"After all, there would be no lightning without light."
Lightning was very, very pissed off. Furrowing her brows in deep thought (or annoyance, however she usually looks mad so everyone just pretended not to care), she once again grunted while muttering several curses under her breath.
"Goddamn it all! Why do I have to pair up with him? Of all people-"
"Are you ready, Lightning?"
...Damn.
"...Yeah, since 20 minutes ago."
The Warrior of Light did not seem to catch the venomous remark from Lightning, face stoic and expressionless as ever, and nodded.
"Very well. Let us depart."
Lightning just scowled and grunted, hastening her walk to stay as far away from the knight.
"These stupid patrols, and now this...god, can this get any worse? Squall, Cloud, hell, even Kain would make better company than him!"
Somewhere in the stronghold of the Cosmos warriors, Kain coughed.
The sun was high in the sky, lighting up the pair's path alongside the wastelands as they patrol the area.
"Lightning."
"Ugh, what now?"
"What?" she scowled, not bothering to mask her irritation. The warrior furrowed his brows, before continuing, "It seems that…you look quite sullen today. Is there something bothering you?"
Lightning stopped on her tracks, and turned to face him, her lips twisted into a deeper frown.
"I definitely can't keep up with his tone. What is he, ten thousand years old?"
"Of all questions you can throw at me, and that? How blunt can you be?"
The warrior does not seem fazed, however, and continues on.
"If you do not wish to speak about it, I would not pry then. But, it is of my concern that you might have a problem that may hinder-"
"Damn it, for Cosmos' sake, quit the long-winded chatter, will you?!"
"-What?"
"I said, stop speaking like some damn old man from the ancient times, speaking so formally with all these damn words! Why can't you just speak normally?"
The warrior stopped in his tracks and just stared at her sudden outburst, actually surprised on how she reacts. The surprised look, however, quickly fades as fast as it comes, replaced by his usual stoic demeanor.
"Normal? I…do not understand what you mean. Is it something that I have said-"
Lightning quickly snapped back, pointing her index finger at the knight's head.
"That. That goddamn superfluous words! Quit. Using. So. Many. Pointless. Words!" she jabbed her finger towards him with every word for emphasis, "and get to the point already!"
He pressed on, constantly maintaining his expressionless face- "That damn look of his-"
Groaning inwardly, Lightning's face twisted yet again into a scowl while she tries to hold some semblance of peace in her mind.
"Why can't you just shut up already..." her thoughts are quickly replaced with a sudden question in her mind.
"Why am I even getting pissed off with him?"
Taking a deep breath and calming herself down, Lightning went back to glaring at the older warrior.
"You. Why is it that I'm always annoyed at everything that you do?"
The warrior blinked. Once. Twice.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, you-" Lightning shook her head, brushing away all the mental arguments she prepared.
"Look. When you're with me, just…just don't drag your words and just get to the point. And also, don't worry about me so much, leader, I can take care of myself. Alright?"
Without giving the time for the 'leader' to reply, she quickly turned her heels, and stormed off, glad that the talk is over.
"Coming?"
The knight just stood there, taking in her remark for a while, and then walked, catching up to her.
"Lightning."
"Now what?"
"...I'm sorry."
Lightning stopped, again.
"I do not think of your own thoughts on this matter, and I just forced my own onto you. Next time, I shall endeavor to-"
As the warrior rambled off about how he will change how he acts to her, Lightning slapped a palm to her forehead, mentally sighing and muttering several curses under her breath, again.
"I swear, you're going to be the death of me someday."
"Lightning."
"What?"
"What are those...projectiles you shoot out of your sword? Is that Fire magic?"
Lightning looked at him for a couple of seconds with a look that screamed 'what are you, blind?' before putting two and two together and realizing where the warrior's origins are from.
"Uh."
"No. They're bullets."
The warrior stared in confusion.
"Bullets? What are those?"
Letting out an exasperated sigh, she pulled out a bullet from one of her pockets, showing it to the knight.
"Here. This," pointing to the bullet, "I load this into my sword…" Lightning did exactly as she explains it while the warrior intently watches the whole process. Had this been any other day, she would be laughing inside for his lack of knowledge, but today is not one of those days.
"…and there. Done. I'll just hold the trigger while pointing to the enemy, and they're dead in no time."
Pointing towards a nearby tree, Lightning squeezed the trigger, letting loose the bullet from the Blazefire Saber and blowing the upper half of the tree off alongside a bang.
The warrior, who was intently watching at this whole explanation just silently nodded, and then turned away, his hand on his chin, deep in thought.
"What the hell? He asked for this stupid demonstration and now-"
For the umpteenth time since they left for patrolling, Lightning cursed under her breath.
"Manikins on your right!"
Lightning quickly turned her attention towards said enemy, her blade swiftly following her movements. One quick slash on the crystal's torso and as quickly as she comes, the enemy crumbles into fine pieces. Taking a moment to grasp her bearings, she did not notice a silent manikin with a huge lump of steel as a weapon and a horned helmet dashing towards her, blade at the ready to impale the unsuspecting soldier.
"Lightning!"
Startled into reality, she was almost too late in blocking the attack from the false stalwart, when a glowing sword pierced his chest, with several more impaling itself onto the crystalline body of the giant knight. With a distorted cry of anguish, it fell, before falling dim and silent. The Warrior of Light then comes to her view, offering his hand towards her and simultaneously checking for any injuries.
"You…what was that?"
Without even skipping half a beat and continuing to observe her body for any injuries, the warrior spoke.
"That is not important for now. Are you alright-"
His words were cut off as Lightning hurriedly slapped his hand off, a slightly burning twinge in her cheeks forming while distancing herself from the knight, throwing a pointed glare towards him.
"Damn it, who told you to touch me?!"
As usual, the stoic leader just blinked at her, as if expecting for further reactions from the pink-haired soldier. Lightning's glare softened.
"I'm...I'm sorry for shouting. I'm fine."
Quickly brushing those thoughts aside she quickly found a new topic to talk about, or rather, the one she asked right at the beginning.
"That light..." "Is that your doing?" Lightning asked.
The Warrior of Light quietly nodded, then started to explain.
"Yes. That is a new technique I tried, based from your…'bullets' technique, was it? As you can see, I am quite lacking in ranged combat, so after I saw this technique of yours, I tried to incorporate it to my tactics, but since I do not have any projectiles as you do I utilized the light to-"
"Alright, alright, I get it. Basically this is a new technique you had to fight in ranged combat, is that it?"
"...Yes."
Lightning sighed, and walked off.
"..Thanks."
Staring at her walking figure, the warrior mentally scolded himself to let his explanations be too 'wordy', and once again resolved to speak more concisely with her.
"That traitorous bastard!"
"Lightning, calm down.."
A worried Tifa walked towards Lightning, still furious at the sudden 'betrayal' by no one other than the Warrior of Light and Kain.
"How could they...how could he be so fine with that goddamn reasoning?! Don't mess with me! That bastard doesn't even deserve to play god with everyone's lives, he-"
"Lightning!"
Tifa's voice snapped Lightning from her thoughts. Looking around, she saw her comrades-in-arms which are going together with her to stop the manikin horde from spawning further. Laguna, Vaan and Yuna looked at her, all wearing looks on their faces, and Tifa stood next to Lightning, a sad and worried expression all over her face.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm...I'm fine. Just...how could they be this stupid, shouldn't they-"
"Lightning. Calm down."
Trying to defuse the pinkette's temper, Laguna stepped in, a soft smile on his face.
"I know that you might be mad at them but, well, things aren't looking that bright on our side, right? So, I know at least Light and Kain are desperate to protect our other pals, y'know? So, yeah...calm down?"
With a sheepish look, Laguna hoped that Lightning would pipe down and calm herself off. It seems that his plan succeeded.
"I...alright, fine. You're right. Get ready, everyone, we'll regroup on the Sanctuary and we'll leave after that."
Taking a relieved sigh, Laguna grinned and nodded, shouting 'Yes, mam!' with a mock salute and started walking off, followed by Yuna, Vaan and Tifa.
Lightning, meanwhile, walked off to another place.
On a cliff overlooking the desolate wasteland near the Order's Sanctuary, Lightning sat and just stared towards the horizon.
"Why must this war happen, and why were we all dragged on this crap? Why can't they just fight their petty squabbles without dragging everyone into this..."
Her train of thought is cut off by a stern voice that made her blood boil again.
"Lightning."
Not facing the leader directly, she replied with a vicious tone, an equally vicious look plastered on her face.
"What the hell are you up to, now?"
A momentary silence ensued. After a long pause, the warrior spoke.
"I'm sorry."
Those two words made Lightning snap, and with fury she turned, tackled the Warrior (she didn't realize how close he was actually but shrugged it off) to the ground, Blazefire Saber pointed at the leader's head.
"Bastard! You dare say that now?! Even if we're the only warriors left here I wouldn't forgive you! LIKE HELL I WILL! How could you...how could you...!"
The stoic leader stared back at her, expressionless as always, aquamarine blue eyes clashing with each other.
"I have no further reason to justify myself. We have no other chance-"
"But still!" She stabbed her sword to the ground, inches away from the warrior's face. "You can't justify killing off the others for a chance to fight again! We... we don't have any goddamn reason to fight because of these bastard deities with their shitty squabbles! Why can't we just go…home..."
Her hands quivered, sorrow and despair started highlighting her features. the knight lifted his hand up, fingers gently touching her cheek.
"I can't. I can't risk it. If the others decided to fight, we would lose, and chaos will overturn this realm…and we might not get back home. I don't want to see anyone else suffer, I don't want to see…" he hesitated. "I don't-"
"Shut up." Lightning batted his hand off before he could finish his sentence.
"I don't need all of that 'second chance' crap. Just stick with that goddess of yours. I'm going to fight. Against our fate. Against this destiny. I swear that I will stop this. So, you better not get in my way again," her eyes dangerously narrowing into slits, her piercing stare directed towards the warrior, "or you'll pay."
With those words, she stood up, and started making her way back to where the others are.
The Warrior of Light stood as well, and called out to her.
"Lightning." He softly spoke.
She didn't listen. She didn't want to listen.
"Come back safely."
Her steps wavered. Even still, she ignored him, walking off silently. Even so, if one pays attention, there is a single glint of light dropping to the ground.
The battleground is littered with broken bodies of manikins. Lightning looked at the carnage, and at the bodies of the other fallen companions of hers. At the last moment, her blade hit the Rift, and with a thunderous rumble accompanied by a blinding light shook the ground, effectively sealing it off.
"It's over…"
Lightning barely stood, kneeling on one knee. Her body was laced with blood and numerous wounds, and yet, seeing their success, she forced herself a grin.
"At least...we did it."
Her breaths became more ragged, and, unable to hold it anymore, she fell to the ground.
"I guess...I-we can't go back, huh."
As her vision blurs and the darkness starts to creep into her vision, her last thoughts are of a knight, sword and shield in hand, with a horned helmet and a cape adorning his cerulean armor. She just smiled bitterly inside.
"Huh...even now, of all people who I can think of…"
"...Sorry."
And the whole world went black.
The Warrior groggily stood up, his silvery-white hair loose unbound without his helmet, looking around at where he was.
A soft light glows upon the bodies of his comrades Kain had put to 'sleep', and the Goddess' as well. On his left, a sudden flash reveals a very familiar set of faces. Faces of those that went to the Rift to seal the manikin horde. One, in particular, caught his eye, and he could not help but stare at the figure before him. Only one word came out from his mouth, and his mind.
"Lightning..."
Said soldier just looked at him, smiled, and nodded.
"Claire. Claire Farron."
The Warrior stared at her for a couple more seconds, and closed his eyes. Before he lost his strength once again, he managed to squeeze out four words to Lightning.
She just smiled back, and closed her eyes.
"I won't forget you too. After all…" she paused for a bit, and smiled. A genuine smile graced her features, this time. And she whispered towards the warrior.
Then the warrior lost consciousness, and thus the legendary dragon Shinryu came and the Purification began in preparation for the 13th cycle.
With a brilliant burst of light, everything is gone.
All the others had returned home to their respective worlds, the warrior noted. "I suppose, I too…"
But without a name or anything to go by, only driven by his parting moments with his comrades after vanquishing the God of Discord and returning to their own home worlds, the hero started walking. To where, he does not know.
A red petal flew by him as he walked. Looking down, he picked it up and stared at it.
A red rose petal.
He felt something tugging at his chest, like dropping a pebble to a still water, creating waves of reminiscence as he continued to look at it.
It feels familiar, somehow.
A flash of red and pink, and all of it is gone.
The warrior grasped the petal in his hands, stared into the sky, and walked off. In his mind, a phrase constantly repeats itself, like a far-off distant memory, yet it provides him with an unspoken feeling of comfort and, strange enough, happiness.
"After all, what is lightning…without light?"
[光]