Author's Note: Yes, I am insane. Writing this chapter is much more fun than writing an essay about terrorists. :) My fingers kinda hurt from typing so much...But, oh well! Better than writing out the story in a notebook, and then typing it up. This way, it gets done faster!
Trying a different style here, too, again. Flipping through scenes, past/present stuffs. The usual.
You guys better love me for this, HopelessRomanticist and The Giant Daifuku!
R e v e n a n t
Chapter Eleven
Salvation
One day before...
"We're going to get his anima back, aren't we?" Penelo fidgeted with the end of her braid as she looked as the gloomy faces standing in the bridge of the Galbana. "I mean, Balthier can't live like this forever. It wouldn't be right to let him not have his soul for the rest of his life."
"If he lives long enough without it," Llyud added. "We aegyl, without our anima, live even shorter lives than we would with it. Balthier will not survive much longer without his anima."
Snow was pacing back and forth, and sitting on the railing, watching him boredly, was Balthier. Since returning to the ship, the sky pirate seemed to only follow Snow and Fran around, and didn't say a word to anyone. No one knew what to think of it, but Vaan had come up with the theory that Balthier would have been following Lightning around, but seeing as how she was an undead, he wasn't completely aware of her presence. She pretended to not have heard that.
"The gods be damned," the tall blond cursed, and he stopped his pace to turn toward the others. "I say we march back to Feolthanos and demand that he make Balthier normal again. This is the last time they ruin his life."
The Feol viera shook her head, her long hair spilling into her lap when she looked down. "Feolthanos will not listen to your hume-speak," she explained. "His ears are only worthy to those equal to him. Your words will mean nothing."
"I don't care! I'm not going to let anyone get in my way. I've killed gods before, so I can easily kill one again."
"You've never been killed by one, have you?" Lightning asked, glancing up from where she was sitting on the stair way. Everyone turned in her direction, surprised that she was even talking. "Balthier and I are the only ones around that've been killed by the gods, and we've been brought back to life by them, too. You don't know what it's like to go through life knowing that you're living on borrowed time. Someday, we're gonna have to give it back. And in this case, Balthier's time is up."
Snow slammed his fist against the controls of the ship, nearly denting the metal. "Don't say that!" he yelled, but she didn't even flinch. "I'm going to save Balthier, no matter what it takes! Maybe it's my turn to pay a visit to the afterlife, you ever think of that?"
"Then the world will be down one idiot. Whoopie."
"What's gotten into you, Lightning? I thought you would do anything to save Balthier. I thought you loved-"
"Shut up," she snapped, standing up all of the sudden. "You don't know anything, Snow! You don't understand what it's like to know that everyone you care about is going to die when you're still young! I'm going to have to watch all of you die, and I won't have the chance to save anyone! At least seeing Balthier die now is better than just waiting for him to leave me."
"So that's it?" Snow clenched his fists, eyes narrowed. "You're giving up, huh? What ever happened to the Lightning who wanted nothing more than to be happy? I guess she died that day on the Palamecia, and left with that damned Ragnarok."
Lightning's eyes widened at the sound of the name.
"Don't think we haven't noticed that look on your face every time someone mentions it. You loved that monster, didn't you?" When she didn't answer him, he pressed further. "You'd rather be with Ragnarok than Balthier. Is that it? Are humans not good enough for you anymore?"
"Snow-"
"I forgot. You're just an Eternal now. Maybe it would be better for you to just go back to Feolthanos, beg him to bring Ragnarok back and rule Ivalice and Lemurés with the thing. Better yet, how 'bout you go destroy Cocoon and Pulse, too?"
"Then I guess it's your job as 'hero' to get rid of me before I do." Lightning turned around and stormed down the stairs, not noticing the confused stare she was receiving from Balthier.
Present day...
"Lightning! Lightning!"
When the echo faded away, all they could hear was Snow desperately calling out for their lost comrade. Even Basch had to close his eyes, blocking out the screams. Feolthanos remained encased in his crystal, and Ragnarok bore its teeth at the humes standing at the top of the stairs.
"Where is she?" Snow yelled, raising the Sword of Kings toward the auralith. "Where's Lightning?"
Feolthanos said nothing. Ashe cast her eyes downward for a moment, and then she walked to the one standing at the front of the group. At seeing her standing there, Ragnarok bounded up the stairs and launched for the Queen. Snow blocked its path, his feet skidding on the floor as he was being pushed back. The others drew their weapons, though were still hesitant.
"It's me, Balthier!" he yelled to the beast, almost out of breath. "It's Ice! Don't you remember me?"
Ragnarok bit down on the Sword, unaffected by the so-called magick within it. And when he had a sudden revelation, Snow knew that, this time, he wasn't going to make it. He pulled away from the beast, smirking, and motioned for it to strike him down.
Lightning could feel her bones stitching themselves back together when her consciousness returned. The constant cracking didn't bother her as much as it usually would, but that was only when she had people watching her. Around her, somewhere, she could hear the mechanical parts of wheels turning moving in unison with her bones repairing themselves. When she opened her eyes, she knew where she was.
The two-faced Orphan was lowering itself into the pool of what she now knew was collected magick energy, and standing before it was Fang, her lance limply hanging from her grasp. Vanille was beginning to stir, waking up as well, and looked to her closest companion with fear. As Lightning looked to the others, her eyes stopped when she saw Balthier's barely awake form laying a few feet away from her. He pushed himself up, wincing when he felt the burn marks on his arms and adjusting the goggles on his forehead. He staggered to his feet, slowly walking over to the two Oerbans.
"Have you ever paused to consider our reason for making l'Cie of men?" Orphan asked the three, its wheel turning around and around behind it. "We fal'Cie are crafted for a single purpose and granted finite power to that end. With men it is not so. Men dream, aspire, and through indomitable force of will achieve the impossible. Your power is beyond measure."
As she gently felt her arms, checking for any injuries, Lightning kept her eyes focused on Balthier. Why was she in the past? Her clothes were what they once were, her old Guardian Corps uniform, and everyone else looked the same, too. Even Balthier, though he had only aged four years since leaving Cocoon the first time, looked so much younger.
"We take l'Cie," Orphan continued, "that we might wield such strength. Through you, we obtained freedom from our bondage. And now, your Focus alone remains." It raised its metallic arm, summoning magick. "Defy it, and all will be for naught."
Red, electric rings surrounded Vanille, shocking every inch of her small body and forcing her to cry out. Balthier stepped forward, his dark eyes big with terror, and Fang seemed to be too afraid to move to save her companion.
"Cocoon's sacrifice, and that of Ivalice as well. Yet," Orphan smirked twistedly, "if we but summon the Maker, we will be granted the chance to begin again. All our sins absolved, and the world - born anew!" It raised its arm again, lifting Vanille into the air as the magick continued to fly through her body. "Submit, l'Cie! Become Ragnarok! Lead us into the light!"
"Let her go!" Balthier exclaimed, running forward. Lightning tried to move to stop him, but her legs were still numb.
The fal'Cie's eyes laid upon him, narrowed and small. "We have no need of flawed humes."
"Orphan! I'll do it." He clenched his fists, staring at his feet. "I'll destroy you."
The rings around Vanille faded, and uttering a weak cry, she was thrown toward the floor. Fang managed to catch her before she could get hurt again, but Lightning quickly turned her eyes toward Orphan again. What was Balthier doing?
"Ragnarok. The will to guide a world unto oblivion." Orphan turned all its eyes on him. "Can you bear the sin of our salvation?"
"You heard me. I said, I'll do it!"
Vanille pushed away from Fang's strong embrace, stumbling toward Balthier and pleaded with him. "Balthier, you can't! Please, you can't break our promise! We promised to save Cocoon and Ivalice! We promised!"
The fomalhaut gun was aimed at her in a second, and Balthier turned his gaze away from her pitiful expression. "I made a promise, as well," he told her, his voice cold. "To ending this in my own way. Once I destroy Orphan, I'll return to my world." He faced her, and Lightning's heart would have stopped when she saw the color change in his eyes. "And then...I'll be free!"
Before he had the chance to shoot her, Lightning forced her legs to work again and ran for him. She wrapped her arms around his torso, and the two of them plunged into the pool of magick beneath Orphan. When she opened her eyes, she felt Balthier slip from her grip and fall deeper into the abyss. She tried reaching for him, flashes of the time Cocoon was crystallized appearing before her eyes, but he closed his eyes and allowed himself to fall.
Someone grabbed her by the neck of her shirt, pulling her back up to the floor. She coughed to get the water out of her lungs, banging her fist on the tiled floor and she crawled on her knees. Snow moved his hands away from her, something else grabbing his attention. Lightning looked up, wiping her eyes and shaking the water from her hair, and exclaimed, "Balthier-!"
The sky pirate was dripping with water, soaking wet, but magick energy was pulsing around him. He glared at the five l'Cie and one Eternal, his sharp teeth glittering all of the sudden. "This is my task," he breathed heavily, "and no one is going to stop me!"
He fired the fomalhaut once, and Mist erupted between the group of l'Cie before Lightning had the chance to run. She could feel her skin crystallizing, changing into that translucent material she hated so much, but someone was reaching for her, begging her to keep going. She took their hand, not caring whoever it was, and shut her eyes.
It was the sound of a Cie'th growl that pulled her back to reality - or, was it a dream, still? The deformed creatures rose up from their crouched positions, all five of them heading toward the sky pirate calmly standing in front of the fal'Cie. One of the Cie'th kicked a lance to the side, and Lightning wondered why she hated been turned into one of those fiends.
"All that I've done," Balthier whispered, dropping the fomalhaut to the floor. "Is this what you meant to happen? All of them...They're gone."
Orphan laughed as the creatures inched closer to Balthier, and Lightning had to look away when they started to slam their arms into him. But he didn't resist against their anger; he allowed them to hurt him. He was knocked to the floor, blood splattering from his lips as he coughed violently.
"And this...is what I get for choosing salvation?" he asked, his dark eyes searching for Lightning's face amongst the Cie'th. The creatures fell on top of him, and Lightning cried out for him when she saw his hand laying in a pool of blood beneath them.
"Stop it!" she pleaded, covering her ears as Orphan continued to laugh at them both. "Just stop it!"
Mist suddenly surrounded her pathetic form, burning her skin, her mind. She could feel its power seering through her bones, transforming her skin and body into something far worse. Her claws dug into the floor when she darted across the room, the Mist seething, and she roared in agony at the Cie'th. She had no control; the Cie'th were flung off of Balthier, and she knelt over him when the dust clouds moved away.
Balthier's eyes slowly opened, and his bloody lips parted into a smile when he saw not the face of Lightning, but the face of the incomplete Ragnarok staring down at him. But then, the life fading from his once daring eyes, his head fell back against the floor and his last breath left him.
"Salvation is born of sacrifice," Orphan called. "Miracles of misery! From shattered shards, a new crystal of legend will arise."
Lightning's head shot up at the sound of the two-toned voice, and she charged toward the being that had taken her life away from her. The magick shield shattered in her grasp, and she cried out when Mist stung her mind once more.
"Yes! Let anger be your strength! Despair! Despair and save us all!"
When the crystals flew away from her view, Feolthanos appeared in Orphan's place and held out his arms to her. Calling her to him. Lightning screamed, her mind already lost, and bit down on his neck.
Ragnarok disappeared in a flash of light when Snow dropped the Sword of Kings and fell to the floor. The towering auralith began to crack, and Ashe rushed to his side as they both looked up. The others stared up at it as well, but it was Llyud who was the first to look away.
"Feolthanos is falling," he said. "Which means the end is near."
Snow almost smiled, watching the Sword of Kings return to its original form as the ragnarok blade, and let his head rest of the Queen's shoulder.
"Where do you think they are?" Vaan asked. "Balthier and Lightning."
Penelo shrugged, her lips forming into a gentle grin. "Knowing them, they're already where we need to be. Waiting for us."
It was the soft feeling of the carbuncle's tongue against her skin that woke her up, despite the cold returning to her body as her skin healed. Serah pawed Lightning's ear when her eyes opened, and the familiar non-existent feeling of death came over her senses. She could feel the gentle flowers underneath her, and the fog caressed her hands. When she turned over onto her side, Balthier was lying next to her, almost like he was sleeping again.
"Balthier," she whispered, reaching forward and touching his face. His eyes didn't open, nor did he smirk at her like he usually would. Lightning rested her forehead against his, holding both of his hands in her own. She allowed her eyes to close, and the sounds of the mist crawling slowly left in silence.
Balthier's warm, soothing hand pressed itself against her cheek, drawing her close until their lips met. Lightning opened her eyes to his smirk, and she tried her best not to smile. She never was the best at hiding her feelings, unfortunately.
"Remind to never get into the gods' damn business again," he murmured, and Lightning couldn't help but laugh.
"I'll keep that in mind."
Feolthanos appeared from the shadows, stepping through the field and walking toward the pair as they stood up. Lightning kept a hand in front of Balthier, and Serah hissed quietly from where she stood at their feet.
"Eternal warrior from the other world, who walks with humes. Take up your sword. Face me in glory."
Her lips quirked into a tight scowl. "And what then?" she asked.
"Your anima will be mine."
"Really. Then you've got some problems you need working out." She pulled out her gunblade, stepping a few paces toward the winged god. "All you do is take and receive, expecting everyone to bow down to you...Well, guess what?" She raised her weapon and tilted her head to the side, seeing Balthier's smirk widen. "I'm not bowing to anyone!"
One more chapter, and then the epilogue~