A/N: TADA! IT'S A PREQUEL! Well, not really but you can think of it as a prequel, lol xD Once again ideas are spawned on a bus, lol. I never imagined this one to be a prequel but I think it fits in a strange way, I don't know. So yeah. So like, it's kinda official that Nothing to Lose will eventually get a sequel xD What's up with this one? I have absolutely no idea :D This is based off New Bodhum -700AF- For those of you who have no idea what it is, it's nothing, really. It's just something I thought of while watching the cutscene and everything. I think I'll stop rambling now xD As always lovies, reviews are appreciated! Let me know what you think! Ya? :D
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
Summary: A new world. A new enemy. A never ending dance of death intertwined with time, never to end. How long can this dance last until one falls into a never ending spiral of despair and tragedy?
Chorus Mortis -The Dance of Death-
Sleeping soundly on ebony salted sands the wind greeted the sleeping maiden nudging her to wake. Fingers gained life digging into the sand with each breath escaping through her lips. The sounds of the seas slipped into her ears depicting a landscape with calm ocean waves amongst the silence of a lifeless land.
"What... Where...?"
Lightning took in deep breaths, opening her eyes now awake and curiously aware. Groaning, Lightning felt her head spin. Taking a couple of blinks, she made sure she was on terra firma rather than on a crumbling platform in the middle of nowhere. Feeling tangible matter beneath her finger tips, Lightning pushed off the sand slowly grasping her footing. This land was new to her; within this vast expanse of space was an endless sea extending to places undiscovered by humans. The skies cloaked with clouds caressed by the wind. The sun was absent from the sky not because the clouds covered it, no; the sun did not exist.
Turning behind her, Lightning's eyes widened at the site of possibly thousand year old structures withstanding the elements. The buildings were clustered together yet some were apart. The buildings appeared brittle; even the slightest touch of wind would cause it crumble as would a castle built by sand.
"Where am I?" Touching the side of her head, Lightning checked if she bumped her head on something. She remembered vaguely what happened. Memories were misplaced and words were not forming smoothly as they should. Disgruntled, Lightning took a deep breath; maybe keeping her cool would allow her to untangle memories and figure out how to get out of this place… wherever it may be.
Focusing her eyes on the landscapes, she expressed a frown; none of the landscapes appeared vaguely familiar. Was she transported to another place on Gran Pulse? No, the geography did not fit. Startled by the sound of a roaring beast, Lightning snapped her head toward the skies witnessing a fiend hunting another, tasting victory at the tips of its curved claws. Lightning watched a large purple almost black dragon rip the other in half. Blood, guts and gore rained down into the abysmal sea forcing the sea to change as if someone dipped the tip of a brush into it transforming pristine blue waters to murderous red. The crimson color spilled in all directions until the sea washed it away, leaving behind no evidence of the murder. The circle of life remained vicious, merciless and perhaps downright cruel yet, it could not be stopped. Lightning gazed upon the majestic beast watching it dash in and out of clouds leaving a trail of white vapor.
"So you are the chosen warrior,"
Startled, Lightning gripped onto her blade. Looking around, she shouted, "Who's there?"
The clouds parted above her exposing the black beast. Suddenly consumed in purple mist, crimson eyes locked onto Lightning's form, undeterred. Descending from above was a man clothed in black with streaks of purple. Lightning pulled out the gunblade; he was no friend but foe.
Standing her ground she questioned, "Who are you?"
"You need not know who I am,"
He took a step forward and Lightning remained focused on him. She wasn't intimidated by him. Moving into an attack stance, Lightning narrowed her eyes observing his movements. The two circled each other not once breaking eye contact. Lightning stiffened watching him remove a monstrously menacing blade off his back. Running a hand over it, the eye on the sword glowed and pulsed. She did not need magic to know the sword held great powers beyond her imagination.
"It begins."
He lunged forward driving the monstrous blade at Lightning. Quickly dodging, she retaliated with an attack coming into contact with the purple sword forcing flashes of silver to erupt between them. Leaping away, Lightning extended out her hand summoning the power of Thundaga. Nothing.
My brand's gone... So are my powers. Dammit.
Dodging another assault, Lightning pulled the trigger on the gunblade discharging bullets all deflected off the sword.
"Predictable."
Retaliating, he slammed the sword into the sand. Red waves brimming with energy rushed toward Lightning. Upon instinct, she sliced the red waves but failed to notice a stray one knocking her off her feet. Gasping, she quickly regained her footing, holding tightly onto her gunblade.
"You fight well for a maiden of your stature,"
Spitting out sand from her mouth, she wiped it and said, "I don't need compliments on how I fight,"
He smirked. Pulling the sword out of the sand, he angled it enough to draw up sand with one powerful swoop. Temporarily blinded by the curtain of sand, Lightning carefully moved across bruised sands and swung her sword defending herself. Lightning failed to realize he stood behind her until hearing his words.
"You cannot best me,"
Lightning spun around, locking on the voice. Instead of coming into contact with flesh, the blade tasted air.
"And you are Etro's chosen protector. Pathetic."
Keeping her cool, Lightning homed in onto the voice discharging bullets. The sound of exploding sand echoed in her ears but no sound of bullets embedding into his armor. She breathed, in and out listening to the sound of his foot crunching against the sand. The sound was close—very close. He stood behind her reading her next move. Sensing him, Lightning whipped around, aimed her sword to drive though his flesh. Her weapon came to a halt. Believing she had successfully wounded him, Lightning slowly opened her eyes. The sight was blurry, distorted even focusing on her blade shifting from side to side. Lightning expected her blade to plunge deeply into his core but instead, he gripped tightly on her sword.
"This dance of death will continue for all eternity,"
Jerking the blade away from her, he disposed of the blade into the sea. Lightning's eyes followed the silver shimmer splashing into the waters. Quickly darting to the sea, she was immediately halted by him and pushed back.
"You—!"
Without warning, his fingers shot to her throat lifting her up. Suspended in air, Lightning's own fingers moved to his trying to pry them off. "I ask you: should I kill you now and end your miserable life or should I allow you to live to continue this dance?"
Lightning responded with a grunt. Throwing her aside, Lightning landing forcefully into the sea, coughing, gasping for air. It was even before she could compose herself, she was eye to eye with the blade. Unable to look away at the pulsing purple eye, visions flashed through her mind. One after another, visions of him played out the events to come. Visions showed images of her in a strange castle clothed in nothing more than a white gown slipping across hallways as a soulless ghoul. Bright blue eyes now glazed over, the visions burned deeply into the mind never to be forgotten. A suddenly glint caught his eye: Lightning's necklace. Maneuvering the sword over to Lightning's necklace, it hooked the silver chain. Snapping it, he drew the blade close to him removing the chain. The silver object shimmered in his eyes.
"Your good luck charm will do you no good,"
Lightning blinked, focusing on the blurry black mass in front of her. Coming to the realization of her situation, Lightning was about to push off, until she was rudely reminded by the sword hovering an inch away from her face.
Staring intently into his eyes, she questioned him once more. "Who are you?"
"Caius Ballad."
The name rang with the bells across the mysterious land. Placing the sword back on his back, Caius stared intensely into Lightning's eyes.
"This dance of death shall resume when the time draws near,"
"What are you talking about?" Lightning shot. Getting directly to the point she continued, "What do you want from me?"
Pointing directly at Lightning he said, "Your heart."
Walking behind Lightning, her eyes followed his every movement prepared for his next move. Quickly scrambling back on her feet, Lightning balled her fists ready to throw punches. She would be damned if she was unable to defend herself.
"I have never witnessed a maiden as beautiful as yourself cloaked in crimson." He spoke, slipping a finger beneath her cape.
Reaching out, he grabbed her cape. Lighting snatched it back. The fabric slipped out of his hand. Caius thought nothing of it, continually circled Lightning observing each of her movements. He could read her; she was a woman to not back down yet in the same time, she was not foolish enough to trade her bravery with her life. A fine warrior indeed.
"A maiden destined to dance with death without fear is truly beautiful."
Caius abruptly grabbed Lightning, pulling her close. Placing a hand over her face, a floodgate opened, filling her mind with vicious visions. Vision after vision, Lightning was exposed to one particular vision. She saw herself sitting on a black clawed throne as rose petals rained like snow. She sat on the throne staring into the black abyss. The palms of her hands received the fallen petals watching each one dissolve into red dust, slipping through her fingers. Red dust, through a pinch of magic morphed into red liquid slipping over countless crystallized corpses beneath the throne. Lightning snapped her eyes open.
"You have witnessed the nightmare which will be your future,"
"What did I just see?" Lightning shot. The visions—the crystal bodies beneath the throne were all too much. Lightning's heart plummeted to the soles of her feet remembering each crystallized face; would she be the cause of their death? Would her hands be stained with blood?
Releasing Lightning, fingers slowly left the side of her face. Standing back, a wave of black smoke circled him yet his eyes remained fixed on Lightning.
"You shall never leave Valhalla until your purpose is served."
Without words, Lightning watched Caius consumed by black smoke until he was no more. His words never left her mind, reminding her of her 'purpose'. Would that mean she was stuck here until she served her purpose which remained an enigma? Shaking the thoughts out of her head, Lightning looked into the sea without catching a glimpse of her sword. Turning around, she locked upon the tallest structure in Valhalla, a castle entangled in turquoise rings. She knew if she ventured to the castle, her questions would be answered. Taking one last look over her shoulder, Lightning made her way to the castle unknowingly walking down a path destined for destruction. The dance of death would continue as long as Lightning remained alive here, in Valhalla with Caius by her side to continue the cycle. One shall stand; one shall fall in a pool of red blood rose petals drowned in despair.