A/N: Hey there everybody it's me AeonLegacy once again finally back home from wherever I've been. Well there isn't much to be said in the viewing box other than Fang needs to time manage her priorities so she won't get lectured by Vanille, but from all the screaming I doubt that she was being lectured. Anyways, enjoy, and lets see what happens during the groups reunion. With who? We will find out soon enough.
Omni POV:
It had been a few weeks since the group had given their interloper friend the antidote to the poison. During those few weeks Fang and Vanille were teaching their companions from Cocoon the ways they did on Gran Pulse long ago as telling them the stories of Legends, history and what their clans thought of war of Transgression. Eidolon Lightning always stared at the sky with her expression very grim yet when her thoughts were broken she would appear unreadable, and when the third week was about to begin she had enough and had to let out her thoughts.
"We have to get to Oerba, now. I can't shake this feeling anymore and its coming from the north, damn it." She says as she paces around within the ruined building back and forth, the flames of the camp fires reflected in her blue eyes full of rage and unease. Mel had listened to her rant for some time but listened intently to her Eidolon, her back rested against a sturdy cement pillar with a faded wool blanket over her lower body to block the cold air, and sighed.
"Light, I understand that you want to get things done and that Barthandalus is still a threat out there. But think this over, are you sure you want to go through this alone? What will you accomplish if you go out impulsively like this?" The young teen asks, sounding tired and out of breath from speaking. Champion Light remains quiet for a time and swings her arms forcefully down to her sides in anger.
"Fine! Then you tell me what to do! Do you want me to go or not!?" She cries out to the teen, their eyes meeting and neither falters even when the tension and fire bored themselves into Mel's thoughts. Again she sighs and patted the ground beside her, Light was reluctant at first but succumbed to the gesture and sat beside her summoner with her arms wrapped around her legs and chin resting on her knees.
"Must I get lectured now? I just can't keep in my thoughts anymore, Mel... You said so yourself, Barthandalus could be preparing something huge while we stay here getting stronger. If anyone dies I will never forgive anyone and I will go after that damn Fal'cie myself." The Eidolon says without making eye contact anymore and her voice lowered to a whisper. Mel pats her on the back a few times softly and says calmly,
"Yeah, could be planning something big. Key word there is could be I didn't say that he was Light. Ever since I arrived here to this world the events are altered and it is my responsibility to fix this mess that I started just because fate had a different route for me to take. But before we get to Barthandalus we have to get pass the guardian of Taejin tower, Dahaka. It won't allow us to land Bahamut in Oerba while it lives, so we have to work our way up there okay?" She explains to the reckless woman, champion Light just sighs and nods in agreement.
"When do we leave then?" The pinknette asks in a low voice. Mel nods and says,
"Right now. If we get there before the sun rises we can get pass the monsters wandering the dirt road there."
The woman releases her hold of her legs and stretches them out with her arms are used as support to keep her from falling over and looked at her friend wide eyed.
"Right now!? Why? Even if we encounter anything there I could command it to follow my will, besides Vanille says you can't walk on your own for another week or two." Mel looks at her companion straight in the eye, her resolve steeling her gaze making it appear fiercer, and says in a low but confident tone,
"I don't care if I can't walk on my own yet, I'll simply use the power of flight to get around, and I won't just remain here resting while a crazy Artificial Intelligence created by this 'Maker' is still on the loose waiting to wreak havoc to the people caught up in this twisted goal of his. We make the first move now, the others will understand since we've been on borrowed time since we were all branded and I think there brands, save for Fang, are advancing so we must go tonight. The sun will arrive the few hours when we get there on foot and when we make it through the tower to the very top we will have enough sunshine to see our enemy and finally hit Oerba, you following me so far? You understand?"
Champion Light felt cold and afraid for that moment as those brown eyes bore into her own making her fear for her somewhat non-existent life. She nods slowly and Mel smiles which brings the woman's fear down.
"Okay, I'll tell the others." Mel says reaching for her handmade crutches, Light helped her to her feet with a forced and painful grunt escaping her lips but when the teen was leveled evenly with her support she slowly made her way outside in the fiery, winter cold, night toward the main camp. The six main L'cie were all around the main camp fire talking stories and Fang making wise crack jokes at the real Lightning who had been very patient with the free and laid back woman and nearly knocked her lights out with her fist but remained calm and level headed. The group didn't hear their two companions approach until the sound of metal clicked against the dirt against the ruined tiles of the Padrean ruins within Yaschas Massif. Snow turned his head to the right to see Mel and Champion Light coming their way.
"Hey you two! Ready to finally join us?" He asks in a carefree tone, his goofy smile still on his face. Champion Light glared at the blond man at first and ignored him then took a seat beside the woman she somehow copied in appearance.
"Geez, touchy much? What put you in bad shape?" Fang asks Champion Light as she rested her arm on her shoulder only to get a glare from the replicated woman as her response.
"What's got her in such bad mood, Mel? Is it the time of the season or something?" The huntress asks before her joke, nobody laughed nor understood what she meant. Mel took her seat next to Vanille with a blank expression on her face but her eyes said she wasn't in the mood for games or jokes.
"Fang, put all the joking aside and listen, the only reason she's like that is because of Barthandalus. And he's waiting for us in you and Vanilles home village; Oerba." Mel says straight to the point. Everyone was quiet and tension returned upon hearing the name of the parties sworn enemy. Their expressions became hard and cold from his name being spoken.
"If we don't act now then we will be leaving those people in his care.We need to leave and get past the trials of Taejins Tower, Fang you think you could fly us at the entrance?"
Fang nods and cracks her knuckles with her smirk returning.
"Yea' I heard you and Pinky number two chitchatting in the house, with Dahaka alive we won't be able to get to our home village with that thing flying around. And we won't be able to make it to Barthandalus either."
"Exactly, and we need to leave right now. I'd prefer we leave immediately so we can have time to recuperate at your house, when the sun reaches high in the clouds that is when our showdown with the Fal'cie begin." Mel explains once more.
"Looks like we have to leave our little paradise then, huh?" Sahz asked nonchalantly as everyone in the party gave him a simple nod. The party all stood to their feet and extinguished the flames of their camp and headed out of the Paddrean ruins, in the direction of Oerba walking amongst the shadows of the night.
Champion Lights' POV:
We arrived to the top of Taejins tower completing the missions that required us to complete to fix the musical elevator. As the musical chiming notes continued to play as we ascended to the peak of the tower, everyone was anxious but it was much harder to tell but I had to focus on the task at hand and when the door opened we walked calmly toward the center platform basking in the first light of morning. The six L'cie walked a few steps ahead of me and Mel so we watched the end.
"Dahaka is close, I can smell it nearby." Mel says in a low tone, her eyes looked more feral than normal.
"You can smell it? Anything you wanna share with us, Mel?" I ask her calmly trying not to show my growing fear in those fearful animal eyes. She only nods my way.
"Yeah, something evil too. A dark and heavy feeling like something is sitting behind you in the dark and you think it's a monster pressing against you but in reality it's only a kitten. Your darkest fears, your dangerous imaginations are coming in play it feels like your nightmares are becoming real. That sort of heavy sensation. Stay sharp Light, I need you." Mel tells me and I nod her way. When we caught up with the others and Dahaka appears before us, the Lizard thing as Mel called it, shoots up from out of nowhere and shrieks sending gales of wind through the air cutting both out flesh and stone. I hear a cry of surprise and turned around to see Mel was blown back due to her lack of ability to use her legs at the moment and hits the stone wall behind us and doesn't move. I want to help my summoner but I can't, I tell the others to stand ready and they do ready to win.
Omni POV:
The seven party members began to do a frontal assault sending spells and spells of every element at Dahaka but doesn't seem to be effected by the attacks. It courses through the air and places itself in the center platform and swipes its massive arms at the L'cie. The Sentinels, Snow and Fang, managed to use SteelGuard in time to defend the attacks protecting the other four from getting swiped at. Dahaka screeched lowly, almost like a growl, that it didn't hit anything so it decided to hover in the air several meters high and used the attack; Fulminous Firestorm.
Orange red waves start glowing from its mouth and sends down hails of large fire stones the size of several office desks fused together down to the earth in merely seconds. Lightning grabbed Hope by his over shirts collar and drags him out of the way while Sahz grabs Vanille and carries her under his arm start to run out of the blast zone leaving Snow and Fang behind. The attack dawns upon the two Sentinels stuck in SteelGuard spells closed their eyes when darkness and heat enveloped them in a large blast of smoke and fire of several flaming stones from the large creature.
"Fang! Snow!" Hope and Vanille cried simultaneously upon seeing their friends taking a huge amount of damage. When the smoke and blaze cleared Snow and Fang were still standing strong thanks to their SteeGuard spell and Hope and Sahzs' protection spells of Shellra, Protectra and Haste. Though they wouldn't leave the fight without a few burn marks on their clothes and flesh.
"We're alright! This ain't nothing, we can take it no problem!" Snow says in a reassuring, almost cocky, way. Fang draws her lance, with Snow standing in his battle stance, and charges straight at Dahaka in a much quicker speed they usually would move at.
"We ain't the same blokes you guys think we were then, lets do it Snow!" Fang cries and pole vaults herself in the air at the creature, Dahaka tries to hit the Huntress in the air but misses as she roles her body to the side and stabs her lance into Dahaka's armored hand deep enough to stand on top of its hand. Dahaka, infuriated, tries to shake Fang off but fails to do so as she strongly grips the links holding on to dear life crawling her way up its arm going for the head leaving behind her weapon. Meanwhile Snow sends stalagmites the size of multiple Ice boxs (aka: the refrigerator) stacked on each other though pointed at the end stabs Dahaka through its other arm, dark green blood explodes from the other end and trickles profusely down the frozen stalagmite stuck in its wounded arm and starts to freeze the arm it damaged. Fang then manages to reach Dahaka's head and aimed both hands directly aimed for its eyes as she jumps off of its curved and pointed golden snout saying cooly,
"Wateraga, Firaga!"
Water and fire erupted from her palms but they didn't come separately in just one hand, both palms conjured spheres of growing water with fire encircling the liquid like an atom and blasts it right in the eyes creating pain and thick heavy white fog in its face. When the huntress regrouped with the Snow her lance, Malice, no longer was in Dahaka's arm but it returned in a wave of light in Fangs hands.
"Whoa that was amazing!" Vanille cried in glee at her two friends, true the display was impressive and everyone was greatly amazed. Champion Light watched beside her look alike and a bead of sweat trickled down from her temple and witnessed the growth of two out of the six L'cie and wondered how much stronger did the rest get?
"Screeeech!"
The party all looks at Dahaka as it released a loud screech of rage as it became more pissed off now that it was useless with its charred and smoking dark eyes and lame left arm. Before the entire party went to confront it Vanille and Sahz ran up to it first and got ready to fight it.
"I'm not all smiles and sunshine, I'll show you how much stronger I got!" Vanille cries happily in her cheery tone but her expression was ready and focused with her wind based wand. Sahz drew his flaming dual pistols and sighed heavily,
"We can't seem to catch a break, but like the little lady said we ain't as weak as we look."
Sazh then attacks first using his Cold Blood attack, seventeen bullets of lava hot bullets fly from the pistols and into Dahaka's flesh fire in born upon impact and so does pure white smoke. Vanille switched from Medic to Saboteur and casts spells of Deprotectra, Slowga and Imperilga. Dahaka starts to flail around with body spasms due to the deprotect and slow spell but what really took a bad hit was imperil, when it glowed dark and waves of blue appeared for a brief moment Dahaka was vulnerable to magic damage now.
"Alright! Take this!" Vanille cried cheerfully as she changed her role as a Saboteur to Ravager, Sahz doing the same from his Commander role to Ravager, and starts to spam all of their strongest tier level spells and similar to Fang their spells combined and became a whole lot more fun. Dahaka at the time was charging a spell to use to counteract against its enemies own spells but couldn't as something stirred within it that its spell was automatically canceled before it was used. From the savage blaze of spells Dahaka fell and bright golden yellow light engulfed its entire body indicating it was staggered and more likely to take double the damage than before thanks to Vanille's Imperil spell. Before Sahz and Vanille had a chance to attack the fallen enemy Lightning, Champion Light and Hope storm in charging with a barrage of spells and bullets heading its way.
"Our turn." Champion Light says and brings her Lionheart gunblade out. Hope casts spells similar to Vanille and Fang only when he conjured Aeroga the ball of wind turned into a huge twister engulfing Dahaka in the eye of the storm and spat it out like a flavorless gum wad. When it let out a grunt of pain both Lightnings charges and swings their weapons diagonally creating an X on its face. The light starts to shimmer and waver telling the party it will recover and attack the two lookalikes switched to their Ravager role and started to use 'Army of One'.
"Take this!" They cried as they started to slash with their swords, somersaulting and landing with kicks, swinging their weapons sideways a few times and finally twisting their bodies and weapons around doing a 720 degree turn with grace and ease. After Army of One was over Dahaka was mortally wounded but was still ready to kill, it screeched and reached its usable arm out toward the party of three and grabs Lightning in its hand. She struggles to wriggle free and tried stabbing its fingers but was already too numb to feel the pain and couldn't feel anything. It looked at her then squeezes tightly breaking the pinknettes legs until she howled in pain. Fang ran full tilt with hatred burning in her eyes and used her Highwind attack, when she launched herself in the air and her lance above her head and used the powerful attack to clean cut through the beasts forearm off freeing her companion from it clutches. Fang caught her friend but they weren't home free yet, Dahaka summoned a single shot of its firestorm attack and aimed at the women. Stuck in midair Fang becomes the Sentinel and uses SteelGuard to protect Light from the blast of fire and they were knocked out of the air and launched to the platform with and explosion. Fang blocked Light from getting hurt any further but ended with the huntress hitting her head causing her to black out and Light couldn't stand on her feet to help at the moment. Vanille and Hope were the best Medics so they went over to the Huntress and SOLDIER to heal them while the remaining party members went against the enemy with whatever numbers they had left. Snow summoned Shiva and Sahz summoned Brynhilder to buy some time for champion Light to take control of the situation, the Eidoliths attacked but Dahaka can read their attacks and blasts Shiva with. Firestorm and sends them flying back in a white explosion almost appearing melted and crashed into Snow sending the three figures back further from the fight and the summoner and summoned beings out cold. Brynhilder absorbs the fire spell and sent it back to the sender who gets hit with its own attack. It swipes it stub at the Eidolon who uses its weapon to jump over and avoid the hit, then Dahaka head buts the fire monster and slams it in the ground several time the crater growing greater and greater with every hit. When it stopped Sahz went to his allies aid but didn't reach Brynhilder in time and got struck with a very powerful Thundaga and fell to the ground with blood pooling from his nose and ears with a thud as he starts to twitch violently in pain and horror.
Champion Lightning sees she is alone and feels afraid at this monstrosities amazing will power to continue fighting despite being wounded as bad as it is and still took out her party. She stares at the impending doom lurking above her head and hangs her head, dropping her weapon and onto her knees.
'Its no use... I can't fight alone, I was never good at one on one things without someone, something, aiding me...' C.L. Thinks to herself, raising her head to look at the creature before her. Her blue eyes burning with fear and hate swirling together.
"But it doesn't mean I can't end this fight!" She says loudly to herself almost as if she's telling her friends. Dahaka readies a spell made from its Thudaga, Firaga, Wateraga and adds Haste to itself. Champion Light screams in defiance as a large fire glow swirls around her turning the heavens red and dispersing the clouds above her.
'Lady Etro, bless me with the power you granted me since birth to end this fight, to protect those precious to me...' Was what she thought, in seconds Dahaka releases its spell and hurls at the Pinknettes. Light opens her eyes looking at the spell and cries,
"IFRIT!"
A fiery gourge appears in front of her and opens showing the embers of hell, the spell is about to hit in seconds and the spell gets cancelled with a large muscular humanoid demon with curved horns and red eyes appear out of the ground and punches the spell with a single fist. Everyone stares at it in amazement but Dahaka was afraid, it could feel its murderous intent and bloodlust but was more afraid when it was very calm and collected. Light pointed at the gravely injured beast and commanded,
"Drag it to hell!"
Ifrit obliged and charges at Dahaka on its hind hooves, Dahaka panics and starts shooting spells at Ifrit to keep it away from misses due to its strength and powerful speed. Once in range Ifrit lunges a claw on Dahaka's sphere and the claw mark turns into a very alien symbol, it glowed bright red and a burning abyss of fire appears under Dahaka. Chains of blood red and flames shoot from the burning gap and entangled Dahaka making it immobile. It tries to break free but its efforts were put in vain as the chains began to grow heavier and heavier too much weight to bear and was then, dragged to hell. Ifirit looks at the woman who summoned him and nodded. His hands glowed brilliant green and light engulfed the entire top platform healing everything and anything like nothing ever happen. With a thankful nod Champion Light gave it permission to leave and the beast went to the huge gap and entered it, closing the gap in the process. After the battle the party regrouped together feeling the rewards of defeating Dahaka flowing through their beings, Champion Light rushed over to Mel who was cured by Ifrits healing magic and carried the teen on her back with her crutches in her hands. Mel woke up with a groan and splitting headache and asked weakly,
"What the hell happened when I was out?"
Champion Light continues to make her way to the final elevator where the others were at and said calmly, her voice sounded a little strained because Mel felt a lot heavier since she is in and out of conscious,
"Nothing much."
Oerba, Vanille and Fangs' home:
Fang and Vanille were the most shocked to see the outside of the their village was covered in crystal dust, they ran full tilt ahead of the group stabbing and blasting the roaming C'ieth out of existence. Everyone had a hard time catching up with them, especially me since my legs were still lame thanks to the side effects of the antidote Vanille gave me to get rid of the replica of Atticus's poison. Truthfully I was afraid I wasn't going to make it, that I was never going to see my family and friends again to never see anyone again. But I was relieved and grateful, like a huge weight of burden was lifted off of my shoulders, that I was going to pull through when I was full of despair and fear those agonizing hours.
But anyway, everyone was fine with leaving me behind to move at my own pace, even my copycat Eidolith, and it was understandable to be more concerned for Fang and Vanille and what they must be feeling right now seeing their home like this. The sun was reaching close to early morning or maybe early afternoon, never quite sure now even though time is the same as back home just told differently, and I guess it was a very long fight and I guess I was out for a long time then...
While I was following the cleared path to the two Pulse women's home something grabs me by my leg to see a Seeker, the weird C'ieth with one huge arm connected to a round stocky body. It was shockingly strong and it pulled me down to the ground landing on my back, a quick sharp gasp escaped my lips and when I hit the ground head first I felt dazed.
*Groan* When my eyes finally focused I was practically surrounded by a group of Seekers and Vampire towering over me and them, they were all shambling closer to me. Territorial pests I supposed. The fear of encountering these things wasn't as hard as when I was in Animas stronghold in the beginning, I just rolled my eyes in annoyance to their groaning and mechanical moaning.
"Do I have to?" I asked myself knowing that I had to deal with them otherwise I would be pulverized to death and I couldn't out run them anyhow. I closed my eyes and focused on anything warm and bright and comforting, I felt the rays of the sun grow warmer on my skin. Then I felt the warm image in my mind grow violent and more destructive until I could visualize an eruption, the heat grew intense I would have been scorched by my own spell. The C'ieth's cries and wails sounded more painful and they were suffering much more and when I imagined an explosion waves of things blowing up could be heard throughout the entire village, when I opened my eyes the C'ieth were gone and all that was left was a ring of black ash. I picked up my crutches with one hand and used the other to drag myself to the sign post using it as support to pull myself to my feet, I continued to make my way to the house, practically surprised nobody came to check on me after all the noise I made, and carefully making my way up the stairs without my support falling through the stairs. I entered the ajar door and noticed everybody is standing around frozen in place, figuratively not literally. Lightning was at the center of the group and from what I could see from the side of her face that was visible it looked like she was shocked by something. I made my way through the bodies of the L'cie scattered throughout the house, when I was close enough to see who they were all looking at, then my eyes grew wide and the words were caught in my throat again maybe it was because of shock or worry of why she and he and the thing were here but I wasn't the one who broke the silence. Light walked up to the girl standing there just as frozen as the rest of us and just said one name in confusion,
"Serah?"
A/N: hey everyone yeah sorry for the wait, I have been real busy but hopefully this is a good cliff hanger. Sorry if you ain't one who likes them... Anyways I have been rewriting previous chapters to correct some inconsistencies I had in them thanks to a guest by the name FateTheDefyer who had opened my eyes to see the errors I made and I am on a mission to correct my errors! And there are Some ideas that I will consider using while I change the chapters to make it consistent, so that's it so far... So until next time, Ciao!