His Seeress, His Love, His Yeul
Disclaimer: Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII belongs to Square Enix.
Summary: Late at night in the bowels of the Warren, the Shadow Hunter is often visited by dreams of his special girl—his seeress, his love, his Yeul. He will see her again, but for now—he thinks—his dreams will have to be enough.
Noel Kreiss, the Shadow Hunter as he had come to be known, eased himself down onto the makeshift bed in his temporary home. His hectic day flashed quickly behind his eyelids. Lightning, the savior and his almost friend, had come back after five centuries. He wished Serah had been here to greet her; but as he recalls that cold, detachment in Lightning's blue-green eyes as she walked toward him with her sword held high and the poisonous words dripping from her pink lips, he thinks maybe it was a good thing Serah wasn't here to see her beloved sister so lost.
"I'm not even sure I'm human anymore…I wish I knew, believe me. I've taken a lot of lives, more than I can count. If I had any humanity left, I would have been crushed by the guilt by now." Where there should have been sadness in her tone, there was this matter-of-fact. He sees now for what it was: her way of egging him on. Getting him to fight her. She played his belief of the value of human life against him. Despite their two brief conversations, Lightning knew him. She knew what would hurt, what would stir his anger. Her entire monologue had struck chords within him and brought up emotions for her.
"You don't want to get in my way, Noel. You might still have scruples, but I don't. Not anymore."
"Damn it, Lightning!" He recalled himself shouting in despair and disbelief, "Is this all you are now?!" Their entire conversation had exhausted him much more than their fight. He had felt so many emotions that he had expended more energy just convincing himself that killing her was what he needed to do. Shame rose up in him heavily again as he rolled over on his side. He had been ready to kill the world's only hope, his only hope at seeing Yeul again, all because of a manipulation. He had forgotten that he had seen that grassy field where he and Yeul had been together before—on his journey with Serah. It had been the last vision his Yeul had seen. The vision that had killed her. And he had forgotten it.
"Noel, you did the right thing. Your soul will come to me. We'll meet again. Sooner than you think. I promise." He still didn't understand how Yeul had appeared before him, but his euphoria over seeing her again had overshadowed any curiosity. His mind had been simply repeating her name. He had been trapped by her warm green eyes. Her eyes conveyed it all. She was proud of him and she loved him. He could see it. When she had vanished in that sparkle of white, he felt the sadness of losing her all over again, but her words had gave him hope. He would see her again. She visited him every night in his dreams, but, soon, he would be with her in reality. He sighed longingly.
He will see her again; but for now, his dreams would have to be enough.
As he lay on the soft grass basking in the warmth of the sun, Noel could hear a familiar giggle and feel the familiar tickle of her hair brushing against his cheek. He opened his eyes to see her face looming over him. Her green eyes sparkled as her dark blue hair created a curtain around his head. She had her hair free of her head piece today.
"You know, you shouldn't giggle when you're trying to sneak up on people," he tells her as he reaches up and pushes her long blue hair behind her ear. He skims her cheek with his fingertips before he cups it. She smiles and shrugs one shoulder.
"I'm a seeress, not a hunter. I never have any need to sneak," she tells him with an affectionate smile. She refrains from pointing out that she had gotten this far. If she had been a threat, he would've been dead. But she is Yeul. His Yeul. She would never be a threat to him. He doesn't point out that he knew she was there. He could feel her before she even knelt down. His skin had prickled pleasantly at her closeness.
"Yeah?" He questions as his hands roams away from her cheek and threw her hair. His hand pushes her head closer to his. She bends her elbow to better accommodate his wishes. He runs his fingers through her long hair and cups the back of her head. She looks into his eyes. Her smile falling as her eyes drift toward his lips. He smiles; she blushes. Her elbows nearly touch the grass as she leans down and places a chaste kiss on his lips. She pulls away enough to look into his eyes.
"I'll never have to learn to be anything else as long as you are with me." He smiles softly at her quiet declaration.
"So, never?" He asks with a small smirk. "Because I don't ever plan on leaving your side." She smiles softly, lovingly. The sight of such a soft smile—just for him—causes his heart to race again. He pulls her down for another kiss.