A Hero's Storm Part 3

Although Lightning would never admit it, she was quite curious of this guy. First, he constructed a gunblade using scraps, next he mimicked her own fighting style, after that he learned how to use her magic. Now? She learned he was quite the tracker. The two were quite hungry and Link was currently tracking some game to eat.

"A set of footprints. Pressed deeply inside by its own weight. It's stepping pattern suggests that it is on all fours." Link spoke as he observed the footprints.

Lightning stood a few feet behind, having her arms crossed, "So where do you suppose it is now?" She asked.

"It's nearby." He answered.

Lightning then scoffed again...

"Twentieth time you scoffed at me." Link pointed out.

Lightning then frowned, "Your keeping track?" She called out on it until she remembered what she was originally going to say, "I mean, how do you know it's not far?" She pointed out.

Link then grabbed a handful of snow within the footprint and another handful outside it, "You can tell by its warmth." He pointed out, holding both hands towards her.

Lightning then decided to place her finger on one snow then the other, "Fine, you win." She replied in which Link gave a victorious smirk. "You know, we wouldn't be starving if you hadn't ate all of the biscuits I had." She pointed out.

"Wouldn't really do us any good." Link replied, kneeling down to observe the footprints some more.

"It was two whole bags." Lightning continued to point out.

Link then stood up, "You can stay here and pout or you can come and help me take this beast down for food." He suggested as he pulled out his gunblade, twirling it until it formed the sword and walked towards the next corner.

Lightning then again scoffed, pulling out her own and made it form a gun and followed from behind.

Before she came around the corner, Link was promptly launched back, hitting against a rock. He landed on his knees and swung his blade over his right shoulder before running back to battle.

Lightning then looked at who smacked him this way, "A Behemoth?" She called out, also noting that it looked different then the mechanical ones the army of Pulse used.

Seeing Link would need help, she ran ahead and aimed her weapon at the head where the mechanical beasts would likely be stunned and pulled the trigger.

Except, instead of sparks coming out, blood spurted out. Instead of stepping back, it just simply recoiled a bit and snarled at Lightning.

"What?" She asked herself. If this is an organic monster, then where in Cocoon is she? She then looked into the sky and noticed a giant sphere standing there in the sky. "I'm not in Cocoon?" She asked herself.

"Hey! Watch out!" Link called out, breaking her concentration on Cocoon and back to the beast who lunged at her when she wasn't looking. When she look ahead, the beast already made contact with her and threw her up into the air.

With its attention at her, Link took advantage to jump onto its back with a stab onto the back of its neck holding his sword in reverse grip. Yelling out in pain, the beast got onto its hind legs and flailing around. Trying to keep his balance, Link planted both of his feet onto its back and used his free hand to grip the spinal column on its back. Still flailing away, the beast fell onto its back and got back up, trying to shake him loose. Regaining his balance, Link then pull his sword out and stabbed at the beast. Roaring out in pain again, it began to shake around more.

Lightning descending onto the ground, flicked her fingers and was surrounded in a small field which slowed her descent and flipped onto her feet. Looking at the man on the beasts back, she began to think up a way to take the monster down.

Link continued his attack of stabbing the beast, having its blood spray onto his face. However, when he took his sword out again, the monsters spinal column became loose and Link fell back, still holding onto its spine. "It comes off?" He asked himself and noticed the razor edge at it. "It's a blade?" He called out, realizing it wasn't its spine, but its blade. He continued to observe the blade as it had teeth along its edge as well as ending in a hook.

Now with the attacker off, the beast turned around and slowly walked towards him.

"Pay attention!" Lightning called out as the beast in turn repeated the attack it has on her, instead at Link, launching him in the air. Lightning then decided to mimic his action and hopped onto its back, stabbing her blade at the top of the head instead, and remaining on her knees.

Link in turn, flipped onto his feet in the air. He then held out his arm and green light covered him as he teleported. He teleported to the blade again and placed his sword away while gripping the handle of the massive blade.

The beast rose onto his hind legs again and tried to flail her off. Still on top of the head, Lightning kept her grip as well and saw where Link was. Now gripping her blade with both hands, she pushed it forward and in turn, the beast lurched forward. As the beast came towards Link, he put all his strength in the massive blade and lifted the handle over his head, where he dragged it around him and with all his strength, he swung the blade into the monsters chest where it stopped in its track.

"It's still breathing!" Lightning called out, seeing that as impressive it was, the monster still remained alive. Link then hopped onto the blade, drawing his own again and ran up. Lightning then hopped up and spun back.

As Link reached the end, he hopped up, holding his blade under his arm and slashed at the neck, while Lightning at the same time, descent and slashed her blade at the back of its neck in the opposite direction of Link's. With the combined assault, the beast then gave its last breath and fell onto the side.

Link panting from the experience, twirled his weapon and put it away. He then looked at their kill, "I'd say this is more then enough to sustain us." He recalled.

"Are you kidding? This is enough to feed an army!" Lightning called out, putting her own weapon away. "Is it even safe to eat?" She wondered.

Later

Link and Lightning sat opposite of each other around the campfire as they ate the meat of the Behemoth. "It's not as bad as I thought." Lightning remarked as she used her sword to cut pieces of the meat to eat.

"I'm thinking of calling it BBQ Ben." Link pointed out as he also used his blade to cut pieces.

Lightning then lowered her eyebrows, "BBQ Ben?" She wondered out loud.

"What? BBQ Link seems kind of foolish if you ask me." Link remarked, completely missing the point, while putting the meat in his mouth.

Shaking this off, Lightning decided to change topic, "I figured where we are now." She pointed out.

Link only gave a grunt as he still had food in his mouth.

"We're not on Cocoon as I had thought." She replied, looking at the sphere in the sky, "Instead, we're stuck on the hell known as Grand Pulse." She explained, noting the natural weather.

"Hell?" Link called out, "I was here for a couple of months, before the snow came in. Kind of looked like a tropical paradise. A perfect place to relax." He explained, pointing out that he was around before the snow came along.

Lightning only glared at him.

"I mean, aside from the various beasts trying to kill you and the harsh weather climates. Not to mention that the plant-life here seem to be carnivores." He called out, remarking that this place basically has everything trying to kill you.

"I'm just wondering how to get back." Lightning called out and went back to her meat.

Link then looked at her, "Well, how did you get here?" He asked.

Lightning then looked to the side, trying to remember, "I can't really remember. All I remember is running from PSICOM. I separated from my group to buy them time. Next thing I know, I was wondering around in the snowstorm back there." She remarked, explaining how she got here, or tried to.

"Maybe we'll get answers if we look around a bit." He called out.

Lightning then looked down in thought, "Why do you want to help me?" She asked. She didn't really want him around, but he did raise a curiosity from her. Like what he's doing here, or how he can mimic her style and magic.

"Can't a man just help when he feels like?" He called out and stretched his arms, "To be honest, I'm kind of glad you came along." He replied, sticking his sword in the ground, "I mean, sure I travel alone a lot, but months is still a long time. Almost went crazy back there." He pointed out.

Lightning wouldn't admit it, but she was glad that someone dependable is watching her back. She then looked up as snow began to fall, "It's snowing again." She pointed out, holding out her hand.

Link then got up and looked in the distance, "Another snowstorm is coming." He announced, noticing the formation of the clouds. "We have to get out of the opening." He suggested, grabbing his blade.

"Well, where do you suppose we go?" She asked, getting up and putting her blade away. "A cave is probably nowhere nearby." She pointed out.

"Well, there is one thing we can do." He replied and pointed his head towards the dead beast.

Lightning wondered what he meant, before widening her eyes in realizing what he intended to do. "No way." She sternly answered.

"It's the safest choice so far." He pointed out before stabbing the beasts chest.

"There's no way I'm getting in there." She replied stubbornly.

Later

Lightning sat with her arms crossed and her face stern. "Not a word." She spoke out as she noticed Link was about to say something.

Link then continued to look outside, before kicking the massive blade down, using the behemoths skin as a door. "If it helps you feel better, this isn't the worse thing I've done." He remarked and sat back.

"Just shut up." She harshly answered. While it was warm inside and did provide shelter, the blood was starting to stain on her clothes, while its organs was still wet and to top it off, it smelt terrible in here. All in all, she was disgusted.

"I promise you a luxury hotel once I get you back." He tried assuring as he laid back within the creature.

Lightning however, continued to stay her position of sitting up and crossing her arms, "Just get some sleep." She answered as she began thinking of the reasons why she wouldn't just leave him. For one, there was a snowstorm out there where she'll probably won't get far and freeze to death. Two. There was something that kept her wanting to be close with him. She then convinced herself that staying with him would increase her chances of surviving this hell.