A/N: Hey everybody, Legacy here again. Sorry for the slow updates, writers block is killing me here with school work and all that junk... Wish I had more time with this but can't because I get easily distracted now since I bought a Wacom tablet so now I can draw things on the computer, YAY! Anyways its going to be updating slowly so might as well try and knock out another chapter before I get caught up in a blank, so yeah. Enjoy.
Omni. POV:
The wind slowly picked up and died down each time dirt was carried through the invisible currents blowing swiftly through the endless night. Mel, now on her knees with her head bowed and hands placed behind her back, stared blankly at the ground waiting for an answer. She spoke not to long ago before the two she abandoned seven years ago to train on their own and to ponder of the words she last spoke to them. The Interloper wasn't looking for forgiveness that much was certain, she only wanted a second chance to make things right and to mend the damage she had wrought by her hands.
For what felt like hours Serah and Noel gave sideway glances to each other and to Hope standing a flight of stairs higher than them seeking answers from him, however the twenty-four year old Director of the Academy knew it was not his place to say what was right or wrong for it was the mess meant only for the three current members to deal with and not him. Noel and Serah knew they had to do something, say anything but for the past seven years that supposedly went by what was there to say? Mel finally finding the strength to look up and into the eyes of those she had wronged square in the eyes and spoke, her voice still hiding her true gender with a strong influence riding her words.
"Seven years have supposedly passed but that is due to the power of someone manipulating time and history. But during my time I spent wandering, thinking, about my actions to have harmed you two in anyway I have come to take responsibility for it all, but any forgiveness from you two isn't what I want. All I want is a second chance, I beg of you Serah, Noel. Please, allow me to make things right again, between us and between these paradoxes!" Mel's words were firm and closed off from any sort of weakness she had before speaking to the God, Bhunivelze, and the Goddess, Etro, and everyone there, even Alyssa Zaidelle could tell the difference when she barely knew the child. Crossing his arms and trying to fight the sudden urge to back down and look away from the eyes of the Earthling Noel walked up to the kneeling child and held his hand out to her. Hiding her shock failed as the expression had crossed upon her face, reluctant but willing Mel slowly raised her hand and met the brunettes and the lone survivor from the future smiled and pulled her up to her feet. Smiling herself Serah applauded Noel's sudden change of heart and patted the man on the back for listening to her advice and giving the Interloper a chance.
"For seven years Serah had continued to lecture me about giving you a second chance, and through all that time her words haunted me long enough to think." Noel began, his words were shaky but held a different aggressive tune than the usual amount of hostility, his voice was confident and forgiving. Serah came from behind and spoke as well with more enthusiasm than the beginning.
"I basically scolded Noel day in and day out like the 'Meanie Miss Farron' I am thanks to my students, and thanks to my own strict teacher. When we were traveling through the Historia Crux Noel just started questioning me about what he should do if we met again and I let him decide for himself, you know?" Mel was astounded that somehow while she was away Noel found it in his heart to give her a chance even though she was still hiding behind her false mask like she did in the beginning but maybe things could be different if she just came clean with everyone, someday just not now. So with a smile Mel stood confidently and nodded,
"Thank you, I really hope we can put the bad things behind us and start over yeah? But why only now are you even giving me a chance after all this time, Noel?"
Before the brunette could answer footsteps approached the three current members of this fantasy and Mel looked behind her calmly, weapon still in its bandaged scabbard, to see Hope Esthiem, ten years later, looking at her with happiness, like the adventure the two endured ended just yesterday but it didn't, an eternity passed since then and it was time for a reunion.
"Hey there, 'Big Brother.' Been a very long time, hasn't it?" Hope said coolly, putting a sarcastic emphasis on 'big brother', a joke only the two knew but the others thought it was just something the two shared since they were as close as surrogate siblings could be. Mel raised an eyebrow and shook her head feigning disapproval and began to walk up to Hope.
"Yeah, it has been a long time now, huh? 'Little Brother", the years seem to have treated you good, yea?" When Mel was within arms length of the silver haired Director, her arms crossed playfully, a moment passed until Mel realized she was looking 'up' to him rather than down. Hope was taller than the Interloper by a good two inches, enough to bring the interlopers face to flush with embarrassment. Out of reflex and out of her embarrassment Mel punched Hope in the arm and turned her back to him like a child not getting their way. Rubbing his arm with a smile Hope hooked his arm around the Interlopers neck, pulled her head down under his arm in a tight grip and started to mess the Earthlings hair up playfully, like any close older brother and younger brother would do.
"Hey, Hope! Damn it! Knock it off, this isn't funny!?" Mel shouted as her face burned a deeper red of embarrassment as this was performed in front of Serah, Noel and Alyssa. Alyssa jogged up to the pair and said to Mel in a cross tone, her whole being was pouting internally and externally scolding the child crossly,
"This serves you right for punching the Director, you idiot!"
Upon hearing those insulting words Hope let go of his friend and stood to his full height with the aura of authority emanating from his entire being, his face calm and straight, and spoke in a tone that surprised and scared Mel beyond comprehension.
"Alyssa, that is no way to speak to a close friend of mine."
Alyssa looked at Hope with a sort of innocence a child held trying to get something out of a bad situation and said defensively,
"But, Director! He had no right to hit you like that, playful or otherwise."
Hope, still retaining his position between the two, remained pokerfaced but obviously offended by what she said towards his friend.
"Still, it is alright for me and Mel to interact this way. If only you knew what kind of horrors we endured so many years ago you would understand that the ordeal we went through made us really close. Being chased by the Military, people cowering in fear staring at you with eyes full of despair screaming in terror of what we were rather than who we were. Forced to become the slaves of the Fal'cie with no other choice but to fight day after day being hunted and hated relentlessly with no end. And since then the bonds we created will never sever and I would highly recommend that you restrain yourself from using insulting words based on the judgments and allegations you created based on the little information you analyzed during our interaction, Assistant Director Alyssa Zaidellle." Believing her status and position were in jeopardy Alyssa hung her head in shame and walked away from her higher up without further interaction. Mel came up close from behind the Director, jumped and hit him on the head, like a soft tap on the head similar to someone slamming their fist into the table top. Hope placed both hands on the spot that was hit and turned around, his expression confused mixed with feigned pain . Mel shook her head and smirked coyly at the director.
"Ten years made you WAY too serious, Hope. Don't assume I don't know where your coming from, I can respect that, but I can handle the yelling, the lectures and the insults. Since I went home I had to deal with that every freaking day since I moved to the states. Besides I am your 'Older Brother' and I know how to handle myself. Better than I did before and thought I did." Mel explained, the last part strictly due to the circumstances of previous events. Alyssa looked up with wonder, her eyes gleamed and her hands were clasped together with the revived innocence again, soon when her assistance was no longer required she wandered off through the ruins humming and skipping happily. Hope was skeptical but sighed in defeat, showing he was willing to let it go anyway as his assistant left. Walking towards the ruins structures Hope looked serious, not a strict serious but grimly, towards his destination. Serah, Noel and Alyssa followed the director slowly up the steps and Mel watched them walk away before following herself. At the Directors quarters a small pillar with a strange green and gold item placed in the center greeted the arrivals. Serah examined it with curiously, Noel waled around her towards a nearby chair with his eye firmly on the item and the Interloper looked blank and void of emotion with hints that she knew of what would show and Hope knew it when he looked towards his friend.
"What are we looking at, Hope?" Serah asked without moving her hand from its resting spot under her chin.
Hope looked at her as if he awakened from a dream and walked up towards the pedestal, a hand was placed on the device and all form of dread was erased.
"This is called an 'Oracle Drive" an artifact that was used for the purpose of storing the Seers visions, whenever she had them. They hold information from the past of the future, a future that couldn't be avoided or was predestined to be created. I have studied a few samples from this drive with Alyssa and stopped, hoping you guys were going to show up I decided to wait to finish up."
"How far have you gotten into this drive?" Noel asked as his eyes remained fixed at the object. Hope shook his head and sighed,
"I managed to unscrambled a few segments, this drive had been altered for some reason as I couldn't access most of the data it held. I did what I could and what I uncovered were the events I participated in when I was a L'cie. Such events that occurred at Eden Prime."
"Eden Prime? Where we landed the day of the race?" Mel chimed in, not all surprised. Hope nodded.
"You think you could show us what you found? It might help us understand what happened back then while I was trapped in crystal." Serah said nonchalantly. Hope obliged and touch the drives surface in a computerized fashion, a keyboard, shooting upwards a thin beam of light barely reaching the ceiling of the tent. Images began to play while it focused itself and played the events the director had described. It was like watching a movie pulling the viewer into a trance, Serah was amazed as the scenes back on Eden focused around Lightning fighting alongside her companions and thought if she could touch the projection she could be taken there. The light faded and Serah pulled her wandering hand back in sadness and despair. The light reappeared and played the events that only Serah herself, and Mel, remembered that history forgotten. Eyes wide as saucers Serah bum rushed the pedestal and glued her eyes to the images. She wasn't crazy, this did happen and nobody supported her.
"After you spoke of what you remembered that day when Fang and Vanille saved Cocoon from obliterating both worlds on Gran Pulse I began my own investigation over the years and, with access to advanced equipment, discovered you were telling the truth. I felt terrible about doubting you Serah..." Hope spoke softly, shame written on his face clear as the moonlight in the starry skies. The pinknette shook her head and smiled sympathetically towards her friend.
"If I were in your shoes I think I would have reacted the same way. I don't mind Hope, as long as I know what I remembered actually happened I won't get mad at anyone... I'm really glad that I got to see how hard Lightning fought, for my sake... For everyone..." It was a dear moment between the two and all was forgiven, hatchet buried and forgotten. Soon another scene appeared, full of glitches and scrambled images, though the picture was beyond repair the events that barely showed was about Lightning fighting in Valhalla.
"I know that place, its Valhalla! That is where I met Lightning, someplace beyond the veil. In the Goddess's dominion." Noel pointed out as he recognized some places through the faze.
"She is alive... I knew it, she's alive and fighting somewhere... I'm glad..." Serah spoke with tears forming in her eyes, words were chocked back with relief and happiness she couldn't form them. But through it all Noel placed his hand on her shoulder and she wiped the tears away. However, things got serious upon hearing the name of where Light was, Hope chimed in again.
"Valhalla? Wasn't that the place you told us you were healing back on the Lindblum? After you saved me from falling in Palumpolum? Its real?" Mel looked at Hope with curious eyes and nodded.
"Yep. I guess only a 'special few' have permission to go there. But, honestly, I don't feel all that special. I'm just one kid."
"Still, you were there long before Lightning was so there must be a way to reach her. You have to take us there."
Mel laughed loudly, enough to make a few bystanders look their way, in a sort of innocent mocking way from what was said. Wiped a false tear from her eye and calmed down a minute or so later.
"If there was a way to reach her from the get-go then things would have been done already! But with all the paradoxes and time overlapping I think it was a smart move to go the long way than the easy way, but that's my opinion not sure 'bout the rest of ya. Besides, even if I knew a way to get there on my own I would have taken you guys there... After some things were explained first. "
The trio stared at the Oracle Drive, the Interloper straying from the base, for a few minutes longer and a red spark emerged.
"Did you see that?" Serah asked cautiously. Inching closer Hope intervened and walked towards the drive instead. The closer he got the more red sparks flew, it wasn't damaged or anything so what was making it emanate electricity? Reaching out to the drive, and as if it waited for his presence to increase, images of a future emerged from the light. It was a dark city full of colorful lights, a palace glowing brightly with a large British styled clock tower overlooking the city and its people, with red lightning flashing in the dark heavens above. The view zoomed in like a movie scene toward the clocks face and throughout the scene a voice, omniscient, spoke,
"It's beginning... The feast at the end of time. The last requiem to say farewell. The people here know that its almost over."
Until the scene reached the clocks face and the red bolt of electricity cracked in front of the clock stood a woman with rose-pink color hair, outfit similar to her guardian corp outfit with metal leather armor over her chest and torso. She whips her cape behind her, removes her shades and speaks in a calm voice,
"Yeah, only thirteen days to go." When her face was revealed it was Lightning, no longer the Champion of Etro but the Saviour, the servant of God; Bhunivelze.
"What the hell!?"
When the images faded and the trio was left in awe and confusion then Mel returned to the camp. Her face was red with anger and her eyes held the look of confusion as well, brows closing together trying to make sense of what the other three saw.
"That was Lightning, Mel. Who was talking to her?" Hope questioned, feeling as though he knows the answer.
"Was that... The future?" Serah asked hesitantly, slowly moving backwards toward something she could use to steady herself.
Noel shook his head and said agitated,
"It can't be, that couldn't have been the future. In my future everything is so barren. Just a colorless wasteland, that place we just saw was full of people and life! Tell me that was just a false prediction!"
"I'm afraid to say it but it isn't a false prediction, Noel. That was the future." Mel spoke now, emotionless but with purpose. Hope raised his head from his thoughts and clambered unsteadily towards the interloper.
"Mel, please! Tell us everything you know. I know something might change but we already have history flowing in and out of place, we have to know what's going on!" Hope was stern, eyes burning with desperation as it did many years before. Mel couldn't hold onto anymore secrets, her heart bled with betrayal and consequence. Either choice she chose she was damned already. Sighing heavily Mel took Hope's hands from her shoulders and let them suspend to his sides again, it was a long few minutes of silence but she had to think of what to say and how to explain it right, no more holding back.
"After you find Lightning again before saving the people from below from its destruction of crystal annihilation chaos floods into the world of the living and the Goddess Etro is consumed in the sea of chaos. Everything the corruption touched died, five centuries later a world called 'Nova Chrysallia' is born, made up of four remaining worlds. Man kinds final home: Luxerion, Yusunaan, the Wild lands and the Dead dunes. Shouldering the greatest sin, the Saviour will come at the end of days... And lead the souls of the many into the next life where a new world is waiting to welcome the people with open arms..." Mel was hesitant to continue, her eyes drifted towards Serah with remorse.
"But, someone VERY dear to Light isn't going to make it at the end of this journey."
Like a puzzle on a table Hope, Noel and Serah placed all the pieces together.
"Lightning called out to you for help, Serah, because she couldn't fight this war alone. The only choice she had, the only family left, was for you to come and find her. Please understand that..."
"That Serah is going to die after all this shit!?" Noel cried in frustration, pulling the interloper forcefully by the collar and into the ground. Fist raised once again.
"Noel!" Serah cried again, afraid and irritated of the same cycle repeating itself. Hope stepped in and shoulder checked the brunette off with balanced strength and precision, a few stumbling steps later the hunter caught his balance. The two men had a face off to see who would look away from the other, both were adamant and bold, neither faltered.
"There may be a chance to beat this future, to prevent Serah from dying. Something would change dramatically to take her place but if it is the only option we have we have to consider the cause and effects. Right, Mel?" Hope says stern with optimism, Mel on the other hand shook her head.
"We can't save her... Serah's fate is a predetermined one, we can't delay the inevitable... Even if we did her visions will only kill her..." Noel's face lost all color and dropped every emotion but the feeling you could never describe, one when you think something will happen between remaining ignorant.
"Did you say 'visions?' Like being able to see into the future or something?"
"Yeah, visions similar to what your friend ,Yuel, had. Serah has the same ability as the Seer from ancient times, the one that killed each Seer at the same age of 15, Farron here is 21. But lets just say she is more powerful than you can imagine and plays a much greater role than anyone else second to Lightnings role. But if you guys can beat whoever it is that is messing up with this world everything else might be prevented."
Though the possibility was beyond anyone's comprehension it was a better, bleak, lead than anything else they had previously. The tension remained and the burden weighed heavily on Serah the most; She was going to die and there would be nothing to stop her fate from being realized.
Before scattering a gate of Chaos opened inn front of the Oracle Drive, time and waves of endless despair entered the living realm. Believing it was Lumina again Mel readied her weapon with Hope following suit with his boomerang. Noel and Serah continued to watch the darkness move and slither into one spot. Minutes after the darkness began to take shape; a giant War Hammer took shape first, then with arms coiled around the pole the darkness took shape of a person much smaller compared to the weapon they held, metallic silver hair shone under the moonlight, white clothing glowed majestically until the person finally took form Noel dropped his swords without drawing them.
"It can't be! Is that you!?" Yes, the darkness had taken shape of the young Seer, her eyes were void of emotion but her movements had purpose; a mission to kill. Slamming her hammer into the ground a large fissure opened and expanded devouring everything that fell inside. The four members jumped out of the way and landed someplace safer, an enemy that wasn't meant to be yet here she was. How were they going to fight an enemy that Noel can't fight against and the others without much choice or knowledge?
"Looks like I'll be take Noel's place... Alyssa should be evacuating right now from all the noise, so I won't have to worry. Be just like old times! Hey, 'Big Bro?'" Hope was ready to fight, standing next to him you could tell that his fighting spirit and training remained, growing powerful. Mel drew her sword and Serah with her bow after she dealt with the hunter and scurried into battle. Yuel stood in a low stance and held her hammer with a single hand and aimed it towards her prey. Both sides rushed into battle and metal clashing upon metal rang ferociously into the dark night.
A/N: Cliffhanger! I'm so sorry for this horrible ending. And so sorry for the wait! Go so absorbed into playing 'Lightning Returns', Fable the Anniversary( got the original and the remake) and school alongside with work I haven't been able to update my normal, 'at least within the month' updates. Ah, I feel like such a fail... Since I got 'Lightning Returns' I'm going to be transferring somethings from there to here before I make the last of my fanfiction trilogy... So, yeah, I apologize again, but hope this was okay. Sorry for the delay, thank you for being patient, I think, and have an AWESOME day... 'When the end draws near, welcome oblivion with open arms and revel in the thought of a next life." Ciao!