Yay! My first Fanfic! Um...I'm a little nervous posting this up so please be kind in your review ^_^

Warnings:

Erm, well it's a Lightis and it is slightly AU and possibly OOC!

Rated T

Summary: Welcome to the Haunted House! Come and see what's inside! When 19 year old Lightning enters a Haunted House to find the last remaining crystal, she unexpectedly finds a new meaning to the word 'haunted house'…

DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything in Final Fantasy.


-House-

Welcome to the Haunted House! Come inside and play!

Lightning read the sign just outside the abandoned, run-down Haunted House.

It was the middle of the night. The trees swayed violently with the wind and wisps of rain pelted throughout the trees. Winds whistled and howled, as if calling for the ones it had lost and the air was very, very cold, like an ice-encased winter.

Lightning was glad she had her warm coat on; she would have frozen by now if she hadn't. But what was the 19 year old soldier commander doing at the abandoned Fabula Nova Carnival grounds, in the middle of the night and outside an old Haunted House in the first place?

She had felt something. A feeling, no sensation, of the last remaining crystal in there.

It was her duty, as an l'cie to find any crystal and protect it. The last crystals, as well as her own, were destroyed in the last war but as soon as she heard rumours of a last crystal, she had to investigate.

She hadn't told anyone of her little excursion, they didn't need to know, but now as the chilling and howling winds of night sent cold shivers down her spine, she wasn't so sure whether or not she should have even come.

Lightning clutched to her coat, hoping to find warmth in the embrace, and began to head inside.

She began to head up the stairs, chuckling as figurines of ghosts and witches popped up trying to scare her.

"After all this time, some of it still works." Lightning smiled to herself

Of course the ride was meant for young kids, but Lightning couldn't help but feel a little anxious about entering.

The whole carnival had been closed for 10 years because a woman was found brutally beaten and dead in an old coffin in this very house.

The state she was found in was absolutely horrific.

According to the news, the woman's name was Stella Nox Fleuret and she was very rich. She was the Princess of Tenebrae, a rival country, and it was said she had a crush on Prince Noctis Lucis Caelum of Lightning's own country. The Prince hated her and as soon as he had heard about Stella's crush, did everything he could to keep her out of his sight. Not only that but it was rumoured that Noctis disappeared the day Stella was murdered.

Lightning put her hand onto the cold, hollow door and enclosed it around the metal door turned the knob and opened the door; with it brought an eerie 'creeeak'.

Lightning smiled, amused as the creepy old haunted-house music began to play and a witch's cackle was heard.

She hung her coat on one of the hooks next to the door and began to look around.

As she began to venture inside, the door shut behind her with a loud 'bang!'

-----

At that very instance, a lonely man dormant for 10 years awoke. His invigorating amber eyes opened slowly and his red lips formed into a smile. He had dark blue-black hair and was wearing black leather clothing. He was sitting on a throne in the middle of a dark room in the Haunted House.

Standing from his dark seat and deep blue crystal hanging from his neck, the dark and foreboding man walked out of his recent torment, his prison, in search of the one who had, just a moment ago, awakened him…

-----

It had been about 2 hours and Lightning still hadn't found the crystal or anything related to it for that matter. All she had found was old rusty carts, broken skeletons and lots of run-down furniture. It looked like a real haunted house more than ever.

The eerie cold breeze from outside lingered through the building, whispering and calling her name slowly. Lightning shuddered as she felt the tingling breeze down her spine. It felt haunted too. It had this…aura about it. It was like it had a supernatural atmosphere about this place. There was definitely something unnatural here, but Lightning couldn't put her finger on it.

Stepping over old, broken tombstones, Lightning still couldn't find what kept her there. She knew the crystal was there but she didn't know where. She resumed her pacing until she reached a dilapidated staircase.

Perhaps what she was searching for was upstairs?

Lightning walked up the old-styled stairs. With each stair a 'screech' was heard. She reached the top and began exploring. Just like downstairs, the upstairs rooms didn't have anything of interest. She looked around the upstairs room and was just about to head back downstairs when something caught her eye. It was a portrait. Not just any portrait, but a portrait of the goddess of death; Etro. Lightning couldn't help but keep her gaze on the painting…

-----

He heard footsteps. Closer and closer he walked towards the sound of footsteps until he came to the man glanced up and teleported soundlessly to the top of the staircase.

His eyes fell upon an alluringly beautiful girl, about the same age as him, with strawberry-blond hair and ice-blue eyes…

-----

Lightning kept her gaze at Etro.

Even when she felt someone watching her, she still kept it there.

Somehow, the portrait forced her to look at it. She swallowed as she heard faint footsteps. If she was a normal human she wouldn't have heard them, but she wasn't normal.

She heard the footsteps stop right behind her.

Goosebumps appeared on her skin as the footsteps stopped. She gasped as arms snaked around her slim form and pulled her into the firm grip of the person behind her.

Lightning shivered as cold, lifeless breath was felt on her neck and her heart began pounding…

-----

He watched her, innocent and naïve to who was watching her.

He could smell her scent, practically taste her, she was so close. It was beautiful. He was ever so lonely; after all he had been trapped for more than 10 years. This would be his reward to the girl for releasing him. He wanted to feel her, love her, and she would be his forever. She would stay here, making him not feel alone anymore.

As she stood there just a few metres from him, the dark man's eyes turned red in anticipation and perpetual need for blood.

The man walked behind her, quietly so he would not scare her away. His arms found themselves trapping the girl and he pulled her into his body. He heard her gasp as her warm body pressed up against his.

It felt so…alive. He could hear her heart pounding against his chest. How he had waited for this moment.

He smirked and whispered cruelly yet playfully into her ear, "Welcome to my Haunted House. Come inside and play..."

-----

Lightning couldn't help it.

Despite the fact that she was a trained soldier.

Despite the fact she was the cold and fearless Lightning.

Despite all the voices in her head,

Lightning Farron, l'cie and commander soldier of Cocoon screamed.


Playlist:

Haunted - Evanescence

Promise (Reprise) - Konami Kukeiha Club


Please Review :D