Ark ( summon ) Ark , also known as Cruise Chaser , is a recurring an airship - like summon in the series that first appeared in " Final Fantasy IX " . Although initially appearing as an airship with a dragon ' s head at the helm and a long blade out front , Ark can transform into a mecha ; in this state , it can attack with an arsenal of explosive laser weaponry . Appearances . " Final Fantasy IX " . Ark appears to be an eidolon of Terran origins , guarding the Gulug Stone in Oeilvert , an ancient Terran archive , and a red moon features during its summoning . The pattern its lasers draw on the ground includes the that appears in many locations associated with the planet . As eidolons are born of people ' s collective imaginings , most often based on myths and legends as in the case with Gaia ' s eidolons , Ark may be based on the Terran memories of an ultimate Terran warship , as told in the Oeilvert records . Whether the Ark fought in Oeilvert and the one learned as an eidolon from the Pumice are the same being is ambiguous , as the Ark protecting the Gulug Stone never transforms . Ark seems to be Terra ' s equivalent to Gaia ' s Alexander , their elements mirroring each other : Ark is Shadow - elemental , Alexander Holy - elemental ; both are mechanical in nature , being feared as ancient weapons and summons , with Alexander being an immobile megalithic fortress , while Ark takes a form similar to an airship ; they share the theme of Heaven and Earth , Ark being airborne and Alexander being earthbound ; both represent their respective worlds of origin and their names relate to a theme of judgment and punishment , with Alexander known for his attack , Divine Judgment , while Ark ' s original attack name in Japanese was Dark Fate . When equipping Dagger with a Pumice she can learn to summon Ark for 100 AP . The party can locate two Pumice Pieces , which can be forged into Pumice by Hades at his Synthesis Shop in Memoria . Pumice can also be received by beating Ozma , the most powerful enemy in the game . When summoned , Ark departs from the red moon of Terra , and transforms . A hovering Ark targets the enemy with a laser glyph before firing a salvo of explosive lasers from its wings to scorch the battlefield , and finishes off by readying a larger laser whose impact can be seen from space . Its attack is called Eternal Darkness , which deals Shadow - elemental damage to all enemies . Ark has the longest summon animation — the full attack is almost two minutes , and the short animation is longer than most summons ' long animations . Ark ' s spell power is equal to 106 plus the total number of Lapis Lazulis in the party ' s inventory . ( See Summon ( Final Fantasy IX ) # Mechanics for damage formulae . ) If Ark is added to Dagger ' s roster of summons since the beginning of the game via a cheating device , it would originally cost 320 MP to summon , before she has her eidolons extracted . Its normal cost is 80 MP . " Final Fantasy XIV " . The Cruise Chaser boss in Alexander - The Heart of the Creator is based on Ark , being a transforming airship , using its signature Eternal Darkness attack , and even using the codename Blassty seen in Ark ' s " Final Fantasy IX " concept art . " Final Fantasy Legends II " . Ark is a light - elemental summon . Due to its element being shifted to light , Ark ' s special attack is now Divine Fate , instead of Dark Fate like in his original appearance . Divine Fate inflicts light - elemental damage to all enemies . All versions of Ark go up to rank 5 . Summoning Ark costs 2 points from the Consumption Gauge . Depending on Ark ' s version type and rank , it can allow the user to use the following abilities : " Final Fantasy Trading Card Game " . Ark appears in " Final Fantasy Trading Card Game " with a dark - elemental card depicting an artwork of it . " Triple Triad " . Ark appears in the version available via " Final Fantasy Portal App " . Etymology and symbolism . This may relate to the place where Ark is fought , Oeilvert , the archive of that is left of the Terran civilization after most of it was destroyed . If Ark is the manifestation of what is left of Terran memories housed in the archive , it would also befit its name . Its origins of coming from invaders from another world , being an airship of an advanced degree of technology , and its Dark - elemental affinity , likely harkens to the Japanese Edo Period born concept of the and to outdated superstitions of how those of such ships were related to demons of local myth . How it is a robot , but described as " the beast from the dark " , is also a wordplay on the suffix counter word " - goki " , where it is used to count machinery , but can also mean " strong demon " by homophone , and its name , as " Aku - Gouki " , can come to be read as " Evil Strong Demon " . Ark ' s summon attack is called Eternal Darkness in English , or Dark Fate in Japanese . The main theme of " Final Fantasy IX " is life and death , and the summon attack ' s name may relate to the latter . Its transformed appearance is also similar to what can be described as an " angel of death " , a purpose that Zidane and Kuja were conceived for by Garland .