Don't own Final Fantasy XIII.

Takes place when Hope has that "vision" just before he fights his Eidolon.

Beautiful Dreamer

Hope was awake in his dream, floating softly in a sea of black streams. He stayed in place as the currents moved around him, pushing different words into his mind before snatching them away again.

"…War of Transgressions…"

"Oerba…"

"…Where it all began..."

"…So many lives, so many people turned into Cie'th…"

"Where did Fang and Vanille go?"

"Don't worry; I'm sure they'll be fine…"

All of the voices gave him more information, some even containing pictures of what they were talking about.

A small village, children running amuck as their feet pattered on the sparsely grassed earth.

An army of Cie'th, stumbling pseudo-blindly across a blood-spattered wasteland.

A fearsome entity, which he instinctively knew to be Ragnarok, flying up and toward Cocoon.

"Well, well, Little One, I did not expect you to return to this place so swiftly."

Hope jerked his head in surprise at hearing, at feeling a powerful voice echoing all around him.

The voice laughed and the ocean of streams quivered in response. "You must understand, I do not see my children often, and you and yours were the first l'Cie I have ever made. It is rare for any l'Cie to have any noticeably unique powers and yet look at you, drifting in the World Beyond and speaking to me."

"Who…who are you? Are you Anima, the fal'Cie that made us?" Hope was somewhat terrified of this unknown voice, the power it so easily emanated, but he didn't want it to be too obvious and instead of shrinking into himself looked forward into the blackness.

The voice snarled, and Hope felt a nearby stream give way with a frightening snap! "Anima did not make you!"The voice boomed. "It led me to you, but did not brand you. I am your creator, your brander, your Maker!"

Hope cringed as another stream snapped apart near him. "Sorry! I didn't mean to offend, but we were fighting Anima when we were branded, it's only reasonable to assume…are you truly the Maker?"

The voice spoke again, calmer now. "Indeed, I am what the fal'Cie of Gran Pulse refer to as the Maker, the father of all Pulse fal'Cie, the first-born of Bhunivelze. I am Pulse." A being appeared then, taller than Snow and looking down at Hope in what Hope could only guess to be affection. Flesh and crystal were melded seamlessly together throughout his body, and the complete right side of his face was covered in (or perhaps made of) crystal.

The god smiled down at its youngest l'Cie and waved its hand at the streams, making all but the one that kept Hope aloft fade away. "Go now, my Little Dreamer, you know what you must do. Seek out Oerba, the village that two of your companions come from, and follow your path. I have a feeling that this will not be the last time we will meet. In fact, I feel that you will meet all of the Makers, Dreamer of mine, and they will in their own ways love you when everything is done."

The stream that held Hope then grew bright, and everything faded away.

Hope opened his eyes slightly, and raised a hand to the sky. "Oerba…where it all began…we have to go there…"

Just something I wanted to write after I realised that the band of l'Cie had been branded by Pulse himself. I may actually write "sequels", where Hope dreams and encounters Lindzei, Etro, and Bhunivelze. We'll just see where the mind takes me.

Again, this is a fic I wrote around 3 in the morning, so I'm sorry if there are outstanding mistakes.

Please review.

Ja ne!