I'm sorry that this chapter took forever to write. Numerous health problems held me back, plus I'm in a new relationship and I'm just getting on with my over here I guessl

I would like to thank quietreaper for following this story. Please read and review!

~~Chapter Two: Tears in Fire's Blood~~
++Date: April 29, 2007 || 1:45 PM++
++Location: Konoha Hospital++

"You're finally awake." Serah hears the voice and turns to see Neji in the door. Her cheeks are suddenly kissed pink like a spring rose, the blooming color so cute against her ivory skin. This young man was handsome from the depth of his "seemingly lifeless" eyes to the gentle expressions of his voice. His chocolate hair hung long and loose, somewhat wild and untamed with a few strands dangling over his right eye. "Anyway, I brought you a small snack to nibble on. It seems my comrade, Lee, wanted me to bring this to you."

He walks over with a tray of food and one of her feline friends, Kitson, goes into a white crystal and dissipates into Serah; Casanova jumps onto her mistress's shoulder and watches Neji carefully. But when he pulls a table over Serah's lap on the bed and even starts to slowly peel the pinkish skin of a fruit before removing the core and cutting it into pieces. He did the same to a yellow fruit before placing it on her table that was over her lap. "The other food will take awhile before they're done. Hope this will help satisfy your hunger until it's done."

Serah gives Neji a soft smile, an expression he's been shown before, but something about hers...it spoke to him. "Don't worry about me. Cooking takes time, trust me."

Her smile was one of happiness growing, as much as a spring flower opening under the radiating sunrays. Neji could see how it came from deep inside to light his eyes and spread into every part of him. A person's smile was more with than their mouth, and he heard it in her voice, in the choice of her words and the way she relaxed around him: it was beautiful.

Serah takes a piece, one of each fruit and recognized them. "A fresh pear and peach, my favorite fruits. Thanks, um..."

"Neji. Neji of the Hyuga Clan."

"Serah Farron. Very nice to meet you. On my shoulder here is Casanova." The potcat meowed at the young man. The young girl puts a piece of fruit to her mouth; Casanova sniffed it before her ears immediately perked up and takes the piece to nibble on and Serah eats a piece, savoring every bit of it. As soon as it hit her stomach, she gasped and covers her mouth.

Neji puts a hand on her shoulder quickly. "Are you alright...?"

Serah slightly nodded. "I...think so... I've died back in my world and...my body is trying to readjust to everything... That's all..."

Neji rubs her back, hoping it would comfort her. After a minute, it helped and she continued to eat slowly while sharing pieces with Casanova and Neji, who normally didn't eat much. In about 35 minutes, the rest of the food arrives with Sakura, Naruto, Kiba with Akamaru and the even the Third Hokage coming in. "I see you're finally awake and one of the monsters you control is on you."

Casanova grew curious of the group and jumps into Serah's arms, eyeing them carefully. Akamaru barked, but the potcat doesn't hiss or growl back; she simply just relaxes against her friend who looks at the young dog. "Come now. Can you please not bark at her?"

He barks lowly at Serah, who chuckles and shakes her head at him. "Maybe if you be nice, I can help you retain yourself. Can you please do that for me?"

He barked in approval, wagging his tail. Kiba rubs the back of his head in embarrassment. "I'm actually surprised you can understand him."

"I control monsters. They speak and I can just...understand what they're saying. Casa, you alright?" She meowed and purrs against Serah. Sakura smiles. "She's cute. How'd you tame her back in the world you come from?"

"Casanova, get the Oracle Drive. It's easier to show you guys." The potcat protested at Serah, who sighs. "Sorry, I forgot. Fenrir Wildfang, can you do it?"

Casanova goes into her white crystal, dissipating into Serah before another one comes out and Fenrir comes out. Naruto freaks out and hides behind Sakura. "What is that thing?!" It was a brown+white dog-like creature with a weird pointed tail like leather, spikes down his spine, black eyes and sharp teeth. But to make everyone comfortable, he turns into a normal brown+white wolf with blue eyes. He softly barks and gets the Oracle Drive to hand it to Serah before laying on her lap.

She touches the device and it glows softly. "Oracle Drive, it is I - Serah Farron, former seeress of Gran Pulse and traveler goddess of time. Show this room how I tamed monsters back during my journey." It glows brighter and shows a projection against the wall. Soon, a recorded memory shows up. When texts showed up, Serah translated them.

++Location: Archylte Steppe (Clearwater Marshes)++
++Date and Time: ? AF || Around 2PM++

"The Archylte Steppe is a broad plain located in a remote corner of Pulse. The few explorers who reach the steppe return with reports of a tribe of fiercely independent nomadic hunters who have lived off the land here for centuries, cut off from the rest of human civilization. The actual location has not been made public, but tourists with a bent for adventure might consider renting an airship and putting together their own expedition. Some believe the hunters are descendants of the original Pulse inhabitants, while others claim they're a lost Cocoon tribe. If you get close enough to win their trust, they might tell you their story."

Serah and Noel have been fighting monsters for hours. They were getting exhausted with the hot weather upon them. Heat licked at their sweating faces and coiled around their limbs like a great hot-blooded serpent. The ground smoldered and sent up a disorientating haze; even the birds were silent and the grass stood still as if too hot to move. They had fought until their skin took on a glossy shine and the salty drops invaded their eyes. But soon, it begins to rain which brings much-needed relief from the heat.

The rain fell heavily as if it knew of the hardships - both behind and ahead. Each droplet alighted on Serah and Noel's skin with just enough coolness to command their minds to the present, to pull them away from the pain of the uncertainty of what was to come. The beads over their faces, washing over in a delicate cascade of trickles. Serah then raised her eyes to the grey layer that touched every mountain top; there was more to come before the skies would be cleared of. That she would be sure of it.

Soon, at the marshes, more enemies appeared to fight. Casanova was amongst 2 Mud Frogs and 5 Microchu. Noel summons his twin swords, while Serah got her fire magic ready and Fenrir roared at the enemies. Noel attacked first with Blitz and Serah uses Fira and swipes her hand to attack 2 Microchu with large fireballs, causing them to yelp in pain. Casanova tries to heal them, but Fenrir attacks her with his teeth and claws while growling.

The Mud Frogs try to stand and summon more enemies, but Noel killed them pretty quickly. Soon, Serah changes tactics and summons her bowsword to change it to its bow form and shoots arrows. Soon enough, the fight was over and Casanova had turned into a white crystal and succumbed to Serah via proving her worthy.

"Another win... I think we should head back to the camp. I'm starving." Noel was panting and Serah couldn't agree more. "Yeah. But I'm not cooking."

Noel sighed before he chuckles softly. "You're evil."

Serah chuckles as she jumps onto Karina, their yellow chocobo who was their mount; the young hunter then hops on to wrap his arms around her waist. "Noel, as much as you want to beg, not today. But behave, and I guess I can do it next time we travel to Sunleth. Okay?"

He chuckles and kisses her as Karina starts running and he rest his head against hers. "You got a deal."

The projection ended, making the ninjas surprised at what they just witnessed. "Wow. It seems you're a skilled warrior, young lady. It also sounds like you cook too."

Serah nodded. "I did all the cooking while Lightning did all the cleaning back home. As a former soldier, she prefers everything to be spotless. I kinda followed suit, but I still left a slight mess in my bedroom."

Sakura then gets a thought. "You can definitely clean Naruto's room then."

Naruto then yells. "Say what?!"

Serah shakes her head. "Is he always this annoying?"

Neji nodded. "Unfortunately, yes."

"You guys suck." Naruto's stomach then growls. "Damn it..."

Serah shakes her head. "If you are all hungry, sit down and split the food. My stomach is going to take time to heal and get used to eating regularly anyway." Fenrir then goes into Serah as he went into his crystal.

The others were surprised, but they all decided to do so. But the Hokage leaves the room to return to his duties. There was fried rice mixed with some sauce, eggs, and vegetables; there was also miso soup, large grilled fish, steamed meat buns, and green tea. Neji helped Serah eat slowly a little bit; she was enjoying the food as well and so did everyone else.

After filling her stomach, Serah sees all the things her family and friends left for her. She puts on Vanille's bracelet and necklace before looking at the rustic wooden frame holding a picture of them together. It was on the beaches of Bodhum on Cocoon where they first met, smiling. Serah was on the left and Vanille on the right, hugging her from behind and holding up peace signs with both hands. She smiles at the memory.

"What was your friend Vanille like?" Serah turns to face Kiba, who had asked the question.

"Vanille was always emotionally unstable, but she's extremely caring as well as adventurous, empathetic, and a very understanding person. She's like a younger sister to me and Fang with an upbeat and optimistic persona when everyone else had a negative outlook. Lately though, she's been taking almost everything seriously and has become a bit of a pushover."

"Just like another person we know." Neji was smirking at Naruto, who grunted in disapprovement. "Oh yeah. Thanks, guys..."

Serah giggled; it softened the room, as if her gentle sound could make the light more golden and the fires burn warmer. It was a nice sound to Neji, even though he was trying his best to not show it. Sakura then walks over to Serah. "Try standing up and go change into these clothes."

She nodded. Her head had become foggy, like when alcohol takes her into oblivion, but she has never drunk a drop of the stuff. Serah quickly grabs her survival knife and hygienic bag before letting Sakura help her up and walk to the bathroom with the new clothes.

Once alone in the bathroom, Serah does her business and showers before looking into the mirror. The huge healed scar on her stomach of what Caius did to her still stung in her heart. Grabbing her brush, she decides to have a long bang covering the right side of her face with a little over the left before using the survival knife to cut off her ponytail, removing the hairband to put it around her right wrist, throwing away the extra hair she once had, and putting on a whole new outfit.

From her original outfit back home in Bodhum on Cocoon, she wears her engagement pendant and her NORA cat earrings; from her time-traveling days, she was wearing knee-high black leather boots with a thigh pack (Style + Steel) and the golden phoenix-shaped armbands on each bicep. For the ninja bits, she was wearing tight black pants as well as fingerless fishnet gloves and a short strapless black top under a long sleeveless, dark, wine-red torso that did a twist held tightly by a black leather strap. Her midriff was exposed to show the scar. When she leaves the bedroom, the others stared in awe.

Neji's entire face turned red, but he quickly turns away to hide the embarrassment. Though they snap out of their daze when Serah sits back on the bed and her large scar is shown more. "Does it hurt?"

The rose-haired girl looks up at Naruto, who was now serious about the situation. She sighs. "Physically, no. Mentally..." Before she could answer, Serah gasps. The sclera in both of her eyes turn black and her irises showed Etro's golden insignia; black tears stream down her face while the Oracle Drive could "feel" the seeress and then it shows the memory.

++Date/Time: ? AF || N/A++
++Location: The Void Beyond++

The sweat trickled down Serah's back, free flowing like condensation on a window pane, it beaded on her forehead and dripped from her chin. She was panting heavily after fighting Caius twice and Noel was crashed against a large pillar, blood staining his lips and clothes with his hair all tangled and messy. Caius stood before the young woman.

He is a tall, slender, muscular man with purple eyes; long purple hair adorned with feathers and tribal beads, with a long, purple and black headband to hold it back. His form-fitting black and purple suit of armor resembles Bahamut, and he wears dark boots lined with white fur. The Etro script on the back of his armor translates to 'Undying Witness of Infinite Fate.' It is said the eye on the hilt of his sword is the eidolith capable of summoning Bahamut, an Eidolon gifted by the goddess Etro when he served as a L'Cie. "You fight bravely." Serah shoots at him, but he freezes time and walks toward her frozen form, touching her cheek.

"Child of miracles. Traveler goddess of time, guided by Etro. Listen to me carefully. Each time you fulfill a wish of your heart, someone else's dream is shattered. You conjure miracles, but when you do, the seeds of tragedy are sown in other lives. Are you prepared to bear that burden? That responsibility?" He unfreezes time, knocking her back. All this talk of ending time itself and destroying history just to stop Yeul's suffering was wrong and Serah wasn't going to let that happen. He disappears and Serah gets confused. "Caius?"

Suddenly, Caius's sword penetrates through Serah's back from behind and exiting through her stomach. But Noel gasps in shock...leaving Caius stunned as well...at what hits the ground. Tiny fingers curled as the arms were at a chest, its legs kick in a tiny jagged motion finding nothing but air. But sadly, the heart and movement both stopped; it was an unborn child now dead - by Caius's own hand. Noel winced as he begins to crawl his way towards his fiancee. "S-Serah...why...didn't you tell me...that you...were pregnant...?"

Serah coughs up blood as Caius pulls his sword back out of her and disappears in shame at what he'd just done. The pain that once burned like fire was fading away to an icy numbness. The black void began to fill the edges of her vision and the only thing she could hear was her own heartbeat and Noel's soothing voice before her breath came in ragged shallow gasps and falls onto the ground. She barely had fight left and she felt her beloved's hand touch her own hand. "I...was scared... I thought...you'd hate me..."

Noel uses his hunting knife to cut off his black tank top from under his main shirt and wraps their dead baby girl in it before painfully pulling Serah into his arms. Her vibrant blue eyes were dull now; her blood left the artery it belonged in surges, beat out by a slowing heart. She touches his cheek where he was slowly shedding tears; her body was becoming cold to the touch. "I could...never hate you..."

"I...love you...Noel Kreiss..." He was watching his own pale hands stained with scarlet blood. A small sob worked its way out of his throat and after a moment, Serah emits her last breath and she falls limp, tears leaving her half-open eyes. He holds his fiancee and daughter close and cries softly before raising his head to yell in agony. "Serah!"

Serah's eyes turned normal but curls up in the bed, covering her ears and shaking softly while the Oracle Drive's glow fades. "Make it stop... I can't take it..." Her sapphire eyes looked as if an ocean had been encased inside of small glass marbles. "Please...don't leave me." Then, the smooth spheres appeared to be cracked; the ocean had started to leak, little water droplets streamed down Serah's cheeks.

Hearts don't snap like brittle caramel or burst like an overfilled balloon. A heart breaks in the heaving waves of a new disturbing reality that has arrived uninvited. It is the one in which her child with Noel never got to live; it entered a life she couldn't bear and so she breaks. Serah won't be the same again; that's just a part of life that had to die so that the rest of them could carry on to the other people they love. That's what happens when you love someone, right? Their happiness is a part of your own.

Naruto and his group was just in shock at seeing Serah's lost recorded memory. The one that ended her life while in a beloved one's arms. Kiba was looking down at the ground with Akamaru whimpering softly in his arms; Naruto couldn't say anything as Sakura holds him close; Neji has released tears, but soon, he pulls Serah into his arms. This shocked everyone since he never showed this kind of behavior in front of the others before.

He soon strokes Serah's short hair, his breathing slowing down and she finally wraps her arms around him, touching his own hair that didn't seem to bother him at all. Now, her tears had stopped, leaving only their tell-tale wet tracks down her face. Neji was soothing her like no-one else; even his own breaths were deep and even. Soon enough, Serah's eyelids drooped and she falls asleep. She is laid back down and covered back up with the blankets.

"She's so broken. She's going to need quite some time to heal and it's up to us to help her to the best of our abilities." Neji faces them. "And I mean it too."

"Awe, the great Neji Hyuga is love-stricken." He eyes the blonde, who puts his hands up in surrender. "But, hey! We're helping you too! Geez..."

Sakura nodded. "Count me in. I like her already."

"Same here!" Kiba pounded his fist onto his chest; Akamaru barking in agreement.

Soon, everyone except Neji was called for a mission in the village. The young brunette stayed by Serah's side until the evening came. He then leaves the hospital to go to his family. He looks back at the hospital and softly smiles. "I shall see you tomorrow."