I'M SO SORRY FOR THE DELAYS!!! I WAS GOING TO UPDATE BUT I REALIZED I HAD TO WRITE IT'S JUST A CRUSH... WHY AM I TALKING IN CAPS?
Ahem. Sorry.
Anyways, I'm really, really sorry!! It's Just A Crush somehow took up all my time... D: Speaking of which, I need to update New Beginnings!! D':
Next possible update: Wednesday
I'll love you guys forever if you review. :D
.:Chapter Nine:.
The War
Two weeks later...
-Noctis-
War.
The preparing was easy, the waiting (on the part of the families) nerve-wracking, and the aftermath terrible.
Now it was the easy part.
The young Prince gazed out at his troops, all of whom were drinking and laughing to break the tension in the air. He wore his usual black shirt, black pants, and black boots – all the better to spread terror in the hearts of the enemy. Black usually associated with him and Death. The soldiers usually fled in terror the moment he appeared.
But this was different. This was Cocoon he was fighting, and they were known for their bravery on the field. They weren't afraid of anything. Many had said this before.
Especially when they had Lightning as their commander. She was ruthless when fighting. She would press her advantage. The last war with Cocoon told him as such – only he never knew who she was then. She had been the Red Warrior to his people. (Her cape and hair)
"Noctis Lucis Caelum, will you kill the assassin given the chance?"
Skylar's voice rang in his head yet again. Her own father thought she should be killed.
Noctis's insides curled in disgust and sadness.
"I will."
His own words taunted him now, his reply to the question. He knew he had to say that, but the moment the words exited his mouth, he wanted to take them back, but the bright light of the Crystal shone, binding him in an oath he never wanted to make. It was too late.
He turned away, and went back into his tent.
He needed a plan to get around the oath.
--
-Lightning-
She meditated in silence. Or at least, she tried to.
Her head was so full that it felt as though it would explode. Too late it was, to take back what she promised.
"You will kill him. The Prince."
"Yes."
"Do you promise this, Lightning?"
"I do."
She could, easily, she knew. Her fury towards him hadn't died down, but it had also awakened feelings in her she never dreamed she possessed. Many different feelings... jealousy... lust... or was it love? She didn't know these things anymore. She hadn't known them in the first place, anyways.
Her gun-blade rested in her lap. It was switched to gun mode so she didn't cut herself accidentally when she shifted in her place, an extra precaution.
Are you ready?
The voice, his voice, caught her off guard. Her eyes flew open, and she automatically cursed herself for doing so. All the outside noises flooded back into her ears, and hurt her head. She closed her eyes again and tried to calm her body down.
To keep her mind off the Prince, she began to run through the battle plans again.
Noctis never fought in the first battle – he always waited until the last moment to jump in and destroy everyone so as not to hurt his own troops with his power. He was never usually needed – the protection and strength he gave his troops were enough to keep them alive and fighting to the end. His battles were usually short – one or two hours at the most, then his troops will return home in triumph.
But with Cocoon, the battles were longer, a siege. Day and night they could fight, until the lot of them dropped from exhaustion. So he was needed here. To kill everyone that killed his troops.
When he came in, she would too, and prevent him from killing Cocoon's soldiers as they fought. She would be his distraction – she would leap in, dance away, and do it again. If she reached the point where she could kill him, she would. If she grew tired, she was to retreat with the forces.
She never grew tired.
A horn blew, sounding from far away. Then, it grew louder as one by one the spies sent the message back to base.
The Great Herd was on the move.
Once again, his voice whispered in her mind, Are you ready?
Tranquillity spread through her body, and she opened her eyes. I am.
The young woman untangled her limbs and strode out the door to watch the war.
--
-Noctis-
One, two, one, two, one, two.
The steady marching of his troops helped him to keep his mind on the business.
One, two, one, two.
His great black stallion pranced along to the rhythm, snorting and tossing his head. He had wanted to use a chocobo like his other cavalry if he was to be mounted (he hated riding other creatures, and he was fast enough, maybe even faster, on his own two legs), but his uncle had insisted that a black horse was more intimidating with its four legs.
Noctis patted his horse with his hand to try and calm it, and it tossed its head again. He could see it rolling its fiery red eyes, and smirked slightly. It was feistier than anything he'd ever ridden, and it was fun. In a really boring way.
Horns sounded from all around them, but he was used to it. He didn't need to kill the spies – let them stay. He didn't care about them, they couldn't do anything that would harm him and his troops.
He didn't actually needed to come, but he wanted to escort his troops to the battlefield.
The hill that led to the field was ahead. Noctis halted his horse, and dismounted, then tossed the reins to his commander. "Take the horse," he told him. "I don't need it."
"Yes, Highness."
Noctis bristled slightly, but didn't say anything as the man got off the comical-looking chocobo and mounted the fiery horse. Noctis took the chocobo's reins and led it away as the commander nudged the horse forwards, into the battle.
The Goddess be with you.
He had his own mission to accomplish now.
Find her.
--
-Lightning-
She stood near the battlefield, ready to intervene if necessary, hidden and well-placed. Her hand rested on the trunk of the tree next to her, and her icy blue eyes were fixed on the spot where the enemy would appear. She wore the whore-suit Vanille had begged her to wear, having relented only to shut her up.
Vanille would be watching right now, from the base. She was in Snow's squad, not Lightning's.
She would control gravity to suit her troops from here, and kill off any reinforcements that may arrive.
A sigh escaped her lips, and her fingers dug into the trunk of the tree.
Who chose a beautiful clearing as a warzone anyways?
She let her eyes wander over all the beauty around her, memorizing it before it truly became the warzone, and later the place of deaths.
Another horn blew.
She looked at her captain. He had turned to her troops, and were giving them 'the talk' that she usually gave to pep her troops. Then, there was a cheer.
A war cry came from the opposing side. Lightning turned to see their own Commander racing his horse back and forth, and he seemed to be pepping them up too. They were shouting the motto of the Royal House of Caelum: "Veni! Vidi! Vici!" (I came, I saw, I conquered)
Having no war cry of their own, Lightning's troops merely raised their weapons and cheered louder. The spearmen, who stood at the front to later make a wall of spikes, could easily be seen by Lightning.
Then, the cavalry began to run from both sides.
Lightning tensed as they clashed – she saw dozens fall, but couldn't see whose troops they were in the crush. They were all riding chocobos...
A hand caught her shoulder, and spun her around when she was still processing the movement. A pair of lips crashed down on hers, and together, the Prince and the legendary soldier fell to the floor. Noctis's hands tightened in her hair, holding her to him, and his body pinned down her limbs so she couldn't kick him as much as she tried.
But as much as he angered her, she couldn't stop herself from kissing him back.
--
-Noctis-
When he finally broke the kiss, he stared down at her as if shocked by what he did. She took the moment and shoved him off her, and got up, stumbling away from him. Then, she whirled, drawing her weapon.
Noctis got up too, looking dazed, and his eyes took in her fighting stance. He merely raised his hands in a temporary surrender.
"Lightning... please."
His tone made her angry again. "No! Get your weapons and fight me like a man!" she snarled, and her hand tightened on her gun-blade.
"Larielle, if I fight you, I'll have to kill you," Noctis whispered, lowering his hands. "I don't want to do that. The only way to go around the oath is to bring you back, to prove to them that you're innocent, that you're his daughter."
"I have no parents. Not anymore."
"You have one. My uncle. I lied. I'm sorry."
She glared at him.
"Please, Light, come back with me."
"I can't."
"You can! Please – I'll make sure you get the best damn cell there is until your trial. And I won't let you die."
Her mask cracked, and he saw the anger, the pain there. "I'm sorry, Noctis," she said softly. "But I can't. And I'm really sorry."
Then, she lunged.
Noctis parried the blow with the sword he summoned in time, and whirled to try and clip her around the shoulder. She leaped high into the air, higher than anything she'd done before (maybe she was just showing off for him, but she didn't know), and flipped backwards, neatly, into the field.
There were cries of shock as Noctis and Lightning fought their way into the middle of the field. They took no notice of the other fights around them as they leaped and whirled and transported around, each trying to dominate the other.
Noctis fought her back – she was playing the evasive card, dancing back and forth. He had to press her somewhere where she had to fight for real.
And then, there was a change in her, the moment he thought that. She whirled, and shot at him three times before leaping high into the air and landing behind him. Her legs tried to trip him, but he teleported behind her and sliced at her arm. A thin line of blood trickled down the wound, but she didn't seem to notice as, better than the best gymnast, she leaped from her vulnerable position on the floor and flipped high over his head, slashing down at it as he did.
He wanted to stop, to slam her into a wall or something to knock her out and bring her back. But the oath bound him, spurred him on.
They fought as if the steps were choreographed, their blades touching each other, maybe drawing a little blood, before the victim would pull back and fight again.
Finally, Noctis lunged forwards and knocked the gun-blade out of her hand with a single slap on her hand. It flew away from her, and they watched it fall far, far away.
She turned back to him, her gaze cold and accepting.
"Kill me, then."
She spoke as though from far away. Her voice echoed around the grounds, and all the soldiers stopped to watch the two stare each other down. Noctis rested the tip of his blade over her heart, ready to run it through. His own heart ached as he looked into her icy blue eyes. This would truly be the last time he would see them – at least this time she knew what he felt for her.
His fingers tightened on the blade, and he took a deep breath.
Lightning closed her eyes, and smiled.
She was ready.
There was a thud as Noctis's blade fell to the ground, and he fell to his knees in front of her. She opened her eyes wide and stared at the Prince, who had his head bowed before her. Lightning was shocked.
A gasp rose amongst the watchers.
"I can't do it."
Lightning heard the pain behind his voice, and she tensed. She knew they would be watching. What should she do?
"You do it. You kill me. Do it now, Light. Please. And make it fast."
He looked up at her, his eyes beseeching.
She trembled, and knelt in front of him. To hell with the promise. Noctis was more important.
"I wouldn't be able to do it too," she said softly, gently touching his face, ignoring the gasps of surprise that sounded all around them. "I wish I could, because life would be easier that way."
"Get. Away. From. Noctis."
Stella's voice rang out through the air, holding all the power and authority of a Princess. There was a click, and Noctis saw that her weapon was drawn and ready. She wore her training clothes, and she was here to kill.
Lightning whirled around, standing as she did. Her gun-blade was out and in her hands, loaded and ready to kill. She locked eyes with the new challenger.
"What fun," she murmured, and a volley of bullets followed her quiet words.
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Sorry, I'm sugar high!!! Mints tend to do that to me...
