Lightning stared down the smirking female humanoid creature. 'She'(?) had wings, elongated fingers that appeared more claw-like then anything, and a chilling smirk at what she'd just accomplished- the death of Gina. There was no mistaking the fact that Lightning had to kill the offending creature. Its fingers were dripping with blood, and it seemed to take great pleasure in what it had done. "So, you're the one behind all of this." Stating the obvious, Lightning just wanted to see if it could speak. Maybe its sentience wasn't to that degree, but she was curious.
Letting out a cackle, she shook her head at Lightning's statement. "You are the one behind this- it is you who draws us here, after all."
"Me?" Lightning scoffed, taking a few steps forward, and walking in a circle opposite her would be opponent. "How could I be be drawing anything here? Let alone monstrosities like you?" The idea behind it seemed absolutely absurd.
"It is your very presence that allures us. You are surging with power...power we wish to have!" Taking no offense to the 'monstrosities' comment made by the woman, she smirked at the pink haired woman. Lightning absolutely radiated nothing but power she would like to absorb. With her soul there would be nothing any demon couldn't achieve- and it would be all hers. Devouring it would give her a power that not even the son of Sparda could dare contest.
"Sorry, but I don't just give away my Eradia to the first...whatever the hell you are." Lightning honestly had no idea what to classify the creature as.
"We will take it regardless of your wishes. Do you honestly not know what we are!? We are Demons!" Laughing at the stupidity of the woman standing before her, Ranna was starting to get bored of their conversation. Not that she'd stuck around for conversation. Risking her very existence at not only the hands of this woman, but of Dante, slayer of her kind as well. Not to mention the many others who devoted their lives to their righteous causes. There was no more time for them to waste- devouring her very essence would be something to savor once she was finished.
"Demons, huh? You sound more like some hyped up boogeymen to keep people in line and scare children at night." That word wasn't necessarily foreign to Lightning, having heard it from a few residents of the New World before. Peering at the female humanoid before her, she could somewhat see a bit of resemblance to the Archangeli she'd fought on her righteous quest against Bhunivelze- did God truly make these beings, just to ensure humanity wouldn't dare rise up against the divine? She'd probably never get a straight answer on that question, considering this one had some sort of monologue prepared for anything Lightning had to say. Having a creature actually speak back to her was something Lightning hadn't been accustomed to. Behemoth Kings usually just tried to kill you in the fastest possible method. fal'Cie wouldn't shut the hell up and babbled on for what felt like centuries, even to those who had been involved in the l'Cie curse and reached the final stage of crystal stasis. They always had some twisted ideation of what was best for all, even if nobody agreed with that sentiment.
"You said there was no 'heaven' nor 'hell'- you're wrong. Our kind hail from the very depths of what humans come to know as 'hell'. Boogeymen!?" Scoffing right then and there, the demoness laughed at Lightning's ignorance toward her own kind. "We are the very things nightmares themselves would come to fear."
"I didn't say they didn't exist. I just said humans don't go to such places. Our souls transcend false machinations of 'good' and 'evil'- we decide our own fate, and to that end we are absolved of whatever we may have done in our mortal coil. There is no almighty 'God' in the heavens to judge us for our lifetime of sins or good deeds, whether or not we reincarnate is a choice of our own making." Lightning stared at the now bemused creature before her she now knew to be 'demon'. It seemed she wasn't the only one ignorant of other beings and matters at hand. "Individuals who look down on humans always have some grandiose speech prepared on how they're going to achieve goals of annihilation for our species, or how we're all going to bow down and quiver in fear because of our new overlord. But I'll tell you exactly what I told those who oppressed my kind to do their bidding and tried to keep their frail hierarchy in place; You're not going to win."
"Is that so?" Head cocking to the side, she got over her initial surprise at the woman before her. All of the rumors she'd heard of Lightning had proven to be true. "Perhaps you've never had a real challenge, Savior. But do not worry- your struggles shall soon be over." Lunging forward, she grabbed the pink haired woman and flew through several layers of ceilings until they reached the top. Dropping the woman once they reached the very top of the building, she smirked once Lightning hit the roof.
Initially caught off guard, her surprise fell away once Lightning rolled in order to compensate for damage that could have been inflicted were she not to land properly. "Savior?" Lightning repeated the word used by the demoness prior to dropping her. That was a term she'd no longer call herself- she was no longer a Savior. Mankind didn't need her to save their souls nor guide them to any new worlds. True, she may still have the powers of one, but that was just an unfortunate byproduct of meddling by Gods.
"Are you trying to say you are not the one I seek? Because we both know you are dripping with power that no human should ever wield. And I am not leaving without it."
"It appears you have me at a disadvantage. You knew exactly where I'd be, what I was doing...and even that I used to be called 'Savior'- but I had no idea what you were, until you told me. So, beyond wanting what you'll never have, what else do you want?" She'd had quite the informant. Not to mention those pesky lesser demons that had been lurking around. Maybe this 'demon' thought she was some kind of big shot. She obviously had it in her head that she could just show up, kill Lightning, take her divine powers and set about doing whatever it was that made her seek out the 'Savior'. So long as she could keep her talking, then all the better. Especially since there were obviously more of her kind. Whether or not they had sentience just like this one, or were feral like the others had been, she had no idea. But Lightning did venture a guess some were more unsavory, just like this one.
"What we all want! To be in charge and have all of our kind fall at our feet! Not to mention destroy every last threat to our existence and conquering of this world!" Preparing herself for yet another assault on the woman, she wondered just how she should deliver the coupe de grace. Highly doubting that Lightning would fall quite so easily like those regular humans had, Ranna formulated a plan.
"So, what, you have a hierarchy that none of you seem to give a damn about, so long as you can usurp the leader?" Scoffing, Lightning found the idea to be absolutely ludacris. "You don't take out the leader just because you don't agree with his sentiments. The fault of your not conquering this world probably lies in the fact that you're all too busy destroying each other to actually make a good plan. Your loss is our gain." Shrugging her shoulders, Lightning saw that the demoness was stalling her. Preparing herself for a fight, she wasn't quite so sure a letter opener alone would be enough to take on the creature in front of her.
"Power is all that makes a good leader! The strong are the only ones we need! Those who are too weak to go on living don't even deserve to stand amongst our ranks!" Swooping downward, she attempted to slash Lightning on her way over.
Lightning did her best to evade the attack, slashing at the demoness just as she received a blow of her own. Looking at her newly torn sleeve, Lightning was relieved to not see any blood spilled. Even if there was a wound, it had disappeared before she could even glance at it. "You don't look happy. What's wrong, did that hurt?"
"You bitch!" Ranna held her shoulder, hissing at the pink haired woman. "I will strip the marrow from your bones!"
"Big talk from someone who actually bleeds." Lightning scoffed. "What's the matter? Angry you're going to die at the hands of the Savior? She may be out of practice, missing her sword, and at a disadvantage- but she knows her way around a fight." Talking about herself in the third person, Lightning was actually enjoying the torment of the demon.
"Your name will be nothing but history when I am through! Everyone in both our worlds will come to know the name 'Ranna' and quiver in fear for what I have done!" Ranna realized she couldn't afford to toy with the Savior, any longer. If she didn't fight seriously, then she'd die. Materializing two whips on either of her hands, they came to life with an ethereal blaze. The spikes along the length of either whip illuminated in the very essence of her flame, she made a show of flicking them toward Lightning, even allowing a slash of fire to make its way toward the Savior.
Ranna. That was her name. Seeing the weapons at her disposal, Lightning felt even more at a disadvantage- not that it'd be enough to stop her. "Shellga. Haste. Faithga." Seeing the attack sent her way, she felt the best way to 'respond' was with a feat of cryromancy. "Blizzaga!" Tossing the sphere toward the large line of fire, upon collision both exploded in a flurry of heat and cold that sent a shock wave powerful enough to launch back Ranna a bit in the sky, and knock Lightning to the edge of the roof. Her purple hexagonal shield had even taken a bit of damage from that blast- remnants of her spell had reflected back onto herself and cracked a bit of her defenses. Flame was definitely out of the question for this fight. Element would also be forbidden and its more powerful variant of -ga. Buffing her letter opener with ice, she decided to cover all her bases when it came to fighting Ranna. "Thundaga!" Tossing the yellow sphere at Ranna, she watched it collide and hurt the demoness. Good. Another weakness.
Ranna hissed with displeasure at Lightning's assault. She had powerful magics at her disposal. While she was a powerful pyromancer, it seemed Lightning controlled the elements at the mere mention of their names, and her strength could improve at will. Not to mention her defenses that seemed to propel even some of Ranna's more potent attacks. Landing on the roof, she furiously began to slash at the pink haired woman. Rewarded with an abundance of violet/green hexagonal spheres, she couldn't decide whether or not they were actually doing some damage. But she was forcing Lightning back, and that was something to smirk about. "You look worried."
"I will admit everything's not going to plan, but that's because you and I are so different. You're arrogant, prideful, and reckless with no humility to show in the slightest. But I'm guessing that comes with the territory." Lightning narrowly evaded a whip meant to hit her in the leg, and could see that her defensive buffs would need to be restored, as would Haste and her offensive ones. The cyan illumination on her 'weapon' was already beginning to fade. Raising her arms in a defensive position to minimize any damage she would receive once the buffs fell, Lightning focused on keeping her footing sturdy.
"Mock while you still can, woman. Your time is nearly at its end!" Ranna couldn't resist a laugh once the shields were destroyed and she was able to land a hit that knocked Lightning off the edge and forced her to dangle off the side of the building. "Any last words?"
"More than a few." Lightning didn't know how she'd make it out of this one- Ranna had the upperhand. But there were far too many things that she still had to do, and couldn't give up on. Seeing her little sister, again. Coming to her wedding, welcoming Snow into her family. Visiting all of the others, starting with Hope, then moving on to Fang, Vanille, Sazh, Dahj, Noel and Yeul. I'll never- we'll never give up. Shutting her eyes, Lightning saw all of those who were dear to her, each of them smiling and offering her words of encouragement. Her words as she had a show down with Bhunivelze, followed up by that of Snow when he showed up to back her and Hope up in their fight against God. Even in her darkest depths of despair, they never gave up on her, for a moment. When the corruption of Bhunivelze and her loss of Serah made her nothing but an empty shell, there were those who never lost sight of the true Lightning. Not everyone had believed in her righteous quest, but they were right to have their doubts. Hearing Ranna hiss and jump away, Lightning opened her eyes to see a large, crimson sphere before her. Written on it were the words of the Goddess Etro herself. Lightning took advantage of Ranna's retreat and climbed up onto the building once more, brushing herself off and stared at the large sphere. Recognizing it to be that of Brynhildr, she wondered how or why the Eidolon had come, and, more importantly- why she had not properly summoned.
Lines of the forbidden text continued to swirl around, and Lightning finally caught on.
"What sorcery is this!?" Ranna asked, narrowing her eyes at Lightning. What had she done? Did she bring about some other entity into their warfare? Was she truly so weak that she needed the aid of others to prolong her own existence? Perhaps Ranna had been wrong about Lightning's strength. Even so, she needed it. Returning and conquering her realm would be out of the question without it. Her kind would rightfully slaughter her should she not returned with it, anyway. Whether her death was achieved or not...Ranna would not give up until Lightning or she fell.
Ignoring Ranna, Lightning began to recite the words she saw before her.
"By the grace of Etro, warrior maiden be drawn by the fires of battle." Lightning narrowly evaded Ranna's attacks, while she continued to speak the very lines that appeared to be summoning Brynhildr herself to the battlefield. The flames crackled with life, once Lightning had begun, and she sure wasn't going to stop, now. The aid of an Eidolon was something she couldn't afford to pass up, especially when she was at such a disadvantage. "Come forth, wreathed in blazing glory. A name in blood, a pact of flame. Brynhildr shall rise, her bond eternal and unyielding. Rousing Inferno. Ethereal Blaze." Just as she finished speaking, a large twin bladed scythe came out of the sphere, followed by the large appendage that held it. Emerging almost all at once, Brynhildr stood beside Lightning, curtly bowing to the Savior before her. "Thank you." Brynhildr nodded to Lightning, ready to assist her master in any form possible. Staring down the demoness opposite them, she didn't appear so mighty. Destroying her would be a feat Lightning and she could achieve in no time at all. Ranna charged at them, and Brynhildr promptly charged forward, performing her valkyrian scythe ability, knocking her back. About to fire a pyroburst, "Stop!" Brynhildr promptly obeyed Lightning, and went back to an idle pose.
"She has an affinity for flame." Lightning explained, "Enwater. Haste. Faith. Bravery."
Brynhildr readily accepted the explanation given to her, and nodded. Grateful for the gifts bestowed upon her by Lightning, she would not let her summoner down. As the true inheritor of Etro's domain and legacy, she would not fail her Goddess. Hydroburst seemed to put Ranna in her place, and Brynhildr couldn't resist a snide laugh at the expense of her victim. Lightning appeared to share this sentiment, both Eidolon and master nodded to one another, assaulting her at the same time. Hydromancy appeared to greatly compliment Brynhildr, and Lightning's Cryromancy was helping to weaken Ranna just as well.
"You are weak!" Ranna was struggling to keep up with the onslaught against herself - water and ice were severely weakening her - and every hit the landed stung more than anything. The large being known as 'Brynhildr' was causing her quite the amount of trouble. That abnormally large weapon was delivering quite the devastating blows.
"Oh, I am? And why is that?" Lightning asked, wondering how the demon could feel indignant about the situation.
"You need to fight unfair to even have a chance! This...thing will be the reason you defeat me, if you manage to do so!" Ranna snarled at her, displeased at now fighting a battle she was surely unable to win.
"You brought in those little pets, and somehow I'm the unfair one? Give me a break. Besides, she invited herself to the party." Lightning honestly didn't care if a demon thought she was fighting unfair. Brynhildr's summoning hadn't been of her own doing, but she was grateful she had shown up when she did. Whether or not she could have won this fight without Brynhildr was now irrelevant. Their focus was to eliminate Ranna, and deal with any other consequences afterward. Brynhildr seemed to agree with this very sentiment, as she continued to attack Ranna without a care in the world. Talk seemed cheap to the Eidolon, apparently. She missed that kind of ferocity that only the Eidolons seemed able to produce on the battlefield.
"Those pathetic mongrels were not with myself! I'd never stoop so low!" Ranna seemed highly offended by even the notion that she'd resort to using such lesser creatures let alone have them at her disposal. "All they were useful for is drawing you out and killing off a few precious humans. Were they to kill you before we were able to face off with one another- then I'd know the Savior wasn't quite the prize she was made out to be." Narrowly evading a swing from Brynhildr, Ranna was trying to give herself some breathing room. It was becoming quite the task, considering the fact that Lightning and Brynhildr refused to allow her a moment to recuperate.
"I was just like you, once." Lightning stopped assaulting Ranna and took a back seat, allowing Brynhildr to keep her at bay in their one vs one confrontation. Even if the demoness wanted to attack Lightning, Brynhildr wouldn't allow it. "I thought I could sacrifice people, if it meant furthering my own goals- but that's not true. At the end of the day, you learn that it's not only the goal that matters...how you reach that goal matters, too. If you discard every last individual to come your way, and act as if you don't give a single damn about them...then you deserve to die, alone!" Renewed with purpose to remove the hindrance standing before her and the Eidolon, Lightning was tired of their banter. Even if Ranna had the intention of spilling more plans on her end of things- Lightning had heard enough. Demons were coming for her, and they wanted what she had. They thought she was some sort of power source to be harnessed and further all of their own goals for the human and demon worlds. Let them come. If the Eidolons, or even just Brynhildr herself were on her side, then she wouldn't lose. Especially now, since their element of surprise was completely gone.
"Yes, Savior! Show me your anger! Let strength be the determinant factor in our fight!" Seemingly pleased, Ranna hungered to see more of Lightning's abilities, for all of them would eventually belong to her. Ranna cared not for Lightning's incessant prattle and love of humans, but their conflict was filled very much with enjoyment. Save for the interference of Brynhildr, of course.
"Anger?" Lightning scoffed, "You think this is me, angry, let alone trying?" Tilting her head ever so slightly to the side, she couldn't resist almost laughing at the stupidity and ignorance of the demoness. "There's a herd of people who'd tell you otherwise, believe me, if I were truly angry- you'd know it. I wouldn't even give you the chance to be talking so casually to me, like we are now. Especially after making an attempt on my life." In fact, the only reason that Lightning had allowed things to go on for so long, was because Ranna had information she had to hear. Well, that and the fact that she'd had no idea on what capabilities a demon had. Judging by their encounter, they seemed to vary greatly. Whether or not all of them had affinity for flame, Lightning would just have to find out when she encountered others on her newfound journey.
"You claim to be holding back? Then show me just what you're capable of." Ranna tauntingly let out a few more lines of fire at Lightning, meant to provoke the Savior. To her not so amusement, Brynhildr stepped in front of the flames and seemingly taunted the demoness for even trying such a tactic. The Eidolon seemed to greatly appreciate being attacked by her own element.
"Let's do this, Brynhildr!" Running forward, Lightning grabbed Brynhildr's outstretched scythe along the way. The Eidolon seemed to pleased by Lightning's intent on landing a coupe de grace on the demoness before them, and wanted to aid her master in any way possible. Even without her weapon, Brynhildr was still prepared to charge into battle beside Lightning. Buffing the weapon with Enfrost, she prepared to finish off the creature before her. Lightning readily accepted Brynhildr's outstretched hand, and found herself tossed into the sky. Ranna appeared surprised by their combined efforts, and prepared an attack of her very own to counteract the Savior. Slashing a flaming 'X' into the closing distance between them, she was displeased when Lightning slashed it away, even a bit frightened.
"You will die by my hand!" Discarding her flame whips and refusing to throw in the towel, Ranna swooped down toward Lightning, attempting for one final attack that would make or break her attempt in killing the Savior.
"I keep telling you-" Lightning lifted the scythe above her head, somersaulting forward and finishing into a downward slash, the blade impaled Ranna and caused an array of ice to overtake her right wing/side quickly spreading through her body. "-better than you have tried!" Ignoring the screams from beneath her, Lightning rammed Brynhildr's weapon further into Ranna, hoping to cause as much pain to the evil creature as possible.
Ranna laughed at Lightning's mockery of herself. "Do you believe this to matter, at all? Even if I fall here, Savior, many more will follow and you will never know a moments peace! We will never stop!" There were legions upon legions of her kind, the death of one only meant a slot for an even stronger demon to fill. That was why it was nothing but futile and blind stupidity all in the name of 'heroism' and 'justice' to kill her kind. Her skin began to release steam from her usual warmth trying to counteract the freezing cold of the weapon plunged deep from within her, but Ranna knew this was her end.
"You obviously don't know a damned thing about me." Lightning ripped the scythe away from Ranna's body, causing all that was encased in ice to simply shatter and fall to pieces. More screams erupted from the demoness, and Lightning decided to school her on what she believed to already know. "It doesn't matter how many you send my way. Be it a hundred, a thousand, or even a million- I will kill all of you. I didn't fight in a war with God himself for this world's independence just for it to be screwed up by the new evil to come along. I'm more patient than you'll ever know. I don't care if it takes me to the end of time itself, I'll protect this world in the name of humanity and those who aided me along to get this far." Hope. Serah. Snow. Fang. Vanille. Sazh. Dahj. Noel. Yeul.
"That...is what makes you weak! Your willingness to sacrifice for others will be your undoing, Savior!" Ranna could see the determination in Lightning's eyes. It was obvious the woman could be quite capable of acts of cruelty and ferocity. To that end, the demoness was glad to have fought such a fascinating creature. But it also left her with a deep feeling of regret and anger toward the fact that she'd never get the prize that she'd came for.
"You're wrong. Those people that I'm willing to sacrifice for- they're the reason that I'm still alive, today. Without them, I'd be nothing. Probably no better than you, killing for sport and justifying it as a means of survival. And that...is the ultimate sin!" Lightning raised the scythe above her head, and glared down at the offending creature from beneath her. She didn't bother offering her the option of parting words, and swiftly decapitated Ranna. Only once that task had been finished, did Lightning rise from her kneeling position that had been pinning Ranna. To her surprise, the demoness had faded away and a peculiar, illuminated object was left in her place. Slowly and hesitantly reaching her hand out toward it, Lightning stopped just short of physically touching it. Shaking her head, "Nah. Doesn't seem like a good idea, does it?" Lightning turned around, and asked Brynhildr. She was grateful that the Eidolon had yet to be dismissed.
Brynhildr shook her head in 'answer' of Lightning's quandary. The Eidolon didn't like the looks of whatever trinket the demoness had spawned in her destruction. Evil was evil, no matter what shape or form it took.
"This belongs to you." Lightning stepped forward, handing over Brynhildr's scythe. The Eidolon gently took it from her mistress, and nodded her head in gratitude for receiving her weapon from the woman. "I don't think going back inside is much of an option. I don't suppose you know where I live, do you?" Brynhildr once again nodded, waiting for a request from Lightning, as she seemed to fall short of saying what she really wanted to. "You wouldn't mind taking me there, would you?" Not hesitating for a moment, Brynhildr scooped up Lightning and leapt into the sky, the Eidolon made short work of the distance from Lightning's work to her home. Who knew traveling by Eidolon was in fact the way to go? "Thank you." Lightning smiled once the large pyromancer put her down. Brynhildr curtseyed to Lightning, and with nothing left, she promptly disappeared in a blinding flash of light. Once her physical form was gone, Brynhildr's crystal remained, and slowly made its way over to Lightning. Staring at the blazing crystal, Lightning thought that Brynhildr was offering herself over to her. "Thank you." Gratefully accepting the Eidolon's offer, she grabbed the crystal and cradled it tenderly within her hands. To her surprise, it promptly dissolved into the symbol of the Savior on her chest. After a few stunned, stagnant moments, Lightning shook her head and mentally scolded herself. At this point, she should honestly just begin to expect the unexpected.
Lightning glanced around in all directions, and was glad to find an absence of people loitering around. If they actually saw Brynhildr or any of that display, then she honestly had no idea what kind of reaction she'd be in for. Maybe they'd think she was some sort of demon, and that Lightning could be somehow affiliated with the malevolent creatures. Rubbing her shoulder through the torn fabric, Lightning tried to smooth out her clothing and look as inconspicuous as possible. Fishing through her pocket for keys, it took a moment of uncertain patting herself down to actually find them. Exhaling a breath she didn't know herself to be holding in, Lightning quickly unlocked the front door and strode through the corridors until she reached a door with a sign above it, showing it led to stairs. Hastily pulling it open, she was actually slightly glad her shoes were long gone. The clacking alone would probably alert people that somebody was nearly sprinting through the halls and up to the second floor, and she didn't want to deal with any busybodies in her current condition. Finally reaching apartment 213, Lightning unlocked the door and quickly slipped inside.
Being within the security of her own home held a slight comfort. But Lightning wouldn't be staying. At least, not for long. Running her fingers through her hair and exhaling a large sigh, Lightning strode into her room and began to rummage through her things. A change of clothes obviously wouldn't be a bad idea, but Lightning was trying to track down something in particular. Something that she'd need far more than materialistic belongings. After rifling through her closet for a good minute or two, Lightning found exactly what she had been looking for- her sword. Frowning at the weapon, Lightning couldn't believe that it too was acting strangely. Crackling with pink electricity, glowing with that same light as when she'd wielded the Crimson Blitz in the name of Bhunivelze himself- what was happening? Lightning felt a pull to grab the sword, but she also took that as a sign that maybe it shouldn't be brandished within her grasp. Had today just been a sign that she was sucked into yet another righteous destiny that would bring herself and those around her nothing but turmoil? Would turning her back on things make everything better?
No. Lightning was never one to run away from anything, no matter the odds. Picking up the sword, she let in a short gasp of surprise. Finding herself standing in a foreign domain, Lightning looked around. Even though she was sure there was no possible way for her to have visited such a place, there was an odd amount of nostalgia surrounding things. The first and foremost 'eye catching' landmark was a large, stagnant sea. Lightning shut her eyes and listened for any signs of water lapping up on the shore, but there were none to be found. Venturing a guess, she knew exactly where she was.
"Welcome back." Lightning's eyes instantly shot open, and she spun around to face a familiar and not exactly welcomed sight- Caius Ballad. Caius smirked a bit, humor evident on his face from seeing her reaction to him after all this time. "You don't look happy to see me."
"That's an understatement. Considering I left this place to you, and Yeul...it's not exactly 'welcomed' that I'm here, and my lack of death has brought me here." Lightning was venting her thoughts aloud, not really caring if they amused Caius, or not. Her tone of voice made it very clear that she demanded an explanation and wasn't going to indulge in his beat around the bush antics.
"Too bad. You took all of the 'right' steps to end up here, Warrior Goddess. Now you may reap what you sew." Caius sneered at her, almost tauntingly playing with his sword with a seeming disinterest in Lightning's lack of want to be in the Unseen Realm.
"Yeah, and what would those 'steps' have been?" Lightning asked, preparing for a full on confrontation with Caius. But he disappeared into a smoky haze, not even retorting to her question.
"You brandished the weapon of divine intervention, called upon one of the former allies who have willingly given their servitude to your kind by a Goddess long gone, and took up a righteous cause to dispel evil, once more. It is through these steps, that you have caused a chain of events to link together and formulate a destiny that will save mankind." Yeul spoke, slightly explaining what Caius had begun to. Once the haze cleared, the young woman stood before Lightning, her blue hair blowing in the wind, her eyes staring directly into Lightning's.
"You mean this?" Lightning asked, holding up the Crimson Blitz. To her surprise, the sword was no longer in her hand, and she physically held up a handful of air. Of course. The sword was missing. Even though the weapon was missing, Yeul nodded to Lightning's question as if she knew exactly what was being asked of her. "Brynhildr? The Eidolons? She summoned on her own...I didn't do that. Yeul, why am I here?" She wanted to get to the very root of her problems. The Unseen Realm should have been forbidden to her, one of the living. Eidolons weren't supposed to just come out of nowhere, to aid whomever needed them at any given time. Etro was no longer here to send them out.
"You are wrong, Savior. She came to your aid, because you called for her. In your time of need, they will always heed your call." Yeul pondered letting the Eidolons loose, to greet their true Goddess, but now was not the time for distractions. Walking forward, she past Lightning. "The sea whose waves never churn is at unrest, Savior. These souls who linger in the Unseen Realm do not wish to return to the land of the living. Ordinarily, this would not be a trivial event all on its own, as souls are entitled to their own individual wants. But you see, Savior, things in the human world are brewing. New evils have arisen, and they all share one common goal." Glancing over at Lightning, Yeul wanted to make it clear that her encounter from today wasn't just a one off thing.
"They're afraid." Lightning instantly caught on to that fact. The dead were definitely at unrest, even if Yeul herself hadn't said such a thing, Lightning was able to put two and two together. Voices were whispering at a constant in the background, some much more vocal than others, but they all seemed to be demanding the same thing; salvation. "Yeul, tell me, what's going to happen to the New World?" Bracing herself for Yeul to say they were on the edge of yet another apocalypse, and that she was the one thing standing between chaos and salvation, Lightning waited patiently.
"There is much to discuss, Savior, that, like many more things, is what I shall entrust to you. We do not have much time left, so I must unfortunately rush through what needs to be said. The rest shall be left up to you, Savior." Yeul smiled serenely to Lightning, as if she held onto a hidden truth that the pink haired woman herself couldn't know. Lightning thought she saw a hint of sadness in it. "Should you have chosen to not take up arms and slay the creature known to you as Ranna and 'demon', then all would have been lost. There is a fragile balance to keep the New World and the Unseen Realm in line. Threat of 'Chaos' is not the challenge, this time. Savior, it is important that you not fall to any of these creatures known as 'demon'. They want your Eradia, and your soul. If that were to happen...then all would be lost. Nothing I see is set in stone, for you see, there are many paths of fate for you to take, and though you may have taken one leading to a path of salvation for mankind, there is still the chance for error. I choose to believe in you, Lightning, true inheritor of Etro's Grace." What she did next absolutely surprised Lightning. Yeul knelt before Lightning, and bowed her head. Her hands both grabbed one of Lightning's as she pleaded with the woman before her. "Savior...lend us your unmatched strength, please."
"Yeul. You don't have to ask it of me, I've already chosen for myself. Not just for me, but for those who I care about. If these things think that they can just waltz in and undo all that we've done to ensure humanity has a fresh start...then there's not a force on this earth that's going to stop me. I'll kill them all." They wanted her Eradia, her soul? Lightning wanted to ask how and why the hell they had come to learn about such things, but Yeul had said their time together was finite and they likely didn't have the time for lengthy elaborations. Deciding to ask only the questions that seemed of the utmost importance, Lightning wondered if Yeul already knew everything she was going to say and do- it wasn't that farfetched for someone who constantly looked into the future. Even if she said there were many different paths of fate, surely she knew that Lightning was going to do the 'right' thing. Fighting things that wanted to destroy all of humanity was the only logical step- especially to someone who had gambled on the possibility that mankind could exist without divine aid. One thing that bothered her was Yeul kept calling her 'Savior'. That was a title she'd long ago discarded. "You know I'm no longer the Savior, right?"
"You're so much more than that, Lightning." Yeul finally looked up to the woman, pleased by her continued resolve and words. "That title...was awarded to you by someone else...but you transcended even that individuals expectations. You are the true Goddess of Death, she who toppled over Bhunivelze himself to complete what was set in motion by Ragnarok all those centuries ago. But as I said before, Lightning, nothing is set in stone. There are many paths of fate for you to follow, and I cannot interfere in the free will of mankind and those who live upon the New World. Creating an imbalance would only damn those still living and set about catastrophic events which would only lead to chaos." Pausing for an indeterminate amount of time, she finally decided to continue on. "For you...this is the best that I can do." Producing the crystals of all respective Eidolons, each one came forth and gave their own version of a formal 'welcome' to Lightning.
Trying to process one thing at a time, Lightning wasn't sure where to start. Smiling at all of the Eidolons, she wasn't even aware she had been crying. That is, until Odin himself wiped away her tears. "Sorry. I just...I never thought I'd see you, again." Rationalizing it that way to the Eidolon, he respectively nodded back to her, as if he too had come to that assumption. Kneeling before her and planting his sword firmly into the ground beside her, Odin once more turned into his crystal and offered himself to her. "Thank you...my dear friend." Lightning wholeheartedly accepted his request to join her on the battlefield. His crystal went into her symbol of the Savior, just as Brynhildr had before he, and the rest of the Eidolons seemed eager to join their mistress. "I won't lie to you, at all. It's going to be dangerous out there, and I have no clue on whether or not I'm going on a suicide mission or going to literal hell and back...and if you don't want to join me, then I won't blame-" Lightning was doing her best to explain the situation to all of the Eidolons properly, to let them know the risks fully well and not put their lives on the line for a cause they may not believe in. But Bahamut wouldn't hear of it. The Eidolon had unleashed a hearty snarl to silence her, roaring to the sky and slashing a bit in the air. That was probably about as close to a 'pep-talk' as the Eidolon would ever get.
"What I mean to say, is thank you- all of you." Lightning stared at the remaining Eidolons. Nix, Styria, Alexander, Hecatoncheir, Bahamut. The twin sisters appeared to be smiling at her, nodded in unison. Hecatoncheir stood in his typical idle pose, but he did send a nod her way, showing he accepted her divine gratitude. Bahamut let loose another roar, this time looking Lightning in the eye, showing he appreciated the fact that she wasn't giving off that air of 'weakness' he seemed to dislike. Lightning just didn't seem like 'Lightning' when she was being timid- Bahamut liked her better when she was ruthless and performed feats of savagery. Such as against that demoness she'd just defeated. Alexander followed suit with the rest, feeling a bit uneasy himself about receiving her gratitude. The Eidolons existed solely to serve a master of which they respected, and all of them could see the proven strength that Lightning had- they'd eternally answer her call. Whether or not it was in this life or the next; they were hers to do with as she pleased. Continuing to smile, Lightning was eternally grateful to all of the Eidolons. Without them, they'd honestly have lost that fight against Bhunivelze. Deciding to impart some of the formality they sent her way, she knelt before the Eidolons and bowed her head. Surprised when she was interrupted when her knee was just barely above the ground, and her head forcibly raised when one of the Eidolons placed its hand beneath her chin. Hecatoncheir shook his head at her gesture, Bahamut let out another throaty yell, and the sisters/Alexander seemed to agree that the sentiment was 'sweet', but they didn't want her to perform such an act. Even if she were such an unconventional Goddess, she was still their master. Leaving behind their respective crystals for her to take, Lightning took them with the same form of respect and gratuity she had done so with Brynhildr/Odin before them.
Yeul said nothing while the display had gone on before her. But the tiniest hint of a smile had worked its way across her face. There was absolutely no doubt in her mind that Lightning was the true Goddess of Death. The Unseen Realm seemed to be filled with an almost serene calmness, as the dead themselves seemed to have their doubts quelled away on finding out such a powerful champion would fight on their behalf. Not to mention the very fact that the Eidolons were under her command and no matter how powerful 'demons' thought themselves to be, they would now test their true might and mettle against a Goddess. It felt almost shameful and cruel for Yeul to call upon Lightning, and ask her to take up arms in a fight that she knew would take her life. Like all those centuries before, she was once again holding her down to an unjust fate for the sake of others. Part of her wondered if she should disclose that fact to Lightning- would it truly matter to the woman, at all? She seemed to be very dedicated and ready to sacrifice anything should it save those she loved and cared very deeply for. Would the man she'd come to know and love beyond familial/friend status change her disposition on sacrificing for the good of others?
"Etro accounted for even this...didn't she?" Lightning asked. The thought had occurred to her, when Yeul said Ragnarok made such an event possible. Seeing into the future was something those of deific or blessed status were able to do, and she wanted to know if her assumptions were correct. And if so, then that meant Yeul herself knew this very world would have been a possibility.
"Yes, Savior. She had a contingency for every situation mankind could ever face. But you are all capable of free will and what happened from certain points were your choices in the grand scheme of fate. That is, until the Goddess took the strands of fate and wove together a new web that would allow her children to be reborn and salvaged from the crystal shards of a dying world, and a failed takeover by her father. Little by little she guided you and the chosen to her divine aid, in the hopes that her visions of a future beyond the needs for 'Gods' would be possible." But this is where things got tricky. As humans could never truly be freed from the divine, considering they needed someone to usher in the Chaos and revive their souls, should it be their choice to do so, someone had to stay behind and take up the mantle of Death Goddess and her responsibilities. Having accounted for this, she had chosen Lightning to do so- but Yeul didn't allow that reality to come to pass. The Savior had earned her and Etro knew that demons would be a possibility. Even so, she still bet on the possibility that her champion would be able to do what she could not, even after millennia of being humanity's caretaker.
"That's why I'm still like this, isn't that right?" Lightning already knew bits and pieces on what Yeul spoke of. About Etro and her guidance of the l'Cie in their times of great need. The Death Goddess had been a shepherd of her children, even if they didn't know it and had been ungrateful for all of the many gifts she had given to all of them. Not just their souls, free will, or miracles that saved them time and again, what really stood out was how much the Goddess had loved all of them so much that she was willing to sacrifice her divine self just to give them another chance at life.
"Yes." Yeul nodded. "That too was in her plans."
"You already know how all of this ends, right?" Yeul spoke of a prime outcome that would save humanity, and that was Lightning's endgame in all of this. So long as everyone could be saved, and their New World wouldn't be jeopardized, then all would be worth it.
Yeul nodded to Lightning. "In all of the visions I have seen of your progress, there is always one 'ending'." Completely neglecting to mention the male that Lightning would come to encounter, she thought it would be better as a surprise. Especially because Lightning would likely try and fight the fact that she'd find someone she could come to care about beyond familial or friend status. How the pair of them would meet, Yeul was curious to find out. Not all of the interactions she had seen between them were positive, but only time would tell what fate had in store for the pair.
"Don't tell me what happens." Lightning spoke up, before Yeul could continue. "I don't want to know how all of this ends. Maybe because I don't want to let the people around me to know that I knew if it was some 'tragic' ending and that I kept it to myself, because I found it would dampen their moods. They deserve to be happy, and I'm not going to take that away from any of them. Maybe it's because I already know that keeping secrets all to myself doesn't 'work' or maybe I just can't bare with seeing disappointment in their eyes, again- who could say?" It was at this point that Lightning had made yet another decision. Rationalizing not telling them about the outcome in all of this, she also came to the conclusion to not involve any of her loved ones. Even if she had to linger in their shadows, and protect them from the outside looking in, then so be it.
"Only you know what is the best course of action." Yeul conceded that fact. Lightning had always been a 'lone wolf' and Yeul knew exactly what she planned to do. But fate had other plans for the woman, even if she decided to leave others to their own devices.
"That's not always exactly true. I find that I usually screw up more than I fix." Lightning mused, "But I'll do my best. I don't care if the demon king himself decides to stand in my way- he'll die."
"Yes. By the very sword that was sharp enough to strike down God himself." Yeul nodded. As if on cue, the Crimson Blitz materialized in Lightning's hand. The blade instantly came to life within Lightning's grasp, and crackled with divine energy. Something about the sword seemed 'different' and Yeul, seemingly guessing what was on Lightning's mind, spoke up. "You have been remade time and again by Gods, forced to cast aside your humanity and brandish a new look in their image of what you are to be. But now is the time, Savior, for you to do the same for yourself." Enveloped in the Chaos itself, Lightning shut her eyes and thought of what she wanted to be, and how she wanted to look. Then it dawned on her. Once the Chaos subsided, there she stood, with her new weapon and remade outfit. Rolling her shoulders and examining her hands, she made a fist to test out the new fabric on herself. A few slashes with her sword into the air, and Lightning knew this was the right choice for her to make. "Always doing the unexpected."
A bit surprised by her quip, Lightning smiled a bit and shook her head. "No. I think...this was the right choice." Her mind flicked back to when she first wore this outfit, and the smile on Serah's face. Her fights with Snow. Teaching Hope how to survive, and later taking back her lessons and hugging him out of fear for what she almost did, and relief for what he didn't do. Hitting Fang. Raiding Orphan's Cradle, standing on Gran Pulse itself, washing up on the very shores of Valhalla. Before it all, before the craziness itself had come about and she had been nothing more than a drone of the Cocoon elite military task force, 'Guardian Corps'. Of all things and possibilities, Lightning had gone back to that time, when her life had been nothing but simplicity. Raising a kid sister and trying to continually guide her life so that she could never want for anything. That is, until Snow came into the mix. Testing out her freshly remade gunblade, she was happy with the Blazefire Saber and the fact that it functioned just like the original (save for a few 'divine' enhancements, of course).
"Of course." Yeul agreed with Lightning's sentiment. "Merry meet, merry part, and merry meet again, Savior." Bowing before Lightning, Yeul knew their time was coming to its end.
"Take care of things here, Yeul. I'll do the same on my end of things, and I know how powerless one can feel in the Unseen Realm, but please, for not just these souls who linger...carry on for those to come." Lightning was more then prepared to lay her life on the line for the New World, but she wanted to be assured that Yeul not give up on her position as Goddess of Death.
"Do you question Yeul's resolve, and my willingness to ensure she completes her duties?" Caius asked, stepping out of the very Chaos itself to stand beside Yeul. For once, the man didn't seem to be making a mockery of things. He seemed to scoff a bit at her distinction of if Yeul were capable for the task they had volunteered for. The irony of Lightning having said living people didn't need Gods while she was still a Goddess hadn't been lost on anyone in the room, but he still felt a bit keen on pointing a few things out, if need be.
"No. But I know that the dead can badger someone to the point that they feel like giving up, that their teaming voices seem to offer no reprieve until you do just as they ask. And all of these people are asking for a world to be saved, for a wish that Yeul can't grant- but I can. So long as I know that things here are being taken care of, then I can do that." Lightning saw just what the dead could do to a persons resolve. Considering they had convinced Vanille at one point to martyr herself and commit suicide (even if that wasn't their intentions to do so), and Lightning didn't want Yeul to end up overwhelmed. Not that she really thought the Seeress turned Goddess would actually commit such an act.
"Just having you here in their presence has quelled away their doubts, Savior." Yeul wanted to show that she had absolutely no intentions of backing down and allowing the world to fall apart just like their previous one had. None of the Yeuls desired this ones destruction, and like-wise the Chaos would stay in the Unseen Realm, never daring to destroy the dam between realities again. Seeing that Lightning needed a bit more assurance then that, Yeul decided to speak up a bit more. "I will take care of their every need and tend to the souls who reside under my dominion until time itself comes to an end."
"There you have it, Warrior Goddess. Yeul has vowed her fealty to you and your cause. Don't let us down." Caius spoke up, once more brandishing his sword in a semi-menacing manner toward Lightning.
"And end up stuck in here, with you?" Lightning semi-scoffed, though her heart wasn't in it. The passing moment seemed a bit like her time with the 'Patron' Snow in his palace- an 'argument' between old friends that were just too damned stubborn to admit they'd missed each other. Despite their indifference over the centuries, both of them had come to a mutual understanding in Etro's temple. There could have also been a bit of looming pride lingering between the pair of them, of battles long gone and decided centuries ago. She knew Caius' 'threat' wasn't exactly as it was supposed to be, either. Caius seemed humored by her retort to his earlier remark, and had been pleased by her answer.
"Yes, a rather displeasing thought." Caius agreed, sharing a knowing look with Yeul. They would discuss the matter later on when Lightning had gone off to deal with her newfound quest.
"I bid thee farewell, Savior." Yeul didn't want to interrupt their conversation, but the time for such things had come and gone.
"Take care, Yeul. Caius." Lightning stared at the pair, doing something neither one could expect- flashing a rare and almost never seen smile. Despite their initial shock, Caius and Yeul had recovered quickly enough to smile back and send the Savior off on her way. Opening her eyes, Lightning found herself kneeling with her sword in her newly gloved hand. The Blazefire Saber and her Guardian Corps outfit surfaced so many conflicting memories of a past that she could no longer return to. Her last fleeting moments of humanity and not having the literal weight of the world on her very shoulders. Dreams that had long since faded within the very depths of Chaos itself. Exhaling a breath Lightning wasn't aware she'd been holding in, she decided to abandon the apartment. There was no telling when more demons would show up, and she wasn't about to let innocents get lost in another one of her wars. Standing up, she didn't bother to take anything with her from the apartment- not that she really had any material possessions to begin with.
Lightning heard her cellphone ring on the way to the door, and compulsively checked who was calling. Serah. Tempted to pick it up, Lightning had to stop herself mid way. No matter how much she wanted to hear her sister one last time and ask about all the things she was doing, even if it was just meticulous day-to-day activities or her rambling on about how happy she was to be with Snow. Answering the call and giving Serah the equivalent of a 'goodbye' would only make her little sister worry. Even if dropping off the earth was about to do the same, this was to ensure the safety of not only her- but all of her loved ones. If she was isolated and on her own, then these demons would have no clue that Lightning had something they could use as leverage to get what they wanted. After the fiasco with not only Hope and Serah, but Bhunivelze taking the souls of Snow, Fang, Vanille, Sazh, Dahj, Noel and Yeul, she had learned her lesson. Even if the 'old' Lightning had to come back to ensure everyone's safety, then so be it. Dropping her cellphone on the floor, Lightning stomped on it with the heel of her boot and strode out the front door. Collapsing her Blazefire saber, she placed it in its holster and decided to get on the move.
If these things were going to keep hunting her, then they'd be in for one hell of a 'hunt'. Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing that she maintained powers akin to a Goddess. Even in death, Etro was still guiding along her children in their struggles with evil. True Goddess of Death. The line that Yeul had spoken resonated with Lightning. Were the dead too much of a chore for her to maintain? Even if Caius had 'assured' her that they had everything under control, she wasn't so certain. The dead had a lot to say, especially while she was within the Unseen Realm. Demanding that their world be saved, lest they all never know what it was like to live again and be with those they once held dear. Warrior Goddess. Caius had once used that title to describe her, but ceased once she became the Savior, so why now of all times would he revert to calling her that? Because she didn't take Etro's place like she'd told Bhunivelze? Or was Lightning akin to a Goddess, since she had defeated the God of Light? He clearly hadn't expected her to use Chaos itself and the souls of all living and dead to defeat him. Bhunivelze himself had proclaimed her the Goddess of Death, stating that only someone of remarkable power would be able to pull off a feat such as that.
Honestly, her thoughts were going a mile a minute.