Yo everybody. Sorry for the random, indefinite hiatus. I had a lot of school/original writing projects to work on. Anyway, I decided to write this fic because it was the 4th of July... Only problem is, I didn't start till 12 AM... which technically means it's the 5th where I live. Oops.

Anyway, yeah. I basically took what scarce information I remembered from XIII and combined it with this picture of Bodhum I found on the internet. Don't be afraid to call me out if I got some geography-related things wrong. Also, plot-wise, this doesn't actually fit in with the official story or any of my stories. It's almost like it takes place within a spacetime distortion.

So with that all said, hope you enjoy! IridiumRing92 signing off.

A Light on the Horizon

The festivities had begun in Bodhum. Crowds of people swarmed the shores, and the fireworks display hadn't even started yet. Serah Farron stood on the dock that extended out from the beach and stared out at the water. The sun had long since disappeared, but the sky had yet to descend into its pure blackness that made the displays appear so much brighter. Strange reflections flickered on the water's surface.

"Am I dreaming?" Serah murmured, staring down at the pendant that hung around her neck.

"And why on Pulse would you be dreaming?" A familiar voice sounded behind her, and she swung around to see Snow Villiers stepping up to the edge of the dock. "It all feels pretty real, don't you think?"

"Snow!" Serah cried out and ran to him, throwing her arms around him. "It feels real now," she added.

"Yeah, what'd I tell you?" he said with a smirk. "And we haven't even seen the fireworks yet. Hey, you want to come with me?"

"Of course!" she exclaimed. "It can't be long now, can it?"

"I sure hope not. They've kept me waiting long enough," he remarked. "Come on, let's go."

Across the beach and down the road, a lone figure was sitting at the counter in a bar, drumming her fingers on the counter. She was waiting, but not for a drink.

"Are you gonna order?" the bartender demanded, passing by her for what must have been the fifth time.

"No," the woman sighed in a thick accent, examining her nails. "I thought I already told you that."

"Why don't you give your seat to someone else so everyone can clear out of here?" the bartender said. "The fireworks are going to start in a couple minutes, and I'm guessing everybody else wants to get in and out of here before then. You're just taking up space."

The woman glanced up at the bartender through the shadow of her dark hair. "Thanks for letting me know I'm an asset to your business," she remarked. "You know, I don't think I need anything from you after all. Not even this damned seat. And don't even try to pull that 'See you around' thing on me. I won't be seeing you around."

She vacated her seat, turned around and stormed out of the bar.

Once she had left, though, she didn't know where to go. She wound up standing outside the door of the establishment, arms crossed over her chest. The sun had set a long time ago, and the night had started to feel a little cold, especially now that she knew she'd been stood up.

"You know what?!" she shouted into the silent air. "Damn you! Damn you all! Thank you and have a wonderful night!"

A hand landed on her arm, and a ridiculously cheerful, similarly accented voice said, "Fang? Is everything okay?"

Fang's eyes widened as she comprehended the identity of the speaker, and she turned to see a pink-haired girl smiling up at her. "Vanille!" she exclaimed. "You kept me waiting! I thought you stood me up! I was in the middle of having a terrible day!"

Vanille giggled. "Sorry, Fang. Won't happen again. I got lost," she admitted. "I kept having to ask for directions, and I could never remember what anybody told me."

"Vanille…" Fang sighed, placing a hand against her forehead.

"I'm sorry!" Vanille exclaimed. "Next time, I'll bring a map."

Fang shook her head. "Okay… How about we just go find these fireworks?"

"Lead the way!" Vanille chirped.

"I wouldn't let you lead if you tried," Fang told the girl and started walking.

Further down at the end of the sands stood two other figures. One of them a few feet shorter than the other and had long, silvery hair, while her companion shifted from foot to foot, the wind tousling his dark brown bangs.

"I never imagined I'd see this," the young man remarked. "Is this a vision or something, Yeul?"

The girl standing beside him—Yeul—smiled. "Only you can figure that out, Noel."

Noel shook his head. "Thanks for that brilliant answer," he said, causing her to laugh.

"I do not know my way around this city," Yeul admitted, changing the subject. "Perhaps we should ask for directions."

"No way," Noel answered. "We don't need directions. We just have to follow the lights." He pointed to the structures in the center of the city, rising up gradually in height.

"If you get us lost, Noel…" Yeul began.

"Relax," Noel interrupted. "I'm not gonna get us lost. Come on, we'll be late if we don't hurry." At his last word the first fireworks exploded over the buildings ahead of them, and he took hold of Yeul's hand, pulling her forward. "Let's go!" he exclaimed.

The shadow of a Guardian Corps soldier stood atop one of the roofs of the buildings closer to the center of Bodhum. She barely moved save for the flutter of her hair against her face and the billowing motion her cape made when the wind blew.

The fireworks began to go off in the air in front of her, but the soldier didn't move. She stared straight ahead without so much as a change of expression.

Out of nowhere, another figure materialized beside her. His hands slipped around her waist and his voice whispered something in her ear. "They are stunning, are they not?"

The soldier's concentration broke, and she spun around, facing the man who had appeared behind her. "Wh—what are you doing here, Caius?" she stammered.

"'Tis a benefit of being able to cross time and space as I choose," he answered.

The soldier blinked. "You came here, to this time and place, just to see me?" she asked him.

"Maybe," he whispered. "Maybe I just came to see the fireworks show. How will you know?"

The soldier stared at him for a minute. Finally she raised her chin, brushed her hair from her eyes, and took a step toward him. "How will I know?" she asked. "Let me think."

She leaned closer. Close enough that she could feel his warmth. Close enough that their mouths could touch.

He sighed, her name escaping his lips.

"Lightning…"

Around them, the show went on.