BAND OF BROTHERS
CHAPTER 8
A/N: Warning! Sexual scenes as well as genre violence up ahead. Thread with caution if it´s not your thing.
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Sephiroth´s entire muscles convulse by the transmission of the electricity that traverses from Lightning´s touch into his body, his teeth, previously sucking her breast with eagerness, now almost ripped off the entrapped nipple, if it weren´t for his own strength that allows him to pull back just a little, just enough so that part of her flesh still remains, though he can still see were the skin is grossly torn and perceives the iron taste in his tongue that tells him his lips are filled with her precious blood. The power of the electric current being born in Lightning´s navel and passing into his own body, forces him to stand straight up, sparks coming from almost every inch of him and making him recoil away from her, as the electricity flows throughout his body to finally come out from his fingertips and into the ground in the form of a lightning bolt, destroying the closest tree with a clap of thunder that ignites its branches down into its very roots.
It had been such a lifesaver the moment he decided to understand her power before facing her again, learning how to canalize the electricity out of his body. That knowledge just saved his life.
The dark-winged angel is straddling the beautiful pinkette, panting, trying to gather his strength and to let the pain subside, while his eyes look at the burned flesh on his chest, forming an ill-drawn dark star on his skin, every breath coming out as torture. Underneath him, Lightning starts moving, finally recovering domain over her own body by the second. Grunting, her eyes closed and her breasts still exposed to her enemy, she tries to roll over the side, fighting to regain some of her strength back, but one enormous hand entraps her neck, choking her, and she places one palm in the offending wrist and the other on the injured chest of the man, pushing as hard as she can, but knows she´s still not strong enough due to her still weakened state, and Sephiroth chuckles at her feeble attempt, while he puts his bloodied lips upon her ear.
"Stop struggling, my dangerous Valkyrie, though it surprises me you could manage to override the stun spell, you had to use all your strength to accomplish such a task. And now, you have none. The result will be the same: you´re unable to stop this, and now I win…" he reinforces his words with one hand pulling at the lowest part of her bodysuit, tearing the fabric apart, fighting to expose her flesh, "you will be mine… now…"
Chocking, Lightning´s thoughts are no longer on his actions, but on the hand blocking air into her lungs; she cares no longer what will happen to her, what´s happening to her, her mind only fixed on survival, and as she finally manages to land a pathetic hit on the man´s torso, there´s an explosion in his left side that sends him flying away from her, scratching the skin of her neck and her leg with his long nails on the process. Inhaling sharply, gasping for so needed breath, she turns around and starts coughing, as she fights to get air inside her lungs. After a few seconds of panting, she places one palm on the grass, the other still grasping her pained neck, when she notices feet approaching her, and with no small effort, she forces her eyes up, her voice coming harsher than ever.
"T-thank… thank you… you just s-saved…" but her crystal blue eyes open wide in astonishment when she finally gets a glimpse of her savior.
"Ultimecia…?"
Lightning just wouldn´t believe her eyes, and turns her head, searching for one of her comrades, convinced the true origin of the saving spell must be someone else. But once she finds no-one around them, she inhales deeply, fighting to control her emotions and allowing her eyes to travel up the voluptuous figure of her enemy, the base of her bloody gown billowing behind her monstrous feet. The question in her eyes is answered by the contemptuous smirk of her foe, one that chills the pinkette to the bone.
"That´s… that´s impossible…" Lightning finally manages to kneel as a first attempt at getting up, one hand trying to cover her exposed and wounded breasts with the remnants of her leather bodice, blood dripping through her fingertips, while her eyes remain fixed with the dark ones of the woman in front of him.
"Why? Is it that hard for you to believe that one of Spiritus´ warriors would come to your aid in a time like this? Didn´t something similar to this had already happened in between our ranks?"
"But… but you…" Lightning just can´t speak the words that are playing in her head. It´s just impossible for a woman like Ultimecia to help a foe, any foe. But especially if that foe turns out to be Lightning.
For a moment that feels like an eternity, both warriors look at each other, Lightning unwilling to move, expectant to every single move of her opponent, while Spiritus´ warrior remains still in front of her, an unreadable expression on her countenance until finally, the pinkette manages a single word that just cannot express the depth of her confusion.
"Why…?"
The tall warrior smirks, a look of contempt plastered on her beautiful face. "I didn´t do it for you if that´s the question you´re asking." She turns around, her back to the woman on the ground, while the sorceress faces her comrade in arms. "But there are things that should never be."
Sephiroth grunts, while making enormous efforts to get up, his arm and left side burned to his deep skin, but despite it, he manages to stand tall, showing as if the man just couldn´t feel real pain. With a gesture of barely contained rage, he looks up towards the voluptuous woman, a promise of death on his green eyes.
"I would really love an explanation after this rouse. You just made me lose my opportunity with my Valkyrie."
Ultimecia extends one hand towards the man as if threatening the ash blond.
"You very well know I would never give you any explanation for my actions, but if you must really know, there are things that a warrior, no matter how dark his path has been, should never do. One of those is forcing himself upon another warrior in such a lecherous way."
Threateningly, Sephiroth is finally able to stand up, searching to be as intimidating as possible. "I lost my warrior´s honor a long time ago, in case you didn´t know. I´ve slaughtered women, elderly, and children, so don´t expect me to feel ashamed of staining her decency." He walks to the side, his eyes still fixed on the tattooed woman, who follows him by the turn of her head and, once he stands by one side, she gives a step sideways, her body preventing his eyes to reach the crystal blue of the woman struggling to get up.
He smirks, entertained.
"So, what do you care, anyway? Are you really protecting her against me? She´s our enemy and a very bothersome one at that. Weren´t you supposed to come to my aid, instead of hers?"
"I was."
"Then? You should help me shed her blood, not the other way around."
"You want to shed her blood?" With fast steps, the woman walks around Lightning´s form and places herself behind her, and, before the young Savior can react, the tall woman kneels at the pinkette´s back, grabs her by the hair, and pulls her head back forcefully, exposing her neck to the man, while she puts the end of one long and sharp fingernail on her jaw, exactly were her jugular is, and pushes almost to the point of breaking the skin. "Then c´mon, Sephiroth. Let´s shed her blood together. Come closer and open her throat, I assure you she won´t be able to move."
Lightning struggles harder against her restraints, seething in rage.
"I should´ve known to never trust you."
The sorceress pulls her hair harder, forcing a grunt out from the younger woman, and pulls the nail deeper, drawing a drop of blood.
"If you don´t stand as still as a dead woman, I swear you will be a dead one in the blink of an eye."
Lightning still struggles, stubborn as always, refusing to give up on her plight. "You coward…! I rather die by your treacherous hand than allow what your despicable partner wants to steal from me!"
As Ultimecia forces her foe into surrender, her lips grow intimately close to the pinkette´s ear, allowing her to whisper low enough so that the man in front of them won´t hear.
"Believe it or not, I´m on your side in this, so, if you just were to play along, I might be able to save your sorry ass."
"Why should I believe your intention is to help me?"
"Because you have no other choice."
Lightning, in the middle of her weakened state, decides she might as well take the risk and stands totally still, hoping Ultimecia isn´t playing with her and instead fixates her stare on the ash-blond male, sending her worst glare ever. Seeing her this exposed, Sephiroth hesitates, his eyes unavoidably lingering on Lightning´s once again bare, and this time bloodied breasts, his sight hungrily fixed on the naked flesh of her feminity, though Ultimecia´s angered voice makes him return his stare on her eyes.
"Heed my warning, ex-soldier." Ultimecia cautions him, making him stop. "I will help you shed her blood, I will aid you to torture her as much as you want, but under any circumstance do not, and let me repeat myself, do not touch her intimate parts. Those are forbidden for you."
Many seconds of tense silence traverse in between them, each pair of eyes testing the other, until finally, Sephiroth scoffs, tainting her.
"Or what? What would you try to do to me if I were to rape her in front of you?"
Ultimecia smirks as if eagerly awaiting such a question from him. "You´ll have to answer to me. And to Spiritus."
After the last words, Sephiroth stands still for a few moments, his expression unreadable, until he takes the decision and gives a few steps backward, taking Masamune with him, his eyes lingering on Lightning´s struggling form, who still pulls lightly at her restraints.
The pinkette grunts, as one movement of hers, makes the fingernail to draw more blood, and Ultimecia whispers softly in her ear, her eyes never leaving the green ones of the One-Winged Angel.
"Don´t move… don´t you even breathe… I´m trying to spare your suffering…"
Lightning doesn´t know whether that´s a good or bad thing for her, but does as commanded, and stands as still as a rock, while her body trembles slightly out of the chilly wind around them. Without any more words, and as if not noticing their exchange, Sephiroth gives another step backward, until there´s a movement by their side, making him turn his eyes.
"Lightning!" Kain´s form appears behind the dunes, followed closely by Squall, Cloud, Terra, and Y´shtola, their weapons at the ready, and the three men immediately attack the ex-soldier, jumping towards him to prevent his escape. At their sight, Ultimecia lets her pray go, and Lightning immediately gathers the pieces of her bodice, eyeing Sephiroth, who smirks at her, his posture ready to attack her comrades. With a growl, she shots forwards, forcing her body to the limits, her intention to slit his throat. But she only manages to travel a couple of meters, since she falls on the grass, face first, her body almost completely drained of energy, and, impotent, she sees the loathed man disappear behind the luminous gate, Cloud´s Buster Sword unable to even land a blow. She clenches her eyes in frustration, her fists pulling handfuls of grass, but before she can look up once more, she feels collected by strong and warm arms that surround her semi-naked self, while long blond hair flood her vision.
"It´s okay, Light, I´m here." Kain cradles her in his arms, for a moment ignoring their enemy still with them, focused only on the injured woman, feeling completely and utterly guilty.
Ultimecia doesn´t move from her kneeled position, eyeing each foe approaching her, understanding there´s no use fighting.
Lightning still feels dizzy, but one hand manages to touch the man´s warm chest, while her eyes focus on his blue ones, and then a luminous bluish fog envelops her, feeling warmer and in less pain at the same time: Terra has reached the lovers and, using her cape, covers the pinkette´s nakedness while using her magic to heal her.
"Thank you… guys…"
This dizziness won´t let her react like she used to, won´t let her be angry and belligerent as she should be. And she hates herself for even thinking such a thing, but she starts accepting that it feels so damn good to be enveloped by warm arms, kissed softly by Kain´s lips, especially after such a nightmare she was certain she wouldn´t survive. Sephiroth be damned… for now.
"I feel so tired…"
"Why is she like that?" Kain looks seeking Terra´s eyes, but her expression is lost, her silence speaks volumes for them. "Terra!"
"I… I don´t…"
"She just broke a stun spell with her own energy, you moron," Ultimecia speaks, kneeled as she is, escorted in between Y'shtola´s lance and Squall´s gunblade. "How would you expect her to be?"
"You´re lying, that´s nearly impossible." The Miqo'te spats, almost offended by the idea.
"You said it yourself, it´s almost impossible, but it´s a possibility anyway. Though I must admit it was only a theory, not done by anyone until now. To get to actually see it, it´s quite a feat." Terra and Y´shtola open their eyes wide in astonishment, both well aware of the true nature of Lightning´s feat.
"What does it mean? Will she be okay?" Kain still presses on, while the woman in his arms feels lighter and lighter as Lightning starts falling into unconsciousness, but Ultimecia just shrugs.
"I really don´t care."
Y´shtola puts the end of her lance on the woman´s chest, threatening her, with deep anger staining her clear eyes.
"I can make you care."
"No…" Lightning finally speaks up, though her voice barely above a whisper. "Don´t… hurt her… she…"
"But Lightning! Why would you defend her? She had you submitted when we arrived!" As a surprise, it´s Terra the one speaking, angered by the possibility of the dark sorceress coming out of this unpunished.
But the pinkette presses on and manages to sit straight, helping herself using Kain´s arm, refusing to give in to her need for rest.
"No! you can´t understand… I… she gave me her word to… that I would survive… and I did." Helped by her lover, Lightning inhales deeply, gathering her remaining strength. Her honor forces her to help the sorceress from her comrades´ angry hands. "She stopped him. I owe her that much."
"What are you talking about? She attacked you!" Kain tells her, one hand still lingering protectively on her waist, but Lightning stands her ground, not with little effort, her eyes boring into his.
"She did... But she saved me from a torment worse than that."
"Don´t be a fool." Ultimecia stands up, refusing to acknowledge the weapons threatening her but angered at Lightning´s words. "I don´t need your protection. It´s not that I did what I did for you."
Y´shtola is still unsure but has learned Lightning has a deep sense of honor, as well as a certain amount of wisdom, traits that should never be ignored. After a moment of hesitation, the Miqo'te makes a gesture with the hand, one that Terra understands quite fast, and takes her place guarding the powerful enemy, as Y´shtola leaves Ultimecia´s side to approach her friend. Once she gets closer to the lovers, the tall Miqo'te takes off her heavy white jacket and is left only with a light sleeveless shirt, giving Lightning her warm cloth to better cover her naked torso, as she kneels in front of her, her eyes boring into the crystal ones of the Savior.
"Lightning… what´s the meaning of this? Why are you protecting her from us?"
"Y´shtola… we can´t hurt her, not now. For my honor, she needs to come out of here in one piece." An expression close to anguish is plastered on the beautiful pinkette´s visage, and after a few seconds of searching among those clear blue orbs of the Savior, the sorceress nods.
"Okay. I trust you, Light. We´ll do whatever you say." Y´shtola stands up, and taking her friend´s hand, she helps her up, Kain following and aiding every movement, glued to the injured woman as if afraid of losing her if he were to even blink. Once the pinkette finally manages to stand tall, she locks eyes with her foe, forcing exhaustion away from her for a moment.
"Tell me, Ultimecia, why would someone like you protect your enemy, enraging a man such as Sephiroth?" Lightning staggers, but Kain´s arm around her waist keep her firm. "I bet even someone as powerful as you are would have second thoughts about having him as an enemy."
But the tall sorceress only smirks, as she gives two steps toward the gate, though Squall and Terra raise their swords in one single motion, trying to avoid it, but Lightning raises her hand in an appeasing gesture, and obediently, both warriors lower their swords. The sorceress smirks mockingly at the smaller woman and walks past her and her two comrades, Kain and Y´shtola stirring just slightly towards her, but Lightning takes both their hands to prevent further movement, and the dark witch reaches the gate.
"Ultimecia!"
A few steps before entering the luminous entrance, the tall female looks from above her shoulder, mocking crystal clear eyes that look at her so eagerly, but Lightning wouldn´t give up.
"I need to understand…"
For a moment both eyes are locked, but then Ultimecia breaks eye contact, and loses her smirk, as a sad look covers her visage.
"There´s no worse humiliation for a human being than being raped. No worse form of torture than to endure such pain knowing your torturer is taking pleasure out of your suffering. No matter who the enemy is, I think no one should be submitted to that type of destruction. Because it destroys your will power, your soul, more than any attack would." Then, she adds, as if a joke she has just remembered. "Women should stand together regarding these attacks, right?"
Lightning nods, accepting her words. "Then I can offer you this: I would stand by your side whenever you need me to protect someone from such an attack. You have my word on that. But there´s still one thing you haven´t clarified: what about Spiritus? Why did you threaten Sephiroth with him? Why would he care about what could happen to me?"
This time, the mocking smile returns to her lips.
"That, my dear, is something you should personally ask the stubborn God."
And with that, she gives the step and disappears inside the magical path. The group of friends look at the now-empty gate, and then at Lightning, awaiting her command to go after her, but instead of acting as she always does, instead of going after the answers she deserves, she slowly lowers her head, and at that moment her knees finally buckle underneath her, and she closes her eyes, awaiting the pain of her fall; but fortunately for her, Kain holds her tight, and thankful, she lets herself be guided to the ground, Kain´s arms surrounding her protectively, the man surprised and concerned at the way she abandons herself in between the cradle he´s made for her with his own body.
"Lightning…?"
"I´m sorry, I just… please just hold me… I really don´t want to think about anything…"
Her face obscured in the crock of his neck, she places her arms around his torso, embracing him tightly, and lets her anguish take hold of her. Her shoulders shaking, she still feels utterly ashamed of showing such weakness in front of everyone, but at that moment, Lightning is feeling just too tired of being strong all the time. Too tired to carry the weight of the world over her shoulders. If she can´t show weakness around her closest comrades, around Kain, who then would be there to collect her the moment she falls broken?
Please, just please let me be weak for once. Please let me be the one being held, being sustained. Just this one time. I promise…
As if hearing her, Kain kisses the pink waves, and holds her tighter, while he feels tremors running up and down her body, as the silent crying shakes her body.
"I´m here, my love, and I´ll never leave you. Only death will take me away from you."
And while she finally, finally lets her walls low enough to be consoled and pampered, allows this good man to show her by his actions just how much he adores her, his friends show how much they care too, by silently, without questioning and without being asked, rise another camp, the second camp in their journey created to build a haven for her to heal, though this time, her wounds grow deeper, since they run deep inside her heart.
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A/N: I really don´t know what to comment about this chapter, other than I needed a woman to help Lightning, even if it´s her enemy, just like we should stand together to protect other women from danger around us, no matter our place of origin. And I know men say that they´re in danger too, that they´re being attacked and assaulted just as much as women do. But the truth is, women are afraid even of their husbands and boyfriends, of their fathers and brothers, of the neighbors and teachers, because they all have the potential of hurting: women know those men have power over their sexuality. Plus, it´s horrible to know the truth: that men are afraid of what could happen to them in jail, while women are afraid of the exact same thing happening to them, just by walking down the street.
But anyways, walking a less gruesome path, here are some answers to your fantastic reviews:
i: you´re so kind to me with your words, thank you for your cheering, I´m glad to know my writing has been changing for the better (finally!) I appreciate your sincere support, you have no idea what it means to me!
I´m glad, too, you liked the rape scene, understood the need to present it as it is, a tragedy, as you perfectly put it. I could totally picture Sephiroth doing such a vile thing, but when it would be quite expected to happen with any of the females in Dissidia (I mean, in the real world, who is really exempt from such threat?) the tragedy here is to understand that even Lightning, probably the strongest of them all, is not immune of such danger. And maybe, just maybe, for her is even worse, because it´s such a slap in the face to remind her that, even as powerful as she is, she can still be seen as weak, and thus being forced against her will. Just because she´s a woman.
About Kain, I don´t know if a woman like her could grow out of Kain´s betrayal, strong women like our Lightning have quite a sense of loyalty so developed that I´ve seen them do things that any other person would say "isn´t that going too far?" then again, it takes another strong-willed person to survive it, right? Let´s just hope Kain really puts his heart to the task, and finally works his way back into her heart.
I´m sorry I couldn´t deliver you a Lightning soaring into the sky, I swear I was going to, but… but for me, it works better to let her know she cannot always rely on herself to survive, the other comments reminded me of that: I think, the one thing she´s been learning all through LR, is that she can´t save the world on her own, that she has to rely on others to get through. Even on enemies. And I kinda like to remind everyone that, in such matters of sexual attack, "women should stand together", as Ultimecia put it. What do you think?
Thank you SO much for your fantastic comment! You really made my day! And hope you liked this chapter as well.
Jolly P: I´m happy to know I still remain true to the characters since the idea is that you all feel like being in the game, I just hope this chapter managed to stay closer to their character. At least not too OOC. And thank you for your words. Your comment, along with a few others, reminded me that sometimes we need to lose to gain a greater understanding, in order to grow. I hope this ordeal makes Lightning become a better person. I do hope you liked the way I solved her plight. Thank you so much for your comment!
Queenee: thank you so much for your fantastic words, and for your comment, it was one of the comments that made me realize that Lightning just had to lose this battle, to gain a greater one. We are now close to the end, but let´s see what this close encounter has done with her. I hope you don´t see as a silly thing that Ultimecia was finally the one to save her because I believe that, it doesn´t matter whether we are friend or foe, as Ultimecia said "women should stand together" against gender violence and sexual abuse, and that´s true in Dissidia and in our own world because sadly, I´ve seen that it´s actually women the ones that perpetuate and legitimate the abuse, instead of fighting to end it. What do you think?
And oh please! Do not apologize for extensive reviews! I actually adore those!
Guest: thank you so very much for your words, though few, they still manage to make me happy! Please keep commenting!