Eclipse: Redux

by qwertykid

A rewrite/expansion of my first fic, Eclipse. The brightest light will always cast the darkest shadow. Join Bayonetta, Cereza and Luka through a retelling of the events of Bayonetta as they seek to uncover the prophecy behind the two Eyes of the World and the secrets behind their new ally. Contains OC, new lore and a whole lot of Bayonetta goodness.

15. Isla Del Sol

All characters in this chapter are the properties of their respective companies. I'm just using them for funsies!

Chapter 14: Isla Del Sol

...

Bayonetta and Luka both stood in place, taking in the aura of Isla Del Sol around them. She wasn't sure what the mortal was thinking or feeling, but the stench of Angel's surrounded her. Vigrid was bad, yes, but this felt as if the entire city was dipped into Paradiso.

It permeated everything. She could feel Madama Butterfly hissing and recoiling from the space around her, and she was honestly wanting to do the same. Eyeing Luka's hand, she wondered if holding it would alleviate anything. Instead, she kept a calm visage and waited for Luka to do something.

"The Ithavoll tower," Luka said gravely, staring up at it. "Never seen it before, and it certainly lives up to the splendour."

"Lead the way, Cheshire." Bayonetta gestured to the building. "It's not going to walk to us."

"It's obviously a trap." He turned to her, a concerned stare in his eyes. "If we enter the building, the Father is going to know."

"There's a very high chance- No," Bayonetta returned with a shrug. "He already knows that we are here. Probably ever since we stepped foot onto this island."

"No use trying to be stealthy then, I guess." Luka grinned. She replied with one of her own, then turned to the alley's exit.

"My dear, sweet child."

The Scarborough Fair dropped into her hands as she pointed them around, trying to find the origin of the voice. The world seemed to grow darker around her, and she felt an overwhelming presence at the edge of her senses. She barely acknowledged Luka jumping back in fear as the guns passed over him. Searching, her eyes took in every detail in any attempt to find it.

"You've grown stronger, closer to your full potential…"

Where is he?! Bayonetta called out to Butterfly as she turned around again, searching desperately.

'...I can't find him.'

What do you mean?!

"You have one last trial before you can be called worthy of the Left Eye of the World. Do not be afraid, for I am always watching over you."

That wasn't ominous. The presence receded, the world returned to normal and the world returned to its normal hue. and her guns lowered afterwards. Staring up at the building, she gave it a glare.

"Well, why don't you come down and test me yourself?" She growled. "At least the other members of your little troupe could manage that."

"Bayonetta?" Luka called out. She turned to see him backed against a wall, eyes wide with fear. "What are-"

"The Father felt it was prudent of him to give me a visit." She relaxed her stance and gave him a comforting smile. "That's about it."

"You're not going crazy?"

"Cheshire, I'm still lost in this wonderland," She gestured to the buildings around her. "The world goes mad, not me."

He swallowed and pushed himself off the wall. Walking towards the edge of the alleyway, he shrugged. "I guess so…"

"Please don't be glum. I believe the Father is a powerful telepath."

Luka stopped, startled. "He is? Then why hasn't he contacted me? Am I not important enough?"

His shoulders sagged. "I guess I am, if I think about it. I'm just another guy; especially in the grand schemes of what the Father has done."

"Cheshire, both you and Sephiroth are the closest of those affected by the Father to actually do something." She reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Right now, to everyone else in the world, you are the third most important person there is."

"Behind you and Sephiroth?" He grinned. Bayonetta smirked and stepped away in response, turning to walk out of the alleyway.

"You better order us correctly, Cheshire, or there's no snacks for you in the future."

"Considering he isn't even here right now, you are the most important." He caught up with a small struggle, his strides struggling to keep pace with hers.

She placed a hand on her hip and lessened her pace so he could keep up with her. "Good answer. I suppose that also means that you are the second most important?"

"I don't want to toot my own horn too much, but I guess so."

They exited the alley and found themselves in a bustling street. In the background, the sun began to set behind the Ithavoll building, both hiding it from view and shrouding the building in shadow. Sleek buildings rose into the sky around it, all reaching towards the peak of the centre. Around them, unconcerned citizens walked by without giving the odd looking pair a second glance. Cars and trams, far more advanced than those she had seen in American cities, hurtled down the street without a care for the pedestrians around them. No car or pedestrian managed to collide in the ordered chaos; it was almost like clockwork.

"Remarkable…" Luka was in awe next to her. "If any of our cities were like this, we wouldn't have nearly as many problems."

"There's a chance they are all under his influence, you know." Bayonetta chided, sparing him a glance. Her eyes darted through the crowd as they walked into it. Men, women and children spread apart as they stepped through, parting to give them a pathway forward. Their expressionless, dead eyes seemed to stare into her soul as they passed them. Her skin crawled, and Luka shuddered next to her.

"That's not creepy at all." He whispered. "This is why nothing gets reported here. No one wants to report it."

She nodded in agreement. "No one can."

The crowd began to dissipate as people abruptly turned and entered buildings and alleyways, clearing the street in seconds. Silence followed; the only sound was her subdued breaths.

"Cheshire, get behind me." She took a defensive stance, her eyes scanning everywhere. This 'final trial' was about to happen, and she wasn't going to be taken off guard.

"Just where will 'behind you' be, Bayonetta?"

Bayonetta whirled around to see Jeanne pointing a gun at Luka with a smirk on her face. The glasses on top of her head glinted under the streetlight, giving her an almost Angelic halo. He turned as well, his face becoming pale and eyes widening at the sight.

"Hol-"

Jeanne pulled the trigger.

The Bracelet of Time glowed on her wrist as time slowed to a crawl. Reaching out to pull Luka out of the way of the bullet, she wasn't surprised to see Jeanne swinging in at her with a katana.

'You have about fifteen seconds before the bullet impacts.' Butterfly informed her as she twisted around the slash.

She could work with that.

Sweeping her legs out wide, she connected into Jeanne's leg and tripped the Witch up. Rolling forward and vaulting over the falling body, she reached out yet again. A punch to her stomach, followed by a kick to her side made her remember that she wasn't going to lie down after one strike. Letting the momentum carry her, Bayonetta twirled and landed on her feet as Jeanne swung her katana at Luka's exposed neck.

Tossing one of her guns, Bayonetta slid forward with a heel outstretched and aimed at Jeanne's ankle this time. The gun slammed into her wrist, knocking the blade out of her grip and her foot connected with a sickening crack. Jeanne fell down with a scream, one hand reaching down.

Bayonetta grabbed her falling gun and noticed that the bullet was inches away from Luka's face. Throwing herself at him, she tackled him and ended the witch time.

"-y shit!" Luka screamed as they tumbled on the ground. The bullet flew off into the distance and she let out a breath of relief.

"You…" Jeanne spat out, green magic flowing from her palm and down onto her leg. "Why!?"

"Stay behind me this time, Cheshire." She whispered as they began to untangle each other. He nodded, breathing heavily. Bayonetta stood up, keeping her body between the two. "That's quite enough of going after the cat now, right?"

Jeanne followed her, the ankle apparently fully healed. "Welcome to Isla Del Sol, my dear sister." Her tone was venomous and full of hate and her gaze was flickering between her own and Luka.

"What a welcoming party this is," Bayonetta responded cordially and with familiarity. Her eyes narrowed at her former friend. "Jeanne."

"You seem far more sure of yourself, to speak with me with such ease." The Witch in red tilted her head. "If you've made it this far, you should be back to your old self."

"Jeanne, that part of me is dead." She grimaced, glancing behind her. Luka had crawled up to a wall and pressed himself against it. Satisfied, she turned back to Jeanne and glared. "I'm not some girl who needs protection from the world anymore."

"That's not the part I wanted to see!" Jeanne pointed at her with the katana. "What about us, Bayonetta?"

"We are friends."

"Best friends." Jeanne emphasised. "That's all you ever talked about, about how you were so glad to be friends with me, how I was the best person in your miserable life! And now, look at you! Fornicating with fucking mortals!"

"Cheshire here is a house pet, not a toy." She refuted. "And why do you care? Have you spent the last five hundred years celibate?"

The glare intensified and Bayonetta tilted her head. "You have, haven't you?"

"Fuck you!" Jeanne launched herself forward with the katana outstretched.

A familiar move. She countered it the same way by knocking the blade down towards the ground, causing Jeanne to stumble forward. Bayonetta raised one leg and kicked Jeanne back down the street.

"What is your new issue now, Miss De'Arc?" Bayonetta took her stance as the Witch slammed her fist on the ground in frustration. "My business in the bedroom is none of your concern. Why does it matter to you about who my friends are?"

Jeanne didn't answer; she merely stood up and sent her a look of pure hatred.

"From what I knew of you, you would have been thrilled to see me with other people." She took the opportunity to continue. "I remember you being worried about my wellbeing to the point of smothering me when the other Umbra decided to take matters into their own hands."

"Because you were mine."

The hairs on the back of her neck stood up. "What?"

"I did everything for you." The Witch stepped forward. "I protected you, I helped you, I shaped you into a woman you were not destined to be. I gave up- no, sacrificed everything for you! And this is my reward? "

"If you were doing anything for a reward, then perhaps I never knew the real you." Bayonetta was watching each of Jeanne's steps intensely, each one making her stiffen. "That's close enough."

To her surprise, Jeanne stopped. "Of course, you never knew the real me. Don't you remember who I am, Bayonetta? I'm Jeanne De'Arc, heiress to the Umbra. The Princess inside of the castle, as we used to play. Everything I have been taught was to hide who I truly was, so I could appease dear Mummy and her craven band of Witches!"

"So this is who you truly are then? Some jealous, bitter woman? That's not who I grew up with." She put her hands on her hips, relaxing slightly. Shaking her head, she continued:

"It all started when I foolishly challenged you for the Left Eye. Every single thing that has happened throughout history has been because of my decision." Jeanne raised the blade until it was pointing at Bayonetta's chest. "This is where we finish what was started so long ago! That Eye will become mine, as it was meant to be!"

Bayonetta sighed. "Jeanne, I defeated you. Fair and square. There is no finishing what you started."

"You clearly do not understand; I am challenging you for the right to wield the Left Eye." Jeanne drew the sword back until she held it in a two-handed grip, held up by her side. Her legs spread apart slightly to allow her to crouch, increasing her center of gravity and coiling her body up like a spring. "Your honor will make you accept it!"

She began to laugh. "Really? My honor is going to make me accept it? Jeanne, Cheshire and I have business elsewhere that does not involve petty squabbles from five hundred years ago. This is just a waste of my time."

"You would dare leave this place a coward? An affront to the Umbran name?"

"Yes." She snapped. "Quite frankly any kind of Umbran honor stopped when you decided to put humans in the firing line."

"Bayonetta," Luka called out. She glanced back to see him starting to sit up and take in the situation. "She's not going to stop until you stop her."

"And the pathetic mongrel speaks." Jeanne shook her head, rolling her eyes. "Bayonetta tells you to do tricks, so shut the fuck up!"

"Cheshire is not a dog," Bayonetta frowned. "He's a curious cat."

"He is still a fucking mongrel."

"What is your issue with mortals?" She turned the question to its source.

Jeanne pointed at her, then to Luka. "He is a pathetic mortal, just like the rest of them. Those you've been… associating with, are nothing but cheats and liars. Why do you surround yourself with nothing but the cesspool of humanity!?"

"Most of them don't try to kill each other or, most importantly, me." Bayonetta twirled her guns back into her stance. "That's very important in whom I choose to be my friend."

"Then you've chosen wrong." Jeanne tightened her grip on the katana. "The Eye will be mine!"

"And you immediately prove to me that you shouldn't be my friend." Bayonetta shook her head. "A friend of my enemy, even if they were once mine as well, is still my enemy. Be it Witch or Sage."

"The Lumen Sages…" Jeanne stopped to ponder for a second, looking down. "They were our counterbalance as overseers, until one broke the law that was never to be broken."

"Your point is?"

Jeanne returned her gaze to the woman standing opposite her. "And the result of that was you, Bayonetta."

"And? Your point is?" She repeated, frustrated.

"Haven't you figured it out yet? The only reason you were an outcast, why your family was torn apart; they broke the ancient commandments! Your mother was a Witch, your father a Lumen Sage!" Jeanne pointed to her. "The Father has finally revealed this to me and now everything makes sense!"

"I already knew that!" Bayonetta countered, narrowing her eyes. "It doesn't take much logic to work out what 'Lumen Whore' means."

"Wait, you're a child of light and dark?" Luka exclaimed. "Oh… Shit!"

"Yes! She is the feared union of light and darkness." Jeanne's smile was sickening. "The one step that neither Clan wanted to take to complete the prophecy."

"The prophecy," Bayonetta slowly said. "Is a load of bollocks."

"Ha! You know in our line of work that anything that could be true, is true." The witch turned the smile to her. "Come on, Bayonetta, do you really believe that it's false?"

"Explain yourself!"

"You, my dear, are holding one third of the key to resurrecting Jubileus." A finger rose to point at her. "The Right Eye of the world is the other, and the final is being a coveted child of light and dark. Of those, you are what he needs."

"That's-" Bayonetta felt the words die out on her lips.

"And once the creator is reborn, every problem in this world will be nothing. Why? There will be no problems! She Above All will simply recreate the world into a perfect utopia." Jeanne gestured around to the city. "The world is full of strife, fallacies and suffering. Why not change it? Why keep it the same when nothing changes!?"

She hated the fact her heart was agreeing with her. But her mind?

"Murdering billions is not what I call an easy path." Bayonetta shook her head. "You can't-"

"We can't? Unprompted by anything, the Holocaust happened. Mortals will kill themselves for their own entertainment unless someone here changes their nature." Jeanne returned her gaze back to her. "All you have to do is simply let the Eye in, and go to the Father."

"I-"

"You don't know anything!"

Her eyes widened and she stared as Luka began to walk towards them. "Cheshire, get back!"

"No, I'm done running." His eyes were focussed on Jeanne's, who regarded him with derision. "You seem to forget that Bayonetta here is a person! As far as I know, she hasn't killed a person deliberately. Yes, she's got the whole clan killed for existing and Vigrid is gone as well because of her, but she just happened to be there both times! None of that was explicitly her fault!"

Bayonetta just stared at him. He was so wrong, yet he was defending her? Why? Her being a child of light and dark had caused both Clan's extinction, and by extension the Vigrid incident.

'Maybe he is just trying to be a decent person.'

I doubt it.

"She killed your Daddy dearest," Jeanne snapped back. "And now you are defending her? Are you that much of an asslicker?"

"He was sent to his death and you know it." Luka shook his head. "I know that we had a rocky start, and everything else, but Bayonetta is a good person. She cares, not because some ancient code or honor makes her, but because it's the right thing to do!"

"And who are you to lecture me on what is right and wrong?" Jeanne raised her sword up and pointed it at him. "You stalked and accused my sister of crimes she never committed. Please, tell me why I should even give a hypocrite the time of day!?"

"Leave him alone." Bayonetta found her voice. "Your fight is with me."

"I asked the mongrel a question. I expect an answer." Jeanne didn't turn to her.

"I'm pretty certain that the self-proclaimed Umbran Princess would be intimately familiar with the code and honor that comes with being an Umbra!" Luka answered, gesturing with his hands to the city around them. "Look at this place! Can you honestly say that this is what you perceive as right!?"

"The Father opened my eyes to a new truth when we came to an agreement, mongrel." She finally turned to her and gave her a nauseating smile. "Maybe he needs to give you the same terms."

"What sort of agreement did you two come to?" She narrowed her eyes, trying to calm her churning stomach.

"Oh, he just opened my eyes to many truths. And now, I have reasons to accept all of them." The sword changed to her. "Unfortunately for you, we have the girl. And with that monstrous experiment sure to follow you here, it's only a matter of time before you are not necessary to his plans. Your Eye, however, is required."

"The Left Eye, our treasure, will not fall into the hands of another." She echoed Jeanne's words from long ago. "And that includes you."

"For her, that would be tragic." The Witch smirked. "But your death is something she will need to accept, like all the others."

The strange wording nagged at her as she took a defensive stance. "Her? What on Earth are you talking about now?"

"Haven't you figured it out yet?" Jeanne laughed. "Obviously your memory isn't quite up to scratch. I do like to take the reins properly on occasion, my dear."

Growling, she vaulted forward with the guns on her heels blazing. Bayonetta had been anticipating something to happen, and answered by twisting over and thrusting and foot out, launching a weave straight into the Witch. Jeanne disappeared through a nearby wall from the impact and she instantly turned to the mortal.

"Cheshire! Get to Ithavoll and stay there!" Bayonetta ordered. He nodded and flung his arm out, the zipline flying and bouncing off a wall. They both stared at the line, gobsmacked, until she remembered that he had not fixed the damn thing.

"Shit! Well, nothing gets the calories burning like running does!" Luka broke off into a sprint, the wire retracting back away. "You better meet me there!"

"Cheshire," She called out. A smirk found its way onto her lips as he glanced back, skidding to a halt. "Don't be late."

He rolled his eyes and returned to his sprint, disappearing around a corner and out of sight. Bayonetta, for the first time in her life, cursed herself for not learning any magic that would help in this situation. Even a simple luck charm would be of greater use here than a Wicked Weave.

"Please be safe." She whispered, then returned her attention to the building Jeanne had disappeared into. The Witch was climbing out, a murderous look on her eyes.

"You…" Jeanne spat, then sprinted at her. "I'll fucking kill you!"

Bayonetta struck out with her legs, swinging with kicks aimed at her head. Jeanne cursed and fell into the defensive, transitioning into a slide. Cartwheeling away, Bayonetta aimed a kick at her outstretched knee and found her mark.

The Witch in red screamed in agony as her leg bent at an unnatural angle. Bayonetta didn't give her mercy; she immediately snapped her fingers to launch Jeanne up with a wicked punch. Twisting her body around again, a wicked stomp slammed into Jeanne yet again and launched her down the street. Landing, she took a second to observe her opponent's landing and then rushed forward.

"Wait!" Jeanne held her hands up defensively with a cry. She hesitated, and it was enough time for Jeanne to take advantage of. Bullets from her feet burst through the air, forcing her to retreat backward. The other witch stood up, green tendrils wrapping around and supporting her broken leg, presumably healing it.

"Of course, you still have empathy. What was it you kept telling the experiment?" She smirked, the katana twirling in her hands. "Don't fight emotionally compromised?"

Bayonetta merely gritted her teeth in response.

"You still feel for this vessel, and that will be your downfall!" Jeanne began her offence with an intricate combination of slices. Bayonetta gritted her teeth as she deflected each one with the Scarborough Fair, spinning the guns on her fingers. Each strike was aimed at her body and she figured Jeanne was aiming to either kill her or slice the Eye away.

Her opening came when Jeanne was too overzealous with an overhead slice. Twisting around, she lifted a heel up and trapped the sword on the road. Slamming the butt of her gun into Jeanne's chin, Bayonetta pushed the Witch backwards and swept out her legs. Jeanne fell backwards, the sword staying under her heel. Lifting her other leg up, she stomped down in an attempt to squash her. Jeanne disappeared into a burst of moths as the wicked stomp slammed down.

She reappeared in a spinning kick to Bayonetta's left. Ducking under it, she felt as Jeanne slammed down on her back with another kick. Rolling to her right, Bayonetta cursed inwardly as two weaves slammed into the ground where she just was. The road cracked from the force, and Jeanne took advantage of this by using the two weaves to launch the road at her.

"P'DEE BARMA!" Bayonetta called, and her hair flew from her body. Butterfly heeded her call and appeared, swatting pieces of the road and other debris away. Rearing back, the Demoness rushed forward with a giant headbutt towards the Witch. Jeanne shrieked in pain as she was caught by the unorthodox counter, her own weaves dissipating.

"How- You would be the one to summon her into the world!?" Jeanne jumped back and onto a wall, activating witch walk.

"I'm sorry; I'm not allowed to?" Bayonetta followed her up, letting Butterfly fade away as her hair suit reweaved itself onto her body.

"The battle between an Umbra is between the powers we have access to, not what our Patrons can conjure up." She hissed, lowering herself into a stance.

Is she right?

'The only reason Infernal Summoning is illegal in duels of the Umbra is due to the summon having a high chance of turning on their summoner.' Butterfly informed her.

That makes sense.

'I have a vested interest in your continued survival, so she's wrong in this situation.' The Infernal finished with a grin. 'Go ahead; use me to your heart's content.'

"It's a good thing this isn't an official battle between Umbra," Bayonetta flashed her a smile. "Just a spat between two old friends."

Jeanne's eyes gleamed as her lips curled into an insane smile. "I guess that you are right. There need be no rules in a 'spat'!"

…

Luka turned through another alleyway, reaching another street. Slipping into the crowd, he slowed down into a walk and tried to act natural.

He was worried about Bayonetta. He had every bit of confidence that she would win against the other witch, but he still had that sliver of doubt.

They didn't want to kill her, he reasoned to himself. They needed at least one of them alive.

If the prophecy was correct, then the recipe required was-

Both, he corrected himself. They needed both. They can't kill her, so this is her fight to win.

As he was saying, the recipe was two children of light and dark along with the Right and Left eyes of the world. If Bayonetta was one, and holding one of the Eyes, then it was halfway finished. Sephiroth just needed to show up with the other and then everything would be in place. Except he personally had no idea if the Father had the other Eye, and Sephiroth was still fighting something in the middle of the ocean behind him.

He pushed past two blank citizens, giving them a strange look when they just leaned out of his path. He stopped, looking around him with trepidation.

"Boy."

His head whipped around from the voice. It was undoubtedly male, but this time it was much older than Sephiroth.

The Father, I assume?

'My, you are quite smart for a pathetic mortal. Congratulations, you have made it to Isla Del Sol. Well done. Once you have stepped foot inside my building, you will have come just as far as your Father did.'

The crowd around him tilled to a stop. Tensing slightly, he swallowed and answered the voice in his head.

What do you want with Cereza?

"Hmph. You just have to have the same compassion problems as him too."

Where is the girl!?

"To which Cereza do you refer to? There are a few Cereza's in this world that I have interest in." The voice took on a humoured tint.

What do you mean by that? The one you have, of course!

"I repeat my question."

Luka's eyes narrowed. He was confused now, and he wasn't ashamed to admit it. He knew one Cereza, didn't he?

Have you got another Cereza in that basement of yours?

"And yet again, another Redgrave blinded by his own ambition. If you are speaking of the girl by my side, she is safe for now."

He let out a sigh of relief.

"But, unfortunately for you, you are not necessary in my plans."

Everyone's head snapped to him, a few people falling over as they broke their own necks. Luka's eyes widened and he began to look for an escape route. If only he-

He could repair his damn grappling hook. Time was of the essence. Striking first, he pushed the closest people away from him and sprinted towards a nearby alleyway. Hand reached out and gripped at his clothing, but he slipped out of his coat and let his scarf fly in their grips. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his spare hook as he turned into the alley.

"You cannot run. Let your death come with dignity."

The crowd began to surge after him. They were silent, staring at him with blank faces as they trampled over each other to reach the entrance of the alley. Luka cursed and sprinted around a corner, ripping off the covering of his wire mechanism.

He glanced up to see more Vigridians piling through the next exit. Rolling his eyes, he noticed a door nearby and shouldered his way through it.

Two men in suits stood up at his entry, fixing their expressionless gaze on him. Cursing again, he sprinted past them and up a flight of stairs.

Normally, he would fix the wire to the hook by a series of knots and welds. Now, he was working with a frayed cable thanks to Jeanne, and there probably wasn't a welder on this Island. Taking the stairs two steps at a time, he tried to feed the cable through the hook.

Glancing down, he noticed that the Vigridians were following, their heads looking up to stare at him.

"It is fruitless; there is nowhere you can go where I cannot find you."

Shaking his head, he increased his pace and began taking the steps three at a time. He bit down a cry of excitement as he managed to get the cable through. Quickly tying a few knots, he closed the launcher cover down and glanced up to see if there were any openings for him to slip out of.

…

"OXEX RACLIR!" Jeanne screamed into the sky, her hair growing and spiralling off. Gommorah burst from the ground beside her, pulling itself upright and up onto its hind legs. "Go and get her!"

The Demon roared in acknowledgement, then surged forward. Bayonetta simply dodged around its initial bite, then ran straight for Jeanne. The Witch glared at her, breaking the summon and twisting around again.

"OXEX RACLIR" She screamed again, and then Scolopendra twisted around her, giving her a shield. Bayonetta leaned to the side, then sent a weave straight into the head of the Demon. It roared in pain and frustration, then began to dissipate.

"ADRPAN!" Malphas screeched from above the Witch in red, swooping down with its claws outstretched. Cursing at her persistence, Bayonetta let her own power fill her as her hair flung itself at the ground.

"APACHANA NAPTA!" She called out and six arms answered and formed around her. Two caught the demon, another pair slammed into its head and twisted and the final two launched themselves towards Jeanne.

The Witch realised too late what was happening and disappeared into the building when the weaves connected. Malphas fell to the ground, unravelling as Hekatoncheir disappeared with a thumbs up from each limb.

"Why, thank you." Bayonetta smiled with appreciation, then hurried over to the hole where Jeanne had disappeared into.

…

Luka screamed as the wall next to him exploded inwards, two giant fists crunching against the opposite. They retracted and the dust settled to show an annoyed Jeanne.

"Not good enough!" She called out, seemingly not noticing him yet. "I'm still quite alive, and ready for more!"

Her eyes flickered over to him, and now he was under her scrutiny.

Uh oh.

"Oh, and the mongrel followed us up as well? This just keeps getting better!" Her body tensed slightly.

Luka didn't give her a chance. He prayed to whatever God was listening in and fired his grappling hook. He felt it impact onto another building and he let it pull him up and out of the building. He missed Jeanne's words as she began to shout at him, but he figured that it probably wasn't worth listening to.

…

Bayonetta flinched as Luka's grappling wire shot out of the hole, his body following after. She watched it soar into the air, then onto the wall of a nearby building. He struggled with the landing, but managed to pull himself up and over the roof.

"You fucking motherfucking fuck!" Jeanne was screaming at the retreating figure. She had jumped out after him, and Bayonetta felt herself immediately move to intercept. "Get back here so I can fucking kill y-"

She collided into her with a tackle, pulling the Witch over her and tossing her back at the building. Jeanne smashed through the glass, crashing against and through another wall. Bayonetta landed on the edge of the second hole and jumped down after her.

"So, what is your problem with dear Cheshire?" She asked, warily staring around at the dust settling.

"Why are you so bloody attached to that fucking mortal in particular!?" Jeanne snapped back from her left. She whirled in that direction and fired. The silhouette of Jeanne darting through the bullets greeted her, and the Witch was upon her soon after. Bayonetta deflected the first strike and blocked the follow-up kick with a kick of her own. They stood there, legs interlocked as Bayonetta tried to get the advantage.

"He's a fucking mortal, and mortals expire!" Jeanne pulled back and sent a testing swipe with her katana. Bayonetta danced back, her guns firing down at her feet. The Witch in red cursed and retreated back further into the dust, becoming invisible from view again.

"Have you considered that he is amusing?" Bayonetta returned to a defensive stance as she began to scan the dust. "I keep him around because he is quite the entertainer."

"You have quite the tongue for curling around the truth." Jeanne hissed from behind her. "Look at yourself, hiding from every fact that is plain to see!"

"You say that like you know everything." She turned to see nothing. Glancing around, she began to slowly walk forward. "I quite assure you our relationship is barely at the platonic level. Cheshire doesn't even want to look at me when I have everything on display!"

Jeanne lunged forward from her right. Leaning back, she let the blade pass over her chest. Pushing it away, she sent an elbow out and into Jeanne's arm. Sending out another kick, she pushed the Witch back into the dust.

This time, she followed. Sprinting in, Bayonetta grabbed the flailing Witch and tossed her back out of the building. Jumping out and landing back onto the wall of the building, she glanced back to see Jeanne swooping at her in her bird form. Ducking down, she transformed into a panther and sprinted towards the edge. Jumping over the gap, she transformed and turned back to unleash all four guns.

Jeanne immediately pulled back, flying behind the building to take cover. Landing on the next building, she let the momentum carry her into a roll. Recovering onto her feet, she waited for Jeanne to reappear.

The Witch snarled and burst through the building, hand reaching for her. Bayonetta slapped it away and pushed into her offence with her own.

…

Luka pulled himself onto the roof, surveying the battle with morbid curiosity. He had never actually seen Bayonetta fight for an extended period of time; only the very brief glimpse back at the airport before he was running for his life and hiding while she and Sephiroth did all the fighting.

Now, he could say that a fight between Umbra Witches was akin to pure forces fighting each other. Each combatant whirled with purpose, dancing in their brutality. Constructs of hair rained down around them as they fought, shattering the building and everything around it.

"Huh…" He turned away, looking towards the Ithavoll building. "Good thing I'm here then."

Sprinting, he jumped off the building and threw out an arm. His grappling hook found a target, and he swung through the city. A smirk found its way onto his face before he could stop it; he used to love Spider-man when he was much younger, and now he was basically Spider-man.

Without any of the powers, but same difference!

He retracted the cable as he landed on another rooftop. He glanced up to see Jeanne flying over him, her limbs scrambling in the air for something to grip. She grabbed an antenna and flipped onto it in a crouch. She glared at the direction she came from, then noticed him again.

"Again!?" Luka threw himself off the building as bullets fired from the guns on her shoes ripped through the roof. Launching the grappling hook again, he flew towards the Ithavoll tower as Jeanne stared at him with a smile on her face.

…

Bayonetta landed as Luka flew off into the city again, cursing her luck. It seemed that she was tossing her opponent in the wrong spot constantly.

Perhaps he needed to reach the tower as she instructed.

Glancing up to Jeanne, she found the Witch was slowly standing up from her latest perch.

"You were always far too considerate for mortals." Jeanne's voice was bitter as a smile slowly fell from her face. "Too considerate for an overseer."

"Is that truly such a bad thing? Treating others the way I would like to be treated is just common sense." Bayonetta shrugged.

The blank face of Jeanne morphed into disgust. "You have become far too attached to them already. An overseer can't afford to do that, lest they fall to their own emotions."

"I'm not an overseer." She answered, glaring at her. "I never was."

"Accepting the Left Eye is the last step you need to complete before you would have been sworn in as the Overseer of Darkness. It's a shame we got interrupted by a war before you could." She pointed at her Umbran Watch. "But nevertheless. You will accept your destiny soon enough."

"Make me, then."

Jeanne jumped and launched herself down with an afterburner kick. Bayonetta simply sidestepped and launched two punches at the exposed stomach. They struck true, staggering the witch backwards and towards the edge of the roof. Charging forward with a shoulder tackle, she missed as Jeanne disappeared into a swarm of moths, reappearing behind her.

"Burn!" Jeanne spun on her heel as she attempted to deliver a roundhouse kick. Unfortunately, it struck true and threw her to the ground. Rolling to regain her bearings, she noticed the witch in red charging up a wicked stomp. Grimacing, she continued the roll as the weave came crashing down, followed by another pair. Twisting her body onto her knees, she kicked forward and transformed into a swarm of bats to dodge the fourth and final stomp.

"What?!" Jeanne's exclamation of surprise caused her to grin as she reformed into her normal self. Catching the Witch around the stomach, she allowed her momentum to turn her around and toss the woman with a suplex-like throw. Jeanne flipped into the landing, staring at her with shock.

"You've grown stronger." Her voice was a strange mixture of shock and anger. "Far stronger than I could have ever anticipated. You had still lost your full powers two days ago and now…"

"You've grown complacent." Bayonetta retorted, turning to face her. "You've had five hundred years to grow and you're still pulling off maneuvers from our first official duel."

"Complacent?" Jeanne's voice pitched higher as anger settled in yet again. "The Father was right. I was right to join him."

She swung a leg up in a sweep, spraying bullets. Bayonetta snapped her fingers and summoned a small barrier on her wrist. Swatting the projectiles down, she spun and tossed the hardened magic like a frisbee at her. Grunting in frustration, Jeanne ducked down and tried to close the gap with a forward roll. Anticipating this, Bayonetta raised her heel and stomped it down, sending a wicked stomp onto the defenseless Witch.

Jeanne let out a scream that disappeared into the sounds of destruction. The roof collapsed beneath her as the wicked stomp smashed into and through her. Letting the weave return to her body, Bayonetta was not surprised to see that there was no Jeanne and just a weave-sized hole where the Witch once was.

Walking over, she was surprised to see that Jeanne's red suit was caught on the edge of the hole. Half of it was ripped apart, the other entangled and riddled with punctures from the metal and concrete roof.

A body vaulted out of the hole, arcing over and falling behind her. Bayonetta turned around to see a nude Jeanne land in a crouch, her sword held out wide. The Witch turned to her, seemingly unconcerned with her nudity. Bayonetta, however, gasped at what she saw.

Jeanne's skin was fair and unblemished, except for the jagged and deep scar that ran across her groin. It was ugly and stood out instantly as Bayonetta stared at it, unable to look away.

"Do you like your handiwork?" The Witch asked, her hair flowing down from her scalp, covering her body with a tight-fitting grey patterns were more intricate, but the overall design was identical to her own.

"I don't recall giving you those scars." She answered, tilting her head.

"When you were put to sleep, I still believed in the Umbran cause. Knowing that a child of light and dark could still be conceived, I had to make sure it couldn't happen." Her tone had become bitter.

"You-"

"I tore everything out, Bayonetta, all for you! And what did that earn me?"

Her eyes flashed. "No annoying little ones, that's for certain."

"There's no anaesthesea in the sixteenth century. There's no real concept of personal hygiene and definitely no concept of sterility. After all, why would a fine young woman like myself ever dare to take away the gift of motherhood?" Jeanne mocked, dramatically placing a hand on her head. She grew serious again as the hand fell. "I had to cut myself open, tear myself apart and suffer for years on end, alone. Just so you had the chance to wake up and the prophecy be incomplete. Permanently. What did that earn me? You forgot everything!"

"You were the one to take away my memories, Jeanne." Bayonetta countered with a frown. "Or did you forget?"

"I… I did?" Jeanne's face screwed into confusion, then she shook her head. "You're fucking lying!"

"I think you were too busy looking forward to whatever the future could hold and simply forgot about the past." Bayonetta began to tense up, readying herself for the inevitable return to the battle. "I've seen your type before."

"What is my type then!? Who am I to you, Bayonetta? The silly girl who self-mutilated because she thought there was no choice?" Her eyes flashed and the confusion melted away. "I joined the Father because he was right! His vision is correct! The Umbra became complacent and it led to our downfall because we were scared of a prophecy. The Lumen understood the prophecy; they were actively trying to help the world by fulfilling it!"

"The death of billions is not worth the price of getting a utopia." Bayonetta gritted her teeth. "Or did you conveniently forget the core of our tenets?"

"Ha! You murdered a defenceless man, and you think you can call me out of cleansing the world of every villain. Humanity is flawed, Bayonetta. Living among them for five hundred years was long enough." She snarled with a grin. "You lived among them for twenty-"

"Those years were better than anything I experienced with the Umbra." She cut in angrily. "Yes, you were a very good friend and the highlight of my life, but you were the only highlight. Who have I met in the last twenty years? People I could call my friends."

"None of them are me! I am your greatest friend!" Jeanne's voice reeked of desperation. "Why won't you accept it?"

"I'm beginning to think you should have never been my friend." A cold feeling began to pool in her stomach. "At least Cheshire is respectful; the same with my dearest darling."

"What? The mongrel? The pathetic mortal that only has eyes for your hips? He's nothing but a dog who thinks with the wrong head. And the experiment is just a walking time bomb just waiting to explode."

"Aside from the somewhat justified stalking and his insistence of my choice of his name, Cheshire has been nothing but a gentleman." Bayonetta smirked. "He's been far more entertaining than you ever have been."

"He has not! Besides," Jeanne gestured to the city. "You left him alone in a city where he is not needed."

"He can handle himself." Bayonetta tilted her head at her, then raised a gun in response.

"Can he?" Jeanne's eyes glinted. "Can he really? My Lagunan friends have relished the chance to return to the mortal realm for nearly five hundred years."

Bayonetta's face went white and she dropped her gun. "You wouldn't dare!"

"What are you going to do? Save him? You've got me to deal with first, coronzon." She smirked, raising a hand. "And then you can mourn his corpse later. If you can find it."

"Jeanne! Don't!" Bayonetta dove at her, but the Witch in grey merely snapped her fingers with a smile.

…

"Rosemary again?" Luka whispered to himself as he landed on another rooftop, his grappling hook retracting. He frowned as he ran towards the edge again, slowing down as something began to nag at his mind. "Why is that-"

Reality opened up with a burst of bright light. Shutting his eyes, he blocked them as best as he could as he looked away.

They opened when he heard the screeching. The light had receded, leaving behind ten very familiar looking beings.

"What the-" His eyes went wide as he saw them. "Angels!?"

The Angels simultaneously looked at him and both parties stopped. Then the larger one behind the nine pointed and screeched. "Arp tia od teloc!"

He had no idea what that meant. But when the Angels ran at him, he figured it wasn't friendly. Turning and sprinting, he considered his two options.

Luka figured the wings of the Angels were not just for show and actually functioned, unlike Sephiroth's. So his normal escape method of zipping around buildings was not going to be helpful, and quite possibly disastrous for him.

However, he figured a narrow space would delay their movement. Kicking down a door, he entered the penthouse of the building and started heading down. More blank faced citizens grabbed at him, but he slipped by with shoves of his own.

A glance behind him revealed the Angels just blasting through the ceiling and walls, seemingly undeterred by the obstacles. Citizens were trampled down without care from their relentless movements

Swallowing, he pushed open another door as a glaive smashed into the wall beside him. Taking no cautions, he opened the elevator doors up and threw himself down the shaft. Twisting over, he shot his grappling hook back at the top.

And proceeded to land on the rising elevator.

All the air rushed out of his lungs as he crunched into the metal. Pain spiked through his ribs and spine and he figured he probably broke something; testing his limbs, it was not anything important. Taking a few deep breaths, he rolled off and tried again.

The elevator he was just lying on was swarmed by Angels as he turned up to shoot his grappling hook again, this time at the wall and not the ceiling. They screeched as they got smaller in his vision, and he smiled as he slowed down and began to lower himself to the floor level.

Opening the door, he sprinted towards the entrance. More citizens reached out to him, several forming a line to block off the door. Adjusting his course, he slipped through a side door and ended up in an alleyway. A glaive appeared in his vision and he ducked out of instinct.

Another weapon slammed into his back and he crumpled to the ground, his own momentum carrying him forward and into the wall of the alleyway. A numbed pain exploded from his back, and he could feel blood seeping into his shirt. His fingers brushed against the wall as he reached out, trying to get a grip on something.

Something landed behind him and he figured that he was about to die. Tightly shutting his eyes, his thoughts lingered on Bayonetta before he accepted his fate.

I'm sorry for not believing you sooner, I'm sorry for not being a better person-

Gunshots ripped through the air before any of the Angels could finish him off. Some screamed at the sounds, but this time it was pure hatred. Even he could interpret that.

"How I've longed to test my skills against the forces of heaven." A dry female voice filled with confidence announced a newcomer. "And here I thought I had to magic myself into Purgatorio to do so."

"A teloc avavago pi." The large one landed with a tremor. "Teloc tilb!"

"Sorry, I don't speak bird."

More gunshots rang out, then the sound of a sword cleaving through flesh with ease. Dying cries from the Angels filled the air as Luka pulled himself to a sitting position to give himself a better vantage point.

His eyes widened as he recognised the sword, then the person wielding it.

The last Angel was cut in two and the blonde woman shook her head as she replaced the living sword on her back. "I really thought they would be a little bit stronger."

"You're-" Luka was silenced by the woman placing a finger on her lips. She tossed him a green, star-shaped stone that instantly penetrated his body. Stiffening, he felt his latest injuries disappear into nothingness again.

"I'm not supposed to be here, so don't go announcing me around the place." She pointed behind her. "Take a left, then two rights and that's a backdoor into the tower. I'm going into the basement later, just gotta make a call to a friend first and let them know I won our bet. So, don't go down there."

"Wait, he's-"

"I'm serious! We're all not supposed to be here, so don't go and say our names." The woman held out a hand, which he graciously accepted. "Just get to the building and wait for Bayonetta. Or meet her there. I'll get the attention of the Angels and the citizens don't seem that dangerous. Go on, get going!"

He nodded, then sprinted out of the alley.

…

'Remember that advice you keep giving others?'

I'm not in the mood for your games.

'You might want to follow it yourself.'

Bayonetta was merciless with every strike now. She had charged Jeanne the moment her fingers snapped and now she was pissed.

Anger wasn't enough to express how she felt.

Weave after weave pummelled into the Witch, pushing her into a full retreat. Jeanne was jumping from building to building as she moved towards Ithavoll, her face glancing back with a mixture of satisfaction and fear.

'Calm yourself!'

Bayonetta did not listen, because she did not care. She wanted to break Jeanne. No one touched her friends. No one threatened her friends. And if they did, it didn't matter who they were; she was going to kill them.

A barrage of weaves annihilated a penthouse as she chased her down. Jeanne grunted as debris struck her, momentarily slowing her down. Bayonetta burst forward with a boost from Hekatoncheir, as Butterfly wasn't quite cooperating with her just yet, and tackled Jeanne. The pair crashed through another building, rolling in a pile.

Bayonetta had dropped her guns and was simply hitting her as hard as she could. Punches, clawing; it did not matter. All that did was whether it hurt Jeanne. This was completely undignified for her, but again she did not care.

Jeanne kicked her off and stared at her with disgust. "What has gotten into you?"

Rolling into a three point stance, Bayonetta launched herself again. The Witch in Grey responded with a weave from her left, knocking her away.

"You seriously cannot be this upset over the death of a mortal." She pulled herself up and began to walk towards the hole the pair had created. Bayonetta chose not to answer and resummoned the Scarborough Fair. Bullets sprayed out, all aimed at Jeanne's head. The Witch in grey merely swayed back and forth, evading them with ease.

"He would have expired long before you aged a year," She continued by jumping out onto the roof of another building. "And he is far more fragile than either you or me. But you care for his well being? Why!?"

"He has done far more for me than you!" Bayonetta followed, landing opposite the Witch. "And I don't care about his mortality!"

Jeanne stared at her, mouth agape. It pressed into a thin line as her nostrils flared. "He has threatened to kill you, multiple times, and has an obsession over you! How can you care about someone like that?!"

She levelled her gaze at her, letting her hatred shine through. "He is obsessed with his Fathers case, not me. You just described yourself, Jeanne! Why are you so obsessive and possessive?"

"I care about you far more than he does! His feelings do not matter when compared to mine!" Jeanne screamed, her voice cracking slightly.

"You have tried to kill me! Far more times than he has even entertained the matter." Bayonetta threw her hands in the air in frustration. "In what way does that mean you care for me? Are you some sick, twisted woman who thinks that's how you care for someone?"

"Why else would I chase you around this god-forsaken country, when I could wait here for you to show up?" Jeanne gave her a look. "You are still as oblivious as you were five hundred years ago."

Bayonetta's eyes widened at the implication. "Oh no…"

"Think about it, Bayonetta. The wondrous Umbran Princess needs a suitor to keep the bloodline going. But she can't marry a woman, even though she has no interest in men, because you can't continue the bloodline that way." Jeanne bitterly spat out. "Man after man, suitor after suitor, turned away because I wasn't interested. But they never gave up, finding more and more 'suitable' candidates to act as a fucking sperm bank because I'm not allowed to be lesbian. Their precious bloodline needed to be continued and I was not allowed to be slightly fucking different!"

She raised one finger and pointed it at her. "And, imagine if I revealed I fell in love with the halfbreed. The one person in the world that wasn't allowed to be happy. They would have murdered you, to attempt to dissuade me from daring to think about girls instead of boys. I needed you, Bayonetta. You were everything that I had it that fucking hellhole."

"You're jealous and bitter." Bayonetta observed with a shake of her head.

Jeanne scoffed. "Oh, I'm the jealous one? The clan was always open to sexuality, open to every kind of relationship, and yet I was not allowed the same freedoms. I am the Umbran Heiress, and yet I had no control over anything. Once I realised they were all fucking dead and the rules need not apply, it was simply a matter of waiting. And I waited. I waited for ten years after we met for you to realise. I waited five hundred years so you could be safe. I waited twenty years for you to come back to me once you woke up."

"This isn't the Jeanne I know." She began to weave a spell behind her back, calling upon Madama Butterfly discreetly. The Infernal answered.

"How little you must really know of me. I grew disillusioned with waiting. I watched mortals murder each other over spats, and I did nothing because I had to protect you, my love." Jeanne shook her head. "Everything I knew, everything that was ingrained into me since birth was unravelling faster than I could keep up with it. So when the Father met me and explained what Jubileus could do to help everything, I knew I had to. Everything she could offer could fulfill my happiness."

She stared at the madness in Jeanne's eyes with horror. "You're insane if you truly believe that."

"Oh, I'm not insane." Jeanne's eyes gleamed. "She could make your dreams come true, my love. Everything you could wish for and all you have to do is just… give in."

She dropped her guns and gestured to her. "Jubelius does not discriminate and does not pay favors to anyone; it will do whatever it pleases when the time comes. Remaking the universe is very much self-explanatory; no one will survive."

"The Father is always correct." Jeanne looked up at the sky and closed her eyes with a smile. "And besides, you haven't addressed the elephant in the room, my love."

"I would rather marry Sephiroth than touch my skin against yours in pleasure." She summoned a gun and pointed it at her. "And to be honest, keeping him around would be more beneficial than a girl with separation issues."

Jeanne's eyes opened and blazed with fury, her body trembling with rage. "You wouldn't dare…"

"And Luka is far more my type." Bayonetta smirked and Jeanne fell for it, hook, line and sinker. She launched herself, arms outstretched, her fingers curled into claws.

"You! Are! Mine!"

Bayonetta released the wicked weave she had been holding onto in a direct punch to Jeanne. Throwing the witch back, she landed heavily onto the ground, bouncing once and slammed her head into a pipe. Spinning and sliding along the concrete, the Witch in grey collided with the retaining wall surrounding the building. Lowering herself into a crouch, she waited for the Witch to stand back up.

She didn't. Her body lay limp at the edge of the building and she wondered if she had knocked her out. Tilting her head, Bayonetta assumed not. She supposed that even Witches had their limits, but she wasn't certain if she had arrived at them yet.

She approached her cautiously, each step feeling like an eternity. Jeanne slowly began to stir, her hands reaching up to caress her temples. Turning over, her eyes opened and fixated themselves on her. They seemed unfocussed, slowly pinpointing and widening with shock.

"Cereza?" She whispered. Her voice slurred slightly, but the fear and uncertainty was certain.

A far cry from the woman moments earlier. Bayonetta frowned, then stared at her eyes for a little longer. A strange gold tint encompassed them. Gasping, her own widened.

Jeanne was possessed. This was her friend; the woman before was being controlled!

Bayonetta stopped and tilted her head, the name finally registering in her mind. "If you are confusing me for the little one, you've hit your head worse than I expected."

"No, you don't-" She tried to rise, but stopped with a cry. Clutching her head, she curled into a ball and stayed there.

"Jeanne, don't move." Bayonetta closed the distance and knelt down. Resting a hand on her shoulder, she began to heal the concussion Jeanne had obviously suffered. "Let me help-"

"You can't be here!" The Witch in grey burst out. Her hands reached up and began to push at her. "You're just like him; you can't accept that running away is the best option!"

"As Cheshire said, I'm done running." She caught the hands easily, trapping them in her own. "I ran from myself for twenty years. I need to face it. I'm going to face him."

"You don't understand." Jeanne looked into her eyes, her own creased with worry. "You being on this island is exactly what the Father wants!"

"Jeanne, I'm not leaving without the girl." Her own returning gaze was serious. "And I'm not leaving without you."

"You're just like him…" She closed her eyes. "You can't save everyone, least of all me."

"Don't you dare say that!" Bayonetta snapped. She brought her hands to her chest, clutching them there. "I can help-"

"You can't. He's in here." Jeanne pulled a hand free and tapped her forehead. "If Sephiroth can't get him out, you have no chance."

"Then how-"

"Cognitive reset." Her hand fell down and her face scrunched up into a grimace. "I can break free momentarily if that happens. Sephiroth managed to do it twice, and each time I tried to make whatever I could up to him. Then the Father always finds me in the end and none of it matters."

"Then I'll beat him out of you-"

"Don't. You can't. Leave me and get off this island." Her voice was a scant whisper. "Save your energy for something important. I'm not worth it."

"You're my fucking friend. I don't care if you are in an emotional downturn after I rejected your possessed self, or if you are currently freaking out or whatever for meeting me again in five hundred years, I frankly don't give a shit." Bayonetta shook her head, a fire in her words. "You're coming with me, and you are being fixed."

"Getting as far away from here as possible is more important." Jeanne's tone was pleading.

"Everything that could answer any more questions is here. And so is the girl. I need to be here." She frowned slightly. "Why is it so necessary to leave?"

"The prophecy, your destiny; it's all tied to that jewel," Her free hand weakly lifted up and pointed at her Umbran Watch. "The Left Eye."

Bayonetta reached up and pressed a button, opening up the watch. Her fingers quickly weaved a spell and lifted the sealing charm, grabbing the Left Eye as it fell.

"We fought for this." She murmured, lifting the jewel up. A hand enclosed above it, pulling the jewel back down.

"And because of my arrogance, everyone died." Jeanne whispered. "So much death on one decision, one misjudged call born from a rebellious streak that should have died out long ago."

"I could have chosen to not accept your challenge." Bayonetta shook her head. "All I had to do was say no."

"It doesn't matter. It was, and still is, my fault for everything." She pulled her other hand free and tried to push her again. "Leave, please!"

"Stop trying to change my mind. You know I'm not leaving."

"I wish I shared your optimism." She tried to rise to a sitting position, but fell back before she could. Bayonetta reached out and grabbed her before she hit her head again.

"Jeanne…" She grabbed the Witch's hand. "Why did you betray me?"

"I needed you to be safe. If you were still with me, the Father would have been relentless to find you. I took your memories so you could live a normal life if someone found you. No outcast, no child of light and dark; just you." Jeanne opened her eyes. "I was never told about who you were. I just saw a bullied girl, not a potential bringer of the apocalypse."

"I only learned that very recently when my other self asked the Father why he wasn't going to use me as a bearer of an Eye." She elaborated at Bayonetta's quizzical look. "Every person knew except me, because I was never supposed to meet you."

"I never betrayed you. I sealed you away so you could never be found by him until I killed him and any of his followers stupid enough to attempt to walk in his footsteps. I took away my memories of your resting place so he could never find you and tore away my ability to carry children so he couldn't use me as some kind of… breeding animal if he managed to find me. Then he found me, and he tortured me until I gave up for one brief second and every single piece of preparation was for nothing. I- I tried to do my best to withstand everything… But he-"

Her voice cracked as she held back a sob. "My best wasn't good enough. And because of that I've ruined countless lives instead of just my own. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, for everything, for being-"

"That is in the past now." Bayonetta forced a confident smile on her face. "Come on, Jeanne. We have a Cheshire to meet up wi-"

"He's found me."

Bayonetta's eyes widened. "No…"

Jeanne shoved her back and tried to back away. "Get away from me! Please!"

"Jeanne, fight it!" Bayonetta reached out, trying to touch her friend. "Stay with me!"

"He's just going to use me…" Her eyes widened with shock, then hardened into determination. "No! You've used me for one hundred years! No more!"

A remote control appeared in her hands and she began to adjust some buttons and knobs. "Get out of here! Please! You can still save yourself. You have friends, you have family; you don't need some rotten reminder of your past still weighing you down."

"Please, Jeanne..." Bayonetta whispered, her voice beginning to crack. "Don't…"

"Get out of here, Cereza. Make sure my sacrifice will not be in vain!" Jeanne looked back at her, a sad smile on her face. "Tell Damien that he has a future thanks to you, and that it's not his fault."

"Jeanne!" She screamed, rushing forward. "Don't!"

A pink weave slammed into her, sending her flying, flying until she shattered through glass and landed heavily onto an ornate, polished floor. Not caring that her suit was torn, or that she was bleeding from several cuts on her body, Bayonetta dragged herself to the shattered window and stared.

She swore she saw Jeanne mouth I love you.

And then a missile impacted onto the building. Jeanne disappeared into a whirlwind of fire and debris and the shockwave was enough to toss her against the wall and shatter the remaining windows. Bayonetta felt her head slam against the stone and she momentarily blacked out.

Once she had regained her bearings, she sat there, crumpled against the wall. Her eyes were drawn to the burning wreck of the building across from her. Black smoke billowed from around it, concealing the top.

She assumed there was nothing left of the top.

"Jeanne?" She whispered. Tears were running down her cheeks and she made no effort to stop them.

"Jeanne! Please!" She called out, her voice catching with a sob.

'I'm sorry.' Butterfly's tone was soft, almost tender.

"She not fucking-" She slammed a fist against the floor, not caring about the glass. "She's fucking alive, and well, and-"

'She's gone.'

She was now the last Umbran Witch. Her fri- best friend had died because of her.

A strange sob-scream erupted from her throat. Bayonetta held a hand out, reaching out desperately to any hope that Jeanne was still alive. She didn't hear the bell of the elevator to her left, and the mechanical sound of the door opening.

"Bayonetta!"

A strangled sound squeaked out as she turned to the approaching man, who was somehow still alive. "C-Cheshire?"

"What? I'm not allowed to scare you when you always scare the shit out of-" Luka froze, eyes trailing up and down her body. He stared at her, then turned to the burning building across from her. "What happened here?"

"N-nothing, Cheshire." She faked a smile. She didn't care that he probably saw straight through it. "N-now, we have a girl to-"

"Bayonetta, look at yourself." He grimaced at the glass, but trudged through it to kneel next to her. "You're a wreck."

His hand reached up and wiped some tears from her cheeks. "What happened?"

"N-nothing! I swear, Cheshire if you-"

"I'm not stepping away this time. You were treated like shit as a kid, right? I'm assuming that every shit thing that happened to you, you had to deal with by yourself or be told to suck it up and move on." Luka's eyes blazed as she stared into him. "Well, I'm not going to let you deal with whatever the fuck you are dealing with to fester inside. I'm staying here, because I am going to be here for you. Understand?"

His hand was slowly slipping from her cheek as her thoughts whirled within her. Bayonetta caught his hand before it could leave her face. She held it for a moment against her cheek, then swallowed before she finally answered. "She's dead."

"Who?" Luka's eyes seemed to search through her own. "The other Witch?"

"The Father… h-had control over her a-and was… f-forcing her to d-do…" She was beginning to break down, but she swallowed again and tried again. "She was a slave, and now she's dead!"

She couldn't afford to break down. She had a girl to rescue, a company to topple, so much to do that didn't involve crying her eyes out like-

"Jesus… I'm-" He stopped to reconsider his words. "She was important to you, right?"

"She was my best friend." A sob broke through, and she swallowed again. A strangled cry erupted from her throat as she tightened a fist in frustration. "I can't afford this! I need to get moving! We need to go get the little one and-"

"Bayonetta," Luka hissed as he crawled through the glass until he was right in front of her. Placing both hands on her shoulders, he gazed into her eyes with determination. "He knows we are here. He's not going anywhere. If you need time, take all that you can. I'm here for you."

She tried. She really did.

But the dam broke as soon as he stopped talking. She launched herself forward and wrapped her arms around him, clutching him with desperation. Ugly sobs wracked her body as she cried. She was aware of Luka's grunt of surprise. His arms wrapped around her, slowly and hesitantly, pulling her tighter against his body.

"Take as long as you need." He whispered, one hand lightly stroking the bare patch on her back.

"You're not going to leave me." She stated, voice thickened and muffled by burying her face against his chest. "Not like everyone else."

He didn't answer immediately. "No. I'm going to stay as long as I need to. Even beyond this."

She swallowed, tears still flowing freely. "Thank you, Cheshire."

…

Bayonetta eventually settled into light hiccups against his chest once she ran out of tears. Luka stayed there, arms wrapped around her, whispering comforting nothings.

She hated looking weak. She was supposed to be the confident Witch, the literal leader of the Clan if they still existed. And yet here she was, crying in someone else's arms.

A week ago that would have been a problem. But now? She didn't care. She had already confessed so much to both him and Sephiroth; things she would have preferred to take to the grave. Showing off her emotional vulnerabilities was just another part of the process.

'Correct.'

She almost rolled her eyes, until she realised her face was hidden. So she did. Must you ruin every emotional moment with your input?

'Ruin? I like to think I'm adding to them.' Butterfly innocently answered.

You wish.

"H-how…" She pushed herself off him and swallowed. "How did you live?"

"Ah," Luka released her and stood up. "I can't tell you, but let's both just say I got really lucky."

"I don't know whether to shoot you or to take you to Vegas with your luck, Cheshire." She stared at him. "And what do you mean, you can't tell me?"

"Someone's trying to infiltrate Ithavoll, and I think the best way to make sure she's successful is to make sure the people who know is essentially zilch." He offered a hand out to her. "And besides, with L. U. K. A. Luka, there's a lot of luck that comes with skill."

"Spoken like a true gambler." She graciously accepted and let him pull her up.

He gave her a glance. "Man, if I went out with a girl looking like that. Someone would have my head."

She immediately became aware of the dirt that caked her, the bruises and cuts formed on her and the small tears in her clothing. Quickly repairing the damage to her Umbran Uniform, she returned her attention to him.

"But, I guess I'm stuck with you until the end." He clicked his fingers and a lollipop appeared in it, as if it were by magic.

"Oh!" She accepted it, letting the candy ride her taste buds. Pulling it out in surprise, she stared at it. "How on Earth did you guess my favourite flavour?"

"Huh? I only have one flavour." Luka pulled out a bag from his pocket and inspected it. "I gave them to Cerezita and she liked them, and I know you like lollipops."

"Hmm…" She placed the candy back in her mouth and adjusted her glasses. "So, Cheshire, I look dreadful now?"

"W-what?" Luka deflated slightly.

"You seem to think that being able to travel with me is some kind of reward? Well you need to wipe that stupid look off your face, or I will never let you follow me around this world." She twirled the stick in her lips as she circled around him and started to walk towards a door on the other side of the hallway. "Got that, Luka?"

"Now, we have a girl to rescue and a whole world to save. We can't afford to dally around." She glanced back to see him standing there frozen in place.

"Come on, Cheshire!" She placed a hand on her hip and twirled the candy in her other. "We don't have all day."

"You…" Luka unfroze with a frown. "You called me Luka?"

"I'm not going to wear out the name, Cheshire." She answered with a smile. "Now, are you coming or what?"

He let out a smile as he nodded. "Now that's more like it!"

...

Oh no! Jeanne is dead... Long live Jeanne!

And now we have finally moved into the endgame with the final fight with Jeanne. Everything that I have hopefully set up has now come to fruition.

I hope that the Jeanne I have presented seems real and reasonable to you. In the lore of this fic, she was only sixteen when everything went to proverbial shit and then had to live with it for about six hundred years. I know its an excuse, but I feel its reasonable for someone to make terrible judgements when everything you knew is destroyed. Jeanne in the game's canon has a few peculiarities that can be explained from having some form of anxiety or survivors guilt (constantly pushing herself to be better and not really interacting with anyone aside from Bayonetta), and I'm going to explain it all in the context of this fic. She will be our cinnamon bun to protect and cherish, but if you fail to keep her happy she will gladly kill you. Or something like tha #%DIWECWEF

"Why do you talk about her as if she's alive?" V asked.

He smiled. "Well, that because she's not dead."

"Wait, how does one get hit by a ballistic missile and not die?" She scrunched her eyes in confusion. "Even a legendary Umbran Witch can't survive one of those."

The man laughed, something that reached into her own belly and somehow forced a small smile on her face. It disappeared before he could see it. "Jeanne is no ordinary Umbra Witch."

"You better exQ#$# $D(G$BTGR

As I was saying before I was rudely interrupted by visions of future fics, Jeanne is still the lovable, potty mouth Witch we are all used to. She just will have a few more layers added to her.

As always, thank you for reading and I hope you all like this addition to Eclipse. Please leave a comment if you want to give any advice or criticism, or anything you want, really.

See you all next time!