Imagine This...
Alva ran non-stop with Lightning and Fang on her back. There was no doubt they'd covered more ground than they would have on foot—even if Dajh and Hope had not been injured as seriously as they had. Alva's leg-power had proven to be an advantage, having the ability to easily scale obstacles in the way or jump wide ravines that may have taken precious time to maneuver around. However, her size also had it's disadvantages. Collapsed passageways, narrow cliff edges; on more than one occasional an alternate route had to be found since Alva showed no intention of switching back into human form.
They'd reached the Faultwarrens with relative ease—something the Commander did not take lightly. Lightning had suspected being met with more concentrated resistance as they neared Titan's throne, along with a more frequent waves of Pulse-shifts. Yet nothing; no Cie'th blocked their path and not one Pulse-shift swept the area. Just an eerie emptiness only filled with a haunting blanket of fog.
The two atop her back felt Alva slow to a walk then eventually stop at the mouth of a tall, roughly-arched passageway carved into a towering wall of rock. It took them a moment but Fang and Lightning both recognized the landmark: the entrance to the plateau looking over Titan's throne. Time and time again they'd walked through the wall of stone, pitted against the next monster Titan had chosen for them.
Lightning and Fang decided to dismount, jumping from Alva's back swifty. As she did so, after Fang, Lightning could have sworn she felt a tremble as her hand brushed the side of Alva's front leg.
"Alva?" She asked, moving around so she could see the guardian's face. With the glowing eyes and massive helm, it was hard to read for a facial expression.
"The voice…" Alva eventually said, her voice still hard enough to mask any distinctive emotion behind it, "…it calls to me."
"The voice?" Fang question, "You mean Eve?"
"No," Alva slowly began to move toward the archway, "Titan."
Fang and Lightning shared a look before quickly following Alva through the short yet intensely dark passage through to Titan's throne. As they stepped out onto the small plateau, they were met with what looked like a completely different world.
Almost anything and everything for as far as the eye could see, was either encased in clear white crystal or layered in crystal flakes that seemed to be fluttering from the unknown somewhere above them. Even the blades of grass under their feet snapped, shattered and crunched as the three companions made their way forward toward the middle of the plateau.
The sky above them was clear blue, a defined window in the storm that swirled violently and endlessly yet remained in form, leaving the clear circle of blue above them.
"What is this?" Fang asked the question on Lightning's mind. The pinkette merely shook her head, slowly making her way to the edge of the plateau and looking over. The sea of lava that once flowed beneath—just like the rest of the area—was frozen, encased in crystal yet retained it's orange glow..
"EVE?" Fang's suddenly yell caused Lightning to jump. She whirled around to face the Oerban. The warrior caught her gaze and shrugged, "What? It's why we're here, ain't it?" She didn't wait for an answer before calling out again, "EVE!"
Lightning turned to survey the area again. She had no doubt the Cie'th that had taken Eve would have brought her here, but where? The plateau was small enough but Titan's actual throne, like its owner, was massive. She immediately stopped scanning the mountain across the canyon when she heard the sound of Alva's armor shifting. Turning, she saw the guardian making her way toward the edge.
"Alva?"
"You must go." Came the answer, just a hint of panic in the tone.
"Wha-?"
"You must go now." Alva repeated, raising her shield and readying Zantetsuken. Lightning threw a glance at Fang who shared both her confusion and curiosity. The both of them stepped toward the guardian who slowly began to show she was struggling inwardly with something.
"Alva what's wrong."
"You can't… The only way…" Voice all but trembling now, Alva raised her shield arm to her head, "You cannot be allowed to… fight-don't fight! It must be me, it has to be me-"
"Alva!" Fang moved to stand in front of the guardian, "Alva what's happeni-?"
"Leave! Go! Now!" Alva suddenly yelled, lowering her shield, her eyes glowing brighter than before, "You cannot be here-!"
"Alvara." A voice interrupted in almost a whisper—yet deafening enough to alarm all three of the companions, "What have I told you about being rude?" The voice seemed to echo throughout the canyon making it difficult to place the source. After a few seconds of looking around, Lightning noticed Alva staring hard in one direction. Following the guardian's gaze, she found herself staring at the mountain of rock across the gorge.
At first she saw nothing but crystal-encased rock but a flicker of red caught her eye and brought movement to her attention. When she force-focused her eye to it's limit to make out the figure, it widened at the sight.
"Eve?" Fang's murmur of the Lance Corporal's name reached Lightning's ears but it felt foreign when the pinkette's brain attempted to associate the name with the figure.
Barely her torso remained visible among the mass of rock and crystal that seemed to enclose her limbs—massive replacements that put her standing at least as tall as Alva. The initial encasing was rock, shimmering with a red glow, almost as if lava were flowing through them. Around the rock then came the crystal; armor-like and ending in jagged spikes in more places than not. Half of her head was covered in the same molten rock-crystal armor in a mask or helmet that looked misshapen and incomplete.
"You should treat such honored guests with a little more respect." As Eve continued to walk toward them, she stepped out off the edge of the opposite mountain. When she should have fallen, she remained level. Crystal formed beneath where she placed her feet, effectively creating the beginnings of a bridge across the canyon.
"What did they do to you?" Fang demanded suddenly, breaking free of the speechlessness before lightning.
"They? Of whom do you speak?" The warrior's question was deflected with a taunting inquiry, "The Cie'th? Surely you can't be thinking they have any other purpose than to bring pain and sorrow to those that cross their paths?" The chuckle Eve let out sent a prickly shiver down Lightning's spine, "No this is merely the beginning of my legacy."
"You mean Titan's legacy." Lightning corrected cautiously, observing the advancing figure, noticing the chill in the air that grew more intense with each of her steps.
"Exactly." Another small chuckle, "It may not look like much at present but now that the last pieces of the puzzle have arrived…"
"Would you cut the cryptic shit, Eve!" Lightning had to give it to Fang. The Oerban certainly knew how to cut to the chase, "What's going on here? What's happening to you? What's happening to Gran Pulse?"
"Human connections never cease to amaze me." Eve tilted her head as she turned to Fang, "Did you also think that this human was anything other than a hollow husk for me? A vessel for my soul? An incubator for my existence?" There was no real malice in the tone of voice but the words themselves stabbed through the chests of both Fang and Lightning like jagged glass. The laugh from Eve that followed was the final twist.
"No…" Lightning uttered under her breath. Eve may have been speaking but they weren't her words. They were Titan's.
"How unfortunate you are, humans. Your unfaltering hope twists into misconception that blinds you from seeing the truth. Truths that—would they have been seen and accepted beforehand—would spare you from such pain and anguish." By then Eve had reached the plateau and had effectively connected the two faces of rock with a crude crystal bridge.
"You lie." Fang refused to 'accept' the 'truth' Titan was speaking of, "Eve has memories, feelings, connections—human connections. She exists apart from you." Fang's mind flashed back to the various verbal spats the both of them had. It recalled the time Eve experienced the pain any human would feel having fal'Cie magic surge through her body. The desperate need to protect the one who meant most to her, "Eve, you exist apart from Titan."
"Evangeline is Titan." Eve's voice and Titan's words grew more forceful, bordering on annoyed, "Surely this cannot be so hard for you to see—imagine even. Human imagination is most likely your greatest strength, rivaling even your willpwer."
"We're talking in circles." Lightning cut into the conversation, "What happens now?" She asked—demanded almost.
"I finish what I started ten years ago; reform Gran Pulse into how it should be; mend what you had broken."
After hesitating long enough for Fang and Lightning to notice, Alva charged at Eve, Zantetsuken raised above her head. The action confused the soldier and warrior who had to throw themselves out of the guardian's path. They both watched in utter shock as Alva then brought down Zantetsuken, cleanly slicing off one of Eve's arms midway between the elbow and shoulder. The limb fell to the ground with a heavy thud before slowly dissipating into crystal dust.
Fang and lightning watched as Alva began to circle around for another charge—although as she did so, she raised her shield arm to clutch the side of her head. There was a mumble of curses could be heard—though not quite loud enough to be understood. It looked as though the guardian was struggling against her own actions, if only for a brief moment before she began to advance on Eve again.
"What the-!"
"Alva, stop!" Lightning immediately yelled, "What are you doing?" The question remained unheard as Alva attacked with a stab this time, slicing deeply into Eve's other shoulder. Zantetsuken had cut so deep that it remained caught in the mess of crystal and rock when Alva attempted to pull it out—frantically almost.
Fang had noticed that both times Alva had charged, Eve hadn't moved. There was no doubt in the Oerban's mind that if Alva had any intention of killing Eve, she wouldn't have needed a second attempt—especially against an unarmed, static target. So why was she purposely failing to strike a killing blow? Why was she even attacking Eve anyway? Weren't guardians supposed to guard? And even more bizarre: why was Eve even letting Alva harm her? The questions had her so distracted, she almost didn't hear Eve begin to speak.
"Come now, Alvara." The incomplete fal'Cie raised her remaining arm and gripped the edge of Zantetsuken, "Not once but twice you fail to carry out your true purpose?" With unnatural ease, Eve yanked Zantetsuken from her shoulder, shattering the crystal armor. She then shoved the giant weapon away, actually staggering Alva, "If I didn't know you were doing it on purpose, I'd be deeply disappointed." With a deep breath the broken crystal on Eve's shoulder began to grow and reform the armor that'd been broken. The crystal around the arm that'd been sliced off was doing the same. The rock-armor within it began to glow brighter, bubbling almost as it began to extend and rebuild itself. Before long, it was as if Eve hadn't lost an arm at all.
With a strained cry, Alva thrust at Eve again, but this time Zantetsuken was blocked. Standing between the two was Fang—lance drawn—struggling against the force of the guardian.
"Y'know, any time you feel like explaining just what the bloody hell is going on would be great."
"Oho?" Eve tilted her head at the Oerban but made no attempt to move, "Well, this could prove to be interesting."
"Any time now would be great, kid." Fang continued, grunting as even she was having trouble against a creature three times her size.
"Fang-!"
"You're in the way." Alva muttered before pulling her arm back and bringing Zantetsuken down once more. Fang blocked the blow but was sent flying to the side, toward Lightning who immediately moved to steady her.
"Fang what're you-?"
"We go through all this trouble to get here, I want some damn answers." The Oerban pulled away from the pinkette, "Since Alva doesn't look like she wants to talk, my bets are on Eve." Fang flipped her lance around as she saw Alva advancing on the incomplete fal'Cie in question, "And Eve can't be giving answers if she's chopped to tiny pieces." Before Lightning could protest, the warrior ran at Alva to once again prevent her from reaching Eve with Zantetsuken.
This couldn't be happening. It wasn't meant to be happening. Why was it happening? Lightning grit her teeth and clenched her fists as she attempted to sort out the chaos unfolding before her but found it impossible. Fang was right, the best bet on getting answers was through Eve. And that wasn't going to happen with Alva swinging Zantetsuken at her. Her hand moving to her gunblade, she decided against drawing it for now and ran toward Alva. The guardian's focus had shifted to the more immediate threat, lashing out at Fang rather violently.
"Alva, wait, stop!" Lightning jumped, landing on the guardian's back. She clung to what she could to prevent being thrown off as Alva immediately began bucking, thrashing her arms in an attempt to reach the pinkette, "You need to calm down, you don't want to do this!" The soldier was forced to jump away as Alva swung Zantetsuken around. She landed a few feet away, rolling to her feet. Before the guardian could advance on the pinkette, she found herself distracted, blocking a blow from Fang.
"You assume quite a bit if you can claim to know what Alvara does and does not want, Lightning." Eve spoke directly to the pinkette, still unmoving, eyes on Fang and Alva.
"And you do?"
"Of course I do." Eve sighed, almost annoying again, "She wants nothing. I created her with only a purpose, a purpose she will fulfill." As Lightning opened her mouth to respond, Fang landed near her, skidding from the momentum of being thrown by Alva.
"Fulfill what purpose? To turn around and destroy what she was meant to protect?" The Oerban scoffed as she straightened up, brushing herself off, "Not if we can help it." The warrior turned to Lightning, taking a few steps back and lowering her voice, "Light, I need you to distract Alva."
"Fang?"
"Trust me, Sunshine." The Oerban then knelt on one knee, lay her lance by her side and began concentrating on something—meditating somewhat.
"Fang, what're you doing?" Lightning hissed. The warrior looked back up at Lightning briefly, a smirk on her face that—much to Lightning's chagrin—told her she wasn't going to get a straight answer.
"Using my imagination."
Lightning didn't have the chance to push for more as Alva was already on the move toward Eve again. Once again refusing to draw her blade, Lightning took a few steps toward Alva before charging a burst of magic in her hand. As the guardian swung to strike Eve, the Commander slammed her magically charged fist downwards, sending a Quake through the ground. The crystal layering the surface shattered and the ground beneath shook and split, throwing Alva off balance before she could do any damage to her target.
Alva turned to the pinkette, who could see the growing rage in her eyes. Before she could recover and before her attention could be directed back toward Eve, Lightning threw a weak Thunder spell at the guardian. While it was easily deflected by Alva's shield, it successfully earned the pinkette her full attention. Letting out a low growl, the guardian began advancing on Lightning.
"Alva I don't want to hurt you." Lightning tried to reach out to the guardian once more. All she got in response was the sound of Alva's hooves digging into the ground—preparation for a charge. Lightning's muscles tense reflexively, preparing to evade.
"It doesn't seem you have much of a choice, Lightning." Eve spoke through another sneer, "If you wish to remain unharmed yourself."
Lightning easily dodged the first charge attack from the guardian but immediately had to throw herself out of the way of a slash of Zantetsuken and back-flipping out of reach of the shield-bash that followed. As soon as she landed however, Alva had begun another string of attacks. Lightning continued to evade them easily but noticed the guardian wasn't tiring nor slowing down either. In fact, the only thing she seemed to be achieving was increasing Alva's frustration. But it was the only thing she could do while keeping Alva's attention. She wasn't as strong as Fang, she couldn't afford to take a direct hit from Alva.
"Bored now." Eve spoke up again, the tone of voice confirming the statement.
As if taking the announcement as a cue, Alva began to move. Only this time she didn't attack. Lightning watched as the guardian closed her eyes and lowered her shield and sword for a moment—almost as if she were meditating. But only for a moment. Her eyes shot back open and a glow seemed to flash around her for a split second. Raising one leg off the ground, she brought down the hoof heavily. As soon as it touched the crystal something shot through it, zig-zagging it's way toward Lightning who was too bewildered to step away fast enough.
The pinkette felt the surge run through her leg and up her body. It didn't hurt but it made her feel as if suddenly she were chained by the wrists and ankles to lead weights. A soft crackling from below her drew her attention to her boots that were being encased by crystal. It took more strength than she'd anticipated to break herself free from it. It took even more to avoid the slash to her body by Alva, who'd suddenly appeared almost directly in front of her. When did she-?
"Ugh!" Lightning grunted as she was shield-slammed to the side, unable to evade it due to the crystal that had once again formed around her feet. As she skid to a stop on her side, she immediately felt the crystal creeping up and around her body. Gritting her teeth, she forced herself upright, breaking free, only to have the clear layer cling to the next part of her body that touched the surface. eventually, Lightning found her entire right leg encased in crystal, and before she was able to use her fist to break it, a small shaft shot up from the ground to her wrist and spread to shackle her entire arm. In a frantic attempt to reach for it with her other, she realized her left leg had also been restrained. How was it spreading so fast? It was as if the crystal were alive, like it knew she was trying harder and harder to avoid it. As the realization hit her, Lightning stopped struggling and remained still. Just as she thought, the crystal had stopped spreading to enchain her body.
"Figured it out, have you?" Eve's voice directed her attention towards the incomplete fal'Cie, "The more you struggle, the quicker the crystal reacts." Lightning found it extremely difficult to resist the urge to attempt to slap the smirk off Eve's face, "But remaining still isn't something you can afford right now, is it?" Lightning's eyes darted to Alva, who hadn't move since her last attack. Lightning had managed move out of her reach. As she remained still, Lightning concluded that the guardian mostly likely couldn't move while maintaining control over the crystal.
However, the Commander mentally kicked herself as she watched Alva shift Zantetsuken into lance mode. The crystal had pinned her enough to where it was impossible for her to fully evade a lance-throw. She was pinned, cornered, basically a sitting duck. As Alva pulled arm back, preparing to launch Zantetsuken, Lightning's whole body tightened as she prepared to at least attempt a dodge. She could already feel the crystal slowly continuing it's growth at the tensing of her muscles.
Just as Alva went to let the lance fly, she was knocked aside, hard and violently. She let out a pained cry as she was thrown onto her side, Zantetsuken slipping from her grip. Lightning could feel the crystal around her body grow still and loose almost, the spell controlling it now interrupted. But she made no move to break free. She couldn't, she was too busy staring in shock and awe at what had broken the spell. Even Alva seemed too bewildered at her attacker to properly scramble back upright.
"Well, well," Eve voice revealed equal surprise but had an edge of amusement, "This is certainly a surprise."
Alva's attacker stood over her, more or less the same size if you counted the the mass of red, orange and gold appendages extending from her back. Teeth were bared, claws extended, the long ridged tail ending in irregular curves continued to sway back and forth. As Alva finally managed to right herself, she took a few steps away from her assailant, whose purple-scaled body was crouched low, as if ready to pounce at any second. Though its back was turned to her, and though she'd only seen it only once before—at least that particular variation—Lightning knew the form well. Wild, violent and full of rage; she remembered it often in occasional nightmares she'd had of her past—of some of her last moments as a l'Cie. The pinkette was still trying to wrap her mind around it as she opened her mouth to say the name but Alva beat her to it.
"Ragnarok."
A/N:
Not dead yet.
Art for previous chapter on dA.