Hey guys, sorry it took so long to update. I've been grounded, and I'll try to make it through.

Part 6: The Gift of Eternity

Sarah looked just as Lightning had seen her before she left. Rose colored hair, the same as Lightning's, only lighter colored tied into a ponytail on the side of her head. She had a delicate frame and pale skin. She wore a black armband around her right arm, a red plaid pleated skirt lined with black lace, a white sleeveless dress shirt, under a semi-transparent sweeper. She also wore black thigh-high stockings, ivory ankle boots, and a pendent in the shape of Cocoon given to her by Snow. On her left arm was the brand of the Pulse fal'Cie. A red eye surrounded by arrows branching out. This marked her as a Pulse l'Cie. At the moment however, Serah was unconscious.

Lightning called her name and rushed over to her. She examined her. Other than the l'Cie brand there was nothing that appeared to be wrong. She hefted her and began to run to Sazh.

"Time to go." She told him. "We have to go before the army-" she began but stopped as she realized his eyes were focused on Serah's left arm.

"What?" she asked.

Sazh's eyes flashed to Lightning's eyes then back to Serah's arm.

"That's a Pulse brand." He said. "That girl's a l'Cie."

Lightning didn't have any more time for this. They'd already been through that.

"I already told you that." She said a little impatiently.

Sazh's hand fell to the pistol strapped to his thigh. "Pulse l'Cie are the enemies of Cocoon." He said, his attention focused on Serah's brand.

Lightning saw his hand move and turned Serah away from him. "So they should die?" she said angrily.

Sazh finally met her eyes. "Listen," he began "If she fails her focus, you know how that'll end."

"And killing her is a mercy?" she snapped.

She felt a hand brush against her cheek and looked down to see Serah, now awake, smiling weakly.

"You came." She said sleepily.

Lightning gasped and hurried to lower her to the ground. When a voice that sounded annoyingly familiar to Lightning called out Serah's name. She looked up to see Snow and two other kids she didn't recognize descending on a platform. He leaped from the platform before it could touch the ground and raced over to Serah. He grasped her hand in both of his.

"Serah." He whispered.

"Is that... my hero?" she smiled up at him.

He placed her clasped hand against his forehead and sighed in relief, while Lightning watched with an irritated expression on her face. Hope and Vanille had just reached the group when Vanille let out a gasp of surprise. She knew that girl. She was sure of it.

"Let's get you out of here." Snow whispered to Serah.

"Hands off." Lightning snapped. "I'm taking her home."

Snow looked at Lightning as if he hadn't realized she was in the room.

"Sis I-" he began but Lightning interrupted him.

"I'm not your sister!" She shouted "You couldn't protect her. It's your fault she-"

"You can save us." Serah whispered.

Lightning and Snow looked down at Serah, suddenly ashamed of themselves outburst.

"Serah?" Lightning asked.

"You can save us." She repeated. "Protect us all." Her voice was getting weaker as she spoke. "Save…Cocoon." Her eyes began to close.

"Save Cocoon?" Lightning asked. "Serah? That was your focus?"

"Anything, I'll do anything." Snow whispered. "Leave it to me-You'll see." His voice began to rise as Serah's eyes closed. "I'll protect Cocoon! I'll save everyone!"

Lightning flashed a glare in Snow's direction, and then looked down at Serah. "Somehow, I'll make things right."

Snow flashed a Serah a wide grin. "You just relax."

Serah returned his smile and closed her eyes.

"Thank you." She said happily.

And with that she suddenly glowed a brilliant blue light and rose into the air.

"Serah!" Lightning called in a panic-stricken voice.

As she rose into the air, starting from her fingertips, she began to crystallize as she folded them across her chest in a prayer-like gesture. Her clothes were dissolved into crystal, and crystal prisms began to sprout from her back and shape into what appeared to be a bed. From her face fell a single tear that fell flowed brilliantly and fell into Snows outstretched hand. It flashed a bright white light and in its place was a large blue tear-shaped crystal. He clenched it in her hand and looked back up to Serah.

"Serah!" he called out as if she would stop at the sound of his voice. "Serah!" he shouted even louder.

Lightning stared up at Serah, a pained expression on her face. She had just found her sister, and before her very eyes, she was losing her again.

Vanille stared at Serah, both confused and mesmerized.

"Why is she turning to crystal?" she asked.

Hope answered her without looking away from Serah.

"l'Cie who fulfill their focus are transformed into crystal, and gain eternal life." He said as she began to descend back down, now completely crystalized with tendrils of crystal swirling around her.

"Just like the stories say." Sazh whispered.

"Serah," Snow whispered. "Sweet dreams."

"Sweet dreams!" Lightning shouted. She made her way over to Snow shoving Sazh out of her way. She grabbed his shirt and shook him violently.

"She's not sleeping!" She shouted, holding back tears. "Serah's…she's-" Lightning tried to find the words for the situation but couldn't. She shoved Snow away before he could see the tears brimming in her eyes.

Snow thought for a moment before finishing Lightning's sentence.

"She's alive!" He said.

"No." Lightning snapped.

"The legend!" Snow said, taking a step towards Lightning. "Remember the legend!"

He looked at Serah now resting peacefully in crystal. "L'Cie who fulfill their focus turn to crystal and gain eternal life! It's the same with Serah! Eternal Life! She's not dead!" he shouted to everyone in the room.

Snow took a step towards Lighting. "Serah's my bride-to-be. I promised to be hers forever! I don't care how many years I have to wait-" His words were cut off as Lightning punched him square in the face sending him flying to the ground.

"It's over! Open your eyes and face reality!" she shouted.

Snow lay on the ground to stunned to move. Lightning had never hit him like that before.

Vanille watched the scene unfold. Does becoming a l'Cie really mean losing everything? She wondered. Is becoming a l'Cie really a death sentence? Her thoughts were interrupted as an explosion shook the vestige knocking Hope to his knees. The vestige began to shake violently as everyone struggled to stand.

"What now?" Vanille shouted.

Realization dawned on Sazh's face as he understood what was happening.

"The army!" he shouted.

Outside, PSICOM was surrounding the vestige. Garudas and skytanks were taking to the air, while ground troops were surrounding from below. Over the headsets, the captain's voice rang out.

"The target is almost in place. Surface team, what is your status."

The voice of a soldier came over the headset.

"Good to go. Resistance is under control. The assault proceeds as planned."

"Leave no trace." The captain said. "The Pulse Vestige never existed." He ordered.

The fal'Cie carrying the vestige stopped as beacon lights fell on the vestige. A PSICOM soldier raised his hand to signal. "Fire!" He ordered. From the skytanks in the air, and units on the ground fired harpoons with cables attached to the end into the vestige.

It was this shaking that had caused the sudden tremors that the group had felt inside the vestige. Lightning and Snow had knelt over Serah to protect her while rubble crashed down from the ceiling.

"What's happening?" Vanille shouted.

"Must be a sanctum strike." Sazh shouted. "Bring down the vestige and the fal'Cie right with it."

Vanille grabbed Sazh to steady herself. "Aren't they taking it back to Pulse? That's what the Purge was, right?"

"All they care about is getting everything from Pulse off Cocoon. Dead or alive, it's all the same." Sazh replied trying to steady himself.

Vanille let go of Sazh, disbelief and shock evident in her eyes.

"We can't stay here!" Hope shouted, kneeling on the ground covering his head. "They'll kill us!" he whimpered.

Vanille looked down at Hope, shock and disbelief fading into sadness. And just as the shaking had started, it had stopped. Lightning and Snow stopped covering Serah and looked around. In front of them, and at the end of a staircase, a door glowed red with the Pulse fal'Cie brand, and opened to reveal a dark corrider. A determined look fell over Snow's face. He leaned down and grasped Serah's crystalized hand.

"I'll be right back. Hold on" He whispered, and began to walk up the staircase.

"Trench coat." Sazh called out his nickname for Snow. "Where you going?"

He turned to Sazh, a determined look set on his face.

"Date with the fal'Cie." He answered. "Got some things to talk about." He explained before turning back to the staircase.

"What?" Sazh yelled in disbelief. "You're going to ask it to help her?" he said indicating Serah. "Are you out of your mind, kid? That thing wants to chew us up, and spit us out!"

Snow swung around to face Sazh. "Well, what do you want me to do?" he shouted.

Sazh closed his mouth, unsure what to say. A determined look set on her face, Lightning marched up the staircase past Snow.

"Lightning?" he asked, unable to believe his eyes, before following her.

Sazh let out an exhausted sigh.

"Here we go." He said to himself.