Authors Note: I hope you like this story so far. I must apparently like not telling exactly who the people are that show up...but I'm sure you can all figure it out. lol I must say, writing a creepy ancient Fal'cie is NOT my forte. Sorry for his dialogue being pretty crappy. Anyway, here's the third chapter. Characters at Enix, I'll try to add another chapter soon, but I'm pretty busy for the next while.


CHAPTER 3 -SILENT AWAKENING-

Barthandelus. The Fal'cie she had thought was dead stood before her. Light knew she hadn't conjured up the destruction of the fal'cie. He had been killed, no if and's or buts about it. And yet here he was, standing there talking to her. The weight of her gunblade in her hand was reassuring, but could she really do anything against a fal'cie by herself? Now she wished she hadn't sent Snow away. Though he was irritating he would be a good person to back her up if she had to fight Barthandelus. Nevertheless, if it came to that, Light would attack without a second thought.

She would not be able to win, but she would make an effort. No matter what, Light had to stop Barthandelus. How could he possibly be alive? They had ended him before back in Orphan's cradle. So how was it possible? Yet unlike someone such as Snow, Light never stated the obvious. Yes Barthandelus was back. Yes Barthandelus was in Gran Pulse. No she wasn't going to unnecessarily talk. Hand tightened around the handle of the gunblade, body stilled, relaxed and yet poised. If she had to get into action quickly she would.

"What are you doing here?"

A chuckle and a smirk was settled on his face before Light met his eyes. It sent a chill down her spine that he was back. What did it mean? Why was he back? Of course not for anything good. Barthandelus was always up to bad things. How...?

"So subtle. One could ask the same of you."

Light hated Barthandelus. Everything about the ancient fal'cie made her grit her teeth. If someone had asked her a week before what she would be doing Light was positive she wouldn't have guessed talking to a fal'cie that she thought was dead.

"What do you want?"

"It shall be revealed soon."

Well that was just great. Lifting her gunblade and pointing it at him, Light scowled. If he wasn't going to tell her she would just have to beat it out of him. This conversation was getting her nowhere. As unsettling as his being here was, Light was able to keep a cool head and try not to freak out about it. Where Barthandelus went, destruction usually followed. The previous primarch was a walking recipe for disaster.

"We beat you before. And we'll do it again!"

With that Light felt something rise up within her. The same feeling had risen within her when they had fought those last battles. It would help her now in this time when she needed it. Adrenaline ran through her veins. Time seemed to slow as she stared at him. Barthandelus was a target, nothing more. If she had to do this alone, so be it. Light did the only logical thing.

She attacked.

With a running start, Light jumped up, twisted in the air and came down to attack the Fal'cie. Yet as she came down he suddenly evaporated into thin air. Eyes opened wider by a fraction of an inch and she gasped. Tucking in her shoulder, Light rolled and came up to her knees, still holding her grasp on the gunblade.

"L'cie. Have you ever paused to consider the consequences of an action before it is preformed?"

Light knelt there, face turned up to look at the fal'cie before she slowly rose to her feet. Light wasn't going to listen to anything he had to say. How many times had he spoken to them, trying to twist them to do his own will? She was going to have to choose her words and her actions wisely. If she wasn't careful she was going to end up cold and lifeless. Light watched as he turned toward the crystallized Cocoon and reached his arms out.

"The dreams of the maker rising was wiped out when you failed to do your bidding. Had you done what you were told the fal'cie would have been restored with the maker, ending the suffering of millions."

"Tch. That's just what you tell yourselves. We changed destiny, and we could do it again."

Suddenly the fal'cie vanished. With a startled start, Light turned halfway and scanned the area before her. Only because of that was she able to dodge when Barthandelus reappeared in front of her and attacked. Ducking, Light jumped and flipped away, gunblade transforming to gun mode as she shot continuously at him. Vanishing again, the fal'cie showed up to meet her as she flipped away, catching her in midair with his staff and knocking her to the ground.

"It is inescapable."

With a chuckle Barthandelus transformed before her very eyes. Light gritted her teeth. When would this ever end? Gunblade clattered to the ground and she hit hard before rolling to her knees again, in a crouching position. This wasn't going so well. The true form of Barthandelus appeared and Light stayed where she was, just watching. So this was the end...? She had survived everything just to meet her end here? Was it all for nothing?

No. Serah and Snow. They had their future. If she died here, she was taking Barthandelus out with her! They had to have a future. Hope needed to be able to live with his dad. Sazh needed to see his son grow up! This wasn't all in vain. With a grunt, Light jumped to her feet, grabbing her gunblade with her.

"Its not a matter of can or can't. There's some things in life you just do."

Lightning whispered that motto to herself as she got to her feet. Flipping her gunblade up, it changed to its sword form.

"If I go down here...I'm taking you with me!"

With that she charged. Gunblade held firmly between both hands, Lightning jumped in the air, grunted and came down heavily. At least she would die in action...


Stumbling back, Light fell to her knees with a gasp, gunblade clattered beside her. Hands were numb, body shook with pain and exhaustion. She hadn't been able to do it alone. Light had tried...but the fal'cie was to powerful for just her alone. On her hands and knees, Light gasped for air and her chest heaved.

"Piteous l'cie."

Light lifted her face slowly to register Barthandelus walking toward her, back in his human form. She was going to die. Light saw memories of all those she was close to flash through her brain. Serah was there, Fang and Vanille, Sazh, Hope, even Snow. Light wished she could have said goodbye. But it was one of those regrets she would not live to fix. No matter. There were many regrets in life she wouldn't be able to retrace.

"Let your hatred for me fuel your strength. Get up l'cie."

Light watched as he lifted his hand. The next moment magic was coursing through her body. It hurt like all hell too.

"Aghhhh."

Light groaned and halfway stood up, adrenaline helping her to do so. Hands clasped over her chest and she leaned over in pain, still groaning. Even with the magic Light wouldn't give the fal'cie the satisfaction of hearing her scream.

"The hell? Get your damn Fal'cie hands offa her!"
"HEY! STOP!"

Magic was withdrawn and Light fell back to the ground, curling her body up from the pain. Eyes narrowed and she wasn't able to focus all the way. Yet the next words echoed in her mind as they were spoken close to her.

"We will meet again l'cie. Destiny shall once again lie in your hands..."

With that Barthandelus vanished once more into thin air. Who had spoken? Light blinked rapidly to try and clear her vision so she could see. All she saw was feet in front of her face and a lot of blue. No...it couldn't be...

"Always makin' us come 'n save ya eh Loight?"

With a smile and an attempt at a chuckle, Light slipped into the darkness that surrounded her and slumped into an unconscious state...