Final Fantasy XIII

Grace Barton

Chapter Three

Pulse l'Cie. Cursed beings that once were human, now doomed to a life of servitude to the Pulse fal'Cie that created them. They were gifted with the ability to wield supernatural powers—magic—and summon great and terrible beings to fight by their side in battle. Pulse l'Cie were objects of fear for the people of Cocoon. Even the very thought that one might exist was enough to send waves of panic rippling throughout Cocoon.

It was this fear that had ultimately led to the Purge. Fear of the Pulse fal'Cie was not enough; it was also the fear that a Pulse l'Cie could be hiding within the town that drove the Sanctum to make the decision to purge every last civilian from the town, whether they resided there or not. It did not matter whether the l'Cie was willing servant or not. As long as there was the potential for a Pulse l'Cie to exist, Cocoon would not be safe.

All of this was on Lightning's mind as she walked through the upper levels of the Vestige's Ambulatory. Any time she encountered an enemy she defeated them easily, and yet for the past few fights she was hesitant. This was not noticeable to the untrained eye but Sazh, who had been with her for a short while now and was brighter than she gave him credit for, had started to pick up on it.

"What's gotten into you, Soldier?" he asked, walking behind her. "I thought you came for a fight."

Lightning slowed and stopped. She looked back at Sazh as she took him in, wondering whether to share her secret with him. Finally she made up her mind and sighed, lowering her head.

"My sister…" she murmured.

"Your sister?"

Lightning took a deep breath. "She's a l'Cie," she confessed.

"What?" Sazh blinked, thinking he must have heard wrong. "A Pulse l'Cie?"

She nodded and clenched her hands. "The fal'Cie has her captive," she said. "But I'll find her."

"Is she still…?" Sazh began to ask, but the soldier was already walking. Sazh ran after her and placed himself in front, keeping her from walking further. "What was her Focus?" he demanded. "When she became a l'Cie, what did the fal'Cie order her to do? It wasn't 'blow up Cocoon' or anything like that, was it?"

Lightning hesitated and closed her eyes. "I didn't ask," she said. For a moment her stoic mask slipped to reveal the pain she had been hiding all this time. Her hands clenched tighter until her nails dug into her palms.

A hum echoed throughout the hall. Sazh and Lightning looked around. Their gazes fell on a door at the top of a set of stairs next to them. A Pulse brand began to glow on it and then disappeared, along with the door itself. From inside the doorway a pair of Ghouls emerged and began to amble down the stairs.

Recognising the Cie'th for what they were, Sazh grimaced and looked back at Lightning. The soldier had turned her own head away, unable to look at them.

"Listen to me," he said in a quiet voice. "When a person gets cursed by a fal'Cie, they become a l'Cie. Then they get given a Focus, right?" He paused. "How do I put this? If they don't carry it out, l'Cie end up as one of those things."

Lightning raised her head and looked at the Cie'th. They had paused at the top of the stairs. She saw their misshapen bodies with their distorted limbs, and faces that once were human but now had been taken away. The crystals in their torsos beat in slow rhythms, just as their human hearts once did. But there was nothing left of them that was human; not even memories. Then she thought of her sister. If Serah did not complete her Focus, this was the fate that awaited her.

Sazh looked at Lightning closely. "What I'm saying is, if your sister's gone that far…" He paused as Lightning turned her head away. "I mean—! She might still—! How can I—?" He shook his head and sighed. "Oh, man. There's no way to turn a l'Cie back into a human. Even if she completes her Focus, there's no changing her fate. She'll live her life as a fal'Cie slave." He turned to Lightning, his gaze stern. "Don't make her suffer," he said.

Spinning around, Lightning shoved him back. The pilot staggered, almost thrown onto the floor.

"Just say it!" Lightning snapped. Her blue eyes were blazing. "Any l'Cie… Anyone who might ever become a l'Cie should be wiped off the face of Cocoon."

Sazh opened his mouth to speak, but then closed again. Lightning relaxed her shoulders, letting out her breath in a low hiss. She strode past Sazh and then paused, glancing at his back.

"It's people like you," she said, "that started the Purge in the first place."

With that, she walked away. Sazh looked at the ground. For a moment his own mask slipped away, revealing an inner pain of his own. He felt his guns in their holsters. His fingers slipped around them, grasping them tight. He closed his eyes and swallowed, burying the feelings. Then he turned and went after Lightning.

Ignoring the two Cie'th on the stairs, Lightning carried on down the path. There was another set of stairs ahead, guarded by another pair of Ghouls. Drawing her gunblade, she held it out and took aim.

But she did not fire right away. She looked at the Cie'th, taking them in. Their faces held no semblance to human faces, but she tried to imagine the human who once owned that face. Did that person have hopes and dreams? Looking closer, she saw what appeared to be handprints across their heads. Was that the mark left behind as they desperately clung to their humanity before it was stripped from them? How did it feel to become a Cie'th?

Could she kill Serah, if that was the only option? Could she kill her own sister?

Instead of contemplating the answer, Lightning pulled the trigger and smashed the crystal heart of one of the Cie'th. Its body stiffened and then dropped to the floor. A brief wave of light passed over it, and then the monster began to dissolve. The other Cie'th turned at the death of its companion, but before it could make a move another shot flew past Lightning and struck the same mark. Lightning looked over her shoulder to find Sazh standing behind her. She narrowed her eyes.

"I'm still coming with you," the pilot said in reply to her unspoken question. He gestured with his guns. "Lead the way, Soldier."

"Huh," replied Lightning. "Better keep up then." She slipped her gunblade into the sheath and then walked on.

Sazh ran to catch up with her. He stepped over the remains of the Cie'th. His boot caught the edge of the pile, and they crunched beneath the sole. Confused, the pilot stopped and looked down. The remains glittered in the eerie light. Are they… crystals? He frowned. Were Cie'th bodies made up of crystals instead of flesh? A shudder ran through his body. "So, that's a Cie'th, huh?" he whispered to himself. "Some innocent kid gets picked as a l'Cie one day, and winds up one of those."

He shook his head. It was so unfair. Children should never have to become l'Cie. But that was the way life was. It was not fair and never tried to be. A moment of pure happiness could be marred in an instant by tragedy.

As though responding to his thoughts, the chocobo chick gave a chirrup and tapped his head with its beak. Sazh held out his hands as the little creature flew out and landed in his palms.

"Yeah, I know," he said to the chick. "Gotta remain positive, right?"

The chick chirped in reply and fluttered its wings.

From in front, Lightning raised her hand and said: "Heads up."

Putting the chick back in his hair, Sazh hurried over to join her. He saw the reason for her warning. More Ghouls lined the path ahead, blocking their way. Luckily the creatures had their backs to the pair and had not noticed their approach, but it was only a matter of time before they did.

As he looked at the Ghouls, a horrible thought struck him. "I wonder if those were the soldiers who came in to search the place," he wondered.

Lightning nodded her head in acknowledgement. She had been thinking the same thing. The PSICOM squads who had entered and then disappeared… she had wondered what had become of them. Now she knew. The soldiers had found the fal'Cie and paid for their discovery with their freedom.

Her hand closed around her gunblade. Once she would have had sympathy for them, but no more. The soldiers knew the risks they took when they entered the Vestige. They were soldiers no more, just more targets waiting to be struck down.

They encountered even more Cie'th as they made their way through the halls. It seemed as though more and more awaited them with every turn they took. Sazh's breath was laboured from the constant running and fights. His pistols were powered by manadrive technology and therefore were not inexhaustible; he wondered just how much more they could take.

Even Lightning was beginning to show some signs of strain. Sweat beaded her forehead, and her breathing was becoming shallow. Yet she did not slow her pace, not even for a moment. Serah's image was always at the front of her mind, pushing her onward. No matter what, she wound find her and take her home.

After fighting their way through a group of Cie'th, the pair ascended a set of stairs to the upper levels of the Ambulatory. There they encountered a different kind of Cie'th, known as a Ghast. It got its name for its scream, for it was such a hallowed and ghastly scream that it did sound like it had come from a spectre. Unlike the Ghouls, Ghasts were larger and more difficult to beat. Their bodies were bulkier from the torso up, and they staggered as though struggling to keep their bodies upright. Their left arms were thicker than their right, and in place of claws they had thick, crystallised stumps. The only similarities to their Ghoul counterparts were the red crystals beating in the middle of their chests. All Lightning saw, however, was another target, and she took them down with the same ruthless tenacity as she had done all the others.

Climbing the last of the stairs, the pair arrived at the start of a long path. There was a single door at the other end, waiting for them.

"We must be in pretty deep now," Sazh said to Lightning. He panned his gaze around the Vestige, taking it all in. "My nerves are gonna kill me," he said. From somewhere above them the scream of another Ghost echoed down to them. "If something else doesn't beat 'em to it," he added with a shiver.

Lightning made no comment, but her shoulders tensed. She would never admit it, but even she felt chilled by this place. Sazh kept on speaking only because he felt he had to, lest he be overwhelmed by the fear he felt deep inside. But she was a soldier. Her training had taught her how to deal with unknowns, and to control her emotions in the face of the enemy.

Straightening her shoulders, Lightning closed her eyes. She focused on her breathing, taking in slow, deep breaths, holding them for a second or two and then letting them out just as slowly. With each exhalation, she forced her muscles to relax. Her heartbeat slowed down to its normal rate.

With her emotions now under control, Lightning opened her eyes and continued forward to the door. It opened automatically as she approached so she walked straight through into the nave of the Vestige.

It was no surprise that the first thing they saw as they entered the nave were the Cie'th. Numerous Ghouls and Ghosts walked the paths, bumping into each other as they moved aimlessly through the hall. Lightning cast her eyes over them, making a quick count. There were many, too many for her and Sazh to take on all at once.

She drew her gunblade and held it ready. "Break through the lines," she said to Sazh. "Kill only those that stand in the way."

"Hah, funny," the pilot replied. "Now tell me your real plan—hey, wait!"

But Lightning was already on the move. She charged headfirst into the groups of Cie'th. Her sword flashed through the air as she sliced through them. As per her own instructions, she did not hang around to take them down. Once a path opened up she broke through, leaving the enemy behind her. When she ran into the next group she did the same, striking and moving on without looking behind her.

Sazh blinked. He fumbled for his guns and then, with a cry that sounded crazy even to him, he ran after her. His guns blazed as he fired round after around at the enemy Cie'th. Lightning's initial attacks had turned their attention to her, so their backs were already turned by the time he struck. A few Ghouls fell but the Ghasts endured, chasing after him when he passed them by. Sazh looked back over his shoulder. The Ghasts were faster than he gave them credit for, and they were catching up to him.

He turned his eyes back front and jumped as he saw the path suddenly come to an end. A few feet off the path's end there was a floating platform and it was here where Lightning was waiting.

"Jump!" the soldier ordered.

Remembering the other time she had given that order, the pilot obeyed at once and jumped off the edge of the path. He landed on the platform beside her, and she grabbed his arm to prevent him from falling. Almost at once the platform began to rise. It lifted them away from the path and away from the Cie'th. Enraged, the Ghasts screamed their horrifying cry. The sound followed them up as they rose away from the Nave, rising higher and higher into the Vestige.

Sazh sank to his knees. "Phew," he panted. "That was a close one."

He got no answer from the soldier. Looking up, he saw that her gaze was turned upward. There was a path directly above them, and it was to here that the platform was heading. Grunting, Sazh pushed himself to his feet again and stood beside her.

The platform settled next to the path and they stepped off. A set of stairs rose before them, leading to a large circular doorway at the very end. Marking that as her next goal, Lightning began to ascend the stairs. Sazh followed her, his gaze thoughtful.

They had just reached the first break in the stairs when Lightning suddenly came to a stop. Her breath caught in her throat. Her legs buckled, and she almost fell.

There was a girl lying in the middle of the floor. She appeared to be unconscious, for her eyes were closed and she did not move. At first Lightning feared she was dead, until she saw the girl's chest rise and fall with gentle breathing. Her long, pink-blonde hair was pulled into a loose ponytail at the side of her head and draped over her shoulder.

Seeing her, Sazh's eyes widened. The hair was the same shade as Lightning's.

"Serah!" cried Lightning.

She ran to her sister's side and lifted her into her arms. At eighteen, only three years separated the two sisters and they were almost identical in every way, except for their faces. Lightning's was stern from years of battle-training, while Serah's was smooth and innocent. However that innocence was now marred with pain and worry. Her face was pale, and her skin was cold to the touch. With guilt filling her heart, Lightning pulled Serah close and lifted her up.

"Time to go," she said, her voice filled with urgency. "We have to leave before the army—"

She turned and then stopped. Sazh was standing behind her, blocking her path.

"What?" she asked him.

Sazh looked at her. Then his eyes drifted down, towards the girl in her arms. But he was not looking at her face. His gaze was on her arm. On the girl's left arm was a brand. It was the same brand they had seen blocking the entrance to the Vestige, and that had flashed up on every door they had come across. Several arrows pierced the brand, and in the centre there was a red eye.

"That's a Pulse brand," the pilot said in a low voice. "That girl's a l'Cie."

"I already told you that," Lightning snapped.

"Pulse l'Cie are the enemies of Cocoon," he replied. His hands moved towards his pistols, his eyes never once leaving Serah. He drew the pistols, his fingers resting on the triggers.

Catching the movement, Lightning's eyes narrowed. "So they should die?" she demanded.

"Listen," said Sazh, "if she fails her Focus, you know how that'll end."

"And killing her is a mercy?" the soldier asked, her voice rising.

She opened her mouth to say more but stopped when a hand touched her cheek. Gasping, Lightning looked down at the girl in her arms. Serah's eyes were open, staring up at Lightning through dreamy eyes.

"You came…" the girl whispered, her voice weak.

Her throat tightening, Lightning knelt and placed Serah on the ground. Serah moaned and her head rolled against her older sister's arm. Lightning held her up, supporting her. She started to speak again when another voice, a man's, cut over her.

"Serah!"

Lightning looked up. Her face transformed into a scowl as she saw a man standing on a platform that was descending to their level. Two teenagers, a boy and a girl, stood behind him, but Lightning ignored them. Her eyes remained fixed on the man in front. Snow… You…

Snow jumped off the platform before it could reach the ground and ran over to Serah. Grasping her hand, he held it tight.

"Serah," he whispered, overcome with relief.

A smile touched Serah's lips as she looked up at him. "Is that… my hero?" she asked. Her gaze was distant, as though not fully awake.

Snow nodded. Squeezing her hand, he pressed it against his forehead. Her touch was cold.

Stepping off the platform behind Hope, Vanille stretched and peered over his shoulder. He saw Snow kneeling beside a stern-faced young woman with pink-coloured hair. She did not seem happy to see Snow, glaring at him with such ferocity Vanille had only seen once before: in the eyes of Hope.

Lying in the arms of the pink-haired woman was a girl, dressed in a plain white shirt and a plaited skirt. Vanille stretched further until she could see the girl's face. When she did, she gasped and covered her mouth.

Snow was stroking Serah's face. "Let's get you out of here," he told her.

"Hands off," Lightning snapped back, her eyes narrowed. "I'm taking her home."

"Sis," Snow said. "I—"

"I'm not your sister!" she shouted, taking everyone by surprise. "You couldn't protect her. It's your fault she—"

"You can save us."

Lightning stopped and stared down at Serah. The girl's eyes were unfocused, but she gazed up at Lightning and Snow in earnest and hope.

"Protect us all," she said. Her face turned paler and her voice began to grow faint. Her eyelids fluttered. "Save… …Cocoon," she whispered, and then closed her eyes.

"Save Cocoon?" Lightning repeated as Serah's head rolled back. "Serah? That was your Focus?"

But Serah could not reply. She slumped into Lightning's arms, unable to say anymore.

Snow squeezed her hand. "Anything," he promised. "I'll do anything. Leave it to me—you'll see. I'll protect Cocoon. I'll save everyone!"

"Somehow, I'll make things right," said Lightning.

"You just relax," Snow told her.

Serah's eyes opened again. She looked from Lightning to Snow, and then to Sazh and the two kids behind him. After taking them in she looked up at her sister and her fiancé, and she smiled once more.

"Thank you," she said softly, and her eyes closed again.

A blue light shone around her. Lightning gasped as it spread across her skin, covering her from head to foot. Serah let out a sighing breath as her body began to rise.

"Serah!" cried Lightning.

The girl rose out of her arms and ascended to the air. Snow stood, still holding her hand, but when she rose out of reach her fingers slipped from his grasp. Still Serah rose up, carried up by the light that emanated from within her.

Suddenly the glow turned inwards, sinking into her skin. Crystals began to spread on her skin. Her hands and arms changed first, transforming from skin into flawless, shimmering crystal.

Snow and Lightning gasped.

The crystals continued to spread over her body, covering her torso, legs and even her face. The light shone brightest behind her as the crystals thickened and grew around her, creating a crystal bed.

With the last of her strength, Serah lifted her arms towards her face. Her eyelids glistened and a single tear managed to squeeze free. It rolled down her face and then fell from her cheek. Yet not even the tear was spared the transformation. Shining with the same bright light as Serah the tear shone and hardened, becoming crystal.

Snow held out his hand. He caught the tear in his palm. The crystal around it thickened and changed to a deep blue hue, growing to an inch in length before finally finishing. Closing his fingers around the crystal tear, Snow looked up at Serah.

The transformation was almost complete. Like the tear, the crystal surrounding Serah hardened, becoming an impenetrable shell. Snow jumped up, reaching for her.

"Serah!" he shouted. "Serah!"

But Serah could no longer hear him. The crystal continued to harden. A gentle glow shone through it as her flesh disappeared, replaced only with a layer of crystal.

Lightning's eyes had remained on Serah throughout her transformation. Her hand, still outstretched, fell to her side. The soldier's eyes filled with tears, and her face twisted in pain and grief. She lowered her eyes. She had failed.

Vanille had also watched Serah's transformation. "Why is she turning into crystal?" she asked.

Hope answered for her. "L'Cie who fulfil their Focus are transformed into crystal and gain eternal life."

"Just like the stories say," murmured Sazh.

The light surrounding Serah faded. Her body lowered to the ground, landing between Lightning and Snow. The soldier remained motionless, but Snow stepped forward and looked down at his fiancé. Her body was curled against the bed of crystal, her hands cupped around her face as she had tried to stop her last tears. Her face was smooth as marble, free of pain and worry. She really did look like she was asleep. Snow laid his hand against her cheek, stroking the cool crystal.

"Serah… Sweet dreams," he whispered.

"Sweet dreams?"

Lightning shoved past Sazh and stormed up to him. Grabbing the fighter by his collar, she yanked him towards her so that they were face to face.

"She's not sleeping!" the soldier cried. "Serah's… She's—"

Her eyes flicked over to Serah. Seeing her in the crystal, her heart wrenched in pain. Unable to bring herself to say the words, she shoved Snow back and turned away from him. Snow looked at her and then over at Serah, Lightning's little sister. His gaze hardened, and he turned back.

"She's alive!" he told her.

Lightning turned around. "No," she said.

"The legend! Remember the legend!" Snow walked up to her. "L'Cie who fulfil their Focus turn to crystal and gain eternal life. It's the same with Serah! Eternal life! She's not dead!"

He looked over at Sazh, looking for his support. But the pilot closed his eyes and looked away. Opening his hand, Snow looked down at the crystal tear in his hand.

"Serah's my bride-to-be," he said. "I promised to be hers forever! I don't care how many years I have to wait—"

Before he could finish, Lightning stepped forward and punched him in the jaw. Her blow sent the fighter sprawling to the ground.

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

Snow did not answer her. He lay on his back, his eyes fixed on the ceiling. His hand tightened around the crystal tear, its points digging into his palm. Lightning, however, let out a hissing breath and turned away.

Vanille watched them both, her heart aching. She wrung her hands together. She looked over at Sazh and then at Hope. Finally she looked at Serah. The girl's crystal face was smooth, unable to hear the words that went on around her. In the crystal surface of her body, Vanille saw her own reflection.

Serah… Does becoming a l'Cie really mean losing everything?