Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, Chapter 3: Who Lives, and Who Dies?

Lightning found no shortage of people looking for help in the city of Luxerion. A man in a strange hat offered money for "soul seeds". These could be found within the zones of chaos that were sprouting at random in Nova Chrysalia. After a bit of coaxing, the strange man gave up the information that the soul seeds were actually the souls of humans. However, instead of being reincarnated in the natural order of things, they now became monsters. 

Lightning talks with Baird, a collector, about soul seeds. Source.

Lightning soon had a chance to test her mettle in the chaos, against a massive beast. A woman at the end of a deserted alley identified herself as a bounty hunter, one of the best. Her entire team of seven, save her, had fallen to a fierce dragon within the chaos. She had little faith that Light could take on the beast herself, but Lightning was bolstered with her powers as Savior. The beast was huge, with painfully sharp teeth, and a bruising tail. Flame spewed from it's chaos infused breath. Lightning moved like her name-sake. With strategic use of her powers and items of recovery, she prevailed. A collection of soul seeds was hers, as well as a tooth as a trophy of her kill. The bounty hunter was amazed and humbled by the act. Lightning's prowess inspired this woman to greater heights, and thus the Eradia from her soul was obtained.

Here is a picture of Lightning with the dragon. These windows can be pulled up, then a stock message, an optional message from the player, and even an item may be sent. Other players may then see these in their own games, and have the option of purchasing the item.

Confident that she had both rid the city of a major threat, and inspired the passions of a fellow warrior woman, our hero returned to her quest. She now had the four numbers of the code to enter the graveyard. At midnight, she spoke the words, and the gate opened. The graveyard was not empty, being swarmed with creatures of the chaos. Over it all, the cacophony of the chanting cultists could be heard, calling out to their dead goddess, Etro.

Posted messages may be used for humor. I had a good giggle at this one.

Surrounding a massive altar in the center of the graveyard, the cultists were preparing to sacrifice yet another young woman. Lightning put a stop to the sacrifice, they recognized her as the true savior. They were acting in the place of the "Shadow Hunter". However, none other than the Shadow Hunter himself intervened to help Light. "You think I'm with these blood-thirsty heretics who kill innocents?" he said to Lightning. The Hunter, was Noel Kreiss, Serah's recent companion. "They did it for you Noel!" Light retorted.

Etro's altar in the graveyard of Luxerion.

  

After the Etro cultists had been driven off, Noel explained the situation. The cultists had found an "oracle drive", the device which records the prophecies of the farseers. In it, Lightning is shown destroying what is left of the world, and Noel kills her to stop it. The cultists were a bit impatient, trying to help the process along by killing innocents. Noel was not with them, however, he still vowed to kill Lightning, at the appointed time and place. That place was The Warrens, the part of Luxerion where the poor and down on their luck huddle together to scrape by a meager living. Here, Lightning would meet whatever fate was in store for her at the hands of the Shadow Hunter.

On her way to the Warren, Lightning stops by the cathedral, and sees this mysterious figure.

Finding her way to Noel's hideout was no simple task, as the gates to the Warren were only open during the night, when most of the city was sleeping. Noel had secluded himself in a particularly dangerous part of the Warren, guarded by Etro cultists. Lightning had little trouble cutting these adversaries, and their massive blades, down, though. A "Symbol of Etro" she had taken from a cultist's body was enough to secure her entry onto the rooftops where Noel had chosen to hide. She soon found him, sitting cross-legged, meditating in front of the oracle drive.

The oracle drive discharges its secrets.

Lightning witnessed the prophecy as it unfolded before her. As most prophecies are, it was open to interpretation. However, it indeed depicted Noel and her fighting, a fact which he seemed determined to make good on. 

Noel, as depicted within the smokey projection of the oracle drive.

Light tried to deter him, but Noel was having none of it. They danced the dance of blades for what seemed like hours, neither able to gain ground over the other. In the end, Lightning was victorious, but she did not deliver a killing blow. In her hesitation, she left herself open, Noel jumped high in the air to deliver her to her doom. His blade, however, flew by her with a gust like that of a hurricane, planting itself deep into the oracle drive. Noel had made his choice, Lightning would live, and the prophecy would die.

Noel does his best Kain impression.

Noel laid bare the guilt that had been on his shoulders, the guilt that had caused him to ping on Hope's radar. Although it had been Caius's hand that had guided it, it was Noel's dagger that had plunged through the Heart of Chaos, thus sealing the word's fate. Noel felt responsible for releasing the Chaos, and dooming the world. After confessing his sin, a vision of Yeul rose from the oracle drive. Yeul, his companion who Noel had been waiting centuries to see again, was finally before him. She urged him that he had made the right choice, and that now, they would soon meet again. The dark cloud lifted from him, Noel's soul was saved, and he vowed to live in the light. He would no longer be the "Shadow Hunter".

It was a battle that took everything Lightning had, as both a soldier, and as the mighty Savior. Her mercy almost got her killed, but thankfully, Noel still had his kind heart, even after living in centuries of darkness. In the end, the first leg of her quest was fulfilled, as she had saved this man's soul from the coming oblivion.

Join me again soon friend, for the continuing saga of Lightning, Savior of the great Bhunivelze, here... at This Bard's Tales!