Chapter 7

Lightning and Hope stared blankly at Odin, clearly at a loss for words over the bizarre development. After a few moments, Lightning managed to find her voice.

"Odin…? What the fuck is going on?" she asked, bewildered. Hope remained silent, looking between Lightning and the eidolon and trying to assess the situation. Odin took a step forward, causing them both to tense, Lightning raising her gunblade menacingly.

"Relax," he said to them. "I know this is a lot to handle on top of everything you've been through in the past few days, but please, bare with me for a little longer. You obviously have questions, and I will answer them, but for now you need to trust me."

"Trust you? This is ridiculous; you think that just by showing up looking like Odin we'll let our guard down for you to slit our throats?" Lightning asked, not lowering her weapon.

"I understand you're reluctance, but I assure you that I am Odin. I'm still you're eidolon, and we share a connection because of that," he told her firmly. "Look inside yourself, and you'll know that I'm telling the truth."

Lightning stared at him for several moments, and eventually lowered her weapon. Hope relaxed beside her.

Odin offered a small nod to Lightning and turned, gesturing them to follow him. "We have much to discuss." The eidolon proceeded through the tunnel, Lightning and Hope following behind him.

"You're sure this guy is the real thing, right?" Hope whispered to Lightning. Not having felt whatever Lightning had to make her trust the eidolon, Hope was still on edge. "I mean, this is a little too weird. He just comes out of nowhere without being summoned and starts talking to us… it doesn't make any sense."

Before Lightning could answer, Odin interjected, apparently having heard Hope's whispered reservations. "Have you never wondered where we go when we're not fighting beside you?" Odin said with a tone of amusement in his voice.

"I guess not," Hope answered, looking confused.

"So," Lightning spoke up, trying to ease Hope's worries. "This is another ark? Does that mean we're here to get stronger?"

"Among other things," Odin responded. "The legends regarding much of what exists on Gran Pulse have become quite….convoluted over the centuries. Arks are much, much more than training ground for l'Cie. This ark," he continued, gesturing at his surroundings, "is one of the last of its kind that still retains any of its functions."

They continued walking and eventually exited the tunnel into a spacious, well lit room. Hope and Lightning looked around in awe. Compared to the derelict ark they had explored six years ago, this one seemed all the more impressive. Its condition was pristine and the place was free of the slavering monstrosities that had inhabited the fifth ark. Most of all, however, was the power about the place. The walls hummed with magic, and Hope and Lightning could feel it. They were in a living relic from Pulse's past.

Odin led them through a smaller door off of the room they were in. They walked through several corridors and eventually came out into what appeared to be a hall of relics. Murals lined the walls on either side of the room, which stretched on almost as long as the tunnel they had crossed when they had first arrived. Pedestals sat in front of the murals, some of them holding plaques inscribed with what was probably the written language of Pulse while others held various artifacts, from ancient armor and weapons to mysterious objects emanating magic.

"One of the functions of the arks is to preserve the true history of Gran Pulse. This is one of the last undisturbed reliquaries in existence. The murals you see depict some of the most important events that shaped Pulse, and the artifacts are pieces of that history," Odin explained to them as he led them over to the first mural.

"Wait," Lightning said, and Odin turned to her. "You said you can answer all of our questions…so you must know something about our focus. Our cie'th timer is ticking…I'm sorry but we don't really have time for a history lesson."

"You don't have to worry about that," the eidolon assured her. "Your brands are frozen; you won't become cie'th."

Lightning touched the spot on her chest where her brand lay. "If we don't have a focus, then why did our brands come back? You're the reason we have them, aren't you?" she demanded.

"Yes," Odin replied. "We are responsible for returning your brands. You are the only ones who can stop the being responsible for the events six years ago."

Lightning and Hope looked at each other in alarm. "But we already defeated Orphan and Barthandelus," Hope said.

"Orphan and Barthandelus," Odin responded grimly, "were just pawns. As were you. The true orchestrator of the fall of Cocoon and the one who threatens you now, is Anima."

"Anima…" Hope said to himself. "Isn't that the…"

"Yes," the eidolon repeated. "Anima is the fal'Cie who first branded you…or so you thought."

"I don't understand," Lightning said. "What are you talking about? What does Anima have to do with this?"

"That," said a deep, rumbling voice "is a complicated tale. One best started at the beginning." Hope's eyes widened. He knew who the speaker was even before he turned to see the hulking figure walking towards them from the far end of the room.

"Alexander…" Hope murmured as the second eidolon approached them.

"That is why we brought you here first," Alexander continued, looming over the rest of them. As he spoke, Hope and Lightning could feel the vibrations from his heavy bass voice. "To understand Anima, you must first learn the history of Gran Pulse."

Hope looked interested in what they had to say, but Lightning was skeptical. "Who the hell are you?" she demanded of the eidolons. "You fight beside us those years ago without mentioning any of this, and now you tell us we were being used. Then you give us our powers back when the shit hits the fan again and expect us to let you lead us around like dogs to clean up the mess?"

"Light…" Hope started, trying to calm her down.

Odin let out a sigh. "I suppose you have a point. Alexander and I, and the rest of the eidolons that your friends commanded, are the last of the Menhirrim, the guardians of Gran Pulse. We helped you because you are the only ones who have a chance of defeating Anima, and we returned your power so that you could finish this once and for all."

"It can't hurt to hear them out," Hope said to her.

"Fine," Lightning relented. "Let's hear it."

Odin nodded and gestured at the first mural next to them. It depicted a desolate and broken landscape underneath a barren sky. "Countless millennia ago," he began, "Gran Pulse was a world of unimaginable horrors, far worse than it is now. The few humans who existed at the time had to struggle every day for survival in an unforgiving environment. Worst of all, the land was plagued by immensely powerful beings known as Espers. The Espers were manifestations of the chaotic forces of nature, and they roamed the planet slaughtering people in droves."

"So all in all, not a nice to place to live," Lightning muttered, drawing a small chuckle from Hope, which he quickly tried to cover with a fake cough.

"Until Ultima arrived," Alexander rumbled at her. "I believe you know him as the Maker. Ultima's origins are a mystery, as is why he came to Gran Pulse. It is clear, however, that he was a fal'Cie of incredible power."

"The Maker was a fal'Cie?" Hope asked in disbelief.

"Indeed," Odin said, as he moved to the next mural. This one showed a glowing white orb descending from the sky. Several small people were shown looking up at the orb in awe and reverence. "Ultima apparently felt sorry for the beleaguered natives of Pulse and decided to use his power to cultivate the world into a livable place. While he set about to reshape the harsh world, he tasked the leader of the humans with domesticating the wild Espers. Ultima granted the man his power, making him a l'Cie. This man was called Anima." The next mural showed a man with a small spiky l'Cie brand on his chest, similar to the ones Hope and Lightning wore.

"Anima was…a l'Cie?" Lightning asked, now interested in the history lesson.

"The first," Odin replied. "Anima set about his task, and with his new power, eventually succeeded. The tamed Espers became the Pulse fal'Cie you are familiar with. As Ultima used his power to reforge the world, the Espers became its caretakers." They moved to another mural, showing a vastly different Pulse, full of green. Several large creatures were depicted in it, and Lightning thought she recognized the now dead Atomos among them.

"With his focus complete," Alexander continued as they looked to the next mural, where Anima was shown encased in crystal. "Anima entered crystal stasis. Shortly after this, Ultima created the Menhirrim to act as the protectors of Gran Pulse. To this end, they constructed the arks for use in times of war." The next three murals detailed what Alexander had told them. "Under Ultima and the Menhirrim, Gran Pulse became a paradise, and all forms of life flourished."

"From time to time over the next few millennia, Ultima would wake Anima from crystal slumber in times of need, often to lead the Menhirrim against enemies of Pulse," Odin told them. "However, Anima was beginning to resent the use to which he was being put. He grew tired of only being awakened to fight, and tired of being rewarded for his service with continued imprisonment in crystal stasis. Anima came to believe that Ultima had stolen Gran Pulse from the people, that he saw them only as playthings to do with what he wished."

Hope and Lightning glanced at each other, and they knew they were both thinking the same thing. They had come to the same conclusion on Cocoon. They had chosen to rebel against their fal'Cie keepers, to take back their fates.

Alexander began to speak, his deep voice regaining their attention. "Ultima did not realize the nearly limitless potential of l'Cie. Eventually, Anima became powerful enough to break free of his crystal stasis by himself. Unbeknownst to Ultima, he began to reach out to the Espers that he himself had tamed. Offering them the freedom they once had, the Espers joined Anima. With them on his side, Anima began his war to challenge Ultima." The murals on the wall took on a darker tone. They saw Espers fighting the Menhirrim, often accompanied by the same man who was becoming the focus of the paintings.

"The Menhirrim fought against Anima and his minions in a conflict that lasted centuries. Ultima did not take part directly in the fighting, putting his faith in his servants to quell the uprising." Alexander let out what was unmistakably a heavy sigh. "But Anima was not Ultima's greatest champion for nothing. We could not break the stalemate. The constant struggles began to affect Pulse, causing extreme damage to the world and its inhabitants."

Alexander turned forlornly to the murals on the wall, which had become much more violent, depicting colossal battles between the Menhirrim and the Espers. Odin put a hand on Alexander's shoulder, or at least the highest part on the towering eidolon's arm that he could reach. As Alexander was lost in bad memories, Odin continued the story.

"Amidst the fighting, Anima learned that he could absorb the power of his Esper minions. This proved to be the turning point of the war. Anima sacrificed many of his servants, and his own already formidable power increased exponentially. With his newfound strength, Anima decimated the Menhirrim. He hunted us down, destroying or disabling nearly all of our arks. With his servants at the brink of extinction, Ultima finally joined the war."

"By the time Ultima and Anima met in battle, Anima had killed and stolen the power of enough Espers that his strength was a match for Ultima's. A terrible battle was waged, one that did more damage to Gran Pulse than all of the centuries of fighting that had preceded it. Although Anima's power was great, Ultima eventually succeeded in defeating him, stripping him of his power and imprisoning him within the vestige that you eventually found him in." The next several murals were dedicated to the fight, the last showing the familiar form of the Pulse vestige that had been the source of the whole ordeal six years ago.

"The victory came at a great cost, however," Alexander said, rejoining the conversation. "Ultima was forced to use too much of his power to defeat Anima. After the battle was over, Ultima was lost, and his power shattered. Ultima's essence was split into twelve forms, or aspects, each of which became a fal'Cie. Ultima's body, now an empty shell, eventually became Cocoon, the moon in the sky over Gran Pulse."

Lightning and Hope were stunned by the information. Seeing their expressions, Odin gave them a small smile. "I know this is all a bit much to take in, but it is the truth," he told them.

"With Ultima gone, the few remaining Menhirrim took it upon themselves to make sure that Anima remained imprisoned. The statues that aided you on your first journey through Taejin's Tower are those who sacrificed their forms in order to pour their strength into the task," Odin explained. "We, along with the others who acted as your companions' eidolons, are the last of the Menhirrim who retain their true forms."

"As for the fal'Cie who were born from Ultima's power…they had no memory or knowledge of their origin," Alexander said. "Eventually, they were all drawn to Cocoon, for reasons they did not understand. There, they began to cultivate a Utopian society, a shadow of what Ultima had achieved on Gran Pulse. Without Ultima's guidance, Gran Pulse itself began to devolve back to its savage origins. The remaining Espers similarly degenerated into the mindless beasts that are Pulse fal'Cie today."

"Anima, however," Odin continued, "Did not lose his mind. He sought a way to escape from the prison that Ultima had sealed him in, and finding a way to do so became his sole ambition. The only sure way he knew of to free himself was to reunite the twelve aspects of Ultima and use that power to free himself. If he could accomplish that, he would be able to regain his own strength on top of Ultima's and shape Gran Pulse to his will. He also knew that he would not be able to reunite the aspects while Cocoon, Ultima's former shell, still remained intact. Either way, for him to move forward, he would have to go to Cocoon."

"At this time, Cocoon was thriving. Ultima's aspects turned the place into a paradise for the humans that lived there. They were the fal'Cie who provided everything the colony could need. Eden, the aspect of life; Orphan the aspect of death; Carbuncle, the aspect of creation; Barthandelus, the aspect of destruction; Phoenix, the aspect of fire; Leviathan, the aspect of water; Typhoon, the aspect of wind; Hashmal, the aspect of earth; Kujata, the aspect of lightning; Mateus, the aspect of ice; Madeen, the aspect of light; and Zalera, the aspect of darkness. Each of these fal'Cie represented a portion of the power that Ultima had once used to remake and govern Gran Pulse, and they used that power to provide for Cocoon."

"Like on Gran Pulse, the balance between the forces that the fal'Cie represented was what allowed Cocoon to thrive. The fal'Cie representing the primal forces of nature existed independently, but the others existed in symbiosis with one another to maintain that balance. Life and death, creation and destruction, and light and darkness. If any of these aspects were to become too powerful and upset the bond between themselves and their counterpart, it would do a great deal of harm to Cocoon. It was in this that Anima saw his opportunity."

"As he did with crystal stasis," Alexander rumbled, "Anima found a way to escape his confinement, if only slightly. We believe because he was Ultima's l'Cie, and therefore shared a connection with Ultima and his remnants, he was able to reach out and communicate with the…darker aspects, specifically Zalera. It seems that Anima revealed the truth of Zalera's origins to him, and somehow convinced the aspect to aid him in his schemes. He was able to give Zalera some of the power he had left, which allowed Zalera to break free of his bond with Madeen, the aspect of light, and subdue her. Free to do what he wished, Zalera helped Anima to orchestrate the War of Transgression. Anima and Zalera reached out to the other aspects that would most likely assist them, Orphan and Barthandelus. They assisted them in breaking free of their bond to their opposing aspects, but the two apparently did not trust them with the truth of their plans. Orphan and Barthandelus became pawns of Anima and Zalera."

"Under Anima's instructions," Odin said, "Zalera branded two Pulsians as l'Cie, tasking them to attack Cocoon. The two chosen were, as you know, your friends Fang and Vanille. The two succeeded as far as Anima planned them to. In the chaos caused by their attack, Zalera and Barthandelus were able to break the Menhirrim's hold over Anima and bring him to Cocoon. Anima was freed of his jailors, but was still entrapped by Ultima's power. The only thing he could do after that was wait."

"Wait?" Hope asked. "Wait for what?"

"For us," Lightning answered. "He had to wait for people he thought would be strong enough to destroy Orphan."

"That's correct," Odin said. "The aspects of Ultima could not destroy each other, and Anima, with his power sealed by his imprisonment, did not have the strength to do so. Their only option was to use l'Cie to do it. Over the five hundred years that passed after the War of Transgression, Cocoon began to decay just as Gran Pulse had. With the balance between the aspects destroyed, Cocoon had become unstable. Anima knew that if Orphan was killed, Eden would no longer be able to support the colony. Ultima's shell would be destroyed and the aspects would be liberated from their fal'Cie forms, leaving him able to complete his plan."

"But Cocoon wasn't destroyed, it was just crystallized," Lightning said.

"We interfered," Alexander told them. The Menhirrim who had once guarded Anima sacrificed themselves, and when the time was right, we used their power to allow Fang and Vanille to become Ragnarok and save Cocoon. The aspects however, were freed of their fal'Cie forms."

"But with Cocoon still around, Anima can't free himself," Hope reasoned.

"Which brings us to the current situation," Lightning finished.

"Indeed," Odin replied.

"So…how did you restore our l'Cie powers? And why now, after six years?" Lightning asked.

The two eidolons began to walk away, gesturing Lightning and Hope to follow. "Come with us," Odin said, "And we will tell you."

XXXXX

Serah, Snow, Sazh, and Bartholomew sat in their cell, their expressions showing a wide variety of emotions. Serah was looking miserable, sitting on a cot next to her husband, who held her in a firm embrace. While he tried to comfort her, Snow stared up at the ceiling, a look of anger and frustration on his face. Sazh sat on the floor, his back up against the wall and his arms resting on his knees. His eyes were closed, his face locked in a pensive mask. Bartholomew sat on a cot on the opposite side of the room, his face in his hands, agonizing over his son's fate.

"Hope…" Bartholomew said aloud.

Snow looked over at his cellmate, wiping the anger off of his face to try and comfort the man. "I told ya, already, those two are tough. They can take care of themselves."

"I know…" Bartholomew said, raising his head and gripping his knees angrily. "But we don't know anything about what's going on, we don't know anything about what kind of danger they are facing…we don't even know if they are still alive…" he trailed off.

"They're still alive, I'm sure of it," Snow said firmly.

"How can you know that?" Bartholomew asked dejectedly.

"Relax, Bartholomew," came a voice as their cell door opened. The four of them looked up to see Rufus enter the room. "The buffoon is quite right. Your son and his companion are still alive."

The four of them let out sighs of relief at this news, even Snow, despite his previous confidence that he knew they were okay.

"Where are they?" Serah asked.

"I'm afraid we don't know," Rufus said to her.

"So you're here to try and make us to tell you, right?" Snow said angrily, cracking his knuckles. "We wouldn't tell you even if we knew."

Rufus chuckled. "I'm well aware that you don't know where they are, Mr. Villiers."

"Then why are you keeping us here?" Serah asked.

"We're leverage," Sazh said, getting up. "When Lightning and Hope show up again, you threaten to kill us to make them cooperate. Am I right?"

"I'm glad you understand the situation," Rufus said, offering him a nod. He turned to leave, but Bartholomew stopped him.

"Why the hell are you doing all of this? What could you hope to gain?" he asked him.

"I am doing what is best for the people of this city," Rufus said, turning back to them. "If the death of those l'Cie makes them safer, I'll gladly kill them myself."

At this, Snow was unable to restrain himself. He lunged at Rufus, fist raised ready to shatter the man's skull. He was surprised however, when he was blasted off his feet with a flash of light. Snow managed to pull himself up, and they all looked at Rufus in shock, a l'Cie brand pulsing angrily on his arm.

"What the hell?" Snow exclaimed, getting to his feet.

"Fools," Rufus said as he pulled his sleeve back down to cover up the mark. "You have no idea what kind of forces are at work in all this. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have an important meeting to attend to." He left the room, the cell door closing behind him, while the four friends were left to contemplate what had just happened.

XXXXX

"You're late, Rufus!" Heidegar complained loudly as Rufus entered the council chambers. "You call this meeting out of nowhere and then show up half an hour late…this better be good."

"Did you get anything out of those prisoners?" another man asked him, causing the rest of the council to look at Rufus expectantly.

"Not yet," Rufus replied calmly, taking his seat. "I called this meeting at the request of a former acquaintance of mine." He gestured towards a door on the other side of the room.

The door opened, revealing a tall figure draped in a long cloak. As the gathered council realized who the newcomer was, their eyes widened in shock and their mouths were hanging open as they struggled to find their voices. Even Heidegar was at a loss for words.

"I believe you are all familiar with the former Primarch, Cid Raines."

XXXXX

Odin and Alexander led Hope and Lightning through another series of corridors off of the hall of reliquaries. They walked in silence for nearly an hour before the two eidolons stopped in front of a large door. Alexander pushed it open and they entered.

The room was sizable, but smaller than the ones they had visited so far. As they walked in, Lightning looked around, searching for something that would indicate why they were here. Distracted by her search, she bumped into Hope, who had stopped suddenly in front of her.

"Light….it's," Hope stammered, staring across the room. Curious, Lightning looked past him, and she froze. On the far side of the room, encased in a block of crystal, were the forms of Fang and Vanille.

"Fang…Vanille…" Lightning whispered. She turned to Odin, who had walked up to her crystallized companions. "What is this? Why are they here?"

"We recovered them from the crystal spire of Cocoon shortly after it fell. We recovered them so that we could use these." Odin gestured towards a small alter in front of the crystal block that neither Hope nor Lightning had noticed. Sitting on top of it, Lightning saw, were two orbs the size of her first. One was glowing a soft, pale green, the other a light purple.

"What are they?" Lightning asked.

"These orbs contain the essences of two aspects of Ultima. Eden, the aspect of life," he gestured at the green one, "and Kujata, the aspect of lightning," he indicated the purple one. "We used them to return your powers to you."

"How?" Hope asked, looking from the orbs to the crystal forms of their long lost friends.

"The reason we needed Fang and Vanille was because they shared a connection to you," Alexander told them. "You were branded by the same fal'Cie, Zalera, and shared a focus. Such things forge powerful bonds. Anima does not know of our existence. That is the reason that we did not tell you any of this six years ago. Anima and his minions were keeping a close eye on you; if they had learned that any Menhirrim still existed, let alone were so close to the l'Cie that their plans depended on, all would have been lost. Once Anima reached Cocoon, there was nothing we could do to stop him. Our only option…was to let his plans proceed and wait for our window of opportunity."

"…what does any of that have to do with why you needed Fang and Vanille?" Lightning asked. She was startled by the sudden emotion that had crept into the eidolon's deep voice…it sounded like…regret.

"Branding someone as a l'Cie creates powerful ripples of magic, ripples that Anima would easily be able detect," Odin explained. "If we had left the ark with the essences of Eden and Kujata to brand you in person, he would have sensed the surge of power from the two aspects and sent his minions immediately. Even with the ten of the twelve aspects that he controls, he cannot free himself. The only other way to return your powers short of that was through Fang and Vanille and the bond that you share with them. Even with this method, the return of your brands did not go unnoticed by Anima. The attack on the city the following morning was most likely in response to those ripples. No one knows the potential threat of l'Cie better than Anima."

Mention of the incident sparked a realization for Lightning. "Those l'Cie we fought…the one who attacked New Eden and the one we fought in Sulyya Springs…they were Anima's minions weren't they?"

"Yes, but they were not l'Cie. After the aspects' fal'Cie forms were destroyed, Anima captured all of them but the two here. Without physical forms, Anima is able to bind them to humans, l'Cie to be precise. But his methods are crude. He has to bind them in a way that will allow him to control them. As of now, he has yet to refine the technique, and the process greatly limits the power of the bound aspects. We do not expect this to last, however. Anima's power and skill are prodigious. When he figures out how to correct his method, his minions will be much, much more powerful than Phoenix and Leviathan were when you fought them."

"What happened to the aspects when we defeated their hosts?" Hope asked.

"When they died, you must have noticed energy escape their corpses," Odin told them. Hope thought back to when he had killed Phoenix, and he remembered the surge of magic that had escaped from amidst the smoke of Alexander's attack. "They will return to the objects in which Anima held them. Most likely something similar to these," he gestured at the orbs once more.

Lightning did not hear Odin's answer. A single thought blocked out everything else. "How?" she said softly, turning to Odin. "How the hell are we supposed to do this? We barely survived killing the first two, if the others are going to be as strong as you say they are, we don't stand a chance," she muttered darkly.

"That's another reason we brought you here," Odin told her. "Anima's method of installing aspects into a host l'Cie may be unrefined, but ours is not." He indicated the glowing orbs again. "We are going to give you the power of Eden and Kujata."

XXXXX

"Raines?" was the phrase that was muttered by nearly every councilmember in the room as Rufus introduced his guest.

"What the hell is this?" Heidegar shouted, composing himself. "They told us Raines was dead!"

"Well, I assure you that I am alive," Raines said to him.

"But the attack on Eden six years ago," another councilman said. "The Pulse invasion and the Cavalry's assault…how did you survive?"

"A thrilling tale, but one that will have to wait for another time," Raines replied. "What's important now is that I have returned to lead the people of Cocoon in their time of need."

At this declaration, a stony silence filled the room, the council members exchanging dark looks. "I don't know where the hell you've been, Raines," Heidegar spoke up, breaking the silence. "But this isn't Cocoon anymore, and this council leads the people now, not the primarch." Several of the other council members voiced their agreement.

Raines held a hand up to silence them. "For the past six years, I have searched Gran Pulse, searched for a way to restore the lives we once had, and I have found it. I have found the fal'Cie."

Renewed muttering filled the room, much of it disbelieving. Rufus remained silent, glancing at Raines every so often. After several moments, Raines continued speaking.

"The fal'Cie Carbuncle has granted us its power to help restore our civilization to its former glory," Raines said, looking around at them. "We can use its power to find other fal'Cie. We can rebuild Cocoon even greater than it once was. What we need now is a strong leader to help guide us into the future. If you will allow me, I would be that leader."

XXXXX

"Our method of binding is much different than Anima's," Odin told Hope and Lightning as they followed him through another maze of corridors. Hope held the green orb containing the essence of Eden, while Lightning held the purple orb containing Kujata's. They were both staring intently at the orbs, feeling the warmth and power radiating from them.

"Unlike the hosts Anima used," Alexander rumbled from behind them, "you will remain intact. Anima's hosts were destroyed when he forced the aspects into them; they became nothing more than shells for his minions. The ritual we plan to use will fuse the power of the aspects with your own l'Cie abilities. You will be able to call upon their considerable magical strength to use as your own."

The two eidolons led them into another spacious room, and the minute Hope and Lightning crossed the threshold, they flinched as the energy that filled the area washed over them. Examining their surroundings, they noticed that in the center of the room was a huge white glyph, which was emanating most of the magic. Standing around the glyph were the eidolons who had answered the call of their four companions six years ago: Stiria and Nix, Brynhildr, Bahamut, and Hecatoncheir. As the eidolons noticed them enter, they offered Hope and Lightning waves and nods in greeting.

"Stand in the center of the glyph and hold the orbs," Odin directed them. They complied, standing side by side on the pulsing glyph. Odin and Alexander took their places, completing the circle of eidolons surrounding them. They began to chant softly in a language that neither Hope nor Lightning recognized, and the glyph at their feet began to pulse more quickly, the energy it gave off intensifying. After a few minutes, the eidolons' chanting quickened, growing louder. The glyph responded accordingly, causing Hope and Lightning to grit their teeth from the surges of power that it was releasing.

As the chanting eidolons reached a crescendo, the glyph began to shine so intensely that Hope and Lightning had to shut their eyes against the brightness. The amount of energy was beginning to cause Hope's head to throb while his muscles tensed up uncomfortably. He felt Lightning seize his free hand next to him, and he squeezed back, thankful for the reassuring contact.

Suddenly, the orb in Hope's hand shattered, followed quickly by the sound of Lightning's orb following suit. The energy surrounding him flared up to a level of intensity beyond anything he had ever felt. Without warning, his body went rigid, his jaw clenching painfully. A second later, his eyes snapped open and a flash of green exploding in front of him. His body unclenched and he fell to his knees, panting. The energy in the room was gone, and the glyph was no longer glowing. He gazed around and saw the assembled eidolons closing in on him. He was hoisted to his feet by Alexander, glancing to the side to see Odin likewise helping Lightning to recover. He glanced down at the brand on his wrist to see that it was now the same pale green of the orb that had held Eden.

"It seems that the ritual was a success," Odin said after the two had recovered. "If you would, try and call upon your l'Cie powers.

Hope did as the eidolon asked, reaching for the place in his mind to call his power. When he breached it however, instead of the familiar warmth, he felt as if he was standing at the mouth of a swirling abyss read to swallow him whole. The energy he tapped into coursed through his body like fire. He fell to knees again, and out of the corner of his eye saw that Lightning was similarly affected. As he cut off the flow of energy, he was unnerved by the vast presence he felt within himself. It was ancient and powerful…and so alien that he could not begin to fathom its thoughts.

"Your reaction is expected. The power of the fal'Cie, especially the aspects of Ultima, is hard for humans to deal with. You will need to learn how to channel it quickly, however; we have time, but not much," Odin told them.

"What do you mean?" Hope asked him.

"We restored your power and summoned you here because we have learned that Anima has located a semi operational ark," Alexander said. "If he is able to restore the ark to full power, he will be able to use it to destroy the crystallized Cocoon. Also, with it, he will be able to pinpoint the location of other arks, including this one. If he succeeds in destroying Cocoon and finds us to reclaim the final aspects he needs, all will be lost."

"How much time?" Lightning asked him.

"We are unsure," Odin replied. "We believe he has the means to restore it, but the time it takes him to do so depends on how many minions he has to work on it. It doesn't appear that he has recalled the remaining Espers to his side, nor has he conscripted any of the other inhabitants of Pulse. With a max of ten aspects bound to host bodies, we should have enough time for you to master the power of Eden and Kujata before he is able to repair it."

"We're ready," Lightning said firmly.

Odin held up a hand to her. "The training can wait a few days. You two have been through quite a bit in the past week, and you should have time to recover. We prepared a room for you to use while you are here."

XXXXX

Several hours later, Hope and Lightning were in the quarters that the eidolons had provided them. The room was cozy enough, furnished with two beds and a few chairs and couches. Hope and Lightning sat on one of the couches discussing what the eidolons had told them.

"So what do you make of all this?" Hope asked her.

"I don't know…some of it seems a little unreal and I have trouble believing it…but then I can feel Kujata in the back of my head and I know that it's true," she replied.

"You're right, it's kinda hard to ignore that." He let out a deep sigh. "What they told us about Ultima and Anima…when I think about it, it's hard to paint Anima as the bad guy…I mean, on Cocoon, we were dealing with the same thing, the fal'Cie treated us like pets…tools. And we chose to fight back. If we had been in Anima's situation, we might have made the same decisions he did."

"I know…" Lightning agreed. "But what he's trying to do now…become the next 'maker' and recreate the world…it's the same thing that Ultima did to him. We can't let him replace the fal'Cie as overlord of humanity."

"Gah," Hope growled with frustration. "Things were so much simpler when we were just trying to bring down the sanctum."

They both laughed, savoring the comfort of the moment. There wouldn't be much time to do so for a while.

"We should get some sleep," Lightning said, stifling a yawn. Hope nodded, and they crawled into their respective beds. They could deal with the weight of the world in the morning.

XXXXX

Cid Raines stood in front of the council building, a huge crowd assembled to bare witness to his coronation as the Primarch of New Eden. Those who were not there saw the event over vid screens all across the city.

"People of Cocoon. Today marks the beginning of a long and arduous road. We all still grieve for the paradise that we have lost, and most of us have given up on ever returning to it. I stand here today, however, and tell you that there is hope. The fal'Cie have returned to us, to help us carve out an existence on this wretched world. With their help, we can turn Gran Pulse into a place that we can live without having to struggle just to survive, a place where we don't have to worry if each day will be our last. With the fal'Cie's aid, I have uncovered a powerful artifact from Pulse's past, technology that has been lost for centuries, and with your help, we can restore this relic to its former glory. We can use this 'ark' as the vanguard of our future."

The crowd assembled around Raines erupted in cheers as he finished. All over New Eden, people had renewed hope. None of them noticed the small gray owl that landed lightly on their new Primarch's shoulder.