Title: Brighter Future

Game: Final Fantasy XIII-2

Characters: Serah, Noel

Pairing: Noel/Serah

iThe timelines had been corrected. Everything was perfect. Serah and Noel gently drifted down from the sky and onto Sazh's airship. Noel turned to Serah and smiled. "We did it." And best of all, Serah hadn't died. The future and past hadn't killed her…/i

i"Yeah," she nodded in agreement. Then suddenly, her face contorted with pain as she slowly began to fall backwards./i

i"No! Serah! Stay with me!" Noel cried, as he wrapped his arms around the collapsing beauty and sunk to his knees. There she was, in his arms; her soul slowly beginning to fade away. His heartbeat quickened as his eyes met hers for the very last time. She smiled at him as if it to say that everything would be alright. Things would be better in the future. "Please Serah," he chocked, tears running down his cheeks and landing gracefully upon her cheek, "Don't leave me."/i

iBut there was nothing he could do. Serah was gone. Noel felt as if he heart was breaking in two—and half of it was disappearing. He raised his head to the sky and screamed, "SERAH!" before his throat closed up from his sobs./i

Noel woke from his nightmare, his body sweaty and tears running down his face. It had been only a few months since Serah had died and yet still he was haunted by the memory of losing her. His world had now been plunged into darkness. He felt helpless in somehow restoring it and possibly rescuing Serah iand/i Lighting. He sat up in bed and wiped the sweat from his forehead. He took deep, shaky breathes, attempting to calm down. Eventually, he was able to sit in silence, staring into the blackness that encased his room.

"Serah," he whispered, "I'm sorry…I couldn't protect you."

There was a warm light that flickered in the corner of the brunette's eye. He snapped his head to the left to see a ghostly figure standing in the doorway. The body glowed a warm, misty white and its face was veiled in light. It glided forward and sat down on Noel's bed. Instead of being terrified, he felt at peace with this strange presence that had appeared. "Noel," the ghost said. Its voice was familiar. Gentle and sweet.

"S-Serah?" he whispered, shifting towards the figure to get a better look.

It nodded once. "Yes, Noel. It's me." Her body's glow began to fade into pale skin and pink hair. Serah smiled. "It's good to see you again."

Noel lunged at Serah, wrapping his arms around her and holding the pretty pink-haired girl tightly in his embrace. "Y-You died…it's all my fault," he sobbed, burying his face in her neck.

Serah gently stroked his hair. "It's not your fault, Noel. I knew my fate…and I gladly accepted it."

"I…I want you back," he cried, squeezing her even tighter.

"Noel…the future I saw…was a good one. Despite the goddess's death and all that has happened…there is a bright future in store for our world." She stated, bringing his face up to look at her.

"Please, come back, I…I don't want this future if you're not in it." Noel whispered; a desperate look in his eyes.

Serah grinned at him and placed a hand against his chest. "Then keep me close in here, alright?"

Her body began to fade as she reached up and gently pressed her lips against his. "I love you, Noel."

He held her there for as long as he possibly could before she slowly faded away. "I love you too, Serah…we'll see the brighter future."