AUTHOR'S NOTE: KisaKim here! Yes, you haven't seen me around here, I am totally new and I am glad to be finally publishing this story, after planning it in 2010. I needed to wait until I could be able to post it, since english is not my native language and I felt like I was lacking things. I wanted to properly write this so, yes, I waited five years XD
Anyways, let me welcome you to this brand new story (well, to you XD)! This is a mega, I repeat, MEGA crossover with the most famous Final Fatasy characters, but the story evolves mostly around FFXIII and Versus XIII characters. It is set in AU, AND will contain Fabula Nova Crystallis' myth as well as some famous stuff from FFVII. Also, the FFXIII fal'cie and l'cie stuff is too confusing for me sometimes (and I played the game!) so I decided that I will take on the myth in a different manner I know that there's plenty of fanfictions (and good ones!) with this "school theme", but still, I couldn't resist and just publish my five-year old baby after such long amount of time. The story went through multiple reshapes and yes, there's a strong possibility - wait, that sounded off - this story WILL have a sequel. WELL, IF it will have enough readers (which I really hope it will! *puppy eyes*). And maybe not just one XD
And pairings... I don't guarantee you any, because this story is mainlumy about family and friendship but eventually...young people tend to be pretty hormonal, right?
And to clear things up, Gran Pulse is a mixed world of the original FFXIII's one with added locations from Versus XIII/FFXV and FFVII! The story may get chaotic at times but I try to keep it down as much as possible! Now, here I present you, the very first chapter, the PROLOGUE!
- Kisa
FINAL FANTASY BELONGS TO SQUARE ENIX. I OWN NOTHING. (except OCs)
"Gilberth? Here's your cup of tea."
"Thanks, Giséle. Mind telling me what flavour?"
"Ugh… the one you love the most, of course, my lord. Honey, lemon and watermelon."
A warm sea breeze added a glint of magic into the glorious atmosphere of a late august sunset. The sky was painted in orange and pink shades while sun was setting down, as if it was diving itself into the grey horizon of sea. The slight wind toyed with leaves and grass. Everything seemed so peaceful. So peaceful the man in his sixties, sitting on a rocking chair in one of the finest gardens Tenebrae ever grown, thought it wasn't even possible, considering what news he had learned today.
"My lord…" A woman, dressed in black silk dress, sat next to Gilberth Farron. Her hair was silver and long, kept in a complicated braid, and she wore a fancy hairpin, not to mention small diamond earrings he gave her about ten years ago. She still found it hard to believe that after years of loneliness and tough work, she ended up here. Found a nice job, and even love.
"Giséle… I know you are trying to be polite, but there's no need. Don't call me like that when we're alone."
"Sorry, Gilberth." Silence fell upon after she said his name and the pair simply enjoyed the sight of sunset. They rarely had moments like this. Gilberth was closed up in his office most of the time and she was taking care of everything in his mansion. She was Farron Abbey's lead lady, and all the servants feared her. No, she wasn't bad, but she had a way to talk and to give orders.
"When will they come?"
"I don't know. Tomorrow, I guess." Gilberth took a small sip from his tea, holding the ceramic cup carefully between his fingers. Giséle painted the cup herself and he liked it. She painted flowers on it. He loved flowers. His garden was something he was enormously proud of. They kept him company, the flowers.
"I can't believe it's that bad up there…" Giséle sighed and the old man immediately darted his eyes at something in the sky, which was slightly crushing the image of the calm orange clouds. Artificial world, created by people with the help of goddess Lindzei years ago, became a home to millions of people, trying to find a better life. They brought the top technologies up there, thus making the Cocoon way more fast-forwarded than Pulse as they developed them further and further. After some years, Cocoon wasn't considered as a part of Gran Pulse anymore, but as an independent unit. And people were blinded by the paradise they created. They started to consider Pulse, home of their ancestors, as something not worth existing. They thought they could live without the help of their homeplanet. Oh, how wrong were they.
"It is pretty bad. But still, Giséle, we saw it coming. Everyone saw it coming. And it had to happen once. Otherwise, the prophecy wouldn't make sense. And it has to, because we all witnessed it." Gilberth said in a low tone. "Did you prepare the rooms already?" He asked after a small moment of silence, his bright blue eyes looking into the cup.
"Yes, I did. I am certain that they won't like it."
"Oh, I also am sure about that. They are from Cocoon. Pulse is too old-fashioned." Gilberth chuckled before looking back at Cocoon in the sky. It has never looked so grey before.
When Cocoon and Gran Pulse's connections were stable, homeworld provided the planetoid with supplies, such as small barrels filled with lifestream, a source of life that dwelled in Gran Pulse. Without lifestream, it is impossible to grow plants. The Cetras, messengers of The Mother, goddess Mwynn, provided planet with it eons ago. Cocoon couldn't grow their own plants without Pulse's help. In fact, they couldn't do anything without Pulse. When Eden, the capitol of Cocoon, cut all the contacts with Pulse and declared it as something close to an enemy, the supplies were drastically reduced. People started to fight for the little Pulse gave them, scientists tried to find other way to feed people. They did, occasionally, but synthetized food wasn't enough for people.
"Which one of them is the successor? The Savior?" Giséle stood up, walking over to Gilberth, only to put her hands on his shoulders. She gently started to massage her partner's sore shoulders. His body was sore for years now. He knew why.
"It's Damien's eldest daughter."
"What's her name? I don't think I ever asked you that."
"It's Claire."
"So Tenebraeian."
"Her name is written and spelled as Éclair on Cocoon. You really think they would leave her carry a name in Pulsian?"
"No. I don't think they would."
"So Claire, the younger one is…"
"Serah."
"And…"
"Zacharias."
"Right…" Giséle nodded and sighed, diving her fingers into Gilberth's shoulders to sooth the tensed muscles underneath. He growled. The pain he endured today was really something. Her eyes widened a little at his sudden noise and she stopped.
"Gilberth?"
"I'm okay…"
"Does it hurt?"
"I can feel it. My crystal is dying. I hope it will get better when she will arrive. Yeah, reminds me of calling Regis." Gilberth sighed and placed now empty cup on the small table next to him, grabbed the armrests of his chair and stood up. He looked up once more, eyeing the planet with a slight frown before he slowly walked out of the garden with his walking cane.
It has been a while since the head surgeon of Bodhum Hospital, Lucrecia Farron, could come home without spending four or five hours longer in work than she was supposed to. She was dreaming of that day since forever but as the finest surgeon, she couldn't afford that, she needed to help those people. They needed her. But her kids needed her as well, more than anything else.
With a sigh, she grabbed a rubber band and walked over to a mirror in the operating room. She was the leader of three serious surgeries today and she knew tomorrow would be even worse. The hospital was full of wounded people and the explosion of one of the engines of Cocoon's artificial sun, Phoenix, brought even more victims.
As Lucrecia finished tying her light brown hair with slight pink tone, she found herself staring at her reflection in the mirror. The wrinkles she spotted on herself scared her. She wasn't old, in fact, she was only thirty-eight years old, and she was always complimented for looking good compared to her age. But, on the other hand, she knew these wrinkles had a story behind.
Three years ago, when the civil war started, she lost her husband, Damien Farron. Right in this room, right on the operating table several meters away from her. She failed the surgery. He got shot so badly, it couldn't be helped. And he was only trying to help those around him…
"Lucrecia? You still here? I thought you would be gone instantly after the surgery."
Lucrecia turned her head to the side. It was Claudia Strife, one of the anaesthesiologists. She lived in Midgar, but their hospital was burned due to a protest organized by some rebels around the time Lucrecia's husband died. Bodhum needed more people to help with the wounded, so some of the medical teams ended up in its hospital. Claudia was assigned to help Lucrecia and her team, and since then, the two became friends. Claudia also lost her husband during the beginning of the war, she could understand Lucrecia's pain, as well as Lucrecia could understand hers.
"I'm going. Bye Claudia." Lucrecia said quietly as she moved to the entrance of the operating room, aiming for her office to take her bag and finally, leave the hospital.
"Oh! Lucrecia! There you are!"
She almost groaned in exasperation as she heard her name. The voice was familiar, though she couldn't recognize it, but she was certain it was someone from hospital.
"Listen," she began, her voice raspy and filled with annoyance, as she began to turn around to see the person. She was honestly too tired to behave nice to people. She was overworked and needed to get home. "I can't… oh… Lieutenant Amodar? What's wrong?"
Was it an evacuation again? Lucrecia frowned and walked up to Guardian Corps lieutenant. Or is it Éclair again?!
Her eldest daughter changed so much after her father's death. Lucrecia didn't know what's gotten into her, or well, she did, but she didn't expect her to behave like that. She was constantly running away from home and school, always got herself into troubles. Once she even appeared on the battlefield between furious people and if Amodar wasn't there, Lucrecia would lose another loved one.
"Is Éclair the matter? Did she run away or something again?"
Amodar sighed and looked down on his feet. "No, she didn't do anything this time. But… mind if I take you home? It's dangerous outside anyways."
Lucrecia often had to stop doing her work due to a heavy feeling that fell upon her chest, making her bury her face to her strong hands, tears making their way down the rosy cheeks of hers. Just like now. She sat on a chair in her kitchen, her elbows supporting her head as she cried her heart out. She cried for a while now because her hair that was falling to her face was completely damp, as well as a piece of paper on the table below her.
Three teenagers stood on the other side of the room, watching her. A tall, dark-haired boy with a scar on the left lower side of his cheek was leaning on the kitchen counter, eyes kept on the crying woman. Next to him stood two girls. One of them, the older one, was holding her younger sister's shoulders and her fair hair with a glint of pink, one side messily cut, the other long and wavy, tickled her cousin's shoulder. Her face was emotionless, unlike the other two teenagers, having a concerned look plastered on their faces. Her sister's eyes that carried a darker shade of blue than hers. They were watery and she was holding her older sister's hands with her own shaky ones.
„A-aunt Lucrecia..." Whispered the boy.
Lucrecia snorted, wiped away her tears and looked out of the window with a sigh. A loud noises were heard from outside, a mix of cries, shouting, sounds of a broken glass and guns. It took her a while until she found the strength to stand up and turn to the kids.
„You have to leave. It's getting more dangerous here, you can't stay here anymore."
„We have nowhere to go." The older girl shot a pierced her mother with her electric blue eyes.
„A letter… Amodar… a letter has arrived. The Guardian Corps are trying to save the kids by sending them down to Pulse…" Lucrecia's voice was shaky. She looked down at the piece of wet paper and then looked back at her daughter. „Your grandfather will take care of you."
„He won't." The girl retorted.
„Éclair..."
„Do not call me that, mom..."
„It's your name..."
„I am Lightning."
Lucrecia moved closer to her older daughter, who still looked at her with that piercing gaze of hers.
„He made a word to the law, he will protect you."
„He hates us!" Lightning yelled and let go of her sister, walking up to her mother. Both of them had the same height and Lightning absolutely didn't look like a teenager. Two women stood her, looking at each other with the very same, strong gaze.
„He cut away all the contacts with us when you and dad married, he didn't even attend his funeral! He didn't help Zack when uncle Angeal died! You yourself said that you won't want us to meet! Then why are you making us go there now?! We can take care of ourselves and..."
„THERE IS WAR, DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!" Lucrecia's hands went up to Lightning's shoulders, shaking her soul away from her.
You know she will die anyways. But you are a coward and you do not want to see her breathing out for the last time, right?
Lucrecia tried to ignore the mocking laugh that resoned in her head but it made her so weak she topped shaking Lightning's shoulders. It was right, she wouldn't want to see her daughter's death. Her time didn't come yet and maybe won't, if she will have mercy...
„Pack your things."
„But mom...!" Serah cried out, hugging her cousin tightly, as he wrapped his hands around her slim waist, bringing the shaken girl closer to his chest as small tears were running down her cheeks.
"You will leave tomorrow." Those was Lucrecia's last words before she pushed away angry Lightning, walked pass Serah and Zack and went to her room, locking herself up.
"Packed everything? I suppose you won't be needing much, I am more than sure your…" Lucrecia stopped, swallowed saliva and then began to talk again, "…grandfather will give you everything you'll need." All four of them were in Hanging Edge. It was Cocoon's outskirts, and a place where the special trains used for travelling to Gran Pulse were docked.
She never was to Pulse, even though it was Damien's birthplace. He firstly worked as a diplomat of Gran Pulse's country named Tenebrae, but after he married Lucrecia, he started working in Guardian Corps. Reason? Gilberth Farron. He hated Lucrecia. Why? Religion reasons. He worshipped Etro, the goddess of death. Destruction. Loneliness. While Lucrecia was a strong Lindzei believer. Not to mention The Maker, Bhunivelze, god of light and hope. Even though she accepted that her father-in-law had a different god, he didn't accept her and even disinherited his own son for marrying her. As well as his daughter, who also married an inhabitant from Cocoon. Marie Fair married Angeal Fair and the two resided in Midgar. However, she never got to meet her son as she died giving birth to him. Angeal's role was to take care of Zack as both parents would, but unfortunately, he died when his son was six. He got caught in a nuclear explosion of one of the trains in Midgar, carrying a nuclear cargo. Lucrecia and Damien adopted young Zack so that he wouldn't go to an orphanage.
She safely encircled her favourite scarf around her youngest daughter's neck and tried to form a smile on her face. However, it didn't work. She was too tired and moreover, too scared to do that. She bend forward, getting to an eye-to-eye level with Serah and gently patted her head.
"Listen Serah. Everything will be okay. You are safe, your sister and Zack will take care of you." Serah's eyes were glossy and she was studying her shoes. Lucrecia bit her lower lip before straightening her back, her eyes meeting with her nephew's.
"Did you hear, Zack?" Her voice grew shakier and shakier with every second as she reached out to hug the boy. He was taller than her already and he was the one who had to bend so that Lucrecia could circle her hands around his neck. "Take care of them. You are the man of the family now." She snorted and kissed his cheek, right on the X-shaped scar.
After pulling away from Zack, her eyes ended up on the figure of her eldest daughter. She was standing by the railing, looking at the endless amounts of iron that held this place functioning, head up, an emotionless expression again.
"Éc..ugh… hey, Lightning!" Lucrecia called but the girl didn't turn around. Sighing, she let go of Zack and Serah and slowly walked up to the pinkette, placing hand on her shoulder.
"I know you are angry at me, but… please, listen to me. Just this once."
Lightning made no movement, except for blinking.
"You re-named yourself. You have a new name, right? I do not even know why did you pick something like that, but… you know that names speak something about the people, right?" Lucrecia whispered, hugging her daughter from behind. "Please. Be Lightning. Strike when you will feel you are in danger. Let people know you are strong. But never show that side to people who helped you. Be the Light for them."
"We need to take them." A voice was heard from underneath the helmet of a PSICOM soldier, who approached them. PSICOM was an elite military force, now tasked with bringing children below 18, to their relatives or orphanages down to Pulse.
"Don't let yourself surrender to anger, Lightning."
"Ma'am, you have to let her go, now."
"Forgive, fight…"
"Ma'am." One of the PSICOM soldiers encircled both of his hands around Lucrecia as she hold onto Lightning in panic, as her daughter was taken away by another soldier.
"Love, take care…" Tears were streaming down Lucrecia face as she watched her daughters and nephew boarding the train. The panic has overwhelmed her, every inch of her body was shaken by the fact that she is staying here. Yes, she was glad for her kids, but what will happen to her? What will happen to them?
"NO! NO!" Her cries weren't heard anymore.