Brilliant colors swirl before Luna's eyes. She and Yuel-Etro stand in a tunnel of some sort, made of swirling, chaotic energies. They stand and walk upon a path of light, illuminating ahead through the vortex. Their steps, though in slight haste, make not a sound. The energy around them makes the noises as they pass overhead and under, like the ripples of ocean waves. Such verbal silence unnerves Luna, since she had much left to ask.
"Goddess Etro, tell me," Luna clears her throat, "Am I still … dead?"
The Goddess Seeress is silent for several moments before answering, "…Yes. You and Noctis both."
"Is this … the fate alternate to eternal rest?"
"You died very early, Oracle," Yeul-Etro glances at Lua from the corner of her eye, "I believe you continued to interfere with the living postmortem."
"Well, yes, but … this is… different, no? Worlds as we could never have imagined … and …" Luna places an uneasy hand over her chest, "… is it possible to die again? In this state?"
"… If my father destroys you …" Yeul-Etro looks forward at the path which lay ahead of them with impassive eyes, "… There will be nothing left of you but the mere memories. And even those … he can obliterate them as well."
Luna shudders slightly. With all her heart, she prayed Noctis was far from the turmoil.
"It's … a bit mind-boggling… The Six Astrals were all we knew to be Gods of Eos. Of course, there were also the mysterious beings who worked alongside them, but they allegedly retreated shortly after the Genesis of our world. It was at that time that the Adamantoise came to be, and so forth …" Luna finds herself laughing nervously to still her shaken self, "Perhaps … that was your father? The Creator-"
"Perhaps not," Yeul-Etro cuts her off curtly, "My father secluded himself to sleep a long time ago. Likely it was my brothers Pulse and Lindzei who created the Fal'Cie Eos."
"What? Fal'Cie? I've never …"
"Describe to me the Eos Crystal and the Six, Oracle."
"Uhm, The Crystal is the heart and soul of our star, granted onto the Lucis lineage along with the Ring of the Lucii. The Crystal is capable of choosing appropriate wearers of the ring by bloodline, and grants immeasurable magical power. As for the Six, they aided in creation and endowment of many of humanity's earliest gifts, such as fire. Bahamut, leader of the Six, is said to have bestowed the original powers onto the kings of Lucis and the Oracle…" Luna looks to Yeul-Etro, "So it says in Cosmogony."
"The creation of l'Cie, in other words," Yeul-Etro makes a small noise exhaling, as though unamused, "Fal'Cie are as the beings you describe: Supernatural deities that grant powers to humans in exchange for allegiance. They come in many forms, like Crystals, machines, or other biological beings. All Fal'Cie originate from my brothers Pulse and Lindzei, who created all Fal'Cie. Your world, Eos, must have been quite the project."
Luna can only nod, digesting the information in silence. Bhunivelze, Creator, had three children, Etro, Pulse and Lindzei. Pulse and Lindzei created Eos, whereas Etro created man of her blood. This … "Lightning" they seek was supposedly someone who had defeated the Creator himself. Since Ardyn or whatever darkness survived Noctis' assault in the void afterlife, it somehow piggy-backed off Noctis as he and her were about to pass on. It has now found host in the Creator's corpse and resurrected Bhunivelze to destroy the universe… The Oracle shakes her head slightly. The thoughts were all so jarring and incredible.
"But … Why? Why kill the Creator in the first place?"
"You have had very different experiences with divinity than Lightning. You obeyed your gods without fail. She fought against them when they were corrupt. Eos was a merciful fal'Cie, it seems … though not merciful enough to stem the darkness itself…"
"What do you mean? As the Oracle, I am meant to serve the gods. As Seeress, were you not also?"
Yeul-Etro says nothing.
The newfound silence leaves somewhat of a shadow of a doubt over Luna's thoughts. It was puzzling, why this Lightning character chose to vanquish her creator. The gods are supreme, their wish is your command, as the young Oracle had learned from the history of her ancestors. They were servants of divinity. Disobedience not only meant death for them, or worse, but also the possible destruction of their entire world.
But … what about the darkness?
Not merciful enough to stem the darkness itself…
What did Yeul-Etro mean by that?
The swirl of colorful neon energies around them fade into a prominent magenta. This new light comes in the form of panels that line up to wall the sides of the vortex. The path the two walk is suddenly given shape, in the form of metallic, marble like material. Around them, platforms and ruined structures of similar material float about in the vortex. Much of the solid material seems worn and many of the magenta energy panels are flickering like broken lights.
Luna can't help but stare at the new scenery as they pass under a metal ring that outlines the shape of the vortex through which they walk. Ahead, she glimpses a series of arches like that of the architecture from Altissia. This place feels void of energy.
"Do not linger, Oracle," Yeul-Etro calls out to her, a few paces ahead, "This place is but a temporary Crux; a repurposed ruin, if you will."
"What … was this place? I feel such a void, an empty feeling … like a discarded carapace." Luna's heels strike the floor with loud clacks as she moves to catch up to the Seeress.
"It's the skeleton of Orphan's Cradle, what used to house the fal'Cie Orphan. An incredible power indeed used to reside here, but it was riddled with corruption, and killed by Lightning and her comrades."
"This Lightning sounds incredibly powerful, if I must say," Luna murmurs with reserve. One who stood against the wishes of the gods remained somewhat of a taboo in her thoughts.
"Your Noctis would likely be on equal footing, with his Armiger."
Luna accepts the subtle compliment in place of her significant other, "So this place is now just a means of travel?"
"It seems since I got disconnected from this universe, much has happened. I can only assume a great change happened after my death, which severed the world from the usual lanes of travel."
"Your death? But, you … Etro," Luna says apprehensively, "You've died before, making man of your blood. Is that what you speak of?"
"… No."
The Seeress quickens pace having curtly said so, moving several paces ahead of Luna. Luna sighs and hurries to match the child's new speed.
"I apologize my asking so, but-"
"If you apologize, best not to have the event recur then…"
Yeul-Etro's voice trails and her steps halt as approach a small spinning disk of light before them. The white swirls erratically swirl about a blank center, facing the two, where an image of some cityscape may be glimpsed. The image flickers as though unstable. From what she sees, Luna is reminded of the capital Insomnia. She hadn't been there long, nor outside the palace at all really. But the fleeting images when she sat in the limo still resonated.
"… Is this it?"
"… Something's different …" Yeul-Etro's voice is uncertain, "Nonetheless, through it we shall go."
She takes a quick glimpse at the landscape around them, "This place is only temporary after all. It'd be foolish to linger."
With that, Yeul-Etro walks into the portal and vanishes. Luna holds back slightly. At the slightest hint of the portal faltering, she runs in as well. The white disk flickers for a few more moments. Some magenta energy lights burst into sparks, like when a light blows its fuse. A loud groan, like the creaking of metal structure, resounds through the Cradle. Several of the platforms that floated begin to descend and fall into abyss as the energy sustaining the ruins fade. Darkness, clouds like Chaos, encroach onto the dying infrastructure, nearing the portal moments before it makes a pop sound, disappearing from existence. A deep, throaty laughter, sounding distant, echoes faintly, but surely, through the forsaken Cradle as it is swallowed by darkness.
…
Claire felt the tremor run through the café. The lights flickered and the waitress fell behind the counter. Patrons looked up from their coffee. The tremors died as quick as they came. However, looking out at the sidewalk, Claire could see some had stumbled and fallen. A car had unwittingly veered and struck a fire hydrant. The water was pooling into the street.
"… Crazy way to start a morning, amirite?"
"Sorry about that … order up!"
Claire looks back at her black coffee. It was barely ten o'clock. Serah should be at work in the school. Wait, why was she suddenly thinking on her sister? Serah was capable of taking care of herself, more so now that they no longer had to fight. And she'd married that bonehead Snow…
The pink-haired patron sighs and downs her drink. It had cooled so as not to scald. Leaving a small tip, she stands and saunters out onto the street. The scenery had returned to normal. People kept on walking. The water was still pooling. Her heels strike the cement pavement with the same stride and confident rhythm, unchanged from before the New World. The white frock coattails trailed behind, like a wisp, as she weaved to the main concourse in the city center. The next train would be here soon.
If the tremors had affected the traffic in any way, the concourse did not show it. Either that or recovery was quick. Vehicles and pedestrians ran in all the directions possible, a controlled hum of chaos. Along the center strip which separated the two main lanes at the concourse was the landmark plexiglass statue of something that resembled suspended Cocoon, a dormant memory of the unconscious from the time now lost. The monument glistened in the late morning light, a towering ten-foot tall structure.
Claire stands at the sidewalk, waiting to cross with many others. At first, she'd failed to notice it, as the spark was rather insignificant, blurred by the movements of traffic.
The sound of low crackles of electricity in the air, snapping and whirring, turned her and others heads. Right at the base of the Cocoon monument, there was a small rift, like a crack in the space, present.
The sound intensifies and tendrils of energy spark as the rift widens into a large gash in the surrounding space. The tear in space emanated hues of magenta and sparks, evocative of the Cradle where they went to face Orphan… Claire could scarcely believe her eyes. Many vehicles stopped, having glimpsed the phenomena occurring. One inadvertently got into a fender bender with another.
The Savior's eyes widen as out stepped from the rift, none other than the familiar face of the Seeress, followed by an unfamiliar face of an older woman with pale blonde hair.
"… Yeul…?" Claire felt her breath return and aspirate from between her lips.
…
"… This isn't Cocoon… I see. This is the New World."
Those were Etro's first words upon looking out through Yeul's eyes upon the new scenery. People on sidewalks were staring at her and Luna as they emerged from the portal of Orphan's cradle. Vehicles, notably unlike the build on Cocoon, had stopped and the drivers were now also staring. Behind, the rift hummed and gave a final puff before disappearing with a pop.
"… They're all staring at us …" Luna murmurs, slight nervousness evident.
"Hey, you two clowns!" A man in a suit with a loud voice starts walking up to the two with an irate pace, "Take your magician's act elsewhere, you've clogged up the traffic!"
Luna looks to Yeul-Etro a bit helplessly. Yeul-Etro appears not to have heard the man at all, instead looking out at the onlookers impassively.
"Uh, good sir, we're looking for Lightning. The Savior of your world?" Luna asks a bit meekly.
"What are you, nuts? Savior? Go to church."
Yeul-Etro suddenly walks off, taking advantage of the stalled lanes to reach one of the sidewalks.
Luna notices and bows lightly to the suit before following the Goddess. The man stares after the two departing with disbelief.
The Goddess is greeted by a staring crowd at the sidewalk. She pushes to move past the people, solely focused on the familiar pink hair of her Champion.
Luna follows, albeit in a more polite manner. She finds herself and Yeul-Etro standing before a young woman, taller than herself. The stranger has pink hair, bangs brushed to one side, with the wavy end over her right shoulder, striking blue-grey eyes and a very calm face. She wears a white coat over a blouse with silver and grey detail, black gloves, black latex leggings and open toed heels.
"… Lightning Claire Farron," Yeul-Etro says at last, "I require your assistance again, my champion."
Luna looks to the stranger, who's staring at Yeul-Etro with a wide-eyed, unbelieving expression. So this is Lightning…
"… Yeul, what are you doing here?" Lightning finds her voice again.
The onlookers, seeing nothing more of such interest, are convinced of the magician's trick and continue to walk on, ignoring the conversation. Traffic resumes as drivers follow in tandem.
"I am Etro, Lightning. And once again, we need you, the Savior."
"Etro… what are you playing at. She was killed," The pink haired woman seemed skeptical at the very least, a gloved hand put to her waist, almost impudently so.
"That is not the most pressing issue here. A new power has revived Bhunivelze. He's clawed himself out of the depths of Chaos," Yeul-Etro's voice shows little urgency, "He's coming to destroy us all."
"… What the hell… You're telling me it never ended…?!" Lightning pauses, stopping her voice from growing any louder. She makes a tsk sound on the side, then looks back to the two, "I'm wide awake, aren't I…"
"It's no lie, Lightning."
Lightning gestures with a nod at Luna, "Who's she?"
Yeul-Etro glances at Luna diminutively from the corner of her eye, "She is one of the first casualties."
Luna bows lightly to Lightning, "I am Lunafreya Nox Fleuret, Oracle of the Gods."
Lightning bats an eye. She responds to the introduction with a rather derisive tone, "I guess connection with the gods didn't do anything for you, huh."
Luna is slightly taken aback by the comment.
Lightning then looks back to the Goddess, "Sorry. But you'll have to find another Savior."
The conversation takes a dive. The nearby commotions of noise are seemingly muffled by their silence.
Yeul-Etro takes a second to speak again, "…What?"
Lightning sighs, "Well, unless you have another power of the Valkyrie to give me…"
She flexes and reflexes her hand, almost testing. Her voice has reluctance and disappointment.
"What do you mean? Did you not… receive and carry the power of god with you here to this world?" Yeul-Etro's voice sounds slightly perturbed now, "It… you should be like a god among humans here…"
"Yeah. Then it waned about a year or so ago. I figured the whole thing was done and over with then. I don't have the power anymore… See? Firaga."
The former valkyrie points her hand before her, but nothing happens.
"…Most … unsettling…." Yeul-Etro looks down slightly, muttering, "Is it possible… his awakening might have taken away the power he gave… Because he knew we might come and ask you… Or is it perhaps a property of this new world I miscalculated…"
Lightning looks somewhat frustrated, but it barely shows, "So… I'm no savior anymore."
She puts a hand to her waist, "Not that I don't want to help."
Yeul-Etro sighs, "There has to be a way… you are the only one who ever defeated him after all… I will… think of something for as long as we remain here. I have to. So… please do not refuse us your aid so curtly."
Lightning's eyes widen slightly. The Oracle sounded... desperate. After a bout of silence, she nods and looks at the two, "You guys don't have anywhere to stay right? I'll see if Hope has rooms available in that condo he owns…"
"Condos?" Yeul-Etro blinks.
The rose-pink haired woman's mouth twitches slightly, in the fashion of a near imperceptible smile, as she turned to walk down the street traffic.
"Welcome to the New World."