This is my very first sad one-shot entry of Final Fantasy XIII-2, between Noel Kreiss and Serah Farron. I sadly DO NOT own FFXIII-2 or the characters. The title and inspiration story comes from the music piece of the same title by YouTube musician Brandon Fiechter. Listen to it; it's very sweet and I enjoyed it.

Another note is that the group NORA, Lightning, Snow, Sazh, and Dajh have returned safely and Hope is still age 24. Alyssa never existed and the ending to FFXIII-2/beginning of Lightning Returns (in-game) DOES NOT happen after Caius is defeated.

Anyway, onto the story...

~~New Bodhum, 500 AF, 12:30 AM~~

The fight between Caius was over. Yeul was saved and no longer suffered the endless cycle of death. Lightning and the others have returned, Bhunivelze was now the new home for humanity, Academia's citizens were safe, and the old Cocoon has crumbled to the ground with its crystal dust scattering to the wind. Yet... Noel's mind was a mess. He and Serah have saved their worlds. He should be happy, yet he wasn't. Over time-traveling, they grew a special bond between them. He grew to love her, and she - him. He grew protective of her and was there when she needed him the most. She abandoned Snow just to be with him.

Noel couldn't keep himself together. Yet Caius and Yeul, his closest friends, were gone - even though the dead goddess's warrior has tried to kill them both many times. Sitting up in the bed wearing just pants, Noel looks at the night sky overhead the village of New Bodhum. Under a sky of perfect midnight velvet, it was covered in thousands and millions of beautiful bright specks - endless stars in a never-ending black void that projects no means of guidance in his eyes. The place was also silvered and transformed by the light of the full moon, which hung like a great luminous pearl on the radiant breast of the heavens.

Noel thinks of everything that had happened over the long and exhausting journey. He then looks at his beloved Serah. She was a history enthusiast, a teacher, a sister, and his fiancee. Her skin was soft and flawless, a slender figure, and long flowing rose hair. When she was awake, he was staring into her beautiful blue eyes which he described as eyes colored like the ocean: iridescent and flecked with every shade of blue; he could stare at them forever, being captivated for the slightest of moments.

He presses his the back of his hand to her cheek and lightly brushes it before leaning down to kiss it. He then goes to get dressed and sheathes his dual swords on his back. He then goes to the desk and starts to write a letter.

My dearest Serah,

Even after everything we've done to save the world and secured its future, I'm in love with you. I still love you every second of every day and miss you beyond words. I miss making you smile and saying I love you. I miss holding you close to me every night in my arms. I miss just being able to love you.

But my heart is torn in two worlds: yours and mine. You have your family and friends with you, but mine are gone. Yes, we have a future with people in it, but I'm not happy nor do I love myself. The thing is, no matter how much I love you, I have to love myself more. I have to let you go, no matter how hard it is. I want to fall in love with myself, but this time, it will be unconditionally and without fear.

I will never forget the days we once had together, the days when you meant everything to me. My mind used to tell me that we'd be together forever, but now I realize that those days have ended - that it was all a big dream. The feelings I have for you will never let go, regretting the day I let you slip from my arms. Never did I think of the astonishing pain I'll have to put you through after I leave you.

But for now, I leave New Bodhum behind to journey again. You shall not know where I ride to - not this time. The only thing I once feared was the day I would forever lose you. But I know you will still think much of me, and I of you. I will always remember all we once shared, with my love growing much stronger everyday. Serah, please know that I will never forget you. Please remember me.

Yes, I shall shed many tears and my heart shall ache, but I have to say goodbye. My hunter's dagger that took down many beasts and my bracer now belongs to you. Serah... I love you...and goodbye...forever...

~Noel Kreiss

Noel folds the letter and puts it in his pocket. He then takes his dagger. The smooth, razor-tip blade was made of obsidian that made beasts curl up in absolute fear; the grip wrapped in the hide of a behemoth. He puts in a holster similar to the leather bracer. He places the items onto the nightstand, next to Serah who was sleeping peacefully. As he cries softly, there was a rawness to it like a pain was opening an old wound. His whole body shakes, overwhelmed by a wave of emotions and his defenses wash away in salty, raindrop-shaped tears that left no marks or streaks. He looks at Serah, one who has suffered before and will have to endure once again. He puts on his sandals and looks back at his beloved one last time. "I love you."

He walks the beach, listening to the crickets chirp and the waves kissing the golden sands of the beach. As he travels towards the site where the meteorite and Etro's gate once was, he comes across Lightning. She was no longer wearing the silver and gold armor; she was wearing khakis with a white collared long-sleeve button-up blouse and a semi-transparent sweeper over top it, and black boots. She was gripping her gunblade, looking out for danger.

She turns and sees Noel. Over the past two weeks, they have been talking about his relationship and problems with her. He explained how much he loved her sister and yet, he was full of regret for not being able to save his two closest friends before entering Valhalla and beginning the journey. Lightning had told him to really think about it and what he should do. This was unexpected, but the look on the young hunter's face spoke louder than any words could.

"You're leaving after all." Lightning's calm voice rings in Noel's ears.

"Lightning, please... I have to do this. I can't hurt her again, not after all of this... I know this is wrong, but I can't live with myself like this..." He reaches into his pocket and hands her the letter. "Give her this. She won't forgive me in person."

The former soldier takes it. "Where will you go?"

"Far away. Not Oerba, not the settlement I came from, or anywhere familiar. I must go my own way."

Lightning felt anger and betrayal rising within her being, but she respected Noel's decision and nodded. "Alright. You protected Serah while fixing the timeline and finding me. You have my eternal gratitude. Thank you and may you find happiness, wherever you may find it."

"Thank you for everything." They embrace quickly before watching Noel mount a chocobo and disappears into the night.

~~The Next Morning, 7:45 AM~~

Twilight melted away, the majestic sunrise shining its light onto every blade of grass, every grain of sand on the beach, and shining onto every leaf. It merged the sky into a variety of colors - soothing lavender, brilliant amber, bright pink, and golden peach with clouds starting to form and the warmth greeting all life.

Serah awakens and sits up in the bed. She finds the bed empty, but didn't worry. Noel would sometimes leave early in the morning for a hunt or local trade with the nomad camp in the Archylte Steppe or Yaschas Massif. She gets up and dresses into her outfit for today. She wore her engagement pendant, cat earrings and golden armbad as always; she also put on the boots, gloves, and shorts from her Style and Steel outfit and her white dress shirt but without the pink sweeper.

She fixes the bed before heading to the business part of the NORA house which has expended to a restaurant and house into one building. The vibrant aroma of fresh coffee brewing in the pot filled the atmosphere as she was greeted by Lebreau. "Good morning, Lu."

"Good morning, Serah. Sleep well last night?" She asks as she cooks breakfast for everyone. It was fresh honey biscuits, scrambled chocobo eggs, gorgonopsid sausage, and blueberry muffins.

"I slept okay. Have you seen Noel?"

"I haven't, sorry. He probably left early to go do some trading. You know how he is." Lebreau gives Serah a smile before she gets back to cooking.

The day goes on without a problem. The NORA house's business made money, the monster dealings have slowed, and Serah taught her students before the day ends at 3:00 in the afternoon. Once the day was done and Serah got back to the NORA house which has closed the restaurant for the day, Noel was still nowhere to be found. Serah was getting worried when she sees Noel's hunting dagger and bracer. She returns when she sees Lightning come into the entryway.

"Hey, sis. Have you seen Noel?"

Lightning's gaze turns to the side, saddened. "Serah, I-I..."

Serah rushes to her sister. "He left his dagger and bracer in my room and I haven't seen him all day! Please tell me!" The emotion in her eyes struck her like a knife through the heart. Lightning hands her the letter Noel wrote hours ago. Serah unfolds the letter and starts reading. As she does, the tears start to flow unchecked and dripped onto her chin and onto the paper. Lebreau mentions NORA and the others but Lightning to leave and close the door.

She lets out a quiet sob. The sadness flowed through her veins and deadened her mind. It was a poison to her spirit, dulling her killing off her other emotions until it was the only one that remained. It was as if a black mist had settled upon her and refused to shift, and no matter how bright the day was she would feel no sun and hear no bird song. For the world was lost to her and she knew of nothing that would bring it back into focus.

"Why...? Why did he have to..." Her heartache was was like a wolf eating at her chest, tearing it's way to her trembling heart. It threatened to devour her whole and leave nothing but scraps behind. Serah falls to her knees, no longer able to hold herself up. She felt weak and alone without Noel.

Lightning joins her and pulls her sister into a hug. The shaking and tears soaking into her shirt made her tighten as she gently rocks her. "I'm here, Serah." She strokes her hair and starts to sing a lullaby she has always sung to her since she was a baby until Serah falls asleep.

~~Later That Night~~

Night comes around, everyone was asleep. The only sounds heard was the gentle breezes of Gran Pulse and the calming ocean waves. Serah stares blankly at the endless rolling waves of blue off the pier, though the darkness of the night made it appear black with speckles of the stars reflecting off the water. The ocean breeze lightly coated her skin as it blows through her hair and kissed her cheeks after the tears stained her face. The cold air called to her off the ocean. Knowing Noel wasn't coming back, Serah felt nothing. The sudden leave and all her crying has left her with nothing.

Wearing the bracer and having the dagger sheathed safely in its holster around her waist, Serah looks at the horizon once more before letting herself fall into the deep waters. As she begins to sink, her heart stammered into a panic as her body screams for oxygen and her muscles were beginning to constrict. But Serah doesn't fight it as water begins to fill her lungs. Memories of her life flashes before her eyes. Becoming a Pulse L'Cie, watching everything through her crystal tear while in statis, jumping through the timeline to fix it, and saving Gran Pulse as the frozen Cocoon falls to the ground that leaves nothing but a desert of crystal sand and allows Bhunivelze rise into the sky close to the city of Academia...

Her thoughts ring out. Snow, Sazh, Dajh, Lebreau, Yuj, Gadot, Maqui, Fang, Vanille, Lightning, Noel... Please remember me. I never lived to my fullest, but always know that I have no regrets. You taught me how to live my life and that no matter what, we shouldn't give up hope for what the future may hold for us. So it's okay. I don't mind if I'm gone... Just keep me in your thoughts. Remember me, and know that'll we'll see each other again.

Serah coughs and gulps down more water as the darkness starts to blur her vision. No matter what happens to me, even when I vanish from this world. Promise me, everyone. Promise you'll remember me... A final shining tear flees towards the moon-speckled surface as the darkness takes its hold and her body finally goes limp as it sinks to the bottom of the never-ending sea.

~~Author's Note~~

I couldn't stop crying as I was writing this. I wrote this story showing what can happen if depression takes hold of one's life after a relationship ends and sees suicide as the only way out. I have depression myself and I know how hard it is when a relationship ends, especially when it was with someone you really cared about.

This is a one-shot story and not a happen one. I may plan to do more of these in the future, but it'll have to wait.

Please read and review; constructive criticism is welcome as well. I'll see you guys then in the next story ^^