More of a prologue than anything else, but here's the first chapter of my entry for SOSS! Fashionably late, as expected around this time of year I guess. My interest in FFXIII has also been waning slightly, or rather, it's been overtaken by the reawakening of my interest in Kingdom Hearts. I'm still working on Judicium though, and this chapter was interesting to write so I assume I have enough inspiration to finish this story off, at least.

There are parts of this I would definitely revise, seeing as I'm posting it in a rush. But please do let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: I do not own FFXIII or its characters.

Balance: Chapter 1

'Was the new world meant to feel this cold and empty?'

This was the first question that entered Lightning's mind when she opened her eyes and saw nothing but darkness. Something in her surroundings chilled her to the bone, and she wrapped her arms around herself, shivering slightly in the non-existent breeze. The void around her seemed infinite, without a single object or person in sight.

The last thought tugged at her heart in a painful way. "Where is everyone?" she whispered, thinking out loud as she glanced around once again. To confirm a thought that suddenly entered her mind, she looked down at her hands – sure enough, she could see them clearly.

'So it isn't pitch dark, and I'm not invisible. Something's wrong.'

"…Serah?" she called out hesitantly, fear creeping into her tone. "Serah, are you there?"

As expected, there was no response. Lightning took a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself, but it did not make the lump in her throat disappear. 'I…I need to look for them.'

And so, she began to walk. On an on, she continued into the abyss. Time seemed to crawl forward at a snail's pace; or perhaps it was stagnant, much like Valhalla. The darkness stretched for miles, and she felt as though she was going nowhere, the sag in her shoulders and her shortness of breath the only indicators that she was beginning to tire.

"I can't stop now," she breathed. "I have to keep going."

Then, without warning, she collided with something.

At the impact, she staggered backwards in shock, yet somehow managed to remain on her feet. An invisible barrier materialized before her as a giant surge of energy travelled upwards, and she struggled to regain her bearings and look up only to see the wave disappearing into a cloud of darkness above her. Tentatively, she reached forward with a gloved hand and touched the surface of the barrier. It felt like glass, and a series of ripples formed where her fingertips made contact with it. She felt around, but there were no holes – desperate to move forward, she attempted a punch, then summoned what felt like the last of her magic reserves to cast a massive Thunder spell on it. But the barrier did not even twitch, let alone disappear.

"This world is a prison, meant to keep me here," she gasped in realisation.

"Well, you're only half-right," a voice teased from within the darkness. Lightning whipped her head around only to see a pink-haired girl skipping towards her, a carefree expression on her face. Unfortunately, it was not the pink-haired girl she had been looking for.

"This place is a prison all right, but it's one you built for yourself," the girl continued, wagging a finger in Lightning's face when she drew close enough. "Any guesses as to where you are?"

Despite herself, Lightning looked around – now that she was paying more attention, the darkness did seem eerily familiar. And the fact that Lumina was here in front of her again meant that-

"This is…the inside of my heart," she concluded, placing a hand over her chest, where a sickening feeling was beginning to grow. Lumina grinned and clapped her hands together.

"Bingo!" she exclaimed, twirling around, her skirt flapping around her knees when she came to a stop. It was an unusual sight to see inside a space that should have been devoid of air. "And do you have any idea why you're here?"

Lightning shook her head. "I don't. All I know is that I need to find the others. This…aching in my heart…it can't be a good sign."

The younger girl's grin grew wider. "But you see, Lightning, that's exactly why you're here. Don't you understand?"

The woman looked at her in confusion as she began to explain. "That ache is completely normal. You spent so many centuries in crystal, and you woke up with no emotions. It's only natural that you'd forget what it feels like to…well…feel."

"That makes no sense," Lightning snapped. "If that was so important, why would I retreat inside myself?"

"Because you're scared."

Lumina was watching her with something akin to pity in her gaze. "You've been without your emotions for so long, your heart is still trying to seal them away. It doesn't think your body can handle them anymore."

Lightning gritted her teeth. The pain was starting to become unbearable. "I can take it," she hissed. "I just fought a God – this pain is nothing. Now where are – augh!"

She fell to her knees as a searing heat ran through her entire body. The girl stepped closer until she towered over Lightning's crumpled form. "Let go of the fear, Lightning. Don't be afraid of losing everything, and you might just be able to control your feelings again."

The sincerity in the girl's voice threw her off. "I…don't trust you, Lumina-!"

"That's like saying you don't trust yourself." The pity had entered her voice now, and Lightning just barely managed to tilt her head upwards to see a melancholy smile on Lumina's face as she spoke. "Accepting your emotions is just the first step towards accepting yourself."

Visions began to flash around Lightning – visions of her comrades fighting, losing, and dying. Snow lying on the ground, a giant shard of crystal piercing his chest. Sazh curled up in a dark corner, allowing himself to be consumed by the Chaos. Hope's mortal form crushed within the palm of a large, immortal hand. The crystallized forms of Fang and Vanille hurtling towards the ground and shattering into a thousand pieces. And her sister's lifeless body clutched in the arms of Noel; the boy himself throwing his body over the edge of an airship and to his death not long after.

It pained her to see their suffering. "I can't lose them all again," she gasped. "And if I do this…if I seal my heart away…it won't happen."

"The visions are a lie, Lightning. You can't-"

"-I won't allow it!" Lightning's desperate cry pierced the darkness surrounding her, and Lumina's drew back in response.

The woman was breathing heavily now, trying to push herself upright. "If this is what it is to feel suffering…then I don't want it anymore."

"But if you do that, you'll-"

"Get out of here, Lumina," Lightning growled. "I may have accepted you, but that doesn't mean I have to listen to a word you say. You're a part of me, now, and I've made my choice."

The girl let out a sigh, her form now translucent. "Fine, suit yourself," she huffed as she began to fade. "But don't forget – the longer you cut yourself off, the more you'll begin to realise that-"

Lightning jolted awake. A warm summer breeze wafted through the open window, and yet, she shivered, drawing her covers more tightly around herself. Although she knew that she had been dreaming, she could not remember her dream, aside from four ominous words spoken in a solemn tone.

"You're no longer human."

Please do go check out the other entries over at the SOSS community!