?, ? B.F.

"Ugh…Remind me again why we agreed to do this?"

Both Noel and Serah were down on the ground on their knees, looking over every nook and cranny of the field in a vain attempt to find the crystal. Mog was off searching on his own, the bobble on his head keeping dark.

Serah wiped some sweat from her forehead before shaking her head. "We have no idea when or where we are, so let's just do what we best, help others out. Okay? Besides, didn't you enjoy seeing Yeul again?"

Noel, who was busy sticking his head into a little crevice, spoke with a quiet voice. "That wasn't my Yeul…The one I knew was always quietly observing the world from afar at her age. This one, however…She's much more excitable."

"And that's a bad thing?" Serah asked, rolling onto her back with a sigh. There was barely any light left in the sky. Cocoon had disappeared into the shadow of the world. "You said all the Yeuls were different."

"Yeah, well, they all still had one thing in common-" Noel wiped his dirt-covered hands on his pants before making his way over to Serah. He laid next to her, to which she responded by inching away from him slightly. He failed to notice this, and continued on, "Each Yeul was…aloof. They were each quiet and odd and…wise beyond their years. To see a Yeul who acts like an actual kid…I don't know. It just unnerves me."

"Perhaps it's a…paradox?" Serah suggested, continuing to move slightly away from him. She had not yet mentioned to him what the Scar-Faced Yeul had said about the whole 'falling in love' thing. Every time she thought about bringing it up, she felt her face flush red. Fall in love with Noel?! That was the silliest thing she had ever heard! She was in love with Snow… "I mean, it's possible anyway."

"Could be." Noel muttered, keeping his eyes up at the sky. "After all, whenever we go places, it seems we always cause trouble…Who knows. Maybe that young Yeul is just different. There were countless Yeuls; I'm sure at least one of them acted like an actual child."

"It was weird seeing Caius being all fatherly." Serah stated, turning so she faced Noel's way. He was pretty handsome...But not as handsome as Snow. "It just seemed so out of character for him."

"Yeah. Believe it or not, he did used to fuss over my Yeul." The way he said my Yeul made Serah raise one of her eyebrows by a bit. She knew he had meant it to be as in his time period, but the way he said it sounded like they were married. "He can be a dad when he needs to. He never shouts or anything, but he could be very strict with certain things."

"I'd think he be strict about everything." Serah quickly rose her head to see where Mog was. In the distance, she could see him still searching. "Like, about when she was allowed to go outside or what ate, or even who she hung out with."

Noel gave a small laugh before saying, "Oh, that last one applied. He tried everything to get me away from Yeul since I was three. It wasn't 'til I was older and his apprentice did we actually start talking."

"You…couldn't talk to her until you were Caius's apprentice?" Serah echoed, "So, lemme get this straight. Caius was so overprotective that he didn't let Yeul talk to any other children her own age? Kids need that! Th-"

"Caius didn't tell her to be silent. It was her own idea. He never once asked her to not speak to me."

Noel's words made Serah grow quiet for a good few seconds before going on, "But…why?"

"I asked Caius." Noel said, "He said that each Yeul was always abnormally quiet. I guess my Yeul was just super quiet."

Once again, there went that "my" Yeul business. It didn't annoy her as much as the second time, but that was beside the point. The bottom line was that it pestered her.

"I see…Well, we have to go through with our promise. Otherwise that poor girl will be waiting for us for all eternity." Serah rose to her feet and surveyed the area. It was almost so dark out that the only source of light was the Time Gate off in the distance. "Uh, Noel, we might have a problem here…"

Noel stood up as well, towering over her as per usual. Despite the age gap, Noel was much taller and more fit than Serah. She supposed that it was his strong genetics and way of life more than anything. Compared to her own life, Noel had to fight everyday just to survive. For Serah, it was always either Lightning or Snow protecting her at all times. "Well," Noel said, "Seeing how dark it's gotten in such a short span of time, I'd say you're right."

"That's just great." Serah mumbled as she crossed her arms. Now there was no way that they'd find a Rainbow Prism. The things reflected the light, but the only light useable was Cocoon, way off in the distance. Light from the busy cities adorned it, showing that people still lived back up on the small planet. It was comforting in an odd way. "Now how are we going to find one of Yeul's treasures? It'll only be a matter of time before we can't even see our own hands in front of our faces!"

Noel shook his head. "I really don't know…We can't look for them here, that's for sure."

It was then that Serah felt an idea sneak up and into brain. "…If we can't keep looking for the Rainbow Prisms here, why don't we just travel to another time and place? Somewhere else is bound to have one of those crystals."

The brown-haired hunter gave a smile. Serah had really come a long way. She was quick to catch on, and she was strong enough to hold her own. She really was impressive to him. "That's a great idea! I bet that Hope has come across one of those crystals during his studies! We can go back – no, forward in time and ask him!"

'Bet?' That single word gave Serah an even bigger idea. "Wait, Noel, I think that the best place to go would be to Serendipity! Think about it; a casino that's frozen in time would probably have a rare Rainbow Prism up as a bidding award! I bet we could win one or just trade in our Gil for some casino coins!"

"It seems like the best place for us to go. Let's get Mog and go." Noel agreed and turned his body towards Mog, who was still off searching in the dark. "Hey, Mog! C'mon! We're leaving!"

"Kupo? Kupopo!"

In a rush, the Moogle headed back towards his Mistress and…Noel. While in his mad dash, Mog didn't notice the fact he had attracted the attention of a huge, hungry Behemoth. The beast had been stalking much meager prey in the shadows beforehand, but as soon as its beady eyes saw the Moogle, it changed direction and ran after him. It clambered after the small creature at an alarmingly fast rate, snarling as drool fell from its mouth.

"Oh! Darn it, Mog!" Noel ran out to meet the Moogle at the half-way point before violently grabbing him by his head. Mog struggled to get out of the young man's grip, Kupo-ing as loud as he could, but Noel held on tight.

The behemoth roared aggressively, now realizing that its dinner had just doubled in both size and heartiness. It picked up speed and ripped up tons of earth with each step.

"Noel, throw him!" Serah screamed, extending her arms out before her and ready to catch the Moogle. "Hurry!"

With little to no hesitation, the brown-haired boy threw the creature to Serah. Amidst the air, Mog's body turned into Serah's signature pink bow. It landed square in her arms, and she wasted no time in positioning to fight. A single arrow materialized out of the air, hooking in perfectly to the bowstring.

"Fira!" Serah yelled the fire spell as she released the arrow, its tip now adorned with a bright red flame.

Noel dived down as the arrow passed by right his head. It flew through the air and met its mark: the Behemoth's eye. The creature recoiled in pain and horror as blood splattered all over from its destroyed eye.

Serah released her hold on the bow, which promptly turned back into Mog. Without even making sure Noel was following, the time traveler and her Moogle ran off towards the Time Gate. She reached out as she neared the gate before jumping into the flow of time.

Serendipity Casino, ? A.F.

The pink-haired woman came spiraling out of the Time Gate, landing head first onto the hard, tiled ground.

"Oooowww." She groaned, rubbing her head as she forced herself to sit up. She had officially hurt her head twice in one day. A quick sigh of relief escaped her lips; no blood this time.

"Oh my~! Is she okay?!"

Serah had to blink a few times before the Chocobo girl standing before her became less fuzzy. So she had arrived in Serendipity, huh? Good, she was a bit afraid she'd gone the wrong way back in the Historia Crux. She was so scared that she hadn't bothered to really check which way she was going. "O-oh, I'm fine." She replied, giving a smile to reassure the feathered girl. "Just a bit…dizzy, heh."

"Well that's good! You've arrived just in time~! The festival is about to start!" The Chocobo girl waved her arms (or rather, wings) wildly, a giant smile on her face. "Come on now, my friends and I will dress you up aaaalllll pretty!"

Serah stared blankly at the bird woman. "Festival?" She repeated, tilting her head a bit to the side. "What festival?"

The Chocobo girl looked disappointed for a mere second before going back to her cheerful disposition. "Oh, silly me! I forgot, we didn't publicize it~!" She giggled before continuing, "We're holding a big ol' party tonight, and only tonight! And, since you showed up, you're now officially invited!"

"I-I don't really follow this…" Serah muttered, both confused and exhausted. "Noel, what do-"

Noel was not behind her.

Serah sprang to her feet, ignoring the massive head pain that followed. She turned and faced the Time Gate. It was still. Usually, it would flash and move when a person was entering or exiting, but it just sat there, motionless. "N-Noel! Noel answer me!"

"He can't hear you from out here, kupo." Mog enlightened her, fluttering close to her pink head.

"W-Well, where he is then!?" She asked, panic in every word she said. "Is he still back with that monster?! Is he okay?!"

"Calm down!" Two more Chocobo girls had joined the other one. "There is no worries or cares at Serendipity! Only freedom and fun!"

"N-No, you don't understand! Noel…Noel…" Serah felt herself begin to shake. What if Noel was lying back in that field, alone and dying? He would never see the brand new world he strived to make alongside her. Instead, he would be devoured by that awful Behemoth, missed by no one but herself. Tears began to form in her eyes. "…I can't just leave him…!"

The Chocobo girls each exchanged glances with one another before shaking their heads in unison. "You can worry about that later, deary!" One said, her feathers slightly lighter than the others, "Come with us, and we'll make you presentable for the party!"

The girls corralled Serah, forcing her to walk with them away from the gate. The pink-haired girl cooperated, still stunned over the disappearance of her partner. Mog silently freaked out himself, keeping close to the Time Gate.

"M-Mog, stay there in case Noel comes!" Serah shouted at her Moogle, some of her tears escaping her blue eyes and rapidly running down her cheeks. "Please! I can't lose someone else that I-"

She stopped her lips from forming the last part. She couldn't, no, wouldn't say it aloud even if she was tortured.

"U-uh, don't you think it's a bit too flashy?"

Serah turned her body a bit to the left and right as she surveyed the outfit that the Chocobo girls had presented her with. It was a short, pure white dress. Its edges were adorned with diamonds that shimmered in the low light of the dressing room. It was snug against her frame, and dipped down in the bust area.

"No, no, no!" Said one of the Chocobo girls, her eyes lit up in happiness. "That dress is perfect for the occasion!"

"I-I'm not so sure about that…" Serah attempted for the thousandth time to pull the front up a bit more, but it was met with the same results as the last try. The bird girls had let her keep her engagement pendant on after a bit of arguing. They had also provided her with a brand new hair tie, so her pink hair was back in its usual fix. It had diamonds adorning it as well, so Serah saw herself not using it in the future.

"Oh, you look fine!" The Chocobo girls repeated, giggling like a wild bunch of school girls around their crushes. "Seriously! Now, get out there and let's get this party started!"

"W-Wait!" Serah called after the girls as they began to exit the dressing room, one by one. "Has there been any news about Noel?! Has he appeared!?"

The girls didn't answer her, and instead just exited the room, all still whispering amongst themselves.

"H-Hey!" Serah raised her voice, feeling anger begin to replace her anxiety. "I demand an answer right now, or my name isn't Serah Farron!"

In her anger, the pink-haired girl clenched her fists and stormed out the room, slamming the door behind her. The sight that greeted her was not what she expected.

Serendipity was a wild place, no doubt, but it had never EVER been like this! What must've been a thousand or so people, men and women of all ages, were all over the main hub of the casino. Men were in sharp suits while the women were dressed in showier outfits than Serah herself. All had cups of champagne in their hands, even the couples dancing.

Serah spun around to go back inside the dressing room, but the small outhouse-like building had disappeared completely. She took a step back in shock. How weird. Then again, it wasn't the weirdest thing to come across in a casino run by bird hybrid women, floating in the endless void of time and space. It was still weird though.

"A-Alright then, guess I'm my own." She said aloud to herself. The girls who had just assisted her had gone and vanished along with the changing room. Hopefully she could find her old outfit before the night ended.

As she made her way through the crowd, Serah tried desperately to look for her brown-haired friend. Maybe the place had a Lost Child Center where she could report his disappearance to? No, he was eighteen, the Chocobo girls would only laugh and make innuendo-filled jokes if she asked. Besides, Serendipity was a casino. They wouldn't have something like that anyway.

"Miss! Champagne or booze?"

A Chocobo girl nearby waves her wings (or was it arms?) around at Serah's direction before gesturing to the grand assortment of alcoholic beverages on an actual Chocobo's back. The large bird went "KWEH!" as soon as its mistress (or were they on equal grounds?) called out to Serah.

The pink-haired girl shook her head before speed-walking away. She couldn't handle that stuff. On her 21st birthday, she passed out from a mere two shots that the NORA members made her drink. It was her older sister who could drink all that stuff and not be bothered, not her. Lightning definitely had check this place out once Noel and her finally found her.

"Would you care to dance, miss?" A gentleman to Serah's left asked, his gloved hand extended out to her.

"O-Oh, no!" She said quickly, "I'm engaged! E-Excuse me!"

Clinging tightly to Snow's pendant, Serah continued on her way through the seemingly endless crowd of people. If only Noel or Snow or Lighting were here. They'd take care of it all for her. That was how it used to be, anyway. Sitting back, stress-free while others did everything for her.

But that was three years ago. She was alone now, and she had to take matters into her own hands.

"Noel!" Serah shouted, hoping her voice wasn't being drowned out by the boisterous chatter of the other party goers. "Noel, please!"

She felt tears begin to form one more in her eyes. Some hero she was, crying and willing to give up at a moment's notice. Noel had been wrong. I haven't grown stronger! She thought, I'm still weak…

"Hey! The Chocobo girls are gonna sing!"

"Really?!"

"C'mon everyone!"

Like a tsunami ready to destroy the world, Serh felt the force of the people behind her begin to push her body. Her petite form and lack of physical strength resulted in her being shoved into moving. The wave of people in front of Serah soon stopped going forward, which resulted in her being sandwiched between five people, all whom were much taller than her.

Serah was forced to raise her arms up against her chest, unable to move an inch. The rowdy crowd yelled with glee. A man to her right spilled the entirety his drink, and she narrowly missed being covered in it by ducking her head a little to the left. If Hell really existed, it was definitely Serendipity while having a party.

Thanks to her height, Serah couldn't see a thing that was happening on stage. From what she could pick out from the endless chatter around her, a few of the Chocobo girls were on a large stage and busy getting ready to sing for all the guests.

"Can you believe it?!'

"They're all so pretty…"

"Let go of me!"

"I bet that-"

Serah's head spun around in every direction possible. The man who had shouted something about letting go…it was Noel. No way was it someone else, it was his voice.

"NOEL!" Serah screamed at the top of lungs, desperate to hear his reply. "NOEL PLEase…"

She said much more, but the song of the bird girls had melted her voice away. Even those right next to her seemed to be talking, but the bird women had somehow silenced them all. There was no way for Noel to have heard her, much less respond back. But, he was close! He was so close! She just had to find him!

If polite words and underwhelming strength wouldn't work, there was only one thing that could work. It was time to let her inner grade school teacher out: Meanie Miss Farron.

"You're all driving me absolutely insane!" Serah screamed so loudly that her throat burned after the words escaped her. Due to the Chocobos girl's song, her extreme scream had sounded like a mere regular conversation.

Those closest to Serah heard her, and looked at the angry pink-haired girl with pure shock.

Serah scowled at their bewildered faces and proceeded to force two of them to let her pass between them. She had not been this angry since one of her students broke her engagement pendant's chain. She was going to find Noel right now, whatever it took. To Hell and back with being nice!

Serah squeezed past a few more people before feeling a rough tug on her shoulder. She spun around, ready to punch whoever it was in their jaw, but froze once she saw who it really was.

Noel was very odd looking without his usual attire. A tuxedo really didn't suit the him, he looked better looking like the wild child he was raised as. His brown hair has been combed down and oddly shiny with the addition of gel. The bird girls had done it, no doubt.

Noel's face soon became distorted with Serah's tears. Meanie Miss Farron had left her the second she saw him. She was back to being Super-Emotional Miss Farron. Serah attempted to speak once more, but her throat was too coarse to even try to shout again. She could see Noel attempt to talk as well, obviously a little choked up. It wasn't as bad as her, but it was plain as day he wasn't as calm and collected as he wanted to be in front of her.

Instead of using words, Serah resorted to just hugging her companion tightly. His height made it so that her head ended up in his chest; her tears running into his brand new tie. When was the last time she had hugged someone like this? When Snow had left her on his journey, three years back? No…They hadn't even hugged…

Upon her head, Serah felt a light presence touch her. She knew what it was. Snow had kissed her many times before on her head. Noel's lips were nothing too different.

The two stayed there motionless for a considerable amount of time. Finally, as they stepped back from one another, the Chocobo girls ended their song. All sorts of cheering sounds poured into Serah's ears, so much so that she had to cover her ears to try and suppress the wave of sound.

Noel did that same, but he recovered much quicker than Serah. He patiently waited for her to aculeate and made sure that Mog was safe off in the distance. Crowds were not for him.

"You okay? I heard you call out after those girls on stage cast Silence on us."

Serah took a deep breath before replying. "Yeah, I'm fine…Why would they do that anyway?"

Noel shrugged. "Who knows why those feather-covered women do anything? Like, ya know, run a casino out in the middle of who knows where…"

Serah gave a small chuckle. She decided there to not mention what Noel had just done. It would make things awkward, and that was the last thing she needed at the moment. "S-So, you're okay? I was worried sick when you didn't come out of the Time Gate with me."

Noel just shook his head. "Don't worry about me. I come from a world where those monsters are food, remember? Don't take me too lightly."

"I'll make a note to not." Serah lost her smile as she spoke. Wow, she really worried too much, huh? First Snow was telling her to quit it, and now Noel. "Sorry."

Noel just gave a smile. "Hey, you found us a Rainbow Prism I see! Well, it's not really a Rainbow Prism as it's a bunch of little ones…"

This made Serah furrow her eyebrows. "Huh? What are you talking about?"

"Those!" Noel gestured to Serah's own body.

Serah looked down (instinctively covering her bust area). The little diamonds that lined the edges of her dress were casting little shadows of rainbow colors onto the white fabric. "Wow!" She exclaimed, turning this way and that to see the rainbow effect move and flow along with the dress. "These aren't diamonds, they're really bits and pieces of Rainbow Prisms!"

"You mean you didn't know?" Noel asked, tilting his head. "Didn't you pick that dress out?"

Serah shook her head. "Maybe if I was going swimming I'd pick something like this out, but the Chocobo girls made me wear it."

"Maybe it's a sign!" The super optimistic Noel said, a great big grin on his face, "Maybe the great goddess Etro is helping us out!"

"Don't the people here believe in some other god?" Serah muttered to herself. Noel was a believer in Etro, but she swore that all the feathered women around here praised and worshiped Lady Luck. Regardless of whatever high deity had helped them out, Serah thanked them generously.

"Huh? Oh, well, uh, Etro still helped us out; I know it." Noel gave another cocky smile before turning his gaze to two incoming Chocobo girls.

The two girls had their original clothes in their hands (wings?), "Ah," The first one said, "Here's where they got to~!"

"Hey, that's our clothing!" Serah reached out to the girl holding her pink one-piece, but she took a step back from Serah before she could grab it. "U-uh, hey, that's mine! Give it!"

"Not until you both say the magic words!" The two chorused in a sing-song voice.

"Magic words…? You mean 'please'?" Serah asked. She always made her students say both please and thank you. Now it seemed she was getting schooled by two ageless bird women.

"No, no, no! 'Meow-Meow, Choco-Chow!'"

It took a lot of coaxing, but fifteen minutes later, Noel, Serah, and Mog were back in the flow of time. All their faces were still red from embarrassment.