"Long ago, the fal'Cie who made their home on Gran Pulse were afraid of invasion from the outside. As part of their battle preparations, they created an army of living weapons. And they stored those weapons in Arks, and they hid the Arks all over the world."
—Vanille
The Fifth Ark(フィフス・アーク,Fifusu Āku?) is a location in Final Fantasy XIII. It is a decrepit building the party crashes into after escaping the Palamecia. Fifth Ark originates from Gran Pulse whose fal'Cie constructed numerous Arks that now lay hidden around the world. Their original purpose is shrouded in mystery, but it is known Arks were used to train l'Cie to become strong enough to fulfill their Focus. The area contains tunnels with remnants of trains like present-day subways, and modern-day skyscrapers similar to those in the Yaschas Massif.
This Gran Pulse structure lies deep below the capital city of Eden, its existence unknown to the members of the Sanctum.
According to legend, Arks are Gran Pulse armories that hold living weapons in stasis, in preparation for war with outside forces. These facilities also supposedly serve the function of awakening a l'Cie's latent powers.
Why this 'Fifth Ark' is on Cocoon, and whether there are other Arks hidden elsewhere, is uncertain.
After the party escapes from the Palamecia, they are flown into a building below Eden that houses the Fifth Ark, a facility created by the Pulse fal'Cie. The party begins to question if they should complete their Focus to destroy Cocoon, or if should they carry out Serah's wish to save it.
According to Fang and Vanille, there was a legend on Pulse that spoke about Arks, or facilities the fal'Cie created to build weapons of war. Many had tried to look for the Arks but were unsuccessful. The Arks were used as training grounds of a sort to make the l'Cie stronger.
While exploring the Ark, the l'Cie encounter Cid Raines and discover he is a Sanctum l'Cie. Branded by the fal'Cie Barthandelus, Raines's Focus is to aid the party's destruction of Cocoon under the fal'Cie's guidance. Raines tells the l'Cie the truth about the fal'Cie: the fal'Cie wish to destroy the millions of lives in Cocoon so that "The Maker" would return to the world and make it anew. The fal'Cie, unable to carry out this goal themselves, brand humans and turn them into l'Cie, all while tending to the Cocoon populace and preparing them to be sacrificed. Cid attacks the l'Cie in an attempt to foil the fal'Cie's plan, believing that if he kills them, it will not be possible for them to destroy Cocoon. Cid is defeated and turned to crystal, despite having opposed his Focus.
Inspired by this, Snow decides he should defy his Focus like Cid did and try to save Cocoon like Serah said, even if it might mean he may turn into a Cie'th. Voicing his views to the team, they all side with him apart from Fang, who grows furious because she does not want to see them all turn into Cie'th. Resolving to go on alone, she turns her weapon on the party, but in her rage, she unwillingly summons her EidolonBahamut. Lightning and Vanille help her defeat the beast.
After the battle, Fang realizes the Eidolons appear whenever a l'Cie begins to waver on their path towards completing their Focus, forcing the l'Cie to choose life or death. Defeating Bahamut reveals a new path to the lowest level, where the party discovers an airship and a portal to Gran Pulse. Realizing that it is their only way out of the Ark, they board the ship and fly through the portal and into the skies above Gran Pulse. The airship is destroyed following an attack by one of the local wildlife, sending the team flying out of the ship. Fang saves everyone by summoning Bahamut and they ride it down to the world below.
Later, during the l'Cie's assault on Eden, Pulsian Dreadnoughts and many species of Pulsian wildlife (including Behemoths, Adamantoises and Amphisbaenas) invade the area via transgates, due to (what is speculated as) the fal'Cie activating the Fifth Ark below Eden. These are presumably all killed during both the battle and Vanille and Fang's transformation into Ragnarok.
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Lightning in the Fifth Ark.
Lightning in the Fifth Ark (2).
The party fighting in the Fifth Ark.
A Berserker in the Fifth Ark.
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