"Cloud... Wake up..."

Hearing Aerith's soft voice, Cloud opened his eyes and find himself in the field of flowers. The same flowers used growed on Aerith's Church back in Midgar. His eyes was wide opened after remembering he and the other's conforting the Fal'Cie Anima.

"Where Am I? Am I dead?"

"Not quite. " She replied playfully

"Aerith, I can't take this anymore... I have to go back to our world. Sephiroth is there and not here!"

"You don't have to worry about Sephiroth right now and I know you didn't wanted to do this. But if you don't do this, the whole Universe will collapsed."

"The whole universe?"

"Do you remember what happend at the dream world after I give you the White Materia? The boundries of Fate are breached, and gate of the other world had opened. It was the whispers the one sended you to this world on behalf of the Planet's will. They chose you because you had proven enough to alter destiny of this world."

"But I don't belonged on this world! This isn't how supposed to be happends! I have to go back to stop Sephiroth!"

"Cloud... if you really wanted stop Sephiroth, this is the only way you have to take."

"Aerith... you saw the future... so that means you already know I ended up to this world. Tell me something... what am I gonna find if I continued stepped foward."

"I can't tell you that...this is a journey you have to discover it on your own. Perhaps she will able to help you as well.".

"She? You mean Lightning? So that's the reason you stopped me when I was about to killed her." Cloud remembered the moment he was about to Killed Lightning but It was stopped by Aerith. "Are you telling me she is connected to this?"

"I can't answer that... like I said, you have to discover it with your own eyes."

Suddenly, flowers field had vanished as the ground erupted violently, as he turned around and find a huge tower. Suddenly in the wall of the tower, a giant creature erupted from the wall of tower and it roared echoes in the air.

Ragnarok... the end of time has drawned near.

Cloud opened his eyes and find himself lying on the crytalized ground with his sword lying next to him. Sitting while tried to get up, he found a Vestige in a distance His neck was still feeling a pain scanned his surrounding he found Lightning lying on the ground with her eyes still closed along with everyone else back in Vestige. He noticed the silver haired boy was the one came first regain his conciusness and still sitting with his Head burried in his knee. Still in deep tought about what Aerith said to him, He couldn't let his mind at ease for a momment. The Whisper sended him into this world but for what purpose he had to do in this world he doens't even know. But then his tought back into the reality as he saw Lightning lying in the ground in his view.

"Hey, Wake up." Cloud approched as Lightning began opened hey eyes slowly. Her vision was blurr and it feels she like she was having a strange dream.

"You good?" Cloud asked as the rose-haired soldier nodded.

"I've dealt worse before. This is nothing." She said as Cloud offer her his hand and she accepted as the blonde pulled her on her feet.

"SERAH!" A loud roared voice belonged to Snow. Who just gain conciusness causing the pairs jumped. Sazh and the bright red haired girl egain their conciusness. Sazh stand quickly looked around the surroundings.

"Is this... for real?" Snow said looking around the surroundings

"This must be.. Lake Bresha?" Sazh muttered as he noticed the once Lake filled with Fresh water had been crystalized.

"Well I guess we fell from up there and the lake turned into crystal?" Sazh deliberately asked a question. Once his gaze turned to Cloud hoping he given him the answer, Cloud shruged his hand telling the afro haired man he didn't have a convincing answers.

"Help me out here! I mean did the Fal'Cie do this? How in the world did we end up here?"

"How should I know?" Lightning growled started feeling annoyed and turned around with her hand crossed.

"We're alive... but how?" the red haired girl muttered still feeling confused

"Serah!" Snow said loudly causing everyone looked at him "No one survives a fall from that height, not without a miracle. Serah saved us!"

"Serah? Listen, it's all your fault she got--"

"What the-- HEY, HEY HEY!" Sazh suddenly screamed in frightned spotted a group of Cie'th slowly approched them from the crystalized hill

"Look out!" Snow shouted and pulled Lightning back from the Cie'th as it swing it giant spiked armed toward Snow who using his both his hand in cross stance blocking the Cie'th's attack. In instict, Cloud dashed toward the Cie'th and swing his sword in instant causing the Cie'th cutted in half horizantally.

"These things again.." Cloud growled switching in Punisher mode Fighting Stance. Suddenly, he sensed a fammliar feeling, ever since he waked up here, he noticed something strange. Cloud's Left neck began glow in green aura. In instict, he swing his sword again and a massive energy came out from his Blade and heading toward the Cie'ths and killed them.

"Whoa.. what did you just do?" Snow asked admiring the strength of the Spikey haired Soldier.

"He used magic!" a loud voice from behind of Snow and Lightning as they turned around, revaling a young silver haired boy.

"He used the power of the l'Cie!" The boy put his fingers through his hair and cried like a scared cat. "The Fal'Cie cursed us, we're l'Cie now!"

"Right.." Lightning drawed her Blazefire Saber noticing another wave of Cie'ths coming. She charged toward the crystized monster thrusting her sword toward it. Snow using nothing but his bare hands with the power of I'Cie took down another Cie'th along with Sazh firing barage of bullets leaving nothing but dead Cie'ths lying on the ground.

"So, we really are I'Cie." Snow says earning a sighed look at the group.

"Seems that way.." Sazh sighed revealing his l'Cie brand on his chest behind his zipper shirt

"You too?" Snow asked the red haired girl as she reveal her brand on her upper tigh.

"L'Cie to the last" Lightning muttered to herself.

"Why me?" The silver haired boy collapes into his knee "I don't even know you! Just leave me alone!"

"If you didn't had to go to attack that thing, none of this will ever happend!" The boy pointed at Cloud who stood all the way and give the boy a glare "All is this is your fault and Serah's fault!"

"Hey! Watch it!" Snow roared causing him tripped over and desperately tried get away from Snow until he made contacts with Cloud's boots who was still glaring at him for accusing him he was blamed for all of this. The atmosphere of the room is starting heating up after the recent incident.

"Sorry." Snow sighed started feeling pity about the boy misfortune fate.

"Everything is gonna be alright, you'll see" the red head girl said with a gentle smile as she pulled the boy to his feet "Come on, off we go!"

"Do you even know where you going?" Cloud said as the girl pondering in deep tought.

"Hmm... not really, but maybe we find out while on the way. Besides, if we staying here so long, the Cie'th's might show up again." The girl said recieving an annoyence sigh from Cloud.

"Off we go then.." Cloud said with less enthusiast tone walk following the red haired girl. As the Group began following as well.

"So... l'Cie huh?" Snow said looking at the brand at his left.

"Yep, we're playing for team pulse now" Sazh said sarcastaclly "but why me?" He sighed. "Well trust the Soldier guys to keep their cool trought this mess."

"Right... If we don't know our Focus, how do we complete it?" Lightning said causing everyone looked at her. But then, Cloud stopped.

"I think I knew..." he said slowly as everyone looke at him.

"You do?"

"This is how Focus comes down people" Sazh explanied. "The Fal'Cie? They don't spell it out with clear-cut instructions. After that, you have to figure it out on your own."

"What did you see?" Lightning asked Cloud.

"Before I wake up, I was having a strange dream. I was in field of flower's, but then there is strange weird looking tower." Cloud explained remembered the strange dream he had.

"--W-wait a minute." Sazh suddenly intterupted. "Hold on now. Did we all have the same dream?"

"Ragnarok" said Cloud, Lightning and Snow in unison. The words came out out of blue from their mouths.

"So, we all have the same dream. We all heard that same voice."

"Does that mean that was our Focus?" The boy assumed "But how are we supposed to know what to do from that?"

"That's the tricky part" the red haired girl explained "The dream's the only hint the Fal'Cie gives us, figuring out what to do with it. that's our job."

"Right so…" Sazh calmly collecting his toughts "We're Pulse l'Cie, right? Enemies of Cocoon. So does that mean our Focus is--? Are we supposed to—"

"Save her!" Snow shouted causing everyone turned to him "Our Focus, is to protect Cocoon!" the man in tenchcoat said confidently.

"And why is that?" Cloud said approached Snow at front with his arms crossed expecting a reasonble answer. while Lightning watched Snow went silent for a moment.

"Serah told us!" Snow said try convincing the group "Let's do it! We're all in this together! I'm going to look for Serah, she ought to be nearby," Snow taking off running.

"I'm coming too!" the red haired girl, racing after him.

"Geez, that boy can't stay still!" Sazh sighed following the pair

"Hmph..Tell me about it, He is not thinking this straight.." Cloud remakred shaking his head and following Sazh. The group evantually also began followed Snow and the red haired girl then after a few minutes walked they find them in a road standing.

"Alright! We fight it! Ragnarok!" a loud voice came from Snow as he jumped down from the top of rock. "That's the reason we're l'Cie" he said cheerily "To stop it—to keep Cocoon safe!"

"I'm with Spikey, you didn't think ahead before this. give us a good reason to believe that. Just one reason." Sazh said annoyed still unconvinced.

"Serah" Snow said simply "She said to protect Cocoon, and then she turned to crystal.That'sthe proof right there: she completed her Focus! That means ours is to save Cocoon Serah's Fal'Cie was the same as ours, Our Focus hasgotto be the same. We were chosen to be guardians, to defeat Ragnarok, it makes sense!"

"I don't buy it. She only told us to protect Cocoon and nothing more else. I'm not going lick that Fal'Cie boots without knowing what the hell is really going on and turned into a crystal." Cloud said disgusted about Snow's logic

"Pulse Fal'Cie are Cocoon's enemies and we just got to be recruited by one of them." Sazh said as take step foward to Snow "If I were a betting man... I'd put us on the other side."

"So Serah's an enemy too?" Snow growled starting loses his temper."Well I don't buy it either!" Snow shouted and then turned Lightning still looking at the ground in deep toughts

"We have the power to save Cocoon, if we work together and carry out our Focus--" suddenly, Lightning gave him and her Saber blade she held at his throat.

Our Focus?" Lightning snapped angrily allowing flow of her emotion taking over her."The Fal'Cie took Serah from usand you want to help it? Whose side are you on?"

"Freeze!" A roared voice came from behind as the grouo surrounded by the PSICOM's Trackers and Rangers with their rifle pointed at them. Cloud spun his head shaprly noticed the Trackers and Rangers Squad had boxing them in

"Hands on your head, Now!" One of Ranger said as everyone placing their hands on the head. Lightning still holding her Saber thinkin she would rather die than surrender. But with no chance to fight back, she had no choice to drop her sword on the ground. As for Cloud, surrender was never his type. He didn't flinch and still stood at where he stand.

"You the one with big sword, you coming with us!" The soldier barked

"I don't think so." Cloud growled sling his Sword over his shoulder and pointed it at them and then leap in the air in instant landed at front of three soldiers and then he spin himself with his huge blade like a whirlind causing the chaos.

"Open fire! Take him down!" The soldier said firing his rifle toward the blonde swordsman who masterfully dodged the rains of bullets.

In instict, Lightning stomped the tip of her blade on the ground causing it flew at front of her, leaping in the air and then catch it's grip. She dahsed toward nearest Soldier and swing her blade. Sazh firing his pistols at other Soldiers behind them to draw their attention to him. and Snow taking down the Soldier being distracted.

"Don't let him get away!"

"CP, this is Delta-4-6. We have eyes on the Target! We need backup! I repeat: this is Delta-4-6 requesting imm--AARGHH!" The scream of soldier speaking trought the radio as he didn't finish the transmiting after Cloud took him down.

As Cloud took down another Soldier, there is one left behind him. Didn't have time to react, It was Lightning shoot at the soldier behind him with her transformed Gunblade into gun mode. the bullet was passing trought besides Cloud and pierce trought the Soldier's head.

"These guys sure giving us a hard time!" Sazh breathed as he collapes on the ground and sit at where he at.

"The Tracker unit.. and The Rangers..." Lightning knelled down at the fallen soldier noticed the patch on their shoulders. "I'm gonna assumed that they have eyes on you back at the Edge?" Lightning turned to Cloud as he shrugged. Remembered the time when he was seperated with her back in the Hanging Edge.

"Looks like it." Cloud said drly

"Seems Nabaat didn't hold back and sending every PSICOM's best to took you down." Lightning said as the conculsion reached to her.

"Wait... you telling me Spikey is a PSICOM's most wanted now? Oh, great now we have an entire Special Forces division sniffed their noses to find us!" Sazh said annoyed with the situation he ended up now.

"Nothing for us l'Cie to be afraid of!" Snow said confidently

"Cut the crap!" Lightning hissed annoyed by Snow's arrogance."These guys may not looked like it but they are PSICOM's elites. They are still profesional killers. If they hit the field and it's game over for us."

"Then...we should run away now right? Ciao!" The red haired girl taking off on her own

"Hey, wait!" Sazh said sighed by the girl attitude. "Well, can't let the girl travel by her own right? I go get her." The afro haired man left catching up with the girl.

"So Guys. it's weird isn't it?" Snow amused "Of all the messed up ways to meet; might as well make introductions I'm Snow, Snow Villiers. How bout you kid?"

"Hope. Hope Estheim." The silver haired boy named Hope introduce himself.

"What about her?" the red haired girl asked about Lightning.

"Bodhum Security Regiment, she goes by 'Lightning.' Last name's Farron;first? Only God's know," Snow replied sarcastically as Lightning crossed her arms, she hate being talked about like she couldn't hear them and she especially disliked someone else introducing her.

"Vanille" the red hair girl said cheerily.

"Sazh Katzroy, good to meet you" Sazh introducec himself.

"Say... I didn't catch the Spikey's name?" Snow turned to Cloud as he walked pass trought him in annoyence.

"Cloud. And stop calling me Spikey." Cloud growled acidly without turned around.

"You kidding me? Cloud? Is that a nickname too?" Snow asked curiously.

"The hell you talking about? That's literally my name, Jackass." Cloud snapped back and started irritated by Snow as well

"Whoa sheesh sorry, I didn't mean to upset you like that" Snow stuttered. "sheesh. He is no diffreant with Lightning. would't be suprised if these guys are actually dating."

"The guy is short temper. You might have to chose the words wisely when talked to him." Sazh said remembered the momment Cloud snapped when facing the Anima "it's not right. Why'd kids have to dragged into this?"

"Do not worry, I keep the kids out of trouble!" Snow grinned confidently.

"The problem with that is, you are one of them." Sazh smirked patting his shoulder leaving Snow stuttered by his words. While both men continued their pace, Lightning and Cloud followed them from behind. It's been a strange day for Cloud. Ever since he arrived in this world, he had no clue how to get back to his own world. One thing he knew that what Aerith told him a certain person will helped him trought this uknown journey, And that person is right next to him.

"You got a plan for getting your Sister back?" Cloud breaking the silence

"I'm not sure where exactly she is, But I will never stopped even the chance is slim." Lightning says tried compsure herself.

"I'm suprised you actually let that Dumbass to proposed your Sister." Cloud scoffed.

"You mean Snow? Serah loves him and he is good to her. I just don't like him around. But if Serah really chose him, I guess I have to accept it one day." Lightning said honestly then suddenly changing the subject "Can I asked you something?"

"What is it?" Cloud asked

"Back in vestige, you reached Serah right after she turnes into Crystal. I couldn't stopped thinkin about it. What did you do to her?" Lightning asked patientley as Cloud lost in deep tought.

"You might think I'm crazy, but when I reached to her, I hear a voice. And telling me that 'She can be saved... and she will be.'" Cloud said remembered the time he reached Serah at Vestiage and heard Aerith's voice. Lightning in other hand left a speacheless thinkin what he says is true or not.

After few minutes of walk, the group found something caught their attention, a bed of crystalized spikes and in the middle of hill. Lightning noticed a figure sleeping inside the crystal bed. Without a doubt, it's Serah in Crystal statis

"Serah!" Lightning gasped taking a sight of Sister.

"SERAH!" Snow roared rushing in into the Crystal bed surrounded by spikes. Looking around his surroundings, he found a metal pipe. Vanille and Sazh rushed as well picked up any metal pipes and joined helping him.

Cloud watched in distance Snow giving all he's got to digging in the Crystal ground to free Serah. After what happend in his own world, he can understand the Snow's frustration tried keeping Serah save. Just like the way when he tried to keep Aerith saved.

"This is good-bye," Lightning muttered trying compusure her self fighting the tears that was about to fall on her eyes. She turned back to other direction and ready to leave.

"Lightning? You're just going to leave her?" Snow asked in disbelief.

"PSICOM will be here soon, if they find us, we're all dead." Lightning said still keeping her voice calm "You think Serah would want that? You think you know how she feels?"

"If I leave her, then I never know!" Snow sapped argued back "We'll be fine. I can handle anything they throw at us! No one will die. I'll protect Serah and Cocoon!"

With that words, Lightning had enough of Snow arrogance, fueled by anger and rage, she turned around and marching toward him and giving a powerful fist on his jaw and knocked him to the ground.

"DOES SHE LOOK PROTECTED TO YOU" She roared letting her emotions flow in her veins

"I can save her!" Snow argued back and then the rose haired soldier landed another punch and knocked him down again.

"WHAT COULD YOU POSSIBLY DO?" She roared once again.

"What ever it takes!" Snow shouted back as well as Lightning stuttered and didn't expected the kind of response. He made it clear from the begining. He made it this far away to saved Serah. But Her anger and rage fueled her once again and she was about to land another fist again on Snow.

But something unexpected happened, she felt a strong grib on her waist and turned back to see Cloud, who was watching her with an ease expresion of him and shaking his head slowly.

"You two are hopeless." Sazh sighed started walking away "You just can't admit it."

Lightning evantually removed Cloud's hand on her waist and then turned back again stomped pass trought Cloud and once again ready to leave.

"You're guys are leaving?" Snow barked

"There is nothing we can do for Serah now. Just like Lightning said, PSICOM will be here soon. and much worse, they got Trackers and Rangers tailing us as we speak." Cloud said calmly

"We got Power of l'Cie! We can take those guys." Snow says arrogantly

"Is that so?" Cloud growled coldly marched up toward Snow. "Then let me ask you this... If any one of us died to save Serah and you survived this, how would you live with yourself knowing that happened?" Cloud coldyl says as his mako eyes locked on Snow's eyes causing him stuttered and unable to said another word.

"You're nothing but an arrogant egotistical prick. You don't care about anything else." His acidly words had tortured Snow. As Cloud walked pass trought Snow, Snow starting losing his temper as well and then shouted once again.

"SO YOU SAYING I HAVE TO ABANDON HER AND SAVE MYSELF?" Snow turned to blonde and roared at the him. but the blonde didn't turned back to look at him and continued walked away.

"What about your focus?" Lightning snapped back coldy causing Snow turned back to her. "What happend to banding together and saving the world? Isn't that what you promised? Now you just want to forget it all and die right here?" once again another words sharp as Knife cuts trought Snow causing him long silence and lowering his head in shame.

"She got you there." Sazh scoffed

"Cloud is right about you... You're nothing but talk." She walked pass trought Snow catching up with Cloud who already on the way.

"LIGHTNING!" Snow roared her name loudly causing her stopped. "I'll do whatever it takes. I'll complete this Focus...andkeep Serah safe! That's my promise!"

"Great job so far." She responded coldly and continued her pace catching up with Cloud.

Authors note: Heya guys. back with another chapter. Somehow, I really enjoyed writting Cloud and Snow little arguement there and making Snow loses his temper and then snapped. Lightning and Snow arguement at Lake Bresha is one of my favorite cutscene in FFXIII. I figured that Cloud should intervening decided to knock some sense to Snow.

Stay tuned for next Chapter and Merry Christmas to everyone who's celebrating