Arms Wide Open Chapter 10
"Hope! Did you hear that?"
The teen jumps up at Lightning´s urgent voice, startled with the sudden break of silence. Before he can reply, they both hear a faint whimper coming from somewhere between them.
Lightning and Hope share a pointed look, as they try to find the source. The pinkette repeats the name louder, hoping beyond hope there might be a response.
"Michelle? Are you here?"
This time a muffled whimper is the answer, followed by a distinctive shush and what seemed to be struggle.
Lightning´s world seems to come to life the moment the sound reaches her ears, and her heart beats louder and faster. Enhancing her senses to their fullest, she finds the source right in the center of the room. Right below them, underneath the floor. The soldier and the teen look at each other, relief obvious in their stares, and Hope beams at her, as he points towards the floor. She nods her agreement.
They must be hiding in there.
The pinkette kneels down and knocks on the floor, until a hollow echo returns to her. There is a hideout perfectly concealed, and they have just found it.
Ah false door. This is the place!
She leans closer and speaks louder, as her hands ram through the wooden floor, trying to find the way in.
"Michelle! Answer me please!"
The struggling and whispering lingers, but no one is answering her.
"Michelle! Please! I´m not an enemy!"
Faint whispers it´s all she gets as a response. It´s obvious the kids won´t trust her, she doesn´t want to imagine what they had to witness… but they´re all running out of time. If she doesn´t find a way inside, she and Hope will have to leave… The soldier shakes her head in anger.
I won´t abandon them! There´s got to be a way!
Growing restless, her eyes roaming through the destroyed room, she suddenly thinks of Serah, and remembers the small school she and her dumb boyfriend had been building, giving many children classes on the beach, so that the little kids that had survived, would at least have some sense of normalcy. But… which are the chances that these particular kids were actually attending? Lightning growls, hushing her own doubts. It´s a long shot, but if it´s the only thing she has, she will use it. With renewed hopes, she yells at them again, trying to be reassuring.
"Michelle! I´m Lightning, Lightning Farron, I´m Serah´s sister! Do you know her?"
A pause, and then…
"Y-you mean Miss Serah Farron? The teacher?"
Lightning smiles. Her instinct proves to be right once again. It´s the voice of a boy the one answering her, and right after it, a girl´s follow its lead, as a baby´s cry make an echo of their screaming.
"Yeah! I know you! I know Miss Serah too! She´s my teacher! Please, Miss Lightning, help us out of here! Help mom and dad!"
Oh sweet Etro! Thank you!
Lightning is about to sob at hearing their little voices, but pushes her emotions down her throat. She needs to save them now, they need her strong and focused.
"It´s okay, don´t worry Michelle, I´ll get you all out." Hope kneels too and they both search for the door´s knob, finding nothing that could indicate the presence of a pommel or any other sort of opening mechanism.
"The person who made this hideout must´ve been an engineer, it´s a very good job." Hope whispers, obvious awe under his voice. "I can´t find the handle."
"I don´t think you should be that happy." The pinkette snaps, and Hope blushes, ashamed of his comment out of place. Frustrated, Lightning leans down again towards the floor. "Hey kids! I can´t open the door! You need to tell me how to do this thing."
"Oh but you can´t, Miss Lightning, it opens from the inside. Let me do it." It´s the boy talking, as she can hear movement from below, something brushing and clanking, and Lightning can breathe now, while she hears the little voices speaking with such energy.
They seem okay…
"Oh, oh…" The boy´s words send a shiver down Lightning´s and Hope´s back.
"What? What´s happened?" Hope asks, feeling a bit nervous.
"I… I think I broke the handle… it must be rusty…" The boy says, almost afraid to speak.
"Is there no other way out?" Lightning asks, anxiety once again building up on her heart. They need to get away from the house, now.
"I-I don´t know…"
"A-are we trapped?" the girl whispers, and starts to sob, as the baby´s cries become louder. "We cannot escape! We´re stuck in here! We´re gonna die!"
"Michelle… don´t do that, please…" The boy seems to be trying his hardest to be tough, but even with a broad floor separating them, Lightning can sense he´s breaking apart. She´s certain they must´ve heard their parents being murdered. The shock, the fear, and now this, must be unbearable for them.
"Miss Lightning, please! Take us out of here!" The girl begs, sobbing, and at the pleading, Lightning´s body reacts on its own accord, as her hands roam around the solid floor, followed closely by Hope, both trying to find a way to help them. With the sobbing of the siblings as a background sound, Lightning finally finds the hidden knob, but it apparently wouldn´t budge, the door closed from the inside. She pulls hard, then stomps her boots, then hits the door with her closed fist until they ache… she uses her knife and even her gunblade in sword form. But despite all her efforts, the door won´t open, and she´s only damaging the outside mechanism and making her wounds ache more, with no progress at all. Hope tries too with any instrument he can find, a knife, a piece of wood, anything. He even tries hitting the door with a chair. And it still won´t budge. They children are tightly secured inside the hideout.
And tightly trapped too.
In desperation, Lightning starts to form a plan, but it´s so wild and dangerous, she dismisses it immediately, and again searches around the room, using anything that gets in her way: a broken armchair, the leg of the chair, one of the legs of a bed, a box… pieces of furniture that could crack an opening or harm the mechanism of the door. But in spite of all their efforts, the door remains sealed. What is worse, the baby cries harder, and the children´s sobs also raise their level. She rises to go to the kitchen, eager to find another tool, but in between the noises the children are making, and the struggling pandemonium outside the house, Lightning notices something more, a new sound, that freezes her veins.
Gunshots. Of a heavy caliber weapon.
She stands still and forces her ear sense to its edge, hushing Hope´s struggling with one hand. The sounds repeat once more, and her eyes become like slits.
Gunshots of a Barrett rifle. And machineguns of 5 mm caliber or heavier… ex-PSICOM soldiers have finally showed up…
As stealthily as she can manage, the pinkette returns to the door, and, whispering, she locks eyes with Hope, trying to convey her worry but also their need to keep control.
"Ex-PSICOM has arrived. We´ve got to move fast."
Hope´s eyes widen in surprise and anxiety, and moves fast to seek something harder or bigger to crush the door open, but Lightning catches him by the wrist. He turns at her questioningly, and azure eyes meet his, the intensity of her stare making him understand one thing: Lightning has made a decision.
A difficult decision.
Without answering the fear and thousands of questions obvious in his stare, Lightning turns towards the closed and abused entrance, her countenance that of worry, but with azure eyes ablaze in determination, as her grip grows tighter over Omega Weapon´s handle.
The soldier knows that using her gunblade would be extremely dangerous for the kids, but she cannot see any other choice, and they´re running out of time. She´s well aware the enemy army has fallen upon them sooner than she had expected.
"Hey kiddo!" the pinkette yells at them, trying to snap them out of their desperation, and maybe hers too, "what´s your name?"
Sniffling, the boy makes a sound, as if standing up. "It´s Raki, Miss Lightning."
"Okay, Raki, I´ll tell you what we´ll do." She inhales deeply, gathering her wits. "You three have to stand as far away from the entrance as you can. I´ll shoot at the knob, making it open by force." Hope´s eyes widen in terror, but Lightning ignores his reaction. She has to take the children out of there, fast. The kid has fallen silent too, apparently understanding the implications.
"Raki?" The pinkette pushes the topic, a warning in her voice, "you should know there´s a level of danger in this plan. I cannot see you, thus, if you don´t step away from the door far enough, I might hurt you." The silence lingers a bit longer. She can sense they hesitate just like she does, but as much as she hates to put them in such peril, there seems to be no other way out. She has reached a decision, and hopes they will go along with it.
"Raki? I´ll be here for you, I promise. I´ll protect you all once you´re outside, but you have to help me, we need to leave this place soon. Together. I only need you and your sister to step away from the door as far as possible. Can you do that for me?"
A pause, but then the kid´s firm voice reaches the soldier´s ears. "Yes, Miss Lightning. We´ll be okay. Just take us with you. Don´t leave us trapped inside this cage."
Desperation. The boy is close to tears, begging, the breaking of his voice makes it obvious for the soldier that he´s making his best effort to appear strong in front of his younger siblings.
He seems to be too young for this…
There´s a sad familiarity in their plight, one that she recognizes from her own past. But before any other astray thought distracts her, the pinkette blinks and prompts her body into action.
"Okay, lad. Hold onto the little ones. Here it comes!"
Silently, Lightning prays to all the Gods and even some demons she knows about, to protect those children, as she aims her weapon to the rotten and abused entrance. For the first time in a long time, she feels her hand shaking before shooting.
BLAM!
She has never heard a gunshot so loud, as it resonates inside the dark house. The girl and the baby scream at the top of their lungs, so loud that Lightning grows terrified that she might´ve hit them.
"Are you kids ok?"
"Yes, yes, we´re fine." The boy answers, as he soothes the younger ones. "They just got scared." By the way his voice is trembling, Lightning is well aware that his nerves suffered a price too.
"Help me out here, Hope."
Using all the strength she has on her arms, paying no heed to the pain in her back, Lightning, aided by Hope, removes the sheet of broad wood that covers the entrance of the hideout, and as soon as she extends a hand to help the kids out, little fingers trap her own. She pulls hard, although feels impressed by how little this young one weighs. Once the child holding her hand is out of the hole, Lightning can see there is actually not one, but two holding onto her. The little girl, with blond hair and deep blue eyes, height close to a 4th year old, is carrying a baby in one arm enveloped in pink robes, probably a couple of months old and obviously her baby sister, while with her free hand holds Lightning´s wrist with all her strength, her battered and ragged summer dress barely protecting her from the chilly wind. It would seem she did have a close encounter with the Luminous panther, and thanks to her parents, lived to tell the tale.
"There you go girl, don´t worry, you´re safe now." Lightning smiles at the girl, trying her hardest to reassure her, while at the same time takes the blanket Hope is offering her, and uses it to cover the baby.
The child looks at the woman directly into her eyes, but almost immediately the little girl gives a couple of quick steps backwards, slapping free of the woman´s grip, her blue eyes stained in fear at seeing the soldier´s bloodied and ragged appearance. Lightning is confused at first by the girl´s reaction, but follows her line of vision, and a quick glance at herself makes her understand the reason of the child´s distress. The woman smiles and, slowly, as if not wanting to shoo her, extends a hand towards the little girl, trying her best to reassure her.
"It´s ok, Michelle… I´m not going to hurt you. I´m here to protect you and your baby sister."
The girl doesn´t move and seems to be close to tears, her fearful blue eyes fixed on Lightning´s form, as she protectively holds her sister closer.
"Please…" Lightning insists, "I´ll take care of you." Her plea is met by another step further away, and the woman changes tactics, as she remembers the emotion in the girl´s voice at hearing about the youngest Farron. "Hey Michelle! Do you wanna know something? Can I tell you a secret? I took care of Serah when she was a little girl, small like you." A thin eyebrow rises, followed by a questioning and curious stare, which gives Lightning a ray of hope. "And, let me assure you, she used to be a very mischievous little girl."
Her words ignite the girl´s imagination, and Lightning can almost see her little brain roaming over images of a little pink haired one making mischief. The haunted look in the girl´s eyes changes into one of curiosity, and, hesitantly at first, the girl gives a small step closer, and Lightning beams happily at her. The woman has found the weak spot.
"Miss… Miss Serah used to be…?"
"Yes Michelle, a little devil, if you ask me. She always did all she could to make some new devilry. And always found a plan to get away with it." A faint smile reaches the kid´s features, as she pictures her strict and sometimes grumpy teacher as a little demon. The girl is now a step away from the pinkette. "That´s it… if you come closer, I can tell you all about my sister´s mischiefs…"
The husky, pleading voice that speaks of tempting promises, ignites the child´s innate curiosity and, somehow, soothes her at the same time. Once Lightning takes her by the hand, the touch breaks the little girl´s remaining strength, and she starts crying once again as she throws herself at the pinkette, taking a strong hold of Lightning´s neck, while the girl cries out loud all her terror and relief, both at the same time. As soon as Lightning has her close, she takes the baby with one arm, while with the other takes tight hold of the girl´s body, securing the little one in her arms.
"Shhh… it´s ok, Michelle, it´s ok. I´m here, I´ll protect you both. I won´t let any harm come to you." She pays no attention to the breaking of her voice. For a reason she cannot comprehend, her own emotions are going rampant too.
The baby lies crying, safe on Lightning´s arm as she´s pressed against the soldier´s breast, though she seems to be calmer than before, her crying losing a tint of desperation it once held. Her heart breaking with thousands of encountered feelings, Lightning is only able to do the one thing she can do: allow them time to release their emotions. Her wounded, exhausted and aching arms hold the tiny bodies against her own; though gently at first, she holds them closer, their small frame allowing her to realize how delicate they truly are, almost making her afraid of breaking them. But as their emotions travel through the pinkette´s body, Lightning tightens the embrace, seeking to reassure them, struggling to give them the confidence she doesn´t have. The pressure makes the little fetus to move inside of the soldier, and she prays she can give him comfort enough too.
A moment passes by, the three tightly entrapped in the embrace, comforting each other, until the girl finally lets go, and in between hiccups, she speaks the greatest concern her childish heart can accept.
"Will… will you really tell me… all the mischief Miss Serah made… when she was like me?"
Lightning can´t help but chuckle at her words. The girl is absolutely adorable. "Of course I will, Michelle. I don´t break my promises."
"Thank you for helping us."
Raki´s voice takes Lightning´s attention away from the girl, and she turns to see the boy. Opening her eyes wide, the soldier is impressed by the boy´s youth, not matching the determination that she heard embedded in his voice. With flustered dark hair falling over his blue eyes, his countenance can barely contain the terror inside his soul. The kid wears a pair of ragged jeans and a small white T-shirt, though no blood seems to be tainting the clothes. He looks close to crying, but the pinkette can see he´s doing his best to hold his ground.
"Raki, how old are you?"
The boy fidgets under Lightning´s deep stare.
"Six." The word, said almost like a whisper, still staggers the soldier and the teen, and they both finally notice the heavy weapon the boy is carrying in his left hand. A .357 caliber magnum, a gun definitely too big for such small hands; but what impresses the soldier the most, is that such large and heavy weapon is being held firmly and determinedly.
Lightning fixes her stare upon the boy, and softly makes him turn to look at her straight in the eye. "You´re a very brave kid for such a young age. I´m sure your parents are very proud of you." The image of the broken corpses in the living room strikes her memory, as the boy´s face illuminates by a sincere smile.
"Y-you think so?"
"I´m sure of it. I know it´s not fair, but now I need you to be strong again, for your sisters. We need to get out of here, and I want you to help me. Will you do that?" The kid nods lightly at her. Azure eyes still fixed on smaller ones, Lightning extends a hand towards the gun. "I think I can handle this." Softly, but firmly, she takes the weapon by the barrel, and pulls at it, meeting the boy´s soft resistance.
"B-but… this is my dad´s gun… he… he gave it to me. To protect my sisters. And then… and then he went to help my mom…" the saddest face Lightning has ever witnessed is drawn on the kid´s countenance, a pout so deep, he seems close to crying, but is able to hold his ground.
Reassuringly, Lightning places a hand upon Raki´s shoulder, trying to comfort him, but wishing with al her might that he won´t ask nor say anything further about their parents.
"And I promise I´ll give it back to you. But let me be the one to make all the shooting. You´ll need both arms to hold your sisters."
Raki takes a glance at his baby sister resting on Lightning´s arms, and then sends a questioning look at the other girl, Michelle still shedding silent tears, though she nods at him her approval and trust to the woman. No more words needed, the boy hands over the weapon. Not losing eye contact with the boy, she takes the gun almost ceremoniously, and then turns towards the sliver haired teen, handing him the little baby.
"Hope, it´s time to go."
Lightning rises from her kneeling position and addresses the teen, but as she does so, the kid´s eyes open wide in astonishment, as his eyes take a large glimpse of Lightning´s prominent belly.
"You… you´re pregnant!"
"Mh?" The pinkette turns to look at the boy.
"Oh! It´s true! You´re pregnant, Miss Lightning!" Michelle yelps, very pleased at the discovery, the turn of events almost making her forget the plight they´re in.
Lightning can´t help but smile at the words of astonishment. Both kids seem to be out of themselves by the news. But they´ll have time to rejoice together. The kids need to be conscious of the danger that surrounds them.
"Yeah, I am. We still need to go."
"But I need to protect you!" Sheer determination is drawn in Raki´s face as he stamps his foot in front of her, the eagerness in his voice makes Lightning look at him with disbelief.
"What?!"
"Daddy always says that men should protect their women, especially when they´re pregnant." It´s Michelle the one intervening in the conversation, with a tone that would seem she´s in teaching mode.
The soldier can´t believe her ears, as an unspeakable urge of massaging her temple falls upon her.
This cannot be happening…
"Lightning…" Hope prompts her, as he nervously glances at the window, his heartbeat racing at the sight of many shadows in the beach passing by in front of the house.
How could I explain them…?
The tall woman kneels in front of the kids, hopping to choose the right words to say.
"Well, let me put it this way, there´s one thing you´ll have to learn for sure. Women can protect their men too." Both kids send questioning looks at her statement, the boy´s countenance holding a tinge of disbelief. "We women are men´s partners, we do not depend on them. That we depend on men is something our parents have taught us, but it´s not true. Men and women hold different roles in the family, but women are as strong and determined as men are. Sometimes even more. So Michelle, as siblings, you have to protect Raki too. He´s your partner now, alright? And partners in battle, always take care of each other."
The girl turns to meet her brother´s eyes, a spark of hope forming on her countenance. "I… I can?"
Lightning nods, a smile showing through her lips. "Yes, you can. You can even protect me, or Hope." At the mention of the teen, the little girl looks at the silver haired one, and a faint blush forms on her cheeks. Lightning decides to take note of it and save it for later. "I promise later on I´ll explain this to you both better and widely. But right now, we have to leave." Lightning takes one little hand of each of the kids. "I need you to trust me, and help me get through this situation. Help us all."
Though Raki doesn´t seem too happy by the turn of events, the little girl´s features lighten up in sheer delight, as if she had been told the best secret of the world.
Having taken care of the topic, Lightning turns to meet Hope´s eyes, and the teen nods his understanding. No words needed, he leans down and carries the girl and the baby in each arm. With both girls tightly secured in his grasp, he walks determinedly towards the kitchen´s backdoor, as Lightning readies her weapon with one hand, while she uses the other to take the boy by the hand, following Hope closely. The group is just a few steps from the door, when they hear the door in the living room opening slowly. With a single gesture, Lightning orders the rest to lay low behind the counter, pushing Raki closer to Hope, as she retraces her steps and peeks around the kitchen door. There, faintly illuminated by the moonlight, are the silhouettes of three men, the high caliber rifles evident on their hands, as they advance slowly through the living room, pointing at every corner, a flashlight guiding their steps.
Damn! We´ve got to get out of here!
She turns to join the others, when suddenly a loud crash envelops the air, followed closely by the baby´s anguished cry. Lightning spares a single look towards the children, noticing pieces of a broken cup, and Hope and Michelle doing their best effort to comfort the baby. The pinkette turns immediately her attention towards the living room, where she can now see all the lights pointing at the kitchen door. The soldiers have heard the noise too, and are approaching fast.
"Right…"
Though the bleeding of her injuries has stopped, the pain still obstructs her movements, slowing her speed. They´re in deep disadvantage.
They´re just three men. I can do this.
Omega Weapon opens up in blade form. She cannot allow the battle to be long ranged, the stray bullets could hit any of the kids by mistake. The thought makes her look at the small group trying to hide, and various sets of terrified eyes look straight at her. Lightning nods at them, trying to be reassuring, and as her attention turns back to the enemy, she feels faint movement from within her. Her growing tension is carried through her bloodstream and into her baby. In silent apology, she caresses the skin through the abused fabric, hoping to calm the little one.
This´ll have to end up fast.
She exhales slowly to focus and keep her body under control, her weapon resting eagerly at her side, as every muscle and joint tenses in anticipation, ready for the attack.
But before she can jump into action, the flashlights fall to the ground one after the other, the room enveloped in darkness once more, and muffled sounds of battle are the only things that meet Lightning´s group, as grunting and crashing noises fill the house. Lightning, even though she struggles to see through the darkness, can only distinguish shadows coming and going in a blur of movement, a single yell escapes, as more crashing and strikes are heard… and then, after a moment, nothing more.
After a few seconds of silence, she slowly raises from her spot, determined to have a better look at their savior, when a dark shadow a few steps from her mimics her movements, and she crouches fast, azure eyes fixed in the figure. From her position, she can notice long, wild hair moving with the wind that enters through the window, and a sense of relief washes over her.
"Fang? Is that you? Finally you decide to show up!"
As a response, the figure turns around slowly, and warning bells ring on the pinkette´s ears. The way the shadow moves definitely doesn´t fit her best friend´s feline movements, but somehow, it´s not completely foreign to Lightning either. Her heartbeat runs fast, and Omega Weapon turns in gun mode, as Lightning points at the dark figure.
"Who are you?! Show yourself!"
The figure rises ever so slowly, and from her stand point, Lightning can see it now: the form of a man, a tall man, with long hair wild upon his broad shoulders, and a movement of his hand exposes a large, intricate weapon, with a small red light on the base of it, as if it were…
Azure eyes open wide in terror, only to become like slits in a wave of fury.
No! It´s impossible!
"Warrior Goddess. At last my eyes can see you."
The deep voice prickles her ears and her body reacts on its own, Omega Weapon coming to life in sword form, as she swings the blade with tremendous speed and force in spite of the pain that the effort elicits, but the blade cuts only air, as it whistles in protest, the man´s frame appearing away from her grasp. Lightning grunts at the pain, and seeks once again to hurt him, but once more he moves away from her blade, with no obvious intent of returning the aggression. With a flick of her wrist, Omega Weapon transforms into gun mode, and she points the barrel at the newfound enemy, while at the same time, with her free hand Lightning searches for the lights. The man stands still, evidently looking straight at her. The pinkette finally finds the switch, and as the lights turn on, her jaw clenches in anger and anxiety. The figure of her sworn enemy appears in front of her.
Caius Ballad.
Her gun still pointing at him, and his sword rested on the floor, they stare at each other for a full minute, until she sees his dark eyes following down her figure, taking in her blooming belly, as well as her battered and bloody frame, and the shadow of an emotion crosses through his face, but disappears so fast, that Lightning for a moment thinks she might´ve imagined it.
The man remains motionless, both palms facing forward, violet orbs slightly open like slits, as they remain fixed somewhere in her lower body, as if he couldn´t decide his next action, as if he were containing a reaction. But at the same time the woman realizes his hesitation, the man, her enemy for thousands of years, falls on his knees in front of her, the emotion obviously too overwhelming to bare, as a few words escape from his lips, words she would´ve missed if it weren´t for the absolute silence that reigns over the house.
"Oh Mother Etro… she looks…"
The context of his words is too obvious to ignore, and it makes Lightning blush faintly, but angrily she pushes aside her feminine reaction, and fixes the aim of her gun towards the head of the kneeled man.
"What´s the meaning of this, Caius Balad?"
He closes his eyes to regain control over his emotions, and rises from the ground, aided by his sword. His movement sends screaming warnings to the soldier.
"Stop right there, Caius! Don't you dare to move!" She orders with her strongest voice of command.
He stands still once more, unmoving in front of her, eyes slowly opening, following the trail for her body. Lightning feels offended by this, and gives a threatening step forward, but the moment his eyes comeback to hers, she can notice they´ve softened up, and a faint smile breaks the harshness of his features.
"You´ve never been more beautiful than this, Warrior Goddess."
"Flattering will get you nowhere." She hardens her voice a tad more, but is unable to contain the way the blush over her cheeks grows deeper at his compliment. "You´re supposed to be dead. What are you doing here?"
A small chuckle leaves his lips as a response. He had been expecting this reaction, but it does nothing to minimize his determination, as his eyes remain locked with hers. "Be patient, Warrior Goddess, for all the answers will come to you. I show myself in front of you with a mission. I´m here simply to deliver a message."
"Then speak up and take your leave. We´re busy here, as you can see."
His smile is enigmatic, and he gives a single step towards her. Lightning perceives the movement as a threat, and tightens her grasp upon her weapon, even though something in the back of her mind tells her the movement isn´t completely menacing.
"Don´t you even dare…"
He raises his palms in a conciliating gesture, his eyes never leaving hers.
"I´ve come in peace, Warrior Goddess, with no intention to harm you or your friends. I just want to deliver the message."
A delicate eyebrow rises, distrust evident on her face. "I repeat myself. Speak up and take your leave, I don´t have time for this. And one more thing: I´m no longer a Warrior Goddess. Keep that in mind."
He smiles sadly this time. "Though I´d love to release the heavy weight from my shoulders as soon as possible, I cannot. I need your time and your full attention, but more importantly, we don´t need witnesses. I need you to follow me into the woods."
She snorts. "That´s not gonna happen anytime soon. And you know it."
"What if I offer my help, then? You know we´d be invincible together, even against this army you fear so much. What if I join your side in battle? Would it earn your trust? Would you give me some minutes just to hear me out?"
Lightning hesitates. She does need help, she knows the danger they´re in, and how hard it would be to take this children to safety, not to speak about winning the war. She´s well aware there´s a high possibility her strength and determination might not be enough this time. The wounds in her shoulders and back speak up, as if trying to prompt her into an affirmative decision.
But, that would mean to trust my enemy…
She looks deep into his eyes, into the slight eagerness seen through the artificial light that envelops them, and the pinkette cannot see real deceive behind them. Still, there are wounds that go too deep to forget. Or forgive.
"Don´t take it personally, but I really can´t trust you, Caius. I can´t take the risk of your betrayal."
He slowly lowers his hands, his eyes trying to pierce azure ones.
"I´ve never been treacherous to you. We´ve been enemies, hated each other if you want, but you have nothing to say against my honor."
"Still, one doesn´t change sides the next day. Goodbye Caius, I hope I never see you again."
Lightning slowly walks backwards, her aiming still locked on the man´s figure, while Caius just observes, patiently, watching silently as she takes her leave. Once she reaches the children, she takes Raki´s arm with one hand, prompting the rest closer to the door.
"Don´t you dare follow us."
"I can help you, Warrior Goddess." A desperate attempt, but one that falls over a hardened heart.
"I know you could, but your loyalty is doubtful. I won´t take chances with the likes of you. I mean it, Caius. Don´t you dare follow us."
Another step and Caius makes a last effort.
"If you need me, you just need to call my name. Be certain your plea will reach me."
"Don´t count on it."
She gently pushes the children through the door, azure eyes never leaving dark ones. The man doesn´t move, but keeps his sight locked on hers, no expression on his face. As she gives two steps outside the house, Lightning grows restless. Her senses are screaming again, even though the man in front of her remains immobile, eyes fixed, while he´s once again being enveloped in darkness. But she knows what he´s capable of, so the barrel of her gunblade lingers pointing at his head.
Once the door closes behind her, with a fast motion she aims towards the dark street, seeking for any danger, when suddenly her ears resonate with the deafening sound of gunshots, and as her muscles contract in anticipation, she feels three strikes over her chest, with such strength that make her back crash over the door, and at the same time, a blinding pain takes her breath away, while her chest burns suddenly in a blaze of torture.
"Lightning! No!"
After the surprise attack, she feels like moving in slow motion, as she watches Hope in front of her, green eyes open wide in disbelief and terror, the intensity of his gaze making her follow the path of his stare. As if watching through a glass, she sees blood copiously pouring down her chest, and a hesitant hand, one that doesn´t feel like hers, reach up to touch the wound. With a foreign sense of detachment, Lightning witnesses the way pale, long fingers are immediately dampened in crimson.
Is it… my blood?
Like from a distance, she can feel her belly moving and turning desperately, anxiously, but Lightning is too stunned to react, too bewildered to take action. She´s starting to enter in shock.
She cannot understand the sudden turn of events, even though breathing becomes painful and laborious as the seconds pass by; her knees buckle bellow her, but the pinkette refuses to give way. She gives a few hesitant steps to stabilize herself, her eyes oddly glazing, when she notices several shadows behind the teen, as he fights to release himself and run for her aid. She can´t see the children in this darkness. Lightning struggles to focus her sight, while the figures take the colors of ex-PSICOM uniforms; fear and anger mix inside her heart, while her mind catches up to her and she starts to understand the sudden turn of events. She´d love to scream in rage, but her throat is too dry; no matter how much Lightning tries, no words leave her mouth whatsoever.
But she can still fight.
Slowly, painfully, she raises her gunblade to take aim on her new enemy, and watches in a mix of anger, fear and disbelief, as two of the ex-PSICOM soldiers fix their aim towards her as well.
She smirks, the full irony of everything falling upon her like an avalanche.
At least we´re not going alone.
Her knees finally give way, and as she falls, the scream of gunshots fill the air, and though she recognizes her own shot, she´s well aware the heavy weaponry has spoken too. Her blood boils while she feels like breathing fire, and her fall becomes an eternity, as she struggles to keep her eyes open, a raging war against the darkness trying to envelop her, the ghastly reality finally dawning on her.
I can´t lose you, baby! I can´t lose you! You have to live!
OOOOooooooooXIIIoooooOOOOOO
Author´s Note:
AAAAAhhhhh Goddess! Finally! I´m really sorry for the delay, but life´s been sooooo… well, interesting, lately. Totally out of my comfort zone, to put it like that. I´ve even been on Holly Land! Yay! A trip totally recommended!
But what´s really taking all the time from me is my beautiful baby girl and, well, work. It´s been very interesting, learning the procedures of things I´ve never even dreamed of, completely different from what I went to college for, but unfortunately takes all my time and strength. That said, I´m really, really sorry for the long hiatus, I´ve been living with these ideas for months now, without being able to put them in words, until now. Hope you enjoy it and thank you so, so much for all your patience and trust! You guys make this dream a reality!
On another things, here´s the answer of an unsigned review:
Tinysnowflakes:
Oh I just ADORE Squall! He was the first Final Fantasy character I fell in love with! (Well, actually, the only one, if you don´t count Lightning, hehe), I´d love it if he were the father! But… well, you´ll just have to wait for the answer to that, sorry! Don´t worry about me, I fangirl all the time! So you´re welcome to do it whenever you feel like it! Thank you so much for your comment! I´m so happy you´re liking the story!