Episode i: Part VII

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



Of course, I knew. Of course I already knew what had happened. But seeing it with my own eyes, I felt... confused. Lost. To really know that it was real.
But, because it’s real I know now that I can do things. I can change things, not just watch them happen. I felt strength then, and courage. Serah lifted her head, and looked at Cocoon, broken and crumbling. And the crystal that supported it.
What sort of dreams does Vanille dream now, I wonder? Like when I was a Crystal, watching everyone... is she watching us now?
Her memories after becoming a crystal were confused., but she remembered everything after what had happened at Lake Bresha. Snow had stayed beside her. She had felt so helpless, but Snow had been there. Perhaps it was because he carried that crystal tear that she could hear his voice, and see what he saw.
Everyone who turned into a crystal saw different dreams. It seemed that boy, Dajh, had dreamt he was playing with many, many chocobos. Perhaps that baby chocobo had given him that dream. Or was it his father, what was his name? Sazh? Who had wanted to show his son many fabulous dreams.
Perhaps it was true. Because Snow had wanted her to be with them so badly, she had seen the dreams she saw. And perhaps, a little bit because she wished it to be true herself... though really, she couldn’t know the truth of it.
Being beside Snow in her dreams had helped her, steadied her. If she had remained in such a cold, lonely sleep for such a long time, her heart would have broken before she had a chance to awake.
She hoped Vanille was seeing wonderful dreams. Even if it was only in their hearts, Serah hoped that everyone could be together.
“We’re uh, going on a long trip. So we’ll be going now.” Sazh’s voice brought Serah back to reality. Dajh was laughing, and holding Serah’s hand.
“Bye bye! See you!”
“Goodbye Dajh. I hope to see you again soon.”
She remembered when she first woke, it had been this boy’s smile that she had first seen, and his innocent chatter that she had first heard. She had taken his hand, and they had step onto the land of Gran Pulse for the first time. Walking back into reality. Thank you, Serah whispered, and smiled.
The solider called out to Sazh to hurry up. “Come on, daddy has to go.” Sazh said, hurrying away.
“There they go...” Hope whispered, standing beside her. Then, a different soldier came running up to them.
“Hey, we found your father. He’ll be arriving on the next plane, one of the supply ones.”
“My father!?”
“Yeah, he’ll be here in a few minutes.”
Not many knew that Bartholomew Estheim--Hope’s father--was the father of a l’Cie. But people who knew were out there. He had probably been put on a supply plane so he could avoid seeing anyone who might recognize him.
“Once he lands, we’ll arrange it so you can see each other somewhere out of the way.”
“Thank you... thank you so much.”
“You don’t need to thank me, but we need to hurry. We need to take advantage of the confusion at the landing site so that you can both escape.”
The soldier hurried him off, and Hope finally left them. He had no time for words of farewell, only meeting their eyes and giving them a brief nod.
“They’re all going away so quickly...” Snow said, a little sadly. He always hated to be alone.
“Yes, it’s sad but... they’re going to be with their families now.”
“Yeah... I know. Hooray hooray.”
Even though everyone is going their separate ways, nothing can change the fact that they traveled together. No matter how far apart they are, they’ll always be connected in some way. Like with Vanille and Fang, asleep in the crystal.
“But you know, it’s not the end.”
No, it was a beginning. Everyone would start down their own path, holding the hands of those closest to them as they walked towards their own future.
Yes... even I have something I can do.
“Um, Snow... I’ve been thinking. I think... I want to become a teacher.”
“You want to be a school teacher?”
“Yes. Of course there’s no schools right now, not even any houses... but there are so many children. We’ll need schools and teachers.”
She had thought long about what it is she could do. If she could really make something in place of their lost paradise. This was her answer.
“When I’m teaching them, I need to be able to tell them... why Cocoon fell, what exactly happened...”
They had lived just accepting what the fal’Cie had given them. They had lived without thought of their own lives, not questioning their false paradise. That was a mistake. Serah wanted these children living on Gran Pulse to think for themselves, to stand on their own feet.
“After ten or twenty years, all these children will be adults. They will be able to help build our new city. We’ll only be able to build a small one at first, but with their help it will grow.”
“Hm... I think it would fit you.” Snow nodded, smiling. “You want to make the future.”
At least a few of the children she would teach would go on to be teachers themselves. Then they would teach children who would become teachers, and on and on into the future.
“Alright! I’m going to build a huge school for you. One this big!” Snow said, holding his arms out wide.
“A city with a big school, and lots of houses... we’ll need that soon, won’t we?”
If you continue to believe your dreams will come true. Serah dreamed of huge city spreading out across this now empty land. Long after she was dead, in the far, far future, perhaps the day Gran Pulse was called a paradise would come. Not a false one, but a real one made by their own hands.
“Hey, Lightning...” Serah started, wanting to see if she agreed. But then, she had a strange feeling. Like something was surrounding her in a way she had never felt before. As soon as she felt it, it was gone.
“Lightning?”
Lightning wasn’t there, where she had only been standing a moment ago. Serah felt a premonition... no, not that, a bad feeling.
“What?” Serah looked back, and opened her eyes.
“I... what?”
The crystal tower seemed further now than it had been. She was sure she had been walking towards it. Perhaps it was because she had only just awoken that she felt so strange...
“Where... are you?” She said, her voice trembling. Serah ran her fingers down her cheeks, confused.
Tears...