Dissidia: Returning Home 012 chapter 2: Lightning's new journey
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from Dissidia Final Fantasy, Square Enix game
Here is the promised Lightning Scenario in which she will wake up back in her world, in this case it'll be Gran Pulse. It's gonna take place the day after Hope got his Eidolon, Alexander. It will depict Lightning's entire time in Dissidia as a "forgotten dream" so yeah, hope that'll make sense :P lol. Anyway here we go.
Gran Pulse, Vallis Media- Lightning squinted in the beaming light of the sun. She got up realizing that she was sleeping in a small hastily made tent. As she got up and examined her equipment she noticed that all her other companions are already up and moving. In turn she also got up, took her blazefire saber and places it back in its holster behind her. She then found a cliff wall and subconsciously leaned her back on it, crossing her arms as she began to think in silence.
What was bothering the delirious soldier was that she could barely remember how she got to this place. It was then that her memories had begun rushing back to her. "Oh yeah, we escaped from that Ark. And then that eidolen came and..." She muttered in thought while her companions moved left and right, gathering supplies.
Yesterday was a very hectic day for the soldier. After traveling through the Fifth Ark, a place where ready L'cie, tools of the Gods, test their skills against pulse machinery, Lightning and her companions, Snow, Sazh, Hope, Fang, and Vanille crash landed back on Gran Pulse.
This was in hopes of finding answers to their focus. However, after landing on Gran Pulse Hope's eidolon, a magical summon that only appears when a L'cie's emotions trigger a certain catalyst, appeared and battled the party. After the eidolon's defeat the party decided to camp at the crash site and rest.
That was when Lightning had a very bizarre dream. She could barely recall the details but it was quite a foggy image in her head. It was a dream of battle, chaos, and strangely, companionship. She couldn't remember who these people were or what she was fighting. All the pinkette soldier knew was along the line she lost and disappeared. That was of course the end of her dream.
She tried hard, trying to remember those people. People who she new were every bit comrades as the ones with her right now. However, the more she thought about the dream and the warriors in it, the more the images kept fading and dispersing until finally, she could no longer see or recall her dream.
"Hey, sis!" called out the concerned voice of Lightning's soon to be brother-in-law, Snow. Lightning glared fiercely at him due to the loss of her thoughts. "Snow, shut up and let me think." She muttered coldly, of course her demand was left to deaf ears as the self proclaimed hero still pestered her.
"Hey no need for the silent treatment. You were standing there sulking and I just wanted to brighten your morning." He grinned sheepishly. Lightning glared at him before smirking sarcastically and walking away, an audible "hmph" was heard from her. "Points for trying." She said cynically before departing to the others, leaving Snow confused yet slightly relieved.
"Least she's in a better mood." He muttered to himself. He then took out Serah's crystal tear and sighed heavily. "Don't worry Serah, We'll save Cocoon, and bring you back." He smiled as he placed the tear back in his pocket and journeyed on with the others.
Suddenly, a giant serpentine monstrosity flew over the party, surprising the group. "Whoa, what was that?" Exclaimed Sazh, who had just fallen on his back from surprise. "Dahaka, the Fal'Cie that inhabits Taejin's Tower." Fang explained as she grabbed her spear. "If we follow him to his lair We'll find a way to Oebra, our home!" Vanille jumped in joy and began running towards where the Fal'Cie flew.
As the rest of the group pursued Vanille, Lightning stayed behind and closed her eyes as she thought silently. 'Maybe, we'll find the answers to our focus.' She opened her eyes and followed the group.
Archylte Steppe- The journey to Vanille and Fang's village has begun. However it won't be an easy trek. Here in Gran Pulse, survival is law. The strongest feed on the week in a never ending cycle of life and death.
It is here that the Fal'Cie, Titan, guards its ecosystem. By devouring weak creatures and creating newer, possibly stronger beasts, Titan continues to test the limits of Mother nature.
The L'Cie party traveled through the unsettling plains as gigantic monsters walked pass them looking for food. Lightning couldn't shake the thought that her dream meant something. Yet for some strange reason she cannot remember it. It was beginning to irritate her fiercely.
It was then that a red rose fell in her hand as it drifted in the Pulsian wind. Lightning looked at the rose for a moment before her eyes widened. She's seen a rose like this before.
"Hey sis, what's holding ya." Snow asked, bring the soldier out of her thoughts yet again. 'This is beginning to get annoying' Lightning thought gritting her teeth. "What is it Snow?" She asked irritably. "Where did you get that flower?" He pointed at her hand which grasped the rose.
"It's not a flower moron. It's..." She hesitated, as if she finally found memories of her lost dream. She paused and then spoke. "It's a wild rose."She spoke with a sense of nostalgia.
Snow looked surprised. He never took Lightning to be the kind of person to know these things. Then again he probably shouldn't say anything of it, of course if he doesn't want a black eye that is. But ignoring his survival instinct, he decided to let his comments be known.
"Never knew you had a thing for roses." He joked, expecting a swift punch from the short tempered soldier. Instead Lightning ignored him and walked on ahead to meet with the others. Snow shrugged and followed her, only to stop when Lightning looked intently at the wild rose.
"This rose...I had a dream last night...a dream of fighting an endless battle and...We lost..." She said somberly and looked at the group in front of her. There Hope and Vanille were talking about something that made them laugh. Not too far from them Sazh was chasing a cactuar while Fang looked on in amusement.
"But..." Lightning began as a small but genuine smile grace her face as she turned to face Snow. "I've made friends... comrades in that battle...I can't remember them but..." She lifted the rose in front of her and towards the sky. "This wild rose just reminded me of that dream."
She restored her serious expression and walked back towards the group. Snow then started laughing, causing Lightning to turn at him confused. "What's so funny?" She asked harshly. 'That's the Lightning I know.' Snow thought with a smile before answering.
"Maybe it wasn't a dream at all." Snow said as he looked to Cocoon. Lightning looked at him in surprise. "Are you implying that..." Snow nodded before walking ahead of her. "Maybe you were in a place like that. You are a soldier after all. Strong one too." Snow added as an attempt to kiss up to her.
Lightning looked at him in amazement. Maybe she was in this dream world of hers. Just then the winds of Gran Pulse picked up slightly and the rose flew from Lightning's open hand. Lightning watched as it floated away in the wind.
"Not getting it?" Snow asked. Lightning nodded and walked away. "It just reminded of that dream. Not like I was gonna keep it. By the way..." Lightning swiftly turned and clenched her right hand into a fist. Before Snow knew what just happened, His left cheek and Lightning's right fist connected before he immediately fell to the ground back first.
"Kissing my ass after mocking me over a rose won't get you anywhere with Serah, you idiot!" She scowled at the downed hero wannabe. Snow rubbed his cheek, wincing at the slight purple on his face.
"Still..." Lightning said, under his breath. 'You might be right about one thing Snow. I might have been there, wherever that was.' She thought silently as she ran to meet her companions. Snow followed, somewhat dazed and still nursing his cheek.
Then just after the party left the plains, the rose which flew from Lightning's hand suddenly faded away, as though it was returning to something or someone. In the end Lightning finally shook off that strange dream as nothing but a very convincing fantasy. At that moment she knew she had finally forgotten whatever was left of that dream.
None of it mattered to Lightning anymore as she goes on a journey to save her sister, save Cocoon, and make the impossible possible. Thus continues Lightning's story of Final Fantasy XIII.
Wow... I didn't expect it to be this long. -.-''
If you don't understand what's up here's a summary. Basically after fighting Hope's Eidolon, Lightning fell asleep in FF XIII time during her summoning to the 12th cycle. After she was defeated in the battle Lightning woke up back in her own world. The rest is basically an after story in which she begins to completely forget the happenings in Dissidia 012.
Kinda cliche I know.
Sad huh? Anyway next person is gonna be Vaan in which He'll wake up during the beginning of the game where you first played as him. Hope you enjoyed this somewhat long after story of one of my favorite Final Fantasy protagonists yet :D
Review whenever you can. See ya!