To A Girl Named Serah
His sapphire eyes melted away with the deep blue of the ocean ahead of him as his brunette hair swayed with the direction of the passing ocean breeze. Closing his eyes he let his toes dig into the grains of sand under his feet and he opened them up once again. The scene was still there; reality showed that it was really over, the years of torment of being alone and being clouded of some false prophecy. As the tips of the ocean brushed gently over his feet something still felt amiss.
Why, why did since the new world was made that something didn't feel right. As if, he had a burden over his shoulders that he didn't know about, yet alone how to get rid of it.
Waking up to such mornings with his beloved Yuel by his side made things great, she was going to grow old with him and that was a blessing to both of them. But he knew, that she knew, something was bothering him. Months have flown by within the new world and they have all drifted to their own paths.
Noel let the grains of sand in his hands to escape and watched them be reunited with the ones below him. The sun behind the ocean started to just casually begin to dip into the huge pool of water, ready to call it a night. Noel still stood and watched it from a distance before sound of feet crashing under tiny grains of sand got his attention.
In a much more simpler outfit was the savior herself in a simple black leggings and white long sleeve top, her rose colored hair swept over her right shoulder as usual. With arms crossed her own sapphire eyes melt within the colour of the sea.
After staring at the empty ocean for a minute or two the former savior finally noticed she wasn't alone at the edge of the ocean, "Oh, hello Noel." She begun,
"Hello Lightning." Though Noel knew Lightning returned back to her real name Claire it still felt weird saying it. But for some reason, Lightning didn't correct him this time.
"So how long has it been since the world was saved? Five months now?" Noel tried to start a new conversation to distract his feelings, but nothing was working.
Still silent, Lightning just nodded. "Yes, yes it has been."
Silence greeted them both once again before that emotions Noel tried so hard to ignore comes rushing back in. Kicking the sand every so lightly Noel dug his hands into his pockets as sounds the tiny grains of sand being crushed under somebody else feet.
A man with long blond hair approached them both with a smile on his face, it wasn't the typical smile he remember he once had but he was doing a better job smiling then he or Light could ever muster the courage to do.
"Light so here you are, been looking for you for ages."
Thinking quietly to muster up her words, "Am I beginning to be a problem to you?" She asked in a worried manner, as if she hated people suffering because of her needs.
Fanning his hands, "No, no, it's just you're the only person I know besides Noel over here." He pointed at the other male in the group.
Staring back at the ocean, "Right," Light ever spoke so softly. "Understandable."
The young teenager watched on as the two shared a conversation between them both that they knew would be about before bailing out. Something in him just hated watching them talk; it was as if he missed somebody talking to him that way. The sensation where everything was going to be okay, he missed it. Guilt poured over him that his beloved Yuel couldn't give that to him no matter how much she loved him.
Unable to bear it all he fell down to his knees, covering his face in shame as Light and Snow watched on. They wanted to do something, but something within just stopped them.
"Something been bothering me," He finally spoke. "Ever since we got here,"
Why was he telling them his problems? They weren't his family and they weren't the closest of friends. They just happened to be caught up in the huge net of problems after problem, time and space and years of isolation dealing with the chaos all within them.
"Somebody is missing."
Light and Snow's eyes widen but they both hide it away quickly. Noel's words hit a cord with them all but they didn't know why.
Holding onto her arm tightly Light looked away, guilt was clear but she didn't understand why. They all wished they did. As the sun dipped more and more into the ocean the first chilly breeze of the night haunted them all. A memory Light couldn't quite understand but she knew back then, it did.
It was the last day of the world and no words could explain how fast and desperate she was running up those stairs, knocking and slicing up the chaos with her chosen blade to save a friend, Vanille. She knew she was scared because something was going to happen, something that wasn't really meant to happen.
That Vanille wasn't meant to die that die.
That the SoulSong should of not happened.
"Noel," Light's warm voice caused the young teenage to look up at her and Snow. "If there was a friend's soul I didn't get to save then I-"
"It's not that." Noel replied quickly as he pressed his palms onto the sand and pushed himself up to his feet. "She was more than a friend to us all."
Lost, "More than a friend, and a she?" Snow asked.
Looking back at the blond, "I know it's weird but yeah, I feel like the only reason we wanted to be in this new world because of her."
Mustering up a smile, "You better not tell me you care for her more than Yuel." Snow spoke.
"No, no of course not!" Noel stuttered. "I just can't take this thought that we left somebody behind."
Still silent, Light watched on before coming closer to the young teenager. She stared down at him for a moment before wrapping her arms around him. For a moment it felt like Light was embracing a younger sibling of hers. The sudden warmth Light was showing to him caught him off guard. It wasn't every day Light would go embracing people she knew.
"I'm sure wherever she is, she is happy. I feel like she isn't the type of person to hate us all – especially you." She spoke softly.
"And how do you know that?" Noel couldn't help but ask.
Pulling apart and standing side by side Snow, the only person she could call her own family for some odd reason. Light couldn't understand why she was so close to the man. Returning her attention to Noel, she spoke her answer.
"Because that's the type of person you are Noel."
Flustered, Noel was left speechless as Snow guided her off the beach by lightly tugging on her white sleeve. His eyes didn't leave them as he wondered when did Light ever let somebody take care of her and guide her. She was always so independent, so strong but in the new world she was always so silent and fragile.
As the young man just sat and let the waves roll over his feet the sound of people walking on the beach came to a halt. In the distance he could see the young woman in the arms of the man she could trust to show her true colours. Noel didn't need to hear her muffles and whimpers to see she was crying. The young man towering over her was seen comforting in a way he only knew.
Not by words but just by being there, he placed his forehead on top of her head and closed his eyes and listened to her problems.
They all knew something within wasn't right, and they knew they would never going to find the answer to it.
Another breeze brought him back isolation as Noel turned to one side and closed his eyes. Something within him told him just to do it, maybe because sleep was a place where his mind wasn't screaming about the grudge he was feeling or where his heart was begging for answers of this girl. This girl he knew – and Lightning knew they were very close with, maybe Snow too.
They were all connected to some strange feeling, the strange emotion of guilt, confusion and sadness…and hope as well, but they didn't know why they felt hope. It felt so odd.
Another sea breeze played with his hair, ruffling it until he regain conciseness. Eyes flicked open he felt warmth of somebody beside him as he still lie on one side. As his vision cleared he saw a wonderful woman with hair as pink as Light's but they were in a darker shade. Her eyes were stunningly blue like the ocean and her skin was soft and smooth as he let the woman brush her fingers down his cheek. A motion he felt he had done once before so somebody so, so dear to him.
He wanted to speak, ask her name, why was she so close. But he didn't as she watched the woman scooted closer to him until their foreheads touched. With her hand placed on his cheek water was building in her eyes and strangely, in his as well.
Whimpers and muffles were the first words into their conversation as Noel watched on and let the tears roll down his cheeks. His mind spoke as his emotions were struggling to make any sense as his hand touched with hers and held it so tightly like he was going to lose her.
"I'm sorry." He began. More tears fell down his face. "I'm so sorry."
But she kept on crying, crying so hard that Noel didn't think hugging a complete stranger was wrong. He let her tears crash against his shirt as he felt the warmth of her body to be addicting, an addiction that he missed. Holding her tighter a feeling came over, a repeat of sadness he experienced before.
"I'm sorry; I didn't get to save you."
Where were these words coming from, Noel didn't understand. Where was this sense of confirmation that what he was saying true from? Against his chest he felt the woman shaking her head as she kept on crying heavily.
"No, it's alright. You couldn't remember." Her words were crashing into his chest. "And you might never will and this is how close we'll ever be."
"But I've gotten this far." He started to run his hands through her long pink hair, letting the pink strands of her hair linger on his fingers a little longer.
Her hands lifted away from his cheek and wiped away his tears. "I'm nothing but chaos fading away as this new world begins anew."
Bringing her face closer she placed her forehead on his again with her eyes closed. Noel without noticing had found a way to place his hand onto hers, holding onto tightly once again. After letting a few seconds pass he reached his hand to her face nervously at first before brushing a few strands of her hair away from her angelic face.
Opening her eyes her blue eyes shimmered with joy. A smile crossed across her face. "You still remember, even a little." Placing her hand onto his, "Thank you…" Opening her eyes, her smile didn't fade away. "…Noel."
A flashing reminder of her voice and way she spoke it caused Noel to re-witness images of him and the strange girl over again. The haunting images were filled with emotions he didn't feel until now. The joy of saving her from a enemy, the anger of seeing Snow and how light he was about the situation they were all in at that moment and the sadness of watching her go and die in his arms. And the last was the guilt of asking Light to save her but fail, not reaching to stop the SoulSong in time.
"Serah!" He screamed.
The scene changed.
Serah was gone.
With his hand out in the air like he wanted to reach out to her, he stood still before his hand closed into a fist as it greeted the sand below in, sending grains of sand everywhere. And one by one, without his choice those memories fade away from him. Like her, their times faded as long she was dead. With the little energy she had left she went searching; searching if there was anyone out there she could speak before accepting that she was going to die in the hearts of everyone she cared for and be forgotten for good.
Her sister was too protected and Snow was too lost to be approached but there was always Noel, with luck his heart listened and one by one, she approached him.
Bringing his fist to his heart he let the last of his tears run down his face before opening his eyes. As the full moon shined down on him and make the ocean shine as if it was made out of diamonds he swore she was still there, the last of her in the distance. A soft smile comes across his face for a brief moment before Yuel's voice called out to him. Rising up to his feet and taking his first step, he suddenly felt a certain girl's arms wrapped around him for a very quick second.
"Thank you."
They were always her last words.
And then she faded.
Watching on from a safe distance, Light was seen smiling with a curious Snow by her side. He lightly touched her shoulders, "Something the matter Claire?" He spoke, trying to get use to her new name.
With joy across her face, the first time he had seen it since they arrived in the newly built world. "Serah, that's it…" She turned to Snow. "It's a wonderful name, don't you think?"
Pondering for a moment, Snow glanced across the beach with a grin as a image of a young woman faded from his sights, "Yes, it really is."
For a moment, they all felt they were feeling joy for the very first time in a long time, about a girl they knew but couldn't remember except by her name.
That name belonged to a girl named Serah.
A/N: What if the SoulSong actually happened? What if Light wasn't able to convince Vanille of her true powers? Well this is my take on the whole thing. In the new world everyone Serah was close to - Light, Snow and Noel are the only ones that feel that something isn't right but don't know why, yet how to deal with the issue.
I plan to write to more little chapters in Light's POV and Snow's because I feel like I need to explain what they are feeling before being happy with this.
I do hope you enjoyed reading this. :D
~midnight
