down the bridge.

The icy water sent Sephiroth's body into spasms of shivers. But he simply shook it off and kept going. The seaweed brushed up against his body as he continued to push the water out of his way. Fish swam overhead and Sephiroth decided to leave the fish be as the water began to pound at his ears. Finally, he decided to resurface. He gasped for air and looked around. He saw the bridge a few hundred metres behind him and cursed the fact that he didn't go much farther than he actually did. He kept his head above water as he swam to the shoreline. He pulled himself up onto the muddy and rocky shore before sitting down and wringing the water out of his hair that made it heavier than it usually was. He stared up at the sky and sighed. He could see blue amongst seas of white. He never really took the time to sit down and stare at the sky. It wasn't very becoming of a warrior, so he was told at a young age.

"Boo!" an insane voice cackled. Sephiroth sharply turned his head to find Kefka trying to pull a scary face.  
"Damn it!" he cursed and sat down next to Sephiroth. Sephiroth got up again and trekked up the snowy hill to find a pleasing view of the river.  
"That'll do." Sephiroth replied and turned to his left before following the river. The snow slowly turned to dirt and that dirt slowly turned to mud, thanks to Sephiroth's wet apparel dripping water over the ground. Kefka stood up and ran after Sephiroth.  
"It was a joke! Wait!" he exclaimed as the one-winged angel continued onwards. He stood at the edge of a small rock formation and watched fish jump in and out of the rapids. He nodded to Kefka before turning left and continuing down the rocks. The sky turned the most vibrant of oranges and made the water sparkle with retreating light. Sephiroth had no troubles climbing the sudden rises and falls, but Kefka couldn't handle it.  
"Sephiroth! Stop!" he exclaimed. Sephiroth stopped and turned around to face a panting Kefka with crossed arms.  
"I could make you swim it. But I chose not to. Follow me or stay behind. Your choice." Sephiroth replied and turned around before trekking onwards. Kefka groaned again and stomped after him.  
"If you keep walking like that, you'll have no energy left." Sephiroth said with a smirk.  
"Shut up!" Kefka exclaimed in response and Sephiroth chuckled.

Sephiroth sighed as he saw the dirt and rock road up ahead. He ran up to the road and stood between two giant pine trees before staring at the road ahead. Kefka placed his hand on the dull green branches. Sephiroth laughed and shook his head at Kefka before throwing him a bottle of Honningbrew mead. The clown gulped it down with glee before throwing the bottle away. Sephiroth rolled his eyes and shook his head.  
"That was delicious!" Kefka exclaimed.  
"If we find the meadery following this river, I'll buy you some more." Sephiroth replied.  
"Done!" Kefka exclaimed and stood up on his own without the help of the tree. Sephiroth looked at the road ahead before trekking on. Kefka followed him without complaint.

* * *

It was dark out as Sephiroth and Kefka approached a wooden sign.  
"We're lost!" Kefka exclaimed. Sephiroth walked up to the sign and examined their choices.  
"No we're not. It's that way to the meadery." Sephiroth replied as he pointed in the direction of Whiterun and Solitude. Kefka laughed and clapped his hands.  
"I still don't get why you skinned all those wolves and bears, dear Sephy." Kefka said. Sephiroth sighed.  
"Don't call me Sephy. And we could sell the pelts for money. Get it?" Sephiroth asked. Kefka nodded and twiddled his fingers with glee.  
"Whatever you say Sephy... Now let's get going!" he exclaimed and pranced off to the left.  
"Wrong direction." Sephiroth snapped. Kefka looked back at Sephiroth and galloped back to him.  
"Lead the way, Mr. Map Man!" Kefka exclaimed. Sephiroth shook his head and headed off to the right with Kefka in tow.

The forest was dark and smog was everywhere. An owl hooted and Kefka jumped right into Sephiroth's arms, shaking like a rattlesnake's tail. Sephiroth groaned and dumped Kefka on the ground before stepping over him and continuing down the path. Kefka got up and ran after him.  
"Are up we there yet?" Kefka asked. Sephiroth groaned. This was going to be the first time out of millions Kefka was going to ask that question.  
"No." Sephiroth replied and kept walking. Kefka kept his pace up with Sephiroth's as he asked again.  
"Are we there yet?"  
"No."  
"Are we there yet?"  
"Kefka, no means no."  
"Are we there yet?"  
"No."  
"Are we the-"  
"No!" Sephiroth exclaimed. He had enough of Kefka's annoying voice. Kefka stayed silent for a few steps. Little did he know that Sephiroth wasn't going to tolerate him much longer.  
"Are we there yet?" Kefka asked. Sephiroth grit his teeth and stopped in his tracks.  
"Kefka?" Sephiroth asked.  
"Yes?"  
"Keep your mouth shut or I will enjoy the pleasure of killing you, viciously and cruelly." Sephiroth replied and continued walking. Kefka stomped his feet and cursed before storming after Sephiroth.

* * *

The sun beat down on the Chaos warriors as the trudged across a stone bridge. Just ahead of them was a large building with a thatched roof.  
"Are we there yet?!" Kefka exclaimed. Sephiroth rubbed his temples and groaned.  
"Let's see if this is the meadery." Sephiroth replied. They continued down the road and came to the entrance of the building. Guards in cream and brown uniforms roamed the road just outside it. Kefka stood at the sign and read it before jumping for joy.  
"It's the meadery!" he exclaimed and ran inside.  
"Jenova give the strength to ignore him." Sephiroth said with a shake of his head before joining the clown inside the meadery.

Kefka was sitting on the bar stool and chatting rather loudly with the bartender. Sephiroth sat down in the other chair.  
"Welcome. I am the owner and proprietor of Honningbrew meadery." Sabjorn said.  
"One bottle of Honningbrew mead!" Kefka exclaimed. Sabjorn placed the bottle before Kefka and he drunk it with glee. Sephiroth shook his head at the clown as he handed the money over.  
"He's off his head. It was long journey from Windhelm and he couldn't even get over some of the rock formations." Sephiroth said. Sabjorn polished a tankard with the cloth hanging from his waist as Kefka sculled the entire bottle. The bartender picked the bottle up as Sephiroth pulled the clown up and dragged him out.  
"Thank you." Sephiroth said and walked the clown out.

Kefka spotted a guard and wandered up to him.  
"Here we go again..." Sephiroth said as he shook his head whilst following Kefka. Kefka stopped before the guard and the guard looked at Kefka with suspicion.  
"Why hello! It's not often we come past a person to speak with!" Kefka exclaimed pompously.  
"That's because nobody likes you Kefka." Sephiroth replied and crossed his arms. Kefka shook his head at Sephiroth with an unamused frown before grinning at the guard.  
"Uh... Hello." The guard said and shifted uncomfortably.  
"Kefka, you've scared almost everybody in Skyrim just by talking. Don't cause him any mental damage." Sephiroth warned.  
"Says the one with mental issues..." Kefka retorted before cackling with laughter. The guard started to back away slowly from the insane clown as Sephiroth tried to get the clown's attention.  
"Oh really? At least I don't push my ally off of a bridge." Sephiroth replied. The guard turned around and walked away.  
"Thank you!" The guard exclaimed as he started to run away from the squabbling Chaos warriors. Kefka pouted and shook his head at Sephiroth.  
"Look at what you did!" He exclaimed and stormed off. Sephiroth smiled and folded his arms. Kefka wandered back and grasped Sephiroth's arm before tugging him along the road to Whiterun.

People stood and stared at the two Chaos warriors as they entered Whiterun. Kefka loved the extra attention and pranced around like a lunatic whilst Sephiroth kept his head down and tried to blend in with the crowds. But like Kefka, he stood out like a sore thumb in amongst the Nord village. Children ran away from Kefka as he shouted words telling of destruction at them.  
"Kefka, they are only children. Leave them be." Sephiroth uttered. The clown shook his head and laughed manically.  
"Please don't be the hero. You know how far that will get you. Don't try anything stupid." Kefka snickered and raced off into town. Sephiroth didn't want to follow him and continued into the market place. He looked up at a sign that read 'Belethor's General Goods'. He pushed the door open and wandered inside.

The store was wooden, like most of the buildings in Skyrim. The room was extremely drafts as Sephiroth headed towards the Breton behind the counter.  
"I'd even buy one of your relatives if you're looking to sell..." Belethor said. Sephiroth liked the idea of selling Kefka off for a good sum of gold. Belethor's laughter broke Sephiroth's train of thought.  
"It's a joke." He added. Sephiroth sighed. He was beginning to like the idea of selling Kefka.  
"How much would you pay for ten wolf pelts and two cave bear pelts?" Sephiroth asked. Belethor's thought for a second before nodding.  
"How about fifty-three gold?" Belethor asked. Sephiroth nodded and handed over the pelts.  
"Done." He replied and Belethor handed over the gold pieces.  
"Do come back." Belethor said as Sephiroth walked out of the shop and back into the daylight of Whiterun.

Kefka jumped out and poked his tongue out at Sephiroth. Sephiroth shook his head at Kefka and walked away.  
"Where's your sense of humour?!" Kefka asked wildly.  
"It's not one you would be able to understand." Sephiroth replied with a scowl.  
"Guess what I learnt?" Kefka asked.  
"Tell me." Sephiroth replied.  
"Your little puppet is a Companion! And his little girlfriend is a Vampire hunter that works for them!" Kefka exclaimed with manic laughter.  
"Which girl?" Sephiroth asked.  
"Something starting with 'T'..." Kefka replied and began to try to recall the girl's name.  
"Tifa. So they're here... Thank you Kefka." Sephiroth said and wandered off. Sephiroth was surprised that Kefka was actually useful for something other than mindless babbling and total destruction.  
"You have fun. I'll be in Solitude looking for Kuja if you need me!" Kefka exclaimed and trotted off.  
"Thank you." Sephiroth replied and wandered further into Whiterun as Kefka left for Solitude. He thought about warning him about the fact that this wasn't the war anymore, but thought against it. A good Kefka is a dead Kefka, he thought to himself with a chuckle.

* * *

"Cloud, any news about the Dark Brotherhood vampire?" Tifa asked the blonde swordsman. Jorrvaskr was a huge wooden structure with a large fire crackling in the centre of the room. The Companions stood in various places inside the mead hall.  
"No news. She's a tricky one." Cloud replied. The werewolf twins, Vilkas and Farkas sat down on either side of Cloud.  
"But there have been rumours of vampires in Morthal." Vilkas said.  
"Dirty bloodsuckers." Farkas uttered underneath his breath. Aela leaned on the table next to where Tifa stood and looked over at Farkas.  
"You say something, ice brains?" She asked with a smirk. Farkas grumbled and stood up before leaving the table.  
"Farkas, she's kidding." Vilkas replied. He turned around and shook his head.  
"You're lucky that you are my Shield Sister or you will be sorry." Farkas said with a frown. Aela laughed and shook her head at the black haired Nordic male.

A lone black feather drifted into the hall and landed just before Cloud. Tifa picked up the feather and inspected it. Her eyes widened in shock before yelping and throwing it to the ground.  
"Cloud!" She exclaimed. Cloud looked at her and nodded.  
"I know." He replied. Vilkas picked up the feather and studied it carefully.  
"I don't get it. It's just a black feather." He said with a shrug. Farkas and Aela inspected the feather also, but they had no clue as to why it stirred Tifa and Cloud up so much.  
"He's here." Cloud uttered and stood up. He reached for the Buster Sword on his back as he turned to face the entrance of the mead hall. Standing at the entrance, was him. An evil grin spread across Sephiroth's face as Tifa brought her fists up to her face.  
"Good to see you, Cloud." Sephiroth said.  
"Sephiroth!" Cloud hissed. Tifa tightened her fists. The silver swordsman gripped Masamune and held it up in challenge. Cloud let his hand drop from his sword as he nodded to Tifa. She stood back and Aela stepped in.  
"Take it outside Whiterun!" She exclaimed and pointed to the back door. Cloud nodded and sprinted out the back doors and into the Underforge. Sephiroth walked out the door and stood at the towering stone walls behind the hall. Sephiroth let his black wing unfurl as he flew over the wall and hovered over the soft grass behind the wall.

Suddenly, a large brown wolf sprinted out of a cavity in the wall and roared at Sephiroth. Sephiroth laughed and shook his head.  
"A werewolf? My puppet is a werewolf?" Sephiroth asked. Cloud roared again. Saliva dripped from his prominent canine jaw.  
"Oh Cloud... Do you really think that you can stop me? This isn't the war anymore... This isn't Gaia either... One blow and you will be dead. It's as easy as that." Sephiroth said with an evil laugh. Cloud roared again and tried to reach Sephiroth with his elongated claws. Sephiroth slashed at Cloud with his blade and the wolf howled before dropping to the ground and staring at the blood seeping from his wound. The one-winged angel gracefully glided to the ground and held Masamune out towards Cloud. The werewolf growled and crouched low.

Tifa ran out of the crevice and gasped as she saw Cloud whining in pain. She sprinted and tried to tackle Sephiroth. He stepped back and she tripped over his foot. He laughed evilly as he held the blade up to her throat.  
"I could kill you just as easily as I could kill him. You two are both defenceless against me." Sephiroth replied with a smile. Tifa tried to get up, but the blade was ready to slit her throat at any moment. Cloud got up and went to slash Sephiroth with his claws, but the angel disappeared and reappeared in a different position.  
"That was pitiful." He chuckled as Tifa rushed to Cloud's side and helped him up.  
"Shut up!" Tifa exclaimed and gasped as Cloud dropped again. Moments later, Aela, Vilkas and Farkas ran out brandishing their blades. Cloud's beast form faded and he quickly threw on his old SOLDIER uniform and picked up his Buster Sword. Sephiroth shook his head and laughed.

"How sweet. The older wolves are supporting the pup." Sephiroth said with a mocking smile.  
"Sephiroth, what are you doing here?" Cloud asked.  
"Face it Cloud. You aren't even a real warrior. You are just a puppet with no emotion or drive. And I pull your strings." Sephiroth sneered. Aela pulled out her bow and an arrow before drawing it and releasing it. It whizzed through the air and Sephiroth sliced it in half faster than Aela could blink. She stood there in shock, her body was paralysed with surprise. No one had ever split her arrows in half. Not one person. Tifa ran up to Sephiroth and went to perform a roundhouse kick to his face, but he caught her foot and pushed her to the ground before posing his blade above her heart. Sephiroth moved the blade away and chuckled.  
"I could kill you right now, but there's no fun in that. I'll be back. And next time, you will die." Sephiroth said and faded, only to reappear in the Bannered Mare Inn.


	5. A Night to Remember

Two Windhelm guards stood at the doors of the Palace of the Kings, their axes swinging from their belts. The blue banners slowly swayed in the cool Windhelm breeze. Jorlief sat at the long wooden table in the centre of the stone hall. Lightning crossed her arms as Terra wandered aimlessly around the Palace of the Kings. Lightning sighed and leaned up against the wall behind her.  
"I saw him! I know I did!" Terra exclaimed. Her eyes darted around the stone hall, glistening with fear.  
"Who did you see?" Ralof asked in confusion.  
"Kefka! He's in Windhelm! This can't be happening! This can't be happening!" Terra exclaimed in reply and almost pulled her green ringlets out of her scalp. Ralof had to place his hands on her shoulders to get her to stop her from tearing her hair out. Her eyes were brimming with tears and she shivered constantly in Ralof's grip.  
"Terra, it's ok. Don't worry about it. I'm sure that he wouldn't be able to hurt you with us here. Just relax, it'll all be ok." Ralof said. Yuna walked up to Terra and smiled.  
"Relax, it's probably not even Kefka. You know that there would be more jesters out there right? And I bet that there will be one out there just as crazed as Kefka, if not more. Besides, he won't bother you if he doesn't know you are here, will he?" Yuna asked. Terra rubbed her forearm and nodded.  
"I guess not..." She replied quietly and sniffed back her tears. Lightning stood up and wandered over to her allies.

"What's taking them so long?" Lightning asked impatiently.  
"They're preparing for the Moot, Lightning. The Jarls need to pick a High King. And the odds aren't in Ulfric's favour at the moment..." Terra replied as she wiped her eyes with her arm.  
"It's true. Most of the Jarls are sided with the Empire." Yuna said.  
"I'm sure that Ulfric would be able to sway them." Ralof replied.  
"Still, the Empire have a stronger hold on Skyrim than Ulfric does. If he stands any chance of becoming High King, he will need to liberate Skyrim and drive off the Thalmor." Lightning said. The others looked at her with confusion.  
"Lightning, you're crazy." Ralof said with a sigh.  
"The Thalmor control the Empire at the moment. So it's only right to fight the Empire in order to get to them." Yuna said. Ralof gave her a nod and smiled at her.  
"Look, the reason that the Empire have agreed to the terms of the White-Gold Concordat is because they couldn't afford to keep fighting the elves. It's hit them hard and they couldn't fight back. If Ulfric and his army drive out the elves, then he will be revered as a hero throughout all of Skyrim and then the Jarls will have to make him High King." Lightning explained. Ralof nodded and smiled.  
"Lightning, that's crazy enough to work." Ralof replied.  
"It's a good idea, but can it be done?" Yuna asked. Lightning chuckled and placed her hands on her hips.  
"We've fought manikins, day in and day out. We fought until we couldn't fight no more. We have experience with this. We can do this." Lightning replied.  
"She's right you know. We can do this!" Terra agreed with a smile. Yuna nodded.  
"Let's do it." Yuna replied. Ralof sighed.  
"Bring it up with the Jarl and Galmar when they come back." Ralof said. The women nodded before Yuna sat with Terra and Ralof at the long wooden table in the centre of the room. Jorlief shook his head and sighed.  
"Good luck with that. It's not really the time to tell them how to run the rebellion. And hearing it from a new recruit will make matters worse. Wait until you have climbed the ranks to suggest it to them." Jorlief advised. Lightning shook off the steward's advice and planned on how she would suggest her strategy to the Jarl and his housecarl.

Lightning leant back up against the wall again and crossed her arms. She sighed loudly before fixating her eyes on the massive unmoving black doors.  
"If you're that bored Light, why not do something?" Yuna asked.  
"I guess I could do something to occupy myself..." Lightning replied with a smile. Yuna, Terra and Ralof each began to drink from the bottles of mead in their pockets as Lightning closed her eyes and began to hum the Age of Oppression. It wasn't long before the words began to seep out of her mouth.  
"_We drink to our youth, and to days come and gone._  
_For the age of oppression is now nearly done._  
_We'll drive out the Empire from this land that we own._  
_With our blood and our steel we will take back our home._  
_All hail to Ulfric! You are the High King!_  
_In your great honour we drink and we sing._  
_We're the children of Skyrim, and we fight all our lives._  
_And when Sovngarde beckons, every one of us dies!_  
_But this land is ours and we'll see it wiped clean._  
_Of the scourge that has sullied our hopes and our dreams._  
_All hail to Ulfric! You are the High King!_  
_In your great honour we drink and we sing._" Lightning sang. Her voice pierced the silence around them as Terra, Yuna, Jorlief and Ralof all turned to watch her. Lightning's eyes opened and she found her fellow warriors staring at her. She looked towards the closed black door to the side of the palace to avoid the gaze of her allies.

Ulfric stormed out of the closed door and Galmar Stone-Fist followed him out.  
"Tell me again why we're wasting time and dwindling resources chasing a legend. We don't even know it exists!" Ulfric exclaimed. Terra, Yuna, Lightning, Jorlief and Ralof all knew that Ulfric wasn't in the best of moods.  
"The Jarls are upset. They don't all support you." Galmar replied calmly. Galmar thought that maybe if he was calm about the situation, then maybe the Jarl would calm down also.  
"I have a plan that could help you gain their trust." Lightning said. Galmar shook his head at the pink haired l'Cie.  
"Stay out of this, Unblooded. It doesn't concern you." Galmar snapped in reply. Lightning scoffed quietly and stared at the ground.  
"Damn the Jarls." Ulfric uttered under his breath.  
"They demand the Moot." Galmar replied quietly.  
"And damn the Moot! We should risk letting those milkdrinkers put Torygg's woman on the throne? She'll hand Skyrim over to the elves on a silver plate." Ulfric exclaimed and slumped down onto his throne before placing his thumb and forefinger on his brow. Everyone in the room knew that things weren't going to be pretty if his mood worsened. The Windhelm guards at the end of the room were glad that they weren't Galmar, Lightning, Terra, Jorlief, Yuna and Ralof at the moment. Galmar strode up to the side of Ulfric's throne.  
"All the more reason then. The crown would legitimise your claim." Galmar replied.  
"A crown doesn't make a king." Ulfric mumbled.  
"He's right general. If you want the Moot to be in your favour, you need to drive the Thalmor out of Skyrim. It's the only way to secure victory." Lightning replied. Galmar turned around to face Lightning and shook his head.  
"Learn your place soldier. You have no right to tell us how to run the campaign." Galmar said with a frown. It seemed to Lightning that Ulfric's bad mood was rubbing off on him. Galmar turned around to face Ulfric again and tried to plead his case.  
"No, but this one..."  
"If it even exists." Ulfric said with a sour tone, cutting off the general.  
"It exists. And it'll be the symbol of the righteousness of our cause. Think about it. The Jagged Crown! It heralds back to a time before Jarls and Moots. Back to the time when a king was a king because his enemies fell before him, and his people rose because they loved him. Skyrim needs that king. You will be that king, Ulfric. You must be." Galmar said. Ulfric turned to face him with an intrigued expression.  
"You're certain you've found it?" Ulfric asked, his voice hinting that he wasn't fully convinced.  
"When have I ever been false with you?" Galmar asked in reply. Ulfric glanced over at Lightning before turning back to his housecarl.  
"Fine. I'll send the Unblooded here with you. Fancy a crawl through a mouldering dungeon to see if you can't stir up Galmar's Jagged Crown?" Ulfric asked Lightning with a hinted tone of sarcasm. She connected with his gaze for a moment before lowering her eyes towards the ground.  
"It'll be there. You'll see." Galmar replied. Lightning stood away from the wall behind her and joined Ralof, Jorlief, Terra and Yuna at the table as Galmar and Ulfric headed into the other room.

"Light, please don't sulk." Yuna begged.  
"Who's sulking?" She snarled and crossed her arms. Ralof looked at her with surprise. He nudged her rib. She slowly turned her head to glare at him.  
"Listen, now probably wasn't the time to suggest it to them. It's nothing to get upset over." Ralof replied with a gentle tone.  
"I did tell her though, did I not?" Jorlief asked. Ralof shot him an annoyed glare as Jorlief shrugged.  
"I did warn her, but does anyone listen to me? No..." He replied and waved his hands in the air before resting them back onto the table.  
"Not helping..." Yuna said through her teeth as she, Terra and Ralof tried to get Lightning to cheer up. The sullen l'Cie sighed and stood up before heading towards the large doors.  
"Where are you going?" Ralof asked. Lightning turned around and placed one hand on her hip.  
"I'm taking Odin out for a ride. Don't wait up for me." Lightning replied and turned on her heels before marching through the doors leading out to Windhelm.  
"Be careful." Terra said as the door slammed behind her. Ralof shook his head at her as the sound reverberated throughout the entire stone structure.

The frosty air of the snowy town slapped her in the face as she left the Palace of the Kings. The guards stared at her momentarily before going about their own business. The snow gently fell onto her head as she strode down the icy streets. Mist shrouded the ground and floated out of Lightning's mouth as she drew breaths. The streets were practically deserted as the clouds covered over the moon's rays. She pushed the doors connecting Windhelm to Skyrim open and sighed again as she saw the large stone bridge outstretched before her. She walked down the bridge and smiled as she saw the turquoise, white and golden mechanical horse digging at the snow underneath his hooves. The horse let out a sigh as he noticed the disappointment and bruised ego tugging at her on the inside. She stood at the horse's side and rubbed his neck. She swiftly mounted her steed and directed him towards Whiterun before clucking and giving his belly a light kick to send him on his way.

* * *

Lightning walked into the Bannered Mare and a small smile crept onto her face. The fire in the centre of the wooden structure warmed the room as she made her way toward the bar. She sat next to a man with long silvery tresses as he held a bottle of Honningbrew mead in one hand and a small piece of parchment decorated with a dark hand print and two words underneath it in the other. She could hear his strangely familiar voice uttering to himself.  
"We know... We know what? What do they know about me? What do they want? Do they realise who they're dealing with? Do I even realise who I'm dealing with?" He asked himself quietly. Lightning's eyes widened in shock as she realised who sat next to her. Sephiroth, a Chaos warrior. She slowly reached for her survival knife sitting in her pocket. Sephiroth's eyes wandered around the room and settled on the pink haired woman sitting next to him. He sat up and put the letter in his pocket before looking into her ocean blue eyes. She lowered her hand and sighed with anger.

"Sephiroth." She said with a small nod.  
"Lightning." He replied with nod similar to hers. His green feline eyes searched her face for any sign of immediate hostility. He let his lips curl into a smile as he found no such intentions within her expression. All he saw was disappointment and anger. Their eyes wandered the building before returning to each others' gaze.  
"Empire or Stormcloaks?" Lightning asked. Sephiroth laughed and shook his head.  
"Neither. I'll take sides when the war actually affects me." Sephiroth replied with a smile.  
"I thought that Yuna, Terra and I were the only ones here from the war." Lightning said.  
"No. There's also Kefka, Kuja, Cloud, and Tifa from my knowledge." Sephiroth replied.  
"So Terra wasn't being worried for nothing." Lightning muttered. Sephiroth looked at her with confusion and she shook her head and waved her hand to dismiss his thoughts. He nodded and took another sip of his mead. Lightning laughed and he looked at her again, this time narrowing his eyes.  
"What?" He asked.  
"I never thought you'd be the drinking type." Lightning replied with a chuckle. Sephiroth put the bottle down onto the bar and nodded.  
"Me neither. It was Kefka. He dragged me out one night in Riften to go to the Black-Briar meadery. He kept bugging me and bugging me to drink and so I did, just to get him to shut up. You have no idea how annoying Kefka really is. I can understand why Terra hates him so much." Sephiroth explained with a laugh. Lightning laughed along with him.

The soft strumming of the lute played in the background as Sephiroth drank a little more from his bottle of mead. Lightning took the bottle from his hands and placed it next to her right arm, out of his reach. He let a smile tug at his lips.  
"Thanks. I suppose I needed that taken off of me." Sephiroth replied.  
"You're welcome. Anyways, you seem too happy to be your usual self." Lightning said.  
"I wasn't all death and destruction you know. There once was I time that I could consider myself human." Sephiroth retorted with a cheeky smile that Lightning returned with a chuckle.

She sighed and stared at the roof. He looked at her with an analysing glare. Finally, giving up on trying to figure out what was wrong, he decided to ask.  
"Are you alright?" He asked. Lightning scoffed and turned back to face him.  
"The gods, they just left us here. They left us here to die. Cosmos and Chaos never cared for us. To dispose of us was just another way to end the war." Lightning replied. The slight cheeriness from the moment before that tainted her aura quickly faded and was replaced with that of a hidden anger, one that Sephiroth secretly wished he would never have to see.  
"You know, I'm beginning to like Skyrim better than the war." Sephiroth said. Lightning looked at him as if he was crazy.  
"Really?" She asked with an eyebrow cocked in question. He nodded slowly.  
"Different types of people to meet and terrorise, a variety of monsters to slay brutally, unforgivable terrains that will strain your muscles and cause fatigue... It's almost like a land you'd find in fairy tales. The ones where the brave knight goes out to search for the kidnapped princess and saves her from a vicious dragon. It feels almost right for me to be here." Sephiroth replied, smiling at the image he had just conjured. Lightning thought hard about his words, she had never thought of it like that before.  
"You really aren't as twisted and crazy as Tifa and Cloud claim you are." Lightning said. Sephiroth's smile faded as she chuckled.  
"Uh... Thanks?" He asked with a confused expression.

Lightning picked up the bottle at her side and waved it in front of his face. He tried to snatch it out her her hand but she moved her hand out of his reach.  
"How many have you had?" She asked teasingly.  
"Three. Now give it." Sephiroth replied and held his hand out. She shook her head at him and gazed at the bottle.  
"If you didn't drink those three bottles of mead, you would have been able to swipe this from my hand easily." Lightning teased with a playful smile. He sighed.  
"Mind if I finish it off for you?" She asked with a sparkle in her eye and her lips curled up into a smile.  
"Go ahead..." He said with a defeated sigh. She was pleasantly surprised with his answer and pressed her lips up against the glass before throwing her head back and sculling the rest of the mead. She slammed the glass onto the bar and gasped before smiling at Sephiroth. He looked at her as if she was crazy.  
"You just drank half of a bottle of mead in one sitting." Sephiroth said in bewilderment. Lightning chuckled and patted his forearm.  
"I guess I've been around too many Nords for too long." Lightning replied with a shrug. They shared a laugh as the bard Mikael began to sing.  
"_Oh, there once was a hero named Ragnar the Red  
Who came riding to Whiterun from old Rorikstead  
And the braggart did swagger and brandish his blade  
As he told of bold battles and gold he had made  
But then he went quiet, did Ragnar the Red  
When he met the shield-maiden Matilda, who said;  
"Oh, you talk and you lie and you drink all our mead  
Now I think it's high time that you lie down and bleed!"  
And so then came clashing and slashing of steel  
As the brave lass Matilda charged in, full of zeal  
And the braggart named Ragnar was boastful no more-  
When his ugly red head rolled around on the floor!_" The patrons waved their tankards in time with the bard's melody and let drunken laughs tumble out of their mouths.

Sephiroth chuckled at the patrons and their drunken merriment as Lightning watched a smile gracefully adorn his face. She chuckled quietly and watched the merriment continue as the bard played his flute. Sephiroth turned around and gave Lightning a sweet smile. She could feels her cheeks slightly burn as she lowered her eyes towards the ground. Sephiroth stretched his arms above his head and turned to the barmaid.  
"I'd like to rent a room." Sephiroth said. He handed over the ten gold to her and she nodded.  
"Sure, it's yours for a day. I'll show you to your room." She replied and walked out from behind the bar.  
"I'll see you later." Sephiroth said and followed the woman out.

Lightning sighed as a Breton sat down next to her. He wore a ragged brown robe and had a mischievous smile plastered across his face.  
"You look like someone who can hold their liqueur. How about a friendly contest to win a staff?" The man named Sam asked. Lightning considered his words briefly before nodding.  
"A drinking contest? You don't stand a chance!" Lightning exclaimed in reply.  
"Ha! We'll see about that. This is a special brew, very strong stuff. Let's get started." He said with a smile and stood up. Lightning followed suit and the two of them stood face to face.  
"I'll start round one. Down the hatch!" He exclaimed and guzzled his mead.  
"Your turn." He replied. Lightning let him pour the mead into her tankard and she smiled.  
"Here we go." She chimed and drank the mead.  
"One down, my friend, one down." Sam said with a smile.  
"Alright, another one for me." He said and drank his mead with glee. Lightning chuckled at the Breton. She had a funny feeling that this would turn out in her favour.  
"And how about you?" He asked her, his eyes glinting with mischief.  
"A second drink. Easy enough." She replied and let the mead travel down her throat.  
"So says you." Sam said and placed his hands in his hips. Lightning began to feel a little light-headed and her world slowly began to swirl, but there was no way she would back down from the contest.  
"I think I've hit my limit on these things. Tell you what, you drink one more and you win." He said. Lightning grinned and lifted the tankard into the air.  
"One more. No problemsh." She slurred in reply and drank the rest of the mead. The Breton sighed sadly, but his eyes hinted happiness.  
"Wow, you've really done it. The staff is yours." He said.  
"Thash grape!" She exclaimed, the alcohol clearly was beginning to take over her ability to articulate words properly.  
"You know, you're quite fun to drink with. I know this place where the wine flows like water. We should head there." He said with a smile. Lightning grasped her forehead as she stumbled.  
"You don't look so good." Sam replied. Lightning groaned as her vision turned black and she lost control of her limbs.

* * *

"Wake up! That's right, it's time to wake up you drunken blasphemer!" Senna exclaimed. Lightning's eyes opened and she found herself in the Temple of Dibella in Markarth. The stone temple was a complete and utter mess. Lightning stood up from the cold floors and met Senna's angry eyes.  
"Unh, my head..." Lightning grumbled as a massive headache took hold of her. Senna shook her head angrily at the Stormcloak solider. The pink haired woman tried to ease her headache as she rubbed her temples.  
"Yes, your head hurts and you don't remember where you are. I'm guessing you don't remember coming in here and blathering incoherently about marriage and a goat. Which means you don't remember losing your temper and throwing trash around the temple." She said and crossed her arms, anger flickered within her dark pupils.  
"Was a man named Sam with me?" Lightning asked as she rubbed her eyes.  
"Dibella teaches love and compassion, but that doesn't mean that we're going to tell you what you want and walk away from this. Pick up your mess, and apologise, if we think you're sincere enough, then we'll lend you aid." Senna replied and turned her back to Lightning. The pink haired warrior gazed around the room and indeed saw that it was a complete mess. She wandered around the temple, picking up the mess and found a letter on the ground. She picked it up and read it curiously. It read:

We need the following supplies to repair the broken staff:  
Giant's toe  
Holy water  
Hagraven feather

Sam

Lightning looked at the giant's toe in her hand and placed it in her pocket along with the note and the rest of the rubbish that she flung around during her apparent drunken outrage. Lightning headed back to Senna and sighed.  
"I'm sorry for causing this mess in the temple. I didn't fully understand what I was doing." Lightning said. Senna thought for a bit and then nodded.  
"I suppose that'll do. Dibella teaches up forgiveness after all, even for a drunk like you." Senna replied with a smile.  
"So do you remember anything I said when I got here?" Lightning asked the priestess.  
"You were ranting when you got here. Most of it was slurred. You said something about Rorikstead. Why don't you try there?" Senna replied and walked away.  
"Thanks for your help." Lightning said and strolled out of the temple.

* * *

Odin dug his hooves into the ground as Lightning looked out over the thatched roofs of Rorikstead. The rain lightly touched the heads of both the l'Cie and the Eidolon. She kicked him on and he worked his way down the mountain. The grass squelched underneath his hooves as they neared the town's entrance. Lightning halted him at the edge of town and dismounted him. She gave his neck a little rub before venturing into the town. The town's roads were almost abandoned, save for a few guards on patrol and some children playing tag.

She jogged onto a farm and spotted a dark skinned man wearing clothes as green as moss.  
"You! You've got a lot of nerve to show yourself in this town again! What do you have to say for yourself?!" The farmer exclaimed, suddenly recognising Lightning. She looked at him in confusion and crossed her arms.  
"I have no idea what you're talking about." She replied calmly. His eye twitched furiously.  
"Is that so? Does the name Gleda ring a bell? The star beauty of my farm? Kidnapped by a drunk lout and sold to a Giant? You better remember her right fast or I'll call the guards to have you hauled away." He replied with a vicious snarl.  
"That sounds pretty bad..." Lightning said with a sigh. She was beginning to wish that she did know what went on the night before.  
"You're damned right it does! I'll never breed another prize-wining goat like Gleda! And don't you think of coming back to Rorikstead until you get her back from that Giant." He replied.  
"Tell me everything and you won't end up like your goat." Lightning said coldly.  
"Okay, okay. Most of what you said didn't make sense, but you left a note. The only bit I could read said, "after I could pay Ysolda in Whiterun". That's all I know." He replied with a shrug and turned his back on Lightning. She walked out of the farm and whistled. Odin trotted up to her and she mounted him without any issue before heading towards Whiterun.

* * *

Whiterun was shrouded by cloud cover as rain continued to pour over the city. Lightning sighed and trudged through the streets, trying to find Ysolda. Streaks of blue forked across the sky and thunder rumbled as Lightning looked up to catch a glimpse of her namesake adorning the grey blanket above her. She forced her gaze back onto the streets as she continued to search for the woman. She saw the dark haired woman walk out from behind a building and jogged up to her. The woman stared at Lightning before recognising her.

"Ok, how much do I owe you?" Lightning asked the merchant wannabe. The woman crossed her arms.  
"It's not the money, really. I wouldn't have given you the wedding ring on credit if you weren't so in love." Ysolda replied. Lightning's eyes widened and she almost felt herself having a mini-heart attack. Trashing the temple, she could deal with. Stealing a goat and selling it off to a Giant, she could deal with. But getting married? She couldn't believe how out of hand her drinker rampage had gotten.  
"But if you aren't getting married, I'd like the ring back. It was one of my best pieces." Ysolda replied.  
"Do you know what I did with it?" Lightning asked. She placed one hand on her hip and leant on her other leg.  
"You went out to give it to your fiancé! Don't you remember where you left him? And after that sweet story you told me about how you met in Witchmist Grove I can't see why he left you." She replied.  
"What was that story about my fiancé?" Lightning asked.  
"How could you forget? It was the sweetest story I had ever heard. You met at the full moon, under the biggest tree in Witchmist Grove, surrounded by fireflies. It was straight out of a storybook." She replied and wandered into the market. Lightning sighed and walked out of Whiterun to get Odin and ride to Witchmist Grove.

* * *

Lightning jumped off of Odin's back and scanned the forest of trees before her. She couldn't see anyone in the misty woods. A few twigs cracked under her feeds as she delved deeper into Witchmist Grove. She looked around and saw a large wooden structure in the centre of the woods. Standing on top of the stairs was an ugly looking Hagraven. Lightning whipped out her Blazefire Saber and held it behind her as she slowly advanced into the territory. The Hagraven advanced towards her and hissed at her.  
"Darling! I've been waiting for you to return so we can consummate our love." Moira hissed. Lightning felt a shiver clamber up her spine. She found herself wondering how drunk she actually was that night.  
"Umm... Actually, I was hoping to get the ring back." Lightning replied uneasily. The Hagraven hissed again and brought her claws up to her face.  
"What? It was for that hussy Esmeralda- with the dark feathers wasn't it? I won't let her have you!" Moira exclaimed and pulled her claws back behind her defensively. She slowly began to advance on her. Lightning whipped her blade around and sliced through the skin of her neck. Moira screeched and slashed at Lightning with her claws. Lightning yelped as she felt the blood begin to pour out of her wound. Lightning put the blade away and pulled out Zantestuken.  
"Have some more!" Sheet claimed as she used Razor Gale and the swirling purple disc finished the Hagraven off as rose petals gently scattered over the dead body. Lightning sighed and put the blades away. She healed herself using her knowledge of spells and stalked over to the dead body of her supposed fiancé. She took the wedding ring from the body and plucked a feather from her body. She walked back to Odin and clambered onto his back before pointing him in the direction of Whiterun.

* * *

Lightning sighed as she returned to Whiterun. She ran past the townsfolk and found Ysolda walking away from the market. Lightning sprinted to catch up with her. Ysolda heard her coming and turned around.  
"Here's the ring." Lightning said and handed her the ring. Ysolda took it gladly and put it back in her pocket. Her lips turned up into a smile as she clasped her hands together.  
"Excellent! Sorry it didn't work out with you and your lady. I know I how excited you were for the wedding. You were saying it was going to be a big wedding at Morvunskar and that you would handle all the guests with a magic staff you had." She replied and walked off. Lightning sighed as she strutted out of Whiterun in order to get to Morvunskar.

* * *

She jumped off of Odin's back and rubbed his neck before staring up at the large stone fortress before her.  
"I'll summon you if I need you." Lightning said. Odin let out a short neigh and nodded. She gave his neck a gentle pat before pulling out her Blazefire Saber and creeping into Morvunskar. She felt a sinister aura about the place as she wandered in. Lanterns lit with candles hung from the top of the corridor. Lightning accidentally stepped on a trigger plate and flames began to emerge from the walls. She back stepped and flipped out of the way before jumping once on the spot before sighing. The flames slowly died down and she continued onwards. The snow slowly fell around her as she looked up into the sky.

She looked down at the abandoned fort before her and marched onwards. She heard wolves howl and immediately jumped into her battle stance, waiting for the attack. She saw a wolf spirit and it proofed into ashes as its conjurer walked away. Suddenly, a frostbite spell surprised her from behind. She flipped out of the way and switched he gunblade into gun mode and shot the mage responsible. He screamed and collapsed. The others ran up to her and began to batter her with flame spells. She pulled out Zantestuken and lept into the air.  
"Enjoy the view!" She exclaimed as caught them all into Thunderfall. She sent the final strike of lightning down onto her foes and blood squelched everywhere. The scorch marks became evident as the petals fell down onto the grey and white path. She pulled out her Blazefire Saber and walked onwards. She snuck up the stairs and pushed the door open.

The room inside was dark and furs covered the walls. It was musty in there and it made Lightning's nose scrunch up with disgust. She snuck around the side and found a mage sitting in a chair next to a forge. Lightning didn't bother to listen to their conversation as she snuck in and slit the throat of one of them before shooting the other in the temple. Lightning held her gunblade by her side as she left the room and headed down the stairs in the hall she was in before and opened the door. The door swung open and she carefully stalked onwards. She snuck up on another unsuspecting mage and stabbed her on the back. The mage groaned as blood and parts of the lung gushed out of the wound. Lightning kicked her off of her blade and sighed. She looked down the darkened hallway and carefully walked down the steps, trying not to alert any of the other inhabitants of the fort.

She stepped over the empty wine bottles that littered the floor and quietly shook her head with disgust. She came across a small resting space that looked out onto another room lying before her. She traveled down the stairs and hid behind a large pillar. She looked out and watched for any signs of life. Satisfied with what she found, she continued onwards, watching her step. Water was everywhere, so she did her best not to step in it and alert anyone. She shot the mage sitting in the chair and they emitted a sharp yelp that alerted the others nearby, but they soon ignored it. She climbed the stairs and came face to face with a mage. They shouted and all ran towards her. She put her gunblade away and placed her hand on her chest.  
"Odin." She said and a pink crystal shaped like a rose solidified in her hands. She threw it up in the air and jumped up after it, slamming the edge of her blade into the crystal. A pink glyph hovered in the air as red rose petals glided around the room. Odin jumped down and flicked Lightning into the air. She landed before him and held out her blade and he mirrored her. Odin focused shock attacks on two mages with their backs to the wall as Lightning sliced the head off of one of their allies. Odin used Crushing Blow and sliced the others clean in half. Lightning nodded to her Eidolon and he vanished to the entrance of Morvunskar. She headed up the stairs and stepped on a patch of moss. A blue portal magically appeared before her. She took a deep breath and stepped into the portal.

* * *

She arrived into a quaint little grotto with a river and a few pine trees protruding from the ground here and there. She followed the lanterns and walked across the bridges leading to a flight of stairs. Torchbugs flew around her as she ascended up the mossy stairs. Mist surrounded her as she continued down the path and walked under a string of glowing lanterns. She came across a table in the middle of the grotto and found Sam. She sighed with relief and walked up to him.

"You're here! I was beginning to think that you wouldn't have made it." Sam said with a warm smile.  
"It was quite a trip. Where are we?" Lightning asked as she crossed her arms and looked around.  
"I thought you might not remember your first trip here. You've had a big night. You've definitely earned that staff." Sam replied.  
"I have all the things needed to repair that staff." Lightning said.  
"Oh, the Hagraven feather and so on, you can throw those out. You see..." Suddenly, Sam exploded into a pulsating purple magic and in his place, stood a man with short curled horns, a black and red face in Daedric armour.  
"I really just needed you to go out into the world and spread merriment. And you did just that! I haven't been that entertained in at least a hundred years." Sanguine replied. Lightning stood there in shock. She couldn't believe that a Daedric Lord had tricked her into giving him entertainment.  
"So all of this was just a prank?" Lightning asked and crossed her arms.  
"Just a prank? Just a prank? The Daedric Lord of debauchery does not deal with mere 'pranks'. This may have been a minor amusement but I thought you would be a good bearer for my not-so-holy staff." He replied and gave her a staff that opened up into a rose at the end. She placed it on her back as a reminder of what Sanguine put her through just to get a few laughs.  
"Why did you choose me?" Lightning asked him. A mischievous smile was plastered over his face as he placed one hand on his hip.  
"Let's be honest here... I don't always think my decisions though, but you... You're going places. Maybe a little influence from your old uncle Sanguine could help adjust your course a bit." Sanguine replied.  
"Thanks, I guess." Lightning said with a smile.  
"My pleasure, but I think it's time you left. No fun me keeping you locked up in here with that staff." Sanguine replied and sent her back to Skyrim.

* * *

Lightning's world cleared up and she found herself inside the Bannered Mare in Whiterun. She shook her head and laughed a little. The bard still played his harmonious tunes and the patrons waved their tankards around just like before. She pulled out the staff and stared at it in wonder. The staff was like a large rose. A long green shaft connected the orange and pink rose to the staff. Lightning smiled and placed the staff on her back.  
"I guess I could go back to Windhelm now." Lightning replied and left Whiterun. She jumped onto Odin's back and gently took hold of his reins. She looked in the direction of the snowy city and steered Odin towards Windhelm.


	6. With Friends Like These

Sephiroth's vision was blurry as he woke up. He looked around to find himself in an old wooden shack stained with blood. Three hooded figures knelt bound on the bloodied floor. He looked up at the top of a shelving unit and found a woman in a black and red armour sitting there with her leg dangling over the side. Even though her cowl covered her face, Sephiroth could see the smile in her eyes as they assessed him.  
"Sleep well?" She asked. Sephiroth stood up and crossed his arms.  
"What? Where am I? Who are you?" Sephiroth asked calmly.  
"Does it matter? You're warm, dry... And still very much alive. That's more than can be said for old Grelod. Hmm?" Astrid asked in reply with a smirk hiding behind her cowl.  
"You know about that?" Sephrioth asked, his eyebrow raised in question.  
"Half of Skyrim knows. Old hag gets butchered in her own orphanage? Things like that tend to get around. Oh, but don't misunderstand. I'm not criticising. It was a good kill. Old crone had it coming. And you saved a group of urchins, to boot. But there is a slight... Ah, problem." Astrid replied. Her leg still dangled over the shelves as she still examined Sephiroth with great curiosity.  
"A problem?" Sephiroth asked. His arms were still crossed. He wasn't amused by Astrid's little game.  
"You see, that little Arentino boy was looking for the Dark Brotherhood. For me, and my associates. Grelod the Kind was, by all rights, a Dark Brotherhood contract. That you stole. A kill that must be repayed." Astrid replied. Sephiroth chuckled and reached for his Masamune. He whipped out the blade and smirked.  
"You want me to murder someone else? Who?" Sephiroth asked. He was liking where this was going.  
"Well now, funny you should ask. If you turn around, you'll notice my guests. I 'collected' them from... That doesn't matter. The here and now. That's what matters. You see, there's a contract on one of them, and they can't leave this room alive. Oh, but which one? That's for you to find out. Make your choice, make your kill. I just want to observe... And admire." Astrid replied with a smug smile. Sephiroth scoffed and turned around.  
"Alright, I'll do it. I'll kill one of them." Sephiroth replied.  
"See, I knew we could solve this civilly. A debt owed must be repayed. You understand that. Well, get to it then. Kill one of the guests and send their soul to the Void. I'll give you the key to the shack, and you will be free to go." Astrid said and waved towards the figures at the back of the room.

Three hooded people were kneeling down against the bloodied wooden floors. They pleaded with Sephiroth not to be killed. Sephiroth didn't bother listening to their stories or their pleas for freedom. Masamune glinted in the fire's light as Astrid let out a silent laugh. He stalked over to the bandit on the corner and stabbed the blade into his torso. The man screeched in pain as his blood coated the shiny steel of his katana. Sephiroth chuckled as he pulled out the blade and stalked over to the woman next to him. He stabbed her from behind. She screamed as her blood added to the stains on the ground. He smiled as he kicked the woman off of his blade. That kill had reminded him of one he had done a long time ago and wished he could do so again. He moved to the final 'guest' and sliced the Khajiit's head off, sending blood splatters to join the others behind them. Sephiroth picked up a serviette that sat on a table and cleaned the blood off of his prized blade and slid it back into its resting place before approaching Astrid again.

"Well, well. Aren't we the overachiever. Three possibilities, three victims. It must have been one of them, right? Why take chances..." She replied with a satisfied hiss. Sephiroth chuckled and cross his arms again.  
"You told me to kill, and I killed." Sephiroth said with a smirk.  
"Indeed. For you, my friend, seem to understand what's truly important. When I give an order to spill blood, you follow it. No questions. No remorse." She replied.  
"So... I'm free to go?" Sephiroth asked. Astrid nodded.  
"Of course. And you've repayed your debt, in full. Here's the key to the shack. But why stop here? I say we take our relationship to the next level. I would like to officially extend to you an invitation to join the my Family. The Dark Brotherhood. In the south-west reaches of Skyrim, in the Pine Forest, you'll find the entrance to our Sanctuary. Just under the road, hidden from view. When questioned by the Black Door, answer with the correct pass phrase: 'Silence, my brother' and you're in. And your new life begins. I'll see you at home." She replied and dropped the key down to Sephiroth. He caught the key and nodded to her before heading towards the door. He turned the key in the lock and pushed the door open. He found himself in the middle of an island surrounded by water.  
"The Pine Forest in the south-west reaches." He told himself as he headed towards the Dark Brotherhood Santuary.

Sephiroth came across a dark door with a skull and skeleton carved into the stone. Across from the door was a large pond made of dark matter. He knelt down at the pond and ran a finger through the water. He stared at the dark water travelling down his gloved finger with curiosity. The tall pines loomed over him, casting an eerie shadow over the door. He approached the door and went to knock on it.  
"What is the music of life?" The door hissed at him. Sephiroth stared at the door and wondered how the door was speaking to him. He decided that some things are better left unexplained and stared at the red handprint on the skull.  
"Silence, my brother." He replied.  
"Welcome home." The door said with a demonically delighted tone. Sephiroth pushed the door open and wandered inside.

Two burgundy banners fluttered in the icy wind as Sephiroth saw an orange light down the staircase. He slowly headed down the stairs and sighed as he left the draughty area and entered the warm. He inspected the worn details on the sides of the hallway and nodded to himself. From where he stood, he could see Astrid waiting in the room before him. Her back rested against a doorway and her arms were folded. He walked into the room and marvelled at the bookcase full of random items and two candles. The wind whistled through the sanctuary as Sephiroth made his way inside. Astrid turned her head and nodded to him.

"Ah, at last! I hope you found the place alright." Astrid said.  
"So what happens now?" Sephiroth asked her.  
"Well, what happens now is you start your new life in the Dark Brotherhood. You're part of the Family after all. This, as you can see, is our Sanctuary. You won't find a safer place in all of Skyrim. So get comfortable." Astrid replied.  
"I am honoured to be part of your Family, Astrid." Sephiroth said with a slight smile.  
"Our Family, my dearest. Our Family. Together, united as one, the Dark Brotherhood can accomplish anything. But you must be anxious to get to work. I'm arranging a job but need a bit more time. For now, go see Nazir. He has several smaller contracts for you. Soon, the Night Mother will arrive. And things will get even more interesting around here. Ah, but one last thing. A welcome home present. The Dark Brotherhood armour. May it serve you well in all your... Endeavours." Astrid replied and handed him a set of black and red armour.  
"Thank you." He said.  
"Be sure to introduce yourself to your new family members. They're all so eager to meet you." Astrid replied and walked into the entrance chamber. She stood behind a massive map of Skyrim and studied it carefully.


	7. Signs of Chaos

Garland paced around the stone floors of Castle Dour. His silvery armour clinked as he traversed the floor. Kuja rolled his eyes and shook his head at his ally. He sighed loudly and crossed his arms over his pale chest. Kefka watched the flames dance in the torches and tried to manipulate them. He hissed as the fire almost burned his fingers. He wiggled his fingers and then went back to trying to control the flames. Kuja let his legs dangle over the edge of the table as he shook his head again at Garland.  
"Garland, please stop pacing. You're doing my head in." Kuja said and tossed his fluffy silver-lavender hair behind his shoulder. Garland sat down in a chair and sighed. Kuja sat on the table behind him and continued to play with his hair. Kefka sat down next to Kuja and ran his hands through Kuja's hair. Cloud leant up against the stone wall and Tifa sat cross-legged at his feet. She cracked her knuckles and then leant back up against Cloud's legs. Cloud smiled and crossed his arms.  
"Happy now?" Garland asked with a low grumble. Kuja nodded with a hum. Tifa looked up at Cloud and yawned loudly, stretching her arms above her head. He shook his head at her and smirked.

The small mage went back to playing with his hair. Kefka watched Kuja's movements, making sure not to let the genome know that he was touching his hair. His hand touched Kefka's and Kuja slapped his hand away. He let out a displeased sigh and frowned.  
"Don't touch my hair!" Kuja exclaimed and got off of the table and took a few steps away from Kefka. He crossed his arms and huffed angrily. The clown cackled and pranced over to a pouting Kuja. He flicked Kuja's hair feather and grinned evilly.  
"Sephiroth told me the exact same thing." He mused with a smirk. Kuja's eyes widened with surprise as he turned to face Kefka. Cloud rested his hand on his forehead as Tifa let out a chuckle. Garland rolled his eyes and tried to block out their talk about hair.  
"I wonder how he gets it so straight..." Kuja said.  
"And soft." Kefka replied with a smirk. Garland grunted and shook his head.

"Stop talking about hair and tell me anything you know about the Stormcloaks." Garland snapped at Kefka and Kuja. They looked at him with distaste and shook their heads at their ally in silver armour.  
"Ulfric escaped Helgen." Kuja said.  
"Lightning, Terra and Yuna joined the rebellion." Kefka added with a mischievous chuckle.  
"Is that all?" Garland asked.  
"I don't think Sephiroth has joined any side yet." Cloud replied. Garland looked at her and nodded.  
"We need to get him on our side. We don't want him joining the rebels. The more of us, the better. Do I make myself clear?" Garland asked his band of warriors.  
"Yes Garland." They replied with a nod. Garland stood and let out a smile.

"Good. I'm glad that you understand. Remember, after the Stormcloaks are crushed, we will take over the Legion and destroy the Thalmor, then make Skyrim ours." Garland said.  
"Such a devious plan, Garland..." Kefka exclaimed and wiggled his fingers with delight.  
"Can I please keep that Imperial soldier? He was at Helgen and survived. Now, what was his name? It was something starting with 'H'." Kuja said and bit his nail, deep in thought.  
"Hadvar?" Tifa asked in reply. Kuja's eyes opened with glee as he remembered that name.  
"That's him. I'll take extra special care of him. I promise." Kuja replied with a pleading glare. Kefka cackled madly and danced around, waving his hands in the air.  
"Ooh! Kujee-coo! That's so devious!" Kefka exclaimed.  
"You are a sick man, Kuja." Cloud said with a shake of his head. Kuja shrugged off Cloud's comment and got back onto the table. Tifa stood up and nudged Cloud in the ribs. He shot her a cheeky smirk and she smiled sweetly. Garland cleared his throat and everyone turned to look at him.  
"Yes Kuja. You can have your little soldier as soon as Skyrim is ours for the taking. Any other questions?" Garland asked. Everyone shook their heads.  
"Good." Garland replied.

Legate Rikke walked into the room, her heavy Imperial armour clinking with every step. She heard Garland's booming voice and hid behind a wall as she listened to his words.  
"Remember the plan." Garland said. A group of grunts followed. Rikke stepped out from behind the wall and placed her hands on her hips.  
"Plan? What plan? Tullius never said anything about a plan, Garland." Rikke said. Garland crossed his arms as the others turned around to look at the Nord woman.  
"We are organising our own attacks against the Stormcloaks." Garland replied. Rikke cocked an eyebrow and hummed in suspicion.  
"You shouldn't be doing that without Tullius' knowledge." Rikke said.  
"Tullius knows. I told him about it before I told my fellow warriors." He replied. His armour hid any signs of his smirking expression.  
"Alright. I'll have to ask Tullius about it to verify." She said and eyed Garland before turning on her heels and marching towards the strategy room, where Tullius usually stood over a map of Skyrim. The warriors turned back to Garland and he nodded to them.  
"Trick the other warriors into telling you information, then dispose of them. Understood?" Garland asked.  
"Understood." They replied. The group left Castle Dour and traversed through the crowds of Solitude and left through the large iron doors at the entrance of the city.

* * *

Cloud and Tifa returned to Jorrvaskr. They sat on the porch and drank mead with the rest of them. The mead hall was extremely quiet, except for the cursing of a certain brown haired Nord.  
"Watch it you idiot! You almost lopped my head off!" Vilkas exclaimed. By the time everyone turned to see what had happened, Vilkas smacked his twin on the back of the head and stomped off, shaking his head.  
"You got in my way!" Farkas yelled in reply. Farkas put his greatsword on his back and sighed. Aela shook her head as Vilkas slumped down on the bench next to her. Farkas sat on the ground next to the training dummies and stared at the ground like a child in time-out.

Cloud shook his head at Vilkas and called Farkas over. Farkas looked up at Cloud and then back down at the ground. Vilkas shot Cloud an unamused glare as he stood up and headed inside. Torvar sipped his mead tentatively as he felt the awkwardness of the scene before him taint the atmosphere. Once Vilkas was inside, Farkas got up and stepped towards the patio and sat down next to the blonde swordsman. Cloud passed Farkas a bottle of mead. He picked it up with a nod and drank it. Aela and Tifa watched the moody male drink from his bottle. The air around them was extremely silent, so silent that Hiemskr could be heard from the Shrine of Talos near Dragonsreach. Everyone looked at each other with an awkward expression on their face.

Vilkas headed back outside and stared down at Farkas. Farkas looked up at his twin and grunted.  
"Hey, has anyone seen the Shrine of Azura? It's a sight to see." Tifa said, trying to break the silence. Farkas and Vilkas turned to stare at the raven haired brawler. She lowered her eyes and sighed.  
"It is rather breathtaking..." Athis said. Everyone turned to look at him. Tifa looked toward him and gave him a happy smile. He shrugged and stared back at everyone.  
"What? It is..." He replied. The others looked down and Tifa nodded to Athis in thanks. He let a smile touch his lips. Cloud cleared his throat and Vilkas took a seat next to his brother. They looked at each other briefly and then went about ignoring each other.

* * *

Legate Rikke walked into the strategy room and General Tullius was staring at the map underneath him. He heard her coming and looked up at her.  
"General, has Garland told you of his 'plan'?" Rikke asked. He stood up and faced her with his arms crossed.  
"Of course." Tullius replied. Rikke looked down at the ground with embarrassment.  
"Oh." She said. Tullius shook his head at her.  
"Garland is trustworthy. I do believe that." Tullius replied. Rikke shook her head and sighed.  
"Well, I don't. I really don't trust him. He seems shady." Rikke said.  
"Rikke... Don't worry. We will save Skyrim. Garland and his band of warriors will assure our victory. Trust me Rikke, I know what I'm doing." Tullius replied. He stood back over the map and continued to study it.  
"I never said you didn't, General." Rikke whispered and took her spot adjacent to him.

_The poll is now closed. Thanks to all who voted, I appreciate the time you took to help me out. _


	8. Harassing Hadvar

Kuja placed his hand on Hadvar's sturdy shoulder and pressed his back up against the wooden wall. The sound of a hammer hitting metal sounded from just over to the right at Hadvar's uncle's house. Hadvar went to shout at Kuja, but he placed his finger up against the Nord's soft lips. Kuja shook his head at Hadvar and grasped his hand roughly. He led Hadvar away outside the town walls. He pushed the Nord up against a tree. Hadvar stared at the genome with daggers in his eyes. Kuja laughed and traced his finger down the side of his face.

"Let me hear your twitter." He said with a smirk. Hadvar stared at him in confusion.  
"Twitter? Do I look like a bird to you?" Hadvar asked with a frown and shook his head.  
"Don't take offence. It's a term of endearment." Kuja replied with a smile. Hadvar pushed Kuja away and headed back towards Riverwood.  
"You are not normal." He uttered and strode back into town. Kuja smirked evilly and pulled him back into the forest. Hadvar went to swing at Kuja, but the genome ducked out of the way and grabbed hold of his wrist.  
"Don't hurt me."  
"And why not?"  
"Because I would never dream of hurting you, my canary." Kuja cooed and brushed a stray brown hair back behind the Nord's ear.  
"Don't touch me." Hadvar snarled. Kuja hummed a disappointed sigh and released his wrist.  
"Alright then. Go back to Riverwood. I expect to see you in Solitude soon, Hadvar." He purred and sauntered back into the small village. Hadvar shook his head and trudged into town as soon as Kuja was out of sight.

He sat at the foot of his uncle's forge and sighed. Alvor looked down at his nephew and sat down next to him.  
"What's wrong with you, boy?" The blacksmith asked. Hadvar sighed again before turning towards Alvor.  
"It's Kuja."  
"Who?"  
"He's one of the new soliders. He's a mage. And he's not normal." Hadvar replied. Shivers ran down his spine as he recalled Kuja's words, 'Let me hear your twitter'.  
"Is he giving you trouble?" Alvor asked. Hadvar could see the worry in his uncle's eyes.  
"Yes, but it's nothing I can't handle." Hadvar replied with a slight smile. Alvor chuckled heartily and slapped his nephew's shoulder.  
"That's my boy." He said with a proud smile. He stood up and headed back to his forge.

Hadvar stood up and stretched his arms above his head before yawning. His arms flopped by his side as he walked further into the Riverwood. Kuja slunk out of the shadows and stood by the trader as Hadvar walked past. The genome wound his hand around the solider's wrist and dragged him out to the stone bridge outside Riverwood. Hadvar pushed Kuja away and went to walk back into town. Kuja grabbed Hadvar's hips and pulled him back again. Kuja placed his lips on Hadvar's earlobe and gave it a quick nip. Hadvar let out a pleased groan and the silver haired mage chuckled lightly.  
"You liked that, didn't you?" Kuja asked with a smug grin. Hadvar's cheeks turned a bright crimson as he looked down at the ground. He dug his shoulder lightly into Kuja's chest and pushed the genome away.  
"Leave me alone." Hadvar hissed and went to head back to Riverwood.

Kuja wrapped his hands around Hadvar's arm and yanked him back. Hadvar let out an unamused grunt as Kuja ran his fingers up and down the Nord's bicep. The mage let out a small, suppressed sigh and bit his lip.  
"My, my... You have great arms." Kuja purred and slid his nail down the surface of Hadvar's skin. Shivers ran underneath the Nord's pale skin. The genome looked at him with a hungry glint in his eyes. Hadvar shook his head and pushed Kuja away.  
"Stop it. Leave me alone." Hadvar hissed between his teeth. Kuja ignored his warning and chuckled, an evil smirk plastered over his face.  
"You will be mine, Hadvar. You will be all mine. And there's nothing you can do about it." Kuja uttered sinisterly and walked away from Hadvar, heading towards Whiterun. Hadvar sighed with relief and headed back into Riverwood. He wasn't looking forward to going back to Solitude thanks to Kuja. His spine tingled and he groaned with frustration.  
"If Kuja ever tries anything, I'll have his head." Hadvar muttered and sat on the steps of the uncle's forge again.


	9. Sanctuary

Sephiroth walked into the Sanctuary and heard his new Family conversing with each other about their kills. He stayed in the doorway and overheard their conversation.  
"Hahahaha. Again! Again! Do the part were he offered to buy you some candy!" A voice exclaimed.  
"Okay, okay. Wait. Here we go. 'Ooh, you're such a pretty little girl. Would a sweetie like a sweetie? Oh yes, how about some chocolate?' Oh yes please kind sir. My mama and papa left me all alone and I'm so very hungry. I know a shortcut to the candy shop. Through this alley. 'Oh ya, very good. Very good. My it's dark down here. But, you are so beautiful. Such a lovely smile. Your teeth... Your teeth! No! Argggh!'" A young female voice exclaimed. Some laughing took place afterwards.  
"Oh Babette, you are so wicked." A woman said.  
"What about you, Festus? How did your last contract go?" A male asked.  
"Oh, yes, please old man. Regale us with your tales of wizardry..." A man said and Sephiroth could hear the sarcasm dripping from every word like honey.  
"Ah, the young and stupid. Always mocking the experienced and brilliant. My contract went very well I'll have you know. Tried a new spell. A little something I've been working on in my spare time. Came 'this' close to turning that priest inside out. Damned messy." The man named Festus replied. Sephiroth wondered if the man named Festus wouldn't mind teaching him that spell so Sephiroth could try it on Cloud.  
"And what of your contract, Arnbjorn? Something about a Khajiit? Merchant was it?" The woman who praised the one named Babette asked.  
"Oh, a big doggy chasing a little kitty. How adorable." The child named Babette said with a condescending tone. Most people laughed at her remark.  
"I am not adorable, it was not funny, and he was not a merchant. He was a Khajiit monk, a master of the Whispering Fang style. But now he's dead... And I have a new loincloth." The man named Arnbjorn said. Another round of laughter took place.

The group began to disperse. Sephiroth was beginning to like the Dark Brotherhood. He took a look at the armour Astrid gave him. He looked at the armour of the others still left in the room. Not one of their armour seemed to be the exact same. Sephiroth gave a small chuckle as he saw the dark leather coat, trimmed with red sitting in his hands. He let a smile tug at his lips as he took off his plain black coat and slipped on the one he was given. He nodded approvingly and stepped into the open space in front of him.

A thin layer of mist hung in the air as his eyes wandered the cavern around him. The sound of a hammer being pounded against metal broke the silence. Sephiroth decided to follow the noise and found a small makeshift forge sitting in the corner. At the workbench, was a man with white hair and a white beard, sleeveless armour and no shoes. He had a battleaxe strapped to his back. He looked up from the bench and walked over to Sephiroth.  
"Well, well, it's raw meat. Oh, my beautiful wife told me about you." Arnbjorn said. Sephiroth frowned and crossed his arms.  
"You know nothing about me, or my abilities." Sephiroth replied. His green eyes pierced through the silver veil and stared at him evilly.  
"I'll give you a week before you end up dead in a ditch." Arnbjorn said with a grin.  
"You say that because you don't know what I'm capable of." Sephrioth said with a somewhat calm tone. He swept his bangs out of his face with one finger and let his mood lighten slightly.  
"What can you tell me about yourself?" Sephiroth asked.  
"Look. If you're trying to get to know me- don't. I don't like you and I never will. Its nothing personal, but... My wife trusts you, and I trust her judgement. So you can't be all bad. Here's all you need to know; I'm a were-wolf. I like killing things. I love Astrid. I hate annoying people. And the colour blue gives me a headache." Arnbjorn replied. Sephiroth nodded quietly.  
"Good luck, tidbit." Arnbjorn said and walked back towards his forge. Sephiroth smiled and turned away.  
"Same with you... fuzzy." Sephiroth replied as a smirk tugged at the sides of his lips. Arnbjorn gave him an annoyed stare as Sephiroth chuckled and walked away.

He spotted an Argonian sitting on the ground, staring at the stones beneath him. Sephrioth walked towards him and the Argonian looked up at him. His scales were a dull emerald green. His armour was similar to that of Astrid's.  
"Welcome, my brother. Welcome to our Sanctuary. You made the right choice joining us, I assure you." Veezara said.  
"What can you tell me about yourself?" Sephiroth asked.  
"Once, I was a Shadowscale. An assassin in service to the King of Black Marsh. Trained by the Dark Brotherhood since the day of my hatching. Ah, but that was a lifetime ago. Today, I am the last of my kind. The order is extinct. Now I serve Astrid and this Sanctuary, happily. I am a trained killer, and once again have been given purpose. Life is good." Veezara replied. Sephiroth nodded. Veezara flicked a stone away from his fingers and stretched.  
"It was a pleasure meeting you." Sephiroth said.  
"As it was me meeting you." Veezara replied with a nod.

Sephiroth turned around to find a Redguard warming his hands over a fire, burning on top of a small pillar. His armour was a darkened version of the Hammerfell garbs. He turned around to face the silver haired angel. Sephiroth took note of his curved blade sitting on his hip.  
"So, you're the newest member of our dwindling, dysfunctional family. I've heard quite a bit about you." He said with a smirk spreading across his face.  
"You will hear even more, I assure you." Sephiroth replied, his bright green eyes twinkled with mischief.  
"Ooh, cocky. I give you three days before you screw up and someone runs a knife across your throat. But who knows? I've been proven wrong before." Nazir said, the smirk spreading to his eyes. The glimmer in the angel's eyes faded as his ruthlessness took hold again.  
"You don't know my abilities or anything about me. Don't come to those conclusions so easily. Anyways, Astrid said you'd have some work for me." Sephiroth replied.  
"Did she, now? Well, as it turns out, there are a few lingering contracts we haven't had the chance to complete just as yet. And more, dribbling in from time to time. I'll assign them to you as they become available. To be completed at your leisure." Nazir said.  
"Sounds simple enough." Sephiroth said almost coldly.  
"It is. These aren't particularly glamorous assassinations, I'll be honest. Don't pay much either. But, they'll keep you busy. Just do them as you're able. There is no real time limit- the targets aren't going anywhere. You can turn in each one as it's completed, or wait and turn in the whole group when all the targets have been eliminated. Whichever works for you." Nazir replied.  
"I'm ready for the first set of contracts." Sephiroth announced with a hidden excitement nibbling at his veins.  
"We'll then, let's get started. I've got three available right now. Your targets are a beggar named Narfi, an ex-miller named Ennodius Papius, and Beitild, a mine boss. When you've completed all those, we'll see if I might have some more." Nazir replied. He handed Sephiroth three pieces of paper with the whereabouts of such named targets.  
"Thank you." Sephiroth said with a nod.  
"Go on now." Nazir replied and nodded his head over to the entrance of the sanctuary. Sephiroth chuckled as he headed through the dark underground base and out into the dark woods.


	10. The Jagged Crown

Lightning stared at the rose staff whilst leaning up against the cold stone wall. Small orange balls of light floated around the pinkish petals as Galmar still tried to convince Ulfric into pursuing the Jagged Crown. Jorlief added his opinion every now and again, but the Jarl and the housecarl were not paying him any heed. Yuna looked at the staff with curiosity. She walked up to Lightning. She turned toward the sound of Yuna's echoing footsteps.  
"Where did you get that staff?" Yuna asked.  
"I won it in a drinking contest." Lightning replied.  
"It's beautiful." Yuna said. Lightning nodded.  
"It is." Lightning replied.  
"What does it do?" Yuna asked. Lightning shrugged.  
"I don't know. I never asked." She replied with a shrug. Ralof wandered over and glanced at the rose staff. He then leant up against the wall next to Lightning. He gave Lightning's arm a nudge and crossed his arms.

"How's Terra going learning from Wuunferth?" Ralof asked. Yuna sighed and shook her head.  
"In fact, he's learning from her. He's still pretty upset that she replaced him as court wizard and he was demoted to assistant court wizard. However, he is very interested in her abilities. So she's teaching him some spells instead." Yuna replied. Lightning and Ralof looked at Yuna with unbelieving eyes.  
"Unbelievable, I know." Yuna said with a nod.  
"Well, I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks." Lightning replied with a chuckle.

Suddenly, a loud explosion shook the palace. Yuna let out a screech and clasped her hands to her chest. Galmar, Jorlief and Ulfric stopped their conversation and ran over.  
"What was that?!" Galmar asked, his eyes were wild with shock. The guards stationed by the door ran over and looked around frantically. Terra and Wuunferth walked out of the room, blackened by ash. Terra nervously smiled, her teeth seemed whiter than usual.  
"What in Talos' name happened?!" Ulfric exclaimed. Terra sighed and hung her head.  
"I was teaching Wuunferth Meltdown. It wasn't cast properly and it blew up in our faces." She replied quietly. Ralof let out a relieved laugh.  
"Thank Talos that you two are alright." Ralof said with a smile. Yuna and Lightning let out a sigh of relief as Ulfric, Galmar and Jorlief headed over to their map of Skyrim in the room next to the throne.

Terra turned to Lightning and looked at her with pleading eyes.  
"Can you cast watera on us please?" Terra asked.  
"If I do that, you will freeze to death." Lightning replied. Terra looked down at the ground and let a disappointed smile tug at her lips. Lightning sighed and shook her head.  
"Fine. Just don't blame me if you feel cold." Lightning said. She sent a watera spell splashing over Wuunferth and Terra, washing the soot off of their bodies. Terra flicked her wet green locks out of her face as Wuunferth wrung out the water in his robe.  
"Thanks Light." Terra chirped and took Wuunferth's hand.  
"Come on! Teach me a little more about destruction spells!" Terra exclaimed with enthusiasm as she dragged him up to the court wizard's room for further training.  
"Wait for me!" Yuna exclaimed and followed them up the steps.

Ralof chuckled as Lightning put the staff away and crossed her arms. She glared at him and let a smile tug at the edge of her lips.  
"I didn't know that such a spell existed." Ralof said.  
"Terra, Yuna and I know quite a few things that you wouldn't think existed." Lightning replied with a smile.  
"Like?" Ralof asked inquisitively. Lightning crossed her arms and smirked.  
"Like airships and chocobos." Lightning replied.  
"And they are?" Ralof questioned. Just as Lightning was going to reply, Galmar stuck his head outside the wooden door.  
"Unblooded, come here." He ordered. Lightning sighed before standing up and walking toward the campaign headquarters just to the side of the hall.

Ulfric stood at one side of the table as Galmar joined him. Another man in the same armour as the general stood off to the side. Lightning stood on the adjacent to that man and placed on hand on her hip. Galmar turned to face her with a stern expression.  
"You need to earn your place, Unblooded. That is why you are going to tag along on a little trip with me." Galmar said. Lightning nodded and kept her mouth shut. She didn't want to cause herself any more trouble than she already had that day she headed off to Whiterun.  
"We will be heading to an ancient tomb called Korvanjund. Start going on your way. I'll meet you there." Galmar replied.  
"Yes general." Lightning replied with a nod and left the room.

She stormed past Ralof standing at the wall still.  
"Lightning! Where are you going?" Ralof asked her. She stopped and turned around to face the blonde Nord.  
"Korvanjund. Maybe I'll see you there." Lightning replied.  
"Can I travel with you?" Ralof asked. Lightning smirked and nodded.  
"Sure, just try and hold on. Odin's not your average horse." She replied. Ralof followed her to the doors and they continued on their way out of the palace. The large doors slammed behind them as they faced the daylight of the snowy city. They trudged through the city and opened the door leading to Skyrim. The snow began to fall as Lightning and Ralof jogged down the bridge across the icy waters below. The guards stood idly as they continued towards the stables. Odin dug at the ground with his hoof. Lightning gave the back of his ear a scratch and he neighed with delight. Ralof stared at the mechanical horse with curiosity.  
"Is that your horse?" Ralof asked. Lightning turned to face him and nodded.  
"Yes. This is Odin." She replied and gestured to the Eidolon. She took a deep breath and mounted Odin and held her hand out to Ralof. He took her hand and she helped him up onto her mechanical steed.  
"Hang on. He's quick." She said spurred him onward towards their destination. All Ralof could do was cling to her coat and hope he didn't fall off.

* * *

The snow jumped from underneath her feet as she dismounted Odin. The cold made goosebumps rise on her exposed skin. Ralof slid off of Odin's back and fell onto his backside. The snow made his fall sound even more painful than it was. Odin neighed merrily and Lightning groaned. She held her hand out to him and pulled him up off of the soft white ground.  
"Sorry." Ralof said with an apologetic smile.  
"It's fine. Lets go find Galmar." Lightning replied. He nodded in agreement and they trudged through the snow, looking for the Stormcloak general.

They found the general surrounded by Stormcloak troops, ready and eager for battle. Ralof drew his bow and Lightning whipped out her Blazefire Saber. Galmar paced in front of the first line of soldiers. He stopped in his tracks and then looked up at the stone structure sitting underneath a pink sunset.  
"Lightning, I'm glad I'll have you beside me. This place gives me the chills, and I don't care who knows it." Ralof said. She gave him a weak smile and nodded.  
"Better to have some backup." She replied. Galmar turned to a soldier and the man gave the general a salute.

"What's the situation?" Galmar asked.  
"Cold as the inside of an ice wraith. That and some Imperials are camped out around the entrance, staying nice and warm around their fires." He replied. Galmar crossed his arms.  
"Imperials? Well, if they're keeping themselves comfortable, lets slip in and send them to their graves that way." Galmar said and chuckled. Lightning felt a little uneasy about fighting like that, but she let that feeling subside. The general then walked over to Lightning.  
"What's the Legion doing here? Well, it should be fun for us. Ready to spill some Imperial blood for Skyrim?" He asked.  
"I'm ready. Let's do this." She replied confidently. He nodded and smirked.  
"That's what I like to hear." He said.

He turned around and headed back towards the front of the group.  
"Listen up. Those Imperials aren't here by coincidence. Their spies must have found out that we know about the Crown, and they don't want us to have it. But they won't stand in our way. I know some of you are ex-legion and may know men on the other side. But remember this. They are the enemy now and they will not hesitate to kill you. Keep your wits about you and watch your shield brother's back. Ulfric Stormcloak is counting on us to bring him back the crown, and that's exactly what we're going to do. Follow me, quickly and quietly now. I want their guts on the ground before they even know we're here." Galmar said and drew his weapon. He moved forward the others quietly ran alongside him, each soldier wanting the upper hand in the combat to come.

They ran onto the stone steps and began to open fire.  
"For the sons of Skyrim!" Ralof exclaimed and drew back his bow before letting an arrow whiz through the air and striking an Imperial soldier in the chest, sending him plummeting to the ground. Lightning jumped off of the staircase and landed on her feet. She charged at the soldier in front of her and struck him down by slicing his neck and pulling out her survival knife. She plunged the knife into his chest and put the knife away to face her next opponent. The Stormcloaks fought wildly against the Imperials, hoping that they would emerge victorious. Once all of the Imperials were struck down, the Stormcloaks followed Galmar up a set of steps towards an iron door.  
"That's the way I like it. Short and bloody. They never know what hit them. But do not make the mistake of underestimating the Legion. Plenty of them are Nords, same as us. We had the advantage of surprise this time, but things won't be so easy from here on out. Enough talk. Lets kill some Imperials." Galmar said with a smirk. Lightning shot Ralof an uneasy smile and he smiled back. He opened the door and the Stormcloaks followed him inside the ancient structure.

The inside was filled with supplies for the Imperial soldiers as they ran into the next room. They quickly sunk to the floor as they spotted an Imperial guard standing on top of the staircase in front of them. They hid behind a large stone pillar that lay in the ground and waited for their next instruction.  
"Pick a man and put him down. Attack on my signal." Galmar commanded. The troops nodded and looked over at the men on the other side, carefully choosing their prey. Most of them drew their bows and waited for Galmar's signal. The arrows silently quivered on the bows with extreme anticipation.  
"Time to show them what you're really made of." He said and slowly emerged from his hiding place.  
"For Skyrim!" He exclaimed and the soldiers instantly stood and shot their targets. The soldiers instantly fell and the remaining men were slaughtered by Galmar, Lightning and the others who chose to fight with weapons. After each of the Legion's soldiers were killed, they ran up the stone steps and followed Galmar into a corridor. Galmar stopped and told two soldiers to stay by the entrance in case any Imperials came in. The soldiers nodded and headed toward their new posts. Galmar then turned around and led his troops down a dark and dusty corridor.

Lightning and Ralof stayed close by his side as they emerged from the corridor and came into an even darker cavern, where the only light available was the light produced by small candles at the foot of the tunnel.  
An Imperial soldier ran up to Galmar and shouted, "For the Emperor!" Galmar brought his battle axe down on his leg and the soldier crumpled to the floor as Lightning placed her foot on his chest and shot him in the head. Galmar nodded as Lightning removed her bloodstained boot from the dead man's chest.  
"Good. Nice and quick. I still don't like that weapon though." He said and stared at her Blazefire Pistol. She switched it into sword mode and shrugged.  
"It got the job done. That's all that matters." She replied. Galmar nodded and smirked.  
"Good. Move on." He commanded and the troops followed him down the steps. Ralof gave her a quick nod as they charged down the steps and came into battle with another two soldiers. Ralof jumped in front of Lightning and slammed his war hammer into the side of one solider's face and brought it down on his head. The soldier lay dead as Lightning kicked the other one toward another ally and she skewered him on her sword before pulling it out and letting the corpse crumple to the ground. They all continued to follow Galmar down the steps and through a smaller tunnel, even dustier than the first.

He stopped at the mouth of the corridor and sheathed his weapon. The others halted and waited for his words.  
"I don't like the look of this. Perfect spot for an ambush. Ten to one they will be waiting for us on the other side. Not so sure? Perhaps we should take a moment to look around eh?" He asked the others and they sheathed their weapons too. He turned to Lightning and pointed to her.  
"You there, Unblooded, see if you can find another through. We'll charge as soon as we hear fighting." He said.  
"Yes sir." Lightning replied and nodded. Ralof sighed as she turned and headed back up the steps. She followed a path illuminated by flame torches. She slowly followed the passage until she came to a balcony-type room that overlooked the Stormcloaks. She found another passage just sitting in front of her and she stopped before it.

She pulled out the Sanguine Rose Staff and gazed at it for a second.  
"May as well see what it can do." She said and held the staff out in front of her. A purple sphere blew up before her and she stepped back. A Dremora stood silently in front of her. His dark armour glimmered in the light of the torches and Lightning couldn't help but to stare. His skin was dark and red patterns adorned his face. His eyes were as dark as his armour. His greatsword seemed to be glowing with flame.  
"I smell weakness..." The Dremora uttered and looked around the cave.  
"What was that?!" Ralof asked. Lightning put the staff away and looked down. Ralof looked up at her with a confused expression.  
"Nothing. It's was nothing." Lightning replied. Ralof shrugged and Lightning sighed with relief. The Dremora stood there for a while and then disintegrated before her.  
"That's strange..." She whispered to herself. She looked at the doorway next to her and wandered inside.

The wooden beams on the ceiling of the corridor seemed to be a little unstable and the stone smelt slightly of mould. She turned the corner and found a walkway leading out and over the next room. She carefully stalked over to the edge of the walkway and tried to stay as quiet as possible.  
"It must be the Stormcloaks! Find them!" An Imperial solider exclaimed and ran out from behind an ancient wooden wall. Lightning hid behind the wall and watched the Imperials scatter around the room below, looking for the Stormcloak rebels. She ran out from behind the wall and dashed down the walkway. She ran down the side of the ramp below and jumped down into the middle of a group of five Imperial guards. She pulled out Zantestuken and whipped the blades around her head. The guards yelped and hollered as the sword dug into their flesh and tore open their light armour. Rose petals scattered over the dead bodies as Lightning turned to faced the other three. Galmar and Ralof ran in and Ralof slammed his hammer into a guard's skull. A sickly crunch filled the air as the body crumpled to the ground and drops of blood splattered onto the Nord's face. Lightning switched the blades for her Blazefire Pistol and shot down the final solider.

Galmar led Lightning and Ralof up the steps nearby, weapons still at the ready, and led them towards another cavern entrance.  
"Careful boys. There's bound to be more traps ahead." Galmar said as he continued to lead them on. The three of them crept along the mossy ground, carefully watching for any signs on an ambush. He turned towards the light and grunted.  
"I knew there was someone there!" He exclaimed and led the two Stormcloaks into battle. Galmar lodged his battle-axe into the chest of on Imperial and Ralof kicked a man to the wall before slamming the hammer into the guard's gut. Lightning grabbed the final guard by the edge of his uniform and pulled him onto her blade before kicking him off. The rest of the Stormcloaks caught up to the three warriors and they wandered towards around to the next corridor. The light was gone and the stone appeared green. Mist wafted into the room as the Stormcloaks drew near.  
"What in the nine Holds is that?" A female soldier asked. She looked down at the undead body at her feet. Ralof didn't want to look at the Dragur. Lightning shrugged it off and waited for Galmar to give orders to move on.  
"Let's keep moving." Galmar said and walked on. Ralof turned to Lightning and stared at her.  
"What?"  
"Have you always been that ugly?" Ralof asked. Lightning frowned and brought her hand up before smacking him across the face. Some of the other soldiers heard Ralof's question and the loud slap that came afterwards. One or two of them chuckled.  
"Have you always been that stupid?" Lightning asked with a smirk and followed the general on.

The hallway was dark and it smelt of moss, just like the other dark hallways. The mist twisted and twirled around their feet as they continued onwards. He pushed open a pair of iron doors at the end of the tunnel and they followed him up a flight of stairs. On the stairs was a dead Imperial.  
"I don't like the looks of this..." Lightning uttered quietly.  
"I don't either." Ralof replied. They ran up the stairs and encountered an Imperial guard. Lightning kicked him down and shot him in the head. The other Stormcloaks didn't take too kindly to the sound of the gun firing again. Galmar continued onward and the soldiers still followed him. Another Imperial stood at the next set of iron doors. Galmar swung his axe into the man's neck. He yelped as Galmar kicked his knee down and beheaded the man. The head rolled around on the ground as they ran after the determined general.

They ran down the hall and found a set of large wood and iron doors. Galmar put his axe away and sighed.  
"Ah! The Hall of Stories... we must be getting close now." He said and walked down the dimly lit hall.  
"Oh, I've heard of this. They say the walls show the history of the ancients that built this place." A female soldier said. Lightning nodded.  
"I can see that." She replied as her eyes wandered over the carvings of human beings on the walls on either side of her.  
"Too bad we can't read these carvings. Who knows what secrets we'd uncover?" A male Stormcloak asked. They continued towards the solid iron door with some stone carvings adorning the rings.  
"One thing at a time. We're here for the Crown. Any of these carvings show a crown?" Galmar asked in reply.

The Stormcloaks checked the walls as Lightning investigated the bodies of two Imperials laying at the door. The door had no knob or any way to open it, except three indents in the centre stone. She looked closer at the bodies and found an Ebony dragon claw sitting there, waiting to be picked up.  
"Hmm, this looks as far as the Imperials got. Even if these pictures tell us where the Crown is, I bet that it will be behind this door. See what you can figure out Unblooded. I'm going to check out these carvings over here. Let me know if you find something." Galmar said.  
"Yes sir." Lightning replied and knelt down on one knee to inspect the claw. She picked it up and ran her finger over each of the talons, feeling the cool metal against her skin. She stared at the three white circles depicting a wolf, a dartwing and a dragon. She looked up at the door and found three symbols on each ring. With the claw in one hand, she moved the first ring to the symbol bearing the wolf. She pushed the next ring to the dartwing and the last one to the dragon. She placed the talons into the indents and pushed down. She smiled as she found the circle moved. She twisted the claw and the rings all moved to the dragon. The wall began to move and dust fell down from the top. She put the claw in her pocket as Galmar wandered over.  
"Good job!" He exclaimed and patted her on the back. She nodded and once the door was below the ground, they waited for the general's instructions.

"Alright everyone, keep your guard up. No telling what we'll find down there." Galmar instructed. They nodded and pulled out their weapons. They ran after Galmar as he led them up another dark flight of stairs. They turned the corner and found themselves at another set of iron doors. Galmar pushed them open and they found a room bathed in cerulean light. They ran in to find an expansive room with a large grate on the bottom and a gate on the other side of the room. Galmar stopped on the grate and turned to face his soldiers.  
"Come on boys. Lets spread out and see what we've got." Galmar commanded. They nodded and wandered around. He then turned to Lightning.  
"Unblooded, do what you do best. See if you can find some way to get that gate open." Galmar instructed.  
"Yes sir." Lightning replied. She put her blade away and wandered up to the gate. She inspected it and found no pull chain or anything. She turned around and surveyed the room. She wandered around and found another doorless corridor. She walked down it and followed the stairs upward. She found a table and all she found was two garnets. She pocketed the gems and wandered around the corner. She wandered around the next room and found a chest with gold and a diamond inside, but no lever. She picked up the gold and the gem before she shut the lid. She looked around the room again and found an iron circle with a pull mechanism. She gave it a good tug and the gate began to move.

Lightning jumped down and the Dragur burst out of their coffins. The Stormcloaks whipped out their weapons as Galmar told them to attack. Three of them surrounded Ralof. Lightning ran up to him and sliced one Dragur's head off. He swung his hammer and brought down one as well. Lightning jumped on it, pinning it to the ground and then shot it. She groaned as she wiped blood droplets off of her face. The Stormcloaks met up at the grate once the fighting was over. Galmar led them towards the next set of iron doors and pushed them open before they moved on to the crypts.

They ran down the slope and headed around the corner. They came across a large library looking room with a throne in the middle and a corpse collapsed on it.  
"The Crown must be around here somewhere. Spread out, and keep your eyes open." Galmar said. The warriors wandered around the room with their weapons in their sheaths. Ralof stood by Lightning's side and waited for her to start looking. She and Ralof wandered towards the throne and inspected the headgear on the corpse.  
"Hey, I found a crown on a corpse. Is this the one we're looking for?" Ralof asked loudly. Lightning pulled her Blazefire Saber out as the Dragur kicked down the covers of their coffins.  
"Ralof! Get away from there, you fool!" Galmar exclaimed. The Stormcloaks pulled out their weapons and prepared for a fight. The corpse on the throne stood up and took up its weapon. The two Dragur on the side opened their mouths and the Stormcloaks almost tumbled over.  
"What is that?!" Lightning exclaimed.  
"The power of the Thu'um." Ralof replied.  
"Like what Ulfric can do?" Lightning asked. Ralof nodded. They charged into battle with their shield siblings.

Two of the Stormcloaks were struck down and it was just Galmar, Lightning and Ralof. The three undead warriors advanced on the three Stormcloaks and all hope seemed lost. Lightning pulled out her Eidolith and called Odin's name. The white and green knight appeared behind his l'Cie and they charged into battle. Odin pulled his blades apart and struck the undead beings with Crushing Blow. Lightning alternated between shock spells and healing hands to keep Galmar and Ralof still standing. Odin placed Zantestuken in the ground and transformed into the mechanical steed. Lightning mounted him with the blades in her hands.  
"Let's do this!" Lightning exclaimed as Odin reared. She swung the blades around in Razor Gale and battered them with Lightning Strike.  
Odin reared again and leapt into the air. She jumped from the saddle and swung the blades around with precision and speed. She landed on the ground with the blades crossed behind her. Rose petals rained down on the Stormcloaks as the Dragur collapsed to the ground. She stood up, connected the blades and handed Odin the blades.  
"Thanks." She said and pulled out her Blazefire Saber. The Eidolon dashed out of battle as Galmar and Ralof were left, slack jawed. She put her weapon away and placed her hand on her hip. Galmar and Ralof put their weapons away and sighed with relief.  
"By the skin of my teeth..." She uttered.

"Alright, get the Crown off that Dragur!" Galmar commanded. Lightning nodded and carefully removed the Jagged Crown from the body.  
"Get to Windhelm with the Crown as quick as you can. Tell Ulfric he owes me a drink. We'll stick around here for a while and see if we can find anything else useful." Galmar instructed.  
"Yes sir." Lightning replied with a nod. The Stormcloaks wandered around the room as Lightning searched for a way out.

She found a set of wooden stairs and headed up them. She headed up another flight of steps and found a set of iron doors. She pushed them open and found herself in the temple. She removed the bar and opened the next set of doors. She headed out of the ancient ruins and wandered around, looking for her Eidolon. She could hear Odin frantically neighing in the near distance. She sprinted towards the echoing cries of her steed. She recognised the man in the silver armour as Garland.  
"Leave Odin alone!" She exclaimed as she whipped out her Blazefire Pistol and charged.

Garland turned around and leant against his massive sword. She shot at him and the bullets only managed to hit the chains hanging from the hilt of his blade. He picked up his sword and ran towards her. He swung at her but she dodged his attack. He countered her dodge and went to attack again. Lightning back stepped out of the way. She ran up to Garland and jumped into the air. She switched hands and slashed Garland with her blade. She landed on the snow and pulled her sword up to her face and held it diagonally facing downwards, taunting Garland to continue fighting. He slammed his sword into the ground as Odin transformed into the towering green and white knight. Odin took up Zantestuken and held his shield in front of Lightning protectively. Lightning dashed at Garland again with her gunblade drawn. The silver knight swung out his arm and her midsection connected with his arm. She grunted as she fell to the ground and her blade fell out of her hand. Garland brought his sword down on the gunblade and it shattered. Sparks flew around the wrecked weapon. Lightning winced as she tried to stand up. Odin rushed over and scooped her up and cradled her in his arms before walking away from Garland and setting her down behind the safety of his shield. She stood up and leaned over to let air into her winded body.

"I know you have the Jagged Crown. Give it to me." Garland said and held out his hand. She stood up straight and shook her head.  
"Not a chance!" Lightning exclaimed.  
"What if I took away your access to your Eidolon?" Garland asked. Lightning stood in silence for a moment. She shook her head and frowned.  
"You can't do that. Only the gods can do that." Lightning replied.  
"Being Chaos' right hand man has granted me the power to banish summons from a world." Garland said. Lightning huffed in frustration. She couldn't believe that yet again, the Imperials had another advantage over the Stormcloaks.

"You can hand over the Crown, or lose your Eidolon. Your choice, warrior of Cosmos." Garland said. Lightning looked up at Odin and then looked down at her pocket. She had a choice to make. If she gave him the Crown, Odin would be an asset to a large battle, but she would lose the trust of her comrades. However, if she took the Crown to Ulfric, it may settle the war without too much bloodshed on both sides. She sighed and moved her fingers towards her pocket. Odin saw this and internally sighed. She pulled out the Jagged Crown and stared at it, then looked up at Odin. She looked back at the Crown and sighed. She put the Crown back in her pocket and pulled out her survival knife.  
"You're not taking either the Crown or Odin today." Lightning hissed and held the knife tightly. Odin slammed his blades into the snow and jumped in front of Lightning. She picked up Zantestuken. Odin kicked Garland down and placed his foot on the evil knight. The Eidolon looked back at the l'Cie and nodded in the direction of Windhelm.  
"No Odin, I'm not going to lose you!" Lightning exclaimed. Odin shook his head at her. She sighed and put the knife away.  
"I understand. If that's what you wish. Odin, I'm sorry." She said and ran towards the snowy capital.

Garland managed to get out from underneath the Eidolon's foot. He picked up his sword and slammed the flat side onto the back of his knees. Odin crumpled and Garland wandered up to the Eidolon's face and placed his gauntlet on his nose.  
"Go back to where you belong." Garland commanded and Odin vanished with a large cloud of rose petals raining down and a few strikes of lightning hit the ground around him. Garland smirked and wandered in the general direction of Solitude.

* * *

Lightning walked into the palace and shut the giant door behind her. Yuna and Terra rushed towards the pink haired soldier.  
"Where's Galmar and the others?" Yuna asked.  
"They're still at Korvanjund, checking out the tomb in greater detail. They'll be back later." Lightning replied. Yuna and Terra both sighed with relief. Lightning placed her hand on her hip and sighed. Terra watched Lightning's expression darken. Yuna stared at her empty sheath and looked at Lightning with worry.  
"Where's your gunblade?" Yuna asked. There was silence as Lightning stared at the ground and huffed.  
"Garland destroyed it. I have to find a replacement blade and fast." She replied.  
"Light, what else is bothering you?" Terra asked. Lightning sighed and turned to the green haired esperkin.

"Garland banished Odin from Tamerial." Lightning announced. Terra whimpered and Yuna brought her hand up to her lips as she gasped.  
"He what?!" Terra asked.  
"Yuna, there's a school of magic called conjuration. Learn it and protect your Aeons from Garland. Garland has the power to banish any summon from Tamerial. Be careful." Lightning replied. Yuna nodded and clutched her staff close to her chest.  
"Why did he banish Odin?" Yuna asked.  
"The Legion wants the Jagged Crown. It was either giving him the Crown or having Odin banished. I still have the Crown and it needs to go to Ulfric." Lightning replied.  
"And I'll take Yuna to Wuunferth so that she can learn more about conjuration." Terra said and led Yuna up to Wuunferth's room.

Lightning pulled out the Crown and wandered into the strategy room next to the throne. Ulfric stood over the giant, yellowed map of the province as she walked in. He looked up and stood up straight. Lightning pulled the Crown out of her pocket and played with it in her hands so that the Jarl could see that Galmar was right.  
"Here's the Jagged Crown. I believe you owe Galmar a drink?" Lightning asked and gave the Crown to Ulfric. He smiled and nodded as he placed it on the table.  
"Damn him-that old bear was right! Did you run into any trouble?" He asked with a chuckle.  
"Nothing I couldn't handle." Lightning replied and crossed her arms.  
"That's the spirit. I'll get all the details from Galmar when he gets back. Now then... I'm glad you're here, I need a message given to the Jarl of Whiterun. Deliver this axe to Balgruuf the Greater." He commanded and handed her an iron axe.  
"An axe?" She asked with an eyebrow raised.  
"Yes. An axe. How long have you been in Skyrim? Give the man my axe. If he keeps it, I will bide my time, if he doesn't, it means war." He replied sternly.  
"Understood." Lightning said with a nod.  
"Keep your wits about you. The Jarl of Whiterun is known for his temper." He replied. Lightning nodded and headed towards the wizard's quarters.


	11. Hitting the Books

Yuna stood at the Arcane Enchanter and read through The Doors of Oblivion. Terra and Wuunferth stood at the doorframe. The summoner tried to ignore the echoed voices of the mages.  
"She needs to learn Conjuration. Without her Aeons, Yuna will be defenceless." Terra said with a slight hiss. Her frustration was beginning to bubble over.  
"I don't think it would be that severe." Wuunferth replied. Terra groaned and shook her head.  
"You're kidding me, right? Did you not hear me?" Terra asked and crossed her arms.  
"I heard you, but I don't believe that she would be completely defenceless." Wuunferth replied. Terra sighed and shifted on her feet before she spoke again.

Yuna rolled her eyes at them and continued to read. Her eyes scanned over the text and she took the information in. She closed the book and placed it back on the wooden shelf. She smiled as she smelt mould. And for her to smell mould, there must have been water. And the possibility of water reminded her of him. She smiled softly as the noise was drowned away with the sweet ocean of nostalgia.

The ocean drifted away as Terra's footsteps pounded against the ground as she stomped toward the corner of the room, never even looking back at the old wizard. Yuna wandered towards Wuunferth as he crossed his arms and sighed. He looked up at the summoner to find her softly smiling at him.  
"Wuunferth, where can I get some Conjuration spells?" Yuna asked. He looked around the room aimlessly and then turned back to Yuna.  
"I have a few lying around somewhere... I'm sure that there are a few spell books on the bookshelf." Wuunferth replied.  
"Thanks." Yuna said with a smile and walked to the mouldy shelf. She pulled out one of the purple spell books and stood at the Arcane Enchanter. She opened the book and read through its contents.

Terra wandered over to Yuna and tried to read over her shoulder. Yuna hunched vet the book so that the esperkin couldn't see the text. Terra huffed and walked out the door. Wuunferth stood next to the bookshelf, just in case Yuna wanted to read another spell book.  
"Wuunferth?" Yuna asked.  
"Yes?" He questioned.  
"What's an atronach?" Yuna asked.  
"It is a summon that only lasts for a limited time, but can be summoned over and over again." Wuunferth answered.  
"Thanks." She replied with a nod and continued to read.

After a while, Yuna closed the book and turned to Wuunferth.  
"I want to try and cast this spell." Yuna announced.  
"What spell?" He asked in reply.  
"Summon flame atronach." She replied. Wuunferth nodded and stood back. Yuna opened her right hand and a swirling purple light appeared on her palm. She stared at it with wonder and then breathed out slowly. She didn't want to have the spell blow up in her face like Meltdown did for Wuunferth. Or even worse, that her atronach would turn on her and reduce her to a pile of ashes. She pushed those negative thoughts out of her mind and focused on casting the spell. She pushed the energy in her hand out in the empty space in front of her. A large violet sphere expanded and faded. In its place stood a fire atronach. It danced around like the flames on a torch. Yuna watched it as it continued its merry routine across the floor.

Yuna's face lit up with happiness. Wuunferth inspected her summon and nodded with approval.  
"Well done, Yuna." He said. Yuna smiled and walked up to her atronach.  
"It will be a pleasure to work with you." Yuna said and bowed reverently. The atronach nodded in agreement.  
"You don't need to be formal with them." Wuunferth said. Yuna shook her head at the old wizard.  
"I was always told to be polite to the Aeons because they have thoughts and feelings just like us. That seems to be the same for the atronachs too." She replied. She came closer to her new summon and stared at it. It gazed back at the summoner. Wuunferth laughed as he found that Yuna was mesmerised by the flickering flames dancing in its pupils.

The atronach whipped its head around to the door as Lightning wandered in. Yuna walked over to her. Yuna noticed the Sanguine Rose staff in her hands.  
"Yuna, I want you to have this. It will help you when you need help most." Lightning said and handed her the staff. Yuna smiled and took it gladly.  
"Thank you. But what does it do?" Yuna asked.  
"It summons some kind of creature in black armour." Lightning replied. Wuunferth strides up to Yuna's side, stared at the staff and then looked at Lightning.  
"A Dremora? A staff that summons Dremora... Where did you get this?" He asked.  
"I won it in a drinking contest." Lightning replied with a shrug.  
"Anyways, I'm heading out into town and preparing for a long trip. Good luck, Yuna." Lightning said and walked out.

The atronach seemed to calm down once the l'Cie left the room, because it started to dance around again. Suddenly, the atronach vaporised into a pile of glowing ashes. Yuna stared at it with curiosity. Wuunferth headed back to the bookshelf and handed her another book.  
"You are making a good start. Now, you have to learn the other spells and practice them." Wuunferth said and she opened the book he just gave her. She knew that she had a lot of work cut out for her, but if it meant the difference between life and death if her Aeons were stripped from her. She headed back to the Arcane Enchanter and got back to her study.


	12. Trouble

Yuna and her two Stormcloak bodyguards wandered into Dawnstar and found a crowd of people standing around. One of her bodyguards left her side to find out what was going on.  
"What happened?" He asked.  
"Our head miner was just killed. All the witnesses remembered seeing was a very large and slender silver sword. That's all we have." The Dawnstar guard replied. The Stormcloak wandered back to the waiting summoner.  
"There was a murder." He said with a nod. Yuna stepped closer and stared at the body. She gasped and and covered her mouth with both of her hands. Her eyes widened in shock.  
"Oh my!" She exclaimed. The female bodyguard patted her on her back. She turned around and the guards stood at her sides.  
"Lady Yuna, we must get to Winterhold as soon as possible." The female Stormcloak said. Yuna nodded and they lead her away from the crowd.

Sephiroth sat at the edge of the freezing waters invading the middle of Dawnstar and dunked a rag into the clear liquid before running it over the face of Masamune. He was used to having to clean it regularly. He couldn't wander around with his prized weapon looking tarnished and dull. At least that was his thinking as he tenaciously cleaned the sword. He looked back at the crowd of people gathering around the body of his last kill, Beitild. It was a relatively easy assassination, but he was happy to spread a little fear and despair around once in a while. Getting paid also sweetened the deal. He chuckled at their morbid curiosity and shook his head.  
"Foolish mortals and their curious minds." He muttered and continued to remove the grime from his weapon. Sephiroth heard at least three sets of footsteps behind him, but it didn't seem to faze him.

"Sephiroth?" Yuna asked. He put the katana away and stood up. He turned around and faced Yuna. The one-winged angel took note of the Stormcloak guards standing next to the summoner.  
"I assume you know that I have not taken any side in the civil war yet?" Sephiroth asked. Yuna shook her head.  
"No, I'm afraid I haven't." Yuna replied. Sephiroth smirked.  
"Now you know." Sephiroth said.  
"But it would be good if you joined up the Stormcloaks. We need you. The Legion have Garland, Cloud, Tifa, Kuja and Kefka. We need all the help we can get." Yuna said. Sephiroth shook his head.  
"I'll tell you what I told Lightning. I'll only choose a side when the other has done something to greatly offend me." He replied. The male Stormcloak tapped Yuna's shoulder and she turned her head to face him.  
"Summoner, we must be on our way, now." He said. Yuna nodded and turned back to the silver haired assassin.  
"I must be going. Farewell." She said with a bow and the two Stormcloaks ushered her off.  
Sephiroth looked over his shoulder and stared at the crowd behind him. He wondered if his Black Materia attack would still be able to work properly, but he thought against it. He managed to slip past the crowd unnoticed as he began the journey back to the sanctuary.

* * *

"It's not far now." The female Stormcloak said. Yuna nodded as they continued down the icy road. A loud roaring came from above and the three Stormcloaks pulled out their weapons. Yuna gripped her staff tightly as a dragon flew overhead. They lost their footing as the dragon landed before them. Yuna tried to dodge the flames as her bodyguards dashed in to fight. She twirled her staff and summoned Bahamut. The great dragon landed next to the one snapping at her guardians.  
"Bahamut! Cascading strength!" Yuna exclaimed with her staff pointing at the scaled beast before her. The summon nodded and released orbs of purple light that honed in on the green skinned dragon. The dragon roared and glared at Bahamut as the orbs impacted. The scales had purple mist rising from them as the dragon neared. Yuna's guardians assaulted the dragon from both sides and the dragon smacked them with its wings. The male Stormcloak groaned as he collapsed to the ground. He lay there panting with exhaustion and the dragon turned to him. Yuna watched with unbelieving eyes as the beast snapped him up and tossed him to the side as if he was nothing but a rag doll.  
"Burn everything in sight!" Yuna exclaimed and twirled her staff above her head. The purple dragon flew backwards and stood on all fours, firmly digging his front feet into the ground. He charged the attack and Yuna watched as the female Stormcloak fell into a pile of ashes. Yuna whimpered and clutched her staff close. The dragon plodded over and Yuna stepped backwards. Before the dragon could attempt to incinerate her, Bahamut released Mega Flare and the green skinned beast roared as it collapsed to the ground.

The purple dragon stood upright and crossed his arms. Yuna stared at the dragon's lifeless eyes and came to the conclusion that it was indeed dead. She whimpered as she realised that she was all alone. She nodded to Bahamut and the purple dragon flew back to where he came from. Yuna looked around and tried to get her bearings. She guessed that it was north to Winterhold. She clutched her staff close to her chest as she wandered up the road. She walked up the road and carefully surveyed her surroundings as she went. She stopped after a few steps and looked around again. She groaned and bowed her head with despair. She had absolutely no idea where she was going.

Suddenly, she was pushed aside by an adventurer in iron armour. She fell over and helped herself up. The adventurer stopped and went back to see if she was alright.  
"I didn't mean to hurt you. Are you ok?" He asked. Yuna wasn't too sure if she could trust the Nord or not, but she was desperate for directions.  
"I'm heading to Winterhold and I'm lost. Do you know where I must go?" She asked. The adventurer thought for a bit and then nodded.  
"Yes, I do. You just follow the road until you come to a signpost and then follow the signs from there." He replied and pointed down the road.  
"Thank you. May Yevon guide you." She said and bowed before going on her way.  
"Yevon?" He asked with confusion as he wandered down to a figure in silver armour inspecting the pile of dragon bones.

The silver knight stood as the adventurer walked toward him.  
"Well?" Garland asked.  
"She's heading to Winterhold. No doubt to the College." The adventurer replied. Garland smirked behind his helmet and marched up the road with the Nord following closely.  
"Good work Auxiliary. Go back to Solitude and get orders from Tullius. You have served your purpose today." Garland said. The Nord saluted him and wandered off. Garland trailed Yuna and waited for the right moment to take her by surprise.

Yuna soon became tired and weary. She sat down on one of the large rocks lining the road and held her staff horizontally on her lap. She sighed with relief as she rested her feet. She wiggled her toes in an attempt to give them feeling again. Garland hastened his pace in case she decided to get up and continue. But Yuna desperately wanted a rest. She shivered as the icy air blasted against her flesh. Garland slammed his sword into the ground and loomed over the summoner. She looked up and held her staff up.  
"Garland!" She exclaimed and jumped up from her rock  
"So we meet, Yuna." Garland said. She put the staff away and pulled out the Sanguine Rose. She looked at it and tried to figure out what she was supposed to do with it. Garland laughed heartily as she held it out and tried to concentrate. She closed her eyes and focused on projecting the spell. She opened her eyes and found that the spell had not worked after all. Garland laughed again and shook his head.  
"Why don't you use your Aeons? It would be easier." Garland said.  
"You can banish them, why would I risk it?" Yuna asked and held her right hand out. A purple glow surrounded her palm and she conjured a storm atronach. She pulled out her staff and gripped it closely. The atronach fought Garland with all its might, but with one swoop of his massive sword, the atronach was slain.

"I have no choice, do I?" She asked rhetorically and held the staff close.  
"Surrender now or lose your Aeons." Garland said. Yuna took the chance to try and find out a question that bugged her since Helgen.  
"You seem to know about what happens to us here, right?" She asked. Garland nodded.  
"Yes, I do." Garland replied.  
"Well, what happens to us when we die? Do we go to Sovngarde like everyone here?" Yuna asked. Garland readjusted his grip on his sword and leaned on it.  
"When we die, we go back to the war of the gods." Garland replied. Yuna liked the idea of going back to war after losing a fight in Skyrim.  
"Thank you." Yuna said and held her staff close.

Garland picked up his sword and went to swing at her. She stepped out of the way and summoned Ifrit. The fire demon stood at Yuna's feet and growled at her attacker. Garland and Ifrit battled hard as Yuna gave him commands. Garland dodged the flame attacks and Ifrit deflected every one of Garland's assaults. Garland managed to dodge in the middle between the summon and the summoner. He used Earthquake to batter both of his assailants and Yuna was flung backward. She fell on her stomach and she picked herself off of the ground as Garland was tackled by the fire demon. She noticed the new bleeding gashes on her arm and rips in her dress. Ifrit snapped at Garland and the silver knight threw him off. Ifrit whimpered as he collided with the ground. Garland stalked over to Yuna and she ran at him. She smacked him with her staff and he knocked her over with his free hands. She fell to the ground and he poised his sword over her chest. Her eyes widened with shock and her heart raced. There was a lump in her throat and she couldn't breathe.  
"Enjoy your time back in the war." He mocked and landed the killing blow. Her body disappeared in a burst of pyreflies on his blade and he pulled it out of the ground.  
"What's done is done." He said and headed back to Solitude.


End file.
