A/N: The Epilogue of Howling Star: Dance in the Shadow of Light. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own. FFXIII belongs to Square Enix.
A special thanks to the reviewers, I truly appreciate it.
Epilogue
Light's POV...
Wake up. Wake up. This voice called out to me and I felt myself escaping my crystal cocoon. A breath of fresh air entered my lungs and I looked around dazed and confused. Staring up, I saw the massive crystal pillar rising up to hold the planet Cocoon. It's gleaming structure and crystallized flames were stunning to see.
"They did it. They saved the world." I finally remembered what happened; Orphan, Ragnarok, everything.
"No." A voice spoke behind me. "They gave us a new one." I wasn't alone as my friends walked up to me, staring in awe at Cocoon.
"That's one gift I'll forgive 'em for not wrapping." Sazh spoke while Star chuckled.
This is as much as we can do. The rest is up to you. Vanille's voice spoke to us.
"Does this mean we...completed our Focus?" Hope asked as we saw soldiers escorting those who have escaped ahead of the catastrophe. Other teams huddled around the massive crystal structure doing analytical tests and investigations.
"Cocoon's seen better days, that's for sure." Snow grinned.
"Yeah, and I'd say that qualifies as a demolition. Focus complete." Sazh patted Snow on the shoulder.
Heh, whatever you want to believe. Fang's voice replied.
"Tch, it really is a miracle." I spoke, surprising myself at those words. Since when did I believe in miracles? Probably Vanille rubbed off on me.
"My brand!" Hope's astonished voice lit up as he looked at his hand. "It's gone!"
It's easy to lose sight of things in a world as wide as this one. But if you keep going, you're sure to find what you're looking for–sooner or later. Vanille spoke as we looked to see that our brands were indeed gone for good. In the distance we saw two figures walking towards us, one was a kid with a small afro and the other one was a teenaged girl, her pink hair cascaded down over her left shoulder.
"And I saw a whole bunch of chocobos!" The little kid was saying excitedly.
"Hey, look there!" His companion pointed and the kid's face lit up.
"Dajh!" Sazh ran up to meet his son, tears threatening to come out.
"Daddy!" Dajh responded as his dad hugged him tight, the tiny chocobo chirped happily.
"Snow!" The teenaged girl shouted as she ran into Snow's open arms.
"Serah!" Snow delightedly replied as he held her close. They started laughing between tears and Hope ran up, scanning the horizon with a keen eye in hopes of seeing one more person. Sadly he didn't find the one he was looking for and he looked down dejectedly.
"They're gone, aren't they?" He asked as I placed a hand on his shoulder.
"I guess they meant for this to be good-bye. Then again, we've changed our fates before." He tried to remain cheerful and I mentally kicked myself for not having any comforting words to tell him.
"Hey, where's Star?" Hope suddenly asked and the two of us looked around. "She was here just a second ago."
"There she is." I saw the outline of her form sitting upon a moss-covered rock, her back towards us. "Hope stay here or go to where the others are, I'll go get her." He nodded and went to join the others. I walked up calmly to my friend, sensing something was amiss.
Star's POV...
While the others were checking their brands, I noticed a faint outline of some odd being, a mysterious hooded figure to be exact.
You're role here...is done. He whispered. You have accomplished the task set forth in the beginning and now it has come to an end, you can return home.
"For real? I can return back?!" I spoke with excitement, careful to keep my voice low so that the others could hear.
Of course. But that means you'll leave the rest of them behind.
"Oh right." I looked at the group with sadness. "Do I have to say goodbye now? Why so soon?"
What are you saying? You want to stay here?
"Well...I uh..." I fidgeted with uncertainty.
Looks like your body has already decided the course to take. Looking down, I realized that my right leg was starting to turn transparent as tiny orbs of light shrouded around me.
"What's happening?!" I asked.
You're starting to disappear from this realm...back to your home world. The hooded figure chuckled before rising into the air. Make sure you say goodbye properly. With a snap of a finger, he vanished.
Oh god...I'm gonna vanish! I spotted a nearby rock and sat on it, staring at nothing but the ground. I'm...gonna go home, back to everyone but... Agitated, I ran my fingers through my hair and started to growl. Why is this so frustrating!
"Star." I looked at Light, her brows furrowed with concern.
"Light." My voice came out hoarse but I cleared it and turned sideways so she could only see my left side. " Light, I...uh...I need to tell you something."
"...Are you...leaving?"
"H–how did you know?" I looked at her with astonishment, her guess was dead-straight on the mark.
"You have some kind of orbs coming off your body, wasn't hard to guess." She pointed as the tiny yellow specks rose one by one.
"Oh yeah...those." I sighed before standing up and turned to face Light squarely. She just raised an eyebrow in surprise at my condition. The right side of my body was already transparent and it was slowly spreading to my left side.
"I don't have much time left...so I want to say goodbye properly." I spoke in a clear voice. "Lightning, I'm glad to have met you, to have journeyed within your realm, to have accompanied you and the others on this saving the world adventure."
"...Same here. I enjoyed every moment we have spent together.." Lightning spoke sadly. I closed the distance between us and wrapped my arms around her in a hug.
"If there is something I at least wanted more during my time here, it'd be staying by your side forever. Sadly Lady Luck only gave me enough time to say goodbye." I looked at her one last time and stepped back. "Sorry this is turning out to be a sob-story farewell." By now, half of my face was transparent and my bottom half was already gone.
"It's inevitable but...you know what..." I flashed half a smile. "I had fun. I hope to see you around again, Lightning Farron." With that my whole body shimmered and disappeared, the rest of the yellow orbs clustered together and rose up into the sky above.
Light's POV...
Star's warmth slipped away as I reached out to touch the air where her presence once stood. I watched the orbs retreat above and consciously clenched my fist tightly.
"Come on." Serah's voice reached my ears and I turned around to see her running towards me with Snow in hand. The happy couple stopped and Serah crashed into my arms.
"I missed you." She whispered in my ear and I returned the favor, wrapping my arms around her, afraid that I'd lose her too.
"Serah, I'm sorry." I told her once we broke the embrace.
"It's okay." She smiled before reaching out to touch my cheek. "Sis, are you crying?" Surprised, I quickly touched my face to feel the wetness of the tears I shed after Star's departure.
"Are you alright?!" Serah asked as she used her thumb to wipe them away since I couldn't control myself.
"Stop Serah, I'm not a kid. I can wipe them away myself." I chuckled as I dried my eyes. I was happy for the fact that Serah was back and that Star has returned back to where she has yearned for since the beginning.
"You know sis." Snow lightly intervened. "We can do all of the sad stuff later, we have a wedding planned."
"Way to ruin the moment! You never quit do you? Go in there guns blazing like you always do." Sazh laughed and everyone else joined in, myself included.
"I promise, I'll make her happy. I'll protect her no matter what." Snow's voice was dead serious, his dedication and love for my sister was pure feeling and I accepted it after all that we've been through. Sure he was still an idiot but deep down I knew those two were meant for each other.
"I know." I smiled as Snow hugged Serah in happiness. "Congrats."
Normal POV...
The catastrophe with Cocoon has ended and thanks to Vanille's and Fang's sacrifice, Gran Pulse was saved. Heck the whole world was saved. Don't worry, everything will be back to normal. I just have to worry about myself. Star looked back as the last image of Lightning's realm disappeared. Oh? Looks like I'm almost there. An opening yawned in front and a flash of white blinded her for a split second. Opening them up, she realized that she was met with clear skies and the lush green meadow below her. The wind screamed past her ears as she plummeted down, crashing into the ground.
"O-o-owwwww." She sat up, rubbing her head. "Next time, I'll try to find something softer to land on. Oh there's my backpack." She noticed the bag laying next to her feet. "I thought I left it back with Lightning...guess not."
What's going on over here? What was that noise? Is it food? Yelps and voices reached her ears and she looked up to see three young wolves looking at her.
"Uh...hey there." Star stood up, dusting herself off. "How are you?"
What is that weird scent she's carrying? Is she an enemy or friend? The wolves murmured amongst themselves.
HEY! Amateurs! A gruff voice spoke and the three youngsters cringed as a wolf bounded up to them, his lips pulled up in a snarl. What's the matter? Why are you murmuring amongst yourselves? Get back to hunting, the prey won't jump into your paws just like that.
There's a strange person over there. The wolves whined while pointing at Star, who watched them.
Isn't that...Get the rest of the hunting pack now! You, stranger, wait there until further notice! The wolf ordered as he rushed off with the three wolves on his heels.
"Well I guess I don't have a choice now do I?" Star chuckled as she sat down and crossed her legs. It wasn't long until the pattering of footsteps reached her and a hunting pack surrounded her, most of the members eying her curiously.
Are you sure it's not an illusion? I would really hate it if you lied to me, her disappearance was traumatizing to me and my parents.
I'm sure it's not, you just have to see yourself. Two wolves pushed their way to the front and one of them smiled widely at the person.
No way, it's actually you! Big Sister!
"Rhyder?! It's you!" Seeing her little brother, Star spread out her arms and the wolf bowled her over. The two of them tumbled in the grass, laughing and crying with happiness.
"It really is you! It really is you! You're back!" Rhyder reverted back to his human form and held Star close, burying his face against her shirt. "I missed you! I missed you!" By now the rest of the hunting pack surrounded the siblings, their tails wagging with excitement.
The leader needs to know, he'll be restored greatly. Their voices rose as they recognized their lost family member.
"They're right, Dad and Mom will be proud to learn that you are still alive. Come on!" Shifting into his four-legged counterpart, he bounded away with the rest of the party. Laughing, Star bounded after them, running amongst the members who glanced at her with smiling faces. Another wolf offered to carry her stuff and she thanked him kindly.
The hunting party is back! Some of the wolves back home rose up to meet them, their tails twitching slightly. Wait...who is that?No way, she's returned! She's still alive! Word spread around and finally reached the ears of the proud parents. Once they heard the commotion outside, they rushed out immediately. Star didn't even have any time to dodge the attack as her mother slammed into her first, knocking her off her paws. Both wolves tussled along the ground as her mother showered her face with kisses.
"My baby's alive! My baby's alive!" She wailed out as she hugged Star close.
"I missed you Mom!" Star clung to her neck, nuzzling her mother with affection.
We all missed you kiddo.
"Dad!" Spotting him, she wiggled out of her mother's embrace and pounced on him. He laughed as they playful rolled in the grass, growling and purring and started playing tag. The rest of the wolf family sat smiling and soon joined in, the entire meadow was soon filled with laughter.
So, would you mind telling us where you have been all this time? Shadow panted after the lovely game of tag, brushing his nose against his daughter's ear.
Sure. Star grinned and her wolf family crowded around with their paws tucked underneath their chest, ears pricked forward to hear the best story ever.
It all began...after I have been sent to Cocoon, a place filled with inhabitants unlike ours. That's where I want to begin this story...
That night...
After narrating the story and keeping the little ones in check, Star stretched, purring slightly as the knots around her shoulders relaxed a bit. Shaking her pelt, she carefully walked around the bodies of her sleeping family to get a drink of water. Locating the pound, she drank quickly, her tongue lapping hungrily. Feeling refreshed, she looked up just in time to witness the sunset. Wanting to get a better look, she climbed a nearby cliff that extends towards the west where the sun disappeared silently behind some peaks. Staring at the fading light, Star felt a small feeling in the back of her mind and she smiled.
Old bonds never die, our friendship keeps getting stronger until we unite as one. Even if my body turns to ash, I will never leave your side. Thank you Light! May we meet again at the cross-road of Destiny if fate allows us! Star lifted her head and howled, her voice rising from the heart and up towards the starry night. Her family, aroused by her voice, shook the sleepiness from their eyes and howled with her. Their voice chorused together, mingled with emotions as they chanted a song up to the heavens. As if answering their calls, the heavens rewarded them with a meteor shower, their tails blazed fiery trails down on the planet of Zoralth. Only one star broke away to followed the warmth of the sun's rays.
Back on Cocoon...
"Hey sis, what's the matter?" Serah asked as Lightning looked back, a puzzled look on her face.
"Huh? Oh nothing's wrong, don't worry about it." She smiled.
"If you say so...You know what Claire? You can be pretty weird sometimes." She playful punched Light's arm before snuggling up to Snow.
Me? Weird? Light shook her head before looking up. Luckily the sun hasn't set yet on Gran Pulse and it looked pretty relaxing. What caught her eye was a single solitary star, descending from the heavens and disappeared over the horizon in a flash. Within her mind, she felt the tingling of vast emotions and her ears honed in on the sound of howling wolves, their voices pure and sweet and seemed to call out to her.
"Claire? Claire? CLAIRE!"
"What?" Light stared right into Serah's blue eyes, clueless as to what was going on. Sighing, Serah raised a fist and hit her on the head. "Ow, what was that for?"
"Jeez, you weren't listening were you? Snow and I were discussing which colors would be nice for our wedding. We also elected you as our wedding planner!" She gave Light a mix between a semi-smile and a pout.
"Yeah sis." Snow smiled. "We were wondering what would look nice for the decorations. Serah says she wants a lot of balloons and streamers."
"You know? I don't really care for the colors of the decorations as long as you are happy." Light sighed, knowing that this huge wedding will turn into a nightmare for her.
"Looks like we've got some work to do honey." Snow held Serah's hand. "Big sis wasn't very resourceful."
"Nope she wasn't." Serah laughed, "but that's fine. She's still gonna plan it and make it the best wedding ever." Sazh, Hope and Dajh just laughed merrily. Light just groaned and shook her head in dismay but smiled nonetheless. High above, within the crystal pillar, Fang and Vanille just smiled down upon them, even when their bodies were in their crystallized state.
When prayers turn to promises, not even fate can stand in their way.
We held the light of hope in our hearts, and achieved the impossible. Now we live on, to greet a new dawn.
A/N: Finally, the first story of this saga has been finished. Thank you so much to those who have reviewed and followed this journey to the end, I hoped you enjoyed it as much as I have! See you guys next time.
Preview: Howling Star II: The search for a storm
Lightning's gone. The only thing she left behind that showed that she ever existed was the knife I gave her for her 21st birthday. The others don't believe me, they said I didn't have a sister, that she was just an imaginary person I dream about. Snow left on a journey to search for her but didn't come back. The only ones who still believe in me is a guy named Noel Kreiss, a Moogle named Mog and Star, the werewolf who befriended my sister before her disappearance. Together we will travel through time to find Lightning and in our wake; paradox gates, citizens in turmoil and the re-writing of history might doom us all if Caius doesn't destroy us first.