A/N: I'm very grateful to all of you for reading my story and supporting me in my writing. Reviews are definitely not necessary, but very much appreciated. A little input goes a long way. Thanks :)

Revised: July 2014

Lightning stopped dead in her tracks. "As in Hope?"

Alyssa abruptly spun on her heel as her smile grew. "I'm surprised he didn't tell you, but it would be hard to get out six years of information in just a few minutes." The blonde began bouncing on her heels again, oblivious to the obvious irritation it caused her companion.

In six years, okay five, Hope changed from... well he did change a lot during those last weeks, but... to become a leader of a new society?

Alyssa tapped her index finger against her chin, tilting her head slightly as she looked at Lightning. The soldier's face was impassive as she stared at the floor. "Something wrong", inquired a concerned Alyssa.

Lightning shook her head. The perky assistant turned and continued walking, the still stunned soldier following after. "Isn't he a bit young?"

The blonde fell back into step beside her, humming an affirmative. "Yes, he is exceptionally young for his position, but he really does deserve it. And he does a fine job of leading everyone. He's very popular and is admired by many." Alyssa brought a hand to her chin, a usual mannerism of hers apparently. "He's extremely intelligent and very sweet... but of course you know that." She then looked down bashfully and smiled nervously.

Lightning gave her a sidelong glance, detecting something.

"He joined the Academy right after it was founded by Bartholomew Estheim and Rygdea in 2AF", stated the assistant. "Much like me, he flew through the ranks, he was already practically leading it before he even took over. But he became the director last year due to... unfortunate and unforeseeable events." Alyssa's smile seemed to shrink as her thoughts drifted to dark memories.

"What happened?"

Alyssa's pace slowed until the two came to a stop. "Well, after the creation of the Academy, Bartholomew Estheim was the director. Rygdea didn't want any part in the government, so he works alongside General Amodar. They lead the Calvary and the Guardian Corps."

Ears perking up at the familiar name, Lightning put a hand on Alyssa's shoulder "Amodar? As in-"

Alyssa gave a toothy smile, "That's right. You were under his command back before the fall. He talks about you too. At least when I've been around him." The girl snickered. "The Calvary mainly surveys pulse, mapping it out, and also rescues surviving purge settlements. The Guardian Corps helps protect the citizens of Academia... Anyway…", a solemn expression captured Alyssa's face once again, "Bartholomew Estheim was a great leader, but when there was an assassination attempt on Hope's life-"

The pinkette tensed, heart nearly stopping at the new information. "What, by who?"

Alyssa looked around briefly, her eyes flitting from place to place. "By the Sanctum settlement", she whispered. "It was never proven but... that was where all of the breadcrumbs lead to. In the exchange though, three men were killed along with Bartholomew."

Lightning's eyes grew wide as her lips parted. He lost his father too.

Alyssa continued walking, wanting to move away from the topic. She stopped a few feet forward and turned back around when she noticed Lightning hadn't moved. The soldier looked up, face devoid of emotions, betraying her inner confliction, and started walking again.

With a content hum, Alyssa continued. "After the incident, the position was left to Hope. Although, I know he was a bit reluctant to accept it."

I bet.

"Here we are. I do hope you find the room accommodating to your needs. Mr. Katzroy's room is right here." Alyssa ran a hand on the front of the door across the hall, indicating the exact location of her previous l'Cie companion. "Here is your key", she continued, handing Lightning her key card and turning on her heel to leave. Before taking a step however, she spun around abruptly causing Lightning to raise a brow. "Oh and I almost forgot." Alyssa put a hand to her forehead. "There is a communicator for you by the phone. My number is already in it, along with the director's and Mr. Katzroy's. Be sure to give me a ring if you need anything." With that, the perky blonde waved and left.

Lightning stood there, letting all the information sink in. After a few moments, she entered her room. It was a cozy place with a small kitchen and dining area. A couch and TV signified the living room. And two rooms were off on the left as the bathroom and bedroom. It seemed like more of a small apartment rather than a temporary room. Walking over to the side table, she placed her key card next to the phone and communicator.

Lightning dropped onto the couch, sighing. So much has happened while I was off in la la land. Why did it have to be Hope that woke up first? Why did he have to be saddled with so much responsibility while we all slept the time away? He'd already been forced to grow up so much after his mother died... and then to wake up with none of us there. Well at least he had his father but… Lightning let out a sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose. To lose him too? And like that is just... he can't catch a break.

The young woman found herself reflecting back to her encounter with Hope. He seems to have changed so much. Of course puberty and running a city will do that. I can't get over how grown he is though. Lightning sat up, lower lip soon being sucked behind her front teeth. I'm glad Sazh is here too. I'm definitely grateful I wasn't the first to wake up although, I would have preferred it to Hope. Realizing that she was only causing herself to become further agitated, she got up and looked out the window. Six years seemed like such a small time frame to build a city, but they did it. It was filled with buildings and people all hustling through everyday life.

Lightning's mind slipped into its days in crystal stasis. She had been surrounded by all of those loving and caring people, surrounded by such warmth, that she missed it terribly. I finally had everyone back. I finally had her back. Only to wake up and find that she's still in that damned crystal. Lightning huffed, fury flying through her, and picked up the lamp on the side table before hurling it towards the opposite wall. It had shattered on contact and she fell against the wall. I can't... why? It was a question she felt had never truly been answered. Why they all had to deal with so much, time and time again. And I refuse to accept that it's destiny, fate, or whatever. After a few moments of deep breathing, Lightning got up and went to take a shower.

A good twenty minutes later, Lightning went to the closet which held a few Academy uniforms that looked awfully like Alyssa's. Yay. And a few Guardian Corps uniforms just like her own. Lightning smirked and slipped a uniform on. Just after, there was a knock on the door.

"One moment", Lightning yelled as she rushed to the door. She peeked out the peep hole to see Sazh waiting. "Hey, Sazh", she greeted as she opened the door.

"Lightning, it's great to see ya, when I'm not runnin' this way and that, o'course. Care to join me in the mess hall for lunch?"

As grateful as Lightning was to see Sazh and have him there, she really didn't feel up for much socializing. Especially around a bunch of other soldiers and workers in the mess. And if they're all like Alyssa...

The afro-haired man chuckled at Lightning's hard gaze. "Well, what'll it be, soldier? An old man could use some fresh company" prodded Sazh enthusiastically. "These worker bees are great and all, but I'd rather have lunch with an old friend."

Lightning rolled her eyes. "You're not that old, Sazh." She walked back into the room, snatched up her key card and communicator, ignored the shattered lamp on the floor, I'm glad Sazh can't see that from the doorway, and walked out.

"Well all right, let's have ourselves a little welcome back party."

Knowing that to be the exact opposite of what she wanted, she glared at Sazh, "Let's not go that far. But it beats wandering around aimlessly. I definitely am not going to sleep. I've rested enough for a lifetime."

Sazh snickered, "Yeah I know exactly how ya feel. Only when I woke up, I had five soldiers on me in two minutes. All tellin' me to stay calm, that things were safe, and that I had nothin' to worry about." The man shook his head. "I wouldn'ta been worryin' if they hadn't been pointin' weapons in my face. I was ready for a fight... but the moment I saw all y'all, and Dajh, I surrendered. Found myself talking to a Director Estheim. Said he was Hope's father. Gotta say..." Sazh rubbed the back of his head. "They look nothin' alike."

Lightning chuckled, "Yeah, no kidding."

"I told him that too. He said the kid took after his mom really. And uh... well..." His smile faded, recalling the less pleasant parts of that conversation. "Well, then after a bit of explainin' about this new world, in strolls the kid himself and, dear Maker, even two years ago he didn't look like a kid anymore", Sazh said excitedly. "Kid's a man now."

Lightning snorted, "Yeah, it's hard to miss." Couldn't even recognize him.

When they reached the mess, Sazh showed Lightning to a table, his usual spot he called it, and went to get them lunch. Lightning tried to tell him she could get it herself, but he insisted. Left to herself for a few minutes, the pink-haired soldier looked around the hall. It seemed that all eyes were on her. People were looking over their shoulders, staring across tables, and were most certainly saying things about her. Great, how do I always manage to attract attention? It's like I'm a celebrity around here. Although to be fair, they probably don't meet many reawakened l'Cie. Especially not ones who brought down the government... and their home... and probably crystallized many of their loved ones... okay, just stop.

As if on cue, a man sat in front of her. He had shaggy blonde hair that fell into his light blue eyes, and was wearing blue coveralls, with silver and orange goggles on his head. Lightning vaguely remembered him to be a part of the NORA gang.

Even though they had all been in her crystal dreams, she really only interacted with Lebreau and Gadot, seeing as she knew them the most before.

He looked at her with an eager gaze, like he was waiting for her to speak up. Lightning sighed, resigning herself to a conversation. "It's Maqui, right?"

The blond grinned. "Sure is. I wasn't sure you'd remember me. It's so cool to see another one of you guys walking around."

Why do I feel like a dog that just showed off a trick? Like I had been able to walk around and just opted not to?

"So, you like the place? It's no Cocoon, but who needs it", said Maqui as he shoveled mashed potatoes in his mouth.

Lightning wasn't sure what to make of the man. He had a very boyish personality, though his enthusiasm was refreshing, if not a little over the top.

"Here ya go", stated Sazh as he slid the tray in front of his lunch mate. The elder sat beside her and nodded toward Maqui.

"Heya."

"How'd the proposal go", inquired Sazh as he absently scooped up some meatloaf on his spork.

"It went great, actually. Should have it up and running in a month or so", Maqui exclaimed. He gestured emphatically as he spoke, accidentally flinging mashed potatoes on the table. "Hope's plan really is terrific, and with some fine tuning from me of course, it'll be ready to go in no time."

The conversation peeked Lightning's interest at the mention of Hope. Alyssa did say something about him having a proposal. "Proposal for what", she asked, passing it off as a mild interest.

Sazh went to speak, but was curtly cut off by the boy across from them. "It's basically a shield. We've been having frequent monster attacks, and since we're basically in their territory, it's not like we could have expected anything different, but it's gotten worse. The Guardian Corps can only do so much you know?" Lightning raised a brow, causing Maqui to hesitate slightly. "Right, well... the monsters are making it further into the cities every day. There were two more civilian deaths just last week due to a pack of Lobos. Anyway, Hope came up with a shield invention that seems very promising. I'm excited to help out with it too. I mean..." Maqui looked at Sazh with amusement, "I love workin' on your ships and all, Sazh, and all the small gadgets I put together ain't nothing either, but... I don't know. This seems more purposeful, you know?" The young man finished before shoving the last of his food down his throat.

"Hey kid, why don't you slow down a bit there and use the teeth the Maker gave ya?"

Maqui rolled his eyes, used to Sazh's fatherly tendencies. "Yeah, Yeah, grandpa." He smirked at Sazh's pause. "Sorry, but I gotta get to work if I wanna get off early. I'm meeting up with Lebreau at the bar."

Sazh gave Maqui an all knowing look. "Lebreau, huh?"

Maqui didn't take the bait. "Whatever. I'll see ya later, Lightning. It was good to see you again." Lightning nodded toward him as he left.

After the brief lull in conversation, the soldier turned toward Sazh. "So, what do you do around here anyway?"

"I'm a pilot. I do what pilots do best." Sazh winked. "I fly", he replied with a chuckle. "I work with the Calvary on their many missions. I'm actually due to fly out on a mission tomorrow. It's highly classified and even I don't know where we're goin' 'til I report in in the mornin'."

She nodded absentmindedly. "What do you think I'm going to do?"

"Well, you're our soldier girl, right? You're gonna do what soldiers do best, right?" Sazh looked to Lightning.

"I guess."

The answer laced with uncertainty caused him to furrow his brow and put a hand on Lightning's shoulder. "What's up? You look a little down."

I feel so out of place here. She yawned, feigning crystal stasis lag. "It's nothing, just feeling a bit off, I guess. I think I'll go back to the room."

Sazh wasn't convinced, but Lightning was never the type of person to open up much. "Well, all right. I got some last minute things I gotta get done before I head out in the mornin'. But hey, it was great seein' ya... and you should really find Hope. Kid's probably runnin' himself ragged, as always, but I'm sure he'll spare some time for a certain soldier." Sazh patted her on the back and took off before she could react.

Lightning glared after the pilot. She got up and put up her tray. Looking around, she felt unsure of where to go. Thanks to her training, she had memorized the way from Hope's office to her room, and from her room to the mess, but she really didn't feel like going back to her room and she wasn't sure she'd find Hope in his office. After a moment of thought, she pulled out her communicator and called Hope. When he didn't answer, she opted to calling Alyssa. Man, I would love to punch someone right now. Never thought I'd actually miss having that big oaf around.

"Hey, Miss Farron, may I help you with something?"

"Call me Lightning. Um... I was wondering where Hope would be. I needed to speak with him about something and he isn't answering his communicator."

"Oh, just give me a sec", the girl replied cheerfully. "He's in room 402 in the Research and Operations Sector. There are maps by the stairwells and elevators, but if you'd like, I could send an officer to escort you."

Lightning glanced at a map a few paces away from her. "No, that won't be necessary. Thanks for the help."

"Oh anytime, Mi- Lightning. Let me know if I can help you with anything else."

Lightning hung up and went to the elevator. Alright 'Director'. You better have a good excuse for not picking up.

Ten minutes later, Lightning managed to find Room 402. It's the room we were stored in. The room I woke up in. With a tentative step, she opened the door. She stepped inside and let the door fall shut behind her. Hope was standing in front of Snow, staring intently at the burly man, lost in thought. She had to admit even from this distance and angle, she could tell Hope had grown well. Lightning cleared her throat to make her presence known.

Hope, jolting from his thoughts, looked over to Lightning. He blinked rapidly and went to speak, but the soldier beat him to the punch.

"You know, if you keep staring at Snow like that, I'm going to have to assume you've got a thing for my sister's fiancé," Lightning stated dryly. She walked over to him as her lips twitched upwards.

The silveret laughed. "Well, he is ruggedly handsome." This caused her to raise a brow. "How long were you there, anyway?"

She shrugged. "Not long." Lightning, reaching up for once, poked Hope in the forehead. "You didn't answer your communicator, so I had to hunt for you." It's going to take me some time to get used to your new height.

Hope blinked his eyes at the touch. Well, that was unexpected. It's been awhile, Light. I've really missed you. "Really? Aw, I'm sorry, Light. I've had it on silence since the meeting."

"Oh, really", Lightning deadpanned. "I heard it went well."

Hope turned to his previous mentor with a confused gaze.

"Sazh and I ran into Maqui in the mess", Lightning simply stated. An understanding expression washed over his face at that. Glad I can still read you like a book.

"Yeah. He's very enthused about the whole deal. I mean, I am too, but... I have other projects to work on as well." Hope glanced back at the other crystallized forms. "Hey, Light?"

Lightning hummed in response, her eyes still glued upon his form. He was still Hope. There was no doubt about that. He may have looked like a new person, but shades of the old one were still there, even when ignoring his silver hair and captivating emerald eyes. Differences were apparent like how his emotions were much more reigned in and he seemed much more confident in himself. His idiosyncrasies were same as ever though. The kid still acted the same with her as well, showing her much respect while his eyes still shined with unrestrained admiration.

The young director gave her a docile smile. "What was your stasis like?"

Lightning walked over to Serah and placed a hand on her crystal. It brought her comfort to know Serah was there, crystallized or not. She could understand Sazh's sentiment about staying in the building. "Nothing fancy. It was just us. All of us together in Bodhum, as if the fall had never happened. It was peaceful." She looked back at Hope, meeting his intrigued eyes. "Why?"

"It's nothing." He looked back down to the floor in deep thought.

Lightning walked over to him and stood, waiting for him to meet her gaze. She hadn't realized before, but he had deep circles under his eyes, like he hadn't slept in days. Maker, Hope, you need some serious rest. Lightning felt extremely concerned for his current state, but could see that Hope had something to get off his chest. "Obviously it's not nothing if you're this lost in your thoughts."

Hope smiled halfheartedly. Should I? I don't want to get her hopes up about her sister. But she's never been too optimistic before, so maybe it won't matter. Maybe she'll just laugh it off like Rygdea initially had. "I've been researching crystal stasis and the Maker. For the past two months I've been spending my spare time in the Academy library combing through books until I found one that gave me an idea. An outrageous and unbelievable idea, but a slightly possible one at that." Hope looked up at Lightning. She was staring at him intently, making him a bit uneasy.

Those eyes, were they always this intense? Stop it. Stay focused. "Yes", replied Lightning, trying to recover. She decided that maybe looking at Hope wasn't the best, so she turned back to Serah.

Here goes. "There may be a way for us to wake those in crystal stasis."