Black Rose here with Chapter Two! And I'm quite glad to see the reaction to Chapter One. Now for my reviews...

To Laure: I like how someone knows their FFXIII mythology and is questioning that. ;) But your comment made me chuckle...and you'll eventually see why as the story progresses. As for Caius/Lightning...these things aren't rushed. :P Caius will be coming soon, though, I promise you. (But I have to say, I love romances like that, hehe...)

To the mysterious i: Things won't be so simply outlined. :P I like giving a creative twist. You'll see some of that in this chapter, which based on what you said, I think will incidentally satisfy you.

To the rest of you, thank you for the reviews! I decided to make a 'musical theme' for each chapter, meaning that I'll quote a song lyric for each one, because I have an artillery of sound tracks. I was listening to the song Out of Time the whole time I was writing this, so I had to pay a tribute. And it suits chapters one and two, I think. Anyways, with the quick reiteration that the original story does not belong to me but to Square Enix, here is a full-of-action Chapter Two!

Now I'm hungry...*leaves computer to ransack fridge*

Chapter Two: Underneath an Ash-Gray Sky

No one knows his destination, forever paying for his crime.

Lost alone in alienation, forever floating out of time. – Out of Time by Mind in a Box

The light and colors never really intensified. The tones remained subdued as Noel fully returned to the Visible World—his world. His vision quickly adjusted to the new lighting, and Noel soon saw why. The sky above was a dismal ash-gray, a hue he recognized to be the same as Valhalla. The muted light illuminated a barren plain stretching on into infinity, the occasional leafless tree and underbrush disturbing the even surface. The broad expanse was still and silent as death.

It was his nightmarish reality all over again.

He dropped to his knees, only dimly noticing that he had his clothes and weapons on him again. It was like a specter he had tried so hard to evade that was back to haunt him. Had the chaos really done this? All of this because of the goddess's death…

Bear in mind that there are other gods beside Etro.

The implication those parting words made raised gooseflesh. He couldn't have possibly spoken with…it must have been a servant. A servant to one of the gods. But after that conversation, Noel found that hard to believe. That entity had told him a certain "we" were upholding the balance. Who else would possess such power other than a god? And the voice had already denied to being a fal'Cie.

Now all that remained was…Which one was it? Noel wondered, attempting to recall the myths. If he had really spoken to a god, who had it been?

A thought occurred to him. It seemed like he would have to follow its orders, then. He would have to find Caius. But god or not, he was still determined to find Serah also. Noel glumly surveyed the silent, monochrome world before him. He had an arduous task ahead of him. When it came to finding the both of them, where would he even start?

The behemoth lunged at him from behind.

But his hunter's instinct could not be taken so easily unawares. As the beast roared in bloodlust, Noel swiftly unsheathed his two blades and met the oncoming attack. The behemoth swiped at him with a massive paw while emitting a feral snarl, baring its ghastly teeth. He dodged the paw by darting at the beast's left side and slashing at its middle.

It could not have been deeper than a scratch, but still the behemoth growled in what seemed to be fury. Noel leapt back, bracing himself. He was finally able to take a good glimpse of it, and he saw that it was a greater behemoth. It wouldn't be too much of a hassle, then. Still…just his luck to be attacked by a behemoth upon arrival.

The monster hurtled itself at him, loosing a roar. Seeing his opportunity, Noel summoned a powerful gust to waver the creature's airborne balance. The moaning winds struck the behemoth directly in the chest, and it was partially knocked backward. Considering the monster's weight, it was a notable feat. Noel dashed over to where it fell.

The beast had landed on all four paws, but not with grace. Noel took advantage of its momentarily faltered state to dive under its body and hack at its underbelly, not losing his momentum to escape. Blood sprayed in his wake. When he turned his head, the behemoth collapsed, the ground shivering with the tremors. His breathing had quickened a fraction for the skirmish; otherwise, it had not taken much effort.

Noel warily approached the beast, swords stained red. It was still thrashing about, trying to erect itself. He sighed to himself. He may be a hunter, but he wasn't cruel. Noel plunged his shorter sword into the behemoth's chest with a fatal thud. The beast growled slightly, but after a several moments was finally still.

Noel waited expectantly. Seconds later the carcass dissolved into chaotic energy and vanished. He glanced at his bloodstained weapons. He'd have to clean them later…unless some other creatures wanted to give him a warm welcome back into the realm of the living. If it could be considered living anymore.

"It sends me on a quest, and it doesn't even bother helping out," Noel growled to himself. Why would the god need him and Caius, anyway? Was it really true only the two of them could repair the damage they dealt? He inwardly groaned in frustration. He could not understand why it refused to explain the entire circumstances to him.

The air around him abruptly became hazy and distorted. Recognizing this as the impending energy of chaos, Noel stepped back in caution. He was surrounded by the distortion but could not retaliate. "Damn," he muttered, avidly searching for a gap. "What now?"

Four figures materialized from the distorted air. Floating a few feet above him were bulky anthropomorphic beings fully clad in golden armor, lizard-like tails protruding from their posteriors. Scaly fingers grasped golden pikes with well-honed blades, black gauntlets covering their palms. Their helms hid all but their sinister, serpentine eyes from view, the color of vermilion. Those eyes assessed him now.

"You have been selected for the Arena," one of them said, but it was undistinguishable who had been the speaker.

Noel tensed in apprehension. "What?"

"You have been selected as a competitor for the Arena, human. We are here to escort you."

I doubt they're here for 'escorting', Noel thought, casting a quick glance at their pikes. The Arena? Did they mean the one hosted by the Arbiter of Time?

"I'm not competing in the Arena," he stated evenly.

He saw a nearly imperceptible tightening grip on their weapons. "Participants have no say in the matter. Now comply or be forcibly—"

Well, that said enough. Noel leapt at one of them and rammed the soldier in the abdomen, tackling the creature to the ground. The reptilian soldier attempted to impale him with the pike, but Noel knocked the weapon aside before it could. He drove both swords at its exposed throat. It gargled in its own blood before becoming silent.

A potent force whisked him up into the air, and this time he was truly trapped. Two of the creatures held him in their vice-grip, their other hands grasping his weapons. Their eyes gleamed balefully. Great. Now he had incited their wrath.

"This one has more fight in him than the others," said the one to his right.

The third soldier, the one not holding Noel, glowered down at him. "The Great Arbiter never declared he need arrive entirely intact," it said.

He'd have to summon magic. That was his only resort. This is a deviation from my task, he thought hotly. Where's that god now?

As if in response, a shadow fell across the sky.

A large shape flashed in his vision. Before he or his captors could comprehend what was going on, the two soldiers seizing him were violently snatched away by crimson talons. Noel fell as he caught a glimpse of mechanical wings, his weapons landing in separate areas a considerable distance from him.

The third warrior hissed and hurtled down at him. Noel scrambled for his weapons, only then realizing they were too far for him to reach in time. Instinctively, he rolled away, only to narrowly miss a pike buried into the earth where he had lain a millisecond before. The golden warrior harshly landed atop him, pinning him to the ground. It pulled with all its might at the pike, but it was firmly embedded into the earth. Noel struggled meanwhile, his ears distantly picking up the sound of vicious tearing and horrific, shrill cries.

"You are not—to be killed—only—incapacitated," the golden warrior uttered through each labored breath, as though it trying to assuage Noel's concern. As if those words would convince him.

"Not on my watch you don't," came a new voice, and with a bloodcurdling scream the reptilian creature was torn away from him. Stunned, Noel watched as a black Bahamut drove its prisoner into the ground a ways from him and hacked the screaming warrior into shreds. Briefly tearing his gaze from the brutal scene, he rushed for his swords. It was better if he didn't linger.

By the time he had retrieved them, the Bahamut was finished with its prey. It slowly raised its head at him, talons dripping with blood. He stood immobile, very much aware of the fact that a sudden movement would spur it into action.

That was when he noticed that Bahamut had a rider.

"You all right?" asked the rider, nimbly dismounting. It was a woman.

Of course…she was the voice that had spoken earlier. Still, Noel was on his guard. She controlled Bahamut, a creature someone else also controlled. A certain someone he was forced to look for. "What do you want?" he asked carefully.

The woman shrugged as she closed the distance between them, Bahamut trailing behind her. She was dressed in Pulsian garments, similar to his own. "Can't say for sure anymore. It's just that the Arbiter's Guards have been pissing off me lately, trying to round me up for the Arena. They round up anyone who's survive one of these attacks. Just figured I may as well intervene on the wretched soul they went after this time. It was definitely enjoyable watching 'em being ripped apart." She patted Bahamut's neck at this. Then she blinked suddenly, peering closer at him. "You look familiar. Are you…that kid? Noel? Noel Kreiss?"

This woman spoke strangely. "Who's asking?" Noel asked in return.

She grunted. "We've been looking for you. Ever since this hellish chaos took over, Sazh figured you or Hope would be our best bet to overcome it," she said.

Noel held a breath. If she knew Sazh and Hope, then maybe... "You look familiar yourself," he said, not yet willing to trust her completely. Who knew if this was a trick played by the chaos? "Let's say I am Noel Kreiss. Who are you?"

"Well, well…guess Serah didn't say a lot about me. The name's Fang."

*Munching on fish and mashed potatoes* Mmph? Oh...you finished the chapter already. Good for you. As always, reviews is my energy drink that will drive me forward! No really...reviews is my writing fuel. ;P And I've seen that this has gotten plenty of views...*Looks accusingly at non-reviewers* Haha...the next chapter will feature the character we all love: Caius Ballad! Yes, I'm aware I said that out of bias, but frankly I love him.