Noel Kreiss couldn't focus. Something was... was playing with his mind. He sat in the middle of one of the streets of Valhalla, clutching his head and trembling. Serah she... she died... died to... save everyone else. She died right in... right in his arms.

A sudden pain pierced his brain. Yeul. Hope. Serah. Caius. Their deaths played in an endless loop. Over and over, he watched them die.

Yeul, succumbed to her fate as a seeress.

Hope, murdered by the AI.

Serah, suffered a death he should have been able to save her from.

Caius, dead by his own hand.

Over and over and over, they died. Over and over and over, he couldn't save them. The guilt and grief were quickly driving him mad. He clutched his head tighter and screamed. Screamed out all his guilt, and grief, and frustration. Screamed at the unfairness of it all. Once again, he was alone.

He was on the brink of tears, when a gentle hand touched his shoulder. Normally, he would have reacted in his defence, but he was too far gone to care.

Until they spoke...

"Noel..."

He stiffened. That voice... it had to be her... but, it couldn't be...

He turned his head up to look at her, and there she was. Yeul. Alive, and smiling softly.

"Y-Yeul?"

"Yes, Noel. It's me."

"B-but... How?" He stared up into her green eyes in disbelief.

"You don't have to cry." Yeul mumbled as Noel began to do just that, "We will meet again."

Noel shook his head as he rembered the last words Yeul had spoken to him before she died.

"You see?" Yeul said, "I told you we would meet again."

"Is it... really you? Yeul?"

"It is me. But not as you think of me."

Noel questioningly grunted.

"I am Yeul. Yet, I am not." she removed her hand from his shoulder and stepped back, "I remember you, Noel Kriess. I remember everything you ever did for me, no matter the era. You tried to save me, but not as Caius did."

Noel stiffened at the word 'Caius'.

"You worked to fix the timeline. Twisted as it was."

"But I-I failed. I killed Caius. Etro. I couldn't save Serah. Everyone's gone. And it's all my fault..."

Yeul suddenly, and violently, shoved Noel flat on his back, "Hey!" he protested.

"Noel Kriess, it is not yet over. The world can still be saved. Find the Director. And together, you and he can right was has been wronged."

"Director? You mean- Hope? But, he-he's dead."

"Look inside yourself, Noel, remember!"

And at once, he did. He remembered seeing Hope, senslessly slaughtered by the AI. But he remembered something else as well... Adam. The Proto-fal'Cie. He remembered Serah shouting at Hope, long dead by that point, shouting at him about his machines:

"Hope, I have a bone to pick with you! These machines you built, are driving me nuts!"

Then, the fal'Cie disappeared. They went through a gate and, Hope... he was alive! He finished his new Cocoon, he saw Serah after... after she...

"Yeul, does that mean... is he here? Is he-"

But at that moment, black Chaos began to gather around Yeul. The smoky, fog-like substance thickened around her, and lifted her up into the air.

"Yeul!" Noel stood, and swiped at the Chaos holding her. But his hand simply went through it, and it dispersed. She was gone.

Noel stared at his shaking hands, and fell to his knees, "Yeul..."

He clenched his fists and stood. He would do what she said, he would search for Hope.

He had no idea how long he searched. Nor did he care. Time had no meaning anymore. He called out a few times, but not often. His voice echoed through the seemingly empty city. It was chilling. The silent emptyness of the place was enough to drive him mad. No movement... No sound...

"Mom!"

His voice came from the left. Noel turned that way, and saw the silver-haired Director, kneeling beside a bench as Chaos dissapated in front of him.

"Hope!"

The man turned, "Noel?"

Noel ran up to him, "Man, am I happy to see you!" Hope stood as he approached.

"Are-are you... real?" he asked apprehensively.

Noel's smile, which he had put on upon seeing his friend, melted, "Someone came to you, too?"

Hope nodded, "My mother."

Noel glanced at the bench, "What did she say to you?"

"That she was proud of me, that I saved the world. Tsk." He turned away.

Noel nodded, "Yeul told me to come find you. She helped me remember things... This place- it's messing with my head."

Hope turned back to him, "You too?"

"Yeah."

Suddenly, a high-pitched buzzing rang through the air. It had both men holding their ears to try and block it out. It drove them to their knees.

"What is that?" Noel asked through his teeth. Hope couldn't answer.

"Help..."came a familliar female voice.

"AGH!" Hope cried, the buzzing was making him feel like there were a million tiny needles in his brain, "L-Lightning?" he managed.

"Find me..."she said.

Eventually, the buzzing faded away. Noel slowly stood, but Hope held his position. Noel went to his side and tried to pry his hands off of his ears.

"Hope, it's okay, it's over." Noel grunted, tugging on Hope's arm.

"No.. No..."

"Hope, come on!"

"Light... Light, she... she" Hope moaned.

"It's okay, Hope, come on!"

But it wasn't okay. Hope's distress had began to draw Chaos to him. It was beginning to form a cloud around his head.

"No..."

"Hope!" Noel grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him violently, "Lightning wants us to find her! Do you hear me? We need to go find Lightning!"

Hope gradually started to remove his hands from his ears, and looked up at Noel. Similarly, the Chaos began to fade.

"Lightning needs us." Noel said.

Hope slowly nodded, "O-okay."

Noel stood, dragging Hope with him, "Alright then."

"Where do we go from here?" Hope asked.

Noel pointed upwards, "There." he said, "To Etro's Temple."

Was that really Lightning's voice? What about that mysterious buzzing affected Hope so violently? What will they find at Etro's Temple? Stay tuned!

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