The Alliance

As soon as Serah managed to calm her nerves and beat down the sobs wracking her chest, Cloud felt cold from head to toe. It was so easy to lose one of their own, when he was only a minute or two away from possibly preventing it. The longer he stayed in this world, the more his will was stripped away by the hour. Perhaps this was what Lightning and the others dreaded the first time – with so many odds stacked against them, it was almost futile to even try and defy their fates.

Still, Lightning retained a hard countenance and stalked past the rest of the group in the direction of where Snow was allegedly taken. After only a few yards, Cloud caught up with quick strides and wrapped his fingers around her arm, bringing her to an abrupt stop.

"What are you doing?" he asked incredulously.

Lightning roughly shrugged him off and turned a glare on him. Hurt and tense, her eyes refused to contain the wounds he brought upon her. Cloud was taken aback for a brief moment, just long enough for her to steel her gaze and hide the emotions from the surface.

"Getting Snow back," she replied tersely before looking back toward Serah with a softer gaze. "What exactly happened?" Reluctantly grateful for Cloud's interruption, she still had to figure out everything about the situation before she charged in.

Serah grimaced, the account replaying in her head. "We were just talking, and then Snow heard a noise. He told me to stay behind when he left to check it out. That was when PSICOM got the jump on him. I tried to help, but they were too fast. There was an airship not too far away, as if they were waiting for us to walk by." Even after explaining, she still looked weary and defeated from the flurry of emotions. Tifa wrapped an arm around her before gently rubbing her shoulder.

"New Sanctum airship," Lightning deduced, muttering almost to herself. With a deep breath, she nodded. "Oerba, it is."

Cloud blinked with some confusion. "Snow's with PSICOM, and you still want to keep heading to Oerba?"

She turned to him with some hope lighting her eyes. "All airships traveling between Cocoon and Pulse have to report to the base in Oerba, even PSIOM ones. With everything that's going on, the ship with Snow must be the most recent one."

"And you think the people in Oerba will actually help us?" Cloud was right in sounding skeptical. They were still on the most wanted list to even the citizens; strolling in to ask for assistance was right next to suicide.

"We have a friend on the inside who can give us a ride."

Serah's worry gave way to the same glimmer of hope Lightning had. "You mean Sazh?" Last year, Sazh Katzroy readily offered assistance to PSICOM and Guardian Corps in aiding with the immigration from Cocoon to Pulse. His flying expertise surprised even the government officials; it was only a matter of time before they approached him with a position at the newly instated base in Oerba to oversee flights between the two lands.

Tifa did her best to keep up with the optimism of Lightning's suggestion. "He can get us to Snow?"

"Of course," Lightning replied. At that, most of them appeared to relax to the small glimmer of hope…

But one remained silent in the background, carefully observing Lightning with his piercing crimson eyes. Though everyone was anxious to free Snow from PSICOM, Vincent was still wary enough to remember who was suggesting going straight into the heart of enemy territory-

A Sanctum l'Cie.

An enemy.

Though his grimace was concealed by his cloak, the reluctance to jump on the band wagon seethed off in waves. It warred with his other half, the part that wanted to put trust in Lightning after everything they had gone through together.

As if sensing the wariness pulsating from his direction, Lightning turned toward Vincent curiously, trying to decipher the meaning behind the slightly creased forehead. He averted his eyes away, blocking her chances of reading his face…but he was too late.

"What now?" he heard her ask with a subtle hint of irritation. Vincent decided not to answer, though the silence now caught everyone's attention, their heads switching back and forth to try and read the situation.

Lightning huffed with a slight shake of her head. "I told you – I'm not leading you into any traps." Her voice was thick in earnest, and it was difficult to doubt her words except for the single crucial factor. If they went by her word, they could be walking straight into a trap, but sitting back and trying to figure things out would run into another dead end, for their time would be worthlessly spent, and it would all be too late.

What irked him the most was how confident she was about seeing this through to the end. Despite her declaration to retaliate back in Vallis Media, their chances of being successful in their mission were slim to none. The others may have been willing to put their stakes in this chance of getting rid of the brands and this Focus…

But the risks were too great for him to take that leap of faith.

He glanced toward Cloud, who instantly read the hesitation and became rigid. The choice between following Lightning and falling back to plan was suffocating. While the others were looking to him to comply and keep moving, he wasn't looking forward to seeing them all fail their Focus and suffer the consequences.

Without a word, Vincent turned on his heel and headed back to where Atomos rested. Perhaps he could still search for a way to get rid of their brands without charging into the heart of enemy territory. He respected Lightning and her friends' optimism in defying their fates…

But he had to face reality. They were on a time limit, and naturally, consorting with the enemy was just asking to lose.

'But Lightning's not an enemy.' The thought stopped Vincent in his tracks. A strange pang erupted from his chest, coercing him into making a final choice. Even if the lives of thousands hung in the balance, he wondered if he was truly willing to risk the life of a friend, possibly all of them, if he chose to spare Lightning or not.

With deep breaths, he clutched his chest with a fisting hand, the flesh beneath feeling like burning off of his bones. As the pain intensified, it began to pierce through his deep train of thought, and Vincent realized it wasn't mere lamenting of their current situation. The center of the scorching sensation appeared to resonate from the l'Cie brand, reminding him that he didn't need to physically see the mark to remember his fate.

Just when he figured out what was happening, a dark blue color flashed beneath his feet, and a circle of a 20-foot radius was embedded in the ground while spinning in a clocklike motion. Vincent gritted his teeth, prepared for what was to come…

Until a hand firmly gripped his bicep and pulled him back. He stumbled back, but eventually found his footing next to Lightning, her Blazefire Saber extended at the ready.

"I had a feeling this would happen," she muttered, though as the ground trembled beneath their feet, he was able to catch her words.

While the glyph on the ground began turning even faster, Vincent kept a hard gaze toward her. "Get back," he said gruffly. "I'll handle this. It should be me who fights it, right?"

He knew she was aware of his dead-serious tone, but still, Lightning refused to budge. "You don't have to fight it alone. We do this together!"

Before he could protest any further, another bright flash momentarily blinded them. The tremors intensified as two white curves emerged from the glyph, followed by a dark metal helmet. A figure rose up like a deity from hell, the curves turning into long sharp horns curving down the back. The rest of its body was clad in navy blue armor, accentuating its disfigured form of disproportions. While its chest protruded in a proud warrior fashion, the monster's limbs appeared emaciated, the bone structure visible beneath the pliable skin. A slim but tall lance was gripped in one of the menacing claws at its side.

Large wisps of flame reached out to brush against Vincent and Lightning's faces, sweat instantly trailing down their necks and beneath their clothes. Looking up, Vincent tried to search for a countenance within the darkness of the helmet…

But pure white eyes flashed upon the visage. They peered down at the duo silently as the flames continued licking cross the creature's figure.

"Remember the drill?" Lightning inquired. Vincent's mind was still reeling at the sight, giving him close to no time in reacting to the Eidolon's sudden strike. The lance twirled in its palm before striking down toward their location, but they jumped away at opposite ends in time to be smothered by rocks and dirt.

Instantly, Lightning rolled onto one knee and began shooting at the Eidolon, her face set with unmoving determination. Vincent felt somewhat lost at her actions; why would she still run to his aid after facing his doubts? Despite the constant wariness and accusations he threw her way, Lightning refused to back down and watch the Pulse l'Cie struggle with their Focus. What gave her the strength to push through with perseverance when all odds were stacked against her?

As if sensing his hesitation, the creature turned on its heel, the eyes once again zeroing in on Vincent. In a flash, he straightened and pulled out Cerberus to unleash a barrage of bullets, hoping to rip its attacks off of Lightning. The bullets ricocheted off its armor, ineffective of actually doing harm. However, the act itself angered the Eidolon, for the flames spewing from the open helmet quickly changing into a crimson blaze, anger rolling off in waves.

Changing its course, it sped toward Vincent in a single leap; the lance rose high above its head to skewer Vincent upon impact. Sinking to a low crouch, he waited until it was just a fraction before becoming too late to get out unscathed, and he leaped into a backflip while whipping his gun out to riddle the Eidolon with even more bullets. Like before, the attempt had to disappoint, and the creature continued slicing through the air with its lance with hopes of landing a hit.

In a wild dance, l'Cie and Eidolon dodged and parried, though Vincent was just focused on getting out of the creature's bloodlust. As its lance came down to pierce the ground, Lightning appeared from behind to execute the same attack, digging her gunblade into the creature's back. The Eidolon lurched in pain, stumbling on its feet so that its back was on the path to slamming into the wall of the mountain.

An arm slid around Lightning's waist before she was flattened into a pancake; the gunblade broke free from her grip as it remained embedded in the Eidolon's back. Whipping her head to the side, Lightning caught a glimpse of Vincent's marred visage just before they tumbled to the ground, rolling away as the Eidolon crashed into the side of the mountain.

The momentum was too strong from the moment the creature lurched, and it was carried all the way until Vincent found himself slipping off the edge of the cliff. He suspended for a brief moment, enough for him to reach out and rake his clawed hand into the cliff side as the descent was too far down. Pebbles and dust assaulted him, stuffing his nose and trying to blind him, but he held on tight as he finally came to a stop.

Turning his gaze toward the sky, he saw a tuft of pink hair poke out from the side of the cliff. Lightning stared down in horror, and he soon realized what she noticed – he was a great distance away, and even two arm's lengths had only a small chance of helping him back up the cliff.

Her glancing over her shoulder proved to making matters worse. She hardly made a move to help Vincent back up, and already the Eidolon was stalking upon them, ready to finish the job. The flames spewing from its helmet grew aggravated, the bloodlust pouring from the bright eyes in waves. In its hand, the lance was flipped upside down, prepared to complete its task in one strike.

It made no sense. He couldn't rip his eyes away from the sight above him. Lightning was giving the Eidolon a clear opening for attack, and yet her main focus was on helping him - her arm instantly shot down toward him, fingers out in a trembling stretch. Gritting her teeth, she struggled to reach him without falling off the edge herself.

Vincent thought it was madness. Anyone in their right mind would have tried to deal with the Eidolon first before going to him; his grip was firm, and he doubted he would plummet to the bottom anytime soon. Lightning had enough time to deal with the monster, but still she put the well-being over others before her own, even when it wasn't logical. With the evidence right in front of him, could he still doubt Lightning's steadfast determination and loyalty to the Pulse l'Cie?

The cliff began to tremble beneath his palm, and he could tell it was only a matter of seconds before the Eidolon would tower over Lightning. In one lunge, he swung an arm up to meet Lightning's in a firm grasp. She instantly hauled him up, and he assisted with clawing the side of the cliff as he went.

With one final tug, she managed to get Vincent on even ground, and she dropped on her hands and knees after much exertion. Vincent himself used a moment to catch his breath…until the Eidolon's shadow encased the both of them, the fiery heat beating down on their heads with infuriating calmness.

Just an arm's length away, Cerberus laid in the grass, fallen from its holster in the tumble. He gathered it in his hand in one swift motion and swung the muzzle toward the Eidolon. The deep plummet he was about to take remained behind them, while the creature blocked any safe means of escape. Despite their predicament, he wouldn't go down without a fight. Vincent couldn't stand to break his debt to Lightning so easily, and even if she was on the other side of the l'Cie field, she was still a friend.

A friend he was willing to fight with to the very end.

Lightning raised a hand to call upon her magic, but by the time bits of frost appeared on her fingertips, the Eidolon ceased in its tracks. Flames continued spewing from the depths of the helmet, but it lessened in intensity, almost as if its breath returned to regular pace. Vincent and Lightning watched it warily, keeping an eye open it case it was planning a surprise attack…

But it relaxed from its rigid stance before falling to one knee, the lance still in its hand. The knight's helmet bowed lowly in their presence, forgetting any notion of doing harm. Once Lightning stumbled to get up on her feet, she tugged on Vincent's arm to do the same; sweat trickled down their faces and necks, but they were glad to let out sighs of relief.

The Eidolon then looked up at its master, the white orbs for eyes connecting with Vincent's own crimson gaze. A strange sensation shot through his being, though it was more alleviating than painful.

"By the grace of Etro, emerge from the deepest fires of perdition. Come forth, clad in smoldering justice.
A name in blood, a pact of flare. Ifrit shall rise, his bond eternal and unyielding.
Tenebrous dusk.
Demonic blaze."

The familiar name stuck out to him, and he knew it was complete. This was the same trial Cloud had gone through – a test from within, to save his mind from being lost in turmoil.

Vincent's limbs were close to giving out when dark flames encased Ifrit, concealing him until the embers died out, and no trace was left behind. The Blazefire Saber clattered to the ground, still extended in its sword mode. His mind was frantic for an answer, wanting to find reason to his unanswered questions.

"Why did it…?" At first, he was confused…but as he replayed the battle in his mind, Vincent eventually figured it out.

Ifrit appeared the moment he was at an end to Lightning's loyalty. In spite of his standoffish ways, he truly worried about the people surrounding him, and he wasn't ready to put the others at risk by putting all his faith in Lightning's help.

Still, he found it impossible to sever all ties. Even if she were the enemy, he couldn't turn his back on her; not only would it lead him nowhere, but his friendship with Lightning reminded him of the values in forgiveness and redemption. For the past year, she had been a solid member in their team back on the Planet, and he wasn't going to let her down anytime soon.

Lightning sighed as she picked up the gunblade and shortened it into its gun mode before tucking it away. "I understand why you can't trust me," she said without looking back at him, her tone calm and patient. "However, believe me when I say this – I'm gonna do whatever it takes to save you guys from your fate."

Vincent could hear the sincerity in her words, ready to believe them…but reality still reared its ugly head and kept him from breaking the tension. "I'm surprised you keep going," he commented honestly with a mix of uncertainty. He slowly put his gun back in its holster, still reeling from the events just a few minutes ago. "Snow and Serah, too. If you help us, you'll turn cie'th." He wondered if thinking about the truth would shake her resolve, open her eyes to reality as well. "Are you really just going to wait for a miracle to fall into your hands and save you? How are you so sure it will come?"

Though he admired their optimism back in Vallis Media, it sounded like empty words in face of the horrors they explained about becoming l'Cie. Determination and faith were strong, but it could also be blinding. For thirty years, he slumbered in Nibelheim, seeking out any thread of atonement to cling onto, until Cloud and the others appeared to give his life meaning once again. It was a miracle he was eternally grateful for, but it wasn't like they came whenever they were needed. It seemed fruitless to wait for one to appear, as well as debilitating once one realized it would never come.

Still, his doubt failed to break Lightning's fortitude; he could see her firm stance, set on following this Focus to the end.

"Because we'll make it happen," she replied with a clear, unwavering voice. It piqued Vincent's surprise, the barest hint of it appearing on his face. "Miracles are things we make for ourselves."

Turning back, she faced him with one of her trademark smiles that could have easily been mistaken for a smirk. "Just a few months, ago, didn't you stop Omega from its job of destroying the Planet?"

Her words struck something from within. In a way, she was correct – due to Deepground's malevolent plans, it was in Omega's natural design to destroy the Planet should the world be in danger. Acting against nature was logically near impossible, yet Vincent managed to keep the Weapon from killing millions of innocent souls, more than well considered to be a miracle within itself.

Perhaps fate and destiny weren't so set in stone as history made them out to be. Lightning may have been forced to be an enemy of him and the others, but none of that changed who she truly was. Even when Vincent himself became a monster after Hojo's experimentation, he still managed to hold onto the glimmer of humanity left behind to escape the fifty-year hell he carved out.

He hesitated for a short moment, but soon enough he looked upon Lightning with an appreciative gaze. "Thank you," he delivered bluntly, but in his case, it was more than enough to show the sincerity. "What happened to the others?"

Lightning nodded her head back to the spring. "I told them to get a head start before running back to get you. With luck, we could get to Oerba by sundown."

Vincent chuckled silently to himself, making sure Lightning didn't hear as the two of them set out to regroup with the rest of the team. All the talk about luck and miracles hardly changed his mind about the concept…

But maybe, just maybe, if they truly could make their own miracle, it wouldn't be so bad to keep going to see the end.