R/R
Hope, Part 1
It is Wednesday. Hope is sitting near his computer in his room, browsing through conspiracy theories of everything involving the new world. The only time he goes out of his room is to eat, use the bathroom, check mail and shower – no other time. After constantly getting into fights at school, his parents decided to have him home schooled – not only for the safety of the entire family, but to also help the silver-haired teen cope without his mentor from the old world they lived in. He views Lightning, and in turn Serah, as the two older sisters he wished he had, alongside Fang. His state of being withdrawn and shutting down goes from bad to worse – this concerns Nora and Bart a great deal, but both are determined to help.
Two weeks pass, and Hope is shutting out his parents. The fact that Lightning is the goddess of death haunts his soul to where he can't be himself at family gatherings. Nora is the first to see this and has a private conversation with Bart, who tells Nora that there's a woman at the university he teaches at is going through something very similar to what Hope is going through, and could be the one who can help Hope sort his issues out. After their chat is done, Nora wonders if that woman somehow knows Hope in the old world, but is hesitant to contact her now. It is for good reason – Nora isn't sure that the woman is going through the same thing Hope is going through, and the woman could very well have disappeared.
Hope writes a note to his parents with the intention to end his life. Just as he's about to sign the note, he sees a vision of his mentor Lightning. It was the Lightning he remembered when he tamed his Eidolon Alexander on Gran Pulse in the old world. She had a gentle smile on her face, encouraging him to keep fighting the good fight, as she had his back no matter what. This prompted him to shred the letter then throw it in the trash, before making a vow to help Lightning become human again. He knew that Serah and Fang missed her beyond words, so he went to his mom and asked her if he can contact Serah or Fang, as he felt that something went awry when Bhunivelze was supposedly killed – he felt that Bhunivelze is alive somewhere.
The silver-haired teen makes a very important call to Serah Farron after Nora gave him the okay to do so. He wanted to right a wrong that truly wasn't his despite the blame he constantly placed upon himself. He believed in the Farron sisters…and that Lightning and Fang are soul mates. While waiting for Serah to pick up her phone, he prays that she's alive and doing okay, considering the circumstances. Reuniting Lightning with Serah, Fang and those who knew Light was the only thing on Hope's mind – it becomes his Focus.
TBC…
