A/N:After a long absence because of university -as usual, yeah- I finally found time to start working again in my projects. So, for those who follow my other FanFic, Wings of Light, don't worry, it's still going but as I said, I need time. In the meantime, here's another short story, based on something that occurred to me playing New Game+ in LR: FFXIII.
Fragments of Time
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Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII
"As long as you were with me, Light… I didn't have to fear anything."
Lightning couldn't get the words out of her head as she returned to the Ark. She heard them, over and over again, the feeling of loss increasing each time.
"I'm not scared. Not even now."
If only she could say the same. When she materialized in the teleporter, she kept her eyes closed for several long moments, fearing to see what she knew she'd see. Maybe for a few seconds she could convince herself it only had been a bad dream…
"Because you're here."
But Hope wasn't there. The Ark was empty. Without him, the place had lost all color, all feeling of safety Lightning had felt every day when she came back and was welcomed by his warm smile.
Hope was gone.
It was the final day, the last trial. And he wouldn't be with her. His voice wouldn't accompany her anymore, perhaps never again.
She remembered the vision Lumina and Yeul had shown her in her heart, her friends disappearing and leaving her behind. Even Hope… The one she'd have never thought he'd ever leave her side. That was the first time the idea crossed her mind, and it affected her much more than she'd have thought.
Now it was a reality, and Lightning didn't want to accept it.
Even Mog's message made her pull herself together. "No matter what happens next, keep your eyes front." She knew what Hope meant by that message. He'd watch the rear, wherever he was… if he was somewhere at all.
But Hope wasn't with her. He had vanished when she most needed him, and she felt lost without him.
She went to the hourglass-shaped crystal that floated a few feet away. She watched it, her gaze full of sadness, remembering what Hope told her about it.
The Crystal of Atonement. Able to turn back time to the first of days and erase what had happened until that moment… in every way.
This would mean Lightning would forget everything that happened so far. All her efforts vanished, the saved souls doomed once more. It meant going back to square one after a long journey and perhaps taking the risk of failing on her quest.
Lightning couldn't help wondering if that situation would've been repeated in other times, if it was true Bhunivelze had planned from the very beginning to throw Hope away the final day. Maybe they had reached that point countless times, maybe Hope had spoken his confession so many others… maybe she had made the same decision she made now.
Because Lightning was sure of just one thing, and it was that she didn't want to keep going without Hope, as many centuries ago her Eidolon, Odin, made her realize on a fragile bridge in the Vile Peaks.
"No matter what happens next, keep your eyes front", Hope had told her in his message via Mog. He wanted her to keep going. He didn't want her to come back for him.
"I'm sorry", Lightning whispered before the Crystal of Atonement, her eyes slightly veiled with tears. "But I won't abandon you again, Hope."
And with these words, she raised her hand to the crystal, which gave off a strong glow.
Lightning felt her consciousness fade away as everything spun around her. She knew it was a matter of seconds she lost all her memories about her journey, that she would have to save her friends' souls again and risk her life or maybe something could go wrong in her mission this time…
But she knew that, at least, Hope would be by her side.
If that had happened before, it may come a time when she could find a way to avoid his disappearance and close the loop. Now she was aware that, otherwise, she'd keep reaching the same crossroad, again and again… and she'd always make the same choice.
Even if she was about to forget, Lightning had found out that she didn't want a world where Hope didn't exist.
When Lightning opened her eyes again, the first thing she saw was Hope's smile, warm and gentle as she had always remembered.
"Hello, Lightning", the boy greeted her with the voice of the young adult he really was. "Welcome home."
She didn't know why, just after her disastrous raid into the Palace of Yusnaan in search for Snow, she was struck by that impulse the moment she saw Hope. Without thinking it twice, she crossed the distance between them and hugged him tightly, falling to her knees and dragging him too, eliciting from him a soft gasp of surprise.
"… Light? What's wrong?", Hope asked, worried, reluctant to reciprocate her hug. "Are you alright?"
"…", Lightning didn't know what to answer. She was the first one who didn't understand why she had the need to embrace him, to have her arms wrapped around him, as if she didn't want to let him go. "Yeah. I'm fine. Don't worry."
Hope tilted his head to the side, confused, but he eventually returned gently the hug, and he smiled with a bit of mischief in his soft features.
"Well, this isn't like you. Not even three hours have passed since you descended to the surface. Have you missed me that much, Light?"
"Idiot", she grumbled. "You have a problem with that?"
"Not at all, but…", Hope pushed her away a little, resting his hands on her shoulders. "Now seriously, Light. What is it?"
Lightning looked away. How could she explain something what she didn't know why it happened to her?
"I don't know… It's just, all of a sudden… I felt the urge to hold you. I know, it sounds weird as hell, but it's almost as if…", the young woman shook her head and sighed. "As if something bad were to happen to you and I wanted to keep you close."
Hope's expression turned grim and strangely serious for a second, something Lightning didn't miss, and she saw him throw a quick sideway glance to the floating crystal that was a few feet away from them. She felt stupid for that impulsive reaction, but the feeling of loss was still there and she didn't know why.
"I'm sorry, Hope. I didn't want to bother you."
"Don't worry about it. I'm here with you, okay?", he said, sighing and hugging her gently; his voice suddenly sounded tired. "Never doubt about it. I'll always watch over you, Light."
His words soothed Lightning's troubled head, and she rested her head on the boy's shoulder. While they were both kneeling on the floor, they were around the same height, and that was comforting given the situation. Even so, she still had that uneasy feeling that Hope was in danger, and she could lose him at any moment.
As if he had read her thoughts, after a few minutes, Hope murmured:
"Light…"
"Yeah?"
"… I need you to promise me one thing."
Lightning pulled from him a bit, surprised by his words. When she looked at him, she found out that Hope's green eyes seemed weary, resigned, but had a determined gleam.
"What thing?", she asked him.
"Promise me first."
"Alright, I promise", Lightning sighed, without choice. "What is it?"
He gave her a gentle half-smile, if somewhat bitter.
"No matter what happens, don't look back. Keep moving forward. And never doubt I'll always be by your side, one way or another", the boy told her. "Okay?"
Lightning looked at him blankly.
"Why are you telling me that? What does it have to do with all this?"
Hope simply let out a weary chuckle and shook his head.
"You'll understand it at the time. But please, remember this. You have to keep going, no matter what happens. And trust my word", he stood up, and turned away. Lightning saw his shoulders slump. "Looking back doesn't solve anything."
Lightning didn't know what her partner was talking about. She felt like he knew something she wasn't aware yet of… But as he said, maybe it still wasn't the time to know what he meant.
"I've never spent much time looking back", she replied standing up, regaining her composure. "Why should I now?"
He glanced at the crystal again, his eyes slightly sad and his smile bitter and tired.
"You never know. In any case, you promised me, Light", he said, looking at her so intensely she was left speechless for a moment. "Don't ever forget it."
She didn't understand why Hope was insisting so much in that strange promise… But she couldn't help wondering if it had anything to do with that feeling that something would happen to her friend, and maybe he did know about it.
Anyway, she had made him a promise, and this time Lightning wouldn't fail her part.
Unaware of it, that was what broke the endless cycle.
"I won't forget, Hope. No matter what happens."
