Author's note: Sorry I took so long to post this but I haven't had any good inspiration lately. Plus the power was out when I started to type this so I wasn't able to post this right after I was done. So here is the first chapter of love across time. Oh and to read the character profile(s) for this story and for the others that are pending and have been published, go to my profile and you can also find the links to the character's pictures and any songs that are used in any of my stories.
Disclaimer: I own only my original characters. If I had owned final fantasy 13-2 we wouldn't of been left with such a confusing and non-plot ending, end to the game (it was quite sad too with Serah dying and all that jazz).
It had been three long years since the fall of cocoon, the l'cie that had saved cocoon had all moved on even though not all of them were there. For the 17 year old Aoife McGinty it had been three years since she had awoken on Gran Pulse far from her home. Aoife was a former l'cie who had awoken the year of the fall (otherwise known as 00AF) but she had not grown up in this time. In fact, she knew Fang and Vanille. She was born in their time in a village not that far north from Oerba (her village's name Galiana), she had even lived with them for a few months. She was ecstatic to see her old friends not long after she had woken from being in crystal stasis for 521 years like they had, she was even more surprised to find out that they had woken up in a fal'cie vestige on cocoon and shared the same focus with some cocoon natives turned pulse l'cie.
Though a young boy her age( she was 14 when she met them) by the name of Hope Estheim had caught her attention as well as the former guardian corps soldier Lightning who she had come to look up to like an older sister since she had no sisters (the closest things she had to sisters were her two sister-in-laws). She had travelled with them since she wanted to see if her village was still intact despite the amount of time that had passed since she was last home. But here is one problem, she not only wanted to go back home and see if her family and other villages had awoken as well (this will be explained later). Also to see if her older brother Peter was there, they had shared the same focus but he was not there when she had woken from crystal stasis. But when it came time for them to leave Oerba, the young former l'cie was reluctant in telling the group that she was leaving to return to her own village fearing the possible wrath from not only Fang and Lightning (who both gave the impression that they are not people you want to piss off). But also she had feared that Hope would be angry and upset that she had not mentioned earlier that she had not planned to stick with them and help them defeat Orphan and save cocoon (according to Snow at least). During the few days she had known the cocoon natives she had grown close to Lightning and especially Hope. She maybe even had begun to fall for him despite the fact that at least physically they were still the same age even though you don't age when you are in crystal stasis.
To her surprise Lightning suggested that they at least accompany her on the way to her home in case she got attacked by monsters even though she had assured the group that she would be fine since implying that she still had some magical abilities though not from being a l'cie since she no longer was one and she was a very strong huntress (which was reinforced by Fang and Vanille since they knew what she was). But before they could make it a large group of monsters and cie'th attacked them. Aoife catches the cocoon natives by surprise after they had defeated all of the monsters that she was in fact not a human but a pulsian fairy and had gained a power boost from being a former l'cie. Which was why she had tried to convince them that she would be fine but let them accompany her anyway even though it would just make it harder for her to say goodbye (especially Hope, Lightning and her fellow native Gran Pulsians).
-Present day 03AF-
Aoife had left her village Galiana a few days ago after the fietes (fye-yet-teyz) had told her that she needed to go to a village near the base of the crystal pillar called New bodhum. When she asked why she had to go they had left her with a riddle saying that her journey across time would begin in new bodhum (real informative right?). Despite the confusion she had felt from this statement she decided to trust the fietes as they had never been wrong about the destinies of everyone in the village ( they were the ones to tell her that she had to go west of Oerba to complete her focus) and set out to find New Bodhum. She had finally come upon a village not far from the base of the pillar by a small beach that she had assumed to be New bodhum as she had asked around to find out what the village looked like. The village was small but seemed to be doing well for being inhabited by the survivors from cocoon.
After walking into the village she sees a young dark pink-haired woman walk out of the house with a taller, younger blue-eyed, brown-haired man walk out. The woman turned around and Aoife had felt a sense of déjà vu.
-Aoife's thoughts-
"Wow, she looks a lot like lightning. Hmm, I wonder if this is her younger sister that she and Snow told me about. Maybe if I tell her I was a friend of Lightning she'll help me out, after a bit of explaining of course".
-End Aoife's thoughts-
Aoife hesitates but walks over to the two figures hoping that they will be willing to talk to her. At first she is nervous but manages to form greeting to the one person she hopes can help her.
"Um, excuse me miss?"
Serah turns around to answer but Noel interrupts.
"Love to chat but we have things to do, places to go and people to see".
"Noel! That was rude sorry about that….." Serah trails off not knowing her name.
"Aoife Mcginty".
"Serah lets go!"
"Someone's in hurry".
"Sorry about Noel, that was very rude of him. What do you need".
"Um, are you Serah farron?"
"Do I know you?"
"No, but I do know you. I'm a friend of your sister lightning and your fiancé Snow and I knew Fang and Vanille".
A look of shock and disbelief appears on Serah's face. How could Aoife know her sister and her fiancé and fang and vanille? How could that be possible?
"You knew my sister and snow?"
"That ridiculous. Lightning went missing three years ago and Snow hasn't been seen since he left to find her. And how could you know Fang and Vanille".
Aoife has a cross between a dead-panned and pissed of expression on her face. She had found Noel to be very rude.
"Easy, I met them far west of Oerba and I've known Fang and Vanille since I was a little girl. Their village was a good ten minute walk from my village".
"But that still doesn't explain how you know them. They were in crystal stasis for hundreds of years".
Aoife has a look of slight annoyance on her face at this young man Noel, he clearly isn't putting the pieces together.
"I am aware of that, so was I. I was born in the same era they were, I just completed my focus before they did and woke up outside of Oerba and ran into them a few hours later. How the hell else would I know how long I was asleep for? And how else would I know Lightning and the other l'cie that saved cocoon. Look I'm sorry if I'm coming off a bit abrasive but I thought you could help me".
"Noel we should trust her".
"We just met her, how can we trust her".
"I just met you last night and I trusted you when you told me you were from the future and that you had met lightning and knew where she was".
Aoife stands there completely dumfounded at this new information. This guy was from the future? No way was that true in any way. But then again what can she say in that department, she is in fact a fairy which is believed to not exist at all. And what had happened to Lightning and snow?
"Wait just a damn minute. You are from the future? How the hell is that possible. And what is going on here? On the way into the village I saw things that I haven't seen in this area since I was a kid and that's over 524 years ago. And what happened to Lightning and snow?"
An awkward silence falls between the three before Serah gestures for Aoife to follow her into a nearby house that she had assumed to be Serah's. She hopes to finds some answers to her questions. It wasn't like Lightning to just disappear or for Snow to up and leave Serah like that. And with all of the strange things going on in New bodhum.
About an hour later…
"So after you guys had woken up from crystal stasis after cocoon had crystallized because Fang and Vanille had completed your whole group's focus to in a way 'destroy' cocoon".
"Yes".
"And after reuniting with Lightning and Snow, she gave you her blessing and was smiling and actually happy for you? I thought she didn't like Snow but looks like she finally warmed up huh? Damn, why did I have to miss Lightning smiling, that's like the 8th wonder of the world".
The three of them shared a light-hearted moment as they were all laughing at Aoife's statement of missing Lightning smiling.
"But then you turned around for a second and then she just wasn't there anymore. And so Snow decided to go out and find her for you?"
"That rights" Serah says with a smile.
"And Noel wasn't kidding when he said he was born 700 years in our future where there is no cocoon in the sky because cocoon had fallen off of the crystal pillar and collided into cocoon. And that this paradox effect may be the cause of it? And that Lightning is in this place called Valhalla?"
"That about sums it up".
Aoife thinks for a moment, if she goes with Serah and Noel she may be able to figure out what the message that the faietes had given her before she left?
"Oh! Aoife you never told us why you wanted to ask me for help".
"Well actually I really think you can. The faietes, who are like psychics gave me this riddle and told me that 'my journey across time would begin in new bodhum' and now that I have heard all of this I think I'm meant to go on this journey with you".
Noel has a skeptical look on his face.
"How so?"
"Well my reasons are kind of similar to yours. I had shared my focus with my older brother Peter. He's a year older than me and we were really close. He wasn't there when I had woken up. But we reunited back after I had returned home after leaving Lightning and the others. But the next thing I knew he had suddenly disappeared a few days later without a trace".
"So you're saying what happened to lightning, could of happened to your brother".
"Um more along the likes of ending up in a different time but that works too".
Noel gets up and heads to the door with a look of determination in his eyes.
"Well that settles it, you're coming with us".
Aoife jumps up out of her seat overjoyed at this statement. She had thought that it would take a lot more to convince Serah and Noel of helping her and it seems that they were fully willing to help her from the moment she had told them of her plight. She would be able to fulfill the destiny given to her and she would be able to finally reunite with her brother and an old friend. Maybe she would even be able to solve the mystery of the paradox along with Noel and Serah ( and her moogle mog).
They made their way outside of the village and before they could reach the strange object in the center of the previous evenings meteorite crash (and sudden fiend invasion) a giant monster suddenly appeared sticking out of what looked like a portal ( for those who have played the game, otherwise known as the boss fight with goggamog before reaching the time gate).
"Not this guy again".
"So you've fought this thing before? Should be a fast and easy fight then".
As Aoife had said the fight with goggamog had ended as quickly and as easily as the previous encounter that Serah and Noel had with this monster".
Before they could approach the floating object, Serah's friends had run up to them to say goodbye, as they all were preoccupied Aoife had walked up to the strange floating object wondering what it was.
"Huh, I wonder what this thing is. Maybe it's that gate thingy that girl from Oerba was telling me about one time".
Before Aoife had time to think of what the object was Noel had walk up with Serah and had place her hand on the object with his hand on top of hers. Suddenly the frozen floating object had changed in to something that looked even stranger than before".
"Uh, Noel what is this thing?"
"It's a time gate. And with this we can travel across the timeline using the historia crux".
"So I guess this is it huh?"
"Are you ready to leave Aoife and Serah?"
"I know I am".
"Yes, somewhere on the other side Lightning is waiting for me in Valhalla".
*I can't remember how they got the artefact so I skipped that part, feel free to jog my memory and I didn't use the original dialogue since I can't remember exactly what they said. I have two different files and I am well past this point in both of them so I may not be using dialogue from the game If I can't remember what was said*
Noel, Aoife and Serah then glowed a bright orange and were suddenly transported through the historia crux and into the future.
They had come out of the historia crux and landed on the ground when Serah came to a realization.
"This is cocoon".
"Really Serah, this is too cool".
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah check it out; you can see the ground above us".
"So this is what cocoon looks like from the inside". Both Aoife and Noel said at the same time as they ran in front of Serah in excitement".
"That's right; I forgot that this is the first time you two are on cocoon".
The three of them had started walking around the area and were talking excitedly when a loud noise was heard. They had all turned around to see hand coming towards them".
"What is that!" Serah had said clearly in fear of whatever this thing was.
"LOOK OUT!" Noel cried as the giant object started flailing about as the soldiers attacked it with guns to stop it to no avail.
"An arm?" Serah exclaims.
"Way to state the obvious Serah". Aoife says with a serious, annoyed and dead-panned expression on her face.
"Yeah and it's not looking to shake hand I'm guessing".
Noel gets into a fighting stance as he braces for the giant arm's attack but get punched with the giant's fist and gets thrown back full force into a pillar.
"NOEL!" Serah shouts in worry and runs towards the giant arm and mog had transformed into a bow and arrow and Aoife runs forward with her sword and both get into position to fight as Noel joins them.
During the fight they had discovered that what they were fighting was not a giant disembodied arm but an invisible giant. Just as they had thought they were close to defeating the beast voices are heard as people and aircraft surround the invisible giant.
"Hostile located, engage at will. Paradox effect confirmed. Targeting atlas. FIRE!"
The invisible giant had been driven off. Serah had noticed the aircraft and ran towards them waving at them saying that it was the 'army', next thing they know, they are surrounded by men in yellow and white uniforms and helmets and guns.
"YOU ARE UNDER ARREST, SURRENDER IMMEDIATLEY".
Deciding not to go against the men with guns pointed in their directions and the gun turrets in the aircraft surrounding them and so they put their hands up in the air and surrendered.
OH NO! What will become of our heroes? Tune in for chapter two of love across time. Please review and I will not accept flames. Only constructive criticism is welcome here and that means things that will improve anything about this chapter. Not things like you hate the story and it's a piece of crap (that is flaming and it's quite rude). So please leaves your comments and if you are confused about anything please check out the character profile for Aoife ( her character pictures are there as well as peter's profile and picture).