A/N: Howdy. I hope you all enjoyed your April fools. I sure didn't. I'm starting to realize that my friends can be quite viscious when they want a good laugh.

How was that last chapter, huh? Not a lot of love for Aida, it seems. Of course I wasn't really expecting any.

Everything is really starting to come together with many questions remaining. Will Hope go after the crystals? Will Castea die soon? Is anyone else in stasis going to wake up in the next century? I love building suspense. I know, you all hate me. :P

Reviewers:

A Better Day1 - I definitely wouldn't want to put you in a room with Castea. Well, on second thought, have at her :D

LightPhantom742 - How do you even find the time to write such long, thorough, and amazing reviews? I'm glad you got a bit introspective. It shows me that my fic is at least a little relatable, despite being fantasy based. As for others being freed, all in due time. Sorry.

Torch507 - Aww, thank you :)

titus1994 - It is getting thicker and thicker. Thank you

Guest - That would be a no. Castea's complex feelings toward Hope will be revealed more and more as the story progresses, though.

ProdigyGirl45 - I'm not offended. I love it when my readers give me opinions and point out flaws. This is set after XIII, I only took some ideas, settings, and characters from the second game. Lightning can be very hot headed, but I also believe that she would have toned herself down after going through everything in the first game and after having reflected so much more on herself and her mistakes.

Lightarcana - Welcome back. The culprit behind Aida's death will be revealed soon. Castea's feelings towards Hope are far more complex than a crush and this will be shown and explained over time. And as for Lightning beating Castea's ass, well we all know Lightning is no chump, but a true badass hero needs a worthy opponent. I like to think that I've given her and Hope one.

Read and review :)

Revised: October 2015

Hope and Lightning stood within the small interrogation room, Hope's expression filled with disbelief and disgust while Lightning's similar feelings were kept concealed behind her stoic mask. The scene was truly horrific and Hope suspected that it was a sight that would be burned into his retinas for ages. Aida's body laid limply against the table, her legs splayed out on the floor, arms above her due to her wrists being cuffed to the table top. Her blood shot eyes were frozen in terror, the fear and pain the woman felt in the moment of her death clearly visible. Dark bruises of various sizes were scattered along her skin; she looked battered beyond belief.

Then there was the blood. The dark red was splattered everywhere as the horrid scent clung to the air with no means of letting go. Blood had leaked from the woman's eyes, nose, ears, as well as her mouth, though it appeared that most of the internal liquid had come from her neck. There was so much blood that Hope wanted to vomit. He swallowed thickly, holding back the bile. The blood covered her and the sight reminded him just a bit too much of how he knew he had looked while being tortured.

Lightning could see it too; Hope had looked very similar during his days in the ark. Another flare of anger rose from within her, but she kept herself together. Her sanity had to remain intact. She had to remain calm.

"Interesting..." Dr. Viktor Torkin stood hunched over Aida's lifeless body examining her cause of death with a careful and ardent eye. "And she died without anyone else in the room," he murmured to himself. Talking to himself was always the most proficient way to work. Everything was so much more memorable that way.

"According to everyone's statements." Lightning crossed her arms before her, sharp eyes scanning over the room. The area told a similar story. If Aida's body said the same thing, then there was no doubt in her mind that this was Castea's work. And if this was due to Castea, then it appeared that the woman's powers were limitless.

Torkin jumped, startled at the new voice within the room. "I'm terribly sorry, I had no idea anyone else was in here. Why, hello, Director. It's wonderful to see you again. I'd shake your hand, but..." He flexed his gloved fingers before him, showing that his hands were smeared with blood.

"Yeah..." Swiftly putting on a smile, Hope waved it off. "No matter. It's great to see you again, Viktor. And I thought I told you to call me Hope."

The balding man's widened slightly before he smiled bashfully. "Right, very sorry, Hope." The man's bespectacled gaze then fell onto the other occupant of the room. "Ah, and Sergeant Farron, was it? Great to see you, as well."

Lightning simply nodded in acknowledgement before turning back to the task at hand. "You have a cause of death yet?"

Torkin contemplated that for a moment, his eyes roving over Aida's body while he clasped his hands before him. "Well, I will need more time with the body once we get back to my office, but... yes, I do believe I do." The man sighed as his eyes glazed over with wonder. "Such a marvelous specimen, she is. A truly intriguing death we have here in front of us. She bled out, yes, but that's not the interesting part. You see how her eyes are almost completely bloodshot?"

Hope and Lightning nodded, the young man tilting his head to the side as his curiosity of the woman's death began to outweigh his disgust.

"And you see these bruises?"

Another nod.

A grin came to the man's face, seeming almost delighted as he spoke. "Her blood vessels burst. Her blood vessels and various veins burst causing the red in her eyes and the blood to surface under the skin, hence the bruising. But..." Torkin paused, a finger held before him, ecstatic about his discovery. "The killer here is," bending down slightly, he pointed to Aida's neck where most of the blood had splashed against the table and pooled beneath her, "her jugular vein and her carotid artery. They burst as well. The pressure of the blood caused them to just pop. All that blood just burst right out... even through all the skin." The man was truly amazed. He'd never seen anything like it in his entire medical career.

Hope's brows crinkled in confusion. "But what caused all of her vessels and veins and even... her artery to just explode? What could spike her pressure so high that it just... couldn't stay in any longer?"

Torkin glanced up from his notes, smile only broadening. "The cause of that?" He shook his head. "Something, I'm not sure what, but something caused her blood to boil. Her body heat must have skyrocketed in seconds. Whether it was due to a poison or illness or injury or a number of other possibilities, I'm uncertain. It will take some time with her."

Lightning grunted in understanding before turning and preparing to get out of the room. She was stopped, however, by the ever enthusiastic medical examiner.

"I did find this. I think she did it with her own nail."

"Did what," Hope asked, a tad wary of the man's next words.

"It looks as though she carved something into her arm. Considering the amount of blood the wound provided, I'd say it was before this all occurred - mere moments, maybe." Grabbing a few cloths from his kit, Torkin cleaned off some of the blood from the Pulsian's arm, uncovering the message.

'I will always protect you'

"Does it mean anything to either one of you?" Torkin inquired as he glanced up towards the two.

Hope's jaw clenched and he felt that familiar sensation in his gut foretelling of the vomit waiting to come up. The silveret fled the room quickly, his breathing becoming shallow.

"Hope," Lightning shouted as she chased after the terrified man. Catching him hunched over in the hallway, Lightning grabbed his shoulder. "Are you okay?" Azure orbs roved over Hope's pale face, seeing the panic he held within. "What does it mean?"

"It's my fault," he whispered softly, his breath hitching as he began to slide down the wall into a squat. His head fell in his hands, long, slender fingers grasping at platinum locks.

"Hope, what-"

Releasing his hold on his hair, Hope looked up at Lightning with unshed tears in his eyes. "She was a threat to me, so Castea killed her." After waiting a few moments for it to sink into the rosette's mind, Hope's head fell back against the wall with a thump. Even my enemies will die at the hands of her...

"Director?"

Both turned to see little Officer Mires hesitantly walking towards them, her pitiful gaze zeroed in on the director.

"Yes, Mires?" Hope stood up, quickly collecting himself.

Mires straightened up as well, facing her superiors, though her sympathetic gaze did not relent. "There's something you should see."

"What on Pulse is it." Zalera shouted as she entered the room. Another person dead. Another fellow Pulsian gone. Sure, Aida had been her enemy, but she had also been her friend in a past life. Because of this, the warrior was beyond distraught.

Amodar, Rygdea, Hope and Lightning stood in the room in front of a large monitor that encompassed the entire southern wall of the surveillance room. Rygdea glanced in her direction, sighing at the enraged woman. Why're all these women always so angry? Wouldn't matter to me if they all didn't have the ability to kick my ass. He understood, he supposed. Zalera had known Aida - rather well from what he'd gathered watching the interview between the two. "We thought you'd need to see this."

The interrogation room popped onto the screen, Aida idly sitting there, ante mortem. There was a strange mixture of irritation and satisfaction written on her face as she slouched. A few minutes passed with her in the same position, give or take a few sighs and body shifts. And then, something changed. Suddenly, she sat up straight, her eyes glazed over. Golden irises fell upon her forearm before she began digging into her flesh with her nail. What she was writing, they could guess.

When the message was finished, the woman slumped back in her chair, as if she hadn't moved at all - as if she hadn't just torn up her skin with her own nails. Aida sat there calmly, silently, while the blood dripped down her arm and onto the metal table.

It took another few moments before she began to convulse, her body trembling and shaking, writhing in pain. Her wrists were still cuffed to the table as her fingers twitched before scraping desperately at the table in front of her. Aida's eyes bugged out, each becoming redder as time progressed and a bloodcurdling scream tore from her throat. Bruises began to rapidly appear beneath her bronze skin. Her muscular legs kicked so hard that her chair fell out from under her, her body landing on the floor with her wrists still bound to the tabletop. It only took another second or two before blood burst from the carotid artery in her neck, killing her instantly. Her struggle ended with half of her body on the floor, the rest slumped against the table with her arms still held up on the table by her cuffs. The death was gruesome, yet swift. She died in a span of nearly forty-five seconds.

Zalera swallowed, her eyes shutting tightly, reigning in her emotions. Another death due to that wench.

The general cut the footage. Aida's body had still been twitching, blood spurting from her neck, but she was dead. They didn't need to see any more of it. He'd already seen it all. "The message?" Amodar turned to Hope, having already figured the answer.

Hope's nostrils flared and his head hung low. "For me."

Amodar clasped his hands behind his back, turning to everyone in the room. "I thought as much." He knew that things were only going to get worse with this woman, yet this had still caught him off guard. Amodar felt guilt settle within him for not being able to save Aida. The list of those he had not been able to save was getting quite long and it needed to stop. But with being a general, there would always be casualties and those you cannot save. The burden of this just grows heavier with time. "So... any ideas on how that was accomplished?"

"Castea knows her powers well. She's experienced," spoke Zalera through gritted teeth. "She can mess with people's minds, even control them for a certain amount of time." Green eyes flashed towards Lightning before settling on the general again. She would keep her secrets, whether they were secrets worthy of being kept or not. "The woman's done it to me in the past."

"It doesn't matter how or why. All that matters is taking care of Castea. This has to end," Lightning growled.

Zalera's head whipped around, eyes staring hard at the sergeant. "Like hell it doesn't matter. She wasn't just some Pulsian, just another casualty of war for a soldier to overlook. She was my friend."

"I didn't mean it like that and you know it."

Hope knew a fight when he saw one and there was definitely one brewing between the two women. He was about to step in between them and end it before it could start, only to be stopped.

Rygdea could sense the battle forming between Lightning and Zalera as well. Difference was, he could see that it was a battle that needed to occur. Things needed to be clarified between the two, and the men were going to leave them to hash it out.

Amodar and Rygdea ushered Hope out of the room along with a few of the Academy officers. "They need to discuss some things," explained Rygdea as he faced the younger man's confusion. "So we're gonna give them some time. How about we train some? It's certainly been awhile."

After giving the surveillance room door a glance of uncertainty, Hope gave Rygdea a small smile. "You're on."

"You comin', my friend," Rygdea asked Amodar, a grin on his face.

"Not today. I'm going to go bother young Leonald and DeWald, see what their research has yielded so far."

"All work and no play make's for a shitty day." Rygdea began to laugh as Amodar rolled his eyes with a sigh at his unrefined and unprofessional remark. He should be damn near used to it by now. "Well, let's get to it, kid."

Lightning and Zalera waited for the others to depart before continuing their conversation. "I'm sure she meant a lot to you and I'm sorry, but-"

"You're not sorry," Zalera sneered. "You're ecstatic that Aida's dead, aren't you?"

"Tch, I don't have time for this." Lightning turned, intending on leaving the woman to fume on her own. She needed to remain by Hope's side. Protecting Hope and killing Castea were still her main objectives, not consoling the mourner of an assassin.

"Aren't you?" she insisted. When Lightning only kept walking, she pulled out her chakram and threw it, the weapon landing in the door. "Aren't you?!"

A huff came from the soldier before she spun around. If she wanted a fight, she would get one. "Yes, okay? Of course I'm happy that she's dead. Have you forgotten? She tried to murder Hope! That woman came here with one intention in mind. She wanted Hope dead. If Castea hadn't killed her, I would have!"

"It's always about Hope, isn't it? It doesn't matter what Aida's reasons for hunting Hope were. It doesn't matter if she was my friend. It doesn't matter who she was. All that matters is Hope's life, right?"

"Right."

"Because you care about him," she asked mockingly.

Lightning's fists clenched. "Right."

Zalera scoffed as she strolled up to Lightning, expression unconvinced. "You wouldn't know how to care for someone if you tried."

Fed up with the insults, Lightning punched her elder in the face, square on the nose. The satisfaction swelled within her and she found herself punching her again and again and again. Once in the cheek, once in the chin, and finally once in the stomach. Zalera staggered back into the wall and before she could raise her head, she found her neck held against the barrier by Lightning's forearm. "I'm tired of you bad mouthing me and I'm sick of you belittling my feelings."

Spitting out the blood from her new cut on the inside of her cheek, Zalera faced Lightning with a smirk. "What feelings?"

With a growl, Lightning pulled her gunblade and aimed it at the green-haired woman's face.

"Am I your enemy, Firefly? Am I a target now?"

Gritting her teeth, Lightning pushed harder against Zalera's neck. She was being egged on, she knew it, but she didn't care. She was tired. She was so goddamn tired of it all. Everyone she cared for kept getting hurt and killed and she couldn't stop it. She was useless. She was worthless as a soldier, as a sister, as a girlfriend, even as a human being. She couldn't take this much longer.

Green eyes stared deeply into icy blue. "Do it," she dared while grabbing ahold of the blade of Lightning's weapon and roughly jerking it forward towards her own face. "Kill your enemy, soldier."

Lightning's glare intensified as did her hold on her weapon, the gunblade soon shaking in both their grasps.

"A soldier never falters when given an order..."

Another few moments passed before the sergeant's eyes widened in realization of what she was about to do and who she was about to do it to.

"...Be sure to think, however. An order isn't always what it seems."

Zalera's gaze was blank, though one tear fell down her cheek as she left her fate in the others hands.

The words she had learned from her commanding officer all those years ago rang in her head. Lightning didn't want this. Blinking a few times as her brows furrowed, she withdrew and took a step back. What was I about to do? Mortified by her actions, Lightning turned to leave the room, holstering her weapon. "You wanna be killed, get someone else to do it."

Their sabers clanged and shrieked as they were forced together, a battle of will and strength forming. Rygdea and Hope were training outside, seeing as it was a tremendous day. They were in front of Hope's house, the perimeter having been secured and crowded with new guards.

Both men pushed full force against their opponent. Boots slid in the dirt as they both focused on besting the other man, perspiration dripping heavily down their bodies. Blowing sweaty silver tendrils from his eyes, Hope locked gazes with Rygdea. His muscles in his right arm began to spaz slightly, causing Rygdea to gain ground. It lasted only for a moment before Hope pushed back using the strength of his core muscles. This, of course, caused a strong twinge of pain in his abdomen from the remains of the arrow's infliction.

The Cavalry leader watched in concern as Hope winced, his persistence waning. Realizing that this training may have been doing more harm than good, being far too soon into his recovery, Rygdea withdrew, sliding to the right and out of Hope's way as the teen fell forward with the loss of resistance.

"What was that?" Hope's breathy question held traces of pain, though he had tried to hide it. His hand immediately went to favor his stomach, but he refrained from letting it do so.

"How's the injury?"

"Oh, c'mon, Rygdea. You don't just give up. Aren't you supposed to exploit the enemy's weaknesses? Besides, I'm fine." Hope took a stance, ready to continue their battle, only to watch Rygdea sigh and sit down, his blade being tossed to the side. Relaxing, the teen looked to his mentor quizzically.

Unconvinced by the others words, Rygdea sat down and pulled his hair back into a loose ponytail. "Don't whine to me, boy. That's not very befitting of a leader." Hope's face scrunched up in distaste as he went to speak, though Rygdea didn't allow him the courtesy. "And if you were the enemy, of course I'd exploit that wound you've so obviously been trying to hide," the man remarked, his expression displaying his disapproval towards Hope for attempting to conceal his injury. "However, you aren't the enemy, you're my charge. I'm supposed to make sure you're okay and kick you're ass if ya lie to me." A prideful gleam took over Rygdea's eyes that had Hope squirm uncomfortably, his shameful gaze turned down.

"You don't have to get all paternal on me." Hope collapsed to the ground and gulped in a breath.

"I do, Hope. You were left in my hands after... after you're father passed and although you were already eighteen-"

"You were already like a father to me before dad died, Rygdea." Emerald eyes met sky blue as Hope spoke nothing but the truth. "You know that."

Scratching at the stubble of his chin, Rygdea shook his head with a chuckle. "Don't try to soften me up and make me forget that stomach you've been trying not to nurse. How is it? You didn't fully heal it, did you?"

Shouldn't have even tried. "Hurts a bit. I healed most of it up and the doctors said they got virtually all of the poison out, though a small, non-lethal portion will linger in my system for a few days. I think it's that trace amount of poison that's keeping me from being able to cure it completely."

"And just what are you two morons doing?" shouted Lightning as she approached, a scowl marring her features. "You were just shot, Hope. With a poisoned arrow. You could have died, remember?"

Hope cringed as she stood over them. "It was just some light practice, okay? No biggie."

No biggie? He had been shot, almost died. There was a possibility that not only were Castea and her minions lurking around, but many trigger happy Pulsians with Hope in their cross-hairs. And he was just playing around outside, still uncaring towards his health. Before Lightning was able to voice any of her opinions, Hope's comm went off, followed shortly by Rygdea's.

Hope groaned as he sat up a little straighter and answered, throwing an apologetic look Lightning's way. "Yeah...?" Hope's look of annoyance suddenly fell away. "What?!"

"It's true. All of them are accounted for. They're being examined now, but it seems that there's no need. Aside from being extremely groggy from what they assume to be some sort of drug, they're all just the same as they were when they were abducted," concluded Amodar, beaming as he spoke with a newly arrived Hope, Lightning and Rygdea.

Hildough was at the General's side, his eyes searching through the surrounding people within the hospital as they spoke. "I have contacted Waynes, as requested. He should be here within the next five or six hours to speak with us on this matter."

Amodar gave his thanks before being assaulted with more questions.

"Are we sure they're all okay? Have any of them said anything about what happened to them," asked Hope impatiently.

Lightning gave him a few moments before her own questions began to slip out. "Sir, did they confirm that it was Castea's people that took them? Do they know where to find them?" She had to know. This could be the break they had been waiting for.

"Has anyone contacted their families, yet?" Sazh's voice alerted every one of his presence as he walked up to the group.

Amodar heaved a heavy sigh as he began to address everyone. "We have soldiers and staff contacting families after examinations are completed. It'll take some time seeing as twenty-four people just popped up out of nowhere. As I said, they all seem to be just fine, though they are very out of it. They also seem to have little to no memory of their time away with no knowledge of where they have been held. There has been no confirmation of Castea Hidon's group's involvement other than Mr. DeWald's account of the original abduction. According to the guards that found them at the perimeter, they all just showed up out of thin air."

"Hope!" Maqui cried as he entered the scene, followed swiftly by the rest of the NORA gang.

"Calm down, Maq-"

Lebreau stomped up to the young director and yanked him down by his collar so his face was at her level, jerking him out of his sentence. "No bull shit, Hope. Where's Gadot?" Light brown eyes bore into Hope's as she conveyed in her gaze that if he failed to give her answers, she would not hesitate in kicking his ass. Given Yuj's glower that the blunet was giving Hope over her shoulder, one could only assume that he would join in on the ass whooping too.

All of the threatening stares were unnecessary, though, for Hope would have gladly told them where their teammate was... had he actually known Gadot's location. Desperate eyes flitted over to Amodar as Hope silently asked for some assistance.

Another sigh was given while the man rubbed his forehead in thought. "It's against protocol-"

Yuj's expression immediately fell into shock and anger as he interrupted. "No way, man. You are not keeping us from-"

"-but I'll make an exception," finished Amodar, giving Yuj a warning glance. "You all must be cautious. He's very out of it and we aren't quite sure of his state of mind."

Lebreau gulped at the new knowledge before nodding eagerly. "We just want to see him."

The group, sans Hildough for he had some other business to attend to, then went to Gadot's room, some with all of the patience of a fly. Lebreau flew into the room, the hospital door smacking loudly against the wall. A young nurse tending to their friend was about to squawk at them for the loud disruption and ruckus, but immediately halted her words when she spotted the Cavalry leader, general and director all within the group.

"Miss, how is he?" asked Amodar, taking her by the arm and leading her out of the room along with Rygdea, leaving the others to their reunion.

Gadot, miraculously still resting despite the commotion, was then jostled awake as he felt himself smothered. The large man's eyes adjusted to the reality around him. Is this a dream? After living so long in a comatose state, it was hard to tell between the dream and reality, especially with the times that he had truly been awake being so hazy. But as he felt the warm arms he was being embraced in, the weight of their bodies against him, and the sheer joy and freedom he felt in that moment, he knew that he was no longer stuck in a nightmare of a dream state any longer. "It's over..." he murmered as he embraced his best friends.

"You're back," was all the young brunet could say as she hugged Gadot with all her might, the sobbing slurring her speech.

Maqui was on the other side of Gadot, also embracing the man with all he had. The thoughts that had been plaguing him for months, that he would never see his beloved best friend again, disappeared. Gadot was back. He didn't have to feel so guilty and hollow for surviving the abduction anymore. "I can't believe you're here."

The two spent a few more minutes welcoming Gadot home with hugs, tears and threats from Lebreau that if he ever got himself kidnapped again she would cut his manhood off and feed it to a zirnitra.

The bulky man laughed heartily as they separated, until his gaze found Hope standing before him. He was stunned and overjoyed to see that he was safe. "Hope..."

"Welcome back, Gadot."

The fiery haired man shook his head and blinked, once again unsure if this was all real. He thought they had failed. He was sure Hope was dead. "...You're alive."

Sorrow and guilt sparked within his eyes before he shoved his emotions back. This was about Gadot. "Thanks to you, my friend, and your sacrifice." Hope smiled brilliantly as he went in to give the man a hug. Emerald eyes bugged out as he felt his body almost being crushed. I see your strength hasn't suffered much.

"Please, I did nothing but get myself captured," Gadot laughed.

"You did more than you know."

Gadot disagreed, but the argument was not worth the time or effort. The man was exhausted. "Hey there, Lightning. How's life been treating you?"

"Splendidly," deadpanned the soldier. "You should rest up. We could use you out there." Lightning never really thought much of the NORA gang, that was no secret, but Gadot always seemed capable and he always treated Serah like a sister.

"Concern for me? Ha, never thought I'd see the day." I wonder what I've missed out on. Lightning's definitely softened some. Snow would be shocked off his feet.

In response, Lightning rolled her eyes and continued to rigidly stand against the wall. "Tch."

"And you, Sazh?"

The eldest of the group gave a wave and a warm smile. "Not bad. Great to see ya, big guy."

The room fell into silence as all attention turned to Yuj who was still standing beside the doorway, his eyes locked onto the floor. Gadot tilted his head to the side as his brows furrowed, looking at his friend curiously.

No one else understood it either. Yuj was always the life of the party. With Gadot gone, he had been obviously lost and suffering; his disappearance seemed to have affected him more than anyone. So it stands to reason that he would be the happiest and most ecstatic now, right?

"Yuj...?" The blunet still did not move a muscle other than squeezing his eyes closed. "...Why don't you guys give us a minute?" Everyone silently agreed and began to make their way out. Lebreau and Maqui were very hesitant, but they did have another person to visit.

The door clicked shut and the room remained still. Gadot attempted to look into Yuj's face, but to no avail. After a long enough time had passed, the elder man started to shift, getting up from his spot to check on his silent companion.

"Don't," Yuj mumbled, words choked. When he had first entered the room, he couldn't believe his eyes. His best friend and mentor was okay. He was deeply relieved at the sight, but he was also very frightened. The usually dark skinned and large man looked so pale and small lying in that hospital bed. Gadot and Snow were always pillars of strength in the young man's mind. They were the only heroes he ever believed in. But now...

Gadot ignored Yuj's soft plea and his fogged mind's protests in favor of seeing if Yuj was okay. The kid was a lot more sensitive than he liked to be perceived. Dragging his partially numbed body away from the bed, the twenty-seven year old grabbed Yuj and embraced him. The younger struggled, but it only lasted moments before Gadot was fiercely hugged back. "I'm sorry."

"Don't you dare apologize!" shouted Yuj. "I just can't believe-"

"I know, man. I'm back."

Yuj pulled away, wiping the stubborn tears from his eyes and sniffing hard. "What the hell are you doing up? Get back in that bed," he commanded, chuckling and trying to be upbeat.

The burly man laughed as he was helped back onto the thin mattress. "Well, my best bud was ignoring me. Hurt my feelings a bit, ya know?" He meant it as a joke, but it didn't seem that Yuj felt that any of it was funny.

"I know... I just..." Yuj shook his head, dispelling all of his previous thoughts. "Where were you? What happened?"

Gadot's grip on the bed railing strengthened as he looked almost lost. "I don't know. I really don't. I remember nothing." Closing his eyes, Gadot tried to focus, but it was all blank. A hazy fog was all that was left in his mind in between the present and being taken. "No matter what it's just... nothing. But what happened with Hope? How'd you all find him?"

Yuj's gaze turned to the side. "We didn't. They took you guys to stop us from looking. They threatened to kill you if we didn't stop... so we did. We left Hope in their hands to save you. But I don't regret it." The man slumped down in a chair by his bedside, his expression oddly calm.

Gadot chose to leave that alone for the moment. "You know who took us?"

"Some woman named Castea and a bunch of her followers. They're a bunch of l'Cie after a crystal to bring back the Maker. Apparently only Hope can use it. He has his brand back and everything. We're trying to stop her and her group, but... we're not strong enough."

Gadot sighed, letting it all sink in, before a smirk crossed his face. "Yet." Yuj lifted a brow in confusion. "We're not strong enough yet. Nobody's a match for NORA."

Yuj smiled, his eyes a tad misty. "Right."

Hildough walked out of the room, much to Hope's surprise. His head was hung low before he saw that there were people in front of him, waiting to get in. "Hello, Director... and friends."

Opening his mouth to voice his curiosity, Hope began to think better of it before snapping his mouth shut. It was their business. "Olly okay?"

The tall man hesitated before nodding, his eyes drifting back to the now closed door. "He is fine. La Salle is... a different story."

Hope smiled. "Should we come back?"

"No, I am sure that they would enjoy your company. Young La Salle had some questions as well," stated Hildough before taking his leave.

The young director knocked firmly on the door and waited for an answer. When there wasn't one, Maqui burst in. "Maq!"

Nivien was sitting on Olly's side of the bed, leaning over him with her forehead against his. It was something Hope was used to seeing between the two. They were quite close, after all.

Yanking Maqui back to her side and giving him a scolding glance, Lebreau spoke. "We can come back..."

Sniffing, Nivien pulled back and stood, her wide smile of delight unmistakable. "No..." The ebony skinned woman wiped her eyes and stood straighter, composing herself. "... It's fine. Come on in."

Maqui didn't even blink before running over and glomping on the poor teen. "Dude, where ya been? Ya okay?"

"I think he'd be better if he could breathe, half pint," reprimanded Lebreau as she walked to his side.

Eyes widening, the goggled man jumped back from him like he was on fire. "Sorry, man." Confusion fell upon his expression as he saw Olly chuckling. Then he realized what his brain had temporarily missed. "Hey! I'm like an inch taller than you!"

Lebreau clapped him on the back. "You'll always be half-pint to me, Maq. It's great to have ya back, Olly."

"Thanks," he replied bashfully. "And I'm alright. I have a few bruised ribs, though...but it's nothing"

Lightning stared at Hope, baffled as to why he hadn't gone in yet. "What's up?"

Fine silver brows crinkled as he looked on pensively into the room. "It's not right for me to go in there. If I hadn't gotten-"

"No one thinks that, Hope. This was Castea's fault, no one else's. You didn't do anything to him."

Hope's expression hardened. Oh, I did something. It was just a long while ago... "You said you have bruised ribs?" Entering the room, the director stood before Olly's bed, looking at his chest with concern.

Nivien spoke up at Hope's inquiry. "Yeah, the doctor said it was fairly recent."

What could have happened to them where most of them are in perfect health and they don't remember anything? "You're memory's all foggy too?"

Olly blinked a few times at the new question and he tried to think hard about it. "I... remember being in the ship... Someone started yelling about losing control... I..." The private bit his lip as he dug deeper into his mind, eyes focused on the wool blanket covering him. "...I fell... I hit my side really hard against a railing and... my head..." His hand then felt the back of his skull to find the large bump resting there. "I blacked out... then I remember sitting on a beach with my sister..." He smiled as he looked up at Nivien who had watery eyes. "...We were with our parents back on Cocoon... I also... recall smelling something really musty and..." He crinkled his nose in distaste. "It stank of death and... rotting flesh... there was a dim yellow light and..." The teen sighed and slumped back against the bed. His eyes shone disappointment, being unable to remember anything truly helpful. "I don't recall from there. Sorry."

"If you were hurt then... how are you..." Nivien stood perplexed, as did the rest of them. It was odd that the bumps and bruises Olly got months ago were still fresh. As if the injuries had occurred only hours ago.

"Enough about me," spoke Olly, getting fed up with all of the examinations and the questions that he couldn't answer. "How are you guys? Any news on Cocoon and freeing everyone? Speaking of freeing... how'd Hope get away? Was the mission successful or..." Olly asked Nivien, not even acknowledging Hope's existence.

Hope drew in a breath. "It doesn't matter-"

"Of course it does. I wanna know," he insisted. Olly took a moment and looked at everyone around him, noticing the nervous and serious faces. "What happened?"

Clearing his throat, Hope smiled. "I escaped, that's what happened." Directing the conversation elsewhere, Hope went on. "Cocoon is the same as usual. We haven't had much progress in freeing it and... we aren't sure if we will be able to after all."

Time passed with more information and theories being shared throughout the room. Sazh left shortly into the conversation, being called in on a work-related project. Lebreau left after a while as well, looking to return to Gadot's room.

"Hey, can I speak to Olly for a bit?" Maqui inquired.

"I think he needs his rest." Nivien was reluctant to leave her brother. She'd felt so alone without him. Since the fall, it had really been just the two of them. Sure, they had their friends and significant others, but they really only depended on each other. With having been the sole care taker of her brother for so long, and subsequently becoming so emotionally dependent on him, Nivien had been pretty much destroyed with his abduction.

Olly squeezed her hand in reassurance. "I'll be fine, sis. Stop being such a mother hen."

Mussing up his hair playfully, her gaze turned to Lightning. "I need to speak with Sergeant Farron anyway."

Lightning's brow rose, but she didn't question or protest and instead simply followed her out beside Hope.

When everyone was gone, Maqui turned to Olly. "I'm sorry-"

"Stop apologizing. Really, Maqui. You've apologized enough. Heck, you even explained yourself when I wasn't looking for an explanation. And if things went the way you said, which I don't doubt, then I would have done the same thing had I been in your position." The boy meant every word. He really wished he hadn't been unconscious for the whole ordeal. Instead of even choosing to hide or fight, he'd simply lost the decision by a bump on the head. "Now, is that all you wanted, Maq, 'cause I'm kinda feeling dizzy."

Maqui sighed as he ran his hand through his shaggy blond hair. "Do you blame Hope?"

"For what?"

"Your abduction." Maqui could tell that the tension between Hope and Olly was still there and if possible, had grown worse. The teen was incredibly icy to Hope throughout their entire visit. "Or is this still about Nivien?" Olly cursed, which actually threw Maqui off guard. Olly had quite the altar boy reputation. Maqui wasn't even sure he had ever heard the private cuss before.

"No, of course I don't blame him for this. And believe me, if I could, I would. But this is just a mixture of crappy magic, evil villain plots, and fate's sick ways. My hostility has everything to do with my sister's relationship with him."

"That was almost a year ago. You have-"

Olly's eyes blazed with fury as his head whipped back in the other's direction. "He promised her, Maqui. He promised her that he'd always be there. Here was his prime opportunity to prove that he wasn't a liar. She was alone. She had no one. I..." The teen choked on his words as his throat tightened painfully. His sister had suffered through enough in her life, spending most of it taking care of her kid brother. She was the only reason he was even alive. "He told her he loved her. Did you know that?"

Maqui let his eyes slip shut as he pursed his lips, contemplating his answer. The truth, for him, was always the best. "Yes."

The soldier was momentarily struck silent. "You did," he half yelled, astonished and outraged by this new discovery. "And you're still friends with that ass hole?"

"Things change, Olly. Feelings change." He never realized how much Hope and Nivien's breakup had affected Olly. He was always very sour when speaking of it, sure, but this was still news to him. "He didn't intentionally hurt-"

"I don't care! I hope he learned a lesson about real pain when he was taken. I think that's the best thing that could have come out of all of this. At least Director Hope Estheim learned a lesson and got to know some of what us normal lower beings experience."

And thus, it was Maqui's turn to become enraged. "What the hell are you even saying?! As if you know real pain. What the hell have you experienced?" Olly began to speak only for Maqui to quickly shut him down. "You know what, Hope did experience real pain. More pain than you could even fathom. He was held for months in some ark, practically a cave, while he was tortured for hours on end every day." Blue eyes looked away, disgusted with his ranting friend. "I guess you can sleep with a smile on your face now. Hope learned his fucking lesson real well." Maqui slammed the door as he left the room, never looking back.

The lone three walked down the hall, a ways away from Olly's room. Taking a look at Lightning's carefully concealed expression, that was useless on him for he could see her uncertainty, and Nivien's hinting glances, Hope could tell that he wasn't wanted or needed in this conversation. Nonetheless, it was a horrible idea to leave Nivien and Lightning alone together to talk. He shuddered to think of all of the different ways their conversation could go. He really didn't want to find out which scenario would be right. "So, is there anything I could help you with, Nivien?"

Nivien bit her cheek as she heard her name slip from his lips. There was a time when she would have given anything to hear him say her name. "Nope." She kept her gaze steadily on Lightning. One glance at him would cause her resolve to crumble and she couldn't have that. She had to get this conversation out of the way as she'd been meaning to since the soiree. She had to move on.

He was definitely unwanted here. Jaw clenching, Hope began to walk away. "I'm going to go see Amodar on the status of the others then, all right? Call me when you're done, Light." Way to set off a ticking time bomb. I really am an idiot.

Lightning glanced around, finding herself in a small, cozy waiting room. It was empty, for which she was grateful. The young woman had an idea on how this conversation was going to go and it was probably going to end in some bloodshed.

Wringing her hands, Nivien walked past Lightning, venturing deeper into the room. "Can we sit?"

Or not. Confused, Lightning took a seat across from the now sitting lieutenant. Probing blue orbs looked over Nivien. The woman looked so scared and nervous, her eyes flitting from place to place around the room, knee subtly shaking. It was unsettling to see this woman, who was usually so sure of herself, so confident, be so insecure. The only times she had seemed so vulnerable was when Olly was concerned. Maybe Lightning didn't know where this was going.

"I want... to apologize for the way I've behaved towards you," Nivien started, her nervousness not straying.

Lightning sat back in her chair, crossing her arms before her. "It's understandable, I guess."

Nivien smiled a small, unnerved smile, her eyes finally meeting the woman sitting across from her. She had gone over this conversation so many times in her mind, so how come this was so hard? She needed to just get through this and get back to her brother. With that as her goal, she pushed on. "You know by now, I'm sure, that Hope and I were together. And I know that you guys are... or are going to...well... maker, this is so awkward..."

The roseate could agree with that. She resisted the urge to smack her face into her palm. Apparently just because you intend to keep a relationship secret, doesn't mean that it's going to stop everyone from guessing and assuming that you're together.

"I still love him."

That obvious statement stopped Lightning's thoughts cold. Even though she knew that fact, it didn't make it any easier to hear. The woman in front of her had been with Hope. She had felt and touched and been with Hope in some of the most intimate of ways. She knew Hope in ways Lightning didn't. And if Hope wanted, he could be back with her in a second.

"When we first got together, with me being the older, well respected soldier and Hope as the younger kid fresh out of school, everyone thought that he was the head over heels little puppy dog following me around, but... I was the one that fell completely in love with him." Her slender hand was held over her heart, slightly dulled, unpolished nails digging into the fibers of her sweater. "He was so sweet and genuine. He wasn't like everyone else. Hope had seen so much of the world, so much evil, but he let it change him for the better. He became a better person because of...," hazel eyes flickered back to Lightning's hardened stare before finding her shoes and fumbling on, "...what you all went through. I loved that about him... I loved everything about him," Nivien admitted, laughing at the pain she felt stabbing into her when saying those words.

Lightning cleared her throat as she sat forward. "Why are you telling me this?" The question had been spoken softly, mostly due to her throat tightening as this conversation went on. She could feel her relationship with Hope slipping away as her sympathy for this woman grew.

Swallowing thickly, Nivien looked up from her clenched hands as her head rose. "Because I know now... No matter how much I loved him, it never changed how much he cared for you." The woman then stood, running a hand through her wavy, brown hair. "I should have seen it sooner. I think I did, but I just didn't want to admit..."

Admit... what...?

"That he was always in love with you and I wasn't enough to change that. You were always this legendary fighter, the savior of his life to him. But to me, you were a block of crystal. You were someone who was most likely not even going to wake up in this century. So I didn't take the threat seriously."

A pregnant pause followed, leading Nivien to sit once more, fidgeting uncomfortably while Lightning refused to do the same. Hope had really put a spell on Nivien, it appeared. A spell that didn't wear off or even diminish with a breakup.

"I'm pretty sure you guys are together... and trust me it kills me to think..."

Lightning didn't object. It wasn't that she didn't wish to, she was the one demanding it all be kept secret, but the words would not form. The damned sentence 'we aren't together' or 'I don't care for him like that' wouldn't come out. Maybe there was a reason for that.

"...but I know that I deserve to be with him."

Sharp eyes shot in her direction.

"You think you know him? You think you care for him?"

Again the words wouldn't come. Not even when Nivien's gaze became harsh and accusatory. Not even when her mouth was set into a firm frown and tears prickled at the brunette's eyes.

"You haven't been here. You hardly know him." Nivien scoffed at Lightning, causing the younger woman's irritation to grow. "You don't know him at all. You weren't here as he dealt with the hatred and bullying of those who only saw him as the destroyer of Cocoon. You weren't here when he was killing himself night after night to be good enough for his father. It wasn't your arms that held a shaking Hope, filled with fear and anger and grief after his father passed." Tears began to fall down her cheeks, the saltiness hitting her lips as her eyes bore into Lightning's. "It wasn't you who felt his tears running down your shoulders. It wasn't you who felt complete pain as you heard his cries and then shuddered the next day when he tried to say he was all right. You haven't been here for him so stop acting like he's yours to protect, to save... to-to love. He's not yours!" ended Nivien in a shout. As the words echoed back to her, the woman's eyes widened. That had most certainly not been the way she'd wanted that conversation to go. Her mind had apparently abandoned her logic and preparation and instead had followed her stubborn emotions.

At this, Lightning found her words, and her courage to say them. "You talk as if I abandoned him. As if I chose to leave him in favor of staying locked in my crystal prison." Nivien sniffed, but otherwise remained silent, her brows furrowed. "You want to talk about being there for him? You weren't there for him when he lost his mother. You weren't there for him when he went on a revenge mission against his mom's 'murderer'. You weren't there for him when he became a l'Cie or when that led him to becoming a monster to be hunted by an entire planet." The sergeant got up and knelt down before her elder, eyes staring deeply into the other's down turned ones. "You weren't there for him as we faced the end of our lives together." Lightning stood, ready to leave this obnoxious woman behind her.

"Don't hurt him."

Lightning sighed as she stopped, turning back to the woman with annoyance written all over her.

"I'll leave you both alone. Just... don't hurt him."

Hope and Lightning exited the car as they got home. It'd been a long day. Hope's wound stung and he couldn't seem to keep himself from scratching his brand. Lightning was contemplating how to get that horrid scent of hospital disinfectant out of her nose and that conversation out of her head.

Nodding to his guards at his door, Hope let them both into his home. As he shut the door behind him, Lightning spoke.

"Play for me."

Hope's brow rose as he paused in shedding his coat, mind wondering where the sudden request came from. "What?"

She'd missed too much. Lightning had missed out on so much of Hope's life. As much as she loathed it, Nivien's words had hit home. She hadn't been there for him. She didn't know much about him. The right to be with him was not hers. "Your violin... play it for me." After asking, she walked to Hope's room, assuming that was where he kept his instrument.

Standing there for a moment or two, limbs still frozen mid motion in relieving himself of his jacket, Hope tried to ease the surprise and curiosity within him. As he soon joined Lightning in the room, he looked at her with caution. Something was up. "Why?"

"Because I want to hear you," she stated simply, arms crossed against her chest as she sat on his bed.

Nervously, Hope scratched the back of his head. It'd been awhile since he'd played – a long while. "It's been forever and a day since I've even held that thing."

Lightning only rolled her eyes at his pathetic attempt to deny her request. "I don't care if you sound like rocks in a blender." She sighed, letting her arms fall to her sides, guard somewhat coming down as she tried her best to be as supportive and girlfriendish as she could be. Which I know isn't much. But she was trying. "Just... play for me."

He watched as she weakened her defenses, wondering again what was up. But he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. This was the kind of thing he'd been waiting for. It was a chance to deepen their relationship, if only a little. His lips curved into a smile at the thought of Lightning trying to get closer to him. "I'd be honored."

Grinning smugly, Lightning sat back, watching Hope sift through the contents of his closet to find his violin case. The poor thing was heavily covered in dust and Hope choked and coughed on the puff that he inhaled. He coughed for a full minute until the dust particles finally settled in his lungs, Lightning snorting at the spectacle.

"Yeah, real funny," Hope stated dryly. His gaze shifted back to the instrument as he opened the case. As his emerald hues caught sight of the musical mechanism, he froze. Shiny, sharp teeth worked at his bottom lip as all of the memories associated with his beloved violin flowed through his mind.

Her playfulness died out as her face fell into its far more usual expression of seriousness. Hope was staring at the violin with such a look of pain and sorrow that it was heart wrenching. "Hope?"

"I'm sorry, I..." The teen slammed the case closed, it just centimeters from catching his fingertips. "I can't."

"His mom taught him..." Cass' words echoed in her mind, reminding her of why this might be a challenging affair. "Your mom...?"

His head jerked up at the question. "What?"

"Your mom taught you, right?"

He nodded absently, his mind fairly fogged. "How'd you..."

Lightning sighed as she pushed the dirty case farther on the bed to make room. With very little effort she then pulled him down to sit. His body, lacking grace, followed the limb that had been yanked in her direction. She steadied him, concern crinkling the corners of her eyes as she saw that look again. It was that lost and abandoned puppy look he'd had when they met and when she learned of his mother's untimely demise. "Cass told me." The young director didn't respond, leading Lightning to grip his hand tightly, noticing the tenseness of his body. "Don't you ever play to remember her?" Lightning's inner self laughed at her own question. She never went near anything that reminded her of her parents, if she could help it. Expecting Hope to do differently was hypocritical.

"I used to," Hope murmured. He could clearly remember the day his mother first started to teach him. She was so excited, her expression elated, as his small fist held his first bow. Hope could still remember the electricity he felt in that moment, as if he was meant to play. He could also remember the joy in making his mom so happy. "It was one of the only things she ever fought my dad on."

He spoke so softly she had to strain to hear him. "Hm?"

"My dad thought it wasn't fitting of a man to do something as trivial as play an instrument. Especially a man of the respectable Estheim family." His jaw clenched hard, his teeth grinding together painfully. Until all so suddenly, he relaxed. His expression softened and his body loosened up. "But she fought him on it and she won. She taught me everything she knew about the violin and every song she'd ever played. And when I had mastered everything she knew, we started learning more complicated music... together," Hope beamed, his gaze wistful.

Lightning's lips pressed into a firm line. She contemplated things for a moment as she held his hand tighter. She had always hated comforting people. Even this was making her feel uncomfortable, but it also felt very right. It was almost easy to ignore her discomfort in the face of helping Hope work through his pain and find peace. She cherished every moment with him.

"After the fall... I didn't play again. Dad said it was too painful to hear it, that it would remind him too much of mom. I obeyed... until the anniversary of her death. I snuck a song in while my dad was supposed to be at work. I finished it just in time to catch my dad in my doorway. I expected him to be furious. But when I looked at his face... he was smiling and crying. He told me I could play whenever I wanted after that." He sniffed and wiped his running nose with his sleeve. "It didn't hurt me to play. I felt more connected to her by playing. Even though she was gone, I felt her with me."

"Then how come it's been so long since you've played?"

"Dad died."

Confusion turned within her as he pulled his hand from hers and stiffened again.

"I didn't really feel like playing after that."

The soldier nodded and met his sorrowful eyes, conveying that she understood and would not force him to play. She hugged him, a bit awkwardly she'd admit. "I'd still like to hear you. In the future… when it's not so painful."

He hugged her back then, very grateful for her words. "I will. I want to play for you."

He surprised her by pulling away and immediately going back to opening his instrument's case. "It's beautiful, Hope," Lightning commented as she saw the violin. She said this and meant it, though she had nothing to compare it to. This was the closest she had been to a violin in her life. It was the closest she'd been to any instrument, really.

Hope smiled at her compliment. Pain and fear slipped away and morphed into nervousness. He was going to be playing... in front of Lightning... after such a long hiatus from his wooden companion. Dear Etro, I don't want to mess this up. What am I going to play?! But as his fingers graced his bow and the smooth exterior of his oldest friend, all his anxiety ebbed away. It felt so very right to be reunited with one of his greatest passions in life. He knew what he was going to play too. The silveret could practically see his mother sitting before him, begging him to play her favorite piece again. Paganini's Caprice No. 24 had always been her most requested piece, above all else.

The stun slowly left her as she sat and watched Hope stand in front of her, readying himself to play. She was intrigued and oddly... excited to hear him. She'd never listened to a violinist before. And as she heard his first few notes float into the air, she wondered why she had never wanted to. It was captivating, to say the least. Hope appeared to have lost himself, and it was beautiful to see. His body moved so elegantly, yet with such control. Nimble fingers played along the strings, his bow gliding along them with such energy and conviction.

The tune played through her ears and her mind and she found herself closing her eyes, sighing as she too lost herself, enraptured in the sheer beauty of Hope's music. She'd never had the privilege of hearing something quite like it, though she'd never had the desire to before. Music was a luxury she'd never become very acquainted with. But listening to this was like listening to a part of Hope's soul. A very amazing, wonderful, and dazzling part of his soul. And she found herself falling for Hope even more.

It was like traveling through time, yet knowing that everything was as it was. He could still feel Lightning in the room with him, her presence unmistakable. However, at the same time, it was like he was fourteen again, playing beside his mother as she'd pretend to miss a note so he could look like the better violinist. Or like he was fifteen or sixteen again when he would play for his father when Bartholomew got off work. Or even when he was seventeen and had been pleaded with by Nivien to perform for her until he finally caved. All those memories ranging from small to precious came back as he produced the familiar notes from his instrument. The feeling was magical.

As the last notes died off in the air around them, Hope opened his eyes and let himself relax. Dropping his bow and violin to his side, Hope strode back over to the case, intent on putting them away right away. After he'd finished playing, Hope's confidence had vanished and made room for his insecurity. Lightning had yet to say anything and in light of this Hope had never once looked her way.

When a good amount of time had passed, Hope finally sucked in a breath along with some courage and turned to her. The sight immediately softened him up.

Lightning was startled by a hand softly ghosting over her cheek, causing her to open her eyes. She'd apparently gotten far more lost in his music then she'd thought. Hope's serene face was the first thing she saw, him being crouched before her with his lips in a small smile. The tears that had tracked down her face took her a little longer to notice. In fact, it wasn't until Hope wiped away a stray one that she even realized she had cried at all.

"If my music was bad enough to reduce you to tears, you could have just told me to stop," Hope joked.

Lightning clicked her tongue and poked him in the forehead. "Don't be ridiculous. It was wonderful."

Hope's smile grew as he was positively glowing. He knew Lightning's opinion would mean a lot, but not necessarily that much. He was elated... until Lightning turned away from him, a frown pulling at her lips.

What are you doing with me? That was one of the biggest questions that occupied her mind for hours on end. Hope was such a tremendous person. His heart and soul were so pure. He had so much love and passion to give whomever he wanted. So why did he pick her? There was nothing special about her. "I'm sorry, Hope."

"What? Why?"

"Because this can't happen, that's why."

Lightning's harsh words and equally harsh tone rang in his ears as he stood. What exactly did she mean by 'this'?

Hope pulled back from her and Lightning let out a slow breath. "I just... wish you wouldn't waste your time with me. I can never return all that you feel for me... give me... it wouldn't be fair. You deserve so much more. You deserve better..." That was a constant feeling she always had while she was with him. There was the happiness and strong adoration she felt of course, but she also felt that she was never good enough for him. And she never would be.

He honestly didn't know how to react to that. He knew to some extent that her self-deprecation and self-loathing ran deep, but this... For years he thought that he was the unworthy one. She had always been the goddess lost among the stars that he could never touch. To him, Lightning would always be a goddess, whether she agreed or not. And he was not about to lose her because she thought that he was too good for her. How utterly absurd.

Quickly collecting his thoughts as Lightning stood to leave the room, Hope grabbed her shoulder and turned her back to him. "I don't want anyone else, Light. I'd rather live the rest of my days alone than without you by my side."

"Don't say stuff like that."

"Why not?" interrupted Hope, his hands coming up to cup her face. "It's true."

Pulling herself from his grasp, Lightning growled, a hand pushing his chest to keep him back. "Because I don't deserve to be with you!" she shouted, raw emotion in her eyes. It was startling to see, because even when she allowed her emotions to show, it was usually controlled vulnerability. "You're so intelligent, Hope. You should be with someone that can understand how you think and what you do. I can barely comprehend a fourth of the work you do in that shop or in your office. I'm not smart. I was a high school drop out for Lindzei's sake, okay? And you should have someone beside you that's at least half as talented as you. I'm a soldier. I can fight." She raised her hands in the air before dropping them, her distraught gaze turning somber as her voice lowered. "That's all I'm good for. And you've got this heart that's so big and beautiful while you're willing to give away all you're love. I don't deserve you're love. I can't reciprocate it, I just can-"

Silencing her with a deep kiss, Hope embraced her. Lightning was usually very logical and realistic. But this had to be the biggest load of crap he had ever heard come from her. He pulled back from her, immediately feeling colder. "How do you feel about me?"

"What?" she questioned breathily, now dazed from the kiss.

"How do you feel about me?"

Lightning shook her head lightly, clearing it as she registered his question. "That's not im-"

"Just answer me."

Swallowing, azure orbs met unwavering green. He wanted an answer - that was clear. She would give him that and be honest even if it killed her. "The more I'm around you... the more I feel for you..." she took a moment to clear her throat and straighten her posture, "...the more I realize that I'll do anything for you. And that terrifies me to no end. But it also excites me, amazes me. I thought that I wasn't capable of feeling this way..." She blinked rapidly as her words baffled her. It was true. It was so very true.

He gave an excited, watery smile. "I want you, Lightning Farron, and only you. You are my strength and my hope. I wouldn't give you up for the world." He took an experimental step closer, noting as her previously resistant hand fell back to her side. "I don't care if you think you're unworthy of me. I really don't." He shook his head, emphasizing his point. "It's a load of crap," he stated with a breathy chuckle. "You are a beautiful person, Light, and I wish you could see that..."

Her eyes met the floor as her arms crossed her chest, guard forming. His words, no matter how charming, were not going to suddenly change how she saw herself.

"I love you." Lightning's eyes shot back to his, her lips parting. "Forever and always." His hands came up to rest on the sides of her head as he kissed her forehead. "Mind..." His hands then slid down her arms to gently uncross them. "body..." Her arms came to her sides while his hands slipped into hers, fingers intertwining. "and soul."

Her heart skipped a beat as her breath caught. This was not the first time he had declared his love for her, but it seemed to be filled with more passion than she could even comprehend. Without a moment more she took his lips in hers, not feeling so unbearably alone anymore.

Maqui laid sprawled across the couch in the Academy's library, a thick book sitting on his chest as he reread the thing for what had to be the third time. This time was different, however, for it held his rapt attention. Ever since he got back from the hospital he'd immediately set back to work with a newfound vigor. He was even more determined to catch those horrendous l'Cie. Sure, his friends had been returned, and in better condition than they had hoped, but it didn't change the fact that they had all still been stolen from him in the first place. That same guilt resided within him from surviving the attack. The only way he could truly redeem himself was by finding Castea.

Rubbing his eyes to wipe away the coming exhaustion, Maqui read a sentence for the fourth time, wondering if what he read could even be remotely correct. He was translating ancient Pulsian, after all.

"Yo, Maq," greeted Cass as he walked in, striding toward the elder man. "You're here early."

"No, I'm here late," he replied dismissively, his eyes far too focused on his work. "Hey, I think..." His body jolted up, some of the books at his feet falling to the floor with the sudden movement. Blue eyes widened immensely as they focused on the words he'd just read. "Cass, get your ass over here and read this."

Bushy brown brows rose in intrigue as he lazily made his way over. "Something interesting this ti-ooph" Maqui thrust the open book against Cass' stomach as he approached, the blond's body practically shaking. Giving the goggled man a glare, Cass sat beside him before turning to the particular entry. His eyes scanned over the words, deducing their meaning. "That doesn't make..." Cass sucked in his cheeks, finding the passage particularly tricky.

Maqui practically pounced on him. "That's what I thought, but if you use Casiavoni's translation and then clarify it with Moric's, you get..."

"Oh... Holy Etro, Maq!"

"I know."

"We have to be a hundred percent sure of this though," spoke Cass, caution and a glimmer of excitement in his voice. "If we're wrong, we could end up starting an entirely new war. But if we're right... then we know which fal'Cie is behind this..."

"Belphagor," whispered Maqui.

"And that would mean..."

Maqui jumped off the couch, hands immediately groping his pockets in search of his comm. "I'm calling Hope."

She woke up, a serene calm heavy within her. It was morning, as she could tell by the sun shimmering in through the blinds. Her body shifted in bed, automatically seeking to be closer to the warmth beside it. Hope was still asleep, his face reflecting peaceful dreams. For this, she was grateful. His arm was wrapped around her waist while his face was turned toward her, his nose buried in her roseate locks.

Lightning lay there for a while, her mind recalling the previous night. Their kisses had been so tender and sweet, yet raw and passionate. They'd spent hours locked in each other's warm embrace, kissing, touching, and just holding each other until they had eventually nodded off. The night had gone well. Hope had relaxed and so had she. It had been as if Castea and the whole fal'Cie conflict hadn't even existed. A content smile graced her lips as she thought about the affectionate words Hope had whispered throughout their heated moments. They hadn't gone too far, but just far enough. Neither were quite ready for that step.

The night had been nothing short of wondrous, but she couldn't get how practiced his caresses felt out of her mind. His experience in this field bothered her. She couldn't help but wonder if he had touched others exactly like this. If he had given Nivien such entrancing caresses and intoxicating kisses. Or even with anyone else he'd deemed fit to court in her absence.

No, Lightning, that's not fair and you know it. Hope and Nivien were over. They both said it. He was with her and her alone. Lightning let out a slow sigh as she settled in beside him more. This... cuddling thing, although new to her, seemed to come naturally. Her mind was still a little resistant to the action, but her body put up no protests.

Ear resting against his chest, the soldier calmed all thought, listening for that soothing heartbeat that could always put her to rest. But when that awaited thrum didn't come, she jolted up, extremely alarmed.

Hope's heart had stopped.

Hope stood confused. Something was very, very off and he didn't know what to do about it. He knew he was dreaming, he was in the middle of the Agora in Palumpolum, so that was obvious. The weird thing about the situation was that he was oddly aware and too conscious for it to be a dream. He had a very bad feeling about this.

"Hello, Hope."

Hearing that dreaded voice, the silveret spun around to face the terror of his life. Castea stood before him, a cocky smirk upon her wolfish features as her hands rested against her hips. "Will you get out of my head already," he yelled, frustration evident in his voice. She would never leave him be. "This is more than just a dream, isn't it." His tone died down as his fists clenched.

"Of course it is more than an insignificant dream." The woman waved a hand before her, dismissing the comment. Her posture straightened, a smug grin mocking her target. "This is a creation of mine made with my l'Cie powers." With a swish of her hand, a wooden chair appeared beside her. She casually sat down, her right leg crossing her left and her hands folding together. "We're inside your mind, actually. This is a place from your memory. Your home city, correct?"

Hope's eyes grazed over the place, noting that everything was exactly as he remembered Palumpolum once was. He could even smell the paint fumes of Eddie's Paint Emporium that lied just a few feet away. Although the place was completely empty, save for them, it was home. "How...?"

"It's truly amazing what you can do when you tap into the power inside. The true power." Her hand slowly closed into a fist before her, grasping the power as if it were physically there in the air. "There's so much there to harness. So many things that you six couldn't have even imagined attempting all those years ago."

She was bragging, simple as that. But if it were true, if she really did hold all that power and was that skilled with it, how long would it take him to get that powerful? How long would it take to defeat Castea? "What's the plan now, Castea? Trap me in my mind until I say yes and help you on your quest to destroy the world?" the young man questioned, contempt clear on his face.

"I'd like to think of this as just a nice neutral meeting. One without weapons, powers, or your little guard dog to get in our way."

"Neutral?" His face scrunched up in disagreement. "I feel a big disadvantage here." As Hope's gaze met Castea, he was met with an interesting sight. The blonde was on her knees, expression solemn and... apologetic?

"Please," she murmered to the ground. Her bony hands that were spread out on the concrete clenched.

"What?"

"Please. Please help us." She raised her head to stare into Hope's eyes, the pitiful expression completely uncharacteristic of the prideful woman. "Don't you want to see a new world? A world where everyone can be happy and free. No more conflict, no more pain. A world where you can be reunited with your loved ones. Don't you want that?"

It was exactly what he wanted. The offer was entirely too tempting. At a different point in his life, he probably would have taken her up on that offer. But not everything was as it seemed. This new world was not the answer to life's problems. It couldn't possibly give all that was promised. Who's to say that it wouldn't become just as corrupt as the current one. And Castea was not a poor pleading woman that just wanted a better world for everyone. She was a power hungry villain that wanted a world to rule. "And why would I help you? After everything you've done to me, why the hell would I help you?"

"I apologize, Hope. Truly, I am sorry." There was a glint in her eyes that conflicted directly with her statement, but she tried her best to sound sincere. She even went as far as to sound guilty and choked up. She hated sinking so low as to grovel beneath some boy's feet, but she had a task to complete. She would do as her master demanded of her. "The torture... was unfortunately necessary to get your brand... but the way we treated you afterwards was entirely the wrong approach." She looked away as if reflecting, pain etched into her features. "I've just always had to resort to using pain and fear to get what I want. Ever since..."

That part was probably true. Hope licked his lips before shaking her words out of his head. "Oh, well if that's the case," he retorted sarcastically.

Her brow twitched. It was a minute action, but still visible. "I'm try-"

Striding forward to the kneeling woman, Hope looked down at her. She looked far smaller than he'd seen her as, a little more human, but still too powerful. "You think that by saving me from Aida I'm going to immediately trust you and see your side of things? That I'm just going to betray everyone and everything and kill the planet?"

"I also sent home your old flame's little brother and your muscular friend. Your whole team was given back to you, returned in the same condition as when they were plucked from their ship." She still didn't agree with that, either. It would have been much more effective to send them home in groups. And in pieces.

Hope was very grateful for their return. There was less blood on his hands and his friends were safe, but she was the one who put them in danger in the first place. He took a breath. "And I thank you for that, but it doesn't change anything."

A light chuckle fell through the air as she stood, wiping the dust off her robe. "It took a lot of my power, I hope you know. I kept them frozen in time. For almost the entire time they were gone, they never even aged past maybe a quarter of a day."

"Then how did they dream," the young director asked, his curiosity getting the better of him. He looked up to meet her eyes. It was then that he realized how close they were. Like two friends chatting together. Or two people who were so close to killing each other, but were unable to.

The woman's smirk crawled back onto her face, her usual smugness making a reappearance. She'd practiced this power. She knew its quirks and limitations well. "Apparently when your body is put through a time stop for long enough, your mind falls into a dream state. It's quite like stasis, I imagine. It's most likely a fail-safe to preserve the mind's sanity while the body is in an indefinite standstill."

The teen sighed. "Why can't you just stop this? Why do you want this new world so badly?"

"Why don't you?" The fierceness returned to her gaze, causing him to flinch ever so slightly. "Why are you so intent on standing by 'your people'?" She walked closer to him until they were standing face to face, her voice soft, but still strong and forceful. "You are nothing but a pariah to them. Your people don't want you. Those Pulsians don't want you. But us… why not join those who see you as a deity? Come with me where you will not only be accepted, but glorified. Haven't you been in enough pain at the hands of these people?"

Hope blinked a few times, the words sinking in. He knew it would be this way. The moment he became a l'Cie, he became a target. But who was the worst hunter in all of this? Who was the person that went after not only him, but his friends and Lightning? His gloved fingers curled into fists at his sides once again, power surging within him. He was done listening to Castea. He didn't want to understand anymore. "Get away from me," Hope shouted, his hand flying out with a waterga spell.

Castea ducked the water that came in one long, horizontal slice through the air, soon cutting sharply and precisely into the building behind her. She looked back to see the damage. If her calculations were correct, she had been a mere two seconds from decapitation when she leapt to the floor. She was shocked and bewildered. He's not supposed to be able to do that in here...

He heaved in a breath, the spell having exhausted him. "I will never join you. I can't even stand you. After everything you've done to me... and to my friends... and to Light..." Tears stung his eyes, but he would not allow them to fall. There would be no more weakness shown in the face of Castea. "The only person causing me pain is you."

Snarling, the woman stood back up. "You will regret this decision. You will get the crystals, and I will force your hand if I have too."

"You can try, but I'm not going to help you. No matter what."

"I wouldn't be so sure if I were you," she spat, temper flaring. "What if I went after your precious city? What if your whole city were to go up in flames? What if there were no people to save?" She cocked her head to the side, grinning as she knew she had hit a weak spot. The kid was full of weak spots. He was practically full of holes that she could jump through. He cared too much. He was weak. "I will win. It's what I do. Resist me anymore and I promise you," she bared her teeth, glaring at him viciously, nothing but honest words spewing from her mouth like venom, "it'll be a blood bath."

I will not cower before you like everyone else. You will not win. I won't let you. "No," he growled. "I won't be your puppet."

Castea grit her teeth in frustration, before a slow grin began to creep into her expression. Hope didn't like that look, not one bit. It was as if she liked his decision.

"As you wish."

And with that, he woke up.