A new chapter, after so long.

Enjoy

Chapter Twenty-Five

Lightning's Despair

Basch's death had brought a vulnerable air to the group. They haven't moved from the spot beside the crashed ship for the past following days. They were trapped in a world where anything can kill them, a world without the protection and comfort that Cocoon offered.

They had buried Basch underneath one of the large tree with purple leaves. There was nothing they could do for him anymore except giving him a proper burial. Tifa had continued to cry, and Paine had been comforting her as best as she could even at the same time she had tears in her own eyes. Zack had also tried to comfort them as best as he could.

The Colonel hardly had any interaction with anyone staying by herself most of the time and sometimes away from the group. Thought, she had been the one to suggest they give Basch a proper burial in respect to him.

Éclair herself was feeling burdened by guilt. All of those events that had happened are basically her fault. If she had never been awoken from her crystal sleep, none of this would have happen. All of these peoples, would have still be moving on with their lives.

But this wasn't your choice to make was it? A voice told her, They chose to help you escape. Basch had made the choice of becoming a traitor to help you. You discovered a dark secret about Cocoon's own Primarch which possibly share something in common with you.

Sighing, Éclair walked back into camp from guard duty.

When she arrived, the fire was still burning, the crackling sound surprisingly sharp in the silent night. Zack was lying down on some other side, a gunblade in his hand. He looked up at the sound of her footsteps.

"Done with guard duty?" he asked.

Éclair nodded.

"Shouldn't you be asleep?" she asked him.

Zack shrugged and lied back down.

"I can't," he said, "You?"

Éclair came to a stop beside him and seated down.

"No," she answered him.

They stayed silent for a few seconds.

"I…I just wish I could have done something differently," Éclair told him, "If I had been faster…he could still be alive."

Zack sighed.

"I think that's something we all wish to change," he said his eyes fixed upon the stars above them, "On Cocoon, Basch was like the brother I never had. I was an orphan so I didn't know my own family. When Tifa introduced me to AVALANCHE, Basch was glad to have me on board. That was before his father died."

Zack chuckled a little.

"We used to get into all kind of troubles with the Sanctum soldiers back then," he said, "We were just a bunch of dumb young people who had too much time on their hands…but we all have to grow up one day."

Éclair glanced at him.

"His father's death?"

Zack nodded.

"I was there at his wedding," he said, "He was going to marry that Ashe girl. When he got the news of the accident, he simply rushed out of the wedding taking the first train back to Palumpolum so that he can see Vaan was still alive."

The young man sighed.

"I've lost my own father," Éclair said, "I know how lonely it could feel without someone to guide you or to rely on."

"How did he died?"

Éclair sighed looking into the flames.

Flames burning through the buildings as a roar reverberated through the air…

Screaming echoing everywhere…

The ground shaking underneath her feet…

"Be safe, my little Éclair,"

"Éclair?" Zack's voice said.

The girl jumped slightly at her name being called.

"You're okay?" Zack asked her, now leaning on his elbows looking at her worriedly.

Éclair quickly nodded at him.

"I…I'm fine,"

Zack simply nodded.

Colonel Lightning Farron blinked as she glanced around herself. It was already morning and can hear voices of the fellow peoples that were with her talking. She seated up, and walked toward where the group was talking.

"Nothing in the journals really," Vaan was saying, "I don't think he even came around here."

"Then, we'll get out of here," Éclair told him, "Let's see what's lies beyond that cliff in the distance."

Lightning glanced toward where the woman was pointing.

There was a large cliff handing there, towering in front of them as if daring them to come any closer.

"We might have to climb," she said.

Éclair gives her a glance.

"Pulse used to have people doesn't it," she said, "They've could have built something to get to the top of this cliff."

"Then where to next?" Lightning asked her, "Where will we go in a place which had been devoid of any civilizations for centuries? And for what reason?"

Éclair looked at her.

"The reason is simple," she said, "We need answers. You and I are marked by the Fal'Cie, and I want to know why. I am from this world, and before I went to my crystal sleep, I had a previous Focus. This place must have had some kind of clues as to what my previous Focus was."

Lightning stayed silent, mulling it in her head. The Pulsian girl had raised a good point.

"Then let's get moving," she said.

After scavenging the ships for whatever provisions it had left, the group started their journey around the vast land of Pulse. It was safe to say that Pulse and Cocoon are really two different worlds. Pulse was more natural than Cocoon was since no one could be in control of anything except keeping yourself alive.

The weather had been hot in the few hours that they had been moving; carrying light conversations every now and then even thought Lightning never joined them. She had been thinking about her sister again.

Since this entire mess started, she hadn't visited her sister who was at the hospital, thought she had been planning to do so again in the next few weeks. Lightning can feel her throat tighten at this. Her little sister would be depending on her to find the money for the continued treatment of her illness. She had promised Serah that she will be able to fund her treatment.

Now I'm branded as a traitor, I wouldn't be able to fund her treatment, she thought.

A burst of pain shoot through Éclair's arm and she feel her brand warming against her skin, the strange tattoo glowing underneath her clothes that it was seeping through it. It was like something was clawing at her brand…fighting to get out…

No, Lightning thought, I won't…I won't give in…I won't break my promise to Serah. She'll all that I have left.

After stopping for a break and some food, the group restarted their journey toward the cliff which had augmented in sizes as it come closer to them.

"This thing seems to stretch on forever," Tifa commented frowning a little looking at the cliff.

"We're almost there," Éclair said, "By nightfall we should be at the foot of it."

The Pulsian was partly right, as night fell, the party had settled in the grass around them so that they could settle for the night, the tall cliff seemingly even more imposing than it was before.

"I don't think I've ever walked so much in my life," Zack said, throwing himself down on the ground, "I'm beat."

Lightning glanced back at them before pulling out her gunblade.

"I'll take first watch, you rest up."

Then she walked away from the group.

The Colonel walked through the darkness even though the ground around her was lightened up by the moonlight, bathing the surroundings in silver light. She continued to walk, occasionally glancing around herself for sight of hostile until she came to a stop.

There in front of her was the large cliff they had walked the entire day toward to, in hopes of finding answers about the Focus that had been given to both her and Éclair. Lightning had hardly thought about it, the shock of what she had learned from the Primarch numbed her entirely of feelings.

You trusted him, and he cast you away, a small voice said in her head.

Lightning shook her head slightly. She couldn't have those thoughts right now. She needed to stay strong, and figure out how she was going to handle things. She was still lost in what she should do at the moment, since her entire life had been turned upside down and shaken violently by the events that had been taken place.

You either complete it or you die…

Lightning hissed in pain as the brand shone through her sleeves.

Damn it, I can't…

"Lightning?"

The soldier instinctively spun around, her gunblade shifting into blade mode and she slashed it in a wild arc as the person who had spoken dropped down on the ground.

"Hey," Éclair yelled.

Lightning frowned at the woman on the ground, the one that shared so many similar features to her.

"What do you want?" she spat.

Éclair stood back up.

"You've been gone for quite a while," she said, her voice light, "Got worried about you."

Lightning snorted.

"I can take care of myself," she said, sharply, "and as you can see, I'm perfectly fine."

"I can see that," Éclair told her.

"Now leave me alone," Lightning snapped.

But Éclair didn't move. Lightning glanced at the Pulsian noticing that the woman's gaze at turned downward toward…

Shit.

"What's wrong with your brand?" she asked.

The brand on Lightning's arm was now glowing blue as Lightning let out a gasp of pain falling upon her knees. Éclair suddenly sprung forward.

"Lightning," she yelled.

"Don't you fucking touch me," Lightning snarled at her, raising the blade at her.

Éclair stopped.

"I…I just wanted to help," Éclair said.

Help, Lightning thought, looking at the girl as if she was crazy, She wants to help?

"How can you help me?" she said, her voice taking a dangerous tone "When it's your fault it happened in the first place?"

Éclair couldn't keep the surprised expression off her face.

"What…?"

But Lightning wasn't done, not by a long shot.

"You don't have to look so surprised Éclair," Lightning said, "I've lost everything I've had in my life."

A flash of the Primarch's face…

"I've lost the trust of the man I trusted with my life," she said.

Serah's smiling face…

"I will keep my promise to you Serah…that I swear it."

She felt Serah's hand squeeze hers.

"I know I can count on you Claire," Serah told her, "We are family after all."

"And my sister...might die without my payments for her health," Lightning said, "If she dies…I have nothing left to live for…nothing to keep me going in this mess you've gotten me in. I've broken the promise I made to her…and I can't…I can't…hold it anymore."

At that moment, a large bluish orb appeared in front of Lightning, the strange symbols running all over it, bathing everything in a blue color. Éclair stepped back as she watched the orb freeze over before it exploded outward.

A large creature had appeared there. It was strange almost fishlike in appearance with purple color and six wings like things from the back. In his hand, it was carrying a long spear like weapon which had a three designed spikes and it was simply floating there, not even touching the ground.

It glowing eyes found Lightning who was staring back at the creature a look of desperation upon her face.

You have denied the blessing bestowed upon you Lightning Farron, a deep voice spoke within her mind.

"Well, do what you're here to do;" Lightning yelled at it, "I don't care anymore. It's all over for me."

The Eidolon holds up the large Spear it was carrying, and aimed it straight toward her face and Lightning simply closed her eyes…waiting for the end to come….

CLANG!

She opened her eyes at the sound.

"W…What are you doing?" Lightning yelled.

Éclair had put herself in the way of the attack so that the Eidolon's Spear was blocked by her gauntlets since she didn't have her sword, a yellow glow appearing around her.

"So you just want to roll over and die?" Éclair yelled, "When you have someone to live for?"

Yelling, Éclair pushed back the spear and paused herself to fight.

"What?" Lightning breathed.

"Your sister is all the reason you need to keep fighting," Éclair told her, "Never again I would let death separate two siblings without having a say into it."

"Why?" Lightning said, "Why keep fighting? There is no future…no hope at all."

"I'm fighting because I believe," Éclair said, "You should fight for your sister. You have a promise to fulfill for her. You have to keep fighting in the hope you'll see her again."

The Eidolon charged forward again with the Spear and Lightning's hand tightened upon the gunblade that was lying beside her and launched herself forward intercepting the attack.

"Alright," Éclair said.

Lightning pushed the Spear back again as she took a stance with her gunblade.

"This is for Serah," she yelled.

For her, I'll be strong.

Face me Lightning Farron, Show me who you truly are, the voice said in her head.

"And I will," Lightning said.

Then the fight started with Lightning doing charging attacks and Éclair using her magic to help her since she had no sword with her. With her speed and precision, Lightning was doing great against the Eidolon and she can feel a confidence that she didn't feel earlier coursing within her as she fought against the magical being.

Then she saw her brand change form and felt a power running through her and she yelled a name out.

"Mateus,"

Then the Eidolon threw the Lance in the air and Lightning jumped. The Eidolon started to shift until the six small wings had merged into two giant ones and the head shifted becoming elongated until a large purple dragon was there and Lightning landed right beside it the large Lance in her hand.

"We fight as One,"

We will Lightning Farron. You have showed me that your heart is what makes you strong and with the power of the heart; nothing will be able to stop the Power of Ice. Call my name, and I will come to your aid.

The Eidolon disappeared after that along with the Spear and Lightning feel down upon her knees, the burn in her brand disappearing. She was breathing heavily.

"Y….You've done it," Éclair said, kneeling beside her.

Lightning pulled her sleeve, looking at her brand.

"Y…Yeah, I have," she said, "Did you go through that?"

"Back in the Bresha Ruins," Éclair told her.

The two stayed silent.

"I…I'm sorry about what I said," Lightning said, looking down, "It's just that…it feels like everything was against me, like no matter what I do…I can't change the outcome."

"Alone, none of us could," Éclair told her, as she stood back up, "But together we might make a difference."

She extended a hand toward the soldier.

"You're in?"

Lightning looked at the hand before taking it.

"Thanks," she said, letting herself getting pulled up.

Éclair gives her a smile.

"C'mon, let's go back to camp; we have been gone for a long time and tomorrow, we continue our journey"

Lightning nodded at her and the two walked back to camp, the air around them more pleasant than it had ever been before.

Lightning got her Eidolon.

Next time, the past...come to light in: Shadow of the Past.

R&R.