Final Fantasy XIII 1. Enter the Commander

**Hello everyone! This is my first attempt of a fan fiction! I hope you all enjoy what my mind has concocted. Huge thanks to my friend Koharu for proofreading...you're the best! :3 **

**Oh, and I'm not that good at summaries, partly because it barely gives you any room to write. **

**And I don't own Final Fantasy, Lightning, or anything else really...If I did, I would have made Lightning the star of XIII-2, but that's a discussion for another day. ;)**

**I hope you enjoy!**

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She stared uninterestedly out the window. Blurs of green, blue, and brown rushed past her as if she was on the outskirts of a tornado. On the surface, she looked calm, ready to take on anything that dared to challenge her. But in the inside, her mind raced through a storm of problems. Had the senate accepted her idea? Did they understand her motives? What about the capital's defense, did her orders for the extra protection near the river go through? What about her subordinates, were they going to be fine? After all, she did command the entire fleet of the army, or what was left of it after Cocoon's fall. The intercom woke her from the fury of thoughts that plagued her mind.

"We will be arriving to Erebus shortly, please hold on to your luggage cautiously, as the hyper-train may experience unexpected turbulence."

A lot has changed since six years ago when six l'Cie changed the fate of the world. What if they never met on that fateful day, would everything be different? Or would another band of selfless people gathered together to stop Barthandelus, the embodiment of pure evil? What if she believed in her sister when-

A small shove.

"Still day dreaming? We're here."

A man's voice. She watched him carry their luggage out the hyper-train and into the station. She was about to walk out the train, but suddenly, her heart skipped a few beats. She was forgetting someone. She whipped around, eyes darting every direction of the train, scanning. Her breathing started to become ragged as more "what if" scenarios flashed through her mind, each one becoming more sick and extravagant than before. She was about to call out, until-

"Mommy! Mommy! I forgot Blitzy!"

Relief washed over her like a tidal wave, no, like a tsunami. She watched the little girl get bigger and bigger as she was running towards her. Finally in arms grasp, she swooped down and picked up the girl gave her a stern look.

"Maria! How many times do I have to tell you not to run off like that? You scared me to death!"

Maria pouted. She put her daughter on the ground, grasping the tiny fingers as they walked toward the man. She knelt down to eye level as the girl was clutching her stuffed bear tightly. She was about to give her another scolding until she felt a hand on her shoulder. Slightly looking up, she saw the man giving her an exasperated look. She stood back up, glaring at him with the same intensity. He was a little more than half a foot taller than her. Rough looking with very light brown hair almost blonde, the one feature that stood out were his green eyes. They weren't green as emeralds or as a dark forest, but a sort of blue-green that complimented the woman's ice cold eyes. They didn't blink for another few seconds until he spoke first.

"Light, you don't have to tell her that so many times, she's just a kid! But she's a big girl, she can take care of herself, right sweety?"

He gave Maria a lop-sided grin and suddenly picked her up and threw her in the air. Maria's giggles filled their ears as he caught her.

"You're so protective honey! Have some fun, it's not like someone's going to suddenly appear from the depths of the shadows and mysteriously pick her up and take her away forever, she's-"

"That's exactly what will happen if we don't watch her, Leo!" Lightning gave her husband an exasperated look, throwing her hands in the air. She watched him doing his best interpretation of a ghost, "whoooo"-ing and wiggling his fingers while dancing around her and Maria. The smaller one was laughing her guts out as Lightning face palmed, chuckling at the scene. Sometimes she wondered how she married a man so carefree, the complete opposite of her. Before she was swallowed in her thoughts for a third time in less than an hour, she was bear-hugged and lifted off the ground as Leo was twirling her around.

"Stop! Thinking! So! Much!" He practically yelled in her ears. She looked at him for a second until her morbid expression turned into a grin. She was at first shocked at the contact, but quickly regained her composure, because that was a surprise attack after all. Light punched Leo playfully as she picked up Maria and walked out of the station and onto the street. Looking around the city, she stared in wonder at how fast it developed. Highways, streets, buildings, and even skyscrapers filled the horizon. It was only six years ago when she, Snow, Serah, Hope, and Sazh arrived in Oerba, greeted with nothingness. And a few Cie'th. After much hard work, they turned the tiny village into the bustling, economic center of Pulse today. As well as have a minor name change.

Before she walked another step, the few military personal that were positioned there quickly saluted. She proudly walked through the line of soldiers, acknowledging them with a nod here and there. In front of her was a black sports car with a chauffeur who took the luggage from Leo's hands while he put his daughter in the car. Lightning opened the door and sat beside them, ready to be taken to their home at the edge of Erebus, near the Lake of Renewed Courage.

After the fall of Cocoon, less than three-fourths of the population survived the fall, most of them civilians. Needing an able leader quickly, the Guardian Corps raised Lightning's rank from Sergeant to Lieutenant Major within a matter of days. With basically the whole of Cocoon, or what was left of it, resting on her shoulders, she had to move fast. But Lightning was never one for politics, and even though she got an "A" in government in high school, that didn't mean that she retained all that "useless information", as she put it. She quickly dissolved the Guardian Corps and PSICOM, fusing them together into one, unified entity that she dubbed "FLASH". She ordered FLASH soldiers to help with the rebuilding of selective cities, placing them in strategic locations such as by rivers, valleys, and mountains. They constructed major roads for easy trading routes to kick start the economy for subsistence farming to commercial within three years. It was no easy task, and all the little innovations and ideas Lightning came up with was credited to her history teacher who made her write a 20 page essay on "what it takes to create the perfect civilization" years ago.

After a few years of the same system of military government, some rebellion groups popped around Gran Pulse, stating that they were being repressed by FLASH. Military governments were no strangers to corruption, and Lightning knew that. She decided that a government based on the people would be better, but she didn't know how to create something like that. Cocoon itself was always run by Fal'Cie, so there was no need for people to get intensely involved in politics. With a group of her most trusted allies, like her former superior Amodar, she created a group of people called the Senate who controlled all state affairs of Gran Pulse. The Senate was unanimously made up of military personal and civilians, which made the rebellions quiet down. To avoid being part of the Senate, since Lightning was sick and tired of all this political mumbo-jumbo, she was promoted to Commander, the leader of the whole military. Even though this position nullified her from being part of the Senate, she did have substantial influence to the point where she could nullify any bill they passed if she didn't agree.

But Lightning was a soldier. As soon as she got the opportunity, she distanced herself as far as possible from politics and solely focused on running the military.

Well, that and getting involved with a family.

The car finally stopped in front the house. Humble in size, it was surrounded by trees, only the entrance trail visible at first. After walking for half a minute or so, a white, one and a half story house with many windows could be seen. The grass was cleanly cut and there were no garden gnomes, swings, pool, or chairs in sight. Pure practicality, which is what Lightning treasured most.

Carefully stepping out of the car while carrying a sleeping Maria in her arms, she followed her husband through the trail and to the front door. There, with a simple scan of her eyes, the front door unlocked and opened, showing a large, one room floor that included the kitchen, living room, and dining room together. She quietly made her way through the living room and into a hallway, and slowly lowered Maria into her bed. She looked at her daughter for a long time, admiring her features.

Maria was a tall girl for her age. She was petite in size, but had the glamorous (as her father put it) eyes of Leo and the trademark pink hair of Lightning. Her face was the same heart shape of her mother's, but she had that same childish (and devilish) face of her father. Sometimes, she acted like Snow, which sometimes annoyed her to no end.

She bent down and kissed her daughter before she felt tight hands grip her arms. She sighed and turned around, quickly returning the embrace to Leo as she pushed away. She hurriedly walked out the room, but Leo followed.

"What was that? We were just having a tender moment with our bundle and joy, like in the movies! You know, how they do it all dramatically and-"

As her husband was babbling about some chick flick that he watched as a kid years ago, Lightning huffed and walked towards the kitchen. There, she grabbed the phone and quickly punched in some numbers. The phone rang a couple of times as Lightning gave Leo a scolding look, signaling him to shut up.

"Hello?" A familiar voice.

"Hey, it's me."

"Light! Oh my goodness, how are you doing! Are you here yet? You arrived sooner, I'm so happy! We need to talk…how's work? Is the Senate giving you a hard time?" Serah's voice happily chirped through the phone to Lightning's ears. She smiled when she heard her sister happy. She was actually expecting to arrive in Erebus late by a few days, but she tried as hard as she could to get there sooner.

"Serah, we can catch up later, I'd rather not do it over the phone!" Lightning huffed over the phone. Her ecstatic sister was always too quick to get things done, never thinking about the future.

"I mean, if we chatted right now, what would we talk about when I see you and Snow?"

Right on cue, she heard a huge crash over the phone with a few screams and a magnificent roar of, "SIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIS!" Of course, Snow.

"Sis! How are ya! You gotta get here like right now, we need to catch up! Hope is already here and Sazh is about to…Oh wait, here he is! Hey Sazh, how's it goin' nah, I got sis on the phone, yeah, I'll take to you in…Hey sis, they're all here-"

"I can tell," bluntly stated. "Snow, I'll be there soon ok? I have to settle things with Maria and Leo-"

"Don't forget to bring them too!" Snow exclaimed, a little too excitedly.

"Oh yeah, because I was going to totally leave them alone in the house so I can go see my friends by myself, and also starve them since we have no food. Use your head, Snow," Lightning sarcastically quipped. Years ago, Snow might've taken offence to this kind of talk, but he soon realized that it's Lightning…and that's how Lightning is.

After disconnecting the call, she turned around, leaning on the island counter. Someone was missing. Sighing, she pushed herself off the counter and made her way to another hallway. From there, she made a quick left and walked down a series of steps until she was greeted with a blast of music. Her eyes searched for the source. From her view, she saw Leo magically playing on his violin. Leo was tall, but a little shorter than Snow. Like Lightning, he was very lean but he had toned muscles at the same time. He was wearing fitted slacks, dress shoes, and a red and white striped button-down shirt with the sleeves pulled up at his elbows. He had a rough, but smooth, looking face with his golden locks of hair slightly falling over his left eye. He didn't have any facial hair because Lightning stated that it "made him look like a hag" and because it "reminded her of Snow and Sazh". But, Leo knew that Lightning secretly despised any facial hair. He guess that it probably tickled her if someone kissed her, but he would never say that to her unless he wanted a beautifully sculpted black eye.

"A tune in D minor? Aren't you getting tired of that?" Lightning softly said. Leo looked up and saw her leaning on a wall, arms folded. He ended the melody with a trill and placed the instrument carefully down. His sea-colored eyes met her gaze.

"Well, it's the same tune that made you fawn over me, wasn't it?" He smiled his trademark devilish grin.

"Hah."

"You know it's true sweeeety! Sugar-booger, pumpkin, sweetheart, sugar blossom, pineapple fudge sundae with cherries and-"

"LEO! I get it! I get it!" Lightning yelled at him, genuinely creeped out with his extravagant word choice. "Ok, ok, well let's get ready; it's time to see everyone." Lightning walked back up the stairs, formulating what she was going to wear in her mind. She was currently wearing her military uniform, hence the reason why the soldiers saluted her. It was a crisp outfit that was composed of knee high, very dark brown boots with navy pants. Her top was a formal, fitted navy coat with some insignias on it to signify some of the many accomplishments she did. She had a white belt strap that went across her chest and back that holstered her weapon, something that she would never be without. She didn't wear a pauldron that signified her rank; instead, two lines ran through both her arms that glowed a light teal color. This signified her as The Commander. The sleeves cuffed a little above her wrist, where she wore short, fingerless black gloves with a platinum brawl covering, so that if she were to ever get into a melee fight, she would have "one helluva punch", as Snow put it.

"Do you want me to bring a violin? Or another instrument?" Leo innocently called from his downstairs studio.

"The guitar."

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**Woo! Chapter one down! I hope you enjoyed...I might get the next chapter up and running if you all left me some feedback and reviews! It's just under that huge button under this A/N! ;D**

**BTW, I got "Erebus" from Greek/Latin mythology. In the Underworld, there is a reception area called Erebus, where the souls of the dead wait so they can cross the five rivers to get to their final resting place. I have a theory that Oerba (pronounced similarly to Erebus) was based off of this. Oerba (or I guess Ereba) is just the feminine form of Erebus.**


	2. Enter the Musician

**And now another chapter! Now that I'm done with all the intro stuff, we can finally get on with the plot! :D Now all I'm waiting for is the first review...Anybody? :)**

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The sounds of feet on gravel filled the night sky, their breaths materializing into mists. It was the beginning of winter, or what the general population perceived as winter. Gran Pulse was true to the definition of nature as one could get: unpredictable. One day would be calm and sunny, the next, thunderous and raining. Winter was no exception. Some days were dry and unbearably cold, while others where wet, snowy days, yet warm enough to only wear a light jacket. Sure, the scientists could have, and probably already have figured out a way to control the erratic behavior of nature, but no one wanted to. People didn't want to be in absolute control anymore; if they were, they'll just end up living on a Cocoon 2.0.

Lightning and Leo were quietly chatting while walking towards the Villiers' residence. It wasn't too far from their humble abode, a good 15 minute walk away.

"I just really don't understand what is with these people. It's as if nothing you do pleases them, they'll just forever hate us." Leo's quiet voice was evidently filled with frustration.

"No matter what you do, there will be people who oppose," Lightning coolly remarked, her hands slightly gripping Maria's as they walked through a wooded trail.

"No, but these people, these groups, are just ridiculous! I mean, normal civilians don't just start to demonstrate violently on the streets on random days. It's like they wake up in the morning and decide 'Hey, I just hate the government for no apparent reason, so I'm gonna beat people up to see if something happens!' Over the pasts few months, there has been a substantial increase in random, violent protesting all over major and minor cities on Pulse…My only problem is that they have no coherent message. They-"

"They don't know want they want." Lightning slightly turned her gaze towards Leo as they walked.

"They're frustrated about something they can't control…Or maybe they just don't like the idea of a few former l'Cie running the world. They think that if they get rid of us, everything will be fine and we can go back to Cocoon or something…"

"They need a good smack in the face, that's what they need," Leo huffed as he picked up Maria and increased his pace. They just emerged from the woods and onto the first few steps of Serah's and Snow's house. It was a magnificent wooded cabin that was positioned right between the forest and the beach, for maximum privacy. A series of steps led to an elevated front porch where a few chairs and a table were placed, as well as a small station for waxing surf boards, since Snow was an avid surfer. When Lightning heard about his hobby, she could only laugh at how stereotypical it was: a tall, muscular blonde who surfs. How original.

Maria leapt from her mother's arms when they reached the last of the steps. She excitedly ran towards the door, madly ringing the doorbell with a huge grin on her face. She whipped around and faced her parents, who were genuinely smiling at her antics. Finally, the door swung open to reveal no one. Lightning looked around, wondering how the door opened, when she finally took her gaze down, seeing a small, pink headed mini-Snow blocking their way.

"Auntie Light, Uncy Leo!" The little boy ran toward Lightning, attempting to bear hug hear. She swiftly and gracefully sidestepped to the side, letting the mini-Snow tackle Leo instead.

"Whoa, Damon, slow down there!" Snow's unmistakable voice boomed through Lightning's ears. She watched him snatch Damon away into an enormous bear hug as he tossed him in the air. Behind him, Serah walked towards her sister, pulling her to a happy embrace that Lightning awkwardly returned.

"Sis! It's so great to see you, I haven't seen you in a year and a half and-" Serah made a dramatic gasp. Lightning and Leo, dumbfounded, followed her gaze. Serah pointed and rushed towards Maria, bending down and ruffled her hair.

"Maria, look how much you've grown! You look just like your mommy!"

As Serah was conversing with her niece, Lightning made her way towards the huge living room. The size of the house was ridiculous, everything was supersized. She was about to take another step when she realized something was obstructing her way. She looked down and found two blonde figures clutching to her legs.

"Demi! Delilah!" She gasped. In the almost two years that she was gone, the twins grew at a magnificent pace. They both let go simultaneously, running in opposite directions, in unison chanting, "Auntie Light! Auntie Light!" Lightning happily sighed and walked towards the kitchen with Snow trailing her.

"What, I don't get a hello?" He playfully quipped.

"Huh? Oh sorry Snow, didn't see you there," Lightning absent mindedly replied. She had far more important things to think about than remembering to say hello to her brother-in-law. Now that she thought about it, she _was_ being slightly mean. The one thing she tried to change the most about herself was to be slightly more "passionate". For the past few years, Serah had been scrutinizing Lightning for still being "Lightning". Her sister desperately tried to bring "Claire" back, a task that she slightly succeeded at. She turned around and gave Snow a quick, one armed hug while muttering "sorry" and furiously walked towards the kitchen. Snow gaped at her sudden movement, finally choking in a fit of giggles.

Stoically striding into the kitchen, she opened the door to reveal Sazh and Hope already sitting and chatting on the large, circular glass table that was centered in the middle. At once Hope rose, now towering over Lightning by almost half a foot. He got rid of his silver locks, now sporting a shorter haircut with the front portion spiked up. He claimed that it made him "less like a kid and more like a professional".

"Light!" He exclaimed and attempted to hug the former l'Cie. Lightning flinched at the contact at first, but quickly returned another awkward embrace. She moved Hope slightly out of the way as she gave a curt "Hello" to Sazh. She had no time to chat; she had more important matters to deal with.

"Everybody just please sit down. We have more important matters to deal with than 'family reunions'".

"Oh come on Light! We have all evening!" Snow sighed. Just like his wife, sis always wanted to get things done quickly, and at any stake.

"The kid's right," Sazh finally piped up. He didn't age as much as he thought he would over the course of six years. He chopped off a considerable amount of his afro; an attempt to look younger, something that he successfully pulled off. "We haven't seen you in almost two years, soldier girl. Want to explain anything?" Sazh gave the soldier a hard look, clearly confused. Out of nowhere, Lightning sent them all hand written letters, summoning them to Serah and Snow's house. Lightning was never one for close communication, so it came as a complete shock. They all knew something was up.

"Well thank you Sazh for interrupting. I was just about to start," she sat down at the table, evenly spreading out some papers and maps.

"As you should know, a year back, I proposed a plan to the Senate asking to extract Vanille and Fang from the core of the crystal pillar so that they can have the opportunity to finally live their lives." She recited, paraphrasing parts of her proposal speech. She was searching for a specific paper as she talked. Her eyes glimmered when she finally found it.

"Look. This map here shows the inner core system of Cocoon's crystal base. Up here is where Fang and Vanille are located," she pointed to several key points on the map. "We hypothesized that if we took them out, something has to replace them. If not, the whole structure would most likely fall down, and we don't need another catastrophe, now do we?" Lightning took a breath. She hated explaining things, especially twice. "So, we assigned Hope's team to investigate and figure out a way to extract them out safely. Hope?"

On cue, Hope stood, leaning over the table pulled up a few papers from his briefcase and displayed them to the group. All the papers where furiously filled with calculations and chemical formulas. Wide-eyed, Snow backed away, rubbing his eyes and sighing.

"This is all pretty and smart and all…but…English please?"

Hope sighed and pulled up another paper.

"According to our research, we figured that the crystal that they are encased in cannot be synthesized by normal means." Snow frowned.

"But, we figured that we need something with a more 'divine touch', if you must. We decided to collect crystal dust that was left off from Cie'th, melt it, and with adding a few other materials and minerals, create a structure similar to that of Fang and Vanille's crystal." He pointed to a few calculations and sketches of what he was trying to explain.

"Wait, so we're going to replace Fang and Vanille with Cie'th dust? Isn't that kind of bad? I mean, it's the opposite of crystal stasis!" Hope heard Serah's voice directly behind him.

"Well that's the point." Lightning softly murmured, looking up from the papers. "Normal materials don't have the same properties as ones with a Fal'Cie touch. And we don't have any people currently in crystal stasis to replace them, not that we were going to use them anyway. Opposites usually have the same properties right?"

"No, because they're opposites," Snow exclaimed, rubbing the back of his head. All this chemistry mumbo-jumbo was clouding his thoughts. He was a fighter, not a scientist. He still didn't understand how Lightning herself understood any of this.

"In short, we made it work. We managed to change some properties of the original crystal, but they were not all opposite to begin with. Trust me, we're sure it's going to work." Hope spoke up, tired of explaining his findings for a fourth time.

"Well then, if you're sure it's going to work, let's go already!" Snow punched his fists together and started to retie his headband.

"Well, we are scheduled to start the extracting within 120 hours from now." Hope looked at his watch and started to pack his papers away. After the Fall of Cocoon, there was no need to fight anymore. He decided to help FLASH, but he wasn't much of a fighter, especially since he didn't have his magic anymore. So he turned to academics, furiously studying and getting his high school diploma within three years. After that, with a little help from Lightning, he went to Gran Pulse's most prestigious university, studying science. After 2 years, he transferred to the FLASH Military Institute, graduating with a Master's degree and with a rank of Specialist. He quickly rose up the ranks to Lieutenant over the past few years. The higher he went up the chain, the more laboratory equipment he could acquire, thus speeding up his investigations.

Everyone was about to get up from the table when Lightning suddenly stood.

"But we still have another problem. Over the past few months, we have had an alarmingly high increase of protests, gang-violence, rapes, and random violent outbursts in practically every major city." She circled around to Hope, pointing at a map of Gran Pulse. "I strongly believe that someone is organizing this," she started pacing around the table, her hands tightly grasped behind her back. It was very un-Lightning- like.

"Well, what's the problem with that, soldier? Not everyone is gonna agree with you…you of all people should understand that!" Sazh sighed.

"They're annoying."

"Of course they are, they're protesters. What do you want to do, obliterate them from the face of the planet?" A silence.

"That's precisely what I was thinking about," Lightning folded her arms, leaning on the fridge. She stared hard at the group. It was Leo who broke the silence, dissolving into a fit of giggles. The group turned and glared at him. This was not a laughing matter.

"Hahaha, Light, you're just so funny. You're telling me that you're going to lock up a bunch of college idiots because they 'annoy you'? Do you see how irrational that sounds?" He grinned at her, still chuckling at the idea. Lightning pushed off the fridge and took two steps toward the table.

"These people are not 'college idiots'. They're an organized group of criminals! They're disrupting the peace that you all and I worked so hard on achieving! Will a bunch of college idiots kidnap wealthy, influential people who finance some of FLASH's research for no apparent reason? Will a bunch of college idiots kidnap, rape, and mutilate little girls!" Lightning's voice rose after every sentence, the anger burning in her eyes. "Use your head Leo!" She slammed her hands onto the table.

"So you're telling me that you're going to go to every major city and arrest anyone you suspect? You have no evidence whatsoever, you're just gonna go on the streets, and arrest anyone who looks like a thug. Don't you think that's, oh I don't know, kind of _stupid_? Wouldn't that make the people even angrier?" Leo was calm. He casually sat on his chair, all emotion stricken away from his face as he stared at Lightning. Everyone stared at his boldness. They couldn't believe that a mere mortal even had the _guts_ to talk to Lightning like this, especially with such a subtle expression. Hope gulped and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Well it's better than sitting around here, doing nothing, is it not?" Lightning practically yelled. She was not in the mood the fight about this. Something had to be done. Leo stood up and slowly walked toward Lightning. She stood in her place like a rock, her left hand slightly curling up into a fist.

"No, it's not. It's actually worse." He bluntly stated into her face.

"Then please tell me your wonderful plan to fix this," Lightning very quietly growled. Things were getting dangerous. And fast.

Another silence.

"Exactly what I thought, you don't have one! You're all talk Leo…all you do is think, never taking any action. You just-"

Leo walked toward her, inches away from her face. Lightning looked up, glaring at his sea-green eyes with utter fury.

"Until we initiate an investigation and collect evidence, there is nothing that you. Can. Do. So don't even try. The Senate won't appreciate it, neither would the people, and it'll take too much time and effort to fix your idiotic actions, and by the time we do, the damage is done, and you'll probably have to resign from you position. You'll never be able to fix this problem then. You wouldn't want that, now would you?" Nobody dared to breathe. Snow couldn't believe his eyes or ears. Hope just wanted to hide in a corner. Sazh just stared at Leo, admiring him, almost envying him.

Serah just gazed at Lightning, her hands over mouth to conceal the huge grin she couldn't get rid of. Someone fighting against Lightning and winning without a punch to the face? This is why she loved Leo so much: he was the only person in the world who was brave enough to straighten her sister out.

"Then what _can_ I do?" Lightning softly murmured, refusing to look up at him as she stared at the ground. She clearly lost this battle.

"Call for an investigation."

"No!" Lightning's head shot up. "It takes too long, and all the news corporations will hear about it and-"

"Then do it yourself."

Lightning's jaw was about to hit the floor. Was this guy serious? She was the most well-known person in all of Gran Pulse! Everybody knows her face, and it doesn't help that she has a distinguishable hair color. And scar.

"Are you kidding me Leo? Everyone knows me! I would be the opposite of stealth!"

"Who said you? Someone you know, someone who you trust dearly could handle this situation." Leo backed away from Lightning, his voice extremely controlled. Lightning thought about it in silence. Where was he going with this? It was evident that he didn't want her to do it…Hope is too busy, Sazh is busy flying planes, Snow has Serah…

"Ok so you're telling me that _you_ want to handle this?" Leo broke out to his trademark grin, placing both of his hands behind his head.

"That is actually a fantastic idea," Hope blurted out. Lightning glared at him right away, her mouth gaped open. Hope flinched and slightly shrunk back into his place, but then suddenly rose.

"Think about it! He's a musician: he travels to many cities to play and he's well-known in the music world! He can get connections, info, leads…This is perfect!" Hope was practically jumping in place. The sooner this was resolved, the faster he could save Fang and Vanille. Lightning pinched the bridge of her nose and slightly shook her head. She didn't want Leo to get into these- her -matters. It was too dangerous…

"Alrighty! So Leo, you're gonna go and spy on these creeps so Lightning can get these organizers behind bars! Perfect!" Snow stood up and clapped his hands together. "Now, you guys come over here, I have to show you this new grill I bought!" The eyes of all the males glittered with the word "grill". They all marched out of the room and into the backyard to see this "magnificent grill". Men.

Lightning stood there, still trying to figure out what the hell just happened. She sighed, slumped in her chair, and banged her head on the table. She made no effort to look up when Serah put a hand across her back.

"First time you've lost a fight?" A long silence.

"…No." Lightning quietly murmured, her voice almost inaudible. She picked up her head and leaned it on her hand. She started tracing circles on the table with one finger, distantly looking at the window.

"Ah, so I see you've never won a fight against him," Serah started to giggle. The thought was almost alien. Lightning, losing a battle? Constantly!

"…Shut up."

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**Awwww poor Light! I wonder why that is...*Evil laugh***

**Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed Light's fight with Leo as much as I had writing it! And for those who are wondering, no, Leo is not really going to be a major character in the story. But he'll be the key player in the plot. That's all I'm going to say. You'll just have to keep reading! ;)  
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	3. Enter the Demonstrators

**Hello everyone, welcome to another chapter! I just want to thank everyone who favorited this, it means a lot to me! Also, a huge thanks to HollowPanda for being the first reviewer and for not only reviewing once, but twice! :D**

**Anyway, this is finally the action chapter! Wooo!**

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The moonlight shone through the invisible clouds and shining stars. The sky was pitch black, but it still emitted a sense of warmth. Inside the large living room, soft guitar chords could be heard as well as singing. Leo was singing a love song he composed many years ago as Sazh, Hope, Serah, and Snow listened with awe. However, Lightning was outside, leaning on a balcony guardrail. One hand was holding a glass and the other a phone, which was gently propped up to her ear.

"…In conclusion, everyone and everything has been prepared for the operation. Commander, I strongly recommend you to return to the before-stated site as soon as possible, beca-"

"General, I cannot do that. I just arrived to Erebus! Besides, it's only an hour or so away, there wouldn't be much of a point, would there?" Lightning huffed. She was currently talking to her right hand man, or woman, she should say.

"But it'll make events go faster! All the recruits would be more motivated to work! You know how lazy they are," Her voice was soft, yet it had a harsh and demeaning tone, but she was a very kind person on the inside, Lightning thought. General Asami Vitria was always very strict, especially during the first few years Lightning worked with her after the beginnings of FLASH. But Lightning could trust her with anything; the General was a very reliable person.

"…Lightning?"

"Yes Asami?" Finally the formalities were over. Lightning hated ranks and titles, it had no point other than to boost one's ego. She would never think like that 6 or 7 years ago, as climbing up the ranks was everything to her, but now, she couldn't care less.

"Did you finally come up with a way to deal with all those…demonstrators?" Asami's tone was eerily suppressed, as if she was slightly scared of what Lightning's mind concocted. She knew that Lightning could be…rash sometimes.

Lightning bit her lip. Leo's plan as him being a spy was perfect, even though she didn't want to admit it. But, she couldn't tell Asami. It wasn't that she didn't trust her, it was just that this was confidential. And if word got out, Lightning's position as a Commander would be doomed.

"Not really, they didn't accept my plan to arrest any suspects…they want me to initiate an investigation."

"But that will take too long, no?" It was as if Asami could read her mind.

"Yeah, it would, but it's the only choice I have. Besides, this operation is currently more important than the protestings are right now. Once I finished this, I'll deal with these protesters…personally." Lightning emphasized the last sentence with a scrutinizing tone. "Anyway, I must go now. Make sure the secondary preparations are complete by 48 hours."

"U-understood," Asami slightly stuttered. Lightning was slightly confused at the sudden loss of confidence in Asami's voice, but she didn't press. She disconnected the call and looked at the starry night. As the wind blew on her mesmerized state, she heard quiet footsteps behind her.

"Was that the General?" Leo slowly murmured as he propped himself next to her.

"Yeah…Hey Leo…these next few days are going to be crazy," Lightning looked up at the moon, her face shown a mix of emotions, from sad, angry, happy, excited, and troubled.

"I know, sweetie, I know." Leo followed her gaze to the moon, also mesmerized by its simple beauty. "But everything'll be ok, I'm sure of it."

* * *

Lightning walked through the streets of Erebus, taking long, graceful strides. Today was the day of the preliminary operations to set Fang and Vanille free, and hopefully by tomorrow, everything would be completed. She wore her "casual" military uniform and gear, since today was going to be a very laborious day. She looked around at the streets, noting that there were a scarce amount of people. Usually, there would be more people here, she thought, especially since this is the time that everybody would be going to work in the morning. She took a shortcut through some alleys, holding her breathe as she went past some random dumpsters. She may never show it, but Lightning was sensitive toward vulgar smells; it always wanted to make her gag. She was walking from the Erebus FLASH Headquarters to a small café in the center of the city to meet up with Leo and Maria. Afterwards, she would drop them home and then depart for the operation site near the crystal pillar.

As Lightning's mind was being filled with all these thoughts and plans, she seemed to have failed to notice the group of men behind her as they followed her every move. She glanced once or twice at them, but they were casually talking to each other about shoe sizes, so she didn't worry as much. She took a quick left and then after a flight of stairs, another left. She finally arrived to the café, where she saw Leo, Maria in his arms, waiting by the café's patio. He waved to her as she walked towards them.

"Light! How was the meeting?" Leo gave a small kiss on Lightning's cheek as he transferred Maria to her.

"It was ok, all the prep is finally complete," Lightning absent mindedly hummed as she and her husband strolled through the streets.

"Leo, have you noticed that-"

"Nobody is here?" Leo completed her thought.

"It's odd…Something just doesn't feel right…" They quickly went through a few stairs onto a major avenue, and then to another alleyway. Lightning wanted to get home as soon as possible; she knew something was not right.

"Maybe it's some sort of holiday or something," Leo wasn't as suspicious as his spouse. It was either because he didn't have trained, soldier-senses or that Lightning was being slightly paranoid.

Lightning suddenly whipped around. Her eyes darted in every direction; she knew she heard something.

"Light, nothing is here, stop being so paranoid and-"

"Move," Lightning suddenly ordered. "Leo, we have to get out of these alleys! It's too much of an enclosed area and-"

Suddenly, something crashed right in front of Lightning. She stumbled back, trying the best she could to not fall while Maria was in her arms. She quickly regained her composure and looked around to find their assaulter. Suddenly, swarms of people surrounded them from every direction. Some held signs, sticks, or rocks, while others held more dangerous weapons like torches or machetes. Lightning was extremely confused at the whole situation. Where did all of these people come from? Why were they approaching them? A thought flashed through her mind.

"Leo! These are the protesters, they're-," she looked around, but she couldn't see her husband anywhere in this swarm of angry people. Her heart skipped a few beats, as she frantically searched the crowd. She failed to notice a number of them quickly approaching her. She quickly ducked as a rock whizzed through her head, Maria's screams piercing her ears.

"MOMMY! MOMMY!" Maria started crying. Even she knew that this situation was bad. Lightning rammed through the mob, trying desperately to get away. She could not fight with her daughter in her hands, especially with this many people. She rushed through the alleys, making a quick left into the avenue. Relief washed over her as she saw Leo also running away from the crowd. She sprinted as fast as she could towards him, however, the mob also inched their way closer.

"Leo, take Maria! Get home as quick as you can!" Lightning screamed at him. She needed them to get to safety.

"But, what about you!"

"Don't worry about me, I can take care of these cowards," She tried to crack a small grin. She shoved a resisting Maria into Leo's arms. "Please, Maria, go with your daddy! Everything is going to be ok, don't worry." Lightning tried to comfort her daughter, stroking her cheeks with soothing words.

"But, mommy, you can't-MOMMY BEHIND YOU!"

At that command, Lightning whipped around and elbowed the nearest protester in the face, effectively shattering his nose. She grabbed another demonstrator by the arm, throwing him into a crowd of people, then running towards them and kicking each of them in the head. Hard. She somersaulted into a standing position, dodging and weaving through the various rocks, sticks, and machete swipes that threatened to harm her. This fight was getting pretty messy, and fast.

The only problem was that she couldn't use her gunblade. These were civilians, not trained militants. She could kill each one of these people with one flick of her sword, something that she didn't want to be responsible for. Suddenly, big, burly men emerged from the depths of the crowd into her general vicinity. She could not roundhouse kick those guys. She ran toward a group of college students, dodging the random pellets of rock they threw at her. She grabbed one of them by the neck, ramming him down on the ground with a loud thud. She then lifted his leg, swinging him around until she let go, where he effectively bulldozed another group of young people like bowling pins. Lightning ran towards the fallen group, successfully arming herself with a bat.

She could now do some serious damage to these idiots. But she first had to protect Maria and Leo, who were frantically running away from the few demonstrators who decided to chase them.

"Oh, they are so going down," Lightning roared, as she sprinted through the now smaller mob, selectively swinging the bat at various people when she had the chance. Blood splattered onto her jacket and face, making her look like a delusional serial killer. She finally met up to Leo, right before a man with a machete wildly swiped at him.

Leo turned his back toward the man to protect Maria, shutting his eyes as he braced for the impact. But…nothing happened. He thought he was dead for a split second, but Maria's screams awoke him from his stupor. He whipped around to find Lightning beating the crap out of the man with a metal bat. He covered Maria's eyes and ears, she was still too young to see violence like this.

"Leo! I…said…to…get…AWAY!" Lightning paused her sentence every time she swung her bat, trying as hard as she could to distance her family from these crazy people. Something still wasn't right. Not only where they only attacking her and her family, but the fact that they weren't fleeing either. Usually, any normal person would run a 3 mile radius away from a fierce Lightning, but none of these people seemed to even care that their comrades were getting horribly beaten.

"But…"

"Protect Maria!"

At that command, Leo sprinted away from the streets and into some more alleys, dodging the various trashcans, litter, and cars that obstructed his way. He sprinted for a good minute or so until he hid behind a dumpster, panting heavily.

"Daddy…mommy isn't going to make it…" Maria sadly and softly whimpered through her sobs. Leo was perplexed by her daughter's bold statement.

"Why is that honey? Mommy is really strong, she can do anything!" Leo slightly shook her shoulders, plastering a huge grin on his face. He silently prayed to himself that that was also the case.

"But…but there's too many of 'em! And…mommy will get tired!" Leo was amazed on how smart Maria was. She was brighter than most kids her age, but this was beyond ridiculous. She also had a point: sure, Lightning had amazing stamina, but it still had its limits.

"Sweetie…Nothing is going to happen to mommy, ok? I'm positive that everything will be ok," he strongly believed in his statement. He locked eyes with his daughter for a few more moments until she very quietly murmured an "ok". He picked her up, slightly rocking her, until he heard some shouts.

"Here we go again," Leo heavily sighed. All this running around was making him tired, and Maria was starting to get heavier in his arms.

"Daddy, go up!" Maria pointed up. Leo quickly followed her gaze to a ladder. Man, this girl was smart. He placed Maria securely onto his shoulders as he quickly scaled the ladder and up to a random balcony. From there, he climbed and stood on top of a thick guard rail. He took a deep breath and pushed off, jumping to a ledge of an adjacent building, four feet away. He barely landed on the edge of the building and quickly scrambled to prevent himself from falling a good 40 feet. He looked over the edge and watched the confused men under him in amusement. He then turned around and started running and leaping onto other buildings, trying to build some distance from his attackers.

* * *

Meanwhile, a frustrated Lightning stabbed one of her attackers with his torch with her left hand and swung the bat at his head with the other. She was getting mad, and fast. It wouldn't take long until she snapped, pulling out her gunblade for an all-out massacre. She clenched her jaws and gritted her teeth and ran towards the last wave of people. She leaped and rolled out of the way of a machete strike, somersaulting back up into a kneel, where she blocked another swing, but this time, her bat finally shattered. Some of the chunks of metal sprayed onto her face and to her attackers. The pain stung, and she flinched for a moment, but that gave her attackers enough time to advance. One kicked her on the side, knocking all the air out of her. She tried to gasp for air, but a burly protester came up and grabbed her by the neck, throwing her into a nearby dumpster. The sharp edges tore her back. Lightning felt sharp pain and warmth resonating from her posterior. Things where getting bad.

She struggled to get up, standing into a slouched position. She stared at her attackers faces, all of them with evil grins plastered onto their faces. She had enough of this. With one, quick, fluid motion, she unsheathed her gunblade, pointing the tip to the nearest person. He froze.

"If you…all take one more step…I'll kill you." She said in a menacing voice. None of them dared to move for a few seconds, until the last of the burly men walked towards her, cracking his knuckles. She gave him a glare for a second, before deciding to strike him down. Well, he did have a warning, she thought. Right before she raised her blade, some person from behind swung a machete at her abdomen. She tried as hard as she could to move away, sensing the disturbance in the air, but it was too late. She felt a deep gash being form as the piece of metal met with her bare skin. She let out a strangled yell and then the burly man kicked her six feet away.

Lightning's vision started blurring, her breathing was deeply labored. She could not get up into a standing position, so she sat there in a crouched position. She could hear the laughs of the men. Immediately, she glared at them, flipping her gunblade into its trusty gun mode. As they laughed, she pointed the firearm at them. She shot each of them in the leg, twice, in rapid succession. Their screams filled the air as they all crippled and fell to the ground, unmoving. Lightning, panting heavily, gave a large sigh.

"It's over." Lightning fell to the ground, still conscious. Bodies littered around her, also unmoving. Blood stained most of the ground, walls, and doors of various buildings. Too much blood was flowing out of her; this was not good at all. She traced a finger to her coat and into a pocket, where she pulled out her communicator. She pushed the big red button on the side, and placed the communicator in front of her face.

"Lightning, what is the emergency!" A familiar voice shouted through the speakers.

"Amo….dar…..42nd street west…alley…he..l…p" At the last word, she finally gave into the darkness.

* * *

**That was my first time writing a fight scene. It took forever! -_- Oh well, I'm pretty happy with it. :3  
**

**Tell me what you think in the reviews! :D  
**


	4. Enter the General

**Hello everybody! Welcome to another chapter of TCM! I just want to HollowPanda (again!) and Lightningthesky for reviewing and everyone else who gave me story alerts and favorites! You really make my day! I would also like to thank my friends Koharu and Taylore for giving me ideas and being my slaves, I mean, proofreaders.**

**Also, there's a few surprises in this chapter. Mhuahaha.  
**

**Without further ado, enjoy!**

* * *

"You know what?" Hope breathed through his intercom. He was seriously irritated right now. Lightning was nowhere to be found, and she is never late, especially for something as important as this. After waiting for her for ten minutes or so, he went ahead and started the preliminary operations, readying the extraction site and the synthesized crystal that they made. But it's been 2 hours, and Lightning still had not arrived. She didn't pick up her phone, communicator, and even Leo was unreachable. Not only that, but Asami disappeared as well, and she always knows the whereabouts of the Commander.

"I don't care if he's in the meeting! Let me talk to Amodar, he knows where Lightning is…he always does!" Hope screamed, clearly not in a good mood.

"But sir, that is impossible! He's in a meeting with the Senate! He-"

"Sergeant, I will NOT have no as an answer. Give the communicator to him right this instant!" After a long silence, Hope grew even more irritated. "Sergeant!" Suddenly, he heard a loud crash, two very distinctive, strangled cries, a desperate plea for help, and finally, silence. Hope's breathing started to shallow as his mind started to comprehend what just happened. "…S-Sergeant?" Hope stammered. His communicator was stuck to his ear like glue; he strained to hear something, anything. He finally managed to make out some footsteps and then loud sound of crushed metal until the line went static. Hope stared out in empty space for a few moments until he realized what just happened. "Someone attacked the Sergeant!" He exclaimed. All the soldiers stopped their activities and turned to their leader, completely perplexed by his statement. Hope started to stroke his chin with one hand, computing the number of reasons why this would happen.

"…Clearly, someone does not want me to talk to Amodar…but why?" He whispered as his mind started to race for the answer. His eyes darted in every direction, desperately trying to find an answer, until he caught sight of the synthesized crystal. His mind immediately went to Fang and Vanille, but what did they have to do with all of this? This whole operation was under wraps anyway, only he, the soldiers who were assigned, Snow, Serah, Sazh, Leo, Amodar, Asami, the Senate, and Lightning knew about it. He suddenly looked up; it all clicked.

"Something happened to Lightning!" He mentally smacked himself for not realizing it earlier. She had to be in the city somewhere, but Erebus was too big to search in less than an hour. He started computing the number of actions he could do. But one thing nagged at him the most: who would do this? He was about 99% sure that the demonstrators had nothing to do with this, they had no idea that there was such a large operation going on. But then again, anything was possible. Lightning herself taught him that. Hope growled. He didn't have time to think about this, he needed to help Lightning. He was about to set out for Headquarters when suddenly his communicator rang. He hastily pulled it up to his ears.

"Hello!" He barked.

"Hope! Hope!" A very raspy voice answered back. Hope's eyes grew larger as he realized it was Leo.

"Leo, what's going on! Where is Lightning?"

"We were going to meet up with you two hours ago, but we got attacked by some crazy demonstrators!" Leo tried to yell back. Hope could hear the strain behind his voice. Hope face-palmed; of course, it had to be the demonstrators to ruin their plans.

"Hope, I got a call from Amodar a few moments ago! He said that she's in the hospital, badly hurt…" Leo's voice dropped a few decibels. Hope could feel the pain and guilt behind Leo's voice.

"I'm going to go meet up her, ok Leo! You go home, and stay there! Make sure- actually, go to Snow's house, it'll be safer there! It's clear that these people are targeting you," Hope spoke as fast as he could. He needed to get to Lightning as soon as possible.

"Gotcha!" Leo yelled back. He was about to disconnect the call until Hope shouted back, "Call Asami, we're going to need her!"

* * *

"_Hahah! I beat you again!" A tiny voice sang. She watched the boy stand there, panting heavily with his hands on his knees. He looked up, giving the girl a scowling look._

"_That's not fair, Claire! You had a head start!" The boy pouted. Not only that, but she even untied his shoes before the race, causing him to trip multiple times. She gave him a devilish grin, giving him a cute, one armed hug._

"_Well Leo, it actually is kinda fair," she happily squeaked. "First of all, you're a boy, so you always have to let the ladies go first." Leo threw his hands in the air and gave her the most exasperated look in the world. Girls, always making up excuses, he thought. They walked toward a bench and sat together, Leo trying to tie his shoes with no success. Lightning pulled his shoe closer to her, finishing up the tie for him as she continued to talk._

"_Also, you're older and bigger than me. So it isn't really fair for me to race you anyway, I need a good head start."_

"_But Claaaaiiiree! That makes absolutely no sense! Then what's the point of racing me?" Claire simply smiled, finishing tying his other shoe. She then jumped off the bench, twirled around and faced him and simply said, "It makes perfect sense!" and happily skipped away. Leo ran and caught up with her, both of them entering the little building. They both walked through the hallways in silence, until they arrived in their kindergarten homeroom. After a quick, thirty-minute lesson with their teacher, they were free to play until their parents picked them up. Claire and Leo immediately went to the building bricks, attempting to makes the world's largest tower. After fifteen minutes or so, Claire went left to find some more bricks, since they were quickly running out. She came back with an armful of them, but then saw Leo wedged between two of the bigger boys of their class._

"_Ooooh, Leo's playing with his Girrrrlfriend!" The biggest of the boys taunted him. His two other "grunts" pinned him to the wall by his shoulders, Leo unsuccessfully struggling to get free._

"_She's not my girlfriend!" He yelled. "She's just my friend!"_

"_But she's a girl!"_

"_So what!" Leo spat at his assaulters. All the boys stared at Leo in disbelief, and then started to sing, "Claire and Leo, sittin' in the treeee! K-I-S-S-I-N-G! First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a baby in a carriage!" The boys were dancing around him and laughing. Leo shut his eyes, he wanted all of this to stop. The laughing abruptly stopped, and he snapped his eyes open. He looked up to see the bully on the ground, his left eye swelling up fast. He then felt a small hand on his arm, pulling him up into a standing position. He looked at Claire, her ice-blue eyes burning with furry._

"_What was that Farron?" One of the boys yelled._

"_Get away from Leo! What did he do to you!" She yelled back. She kicked one of the "grunts" in the stomach, then punched the other one in the face. They both fell on the ground next to their leader. She proudly stood in front of them, giving them the most threatening look she could manage with someone with such a cute face as her._

"_If you even touch Leo again…" She didn't even get to finish. The bullies ran off, crying. She then turned to Leo and gave him a very concerning look. "Leo, are you ok? What did they do to you!" Leo sniffed and pointed to their now demolished tower. _

"_They, they came up to me and asked me why I was playing with a girl, and then, and then, and then I said that you were my friend then they pushed me down at the tower…" Leo didn't say anymore, he didn't want to start to cry in front of her. Claire pulled him into a warm embrace, wiping away some of the stray tears he unknowingly shed._

"_It's ok, Leo! We can always make another one tomorrow! Besides, we can make an even bigger one!" She happily chirped. She was always the optimistic one, always managing to find a good out of the bad._

"_But Claire, that's impossible! It'll fall down, like yesterday!"_

"_Nothing is impossible Leo!" Claire patted his back as they walked back towards their play area._

* * *

Lightning shot out of bed, heavily panting. Her vision slowly started to focus as the details of her dream started slipping away. _Was that…that was a long time ago…but…why?_ She thought to herself. She hasn't had many childhood dreams ever since her mother died years ago. She looked around the room. It was small, white, and there were no windows in sight. She started to hyperventilate as her claustrophobia started to kick in. Was she a prisoner? First of all, where IS she? She was about to jump out of bed until something very tight tugged at her abdomen. She pulled off the covers to see that she was strapped into her bed, hooked up into an IV.

At that moment, someone swung open the door. She watched intently as a man in his late 60s walked in, wearing a white coat and holding a notepad.

"Welcome back, Farron," the doctor said in a sing-song voice. He glided across the room, and glued himself to the beeping monitor. Lightning watched him, amused, but quickly gave him a scowling look.

"Doctor, how long have I been here? First of all, what even happened?" She exclaimed.

"Well, in short, we found you in a dark, creepy alley," Lightning raised an eyebrow. She had no patience for jokes. "And you were about one liter less of blood than usual, you had massive cuts and wounds, you had a huge, blotchy black eye, and tons of bruises. We transported you to the hospital, and we treated most of your wounds, they weren't really deep, and we gave you a minor blood transfusion. You also might be wondering why you passed out. It wasn't because of the loss of blood, it was actually because you had severe dehydration." The doctor looked up from his notes and gave her a peculiar look. Lightning's cheeks started to redden as her stomach growled loudly. _Well, I was supposed to have breakfast with Leo..._she thought to herself.

"Never mind that!" She quickly exclaimed. "How long have I been here?" She demanded. At that exact moment, the door loudly snapped open, revealing a very flustered looking Hope. He gave a quick salute to his superior, to which she waved away. This wasn't a time for formalities.

"Commander-"

"_Hope." _

"Light, we're only two hours behind schedule!" Hope was clearly annoyed by the change of events. He was this close in starting the operation, and _this_ happened. "Are you ok? Can you still function? What even happened to you?" Lightning took a deep breathe. She wanted to explain this as fast and concise as she could.

"I picked up Leo and Maria up, and we were heading toward you, where a massive mob of people attacked us."

"But…why would the protestors single you out! How did they know where you were going anyway?"

"I think I was being followed. There was nobody in the streets this morning." Hope gave a heavy sigh and face palmed. "Lightning, we have to start this right now, we-"

"Hope, don't worry about me, I'm fine. Start it." At that, she unbuckled her restraints and jumped out of the hospital bed. She slightly flinched at the sudden pain at her side, but ignored it. The doctor rushed up to her, trying to push her back into the bed. She protested and pushed him away easily.

"Doctor, look, I'm fine." She huffed

"No you're not, you-"

"Sorry doctor, but she can't stay." It was Hope who spoke up this time. The doctor raised his hand and opened his mouth, but quickly closed it. There was no way he could argue with these military personal, especially since this was the Commander of the entire army they were talking about! He watched them walk out the room, Lightning give a small wave without turning around. The doctor chuckled. Young people, he thought.

Hope escorted Lightning outside to his parked car. It was a shiny, white, brand new, two-door sports car, complete with blue-to-green flame vinyls. Lightning always suppressed a laugh when she saw it. It was bold and "gangsta", everything Hope was NOT. She still didn't understand why the seats had to be red. It was probably a boy thing, she thought. She plopped herself in the passenger seat, sinking into the seat to get relaxed. Her body ached pretty bad, but she didn't want to show it. Hope got in, and the engine started with an ear-deafening roar. This time, Lightning gave in and laughed.

"What's so funny?" Hope exclaimed, his voice slightly cracking.

"That's another thing about this car. It's loud." Lightning stated as she stared out the window.

"And?"

"It's the opposite of you." Lightning cracked a small smile and looked at Hope. His expression was priceless: a mix of confusion, anger, disbelief, joy, and above all, annoyance.

"…Whatever…It's still a cool car…" He pouted, pulling away from the hospital parking lot. He quickly changed gears and raced to the base of the pillar.

* * *

"General, we have arrived." A very deep, husky voice. The General looked up from her book, closing it and sighed.

"So it appears," she said softly. Asami got up and dusted off her clothes. She just came from the capital, taking a two hour trip to Erebus by the hyper-train. The man picked up her bags as the briskly walked out of the station and into a black, darkly tinted sedan.

"General, there was another violent demonstration today." Her chauffer spoke up after a minute or so of silence.

"Oh really?" Asami replied. There was no curiosity in her voice.

"I heard from a high-ranking personal that they actually only targeted the Commander and her family." At this, Asami leaned forward, signaling him to continue.

"And…what happened?"

"She managed to fend them off, but I heard that she is in the hospital being treated." Asami fell back into her seat and stared at the window.

"Mhmmm…" she hummed. The soldier shot her a nervous look, clearing his throat very loudly.

"Anything wrong?" There was a long silence.

"Oh…it's nothing. It just appalls me how the Commander was able to be beaten by these cowards. Knowing her, she could take a few more hundred or so…Maybe there's a little more to this story." She smiled at the thought.

* * *

Lightning stared at the crystal pillar, their comrades' crystal almost halfway out. It's been a little more than 2 hours since the operation started and the extraction phase was about to finish. She was currently sitting at a table, drumming the edges nervously as she watched Hope, who was examining at least 20 different monitors. His hands were full of phones, pagers, and communicators. Hope insisted that Lightning should stay put and not help or wander around, exclaiming that she might "hit something", which in Hope's language, translates to "screw stuff up". She more she waited, the more bored she got. The more bored she was, the more impatient she got. The more impatient she became, the more likely she'll do something about that boredom.

Lightning stood from her seat, Hope instantly shot her a glare.

"Lightning, where are you going? This operation is far from over, and don't think to go walk around or something!" Lightning huffed and crossed her arms. She walked up to him and glared right back, but he didn't wavered.

"Hope, nothing is going to happen. The crystal is way over there," she pointed to the left. The crystal was indeed far away, about 100 meters away. "I'm just going to walk to the _right_, ok? I'm not a little kid, I can take care of myself _without_ breaking things." She gave him a stern look. Hope stared at her for a few moments until he sighed heavily, turning back to the monitors.

"Whatever, just don't touch anything," he went back to pushing buttons and yelling at his communicators. Lightning promptly left, walking down a set of impromptu stairs, staring at the variety of flora that surrounded her. Maker, she was bored. She sat on a rock and subconsciously started to hum a tune she knew since she was a kid. After a minute or so, her personal cell phone rang. Only a few people knew that number. She hastily pulled up the phone to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Hey Sis," it was Snow. But his voice was dangerously low and uncharacteristically monotone.

"What's wrong Snow?"

"How's the operation goin'? Are they almost done?"

"No, it's barely halfway there…why?" It was an odd question to ask, especially when Snow sounded like…that.

"Well, we kinda have a problem," she knew it. "Remember those demonstrators who attacked you? Well, they're parading around downtown!"

"What!" Lightning yelled, genuinely surprised. Didn't they have enough?

"Not only that, but they're really rowdy! They're tearin' down signs, breakin' windows, stealin' stuff!" Snow was talking as fast as he could. "We need you to come or something!"

"Why! Shouldn't FLASH be there?"

"That's the problem! I can't contact them! Serah went to the HQ, and they said that they can't help anyway, claiming that it's 'orders from above'!" _Asami should have already taken care of that! I told her to take care of things while I'm with Hope._ Lightning thought to herself. _Unless…something happened to Asami? It's possible…same thing happened to me today. _

"Light?"

"Snow, I don't know what's going on, but I'll be there right away, so stay put! Don't injure them, they'll just get more angry!" She stuffed her phone in her pocket and dashed back to the operation site. She madly ran past crates, satellites, and machines, carefully sidestepping away so she won't bump into something. When she finally reached Hope, she shouted, "Hope! Big problem! More protestings!"

"WHAT!" Hope practically screamed his head off. He was already under tremendous stress. Just a few moments ago, a generator malfunctioned and he was scrambling around to repair it. He started to pace around a table, his face hot-red from anger.

"Hope, don't worry about it, I'll take care of it, ok?"

"No, it's just not that, too many things are going wrong all of a sudden. For some reason, I'm suddenly short a few soldiers, my spare generators are missing, and one of the drills snapped right off!" Hope was furious, his eyes showed it all.

"Hope, calm down."

"Hah! You're funny, telling me to calm down!"

"I'm going to deal with these idiots."

"Light! What if they attack here? No, I can't have you leave, you're our only tank." He had a point. Most of his soldiers were scientists or engineers; people who weren't capable of fighting for very long. Lightning thought about it for a few moments.

"They're all in downtown! Nowhere near here!" With that, she ran off. Hope stood there, shaking his head. Something fishy was going on. He didn't like this at all one bit. Lightning ran toward a series of parked cars, hopping into a large convey vehicle. She revved up the engine and drove away from the site, going down a steep hill as fast as she could.

Suddenly, she caught a large black blob in the left of her peripheral vision. She quickly glanced at it, her eyes widening. She jerked the steering wheel to the right and pulled the handbrake, but she was going too fast. She heard a huge crash of metal-on-metal. Time seemed to slow as she stared at her door, slowly starting to concave toward her abdomen. The front shield shattered and she felt her seat belt ripping apart. She felt the glass tearing into her skin as she was projected forward, but everything turned black.

She slowly opened her eyes, blinking a few times. Lightning very slowly scrambled to get up, but she hit her head on something hard. She cursed at herself as she tried to crawl away from the wreckage, but fire blocked her path. She gritted her teeth and crawled as fast as she could past the fire, yelping at the hot contact. She rolled away from her wrecked car, gasping and wheezing for air. She kneeled on the ground, looking at her now demolished car. In front of her was a huge 18-wheeler black truck that was tipped on its side. How did she survive, she had no idea. She was about to get up when a sharp, hard kick sent her flying a few feet away. Lightning rolled until she hit a tree, hard, and started coughing mad. She squinted to see her attacker.

Her heart skipped a few beats when she saw who it was.

"A-Asami?" Lightning managed to choke out.

* * *

***Evil laugh***

** I tried to give several hints about Asami the past few chapters. I hope some of you figured it out! Tell me what you thought about it!**

**Anyway, expect a fight scene the next chapter!  
**


	5. Enter the General Part II

**Welcome to chapter five of TCM! I cooked up around six pages of pure action for you guys, so I hope you enjoy the fight scene with Asami and Lightning! :D**

**In personal news, I moved back to my home country for the rest of the summer. The plane ride was horrendous! -_- Took a total of around thirty hours to get here. At least I had _some_ time to think about the plot, right? XD  
**

**I would like to thank my friend Koharu again for reading and proofreading this chapter (and giving me your thoughts!). I also would like to thank HollowPanda and anime-virus for reviewing and everyone else who has favorited and alerted this! You all make me smile when I get those emails! :D  
**

**Enough of my babbling. Enjoy!  
**

* * *

Lightning watched in disbelief as Asami slowly inched her way closer to her, meticulously unsheathing her sword. Lightning struggled to get up, using the tree as leverage, never taking her eyes off the General. She eyed the sword; it wasn't just any old sword, nor was it a high-tech FLASH issued sword, nor was it a gunblade. It was an old fashioned, massive, two-handed sword with a hilt made out of pure gold with an emerald on the center. The blade itself wasn't steel or iron, but some sort of platinum alloy, Lightning thought.

Asami smirked evilly as Lightning was staring at the sword. She twirled it around twice and quickly slashed and pointed the tip at Lightning's face, only one meter away from her face. Lightning looked up at her eyes, her face full of disbelief. She pushed off the tree and clutched the hilt of her trusty gunblade. Lightning eyed Asami for a few moments. _Was this girl serious? Did she really want to fight? But…why? What the hell is happening!_ Lightning's mind was racing. She gave a small growl.

Lightning couldn't fight in her current state, she would die. She only fought a _few_ hundred protesters a few hours ago, landing in the hospital with several annoying wounds and bruises and blood lost. Not only that, but she just survived a rather random, severe car crash involving an 18-wheeler truck! Her body was battered and she could barely move her arms. Clutching a low tree branch, she wiped off the sweat that suddenly materialized on her face. There was only one thing she could do.

Lightning traced her left hand toward her uniform, unzipping a hidden pocket on the inside of her jacket. She pulled out a small package, very carefully opening it. She pulled out a needle and a vile. The vile was triangular shaped and there was nothing on the label except with two, large, red words:

"EMERGENCIES ONLY"

Lightning quickly poured the contents into the needle, still debating whether or not she would take it. The needle was full of EWH, Emergency War Hormones, a sort of steroid made by the scientists at FLASH. Every soldier had one with them for emergencies and crises such as the one Lightning was in. The hormones would increase the production of white blood cells and regenerative cells, as well as increasing blood production, heart rate, and most importantly, adrenaline. It was a very useful tool, but the only bad part was that it had extremely painful, agonizing side effects that could be fatal.

Lightning flinched at the thought, but took a deep breath a stabbed the needle into her neck, quickly pushing down on the syringe. She pulled it out and started coughing, gripping her head as a sudden, severe headache came. She gritted he teeth at the pain, clutching her eyes closed. Suddenly, energy flowed through her blood and she felt alive again, all the pain in her wounds and bruises wiped away. She threw the needle in a nearby bush and faced Asami, perfectly ready to fight.

Suddenly, Asami swung down her sword, fast. Immediately, Lightning unsheathed her sword in one fluid motion in less than a second, and she winced at the massive clang of metal on metal. Sparks flew as their swords grinded on each other. Lightning gritted her teeth and tried to push back, but she felt the weight getting heavier. She pushed off the sword and backflipped into a crouch, quickly backpedaling into a safe distance. Asami quickly ran toward her, raising her sword with one hand and thrusted into Lightning's chest. Lightning sidestepped away, grabbing Asami's arm, attempting to toss her to the side. Asami tensed and raised her free hand, effectively punching Lightning in the face. She then quickly stabbed her sword, but met with air. Her eyes darted left and right but no one was there. She jerked her head up as she saw Lightning flying over her head, her blade now in gun-mode. Lightning squinted with one eye and shot her weapon, aiming for Asami's sword-arm. Instead of fleeing, Asami jumped as well, hastily pushing Lightning's arm away and tossing her to the ground, hard. Lightning bounced from the ground and landed two feet away, but quickly pushed off with her hands and landed on her feet.

She and her attacker were breathing hard, but Asami was still smiling. Lightning was growing more irritated every second that past. She finally stood up and said in a harsh voice,

"Who's pulling your strings, Asami?" Asami simply smiled, taking two steps toward Lightning, her sword casually swaying from her hand.

"Strings? No one, Commander," she replied with a belittling voice. She watched at Lightning's eyebrows furrowing, clearly confused.

"Then what the hell are you doing?"

At that, Asami gave a small chuckle and abruptly lunged at Lightning. Lightning rolled away and slashed upwards at Asami, but only heard another clang. Lightning was being very careful with her attacks, something very uncharacteristic of her. She didn't want to kill Asami, Asami was her right-hand man! She was there since the Fall, she was the one who encouraged her to be Commander, she's the one would fill in for her after she gave birth to Maria, heck, she was the only non-family member who babysat Maria! Asami, the nicest person (yet strict) person on Gran Pulse! So why was she attacking Lightning, especially at such an important time like this? Did she…have something to do with the demonstrators?

Lightning gave a scowl and furiously shook her head. This was no time to think about the amount of conspiracies her mind could conjure. She had to fight, she'll get the information out of her that way; it was the only way she knew how to operate. Whether that was fortunate or unfortunate, she didn't know.

Purging her mind of her thoughts, she weaved through Asami's violent assault. Asami was a very powerful person. In raw strength, she probably was stronger than Fang, however, she was much slower than Lightning in terms of agility. Sometime that Lightning took full advantage of.

Lightning dashed towards Asami's left, creating a generous amount of distance between the two. She eyed Asami's movements, took a deep breathe, and sprinted towards Asami. A split second before the General brought her sword to the ground, Lightning sidestepped with inhumane speed, and pushed off again, ramming her body in Asami. She then flipped her gun into its sword mode, effectively slashing Asami's arm, drawing out blood. Lightning pushed off of her victim's body, sliding and turning around to run again at Asami. Asami pushed off the ground and thrusted her sword, this time with both hands. Lightning tried to sidestep away again, but she didn't see it coming. The sword grazed her side, creating a sizable gash on her back. Asami quickly followed through with a heavy kick to Lightning's leg, tripping her over to ground. Lightning gave a strangled gasp as she dropped her gunblade. She scrambled to pick it up again, but something tugged on her leg. She quickly turned around, but Asami kicked dust into her eyes and pulled on her leg. She lifted Lightning and body slammed her into the same tree, the trunk almost snapping in half.

Lightning screamed in pain. Asami was ruthless and relentless. She gasped for air as Asami slowly walked away, gingerly picking up her sword, humming a joyful tune. Lightning slid down the tree, trying to regain her breath. She angrily sighed and staggered towards her sword, never taking her eyes off Asami. Asami herself was still humming the tune, happily tapping her feet to the beat.

"Aren't you having fun, _Commander?_" Asami said in a sing-song voice. Lightning narrowed her eyes.

"Spit it out, _General_," Lightning retorted. "Why are you doing this! Didn't you hear that there are idiotic people demonstrating in the streets of Erebus! They're harming the civilians, we need to stop them!" Asami simply laughed and shook her head.

"Oh Lightning, Lightning, Lightning, Lightning…always denying the truth, aren't you?" Lightning looked at her furiously. "You probably already know, or at least speculated on why I'm doing this. Lightning, sweetheart, don't be so blind. Why don't you sit down and think for a second? Here I'll help you with it," she smiled and started to slowly pace.

"I. Don't. Have. Time." Lightning said in a menacing voice. "…But…I don't believe that you organized this demonstration. Nor do I believe that you sabotaged our plan to free Fang and Vanille either. I think that someone threatened you to do this, stalling me. You never act like this," Lightning very carefully said. There was a long silence, but it was broken with Asami crumbling into a fit of giggles.

"Very good, very good!" Lightning gave her a perplexed look. "But…no. Lightning, do I have to spell this out for you?" Lightning's heart skipped a beat. _This isn't happening!_ She angrily thought.

"I didn't just organize the demonstrators to attack you today, the sabotages, nor the car crash," Lightning flinched at the last part. Asami turned her head directly at Lightning and walked up to her, her face four inches away from Lightning's. Lightning looked up at her, clutching her gunblade with one hand and curling the other one into a fist. Asami gave an amused look as she stared down at Lightning, who was three inches below her.

"I am the leader of the Anti-Senate group, Commander."

* * *

Hope was furiously typing into a holographic screen, muttering numbers to his intercom. He fixed the broken generator and was so close in freeing the crystal. He looked at the crystal, and suddenly dropped all his devices and quickly ran towards it. He signaled to the drill operator to stop and for the soldiers to come. Around eight soldiers gathered around the crystal and carefully pulled it out, laying it on top of a cushioned table.

"Hurry up with the synthesized crystal already! We have less than five minutes to replace it!" Hope barked. The soldiers hurriedly hoisted the replacement crystal up and with a crane, quickly pulled it up to the extraction point, which was around 300 feet above the ground. Some soldiers stood on elevated platforms and pushed the crystal in various directions so that it did not hit something. Hope stood there on the ground, sweating and swallowing the lump in his throat nervously. They only had one shot at this, if they messed up, the pillar will crumble, causing Cocoon to fall onto Gran Pulse. Hope didn't want to think about the rest.

As his men were scrambling around to finish the operation, Hope looked at his friends' crystal. It had a magnificent blue hue, but for some reason, the crystal looked eroded. He eyed the crystal a little longer.

"We're gonna get you guys free…I promise." With that, he turned back to the pillar and watched as the operation was almost over. Finally, five soldiers carefully pushed the replacement crystal into the pillar. Everyone and everything was silent; nothing moved. Hope held his breath, hoping something might happen. Thirty seconds later, everything was still the same. Hope heavily sighed and shook his head.

"Alright guys, good job. Ops over. Sergeant, the generator over there, please go and-"

Suddenly, Hope felt a magnificent radiation of heat behind him and then a powerful shockwave pushed him to the side. He rolled a few times on the ground and plopped himself up at the elbows, trying to see just what in the world happened. He squinted at the bright light that was coming from the crystal and finally, a pillar of light shot through the air.

He could only make out a faint outline of Fang and Vanille's skin and clothes being uncrystalized until another shockwave flipped him six feet away. He managed to look up and catch the beam of light scattering away. He quickly struggled to get up, annoying the screams of pain his body was making. He stumbled a few steps forward, computing on just what happened.

"…They're….free? They're free! Holy shit, they're free! FREE!" Hope was jumping around in complete joy; his subordinates looking at him like he was mad. "I need to find Light!"

With that, he ran off to his car, revved up the engine, and went as fast as he could down the hill.

* * *

Lightning heard enough and head-butted Asami in the neck. Asami gave out a strangled cry and staggered backwards. Lightning ran up to her and started punching Asami's face over and over, pouring her anger into each strike. She kicked Asami in the head and elbowed her nose, hearing a rather satisfying crunch. Asami screamed in pain, unable to retaliate because of Lightning's insane speed. Lightning grabbed her arm and twisted it into an awkward angle, throwing her into the ground. She was about to kick her back, but Asami rolled away and grabbed her sword, desperately trying to strike Lightning.

Her sword met with yet another clang as the swords struggling against each other in a complete stalemate. Lightning's wounds were bleeding badly and she felt her consciousness slowly fading away with each strike. The EWH was slowly diminishing and she feared that the side effects would appear soon. _The only thing I can do right now is to wound her enough to where I can arrest her and-_

Lightning, busy with her thoughts, failed to see Asami sidestepping behind her and striking her blade once again to her side. Lightning gave a large yelp, wincing in the pain. She crashed into the ground and Asami walked towards her. She kneeled to Lightning's eye level and picked up her chin, staring into her ice blue eyes.

"Why are you doing this?" She snarled. "What the hell did we do…no wait. You're singling me out, aren't you?" Lightning grabbed Asami's arms and pushed her away. She then rolled up standing and gripped her gunblade until her knuckles were white. Asami pushed herself into a standing position, dusting off her clothes casually. She stood in an attacking position again.

"Because you ruined my life."

Asami sprinted towards Lightning, attempting a roundhouse kick. Lightning jumped and kicked Asami in the face, using that as a medium to push off. Lightning knew she didn't have much time left, probably less than a minute. _I'm just going to have to hope that the medics can revive her later…time to go all out._

Lightning switched her gunblade into its gun mode. She shot at Asami multiple times, most of her hits connecting to Asami's arm. Asami screamed in pain, but Lightning didn't waver. In one motion, she switched the gun into a sword, launched Asami to the air with a kick, and went all out with a watered down version of her Army of One.

As she was tearing Asami to pieces, she didn't see the black SUV quickly pull up from behind. A very buff man in a green militia-looking uniform jumped out of the car, wielding a revolver. He ran towards the women.

Lightning caught the man in her peripheral vision as she was striking Asami one last time, but it was too late. In slow motion, she watched him aim the gun at her and pull the trigger. Lightning stood there for a second, wondering if anything happened. She suddenly fell face-first to the ground, eyes right open. She looked to the right and saw a pool of blood filling the ground under her. Her breathing suddenly became laborious and her vision was becoming fuzzy.

"General! General!" The man sprinted towards Asami, his gun still pointing to Lightning.

"Arshia, what the hell did you just do?" She croaked. Arshia picked her up from the ground, putting her in a sitting position.

"What do you mean! She was killing you, you idiot!"

"I told you, she's mine! MINE!" Asami screamed, losing all of her cool she carefully built up. She scrambled to get up, but Arshia just kept her down. He finally picked up her, bridal style, all her blood dripping onto his coat. He gave Lightning one last look until turning around and walking back to his car.

"W..wait," Lightning whispered. He stopped and turned his head.

"Keep this in mind, _Commander_. This is war, so prepare yourself," he said in an ominous voice.

"But…why?" There was a long silence until he started to walk away.

"I can't tell you myself," he yelled back, "but…I can tell you this," he paused. He turned his head toward Lightning and bluntly said, "It's because…you killed her husband," with that, he put Asami in the car, revved up the engine, and sped off.

Lightning stared at the ground for what seemed like an eternity. She didn't feel any physical pain, only the mental pain of her best partner betraying her. She replayed the whole seen with that Arshia-man over and over again. She killed her husband? Since when? What was he talking about? Was her husband a…PSICOM grunt or something? Or a civilian? But…why didn't she say anything earlier? Why did she become her General! Was this some sort of…revenge crusade?

Lightning stared to cough madly, blood spitting out. _That's it_, she thought. _I'm going to die..._

At once, she heard another car pulling up to her. She made no effort on getting up. _Now who is it?_

"Light! LIGHT!" Hope practically screamed his lungs off. He ran towards her, pulling her up onto his knees, all her blood staining his uniform. He pushed her bangs out of her face, wiping the blood out of her eyes. "Light, what happened!"

"H..ope…E…W…H…" She managed to croak. At that, she jerked upwards, her eyes widening to the size of walnuts, and she shoved Hope out of the way. She then violently vomited. Not just once, but twice, and then a third, fourth, and fifth time. It came to the point where she couldn't breathe, and that there was nothing left to throw up. Hope tried to stop her, but he knew better. Tempering with the side effects of EWH was a very risky task. He watched in horror as Lightning started the throw up blood.

_This isn't good! The hormones are now degenerating her immune system…she'll die if this keeps on!_ He screamed in his head. Suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind. He quickly slapped himself in the face for not thinking about it before.

"Light! Light listen to me, where is the counter med!" He hoped she was conscious enough to respond. She looked at him, but kept on vomiting. Her wounds suddenly burst again, blood flying everywhere. She managed to weakly point to her coat pocket until she vomited again. She couldn't take this anymore.

Hope pushed her to the ground and frantically searched through the pocket. He pulled out another needle and vile, this time labeled "COUNTER". He quickly filled the needle with its contents and tried to steady Lightning, but she still kept vomiting.

"Lightning, keep still!" She wouldn't stop. He growled and grabbed her neck, quickly stabbing the needle there, hoping that he didn't puncture her esophagus. They stood there in silence, Lightning coughing one last time until she closed her eyes, this time embracing the darkness that reached her for a second time today.

* * *

**Dun dun duuuuuuuuuuuun. And now the plot THICKENS!**

**I had such a hard time with Asami. I stared at my laptop for a good 10 minutes everytime she opened her mouth. I hope I nailed her; I wanted to make her creepy...  
**

**I feel bad for Lightning now! D: I feel so horrible...oh well! :D  
**

**Please tell me what you think in the reviews...as you can tell, I looooove feedback!  
**


	6. Enter the Musician Part II

**Yes everybody, I'm actually updating early! Now that summer is upon us (at least me), I have a bunch of time to write and think. Now this chapter has everything: flashback, fluff, plot development, Fang and Vanille, jazz...Everything. Oh and yes, this is 5k + words. The longest chapter so far. :)**

**I would like to use this space as my customary thank yous now. Huge thanks to Koharu, my buddy who proofreads and gives me her rather amusing thoughts. I would also like to give a big thanks to anime-virus, who reviewed the last chapter. Your comment made me grin ear to ear. Thanks! :D  
**

**Now before I start, I'm going to have to teach you some vocab:  
**

**Playing in the Pocket = Keeping the tempo; the beat.  
**

**Bars = Measures in jazz.  
**

**Skatting = A singing style in jazz that's basically a bunch of gibberish.  
**

* * *

"_I'm telling you, I can't do it!" A voice huffed. Two silhouettes walked on the beach, their steps leaving trails behind in the sand. They strode along the trail together, taking long, slow strides. The sun was beginning to set, the sea was a mixture of pink, yellow, orange, blue, and a hint green. The sky was already a deep purple color, a warm navy slowly creeping its way closer to the sun. The two walked in silence for a few minutes, breathing in the frigid air. Even though Bodhum was a beach resort city, it still snowed during winter. _

_The girl tugged at her scarf, pulling it closer to her face. Each of their breaths materialized into mini clouds, slowly evaporating into the air. They reached at the end of the trail, where they start walking through a jungle, snow now lightly falling into the ground._

"_We're gonna have to hurry now," the boy said, "we'll be late if we don't."_

"_Let us be late," the girl sadly said. She walked even slower, almost dragging her legs. She looked down as she talked, trying to hide her uncharacteristic expression. The boy noticed this and quickly walked in front of her, placing his hands on her shoulders, abruptly stopping her. She shot her head up, looking into his sea-green eyes furiously._

"_Everything is going to be alright, Claire! Stop overreacting to this, it's just a regular competition, you've done these many times before! Besides, you have the whole band behind you; you're not alone," he said sharply, but with a soft tone. The girl looked away and pushed his hands of her shoulders, turning her back towards him. She placed her hands on her hips and took a large breathe, sighing heavily afterwards. She pinched the bridge of her nose and turned around, giving the boy a scrutinizing look._

"_First of all, my name is _Lightning_ not Claire," the boy looked up and gave her a scowl, slowly shaking his head. "Second, it's not just some 'regular competition', it's the Nationals for crying out loud!" She threw her hands in the air with an exasperated expression. "Look Leo, I know it's not a big deal for you, you've gone to these like almost every year…but this is my first," she whispered._

"_Claire-"_

"_It's Lightning, Leo, Lightning," Leo gave a heavy sigh and shook his head again._

"_Look Claire, I know you're hurting…heck we're all hurting. But I don't understand how a name change is going to help. It's not going to bring her back!" Lightning shot her head at Leo, walking towards him furiously and slapped him. He gave her a shocked look and then looked down. "I'm sorry, that was uncalled for," he slowly said. She huffed and turned around, trying as hard as she could to not cry. _

_It was only less than three months since her mother perished in a tiny, gray room inside Cocoon's "greatest hospital". No one on the face of the "Paradise Planet" had died from disease in more than forty years; every threat was demolished thanks to super-sophisticated technology, medications, and of course, help from the Fal'Cie. Her mother's death came to a complete shock to the entire community. The Sanctum itself had the keep everything under wraps; if a disease death was reported, the worldwide panic would ensure, so her mother's death was labeled as "intoxication complications", much to Lightning's, Serah's, and Leo's disgust. _

"_Well, all things aside, you're always Claire to me," Leo poked Lightning's forehead playfully, slowly walking away, signaling her to follow. Lightning rubbed her eyes and followed, slowly jogging to catch up to him. She stared at the sky, hundreds of thoughts flying through her head like a flock of birds migrating. Lightning absently mindedly walked into a tree, and promptly fell down on her rear. Leo chuckled and pulled her up to her feet._

"_What's plaguing your mind this time? Still think you can't do it?" There was a long silence. "I don't understand Claire, you've done these competitions before, what's bugging you? Spit it out," he pressed._

"_It's just that…the Primarch is there! And this is the first time he ever came to any high school competition!" She exclaimed._

"_And?"_

"_And? He just _happens_ to come to my jazz competition! Couldn't he pick something else, like your orchestra competitions! Those should be more interesting for an old guy like him…" she trailed off._

"_Claire, just think about it, it's such a great opportunity! If he goes, then people will hear about that he went to a jazz competition! Jazz will finally start getting some press and then more respected! Isn't that what you've always wanted?"_

"…_I don't want anything anymore…it…it doesn't matter anymore. I'm probably gonna have to quit my jazz stint soon, I have to get a job Leo! I can't take care of Serah with my parents' money…It'll run out soon…" Lightning stopped walking and clutched her hair. Too much was going on in her life right now, she couldn't handle it anymore!_

"_Hey, hey, hey…That's no way to talk. You're mother always wanted you to continue playing your sax right?" He looked deep into her eyes, watching them slowly start to shine with tears. "I remember she would always say, 'I don't care if we get thrown on the streets or if the world suddenly combusts into flames, I will make sure you'll always play…you know why? Because you love it, and I want you to keep your passions. So don't ever quit,' forget that already, Claire?" Lightning grumbled. She loved playing her sax and jazz; it was her getaway. Whenever she felt sad or lonely, she would play out a tune and go on hours on improvising. Not only that, but she was good. Lightning was too humble to admit it, but everyone knew: she was the best saxophone player in all of Cocoon._

_Lightning sighed for what was probably the hundredth time today. _

"_Let's get this over with," she muttered. Lightning led the way to the concert hall, quickly dodging between random trees and shrubbery. She held the straps of her light-blue backpack carefully, making sure that the contents wouldn't get too rustled. The two finally emerged from the jungle and onto a desert sidewalk. The sky was now pitch black. Leo quickly glanced at his watch._

"_Come on, we got 30 minutes." They weaved through cars, trashcans, and alleyways for another ten minutes. Finally, they walked up a series of steps that led to a grand, glass door. Lightning stared at the building at awe as she climbed the stairs. It was a classical building, complete with white Corinthian columns, gargoyles, and statues of past, famous musicians. They pushed through the door together and were greeted with a flash of light. They shielded their eyes for a few moments until Lightning creaked her eyes open a fraction of a centimeter. She was greeted with a plethora of columns, chandeliers, tables upon tables loaded with food, drinks, and spirits, lush, marble floors, and finally, a large door that led to an auditorium. Leo took Lightning's hand as she stared in awe, and led her through a mass of people. They reached the door and Leo absentmindedly let go of her hand, much to Lightning's pleasure, and knocked on the door. A small steward opened the door and let the two through._

_Lightning ran to the magnificent stage. The auditorium was huge; it could've seated 5000 people easily. Lightning looked at the stage itself. It had two areas set up, each containing microphones, drums and pianos. She nervously gulped; she really wanted to win this. She went back stage and opened her dressing room. Inside, she met her band members who all sat there nervously._

"_We thought you would never come!" They all hugged her. Lightning looked slightly guilty._

"_Sorry guys…But stop worrying, I'm here. Now, we're gonna win this right?" Everyone gave a whoop. "Ok guys, just make sure you stay in the pocket; keep the tempo. We're gonna do about eight bars for each solo, I'll point to each of you in random order. I'll do a longer solo, since I'm the one who's mainly being critiqued, but you guys still have to do your best for the overall grade," they all nodded in unison. Lightning was the leader of their group, The Blue's Pistol. Their band was a simple quartet; a bass, piano, drums, and Lightning on saxophone. They all came together and gave their customary handshake, which was a series of complicated maneuvers that included high-fives, shaking, spinning, jumping, and the moonwalk. Of course, Lightning never performed the moonwalk part; she looked like a total idiot. They walked out of their dressing room, all dressed in black jeans, a white polo, a dark, navy jacket, a light blue scarf that had two pistols pointing toward each other on the tails, and finally, a hat, which was different for each band member. Lightning wore a light blue fedora, also adorned with the pistols on the left side._

_The first to third rounds went exceptionally well. They went against mediocre bands, playing probably only 70% of their true capabilities. They wanted to shock the crowd with a magnificent finale. They already performed Bossa Nova, Funk, Cool Jazz, and for their semi-finals, they performed their own version of a famous Ragtime song called "The Entertainer", but they made it slow and more meaningful._

_Finally, they advanced to the finals. They were up against an adult jazz band that was composed of a piano, guitar, bass, drums, saxophone, trombone, and a skat singer. Lightning thought that the whole ensemble was just pure overkill. Sure it would sound impressive, but it didn't let individual members (besides the leader) shine; something that jazz was all about. Lightning's group was clearly the underdog, but at the moment, Lightning didn't care. She just wanted to play. _

_The intercom called the group's name and they all walked to the stage, randomly waving at people. Lightning eyed a special section and saw Serah siting with Leo. Serah stood up and wildly waved, grinning mad. Lightning returned the gesture and gave a warm smile of her own. She went to the front of her band, clutching her saxophone casually. The looked at the other group's set up. _Too crowded_, she thought again. They all stood there, ready for their challenge. The host came up to the speaker and read off the intercom,_

"_Ladies and Gents, once again, welcome to Cocoon's National Jazz Competition! Here we are now, the finals! The two best jazz groups in all of Cocoon, who will win, we don't know!" Everyone chuckled at the corny attempt of a joke. "Tonight, these two wonderful bands must play a very famous song," he paused dramatically. "A song that is the pinnacle of jazz, ladies and gents, a song that captures the beauty and art of-"_

"_Get on with it!" A random person in the crowd yelled. The whole auditorium chuckled. Jazz was very laidback, it wasn't like classical music or anything, where everything was uptight. _

"_Very well, pushy person!" The host hollered back. "Tonight, the bands must play their own version of 'Misty" by Eroll Garner!" Everyone clapped. Lightning smiled ear-to-ear. Misty was her probably her favorite song to play, it was slow, sad, and above all, expressive. She turned to her group._

"_You all know what I'm thinking?" She whispered._

"_Something different?" The pianist piped up._

"_Let's-make-it-amazing kind of different," the group members stared at the ground in silence for a few second. They all looked up, smiling happily. _

"_So you want it blues, huh Lightning?" The bassist spoke this time._

"_But not slow, fast!"_

"_Fast? But…it's Misty for crying out loud! It's a slow song…and depressing."_

"_We're a jazz group, remember? We _have_ to change it to make it our own. Besides, the judges won't be expecting it, right?" They all agreed. They turned back to their positions, waiting for the host to announce who will play first. The host came back on stage and excitedly said,_

"_The C-Jam Sevenths are the first to go!" Lightning sighed in relief. She didn't want to go first._

_Then the band picked up their instruments and after a moment or two, started the play. The pianist led the way, with a classic introduction. Finally, all the instruments got together for the A section of the song, the skat singer, a tall and beautiful young lady, probably in her early twenties, was actually singing the lyrics that came with the song, oppose to skatting. They repeated the A section and then went to the bridge, where the trombone soloed. Lightning looked at them, perplexed. Usually, you're supposed to play the melody first and then solo. They didn't even finish the melody. The trombone went on for about 16 bars, much longer than most solos. _Was this guy the leader or something?_ Lightning thought._

_The band switched off solos, all 16 bars each. What was even more odd was that no one was pointing or signaling who to solo next, they all just kind of…went. They soloed for a good eight minutes, which was practically overkill. They ended the song with a solo from the pianist. Everyone stood up and clapped. It was an impressive, but very risky version of the song. The only thing that Lightning was pleased about was that they kept the song to their roots; they played it slow._

_Lightning stood up to her microphone, placing it slightly below her saxophone. She turned around and eyed the members. She gave a nod and pointed to the pianist. He gave a fast, classic blues introduction. Then the bassist went, also playing a classic blues chord progression. Finally the drums followed. Lightning then abruptly entered, playing a funky version of the melody. The audience sat there in silence, wondering what was just going on. They're playing Misty…fast? They stood in awe as the group was about to finish the first playthrough of the melody. Lightning signaled to the pianist, who led the first solo. He played a very fast swing, even though Lightning told him blues, but she didn't mind. They all tapped their feet to the beat, thoroughly enjoying each solo. Finally, it was Lightning's turn. Everyone eyed her, wondering what she would do. She started off with a riff, and quickly went through the song's chord progressions. She tilted her head back and let her fingers fly off the keys, switching between swing and blues, a very interesting and exhilarating combination. After she was finished, everyone clapped, and they finished the song by playing the melody one more time. This time, in the end, the piano slowed down to a steady beat and Lightning played one last solo, ending the piece with the drums fading away._

_The whole audience stood there in silence. One person got up and clapped, then the next, and finally, the whole crowd was roaring with cheers. Lightning smiled mad and waved. The host came back, and handed the trophy to their group; The Blue's Pistol was the youngest jazz band to ever win the competition._

_After an hour, Lightning said bye to her band mates and packed up her things. She walked out and was greeted with a massive bear hug from Serah and a high-five from Leo. Together, they walked out of the building, but were stopped by a military personal. Lightning looked at the man carefully._

"_May I help you?" Leo spoke._

"_We would like Ms. Farron to see the Primarch." They all stood there in silence._

"_The P-Primarch?" Lightning sputtered. The soldier led them to a fabulously decorated convoy, and led them into a covered tent. They all stood there nervously. Lightning was finally led through a curtain, where she met the Primarch Dysley, sitting on a rather large throne. _

"_Very well done, Ms. Farron," the Primarch said in an odd voice, slowly clapping. Lightning bowed her head down in respect. "You play the saxophone very well…you're a very gifted person!" Lightning felt uneasy. Receiving praise from the Primarch was no ordinary ordeal; he barely ever left his palace!_

"_I'm glad you enjoy jazz, sir," she said in an extremely polite voice._

"_What else can you do?" Lightning looked at him, confused._

"_Excuse me, what do you mean, sir?"_

"_Do you have any other talents?"_

"_Er…" Lightning was silent. Talents? She never thought herself as talented; she worked hard for everything she has done._

"_She's captain of our high schools soccer team," Leo spoke, poking his head through the curtains. The Primarch did not give an amused look, but signaled him to come forward anyway._

"_She's also a second-degree blackbelt, she's a straight "A" student in school, and-"_

"_Leo!" Lightning shouted, thoroughly embarrassed._

"_Very well done, Farron!" The Primarch clapped again and eyed her critically. All of this felt odd to Lightning. Why was the Primarch suddenly interested in her life? Dysley pointed to a guard, who stood and walked toward Leo and Lightning and led them away. They met up with Serah and slowly walked away from the area._

"_What…the hell was that?" Lightning said in a slow voice. _

"_I have no clue. That guy's a creep if you ask me…maybe he thought you were pretty or something," Lightning stared at Leo in horror and punched him in the shoulder, hard. He gave a sharp yelp and quickly said, "I'm kidding, I'm kidding, Maker Claire, have a sense of humor!"_

_Lightning huffed and quickly walked forward, grumbling, "It's Lightning. Lightning."_

* * *

Lightning snapped her eyes open and stared at the gray ceiling. She lay there, thinking about her dream. _Why am I having so many old memories?_ She thought to herself. She had dreams on rare occasions, and they were usually nightmares, not childhood memories. _That was…11 years ago…but…what was Dysley doing there? I don't remember him being there…what the hell?_

Lightning got up, but screeched in pain. Her restraints tugged at her abdomen, which was covered in layers upon layers of bandages. She looked at the table and saw a bouquet of roses in a glass vase and a clipboard. She grabbed the clip board and read the contents out loud.

"Four serious gashes to the side, a damaged kidney, EWH withdrawal, massive blood loss, a slight infection on a wound on her neck (probably caused by the needle), bruises, and severe dehydration…I've earned worse." She threw the clipboard on a chair and sighed. She stared at the window for what seemed like an eternity until someone knocked at the door.

"Come in," she said in a monotone voice. A small pink-haired lady casually walked in, coming to the bedside.

"Lightning! Good to see you!" She playfully said. Lightning stared at her younger sister.

"How long?"

"Only two days…the doctors said you'll be back in five," Lightning gave a tired nod and looked at the window again. There was a long silence until Serah spoke up, her voice several decibels lower.

"What happened?" Two, very simple words, but Lightning was at a lost on where to start. She stared into Serah's warm, blue eyes,

"In short…apparently Asami is the leader of this demonstration group and-"

"What!" Serah yelled.

"I don't know! I get a phone call from Snow, saying that he needs help, and I drive down a hill where she RAMS me with an 18-wheeler truck and then tries to kill me with her sword!" Lightning shouted back, throwing her hands in the air, but grimaced at the rush of pain to her side. Serah grabbed her hands and slowly lowered them onto Lightning's lap and then slumped into the chair.

"But…why?"

"I wish I knew!" Lightning sadly said. "But…her right-hand man told me something…he picked her up and then told me that I killed her husband," Lightning trailed off. Serah stared at her, her mouth gaped open to the size of an apple.

"You what?"

"I have no idea what or who he's talking about! Maybe it was like a grunt or some civilian that got caught up in the l'Cie crisis…I don't know who it could possibly be," they sat there in silence.

"Well this sucks," Serah whispered.

"No kidding," Lightning retorted. They sat there, busy with their thoughts, until Lightning spoke.

"Serah…I had a dream about…that Jazz competition."

"The one in sophomore year?"

"Yeah."

"What about it?"

"Do you remember Dysley being there?" Serah gave her a perplexed look and furrowed her eyebrows.

"I…I think…yeah! He was there…but I didn't see him. They just announced that he was listening right?"

"I went into his tent thing and he spoke to me."

"Are you sure?" Serah gaped. She remembered Dysley being there, but not that part. "Are you sure your mind isn't playing tricks on you or anything?"

"I-I don't know…but there was another thing that worried me…"

"What now?"

"Remember that skat singer?"

"Not really, but go on."

"I think that was Asami."

"Light, you're crazy. I think your mind is making all that stuff up," Serah patted her back.

"I hope so…"

"Well, speaking of hope, Hope is waiting to talk to you. He's got great news. Oh, and I'll tell everyone what happened to you, I don't think you would want to repeat yourself, now do you?" Lightning nodded her head, grateful for Serah's suggestions. Serah skipped out the door and quietly shut it, but it once again swung open to reveal a rather excited looking Hope.

"Why you're so happy?" Lightning quipped. She herself was not in an amused mood.

"Light, Light, Light, Light, Light!" Hope jumped up and down. Lightning had never seen Hope this excited…since his sixteenth birthday, where Lightning gave him his very own, customized Grav-Con Unit. Complete with green-blue fire vinyls that he was (still) obsessed with.

"Hope, get on with it!" Lightning said, completely annoyed.

"Fang and Vanille are free!"

"WHAT!" Lightning practically screamed and face palmed. She totally forgot about the whole mission. "Where are they!"

"Well that's the problem. We haven't found them yet…" Hope very quietly muttered. Lightning shook her head in disbelief.

"Tell me exactly what happened," she ordered.

"We took the crystal out and after we replaced it with the synthesized one, nothing happened. About maybe half a minute later, there was a bright shockwave that pushed everyone a good five meters back and then the crystal started glow," Hope paused and scratched his nose. "There was another glow, but I saw Fang and Vanille, uncrystallized."

"You sure they're alive?"

"Positive."

"For how long?" Lightning asked.

"Not too long, maybe two seconds. Then another beam of light shot into the air and scattered, transporting Fang and Vanille with it," Lightning rubbed her temples. She covered her face with her hands and muttered, "How's the search team going?" Hope gave a nervous glance at Lightning, who peeked through the slits of her hands. She raised her eyebrow, eyeing him with intense curiosity. Hope plopped himself onto the chair, held his hands together, and leaned closer to Lightning's bed.

"We haven't sent one, Commander," Lightning stared at him.

"You're kidding."

"No, I'm not." Lightning's expression didn't change, but Hope could see her ice-blue eyes burning with fury of a thousand burning suns.

"And why is that?" She said through clenched jaws, trying very hard to not blow up.

"Lightning," he said her name with a stern tone, "Gran Pulse is just too big for the whole military to look for them. Besides, we have this damn demonstrations going around, screwing up our entire security up! We don't have the soldiers. But, you and I know Fang and Vanille perfectly well. They'll wake up and find their way to Erebus…it's their home right? Don't you think that's the first place to go?" Lightning thought for a minute. It seemed logical, but they needed to help them out a little.

"Fine Hope, just one thing. I'm _ordering_, not asking, but ordering you to tell every Erebus soldier to direct any Sari-clad, dark haired woman with a spear or a red-pigtailed girl wearing a bear felt to my house. I don't want them to be taken into custody or anything, they'll think something might be up, no?" Hope was silent for a moment until a thought flashed through his mind.

"Hey Light, wouldn't you think that they might think that we're dead? They don't know how far into the future they are…"

"If they come the Erebus, they'll see that large sign that says 'Welcome to Erebus, Financial Center of Gran Pulse' and then on the bottom, 'protected by Team NORA of FLASH, led by Snow Villiers'. Did you forget about that already?"

"No…but can they read Cocoonian script?"

"Hmmm…good point," Lightning hummed. "I'm sure they can if they tried, it's a lot similar to Pulsian, right?" Hope shrugged. "Whatever, the soldiers will direct them here, I'm sure they'll come." They sat there in silence again, Hope drumming on the table. Lightning turned her head toward the ceiling and then back to him.

"Hope, tell the doctor to discharge me from the hospital, I'm going to go crazy." Hope gave a hearty laugh.

"Why is that?" He said, still chuckling.

"Hospitals…just plain suck." Hope roared with laughter again, replaying Lightning's pout in his mind over and over again.

"Sure, sure…I'll tell him right now. Besides, I think you'll recover faster in your home with Serah's cooking, right?" Lightning smiled at the thought for a split second and then motioned him away. He was about to close the door until Lightning said,

"Who brought the roses?" Hope turned to look at her and smiled warmly.

"Leo of course," and with that, he shut the door.

* * *

"I can't pull it down!" A cute squeal huffed. The girl looked down with an exasperated expression, tugging on something as hard she could.

"Oh come on, it's just a piece of fruit!" Another, harsher voice called from below. The girl gave her friend another, even more exasperated look and jumped from a branch, holding onto the fruit with for dear life. She was up, 15 meters in a tree and this was not just any old regular piece of fruit, it was a ginormous, 20 pound "apple", or what was supposed to be an apple. The older woman below the tree laughed at the site.

"Pull! Pull!" She laughed.

"What do you think I'm doing!" The younger girl screeched, very annoyed.

"Why don't you get your fishing stick and pull it out?" The older woman hummed playfully.

"It's a rod! A rod!" The girl roared back, causing the older to roll onto the ground, laughing. After ten seconds or so, the woman stood up, still clutching her side through all the pain of laughing.

"Hold on Vanille!" She took a sprinting position and ran towards the tree, ramming her body into the trunk. The tree shook violently and she heard a large "plop". Apple mush sprayed all over her face, and the older woman wiped it off dramatically, looking at Vanille, who was sitting in the mushed up apple.

"It's not that funny Fang!" She pouted.

"It's hilarious! But now look what you've done, our lunch is now applesauce!"

"It wasn't my fault Fang!" They both looked at each other and cracked up. It's been two days since they awoke, Fang on top of a rock and Vanille stuck in a tree. They both decided to go back to Oerba, hoping that they weren't too far in the future. They knew people lived here, since every once in a while a large airship would fly over their heads. They just passed Taejin's Tower, this time, the climb wasn't too bad since their gang fixed the elevators a long time ago. They inched their way closer to the city. It was another hour or so until Vanille piped up,

"Fang! Look, there's no more crystal dust anymore!" Fang looked around. The girl was right.

"Well what do you know…You think that this is Sunshine's doin'?" Fang asked casually, as she bent down to expect the ground more closely.

"Maybe! But let's just go home…you think they're there?"

"Hopefully, if we didn't wake up _too_ far into the future…" Fang shook her head; she didn't want to think about it. She just had a gut feeling that they were all still alive, either fresh and young, or old and wrinkly. Fang giggled at the thought, Sunshine, all saggy and old? Now that was a sight to see!

"Come on Vanille, pick up the pace," Fang hoisted her companion from the ground, Vanille squealing.

"I was picking a flower up!"

"Mhmmm," Fang hummed. She really wanted to see the whole gang again, she missed them. After a minute or so of walking, Vanille said,

"I know Fang…I miss them too." Fang looked up shocked. Vanille looked up at her and kept walking. "You really need to learn how to stop muttering to yourself!" She gave Fang a lop-sided grin and they both walked along the trail together.

* * *

It was around five days since Lightning was discharged from the hospital, being transported to her house in a wheelchair. She met up with Leo and Maria, squeezing the life out of the little girl. She was so relieved to see them safe. Currently, she was in the backyard, sitting on the patio, watching Maria play with some flowers. Lightning took a sip of her drink and stared off to the distance. Who could she have killed? She didn't kill anyone in cold blood…they attacked her first! Lightning sighed and shook her head. This was messing around with her mind. _Maybe…she was lying? Oh Maker, I hope she was…_she thought.

"It's been five days and they still didn't show up," Lightning frowned as she talked to herself. She looked back at the yard and couldn't spot Maria. Pushing herself off the chair, she graced her way onto the grass, and tried as hard as she could to not make a single sound. She stealthily crossed the yard and hid behind a bush, slowly and carefully inching her way closer to the rose garden. She peaked through a small branch and watched Maria bend down and pick a white rose, and then a red one, happily muttering to herself. Lightning dashed away from the bush and picked up Maria from behind, her screeches and giggles filled the air.

"Hmmm….what are you doing, Maria?" She playfully asked.

"I'm pickin' flowers for us!" Maria happily smiled. She jumped from her mother's arms and ran back to her basket, carefully picking up two, delicate flowers. She gestured her mother to bend down and placed a firey-red rose above her ear. Lightning smiled and touched her daughter's nose, whispering a "thank you". She then took the white flower and fastened it to Maria's hair, but on the opposite ear. Maria gave a devilish grin and ran off, through the fence and into the front yard. Lightning heavily sighed and shook her head, quickly ran after her.

* * *

Fang and Vanille walked through the woods, the taller one complaining about the heat while Vanille hummed a tune from her childhood. They stopped and looked around, hoping they were going somewhere in the right direction.

"Aaarrgh!" Fang groaned. "Are you sure these cait sith-headed soldiers knew where they were pointing to?" Vanille giggled at the poor attempt of a "clean" cuss word.

"Well, I'm sure Light or someone told them to point us here. I mean, how else would they know who we are? Besides they said that the "Commander" asked us to come here! It's probably Lightning!"  
"Or some idiot who wants to kidnap us or something…I don't know Vanille! I hope this is Sunshine and the gang and not some stupid-"

Fang didn't finish her sentence. Her mouth gaped open as she stared in front of her. The sight she was watching was a tall woman, standing in front of a yard. Her hair pink hair swayed in the wind, casually knitted into a ponytail, with a single red rose adorning the left side. She was wearing fitted cargo pants, navy blue sneakers, and a long sleeved red v-neck. Vanille followed her example and also stared.

Lightning turned her head and quietly gasped. Her friends that she spent so much time and effort on freeing were right in front of her. She slowly started the walk towards them, still not believing the sight. Fang followed as well, stretching out her hand.

"Lightning-"

"Mommy! Mommy, lookey here! I gots another one!" Maria ran toward her mother. Lightning turned towards the voice, smiling as she bent down and picked up the little, "mini-Light", stroking her hair and looking back at the two native Pulsians.

Fang abruptly stopped walking and her hand stayed frozen in the air. If it wasn't for her jaw, her mouth probably would have hit the ground already. _A…kid? Sunshine has a kid? ...what?_ She quickly thought, her mind still computing on what was happening.

Vanille shook Fang's shoulders violently, her hands cusped around her mouth. She jumped around, her eyes swelled with tears. Vanille ran towards Lightning and gave her a massive bear hug, even though Maria was still in her arms. Lightning slightly flinched, but tried to return the gesture, but having a tall four-year-old in her arms made it entirely impossible.

Fang just stood there.

* * *

***smiling mad*  
**

**This chapter was probably the most enjoyable to write. I'm a jazz pianist, and I really wanted to add a music scene, I mean this IS called "The Commander and the _Musician_"...besides, writing about classical music would be boring. ;) I actually wanted Light to be a singer, but Koharu liked the sax idea better, which I guess it was. Although, I personally think the flashback was slight overkill, it was over 2000 words, but I had a ton of fun writing it! X3  
**

**The scene in the very end with Fang, Vanille, and Lightning was actually the scene that prompted the idea for this fanfic. It was supposed to be a one shot, but look how far it's gone! :D  
**

**Tell me what you think! Do you know who this mysterious husband is?  
**


	7. Enter the Pulsians

**Helloz! Here we are, chapter 7 of TCM! Woot woot! After the last chapter, my inbox exploded with reviews, alerts, and favorites! Some of the reviews were quite...interesting, but thank you everyone for their support! I would like to thank HollowPanda, milkycelestial, kalakili, averia, averiaclaire, kakililightning, and themagicshawol!**

**Also, I think there has been some confusion with Leo. Leo is my OC that I created for the purposes of my fanfic. He's not present in any other FF game. And the reason why I didn't pair Lightning with another FF character is because I didn't want a crossover or anything. Plus, I wanted to make my own character, so Leo fit the bill.  
**

**Anyways, enjoy! :D**

* * *

She snapped her eyes open, startled by the large sound. She bolted upright, her eyes darting around in every direction. There, she heard it again. She strained her ears, trying to make up the mysterious, large noises. She tried to push off the bed, but something tugged at her arm. She glanced at her left and caught a shiny, metal circle clasped around her hands. The woman's breathing became ragged, and she heard shouts, another "bang", a few thumps around the door, and finally silence. The tall woman held her breath. _Gunshots….shit!_ She screamed in her head.

The woman froze when she saw the door handle slowly turning. Instantly paling, she braced for the worst. She clutched the moldy mattress until her knuckles were white. The door creaked open, revealing a slightly flustered Arshia. The burly man emerged from the door, his short, spiked, jet-black hair barely grazing the top of the doorframe. He was wielding his trusty revolver, smoke coming out of the tip. He slammed the door, muttering, "Damn punks," and pulled up a chair in front of the bed. He sat on it backwards, his torso facing the back of the chair. He eyed the woman carefully.

"Welcome back, General," Asami sighed. She tugged and pointed at her handcuffs, signaling for an explanation. Arshia narrowed his eyes and abruptly stood, and smacked Asami in the face. Asami yelped from the sudden sting on her left cheek, and her head hit the back wall that faced the bed. Arshia eyed her carefully. "What the hell was that?" He darkly said.

"W-what? What the hell is your problem!" She screamed back, tugging at her restraints until her wrist started to drip with warm, red liquid.

"It took me five different drugs to knock you out," a lengthy pause, "because you wouldn't stop screaming, kicking, and threatening me on how she was 'mine'," he turned towards her, and aggressively pushed her against the wall, his face inches away from hers. He whispered in a ragged voice, "What my problem is… why did you hesitate? You went easy on her. I thought you wanted to kill Farron, is that not so?" He pushed off from the wall, crossing his arms.

"I did!" Asami yelled back. "I still do!" She tugged on the chain, her anger becoming more vicious. She stopped tugging and took a sharp intake of breath and pulled on the chain as hard as she could, effectively pulling it out of the wall, as well as a chunk of stone. She jumped out of bed, swinging the impromptu "ball and chain" at Arshia. The man ducked, but Asami sent a heavy kick towards his head. She heard a sickening crack as he landed on a table, splitting it into many pieces. The room was silent, besides her heavy breathing. She sat back down at the bed, grimacing at the rush of pain all over her body.

Arshia slowly got up from the wreckage, cracking his head back into place. He walked toward Asami, unfazed by the sudden events, and pulled out a keychain from his jacket pocket. He freed Asami from the now-useless handcuffs, picked up the chair from the ground, and sat right back on it.

"Good, you still have fight in you."

"What the hell are you talking about, I always did." Asami snorted. She looked around the tiny room. It was dark, water, or what she assumed was water, sweeping through the stone bricks, the ground was little more than dirt, and a single light bulb hung from the ceiling, flickering on and off every once in a while. A foul order stained the air, probably caused by the rotting, dead bodies outside in the hallways of the underground network. "I didn't hesitate, I let her win on purpose."

Arshia gave a dry chuckle, "Oh really, and why is that? After all you planned out, why would you do that?" His tone was very serious and threatening.

"I had an epiphany," the General started, "if I wanted to make her life miserable, why should I end it early?" She gave Arshia a peculiar look. "I want her to suffer. More than what I did," she beat her chest for every word in the last sentence. She looked into his black eyes, her expression bordering on the lines of a hungry animal and a psycho. "Let her know that her right-hand man was the one behind of all of this, let her know that _I_ am the one who is starting this, let her know that it was _my_ husband that she killed in cold, disgusting, l'Cie blood," Asami spat on the ground. She stood up and walked to a table, hastily grabbing a first aid kit that was left open, treating the wounds on her wrist. Arshia snorted.

"Is that it? You ruined your best chance for an 'epiphany'?"

"Who said that was my best chance? There will be many better opportunities in the future, my dear friend," she answered back, still focused on her wrist. "Is everything set up?"

"Yes. All of our members in all seven major cities are ready for action," he quietly said as he was reloading his Revolver. "What's the plan?"

"I want Alpha team in that city near the East Coast, Tempestas, to sack and seize the city, killing any FLASH operatives they see, even if they surrender," she casually said, shutting the lid of the first aid kit loudly. Arshia placed firearm on his belt holster, eyeing his leader carefully.

"The money?"

"It'll be dropped off at the regular place for you."

"And you?"

"I will deal with the _Commander_…and her family…personally," she walked towards Arshia, the man remaining unmoved. She pulled out his Revolver from his waist and walked back towards the door. She turned around and faced him, slapping the gun on her hand, making a rather loud clap. She looked down at the gun and suddenly, very quickly pulled it up and shot. The bullet grazed Arshia's left arm, the man giving a painful gasp and clutched his arm, scrunching his face in pain. She tossed the gun onto the destroyed table, and opened the door.

"And that's for smacking me in the face," she said before she shut the door behind her, kicking a body out of her way as she made her way up a flight of moldy stairs.

* * *

Lightning led the way to her house, Vanille and Maria trailing behind, while Fang walked by her. Vanille was playing with Maria, the two running around and playing tag. Fang was still muttering to herself, "This is not possible…Light can't have a kid…it's not hers…" It came to the point where Lightning 'lightly' punched Fang.

"Yaow! What was that for?" Lightning glared at her.

"Fang. Get over it. She's _my _daughter," she said, rolling her eyes at Fang's shocked expression.

"What's her name anyway!" Vanille piped up, carrying the adorable four-year-old in her arms as she caught up with the two.

"Maria," Lightning said proudly, but Fang dissolved in a fit of giggles. Lightning gave her another glare, this time her trademark "deathglare". _Oh, Maker, I forgot how annoying she was!_ Lightning thought. "What's so funny Fang?" Lightning said in a queer voice.

"It's just that," she laughed again, "that…I would imagine you namin' a kid "thunder" or something! Not something so…normal!" Fang exclaimed. Lightning merely shook her head as she opened the door to the house. Her voice dropped a few decibels lower, "It was my mother's name." Vanille gave Fang a small shove, but they both remained silent.

She led the two in the house, giving them a small tour. Fang and Vanille gawked at the ultra-modern architecture and design. Lightning led the way as Maria narrated what exactly what they were seeing, making her cute factor shoot off the roof. Afterwards, Lightning offered Fang and Vanille the guest room and shower, Fang very eagerly jumping into the shower.

* * *

Fang walked out of the bathroom, the steam of the hot shower following her. She was drying her raven-colored locks with a sea-green towel as she walked from the hallway and into the kitchen area. She caught Vanille sitting on a chair near an ultra-modern glass table, looking at a magnificent rose garden out the window. Fang placed her hand on Vanille's shoulder, whom jumped and stood from her chair.

"My turn!" She happily chirped. Before she got up to take a shower, Fang asked,

"What did you do? How's Sunshine?"

"Well…she told me a little about what happened after we saved Cocoon. But she probably made about a hundred phone calls while you were gone." Fang snorted.

"A hundred? I was gone for less than 10 minutes. Who did she call?"

"The gang! Sazh, Hope, Snow, and Serah!" Vanille practically jumped up and down in joy. "They're all going to come here!" With that, Vanille joyfully skipped to the bathroom.

Fang gave a small sigh and tossed the towel around her neck. She walked around the house, attempting to find a mob of pink hair. She made her way through a hallway and saw a door slightly open. She carefully graced her way through the hardwood floors and peaked an eye through the slit of the door.

"But mom!" The mini-pinkette groaned, "I'm not sleepy!" Lightning was carefully and slowly lowering her daughter into her bed, tucking her in under a mass of blankets. She handed Maria's favorite stuffed bear, Blitzy, to her, Maria snuggling closer to the bear and gave a yawn. "But…I'm…not sleepy," her eyes drooped.

"I know sweetie, I know. But it's already past your bedtime and-"

"No it's not, it's only seven," her daughter retorted. Lightning gave a slightly annoyed look, scrambling around to find an excuse. She didn't say anything for a few moments and was thoroughly relieved when Maria didn't press the issue any further. She quietly made her way to the door, opening it to find a madly-grinning Fang.

"The little one's cute," Fang said as they together walked back into the kitchen, Lightning muttering a "thanks". Fang plopped herself on a chair while Lightning attempted to brew some coffee. There was a long awkward silence.

"Heh, I spend so much of my time trying to bring you back…and when you're here right in front of me…I…I don't know what to say," she said, her back turned to Fang as she poured her coffee. She thought about offering Fang some, but remembered the last time she gave Fang coffee, which resulted in a four hour annihilation spree of the "poor" Gran Pulse monsters. She turned around and sat across Fang, who was still silent. "What, cat's got your tongue?"

Fang's eyes twinkled as Lightning took a sip of her coffee. She didn't know where to start either; she was still shocked that the kid was actually her's. "It's just that…I never thought you'll settle down and have a family, like the big oaf," Fang coolly remarked. Lightning remained silent, signaling her to continue. "It's just that…oh I don't know…Maker, Lightning, to me, you were the type of person to be 'single and rich'," Lightning chuckled, wiping her nose with the back of her hand. "And I wake up to see you with a kid! Lightning, having a kid? _The_ Lightning, who could never protect, but only destroy?" Lightning gave Fang a scowl.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well I never imagined you to…how should I say this nicely? To be good with kids…" she trailed off, the tips of her lips slowly curving upward. "Forget the kid, I never imagined you to ever get married!" She practically shouted into Lightning's face.

"Fang…a lot has changed since the Fall, six years ago."

"I've been only gone six years? I thought it was like, ten!"

"Do I really look that old?" Lightning face palmed while Fang quickly stuttered,

"N-No! But you do look more…mature, I guess I should say?"

"Fang," Lightning repeated, her expression and tone very serious, "I'm no longer that constantly angry girl, hungry for violence. I'm past that…I learned that that way of operating will get you nowhere in the world. After we saved Cocoon, I honestly had nothing to do. I mean, I had a bunch to do in a professional level…I was the total leader of Gran Pulse for a time," Fang gave her an unbelieving look, but Lightning ignored it and continued, "Serah…Serah had Snow, she moved on with her life. It's a day that I dreaded ever since my mother passed away," Lightning paused. "But I knew she was in good hands…but that wasn't the point. What would I do now? I spent the last six years of my life entirely for her!" She exclaimed. "I quit my dreams, graduated early, and joined the military, a choice I still haven't decide whether it was good or bad. My life was basically her. I wanted to keep her happy, let her have a normal life…something that I failed at…" Lightning stared distantly out the window, absent-mindedly poking her finger into her coffee.

Fang sat there in silence, taking every word in like a sponge. Lightning was a very private person; she never shared anything about her life before becoming a l'Cie. All Fang knew was that she was a regular soldier, desperately trying to save her sister from her horrible fate. She didn't know anything else. Lightning turned back to Fang, continuing,

"So now that she left, I was alone. Serah and Snow were living independently together, Sazh and his son moved to find work…Hope stuck with me for a little bit, but I was never really around to see him, and then he eventually left for school."

"There's something I don't understand," Fang interrupted, "What were you doing?"

"Hmm?"

"What were you doing all this time? You said you were the 'leader of Gran Pulse', what, were you like a Queen?" Lightning smiled and shook her head, Fang giving another trademark grin.

"The world was a mess. We didn't have the Fal'Cie looking over our lives anymore, we didn't have their help. There was no more instant energy, food, or water. We had to fend for ourselves, which wasn't that hard, but…since there were no more rules anymore, some people started getting…crazy. There was a short period of time, probably three months after the Fall where there was non-stop violence. Murderers, serial-killers, rapists, drug leaders, all these people started ruling the streets. The world needed someone who acted on logic, not emotion…someone who was experienced and knew what they were doing. Someone who could set things straight."

"And that person was you?"

"Unfortunately," Lightning took another sip of her coffee, placing it down on the table. She adjusted her sitting position, her arms now crossed. She continued, "So they made me the leader of everything...the military and all the political crap," she slightly groaned at the memory. "So of course, things weren't going well. I'm not the best politician, and some groups of people started getting angry," she said quickly. "We had demonstrations after demonstrations, and people started getting violent."

"Were you really that bad?"

"No…or at least I hope I wasn't," Lightning casually remarked, "I think it was the notion that a "Pulse l'CIe" was their leader, and that it was a woman."

"Those Cocoonians….always racist and sexist….the bastards," Fang muttered. She glanced up at Lightning, who was glaring at her. "Not you! In my time…there was a stereotype, that was absolutely true, mind you, that those buffoons on Cocoon were, and I guess still are, racist and sexist! We all knew that they wanted our resources when they launched the War of Transgression, but they gave us the excuse that we are a 'group of animals' and that we must be 'purged'!" Fang exclaimed, scratching her head. "They would kidnap normal civilians, taking them inside huge, caged cars, and took them away, no one ever seeing the captives ever again," Fang stood up from her chair and walked towards the kitchen, sweeping her hand on the island-counter. She stopped and looked down, very quietly, almost inaudible, whispered, "Some of my friends were taken away…raped and mutilated…then dumped into a ditch."

Lightning listened to Fang in horror. She knew that the war raised many casualties in Pulse, but she never knew how horrible and sick they were. Cocoon always glorified their history; she would have never guessed that they would do such a barbaric thing! They stood there in silence, busy with their own thoughts. They heard a very joyful melody whistled, Vanille skipping in, a towel wrapped around her head. She abruptly stopped whistling, feeling a sense of morbidity plaguing the room.

"Is there something I missed?" She asked timidly. Lightning shrugged and Fang walked towards the table, pulling her friend a seat.

"Anyway, go on with the story, Sunshine," Fang told Lightning, attempting to change subject. Lightning cleared her throat, continuing,

"Well those demonstrators were annoying," Lightning put in short, "so I set up a Senate. Basically, the idea was that people elected five civilians and two military officials to office, while I get to elect one person of my own. This group of people ran the government and economy, leaving me at rest. This made those…idiots quiet down…for a while at least."

"And you?" Vanille asked. This was the exact point were Lightning stopped before Fang returned from the shower.

"I became the Commander of the entire military, which I named FLASH. And I've been operating it ever since. It's basically my old job, without all the added stress." She took another sip of the coffee, finally finishing it. She walked towards the sink and placed her mug there.

"Enough of this political stuff," Vanille exclaimed. "There is something very important that Fang and I want to know." Lightning raised her eyebrow.

"And what exactly will that be?" Vanille paused and bit her lower lip. She didn't want to offend Lightning or anything, knowing how the soldier can _slightly_ overreact to the simplest of questions.

"Really, Sunshine? It's the question we're all dying to know! Who's the man?" Fang interrupted. Lightning raised the other eyebrow.

"The man?" Fang slapped her forehead.

"Your husband, genius!" Lightning dropped her eyebrows, mouthing a huge "oh". There was a slight pause. _Where the hell do I start?_ Lightning thought. Fang and Vanille stared at Lightning, expectantly. Suddenly, the doorbell rang, and Lightning gave a huge sigh of relief. _That's Serah for you…saving the day…_Lightning thought while Fang and Vanille followed her to the door. Lightning opened a door, revealing Snow, Serah, Sazh, and Hope. Vanille gasped when she saw Hope. The tiny, afraid boy turned into a giant, towering over everyone except Snow. She ran up to him and tightly squeezing the living daylights out of him, mumbling unrecognizable words.

As Snow was introducing Serah to Fang and Sazh and Hope chatted with Vanille, Lightning very quietly snuck out of the door, walking through the lawn and a pathway. She ducked under some overgrown branches and walked her way toward the side of the house. There, a garage door was open and a man was lifting heavy cases from the car. Lightning walked toward Leo, giving him a slight peck on the cheek and helped him carry the various instruments from the car.

"How was the concert?" She asked.

"It was alright…the musicians of Tempestas really need to learn how the keep the rhythm together," he answered back, reaching to the back of the trunk, pulling out a small bag. He shut the trunk close and walked with Lightning towards the house.

* * *

After the mini-reunion, Serah led the crowd into the living room, everyone plopping themselves on either the very large white couch or a chair. Fang was stilling standing, looking around the room.

"Where'd Sunshine run off to?" Everyone shrugged except Serah, who merely smiled. Suddenly, they all heard a click and turned their heads toward the door. The door slowly swung open, revealing a tall, slender man with golden hair. He was wearing crisp, fitted, dark-blue jeans, a gray graphic shirt, and a light, blue jacket, the sleeves pushed above his elbows.

Everyone got up, greeting the new person. Lightning followed him from the door, carrying a small bag. She shut the door and looked at Fang and Vanille, who stood there, dumbfounded. She smiled and slightly shook her head, taking Leo's hand and walking towards them. They were about a foot away when Lightning let go. Leo stretched out a hand, to which Fang and Vanille wearily shook, their eyes still locked on the man.

"The name's Leo, Leonardo de Napaloccini. Nice to meet you," Fang and Vanille still stood there in silence. Leo quickly glanced at Lightning, slightly showing some nervousness in his eyes, but continued, "I'm Light's husband."

* * *

***Explodes***

**Ohhh maaaii gaaawwwddd! This chapter was so HARD to write! I'm still not very happy, to tell you the truth. Plus, this was more of a filler than anything else. But it also set up a bunch of stuff for the next chapter, so expect some complex story stuff going on! :D  
**

**I wanted to make Leo distinctly Italian. I don't know if they had countries or different nationalities in Cocoon, or different languages for that matter, but he's supposed to be Italian in "our" world.  
**

**My favorite scene was probably the first one with Asami. She's insane. :) Anyway, please give me your thoughts, I would really appreciate it! :D**

**PS. I swear to God, does something to my documents...sometimes there are typos that aren't in my original file... o_O  
**


	8. Enter the Calm

**Hello! I don't have much to say about this chapter other than you should read it! ;D**

**Thanks for HollowPanda, cuties, and kalakili for reviewing! You all inspire me to keep on writing! :D Also, I just hit 1000 views for this fanfic...You cannot believe how happy I am!  
**

**Anyways, enjoy!**

* * *

Leo and Lightning strode into the large dining room with everyone trailing behind. They all sat down on the comfortable, white chairs, Fang sitting as close to Leo as possible. Lightning merely smirked. She opened the small bag, spilling its contents out onto the table. There were a few papers, some of them crumbled and ripped, a few bank notes, and a tape recorder. They all stared at Leo, expectantly.

"Well, how was the mission?" Sazh broke the silence. Leo heavily sighed and started to explain, but was cut off by Fang.

"Does anyone here want to tell me what the hell is goin' on here?" Vanille furiously nodded. However, Lightning sighed, visibly annoyed and very quickly said,

"Basically, that resistant group that was I talking about came back, albeit more blood thirsty. They started targeting my family and in the end, it was Asami who is the leader of the group. She-"

"Asami?" Fang interrupted. Lightning raked her hand over her hair.

"Sorry. General Asami is, or should I say _was_, my right-hand man for many years, but just recently, she revealed that she was the leader of the Anti-Senate group the whole time. She wanted to kill me."

"I feel like I'm missing something…" Fang trailed off.

"I'll tell you the details another time," Lightning huffed, "they're not important right now, we don't have time. Just know that people are trying to get rid of us and Asami is on a revenge crusade to kill me."

"Revenge…crusade?" Vanille said, confused.

"Later, later!" Lightning waved her hand and angrily sighed. "Leo, go ahead, please." Leo stared at his wife for a split second, dumbfounded that she actually said please. _Patience was never her specialty, looks like she's on a thin wire_, he reminded himself mentally. He cleared his throat and began.

"A few days ago, I left for the city of Tempestas for a symphony. I go there every once in a while, so I'm pretty familiar with the members of the orchestra and the city itself. After two rehearsals, I overheard two cellists talking."

* * *

"So when is it gonna happen? I'm tired of waitin'!" A rather burly-looking woman whispered. However, her raspy voice made the whole secret aspect fail. The other person shrugged, quickly claiming,

"I don't know! They keep on sayin' it's on Friday!"

"How can it be Friday, they said it was on Wednesday! Today is Monday!" Leo was leaning on behind the wall, about a meter away from the door, listening. He had heard that a few members were part of a "secret" group, but most of his leads were dead ends. This was his last one.

"Well if it is Friday, what are you gonna do?" The woman asked.

"Probably ransack a few shops…I really wanted a shirt from that department store, but it was like, 20000 gil," The smaller man eagerly spoke, the excitement was undeniable. Leo heard enough. He softly sighed and pushed off the wall and quickly walked into the room.

"Part of the 'group' huh?" Leo coolly remarked, all emotion devoid from his voice. The two cellists looked at each other, the woman speaking first,

"Seems like we have a new member."

"Not new member," Leo replied, his arms stuck in his pocket, "I'm from another city."

"Ah, I see," the man spoke this time, "so you're also wondering when the rally is?"

"Yeah," Leo went with it.

"I have a strong feeling that it's gonna be on Friday. It probably is, because there will never be two demonstrations in separate cities at the same time," Leo kept a mental note of this.

"This Friday? What's today…Monday?" Leo asked.

"Yeah. We got five days," the woman said. She and the man saluted Leo, who quickly returned it. The two looked at each other and slowly walked away, but suddenly, the smaller man ran back and rammed Leo in the stomach. Leo, stupefied, staggered backwards, only to bump into the larger woman, who rammed his head on the wall and threw him into some shelves.

"Newbie, listen up. Every city gots its own little salute. Pay attention next time," the woman cracked her knuckles and turned around. The smaller looked back at Leo, kicked him in the stomach, and ran to catch up with his companion. Leo coughed madly for a minute or so and slowly got up, chuckling,

"Thanks for the info, guys…Although, you should learn how to punch a bit harder," and finally limped away.

* * *

"…So that's basically what happened," Leo finished his story, everyone listening very closely. "However, I found a few more things. I raided one of their lockers and found a few pieces of papers. One of them had the location, while the other one had some rather…interesting instructions," Leo searched threw some of the papers on the table, pulling out a crumbled black one. "It says that 'no member is to raid government buildings or harass any military personal, only harm citizens, but don't kill anyone unless circumstances changed'."

"That Asami chick really is insane," Snow placed his hands behind his head and leaned the chair backwards. "'Only harm citizens'? She's sick."

"No kidding, hero," Sazh sarcastically remarked. Snow shot him a glare, Serah giggling away, patting him on the back.

"Anyway," Leo continued, "I have a few papers here regarding past rallies and whatnot," he paused, "ah, here. This here is a tape recording of a verbal message that Asami sent to her followers," He put the tape in and pressed play.

"Greetings my fellow Purists," a scratchy voice began.

"Purists?" Lightning whispered. Fang playfully shushed her, causing Lightning to shoot her a glare, but Fang ignored it.

"It is that time again, the time that we must remind the evil, faulty, lying, corrupt government that they are wrong. Wrong about everything. Why are they wrong, you ask? It is because you may think that you have a sort of, _democracy_, but that's a lie. All of the Senate's strings are being pulled by one individual, an individual that we all know oh so very well. The Commander."

"The Commander and her family should be either captured and or killed," a deep voice began. "We don't need any more, evil, Pulse l'Cie ruling over us. They're the ones who did this to us! They single handedly destroyed most of PSICOM, all of your loved ones _dead_ by their hands. They destroyed the whole of Cocoon for crying out loud! Cocoon, our paradise! Now we are forced to live here, in Hell, with _them_ ruling over us like we're dogs." Lightning stayed silent during his whole speech, until she quietly grumbled,

"Arshia."

Leo turned off the tape.

"We don't need to hear anymore, now do we?"

"I get the idea," Hope spoke up this time, his head down, arms crossed.

"So what's the plan?" Snow abruptly got up, punching his fists together.

"What do you think?" Lightning got up and leaned her hands on the table. "We go to Tempestas and give them a piece of our mind."

"What?" Hope and Sazh yelled in unison. Leo leaned back, his arms crossed, and remained silent.

"Think about it. Asami will probably be there. Leo told us that they don't hold two demonstrations on one day, so she can be present in all demonstrations, no? There we can rescue the citizens and capture Asami and put an end to everything." The group remained silent.

"Is there anything else we can do?" Hope asked, finally lifting his head up.

"Guess not," Snow replied. He retied is now faded bandana and stood. Lightning sighed.

"Meanwhile, I'll send reinforcements to Tempestas…Sazh, Serah, and Leo. I need you two to stay behind," Leo frowned while Sazh happily sighed, quietly remarking his trademark "I'm too old for this." "Leo, you have to protect the kids…it's evident that they're after us. We can't have anything happen to them…I won't allow it." Leo nodded.

"Well we have to head back," Serah started. "We got Dajh babysitting the kids, and we need to go home," Vanille and Fang looked at each other.

"K-kids?" Vanille stuttered. Snow gave a hearty laugh and replied,

"Yup! I said we'll make a big family! We got a boy and a set of twins, both girls," Serah smiled. Fang chuckled and patted Serah's shoulder, muttering,

"Good job, little Light," Lightning snorted. Serah and Snow said their good-byes and left through the door, Hope and Sazh trailing behind.

"Wait, where are you guys staying for the night?" Lightning called out.

"Sorry soldier girl, we would love to come over, but one, your house is going to explode with your additional guests," Sazh pointed to the two Pulsians, Fang sheepily smirked. "Plus, the big oaf already invited us over for a few days, so we're all set," with that, Sazh left. Hope stayed behind for a few more moments to give his farewells and finally left. Leo and Lightning stood under the window from until the group's silhouette disappeared. They closed the door and both walked toward the living room, quietly muttering to each other. Fang inched in to hear what they were saying, but Vanille pulled on her arm.

"I don't think we should listen," she whispered.

"And why's that?" Fang huffed.

"I think they want some private time."

"Whatever," Fang and Vanille left the room, following the staircase down to the basement studio.

Meanwhile, Lightning and Leo were sitting on the white leather couch. Lightning was curled up against Leo, the man curling her hair.

"I'm telling you, it has to be a trap," Lightning sadly said.

"And why is that?" Leo merely hummed.

"I…I don't know," Lightning stammered, "I just have this gut feeling," she looked up at him.

"Oh really, your 'gut feeling'? How many times was that right?" Lightning scowled at him. "Is it that same feeling you had when you thought that a thief broke into the house, so you brought out your _shotgun_?"

"Leo…"

"And that so called 'thief' was nothing more than a-"

"Leo."

"Serah's cat…and you almost shot the poor thing!"

"Leo!" Lightning got off him and punched him in the arm and then crossed her arms. Leo chuckled. "I'm telling you Light, you're just so paranoid when it comes to Maria! Plus, that 'gut feeling' was never-" Leo got a facefull of pillow.

"You would be too if you had an only child!"

"I do Light."

"I meant if you were a mother, Maker, Leo!" Lightning threw another pillow and stalked away, Leo still laughing at the whole situation. Fang and Vanille peaked from the corner, unable to contain their laughter anymore. _This is the cutest couple ever! _Vanille screamed in her head. She looked down and saw Fang sprawled on the floor, her hands over her mouth, silently giggling.

"What are you two laughing at?" Lightning said menacingly from behind. "Oh, nothing, nothing!" Vanille jumped.

* * *

Asami sat in the dim light, carefully cleaning her sword. The one light bulb that hung over her head flickered on and off. She hummed a rather joyful tune, despite the dark, creepy atmosphere she was currently in. She put down her sword on a table and stretched her arms. _This idiot is taking forever!_ After another five minutes, the door swung open.

"I've brought the two you've asked for," Arshia said in his booming voice. He pushed in a large woman and a skinny man, both slightly trembling.

"Ah!" Asami turned around and shook their hands. "So you are the two _lovely_ musicians that I had asked for," she clapped her hands in satisfaction. "So tell me, what did you do?"

"Well, we did want you wanted, ma'am," the woman started, "we talked about that rally in Tempestas, and the guy came in, asking for more information."

"And you gave him everything I told you?"

"Yes," the man replied eagerly. "So…what is this magnificent prize that you promised us, leader?"

"Oh yes, the reward. I will send you to paradise. A place where all your worries, guilt, and issues will just, _melt _away," the musicians stood there, expectantly. Asami turned around to Arshia, and announced, "They've done their job," a dramatic pause, "dispose of them." The two musicians quickly frowned and stood there, dumbfounded. Arshia smiled sickly and cracked his knuckles. The man quickly jumped over the table in an attempt to run away, but was met with a bullet straight to the head. He gave a sickening shriek and fell to the ground with a loud thump, his eyes still open. The woman stood there, staring at her companion, and glanced up at Arshia. Arshia quickly shot and she fell face first to the ground, blood quickly pooling around him. Arshia blew his Revolver and gave a satisfying grin.

Asami pointed down at the bodies. Arshia quickly called a guard from outside the door to drag the bodies away. As they were cleaning up the musty room, Asami happily sighed.

"They took the bait!"

"It appears so," Arshia reloaded his gun.

"Oh this is going to be so much fun. They'll never see it coming."

"Mhmmm…" He hummed, putting the gun back into its holster.

"Is everything set? Are Team Alpha and Beta in their locations?"

"Yes, yes. We already went over this twice. Everything will go as planned."

"Perfect." Asami looked and twirled out the room, chuckling to herself. Arshia stayed in the dark room the light bulb now dead. He shook his head and muttered,

"As long as I get my money, you creep."

* * *

The next morning, Leo and Lightning made breakfast for their guests, Leo in charge of the food portion. Lightning could cook, but her food was so healthy that it was barely fulfilling. Or edible for that matter. Afterwards, Lightning and Vanille played with Maria outside, collecting and tending the flowers in the rose garden that Lightning meticulously kept.

Fang, however, skipped the "girly stuff" and stealthily made her way into the studio, spying on Leo, who was experimenting on his keyboard. He spotted her and signaled her to come in, removing his bulky headphones.

"What's up?" He asked, still playing a riff. Fang strode her way through the room, sinking into a huge leather chair. She took a lengthy sigh.

"Sunshine will probably never tell me, being the private person that she is," Fang began, "so I'm forced to ask you: how, when, and why did you start dating Light?" Leo stopped playing and stared at the dark-skinned woman.

"E-excuse me?"

"You heard me. What did you do that made Light fall for you?" Leo sighed and sat beside Fang, his hands on his knees.

"Do I have too?"

"Do you like spears for breakfast?" Leo's eyes slightly widened at the thought. He sat there in silence for a few moments.

"Light and I were childhood friends," Leo slowly started. _This woman…where should I start?_ "Her father and my mother were best friends since they were artists, my mother being a musician and her father, a painter."

"So you've been friends since…birth?"

"Correct. Lightning…or I should say _Claire_ was a sweet kid who loved everything. She was warm, passionate, and much more _polite_ and nicer towards others. But everything changed-"

"When her mother died," Fang finished the sentence. She knew that much.

"Yes. And thus, she became Lightning. She threw away all her dreams and finished high school early, joining the military at the age of 17."

"Isn't that kind of young? I mean, I don't know much about Cocoonian rules, but in Gran Pulse, you can't join the military until you're 18…sometimes higher."

"We have that rule too, but she had some…help." Fang raised an eyebrow. "My father was a General in the Guardian Corps, and he pulled some strings here and there to help her in…" He trailed off, staring distantly at a wall, replaying a memory in his mind.

"And you were still friends?"

"I was her only friend," Leo smiled at the sad thought. "I took care of Serah when she was gone on long missions. Although…she became increasingly more…difficult, I should say. Her relationship with her sister slowly deteriorated day by day. It came to the point where Serah had no sister. So she needed to fill that void with _something_, right?"

"And here comes Snow?" Leo nodded.

"When Lightning found out she got a boyfriend, she was furious. I guess it was because she felt…hurt," Leo scrambled to find the right word. "She had to make a living to keep her sister happy and safe, so she sacrificed basically all of her life. And her sister pays her back by diverting her love to her new boyfriend, giving barely an ounce to her worried sister."

"Well…when you put it that way, I would be pissed off too!"

"Those are Light's words, not mine," Leo crossed his legs. There was a lengthy silence.

"There's one thing I don't understand," Fang stated. "Where were you when all this l'Cie business happened?" Leo tilted his head back and closed his eyes.

"I was going to take Light somewhere nice for her 21st birthday, but when I came to her house, I saw her furiously pacing around. I have never seen her so scared. I asked her what happened, and she quickly blurted out something about Serah turning into a l'Cie and that she's engaged to an idiot. She looked like she was about to cry," Fang stared at Leo. She could never imagine the stoic woman crying. "So I calmed her down and she told me everything that happened…she didn't know what to do."

"I wouldn't either," Fang snorted. Leo looked down and said,

"So I told her to rescue her. She gawked at me and decided that I was crazy. She said it was impossible to get purged like that," Leo paused.

"And?"

"I told her to go and sacrifice herself. PSICOM hates the GC, so they would bend the rules. And thus, this whole fiasco started."

"Where were you?" Leo gave her a look and stood up.

"Worrying my ass off. She was going to die, I knew it. A few days later, I see her on the television, surrounded by hundreds of troops. There was no way she could survive."

"And yet she did."

"She always did. It's like…her thing!" Leo laughed.

"And then when everything was over?"

"And then? And then…Cocoon was crystallized and I managed to escape. It wasn't until months later that we found each other again. When I found her…she changed. She was way better than before, hands down. She finally found a group of friends that she could trust. Lightning never trusted anyone."

"Anyone?" Fang raised another eyebrow.

"Besides me and Serah…to a point."

"And when did you start dating?" Leo nervously cleared his throat and smirked at the memory. It was rather awkward one too. Fang snapped her fingers at his face.

"Pulse to Leo! It's the question I'm dying to know, how did you date her?"

"Looks like you're gonna have to keep dying a little longer," Lightning emerged from the stairs. Fang frowned and caught Vanille following behind the soldier, little Maria in her arms. Leo took her from Vanille and put Maria on his shoulders, going back up the stairs.

"Come on," Vanille pulled on Fang's arm, "we need to eat something right? It's almost lunchtime!" She dragged her friend up the stairs. Fang turned around and narrowed her eyes at Lightning,

"I'm gonna get it out of you, one of these days!" Lightning smirked.

"Come and try."

"By the way, when are you going to tell us about this _lovely_ Asami?" Lightning gave a loud and long groan.

"Now, I guess."

* * *

**Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh I can write LeoXLight fluff all day long. I love it...I know, I'm weird. It's just so much fun to write them bickering about pointless things! :D**

**This chapter was just a huuuuuge build up for the next one. Chapter nine is one that I have been planning since this fanfic started around eight weeks ago, so expect action, plot twists, and a whole lot of reading! :D**

**BTW, Tempestas is Latin for "storm"...I have been foreshadowing this whole time. *evil laugh*  
**

**Please tell me what you think! :D  
**


	9. Enter the Storm

**This is the chapter that everyone has been waiting for! This chapter has a lot going on: fighting, hot pursuits, emotional drama, and a plot twist...or two. I shall say no more other than read! Also, I would like to thank Taylore for proofreading this and giving me you wonderful thoughts!**

**BTW, there is some language, as some characters drop an F bomb here and there. You have been warned.  
**

* * *

"Is everyone all set?" Lightning emerged from the house, wearing her formal battle wear. She walked out proudly to the group, taking long, graceful strides. She was tightly clutching a small object in her hands. Lightning carefully squatted to Maria's eye level and ruffled her hair, trying very hard to smile. But how could she, when Maria looked at her with those teary, red-shot, puppy-dog eyes?

"Aww, come on Maria," she whispered, a lump developing in her throat, "don't be like that. I already told you," she swallowed the lump. "I have to finish this…_problem_ with Asami."

"But mommy," a sniff, "why is Auntie Asami attacking us?" Lightning's eyes widened.

"Where...who told you that?" Lightning demanded. Her daughter fiddled around with her hair.

"I…I heard you and daddy talkin' about it…while I was sapposta be sleeping…" Maria slowly admitted. Lightning glanced up worriedly to Leo who merely shuffled his feet nervously. The Commander sighed, ruffled Maria's hair again, and spoke,

"Whatever you heard sweetie…everything'll be alright. Here, take Blitzy with you, he'll protect you from the bad guys," she handed Maria's prized stuffed bear to her, Maria tightly hugging it. Maria looked down for a few moments and then back up. She suddenly dropped Blitzy and ran toward her mother, hugging her tightly. Lightning picked up her daughter and laid her head on her shoulder, closing her eyes and whispering, "Shhh…shhh…everything will be ok…" while her daughter softly sobbed.

Everyone watched as the tender scene between mother and daughter unfolded right before their eyes. _Lightning…has come a long way…_Fang thought. She watched as Lightning reluctantly ripped herself away from Maria, giving the little girl to her father. Lightning stared deep into Leo's eyes, muttering something inaudible to him. The man nodded and gave Lightning a tender kiss, and then called Sazh, Dajh, Serah, and her kids to follow him to a secret safehouse on the other side of town.

They all huddled into a large convoy truck, Leo in the driver's seat. He waved to the remaining group and sped away. Lightning watched as the car grew smaller and smaller. She finally turned around to the group, one hand on her hip, and announced with confidence,

"Ok. Everybody knows the plan, right? I'll repeat it one more time. Snow, Hope, Fang, Vanille, and I will travel to Tempestas with a few reinforcements and fend off the protestors. I will try to find Asami and put an end to this mess. Meanwhile, Leo and the rest will be hiding in two safehouses on the south side of town, just in case. Understand?" The group nodded. She opened the door to their convoy truck and her team quickly filed in. She instructed Hope to be the driver, and she sat in a seat near the back window. Hope revved up the engine and sped away east.

Vanille and Snow watched Lightning the whole time. She sat in her seat, griping her pants slightly and looking down. She looked away at the window, but Vanille caught a single tear being shed. She observed Snow, who was currently frowning and also looking down. She glanced at Fang, who had her arms crossed and also looking away. Vanille sighed at the morbid atmosphere.

"She means the world to you, doesn't she?" Lightning remained silent for a while.

"I would die…a thousand times just to save her. She is everything to me," Lightning finally said, still looking at the window. Fang quickly glanced at her and then smiled to herself. _Yes, she has come a long way._

* * *

"Is everything set?" A very eager voice called out.

"How many times are you going to ask me, woman!" A very angered and blatantly annoyed, deep voice barked back. Asami paced around the streets of Tempestas, clutching her rusty communicator tightly in her hands. There was a slight silence. "There…we are twenty minutes away from the destination."

"Arshia," Asami started, clenching her jaws, "where are you-"

"Behind the cliff, just like you said," he finished her sentence. Asami slightly relaxed. "You're too nervous. If you stay like this, you'll be finished, got that?" Arshia very carefully said. She nodded, but realized that he can't see her.

"Yeah, yeah, I got it. I got it. You know the plan right? I will call you when the time is right, and then you storm the city and find them."

"Don't forget to give her enough time to get here," the Lieutenant reminded.

"Believe me: I won't," Asami answered back in a melodic voice. "Erebus is about forty minutes away from Tempestas, so she'll get there when you've finished your…business. Just in time, too," Asami laughed evilly.

"And the money?"

"You and your damn money! Yes, yes, I'll leave it at the regular spot," she ended the call with a loud click and spun around on one heel and cackled loudly.

"Oh Light…sweet, sweet Light. I'm going to enjoy this so much," she smiled to herself.

* * *

"We have just entered the city, Commander," Hope called out. He abruptly stopped the truck and jumped out, opening the doors for everyone else. The commander briskly walked out, dusting her clothes. She wiped the sweat of her forehead and looked around. _The city is way too quiet…Shit. They're expecting us, _Lightning thought. She glanced up at Fang,

"You know what I'm thinking?" She quietly murmured.

"Yup. The little buggers are expectin' us. Perfect," Fang responded, eyeing the various skyscrapers. Lightning nodded and turned toward the group.

"Listen up everyone. I have a strong feeling they know that we're here. So we're going to split up," Fang gave her a look but remained silent. "I want Snow and Vanille to take half of the reinforcements," she pointed to the oncoming convoy truck, full of recruits, "and go east. There's probably a rally going around near the concert hall. Fang and Hope…take the rest to the residential area around the west. I have a feeling that they split up the protestings."

"Wait a minute," Fang started. "Isn't that what they want us to do? Split up? Why are we fallin' into their trap?"

"Because Asami designed this in such a way that in the end, it will exclusively be me versus her. And…that's what I want too."

"Are you crazy?" Fang threw her hands in the air, flabbergasted. Lightning stood her ground, crossing her arms. She stared hard into Fang's green eyes, very confidently adding,

"Yes. I am."

"You…are a stubborn bitch."

"So I've heard." Fang threw her head back, laughing, and then shook her head. She gave Lightning a wink, turned around, and gathered around her soldiers and headed west.

"You commin' kid?" Hope ran after her with an annoyed look.

"I'm almost as old as you…"Vanille and Snow laughed at Hope's presumably inaudible comment.

"Alright Sis, Vanille and I got this. We'll see you later," Snow gave his trademark wink, Vanille spinning around and giving one last wave. With that, they rounded up the remaining soldiers and headed east.

Lightning turned back towards the center of the city. She gave a rather large sigh and placed her hands on her hips. A strong breeze carried her hair in the wind. She was hesitant to move because she didn't know where to go.

"If I was Asami," she spoke aloud, "and I was a psycho…where would I lure my most hated enemy to? Somewhere open and secluded, maybe? Somewhere closed and crowded?" Lightning shook her head. "That's stupid. She'll probably just meet me-"

"Here."

Lightning whipped around. Asami stood before her eyes, a mere three meters away from Lightning. She wielded a sickening smile as she swayed her two-handed sword gingerly in the wind. Lightning back-stepped twice and drew her own weapon. They stood there for a few moments in the battle positions, wondering who would make the first move.

Lightning pushed off the ground and sprinted as fast as she could. Asami saw this coming; Lightning always made the first move. She gracefully sidestepped away and elbowed Lightning's back. The pink-haired Commander stumbled, but quickly recovered by performing a quick, double backhand spring. She kicked Asami in the stomach, knocking the air out of her. She then gave a left hook to Asami's face, but Asami thrusted her sword into Lightning. Lightning quickly jumped back, but that gave enough time for Asami to headbutt her and slash her with her platinum sword.

Blood sprayed out into the air and the Commander staggered back, slightly coughing. In the last moment, she turned her shoulders toward her assaulter, so that the wound won't hit any vital spots. Lightning quickly glanced at her shoulder, watching the blood drip down. _Minor wound_, she diagnosed herself. Lightning straightened her back, breathing hard. She gave a hard look to the General, who was now humming a joyful tune.

Asami pushed off the ground and leaped toward Lightning. The skilled soldier jumped over her head, switching the gunblade into its gun mode, and shot at Asami a few times. She heard a sickening yelp as she landed back on her feet, but she didn't waver. She dashed toward the injured Asami, attempting to launch her into the air, but Asami, out of nowhere, managed to connect a kick to Lightning's chin. Lightning gave a strangled cry as Asami pulled her leg up, slamming the Commander to the ground, headfirst. Lightning's vision grew fuzzy by the second as she desperately tried to get up. She caught Asami advancing towards her by her peripheral vision. In one motion, she switched to sword mode, pushed off the ground, and swung her sword. Asami swayed backwards, avoiding the sudden flash of steel. That gave the Commander enough time to gain her ground. Lightning swiftly sidestepped toward Asami, punched her in the stomach, and carefully swung her sword. The blade met with flesh, blood spewing out of the General's arm. Asami staggered backwards, gripping her lower left arm, screaming in pain.

But Lightning didn't stop. She kicked Asami into an alley wall and swung her into a dumpster, Asami hitting the metal, hard. Lightning returned the headbutt and then once again punched Asami in the face four times, pouring her anger into each punch. She then grabbed the General's long, black hair, and slammed her head into the edge of the dumpster, leaving behind trails of blood. She threw her on the ground, breathing heavily.

"Had enough?" She spat. Asami laid there, motionless, but coughed. She struggled to get up, gripping her head tightly. She stood in front of Lightning in a hunched position.

"Ruthless as always, Commander," Asami laughed, despite the seriousness of her injuries.

"You're sick." Asami smiled at the comment, bowing her head.

"Why thank you, that's so very kind of you," she sarcastically quipped. With that, she pushed off the wall, flying right into Lightning's face. She slapped Lightning with one hand, using the other to push off her shoulder. Asami quickly landed behind a shocked Lightning and elbowed her back and roundhouse kicked her legs. Lightning was falling face first into the ground, but instead of meeting asphalt, she met a shoe. Asami kicked Lightning's face so hard that it sent her flying backwards a few meters away. Lightning's head slammed against another dumpster. She slumped to the ground but quickly tried to get up.

Asami grabbed her by her collar and threw her onto a window, shattering the glass. Pieces of glass tore into Lightning's back, the soldier screaming in agony. Lightning's breathing became more laborious as she laid there on the ground, a pool of blood developing under her. She stood there a few moments and slowly pushed herself off the ground, making her way back into the alley.

She stepped out of the window, her eyes darting around every direction to find Asami. Her eyes spotted a tall woman leaning on a building about ten meters away, breathing hard. Lightning walked up toward the woman, gripping the gunblade tightly.

"This…is the last time that I'm going to ask this," Lightning said in a menacing voice, "and I better get an answer."

"Or else what?" Asami innocently asked.

"Or else I will kill you." Asami looked to the left and then to the right.

"Fair enough," she shrugged. "I guess it'll be a wonderful time to respond too." Lightning rolled her eyes. _What a creep._

"Why the hell are you doing this?" Asami pushed off the wall and started to slowly pace.

"Many years ago, when you were a disgusting Pulse l'Cie, you managed to kill someone very special," Asami said in a low voice. She then dashed towards Lightning, wildly swinging her sword. There was a loud clang of metal on metal, sparks flying in the women's faces.

"And that person was very special," Asami said through gritted teeth, "to ME!" Her eyes widened as she screamed. She slashed again and again, Lightning either blocking or dodging the irrational attacks. Lightning threw out an attack of her own, which once again met with another large noise. She peered into Asami's eyes. Her eyes were filled only with hate and anger.

"You killed my husband…In fucking…cold…l'Cie…blood," she finally said, pushing herself off from the stalemate. Asami staggered backwards and hunched her back, breathing very hard. Lightning stood straight, holding her weapon in a defensive state.

"And who is this husband that 'murdered'?" Lightning asked in a very deep growl. She would never murder someone. It was against her own principles. There was a long silence.

"My name is Asami Rosch," she started very slowly. Lightning's eyes widened. "And you killed my husband…Yaag Rosch." Lightning remained silent. She narrowed her eyes and darkly asked,

"You're kidding…right? You think that I killed him?"

"Do you really think that I will go through ALL of this trouble otherwise?" Asami screamed back, losing all the tolerance she built over the past six years. "His mission…was to save Cocoon by getting rid of _you_. And he died, trying to save Cocoon. And you killed him."

"You have no evidence whatsoever!" Lightning screamed back. "You want to know the truth, you creep? He killed himself trying to_ protect us_! That is the reality!" Lightning blew up, her face red. She couldn't believe it. Her best partner tries to kill her over a misunderstanding? Ridiculous! At least in Lightning's view.

"You really think I'm going to buy that, you idiot?" Asami shook her head. "I knew that that was going to be the first thing that would pop out of your disgusting mouth: denial!" She spat at Lightning. In a roar of anger, she dashed toward Lightning, pouring all her strength into a massive swing. Lightning knew she didn't have enough time to dodge, so she gritted her teeth and slashed her own sword upwards. The blades met; Lightning's knees started to buckle under the enormous weight above her. She angrily growled back, trying as hard as she could to push Asami off of her, but she couldn't. Asami had the advantage. Lightning crumbled, the slash making its way toward her leg. Somehow, Lightning managed to twist her leg in such an angle to which only part of the metal grazed it, instead of chopping her whole limb off.

However, Lightning didn't stop to recover. She quickly jumped back on her feet and punched a rather shocked Asami in the face. She kicked her a few times with her good leg and then threw her back into the alley. She ran towards her, picking up her head, and dragging her on the ground. She pulled on Asami's collar with both hands and threw her into a door, breaking the wood into several different pieces. Asami crumbled into the pile of debris, coughing madly. Lightning grabbed Asami's heavy sword and stabbed it into her shoulder. Asami gave a loud, goose-bump inducing shriek that lasted around eight seconds.

Lightning squatted down to the General's eye level, one hand on her knee, the other, clutching her injured leg.

"You…you think this is over!" Asami screamed. Lightning looked at her, her expression unchanging.

"Yes. It's over Asami." Asami threw her head back and laughed. Lightning sighed and repeated, "Asami. It's over."

"How can it, when the storm just started?" Asami said in a queer voice. She then traced her hand towards her pants pocket, pulling out a small, rusty communicator. She pressed a red button and whispered, "Lieutenant. I believe it's time. Find Lightning's _wonderful_ husband and child and-"

"NO!" Lightning screamed, tearing the communicator from Asami's hands. She smashed the gadget under her boot, kicking the pieces away. Asami merely laughed. Lightning whipped her head back at her, and grabbed the woman by the collar.

"What the fuck are you going to do with them? Huh? Answer me!" She slapped Asami in the face. Asami stared deep into the Commander's ice-blue eyes.

"So, my friend. Would you rather kill me now and never see your family again? Or give a futile attempt to save them? Personally, I would choose the former, but that's just me. But, I still have some fight in me, you know…revenge is just sweeter than-"

"Stop talking to me, you sick bastard," Lightning stood. She turned her back towards the psycho and ran her hand threw her hair. _What do I do…what do I do!_ She gave one last look at Asami; the woman gave her a revolting smile. Lightning furiously shook her head and ran as fast as she could with her injuries.

She ran past several buildings until she caught sight of a few bikers. Without hesitation, she pushed one of the bikers off and quickly turned on the engine. Some of the men tried to yank her off, but she quickly sped away with the blue, racing motorcycle, leaving the poor citizens behind in the dust.

_I'm going to save you._

* * *

Leo was furiously pacing around a very dark and gloomy storage room. Holding Maria in his arms, rocking her to sleep, her paced around the room with a worried look in his eyes. Serah sat there with Sazh and their children, trying to keep everyone calm. Serah slowly started to get up and then briskly walked towards Leo.

"Leo, what's wrong?" She asked with a frown.

"I…it's just…" he gave a small growl, "…I just have a bad feeling about this." He gazed at Serah's blue eyes, sensing the fear creeping its way into her. Suddenly, his communicator rang, and he hastily picked it up.

"Light! What-"

"Leo!" A very hoarse voice called out. Everyone froze in silence because Lightning never panics. "They're coming after you. It's a trap! She's got that Arshia-guy coming after you right now…I think they'll be there in less than twenty minutes!"

"Where are you!" Leo screamed back, quickly putting Maria on the ground.

"I'm coming there as fast as I can!"

"But Tempestas is 40 minutes away!" This time Serah yelled into the intercom, the fear blatant in her voice.

"I will come, ok?" Lightning ended the call. Everybody stood in the room in silence, thinking.

"Should we stay here or run?" Sazh finally spoke up. He hoisted himself off the ground with a grunt and made his way toward the other two adults. Leo had his head down and eyes closed, thinking of the worst scenario.

"We can't run." Everybody turned to him. "We have too many people with us…It'll just make things worse." Sazh stared at the man.

"But…they're after you, not us, right?" He asked. "You and Maria can run and we can hide and-"

"No."

"Why? It'll create a diversion and-"

"No...because you all are close to Light also. Serah is her sister for Maker's sake! If they don't get me, they'll get you. And I won't let that happen, got that?" Leo said in a low, dark voice.

"You are just like Sis! Stubborn!" Serah yelled, very annoyed. "You're just going to sacrifice yourself to save us? Light didn't want that at all! We're going to get out of this together! Leo, you have to-" Leo rushed up to Serah and shut her mouth with his hand. Serah tried to break away from his grip, but she caught the fear in his eyes as he looked at the door.

"They're here." Leo whipped around and grabbed Sazh and Serah by the shoulders, almost dragging them. He pointed them to a covered shelf.

"I want you to hide behind this shelf," he quickly instructed Sazh and his kid. While they were moving into position, Leo quietly made adjustments to other shelves, making hiding spaces for Serah and her family. After everyone was finally situated, Leo took Maria and hid between a rusty car and a shelf, silently praying that they won't find them.

The barricaded door swung open. A single man walked in, his loud footsteps ringing in the air. Soon, other footsteps followed until there were about five other people in the storage facility. They poked through boxes, looked around shelves, and checked other rooms for a little more than five minutes. Leo held his breath, holding Maria tightly in his arms, the child frozen in fear. The largest man, presumably Arshia, ordered all the soldiers to gather around the front door.

"Looks like no one is here," he barked. He looked at the soldiers and nodded.

"Burn the place down."

Leo froze. _This cannot be happening!_ He screamed in his head. His eyes darted to Serah's hiding place. _I can't let them all die…not here…not now…_ He hugged Maria very tightly and then let her go, emerging from his hiding place very quietly. He walked towards the group of people, unnoticed, until he spoke up.

"There's no need to do that," he said. Arshia whipped around, and smirked evilly.

"Looks like you took the bait."

"It appears so," Leo replied. He was going to try to stall them for as long as possible until Lightning came. Arshia had his hands behind his back and ordered his soldiers to leave.

"Where's the kid?" He asked.

"What kid?"

"You know who the hell I'm talking about. Where is your daughter?"

"With Serah and the rest…hiding in the house," he lied very coolly.

"Hmmm is that so?" The Lieutenant hummed. He circled around Leo, talked long steps. "And what if that was a lie?"

"You don't have any evidence."

"Really?" Arshia stopped pacing and quickly pulled out his Revolver, swiftly shooting Leo in the leg. Leo gave a strangled scream, crumbling to the floor in extreme pain.

"DADDY!" A small, shrill scream. Maria jumped out of her hiding place and ran towards her father.

"It seems that I _do_ have evidence now."

* * *

Lightning rode her bike as fast as she could, taking a variety of impromptu shortcuts. She had already entered the city, around ten minutes early. She drove up to the abandoned storage facility, but caught site of a large convoy truck with several soldiers around it.

"Shit!" She yelled. Lightning jumped off of the bike and flew through the gates, somersaulting into a standing position. She took advantage of all the shocked soldiers and started an all-out massacre, striking each one meticulously. The Commander inched her way towards the door. She was about to open it, but it wildly swung open, revealing Leo, Maria and…

"Arshia," Lightning spat. She watched him drag Leo away from the building in a headlock position, another soldier holding Maria. Lightning's eyes widened and she took a battle position, biting the bottom of her lip.

"It appears that you're too late, _Commander_," Arshia laughed. Lightning gripped the handle of her gunblade tightly.

"Uh uh uhh!" Arshia waggled his finger. "I wouldn't do that if I were you." He pulled out his Revolver and pointed it at Leo's head, the smaller man freezing in place. Lightning's heart skipped a few beats. She stood there, useless, watching Arshia and the other soldier. The soldier threw her daughter into the convoy truck, the poor, little girl screaming in pain. Lightning couldn't take it anymore. In a rush of anger, she ran past Arshia and Leo and headed towards the truck, attempting to save Maria.

Suddenly, she crumbled to the ground, screaming in pain, clutching her left leg very tightly. Arshia blew the smoke off his Revolver and laughed again.

"I told you." Lightning struggled to get up. She watched him point the gun at Leo's head again as he walked towards the truck. She gave a small growl. He threw Leo into the truck, climbing in after him.

"Where are you taking them!" She screamed, flipping the gunblade into its gun mode, aiming for his head. Arshia gave a smirk and said nothing, signaling the driver to start the engine. Lightning stood there for a split second until she ran back to her bike as fast as she could, despite the two leg injuries. She revved up the engine and sped after the truck.

She chased the kidnappers in hot pursuit, swiftly dodging random trees, light poles, fire hydrants, and other various obstacles. The truck made very sharp turns here and there to slow Lightning down, but it didn't work. They left the city and the truck was now leaving behind a trail of dust, obstructing Lightning's view. Lightning swerved to the left, attempting to get away from the dust cloud. She was so focused on the truck that she didn't see the rock before her.

The motorcycle flew in the air. Lightning lost control of the grip and let go, flying a good few meters until she landed on the ground with a large thump. She coughed madly and severely struggled to get up. She watched as the cloud of dust grew smaller and smaller until it vanished. Lightning stood there in a kneeling position and fell on her hands, punching the ground.

"No…NO! This can't be happening!" She screamed, feeling the hot tears develop in the back of her eyes. "Maria...Leo…No…no…no, no, no, no, no," she repeated the one syllable word many times. Tears poured down her face as she stood there, helpless. She pulled out her communicator and pressed a combination of two buttons.

"Light! What's wrong?" Hope's scratchy voice screamed through the speakers. Lightning tried to steady her voice, but choked. "Light? Answer me!" He ordered.

"They're…gone."


	10. Enter the Aftermath

**Hello! Welcome to chapter 10! I managed to write early this time, so you're getting an early update! :D This chapter has a lot of stuff going on: mythology, action, hospital drama, flashbacks...and the emotional breakdown.** **I shall say no more, just read!**

**I would like to thank Taylore for proofreading and giving me a lot of suggestions! Also, thank you everyone for favoriting and alerting this and author alerting me! It means a bunch! I would like to thank Whistlewind Wolf and HollowPanda for reviewing...you guys are the best!**

* * *

"Are we there yet? If you don't hurry it up, who knows what the hell will happen!" Fang hyperventilated. She furiously shook Hope's seat and asked the same question at least eight times in the last ten minutes. She looked like a desperate animal, sitting in a truck with the rest of the gang, helpless, as they waited to reach one person. Lightning.

"I told you already, I'm going as fast as I can! Just shut up ok?" Hope finally snapped. He was just as stressed as everyone else, quite possibly more. When each team went to their respective sides of Tempestas, they were greeted with nothingness. There were no demonstrations going on; it was a trap. Once they realized this, they rushed back to their starting point, only to receive a frantic call from Lightning, who ranted about how everyone in Erebus was in danger. Hope then quickly gathered everyone into one of their smaller, but more nimble convoys, and sped off west, attempting to meet Lightning. That is, until they received the grim news.

Vanille sat in the very back with Snow, her hands tightly balled up together on her thighs. She was very tense; probably bracing for the worst. Snow just vaguely stared out the window, his expression unreadable. The only two people who spoke the entire trip were Fang and Hope; the woman constantly nagging and the man constantly retaliating back. There were a few minutes of silence, until Hope finally spoke up.

"According to the tracking radar, her call ended around this one kilometer radius," he said, while looking at the radar. Everyone glued their faces to the window, attempting to find a pink blob walking, sitting, or laying, anywhere. After about twenty seconds or so, Snow yelled,

"Look! There's some sort of...wreckage over there!" He pointed. Hope steered the car to the left and parked it a meter away from the gleaming metal. He unlocked the doors and Fang immediately jumped out, inspecting it. It was Lightning's stolen motorcycle, but half of it was torn away into little pieces, scattered around everywhere.

"Look at that trail of blood!" Vanille squeaked, her hands over her mouth as she pointed. Indeed, an inconsistent trail of blood stained the grass. The group ran as they followed the trail. The trail started becoming more consistent and larger, until finally the entire grass that they stepped on was wet. Fang stuck her hand out, signaling the group to stop.

"What's wrong?" Hope heavily panted.

"Look at the grass over here. It's wet," she bent down, sticking her fingers in the soggy patch before her. She inspected her red fingers. "Blood," she announced. She got up and looked around until she spotted a tree six meters away. "Over there!" They all sprinted towards the tree to find a sickening sight.

Lightning leaned at the tree in an awkward angle, sitting in a large pool of blood. Her face was chalk-full of dirt and blood, her hair tangled up into various knots plastered on her face. Her military jacket was torn into several pieces and tied onto different parts of her body, a measure to prevent further bleeding. Fang immediately squatted down to her head level, hastily brushing the hair out of her face, only to see that Lightning's eyes were half open and a trail of dried up tears were left behind.

"Lightning! LIGHTNING!" Fang screamed, shaking the soldier by her shoulders. Lightning's head merely swayed back and forth violently; there was no resistance. Hope furiously shoved Fang out of the way and gently laid Lightning on the ground. "What was that for?" Fang roared.

"Remain calm," Hope merely said, placing his fingers on Lightning's wrist, attempting to find a pulse. If there even was one.

"Remain calm! How the hell do I remain calm when she's DYING!" Fang screamed back, throwing her hands onto her head. Vanille grabbed her arms, making sure Fang won't suddenly lash at someone. Snow knelt down next to Hope, erratically checking if she was still breathing.

"She's has a pulse…but it's very faint," Hope finally announced. He stood up, grabbing his communicator from his jacket. He pressed the large red button on the side.

"What's the situation?" A voice barked back.

"Sergeant! The Commander is in serious trouble, send a Evac-Heli to our pinpoint location and tell the hospital to set the ER for an extreme emergency…I'm talking about gun wounds, swords wounds, a possible concussion," Hope tried to list as many injuries as possible as he examined Lightning, "extreme blood loss, and probably several internal injuries as well," he concluded.

"Any evidence of EWH usage?" Hope picked up Lightning and placed her on his knee and frantically searched her neck, attempting to find any needle marks.

"No, I don't see anything on her neck."

"Ok, the Heli will be there in less than five minutes…you're lucky that you're so close to the city," the dispatcher ended the call. Snow furiously sighed and started pacing around the tree, mumbling to himself how he could have prevented this, which, in reality, was impossible. Fang was busy punching the tree, trying to let out her anger in some way that didn't involve injuring others. However, Vanille was with Snow, attempting to calm him down, since Fang was currently out of the question. Hope was still with Lightning, deciding whether or not he should perform CPR.

A few minutes later, the Evac-Heli appeared. It was a massive black helicopter with taxi-yellow blades. It gracefully landed only a few meters away from the tree, a team of EMTs jumping out of the vehicle, complete with medical equipment and a stretcher. In a blur, they strapped the Commander onto the stretcher, administered an IV, and placed her into the helicopter.

"Only two people at max can be with us as we fly to the hospital," one of the men quickly said. Hope quickly hopped into the helicopter.

"Who else is coming? I'm the only one here who can file the necessary paperwork. Anyone else?" He gave a stern look. Fang appeared from behind the tree and climbed in with Hope. She faced Vanille.

"Sorry…I have to go…I have to do this," she said with a hint of somber in her voice. Vanille nodded.

"I understand. We'll be coming too!"

"Snow," Hope called at the giant, "I need you to drive the truck to the hospital, you can do that, right?" Snow looked up, a gleam of determination in his eyes.

"You can count on me." Hope nodded and gave a single wave to Snow and Vanille, the helicopter swiftly flying away towards Erebus.

* * *

The car rattled as Leo sat in a corner, clutching Maria as hard as he could. The little girl whimpered and sobbed, crying for her mommy. It broke Leo's heart every time she said her name. Leo stuck his injured leg out, the bleeding having subsided an hour ago, but the pain still remained. He wondered what would happen next. Imprisonment? Torture? Death? The endless possibilities flew through his mind, each one becoming more and more graphic than the other.

The car abruptly stopped, sending the two prisoners flying toward the door. Leo landed on his shoulders with a loud thump, still cradling a terrified Maria in his arms. The door swung open, revealing Arshia with his Revolver pointed at their heads.

"There's no point in shooting that at us," Leo very quietly said, still on the floor of the car. He slowly got up, and held his daughter bridal-style. "We're weaponless…would you shoot an unarmed person like a coward?" Leo narrowed his eyes. Arshia simply gave an amused grunt and put his gun back into the holster. He ordered one of his men to carry Leo to his cell, but Leo firmly refused, hopping on one foot as he carried Maria. He was wedged between two soldiers while being escorted by the Lieutenant himself. The Lieutenant wasn't very rough at them, he calmly led the way, opened the gate, and waited for Leo and Maria to go inside, then very quietly locked the gate and left without another word.

Leo sat on the bed with Maria and looked around the room. It was rather pleasant for a jail cell. It had two beds with a pillow and a sheet, a bathroom with a sink and toilet, and a window with a nice view of the outside terrain, which was odd. Where did they take them was anyone's guess, but why were they treated with respect was beyond Leo. Suddenly, the gate swung wide open, revealing two medics.

"Gunshot wound? We'll fix that," the doctor said with a nasally voice.

"Where are you taking me!" Leo shouted back, backing Maria to a wall, protecting her with an arm.

"Don't worry, we're just gonna fix that leg of yours. You may not know it, but the General has many plans for you, so we need you in tip top shape," the other medic laughed. They attempted to drag Leo out of the room, but Leo threw a random uppercut at the shorter medic. He stumbled backwards, but Leo didn't stop. He made several swings, all of them connecting, until the doctor grabbed his arms, rendering them useless. Despite Maria's screams for her father to stop, Leo didn't. He lifted his good leg and kicked the medic and attempted to throw the doctor away, but he was too weak. The doctor stood his ground and put Leo in a headlock position, where the medic came and stabbed a needle in his neck. Leo struggled for a few more moments until he at once grew limp. The doctors dragged him away as Maria stood there in a corner, trying as hard as she could not to cry.

_Daddy'll be back…Daddy'll be back_, she repeated in her mind, but she still gave into the tears.

* * *

Hope flew through the double doors of the Emergency Room, following a gang of doctors who hurriedly pushed a stretcher that contained a bloodied woman. They all screamed various numbers, codes, diagnosis, and prognosis back to each other. They passed through another door, but Hope was violently shoved back by a rather bulky, male nurse.

"Sorry Lieutenant Estheim, we can't let you through," the nurse said in a deep voice.

"And why is that!" Hope practically screamed back. The nurse calmly pointed upwards to a huge sign that was labeled "Surgery Room". Hope frowned.

"Surgery? What does she need surgery on!" Hope immediately regretted asking. The nurse's expression fell as he grabbed a clipboard that was left behind by a doctor.

"Let us see…She has extreme blood loss, a possible concussion, gunshot wounds, gashes in her shoulder that were probably caused by a sword, several small, and large, pieces of glass stuck in her back, a fractured leg, ripped cartilages in her knee…and a rib has punctured her lung, causing a high chance of atelectasis – a collapsed lung," the nurse repeated the scribbles on the clipboard. He looked up with a grim expression, "How is she not dead, Maker knows." There was a slight pause as the nurse looked at the clipboard again. "Oh, and she has severe dehydration too."

Hope gave a heavy sigh, one hand on his hip as he looked down at the floor, tapping his foot.

"How long is she going to be in there?" He timidly asked.

"With all these complications…a while. But don't worry, she's under care by the best team in the area, I'm sure she'll be fine," the nurse put a reassuring hand on Hope's shoulders. The nurse left and Hope turned to the waiting area, attempting to find a raven-haired woman. With a red spear. He found Fang in a deserted lobby, a communicator glued to her ear.

"Are they ok?" She asked, turning to Hope. "How the hell do you put this on speaker!" She yelled, blatantly annoyed. Hope ripped the communicator from her ears and pressed a button.

"Hope, are you there?" Snow's voice came through, slightly scratchy.

"Yeah, where are you?"

"We decided to go to the storage houses to see if Serah and Sazh and the kids are alright…we arrived ten minutes ago. Everyone here is in one piece, thank goodness," Hope let out a sigh of relief. He slumped into a chair, Fang following after them.

"Have you told them yet?" Fang grimly asked.

"Unfortunately…Serah went hysterical…she still is. We'll be coming back ASAP, I need to make sure she's ok," Snow ended the call. Hope placed the communicator back into his pocket and leaned his elbows onto his knees, giving a heavy sigh. Fang leaned back and crossed her legs and arms.

"Gonna be a loooooong night," she stated. Hope remained silent, closing his eyes.

_Lightning..._

Hope and Fang waited in the lobby for hours. Serah, Snow, and Vanille had just joined them. Sazh suggested that he go home with the kids, since they "should be scared to death by now", as he said. Snow and Serah were very thankful, since they wanted to be with Lightning. After what seemed like an eternity, the chief surgeon walked out and greeted them with a curt nod.

"Doc…is she going to be ok?" Snow stood and quickly asked. The doctor nodded.

"Before I tell you anything, I would like all of you to come with me," he turned on his heel and briskly walked into the hallway, the gang of former l'Cie following. They went to the last room of the hallway, where the doctor unlocked the door. Inside was a spacious cubicle, complete with a sofa, chairs, desk, television set, private bathroom, a mini kitchen, and of course, a stretcher with Lightning resting on it. The group ran towards her. The Commander was covered in nothing but bandages and a small hospital gown. The doctor closed the door and ordered everyone to take a seat. The group reluctantly tore themselves away from Lightning and sat down, trying to make themselves as comfortable as possible.

"The reason why I called you in here," the doctor started, "is because the Commander should be currently dead right now," everyone was silent. "While we were performing surgery, twice we discussed whether we should amputate her legs. Each time we inspected them, they just…magically started to regenerate the bone and tissue at an alarmingly fast rate…something we have never seen before," the doctor paused, trying to let everything sink in. He continued, "Not only that, but while we were attempting to stitch up the hole in her lung, the lung started to regenerate itself. Her red blood cells regenerated 200% faster than normal, something that I have never witnessed, especially in a patient with _her_ condition."

"What are you trying to say doctor?" Hope asked in a queer voice.

"What I have just described to you is impossible. I'm trying to say that I think that there is some sort of…heavenly interference going on," the doctor tried to explain. "The reason I called all of you here was because you all were l'Cie once, no?"

"So you're trying to say that her magical powers as a l'Cie are…healing her?" Vanille spoke up, this time with a very uncharacteristically serious tone. The doctor nodded. Everyone sat there in silence, thinking. However, Fang and Vanille were furiously whispering to each other.

"What's wrong?" Serah asked. Fang and Vanille looked up in unison, both with an unreadable expression.

"Well…we sort of…kinda…maybe…might have an explanation for this," Fang stuttered for some unknown reason. She glanced at Vanille.

"There was a famous myth in Gran Pulse back in our day," Vanille started, "that had to do with the creation of l'Cie. Etro gave humans a heart, right?" Everyone nodded at the common knowledge. "But did you know that she also gave us a soul? It was said that in order for the Fal'Cie to make human servants, AKA l'Cie, they had to tamper with the soul. They manipulated it to such a way that it gave the chosen human a brand, a focus, an Eidolon, and most importantly, magic."

"So you're saying that…every human being has magic in them?" Hope asked.

"Yes, and that it only needs to be unlocked in order to be used," Fang finished the sentence.

"And only the Fal'Cie can do that," Vanille added.

"So then…how is Light getting her magic…back?" Serah asked. "I mean, weren't our brands wiped away after Cocoon fell?" Vanille bit her lower lip.

"Well, there was another myth," Fang started this time, "although, it really was never confirmed or anything. We once heard that if you were somehow cured of your brand…you can by some means regain some of your powers if you were to hit rock bottom, both mentally and physically. Granted, it was an absurd myth, even in our time…but now…I don't know what to think anymore."

"Interesting," the doctor said. He turned back to one of the many monitors in the room. Hope stood and walked towards the intellectual.

"Doctor…I have a request." He asked.

"Go ahead, Lieutenant."

"Is it possible for the Commander to come home?"

"Tonight? Are you crazy?"

"No, I mean-"

"The Commander will wake up on her own within three days," the doctor interrupted. "However, I plan to put her under sedation for an additional four days."

"Well is it possible in three days from now, she can be transported to her home?" Hope pleaded.

"And why is that young man?"

"She…We have some terrible news to tell her, and I don't think the hospital is the right place to say it, you know? She already hates hospitals enough…" The doctor heavily sighed.

"Since you're pushing this so hard, I'll try to make some arrangements…but she has to have an aide with her and a doctor that comes every three hours to check on her." Hope nodded. They walked outside to discuss the final arrangements, leaving the whole group to stay in the room in silence.

* * *

_The woman slowly walked across the beach, the rays of the sunset beaming on her back. Her right hand tightly clutched a very small hand of an adorable, two-year-old girl. The toddler had a mass of long pink hair that went below her shoulders. She walked as fast as she could to catch up with her mother's large steps. She was talking to her mother excitedly about something, although the mother herself didn't understand half of the conversation, but she still listened, thoroughly enjoying her daughter's words._

_They settled on "their" spot on the long stretch of sand. It was a secluded area that was surrounded by a cliff. There were several palm trees scattered everywhere, majestically concealing the single patch of sand and ocean, much to Lightning's delight. She watched Maria play in the water, attempting to catch a small fish._

_It was one of those rare days that Lightning was off and that her husband had a concert in another city, leaving Lightning and her daughter to have some quality time together. It was these days that Lightning cherished most. The calming atmosphere of dusk and the gentle sways of wind always made Lightning serene._

_Suddenly, the mini-forest behind her started to make several trashing sounds. She whipped around, standing in a defensive position, straining her ears to confirm her suspicions. There were some shouts that followed._

"_Sergeant! It went this way!" A terrified voice screamed. _

"_I've never seen anything that big before, private!" Another voice shouted, this one a little less scared than the other. Lightning, in a flash, grabbed Maria and tried as quietly and quickly as possible to sneak out of their little spot to get away from whatever was there. She was about to make it out of the forest until she heard a large, goose-bump inducing growl. She turned her head to the side and caught sight of a massive Behemoth. _

_Lightning slowly backed away as the monster stood on its hind legs, its razor-sharp saw already equipped in its massive hands. At once, Lightning, holding Maria tightly in her arms, sprinted out of the forest and into the beach. The Behemoth wildly rampaged after her. Soon enough, the feral monster would catch up to her, and Lightning knew that. She hoped that those soldiers would have some common sense to follow the monster, and to see that it's following _her_. _

_Lightning finally tripped over a blasted rock and skidded across the sand. She immediately got up, but the monster caught up to her. Its snarls filled the air and he wildly swung the saw around, narrowly missing Lightning's head. She couldn't fight back, she didn't have her gunblade. It was her off-day for crying out loud! Lightning slowly backed away, her hand stretched out to the side to protect anything for her daughter. The monster sniffed around, turning his head ferociously back and forth. He finally zeroed in on Lightning and gave a sickening roar._

_Lightning scrambled to get up, but it was too late. The monster raised his weapon and swung at Lightning face, but Lightning dodged somehow. She attempted to start running again, Maria now safely in her arms, but the Behemoth swiped at her legs, making her trip. Maria flew out of her arms and the Behemoth made its way toward her. Lightning's heart skipped probably forty thousand times. She ran in front of the Behemoth, stretching her arms across._

"_You're. Not. Touching. Her." She screamed in the most menacing voice she could conjure. The Behemoth gave a small growl that sounded like a laugh. The monster raised its weapon again and slashed, but Lightning gracefully backflipped, dodging the hit. The abomination gave another roar and headed straight for Lightning_

_It threw its saw at her, which she dodged again, but it still ran. It raised a single paw, its claws unsheathed, and slashed at Lightning's face. The soldier, this time, had nowhere to run. The claw met with flesh and dug deep, Lightning giving a shriek. Blood flowed down her face as she tried to get up, but sensed something is wrong._

"_I can't see! I can't see!" Lightning screamed, panic taking over her senses. She started to touch her eyes, but noticed that one of them…was not there. Finally, the rest of the soldiers caught up with her, some of them fending off the Behemoth, while another tended to Lightning, who was screaming away._

"_Where is my daughter! Where is she!" She screamed, violently whipping her head back and forth, trying to see anything, but with no avail. The soldier tried to calm her down._

"_She's perfectly fine, another soldier has her in his arms! Commander, your eye…it's on the ground!" _

_Everything from there was a blur. Lightning didn't remember all the details. She only remembered Maria's tiny, but loud sobs next to her as they transported her to a hospital. She remember going through the double doors of the surgery room, quickly being heavily sedated. _

_She then woke up in a dark, gloomy room, Leo sitting in a chair, his hands on his knees. He got up and explained to Lightning what happened to her. The Behemoth gouged her right eye out, but the surgeons managed to place it back. Her face was heavily bandaged and for the next three weeks, she had to wear an eyepatch 24/7. The only thing that mattered to her was that her daughter was safe._

_Three weeks later, Lightning removed her eyepatch and gasped. There was a half a centimeter wide scar that went about five centimeters down the middle of her right eye. She blinked a few times, sighing in relief that her eye was functional. And more importantly, she could see._

_But, she would forever be reminded of that memory by that single scar._

* * *

Lightning snapped her eyes open and blinked. _Another nightmare again?_ She thought as her vision focused. She looked to the left and right. She quickly identified the fan above her, the table to her left, and the large windows on her right. _What am I doing at home…was this all a dream?_ Lightning tried to get up, but quickly yelped at the various pains all over her body. She looked up and saw somebody gently help her up in a sitting position.

"L-Leo?" She asked. She looked up to see a woman shaking her head. Serah.

"Hey…Sis…how are you feeling?" Lightning rubbed her face with a hand and looked around. She saw Snow, Fang, and Vanille plopped around in various chairs in her room and she heard Sazh talking to somebody, most likely Hope, outside the room.

"Not good," she finally replied. She looked down and then back up at Serah. "What happened?" Serah bit her lip. She was dreading this question for the past week. Fang and Vanille got up, the latter squatting in front of Lightning, complete sorrow written on her face.

"Light…Leo and Maria are-" Lightning gave a sudden gasp. All the memories hit her like a train. She stared out the window for a few moments, speaking,

"Leo…Maria…" she said slowly. She felt the hot tears forming in the back of her eyes again. She tried to resist them, but they already fell, each one coming faster than the last. She started to shake slightly, still emptily staring out of the window. Everyone looked away from the disastrous moment. Lightning breaking down is not something you wanted to see first thing in the morning.

Serah inched her way closed to Lightning and hugged her, placing her head on her shoulder. She was surprised and worried how easily Lightning let her do that with no resistance whatsoever. Lightning silently sobbed.

Fang stared at her battle partner. She had never seen Lightning cry before, and it wasn't anything like she expected. She thought the soldier would ball her eyes out, thrashing out at everyone, vowing to kill anybody who did this. But the soldier, crumbling into the extreme circumstances, and just…silently sobbing? It was a sickening picture that made Fang want to vomit.

Snow stood and walked towards the demolished soldier, placing his hand on her back and rubbing.

"Hey Sis…don't worry…everything'll be ok," he tried to calm her down. He regretted how pathetic he and his words sounded. Lightning remained silent, but she finally stopped shaking. Serah still hugged her, rocking her back and forth, something their mother used to do so very long ago. After what seemed like hours, Serah stopped and glanced at Lightning. The pink soldier was fast asleep on Serah's shoulders. Everybody sighed and relaxed.

"I…think the worst of it is over," Serah whispered. She and Snow gently lowered her onto her bed, tucking her under the sheets.

"What gives you that idea?" Fang asked, looking down at the ground. There was a small silence.

"Because…Lightning will wake up with a new goal in life right now…To save her family."

* * *

**Gah. This chapter...this chapter was so hard to write, it was ridiculous. The only hard part was the end. I didn't want to make Lightning feel so...vulnerable...you know what I mean? She's a strong woman who's been through a lot, so can't picture her just like, tearing herself apart. She's a person who would take action.  
**

**Anywayz, you have some heavy dose of mythology stuff. Am I bringing magic back? Probably, if I can figure out a clever way for the other characters to get theirs back too. Oh shoot, I said too much.  
**

**And about the flashback, I believe I said something about her scar in the first or second chapter. This was the story of that scar.  
**

**Hope you all enjoyed! Please give me your thoughts, they mean a lot to me! :D  
**

**EDIT: I kinda goofed up on the size of Lightning's scar...it's really not that big. XD Oh, and some people asked me how is replacing a gouged eye (especially in Light's case) is even possible. I once watched a story on the local news channel where a poor kitty had both of its eyes gouged out, and a week later, they found the eyes, and miraculously replaced them. The kitty sees perfectly too. So I followed that story...XD  
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	11. Enter the Commander Part II

**Early updates anyone? Welcome to another chapter! This chapter has heavy doses of character development, so I hope you enjoy it. Special thanks to Taylore for proofreading and giving me suggestions. **

**Before I say my customary thanks, there has been an issue brought up to me. This fanfic is pretty violent (I'm not violent in real life, I swear! XD) and some people have suggested to me that it should be rated M. I for one don't like the idea. There's not going to be any major adult or romantic themes in this...and I don't think I can get any more violent than chapter 9. But that's just my opinion. I would love to hear yours in the comments!  
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**Anywayz, I want to thank everyone who favorited this and me as an author and all the alerts. I don't know how many times I have to say this, but it really does mean a lot to me! :D Thank you Lightningthsky, Koharu, HollowPanda, and Whistlewind Wolf for reviewing! You all are the best! I love hearing your suggestions too! :D**

* * *

"Is everything in order at the capital?" Arshia's booming voice filled the air. He walked through a very narrow hallway, surrounded by four or five subordinates, each equipped with some sort of electric device. "You there," he pointed to one of the men, "have our operatives finally ousted the police?"

"Sir! Yes, we just received news," the man said, still looking at his tablet-styled, holographic computer. "Tempestas is finally free of any FLASH operatives."

"By what means?"

"The ones who were captured were publically executed," another person spoke up, this time a very tall, blonde woman. "The rest either died fighting, or the most important ones were captured for further instructions," she concluded. Arshia gave a curt nod and dismissed all of them. He made a quick left turn and went down a series of stairs. He finally opened a musty door, locking it behind him. He sighed as he sat in his office, fully relaxing on a beat up couch. He laid there for a few minutes before pulling out his communicator, pressing a blue button on the side.

"Doctor," he breathed, "how is her condition?"

"The General somehow survived the worst of it," a nasally voice replied. "When the men found her and brought her to me, I opened her up to find a bullet proof vest on her." There was a slight silence.

"Where are you going with this?" Arshia asked, slightly annoyed.

"This vest is very tough…it can easily stand a few sword slashes, and of course, bullets," the doctor retorted. Arshia gave a hearty laugh. "What's wrong?" The doctor asked, thoroughly confused.

"It's just that," he gave another chuckle, "she gave me such a large rant how she was going to end this 'entirely based off of skill, determination, and revenge'," the Lieutenant mimicked the General's voice. He clicked the communicator, ending the call, and threw it onto a table. He stretched out his arms, still slightly chuckling.

"Oh, you lying creep. You're never going to get anywhere if you keep cheating anything and everything," he smiled to himself. He gave a small grunt and hoisted himself up from the couch. He walked toward his wooden desk, half-eaten by termites. He opened a drawer and carefully pressed two fingers on the side. Suddenly, another, hidden drawer at the very top of the desk slid open, revealing wads of cash. He then stuck some more money into the compartment and quickly closed it.

He slowly made his way back to the couch, this time pulling out his personal phone. He plopped himself in the most comfortable position he could manage and punched in a few numbers. The phone rang a few times until a female voice answered.

"Room number?"

"Thirteen, please," Arshia replied as politely as possible. The lady gave a quick "thanks" and forwarded the call.

"Hello?" A small, timid voice asked.

"Hey sweetie," Arshia replied, his face uplifted with pure joy.

"Daddy!" The little voice slightly screamed back. He could picture his daughter jumping around in the hospital bed. "When am I gonna see ya?"

"Well sweetie," Arshia began, his expression slightly falling, "my work isn't done here." He could feel his daughter frowning. "But…I managed to get some money from some…odd jobs. I'm going to the bank right now to deposit it so the doctors can perform your next surgery." There was a small silence until the little girl asked,

"Daddy, when am I going to get better?" Arshia gave a heavy sigh, clutching his knee with his free hand very tightly. "Soon, baby, soon. The doctors say that you only have two surgeries left and a therapy and you'll be all better. I promise."

"You still haven't answered me, daddy." He gave another sigh.

"I'll…come visit soon, ok? I have to get some free time. But I'll come for sure."

"This week," she commanded.

"This week," he confirmed. He sent his love and prayers to his daughter and reluctantly ended the call, carefully hiding his phone in his jacket pocket. He rubbed his face with his hands tiredly. Slowly he rose from the couch and made his way back to the desk. He grabbed a tote bag and communicator from the table, placing all the money he had in the bag, and then briskly walked out the room, locking the door.

* * *

Lightning woke up, immediately pushing off the bed into a standing position. She stretched her arms and legs, giving a small sigh. She made her way to her private bathroom, splashing her face with cold water. She looked at herself in the mirror. _What a mess_, she thought. She popped the toothpaste cap off, brushed her teeth squeaky clean, and attempted to brush her hair. She couldn't get it to the regular style that she usually has, so she tightly knit her pink locks into a casual ponytail. Satisfied with her looks, she walked to her closet, and pulled out a fresh, crisp, blue, military uniform.

As she put on her knee-high, deep brown boots, she hummed a very familiar tune to herself. It was the same exact tune Leo played on his violin what seemed weeks ago, but in reality, was probably less than two weeks. The reason Lightning tried to put so much effort in her appearance was that she wanted to make sure that everyone knew she had some sort of confidence. _They all probably think I'm some emotional mess that…that would do anything to save _them_…which isn't far from the truth, but…_ she shook her head and walked out the door.

Lightning gracefully strode across the open room, receiving several gasps from just about everyone who was there, which was just about everyone who she cared about. Snow dropped his fork and quickly rose, attempting to make his way towards Lightning. She merely glared at him, which caused Snow to shrink back into his seat. Lightning went to her beloved coffee pot and poured out a large cup-of-Joe, turning towards the group, taking a loud sip. Everyone gawked at her in silence.

"Sorry Sunshine, but I just gotta ask you this," Fang piped up. Lightning raised an eyebrow, signaling her to continue. "Well…uhm…why are you so…calm at this moment?" Lightning closed her eyes and took another sip. She sighed and made her way to the large dinner table, lowering herself into "her" seat, which happened to be next to Serah and Fang. She looked down at her coffee for a while, before finally speaking up,

"In the past," she began. Honestly, Lightning herself didn't know where to begin. "I would've acted irrationally. Vowing to kill whoever has done this, and like an idiot, march out the door with nothing more than my gunblade and an absurd plan to bring justice," she looked hard at the members of the group. "It's the way I operated ever since I was 15. But I realized from past experiences that this plan…is stupid. I…I lock myself in a chamber of anger and hatred, being able to be easily manipulated and controlled. I think irrationally, putting me and everyone around me in danger. And to be honest, I still do that, to a point." Lightning paused, taking a large sip of her coffee, allowing her little speech to sink in.

"And your point is?" Fang pressed, her hand pressed onto her cheek.

"My point is that…I'm not going to do that anymore. I'm going to make an actual plan," she looked at the group, "I am pretty confident that Asami and her little 'Purist' group has made it their goal to oust FLASH from every major city…I mean, we're now engaged in a Civil War now! Who knows what they've done to our soldiers!"

"Knowing that Asami, she'll probably have them all killed in some sickening way," Sazh said, shaking his head.

"Exactly. We need to think logically about this and regain control of our lost cities."

"But that's not our main priority, is it?" Snow asked. Lightning didn't say anything for a few seconds.

"No…it's not. I know, it's selfish, putting two lives in front of millions…but," she trailed off. "They are my family, and will do _anything_ to save them." Everyone was silent at the last sentence. "I think Serah knows that very well," she looked at her sister. Serah smiled, albeit sadly.

"Well, what's the big plan then?" Vanille excitedly asked.

"Where's Hope?" Lightning asked, finally noticing that the platinum-haired young man was nowhere to be seen.

"Right here," a voice quickly said. Hope entered the room, disconnecting a call from his communicator. He pulled out a chair and sat next to Sazh and Vanille.

"Hope," Lightning said in a stern voice, "I hope you had some common sense to do some investigating." Hope merely chuckled and nodded. "Excellent. Your findings?"

"Well, I sent a few of our most skilled spies to go do some research," Hope placed both of his hands on the table, gripping them. "We have found that many, unmarked, large trucks enter a rather secluded military-base styled buildings between here and the capital. After further investigation, my team figured that most of these trucks carried weapons, goods, and probably some drugs, but that has yet to be confirmed," Hope paused. "We believe that this is the main HQ of the so-called 'Purists', and there is a high possibility that Leo and Maria are imprisoned there," Hope finished.

"So we're just gonna barge in, save them, and maybe detonate the area?" Fang asked with a very serious expression. Lightning rolled her eyes, causing Fang to lose her concentration by dissolving into a fit of giggles.

"Seriously, Fang. Because that's _totally_ going to work; there's just such a _slim_ chance that there would be thousands of heavily trained and armed guards patrolling the area, not to mention that they have two captives that they could, oh I don't know, pull off an even more disastrous hostage situation where they could get killed?" Lightning said as sarcastically as she could, taking another sip of her coffee. Fang slumped in her chair with a pout.

"You're no fun."

"Really Fang? You think this is a great time to be 'fun'? Acquire some common sense, please," Lightning said in a belittling voice. Fang slightly flinched at the comment. _I was right,_ she thought, _she _is_ bottling up her emotions._ Lightning got up and made her way back into the kitchen, receiving several stares from her teammates. She poured another cup of coffee and turned around, catching the stares.

"What?" She said, clearly agitated.

"Soldier girl," Sazh said in a peculiar voice, "are you…ok?"

"Yeah, yeah, perfectly fine," she quickly said, dismissing the question with a wave of the hand. "Why?"

"You seem a little…uhm…how do I put this…" Snow trailed off. Lightning sighed and sat back at the table, taking yet another sip of her coffee.

"Anyway, besides that _little _interruption," she shot Fang a look, "here's the plan. Infiltrating that area with everyone here is too messy. It's impossible to have an ounce of stealth, especially with Snow towering over everyone," Snow smiled at the comment. "We need the most nimble and capable members of our team."

"Which means that you and Fang are going," Hope finished her thought. Lightning nodded. "I don't like this plan one bit, Light."

"I wasn't finished," Lightning looked up at Hope. "Meanwhile, I'm going to need someone in charge of the military and our city-liberating operations while I'm gone, right? Lieutenant," she pointed to Hope, "You're going to fill me in for the time being. I want you to start with the city of Tempestas and make your way to the capital."

"No other advice? This is entirely in my hands?" Hope tentatively asked, worried about the answer.

"Make good use of Sazh's military air fleet, please," Hope nodded. "Meanwhile, Vanille and Snow, I need you two to protect Erebus. I have a feeling that going to be Asami's next target. Can I trust you two with that?" Lightning narrowed her eyes. Snow and Vanille both furiously nodded.

"And me?" Serah asked, giving her sister a look.

"Protecting the kids, of course," Lightning responded. Serah sighed and nodded, placing her head on Snow's shoulders.

"Soldier, I really don't like this plan," Sazh finally spoke up.

"And why is that?" Lightning performed her signature eyebrow-raise.

"You and Fang…alone…that's a one-way ticket for trouble."

"And why is that?" Both Fang and Lightning said in unison.

"You both are hotheaded…and you both act on emotion and instincts. The two things that skilled spies _don't_ have," Fang scoffed at the comment while Lightning shook her head.

"I need someone to have my back while I find Asami," Lightning said, crossing her arms.

"And do what?" Vanille immediately regretted asking.

"So I can…give her a little piece of my mind," for a split second, Lightning flashed a sickening smile that bordered along the lines of a serial killer and a kid in a candy shop. Serah shot her sister a worrying look, but did not press the issue. Lightning dismissed the impromptu meeting, quickly muttering something about calling the Senate.

Lightning quickly went through a hallway, and opened a door that was in front of Maria's room. She stepped inside her office, walked towards her desk, and pressed a large red button underneath her desk. A holographic display popped up and the entire Senate appeared before her eyes.

"Thank you for finally calling, Farron," Amodar spoke. Lightning sat down in her chair and gave a curt nod.

"Sorry, I have been…incapacitated. What information do you all need?" She asked.

"Everything," another Senator asked, this one just a normal politician who was voted by the people. Lightning took a deep breath and explained everything that happened within the past week, starting with the resurrection of Fang and Vanille, all the way to Asami's wild claim, and finally the plan. The Senate members quietly spoke among each other.

"Farron, we really don't like this plan of yours. It's way too risky with just two people," Amodar finally said. Lightning frowned.

"But if we have reinforcements, it only spells trouble," she retaliated. Amodar sighed.

"I'm not worried about you…I know you have enough skill to perform this task…It's just that Fang-woman that I'm worried about," Amodar finally said, receiving several nods from his fellow senators.

"Fang…is the one person I would trust my life with," Lightning very adamantly said. "If there's one person who can do this with me…it's her." There was a long silence.

"Fine. But, in return, you leave the city sieges to us," a lady senator said.

"I've already left Lieutenant Estheim in charge of that," Lightning replied.

"Then he must-"

"I'll tell him to get an 'ok' from you guys, alright?" Lightning cut her off. The woman smiled and nodded. Lightning sighed. "Anything else?"

"Good luck," with that, Lightning turned off the holographic screen and leaned back into her chair, stretching out her limbs. She quickly pushed herself off the chair and made her way back to the door, only to see Serah standing in front of it.

"Serah! When did you get here?" Lightning asked, genuinely surprised.

"Not too long ago," Serah said, walking towards her sister. She sat down on a couch and signaled her sister to join her. Lightning did so, albeit, reluctantly. "Sis…I know you're hurting real deep inside. It's obvious that you're just hiding your emotions, like you always do!" Lightning didn't say anything. "And that little 'plan' of yours? You just made it up right on the spot, there was no intense thought put into it. You're still acting the way you always would!" Serah threw her hands in the air. Lightning remained silent.

"What's wrong with you Lightning? I saw that sick smile you gave…you on a revenge mission, aren't you? If you keep this up, you'll just end up exactly like Asami! And that's what she wants, too!" Lightning furiously looked into Serah's eyes; her ice-blue ones burning with fire.

"I'm. Nothing. Like. Her," She meticulously said. Serah rolled her eyes, dismissing Lightning's attempt of intimidation.

"You're acting like her right now. Seriously Sis…just chill out!"

"Chill out! How the hell do I chill out? What would you have done if you were in my shoes, huh _Serah?_" Lightning spat. Serah looked down. "Exactly! You would do _anything_ so save them. And that for me is making them face my wrath. I may have looked calm and collected, but you're right: I'm angry. I'm pissed." Lightning said, furrowing her eyebrows.

Outside the door, Fang and the rest of the group strained their ears to hear every word of Lightning's little outburst.

"And you think that's going to solve anything?"

"Yes." Serah furiously sighed and shook her head.

"I don't think there's any point in putting some of that _common sense_ into you head, is there?" Serah narrowed her eyes, pulling off a complete Lightning.

"I suppose not," Lightning simply replied. Serah got off the couch and furiously opened the door, narrowly missing Fang's nose. She slammed it shut, leaving Lightning in her office, alone. Lightning remained on the couch, replaying the scene in her mind. "Just like Asami, huh?" She sadly said to herself. She gave a heavy sighed and crossed her arms. The silence was broken by a sudden rush of loud whispers outside her door. Lightning's eyebrow twitched.

"I can hear you all out there!" She loudly said, closing her eyes. The whispering abruptly stopped, and she heard footsteps slowly fading away. She remained in her seat. The door slowly creaked open, a certain raven-haired woman popping her head through the slit.

"You ok, Sunshine?" Lightning did not open her eyes.

"Not in the mood, Fang." The weight suddenly shifted on her couch and she popped her left eye open, revealing Fang sitting very casually right next to her.

"What do you think I was going to tell you?" Lightning crossed her legs and closed her left eye, sighing.

"That I should 'do the right thing' and 'don't get my emotions caught up with my thought'…basically regurgitating what Serah already so _wonderfully_ told me moments ago." Fang looked down, scrunched up her face, slightly humming, and then looked up.

"Strike one, strike two, and strike three. What I was going to tell you was this: Let's get em'." Lightning shot her head at Fang. Fang merely shook her head, "Tsk, tsk, Sunshine. Did you really forget me after all these years?" Lightning looked away, slightly guilty. "I know you're pissed and all…but not everyone's your enemy, you got that?" Fang shook her battle partner's shoulder. Lightning quickly swatted away at the contact.

"Yeah, yeah…I got it…I got it…" She slightly smiled.

* * *

**Yes, yes, I played the "sick daughter" card with Arshia. It was Koharu's idea, so I went with it. Oh, and a little fact about Arshia: Arshia is actually my real life cousin that I live with currently. Is he like Arshia in the story? To a point...to a point...  
**

**NEXT CHAPTER: Huge badass fighting with Fang and Lightning! WOOO! Oh, and there's going to be a flashback that everyone (and when I mean everyone, I probably am just referring to Taylore) has been waiting for. And one that I have been hinting at. Can you guess what it is?  
**


	12. Enter the Calm Part II

**Hello everyone! Chapter 12 is upon us! Special thanks for Koharu for reading this beforehand.**  
**One more thing, I still haven't received any feedback regarding the rating. I need something!  
**

**A huge thank you to Whistlewind Wolf and an anonymous reader for reviewing! I love how much you guys analyze everything! XD  
**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Lightning's boots crunched on various leaves, rocks, and shrubs. She led a furious pace across a jungle area. Fang was walking beside her, easily keeping up. She was wearing a spare FLASH uniform that Lightning had, although hers was a very bright blue and Lightning's was on the lines of a blue-gray color. Only minutes ago did a helicopter drop them off at their starting point, about ten kilometers away from Asami's hideout. Lightning suggested that they should run there, but Fang reminded the soldier that they must conserve energy.

"Light, with the pace you're going, it's basically jogging!" Fang finally spurted out. Lightning merely huffed and slightly turned her head towards the huntress.

"And your point?"

"The whole point of walking was the save our strength! If you keep on going like this, we might as well just run! It'll save a whole lot more energy!" Fang shook Lightning's left shoulder. The soldier heavily sighed and placed her hands behind her head, finally slowing her pace. "Look, I know…I know that you're worried and all, but just relax and-"

"Fang," Lightning cut her off, "my whole family is in danger right now. How can I be relaxed?"

"Well, your family has been in danger for about four days now, so a few hours won't make a difference," Lightning bit her lip. She was on the verge of strangling Fang at the moment. Fang glanced at Lightning and sighed. "While we _walk_, why don't you tell me a story?"

"A story?" Lightning scoffed. "Would you like 'We're Wasting Time' or 'The Soldier Strangled the Huntress'?" Fang gave a long and hearty laugh. Lightning rolled her eyes, slightly picking up the pace to flee from Fang. Fang easily caught up.

"How about…The story about the 'Commander and the Musician'?" Lightning shot Fang a look.

"The what? Me and Leo?" Lightning raised an eyebrow. _I don't like where this is going…_

"Do I have to spell it out for you Sunshine? I want to know how you married your husband!" Lightning quickened her pace even more. Fang ran in front of her and cut her off.

"Uh uh uhhh!" She waggled a finger in the Commander's face. "You _are_ going to tell me." Lightning again rolled her eyes.

"And if I refuse?" Fang immediately jumped back and wielded her spear. "Fang! This is _not_ the time for a meaningless fight!" Fang merely stood there in her battle position. Lightning furiously shook her head. "Aren't you the one who said that I should 'conserve energy'?'' Fang smirked. The huntress lunged at Lightning, the soldier gracefully backflipping away.

"Really Fang? Really?"

"It's a story I really want to know, Sunshine! And if I have to, I'll beat it out of you." Lightning frowned, pinching the bridge of her nose with one hand and rubbing her temples with the other.

"What's so interesting about this story? It's just a regular soap opera," Fang put her spear away, and walked beside the Commander, smiling.

"Soap opera? Now I'm even more interested!" Lightning frowned even more, slapping her face with her hand. _Curse my word choice._ "Look, the only reason why I'm so interested is that…no one tells me!" Fang threw her hands in the air, flabbergasted. "Why don't you tell me?" Lightning sighed for the 748th time today.

"Fine! I'll tell you!"

* * *

"_Snow, what are we going to do?" Serah furiously paced in the living room of their small house. Snow quickly looked up and shrugged and resumed polishing his handmade surfboard. Serah growled and ripped the cloth away from his hand. "Look at me Snow!"_

"_I don't know Serah! We already tried what, five guys? She didn't even allow the first date! They all ran away, terrified by her!" Serah sighed and slumped in the cough beside him. "Sweetie, she's never going to get a man. Ever." Serah raised an eyebrow, perfectly mimicking Lightning._

"_Oh really? You wanna bet?" Snow flashed a grin._

"_Sure! But I'll win, 'cause the heroes never lose!" Serah scoffed at the comment._

"_If I win Snow," Serah started, almost threateningly, "I get to name _all_ of our children," Snow immediately frowned and cleared his throat._

"_Serah, maybe you should think about this and-"_

"_Nope!" Serah crossed her arms. Snow hung his head and very quietly agreed. A hero can't back down of a challenge after all. A few days passed, but Serah did nothing. During lunch, Snow finally asked,_

"_Serah, have you found anyone yet?" Serah turned around from the sink, fully equipped with an apron and yellow rubber gloves._

"_I have one person in mind…but he's been out of Erebus. He's coming back tonight," Snow hopped off the chair and made his way towards his wife. He hugged her shoulders and whispered in her ear,_

"_Oh really? And who is this mysterious man?" Serah giggled and pushed him away, taking off her gloves and rinsing her hands. She pulled up a chair and sat at the table, signaling Snow to join her._

"_Remember a few months ago, a man just…randomly rang our doorbell when Lightning was over for dinner?" Snow scratched his head. "And Lightning squeezed the living daylights out of him, repeating, 'I thought you were dead! I thought you were dead!'?" Snow's eyes lit up._

"_Yeah! Leo, wasn't it! I remember him…he used to take care of you when Sis was away for long missions. He's a really sweet guy…wait. You want to partner her with him?" Snow loudly exclaimed. Serah shrugged._

"_Why not? I mean, they've known each other since they were born!"_

"_That's the problem!" Snow quieted down...slightly. "They're beyond the friend zone, they're like best friends forever, no?" Serah slightly frowned._

"_Not…anymore," Serah very quietly said._

"_Why is that?" Snow frowned._

"_I…honestly don't know what happened between them. After Leo magically showed up, they hung out and then he left…and they don't talk at all. I mean, their relationship was not as strong as it used to be when we were still in Cocoon, but they were still good friends! I don't know what happened. But that doesn't matter! He's coming tonight and I'll ask him to go out with Lightning." _

"_You really think that's going to work?" Snow uncharacteristically scoffed._

"_Why not?" Serah asked again._

"_You think he would want to date her?" Serah laughed._

"_For the longest time…I always thought he had a crush on her," Serah smiled at the various memories. "Besides, who doesn't want to date Sis?" Snow laughed like a maniac._

"_All those guys who ran away, that's who!" Serah frowned as Snow continued to laugh. Around eight hours later, Leo arrived at the Erebus train station, only to be greeted by a very excited Serah and Snow._

"_Serah! What are you doing here?" Leo asked, surprised. He held his luggage tightly in his hand as they walked out of the station and onto the streets. Serah was furiously laying out her plans to him with Snow adding some commentary here and there._

"_So you're telling me that…I should go out…with…Lightning?" Leo slightly paled. _

"_What's wrong?" Serah very carefully asked._

"_I mean…It's Lightning…and we're not in the best of terms at the moment and-"_

"_What happened between you two?" Serah interrupted. Leo quickly looked down and muttered a "nothing". Serah worriedly glanced at Snow, who merely shrugged. "Come on Leo…please? I know you have a crush on her!" Leo glanced at Serah, a scared twinkle in his eyes. He heavily sighed and reluctantly agreed. Serah shared her work details with him and she and Snow gave their farewells. Leo very slowly walked under the moonlight, thinking about what in the world he's going to do. Or say. The next day quickly came, much to Leo's displeasure. He woke up and gussied up, wearing his most fancy casual dress he could find in his very fashionable closet. In the end, he wore fitted, sand colored velvet pants, brown dress shoes, and a very artistic graphic t-shirt._

_Leo made his way to Lightning's office in the FLASH headquarters, which was located in the middle of Downtown Erebus. He walked through the doors and addressed the receptionist,_

"_Is Sgt. Farron here?"_

"_Sgt. Farron?" The woman asked with a very belittling voice. She was chewing gum and popped a bubble in Leo's face. "Sorry mista, we ain't got no 'Sgt. Farron' here. We gots the Commander, but-"_

"_That's who I meant," Leo quickly interrupted, very annoyed by the woman's mannerisms. The woman sighed and picked up a black phone, quickly punching in a series of buttons. The phone rang four times,_

"_Hey hun, you gotta visitor. You don't wanna see him?" She looked up at Leo and mouthed 'name?'. _

"_Leo. Leonardo de Napaloccini," Leo quickly said. The girl gave him a look._

"_Says his name is Leonarda da Nipplechina…you're gonna see him? Lovely, hun, I'll send him right up." The woman unlocked the front door, "Floor thirteen, room two." Leo quickly made his way up to the elevator, trying to flee from the immature woman. He punched the large '13' button and waited, cringing at the horrifying elevator music. He finally made his way up to Lightning's office door and knocked twice. A pink haired woman opened the door._

"_Leo! What are you doing here?" She exclaimed, letting the musician in. He sat on a white couch next to her desk, the Commander lowering herself across from him. "What's up?" Leo slightly cleared his throat, his heart beginning to race._

"_Well, I was finally in town after a few days of concerts, so I wanted to know how you were doing," he finally said. There was an awkward silence. "How about you?"_

"_Well," Lightning started, shifting her seat, "I was about to go out for lunch."_

"_You want to go out for a cup of coffee, like the old times?" Leo asked, hoping that Lightning was the same person who adored the caffeinated drink. Lightning cheeks slightly reddened. And Lightning never blushed. _What's wrong with me? He just asked me to go out for coffee…it's not like he's _actually _asking me out, right?_ Lightning asked her mind. She sighed and agreed. Together, Leo and Lightning made their way through the streets, barely talking. They stopped by a coffee shop, Lightning ordering a salad and Leo, a sandwich. Leo finally managed to lead a conversation with his old friend, the two talking about music. After they finished, Leo got up to pay the bill._

"_Leo, what are you doing?" Lightning asked, standing up._

"_I was…just going to pay the bill?" Lightning nervously asked, wondering what was wrong with the woman. Lightning shook her head._

"_No Leo, you're not paying for my food."_

"_And why is that?" Leo asked, narrowing his eyes._

"_I'm paying for my food and you pay for yours. This isn't a date or anything!" Leo frowned, still holding his wallet. Lightning quickly looked away._

"_Well then think of this as an act of chivalry," with that, Leo quickly, almost running, made his way to the cashier and quickly paid. Lightning gripped his arm before he handed over the money._

"_Leo! I can pay for my-"_

"_Too bad, I already paid," he grabbed the change from the cashier and shook away Lightning's grip. Lightning frowned and pulled back her arm. Leo sighed. "Look Light-" _

"_Leo, I really don't want to hear it," Lightning huffed and walked out of the coffee shop. Leo stood there and facepalmed. He quickly walked out, muttering to himself, _

"_Since when has she become so sensitive!"_

_Weeks past with no luck for Leo; no matter how many times he called, she refused to see him. She always had an excuse. She had "missions", "meetings", "trips", much to Leo's avail. It came to the point where he almost gave up._

"_Serah, I don't know what to do…she…she just," Leo trailed off, looking at his coffee that Serah brewed. He sat in Serah's and Snow's living room, plopped up against the side of a couch with Snow sitting next to him. Serah frowned and sat in a chair across him._

"_Leo…don't be like that! You know Lightning very well: she takes time to open up to people-"_

"_Open up to people!" Leo shouted, cutting her off. "I was her best friend! She should already be comfortable being around me!" Leo groaned. He suddenly got up and walked out the house._

"_Wait! Leo! Where are you goin'?" Snow yelled after him. Leo ran off with no response. After a few minutes of running, Leo hailed a taxi and made his way to Downtown Erebus. From there, he waltzed right into FLASH Headquarters, and lucky enough, Lightning was in the reception hall._

"_Lightning!" He yelled, his face containing mixed emotions. The Commander whipped around, sporting a surprised look. She tried to casually walk away but Leo caught up. He grabbed her arm, stopping her from advancing. Lightning angrily whipped her head toward Leo,_

"_What?" She spat. Leo immediately looked away, frowning, but looked back at her with fierce eyes._

"_What ever happened to us, Light? We used to be the best of buddies…now…now we're just-"_

"_Leo! I don't want to hear it!" Lightning shouted, looking away. Everyone in the room stared at the two in silence. Leo sadly looked at his friend._

"_Claire…what happened?" He quietly asked._

"_Don't call me that," she menacingly said. Lightning ripped her arm away from Leo's grip and stormed off. The room suddenly exploded with shushed voices and whispers. Leo stood there, but in a fit of anger, kicked a trashcan out of his way. Just like the Commander, he stormed out of the building and walked away, creating another buzz in the reception hall. Three weeks past and Lightning received zero calls from Leo. One day, she was packing up her things in her office, about to go home for the night._

"_Looks like he gave up…" She quietly muttered to herself. She was neither relieved nor sad nor happy. In silence, she grabbed some papers, stuffed them into her briefcase, and made her towards the door. Suddenly, her phone vibrated with a jingle. She stopped and took her personal phone from her pocket and read the text message, "'Meet me at the south beach before sunset,'…why doesn't this guy give up?" Lightning groaned. She didn't know what to do. Should she go or should she leave him there? "I can't just leave him waiting there…I'm not heartless…" Lightning groaned again and made her way out of the building. She hailed cab and quickly went to the beach, since sunset was approaching fast._

_Leo casually and confidently waited by a sign in the south beach. He was wearing his regular garb: jeans, dress shoes, and a casual graphic t-shirt. He saw a cab and a pink haired lady walk out. He warmly smiled and led Lightning across the beach, saying nothing. They walked in silence for a few minutes until Lightning spoke up,_

"_What are you going to show me that's so important?" She slightly huffed, giving him a look. Leo merely smirked and remained silent. They walked to a slightly jungled area. They ducked under branches, leaped over tree trunks, and squeezed their way through some rocks. With each obstacle, Lightning grew more worried. _Where is he taking me?

_Suddenly, they walked through a small open area with a watch of sand and a whole lot of ocean. Lightning gasped. Before her was one of the most magnificent sunsets she had ever seen. The sky was a mix of blue, purple, green, red, yellow, and dark navy. The sea itself reflected the sky, or did the sky reflect the ocean? It didn't matter to Lightning, she stood there in awe. Leo was beside her, smiling madly. The sun slowly started set. Suddenly Leo threw a guitar at Lightning in her state of stupor, but she caught it easily anyway. She looked at the instrument._

"_A guitar? What for?" She asked, puzzled. Leo was sitting on a rock, fully equipped with his violin._

"_I'm sure you remember at least _some_ chords from music class!" He playfully said. Lightning looked at him in disbelief. He stared back with his mad smile. Lightning shook her head and smiled, sitting on a rock beside him. She played a few chords to warm up. "Alright, what do you want to play?" Leo's smile got even wider, even though it was physically impossible, but he did it anyway._

"_Remember that one track we always played? 'The Price of Freedom'?" Lightning slightly gasped but quickly retained her composure. It was one of her favorite songs, one of the only songs she could play its entirety on the guitar, since the stringed instrument wasn't her primary one. She looked up at Leo and they both nodded in unison and started playing._

_Everything from there blurred with time. At some point, they built a small campfire, singing various songs from their childhood. At one point, Leo woke up in the middle of night, only to find Lightning sleeping on him. He smiled and looked at his watch, his eyes widening._

"_Holy…shit…" It was four in the morning. He carefully placed Lightning on the ground and got up, making extra sure that he wouldn't wake the light sleeper. Leo dusted the sand off his clothes and even more carefully picked the stoic soldier up bridal-style. _If she wakes up…I'm dead_, he reminded himself. He slowly walked back through the jungle and into the main beach under the moonlight. An hour later, he arrived at Lightning's small apartment. He very cautiously opened her leg pouch to get her house key without waking her up. He did so successfully, finally lowering the woman into her bed. Leo quietly left and made his way back to his apartment._

_Hours later, Leo woke up to a frantic phone call by Lightning._

"_Leo! What am I doing at home?" Leo laughed._

"_You fell asleep so I carried you home," he casually said, getting up from his bed._

"_You what! Leo, the beach is kilometers away! Are you serious?" _

"_Well…I didn't want to wake you up, you looked so cute sleeping there…" Lightning was speechless. Everything went better from there. Lightning and Leo went out to various coffee shops, beaches, parties, and restaurants for the next year. At first, Leo was not warmly welcome to the former l'Cie group, thanks to Hope's antics. But after a while, they accepted him. It took about a year and a half of fights, almost-break ups, hundreds of bouquets of flowers (all roses, mind you), and finally, a wonderful engagement ring that Lightning ever so excitedly accepted._

* * *

"…and then we got married…and now we have a beautiful, little girl," Lightning concluded her long story. Fang watched her partner in awe. Lightning never opened up to her like this…or talk for hours straight, non-stop.

"Well that was cute," Fang remarked. Lightning rolled her eye and suddenly stretched out her hand, stopping the huntress from going on any further. "What was that?"

"We're here," Lightning pointed. Before them were a series of huge buildings, an aircraft runway, various towers, and hundreds of large, white trucks. "Fang…do you see what I see?" She very quietly asked.

"Yup…I see about oh…maybe…four thousand little buggers. They'll never know what hit them," Fang smirked, almost evilly.

"Ok…I think we should do at least _some_ of this stealthily, no?" Fang frowned, almost giving Lightning the puppy dog eyes. Lightning looked away, attempting to ignore Fang's pleas. Fang finally hung her head and agreed. They quickly made their way down a cliff, and hid behind a truck. Right in front of them were two, heavily armed guards. Lightning nodded and they both attacked the poor soldiers at once, knocking them out and hiding them under the truck. From there, Lightning and Fang, in a slow, agonizing manner, made their way to the main building. It actually took them several tries to find the building, since the whole area was basically a maze. Some of the soldiers attempted to fight back when their stealth antics failed (usually thanks to Fang). But, alas, they all failed. No ordinary soldiers could even compete with the wrath of Lightning and Fang, even more especially since they were together.

Lightning approached their targeted building and quickly broke a window, clambering inside. She dropped down around ten feet to the ground, quickly hiding behind a pile of boxes. She peered out and saw a factory. Thousands of gloves were being handled by hundreds of workers.

"What…are they making?" Fang shrugged. Lightning looked again and slightly gasped, grabbing Fang's arm and pointing. "Look. Asami," she angrily spat.

"Well what are you waiting for, let's get her!" Fang was about to unleash an all-out massacre but Lightning restrained her with both arms.

"Fang! We first gotta know what she's doing…plus, when she leaves, she'll probably lead the way to Leo and Maria!" Fang groaned. They quietly watched and listened to the General speaking with a worker.

"And they can do all elements?" She asked, narrowing her eyes. The worker furiously nodded. Asami put the glove on and asked, "And how does it work?"

"You basically say the desired element in your mind and…like tense up your arms, focusing most of your energy in your hands. From there, the glove will do its thing," the worker replied, slightly scared. Asami scoffed and attempted the discharge the glove. Nothing happened the first few tries until the eighth.

A huge, ball of fire lit from her hands, firing into a wall. The explosive shockwave sent everyone flying meters away. Asami wildly grinned and laughed like a maniac.

"Magic…is a beautiful thing, isn't it?" She walked away, still laughing. Lightning and Fanged gawked at each other.

"She has magic now?" Fang exclaimed as quietly as possible. "How is that possible?" She shook Lightning's shoulder.

"…Shit."

* * *

**There ya go! The story behind Leo and Lightning. Before everyone throws tomatoes at me I shall explain.**

**I know I said in the last chapter that this chapter would be action heavy, but I changed the script and managed to divide this chapter. Thus, the next chapter shall be the second climax. Believe me, you're not going to expect it. ;)  
**

**So did you like the little flashback ? Tell me your thoughts, I love to hear them! :D  
**

**PS. "The Price of Freedom" is that same song from Crisis Core! :D  
**


	13. Enter the Storm Part II

**Hey! Welcome to chapter 13, the BIG chapter! Big thanks to Koharu for proofreading and listening to my wonderful, gorey ideas (even though none of them made it to the chapter XD)! I'm not violent in real life, I swear!**

**Thanks to Whistlewind Wolf for reviewing! You have some great theories there, keep them coming! :D  
**

**This chapter is action packed...and you're not going to expect it. I promise. Without further ado, enjoy! :D**

* * *

"Snow…don't you think something is…off?" Serah very timidly asked, sitting in a comfortable armchair behind the giant, holding one of the twins. In front of her, Snow placed his hands behind his head, looking at the horizon. He heavily sighed and turned around.

"I guess so…There's nothing going on…It's too quiet. Way too quiet," he held his communicator strongly in his left hand. Over the course of just a few hours, he had heard nothing from the other cities. No visible demonstrations, no protesters, no violence, no anger. It was just a regular day for everyone in Gran Pulse. But why? The whole world is basically at war for the past few days; rapings, murders, massacres at every corner. So why today, of all days, was it quiet? This bugged Snow to no end.

"Serah," Snow walked away from his wife while he spoke.

"Yes?" Serah asked after some odd silence from Snow. She did not like the lack of confidence in his voice.

"Don't you think something is up? I mean, there's no demonstrations, no violence, no…nothing today. And we've been having fighting everyday for the past few days, even if some days were mild," he turned around again. Serah looked at him, slightly scared.

"Do you think…do you think that they were expecting us to do something today?" Snow bit his lip.

"You think they were spying on us?" Serah's eyes flickered with fright.

"It's…a possibility, right?"

"It's a huge possibility! Oh Maker, why didn't we think of this sooner?" Snow's voice rose. He tapped a furry of button combinations and hastily raised the device to his ear. Vanille walked into the room, holding a cup of coffee. She handed the drink to Serah, intently listening to Snow bark at the device.

"Hope, look, I just have a bad feeling," Snow repeated for the fourth time in less than twenty seconds. Serah had never seen him this nervous. It was odd.

"But Snow," Hope finally breathed out, "it's just…who? Nobody knew about this operation until now. And I'm sure Lightning or someone would've noticed anyone spying on us, don't you think?" Snow scratched his head. He turned around to the two girls, hoping for some help. Vanille stroked her chin, thinking very hard. Serah gripped her forehead, also trying to create "what if" scenarios. Vanille's eyes finally flickered and she hurriedly ran towards Snow and ripped the communicator away from him.

"Hope, didn't we hire spies?" Hope gasped and hastily blurted out,

"Are you trying to tell me that our spies…spied on us?" His voice slightly cracked. These types of scenarios only happen in movies! Snow looked at Vanille with one eyebrow raised.

"Yeah! It's totally possible, right?"

"W-well it is, but…it's just so improbable!" Hope stuttered.

"Hope, what happened to those spies?" Serah finally spoke up, slowly walking towards the communicator. She could hear Hope scratching his hair.

"I think they were discharged back to Tempestas or something…why?" Serah grabbed the device from Vanille.

"Can you check to see if they, like, ever reported back to the city?" She heard Hope slightly gasp and hurried taps at a keyboard. After some silence, Hope started muttering to himself. "Hope? Hope! What happened?" There was some silence until the man spoke,

"They never reported back and are now considered MIA – Missing In Action." The group all looked at each other; their worst fears confirmed.

"What does…that mean?" Vanille squeaked.

"Whatever it means…it's not good. They know what we're going to do," Snow said with blatant fear in his voice. _Lightning…_

* * *

Lightning peered from the side of the box, quickly returning to her hiding place. She placed her finger over her mouth, telling Fang to be quiet. She skillfully somersaulted toward another group of boxes quietly. She peered around the box again. _Fourteen workers here, twenty-nine over there…two doors on the left and four hallways in the right…and finally, a staircase,_ she laid out the building map in her mind. She turned her head around and found Fang behind her. She gave her a look; she never ordered her to follow. Fang gave a grim grin, something that only Fang could pull off. She pointed to Lightning's left, the soldier slowly turning around. All the workers started to leave the posts. After a minute or so, nobody was in the room.

"What…the hell?" Lightning finally breathed out. She very quietly and slowly walked out of her makeshift hiding spot, drawing out her weapon. All the gloves were gone; probably all neatly placed in boxes and shipped away. How did they do this without her noticing, Maker knows. Something was up. Fang jumped out and ran towards her. The two walked towards the staircase.

"Don't you think we should check the doors, Sunshine?" Fang tugged on the warrior's arm. Lightning huffed. Asami went down the stairs: they should too.

"And why should we do that?" She narrowed her eyes. Her patience was running low; dangerously low. Fang rolled her eyes. _So stubborn!_ She ran off towards a door. Lightning sighed and loudly tapped her foot on the ground. She watched Fang open a door. The huntress slowly walked in, after a few moments, quickly running out, shutting the door close loudly. "Fang! Quiet down they might hear-"

Fang yanked Lightning's arm and the two started running away from the door together. They sprinted down the staircase until Lightning shoved Fang, asking,

"What was that for? What did you-"

"Run."

"What?" Lightning loudly shouted. _What in the world did she see?_

"I said run!" Fang took off. They zig-zagged around the various hallways. After a minute or so, they finally entered a rather large storage room. Lightning stopped running and furiously turned toward Fang.

"Well, what the hell did you see?" Fang was about to answer back until her eyes widened.

"Oh…shit…"

"Now what?" Lightning threw her hands in the air, exasperated. Fang, with the same expression, pointed behind Lightning. The soldier turned around and gasped. Hundreds of heavily armed soldiers stood behind them, all pointed their guns and various weapons at them. Lightning growled and hastily drew her weapon, Fang doing the same. "I told you not to open any doors," she grumbled.

Lightning ran towards the mob. With one swift motion, she launched two of the soldiers, kicked another two in the head, and stabbed her gunblade into one of the airborne soldiers. The blade went right through the poor chap like butter. She jerked the sword out of him and stabbed the other airborne soldier. They bought gave a sickening scream, landing on the ground with a large thump. The room was silent, no one dared to move. Blood pooled around Lightning's feet as she wrenched the sword out of her enemy's torso.

Fang stared at Lightning. She was being reckless and ruthless…and very violent. She saw something flicker in Lightning's eyes as the soldier gingerly walked toward the rest of the soldiers: delight. It made Fang shiver with fear; it was as if she was possessed. Fang shook her head, _Light would never hurt me._ She gave a yell and ran toward a group of soldiers, still stupefied by Lightning. She launched all four of them in the air with two swipes of her spear. She jumped and hacked away at them, sending them flying towards a wall. They all fell on top of each other, limp. Behind her, a large soldier with a bazooka fired at Fang. She leaped away and turned her head toward Lightning, screaming, "Look out!"

Lightning saw the missile in her peripheral vision. She quickly knocked some attacking enemy's away to the side like flies. The missile came straight for her head; Lightning quickly ducked, and from her crouched position, she swirled around and slashed her sword upwards with all her might. She gave a strangled growl and pushed off. The missile went flying another direction, exploding in a group of soldiers. Blood splattered onto the floor and onto Lightning's boots. She turned away, not wanting to look at the amount of gore that was falling from the air. She turned to the soldier who was holding the bazooka. She was about to go after him until a dead body fell on him, Fang following afterwards. She stabbed her spear into his leg, and in response to the scream, she shot him through the air and through a nearby window. The soldier was lodged between the frame and several shards of glass, limp and unmoving. Fang gave a sickening look and turned away. Most of the soldiers were dealt with; the remaining ones were huddled in a corner, fear stricken all over their faces.

Fang and Lightning sighed in unison and made their way toward the enemies, Fang casually swaying her spear from side to side and Lightning placing her gunblade over her shoulder. The soldiers scattered away like bees, but surrounded them.

"Really?" Lightning loudly spoke. The soldiers nervously gulped. The woman sighed and suddenly sidestepped towards the left. She caught a soldier off guard and slashed her sword at him four times in rapid succession. She kicked the body away at the rest of the group, two other soldiers falling over like bowling pins. Fang followed Lightning's lead, attacking the rest. She launched three of them and sent them crashing into a wall; the mere collision killing them off.

"Hey, Light! Don't you think," she stabbed another soldier, "that they," she gave a small growl as she pushed some soldiers away from her, "sent some pretty weak BUGGERS?" At the last word, she stabbed her weapon into a burly soldier, jerking the steel out with all her might. She wiped the blood off her shoulder and made her way to the Commander, the room dead silent. Lightning stared at the bodies, biting her lip. She turned away and signaled Fang to follower her. In silence, they went down another pair of stairs and slowly walked around a dim hallway. Lightning quietly peered into an opened door. Seeing that no one was inside, she went inside, locked the door, and sat in one out of the three office chairs in the small, office cubicle.

"Something's not right."

"No kidding, Sunshine!" Fang retorted. Lightning didn't look up.

"Seriously, Fang…why did all those soldiers know we were here? They all came running out that door prepared." Fang laughed.

"That's impossible! How would they know I would open the door?" Lightning remained expressionless but Fang saw the slightly nervousness flicker in her ice-blue eyes. The huntress immediately frowned. They sat there in silence until Lightning noticed something was off. She got up and looked at the low ceiling, her nose pointed high, furiously sniffing. "Uhh…Light…ning? What's wrong?" She was too afraid to know. Lightning held her hand out.

"Fang," she said in an uncharacteristically queer voice, "do you smell…something burning?" Fang got up and sniffed around too.

"Is that…petroleum?" She turned back to the Commander. Lightning was currently unlocking the door, but it wouldn't budge. She slammed herself into the frame, hoping for it to crash open, but nothing happened. She banged at it with her fists a few times until she unsheathed her gunblade and slashed at the door. She screamed at every slash, but with no avail. She stood there, hunched, panting,

"Fang, we're trapped!" Her voice slightly cracked. Fang stared at her battle partner.

"Light…are you hyperventilating?" She very carefully asked, gripping the soldier's shoulders tightly. She looked at Lightning, fear written all over her face.

"H-have I ever told you that I'm…uhm…slightly claustrophobic?" Lightning blurted out. She suddenly looked up and shoved Fang out of the way. "Fang! Is that smoke!" Her voice rose higher. She could hear the pressure changing in the room. Something was definitely coming inside, and it wasn't good. Fang looked behind her and placed her hand on a wall.

"Yeowch!" She yelled, pulling her hand back. She drew her spear and stabbed the wall. It immediately crumbled, revealing flames that towered over the small cubicle

"Holy shit! They're burning the place down – starting with us!" Lightning screamed. The smoke that was coming inside was probably carbon dioxide. Fang and Lightning had their backs against each other, weapons drawn.

"Well how do we get out of this!" Fang yelled behind. Her heart started to race when she received no answer. "Lightning!" She yelled.

"I'm thinking! I'm thinking!" She finally answered back. The flames drew dangerously close. The air was filled with thick, black smoke, nothing could be seen more than 20 centimeters away. She heard Fang wildly coughing, the huntress finally crumbling to the ground, holding her nose. Lightning tried to resist, placing her hand on a wall to keep her balance. She finally kneeled down, coughing like a maniac. Tears welled up in her eyes. _It can't end like this! It can't! _She screamed in her head since her throat could not produce the sound. She turned her head to Fang, who was about to crash onto the ground. Her mind immediately wandered toward Maria and Leo, all the effort she put in them, all the love she gave and received. "I decide my fate!" She finally screamed with the last ounce of air she had left.

"Do you want a way out?" A voice appeared in her head.

_Yes! _She screamed back in her mind, her vision slowly fading away.

"Would you be willing to do anything?"

_Anything! Anything to save my family!_ She screamed again. The voice sounded awfully familiar but she was too delirious to press the issue.

"Anything?"

_Please! Please! Just…anything! _Lightning begged. She heard the voice give a grunt of satisfaction. Suddenly, her chest flared up with excruciating pain. The Commander started to claw at her chest, but the pain intensified. She felt like her insides were boiling. Somehow, she gave large, long screams despite the lack of air. She finally snapped one of her eyes opened and looked down, still screaming. A familiar ancient, pink symbol materialized underneath her. Very dark whisps of purple surround her, lifting her from the ground. A large gust of wind materialized out of nowhere, extinguishing the winds instead of feeding them. The whole cubicle and surrounding structures blew away.

Lightning, still lifted in the air, watched the purple haze surround her. She tried to grasp but, but the gas went right through her skin, almost like a ghost. The haze made her feel uneasy; it had a sense of cold to it, not warmth. She shoved the thoughts away and landed back on the ground again, the purple fog still surrounding her. Fang slowly got up, slightly coughing, and stared at Lightning. She watched the soldier look down at her hands in wonder. Lightning suddenly shot an arm out and a wonderful display of water works shot out, creating a large hole in an adjacent wall. Fang peered through the hole. The sides of the circle were tinged with the same purple haze, but the residue was eating away at the concrete, almost disintegrating it. Fang shot a look at Lightning, who was still looking around the purple fog.

"What…what is this?" Lightning slowly breathed out. The gas slowly started to dissolve in the air. When it was all gone, the soldier turned her head towards the dragoon, her face full of confusion.

"I…I think you just got magic back…" Fang trailed off. This was impossible. There was no Fal'Cie near anywhere, and to Fang's current knowledge, almost 75% of all Fal'Cie were gone! Lightning trailed her hand towards her chest. Should she check to see if there was a brand there? She would check later, now was definitely not the time. She walked out of the wreckage and looked up. Most of the ceiling was torn apart, rain now falling on her head. She ran towards Fang and swatted at her back, for the warrior was still coughing. They both got up and looked at each other. "Now what?" Fang finally asked.

Suddenly, a missile launched out of nowhere and exploded on a slab of concrete right next to the former l'Cie. Fang and Lightning flew through the air and slammed onto a wall. The fragile concrete crumbled with their combined weight on top of them. Lightning and Fang struggled to get up, the soldier peering into the horizon. The dust finally let up and she saw a large, burly man step out of the shadows, throwing a bazooka to the ground. The man cracked his knuckles and stopped five meters away from them.

"Arshia," Lightning spat. She immediately drew her weapon and pointed the tip at the man's face, Fang following in a similar fashion. The man merely stood there with a serious expression. He finally spoke,

"What I'm about to say, I know that you will dismiss with a laugh," he started. Lightning raised an eyebrow but remained unmoved. "If you want any chance to save your husband and daughter, I would advise you to leave now." There was a long and painful silence.

"And before I laugh that suggestion off," Lightning finally spoke, "on what terms should I believe any word that pops out of your mouth," she said with poisonous tone.

"I can't tell you," Lightning laughed. The man heavily sighed and unsheathed two blades from some holsters that were positioned under his knee. "I guess this is the only way to settle this, isn't it?" He sadly said, wielding his twin daggers.

"I guess so," Fang walked up next to Lightning in her battle position. The three held their breaths, wondering who would attack first. But everyone knew who would draw first blood: Lightning. True to her name, the soldier flashed forward and thrusted her sword into Arshia. The man skillfully and gracefully leapt backward. He was very nimble for a man his size. Fang followed Lightning's lead, jumping high over everyone's head. She came down at Arshia's head. The Lieutenant rolled to the side, only to be met with a boot to the face. Lightning kicked with all her might, sending the large man less than a meter away. Arshia bounced off the ground into a standing position and pushed off.

He wildly swung his daggers at Fang, the huntress blocking the attack with her spear. He used the stalemate as leverage, pushing off of it with one arm and slashing his other dagger at her face. Fang ducked, causing the man to trip off her spear. Arshia fell on top of Fang, putting her in a headlock position. Behind her, Lightning came flying out of nowhere, putting her gunblade, which happened to be in gun-mode, at the Lieutenant. She shot several times, only a few bullets connecting. He gave a small grunt as she shoved Fang to the side, rolling over. He stood up, kicking the bullets away from him. He ripped his tattered top off, revealing a bullet proof vest.

"Coward!" Fang screamed. She ran towards him and slashed her spear. The blade met with a clang, Arshia blocking the shot with a dagger. Lightning came behind him and also slashed, which was blocked by the other dagger. Arshia gritted his teeth as he fended off the two women. He gave a huge grunt and pushed the woman away, spinning to the left, going after Fang. Lightning ran past him, expectantly slashing at his legs. The blade met with flesh, the man giving a strangled cry. He tripped over, but hand sprang into a standing position. He whipped around and grabbed the Commander by the shoulder and threw her into a wall, knocking all the air out of her. He turned back towards Fang, who was hunched over, aiming her blade at his head. Despite the sudden leg injury, he shook it off as if it was nothing, and ran toward the huntress. He blocked her attacks with his daggers, counterstriking each attack. Fang narrowly dodged each one, but the last one connected to her shoulder. She gave a cry as blood spurted out onto Arshia's face, the man looking like a demented serial killer now.

Out of nowhere, a huge, purple-tinted fireball slammed into Arshia's back, exploding into several directions. The man flew back and hit a wall, the overhead rain pouring and extinguishing the remaining flames. Lightning walked out of the wreckage, still holding her hand out. The soldier ran towards Fang, kneeling down next to her. The huntress tightly gripped her shoulder. Lightning could see the gash; it was so deep that the whites of her bone were visible. She placed her hand over the wound and summoned a cure spell. A green light emitted from her hand, but tainted with a swirl of dark purple. The magic was not warm as usual, but cold, ice-cold. Fang gave a yelp and shoved Lightning away, knocking her over a random slab of concrete.

"What was that for Fang!" Lightning yelled. "I was trying to heal you!"

"Heal me? That…that thing was eating me alive!" Lightning stopped in her tracks, slightly paling.

"It…it what?" Suddenly, Arshia limped out, still clutching his weapons. Lightning watched the vest fall off him. The back of the vest, where the fireball connected, was eaten away, not singed away. Lightning stood in a battle position, eyeing his every move. The man lunged at her, trying to unarm the Commander, but Lightning was too skilled for that to work. They fell onto the ground, struggling for the weapon. Lightning tried to kick Arshia is several areas, but the man did not waver. He suddenly picked her up and slammed her to the ground again, but Lightning still did not drop her gunblade. Arshia suddenly got up and threw a dagger at Fang, the woman merely dodging the random, sharp projectile.

Lightning got up and connected her knee to Arshia's face. The man flew back, but backflipped, drawing his Revolver from his pants-pocket. In a time frame of less than two seconds, he aimed at Fang and shot.

Fang flew back at the sudden bullet shot at blank range. She landed on a rock, limp. Blood poured out of her like a fountain, but the huntress laid there, lifeless. Lightning screamed and tried to make her way to her partner as fast as she could but was stopped by Arshia. She hurriedly blocked and countered his attacks, but it wasn't enough. She then, with all her might, summoned a flash of thunder, the electrical bolt flying from her hands and into Arshia's arm. The man screamed in pain and looked at his arm. A dark-purple residue stained his skin, slowly eating away at the flesh. Lightning made her way toward Fang, slightly stumbling along the way.

"Fang! Fang?" Lightning yelled. The woman laid on the ground, still limp. She was still breathing, much to Lightning's relief. The Commander slowly lifted her to a sitting position. "Fang?" Fang's eyes widened as she screamed,

"Lightning! Behind you!" Lightning whipped around, but it was too late. Arshia sent a sharp kick at her head, effectively shutting the lights off for her.

* * *

A car pulled up and a person shoved a woman out the door. A potato sack was fastened on her head, effectively blocking the vision of her surrounds. A person pushed her forward, the woman stumbling. Her hands were tightly tied behind her back. She made her way through loud cheers from a crowd. A person abruptly stopped her from walking and jerked the sack out of her head. The light blinded her for a second but she looked straight ahead. There, she saw two people tied to wooden posts on a platform.

"No," Lightning whispered. This wasn't happening! The watched as two military soldiers yank off sacks from the prisoner's heads, confirming Lightning's worst fears. There, Leo and Maria were tied to the posts. Rained harshly poured down onto everyone; Lightning looked at Leo's eyes, fear written all over both faces. Lightning then started trashing and screaming, cutting her wrists with the handcuffs, but she couldn't get anywhere.

She helplessly watched a group of men march onto the platform, each equipped with a military-grade rifle. She heard a man yell and the militants pointed their guns at the two humans. Maria broke into tears, also trying to trash her way out of her restraints. Leo remained there unmoved, accepting that there was no chance that he could be saved. He slightly sighed and looked at Lightning, the Commander freezing in place. He mouthed the words "I love you". She watched as a single tear went down his face and several shots fired. Blood sprayed out of the bodies, each one with three bullets lodged into them.

Time seemed to have stopped for Lightning. She did not hear the cheers from the crowd, nor her own, wild sobs. She watched her husband and daughter hang there, limp. And then, she snapped.

Thunder and lightning flashed through the darkness of the sky. Lightning gave a strangled, long and loud screech, breaking the restraints away. A huge thunder clap roared and a massive beam of lightning appeared on top of Lightning herself. The electrical bolt cracked and exploded, electrocuting and killing off anyone four meters around Lightning. The woman emerged from the purple smoke, wielding her gunblade. Like a wild monster, she swung her blade at anything that moved, killing most of the spectators. She heard a sickening laugh and whipped around, revealing none other than Asami herself.

The General gingerly walked from the fleeing crowd, twirling her massive sword in her hands. Lightning gave a sickening roar and headed toward Asami. Right before she slashed at Asami's head, Lightning fell to the ground, hard. She screeched in pain and gripped her left leg. One of Arshia's daggers went right through her shin. Arshia walked towards the soldier and ripped the blade out of her leg, drawing out more screams. Asami walked towards the soldier, gripping her chin in her hands, pulling Lightning's head up, laughing. With that, she slammed Lightning's head onto the ground, the darkness swallowing Lightning into an abysmal void of nothingness.


	14. Enter the Aftermath Part II

**Wow...After the last chapter, my inbox exploded with reviews, favorites, and alerts. That's so awesome. Oh whoops, sorry. Welcome to chapter 14! I'm updating really quickly because when I'm excited (and/or bored), I write more! Lucky you! :D Super special thanks to Koharu for proofreading. **

**With this chapter, I have passed 50k words, 40 reviews, 2000+ views...it's awesome. Thank you so much, everyone...it means so much to me, you can't even imagine.  
**

**As I was reading my reviews, everyone was saying, "Where's Fang, what happened?" And I'm like, "Wait people, wait! I don't forget details like that, I swear!" XD  
**

**I would like to thank HollowPanda, Whitefoxlia, Sakura088 (That was a massive review!), anime-virus, and Whistlewind Wolf for reviewing. You all are awesome!  
**

**PS. I snuck a Train lyric here...see if you can find it! :D  
**

* * *

"_Lightning..I…I missed you."_

"_What do you mean no? I'm your friend!"_

"_Why can't things…just work?"_

"_Lightning…I…I love you more than anything."_

"_It took me months to make that rose garden!"_

"_Claire…do you want to have…kids?"_

"_Maria? I love it."_

"_Mommy! Mommy!"_

"_Look mommy! I picked this flower for you, isn't it pretty?"_

"_Happy birthday! We love you so much!"_

* * *

She woke up with a deep intake of breath, her heart beating four times as fast. Her eyes darted around, adjusting to almost complete darkness. She looked up in front of her and saw beams of light coming through some iron bars. She quickly turned her head to the left and then to the right, immediately spotting a guard. She stared at him intently and confirmed that he was fast asleep. Her mind finally clicked.

What was she doing here?

She struggled to get into a comfortable position, but her hands were neatly tied behind her back with some sort of sharp metal. She could hear her wrists being shredded against the metal; a sound that was certainly not pleasant. She then tried to get to a sitting position, but she suppressed a scream that came from her leg. She looked down towards the calf and gasped. A huge gash from the front and back of her leg was caked in dried blood; the surrounding areas blue, green, and purple. She cringed at the sting and clenched her jaws. She inspected the clothes: her coat was now gone; only her undergarment tank top remained. Her boots were still on, but her pants were slightly tattered on the bottom.

The cell rattled, causing her to slightly jump from her place. She looked at the tiny window again: the scenery was changing. That could only mean that she was imprisoned in a car. She had to get out. Lightning glanced at the soldier again, making sure that the probably new recruit was asleep. She tugged at her restraints again but gave a small yelp; they were fastened on very tight. How would she get out?

"Magic," a voice whispered in her head. Her eyes widened at the suggestion. The voice was now layered with five other tones, making it impossible to distinguish who or what it was. She remained silent and focused her energy to her left hand, a gesture she did so many times before long ago, when she was a cursed l'Cie. She summoned a very small fire spell, hoping that she wouldn't singe her clothes off. Or what remained of her clothes.

As she called the spell, a sharp pain plagued the right side of her brain, causing the stoic soldier to slightly flinch. She disregarded the small detail and continued to cast the spell. The fire, tinted with the odd dark purple swirl, ate away at the metal. The handcuffs quickly eroded, freeing the Commander. She very carefully pushed off the ground, in case if there were any other injuries she did not notice. Now in a sitting position, she stared at the window, formulating her next plan.

Suddenly, a communicator rang, making Lightning shoot a look at the soldier.

"Sergeant, we just had a tire blow out," an almost robotic voice muttered from the device. "We'll fall back behind you, keep going to the targeted destination," the device clicked. The soldier did not move from his spot, instead, he snored louder. Lightning very quietly struggled to get up to a standing position, using all her might to keep her balance. She wobbled to the soldier, using the bars of the window as leverage. She inched her way closer to the soldier, her breathing slightly becoming ragged. In one quick fluid motion, she slammed her hand on a pressure point on his neck, instantly making the man topple over, motionless.

She searched through the body and found a key. Slightly smirking, the woman yanked it out of his belt and jammed it into the lock. There, she pushed off the door and immediately fell out of the moving convoy truck, rolling away in the dust. She coughed madly, cringing at the pain. Slowly and almost desperately, she crawled to the side of the rode and leaned behind a tree. She closed her eyes and deeply sighed. Her eyes snapped open at a thought:

Maria and Leo.

Her brain suddenly flashed memories to her, each one hitting her like a train. She saw them, strapped onto wooden posts, helplessly awaiting their fate. She remembered the despair stricken onto their faces, the rain that poured down, and _his_ last words.

"I love you."

Lightning started to shake. She wrapped her arms around her torso, trying in some way to protect her from the mental despair that was about to wash over her being. She could hear her teeth chattering, her eyes welling up with tears, and the lump in her throat strangely becoming bigger and bigger.

"There's no way…that was a dream," she whispered to herself. "It had to be a dream. There's…no…Asami…she wouldn't do that? She's not heartless, she wouldn't-" Lightning's mind wandered to a random memory.

"_My name is Asami Rosch. And you killed my husband…Yaag Rosch."_

She suddenly stood, ignoring the rush of pain all over her body. The tears poured down, but she tried to resist them. "They're not dead, they can't be!" She tried to smile, looking up at the sky for some sort of answer. Instead, she saw a plane flying over her head, a bomber. She whipped her head to the side, staring at the horizon. The sky was almost red, smoke coming from every corner, planes, bombings, and gunshots ringing out of everywhere; Civil War has officially started. Reality finally hit her and Lightning crashed to the ground.

They're dead.

With that simple phrase, something in Lightning clicked. Tears poured down onto her face, into her eyes, and into her mouth. She sobbed silently, squishing her eyes together. She fell to a kneeling position, clutching the frontal lobe of her right side brain tightly. The mental and physical pain was too much for her to bear; she started to loudly moan as she cried, as if another gate in her carefully built walls crumbled.

* * *

Vanille paced around the room, thinking about all the possibilities that could happen. Lightning and Fang could get hurt, captured, or even killed. Vanille shook away the last thought; they were too strong to die. She turned around on her heel and faced Snow and Serah. The couple furiously muttered into the communicator, exchanging various theories with Hope. No matter how many times they tried, they could not get a hold of Lightning, and that scared them tremendously.

The room was finally silent a few moments until Snow's personal phone rang. He hastily looked at the Caller ID and pulled the device up to his ear.

"Yeah Sazh, what's up?" Snow almost barked.

"Not good…three of my jets were shot down, a bomber malfunctioned, my air team – don't worry about that!" He suddenly yelled. "Switch to the news this instant…you're not going to believe what's happening," his voice almost cracked at the last word. Snow and Vanille exchanged nervous looks: Sazh never panicked. Ever. Serah immediately flipped the television on, going to the government news channel. She didn't believe her eyes.

The network was now taken over by the Purists, a man wearing a hockey mask now reporting their victories across Gran Pulse. The transmission suddenly transferred to another scene and the room became silent. Serah watched as a group of men march onto a platform, pointing their guns at wooden posts. The image changed, showing a man ripping the sacks off the hostages' heads. Serah's heart dropped.

Leo and Maria.

The signal changed, the camera now pointing at another hostage. A soldier ripped off her mask, causing everyone in the room to gasp dramatically. There was her sister, bloodied from head to toe, thrashing, kicking, and screaming. The riflemen pointed at the posts, drawing more demented screams by the Commander. Serah caught Leo, whispering something to his wife, causing her to freeze. At the command, they shot in unison, the blood squirting out each of the bodies. The crowd cheered and the camera pointed at Lightning, who lost it. She somehow summoned a gigantic thunderstorm, electrocuting everyone within the vicinity, killing them instantly. The signal scattered, but Serah could manage to see Asami, gingerly walking towards her sister. The signal then cut off from there.

The whole room was silent. Vanille broke the silence, suddenly whimpering, cupping her hands over her mouth. She kneeled on the ground, her eyes welling with tears. Snow slowly made his way toward Serah, the smaller woman now trembling. He wrapped his arms around her, his wife burying her head into his chest, sobbing. He clenched his communicator, slowly pulling it up to his mouth,

"Hope," his voice trembled. It took all of his strength to keep it leveled, "did…did you see-"

"Yeah," Hope cut him off, reciting the one syllable word robotically. Snow gulped down the large lump in his throat, but another one immediately formed. He could hear Hope heavily breathing into the communicator. Snow slammed his hands on the table.

"Why! Why? Why…why can't we just…catch a break? Hell, not just us, Lightning of all people! Everywhere she goes…she…her family just…" Snow exploded, small tears dripped onto the table. As much as he hated it, he pitied the woman – she never had any luck. He felt a hand on his back, Serah trying to comfort him. She was dead silent during this whole ordeal. Vanille finally looked up,

"Where's Lightning?" She chocked at the last syllable. Everyone in the room turned to her.

"She doesn't answer her damn communicator!" Snow raised his voice, his emotions uncontrollable.

"Do you…do you think she was captured?" Serah asked, her voice trembling.

"Of course she was freakin' captured! Why wouldn't they!" Snow practically screamed. Serah quickly backed off, her eyes widening. She never saw Snow freak out like this.

"Snow, what's-"

"What's wrong? What's wrong?" Are you seriously asking me that?" He yelled at her face. "They just…they just killed a perfectly good person and his child! They, in cold blood, killed a four year old! They just killed my niece! Did you not hear that crowd? They were cheering like freakin' creeps!" Snow's face was red as a tomato, various veins popping from his face. "You just wait…I'm going to find Lightning and make them _all_ pay," he clenched his fists.

"Oh Maker, why didn't I…Gah!" Hope suddenly groaned over the communicator. Vanille ripped the fragile device away from Snow and pulled it up to her ear.

"What is it?" She yelled into it.

"I can't believe I forgot! Serah? Did you chip Lightning?" Serah's eyes widened as she made her way to Vanille.

"That little device? Yeah…I stuffed it into her coat pocket," she said, her voice slightly more normal. She could here Hope clap his hands together,

"Excellent!" She could hear him furiously taping away at a keyboard.

"Hope, what are you doing?" Vanille asked, her voice also slightly normal as well.

"Every soldier in FLASH is required to be chipped with a tracking device," he quickly muttered. "And the only operative who doesn't have one is of course, the Commander herself. Why? She claims it's an "invasion of her privacy"…bull!" He spat. "So in case something happened in this mission, I made Serah equip her with a tracking device!" There was a slight silence.

"There!" Hope screamed. Everyone made their way towards the communicator, straining their ears for Hope's next sentence.

"She's…she's somewhere between the capital and…Erebus," he trailed off. Vanille could hear Hope scratching his head. "Snow, call Sazh! Tell him we need an airship quick!" Snow nodded and turned to his cell phone. Sazh was still on the line.

"Sazh! Sazh! You still there!" He yelled.

"Yeah, yeah…lemme guess. Y'all need an airship? I'm coming right away."

"Wait!" Snow yelled before Sazh hung up. "Pick up Hope along the way…I think we should all go."

"Ok big guy! I'm bringing Dajh along so he can take care of the kids!" With that, he ended the call. It always wondered Snow how Sazh could keep his cool at every situation. It wasn't human.

Serah was sitting in her armchair, busy with her thoughts. She wasn't thinking about Leo or Maria, or the fact that they just died in front of her eyes. Her thoughts lingered around Lightning. How was _she_ taking this? Serah knew her sister very well. When she was crushed with mental drama, Lightning would…make very drastic decisions. When her mother died, she quit all her dreams, changed her name, entered the military, or when Serah herself was a l'Cie, trapped in crystal stasis, her sister went against the God of all Gods to save her. But now...this was different. At all those instances, Lightning had someone to protect, someone worth to keep living: Serah. Now, Serah has Snow and Lightning has Leo and Maria. But they're gone.

Serah trembled again at the thought. She was ridiculously worried that Lightning might do something stupid, like kill herself. _But…it's not stupid,_ Serah thought. _Her whole family…just died…before her eyes. Why should she keep on living? Everything that lived for is now…gone._ Serah violently shook her head, trying to rid her mind of these thoughts. Lightning would never do that.

Would she?

* * *

Lightning awkwardly leaned on a tree, her eyes barely open a fraction of a centimeter. Rain poured down on her hard, washing away all the blood that was dried on her. She could clearly taste the metallic substance entering her mouth, but she didn't care. She didn't care about anything. The Commander stopped crying a while ago, mainly because her tears dried up and that she figured out that no matter how she cried or suffered, they're never going to come back.

And that one little fact is currently killing Lightning.

Her head throbs even more now. No matter what she does, the pain won't stop. It wasn't just her head, the center of the pain was located right on her right eye and its scar. Lightning just wanted to claw her face off, hoping that it'll ease the pain somehow. Lightning didn't know how long she stayed there, nor did she even care. She finally heard a loud roar over her head. She made no attempt to look up, she knew that they would find her eventually.

Hope and the gang sprinted from the aircraft in search for a pink headed mess. They looked around the forest for a few minutes until Vanille shouted,

"Here! Blood!" They followed the blood trail until they found their target. The picture made Hope gag. There, his idol was leaning on a tree, sitting in a pool of diluted blood, gripping her head. The Lieutenant ran towards her, picking the fragile soldier up and placing her head on his knee. He shook her shoulders, but the woman gave no resistance.

"Lightning! Lightning!" Hope screamed her name. Everyone finally caught up, gathering around the Commander. The soldier still remained silent. Serah gripped her shoulders, pulling her sister into a one-sided embrace. Serah knew that the best thing to do was to get Lightning's mind off of her spouse and child. "Lightning, where's Fang?" At that, Lightning opened her eyes slightly, looking right at Serah.

"I…I don't know," she quietly croaked. Everyone gasped. Lightning's eyes shot open at the sudden sound, wondering what happened. Why was it so fascinating that she didn't know where Fang was? She looked up at Vanille and Snow, the girl cupping her hands over her mouth. "W-what?" She stuttered, afraid to hear anymore grim news. She felt Vanille's hand run over her face, Lightning swatting away at the contact. Even though she was an emotional mess, she still was Lightning, after all. "What!" She said, this time, slightly more confident.

"Sis…what…happened to your scar?" Snow blurted out. Lightning immediately touched her scar. Nothing changed. Lightning frowned.

"Lightning…your scar," Vanille started to say very carefully, clearly pronouncing each syllable, "is replaced with…ancient, purple symbols. But…but your pupil…it's gone." At that, Lightning shot up to a sitting position, yelping at the sharp pain all over her body. She angrily looked at Vanille,

"What do you mean it's gone!" She asked hysterically, her voice now cracking. She had enough of this nonsense for a life time six years ago.

"Lightning, your pupil...is replaced with-"

"A l'Cie brand," Hope finished her sentence. Lightning's heart skipped a few beats.

"W-w-what…?" She whispered. Vanille opened her right eye, looking at it intently.

"And it's not a Pulse brand either…it's from Cocoon."

"But…but that's impossible!" Lightning yelled, pushing Vanille off from her.

"That _is_ impossible," Vanille stated. Everyone looked at the Pulsian. "It's…it's impossible for any l'Cie, Cocoon or Pulse, to have a brand above their neck. It's like…law!" She threw her hands in the air. Everyone looked at Lightning's eye, inspecting it more clearly now. The pupil was indeed gone, now replaced with a glowing, golden, Cocoon l'Cie brand. Her iris remained, but it was faint, due to the brand's glow. Dark purple ancient script was written over her scar, running down from her eyebrow to the center of her eye and a little further down.

Serah immediately grabbed Lightning's head, looking at the inscription more thoroughly.

"Oww! Serah, stop, what are you doing!" Lightning complained. The sudden movement made Lightning's headache flare even more. She was on the verge of tears, again.

"Guys…" Serah said in a queer voice, "this…this is ancient _Cocoonian_ script."

"What does it say?" Snow quickly asked. Serah gulped and began to recite,

"'I am darkness, devourer of light. I will eat your soul'."

* * *

The huntress staggered from the mountainous path, her breathing ragged. She stopped to catch her breath; she walked a long way. The memories of what happened the past few hours will never be wiped away: Arshia, Lightning being captured, her nearly bleeding to death, being found, captured, and then the escape. It was quite a tale. But Oerba Yun Fang was on a mission.

She had to tell Lightning.

* * *

**Soooooo...I have some explaining to do, don't I? Hehehehehe...Just wait for the next chapters, that is all I can say! Well, I can also say this: I'm planning for this to be a nother 50,000 words. :D  
**

**Anyway, grieving Light is just...I don't want to write sadness! Oh the irony, this story is so sad, who am I kidding? Everything shall be slowly revealed, I promise.  
**

**I think I said too much.  
**


	15. Enter the Huntress

**Hello everyone! Before I start, I would like to say a few things: most of your questions and doubts shall be answered with this chapter. Also, I would like for everyone who reads this chapter to give me their thoughts on the first scene. I really need to know how I did. It can even be like, one word! XD **

**Ok, now. Welcome to chapter 15! Big, big, big, biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiig thanks to Taylore and Koharu for proofreading. Love you guys! :D**_  
_

**Another huge thanks to Lightning Fan, HollowPanda, Lightningthesky, and Whistlewind Wolf for reviewing! You all are the best!**

**PS. There will be an important A/N note at the end, explaining a lot of stuff. Please read it!  
**

* * *

_She was falling through the blackness of the void for what seemed like an eternity, never stopping. She fell through the air, twisting and flipping, but she didn't care. She didn't care about anything. Just like the void, her mind was filled with nothingness. The woman closed her eyes, hoping that this is all of her punishment; just floating through the void. It was a blessing, actually. She didn't have to deal with problems, emotional breakdowns, or physical pain._

_If this is what death felt like…then she actually welcomed it._

_She crashed through a glass barrier after the thought. She could feel the glass tearing through her skin, the blood flying out. But still, there was no pain associated with it. She continued to fall until another glass barrier appeared, the same events occurring. After four or five more times, she finally crashed to a solid piece of ground. The woman could feel her skin literally peeling off, but still, she didn't care. _

_She got up in a single motion. Suddenly, a purple haze surrounded her, constricting her entire body. It tightened from the bottom of her body until the top, where it reached her neck. The haze slightly hardened and wrapped around her fragile throat, cutting off the air supply. The woman struggled to get free, with no avail. The gas then traveled up to her head, prying her mouth open. The purple haze, now shaped like a long, sharp vine, shot through her mouth and into her body, making the woman gag. She tried to pull it out, but felt herself growing more and more limp._

_She could feel the purple swirl tightening around her heart. A sudden rush of pain entered her body, starting from its core, making its way up to her eye. Somehow, the woman gave a long shriek; her eyes felt like they were going to pop out at any given moment. She suddenly felt slimy hands reach for her face, cupping around her chin. She tried to look up, but couldn't; she didn't have enough strength left._

_A sudden rush of air entered her left ear, causing her to shudder._

"_Looks like you still have a little fight left in you, darling," a voice murmured seductively. The woman could feel her strength leaving; she would pass out at any moment. "But don't worry…I will slowly devour you and we can finish our little business, together," it happily said._

_Everything faded to black and the woman could feel herself falling again. She hastily pulled a hand to her neck, feeling zero discomfort. She glanced at her body, her skin perfectly intact, as if nothing happened. She crashed onto another solid barrier, this time, not even making the effort to get up. She felt herself being pulled up by strong arms. Once in a standing position, she looked up and gasped._

_In front of her…was her. An exact image of herself, complete with the ripped clothes, tattered hair, and the brand on her right eye. However, her replica was branded in both eyes, the brand glowing red instead of gold. Her double smirked at her, pulling the woman's arm, making her run. After a minute or so, she stopped. She turned towards the woman, holding both of her arms out. The double raised a finger up to her nose and skipped away. The woman stood there dumbfounded. She looked at the horizon, seeing everything except anything. She turned around, the sight causing her heart to drop._

_There, her family stood, smiling happily at her. Her daughter, husband, sister…all perfectly well. They all held their hands out, calling for her to join them. Suddenly, her shadow appeared, this time wielding her prized gunblade. The replica gingerly skipped towards the family and suddenly thrusted her sword into the man. He gave a shriek, and exploded into a bomb of blood. The red liquid flew through the air, splattering all over the woman and her shadow. The woman gave a shriek, desperately trying to make her way towards the double, but she was held back by another vine of the purple haze that suddenly manifested on her._

_The double made its way to her sister, this time, slashing horizontally at her torso, causing the girl to snap in half and explode into the same pool of blood, all of it splattering onto the woman. She gave another demented shriek, but this time, the purple haze once again entered her mouth and through her body. She helplessly watched the double happily making its way to her daughter, pointing the tip of the sword right at her head. The woman gave another shriek, struggling to get away._

_The purple haze entered her heart, and she could feel her inner core rip into pieces. The seductive voice suddenly appeared, cackling madly,_

"_Don't worry darling, you will be free soon. I promise."_

* * *

The Commander woke up with a shriek, falling out of the bed, despite being hooked up to at least six different tubes, needles, and IVs. The door suddenly slammed open, a rush of doctors and nurses filing into the room, quickly helping the woman back into her bed, untangling all the wires as well. The chief doctor checked her readings, making sure they were normal. He peered into the Commander's slightly opened eyes,

"You're currently in the hospital in stable condition. Whatever just happened was all a dream," he said in a very clear voice. The woman's heart rate started to slow with the fact; she thought she was still imprisoned in her nightmare. The door slammed open again, a familiar voice yelling through,

"Lightning! Lightning!" Snow. She watched him shove some of the hospital workers way, hastily advancing towards the bed. "Lightning, are you ok!" She stared at him, afraid to speak. The giant shook her shoulders until she finally said,

"Get off me," albeit, very quietly. The giant's crazy expression fell, and he slowly and carefully lowered Lightning back on the bed, slightly scratching his head.

"I'm sorry, Sis…it's just you scared the hell out of us!" Lightning glanced away from Snow's eyes, watching the doctors quietly leaving the room. She saw Serah, Hope, Sazh, and Vanille entering. They all gathered around her bed, intently looking at her face. Lightning placed a hand over her eye, but didn't feel any difference. She felt the weight on her bed shift, long, slender arms wrapping around her into a tight embrace. Lightning's head automatically fell onto Serah's shoulder, but the soldier did not break down. She just intently stared at the wall. Vanille came up to her, holding a personal mirror. She held it up to Lightning's face, the soldier immediately gasping at the site.

There was her shadow. A woman with a glowing Cocoon brand burnt onto her eyes. But, it was only one eye this time. She pulled away from Serah, pulling both hands up to her eye, hiding it.

"No," she whispered. She looked up to the group, each of their faces sporting a frown. She watched Vanille walk up to her, Serah getting up, the redhead replacing her spot.

"Lightning…before I start, I want you to know that you've been knocked out for almost four days now." No reaction from the soldier. Vanille gulped and continued, "What you just saw…was indeed a Cocoon l'Cie brand," still no reaction. The Pulsian worriedly glanced at Serah, who signaled her to go on, "That brand…is in its final stage. You should've turned into Cie'th days ago…but you didn't. I think you know, Light…that…_thing_ is not normal. I…I don't know what, who, or how you could have been branded…" she trailed off. Lightning stared at her bed covers. Did this have to do with the dream she had?

What does this all mean?

"But…it doesn't look like the brand was frozen or burnt or anything," Vanille went on. All she did was report bad news to Lightning; she didn't want to hear it. All she wanted to know was where was her family? Lightning's heart skipped a few beats, causing the machines hooked up to her to wildly beep.

Leo and Maria.

At the thought, she felt a sudden pain flash into her chest, around her heart. The soldier suddenly gripped her chest, moaning in pain. She could hear everyone around her scream, "What happened?" but suddenly, even the sound went, being replaced with a loud ringing noise. The pain then shot up from a very clear path from her heart, to her throat, mouth, and right eye. The pain intensified tenfold; she could feel her insides being ripped out. Once her vision started to fade, Lightning ripped out all the cords connected to her and stumbled into a walking position.

She didn't feel the pain of the needle's awkwardly ripping out of her skin, only the pain that centered on two places: her heart and right eye. She stumbled her way toward the door, ignoring the sudden arms flailing out to her, gripping her arms; she just dragged them with her. A now familiar purple aura wrapped around her, much like her dream, but it didn't hurt her.

It helped her.

The purple haze gave her strength. Lightning, with one quick snap of her wrist, blew the door away with an aero. The door crashed into a desk, trapping a secretary underneath. But she did not yield. She kept going, blowing, drenching, burning, or electrocuting everything away from her path with her new found magic. She did not hear the screams of the despairing people; the ringing only got worse. Her vision was very limited now, she could only see through a slight tunnel. She found her gunblade leaning on a wall near some waiting chairs. She hastily took it and advanced. The Commander then looked at a window, punched it open, and jumped out.

She landed onto the ground very softly, thanks to her aeroga. Her purple tinted aeroga to be exact. She walked onto the streets, burning everything away from her path. She could feel the purple haze tightening around her legs and torso, effectively gluing itself on to her. She quickly glanced down and saw herself fully "clothed" by black and purple ancient garb. But she paid no attention to it. She made her way quickly out of the city, since the hospital was on the outskirts. She suddenly stopped, falling to the grass, clutching her head. Her vision started to static, much like a television when the signal is malfunctioning. She screamed, but she couldn't hear her own voice, only that annoying buzzing in her ears.

If one were to look at this woman on the outside, all they could see was an insane lady walking out the open with odd clothes, gripping her head while a weird purple aura swirled around her body. But inside, it was a totally different story.

She could feel some sort of _entity_ trying to take control of her mind. She tried to fight, to resist, but it seemed that whatever she did failed. She could feel some sort of _darkness_ devouring her mind, slowly in an agonizing way. She could hear twisted cackles in the background; it made her want to hurl. The woman stumbled forward, trying to regain control of her body. Something was taking over her, but she wasn't going to let that happen. The woman made long, harrowing screams as she fought. She fell to the ground, pounding her head.

"Light! Light!" A familiar voice. Lightning tried to look up, but she could only see that cursed static. She felt strong arms grip her, putting her into an awkward sitting position. The darkness fought harder now, almost fully taking over her consciousness. Lightning kicked, screamed, punched, and clawed her away out of the person's grip, but they did not let go. Finally, Lightning gave one last shriek, and summoned the biggest thundercloud the huntress ever saw.

And that's when Fang let go and ran for her life. She ran a good fifteen meters until she whipped around, not believing what she was witnessing. Lightning summoned a huge, pure purple, lightning strike. It fell right on top of Lightning, electrocuting the warrior to the point where Fang swore that she saw her skeleton. Fang shielded her eyes at the sight.

After a few seconds of silence, she cracked them open, and saw purple smoke arising from a fallen Lightning. Immediately, Fang sprinted her way towards her friend, pulling up the fallen soldier up to her knee.

"Lightning! Lightning!" She screamed her name, slapping the woman's face, hoping that she'll wake up. Somehow. Lightning finally opened her eyes and croaked,

"F-Fang…it's…it's eating me," Fang's heart stopped.

"W-what?"

"It's eating me!" Lightning shouted more confidently this time. She sat upright herself, gripping her head. Fang looked at Lightning's face more closely and gasped.

"Light…you're eyes…they're bleeding! But…what the," she gasped again. This time, she cupped her hands on Lightning's chin, pulling her face a centimeter away from hers. "Why do you have a brand?" Lightning pulled away.

"It…it tried to eat me…so I tried to kill it with that thundaga…" She was still going on with it. Fang shook her head and slumped.

"Lightning…Lightning you're branded…you're a l'Cie," she received no response from Lightning. She said it more forcefully this time, "You're a l'Cie!"

"I don't care!" Lightning finally said. "I don't care…about anything. I...I…" She felt the tears pouring down once again. Curse them.

"What's wrong?" Lightning shot her head up to Fang, biting her lip.

"They're…they're…" she didn't want to say it. She didn't have the strength to say it. "They're dead. Leo and Maria are dead," she said it. Fang gave her a perplexed look.

"What the hell are you talking about Lightning?" She shouted at her face.

"Asami executed them!" Lightning yelled back in anger. Fang's eyes widened for a second.

"So that's what he was talking about," Lightning's head shot up at Fang again. She grabbed her shoulders, shaking them,

"What! What did you just say?" Fang swatted away at the contact and took a deep breath.

"Lightning, they're alive."

* * *

_She felt the rain pelt her skin, washing away the constantly flowing blood from her shoulder and onto her pants. Fang looked up at the sky one last time and fell on a rock, hard._

_Next thing she knew, she was being carried by a burly man to a car. She was thrown into the trunk, the man shutting it immediately. In what felt like an eternity, the trunk flew open again, the man appearing before her. Arshia picked Fang up, bridal style, and carried her to a musty building. They went down a series of stairs until there was barely any light. Arshia stopped abruptly and jammed a key inside a rusty lock, flung the door open, and lowered Fang into the cell. He shut the gate and walked out. Fang laid on the ground, limp, thinking what just happened. Her shoulder ached with chronic pain._

"_W-who's there?" A tiny voice out of nowhere quietly whispered. Fang's eyes widened and she rolled over to her stomach, looking directly at the source of the sound._

_Maria._

"_M-Maria?" She stuttered. "What are you doing here?"_

"_Asami captured us…remember?" A man said, stepping out of the shadows and pulling the woman up to a sitting position. She stared at the two for a few moments until Leo continued,_

"_Fang…you won't believe what I'm going to say but…we were just executed," Fang gave the man the most bewildered look she could muster._

"_What…the hell did you just say?"_

"_Yeah…" He trailed off, looking away. "Asami staged an execution. She tied me and Maria onto posts, gathered all her soldiers into a crowd, brought a captured Lightning in…and ordered soldiers to shoot us dead."_

"_And if that is the case," Fang started, "why are you currently talking to me?" She raised an eyebrow._

"_Because," he threw his hands in the air, "it was staged! They shot us with like this…rubber pellets and it knocked us out. She also had some sort of…how do I explain this," he scratched his head and thought. "She had some sort of red liquid tied onto us, so when they shot us, it looked like we were bleeding. To make it realistic, you know?" Fang raised the other eyebrow._

"_I…guess?"_

"_But don't worry about that! Lightning thinks we're dead; she went insane and killed everyone there. Or so I have been told…" _

"_I'm not surprised."_

"_Fang! This is serious stuff!" Leo shouted and shook his head. "What would you do if Vanille died right before your eyes and you couldn't do anything?"_

"_I would tear down the sky to avenge her!" Fang angrily shouted. Leo nodded,_

"_And what would you think Lightning would've done? She really thinks we were executed," Fang slumped down and hung her head. The man had a point._

"_Well, what do we do now?"_

_Right on cue, the cell gate opened, causing Fang to rise to her feet, despite the nagging pain on her shoulder. She looked intently at Arshia's eyes._

"_What the hell do you want?" She spat. The man closed the door behind him, taking a deep breath,_

"_Asami…does not know I captured you," he addressed Fang. "I'm going to free you from this cell…and you have to go back to the Commander and tell her everything you just learned," Fang could not believe her ears._

"_Are you…serious?" She sadistically laughed. Arshia frowned._

"_I wouldn't waste my breath if I wasn't. I do not believe in Asami's foolish ideals and plans, but I remain loyal because of…complications," he paused. "But nevermind that. Asami needs these two alive for something important in the future. Go to the Commander, tell her that her loved ones are ok."_

"_Ok, seriously big guy, why are you doing this?" Leo spoke, getting up. The man shot a look at him._

"_Because I am not on her side…nor yours. This is just for my benefit," he smirked. Leo shrugged,_

"_Fair enough." Arshia led Fang out of the cell, the huntress giving a wave of goodbye. Arshia led her through a back passage out to the open._

"_Sorry, this is all I can do," he apologized. Fang smirked._

"_I guess you're not half as bad. But, are you really helping us? Or is this another one of your twisted traps?" Arshia remained expressionless. Fang closed her eyes and laughed, turned on her heel, and started on her long journey back to Erebus._

* * *

"…And now here I am, just in time to tell you," Fang finished her wild story. Lightning stood there, gaping. Her eyes twitched once, her lips following afterwards. Fang watched as Lightning cracked a small smile. It slowly grew larger and larger, until it was from ear to ear. The soldier's eyes filled with tears, this time of joy. She stood up, picking up the huntress with her, and started to happily jump around.

"They're alive! They're freakin' alive!" She screamed, still jumping around. Fang couldn't believe her eyes; she never saw Lightning this happy. Ever. She smiled at Lightning's happiness.

"What's with all the happiness? You almost killed everyone at the hospital!" Fang turned around and saw the whole gang running towards them. Lightning ran straight toward Serah, pulling her into a massive bear hug, lifting the younger Farron from the ground.

"Serah! Serah! Serah! They're alive!" She said as fast as she could. Serah's eyes widened and she looked at Lightning's face. "Leo and Maria are alive!"

* * *

**I shall explain now. Leo and Maria were never supposed to die. Ever. Even when I planned the execution scene way back at around chapter four, I never planned them to die, it was always supposed to be staged. But who knows what will happen further into the story...I mean, Asami still has them captive, no?  
**

**The dream sequence is my interpretation of depression. It is what I call "flirting with insanity". I really need your thoughts on it...but I can't say why. Anyway, I read my author's notes in the beginning chapters, and once I said, "Leo is not going to be a major character..." LIES! XD  
**

**I love everyone's reviews, I truly do. I particularly like the ones that criticize me...they make me write more often (that's why I got this up chapter so quickly...). If you haven't noticed, I use some of y'all ideas. Probably for every chapter, I have changed the script slightly...sometimes I even quote you! (You know who you are if I did...:) So keep those theories coming, I love them. Thank you so much for your support...this fanfic isn't going anywhere.  
**

**On the contrary, it just started.  
**


	16. Enter the Lieutenant

**Heeeeey! Chapter sixteen is upon us, woo! This has a lot of plot twists and...I should just shut up now. Also, there is language, so you have been warned.**** Huge thanks to Taylore and Koharu for proofreading! Really, that scene was necessary, I swear!  
**

**Thanks to whitefoxlia, Whistlewind Wolf, and Sakura088 for reviewing! You all make me smile so much, especially with all the analyzing. It gives me a lot of ideas!**

* * *

The man was slowly pacing around the room, checking his wrist watch every ten seconds. _She's late,_ he thought. _She's beyond late._ He heavily sighed and plopped himself in a half-eaten armchair, stroking his chin. A thousand thoughts plagued his mind; should he quit now? He didn't need any more money, after today's payment, everything would be set. He narrowed his eyes.

The door suddenly swung open, an ecstatic women gingerly walking through, shutting the door with the same force. She smiled madly, plopping herself on a musty couch across from the man. The light bulb above her flickered a few times. She leaned in,

"So Lieutenant…update me," she smiled wickedly again. Arshia's stomach twisted into an even tighter knot. How he hated this woman. He cleared his throat and began,

"Well…I captured her friend…what was her name..." He scratched his head.

"Fang. Oerba Yun Fang," Asami enunciated very clearly.

"I captured her and threw her into the cell, she chatted with _that_ man," he didn't want to say his name, he knew Asami would get…crazy. "And then I let her go, just like you told me too," he said the last clause slightly louder than the rest of his small speech. Asami leaned back, giving a grunt of satisfaction.

"Excellent!" She exclaimed, twirling her hair. The man stared into her eyes, long and hard. The woman's expression slightly fell, sighing heavily. She reached for the inside of her torn trench coat, pulling out a huge wad of bills. She threw it at the Lieutenant, the man catching it easily. He quickly counted the bills, pulling his head up and shooting a look at the woman.

"You're…ten thousand gil over," he said carefully. He gave her a look, narrowing his eyes at her. The woman merely laughed.

"What, you want me to take it back?" Silence. "Thought so. Just think of it as a…bonus, for all the good work you've done," she gave a sickening smile. She suddenly got up, the light bulb on top of her flickering again, and made her way out the door with a furry of giggles. After a few minutes in the dim room, he said to himself,

"What the hell is wrong with her," he laughed at himself. "That was a stupid question to ask," with that, he picked up his briefcase and quickly left through the door. He ran up the stairs, weaving through various hallways and doors. He shielded his eyes from the bright light as he made his way outside. He made his way to his chopper-styled motorcycle, strapping on his leather jacket and helmet on. He revved the engine and drove away, pulling up his phone to his ear.

"Doctor," he said very quickly, "are you going to proceed with the procedure? I got the money," the doctor laughed.

"Of course we were, Mr. Brezhnev, we were never going to cancel it…I knew you would get the money," Arshia could feel the doctor smiling on the other side of the line. There was a moment of silence.

"Doctor…is she…is she going to be ok?" His voice softened at the thought of his daughter's wellbeing. The doctor chuckled,

"Yes, yes, stop worrying! With this surgery, she shall be cured of her HIV/AIDS infection. But…" he trailed off, sparking a formation of a very large lump in the Lieutenant's throat.

"Yes…?" He asked, unsure if he wanted to hear the answer.

"However, with this surgery, her cataracts will worsen and she will go blind in both eyes."

"What?" Arshia screamed at his phone, swerving his back to the side of the road, stopping completely. "What the hell did you just say?"

"I-I'm sorry, Mr. Brezhnev," he stuttered. "There's nothing I can do, besides performing a corrective surgery, but I mean…" Arshia frowned.

"I have the money," he lied casually. Arshia bit his lip.

"Oh, well, then that's good. Everything will be set. I presume you're coming to the hospital, correct?"

"Yeah, I'll be there in around two hours."

"Excellent! She will be out of the OR by that time," with that, Arshia shut his cell phone, stuffing it into his pocket. He heavily sighed and drove onto the road again, going about thirty kilometers over the speed limit. "Where the hell am I going to get the money soon…" His mind wandered to his daughter and his now deceased wife.

He remembered her death so well, as if it was yesterday. Six years ago, he and his wife gave birth to a wonderfully healthy baby girl. They lived a comfortable life in Palompolum, his wife living her life as a psychiatrist and Arshia as a PSICOM instructor. The lived right next to the Estheim residence, being very close friends with Barthomelow. That was a grave mistake, now that Arshia looked back on it.

He remembered the hundreds of thousands of gunshots that rang out through his house, about a hundred of them penetrating his own house. He and his wife huddled in the far end corner of their bedroom, their daughter tightly between them. He could hear a huge fight ensuing between the l'Cie and PSICOM. After an hour or so, he heard another airship, and finally silence. But being a soldier, he couldn't just stay there idly, he had to help out. Another grave mistake.

He ran outside the door and witnessed around fifteen soldiers lying on the ground, lifeless. He made his way towards two huge, destroyed machines. He jumped over random parts and caught sight of a man, slumping out of the cockpit. He ran towards him, immediately realizing who it was.

"Colonel Rosch! Colonel Rosch!" He yelled, hoisting the man out of the cockpit. Arshia saw his wife and baby standing by the door, bewildered at the sight. He slapped the man's face, hoping that he would regain his consciousness.

"What…what…what happened?" The man said, still stupefied.

"Colonel, you just…got attacked by the l'Cie and you just-" the Colonel shot up to a sitting position, pushing Arshia away.

"The l'Cie! Where are they!" He whipped his head around. An officer walked up towards him, saying,

"Sir, you just lost. But, that man over there, he's one of their conspirators." Arshia's eyes widened.

"What the fuck are you talking about!" Arshia screamed, making his way towards the officer, punching him to the ground. "You have any evidence to back that up? No! You son of a bitch," he spat.

"So you're one of them too?" Rosch's voice rose. Arshia whipped around tried to explain the situation, but the Colonel didn't listen. "My men don't lie…You're one of them too! You're helping them!" He finally screamed the false fabrication. Arshia's eyes widened,

"What the hell are you talking about? I'm a PSICOM instructor; I'm on your side!" He screamed.

"Lies! Filthy lies! Officers, kill him now…kill them all!" A delusional Rosch screamed. Arshia backed away towards his family.

"Woah there Colonel…why don't you just chill out and try to think and-"

"KILL THEM!" At the command, the reinforcements nervously looked at their superior. One of them clearly stated that these individuals were innocent, but the Colonel wouldn't listen. "You COWARDS!" He shrieked. He pulled out his sidearm and started wildly firing at the family himself. Arshia quickly pushed his wife and child through the door in an attempt to shield them, but it was too late. He heard a sickening shriek from his wife. His heart dropped and he rushed to her aide, even though he too was shot, twice in the arm and leg. He crawled towards her cradling her head between his hands.

Blood flowed from her torso onto his legs, covering them with a rich red hue. He would never forget her final words, "Protect…her…" with that, she dropped dead, eyes open.

Arshia would never forget that day. The day that cursed Rosch killed his wife. He shook his head and chuckled. He was currently working for Rosch's wife, who is on a revenge mission to kill the Commander, the person who killed Yaag Rosch. He should have just killed her months ago, ending everything. But…he couldn't. He needed the money. He needed to protect his daughter, just like he promised.

And Arshia Brezhnev never broke his promises.

* * *

_The woman opened her eyes and met with nothing. She could feel the air whipping through her, making a howling noise. It confirmed her first thought: she was falling again. She braced herself for the invisible glass barriers again, but nothing appeared. Right when she relaxed, she crashed through a barrier, this time, water. She felt herself slowly sinking away towards the bottom, assuming that there was a bottom. She didn't know, nor did she care. She made no effort to break the surface, which was a grave mistake. Water entered her lungs, suffocating her. She struggled against the current, but that just quickened her drowning even more. She couldn't see the bubbles she made, the light glistening through the water, she couldn't see anything except nothing._

_She could feel herself going. She stopped struggling, finally realizing that her efforts were in vain. She slowly closed her eyes, her consciousness escaping. Suddenly, a strong arm pulled her out of the water. The woman kneeled on the ground, coughing wildly. After a minute or so, she laid on her back and turned her head to the side to look at her savior._

_In front of her stood her shadow, complete with the double, red tinted brands in its eyes. It smiled wickedly at her and pulled her into a standing position. The woman stumbled into the double's arms, having no strength or motivation to get up. The woman leaned on her shadow as they walked, a sense of warmth and comfort emitting from it. They walked for what seemed like an eternity until it stopped. The woman looked up, but of course, didn't see anything. She looked at her shadow, signaling for an explanation, but received none. It suddenly disappeared and appeared behind the woman, its arms tightening over her neck. The woman struggled to get free, but the shadow wouldn't budge._

_A familiar feeling ran through her legs. She looked down and watched the purple vines coiling around her legs, hips, torso, and arms. The doppelganger let go, the vines replacing her grip. The woman choked, desperately look at the shadow's eyes. It sparkled with delight._

"_My sweetie, why are you struggling so much? If you would just let go, everything would be fine," it said in a seducing, five-layered voice. It walked toward her, cupping its hands over the woman's chin, pulling her face up. It suddenly vanished into purple haze, the woman gasping. As she gasped, the haze entered her system, going down directly to her heart. The woman screamed as loud as she could, struggling even more to get free._

"_The more you use its sacredness, my darling…the more I will devour you," she heard the voice in her head. The woman gave one last scream until she blacked out into even more nothingness._

* * *

Lightning fell to the ground, struggling to get up. Her breathing was ragged, her vision not quite focused yet. She stumbled through the door and into the living room, drawing several gasps from the unknown people around her. She felt strong arms gripping her, but she viciously struggled to get free, kicking and punching her "assaulters".

"Lightning! Lightning! Stop! You're not dreaming anymore!" One of them yelled. She hastily looked up, her vision finally focusing. She saw a cute, red headed, pigtailed girl looking into her eyes, worry written all over her face. Lightning stopped moving and stared back.

Who was she?

She slowly back away, bumping into a wall. A huge blonde haired giant made his way towards her, pulling her up in to a standing position. He led her towards a round, glass table. Another girl walked towards her, this time pink headed, handing her a cup of brown liquid. She looked up quizzically at the drink. She looked around the room.

Where was she?

Suddenly, a bronze tinted woman came up to her and slapped her hard to the head. The Commander gave a screech, falling out of her chair, clutching her head. The coffee poured from the cup onto her, the mug itself breaking at the contact with the ground. Her vision refocused and her mind unfogged.

"What was that for, Fang?" She yelled, slowly getting up. Everyone sighed heavily, slumping into their respective chairs. Lightning looked at everyone in the room: Snow, Serah, Fang, and Vanille. They all sat there in silence. "What?" She said, annoyed.

"Lightning…you just forgot who we were and where you were," Snow started. Lightning's eyes widened,

"W-what?" She stuttered.

"Lightning…this is the third time the last few days you woke up with amnesia," Vanille grimly said, something that Lightning was definitely not used too. The woman handed her another cup of coffee. She looked down at her drink, tracing her finger towards her right eye, slightly cradling that side of her head unconsciously.

"It hurts, doesn't it?" Vanille asked. Lightning nodded. Vanille sighed and sat back down. She had no idea what to do or say.

"This isn't good…nothing is good…just…just why can't we catch a break? Something is _always_ happening to us, Lightning especially," Snow grumbled. All he wanted was a quiet, happy life for his family and friends. Everyone remained silent, so he continued, "Lightning…hopefully you remember that we're in a Civil War right now."

"Yes, Snow, I do," she said venomously, shooting him a look. "I'm not stupid." Snow sighed.

"Lightning, they just took control of the entire government! Why are you not worried?" Lightning looked away.

"Stop it Snow, you know just as well as I do: my family is number one on my importance list at the moment. The world can wait."

"What the hell did I just hear? You're putting millions upon millions of lives in danger just because of two people? Lightning! You know Asami won't do anything to Leo or Maria, they're safe. And if she was going to do something, I'm pretty sure she'll tell you, being the creep that she is." Lightning suddenly rose, leaning over the table, towards Snow.

"What the hell did _I_ just hear? Are you saying that I shouldn't care about my family, even though their very livelihood is under my shoulders? What kind of shit is that, Snow? Just stop it!"

"No Lightning, you stop it!" Snow rose as well, smashing his hands on the table. "Asami is too strong right now…there's no way we can just waltz right in there and save everyone. We'll die." He sat back down.

"Sis…" Serah placed a hand of comfort on her sister's shoulder. Lightning, however, didn't shake it off, much to Serah's surprise.

"What do you want?" She finally spat.

"Lightning…we need to liberate all the cities…gather a resistance group to fight Asami. We need back up," Snow finally said. Lightning calmed down and carefully sat back into her seat. She asked Fang to hand her a pen and paper that was laying on the table. She then drew a crude of map Gran Pulse, labeling the five major cities.

"Here, we have the major cities that Asami took," she drew on the map as she spoke. Suddenly, the doorbell rang, Vanille running to answer it.

"Hi Hope, you're just in time!" She happily squeaked. Hope nodded and made his way toward the table, looking over the Commander's shoulders.

"We have Erebus, but it's the only city that was never under control, so we'll ignore it for now," she continued. "Next is Styx, Asphodel, Elysia, and finally the capital, Tartarus. We'll start with Styx and make are way up, finally liberating the capital. That will be our final battle."

"Why Styx?" Hope asked.

"Because it's the smallest and least populated major city…and I have heard reports that there isn't a huge Purist presence there. Hope, how many FLASH operatives do we have in Erebus?" Hope scratched his head.

"Uhmmmm less than a thousand, but most of them are injured or MIA…If you want them for this mission, I think we can spare seventy or so."

"Excellent, that's more than needed," Lightning leaned back on her chair, satisfied.

"Light…just what are you planning?" Snow suddenly asked.

"Isn't it obvious? We're going to siege the city and retake it," she said with a belittling voice, as if she was trying to say "duh". "There's not much else to plan…I mean, it's a siege."

"And when you mean siege, do you also mean killing everyone in sight, murdering families, raping women, as history has done so many times before?" Hope quipped.

"No, just capture all the enemies. I don't want too much bloodshed…there are enough lives at risk already, right Snow?" A giant winked.

"So when we leavin'?" Fang finally spoke up. Planning was not her forte.

"Tomorrow," Lightning replied, looking out the window.

* * *

She walked into the pitch-dark, musty room. She sat down on a familiar rock, reaching for something in her pocket. She felt the cold round rock between her hands, and she hoisted it up to her face. She stared at the purple crystal while her eyes adjusted to the dark. She watched as lighter swirls weaved through the crystal, almost like waves of the ocean.

She then reached for her other pocket, pulling out a pack of cigarettes. She lit it with a match, throwing the burning stick into a pit. The room suddenly lit with a flickering light. She blew the smoke out of her mouth, making small rings. She sighed and scratched her eye and finally threw the crystal into the fire. The room was now lighted with a wonderful purple hue, complete with lighter swirls.

She watched as a familiar purple haze arose from the fire, morphing into a familiar figure.

"Have you entered her?" Asami quietly said, sucking in her cigarette smoke again.

"Yes, my darling, I have. She's in the process…I must applaud you, Mrs. Rosch, you sure do know how to…manipulate people," he complimented her, smiling wickedly. She blew the smoke out and laughed.

"You and I have something in common," she leaned in, "and, is our deal still on?" The man gave a hearty laugh.

"Why wouldn't it be, darling?" The smoke-man blew across the fire, swirling around the woman. She merely continued to smoke. The haze then entered her mouth as she sucked, causing her to blow out purple smoke, which again morphed into the man. It was an odd and slightly painful sensation, but she was quite used to it by now.

"If I bring Lightning under your control, you _will_ bring him back, right?" She said very carefully. The man laughed again, returning to the fire, lighting the room again with a bright purple hue. The fire suddenly extinguished, leaving the women to sit in the dark again. She reached into the pit, grabbing the purple crystal, carefully stuffing it back in to her coat pocket and continued to smoke.

* * *

**As for my influences, I get influenced by a lot of stuff. Bob Marley (songs in general), Zelda, Final Fantasy itself (duh), Fire Emblem, Amnesia (the scariest game ever), my surroundings, DBZ, poetry, Greek and Latin mythology, and my own mind. Not much other fanfics, because I try to not recycle ideas...but I am planning to do something that hasn't been done before.  
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**At least in my current knowledge.  
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**Also, I wonder if anyone will understand the city names. If you do, comment! :D :D :D  
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	17. Enter the Darkness

**Ciao! Welcome to chapter seventeen! Huuuuge thanks to Taylore and Koharu for proofreading. This chapter is kinda violent...and you know how I do violence. XD**

**I will like to thank whitefoxlia and Whistlewind Wolf for reviewing and for everyone who has favorited and alerted this! Thank you so much!  
**

**This chapter is really important...it was also one of my favorites to write. I also urge my readers to particularly pay close attention to rather minor details, usually they play a big role later on. Furthermore, I'm really close to 50 reviews. Whoever is the fiftieth, I shall give them a prize! :D  
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**Enjoy!**

* * *

Snow led Serah towards the van, holding most of her bags in one hand, using the free on to carry his son, Damon, as Serah carried the twins. They stopped right in front of the door, lowering the kids and bags onto the ground, turning around. Behind them were Lightning, Fang, Vanille, Hope, and Sazh walking in a straight line, each of them talking about the plans, except Lightning of course. Her purple brand inscriptions slightly glowed in the incoming darkness. She looked up at the sky, watching the last entrails of the sun slowly melting away. She looked up at her sister, one eye glowing brightly in the dark. She walked towards he sister, giving her a hug that Serah tightly returned back.

"You two know the plan, right?" Lightning quietly said as the rest of the gang caught up. They all stood around in a circle, looking at their leader. Vanille quickly glanced at Lightning's face, making sure she didn't notice. She very slightly gasped and looked away. Fang caught Vanille's slight whimper, mentally reminding herself to bring the matter up later. Lightning sighed and started to go over the plan again, "Serah is going in hiding with the kids and Sazh, since the pilot is apparently too old for this crap," Sazh gave a sheepish grin while Lightning glared. She coughed and continued, "Everyone else is coming with me, with Snow and Hope switching out at some points to check up on Serah, Sazh, and the kids," everyone nodded.

"While they leave, my team will be travelling to Styx, where we will immediately siege the place. The reinforcements are already there, just casually patrolling the area," Lightning stuck her hands into her pockets. After a few moments of silence, she sighed and spoke again, "I guess that everyone is ready?" Everyone nodded. Everyone said their goodbyes to Serah, Sazh, and their respective kids. They got into their van and drove away, the vehicle becoming smaller and smaller at the horizon. Lightning stopped watching the car and turned back to her group. She silently led everyone into their heavily armored convoy, Hope taking the driver's seat of course. She sat in the way back, looking at the window; the scenery was almost pitch black, save for the moon. Vanille and Fang sat in the front, quietly chatting, while Snow sat with Hope.

"Vanille, what was with that dramatic gasp?" Fang whispered, smirking. Vanille wore a grim expression, making Fang's lightheartedness immediately fade away. "What happened?"

"Fang," she said very slowly, "very slowly glance towards Light's face…see if you sense anything…off," she finished, looking out a window. Fang casually glanced back at the Commander, but her head was turned away.

"Hey Light!" Fang called. Lightning slightly turned her head toward the huntress.

"What," she said softly. Fang looked at Lightning's face. She didn't see anything off until she looked deeply into her eyes. _I see…_her mind whispered. Lightning sighed and looked away. "You've seen the brand so many times, why you need to see it again?" She spat agitatedly. Fang frowned and turned back to her Pulsian partner.

"Do you see it?" Vanille whispered.

"Yeah…her brand is slightly glowing…red…" Fang trailed off. Lightning's eyes snapped open at the comment; she knew they were talking about her, so she eavesdropped. She quickly looked back at the window, trying to hide her panicked expression. She looked at her reflection off the window. Yes, there _was_ a faint red glow.

"I will devour you," a voice said in the back of her head. Lightning sighed and tried to push the thoughts away. She unconsciously traced her right hand towards her throat, making sure there weren't any strangle marks or bruises anywhere. The one thing that she could remember ever since this branding drama was the dreams.

The sickening, horrifying, twisted dreams. She shivered at the memories; each dream was vivid in her mind. She clearly remembered being strangled multiple times, drowned, skinned alive, buried alive, being sucked into quick sand, the list went on. She shivered again and closed her eyes, slumping her head towards her torso.

"Hope, how much longer?" She called out, not even trying to look up.

"A little more than an hour….we're almost there!" He called back. Lightning sighed and continued to meditate. There was something seriously wrong with her. She can remember all of these horrific dreams yet she can't remembers who she is every time she wakes up. Why? But that's not even the main problem. If she keeps on dreaming horrible, violent, and gory images, why doesn't she just stop sleeping? Lightning had done that before, especially during her l'Cie days.

_But…I don't want to_, she thought. No matter how much she wanted to deny it…she actually enjoyed the dreams. It was strange. There was a part of her that welcomed the violence, that welcomed this sensation of being "devoured", that welcomed…these dreams. At some points, she couldn't wait to go to bed and sleep. The Commander frowned, shook her head, and slightly chuckled.

_What the hell is wrong with me?_

She glanced back out the window again, watching her surrounds. The terrain suddenly became flatter and sparse since the last time she checked, which was understandable, since Styx was situated near a desert. She closed her eyes and slightly slumped in her seat. It's going to be a long night.

* * *

He drove through the dark, swerving his bike around trees and stones in order to get to his destination faster. He pulled up his phone from his pocket, dialing a series of numbers, and pulled it up to his ear.

"Estheim," Arshia breathed.

"Brezhnev? Arshia?" A surprised voice replied back. "I haven't heard or seen you in a while, how are you?" Bartholomew's slightly deep voice normalized, talking in a distinct and professional tone.

"I've been better…" The Lieutenant trailed off. "I'm visiting Tartarus, and I thought I might give you a call."

"Ah, I see…you're checking up on your daughter," the older Estheim said as if it was fact. "How is her condition?" His voice darkened. There was a slight silence.

"She's…she's going under surgery right now to finally get rid of that damn HIV infection," Arshia's voice softened. "But…but she'll go blind, they say."

"She'll what?" Bartholomew yelled, causing the connection to slightly scatter. Arshia shook his head and remained silent. "I see...come see me when you arrive to the capital, we can talk at my house," Bartholomew offered.

"Thanks, I really appreciate it," Arshia ended the call. He already arrived at the city minutes ago, he was now making his way towards his friend's house. After ten minutes or so, he entered the wealthy district and made his way up a hill. He finally parked his bike outside a modest looking luxury home. He pressed the doorbell and waited.

The door slowly opened, revealing a slightly short man with gray highlights, a suit, and glasses. He welcomed Arshia in and led him to the living room. They sat next to each other on a comfortable couch, the room's lighting very dim.

"Vodka, I presume?" The man asked as he reached toward the table, holding two bottles. He pulled out two glasses and a can of ice from a mini fridge next to him, placing the contents on the table. Arshia slightly smiled and nodded, gracious that his friend still remembered his favorite drink. Bartholomew poured a rather large glass of vodka for his friend, pouring a glass of whiskey for himself afterwards. They took a few sips until one of the two spoke,

"So, what's the problem?" Bartholomew cut down to the chase. Arshia chuckled, the man was always straight forward.

"Besides the fact that my daughter is going blind?" He sarcastically quipped, taking a large gulp of the liquid. The lieutenant loudly placed the glass back onto the table, pouring himself another glass. "This damn doctor…says he's gonna need more money. Where the hell do I get the money? I already work my ass off trying to find 300,000 gil for this surgery!"

"How much does he want?" His friend asked, also taking a long sip of his yellow tinted drink.

"Fifty-thousand. Problem is that he needs it quick, so he can perform the surgery ASAP, or else she'll go blind for good," he said grimly. Bartholomew shook his head.

"You know that doctor is ripping you off, right?"

"Yeah, I know. But he's the only doctor that would do it for me…he knows I get my money illegally," he scratched his head, swirling the drink in its container, the ice clicking on the glass walls.

"How _are_ you getting this money?" the Estheim finally asked.

"Odd jobs," Arshia replied, taking another whack at his drink. "Probably know what they are, dontcha?" His words slightly slurred together. He already drank an equivalent of five shots of vodka. Bartholomew laughed, nodding his head,

"I might have an idea."

"Now my turn to ask," Arshia poured himself another drink and laid back in his seat, "what's up here?" The man sighed heavily.

"The economy is killing us here. Usually during war, the economy grows, due to the growth of jobs, I'm sure you know that," Arshia nodded. "But Civil War…everyone quits working to fend for themselves…it's utter chaos. My banking operations are deteriorating; I have closed a few banks due to the rising in violence. You probably didn't see it now, since we're in the wealthy district…thank goodness," he paused to pour more ice in his drink. "But if you go anywhere else in the capital…it's hell. Rapings, murders, shootings….everything. And the military presence is slowly fading. They're switching sides," Arshia shook his head. What the hell Asami cooked up was beyond him.

"I presume the reason why you came to me was that you need money, no?" Arshia looked at his friend's eyes long and hard. "As I thought."

"I…I need a loan, Bartholomew…you know what it's like having a kid. They're everything to you, they are your life…and since she doesn't have a mom anymore…and…" he slightly started to choke up, "and now that she has…this. This damn infection that she got out of nowhere! It's impossible, she's not sexually active, she's just a kid! And I know no one touched her…They would have already been castrated and burned at the stake, personally by me," Arshia looked away, his eyebrow's furrowing. He took a furious gulp of his drink. Bartholomew looked down.

"I know what you mean…don't worry, I'll give you the loan. But, I'm going to need the money back," he smiled at Arshia, who was giving him a dumbfounded look.

"Isn't that the whole point of getting a loan? To repay the money?" Arshia quietly spat.

"I'm kidding!" He chuckled. Bartholomew reached for a small black case on the table, opening it and revealing two large cigars. He offered one to his friend.

"I haven't smoke since she died…" he took the cigar anyway, his friend quickly lighting it for him. Smoke filled the room.

"Me neither…me neither," Bartholomew repeated.

* * *

_She was running, running as fast as she could. But she didn't know why. She slightly slowed and looked behind her, hoping to figure out what the threat was. Behind her was her double, madly running after her with those red glowing eyes, swinging a black gunblade. The woman's heart skipped a beat._

_Oh yeah…that._

_She ran even faster now, sprinting across the plain of nothingness. Suddenly, her foot pushed off the solid ground and she felt herself flying. She fell and crashed onto a barrier. She laid there limp until the woman heard some crackling sounds. She looked down at the ground, but of course, saw nothing. She heard very loud footsteps echoing. The athletic woman slowly rose to a sitting position, her hands still positioned on the floor, watching her double happily making its way towards her. It stopped just less than a meter away from her face. It bent down, pushing its long, pink hair out of its face, whispering into the woman's ear._

"_Found ya."_

_With that, it stomped on the ground, causing the fragile, invisible glass barrier to crack. The woman once again felt herself falling until she crashed into the water, head first. The woman travelled down the blackness of the water. Once she was out of breath, she quickly made her way to the top, finally breaking the surface. She gasped, coughing out droplets of water that made its way down her system. Invisible waves crashed into her, causing her to swallow even more of the liquid. She started to swim, hoping that she might break land._

_At some point at least._

_Something tugged at her arm and flung her across the area. She landed with a loud thump on solid land. The woman quickly got up, looking around to see her enemy, but of course, nothing was there. She felt the air disturb behind her, causing her to backflip out of the way. She was just in time, too, since her double randomly appeared and thrusted a gunblade at her. The woman stared hard at her double. It was evilly smirking at her, casually swinging the corrupted version of her favorite weapon._

"_Claire, my friend," it said joyfully, complete with the five layered voice, "why don't we just sit down and talk about things, I'm sure you would like that, no?" The woman snorted and merely drew her open weapon, pointing the tip at its head. "Excellent! It seems that we speak the same language."_

_The two humanoids stood there, one smiling wickedly, the other one expressionless. At once, they both pushed off the ground, drawing their weapons back, ready to swing. However, the woman quickly rolled away, swiping her sword at the double's torso. Her blade met with a clang; the double already anticipated the move and merely adjusted its battle position to block._

"_Your attempts are futile…you should know that," it snickered. The women narrowed her eyes and charged again, flipping over the shadow and stabbing her sword straight at its face. The double slashed her sword horizontally above its head, connecting with the woman's weapon, causing her to twist in an awkward angle. The double jumped and kicked the woman to the ground. She got up immediately, thrusting her sword into the shadow._

_The sword connected for a split second until the shadow exploded into the purple haze, the gas swirling above her head, forming into the familiar figure once again. The double landed on the ground graciously, whipping its head toward the woman, smiling,_

"_Told ya," it snickered again. The woman huffed and stretched out her hand. A quite familiar purple haze started to wrap around the woman's body, concentrating mostly in her hand. She let go, causing a huge fire blast to escape, burning everything in sight, which was exactly nothing. The double once again morphed into the haze and then into its human form._

_This time it started to laugh._

"_Perfect!" It exclaimed. The woman fired more magic at it in an angry fury. Purple tinted firas, thundagas, and wateras filled the void. However, the shadow merely dissolved into gas form, this time weaving through the fury of attacks. It made its way toward the woman and as she gasped, the haze entered her throat, traveling to her heart. The woman immediately dropped her weapon, falling to the ground, clutching her chest. She could feel the double start to take over her body. She couldn't control her movements anymore._

_But she still had to fight._

_She struggled to regain control. All of her attempts, however, were futile, just as the doppelganger prophesized. She traced her hand to her pouch, pulling out her prized survival knife. She struggled to get it out, her arms not cooperating. She finally held it out in front of her, the tip pointed to her chest._

"_NO!" She heard the voice scream inside of her. She took a quick breath and stabbed the metal into her chest. Her chest exploded with blood, cracking open, causing the haze to quickly rush out, morphing into a person once again. _

_The double knelt on the ground, clutching its chest, breathing hard. The woman watched as its blood poured out, but it wasn't red, it was deep purple. The shadow desperately looked at the woman, who was in the same hunched position._

"_I will…get you…"_

* * *

Fang sprinted through the streets, checking for any more enemies. She slowed her pace to a slight jog, until she met up with a familiar red head. The met up and started to walk back towards their rendezvous point, which was the center of town. After five minutes or so, they caught sight of Hope and Snow.

"Everyone's done? Did we get them all?" Snow asked as he was tying up some hostiles. He then threw them into a police car, the FLASH operatives quickly driving away towards a nearby prison.

"I believe so," Hope said, wiping the sweat off his forehead. The Commander ordered everyone to split up, in order to gain more ground quicker. "Wait…where's Light?" Everyone's heart skipped a few beats.

"She didn't send any hostages to be taken to prison…at least I didn't see anything," Snow mumbled, placing his hands behind his head. Hope shook his head.

"She went north right?" Vanille piped up. "What are you waiting for? Let's go!" The gang ran a fast pace up the small streets of the city. It was just about to break dawn, the sun slightly peeking out of the horizon. They ran for a few minutes until they found a dead soldier in a pool of blood. Hope bent down to investigate.

"He…he was stabbed to death," he looked back at the group, his eyes widening. "Multiple times," he grimly added.

"I thought she said not to kill the rebels?" Snow yelled. Fang shook her head and led the way into an alley. Bodies filled all the walls, some of them cut in half, decapitated, or chopped into pieces. Vanille cupped her hands over her face, resisting the urge to vomit. Snow's eyes started to water at the stench. Hope and Fang couldn't believe it.

"No…" Fang whispered. She jumped over the dead bodies, splashing in large puddles of blood. She suddenly stopped, causing everyone to bump into her. In front of her was a sight that she couldn't believe.

In front of her was Lightning, stabbing an obviously dead body multiple times, smiling wickedly. She suddenly stopped, the body slowly slipping off the sword, crashing into the ground. The Commander was covered from head to toe in blood, dark, rich blood. She glanced at the group, causing all of them to gasp.

Her brand was completely red.

* * *

**So uhm...that was really fun to write! Action! :3 Please tell me what you thought of the chapter, like what was your favorite part? I particularly need some feedback on this one. Can't say why though. ;)  
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**Also, if you read this on the mobile version of the site, sometimes the line breaks disappear. I don't know why.  
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	18. Enter the God

**Hi guys! I'm so, so, so, soooo sorry this is late. I've been super busy and slightly sick, so this chapter just took forever to write. My apologies. *bows head. Now that we have that behind us, welcome to chapter 18! Big fight scene her, plus some plot stuff...and Roman mythology/history. :3 Big thanks to Taylore for editing, sorry for my stupid mistakes on this one...:)**

**Thank you to KeeepSmiling, HollowPanda (who was the 50th reviewer! :D), whitefoxlia, Whistlewind Wolf, and Erica for reviewing! :D And thank you for all the alerts and favorites from everyone else!  
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**Without further ado, Enjoy!**

* * *

"You've got to be kidding me," Fang looked at Lightning in disbelief. She held her hand out, waving in front of her friend's face, as if she was dismissing a very bad joke. Lightning, or at least "Lightning", smirked, wiping the blood off of her gunblade with her bare hands. She licked her fingers and remained silent. Snow shuddered at the sight,

"Lightning, quit freakin' us out!" The Commander still remained silent. Snow nervously glanced at Hope and Vanille, the young man shaking his head in disbelief while the girl looked like she was going to puke at any moment. Lightning swung her gunblade back and forth and quickly pointed it at Fang's face, smiling. Fang unconsciously stepped back.

"What's wrong?" Lightning sweetly spoke, her own voice mixed with four or five other tones. The group flinched as she inched her way closer, taking her sweet time. Everyone stepped back except Fang. Lightning smiled even wider and stood less than a meter away from her battle partner's face, the red brand glowing in the dim light. Fang stood her ground. There was a long silence until Lightning spoke again, "Why are you all afraid? Aren't I your Commander? Leader? _Friend_?" Fang narrowed her eyes.

"Who the hell are you…and what have you done to Light?" She spoke very clearly, enunciating each word meticulously. Lightning laughed again.

"What makes you think that? I'm Lightning, don't you see?" Fang raised an eyebrow, causing Lightning to frown. "Oh darn, you figured me out," her voice dripped with sarcasm. She gripped her gunblade harder until her knuckles went white.

"No shit," Fang spat. Lightning slowly backed away, standing in her regular combat position. Fang slowly followed, also standing in her signature stance. "What are you gonna do now? Gonna attack us?" Fang angrily asked. Everyone remained silent until Lightning broke it with a hearty laugh.

"No. I'm not going to hurt you," Vanille and Hope let go of the breath that they were unconsciously holding during the pause. Lightning glanced at them, smiling wider. She looked back up at Fang, "I'm going to kill you." She pushed off the ground, wildly swinging her sword at Fang. The huntress easily blocked it, but she failed to see the kick that was coming her way. Lightning kicked the living daylights out of Fang's head, causing the Pulsian to fly a meter or two backwards. She somersaulted into a standing position, her vision refocusing. She caught Snow and Hope charging forward.

"STOP!" She screamed as loud as she could, causing the men to stop in their tracks. They quickly turned their head towards Fang, demanding an explanation.

"What?! She's trying to kill us! We gotta fight and-" Fang cut Snow off,

"This is _my_ fight," she whispered, narrowing her eyes. Snow looked at her in disbelief,

"Are you friggen kidding me Fang? Really? Your livelihood, as well as Lightning's is on the line! We can't screw around with stuff like this," he screamed as well. Fang merely waived his little speech away.

"Sorry," she said, turning back towards the corrupted Lightning. "Now, where were we?" Lightning smiled again.

"I like how you think," she pushed off the ground again, this time flying in the air. A barrage of magic flew from her hands: aeros, firas, wateras, Fang couldn't keep track. She dove out of the way, but a fira caught her clothes, setting her on fire for a few moments. She rolled in the dirt and puddles of blood, trying to douse the flames. She quickly pushed off the ground, sprinting towards Lightning. She jumped over her head, aiming the spear at her head. The Commander blocked the attack easily, but Fang used that momentum to push off behind the Commander, quickly striking her with the spear. Blood squirted out as the Commander fell to the ground, hastily getting up. She looked at the huntress in disbelief.

"FANG!" Vanille screamed, "This is Lightning! You can't kill her!"

"I'm not, dummy!" Fang calmly yelled, "Weakening her, weakening her!"

"By slashing her guts out?!" Fang gave a sheepish grin, causing the redhead to shake her head. Fang turned back to Lightning, the woman in a hunched position, breathing hard, clutching her injured torso.

"I thought I was your friend?" Lightning playfully quipped, despite the seriousness of her injuries. Fang gave her signature grin. As they both pushed off the ground, blocking onslaughts of attacks, Snow shook his head. This was beyond crazy.

"Are you seeing this?" He quietly said to Hope.

"No, I'm just observing the beautiful sunrise and counting the number of birds in the air," Hope said in a serious tone. That earned him an annoyed shove by Snow.

"I'm serious…What the hell is wrong with them?" He threw his hands into the air. "Lightning is right now freakin' corrupted or whatever…it's not her. Someone took over the Commander."

"Get on with it Captain Obvious!" Hope angrily spat; his patience was running low also.

"Why the hell is Fang so…calm? It's like she's enjoying the battle!" Snow paled at his own comment. He turned to Vanille, "You don't think…"

"No, she's not," Vanille said very confidently with a grim expression. She was still watching the chaotic battle. "She's trying to annoy Lightning…trying to wear her out. I know that Fang…Fang is hurting inside right now…probably more than us," Vanille frowned even more. Hope shook his head and continued to watch. It killed him that he couldn't do anything about it, thanks to Fang's stubbornness. And he knew that if he tried anything, he'll probably get castrated by the huntress herself.

Fang was currently blocking a barrage of wild attacks by Lightning. She slashed and slashed her blade, only to make a loud clang against Fang's own weapon. Lightning abruptly stopped, backflipped a meter away, and closed her eyes. Fang narrowed her eyes, preparing herself for the next attack. However, Lightning just stood there. Fang sighed and quickly pushed off the ground, flying over Lightning's head again. She aimed her spear at her arm, hoping that if it connected, Lightning would "snap out of it". Moments before Fang's spear would have torn into Lightning's flesh, the Commander gave a demented scream and summoned one of the biggest thundagas ever witnessed.

Fang remained suspended in the air as she was being electrocuted alive. She saw nothing but white flashes everywhere until she fell to the ground, where everything went black. She struggled to get up, hoping that her vision would at some point come back. After a few agonizing seconds, her vision slowly return. She looked up, only to be sent flying again by a hard kick. Fang coughed madly and quickly got up, but staggered into a hunched position.

"What the hell is wrong with me?" She said to herself, smacking her cheeks with her hands. "How is Sunshine beating me?" She angrily looked up, catching Lightning smiling sweetly at her. "That's it."

Fang gave a ferocious roar and headed toward the Commander. She blocked a series of rather weak attacks by her battle partner. Fang started to counter, and after four strikes, Lightning couldn't keep up. The huntress started to tear into flesh after each strike, drawing out blood and screams. However, Fang tried very hard to restrain her strength; she didn't want to kill her friend. She finally ended her offensive chain with a strong kick, causing Lightning to crash through a weak wooden door.

The commander moaned in pain as she struggled to get up. Wooden splinters were tightly jammed into her skin, making almost every movement painful. She glared at the huntress. She started to make her way towards Fang to start another attack, but she fell three meters away. She knelt on the ground, clutching her chest, screaming gibberish. Fang raised her spear into a blocking position, just in case if this was one of her tricks.

Lightning jerked her head up. Everyone gasped: her brand wasn't red anymore. Fang quickly made her way towards Lightning, but the brand turned red again. It went from golden to red many times, quickly changing back and forth like a scattered signal on the television.

"Fang!" She called out in her own voice. Fang ran towards Lightning, recognizing the call for help by her friend's own will. She also knelt down, but was hastily pushed away by Lightning. Lightning jerked her head up again, her brand currently red. She clutched her head with both hands,

"This is…NOT the time…to do…this…DARLING," The five-layered voice screamed. A huge blast of purple energy emitted from the Commander, pushing Fang back a meter. Lightning was struggling to get up, but quickly fell to the ground. In a kneeling position, she struggled as she traced her hand towards her black pouch on her leg. Everyone watched as all her muscles twitched, her face scrunching into many expressions, and most importantly, her hand. She finally opened her pouch, pulling out the prized survival knife that Serah gave to her many years ago. Fang watched as she slowly pulled it up towards her chest. Realizing what she was about to do, Fang lunged towards the women, sticking her arm out to block the blow.

Lightning gave a scream and stabbed the knife into her chest. However, Fang's arm was just in time; the blade went through her arm, tearing the flesh, muscles, fascia, and narrowly missing the bone. Right then, a huge blob of purple haze exploded from Lightning, rising into the air. As Fang and Lightning were screaming in pain in unison, the group watched as the purple gas started to morph into a humanoid shape. The gas-man stared at the group and swirled into the air. It hovered over the women for a moment until it quickly dove towards Lightning. The gas penetrated into the center of Lightning's eye, almost as if her eye was vacuuming the gas.

Lightning stopped screaming and quickly grew limp, falling face first towards Fang's shoulders. The group ran towards the two women. Vanille carefully removed the knife from Fang's arm. She reached into her pouch for a bandage, quickly and skillfully covering up her wound. With her good arm, Fang tried to pull Lightning away from her, but suddenly gasped when she saw that Lightning was still conscious.

"Lightning! Lightning?" She screamed. Hope squatted down and hoisted Lightning off of Fang, putting her into a sitting position. Lightning's eyes were very dim, the golden brand faintly glowing. She was looking down, breathing very raggedly. She finally looked up at Fang, causing the huntress to give a dramatic gasp. Everyone scrambled to look at the Commander's face.

Her original iris was now gone, replaced with a bright red hue, causing the brand to be even more apparent. Snow tried to comfort her, putting his hand on her shoulder. However, Lightning gave a demented wail, shoving Snow's hands away. She cradled her bleeding left shoulder and bit her lip, trying to suppress the onslaught of pain, but she failed. Two tears poured from her left eye while blood poured from the other. She moaned in pain, trying to stop the sudden shed of tears, but she couldn't. The pain was too much.

As Lightning was whimpering away, Vanille started to tend to the Commander's wounds very carefully, but the normally stoic soldier didn't even notice. Fang finally looked at Lightning and asked,

"Light…what's wrong?" She sounded genuinely concerned. Lightning would never just start moaning or crying in pain…it just wasn't her. Lightning took a few deep breaths, finally controlling her tears. She was silent for a few moments until she whispered,

"Imagine…your heart…and eye are being squished…squished to the point where your body can't even register the amount of pain you have…" She paused, shutting her eyes closed. "It hurts," she looked up. Snow bit his lip; he couldn't even imagine all the pain she was dealing with right now, especially since she just had a fight with Fang of all people.

"Light…did you…did you realize what you were doing?" Vanille finally asked as she was putting on the last bandage. Lightning stared at ground,

"I…I was fighting you all, wasn't I?"

"Technically only Fang…but I know why. If we all pitched in, something disastrous would have happened to either you or us," Hope quietly commented.

"I…I didn't know…I was fighting my own battle," Everyone looked at the soldier. Her own battle? Lightning heavily sighed. She remained silent for a long time. After several minutes, she spoke again, "I…I think I know who's behind all this." Everyone remained silent.

"I think it's Barthandelus."

* * *

"How many cigarettes you're gonna smoke? You just want me to bring a whole case?" Arshia sarcastically muttered as he entered a very dark cave-like room. Where did Asami lead him Maker knew. Asami didn't reply, which was very uncharacteristic of her. She pointed to a flat rock, signaling Arshia to sit. The man sighed and plopped himself on the uncomfortable rock. Asami sat across him, lighting another smoke. She threw the match into the pit, causing the room to explode with sudden light of the flames. Arshia shielded his eyes for a moment until they adjusted to the light.

Asami blew a few rings and idly sat there. Arshia grew very impatient,

"Yes?" He tried very hard to restrain himself from blowing up on his employer. She continued to smoke, tracing a hand towards the inside of her jacket. She pulled out a very dark purple rock. She stared at its beauty for a few moments until she lazily tossed it into the fire. The room filled with a bright purple light. Arshia gasped as the smoke that rose from the fire started to condense into a humanoid form.

"What happened?" Asami casually asked the gas. Arshia remained silent; there was no way that this was possible. Has Asami gone insane? She's talking to dispersed particles, she's – Arshia chuckled to himself. She's always insane, that was a stupid question to ask or even consider. Arshia stared at the gas-man-thing…he didn't even know what to call it. All of this was just plain crazy to him. He watched as it swirled around the smoking woman, as if he'd done it a thousand times.

"She's currently in the process…I say I'm about halfway there, darling," a very distinct, slightly deep, gargled voice finally spoke. Arshia shot a look at the humanoid form and narrowed his eyes. He recognized that voice…he'd heard it many times. He looked down and furrowed his brows. Who is this? "Of course, it's all thanks to you, my precious," the gas continued, albeit his word choice was quite creepy. Asami snorted,

"Sure, whatever," she smoked again. The General turned to Arshia, point a palm at the gas, "Lieutenant," Arshia straightened his position with the call of his name. "I'm sure you have an idea who this is, right?" Arshia scratched his head; the name was on the tip of his tongue, but he just couldn't say it. He looked at the gas, noting the shape and height, but he just couldn't make the man out; his facial details were very faint and blurry. Asami sighed.

"Child, surely you know that you are speaking with his holy presence, do you not?" Arshia gasped. He knew that poetic and royal word choice from anywhere.

"Primarch…Dysley?" Arshia gulped. "Aren't…beg my pardon, but aren't you supposed to be…dead?" He tried very hard to be polite. This was the Primarch after all. The Primarch laughed heartily, swirling around the man. Arshia suddenly stood, obviously very uncomfortable with the situation.

"Ah yes, I apparently perished not long after I resigned," he paused. "I suffered from a heart attack, did I not?" Arshia nodded while Asami snorted, again.

"Does he not know who I am?" The purple haze addressed the woman. She snorted once again,

"Really? Why else would he be asking these painfully obvious questions?" She glared at Dysley. His Highest Holiness laughed and flew away, muttering, "I beg your pardon." He then turned toward Arshia,

"I am Barthandelus, a Fal'Cie," Arshia's eyes widened. What the hell is happening right now? Before his mind could legitimately register what he just said, Barthandelus continued, "Long story short, I am the one who tried to destroy Cocoon by merging one with Orphan and-"

"What?" Arshia yelled. Destroy Cocoon? Fal'Cie? Orphan? Not even that, but how was he talking to a member of the dead? His mind was swirling in circles at the moment…he really didn't want to deal with this. Dysley sighed annoyingly,

"Long story short, those cursed l'Cie managed to kill me."

"And yet you're still here," Asami quietly commented. "Care to explain that, 'cause you never did for me," she glared at him, pulling out another smoke to light.

"Yes, I believe it is the time to do so," he scratched his chin. "You cannot kill a Fal'Cie by normal means…only l'Cie or other Fal'cie can kill us. However, the reason I did not die is simple: I was God. I was God of everything. I merged with Orphan to call the Maker, doesn't that practically make me on terms with him?" Asami slowly nodded; Arshia just gave up on understanding this madness. Barthandelus continued, "But, mere l'Cie cannot kill a God this powerful. When they destroyed my perfect form, a part of me condensed…my soul you humans say. It condensed into that black crystal you hold with you at all times," he pointed to Asami, who currently stopped smoking.

"…And you…dropped it, hoping for someone to pick it up?" Asami quietly asked. Barthandelus laughed,

"Yes, my friend. Those l'Cie merely shattered my shell; my vessel. But I can never die, I am immortal," he gave a demented laugh. "My crystal only attracts the evilness in one's heart," he flew towards Asami. "And I was just lucky that you had the most," he pointed and touched her heart, Asami swatting away the gas.

"Wait…so you're telling me that Asami is dealing with a God…and…why?" Arshia had a perplexed look plastered on his face.

"I made a deal with Mr. Dysley here," Asami started. She took off her jacket and revealed her right arm. Glowing, purple, ancient inscriptions plagued the entirety of her arm, almost like a tattoo sleeve. Arshia stared at it, waiting for an explanation, "If I performed his tasks, he'll bring Rosch back," she smiled.

"So you just sold your soul to God here to bring back your dead husband," Arshia spoke in a belittling tone. "And what does this have to do with the Commander? And what do you have to gain from this, Primarch?" He glared at both of them. All of this was very strange.

"Lucky for Ms. Asami here," Barthandelus seductively started, which made Arshia want to hurl, "We both need Lightning Farron for our plans. She wants revenge and I want resurrection."

"Excuse me?" Arshia sputtered out.

"Lightning…Miss Farron is very…very…VERY important to all of my plans…she is the key to my resurrection. I am helping Asami lure Lightning to me, where I can…use her, and afterwards, Asami can exact her revenge," he turned to Asami, who was smiling.

"And you're going to resurrect yourself…how?" Arshia asked, scratching his chin.

"Ah, ah, ah," he waggled his finger. "It's too early to reveal that precious information..._Lieutenant_. Time will reveal my plans, you shall see," with that, he gave one last cackle until he exploded into a purple firework-esque explosion. The room was dark again. Asami threw her cigarette on the floor, squishing it with her boot.

"This is my game…Lieutenant…" She turned to him. "I hope you understand what you…and I are dealing with."

* * *

"Lightning!" Vanille screamed. She was walking in front of the Commander, back pedaling so she can look straight into her eyes as she scolded the soldier. She was currently being dragged through the streets by Snow, while Hope was helping Fang out. "Why didn't you tell us any of this earlier?" She shook her head. "These dreams…this is terrible…this is…this is…" she started to hyperventilate. Vanille shot a desperate look at Fang, who was looking out in the distance.

"What's the big fuss about Vanille? It's not…that bad," Lightning muttered.

"Oh Maker, this is REALLY bad!" Vanille gave a terrified squeal. They walked through some streets in the center of Styx. People where just now leaving their homes. Crumbled buildings plagued the scene, broken windows and shattered doors everywhere anyone looked. The city basically went to hell and back. But it was free, liberated, and that's all that mattered. The group slowly made its way to the small FLASH headquarters. They walked through the door, personnel immediately relieving Snow and Hope of the two women.

"Commander!" One of them yelled. He and another cadet rushed the highest ranked soldier in the entire planet to a room. They laid her on a bed. Fang staggered in behind them,

"Thanks for the help, boys," she sarcastically quipped. Lightning got into a sitting position, signaling Fang to sit next to her. Fang's eyes widened at the sudden caring movement by Lightning. She joyfully took the opportunity and plopped herself next to the Commander.

"About this battle of mine," Lightning started after a long silence, "I was fighting that double I was talking about. I remember a gruesome battle…and in the end, she managed to put me in a hold. She was about to…devour me," she unconsciously shuddered at the word, "but I pulled out my knife and tried to-"

"Kill yourself?" Hope looked up, his eyes fueled with rage. Lightning looked down.

"I…I don't know…I needed to get free somehow…no?"

"By killing yourself?" Hope pushed. He was furious.

"What else would I do, Hope? It's all I could do! Why are so you mad? This was happening in my conscience, it was-"

"When you were fighting Fang," Hope rose, angrily shouting, "you suddenly pulled out your knife and tried to kill yourself! If it wasn't for Fang, you would've been _dead_." Lightning paled. _My double…that I was fighting…was actually Fang?_ She shook her head. That was impossible. She remained silent as Hope heavily sighed. "Lightning…I don't know what's happening to you, but please…please don't ever do that again…" he trailed off, looking down. Lightning looked away, feeling completely guilty at the moment.

"Lightning…why do you think that it's Barthandelus who's behind all of…this?" Vanille very carefully asked. Lightning shook her head,

"I don't know…it just has _his_ vibe…this whole situation. The body movement, the word choice…just everything."

"But this is impossible," Snow finally spoke. "Lightning, he's dead."

"I know! I know…" She trailed off. Vanille bit her nails, nervously glancing at Fang.

"Vanille, what's wrong? You're a nervous train wreck! Spit it out, whatever's buggin' ya!" Fang finally yelled at her friend.

"Fang…do you remember that prophecy by that crazy elder from the Nero clan?" Fang's eyes widened and she grew pale.

"You're not thinking…"

"Yes…I am." She grimly confirmed.

"Excuse me, guys? Can you please…you know, explain?" Snow muttered. Fang and Vanille looked at each other.

"There was this elder of the Nero clan…who was very famous for burning a town to the ground for diplomatic reasons…and he was ousted and whatnot. But very famously, after he was exiled, he made a speech that predicted that…that…well…" Vanille couldn't continue. She didn't even know where to start.

"He said that many years from now, a group of "chosen ones" will rid and purify the world of the "Great God"…but that God will wearily grow jealous and angry, and over a short period of time, will exact revenge to the leader of the rebels, punishing all of mankind for their evil deeds," Fang paraphrased parts of the speech she could remember. It was many years ago, two years before she became a l'Cie herself.

"And…why should we believe any of this crap?" Lightning muttered.

"Because…Because he's the same man who prophesized that Fang and I…would…would become Ragnarok," Vanille choked. "Twice."

"And…and you think that this "God" is…Barthandelus?" Hope whispered. Vanille and Fang merely nodded.

"Positive," Vanille whispered even quieter.

* * *

**Expect a lot more Latin and Greek influence in this fanfic...**

**Anyway, not much to say on this one...can't wait to hear your thoughts/conspiracies! :D I thoroughly enjoy them.  
**

**PS. How was the fight scene? :3  
**


	19. Enter the Doubt

**Helloz! It's chapter 19! We're almost up to twenty, wooo! *throws confetti. Special thanks to**** Taylore for proofreading, excuse my tense mistakes...there were a little too many this time.**_  
_

**Thank you to HollowPanda and Whistlewind Wolf for reviewing! Also, HollowPanda, you still haven't given me that PM. ;)  
**

**Also, I'm moving back home very soon, so packing and last minute parties are really taking up my time. Plus, my summer is coming to an end, so expect weekly updates on the weekends.  
**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

_She was sitting in total darkness, only the outline of her body fully visible, somehow. One leg was stretched out while the other was bent, her left elbow resting over it. After a long time, she finally sighed and heard footsteps heading toward her direction. The woman made no effort to get up or even acknowledge the presence. Quite frankly, she was just tired of all this running away and fighting. She needed a break._

_The footsteps slowly became louder and louder until a rather familiar figure plopped itself right in front of the woman. The double smirked at her, the woman calmly looking back. Purple haze started to emit from the shadow, slowly twisting and curling its way toward the woman, wrapping its long and thick vines around her body. However, the woman didn't resist. The haze just calmly twisted its way around the woman with no pressure._

"_See, sweetie? It's not that bad," the double finally spoke in its seductive, five-toned voice. The pink-haired woman merely blinked and remained silent. The shadow sighed, scratching its head, and spoke again, "I don't understand why you resist so much, you should be like you are right now."_

"_You mean submissive?" The woman finally spoke for the first time. The double merely smiled._

"_Yes, that is exactly what I meant. If you surrender now, you don't have to fight so much, putting all your precious family and friends in danger." The woman chuckled at the comment and shook her head._

"_Not gonna happen, freak," she looked hard into the double's double, red-glowing eyes. Her twin merely laughed, long and hard. It then rolled over to its stomached and suddenly pushed off the ground, landing gracefully in a standing position. The vines suddenly disappeared and the double stretched out a hand,_

"_Come on, my precious, we have many wondrous things to do," it smiled wickedly. The woman shook her head,_

"_No."_

"_Why not?" It frowned dramatically._

"_Don't feel like it," she replied in a monotone voice. Honestly, she didn't feel like doing anything at all right now, even talking was a hassle._

"_I didn't ask you, darling," suddenly, the vines appeared again and wrapped around the woman's arms, tightening. The woman gave a small surprised cry as the vines pulled her up to a standing position. "Now would you like me to carry you or can you walk yourself?" The woman narrowed her eyes. The vines again vanished and the woman fell to the ground, only to slowly rise with a scowl. "Excellent!"_

_As they walked through nothingness, the woman at all times kept one hand on her trusty weapon, just in case. Well, not "just in case", she knew she was going to use it at some point, and soon._

"_How long is this gonna take?" The woman finally broke the long silence, clearly agitated._

"_Soon…soon," it smiled._

"_Tch."_

* * *

The Commander woke up, and immediately flopped out of her bed. She scrambled to get up and looked around her surroundings. There were some people sleeping and snoring away. She pushed herself off the ground and wearily wobbled out the door. The woman saw something dimly gleaming in the moonlight and hastily grabbed it, strapping on the metal to her back. Lightning walked out of the room and into a large, deserted reception room. She quietly made her way out the glass doors and outside, walking on the dirt barefooted. The Commander looked up, watching the moon shine in the depths of the black sky.

Lightning took a quick left and was suddenly out of the town's limits, now walking on some sand. She kept walking until she was surrounded by an ocean of sand, many tall sand dunes towering over her head. She tiredly climbed them, one by one, until she found herself on top of the highest dune. She plopped herself on the edge, a chilly, desert breeze washing over her.

She didn't mind, nor did she care. She was a lost soul, wandering the depths of the world for no purpose. But she felt at peace somehow. She looked up and watched the moon, clearly entranced by the magical glow.

"So this is where you are, huh?" A voice suddenly broke her entrancement after a long time. A light colored blanket was wrapped around the woman's shoulders. A smaller woman slowly lowered herself next to Lightning, leaning on her hands. "Seriously, Light…if you come out to the middle of the desert at night dressed like that," she pointed up and down at the Commander's attire, which consisted of slim fitting fatigues and a tank top, "you're gonna catch a cold!" Lightning merely stared back, remaining mute. The red-haired woman sighed and frowned.

_She forgot who she was….again_, Vanille thought. This amnesia problem was all over the place. Sometimes when she woke up, she knew who she was, sometimes she didn't. There was no pattern, much to everyone's distress. It broke Vanille's heart to see Lightning like this: lost and helpless. The worst part is when they cure her temporary amnesia. Lightning's eyes would always widen and then narrow, her face returning to that cold mask she plasters over herself. Her expression falls and she frowns…but the sadness is clear in her eyes. Would it just be better if she didn't remember at all? She didn't have to deal with the pain of losing her family practically every day-

Vanille shook her head. That was a stupid thought. The normally perky Pulsian sighed and looked at Lightning, who was currently staring at the moon. She gently nudged the Commander's shoulder,

"Lightning." The woman turned her head to the side, her eyebrows slightly raised. "Lightning…that's your name," Vanille started. She wanted to cure Lightning's amnesia in a different way, something that didn't constantly harm her head. "You're the leader of the entire military of Gran Pulse. You married your best friend and have one kid…she's super-duper adorable, and you have a sister that's married and they have three kids," she recited the many facts she learned after her awakening weeks ago. Or was it months? Vanille didn't know, she had lost track a while ago.

Lightning blankly stared at this girl. What was she talking about? Not even that, but who was she? Lightning slightly furrowed her eyebrows; the girl looked familiar. It seemed like they were friends…and they went through a lot together, the way she's talking to her.

"Who are you?" She finally asked. Vanille gasped, she had never heard Lightning talk before while in this sort of trance-like state. Her voice was much softer and quieter than normal. It felt compassionate. Vanille sadly smiled,

"Vanille. Oerba Dia Vanille," she replied clearly. Lightning looked away and continued to stare at the moon. _Vanille? Vanille…I've heard that name before…_she scratched her head. "The reason you can't remember me is because," Vanille continued, "well…you have amnesia. But it's temporary…like when you wake up, you forget who you are and everything, and you become…well like this," she gestured to Lightning herself. Lightning looked at the woman, one eyebrow raised. _Well, she lost me there…_

"So this is where y'all run off to, huh?" Another accented voice suddenly came out of nowhere. Lightning looked up to see a raven-haired, tan woman dressed in short, blue capris and a white undershirt. She casually sat next to Lightning's right.

"Hey Fang," Vanille greeted. _Fang? Like…a tooth? Is that her name?_ Lightning thought. All of this was just odd to her. "I'm trying to cure Light's, you know…problem right now…." Vanille trailed off.

"By talking to her?" Fang laughed. "All she needs is a good whack in the head and she'll be perfectly fine!" Vanille gave a scowl,

"No, that's harmful. Besides, we might find a better way to do this…maybe something more…I don't know," Vanille scratched her head and thought hard. "Permanent," she finally said. Fang sighed and turned to the Commander, nudging her shoulder to get her attention,

"Ok listen up lady, and listen up good. You used to be a l'Cie, along with me, Vanille here, a boy named Hope, a big oaf called Snow, and a pilot named Sazh. We took on the Fal'Cie and saved Cocoon, that big crystal over there," she pointed to Lightning's right. "Anyway, after that, we were crystalized and junk and then you became the leader of the world or something," Fang scratched her head; she wasn't good at remembering stuff like this, "and then…uhm…you got married to a dude named Leo and had a kid named Maria and then-"

"Fang, your explanation kinda…sucks…"Vanille interrupted. They both dissolved into a fit of giggles; it did indeed suck. Lightning scrunched up her face, closing her eyes as they were laughing away. _Leo? Leo…Leo and Maria…_Lightning's eyes widened and she gasped. They were her husband and kid! _And these two are…my friends…and they're Pulsian,_ Lightning continued to remember. Fang and Vanille intently and silently stared at the woman. After a few moments or so, Fang broke the silence,

"Remember us, Sunshine?" Lightning turned her head towards them. Her face was once again covered with her stoic mask, her now-cold eyes emitting zero warmth; her lips curled in a small frown.

"Yeah…I do, Fang," Vanille let go of the breath she was unconsciously holding.

"Thank the Maker!" She breathed out.

"But you gotta admit, Vanille…one small smack in the head is easier and much faster," Fang quipped. Lightning brought her knees toward her torso, hugging them. She rested her head on them, thinking the thoughts that plagued her. She was thinking about Leo and Maria, now that they mentioned it. What were they doing? Are they being treated humanely?

Are they even alive?

Lightning pushed those thoughts far, far away. There is no way that they're dead, she wouldn't allow it. It didn't even matter if they were in the enemy's custody right now. They can't die. Lightning sighed. Was all of this even worth it, the liberation of all these cities? Lightning knew very well that the world, as they knew it, was captured by that freak. She knew that people are going crazy, killing, stealing, raping…the whole world is becoming corrupt. What bothered her was whether she fix this first or rescue her family? Her family meant everything to her…the well-being of Gran Pulse was probably eighth in the list of priorities for her right now.

And that Snow had a good point: they couldn't beat Asami's forces the way they were right now. They needed reinforcements and strong allies. But Lightning was growing restless. She could feel this…thing taking over her, like an itch. She didn't tell anyone, but she knew it wouldn't be soon until it would take over her.

"_I'm so glad that you've started to notice,_" a voice popped in her head. Lightning looked up and quickly glanced at Fang and Vanille. They were calmly looking at the sky, quietly chatting…they didn't hear that voice, did they? _"Darling, only you can hear me,_" it spoke again.

_Not you again…I've had enough of you for today,_ Lightning spoke to in with her mind. She knew perfectly who it was, _Barthandelus._

"_My, my! That is a wild accusation to be making, isn't it?" _The voice said, surprised. Somehow, Lightning managed to scoff in her mind.

_What do you want? Actually, what else do you want with me? _Lightning bitterly said.

"_You very well know what I want, Mrs. Farron. I want you. I need you for my plans."_

_Need me? Haven't you already used me enough!? Besides, what the hell do you want with me? You want me to switch sides and be loyal to you? Pff, yeah right. _Lightning venomously said to the former Primarch.

"_I need your body, dear." _Lightning's eyes widened. That was beyond creepy. Before she could say anything else, Barthandelus spoke again, "_Well, sorry my dear, I must end our little chat…don't worry, everything will be revealed quite soon, I just need a little more time for _your _preparations."_ He gave a wicked laugh.

_Wait! Wait!_ The voice didn't respond. Lightning gave an angry growl and slammed a fist onto the sand, thousands of tiny particles spraying in all directions.

"Lightning, what's wrong?" Fang asked, alarmed at Lightning's sudden movements. Lightning quickly looked at her, her angry expression falling.

"N-Nothing…just slightly…frustrated at the events," she tried to lie smoothly. This is one thing she did not want them to find out about…at least not now. She knew that everyone would become paranoid if she mentioned anything about already being "devoured". All their confidence and sanity would just…collapse.

Fang watched as Lightning stared off at the distance. She could tell that she was thinking hard about something that was bothering her, but because she _was_ Lightning, she bottled up all her emotions and thoughts inside of her, only to reveal them at the worse possible moment. Typical Lightning. But Fang knew better than to press. If she did, it would end up with yelling, violence, and finally Lightning rolling her eyes, crossing her arms, and giving her famous "tch". Fang heavily sighed and look around for her normally-talkative friend who was mute the past ten minutes.

Fang looked over Lightning's shoulders and smiled.

"Light," she whispered. The woman turned her head toward the Huntress, acknowledging the call. Fang pointed to her left, "look at that." Lightning turned her head slightly to the left and found Vanille, sleeping on her shoulder. Her eyes widened at the site as Fang chuckled as quietly as she could.

"When did she get here?" Lightning said, slightly annoyed.

"My question is how did she get away with it for so long, especially against the mighty Lightning?" Lightning rolled her eyes. She tried not to move so much, she didn't want to wake up Vanille. Fang frowned…she couldn't take this anymore.

"Light, what's buggin' you? Spit it out," Fang basically commanded. Lightning looked away and remained silent. "I know somethin's eatin' you, just tell me! I'll try to help you!" She pressed further. Fang frowned and tried her last tactic, "Don't you trust me?" Lightning bit her lip.

"You can't help me," she suddenly said.

"Oh really? How so?" Fang raised an eyebrow.

"Because…because it's inside of me. This-" She stopped herself. She didn't want anyone know more about her problems. They were hers.

"Oh, stop being so stubborn! You need someone to listen to you! I already know whatever you're going to tell me is depressing and there's probably nothing I can do, but at least I'll listen, right?" Lightning laughed at her little speech, causing Fang's expression to drop. Fang was very desperate at the moment. She really wanted to help her friend out. Lightning, the past few weeks, had done nothing but suffer. "Lightni-"

"Oh fine, I'll tell you! Just shut up!" Lightning snapped. Fang was speechless for a moment, but remained quiet so that the Commander could collect her thoughts. Lightning took a deep breath,

"I don't think I'm going to make it."

"W-What?" Fang stuttered.

"I don't think I'll be here for the final battle," she clarified.

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?!" Fang raised her voice. Lightning looked up at her, her eyes full of…

Desperation.

"Fang, whatever this is...it _will_ take over me. There is no escape," she closed her eyes and recited the words, "Resistance is futile."

* * *

After an hour or so of hiking, Asami finally lowered herself onto the cliff's edge, her feet dangling over the dangerous height. However, she didn't mind; she quite liked the danger. She reached in her pocket and pulled out a cigar this time, lighting it, and taking one long puff. She closed her eyes for a while and snapped them open.

She was sitting in darkness, the sun just barely creeping its way up from the horizon. She watched the very large city before her tear itself apart. Fires raged from one end to the other and bombings crumbled buildings every hour or so. Even though she was kilometers away, she could hear the screams of the poor, innocent citizens that found themselves in the middle of all this mess.

Asami sighed heavily and looked down. Was this what she really wanted? Taking over the world, destroying established cities, causing pain to people she didn't even know…was this all worth it? Asami sighed and looked up, taking another whiff at her smoke. All she wanted was revenge. Killing that blasted Commander was good enough for her. It was Barthandelus who suggested that she should kidnap them, stage an execution, and then eventually kill them off later on.

He was the one who told her to hire mercenaries, sell drugs for expenses, and siege cities. Now that the General thought about it, she didn't really need to do all these things just to get her hands on two people. She could've just devised an exquisite kidnapping or something. Asami stared at her smoke and angrily threw it down the mountain.

_None of this was worth it…but I can't back away. Shit._ She thought to herself. The sun was now shining over her head, the bright, blue sky devouring the remaining entrails of the pink dawn. The only reason she was doing this was because she wanted her husband back. She wanted to see Yaag's smiling face. That's it. But that filthy l'Cie took him away from her. That thought always made her blood boil…she would never forgive the Commander. Barthandelus had promised her the resurrection of her husband if she would remain loyal. At first, it wasn't a hard task, just getting close to the Commander, climbing up FLASH's ranks, and slowly acquiring money from small-scale drug trade.

She was a hypocrite for selling drugs. She hated them and she looked down at the scum who would do drugs. And yet, she was their provider, their dealer. Asami shook her head. This entire situation in her life right now was beyond ridiculous. Despite all of this, the one thing that bugged her the most was Barthandelus's promise.

Could he really bring Yaag back? Or…was this just all a lie to get what _he_ wanted? Asami bit her lip and stared off to the distance. She could only hope it was the former.


	20. Enter the Doubt Part II

**Hey guys! I'm so so so so sooooooooooo sorry this is late. I have a few good excuses, though. I just traveled like, 12 thousand miles back home, we had unexpected guests who stayed a few days too long, I have dumb school homework, I bought a 3DS and I'm playing Theatrhythm, and I'm starting to get my driver's license. Better late than never, right?**

**Oh, and school is starting next week. Greeeeeeat.  
**

**Anyway, super special thanks to Taylore for proofreading and Pulse99 for that super long PM. That was really kind of you. :D  
**

**Annnd, thanks to Whitefoxlia, Whistlewind Wolf, HollowPanda, and Joker53 for reviewing and all the wonderful people who faved and alerted this! Means so much to me! And HollowPanda, you still need to give me that PM...  
**

**Enjoy! There's a lot of stuff going on this chapter. :)**

* * *

"…That is why, people of Gran Pulse, we need to fully liberate all men, women, and children from the tyranny of this puppet run government that calls itself a 'democracy'," a slightly nasally woman's voice blared from the television speakers. "Every law that has been passed was under the direct control of Commander Farron! All your little votes meant nothing…it was just a political ploy to make you believe that you actually had a voice! Your freedom is gone, disappearing like dusk to dawn. However, there is a way to fix this," the woman continued.

The group grimly and silently stared at the screen. The journalist was reporting from the currently raging city of Asphodel, which was the group's next destination. She was clad in black, tight fitting jeans, and a white button-down shirt with the Purists insignia. Fang glanced at Lightning who was leaning on a wall, arms crossed, her eyes closed. Fang ripped her eyes away from the Commander and continued to watch the "news" broadcast.

"…Asami Rosch is our savior! She already defeated thousands of the government-controlled military FLASH. She already saved almost all major cities, only the capital is left! People of Gran Pulse, we know that you are frustrated. We know that you are angry. This is the time to act! The time to stand up for your rights! The time to start _your_ fight! Get rid of this sad excuse for a government! Join our cause – we will fix this mess that those cursed l'Cie started!"

The television signal suddenly disconnected, leaving the television black. Everyone looked at Lightning, who threw the remote back on the table with a loud thump. She stayed in her pose, immobile, for a few moments, until she pushed off the wall, snapping her eyes open. Her different colored eyes burned with anger, but, as always with political matters such as this, she was expressionless.

"Are you listening to this crap?" She finally said venomously. Everyone remained silent; Lightning Farron was pissed. Beyond pissed. "Do they not realize that I _hate_ dealing with politics? Where…where are they getting these retarded accusations from?" She threw her hands in the air in frustration. "'Every law that has been passed was under direct control of Commander Farron' my ass!" She started to raise her voice and pace around the small room. "There was nothing wrong with our economy…everyone was just fine! These people are pulling bogus facts from the depths of their asses and announcing them to the world, as if everyone knew all along!" The depths of hell blazed in Lightning's eyes.

Snow nervously swallowed the large lump in his throat. He never saw Lightning so angry about something like _this_. She should know that this is just political propaganda; it's going to be heavily fabricated junk. But she had a right to be angry. These people were blaming everything that had happened on her, even though Asami started everything. Asami was the one who caused all this mess, somehow managing to rouse up a whole nation on a lie. How she managed to do that, Maker knows.

"Lightning, I think you just need to calm down and-" Snow started.

"Calm down? How the hell do I calm down!?" Lightning snapped at him. "They're blaming me for deaths of wives, husbands, and children…what the hell did I do?! Of all the people they should blame, it should be the Senate, but even if they did that," she paused for a split-second, "what did they even do? What did I do? They all think I started this shit…I didn't! Everything was fine until that _freak_ started to mess crap up," Lightning ran her hand through her hair and furiously sighed. She was way more agitated than she should be, and she had no idea why.

The door swung open to reveal Hope, furiously typing away at a holographic screen, followed by a group of brightly white-robed men. They all filed into the room, shutting the door behind them. Vanille, Fang, and Snow huddled closer to the Commander. Hope finally shut down his screen, stuffed the device in his pocket and sighed, running his hand through his short hair.

"Light, this is Moein Kasra'imi," he motioned towards a rather elderly looking gentleman. He was the only one dressed in a bright blue robe, complete with gold tribal symbols, topped off with a white and gold keffiyeh. The man bowed his head, Lightning quickly and awkwardly returning the gesture. "He is the mayor of Styx."

"Thank you, Mr. Estheim," the elder said in a deep, heavily accented, gargled voice. He motioned everyone to sit down at the various seats around the room. Lightning heavily sighed and quickly sat right across from the man. She wanted to get this over with – quick.

"Mr...Kas..r," Lightning tried to start but she couldn't remember the man's name. It was quite difficult to pronounce.

"Just call me Moein, child," he smiled.

"Excuse me," Lightning was horrible at formalities.

"Let us get to the point, Commander," Moein started, slowly leaning in closer. "Thank you for liberating our city from those mercenaries. For the past few weeks, they did nothing but ravage our town, rape our women, and steal our treasures," the anger sparked in his wrinkled eyes.

"No problem, it's our job!" Snow interrupted, saving Lightning from speaking. She glanced at the blonde, quickly mouthing a "thanks".

"Mister…Moein," Lightning started. "We have about three other cities to save: Asphodel, Elysia, and the capital...er…" she slightly paused, "Tartarus. We need to get to Asphodel ASAP…the situation isn't looking too good over there," she looked down, furrowing her eyebrows and giving a slight scowl. She couldn't concentrate at all. Hope gave her a look, and after a few moments of silence, continued Lightning's sentence

"So we were wondering if there is a quicker way to get over there, since going by the major highway is practically impossible, since those Purists blocked it off," he finished. The elder started to stroke his long, white beard, thinking.

"The fastest way to go north is to…cross the desert," he started. "But none of you are used to the desert life. You'll die. But, lucky for you, we originated from the south of Cocoon, where the Great Salt Desert was located," he smiled, showing his missing teeth. "We know how to safely navigate this terrain…so in exchange for saving us, we'll escort you to Asphodel," his eyes twinkled. Lightning leaned back in her seat, eyes closed.

"Well that's perfect then!" Snow punched his fists together. Lightning suddenly rose from her seat and slightly wobbled toward a wall, leaning on it with one shoulder, crossing her arms over her head, her eyes still closed.

"Lightning…anything wrong?" Vanille asked.

"N-no, just…just slightly tired," Lightning stuttered, her eyes still closed. Vanille shot Fang a look, the huntress merely shrugging. Hope stood and sat down at Lightning's previous spot, leaning in closer to the elder.

"Mr. Kasra'imi, that is an excellent plan. Now, we need to start formulating plans about the reconstruction of Styx and more importantly, the security of the city and surrounding areas," Hope started. "We need all healthy FLASH members and your local police to work together to rebuild peace and order. But afterwards, all of the FLASH militants need to be prepared for our siege of Elysia, and most importantly, Tartarus. But, since the executive state of the shieli lijd aij ijflmnf mnasdf iq…"

Lightning blinked several times and stared at the Lieutenant. She couldn't concentrate on the conversation at all. Anything that anyone said was genuine gibberish to her. She looked up, only to be greeted by a sudden sensation of vertigo. Everything was spinning around, tilting in all different angles. Her vision started to dim and everything became yellow tinted. The room started to close in on her, causing her claustrophobia to kick in. Lightning started to breath heavily, sweat formulating on her forehead, and quickly excused herself out the room.

Lightning tightly shut the door and quickly made her way through the hallways, almost running. She took a few rights and then a left, hastily swinging a heavy door open. She stumbled into the women's bathroom, crashing into a wall. Lightning used the wall as leverage to walk further into the dim, musty bathroom. Fortunately for her, the room was devoid of human life. She slammed herself against the closest sink, turning the faucet and splashing cold water into her eyes. She felt heavily nauseous.

The Commander looked at the mirror and gasped. There was her twin, evilly smirking with its double, red-branded eyes back at her. Lightning blinked a few times, but it was still there.

"_There is no escape,_" it spoke. Lightning backed away, but the double stepped closer in, even though it was still in the mirror. "_Don't resist, nothing will happen,_" it said soothingly. Lightning gave a demented growl and furiously punched the mirror, shattering it to millions of pieces. Chunks of glass were tightly jammed into her hands, blood flowing to the ground.

"_You can't get rid of me that quickly,"_ it spoke again. Lightning whipped her head around, searching for the source. She didn't find anyone or anything. She desperately looked back at the mirror. Her gaze followed to the other mirrors on the wall, since there was one for each sink. She again gasped as the image of her double was plastered on each mirror. The voice was laughing at her. In anger, Lightning punched each mirror multiple times, the shards flying out in all directions.

The voice merely continued to laugh at Lightning's vain frustration.

"_Just accept the fact! There is nothing you can do. I will devour you! I will eat your soul!_"

Lightning gave a loud grunt and started to punch the last mirror, but her hand was suddenly pulled back by strong arms. She started to struggle, kicking and punching her "assaulter", but he did not let go. The arms wrapped around her body in a massive bear hug, causing the Commander to resist even more. She started to give strangled screams as she twisted around to get away, but the man did not budge. After a few minutes, she started to grow limp and finally, she gave up.

Snow breathed heavily in silence once Lightning stopped struggling. He slowly lowered her onto the ground, leaning her back onto a wall. Water flowed to the ground, creating quite a large puddle in the tiny room. Snow bent over and closed the running faucet and turned back at Lightning. Her eyes were half open, the brand still gold.

After Lightning suddenly wobbled out of the room, Snow waited a few minutes for her to return, but she never did. He finally left the briefing, going after the Commander. He searched around the building, asking random staff members if they saw her, all of them pointing to the farthest part of the building. As he walked, he searched through random rooms and bathrooms, calling out her name. He was about to give up until the giant found this bathroom's door wide open. He walked in closer and heard glass shattering on the ground. Once he entered the bathroom, he was greeted by a large pool of water mixed with a puddle of blood and glass, and Lightning, furiously punching at the mirrors.

He took one quick look at her and gasped. Her brand was quickly alternating between red and gold, at some points, red taking over for a few moments too many. He then ran up to her, constricting her movements, hoping somehow that she would snap out of it.

Snow bent down at Lightning, looking at her in eye level. She looked up at him, her eyes full of despair. He looked away, frowning. Lightning did the same, looking away and biting her lip.

"Snow…Snow what do I do?" She looked at him, breaking the silence. Snow remained silent, looking into her eyes with guilt. "Snow, I'm going to-"

"No you're not!" Snow quickly cut her off. He heavily sighed and stood, pulling Lightning up into a standing position. Lightning quickly shoved him away once she was on her feet and tried to walk out the room, but she quickly tripped and slammed into a wall again. "Lightning, what's wro-"

"Dizzy," she replied sternly. Snow followed her as she stumbled across the hallway, every offer of help rejected. Snow had enough of this. He cut Lightning off from her path and pushed her into the closest room, hastily closing the door and forcing her to sit in a chair, despite her rather violent and vulgar protests. He looked down at her,

"Seriously Light, I had enough of this crap! Just tell me what's wrong," he yelled angrily quietly as possible.

"What the hell do you think Snow?" She yelled back, without the voice suppression. "Snow, use your friggen brain! I'm losing it! This…thing…whatever it is, I can't do anything about it! It's attacking me, and winning!" Snow bit his lip. Lightning gave a dark chuckle, wiping her eyes. "Snow, there is nothing we can do. This is going to get…worse and worse…to the point where…I'm…I'm…" She trailed off, looking away.

"You're what?" Snow quietly mumbled.

"I'm gone."

* * *

The motorcycle rumbled across the gravel road, finally pulling to a slow stop after hours upon hours of driving. The man maneuvering the vehicle, strapped in leather, carefully lowered himself off and rolled it towards a large gas pump. The Lieutenant fumbled with his wallet, pulling out a blood-stained plastic card, swiping it in the machine in front of him. After a satisfied beep, he pulled the nozzle and jammed it into his bike, waiting for the tank to be filled.

Arshia was not a happy camper right now.

Asami, a few hours earlier, had just called him to a meeting at the city of Ilius, which was two hundred miles west of the capital. She apparently has changed her plans and had something to say to him.

"Well it better be damn important," Arshia mumbled to himself as he walked away from the pump. He took long, prideful strides toward the little merchant area near the pumps. His head was held high and he opened the door with grace. He went straight to a rusty cooler, opened the door and pulled out a huge, brown bottle. He flashed out a crumpled 10 gil bill to the cashier and walked off, opening the door and strolling back toward his vehicle as gracefully as he left it.

The gas station was scarce of people, probably because it was smack-dab in the middle of a desert. Arshia had traveled from Tartarus south to Styx. He couldn't just simply go west; the Ilian mountains unfortunately blocked his path. He also had a small stop at Elysia for some business he had to finish, but that was hours ago. The Lieutenant unplugged the nozzle and stuffed it back into the pump, pushing his beloved bike towards an open area. He parked it and sat right next to it, snapping the lid of his beer open and taking one long gulp. He grunted in relief when the cold liquid washed down his throat. Man, was he parched.

Arshia heavily sighed and stared off at the distance, even though there was really nothing to look at. The sun's rays burned into his black jacket, basically slow-cooking his skin, but he didn't care. He was thinking about Asami's motives for calling him to such a far and isolate location. _Did she change her plans with that God thing? Is she going to make me run even more errands? _Arshia shook his head. It wouldn't be that simple (or complicated). It had to do something with him.

_Is she done with me and wants me…gone?_

* * *

Snow and Lightning finally walked back towards the briefing room, the soldier slightly staggering through the door. Hope hurriedly took her away from Snow's grip, slowly placing her into a chair. Lightning sighed and squeezed her eyes shut, clutching the arms of the chair tightly. Snow gave one strange look to the group, and they all understood.

She almost changed.

Hope sighed and recounted the last part of the meeting in a nice, shortened version for Snow and Lightning. The plan was to cross the Styx Desert, free Asphodel, go to Elysia, liberate that city, and then make their way to Tartarus. Of course, none of their plans changed at all, it was more of a reminder than anything else. Fang and Vanille started to casually chat to Lightning, the soldier giving one-word replies, looking totally uninterested. Hope pulled Snow into an isolated corner, pretending to be talking about military vehicles and gas prices.

"Snow, what the hell was that?" the Lieutenant whispered to the giant. Snow rubbed the back of his head.

"She went to the bathroom and started going all psycho," he finally said.

"Pyscho?" Hope gasped as quietly as possible. He looked down and rubbed his chin, thinking hard. Why would she turn like that now? There was no stimulate or anything…no despair, no adrenaline of battle, no doubt.

Wait. Lightning was always full of doubt…and recently, despair. He shook his head and sighed.

"How bad was it?" Snow bit his lip and quietly replied,

"She was punching mirrors to thousands of tiny pieces, cutting up her hands. We went to a nurse who stitched her back together, that's why we were kinda late…" the blonde trailed off. Hope shook his head and walked towards the large table, grabbing his backpack and things. The group stared at him as he was packing. He threw the sack over his shoulder and addressed the group,

"I have business in Erebus…and one of us has to check Serah, Sazh, and the kids, right?" Everyone nodded except Lightning, who was in her own little world at the moment. "I'll have my communicator, so if you need anything, contact me," he gave a small wave and hurriedly walked out of the room, slightly slamming the door close a little too hard.

He made his way through the rusty, dirty FLASH headquarters. The Civil War was not very kind to architecture either. There were holes in the roof, smashed windows, and crumbling walls. The amount of time and money to repair everything was beyond FLASH's budget, but that shouldn't even be their current problem right now, should it? Hope finally stepped into the garage, walking in front of a small off-road truck. He climbed in, typing some numbers at a keyboard, and the engine roared to life. Emergency password-activated convoy trucks were his ingenious idea, and they came in handy all the time.

He drove out of the underground garage and through the town's small streets, finally merging onto the main road. He drove in a straight line for Maker knows how long, until he noticed his gas was to the brink of nothingness. Fortunately, he was only a few kilometers away from the area's only gas station. After a few minutes, he pulled up to the station, parking his truck near a rusty, blue pump. He pulled out a brand new credit card, sponsored by FLASH, swiping it at the machine. The pump, however, did not give a satisfied beep. Hope squinted at the small screen, reading the words, "Card Denied". He angrily sighed, pulling off the nozzle and jamming it into his truck. He walked away, striding into the small vendor building. He walked in front of the cashier,

"500 for pump eight," he handed over the money and walked out. As he waited for his car to be filled up, he looked at the distance, staring at the various sand dunes. He glanced down at a random black figure, sitting on the ground a few meters away from the building. He squinted at the vehicle next to him, recognizing the chopper-styled bike. There was only person he knew who owned such a thing.

He made his way toward the man. His helmet was off, the dirty-blonde hair swaying with the rhythmic pattern of the wind. Hope stopped behind him, making enough noise to catch the man's attention. The muscular man slightly turned his head around, looking straight into Hope's eyes.

"Mr. Brezhnev! I haven't seen you in ages!" Hope happily said as he helped his former neighbor to his feet. Arshia dusted off his hands on his pants, offering a hand to Hope. The two Lieutenants shook hands.

"Hope! How goes it?" Arshia responded, astonished at how much the small, sheltered boy grew.

"It's…ok…" Hope trailed off. "It's just been really crazy the last few weeks, with the Civil War and stuff."

"Oh, really?" Arshia said, interested. "What have you been up too?"

"Well, I work for FLASH for starters," Hope started, both the men sitting on the ground. Arshia's heart skipped a few beats. His best friend's son is working for the enemy? That wasn't good at all.

_Hopefully he doesn't work too close to the head of command and-_

"…and I work with the Commander right now, trying to liberate all the cities, you know?" Hope interrupted his thoughts. Arshia grew slightly pale, but tried to play it as cool as possible.

"You work with the Commander?" He carefully asked, controlling his voice.

"Whoops, I think I said too much…classified info, you know?" Hope sheepishly grinned. Arshia slowly nodded, more to himself. "So…what have you been up to?" Arshia sighed and look at the distance. He really didn't want to say…nor could he.

"I…well you know my daughter?" Hope nodded. "Well she's…sick…so I've been trying to get funds for the hospital…" he trailed off.

"Sick? What's wrong with her?" Hope asked, genuinely disturbed by the news.

"Complications with HIV," Hope gasped.

"If you need anything, ask me! I have more than enough money for anything, really! And I don't really spend any of it, since it's just me and-"

"No." Arshia firmly said. "I already have funds from Bar – I've raised enough money, I'm good. But thanks for the offer," Arshia cut himself from saying the name. "But I have to go to the bank right now, already running late," he frowned. Hope stood, shaking his neighbor's hands again.

"Nice talking to you, Mr. Brezhnev. I hope everything goes well," he said with slight sadness in his voice. Arshia tried to smile, and after exchanging farewells, he hopped on his bike and rode away."

"This is a complete mess!" He yelled to himself. It truly was. His best friend is loaning him money for his sick daughter, but his son works with the Commander, the very woman that Asami is trying to kill at the moment. And Arshia just so conveniently works for that crazy chick. "If Hope were to ever find out…and tell his father…"

Arshia didn't want to think about it.

* * *

**Also, I have made a few concept art for the OC's, like Arshia, Asami, and of course Leo. You can look on my dA page for them, the link is in my profile.**

**Or you can try this:**

**squallrocks . deviantart . com  
**


	21. Enter the Downpour

**Hey! Welcome to chapter 21! This would've been updated earlier, but my editor disappeared...anyway, school is starting tomorrow, meaning that I will return to my weekend updates. Sorry for the messy schedule the past few weeks, it's been crazy here! Annnnd, thanks to Taylore and Koharu for proofreading!**

**There's a very very very familiar character introduced in this chapter. I hope y'all have fun. ;)  
**

**Thanks to Whistlewind Wolf and Joker53 for reviewing! And to all the favs and alerts, I really appreciate it! :D  
**

**PS. I gave a link to my concept art for some OCs in the last chapter. You should check them out! :D**

* * *

Snow led the way to the small escort the mayor prepared, glancing back a few times to a certain person. It was a day after Lightning's little "episode", and much to everyone's relief, she woke up with no amnesia whatsoever. Lightning was behind Fang and Vanille, harshly barking in a communicator. Apparently, Erebus has some security problems and Lightning did not like the Senate's plan to fix it. Fang chuckled at the sight,

"Wow, I've never seen Sunshine so flustered like that!" She gave a hearty laugh. Vanille promptly punched her shoulder, furiously whispering,

"Shhhh! She'll notice! I don't think she's in the mood to-"

"I heard that," Lightning quietly mumbled behind them, giving them all a death glare. Snow gulped down his lump and walked faster. Fang and Vanille followed, finally giving Lightning some space. The Commander stopped walking, turning her back towards her comrades and focused on her conversation with the most powerful people in Pulse. Well, most powerful after _her_.

"…Amodar, you know your plan is full of pointless flaws! I know you're all trying to save money and all, but would you rather compromise security to save just a few gil?" Lightning very quietly and darkly said. The line was silent for a few moments until an old woman spoke,

"Well _Commander_," she sneered, "as you know, your plan already spends too much money, especially for a city as small as Erebu-"

"Are you kidding me?" Lightning cut her off with an exasperated tone, "Erebus is the second largest city right now!"

"Details!" The woman basically screamed back, causing the line to static. "We can't spend that much money and that's final!" Lightning bit her lip. If she could, she would send a flurry of vulgar and violent threats to this idiot, but she couldn't, for obvious reasons. Lightning angrily sighed,

"But your plan sucks," she bluntly stated.

"I know it sucks," Amodar quietly commented, causing Lightning to crack just a millimeter of a smile. Lightning sighed again,

"I have to go now, but I'm not letting this slide. Send reinforcements to all intersections that leave the city, double the security in residential areas, and have more people watch video feed from the cameras…and that's final," Lightning clicked the communicator, ending the call. She stuffed the device in her leg pouch and made her way to a patiently waiting Snow.

"Welcome back Sunshine!" Fang gave a lopsided grin. Lightning stared at her, causing Fang to drop her expression. "Wha-"

"Don't ask," Lightning commanded.

"Anyway," Snow interrupted, before all hell broke loose with these two, "the mayor set us up with an escort. Everybody, meet Shotor the Chomel," he pointed at the creature behind him. Vanille giggled as Lightning shook her head, burying her face with a hand. _This is ridiculous. They really think I'm going to ride that?_

In front of them was a rather hairy, sand colored chocobo with one large hump. It had deep green eyes and a blue, feathery tail. Snow ruffled its head, earning a deep growl-chirp-thing from the creature.

"What the hell is that?" Lightning spat.

"A chomel! It's basically a cross breed of a chocobo and a camel!"

"A…camel?"

"Yeah…they're like…an indigenous creature of the area," Snow grinned. Finally he knew something that Lightning didn't! Lightning shook her head. There was no way in hell she was going to trek a 500 something kilometer desert with a chomel thing. She glanced behind her and saw no sign of a raven-haired huntress or a bubbly redhead. She turned around, only to see the two Pulsians already riding away to the desert with their chomels.

"You're serious, aren't you?" Lightning sighed. Now even her reputation and dignity would vanish. Snow gave a large grin and a thumbs-up.

"Don't worry, I got the mayor to hook you up with a chomel with…your type of personality. Lightning, meet Shotor!" She looked up again at the two meter tall chomel. Somehow, the animal gave a grim expression, looking down at the Commander like she was just a fly. Lightning's eyebrows twitched. No way was a freaking chomel looking down at her. She walked towards the animal, putting her foot up the saddle and hoisting herself up. She casually gripped the reins and kicked the chomel's hump, signaling it to go forward. Shotor didn't move. She kicked it again, causing it to give a demented groan.

"Snow, why isn't this working?" She glared at him. Snow chuckled and rode off, yelling,

"I guess you two have to work things out!" Lightning's eye twitched seven times. _Just you wait, Villiers…Just you wait._

* * *

Arshia paced around the room, scratching his head from time to time. Asami calmly leaned on the wall, smoking on her third cigarette. Her eyes were closed as she puffed out the smoke. The General arranged their meeting in a decaying motel room in the outskirts of Ilius.

"You understand your plan is stupid," Arshia broke the silence. He was furious. Asami made him come all this way to tell him some stupid plan that she probably concocted right on the spot.

"Half of it isn't mine, you should realize that," she quietly spat, throwing the smoke onto the floor, crushing it with her foot.

"The Primarch? But this is just stupid…why would he want _him_ to call _her_?" He glared at her.

"It's supposed to be psychological, _Lieutenant_! If she knows that they're alive but being…you know…she'll snap." Arshia sighed and sat down on a dusty couch, particles flying in all directions.

"And why…would you want her to snap?" Asami remained silent.

"That's not part of _my_ plan," she finally mumbled.

"Explain." Asami sighed and sat down on a chair, leaning towards the man.

"Barthandelus," she stared in a low voice, "has a change of plans and wants…needs her sooner than expected. I don't know the details," she leaned back, reaching for her cigarette pack on the table. Arshia quickly got up and snatched the pack away, throwing it out the window. "What the hell?" She snapped.

"The second-hand smoke is killing me!" He coughed, narrowing his eyes. "Just…just continue!" He waved his hand.

"So he needs her super emotionally distressed," she finally finished. Arshia waited for her to continue, but she didn't. He heavily sighed and pushed off the couch, walking towards to door. He grabbed his gloves and started to put them on,

"And…why?" He finally asked. Asami remained silent, staring at the window. She traced small circles on the table, tapping her foot.

"Wish I knew…wish I knew." Arshia furiously sighed and started to put on his leather jacket.

"I still don't like your other half of that plan. After coming this far, you're just going to throw it all away?" He spat. Anger flickered in Asami's eyes as she rose from her seat,

"There is nothing else for me to do, is there!? I only want revenge! That's it!"

"Oh really?!" Arshia slammed his hands onto the table, breaking it in half. "Then why did you make this entire mess!? Killing innocent people, raping women, destroying childhoods…was this all part of your plan?!" He screamed, veins popping out of his head.

"Of course not! I would've been content with just killing the damn woman!" Asami yelled back.

"Then why the hell did you go through all this trouble?!" Arshia spat.

"You know what? It's MY turn to be asking the questions! If you're just _such_ a great guy, why in hell did you even team up with me?!" Arshia bit his lip and looked away. He couldn't let her know why he needs the money…who knew what sort of plan she or that Primarch could concoct.

* * *

Lightning rode through the sand with speed and grace. She and her chomel rode in front of everyone with their heads held high. By the looks of it, Lightning actually enjoyed riding this creature…it was probably the closest thing she was going to get instead of Odin. But none of that was on her mind. She was currently thinking about two very specific people: Leo and Maria. She hasn't heard anything about them in weeks, and that worried her tremendously.

Fang rode in front of the "main" group. The Commander had unconsciously rode in front of them, probably trying to get some space. Or maybe she just wanted to get to Asphodel faster. Or she was probably pissed. The more Fang thought about it, it was probably all three.

"Hey Fang," Vanille asked from behind. The huntress slowed her chomel so Vanille could catch up. They rode side by side as Vanille continued, "Anything wrong with Lightning?"

"Is there a time when there's nothing wrong with her?" Fang laughed. "She's probably making plans or something…I don't think we should be worried. I mean, it's Light after all." Vanille frowned.

"It's just so…strange…" the redhead trailed off.

"Hmmm?"

"When Leo was with her, she was all happy and slightly more cheery, talkative, and kind…but now she's…she's just like she was when we first met her…she's-"

"Stuck in her shell, refusing any help from anyone, taking any drastic measure to get what she wants," Snow finished her sentence. The two Pulsians turned around, seeing the blonde giant close up on them.

"Why does she get like that, Snow?" Vanille asked. Surely he would know, he's spent 6 years with her. Snow sighed, looking at the distance,

"She gets like this when she's depressed."

"Depressed? Sunshine depressed?" Fang scoffed. Snow's expression didn't change, causing Fang to frown. She looked ahead and saw Lightning jumping off her chomel, tightly holding the communicator in her ear.

"…And now put it on speaker," a deep voice commanded. Lightning quickly put the communicator on speakerphone, the static now loudly blaring out. The group finally caught up to her, remaining silent.

"Lightning!" A familiar voice shrieked out of the communicator. Lightning's eyes widened. "Lightning, it's- AHH!" Lightning heard a loud crack followed by a shrill scream. The man moaned and slightly whimpered, "Light…" he trailed off.

"LEO!" Lightning screamed into the device "Leo, what's wrong, what is happening!?" She yelled as quickly as possible, trying to devoid her voice of any panic.

"Lightning, I'm," he screamed again, this one higher pitched than the last, "don't worry, I'm fine!" He spoke as quickly as possible, his words slurring. Another crack followed by a shriek. Lightning cringed at the sound, her heart was racing.

"Leo! Are they…are they torturing you!?" She started to pale at her own sentence. No way would Asami do that…that was going overboard.

"Yes!" Another crack trailed by another scream. Lightning started to panic,

"Are they whipping you!?" She finally blurted out. She heard a long and loud crack, followed by a long groan. "Leo! Leo!"

"Maria…is…ok," she could hear him start coughing out blood.

"Leo! Leo! Leo!" She screamed and screamed, but received no response. The line went dead. Lightning stood on the sand, unmoving, her brain trying to register what just happened.

"Light…" Snow started. Lightning's eyes widened and she started to march away, her fists clenched. Her strides started to get faster and faster until she almost started to run, but she was held back. She turned around with a snarl, looking deep into Fang's eyes. Lightning struggled to get free, but Fang held her ground.

"LET GO OF ME!" She screamed like a demented psycho.

"And what are you going to do?! Run into the desert and get lost and then DIE!?" Fang screamed back to an even more violent Lightning. "Snow!" Fang yelled. She couldn't contain Lightning in her grip much longer.

"I'm going to KILL HER!" Lightning repeated and repeated. Snow finally arrived and held her down, but Lightning didn't relent. "GET OFF OF ME!" She screamed. Snow and Fang combined were having trouble restraining Lightning. She struggled and struggled, and finally kicked Snow in the face, causing the giant to let go of her for a split second. The Commander scrambled back up, trying to run away, but was tackled by Fang.

"Lightning!" Fang screamed in her ears. "You can't do anything right now! There is no way to help him!" Lightning struggled even more.

"JUST…GET…OFF!" Finally, a purple vapor wrapped around Fang and Lightning. It started to burn Fang's skin, causing her to let go of the Commander. Lightning staggered forward, finally falling into a knee. She screamed and moaned, clutching her chest with one hand and her eye with the other. A familiar symbol burst from underneath her, causing sand to fly in all directions. The deep purple shape with glowing inscriptions turned in all directions.

"I…Just…" Lightning groaned. "I can't just…Leo!" As she screamed the last word, a bright purple glow emitted from the symbol, washing over the entire area. Lightning quickly whipped her head around and jumped out of the way, backflipping into a slightly slouched position. "No…way…" she whispered. A pillar of light appeared, exploding in all directions, pushing everyone back a few meters. Lightning immediately got up and was almost pelted by a purple spike. Withered roses fell from the air as a purple Odin emerged from the sand. His formerly shiny armor was coated in rust, one of his horns was chipped off, and his eyes glowed red, both doubled branded. Lightning backed away.

This was not her Eidolon.

Lightning stared at the abomination. Odin was cold, ugly, and his aura just dripped with evil. Did she summon this? Did she conjure this from the depths of her heart? Was she just so filled with hate that…this came out? Lightning's head was spinning from the possibilities. But she knew one thing for sure: this was not her Odin.

Odin raised his swords, rust particles falling onto the ground. He was about to slash his master into two, but Lightning didn't move at all. She remained in her transfixed state. Fang ran as fast as she could to her battle partner, pushing her out of the way just in time. Odin's Zantetsuken crashed into the ground, slapping everyone's face with some sand.

"What the hell Light?" Fang screamed at her. Lightning shook her head, wiping the sand out of her eyes and stood up. She drew her weapon, but Fang saw her trembling slightly.

"Let's get this over with," she mumbled. She heard Snow crack his fingers behind her.

"All right! Let's go!" He and Fang ran towards the monster, Vanille following behind. Lightning stayed in her place for a few moments. Something didn't feel right. She shrugged and made her way towards Odin. Fang flew from the air, stabbing the monster in the shoulder with all her might. Snow followed with a series of punches to the Eidolon's abdomen. Fang slashed and slashed and heard a few screams from Lightning, but that was probably her attacking. She and Snow gave a flurry of combos until Odin staggered backwards, but he quickly recovered, swiping a large hand on Fang, causing her to fly into a sand dune.

She quickly recovered into an attacking position and was about to go for another round until Vanille stopped her,

"Fang! Snow! Stop!" The huntress turned her head toward the redhead, waiting for a quick explanation. Vanille merely pointed at Lightning, who was kneeling on the ground, coughing about large amounts of blood. Fang whipped around and ran towards her battle partner.

"Light! Light!" She received no response. Lightning wearily pointed a finger at Odin. Snow was making his way toward the monster, slamming a huge fist into his chest. Lightning screeched and flew back, clutching her chest, coughing. Fang's eyes widened. "What just…"

Snow clambered up to Odin's arm, pushing off and punching its face, causing Odin to lose his grip on the sand and fall to the ground. Lightning did the same, but her head slammed onto the ground, blood and sand mixing together. She breathed hard as her vision started to blur. Fang turned to Snow, screaming

"Snow STOP!" The blonde giant turned around, confused. In his moment of stupor, Odin swiped at Snow, causing blood to squirt out of his shoulder. He staggered back, yelling, "What!?" Fang bit her lip.

"Snow! Every time you attack Odin, the pain goes to Lightning!" Vanille yelled. Snow's eyes widened and he glanced at Lightning, who lay on the ground, curled up in a fetal position, clutching her head. She couldn't see, hear, smell, or think. All of her senses were knocked out of her.

Lightning could feel her shoulder sliced open, but when she looked at it, it was perfectly fine. She could feel her internal intestine bleeding thanks to Snow's wicked punches, but there was no evidence. Her head throbbed in pain with Snow's latest punch, her ears still ringing. She couldn't move. If she tried to get up, she would probably vomit for all of eternity. There was only one thing she could do.

Lightning very wearily opened her leg pouch, pulling out a very small vile and a needle. Fang's and Snow's eyes widened at her actions. She was going to take an EWH shot. And the side effects were severe consequences, especially since they were in the middle of a desert with no immediate help.

"Lightning…" Vanille warned. She had heard all about these hormones from Hope. "It's not worth it," she tried to take the needle away, but Lightning didn't let her. The Commander pushed Vanille out of the away and jammed the needle into her neck, pushing down at the plunger. She ripped it off and squeezed her eyes shut. The pain was extreme for a few seconds until a healing sensation washed over her, reinvigorating her energy. She picked up her gunblade and walked toward Odin, casually swinging the blade side to side.

Oh, he was going to get it.

* * *

**So I think that first scene is probably the last of the light humor. I'm drawing very close to the final climax and the end, but don't worry, there will be plenty of plot twists in between...plenty of them.**

**Oh, and Lightning's situation right now isn't looking to well now is it?  
**

**Tell me what you think of the dramaticness! :D  
**


	22. Enter the Thunderstorm

**Hey guys! Chapter 22! This chapter has soooooooo much going on, so don't skim! A few plot twists here and there, especially dealing with Odin. ;) Super special thanks to Taylore for proofreading...I made a little too many mistakes here.**

**Anyway, Lightning Returns asdoif jaoisdjl. That is all.  
**

**Thanks to everyone who favorited me and this story, I really appreciate it!  
**

**Now, enjoy the fight scene! :D**

* * *

Fang felt a cold bead of sweat slowly drip down her forehead, making its way down her left cheek. She was hunched in her battle position just a few meters away from the rusty abomination that was supposed to be the sleek and elegant Odin. But it wasn't the Eidolon that was bothering her; it was her own battle partner. Lightning stood just a few arm-lengths to her left. She wasn't in an attacking position whatsoever. She just stood there, swinging her beloved gunblade back and forth with the most twisted expression the huntress had ever seen.

The Commander plastered a smirk across her face, almost to the point where her teeth showed. Her eyes were narrowed to slits, but her eyes stood out, sparkling like the North Star at night. Fang studied Lightning very carefully. Her magnificent eyes, one sporting a blood-red iris and golden brand, were on the borders of desperation and fear. The Pulsian's eyes moved down from her face to her arms, and she caught the Commander's grip on her blade tightening with every millisecond that past. But they were also trembling. Whether was from the adrenaline rush, the anticipation of battle, or just plain fear, Fang didn't know, nor did she want to.

Fang glanced back. Vanille and Snow were already in their battle positions, however Vanille was tightly clutching a communicator. Her jaws were clenched and she looked at Fang like a scared animal. But, Fang knew exactly why. The huntress very curtly nodded her head and turned back to Odin, who was patiently waiting for their first move. Lightning suddenly walked forward, loudly sighing. She then shot a look to Fang, nodding.

At once, the two warriors pushed off the ground, coming to a fast sprint. Lightning twisted behind Odin, striking his back, while Fang jumped over his arms. She landed on his shoulder and ran up to his head, gripping the one horn and twisting herself into a one-handed handstand. She then stabbed her lance into Odin's eye and used that momentum to push off, leaving the weapon behind. Odin wailed in pain as gravity pulled the Dragoon down to Pulse again. Lightning came from behind, gripping his rusty armor as leverage to climb on his back. She slashed the back of his neck and pushed off, switching her blade into a gun. She quickly aimed and fired at his head, the shot connecting directly with his eye. The spear popped out as Odin staggered backwards, but the poor Eidolon couldn't catch a break.

Fang jumped out of nowhere, grabbing her weapon midway. She soared over Odin's head, twisted her body, and threw the spear with all her might. The blade struck through his basically useless armor, piercing through the tough flesh and conveniently lodging itself right into Odin's organs. If he had any. The huntress landed gracefully with a small thump, slightly smiling to herself. She then turned her gaze towards Lightning's direction and immediately frowned. The Commander was kneeling on the ground, coughing up blood and clutching her abdomen.

"Shit…I forgot," Fang muttered as she made her way towards her friend. She was cut off by Odin's huge roar as the monster started to rise. She glanced at Lightning again, who slowly rose up, spitting out the remnants of the red liquid.

"Lightning, I think you sh-" Snow jogged towards the Commander.

"Shut up," Lightning hissed, looking at him angrily. She shook off his grip on her shoulders and spat again. Her head throbbed with excruciating pain, even with the EWH supposedly hindering the pain receptors in her body. Her abdomen screeched in pain, thanks to Fang's lovely spear. She clenched her jaw and squeezed her eyes shut, trying to somehow stop the pain. She looked into Odin's eyes. Half of his face was dripping in blood that freely flowed from his eye. The spear was still stuck in his torso, but he suddenly ripped it out with a deafening roar, throwing it back at Fang with frightening speed. The huntress jumped away just in time, but the spear grazed her clothes, effectively ripping out a sleeve.

"Lightning, you're being killed right now, we can't have you fight!" Snow finally desperately screamed, trying to knock some common sense into the woman.

"Just shut up! I don't need a damn lecture right now…the EWH effects will die out soon…I…I need to end this before…" she trailed off and took a deep breath. "I can't have you fighting him…I don't need any other bruises-"

"Then what do you want me to do!? Just stand here and do nothing? Hell no!" Snow yelled back at the Commander, anger stricken all over his face. He stared into Lightning's face, his expression suddenly turning into fear. For a split second, he saw Lightning's brand switch to red and back to gold when her eye twitched. He gulped down the large lump that formed.

"Whatever," she darkly muttered, and turned back to Odin. Fang was slowly coming up from the distance after retrieving her lance, twirling it a few times to get her muscles back into action. Lightning didn't feel good at all. Even with the hormones, she had an awful headache, she was about to vomit everything she had eaten the past six years, and the metallic taste of blood would not leave. She violently shook her head, and made her way towards the Eidolon.

The Commander knew that the rusty horse was on his last legs. Odin unconsciously backed away from his former master, but suddenly stood his ground, pulling up his massive swords into an attacking position. He wasn't going down without a fight.

Vanille stood behind Snow, watching the blonde giant twitch in annoyance. He shook his head and sighed, his hands balled up tightly.

"She's being stubborn again…throwing her life away for no reason," he muttered. He turned around, facing Vanille with stern eyes, "Call Hope. Something terrible will happen when the EWH stops working, I'm sure you know," Vanille nodded her head and pressed a few buttons on the device. She hastily pulled the piece of metal up to her ear, straining to hear anything.

"What's the situation?" She could hear Hope's voice through the slight static.

"Hope! Lightning took EWH and she's in a super bad situation!" She tried to explain.

"What?! What for?" Hope screamed back.

"Well…She summoned Odin! But that's not the problem…whenever you attack him, the pain goes straight to Lightning!"

"Are you kidding me!?"

"And Lightning took EWH to nullify that pain and-"

"Why is she such an idiot!?" Hope screamed loudly. Vanille slightly paled.

"Why?" She had a bad feeling about the response.

"She knows that you guys don't have the antidote with you!" Vanille's heart dropped and her eyes widened. She looked at Snow, who grimly stared at the communicator.

"Shit…he's right," he muttered.

"W-why?! That's stupid, why don't we have it! I thought you people are supposed to carry it at all times or something?" Vanille screamed into the communicator, panic taking over her.

"I took the antidote with me because it expired…these medical supplies don't last long and we have to replace them about every three to four weeks," Hope growled. "What luck." Vanille looked into Snow's eyes, fear glittering around the blue iris.

"What do we do?" He said into the device, sounding defeated.

"I'm already on my way…hopefully I'll make it in time," Hope quickly said.

"Don't forget to bring a whole medical team! I don't think she will survive with just an antidote!" Vanille yelled.

"Roger that," Hope ended the call and Snow and Vanille both grew silent. Things were looking bad…real bad. The two returned their concentrations back toward the battle raging in front of them. They both gasped at Lightning and Fang.

The two warriors looked like a huge mess. Blood was spattered all over the Commander's face and clothing, her eyes were dim, and she was visibly shaking all over her body. Fang's FLASH jacket was effectively torn off, only a blood-drenched tank top covering her upper body. There were large gashes on her shoulder, where those came from, only Maker knew. Just how long were they preoccupied with Hope?

Lightning breathed very heavily. She could feel the EWH fading away, but she didn't say anything. She had no time to say anything, nor did she want to deal with everyone's panic. She suddenly ran towards Odin and stabbed his knees. Fang followed from behind, jumping over her head and onto Odin's torso. She gripped his armor, stabbing him in the chest and jumped away just as Lightning jumped off the pole, flying above Odin's head.

"This ends here!" She screamed and stabbed the creature right in the middle of its face, dragging the sword down with all her might until she met Fang's lance. She jumped off and landed next to the huntress. Odin wailed in pain, staggering forward. His chest exploded with blood, the substance squirting in all directions. He fell face forward to the ground, twitched a few times, and then laid there, motionless.

Everyone held their breaths in silence as their minds computed what just happened. Lightning staggered toward Snow and Vanille, but slowly turned back, making her way towards the dead Odin. She looked at her battle partner, her Eidolon. Everything seemed so strange to her. Odin was supposed to yield to her a while back. Why didn't he? He just kept fighting. And now he's dead, not tamed. He didn't turn into a crystal or fade away. Odin died. Lightning bit her lip and squatted down, looking into Odin's face. The blood on his face started to dry, creating a very unpleasant crust around his eyes and down to his mouth. His bright eyes no longer glowed but stayed open, staring into oblivion for all of eternity.

Lightning ripped her gaze away and grabbed her sword, pulling it out from him as humanely as possible. She knew that at any moment from now, the EWH withdrawal would begin, and she had nothing to save herself. She turned around, looking at Fang, who pursed her lips. Fang caught the fear in Lightning's eyes. The huntress walked forward, toward the Commander. She didn't know why; some force pulled her closer.

Right then, Lightning collapsed into Fang's arms, causing both of them to fall to the ground. Lightning's face immediately paled, her breathing becoming raspier than it already was. She rolled to her back, the sun suddenly becoming brighter, blinding her. Lightning felt her stomach take an awkward jerk and she immediately rolled to her side. She violently vomited onto the sand, food, water, and waste flying everywhere. Everyone cringed at the sight; it was quite disgusting. The Commander vomited with an unrelenting force, five, six, seven times…everyone finally lost count.

She abruptly stopped and rolled onto her back again. Everyone leaned in to see her face but Lightning immediately turned around, throwing up again. Lightning felt the acid burning her throat, rotting her teeth. But that pain was nothing in comparison with her other areas. It felt like her arm was ripped off, her head split into two. However, she couldn't concentrate on her pain because she couldn't breathe as she threw everything up. But there was nothing left anymore, so her body system was forced to excrete small amounts of bile. And, much to everyone's horror, she finally began to vomit blood. The murky liquid was dense as it flew out of her mouth.

Lightning didn't have enough strength and finally crashed to the ground, still coughing up blood. Her eyes started to bleed as well, another serious side effect of EWH. If an antidote wasn't introduced to her body soon, her body would deteriorate itself and she would die.

"_You're dying,"_ a rather familiar voice chuckled in the back of her head. Lightning didn't respond, she couldn't think at all. _"You will die very soon,"_ it tried to clarify with a slightly more urgent tone.

"Lightning! Lightning!" Everyone screamed around her. Everyone was applying pressure onto her bleeding wounds, trying to stall her death until Hope arrived. But Lightning couldn't hear them or feel anything. Quite frankly, she didn't know what was going on. The only thing she noticed was the big, bright light in front of her that was strangely growing larger.

"_I can save you,"_ the voice spoke again, this time more seductively.

_No,_ Lightning firmly said in her mind.

"_No? Child, do you know what is happening to you? You're dying, being erased from this world,"_ it laughed.

"Vanille, her heart rate is decreasing!" Snow yelled hysterically. Everyone was scrambling around to try to save the Commander.

_I don't want…to be saved,_ Lightning thought again, still staring at the bright light.

"_What about your spouse? Your own child? You're going to let them succumb to their own death? Do you think that's what they want? You,"_ it paused_, "are a selfish bastard."_ Lightning remained silent.

_I…I'm just tired…tired of all this fighting…_ Lightning trailed off. She was on her last breaths.

"_I can save you. I can help you. You will not die on my watch, I won't allow it,"_ the voice said seductively yet urgently, as it sensed that Lightning was indeed going to fade away very soon. And it didn't want that at all. Lightning still remained silent. _"Do you!? Do you want to save your family? Do you want to see your daughter's smiling face again?" _The voice started to yell.

"Vanille! Fang!" Snow screamed. "Her heart stopped!" Every gasped and paled. No way was this happening…Lightning can't die. "Please…Lightning, don't do this to us…" Snow choked. Vanille silently sobbed and Fang tried to push back tears, but they fell anyway.

"Lightning…you idiot," Fang raged, "you can't die! You can't! LIGHTNING!" She screamed and screamed.

"_Do you see your friends' desperation? Do you really want this, Lightning? Do you want my help?"_ The voice asked. There was a small silence.

…_Yes._

* * *

Driving along the dusty road, Arshia nervously looked at his rear mirror. He was driving a rather compressed SUV that was filled with various supplies and some weapons for the Purist fighters who were positioned at the capital. But he was going to make a little pit stop before he went to Tartarus. It was hot and stuffy, but that wasn't the problem. Arshia turned left on the large road and started to head north, towards the residential city of Elysia.

Elysia was situated just around forty kilometers from the capital, but the capital's outskirts and suburbs were so large, Elysia and Tartarus were basically connected. With a population nearing 1.5 million, it had been a stronghold of Asami's new regime. However, recently, the struggle for power escalated, as there has been some turmoil at the head of command. Of course, Arshia knew why. Asami didn't care anymore. She was acting more and more strange every day. She only started her smoking habit/addiction just one and a half months ago, for example.

Arshia was not going to Elysia for Purist business. He was going for more personal reasons. His daughter had been scheduled to have surgery a few days ago at the largest hospital in Tartarus, but the Purists started to bomb certain locations around the capital, mostly governmental buildings. And that hospital just so happened to be a FLASH health research facility. So the doctors, to perform the corrective surgery safely, referred Arshia to a small, privately owned hospital in Elysia.

His daughter was currently under the knife. It wasn't a tough operation, but there might be some serious complications if they indeed messed up, especially since the poor girl just had surgery to cure her HIV/AIDS. Arshia angrily sighed. He had enough problems already and now he had to act like some delivery boy? He wanted to be with his daughter, nothing else.

His personal phone suddenly rang, causing Arshia to jump in place. He shook his head and fumbled with the phone, finally answering it.

"Yeah?" He said roughly.

"Lieutenant," a curt voice replied.

"Yes Asami?" Arshia sighed. He really didn't want to deal with this psychotic woman right now.

"My GPS indicates that you missed the major freeway that went towards Tartarus, and you are now headed towards Elysia," she said with a slight tone of annoyance in her voice. Arshia bit his lip, he couldn't answer that. There was a long silence. "I've also heard," she started in a queer voice, "that there was a child urgently transported from the capital to this city…and most likely you're going to Elysia for personal reasons, since you have no other business to be there, no?"

Arshia's eyes widened and sweat began to drip down his forehead. _No way! She can't learn…she can't…she and that friggen bastard might…no!_ He screamed in his head. His mind scrambled around to find an excuse, but he failed.

"Arshia," Asami whispered, "I know about your daughter." With that, a large truck honked its horn at the distraught Lieutenant. Arshia looked up and immediately swerved to the left, narrowly missing an 18-wheeler by inches. The car flipped a few times and finally slammed into a tree, landing upright. Arshia's face was stuffed in the emergency airbags, but he still tightly gripped the phone up to his ear. There was a long silence. Arshia could feel the blood dripping down his head, but he didn't care.

"Arshia…I believe our next battle is our last…at least for me," he could hear her gulp. "I've already gave your last payment to your bank-"

"What!?" Arshia finally screamed. She knew about everything? Since when?

"I don't have time to explain, but I've known since the beginning. You can't hide anything from me, Lieutenant," she darkly chuckled. "I left a rather large sum in your bank, to pay for your daughter's expenses."

"Why are you doing this?" Arshia asked in a low voice. There was a long silence.

"You should know. I've already explained."

"Are you serious? You're just doing this because you're goin-"

"Yes, Lieutenant. I made up my mind…and I have no use for the money. Take it. Be with your daughter…I'll join you shortly."

"Wait, what?"

"Plans changed…I'll explain when I arrive. Hand over the truck to a senior Purist member and just…" she trailed off. Her tone was very sad. She suddenly ended the call. Arshia looked around his car and sighed, getting out, inspecting the damage.

"How am I going to fix this mess," he shook his head.

* * *

Everyone stared at the Commander. Her breathing had stopped for a few minutes, her heart stopped, and she lay there, motionless, like a statue. Her eyes stared right at the sun. No one dared to talk, mainly because they didn't know what to say. Suddenly, a helicopter roared above them, touching down just a few meters away. Hope jumped out of the cockpit, running towards the group.

"Lightning!" He screamed. He pushed Snow and Fang out of the way, quickly examining the soldier. His eyes widened as he checked for her pulse. He whipped his head toward Snow, who looked away with tears in his eyes. "Lightning…no!" He screamed. He pulled out the EWH antidote from his pocket, carefully administrating it into her neck. He waited a few seconds, which turned to tens of seconds, and finally a minute. His breathing became ragged as his mind finally computed that she wasn't coming back.

Vanille suddenly tapped Hope's shoulder as he was despaired at the sudden events. She pointed towards the fallen Odin. Everyone turned their gaze towards the now decaying Eidolon, gasping at the sight. Odin was slowly dissolving into a familiar purple gas. It swirled upwards and finally floated above Lightning. Everyone unconsciously staggered backwards.

The gas at once turned into a solidified crystal-esque spike. It hovered around Lightning until it jammed itself into Lightning's abdomen, causing the soldier to jerk upwards. Six crystal branches from the top of the purple rock elongated and spiked towards the ground, creating a sort of anchor. Pink symbols appeared under the Commander, rotating in different directions. Inscriptions glowed in purple and finally a beam of light shot from the large rock, shooting towards the sun.

Everyone was blinded by the sight. After a while, Hope looked down and gasped. He ran towards Lightning, ignoring the purple smoke that was rising from her.

"Lightning! Lightning!" The Commander coughed a few times, finally breathing in air. The rest of the gang rushed towards her, surrounding her in a crude semi-circle. After a few additional seconds, Lightning snapped her eyes open, causing everyone to gasp. Her eyes darted around in all directions, trying to figure out what was the problem.

"No…" Snow stepped back. This was not happening.

"Are…are you kidding me?" Fang slammed a fist to the ground. Sand flew in all directions. Vanille put her hands over her mouth. She didn't know what to say. Lightning blinked a few times. Pain shot from the back of both her eyes, causing the stoic soldier to grimace. He turned her head slightly towards Snow, asking for an explanation.

"Lightning….both of your eyes…are branded."

* * *

**Branded eyes FTW. Next chapter will have a lot of stuff revealed, most of it revolving around Lightning's brand. This chapter was going to be longer, but I've had a really bad week and stuff...and school is hindering my writing. Wooo...**

**Anyway, please review and tell me what you think! :D :D :D  
**


	23. Enter the Calm Part III

**Sorry for the extreme lateness of this chapter. School has just been so...stressful these past few weeks, it's ridiculous. Too many problems to deal with. It's hard to find time to write, which is bad, because we're getting close to the final climax of the story, which really kills the suspense. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter, it basically explains everything. Almost. Super special thanks to my buddies Taylore and Koharu for proofreading and fixing my gender pronoun mistakes.**

**Thank you for whitefoxlia for reviewing and everyone who recently favorite and alerted this fanfic, it really means so much to me.  
**

* * *

His breathing slowed as he painfully made his way towards the faint light in front of him. It's been like this for weeks…or months…or years. Honestly, he didn't know. The man had been engulfed in total darkness since the time he was taken in. Even in this obscurity, they would find him and use various torture techniques to make him remember why he was there. However, that single thought confused him more than anything else. Why was he there in the first place?

Leo limped towards the dim source of energy. He leaned towards the ground and inspected a single soiled plate glimmering in the darkness. It was covered in some sort of item that was supposed to represent food. Next to it was a glass of a relatively cloudy liquid. He hoped it was water. Leo sighed and bent down to the ground, his knees popping in several places. It was the first article of food he had seen in days. He slightly grimaced as he stuffed the food in his mouth, washing it down with the murky substance, choking afterwards.

After Leo was imprisoned, he was led into this very large room that was supposed to be his cell. But it wasn't just any regular old, dusty, moldy jail cell…it was, strangely enough, a labyrinth. He aimlessly walked for hours, hoping to find a place for rest. But all he saw was nothing, infinitely growing in the darkness. Ever so often, he would bump into a wall, forcing him to turn a certain direction. At one point, the walls moved so close together that Leo thought he would get stuck and unable to advance. And not advancing meant no food.

It was a harsh and sick reality. The only reason the musician kept moving was to search for food. The energy source could only be found near some sort of light. Whether it was artificial or natural, Leo didn't know, nor did he really care. A single plate of nasty who-knows-what would be left for him to eat, followed by a glass of some liquid that was definitely not water. It was a measure so he wouldn't die in his enemy's care, since Asami needed him alive. At least for now.

Leo once tried to camp near one of these safe havens, hoping that food would be brought to him somehow. For two days, he stood near the glimmering light, but nothing came for him. So again, he trudged along the set path of the labyrinth, always hoping to come across some sort of aid. When he thought about it, this was a very sick method of torture. The only reason he kept going was because of his wife and his daughter. He had to stay alive for them, no matter what. And if he managed to stay alive, somehow, someway, Lightning could beat the odds and save him.

That hope was probably the worst part of this entire experience. Every time he thought he could beat this, this punishment, guards will take him away to "the room". The room was not a pleasant place. They subjected the poor musician many different torture methods. The whipping was the worst of them all, especially when they made him call Lightning. It ripped his heart.

But Leo would rather be tortured than to be put back in that dastardly labyrinth any day. It was a way too extravagant way to keep a hostage, but it was Asami...who knew what that bitch was thinking.

Leo leaned against the wall behind him, letting everything sink in for the hundredth time. In reality, there really was no hope. But enough of this, what he was really worried about, above all, was his daughter. Where was she? He looked up and recounted the past few weeks' events.

* * *

_After Asami had just captured them, she took them into a tiny, moldy cell underground. It was dark, depressing, there wasn't enough to eat, and no place to go to the bathroom, but none of that mattered. They were together, and that meant the most to Leo. One day, some guards, amidst the screams of a terrified four year old, ruffed Leo up for the first time. _

_The guards, cackling in a sickly manner, walked away from the bruised and bleeding musician as the little girl cried because she didn't know what to do. She didn't even know why she was stuck in a tiny room with bars or why burly men would hurt her father. And nobody cared to explain either. So she sobbed her frustrations out, much to Leo's agony. It broke his heart to see his little girl suffer._

_While he was trying to comfort Maria that day, the iron gate in the cell suddenly snapped open, startling both of the inmates. A burly man with messy dark hair quickly walked in, strutting in a swagger of authority. He picked up Leo as fast as he could and shoved him to a wall, effectively knocking the wind out of him. Leo slumped to the ground, clutching his chest, gasping for air. Suddenly, the man grabbed Maria and started to head for the door._

"_Put…her…down…" Leo said as menacingly as he could. He struggled to get up. The man turned, looking deep into Leo's emerald eyes._

"_And if I refuse?" He slyly asked. There was a slight pause._

"_Then…I will…fucking kill…you," Leo stared at him, knowing exactly who that man was. Arshia Brezhnev, right hand man of Asami Vitria…or Rosch, whatever her name was. He had seen him on multiple occasions the past few days, watching him interact with his subordinates. The man scared the hell out of Leo. Arshia gave a long and hearty laugh._

"_Oh really? How so?" With that, Leo lunged himself at the Lieutenant, trying to dislodge Maria away from the sick man. Arshia easily moved out of the way and slammed Leo onto the ground with his free arm. Leo was never really a strong fighter to begin with, and it certainly did not help that he was malnourished and extremely weak the past few days. Leo tried to get up, but Arshia kept his hand on his back, now leaning towards Leo's ear. He felt a very unpleasant wind of air rush up to his ear, causing the man to shudder._

"_I will make sure," Arshia whispered into the musician's ear, "that nothing will happen to this child. I will guarantee it." Leo stood there, dumbfounded. _

"_W-what?" He managed to choke out. "What are you going to do to her!?"_

"…_Everything that I'm not going to do to you," Arshia got off Leo and made his way towards to door._

"_Wait!" Leo called one last, desperate time. "What does that mean...why?" There was a dramatic moment of silence._

"_Because I have one too."_

* * *

"Guys…what do we do?" Vanille very timidly asked. A blood soaked Lightning laid right in front of them. More specifically, it was a blood soaked Lightning who was suffering from EWH withdrawal and was just branded _again_…by the same deistic entity. Everyone shook their heads. Logic screamed at them to take her somewhere safe, but the double branding hit all of them like a truck. They were stunned.

Lightning suddenly coughed, gasping for air. Everyone's attention turned back towards her. The soldier turned her head toward her dead Eidolon. Both of her eyebrows twitched a few times; a universal signal that she was very, very upset. She kept staring at Odin, not even bothering to blink. Everyone followed her gaze.

A huge purple cloud hovered over the Eidolon, eerily getting closer to the group. Everyone unconsciously turned their bodies toward the mass. Hope took a slight step forward, trying to somehow shield Lightning from whatever was going to come.

The mass of dense, dark particles suddenly swirled into a small tornado, the wind causing sand to fly everywhere. The sand and gas mixed together and finally formed a rather solid, two colored figure…a very familiar figure. Everyone gasped as he walked forward, sand falling off of him each step. He stopped a few feet away from the fallen Lightning. His expression was much better depicted now, thanks to the added depth by the sand.

"Congratulations!" He joyfully exclaimed, spreading his arms out. Everyone remained morbidly silent. "You all make my life just…so much easier," he smiled wickedly. "I applaud you for that, by the way," he added. Snow's eyebrows twitched, his muscles tensing with every word. Hope adjusted Lightning to a position where she was leaning against him so she could get a good look at the villain.

"Ah, Lightning…Claire Farron." Lightning slightly grimaced at the name. Barthandelus turned around, dissolving into a sand dune. He suddenly appeared right behind the group, catching everyone off guard. He laughed for a while.

"The hell you want now Dysley?" Snow spat.

"Me? What do _I_ want? What an inane question to ask, Villiers," he gave a disgusting smirk. He walked around for a few seconds, suddenly halting to a stop. "I believe I should formally introduce myself now," he turned to the former l'Cie. "I am Barthandelus-"

"No shit!" Fang yelled. "Just get on with whatever the hell you're gonna say and leave us alone! We have enough to deal with right now!" She was about to hurl herself at the mob of sand, but Hope restrained the pissed huntress…with much trouble, of course.

"With time my love. With time," he smirked again. He took a long breathe and continued. "I have a strong feeling that you all are wondering how the oh so adamant and stoic Lightning could be yet again branded as a l'Cie," he looked at each person, ending with a long gaze on Lighting. Her eyes burned with anger. Vanille nodded for the group. "Well, the reason why-"

"We're not looking for the why, jackass," Snow angrily shouted. "We wanna know how. I think well all know why you wanted to do this, we're not idiots." Barthandelus's eyes widened at the comment,

"Oh, you're not? I thought you were." All of Snow's muscles tensed. He was showing off a large amount of self-restraint, much to everyone's surprise. Age had really matured the giant well.

"Ah ah ah," he waggled his sandy finger, "I wouldn't try to anger me. It would lead to…consequences," he twisted his finger upwards. Suddenly Lightning started to screech in pain, gripping her abdomen. He stopped and she lay on the ground, limp with her eyes squeezed shut. The amount of confusion that ran between everyone was unparalleled. "Do not interrupt me again," he said very menacingly. He whirled around with his arms spread out, particles of sand flying in all directions. He gave a very wide smile and began,

"I'm sure, as Mr. Villiers pointed out, you all know my motives. I want to summon the Maker, and I was just…oh so very close the first time, until you," his expression hardened, "destroyed my plans," he spat venomously. He immediately cleared his throat and regained his composure, "But that is all very well in the past now," he smiled again. Barthandelus dissolved in a sand dune again and reappeared in front of the group.

"You killed me, did you not?" He questioned the group. Everyone furrowed their brows and nodded. "Then why am I still here?" Lightning's eyebrow twitched. _He's stalling_, she thought. But she didn't have enough strength to voice her opinion, nor did it really matter. She gave a quick glance to Fang who was gritting her teeth in anger. "Didn't you _save_ Cocoon? Didn't you complete your Focus?" He pointed to the huge crystal pillar connecting the two vastly different worlds together. "Didn't you do _that?_"

"Get on with it!" Hope yelled, his voice slightly cracking.

"You never killed me," he stated bluntly, smiling even wider. Everyone's expressions dropped, except Lightning's. "You think a mere mortal, even with Godly powers, could kill me? Hah! You are only a bunch of naïve weaklings, nothing more. Tools for destruction, machines of war."

"Oh, really?" Snow sarcastically sneered, "If we were, then how did we do _that_?" He pointed to the pillar. Barthandelus scoffed and turned around, his back facing the group.

"A _minor_ miscalculation on my part." With that comment, Lightning rolled her eyes and gave a slightly amused cough. "Why don't I get to the point…you never killed me. _You_ can't kill a Fal'Cie. So in my weakened state, I dissolved into a little black crystal," he raised his hand, purple vapor rising up. It swirled into a perfect sphere until it hardened. A very small black crystal dropped to his palm.

"I became this…albeit much bigger. I locked my soul away from further harm. My body was only a vessel, something that could be…very easily replaced," he turned to Lightning, smirking at her. "And I also fell to Pulse. There I waited for many long months for someone with a substantial amount of evil in their heart to find me."

"How the hell is that possible?" Fang asked, immediately regretting the question. Barthandelus slightly smiled at her, turning towards the huntress, taking a step forward, spinning the little orb in his hand,

"I was a magnet. Anyone with enough delusional darkness in their heart that matched my expectations would be naturally drawn to the crystal-"

"And that person was Asami," Vanille spoke up this time, standing behind Fang.

"Very good!" He clapped, the sand spraying all over Lightning's face. "I recruited Asami Rosch because she had a burning hatred for one certain individual, which was a great plus for me," he looked down at Lightning. "She wanted to kill you, my darling." Lightning looked away, unwilling to stare at the ugly mass of dirt in front of her. "So I made a deal with her. She could get her revenge, and more, if she did what I wanted." There was a small silence.

"And what was the 'more' part?" Fang carefully asked, narrowing her eyes.

"I would bring back her dead husband, Yaag Rosch." Vanille and Hope gasped, one more dramatic than the other.

"Are you serious?" Snow yelled in surprise. He could do that? Barthandelus gave a long, loud, demented laugh that went on for quite a while.

"Of course not! That's impossible!" He gave a sick smile. "Her husband…has travelled to the other world. There's no way to call him back."

"So you gave her an empty promise!? You sick bastard!" Fang yelled. She was about lunge at him, but Snow held her back, however, with great difficulty.

"But of course, sweetheart. But enough of this, shouldn't you all be wondering how I acquired a hold on your leader?" He jeered. "It was a massive and very elaborate plan designed by none other than I, but it is flawless and there is nothing at all you can do about it, I decided that I should share my success!" Everyone remained silent. "Excellent!" He smiled, taking a deep breath, and began,

"Those spies that you had were actually members of the Purist resistance. Double spies, I should say…" Snow's eyes widened: he was right after all. "…supplied you with information of a Purist base…but it was all a set up. I knew that Lightning and Fang would infiltrate the base to save Leonardo and Maria an-"

"They were…never…there…were they?" Lightning croaked. She struggled to get into a sitting position, Fang and Hope helping her. Barthandelus, for the hundredth time, smiled at her.

"They were never there. Your efforts were completely in vain. So after you two fought all those lovely battles," he looked at Lightning, "you led your battle partner into a room, correct?" The two nodded. "And the room was set on fire, courtesy of Arshia," he snickered loudly.

"…And this is the exact room where Lightning was branded…" Fang trailed off with clenched jaws. She was only a few steps away from pummeling that sick bastard into a tiny pulp, but she was restrained by Snow, Hope, and even Vanille. "Care to explain?" She narrowed her eyes dangerously. Barthandelus loudly cleared his voice, placed his hands behind his back, and narrowed his eyes into small slits.

"While the fire was burning, the Lieutenant dropped my black crystal into the flames. If you know anything about simple chemistry, my dears, you would know that the crystal dissolved and evaporated into the air," he spread his arms out wide with a strange look on his face.

"So that…wasn't carbon dioxide…"Fang furrowed her brows. Everyone thought about the scenario in silence until Lightning spoke up,

"Why…was I," she paused to catch her breath, "the only one…branded?" She almost cringed at every word.

"I thought you would never ask!" Barthandelus raised his voice in complete joy. "Fear…Anger…Stress…" he paused a few seconds after each word, pacing around the group, "…and desperation. Together, they made the perfect candidate for me to possess," he turned around, facing Lightning. After a few moments, he dissolved back into the sand. Everyone waited a few seconds for him to pop up somewhere behind them, but he never did. Right when everyone let their guard down, a huge mountain of sand expelled from the ground right in front them, pushing everyone back a meter or two.

The sand then formed into a solid puddle, morphing into a familiar, yet vomit-inducing figure. Barthandelus walked up towards the fallen Lightning, cupping her chin in his hand. He raised her head to his eye level,

"And you, my darling…just happened to have all of those wonderful factors at that exact moment!" He laughed like a maniac, dropping her head onto the ground with a thud. "But there's one more reason why you were branded," he walked away a few steps then dramatically whipped around slowly, "but that's a story for another day." Suddenly, purple vapor rose from the figure, the sand immediately dropping to the ground. The gas swirled in the air a few times, twisting and turning between the ex-l'Cie, until it evaporated into the air, suddenly vanishing. Everyone remained silent, soaking in all the information like a sponge. Lightning closed her eyes and inwardly sighed. She glanced towards Odin's direction and gasped, grimacing at the pain all over her body.

Odin was pure white now, restored to his natural state. His eyes were still open, but most of his features were still caked in dry blood. The Eidolon Knight was finally free from Barthandelus's corrupt grip. Lightning looked away, unable to stare at her former battle partner any longer. She closed her eyes, thinking,

_I'm sorry._

* * *

**So, I have had a lack of feedback these past few chapters, which has been affecting my morale. Tell me what you think! Likey, no likey? Review and maybe, just maybe, I'll have motivation to get the next chapter up quickly! :D  
**


	24. Enter the Awakening

**Sheeeee's back! Dun Dun Dun! I'm so so so so sorry guys for the break. I truly am. There are thousands of reasons that I can blurt out, but I'm not...This school year has been ridiculously busy for me. That's all I'm going to say. Tremendous thanks to my editor, Taylore. Oh, and happy birthday! :D**

**I would like to thank all my fans for sticking around and reading this...it wouldn't hurt to read the past few chapters to see what the hell is going on here. ;) Also, a huge thanks to whitefoxlia for messaging me every now and then...you motivated me to get this done.  
**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Lightning stared at her beloved Eidolon for a few more moments and then turned her head towards the sky. Everything started to close in a dark tunnel. She could barely hear the muffled screams of her comrades until she finally succumbed into oblivion. Snow and Fang stared into Lightning's closed eyes in despair, but Hope suddenly got up, hastily ripping his communicator from his pocket. He pressed a few buttons and pulled it up to his ear and yelled,

"Beta team! Beta team! Do you read me?" He waited for a few moments, but no reply came. "Beta!" He tried again. Suddenly, a shock of static rang out of the device, causing Hope's ears to loudly ring. He pulled the device away and heard muffled, disconnected shouts.

"Lieu…the enem…contro…Asphodel is heavily guarded an…" The line finally went dead. Hope angrily threw the contraption to the ground, smashing it with his foot. Flustered, he ran back towards the helicopter which he came from and barked some orders. The soldiers immediately ran up to Lightning and carefully picked her up, carrying her to the helicopter.

"Hope! What's going on?" Snow yelled. Everything was happening so fast and Hope wasn't even bothering to explain. Fang, Vanille, and Snow ran after Hope, who was busying scurrying up the helicopter ladder.

"We need to take Light to a hospital ASAP! She'll die from her wounds!" He harshly screamed. Snow flinched at his tone, but he quickly regained his composure.

"Hope, didn't you hear what they said?! Asphodel is heavily guarded! There's no way we can sneak in with a loud helicopter like this…They'll just shoot us down and kill us all!" Hope frowned and looked away, thinking what he could do next. He jumped from the ladder in front of the group, pacing. While everyone was trying to concoct an intricate plan, Fang angrily sighed and looked at the horizon, searching for an answer. Suddenly, from the corner of her eye, she saw a black figure on a chomel riding towards them.

"Hey, look!" She yelled, catching everyone's attention. The rider finally arrived and jumped off the creature. It was one of their escorts.

"I scouted ahead," the dark young-man said in a heavy accent, "and that city is impossible to enter. But I have learned that there are a series of secret passages and tunnels that the resistance force has made," he quickly continued.

"So you're saying that we need to go with stealth?" Vanille broke the silence. The man nodded, adjusting the scarf over his head.

"If you don't, you all will get shot down," he said grimly. Hope cupped his hand on his chin, thinking.

"How far are we from the city?" He asked.

"100 kilometers...it is impossible for us to get their fast enough to save your friend without that helicopter," he pointed to the loud, black flying machine. Hope hummed and looked down.

"Ok…what we'll do is we'll fly until about five or four kilometers from the city, from there…" He trailed off.

"Do you know anyone who could help us?" Snow asked the man. He nodded.

"They know that you all need help."

"Great! Now let's go!" Fang yelled, hopping onto the ladder. "Stop thinking so much, Sunshine is dying here! We can think of the plan on the way!" She reminded the group. Hope sighed and immediately scrambled up the ladder, with Vanille and Snow following. The giant stopped and looked down, staring at the man.

"What are you going to do?!" He yelled, his voice muffled from the chopper's blades.

"I'm heading back home!" The man grinned and jumped onto his chomel, riding away from the desert. The helicopter took off and flew towards Asphodel. Fang and Vanille sat between Lightning, who was secured onto the floor. They applied pressure to her wounds, hoping to stop the bleeding until they arrived at the hospital. Hope stared out the window and realized that night was quickly approaching.

"What luck," he murmured, a ghost of a smile appearing on his face.

"What happened, Hope?" Snow loudly asked, trying to overcome the roar of the helicopter's engine.

"It's getting dark. That'll help our stealth operation tremendously…maybe we can pull this off-"

"You had doubts that we couldn't?" Fang snapped. She looked at Hope with a fierce expression. "Kid, there's no way we can screw this up, so don't start doubting any of our abilities. We don't have much of a choice here, now do we? We have to save Light…we are _going_ to save Light," Fang firmly said through clenched jaws.

Silence took over for the rest of the flight. A few minutes, they arrived on the outskirts of the city. Landing as quietly as possible, they jumped off, Snow carrying Lightning piggyback-style. Hope quickly told the pilot to fly back towards Erebus and gather all the reinforcements and send them to Styx and await further orders. The pilot nodded and flew away as quickly and quietly as possible.

The group made their way through a dark forested area as quickly as possible. They couldn't do a full-on run since Snow had to carry Lightning, and she wasn't particularly light. Suddenly, Hope stopped and held out his hand, signaling everyone to stop. He pointed to a flowing light source about 50 meters away from them. He then hid behind a tree, ordering everyone else to do the same. Snow slowly put Lightning on the ground. The voices started to become louder until they saw a small entourage of people walking with a single torch lit. Hope took a deep breath and whistled a small tune – a universal FLASH password. The group stopped talking for a moment. Finally, one of the members whistled back with a slightly different tune. Hope heavily sighed and relaxed, coming out from his hiding place.

"Are you our reinforcements?" He quietly asked.

"Yes," a rather tall man walked up, saluting Hope. "Sergeant Radvik, at your service. Over the past few weeks, our entire city has been taken over by these creeps," he talked quickly while two other soldiers relieved Snow of the Commander. They strapped her onto a stretcher and followed Snow, Hope, and the sergeant. Fang and Vanille followed behind, protecting the rear from any surprise attacks. "…and they've taken over all public buildings, including hospitals. However, there is one underground doctor that agreed to see the Commander." Hope sighed in relief. The soldier led the way, suddenly turning left from the trail, walking straight into the woods. The group silently followed. They finally arrived in front of a large rock.

The soldiers then quickly laid Lightning onto the ground and walked towards the rock, pushing it at first to the left and then right. The rock suddenly made a loud buzzing noise and then sank to the ground, revealing a passage way. Snow grinned and made his way down to the depths of the Earth, snatching the torch away from the dumbfounded Hope. They all jogged their way down the tunnel, Snow every once in a while waving the torch around in a pattern of circles, much to Fang's annoyance.

Vanille looked up and sniffed loudly. She then elbowed Fang in the ribs and whispered,

"Fang…do you smell that?" Fang sniffed and scrunched up her face, pulling a hand to her face.

"What the hell is that?" She loudly whispered, hoping that everyone else would hear. Snow started to cough, his eyes watering from the sting of the stench.

"Are we…heading towards the sewers?" He loudly asked the sergeant. The man nodded. Vanille gave a disgusted squeal and shook her head.

"I'm sorry, it's the only way," the sergeant said and gave a slightly amused cough. These people were definitely not military people, he thought to himself. He then stepped down, causing a large splash everywhere. Vanille stopped dead in her tracks.

"We're not going to walk in…that, are we?" She asked, pointing to the stream of waste the flowed in front of them.

"Do you not see them already halfway down?" Fang said behind her, annoyed. Vanille looked up and saw Snow and Hope almost out of sight.

"But-" Fang pushed her in, causing Vanille to give a series of demented screams. Hope finally loudly and angrily hushed her across the room. Fang and Vanille made their way across the stream as fast as they could. Not even Fang wanted to be in that gunk for long. They then jogged up a long series of stone steps and reached the ceiling of the entire sewer system. The sergeant then pushed on a few select stones and the ceiling suddenly made familiar buzzing noise, pulling apart to reveal an abandoned train station.

"Wait…" Fang thought aloud, looking around the unfamiliar territory. "This looks like an Ark," she finally said with a scowl.

"It is," the sergeant bluntly said. "The ancient Pulsians happened to have built one right under Asphodel, much to our use," the soldier turned around. "This has become our impromptu headquarters now." Snow looked around the area. Small tents covered the entire vicinity, soldiers filling each of them. Many of the corridor entrances were blocked by piles of equipment; only few select ones were open. Rusty signs hung from the corridors, labeling each hallway and room.

"Take the Commander to the medic," the sergeant barked. The two soldiers sprinted to the left with Snow trailing after them. Vanille looked at Fang and nodded, running after the giant. The huntress then made her way towards Hope, who was busy being escorted to a room to be debriefed on the city's situation.

* * *

_She awoke with a gasp, sweat dripping from her brow and onto her face. The woman shielded her eyes from the sudden flash of light in front of her. She blinked a few times and rose from the ground wearily. She looked around the pitch-white area, confused. The woman finally gasped._

_Why was it so bright? Shouldn't this area be a void of blackness, like they have always been?_

_She looked around for a few more seconds until she started to walk. She didn't know why. She walked and walked and walked for Maker knows how long. However, one thing bugged her: she was at ease. She didn't feel an emotional stress or physical pain ripping through her body. She hadn't felt a peace like this in eons. Lightning Farron stopped walking and stared at the vast room of bright nothingness. Suddenly, she heard loud, echoing footsteps. Lightning hastily swung her head behind, but saw nothing. Confused, she looked left, right, down, and up, but still saw nothing. However, the footsteps rang louder and louder after each passing second._

"_Do not be alarmed," a rather quiet yet harsh voice echoed. "I am not who you think I might be."_

"_Then…who are you?" Lightning quietly asked._

"_Have you ever wondered, Claire "Lightning" Farron, why almost every horrible misfortune ever perceived in this mortal world has befallen you?" The voice totally ignored Lightning's question. The Commander raised an eyebrow. She remained silent…but so did the voice._

"…_Of course I have," Lightning muttered. "Are you trying to say that you know why?" Lightning sarcastically said, preparing herself for more of Barthandelus's mind games._

"_Do you want to know more of your origin?" The voice finally replied back. Lightning gave a confused look. Suddenly, the ground before her shook, and the white void shattered and morphed into a dirty alleyway. Lightning looked around, thoroughly confused. She was suddenly placed in a bustling but rather old looking city. She looked in front of her and saw a girl with short, dirty blonde, reddish hair standing in front of her. The girl was a little shorter than the Commander, very skinny and malnourished-looking, and she wore tattered clothes that were two sizes too big for her. _

_The girl tightly gripped a broken glass bottle and hastily looked around with a demented expression. Suddenly, a man came from behind and trapped to stab her with a knife, but the girl ducked and swung the bottle behind her, effectively smashing the glass into man's face, ripping layers upon layers of skin and muscle. Lightning took a step backwards, cringing at the site. The girl held the man's head and snapped his neck and slammed him to the ground. She rose, breathing heavily, and searched the man's pockets. She pulled out a wallet and took out its contents, stuffing the green bills in her bag. She got up, and whirled in front of Lightning; her ice-cold eyes pierced into Lightning. She walked past Lightning into the depths of the alley._

"_What you have just witnessed was a seventeen year old street rat fighting to survive," the voice suddenly appeared out nowhere. "This…was during a very dark time of Pulse's history...a time that has been lost for a very long time." The scene suddenly switched to a steel-plated, lab looking room. A line of teenagers blocked most of Lightning's view. She watched as each child took turns to sit on a chair as a man in a long white coat pressed a few buttons and the chair gave small beep of dissatisfaction. The scientist would then check something off his clipboard and send the child towards the exit. This happened fifty or more times until Lightning noticed a familiar figure walking towards the machine. It was the girl she had just witnessed._

"_They are testing each of these children to see if they match with their 'weapon'," the voice echoed again, narrating the scene. "At this point in time, Gran Pulse was at Civil War. There were two factions fighting, the East and the West. In short, Pulse's Fal'Cie were torn apart into two sides of an argument: should the Gods control the humans or should they control themselves? This conflict escalated finally escalated into an all-out war."_

"_Weapon? What do you mean they were testing for a weapon?" Lightning asked, still watching the girl getting situated onto the chair._

"_The Fal'Cie of the Western hemisphere wanted the humans to have their freedom…and they wanted to end the bloodshed fast, as their forces were starting to dwindle. So they made a certain…'idea' for a weapon, but after years of trying, they still hadn't come up with a perfect match," the voice vaguely replied. Lightning looked back at the girl. The chair then started to angrily beep and vibrate. The scientists gasped and unbuckled her, quickly shoving her to a room. The girl, confused and scared, tried as hard as possible to get away from their grips. She screamed and thrashed, punching and kicking everyone in her sight. A buff guard then came from the depths of the crowd and picked her up, throwing her into the room with a loud thump. The door automatically closed and locked, with the girl banging on the door, screaming every curse she knew._

_The scene then switched to a royal palace-looking setting. Chandeliers adorned every part of the ceiling, gold paint accented most of the walls. There was a long line of royal guards and a massive red carpet rolled in a slim line in front of very large throne. The Commander walked a few steps forward, but she heard huge doors opening behind her. She stepped out of the way and saw the same girl walking towards the throne, escorted by five robed figures. The girl was now wearing presentable clothes; she was now free of dirt and grime, and her hair was styled in a small spike. The girl stood in front of the large throne._

_Suddenly, a huge monster-esque looking humanoid appeared in a wisp of smoke on the throne. He had a young looking, but very experienced face. Long black hair flowed onto his shoulders. The huge figure leaned towards the girl._

"_His Holy Excellency, Fal'Cie Pulse!" One of the officials shouted. Everyone saluted and bowed except of girl. She staggered backwards._

"_The…the…Fal'Cie?" She stuttered. Lightning perked up her ears, listening to the girl for the very first time. Her voice sounded eerily familiar. "What does the Fal'Cie want from someone like me?" She quickly regained her composure, her face scrunching up into an expression of anger._

"_Apparently, you are a perfect match to for my little…experiment," Pulse roared, with a slightly amused tone. "A small child like you is to become a part of me? Not just a child, but also, a girl?" He roared with laughter. The girl's eyebrows twitched._

"_What the hell do you want?!" She yelled, causing everyone behind her to gasp at the rudeness. This was the Fal'Cie Pulse she was talking to! Pulse merely roared in laughter._

"_Child, you know that we have been at war for a number of years, correct? Those bumbling idiots want to take have full control over this…weak race of creatures. I say it will waste too much energy and that there's no point," Pulse bluntly said, stroking his chin with his left hand. "So to save millions of lives, I thought that why don't I just infuse someone with my powers so they can end this for me?" Pulse smiled._

"_Well, I'm sorry your holiness, or whatever you are, I don't give a rat's ass about this war. Quite frankly, I believe that all this fighting is stupid," she spat. Once again, everyone gasped. Pulse chuckled as the girl glared at him with a menacing deathglare. _

"_I do as well, and you're my only ticket to get all of us out of this mess," Pulse said in a very serious tone. He then rose and hovered his massive hand over the girl. A series of whip-like tentacles shot from his hand and wrapped around the girl, levitating her off the floor. The girl kicked and thrashed, but the vines constricted even tighter. Pulse raised his other hand and small, golden vine shot out and pierced the girl's eyes. She gave long and demented shrieks, screaming in pain. The vines suddenly disappeared, and both the Fal'Cie and the girl fell to the ground. A golden aura glowed from the girl. One of the officials raised her into a slouched sitting position and examined her eyes. The both of the irises were replaced with the symbol of Pulse. The man looked up and excitedly yelled,_

"_Success!"_

_The scene then morphed through a series of battlegrounds, villages, cities, graveyards, and even more fighting. Lightning stared at each scene long and hard._

"_This girl, if you haven't guessed, became the first 'l'Cie'. During those times, 'Fal'Cie' literally meant 'a servant of people'-"_

"_And I presume that a 'l'Cie' is just a slave?" Lightning completed the thought._

"_Yes," the voice grimly replied. "This girl had become the first l'Cie ever to be made. She was then forced to kill many innocent people, destroy cities, and pillage villages. However, she wasn't an immortal or perfect person. She was captured, tortured, and raped numerous times."_

"_And she still kept going?"_

"_If she didn't, she could never escape her fate as a slave. Pulse would always just heal her and force her to continue. If she didn't end the war, she would have to live her life like that for the rest of eternity. In the end, she finally ended the war…but instead of killing and destroying the entire enemy fleet and their supporters, she told them to leave."_

"_Leave…where exactly?" Lightning raised an eyebrow._

"_They created an artificial planet and left Pulse."_

"…_They created…Cocoon?"_

"_Precisely."_

"_But why would she do that?" The Commander heard the voice heavily sigh._

"_Over the years of countless fights…she met so many people and their stories…changed her grim perception on life. So she decided that they should have another chance." There was a long silence._

"_What happened to the girl?"_

"_She wasn't killed or crystallized, as l'Cie are today. Pulse thought that it would have been a waste, so after she died, he preserved her soul until further use." The scene in front of Lightning then shattered and she found herself back in the white void; footsteps echoed behind her. "And that soul was reborn into you," Lightning turned around and saw her double. She gasped. That wasn't her double, it was the girl, all grown up. She still had the short, reddish-blonde hair and the double branded gold eyes. "Lightning, if you haven't realized it by now, I am that soul."_

_Lightning looked at the woman, dumbfounded._

"_So you're telling me that I am just you…reborn?" The woman nodded._

"_Essentially. But we have different personalities, so we are our own person too." Lightning raised an eyebrow, confused with the explanation._

"_Why did you tell me this?" The woman sighed._

"_Lightning…Barthandelus wants you because you are related to me. You _are_ basically me…you have Pulse's power flowing through you. If he has control over you, he can control Pulse itself…and with that, he can summon the Maker!" Lightning remained silent. "You still don't believe me? What if I told you that he is the one that killed your parents?" Lightning looked up, her face brimming with anger._

"_What!?"_

"_He staged your parents' deaths. He needed them out of the way so you would become cold and distant and constantly angry. He is the one who staged the branding of your sister, you becoming a l'Cie and fighting the world. He planned the entirety of your life!" The scene morphed into another location. The Commander found herself standing in a familiar, large room. Huge statues and ancient script adorned the walls. Lightning took a few steps backwards, bumping into another wall. Lightning sighed quietly and wandered around the area, gazing at each room and hallway that emitted an intense nostalgic feeling. She then looked to the left and saw the woman sitting on an elegant white couch. Lightning's eyes finally flickered with realization,_

"_Is this…the Narthex?" Lightning gazed long and hard at the woman, taking note of her appearance. She was wearing very dark colored jeans, black knee-high boots, and a dark red tank top. However, Lightning couldn't tell if her top was just red or if it was drenched in blood. Multiple dark-brown leather straps were clasped onto her chiseled frame. One held her weapon, a very large great sword. The other was wrapped around her waist, acting as a storage site. Her face was very similar to Lightning's; however a white, blood-spotted bandana was wrapped around her forehead, hiding her eyebrows. _

"_Correct," the woman finally spoke, breaking the silence. "This place…was the last where I was human." _

"_So you're saying that…the room ahead was actually Pulse's palace? That makes no sense. Eden is on Cocoon, not Pulse!"_

"_When Cocoon was created, a part of Pulse was taken to serve as a base; a vessel. The Fal'Cie Pulse was happy enough to give his palace away," the woman turned around and stared at the window. "It's funny how you fought Orphan at the exact same spot where everything started." Lightning ran a hand through her pink hair._

"_That makes no sense. Nothing makes any sense. How the hell are you talking to me right now…how are you even here? You know what, why are you even telling me all of this? Do I really need to know about everything?! I just want to kill that bastard Barthandelus and see my kid and husband again…is that just too much to ask!?" Lightning finally screamed. The woman looked up, startled at the sudden rage._

"_I know you are angry-"_

"_I'm pissed at everything! I'm frustrated, I'm-"_

"_And you think that screaming your feelings is going to solve anything?!" the woman spat with a venomous tone. Lightning immediately shut her mouth, astonished by the woman's tone. "I'm talking to you right now because you've lost all hope. You may not want to accept it, but it's the truth. You gave up," she bluntly said. Lightning looked away, clenching her jaws._

"_I haven't given up…" she trailed off._

"_Yes you have. Only rage is keeping you from collapsing…and that will get you nowhere. Barthandelus is consuming you. Your anger, frustration, and desperation are accelerating his plans tenfold."_

"_Then what do I do!?" Lightning's voice cracked. The woman smiled and grabbed the Commander's forearm, pulling her onto the couch. She took a deep breath, hardening her expression. Finally, she spoke,_

"_First of all, don't give up. Pull yourself together; you're a soldier! Put your feelings aside and move forward. Believe in yourself."_

"_That's easier said than done."_

"_If I could do it…you can too. I've told you my story to give you motivation, a reason to keep on going. Keep my legacy going, Farron." Lightning sighed and scratched the back of her head. _

"_You're not the best at motivating people, are you?"_

"_Shut up." Lightning gave a tiny, amused smile. The woman suddenly got up, placing her hands on her hips. "Go beat that bastard and end this once and for all…got it soldier?" She turned around, staring at the Commander with fierce intensity. Lightning sighed and rose, saluting the woman._

"_Yes ma'am," she shouted. The woman smiled._

"_Go get 'em, tiger."_

* * *

Lights blurred in front of her face, distorting her vision. Alarmed, Lightning stumbled out of her makeshift bed and fell face first onto the floor. Grunting in pain, she staggered to her feet, using the wall as leverage. Lightning blinked several times, waiting for her vision to refocus. After one agonizingly long minute, the Commander looked around, critically observing her surroundings. The room was very dark, only a very dim light source flickering in the background. Rusty beds hugged the walls. Lightning turned and walked toward a door with light shining through a crack. The door creaked as she crossed over the threshold of darkness to light. She looked up and gasped. She looked at herself in a mirror. Lightning's hair was wild, flying in all directions. Its regular pink shine was replaced with a dull glow of dirt and grime. Her face was covered in wounds from all of her many battles. Most of them haven't even properly healed yet. Her eyes were double branded; one was glowing red while the other remained a familiar gold hue.

Out of curiosity, Lightning lifted her shirt off. Her entire torso was wrapped in bandages. Some of the wounds reopened, causing blood to trickle down to her legs. Lightning sighed and clenched the sides of the sink in front of her, looking down. She was a mess, both physically and mentally. She shook her head and pulled her dirty, white shirt back on.

"I need to heal…but I don't have time!" Lightning angrily whispered, slamming a fist into the sink. The cheap ceramic slightly cracked under the pressure. The Commander hastily turned around, grimacing at the pain that shot up through her body. She limped back to her bed and sat down. Suddenly, a door to her right slammed open. A giant clumsily staggered in.

"Lightning!" Snow shouted breathlessly. Lightning slightly flinched at the sudden noise but regained her composure. She watched with an indifferent expression as all her beloved teammates filed into her room. They all beamed with weary happiness.

"What happened?" Lightning said, almost inaudibly.

"We just liberated Asphodel!" Vanille happily squealed, hugging the daylights out of Lightning.

"O-ow!" Lightning grunted. Vanille quickly let go, pulling a hand up to her mouth.

"Oh, I'm so sorry Light, I forgot!" Lightning raised a hand. She turned to Hope and asked,

"You all did what?" Hope sighed and gently sat beside her.

"You were out for quite a while, so we decided to save time and liberate Asphodel without you. We acquired reinforcements from all the regions that we liberated and stormed the center of the city, either killing all hostile enemies or detaining all POWs…we just finished our operations an hour ago."

"I was out for how long!?" Lightning angrily demanded.

"Six days, Sunshine. I don't blame you…gotta catch up on that beauty sleep at some point, right?" Fang winked, much to Lightning's annoyance.

"Never mind that," Hope hastily changed the subject, "the good news is that your wounds are finally healing properly. Also…I've heard from numerous sources that Asami is preparing for her final battle. Lightning," he looked hard into her eyes, "this is going to be the last battle."

"So I've heard," the pink-head muttered. Lightning looked down for a moment, but suddenly shot her head up at Snow's direction. "Snow! What happened to Serah and the kids?!"

"Serah? She's fine…they're still safe in their safe house," Snow grinned, flashing two thumbs-up. Lightning gave a sigh of relief, closing her eyes. The room remained quiet for a while until Hope rose and left the room, muttering something about final preparations. Snow followed suit. Vanille closed the door right after the giant left and turned around, immediately rushing to Lightning. She tapped the soldier's abdomen. Lightning gave a small grunt of pain. The small red-head shook her head.

"Your wounds opened again, didn't they?" Lightning remained quiet. "Fang, help her to her bed," Vanille uncharacteristically ordered as she turned to a shelf and began to prepare fresh dressings for Lightning. Fang grinned and made her way to the stoic soldier, but Lightning held her hand out.

"Fang, I can do this on my own, you know."

"Ah ah ah!" Fang waggled her finger in front of the Commander's face, "Doctor's orders!" In one single, fluid motion, Fang picked Lightning up with ease and dropped her gently onto the bed. Lightning shot an angry look at Fang. However, Fang's face was shaped into a scowl, "You lost some weight Sunshine…some more weight." Lightning's expression turned from anger to one of annoyance. The room was silent as Vanille began to change her bandages.

"Do you guys…know anything about the…first l'Cie?" Lightning finally spoke, breaking the awkward tension. Fang raised an eyebrow and shot a look to Vanille, who remained silent.

"Yeah, it's an old bedtime story," Fang pushed from the wall, standing in front of the bed. "What about it?"

"Can you…tell me about it?" Lightning asked. She mentally kicked herself for sounding so suspicious.

"Well…" Vanille started, "…according to legend, the first l'Cie was a girl specifically created by Pulse to act as his slave. There was a sort of civil war raging at that time, and the Fal'Cie wanted to end all the suffering, so he-"

"You know that's just a huge lie, right?" Fang interrupted. She was leaning on a wall with her arms crossed. "That girl was just a street rat…Pulse was annoyed by the results of the war so he just picked her to solve all his problems. But she was just a little girl! Younger than Vanille!" Fang's face burned with anger. "She was forced to kill thousands of people, including innocent citizens and children…but she wasn't invincible," Fang sighed. "She was mugged, stabbed, wounded, raped, mutilated, tortured…" She trailed off.

"Shouldn't she have died if all that happened?" Vanille said skeptically.

"She should have been killed and freed from her curse…but every time she was about to fall, Pulse would just heal her and she would have to start all over again-"

"What happened in the end?" Lightning interrupted.

"She finally stopped the opposing force," Vanille continued the story before Fang had the chance, "but, she didn't kill all the leaders or anything…Out of pity, she let them be free, under one condition."

"Which was…?"

"To leave the planet."

"So those little buggers took a piece of Pulse," Fang took over from Vanille, "and created the artificial planet known as Cocoon. They created their little 'Perfect Paradise'," Fang venomously spat. Lightning raised her eyebrows in surprise at Fang's animosity. Vanille pushed from the bed, clapping her hands,

"Alrighty! Finished!" Lightning slowly rose, but Fang quickly pushed her back down.

"Sweetheart, we don't need to be moving around right now…we need you to be fully healed," Lightning gave a scowl. Fang took Vanille's hand a marched towards the door. "We'll catch ya later, Lightbug!"

"Wait! Where are you going?" Lightning shouted, confused.

"Gonna prepare with the guys…the final battle is soon."

"Soon, soon, soon...all I hear is soon! When is soon!?" Lightning shouted in frustration.

"The day-after-tomorrow-soon," Fang said, closing the door. Lightning stared at the doorframe, dumbfounded. She flopped back into her makeshift bed.

"Shit…"

* * *

**So I really want to finish this story before my winter break ends. Anyway, tell me what you think! Has my writing gotten rusty? Did you like the little backstory there? Tell me your thoughts in the reviews! :D**

**And once again, thank you for reading!  
**


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Final Fantasy XIII, Drama, Tragedy