So hi guys, and thanks for tuning into the next chapter of Nascent Requiem!

First and foremost I would like to thank my reviewers ziel101, OscarMerrinoz96, GCFarron, and GazerBlitz. You guys really keep me inspired with your lovely comments, and I thank you for the time it takes to write it out! (:

Special shoutout this time goes to SquallRocks, because man, you hit some of my inspirations right on (and I totally agree with your sentiments about said game -.-):
- Yes, Hojo was for sure an inspiring trait in Larcell, but I also stole some concepts off of Hollander. Seriously, those scientists crack me up every time I play Crisis Core.
-While the Oerba Ruins weren't inspired by Augusta Tower (though man, that fricking place is annoying - I hated the BGM for it as well so that's great), you were close! Think Taejin's Tower with FFVII Mako Reactor decor for the Oerba Ruins.
- You hit the NPC thing right on the nose. And though well, I wasn't actually thinking of Augusta Tower while conceiving Oerba Ruins in my head, well, you'll see why I thought you read my mind when I read your review. (Though I assure you that the characters aren't, well, digital looking copies or anyone. Basically, I have a different idea in mind for a similar concept) :p

So onto the chapter, since I know you all want to know what's going on with Light. Enjoy as always!
And oh yes, when I mention "green" later in the chapter, think Mako (from FFVII) green.

Chapter 11: Chained Feathers

Snow landed with a thump on the ground. The ruins of Oerba were so different from the last time he'd been here it was almost unrecognizable. The city of ruins had been flattened in more than one place, and new, shiny metal construction skeletons were littered around the place. Just what the hell are these creeps building here? Holding Serah's hand tightly, he kicked his way through the rubble. He heard Hope mutter a curse behind him.

"Aight, so… where d'you reckon they're keeping Lightning?" It was Sazh. Snow glanced up at the sky – the sun had fully risen now, but it was far from noon. And the sparkly bits that still floated in the air weren't making it easier to see.

"I dunno, but let's look around. And keep on guard; don't think that was the last of their fighting strength." No sooner than Snow had spoken those words did several monsters burst out of some crumbled cement to their right, followed by several people wielding guns. He heard a click behind him as Sazh flicked the safety off his Total Eclipses. Snow shoved Serah behind him. "Stay close to me," he hissed to her. He balled his large hands into fists. Bring it.

He buried a punch in the face of an incoming monster, swiping at its side when it landed with a squeal on the ground. Several shots from behind him told him that Sazh had gotten a few more, and a flicker of colour in his peripheral vision meant that Hope was also busy with Nue. Sinking a few more punches into a nearby monster, keeping Serah behind him at all times, Snow let a fleeting grin of satisfaction light his face – if this was the only thing they had to deal with, they'd have Lightning out in no time.

Something whizzed past his ear, and he heard Serah shriek. Turning towards the source of the sound, he saw that it was one of the guys who'd been using guns. Why didn't they shoot before? Several bangs behind him meant that Sazh had fired back, and Snow saw one of them drop to the ground. Charging forward with a yell, Snow punched the nearest one in the head, giving the man a kick and dislodging the weapon from his hand. Picking up the gun, Snow fired a few rounds before he threw it at the closest enemy. A boomerang took out the one standing a few feet away, and he watched as it swerved back to hit another. Nice one, kid.

Snow toed one of the men with his boot, and with that small motion, the man's mask and hood fell away to reveal a tall, thin nose, and slitted red eyes that stared into death. He heard a small whimper behind him.

"Snow…? Why… do they all look the same?" Serah's trembling voice was a little quiet as she was standing a few feet away, examining another dead hit man. Intrigued, Snow walked to her side.

She was right. The man lying there in front of him had the exact same face as the one he'd just looked at. Just what the hell is going on here?

"I don't know, baby," he said quietly to her, draping an arm around her shoulders. A crunch of gravel announced the arrival of Hope.

"What are you two looking at?"

In response, Snow pointed to the man on the ground, and then the other one a few feet away. "They all look… frigging exactly the same. What the hell is this?" Hope came up behind him, and carefully inspected the man lying on the ground, checking him carefully for anything that might lead to a clue.

"Find anything?" he asked the teenager.

"No, but it's not helping us find Light if we stand around here. Let's try to find an entrance." Hope away, and walked towards Sazh, who was poking around a new construction skeleton several dozen yards away. Serah started to trail after him, and letting out a sigh, Snow followed.

Seeing Sazh wave in the distance, Snow picked up his pace, skidding to a halt in a smattering of dust.

"Whatcha find, old man?"

"Someone called for an entrance? I think we've got an entrance right here," Sazh replied, pointing at a series of stone steps that led downwards into the darkness. Snow gulped at the sight of it - an ominous cold wind was oddly blowing out of the tunnel. Though he didn't want to admit it, the dark hole leading into the ground reminded him of dungeons and other unpleasant places. No, the steps definitely did not give him a good feeling about this.

"Well... shall we?" Hope started down the first few steps, a determined glint in his eye. The kid is really bent on rescuing Sis, isn't he?

"Wait wait wait wait wait, before we all go chargin' in there." Sazh put a hand on Hope's shoulder, pulling him back. "Couple things I want to get straight before we start an all out invasion."

"First, be mindful that we only have three capable fighters. That means no picking undue fights, better sneaking past the guards then trying to snipe em. Second, we are here for Lightning. No one else. So Snow, don't go and be yellin' at every single guard in there. And that goes for you too, Hope. We don't need undue injuries, and the faster we find Light, the faster we get outta here, got it? Serah, you're to stick close to one of us at all times. Don't go wanderin' off tryin' to find Light yourself."

Snow growled deep in his throat. The older man knew more than he let on; clearly picking out each of their weaknesses. "Alright, old man, I got it. Can we go now?"

Sazh held up a finger. "One last thing. We stick together, ya hear me? We fight better as a group, and who knows what's waitin' for us down there." The little chocobo peeped out of his hair, and mimed Sazh with its wings, letting out several happy "kweh!"'s. Geez, the birdbrain has to rub it in too?

The fire was raging endlessly. She couldn't escape, and no matter how hard she tried to run, the flames ate at her lungs and spine. Except there wasn't a way to get rid of it - it was like an internal fire that she could never quench. Like a phoenix.

She wasn't sure how much time had passed, in fact, she wasn't sure if any time had passed. The only indication of time was her own heartbeat, and she knew her heart was beating too fast to begin with. Lightning tried to cling to the last vestiges of reality, knowing she wouldn't win.

No new screams penetrated her failing consciousness though, she hadn't heard anything for awhile. Hopefully... that means they've gone home...right? She refused to even entertain the thought of the alternative to that.

Her fingers closed on her palm, but she found no refuge in the action. Digging her nails into her skin didn't make it better. Her throat was already raw from screaming and she didn't think she'd have enough air in her lungs to manage another sound. Just... make it stop...

Lightning wasn't even sure if she could summon Odin anymore. Doesn't Odin... feed off my strength? How did they expect her to bring him out if she was as weak as she felt? That one time, she knew it had been out of anger and desperation. Well... I'm desperate now, but I can't...

A much closer, strangled yell pierced through the persistent fog settling in her mind that was dulling everything, even the pain. A few heartbeats later came the tinkling of broken glass. Who...?

Feeling her hands touch the cold stone floor, she felt vibrations tremble her slim fingers. Oh Maker, please no... Don't tell me they're...

Lightning choked out one quiet rasp, before it petered out into a hoarse scream.

"Serah..."

Hope glanced down the dimly lit hallway. The whole place looked pretty old for something he hadn't noticed before, and he was quite sure that this place hadn't existed the last time they'd been in Oerba. Of course, they'd been running around with Vanille trying to fix her little pet, Bhakti, but he was certain that someone would have noticed a huge gaping hole in the ground.

This whole place looks more than centuries old. Was it built in the War of Transgression? And if so, what for? Why bring it into the open now?

A faint green light was blinking at the end of the hallway - the next flight of stairs down. Quietly motioning for Serah, Sazh, and Snow to follow him, Hope placed each foot carefully on the ground before moving again. Rocks didn't creak, but that didn't mean it couldn't crack, and this place was old - the rock could give at any moment. Maker knows we can't survive a cave in.

A guard was at the bottom of the stairs, looking aimlessly around, clearly aware that there were intruders. But Snow had been smart, for once. He'd found a side staircase near the place they'd entered, and by Sazh's reckoning they'd avoided most of the guards and monsters alike so far. If only our good luck will hold...

Hope's fingers tightened on Nue as he took aim. The guard wasn't that far away and he didn't need to kill the guy. But a small crack sounded behind him, and he whipped around to see Snow cover his mouth in horror. Typical Snow.

The guard had turned around, mouth opened to yell, but Hope had already thrown Nue, and it hit the man in the temple before he could utter a sound. Creeping down the stairs carefully, he inspected the man lying at its foot. His hood had slipped off his face, and Hope saw the same features they'd noticed since they'd taken out the guards at the surface. Have they just mastering cloning... or are these not... really people?

The open door just past the unconscious man led to a large circular hallway, with something in its centre that glowed a sickly radioactive green. As Snow passed him, he heard a whispered "Sorry!". Snow is the most indiscreet person in Gran Pulse... I hope he knows that. Clutching Nue like it was a life line, Hope curiously walked to the windows overlooking the centre area, wondering what exactly was causing the green light.

A short gasp escaped his lips as he looked down, and he heard Sazh come up behind him instantly. "What's this, kid?" Hope couldn't reply, and pointed down at the mark that was emitting the green glow. A circle in the ground, inscribed with ruins that he couldn't understand, but clearly in the middle of it, was the mark of a Pulse l'Cie brand.

Snow held Serah close to his side as they all looked down at the green insignia of the l'Cie brand far below them. "What is that...?" he heard her whisper.

"Don't know," he murmured back. "But whatever it is, it's probably not good. Let's just avoid it and try to find Sis." He saw her pink head bob. So far, she'd been okay, no one had really targeted her, and she'd kept out of the way. For the umpteenth time that day, Snow wished Serah had stayed at home. No matter how much she wanted to see Lightning, a battlefield wasn't the place for her.

Snow led the way down the circular hallway, finding another staircase that led further down on the opposite side of the circle. He had a nasty feeling that they weren't on a side stair anymore, and that any time soon, more guards and monsters would appear. Just let us find Sis soon...

But the less guards they encountered, the more unnerving the place got. There wasn't any natural lighting, and Snow knew that with each descending flight of stairs they got further and further from the surface. And the further down they got, the less stairs there were. A one way street. We're gonna have to fight to get back to the top, and we can only assume Lightning isn't up for combat, which means that's someone else to protect. Not that he was going to back down now.

Movement in the corner of his eye made Snow spin around, and he saw the monsters appear from a small side hallway. Several loud bangs from Sazh's pistols easily took care of them, but he knew the noise wasn't good. Any noise at this point would alert more guards to them.

And the thought had barely finished forming in his mind before at least ten guards burst out of the door at the end of the hallway.

Snow didn't even hesitate before barreling right towards them. His fist caught one in the chin in an uppercut before the guy had even raised his gun to shoot. A roundhouse kick flung another at the glass pane that overlooked the green l'Cie rune, and a shattering of glass greeted the man as he flew through it. Oops.

Two men were already down in front of him; already the blood was mixing with the glass shards on the ground, and a sickening crunch sounded somewhere behind him. But the guards weren't amateurs, and Snow had to dodge several sword swipes and bullets before his fist hit the stomach of another one. Burying the punch deep in the man, Snow used the same momentum and flung him at one of his buddies. The two crashed into the doorframe, and Snow whipped around, his fist hitting one more in the cheek.

Observing the mess of guards that lay around them, Snow cracked his knuckles. Amateurs. Did they really think they could take us out? He felt a small hand slip its way into his, closing on his fingers. Serah.

"Snow?" Her voice quavered a little, as he felt her lean some of her weight into him. "How many more... are there?"

He ruffled her hair playfully. "Don't worry. It doesn't matter how many they throw at us. We're not leaving till we have Sis safe and sound."

Easing open the now bent door, Snow noticed that instead of leading to another staircase, it lead down a hallway. And this hallway had doors. Have we finally reached the bottom floor? Just how far below ground are we? But doors meant opportunities - Lightning could be in any one of them.

Sazh's quiet voice sounded behind him. "Don't do anything rash now, hero."

Hope sighed inwardly as he shut the door behind him. It was the fifth door he he'd checked now, and none of them were even locked. And unlocked doors meant that there was nothing of value to hide. He'd found a few books, several boxes of provisions, weapons, and dust. Obviously, these are supply rooms. And none of them were helping to find Light. He was getting a little desperate now - none of them had expected this place to be so big, and Light was one person. She could have been anywhere, and they could have moved her since they'd gotten inside. So Hope had continued aimlessly down the hallway while Snow and Sazh meticulously checked each room. There was a door at the end of the hallway, and there was more glowing light peeping out of it. It was yellow this time, and Hope had the nastiest feeling that someone, or some people, were waiting just beyond the doorframe for them to open said door.

"Hey kid, where are you going?" Obviously that was Snow, and he sounded a little angry.

But Hope was angry too. For all his hero antics all Snow had done was almost get them caught more than a few times. While there was no doubt that Snow was a desirable ally in battle, the big man was about as discreet as a full grown chocobo presented with gysahl greens.

"Snow, it's obvious that those are supply rooms. I doubt they'd have Light hidden in a supply room. Come on, we're wasting time," he hissed back.

He heard Snow give a sigh, but a small pattering of light feet and a slower thump told him that both Snow and Serah were behind him. He pressed a finger to his lips, and cracked open the door in front of him a tiny bit. When no sound greeted them, he felt Snow push the door open so hard it banged against the opposite wall.

"Why hello there, my little l'Cie! So glad you could join us? Looking for your friend there?"

Hope narrowed his eyes. The place looked like a meeting hall, and it was a few seconds before he located the owner of the oily, singsong voice. He locked eyes with the strangest looking human he'd ever met - comical and yet menacing at the same time.

Silver cat eyes, blond hair, wings. Is he a human... or a monster? But Hope didn't really plan on finding out. He knew the man knew they were looking for Light.

"Where is she?" he hissed quietly, bringing the Nue to attack position.

"Oh, I don't know, maybe down this hall and to the left, or maybe down that hall and to the right? Who knows?"

Snow let out a growl of fury, stalking over to the man until his face was inches from him. Slowly, Hope watched as Snow brought up a gloved fist in the man's face.

"Tell me. Now."

But the man just laughed, and danced a few steps away from Snow, clearly relishing the look of pure rage on Snow's face.

"You won't find her, even if I tell you. Know why?"

Snow's voice was a growl. "Why?" Hope caught the glimpse of the bitter fury in Snow's ice blue eyes.

"Because-" But the man didn't get to finish his sentence because Hope had thrown Nue at the man's leg, bringing him down to his knee. Redirecting Nue with his hand, the second blow hit the man squarely in the chest. Hope slowly made his way to the scientist, pushing ahead of Serah and Sazh. He continued until he was standing shoulder to shoulder with Snow, looking down at the man that just didn't seem intimidated at all that there were three people pointing weapons at him.

"What... have you done to Light?" His voice quavered a little on her name. If they hurt her... If they... Hope felt rage consume him before he even finished the thought. He'd made a promise to protect her too, back in that one golden sunset in Palumpolum. That one promise that had meant so much to him at that time.

But from the man, only a feeble laugh.

"Go on, kill me." The whisper still held the haughtiness that it had had when they'd burst in. "That won't change anything."

"Yeah?" Snow snarled. "Well... go to hell." Hope heard the unmistakable crack of bones, and the man fell limp in Snow's grip. But his eyes still held a glimmer. Why... isn't he dead? He felt horror and nausea eat his stomach at the sight of a man whose neck was so twisted it looked like it had been glued on, still alive.

"It won't matter if you get her... won't matter if you kill me, because... the Eclipse will still happen. There will be others, far more, who are carrying out the same goal... So rest assured, the Eclipse will come..."

His last words were choked off by a gurgle that quickly turned into gargled laughter. What...? And though it was painfully obvious that he was going to die, the man didn't stop. His eyes bulged as he continued to choke out sounds of laughter. Both Snow and Hope backed away, and he could head Serah whimper somewhere behind him. And when the laughter finally stopped, his body didn't go limp; it dissipated into the same black smoke that accompanied a monster's death.

Just what... the hell is going on? What is... the Eclipse?

Abruptly, the pain stopped. And for a moment, all she could comprehend was the absence of pain, and the ability to inhale and fill her lungs with air without feeling like she was breathing live coals.

Lightning remained on the ground for a few more minutes, trying to slow the hoarse gasps of her breathing and the racing thump of her pulse. Gripping the stone floor with fingers, it was awhile before she had the strength to look up.

A similar man in a scientist's coat. But he didn't look at her with the same gaze everyone else here regarded her with. He didn't look at her like she was some experiment and didn't look at her like he desperately needed her to do something. He doesn't look like he's enjoying my pain. She watched warily as he approached her, wondering if the concern she saw in his eyes was genuine, or something else to mask his true intent.

He extended his hand to her.

So whew.

Not the longest chapter by any means (the last chapter was well over 5,000 words), but a lot has happened in this one chapter. (Probably more than the last two put together) So finally some action for most of you, and well, since Snow & co killed Larcell so easily, why wasn't he concerned? *rubs hands together evilly*

Definitely not as much dark content either; this chapter was mostly action driven. The next chapter will have quite a bit of heavy emotional content, so I may have it Beta'd if it does get to the point where I want it to get to. (As I would really like to get said emotional content right) I'll either update with a new chapter tomorrow, or, if I am having it Beta'd I'll update this chapter with a warning just to let you guys know that it'll take longer.

So anyways, speculations/reviews loved by review monster. (Once again, correct speculations gets you special shoutout, so keep the guesses coming!)

Hearts!