So… here's the second installment, and what was supposed to be the conclusion…. I'm sorry, that's not what it is. There will be one more part after this, which hopefully shouldn't take me as long to post. So thanks for those following, and especially those who reviewed the last chapter. Note, there are spoilers for Lightning Returns, so if you care about that, I highly suggest you don't read this. Also, I used a few lines from the encounters with Snow and Noel, so if you recognize them (and even if you don't) I don't own them.
On the day they held the memorial service, dark storm clouds hovered over the town. It had yet to rain, but it was only a matter of time.
Lightning stood at the edge of the mass of people, wishing that it could've been a more intimate gathering, but Hope was a leader, and a popular one at that. She sighed as the orator droned on, talking about what a hero Hope had been. She hated that they focused on his life after the Chaos came and didn't even mention his time as a l'Cie.
She sighed again and shook her head, knowing that it would do no good to reminisce. Of course people would talk about what happened after the Chaos came – it had been 331 years since then, after all. And he was the people's beloved leader.
Turning away from the people who only pretended to grieve, Lightning found a few people who, like her, would rather mourn their loss in private. Although they weren't on the best of terms with each other, it was for Hope's sake that there was a fragile peace among them.
No one said a word as the former l'Cie mourned their friend. At long last, Snow opened his mouth. "Lightning."
Although all he said was her name, Lightning could hear the pity in his voice. "Stop. I don't want to hear it."
Noel and Sazh chose to keep quiet, but Snow felt that she needed to let her grief out. When Serah died, Hope was there to pick up the pieces, but without him… Snow didn't want to think of what might become of the girl who had almost been his sister.
"Lightning, this isn't you. Where has fight gone? You nearly tore the world apart to get her back, but you'll just let Hope be taken away without even a word of complaint?"
The silence stretched into eternity, and no one was willing to break it. There was too much pain and grief in the words they refused to say.
When she was finally alone, Lightning walked down to the cemetery. Night had already fallen, but curfew meant nothing to her. The gates were padlocked shut, but that was only a minor inconvenience. Taking a couple steps back, Lightning ran to the gate, scaling the wrought iron in seconds.
Finding Hope's grave took only moments. Despite the city wanting to honor its hero with a life-size monument, his friends spoke against it. He deserved something that reflected him as a person – humble, but with a shine that would never fade.
They got their way in the end, and instead of a statue or a plaque, there was a simple obsidian headstone under a large apple tree. Under his name and dates of birth and death were a few words that Lightning chose.
"The best partner anyone could ever hope for," Lightning read aloud, brushing her fingers along the engraving as she knelt on the ground.
Rain started to fall, but Lightning paid no attention. "I love you, Hope. Forever and always. Forgive me." Dropping a kiss on the slick stone, Lightning pushed herself to her feet and turned her back on the only man she ever loved.
Her heart was broken and repaired, only to shatter once more. As she ascended to stairs to the crystal throne, her thoughts were only on the pain she suffered. With every step she took, a bit of the pain seemed to leave her. By the time she reached the top, only the faintest shadow remained.
Serah, Hope, forgive me. Please.
The last fragment drifted away from her as she took up her silent watch, her skin crystallizing until nothing could pierce the soldier's heart.
She woke up thirteen days before the end.
White surrounded her – the floor, the ceiling, even the wood of the bed she was laying on was stark white.
Sitting up was a bad idea – her head swam and small black dots swam in her vision. She desperately wanted to curl up in the sheets pooled around her waist, but there was a sense of purpose that forced her to push herself to her feet and walk out the door.
More white greeted her as she entered the main area of the Ark, though a small bookcase held a few colorful books. There wasn't much to see – most of the room was taken up by a desk with several large monitors resting on top of it.
The chair in front of the desk swiveled around.
"It's been a while."
Silence. Then, as if in a dream, Lightning took a few hesitant steps to stand in front of the child. Reaching out a hand, she rested her fingers lightly on his face. "Hope? Is that really you? I'm not dreaming, am I?"
"It all depends on your definition of dream."
Lightning shook her head and took a step back, dropping her hand to her side. It looked like Hope had when she first met him, but there was something off. He wasn't the scared teenager who vowed to get revenge, nor was he the sweet, caring Director she loved. He was… cold.
And yet, despite how she knew she should feel – lonely, betrayed, but most of all happy – she could not muster up even the slightest bit of emotion.
An empty vessel.
Hope explained her mission to her, as well as some of the major events that happened in her absence – strange, she thought, that he didn't mention his absence. She asked him about what he remembered, if anything at all.
The answer he gave made her wish she'd never asked. The years they spent together were gone from his memory. He remembered nothing after Fang and Vanille became the crystal pillar that held up Cocoon. It made her ache, the thought that to him, nothing ever happened between them. But it hurt because of the absence of what emotions she should have felt.
Hope was quick to change the subject, and instead brought up his agenda. The first place was Yusnaan, with Snow at its head.
Marching into the palace, Lightning harvested the souls of the revelers ready to move into the next world. Hope had gone silent in her ear, and she took that to mean that he had no further advice to give her. Just save Snow, and anyone else she could along the way.
That first moment they locked eyes, Lightning felt a chill run down her spine. Much like Hope, there was something inherently wrong with Snow as he was now. As he jumped from the balcony, fire in his hand, she knew what it was. He's become a l'Cie again. Shaking off the questions that came to mind, Lightning drew her blade to take down the fiend in front of her. "Snow. It's been a long time." The beast dropped to the ground, and she turned her sword toward the man she once considered a friend. "You know what I am, and you know what I want."
"Yeah, and I don't really give a damn what you want." Snow forced himself to his feet, ready to fight the so-called "savior". He froze some of the moisture in the air, forming it into a scythe. "You left us. You and Hope both. And look at where that got us!" He swung back, not really sure if he wanted to harm her or not. The choice wasn't his, however, for she quickly brought up her own weapon to block the attack.
"He didn't exactly have a choice, you know. And what good would I have done? There was no place in that world for me, an ex-soldier who only knew how to fight. Hope was the only thing that kept me from leaving much earlier."
They turned at the same time, dispatching the fiends that chased after them before returning to the fight between them. "You could've at least said goodbye. You owed us that much, after all we'd been through together." A couple more parries, and soon she was darting around Snow as if trying to create her own whirlwind. "Are you really trying to kill me?"
After a moment, Lightning came to a halt, the edge of her sword pressed against Snow's neck. "There was no one left to care whether I lived or died. It's over now."
"You had us, you always did. But you know what? Things are different now. And you know what? You can't save the soul that I no longer have."
"I could help you, if that's what you want."
He whirled around, mindful of her sword at his neck, and grabbed her by the collar. "Damn it Light! What kind of answer is that? You can't just waltz in here and act like nothing bothers you! I know losing Hope hurt you, and you're the savior and all, but can't you feel anymore?"
The earth started to shake from the force of the Chaos, halting their argument as the chandelier above them came crashing down. Just before it hit the ground, Snow threw up his hand, freezing it where it hung. Spirals of darkness whirled around him as he turned from Lightning. "I won't let anyone stop me. Not even you, Lightning."
Back in her room on the Ark, Lightning hung her sword on the wall before letting her coat fall to the ground. She sank onto her bed, let a sigh escape her, and threw her arm across her eyes to block out the light. Being the savior was much harder than she thought it would be. People just didn't want to be saved.
There was a knock on her door, and Hope entered the small, colorless room. "You weren't doing too badly out there, Light. But the world only has so much time. I suggest that you give Snow a day or two to cool off before trying Yusnaan again."
Lightning nodded but didn't say anything, hoping that he would just go away. He looked so much like he used to that it should've hurt, and the fact that it didn't made Lightning ache for the emotion she couldn't quite reach.
"I know this is hard on you. But you're the one and only savior. No one else can do this." He reached out and pulled her arm away from her face, entwining their fingers as he did so. "I believe in you." He bent down and placed a light kiss on her forehead before standing up and walking towards the door. At the last moment, he turned. "Sleep well, Light."
A faint smile crossed her face. It was the first time since she awoke that he called her by her name. A faint glimmer of hope sprouted, that maybe he wasn't as gone as she'd thought. As her eyes drifted shut, she thought not of what was coming the following day, nor in the days to follow, but of the tiny bit of Hope that was still in him.
When Lightning opened her eyes, there was a cold, empty spot where Hope should have been. She reached out her hand, expecting to find him somewhere close.
It was then that he walked into their bedroom and locked is fingers with hers. "Shh, it's okay, Light. I'm here. I always have been. It was just a nightmare."
Sitting up, Lightning let Hope wrap her in his arms, feeling like it had been far too long since she'd been in his embrace. Silent tears ran down her face, and she had the fleeting thought that he would be much more worried if he knew she was crying.
Hands stroked her hair as Hope sat beside her on the bed. "I feel like you've been gone for a really long time. I don't know what it is, but I just feel empty. Hope, what's wrong with me?"
He said nothing, choosing instead to just hold her closer to his chest. Eventually, after her tears had dried and the sun had fully risen, Hope pulled away from her. Taking her face in his hands, he tilted her face up to his. "I love you, Light. I loved you back when I was fourteen. If you don 't doubt one thing in your life, please let it be that. No matter what happens, no matter where I go or what I do, please, please remember that I have always and will always love you." He leaned forward to capture her lips with his…
Lightning jolted awake, finding herself once more in her white-walled room. Running a hand down her face, she took a deep breath and let it back out. A dream. It was only a dream.
For a moment, she'd been happy again, being in the arms of the Hope who helped her after Serah's death, the Hope she fell in love with. She should have known that it wasn't real.
A knock on the door jolted her from her dream. "I know time doesn't flow up here, but I still think it would be best if you didn't just sleep all the time. You're the savior. You should be out there saving souls."
The Hope who entered her room the night before wasn't the one who stood before her, and she knew him well enough to know that. There was something going on that she didn't know about, and she had the feeling that it would answer a lot of the questions that she had.
Grabbing her coat from the floor and strapping her sword to her back, Lightning entered the main area of the Ark. "So where do you want me today?"
"Luxerion, the Holy City. There have been a few murders in the city, thought to be the work of heretics. All three girls had rose-colored hair, so it is my assumption that they are trying to kill the savior." He looked up from the monitors to look her in the eye. "Be careful. You're the only savior Bhunivelze has."
She sighed, wishing there was more of her Hope in the boy, but knowing there was nothing to be done. Stepping onto the transporter, she said, "Like I'd be anything but careful."
Luxerion, for all its talk of being holy, seemed to be far from it. The city had its own followers of Etro – the heretics, according to the Church – who were terrorizing the people. Their leader was the Shadow Hunter, a fitting title, if the rumors were to be believed.
Tracking him down proved to be more complicated than just following what people said. The heretics' hideout was protected by a password that took her most of the day to find out.
That night, after speaking the code into the phone booth outside the entrance, Lightning was finally face to face with the Shadow Hunter.
"Noel Kreiss."
He drew his blade, preparing to fight the girl he'd blamed for Serah's death for so long. "If it wasn't for you, she'd still be alive!" He cried out, rushing towards the savior.
Lightning held up her sword to block the strike, but took no further action. "But if it weren't for what we all sacrificed, the world would have been long over."
"What happened to you, Lightning? In the centuries that I knew you, there was always at least a spark of life, hidden behind the grief." He dropped back, pointing his sword toward the ground.
"I became the savior."
His chuckle was low and sarcastic. "So now you're here to save me? Why don't you try saving yourself first. You can't help anyone when you're just as lost as we are!" He pointed his sword at Lightning once more. "I loved her, you know. What we went through… it would be impossible to come out from it and not love her. I thought I'd forgiven you in the centuries after she died, but seeing you here, without even the slightest bit of grief written on your face, it makes all that hatred come right back up to the surface."
He rushed toward Lightning, and this time there was more than just the one strike. His slashes were quick and relentless, and it was all Lightning could do to keep up. As the savior, she had nothing but her mission to fight for, and that wasn't something she chose for herself. Noel, however, with all his grief and anger and guilt, had a reason to fight.
"This isn't the way it has to be, Noel. I know you loved her, and I know you hate me for letting her die. But what you don't understand is how much I would sacrifice to save her. I don't have that option right now." Noel stopped his attack to hear what she had to say, not fully understanding her words.
"I'm the savior, and I can't even save the soul of my own sister, the one who died because of what I asked her to do." She curled her hand into a fist, trying not to feel the ache that her emotions left behind. "Can you understand that, Noel? I can't save Serah, though I would give anything to be able to."
Noel finally sheathed his sword and closed the distance between them in a few steps. "I watched the girl I love die right in front of me, holding her in my arms as she drew her last breath, and wasn't able to do a damn thing. There was no enemy to fight, no sickness to cure. I blame myself for being useless just as much as I blamed you." He smiled a little, then took that last step toward her and pulled her into his arms. "But I shouldn't have done that, and neither should you. She knew what she was doing, and she was willing to sacrifice her life for the world. She bought us the time we needed, that you needed, to save the souls of the living."
As one of his hands held her head to his shoulder and the other stroked her back, Lightning let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding, dropped her sword, and wrapped her arms around Noel.
"Thank you."
Eventually she pulled away and gave Noel a small smile. "You'll be okay now, right?"
He nodded. "I feel lighter than I have in five hundred years. You saved me, Light. Now go and find a way to bring Serah back."
They clasped hands, friends once more, and the Eradia from Noel flowed into her. "I will. You have my word."
Back on the Ark, Hope was acting odder than usual. He paced back and forth, muttering under his breath. Lightning walked right by him to her room and he didn't even notice.
Despite feeling exhausted after her encounter with Noel, Lightning had a hard time falling asleep. Until then, she hadn't realized just how much her was hurting – she'd been too caught up in her own pain to see anyone else's.
It made that empty spot ache.
At least an hour passed in Ark time, and just as Lightning was about to drift off, there was a knock on her door. Hope entered, his face blank, and sat on the edge of her bed, facing away from her.
They sat in silence for a while, neither knowing quite what to say. Eventually, Hope spoke up. "Bhunivelze has a proposition for you."
Lightning didn't question why Hope was acting as the messenger, though a part of her knew that something was wrong. Instead, she just gestured for him to go on.
"If you can gather enough Eradia so the world has its full thirteen days, he will allow you to save Serah's soul."
Lightning's eyes widened and her heart beat faster at his words. Then the full force hit her. "And what happens if I fail?"
"He destroys her."
Those words sounded so wrong coming from the blank-faced teenager, but she could say nothing to him. The tiniest sliver of fear crawled into her heart, and part of her was relieved. So she could still feel, if only a little.
"So I continue saving people's souls and I get Serah back? I don't get enough Eradia, then she's gone. Forever." Hope nodded, and Lightning let out a breath. "Alright."
He nodded and stood, walking quickly out of her room without a word. Shortly after, Lightning's eyes finally drifted shut.
"Light! Light, wake up! We'll be late if you don't start getting ready."
Lightning rolled over towards the sound of her boyfriend's voice. "Leave me alone, Hope. We both know you'll take longer than me, with all the time you spend on your hair."
Opening her eyes, she saw Hope with a pout on his lips, and a small smile crossed her face. Pushing herself up, Lightning reached out a hand and ruffled his hair. "It's okay. I'm getting up now. Besides, even if we were late, it's not like they could start your birthday party without you. Not that I see why you still want a birthday party after two hundred years."
He grinned and jumped away from her hand. "It's not that I want to celebrate my birthday. Though all those presents are a nice bonus." His grin widened as she rolled her eyes. Despite having aged both physically and mentally, there was still a large part of Hope that never grew up. "It's one of the few chances that everyone gets to be together every year. We're usually too busy to spend much time together, and even when we do it's all about work. And you're never there."
"Well, either way, happy birthday Hope." She said, and leaned in to kiss him.
A knock on her door jerked Lightning awake. "Damn it Hope! Would you stop interrupting us?"
Back once more in Yusnaan, Lightning stood in front of the Augur's Quarter. The gates were barred shut, and according to Hope, the walls were too well-guarded to climb over them. So that left only one alternative, a plan that Hope seemed a little too excited to put into action.
"You were right about it being destructive, weren't you?"
"And you don't have much choice."
The kid had it right. If she wanted to get into Snow's palace, she would have to do as he said. Topple the stage with some extra fireworks and use it as a bridge.
"I guess I've just got to keep moving. 'Keep your eyes front,' right?"
"That's the spirit."
She took a deep breath before asking her next question, a little afraid of what his answer would be. "Hope… does that mean you'll be watching the rear? You'll have my back?"
"Of course I will. That's what I'm here for."
She said nothing in response, though there was a certain note of sincerity in his voice that comforted her.
After speaking with the director and gathering all the necessary fireworks – that was more hassle than she wanted – Lightning, as per Hope's instructions, asked to be the heroine of the show. It was agreed on, as long as she fit the part.
That damn dress reminded her far too much of the dress she wore the first time Hope took her out to dinner. He'd insisted on her dressing up, bought the dress for her and everything. It was the first time in a while that she wore anything that wasn't purely functional, and it felt too weird to her.
"I can't possibly do this, Hope. Not even for you. I'm taking the damn thing off."
As she reached for the zipper in the back, Hope's voice came floating in. "It's not a question of can or can't."
She sighed, irritation coloring her voice. "Some things in life you just do."
Laughing, he came into their bedroom, his hair only half done. "Come on, Light. It won't be that bad. It's just dinner. With me. Your partner, remember? You might even find yourself having fun." He gave a happy sigh. "That'll be the day. When the almighty Lightning enjoys a dinner with the lowly Hope Estheim. Besides, you look absolutely gorgeous. No one will be able to take their eyes off you."
Rolling her eyes, she shoved Hope lightly back into the bathroom. As much as she hated wearing a dress, especially one as form fitting as that one, she knew she wasn't going to take it off. Not when Hope seemed so happy to see her in it.
And just as he'd predicted, it was one of the best nights she'd had in a long time.
Lightning shook the memories from her thoughts. It did her no good to let her mind wander to the past, especially at so critical a time. She had souls to save.
Getting into the palace and finding Snow was much easier than she thought. Despite all the warnings Hope gave her regarding the stage (though, to be fair, it did kind of blow up) nothing went horribly wrong.
Running up to the door to his chambers, Lightning stopped as Hope told her of the large Chaos readings. That coupled with the door frozen shut, she feared Snow had finally turned into a C'ieth. It was a pleasant outcome, but there was the possibility that she would still be able to save him.
It was Serah's pendant that broke that frozen seal, and inside the chambers she found Snow, more human than she expected. "I'm glad you figured it out. I was afraid that you were an imposter, someone who just claimed to be our Lightning. But it's alright now."
At the very heart of the palace was a door sealed so tightly not even and ant could make it through the cracks – nor could a single strand of the Chaos that Snow had managed to imprison inside. "Once I destroy this, that will be the end of me. I'll become a C'ieth, and you'll have to destroy me."
"I won't do that. And you shouldn't either. This isn't what Serah would want!"
"I've been useless, ever since you and Hope left. All I've done is sit around and wait for the end. Let me do this. Please. If I can save the life of even one person by destroying this Chaos, then my sacrifice will be worth it."
"Snow, even if you save that one person, the end is still coming. You're just running away from your pain. Will you ever be able to face Serah again like that?"
"She's dead! Don't you get that? She's dead, and there was nothing that I could do. She's never coming back, so what does it matter if I'm running away? It won 't change anything anyway!"
As he sucked the last of the ball of Chaos into him, Snow turned to Lightning. "Destroy my C'ieth… Destroy me, please Lightning. As a last favor."
By this point, he was more C'ieth than Snow, and Lightning knew that. But part of her still believed in the hero, believed that he wouldn't just give up like that. As he fell to his knees, his strength torn from him by Lightning, she knew he wasn't completely gone.
Picking up Serah's necklace from the ground, Lightning balled up her fist and punched Snow in the face. "Come on, Snow. Wake up already! I won't let you just die on me like that. First Serah, then Hope. I'm not going to lose you too!"
Her punches seemed to do nothing to him, and soon enough she felt her hits getting weaker and weaker. "I don't know what to do, Snow. I'm the savior, I'm supposed to save people. But how can I do that when I can't even save my friends?"
Noel's words crossed her mind as she let her fists unclench and fall to her sides. "How can you save anyone if you can't even save yourself?"
"Snow!" she cried out, hauling them both to their feet. "You have to listen to me." The C'ieth began to struggle, trying to get away from Lightning, but her grip was stronger than he was. "We both miss her. Without her, we're nothing. Hope was the only one who was able to bring me out of my darkness, and you didn't have someone to act as your lifeline. But listen to me now. We're family. We always have been, even if I was too deep in my denial to see that. Dealing with Serah's death was too much for us to handle on our own. But you survived this long, didn't you? You're stronger than I am; you had faith where I had none when Serah turned to crystal. I need you to have that faith again. We're going to see her again."
The C'ieth stopped struggling and leaned all his weight on Lightning. The red slowly faded from his eyes, and he gave the smirk that had been absent for so long. "So you actually admit that I'm part of the family. Does that mean I can call you sis?"
If she hadn't been so relieved, Lightning would have punched him again, but instead she just smiled. "Keep dreaming, Snow. That's never going to happen."
The clock tower struck three, and Lightning could barely believe that it had been only two hours since she toppled the stage. She was exhausted, and all she wanted to do was sleep. But there was still something she had to do before she went back to the Ark.
A colorful stall caught her eye as she walked down the main avenue. Adornments hung from every corner, and some were just ridiculous. Her dream the night before had made her ask one of Yusnaan's citizens for the date, so here she was, looking for the perfect birthday present for Hope.
Smirking, she pointed one out to the vendor and handed over her money.
"Hope, I have something for you." The silver-haired teen cocked his head to the side but didn't turn his head from the computer. Seeing that he wasn't going to respond, she pulled out a small silver gift bag, its edges tied together with a red ribbon. "Here."
He finally faced her, spinning his chair so he could remain sitting. "What is this?"
"It's a present. I know it's been a while, but I'm sure you remember them."
A grin appeared on his face and he quickly untied the bow. After a moment, he seemed to remember himself and stopped his movements. "I can open this, right?"
Chuckling, she nodded and gestured for him to proceed. "I got it for you, after all."
As he fully unwrapped it, his grin slowly faded until there was nothing left. "Light, what is this?"
"I told you. It's a present."
She smirked as she watched horror cross his face. "Why, Light? Why? What could have possibly possessed you to get me this?"
"Pull it out into the light. Or better yet, just try it on. You need to see all of it before you show me how ungrateful you are. I mean, I spent my hard earned gil to buy you a birthday present."
A blush erupted over his cheeks. "You're really going to do this to me?" She nodded, that smirk still on her lips. He sighed before making his way to his bedroom. After a few minutes he called out, "No one is to hear of this, okay? And I mean no one."
Had she been the type, Lightning would have jumped and clapped for joy at seeing Hope in his birthday present. As it was, her smirk turned into a full-blown smile and a laugh escaped her. "You're so cute, my little kitty cat."
Hope's face was as red as a lobster from the force of his blush as he tugged on the silky black tail coming from the suit pants he wore. She came closer, slowly however, for she was afraid he would bolt, and scratched him behind his cat ears. The glare he aimed at her didn't burn in the slightest – he was far too adorable for that.
"I hate you so much right now," he claimed, but did nothing to get away from her hand.
Looking down at the rest of him, Lightning let out another laugh. "This what you get for teasing me about my own cat costume. This is much better. All you have to deal with is a dress shirt, tie, and pants. That's really not bad, all things considered."
"I have ears."
"You always did. The only thing different is that we can see them now."
He sighed, shook his head, and told her to get to the transporter. Her smile never faded, however, for she noticed that he went back to the computer instead of his room to change. He must have liked his present.
The last few days passed much in the same way they had when Lightning was saving Noel and Snow, and soon it was the last day of the world.
Walking into the main area of the Ark, Lightning was shocked to see Hope fading from her view. "Things are over now, Lightning. You did it. You made it to the last day." The smile on his face held a warmth that had been missing for the last thirteen days. "Congrats."
She tilted her head to the side. "You're… you again, aren't you?"
"Yes. Bhunivelze was using me as his vessel, blocking out my emotions so he could inhabit my body. I was there Light, the entire time. But he was almost always in control. The times I could act on my own were few and far between. But that means I also know of his plans. His new world doesn't involve the dead – he wants to use Vanille to destroy their souls. You have to stop him before it's too late."
She nodded – having known something was wrong most of the time, this didn't come as much of a surprise. But another thought popped into her head. "Your memories… were they actually gone or was that just something he said?"
Hope shook his head. "They were actually gone. They still are, in fact, and I'm sorry for that. I've learned enough from searching through the records to piece together what happened." He walked up to her and tried to hug her, but his arms went right through her. "I'm sorry, Light." Tears threatened to fall down his face, and Lightning felt a fierce urge to protect him that she hadn't felt in several centuries. "I have to go now. I'll see you over there, okay?"
"NO! You can't leave me, not again!" She dropped to her knees, reaching a hand out to hold him back, but it was too late. Hope was already gone.
Tears streamed down her face, and the irony of the situation did not escape her notice. He was the key to her emotions, he always had been. "I'll see you there, Hope. I swear it."
Drawing her blade, Lightning went to go face Bhunivelze and free the dead.
Bhunivelze's true body was in a space not quite connected to the mortal realm, much like Valhalla. She found herself traveling further and further into the heart of the church in Luxerion. Eventually, the marble walls melded into an endless space.
"You pushed too far, Bhunivelze. The people of this world were mine to save – all of them. Living or dead, it does not matter. They will be saved!"
The first attack Lightning unleashed was deflected by the god, as were the second, third and fourth strikes. She stood a bit away from him, taking a moment to catch her breath.
"You cannot defeat me, mortal. Nothing you do to me will cause even a scratch."
Smirking, Lightning wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead. "I'm not quite mortal anymore, remember? You made me into something more, and now I have all the power I need to defeat you!"
But Bhunivelze spoke the truth. Not even her most powerful attacks harmed the almighty being. He laughed, a booming sound that reverberated through her body, forcing her to her knees.
"I can't… I can't defeat him."
Lightning felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning around, she met the dark eyes of Snow Villiers. "But you're not alone. We're a team, remember?"
Helping her to her feet, Snow clasped her hand for a moment longer. "We're all her for you sis. We always will be."
The spirits of her friends appeared behind the hero, each armed with their weapon of choice, ready to face Bhunivelze. It was just at the moment before they attacked that the god opened up his armor to reveal Hope, once again in his adult body.
He opened his eyes to meet the gazes of his friends one by one. "Don't worry about what happens to me. You have to defeat Bhunivelze, no matter the cost." Looking at Lightning last, he let a small smile grace his lips. "I know you can do it – I've always had faith in you. But you have to save the dead – you're their savior, Light."
"I… I can't, Hope, not if it means sacrificing you. You're my partner… who will watch the rear while I take front?It doesn't work with only one person!"
"You'll survive without me, Lightning. You did it before, and you can do it again. I know you'll miss me, but I'm not worth the sacrifice. Besides, I don't have much time. He's draining my energy as we speak. I'll be dead soon. I'm just…" He took a shuddering breath as Lightning held hers. "I'm just glad I got to see you one more time as myself."
"NO! I won't let this be the end; I won't let him take you!" Tears that she tried so hard to hold back rushed down her face. Lifting her sword, she again attacked Bhunivelze, who only laughed once more at her pathetic attempts. Her crying intensified as she called for him to release Hope.
Eventually she had no choice but to give up. Her strength had left her, and she had to face the fact that she couldn't protect the ones she loved. First she let Serah die, and now she could do nothing but watch as Bhunivelze slowly sucked the last bit of life from Hope. His cries of pain echoed within her, each blow to him causing pain to wrack her body as well.
"We'll do it together, Lightning." The air in front of Lightning shimmered as a pink-haired girl appeared with her hand outstretched.
"…Serah? Is that really you?"
"Well who else would it be? But that's not important. Hope is good for you – we can't just let him die like that!"
It was then that Serah grabbed her sister with one hand and gestured with the other. The souls of the dead materialized behind her, and charged the fallen god at her command, tearing down his armor and freeing Hope. With him safely encircled by their friends, she was free to enter the fray.
The spirits had weakened Bhunivelze enough that Lightning was able to strike at his heart – the one vulnerability he had, thanks to Hope. He still refused to go down without a fight, however, and the battle drew on for what seemed like an eternity. The spirits of the dead, her friends, and Serah all watched from the sidelines, knowing that it was Lightning alone who could take Bhunivelze down.
At long last, the god was on the last bit of his energy. With a final battle cry, Lightning took a running start and launched herself into the air, thrusting her sword into the fallen god.
"It's over, Bhunivelze."
With a mighty groan, he collapsed, unable to hold himself up any longer. A cheer rang through the in-between world, and a bright light illuminated even the darkest of corners. The spirits of the dead flew through, eager to meet with those they loved. One by one, Lightning's friends stood in front of her, saying their congratulations. It was brief, however, for they would meet again soon.
Once everyone was gone, Lightning allowed herself to sink to the ground. The battle had not been easily won, and what little strength remained was used to put up the front for her friends, for she knew it would be the last time she saw any of them, and she wanted them to see her standing tall.
A small glow emanated from her chest, and she covered it with her hand. "I know, Etro. Someone has to act in your stead as goddess of the dead." A dark, humorless laugh came from her mouth. "You know, some girls wish they could be goddesses. Too bad I was never one of them."
"You were always my goddess, Light."
Lightning stood up so suddenly the world tilted around her. But as she swayed precariously, likely to fall at any moment, a pair of familiar arms wrapped themselves around her. "It's alright. I'm here you."
"Hope?" She barely dared to voice his name, afraid that he would disappear as soon as she did so. But to her relief, his embrace only tightened as he hugged her to his chest.
"I'm never letting you go again."
She said nothing, choosing to let her eyes fall shut and revel in the moment instead. Her happiness had to end though, and she knew it.
"You have to let me go, Hope. You can't stay here; you have to move on to the new world."
At her words, his arms fell limply to his side. "You… don't want me here? After all we've been through, you're just going to leave me?"
Lightning turned away from him, almost afraid to utter the words. "It's for the best. I won't be able to do my job properly if you're always hanging around. There's no Academy for you to be in charge of, no little trinkets for you to amuse yourself with here. You'll just be a bother."
A hurt look crossed his face, one he hadn't had since he was thirteen years old, but she still refused to look at him properly. Without another word, for he knew she spoke the truth, he turned away from her and walked into the light.
The tears she refused to let Hope see spilled from her eyes and onto her cheeks as she let out a heart-wrenching sob. Her legs, too weak still to hold her weight, collapsed from under her, and she came crashing to the ground. Wrapping her arms around her legs, she let herself truly cry for the first time since Serah died.
What have I done?
So there's chapter two. Please read and review! (It makes me happy)