TwilightXTwilight/Lightning Story

"What choice do we have?"
- Red, upon learning of their next quest.
Lightning Story is one out of three stories in TwilightXTwilight and is mostly centered around the group from Nate's story in the previous game. Following their failure in the previous game, the group have to save Carnia from erasure by finding the 4 elemental crystals. 
The playable characters in this story are Nate (Yo-Kai), Erdrick (Dragon Quest 3), Red (Pokemon Red-Blue), Lightning (Final Fantasy 13) and Terra (Final Fantasy 6).
== Chapter 1 (Perspective Changes) ==
Following their failure to defeat Team Cloud at the end of TwilightXDawn in the previous game, Team Nate/Lightning wake up to find the world completely destroyed. Lightning is emotionally destroyed by the fact that they let the world fall into ruin while Red is angered at himself and his group for failing. The others watch in complete horror as they realize their actions have caused a chain reaction. 
With little reason to go on, Lightning says it'd be best that either they go their separate ways or commit suicide. However, Queen Mary voices her reason explaining that she knows that their is a way for them to quickly take down the villain and fix the world before it's too late. However, Lightning (For the first time) argues back saying that she has failed her and she has no reason to lead. Queen Mary just ignores this and tells her that she trusts her most that failure does not mean the end. 
Queen Mary says that she has a backup plan ready for the group and that their failure was inevitable. Their new quest is to find the 4 elemental shards (Final Fantasy franchise) and unleash them upon the world. She also gives off hints of their locations. With this new info, Nate says it'd be best to go off and hunt for them now.
However, Red is annoyed by their goals. He believes it would be much easier to find and kill Team Cloud and get info on who they're taking orders from and plans to leave the group. However, Erdrick stops him saying that if they all lost against Team Cloud then they cannot win either.
They begin to head out and look for the first shard. Not very long afterwards, they find a small wasteland where a town used to be. In this town, they find an underground bunker which holds many people who are shaken in fear about the events that just happened.
Lightning continues to show unstablness so Nate asks them if they know anything about shards. They bring up an old legend about how they sealed an evil force of darkness in each of the 4 shards and it'd be best to stay away. Lightning agrees before Nate tells her off and asks why she's running away from their battle. Lightning changes her mind and the people tell them that the first shard is most definitely hidden away on the floating palace.
To get to the sky temple, they'd need to complete the prove that they are worthy to step foot (Because only kings were allowed inside) on the temple. Because of this, they need to complete the dungeon that will teleport them their, the Sanctuary of Winds. Red gets annoyed by the so called fetch quest and plans to leave the group then and their. However, Nate tells him that the group clearly needs him at the moment. 
They begin to search around for the The Sanctuary of Winds. They eventually find it in a dark forest and discover the place is infested with ghosts and monsters. They head to the teleportation device that could get them to the palace in the sky, only for a random monster to pop out of it. It seems to be body-less creature that has no real way of being defeated. However, Erdrick figures out that to defeat him, they have to deflect light at him. 
After defeating it, the uses the teleportation transporter to the Palace in the Sky. They notice that the Palace in the Sky in a very unstable island floating above the land. 
However, it seems to be tilting back and forth over time. They have to get used to this and also use the shifting palace to their advantage.
Eventually, they make their way to the final room of the dungeon and find air crystal. However, it is just a decoy and out comes the first boss encounter: Team Cloud? Actually, they're just decoys created by Lightning and Red. However, they can be easily defeated. When they eventually defeat him, the dark energy emerges from the decoys of Team Cloud before going in to attack Terra. However, Erdrick manages to block the attack. 
They receive the Air Crystal as a result of all their hard work and they leave the Palace. Terra is still confused over why the dark energy went after her but she digresses knowing that they only have the other 3 crystals without much of a race...
== Chapter 2 (Ominous Feeling) ==
At night, Terra has been having flashbacks to her past and her memories. The group begins to head for the next crystal, the Water Crystal. However, they quickly stop along a river as they discover a town alongside it. They discover the city (Morana) is still under rough conditions following the near end of Carnia. 
Red argues that they should be looking for Team Cloud instead of waiting around. However, Nate argues that they'll find the 4 crystals with relative ease and after that, they'll go after the real villain. Though annoyed, Red sticks with the group. 
Inside the town, they discover it under lockdown following an explosion near Doragon Mountain. A child mentions that they have been trying to unsuccessfully find and harness their Water Crystal to try and combat all the monsters coming from the Volcano. The crystal is said to be near a lake, but however nobody has come back alive. Though a little worried, Nate decides they should head up and grab the crystal. 
Along the way though, they are interrupted by Queen Mary who says that they might meet some unexpected friends along their journey. 
Nate and the rest stop at a town close to Tarneka Lake. Here, they hear about the local legend of an underwater sea monster that attacks oncoming ships. They also hear one about an underwater village but not many people believe that one. 
However, the recent ships lost at sea (Including some from Morana) have sparked interest in these old folklore. Nate is the only person to believe it in the group. At the mention of the idea of sea monsters, she rolls her eyes. They decide to board a ship and see if it exists. 
As they head out, it becomes all misty and dark all of a sudden before they are attacked by it: Mega Gyarados! 
They fight it, but to no avail. The screen cuts to black as Terra finds herself in Magicant. She makes her way to Queen Maries Castle only to find her more sick than before. 
Queen Mary asks Terra about memories from her past, including some of the events from Final Fantasy 6. In the end, she concludes that Terra has officially regained her memory. 
She then asks Terra if she knows the villain. She thinks back... before agreeing that it's Kefka. However, Queen Mary shakes her head and reminds her to... "Remember who the true enemy is..." Terra is confused and suddenly wakes up. Nate is currently the only one in the group still awake. He begins to ask her about her knowledge on who she thinks the enemy is. 
She goes on about the early events of Final Fantasy VI and her time in the empire. She also brings up Kefka, who she belives is responsible for the events of TwilightXDawn. 
Nate is clearly shaken about the the villain. The others begin to wake up. They find themselves in an underwater city (Korra)
Here, they are met by some people living underwater who tell them of their current living conditions. 
Erdrick recognizes the city and realizes that the city is a town he visited before meeting Nate in the previous game. This is when he realizes that Carnia wasn't exactly destroyed, just changed by something. 
Korra is suffering from a lack of fish (Because many fish had died during the disaster in Carnia). The city is also in the middle of a civil war between the east side (Who support isolation) and the west side (Who want to get food from the above ground). 
Their is constant bombing in the streets and the only real safe places are on the furthest areas from the split. 
Since they are on the east side, the question the groups idoligy for isolation. The people tell them of a story from long ago. The city had a thriving culture aboveground and was the strongest and the most protective of all the cities in Carnia. 
Unlike the others, they were more kind and uses their army to protect other villages and such. However, they were betrayed and attacked years ago and invaded later on. They lost a lot of lives, food and were starved. 
Even later, they were nearly destroyed by a giant Dragon out of nowhere and were saved by the Water Crystal, which they held onto. 
Lightning wonders which side they should fight for but Nate asks if they can use their water crystal. The east side quickly attack them on such an idea, considering they worship the thing. 
The flee to the west side, who also don't like the idea. However, realize this is the group that singlehandly managed to take down a third of Team Gaia, they ask them to join them in their civil war. 
Red says they'll only join if they give them the crystal. Reluctantly, the west side leaders agree and the group jump head first into the battle. 
The center of Korra (The center of the action AKA, the Dead Zone) is where they are sent and they fight against the east side there. 
However, upon fighting many of the people on the East, the group gives up. While they are questioned as to why, Lightning claims that this is a pointless war that nobody needs to die over. 
They are captured by the central government who try to execute them with their giant monster: An giant Wishiwashi! 
However, Erdrick manages to break free from his prison, helps the others and they attack back on the Wishiwashi. 
After defeating it, the governor begs them not to kill him. Red says they'll only do so if they give them the crystal. He reluctantly agrees and the group leave. 
As they leave, Terra is sad because even so... the people of Korra will die before they can save them. 
== Chapter 3 (Falling Apart) ==
Though Terra is more than upset about the events, Lightning is even worse. She believes that nobody would be dying if she hadn't gotten so careless. Erdrick gets annoyed, proclaiming that the battle could have went either way. He also says they won the battle, just Cloud had accidentally used a weapon he didn't mean to use (He had stated that he had a dangerous weapon at hand but he didn't want to use it). 
Red by this point is fed up with Erdrick and his forgiveness and proclaims that he is leaving the group. Erdrick and Nate beg him not to leave but he decides he wont leave if Erdrick can defeat him in a one on one fight.
Though annoyed, Erdrick decides to do the go ahead and battles Reds team of Pokemon. However, he falls short in the end and Red leaves. He apologizes to Terra and Nate, admitting that he liked them and admired
them a lot more in comparison to Erdrick and Lightning.
As he leaves, he says he may or may not be returning, but he probably wont be. 
Now with Team Nate down a member, they are forced to continue back to Morana where they hand them the water crystal. However, after handing them the water crystal... it does absolutely nothing and more people die in Morana as a result. 
Nate decides it would be best to keep the water crystal and they head to their next location... the Earth Crystals location.
As they head to their next location, Nate cannot help but feel guilt. Red has just abandoned them as if they were nothing to him. However, Erdrick claims that the whole thing is his fault and he shouldn't have just let him leave. However, Terra admits that it was probably for the best anyways. 
As they head out to their next location, the have to cross the Bridge of the Forgotten King. As they do though, they are attacked by somebody known as Gilgamesh. He claims to have been hired by someone known as Baramos in order to take down the group. However, they quickly decimate him with their powers combined. 
Gilgamesh retreats and the group is left with a confused look on their faces. Though they have the instinct to continue on, Erdrick is the only one concerned at the name Baramos. 
The eventually make their way to the location of the Earth Crystal, a little town called Nea. Nea is a little swamp village that has just broken free of control from Team Gaia. However, they have suddenly found themselves under attack by Team Rocket V2 who have recently been trying to grab the Earth Crystal in order to harness it and bring forth the destruction of Team Gaia and gain control of all of Carnia.
The group now have to stop them from finding the Crystal before them so they quickly ask around for any backstory. They meet up with an inn keeper named Erinn who explains that long ago, the Earth Crystal had to have been locked away by the King of the Carnic Empire after a Dragon of Air destroyed one one of their central hubs and the Dragon of Fire destroyed their best army. 
Now, the crystals were not only seen as a sign over true power but also they were true to their element and those who could harness the energy of them could use those abilities to their advantage. 
Nate decides to leave and take a stroll on his own... when he suddenly finds himself being harassed by a pair of two Team Rocket V2 soldiers. They attack him using their Pokemon, but Nate fires back by using his Yo-Kai and easily dispensing of them. 
They run away, shocked by the boys power. However, after this Nate finds himself nearly under arrest. However, Erinn saves the day by helping rescue Nate. She tells him to be careful and to watch out for people like them. 
Following this, they rest at Erinns inn. She talks about their recent terrible battles with Team Gaia and with the help of two brave teens, they managed to defect from them. The next day though, they receive news that Team Rocket V2 has officially found the next crystal and is moving it to one of their bases high up in the mountains. 
Nate decides it'd be best to go and attack Team Rocket V2 by this point. However, Lightning reminds the group of their encounters with Team Gaia and how surprisingly dangerous they were. Terra reminds them that they underestimated Team Gaia then, but now they are prepared.
Now. They head out to the mountains far off in the distance...
On the way, Terra finally begins to tell Lightning about some of her visions of her past. She explains that the only person that the clues are leading up to is someone she had been under the influence of for most of her life, someone by the name of Kefka. When she brought all of these things up to Queen Mary however, she suggests that Kefka is not the one behind all of these tragedies. 
Lightning is very suspicious of this Kefka person already and is also doubting the idea that it could be anybody but this guy.
They stop along the way. This is where Nate asks Lightning on how he's been doing as the leader. She only shakes her head, saying that it's up to himself to know how good he is at his job. The only way he can see that though, is to know how much they have succeeded. Though Nate sees right through this. Lightning is basically saying that Nate is much more successful than him in all situations.
Nate and Terra than begin comparing how well they've worked. While Nate has helped them find the other two crystals, he and Erdrick let Red leave, accidentally got Erinn under in trouble for attacking Team Rocket V2 and even left a huge underwater city to die. 
Lightning on the other hand managed to do so many amazing things while keeping as much people alive as possible. Lightning thinks over this and gives thanks to Terra and Nate.
Eventually they find themselves at a mountains summit where Team Rocket V2's second base lies high up in the mountains...
== Chapter 4 (The Situation Changes) ==
They quickly scale the mountain and enter the place. Though it seems they entered without being seen, they quickly realize that they are in for the fight of their lives once they are locked in a room with some captured Team Gaia equipment. They fight back against these enemies called Gaia Scouts that seem to know literally all of the groups moves and attack patterns. 
However, Erdrick is eventually able to disable the thing. However, they are attacked by another one following this.
This one however, shoots lasers at them and are very swift with their attacks. Its only goal is the destroy anything in its path. Its coding was so complex and it was so dangerous that even Team Rocket V2 was forced to lock it away.
The group barely manage to keep up with the thing. Though the group eventually manage to find a way to fight back against it, Nate is badly hurt by the weapon and nearly dies because of his wounds. Lightning undergoes a realization while Terra and Erdrick watch as Nate writhes in pain.
After managing to defeat the thing, they find themselves in another room. 
With little choice left, Team Rocket V2 force out the Earth Dragon and unleash it upon Lightning and the rest. However, they fight back for Nate.
They manage to defeat the Dragon after a long and hard struggle. However, it manages to capture the elemetal crystals they had collected at that moment and he shatters them into smaller pieces.
The group is outraged after going through all the work. Nate begins to wake back up and the group tell him of the situation. He wants to head out and grab them immediately but Terra wants Team Rocket V2 out of the picture.
Though Erdrick agrees, he wants to go with Nates plan and they do so and quickly leave the mountain.
They end up coming across a village named Zirith. Zirith had just recently overthrown their oppressive government and was struggling on what they should do next. Though they were planning on executing all of the oppressive people for crimes against humanity, the village has found themselves surrounded by Team Gaia troops who are waiting to attack.
The entire town is under complete and utter lockdown and panic. Terra and Erdrick beg for the others to help them out and so they do. First, they quickly mow down some Team Gaia Unit #14 before being attacked by Unit #15 who use Pokemon instead of guns.
Ash and Sofia manage to defeat this group and Zirith is saved from danger. Later on, they get a message from Queen Mary who tells them that now, the air, water and earth crystals have been shattered all over the place and they will be able to find them in the overworld. To get their goal done, they will need at least 35 Air Crystal Pieces, 35 Water Crystal Pieces and 25 Earth Crystal Pieces.
== Chapter 4-5 (Quest of the few) ==
From here on out, the game isn't as straight forward as it was before. You can either find crystal pieces in the overworld, by doing quests in different villages or doing Shrines.
The story doesn't pick up until after you get at least half of the necessary amount of crystals. One specific side quest gets Erdrick his bird Ramia from Team Gaia. Because of this, the group is able to teleport from one side of the map to the other. 
== Chapter 5 (Magicant) ==
After you collect at least 50% of every type of Crystal (Collected in Side Quests, Shrines or they can be found in certain places in the overworld), Queen Mary calls out to the group announcing that it is time. 
Nate and Lighting are originally confused by this. Suddenly, a shooting star comes into view before it suddenly appears right in front of the group. 
When the train stops, a little fairy girl named Stella comes out and introduces herself. She's currently driving the thing since Sterling is busy taking care of Queen Mary and so she is very inexperienced with driving it. 
Lightning then orders the rest of the group to hurry up and board the train. They quickly do and the train then begins to fly up into the sky and through the air. 
Nate asks where they are going (Because the train is going on hyperspeed) and Stella shouts that they are heading to Magicant, where else. Finally, the train finds itself at the pink wonderland that is known as Magicant. 
As the group all step off the train, they realize that Magicant is darker than it was before to their confusion. Stella reveals that because of Queen Mary's weakness, her ability to protect that land has also dropped. It is being invaded by some sort of monster. Terra immediately calls out Kefka, blaming him. However, Erdrick is the only one to hold onto the name Baramos...
The group quickly begin to rush to the palace but they are stopped by a gaurd at the entrance to Magicant: a 13 year old boy with blonde hair. He introduces himself off a piece of paper, his name is Lucas. He requests to join the group under the order of Queen Mary in order to be their guide. Following this though, they are quickly attacked by something called a "Virus". 
They manage to destroy it. Lucas begins explaining the issues going on. Many people from Magicant have been attempting to help stop the virus's from spreading but nothing has been working. Lucas guides them to the first location Queen Mary asked him to bring the group. 
This is where the group meets the Magicant Infantry. It just so happens that the Infantry is actually filled with exclusively infants... to the dismay of Team Lightning. 
They explain that the only way to send the dark forces away is to put the multiple crystals they have in sanctuaries all across Magicant. It's at this moment when Lightning realizes Queen Marys plan. 
The group plan on heading north towards the first recorded temple. However, they are stopped midway through by a horde of VIRUS. This triggers a boss battle. Though at first the group seems to be holding their own but they progressively start to lose their ground as more VIRUS show up and start to figure out their pattern. 
The group start dropping like flies, but before they can all fail, the VIRUS all erupt into flames before exploding into a million pieces. 
Far later, Nate wakes up in a Magicant hospital and notices that Red is sitting next to his bed. Confused, Nate asks how he managed to make it. He says that he hitched a ride with a few kids. Team Lightning heal up and continues north towards their next destination. 
They make it to the first Sanctuary and undergo a few tests. At the end of the temple, they put down all the pieces of their Earth Crystal when it returns to its original form. Queen Mary than congratulates the group for getting the first piece and tells them where the next temple is. 
On the way to the next palace, they stop at another stop post. Their, Erdrick jokingly asks Red if he got his revenge. However, Red goes silent and admits that the group weren't who he thought they were. 
As he walks outside and explains how strange Team Ash was and how weird Team Awakening was... he puts a PokeBall on the ground before releasing the Pikachu. Red then tells his Pikachu how he was glad he stuck with him through the end and tells him to find his real master... 
 
After this, they begin to head out to the next location. It's southeast, and is a water temple. However, they are shocked to see that this one has been almost entirely devoured by darkness and force their way through. 
The place is in full out ruin and is filled with VIRUS. However, the group manage to team up and take down most of them through the dungeon. Eventually, they make it to the final room where they lay down their water crystals. Right then and their, it turns into a full water crystal. 
Unlike the previous dungeon where Queen Mary gave the group an update on their progress, she gives them no message leading to worry in the group. Lightning thinks that's it's a possibility that she has passed on but Nate refuses to believe it. Lucas is the one that explains that she isn't dead.
When the group asks how he knows, he explains that the moment Queen Mary will die, Magicant will disappear from existence all together. Terra and Erdrick are shocked that this wasn't explained earlier. Now they realize that they're on a time limit. Especially with the fact that Queen Mary can die at any given moment. 
However, without her guidance for the next dungeon, they are blindly heading towards the next area. They manage to find a town on the way. In the town, Terra has another vision about her past and quickly wakes up the rest of the group to help her decode it. The group believe that it's possible that whoever this "Kefka" person is, he must be responsible for the events. However, Erdrick reveals that he has been having nightmares from his past. The group ask him to explain them so they can try and decode them. What he describes is very graphic and includes things like "Watching his father die over and over and being unable to save him" and "Watching Baramos murder burn his friends and family to the ground with a bloody slasher smile." 
The group ask him to explain Baramos but he recalls how he obliterated Baramos to nothing while it's possible that Kefka is still alive. The group agree and the next day, they continue on their way. 
Following this, they come across what is possibly the third dungeon. When they make it inside though, they discover somebody already waiting for them...
Kefka?!?! 
He jokingly claims that he heard his name and decided to see. He instantly recognizes Terra, calling her a joke. 
The group attacks him and a battle ensues. However, even after they fix the wind crystal and Kefka goes down relatively quickly after Terra delivers the final blow on him. However, nothing changes from before causing them to question what he was doing. Lucas tries to message Queen Mary but she doesn't respond. Lucas begins to worry for the safety of his Queen and wants to head to the castle. However, Lightning tells him that they have to finish their quest. 
Nate admits that Queen Mary would probably want it that way and so they head to what they assume must be their final destination. When they arrive, they enter and exit with relative ease. 
However, the boss is something nobody expected. A mysterious magician looking fellow stands at the grounds of the final temple. Erdrick recognizes him as Baramos, the archfiend from his world who is responsible for his fathers death. 
Erdrick admits that he had a feeling that this guy was behind him and quickly goes to take him on. A one-on-one boss battle ensues but it ends with Erdricks defeat before his friends get involved. 
Together, the group manage to just barely take out the archfiend. Erdrick thanks his friends, telling them that they've saved the world and they helped him avenge his father. 
They get the fire crystal pieces fixed and quickly head to Queen Mary's castle in the center of Magicant. However, once they get there they notice that she isn't in the throne room. The group panic before they go and search around the castle. Once they return to the throne room, they notice somebody else occupying her throne...
However, nobody recognizes him...
He reveals himself as Zoma, the root of all evil and the man behind all of this. He targets Erdrick, revealing he's actually the one who killed his father in cold blood. Erdrick and the rest of the group quickly rush at him to attack but are swiped away like nothing.
Lucas questions Zoma, telling him that if he destroys Queen Mary then everyone including him will die. He explains that he's keeping her alive as long as he can before he'll take her life force so he can rule Magicant and the rest of the world on his own. He beats them to a pulp before attempting to throw them out of Magicant.
However, they are intercepted midway through...
The story ends with a To Be Continued...
== Trivia ==
* The Palace in the Sky could possibly be inspired by Vah Medoh from Breath of the Wild due to its similarity in design.
* They way Erinn helps Nate is similar to her summon move in Dragon Quest Battle Road Victory
* If you get 50 pieces of each crystal, you will get the completion bonus for Lightings Story.
* The fight with Kefka turns the world 16 Bit for a while. It's quite random...
* 
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