Here is the next installment of this fanfic again written by me and Blaid =) Hope you enjoyy this chapter where Snow gets his summon the Shiva sisters and Lights party are helped by someone unexpected by Hope especially.
Crystallized Lake Bresha, Echoes of the Past
Lightning looked about the PSICOM Soldiers as they took aim with Rifles at the group and waited for them to make the first move, suddenly a loud commotion came from the PSICOM reserve forces that were catching up behind them and Lightning gasped at what she saw, a large demonic beast launched itself forward and picked up a PSICOM Soldier in each hand before covering them in a globe of black energy. Once the Soldiers were dropped, the damage to their armour was extensive as their helmets were crushed and as were their body armour, Lightning didn't wait as she charged at a nearby PSICOM Soldier and slashed him causing him to fall away with a groan. Two PSICOM Soldiers took aim on Hope however a Shadow launched itself forwards and pierced the PSICOM Soldiers all the way through, a PSICOM Soldier took aim at the Shadow however the demonic beast from before grabbed the PSICOM Soldier whom kicked and screamed before meeting the same fate as his counterparts, when the Shadow's eyes met with Hope's he gasped.
"Good to see you, Hope" nodded the Shadow as he flicked the blood off his Golden Hair.
"Big Brother" muttered Hope and Lightning stood defensive beside Hope as she glared at the newcomer, Albion Estheim smiled coldly at his brother before looking at Lightning calmly, before giving her a nod.
"My, still the loose cannon? It's been awhile Light" smirked Albion Estheim as he stood at his full height while the beast from before came and stood next to Albion causing Albion to hold up his right arm "does Diabolus impress you?"
"That beast is Diabolus, that means…it's an Eidolon" gasped Lightning and Albion sighed before showing the L'Cie his right wrist, there rested two L'Cie Marks causing Hope to gasp, Albion lifted his arm up into the air causing Diabolus to turn to crystal before fusing with the L'Cie Marks.
"That is right, I was sent by a sponsor to make sure you L'Cie are unharmed, therefore I will be accompanying you until the right time we can meet up with Allied Forces!" announced Albion logically as he stepped towards the Airship "be ready…PSICOM will be waiting for us as we escape"
Lake Bresha
Snow yelled in pain as a solider whacked him across the head with the butt of their rifle before he grabbed the others leg and threw him into a crystallized wave which cracked on top of him. Snow chuckled to himself and grabbed the weapon as twenty or so more soldiers appeared before he lowered himself in a defenceless position. He then ran at the group but fell to the floor as his L`cie mark glowed a bright white color. The male grabbed the mark as a ball of water appeared which produced two females that destroyed the soldiers laying around Snow, they then turned towards him as he gulped and rolled out of their sight.
They laughed and one threw an ice spell at Snow who quickly grabbed up a shield from the floor to defend himself with. He was blown back but got to his feet rather quickly which made one of the sisters raise her eyebrows which turned into a smirk and a nod. The male looked at one sister who ran towards him with her hands ready to attack, Snow quickly grabbed a gun and shot at the female but the bullets had no effect on her whatsoever.
He frowned as she swung around and kicked him square in the face resulting in Snow crashing to the floor head first. The male muttered to himself and spat out a small amount of blood from his mouth as he turned to face the female. He picked up two rifles which lay close to him and ran towards the sister where he swung one at her legs knocking her backwards before he jumped into the air and slammed the butt of the other gun into her chest making her yell.
The other sister jumped off a crystallized wave that she had been sitting on just moments before and pulled her sister up to her side. The pair then ran at Snow who clenched his fists together and began to run at the females. As they were about to collide the male threw himself to the floor and the females were thrown into the air then crashed into the floor making Snow grin which disappeared as the females got up again.
"Dont you ever give up?" he asked the two females with a growl in his voice as he clenched his fists and remembered that he could perform spells too "Payback time"
The male laughed as he threw a ice spell from each hand at one sister who was thrown to the floor but didn't get back up. Snow then pushed his hands together and pulled them apart as he created an even ore powerful spell to use before the other female had a chance to get up again, which he threw at the standing sister who yelled as she fell defeated. The two sisters suddenly gripped hands and began to fuse together which made Snow take a few steps back as they transformed into a motorbike.
The vehicle then drove in front of Snow where it parked until he jumped onto it and punched his fist in the air, he knew what they were now. They were his summon, being a L`cie they all had a summon each and they had to earn their trust, he grinned as he realized that he had just done that before frowning as he noted that Hope would have one too. He had to get there before it appeared or it could kill Hope if he ends up on his own.
"Im coming Hope" he muttered to himself as he stared at the tattoo on his wrist which caused the Shiva sisters to disappear back into the mark.
Snow took a step forward towards where Lightning and took the rest of the group yet as soon as he did he felt a staff across his chest from behind him causing the male to frown and turn around to see who it was. It was a dark haired female who took the red staff away and smiled at him before two soldiers grabbed his arms causing him to struggle. The female sighed and pressed her hand to her forehead which she shook.
"Calm down boy, we arent here to hurt you so don't worry" she said with a smile before Snow felt his eyes getting heavy and begin to close before he fainted to the floor "Well not much"
She looked at the large male before gesturing towards the two males who held him, they began to drag him along the crystal lake towards a large ship that Fang and her soldiers had arrived on. She had heard about the Shiva sisters, they were a powerful summon and she was rather surprised that this new L`cie was able to beat them on his own, he must of had a good reason for surviving and a hell of a lot of luck. Fangs mouth opened slowly in shock before her face turned into a smirk as the male stirred, he was waking up, he was one strong male.
"Quick get him on the ship before he tries to get away and gets himself killed" she exclaimed to the other two soldiers who nodded and walked faster until all three of them were aboard.
As soon as the door began to close the ship took off upwards towards the bright sky. Fang would have to explain to Snow why he had to taken by them or knowing how he behaved earlier he would attack them too. Fang didn't need any other reasons to be moaned at, she had enough of them already and was frankly quite annoyed that she was but she had her own reason to be doing what she was doing. She needed to help save Vanille from a fate that was worse then death the only problems being that she had forgotten her old focus and she didn't know where Vanille even was.
She snapped out of her mind as she heard Snow yell from behind her, he wanted to know where he was and why they had him. Fang sighed and turned round twisting her staff along her hands as she went. She lowered herself to his height as he was seated before smirking and started to explain to the large male what it is that she and her group did for L`cie.
Once she had finished she stood up and let the large male sink the information before he got to his feet and grinned. He could help them and that way he would find Hope that much quicker, Snow walked a couple of steps so that he was only inches away from Fang who looked up to face him.
"Im in" smiled the male as he patted Fang on the head "Only until i find them"
She brushed him off and sighed before walking past him and towards another door "Cmon then"
Junkyard
The group were making progress through a junkyard of some sorts, Vanille had stopped skipping while Hope was completely exhausted. Lightning marched on in front with Albion close beside while Sazh was looking after the other two youngsters, keeping them going. He didn't like the fact they were a L`cie he hated that kids had been thrown into the uncommon fight.
"Can we rest for a bit?" he asked with a frown "They cant keep this up"
Lightning turned around and sighed before nodding and leaned against an old broken and rusty machine that she was close too. Vanille and Hope let themselves drop top the floor where they layed for a couple of minutes breathing heavily. Sazh sat down near them while the new comer Albion checked out the small group, analyzing each one in turn. He looked at their strengths and weaknesses before looking at the sky wondering if Fang had caught Snow yet.
After a few minutes Lightning rose from her leaning post and looked at the group before walking off again. Sazh got up and helped Vanille rise to her feet while Albion grabbed his brothers shoulder and pulled him up from the floor then walked towards Lightning while Sazh Vanille and Hope grouped together and took up the rear.
A machine of some sorts came running over swinging a blade towards them causing the group to act. Lightning held her sword in her hands and blocked the blade as it swung against her while Albion grinned at the sign of another fight. He swung his twin swords at the back of the machine while Vanille sent an aero spell which threw the machine into the three blades that were waiting for it.
Lightning and Albion grinned until a Dreadnought came marching towards the group sending a flame of fire at Hope who Sazh knocked out of harms way. Vanille ran to Lightnings side where Sazh joined them too. Hope hid behind a pile of broken machines where he watched the giant machine snarl at the small group below him.
Vanille waved her rod which extracted the wires at the machine who got smashed by them a few times before it swung its arm and grabbed the wires before it pulled. Vanille was thrown into the air and landed with a thud where her weapon soon joined the female. She groaned as she tried to get up while watching Lightning in a frenzy.
The ex soldier sent a series of slashes at the machine who took a step back yet carried on fighting. Sazh rolled across the floor as the machines arm swung past him and smashed into the floor which made it crack and the group fell through. Hope was also dragged down the hole where he landed on his face beside Vanille and Sazh yet Lightning and Albion still stood with their swords raised. The male threw himself into the air and swung his swords round which sent a blast from his weapons straight at the machines arm which knocked the attachment clean off. He landed with a grin and looked at Sazh who fired a series of bullets covered with fire from his L`cie magic knocking the other arm off.
The machine yelled a roar and sent a flame at Sazh who was thrown backwards and rolled across the floor to put his coat out as it was surrounded by flames. Hope ran to Vanilles side who smiled before the pair ran to Sazh and looked at the machine that now opposed the two soldiers. Lightning who was now quite frankly pissed off threw her sword at the machines neck then jumped towards it where she pushed the device into the neck line. Albion sniggered as he noticed what she was doing and dug his own swords to the other side of the neck.
It yelled and fell to the floor defeated where the two fighters pulled their swords from its neck which made the machine crackle for a few seconds until it finally went offline.
Vile Peaks, Mounds of Naught
"Pulse is crawling with thinks that, isn't it?" commented Sazh as he stepped away from the downed Dreadnought.
"Got me. Not even the Corps has access to Intel on Pulse. Soldiers in the field fight blind" shrugged Lightning as she looked on ahead.
"Yeah, I noticed that. But don't you need to know exactly what you're up against? Not that you or Albion need such information" added Sazh which Albion shrugged at.
"Target's a target" muttered Lightning simply.
"A soldier gets a mission and then they carry it out" added Albion as he leaned against a metal wall.
"You like to keep it simple, don't you?" asked Sazh pointedly.
"I stick to my goal" agreed Lightning and Albion grunted his affirmative.
"As long as you have a goal, you can fight?" wondered Hope before Lightning rounded on him.
"You can stay alive" answered Lightning and Albion nodded his agreement as he took front.
"Survival and animal instinct are a key part of a soldier, it's good to be smart, but good to have basic survival instinct…the will to live" ranted Albion before turning to the group "but enough of that, let's go and keep ahead of PSICOM!"
With Albion in the lead, the group of five headed towards a nearby lake with a crashed Pulse Warship which was half buried in the mud, it was there that gave the perfect chance for the group to consider their options.
"Not much of a future for us" complained Sazh as he looked out across the Lake.
"Hard to picture a happy ending" agreed Lightning as she stood next to Sazh while looking up at the sky while Albion leaned against the Airship's framework.
"We don't even know where to go" complained Sazh which Albion simply grinned as he looked up at what Lightning had been looking at previously.
"I do. There" nodded Lightning as she looked up at what she was looking at earlier.
"Eden? The Sanctum's seat of power Oh, that a great idea. Just charge right in there. Give them a taste of L'Cie terror!" chuckled Sazh but stopped when he noticed something "you're serious?"
"Keep running its die or turn Cie'th. There's no place for L'Cie to hide. No...They want a fight? Let's take it to the Sanctum's door!" announced Lightning and Albion gave an insane chuckle.
"Now we threaten priests, what fun! I always did like your plans, Light" smirked Albion as he stepped forwards however Sazh then snapped around on them.
"This isn't a game!" argued Sazh however he went quiet as soon as he noticed the cold flame in his eyes.
"I hate the Fal'Cie of the Sanctum, let Cocoon burn, let it get what has been coming to it" scowled Albion as he glared at Sazh "we are puppets on a string thanks to those Fal'Cie, maybe it should be the other way around, maybe they should kneel before ME!"
"This is a game? No. That's for damn sure. It started with Serah. The Fal'Cie took her. Now I'm a L'Cie. And the Sanctum's hunting me, an enemy of the state. But who's pulling their strings? A Fal'Cie. Eden. Cocoon's Sustainer and Guiding Light. It probably ordered the Purge, too. Pulse and Sanctum Fal'Cie? There are all the same. And were' all the same to them: expendable. I'm not dying a Fal'Cie slave" announced Lightning simply as she paced away from the group.
"So? What are you going to do?" asked Sazh as he considered his own options.
"Destroy it" answered Lightning simply.
"There is something I want destroyed on Eden, something I need Ragnarok for, Ragnarok is needed to destroy the seed of the Fal'Cie's power and allow my Artificial Fal'Cie to take over to strip the Sanctum and Pulse Fal'Cie of their immunity to all but Ragnarok!" announced Albion as he walked past Lightning "therefore, Light's Goal coincides with my own"
"By yourself? What, are the two of you crazy? Say you pull it of...What's that get you? Satisfaction? Something happen to Eden, its lights out Cocoon!" countered Sazh but gasped when he noticed something "You want that. You're a Pulse L'Cie now, so you just want to snuff out Cocoon!"
"No! What about Serah? She said to save Cocoon! It might even be our Focus to make sure Cocoon stays " started Vanille however Lightning cut her off.
"Our Focus doesn't matter. I don't take orders from Fal'Cie. How I live is up to me!" countered Lightning causing Albion to grin deviously.
"Don't you mean how you die?" added Sazh and Albion went back to glaring at him.
"Think like that, and it's already over. Better to pick up your path and keep moving. Don't worry. I'm after Sanctum. I'm not out to destroy the world. If it did come to that, wonder if our 'hero' would try to stop me?"
"You want to fight Snow now? Just like that, and you're enemies?" asked Sazh however Lightning shook her head while Hope stared to each person with a nervous expression.
"Only if he gets in my way, next time we meet, we might be too" countered Lightning as she walked off.
"Come along" smirked Albion as he pulls Hope along "you want to be able to fight, don't you? Then stick with me and Light"
"But i" started Hope causing Albion to guess what Hope was about to say.
"But you don't have a weapon" answered Albion before pulling something out of his pack "here you can use this for now, it's a combat boomerang, called Sky Shark"
Albion ran after Light with Hope close behind and as though she had noticed them she came to a stop and waited for them to catch up, Hope came to a stop panting while Albion skidded to a stop just past Light, and he sighed as he turned to face her.
"We're going with you" breathed Hope and Albion agreed.
"He wants to get stronger and to travel with us is the greatest choice he can make down that path" shrugged Albion but tensed as he saw soldiers appear.
"Great, a PSICOM hit Squad" announced Lightning as she got defensive, suddenly the Commander of the hit squad pressed a button causing the area behind them to collapse as an explosion lit up the metalwork.
"First fight isn't gonna be easy Hope" sneered Albion as he drew out his swords and ran forward.