All right, so I didn't post the other story... Once I finish this update, I'll post the other...
Oh! and I realize there's a lot of Lightning in this but well, she's very important to Hope and I figure that until they get more people back on their side that they would come to rely on each other very much. Especially since they are trying to resist chaos.
As much as Light knows it's her job, she really hates it when she has to go into Luxerion. The city reminds her of Nautilus only darker and more eerie. She has a feeling that's the touch of chaos. She also hates coming into this city because she knows that Noel is lurking around and that he thinks she's come to destroy the world. She knows that it's his guilt at work, she trusts Hope's explanation more then anything. It was really the fact that well...
She felt guilty. She'd sent him to guard over Serah because their goals at the time had aligned and she'd do anything for her sister. But she feared she'd was the one responsible for the fact that the young man was now broken. And the only other person that she loved unconditionally, Hope, loved him and she had ruined it.
Seems like she always ruined it for everyone when she thought about Snow and Serah as well.
"Back so soon?" Noel stepped out of the shadows and she immediately placed her hand on her sword. "I would have thought you'd be off doing whatever it is it takes to destroy a world."
"You really are delusional." She rolled her eyes and walked past him. He grabbed her arm and turned her around.
"I won't let you destroy this world after all we went through." He hissed and she shoved him back.
"All we went through." Lightning repeated bitterly, her insides churned with anger. She shoved him again. "Is that all you can really say? As if I didn't spend 500 years fighting Caius in Valhalla. As if I wasn't part of the six l'cie that battled the Fal'cie."
"But you are the one that set Serah on the path to die. And Snow to become whatever the fuck he is. And what about Hope? He's a rock sitting somewhere in the lowlands. And the others? Who know where the hell they are. Probably dead as well if you're back."
"Hope is fine." She hissed out as she gripped the hilt of her sword tighter, she wanted nothing more then to bash him in the head a few times with the blunt end of it and make the hunter see the truth. "He's helping me. And the others are fine. Even Serah."
The rage that crossed Noel's face at her words surprised her. Corrupted him might be, and maybe even a bit insane, but she had probably pushed a button one to many. He jumped at her, his hands wrapped around her neck as they fell to the ground.
"If what you say is true I will kill you!" He shouted as she brought her hands up to pull at his. "If you broke his crystal I will kill you!"
"He's awake!" She gasped back as his hands tightened. It hadn't occurred to her that Noel would consider Hope being safe that way. His shock at those words loosened his hands slightly and she managed to pull them off rolling them over so that she was over him. "He's awake and he's fine."
"He's in danger if he's awake!" Noel hissed, grappling with her as they rolled again, punches being deal out with little accuracy. "You're a danger to him!"
She managed to get him under her again and his wrist pinned on his chest. "If you think I would hurt him, you know nothing about me."
Noel's nostrils flared as he glared her down saying nothing. The street that they had been fighting in was now empty of most people. Fights happened all the time and most people in Luxerion simply turned the other way to escape being drawn in. She knew he was trying to figure out a way to beat her.
"Hope is fine." She whispered softly. "He's waiting for you."
A dry sob was released from Noel as he turned his head away. She wasn't surprised at his composure being lost. If she remembered correctly, there were only a handful of people that truly mattered to the hunter. And the only one seemingly left was Hope. "Let me go."
"So you can attack me? I think not." She snorted.
"Let me go! I have to see him." He fought against her.
"He's not a crystal!"
"Then he's dead." Noel stated solemnly and Light stared at him wide eyed. His insistence at Hope's mortality scared her. She had turned off her comm for this trip but now she was tempted to check in with Hope and make sure that he was back on the Ark. She sat back slightly, Noel showed no signs of fighting anymore.
She stood up and crossed her arms. "Why? Because you'll kill him?" She asked bitterly.
"If he's not dead already then yes." Noel murmured. "I won't let him be corrupted in this way."
Lightning bit her lip in frustration. Grief couldn't have taken him this far. Especially since his grief spawned from not being able to keep alive those he would protect.
"Then what's the point of this?" She finally shouted in his face. "Why are you doing this at all?"
"Those who die... that aren't corrupted will be reborn in the new world." Noel stated firmly. "It's too late for me. I won't let it be too late for him."
"If he's fucking dead it won't matter!" She shouted in his face.
"The Orcale Drive doesn't lie." He turned to walk away. "The next time I see you... If his crystal is gone, I will kill you."
Lightning swallowed hard. She turned her back on Noel and headed in her intended direction. She didn't want to admit it but, looking at Noel the way he was now she wasn't sure if there was a way to save him.
