Lacrimosa

Part Five of the Parallel Series

Lightning, being a Guardian Corps officer, was accustomed to pain, but what she had just experienced was different. By Etro, that hurt. And fal'Cies be damned, the poets and writers elegantly wrote out it felt to leap through time, but they were wrong about it. It was hardly a simple dive like how an experience swimmer could leap from the diving block and into the water at the beginning of a race.

She had felt as though she had got through hell, her body being ripped apart a million times over. It was agonizing. And when she landed, her reflexes were slow. Lightning had failed to activate her gravity com unit in time to break her fall. She landed chest first into hard, black tar. She had the wind knocked out of her, but that certainly gave her a wake up call that she was no longer in New Bodhum.

"Ugh." She rolled over, snapping her eyes open as she carefully moved to sit up. The city in front of her eyes was a familiar sight from her memories. Claire once called this place home.

After a few minutes of recovery, she pushed herself up off the ground, allowing her to stand. But just then, she heard the sound of screeching tires. She turned and reached for her Blazefire Saber, whipping into its gun mode, prepared to fire at will. Her icy blue eyes glared at the incoming car, through the windshield at the bespectacled driver as said driver slammed on his brakes.

When the car was nearing her, her finger twitched against the trigger. And the car halted right before he hit her. Good enough. Lightning kept her finger on the trigger as the man stepped out of the car, face as pale as a ghost. Now, his appearance struck a cord in her memory. She knew him too.

"I can't believe it." He mumbled.

"Ignis, what the hell?" There was a second person exiting the car from the backseat. And Lightning's heart skipped a beat. They looked so much alike – he and Raines, she noted – even in the way they stared at her.

"Cl-" He began to say.

"It's Lightning now." She replied quickly, cutting him off. She expected him to remember, as Etro had hinted as such before ripping her out of the past. And judging by the look in his eyes, he did remember. "But Claire was my name once."

"I know." The dark prince replied. "Welcome home."

He held out a hand for her to take. Tucking her gunblade away into its holster, she eyed him carefully. It was a test to see if it was really her. Shaking her head, she scoffed and did not take his hand, instead opting to fold her arms and shift her weight from one side to the other.

Ignis cocked an eyebrow, pushing up his glasses. Noctis offered a tiny shred of a smile.

She had passed the test.

Claire was of the Farron line, descended from a Snow Villiers and Serah Farron since the fall of Cocoon.

And Noctis was of the Raines line. Apparently, her dear old friend Cid had fathered a child during his time as Primarch. Lightning was hardly surprised. The man was charismatic and a capable charmer. She grumbled, recalling such a time when she almost fell into his bed.

That would have been awkward to mention to Noctis.

By the way, I almost bedded your ancestor.

Shaking her head, she took a seat on the white couch, staring at Noctis with piercing blue eyes and arms folded. Noctis sat opposite to her on a black couch, across from her; the two of them were separated by a simple coffee table.

"How long has it been?" She asked of him.

"A couple of years." Noctis paused. "What about you?"

"A lifetime." The soldier replied. "I suppose you know about that life."

"It's in the history books." The brooding prince retorted.

She scoffed, leaning back into the couch and rolling her eyes. "Tell me about it."

And so, he started to weave the tale for her.

It's been a while since I've updated. Sorry everyone. Lots of plot bunnies for Type-0 running around. By the way, I do realize that XIII-2 is close to being released and all. So consider Parallel very AU-ish as of right now. I have plans for Noel showing up sooner or later. I know exactly how I'm weaving him in. I hope you enjoyed this.