Vanille's PoV:
Only a few minutes had passed, and yet, Odin's incredible speed propelled us over a mile from where we started. I had no idea where he was going, or even why he was going at all, but I trusted him. I had to.
Odin narrowly dodged a patch of congested trees, almost flinging me from his back in the process. I tried my best to relax against his soft mane, but how could I be calm knowing that my life and Lightning's freedom were at stake? I couldn't fail. I had to do this. I had to succeed.
A thought crossed my mind. Lightning had a great sense of faith in me. She had to, if she didn't, she would've never agreed to let me go. If she truly didn't think I could do this, she would've taken her chances against Jihl's army of beasts. This was something that sustained me, something that gave me hope despite the little bit of self-doubt that had been festering ever since accepting Jihl's challenge.
It wasn't long before Odin's pace began to taper, much to my relief. I lifted my head to observe my surroundings. The tree density was sparse. And then, all so suddenly, I felt something, though, it was so faint that I very well could've imagined it.
As we arrived at a clearing, Odin halted and lowered himself so I could dismount. With my feet firmly on the ground, Odin transformed into his normal form. Though I hadn't seen him this way for months, he emerged just as majestic as I remembered.
Odin was a gigantic horned knight, furbished with a white cape and wielding a large, double-edged sword—a massive shield defended his opposite arm. He was the perfect manifestation of Lightning's spirit, and I had to admit, I was comforted by his presence.
Focus, Vanille, I told myself.
The brittle, twig-covered, dirt crunched and crackled beneath us as I tailed Odin along the landscape. There it was again, that low earthly rumbling beneath the forest floor. My bow was nocked and ready to strike. And so we walked, just me and Odin. He seemed to stride with purpose, and I prayed to the gods that he did, for time was running out.
We proceeded along the winding highroad. And yes, I meant highroad—a path. Odin had found a path, which meant it was taking us somewhere. I only hoped it was where we needed to go. Several paces further, I caught a glimpse of a gigantic mushroom-shaped rock—larger than any I had encountered. A pack of mud frogs and gogonopsids were assembled nearby. Odin promptly dashed to their position and launched a preemptive strike, making quick work of their disposal.
In the meantime, I continued walking towards the massive, boulder—as if nothing else existed. A pack of ahriman's swooped down from above, but I was quick to their ambush. My first arrow punched straight through the first monster. I redrew, aimed, and released more arrows, spearing through all of them. I couldn't be stopped.
But then a pantheron leapt from the bushes, taking me by surprise. I moved laterally, took my aim, and let it fly. But this monster was much more persistent, it continued to chase me despite the arrow piercing its side. So I ran. Readying an arrow as the enemy closed in. But to make matters worse, a skata'ne surged through the trees and blocked my path. Panic set in for just a moment. The pantheron sprung itself at me. Its great jaws snapping and salivating in anticipation. But I was ready. I waited until I could almost feel its hot breath pushing out at me, and then, I released an arrow dead between its eyes.
The kill was instant, but I knew wasn't safe yet. The wailing of the skata'ne was so close to me, I thought there was no way to prevent being hit. But thankfully, Odin had my back. He was at my side. His skilled sword sliced the creature in two before it could land its kick. I recoiled in time to nail the triffid storming to Odin's back.
And then it was over. My heart rate pounded as my brain was still processing all the excitement. It felt so good to fight again. No matter how many dresses I wore, no matter how little I was, no matter how much I loved flowers and pretty sunsets, I was Pulsian, and Pulsian's fought when they had to. I looked up at Odin whom was sheathing his sword.
"We make a pretty good team," I said lightheartedly.
The Eidolon smirked in response, which actually proved a little creepy. I laughed softly at the awkwardness, and then, turned to walk forward again—Odin following suit. Several paces later, the outline of the cylindrical rock structure became explicit. I was wary of the terrain thundering beneath my feet. As we drew closer, the vibrations grew stronger.
Eventually the tremors became earthquake-like and concerning. Without warning, the 'mushroom rock' emitted a generous cloud of translucent, blue mist. I stopped in my tracks out of fear and awe as a bolt of electricity shot down the middle of the structure—an apparent outer coating of smaller boulders was shed. By electromagnetic force, they orbited a man-made, stone temple within.
I took a step backwards, but Odin's hand stopped me. He gently urged me forward again, and then walked around me to progress to the entrance.
Now is not the time for fear, I told myself. Lightning needs me.
Lightning's PoV:
I was alone now, meditating as intently as I could but to no avail. The enchanted shackles seemed unbreakable, and worst of all, I couldn't channel to Serah. My arms were tense and sore from the constricting bonds around my wrists. I looked down to the floor. The sand-colored obi that firmly held the folds of my tunic laid on the ground. The untied tunic flaps weighed nimbly at my sides. My exposed sternum and abdomen were chilled from the cold, murky cave.
I had a lot to fear . . . but strangely, I felt none. I knew Vanille would return. I just hoped that it'd be sooner than later because I didn't trust Jihl. I didn't trust her at all.
Speak of the devil, she reappeared with two tonberries standing faithfully by her side. Her corset was gone, a black push-up bra was all that was left on top. Her baton remained firmly at the hip by her garter belt. Her glasses vividly reflected the Gothic torches.
"How are you changing so fast when you don't have any dressers in here?" I questioned indifferently, attempting to distract her.
Jihl smirked as she slowly strode over to me. "Nymphs are shape-shifters. I can disguise myself as other persons, and I can swap my wardrobe," Jihl snapped her fingers, "like that."
My brain suddenly made the connection. "You disguised yourself as the old man, didn't you?"
"Very good," she sultrily replied. "Consider your girlfriend dying in a gorgeous outfit my gift to you."
My jaw clenched. I felt ashamed having fallen for the cruel temptress's trap. I tracked Jihl as she floated over to a shelf beside me.
"You underestimate her," I stated coldly.
"Is that so?" she disinterestedly replied whilst prying a bottle from the bookcase.
"You'll see," I muttered.
She strutted to me with the bottle clutched firmly in her hand. She got pretty close before stopping, sneering, and tilting her head coyingling. I eyed her with suspicion.
"What are you doing?" I asked coolly, trying my best to remain alpha despite the circumstances.
Jihl's jade green eyes flickered nefariously as she turned to her lethal, dwarf servants. "Seat her on the couch, dears," she ordered. "Then leave us."
The green beasts slothfully approached me with their butcher knives. Their yellow eyes gleamed of malice.
"Don't resist," Jihl warned. "Any quick movement, and they'll kill you on site."
I glared at the seductress. That's all I could do—glare.
With her free hand, she took her baton from her garter belt as the tonberries seized both of my forearms. Jihl gave her weapon a deliberate wave, and the enchanted shackles pinning my limbs to the wall dissolved. The tonberries firmly gripped my wrists and forced them to cross behind me. With another wave of her baton, a new set of enchanted shackles bound them.
One of the creatures jabbed the dull end of its knife into my back, prompting me to move. I scowled, trying my best to contain the growing irritability I felt. Reluctantly, I trudged forward, rounding Jihl's master bed and revealing the opposite side of the chamber. Against the far wall, a plush, velvet-red couch lay between a black end-table and a pile of whips and blindfolds.
Not good.
Vanille's PoV:
The Eidolon closed the metal door behind us as I hesitantly strode forward. An circular, floor pattern adorned the center of the chamber. Supported from the north wall, a tattered carpet lined a stone staircase. The temple was illuminated from four stone pillars with spherical balls emitting bolts of electricity. Was this the home of Jihl's object? It needed to be. Time was running out.
Regal statues of seemingly important people surrounded the old, tattered chamber. I spent no time investigating them. I boldly ascended the dusty staircase with Odin. At the top of the landing, a sturdy door impeded our progress. There was no knob, no latch, and no clue as to how to it opened. I tried to think of some other way to get it open, but before long, Odin slipped past me. I watched as he pressed his huge palm against an empty, square outline in the middle of the door. There, clearly illuminated from the blue mist, appeared a crudely inscribed message:
"Spirit of the One, you've come to seek—
What many sought, but all were meek.
So hitherto, though shall come—
Collect thine soul, yet all's not won.
For Erised's gift is but small consolation—
As tragedy shadows humanity's salvation."
What? I thought, clearly puzzled. And then, to further my amazement, the barrier with the cryptic message voluntarily swung open. I looked to Odin, mystified by his apparent understanding of what he was doing. How did he know? Jihl's instructions were so vague, 'find an object in the forest'. So many possibilities, and yet, he found this place without a single pause. Again, I wondered, how did he know?
I had a theory. He was a part of Lightning, so was it reasonable to assume he might share her strange powers? Odin didn't wait. He pressed forward as I crept behind him. Once inside, I stepped around his massive frame. I don't know what I expected to find. It could've been a ruby dildo for all I knew. Hehe, I chuckled at my own cleverness. But to my horror, there was nothing. How could there be nothing?! No treasure, no objects, just an empty chamber with a stupid, ceiling high, gold-pleated mirror. My heart fluttered from anxiety.
What are we going to do?! We don't have time to go anywhere else! I ran my fingers nervously through my hair. This place is empty!
My mind raced with despairing thoughts. I was so absorbed in my own hopelessness that I hadn't noticed Odin edging closer to the monstrous mirror. I analyzed every stone and every curvature, praying that I might discover a secret latch or pedal—something, anything!
I paused momentarily when I noticed a strange, engraved heading written into the gold above the mirror's glass.
"Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi,"
What the hell?
Suddenly, Odin turned to me. Lying in his giant, outstretched hand was a dazzling, royal violet crystal. In all my experiences, I had never seen something so aesthetically valuable. The gem shined with the radiance of a star, shimmering and glowing as if it were alive. What's more, Odin extended his other palm to reveal a kaleidoscopic plethora of smaller crystals—though none rivaled the extravagance of the violet gem.
Squandering my questions for now, I sighed with immense relief.
Found it.
Lightning's PoV:
I pausing stubbornly before the couch. "I'm not sitting," I declared.
The sound of loud, purposeful struts was like a siren to me. I knew my defiance wasn't making her happy, but I had to stall as much as I could. I swiveled around, knowing to expect pain, and nonetheless, Jihl's heel pummeled into my chest. I grunted, her kick forcing me to buckle and collapse to the couch. We locked eyes, mutual feelings of contempt could be felt as she continued digging her heel into my sternum. I let out a few heavy breaths and watched her—she was smiling, smiling like a knife.
She conjured new shackles, which circled the arches of my feet, binding them to the stone floor, and enchanted wrist cuffs, tying me to the couch.
"—Fucking wench," I grit my teeth.
Her smirk widened as she secured her baton to her garter belt. The horrible pressure left my chest when she brought her leg back to the floor. She flicked her hair as she glided over to the pile of sex novelties. Slowly, she bent over to retrieve a black whip. I struggled against my cuffs. This had to stop. Whatever she was planning, I needed to break free!
A sadistic laugh rolled from the lips of my captor. I looked up, eyes locking with hers. She seemed so pleased with herself, and she didn't deserve that. I sat up straight, asserting my tenacity.
"Just relax, baby," she cooed as she uncapped the lid to the bottle she had been carrying and unsnapped the bra that was containing her enormous twin mounds.
"What do you want with me?" I snapped.
"Isn't it obvious?" she purred, as she poured a viscous olive liquid on her chest.
Is this chick really pouring oil on herself? I almost laughed. Yeah—I can't do this.
"Do you like foreplay?" she questioned, lust lacing every word that spilled from her glossy lips. "Am I turning you on, Captain?"
"What?!" I jeered. "Did you really think dumping cooking lubricant on your rack would make me hard?" I howled in laughter. "You're fucked up, Jihl," I spat, grinning like Cheshire.
She was on me quicker than I could blink. Straddling my leg, she brought her whip back and struck viciously against my chest. I grimaced but made no sound. "I'm a nymph, you useless prick!" she scolded venomously, striking me hard on the stomach. "Understand," she whipped, "that what I'm doing," she whipped, "is for my enjoyment and not yours," and she whipped again.
Her final blow landed on the contours of my abdomen, but I endured the pain, refusing her satisfaction. Growing irritable, Jihl prodded her whip under my chin to elevate my gaze. "Are you paying attention? You have no control, sweetie—none," she spoke clearly and cruelly. I scowled at her.
She tossed the whip aside as she inched closer, supporting herself on two arms that were now planted by my sides. But I didn't back down, not even when I could feel her breath against my lips.
It was so apparent that my unwillingness amused her. She may have been twisted, but she was attractive, and only a fool would've thought otherwise. She knew this better than anyone, and that is why she toyed with me. She knew I didn't desire her. And though she would have never admitted so, this bothered her to no end.
When she pushed her oil-covered breasts in my face, I quickly turned away, avoiding the sight of those huge melons. There was a brief pause until she roughly reached out to clutch my jaw in her hand, whirling my attention back to her.
"Did I say you could look away?" she thundered, a glint of insanity twinkling in her eyes. I remained silent. "Or maybe," an evil smile spread on her lips, "I should just have her killed now?"
"You dumb bitch," I jerked away from her grasp.
She slapped me hard across the face. "No one ever accused me of being dumb," she mocked.
"Stay away from her—" I growled, blood starting to boil.
"Oh darling," the nymph leaned forward to kiss my still stinging cheek, "of course I'll uphold our agreement, but—" her voice trailed off "I'm going to need some positive reinforcement." Jihl trailed a finger across my lips before squeezing my neck and forcing my face between her breasts. I almost shrieked like a little girl, but her huge tits muffled it before it came out.
Jihl pinched her own nipples as I pulled away. "Suck them," her voice sounded threatening, and I was already spreading myself thin. I just prayed Vanille would burst in at any moment and save me from this. But she never came . . . then it occurred to me that I might truly be in trouble now. My heart dropped to my stomach. I felt sick. So sick.
Jihl saw something break in me. She replaced her triumphant eyes with a view of her breasts. Sweet god, sweet fucking god, did I really have to do this? Was this all a mistake? Should I have refused to let Vanille go? Oh god, just the thought of her hurt . . or dead . . I felt my eyes stinging. Was she alive? She had to be, she just had to be.
For now, I had to hope she was still fighting and that she was almost here. And that was exactly why I had to comply with Jihl. I didn't have a choice. I had to buy Vanille more time. And so with every ounce of unwillingness you could possibly imagine . . I lowered my head to Jihl's nipple and sucked.
"Ohhh, baby," her hands tangled in my hair. "See? that wasn't so hard?" she teased, pressing me further to her body. And so I obeyed, keeping my thoughts on Vanille and her safe return. This was the only way I could continue sucking Jihl's breasts without puking everywhere. It just wasn't right. Not at all.
After a few minutes she pushed my shoulders back, her eyes glossy and glazed over. Jihl slid to the floor, sitting up on her knees. "What's wrong, sweetheart?" she pretended to be concerned at how despondent I must have looked. "Forget that red-head," Jihl smirked as she massaged her own glistening chest. "I'll make you feel better."
I gulped. I couldn't believe that I was actually about to be sexually assaulted. But then, Jihl placed her hand right on top of my bulge, groping me through the fabric, biting her lip and practically jizzing over what she felt—for fuck's sake, what was this bitch's deal?! Jihl had forgotten I was a woman. Not only that, but I was a woman with restraint. She glared at me. Anger, I could almost feel it in the way she held me.
"What's wrong with it?" she asked coldly. "Doesn't it work?" she mocked.
"It works perfectly fine," I said deeply. "But didn't I already tell you? I don't desire you."
"Is this how you wanna' play?" Jihl reprimanded.
As her last resort, Jihl hastily pried her baton from her garter belt. She held it out and gave it a few waves. I shut my eyes, afraid of what would happen next. The fruits of her sorcery forced down the zipper on my trousers, but her enchantments really hit home when I felt stimulation down there. I tried so fucking hard to fight it.
I grimaced. It was so painful—the blood rushing to my legs so quickly, making me so lightheaded. Though my eyes were avoiding her, I managed steal a glimpse. Her green orbs gleamed with lust and amusement. I wanted to throw up. Please, Vanille. Please. Please, come back.
Jihl's hands were on me again, reaching into my trousers and pulling out her desire. She held me in her palm for a few moments, cooing about the size and girth before she stroking me up and down. She bent to the tip, parting her lips to suck me in. I shut my eyes, almost wanting to cry. Gods, please, just let it be over. Suddenly, I heard a whistling in the air, followed by a screech from my captor.
My eyes shot open. And immediately, the knot that had been prominent in my stomach for so long just disappeared. My lady—my lady was alive. She was very alive.
"You—You fucking bitch!" Jihl screamed as she leaned against the couch for support. An arrow was lodged firmly into her bare back. Vanille came running over, almost as if she forgot I was there. She went straight for Jihl, grabbing her shoulder and whirling the nymph around. Only then did I realize that Vanille shot her straight through the heart.
"You can't hurt me! I'm a nymph!" Jihl spat angrily, a little blood trickling from her mouth. The nymph weakly reached up to her lips, touched the liquid, and examined it.
Vanille kept one hand on Jihl's throat while she reached into her satchel and pulled out a fist-size violet crystal. "It's over," Vanille declared.
"You mean, I'm mortal?" Jihl sputtered, more blood oozing from her.
"Yeah," Vanille replied, a hint of bitterness in her voice.
"Hah," the mistress snorted. "I—I suppose I should thank you," she gasped. Suddenly Jihl's eyes were on me. "The crystal," she gurgled, "is yours. Its—" a river of blood poured from her lips "always been yours." The mistress gave a final hard look before her eyes rolled back. She was very silent. Then, she was very still. The ethereal glow that had shrouded her faded. Jihl was gone.
Vanille let the lifeless body topple over as the bonds around my hands and feet dissipated. The relief I felt was overwhelming. I rubbed my chaffed wrists and went to stand up, but before I could, slender arms wrapped around my middle and tufts of flowing red hair were tucked under my chin. I wanted to hold her and never let go, that was my initial thought. "You're okay," I uttered.
I pulled her close, kissing the top of her head. "You're an excellent shot, you know."
She grinned up at me before closing the gap between our lips. Everything was okay now. We were okay. We were together. And we were safe. I ran my fingers through her hair as Vanille slipped her tongue into my mouth. And then I remembered . . .
Vanille's PoV:
Seeing her face, convincing myself that we were alive, tasting her lips—I loved her. I saved her. And she was all mine. I glanced down at her lap, her erection poking up at me. Then I looked into her eyes. I could see sadness.
"I'm sorry I didn't make it sooner," I whispered. She kissed my forehead. "Don't apologize."
She brushed my eyebrow with her thumb. "What happened?" she asked, much to my confusion, until I realized—
"Oh," I touched the cut along my brow. "It's nothing, Light," I insisted.
She frowned, so I kissed her. I kissed her hard. My hand flew to her bare chest, so I could slide the shirt over her shoulders. Something came over me, much like it did yesterday night. The inexplicable, uncontrollable wave of lust had me again. I ran my hands gently over Lightning's breasts.
I brushed aside her choppy rose-colored bangs before sinking into her bottom lip as hard as I could. She grunted lowly from the piercing of my merciless teeth. She was utterly dumbfounded from my sudden aggression. "Vanille?"
At the moment, she was irresistible to me. I didn't have a reason for wanting her. I just did. I could feel the wetness pooling between my legs. Trapped between our bodies, her erection felt stronger than steel.
I took her face gently between my hands. "Do you love me?" I whispered.
She looked into my eyes, right into my soul. "More than you can imagine," she replied unwaveringly.
We forgot Paddra. We forgot why we were here, and what we were doing. We forgot Jedi and the Force. We forgot everything else as we made love. True, gentle, passionate love. When we were done, I cuddle into Lightning's warm embrace, and then, we both drifted into a blissful sleep.
Lightning's PoV:
I woke the next morning to a goddess in my arms. Her wavy red locks cascaded down her bare back, where my calloused hand gently tickled her skin. The events from yesterday replayed until I felt Vanille stirring.
"Mmmphh," she groaned, clinging to my body. "There's something wrong with this forest," she mumbled.
"What?" I smirked. "How?"
Vanille turned in my arms, resting her chin on my shoulder as her arm draped over my stomach. There was something about her 'morning-after-sex' look . . .
She caught me staring. "This is my point exactly," she answered. Her bright, early morning eyes sparkled.
I was still confused. I really didn't know what she was talking about. "Huh?"
She giggled, stretching up for a chaste kiss and lingering there. "We've been going at it ever since we came to the forest," she pecked my lips again.
A light bulb turned on. "Yeah, so?" I chuckled.
"So you're charming," Vanille traced my skin with her finger, "but I usually have a little more control over my body," she teased.
I played with the idea in my head, and it actually made sense. "Yeah, I guess it's possible," I commented.
There was a pause. "Van," I called her attention. "How—How did you find that crystal?"
Vanille perked up a little. "To tell you the truth, it was Odin."
My eyebrows knotted. "Odin?"
She lowered her eyes, dancing her fingers up to my heart.
"I would've never known where to start looking, but he knew," she peered back up to me. "I don't know how, but I trusted him."
I felt a prolonged sense of pride in my Eidolon as Vanille continued her story. She told me everything, from the description of the 'lightning mushroom rock', the cryptic poem on the latchless door, to the towering gold mirror in the antechamber.
"So Odin looked in the mirror, and the crystals just appeared in his hands?"
Vanille paused, biting her lip. "Yeah. I know it sounds strange. When I looked into the mirror, I got nothing. Well—" her voice trailed off.
"—Well what?" I urged her to tell me more.
"It's not important, Light."
"It is to me," I tenderly brought my hand up to her cheek, turning her eyes back to me.
She clasped a hand over mine, kissing my palm. I smiled at this. "This is going to sound crazy," she disclaimed. "So . . . I looked into the mirror and you—you appeared next to me."
My eyes narrowed on her. "I know. Right? It scared me. I checked everywhere, but you could only be seen in the mirror. Odin tried to tug me away, but when my grandparents appeared. I—I couldn't move, Light. They were there. They were in the mirror."
I didn't know what to think, but I needed to hear more. "It's been a long time since—well, since I've seen them. We were all together. You had your arm around me. It was like a dream."
Vanille's voice trailed off, but I kissed her forehead, encouraging her. "Keep going," I said.
"And then," she swallowed, "a little kid appeared from hiding in your cape. It was weird because, at first it was a little boy, but then I blinked, and it was a little girl. I had never seen either of them before."
Vanille's PoV:
"And finally, people appeared behind us. Lots of people, full of joy, happiness . . . everyone was happy." My voice suddenly got serious, "Light, if Odin didn't pull me away from that mirror, I would've been stuck there."
She was at a loss of words, but her piercing blue eyes searched my own. "Do you think . . . the mirror shows the future?" Lightning uttered.
I smiled slightly before replying, "How could it? My grandparents are dead."
"I'm sorry you had to go it alone," she whispered.
"Shh," I soothed, returning my head to her warm shoulder as I sighed softly. "You would've done it for me."
We were silent for awhile, and then, I drifted off again.
Lightning's PoV:
As Vanille slept, I thought long and hard about what would happen next. Paddra wasn't far now, Jihl even said so. I wasn't sure what to expect from these people, but one thing was certain, this might be my only shot at getting Serah back. I decided to trust her judgement. This is what she needed me to do, and I wouldn't fail her.
I glanced down at the peaceful girl in my arms.
I just hope I'm not endangering Vanille.
Author's EndNote: I'm hoping crossover FF fans might've picked up on the description of the stone temple. My inspiration for its appearance is the Temple of Djose from FFX. Also, I know the Mirror in the chamber might've seemed unnecessary, but I've always wanted to allude to the Mirror of Erised (Harry Potter) in one of my stories . . . I also wanted to use it because the Mirror adds a final barrier of protection for the rare crystals Odin and Vanille retrieved.