Please note 12/12/13: There's some romance in here but it's not really the main focus of the story. Sorry if anyone was disappointed. The pairings in my head are HopeXLight, FangXVanille, SerahXSnow, NoelXYeul, but everyone(the characters) has issues and it might not always be clear. =) I hope you enjoy the story anyway!

"Hope."

A gentle voice that appeared in his dreams was calling him.

"Hope."

The sound cut through his thoughts, becoming more solid. It wasn't a dream?
There was no pain at all now. Amazing. He opened his eyes and blinked several times. He pushed himself up on his elbows, vaguely registering the lack of effort required for that movement. The world swam into focus.

"Mum? Is that… really you?"
Tentatively, he stretched out his arm towards her, but as his fingers touched her sleeve, it broke up into a trail of sparkles before reforming itself. His hand fell uselessly to his side.

"Why?"

"This… is only a fragment of my soul. We who died too long ago have already merged with the chaos." She looked a little rueful as she explained. Then, her expression brightened.

"Stand up, let me see how you've grown."

Her tone was light, almost happy, almost like they were back in Bodhum on vacation and she was telling him about the people who gave her home-grown vegetables for free. He stood up stiffly, reflecting that it was strange to look at her from an elevated point of view. He was so much taller now.

"You've grown up."

"I had to." He replied reflexively, regretting it immediately afterwards. Unexpectedly, her eyes crinkled at the corners as she smiled at his response. Had she missed the sass of a fourteen-year old in a rebellious phase? He tried to read her expression, but Nora was walking cheerfully towards the bright light that was rising in the sky. Hope followed automatically, and they walked for a while in comfortable silence. Around them the world seemed to be alive. Grass and other plants grew at observable speeds. Animals that looked like chocobos shimmered into being and began flying around happily. Some flew very close to them, curious, and hovered around their heads.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Nora gazed around her happily. "A world for humans to live peaceful lives."

"I'm sorry!" He burst out suddenly. She turned to look at him with a confused expression.

"I wanted to change the past, and save you. But I couldn't do it in the end." Tears ran down his face and he rubbed them hastily with his sleeve, afraid she would disappear while he wasn't looking. Nora stepped close to him and held her arms around him, as close to a hug as she could make it without touching. He leaned in a little, feeling just a bit like a child again.

"You did the right thing. You fought to save the world. I'm sorry… that I couldn't be there for you. You had to do everything on your own." Hope shook his head vigorously to deny this.

"I wasn't alone. I had friends with me."

Still, she looked sad. He caught her eye, and suddenly his lips quirked upwards. Nora smiled back and without knowing quite how it happened, they were both laughing their hearts out. Their voices rang out in the clean, natural air. He had missed the sound of her laugh.

"Your father was right; there was nothing to worry about. You can take care of yourself now."

"Then is Dad-?"

"I don't know." Her eyes looked sad again. "Maybe he's already been reborn into a new life."

"No. He'd wait for you." He spoke impulsively. "Dad is definitely waiting for you! So you can be reborn together. So -" his voice caught "-you have to go back."
Nora's smile grew wider. They must have walked some distance already and the light was even brighter now, but the light suffusing her body was not from the sky. Now the tears flowed uncontrollably, and he made no move to wipe them away, blinking furiously.

"We're proud of you, Hope. My son."

Her figure melted into a silhouette of sparkles before dissipating entirely. A sob racked his chest before he heard another voice. He spun around so quickly he nearly lost his balance.

"Ho...pe?" She was beautiful. In the light her hair glowed almost silver. From some reason she was dressed in her old soldier uniform again, like the first time they met.

"Light!" He closed the distance between them in seconds and threw his arms around her in an embrace. She hugged him briefly before stepping back and holding him at arm's length.

"I'm not the type who hugs at reunions.' She reminded him, but her tone was warm. Somberly she regarded him, as if examining his body for injuries. When their eyes met, she frowned a little and looked away.

"It's good that you're safe. You were crying."

"You were too." It was true. Her eyes were reddened and a little puffy.

"My comrades… from before everything began. They came to wish me goodbye."

"Oh."
He didn't know quite how to respond to that, so he said nothing. She turned and regarded the world around them. A slight smile lifted the features of her face, but she had her hands wrapped around her elbows and seemed to be hardly breathing. Hope thought for a moment.

"It's the world that Serah wanted."
At his words, her posture seemed to relax just a little.

"It's just hard to believe that everything is really over. No more fighting."

"You're wrong." He shook his head slightly. "Everything is just beginning. Our lives begin here and now, a new adventure and new battles to be fought. It's only a matter of what you choose to fight for. You have that choice now, so what will you do?"
Lightning exhaled lightly before smiling wryly.

"You're right. I'll find Serah first and think about the rest later. What about you, Hope? What will you do now?"

"I'll go with you." He answered without hesitation. Her expression did not change, but her eyes brightened. She turned on her heel and started walking briskly.

"Let's go!"

A/N: This is going to be fairly slow-paced. I intend to update this frequently till January. Thanks for reading!
A/N2: This chapter will be undergoing a rewrite in a few months because I'm not too happy with the writing style.