When Cocoon fell, we excepted the crystal sleep to succumb us; this was not Etro's plan.
When Cocoon fell, the lives of countless, helpless civilians would be destroyed; this was not Etro's will.
When Cocoon fell, it was saved, but not by us; this was Etro's blessing.
As the six l'cie defied destiny and defeated Orphan, they floated high above Eden seeing the inhabitants of Pulse gradually fading away. They'd did it, they'd saved Cocoon's existence and established a new rule under their own government. No more fal'cie dictatorship running the show. However something was wrong, the city around them seemed to be crumbling under the weight of its independent leadership.
"Stay together!" Lightning cried as they helplessly floated from solid ground. She and Snow edged together, "Hey, grab my hand," Sazh called to Hope, bringing the four closer together, however two were missing. "Fang! Vanille!" Snow shouted anxiously as they stayed stationary in midair, seemingly understanding of their fate.
"Vanille?" "Ready." A word said with such conviction, a pure sense of understanding between the friends. As the others stared on helplessly, the two Pulse l'cie fulfilled their original focus and became Ragnarok, the bringer of destruction. As Ragnarok, the two stopped Cocoon from smashing into their true home; they crystallized a falling world to save the lives of those who hated them.
Four crystal statues stood aloft in front of their salvation. "Now, is not your end." The crystal seemed to melt off Lightning like the clear water of a speeding river. As she awoke from what she assumed would have been an eternal slumber, she noticed the rest of the party also being freed from their prisons. "They did it," Lightning uttered as she stared breathless at the natural wonder before her, "they saved the world." "No," Snow said, determined to be the optimistic silver lining in the building grief that the group felt, "they gave us a new one."
"It wasn't all thanks to us y'know!" "Yeah, we can't take all the credit, just most of it." Vanille and Fang approached from behind the four, almost as surprised as they that the two had survived such a transformation. "But, how?" Hope asked, baffled but full of relief. "Now's not the time for questions, look!" Vanille said, excited as she gestured in Cocoon's direction once more. It was clear that the two figures on the distance were welcome faces; "What?" "Hmm?"
"A whole big bunch of Chocobo's!" A small boy told to an older friend with such excitement. "Hey, look there," the older girl interrupted, but this interruption was gladly welcomed. "Oh!" the two began to ran towards the group, "Dajh!" DADDY!" the father and son reunion was a beautiful moment, only heightened by a future bride and groom and his soon to be sister-in-law. "SERAH!" Snow cried as he laid eyes on her, "It is!" Lightning said, excitement tainting her voice. "SNOW!" "SERAH!" the two embraced longingly. Laughter and joy filled the air. "You still have your brand?" Serah questioned, "but Cocoon is safe?" "And you still have yours, what's going on? Serah! I won't lose you again!"
"It was my divine will that kept you as l'cie." A voice rang through the minds of the seven l'cie. "I saved you from your initial focus and it's untimely fate, and I shall save you once again once your new focus has been fulfilled." "Who are you, what have you done to Serah?" Snow shouted angrily. "I am the divine Etro, I am outside time and space, in a world where life and death are nought. You must achieve my goal of saving the world I created, and then I will reward you graciously. You seven, shall now be the protectors of Gran Pulse. A new threat is on the horizon, one which must not harm my world. I ask you, protect Gran Pulse."
"Look lady, I just got my son back, I'm not leaving him again." Sazh said aloud, much to the confusion of young Dajh. "I shall keep him safe, he and his new friend will be content until your return." Etro voice rang clear. This was no longer a request, but a demand. Sazh looked down and saw Dajh playing with the Chocobo chick he had kept safe throughout his journey as a l'cie. Could he really give up his son, and his good luck charm to go on another quest of grandeur? Sazh believed it was the Chocobo chick and his need to find Dajh and unite the two that had kept him going through his journey, without them, would he really make it back? But this question was out of his hand; Dajh and his new friend began to fade from vision, however they did so contentedly. "What are you doing woman? Where's my son? This isn't a way to win someone over to your cause!" "I shall keep the boy safe in Valhalla with me, he shall be content and never unhappy in this land. He shall not come to harm, and he shall not age. He shall be returned to you as he was should you complete your new focus."
"So what is our focus?" Hope asked, seemingly on board with the new quest. During the course of their previous journey, he had lost both his mother and father, and now began to think of his friends more as a family. "I see a darkness on the horizon. One unlike you have faced. You must stop this darkness from encompassing time itself, and therefore not only save Cocoon, but your lives, your families, and life itself. This is all I can tell you, for now. Good luck."
"Wait, what does that mean?" Snow shouted angrily. Just then, the ground began to quiver and sever. "Wait, Serah!" Lightning had broken onto a different piece of land than her recovered sister and soon-to-be brother-in-law, but once again she losing them. She ran to the edge of her island and tried to grab her sister, yet the island was moving away to fast. "Watch out hero!" Fang, demonstrating her Dragoon skills leapt over to stop Lightning falling down the crevice. "Lightning, it's ok! I'll keep her safe, you worry about yourself." "We'll be together again soon sis," Serah called, fighting back the tears, "I only just got you back, we're not losing each other again! I love you!" Serah cried bravely, although the tears provided doubt in Lightning's spirit. Just then, she and Snow were pulled backwards into a split in the fabric of reality. Lightning and Fang looked on helplessly as the rest of their friends were also dragged from them.
"FANG!" Vanille whimpered, scared of befalling the same fate as Serah. "Oh no, I'm not losing you!" Fang said with a stern determination. She scaled the rocks that were rising and crashing around them and trying to make her way swiftly to Vanille, Lightning in heavy pursuit. Grasping out just as fraction too late, as Vanille, accompanied by Sazh and Hope were also pulled into a dimensional rift. "Well, it's just us," Lightning muttered. She looked up determined just as a light shone bright in front of the two. "Etro, we'll fulfil your wish. We'll save Gran Pulse. We'll save the future." She felt a hand in hers, "We'll save Serah and Vanille, they're what really matter…" Fang had a tone of doubt in her voice, yet her demeanour remained confident. They jumped forward ready for the confrontation that awaited, into an abyss of the unknown. This journey would be tough, but if it was what they needed to do to save Serah, Vanille, Cocoon, everything, again, the two could overcome any obstacle thrown at them.