Exploring Fal'Cie

As airships slowly brought the cross-shaped 'living building' into the 'Hanging Edge', Raynor motioned for his Shadow clones to take over airships with their genjutsu, same time he ordered his pet wolf to shrink in size and start hunting down PSICOM grunts or their robots, depending who will be closer in his path...

"Well, Lightning...do you need my help to enter that thing?" Raynor smirked to the pink head who looked at him with narrowed eyes, she already realised that there was no need for him to 'Princess carry' her, as she saw him carry Sazh with some sort of technique...

In fact she saw him give an ability to walk on air to his pet Wolf!!!

'This guy is using this situation to his advantage!!!' The Pink head would really want to beat him up! but Lightning really doubts she can actually even damage him! but still!

"And do you really need to carry... me?" She asked with a somewhat annoyed tone.

"Why of course..." He said that with certainty...

She only eye-rolled at him followed by resigned sight.

"Fine...but no funny business!" She said that there was a miniature blush on her face she remembers a few minutes ago that feeling she had when he carried her before...

Moments later he picked her up, and started to fly towards the fal'Cie, while Sazh this time was more ready to fly...by not actually screaming only sweating bullets like crazy, as they were floating towards the entrance of the fal'Cie.

Since this time they flying longer, Lightning by this point was having a hard time keeping her face from not-blushing.

Raynor was impressed how she can still keep her cool, his body is that of Primordial Yang, he represents the whole essence of Yang...

It just shows how incredible Lightning is to actually ignore and resist that feeling for that long...

After landing at the entrance Raynor lowered Lightning back at her feet, this time she only took a small step away from him...

While Sazh took a deep breath, he saw happy being on solid ground.

"I don't think I will be able to get over that feeling..." Sazh commented on his 'flying experience'

Raynor only chuckled and started walking forward it was nothing more than the ancient-looking corridor, with unique lighting on walls Raynor can't tell if it's running on electricity or some sort magic source..., it really felt that he was in an ancient fantasy building...

As they were walking deeper into this building, Raynor spread his sensed and checked if anyone else was trying to enter...

'Hm...I guess since Snow is not with Serah he had no reason to rush here, and since he is not here, neither is that annoying girl Vanille or that kid Hope...' Raynor was satisfied that he won't need to listen to that little boy whining or that airhead girl's weird actions...

'Since the most annoying characters of the game are not here, I don't need to worry about 'accidentally' killing any of them...'

Once Raynor small group passed the corridor they arrived at the wide-open area, in front of them there is a small walkway and then several stairs going up.

But before that, they encountered more enemies...

"Those are Pantherons...PSICOM man-made bloodhounds..." Before Sazh can explain more Raynor already has shot them with his Desert Eagle.

"...Right, I don't think I needed to explain..." the Ex-Pilot with afro scratched back of his head.

Raynor only smirked at him, as they continued walking, Lightning didn't say a word, she simply shrugged and continued following Raynor, quite close in fact.

Raynor continued shooting the Pantherons, there were quite a few of them in here.

These things looked like panthers only man-made, their bodies were red, and silver while their claws were neon blue, which shine in dark...

Raynor didn't hesitate to kill these monstrosities...

After doing short work out of them, their small group continued progressing, taking another stairs, there was another corridor which took them to the lift...

'Hmm, I don't remember this being that quick, maybe because in-game you have to play through three different perspectives?' Raynor shrugged his shoulders, oh well...

Once they arrived at the next floor they were greeted by a bunch of crystal-like zombies, they looked like a deformed human, some of them had long arms and thin bodies, other had expanded arms and their bodies were thick and, they could easily smash concrete walls, most of the disgusting stuff was those crystalised skin they had...

"Those... are Cie'th? the one's who failed their mission..." Sazh said while taking out his pistols, only for Raynor to raise his hand, he was really...disgusted what he saw, he has to erase these disgusting creatures as soon as possible...

He pulled out his Desert Eagle, he operated his laws for a second, and then pointed his weapon at those zombie-like creatures...

And then pressed the trigger.

Instead of laser-like bullet it was proper beam this time, Raynor simply erased the upper half of these creatures...the other half simply dropped on the ground...the end...

It was short and efficient way to deal with them.

Only Sazh was somewhat shocked by what he saw, while Lightning only looked at him for a second, instead of being shocked she now wanted to know what he can't do?

Since she is not actually fighting... in fact the only time she pulled out her gun-blade was at the train... and that was around an hour or so ago...

She actually has time to think about this dimensions-hoping enigma, he has such powers, like the power of flight, the wolf, his gun...

He could have easily defeated everyone and saved her sister but instead, he tagged along with her...

She only came with the single conclusion that he is here for something more...

"So Lightning how is the birthday gift I gave it to you?" His question got her off-guard, as he was in the middle of something and then out of nowhere, he asked this question?

She wanted to ask what is he talking about but then he pointed at the new knife holster she has on her tight...

Her eyes widened for a second she completely forgot about it, as she felt this holster was not normal at all, it as if it has some sort of special properties, because of this crisis she had no time to ask Serah where she got it...

"Any way you probably noticed, it is special..." Raynor said after incinerating few more Cie'th as they walked deeper into this living building thingy...it really hard to see this thing as being 'alive' as everything they saw so far is just ancient fantasy building, nothing indicating that it's 'alive'...

"I was thinking to give you this later, but I think this place is perfect for you to test it out..." Pink heads interest was peaked, what does this dimension-hopping enigma has for her?

Raynor simply with hand motion pulled out a what Lightning things is a gun-blade from thin air...forgetting that part for a second she focused on this new weapon.

She instantly can tell this weapon is not normal... it just gives some sort of magical vibes...

It looked very similar to hers, only it looks like it's for more like for ceremonies intended, not for fighting.

He gently handed over to her with his spare hand.

"A warning, don't use gun mode in close ranges alright... I don't want for you to get killed..." Lightning only raised her eyebrow hearing that, she gently took her new weapon, she instantly felt a connection to it, as If she was fighting with this weapon for many years...

She quickly assumed shooting position as the weapon was already in the gun mode.

And targeted Cie'th in distance and then pressed the trigger...

...

...

Electricity danced at the tip of the muzzle of the gun and then orange beam accelerated into the Cie'th at neck-breaking speed, disintegrating the whole thing...

"Was...that... a railgun???" The ex-pilot said with gobsmacked expression, Lightning was the same as Sazh... she didn't even felt recoil from this shot!!!

Raynor simply nodded seeing weapon in action, Seeing Railgun shot from rifle is awesome!

"Well, what do you think? There are nine bullets per cartridge, just made sure those are simple metal ones and not the ones filled by gunpowder..." Raynor started explaining how to maintain her new weapon which is much easier than her original gun-blade.

Vibranium guns don't really need much maintenance after all...

"This is...your birthday gift to me?" Lightning mouth twitched saying that, how in all what's holy can she decline this kind of weapon?

What really caught her off guard is this guy knows how to pick a gift!

She is someone who doesn't really like meaningless gifts...but this guy...

He really knows how to pick something she likes...

"Indeed, now try the sword mode," Raynor told her as he erased one more Cie'th with his Desert Eagle.

Lightning decided to go with the flow, this whole day is turning into one crazy adventure.

She switched her gun-blade into sword mode and dashed into closest Cie'th she saw, while these crystalized zombies are not fast, they have quite sturdy bodies, or they thought they had, as Lightning quite easily chopped them to bits...

Before she even realised, she already has defeated remaining Cie'th, when the last Cie'th dropped on the ground, she was taken aback just how powerful this weapon is, when she was cutting them down, there was no resistance, it's like she is using hot knife and everything else is just butter.

"Beautiful, you know how to use the sword..." She snapped out and looked at this enigma who gave her this weapon.

"You...really just giving me this extremely powerful weapon?" She asked after the blade collapsed into 'carrying mode'.

She was fascinated as this weapon even behaved like her original, the size, the 'carrying mode', it even fit into her holster...

"It's your birthday present...so yes..." He motioned for both of them to continue walking, while Lightning started to think what his actions really mean...

Walking towards another lift, they finally arrived at the place...

Raynor and group finally saw Serah who was laying on the cold ground.

"SERAH!" Lightning rushed to sister's side at nearly supernatural speed.

Raynor could sense Serah brand started to react, she finished her focus...

'Serah's focus was a very simple one, its to bring more people to the Pulse fal'Cie, for branding...'

'Those Cie'th creatures downstairs were PSICOM scouts who were sent to investigate this fal'Cie, it just shows how easily can fal'Cie brand these people and then force them to turn into monsters...'

While Lightning was already at her sister side, Raynor and Sazh walked a little bit slower to her, Sazh had complicated look on his face his hand from time to time would twitch towards his Pistols.

"Sis...you came..." Serah said with a soft voice, the magic already started to affect her body, she would soon start the process of turning into Crystal statue.

"Of course I came!" The older pink head said worriedly she already noticed her sisters weird behaviour.

Serah smiled for a second then she noticed, Raynor, she was shocked seeing him.

"Ray...I am sorry that I didn't tell you about this..." She motioned towards her tattoo.

Raynor shook his head for a second.

"You are far too curious for your own good..." Raynor said with a small smile, soon enough Serah started to glow...

"She...fulfilled her focus..." Sazh said with disbelieve and relief same time.

Lightning started to panicking.

While Raynor simply snapped his fingers and the pendant she was wearing started to glow...

Intercepting, and negating whatever effect the Brand was doing...

Moments later the glowing stopped, and the Tattoo stopped to glow...

Lightning and Sazh were gobsmacked...

Did he just stopped the process of crystallisation?!

Lightning, mouth opened then closed...

She doesn't know what to say anymore...

"Lightning did you really believe I allow her to sleep for thousands of years?" Raynor said with a shake of his head as he pointed at Serah pendant.

"I knew her curious personality will get her in trouble, so I simply gave her a Pendant which will protect her from most of situations..." Raynor said to Serah's elder sister who was still processing what just happened.

But then Serah opened her eyes, and started to properly move, as magic was not affecting her body anymore.

Lightning continued to observe what's going on her sisters just got back on her feet like nothing happened before!!!

"Sis...Ray, what's going on?" The younger pink head asked with confusion but then she was engulfed by her elder sister who started apologising for her stupid behaviour last day.

'Well, part one is done...' Raynor though with a smirk.