Final Fantasy XIII
Part One: The Hanging Edge
Chapter 2: Fields of War
Summary: Suspect citizens of Cocoon are wrenched from their tranquil existence and threatened with exile to the world of Pulse. The Purge has begun.
The 'land below' is said to crawl with unknown perils, and terrified citizens begin to rebel against the Purge. A revolt also occurs on the train transporting Purge deportees, as Lightning's battle against the guards galvanizes the other prisoners into action.
The train comes to a halt in the district of the Hanging Edge – now a hellish war zone where soldiers open fire indiscriminately upon civilians.
Lightning makes her way through the middle of the conflict, all but ignoring her uninvited companion, Sazh. She seems determined to press onwards even when the path before her is destroyed by military strikes.
Lightning and Sazh had just finished their battle against the powerful, military controlled weapon, the Manasvin Warmech and had jumped down from the now completely wrecked and beyond salvageable train down on to a long stretch of pathway that goes round the entire area that is the Hanging Edge. Lightning, without hesitation started walking down the pathway without a care in the world, feeling ready for whatever was waiting for her up ahead knowing that she could take it on. Sazh however wasn't as optimistic as the former soldier and said "Are you sure we can go through here?"
Lightning ignored her travelling companion and continued to walk on not caring whether Sazh was worried or not and not caring whether if he actually followed her. Lightning was only concerned about one thing, and she wasn't going to let anyone get in her way, she would get the most important person in her life back no matter what it would take. Sazh didn't expect to get a reply from the former soldier but knowing that he probably needed her to get out of here alive, he continued following the former soldier as she went further into the torn and battled war ground known as the Hanging Edge.
As the two Purge deportees made their way through the Hanging Edge, planes and other forms of aircraft swept through the air dropping bombs left, right and centre trying to cut off other deportees modes of transport or the path they were travelling so the soldiers sent to stop them could either catch or kill them. Or so that bombs would kill the deportees themselves, their task was to bring them in dead or alive, it didn't matter to the Sanctum.
Lightning and Sazh continued onwards, and as they did they spotted two Sanctum soldiers similar to the ones that were on the Purge Train that took them to the Hanging Edge. Both of these soldiers were given the rank, PSICOM Warden, however that rank unbeknownst to Sazh was a very low rank in the military, as does the green uniform that they both wore, they are grunt soldiers either new to the military as it is where everyone starts or they just have very bad combat or technical skills or intelligence which is why they are still grunts.
Both soldier's wielded two machine guns and realising that Lightning and Sazh weren't going to surrender they started firing at the two deportees. Lightning easily dodged looking very graceful, whereas Sazh also dodged but tripped on his own two feet as he did so. Lightning ran up to one of the two soldiers and slashed and then impaled him on her Gunblade and then turned to the other soldier and fired a few bullets out of her Gunblade at him, one in the leg, one in the shoulder and the killing blow in the centre of the stomach. Lightning was right when she thought that she didn't need to worry about the Hanging Edge, these soldiers to her were child's play.
Sazh had recovered from his trip and had watched as Lightning had easily dispatched the two soldiers, in awe of the younger woman's strength. Sazh walked over to where Lightning was standing, which was next to a grey circle with a blue portal in the middle, floating in the air which caused Sazh to ask "What do you suppose this is? Army leaving its toys out here?" Lightning ignored the ex-pilot again and continued on her way down the Hanging Edge with Sazh following behind her, his pistols out ready wanting to prove to Lightning he wasn't dead weight and leave him behind. If she left him behind, he knew that he was finished and would die right there in the war torn desolate landscape.
The two of them continued onwards, hoping to find something useful for Lightning's case so that she could again access to a certain area that was currently being hidden by the military and Sazh was looking for a lucky escape but also was actually wondering where the same area as Lighting's was. But neither of them knew that yet, as the two of them continued on.
The duo came across two more PSICOM Warden's and Lightning and Sazh both used their firing weapons as they both dodged a stream of four bullets each and pulled out their weapons as Lightning used the 'Gun' part of her Gunblade and shot through the soldier's visor and straight between the eyes, whilst Sazh sent a few bullets each from both pistols into the stomach of the other warden. Lightning didn't show it on her face but was only very slightly impressed at the fact that her companion had actually killed a person, but because he carried a weapon on him, she knew that he might've been experienced in using a weapon in some form.
Lightning and Sazh once more made their way forward and came across three more soldiers, one of them a PSICOM Warden which they knew were easily dispatchable but there were two new soldiers with him known as PSICOM Enforcers which both wielded rods that were used for disabling weapons or knocking people out.
Lightning quickly dashed through the pathway and past the two Enforcers and impaled the Warden killing him instantly. Meanwhile because their backs were turned, shocked at the speed that Lightning travelled at Sazh loaded his pistols and fired several rounds into the backs of the two soldiers also killing them instantly. As much as he didn't like hurting people, Sazh knew that if he wanted to get out of the Hanging Edge he would have to take any means necessary.
The two of them after finishing their opponents off and Lightning swiping the blood off of her Gunblade moved on and jumped over the mound of blocks that had been created by broken rubble. Once over on the other side Lightning walked over to a nearby sphere floating in the air and opened it revealing a Potion, which she immediately pocketed in case she needed it later against the enemies.
As the two of them moved on ahead they noticed another summoning portal device and a soldier standing by it with a machine gun in his hands ready to take on anyone who tried to get through or resisted capture. Sazh turned to Lightning and said "Not wanting to get Purged I get. But taking on trained soldiers?" Lightning continued to stare ahead and replied saying "Better to die than get sent to Pulse. It's hell without the brimstone." As the two deportees conversed the soldier activated a panel on his armour which summoned two robotic dogs from the portal. "Yeah, well Hell's not sounding too bad. 'Cause this place ain't exactly paradise." Sazh said as he noticed the monsters summoned by the portal. "Domesticated peacekeepers. Nothing to worry about." Lightning replied to Sazh trying to ease his fear. "Maybe not for soldier girl, but – hey!"
Sazh started to say but Lightning started her attack on the PSICOM Warden and the two Pantheron's. Lightning quickly used her Blitz attack on the group of three and Sazh finished the Warden off with two shots from his pistols. They used the same strategy but with a slight difference as Lightning only slashed the Pantheron's and then Sazh shot them eliminating them easily.
After the battle was over, Lightning went up a small flight of stairs and opened another treasure sphere and received two more Potions, which she decided to pocked one for herself and gave the other to Sazh who also pocketed his not needing to heal himself just yet. The two continued on and jumped over a series of blocks set up by soldiers and came across another PSICOM Enforcer and a new aerial soldier called a PSICOM Aerial Recon. Sazh shot at the aerial soldier trying to force it down to the ground whilst Lightning slashed the Enforcer killing it. Once she was finished seeing Sazh had, had no luck she flipped into the air appearing straight in front of the soldier and shot it straight between the eyes killing it instantly.
Lightning landed back on the ground in front of Sazh who was once again in awe of her skills and they continued on, up a flight of stairs and there was a third treasure sphere which Lightning opened to reveal an Iron Bangle, it was a very common accessory as she was wearing one at the moment herself and so she passed it to Sazh and equipped it immediately increasing his HP. Lightning then went down another flight of stairs, up another flight and then down once again and picked up 50 Gil from the nearby treasure sphere. The duo once again were engaged in battle, this time with two Warden's and one Enforcer which they easily defeated and continued down the path they were walking on.
Lightning and Sazh noticed a PSICOM Warden and another Pantheron and Lightning said "Pre-emptive strike," realising that the soldier hadn't noticed them and began charging at the two enemies. The Pantheron however growled which got the soldiers attention who charged at them as well and said "Rebels." Sazh sighed and said "So much for the element of surprise." Lightning jumped and Blitzed the two enemies and Sazh finished off the warden with two bullets whilst Lightning finished off the Pantheron with two slashes from the Gunblade.
After the battle was finished, the two of them moved on and then it happened…, a giant bomb was dropped down on the platform they were on causing a giant crater that prevented them from getting to the other side. Sazh wondering what to do next said "Do we turn back?" Lightning simply replied "There's no time." Sazh still confused said "Then what do you suggest we do?" Lightning cut off him off with a curt "Quiet!"
Lightning walked forward so she was standing on the very edge of the platform and clicked her fingers so she began hovering in the air. Noticing what she was up to, Sazh ran over to her and grabbed hold of her saying "Hey! Wait! No, no don't leave me!" Lightning started fighting Sazh off saying "Let go!" Sazh retorted by saying "Hell no, you're my only way out of here!" Lightning eventually won by punching Sazh in the chest, followed by a blow to the chin sending him down to the floor in a heap. Lightning tried clicking her fingers again but it didn't work, sighing in anger at what just happened.
Sazh then noticed something across the landscape and said "Hey, that might get us across! Right there!" Lightning turned around to a see a flying platform moving closer to the two of them. "Right?" Sazh asked. Lightning sighed again and said "Looks that way." Sazh ran onwards saying "Leave this to me," and Lightning followed behind but covered Sazh as he moved on ahead and she dealt with three Pantheron's and a PSICOM Enforcer which she dealt with three Blitzes one after another easily eliminating her opponents.
Lightning then rejoined Sazh on a circular platform and activated a switch which moved the platform and took them straight over to the big flying platform which Sazh had noticed less than five minutes earlier. The two of them walked onto the platform and headed towards the mechanical mechanism which controlled where it went where they were greeted by two PSICOM Wardens and a PSICOM Marauder.
"Deportees, are we? Weapons down. I'd hate for this to turn ugly," he said revealing his own weapon in return as the two Wardens revealed their weapons as well. Sazh turned to Lightning and said "Uh,… 'turn ugly'?" Lightning replied saying "He wants to kill us without a fight," and she pulled out her Gunblade whilst Sazh un-holstered his two pistols. "Time's up!" the Marauder said and charged at the two of them. He slashed his blade against Lightning's and the two Wardens went to attack Lightning whilst she was distracted but were shot by Sazh's pistols and then were finished when the two pistols were combined to create a rifle and they were both shot in the head. Meanwhile, Lightning managed to separate the handle and the blade itself and then rammed her Gunblade through the marauder killing him and quickly ending the battle.
Once the battle had finished, Sazh had walked over to the control part of the platform and said "So, soldier… What's your angle?" Sazh pressed a few buttons and said "What, is it classified military info? What's it matter? You quit, didn't you? You think I'm gonna go out there and just tell everybody your secret?" Lightning then said something Sazh would never've expected "The Pulse Fal'Cie." Sazh looked shocked and said "What?" Lightning faced Sazh directly and said " My 'angle.' I'm after the Fal'Cie."
Lightning finished the job that Sazh had started as he had gone into shock and had stopped moving and talking. The platform then came back to life and started flying off. Lightning then bitterly said "Still happy you tagged along?" Lightning then walked off and Sazh muttered under his breath, "Didn't have a choice." The flying platform continued its trip and Lighting and Sazh stood idle at separate parts of the platform wondering what was going to happen next.
Author's Note: Sorry for the wait, but I was just planning out what do with the story in my head and on a piece of paper and I think I've figured out what do with the most of the story just wondering how to write Gran Pulse, Eden and Orphan's Cradle. The latter two become a lot harder as I am about half way through Eden and I've never actually completed the game fully but I'm sure I will've finished the game by the time I get to that point. Anyway hope you enjoyed the chapter and I will hopefully update two more chapters today and be halfway through with part one of thirteen. Till Next Time, The Fantasy Man.