Hope and Vanille lost control and crash landed in the fal'Cie. "Wow, that was close." Vanille said as she get up from the ground, As they got up they found them selves inside a grate hall. "Guess it's just us." Vanille told hope.
"What did you expect? Even soldiers know not to go near the fal'Cie." Hope told Vanille, "You become a Pulse l'Cie, and you're finished."
"What do you mean, finished?" Vanille asked.
"Haven't you heard, Miss-?"
"Vanille."
"What?" Hope asked her,
"My name and yours?"
"Hope" he intertuce himself as Vanille brush him off. "Thank you." Than he look down realizing on what he as done. "What were we thinking?" he asked Vanille.
"Well, since we're here let's look around!" Vanille told him and started to well you know to look around.
Vanille and Hope came to a statue then something caught Vanille eye, behind the statue was a whip like thing she took it and desisted to use it as a weapon and they continue on fighting monsters along the way.
"Aren't you scared?" Hope asked Vanille,
"Not so much." Vanille told him
"You really don't get it." he told her.
"Pulse fal'Cie and l'Cie are bad news. That's why Cocoon kicked them out. Live to close to the fal'Cie? One-way ticket to Pulse! That's the Purge in a nutshell." She told him,
"If they catch us here, they'll Purge us too. And then-"
"What's your problem?"
"What's my-? Pulse is hell on earth!" Hope snap back at her. She gave him a hug but he push her away
"We'll be okay! Calm down!" she told him
"Get off me." Hope told Vanille.
"Serah? Can you hear me? Where are you?" Vanille and Hope both hear Snow's voice in the distance.
Snow landed safely into the fal'Cie and found him self in a room with a lot of stairs and glowing columns a switch in the middle. "Don't worry, Serah. Your hero is on his way." Snow said talking to him self, he continue down the stairs and flip the switch. Then the columns begin to glow red and the stairs connected together. "Just hold on, Serah." he said out loud while thinking of Serah and went up another flight of stairs.
Lighting is slashing at the door trying to open it and Sazh just sitting there watching her. "Still won't budge? I think the door is winning." he told lighting as he continue to watch,
"Why didn't I listen?" Lighting said out loud
"Uh, beg your pardon?" Sazh ask confused on what she just said.
"It was me. This is my fault."
"Beg your pardon?" Sazh asked again,
"Cover your ears." Lighting told Sazh. He cover his ears and ran to the other side and duck, "I'm so sorry. Please let me in. Please?" She pleaded and the door open.
"What did- how did you open it?" Sazh asked but Lighting didn't answer she just walk right through the door, and Sazh follow her.
They explored the fal'Cie fighting endless rounds of enemies then they stop to catch they're breath. "If those things are still around, might be some soldiers trapped in here, to. Except they'd probably be l'Cie by now. Not even human anymore." Sazh continue, "Just Pulse l'Cie. Enemies of Cocoon. Can't show 'em any mercy."
As Snow climb up the flight of stairs he found him self in a long hall with yet another switch near the end. "There's the next one." He descend the stairs and down the hall fighting a few demon dogs along the way then he flip the switch then he went on the platform, and descend to the floor below, "Hang on baby! Your hero's on the way!"
"Hang on, baby! Your hero's on the way!" Snow's voice echo through the fal'Cie.
"He is here. Calling himself a hero..." Hope said in disgust,
"He's coming our way." Vanille told Hope
"What should I do?" Hope asked.
"Tell him what you need to!" she told him,
"But nothing I say will change what happen."
"We could just run away." Vanille told hope and he nodded in agreement. They continue through the now open door and stop at an enter-section where they meet new enemies and Snow.
"Whoa." Hope said in amazement, then they hear a roaring sound from the right they turn and saw human like creatures coming through the door. Then they were coming from in front and from the left surrounding them.
"What are they?" Hope ask Vanille
"Cie'th! L'Cie who failed! This is what happens- when l'Cie don't complete the Focus the fal'Cie gave them." Vanille explain then Snow came charging out of nowhere and tickle one of the Cie'th to the ground.
"Let's even these odds!" Snow said and the fight begins, Snow blew them up with a grenade."How did you get in here? You've gotta leave." Snow told Hope and Vanille but she just smile at him, "Okay, listen. Find someplace to hide and keep quiet. Once I find Serah, we'll all leave together." he told them than Hope gave him an angry look.
"Wait! Who's Serah?" Vanille ask Snow,
"My wife. Future wife, that is. She's a Pulse l'Cie."
"Oh no." Vanille said underneath her breath like she knows something.
"She's here somewhere, along with that fal'Cie. I've gotta find her and set her free." he told them.
"What's wrong with you?" Hope burst out in anger, "Why do you want to help a l'Cie? They're the enemy! How can you save a l'Cie, and not...And not...That's insane!" he yell at Snow.
"Probably. But I gotta do something right?" he asked Hope, "I'll be back!" he told them and walk off.
"Should we wait around for him, and hitch a ride?" Vanille asked Hope
"I'd rather go to Pulse!" he snap back as he pound the ground, "Why is this happening to me? When they found the fal'Cie the other day, we were just visiting Bodhum. But the army took us. Threw us on that train...And because of that guy. Mom is-"
"Probably shouldn't leave them alone." Snow said and he turn back to get them.
"And he wants to help a l'Cie?" Hope continue when Snow showed up,
"Hey again." Snow said as he was coming up the steps.
"Hey." Vanille said as she knell down and took Hope's hand, "Let's go with him." "What?" "You've gotta talk to him, hope. Is you don't take this chance, you'll regret it forever." she told Hope as she pulled him up "Okay."
"Okay." they got up and went with Snow to find Serah.
"What's gotten into you, Soldier?" Sazh asked Lighting, "I thought you came for a fight."
"My sister..." she told Sazh,
"Your sister?"
"She's a l'Cie." Lighting told Sazh.
"What? A Pulse l'Cie?"
"The fal'Cie has her captive. But I'll find her."
"Is she still...?" he asked Lighting as she stated to walk away, "What was her Focus? When she became a l'Cie, what did the fal'Cie order her to? It wasn't blow up Cocoon, or anything like that, was it?"
"I didn't ask." Lighting told Sazh now getting angry. Then a door open up and Cie'th started to walk out from it.
"Listen to me. When a person gets cursed by a fal'Cie, they become a l'Cie. Then they get given a Focus, right? How do I put this? If they don;t carry it out, l'Cie end up as one of those things." Sazh continue "What I'm saying is, if your sister's gone that far...I mean-! She might still-! How can I-? 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." Sazh told Lighting.
"Don't make her suffer."
"Just say it! Any l'Cie...Anyone who might ever become a l'Cie should be wiped off the face of Cocoon. It's people like you that started the Purge in the first place." Lighting told Sazh and walk off. They continue to find Serah while endless Cie'th along the way then they when up a flight of stairs and that where they found Serah laying on the floor.
"Serah!" Lighting yell after finding her sister on the floor, "Time to go. We have to leave before the army- What?"
"That's a Pulse brand. That girl's a l'Cie."
" I already told you that"
"Pulse l'Cie are the enemies of Cocoon." Sazh told her as he about to pull out his guns.
"So they should die?" Lighting asked Sazh in disgust,
"Listen, if she fails her Focus, you know how that well end." he remanded her
"And killer her is a mercy?"
"You came..." Serah said as she wake up.
"Serah!" Snow scream as he came down the platform with Hope and Vanille. "Serah." Snow said again as he runs to grab her hand,
"Is that...my hero?"
When Vanille saw her she was guilt stricken, "Let's get you out of here." Snow told Serah
"Hands off. I'm taking her home."
"Sis, I-"
"I'm not your sister!" Lighting told Snow,
"You couldn't protect her. It's your fault she-"
"You can save us." Serah told both Lighting and Snow.
"Serah?"
"You can save us. Protect us all. Save...Cocoon."
"Save Cocoon? Serah? That was your Focus?" Lighting asked Serah but no answer,
"Anything. I'll do anything. Leave it to me you'll see. I'll protect Cocoon! I'll save everyone!" Snow told Serah but Lighting just gave him the evil look.
"Somehow. I'll make things right."
"You just relax."
"Thank you." those were her last words then she begin to crystallize. She begin to cry the tear drop turn into crystal as well and landed in Snow's hand,
"Serah! Serah!" Snow yell but with no luck.
"Why is she turning to crystal?" Vanille asked
"L'Cie who fulfill their Focus are transformed into crystal and gain eternal life." Hope explain,
"Just like the stories say." Sazh said.
"Serah... Sweet dreams."
"Sweet dreams? She's not sleeping!" Lighting told Snow while she grab his trench coat. "Serah's... She's-"
"She's alive!"
"No"
"The legend! Remember the legend! 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! Serah's my bride-to-be. I promised to be hers forever! I don't care how many years I have to wait-"
Lighting had enough with his talk and she ran up and punch him in the face. "It's over! Open your eyes and face reality!" she told him.
"Serah...Does becoming a l'Cie really mean losing everything?"
As they stood there looking at each other, there was a sudden jolt and the fal'Cie begin to shake violently and derbies begin to fall. "What now?" Vanille asked, "The army!" The army deciding not to take the fal'Cie to Pulse begin to attacking it with giant hooks hoping it would fall apart.
"What's happening?" Vanille asked anyone who might know,
"Must be a Sanctum strike." Sazh spoke up.
"Bring down the Vestige and the fal'Cie right with it!"
"Aren't they taking it back to Pulse? That's what the Purge was, right?" Vanille asked Sazh who is confuse.
"All they care about is getting everything from Pulse off Cocoon. Dead or alive, it's all the same."
"We can't stay here! They'll kill us!" Hope said as he freaks out, then the shaking stop and the derbies stop falling. Then the last seal was lifted and the last door is now open,
"I'll be right back. Hold on." Snow told Serah then he started up the stairs.
"Trench Coat. Where you going?"
"Date with the fal'Cie. Got some things to talk about." Snow told Sazh
"What? You're gonna ask it to help her? Are you out of your mind, kid? That thing wants to chew us up and spit us out!" Sazh told Snow trying to talk him out of going.
"Well, what do you want me to do?" he snap back then Lighting went past him and started up the stairs. "Lighting?" Snow said as Lighting ignore him,
"Here we go." Sazh said and follow them up the stairs and Hope and Vanille follow them as well backing them up.
They went up stairs fighting any monsters that are in the way, and down a long dark hallway. Then they came face to face with Anima (the fal'Cie).
"So this is...the fal'Cie." Hope said as they walk up to a big robot like thing.
"Serah's a crystal now. You gave her a Focus, and she did it! You got what you want! Now let her go!" Snow command the fal'Cie but with no luck then he begin to beg. "Please. Turn her back! I'll be your l'Cie instead!" Snow told it hoping it would work,
"Fine, you go on begging. Like this thing gives a damn what we want!" Lighting told Snow and started slashing at it with her sword like blade.
"Lighting!" Snow yelled as Lightning attack the fal'Cie.
"It's this thing's fault the Purge started, and it's people who are dying. Serah told us to save Cocoon. That means this thing needs to die!" as soon as Lighting said that the floor lit up and the whole thing came to life.
Hope try to escape but the fal'Cie block the door and knock him to the floor, and Vanille walk up to him and help him up. "Come on now. You really think you can kill a fal'Cie?" Sazh asked Lighting,
"I'm doing this for Serah!" she told him.
"Dajh" Sazh said underneath his breath. "I'm in. As long as you don't mind an amateur. I got these might as well use them." Sazh told Lighting,
"Thanks." she told Sazh. They fought for awhile Snow blowing it's arms off with his grenades, While Sazh and Lighting destroying the body. Then all five of them found them selves floating in darkness, and the only light that is shining is above them as the fal'Cie gives off an eerie blue light.
"Where are we?" Lighting asked as bells ring in the distance, then streaks of blue light came down and hold all of them down as another streak of blue light Piercing they're skin leaving a tattoo mark on their body. Then they fall into darkness, mean while outside in the hanging edge all hell broke loose. The fal'Cie gave off a big blast and the blast wave destroy everything it touches. Then it lift it self in the air and force back down into the lake crystallizing everything.
"When I couldn't see a future, and I was afraid...when the future was clear, and it hurt to see...I'd just close my eyes, and lose myself in happier days.