Ark (Lightning Returns)

The Ark is a location in Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII. It was built by Hope Estheim inside Bhunivelze, his new Cocoon. It is a timeless zone where Lightning can rest and receive quests from Hope. The location is key in prolonging the life of the world: inside the Ark is Yggdrasil, a "holy tree of life", and completing quests in Nova Chrysalia gives strength to the tree, thus enabling it to prolong the life of the world.

There is an object within the Ark called 'Book of Conquests' which holds Battle Scores received from bosses and Last Ones. It offers challenging defeated enemies in the most powerful form. These battles offers no rewards and are purely for sport and practice.

On New Game+, a blue hourglass, the Crystal of Atonement, appears in the Ark from second day onward. Examining the hourglass and confirming the player's choice twice will immediately suspend their current game progression and rewind time back to the first day, keeping equipment, stats and certain items, but sacrificing memories of all quests completed, functioning as a New Game++.

Story
Following the creation of Nova Chrysalia, the planet Bhunivelze remained aloft above the land, gaining a ring, with the Ark being an area within the planet. 169 years to events of Lightning Returns, the God Bhunivelze took Hope Estheim, regressed his body back to when he was aged 14 years old, and used him as a vessel. He then implanted "Hope" within the Ark, where time doesn't flow.

Upon awakening from her crystal slumber and failing to apprehend Snow Villiers in Yusnaan, Lightning is teleported back up to the Ark where Hope introduces her to the world and her role as Savior. After talking with Hope she is then teleported back down to Luxerion.

Periodically, Lightning encounters visions of Serah Farron in the Ark, reminding her of what her reward will be should she be successful as the Savior in saving souls, though she often notes that she doesn't feel the connection with Serah that she expected.

On the Last Day, Lightning discovers the truth about Hope, realizing that his soul wasn't in his body and that the Hope she was relaying with was a fake. When she then returns to the Ark, Mog greets her instead of Hope and offers to help her with her final battle.

Locations
The Ark is a large circular area contained within the artificial moon of Bhunivelze, which has a circular hole with the view on the sky, similarly to Cocoon after which it is shaped. Within it are Hope's computer which he uses to monitor Nova Chrysalia, the Chaos, and most importantly, Lightning. There is also a mysterious tree named 'Yggdrasil' which can slightly extend the lifetime of the world before its ultimate destruction.

Musical Themes
"The Ark" is the sixth track on the first disc of the original soundtrack and acts as the location theme for the Ark. The track contains soft, angelic, lullaby-fashion vocals, alluding to the rest that the area serves as and its connection to God. "Meeting You", the twenty second track on the third disc, contains elements of "The Ark", and replaces the vocals with a soft violin tone. The track is also featured in the final boss theme, "Almighty Bhunivelze", and in the game's ending theme.

"The Ark (Soundtrack Exclusive Ver.)" is an arrangement of "The Ark" exclusive to the PLUS version of the game's soundtrack which prominently features a ticking clock in the background, an allusion to the game's story aspect.

Trivia

 * The top of Hope's computer resembles Etro's Gate, a recurring motif in the trilogy.