Universe: In game AU.

Disclaimer: I don't own the wonderful world of FFXIII, or any of the other instalments of Final Fantasy. Also, I was half asleep while writing this: read at your own risk.

It was the end of the world and the beginning of a new. He had survived being a l'cie, survived through multiple paradoxes in time, he made it through heartlessness and had somehow met up with Lightning and saved the world in 13 days along the way. And finally, at the end of it all, he was brought back to the beginning of his journey by one woman; Nora Estheim. The same woman who stood before him now amongst the darkness that surrounded them. They were between worlds, a pocket in time that existed between dimensions, ready to be reincarnated into the new world.

His father was there too, his large hands resting over his wife's shoulders, just like the portrait that sat on living room table. A picture perfect family, he vaguely recalled one of his father's business associates calling them. Only one thing was missing: him. So as his mother stretched out a delicate hand to her only son, the gentle smile softly curving her lips just as it should, he took it. Reveling in the feeling of pure love that radiated from his parents, their arms warmly welcoming him to embrace the childhood he never got to have, the family he never experienced.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he thought he could hear something, he wasn't sure. But surrounded like this: he thought that he was being given a second chance at the life he never had, and the quiet urging in his mind was blown away like rose petals from the flower, lost in the darkness. He became a part of that perfect family.

He didn't hear the quiet voice pleading not to be abandoned in the distance.

Then the sun was rising, and Hope groggily opened his eyes despite his body's protests to fall back into bed. He meandered down the stairs, where his father sat reading the newspaper with coffee, no more awake than he was. While his mother, ever the early riser, hummed far too cheerily for the early hour. He walked over and hugged her lazily, he was taller now and could easily rest his chin on her shoulder and watch her flip the pancakes as they turned into golden brown coins. She jumped a bit but quickly relaxed and turned to kiss his forehead.

"Someone's up earlier than usual." she laughed softly, "did something wake you?"

Blearily, he realized she was right, the clock read 6:00 am, an hour earlier than the teenager usually forced himself out of bed. He stared at the clock blankly, trying to remember something that wasn't there. He watched it turn from 6:00 am to 6:01 am, and glanced around the room, somehow feeling as if something significant was supposed to happen. But it didn't, and life continued.

So as he stepped out the door that day, his father firmly patting him goodbye on the back, he headed off to his first day of college. While driving to the academy, he was once again struck with the oddest little pain in his chest, like something: or someone was missing. He glanced at the passengers seat for a moment, looking for something that wasn't there. But nothing ever changed.

And so life continued.

A/N: Personaly, I've always enjoyed the partnership between Hope and Lightning (whether you want to perceive it as romantic or not), and that Hope had been the one to hear Lightning's voice and save her soul had always seemed like the perfect way to balance out their relationship (that they save each other in the end). But I also thought you could see Hope's love for his mother reflected in many of his actions as well, especially since she was the reason he was made into a l'cie (his need to avenge her death that leads him to follow Snow). Your thoughts or any comments? I'd love to hear them.