In the previous episode, a well-executed jailbreak gives Noel a second chance at coming clean to Snow: Serah has passed and he's entirely to blame. As Noel helps Snow back on his feet, Hope awakens and begins to notice the puzzle pieces falling into place, so he takes part in a rescue mission to retrieve Noel's party. Each pawn moves into position, time runs short: The end of the world is nigh…

Crystal Fortresses
Two men seeking to save the future, driven by the burdens of their past: Perhaps they had more in common than Hope once thought.

Episode 12: Ignorance Is Bliss

Hope and Vanille returned to the port too early, which Hope found strange considering they had taken their time. Upon their arrival they were met by scientists, who proceeded to tell them that preparations for the airship weren't yet finished and that their expected departure time would consequently be pushed back by another half hour. Hope held mixed feelings toward this information, though he did not dwell on it for long as there was little he could do to change the situation.

Vanille, as always, insisted that they look on the bright side: "While we're waiting, why don't we take it easy for a bit? Once we get going, I don't think there'll be time to relax." Hope had already spent days and days 'relaxing' and was not the least bit tired, but he humored the suggestion anyway and followed Vanille to a corner far from the ship.

As they seated themselves and slumped against a nearby wall, Vanille heaved a sigh and closed her eyes, following her earlier recommendation. Hope wondered just how worked up Vanille must have been over the past few days: He knew of Vanille's tendency to hide her feelings for the sake of cheering up those around her, so Hope suspected the exhaustion that came with her constant worry had finally caught up with her.

Hope found himself not minding the silence. Truthfully, when Vanille had suggested that they rest, Hope had braced himself for the talking he knew she was waiting and wanting to give him – or, was she already satisfied with the talk they'd had after visiting Serah? In any case, quiet time to himself was a more favorable alternative. In fact, he openly welcomed the silence: He had not known how much he wanted the time alone until it had presented itself to him. Ever since he gained consciousness Hope had not had time to reflect upon his actions with Pulse, nor had he the time to properly analyze the situation that unfolded during his unconsciousness. With Vanille asleep and everyone else preoccupied, now seemed the perfect opportunity.

Where to start?—Hope's thoughts immediately flashed to Noel. Then, not even a split second later, his face dropped: Guilt. But this emotion wasn't new, he had felt it earlier that day. Hope didn't want to think about Noel's disappointment, so he tried to focus himself on other trains of thought. But Noel's face wouldn't leave him. He imagined Noel wearing an expression like that which Noel had worn when Serah passed—Hope shuddered at the thought. He wondered, briefly, if Noel would react similarly: Hope was alive now, sure, but the life of a l'Cie was a death sentence and it wouldn't be long before Hope would—

"Hope," mumbled Vanille, and Hope was glad for the interruption. Even he did not want to finish that train of thought. "You aren't sleeping."

"Neither are you, apparently," Hope replied quietly.

"You woke me up, just now."

Hope frowned. Had he really jerked that noticeably? Hope mumbled his apology, which Vanille accepted, but though Vanille closed her eyes and became still once more Hope suspected she had not fallen back asleep this time.

Hope sighed quietly. Noel was still on his mind. Hope knew there was no going back on what he had done, nor did he want to. He was now a l'Cie and had accepted the consequences that came with it, even if blindly. As Hope thought more on it, he began to understand that his position with Noel was a question of lesser evils. What would Noel be most disappointed in? Would it be broken promises? That Hope hadn't confided in him? His current uncertainty?—for whatever reason, an answer wasn't coming to him.

Hope feared it would be all of those reasons.

"Hope," Vanille called again, and this time Hope broke into a soft smile.

"Sorry."

"You don't even know what I'm about to say," said Vanille. She then pushed herself off the wall and returned to a seated position, turning to Hope. "So, apology not accepted."

Hope rolled his eyes. "Fine, fine," he mumbled, and then he urged her to continue her thought.

"You're thinking about Noel again, aren't you?"

Hope's sudden surprise caused him to lose his words.

"Oh come on, Hope, I know you well enough by now."

"Is it obvious?" asked Hope. Vanille only shrugged meekly in response. "I… don't know what to say to him."

"Hope, do you remember what I said before? There's no use in regretting what you've done. The past can't be changed. You can feel infinitely sorry for what you've done and how it'll affect him, but you made a decision and you can't change what you've done. Even for Noel's sake."

Hope frowned. There was something about Vanille's choice of words that made him uneasy. It was almost like she was subtly communicating a different thought that he simply wasn't picking up on. How had Vanille picked up on his thoughts so easily, anyway? And was it his imagination, or did Vanille's tone of voice change every time they were on the subject of Noel?

No, Hope told himself, he was likely imagining that bit.

"I did it for everyone's sake," Hope said at last. When Vanille only returned his statement with a silent look, Hope continued, "You said you weren't disappointed in me, right? Do you think it'll be the same with Noel?"

It took a while for Vanille to respond. Her apprehensive expression did not leave her immediately; Hope could tell that in her head she was trying to handpick her words before she spoke. When she did speak, Hope was certain this time that the tone in her voice had changed: she spoke with caution, as though she were discussing a sensitive subject.

"You know Noel better than I do, Hope. You would have to be the judge of that yourself. Though, I do find it strange…" and again she trailed off. Hope huffed, slightly put out. In his mind he was now sure that there was some subtle point Vanille was trying to make but just wouldn't say, and her constant trailing off and her evident hesitation were slowly frustrating Hope.

She continued, "Hope, can I ask you a personal question? … What is Noel to you?"

Hope had predicted a question like this, yet somehow he had still been caught off guard.

"What do you mean?"

"How do I put this? … Well, you show a lot of interest in him."

"Interest?" echoed Hope. In the back of his mind, Hope knew he was starting to sound a bit defensive, though it wasn't his intent.

Vanille's expression changed, sympathy replacing her previous hesitance, and she cut in before Hope could finish. "I'm sorry, Hope, I don't mean anything bad by my question. It's just… I missed out on a lot, I guess you can say. But I still think it's strange you show a lot more concern for how Noel will accept your decisions than, say, what you intend to do now that you're a l'Cie… among other things."

Hope did not answer her. His mind was swirling with thoughts of the Thirteenth Ark, namely the final showdown he was certain needed to occur there. Becoming a l'Cie hadn't been a part of that equation at all, yet Vanille had a point. Now that he was a l'Cie, how would things change?—but even that thought found its way back to Noel, because becoming a l'Cie meant erasing Hope from the world he and Noel were trying to save.

Hope sighed. Vanille was right, somehow his thoughts did return to Noel quite often. Was it surprising, though?—he had spent so much time with Noel, had even grown quite close to him. When things hadn't gone Hope's way, when Hope struggled to find an answer in saving the world, Noel had shouldered his fall and put him back on his feet. When Hope did find his answer, when the world stood against him, Noel had sided with him. Noel had been his support through many hardships, and now they were estranged. Of course Hope would be concerned for Noel.

But Vanille didn't know this much. Only then, did Hope understand Vanille's question.

"What is Noel to me," Hope repeated, pausing for a moment. "He's… someone who won't leave my side. That's the best way I can describe it. I don't think I'd have survived this long if he hadn't been there with me."

We needed each other, Hope added to himself, though just how true those words were did not register immediately. He was reminded of their exchange when they had first been reunited, after the assault on Port Dexum. Noel admitted that Hope had been his strength. In turn, Noel had promised to protect him. But would that change now that Hope was a l'Cie?

Let me stand by your side.

I'll keep you safe.

Promise me you won't forget me.

As Noel's words returned to Hope, he found himself filled with a strange emotion. It was a feeling he did not recognize: he felt as if his chest were about to burst. He could feel his heart racing – but why? Suddenly, he found himself hoping that Noel had meant those words unconditionally…

Vanille was calling to him, though Hope barely acknowledged her. He was consumed with a sudden thought, that he wanted Noel to still mean those words. More importantly, the thought of Noel taking his words back pained Hope, greatly.

What is Noel to you? Vanille's question echoed in his mind once more. Maybe Noel meant more to him than Hope realized?—but Hope could barely fathom how Noel could be anything more than someone who was important to him, someone who had helped him survive, someone he needed, wanted, to stay at his side. Hope tried to communicate this confusion to Vanille, who seemed surprised that Hope was still stuck upon a question she had asked so long ago. Yet the knowing smile she returned to him contradicted her surprise—probably because she expected Hope to over think everything he didn't understand.

Vanille words did not satisfy Hope the least bit. "I'm sorry I brought it up, Hope, I didn't mean for you to get so worked up over it. Maybe after we rescue everyone, you can talk out your feelings with him? Until then, clear your mind and let's focus on staying positive, okay?"

Talk out your feelings… Hope did not quite understand what she meant, but in that moment Ellen's voice called out to them. Vanille offered him one last reassuring smile before standing up to meet the Director; with their conversation having reached a screeching halt, Hope decided to follow Vanille's suggestion to let the matter go for now, but to say Noel left his thoughts completely would have been a lie.

"Hope," said Ellen, once she approached them, "can I discuss something with you—preferably in private?"

"Sure…?" Hope frowned. What could Ellen want to talk about? Hope was slightly apprehensive, if only because it was something Ellen wanted to talk about in private—something she'd chosen to not mention at the strategy briefing. Was she going to confront him about his encounter with the fal'Cie Pulse? Was she going to feed him more theories about Valhalla? Still, there was something familiar about the situation, though Hope couldn't put a finger to it.

"—don't mind me," Vanille was now saying, "no need to look so scared, Hope. You can talk here! I'll just be… hmm… well, I'll just be around when you're done, yes?"

But Hope only continued to give her the same, uneasy look. Ellen, whose face passed from confusion to amusement, gave a soft laugh before interjecting:

"Hope, I get that you've been through a lot, so I won't ask you to talk about things that you might not be ready to talk about yet. But truthfully, I only came here to discuss your friend, Serah."

"Serah?" Hope and Vanille spoke simultaneously. Then, as Hope glanced between her and the Director, he added, "There's something I wanted to ask you about her, also. But if we're talking about Serah, I'd like to ask that Vanille stay with us. Serah gave up her life trying to save the world for all of us—I think Vanille deserves to listen to what might be said."

Ellen nodded quickly. "Oh, of course, she's fine… it's the Colonel I'm concerned about."

In that moment, Hope understood the familiarity: It was similar to when she'd approached him at his tent, when she'd informed him that the military had gone to Port Dexum, how the both of them had followed without the Colonel's knowing.

"You're up to something aren't you?" asked Hope, and Ellen gave a quiet but defeated sigh.

"Perhaps. I'd like your opinion on it, first." The Director paused for a moment, glancing around to make sure no other Academy staff was in earshot before dropping to a whisper.

"The Colonel would never approve, but… I think we need to bring her with us."

"Let's rest for a moment."

Noel couldn't have agreed more. He was unusually weary, though they had only traversed the depths of the Ark for a few hours. Fang appeared to sympathize: at the Lieutenant's suggestion she planted her bladed spear into the ground and leaned against it for support and to catch her breath. Only Snow seemed tireless, his vigor having returned to him; Noel suspected that being a l'Cie had something to do with his lack of fatigue, though it was also true that he'd knocked out the longest during their confinement.

"Hey, we can't stop now!" said Snow in protest, regarding the three fatigued individuals before him in turn. "I thought we were meeting up with Sazh?"

"We are," said the Lieutenant. "That is, assuming the enemy didn't get to him first." Though it was not a thought Noel particularly wanted to entertain, he knew they couldn't rule out the possibility that Sazh had been captured. After all, they had crossed paths with the Ambassadors many times already, and their victories were few; Sazh, meanwhile, was only one individual. However, it was equally probable that Sazh had run into the same luck that they had, that the Ambassadors' activity was also quiet wherever he was now.

Where were all the Ambassadors' soldiers, though? Sure, they were now disguised, so running into an Ambassador soldier wasn't as large of a concern as it had been when they'd first escaped. But even after they'd outfitted themselves with Ambassador Uniforms, they still had not run into any soldiers. Noel found it unnerving—something was happening, somewhere, and they had yet to find out what…

Noel turned to Fang, the only one among them who had yet to speak. She was still bent over her bladed spear, clearly exhausted; Noel would have otherwise found her fatigue uncharacteristic, despite having not known her for very long, but he felt similarly and, after thinking on it for a moment, could understand why she was being worn down so easily. The both of them were accustomed to wearing to lighter attire, whereas the Ambassadors' uniform was thicker and weighed more. Noel wondered why the Ambassadors couldn't wear the same, loosely fitted clothing that Gregor wore, though in the back of his mind he understood the different outfits were tailored to the function of the individual: It was merely wishful thinking on his part, because beneath the uniform he was burning up. Meanwhile, Snow wore that stupid coat everywhere he went and likely didn't find the uniforms a hindrance as the others did, but Noel couldn't even find the energy to explain this much to Snow when the latter only continued to complain.

"It can't be much farther to the ship," said the Lieutenant. He was still trying to justify their need to take a break, though Snow seemed only partially attentive. "If the enemy already got to Sazh and our ship, there's no point in rushing. If they haven't, there's only one way to the ship, so they'll run into us before they reach the ship. It wouldn't hurt to take a breather."

"How about I go on ahead, you know, to scout?" It occurred to Noel for a moment: What if the reason behind Snow's reluctance to take a break was related to Serah? Noel thought back on their talk, hours before, how he'd been able to prevent Snow from throwing in the towel at the news of Serah's passing. Maybe Snow was afraid that idle time would expose him to being consumed in grievous thoughts? A sudden wave of sympathy washed over Noel, though the emotion was short-lived. They couldn't be separated, not after all the trouble they'd gone through to retrieve Snow. Snow especially couldn't be let on his own, though this was mostly Noel's own fear of what the man was capable of doing should his emotions unexpectedly get the better of him.

Noel opened his mouth, ready to suggest that he at least go with Snow, but the Lieutenant shot down the idea before he could even make the offer.

"How about this," said the Lieutenant, after Snow still showed no signs of relent. "Give everyone a chance to breathe and I'll explain my relationship to Gregor to pass time. We can continue on when I've finished."

Even Noel's ears perked up at this offer. He, too, was curious. He had totally forgotten the tale Lieutenant Strike had fed the Ambassador charged with 'watching over their cell,' but now that they were far from any pursuers his curiosity was swelling once again. How could he refuse an offer to satisfy his curiosity, especially with the Lieutenant so willing to explain?—Snow was apparently entertaining similar thoughts, for at last he gave in and fell against a nearby wall, awaiting the Lieutenant's story.

Once everyone was seated on the ground and found themselves comfortable, Lieutenant Strike began to speak. He reiterated his full name – Ulhelm Strigor – and confirmed once more that he was Ulhelm Gregor's brother – older brother, in fact. Snow immediately spoke up in protest, and Noel felt his irritation rise, but Snow was silenced with one wave of the Lieutenant's hand.

"I'll forgive you because you only just woke up in our era," said the Lieutenant to Snow, "but for everyone's sake there's more I would like to say. First, understand that in no way do I support my brother's actions under his anti-Academy terrorist group. But, also understand that as his older brother, I do feel obligated to honor our familial ties, so I'm still after what's best for him. Naturally, Gregor abandoned our relationship as brothers long ago – except when he's interested in blackmail, of course – and it's been some time since I've given him a talking to: As you might have guessed, Gregor won't see the error of his ways.

"A lot of Gregor's actions, at least in the beginning, were a direct consequence of his sibling complex, and it's partly for this reason that I feel responsible to his actions, even if he no longer regards us as brothers. This will likely be news to you, but the Director – Ellen, as she's surely asked you to call her, though she insists I keep my relationship with her professional, so you won't hear me calling her that when she's around – was a childhood friend of ours. She has always been brilliant in her own right, and even back then we would tease her for being the future leader of the world – the title Director wasn't known to us back then. Ironically, she despised the idea back then, more specifically that so much responsibility be placed upon a carefree person such as herself, but that's beside the point.

"My brother was a very jealous person. Though he and Ellen were closer in age, Ellen was closer to me as a friend. Gregor didn't like this. He accused me of having stolen her from him. Ellen, meanwhile, frowned at us both for our disrespect toward our friendships. She distanced herself from us for a while, and our connection was lost especially when she left Pulse to study at the Academy on Cocoon."

"Wait, y'all were from Gran Pulse?" interjected Fang, and the Lieutenant gave a slight nod in acknowledgement.

"Gran Pulse, my apologies. That distinction was lost with time, as most occupants of Gran Pulse were simply migrants from Cocoon. But moving on… though the governments had already diverged by that point"—here, Fang and Snow gave him confused looks, and after sensing he'd lost his audience the Lieutenant backtracked to explain how the Cocoon and Pulse factions came to be; Noel immediately thought back upon the short history lesson the Lieutenant had given him in the Academy's library, and though this part wasn't news to him he enjoyed being reminded of the history he had missed—"the two factions weren't completely against each other. Those on Pulse and those on Cocoon had differing views and didn't want any involvement in the other's plans, but by no means was there any reason for war. It was acceptable for someone of age to move from Cocoon to Gran Pulse, or vice versa, though it wasn't very easy. My brother was one of these people, though he did not have the means – a part of me now thinks he wanted to chase after Ellen. Whatever his reasons were, I gave up life on Pulse and relocated with him to Cocoon.

"Gregor didn't have the smarts to study at the Academy, so he joined the military – Noel, you're giving me a weird look," added the Lieutenant. Noel jerked, having not expected to be called out for his surprise. But Noel couldn't help his reaction: many parts of the Lieutenant's story were peculiar to him. Gregor had been a part of the military, and now he was the leader of an anti-Academy terrorist group? And if Gregor cared for Dr. Haussen so much, why was he leading a group whose primary objective was to take down the Academy and kidnap her?—Noel kept these thoughts to himself. Shaking his head, he dismissed the Lieutenant's concern and urged the Lieutenant to continue.

"I didn't join the military immediately. I wasn't in the military on Pulse, so serving on Cocoon hadn't been my first thought. I tried picking up a civilian job, but nothing seemed to be working out. I only enlisted after a year on Cocoon had passed, and by that point my brother had already earned himself a promotion. Meanwhile, word spread that a prodigy woman was climbing the Academy's ranks and would no doubt become the Academy's future Director."

Sounds like Alyssa, Noel thought to himself. From what he remembered of the woman, Alyssa had also accumulated promotions at an unusual rate, quickly earning herself the position of Hope's personal assistant. He was briefly reminded of the conversation he'd had with Hope about her, namely how she appeared to have vanished from history entirely, but before he could ask if the name sounded familiar the Lieutenant had moved on with his story.

"Several years after my enlistment, my unit was assigned to protecting the Director-of-that-time and his team on a research expedition. Ellen was on this team, so she and I were reunited. She was very pleased to see me, and during our downtime we talked often and caught up on the lost years. She asked about Gregor, and I told her we were both in the military. When the expedition had finished, she asked me to pass him greetings on her behalf, but because Gregor was on a jealous streak and was currently ignoring me, I didn't have the chance to pass on the message.

"After that point, Gregor and I saw a lot of unusual promotions, likely by her influence – and if our promotions had really been by Ellen's influence, Gregor had been oblivious to it. Gregor was not pleased that I'd caught up to his rank – because of his sibling complex, our relationship became very competitive, and he sought out every advantage he could so that he would be promoted above my rank once more. Meanwhile, I was rather apathetic toward his 'competition,' which only pissed him off further.

"The gasoline to the fire was when I was promoted to a Lieutenant. He'd had enough. It had never been my intention to set my brother against me, but somehow I'd managed exactly that. He quit the military, shouted obscenities and called me out for having joined the military to use him and steal Ellen from him again. His hatred for me was immense, and I didn't understand how he had come to his conclusions, so I did nothing to rectify his opinions of me. I yelled back at him just as angrily, and after each of us had run out of insults to throw at the other he disappeared.

"Years passed, and the relocation to Bhunivelze had begun. The Academy was among the first to move; Ellen and Colonel Euledin were appointed heads of the Academy's academic and military divisions, respectively. The overall process took some time: relocation of citizens was one of the few items on Hope's project proposal from 400 AF that fell behind schedule. In most respects, however, Hope's agenda was adhered to, and though he'd unexpectedly disappeared he was still very much revered for his genius and incredible foresight.

"I digress. Anyway, not long after Ellen's promotion, she came to me in a panic. As it turned out, she and Gregor had been in correspondence since his leaving. His letters were cryptic but informative enough: Within each letter, Gregor begged Ellen to leave the Academy so she wouldn't get hurt. It's fairly obvious now that at that time he was already affiliated with an anti-Academy terrorist group, but neither of us knew it then. I knew he despised me, but I had not been aware that his hatred extended to all the Academy.

"His last letter to us was in early 500 AF, shortly before Hope's awakening. He hinted at a coup d'état, stating he possessed a key which would win him his revenge. That was the last we heard from him. After that… well, you know the rest."

The Lieutenant paused for a moment, as if allowing for the others to ask him questions. Noel, indeed, had questions for the Lieutenant, but his mind was still racing to organize all the information he'd just been given – if anything, Noel had too many questions. Had Snow's crystal statue been the 'key?' Or was there something else Gregor still possessed? And what exactly were Gregor's views of Dr. Haussen now?—Gregor had seemed very violent at Port Dexum, not hesitating to attack her and Hope. Things still weren't matching up.

"I suspect part of why Ellen ended up at Port Dexum was to confirm things for herself. Even I was still a bit surprised to come face to face with my brother. It was probably both a blessing and a curse that Gregor chose not to acknowledge me as his brother. Ellen and I confronted the Colonel later about it, of course. We assured him we wouldn't let our past interfere with our ability to make good decisions. Still, a part of me wants to save him, since I was the reason he set off on that path."

"And the Colonel didn't have anything against it?" asked Noel. The Colonel he knew had always given him trouble, which said plenty considering his time spent serving the Academy's military had been very brief.

The Lieutenant laughed. "Noel, I understand you and the Colonel met in unfortunate circumstances, but I do assure you he's a competent leader. That said… yes, he did question the both of us, quite thoroughly at that. But if you still doubt my loyalties—"

"No need," interrupted Snow. "But now that you've finished, can we get going again?" Noel rolled his eyes and turned away: typical Snow. Still, he couldn't help but to think Snow really had believed the Lieutenant without question…

"In a bit," replied the Lieutenant. He regarded Snow apologetically before shrugging. "I know, I said when I finished, but let's rest a little longer. I suspect you're more tired than you might realize."

As expected, Snow had put up a bit of a fight, though it was nothing compared to the resistance he'd had before; though his words made it clear he didn't want to rest, the fatigue which showed upon his face told everyone otherwise. Very soon even Snow had given in, and ironically he was the first among them to fall asleep. Fang snorted something along the lines of 'stubborn git' before closing her eyes also, though Noel suspected she was not asleep.

"You getting any sleep?" Noel turned to the Lieutenant, then shook his head in response. There was too much on his mind. Noel doubted he would get much sleep if he tried. "Mind keeping watch?"

"Yeah, sure." He gave the Lieutenant a quick nod before turning away. The corridors were still surprisingly absent of Ambassadors soldiers, and though it was certainly a concern at the moment he had no complaints. No soldier presence made for an easier night watch.

Noel was tired, he could feel it the longer he was seated, but even if he were allowed to rest he still felt he wouldn't fall asleep; maybe comfortable was a better word. Meanwhile, his thoughts were beginning to untangle, and all the partially formed questions he hadn't been able to ask moments before were now fully fledged and feeding into his curiosity. Most of his questions were rather unimportant: Noel trusted the Lieutenant, Gregor's key had likely been Snow's crystal statue, Gregor's personal feelings for the Director had likely diminished if he was still following through with the Ambassadors' main objectives…

Still, it was a bit difficult for Noel to fully understand the Lieutenant's position. Noel wondered if it was similar to the relationship he'd had with Caius—more specifically, having to fight against someone with whom you once shared a common past. Though Noel hadn't had any siblings of his own, Caius and Yeul had been the closest he'd had to family while growing up, so perhaps it was the same…

And I lost them both, Noel quietly reminded himself, which prompted the question: Who was his family now? Noel was strangely reminded of a dream he'd had while traversing Pulse, a dream where he and Hope's friends—but not Hope—had lived together. Had that been family? But Hope had been absent… though Noel could no longer recall the specifics of the dream, he briefly wondered where Hope would have appeared.

I wonder how he's doing now.

Noel sighed to himself. It was so long since he'd last heard news about Hope. How many days was it now since they'd last seen each other, surely Hope would have woken up by now? Or what if Hope had slipped into a more critical condition—no, Noel couldn't afford to entertain that possibility. Still, weeks must have passed already, and if Hope really were still unconscious…

Noel wasn't sure how he did it, but somehow he managed to slip into a dream. He was in Academia—which naturally didn't make sense as Cocoon had already collapsed, but if anything it was a sure sign that what he was experiencing was indeed a dream—but the foreboding, red sky that once foretold a dark future was not present. In fact, it was the opposite: the skies were clear, the people bustling around him cheery, all danger forgotten.

Noel was confused, though his body seemed to know what it was doing. He was walking somewhere, with purpose. Several times he glanced around, and he was able to make several observations: First, the people didn't seem to acknowledge his presence, and on several counts Noel was sure someone had walked straight through him, as if either he or they (or both) were ghosts; second, positioned in the sky was a crystal star, and often Noel found himself having to shield his eyes from the light it refracted.

After a while, his body came to a stop, though he stood before no one or nothing of significance. Noel was puzzled for a moment, but not before a voice called out to him:

"Hey, Noel!"

Noel turned, though he already knew it was Hope's voice. Noel opened his arms to Hope, though Hope stopped just short of his reach, as if hesitant to close the distance. Noel frowned and crossed his arms childishly (uncharacteristically so, Noel acknowledged vaguely, though a dream it were), displeased for being denied something he clearly deserved; Hope gave a laugh and only matched Noel's reaction.

"You come here," Hope insisted, and Noel rolled his eyes. It was a cute exchange, though it didn't occur to Noel until after the dream that it wouldn't have happened in reality. Without question Noel accepted the fabricated Hope's demands, stepping forward to wrap his arms securely around Hope's waist; if Hope had leaned a little too much into his embrace, it went unnoticed by Noel.

"Did you miss me?" asked Hope, and for some reason Noel found himself shaking his head. "What, you didn't?"

"Of course I did. I just wanted to see how you'd react."

"You're terrible." Hope pouted, to which Noel only grinned.

"You'll think differently of me when I make it up to you later."

Though Noel subconsciously acknowledged it was only a dream, the blush that came over Hope's face was priceless.

"Anyways," continued Hope, who was now practically burying his face in Noel's shoulder, presumably to hide his embarrassment; "Light was looking for you. She wanted to tell you that it's almost time."

"Almost time?" Noel paused for a moment to reflect upon Lightning's words, but he couldn't come up with anything—not that his dream self was trying very hard. Almost time for what…?

Noel woke up to those words resounding in his head.

"Time to get going," said the Lieutenant, nudging his side one more time. Noel nodded several times absent-mindedly, first in acknowledgment then apologetically: he'd fallen asleep when he was meant to be keeping watch. But the Lieutenant did not seem upset, so Noel was quickly able to let it go.

His dream, however, was a little more difficult to forget about. Everything about the dream was unrealistic—the setting, his relationship to Hope, Light's supposed words—and no matter how hard he tried it wouldn't leave him alone.

What could it mean? Almost time for what…? Deciding it was impossible to reach conclusions on his own, Noel pulled Snow behind the others to ask him for his insight. If Noel remembered correctly, Lightning had come to him once in a dream also, so Noel figured it would still be a good place to start.

"You think Light was trying to tell you something?" asked Snow once Noel had finished summarizing his dream, and to Noel's disappointment that was about as helpful as Snow got. On the subject of Hope, however, Snow had much more to offer.

"Sounds like you and Hope were awfully friendly in this dream of yours, if you know what I mean." Noel nodded, if only to be spared an explanation. "And you're saying it's not like that between you two?"

"Not really, no." Hope wasn't the reason Noel had come to Snow, so on the one hand Noel was a bit annoyed that Snow couldn't help him figure out the part about Lightning, which Noel was sure was more important. On the other hand, Hope's portrayal in the dream was equally puzzling, so Noel had no protests and let Snow continue.

"Okay, don't take this as fact or anything, this is just what I think. Serah used to always tell me that all dreams have meaning. I mean… well, you know what Serah's dreams were like… but I'm sure there's a bit of truth to what she said. In your case… maybe that kind of relationship with Hope is something you've imagined or wanted at some point?"

"Hey," Noel cut in warily, though he had nothing else to add. Their relationship as portrayed in that short dream was mostly valid, especially their hugs (though, Noel had trouble trying to remember if Hope had ever leaned back before). His taunt was the most suggestive part of his dream—and as Hope's blush-streaked face resurfaced in his mind, Noel was suddenly faced with a sudden onslaught of questions he was sure he would never have thought to ask before.

"Now you're blushing," remarked Snow, and Noel snapped defensively in response before he could even stop himself. Noel did not blush, or so he believed anyway. "I mean, I don't want to be the one to put it in your head, especially if you don't really feel that way, you know? But you and Hope already have such a close bond with each other, from what I've gathered, and clearly you've entertained the idea at least once."

"What idea exact—?"

"Infatuation."

The rest of Noel's sentence died in the silence that followed.

Did he… could he… really see Hope…?

"Or, you know," continued Snow, who became slightly uneasy after Noel's silence; "whatever beginnings you two might have, or whatever. But if something happens, don't be afraid to face it. I mean, look what happened with Serah and—"

"I don't—"

"Noel, just promise me you'll give it a try. I'm not saying you do or don't like Hope, but give it a chance if it comes up. All right?"

"I… whatever." Noel still had much retort in him, but Noel chose to spare Snow the argument. Besides, the Lieutenant was already glancing suspiciously at them from over his shoulder, and Noel didn't want to draw any more attention to the subject than he already had; Noel had a gut feeling that the Lieutenant would side with Snow if he were to join their conversation.

Snow had been meant to shed light on his indirect encounter with Lightning, damn it!—though, Snow had mentioned that dreams all had meaning (according to Serah, anyway), so that had to apply to Lightning, too. The question now was whether those words had actually come from Lightning or if his subconscious had used Lightning for the purposes of his dream?

Or maybe none of it is supposed to mean anything and I'm just over thinking it all.

But what about Hope?

Noel scoffed at himself and shook his head. He couldn't believe he was actually having an internal argument with himself. But, there was still one point he couldn't deny: even if the dream didn't mean anything, everything else afterward had been real: namely, Noel's reaction to the face Hope had made in a dream, as well as the questions that'd come to mind in response.

Snow was right, Noel decided. He couldn't just shoot the idea down. Ironically, despite Snow's supposed intentions, Snow had been the one to put the idea in his head, and the more Noel entertained the thought the more he found himself wanting to ask Snow more questions; that Noel was giving it any thought at all was likely because Noel had run out of other thoughts to occupy his mind with. Even if Noel didn't want to revive the subject, he still found himself wishing he'd asked Snow how he and Serah had started out, how Snow had known he loved Serah.

It wasn't that he was in denial about Hope. Noel already knew Hope was a very important person to him, if not the very reason Noel continued to push on. Hope was his motivation, protecting him was his last chance at redemption—but did that really mean Noel liked him?

His question received no answer, and instead he almost walked right into the Lieutenant: apparently, he had asked their party to stop for a moment. Noel's curiosity was quickly replaced with fear; by the way the Lieutenant's hand was raised, Noel had a feeling they were no longer alone, and only shortly after the thought came to him were his suspicions confirmed:

"Hey, over there! Hands above your head where I can see 'em!"

They had finally been found by the enemy. Immediately Noel complied; disoriented by his own panic, it did not even occur to Noel that they were disguised in the enemy uniform. The Lieutenant, however, seemed mindful of the situation and confidently stepped forward, keeping his hand raised as if to identify himself.

"Relax," he said. "You're in good company." There was a small pause, in which Noel wondered if their uniforms were believable enough of a disguise, but before Noel's worry got the best of him the soldiers relented and took a step back.

"False alarm," one of the soldiers muttered to another, giving a nod at Lieutenant Strike's uniform. Still, Noel was not convinced it was safe to lower his hands until he was prompted to do so.

"What brings you down here?" said the first soldier. He beckoned them to him with a wave of his hand, and without question the four followed him and his unit. Noel glanced over his shoulder – they were now walking in the direction opposite of their ship. Noel supposed it couldn't be helped; Besides, Noel told himself, these soldiers had just come from the ship. If Sazh were still at the airship, they probably would've found him and we would already know about it.

So, Sazh had fled. But where was he now? As they continued to walk with the Ambassadors Noel tried to think of the possibilities, but he was drawing blanks. If only he had a mind like Hope's!—Noel was certain there was something obvious he was failing to take notice of…

"…I see," the soldier was now saying. Noel frowned for a moment, then remembered the question that had been asked of them moments before. He had somehow missed that conversation entirely. "Apologies for the lack of correspondence, then. Actually, truth is, we have been trying to reach main camp all this time, but I think the signal's getting jammed down here."

"How odd," Lieutenant Strike remarked, mostly to himself, though the Ambassador soldier still acknowledged it and nodded in agreement.

"It really is. By the way, how's the situation back at camp? Have the waves ceased yet?"

"Situation hasn't improved," said the Lieutenant quickly, just as Noel had asked himself what 'waves' the soldier could be talking about. Noel kept his admiration to himself: the Lieutenant sure was good at thinking fast. That, or the Lieutenant really did have insider information—but the Lieutenant had assured them he was on the Academy's side, and Noel had full faith in the man's loyalties.

"If it weren't for that damned l'Cie activating the Ark, things wouldn't be such a mess now. I mean, it's nothing we can't handle, but having to reallocate our men to make sure Pulse armaments don't wipe out our main camp is just…"

Noel didn't catch the rest of that sentence. Slowly, things were falling into place, he now understood how they'd been able to wander the Ark without interference from the Ambassadors. Fang had mentioned that the Arks were a training ground for the l'Cie. If Noel remembered her words correctly, then the l'Cie in question was undoubtedly Snow. The reason for the lack of soldier presence?—the Ambassadors were too focused on defending their main camp. And as for why Pulse armaments were unpredictably attacking the Ambassadors' main camp?—because Snow had awoken from crystal stasis and had activated the Ark.

But Snow had not been meant to remain a l'Cie, had he? Vanille and Fang had lost their Brands; meanwhile, Snow had kept his, having claimed something along the lines of 'having asked to stay a l'Cie for a little while longer.' Noel wondered if Snow had known this would happen, though he quickly withdrew from that possibility – there's no way Snow would've known he was brought onto the Ark in the first place, Noel thought to himself. So, Noel concluded that luck had been on their side, this time.

Noel dismissed the thought and returned to the present conversation, where the Lieutenant was speaking:

"We were asked to recall your unit to help in the defense of the main camp once your investigations have been completed. That's where we're headed, correct?"

"Is that so?" Noel's heart skipped a beat. The Lieutenant was being too daring, they were opening up too many opportunities for inconsistency. Noel was fearful their cover would soon be blown. "Shortly before we lost signal, main camp assigned us to investigating another site. Surely you caught that radio?"

"Must've missed that one," replied the Lieutenant nonchalantly. "Signal and all, you know. Anyway, I wouldn't consider your investigations finished, then. We'll head there first."

"Sorry again for the inconvenience," said the soldier, nodding. "The damn signal, I swear." Noel drew in a quick breath; either the soldier was really gullible or he was merely playing along. Either way, Noel made sure to keep his wits about himself.

As they continued to walk in the narrow chambers of the Ark, Noel took a glance at the rest of their company. Many of the soldiers seemed clueless about their current objectives; they all seemed to be following each other, whispering occasionally among themselves. Either way, Noel considered their position incredibly lucky: the Ambassadors soldiers seemed to be structured in such a way that only the heads of each unit were well-informed, while the others mindlessly followed the leader. Because the Lieutenant was doing all the talking, the four of them had unintentionally slipped into that same structure, preserving their disguise for a little while longer.

The conversation continued on, though Noel was only partially listening to what was being said. In fact, he only gave his full attention to the Ambassador soldiers when they mentioned something about "another Academy airship," and even then he'd done a double take to make sure he'd heard correctly.

"Probably to rescue them other soldiers before they get executed," the soldier said, chuckling with amusement. "That's all right, either way, Gregor'll just execute them all. Of course, if it weren't for those blasted Pulse armaments, we could give them a proper entrance like last time…"

Noel laughed inwardly. If only that soldier knew the real identities of the people his unit was accompanied with. Noel wanted to ask if there was any word of who was on that airship—namely, if Hope was among them—but he couldn't figure out a clever way to ask without giving himself away.

What happened next occurred so quickly Noel barely had time to take it in. One moment the soldier was laughing his head off—something about how foolish the Director herself supposedly was for boarding that airship—and the next moment a loud BANG! filled the air, knocking everyone off their feet. Someone was casting Ruinga at them, but who…?

Noel did not have time to think, for another explosion had gone off. This bomb had detonated further away from Noel, so this time Noel was able to catch the sounds of a something whirling through the air. Meanwhile, the Ambassador soldiers were frenzied: They were under attack but could not identify their attacker. Some were shouting 'Pulse Armaments;' others yelled 'booby trap.' Noel suspected neither was the case, though his suspicions were only confirmed when he caught sight of a boomerang swooping down upon them…

Realization overcame him in an instant. He knew there was no mistaking that boomerang. Immediately he threw off his helmet, and after tossing it at the nearest, unsuspecting soldier he then unsheathed his swords and began his unannounced ambush, with his companions quick to follow suit. The rest of Noel's disguise was rather heavy for his usual battle style and found his movements slower than usual due to the extra weight, but Noel still held the surprise factor over his opponents and thus was still able to easily overcome the Ambassador soldiers.

During his fights and his constant shouting of Hope's name, Noel tried to analyze the situation. Though there weren't many people present, the area had quickly become a battlefield of chaos. Hope's boomerang was ever-present, though Noel did not catch sight of Hope himself. More Ruinga spells were being cast from somewhere outside the fray and shouting from both parties filled the air.

Despite the commotion, the battle was short-lived. When the last Ambassador soldier had fallen, Noel stripped himself of the Ambassadors' uniform and spun around in a wide circle, eyes frantically scanning the walls for signs of Hope's presence. Still, he could not find Noel. But Hope was here, he had to be, there was no mistaking that boomerang…

Then, just as Noel was prepared to call out for Hope, a voice called to him first:

"Hey, Noel!"

Noel broke into a wide grin. Even without ocular proof, Noel knew it was Hope. Turning to the voice anyway, Noel caught sight of Hope walking toward him, and as Noel began to ask himself how he'd hadn't noticed Hope there before he was blindsided by a sudden wave of familiarity. It was only when Hope stopped just before him and gave him a questioning look that Noel understood why.

Damn you, Snow. Then, turning his attention back to a confused Hope, Noel opened his arms to him and waited expectantly. Unlike dream Hope, this Hope—the real Hope, Noel reminded himself, and he delighted in the fact that it was his Hope standing before him, after so many weeks of constant worry—accepted the invitation without delay, nearly knocking Noel off his feet.

"I missed you," said Hope after a while, though their embrace was so tight he was practically talking into Noel's shoulder. After pulling away slightly, Hope added somewhat playfully, "I can't believe you left me by myself. What happened to always staying by my side?!"

"Hey now," Noel warned, and Hope broke into warm laughter: music to his ears. Hope was a bit cold to the touch, but Noel overlooked this fact for the moment. He was still in disbelief that Hope was really here on the Ark, physically in his arms, alive and well. "I left you in good hands, Vanille was with you. But forget that for a moment—I'm just glad you're safe, Hope. You really had me worrying, you know."

Hope tensed in his arms: only slightly, but enough for Noel to notice. Noel knew he would need to get a bit more out of him later, but for now it could wait. He was euphoric, to the point he'd totally forgotten the presences of the Lieutenant, Fang and Snow. He didn't even feel the urge to throw Hope's boomerang at Snow's knowing, smug grin. Noel was just glad he had Hope back.

Hope felt terrible.

It wasn't that Hope wasn't happy to be reunited with Noel. He was happy to see Noel again, he really was. Hope had meant to hug Noel, had done so tightly to show just how much he'd missed Noel. It was the first time Hope had seen Noel since their trials at the Faultwarrens; even for Hope their travels felt so long ago, and he had been unconscious for most of that time. But he still felt terrible, and the feeling only grew worse the more Noel smiled in his direction: Hope couldn't bring himself to tell Noel the truth.

Subconsciously, Hope touched his forearm—he could almost feel the Brand pulsating. It hurt him to think about how Noel's smile would fade if he ever caught sight of the Brand, how disappointed Noel would probably be in him for his choice of actions. Hope remembered on Bhunivelze when Noel had expressed his relief that Hope was safe. Don't go making my new job difficult, hadn't Noel said?—instead of heeding Noel's words, Hope had gotten himself a death sentence.

Hope turned away from Noel, too racked with guilt to face him at the moment; even if Hope did have the resolve to come clean with Noel, he didn't yet know how he would go about telling Noel. But by diverting his attention from Noel to greet the rest of his companions, Hope ran into a second problem: Snow. This time, Hope was a bit late on the uptake, and it was only after Snow greeted him with "Hey, Hope. It's been a while, hasn't it?" that Hope remembered both the circumstances of their meeting in Academia 400AF and his crystallized statue at Port Dexum. Hope was reassured to see Snow free from crystal stasis with his own eyes, because it was more tangible evidence that Hope's sacrifice had meant something, but at the same time he felt uneasy. He owed Snow his thanks for rescuing him in Academia, as well as an explanation for Serah; briefly, Hope wondered if Noel had already broken the news to him, but Hope didn't dare start that conversation unless first prompted.

Once Hope had finished greeting everyone (and because of his inner monologue, this passed far more slowly for Hope), he began to explain the situation from the Academy's point of view; Hope had not been awake during the majority of the developments, but since he did not have the help of the Colonel or Ellen with him Hope was forced to recap as best he could.

"The Colonel and the Director took a unit of soldiers to search for everyone," said Hope, in conclusion to his briefing, "while I was asked to guard the airship to secure our escape route. Remind me, when we return to the airship, I'll try contacting them to let them know we're now only missing Sazh. Our comm devices aren't working very well in the Ark, though we knew this coming in."

"We've heard reports of that from our end, too," said the Lieutenant. "It's been giving the Ambassadors some trouble. Speaking of which, how were you able to tell we were in disguise?"

Hope gave a nervous laugh: Truthfully, he hadn't known, not until after Noel had thrown off his disguise.

"Wait," began Noel, before Hope could make up an excuse for himself, "you were out here on your own?" Hope turned to Noel and nodded, though he did not meet him in the eye. Hope was scared to follow Noel's train of thought, scared Noel would figure something before he even had the chance to talk it out with him.

"Then, who was casting all those Ruinga spells? Did you figure out how to cast magic again?"

"Well, no.…." This much was the truth. Though Hope could cast Ruinga now (not that Hope would dare, considering Noel knew of Hope's former difficulties in wielding magic), the Ruinga spells used in their earlier battle had actually been a result of several Ruinga bombs Ellen had lent him for the purposes of protecting the airship. When Hope explained this to him, Noel's face fell. If anything, it was a precursor of Noel's reaction to Hope using actual magic… or Hope being a l'Cie….

Hope was not looking forward to it, at all.

To break a silence which had crept upon them, Fang cleared her throat and spoke next: "What about Vanille? Is she here?"

"She's at the airship, with Se—"

But Hope had cut himself off too late.

"Serah? Serah's here?" All heads turned to Snow, whose expression Hope found difficult to read. Snow seemed surprised, but he was also devoid of the surprise Hope would have expected from him. Had someone told Snow, then?

Noel, who wore an expression of equal surprise, seemed to sense Hope's troubles, and he interjected before Hope could respond:

"He knows, Hope."

Hope felt a wave of relief wash over him. Doing his best to not let it show, Hope continued, "We brought Serah along with us, though the Colonel doesn't know yet." Here, Hope looked warily at the Lieutenant, feeling relieved again when he did not react negatively.

"Why?" This had come not from Snow, as Hope expected, but from Noel. Hope didn't dare turn to face him, for the confusion in Noel's voice made him uneasy. Hope had a feeling he understood why: When their journey began, the intent had been to let Serah rest in Hope's home until they were able to give her a proper burial. By bringing Serah to the Thirteenth Ark, Noel was likely considering one of two options: either Hope was fulfilling his promise, or there had been a change of plans.

Truthfully, it was the latter. But Hope didn't know how to explain that, not just yet.

Snow spoke next, "Hope, can you lead us to her?"

"Of course. Though, someone will need to keep guard here—"

"I'll do it," said the Lieutenant. Hope nodded in acknowledgment. He had hoped for this outcome, mostly because the Lieutenant was affiliated with the Academy, and Hope did not want Ellen to get into trouble for going on a hunch without the Colonel's approval. (Then again, there was also much to be said about their having been able to bring Serah onto the ship without his knowing.) "Just lend me some of those Ruinga bombs."

So it was settled: With Lieutenant Strike watching their backs, Hope led Noel, Snow and Fang toward the airship that awaited them at the corridor's end. Despite being among familiar faces, Hope couldn't help but to feel on edge: There was too much on his mind.

"Feels like a small reunion," said Snow, oblivious to Hope's dread. "Who would've guessed, huh? All of us fighting together once again, here at the end of the world."

Except Serah, Hope thought to himself, before he could stop himself. He didn't dare mention this out loud.

"We got Hope here to thank, don't we?" said Fang, giving Hope a congratulatory pat on the back. It felt more like a thwack, and Hope made sure she knew this by yelping in both protest and pain.

"Seriously, Hope," said Snow, mirroring Fang's sign of affection; "You're the man."

Hope thought Fang's had hurt, but clearly he hadn't known the true definition of pain, because Snow's thwacking had hurt.

"I should be thanking you, actually," said Hope, turning to Snow. "You're the one who keeps saving my life."

From the corner of his eye, Hope swore he saw Noel tense, but another thwack on the back had sent Hope sprawling on the ground before he could turn to Noel properly.

"Hey, stop that!"

"Nah, no apology needed," said Snow, as if having not heard Hope's request. "Just doing what I gotta do."

Snow flashed him his trademark grin before offering a hand; though Hope rolled his eyes at typical Snow Villiers, he accepted Snow's hand and helped himself to his feet.

"But think about it, guys," continued Snow. "Vanille's back at the airship, Sazh is… somewhere on this Ark. We're just missing Light, right?"

No one answered him. Hope could almost feel the others' gazes turning to him in silent question. He knew what everyone wanted from him, he could feel the desire emanating most from Noel. They all wanted an explanation: What had happened at the Faultwarrens, what he'd done to release his friends from crystal stasis, if he knew anything about Light…

And then a sudden thought occurred to him; it wasn't the first time he'd asked himself this, but in that moment the uncertainty of the answer had a greater impact on him. With Snow's last words echoing in his head, and having now been reminded of his gamble with Pulse, Hope began to wonder if Light would really return to them if all the ex-l'Cie were gathered together.

But more importantly—and in the cherished company of his friends, this weighed most heavily on Hope's mind—if Light did return amidst their reunion, if his end of the bargain was fulfilled,

Would he really turn to crystal?

Chapter Posted: 10 Feb 2014
Last Edited: 08 May 2014

Just as a reminder, this story (obviously) completely ignores the events in Lightning Returns (and XIII-2 DLC) but is meant to be some sort of canon (and I guess, now, alternative) continuation of XIII-2.

Upcoming: Noel is harshly reminded that not everyone can be saved.