Disclaimer: I do not own FF7 or FF13.
He was never a man of superstition. Although he was well aware of the existence of summons and spirits, for some reason, coming across someone who claimed to be 'possessed' left him a bit winded. This time though, it wasn't just someone. It was Lightning, and Lightning wasn't one to bend unwillingly to anyone's whims. It was only if they had her by the throat that she would listen, but even then, one needed to be wary because at every opportunity Lightning would seize the chance to rebel. It was simply her nature. After losing her for two years without even a whisper of whether she was alive or not, and having her suddenly reappear had left him bitter at the treatment. They were superior and subordinate, he wanted to think that they were friends, and he wondered that if he were Jihl, would he had known. Then would he be just as mad as Jihl at the idea that Lightning was being controlled by someone else? By something they can't see or place any scientific quantity or explanation behind? He refused to think that Lightning had gone mad in the past two years, so he had to grudgingly accept this 'possession.' However, this ghost's words didn't escape his ears in the midst of his suspicion. Lightning had led him to his private office on the Lindblum, making him wonder if this 'ghost' had access to Lightning's memories and requested to speak with him privately, something all of AVALANCHE had conceded to.
"The Northern Crater?" Raines echoed with false bravado. There was something about this presence that seemed to strip him of his strength; to make his knees buckle and his head bow. He could attribute this sensation to the distance in the misty pale teal eyes that nearly appeared unseeing, or how her face and body lacked all revealing subtleties of her mental state that made her human and thus exploitable. Reading people and manipulating them like chess pieces had always been something Raines had prided himself on being as skillful as his ex-PSICOM counterpart. The Lightning in front of him was like a clean slate, and he may as well be staring at a piece of rock in search for any explicable emotions.
"I do not require you to do much. Simply to distract and divert."
"Distract and divert what?"
"The monsters that had attacked Edge, Kalm, Nibelheim, and Midgar had targets. There will be more." Lightning stated, "They're resting in the Norther Crater. Waiting. I will not have them interfere with our fight against Sephiroth."
"So you want us to handle those monsters?"
"You have enough men." The rosette narrowed her eyes on Raines, "The severity of this battle is beyond your comprehension. I cannot be explained by science or logic, but I simply exist. You may choose to purge me from Lightning's body, but what you fail to realize is that she and I are connected. As long as she lives, I live. If she is strong, I am strong. This is a fight that she will see through to the end and I am as equally determined. You may weigh your options, but they are nothing but an illusion. You have no choice. Sephiroth will destroy the world and everything you have done for your name would be for naught. I am surprised... and disappointed." Her eyes were piercing; striking Raines were he stood, "Either out of vengeance or foresight, it does not matter, but Jihl had known. Her last order to Lightning was to ruin Sephiroth. Then is it true then? What you lack in resolve, you lack in talent? It is certainly well awarded to be careful, after all, you are alive and Jihl is dead. However, if you are too careful, then you will never be able to surpass what she has accomplished."
"I have never compared myself to Jihl." Raines hissed furiously at the insult and accusation.
"Lightning's memories are also mine now. Once I have seen, I have judged. I have not met you before, but I already have a preconceived notion of what kind of man you are. Although your intentions are kind, they are riddled with politics and power struggles. You wish to do good, you aim for the betterment of the world, but in order to do that you realize that you must have power. The people that have pledged their loyalty to you; you believe are sacrifices you are entitled to make. In truth, your subordinates are nothing but pawns to your own ambitions. You care, however your needs will always come first."
"And who are you to say this to me?!" Raines retaliated with anger previously unseen before, "Get the hell out of Lightning."
"She is my pawn now... and so are you."
"What!"
"There are beings far greater than you. You may think of yourself as revolutionary, you plan and plot to impress and to win the people's support but you fail to realize that you are a small man. There are many out there who are just as ambitious; other visionaries with a much different belief as to how the world should be. Sephiroth is one, and so am I. Just as Lightning had chosen you over Jihl, now you must choose between Sephiorth and I."
"And whose to say I won't challenge both of you?"
The first show of emotion on Lightning's face was that of a small condescending smile. "You are but dust at our feet. You lack the means to challenge us. That is fact."
"You-"
"That is where you and I differ. You're weak and so you have to compensate by appeasing the people. They are the ones that give you strength, but mine is absolute. I can destroy the world at my whim, however that would be counter productive because it is my wish to preserve and protect it. It is my divine duty that I will not defy."
"Divine...? Who do you think you are?!"
"I know who I am, but your ignorance is excusable. I have not made my presence known for these past thousand years because it is not my wish to rule. It has never been. I wish for simplicity, yearn for the peaceful days gone by. For as long as I can remember, they have been nothing but a fleeting fantasy that I wish to make reality."
"You think I can trust you?"
Her eyes never left Raines even as she walked evenly towards his desk. Brushing her hand across the table, her fingertips danced over the surface, drawing in boredom. "I do not care. I am not after your trust and had never desired it. You will do what I need you to do regardless of that fact. I'm sure you have realized it. If you are willing to become my pawn, you will engage those monsters in combat, however, if you are unwilling to listen to my warning, you will still engage those monsters in combat. The day you fail me, is the day that you fail the people that give you power."
He pursed his lips and tentatively eased himself into his chair. He had always felt in power there, giving out orders and waiting for the results. In time, he had grown accustomed to it, especially ever since he had assembled his best team. Lightning and Fang had always gotten the job done, Hope, Vanille and Sazh had always been there to support them in their endeavours. Raines simply had to sit back and wait for the expected good news. Like every other morning, he walked into his office with pride. He sat on his desk and buried himself with paper work to brainstorm ways to gather more support, but he never saw the day coming that he would learn that his team had failed. One traitor, one poisoned to death, two brutally murdered, and one missing. His team had been his power because they gave him results, and the people did not buy into empty words alone. Reluctantly peeling his eyes from the intimidating pinkette, he stared at his empty desk. "Who... are you?" Lightning closed her eyes, and in the moment she did, darkness washed out from her back. He watched wide-eyed as his room sunk into shadows until he was left alone sitting in a desk so horribly misplaced in opaque black.
"Well, she's gotta be Etro then. Who else?" There was that damn snicker again. How long had it been since he had heard it? She always had that distinct accent that no one else had, other than Vanille, the one accent that told the world they were survivors. Oerba had been wiped clean by Geostigma, so had Bodhum and Paddra. He had watched his Ace crumple beneath its burden, but this woman burned with the need to survive. Raines swallowed thickly, the lump in his throat dropping until it felt heavy. Fang's voice rang out from close behind him, "Didn't think you'd forget all of Hope's crazy stories about Gods and Goddesses that quickly. You know how obsessed he was over them. He'd be hurt!"
"You're... supposed to be dead." Raines breathed, feeling chills crawl up his back. He had attended the funeral, stood helplessly as their bodies burnt, and held their ashes in his very own hands.
"You're late." Lightning said.
"Hey, we're doing the best we can. You're the one that's changin' plans left and right and keepin' us in the dark." Fang retorted as she marched straight past Raines, bumping into his shoulder just to tease him. His eyes darted over to Fang's silhouette, catching the mirthful smirk hinting her lips. He traced her body, trying to find some sort of proof that this was nothing but an illusion. Perhaps another ghost or spirit like the one that had claimed to possess Lightning. Spirit? Nonesense. He had paid attention to all of his subordinates, treated them equally and valued them all the same. Hope's stories and fascination with the Goddess had been neatly filed in his mind along with all the other interests his ex-subordinate had. He knew who Etro was; the Goddess of Death and Reincarnation. "We were waiting in Edge with Barret until we saw the Lindblum suddenly change course. AVALANCHE followed with the Shera."
"And the others? Injuries?"
"Nothing too bad. A few cuts and bruises. Nothing a few spells can't heal." Fang shrugged, "What about you? No. That's obvious. The Lifestream did a number on you, or else I'd be talking to Light."
"Explain yourselves." Raines' voice trembled from his throat before anger, and maybe even hurt, erupted fiercely, "I thought you were dead. I know you died! Damn it-"
"Hey, hey, no need to get your feathers ruffled." Fang snorted, "Let's just say... we're ghosts. Coming to save the world and do all the dirty work so you can sit back and relax behind your desk."
A shift of the still air nearly sent his heart into his throat. It was like the shadows were crawling around him. The temperature dropped, and he could almost feel a cold chill encase the room. Although he could not see them, he could feel them. He had thought he had been alone with Lightning, but then Fang had charged in like a bull just like she had in the past, but even then, the three of them were not alone. The blackness faded and the familiar sight of his office returned, but his attention fired from one person to another, marking yet fearing all the familiar faces that had suddenly reappeared back into his life. Vanille and Sazh were standing in the room as well, along with the man Raines quickly remembered from the file he had handed to Lightning in regards to the investigation into Hope. There was another man, tall and blond, and he stood off to a girl with a frightening resemblance to the sickly Serah.
"Y'see?" Fang shrugged, "We're dead, but... not really dead."
"T-That's impossible. The dead stay dead."
"Yeah, but it's not really impossible anymore when we've got Miss Goddess here shaking things up. We're exceptions. Kinda special, but... not really. We can die too and never come back." Slapping her hand over Lightning's shoulder, Fang thrusted her thumb at herself, "No more games this time. I'm serious, so you better get serious too."
"I-I've had enough of this." Raines breathed. A mere child had approached him. Not allowing himself to fall back as the boy got closer, Raines steeled his back and stared down his nose.
"I don't believe we can consider this... a misunderstanding." A boy with silver hair said softly, but with no trace of regret in his tone, "It's been a while." It was impossible. Far too impossible; as if there were different ranges of impossible, but not matter how void his argument for this would be he knew that the dead coming back to life was just as impossible as rewinding time. "There's... a lot to explain." Hope said, "I may as well fill you in while we head to the Northern Crater."
Unbeknownst to Raines, Lightning had already left the room to see AVALANCHE all standing outside of the office. "It's best to prepare yourselves." Etro recommended, "This battle will not be an easy one."
...
The dust stormed, twisting like a vortex when the Lindblum barely skimmed past a tall ragged rocky edge when it suddenly turned its course. Nearing the Northern Crater, it hovered in the sky as countless transports and airships dropped out of its hangar like bees fluttering from its hive. They swarmed the sky, lighting it up in fluorescent unnatural light. It casts a long dark shadow, elongating the figure of the one standing on the grounds until it was stretched far and thin. His long silver hair gleamed, having been caught in the violent winds. With a smirk, a single black wing sprung from his back lifting him off his feet.
Writing this chapter was a lot harder than I expected. Feels like my mind is running in circles.
Etro is Bhunivelze's strength without his will. Instead, she is given purpose by Lightning. That is why when the Lifestream had first made the initial attack on Lightning and completely tore her soul apart, Etro was simply a doll that did the Lifestream's bidding. The moment Lightning's soul started to become stronger as the fragments were returned, Etro then adopted Lightning's intentions. What she feels is whatever Lightning feels but far more subdued. Etro's simply a weapon personified in a humanoid form (remember the crystal in the end of Lightning Returns?). In the end, it all depends on the person wielding the weapon. That is why she considers herself 'impressionable.' Also, you may have noticed that the Lifestream will not attack if the Goddess' powers are not used.
As of now though, Lightning had given a part of herself away to Tifa along with the Heart, plus she had been dealt a punishing blow by the Lifestream when she had used her powers to defeat the first few WEAPONS. So, yes, she is incredibly weakened. The weaker Lightning is, the more 'impressionable' Etro becomes.
