Final Fantasy Versus XIII: Eclipse
Fanfic by Dawn Fire Angel

Hey everyone! Just call me Dawn. =) This is my first FFXIII fanfic, so I apologize in advance for any mistakes I may have in the story. Also, I need help with names for Noctis' companions - are they really Laris and Marcus? Or Vidal? O.O I'm really, really confused. Or did someone make them up? Wikipedia doesn't have that information (Author cries). Please help the needy! xD

Erm... Well, this story's a Lightis, naturally. (If Stella ever gets to be with Noctis, I'll destroy my laptop) ... Holy crap I'm moving my arm and I can feel my bone moving!!!!!

Back to the story now - Lightning is 19 in this story, while Noctis is 20-21. Stella - same age as Lightning. Snow - 27 (haha, this is qwerty91's fault - he converted me to a young Snow!! I wanted him to be in his thirties, but nooo he has to be 27. -glares at qwerty- I just realized I liked to type his penname... qwerty. -grin- wow am I easily distracted) Vanille's 17, Sazh's 24, Shotgunman (who I am bestowing the name 'Alexander' - for now) is 23, Scarman (he will be... Bradley. Hehehehe... x)) is 26 Lebeau (or whatever her name is - I needa check it out) is 20, and... er... am I missing anyone? O.O Oh yeah, Driverdude (Sascha) is 28. Anymore? No? Good.

Disclaimer: Square Enix is the genius who made this game, not me. Sad, isn't it?

Please read and review!!

.:Chapter One:.
Dreams and Memories

It was quiet, peaceful, but its eyes flickered wildly under closed lids in pain. The men in white worked on it quickly, trying to receive it from the cliff it held on to, trying to pull itself up from death. Even as its body lay unmoving, its mind worked, faster, faster, trying to remember, but failing.

"Light! Wait up, Light!"

Laughing, the young girl spun in a circle, her strawberry-blond hair escaping from its ponytail. The ribbon which held it up flew away in the gentle breeze. The voice behind her was a boy's, her friend, her best friend. What was his name?

A moan escaped its lips, and the pale face lolled to one side.

"Faster, men! It's dying."

The heartbeats were weakening, and the men worked as fast as they could to save it. The anaesthetic they'd injected into it was fading, and it was wakening. Faster, faster they worked.

It moaned again, and its long, slender fingers fluttered in thin air. "Noct..." The word escaped from its throat, and its fingers clenched into a fist. Who was that? Who was Noct?

"Light! You know Father forbid me to run like I usually do. C'mon, wait up!"

The girl giggled and turned around, but he was too far away to be seen. She could see that he was a raven-haired boy, though, with blue highlights, probably because of the sun. "You're just a turtle, that's why!" she called back. "Slow-poke!"

"I'll make you eat those words one day!"

"It's ready."

An awed silence fell amongst the men in white as it opened its pale blue eyes, and gazed around it for the first time.

It rose from its cot and looked unnervingly at the men who'd worked to save its life. They scuttled backwards, averting their gazes as they realized that it was naked.

The lead scientist stepped forward and clapped the woman's bare shoulder. She glanced down at his hand before turning to look at him with her sharper eyesight.

"Welcome back... Lightning."

--

Lightning awoke with a start.

Her chest heaving, her long, strawberry-blond hair damp with sweat, her pale blue eyes wide with fear, the nineteen-year-old woman sat on her bed. Her slim, strong hands were clenched into fists. Her night things were soaked with her sweat. Her limbs shone with the same substance. Her face was pale, and she was afraid.

It was that dream again.

The voices, the memories... why did she have to have amnesia? Of all people, why her? What did she do to deserve it?

But then, of course, she didn't know. After all, she had amnesia.

She only ever remembered what happened since she'd woke up three years ago. She had only been sixteen when she was on the brink of death, just waiting to fall into its welcoming arms. But they'd saved her, and given her powers, powers she wished she didn't have.

Because then, she wouldn't need to kill.

Lightning swung her legs over the side of her bed and stood. At nineteen, she stood at 5"10, tall, slim, and exceedingly beautiful – although no one dared to tell her that to her face, because unlike most women, she hated compliments. Not exactly hated them... she just got easily embarrassed and had to cover up with a glare that once sent an entire army running.

Lightning brushed aside her damp fringe as it once again fell to her face as she went to the bathroom for a shower, a fluffy white towel in hand.

Once she'd safely locked herself inside the crystalline white room, she undressed, pausing only to touch the small tattoo she didn't know how she received like always. It was shaped roughly into an insignia of something... she could never remember, despite how hard she tried to think. She assumed that it would come back to her one day, although she did wish she knew.

The cool water was soothing to her body. She closed her eyes and let it wash over her face, washing away the doubts and the fears like it washed away the sweat. Her heated body cooled. She ran her hands through her silky hair and smiled to herself. It was merely the ghost of a smile, but a smile nevertheless. Lightning didn't smile, couldn't smile, since the day she came back as this bionic woman. The strong, striking commander who never lost a battle in the three years she remembered.

She stepped out of the shower, switched it off, and grabbed her towel before heading out to change.

--

-Noctis-

"My Lord?"

Prince Noctis Lucis Caelum turned to face his servant in his stiff suit. Ivalice damn these things.*

"What is it?" he asked in his quiet baritone. "Is the Crystal in danger?"

"No, My Lord. But Lady Fleuret wishes to see you one more time before she goes back to live with her parents."

Noctis hesitated, and sighed. "Send her in," he said resignedly. The male servant bowed and departed. A few seconds later, Stella Nox Fleuret burst in, a smile on her face. Noctis hid his shyness under a mask of coldness that scared most women off, but not Stella. She believed she could get past that cool face to the warm heart underneath. Ugh.

"Noctis," she smiled.

"Stella," he answered quietly, standing up. He kissed her cheek in farewell when she came near, and she smiled.

"Always the gentleman, Noct. Try loosen up while I'm gone, okay?"

He nodded, and sat back down as she dashed out, humming a song. His dark blue eyes followed her form, and realization hit him – he was going to marry this woman in a few months. Why didn't he feel like most fiancés should?

Not for the first time, he wished that Larielle, his secret crush since the day he met her, was here, and not dead.

She had been a Crystal Guardian, like he was now, and she had died doing her duty. No trace of her body was found by the experts – they assumed she had been reduced to dust, what with the new weaponry and all. He had cried his eyes out at night for her lost life, and sometimes still had nightmares about her.

Now, three years later, he was cool and calm, hiding his true self from everyone else, because he wanted only her to see it. If she ever returned from where she had been, he would reveal himself once more, because his true self belonged to her, and her only.

My Larielle, my Light.

--

He could hear her screams. They tortured him, tore his heart out from his chest, made him want to kill whoever was making her scream. He wanted to rip that person into pieces, and make him suffer for every cry of fear that escaped her beautiful mouth.

Noctis ran up to the tower, where the Crystal she guarded lay.

Her terrified and pained screams echoed down the steps behind him. Noctis could feel her strength ebbing away, he could almost hear her heart slowing. He had to go faster... faster...

He sped up the stairs, leaving his guards in the dust as he shot forward at full speed, panting slightly at the force of his exertion.

And despair overwhelmed him, because he knew he couldn't be fast enough, he wouldn't be fast enough, no matter how fast he ran, no matter what. He would burst into the doors to see the Crystal broken, the soldiers who were meant to guard her dead, with no trace of her anywhere on the floor, or anywhere in the room.

She would be gone.

--

Dark blue eyes flashed opened, and Noctis shot upwards to sitting position. His bare chest moved quickly as he heaved in deep, calming breaths. His fingers opened and closed over his palm, remembering that terrible day. He hadn't had this nightmare for a long, long time. Not since the day they buried her sword and gun in the empty coffin that was in the empty field that she had first found him trying to control his powers.

"That's so cool! Can you teach me how to do that?"

Her young, innocent voice pierced him through the heart. Those were her exact first words to him, and in that moment, they'd been friends. He liked her because she treated him like a boy, not like a Prince. Noctis had promised her that he'd take care of her when she'd accepted his father's decision to make her the Guardian... but he had failed.

For a moment, grief washed over him, and he closed his eyes under its weight.

"My Lord?"

The tentative voice of his servant brought his mind back to perspective. He glanced up with cold dark blue eyes, and raised one eyebrow, allowing him to speak. The servant could barely keep her eyes from his well-toned, well-muscled chest. He growled at her, and she jumped.

"S-sorry M-my L-l-lord, b-but you h-have a m-m-meeting w-with C-commander A-ad-driel in a-an hour." She then bowed quickly and departed, her neck and face bright red. Noctis sighed – what was it with women and staring at his body? The body that was hers?

He threw back the covers and strode to bathe and change.

--

"What's wrong? What's wrong, Night? You can tell me, you know you can tell me anything."

Her voice haunted him as he strode down the empty, dark hallway to the throne room. His footsteps echoed around him, as if he were heading for his sentence on the gallows.

The thought made his lips twitch into what can only be described as a ghost of a smile. Then, it faded. She took my smile when she left me, Noctis thought, pausing suddenly, a pained look appearing on his handsome face. And I never got to tell her how I felt about her. What I feel about her still.

The silence around him taunted him, but Noctis was well trained in the art of ignoring it. He continued his way down towards the throne room, his face composed, his heart in pieces.

*I'm using the FFXII word for 'God' or 'Christ', because I've no idea what it is in this one. Not yet, anyways. Hehehe...

Erm... well, please tell me what you think of it! Constructive criticism and compliments are more than welcome. Flames shall be used to burn my victims... bwahahah!!!

Review!!