Disclamers: Do not own the characters... do own the bad writing. =p
Anonymous asked: Angsty-ish AU where FFXIII-2 ends successfully but instead of Serah having her vision, Noel begins to feel a pain in his chest collapses into Serah's arms before slowly fading out of existence...
"Hey look, the heroes are back!"
It was a brand new world that greeted Serah and Noel once they landed on the airship. Bhunivelze had risen into the sky and damage from Cocoon's fall had been mitigated.
They had won.
"Are you feeling alright?" Noel asked the moment Serah was able to catch her breath. It was sweet of him to continue to be concerned about her even after their return but Serah knew that the her 'gift', the Eyes of Etro had been taken from her the moment Caius had been defeated.
She nodded and giggled in happiness the companions turning from each other and gazing at how different the world was going to be in this future. It would take some time but they would adapt, with their friends and family around to help them.
"The gates are closed."
"It's the end of our journey." She turned to him, something she needed to say now before she could forget. "Hey Noel?
"Hmm?"
"Thank you." There was more but when she met his eyes with her own, everything changed. "Noel?" The boy from the future collapsed down on one knee, clutching his chest as he let out a short wail of anguish. "Noel!" Kneeling down to check to see if anything had hurt him and placing her hands on his shoulders she was surprised to see a familiar red glow appear on his chest.
It was the Heart of Chaos.
Though Noel had confessed to wanting the Heart in his past, he had not wanted to kill his mentor and old friend for it. The Heart must have entered his body upon Caius' death in Valhalla.
However, that was not the most startling realization.
"Serah, I'm sorry." Her hands slipped through his body. Noel was fading. "I'm so sorry."
Noel was from a future that no longer existed. Resolving the final paradox had indeed changed the future… and with it removed Noel's existence here. Serah tried fruitlessly to grab onto any part of him as he continued to fade. "No, no! Please don't do this!" A translucent hand came to rest over her cheek and even though she couldn't feel it, she wanted to pretend just for a moment.
"It's okay Serah. This is probably what should have happened from the beginning."
"But Noel, I-" If this was her last chance to tell him, she wanted to say it. "I-"
"Please don't say it." His eyes were sad. "I don't want to have any regrets."
He had known what she wanted to say.
Just like him.
He faded away, the Heart of Chaos the last part of him to dissipate.
As she began crying, Hope had finally joined her side.
"But why…? You were safe, everything was fine."
"The future changed. Just as the seeress said: If you change the future, you change the past. The effects ripple outwards, up and down the timeline.
"He was never meant to exist here with us." Hope kneeled beside her and gathered Serah in his arms, holding her as she choked on her sobs.
"Kupo? Kupo? Kupo!"
"Mog? Serah watched helplessly as her only other companion collapsed. "What?" Then she remembered the last words of Caius'.
The Heart of Chaos beats in my chest, a manifestation of Etro. Should this heart stop beating, the goddess will die once again.
A distant bell was ringing.
You must bear the burden. Of the eternal paradox!
To be continued….
