[He won't need to search for long – her hand finds his soon enough and her fingers thread among his.

No matter how many times she hears him say it, Lightning always feels like she can move mountains when she does. This time is no different. He doesn't need to tell her because she already knows it and he's made it perfectly clear, but as someone who's fought her own battles for so long, it's hard for her to remember sometimes that she doesn't have to anymore. It's enough to help ease some of the tension she's carrying in her shoulders.

But truce or no truce, and whether or not she's fighting alone, there are still things that further complicate the relationship between Lightning and Caius. Things that leave a bad taste in her mouth, and quite possibly hinder any progress they might make to at least being able to tolerate one another.]

Caius is the reason the goddess is dead, and he's responsible for the Chaos infecting our world... but I still tried to save him at the end of it.

[Keyword being tried. Lightning breathes a tired laugh – one of the 'can you believe it' brand.]

I thought that if I could, that maybe he would find a way to change.