Not in Edge anymore ll Open RP

[Tifa Lockhart]

Where was she. How did she come to be here? Those were the questions running through her mind right now as she glanced around the strange new surroundings. This wasn't edge, that much she knew. It seemed to be a strange structure with...a garden. It looked like where she woke up was a garden of some sort, it kind of reminded her of Aerith's chapel. Where the brunette had grown such beautiful flowers and challenged the odds against her.

But that was the past and she and the others had moved on with their lives. Until she saw that bright flash of light. In that moment she must have been brought here, to this odd building. Hearing footsteps behind her, Tifa turned to see what looked like students of some sort wearing odd uniforms. Wait....was this a school? Those uniforms didn't look military, nor did they look like they were from Shinra. Running over to the two girls, she waved her hands. "Excuse me for a minute. I don't mean to interrupt your walk, but I was wondering if you could tell me where I am. I'm a little lost you see and not from here." The girls just seemed to stare at her for a moment, then one spoke up.

"Your in Balamb Garden. If you need any questions asked, or need help just see our head master. Now we must get to class, so excuse us." The girl bowed then went with her friend to her class. So this place was called Balamb Garden huh. She would need to find someone who could tell her more, and possibly find a way back to Edge. Maybe she would try this Headmaster out first, question was....where was he located. Leaving the gardens she decided to go and take a walk, maybe she would get lucky and meet this Headmaster in some hall or something.

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[Lightning Farron]

Where... was...?

Oh, no.

Lightning tried to steady her now-erratic heartbeat with a deep breath. This was not Valhalla. How she came to be here, she couldn't begin to guess. She had been kneeling in front of Etro's throne, praying to the goddess, when a flash of light—far different than the swirling masses of dark chaos—suddenly lit up the area. And now she was... where exactly?

She looked around, more carefully this time. It was certainly not Valhalla; the place itself seemed to be a garden of sorts. And the few people she could see moving around her—giving her strange looks—were wearing uniforms of some kind. They were a stark contrast to her knight's armor, which she suddenly became very self-conscious of. She didn't belong here, where ever in Etro's name 'here' was. Because it certainly wasn't Gran Pulse or Cocoon, either. That much was painstakingly clear.

No, she found herself thinking, I can't be here. This cannot be happening. She couldn't leave Valhalla unguarded. The goddess was counting on her for protection. As Etro's Champion, there was no margin for error, no room for doubt. However she got here, she had to get back, and quickly.

[Tifa Lockhart]

Tifa was getting nowhere fast, she was having trouble finding this Headmaster those girls were talking about. You would think this place had a map or something, but yet again she could find no such thing. This was bad, she had to get back home by any means. She was worried about her friends, the children and of course her bar. Barrett would kill her if anything happens to Marlene. It was her responsibility to take care of her, and also Denzel. Though somehow in her heart she knew they were alright and she would see them again soon, though that didn't mean she should give up right now and just call it quits. If there was one thing that Tifa was, it was a quitter. She found herself inside running down the halls, asking anyone she could stop where the leader of the school was. But all she was getting was the same answer, or different locations that she had no knowledge of it was pointless to ask anymore. It felt like she was a Chocobo running around with it's head cut off. Meaning she was getting nowhere fast.

Heading back out towards the gardens, she decided to take this by another approach. All Tifa wanted was to get back home, was that too much to ask. Would it even be possible to get home from this Balamb Garden? And if it was possible, was there a gate she could go through. Was there an exit from this school? Was there a way to go outside and see if there was a way to get her barings back to Edge. All these questions ran through the bar maid's mind. As she walked back to the garden, Tifa noticed there was someone new there. Her outfit was different from the uniforms she had seen around this place. How had Tifa not seen her when she was out here before, or had she just appeared out of thin air. Hey! Could it be this was another traveler from another world like her. She had to ask. "Hey! Excuse me, this may sound kind of strange. But did you come from another world? Because i'm lost and a far way from home."

As Tifa took a closer look to the young woman, she could see her hair was pink. Her armor was something Tifa had never seen in her life, she had to be from some sort of other world. Maybe they could help each other find a way back to their worlds, if the other was willing to lend a hand. "My name is Tifa by the way. It's so crazy that I just woke up in this place, I come from a place called Edge." Her mind wandered to her friends. How was Yuffie doing, still going on about materia. And how about Cloud, was he doing okay. And Vincent, well she didn't have to worry too much about him.

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[Lightning Farron]

After asking around, and receiving some pretty blatantly strange looks, Lightning learned the name of this place. Balamb Garden. Gran Pulse, this was not. Cocoon, this was not. So how in the hell had she managed to end up here? Valhalla was outside of the timeline itself. The more she thought about it, the more confused and frustrated she felt herself getting. Etro needed her. And in turn, so did all of humanity. She couldn't afford to waste time gallivanting around some garden...

She saw movement in her peripheral vision, and her head snapped up in that direction. A woman, not in a uniform like the others, was approaching. Lightning felt herself tense up instinctively, ready to summon her gunblade if need be. But the woman's face was open and friendly, if also confused, as she was.

"Hey! Excuse me, this may sound kind of strange. But did you come from another world? Because i'm lost and a far way from home."

Her, too? was all Lightning could think at first. She felt herself relax slightly as the woman went on.

"My name is Tifa by the way. It's so crazy that I just woke up in this place, I come from a place called Edge."

Edge. Lightning had never heard of a place called Edge. But could she be correct? That this was some kind of other world, other dimension? It would possibly explain how she was ripped right out of Valhalla, a world unto itself. If she and Tifa were locked in the same predicament...

"Tifa," Lightning responded, testing the name on her tongue. "Yes, I'm... not from around here, either." Her confusion was showing. Clearing her throat, she went on more confidently, "I've never heard of Edge. But, I've never heard of the Balamb Garden before today, either." She hesitated for a moment. "The realm I dwelled in is called Valhalla, the Unseen World. There was a great light, and I found myself here."

[Tifa Lockhart]

As Tifa made her way back over to the gardens, and seeing a new face there she had never seen before. She stopped and could tell that this new stranger was just as confused and lost as she was, that was no surprise. A lot of questions were still buzzing through her brain, such as why was she brought here? Was there a purpose? All she wanted was to get home and make sure everyone was alright. And how she was going to do that was still up in the air. But hey if she could make a new ally in this world that would help things move along more quicker. Tifa introduced herself to the other girl and waited to see if she would speak, or even trust her. Trust these days had to earned, and in this case it would really help if this woman trusted her enough so they could help each other.

When she did speak, Tifa felt a little relieved. Oh good, she was worried this was going to be a silent conversation the whole time. The bar maid from Edge listened as this new stranger spoke, nodding from time to time. "So we're both lost in a different time line then. Though she still didn't know about the situation outside quite yet, or that many of these worlds had meshed together to make different continents. No doubt she and this new stranger would find out soon enough though. When the other woman spoke of where she was from, Tifa just shook her head. Valhalla, that was not a place she was familiar with. Nor had she heard of it.

She then perked up. A bright light, so she had seen it too. It had been so strange for that to happen out of the blue. "You saw a bright light as well. Then it wasn't just me. I'm still wondering why that happened, and why we were suddenly brought here. Maybe you and I could help each other out, try to get answers and maybe get back to our own worlds. Oh. And I still didn't get your name." Tifa gave a small smile. She wanted to know the name of her possible new friend.

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[Lightning Farron]

"So we're both lost in a different time line then."

Lightning had to suppress a sudden, unusual reflex that surfaced from the back of her mind. Different times, different worlds. Her mind wanted to differentiate the two, but in reality, were they both the same fundamental concept? She wondered. From Valhalla, she could see the goings-on of everything across the entire timeline—that is, on Gran Pulse and Cocoon. This distant realm that Tifa was from, Edge, hadn't been on her radar at all. Nor had Balamb Garden. Momentarily lost in thought, her blue irises scrutinized the area around them.

A foreign land... such a foreign land. She'd felt similarly when she first stepped foot upon Gran Pulse—an untamed world, crawling with both mortal beasts and wily fal'Cie. But back then, she'd been accompanied by her fellow l'Cie, the Masters of Miracles. Even with the increasing sense of dread that haunted the lot of them as their l'Cie brands advanced, they had still had one another. Here, in this unfamiliar garden, Lightning felt more lost and confused than she had when she first washed up on the shores of the Unseen World.

A thought...

Lightning's hand went up to her breastplate; the place where her l'Cie brand had once been. Yes, she could still feel it. The magic coursing within her. Her unforeseen journey to Balamb Garden hadn't robbed her of her powers. If she wanted to, she could summon her eidolith now, and Odin along with it. Her partner would be a welcome source of solace in this unknown land. But as she looked up again at Tifa, she shook the thought away, at least for now. Just being able to call upon her steed if the need arose was a stabilizing comfort.

"You saw a bright light as well. Then it wasn't just me. I'm still wondering why that happened, and why we were suddenly brought here. Maybe you and I could help each other out, try to get answers and maybe get back to our own worlds. Oh. And I still didn't get your name."

Her, too, indeed.

A flash of light and the sudden conveyance to another land, one on an entirely separate plane of existence. Lightning wanted to hurl curses at whatever deity had caused this twist of fate; especially at such a critical time. With an imperceptible shake of her head, she composed herself and caught Tifa's latter words.

Oh. Her name. Right... She'd been so caught up in her own bemused thoughts that she'd completely neglected to introduce herself.

"Yes, it's probably best if we work together on this. Perhaps somebody in Balamb Garden knows what's going on." She returned Tifa's small smile, forced though it was. "And..." She met the other woman's gaze levelly. "My name is Lightning."

[Tifa Lockhart]

Tifa had been to many different cities and towns, but never had she gone out of her own timeline. This place that this woman spoke about. Valhalla, where was that? What sort of place was it like, were there people there. Tifa crossed her arms over her chest when the woman mentioned that they should work together. Nodding it was a good idea, but her second choice of words she shook her head no. "I just came from walking around this whole Balamb place, I asked so many students about what has happened. They said I should speak to the Headmaster, I can't even find him. But there was a student who said something about being in a different landscape, to go outside the school." So maybe it would be best to find an exit from this school and see what that student was talking about. There were so many different paths in this school she had no idea where the exit might.

And finally a name. "Lightning. Odd name, but I like it. It's very nice to meet you, let's work together to find our way home." With a new ally she felt all pumped up and ready to get going. All she could think about was the children, getting back to them. Getting back to Cloud and her bar, her friends. Tifa was thinking about them, were they also thinking about her. Wondering where she was and if she was okay, to lose anyone because of this rift in time would make her sad. "I think if we leave the garden and go back into the school, walk around i'm sure we'll come to the exit and get outside." While walking around that big circle and seeing the different areas in this place, she did see what looked like a map that displayed certain places. If they went back to the map, the exit should be close by.

((ugh sorry so short))

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[Lightning Farron]

"The Headmaster," Lightning echoed. So this place was a school, after all. She averted her gaze briefly, lapis lazuli irises cast downward as she contemplated Tifa's words. Aside from the well-deserved, strange looks, she'd thought the students in their vicinity oblivious to this misadventure. But what was it that this student meant? A different landscape? Were they referring to yet another anomaly across times? (Thinking about time in this plural sense was something she was going to have to get used to, but hopefully not for long. Her thoughts wandered back to the goddess Herself and realized that while she wanted to help Tifa, returning to Valhalla had to take priority. She clenched a fist, trying to suppress her desperate sense of urgency.)

"Right," the knight murmured, glancing up at Tifa again. "Well, then we ought to get moving. The sooner we get some answers, the better. Do you know where this exit is?" She hoped her new companion did, because she didn't feel like being reduced to wandering around like a lost gorgonopsid pup.

ooc; no worries. i think mine inadvertently won the 'shorter than thou' award.

[Tifa Lockhart]

Tifa had never been to a school like this before, these uniforms. The way they walked and talked, and also a Headmaster. She had no idea what to look for in a Headmaster when those students had mentioned him, was he a young person or a older person that ran this school. Oh well they didn't have time to dwindle on that thought. "Right. Let's get moving then." Tifa motioned for Lightning to follow her back into the school. Leading her down a long corridor that was outside and to a door at the far end, opening it she went back inside. Now where was that spot she was at before, the sooner she got out of this crazy and confusing place the faster she could get outside and take a look around.

Once she found the way back to the map of the school, Tifa took a few moments to look around. *Okay so I was standing here, and then.....hey what about there.* The bar maid turned and looked behind her, there was a corridor that she didn't see before since she was so busy trying to find the Headmaster. "Lightning, over here. I found the exit. Tifa started heading towards it, going through the strange gate and heading out of the school. What she saw even shocked her. It was a field that seemed to stretch till forever.

Okay this changed things a little. She didn't recognize this shore, or these fields. Looking back over her shoulder at the school she just came out of, she let sighed. How were they going to find their way back home now? "Well i'm at a loss, how are we going to find our way home from here.

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[Lightning Farron]

Lightning wordlessly followed her companion through the school. Balamb Garden seemed to be a safe enough place–the students were by no means combat-ready—but letting her guard down, especially in such a foreign place, simply would not do. So, fingers twitching occasionally, she ensured that her gunblade would be in her hands in a matter of seconds if the need arose.

Tifa led her to a map; apparently she had been down this way before. As the other woman scrutinized the chart, the knight did the same, her eyes wandering over the two-dimensional corridors of this peculiar place.

"Lightning, over here. I found the exit."

Excellent. Lightning trailed after Tifa, pausing cautiously on the threshold of the building, before making her way outside. As with her companion, shock momentarily shook the knight, followed by a flash of frustration.

The field before them was a seemingly endless landscape... which appeared to leave them but two choices: return to Balamb Garden, or otherwise attempt to traverse the field. Neither seemed like suitable options—but it wasn't as if they had a choice. Lightning decided then and there that if a deity was to blame for this, she would make sure to kick their ass as surely as she had kicked Orphan's. Funny, this was not.

Pinching the bridge of her nose, the knight shook her head, then glanced at Tifa. "All right, we're going to get a better view of this field before we decide what to do next." Not waiting for a response, she pressed her fingers to her breastplate; her rose-shaped eidolith materialized in one hand, and her gunblade in the other. The eidolith was flung into the air before she leapt up and ran her blade through it.

The result was explosive. Brilliant pink runes lit up the sky in a blinding display of magic, wreathed with words that were a power unto themselves. Etro's messenger tore himself from the portal, landing by his mistress in gestalt mode, and proceeded to give Tifa a curious look-over. Without pause, the knight climbed atop her summoned companion, and offered her hand to Tifa.

"With Bahamut, hopefully we'll see what lays beyond the horizon," Lightning told her plainly. Then mentally she added, If anything.