Arms Wide Open Chapter 15
The chocobos had already fled, trying to escape from the gorgonopsids closing down on them, their movement just too fast for her debilitated self. Holding the baby tight against her breasts, Lightning takes her gunblade Caius had left by her side and runs too, as fast as she can, though in the other direction the birds had taken, hoping beyond hope they would seek the biggest pack, but she´s certain she would lose such bet. She´s too weakened and carries with her the smell of her blood, that leaves her and the baby as the best choice for the hungry beasts.
Lightning stumbles, and though keeps on running, the gorgonopsids are reaching her, the baby crying in her arms, an alarm calling the beasts towards them. The woman knows it´s just futile, so she clenches her teeth and faces her foes.
"You want a piece of me? Come and get it!"
Two shots hit two of the beasts, perfect shots in between their eyes, killing them instantly, and their fall makes a second beast stumble with their dead bodies, but the rest doesn´t even hesitate and are way too close to keep shooting. In a fast and swift motion, the gun transforms into the magnificent blade, and in the process, it finds the head of one of the beasts, and it falls at her feet, beheaded. Clutching the baby tighter over her chest, Lightning spins in her own axis, avoiding a gorgonopside jumping to tackle her while her blade opens its stomach, taking advantage of the beast´s own momentum, so it falls, screeching out of pain. The pinkette spins around again, as the last beast falls upon her, and she readies her blade, but suddenly she stumbles, the blood loss taking her precision off of her, and the fraction of the second takes a very high bill.
The last beast, the enormous Huargo, has come for her and takes advantage of her slip: one of the monster´s paws reaches her, injuring her right arm and back and forcing her, out of pain, to let go of her gunblade, and she falls on her knees with a yell, the scent of blood invading her nostrils. She looks up, and sees the overdeveloped gorgonopsid jumping towards her, the animal ready to kill her. She jumps to the side, barely avoiding the ravenous fangs, and then faces the beast, which shows her its enormous teeth in a snarl, and readies another jump at her.
Her hand trembling, soaked in her own blood, she takes her weapon, though feels desperation the moment she notices her fingers lack the strength to hold the blade´s handle tightly enough, as the weapon slips from her fingers: the injury must´ve cut an important ligament or nerve. She knows that, without her weapon, there´s no way she can win, but knows too, she won´t fall easily, so she readies herself, thinking of the most dangerous places where a hit could really make a difference… but with an injured arm and a weakened body, the possibilities are dire. So ironic that she could defeat a full army, and will still fall for a pack of so lowly beasts...
The animal takes its sprint, an closes fast on them, but when it´s almost on top of them, a form that stands in between her and their enemy suddenly materializes: a tall man with feline movements, purple hair coming from his helmet, which has the form of a dragon, and his imposing body with broad shoulders fully clothed with a terrifying purple armor. The man´s movements are precise and lethal, dispatching the incoming enemy with too much ease, using nothing but a crimson lance. Lightning cannot believe it but recognizes the man and his well-known movements immediately. Hesitant at first, she finally speaks his name.
"K-Kain…?"
The man kills the beast with so much skill it´s almost beautiful, and once he´s certain the threat is gone, he slowly turns around to face her, the helmet hiding his eyes, but when he takes a good look at the kneeled woman, he takes such helmet off, showing her his deep blue eyes and long blond hair.
"Lightning?"
She extends a hand to him, wanting to touch him, to know whether what she has in front of her is real, and he mirrors her movement, but the moment they almost touch, his form distorts and then disappears in thin air. She blinks in surprise twice, still not believing her eyes, but is the baby´s babbling the one taking her out of her stupor. She looks down at the little piece of her flesh and sees her eyes are luminous, forming the shape of Etro´s crest.
"No! The baby! No!"
She knows the meaning of it, the Eyes of Etro have been activated, and she curls up in a ball, desperate, calling the infant and praying to any deity to help her, to save her little one, but after the baby closes her eyes, and an agonizing second passes by, the little girl opens them again, taking a good look at the anguished mother, and resumes her crying. Lightning exhales, feeling life returning to her once more, and at the baby´s demands, she offers her the breast once more, wishing with all her might it´s what her daughter is needing. Fortunately for her, the baby takes the nipple in between her lips quite eagerly, while the troubled mother looks intently at her, as if not believing she´s actually safe and pretty much alive. The pinkette exhales, forcing her anguish to be controlled, and then looks back at the empty space where just a moment ago had been standing the one form she wishes more than anything to see. She really needs the man with such craving, she´s starting to believe she won´t stand another of the baby´s lapses without him by her side.
ooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooo
A mile away from her, Caius and Fang had had trouble with their wyvern, which spiraled in a downhill barrel that almost threw them off of it, the moment Caius´s eyes became white, not seeing anything. Fang yelled curses at the top of her lungs until the man woke up and took the beast´s reigns, avoiding their inevitable deaths just in time before they crashed upon the ground, and once they were safe, Fang jumped as fast as she could off of the beast.
"That would be the very last time I ever ride with Lightning or you!"
Without waiting for a reply, nor to see if the man was alright, she takes off running towards the place they had been searching, the place Caius had said left the woman and her child all alone, and her legs wobble at recognizing the place and seeing the quantity of blood in the soil, scattered by the trails and stains of many, oh so many pawprints that had walked upon it.
"L-Lightning…" Fang almost falls on her knees, imagining the worst-case scenario, but a palm on her shoulder takes her from her dire thoughts.
"No, don´t do that to yourself. Lightning and the baby are safe and right in front of us."
The woman turns towards the place the man is pointing and finally sees, at the distance, Lightning fighting a pack of monsters. The tall warrior immediately tries to run towards her, especially after noticing the bigger beast stalking her, but a sudden, intense white light prevents her from it, and when she´s finally able to see, she notices a tall man dressed in a purple armor, placing himself in between the woman and the beast, and dispatching it with very much ease… and then witnesses his sudden disappearance.
"What happened there?" She asks Caius, who so far had been dead serious. Did he get to see the apparition? When nothing else happens, Fang walks towards the woman and the baby, still wary of the form that had appeared in front of them, but the tall man takes her by the arm and prevents her from going any further.
"Caius! What are you doing? I´m going with them!"
"Do you know who that man was?"
She hesitates, unsure whether she´s correct at her assumption and if she should share it with the man. But Caius knows a lot more than he lets on. He might have the answer to this mistery.
"I´m not certain, but if I could take a wild guess, I´d say that was the child´s father, I… I just don´t know how it could be possible, though, because as far as I know, he´s from another dimension."
"Another dimension?"
Fang nods, eyeing the pinkette´s crouched form. "According to Lightning, she´s been kidnaped to another dimension more than once, by gods we don´t know of, to rage battles in other worlds, and there she met a few comrades, fellow warriors that had been kidnaped from their worlds just like her, one of which turned out to be the love of her life and who, in the end, fathered her child."
Caius remains silent another minute, pondering her words, but the warrior grows impatient, and she snaps her arm from his companion, sprinting towards her friend, her heart breaking at the look of anguish and loss the usually strong pinkette has. When the tall Pulsian arrives, she falls on her knees, her eyes level to the baby blue ones full of fear.
"Oh, Lightning…"
"Fang…!"
The tall warrior can´t say anything else, since a strong arm surrounds her shoulder, as her friend holds her with all her might as if she had just found an oasis in the middle of all the storm inside her heart. Lightning refuses to cry, but her shoulders still shake, and Fang holds her tighter, both of them mindful of the little form in between them. After minutes of holding each other, Fang trying her hardest to transmit her promise of protection to the desperate mother, Lightning finally let´s go of her, and in between her anxiety, she smiles, presenting the little piece of her flesh to her best friend, who takes in her arms the little bundle of joy with utmost care.
"I… I think she should be called Lumina…"
"Lumina…" Fang smiles broadly at finally laying eyes upon her best friend´s baby, and the emotion is so strong, tears roll down from her eyes, tears of utter joy at meeting her first niece. "Hello little Lumina, it´s so great to finally meet you. I´m your auntie Fang…" but her voice breaks, when the baby opens up her eyes to find hers, so much sweetness and tenderness in between them that Fang can´t just hold back her tears. Lightning surrounds her shoulders with one arm, while her sight is fixed completely upon the beloved being, happily sheltered in the taller woman´s arms.
They spend like that many minutes, just enjoying the pleasure of them holding the baby and the peace that surrounds them by such togetherness until Fang breaks the blissful mood.
"I saw him, Light. I saw the man who saved you. Was that…?"
The shorter woman sighs. "Yes, that was him, Kain Highwind. The baby´s one and only father."
Fang nods and recognizes the turmoil showing in the baby blue eyes. The pinkette is happy to see him, to find out there is a possibility of letting him know of his baby, to actually letting him meet her, and at the same time the anxiety of not knowing how to bring him back to them, or even the possibility of rejection from his part...
"Do you know what happened?"
Lightning shakes her head sadly as she takes the baby back to her arms, enveloping the small body inside her ragged gown, trying to protect her from the still chilly air of the morning.
"No. I really don´t understand why he suddenly appeared in front of us, why now, and what could´ve brought him here, precisely the moment we needed him the most."
A few steps away from them Caius had remained silent, pondering, while they keep talking, until he finally decides to speak up.
"I think I do, Lightning." He approaches the pair, and as soon as he reaches them, Caius kneels in front of the infant, placing his thumb on her forehead. The baby opens her eyes, looking intently at him, as if they both were in a deep conversation, one the women cannot follow, and then her eyes illuminate once again with an intense white light, as well as his heart. Lightning is about to retrieve her daughter, alarmed by the possible consequences, but at that moment, in front of her, the form of the beloved man takes shape once more. Caius raises quickly from the ground, and takes Fang with him, forcing her to step away from them many steps.
"What the hell are you doing?!"
"Just shut up and watch. Give them their deserved space."
Fang is about to protest, but the unknown baritone voice hushes her demands.
"L-Lightning?"
"Kain!" Without thinking, the woman tries to raise from the ground, but she stumbles after a few steps, so the knight runs towards her, catching her in his arms and carries her bridal style. He looks at her eyes intently, and once she opens them, he smiles at her.
"I knew it was you."
He deposits his precious cargo in the closest bolder he finds and is about to kiss her when he feels movement in her chest, and finally notices the baby in her arms, her head peeking out from under her mother´s gown.
"What…? A… a baby? Lightning! Are you…? Is the baby yours?"
But the pinkette smiles, in between happiness and fear. "No Kain, not only mine. It´s yours too."
There´s a long minute were the blond says nothing as if he hadn´t heard her, and Lightning fears he might get up and take his leave at any moment. But Kain just stares at her in complete disbelief, and then, as if his mind had finally caught up to him, his sight falls on the baby´s form, as the infant looks back at him with obvious interest, and he can see it now. His eyes, a perfect copy of them in this little girl´s face. He knows he can´t deny it, and at the knowledge, his eyes feel like suddenly aching. He kneels in front of the woman, so he can be closer to the baby, and puts his massive hand upon the small body, feeling her warmth.
"I´ve got… a family…?" he finally says, looking back at the woman he loves, as if asking for a confirmation, but before Lightning can respond, he suddenly holds them both tightly, but careful not to hurt the baby. "Oh, Lightning! You gave me a family! Oh, dear Goddess… I´ve got a family!" and then he kisses her with such passion that he leaves her breathless. "Thank you, Lightning… you just gave me the best gift in the universe a man can ever have…" she can see tears forming in his eyes, as he looks down to the tiny form. "Can… can I?" Enormous fear but also sudden joy envelops him, as he asks for her permission to take the baby in his arms.
Lightning can´t help it at witnessing his reaction and lets tears fall down her cheeks, understanding now her fears and insecurities had no fundament. The man seems genuinely thrilled with his baby. "Yes… of course…"
With a little bit of fear, as if his hands were too dangerous for such a delicate action, Kain takes the baby in his arms, marveled by such a small creature. "It´s so tiny… I worry I could break her…" Lightning smiles, her eyes full of love.
"Then you´ll have me to respond to."
"Oh, that would really terrify me." They both laugh warmly at the joke. "Thank you so very much, Lightning… I don´t know what to say…"
"Just say you´ll stay with us, and it will be more than enough."
"There is nothing that will ever separate me from either of you, ever again."
She smiles at his words, but they suddenly remind her of a greater mystery. "How did you… how come you´re here?"
"I don´t know…" he hesitates, though the moment his eyes fall on the small package in his arms, his smile becomes wide again, especially when the baby takes his finger with her tiny hand. Now he knows that, by that simple act, she´s claimed him as hers: from now on he belongs completely to her. As he speaks, he always keeps his stare upon the baby´s giggling face. "I was at my tower, checking on Cecil, and all of a sudden, I was in an opening, looking at some beasts trying to attack someone. I ran to protect this person, and then… well, I just… saw you. When you disappeared, I was flabbergasted for a moment, and the next, without knowing how or why, I was back here with you."
"How´s that possible?"
"I think I can explain that."
At hearing such powerful, unknown and unwelcomed voice, which broke so suddenly their small bubble of happiness, Kain stands up in a jolt, his lance at the ready to respond to any threat, the baby tightly secured in his arms.
Lightning places a hand on his forearm, trying to appease him. "It´s okay, my love. They´re friends."
"Well, at least I am." Fang smirks, trying to pass beside Caius, but the blond is just too surprised and weary to relate, so he points his lance towards them, and his stare remains threatening.
"Wow, Light! Keep your pet under control, would you?"
Before Kain can retaliate, though, Lightning insists with her hand upon his arm. "It´s okay, Kain; she´s Fang, my best friend, remember I ever told you about her? And about how inappropriately rude she can be some times?" The last statement is reinforced by a glare towards the woman, who dismisses it with a wave of her hand.
"Heya there! See? Good old Fang to the rescue." She tries to make a joke and relaxes at seeing his eyes losing a little bit of their fire.
"Yes, I do remember you told me about her, and it´s very nice to finally meet you, but…" His blue eyes are fixed on the man in front of him, his lance never losing its threat. "You said you could explain. Care to share?"
"Her heart," Caius starts, hopping both parents will understand, "the baby´s heart, called upon my power, upon the Heart of Etro inside of me. I don´t know how to explain it, just that she knew her mother needed her man, needed you, and that you needed an interdimensional portal to be here."
"What do you mean the baby knew? Why would she have such power?"
Caius glares at the man, weary of his demands and his still pointing weapon, and instead fixes his eyes on the pinkette. "I don´t have all the answers yet, but if I were to take a wild guess, it would be that you were already pregnant when you were blessed by Etro´s powers. She transmitted her powers, her blessing, into you, and then, through your blood, you transmitted her powers to the baby."
For a moment Lightning doesn´t understand his words, but then her eyes open wide in astonishment. "You mean to tell me that… that I warred against… well against you, while already pregnant? And then fought the 13-days-war, carrying my baby girl? How could I ever be pregnant for half a millennium?"
"I said it was a wild guess." Caius shrugs. "But the other possibility is that you got pregnant when you were already being harvested as the replacement of Etro, already during the 13-days-war, when you were being raised and powered as the new Goddess of Death. Does that timeline correspond?"
Kain turns to look at the woman´s eyes. "I remember, the second time we were back in Dissidia, you told me you had but 13 days to save your sister. And it was the last time that we…"
Blushing, Lightning glares at the man, not wanting him to share any detail, and he only smirks, shrugging, but sits by her side and places his forehead upon hers lovingly. Their happiness is just too much to let themselves fall into any type of fight. Lightning exhales, understanding his silent plea, and complies.
"That still doesn´t explain why the baby would have such power." The blond asks the purple-haired man, but it´s Lightning the one responding.
"Of course! Etro and Bhunivelze, like Materia and Cosmos, are gods who can control worlds… and dimensions; I guess it´s a power shared by many gods… but what do you mean the baby knew and called upon your Heart?"
Caius approaches them, and, after silently asking permission to both parents, kneels in front of the baby. "She´s a child of destiny, blessed by Etro, and carrying the blood of Etro´s successor, or at least the one that had been chosen for that."
"But I never took her place."
"No, but you were prepared and nourished by Bhunivelze. You kept that power, if infinitesimal, within your blood. The baby is not a common Seeress. She´s the most powerful that´s ever been in… all dimensions."
"Yes but…" Lightning takes the baby from Kain´s arms, looking worriedly upon her face. "She still has Etro´s curse, right? Tell me, does she been more powerful means that her life will be spared?"
Caius´s eyes full of sadness tells her everything she needs to know. But Kain doesn´t understand and starts to get angry at being left in the dark.
"What? What do you mean she´s powerful enough to make me journey through dimensions, but not enough to spare her own life? Am I missing something?"
Lightning looks at the agitated man, trying to appease him. "A lot, my love. I´ll explain to you later, I promise." Then, her eyes full of determination, she looks back at her eternal foe, fixing her stare upon him. "I need you to know and understand this: you made a bow to me, then I´ll hold you onto it because I will make a bow to you all, here and now: I will find a way to release my baby girl from that curse…"
"Lightning…" Caius shakes his head in denial, but Lightning cuts his protests.
"… and no matter what it takes, it won´t matter if I have to give my life for this…"
"Lightning, please…"
"I. Will. Release. Her. From. Etro´s curse."
Caius lowers his head.
"I shall do as you command, but let me remind you, you´ll be defying a goddess, the very goddess you once promised to protect."
"I´m sure you know I´m getting really good at defying deities."
Caius smiles sadly.
"And now you understand why, in my other life, I killed Etro and brought forth the Chaos in this world. I sought the very same thing you´re seeking now: end this tormenting cycle. So, please, heed my warning."
Lightning´s eyes open wide at the revelation. Because it´s true: the Caius she fought for five hundred years, was the man who brought the world´s destruction for a single desire: to end Yeul´s cycle of rebirth. Will she bring the same destruction for the love of her baby? But then Kain takes her from her dire thoughts, holding her tight.
"It doesn´t matter, my love. I don´t know what you´re both talking about, but I, too, have a bow to take: you´re not alone in this journey, I´m here for you both and will gladly give my life to protect any of you. And we, together, will find a way to release our baby from this madness. I´ve finally found you, Lightning, I found you precisely when you gave me such a magnificent and invaluable gift. I won´t give up on either of you so easily."
"Lightning…" Fang speaks up this time, her eyes fixed on baby blue ones. "I really don´t need to make a bow to you. Because we´re family, and you know your family will stay with you forever, no matter what. You can count on us too. As always, you can count on me completely."
Lightning´s eyes flare with love, thankfulness, determination, and hope. Because indeed, what they´re going to try is sacrilege, the type Caius did when he tried to save Yeul. But where he failed, they might succeed: they´re two strong warriors, three if this Caius stands by her side as he promised, and she has the skill, determination, and love of her family. She hopes with all her heart their chances will be way bigger.
"Then, let´s do this. Let´s save our baby girl."
THE END.
oooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooo
A/N: Well? What do you think? I´m sorry all of you for the long delay, I just really hope it was worth your while. I might continue the second fic some other time, but you must understand the next story will be posted in Dissidia since both parents will be the main characters. Let´s see how it goes.
Here are the answers to your reviews:
Guest: here it is, the last chapter and finally, FINALLY the name of the father. I´m sorry it took me this much to finish it, but I must thank YOU for this, because, even though I knew the ending, I was in an author´s block and… with your persistence, your attempts at pestering me (XDD) you made me pass through it and made it possible. Thank you. I mean it.
Thank you.