Chapter Text
It was centuries ago. Millenia, that the world that had been known came to an end. It ended in the fall of the planet that had hung in Gran Pulse’s sky for all of its time. Brought to an end by the machinations of the fal’Cie and the unknowing co-operation of the l’Cie that had killed the Orphan.
The l’Cie, once human, had had a plan to prevent its fall. Self-sacrificial, they would become a monument to their mistakes. But it was too little, too late, and the Cocoon which had held and cradled humankind became the instrument of their deaths. Turned to crystal, the l’Cie could do nothing but dream as Cocoon came crashing down, creating waves of destruction on the surface of Gran Pulse.
The salvation for the world, and the doom for the plan of the Cocoon fal’Cie came at unlikely hands. A pulse l’Cie, uninterested in the oblivion that called to his brethren, broke from his Focus to catch the fallen planet. Though humanity fell, the planet below still thrived, and those fal’Cie that would forsake their Focus to chase death still lived.
The l’Cie, Pulse and Cocoon both stood as crystalline tributes to the dead they failed to save, and watchful guardians to the silent planet. Their dreams, though happy, marred by the knowledge that they had been mankind’s doom.
A war raged on the surface of Gran Pulse. Freed from their Focus, the fal’Cie chased death into each other’s arms, fighting against one another directly for the first time. The face of the planet was forever changed, the weapons and magic of the fal’Cie carving swathes of land apart, creating mountains and lakes and seas.
Through it all, Titan watched, holding Cocoon still. Some animals took shelter under him and his burden, and the Seeress of the Paddra and her Guardian took sanctuary with them.
Pulse and Lindzei felled each other, in a battle which lasted centuries and killed many in the crossfire. Nevertheless, Bhunivelze did not wake. The l’Cie slept, as the world was destroyed and reshaped around them, and they did not wake. The Seeress of Paddra closed her eyes, and she did not wake. With no humans left, she never would wake again. Her Guardian fell asleep, clutching her body, but knew he was cursed to wake alone.
The battle was long, lasting generations of humankind’s life. In the final battle, only Six were left standing, three from Pulse, three from Cocoon. Titan, who had been uninvolved, carrying Cocoon on his back and the wildlife of Pulse sheltering underneath him. Ramuh, fal’Cie of storms, who had shaped the clouds in times past. Ifrit, stoker of volcanoes, regulator of geothermal heat. From Cocoon, Leviathan, watcher of the tides and sea. Diabolos, a fal’Cie who shaped the earth of Cocoon and its land, and Alraune, a fal’Cie of the seasons, who brought frost and snow when the time came.
Five of these met in battle, over and over, none of them powerful enough to truly hurt the others. It seemed as if this fight would be never-ending, and Gran Pulse would never truly recover from the damage wrought.
The battle ended due to Her Providence. The last true God, Etro, protector of the dead and guardian of Valhalla, walked the world once more. Surrounded by the most loyal of Her Eidolons, She walked among the fal’Cie and granted them a gift. The gift of Chaos, of the free will that they so desperately craved. With it, however, She bound them with a new Focus.
To protect and guard this world, and all who walk upon it. To nurture its life, and comfort its death. And, finally, to watch over the new humans that would soon come, and protect them as they grew into their own. This world, She explained, would be theirs one day, and when that day came, if they still wished it, She would grant the fal’Cie death. Then She left, for she had work to do.
Under the guidance of what remained of Mwynn, Etro crafted the seeds for a new humanity. Once more, She shed Her blood into the earth of the Mortal World, and once more, Paddra Nsu Yeul opened her eyes. Etro gifted humanity with the Chaos that would bind them, and left the Mortal World, trusting in the Six to protect it. With Her, She took a warrior of the l’Cie, to protect Her in Her recovery and do Her will.
The Six chafed under their new Focus. As he had always done, Titan held Cocoon aloft, uninterested in these new humans or his new Focus. Ramuh retreated to the clouds, crafting weather, uncaring as to what it would do to the people below. Leviathan loathed them, and retreated to the depths of the sea to slumber, promising herself that, if she ever awoke, she would bring an end to humanity.
It was Diabolos who first understood an important truth. That it was in the Chaos in their hearts that humanity had their power, and, by accessing the Chaos in his, he could gain power through his connection to these tiny creatures. Alraune watched as humans shivered and froze in her cold, and felt pity for them, they who had never had the benefit of a cocoon. She took a new form and name, taking on the guise of one of Etro’s Eidolons, Shiva, and walked among them. Her heart softened, and she begged Ifrit to grant them heat. Ifrit, confused by his own heart, gained through Etro’s Providence, created fire, and gifted it to them.
In this manner, the world turned for millenia. The l’Cie dreamed as the fal’Cie watched, and Diabolos schemed. He did not believe that humanity was owed anything, let alone this world, and set in motion a plan to taint their hearts and souls, beyond the point that even Etro Herself would be able to intervene.
He had always been a crafter, and so he crafted a thing of darkness. Pure Chaos, given form, that would mutate humankind, change them into monsters of darkness. If this did not work, he would be able to call on this Chaos to empower himself, and wipe humanity off the surface of Eos himself.
He took a l’Cie, still dreaming, and cutting and mutating their crystal beyond what was believed possible. Changing his name and form, he created his new self out of spite for Etro, a mockery of one of her Eidolons, Bahamut. Then, in his new guise, he presented a leader of a new nation with the Crystal he had formed, promising power if the kingdom worshiped him.
Centuries passed, and an empire rose, believing that power lay in the ruins of Gran Pulse. They created a story of an empire called Solheim that spanned the whole planet. The name Gran Pulse forgotten, the new humans called this planet Eos. The l’Cie were studied, believed to be statues of important figures of Solheim, or servants of the Six, memorialized in crystal.
While the l’Cie stood witness, a war raged over the surface of Eos, empire against kingdom. Lucis fought with magic, unknowingly stolen from a sleeping l’Cie, costing monarch after monarch their lives, for magic stolen has its price. Niflheim fought with science, their own creations and what they could scavenge from the ruins of Gran Pulse.
The world turned, and the l’Cie were scattered, taken and looted and studied. In museums and laboratories, across the world. The Adagium, Bahamut’s mockery of a l’Cie and the cornerstone of his plan, woke up in the care of Versitael Bethisia, while the Chosen King was born. The rest of the Six, though aware of Bahamut’s plan, are powerless to stop it.
But Etro sees all, from Her throne of crystal, and She has Her own plans.
So wake.