Endurance [OPEN]

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So there he stood once more in Balamb Garden. You could say the prince was back in his throne.
He had been gone from the Garden for such a long time. So from the moment he had entered the Gardens,
he had been welcomed with such excitement. Of course he had no plans to move the Garden anywhere.

Squall just wants to relax for a while before he goes to find the others. He had found Rinoa, but now
he needs to find the others. He still couldn't believe that he wanted to find Seifer too. Out of everyone
his Rival was one of the most important people to him. While Leon pushed that man, he did the same back.

They constantly pushed each other to become stronger, wise, and to simply be the best. For now he was going
to put the search on hold. He had to relax, or maybe he might put a little training in for the time being.
"Well it's good to be home," Squall said with much happiness. Sure he maintained that rather dull look, but he
was happy.

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LIGHTNING (n.) a sudden stroke of fortune Once again the woman had found herself in strange lands, but they appeared to still have time. So far she has found reason to believe these worlds were safe from the terrors she had seen in Valhalla. By no means should commonfolk ever come across the Unseen Realm. It was no place for those still with time left. She had abandoned her worries, for now. This world would not suddenly end or become consumed with a Darkness out to end their time. She was hopeful that, any world she visited, would be as bright and welcoming as the last. Precious time often dripped into the advent of Chaos, but why? Perhaps she traveled to find out. How far has the Unseen Realm torn the worlds asunder? Was it just their world, or did others suffer for their mistakes as humans? It was a terrible burden to carry upon ones shoulders, but she gladly carried it. Standing out at the docks of a small, port side town they called Balamb, the armored warrior stood out against the fisherman who leisurely passed their time with hobbies, knowing well that every moment they spent could very well be their last. She could envy them, but her mind drifted elsewhere. The cool and salty ocean breeze drew out memories of her past. Bohdum was like this. It was a beautiful beach side town. Full with life, but not so noisy that it was unbearable. The former solider took her time exploring the town. It was not long before someone called out to her. She was not surprised that she stood out, not only in a physical sense, but something about her seemed to bade others to rely on her. Perhaps it was her confidence or the nature bestowed upon her as a guardian. Regardless or the present facts, or their absences, the situation still remained. The older looking man asked if she was a SeeD. "SeeD?" Light questioned. After a short conversation the man explained to her that many young ones ended up there. Oft times these children had no parents, other times their parents sent them to allow them to live better lives than what they could provide at home. It was an as a academy of sorts for soldiers. The way the man had worded it made it seem that many went there to find or create a new life devoid of the sorrows of the present. It reminded her of what became of her when she joined the military... and just as abruptly left. She wanted to become something else beyond Claire. That was why she had originally took Lightning as her code name. She wanted to change and draw herself further from that weak girl who could not protect the ones she loved. Instead she wanted to become the lightning, that rend her enemies. But... the further she distanced herself from all that she was, the further she had to reach to stay by Serah. A few hours later, as the night fell, the woman arrived at the Garden with the gauge directions from the old man: follow the road. Had she known it would take this long she would have rested before hand. She had just arrived from a jump, so she had been a bit lightheaded. Though she was no longer sore, she was a bit tired, though not in the way a normal person grew tired. She needed a moment to meditate and focus on her new surroundings. Arriving at the gate she would come to learn that there was some sort of curfew. She took a deep breathe. The gatemaster also seemed wary of her odd armor. "Who is your leader?" At the very least she preferred to be turned down by someone in charge. She wanted to see the facility for herself. Perhaps a selfish parade though her memories or a hopeful temptation that this world was unlike her own: where military controlled the life of civilians. Whatever her concern, it was better to learn about this place, if ever: Etro forbid, their time ever stopped.

words 668 tags Next~! notes I wanted to see a glimpse of a past I no longer have.

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From the moment the Lion had taken step inside the plaza, he was escorted by one of the
secretaries to the Head Office. Squall found it funny how alert the students and workers
are when he enters the Garden. So he is not that surprised that someone had sent the secretary
to take him to the head office. After taking a short elevator ride up to the top floor, he
walked to the office only to see his temp greeting him.

Leon managed to start a brief conversation with the temp asking where was Cid and such questions.
From what the temp knew, Cid was out on vacation somewhere. Well that was just great, here Squall
was traveling world to world and Cid just goes and takes a vacation. With that begun Squall taking
the lead for the time being.

Since the mighty Lion was back in the Garden, he was going to take over his duties as leader of the
facility. To be honest, he is completely surprised that the people of Balamb Garden wanted him to be
the leader. Yet, he kind of figured that they didn't mind since Cid was practically Co-Leading the
Gardens. After much paperwork nighttime had fell.

As Lightning had approached the GateMaster[GM] and had asked them who their leader was he was slightly
taken aback. Mainly due to what she was wearing, it was quite intriguing. Nonetheless, since Squall is
in town it is no problem at all. The GM put his pointer and middle finger together and over his ear piece
and called into the head office asking for Squall to come down.

Essentially, the Gate Master was explaining how they had a rather interesting girl here who wanted to meet
the leader. With a deep sigh, Squall hung up and made his way down to the Gate keeper. To his surprise he
saw Lightning dressed in a rather god-like attire. "How may I help you?" Leon asked kindly.

[OOC: I hope this post is not that bad and horrible!]

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LIGHTNING (n.) a sudden stroke of fortune Did her best to wait patiently, but sometimes the warrior preferred that things to go by efficiently and quickly. She understood their reservations. Had she seen someone out of place, she would have been as suspicious. Knowing that she would remain calm to the best of her ability. Maybe it was the troubling idea of what she would find behind these gates that made her anxious? She could feel her fist tighten, the leather covering her palm stretching audibly in the silence of the night air. It was so quiet. Reaching up the woman would brush back a strand of her soft, pink hair and sight deeply. Her eyes would turn out toward the dark blue skies. When the horizon glittered like the backs of thousands of Meonektons, but were as silent as a sleeping flock of sheep, one knew they were far into the countryside. Civilization was so distant. The skies were clear. You knew you were free when there was no ceiling... She allowed her shoulders to sink and her heart relax. This was the moment she needed. She closed her eyes, letting the gentle breeze that stroked her cheeks carry the scent of the ocean and trees along with it. The fragrance was untouched by the smog churned by Dreadnoughts, the land free of the choking paths of concrete and metal, which encased a life seeking to run free. She reached her hand up as she could feel the pull of the sky. A soft brush of crystal dust escaped into the sky as her hand reached out. A thundering pound in her chest alerted her that she had nearly opened a gate. Shocked from her trance the woman pulled herself back into focus. She forced her hand to close into a fist, squeezing tightly. She pulled her fist to her chest as she drew back those imprisoning feelings of the past. Allowing her arms to fall to the side the warrior sighed at her wayward thoughts. Hearing someone speak up she straightened her posture and turned heel. When she faced the young man she seemed a bit surprised. She was not only shocked by his youth, but if this was the leader, he was quite battle torn. She first noticed the scar on his face before the rest of his rugged features. She nodded her head, making sure to keep her expression solid. "I presume you are the leader?" She would pause and allow time for him to answer. She was a bit calmer now so she was in no great rush. "Lightning..." She pressed her hand to her chest, the metal armor clinking lightning when her metal vampbrace touched to the breastplate. "I heard about this facility from a man, and was sort of curious about it." To say the least. It was a bit of curiosity, but there was a little more to it. Maybe she really was looking for something. Perhaps this world was free from Chaos, time perfectly ticking away, or she could simply be trying to make sure that: between Pulse and this place: the similarities ended where they began.

words 519 tags Next~! notes I recall a place similar, trapped for a lifetime.

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It hadn't taken long before the woman had stated that her name was Lightning and how
she had been informed of the Garden. Well he had to admit she was rather unique with
her armor on. Squall could only make a guess based off of her armor that she was some
type of warrior. In way her armor reminded him of the Warrior of Lights.

Yet, Lightnings armor had much more of a mysterious factor about it. However, he wasn't
here to ask questions about her armor. Leon took several moments, but he ultimately decided
on showing her around the Garden. " You can call me Squall. Others call me Leon." His eyes
gazed upon the pink haired beauty one more time before turning his back to her.

"I'll give you a tour. Follow me," he motioned with his left hand. Squall made to walk at an
average pace just incase if Lightning decided to walk more slowly than normal or couldn't keep
up. As they finally made it into the main area, Squall came to a steady stop. "Directly in front
of us is the elevator which leads to the top floor. Up there are classrooms for the students of
SEED, and my office."

With that, Leon turned to face Lightning now. "As you can see there are many pathways that are color
coded. One leads to the cafeteria, dorms, shop, training zone, nurses office, and an underground
parking lot."

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LIGHTNING (n.) a sudden stroke of fortune Light would nod when her own greeting would be reciprocated by the young man. The former soldier watched the young man and his mannerisms. If it was not for the fact she honestly knew someone in the military with a great sense of humor, she would have likely committed to the fact all soldiers or trainees seemed dead to the world. Their stoic nature was something often driven, not by training, but instead by circumstance. She could appreciate a serious nature, but she knew what happened if things were taken too far. Sometimes it was simply too late to change the way you formed yourself to be. He introduced himself as Squall, but it also seemed he had a second name that others called him. It seemed something that companions likely had chosen for him, or perhaps he simply did not mind remaining as he once was. She took pace behind him, leaving room that, if he suddenly gave pause, she would have sufficient room not to bump into him. As he explained each area the warrior felt as if this was perhaps something he did, more often than he cared for. It could have been that feeling, or that he simply lacked the enthusiasm for a very detailed tour. She could understand as most of the areas seemed to speak for themselves. She could not help but feel a little relaxed at the idea that she was not the only one who felt extraneous tasks were better left to the more enthusiastic sorts. Not that she was not passionate about the things she did, but she had a different volume to her personality that was much more low key, sometimes coated with a bit of snark for good measure. Her humor was dry, to say the least. She gave a soft 'heh' as she exhaled a soft chuckle. The young man's lack of enthusiasm amused her, but it also gave her an idea of his personality. "I see." She did not want to seem rude, but it was a nice change of pace she was not the only one who behaved in this manner. "What is... SeeD? What exactly do you do here?" She seemed naturally curious, but anyone who was anyone knew about SeeD right? Well that was true and untrue in the same point. There were many who knew the nature of SeeD, but there were others who merely happened upon rumors, especially for those from the Capital of Esthar who have been shut out from the rest of the world for generations. Given her features it was hard to tell where she was from. She could have simply been the strange sort that liked collecting armor and walking around in it. There was never a shortage of Artisans or other folk that had a touch for collecting the oddest of collectibles.

words 475 tags Next~! notes Lightning looks like an otaku in that armor.

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Seconds after he had finished explaining the area, he heard Lightning chuckle ever so
faintly. Squall really didn't think what he had said was funny, but hey she was entitled
to her own opinion. Then the magic question had been asked. What is SeeD, and what do they
do? Well that was going to be the most entertaining question of them all today.

"We are a military force for hire. Though we take on plenty of students to train and go on
all types of minor and major missions. I'm truly amazed at some of the requests we get from
other cities. However, its not easy to become a member of SeeD." Squall had paused and took
one more good look at the woman before him.

Leon could tell just by looking at that armor there is no way, Lightning was from this world.
Plus they don't make armor that radiates a special kind of aura, or looks like that. However,
he was going to keep his thoughts to himself for the moment. "From the looks of it you seem to
be a highly skilled warrior yourself."

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LIGHTNING (n.) a sudden stroke of fortune She turned her head to face Squall when he began to explain in the most matter-of-factly way. Military for hire seemed to sour her expectations. A sanctioned mercenary group? Her mind seemed to wander. What sort of people did a group like this attract? It was something she could not help but wonder as she let out a sigh. It was not so much disappointing as it was surprising. Well, regardless of how they ran their military, her hopes of finding some semblance of familiarity were gone. She supposed now there was little to do here beyond search. There was a train station back in town. She could travel and resume her travels, but she still had to ask the young man, seeing as he was their leader and of a military no less. His words caught her off guard before she looked up into his eyes when he looked at her once again. Her hand came to settle on her hip. The way she stood was confident. She never had reason to slouch or hid her body. Her stance spoke of a woman trained into her confidence and power. These things were never born, nor easily retained. It affirmed that Squall was part of the military. To be able to observe another persons's strength by looking upon their form was a skill needed by a leader. Perhaps that was why she lacked the ability to lead, for a long time. Amodar had seen her strength and always tried to encourage her to see in others, not only their weaknesses, but their potential. That training and encouragement was what allowed her to come this far. "Yes. Local military." She stated, but she also tried not to say too much as many could not conceive the idea of people from other worlds. She gave pause before looking to Squall. Since this was a military, perhaps they had maps? They looked a bit more advanced than other places she has traveled. Perhaps digital maps so it was less gear to carry. "Do you have any detailed world maps?" She was unsure if they would only have paper copies or something she could access, but she preferred not to travel blind. "Being a military base, I was sort of hopeful." She was quick to brush off her base, sentimental reason for visiting. Business was business. She had to find her friends, she had to find Serah.

words 418 tags Next~! notes I am worried, but how can I say it aloud?

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So she was apart of her own local military? This could only mean that Lightning could be very
skilled. Just by looking at her armor was practically saying she must have had some amazing
abilities. Squall could go out on a limb and even say that this facility was a 'local' military
as well. His thoughts were soon halted as Lightning had asked him about maps.

"Sure. Follow me to my office." Squall was actually eager to show the Goddess these maps. Only a
few weeks ago they had started on high tech digital maps. Pretty much he simply needs to press a
button and the maps digitally surround them with each town, area, continent, etc. With a simple wave
of his hand, Leon turned around and went to the elevator.

With his right hand he pressed the elevator button and waited for Lightning before going up. Once they
were both ready the elevator shot up to the top floor and then opened up as it stopped. Slowly, the
doors opened up and Squall made a left to and then a right, leading to the pathway which took him to
the main office. "Were here."

With no hesitation Squall had walked behind the rather large desk and pulled out a small circular device.
In the center of the device was a green button, which he lightly pressed causing the device to fly high
into the roof. A few seconds passed by before many digital maps of the area had been displayed all over the
room.

"Any where you want to go, I can escort you. Most of the areas around here are quite dangerous to go alone.
Trust me."

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LIGHTNING (n.) a sudden stroke of fortune Giving a nod, Lightning would proceed to follow the young man. Each of her steps were weighed down by the heavier, steel boots: a resounding clank assumed to follow her path, but instead a soft silence. With a stance drilled into her from but pride and a lighter side of military training: the woman would press her heel to the ground with such focus and finesse that upon her toe hitting the ground she was already lifting off once more. It was no magic, nor in part due to the strange, ethereal energy that seemed to radiate off her form. She was elegant and light footed. Her natural agility kept the solider, quiet literally, on her toes. One could never expect the future, even if one could see it. Things changed and people had free will. The paths lay there before us, but often changed with every second to slip by. She had first thought the future was something set in stone, but she would recall her hatred. Barthandelus had sought to lead them along on strings, believing it would reign in a great calamity that would call forth the gods from their sleep. Little would the Primarch come to realize that all his work would be for naught. All was well in her eyes though. They learned. It was a hard lesson, but they were driven to carry on, even when they all fell apart. She had to watch, bit by bit, as their world crumbled away, but even still she was proud they were capable of maintaining their lives and rebuilding it anew. Getting on the elevator, the warrior remained quiet. It was not that she did not want to communicate with the young man, but the number of questions she had were overwhelming, and picking just one was difficult. Stepping off she was quite amazed with the level of technology of this place. Though many things were in due of development, it was far beyond many of the worlds she has been on. The computers were bit of a welcome when sitting knowledgeless on a new world and fighting for an existence she could barely come to understand. When the maps were put on display Light's eyes widened as her mouth parted ever so slightly. This world was -- quite large, but it seemed they were separated by great bodies of water. Unlike Pulse, which was land heavy, the amount of water that seemed part of the surface made these islands seem so isolated. The land looked lonely. She could easily read topographical maps as well as physical maps. It was a necessary skill as a solider after all, though none of that helped when one would land in wild, uncharted worlds. Maps gave her a sense of peace. It was one less thing to worry about. Her eyes narrowed, focusing on a very empty spot on the map. Raising her hand she would lean out her finger to point. Something was drawing her attention there. According to the map there was nothing there, but perhaps Squall would know where it was her finger landed. "What's here?" She would softly question, her mind clearly focused something. "Is there a way to get here?" It looked to be in the middle of the sea but... Where she had pointed was the location of the Underwater Research Facility.

words 561 tags Next~! notes I hear a voice calling me, silently, through the waves.

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Squall stood there with much satisfaction when he saw the look that Lightning had given.
However, his enjoyment soon vanished when Lightning had pointed out the Underwater research
facility. That place was a pain in the but to get to. He couldn't use the Garden to land, he
needed to get his hands- on the Ragnorak.

Thankfully, they still have the Ragnorak to go over there. "That is the Underwater Research
facility. It's also known as Battle ship island. A part of it is sunken in the water. It is
there where you can go fight Bahamut and the Ultima weapon. You could say the Ultima weapon is
like a defense system for the planet if something out of the ordinary happens," He paused.

"We can get there using Ragnarok. It is the best ship to get the job done, and we can go right now,"
Squall said with a small smile. The Lion was practically ready to head out the door. However, he
wasn't sure if Lightning wanted him to lead the way just yet.

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LIGHTNING (n.) a sudden stroke of fortune Light carefully listened to Squall's explanation of what laid in this strange section of map. She pulled back and looked to him as he explained. A research facility underwater certainly gave reason as to why the section of map was so flat. She was unaware the it was merely omitted from the map. It was owned by Galbadia, but abandoned as the war shifted and the pressure to successfully create an unnatural Guardian Force to be mass produced fell through as did funds. No, for Light it was a mystery. She was ignorant of the atrocities suffered by the creatures in that lab. She would never know of the tears left unshed for the suffering of a king of beasts. She seemed passive toward his words, but this gentle facade was one the grew from experience. Panic and surprise of something to be expected of any of government, was a waste of energy, as was preaching the wrongs and rights of having such hush hush places. What did make her flinch was the mention of the Dragon King by name. Her brows arched slightly and her breath hit he'd in her chest. Was this perhaps a sign? Would she be able to find her friends? It could lead her a step closer to Sarah. Bahamut, the king of dragons, his name rang with authority and his power demanded respect. But being in a different world made her wonder. How did the rules out here work? From her world Ultima was one of the greater level of weapons a solider could dream of owning. Did they, perhaps, find a way to make it something much more? A grand weapon that was only used in the most dire of circumstances? But that was why she was here, was it not? She was here to learn about this world and the possibilities it held for her, for others. There was something, or someone's, will drawing her to the point. She nodded, looking to Squall with a determined look. "If you have a means to get there, I would appreciate it." Though she did not speak her intentions, it was obvious someone had to be up something to want to go to that awful place.

words 371 tags Next~! notes I have a feeling, but is it what I seek?

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"Alright," He motioned once more for the Savior to follow him. With that Squall casually
walked out of the office and down the hall way. Leon made sure to go at a reasonable walking
speed for the goddess to keep up with him. Whatever is at this underwater facility had
really gotten his guest excited. Nonetheless, he needed to make sure they could get back safely.

The last time he had gone there was with his friends, and it wasn't to fun. Squall remembered
taking on a lot of challenges over there. One of said challenges was Bahamut. That Eidolon was
a rather pain to obtain. Leon gave a slight shake of his head before he came to a sudden halt to
a locked door. Here, he did a fingerprint and an eye scan before the locked door granted him access.

"Well here it is. You ready?" Squall said while taking several steps into the room. Upon entering
a person would notice the Ragnarok, Leon was talking about earlier. Not to mention if one were to
take a glace to the left the open end to allow them to fly right out.

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LIGHTNING (n.) a sudden stroke of fortune The warrior was not sure how to take his amiableness. The young leader was a fellow who was quick to agree. Perhaps it made her uneasy because she was unused to such willingness toward a stranger without something in return being expected. She was wholly prepared to pay him for the effort, but for now it was well enough to leave alone. If he did not act as if she was troubling him, there was no need to push the matter. She would follow the young man. Lightning was never one for small talk. It was not something that suited her. It was not as if she was cold and unsociable, but it stood to be more the case that she was thoughtful and cared more to understand a situation before throwing herself into it. She smiled and laughed like anyone else. For those that did know her well enough she could be quite emotional, at least in the sense of showing herself best she could. She followed the young man with ease. She was expecting the simplicity of an Airship, ones she has seen on the younger worlds, nothing as grand as the vehicle she was led to. Her crystal blue eyes turned up toward the monstrous ship. It was an impressive vehicle, known to have a mind of its own. Perhaps this world really was as advanced as she had suspected. While the city of Balamb itself reminded her of Bohdum, the advanced 'Garden' technology seemed on par with the military forces of the former Cocoon. There was a tinge of annoyance as some of her more distant memories seemed to surface. She hoped this world remained as she saw it. Were there troubles in the distance she did not yet see? She was not granted the eyes of Etro to play with them, but using them outside of Vahalla's restrictions risked her own life. She had to take care to make sure no one tampered with the Timeline. Though if it was her punishment for risking her own sister, than so be it. Had she only realized sooner.... The woman was amazed. She would follow Squall without hesitation, but something else was bothering her. She was no coward, fearful of some ship. Something else had her heart gripped. Boarding the ship she was rather impressed by the its level of security and technology. The trip, she felt, would be long long, but it would hopefully be well worth it in the end. "I am ready. Lead on." Lightning had no qualms giving up the reins of leadership to become a follower. At the Undersea Laboratory, something else there stirred besides the sleeping souls of forgotten experiments. A roving ghost, looming from the past, stalked the hallowed halls of forgotten dreams and silent, screaming voices from those lost to the cruel experiments. Deep into the lab it crawled, but a spectre wailing, searching....

words 490 tags Next~! notes Granted, my fears are unfounded, but I hold onto them none-the-less

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Squall gave a slight nod in response to Lightnings comment. The woman before him seemed
so easy to simply be a 'follower'. Well it is not like it matters too much. After all she
has no idea where she is going. So Leon was more like a guide, and temporary ally for the time
being. Whatever Lightning wanted to do, she would have some back up.

With that in mind, he walked on the ramp and into the ship. From there, Leon pretty much just
went straight too the drivers spot. Once Lightning would settle herself in, Squall would take
off to the Laboratory. It had only taken seconds before the duo was soaring in the sky with
the vast ocean beneath them.

It had taken roughly thirty five minutes before they had arrived at the Underwater facility.
With a few slight maneuvers, Squall had landed the ship on a secure landing site right next to a
path way into the facility. "Were here."