As I struggle with Aftermath Chapter 5, here's another drabble. I've been rewatching cutscenes and looking through transcripts to ensure my writing doesn't stray far from canon, but if there are any inconsistencies please do let me know, and I apologise in advance. A big thank you to those who are following this drabble series!

Disclaimer: I do not own FFXIII or its characters.

Chapter 2

Despite having been tasked with guarding the Goddess, Lightning often found herself with nothing to do. Her fear of being forgotten had kept her from watching the flow of time, and she had immersed herself in battles with various creatures instead, forging pacts with those she defeated. The denizens of the Unseen Realm were now mostly under her command, save for creatures such as the Nektons that never dared to venture near Etro's shrine. She often felt uncharacteristically restless.

It was during one such moment that she found herself searching the timeline again. As much as she had tried to abstain from doing so, the desire to see her sister's face, her friends' faces, was all too strong.

Finally, another window materialised, much sooner than it had during her last attempt. It was not possible for her to tell what year it was, only that it was further in the future. She saw Serah and Snow standing before each other, and Snow extended his hand, dropping something into her sister's open palms. Looking closer, she realised that it was his necklace.

She listened to Snow's words and watched her sister's expression as it shifted between surprised, sad and hopeful. Anger began to well inside her as she realised what he was planning.

'You idiot! You promised to protect Serah! There's no point searching – no matter what you do, you'll never be able to find me…'

But as soon as she saw the acceptance in Serah's eyes, she understood. An indefinite amount of time had passed since she had been removed from the timeline, but her sister still clung to her memories of the true timeline – memories that no one else possessed. And by leaving on his journey, Snow was choosing to support Serah by trusting in her memories instead of his own. It was an undeniably selfless act, and she felt her respect for him grow, if only slightly.

Lightning tried to watch over Snow after he left, in part because she worried for him, but mostly because she did not want to look upon her sister's tear-stained face for a moment longer. However, not long after he set out, she found herself unable to locate him. She searched every branch of every thread that comprised the timeline, but he was nowhere in sight. It was possible that he had been erased from time as well – paradoxes were becoming more and more of a common occurrence, and she worried for the state of the world, and for her friends.

Finally, she chose to return to the moment that she had left. Her sister had returned to her house and was conversing with the NORA gang. She seemed content, and Lightning decided to observe her other former companions. Sazh was enjoying some time off with his son, and Hope was poring over a pile of books, no doubt studying for an examination. They all looked older than they had when she had left them, but they appeared to be moving on with their lives. She smiled wistfully. 'Now you can move forward and live your lives on my behalf.'

Her final vision took her to the base of the crystallized Cocoon, where Vanille and Fang lay dormant. 'On our behalves,' she corrected herself, raising a hand almost as if to touch the crystal. She allowed her gaze to linger on the pillar for a moment longer and made a silent wish.

'Sweet dreams, Vanille, Fang. Watch over our friends when you awaken, as I will never return to the world.'

And as the vision gradually faded from her mind, she heard a voice softly whisper, "You don't even have to ask, Sunshine."