Man, I should probably mention that I suck at deadlines. I'm sorry about that. Yeah, I'm a day late. But pelt rocks at me later, because I'm here with a longer chapter! We gots Fang, Noel, and Snow. Unfortunately, this chapter didn't call for Caius and Lai-Lai just yet. I promise the next chapter will feature them, though. And plus, I was trying to get this down as soon as possible. Because I owe you guys...a lot. ._.

Haha, without further ado, here's Chapter Nine. Enjoy~

With obligatory repetition, I must reiterate that the game does not belong to me but to Square Enix. You would've been playing a different FFXIII-3 otherwise, heehee ^_^.

P.S. The song theme choice for this chapter correlates more to Snow in the later section, but applies to another character in the chapter, as well as characters not featured in it. I'll let you guess ;)

Chapter Nine: What Drives Men to Fight

When you don't know what you want

You end up finding that you haunt your own, your own life

You're the daylight ghost that creeps

You're the empty city streets

And I, and I see you

- "Body", The Servant

He was wrong. There was more than one chocobo rider that followed the first. They had spontaneously materialized out of thin air several feet away from them. Brown cowls shrouded their faces, cloaks billowing behind them, their sunbrowned hands brandishing Pulsian-like spears. They hollered and hooted wildly like a feral chorus and charged at them without a warning, the chocobos loosing their own warbly cries. He wasn't sure if the thunderous pounding in his body was the chocobo's gallop or his heart.

So quick had it happened that both of them hadn't had a moment to properly react.

But before Noel could blink, the hunters were upon them. It was when he was beginning to raise his weapon that he realized that all he felt was air blasting into his face. And then it was at that point that he realized that the riders had surged past them, the wind he'd felt the stirring of the air they had made in their wake. Noel could only blink in bewilderment. He whipped his head back and watched as the cowled men rode towards the equally swift and rowdy silver lobos.

They must be hunters, he thought dimly. But where was the village? How had they suddenly appeared out of nowhere?

"Well, are you just gonna stand there stupidly holding your swords, or are you gonna fight?" Fang asked beside him, drawing him from his stupor. He looked at her in what must have been surprise, because she continued, "I told you already, I'm tired of running. I don't care if these riders are out to save us or kill us. I'm not about to let them fight my fight while I stand by and watch." And then, without leaving him a chance to respond, Fang spurred her chocobo into a canter and left him.

Well, that was just typical of her. But she wasn't about to leave him behind.

Well, the riders must be worth helping if they didn't cut them down on the way. "I just hope they aren't out to kill us. Come on, little guy," Noel muttered under his breath, and he urged the chocobo forward. The bird soon let out a cry and sped into a canter that fell into step with Fang's chocobo seconds later.

Fang whipped her head as she caught sight of him. Noel smirked at her. "You didn't think you'd get rid of me that easily, did you?" he shouted at her.

"I was beginning to think it. Thought you lost your bravado for a second," she responded with a wider smirk.

Together they rode behind the hunters, each preparing their own spells. Noel heard shouts ahead of them, but he couldn't make out what had been said. He distantly wondered how the riders would react when they noticed the two of them had joined their charge. Dismissing the thought, he began preparing a Blizzaga spell.

But suddenly, there was a flash of icy blue light in the corner of his vision. He looked up and saw a Blizzara spell had already been cast and was blasting towards the lobos. And from the howl he heard seconds later, he guessed it had met its mark.

Had Fang beat him to the chase? Why would she have cast a weaker Blizzard spell? But it had been too far away from them for Fang to have cast it only seconds before. Glancing quickly at her face then, he decided that it couldn't have been her. Which only left one answer.

The riders wielded more than just spears.

By the time Noel and Fang had caught up to the riders, a good number of the lobos were already dead, struck down by the magic and spears of the riders. Not to be shorted, Noel blasted an oncoming silver lobo with Ruin and swiftly finished the creature with his sword-spear mere breaths later. The effort alone made him pant for breath. Had their previous battle really taken that much of a toll on him? Then again, who knew how much rest he'd had?

A roar up ahead caught his attention. Noel looked over and saw that one of the hunters had dismounted—or had been dismounted—and was facing a crouched lobo feet away from him. From the angle of the lobo's mouth, Noel could tell it was ready to spew its virulent breath. That hunter had better back away before he got caught in it.

"Hey, look—!" Noel began. But the words died in his mouth when he saw a dark cloud bloom into existence around the lobo's head. A Slow ailment. And he didn't need to guess who had cast it so perfectly. He turned his head to look at Fang a small ways from him, looking smug but slightly tired on her chocobo. He doubted that any of the riders here could match Fang as a Saboteur. But she too, was worse for wear like him, which could be problematic if the riders didn't turn out to be friendly.

The spell had slowed the lobo long enough for the hunter to hoist his spear above his head and strike it down before it could release its breath. The beast could only manage a piercing yelp before it collapsed on the grass.

And with that, the last beast had fallen. Which left them alone with the riders.

Now that the skirmish was over, Noel's previous thoughts came back to haunt him as the riders became conscious of them. The cowled figures inclined their heads in their direction, assessing them wordlessly astride their mounts.

Fang, however, had managed to sidle closer to Noel before they had noticed the two of them. She now muttered to him, barely moving her lips, "What do you think? Friend or foe?"

Noel subtly shook his head. "Dunno. They did sort of help us. And we sort of helped them," he answered in kind. "Either way…"

He released a breath and braced himself, evenly meeting the hunters' stares under their cowls. The dismounted rider had by now remounted on his chocobo. Now he was trotting towards them. For some reason, Noel had an inkling he led the band of hunters.

"…we're about to find out."

He was stubborn. He admitted it. So was the Arbiter.

And so he knew this wouldn't be easy.

Snow sat on the edge of his bed, hands clenched tightly together until his knuckles turned bone-white. It was a deathly white, a deathly white like the slave girl's pallor after the guards had taken her away from the battle he had refused to watch. He didn't know where exactly the guards took the dead, but circulating rumors had given him enough imagination to prefer remaining in ignorance.

Yes, he might have become wiser and acted less recklessly, but that was not to say in the least that he was content doing nothing. How could he just stand around watching innocent people be so casually murdered?

Which is what had brought him to his resolution.

What gnawed at him all the more was the guilt. He could have saved that girl along with many other slaves had he acted sooner. In fact, he had fully intended to do so until Fang's visit. Ever since he had selfishly wallowed in his own grief as these people were murdered. True, he hadn't had much of a plan formulated at the time, but he could have done something, anything, to have prevented such needless bloodshed. He still hardly had a plan now.

Well, I'm at my best when I'm improvising, anyway, he thought with a small measure of humor. He just hoped it would be enough to save the prisoners.

Especially Yeul.

How could she have possibly thought that he would be willing to wait? That he, of all people, could be patient, particularly after hearing that she knew where Serah was? Snow couldn't be sure how much of the future she could see—especially with these present circumstances—but surely she should have known he couldn't help but take action?

His hands were now clenched into fists. I'll save these people. And then I'll save you, Serah.

A metallic knock came at the door. Snow paused briefly, and then he heaved a sigh as he stood up from the bed. He couldn't dawdle any longer.

Snow opened the door and saw one of the Arbiter's Guards standing at the doorway, golden armor glinting in the dimness. "The Arbiter will see you now," said the guard in a distorted, serpentine voice.

"Thanks...buddy," he said in reply, casually patting the guard on the shoulder as he closed the door and walked past the creature, but not before catching the guard stiffening in its armor. Wow. Guy needed to lighten up.

He was presently in a hostel that the Arbiter of Time had created for the warriors participating in the games. Some of the architecture might have been Cocoon-inspired, because the walls were made of a radiant crystalline material that appeared to naturally exude light, a light that softened to a dim glow like moonlight during sleep hours. It seemed that the hostel followed a white scheme as a matter of fact, from his luxurious bedsheets to the marble floor. It had been his place of reclusion for a while now...although he'd long been losing a sense of time here. It was another sort of middle realm, partitioned from but connected to the Coliseum dimension. And being one of the top competitors, he had been given one of the best accommodations at the top floor. Once, not long ago, he had even enjoyed them.

He walked down the hallway until he approached a door where he heard a commotion. He lightly grunted to himself. There went Gilgamesh again, targeting another victim for his senseless rants, likely the one he'd be facing tomorrow.

"You see this beauty? Yet another weapon I've acquired from my opponents and yet another weapon I'll use to crush you until you're—"

And then Snow stopped by the door to interrupt with, "Shove it up somewhere, Gilgy."

"Snow Villiers!" The metallic door hissed open and there stood Gilgamesh, every muscle in his multiple arms bulging angrily. "Come face me now! I've been wanting a rematch for a while now! I'll use my new weapon to finish you—"

"Yeah, yeah. What else is new? Face it. We've all heard your bull before. Come back after you've beaten a flan."

"Why you—! Hey! Don't walk away from me!"

Yeah, and like he would take a command from him. "See ya around, Gilgers." Despite Gilgamesh's loudmouthed protests, Snow heard no attempts at pursuit behind him. Which was for the best, because he was privately grinning to himself. Gilgamesh, damn him for all his shortcomings, brought back a sliver of mirth into his being, the ghost of how he used to be. Their banter was one of the few things that had made living tolerable in his darkest hours.

Snow walked to the elevator—or actually, the large circular platform that, similar to the disc in the Coliseum, levitated to the desired floor. The platform smoothly began its descent once he had walked onto it. Brief flashes of light occurred every time it passed a floor, which happened seven times.

Soon enough he felt it slow its movement as it settled at the base floor. He stepped into the lobby, where fellow competitors lounged on couches and joked amongst each other over drinks and food. Snow walked past them and only stopped when he stood before the entrance. Instead of a door, a portal stood before him, a tall silver arch. It contained within a pool of thick, swirling distortions in the air and shimmers of golden light.

Snow didn't hesitate. He stepped right through the portal.

There was a short moment when he was completely surrounded in light. Then shapes and dark hues began to form in the fading light. Before he knew it, an empty Coliseum lay ominously before him. This time being a resting period, it was also the rare period when no fighting took place here. Compared to the boisterous atmosphere and deafening roars of the crowd, the stillness and silence was unnerving.

In the center of the arena stood the Arbiter, silent and still as his surroundings. This was where he always was after the battles. Snow vaguely wondered if the being ever did anything with himself.

"Snow Villiers," the Arbiter rumbled in his authoritative, gravelly voice, "you requested an audience. Why?"

"Well, I had to see you," said Snow, approaching him in leisure strides. "I wanted to talk about the way you…run things here."

"Is that right?" There was an edge in his words that Snow caught. But that wasn't about to stop him.

"I was just curious if it was really necessary that you put these…slaves up against one of us. I mean, it's hardly entertaining if we all know the outcome, right?"

He could swear he saw eyes staring at him mercilessly under that helmet. "Is that why you do not participate?"

"What does it matter if I don't?"

"I am only curious, especially considering that you are the champion in my Coliseum. One would think you would set the example for your fellow warriors."

"By defeating someone who can't fight? What glory is there in that? What pleasure could I possibly get from that?"

There. He was positive he could see the Arbiter's eyes glistening. "The pleasure of affirming your superiority over those inferior wretches. The realms have melded to become akin to Valhalla. And like Valhalla—"

"Yeah, I know. The weak serve the strong." Boy, he was sure getting into the habit of interrupting people today. And annoying them. He could sense the Arbiter's increasing vexation, and so he decided it was wise to soften his next words, "My point is, I just don't think this whole system's the best idea. Why not just give them over to the owner at Serendipity?"

"You best let sleeping dogs lie, l'Cie. The slaves have kept my warriors entertained after they have wearied themselves in strenuous combat, have already been taken by some as prizes. Can you imagine how churlish it would be of me to suddenly demand them back? Really, l'Cie, it is pitiful to see our finest warrior succumb to this weakness of compassion."

What the hell has gotten into you, Arbiter? he wondered, not for the first time. He was treading on a thin sheet of ice. Once he wouldn't have paid it a second thought. But he had many lives to consider now. He had to readjust the situation.

Snow mustered himself. "All right, fine. You're right. The truth is, there's a particular slave I want. I just didn't feel like fighting for her."

The Arbiter loosed a derisive laugh. "You, the Champion of the Coliseum, reluctant to fight? That is not like you."

"I know. It's just…when there's actually something I want on the line, it's harder to take a risk."

"That is unfortunate. For in order to obtain the seeress, you must fight."

Snow looked up speechlessly into those eyes. He could swear the Arbiter was smiling. "Did you think I would not connect it? That soon after her arrival, you pay me a rare visit and ask for a slave girl? I know you have not fought the same because of the other seeress. But if you wish to acquire her, you must reclaim that vigor, for I have gathered new creatures, recruited new warriors unlike any other."

Was he hearing this correctly? Snow shook his head in disbelief, unable to check his surging anger. "You're the Arbiter of Time! You served Etro! Do you really think she'd want you to do something like this? Hell, that seeress is her servant! You'd be dishonoring Etro's name to—"

"How dare you, mortal." The Arbiter's voice had lowered into a dangerous growl. "Do not dare speak of Etro to me as though you had been acquainted with her far better than I. It is only because you are my champion that I will not raise my blade against you."

The old part of him wanted to say Bring it on, Arbie. The other part told him that the Arbiter had unfathomable power, and countless guards to boot. Reason won, as painful as it was to force his spiteful retort back down his throat.

"Look, I'm not trying to downgrade you. Fine. If those are your terms, I'll fight. But just know I'm gonna bring down whatever or whoever you put up against me," said Snow.

The Arbiter tilted his head back as the being's laughter resounded throughout the hollow space. Snow, unamused, tightened his fists. "Wanna tell me the joke you found so funny?" he asked through gritted teeth.

But the Arbiter didn't answer him, not immediately. It was when he finally ceased his laughter and looked back down at him that he did.

"We shall see, 'champion'. We shall see."

My same bargain stands. If I don't post within two months, I will post what I had planned for this story. And I'd rather not do that, and I'm sure you wouldn't either, so I'll try to remain faithful to updating regularly. (Yeah, I know, what a joke. Forgive meeeee) Reviews are heartily accepted and until next time~