I fixed my usb / laptop constantly formatting my documents problem until it happens again. I list all other excuses under the sun as to why my other stories aren't being updated, but here's to trying.
(c) Final Fantasy XIII owned by Square Enix
Chapter 7: Barthandelus
We landed pretty roughly on a small platform inside the ship. I groaned and rolled onto my back. My entire body was aching from the fall.
"Everyone okay?" Sazh asks standing up slowly.
Everyone mutters a reply as they stood up and looked around. The platform we had landed on was one of many. A series of retractable bridges connected each platform and each one was set on a lower plane than the last. If you were to connect all the center platforms you would be able to form a ramp and at the bottom was an intricate door.
"Think we should try that door down there?" I told everyone pointing to the door on the far end of the room.
Lightning nodded, "With all these soldiers stationed here it might mean that Dysley's through there."
"Probably," I agreed.
"Let's move," Fang ordered, heading to the edge of the platform and pressing the button on the panel that was situated there. The bridge extended, connecting us to the next platform down. "We're still gonna have our talk," Fang told Vanille as she moved forward. "But let's survive this first."
"Right," Vanille said softly.
"Everyone ready?"
"Sure, this guy is going down!" Snow said encouragingly.
"Dysley won't be alone," I said double checking my arrows in my holster, "He'll probably have a whole squad of Elite's down there protecting him."
"Don't worry, Eria," Hope said, encouraging for once. "We can take 'em."
I looked at him and let a small smile form. "All right, then."
Lightning impatiently took point running down the corridor as if eager to force a fight with the Sanctum's leader.
The Primarch himself was sitting on a large white throne, his white extravagant garments flowing around him. Next to him, Jihl Nabaat smiled as we approached the dais.
"Been looking for you, Nabaat!" Sazh growled at the long haired bespectacled woman.
In response, Jihl leaped from the top of the dais and jumped to the ground in front of us, landing gracefully. Sazh drew his gun and pointed it at her. Jihl stopped and placed a hand on the blade at her waist. "Your Eminence, please escape," she said, drawing the sword. "I'll cover your retreat."
The Primarch repositioned himself in his high-backed chair. "Why don't you leave, Jihl," he said in a drawling voice. "Or rather, take your leave. Humans have no business here."
I narrowed my eyes at the Primarch. His words made no sense. 'Humans have no business here?'
Jihl turned a bewildered expression on her face. "What?" she gasped. "Your Eminence!" Before she could finish, a white ball of magical energy collided with her back and she collapsed with a strangled cry. Jihl Nabaat was dead; the Primarch had killed her with magic!
We exchanged looks of shock. "Magic?"
The Primarch raised his staff and stood rising into the air above the dais. Magic began to surround the staff and screams echoed around the bridge as the remaining technicians were pierced by the energy. "Dysley!" Snow roared in horror at the sudden death, but the Primarch didn't stop. He rose higher, and the magic hit the ceiling of the bridge, exposing the sky above. "Monster! People are not yours to use!"
The Primarch grinned as he floated down to our level. "What else does one do with tools?" he sneered.
Snow reacted first. He charged the Primarch, his fist drawing back. With a shout, his fist snapped forward, only to be stopped by a green wall of energy. It seemed the Primarch was protected by a magic shield. Snow was knocked backed to the others and everyone flanked him in case he was attacked again.
"Cocoon is a factory, built by fal'Cie," Dysley said in that same, drawling voice. "A factory for the mass production of human thralls."
"Not anymore it's not," Snow grunted as he stood up.
"What can mere men do?" Dysley asked arrogantly. "Without our help, death is all of which you're capable. A mindless mob drunk on fear of a few l'Cie."
Lightning stepped forward, gunblade in hand. "If they only knew a l'Cie was the one filling their glasses!"
"L'Cie?" Dysley laughed at the word. "You mean me? Oh child, perish the thought." He rose into the air again, and a white owl swooped over our heads to be consumed by the shining light emanating from his staff. "I am more than that!"
The light radiated outward, consuming Dysley with its brightness. Then it dimmed and Primarch Galenth Dysley was gone. In his place was an enormous living machine. A massive head surrounded by four metal plates, each with its own, smaller white head. Two clawed feet jutted from beneath the two outer plates, clinking against the metal ground.
"I am fal'Cie," the machine rumbled. Its voice was deep, metallic; godly. "My name is Barthandelus. Voice of the Sanctum and Lord-Sovereign of the Cocoon fal'Cie."
Despite putting on a brave face my heart was pounding out of my chest. If it was the real Dysley we were going to fight we would have a better chance, but there's absolutely no way, even with all of us, we could defeat a fal'Cie. Hope slowly backed up with me, grabbing my hand out of fear or comfort. His expression matched mine – we were both scared.
"Your kind feared the darkness, so we gave you light." Snow, Sazh, and Lightning flanked Hope, Vanille and I and even we could tell they were a little scared too, "You begged us for the Purge and did it not come to pass? Now you spurn my counsel? You must learn your place!" The fal'Cie let out a deafening roared, forcing us to back up a few feet.
"We need a plan!" Sazh shouted over the roar.
Thinking quickly I shouted, "Premeditation Paradigm!"
Lightning and I moved back behind the group letting those with the abilities of Sentinel, Saboteur, and Synergist take our place. My idea is that Snow should draw in Barthandelus attacks while the others boosts us and weakens Barthandelus.
"Ready to roll the minute I give the signal?" Lightning asks me keeping her blade ready in one hand and holding a potion in the other. Tossing it at Snow to heal him and keep his strength up, he was taking most of the hits, "Those heads are casting spells. We have to take those out first."
"What Paradigm should we use?"
"Cerberus."
Snow broke out of his defensive stance, "Alright! Let's do it!"
With a battle cry we all charged in. With each attack, Barthandelus became more frenzied, and his attacks were more powerful. It was clear that he was unleashing the bulk of his fal'Cie power against us, but any time one of us was hit, another was quick to come to their aid, either with a potion or magic.
Suddenly, the last head vanished as Lightning's gunblade slashed through it and Barthandelus collapsed. Though far from defeated, we took the chance to attack. Our weapons tore through its thick armor.
Now damaged significantly, Barthandelus picked itself up and a laugh escaped its throat. Its face raised away from the rest its head, and the shoulder drew back, revealing a mass of cannons and lasers.
"Get away!" Lightning shouted desperately, realizing what was about to happen. "Get away, now!"
Fang and Snow stood in front of us taking their Sentinel position to try and take the brunt of the attack while Vanille and Hope switched to their Medic role, if this attack is going to be devastating we're going to try to survive it.
Thanatosian Smite.
The lasers hit the barrier with all their might. Waves of heat rolled over us, but they didn't break down the barrier. Only at the last possible second, did the magic finally end.
"Ruthless Paradigm!" Lightning shouted.
Our group split into our assigned roles. Snow on the far side, drawing its fire with magic, Vanille and Fang launched a series of debilitating spells on the fal'Cie, Hope kept our boosts up, and Light, Sazh and I put on the pressure in with different tactics, and Barthandelus staggered beneath our attacks.
"Now! Hit it!" Snow roared. We all switched to Commando and Ravager and hit Barthandelus with everything we had. Barthandelus roared one last time before disappearing in a sliver shimmer. There was a pause as we caught our breath. Even though he was physically gone from our eyes it didn't seem like we've won.
"A fal'Cie running the Sanctum," Snow said scornfully.
"Then… I guess it wasn't Eden controlling things after all." Hope announced, folding his weapon and tucking it into his belt.
"As I said," a disembodied voice echoed around the bridge, startling us. The Primarch appeared before us. He was once again in his human form, as Galenth Dysley. "I am Lord-Sovereign."
"Guess fal'Cie don't go down as easy as the rest," Sazh said, his pistols in his hands. Each of us had drawn our weapons.
"Ease is not the issue," The Primarch stated. "You have not fought to win. You should know quite well already the sure way of dispatching our kind. Ragnarok."
There were gasps all around, as we each remembered the vision we had shared when we became l'Cie.
"What's Ragnarok?" Fang asked. As if in answer, the white brand on her arm glowed and she clutched at it groaning in pain.
"Fang!" Vanille cried out in concern, glancing at her hunched form. Fang took a deep breath before nodding in assurance.
"Pitiful l'Cie, you've forgotten your Focus," Dysley smirked amused. "Ragnarok is the beast one of you must become in order to lay waste to Cocoon." He raised his hand and pointed at each of us in turn. "You have had the dream." He vanished and instantly reappeared among us, scaring us out of our positions. If he still has that much power to move quickly among us, then we really can't defeat him. "One among you will become that monstrosity…" He vanished again and reappeared near Hope and I, "…defeat Orphan, and destroy Cocoon." His eyes briefly met mine before vanishing and reappearing again away from us.
"Orphan? Lightning asked, confused, asking aloud everyone's question.
"The font of Eden's power," Dysley answered slowly. "Orphan fuels Eden with strength, and Eden in turn sustains you and the rest of your kind. Destroy Orphan and you'll release a force such as this world has never seen. Cocoon will be torn asunder."
Fang stood, her hand still wrapped around her brand, "So if I did that… Destroyed Orphan…"
Dysley laughed and appeared in front of her, his face full of malice,"Your Focus would be fulfilled."
"So what?" Lightning growled, her gunblade arcing vertically towards Dysley, who vanished in a haze of light. "Who says it has to be?"
Snow stepped forward and held up his hand and showed him Serah's tear, "Serah asked us to save Cocoon before she turned to crystal," he said determinedly. "Save it! And that's what we're gonna do!" He looked around at us beseechingly. "Serah was trying to tell us how to complete our Focus, and we have-"
Dysley gave a mock laugh, cutting him off. "Allow me to help you see the truth of things. The moment you arrived, your friend wept crystal tears. This was because her Focus required that you be brought together. That girl did nothing but assemble the tools for Cocoon's destruction."
Snow's mouth had dropped.
"Did it never occur to you?" Dysley asked. "Or did you simply refuse to countenance the thought?"
The ground began to shake beneath us and Dysley swung his staff. "If you will not face the truth, then face the peril of your plight." Above us, the white owl returned, swooping low. We stepped backwards as it grew larger, becoming a sleek white ship. "Run l'Cie!" Dysley said, disappearing into the air. "See how stark reality is!"
Then the Palamecia began to rumble.
"Come on!" Lightning ordered, leading us the boarding ramp of the white ship.
"Are we really going to get on that thing?!" I questioned not moving until Hope snatched my wrist and dragged me on board. Dysley's owl turned into the ship, for all we know it'll fly us into the ground.
Sazh was at the ship's controls, piloting it away from the explosion. "This is bad!" Sazh shouted, trying to steer. "The yoke's jammed!"
"I knew it was a trap!" Snow yelled, leaning over Sazh's chair.
"Something's coming!" Hope shouted from the side looking out the nearest window.
Through the window we a ship flying out of the flames and towards us, firing rockets.
Sazh expertly steered the ship, avoiding the rockets that were exploding around us. It became a quick game of cat and mouse of chasing smoke and rockets.
"The hell kind of ship is this? Fighting on its own?!" Sazh yelled hitting the controls. The two ships began to fly around each other, each trying to gain the upper hand.
Hope and I held onto each other for stability, "Well, this is one of Dysley's weapons." I retorted.
"Can't we do something?!" Hope asked desperately.
"Got me! I give up!" Sazh shouted
We sped through air over the ship as a green barrier was erected behind us. The Palamecia 's shields! They stopped Rosch's ship from getting through while we soared and weaved through tall skyscrapers.
"Sazh, look out!" Vanille screeched suddenly, and we all looked ahead, screaming as we saw that we were on a collision course with one of the city's towers. We all braced for impact.
Little note: Hopefully that was everything. Feels like years since I've done this. I'm not completely worried about the editing at this point I just want to keep putting out chapters before my laptop screws with my docs again.