Final Fantasy XIII: Episode Zero -Promise-

"Present", Chapter Zero

"Present", Chapter Zero

"It's so hard picking out a birthday present for her." Serah sighed. They were standing in front of the stationary store. Looking at her face, Snow thought she looked so serious... and just like Lightning, who Snow had seen just a few days before. They really are sisters, he thought.

Antique book ends and leather pen holders filled the storefront window. Serah examined the items on display for awhile, but then shook her head, muttering "This doesn't seem quite right either..."

Two days from now would be Serah's older sister, Lightning's, birthday. Snow and Serah had come to the shopping mall to look for a present for her. But for nearly an hour now Serah had just been looking around and saying everything "Wasn't quite right."

"Is it really that hard?"

"Yes. Every year I spend a long time searching, but I can never find just the right thing."

"Why don't you ask her?"

"I can't! I've asked her before, and do you know what she said?"

"Whatever you choose will be fine?" Snow was only making a guess, but Serah's eyes grew wide.

"Wow! How did you know?"

"It just seemed like something she'd say. You know, like something a parent would say to a child."

"Yeah... I guess she's always been like a mom to me." Serah slowly began to smile, but then suddenly stopped. "And you shouldn't hide things from your parents..." Serah's eyes dropped to the bandages wrapped around her left arm. Serah still hadn't told Lightning what was beneath them. Snow already knew: a symbol of Pulse. Serah had gone into the Vestige and been made into a l'Cie by the Pulse fal'Cie there. She was an enemy of Cocoon. That was why Serah had asked that they break up. But he had promised her he'd help her search for her Focus. They would search for it--and complete it--together. After that... he didn't know.

He had asked the customers at the cafe if there were anyone who knew anything about Pulse or l'Cie, but had no luck. Everyone had only heard fairy tales when they were children, or read about it in school textbooks.

But he didn't give up. He started asking friends of friends if they knew anything. Nothing. Worse than nothing in fact, as one guy tried to sell him some suspicious looking items and he hightailed it out of there.

He even thought about going straight to the fal'Cie and asking it himself. But Serah put her foot down on that idea.

"You don't know what will happen if you make the fal'Cie mad!" She had said. "It might make you into a l'Cie, or even worse! Who knows what would happen to the people in Bodhum..."

So he gave up the idea. If it would only make him into a l'Cie, that wouldn't be any problem to him. But he couldn't let anything hurt the people of Bodhum. No, he couldn't let Serah face the wrath of the fal'Cie by herself.

And that's how he ended up where he was now, with nothing. He had nothing to go on, but he knew it would work out somehow. He would make it work. He still hadn't asked every person on Cocoon. Until he had done that...

He placed one hand over her bandages, and held her with the other.

"It's alright. You won't have to hide anything anymore two days from now, right?"

They had decided they would tell Lightning everything on her birthday. Snow had told Serah that it would be much easier to get her to talk then, besides which, he would be with her. Serah had smiled at him when he said that.

But she still seemed worried about whether or not she would be able to talk with her sister. Sometimes, though only for a moment, he would look over and see her looking sad. Like now.