A/N: Towards the end, I decided to skip a bit of game dialogue (I value my fingers). If you want the full dialogue, play the game or look it up on Youtube.

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy Xiii…or any of them for that matter.


"Ugh..ow! Yeah, I was right. She's going to be the death of me," I grumbled, getting up from the crash.

"Wow, that was close," Vanille said. I gave her my hand to help her up. "Now, where is the…. Oops," she looked sadly at the crashed bike. "Well then," she said looking at the temple in the fal'Cie. "Guess it's just us," she murmured, doing some sign with her hands.

"What did you expect?" Hope asked. Vanille look at Hope as if she did something wrong.

"Even soldiers know not to go near the fal'Cie. You become a Pulse l'cie, and you're finished," Hope said on his knees.

"What do you mean 'finished'?" Vanille asked, slightly angry.

"Yeah," I still aching from my back. Just because my wings are not a part of me does not mean I don't feel them.

"Haven't you heard miss -?" Hope inquired, wanting to know her name.

"Vanille," she replied.

"Huh?"

"Her name kid. I'm Dashon," I said helping him up. Vanille wiped the rubble off his clothes.

"Hope and thanks," he said. "What were we thinking?" he said looking down at the ground.

"I was paying my debt," I said.

"Well, since we're here, let's look around," Vanille said starting to wander around.

I felt like I'd been to a place like this before. My memory started near a place like this. Vanille wandered behind a statue and returned with a staff weapon. She started doing fighting positions.

"Well," she said.

"That's…uh?" Hope said confused.

"Good, now you can fight till I pay you back," I said.

"You know, you don't have to pay me back," she replied.

"I know, but I want to. I like you. I feel like I know you from a long time ago," I said smiling.

"Maybe we met before," she said trying to hide her face.

"Doubt it I don't remember anything past two weeks ago," I murmured.

We were interrupted by a loud roar as we were attacked.

Vanille got ready to fight. Hope pulled out a boomerang…whatever works I guess.

"Alright, let's do this!" I shouted.

Vanille's weapon split apart. Round metal orb pieces were attached by ropes, like a harpoon but you attacked by shifting your weight to throw them. Hope threw his weapon at the monster. It seemed confused after getting hit. I went for the strike and stood there as it died.

"Okay back to exploring," Vanille said cheerfully, putting her collapsed weapon on the back of her waist.

We walked around the temple and fought some more monsters. For some reason, it felt like I've fought with Vanille before, not just once, but multiple times. We reached a dead end.

"Aren't you two scared?" Hope asked.

"Hmm, not so much," Vanille replied

"Nah," I said with a shrug

"You two really don't get it…" grumbled Hope

Vanille turn around little angry "Pulse fal'Cie and l'cie are bad news. That's why cocoon kicked them out. Live too close to the fal'Cie? One-way ticket to Pulse!" she snapped.

"Purge in a minute," I finished.

"If they catch us here, they'll purge us too, and then-" Hope said stopping suddenly.

"What's your problem?" Vanille asked.

"Yeah?" I piped in.

"What's my – Pulse is hell on earth!" he hissed.

"Hmm, we'll be okay, calm down," Vanille said, hugging him. What was with this girl and hugs?

"Get off me," Hope growled, pushing her away.

"Listen kid, you don't have to be an ass! She just trying to help," I growled, glaring at him. For a kid named Hope, he sure was a pessimistic person.

"Serah? Can you hear me? Where are you?" a voice shouted, echoing in the temple. It sounded like Snow.

"Looks like he's still here," I said as we looked around, trying to find where his voice came from.

"Hang on baby, your hero on his way!" Snow said in the distance.

Suddenly, lights came down and stairs were revealed.

"Here he is, calling himself hero," Hope muttered angry.

"He's coming are way," Vanille said.

"What should I do?" he asked

"That's your choice kid," I replied.

"No, tell him what you need to," Vanille said, interrupting me.

"But nothing I say will change what happened," he said.

"We could just run away…" she replied.

We continued on, fought some more monsters, and we reached the middle of the platform.

"Whoa," Hope said looking around. Vanille stood in awe too.

Then we heard a roar; it sounded like torn soul in pain. They were like weird zombies. Hope and Vanille stood in fear; we were surrounded.

"What are they?" Hope said as we were back to back.

Suddenly Vanille and I whispered the same thing "Cie'th. L'cie who failed."

"This is what happens-when L'cie don't complete…don't complete the focus the fal'Cie gave them," she whispered fearfully.

"Raaahhhhhh!" Snow screamed charging one of the Cie'th. "Let's even these odds!"

"Alright!" I whooped, charging the beast.

We all fought theses monstrosities together. They weren't really tough, especially since Snow had grenades.

"How you get in here? You gotta leave," Snow said. Vanille and Hope were panting, exhausted from the battle.

"Okay listen, go find somewhere safe. Once I find Serah, we'll leave together. Dashon, you protect them," he ordered.

"You know they can hold their own," I replied evenly.

"Well be home in time for dinner," he said with a cheeky grin, ignoring my last statement.

"You-," Hope began.

"Wait," Vanille called. "Who's Serah?" she asked.

"My wife. Future wife that is…" Snow paused and looked up into the air. "She's a Pulse L'cie."

"Oh no," she replied, putting her hands over her mouth.

"She's here somewhere along with that Fal'cie. I've gotta find her and set her free!" he replied.

"What's wrong with you!" Hope yelled at Snow. "Why would you help a L'cie? They're the enemy!" he shouted. "How can you save L'cie, and not…and not… that's insane!"

"Probably, but I gotta do something, right?" Snow said. "I'll be back," he said, leaving.

"Should we wait around for him? Or hitch a ride or.." Vanille said looking at me.

"Nooo three people and wings don't go well together," I said, holding up my hands in a gesture of surrender.

"I'D RATHER GO TO PULSE," Hope yelled out of the blue, falling to the floor. "Why is this happening to me?" he said on his knees. "When they found the Fal'cie the other day, we we're just visiting Bodhum. But the army took us… put us the train," he pounded the floor. "And because of that guy mom is-… and he wants to help a l'cie…" he finished.

"Hey again," Snow said coming back. I gave him a small wave.

"Hey," Vanille greeted. "Let's go with him," Vanille whispered, taking Hope hands.

"What?" Hope said.

"You've got to talk to him Hope," she said. "If you don't take this chance, You'll regret it forever."

"Okay," Hope said. He really didn't take much persuading…

"Alright then, let's head out," I said.

"Let's go," Snow agreed.


We made to some weird lift. At the top, we were met by three people: a man in his 40s, Sazh; and two women who looked to be sisters, Serah and Lightning. Lightning kneeled, supporting her sister.

"Serah," Snow called, jumping down toward her. "Serah," he murmured, taking her hand.

"Is that …My hero?" she whispered smiling.

We walked toward them. Vanille took one look at the and ran towards me.

"Hey," I said, startled, as she ran into my arms crying. "There, there." I awkwardly patted her back.

"Let's get you out of here," Snow said.

"Hands off! I'm taking her home," Lightning growled

"Sis I-," Snow began.

"I'm not your sister!" Lightning roared. "You couldn't protect her. It's your fault she-," she choked off.

"You can save us," Serah whispered.

"Serah?" asked Lightning, unsure of what her sister was saying.

"You can save us," Serah repeated. "Protect us all," she whispered. "Save…Cocoon…"

"Save Cocoon?" Lightning asked bewildered. "Serah that was your focus?"

"Anything. I'll do anything," Snow proclaimed. "Leave it to me-you'll see. I'll protect Cocoon," Snow paused. "I'll save everyone."

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

"You just relax," Snow said.

"Thank you," Serah whispered, as she arose from the floor, turning into a crystal.

A crystal tear came down from Serah's face and landed into Snow's upturned hand.

"Why is she turning into crystal?" Vanille asked.

"L'cie who fulfill their focus are transformed into crystal and gain internal life," Hope replied.

"Just like the stories say," Sazh agreed.

"Serah…sweet dreams," Snow murmured.

"Sweet dreams!" Lighting howled, pushing Sazh away. He stumbled back, regretting the move to help her. "She's not sleeping," she growled, grabbing Snow by his collar. "Serah... She's…" she let go, looking defeated.

"She's alive," insisted Snow.

"No…"

"The legends! Remember what the legends say," he argued. "L'cie who fulfill their focus turn into crystal and gain eternal life," he turned around. "It's the same as Serah. Eternal life. She's not dead," he said. "Serah, my bride to be. I promised to be here forever. I don't care how many years I have to wait," Snow declared. Lightning punched him square in the face.

"It's over," she said, her voice hard and felt like an earthquake, snapping us all out of our individual grief and thought. PISCON was attacking the fal'cie. We all decide to fight the fal'cie, thinking that it would save Cocoon.

As we finished it off, everything went bright. There was a horrendous pain in my back, and suddenly, I remembered everything.


A/N: (11/22)Alright. Through weak chapter 2! Please hold on to chapter 4, and don't hate chapter 3...