Deep within the Bodhum Vestige, two l’Cie—Fang and Vanille—awoke from crystal stasis. Fang’s brand was scarred and scorched, and she had lost every memory relating to her Focus, including the events surrounding its apparent completion.

Vanille mimicked her friend, pretending to have forgotten her Focus as well. Afraid of hurting even more people, she wanted nothing more than to leave her fate behind.

Snow was overjoyed to meet the older sister of his beloved Serah, but Lightning was far from impressed. She had never approved of him or his group’s unsanctioned activities. As far as Lightning was concerned, NORA’s actions—hunting down weak monsters and acting like heroes—were reckless and irresonsible.

She wanted Snow to forget about dating her sister, but the young man just laughed away her demands. His flippant attitude did nothing but reinforce her original impression.

Fang and Vanille discovered the unconscious Serah deep within the Vestige. They could see the girl had been branded with the mark of a l’Cie. The door to the Pulse structure, closed until now, was thrown open when Fang and Vanille awoke from their stasis—and Serah had chosen to walk through it.

They took the newly branded servant outside and watched over her until she recovered and set off home. The two women, their Focus forgotten, assumed that the fal’Cie Anima had chosen a new l’Cie.

Fang was feeling anxious. Her own brand was scorched and showed no sign of changing, but Vanille’s mark was still active. If they didn’t remember and complete their forgotten Focus, her friend would become a Cie’th.

With nothing left to lose, Fang suggested they visit the Sanctum fal’Cie in the Euride Gorge energy plant. If they approached one of their sworn enemies, then perhaps the memory of their Focus would return…

There was an accident at the Euride Gorge energy plant located near the seaside community of Bodhum. Details of the accident were not released to the public, but the lack of information sparked widespread conjecture among the populace.

Rumors began to circulate about an act of sabotage by Pulse l’Cie, sending a whisper of panic through a society that has lived in terror of lowerworld invasion for centuries.

Sazh took his son to the Euride Gorge energy plant after Dajh begged to see one of the Sanctum fal’Cie. While Sazh was busy buying a chocobo chick at the souvenir shop, the little boy ran off into the plant alone.

Moments later, a strange phenomenon rocked the building. When the panicked father rushed inside, he found his son unconscious, lying on a bench. The energy plant fal’Cie, Kujata, had branded Dajh with the mark of a Sanctum l’Cie.

Fang’s plan to infiltrate the energy plant with Vanille, and recover the memory of their Focus, ended in failure. Sensing their presence, the fal’Cie Kujata attempted to defend itself by creating a servant out of the closest human—a little boy. Including Serah from the day before last, now two innocent lives had been forever altered.

The fluctuations in the plant’s power levels alerted the Sanctum army, and Fang drew the attention of the soldiers onto herself to give Vanille a chance to escape.

After shaking her military pursuers, Fang returned to the Vestige to find Vanille already gone. She searched the town for her missing friend, but was eventually captured by Sanctum soldiers—members of the Cavalry, a unit commanded by Brigadier General Cid Raines.

Raines, a man opposed to a fal’Cie-controlled Cocoon, offered Fang his protection. Not fully trusting him, but without a way to locate Vanille on her own, the desperate l’Cie decided to join the general and his fleet.

Serah was overcome by curiosity when she saw the doors to the Vestige wide open for the first time. She wandered inside, and was branded by the Pulse fal’Cie.

Unable to tell Lightning that she had become a l’Cie, Serah eventually revealed her painful secret to Snow, four days later. Unwilling to see him suffer the same fate, the young woman tried to break off their relationship. But Snow chased after her, and swore to help complete her Focus, whatever it may be.

After being made into a Sanctum l’Cie, Dajh was taken into custody by PSICOM and subjected to a battery of tests. Colonel Nabaat, the supervising officer, next imparted some unsettling news to Sazh: his son had gained the ability to sense the presence of Pulse beings, but his Focus was still unknown.

Without a defined Focus, the boy was doomed to become a Cie’th. Could his task be to discover lowerworld invaders? To destroy them? Sazh’s mind raced as he tried to figure out a way to save his son.

After scraping her leg in a fall on the beach, Vanille was aided by an unlikely person—Snow’s fiancée, Serah. Vanille was responsible for both Serah and Dajh becoming l’Cie, but lacked the courage to admit the truth and beg forgiveness from the girl standing before her.

Oblivious of Vanille’s involvement in events, Serah listened to the Gran Pulsian’s problems and offered her encouragement. The coincidental meeting helped Vanille to make up her mind—even if it meant becoming a Cie’th, she couldn’t bring harm to the world Serah loved so much.

It would be Lightning’s birthday in two days.

While out shopping for her present with Serah, Snow slipped away to buy engagement necklaces. He intended to propose to Serah the very next day. He knew her fate as a l’Cie, but meant to stand by her, no matter what.

Meanwhile, Serah searched for a gift that would help keep Lightning safe during her dangerous work as a soldier. After giving her sister the present, Serah planned to confess about becoming a l’Cie.

The Bodhum Vestige was a minor local landmark paid little regard. That changed on this night, when PSICOM discovered that the relic’s long-sealed entrance had somehow been opened.

A reconnaissance team was sent inside, reporting the discovery of a Pulse fal’Cie before communication links suddently went silent. Deeming it probable that the soldiers had been made l’Cie, the Sanctum then resealed the door to the Vestige, trapping the team inside. The following day brought public announcement of both the discovery and plans for the Purge.

Snow proposed to Serah under the brightly exploding fireworks, giving her renewed hope for the future.

Serah still didn’t know what her Focus was, and had yet to tell Lightning about her l’Cie curse. But with Snow by her side, there was no obstacle they couldn’t overcome. Hand in hand, they watched the spectacle of lights illuminate the night sky.

In Bodhum, there is a legend: if you wish on the fireworks, your dreams will come true.

Assigned to security detail during the fireworks display in Bodhum, Lightning was suddenly released from duty by her superior, Lieutenant Amodar—PSICOM had found something in the nearby Vestige.

Lightning immediately thought of the accident that took place at the energy plant six days earlier. Voicing her concern that the incidents may be Pulse-related, Lightning’s questions were deflected by the lieutenant, who advised her to avoid anything that involves the lowerworld.

Residents of Palumpolum, Hope and his mother came to Bodhum to see the fireworks display. That same night, PSICOM discovered the Pulse fal’Cie slumbering within the Vestige.

The following day, the Sanctum announced the discovery, and sealed off the entire district of Bodhum. Trapped by the quarantine and unable to return home, mother and son were forced to join the other victims of the Purge.

Dajh suddenly decided that he wanted to go to Bodhum. Realizing this may be an effect of the boy’s new power to detect Pulse beings, Colonel Nabaat permitted a PSICOM-supervised excursion to the coastal town.

It was the night of the fireworks show, but Sazh’s mood was not lightened by the beautiful display. The smiling face of his son, oblivious to the fate that awaited him, was more painful than the troubled father could bear.

Meanwhile, the PSICOM team scouring the area discovered the fal’Cie within the Vestige. Dajh must have reacted subconciously to the presence of the lowerworld entity.

Their faces were all lit by the same display of fireworks.

Lightning felt the creeping shadow of Pulse’s menace. Snow and Serah pledged themselves to each other, and swore to overcome their destiny. Sazh prayed for the salvation of his son, Dajh. Hope could never have imagined losing his mother, Nora. Fang searched for her lost companion.

And Vanille? Vanille wished for a miracle.

On Lightning’s birthday, Serah revealed she had become a Pulse l’Cie, and had accepted Snow’s proposal for marriage. Thinking her sister had made it all up, Lightning chased her from the room with harsh, biting words.

By the tiem she realized Serah was telling the truth, it was too late. Her sister had returned to the Vestige and become a prisoner of the fal’Cie. The only thing Serah had left behind was Lightning’s birthday present—a survival knife.

After announcing the discovery of the lowerworld being, the Sanctum instigated the Purge.

Before the Pulse fal’Cie could be carried away and Serah doomed to become a Cie’th, Snow had to get into the Vestige and find out what her Focus was. If they could figure out Serah’s task, then maybe Lightning would finally believe them. With that plan in mind, the young NORA leader brought his fiancée back to the place she was branded.

Things went horribly wrong, and only Serah entered the Vestige as a prisoner of the fal’Cie.

Snow explained the situation to Lightning before rushing off to rescue his future wife.

A fal’Cie of pulse origin was discovered within a Vestige on the outskirts of Bodhum two days previously, having apparently spent centuries in hibernation with humans none the wiser to its persence. The Sanctum deemed the potential contamination by Pulse magic a risk too great to overlook, and immediately enacted legislation permitting the Purge—an involuntary remove of the fal’Cie and the entire population of Bodhum from Cocoon.

Deportees were told only that they would be transported to Pulse.

Believing the Sanctum announcement that the Purge was a forced migration to Pulse, Vanille decided to board the train of her own free will. This could be her only chance to return home.

Vanille hated the idea of leaving Fang behind on Cocoon, but if she could make it back to the lowerworld, her Focus would no longer be a danger to anyone. Maybe she couldn’t change reality, but she could defy her fate by running away. Her encounter four days ago had given her the courage she needed.

After discovering that Searh was being held captive by the Pulse fal’Cie, Lightning volunteered herself to by Purged.

The fal’Cie was to be transported away from Cocoon, along with the Purge deportees. Lightning needed to board the train and reach the lowerworld entity before Serah was taken beyond her reach.

Sazh, too, had his reasons for approaching Lightning and joining her as she headed for the Pulse fal’Cie. The train carried them away, bound for the restricted zone known as the Haning Edge…