1A/N: Hello dear readers! This is my first time writing for FF13-2, so I hope the characters aren't too OOC in this. The plot is supposed to be something like a future paradox, where Noel actually saw a vision of the future (set in the game Lightning Returns) where Lumina's voice tells him of his fate as the Shadow Hunter and his task to kill the savior.
Dislciamer: FF13-2 and all other installments of the franchise belong to Square Enix, I own nothing.
The Shadow Hunter
The evil savior will die at the hands of the Shadow Hunter.
With a start, Noel's body heaved forward, reflexes honed from years of living in a world barren of people and filled with monsters, his hands instictevily reached for his blades and the hunter's knife at his hip.
Ignoring his labored breathing, Noel scanned the thick trees and low hanging vines before him before sighing long and hard, releasing his death grip on his blades and running a hand through his sweaty, messy hair.
He propped his knees up and rested his forearm against it, his other hand massaging the crease between his eyebrows as he tried to calm down.
"That dream...that was one hell of a dream, "he still felt the lingering effects, he still felt his hearting racing in his chest and the light sheen of sweat on his body, his eyes alert and uneasy, "But...it felt so real,"
His head throbbed with familiar pain, pain that usually accompanied bits and pieces of his scattered memories, but this, this wasn't a memory.
It was a recollection from his dream.
"Shadow Hunter…is…is that supposed to be me?" Noel looked at the mysterious pink haired girl and eerily, she reminded him of a younger version of Serah but her eyes reminded him of Lightning.
The girl giggled, carefree and oblivious to his distress, "I don't know, you tell me," she winked and disappeared in a dust of smoke.
Noel was suddenly ripped from his thoughts by the pressure of a warm, gentle hand on his forearm.
It was Serah.
"Noel? Are you okay?" she had walked the short distance from her sleeping spot to his, just behind the fire, Mog was floating just behind her, curiously watching them.
Noel shook his head, resting both forearms against his bent knees, "I…I don't know…I had this…strange dream," he thought for a moment, trying to reorganize his thoughts, "…or vision,"
Serah frowned in concern, her grip on his bicep tightening, "A vision? You mean-" the young hunter quickly shook his head, already seeing the worry expanding tenfold in her eyes.
"No, nothing like that, but…it felt so real," he scratched the back of his head and looked at his companion, "There was also a little girl there…with pink hair…she kinda looked like you," his lips quirked in a small smile, "Well, younger anyway,"
Serah punched his arm and Noel rubbed at the spot, "Ouch! Hey, that hurt," despite the half-hearted glare he gave her, his blue eyes were twinkling with amusement.
Serah rolled her eyes, "Yeah, right. So, what did this "younger me" say to you?" she tilted her head to the side curiously, Mog bobbing his head when Noel looked at him, "Kupo!"
He frowned, staring at the ground between his feet, "It was weird. She…said something at the beginning of my dream. She said 'The evil savior will die at the hands of the Shadow Hunter" his hands tightened into fists and it was all Noel could do to somehow contain his frustration at how this dream impacted him so.
Serah rose an eyebrow, "Shadow Hunter? Who's that? And who's the savior supposed to be? I thought we were the ones who have to fix the timeline and save the world," she smiled slightly, a joking edge to her voice at the end of her sentence.
Noel shook his head, "There was only one…but I don't know who…I think…" he looked at Serah, "I think the Shadow Hunter is supposed to be me,"
His words caused her eyes to widen in surprise and he could feel his own heart constrict at the possibility that he would gain such an ominous moniker in the future. He didn't even want to know what he could have possibly done to gain that name either.
He snapped out of his thoughts when he felt movement at his side, as Serah scooted slightly closer to him and gripped his arm, "What? That's impossible! Why would you kill anyone? Much less a savior? It must be someone else Noel," he could see how worried she was over him and he appreciated her attempts to calm him down and reassure him.
Still, he wasn't convinced. His face contorted into a deep frown, "…Y-yeah…" he sighed heavily, "I guess,"
Serah shook her head and wiggled her finger in front of his face with a disapproving look, "No guesses, just yesses," she chided playfully.
Noel rose an eyebrow in amusement, "I wonder how those poor kids survived your strict lessons, Meanie Miss Farron," he chuckled when she gently pushed him.
"For your information, I wasn't that bad when I was a teacher. Besides, you said discipline is what makes a warrior, right? Among other things of course," she smiled gently.
Noel shrugged and smirked, "Yeah, but I never had a meanie miss Farron breathing down my neck," he laughed when she blushed in embarrassment and attempted to swat at him again, with him skillfully avoiding another hit.
However, she wasn't going to let this one sit, "Yeah, but you had Caius breathing down your neck and I don't think I'm scarier than him," she mirrored his smirk.
Again, the young man shrugged and rubbed his chin teasingly, "Hmm…I wonder about that… earlier you looked like you would have killed me when I lied I didn't bring any game," he crossed his arms in amusement, awaiting her response.
Serah rolled her eyes, "Well, that's because Mog and I were really hungry," her expression melted into a soft smile, "Besides ,I would just punch you maybe a little but what Mog would have done to you would have been far worse," she grinned.
"Kupo! Kupoo!"
Noel looked at the floating moogle in question and flicked his large white head with his finger, "Right," Mog protested heavily, waving his staff at the offending appendage until Noel retreated with a laugh.
They laughed at Mog's fury at the hunter.
Serah smiled gently, feeling the tension lift from the air, "Go back to sleep, Noel. Everything's fine," she stood up and walked the short distance back to her spot just a few steps away from him, "If you need anything I'm right here," she offered him another smile before turning her back to him.
Noel nodded, smiling back, "Good night Serah,"
She smiled, "Good night, Shadow Hunter,"
Noel's eyes widened and his head whipped around to look at his companion, a sense of dread filling him, "What did you say?"
A giggle broke through his momentary cloud of dread, "Just kidding, Noel," she turned her head slightly and winked and the young man playfully threw several wet leaves at her head, "Hey! Not fair!" she combed through her hair to get the sticky, wet leaves out of the tresses.
Noel smirked, watching her half heartedly aim the leaves back at him, barely reaching his outstretched foot.
He smiled, tilting his head to the side as he waited for her breathing to even out before laying flat on his back with his hands behind his head, staring up at the sky.
The voice.
It was there again, mocking him, "You know your future now, the prophecy and you know what will happen by the end of your journey, Shadow Hunter,"
Noel closed his eyes, hands tightening into fists as he desperately tried to ignore the voice.
What did she mean with prophecy? What did she mean when she said he knew what would happen at the end of his journey?
He looked at Serah, sleeping peacefully undisturbed by visions of the future, Mog sleeping huddled close to her head.
The curse of Etro…the allseeing eyes…could that be what she meant? The end of their journey?
Noel grit his teeth.
"No…we will save the world before Serah can have anymore visions. She'll be okay," he glared up at the night sky, a promise shining brightly in his eyes, "I promise,"
Scanning the crowd for suspicious figures, he spotted pink fly by his vision and he whirled around, eyes desperately searching for that familiar flash of pink.
The kind smile of his teammate, his friend, flashed before his eyes.
500 years ago.
Another flash of pink and this time Noel stood face to face with the person. The woman.
The blue eyes were familiar, even the face was but it was sharper, more serious, hardened. Blue eyes that didn't shine with kindess, they blazed with contempt and a hollowness Noel felt in his heart.
For a moment, his heart lurched in his throat, hope slowly blossoming until he finally recognized the figure standing before him.
So much alike and yet so very different.
Swallowing down his memories and crushing the sliver of hope he felt in his heart, Noel curled his fingers around the familiar hilt of his blade.
"Lightning,"
He nodded at her, eyes scanning his old friend's stance for signs of impending battle.
Lightning nodded in return, her blade already at her side, eyes suspicious and mistrusting, "Shadow Hunter"
He grunted, drawing his blade.
That was who he was now.
No longer the boy from the future, the man with a weird sense of style, the funny guy from a hollow future, Serah's good friend and protector, Yuel's Guardian, Caius' disciple and friend.
Now he was only Shadow Hunter.
The hunter of souls.
Thank you for reading! :)
