Just to clarify, this is a crossover between Final Fantasy XII and Final Fantasy XIII-2 (once they make a category for XIII-2, I'll switch to that). It does take place in the same universe as the Starstruck series, but it's more of an alternate sequel to So Starstruck than anything else. However, many, many changes occur in this version. This prologue is based off of the eighth part in Final Fantasy XIII -episode i-, so it would be wise to read the translation of that if you want to understand Lightning's situation here.

As always, I must thank my most fervent supporters, The Giant Daifuku, HopelessRomanticist and Riku Uzumaki. I can promise you that this will be just as exciting as my past stories! This is just the prologue, hence the shortness. Chapter one will actually be up sometime this week, since I'm halfway done with it. :)


They were all smiling, laughing, crying out of pure joy and relief...But for some reason, Lightning found herself unable to even speak. She had watched as Sazh went off with Dajh to go save the people still trapped in Cocoon's core, and as Hope left to go find his father. Snow and Serah were too busy talking about the future to even notice that Lightning had mysteriously vanished in the blink of an eye.

She wasn't too sure why she ran off in the first place; she saw flashes in her mind's eye of a dashing man smiling and holding her close. Who he was, she had no idea, but something about him made her heart pound and nearly spring from her chest. No sound came from his lips as he spoke, but it felt as if he was trying to say that he was sorry.

Sorry for what? She couldn't understand the silence between them, but she could feel the gentle brush of his cheek on her hair, his breath caressing her neck...

And so she ran, searching for this man and hoping to understand who he was and why he was stuck in her mind.

"Where? Where am I trying to go?"

But Lightning was suddenly lost in an abyss of darkness and water, but it felt as if the whole world was there and lost in time with her. Nothingness and chaos: was that it? All she could hear were the waves crashing upon the sand's end and the silent echoes of the man's voice in her ears. She drew in a deep breath, holding out her arms as the sea's waters came closer and closer. The man's daring face remained in its rightful place in her heart, but still he couldn't find the means to talk or tell her where she was.

She only smiled, allowing the light to reclaim her mind and bring her into what she hoped wasn't a dream. At last, she heard an echo of his voice:

In the world where I once existed, time's path is no longer certain...