Chapter Seven

All entries taken from the game's datalog.

The Capital of Commerce

With events spiraling out of control, the Sanctum army mobilizes all of its forces under its command in an attempt to apprehend the Pulse l'Cie thereby preventing Cocoon from descending into chaos. Prioritizing its mission over its reputation, PSICOM accordingly enlists the aid of the Guardian Corps soldiers.

Under the general command of Colonel Rosch, units of troops occupy positions across Palumpolum in anticipation of a l'Cie attack.

Originally planning to take the Eden-bound train from inside the city, Lightning is now having second thoughts. She can't help but feel concern when she sees the rage-fueled Hope throwing himself into battle. It doesn't help that it was Lightning herself who inadvertently encouraged him to concentrate on his goal of revenge in the first place.

And that goal is what drives him now. He must complete Operation Nora, and make Snow and the Sanctum pay for the death of his mother. But who can say how much time remains for a l'Cie who ignores his Focus?

Ignorant of her worries, Hope leads Lightning to an underground complex that will allow them to sneak past the Guardian Corps troops and into the city.

Under their Noses

Under the command of Colonel Rosch, PSICOM and the Guardian Corps occupy positions across Palumpolum in anticipation of a l'Cie attack.

In order to avoid the increased security, Lightning and Hope travel through an underground complex that reaches far beneath the city. If they can enter the town undetected, they should be able to find a way to reach Eden — the capital that lies at the heart of Cocoon.

Hope hurries onwards, eager to continue Operation Nora, and exact revenge on Snow and the Sanctum.

Yet l'Cie who fail to complete their Focus become Cie'th. It's uncertain when the exact moment of transformation will come, but time is not on their side. Even though there may be no light at the end of the tunnel, they have no choice but to keep trudging along in the dark.

Hope's grim determination is a source of pain for Lightning. Her attempt at giving him a reason to survive has backfired, fanning the flames of his hatred and setting him on the path to a deadly confrontation.

He is her responsibility. She has to protect him.

No Way to Live

The Sanctum fal'Cie treat the people of Cocoon like pets. Upon realizing this fact, Lightning comes to understand herself. Since the moment she was born, she was raised under fal'Cie care. Sheltered and protected, she never realized how much she depended on them. But after becoming a Pulse l'Cie, she is removed from that protection.

And like a child separated from her mother, she wanders in confusion and doubt. Added to the anxiety of being a fugitive, the grief of losing Serah, and her rage at an unjust fate, Lightning finds herself on the brink of blackest despair.

It is all so clear now. Thinking of a future without hope would be too much to bear, so she made the Sanctum her enemy and sought to lose herself in mindless combat. But it was all just a way to avoid facing reality.

And now she's got Hope doing the same.

If he loses himself in revenge, he may gain temporary respite from the horror of his predicament — but it will solve nothing.

Overcome by guilt, Lightning tells Hope to abandon Operation Nora, much to the boy's disbelief. If he gives up on revenge, what else is there to live for?

The two l'Cie have much to think about...

The Weight of Vengeance

Lightning knows that Snow is not Hope's favorite person. But the only way to ensure the boy's escape from the swarm of Sanctum troops is to leave him with the man he despises.

Her mind made up, Lightning shoves Hope at Snow, then charges the enemy soldiers, intending to cut a path through which they can escape. She may have failed to give him hope, but the least she can do is keep him alive — even if it means sacrificing herself.

After appearing out of nowhere with an Eidolon and felling soldiers left and right, Snow explains how the Cavalry picked him up. The rebel brigade is part of the Sanctum army, but it seems they have plans to topple the government with the help of the l'Cie.

Hope, of course, couldn't care less. The man responsible for his mother's death stands right in front of him. Operation Nora might be over, but his rage will not be satisfied by mere words.

As Hope runs through streets sheathed in Shiva's ice, he can feel the shape of the knife Lightning left in his care nestled against his side...

It's Called Interference

Colonel Rosch, PSICOM Director in command of l'Cie operations, decides to escalate the military presence in Palumpolum. Authorizing open warfare in the streets while civilians are still being evacuated is inviting disaster, but he is willing to make that sacrifice.

If the l'Cie are not put down here and now, the Pulse-phobic populace will reach boiling point: Cocoon's towns will erupt in riots, and the loss of life will be staggering.

Meanwhile, the l'Cie — who are currently split into two groups — choose Hope's house as a rendezvous point. But will they all make it?

Every word that the oblivious Snow says feeds the flames of Hope's anger. Has Snow forgotten what he's done? Has he forgotten how he got Hope's mother killed? Hope's patience has finally run out.

During a radio conversation with Lightning, he states his intention to carry out Operation Nora...and take his revenge. With that, the line goes dead.

Lightning tries to reason with Hope, but her desperate plea never reaches him.

The Pulse L'Cie

The hellish lowerworld feared by every citizen of Cocoon is known to Fang as Gran Pulse. On the way to Hope's home, she begins relating her past in response to Lightning's probing.

Fang reveals that she is a l'Cie from Gran Pulse — the world below the floating shell of Cocoon. After completing a Focus, she had turned to crystal.

When she awoke, Fang found herself very far from home in the nest of her enemies. And she was not alone — Vanille, a fellow Gran Pulse l'Cie, was with her.

Meanwhile, in another part of the city, Snow and Hope spy a group of Palumpolum civilians being herded by Sanctum troops. The government means to Purge them too...

Thinking to rescue the people from their fate, Snow leaps into action, ever the cheerful hero — but this serves only to further agitate Hope.

What does a l'Cie with no hope for the future have to smile about? Shaking his head in disgust, Hope awaits his opportunity to take his revenge.

Mob Injustice

Snow has seen the merciless nature of the Sanctum army.

The military's goal is not the protection of civilians — it is the extermination of l'Cie. As long as the Pulse servants are killed, the number of innocent deaths is inconsequential.

Snow threatens the citizens, hoping to make them run as far away as possible, and thus protect them from ending their days as 'collateral damage.'

But his good intentions are misunderstood.

An angry mob tracks down the two l'Cie, and advances on them with a mix of trepidation and determination. They believe they are doing the right thing — that they are standing up in defense of their homes.

The scene reminds Hope just how much everyone on Cocoon hates l'Cie. Hates him. Coming face-to-face with this cruel reality, Hope falls ever deeper into despair. Even if he makes it back to his home in Felix Heights, there is no salvation waiting for him there.

His mother, Nora, is no longer around to shield him from the dangers of the world.

Snow saw to that.

Over the Edge

Hope finally unleashes the anger he has been feeding for so long. Channeling his hate into deadly power, he blasts Snow with fiery magic. But just as he prepares to deal the killing blow, he is hurled from the roof of the building they are standing on by a nearby explosion.

Snow doesn't hesitate for a second. He hasn't forgotten the dying wish of a mother who fell during the violence of the Purge. Catching the boy he now knows is her son, Snow shields Hope with his own body as they crash to the ground below.

Elsewhere, Lightning listens as Fang makes a confession...

When Fang and Vanille awoke from crystal stasis, they had no memory of their past. Thinking it might give them a hint about their Focus, They decided to attack the Sanctum fal'Cie in Euride Gorge.

Unfortunately, Fang left the scene none the wiser, and is still desperately trying to figure out their task in order to prevent Vanille from becoming a Cie'th — and to stop the creation of any more l'Cie.

The Gran Pulse native then reveals that she believes Serah was chosen by the fal'Cie to carry out the Focus they no longer remember.

Lightning takes the news with mixed emotions. Fang deserves to pay for what happened to Serah. But at the same time, she gives Lightning hope — her sister may not be a crystal forever.

Until She Wakes

Just as the citizens of Lightning's world fear the lowerworld of Pulse, the people of 'Gran' Pulse — as Fang calls her home — fear the floating nest of vipers that is Cocoon.

It would seem that the two women are not so different. They each grew up in fear of another world, bear the mark of a Pulse l'Cie, have a Focus they don't understand, and live as fugitives from the Sanctum.

But unlike Lightning, Fang has not given up hope. She still plans to track down Vanille, finish their Focus, and then get back to Gran Pulse.

Hearing this, Lightning laments the fact that she has no plan and no reason to keep fighting. Fang responds that she has all the reason anyone could need; to stay alive until Serah wakes up from her crystal sleep.

As Lightning comes around to this idea, there is an explosion in the distance. Could Snow and Hope be in trouble? Trading worried glances, the two l'Cie race off in the direction of the fighting.

Sustained by Hate

Hope regains consciousness to find himself being carried on Snow's broad back.

The self-styled 'hero' staggers under the boy's weight as he forces his wounded body forward. Pausing to rest, he talks about the anguish and guilt he hides behind a cheerful mask — before returning the knife to Hope's hand.

The NORA leader is defenseless. With one thrust, Hope can finally claim vengeance for his mother's death. This is the moment the boy has fought for. His chance for revenge.

But Hope hesitates and then the moment is gone.

Hope reveals that he always knew killing Snow wouldn't bring his mother back, but he had no choice but to cling to that goal. He didn't survive this long to see revenge — he saw revenge as a means to survive.

It is his hatred of Snow that has sustained him through countless battles. In a strange way, the man who made a promise to his mother has been protecting him all along.

When he is later reunited with Lightning, Hope tells her that Operation Nora is over, and gives her back her knife. He doesn't need it anymore.

Having avoided further military pursuit, the group finally arrives at the Estheim household, where Hope breaks the terrible news to his anxious father...

Healing the Rifts

The knife Serah gave her on her birthday has become a symbol of regret for Lightning.

Because she refused to believe her sister's story that day, Serah ended up a prisoner of the Pulse fal'Cie, and Lightning herself became a l'Cie when she later tried to save her. Since then, the former soldier has sought out battle to avoid dealing with the guilt she feels for turning her sister away.

Now, however, Lightning finally faces the truth of her emotions, and accepts responsibility for her part in what happened.

She meekly apologizes to the injured Snow — the man who always believed in Serah, and protected Hope from harm.

The rifts between the l'Cie are healing, but the reality of the situation is still grim. When Snow talks about taking down the Sanctum, Hope's father, Bartholomew, points out the flaws in their plan.

If the government is toppled by l'Cie, how will the people react? Will they not see their worst fears realized, take up arms, and hasten the very cataclysm they wish to avoid?

As the l'Cie ponder their strategy, PSICOM commandos bursts into the house. Hope stands against the soldiers, while the wounded Snow takes care of his father.

Here Comes the Cavalry

Colonel Rosch, Director of PSICOM, explains the necessity of his actions to the l'Cie, declaring that the Sanctum's — and the fal'Cie's — decision to order the Purge was anything but arbitrary. Had they not initiated such measures, he contends, and ignored the cries of the people, Cocoon's panicked society would have torn itself apart.

If Rosch speaks the truth, then the l'Cie's enemy is not the government, but millions of Cocoon civilians. Yet even if this is so, they must somehow find a way to survive.

Overcoming his desire for revenge, Hope sets out in search of a new goal. Somewhere beyond the maelstrom of hatred and the grasping will of the fal'Cie is the future they search for. Hope bids farewell to his father, and boards the Cavalry airship.

continue reading: chapter eight →