Disclaimer: I do not own FF7 pr FF13.

Lightning had never been one to care much for formalities, so she found it increasingly ironic that she would be the one to impose such harsh sanctions on any who would challenge her own authority. During her time as a l'cie, she had been too young and narrow-minded. For Serah, she was willing to do anything; even if that meant taking down the Sanctum regardless of how many lives were lost in the process. If it weren't for her friends, she probably would've continued down that path of self-destruction. The Fal'cie tried to control her. She didn't listen. When Bhunivelze had tried to control her, she grudgingly listened but that was because He dangled Serah as a bargaining chip right to her face. So in hindsight, it wasn't that much of a surprise that she would turn on Him. Not surprising at all.

However, now that she was in the seat of power, it would probably be more... efficient to recruit helpers the way the previous Etro had recruited her. A forced kidnapping, fed alongside a story of world destruction, tragedy, or any sort of impending doom; it had worked pretty well. It didn't serve her well to play the weak damsel pleading for help because she was not weakened in the slightest, nor was she above threatening people. The last thing she needed were more Hojos and inhumane experiments that put the survival of both their worlds in jeopardy just to further science. She understood why people would seek for knowledge, but to go to that extent was utterly mad. Although, in that same light, Lightning presumed that Tifa would be like any other knowledge seeking person. She could see the curiosity and unvoiced questions burning in those ruby eyes, just like that time in New Bodhum when Tifa had been dying to ask her the truth about Serah.

Lightning suddenly stopped midstep. The unintended reintegration of the fragment back into her own persona must be proceeding faster than expected if she would see the memories of the fragment as her own. That was... troublesome. For the time that she had before coming up with her contingency plan she had been devotedly piecing herself together, but after the stroke of brilliance or recklessness, Lightning wasn't too sure which, she had stopped. Her encounter with Sephiroth in the Forgotten Capital especially worried her, and in turn made her even more single-mindedly focused on her plan. The fragments now sat inside her like an unfinished puzzle. She had access to the emotions and feelings that Serah and Aerith would expect her to have, and thus could play the part to have people deceived.

Even now, the plan could go off unhitched with or without Tifa. She could choose Hope for that matter, but there was a preference for the black-haired woman. Hope's loyalty towards her was unquestioned, but he had seen too much to the world. It left him ragged in many ways; left him a man like Caius. Perhaps that was it; Hope's supposed love for her was simply a misinterpretation of his own loyalty, much like how Caius had so diligently cared for Yeul.

The portal cleared around her, leaving them in a deserted alleyway within Rocket Town. "Here we are." Lightning stated, turning to look at the gang, "We should find Barret quickly."

"Right." Cloud nodded firmly. To say the least, Lightning's surprised at how agreeable Cloud had been. He had done everything that she had asked of him. Was it at Aerith's insistence, or his trust in another pinkette in his life that was now a part of her? Whatever. It didn't matter.

"And just so we're clear." Lightning said, looking at Tifa and Yuffie specifically, "To Barret and Raines, I am not Etro. Just the Lightning they used to know."

"You asked me to keep a secret, and I will." Tifa breathed quietly.

"Good. Then I'll have to do my part too." Her clothes had changed just as fast as a flicker of light. The garb of the Savior was quickly replaced with her torn jeans and leather jacket. "Let's go."

"R-Right." Raising an eyebrow at Tifa's stammer, the pinkette simply brushed it off in consideration. Time was of the essence.

...

She looks just like her.

Tifa stifled a sigh at her own jumpiness when Lightning had abruptly changed her appearance like that. They were the same person; Tifa repeated that like a mantra in her head. It wasn't an easy fact to accept, but at least she was taking a step forward no matter how small. The memories from the Oracle Drives were the physical, hard truth. After gathering her wits and courage, Tifa had spoken to Lightning hoping that she wouldn't sound defensive or confrontational, but then she nearly balked when Lightning's clothes had changed and reverted to what Tifa had always seen Light wear when she wasn't in uniform. It wasn't going to be easy reconciling the two existences in her life that had played such a different role. On one hand she had her past lover, and on the other she had the murderer of her past lover... which were the same person. The more she repeated that in her mind, the more it sounded like some twisted suicide had taken place. "Tifa?" Listening to Lightning say her name again suddenly felt as if she was standing in front of the Light she had always known.

"Coming!" Tifa said, jogging slightly to catch up to the pinkette who was trailing a ways behind Cloud, Aerith, and Yuffie. She could see Aerith hide a giggle but pretended not to notice, and instead tried to cast furtive glances at Lightning.

"What is it?" Lightning had instantly asked, making Tifa flush at being caught so easily.

"I-I... It's just... you look like her." Stupid. It was a stupid thing to say. Tifa quickly reprimanded herself and felt the urge to hide in a corner away from the blue prying eyes. "Sorry, I shouldn't have said that. It's the clothes. Of course you look like her. You are-"

"Tifa," Lightning interrupted, dropping her voice just so only the fighter could hear, "before you finish that sentence, I want to talk to you later."

"Talk about what?"

"The thirteenth fragment, and... the moment before she died."

Tifa flinched and the pang of revenge rang through the hollowed hole in her life that had been there ever since Light's disappearance. "What... happened?" Tifa tentatively asked and took extra precautions not to let her voice break or waver.

"Later."

"Later?" Tifa hissed, darting her hand out to snatch Lightning's wrist firmly in an unrelenting and stubborn hold. "You think that after saying that to me, I'd just wait until later?"

"Tifa-" The pinkette tossed a glance over her shoulder at Cloud, Aerith and Yuffie who had yet to notice that they were no longer following.

"Tell me." The black-haired woman said lowly, "I've been left in the dark for three years thinking the worse. I deserve to know-"

"She asked me to love you in her stead." Lightning's whisper was soft and quiet, carried gently on the passing breeze. Yet it still made Tifa's feet stop and her heart seize in agonizing pain. Closing her eyes, Tifa fought the sting of the tears threatening to escape. It would be the first time she would've cried for Light. Even immediately after the soldier's death, Tifa had remained surprisingly calm. She didn't cry, not even a single tear, as if there was nothing to cry for. There was certainly sadness, and it weighed down on her like the end of the world. The pain of losing someone she had loved dearly had been the unfathomable truth in reality that she had desperately tried to flee from. Continuing to hope that Light was alive had been like drinking poison, and to finally hear about her final moments was the closure she needed.

"H-How..." Tifa's throat strangled to get the words out, "How did she die?"

"Fearlessly." The Savior breathed, "Peacefully. And proudly. With a smile, as if she had known all along."

Her grip loosened around Lightning's wrist, yet still kept contact. The strings of tension that had long been keeping her up snapped one by one as the realization settled in. For every death, the dying would fear of where they would go, and for their loved ones was the fear of whether there was ease or pain during the passing. Countless scenarios Tifa had imagined, and it weighed on her like metal chains coiled around her neck and shoulders. That was also why she could no longer wear the necklace that her Light had given her back then. "It would be just like her." Tifa choked and finally released Lightning, allowing their hands to drop back to their respective sides.

"Tifa-"

"Sorry." Biting her lip, the fighter took a step back and gave the pinkette who would share the same face of her lover a small smile, "Could you go on ahead? I'll... I'll catch up later."

An unwillingness to leave was stamped over every feature of Lightning's face, but perhaps she had realized the importance of space Tifa needed now. "Alright." Lightning nearly whispered, "I'll talk to you later then."

Tifa didn't dare voice anything. She only nodded. Lightning left her alone just as she had asked. A part of her wished that Lightning hadn't of left and chose to remain at her side like Light had back then when she had first caught Aerith and Cloud's kiss; even yelling at her for asking to be left alone. Yet she was also relieved that Lightning was gone. She didn't want anyone, especially Lightning, to see her cry. Finding herself at a mouth of a secluded alleyway, Tifa leaned back against the wall and hid her face in her hand. Ragged breaths hiccuped up her throat and the tears that she had long held back finally escaped. Knowing that Light had died in peace meant that Tifa couldn't cry for her, so instead she allowed herself to cry only for herself and her own loss. She cried for the first time in three years.

(semi-long author's note)

Yes, I know... it's an uneventfully short chapter with a hint of Lightning/Tifa.

I purely wanted to sort out Tifa's feelings. You'll notice that she addresses Lightning(LR) as Lightning, and Lightning(GC) as Light. It's a show of distance and the difficulty she has in viewing them as one person. To her, they're still very much two separate people. Having someone she loved suddenly disappear without a trace had left her in loss and in guilt. Not knowing Lightning(GC)'s fate for three years and fearing for the worse had been far more painful than knowing that she had died. At least now, she can find some closure and move on.

(Then I'll stop mentioning the fact that Lightning doesn't actually feel in many cases, and about Tifa's feelings/insecurities that I have been regurgitating for the past chapters. I got that feeling... or was that just me?)

Bad news: I probably won't be posting any new chapters starting next week until June. An emergency came up and I'll be whisked off to someplace with no internet connection... :( I'll still write if I can find time, but no promises for quick updates in June.