Posted this on Tumblr a few days ago - a role-reversed version of Hope's disappearance in LR. I had a vague plan for a role-reversed version of the full game but I realised that it was probably too ambitious, especially considering my reputation with multi-chaptered fics. Hope still retains his older form here, and I imagined Lightning looking the way she did in FFXIII as I wrote this. I've also made a few corrections. If you have any questions or feedback, please let me know.
The next one-shot will focus on Light and Serah. I'm really looking forward to finishing it!
Disclaimer: I do not own FFXIII or its characters.
"The last day is here, and now, my soul will…-"
The moment she said those words, he knew that something was wrong. But before he could say anything in response, the teleportation process began and he found himself in a familiar tunnel, headed for the Ark.
As he floated through the abyss, he felt a familiar tug on his consciousness. 'It's like all those times I spoke with Lumina.' Once again, he allowed himself to succumb to the feeling, and closed his eyes.
When Hope finally opened his eyes again, he was standing in darkness. As always, he waited for the sound of Lumina's taunts, but they never came. Instead, a familiar, calm voice spoke from behind him.
"Hope. My time is up."
Lightning? He turned around, and sure enough, his comrade was standing behind him, her usual stern expression in place. But her gaze was directed at her feet, and a golden glow emanated from her form.
"Light, what do you-"
She raised a hand and he stopped talking. "God chose me to watch over you, and that's exactly what I've done. But all this time, He has been watching you as well. Through my eyes."
Hope shook his head. "I-I don't understand. He chose you?"
"Yes. He needed someone you were familiar with, who had guided you in the past. Someone whose words you would trust." She looked up, and Hope saw regret and guilt in her eyes – feelings that he had not seen since their reunion, when they had both realised that they had been stripped of all emotion.
"I'm sorry, Hope. All this time, I've been God's pawn. And now that Bhunivelze doesn't need me anymore, He will cast my soul into the sea of Chaos."
"But why…?"
She took a step forward, and the lights danced around her form. "It's how He does things. But that isn't important. As the Saviour, you still have a job to do."
He nodded. "Right. I need to stop Vanille from performing the Soulsong. But…I don't know how."
"If Fang were here, she would say something to convince Vanille. I…" He sighed. "I couldn't even get into the Cathedral to see her. I can't do anything."
"You can." Hope looked up to see a hint of a smile on Lightning's face. "During the Purge, she was by your side, wasn't she? It's your turn to do the same for her. I know she'll believe you."
"And besides," she scoffed. "Fang's bound to show up, too. She wouldn't abandon Vanille."
She was right, and he knew it. Despite Fang's callous attitude towards the Order (or perhaps because of it), he knew that she would be at the Cathedral on the final day, fighting by his side yet again. Their last encounter in the Dead Dunes had been quite a few days ago, and he distantly wondered where she was now, on the eve of the final day.
Thirteen days. He thought about all the souls he had saved - all the people that he had managed to help. Some requests had been simple, such as a child's desire to retrieve a precious doll from the Chaos. Others had taken him days to complete, and most of them had had him fighting monsters day and night.
"For the last thirteen days, I travelled across Nova Chrysalia, trying to save as many souls as I could." His voice was barely above a whisper. "I tried to save our friends, even if it meant fighting them. And all that time, you were by my side, giving me advice. You never questioned my choices, not once. But even after all that, I couldn't-"
He looked up at her, his eyes reflecting the guilt that he felt. "I couldn't save you."
A small smile graced her lips. "I never expected you to save me," she told him, without a trace of regret in her words. "You accomplished more than I ever could have, in the time that you were given. You even looked for Serah, didn't you?"
Embarrassed, Hope looked down at his hands. "I didn't want to believe that she was gone," he admitted bashfully. "I knew that her soul had to be somewhere within the Chaos, but I was never able to find her. And Lumina wasn't much help either, even though I'd thought…because of the resemblance…"
"You did what you could," she insisted. "And at least you could SEE Lumina. Whenever she spoke to you or abducted you during those transports-" Hope winced at her sharp tone. "-the computer screens went blank. I assume it was because of the Chaos."
"You…assume?"
Lightning sighed, placing a hand against a forehead. "Like I said, the computer didn't show me anything. All it did was make this loud beeping noise. You're lucky you were never around to hear it." She paused, and her eyes widened, as if she had remembered something important. "Or…I might have done that by accident. I thought something was wrong, so I started pressing all the keys."
The thought of Lightning mashing the keys on the console in a fit of anger was ridiculous, and despite the situation, he began to laugh.
She shot him a glare. "I was never good at using new technology, like you and Sazh were. I did the best I could."
His laughter gradually subsided. "I know you did," he managed to say while holding back a chuckle. His sides hurt. It had been a long time since he had last laughed this much. 'Even before I lost my emotions,' he realised with a start, and his face fell. The Purge had thrown their lives into turmoil, and ever since then they had endured nothing but suffering.
'For centuries, none of us have had anything to smile about. Not Snow, not Fang, not even Sazh and Vanille. And definitely not the two of us.'
"Don't look back," she said suddenly, and Hope's head snapped up. Lightning was watching him with understanding in her gaze. She could tell that he was thinking about the past.
"Keep your eyes front," she continued. "That's what I told you all those centuries ago, wasn't it?"
Wordlessly, he nodded.
"When I was in Valhalla, I watched you grow. You became a strong, independent person and chose to shoulder the burden of humanity. And you did it all on your own." She smiled – a genuine smile reserved only for him and her sister. "I'm proud of you."
The lights around her began to glow more brightly. They were out of time. She closed her eyes.
Hope realised what was happening as well, and he lunged forward. "Light, wait!" he cried, reaching for her. "Don't-don't disappear!"
He tried to place his hands on her shoulders only to realise that they went right through her form. She was fading. "No…"
"Listen to me, Hope."
Her words were soft, barely above a whisper despite the small distance between them. He glanced down at her only to see her staring right back up at him. Her eyes were focused and determined.
"Bhunivelze…now holds control over my physical form. He will awaken soon, and He has plans for you. Don't fall into His trap. You will have to fight Him…and that means you'll have to fight me, too."
His eyes began to sting. He wondered if it was due to the brightness surrounding them, until he felt a tear roll down the side of his face.
"I can't-!" He gasped as emotions suddenly flooded into him – sorrow, desperation, fear. He did not understand why it was happening now, of all times.
"I can't fight you, Light. I won't-"
"If you don't, then all of humanity will fall into His hands, and you will have failed. You must get Vanille to guide the souls of the dead, and then you must confront Him. He will test you, so be prepared."
His trembling hands still ghosted over her translucent shoulders, feeling the warmth of her fading form. He knew that standing this way was pointless, that as much as he wanted to, he could not stop her from disappearing. And yet, he remained the way he was, his arms suspended awkwardly in mid-air, as though she would vanish if he let go. Lightning said nothing more – she appeared to be lost in thought, staring at his shoulder.
Then, she shook her head, apparently having made a decision, and looked up at him. "Just…promise me one thing," she said, her voice shaky. "Don't die."
Her gaze was pleading. It was an expression he had never seen on her face before, and at once, he knew that it was something he never wanted to see again. He hesitated, but finally nodded. "I won't."
"Good."
He saw that the icy glint in her eyes had returned. She had chosen to be vulnerable in his presence for a single moment. He dropped his arms, letting them rest at his sides, and she stepped away.
"I've done all I can – the rest is up to you." She turned away and walked forward a few steps, then stopped. In a small voice, she added, "Stay safe."
"Light-!" He reached for her yet again, but the brightness intensified around her, and she vanished without a trace.
Then, he was in the Ark. His position remained unchanged – one arm outstretched before him, reaching for nothing. He looked around – everything was as usual, but the chair in front of the computer was empty. The stark white room suddenly seemed larger.
He retracted his arm and clenched his fist, his eyes glowing with determination anew. He had a new mission – one that would involve saving Vanille, and in turn, the souls of the dead. After that, he would confront Bhunivelze and convince Him to release Lightning from His grasp.
"Yours will be the last soul I save, Light. I'll set you free."
