Just Focus (FFXIII)

6) Mindful Follower

We head up the smooth slope of crystal to see a crashed vehicle that towers several feet over our heads. It looks like sort of weapon. Lightning peers down to where the path below leads to a wall of crystal that blocks the way. Water must have poured down before it was caught in the tide of the fal'Cie. Without a word, the soldier pushes past Hope and reaches up to press something on the control panel. A gun's gears whir as it turns to aim at the wall. Nothing happens for a moment. Hope jumps when the turret fires a spray of bullets into the crystal, shooting until there's no more ammunition and the wall's crumbled.

I admire the glittering destruction a moment longer before following Lightning down to the open path. Sazh scratches at the back of his head, shrugging at Vanille when she raises her eyebrows. Hope twists the bandana tied over his brand nervously, hurrying to catch up with the rest of the group. We wander through the tunnel created by towering walls of bright blue crystal that gleams and glints like glass.

Finally, the tunnel opens up into the sunlight again. Lightning skids to a stop suddenly, drawing her sword. I peek around her, my heart skipping a beat when I see the shining green armor of a PSICOM behemoth. It digs its steel claws into the crystal floor, snarling. I pull my daggers free from their sheathes, uneasily watching the thing rear onto its hind legs before growling at us. Lightning hesitates no longer, running in to fight the beast. Sazh shouts a protest before following, pistols in hand. Taking a deep breath, I roll my shoulders and muster up the courage to join them.

"Oh boy," I mutter before rushing into the open, ready. Behind me, Vanille wavers nervously.

"It's weak to water and fire," Vanille squeaks out. Lightning frowns at her as Sazh's guns pop out four shots.

"How do you know that?"

"The fal'Cie," the girl replies, eyes flickering over to the behemoth. "It gives us the power to read the creatures we encounter."

Before anyone can ask how she figured this out, the behemoth lunges at Lightning, swiping a claw at the place she stood before she dove out of the way. She slashes at its side twice, flipping out of the way of a counterattack and firing a shot from her weapon when it transforms from a sword to a gun. A gunblade? I stumble out of the way of the creature's swatting tail, watching as Sazh casts a flurry of fire spells. Get your head in the game, Amarhi.

I nod to myself, hurrying to help Lightning. I dig the point of a dagger into the leg of the beast and tear along its steely skin, ripping a hole into its body and immobilizing the limb. The behemoth whips around to attack me when a splash of water drops over its head. Snarling, it turns back to Vanille, who quickly splashes it again, encouraged by the reaction. Sazh summons up another small burst of fire. While the ugly beast is rearing its head like a child throwing a tantrum, Lightning swings up onto the monster's back and drives her sword through its head several times. Shuddering, the behemoth collapses.

Vanille shudders and lowers her weapon, turning and motioning for Hope to join us. The boy steps out of the shadows, rejoining the group and avoiding my pointed glare. Sazh looks up at the sky upon hearing the whine of speeding motors.

"Look at that. They're sending in cruisers." He shakes his head, placing his hands on his hips. "Primarch must be sweatin' bullets, mobilizing ships like that."

We come to join him on the ledge he's standing on, staying low and looking down at the massive golden airship that stretches out over the valley below. Dozens of smaller soldier cruisers speed through the air and hundreds of soldiers themselves line up on the ground clutching guns and preparing to divide and conquer.

"They must be hunting down Purge survivors," Sazh mutters.

"I hope everyone made it out okay," Vanille replies. I bite my tongue and keep my thoughts to myself. With all this crystal, no one made it anywhere.