Etro's Keepers
A/N: Back by popular demand, I bring you chapter 2! Wow! Thanks so much who have commented, favorited and added this story to your story alerts list. I honestly didn't think I'd get as big of a reaction to it as I did. ^^ But again, as I warned in the first chapter, don't expect this one to update on a frequent basis as compared to my other current FFXIII fanfic. I'll do what I can, but you may be waiting a bit longer for the next chapter for this one. But enough of that depressing talk, right? XD On to the story!
For those of you who left unsigned reviews, see my replies below:
Riku91 – Congrats on being the first reviewer of this piece. Hehe. I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter despite this genre not being something you venture into. This idea has been lingering in the back of my mind for a while now, and finally I just couldn't take it anymore and had to write it. Lol. The whole chibi Odin in gestalt mode will come later, that I can promise you. So stay tuned for that. XD As for Serah, hmm… I definitely have a surprise planned for her, though not for a long time coming. It kind of relates to something that will happen in Tainted Fal'Cie, so I'll probably push that idea off for a long while yet. Thanks again for the comment! :)
Disclaimer: The characters and the worlds I write in do not belong to me. The stories that I write are intended for entertainment purposes. I do not make any money from them.
*** ~ Chapter 2: Babysitter ~ ***
"You too huh?"
Blue-green eyes looked up to meet brown ones. Hope Estheim stopped just short of the Farrons (and Villiers) residence, at the bottom of the metal staircase which led up to Lightning's level. On his shoulder sat chibi Alexander, the tiny Eidolon holding onto a tuff of silver hair to keep his balance.
Sazh Katzroy approached Hope from the left, he too making his way to Lightning's humble abode. Like Hope - Sazh suspecting the same happened with all of the former l'Cies - the old man woke up this morning only to find a chibi surprise of his own. Chibi Brynhildr, in her gestalt form, currently drove circles around Sazh's feet.
Thankfully for the pair, no one in town thought it strange to see chibi Eidolons. The chibis were easily mistaken for realistic replicas of their battle partners. In Hope's case, chibi Alexander was thought to be a scaled down toy model. For Sazh, chibi Brynhildr imitated a remote controlled toy car. Little did the townsfolk realize that was not truly the case. Nor did anyone ask where they got them from.
Hope chuckled wearily, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah" he said in relief. "I was a bit worried originally, that I was the only one in this… situation. But thankfully, I'm not."
Sazh smiled in understanding. "I'm sure there must be a logical explanation for all of this." He clapped Hope on the back. "I just don't know what it could be."
"Perhaps we can help ya out with that ol' man" said a voice behind the pair.
The upper level to the Farron residence had a simple layout out. A big rectangular room encompassing a bedroom, a living room, a dining room, a kitchen and bathroom all in one open space. Walking through the door, to the left was Lightning's bed up against the far wall. Next to that and closer to the door was the couch, with the dining table which could seat six, just behind it. In line with the door on the opposite wall was the kitchen and off to the right was the shower stall, the vanity and the toilet. Along with some storage space.
It was on her bed where Lightning Farron sat, completely garbed in her typical Guardian Corps uniform. Her arms were crossed over her chest with her right leg crossed over her left. To an outside observer, the sergeant looked rather peaceful and serene, deep in whatever thoughts occupied her mind at the moment. But to the former l'Cies, who were now all gathered in her house, Lightning was planning bloody murder.
"So let me get this straight" Lightning said finally breaking the awkward atmosphere.
On the couch nearby, sat Serah, Snow and Sazh. Hope sat at the dining table, along with the newly awakened Fang and Vanille, much to the others' delight.
"Etro, as in the Goddess Etro-" Lighting began. Lightning's eyebrow twitched, spastically. The rest of the family looked to the soldier hesitantly. All except Fang who wore her signature grin.
" - freed you from crystal stasis early, in exchange for us baby sitting… them." Lightning motioned to all of the chibi Eidolons currently running amok in her house.
Chibi Brynhildr was playing tag on the kitchen countertops with the Chibi Shiva sisters, Stiria and Nix. Chibi Alexander was with chibi Hecatoncheir on the dining table, attempting to play a child's clapping game. Patty Cakes from the looks of it. Though with all of chibi Hecatoncheir's hands, that proved challenging. Chibi Odin and chibi Bahamut sat on the windowsill nearest Lightning's bed, having some sort of conversation which ended up with the chibi black knight patting the chibi white knight consolingly on the shoulder.
Fang's grin grew larger. "That's right Sunshine" the Pulsian huntress said. "I figured ya wouldn't mind that, as you'd be gettin' ta see us again." A smile.
"And just how long would we be watching them for?"
Vanille sweat dropped.
"She didn't say" Fang stated plainly.
Crystal blue eyes rose to meet emerald ones. Vanille swallowed unconsciously as Lightning glared at her Oerban partner. The last surviving Dia was certain that the look Lightning was giving Fang right now was not the I'm-happy-to-see-you-again kind of look, but rather more of a I'm-going-to-kill-you-painfully-and-slowly kind of look. Though, that was just a feeling of Vanille's, really. Perhaps that had something to do with the flames which seemingly burned in the pinkette's eyes. Or maybe it was the steam seemingly coming out of Lightning's ears. Vanille couldn't decide.
"Right" was all Lightning said.
CRASH!
Everyone jumped in surprise.
"Brynhildr!" Sazh scolded. "Bad girl! No throwing peoples' dishes at each other! That's dangerous! Stop that!"
Chibi Brynhildr, now inside one of Lightning's dishes cupboards, lowered the plate in her arms pouting. For the past few minutes, the twins had tried to steal her weapon. So chibi Brynhildr climbed into the cupboard to escape from them. When they followed after her, she resorted to the only thing she could think of at the time. Throw the closest things to her at them. Namely the plates.
Chibi Nix and Chibi Stiria snickered.
"Girls" Snow said. "Behave."
The Chibi Shiva sisters actually had the decency to look sheepish, clasping their hands behind their backs and looking away shyly.
"Sorry about that soldier" Sazh said. "I'll pay for that." The old man walked into the kitchen and proceeded to pick up the shards of broken ceramics.
Serah elbowed Snow in the ribs.
"I-I'll…" Snow swallowed nervously when Lightning's gaze fell on him. "I'll talk to them about playing nice Sis."
"I'm not your sister" Lightning said through clenched teeth.
"Maybe not ye-" Snow's words were cut off when he suddenly found Lightning's gunblade in rifle form pointed at him.
The reaction was instantaneous. Chibi Stiria and Chibi Nix darted towards Lightning hissing and squeaking. At the same time, Chibi Odin leapt off the windowsill and dove in front of Lightning to intercept the twin sisters. What resulted after that was a full out brawl between the chibi Eidolons, with Chibi Bahamut joining into the fray because it looked like fun and Chibi Hecatoncheir joining into the mix to try and separate everyone. Chibi Brynhildr and Chibi Alexander looked at each other blinking.
"ENOUGH!" Hope slammed his fist down on the table causing a reverberating thud.
Following the lead of his battle partner, Chibi Alexander leapt high into the air and curled into a ball as tightly as he could. Soon gravity took hold and he cannon balled straight down amongst the brawling chibi Eidolons. The resulting collision created a sonic boom which sent Chibi Bahamut and Chibi Odin flying into Lightning's feet and Chibi Hecatoncheir and the Chibi Shiva sisters flying backwards into Serah's lap. Chibi Alexander, unscathed, crawled out of the now visible crater in the floor. Lightning remained unmoved from her spot. Crystal blue eyes now narrowed at the dent in the floor.
Hope cringed when he spotted the damage. "We didn't come here to fight" Hope stated, avoiding Lightning's gaze. "We came here to figure out what to do next."
"What is there ta figure out?" Fang said, leaning back in her chair. Balancing the chair on its two back legs, the sari clad warrior propped her feet up on the table. "The lil' ones will be around for a bit. That's all there is to it."
"That's all there is to it?" Lightning's murderous gaze turned to Fang.
Vanille and Hope shrunk away from Fang in fear for their lives.
"Now, now" Sazh said reluctantly. He swallowed nervously when Lightning turned to look at him. "Let's be rational now. While it's a bit of a shock to have these guys suddenly appear to us, nothing bad-"
Lightning narrowed her eyes at the broken dishes in his hands.
"- n-nothing horribly bad- " Sazh stuttered, "- has happened so far."
Fang nodded in agreement. "And even if somethin' bad were ta happen, all we'd hafta do is use this device thin' here-" Fang pulled out a standard communication device from under her sari, "- an' call up Etro. She'll fix thin's in a jiffy."
"Say what?"
Six heads snapped towards the spear wielder.
"You mean to say you can just call up the Goddess on that, and tell her to fix things?" Sazh said in disbelief. "Just like that?"
Fang nodded, twirling the communications device between her fingers. It was similar to the device she once used in Palumpolum when they were on the run as l'Cies. "This 'ere is Etro's emergency hotline" she said with a grin. "Though I should warn ya-"
"Give me that!" Lightning snatched the device from Fang's hand. She immediately opened it up and activated the call.
"Uh Light" Fang said. "About the Goddess-"
"Shut it Fang!" Lightning snapped. Her head immediately perked up when the line connected. "Etro, this is Lightning."
"Light-"
Lightning glared at the Pulsian, effectively shutting her up. "We need to talk about this arrangement you made with Fang" the soldier continued.
"She really gets to the point, doesn't she?" Snow whispered to Serah.
Serah bit her lip as she watched her sister. All of the chibi Eidolons had stilled in the movements as well and also watched the scene unfold.
"Excuse me?" Lightning said incredulously. "Is this some kind of joke?"
Serah cringed. That was not a good sign.
"For someone so powerful, why don't you say that to my face-"
Lightning disappeared in a flash of light.
"Claire!" Serah exclaimed, jumping to her feet.
"Don't be gettin' yer panties in a knot" Fang said. She sighed, shaking her head. "She'll be back in a moment. Though, in what state, I don't know."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Hope asked wearily.
Fang chuckled. "Etro ain't quite how most people think 'er ta be."
"What exactly do you mean by that Fang?" If Serah hadn't been concerned before, she certainly was now.
Chibi Bahamut and the Chibi Shiva sisters snickered. Chibi Odin grimaced. Both Chibi Alexander and Chibi Brynhildr face palmed.
"Fang?" A ball of anxiety formed in the pit of Serah's stomach.
"Let's jus' say the Goddess has an amusin' sense of humor."
No sooner had Fang said those words, there was another bright flash of light and Lightning appeared back in the same spot she was originally. The soldier looked completely unharmed and unruffled, except for one thing.
Lightning was stark naked.
Serah gaped.
With nothing but her gunblade in one hand and the communications device in the other, Lightning slowly raised her gaze to the others.
"I tried ta warn ya Sunshine."
Vanille's face went scarlet, the redhead immediately turning her gaze away and slapping a hand over Hope's eyes. Hope didn't protest, the silver haired boy too stunned at the moment to react.
Snow's jaw dropped, for the second time today, his vision immediately darkening when a red faced Serah slapped a hand over his eyes. Fang just laughed. Sazh was the only one out of all of them, who tried to help the soldier by immediately taking off his jacket and quickly draping it around her shoulders with his face turned away.
"Y-You can give that back to me later" he said quietly, still looking away with cheeks red.
Chibi Bahamut, Chibi Stiria and Chibi Nix all erupted in laughter, the chibi Eidolons rolling on the floor unable to control themselves. Chibi Odin sighed, while Chibi Alexander and Chibi Brynhildr face palmed again.
Lightning gritted her teeth, clenching the communications device tightly in her fist. "Fang."
Fang stopped laughing to catch a breath. "Yeah Lightbug?"
"Start running."
For the inhabitants of New Oerba who had yet to rise so far this particular morning, they were startled awake by the sound of gunshots and a yelp.
