Hey! so this is my first official fanfiction... and I was a little nervous about actually posting it but I guess in the end I figured what was the point of writing something and then never trying to share it with more than 3 or so people? So... here you go. by the way, this absolutely is NOT slash... just so you know.

LOST: Lux Mundi

Light of the World

It was obvious that something big, something life-changing, had just occurred here on this Island in the middle of the ocean, in the middle of nothing. The Island, now a somewhat smaller place, had lost something... but it had gained something even better. The Island had indeed lost some land, some of its majestic scenery, some of its magic; the Island had also lost its old and faithful protector but it had gained a heart and a soul. It had gained Hugo Reyes who would run things in a different and better way than former Island Protector, Jacob, could have ever dreamed.

All was quiet now, the ground had stopped shaking and rumbling, rocks had stopped sliding and bumping down into them. The Light was once again shining bright from the mouth of the cave. Desmond was still out, laying on the rocks and dirt nearby. Hurley Reyes and Ben Linus were sitting in silence on the rocks, mourning their friends, thinking about what had just happened, and letting it all sink in. Their hearts were heavy for different reasons but... but it was all over. It was over. Or had it just begun? They had both found purpose and meaning in their lives... finally their paths were clear, they were finally beginning to understand why this Island had brought them here. The moment was bittersweet.

"So... what nex..." Hurley's hesitant question was interrupted by the roar of an airplane passing close overhead. It was visibly damaged, just barely running, it was obvious that it was the Ajira plane they had come in on. Hurley looked up at it with a tearful smile. They were safe, they were okay. He didn't know how many of his friends were on board but they were alright.

"It looks like your friends got off, Hugo." Ben, too, watched the plane go overhead until it disappeared behind the foliage. Even after it disappeared from their sight they could still hear heading away, heading home.

"Dude, they're your friends too now." Hurley's kind eyes met Ben's and he smiled - it was the first smile he had given in what felt like years. His warm, friendly smile encouraged Ben to return a thoughtful smile of his own. 'They were his friends too'. A sense of fulfillment, acceptance and peace filled Benjamin Linus at these words. There really was such a thing as redemption and, and he was on the road to it. He wasn't there yet, no, that road was a long, long road, especially for him, but he was on his way. Ben looked down at the slowly rippling creek heading into the Light, a flood of emotions spilled over him. He would become a good man. He would redeem himself from all he had done, he would wash the blood from his hands, he would become the type of man his daughter would have been proud of.

"We're going to be okay," Ben looked up at Hurley. This was the start of a new chapter for both of them... a better chapter.

The moment of silence was interrupted suddenly.

"Wait! Hold on!" Hurley's sharp exclamation broke the silence around them. He sat up straighter and stared into the jungle intently. Ben turned around and stared in the same direction Hurley was concentrating on but he saw nothing. He turned to Hurley, slightly confused. "Hey, isn't that… that's Vincent, right?" Hurley pointed and got up and jogged into the jungle yelling, "Vincent?" Through gasps of breath, "Vincent! Here, boy!"

*ruff, ruff*

The bounding and leaping form of a white Lab could barely be seen through the green jungle around them. "Vincent! Come here, boy!" But every time Hurley came near the dog he would leap away deeper into the jungle. Then the dog would stop and look back and bark again - either he was playing or he was genuinely leading Hurley somewhere. Ben was somewhat skeptical about the latter possibility.

Now alone, Ben looked down at Desmond, the man was still out - probably would be for some time so he finally decided to get up and follow. He was a ways behind the twosome's cat and mouse game and he was also paying more attention to his surroundings than Hugo was. He immediately had some sort of idea of where they were… they were still in the bamboo fields, yes, but now they were not too far from the beach - the beach where the Oceanic plane had crashed 3 years before. Ben brushed aside a bamboo bough, Hurley's yelling had suddenly dissipated. The jungle was quiet again - even Vincent's barking had died away. He advanced cautiously forward… and came to an abrupt halt. He stopped, facing Hurley's wide back. "What is it?" he asked. He couldn't see around Hugo's frame but in a moment Hurley had sunk to the ground, clinging to a ruffle of blue, his face in the folds of blue, his body trembling. Ben could now look over his shoulder: it was Jack. "Jack?" he whispered. Ben didn't have to ask, he already knew - Jack was gone. Mixed emotions flooded over him. How did he get out of the cave? Why had he come here and not to his friends? A small hint of 'it served him right' leaked through too. After all, hadn't he told Jack it was the beginning of the end way back when Jack had first contacted the freighter? And hadn't that basically truly been the beginning of the end? It was only fitting that Jack finally paid for his ignorance… and his pigheadedness. Jack should've listened to him… he was right all along. But, no, instead Jack had beat him up. But, he was forced to remind himself that he wasn't completely innocent either... nor had he always been right. He lowered his head, "I'm sorry, Hugo."

"He didn't have to die," Hurley muttered through the blue folds of Jack's shirt, "he didn't have to go. Why did he come out here? Why didn't he come to us? We could've helped him."

"Locke… that thing mortally wounded him," Ben put a faltering hand on Hurley's shoulder, "he knew he was going. He probably wanted to spare you the pain."

"But it didn't," Hurley looked up, "and... the Island wasn't done with him yet." Rage and denial swept over him. He did not want this job… especially if this job couldn't even help him save his friends. And he didn't even know how to get along with Ben Linus. They were complete opposites. How did he really truly know he could trust him? And, on top of it all, they might have been able to save Jack and then Jack could've taken the job back. That was how it was suppose to be, "Jack was suppose to live."

"The Island was done with him, Hugo," Ben said, "he knew and accepted that. He did what he was suppose to do. He saved us. He brought you to this point. He died at peace with himself. He died a hero." He hoped these words would comfort Hurley because, well, he was a little uncertain of what else to say. He had never been in a position like this where he had to comfort anyone before. It was completely foreign to him... even the words escaping his lips right now were foreign to him.

Hugo was silent. "He died a hero". That still didn't change the fact that he didn't HAVE to die. Hurley ignored Ben's comforting words, ignored the reason that was behind them. He was not going to accept them… at least not for a while. He looked down at Jack's pale, still face - a faint smile even still showed upon his features. Hurley studied his friend, his tears mixing with Jack's blood. How was he to carry on? He didn't even know what he was protecting... what this place was... or how to take care of it. It was completely foreign to him.