A.N. So, here's chappy 2. I decided to update now, even though I still don't know if anybody (except for Lightning8910 (thanks for your review btw)) like this story. I decided to update in hope to get more reviews. Guys, I've worked on this story for months and it would mean the world to me if some of you could tell me how you like (or dislike) this story. I won't beg anyone to write reviews, I just asking you all nicely^^ Now let's get on with the story, hope you like itx3

Salvation

Chapter 2: l'Cie

When they got there, Lightning immediately jumped off her aero bike and went into the bar. She saw the weird people in there, who stood in her way during a mission. Great. „Serah?", she called into the bar and got everyone's full attention. But she just wanted the attention of a particular person. A moment later Serah emerged out of nowhere. „Hi, Lightning."

„We have to go, Serah."

„Go? Where to?"

„Out of Bodhum."

„Huh? Why's that?", asked Serah shocked. „Because of the purge."

„But we won't get purged, right?"

„Yes, but...Just come with me." Lightning took her little sister's hand and dragged her to the exit. „But...Lightning!" Before Lightning could get out, a pretty tall and blond guy suddenly came in. Snow...„What's going on here?", he asked puzzled, while looking down at the two sisters. „That's none of your business!", snarled Lightning and tugged Serah with her. „Help me, Snow, my sister wants to kidnap me!", she screamed playfully and extremely dramatically and overdid it so much that one could thing she's going to murder her, instead of kidnapping her.

„Don't worry, your hero's going to save you.", said Snow, who apparently played along Serah's ham. Hero, my ass!, thought Lightning unnerved. When Serah freed herself from her grasp, she turned back to her and saw her clinging onto Snow. „Serah, I mean it!", growled Lightning, but Serah didn't listen to her, she was too busy hiding from her kidnapper. „What's up, sis?", asked Snow instead. Lightning suppressed the desire to beat him unconscious and hissed instead:„I'm not your sister!"

Snow apparently ignored her flippant tone, and repeated his question. „What's wrong?"

„I told you it's none of your business! Now come with me, Serah, we don't have much time." Finally Serah came out again and looked clearly concerned. „Not much time? What do you mean?"

„Come out, then I'll show you." Lightning went out of the bar but was not only followed by Serah, but also by this huge idiot and his childish gang who called themselves NORA. „Are we going now, soldier girl?" asked Sazh. „In a bit."

„Uh...Who are these people?", asked Serah confused and looked at the group. Sazh and Nora waved at her, Dajh pretended to drive a race and Hope sat silently on her aero bike and waited till something happened. „Your friends?"

„Don't be ridiculous, Serah. I just help them to get out of here. So that they won't end up in Pulse."

„You're helping them?"

„Wow! Then sis has a good heart after all!", said Snow, while grinning at her widely. „I'm not your damn sister! You're lucky that I love my little sister so much, or I would've killed you long ago with conscience and with joy!", growled Lightning in Snow's direction. „I can't leave you here alone, Serah, that's why you're coming with me.", said the soldier with a softer voice. Confusion was still reflected in Serah's eyes. „Where are you going anyway?" Then Lightning looked at Nora. „Where do you live?"

„Palumpolum." The pink-haired soldier nodded and looked at her sister. „Looks like I'm going to Palumpolum."

„But that's pretty far away!" Lightning just shrugged her shoulders. „If Serah goes to Palumpolum, I'm coming with you.", said Snow, but that was the last thing Lightning wanted. „Absolutely not!"

„Come on, sis!", begged Serah, while the soldier stubbornly crossed her arms over her chest. „Out of the question!"

„Why not?" Lightning didn't answer but grabbed her hand and went with her to her aero bike. Serah struggled, but Lightning was way too strong for her. „Let her be if she doesn't want to go.", said a black-haired woman. „Stay out of this!", growled Lightning, when she arrived her aero bike.

„There's a boy already.", said Serah. „Yeah, thanks, I know that."

„How about if Serah flies with me—"

„No!", she interrupted Snow. „Why not? Snow also has one."

„I said no!"

„Give in, soldier girl. It would be much more practical if they fly together.", said Sazh and everyone agreed. „Come on, Light." Lightning snorted and then gave in. „Alright." Then Serah hugged her tightly. „Thank you, Claire.", she whispered. „Yeah, yeah.", she grumbled, pushed her sister gently away and climbed on her aero bike. Moments later, Snow came with his own pimped aero bike and helped Serah to get on it. Lightning started that thing and led the group.

During the flight everyone introduced themselves once again and started to talk. „Is this your fiancée?", asked Nora Serah, who nodded happily. „Yes, he is."

„Unfortunately.", muttered Lightning to herself. „Congratulations.", said Nora and Sazh then. Lightning just glowed quietly to herself and tensed. „What's wrong with him?" Lightning winced when she heard a voice behind her. Then she remembered who it was and realized that she completely forgot about the little kid, who sat behind her.
„You'll find out soon enough." Lightning felt that Hope turned away briefly to look behind him, where Snow was talking with his mother and Sazh about his 'exploits'. „I think...I can already guess why you don't like him."

„Good." For a while there's silence between her and the boy. The only thing that broke the silence were the aero bikes and Snow's chatter. „Uh...Lightning?"

„Yes?"

„What did my mother tell you earlier? Why did she want me to go with you?" Lightning recalled the short conversation in her mind before she answered. „She said it would be good for you if you stay with me. No idea what she meant."

„Maybe she meant that you're a good company for me?" Hope suggested thoughtfully. A good company? „I don't think so." Besides the fact that she'll help them to get home, she was anything but friendly. She was also an emotionless soldier who wouldn't hesitate to kill on command. How could anyone think that someone like her would be a good company for a kid? Moreover a quiet, timid and weak child. She certainly agreed to finally have peace. And what's what she had? A child around her neck and the complete opposite of peace.

And as a bonus, Snow was there too. This turned out to be a great day. „Sis, you know, we're flying to the Hanging Edge.", said Snow, who suddenly flew beside her. „I know that. And don't call me that!"

„Do you want to personally bring them to the purge?" Lightning rolled her eyes. „Yes, that's what I'd planned. I'll get them out of the purge and give them hope to get back home, only to betray them and personally send them to hell." Her statement literally dripping with sarcasm. „I got it. No reason to freak out."

„Snow, that was just her sarcasm. If she freaks out, then...you'll know it.", informed Serah. „Okay..."

„You rather leave her alone.", advised Sazh. „Snow should better shut up.", muttered Hope to himself, but Lightning heard it loud and clear. This surprised her a little. „Is that so?"

„Well, I'd prefer to not mess with you." Lightning couldn't suppress a small smile. Luckily, no one saw it. „Smart boy."

„On the other hand I'd like to see what you'd do to him."

„Beat him up of course.", answered Lightning. „Don't be so severe with him.", said Nora. „He just wants to be nice to you."

„I think it would be nice if he'd let me and my sister alone.", grumbled the pink-haired woman. „Ah, now I understand.", she said and immediately Hope and Lightning looked at her confused and asked in unison:„What?"

„You're afraid that someone will take Serah away from you, am I right?" How could she have guessed that? That was partly the reason why she didn't want them to be together, but mostly it was really the fact that Snow was an idiot and didn't deserve her sister. Lightning didn't answer and looked straight ahead again. „Lightning...?", began Hope, but Lightning ignored him and drove faster, while Hope was thrown back slightly and had to hold onto her tighter.

After they flew a few perceived hours, they finally arrived the Hanging Edge. They could see how the next trains arrived and that the Pulse Vestige was transported somewhere. „How about we save some more people?", suggested Snow, while Lightning glared at him darkly. „Yeah, good idea, genius. You could also go to a few PSICOM soldiers and ask them nicely to shoot us immediately.", she growled.

„How do you want to take away so many people? Would you just go down there and steal the train, without even knowing where you're going to bring them to?" Snow fell silent and the soldier knew that he really had no plan. „If so, everyone on this train are already as good as dead! PSICOM would only call for reinforcements and kill all 'l'Cie'."

„Lightning's right.", said Sazh, who called her by her name for the first time. „We can do nothing for them."

„Shall we just let PSICOM bring so many people to Pulse?"

„Yes!", replied Lightning sternly and final. „We can't do anything for them. But at least we can help them." Then she pointed to Hope, Nora, Sazh and Dajh. Snow held the handlebars tighter and clenched his teeth. „She's right, Snow.", said Serah quietly. „You're just a stupid hothead, Snow! With your demented idea you hadn't only put the people on the trains, but also us in danger! And someone like you is calling himself a hero? As far as I know heroes save people and don't precipitate them into ruin! Serah really deserves someone better than you!"

„Sis!", hissed Serah and looked at her angrily. When she was angry they were even more similar. „Hey, guys, we get company.", called Sazh to them, while pointing to a few monsters that flew towards them. Lightning knew this kind of monster. „Apparently PSICOM thinks we're fugitive l'Cie."

„How'd you know that?", asked Nora. „These monsters belong to them. They're used when a rebellion can't get brought under control, for example, or in that case to destroy l'Cie."

„But we're not l'Cie!", said Hope, while clinging tightly onto her. „They don't know it. And they wouldn't believe us when we tell them. We should've been more careful."

„We? Who leads us here? During your argument with Snow you've become careless.", said Sazh and got a death glare from Lightning. „Shut up!" Then Lightning took her gunblade and shot at the monster. Sazh could help her attack them, because he led two guns with him. Then they were surrounded by a horde of flying monsters that attacked them all at once. Lightning initially thought that Nora might have problems, but she could also dodge the attacks very well. Lightning sighed loudly as she saw that PSICOM soldiers followed them on aero bikes. „I'll take care of 'em.", called Lightning to the group, who looked at her confused and worried. Lightning turned on the autopilot on her aero bike so that Hope didn't have to fly.

She'd installed this thing recently because she thought it could be very useful. „Hold onto this.", commanded Lightning, took Hope's hand and placed it on the handlebar. Then she got up and grabbed the edge, to not fall down. „Lightning, what are you doing?", asked Hope in confusion, but she didn't answer. The soldier waited until a monster came closer and jumped at it. „Lightning!", cried her sister, but she ignored her. She had to concentrate.

Lightning grabbed the foot of the monster and let it bring her to the soldiers. As she got closer to a PSICOM soldier, she jumped off that monster and landed on the aero bike. Lightning shot at a particular point of that aero bike and jumped it off before it exploded. Midair Lightning laid back her arms and legs and headed for the next one. She thrust her blade on the 'roof' and stood at the edge of the aero bike. „You're dead!", shouted the soldier inside it. But Lightning grabbed his arm and pulled him out. „You first!"

Then she flew on to the next one and jumped off. This time she held on to the roof of that aero bike and kicked the soldier out, before he could do something against it. She stood at the edge of that thing and joined the others. „Well done, soldier girl!", said Sazh. „Wow, I've never seen Lightning in action before.", said Serah to her fiancée, who also looked very impressed. „We have to get away quickly!", called Lightning to the others.

„We split up! Sazh, you go with—" Lightning couldn't finish the sentence, because a bullet hit Nora's aero bike and crashed. „Mom!", screamed Hope in horror and watched as his mother fell into the depths. Without hesitation, Lightning jumped off the aero bike and fell towards her. The aero bike would've been too slow.

Lightning laid back her arms and legs to fall faster. „Take my hand!", she called out to Nora, when she was getting closer to her and reached out for her. Nora came out of the wreck and jumped towards her, but unfortunately it wasn't enough to take her hand. The pink-haired woman stretched as far as she could and took Nora's hand. Lightning couldn't save her from the fall, but at least she could provide them a soft landing.

But apparently it wasn't necessary, because the 'hero' came to their rescue. „Lightning!", called Snow and held out his hand. Lightning took it without hesitation. In this moment she saw that more soldiers flew towards them. Laboriously she pulled the silver-haired woman up. „Take her!", she commanded. Snow and Serah helped her on the aero bike. „You okay?", asked Snow, while Nora nodded. „Yeah, mom's are tough." Then they turned back to Lightning, as she spoke. „Go on. I'll meet you in Palumpolum!"

„What?! No!", yelled Serah frantically. „We can't leave you here!"

„If you don't, they'll kill us all, so do what I say!" Then she looked sternly at Snow. „Let me go!"

„Hell no!"

„We can escape.", said Nora, but Lightning shook her head. „It's better, when I hold them in check. You'll have better chances to escape."

„I won't leave you!", repeated Serah and looked as if she was going to cry any moment. „You'll probably have to. See you then, baby sis." Lightning loosened her grip on Snow's hand and slowly slipped from his grasp. „Damn, Lightning!"

„Get yourself out of harms way!" Lightning let go of Snow's hand and fell into the depths, when she slipped completely out of his grasp. „Lightning!", they all cried in shock. Even though she fell a few meters, she could still see that Hope did something. What is he doing? It looked like as if he desperately pressed all sorts of buttons on her aero bike. Is he doing, what I think...? Her guess was confirmed when the energy of the aero bike went out and fell into the depths together with Hope. „Hope!", she heard the others and saw that Nora almost jumped too, but Snow held her back. Lightning looked back to the crashing aero bike and could even hear of this distance Hope's panicked screams.

Then the aero bike was activated again and flew back and forth. The boy probably wasn't a good flyer. Then it suddenly flew towards her. Lightning dodged it, by outstretching her arms and legs to fall more slowly. As the aero bike flew below her, she clung onto it and was pulled along. „What the hell are you doing?!", she screamed.

„I just—" Hope broke off, when he saw a monster flew towards them to ram them. He steered sharply to the left to dodge the attack, but he noticed too late that they flew directly to the Pulse Vestige and made a crash landing. They smashed a hole into the outside wall and landed somewhere inside the Vestige.

As Lightning regained consciousness again, the first thing she felt was this splitting headache. She sat up and looked around. She's never seen a place like this before. It was pretty huge and looked strange. Then she remembered again. She was in the Pulse Vestige. Hope had crash landed there. Wait a minute. Where is he? Lightning looked around more closely and discovered the boy, who's lying unconscious a few meter away from her.
The pink-haired woman stood up and went over to him, while she noticed that her aero bike was a pile of junk. She knelt down and shook him. „Hey." Hope woke up and moaned softly. „What happened...?"

„By your great flying skills, we're in the Pulse Vestige! What the hell were you thinking?" The relief that Hope was fine faded as quickly as it had come. „Well...", he mumbled and avoided her penetrating gaze. „So?!"

„You've saved my mother, so I wanted to save you.", he muttered. „I didn't want to be saved."

„I know. Still, I wanted to do it. I owe you." Lightning sighed deeply. „I said I'll bring you home. This also means that I'll protect you." Hope looked at her guiltily, while Lightning sighed once again. „It doesn't matter anyway. Now we should find a way out of here."

„There's no way out.", said a strong female voice, that Lightning heard once, suddenly. „At least not anymore." Hope and Lightning looked around and then saw a black-haired woman who stepped out of the shadows. She was one of the two women she'd seen today. Behind her the red-headed girl came out too.

What were their names again? Vanille and...Fang? „You two?" Lightning immediately stood up and looked at them closely. „Lightning? What are you doing here?", asked Vanille confused. „I could ask you the same." Lightning heard that Hope stood up behind her and took a few steps closer her. „You know them?"

„Kinda..."

„We're here because we belong here.", answered Fang. „And what are you doing here now?"
„We crash-landed.", replied Lightning tersely. „Why do you belong here?" Fang came closer and turned to the side, to show her her right arm on which a curious-looking, white tattoo was. „Because we're l'Cie."
„L'Cie?!", repeated Hope shocked, while Lightning reached quickly for her gunblade. I've helped l'Cie? „Hey, stay cool, sunshine. We don't wanna fight you."
„Why not?"

„I'm not in the mood.", she replied with a shrug. „But aren't you our enemies?", asked Hope nervously. „Why? Just because we're Pulse l'Cie? If we really are your enemies, we wouldn't have hidden for thirteen days, but made a bit of l'Cie-terror."

„We just want to return to Gran Pulse.", said Vanille. „So you can put your weapon away again." Lightning looked closely at the two again, but they really didn't look like as if they're going to attack them, so she put away her gunblade. „What do you mean with 'there's no way out'?"

„I meant just that. All exits are locked. Oh well, except for that one.", said Fang and pointed to the hole through which they'd come. „We won't get out of here?"

„Nope."

„At least until we're in Gran Pulse.", added Vanille. „Oh, great!", grumbled Lightning before she turned to Hope and saw he completely froze from fear. Lightning snapped her fingers in front of his face and pulled him out of his trance. „Get ahold of yourself!" The silver-haired boy looked at her in total panic. „How shall I do this? We're imprisoned here with two l'Cie and are going to end up in Pulse! Didn't you want to prevent that?"

„I will prevent it!", she yelled, making the boy flinch. „How?", asked Fang. „Anima won't open the exits."

„Anima?"

„The fal'Cie." Lightning's eyes widened. „There's really a fal'Cie in here?" Fang and Vanille nodded. Immediately Lightnings determination came back. „Then I'll take care of it."

„What?!", cried the other three in unison. „If the exits are blocked by him, I'll ensure that he will open up.", said the pink-haired woman and went away to look for a way to get to the fal'Cie. „Don't!", said Vanille and held onto her arm. „Let go of me, l'Cie!", she growled and pulled away from her. Vanille just looked at her sadly and withstood her death glare. Lightning then broke eye contact, when she heard Fang sigh. „You can't be serious. Look, either he'll brand you as a l'Cie, or he transforms you right away into a Cie'th."

„Cie'th?", repeated Hope. „Yes. These are l'Cie, who haven't fulfilled their focus. They become crystallized monsters and attack anything that moves."

„Something like that won't happen to me.", said Lightning. „Oh, and why?"

„Because I'll kill him before he has the chance to brand me."

„What?!", cried Vanille in shock. „How can you be so sure that you succeed?", asked Fang. „I'm not. I'll just try. I don't want to end up in Pulse!" Then she looked at Hope, who winced at her gaze. „Hope, are you coming?", she asked, and used his name for the first time. „Or do you want to stay with them?"

Hope looked to the two l'Cie, which tried to convince him to not go with her by shaking their heads. „I, uh..." For Lightning he was way too slow till he made a decision, so she went away without waiting for his answer. „Wait, I'm coming with you!", she heard him call, but she didn't stop, or slowed down, she just let him ran after her. But then she heard that not only the boy ran after her, but also the l'Cie. „We're going with you.", said Vanille. „Yeah, I want to watch you becoming a l'Cie and then I can mock you." Lightning just glared darkly at Fang before she lead the way and looked for the right path to get to this fal'Cie.

After they went for an eternity through the maze, they finally arrived the center. „Are you sure you wanna do this?", asked Vanille anxiously. „Yes.", answered Lightning resolutely. „If that's the only way to get out of here..."

„Don't say, nobody warned you!", said Fang, when the last door opened. Now they faced the fal'Cie. For them it just looked like a giant, metallic hemisphere. Lightning barely had entered the room, before the machine lit up suddenly and this metallic thing opened. Some kind of robotic arms came out of the ground and attacked them. They all dodged the attack and took their weapons, Hope on the other hand wanted to flee, but the exit was sealed. „Let us go, you monster!", shouted Lightning, but the fal'Cie attacked again. Fang and Vanille helped her in the fight, even if Lightning didn't quite understood why the two l'Cie helped her in the first place.

Lightning noticed during the fight that the crystal, which that thing had, was his weakness and attacked it. Thus they defeated him quickly. But instead of opening the exits it shone even brighter. Then they felt vibrations as if the Pulse Vestige was attacked from the outside. „Everything's going to collapse!", called Lightning to the others. „We gotta get outta here!", cried Hope in panic and tried to open the still sealed door. The little kid lost his nerves pretty quickly. „Open this damn door!", screamed Lightning and attacked the fal'Cie again.

Then it suddenly flashed brighter and she was temporarily blinded. When she opened her eyes again, she realized that their environment extremely changed and that they floated in the void. And the fal'Cie also had a different look. This was probably his true form. You could clearly see more of him: body, arms, face, and something embraced him, too. Suddenly strings of light shot out of it and tied her hands and feet. Lightning struggled, but then she suddenly felt a sharp pain above her left breast and clenched her teeth tightly, to dissuade herself from screaming in pain. Besides the pain she felt that this thing let her go and that she fell into the abyss. Then she lost consciousness.

A.N. Well, I guess now you can anticipate what's happening nextxD Don't forget to review and the next update will probably be next weekend. Until then^^