A wild post appears!
Also: The end is near! 3 more chapters to go!
Noel stared at the barren landscape that seemed to only exist in his memories. It was strange. They weren't in 700AF. He knew that for a fact as he stared at the desolate landscaped. Serah stared around at the ruined landscape and then gasped as people appeared walking past them. Noel turned to her.
"What... what do you think happened here?" Serah asked as the time changed and now there were a different set of people walking past them.
"I think... I think we're not in a time... Look at how the people keep changing. It looks like glimpses of different times." Noel replied as he scratched his head before turning to her. "We did go through a booby trapped gate... Even though we disarmed it that doesn't mean it would work well."
"Serah." A voice interrupted them and they both started as they turned around to find another person who was static in this ever changing landscape.
"C-Claire!" Serah gasped and ran towards her sister but the older woman stopped her with a hand.
"I'm not really here... but this is the only place that we can talk. The time draws near to the end." Lightning spoke as she crossed her arms and stared them down. "Hold onto your resolve."
"What resolve." Noel gasped as he stared between the two. "I can't just kill him! He's my friend... My brother!"
"And you would leave him to continue to suffer?" Lightning asked as she turned to look at him. "Are you really foolish enough to only think of your feelings? Can't you see what's really happening? Caius is not your friend. He's not your brother. He's your enemy!"
"NO!" Noel shouted as he threw his hands out in frustration. "You're wrong! He is my family."
"At the end of days." Lightning spoke, holding a hand up to quiet Serah. "He asked you to kill him... to take his place without even telling you what that meant. Caius has been alive since the first peoples of our world. And you're Yeul was the last to ever be born. He would have damned you to live alone... forever."
"I..." Noel swallowed hard, he couldn't argue that it was a lie. He had naively convinced himself that he didn't have to hurt Caius. That he could make him see reason. That they would find their Yeul and live happily. But after being with Hope, realizing he didn't want to leave the other. But also... realizing what he wanted was a lie. "I know. I know but-"
"But what?" Lightning bit off. "Caius isn't even our only problem. He has..."
"The Paradox Army right? It's not over until we deal with them." Serah finally spoke again.
"Something like that." The older girl replied. "We have allies against them... but they can't help until-"
"Until what?" Serah asked.
"I can't say." Lightning turned to the side and the world around them suddenly became static and a gate appeared off in the distance.
"UNTIL WHAT?" Serah shouted. "I know you know!"
"I-" Lightning closed her eyes briefly and crossed his arms. "When Caius is killed the gates between worlds will open. The battle between Etro and the Paradox Army will happen. We will not be fighting in that war. But there is a chance that we could be affected."
"How?" Noel asked.
"Because the battle will take place on our world the chaos could infect the people who are still living." Lighting closed her eyes again. She had said too much. "Now go."
Both looked like they wanted to protest but they knew there was nothing that they could do. With a deep sigh, Serah grabbed Noel's hand and started for the gate. There was nothing else that they could do and she knew that Lightning would say nothing more. Noel grumbled to himself as he followed her to the gate and on to their future.
Noel swallowed hard as he sat with Serah in another place between time. It had surprised Serah that Lightning had sent them to Serendipity of all places but as she looked over her dear friend, she realized that it was with good reason. Noel looked torn apart, his head in his hands. She moved closer and sat down beside her.
"I can't do it." He choked out finally and Serah realized with a bit of horror that Noel was crying. "I can't just kill someone that I love. How could... how could anyone ask that of me?"
She rubbed at his hair soothingly and leaned against him. She didn't really have any words or ideas for him. She didn't know Caius like Noel did and had no way of knowing what Caius even meant to the other. She also knew that he wasn't really asking her either. Even if she had an answer it would have only been a justification for her. She couldn't make these decisions for him.
"We'll cross the bridge when we get there." She stated, knowing it wasn't an answer or even a feasible solution. "Let's capture him and figure things out from there okay?"
"O...okay." He didn't sound like he believed her at all. And that was okay, the most important thing was that he managed to stand up. As they walked towards the gate to continue their journey though. His gait slipped and he leaned against one of the gaming pavilions and then slumped down to his knees.
"Noel?" She asked quietly. His body began quivering and she realized that he was having a seizure. She pulled him down and laid him out. She waved frantically at the staff who came and helped her to stabilize him. When he finally calmed down, Serah realized that she was crying. Her sight bleary and face covered in angry red splotches. She was such an ugly crier.
"S-Serah?" Noel asked as he stared up at the sky. "W-where are we?"
"We're in Serendipity... Don't you remember?" She asked in choked off words, trying to quell the pain building up in her chest.
"Oh... I thought that we were supposed to go back to 400AF and help Hope?" He asked as he turned his head to face her. Serah immediately began to cry again. Had he really forgotten that? He'd been in 400AF for around 6 months. Being with Hope, loving Hope. Had he forgotten all of it? "Serah?"
"I... Let's stay in Serendipity another night yeah? We can set out again tomorrow." She replied once she had contained herself. The staff immediately went to secure them another room without her even asking. She tried to help Noel sit up but he pulled away whimpering in pain. He swallowed hard and stared up at the sky for a moment before he jerked in surprise.
"I...I forgot..." Noel spoke quietly. "We were in the Academy HQ and the buildings separated and Hope hit his head really hard but... what? What happened afterwards?"
"Don't think about it!" Serah gasped. "Let's just get to out hotel room right now okay? Let's just focus on right now."
Noel nodded weakly and when he felt a bit better, they got up and made their way up to the room. Serah ordered Noel to lay down and took care of everything for that night. After all was said and done, she sat on her bed watching Noel sleep. She wrapped her hand around the necklace that Snow had given her for their engagement. She hadn't wanted to admit it while Noel was ailing but she needed Snow now. She wasn't sure she was strong enough to watch Noel forget them.
In the morning Noel seemed, better wasn't the word for it. Ambivalent seemed better. The two moved towards the gate once the young man had insisted he was fine. There was no reason to delay the inevitable. As they made their way to the gate. Serah couldn't help the trepidation that she felt mounting in her heart. She didn't know what to do. She wanted to save Lightning more then anything and save Noel and the world. But she had a feeling that she'd been lied to. They would all be together Snow had said. But as she watched Noel walk in front of her, knowing that his mind had more holes in it then Swiss cheese. She doubted those words. What kind of life would be left for Noel if he became nothing more then a soulless guardian of the Time Priestess?
"Come on slowpoke!" Noel called back to her as he activated the gate, a fake smile on his face. "We've got places to be."
"Yeah." Serah said, her own smile just as fake. "Let's go."
They exited the gate in 500AF to mass chaos. Some of the buildings were still moving towards the Ark Hope had built but it was obvious that a massive battle was attacking. Chaos monsters littered the path that they had chosen. Neither was really sure of where they were going though. After another bad turn Noel turned to her in frustration.
"Let's head for HQ. Hope'll know what to do." He stated and she nodded even though she didn't really believe him.
It took what seemed like hours for them to even get near the Academy Headquarters and even then it was a move made in vain. Noel growled, he want to reach Hope and see him one more time before his memories of the other were completely erased.
"Of course." A voice sounded behind them, Caius. "We finally meet at the new end of days."
"Caius." Noel swallowed hard as he stared at his mentor, a man that he still held in the highest of esteems. "What's going on?"
"So... you've still retained your own personality and mind." The other seemed truly surprised and Noel felt something inside him sink. "By now, you should have been ready for the mantle of guardian."
"And what does that mean?" Serah dashed in front of him, and held up her bow at their enemy. "What is the meaning of this?"
"So is it your fault?" Caius asked. "The reason that he still remembers all those useless things. I don't need a needy child filled with emotions. I need a replacement! Someone to take this burden!"
Serah slid a step back in surprise at the rage emitting from Caius. Behind her, Noel was trembling, she could feel it. She wanted to comfort him but didn't dare turn around. This might have been the ultimate betrayal for Noel. To know that the man he loved and carried in esteem had raised him to be a doll. A container for the heart.
"If I remove you then he should abandon useless memories and become the guardian." He growled and then paused as if realized who Serah was. His purple eyes turned dark with true rage. "You."
"Yeah me." Serah growled as she notched an arrow. "You're done hurting my friends!" She let loose an arrow.
It all happened so fast. The arrow struck Caius in the shoulder as Chaos Bahumat and Snow appeared. The chaos guardian screamed in rage and grabbed at Noel pulling him to him and into a portal that was opening behind him Serah screamed as she chased after him. There was a split second when she thought that she wasn't going to catch him she was suddenly grabbed and pushed forwrd. She realized that it was the Shiva sisters, boosting her speed. She was flung into the portal and into the middle of a fight.
She clambered back to her feet as Noel went flying past her, swords out, clashing with Caius in sparks of deep purple chaos and sickening green. She realized in some horror that they place they were in was outside time again. She brought up her hands and Moggle transformed into her bow and arrow. She wanted to join the fight, but she knew that this was really Noel's fight.
But that wasn't going to stop her from fighting. She notched her bow and sent two energy arrows into the fray. Noel, so in tuned with Serah's fighting style, directed Caius right into her line of fire. He scrambled back as the arrows crested over his left shoulder and couldn't help but smirk as one connected. He didn't want to kill Caius but the joy of the fight caused excitement to surge through his veins. The arrows caused cracks to appear in his armor.
"Come on Noel." Caius spoke as he lifted his hand, calling a summon. "After all this time, you still haven't realized that this is your destiny?"
"I... I can't kill you." Noel paused, his swords in a defensive position. "You are my friend. My family."
The laugh that came from Caius' mouth was the most terrifying thing that Serah had ever heard. She found herself taking a step back and her bow lowering. Part of her wondered with a bit of hysteria how Noel could have ever thought of this monster as family and even the fact that he continued to do so. She strengthened her resolve immediately. To lose herself now was to die. On the other hand Noel, poor sweet Noel was looking as if his whole world had died.
"You think of me as family? As a friend?" Caius scoffed as he glared at the other. "I have lived for thousands, hundreds of thousands of years. And you think I'd waste my esteem on a poor peasant boy from a dying village? You are nothing more then a doll Noel Kreiss... The poor unlucky brat that happened to be healthy enough. The others were pathetic, malnourished little thieves that died quickly and pitfully. If you had had the good grace to die as a child then you wouldn't be here."
Serah at the point dropped her weapon, not even checking to see if Moggle had transformed back. She dashed forward and wrapped her arms around Noel from behind. She could feel him trembling.
"Don't listen!" She gasped into his ears. It felt like Noel's entire self was trembling now. She watched as he fought to keep his sword up, half struggling against her as well as Caius' words.
"All that happened! All that you taught me!" The pleading in Noel's voice was heartbreaking.
"Come now... Do you really remember any of that at this point Noel?" Caius laughter was so cruel. Mog flew in front of Noel as if to protect her. This was not the battle that any of them had expected. "Tell me Noel... What color was your grandmother's hair?"
That was the breaking point for Noel. He shoved Serah back and pushed Moggle out of the way as he dashed forward swords raised offensively. He slammed his broadsword against Caius pushing him back but the other merely laughed.
"Do you remember Saul?" Caius continued to taunt as he successful parried every blow that Noel sent at him. "No face comes to mind does it? How about Lenny?"
So angry now, Noel's attacks became harder, more reckless. Serah lifted her hand out to Mog to transform him into a sword. She knew this was risky, but she had to bring Noel back. If things went this way, Noel would become the guardian. She dashed into the battle and crossed swords with Caius, Noel rearing back out of her way. Caius glared at her and lifted his hand to force her back with magic.
"Shell." Serah shouted as she held up her sword and looked over to Noel. "I won't leave you. Think of the friends you have now! If we can stop Caius we can restore your memories!"
Noel paused and stared at them, the rage faded from his mind and he lowered his swords watching almost with detachment as Caius managed to force her back with a combination of magic and physical attacks. Noel twirled his swords in his hands and looked up at the other. Caius paused and turned to him, hand still aimed at Serah.
"One question." Noel asked quietly, his mind felt hazy and his heart was throbbing in emotional pain. He had given up on Caius. There was nothing there for him, he understood that now. But Yeul... "You're doing this to save Yeul right? She...?"
"Which Yeul are you talking about? Still so focused on the one from your time right? You love her don't you?" Caius sneered as he brandished his sword. "All those Yeuls... Every one you have met is dead. Gone. Some you even killed. When this is done... I will restore the original Yeul. And yours will have never existed."
Something in Noel cracked. Not just from the thought of his Yeul never existing but the realization that Caius planned to destroy everything. Maybe it would be a timeless world... but he would freeze the world at a time far, far back into the past. And Noel himself would be a useless dead puppet to house the heart of Etro... Silver hair and the brightest of green eyes flashed in Noel's mind.
"I love my Yeul," He stated firmly, "of course I did. She was with me til the end. You didn't even care enough to be with her when things ended." A sobbing laugh left Noel's mouth and Serah felt hope shoot through her veins again. "I won't let things end like this."
"Don't you realize that it's too late?" Caius asked teasingly.
"Serah! Get ready!" Noel shouted he shifted back into battle mode. He wasn't going to let this go to waste. He knew that Serah had the box to take the heart. He thought of the Caius of his past and wondered if he would ever remember his tribe really. And then thought of Hope and Serah and all the others he'd met. He wouldn't let them be taken away. It was better to be a memory then nothing at all.
Noel surged foward, broadsword up and forced him back. He spun quickly and clashed with Caius' sword with his smaller one. Caius shoved him back and slammed his sword forward. Noel brought up his blades and stopped the attack. Caius growled at him but Noel had been training. Had gotten stronger both mentally and physically. He shoved Caius back hard and brought his broadsword down and forced the dull blade into his shoulder.
Caius grunted and gasped in pain. An arrow bloomed into his stomach and the next grunt was weaker. Caius' healing powers were kicking in. Noel brought up his short sword and used it to knock the sword out of Caius' hand.
"Yield." He hissed as he glared down at his former mentor. A man who had lied to him every day of his life. "There is nothing left."
"Oh... Noel... Still to afraid." Caius he pushed back. Another arrow bloomed this time into his side. And then Serah appeared beside Noel.
"Are you ready?" She asked quietly as Noel pulled back his short sword and aim it at Caius' heart.
"Yes." He gritted his teeth and pressed the sword forward.
Caius could only laugh. "Really? This is your stand? To do exactly as I wished?!"
But Noel didn't reply, his focus completely on his actions. He felt the chaos begin to arch up his arm. He used his will to direct it. He felt the pull, the idea of the power was intoxicating. He shifted his mind and focused more firmly on pushing the chaos where he wanted it to go. He could feel Caius struggling against him. This wasn't what he wanted.
"STOP IT! NOEL! YOU'RE GOING TO KILL ME!" Caius gasped as he struggled.
"You said." Noel rasped as he opened his eyes to look at his mentor. "That to take the heart... You had to die. Instead you wanted to turn me into a doll. I will not bend to your will. I... I will carry on Yeul's memory and Yeul's wish. For a future of happy people."
The light in Caius' eyes begin to die and slowly put surely faded. The eternal guardian was dead. Searh snapped the box closed as soon as the last strings of chaotic darkness had disappeared into it. She grasped the small box against her chest as she watched Noel slowly lower Caius to the ground. The young man dropped his own swords as he stared at the dead body. Slowly the body faded.
Serah stood awkwardly not sure of what to do. She watched as Noel picked up Caius' sword and thrust it into he ground. After a few minutes he sunk down and laid his hand against the sword. Serah couldn't help but turn around to give him some semblance of privacy as the other began to cry. The cries were loud and soul wracking. There was nothing left of his time she realized with a pain of her own.
It was always kind of thing that they danced around. Noel was the last human but it hadn't really been true. There had always been Caius. And now it really was only Noel. And no one else. He couldn't return to that time. There was no one left from that time the only thing there now was death. And she realized with a choked sob of her own that their actions would have made it so that maybe those people would have never been born. Or at least born in that way.
"Serah?" The voice was a welcome distraction. Not Snow as she had expected but instead Lightning. It hadn't occurred to Serah that they switched dimensions durning the fight with Caius. Only now that she opened her eyes did she realized that they weren't in 500AF anymore. Lighting had her hands out looking expectantly at the box. "Is that the heart?"
"It... it is." She replied quietly and Lightning nodded.
"I... I need to take it to the throne. And I need you to get Noel back to 500AF." She took the box but stepped closer and laid her hand gently on her sister's head. "It's almost over. You two... I know it doesn't seem like it but... You did good."
Serah nodded weakly. She watched as Lightning slowly walked back towards the dead city that Valhalla consisted of, back to the goddess' throne. Serah turned back to Noel who had quieted now. He was sitting in front of the sword, his eyes blank. She approached him and laid her hand on his shoulder.
"Noel?" She asked quietly but the other didn't really respond. "Noel... Let's get out of here."
She watched as he stood and moved to his swords. He sheathed them and walked back to her side. Serah swallowed hard, Noel seemed more like a doll, an animatronic doll. She took his hand and walked tower and this distortion that would take them back to 500AF. As they entered the rift, she saw him turn slightly as if searching for someone.
But there was no one there to find. Not in that place.
Lightning stood before the throne with the heart of Etro. The eternal goddess covered in black threads and silk slowly opened her eyes. Her eyes were a vibrant blue that reminded Light instantly of the Seeress. The goddess' dispassionate gaze lowered to the box as she sat up slowly. Her dress melted away to a nude body that seemed rather plain for a goddess before a dress of the purest white covered her. Etro's gate opened. And Light pushed the box inside the goddess, into a secret dimension.
The goddess sighed and slumped back into her throne. Two crystals appeared on either side of her. She looked at Lightning, her eyes malevolent. "The price has yet to be paid."
Lightning drew back as the crystals grew in size. The goddess' eyes grew wide and luminous. "The war must begin!"