Chapter Three

All entries taken from the game's datalog.

Branded

After being caught in the destruction of the Vestige, the group awakens directly under the Hanging Edge on the expanse of a solidified Lake Bresha. An after-effect of the energies released by the dying fal'Cie, the waters of the lake are now frozen in crystal splendor.

Despite having survived a fall from an incredible height, the companions are unable to appreciate their luck as each one of them now bears a brand of alien design. The mark seared on their bodies signifies their servitude to a fal'Cie and the 'gift' of magical power.

It is the brand of a cursed l'Cie. Worse, they must now complete their assigned Focus if they are to avoid becoming monstrous Cie'th, though none can say for sure what their mission actually entails. Their only clue is the vision they all witnessed of the great beast laying waste to Cocoon.

Ragnarok.

Though all signs point to a bleak and tragic destiny, Snow alone remains optimistic. Convinced that his Focus is to grant Serah's wish and save Cocoon, he sets off full of confidence.

A Vision Shared

Now that they are Pulse l'Cie, Lightning and the others try to figure out what their Focus could be. The only thing they know for certain is that the rampaging beast Ragnarok is somehow involved.

Snow is convinced that their Focus is to protect their world by defeating the beast. But one fact contradicts this belief: Pulse l'Cie are the hated enemies of Cocoon. A Pulse fal'Cie would never assign such a task to its servants.

Lightning is infuriated by Snow's refusal to accept this logic. As she sees it, the fal'Cie not only made them into l'Cie, it also took her sister from her. The former soldier could never bring herself to meekly follow the orders of such a being, and Snow's apparent surrender to its will, however misinterpreted, is more than she can stand.

As they trade heated words, Sanctum soldiers surround their location. Arguments will have to wait — for now, they must concentrate on surviving.

Partings and Promises

Is she dead, or merely sleeping?

Serah, now a silent statue, is trapped in a crystal embrace. Lightning doesn't wish to leave her behind, but reluctantly says her farewells. The army is on their trail. If they stop to dig Serah free, their pursuers will certainly catch them.

However, Snow is not ready to say good-bye. He elects to stay behind, protect Serah, and somehow fulfill her wish to save Cocoon.

Knowing they cannot change his mind, Lightning and the others continue on their way. Hope drags himself away from Snow for what might be the final time — and the chance to say what he is burning to say is lost.

Casting the Net

Lightning and the others leave Snow behind with the crystallized Serah. As they continue their flight across the glassy expanse of Lake Bresha, the four companions spy a large contingent of Sanctum soldiers.

In order to hunt down and exterminate the Purge fugitives, the government is mobilizing an inordinate number of troops. The excessive reaction is further proof of Cocoon's fear and hatred of Pulse. Even those who have barely come into contact with lowerworld elements cannot be permitted to exist.

This all-consuming fear of some imagined corruption is the origin of the Purge. The entire population of a town was subjected to the Purge simply for living near the uncovered Pulse fal'Cie.

It was Cocoon's citizens, in their terror, who allowed such an extreme policy to become a reality — the government simply acted in response to the will of the people. And Eden, the fal'Cie who guides the Sanctum, gave its tacit consent through silence.

Now, after untold bloodshed, a military net is closing around the fleeing l'Cie, driven by the clamoring of a panicked and angry populace.

The Only Way is Up

Lightning and the others are now cursed l'Cie. If they don't complete the Focus given to them by the fal'Cie, they are destined to become mindless Cie'th.

But how can they complete a Focus that they don't understand?

Their shared vision of the great beast Ragnarok laying waste to their world is their only clue. That, and the fact that Pulse l'Cie are held to be the mortal enemies of Cocoon...

Could their Focus really be to orchestrate the destruction of their own home?

Snow doesn't think so.

He believes their task is to fulfill Serah's parting wish by keeping Cocoon safe. After all, wasn't she a l'Cie, just like them? His shaky logic only serves to infuriate Lightning, who holds him responsible for her sister's fate. Their confrontation is cut short by the arrival of their Sanctum pursuers.

Having made their escape, Lightning and the others pass through the ruins of a city damaged several centuries ago in the war with Pulse.

Amidst the rubble, they happen upon an airship which they board in the hope of finally shaking the relentless army.

Snow, meanwhile, remains behind with the crystallized Serah...

The Twin Sisters

There is no doubt in Snow's mind.

They may be Pulse l'Cie, but there is no way they can be enemies of Cocoon. Serah's last words before she turned to crystal are proof enough for him that their Focus is to defeat Ragnarok and protect their world.

Snow stays behind to defend his trapped fiancée after Lightning and the others decide to continue onward.

Brought to his knees by wave after wave of PSICOM soldiers during a protracted battle, the desperate young man is suddenly overcome by a strange phenomenon.

The Twin Sisters of Shiva, Stiria and Nix, appear before him in a blinding flash of light. They easily dispatch the remaining troops, and then turn on Snow.

He manages to defeat the icy Eidolons, but is soon captured by an unfamiliar Sanctum unit.

A striking woman accompanies the soldiers — a woman with a l'Cie brand.

Meanwhile, try as they might, Lightning's group cannot shake their determined pursuers. Crippled by enemy fire, their airship plummets toward the ground...

continue reading: chapter four →