A/N: Heya, loyal readers! There is a very long review response section (thanks to my long absence) so I'll keep this brief. My baby Shuusei is home, safe and sound. I was notified by a vet hospital that she'd been brought in. She'd been hit by a car, though, so she had to go through multiple surgeries. She's doing better now and is finally through most of her physical therapy. I'm doing better from my accident and have no lasting trauma, so I can move past that. I'm in the middle of a move and changing jobs so things are still hectic, but I thought it was about time I updated.
But enough about me. On to the story! Hope you like and review!
Reviewers:
Daaku Urufu – Thank you. Life's still not easy, but it's much better. If their love is as strong as we all hope it is, it will definitely only be a minor bump in the road. Best to get these issues worked out sooner rather than later, right?
H-thar – Well, you certainly deserve the praise. Thank you for pointing that out about the Cavalry. I'm annoyed at myself for that one because I had it right in the beginning and I started misspelling it somewhere along the story. I noticed the same thing happening with Dajh's name awhile back too. And thank you! I wasn't sure about adding my own little Pulsian history in there, but I needed to for plot's sake. Super glad it was well received. More on that will come up soon.
GeminiMercedes – Thank you so much! I'm glad she's home.
gummy b3ars (2) – Thank you so much for your concern. Yeah, hopefully this tension between them won't last. But we all know how stubborn Lightning can be.
jasmine 'n lavender – I have a feeling they'll be alright…
alga18 – Thank you. I'm doing well. And we all know Lightning and Hope can't stay apart.
Guest – Thank you for waiting!
Deflow – Thanks! Much more on Castea will be coming up in a couple chapters.
Ivonnebagel12 (2) – I feel so bad! You got all caught up just to have to wait on me again! I'm so sorry! Thank you sooo much for your continued support and tremendous reviews. You actually caught something everyone else failed to mention and it made me so happy. I'm ecstatic that you liked my added lore and that Zalera has grown on you so much. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Nevergonnafindme – Aw shucks. Thank you. I don't deserve such words. Happy to have you here. Hope life's going better.
Twilight AngelDemon (2) – Thank you! Sorry it took me so long.
SnowHeiress - Thanks so much! I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint.
cdelosre2006 – Thank you. Hopefully they'll work it out soon.
toni – Hey there! I'm glad you found this on here. I was about to let you know about the story on FF when your review showed up on here. Sorry about that. I was still behind on updating on AO3. Glad to have you here.
twilight2277 – That would certainly be unexpected. Sorry this took me so long!
Fenrisia (2) – Thanks so much for your reviews! And that's awesome that you started writing for our lovely Hope and Lightning ship. The more the merrier! Have you posted it yet? I'll have to find your fic when I have some downtime.
In a Quandary – Thank you for your very long and detailed review. It made me really excited to start writing again. Characterization can be very trying at times, but it's good to know that I'm getting something right. I will take your criticisms into consideration, especially as I continue to make edits. Thank you so much. Having another fellow Hopurai writer here means so much to me.
lightning8860 – Thank you! Hope this chapter is to your liking!
goldenlaurel – Thank you again for your PM and your encouragement.
NightwyngN52 – Thanks again. Your continued support is very much appreciated.
Eyrie659 – Your PMs are never a bother. Thank you! We'll just have to hope for that happy ending, huh? Hope school and math are going well for you!
Lightning strode forward, the bright sunlight quickly being replaced by the smothering darkness of the tunnel. She kept her fist tightly enclosed around her blade as Hope, Zalera, and Sazh followed behind. A striking determination settled into her muscles as she began leading this time. This time, it was her that had to keep her teammates going safely in the right direction, not Zalera. "Hope, some light."
"Is there a please in there somewhere?"
She turned to fix him with a glare, unsure if he could make her expression out or not. She supposed he didn't have to see it to know by now. "Please," she grit out, rolling her eyes.
Hope complied, bringing up a fire spell in his palm. His gaze fell briefly upon the soldier's back before his eyes turned to skim the walls, appreciating how well excavated the passageway was. There was a drastic difference between the tunnel here and the ones in the Argodian Mountains. This had definitely been made by people, rather than ravenous creatures.
"How far do ya suppose this goes," asked Sazh in a whisper. He knew he didn't really have to speak so low, but he wasn't about to chance it, not after what they found in the last underground area they'd had to traverse through.
"Considering that the stone was pretty close to the castle," spoke Hope, "I'd say not far."
"But who knows if that's really where this leads," Zalera quickly added.
Sazh faced her with a grimace. "Why thank you for the reality check." He could have kicked her for her wink back.
Their steps were quick, but still paced and cautious. A cold dampness permeated the air and Lightning cringed at the familiarity of it. The silent halls echoed every step, every breath, even the steady flow of energy in Hope's palm seemed to emit a distinct sound that only served to put the soldier on edge.
"Hold up!" Lightning stopped, inspecting something they came upon. The short way they had come had been barren, nothing but cave walls. This was new.
Hope's brow rose at the sight. An archway had been added, the walls built to surround it, as if welcoming guests forward. White and smoothed into a polished finish, its shine had only dulled with time. The same swirled etching that decorated the stone outside had been carved into the arch. It was well done, but peculiar in its placement. Why wouldn't it be at the beginning of the tunnel? Or the end? Why about a quarter mile in?
Sazh felt the archway with the tips of his fingers, marveling at the feeling. "It's smooth, but it has a bit of a rough edge, wouldn't you say?"
Zalera gave it a glance, easily recognizing it for what it was. "It's bone." She nearly laughed as Sazh snapped his hand away in disgust. "It's amazing how well some craftsmen can work with the remains of the dead."
Eyes lighting up with a sort of twisted fascination, Hope took to examining it further. "Is it… Is it human?"
"Most likely. I know that when this place was still open to worship, many devout followers of Pulse would take their lives before his statue. Their bones were then set into the grounds so they could protect Pulse and his castle in the afterlife."
Hope felt a sharp tug from within. He knew there were people that were willing to do anything for their faith, but to take their own lives in the hope of serving their god in the spirit world? He wasn't quite sure what to think of that. It seemed sad, that people would give up the rest of their lives for something that was so uncertain, for something they had never truly known. But it also sounded kind of amazing, to be so sure in what you believe, to feel so connected to a higher power and want to protect it. Idly, Hope wondered if it worked. And if it did, where were those followers now?
They continued forward and came upon another, and another, and yet another of the odd archways. Lightning couldn't help but waver in her stead. There was that strong feeling of dread developing in her gut again and she couldn't help but feel sick. There was something there, something ahead of them that would make her wish she had turned back. But she kept forward, the knowledge that they had no other choice resounding in her mind over and over.
On the other hand, Hope was beginning to feel strange. He didn't understand the feeling of urgency that enticed him forward. It was like something was pulling, compelling him deeper inside. There was a strong spark that resonated with the magic inside of him and it made Hope grow stir crazy. He knew it was the crystal. It had to be.
The group travelled a long while before they finally came upon a room. The tunnel opened up to it, a chamber so large that it rendered the meager flame in Hope's palm nearly ineffective. The musty air carried with it only silence, but there was something unsettling about the space. It was as if a presence loomed over it, bringing with it nothing but ill intentions.
"What do-"
Lightning held up her hand before Sazh, listening to the open blackness before them. There was definitely something there. It fluttered, like wings steadying mid-flight, or cloth catching the wind. The sounds came from multiple places in the room and from the look on Zalera's face she could tell that the Pulsian could hear it too. It was enough to make her uneasiness grow tenfold.
Taking a glow stick from her pack, she broke it, holding it before her. "Hope, you should-" Lightning's speech was interrupted as her light source was suddenly knocked to the side. She then took a painful hit to the chest, a firm strike to her collarbone that caused her to fly into a far wall and let out a cry that echoed around her long after she hit the floor.
Dizzied by the blow, Lightning attempted to get up, fist clenched in the dirt beneath her. She heard Hope yell out for her, but she could only respond with a wheeze. Soon his sudden cry joined hers in echoing through the air, along with Sazh's and Zalera's.
They were then surrounded by darkness, the four of them split up in a room of undeterminable size with something that they could not detect. The quiet calm that descended was eerie and Lightning desperately wished for her sight back. But if she had to fight blind, she would. Once again she let her other senses guide her, her uncertainty drive her. She let her impaired sense be overcome by her other ones.
But even as she did so she could hear nothing, the odd fluttering gone. She could feel nothing but the grainy dirt beneath her body and that sense of horrible dread being fed into a monstrous size as the moments ticked by. Collecting herself and knocking her jaw back into place, she stood. She couldn't hear anything. None of the enemy, not one of her teammates, and that scared her.
"Hope?" It came out as a hoarse whisper, so she tried again. "Ho-" Again she was knocked back, but this time she stayed against the wall, her limbs splayed against it. It was like there was an invisible barrier holding her there and it rendered her incredibly vulnerable. A fury began to boil within her. This wasn't going to happen again. She couldn't just be held back by a monster threatening her family. Not again. Never again.
With a rage she had reserved only for Castea, she tried to speak again, to lash out at whatever was binding her, to find Hope and the rest of her group, but something lightly scraping across her throat stopped her.
It felt like razor sharp talons.
"What makes you think you are worthy to speak on these hallowed grounds?"
The voice was raspy and came out like the slither of a snake, wholly unpleasant to the ear. Lightning went to speak again, but the talons dug deeper into her skin.
"You are the leader? One of such vile ancestry?"
Vile ancestry? "Do you want an answer to that, or do you just want to show off that pretty voice of yours?"
"Insolence!" The talons swiped across her neck and she could feel the very thin line that had been drawn into it, along with the small amount of blood that seeped from the painful, but ultimately insignificant wound. "You dare insult a warrior of our great Creator?!"
Now she was getting somewhere.
She was beginning to get really tired of this already. Facing an opponent she couldn't see where she couldn't even move was hardly fair. Before she could reply, another voice shot out.
"No! I'm the leader of this group. You got a problem, I'm the one you want!"
Zalera's voice rang out from somewhere not too far away and Lightning breathed a sigh of relief. Until what the woman said had time to sink in, of course. "Zalera, what are you-"
"Shut up, Lightning! Did I say you could talk!?"
Zalera's words shocked her, but she understood what she was doing. A sharp grunt of pain came from the Pulsian and Lightning's eyes searched hopelessly through the darkness to find her.
"Do you think having a Pulsian speak for you is the wisest option? Ha, not this one. I do not wish to speak with someone so impure."
"Who are you? What do you want?" Lightning demanded. She wouldn't let anyone take any beatings for her, and it was obvious that the tactic of having a Pulsian representative talk for them would lead them nowhere. A heavy gust of wind, ice cold on her skin, was the only indication of movement before the being was directly in front of her once more.
"You ask such questions when you have trespassed into Pulse's domain? Without proper blood or tribute? I believe we are who should be asking those questions, but we already know what you want. And you most certainly are unworthy of wielding such power."
Lightning smirked. The crystal was there after all. Before any more words could be exchanged, a massive pack of fireballs flew in all directions, lighting up the room. The being before her shrieked and attempted to shield itself from the magic.
In the fiery glow, Lightning could only catch a glimpse of her enemy, a giant, floating being wrapped in shadow.
It wasn't alone, as her earlier observations had suggested. Other dark beings floated beyond it, scattered around the room, all screaming at the flying flames. The fire never touched any of them, their movements too quick, but it didn't appear to have to. The beings burst into ashes almost as soon as they were visible, as if the light was enough to leave only dust behind.
The deaths of whatever had attacked them loosened the grip on her body and she fell to the ground, the harsh dirt biting into her skin. Lightning's head shot up and she instantly looked for the source of the fire, knowing who she would see and finding immense comfort in the sight.
As if on cue, the area lit up, yellow crystals built into the walls and ceiling all shining at once. An ethereal glow swallowed the room, the remnants of the beings slowly drifting up from the floor before dissipating into nothingness.
Lightning got to her knees and by the time she looked back up, Hope was in front of her, helping her up.
"I'm sorry it took me so long. I kind of got knocked out." He rubbed the back of his neck before remembering himself and turning away from her. "You guys okay?!" he yelled through cupped hands.
Sazh helped Zalera to them. She limped in his hold, her arm holding her side, although looking otherwise okay. Hope surged forward to heal her after they'd crossed the room, but she waved him off. "Save your strength, Hope. I'm surely only bruised."
"Okay," Sazh huffed in a breath, "what were those things?"
"Sounded like they were protecting Pulse and his castle." Hope gave a glance to Zalera. "I think we might have just met some of those devout followers."
"But… they looked so horrible. Like-"
"The undead," Zalera finished, turning to Sazh. "Why is that surprising? That's what they are, in a sense, isn't it?"
"You'd think as a God's protectors they'd… I don't know, look like angels, or something. Floating souls, maybe even ghosts, but not rotting corpses."
Her teammates had gotten a better look at their opponent, but Lightning shook the thought off. She'd have more time to reflect back on the creature later. "It doesn't matter, we need to get going." Lightning pulled herself together, letting her anger cool before checking out the rest of the room. That's the last time I'm getting blindsided. There was another opening across from them, a staircase that led to the only way out. "I don't suppose these tiny crystals here are what we want?"
The silveret shook his head. "No, I'm not sensing anything from them. I think they're just a light source."
"Figures," she muttered. "Let's keep moving."
"We should probably discuss this first." Hope grabbed her shoulder for a few moments before letting go. He could see the frustration crouched low in her jaw, the burning desire to fight swirling within her aqua irises. "Are you okay?"
"What's there to discuss? We find the crystal," she looked ahead, absolute certainty flaring within her eyes, "and get out."
The yellow crystals seemed to invite them forward as they entered the first level of the castle. The space was empty, filled only with thick dust and heavy, stale air. Amongst the crystals were stone statues, Pulsian writing and crude drawings along the walls. Most of the words were beyond Hope, just as with the stone in the courtyard, but it was clear that the pictures told the stories of the castle's master from the birth of Pulse to his great creations upon land. Much of it aligned with what he'd seen amongst the ancient scrolls back home.
Hope ran his fingers along the rough walls, mind wandering, He thought about the devotion it must have taken for those people, all of Pulse's followers. They gave their lives to serve him and, in the end, they gave him their deaths. There was an odd thrum echoing through the hall - echoes of memory, of lives past lived, of wants and desires and passions all drifting and swirling within the air. It all became one cohesive presence that haunted them. Those beings weren't finished. Hope could feel it.
Lightning stood before the massive figure of Pulse, eyes boring holes into the stone. This whole mess was their responsibility. She would have hit the giant statue if she thought it would help at all. She may not have ever put much stock in the Gods' power, but she remembered the one night she had attempted to call out to them, a night she spent begging them to heal her mother's illness before the suffering had turned her cold. What a waste of words those were…
She wasn't sure what they were supposed to be looking for. She wasn't stupid enough to think that there would just be some large crystal on a pedestal in the middle of the room with a helpful sign pointing to it saying 'Here, this will solve all of your problems and save the planet and all of your loved ones!' Blind optimism was Hope's thing. Watching him in her periphery, she saw him tracing his fingers along some old scrawls with a tempered wonder. She would have found it endearing if their argument wasn't still a nearly tangible wall between them. Her mind flashed back to the hurt in his eyes, to the betrayal sunk deep into his expression, to his impossible insistence at defending the people that could and would easily kill him in an instant.
A question of if he knew anything that could help them was on the tip of her tongue, but lost will and drew back. She knew it was petty, but she didn't need Hope to find the crystal shard. She could do this without his help. To be honest, she hoped they wouldn't find it at all.
"Man, I miss the big guy." When all eyes turned to him, Sazh found the need to clarify. "Snow always had something uplifting to shout at times like these."
"Something like," Hope clapped him on the shoulder and with a wide grin shouted out, "The heroes always win! We'll show you a miracle!" He could barely get the last sentence out due to being almost overcome with laughter. Those lines definitely didn't sound right coming from him, no matter how big and boisterous he made his voice or how far out he puffed his chest.
Sazh could only laugh right alongside him, noticing how even Lightning couldn't prevent a small chuckle at the display.
Zalera shook her head, an amused smile on her lips. "He sounds a tad on the obnoxiously optimistic side."
"You have no idea," spoke Lightning, a hint of reluctant fondness to her tone. "That idiot could hardly protect my sister and he thought he could save the world."
Hope gave another laugh. "C'mon, you have to admit that he was pretty good at lifting spirits."
"Yeah, he was a total riot," Lightning deadpanned, "Remind me why you wanted to knife him again?" She hadn't meant to say that. She really hadn't meant to say that. She cringed at the silence that fell over the room and kept her eyes focused on the statue in front of her. There was just so much bitter anger swirling inside of her that she couldn't stop herself. When Hope spoke again his voice was small, hoarse in a way that made Lightning want to pound the stone idol even more.
"I'm going to check the next level."
Sazh watched him walk off and up the next flight of stairs. When Hope was out of ear shot, the pilot rounded on Lightning. "What was that?! How could you even bring that up at a time like this?!"
Pinching the bridge of her nose to stem off the coming headache, she turned to face him, unsurprised to see him furious. "I don't know, okay? It just slipped out…"
"Just slipped out? You think that's some sort of excuse? I know you guys are fighting and all, but that was a low blow, even for you."
"You think I don't know that?" Lightning snarled.
Zalera looked between the two, baffled at the reason for all of the animosity. She'd heard a lot about Snow, but she'd never heard anything about Hope trying to kill him. "I don't know what's going on here, but Hope really shouldn't be alone."
"Then why don't you go protect him? You can be his guardian! You two would be perfect for each oth-" The sound of the smack registered in her mind long before the initial action or the sting. She slowly moved her hand to her cheek and glowered at the other woman.
"Now, why don't you get over yourself and go apologize? I have a feeling he deserves it a hell of a lot more than you do."
Lightning turned her gaze back over to the deity sitting in the center of the wall, channeling all of her hatred into it before attempting to let it go. Swallowing, she turned to the staircase and made her way forward, expression resigned. "Yeah, alright. You guys finish down here and then meet us when you're done."
It took longer to find him than she thought. He was in one of the castle's barren rooms, just standing there facing the wall. Attempting to bat her pride aside, Lightning strode forward, still completely unsure of what to say. She called out to him, but he didn't react. She could hardly say she was surprised. He had a right to ignore her. She stopped in the middle of the old, dusty room. The yellow light of the crystals cast an innocent glow around the young man, only deepening her guilt.
Fine, if he wasn't willing to speak with her yet, then she'd just have to make him listen. "I'm sorry, Hope." He didn't move, not even a twitch of muscle indicated that her apology affected him at all. Which was weird for him. Maybe her words struck a deeper chord than she'd thought. "That didn't come out right. I didn't mean to make light of what happened back then, I just… It pisses me off. Snow's a good man, I know that now. And he's a good match for Serah. I know he'll try his damnedest to protect her even if it means his death." Now that she thought about it, Snow's maddening need to protect Serah aligned quite well with her own desperate need to protect Hope. She found her fondness for the man grow a little more. After everything that had happened, after finding her own other half as Snow had, she found she understood the man much more. He was still a dumb oaf, though.
"But his gung ho attitude about saving everyone, no matter the cost… His dangerous, half-assed attempts at being the hero… I can never forgive him for losing Serah. She became a l'Cie. She got taken by Anima. She turned crystal-" Lightning broke off in a choke. She'd forgotten just how much grief she still held inside about her sister. There was an incredible amount of hatred she still harbored for Snow in there with it. "And it all happened on his watch! He swore he'd protect her! He swore he loved her, and god damn it if I didn't believe him. I may not have liked him, but I believed him when he said that he was always going to be there for her. And where is he now? Just as lost in crystal as she is." She huffed out a breath, staring at Hope's back. She wanted him to turn around, needed him to look at her, to tell her that her grudges were stupid, but he wasn't saying anything.
"And I know that your mother's death wasn't really Snow's fault. I know you've forgiven him for any part he played, but maybe I haven't. Because I still remember how much pain you were in. I remember the hatred you harbored, and the anguish that led to your actions that day. Maybe you wouldn't be an orphan right now if he just thought everything through more."
"Lightning…"
It was raspy and quiet, strained with emotion, but now she knew he was listening. Hope still wouldn't face her, but he was attentive to her words. She just had to keep going. Brutal honesty was killing her, but that was okay if it helped her assuage the damage she'd dealt to the man she cared for most. "Maybe… maybe it was just a snarky remark to get to you because of our," she refused to say the word fight, "disagreement, but I didn't mean it. Not really. I'm sorry for speaking about your mother's death like it was nothing. I'm so, so sorry. For everything." Desperation hitched into her tone near the end of her sentence, a perfect companion for the odd shaking that had taken over her balled fists.
She waited for him to respond and when nothing came, she found her shoulders drooping as an exasperated sigh left her. He still wasn't moving and she didn't know what to do. It wasn't like apologizing had been easy. Apologies weren't something she took lightly or made half-heartedly.
She found it incredibly bizarre that he had yet to acknowledge her aside from the utterance of her name. Hope was hurt, maybe angry, but this reaction wasn't like him. Not in the slightest.
That's when she noticed that something was truly off with the situation she'd walked into. Hope wasn't simply standing there, he was completely solid in his stance, and as she reached out to touch him, she found that his muscles were taut with tension. "Hope?"
"…Run, Light…"
Hope's distraught words reached her ears, the two syllables just as strained as her name had been. Before she could discern the cause for his predicament and run to his aid, a familiar chill washed over her. It was a trap, and she walked right into it.
Something was there, watching, waiting. It was quiet, but wholly noticeable, like a stone disturbing still waters. She wasn't going to let it get the drop on her. Never again. Swiftly turning on her heel, Lightning shot at the presence behind her. It was too late, and it wasn't enough. The shots burrowed into the creature, but disintegrated in its shadows. Now nearly face to face, she could see the thing for what it was. The undead was not far off.
It was a ghoulish figure, face gaunt with leathery skin that was nearly melted into the bone of its skull. Its large body floated in the air, wrapped in mists of shadow that swirled like unbridled chaos around its form. Its fingers were black claws, sharp and jagged and Lightning could feel the small cut on her neck begin to sting anew at the mere sight of them. She swallowed as she looked up into the being's eyes. There was nothing there. Hollow sockets were all she could see, but there was a haunted agony in their depths that was tangible to her soul. A need laid within the being, a need to be acknowledged, used or broken free.
By the time she managed to will herself back into a fighting stance, the being swiftly swept forward. She braced for impact only for its body to phase right through her. She didn't understand what had happened until her muscles seized up and she found her heart aching as it was invaded by foreign emotions.
A crippling sorrow bore down upon her, ripping her apart from the inside. She could feel it clenching around her soul, suffocating it with loneliness and rage. Loss and desperation began to fester within the crevices of her heart and she could barely stand the feeling as it threatened to break her and leave her in an empty abyss, void of any life or purpose.
The being sat before her, once again simply watching as its own anguish tore through her. Lightning stared back at it, a strange empathy blossoming as she adopted its pain. This creature was definitely one of Pulse's guardians. It had once been a devout adherent, but it was struggling under the weight of centuries abandoned. Just as the rest were…
For years they'd dwindled away in their own isolation. Those devout souls, once bright and brilliant, had been left to wither and decay, the absence of their great deity heavy in their breasts. They had given up their lives, pledged their souls to an eternity of servitude, and they were still no closer to their God.
Her own anger spiked in response as a shroud of chaos began to envelop around her. A glance to the side showed her that Hope was fighting the same battle she was. At this, she felt her rage soon begin to consume her. The darkness was beginning to overtake him. If she didn't find a way to stop this, it would consume him completely.
She didn't have to worry for much longer, because just as her concern began to grow, the chaos receded and she fell to the floor, her limbs crying out in relief. Hope was coughing beside her, grasping the floor as if it were the answer to his prayers.
The being drew back to the middle of the room, the chaos flowing towards it as if being summoned into its robes. It swirled with the being's own shadows, curling around it as it nurtured the creature's growth. Larger and larger it grew until it became a flowing ball of chaos, no longer a floating soul, and still it continued to expand.
Lightning picked herself up and stumbled her way over to Hope. He was still out of it, just as dazed from the pressure as she was, but she wasn't sure just how long he'd had to endure it. If only I'd noticed sooner. And here I was stupidly tripping over my apology while Hope was being attacked. What a dumb ass. She pulled him to his feet as he gathered his wits. She turned back to the being only to choke on its current status.
There was no longer one giant ball of shadow, but two shifting in mid-air. The chaos was highly unstable, trembling as it evolved. The balls eventually morphed until they became shadowy replicas of human bodies. But not just any human bodies. The two forms of chaos were perfect imitations of Hope and Lightning.
"I tried to warn you." Hope cringed, throat incredibly dry, as he stared at the dark form of himself take shape. Every detail was the same, only covered in a shaded black, like a silhouette cast from the light. Its eyes were still hollow, but overflowing with emotion that haunted the depths of his soul.
The door to the entrance of the room slammed shut, causing Lightning to curse at their predicament. She tightened her hold on her blade, her eyes quickly scanning over their newest enemies, trying to pinpoint any weak spots before they could fully form. "Well this is new. Get ready."
Hope yanked out his gunblade and made to reply before Lightning spoke again. Except it wasn't Lightning. It was her voice, but it came from one of the creatures before them.
"What's the matter, Lightning?" the shadow that mimicked the soldier's appearance hissed. "You afraid to fight yourself?"
"She may not be scared," the new form of Hope cut in, "but he definitely is. Poor fraidy cat Estheim. Scared of his own shadow."
Shadow-Lightning chuckled before turning back to her prey, soon stalking around the girl as she spoke. "What are you going to do now? Whine to the gods again and pray that they save your sad, little life? As if you're worth their time, Claire."
"How about it, Hope?"
Hope brought his attention back to the dark form of himself, noticing with mild anxiety that the being had gotten closer. The silveret unconsciously stepped nearer to Lightning's side as he brought his weapon in front of him.
"Think you can kill me? Or are you too chicken to even do that?"
"Don't listen to them." Lightning stepped towards Hope as well until they were standing back to back, each facing their respective opponents. "I don't know what these things are, but they aren't even worthy of our attention."
"What? You think I don't know how terrified you are?" Shadow-Lightning smirked, tilting her head to the side as her hollow stare penetrated the woman. "That I can't feel the tremors going down your limbs? I am you. I know what you fear. I know just what to take from you to make you fall."
"Stay away from him!"
"Lightning, calm down." Hope gripped Lightning's wrist from behind, assuring her that he was fine. "They're just trying to rile us up."
Shadow-Hope laughed. "And it's working marvelously. Come on!" The being invited Hope to fight with the subtle incline of his head and the taunting smile on his face. "Are you really just going to stand there and have her fight for you again? I thought you loved her. Why do you always force her to fight your own battles?"
"Shut up!" Hope ran at the creature, wanting to wipe the smirk off of its face and put an end to its ridiculous lies.
"Hope!" She couldn't stop him as he charged for the darker version of himself. Before she could even attempt to move in his direction, the heavy blade of a gunblade came down towards her and she barely managed to catch it with her own. The weapons screeched with the force and Lightning could only stare incredulously at the replica of her blade. It was a perfect match, and so was its owner. Shadow-Lightning jumped back and landed poised in Lightning's usual battle stance. Everything was the same, her clothes, her weapon, her intimidating aura, even the necklace that hung from her neck. It pissed Lightning off immensely.
She surged forward, Shadow-Lightning catching her attack easily. The sergeant recovered quickly, striking ruthlessly at the dark being with all of the strength she held within. She grit her teeth in frustration as every blow was parried, as if it knew Lightning's attacks well before she executed them. Realizing that continuing her current approach would prove fruitless, she withdrew only for the other to come at her, attacking her with a fervor equal to her own.
Confusion descended upon her brow as she matched each swing with a solid block of her own. She caught each swipe, knew each blow like the back of her hand. No one had ever fought her like this. She'd met and challenged many strong warriors, but none of them could manage to copy her actions to a tee. None of them had ever before been able to predict her movements as accurately as this one. It was like she was truly fighting herself.
Hope quickly came upon the same realization. None of the attacks with the blade or gun of his weapon were working. Not even his boomerang was having any luck. Apparently Shadow-Hope had not only a shadow-gunblade, but also a shadow-boomerang and was as thoroughly trained with both weapons as Hope himself was.
The young director ducked the black boomerang and watched as it swirled back to its master. This problem worked both ways, though. Where Hope couldn't land a single blow, neither could the other. They both knew their own strengths and limitations. They knew and owned the same fighting style.
Testing out a theory, Hope let a fire spell burst free from his palm, more than a little agitated as the flames were instantly iced over before they shattered into tiny crystals that scattered on the floor. Even his l'Cie powers could be handled and mimicked. That was more than a little alarming. How am I supposed to defeat myself? He stared at the ground, desperately trying to find a way to resolve this issue.
Shadow-Hope was more than happy to take advantage of his lapse in attention. "I'm surprised you have the guts to use your abilities anymore. Aren't you afraid you might kill someone?" He tossed a ruin towards his distracted opponent, a little caught off guard as Hope managed to summon a shield before impact. "That's what you are, right? A killer? A destroyer? You don't deserve to share the same air as your friends, let alone fight beside them!"
"Just shut up!" Hope threw every spell he knew at his enemy, his anger rapidly turning into a fiery wrath, but still nothing struck the creature. All of the spells were met by their counterparts, or were easily snuffed out before they could get very far. A desperate panic quickened his breaths as he took in the state of Shadow-Hope. The bastard was hardly even affected.
"There's no point fighting ourselves!"
Lightning's voice buoyed him from his dismay. He turned his attention to her own fight, soon seeing that they were in the same stalemate.
Lightning tried one last strike towards Shadow-Lightning before flipping back away from her. She landed beside Hope, her fierce gaze finding his. "But what about each other?"
Hope blinked at the suggestion before beaming at her for such a brilliant idea. "But what about my abilities? He has l'Cie magic like me."
"I'm not worried." She switched sides with Hope, facing his opponent and leaving him to handle hers. "Besides, you should be more concerned for your own sake. You really think you can beat me?"
Hope shook his head at her teasing and reluctantly conceded before coming to face a displeased Shadow-Lightning.
"How pitiful. Surrendering your position to a man, Claire? You ought to be ashamed of yourself."
Lightning ignored her, assessing the new Hope in front of her.
"You don't actually think you can best me, do you?" Shadow-Hope spat. "I'm destined for God's power. I have the potential to crush this entire planet. You're no more than an insignificant ant waiting to be squashed under my boot."
Lightning raised an unimpressed brow and glanced back at Hope. "Tell me you aren't really this conceited in your head."
Hope scoffed in reply before Shadow-Lightning was on him, striking at him mercilessly. It took a lot of his strength just to keep up with her blows. He was covered with sweat by the time she retreated to recoup. During the brief respite, he tried to think up a plan of attack. He knew nothing of how to take on this new enemy. It was immune to his libra, so he was going to have to do this himself.
But this opponent wasn't actually all that new, was it?
Shadow-Lightning was just like Shadow-Hope. He couldn't fight himself because Shadow-Hope knew and used all of his own moves. As he watched Shadow-Lightning, took the brunt of every hit and swing, he realized that he just had to think of fighting Shadow-Lightning as fighting the real Lightning.
Pinpricks of guilt stung him as he evaluated her movements, trying to spot her weaknesses. It felt immensely wrong looking for the flaws in Lightning's fighting. A large part of him didn't want to know how to take her down. He didn't want to know the ways Lightning could be brought to her knees. But a better part of him, the more logical, practical part of him took over, silencing any protests his more emotional side had.
Lightning was strong and controlled in her fighting, having been trained in the militant arts. All of her moves held purpose, to strike swiftly or to draw out her opponent's weaknesses so she could find a hole to take them down. Her eyes were ever calculating, keeping pace with her remarkable ability to read an enemy's moves. She was constantly on the offensive, not allowing the enemy to get a decent hit in. Her attacks were sure and she always struck with confidence, moving fluidly and gracefully in battle. She'd been trained to fight, and she'd been trained well.
With this training, though, came a fault. Her style was based on fundamentals, practiced and perfected move patterns that were guided by muscle memory. When given certain, specific attacks, Lightning would respond predictably. Her acrobatic fighting style made it hard to detect, but she had a predetermined plan set for every step. It wasn't something just anyone could see, but Hope hadn't spent so much time watching the rear for nothing.
Hope made a swipe for her left leg as she swooped in and she responded accordingly. Abandoning her original move, she spun out of his attack's range and came back to deal a blow to his right side. Hope was already there to parry it and their blades met with a satisfactory clang. Backing off, this time he went in for her legs, swiping a little lower than his last attack. Before his weapon even made it halfway, she jumped over him. She landed directly behind his back, prepped to make a devastating slash at his unguarded body.
Again, he was ready. He ducked her blade and pivoted on his heel, pulling his weapon back towards himself as he readied to plunge it into her abdomen. He was ready to make the final move. This was it.
But he couldn't do it. His arms locked into place with his gunblade frozen midway. He couldn't move, and this time it wasn't due to some spirit keeping him in place.
It would be so easy. Just stab her in the stomach and leave the blade in so it couldn't be healed. His opponent would be dealt with. She would be dead in seconds. Lightning would be dead.
He could see it already; Lightning was on the ground, bleeding out until her heart stopped pumping. Until the air left her lungs. Until the light left her eyes.
He couldn't do this. He couldn't kill Lightning.
It's not her. It's not her. It's not Lightning!
He could tell himself it wasn't her a hundred times over, but it wasn't helping him make the final move.
"You can't do it, can you? You're still just as pathetic as you were back in the Vile Peaks."
She came back at him, ruthlessly assaulting him with everything she had. He just barely managed to dodge each blow until she caught him off guard with a boot to the chest. She kicked him back and he flew to the ground with a pained grunt. Just as he managed to get back on his feet, she assailed him with a barrage of shots. His protect absorbed most of the damage, but his left side took a hit. He staggered with the force of the bullet, hissing at the pain as his boomerang left his fingertips.
"Using magic is kind of a cheat, you know? Why don't you face me like a real man?"
Hope found a tired smile pulling at his face as he held his wound. The bullet had gone straight through, but he didn't think his opponent would allow him the time to heal it. "You have your strengths, I have mine. Speaking of," his smile grew and Shadow-Lightning's face scrunched up in confusion before she was knocked to the ground by a harsh strike to the back of her head. Hope caught his trusted boomerang when it made its way back to him. "Sorry, that was a little underhanded, I know."
"Just you wait, you little runt," she growled.
Hope repressed a shiver, but Oh, that was good. That growl had some dark, raspy undertones that didn't belong to the Lightning he knew. They were finally getting to the creature hidden inside the façade.
Lightning had never imagined what it would be like to fight Hope. It was a completely new concept for her and the idea churned her stomach more than she thought it would, but he was just another opponent. This Hope was in her way, and she had to stop him. Simple as that.
In order to accurately observe Hope's fighting, she had to draw the moves out of him, even if it meant using herself as bait. As they fought, she left openings for him and attacked only to reveal his failings. She had to be quick, lest he gain the upper hand.
Hope's fighting lacked method. It was obvious that while he was a skilled fighter, he lacked formal training. His style was a rough mixture of instinct, adaptability, and learning experiences from previous battles. He had always been quick to learn. This had carried into his fighting as well, it seemed. The way he fought was wild and unrefined, but willful and complex. He was always ready to deflect whatever came at him however he could, to strike in whatever manner allowed him to survive. It made guessing his next move nearly impossible.
That wasn't to say that he didn't have any weaknesses. Hope lacked a strong base. He was quick on his feet, but he relied on his adaptable, offensive movements too much. His defense was impaired by his ill stance. Without a firm stance, his attacks lacked strength and it left him far too vulnerable to heavy strikes from an opponent. A tree without good roots didn't have a hope of survival.
Lightning redirected her attacks to account for her observations, but Shadow-Hope appeared to catch on instantly. As if realizing that he couldn't take her head on, he threw her off course with an aero. The air spun around her, lifting her up and off of her feet as she flew back. She quickly recovered, landing in a crouch a few paces away. Her eyes locked back onto her target, but she found herself grow unnaturally weary.
A thick haze clouded her mind, causing her to trip over her own feet and gracelessly flop onto the smooth stone floor. "A… daze spell…" Though her eyelids felt heavy as lead and she fought to keep her sight, she watched as Shadow-Hope drew up another spell.
It was coming for her. She needed to get up.
You aren't going to keep letting the enemy have the upper hand. Do something, you moron!
Through sheer willpower, she got herself up in time to dodge. Lightning slid out of the way of the wave of water that crashed towards her, soon having to skid around several more before making it to her current enemy. She would have managed to slash his face had he not already prepared a barrier around himself. The moment her weapon struck the protect spell, a powerful shock of electricity leapt through the blade and into her body. The gunblade fell from her grasp and she fell to the floor as her muscles spasmed in the aftermath.
"I'd say I told you so, but that just seems a little childish." Shadow-Hope walked around her, turning away to watch the battle going on across from them. "Maybe I should just leave you here and help her finish him off. That would be worse torture, wouldn't it?" When there was no reply, he turned around only to jump back and screech at the flames that scorched his being.
Lightning dropped her drained manadrive to the ground, satisfaction flashing briefly across her face as she watched the creature cry out, its form greatly disturbed by the fire as wisps of chaos bled from it. Guess it came down to fighting magic with magic. She was surprised that it had affected him, especially to this extent. It had been one of the few manadrives she'd had when they'd fled Academia, and even though she'd charged it to its maximum potential, she was still shocked to see how easily the magic consumed Shadow-Hope.
When the flames died down, the being seemed to no longer be able to hold its shape. It reverted back to its original, ghoulish form, hissing out quick breaths and sounding quite wounded.
"So the fire does hurt you," commented Lightning. "I thought your friends below were destroyed by the light, but it really was the fire."
"Don't you dare insult me!" the Pulse adherent yelled. "I'm nothing like those treacherous weaklings! They lost their faith in our great deity! They're not even able to face faint traces of light! Never compare me to them! Those who cannot even protect our most precious domain do not deserve to dwell here!" The being breathed in, drawing in more chaos from any of the shadows and dark corners that lied around the room. The darkness pooled into the form of a large blade at its hand. "Your magic is weak, human, but your light is strong. I won't underestimate you again."
Lightning struggled to get a firm grasp on her weapon as the follower came at her again. It drew up its sword and she just barely lunged out of the way of its heavy swing. She watched, amazed at how the strike split the ground as if it were merely tender flesh.
Hope took notice of the change in Lightning's battle, but couldn't help her. Shadow-Lightning hadn't taken his one triumphant hit well. She was angry, battling him with a fire he'd seen ignited within Lightning only a few times before. Fighting her was harder than he had previously thought, but he needed to end her before she managed to convert into something akin to what Lightning was fighting now.
He had listened to Lightning and her opponent's exchange. It appeared that in their time protecting the castle, Pulse's guardians had withered not only spiritually, but physically. The ones their team had faced in the bowels of the castle had been the weakest of their kind and could only dwell where the light could not touch them. These followers were stronger, not as lost and hopeless, but they were still weary from the long centuries past. If he could find a stronger light source than his fire, maybe he could win this.
He ducked another swipe from Shadow-Lightning and came back at her with a few fire-infused shots. The bullets didn't simply fuse into her form as the previous normal ones had. She screamed as they lodged into her body and she came down to one knee. Hope brought his hand up, mentally flipping through all of the abilities he knew and trying to come up with the one that could bear the most light. It's not Lightning. You can't hesitate this time.
Lightning was knocked back by the Pulse creature, but this time there was no follow-up blow. Instead she watched as the being went to the other's aid, aiming directly for Hope. An icy fear electrified her being and had her sprinting towards the unaware teen. "Hope!" She got in front of him just in time for the blow to hit her instead of him.
He watched her fly sideways into the wall, her body crashing into the stone with such force that he wasn't sure if she would ever get back up. "Lightning!" Hope faced the floating creature with an unmasked rage, his hand coming up before him as a spell formed between his fingertips. It didn't matter what spell it was. All thought ceased as instinct took over. All that mattered was decimating the being in front of him.
It yielded the same familiar static crackling as a thundara, but held the searing warmth of a fira. Instead of either, a brilliant white glow began to emanate from his hand. He marveled at the new ability forming at his fingertips, his anger quickly being dispelled as confusion and awe claimed him. It was incredible. Exhilarating and incredible. The magic drew the breath out of him and it was like he was suspended, his body and mind simply letting the magic take over. The power surged through him, collecting in his palm. It pulsed, slowly growing bigger and stronger until the light came to encompass the entire room. The sheer brightness of it became too much and Hope closed his eyes. Screams and cries sounded around him as everything was swallowed by the white light.
And then it was quiet. Hope opened his eyes to the whiteness that his brand had birthed. He could feel the emptiness around him, the distinct lack of presence.
How… is this possible?
"Don't let it command you, Hope."
Alexander's words prompted Hope to return to himself and he pulled his magic back before it could do any more damage. His body shook, utilizing all of its lasting strength to restrain whatever it was he'd unleashed. For a frighteningly long moment, he thought he wasn't going to be able to.
When the power receded, and the spell vanished back into his being, Hope found his vision begin to fade as he collapsed to the ground. The creatures were gone, vanquished as far as he could tell. A bright blue sphere spun in the center of the room, its glow calling to him, but he couldn't keep his eyes open as the darkness invaded his consciousness. Loud shouts reverberated around the room, calling to him and Lightning. He wanted to take comfort in those familiar voices, but he could only drift off into a dark, dreamless sleep.