Hey guys, here is the next chapter of this story. Hope you had enjoyed the story so far.
Now onward and read.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Pulse
Light was all they could see as the ship flew through the Gateway out of Cocoon. Everyone was seating upon their seats, and Paine was holding upon the controls gritting her teeth slightly. The ship was shaking vibrating against the current of light was that flashing through them…
Then the light was dispersed into a large blinding white light causing everyone to shield their eyes away from it.
"What the…?" Zack said.
Éclair removed her hand from her eyes, as she looked through the frontal sight since the bright light wasn't fading away. It took her a second to realize that it was sunlight, stronger than the one that was upon Cocoon, and she can feel the heat from where she was seating.
She approached it, taking a stand beside Paine's seat, looking toward the land that was extending right in front of her.
T…This is Pulse, she thought.
Miles and miles of green were extending as far as the eyes could see and a sky filled with clouds and many other things that were flying within it also, but were too far to make out their shapes. Her eyes shifted toward the grounds seeing tall trees and large cliffs of lands in the distance.
"Look over there," Vaan suddenly said.
They were flying above an herb of long neck creatures with a shell upon their backs. Even in the distance it was no doubt that they were massive and even heard the loud below coming from one of them.
"What is that?" Lightning said, suddenly pointing toward something in the distance.
Everyone's attention was turned toward a large shape, almost like a snake and it was flying in the distance all the while getting closer and closer.
"I don't know," Paine said, "And it seems to be coming straight for us."
Paine was right, the large creature was coming straight for them and she had to swerve the ship sideway to avoid a head on collision with a large pair of jaws that had snapped open, large enough to swallow them whole.
"What the hell is that?" Basch yelled, as the creature large shadow passed by them.
"I don't know and I sure don't want to find out," Paine said quickly pushing the ship as far away from it as possible.
The ship quickly flew through the air and they hear a loud roar in the distance coming closer to them…
"Shit, it's catching up," Zack yelled.
The words were hardly out of his mouth when the ship gives a violent shake and Tifa let out a scream as the back was ripped right out, giving out toward the large Pulse sky. From behind them, the large creature was flying, the back of the ship still visible in its massive jaws.
"Everyone hang on to something," Paine yelled.
The damaged ship was now spinning wildly in the air smoke coming out of it as Paine tries to hang on to the controls but it was a difficult work…
"NO, TIFA," Vaan yelled.
Éclair quickly glanced toward the back, seeing the dark haired girl was slipping backward, and the fear was visible through Tifa's eyes as she was slipping away from them, her hands trying to grab at something but it was no use. In that instant, a face flashed in Éclair's mind and she can feel her body moving on its own to help the girl but…
"TIFA," Zack yelled extending a hand toward her.
But the girl was thrown out of the ship, screaming all the way.
"NOOOOOO," Zack screamed.
But then, Éclair threw herself out of the ship and free falling after the girl, thousands of feet into the air as she found the still falling Tifa who was spinning in the air still screaming. Placing her body similar to a torpedo, Éclair was now cursing through the air, aiming straight toward Tifa with both of her arms opened ready to catch the girl.
Then she heard a roar from behind her, causing the girl to glance back seeing that the large creature that had attacked them was now coming straight toward both of their falling forms.
"Tifa," Éclair yelled.
The girl head turned at the voice and Éclair can see the surprise behind her large brown eyes, surprises which quickly turned to fear when she noticed what was behind her. When she got close enough, Éclair threw her arms around Tifa's form.
"Got you," she said.
"It's coming after us," Tifa yelled in her ear.
"I know," Éclair said, "Just hold on."
Then pinkish light was appearing around Lightning's body as a large symbol appeared around them and then Odin's large body materialized around them and quickly took its Gestalt mode as Éclair took hold of its large blade.
Tifa was now seating upon Odin's back, holding upon the horse's neck like a lifeline with Éclair standing upon it, looking up toward the large jaws that was coming after them its jaw wide open.
"Oh Maker," Tifa yelled, closing her eyes.
"Eidolon Thundara," Éclair yelled.
Lightning strikes slammed upon the large jaws causing the creature to yell out in pain at the power behind it and it went into another direction. Éclair was huffing out slightly at how much power that was launched right now.
The large creature was flying away from them, its body snaking in the air in s shape. Tifa glanced at it as her breath was coming in short gasp probably from almost dying today.
"Are you okay?" Éclair asked her, glancing at the dark haired girl.
Not having her voice back, Tifa simply nodded.
Éclair glanced toward the smoke in the distance from them.
"Odin, make for that smoke," she told the Eidolon.
The large horse gives a snorting sound before launching forward and Tifa tightened her grip around the neck.
Vaan was walking out of the wreckage, well more like crawling out since the ship had fallen to its side. All around him he can hear the groan of the rest of the group.
"Anybody hurt?" he heard Zack called out.
They were groans of protest but other wises everyone seems to be fine.
"Basch,"
"I'm here,"
"Soldier girl?"
"Shut up," Lightning grumbled.
"Paine?"
"Yo," Paine said.
Vaan stood up glancing around himself. He couldn't believe that he was actually here, in the lower world of Pulse. The world that his own grandfather had explored many years ago and something about Pulse seemed different from Cocoon. He could see by just standing there and knew that this world will be a different experience than Cocoon.
Vaan glanced around himself.
"Zack, let's get the weapons out of the ship," Basch said, "Some of them might still be useful."
Zack who was sightseeing as well as everyone turned around at the call of his name before nodding. Vaan frowned slightly at this.
"Who made you the boss?"
Basch looked at him.
"You abandoned us remember," Vaan continued, not bothering to keep his anger out of his voice, "You have no right to be here."
"Vaan…," Basch started.
"Alright that's enough," Lightning snapped, the authority in her voice shutting everyone up.
She walked forward.
"Basch, Zack you continue what you were doing," Lightning said, looking toward the two, "And you, go join your little girlfriend."
"Who the hell do you think you are?" Vaan snapped, "Ordering me around?"
Lightning hand had automatically gone for the gunblade handle that was hanging behind her but she stopped herself from pulling it out.
"Look, none of us had any experience on how to survive on Pulse," Lightning told him, taking hold of his clothes, "We hardly been here a day and we've already been attacked with two of our own missing. Just do what you're told."
She then pushed him back and Vaan fall down upon his back.
"All we have to do now is survive," she said, looking down at him her blue eyes showing no warmth within them and Vaan was taken aback at how much the face resembled Éclair's. The two were really like twins.
"Fighting among ourselves is certainly not one of those ways," she said.
She then turned around walking off toward where Basch and Zack were the two holding weapons and inspecting them.
Vaan stayed on the ground tightening his hand into a fist. Then he heard footsteps approaching him and a hand was on his shoulder.
"C'mon Vaan," Paine said, "Get up."
He let Paine help him up.
"C'mon we've got to find some shelter," Lightning said, "or at least set up a camp…if the other two survived they'll find us."
No one argued against her logic. She was the soldier after all, with more experience in leading a group of people considering she used to be a Colonel and the group found it easier to just let her lead.
Odin landed upon the ground, as the two got off from his back and then he disappeared from sight in a pink light. Tifa glanced around them and noticed that the sun was already setting in the background and Éclair's brand was shining through her armor before simply disappearing from sight.
"What was that?" Tifa asked, "That large horse."
"It was an Eidolon," Éclair told her glancing toward the young Cocoon girl, "Something we l'Cie can summon."
Tifa nodded at her before glancing around herself taking in the sight, before her wine red eyes shifted toward the sky.
"It's so far away," she whispered.
Éclair glanced upward to.
A large bronze planet was floating in the sky of Pulse. It simply hovering there, above the world of Pulse, its bronze shell seemingly gleaming in the afternoon sunset.
"C'mon," Éclair said, tapping Tifa's shoulder, "We've got to get back to the others."
Tifa nodded at her and the two set off into a walk, Éclair leading and Tifa following.
"What was that thing?" Tifa asked, "The thing that attacked us I mean?"
"Beats me," Éclair answered, "Probably one of the Natives of Pulse."
That caused Tifa to frown slightly.
"You mean you don't know?" she said.
Éclair shook her head.
"I don't have any memories of Pulse," she said, "But I do know I was born on this world…probably a long time ago."
From behind her, Tifa's eyes widened.
"That must be thought not remembering anything," she said.
Éclair give the girl a backward glance.
"I won't deny it's…difficult," she said.
Eclair then refocused her attention forward once more.
She felt a hand upon her shoulder, causing her to glance at Tifa who was now walking side by side with her.
"I'm sure you'll get them back," the dark haired girl told her with a smile.
Éclair was once again reminded of a face, that was familiar to this girl's and yet, different.
"Thanks Tifa," she whispered.
The dark haired girl nodded at her before walking forward with Éclair following. As they walked through the trees, night had already fallen down and they can hear the wildlife of Pulse around them and Éclair had drawn her blade and hold it in her hands for if they are attacked during their walk.
"Éclair…," Tifa said.
The woman glanced back at her, her eyes curious.
"What is it?"
"Thanks for coming after me," she said.
Éclair looked at her, opening her mouth as if she is going say something but, she closed it.
"Don't mention it,"
She then started to walk forward with Tifa following.
Seperated from the group, Tifa and Eclair head on, following the smoke of the crash...
Next time: Separated
Jacques0 out.
R&R.