Hey everyone.

Well I'm happy to say that I have finally crossed the line into Final Fantasy XIII-2 fanfiction. It has always been my intention to write a continuing story line, set in the different situation XIII-2 provided us with. Up until now, I have hovered in the XIII category for a few reasons. Firstly, I found the characters in the first game to be far more interesting than this one. Secondly, I didn't really have an idea of what I might write to continue with the general theme of the second game.

Yet my muse has other ideas, I find myself increasingly drawn towards writing this story, which I have finally given into and put pen to paper. Bear with me, this is a new experience.

Without too much ado, here is the first instalment.

Enjoy. X

Disclaimer.

The worlds I write in and the characters I portray do not belong to me. They belong solely to Square Enix and affiliates and I simply borrow them for your enjoyment and my writing addiction.

Warriors' of Etro.

The truth was, as soon as she slipped her hand into Noel's, steadying her plummet downward. Serah Farron couldn't help but feel that something wasn't quite right.

Her feet nimbly landed her upright, making only a slight noise against the metal surface of Sazh's airship. It wasn't as if she was even focusing on their perfectly timed entrance back to Gran Pulse, not really. The look on her companions face said it all, the slight grin that Noel held brought her all the reassurance she needed, on the surface anyway. It told her they had finally done it.

They were home and more importantly – safe.

Her light pink hair flew out behind her, the power of the vehicle in flight beneath them carrying a steady breeze past her face. She slipped her hand out of Noel's gently, giving him an appreciative nod. Closing her eyes she smiled to herself as Mog flew round her excitedly, he too was happy to have his feet back somewhere familiar.

Serah couldn't thank the little Moogle enough. Jumping through time had been tough on them all and she was grateful for the little guy's loyalty. He wasn't the only one either, she owed Noel a greater thank you. Before she could open her mouth to speak, she noticed a small light glowing up above them. Taking a few steps forward, she raised her head, the breeze catching her hair even more, throwing it backwards like the foam on a waterfall. Her baby blue eyes found themselves fixed firmly to Hope's new arc, 'Bhunivelze'. The gate that they had traversed through finally coming to a close.

She heard Noel breathe a sigh of relief beside her, aware that she too, had cracked a smile.

"That's it, the gates are all closed." he whispered, pausing to enjoy the breeze on his own face. It was such a relief, he had been very worried for a moment, worried that the future would change and that Serah would be suddenly stricken with a life-altering vision. He had seen it before, with Yule. He couldn't do it again, not with Serah. Their journey had been a memorable one and he didn't want to see it end that way. Besides, he had promised to get the youngest Farron to her sister. He believed in keeping his promises.

Serah sighed too, almost sadly, yet the soft voice she spoke in sounded joyous. She was one step closer to home – to Lightning.

"It's the end of our journey." she whispered quietly, smiling harder. She couldn't wait to see everyone again. Snow, Hope, Lightning. Even team NORA. Then there was Fang and Vanille. It would be nice to get to know the both of them a little better, after all she owed Vanille her life, more than once now.

This was it, closure.

"We're finally home." Noel nodded, looking over to her, a slight frown across his face. Serah noted how he said the word 'we'. It seemed like he had already settled into his new time-line, many years into his past. It saddened her really, that he was missing out on his own time, not of course that there was much to miss out on.

She was sure he would be far happier here. At least there would be familiar people to share his life with.

"You finally get to see your sister." he said quietly, his voice almost lost on the wind. Serah had to strain to catch his words.

"Yes, it will be good to see everyone again." she replied with a nod, Mog adding a little 'Kupo' to the end of her sentence. She giggled at the Moogles antics, it seemed that even Mog had enjoyed Lightning's company. He was after all, hers once.

It brought her back to what she was going to say before, turning gently so that her body was facing his she clasped her hand around her arm, tucking it behind her back. It was a stance that she took up often, most usually when she was either feeling shy or just a little nervous. In this case, it was a little shy. She felt slightly strange to just give a simple thank-you when someone had done as much as Noel. Either way, she still felt the need to tell him, even if he had been there for himself just as much as her.

"Hey, Noel." she said quietly, feeling her cheeks flush a little. He turned towards her in puzzlement, hearing the apprehension in her voice. He encouraged her to go on with a slight nod of his head. He was listening.

"Thank you." she whispered, a strange feeling shooting through her body. At first, it just felt like a bout of cold shivers, until she realised that the Pulse air was still holding the heat of daylight. Then a vision flickered in front of her eyes and she widened them in shock, realising what was really happening.

She could see briefly, she could see everything. Even the expression that Noel held on his face, she even heard Mog's little concerned calling of her name. She could feel too, Noels hands gripping her shoulders just seemed to send the strange sensation through her faster, chilling her body further. For a moment, her heart beat faster in fear, knowing fully well what was beginning to happen.

It was the beginning of the end. The future was changing, and she would be forced to experience that.

"Serah, snap out of it!"

She could even sense the fear running in tremors through Noel's voice but couldn't even move to reassure him. Instead, she felt her knees buckle, her vision instantly becoming cloudy.

The powers of the Farseers – the curse that both she and Yule had to endure.

Lightning now seemed so far away.

Noel's face swam in and out of focus and she realised that she had lost complete control over her body. A strange place faded in and out of her focus, it was a place she half-recognised but the details were a little blurry.

Wait, was it Valhalla? Focusing on the vision she noted that tiny little details had changed. Instead of hovering over what should have been the mystical city where Etro's throne resided, it almost looked like the town of New Bodhum.

But that was ridiculous. What would New Bodhum's houses be doing in Valhalla? They had resolved the Paradoxes and closed all the gateways. It shouldn't have been possible. Yet in her vision, an image that she knew was of the future; it was possible.

And it scared her.

A high pitched ringing shot through her ears uncomfortably, she tried raising her hands, desperately attempting to clasp over them to block out the sound. It was like someone had screamed at her eardrum, leaving the uncomfortable feeling of slight deafness behind. Panicking, she realised that her arms wouldn't comply, they almost seemed like they were made of lead and far too heavy to lift off the ground.

Her vision swam more and before she knew it, her body gave up on it's fight to stay upright. A sensation of falling overcame her and she wanted to scream out. None of the other visions had been this bad. She knew what was going to happen, this time when her eyes closed; they wouldn't open again.

Noel grabbed her arm suddenly, jolting a shock-wave through her body. It half shook her, her eyes flicking once back to reality and focusing on his face, her vision all but dissipated. She desperately wanted to speak to him, to tell him not to worry because everything would turn out alright.

But mainly, she wanted to apologise. He had made a promise that he would get her to Lightning, that she would see her sister before this happened. She had told him to make it his new goal, to keep fighting towards protecting her. Now, as she fell forward into his arms she realised – She had broken that promise for him.

As he pulled her forward, she knew this moment would stay with her wherever she might go after death. Being wrapped in his arms, it would have felt right had it been for different reasons. For this one however, it did nothing more than chill her with sadness. She just hoped he didn't give up on his fight for the future. From what she had just seen, he was going to need all the help he could get to set things straight.

Noel eased her gently to the floor, her knees buckling from underneath her and becoming just as limp as the rest of her body. Moving forwards, her head gently coming to rest against the crook of his arm, he noticed in desperation that her eyes fluttered to a final close. His heart jumping with sadness, he unknowingly gripped her harder desperately wanting her to wake up as if nothing had happened.

He wasn't sure reality had actually even hit him yet. She was dead; Serah was dead.

He couldn't even bare to look up as Hope's airship descended towards their current transportation. His eyes were tear-filled and still locked to Serah's, encouraging them to re-open and for the younger Farron to give him the same reassuring smile as usual. The same joy-filled expression she always wore, even when everything looked so dim around her. She was just like Yule, in how she lived and how she died.

She never let anything get in the way of her mission, her mission to find her sister. Even her own death.

The last sound to meet Serah's ears was a high-toned yell that vibrated through her entire body. As her subconscious slipped into nothing, not even the previous vision she had endured she was only vaguely aware that it was Noel who was shouting.

He was shouting her name.

And shout he did. As loud as he could, if he could have shouted to Cocoon and back he would have done. Anything that would have brought her back. He imagined right now, Lightning's reaction should she see what was going on. He wasn't even aware of whether Lightning knew Serah's status as a Farseer, he presumed that she didn't. Things had happened so fast, he just didn't get time to say what he really wanted.

What he needed to say.

In fact, as Hope bore down upon him, reality had only just begun to sink in. How was he supposed to tell the other man what had happened? How Serah had died because they changed the future too much. All he could manage, as he felt Hope's eyes settle in confusion on the back of his head, was a small gesture. He simply shook his head, confirming what Hope was asking.

"But, why? You were safe, everything was fine!" Hope's voice cracked as his sentence finished, his shock perfectly apparent.

Noel struggled to answer, realising as he opened his mouth that his own voice was about to crack, his body suddenly feeling numb.

"The future changed, it changed." he whispered, a single tear-drop rolling down his face and crashing onto Serah's cheek. Highlighted against her already paling skin.

"If you change the future, you change the past. The effects ripple outwards, up and down the time-line."

Noel paused, gently running his hand through Serah's light-pink hair, its shade looking ever so slightly darker against her porcelain skin. It was ironic really, she just looked like she was sleeping.

He heard Hope voice a reply, but didn't really catch his words. They could have been lost on the wind of simply blocked out by numbness running through his head. Either way, he lowered his tone, talking more to himself than the young man next to him.

"She knew what would happen. She knew, If we changed the future that her life could be in danger."

It was something he admired about her, even in death. She had given up her happiness, her life for Lightning. It was a bond he had only ever had with one person. He would quite happy have given up his life for Yule, if it meant that it didn't have to end this way.

He was vaguely aware of a movement to one side of him, it was Mog floating steadily upwards, his eyes locked towards the sky, almost to the same point that they had fallen through. Reluctantly, he gently lay Serah back down, a creeping feeling coming across him. Making sure he lowered her as carefully as he could, he didn't see at first the little Moogle fall from the air.

He caught the action as Hope threw his hands out, catching Mog quickly. The little creature writhed slightly in Hope's arms, waving his little feet about weakly. Noel leapt to his feet, suddenly aware of how dark he sky had become, darkened clouds covering the skyline.

His heart skipped a beat uncomfortably, a strange recognition moving through his subconscious. He'd seen those clouds before – in Valhalla.

"The goddess, she is gone, Kupo." he frowned at Mog's words, his heartbeat increasing further. The little Moogle's arms went limp, making him just as motionless as Serah. His eyes raised, meeting Hope's for the first time since he had stepped foot on Sazh's still flying airship. For the first time, the young man before him looked scared. It was an emotion that he hadn't yet seen Hope wear. He was usually the calm one, the one with all the answers.

Now, he fell silent. No solution to speak of, just an uncanny fear of the unknown.

Noel looked down at his own hands, a realisation quickly hitting him. The words he heard, swirling around in his head. They belonged to Caius.

"The heart of Chaos beats in my chest, a manifestation of Etro. Should this heart stop beating the goddess shall die once again, and the chaos of Valhalla shall be unleashed..."

"I. I killed the goddess?" he whispered, curling his hands into fists. This was his fault, all of it.

Serah didn't need to die.

As he looked down at his hands in guilt, the sky grew darker still. Black clouds now swirled above their heads, casting a purple tinge across the ground. The wind steadily increased, picking up their hair and throwing it out behind them wildly. Noel raised his arm to his face, trying to block out the sudden chill. Hope clutched to Mog a little harder, in fear that they would both be cast overboard by the sudden gust. He looked over at Noel, awaiting instructions.

He had seen images of this place in the Oracle Drive, he had seen Caius here in the past. With Lightning. This was Valhalla, the forgotten city. The city where Etro herself lay in slumber, protected by her personal guardian. This was where it all began, and where it all ended.

Yet it was here, clear as day in New Bodhum – how was that possible?

Noel caught his look of confusion on between trying to keep himself upright. It was something that was made harder by Sazh gently banking the airship round. Its wings tipping to steady its large frame against the wind. The action caused a sudden thought to hit him.

Spinning around he looked desperately towards Serah, his eyes resting on the place that he'd laid her. A tremor of panic shot through him when his eyes fell on an empty space.

Serah was gone. Not even a slight glimpse of her body remained.

Rushing to the side of the ship., he threw himself against the railings clumsily, desperately trying to see if she had fallen. His eyes scanned the ground for any sign of her, yet came up empty. Instead, his eyes locked with the sea of Valhalla, rough and untamed. Far from the gentle waves of New Bodhum. The very shore where they had fought and defeated Caius, where he had personally grasped the older Guardian's sword, plunging it into the sand in a final farewell.

The darkness was upon them. As the great clock of Valhalla chimed, Noel looked on in horror as Gran Pulse was consumed by the very city they had just left behind. Somewhere here, Caius lay dead, defeated by his successor. Just like the prophesies said. Here, Lightning slumbered in crystal, doomed to face an eternity of servitude to Etro.

Here, Etro herself lay still. Her ruling no longer valid amongst men.

In this city, Noel now stood. The bringer of darkness watching over all that he had caused. Sometime soon, the hell of Valhalla would come; it would consume everything, everyone that stood in its path.

He would be alone once more. Forced to see the end of days, just like it had always been planned.

The prophesy had become reality, warped and twisted. The end of days was upon them, with no time-gate to reverse what had happened. With no way to reverse the damage they were stuck here, bent to the will of time.

The day Yule and Serah had seen had finally come, the vision that had killed them was now the truth. As the truth sunk in, a horrible thought flashed through his mind. One that left him completely responsible for that that had happened. The burden Caius had brought upon him was now his to bear...

What had he done?