Everything in this story is solely owned by Square Enix Co. except for the crossover story.
Okay so few weeks ago I was inspired and thought of writing a continuation to the Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy epilogue. But I just recently finished reading the Tracer of Memories novel so I scraped all that I wrote and started again from scratch because I really wanted its story to be the source of my plot. And since I've quite looked into it, Lightning in the epilogue is standing in a place which somewhat have this European feel. So I've just chosen the world of Final Fantasy VIII where they have the modern European/some bit of futuristic feel but I don't care I just wrote it that way because they are the closest. I clearly contradicted the saying that Light and the rest landed into a world similar to our Earth. Anyway, Toriyama said it's now on our imagination where they've gone and what will happen to Lightning and the others. And another thing is, I've also pulled some of their history from the Dissidia game so Light won't be so helpless in her New World. I hope you guys enjoy reading!
The Visitor
This journey is over now.
The train decreased its speed as it approaches its next station, and in just a few seconds it eventually came into a halt. The door swung open and Claire stepped out into the platform. She wears a long white, cotton jacket atop a white buttoned up blouse, brown pants that embraced her curves perfectly and a pair of not-so-high heels.
I wonder when the next will begin…
She stood there as she viewed the whole place. An old house not far away from her right had a visible sign atop with a Blanc Chateau written on it. She gazed unto the long road in front of her decorated with lush trees and rich green fields trailing throughout its length overlooking the breathtaking mountains. Her face never looked so bright, smiling like she had finally found peace and happiness this time. She looked up in the blue sky admiring its beauty, her expression filled with hope.
One thing I know… "That soon we'll be together…"She whispered.
She let out a sweet smile and started taking her few steps when her phone vibrated from her back pocket. She pulled it out and answered the call.
"Hiya, Miss Farron!" a well familiar and cheerful male voice greeted on the other line.
"I've just arrived. Why have you called?" Claire informed her caller.
"Well this would be your first time traveling alone and all so I thought I needed an update, see what happened to you."
"I haven't reached Serah's house yet. I'm still here at the station. And I can always give you a call if something happens, right Laguna?" She was kind of used to the old man being so persistent and nervous. Before she left, Laguna asked her to call often and to keep him updated always which she never did.
"I'm just kind of worried is all. Well, you've been way too far, that's quite something for a first time traveler. You know few years ago I really prioritized and made sure to put up intercontinental railways and wide roads to Galbadia so that Winhill can now be easily accessed. That place is really precious to me. It's not that easy meddling at the Galbadian territory and I had lots of troubles but fortunately I earned a lot of petitions and I won so my brilliant project pushed through. I'm starting to think the reason why I wanted it to get finished as soon as possible because I can feel your glorious presence coming into our world. And seeing you grace into my finished project is really a blessing." He laughed out loud.
Claire let out a small chuckle. "Right... You exaggerate a lot of things you know that?"
"Hehe I was just telling the truth, is all. So, how was it? I hope you had a pleasant trip," the president of Esthar asked.
"It is fine I guess. Look, I'll call as soon as I got there. You don't have to worry. I can take it from here. And don't you have more important things to do today? Esthar's technology wouldn't advance a day without you working," she said with humor. She signaled the cab that had just dropped off its passenger at the station, it maneuvered towards her and she rode on it. "Winhill Square thanks," she instructed the driver.
The vehicle passed through several houses that stood within the wide plains. Different kinds of livestock can be seen grazing into the lush green fields.
"You know I was thinking… How old are you now, twenty-five? I mean you really need to start looking for someone who will take good care of you." The old man dodged her last question. Even just from the phone call she can clearly see him thinking about something.
"What are you getting up to?" She had a feeling where this conversation will lead.
"Well, I think it's about time you should get yourself a boyfriend." The old man suggested.
She laughed at the thought. That thing surely isn't one of her priorities right now. "Well Mr. Loire you do perfectly know my stand on it." The man with the machine gun insisted that she never needed to call him president as he treats her as his own daughter and a good friend. Still she calls him in a formal manner to horse around. "And besides, I can take care of myself," she added.
"Lagunaaa, okay? And c'mon, the idea isn't really that bad. Have you ever involve yourself romantically with men? Throughout our adventures before, all I saw was you involving yourself with a fistfight and bloodshed with them. That's waaay uncool, man." He recalled.
"Then you should know by now that that's my definition of romance." She grinned. "Listen, I really need to hang up. I still have to call Serah." She said goodbye and cancelled the call. She then searched for her sister's number through her phonebook and gave it a ring. She waited for few seconds hoping her sister will answer.
"Hello?" Serah's feminine voice was heard on the other line.
"Serah, it's me…" She's not yet finished talking when her sister spoke again.
"Light? Sis, how are you? I haven't spoken with you for months now, I'm starting to worry." The young Farron replied, she really sounded worried.
"I'm alright, just been busy. And I thought we agreed I'm never going use that name again?" She reminded her.
"Okay sis," she giggled.
"Listen, I'm on my way to the square now, can you meet me there?" she added.
"Really, you mean right now? Oh, that's a surprise! I really wanted to see you!" you can clearly hear the excitement on the young woman's voice.
"Yes, I'm quite near. I'll just wait for you." And then she hung up. She reached her destination and paid the driver some gils for the fare and she got off from the cab.
She scanned the whole area. She can see a huge, white mansion towering the square on her north, some fruit and vegetable, flower stalls and some cafés on her right and a pub surrounded by residential houses on her left. All the structures were similarly made from wood, cement and stones and the structure designs look very simple and old. She turned to her south and she saw a huge wooden bridge leading to a wide field on the other side where the residents plant their crops and farm their livestock. All of the people living here are quite simple and dress normally compared to the people in the city where she came from, Esthar; and she looked at them as they go on with their everyday businesses. So, this is Winhill. This place looks quiet and peaceful. I wonder why a loud person like Laguna likes it here. Guess he sometimes needed to take a break from all the noise.
She took a seat in one of the vacant tables outside a coffee shop while she waited for her sister. Ten minutes had gone and a pink-haired young lady came in the middle of the square excitedly looking for someone amidst the people passing. She wore a white collared sleeveless blouse, a red skirt and black boots.
Claire raised her hand and waved a little, "Over here," she called.
Serah's face brightened when she finally saw her sister whom she had never seen for a long time. She ran towards the coffee shop.
The ex-soldier stood, smiling brightly and gestured for her sister to hug her and they did ever so tightly for quite long as they expressed how much they missed each other.
"I've really missed you." She said.
"Oh sis, you have no idea how terribly I've missed you." The young woman replied with her eyes welling with tears. They released themselves from their embrace and looked at each other.
"I promised you we'll be together again, right? And I'll make sure we'll always see each other. I'm never going to leave your side from now on." Claire stared lovingly into her sister's face.
"Sis…" She cried as they embraced again.
"Let's just forget everything that had happened from the past, from our own world. We're now here, the new world that had been promised to us. This is the prize for all the sacrifices we did before, all the sorrow and the pain. Let's bury it and never look back. This world brings new life to all of us, and a new beginning." The older Farron comforted her.
"You're right. What's important is we're now together. And we'll never have to lose each other again." Serah smiled. "Let's go to our house. We really need to fill each other with stories," she took her sister's hand and they walked towards the bridge. Snow and Serah's house isn't that far from the square. They crossed the bridge and walked through the fields. It is nestled in the middle of one of the farm. Their house is similar to what Claire had seen at the square although theirs is quite smaller. What a simple life, she thought as she stepped into the wooden porch. They entered the house. She put down her luggage beside the door. Not much furniture as she can see. Few small paintings hang at the old stone walls, and in the middle is a small fireplace. On its left side is a staircase leading to the second floor of the house where the bedrooms might be. The other side is an entrance to the small kitchen. The living room is decorated with only a small television, an old radio on an end table, a coffee table in the middle of two single sofas and a loveseat.
They chose to sit on the loveseat in the living room and chatted over a cup of tea Serah had prepared. "So, Hope is currently working in Balamb." Claire started.
"Mhm… He's at the Garden actually, as a researcher. I don't know what he does there but Snow was the one who mentioned it. He says he did have a short conversation with him few weeks ago when they accidentally bumped into each other at Deling." Serah recalled.
"And he's much older than any of us?" They already disregard all the years that they have lived in their own world as they started aging again like normal human being would when they came into this world.
"It's quite a shocker, right? He basically returned to his adulthood when he was at the Academia," she agreed.
"I've been already in contacts with all of our friends besides him. It just seems like he doesn't even want to see me," the ex-soldier replied.
"What makes you think so? Maybe he's just that busy with his work that's why he doesn't have the time to visit you in Esthar," she reasoned.
"He always had the option to call me," she reasoned in return.
"You did, too, sis but you didn't," she sighed. What is really going on with you two? Ever since we came here and started remembering our past you became so distant to each other. Did something happen between you guys that we didn't know?" Serah asked, Moments had pass but still she received no response from her sister who is just staring at the glow of the fireplace.
"That girl you and the others mentioned…the reporter? I met her at the train when I was on my way here," Claire ignored the question and just started a new topic recalling her encounter with the reporter.
"Really? So did you two talked? She's dying to meet you, you know?" Serah sounded interested.
"We never got the chance actually. I was approaching my stop when she called on me. I said I was about to go. I thought she will follow me but she didn't. Still she looked really hopeful for an interview. I can see the determination in her eyes," she recalled.
"That's very unfortunate. Anyway, we can't really blame her. All those dreams we were experiencing… and just when we thought we really belong here, I mean we have no memories of what happened. As day goes by it turns out we're not and we in fact belong into a very dark and frightening one. To tell you the truth I still can't believe it and it haunts me at night and in my sleep sometimes."
"You'll get over it, don't worry," she comforted her. "Anyway, as understandable as her reason was, I think gathering information about our past and compiling it for publishing is not a very good idea. It will only put us in grave danger. Who knows what will happen if people in this world knew about it," she asked.
"I was thinking about it also," and as a scary thought entered her mind, "What if they knew? The soldiers will look for us and they will definitely want us dead," she added in a scared tone while leaning forward so that only her sister can hear her even though they are the only people in the house and they are in the middle of a farm.
"Every continent will surely want our heads if that happens," she guaranteed her and then she smiled. "I'm just kidding. My good friend Laguna, he's the president of Esthar. He knew all about my story, our story. He's a good person. He understands. He can protect us," she assured her panicking sister.
"Esthar's president?! He knew?! Why?! What is his reaction when you told him?!"
"There's this one thing I didn't get the chance to tell anyone yet. Coming into this world, my memories of our own isn't only washed but new sets of memories came rushing into my head. That man, I've been with him before. Not in our world or here either. I fought alongside him and the other few which I didn't quite recognize by name but I can clearly remember their faces," she paused as she searched through her memories. She then explained everything about the endless war where she met Laguna.
"Wow…" Serah can't help but wonder in awe. "When did this happen? You never even left other than the time when you were forced by Etro to fight in Valhalla."
"I have no idea. I was thinking it might've happened when I was turned into a crystal together with the others when we were in Gran Pulse, or when I slept in Etro's throne for hundreds of years. But that I'm not sure of." Claire shifted her seat and faced towards the window on her right, arms folded and legs crossed while leaning in the sofa as she drifted upon her memories. "Anyway, maybe it is just destined that he was the one who found me lying unconscious on a shore in the Island Closest to Hell where he said he was training his shooting that day. I immediately recognized him, and he also did. Too bad that day I can't remember anything about what happened, other than my name," she continued.
The young Farron just stared at her older sister's back, "Is it bad if I say 'I can't believe it?' I mean I find it hard to believe you still found an ally landing into a completely different dimension. You're really something, sis." Serah looked really impressed.
"It's a huge bit of luck. Let's just thank that someone…something, which put Laguna and I into that situation in the first place, whatever that entity is." She turned to face her sister and smiled. "So, what's Snow been up to this days?" she asked.
"Well, he just mentioned the other day about a huge race happening in the city so he's pretty much consumed preparing for it, strolling all around Deling and other places with the whole NORA crew. He didn't stay at home that much. Whenever he is, all he did was tinker in his vehicle all day," her younger sister informed her.
"And that's where he's planning to get the money to sustain you and your future family?" Perfect. Claire raised an eyebrow, she looked offended. Now that she noticed the changes in her sister's physique. No doubt Serah got thinner since the day she last saw her and she looked like she didn't always get enough rest, her tired-looking eyes stands proof for it.
"Sis, I don't want to be a hindrance to his dreams. We're not married yet anyway so I don't want to restrict him from doing what he wants. And besides, he can make a good career out of racing and from what I've heard that will earn him enough eventually. It is okay with me," the young pinkette defended.
"No Serah, IT IS not okay! Look, we're not in our world anymore where everything we need is already provided for us without even sweating for it. Here in this world, we need to work our ass off in order to survive. And if that idiot boyfriend of yours really is serious of marrying you in the future, he needed to stop acting like a little kid and straighten up his thinking. I do not totally agree with this! Look at yourself? Seriously, do you even eat on time?! If he will continue with this stupid thing he'll be damn sorry because I'm going to have to bring you with me when I get back to Esthar." Claire is now clearly mad from what she heard when the door opened and the man now in the hot seat entered, earning himself a worried look from his girlfriend and an instant glare from their surprise visitor.
"Oh heeeyyy sis what bring's you-" He's not yet finished talking when a fuming Claire stood up and immediately approached him like she's going to attack someone.
"I'm not your sister. How many times do I have to tell you that?" She scorned.
"H-Hey, Light, just chill for a while okay? What are you so mad about?" Snow automatically raised his arms as if shielding a blow that is about to come while darting his eyes back and forth to the woman in front of him who is currently chewing him out and his woman who is about to panic at the back.
"Didn't you promise me that you will take good care of my sister? And what is this? You're toying around with your motor crap and betting for some stupid race instead of searching for a stable job and thinking for your future as a family? Really, are you serious?!" She pointed her finger to the startled man.
"Look, I'm sorry okay? Listen. It's not like I go out of the house to rock and ride, well that's also a part of it, but the thing is we go every day to this huge garage shop in Deling where we configure motors and stuff and in return they pay us good that's why we're still faring until now." He then looked to her girlfriend who is now surprised from what she heard. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you all about it." He inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly. "Okay… Serah, I part timed as a mechanic in the morning and I race at night. That's my way of earning so that we can both eat and hey, we still can manage to save for our wedding right?"
"Why didn't you tell me?" Serah looked hurt. "You've been working hard all this time and not tell me about it? What about me? I'm sitting here all day wondering where you might have been, waiting for you to come home. Why didn't you tell me everything?" She is about to cry. Claire sighed and stepped aside as if to give way to a confrontation between the lovers that she had started. She leaned on a nearby wall and she folded her arms as she listens.
"Because I don't want you to worry any further… And I'm embarrassed to tell you what my job really is so I lied to you about the plenty of money I earn from racing only. I didn't get that much from either one of them so I took both. Remember you mentioned before that you wanted to work also in order to help with the expenses but I do not agree? It's because I wanted to take my responsibility as a man in this house. What am I going to say to myself if I let you work? What will Light say to me if she ever finds out that I let you, huh? That I'm a useless bastard? I… I don't want to feel useless. But right now I'm starting to think that I am because I don't know of any better ways to earn other than greasing myself and fixing those motorcycles I don't even own." Snow let out a deep sigh and faced his girlfriend's older sister. "Light, I'm still trying my best. I do not stop and I'm not planning to stop until I can give the life that you wanted for your sister."
"You better be." The ex-soldier unfolded her arms and walked towards the NORA leader. "If this is your best then it's obviously not enough. And hiding things from her, do you think that will be healthy for your relationship? I bet you will not last that long if that's the case. You're focusing too much with the obligations that had been brought to you the day you decided to drag my sister here to live with you and now you're losing your sight of the things you promised me so I agreed with your stupid idea. Look at her." She pointed at her sister who is now crying and Snow obliged. "Do you really think she's happy?" He sighed and looked down at the floor. "You still wanted to do this? Then do it right. Just when I'm starting get my higher hopes for you, Snow." She turned her heels, picked up her luggage and headed towards the door. "I'm leaving." She looked in her sister's direction, "I'm going to call you when I get home." She then looked at Snow who still has his head down. "Fix this." And then she left.