Disclaimer: I obviously do not own Final Fantasy 13 or Final Fantasy 13 versus in any way... it's not even out yet!

Warnings: I'm sure there are tons of errors... I tried my best to catch them all, but... I can't say that editing is my forte... Also, since this fic will probably encounter some characters that aren't named yet (e.g. Shotgun guy and Glasses guy) I'll be using temporary names until their official names are released... I apologize for any corny names. I will list the appropriated names at the bottom of this fic, since... it doesn't look pretty up here! Anyhoo, enjoy!

Oh yeah, I'd like to dedicate this chapter to Yuki! Happy Birthday!

Threads of Fate

Entwined

The cackling fire and the soft singing from various night critters did little to ease the anxiety building within Lightning. The ominous shadow of Cocoon eclipsed the light of the moon, signifying the dangers lurking in the shadows; lurking all around them…

They say that Pulse has a strange effect on people. Lightning wondered if it was because of the sheer amount of life that overwhelmed the senses. Everything about Pulse was "living" – wild, unadulterated, alive. It was so unlike Cocoon, where everything was orderly, systematic, and utterly dead. 'Dead like the people living on its metallic surface' she mused with a hint of bitterness. The light of the moon gave Cocoon a menacing glow… her frown deepens.

Perhaps… when one experiences Pulse for the first time, they metaphorically "wake up" and see what it really means to be alive – to experience life wildly and freely...

However, to live wild and free also meant to live dangerously. All around them, there was no logic, no order, and no predictability to these creatures. It was frightening and liberating at the same time, and it made Lightning feel more anxious with every second…

It was liberating because, spiritually, the energy of this world was intoxicating. The air was humid, and thick with wild fragrances that she never thought was possible to experience all at once. The world was literally pulsating with life – filling her with it; surrounding her with it; it was all around. It was times like these, when she was the only one awake, that she could focus on these feelings… it was a comforting break from her usual worrying.

What worrying?

There was much to worry about… so much that it frightened her. She cast a glance at her companions. Good. They were still there. They were safe.

She was reassured.

In this world, every shadow in every crevasse could be another monster out to destroy them. This planet did not welcome them with open arms; of course not. They were the ones who were sent to destroy the very protector of this planet... The Pulse Fal'cie.

Lightning grimaced and placed her hand just above her breast. A red glow answered her – reaffirming the curse that was placed upon this ragtag group. It was a burden that she never wanted. It put her and her companions in constant danger, and she hated it.

It wasn't as though she feared for her life… growing up in Cocoon's military service taught her to deal with such fear and over come it. Rather, she feared for her companions' lives… and she feared for them so much that it made her tremble at times.

Somehow in their journey together… this mismatched group became more then just companions…

They had become her family.

A small smile tugged at the corners of her lips as Sazh gave an enormous snore that could wake up an army. Fortunately, the rest of the party did not wake from the loud noise – they were too exhausted from the constant traveling. To Lightning's amusement, others responded in their own unique way to Sazh's disruption: Snow loudly snorted in response and rolled onto his side; Vanille whined in her sleep and threw an arm over her head – as if to protect herself from any other annoying sounds; and finally, the small boy with white hair hadn't moved in the slightest – he only continued to drool all over the arm he slept on. Lightning almost snorted fondly at this. This kid could sleep like the dead, but come daylight, he was as yappy as a dog – an annoying one at that.

Unable to help herself, she moved over to run a hand through the kid's white hair. Yes, Lightning had become quite fond of her new family. In some different time and place, she wouldn't have minded if this kid had been her younger brother… God, he acted like one anyways – always trying too hard to give his input in adult matters… always trying to act cool when he was just a scared kid inside…

Lightning's heart suddenly felt heavy with this strange emotion … this emotion that wanted to protect… and it wasn't an emotion that was reserved for this boy only.

She wanted to protect them all.

She wanted to protect Sazh's concern and loyalty. He's known her the longest, and she owed it to him to reunite him with his family. Sazh had the sentimentalities of a father that she had never known… and for that, she would protect him.

She wanted to protect Vanille's innocent smile and perkiness. If Lightning had a younger sister, she would've wanted Vanille to fill that role. Vanille who was both innocent and mature beyond her years; Vanille who always tried her hardest to smile even when their doomed fate pressed harder upon them… for this, Lightning was thankful, and would protect her with her own life.

And then there was Snow. Lightning wanted to protect him most of all for his pure heart… a pure heart which sometimes made her ashamed of her own. His heart that understood the essence of right and wrong; of what a true hero should do… It made her want to become that hero in a way… his heart was infectious. Lightning knew deep within her own heart that she couldn't let his pure heartedness be tainted by the shadows casted by Cocoon, nor could she let his heart be ravaged by the wild beasts of Pulse. He was the heart of this family, and that couldn't die – no matter what.

She needed to protect these things that she's come to love.

She needed it…

Wanted it…

Depended on it…

And because of this, it scared her…

It made her weak.

This curse – or gift as the Fal'cie called it – this burden that was implemented by the Fal'cie, Serah, to "protect this world." But which world do we protect: Cocoon or Pulse?

Lightning returned to her brooding as she stared hard into the dying camp fire. So far in their journey, they've decided that their focus (or destiny if you want to call it that) was to destroy the Pulse Fal'cie. It seemed straightforward enough… and yet Lightning couldn't help but feel that it wasn't so simple. There was something about this planet that did not seem entirely evil… and the longer she stayed on this planet, the more ominous Cocoon seemed in they sky.

Her eyes darted from the campfire to the shadows in the forest… something else bothered her: if the whole planet was out to get them… why would it allow moments of peace such as this?

Nothing baffled Lightning more than the contradicting thoughts that circled her mind. And nothing felt scarier then the aching knowledge that her party was to die eventually, if not from completing the focus… then it would be from the crystal shards that were slowly sucking their life force dry.

No.

A wry smile graced her lips. She would save all of them before then. This was something she decided that day, standing in the cold wasteland. It was the day she had given up hope. It was also the day that Snow showed her what hope truly was.

She remembered it like yesterday… a lesson that played in her mind like a movie reel on repeat…

"We'll be fine." He said arrogantly, "I can handle anything they throw at us. I won't let anyone die. I'll protect this world… and Serah too!"

Something about those words… the way he said them… it pissed her off! How could he say them so confidently – so honestly – after they just failed the hundreds of people that were on the train? After they had failed the weaker ones who relied on them the most… She remembered looking at the destruction that their failure had spawned; she wondered if Snow was even human enough to understand the weight of what they've done? She remembered turning to face him, and the world going blurry from her rage…

The next thing she knew, she was in front of him, and the only thing on her mind and in her heart was rage. With one swift blow, Snow was knocked to the floor… but it didn't end there.

"Like you did before?" She challenged vehemently. She hoped that he would have stayed down – in his place, where they all belonged… and yet he didn't. Defiantly, he picked himself up and challenged her. And he didn't even blink.

"I'll set things straight!" He announced with certainty.

How dare he!? Couldn't he see the devastation around them? It was their fault – their responsibility, and yet…

Lightning punched him again. It was more of a reaction then anything… her heart… her soul… her guilt… all of it felt bare to the world now. And yet, Snow still didn't understand.

"What more can you do!?" She demanded, wanting an answer for herself more then anything. 'We should just stop now, before we cause more problems – more deaths. It's all our fault!' her mind screamed.

"Whatever it takes!" he answered without even blinking. He stared back at her, trying to convey everything that he was trying to say when words failed him… and then she saw it.

She saw the guilt in his eyes… the pain of knowing that this destruction that affected hundreds of innocent others was being reflected back at her. The world became small and blurry as she understood – as they understood together – the enormity of what they had done. And yet…

'Even so...he still believes that we could do something…'

The enormity of that tangent nearly brought tears spilling over onto her cheeks.

'We can still fix this…'

At that moment, Lightning finally understood the true meaning of hope when all was lost…

"Lightning?" a sleepy voice mumbled to her right. Her quick eyes found where it came from: a sleepy-eyed Vanille who sluggishly pushed herself into a sitting position. Unconsciously, Lightning schooled her wild emotions back under a stoic mask.

"You should sleep a little longer. It's only been two hours."

Vanille shook her head, "nuh uh.." She tried to rub the sleepy haze out of her eyes as she said this. "You should rest too, Lightning… you've been fighting really hard lately…"

"I'm fine," was Lightning's automatic response.

"Oh, shush!" Vanille mustered a tired yet cheery smile. "If you don't rest, then how are you going to keep protecting us if you're not in tip-top shape, hmm? That's what you're worried about, right?"

Lightning couldn't say anything to that. She silently wondered how much Vanille was observing behind that cheerful mask…. And an even more frightening thought was: how much was Vanille hiding behind that mask?

"I'm fine, Vanille. I can still-"

"Nuh uh! I told you to rest, Lightning! You have dark circles under your eyes – it's not attractive at all!" Vanille gave a cute pout, but her eyes were hard and serious. "Besides, I won't ever be able to get back to sleep with Sazh and Snow snoring like that…"

Lightning sighed. She knew when she was defeated.

"Fine, but wake me up in two hours… that should be enough." Lightning muttered before reclining onto her side. This earned a muffled giggle from Vanille.

"Nope! Sazh get's the next shift… that way we'll all be able to get some sleep!"

Lightning almost smiled – almost. As she lay there on her side, all those anxious feelings of uncertainty and worry came back. What if something were to happen in her sleep? What if she didn't wake fast enough or react in time? Vanille would be all alone, is that okay? What if…

Wait.

Stop.

Calm down.

Lightning exhaled slowly and tried to center herself in the mist of all her irrational emotions. It was particularly bad tonight… she wondered if it was because of the increased life energy that filled the air…. She frowned.

That energy that filled the air – the one that made her giddy on one level and anxious on another – was particularly heavy tonight… and it didn't help that tonight those things were in the air again.

Strange shimmering balls of lights that left trails of sparkling tails in the air… they floated all around them – even through them… Lightning had no clue what these lights meant… and she was quite suspicious of them…

One thing she did notice was that these lights were exceptionally prominent in areas where that life energy felt the heaviest in the air…

Another thing she noticed was that… it seemed no one else saw these floating spheres…

Lightning frowned once more as sleep eluded her while those lights danced around like fireflies in the night…

Elsewhere…

Raindrops pelted against the window. The air was damp and cold, making the old, marbled architecture feel like an icebox. Noctis placed a hand on the cool glass and trailed a particular raindrop that was racing downwards. It reminded him of the lights that he saw every day. Round spheres with trailing tails… like luminescent comets swirling everywhere – as if it was the most natural thing in the world…

Beyond the window lay a sleeping city. The roads were strangely quiet except for the odd one or two vehicles that went by. The more modern-looking buildings across the street had a few office lights on – probably for those late-night workers trying to make their deadlines… Despite the chill, Noctis felt his heart swell overlooking this city – this was his home; his to protect…

Noctis heard a small knock before the office door creak open. He was not alarmed.

"Your Highness, will that be all for the night?" A man with light brown hair and glasses stood before him. His grey business suit was as formal as his posture, and yet despite his appearances, Noctis knew that this man did not have an arrogant bone in his body.

"That would be all, Horatio." Noctis said in his normally quite voice. He was unfortunate to be born with a naturally introverted personality when his public position called him to act with more flair. In those public appearances, Noctis had to switch acts – sometimes having to use a louder yet deeper voice. These acts were still not natural to him and often made him feel uncomfortable…Sometimes, he wondered if his life was just that: an act where he has many different parts to play…

"Are you sure? There is nowhere you need me to drive you to or any last minute documents you want me to find?" Horatio asked once more. Though his posture had yet to move, the slight raise of an eyebrow and small quirk to his lips told Noctis that this man was teasing him.

Noctis sighed, letting go of his own inhibitions and formalities. "I'm not that bad…"

"Oh, yes you are." There was a hint of a smile. "Do not underestimate me. My family has been working for your family for generations now – I know you better then you know yourself."

"If that is true, then perhaps you'd wish to trade places, hmm? You would be a most charming prince, I must say!" Noctis teased. This caused the older man to stop for a second.

"I-I apologize," was the quick amendment, "I spoke out of-"

"We're past that, remember?" Noctis grinned boyishly, causing Horatio to shake his head.

"Besides, Horatio… I really wouldn't mind if we switched places tomorrow… hmm… We'll need to dye your hair, and get you some contacts… I'll lend you one of those hideous suits and-"

Horatio sighed and put a hand to the bridge of his nose. "How old are you, Noctis?"

"Old enough to plan my epic escape."

Horatio frowned. "I'm much too tall to impersonate you, and we look nothing alike – ugh, I can't believe I'm seriously having this conversation with you." He muttered dryly.

"Huh? But we're not being serious at all!" Noctis chuckled. There weren't enough moments in a day where he could just be Noctis and not Prince Noctis Lucis Caelum of the Caelum Kingdom…

"Oh?" Horatio grinned knowingly. Noctis saw this, and scowled at being read so easily.

"W-well…You know I hate these formal events… it's so – those people are so false and-"

"You're afraid to meet the Fleuret princess." Horatio couldn't keep the mirth from his voice.

Noctis momentarily hated his friend for knowing him so well. Noctis' eyes couldn't meet Horatio's – a tell-tale sign that occurred only when Noctis felt uncomfortable, or was lying through his teeth. He bit his cheek and decided that the best action was to say nothing at all.

Horatio almost laughed, but knew better. "Ah yes… It makes sense… she is, after all… a member of the female sex…" Noctis' ears turned red and he became rather fidgety.

"Y-you know I have problems with women…" Noctis grumbled.

"Only the delicate, beautiful ones… Innocent by all means until you crush their dreams with that cold shoulder of yours…" Horatio quipped.

"Stop that! I-I can't help it! I never know what to say… or how to say it properly!" Noctis' face was beet red now… Horatio almost felt sorry enough to change the topic… almost…

"Ah yes, I clearly remember how you left that lady from the Rubrum Kingdom crying horribly from your… inadequate behaviour. She was trying to confess to you, and yet all you could discuss was the weather."

"C-can we stop talking about this?"

"Unfortunately not. This is a serious situation, your Highness.

"Horatio…" Noctis whined.

"Ah… so pitiful…" Horatio scoffed. Noctis seemed to have shrunk sometime during their light banter. It made Horatio mentally sigh. His Prince was still so young…

"Well then, I suppose it would please you to hear that the Princess has been delayed and will be arriving a few days from now." Horatio mentioned with feigned disinterest.

"Is that so?"

"Yes, yes. So rest easy tonight, Prince Noctis. Good night." Horatio said before bowing and seeing himself out of the room.

Alone again, Noctis allowed himself a sigh of relief. Princess Stella's arrival was one of many things that worried Noctis at the moment… Most prominent was the brewing war between the neighboring countries of Milites and the Alliance countries. His father has been busy negotiating the neutrality of their kingdom especially since the Caelum Crystal was rumored to being the last known crystal in the world. That trail of thought brought Noctis to another worry of his…

Recently, known crystals have been shattering by some unknown catalyst. As the crystal protector, Noctis was deeply worried about his own crystal – a crystal that most people believed to be a myth. The Caelum family had guarded this crystal so well that its very existence was debated upon… However now, in desperate times, people were more ready to believe that this small kingdom held the last weapon of the Ancient Era….

Furthermore, since the rising tensions and the downfall of Akademia (where the most famous crystal resided), Noctis couldn't help but notice the increased number of lights floating all around… They swirled around everywhere in the palace. Noctis didn't understand, and he didn't try to: this "gift," given to him by the Goddess herself, was not something that he wanted. It was like curse, really… The power of death…

"Absolute power will corrupt absolutely."

The lights swirled closer towards him as if they were responding to his negative emotions. The uneasiness in his stomach did not seem to go away. 'Perhaps I should check tonight… just in case,' he thought. Nodding to himself, he finally left the office room and made for a journey through the palace. His feet took him down grand staircases and corridors that were older than his family name.

The lights seemed to follow him wherever he went. One particular sphere caught his eye. This sphere was always floating one step in front of him, and was with him since the office… Curiously, Noctis stopped walking. The sphere also stopped moving forward. Instead, the sphere circled around him, as urge him onward. This mystified Noctis since no other sphere ever tried to communicate with him before. They were just… there.

Frowning, Noctis slipped into an obscure corridor – one that was hardly ever used. With practiced ease, he pressed a hidden latch behind a tapestry and a secret door slid open. His frown deepens as he saw the sphere float purposefully through the secret door. It hesitated when Noctis didn't follow.

"Strange…" he muttered to himself before following his "guide."

They moved down more stairs and through a Labyrinth that Noctis knew by heart. Finally, they arrived at a stone alter to which a large crystal rested in the center: The Caelum Shrine. Noctis watched the sphere with a wary eye. He was slightly alarmed at the fact that the Crystal was reacting to the orb's presence.

"Did I lead the enemy straight here?" Noctis wondered out loud. He stared intensely at the sphere…

Lightning frowned as a bothersome sphere persisted to hover near her face. She glared at the beautiful swirling lights that were in front of her; waiting for her to do something. Lightning pursed her lips. Usually she would ignore these odd phenomenons, yet this one was different... Glancing at Vanille, who was busying herself with adding wood to the camp fire, Lightning tentatively raised a hand…

She didn't notice her crystal reacting strangely...

A red thread of light...

And suddenly...

The sphere stayed in place. It did not do anything else other then that. Noctis was puzzled beyond belief. This had never happened before… and so it compelled him to do something that he's never done before. To reach out and acknowledge these lights... would that mean he was accepting Etro's "gift?" Was this okay? Noctis wasn't sure... typically he would've left this sphere alone... and yet... it called to him in a way... Tentatively, he raised his hand and reached out…

He didn't notice the blue emblem that suddenly materialized behind him...

A blue thread of light...

And suddenly...

A burst of light…

Blue and Red threads of fate…

Forever entwined by Destiny.

Lightning panted while clutching her glowing red crystal.

Noctis fell to his knee with a hand to his head. His eyes were rapidly becoming a crimson hue.

The Crystal sprang to life; its glow pulsing like a heartbeat…

A new story has begun…

Author's note: Yep... This is what happens when I procrastinate my studying... I'm actually... a little frightened right now... I haven't planned this fic out at all! It sort of... just happened... I wonder where it'll take us haha! Forgive me, if you read this after the game comes out, and everything that's in this fic is total, utter crap... haha, it's only to keep us sane until the game DOES come out, I swear! Okay so as promised, I'll outline the names so that things will be a bit easier for everyone...

Shotgun guy: I think I'll name him Alec... just because... I'm not sure if someone else named him this already - I've read so many fics that they all seem jumbled in my brain! If so, tell me! I'll credit you! I promise!

Glasses dude: As you've already read... I named him Horatio... kind of a nod to Hamlet I guess... haha don't hate me! I'm not that creative!

Scar-eyed guy: Oh man... I'm pretty sure someone named him this already... but yeah, I'm calling him Marcellus. Again, if you see this name, and you've used it before I did, tell me!!!

White-haired kid: My good forum buddy and her awesome creative mind has come up with the name Gin! Thanks Ena! I owe you! hahaha, I miiiight do something weird and call him Shiro once in awhile... I like that name too... yes I'm strange - but there is logic somewhere in this madness! I swear!

I haven't decided the names on the evil glasses lady or the blue-haired general yet... they're probably not going to show up this early on anyways... if ever... haha...