A/N Well, this story is just an attempt to write something funny and relaxing. We have written 2 fanfics on this fandom before but they were in Russian and had more serious plot that this one. Actually, the idea for this fic came to us when we were listening to a sad Russian song "Serah the Gypsy". By the way, it has a great beat =)

As for the plot… well, let's say and believe that it doesn't truly connected to the game. It has some similarities, but still it feels like AU to us.

The main pairing here will be Noel and, you will find out later, but the second main pairing is Light/Hope, because we e really do love them together!

If you like our story, we will very glad and appreciate your time you've spent for reading it. English is not our native language, so please, sorry for the mistakes.

Please read and review!

The Jokes of Fate

Chapter 1

The world was saved. Don't ask how exactly it happened. It was a miracle that a bunch of people could actually save the whole world from a global destruction.

This story is not about the heroes' great deeds but about their lives.

It was a wedding day. Lots of guests gathered together to greet a couple with their special day. Snow and Serah were getting married! Finally! Everyone felt happy for them, except for one young man who was sitting at the table and watching the couple slicing a wedding cake.

He could still remember the feeling of her lips on his, how they moved smoothly against his own. The sensation was amazing. He had never felt anything so overwhelming as his first kiss that he gave to the girl he fell in love with during their dangerous journey.

Serah Farron. She was getting married to another man in front of his own eyes.

Snow had all rights for her. He was her fiancé from the beginning, so it was pretty logical that she would marry him after all.

Noel let out a very long sigh. The yesterday's conversation he had with the bride of the day echoed in his mind.

"Sorry for that kiss, Noel. It was a moment of weakness and it just happened that you were the only who comforted me. Thank you for your feelings, but I have never promised my heart to you. Snow was, is and will always be my hero."

And it was hard to hear and take. Now he really didn't know what he was doing there, in the world, in the time he had no right to exist.

The sore musings were interrupted by a friendly hand on his shoulder.

"So, why are you sitting here all alone, Noel?"

It was Hope. The young man took a sit and looked at the new-weds.

"They look great together. I have never thought that I would ever admit it, but they indeed belong together."

"Oh, Hope, why did you come in the first place? Did you want to stab my heart even deeper?"

But Kreiss did his best not to show his true feelings. A light smile, that was very hard to keep in place, was playing in his face when he spoke to Estheim.

"And where is Lightning? I thought you were together".

Hope's gaze softened, when he found the said girl in the crowd with his eyes.

"She doesn't like when people see her sensitive side. Her little sis is getting married today after all".

It was not long after the wedding ceremony when all the guests gathered in a nice restaurant. Snow ordered every man to drink a bottle of wine for his and Serah's happiness and for their future heirs. Some of the guests were alright with the condition, but two of them were depressed with the fact. But the groom insisted and they had no other choice but to fulfill his crazy request, closing their eyes to their instability to alcohol.

An hour later Noel and Hope were sitting at the distant table and were having a quiet conversation.

"I don't know how to live on, Hope. She was my everything. I don't belong to this time, I lost my love and I have nowhere to go!" the younger man sniffed and wiped his tears with a napkin. He felt so lightheaded and sensitive right now that his heart decided to speak everything out. And the one who was there to listen was Hope. The Director of the Academy tapped his friend's shoulder and looked at him with his hazy emerald eyes.

"Don't worry, Noel. I will help you. If Serah can't be with you, then all you need is to fall in love with another girl".

"How!? I will never love anyone else. She was the only one who touched my heart."

The brown-haired guy looked very sad. His love for Light's sister was pure and deep, not mentioning that it was his first romantic experience.

Hope on the other hand, had another point of view. He was drunk and he subconsciously felt it, but his smart brain tried its best to find a solution to Noel's misery.

"You know, I think I know how to help you. We will send you to the future", said the scientist with a triumphal smile.

"What for?" asked Noel, whose 6th sense was telling him that it was a very bad idea.

"You will never have Serah, admit it. But she will have kids. So I will send you to the future so you could fall in love with Serah and Snow's daughter! It's the best plan for you!"

It seemed that young Estheim was so enlightened with his own idea that he didn't want to hear anything. Not paying attention to Noel's slight attempt to protest, Hope took him by the arm and dragged to his Academy, where the time gates were situated.

"Do you think it will work? Actually, I am not sure that it's the best choice, Hope". Noel uttered hesitantly, looking at the time gates. His inner voice tried to call for his consciousness, but it was pointless since the alcohol did its job greatly by blocking any good sense.

"Of course it will work. I will give you my green bandana, so when you appear in the future you could find me and show it to me as a proof. Don't worry. Everything will be fine. You will find your happiness. I promise," with those words Estheim gave a green piece of fabric to the younger man and ripped a little thread of it, so the bandana could exist in two periods of time.

And so, without any other thought or even word, Noel was pushed into the gates and disappeared in a golden light instantly.

Of course if Hope was sober, he would have never done anything as crazy as sending the poor guy to uncertainty.

If Noel was sober, he definitely wouldn't have agreed to take a part in the experiment in the first place.

If Lightning was there she would have gladly knocked some sense into their intoxicated heads.

But…even a drunken man should always remember that sometimes jokes of fate found their places in people's lives.

A/N well, that's it. Sometimes we really get surprised about what people can do and make up to when they are drunk ^^''

By the way, if you want to hear the song, just tell us and we will give you the link =)

Thanks for reading. Please review~