Final Fantasy XIII: Slaves of Fate

Leo stepped back, confused more than before. Lindzei herself branded somebody? Omega was that old? This boy...he was a divine dragon? What the hell was going on? He looked at Omega, his hatred was still in his blue eyes, but it was overwhelmed with confusion. "So what you're saying is-"
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"OMEGA, YOU BEAUTIFUL CRYSTAL *******!" Cid's bellowing laugh accompanied his descent as he jumped from Dahaka's back and landed in full battle form, claws and wings and all, just as Taejin's Tower finished crystallizing behind him. "I COULD KISS YOU, YOU EIDOLON FREAK!"

Leo's gunblade made a loud metallic clang as it hit the ground. He had jumped back, startled like never before at Cid's appearance. Cid had fell, laughing and yelling. And directly behind him, the tower was completely crystallized...with Snow still there. "What do you want?!" Leo asked, angrily.

Cid had never grinned as much as he did at that moment. It was like a twisted Cheshire Cat's grin mixed with a Glasgow smile. "The destruction of Cocoon, of course! The Door of Souls opened, just like last time! The second coming of the Maker!" He walked towards the crowd with his eyes on Lightning. "Sound familiar? Your Focus," he pointed to Lightning's apprentices, "Is the same one that she had centuries ago!" He let out another laugh before adding, "History is damned to repeat itself." To accompany his revelation, Dahaka roared a chilling roar above.
​

 

Jaden suddenly started laughing.
"Oh my god... you are such a dumbass you crystal freak."
He looked at the others and Lightning.
"It's simple right..." He pulled out his second sword and pointed the first at Cid.
"If our Focus is the same as Lightning's was back then... and she and the others were able to beat it. Then so can we." he smirked.
"And we'll beat you guys too, Glass boy." Jaden said, looking at Cid.
"After all... you and I have some unfinished business." he glared. Crouching low, almost as if he was ready pounce.
He quickly glanced at Shinryu. "Oh yeah, Dragon boy. No more hitting in the back of the neck with that thing... it really hurt last time."

 

"You wish it was that easy, pipsqueak," Cid remarked to Jaden. "Lightning never beat her Focus, despite what she may have thought before." He turned his eyes back to Lightning. "After all...you destroyed Orphan, didn't you? You became Ragnarok, well not you specifically, but only one of you was needed. You helped nonetheless," Cid stretched his arms open, glistening the sunlight. "You know who did beat their Focuses? Or is it Foci?" He thought for a moment and then shrugged, forsaking grammar correctness, "Cid Raines, the one I was named after! And then...your beautiful, innocent sister, little Serah." He smiled to Lightning before adding, "But things didn't work out for either of them, did it?"

 

Lightning had kept her cool but once Cid mentioned Ragnarok and Serah and even Cid Raines, Light snapped. She growled, her blade sparking with electricity. "Shut up! You know nothing of Serah or what happened all those years ago! Fang was trying to protect her friends! She saved us!" Lightning couldn't possibly say anything about Cid Raines. What he'd done he thought he was doing to keep Cocoon safe. Lightning stepped in front of Shinryu like she would've protected Hope and held her gunblade up in a battle ready formation.

Akira ran and stood beside Light. She didn't understand much of what was happening, but she would do anything to protect Lightning. Her focus may not say anything about it, but she knew one thing, "We won't destroy anything. Orphan and Bartandelus are gone, even if we have to fight Jenny to be free, we are not slaves!"

 

Jaden also stepped next to Lightning and got in a battle ready stance again.
"We're with you Light." he told her.
"No matter what."

 

Cid clicked his tongue twice. "It doesn't matter what she did, you stubborn woman, the point is that Fang and Vanille completed their Focus. Ragnorok was born." He took another step closer and shook his head, "Put that weapon away, I'm not here to fight. I'm here to enlighten." He looked at Akira and wondered if Lightning thought of her as a sister, a channel for her sisterly love since Serah was gone. "Tell me, Lightning, who do you think is responsible for Serah's disappearance. I'll give you a hint," he winked and smiled, "That was centuries before I was even born and yet I know who did it."

 

Oh, so that was it? That's their Focus? How simple. Omega looked off towards the sun, ignoring Cid's presence but listening to what he had to say. "Would you hurry, Cid? You know how much Tonberries love to come out here at night with their lanterns, knives, and hatred towards everything," he reminded, "Sure they're not a problem for us, but..." He examined the new l'Cie for a moment. "Have the six of you killed at least one Tonberry? Because none of you look like you have."

He was surprised to see Lightning defend him, even after hearing what Omega said about him. Suddenly there was a fast shuffle up above the cliffs, causing some pebbles and dust to crumble down. Shinryu quickly looked up at the top of the canyon, ready to attack, but there was nothing. He was sure he saw something there, something small and green. They couldn't be out now, could they?

 

"J-Jenny? Jenny took Serah?" Leo whispered, answering Cid's question. "Why...why would she do that?" While Lightning rarely talked about her little sister, Snow loved to brag about his wife. He talked about her disappearance several times.
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Cid shook his head at Leo. "There is no Jenny! Get it through your head, there's only Jenova! The God fal'Cie of Muin! Mother of All! Maker of the Maker of Makers!" He said the last bit cryptically before turning to Omega. "Tonberries? They pose no threat to us...then again," he looked at Lightning and pointed a claw to her chest. "Are you curious to why you're a l'Cie again, Soldier Girl? It's because you and Snow both have new Foci-Focuses, whatever!" He shrugged and waved his arms out before continuing. "Snow's Focus...well, it's not completely completed. Yours on the other hand..., well you're not a Crystal yet, are you?" Cid let out a small laugh before his body started to glow. Within a moment, he had summoned a wyvern behind him and was back to his unwinged Crystal form. "Muin. If you don't know that name, remember it," his voice dropped as he leaped backwards onto the wyvern. "She is the key to your Focus. Maybe I'll reveal more next time I see you...if you live that long!" He let out a laugh as the wyvern flew into the air.
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Omega watched Cid fly off. "About time he left," he said. Jenova? Like that parasite which infected that one planet I visited while in the Void? Great. After that thought he began to leave for the springs. "Well, I've said what I need to say. Try not to die from the small, green stabbing things. They hunt in packs," he told them as he left.

As Omega faded from sight, Shinryu heard more shuffling coming from above coupled with the swinging of lanterns. The sun was fading under the horizon as night came closer. He grew alert and readied his lance when a small green creature with a knife and lantern dropped down in front of them. Here they come.

 

Ryou just listened to the conversation before hearing of Jenova and Lighting being rebranded as Cid did point at her chest possibly indiacting where her mark was and Ryou held back a upcoming red face, thankfully the Tonberries distracted that train of thought, who'd thought he'd be grateful for monsters as he withdrawn the nodachi, grasping it with both hands.

"They do look kinda harmless but expect the unexpected from anything..." He thought as he released a Aero at the Tonberry.

 

Jaden noticed the Tonberries too. "Oh crap...
Um... guys? You remember how I went off on my own for like 2 weeks before I met you guys again...
Well... I met a few of these guys... and let's just say... I nearly got killed by behemoths, but I'd still chose behemoths over these guys..."
Jaden wasn't fearful or anything, but he sounded wary. Tonberries were bad news... and sure they were L'cie now... but... if more showed up... that would be a problem.
"Just don't attack them just yet. They counter-attack immediately with-... Ryo!" he called out as Ryo cast Aero at the small green creature.

 

Mia gripped her spear in anger and slashed at the Tonberry. Tears fall her face, but she couldn't shout her frustration with her voice gone. Mia touched the arm with Snow's bandanna on it and gripped it. She continued to attack the Tonberry in anger and hatred.

 

"Right... just everyone ignore my warning then..." Jaden sighed.
...Mia was completely out of control... he had to stop her...
But then... he noticed a small reaction in the Tonberry. Dammit! Already?!
There was only one thing he could do... The Tonberry was about to counter with one of it's powerful abilities known as 'Karma'. It couldn't be blocked, nor the damage reduced.
Jaden didn't think, he just acted.
He charged forwards and knocked Mia out of the way before the Tonberry unleashed it's attack.
Jaden was hit dead-on. It would have been worse if the Tonberry had used it's 'Chef's Knife attack', Jaden would undoubtedly have been instantly killed, but 'Karma' was still powerful.
He was floored instantly, doubled over in pain. Not dead... not even unconcious, but barely concious.
Karma was a move that did damage based on the victims sins... or how many enemies the victim had slain.
Jaden had slain a good few in his time, but it hadn't been enough to make the attack deadly on him. None of them other than Lightning and Shinryu probably would have slain enough.
But Jaden just couldn't let himself watch Mia take such an attack.
Did he regret it? Hell no!
Did it hurt? ...Yes. Definitely.

 

Mia looked at Jaden, she pulled out a Potion from her pocket and gave it to him. She fell to her knees, leaning against her spear. Wiping her tears, she looked at Jaden. She mouthed the words, 'Thank you, you idiot.' She smiled and touched Snow's bandanna. Looking toward the crystal tower, she sighed and thought of Snow. Now she truly regretted saving Jenny at Oerba, because Snow would still be around. She lowered her head and sighed.

 

Ryou heard Jaden's woprds. "Oh NOW he tells us what this creature is..." He thought to himself in frustation, commuication wasn't exactly a best feature since Jaden left and never told about what he faced as Jaden was hit by karma as he leapt in front of jaden's resting state. "Not even close to my experience at death's door Jaden." He said and prepared for anything else. ."We all run, agreed?" He asked everyone.

 

OOC: Tempest? I never heard of that buff :o

BIC: Mya noticed the little green Tomberries coming. She seriously despised them. Them with their knives that dispel buffs and their grudges. She whipped out her gunblade and relentlessly slashed at one. They were stronger than that as one stabbed her with a knife, sending her jumping back and clutching her arm. Damn they're too strong. Maybe running is the best option since they're so slow.

 

Shinryu rushed ahead of everyone in the group, making quick movements to avoid any incoming stabs and jumping over any that were in his way. He dared not to attack any as that would only make their grudge against everyone increase while making them stronger. They think Karma's bad? he thought. It had nothing against Deep-Seated Grudge, which hit every target in sight damage proportionate to the severity of its wounds while instantly returning to perfect health. A Tonberry lifted its lantern and did this right in his face. Given that all the ones around Shin were scratch free, he took no injuries and continued pressing forward.

"Hello, Bismarck. It's been a while, hasn't it?" Omega sat down on the edge of the large island in the springs, ignoring Ren for the moment and watching the fal'Cie continuing to do its duty. He took a moment to take in the sounds of the area: The water, the wind, the annoying wildlife, everything. "This world's going to hell, you know," he spoke to whoever would listen, "One day, when the world ends, I will be there storing whatever life is left inside my own body. It could happen tomorrow, next week, next month, next year, ten years from now, whenever fate wills it." He laughed weakly to himself, covering up his despair.

"But because of what happened at the Sea of Eden, everyone's future has already been decided so long ago..."

 

Lightning felt her brand and heart pulse. Everything was different. How could she have failed? Serah....Cid Raines....Muin....Jenova....Snow....Fang....Vanille...so many names flitted through her head. Light felt the world slipping from her grasp. Dully she watched Cid leave and with him, her answers. Battle anger filled her. And anger that demanded blood shed. Putting her gunblade away she closed her eyes and whispered one word, "Odin." She'd fought Tonberries before and Odin had helped considerably. Breaking from it's rose petalled sphere, Odin and Lightning glared at the Tonberries her young apprentices were fighting. It was unfair that they had to become l'Cie....but the world was unfair. Light knew this just as well as she knew Odin and herself. Or...did she know herself all that well as she thought...? Her Focus... had to do with Muin....but...what else? Serah's Focus...she'd brought Anima new l'Cie to fufill the Focus they wanted. Serah hadn't been fighting material, but they were. Snow, Hope, Sazh and herself along with Vanille...they'd been Serah's Focus. She'd been freed though....Serah was free of her l'Cie powers and Focus...why hadn't Lightning? Light's anger focused itself into attacks on the Tonberries. She took their Karma attacks with as much as she could. Odin struck with lighting and spiraling attacks over and over to protect Light. She felt their knives stab into her and kept slashing with as much energy as she could muster.

Akira stood back, watching Lightning's path of destruction. She hadn't realized Light was so devestated by Cid's words until she saw how quickly she'd summoned Odin. The large warrior slicing through the Tonberry before her seemed frightening and yet Akira only wanted to protect Light as much as Odin did. Aiding Light with her own lightning spells and water.