Final Fantasy XIII:
Darkness Light
By
Skylight96
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Summary:
Darkness had been nothing but my companion ever since the day I was born. Blinding from the light around me as I fell deeply into the shadows surround my existence but yet… light could still reach me since the day I meet her… my light…
My name is Adrian Heathcliff and this is my story…
Disclaimer:
I don't own Final Fantasy XIII
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Prologue:
Beginning of Fate
…
Cocoon…
The utopia in the heavens skies…
Its inhabitants believed their world was paradise, locating high above the other below them as if it was real a heaven to them, forgetting the real meaning of life as they were blind by the peace and the prosperity given by Cocoon.
Mankind worship their gods, the protectors known as the benevolent fal'Cie and believed the tranquillity of the day continued forever as long as they have their gods by their side…
-but they were wrong…
They hope of endless peace was shattered by one hostile fal'Cie.
The moment the curse fal'Cie from the Pulse, the feared and detested lowerworld below their heaven awaken from it deep slumber, the peace of Cocoon had come to the end.
Fal'Cie cursed their humans, turning them into their faithful servants…
Into l'Cie, the chosen one from the fal'Cie…
A curse falls upon them as they were burden by the Focus, facing the Fate and Death itself along their way. A brand that showed their loyalty lays for the gods…
A prayer for forgiveness…
A wish to protect the world…
A promise to save a life…
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The sound explosion filling the air around me as I hid myself among the crowds, ignoring the screaming people in fear and bullets flying around me as I slowly closed my eyes, listening to the whisper of sadness among the people.
"Hey, kid! You're alright there?"
My eyes instantly opened just as the speaker hand touched my shoulder and unconsciously twisted it behind his back as I pulled out a sharp dagger, aiming his throat. The man was larger than me. He had slightly long blonde hair that touched his neck, a black bandana warped on his head and was wearing long trench coat with a light blue vest underneath it along with striped blue scarf hanging on his waist and grey boots.
"H-Hey Kid. I'm not going to hurt ya…"
I silenced and cautiously let go of him and withdrew my dagger inside my back pouch as I faced him fully underneath my black cloak, covering my feature, "Man, you're tough!" he grinned, extending his hand to shake mine as he introduced himself, "I'm Snow Villiers. We could use someone like you in our group!"
"Adrian Heathcliff…" I answered, taking his glove hand with mine before withdrew it back into my cloak.
"So, kid. Would like to join me and my comrades to fight the PSICOM dogs?"
"Hn"
"I took that as a yes!"
A gun was shoved onto me as I looked up to meet his grinning face, "Come on, kid! Let's kick the PSICOM butt!"
"Hn. I hate being called a kid" I murmured and followed him together with the other volunteers to face the army of soldier aiming towards us. I run instantly to the near guard, dodging the bullets that was aiming for me and slashed the man throat with my dagger before turning to shoot the other behind me.
"Kid! Watch out! Behind you!"
I turned around and shoot the man hiding behind the boulder before turning to thank Snow as I head on, "Damn that was lucky!" Snow said as he shoot the other guards before something caught the edge of my eyes, "LOOK OUT!" I shouted.
An explosion shaken the bridge we went on as the middle snapped into half. I groaned as I felt my side bleeding at the flying pieces of concrete hitting me and turned to see Snow along with a silver haired woman hanging on the edge. I struggled to stand up and shakily walked my way to them, "Hang on!" I said, kneeling near the edge as I reached out to help the woman first, "Grab my hand!" I shouted for her. Snow hand began to slip and I knew I have to reach for her fast so I lay onto the ground and forward my body further more to help her, "Please, grab my hand I'll safe you" I said her, eyes desperately begging her to reach her but it was too late… she slipped away from Snow gasped and fallen down to the endless gap underneath us.
"MOM!"
A shout entered my ears as I watched the woman smile one last time before thanking me for trying to safe her. I blinked and lifted my head up to the source of the shout and saw a little boy, maybe not older than twelve screaming at the fallen woman with brings out the memories of my death mother. A hand placed onto my shoulder as I blinked away to snap my little memories lane and was greeted by the blonde grinned as he looked at me concernedly, "You alright, kid?" motioned to the bleeding on my side before telling the other to help me…
My mind numb into emptiness as the scene replaying inside my head repeatedly, letting them carried me away and headed towards the shelter from the flying bullets aiming randomly before darkness slowly started to consume me into unconscious…
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Pain had woken me up from my dreamless sleep and glanced around the place cautiously as my soldier instinct started to kick in, searching around the between the fallen concrete for possible enemies and PSICOM guards…
Where am I?
"Oh! You're awake!" I instantly looked up at the familiar voice coming from my left and meet Snow grinned sheepishly as he kneed in front of me, "How are you doing, Kid?" he asked, placing a comfortable warm hand onto my slightly ached shoulder as I frowned at the call.
"Don't call me kid"
A humour laughed filling the air from him for my respond which I totally ignored and slowly stood up from the dirty floor, as I observe my surrounding "What happen?" I asked, grimacing slightly at the pain on my side before looked around for my weapon and cloak which lying motionless on the floor not far from me.
"We're now hiding between the creak of a fallen building. I've take you with me since the others were kind of busy at the moment. Think you on for it?"
"Yeah… don't worry" I murmured as I fasten my gunblade holder onto my waist behind me and placed my dagger into my pouch before changing my cloak in a scarf as I wore it onto my neck.
"Good! We're leaving…" Snow nodded before walked out from the creek of the fallen concrete as I followed behind him, helping him searching around the place for his missing fiancée (since he been eagerly boasting about Serah this and that or how much he become a hero to save the world just to waste our time which I totally ignored it much for my displease) and looked up at this… alien place which kind of amaze me to the end…
The wall and the ceiling were filling with strange craving written in ancient language, possessing a gloomy yet menace aura I felt into my core and lurked around the shadows for enemies before looked back at the large door in front of me…
"SERAH!"
The sound of his voice echoed inside the hall as I tightened my grip on my gunblade, preparing for an ambush or anything that could kill us…
I mean, come on! Can't he think how much he dangerous it is to shout when there are PSICOM hunting for us and he actually give out our coordinate to the enemies? Geez!
"Snow… I hate to break into you but will you stop shouting! The PSICOM might heard us"
"Opss! Sorry!"
He opened the door before us and walked inside the large hall, "Hang on baby! You're hero is on the way!" he shout… again and instantly running around the place aimlessly as I followed behind him calmly, glancing around to find any clues of intruders as I watched every corner of the place.
Trying to restrain myself from knock the blonde senseless, the sound of battle entered my ears as I looked up to the platform above me, watching a certain pink haired woman along with her companion fighting horrible monsters with her gunblade.
Wait a second!
A gasp managed to escape from my lips as my eyes widen at the monsters in front of them that managed to catch my attention from supervising the blonde who seems to be running up stair towards the platform above me...
Cie'th!...
A Cie'th was once a human, branding by the fal'Cie to finish their Focus but they failed to complete it thus cursing them into a mindless creature, mourning for their life and soul as they had been tied a fate that worse than death itself…
I continued to watch the battle in fear, frozen by the thought of the creature as I turned my gaze to the female Guardian Cop fighting it. The pink haired woman turned around as she feel my eyes on her and looked up to meet my darken gaze, surprised to see me behind her before lifting her gunblade, aiming towards me with her eyes glaring in unknown emotion as she release a fire…
"Oh Shit!"
I watched the bullet passed me by an inch away from my head and instantly turned around to see a dead Cie'th on the floor as I took a deep breath in relief…
Thanked god!
"Kid! Hurry up!"
I turned around to see Snow following the pink haired woman into another hallway above me and cursed as I decided to catch up with them, leaving behind the bloody scene as I followed down their footsteps into unknown floor. I stopped in unison with the others inside the hall and watched as another pink haired girl fallen onto the floor as Snow running towards her, circling his arms around her lovingly like a lover as he let out a deep breath in relief, "It's alright, Serah. I got you…" helping her up from the floor as the Guardian cop female who managed to catch my attention once instantly went to the girl side as she carried her into her arms.
"Serah…"
So this is Serah…
My eyes caught by the familiar sign located just above her right arm, a tattoo consist of series entwined, black arrows, all criss-crossing beneath a red circle at the centre of the brand, making it look like an eyes.
"A l'Cie…"
The Guardian Cops female companion beside me blinked away from his daze and turned his attention towards my words, "You know about it?" he asked. I shook my head to the Afro man as I looked closer to his appearance.
The man was somewhere in middle aged, dark skinned with a little chocobo chick nesting inside his Afro haired. He wore a long, Oliver coat over his khaki pant, a white button-down shirt and black buckled engineer boats.
"What about you? Do you know about it?"
The man shook his head, "Nah, I just following her around" motioned towards the pinked haired Guardian Cops before turning back to face me, "What's your name Kid?"
I frowned at the call, what's with everyone calling me a kid! I'm twenty one for god sake! "Adrian… Adrian Heathcliff"
"Sazh Katzroy"
"Snow… Light…" the soft weak voice caught my attention as I turned away to see her, the l'Cie within their arms.
"We're here, Baby" said Snow as he gripped her hand, resting his cheeks against it as he looked up into her eyes.
"Save… Cocoon…"
"What?" the woman, similar to the girl inside her arms murmured as she leaned closer, "Is that… is that your Focus?"
"Save us… protect Cocoon…"
Cocoon?
My thought murmured in confused as I fallen into deep thought…
Cocoon? Why Cocoon? She's a Pulse l'Cie isn't she? The enemies of Cocoon. Why would she want them to protect it?
"Anything…I'll do anything for you, Serah! Just leave it to me. I'll protect Cocoon! I'll save everyone!"
I watched the scene unfolded before me and amazed as the girl slowly levitated herself into the air, losing her grasp from Snow hand as she started to crystalize, finally finishing her Focus and was granted by the gods an eternal life, sleeping within the crystal dome until the day she awaken…
"So the legend was true…"
The people turned their attention to me as I watched the beautiful scene with a nostalgic smile adorned on my lips, lifting my hand to my chest as I began recite the ancient words I've remember between my past, "L'Cie who fulfil their focus transformed into crystal, granted by the Gods above the heaven an eternity life until the day their awaken from their deep sleep…" before closing my dark eyes in pray for her blessed soul and opened it once more, turning to my companion behind me.
The crystal of the beautiful maiden slowly descend onto the ground as she tears shed into a beautiful azure gem fallen onto Snow hand, as a token of remembrance for her fate as he grip her frozen hand lovingly, "Sweet dream… Serah" whispered him gently, filling with nothing but love and adoration for her before the Guardian Cops female beside him snapped away from her daze and turned to the blonde in anger, "Sweet dream?..." she murmured and grabbed Snow collar aggressively, "She's not sleeping!..." choking her sobs as I watched them sadly, "Serah's…. she's…." trailing the words off as she didn't dare to finish it, shoving him away and turned away to hide the sadness and pain swimming inside her icy gaze…
-but Snow wasn't deterred by the words.
"She's alive!"
"No-!"
"The Legend! Remember the legend!" he suddenly yelled as he turned to me, "Just like Adrian said, L'Cie who fulfil their Focus turned into crystal and gain eternal life!" and slowly turned to Serah in longing, "it's the same for Serah!" before turning to whole group, "Eternal life! She's not dead! Right, Adrian?!"
Now, all the attention was brought to me as I meet their piecing gaze, Oh Snow how much I'll love to kill you! "…yes"
"How can you be sure!" hissed the pinked haired Gurdian Cops as she faced to meet me. I looked deeply into her icy eyes, unaffected by the burning anger inside her gaze as I give her a small genuine smile, "I know so…" finally taking her fully appearance as I stood up high in front of her.
There's no doubt she was beautiful. She had a beautiful long wavy light pink hair over her left shoulder and a pair of beautiful icy aqua eyes that could looked deeply into my soul. She wore a variation of standard Guardian Cops uniforms. The green metallic pauldron on her left shoulder bearing yellow strips symbolize her previous rank as a sergeant. She also seemed to have carried a gunblade in black case, hanging off her belt behind her.
"But that's not enough!" she argued, grabbing my front collar as she faced me, "Open your eyes and face the reality! This not a legend! It's a reality!"
I gazed her sadly and calmly placed my glove hand onto her fisted ones, ignoring the warmth and electrical feeling touched our skin as I tried to calm her down, "Calm down…"
Her eyes widen slightly at the sensation before gritted her teeth in anger and shoved me away just like Snow but was caught by Sazh who looked down at me into sympathy, "You're alright, Kid?"
"Yeah…"
I stared back at the woman sadly. I couldn't help but sympathise for her fate, watching her sister crystalize herself in front of her eyes was painful... even I couldn't imagine the pain she went through because I was alone. I was an Orphan. Nothing but a trash threw by the other as darkness had only been my companion for so long as I could remember. I envied by them, having a family, having someone who remember me, loving me, crying for me…
Would someone cry for me if I was dead?...
Suddenly, there was a crashing sound coming from above us, trembling the entire vestige around us as I raised my head up at the culprit. I slowly stood upright on the floor beside Sazh and turned to watch the other concernedly before the silver haired boy caught my attention as he sank down onto the ground, putting his head between his knees as the ground shaken in fear. I rushed towards the young boy and placed my hands onto his shoulder in support, "You're alright there, lad?" I asked, giving him a soft comfort smile as he nodded his head hesitantly as he meet me with his beautiful emerald gaze.
"Yeah…"
"What now?" asked the other orange haired girl behind them in her high-pitch voice as she gripped the wall for support.
"The Army!"
I turned my head at Sazh outburst and gritted my teeth in annoyance before facing them, "We have to get out from here!"
"What's happening?"
"It must the Santrum strike" Sazh murmured as he looked around us in search for escaped, "Bring down the vestige and the fal'Cie right with it"
The young girl run and clutched his hand fearfully, "Aren't they taking it back to Pulse?" she asked, "That's what the Purge was right?"
I shook my head and smiled at the young girl sadly, "All they care about is getting everything from Pulse to Cocoon. Dead or Alive, it all the same…"
Her eyes widen in horror for my words before a hand caught my wrist as I turned my head to the young boy in front of me, "We can't stay here" he pleaded, "they'll kill us…"
"I know…"
I looked around the vestige, trying to find an escape for us despise the fallen dust and the ground shaken beneath me. The most practical path would be back the way we come, but I turned to the door at the end of the hall above us on the staircase as if it was calling for me.
Suddenly, the tremor ceased.
Everyone got onto their feet, ready to leave the place while the door that I've been staring began to glow as the symbol illuminated. I recognised the symbol on the door, it was the Pulse l'Cie brand as the door began to open, inviting me to come to it.
I immediately felt the presence beyond the metallic door, the dark presence of Pulse fal'Cie. My hand shaken in fear for the cold wave of it presence hitting me as I frozen in placed. I squared my shoulder, tightening my hand into a fist in hope of ease the fear filling my mind before I heard Snow whispered to the crystalize girl gently, "I'll be back, hold on…" and began walking towards the door I've been staring.
"Hey! Where you going?" asked Sazh as he watched the blonde walked away before stopped in the middle of his track to face him with determination on his stoic face, "Date with the fal'Cie. We got some things to talk about"
"What?! You're going to ask it to help her?"
I stood there in silenced as I watched them arguing before me, falling deeply into my thought as I looked down to the silver haired boy clinging into my hand in comfort, like a little lost boy and glancing around the other around me as I watched their expression. The orange hair girl was standing not far from Sazh as she gripped his sleeves, looking at the men bicker in from of her while the pink haired woman who wore the Guardian Cops uniform stood silently on my left before meeting my gaze with her icy one.
"-that thing could chew us up and spit us out!"
So, the argument still on huh?
"Well, what do you want me to do?" barked Snow angrily.
Sazh's mouth opened but instantly closed back as he turned away in defeat. Silence slowly surrounds us back before the pink haired woman beside me walked ahead towards the door as she passed him.
"Lightning?" Snow muttered her name as he followed her every move with his blue gaze.
Lightning…
I frowned when Snow went after her and couldn't help but shook my head in displease, "Here we go again" muttered Sazh bitterly as we followed them inside the chamber. I looked down at the boy beside me to distract myself from the presence that I about face and smiled as I tugged his hand that still within my hand to catch his attention, "So, what's your name, lad?"
"Hope Estheim"
"Adrian Heathcliff. What about you milady?" I asked teasingly to enlighten the gloomy atmosphere towards the orange haired girl before she grinned happily as she answered my question with her cherry voice, "Oerba Dia Vanille! Nice to meet you Adrian!"
"Likewise…"
"Hn! I don't know you're a gentleman kind of boy, kid!" grinned Sazh as he turned to face me.
"Oh hush you old man!"
We both laughed at the joke before looked up to meet none other the Pulse fal'Cie standing before me as I felt the boy, Hope hand squeezing mine in support which I returned it and glanced sideway to him, "So this is… the fal'Cie" he murmured beside me as I nodded.
"Yeah…"
The corridor started to illuminate as I looked up to the fal'Cie emotionlessly inside the empty wide chamber. It looked like giant machine with gears and cranks everywhere but still within it defined form. It base was round and above it was pillar with large pipes running around it as if it was the source of it life.
Maybe it is…
"Serah's a crystal now" Snow said, pointing towards the fal'Cie angrily, "You gave her a Focus and she did it. You got what you want, now let her go!"
Nothing but silence was his only response before he fallen into all fours, begging at the god as he bowed, "Please…turn her back" with one of his hand placed against his heart, "I'll be your l'Cie instead!" as his broke in the end of his words.
The pink haired woman standing beside her scowled at the action, "Fine" she groaned, "You go on begging! Like this thing gives a damn what we want" as she pulled out her gunblade behind her and hacked at the metallic exterior of the fal'Cie.
"Stupid…" I murmured as I glared at her stupid action of attacking the fal'Cie which affected nothing on the being towered over us when she finally staggered backward in annoyance at the thing.
"Lightning!" Snow yelled as he took up a fighting stance beside her and faced the fal'Cie with his fists. I shook my head in disappointment for the two adult before looking at the youngster with a small smile to ease their fear, "Hope, Vanille. I want to stay back from the fight alright? Don't do anything reckless like these guys. Do you hear me?"
"Yes…"
"Good…"
"Come on, kid! We have to help them!" Sazh called out to me as he run towards them to help them with two guns within his hand. I frowned at the call again and sighed as I instantly went towards them, pulling out by gunblade into its gun mode before firing it bullet to the machine, "Here's come the back up!" I murmured and stood beside Sazh ready to fight.
At the precise moment, the chamber was bathed with glowing lights as two metal pillars rose beside the fal'Cie. We stepped back cautiously as the base opened wide, exposing the true fal'Cie within it. It was a misshaped being with no discernible features but at the front was a purple stone. Small pipes and tubes stuck out from the top and there was jagged claw contraption that stuck out from the side, almost arm-like.
I sank into half crouch as I changed my gunblade into it blade mode. I let my instinct took control and leaped forward to slash my blade at the purple crystal, noticing how much my attack doesn't affect it. I raised my blade for another swing when the pillar on it left smash towards me, knocking me over as I could felt my previous injured started to ach back from the attack.
"Adrian!"
I stood up shakily onto my feet and give Snow a grimace smile at his concerned and gripped the gunblade tightly with my other hand placed onto my side as I could feel it bleeding, looking up to see Lightning flipped over the pillar as it flew towards her. Her gunblade was a blur as she swiped at it in mid-air, crashing the pillar onto the ground.
Not bad!
Something caught my sight as I saw the purple crystal pulsed.
So, that's why…
"Take out the arms!"
The others took my lead as I pulled my gunblade into its gun mode once more and fired it towards the crystal, hacking into it metallic pillar. The metal spilt easily and sparks flew as I exposed more of the wiring beneath it. I whirled my gunblade into blade and slash the pulsing crystal again as it started to fade, limbs severed from it.
They didn't need command as they took my opening, attacking the crystal and cracking it under our blow but it was the end of it. The severed pillars sudden emerged from the fal'Cie as it regenerated its limbs once and began attacking us. So, we decided to spilt up into pair, Lightning and I took the left arms while Sazh and Snow took the other. It wasn't long before the fal'Cie was crippled again by our attack as we attacked the crystal once more. there was a crack running along the crystal, threatening to spilt into half as I took the opportunity to stab it with my gunblade before blinding by the flash and I was thrown back onto the other as they fallen onto the ground.
Out of nowhere, I was floating…
Familiarities of the darkness started to consume me as I could see nothing but emptiness, feeling the coldness touched my skin before a voice spoke up beside me, "Where are we?" as I turned to Vanille floating in fear as she glanced around us. I blinked from my daze as I knew that I wasn't alone in the vast darkness, feeling the other presence around me as I looked up to meet a familiar icy aqua eyes gazing my dark black ones. Feeling the world suddenly pulled into a stop as I continued to gaze her as she was mine…
"Light-"
Suddenly, long tendrils wrapped around my arms and legs, waist as it slammed me into the wall. I hissed in pain as it started to squeeze my injury and groaned as I watched the fal'Cie appeared before us. My left neck suddenly burst into flame as I screamed at the sensation and gritted my teeth to supress the pain crawling within my vein. Then, so abruptly the pain ceased as it suddenly appeared and the fire was gone.
I was falling…
Though I won't mind of falling, I custom to the darkness since my existence as it was peaceful to my aching soul and continuing falling deeper and deeper into emptiness. Mind-numbing vision emerged inside my head as it only last for a second until the creature within my mind making me cringe in familiarities.
Ragnarok…
Soft fingers touched my arm, closing around my wrist before I brought it down and entwined my fingers with her as I turned to right tiredly, "Lightning…" the hand within mine own, squeezed as a pair of icy aqua gaze meeting my dark ones for the last time before slowly closed my eyes and let darkness swallow me once into the abyss…
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"Darkness… had been nothing but my companion since my existence to this world and I was given name by it. Adrian… the dark one. That's what they called me. But when I meet you, I meet the light… I guess even in the deepest darkness there's also light to guide you"
*Adrian Heathcliff*
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A/N: Hey! This is my first male OC story I ever written off, most of my stories are only female OC and this is the first male one. My inspiration was from Garrett 67 who written the 'Soldier's Edge'. It's really a good story. I recommended you tried to read it. Anyway, the story really inspires me to write this so this is the result. I really hope you like it. Thank you for Garrett 67 who willing to give me a permission to use the story as a guideline. I really appreciate it. Please review for further chapters.