The gateway that I walked through that took me from Earth left me suspended in the air as the void was full of colors and images of past and present events, like the gateway to Gran Pulse before the giant centipede took our airship out of the sky. Events from the game of 13 had been rewritten as the original story played around on my left and when I came into the picture on my right, a warm and strong feeling washed over my whole being I felt cleansed of all hate and bitterness and felt renewed once more with a power nobody from my world could ever understand. The clothes I wore from when I first arrived to Cocoon had been enveloped in light and added with silver and gold armor like from my dream, my chest protected by a breastplate with Etro's seal in the center, a pauldron protected my left shoulder as armor adorned my left arm and a cape similar to Ezio Auditore from 'Assassin's Creed 2' flew gracefully from the pauldron as the wind picked up. Another portal ripped open from beneath me as I fell and once I fell through the world of Valhalla was revealed, the sight more breathtaking than the game as monsters who inhabited this world appeared.
"Holy crap! This is so insane!" I shouted over the howling wind, the ecstasy of falling was a huge surge of energy flowing through my whole body. I looked down a second later and I saw I was falling to my death, I began to panic as building structures were coming closer and thicker making it hard to avoid.
"Oh my God, I'm gonna die!" I shouted in fear flailing around in the air idiotically, like anyone trying to keep themselves from falling out of pure reaction and fear, until I faced palmed myself and remembered I don't have to hide my powers anymore.
"Oh, right! Damn it, 'Grant me the power of Flight!" I shouted and my wings of light and dark sprouted from my back and I managed to remain aloft in the air, catching myself, seconds away from slamming into a building that looked like the one Light and Caius fought on. Speaking of which this world seemed too quiet and too still, aside from the monsters and Eidolons, but where were Light and Caius?
'The Champion had long since been awake, rise her from her slumber and protect the worlds from the destruction that follow.'
'Was that the words that showed up on my screen?' I wondered as I flew towards the shrine, lost in my thoughts. This world was so beautiful and isolated from time and space it was hard trying to picture this world being part of the world of Cocoon or Gran pulse, it is a Goddess's domain after all. I shook my head and focused on getting to the shrine, the brilliant blue light that reflected from the grace of Etro's blessing shimmered off of the throne and once I came closer I managed to land into the very place I stood so long ago and saw it was left untouched and unchanged from when I last saw this place. The room was heavy with dread as the life streams flowed through throne room, Etro no longer able to exist in her own world, as history flowed into me. Three years had passed like it was supposed to for 13-2, but what was I supposed to do now? I have no focus, no team and most of all no plan. The obstacles are much harder now so what should I do?
Etro's blessing light was fixed to the throne where the Goddess once sat upon. Before it I stood and went down on one knee with my head bowed in prayer, in prayer to who? I'm never sure about that but hope my prayers would be answered by some spiritual deity.
'chp, chp, tap!'
The sound of little stones rolling across the smooth platform skid towards my direction and I spun on my heel with my sword raised above my head. Luckily I took out my sword as a silver blade had connected to my own and sparks flew from impact, pressure weighed down on my blade from my attacker my left arm began to shake from strain. Whoever this was is indeed powerful. The attacker raises their blade from mine and side blinds me with a hit to the left temple the force behind the strike left me dazed and tumbling to the ground trying to catch my balance, when I regained my senses I swung my blade in a diagonal swing I caught the enemy off guard and their own weapon was gone from their hands and sent into the wall behind them. I had the impression that I should end this fight with a single sweep but when the light that reflected from my sword caught the persons eye their face was revealed a little and I stopped my attack in a heart beat. I stared at the person in armor for what felt like an eternity until they spoke in surprise as I would of if I spoke.
"M- Mel?" The person spoke quietly, like afraid to say anything the person in front of them will vanish to ashes. Though that wouldn't fool those cerulean eyes I know from anywhere, I just thought I wouldn't see them again.
"Lightning, oh man, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to attack you I swear it was out of pure instinct." I said as it finally hit me that the person I almost engaged in battle with was Lightning in her 13-2 get up, and I thought it would have been my Eidolon but I never saw her again after the last fight last month.
Lightning looked the same although she did look more feminine in a sense than she did a month ago and you can really tell that she changed since then, I was really glad to see she was awake. I was a little nervous to talk since I got a good look at her and compared her previous appearance to now, I couldn't think straight since and thought about my mission leading me here to get me focused.
"So, what's been happening since I was last here?" I asked Light as I found a seat on the stone rails that guarded the shrine. Light leaned against the rail and looked at the ground. She looked reluctant to speak but hopefully she opened up more to me.
"Three years have passed since you returned to your own home, everyone from Cocoon had been living peacefully on Gran Pulse as others strove to rebuild Cocoon by several means. A lot of people have been trying to convince Serah that I'm dead but I know she wouldn't accept that from load of crap from nobody, not even from me." Light says with a smile as she looks my way without losing her happiness. I felt my face feel warmer but tried to ignore it and avoided Lights gaze.
'Ah, crap! Not again with this confusing feeling! I hate feeling confused...' I thought to myself averting my eyes from Lights, I mean I don't understand what I feel and a month, technically three years in Cocoon, later I still haven't figured it out. Damn it, Mel! Focus on the mission!
"Yeah, I figured that would happen. After everything you did disappear right after you reunited with your sister in the original story but that's changed, huh?" I said to the Champion and she didn't look surprised at all. Light moved from her spot and stood in front of me, her hands found their way to meet my shoulders, with her blue eyes looking different than usual. The fight she had in her was nearly extinguished and I don't know what going to happen since I'm basically trapped! Crap...
"You know what will happen next, right? I don't wanna know what's coming our way but I can't be there to protect Serah so I sent this boy from the future, Noel Kriess, to protect Serah in my place. But I discovered they have a misson far more serious for him to keep her safe, so I'm asking you, Mel, is to keep watch over Serah for me. Please, she's all I've got left in this world. Your the only one left who can do this for me." Lightning explained and noticed she looked more vulnerable once her eyes lifted from the ground to meet mine. My heart felt like it stopped for a split second and I felt weird again, somebody help explain this to me, please!
"I swear I will protect Serah from whatever may harm her. You have my word, Light." I swore as I crossed my heart with my finger over my plate armor meaning I was dead serious. Light smiled and chuckled a little, I thought she was about to let go as her grip loosened but when I jumped off the rail Light didn't move and my foot got snagged on hers tripping me. I went down and SOLDIER girl with me. Metal crashing to the floor rang through the room I ears were ringing from the noise. I lifted my head up and when my mind allowed me to see that Light was underneath me I was in full panic mode that I froze in place, not moving and not breathing, I couldn't think at all. All that passed through my mind was, ' holy crap, I'm going to die!' But Light didn't move she didn't even attempt to try either, her expression became dreamy and seemed she was accepting this. I swore that I tried to move but I couldn't as I was both scared and panicking the weight of both feelings kept me down.
"Sh- shouldn't we be focusing on o-our mission, L-Light?" I asked finally found the courage to talk. SOLDIER girl didn't hear me so I forced myself to sit up and sat beside her sick to my stomach with anxiety right now.
'What in the name of history just happened!? She didn't move, she didn't yell at me to get off, and it was like she wanted that to have happened! No! Focus! Focus on your mission and you'll be alright!' I shouted to myself shaking every feeling I felt away and buried it deep deep down within the ephemeral embers of my being.
"Lightning Farron! We need to stay focused! We can catch up and chat later but right now the fate of Cocoon and your SISTER is at stake here. Now please, if you mind, please get up." I said calmly, but assertively, to my friend while offering her a hand to get up. She looked at my hand and grabbed ahold of it and pulled her to her feet.
"If you have anything to tell me, anything that could be a potential threat to both of our worlds, then I suggest that we should move on, okay?" I ask once more in a more serious manner. Quiet once more I was getting a little annoyed by Lights withdrawn composure, she's not acting like her calm and dutiful self. How MUCH has changed in the last 'three' years?
"Okay. I'll tell you what I know... But you have to come here." Light finally says ushering me to move closer. I sighed and reluctantly obeyed and when I came close enough range Light pulled me into a hug and whispered lowly,
"I'm going to kill everybody." This time her voice became higher, more childish but evil. When I pulled away Light wasn't Light anymore, it was a different girl about thirteen or fourteen in a gothic Lolita dress but the outfit looked like it was styled for combat in such heavy black and rose petal pink color theme. Her golden cat eyes bore into mine I felt frozen with fear as darkness starts to seep out of her body.
"Fooled ya, huh? I was surprised that the mighty Interloper from Earth couldn't catch on to what was happening to her own friend. Too bad she isn't awake or I would have killed the one she cares so deeply about. But as much as I want to kill her but its the Champions sister I want!" The girl says tauntingly with a stuffed animal wrapped in her arms like a little kid. I pushed myself out of her grip and pulled out my sword,
"Where is Lightning!? Who are you and where is Caius Ballad? He's supposed to be here raging havoc in Valhalla like he was supposed to!" I cried out to the girl who seemed to have ignored me my playing with her wavy hair as bright as the setting sun. A smirk is made known upon her fair face, striding towards me chuckling in delight until she stood below me by a few inches.
"Lightning, it flashes bright then fades away. It doesn't protect, it only destroys. A fitting name for my tool, yeah? I don't know where the woman is so she is temporarily safe. Of course I haven't forgotten dear old Caius Ballad. I've known him ever since I met him, over and over again... I remembered him each time I met him again and again, but I couldn't stand the sight of him, so I erased him completely. As in, no matter what happened in history Caius was never meant to have left his own time to seek for answers." The girl explained with that evil smirk it was like Orphan all over again, only a little girl.
"Wait, 'over and over again?' 'Every time you met him again and again?' You can't be-" But I was cut off by a wave of energy the girl sent towards me in split seconds. The blast came in contact with the ground and the energy had strong enough force to send me on my back. The darkness that poured out of the girl began to swirl around her and engulf her making it hard to see the girl at all! The dark wave was so thick and heavy my head spun with the vortex my skull felt ready to burst.
"Call me, the Puppeteer.' Everyone has strings connected to them, and all ignorant beings will be my little puppets. Goodbye, Interloper." The voice of the child disappeared and my mind gave in and everything turned black.
When I finally came to I remembered passing out in the shrine. Now, I really had to find Light, the REAL Lightning Farron. But as soon as my eyes opened I didn't have to. She was sitting next to me, at least I hope its her. Just a precaution I whipped my sword out and pointed it towards the woman's throat. Quick as her name Light stopped my blade from even reaching her and drove her fist into my chest, the force pushed the impact through the armor without breaking it I groaned in pain from the hit. Yup, it was the real one.
'Cough, cough, cough!' Nothing but the sounds of choking came out of me, it was worth knowing it was the right one though.
"Mel! You're back, but what happened to you? I found you sprawled across the ground like a rag doll tossed aside in the trash!" Light says with concern on her face. I slowly got up and looked at her with a straight face.
"I came here to wake you up, then I met you and you kept confusing me, then I fell on you and you didn't say anything and I tried to get back into the focus of what our mission was but the you I met wasn't really you and it was this weird girl who killed the real antagonist of the story and called she herself, 'Puppeteer', and she vanished and I blacked out and your here and she wants to kill you and your sister out of existence because why? I don't have a damn clue of what's going ON!" I explained in quite a hurry that I had to stabilize my breathing for not doing so while explaining. Light seemed like she understood what I was saying but not at the same time, she looked more in a hurry than anything else.
"Look, Mel, I'm really glad to see you but if Serah is in danger than I suggest you being there with her, to keep her safe in my place." Lightning stands over me and opens a portal to a place I don't really recognize. Light walks back to me but walks past and opens another portal leading elsewhere, returning to me Light looked at me like how she did before we parted ways. I tried to look serious but I probably failed.
"If only we had more time to chat but we can't. One guard won't be enough to keep Serah safe even if she is learning how to fight, with this new enemy coming into the picture, it is best if you watch her too. If she is being targeted then you can protect her as I no longer can." Light says gently as she walks toward her own ripple in the fabrics of history. I clenched my fist and shouted over my shoulder,
"She's looking for you, Light! And she won't rest until you guys are reunited. We'll find each other again, just you wait SOLDIER! Just you wait. Don't think of this as abandoning her, DON'T!? Think of this as a test to show how strong your love for Serah as her love for you is... Okay?" I rambled on a bit but I think Light had left before I finished. Typical, but reasonable, as we were limited on time anyways. I ran through my portal and fell to the earth below me, to Serah!
Serah's POV:
Monsters had shown up and their numbers had continued to increase no matter how much energy and effort we put in. Lebreau was taken into the NORA house for medical assistance for saving me but no matter how many I struck with my Bow-Blade more replace the fallen, even this new guy who came into the picture didn't have much progress as I was. Despite this guys prowess and knowledge of fighting these things it didn't do much damage. A small mosquito monster summoned fire magic and I rolled out of the way but the bigger version came out of nowhere and hit me with water magic. I wiped the water from my eyes until I could see again but the miniature bugs swarmed my feet and held me in place. Noel, the new guy, was too far away and I was unable to move. Once the larger version charged up a strong thunder spell I raised both arms in front of my face, closed my eyes and shouted in panic,
"Lightning! Help me!"
'Vwoosh! Ka-boom!' The sound of something emerging out of thin air and an explosion erupted in front of me. Strong gusts of wind and heat brushed against my face and my legs felt lighter. When I lowered my eyes and the dust cleared a shadowy figure appeared before me with a cape flying in the wind. It must have been Sis wearing her Guardian Corp uniform. The nerve of her! But she was here right in front of me alive. I just smiled and walked up to the figure, ignoring the dangers around us. When I got close my hand reached for her shoulder and I called out to her,
"Lightning! I'm so glad your-" But when the smoke really cleared it wasn't Light in her GC uniform, it wasn't her at all! The strawberry pink hair that I knew was replaced with short and sort of messy spiky brown with light brown hair. When the person turned around it was another boy but a few years younger. I stumbled backwards, embarrassed, and tried not to choke on my words to ask shyly,
"Who are you?"
A/N: Cliffhanger! Sorry everybody for not getting into the action yet, stop taking so long to introduce people almost a lot of people know already DAMN IT! Then again it is sort of late here so I should go to sleep! I promise the next chapters will show more action and will get into the story more, I wonder if you guys can guess who the Puppeteer is featured after.. . Hmmm... Anyways, and sorry again I just trying to get the story moving along a little but I will do better in the next and later chapters. Well, that's about it for me, please like, review, favorite, etc. You all know what to do and have a great night! Until next time, Ciao!