Days 25-27
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The phone number Hope had been given connected easily enough, but the ringing continued for a minute before Hope hung up again, frowning. He shook his head a negative to Noel when the young man perked up, and then tried again.
Once again, the call connected but did nothing but ring.
"Maybe she's not at the phone." Hope suggested lightly after three more calls throughout the hour didn't go through. "She could be doing something else right now."
He used to have a habit of turning off his comms, although those were usually while he was in a meeting back in Academia, and then Alyssa tended to handle his calls and filtering through what needed responses and what didn't.
"We could try again later." Hope suggested, although he had an uneasy feeling. For someone who could see the future, wouldn't Yeul have known that he was going to call? But then again, one call must be insignificant against the rest of history and large decisions that would impact mankind for centuries on end. It would be arrogant of him to assume his call was that important.
"Yeah." Noel's response was just as uneasy, although the brunet straightened up after that, determined to push the matter out of the way for now. "What else do you need done right now?"
"Uhh…" Hope looked around at the lab, and then shook his head. There was nothing of urgency at the moment, and still several things he needed before he could truly continue with his experiments. He had several letters to send, but that wasn't something he felt the other man would want to sit through at the moment. Hope could send the messages at a later time, although he didn't want to put it off for too long. "There's nothing urgent right now."
Had he been back at the Academy, Hope could have always found something else to busy himself with. At the moment, though, he had limited options and limited technology for what he wanted to do. The most urgent matters would likely be the kidnappers that Lightning and the Guardian Corps were taking care of, or the decision that his father gave him. Perhaps figuring out a direction for himself soon as well, seeing as he wanted to give Vanille a solid answer some time soon the next time she asked what she could do to help.
He thought for a moment, wondering if it was a bad idea… "We could go looking for the kidnappers."
They couldn't be that low-profile, after all. He had seen their statements on television, or at least he thought that was the same group. A group of young people backed up by the Sanctum that might be close to the settlement? It couldn't be that hard to find them. Even Rygdea had more than a few leads to start out with.
"No." Noel's answer was quick, surprising Hope. "That's just looking for trouble. You're supposed to be keeping safe."
It was reminiscent of the words Noel told him back in 400AF, and Hope bit his lip. Maybe it was because he had several months to recover from the memories of dying, but it didn't feel as sharp anymore. At least, the nightmares had long faded and what seemed more prominent on his mind was the actual kidnapping.
"Fine." Hope admitted, drumming his fingers on the table. He tapped at his main computer terminal, bringing up several programs that he rerouted recently, typing in several commands. Several commands later, he used his phone to hook up to the communications mainframe. "I'll have this continue calling every half hour, and if the call goes through, then I'll get it on my phone."
He disconnected his phone after that, nodding in satisfaction. That would take care of one angle.
"Why don't we get you acquainted with the settlement?" Hope asked, slipping his phone into his pocket. "That way, you know your way around here. It's nothing like Academia right now. A lot of the streets are being replaced, and the permanent ones are just being put in, so this place changes almost every week."
Noel looked like he was considering it. He finally nodded slowly. "...Alright."
Hope turned off the rest of his monitors and machines, wrapping up his scarf and pulling on his outer jacket once again. Noel had been given an all new wardrobe as well on the day everyone had been there, and Hope couldn't help but glance up at the knit wooly pom-poms dangling from Noel's hat, biting his lip to prevent a smile. Serah must have gotten that for him and insisted that he wear it, but the addition to his attire, the rest of which was more somber and just suited for the weather rather than for fashion, somehow made Noel look the teenager he was.
"What?" Noel asked curiously, noting Hope's look.
"Nothing." Hope responded quickly, shaking his head. He pulled his tote bag over his head, dragging along the tablet that kept track of his work progress. "Okay. Where should we start?"
The next two hours had them travelling all over the growing city, from the back alleys to the prominent buildings which signalled where all the permanent structures would be put. So far, the settlements had a tall hospital and city hall, two buildings for schools, and Guardian Corps headquarters within the settlement, and the new buildings which were still being touched upon that held the new technology for power and water. The people of Cocoon had spent so long relying on the fal'Cie for power that the concept for farming power for themselves was both and entirely new and too-old concept.
There were still large plots of land that weren't being used, and the residential areas were being built as well, complexes and housing units that would be more separate and more comfortable than what was provided for the people in the temporary housing. Hope looked for the place he had settled into in the first timeline, an unsuspecting unit at the very edge of the settlement closer to the Guardian Corps which Bartholomew had beefed up the security for. It wasn't entirely done yet, but the outer shape and structure was already in place. It looked like it would be merely weeks before the place was finished.
That would be how long he had to decide whether he wanted to follow the original timeline or deviate from it completely, then.
"And what about there?" Noel pointed in the direction where the Academy building had once been for the both of them. There were several buildings on that land, but Hope only shook his head.
"That place is going to be demolished and built over." He explained. "There were a lot of temporary structures set up when people first started settling on Gran Pulse. A lot of homes in Cocoon were completely destroyed, and the land unusable. People needed land to settle on, and Pulse is abundant in land if nothing else. It started with tents and trailers, but soon the government set up structures that would be able to tide people over until more permanent buildings could be put up. That's a part of it, and so's the building that we're in right now."
Noel made a sound of acknowledgement, squinting over at the land where the Academy was to be built, squinting just slightly as the sun started hovering over the edge of the horizon. "...I thought that looked a bit shabby."
Hope shrugged, smiling. "It's not so bad. Might not look like much compared to the future, but it's just the start of it."
They wandered around the streets for a bit longer, enjoying the rest of the sunlight as Hope pulled his hat lower over his face again when someone looked in his direction. He looked down at the ground, a mixture of pavement and mud at the moment depending on what street they were on, and couldn't wait for things to change for the better. It was easier this time, knowing that it would be better.
But did he want to keep going down the same path, or go on a different one? This was a guaranteed success, but moving to New Bodhum…
No. He wasn't that important in the scheme of things. Where he grew up should matter. If mankind was going to be more accepting in the future, then they would be more accepting in the future no matter what path Hope decided to take. That much he believed in.
"Hey, Noel?" Hope asked as they both ended up sitting at the top of the temporary storage buildings currently in place what would be the Academy headquarters in the future. The building was five stories high, and it had been a bit of a pain getting to the roof, but the view was rather nice. The sun was already starting to set despite how early it was in the day still, and it was cold enough that Hope could see the lightest of breaths in front of himself, but at least it had stopped raining for the day, and the slanted roofs were dry thanks to the sunlight that day.
The hunter made a noise in acknowledgement, having laid down on the roof staring up at the sky with his arms under his head. Hope sat a little ways away, bracing himself with his arms and swinging his legs over the edge of the roof. They were high enough that no one should be looking up at them.
Hope looked up as well, watching the thin white clouds pass by slowly overhead.
"...How do you access your magic?"
Noel turned his head to look at him, curious for a moment. "...By using magic? I don't know, why?"
Hope didn't meet his eyes, instead continuing to gaze up at the sky, although he wasn't quite looking for anything in specific. He used to be a magic user. He used to be good at it. Good enough for the others to rely on him for support, for back-up, for healing and defense and magical offense. Hope had never been very good at fighting physically, although he made sure to be able to hold his own when he grew up. He was decently fast, and took pride in his aim.
But the thing was, he never found anything else he was as good at after magic. He worked hard at everything else, struggled immensely through studying and practice and repeated actions. He was well aware that he would never be as good a fighter as Lightning or Fang, or even Snow for that matter. But his magic had been instinctual once upon a time. If there was a single good thing about being a l'Cie, it might have been the magic. It had been the first time in his life Hope felt powerful in one aspect.
Losing it had been a joy at first because it meant losing everything else that came with being a l'Cie, or more specifically the timer counting down on his life.
But as time went on and others began developing magic, Hope had often wondered just what was wrong with him that he couldn't weave fire around his fingers again. When no one else could use it, he had been content without it. But knowing that others could use it, and bearing the knowledge that he had once been so good at it…
He wondered if he was being power-hungry. But the feeling of ice over his skin had been a welcome relief in contrast to the helplessness when he had been trapped down in that well. As cold as it had been, as cold as he had been, it was the sweetest feeling he had in a while.
He stopped swinging his legs.
"I think I lost mine." Hope admitted. "I don't think I have magic without being a l'Cie."
It was the first time he admitted that aloud. Before, he had always taken it in stride and tried not to let it bother him.
"What do you mean?" Noel asked curiously. "I've seen you use magic. Or manadrives? Sorry, I didn't think you were using a manadrive. Not entirely sure how those work and all…"
"I wasn't." Hope confirmed. "I don't use those."
Mostly because it was a weak imitation compared to the power he used to wield.
Noel shifted. "You threw ice at that guy."
The night of the kidnapping. Hope nodded, his eyes still focused on the sky. "That's why I wanted to ask you. About magic, I mean. I was sure that I lost mine, and I could never get it back while I was growing up. It just— never came back to me. But maybe I've been doing it wrong. It worked again two nights ago, but I don't know why. And I can't seem to reproduce the results."
He spent countless quiet minutes in his room attempting to call upon his magic again. Any spell. Anything at all that would indicate he still had access to the part of him that once made him feel confident in his own abilities.
"What, you think you've been doing it wrong all this time?" Noel hummed thoughtfully. "I don't know. I don't know how it feels like to use magic as a l'Cie. I mean, I just do. I kind of grew up with it. You could either use magic or you couldn't, and there wasn't any, I don't know, any in-between. I never really thought about it."
The uncertainty seemed unusual coming from Noel, and Hope breathed out a long breath, finally tearing his gaze from the sky. "It was just a long shot, I guess."
"Maybe you should ask Snow." Noel suggested. "He had to become a l'Cie to get his magic back again, right? So he'd know something about it."
Hope didn't think so. If he couldn't feel the magic, he doubted the Snow would have been able to either. Likely, the blond needed the l'Cie brand not just for magic, but for the enhanced strength provided to l'Cie, and the ability to bypass what seemed impossible.
He wondered if Fang and Vanille still had access to their magic. If they did, they never showed it or even spoke about it, which would have been unusual since he and Vanille conversed greatly on the subject of magic.
The only person he knew for sure retained their ability to do magic had been Serah. But how?
Serah hadn't gone on the same journey they had; she likely hadn't battled with her magic to develop it, or trained it to take down monsters that she would have otherwise been unable to defeat. Yet she retained her magic while the other l'Cie all seemed to have lost theirs. Why?
Hope's theory had been because Serah never learned to use magic like the rest of them. The other Pulse l'Cie had trained themselves to use magic in battle, to provide and heal and strengthen themselves. They had all immersed themselves in their l'Cie magic, even Fang and Snow who relied little on it. But Serah had never been in the same battles while she was a l'Cie. Could it have been that the magic did stay with them, but changed form after they lost their brand?
He tried studying it before, just a little, claiming a side hobby in the Academy. But even in the future, no one quite understood just where the magic came from.
But if the l'Cie had trained themselves to interact with magic a certain way, it could mean that it would be harder for them to access the magic that came after the Fall, since they were so accustomed to their l'Cie battle magic. If Hope did still have his magical reserves, then he would automatically reach for it the same way he had while he was a l'Cie, and if that path was blocked, then it could be possible he just assumed he lost the ability.
What if all the former l'Cie had access to their magic, but just never knew?
"I don't think Snow would know." Hope admitted. If anyone, he would have to ask Serah, but she would be in the same boat as Noel. She might not know just how to felt to cast magic as a l'Cie, and therefore be unable to tell the differences necessary to cast now.
He stretched out a hand against the sky, grasping at the clouds.
"I was sure I lost my magic." He whispered to himself.
"Well," Noel said next to him. "I don't think you did."
The young man sat up, stretching his arms over his head for a moment before getting into a crouch next to Hope.
"I think you might just need some practice. I saw you using magic. You didn't lose it, Hope."
Hope nodded slowly. "I'll work on it."
"That's the spirit." The young man said cheerfully, reaching punch Hope's shoulder lightly. "I'll help if I can. Not sure how I can describe reaching for magic, but hey, if you're going to try then I'll try, too."
Hope smiled. "Thanks, Noel."
He was about to say more, but was interrupted by his phone ringing in his pocket. Hope blinked, and the reached to grab at it, wondering just who was calling this time. Lightning usually reserved her calls for later in the evening, and he already spoke to Vanille that day, so…
"Hello?" He asked, phone against his ear. "Who's this?"
There was breathing on the other side for a long moment, steady and strong, before a familiar deep voice answered him. "You called."
Caius.
Hope scrambled up from his perch on the edge of the roof, and Noel reached out a hand in case he lost his balance. "Yes. I have — Noel's here. We need to talk to Yeul."
He wasn't sure how to feel about speaking to Caius of all people, especially knowing that it had been Caius who fought against Lightning in Valhalla, and who was trying to end the world. It was strange knowing that Noel and Serah had been fighting against Caius in the timelines they went to in the future, but here the man was now, sounding almost cordial on the phone.
There was another pause.
"I'm afraid that won't be possible at the moment." Caius told him, and Hope detected something dark about his tone that had nothing to do with the breathy manner he spoke in the first place. "She left you what she could, and you're not to contact her again."
"Why not?" Hope demanded. "She's the one who left me with this number. Why are you answering for her?"
Noel was making wide gestures from the side, likely asking what was actually going on, but Hope only shook his head at the moment.
"She entrusted you with a task. Are you close to completing it?"
"She wasn't very specific." Hope insisted. "I don't even know where to start. She would, though. If I could just talk with her, then I might be able to get it done faster."
"Damn it, Caius," Noel finally spoke up next to him, having figured out who was on the other side of the line. "Let me speak to Yeul!"
Caius laughed darkly from the other side of the phone. "Perhaps you should give the phone to your… companion."
Wordlessly, Hope handed over his phone to Noel, who snatched it up. It didn't matter who got answers, so long as they got answers. And if Noel was the one that Caius would allow to speak to Yeul, then it was just as well. Hope didn't mind having to speak through the other man.
"Caius." Noel's tone was just as dark, although with more familiarity than Hope expected. "Why won't you let me talk to her?"
There was a low murmur on the line, likely Caius's answer. Hope couldn't hear the specifics, but he could see Noel growing paler as Caius continued to talk.
"What?" Noel asked breathlessly, bright blue eyes wide as he took in what the man said. Hope pushed himself up further on the roof, tense as he waited to hear what the conversation was about. "What do you mean — you can't just leave me with that!"
Another long moment as a voice murmured words over the phone, and finally there was a click before it was hung up from the other side.
"What did he say?" Hope asked, fingers tensing against the cold rooftop. "Does he want us to actually meet them in person?"
Noel was looking down at the phone, bangs mostly obscuring his expression. He took a deep breath, and Hope waited.
"No," Noel finally answered, sounding shaken. "We can't speak to Yeul because… because she's dead. She died two nights ago."
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The retired back to the housing units in the dark after that, the both of them quiet. Hope wanted to ask more on the topic, but it didn't seem the right time.
Yeul was dead. It didn't seem to register. He recalled the surreal green eyes on the little girl he had seen, about her knowing expression and breathy voice. She didn't act the age she looked, but despite how mature she was, she was just a little girl. Far too young.
He couldn't recall any articles about accidents or fatalities that described a little girl in the past two days.
How could it have happened?
Hope wasn't surprised to see that this father wasn't home yet when he got back. He flicked on the lights, and stepped out of his wet boots.
"Are you staying for dinner?" He asked Noel quietly, shrugging off his coat. "Dad's not going to be back for hours yet."
The young man was pale ever since the phone call, and even now looked vaguely lost. Hope wondered once again just what the connection was between Noel and the Seeress of Paddra, but decided against asking. Even if he were to eventually find out, now was not the time.
Noel took a while to think about it, but eventually nodded. "If you don't mind."
Hope closed the door after the other stepped in. Thankfully, the heating unit was working again and the warmth was a blessing after a day of wandering around in the cold. Hope threw his coat and scarf on the couch in the living area, Noel following suit in his footsteps even as Hope finally pulled off his hat to throw down as well.
He wondered what to tell Lightning when she called. She would want to know, but…
Hope wandered into the small kitchen, and pulled open the fridge door, looking for something he could make for dinner.
It didn't sink in. He should have an easier time accepting the death, but it just seemed… strange. Millions of people died in the Fall, and while Hope had grieved for them, grieved with all the survivors, that felt different. Even his own personal losses felt different.
For some reason, Yeul's death felt… Somewhere between a statistic and something that would personally affect him. Like it was expected. Except he hadn't expected it at all, had he? He had known that the Seeress of Paddra died young, but he never figured it to be… that young.
Or it was an accident. An accident they didn't cite in the news.
No, that wasn't it. The strange thing was how Caius sounded over the phone. He didn't sound like he was grieving. Or at least, if he did, he sounded exactly the same as when Yeul had been alive. The man sounded like he expected it. Perhaps a bit angry, but not… shocked, or surprised. It was like he had already known, but couldn't help being bitter about it after the fact.
"Hope?" A hand pushed the fridge door shut, startling him out of his thoughts. Noel was giving him a curious look. "You've been staring inside the fridge for a long time now."
"Ah." Hope looked down, slightly embarrassed. He hadn't meant to get so lost in thought. "I didn't— Do you mind if we just ordered out?"
He shouldn't be the one distracted by this now. Noel was the one who probably knew Yeul better than he did. He was the one who was grieving, and who sounded like he knew Caius as far more than just an enemy to be fought. Right now, Hope should be helping Noel get him mind off things and not the other way around.
"That's fine." Noel shrugged, deceptively calm about everything. The older teen left him to his thoughts again, heaving back toward the living area as Hope busied himself pulling out the house terminal to order for something. A few swipes of the holographic interface and he shut it off again, pausing.
He knew, of course, that words of comfort didn't make anything better. Not when it came to death.
Hope ended up rummaging through the cupboards for packets of hot chocolate that had been left over from two nights ago, boiling the water and stirring the packets in. He took both mugs out to the living area, and offered one to Noel before sitting down next the other.
They waited there silently for the food to arrive, both lost in his own thoughts as they nursed the hot chocolate.
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There were no results from the Guardian Corps' hunt for the kidnappers, although nearly a week after the kidnapping yielded a different set of results.
"You going to stand there gawking all day?" Fang teased as she leaned against the threshold of the door. Hope opened the door the rest of the way quickly after that, even as Serah popped her head from the kitchen to call out a quick greeting.
"I didn't know you were coming over today." Hope told her. "Is Sazh here, too?"
"Nah." Fang breezed by him, stopping only momentarily to ruffle his hair before settling down on the worn couch, saluting Serah in greeting. "Lunchtime, is it?"
"Just about." Serah confirmed. "I can add you in if I give Hope just a normal person's share for once."
"Hey." Hope protested, frowning. He crossed his arms. "I don't eat that much."
"You didn't." Serah agreed cheerfully. "You ate too little before! But maybe it's a growth spurt. You're supposed to eat enough for three people at your age, Hope. Don't be embarrassed by it."
"I'm not above taking food from children." Fang agreed. "Lunch sounds great."
"And I'm not a child."
"Who's not?" Noel asked, having just walked into the conversation from the shower, his hair still wet and dripping down on the towel atop his shirt. A raised an arm in greeting for Fang, and made his way to the kitchen. "Is that lunch?"
"The child who insists he's not a child." Fang answered him, grinning. "And apparently that's my lunch now. Serah offered, I'm gladly accepting."
"Not all of it." Serah amended for Noel. She gave Fang a mock glare, waving a spatula. "We've got growing boys here. Can't leave them emptied stomached."
"Tough for them." Fang quipped back. "They'll just have to learn to provide their own food, then. What is the saying here… something about the guest always being right? Well, in this case, I'm the guest. Or whoever's in the right."
"I can help with that." Noel offered, pulling out another pan from the lower cupboards, entirely unaffected by the idea of having his lunch stolen or being called a 'growing boy'. "Do we have extra eggs?"
"I pulled the carton from the fridge, it should be on the table." Serah said.
"I should just head home." Hope declared aloud to himself. "It'd probably be quieter there."
"Aww, and the pipsqueak speaks." Fang teased, throwing an arm across the back of the couch and grinning at him. "Or is the little mouse trying to make his escape?"
"Oh, he's just not used to people around who's actually talking about things other than him." Serah teased. She pulled out a plate and cleared the contents of her pan onto the plate, not bothering to look behind her as she called out, "Did you know he's been talking with some of the smartest minds on Cocoon? We've had — chemists, engineers, mechanics, and even one historian who has come all the way down here to talk to him in the last four days."
"There was an artist, too." Noel added, snagging one of the tomatoes.
"Yes, there was that artist as well— Noel, what are you even making?"
"Err… egg sandwiches?"
"I'm already making lunch for everyone!"
"You don't say," Fang drawled out, quirking a grin at Hope, who had given up entirely and just plopped himself at the small dining table, figuring that he might as well position himself to get food first before it was stolen from under his nose. "That popular, eh?"
"I'm just trying to keep busy." Hope answered with a shrug, turning pleading eyes to Noel for one of the sandwiches as well. The older teen grinned at him, dancing around Serah as she protested about the space being her kitchen and how he was undermining her skill at gauging just how much food was needed. "There's a lot to do."
"I'll say." Fang agreed, and then pushed herself from the couch. "C'mon. Let's take this lunch to-go, then. I've a quick project to show you all after a bite to eat. Good timing, too. I'm starved."
"Want a sandwich too, Fang?" Noel asked, getting to the loaf of bread. Serah made a loud protesting noise behind him.
"Sure thing." Fang agreed. "Let's see what you're made of in the cooking department."
It was another five minutes before they all agreed that they would finish Serah's meal first and take Noel's sandwiches to go with them, and the four of them settled down at the tiny dining table, dragging chairs out of bedrooms in order to fit. Despite Fang's initial claims at taking Hope's food, she instead spared some for him off of her plate, laughing at his expression.
"That's a promise you need to keep to the rest of us about growing up." Fang told him. "Can't prove Serah wrong now, can we? We wouldn't want you to stay this short forever… well, Vanille might. You'd have to eat in order to dash her dreams about you being the shortest of the group for now. Better get all that in you, too, or else Dajh might overtake you soon."
"Oh, that's right." Serah agreed with a smile. "You haven't seen Dajh in a few weeks, have you, Hope? He's gotten really tall! He almost reaches my shoulders now."
"Now, let's not get too hasty about that." Fang told her. "That's mostly his hair that's adding to his height."
"He might have gotten even taller since I left." Serah continued. "I can't believe how fast he's growing up."
"You've been gone four days." Noel told her. "How could he have grown enough in four days for you to notice?"
"He could have!" Serah protested.
The conversation continued, light-hearted, through lunch and even after Fang hustled the rest of them out of the tiny apartment, shaking her head when Hope asked if he should head up to his own place and get anything he might need.
"No need." Fang said. "We shouldn't take long."
"But where are we going?" Hope asked.
Fang only grinned at him and didn't answer, instead bringing a finger up to her lips to indicate her own silence on the matter. "You trust me, don't you?"
"Well, yes, but—"
"No if and buts about it." The woman claimed, dropping a hand to press heavily atop his head. "It's a surprise. You'll like it, I promise."
They headed outside of the settlement, until the streets were nothing but dirt roads trampled smooth next to bushes and trees. It took several minutes to navigate through the small forested area until they were at a rock ledge, and finally at a place that looked vaguely familiar.
"Here we are," Fang stated, bringing a hand to her forehead to shield her eyes from the sun even as she whistled appreciatively. "We'll have to make a path here. That took longer than I thought it would."
"What is it?" Serah asked from behind them. "Why are we here?"
Hope looked up from where he had taken a short breather, and his eyes widened in recognition. "Is that—?"
There was a slightly glow to the stone before them, distinctive next to the dull rocks. But that wasn't the only thing different about it, as the stone was smoothed and carved into the image of a woman on one side, levitating slightly as it bobbed in the air, emitting a feeling of power that Hope could feel tingling against his skin.
"That's right." Fang agreed, nodding somberly this time. "That's how I got here so quickly. There's quite a few set up around these parts. Figured I'd make use of my time and find where they were. Worst comes to worst, move them before other people start getting ideas about these things."
Noel stepped up carefully from where he had been walking with Serah, coming up closer to examine the statue. "It feels… off. Powerful. But sad, somehow."
"They're Cie'th Stones." Hope explained quietly, fingers tangling in the strap of his shoulder bag. "This is what happens to Cie'th who survive for too long. Their regrets just… eat them up and then them into this."
Superficially, it looked a more pleasant outcome than turning Cie'th, especially since the stone was smooth and beautiful rather than shambling and violent, but there was something about the sadness it emitted that felt so much worse than the rage and grief that Cie'th normally generated.
It could have been us, Hope remembered. Snow had said something to that likeness, arguing for why they should try their best to help the Cie'th Stones on their journey. If they failed their Focus, became Cie'th, and then survived being monsters for long enough… they could have turned into something like this, made up entirely of sorrows and regrets when even the rage faded thanks to the years.
"Yeah." He breathed out, and then cleared the thickness from this throat. He had done something similar the first time around, but it wasn't something he thought about again after that. He had completely forgotten to cover it in this timeline. The first time, there had been very little he could do other than write a decree into the Academy rules that the Cie'th Stones be left alone, or gathered if the land around them was needed. They were not to be harmed or broken in any way. "I— that's a good idea."
"But not only that," And here Fang's enthusiasm returned. "They still respond to us, see? Guess we're still two peas of a pod and all that. Sure, some of them had Focuses that could only be completed by l'Cie, but some of them had some relatively normal things as well. Kill a few monsters? I figured I'd do that, now that I have time on my hands."
She stepped right up to the stone, and reached her hand out to press against the cold stone, smile turning wistful. "Might as well put a few of them to rest. Turned out to be a good thing, too! They're still used as teleport stones, see? Means it won't take so long to get from New Bodhum to here anymore."
"Wait," Hope protested, startling. "You mean they work?"
"Sure thing." Fang agreed, and turned back to face them. "I'd say they recognize us, too. But there's a few things I want to test. See if we can get others to use this. And I've got three perfectly fine test subjects right here, don't I? Hope was a Pulse l'Cie who also completed the Focus for plenty of Cie'th Stones. Serah was a Pulse l'Cie, even if she never encountered them before. And then we've got Noel here, who's your every day magic user."
The three gave each other uneasy looks, but Hope stepped up the Cie'th Stone as well. "Okay. I mean, if this works, it'll take us all to New Bodhum, right? And we'd be able to get back here before nightfall, too."
"Sure thing." Fang told him. "Solved your transportation problem for you."
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.
Vanille greeted them on the other side, dressed warmly in the snow that persisted in New Bodhum. Dajh was building a snowman just a few feet away from her, and Sazh was huddled up next to a small campfire, pushing his hands as close to the fire as possible without burning himself.
The sensation of teleportation was as strange as ever, like all his molecules had been lifted up and taken away one at a time, or a weightlessness that made him feel like nothing and far too heavy all at once. Hope breathed out a breath of relief as he opened his eyes to see the mountains near New Bodhum, and hear Serah's gasp behind him. Noel's landing was much quieter, but even he seemed to draw an audible breath.
"And my theory works." Fang boasted in front of them. "See, Vanille? No limbs missing. Said I'd get them here in one piece, didn't I?"
"You did!" Vanille agreed enthusiastically, already wrapping her arms around Hope's shoulders and leaning to greet Serah at the same time. "It works!"
"You mean you didn't know if it would?" Noel's tone was aghast.
"Oh, don't get your knickers in a twist." Fang brushed the words aside. "I just wanted to make sure. Me and Vanille have done it plenty of times, but we also took down some of those monsters together, so she'd be in the same boat as me. We needed to get some different people to test it, you know? Sazh did a trip as well, but he also came and helped out from time to time. And, well, we're not going to send Dajh through."
"That's right," Sazh murmured from where he was sitting by the fire. "He's not going to be one of your tests."
"Not until I turn thirteen!" Dajh shouted from where he was still working on pushing the snow into a ball on the side, waving enthusiastically at them. "That's what daddy said!"
"That's what he pushed me to say," Sazh admitted glumly. "If I had my way, he'd never be a part of this."
"Can't help that he's already involved." Fang told him. "Besides, we don't want him to feel too left out now."
"This is amazing." Serah's toned was awed, although her arms were wrapped around herself at the sudden temperature change. The settlement had been much warmer, and they were all were all dressed for that temperature rather than the ankle deep snow that now surrounded them. She was staring at the Cie'th stone on this side in awe, her breath crystallizing around her. "Does this work for everyone?"
"Not that we know of." Vanille told her. She smiled. "A few people offered to help us test it, but mostly they just didn't want to come close to the stone. Said it made them feel strange, and not in a good way. And even when they were close enough, they got no reaction. Didn't know what to do."
Hope felt the nagging suspicion in his gut intensify. "So it only responds to magic-users?"
"Magic users and former l'Cie." Fang corrected him. She had her hands on her hips, looking rather smug. "Which we happen to fall into."
"Maybe." Hope admitted, biting down on his bottom lip in thought. He stared up at the stone, and then shook his head. It wasn't a theory ready to be shared yet, but he felt that it wasn't something he should keep to himself, either. He had been practicing in the past four days, even though he had yet to meet any success so far.
"You look like you've got a thought there." Sazh told him. The man patted the space next to him on the log. "Why don't you warm yourself to get your brain going? I should have brought food as well…"
"Uhh." Noel finally spoke up, tugging at the bag he was carrying. "I brought sandwiches? We'd have to share them now, though…"
"Yay, sandwiches!" Dajh called out, abandoning his snowman to stumble over to where they were."
"See?" Fang grinned at Serah. "Good thing the kid came prepared, isn't it?"
.
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"I have a theory," Hope explained as they all sat in a circle around the fire, sharing the egg sandwiches that Serah was patiently cutting into half so that everyone could have one, and then giving Dajh an extra half. "I don't think we lost our magic just because we lost our l'Cie brands."
Sazh didn't look convinced. "Can't say I follow, there."
"Well," Hope tried to elaborate, picking slightly at his half of a sandwich. "I know it sounds strange. I mean, none of us have been able to cast after the Fall, right? Except for Serah, at least. So we all assume that some people can do magic and some can't, and that when we lost our brands, we were just some of the people who couldn't. If we could, wouldn't we have been able to to cast already? We should know how to, since we've had the practice."
He paused, thinking upon his words. "But what if… what if the practice we received while we were l'Cie is the reason we're having so much trouble with magic? Because we trained it to work in the way l'Cie magic works, so now when we think magic, we automatically reach for it the way a l'Cie would… except we're not l'Cie anymore. And when we can't reach it, we just think it's not there."
He turned his attention to Serah. "How do you cast magic, Serah?"
The pink-haired woman floundered for a moment as all eyes turned to her. "Huh? Well, um. I guess I just do. I feel it, and I cast."
"That sounds a lot like how we used to do it." Vanille said, looking speculative. "We always just knew what to do."
"But what if it's different?" Hope insisted. "Breathing is something we just do. And since we grew up speaking, talking is another thing that we just do. It's hard to describe both actions to someone who can't breathe and speak, but they both use air. We use our lungs, and we push out air with both actions. But one action is just a breath, while the other is creating words. If we learned magic like learning to breathe, then we'd never think of speaking as a way of casting, even it it's just as instinctive."
Because why else would children be exhibiting signs of magic? It could be argued that it was because children were more susceptible to magic… had been argued, in fact, but Hope was starting to suspect another cause.
"People who use manadrives don't develop magic, either." Hope realized. "Is it because they also expect magic to feel a certain way?"
Now Sazh was starting to look speculative as well. "Might be. I've worked one of those things before. Always felt a little weird. Different than l'Cie magic, that's for sure."
"Then it might be a third method." Hope theorized. He nodded. "It's not really magic, but manadrives are made to imitate how magic works. In a way, it has be to instinctual to the person using it as well, so there could just be a way of drawing magic that people don't know about."
"Oh, Hope." Vanille curled her legs up in front of the fire, sandwich forgotten on her lap as she looked at him with wide green eyes, gaze worried. "What if that's not true, though? I couldn't feel it in the future, either. Neither could Sazh, or Fang. It could just be that some people are good at magic and some aren't."
"I don't believe that." Hope insisted, curling his hands around his uneaten sandwich. "I don't."
"And he really shouldn't." Noel agreed with him, drawing the group's attention. "'Cause he might be right, you know. If you learn to do something a certain way, it's hard to unlearn that. Grip a sword the wrong way from the beginning, and you'd have to train extra hard to remember to grip your sword another way, a way that's actually correct. But you can still do it. It takes more effort, but it's nowhere near impossible."
"Noel…" Serah sounded uncertain.
"Besides," Noel continued, nodding in Hope's direction. "He says it can be done, then it can be done. Right? Hope's done plenty of impossible things before. If he says it works, it's probably because he managed to pull it off."
At that, all eyes turned to him, and Hope flushed, feeling his ears warm at the expectant gazes. "I, um…"
"Something you forgot to tell us, kid?" Fang asked, quirking an eyebrow. "This one here seems awful sure you're right about this."
"Hope?" Vanille asked quietly.
Hope looked at them, and then nodded to himself. "I think… I think I managed to cast. Last week, during that night. I don't know how it happened, and I haven't been able to do it again, so it may have been — it could have been the circumstance or something else, but I'm fairly certain that we retained the ability."
"You casted magic?" Sazh asked, but then smothered his surprised. "That's not hard to believe. You could be one of the people who can."
"But I'm not." Hope was certain of that. If he had been one of the few capable of magic, or at least capable like the children who could so easily set fire to tents, then he would have manifested the ability in the past timeline. Hope tried desperately through the years to regain his magic at times, and it never worked. But then again, he had been perfectly safe in the previous timeline, and eventually convinced himself to stop trying because it obviously wasn't going to work. He wondered if that was what killed the last spark — his acceptance of failure. "At least, I wasn't before. Maybe something changed. But if it changed for me, it might have changed for all of you, too."
He wished that Lightning was here so that he could confirm the idea with her. Whatever she experienced in the future, she hadn't shared with him, but maybe she retained her magic as well. Maybe she hadn't.
"Well." Fang straightened up, stretching her arms. She had long since finished her food, and she rested a hand gently on top of Vanille's head. "Can't hurt to give it a try. If he's right, we get our magic back. If he's not, we stay just as we are right now."
Vanille smiled slowly up at her. "I guess you're right."
"So now what?" Sazh asked. "If we can't figure out how to access our magic ourselves, then how are we supposed to figure out if this wild theory is true or not?"
"Now…" Hope paused. He hadn't figured to bring it up today, and thus hadn't completely constructed his plan yet. But if this wasn't the best time to talk it over with the others, he didn't know what was. "I guess I wanted to ask Serah and Noel for help on that."
"Us?" Serah squeaked out, bringing a hand up to her mouth.
"Sure." Noel supplied, and then nudged Serah with his elbow. "You're a teacher, Serah. Now you've just got a whole new group of people to teach."
"That's a great idea!" Vanille clapped her hands together, smiling widely. "I've seen Serah in action before— she's a great teacher!"
The others murmured their approvals, including Dajh who raised both arms and cheered for her with his mouth full of egg sandwich. The pink-haired woman didn't look very confident about it, but smile nevertheless. "...I suppose so. But we're going to do this, then we'll have to set down some rules. And I get to decide what goes on. That means nothing dangerous without my supervision, and I get to decide what 'dangerous' means."
Sazh mocked shuddered, wrapping his arms around himself as he leaned in closer to Vanille and stage whispered, "We'll now we're all doomed."
Vanille laughed loudly at that, and even Dajh piped up with, "Miss Farron can be really strict, you know! She's going to be harder than all your other teachers combined!"
"Oh, I believe it." Fang teased the young boy even as Sazh tried to explain to his son that it was true mostly because the rest of them had no other teachers.
"Alright, then." Serah clasped her hands together in front of herself, looking determined. "Give me a week and I'll come up with some lessons plans. Let's see if we can tackle the whole magic issue yet."
There were murmurs of approval before the group split up again, this time using the Cie'th Stones to get to their different homes.
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Lightning called the next day while Hope was once again out discussing ideas and issues with various scientists who had come to the settlement, not specifically to speak with him but to speak with his dad about Academy plans per say, so it was Serah who took the message.
It felt nostalgic, trailing behind his father while men and women with stern, intimidating expressions judged him over the edge of their glasses. The first time around, Hope had been nervous and uncertain, fiddling with the edges of his new dress shirt and possibly giving the impression of a shy and hesitant teen.
This time around, he nodded and smiled in greeting, memorized names and politely asked about their work and research and then tried his best to show what he understood.
And this time around, he understood quite a bit.
"The funding will take time," A middle-aged lady with grey-streaked brown hair and lines around her mouth told Bartholomew Estheim. She was dressed primly in an uniform that Hope didn't recognize, her hands clasped behind herself and back straight as she spoke with him, the both of the walking along the length of a hallway where the new institution was planned. The buildings here were still intact, although the walls were bland and ready to be demolished. "Too many are still recovering from the Fall to consider building anything beyond what is necessary."
"We have what is necessary," Bartholomew argued back, voice never raising. Hope hurried along behind them, tablet in his arms and cursing his shorter legs as he tried his hardest to not look like he was rushing. He had agreed to intern for the week seeing as his father needed the help and his usual assistant was out sick. "The settlement is one of the last areas on Gran Pulse colonized that is setting up the finishing touches on permanent buildings, and people are finally starting to adjust. It's been seven months, and we need to start thinking about long-term plans for the future. The Academy provides a new concept and something for people to work toward. We can't keep distracting the people with the latest sports and celebrity gossip. Sooner or later, they will start to realize that it's all a ploy to keep them pacified."
"You give them too much credit, Bart." The woman sniffed. "It's always worked before."
"That was before they were forced to fight for their own survival." His father disagreed. "Pulse — Gran Pulse has forced too many people to open their eyes to work around them. There are too many dangers here to stay blind in their safe little bubble. The Academy can provide a refuge. A place where they will learn how to deal with what they see and how to process the information and perhaps create something from it."
They stopped walking, and Hope barely caught himself from walking straight into his father.
"Look, Martha." His dad sighed, rubbing at his temples under his glasses. "If you want to placate the people, then knowledge will provide the heaviest of safety blankets. Let's use this time to learn about the world around us. Not just how to survive, but it's history and traditions. I've had several requests cross my desk in regards to excavations and mining. With the fal'Cie to provide for us, we need to start making progress on our own. We can't rely on the the supply of goods from Cocoon forever. I'd like to approve of at least one of the requests. Let's start learning about this world and what we can do here."
"Our priority is to support the people in this time of need," Martha insisted, not giving an inch. "People are still grieving—"
"Grief doesn't stop." And here, his father's words were sharp before he caught himself, and shook his head. "...But it doesn't mean we don't move on. Seven months, Martha. We need to start focusing on the future rather than the past and present."
"A school will not do everything you want it to do." The woman insisted.
"No, but it will be a start. A formal system of education, a goal for children to work toward, and the roots for a better future. We're lacking in leadership right now, and soon everyone will notice it. The dissolution of the Sanctum is wearing on everybody, and we're lucky that so far there has been no true power grab, thanks to the Guardian Corps smoothing everything over. But you may have to soon consider a different form of government, even if it's just a different primarch with the government under a different name. That's out of my jurisdiction. What I do want to do is encourage the people not to flounder due to this calamity."
"Even so. Even if all of what you say is not only true, but works out, the funds are not there. The people will not budge for this. Not this soon."
"Martha…"
"But," and here it was the woman who sighed, suddenly deflating just the slightest from her previously stern posture. "I may be able to scrape enough for one of your… excavations. Find something interesting, and you may be able to convince the higher ups to give this little idea of yours a more formal hearing."
"I suppose that's all I can ask for." His father agreed reluctantly. He breathed out a sigh, and held out his hand. "Thank you for sparing the time to meet with me, Martha."
The woman frowned, although it was without disappointment. She grasped onto his hand. "I'm not like the other ninnys who refuse to leave the safety of Cocoon, Bartholomew. You have good ideas, no matter how impossible they are."
She left after that without so much as a glance toward Hope, and Bartholomew opened the door for his meagre office at the end of the hall, gesturing for Hope to enter before he closed it behind him.
"Who was that?" Hope asked, once they were in the privacy of the room.
"Martha Kalvonier." His father responded tiredly. "Assistant to our current acting executive director. Apparently she's been swamped with requests for meetings, so anything that crosses her desk has to go through her assistant first."
Hope didn't remember this. But then again, he barely started stepping into politics at nineteen, which would be four years from now when the government had already stabilized and the Academy was starting to take on a massive role of its own. "You guys seem to know each other pretty well."
"We went to school together," His father explained, taking a seat behind the cluttered desk. "She's a good person, but it's nigh impossible to change her views on anything once she gets it into her mind what can and can't be done."
"I didn't know you were having this much trouble with starting the Academy." Hope observed quietly, sitting down as well in front of his father's desk, eying the various tablets and papers strung in every which direction. He never took his father to be messy, but then again, if his assistant had been gone for a while and the meetings lately had all gone like this, he couldn't blame him.
"Don't worry," and here, Bartholomew smiled at his son. "It will happen. People like Martha just have a hard time changing their views, that's all."
He didn't doubt it. Hope smiled back brightly, and then asked, "So what's with the excavation requests you were talking about?"
His father made a noise of acknowledgement, and rummaged through the items on his desk, finding several papers. "Local interest. Despite what those on Cocoon might think, there is quite a bit of interest from people here to find out more about Gran Pulse. Mining requests, excavation requests, scientific gathering… we've got the people and the interest, but the funding has to come from somewhere."
The papers were handed over to Hope, who took them gingerly, examining the first few lines of each page.
"I like to think some of this might lead to discoveries that would cover the expenses of the actual excavation." His father explained, but then sat back on his seat. "But that's a large risk to take, according to the people with the money. No one wants to spend more than they have to these days, especially with how much the government funding is starting to empty."
Hope cycled through the papers, and finally picked one out after much deliberation, placing the paper flat on a clean area of his father's desk. "This one."
His father just raised an eyebrow, and Hope elaborated. "She said she'd fund one, right? You should think about this one."
Bartholomew picked up the paper. "...An archaeological excavation? Hope, while I think this is important, archaeological digs should wait until we've already established a basis of—"
"Trust me." Hope insisted. "I've been there. You'll definitely find something interesting at Paddra."
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"They apprehended them!" Were the first excited words Serah told him once Hope checked on his phone messages again and decided to call her back after the urgent text she sent him. "Light and Snow — well, the Guardian Corps, too — they found the kidnappers, and they've got enough evidence to get not only the individuals, but the entire group behind this!"
"That's great." Hope told her. It really was better than he expected. He figured that they would take care of the initial small group, but be unable to find the rest, and…
"Oh, Hope," Serah breathed over the phone. "There were — Light said there were hundreds of people connected to this. Maybe thousands. They're going to search them all out, but at least now we're all safe again."
Hope didn't think so. A few hundred, even a few thousand dissatisfied enough to stage kidnappings and publicly proclaim that the former l'Cie should die meant many more who felt the same but just didn't want to say that aloud. The group would possibly be the first of many for the few several years, and while Hope had just waited it out the first time around, he doubted that 'waiting it out' would work once again when arrests might be made.
Things were changing more than he anticipated.
"That—" He paused, looking around at the small room he escaped into for privacy for this conversation. "That's great. But… stay with Noel until all of this is over, okay? Just to be on the safe side."
"You don't have to worry about that." Serah reassured him. "I can hold my own in a fight. But Noel's here. I'm more worried about you being there without one of us."
"I'm in a building with hundreds of people as witnesses." Hope told her. "Nothing can go wrong."
He paused, and then immediately regretted saying that. That was just tempting the universe.
Luckily, nothing seemed to pop out at him during that moment of silence.
"If you're sure," Serah said, although it didn't sound like she believed it. "Just get back home safely, alright? You and your dad both. I think Light has a few things she'd like to talk to you about later on, too."
"I will." Hope assured her, and then thought of his earlier conversation. "Hey. Dad's putting together a team for Paddra." He didn't think he would need to tell her why exactly, not when he remembered meeting her there in the future and explaining it to her already. "I already requested to go with them, and I'm going to ask Vanille and Fang if they want to go as well, but…"
"I'll talk to Noel about it," Serah promised, not needing the explanation. Her voice was warm. "I wouldn't mind going, either. It'd be interesting to find out more about the past."
Hope smiled. "Can't be as interesting as getting to travel to it, though."
"Well," Her tone was flustered. "That might be true. We never got to go to the past, though. Probably because there were things that were already set in stone and couldn't be changed."
"Hope?"
And there, Hope covered the phone's receiver and turned curiously to look at his father, who was standing at the door. At his father's nod, Hope returned his attention to the phone call. "Sorry, Serah. Dad's here. I need to go."
"Okay." She said. "Stay safe, and I'll see you later today."
After exchanging a quick goodbye, Hope hung up and slipped his phone back into his pocket and then left the room to find his father in the hall, already speaking with several more people. Hope fixed a polite smile and stepped toward the conversation, where his father finally addressed him and turned for an introduction.
"Ah, there you are. Have I introduced you to me son yet? This is Hope. He's interning here for the moment, and—"
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It was after dinner, a dinner which Hope was slowly becoming accustomed to, full of questions and quips on the day as Serah and Noel were invited over once again, Serah already having made dinner before Bartholomew and Hope got home.
"I've had plenty of practice cooking," Serah insisted when she first arrived to the settlement to keep Noel company. "And I might as well make a little more if I'm going to take the time to make it anyway."
His father retired to his room for more work he had taken home, and Hope followed Serah and Noel downstairs to their temporary abode, having claimed the place almost as a second home during the past week. He would probably have to stop doing that soon, especially if they were going to leave again, and that meant he would have to clean up all the coats and items he left at their place.
This time, however, he was surprised to see Snow already waiting there for them.
"Hey," The man brought up a hand in greeting as they met him at the door, leaning down to press a quick kiss against Serah's lips as she smiled and hugged him after their week of separation. "Miss me?"
"Every moment." Serah responded sweetly while Noel turned to give Hope an alarmed look.
"What's there to miss?" Hope asked instead as he slipped into the apartment right after Noel, who was already trying to escape the loving gaze that Serah and Snow were giving each other. The blond laughed at him and reached to ruffle his hair, which prompted Hope to quickly duck out of reach and leave the two lovebirds outside where they could catch up with each other.
"Are they always like this?" Noel asked quietly as they gave the other two some room, although he sounded more exasperated than anything else.
Hope thought about his response. It would have been easy to claim that yes they were, but…
"I wouldn't know." He admitted. "They actually keep their relationship to themselves a lot."
It was strange to think, but true. Despite everyone knowing about the two of them, the details were never divulged.
It was just a little later that Serah and Snow entered the apartment, and Snow grinned at them in greeting once more.
"Lightning wanted to be here herself to tell you this," He told them, "But she's been pulled in to help with more things in the Guardian Corps. I'd say that Rygdea is trying re-enlist her with the amount of power he's giving her. Something about bringing in her old Lieutenant to help out with this case as well."
"So?" Noel asked him as the group settled down in the worn couch and chairs around the living area. "What happened?"
"Not as much as you'd think." Snow informed them. "A whole lot of paperwork was what happened the last week. Apparently just knowing who these guys were wasn't going to cut it, since they needed evidence of 'misdeeds' and such. Enough evidence to prove that they purposely planning in advance and carrying out an, uh… 'unlawful seizing or carrying away of person by force'. There was a bunch of mumbo-jumbo going on since the ones in on this plan were mostly kids, so they wanted to dig deeper and see where the kids were getting the funds or even the support for plans like this."
The blonde shrugged, one arm slung over the couch behind where Serah was sitting next to him.
"Apparently there were a few parents in on it too, along with older siblings who used to work in Psicom… the whole shebang. The strings stretched longer than we thought, so this took longer than we wanted it to. It's a good thing we caught the beginning of this, too. Guess that's the one good thing about how impulsive those kids were — no offense, Hope. I figured you had the whole thing under control."
"I did." Hope insisted, ignoring the doubtful look Noel gave him.
"Don't mean we didn't cream them a little, though." Snow grinned widely, and the cringed back at the disapproving look Serah gave him. "Okay, okay. We didn't do much. Just, you know, questioned them a little. A lot. But only questions! Lightning may have done some intimidating, but no one was actually hurt over the little interrogation that was set up."
"Kids, though." Serah didn't sound impressed. "Were they really?"
"...I guess if you mean mentally, yeah, I'd say so." Snow's grin toned down. "They were… maybe around our age? Starting out in college, at least. Seems weird to think of them as kids when you think of it that way, but it's the title I'd give them with the way they were acting. Most of them called their parents up rather than call in any legal help. And, of course, their parents took care of the legal part for them. Still, we got what we needed."
"It doesn't matter how old they are." Noel insisted. "There are things kids can't get away with doing, either."
"That was Lightning's argument, too." Snow agreed. "So, we got more evidence. Blaming people and kidnapping people are two separate things, after all. One is entirely illegal. So Light's there smoothing out the wrinkles to make sure we can get the most out of our testimony. But here's the hitch: we're definitely going to need witnesses here."
Snow hesitated. "They're going to go on trial in front of all of Cocoon, and while you don't need to actually be there since you're still a minor, the Guardian Corps is still going to need a testimony from you and possibly from Noel as well. Anything to help this move along smoother. And while we're at it, Rygdea suggested something that I… well, I wanted to bring up with the rest of you. The others too, later."
"What is it?" Serah asked.
"He suggested interviews." The blond told them. "I know it sounds weird, and we all like our privacy. No one wants to be out under the public eye when everyone's blaming the Fall on us, but he said that it'd be better if we were to… well."
"De-villainize ourselves." Hope provided, and shrugged when the attention turned to him. "It's a good idea. Remaining anonymous, as thin as the anonymity is, means that you have no shield against naysayers. They can demonize you all you want and you wouldn't be able to say anything in retaliation. Sometimes things like this blow over if you ignore it, but if it's going to come under public eye again…"
It wouldn't just blow over like it had in the first timeline.
"We'd need to remind the public that we're all human beings, just as they are." Hope told them. "With hobbies and ambitions and people who care about us."
"Yeah, pretty much that." Snow agreed. "Downside, and there's a whole lot of downsides, is that we're probably going to be publicly recognized everywhere we go if we do interviews. People would have faces to put to their blame, which they already did with Lightning and Hope, and to a smaller extent, myself and Fang."
"...But if we don't do it, then people will likely sympathize with the kidnappers instead if they see a trial." Hope concluded. He laced his fingers in front of himself and frowned down at them. "Which would shift public opinion against us."
"Yeah." Snow agreed.
"So what?" Noel asked, as the three of them fell silent. He was gazing at each of them in turn. "Who cares what other people think? It's not like opinions are going to change the fact that you guys got evidence on those guys, right?"
"It won't." Hope agreed. "But it might mean that other people would start thinking their actions justified. And then there might be more attempts."
And more people feeling justified and even vindicated despite getting caught. Less trust placed in the Guardian Corps for catching people who were 'obviously doing no wrong'. It was just a speck of dust that could roll up a ball of mud down a slippery slope.
Serah moved to sit up straighter, her expression grim.
"That's right." She agreed. "And if that's the case, I'll do the interview."
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We're coming up on the end of November! I'll be... really glad for the break, but at the same time I think I'll miss pushing myself this hard to write no matter what. Hope everyone stays safe on Black Friday and have a great break. I might try to wrap this up as soon as possible, or I might continue on a much slower pace in December, although there are other stories that I really want to finish up now. We'll see!
