It was done; she could sense it rippling across the timeline.
Serah and Noel had managed to correct the paradoxes, completing the task.
Standing on the balcony in the Throne of the Goddess, she had seen it all take place.
Lightning had seen the Time Gate appear on the shores of Valhalla; Serah and Noel tumbling out of the device, Caius appearing moments later, face down in the sand.
"Serah!" Lightning called, she'd recognize that pink hair anywhere.
Without another thought, Lightning let go of the balcony, turning on her heel. She might have taken on the role of the Knight of the Goddess, but she had her own agenda. Upon arriving in Valhalla, she had been granted a vision of the future – one that foretold of Serah's death.
She's alive, Lightning thought to herself, keeping her emotions in check, as she crossed the throne room.
Had it really only been a moment – or was it 500 years? – since she awoke from her Crystal slumber, her sister walking across the plains of Pulse, free; Fang and Vanielle's sacrifice hanging in the background.
She didn't think she'd ever see her sister again; fate seemed to have it in for the Farron sisters.
You must wait until it's finished, came Etro's disembodied voice.
Lightning paused mid-step, the words sinking in. Wait until it's . . . finished?
Lightning's eyes widened slightly, her mind jumping to the worst-case scenario.
She had seen various visions of Serah's death – forever trapped in Crystal slumber on Cocoon, locked in the Augusta Tower in 200 AF . . . and dying on the roof of Sahz's airship. Could she have missed a possible outcome somewhere?
"Serah . . ." Lightning trailed off. She hadn't pushed on, struggled through the fact that she was trapped in Valhalla, a place outside the flow of time; her mere presence erased from history. "This can't be happening –" Shaking her head, Lightning glanced towards the balcony again, her heart beating against her ribcage.
Etro couldn't mean that somehow Caius would somehow earn the upper hand, defeating the two. However, before she could reach the balcony, the outcome was decided on the shores of Valhalla, a time gate appearing between the pillars separating the throne room from the outside. And before Lightning could stop herself, she found the light of the time gate engulfing her . . .
Valhalla disappeared from under her feet, the dead realm fading away.
The glow of the time gate surrounded her, reminding her of the moment Etro whisked her away.
She vaguely registered the fact that she was falling backwards in time, seeing various possibilities – some that never came to be, some still waiting in the future – drift by.
Idly, Lightning wondered where this time gate was taking her.
Hope and Sahz, with Fang and Vanielle no doubt, were permanently stuck in 500 AF. She assumed that would also be the time frame Serah and Noel would return to. And somehow, she knew the self-proclaimed hero would be there too.
Then, just as quick as it started, it all ended.
Lightning found herself standing on Pulse, a light wind rushing over her, the tall grass rustling around her legs. Blinking – how long had it been since she'd seen the sun shine? – Lightning brought a hand up, shielding her eyes from the rays.
"It . . . can't be . . ."
To her right ran a fence, separating a small beach town from the monster invested terrain. She recognized the area, even though she had only been there in 700 AF, days before the end of the world.
"New Bodum . . ." Lightning trailed off, her feet subconsciously leading her towards the dip in the fence. "What year is it?" she added to herself, the landscape around her looking no different over the years.
Stepping over the fence, she vaguely noted that she was wearing her old black and brown boots, her armour from Valhalla gone. A quick glance at her attire and she nodded, she was back in the Guardian Corps uniform she wore when she disappeared.
Then, movement out of the corner of her eye made her pause, glancing up. Sitting on the porch of a house, she recognized the four people immediately – Lebreau, Maqui, Yuj, and Gadot, people she never thought she'd see again.
Lightning could feel dread creeping into her thoughts: If they were here, what time was she in?
Yuj was the first to spot her, stopping mid-sentence, nodding in her direction. Catching his slight action, Lebreau turned, the brunette jumping off the ledge as she caught sight of the pinkette. "Lightning," she called, starting down the porches steps. "What in Pulse are you doing here?"
Lightning shrugged, coming to a stop a few feet away from Lebreau. "I'm trying to find Serah –"
Lebreau shook her head, cutting Lightning off. "You've been missing for three years; everyone's gone looking for you. Serah, she left two weeks ago to find you and Snow; she seemed –"
Lightning tuned out what Lebreau was saying.
Lightning could feel her stomach drop; dread creeping into its place.
Serah was gone.
Snow was gone.
Both had disappeared, looking for her – off on the mission she put in their mind.
"What year is it?" Lightning asked, unsure if she was cutting Lebreau off.
Lebreau raised an eyebrow, glancing back at the three on the porch. "It's 4 AF," Lebreau said slowly. "Did you really not know? Where were you?"
4 AF, Lightning thought, looking at the four before her, not really seeing them. "I have to get going," Lightning said, ignoring Lebreau's question. "I'll see you . . . later . . ."
"Lightning – wait," Lebreau called, Lightning turning on her heels, her side-cape fanning out slightly, a determined look on the pinkette's face.
Lightning couldn't believe her luck.
Etro had sent her back to the beginning.
The time gate Etro summoned was to New Bodum 4 AF.
Lightning glanced up at the sky, Cocoon hanging overhead.
She was in 4 AF and everyone else was in 500 AF.
Why. Why! Why? Why was everything always stacked against her?
Time worked in mysterious ways.
A/N –
This is what happens when you're playing XIII-2 late at night, trying to get all of the Paradox Endings and then playing through the final fight with Caius. Somehow, I came to this idea and just had to write it down.