AN: Hello, everyone. So this is my first Tales of Xillia story. And it is an AU, set in modern times and in modern Earth. Meaning no spirits, no artes, no fighting, Milla isn't as oblivious to things as she is in the game, Jude is a bit more straightforward, etc. This is just something I tried and had judged by my classmates and Professor in school (though, only my classmates know that the characters were borrowed from Xillia) to see if it would be good to pass on one of our writing exercises and after receiving a positive response, I thought I should post it here and let other people other than those close to me judge for themselves. This is based on 'The Last', which is a short by Wong Fu Productions and can be viewed on Youtube. I recommend you watch it. It's a touching story. I shall leave the link here: /watch?v=JvxHPtEsmFc

Just add youtube . com before the slash and you should be set to watch it. I apologize for the OOC-ness here. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this. If I receive way too many negatives for this, I will take it down.

Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Xillia or The Last in anyway. Everyone should know that. XD

THE LAST

It was a bright morning in Los Angeles. Since it was a weekend, most people slept in, except for those who have work or those who have early morning plans with their friends and family. One couple, who neither have work or plans, lay in bed, were holding each other for warmth under the sheets. The man has neck length black hair, amber colored eyes and a youthful face that at first glance would immediately give away his kindhearted nature. The girl, whose head was lying on his chest, had long, puffy blonde hair with a cowlick that was colored green. She had magenta colored eyes that showed her fierceness and kindness at the same time and a slender body that any girl would kill for. Their names were Jude Mathis and Milla Maxwell and like any couple on a lazy morning, they were just enjoying the silence and each other's company.

"I love you." Jude whispered to his beloved before giving her a soft kiss on her forehead. This small gesture woke Milla up completely.

"Hey." She greeted him as she sat up and faced him. Jude sat up as well and observed her. "How many were there before me?"

"What do you mean?" Jude asked her, his face showing his confusion at the sudden question. However, this didn't prevent him from giving her a small smile. Milla gave him her own smile as she bit her lip and moved closer to him, brushing a strand of her hair back as she did so.

"Um…how many girls did you love before me?" She asked again.

"Love?" He asked her and she nodded in response. He thought about it for a while before answering her. "5. I loved 5 women before you."

Milla nodded and smiled before asking.

"What were their names?"

"Who, What, When, Where, Why." He answered her.

If Milla was confused by her lover's answer, she did a good job of not showing it. She simply took a deep breath, never losing her small smirk.

"Can you tell me about them?" She requested. Jude took her smooth hands in his own before complying with her request.

"Who I love was a girl from college. I…wasn't exactly close to her but with some superficial facts and a few interactions over semester, you know, like most guys fantasizing over a girl they barely know, I filled in the blanks like a fairy tale author. A-and who she became in my head was probably more than the reality. She was a 3rd year. Sorority girl." Jude continued on as Milla listened to him intently with her dazzling smile on her face. "Yeah. I was an infatuated freshman, sure, but the several times we got to spend together outside of classes. It really allowed me to see she also had a good heart a-and a bright spirit. The only problem was; so did just about every other guy. And while she turned me down nicely…I swear, there were times when it seemed like that the cliché sorority girl may have felt something for the typical, awkward freshman."

"What I loved…was an old friend." Jude continued on. "But she was much more than JUST a friend. We met early in college and kept in touch through the years after. We saw each other grow and change and through multiple relationships. I saw her different boyfriends come and go; she was also there for every girlfriend. And break up with mine. Personality, humor, taste; it was all there. Her and I were almost perfect." He said with a wistful look on his face. Milla nodded and continued listening to him. "Only thing that wasn't perfect was our timing. We were never single at the same time and…what we loved about each other, was never enough to leave who we were with. This is something we eventually had to face and accept and we had to leave behind what we had." He explained with a sad tone on his voice. Jude shook his head and continued on.

"When I loved was my first girlfriend in High School. It's a bit unfair because…she embodied both love and youth. The feeling of young love is unique a-and impossible to replace and replicate…because we can only be that age once. High School was a time of innocence, discovery and adventure." He reminded Milla with a small smile on his face, knowing that she too went through love in High School. "We share these 3 elements together and things like our first kiss, late night sneaking out and matinee movies, a-all of which now have become a-a nostalgic love; preserved at a time that neither of us could touch but we know it was there. Even though we were just kids, there's not a doubt in my mind that when we were there…we were in love."

"Where I love was the girl I met in Los Angeles. I never intended to stay there that long. It was just a 6 month internship after graduation. But it all changed when I met her. Soon, a year had passed and somehow, another year after that. I couldn't leave the city…" Jude admitted. Milla started to wonder deep inside if he ever let any of them go. "…and I couldn't leave her. Maybe it was my desire to be on my own o-or to prove something to everyone back at home. But she helped me accomplish it over there, with a relationship reflective of the city we were in. A new energy and new experiences that REALLY pushed me to mature more than anyone or anywhere else. When people ask what city I love, I say…'L.A.'" He said without missing a beat. "The city where I loved the most…"

"Why I love was a close friend who passed away. She told me after she was diagnosed that death was not what saddened her the most…but the fact that she never really felt like she had fallen in love. She wouldn't get to have those emotions…good and bad. Of being hurt and of being held. After she passed…those words stuck with me the most." He told her with a sad, faraway look on his face as he held onto his lover's hands tightly. "Teaching me to see that one of the greatest gifts we have of being alive was the ability to give, receive…and even lose love. There are so many like her; whose lives end before having any of those experiences. What a waste if we don't strive to love in our lives. She made me understand why; why waste this life not loving?" Jude asked rhetorically. Milla took a deep breath as she looked at him.

"I understand now." She said.

"You are the 6th." He said as he looked her dead straight in the eye. Milla looked up at the ceiling with a small smile on her face.

"The 6th." She contemplated. "Which one am I, then?"

"You are none of them." Jude told her. This time, she didn't even bother trying to hide her confusion.

"Because you are all of them."

Jude said this with a sincere look and a smile on his face. Milla couldn't hold her chuckle in as Jude continued.

"You're WHO I love; the girl on the pedestal. The fantasy. The make believe things that are actually true. You are WHAT I love; the depth. The inside jokes. The best friend. You are WHEN I love. A-A new history is being started with you. We are the young lovers our older selves will someday reminisce about. You are WHERE I love. Because I would go anywhere…just to be with you. You are WHY I love." He said. "Because before you, I didn't truly understand what I was looking for. And now that we found each other, you have given my past a future and meaning. You are 6th. You are The Last." Jude declared with a smile on his face. Milla laughed and pulled him in for a kiss, which Jude enthusiastically responded to. Milla couldn't believe how stupid she was for doubting Jude's love for her. After a few seconds, they separated and Jude held her hands again.

"So…how many were there before me?" He asked her with a smile on his face. Milla thought about it for a second before answering him with a smile.

"Uh…5 as well."

"What were their names?" Jude asked her, similar to how she asked him earlier. Milla chuckled and looked at him and she answered:

"Who. What. When. Where. Why."

AN: And that's a wrap. Again, I apologize for any OOC-ness in this story. I hope you guys liked this. This is more or less my experiment on writing a story based on something. Again, if the majority of the reviews are positive reviews or no reviews at all, this story stays on the archives. If the majority of the reviews are negative, however, this story will be removed, because really? What would be the point of leaving this in the archives, then? Please leave a review. You know, you wanna. XD

(Another) Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Xillia or The Last in any way whatsoever. Tales of Xillia is owned by Bandai Namco while The Last is owned by Wong Fu Productions.