A/N: If you're still reading, I gotta say, I'm really impressed. Thought that people wouldn't bother to read a noob's work. Haha, I felt so awesome getting my first reviews. =3 Thanks!

Now here's where we meet mystery purple man Caias. Didn't know whether to make him old-fashioned or all smooth talk…oh well. Guess we'll see where my brain goes.


Maybe it's just the fact that Valhalla is mostly dark, empty space, but being a goddess was far from exciting.

Odin and I continued onward through shapeless time, obviously for what could've been a milisecond or ten years. I missed the real world where I actually knew how much time had passed. And...how old was I? If Odin is as old as time itself...am I still twenty-one? Or am I twenty-four? Tch. Being a goddess is so much fun. Knight in shining armor, galloping on her trusty steed timelessly. Fun.

Until we finally reached a barren landscape, that is. City ruins could be seen in the distance. The sky was gray, and something about the air sent shivers down my spine. I halted Odin.

"A little ominous, isn't it?" I noted.

I would not be surprised if our luck turned unpleasant.

I sensed a battle coming. The wind picked up, and I felt another presence. I gripped Odin's blades a little tighter.

A foreign presence…a being from the past…

My senses heightened. This wasn't Odin's voice. The voice felt like…Bahamut. But this wasn't like the cry of the friendly, flying Eidolon I had seen come to Fang's call so many times. This voice was darker, like claws scraping against stone.

She wields Odin's blade…her existence is godly…so much potential...such a pity that she cannot rule this land…

"Who's there?" I demanded.

A swirl of purple smoke appeared, radiating the same energy I felt from Noel's wounds. A man stepped out, clad in tribal clothing like Noel. But much more intimidating and godly. This was undoubtedly the man Etro had warned me about. I just knew it.

"You," he snarled. His voice was a deep baritone, cold and calculating.

"Nice to meet you too," I snorted, narrowing my eyes.

"You are the one. You had ruined the future. You had contradicted the timeline. And because of your actions, the future is in chaos!"

"Heh. I didn't do anything, O mighty god. And who are you?" I asked.

"I am Caias, warrior god from what you know as the future." The man scowled. "And you seem holy and divine yourself."

"Pleasure. Name's Lightning. I don't take fancy to flattery. Might as well shut it."

"And so we shall address each other as we were destined to." Caias reached for his sword hilt.

"And address each other we shall," I muttered. "You talk like my Grandpa Farron, you know that?"

"Silence! Battle is a wordless warfare. Words are useless, but every flash of the blade pushes your opponent further toward Death's door. Remember that, Lightning."

I gritted my teeth. "Do. Not. Say. It. That. Way. Ever. Again."

"Warrior goddess…" Caias drew out his sword, revealing a smoking red stone in the hilt. It gave off red energy, magic activating. He yanked it out, brandishing the weapon heavily shrouded with purple magic. "Now we cross swords!"

I smirked, getting off of Odin, handing him his blade. I lashed out my own gunblade, slender but bright and silvery in comparison to Caias's sword.

He wasted no time charging at me, eyes blazing with fury. My blade was up in an instant, blocking his. It pulsed with energy, but I knew I had my own power. And I was fighting for my home too.

I directed flashes of lightning at Caias, trapping him in a tornado of electricity. But he emerged only with the slightest singe in his long hair.

"Is it peacekeeping to battle?" Caias taunted. My blood turned ice cold. He knew my intent. We had the same goal - to protect our families and time periods. In my moment of hesitation, he swirled his sword around, flying at me. It was so inhuman…but then again, he was a god.

Get a hold of yourself, soldier! Don't think, just do! I gripped my hilt, charging the silvery blade with sparks of frenzy electricity. My gunblade was a blur as I lashed out at the man. "(1) Invoke my name. I am Spark!" I felt triumph to feel my blade hit his skin, twisting around the man and blindsiding him. I summoned another deadly lightning bolt, this one charged with so much energy, it flashed pure white.

My battle cry matched the roar of thunder. My sparking blade hit home with a satisfying crack, and with another white-hot flash of electricity, Caias was hurled against the ground, creating cracks on the surface.

I strode over to where Caias's limp body lay. "I fight by my will to protect what I love. This battle is over."

I turned around, feeling victorious. One obstacle down, and one step closer to finding Fang and Vanille. I sheathed my gunblade, and strode over to Odin.

Lightning, he still stirs.

"Huh?" I stared at Odin. "I just beat the crap out of him. He shouldn't be able to move a thing."

"It is only the beginning," a cruel voice grumbled. "And Lightning, I have things I wish to protect too." I whipped around to see Caias standing again, wounds gone and energy restored. How…?

"Lose yourself in battle and rejoice!" Caias leapt and pounded a threatening wave of energy into the ground, directed at me. I pounced, flying over him and landing swiftly behind him, gunblade unsheathed while I was in the air.

"Impressive."

I rose from the ground, crouched in battle stance. "Save it," I snarled. We whipped around and crossed swords, sparks flying. I knew this was going to be a long fight.

After all, in a dimension that is timeless, a battle could last eternity.


(1) This is what's written on Lightning's original Blazefire Saber, in Cocoon script.