N.B. Where a Fal'Cie name is mentioned where there's no plot reason for it, the characters are using it the same way some people say "God!"

Lightning

Lightning Farron stood perfectly still for a long moment.

I actually hurt her feelings. Too late to say anything now. Um...

"I wouldn't worry too much. Serah'll probably invite you." Snow glanced across at him, fists clenched behind his back.

Light still hadn't moved. Snow glanced across again, then spoke.

"Tell you what... if you hold off on punching me until after the reception, I'll think about letting you in. I just don't want to be bruised that particular night."

Hope shuddered. "Please don't raise that image again."

"Like you even understand it."

The ex-sergeant took a step forward, right hand dipping to her holster. Hope stepped between them.

"Hey guys, let's see what Serah says before you kill each other, okay? I don't want to have to tell her her sister killed her boyfriend. ...Sorry Snow, but that's what I'm betting."

"The Hero never dies!"

Lightning turned on her heel and walked away. Hope and Snow exchanged glances.

"Ooops."

Snow opened his hands. "For future reference, Hope, Serah is a bit of a sore point. You oughta know that by now."

"Um...right. Better do something I guess."

Snow began cleaning the cut on his hand from Serah's tear, Hope walked back to camp. One single Alraune was in his path, but he was able to deal with it alone.

He rounded a corner, to find himself picked up by the collar and drawn nose to nose with an angry Guardian Corps.

"Don't wander off again." Part of it was misdirected anger at what she thought was Snow's comment, but not all of it. For the first time since he'd met her, Hope Estheim was actually afraid.

Carbuncle, she's...completely in pieces. I lost Mom, and that was all I had to lose. We fought Guardian Corps to get here...we've probably killed people she knew. She's probably killed people she knew. But 'a target's a target'. The Corps, her sister, her home...She's lost her world.

Hope hesitated. "Sorry."

She let him go. A few weeks ago, he'd have landed on his back, but he'd gotten a little lighter on his feet since. They were about to move on when she said "What happened to your face?"

Uh-oh. "I ... fell."

"I know a fist-mark when I see it, Hope. Domestic violence's pretty much all the Bodhum Corps did when they weren't monster hunting"

"...Ok, fine. Um... When those Alraunes attacked us, one swallowed my head. I had to hit myself to get rid of it."

"And you didn't tell me this straight away because..."

"Because... It wouldn't have happened to the rest of you. I'm sick of being the liability on this team." His wrist began to itch as his voice gained strength. "All the time, I'm the one who has to be protected! I'm the one whose slowing you down, I'm the one who gets knocked out first! I'm the one who's going to be the first to die−"

"You're not going to die! I won't let that happen!"

"Yeah? You'll take the hit for me? And who'll save Serah then?"

A blink. "What?"

They reached the camp. Lightning settled on a rock and sighed.

" Look, Hope, you're our medic. In a military engagement, the healers are never in the front lines, and they're never heavily armed. Support units aren't supposed to deal damage unless they have to. We're not taking care of you because your dad asked us to. Maybe you don't deal as much damage as some of the rest of us, but, we need someone to repair broken legs too. There's no point in killing a Behemoth if we all die in the process."

"You can heal too."

"Yeah, I can. We all can if we train. Foot soldiers all know a bit of healing, enough to keep someone alive until they can be brought in range of the real medics. If we get hit hard by something, I'm not enough. Sure , a healer alone isn't much use, but that's why we have to protect−"

Her teeth audibly snapped shut.

Oh. Ok, Light, I understand you now. You're a Guardian. You couldn't stop the Purge, couldn't protect Serah. So now it's Operation Estheim. Shut out all distractions from your goal, because otherwise you'll stop to think and realise how messed up our situation is. We're on another world, full of dangerous monsters, we can't fulfil our Focus now even if we want to. So you keep me safe. And if you have to protect me, I'm probably going to get you killed.

Hope stood. "Can I borrow that knife again?"

"..."

"I won't lose it. Promise."

"...Operation NORA's over, right?"

What? ...Oh.

"No, I'm not going to stab him. Not until Serah says I can."

A very brief smile, at the idea that Serah was potentially coming out of stasis. Hope wondered if he should pay more attention to NORA's leader.

He didn't see her follow, but he was certain he wouldn't be allowed to wander off. Climbing a pile of scree, he found the site of a lightning strike during the storm ( ie. the 'flashy thing'). Blackened, cracked stone. The blade flicked out.

If there's no one to protect, they'll take care of themselves. Even now, I'm the reason Light didn't go scouting today. But...

He twirled the knife, and, cursing, firmed his grip.

Hah...So much for this thing keeping me safe. No , you were doing that, Light. Your Focus.

His wrist stung for an instant.

What'll happen if she fails again? Brands accelerate with strong emotions, right? Will not reaching her goal again be dangerous? Maybe. Can I risk it?

The blade returned to its slot...

Ok, you win for now. I'll try and survive, I'll work hard to at least not put the others in danger. I brought you all here; I'll try and bring you home too. And if not, I'll convince you to leave me behind. I'm not gonna let Pulse swallow us all without trace.

Not without trace.

He flicked out the blade again, and ran its tip across the rock face with enough force to leave marks. The current date. And, at the centre of the burn mark 'Lightning was here."