The Infiltration

Since the Fall, many sectors of Cocoon have been reconstructed to accommodate the changes of life between the floating shell and Pulse. While some inhabitants migrated to the otherworld, many Cocoon citizens still sought to call the paradise their home. Some landmarks were ruined, such as the original city of Bodhum, but they were able to adjust with what they were given.

When Orphan was finally slain, the capital of Eden collapsed on the unfortunate city, where the catastrophic events began. It had evolved into the seat of the New Sanctum, and Eden had been supposedly monitoring the other fal'Cie's duties from there.

The lone airship that had yet to be on lockdown appeared in the sky with a brilliant flash from a transgate. It zoomed over the newly established capital, immediately stirring suspicion and wariness. Down below in a local plaza, PSICOM troops hurried to assist its landing, as per protocol…but the higher officials close by had other ideas.

"Ready your weapons!" they ordered the troops with their eyes glued to the strange airship. "Departure from Cocoon had not been authorized. This could be a rogue bird."

As hordes of PSICOM grunts rushed to their formations, none of them were aware of the individuals boarded on the airship, untapped power waiting to be unleashed.

"This is your stop," Sazh announced in a flight attendant tone. He reduced the craft's speed as he rounded a local plaza recently established within the seaside city. "Please make sure to bring all your belongings. Thank you for flying Katzroy Airlines."

"Cute," Lightning remarked in her blandest expression. Beside her, Cloud slammed a fist onto a button on the wall; the other l'Cie braced themselves as the door for the cargo hold dropped open. Loud mechanisms resonated in their ears, and a blast of wind lashed at their exposed skin like a whip. Down below, they saw the ancient PSICOM shuttles littering the ground, troops and drones spilling out to greet them once they landed.

Before anyone else moved, Lightning shoved a slim device into Cloud's palm. He glanced down at the object curiously before looking back toward her.

"Don't let go of it," she told him. Glancing behind, she saw Serah hand similar devices to Tifa and Vincent, who eyed them with the same suspicions as Cloud. When Serah nodded affirmatively to her sister, Lightning took the cue and a deep breath before diving out of the open door head first.

Tifa and Vincent's eyes widened at her suicidal move, but it only took a second for Cloud to let go of the doubt that crept into his mind. Serah took Lightning's spot next to him and motioned out into the open space between them and ground level.

"After you." It was clear she was getting a kick out of this, in spite of the harshness of their situation. If anyone was to handle Lightning's extremities aside from Serah, it was sure to be Cloud.

Emptying his mind, Cloud gave her a quick nod before following Lightning through the sky, one hand gripping his sword's handle while the other wrapped tightly around the device. Just like in Midgar, he watched her shoot down below, waiting for the similar electric blue flash to envelop her body…only it never came. With a little more than 100 feet left, he watched her toss the device toward the ground, and a transparent orb burst into existence in the midst of the soldiers' formation. Many were knocked aside, losing their balance in time for Lightning to land feet first in the residual circle, her gunblade instantly unleashing a barrage of bullets.

Cloud tossed his device a little farther away, closer to where troops were being unloaded to join the fight. Tilting his body so that his feet would land first, he braced himself for the impact and gripped his sword tightly. He expected a large jolt of pain to course up his body, but instead he landed as if he was standing up after sitting for so long. His muscles bore no strain, and the gravity surrounding him exploded to collide with the soldiers before adjusting back to normal. Taking little time to hesitate, he unsheathed his sword from its holster and threw the PSICOM grunts back with one swing. With him covering one side of the field and Lightning the other, it was clear for Serah and the others to land safely. Without hesitation, Sazh sped back to the transgate before any other Sanctum aircraft could be in pursuit; the image of the airship disappeared in a wink through the green portal, bringing him a world away in a second.

After successfully piercing a soldier's armor with an arrow, Serah glanced upward at the spiraling tower recently constructed in the center of her hometown. Like before, shrapnel and pieces of Pulse were used to make this new monument in recognition of the New Sanctum. She knew – Snow was held captive up there, dangling like bait on a hook for them to rescue. It seemed pointless to play along with the government's game once more, but with Snow's well-being and their Focus on the line, they had no other choice.

Vincent kept a careful eye on Serah and Tifa as a few soldiers that made it past Lightning and Cloud zoned in on them. When keeping them back with bullets proved to do little, he leapt back and swept his hand across his chest, where his brand illuminated and brought sparks of lightning to his fingertips. Before he landed, he waved his hand toward the oncoming soldiers, spreading the surge to them and immobilizing them in their places.

Serah took the opportune moment to strike them down with her arrows, but one managed to regain control and charge toward her. With a quick spin in her palm, the bow converted into a sword, and she quickly spun to slice at his torso. The soldier fell into unconsciousness at once, just before she changed her weapon to its original form and continued where she left off.

Even with her martial arts prowess, Tifa found that these full body armors were above her expectations. Shinra grunts didn't have as nearly as much armor, and therefore didn't need as much energy expenditure to subdue. Sweeping her leg in an arc around her, Tifa summoned frosts of ice by her ankle and raised her foot to glide across a soldier's chest. The sheet of ice instantly spread across his torso, immobilizing parts of him in time for her to bring a straight punch to his chest. Bits of ice and armor flew away, leaving his bare skin to take some brunt of her force. Another soldier lunged at her from the side, yet Tifa easily dodged and maneuvered to slam the butt of her palm up his jaw.

In spite of their progress, Cloud knew it would only be a matter of time before more reinforcements arrived, impeding on their trek to the spiraling tower. If only he had his bike to simply rush through their lines…

A sudden but not entirely sharp pang erupted on his bicep, nowhere near strong enough to send him crashing to the ground. A gust of wind encircled Cloud, keeping him in a perimeter that none of the soldiers dared to cross. His hand flew to his bicep, and before he knew it, a familiar shape nestled into his palm. Looking to his side, Cloud found a materia-like sphere glowing in the space between his hand and bicep, a miniature version of the sphere that Valefor had erupted from just a few days ago.

He hadn't sensed or felt anything since that day in Vallis Media, where Valefor had sprung forth to give her test. And yet, it was so instinctive of him to toss the crystalline sphere toward the sky, and a final torrential gust almost swept the air out of his lungs until the creature finally reappeared as it originally had.

As soon as she finally appeared, a bright light erupted from her beak. A ray of light encircled Cloud, where some soldiers were close enough to take a shot at him with either guns or batons. With successive explosions, the ground trembled, the air filled with dust and smoke. Cloud could hear the bodies dropping to the ground one after another. Valefor gave a flap of her wings to keep the smoke away from his eyes, revealing the destruction she laid around him. The ground had erupted into rubble in a perfect radius circling him; the PSICOM soldiers remained motionless, some still groaning in pain.

Amazement illuminating his eyes, Cloud looked up at Valefor before she swooped down, her body suddenly contorting into a new form. Her neck twisted just above her chest, her beak slowly dipping while her body went into a horizontal position. Her wings lightly furled in, protecting her leather-like belly at the sides. At the back, her tail curled inward, making a spiral pattern until it froze in place. What resembled a hover bike made its way to Cloud's side, floating in waiting.

Speechless, raked his eyes across his Eidolon. The summons back on the Planet were mere power units subject to the materia's wielder. With a wave of the hand, they would do the summoner's bidding. Eidolons, however, were one with their l'Cie, knowing what he or she was thinking or feeling before the l'Cie even realized it.

Just as he held out a hand to skim his fingers along Valefor's twisted neck, gunshots rang out from behind him. Glancing over his shoulder, Cloud saw PSICOM forces appearing en masse, with knight-like officers speeding toward him with gleaming spears. It was hardly a moment's hesitation before he jumped onto the leather seat comprised of Valefor's underbelly, and before he realized it, the hover bike sped off in the opposite direction of the soldiers.

The feel of air racing across his skin was nostalgic. He couldn't remember the last time he took Fenrir out for a ride, or when he even took the bike this fast. Everything was a blur in an instant, and if it weren't for the sight of Vincent's bold red cape just a fraction of a second later, he would have thought the others were still ahead of him. Cloud gripped the base of Valefor's fixed wings, looking for any way to steady himself at this speed. In spite of the debris and chaos he and the other l'Cie wrought upon their arrival, Valefor managed to maneuver past them with ease, and Cloud found that he didn't need to give much direction unless necessary. As Valefor's conscience in the drive kept them safe, he steered both physically and mentally toward Lightning, eager to reach her and get past this obstacle.

He saw her cut down a soldier wanting to ambush her from behind, and her eyes briefly widened in shock as she took in his incredible speed. As Cloud approached, he stretched out his right arm, Lightning immediately mirroring with hers. Upon impact, their fingers tightly wound around each other's forearms; Cloud dragged her from behind as Valefor continued speeding out of the plaza, racing down the city's alleyways like a bullet train. Taking advantage of her momentum, Lightning swung herself further to be seated behind Cloud, one arm snaking around his waist before she could fly off.

Bullets screamed and drones wailed past her ears, but it was too late for them to comprehend the speed Cloud was going. They shot down streets and alleyways, simultaneously searching for any route that could bring them closer to the spiraling tower. A little ways later, they came upon a path that was partially covered with overgrown greenery, nature deciding to take back a little of itself. Rusting sewer tunnels stretched beside them along the path, untouched by civilians or patrols.

Cloud noticed a bright pink glow from the corner of his eye; he looked behind just in time to watch Lightning toss a rose pink crystal behind them, the l'Cie brand emanating from her chest. Moments later, Odin burst forth in a pink flash, petals zooming in the wind, and his blade whirled in a fluid motion to cut down the first line of soldiers pursuing them.

Beneath, he felt Valefor shift and unwind from her current form, her neck twisting to its proper position. Her wings slightly stretched before furling in again, encasing Cloud and Lightning in a protective cocoon as she went higher in the air. Cloud released his grip on her wings, preparing for whatever was to come. In one fluid motion, Valefor swung around and unfurled her wings in an instant, flinging Cloud and Lightning off her body and straight into an open hole in the sewer tunnel.

They dove in head first, rolling upon their landing until they stopped at their feet. Patches of sunlight filtered into the dark tunnel in sections as far as they could see. Once Cloud was able to fix himself upright, he snapped his head back toward the hole they dropped down from, the sounds of battle and explosions echoing not too far in the distance.

"What about those two?" he asked curiously. He had no doubt that the Eidolons could handle the fight on their own, but after connecting with Valefor in the battle at Vallis Media, he couldn't help but worry about how dependent they were being on the summons, thinking of them as actual companions rather than foot soldiers.

He felt Lightning impatiently tug on his arm. "They'll be fine," she replied assuring. "PSICOM's nothing they can't handle. They'll just hold them off until we're far enough, and then they'll disappear." She turned to the dark tunnel, wary of what awaited them down the line. "Let's keep moving. Snow is still waiting."

For the longest minutes, they walked in silence: Cloud following as Lightning led the way that was too familiar to her. She hardly spared him a glance over the shoulder, something he could have easily passed as part of her soldier persona. As usual, Lightning stayed true to her mission…

But it aggravated him by the second. Cloud stopped in his tracks, watching as Lightning took a few more steps unaware.

"Lightning, wait."

She did as was told and finally turned to face him, her eyes wide with curiosity. Cloud did his best to not make his stare look accusing, but he ended up with a tight scowl on his face. They were far enough down the tunnel to not be heard by the outside world, though he would still have to keep his impatience under control.

"Let me see your brand," he said, taking more steps to draw closer to her.

A shudder ran through her body, and despite her efforts of fidgeting to mask it, it was still caught by his eye. "What? Why?" Her brows drew closer together.

"I just need to see it." As he took his next step, Cloud noticed Lightning take one step back, keeping a casual but good distance between them. Her jaw was tight, and her eyes darted around him – she was trying to find an escape route.

"Cloud, we're running on borrowed time," she warned. "And I don't have the luxury to—"

He was done giving her chances to explain herself. For all he knew, it was only a game of cat-and-mouse to her, waiting for either one of their brands to advance to the final stage. Even if Lightning wasn't tricking them, it only added up to being a waste of time, if he and the others were to be continually kept in the dark.

Catching her off guard, he rushed forward, cornering her against the wall of the tunnel. His hand slammed against the rusting metal beside her head; she didn't as much as blink, though her mouth was firmly fixed into a scowl, refusing to give in to his intimidation so easily. His body leaned in close, towering over hers like it had done many times before. Only looking at her, it was hard to think that so much had happened since her stay on the Planet. At a moment's reprieve, he could imagine her face with a less harsh expression; it took his entire willpower to stay focused and refuse the temptation to draw her closer.

If everything had been going according to plan, Cloud's mind wouldn't be in so much of a frenzy. He wanted to believe that they would make it through in the end; despite his wish to be as far away from Pulse and Lightning as possible, he wanted to see her safe in her own world. Keeping even the smallest secret from the group was to jeopardize the entire mission, and he couldn't afford to allow a single mistake.

As the tension silently grew between them, Cloud's eyes began darting toward her chest, his gaze growing darker every time it returned to her eyes. In mere seconds, Lightning understood his intent before her face darkened as well. With a huff, she shoved firmly against his chest, forcing him to stagger back and give her room.

Far from hesitant or modest, she reached for the zipper of her turtleneck and tugged it down, her pale skin in sharp contrast with the dark brown fabric. She pulled back one side of her turtleneck, and on her chest laid a brand different from Cloud's – a strange spherical mark with distinct outer layers. It looked just about the same size as his Pulse l'Cie brand, possibly meaning it had progressed just as gradually.

That realization struck him cold, and his contorted face relaxed before scowling with a blend of frustration and fear. He hadn't imagined her brand advancing so far so soon; he was running out of time.

"Happy?" Lightning shot at him acidly as she dropped her hand from her turtleneck. When she turned away, Cloud became sure of one thing. Her helping the Pulse l'Cie was not only against the rules, but shortening the road to Cie'th Central.

"We're not going down there," he stated matter-of-factly, his eyes briefly flitting to the rest of the tunnel they had yet to trek.

Lightning spun on her heel and glared at him with a ferocity he hadn't seen in a long time. "The hell we're not!" Her voice was just above an enraged growl; any louder could have given them away from underneath the old Bodhum streets. "I'm not leaving Snow behind."

Cloud began moving forward, passing her and her incredulous glare meant only for him. "I'll get him back. Trust me on this."

"Trust you?" he heard her ask with disbelief. Feeling her hard eyes pinned to his back as he stopped, he didn't need to see her expression to read her emotions. "Like how I should trust you to decide whatever happens between us?"

The pangs he tried so hard to bury were finally resurfacing, and for once the world around them began crumbling away. The fal'Cie and their Focus no longer lingered on his mind, and all he could think of were the words he threw at Lightning at the springs. They were necessary, but he was hardly prepared for the heavy weight they brought down on his shoulders. Whether they succeeded or not, he doubted his sins would truly be forgiven.

A flurry of rage and frustration, uncertain of where to direct them, erupted inside. Cloud turned back to face the hard visage he was accustomed to, no longer taken aback by her anger. "And like how I should simply believe that you have no idea what your Focus is?" The shock that followed was clear on her face, but he knew she wouldn't care to elaborate.

"I saw you with Sazh," he continued, toning it down by the barest notch. Lightning turned away, unable to admit her own undoing. Caught between accusations and assurances, Cloud hesitated. "If the brand progresses, it means you're getting off track, right? Running out of time? With that, you ought to know what you're supposed to do."

Lightning forced herself to look away from his gaze, her mouth fixed into a scowl that wouldn't relent to giving explanations. Cloud knew this very well, hardly expecting a straightforward answer, and scoffed. How typical of her, he thought: she kept running toward the goal in her mind, moving on instinct, and shutting everything out.

"But still…why are you helping us?"

Her head angled a little more toward him, as if really considering answering his final question. Of all the things she had been hiding from the day they reunited, this piece continued floating in everyone's minds, keeping them on edge as to whether to trust her or not.

"We've never been in this situation," she said in a bare voice. Cloud heard the tiniest hint of desperation in her voice, realizing that he managed to find a crack in her defenses. "When one of us is playing on the other team. I'm scared – I'm terrified of what's going to happen to me or Serah, or you or any of the others…"

Vexed by their predicament, he clenched his hand into a tight fist. If he and the others continue on and complete their Focus, Lightning would be lost to them forever…

And vice versa. Should she finish whatever her Focus was, she could lose all that she held dear. It was a fate far worse than death, and none of the l'Cie would be able to escape the pain that awaited them.

Cloud shut his eyes and inhaled deeply. Was his entire mission doomed from the start? A sick reminder that he couldn't save everyone he cherished?

"I came here to save you, Lightning," he said in a clear voice, opening his eyes with the remaining determination he had. "Not to lose you." He had to convince himself that they could get through this; any pang of surrender would destroy him.

"If you save me, I'll lose everything, anyway. My home, my family…even-"

He finally turned back to face her, and Cloud saw the vulnerability plain across her face. The future that could happen ran through their minds, taunting them with the consequences of their actions. Within the past year, he realized one of Lightning's newest, if not greatest, fears –

Finding herself alone. Failing to protect the ones she cares about.

Her eyes found their way to his, and in that moment, Cloud no longer saw her as an enemy in any way. She wasn't a soldier bent on keeping her eye on the goal; what stood before him was a loving sister, a caring friend. For an instant, the ground beneath him disappeared, and he could see the Sector 5 church around him, the pool of water in front, and the drenched woman gasping in his arms.

This was still her…wasn't it?

"I'm not giving up," she told him in a firm voice. "…And neither should you."

If Cloud continued, she would forfeit her life, all for the sake of them being saved from their fate. He was unsure if he could oblige by her wish…and what would happen when the time came for the decision.

As they made progress in staving off PSICOM's numbers, the three l'Cie made a beeline for the tower, keeping to the shadows as much as possible. Tifa took point as Serah followed closely behind, with Vincent taking up the rear. The military commotion still rang through the air, soldiers relentlessly pursuing them and the other two just like they had done so only a year ago.

"Do you think they got away, too?" Serah asked in a low voice.

"I'm sure they did," Tifa replied, taking a chance to throw a comforting smile over her shoulder. "Don't worry, Serah. We'll get Snow back in one piece."

Despite the reassurance, tension still gnawed at Serah's mind. From the beginning, Cloud and Lightning's interactions weren't exactly what she hoped for them to be. It was obvious there was a connection between the two…but that connection was under a constant strain, and neither of them could see they were both at fault. Even still, they couldn't resolve any issues crawling under their skins, the risk as l'Cies being far too great.

This wasn't the kind of happiness Serah imagined for Lightning. She grimaced and stopped in her tracks; what she was seeing didn't add up with what she had heard from both Cloud and her sister.

"But do you think they'll be all right?"

At that, Tifa and Vincent from their advancements toward the tower, turning toward Serah with concern.

"Serah?" Tifa took a step toward her, concern washing over her features like any other nurturing friend would have.

It was clear they didn't understand the meaning behind her question. "Were Lightning and Cloud...happy?" She sounded almost afraid to hear the answer, wary of the possibility that she wouldn't like it. "Were they happy where you guys are from?"

Tifa hesitated. Was Serah catching on to Cloud's intentions once they saved Lightning? She couldn't be the bearer of bad news, especially when turmoil or shock could mean a brand progression – those had to be avoided at all costs.

Putting on a gentle smile, she nodded. "Of course. Y'know, for a while, they were so ignorant, they kinda gave me a headache." Just thinking about the first few months almost made her chuckle; the circles Lightning and Cloud ran in made her dizzy, but they were worth it in the long run, she realized. They gave Cloud a new purpose in life, a new and special reason to keep going.

Serah couldn't doubt the look on Tifa's face, and noticing the change in her sister right after she returned to Pulse, it was clear she really enjoyed being by Cloud's side.

So why hadn't she seen any ounce of that happiness since Cloud and his friends appeared? "But back on Pulse…I think I felt something off about them. And Cloud said something in the bar that kinda scared me." His words echoed in her mind, his expression haunting her memories. With the way they had been acting lately, Serah didn't doubt Lightning had already faced whatever thoughts Cloud kept pent up for so long.

Tifa desperately searched for words. It wouldn't do to frighten Serah with Cloud's plan, to break her heart and hopes for her older sister's happiness. Making her jump to conclusions was the last thing on Tifa's list.

Exhausted physically and mentally, she dropped on the closest boulder, hanging her arms between her legs as she tried to explain.

"Truth be told," she began to admit, taking Serah by surprise. "He's a little confused when it comes to your sister. When he was just in his teens, he lost so many things – his home, his hero, his best friend, even his own free will. It felt like his life wasn't his to own, and everything he held dear would be gone because he believed he wasn't strong enough."

Vincent's crimson eyes were distant, remembering when he had met his comrades for the first time. Cloud had evolved from their first meeting, enduring many challenges just to identify himself through all the trauma he had experienced, all the while trying to save the Planet and its inhabitants from destruction. The very fact that he was able to stand after all that was remarkable.

"Cloud would shut himself away from the world once in a while," he elaborated, prompting Serah to turn and face him this time. "Just so he wouldn't risk hurting anyone. Being close to someone is like a double edged sword – lose the balance between the good and the bad things, and everything just goes downhill."

Serah immediately realized how similar that feeling was. In the few days she was first branded as a l'Cie, she had struggled to figure out how to spend her remaining time. Keeping any of her family and friends close would have put them at terrible risk…but on the other end, pushing them away would have left her lonely and miserable, unable to endure the pain of her burden. In the end, people would get hurt…

But Cloud wouldn't have cared so long as Lightning would be able to live.

Tifa then looked up at her, guilt clouding her gaze. "He couldn't live with putting Lightning in any risk…so he thinks the way out is to cut her off completely."

A realization hit Serah with full force, almost crippling her and sending her to her knees. Her face paled, and the fear for her sister instantly spiked.

"He's leaving her," she let out in an almost bare whisper. "He's going through all this – saving Lightning, helping us get these brands off – just to leave her in the end." All this time, she was looking forward to a happy ending. It was the goal she was running to ever since she had first met Cloud. Both her and Lightning would have their own happily ever afters, one way or another. Even if Lightning were to be separated from her forever, just knowing that she was happy would have been enough.

But where will she be if they managed to remove the brands? They may defy fate, but it would only lead to loneliness, and Serah couldn't bear watching Lightning go down that road.

Vincent shared a vague look of surprise with Tifa. He was aware that Cloud was capable of making such a plan, but never thought he would actually suffocate himself with that pain. It reminded him of the isolation he placed himself under for thirty years, and while it satisfied the goal he strongly held onto, it didn't relieve any of pain, if not augment it any more.

"I won't let it happen," TIfa said in a firm tone. Her hand clenched into a tight fist at her side; though she wished for their reconciliation more than anything, she wondered where it would leave her. How much harder did she have to fight for another's happiness, when it would surely draw him farther away from her? Long ago, she thought she had tossed these hindering feelings away, putting the well-being of her friends before her selfish desires.

A few moments passed, and Tifa snapped out of her brief train of thought to find Serah looking at her with worry. She offered another one of her warm smiles, though it didn't seem as comforting as Serah usually received. "We'll have to knock some sense into those blond spikes, but we'll get through."

Vincent crossed his arms before his chest, his eyes giving off a pensive look. "Still, his top priority is to save Lightning. That one goal is all he's thinking about. He's becoming rash and unstable."

Frowning, Tifa could see that it was going to be an endless chase so long as Lightning remained silent. "If we only knew her actual Focus, we'd know which path to take."

Neither of them were saying it aloud, but Serah knew all too well. Her sister's silence was putting everyone at risk, mostly herself. While they were focusing on preventing their own Focus, Lightning had a task that also had a timer.

Biting her lip, Serah switched her gaze between Tifa and Vincent, peering straight into their eyes with a hint of beseechingness. "Please, hear her out." Her request caught them by surprise, but she wasn't sure it was enough to convince them. "I know it's not easy to accept her word with her being a Sanctum l'Cie…but she knows when it's too far. She would never put us at risk unless necessary." Even with Lightning as her mortal enemy, Serah had stuck with her for nineteen years to know when trusting her sister was dangerous. Although cold and distant, Lightning was a tactician, and placed the safety of those around her as top priority, even when it meant throwing them in the face of danger if only temporarily.

Understanding her worry, Vincent dropped his arms. "We believe you, Serah," he told her with every ounce of honesty he had. "And we believe in Lightning. We just wish she could fill us in on everything." It pained him to continuously doubt Lightning's motives and the secrets she clearly kept, but he knew very well that keeping people in darkness would only accelerate time. Of course, they could have gone their own way without involving her, but in this dangerous world, she was their best shot at survival.

Serah let out a tiny breath of relief, grateful that they could at least accept the complexities of their situation. Back then, Lightning hadn't been very open, even among her Guardian Corps colleagues – less risk of pulling people down with her when she got into a mess. The past year on the Planet definitely changed her for the better, and Serah couldn't help but feel sad at the thought of her new friends disappearing once this was all over.

If they could get it all over.

"They're here!"

The gruff shouts sounded too close. The l'Cie immediately glanced through the shrubbery they sought haven in, and sure enough, soldiers and drones began closing in.

"Can't catch a break, can we?" Tifa leapt off the boulder, already drawing Serah to stand behind her for cover.

Vincent withdrew his pistol from the thigh holster but hesitated the moment before attack. "Don't waste time here. Push through and head to the tower."

Bowsword in hand, Serah spun the handle thrice to generate three rods of energy fitted perfectly on the bowstring. She held the bow vertically and aimed at the thick green branches in front of her, unaware of just exactly how many enemies stood on the other side.

But it didn't matter to her.

With a quick nod from Vincent, Serah released the arrows from the string, and they flew through the branches as if they were nothing. She heard three distinct thuds, immediately followed by cries of pain and the emerging of Tifa and Vincent onto the field.

PSICOM opened fire as soon as they caught sight of the l'Cie, but it wasn't enough. Tifa somersaulted through the air, avoiding many of the bullets with ease while a few managed to nick her skin. Planting her hands on the ground, she shoved off and forward, using the momentum to rocket toward a soldier feet first. Bitter frosts of ice swirled around her lower limbs, cracking and bursting into shards upon contact with the soldier's chest. Tifa immediately followed with a spinning backfist, throwing the surrounding enemies aside like they were flies. Vincent dodged the bullets with ease, retaliating with his own fatal shots from Cerberus' muzzle. Soldiers dropped everywhere, and once he finally got up and personal, the gold claw on his left arm clawed and tore until it took their last breaths.

In the midst of their retaliation against the soldiers, a bellowing explosion sounded near the tower, the dust and debris visible from the l'Cies' location. More screams and shouts erupted through the air, meaning one thing.

Serah jumped from the cache and turned in the direction of the tower. "Lightning," she let out in a breath of relief.

Once Vincent finished off the last soldier of the wave they just faced, he went back and urgently pushed Serah from the back, reminding her to go back to their previous formation. They caught up with TIfa, and together, the three of them made a beeline for the tower once more.

While they drew closer to the dark tower, more PSICOM forces barred their path, taking up the mantles of their fallen allies. The women mostly relied on their magicks as Vincent did his best to take down enemies with bullets, but their main focus was reaching the tower, for in the distance, they could make out Lightning and Cloud tag-teaming to ward off soldiers from the entrance they made on their own.

"Cloud!" Tifa shouted as she raced alongside Serah. "Lightning!"

With a hard shove from his boot, Cloud moved away from a fallen soldier before turning toward his friends. "Tifa!"

He went to take a step forward, but Lightning instantly moved to wrench him back, just in time to avoid the drones plummeting down on him from the skies. A Guardian Corp Jaeger towered above them, electric sparks humming with its rotating limb that threatened to skewer them.

Even from a distance, it was easy to see that they had their hands tied. Being this much closer to Snow, Vincent knew they had to break through fast, or else they could risk failing at this point. However, he was well aware much of their energy was already spent, and it wouldn't be wise to trek the tower while running low just before reaching Snow.

Thinking quickly, and hoping very much that it would work, he brought his hand close to his chest. He felt the l'Cie brand immediately read his thoughts, and a shimmering red glow burst through his hand. A crimson crystal shard began protruding from his chest, though he felt no pain that was unbearable. Once the fang-like crystal nestled into his palm, Vincent reeled his arm back, flinging the crystal before him.

In mid-air, the crystal shattered into thousands of pieces; flames instantly engulfed the space they occupied, a flurry lashing out in burning wisps until Ifrit emerged. His lance shot out to throw the soldiers off balance, clearing the path more than enough to give the l'Cie the advantage. A breath of flame erupted from the opening in his helmet, spewing in a wide arc just before Vincent and the others darted past.

Serah ran straight to her sister, who scooped her up and took her into the tower with no hesitance. Once Tifa and Vincent passed the threshold, Cloud unsheathed the main blade and raised it high in the air, slicing down to unleash a wave of energy toward the top of the opening. Debris and rubble crumbled down, blocking the entrance just as Ifrit came through, safe from harm.

The commotion was muffled from the outside, but as the seconds ticked by, the l'Cie knew it would take time for PSICOM to push through. Enough time for them to reach the top of the tower.

"Everyone good?" Cloud asked, a little out of breath.

Serah nodded, her head resting on Lightning's zipped up chest as she wrapped her arms around the soldier. Vincent glanced toward his Eidolon and nodded; the creature knelt down on one knee, bowing its head, just before turning transparent and fading away.

Once Tifa was able to catch her breath, she took a look around at the team. Bruised and gasping, they were nevertheless ready to continue on – whatever it took to get their friend back. They were this much closer to Snow, and they would be damned if they were stopped now.

Cloud tilted his head up, his eyes tracing the spiraling stairwell running along the cylindrical tower. The last obstacle in their way to regrouping as a team…or so they thought.

The sprint should have tired them out, but every step they took only invigorated them more. Serah's hands now and then violently shook – not from fatigue, but from anticipation. How would Snow be once they reached the top? Would he even be alive?

In spite of the dark windowless interior, light streamed in at the top of the stairway, their only guide in where to go. The closer they drew, the faster Serah ran, speeding past Lightning and Cloud at point to break out of the darkness first. At first, the brightness blinded her…but once the image before her cleared, the blood instantly drained from her face and limbs, and she was on the verge of collapsing at the sight.

"SNOW!"

He lay sprawled in the center of the floor, immobile but otherwise unharmed. Without thought, Serah sped out toward him, her arm already stretched out…

But a sudden shock paralyzed her entire being before she could even reach him. Her breath was swept out of her lungs, refusing to come back in; her knees buckled beneath the weight while sparks flashed along her skin. It was a few endless seconds until Serah finally collapsed to the ground, just as immobile as her fiancé.

The color drained from Lightning's face, her eyes never leaving Serah as she refused to move. "Serah!" Before she knew it, she darted across the floor, Cloud running side by side with her with a mirroring look of anguish on his face. Tifa and Vincent quickly followed, their sights set upon Snow a little farther away. As Lightning fell to her knees beside Serah, Cloud's eyes scanned the area, his grip tight on the main blade's handle.

It was suspicious from the start – not one PSICOM officer or Sanctum personnel was seen. With pursuit right on their heels just five minutes ago, it was illogical to just find Snow this easily. A strange shiver crept up Cloud's spine; it filled him with dread, yet the sensation was eerily familiar. His mind instantly flashed to the Planet, when he and his friends dedicated themselves to saving their home from Meteor; two nemeses stood in their paths every step of the way, manipulating the events to lead to the world's destruction. One was Sephiroth, who refused to release his grip on Cloud's pain. The other…the one that started it all…

Movement flashed from the corner of his eye.

He flipped the main blade into a backhand grip, his feet instinctively shifting him in front of the sisters. Tifa and Vincent managed to get Snow up into a sitting position when he finally began to stir.

"Cloud...It's…It's her…"

He didn't have time to register his words when a figure finally emerged in his line of sight. A striking woman with pale silver hair took graceful steps toward the team, her visage calm and unperturbed by the chaos surrounding her. As a soft white dress hugged her figure, she held her head high, yet not exactly attempting to subject the l'Cie to her power.

At first glance, the newcomer could have appeared to be innocent. Cloud dared to look up into her eyes….and saw otherwise. His grip on the main blade faltered. His limbs trembled. For a moment, the world disappeared around him, and he felt his entire being swallowed up in darkness once again.

Green cat-like eyes slowly drifted across the l'Cie, observing them with an ominous silence, forcing them to dread exactly what was running through her head. When they rested on Cloud, he felt his heart stop altogether, a searing pang spread from his chest as the painful memories rushed through him in an instant. The years of suffering sprang forth, refusing to fade away as just a memory. His bottom lip quivered, and for what seemed like eternity, he wanted to wake up from this impossible nightmare.

But the woman's dark smile told the truth.

"Long time no see, Cloud."

I haven't been keeping up with updating this story regularly, and where I'm taking it is hella dark and boring/dragging. My attempts at creating suspenseful scenarios and compelling plotlines need serious improvement. I feel like this sequel is darker and weaker than the The Vessel, mostly because this is the longest fanfic idea I've ever [planned to] written [/write]. I think it's also probably because this sequel's plotline doesn't really follow any of the main storylines; it's more like an interquel, so it's difficult for me to link the ending of XIII/DoC with XIII-2. I've been rewriting the backstory over and over again for it to make sense. So please bear with me if you find the story weird/stupid. And I know it's taking forever for me to get to plot development; it's hard for me to balance it with character development, which I don't think I'm doing a very good job with, either.