Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, Chapter 6: Snow on the Asphalt

My second time through the game proved much smoother, I had a good idea of how to manage my time to get quests done. Also, I now knew an important fact about quests. There are three types of quests in the game: main, side, and canvas. The canvas quests come from reading a board called the "Canvas of Prayers." These canvas quests do NOT give Eradia, and thus do not increase the time left for the world, as the other quests do. This is important, and I don't think is explicitly stated within the game. Therefore, canvas quests should be the last priority for the player. I quickly made my way through Luxerion, and it's quests, a second time. I moved on to Yusnaan next, to chase the patron, Snow.

A cactaur statue accentuates a square in Yusnaan.

After Lightning's attack upon her arrival in Nova Chrysalia, Snow's palace was now on high alert, and he was not seen since. Periodic notifications came over loudspeakers, warning the people of the one called "the savior", a woman with rose-colored hair, who should be considered armed and dangerous. While guards would attack her in the streets, the local populace did not seem concerned by her presence at all. They were much more worried about their revelry and pursuit of hedonism. The folk of Yusnaan wished to forget their worries, not confront them.

To get to Snow's palace, Lightning would need in to the Augur's Quarter. This part of the city was the playground of the rich, and was kept closed by a secure gate. Entering would require an ID, that was not easy to obtain. However, rumors told that a flamboyant individual known as the "Tour Guide" had another way in. It was a "backdoor" of sorts, so that less affluent folk could enjoy the Augur's Quarter's nightly show.

Augur: noun

1.

one of a group of ancient Roman officials charged with observing and interpreting omens for guidance in public affairs.

2. soothsayer; prophet. (dictionary.com)

The Tour Guide is quite the one man band.

Getting into the Augur's Quarter turned out to be no simple process. It involved traveling a long route through where supplies were sent to the palace. A long, not unoccupied route. Monsters of chaos swarmed the causeway. No guarantees of survival for paying customers, or course. Chaos gathered in large amounts the nearer the savior got to Snow's palace. Then, Lumina again appeared to put a thorn into Light's side. This time, she summoned a gargantuan cyclops to challenge her. Lightning bested it, but Lumina had other plans in mind.

Lumina's pet exploded with chaos energy. It stood tall, bringing it's massive club down, breaking apart the catwalk they stood on. Lightning's attempt to reach the palace was once again, foiled. However, fate, or luck, soon found her. On a body within the warehouse district where she had fallen, was an ID that would allow entrance to the Augur's Quarter!

Yusnaan's quest becomes very involved. Just when you think you've made it in, something else comes up. It's a little annoying, but the individual quests are fun. After getting access to the Quarter, Light talks with the director of the nightly show. She slyly convinces him to overload his set with fireworks. Then, in the name of the "safety of his star", Lightning convinces the director to let her be the star for the night.

The capricious (<-used in game) director appreciates Lightning's cleverness, and agrees to the crazy idea, which will likely result in the destruction of the entire set.

Capricious: adj- given to sudden and unaccountable changes of mood or behavior. (google.com)

First, Light must gather enough fireworks from various places around the city. Then, the director tells her she must have a suitable outfit for the show for people to believe she is the savior. (This is a bit ironic since the part is that of the savior, which she actually is!) The most fitting outfit cannot be simply purchased however, it must be won... at the slaughterhouse! Lightning must fight a gauntlet of three fights in Yusnaan's deadly arena in order to earn her garb, and thus the role. This all has to be handled in due time, before the show starts for the night.

The woman at the desk of the arena, Zoe, is strangely concerned with making sure that Lightning is up to snuff for the role. She even goes so far as to have Light deliver a couple of lines. Lightning is clever enough to see what is going on. Zoe had previously held the role of savior. Not only this, but she had made the prize garb herself.

This phrase made an impression.

Lightning gratefully takes the Midnight Mauve garb. It is an, admittedly, stunning gown. Returning to the Augur's Quarter, the show begins. At it's climax, Lightning is raised up on a high platform, surrounded by fire, and delivers her speech to God, that she will be the savior. The resulting fireworks knock over the set, causing chaos and destruction, and finally allows Lightning entrance to the palace of the patron!

The gown fitting of the role of savior.

I could send this message after completing the show. Turbo ethers are rare, but not too expensive, making them a good item to send to other players.

Snow's palace is a neat looking place. Lightning makes her way upstairs, returning to areas she was in at the beginning of the game.

The foyer of the palace.

This is where Snow saved his revelers at the beginning of the game. I feel like its a nod to another game.

Making her way up the palace, Lightning encountered a palace guard. Rather than attacking her however, he wished to help her with supplies. He explained that Snow had barricaded himself at the top of the palace. His troops were forced to promise to not let him leave the palace, and to kill him if he lost control. That is, became a Cieth. He was, after all, the last living l'Cie in Nova Chrysalia. Lightning found the barricade, a wall of ice that she found impenetrable. She pushed on to the remaining unexplored parts of the palace, finding Snow's chamber, and within it, Serah's engagement pendant. She was surprised to find it, as what could possibly make Snow take it off?

Based on the decor of Snow's room, he has become more than a bit of a masochist over these dark centuries.

Lightning believed the pendant could be the key to breaking the ice barrier. Snow had either left it behind because he had forgotten Serah's love, or to keep it safe. He may have wanted to keep it in a safe place, while he slipped closer and closer to the chaos that was closing in. Lightning was hoping for the latter. Otherwise, Snow was too far gone to be saved.

Thankfully, she was correct. She called out to Snow, while holding the pendant, and the ice broke. A beleaguered Snow greeted her on the other side of the door. It was a test. He left the pendant for her, to prove she was the real Lightning. Snow knew that she would know what the pendant meant. Snow was surrounded by an unimaginable amount of chaos.

Thankfully, Snow has chosen a more tasteful haircut for this installment than he did in XIII-2.

The Patron had a desperate plan to save his people from the formidable tide of chaos. He would absorb it himself, using the power of the l'Cie. However, he understood that this would likely turn him into a Cieth. This plan was sub par for the savior, as if Snow became a Cieth, his soul would be beyond saving. Snow indeed, had not changed, he was looking to sacrifice himself to save his people. He hoped it would make up for his perceived failure to protect Serah. Lightning countered that instead, he was running away, his sacrifice would amount to nothing more than suicide.

The chaos!

Snow's plan worked all too well. Before he absorbed the chaos, he asked for one "selfish" favor from Lightning, to destroy his Cieth. "You ask me to be your sister, and now to destroy you? You ask too much Snow!" Lightning yelled as she waded into combat. 

Snow's Cieth was a formidable foe, but the savior fought with the might of the hundreds of souls she had saved. In the end, Lightning's God given powers proved more powerful than that given by a Fal'Cie. Light would not kill Snow though, she wished to save him still. Her constant rival, Lumina, made an appearance, urging Lightning to put Snow out of his misery.

"You know nothing about Snow!" Light yelled as Lumina disappeared, "Snow, you fool, if you die, what will Serah have to come back to, you have to live!" 

She beat sense into him the only way she knew how, literally. Her fists were not enough, in the end, she held the pendant up to Snow's cold Cieth heart. It still had some warmth in it, however.

"For a second there, I thought you cared," Snow said as he regained consciousness. He was saved.

What lies in store to test the savior's will next? Find out here... at This Bard's Tales!