i can't; au of lightning returns or…something

She could do this.

After all, this was nothing new. Chaos had infected everyone she'd ever thought she'd known - perhaps not always to the point where they wanted to fight her, but it'd gone so far that she'd realized at some point that she was alone in this.

Lightning tightened her grip on her sword, wondering how everything had fallen so hard. Even at the very beginning, when Serah had been a brand new l'cie, she hadn't been completely alone. Even when she'd been fighting in Valhalla, others had been supporting her from the other side.

Including Hope.

She sincerely wished that was the case now.

Honestly, the situation confused her. They used to be so close - she'd literally trusted Hope with her life many times when they'd been l'cie. They'd been the perfect team. When Etro had willed her to Valhalla, it'd killed her to have to watch him grow up through an unsure, unstable timeline. The only solace was that he'd eventually opened his heart enough for her to be able to speak to him through a dream. It'd be comforting. He'd been comforting, and she really, truly believed for a moment that things were going to be all right.

As she dodged the magic being flung towards her, she wondered how she could have gotten it so wrong.

"Fight me!" Hope demanded. Had he actually had his trusty boomerang for a weapon, she might have laughed, but there was nothing ridiculous about this situation. Apparently the Chaos had granted him his greatest strength when he'd been a l'cie - his magic. It seemed to cackle around him like a sentient being.

An extremely formidable one.

"Hope…" The emotion in her voice was not quite there. It was frustrating, because she knew it was deep within her somewhere - they'd just been dulled to the point where it was an immense effort to recall them. She needed to bring some of them to life if she was going to save herself. "You don't want to do this."

He sneered, an expression that looked completely out of place on him. "Like hell I don't. The Savior means the end! If I destroy you - " he hurled more magic in her direction - "I can save the world!"

This time, she just barely managed to dodge it since she'd been distracted by his words. It was ridiculous! She'd never let herself get distracted during battle before.

Focus on the enemy!

Ironically, words she'd once spoken to Hope.

Since she was now the enemy in his eyes, it seemed he was still taking that advice. When more power manifested around him, this time, Lightning did not hesitate. She lunged for him with her sword in hand, getting in a hit, but definitely not enough to bring him down.

It was a struggle, and not for the reasons she'd imagined it to be. Hope was powerful - far more powerful than he'd ever been as a l'cie. She supposed there was the Chaos to thank for that, but given that her own powers were from the God himself, they were evenly matched, despite the fact that he had no weapon.

No, the struggle wasn't from the fight itself - it was who she was fighting, because even with the world on its last days, even with everyone else against her, even with the Chaos to blame, she never, ever would have thought Hope would turn on her.

Doubt would cripple her, and in this case, end her for good. But when Hope brought his arm up to block her blade, magic sizzling around his fist, it consumed her like nothing else. His eyes bore into hers as though daring her to make a move - to end him, or at least die trying.

She couldn't.

"I can't," she said in an utterly quiet voice so unlike her usual harsh tone that she almost wanted to pity herself.

Not that she would have the time, because Hope didn't seem to care. He immediately sent a blast square at her. Only instinct made her avoid it, jumping back as Hope's voice called after her. "You can't save us! You can't even save yourself! Give it up, Light!"

She gasped.

Had he just…?

All at once, Lightning's body flared to life, though she didn't attack and only employed every defensive move she knew. She had to get closer - close enough to be able to save him, because to everyone else who'd been consumed by Chaos, she was simply the Savior.

He'd just proven that his own heart wasn't completely gone by calling her otherwise.

Maybe it was just that thought that urged her on, but whatever it was, some sort of odd instinct had taken over. Perhaps it was just a desire to get close to him - a closeness she had never felt with anyone else. Whatever the reason, every emotion that she hadn't felt since awakening suddenly flared to life, leaving her mind completely crazed and her body almost moving without her permission.

Her sword slammed into his side, just enough to knock him off balance and dissolve whatever spell he'd been conjuring. In a flash, she'd dropped her weapon and reached for him instead…

…pulling him close in a desperate hug as they toppled to the ground.

"I can't," she whispered desperately, not caring that he could kill her at any second. "I can't kill you."

The idea of time truly stopping had always been something that was difficult to wrap her mind around, but at this moment, it very much did feel like it'd stopped completely. For this brief moment, they weren't enemies. It was simply like when she'd hugged him in relief all those centuries ago, except that now he was even taller than her, even while they were tangled on the ground. He was so broad now. Formidable.

Someone who could easily kill her, even when she could not do the same.

Whether time did stop or it passed without her noticing, she didn't know, but either way, something seemed to change. It was when his breathing grew a little more ragged that Lightning finally looked up into his eyes and realized there was something akin to to panic and desperation in them.

"Light…?"

"Hope…" Her embrace grew even tighter. Sure, this could be a trick, but she didn't want to think about that possibility, never mind that it seemed like every line on his face had softened. His rigid stance - such as it was while they were on the ground - weakened, and she suddenly realized what was happening.

"Light!" His arms flung around her, pulling her into a hug so desperate she had to wonder if it was something he'd been wanting to do for centuries. "Light, I - I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry , I didn't - I didn't mean to - I couldn't - "

"Shhh." An immense amount of relief went through her. "It's okay."

"It's not! I almost killed you!"

"But you didn't." She wondered why she felt so calm. Perhaps it was just her relief, because she knew that somehow, he'd driven the Chaos from himself. "We're here. We're both here. It's okay."

"Light…"

"I can't save the world without you," she said in that same quiet tone. Her emotions were dulling again, but maybe she could express how much she needed him before they were gone completely. "Will you join me?"

Wordlessly, his arms tightened around her, but that was all the answer she needed.