Episode Zero: Part III Chapter Three

I’ve never really understood the phrase “everything went black” until now. But it’s true. Not really black, but just not being able to see anything at all. No matter what you were looking at, it just won’t register.
I remember accessing the information from some University research group, or some think tank or something like that. But I don’t remember what it said. I remember reading it, that I’m sure of. I think it said something about the “l’Cie of the Sanctum” or something like that.
But none of it was information I wanted to know, what I wanted to hear. You know what dad wants to hear right? Just one thing. One simple thing. That his son is going to be alright.
I don’t know why I thought Lieutenant Nabaat would be able to tell me that. I was panicked. Every new thing I read was just so unbelievable. I didn’t want to believe it. I thought some soldier who had graduated at the top of her class would be able to tell me otherwise. Like a life preserver I held on to that thought.
It was only several days later that I finally got to see her. Three days after the accident...

“I am sorry to have kept you waiting for three days.” Nabaat bowed her head deeply. “I am sure you’ve been quite worried.” Her expression was sorrowful.
They were in a medical observation room, watching a monitor on the wall. The monitor showed Dajh playing with something that looked like a puzzle. They said that this was one of the things they were using in their investigation. Sazh wasn’t allowed to visit him yet, but Nabaat had prepared this monitor room for him, so that he could at least see that his son was alright.
“Whatever, I don’t care. But Dajh, my son...” Let me take him home, Sazh wanted to say, but didn’t. He looked at Dajh on the monitor, happily clapping his hands. There was the symbol, right there on the back of his hand. I can’t ask yet, he thought, we have to do something about that first. Before we go home.
“You probably have already realized, but...”
Nabaat looked as though she were going to say something that was difficult. She breathed, and said what she wanted to say.
“Your son has been chosen to be a l’Cie. By fal’Cie Kujata.”
For the past three days, Sazh had searched and studied about the l’Cie, as much as time would allow. But it had only made him lose hope. Nabaat was the last glimmer he had left. He was sure she would say, “You’ve got it all wrong. There is no way your son could be a l’Cie.” and laugh his fears away.
But at her words he fell into despair. He didn’t even realize he was yelling.
“How could you joke about this? The l’Cie are nothing but some old story....”
“I understand how you’re feeling.” Nabaat closed her eyes sadly. Sazh was at a loss for words. Should he tell her, “You understand nothing!” Or could he tell her, “Don’t sympathize with me!” No, it wouldn’t change anything. No matter what he said, nothing would change. Instead, he shoved those feelings deep within his heart.
I don’t understand this. Any of it. Sazh clenched his fists in frustration.
“We were surprised also.” She continued quietly.
“According to record, a l’Cie has not been chosen for hundreds of years. Not since the War of Revelations.”
“Then why? Why did this happen to Dajh?”
Why was it Dajh? There had been other children in the same place, tons of them. Children the same age as Dajh. No, did it even have to be child? There were adults there. It wouldn’t have matter if they had chosen one of them instead. So why, why did it choose Dajh?
“To be honest, we don’t know. We can only think that he was judged as the best choice by the fal’Cie.”
“A six year old child? That’s ridiculous!”
“Mr. Katzroy...” She opened her mouth as if to say something, but turned her eyes away without saying anything at all. She knows something, Sazh thought. She’s still hiding something from me.
“What is PSICOM... the Sanctum, going to do with Dajh?” Nabaat had said in the airship that Dajh’s safety was important. But Sazh knew the army wouldn’t put out so much effort for one civilian child.
“If you’ll keep what I’m about to tell what a secret...”
Bingo, Sazh thought. Nabaat stared straight into his eyes.
“A great danger is approaching Cocoon. We have watched Pulse, and we know that an invasion is on the way.”
“Huh?”
What could she mean an invasion? From Pulse? This was too big, he couldn’t understand what she meant.
“The Sanctum is holding back on making a public announcement of this, but what happened at the plant was no accident. It was the work of enemies from Pulse.”
That white mist, the ground trembling, the Sanctum had announced it as nothing but an accident. But it had been something planned, something from Pulse.
“The reason there was so little destruction was because of Dajh. He was chosen by the fal’Cie to be a l’Cie.”
“Impossible. How could a six year old child do anything?”
It was unbelievable. How could a six year old do anything against enemies from Pulse?
“It’s the truth.” Nabaat said, cutting him off.
“But the enemies escaped, they are still at large. We don’t know when or where there will be another attack. That is why we are asking that you cooperate.”
“Cooperate?”
He still couldn’t think of it as anything but a horrible joke. Cooperate? With what?
“Dajh has been chosen. He is the key to saving Cocoon. He may not have knowledge of his power, but the Sanctum will be providing back up for him. He will stand in the face of the invasion from Pulse. So please, Mr. Katzroy, please help us.”
“I don’t know what to say to that. It’s just too... much.”
He wanted to hear a more concrete explanation. He didn’t understand any of this. He didn’t care about this invasion from Pulse. He just wanted to know when he’d be able to take Dajh home.
... was there any chance they’d be able to return to a normal life?
“Yes, yes I do understand.” Nabaat nodded several times. She didn’t seem like a soldier then, but a teacher talking to a small child.
“We aren’t asking you to do anything special. We’d just like you to watch over him.”
I probably look like a sulky child right at this moment, Sazh thought.
“We don’t know what Focus or powers Dajh has been given. We are trying to find out as soon as possible, that is what we are investigating now. Unfortunately we cannot allow you to visit him yet, but I understand that you are worried. So please...”
Focus? Oh, of course. If a l’Cie does not complete their Focus they’ll turn into a Cie Corpse. That’s what she was saying. Right now the most important thing was to discover what his “Focus” was. He understood. In his head he understood, but in his heart...
“I’ll try to see if you’ll be allowed to see him tomorrow. But we’ll have to do as many tests as we can today. So please, just wait one more day.”
There was nothing else Sazh could say.