Episode Zero: Tomorrow "It was on that day, two girl children entered the temple."

[Warning: This chapter contains spoilers for the game.]


It was on that day, two girl children entered the temple.

One already had the eyes of an adult, while the other still had the eyes of a child. Priests in clothes of red, black and purple led the girl with the eyes of an adult, while the girl with the eyes of a child followed after.

Before the endless stairs, the red priest said to the girl children:

“You must leave your polluted weapons behind. From here up on to the chamber of the fal’Cie, it is forbidden to take the filth of earth”

The girl children left their weapons at that place.

“You’ll give me a better weapon once I’m a l’Cie, right?” The girl with the eyes of an adult spoke, using words that did not befit that place.

The three priests did not heed her words, simply ordering them to follow.

As they climbed the stairs, the each of the girls kept secret the feeling in each of their hearts. They had kept it secret for this day, until this day, forever.

They climbed the stairs and then would stop, lifting themselves in prayer, before continuing on up the steps. This they did ten and three times, before they reached the gate of beginnings. Then the black priest said to the girl children:

“This door is a door of trials. It will turn away those who hold evil in their hearts, and lead on those who hold the holy spirit.”

The girl with the eyes of an adult knelt before the door, and prayed. The girl with the eyes of a child followed suit. The symbol on the door glowed red, and the door opened.

“Thou have been accepted by the gate of beginnings. Take your heart which contains the holy spirit and continue on to the chamber of the fal’Cie.”

The three priests and the two girl children passed through the door, and left behind the hallway of ten and three.

“Cheer up!”

“But...”

“It’s not you who will be turned into a l’Cie, but me. There’s no reason for you to be scared.”

“But...”

“Don’t worry.”

The girl with the eyes of an adult smiled, while the girl with the eyes of a child stared at her feet. The three priests said nothing.

They climbed the stairs and then would stop, lifting themselves in prayer, before continuing on up the steps. This they did ten and three times, before they reached the gate of the center. Then the purple priest said to the girl children:

“This door is a door of trials. It will turn away those who hold weakness in their hearts, and lead on those who hold strength.”

The girl with the eyes of an adult knelt before the door, and prayed. The girl with the eyes of a child followed suit. The symbol on the door glowed red, and the door opened.

“Thou have been accepted by the gate of the center. Take your heart which contains strength and continue on to the chamber of the fal’Cie.”

The three priests and the two girl children passed through the door, and left behind the hallway of ten and three.

“Damn these are some long stairs. We could have just taken an elevator or something yeah? This is overdoing it just a tad, don’t you think?”

“You shouldn’t stand stuff like that! The priests said this is supposed to be a test for you to become a l’Cie.”

“A test is great and all, but these priests are so weak, what can they do?”

The girl with the eyes of an adult laughed, while the girl with the eyes of a child chided her. The three priests, of course, said nothing.

They climbed the stairs and then would stop, lifting themselves in prayer, before continuing on up the steps. This they did ten and three times, before they reached the gate of endings. Then the red priest said to the girl children:

“This door is a door of trials. It will turn away those who hold greed in their hearts, and lead on those who hold honor.”

The girl with the eyes of an adult knelt before the door, and prayed. The girl with the eyes of a child followed suit. The symbol on the door glowed red, and the door opened.

“Thou have been accepted by the gate of endings. Take your heart which contains honor and continue on to the chamber of the fal’Cie.”

The three priests and the two girl children passed through the door, and left behind the hallway of ten and three, reaching the final stair.

At the top of the stairway ten priests stood, holy spears in hand, guarding the door to the fal’Cie.

“This is as far as you go.”

“But...”

“It will be alright.”

The three priests led the girl with the eyes of an adult up the final stair, then ten and three priests surrounded her and lifted their arms in prayer.

“Chosen one.”

“One who will become a l’Cie.”

“Leave behind evil.”

“Hold close the holy spirit.”

“Leave behind weakness.”

“Hold close strength.”

“Leave behind greed.”

“Hold close honor.”

“Continue on to the chamber of the fal’Cie.”

“Receive your power.”

“Receive your Focus.”

“Become one with the fal’Cie.”

“And stand against Heaven.”

The door began to open, and the girl with the eyes of an adult left the priests behind to walk through it. She yelled:

“Fal’Cie Anima! I have something I need to say to you. Are you listening!?”

The priests held onto the girl, but she shook them off and continued yelling.

“Why are you here? It should be easy for a fal’Cie like you to crush Cocoon. Why don’t you go destroy Lindzei right now? Instead of making all these l’Cie, wouldn’t it be faster to just get all the fal’Cie together and go to fight them yourselves? Can you not figure that out for yourself, even though you’re a fal’Cie?”

The priests raised their spears and held the girl down.

“Why you insolent...! This is fal’Cie Anima, how dare you speak to it this way!”

The girl shook them off and grabbed one of their spears. With it in hand, she stormed into the fal’Cie’s chamber.

“How many l’Cie have become Cieth while you sit here and do nothing? How many homes have been lost? While your friends do nothing but dig holes!”

The priests chased after the girl.

“How dare...! You shall not take another step into the fal’Cie’s chamber!”

The girl laid flat all the priests who followed her with her spear, and continued on into the chamber.

“I’ll become a l’Cie for you. I’ll destroy as many demons as you like. But I just can’t stand that you’re sitting here doing nothing!”

The red priest, the black priest, and the purple priest stood in front of the fal’Cie and pushed the girl back.

“Do you truly think a girl like you could have anything to say to the fal’Cie? Leave here!”

“I’m only telling the truth! That fal’Cie is a fool! Just what does it think about human lives? Nothing!”

The purple priest answered coldly:

“Human lives? They’re nothing but orphans.”

The black priest sneered:

“The only reason they take care of orphans is so they can become l’Cie. There is no other way to use them.”

The red priest spat:

“You’re nothing but a fool. You couldn’t even read the true intentions of those who took care of you.”

The girl’s eyes burned with anger.

“Don’t insult our home!”

In rage the girl stabbed the red priest, then defeated both the black priest and the purple priest. She turned to face fal’Cie Anima.

“This is all your fault! Our friends being turned into Cieth, the Cocoon fal’Cie coming here and doing as it pleases. It’s all because of you! I’ll destroy you!”

The girl rushed it with her spear, but its hands came out of no where, hitting her and throwing her to the floor. Her spear flung far away from her.

The ten priests rushed in and surrounded her, pointing at her with their spears.

“Foolish girl, you must die!”

“Traitor, you must die!”

The girl didn’t move. The ten priests slowly raised their spears.

“Please wait!”

The girl with the eyes of a child ran to her side and covered her with her body.

“Please forgive her!”

“She has insulted fal’Cie Anima, and treated our priests as fools. Her sins are too great.”

“Then let me... let me atone for them!”

The fallen girl’s lips moved, pleading her to stop. But the girl with the eyes of a child paid her no heed, yelling:

“Please make the both of us into l’Cie! Into l’Cie that will fight against Cocoon!”

All ten spears stopped at once, and their bearers looked down on the girls. They gathered together to speak.

“You can’t...”

“No. It will be my turn next, anyway. I want us to be together.”

One girl held the other, and smiled.

“Ever since we entered the temple, I had been thinking about it. I would say, make both of us into l’Cie.”

“But...”

“We might be orphans, but we were raised together. We’re family. We can protect everyone together.”

The ten priests surrounded the two girls and raised their arms in prayer, praying that these two be turned into l’Cie.

“We’ll be together forever... no matter what happens, we’ll never be apart.”



On this day, two l’Cie were born.