multitasking; in-game verse. based off of The Future is Hope paradox ending :D

In Academia, there were plenty of ways to kill some time – you could go shopping, see a movie, watch a holographic concert, among many other things. When you were the Director of the Academy, there were certainly many, many more ways to kill time than that.

But despite himself, Hope Estheim, Director of the Academy, couldn't bring himself to do anything but sit and think.

There was so much he needed to get done, really, especially since Serah and Noel had collected all the Graviton Cores needed to levitate the new Cocoon. Even now, he could hear some of his associates talking about it outside his office. No doubt he could effortlessly add to that conversation.

And yet…

"I hate to be the one to tell you this, but you're going to be assassinated exactly three days from now."

Hope replayed the words Snow had said to him less than twenty-four hours ago over and over in his mind. Honestly, he couldn't make any sense of it. Who would want to assassinate him? And why?

"I'm betting that it's someone who's opposing the new Cocoon, especially since everybody knows it was your idea."

Too late, Hope realized he'd been voicing his thoughts out loud, and naturally, had gotten a reply. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "That does make sense, Noel. I wish Snow had let us know who it was going to be. I can't say I like all of this waiting around."

"Some hero."

"He did save you and Serah from Alyssa giving you a corrupted artefact, if you'll recall."

"…Tch." Noel huffed and crossed his arms, leaning against Hope's desk. "Fine, he's got that going for him. And I'm sure he's protecting Serah while they're gathering those crystals."

"I'm positive about that. I have no doubt Snow would protect Serah with his life." After all, hundreds of years ago, he'd seen the guy do even riskier things while they'd all been l'cie.

"I guess you're right." Noel seemed a bit annoyed for some reason, but Hope didn't give it much thought. Maybe he was simply bored with having to be a bodyguard while everyone else was out doing something.

Hope stared at a pile of papers on his desk that needed his attention, but instead of focusing on them, he glanced back up at Noel. Perhaps now was a good time for conversation…

"Noel? Can I ask you something?"

Noel raised an eyebrow, gesturing with his head towards Hope's desk. "Don't you have to take care of that stuff first?"

"I can do both." With a practiced hand and eye, Hope flipped through the papers, scribbling down signatures where they were needed. "See?"

"Fine, fine. Ask away."

"Back when we first met and I showed you the Oracle Drive, you mentioned that you saw…" Hope paused a little in the middle of a signature before hastily scribbling the rest. "…Lightning in Valhalla."

"That's right."

"I was wondering…" Hope put his pen down, wanting to give his full attention to Noel's answer. "What was she like?"

That question clearly hadn't been anticipated, because Noel opened his mouth a couple of times before cocking his head a bit, looking lost in thought. "She was…strong, I guess. I honestly did think she was Etro herself at first." He patted the back of his head a few times, like he was trying to find the memories. "She was in the middle of a battle when I arrived and it didn't seem to phase her at all. She just dragged me along like it was nothing. I don't think I've ever met anyone so sure of themselves."

None of this really came as a surprise, but Hope still drank in the description. Even though he didn't know why she had to be the one to fight Caius in Valhalla, it was comforting to think that the place hadn't changed her – she was keeping her eyes front. Fighting because some things in life you just did.

But who was watching the rear?

If only he could help. Of course, he knew that building this new Cocoon and doing everything he could to minimize the old Cocoon's eventual damage to Pulse was extremely important. They all had a future to save, after all.

Even so…if he permitted himself a selfish thought, he wanted to help her more than anything.

No one should have to fight alone. That was something he'd learned centuries ago. And yet, Lightning was alone in Valhalla with nothing but her own skills and eidolons to aide her. Even though he was confident that she would defeat Caius, he wished he could be by her side while she did just that.

He knew, though, that they all had their tasks. She would fight, Serah and Snow would search for those crystals, Sazh would help save Fang and Vanille, Noel would guard, and Hope…he would bring it all together.

He hoped.

–

He couldn't sit still. A little over forty-eight hours had passed since Snow had dropped the bomb. Despite Noel guarding him, despite the fact that he was in a very highly secured building, despite the fact that he'd had warning about all of this, Hope still felt incredibly nervous.

It was strange to feel that way towards the possibility of death, especially since he'd come close to it so many times in his life. In fact, hadn't he already died before, on an improper timeline? Killed by his own invention, nonetheless?

He supposed the difference was that he presumably hadn't seen that one coming. Then again, at his age, most death would likely be accidental. He couldn't imagine most young men nervously waiting around for a would-be assassin.

He would've felt better had he been able to have some sort of contact with Serah and Snow – or better yet, Lightning – but of course, all of that was impossible. All he could do was wait.

"Director, I have the updated plans for Cocoon's net. Would you like to take a look?"

Hope glanced up at the woman who'd come into his office – his new assistant. After Alyssa had been hauled off by security, he'd asked the next best Academy employee, a young girl named Rosa, to help him fine-tune all of their plans.

"Yes," he answered with a nod. "Has the team made any progress?"

As Rosa rolled out the blueprints on his desk and started explaining in her usual energetic, bubbly voice, Hope couldn't help but let his mind wander. Of course, he was paying attention – this net was extremely important, after all – but the other half of his thoughts were geared towards something else.

Or rather, someone else.

"Where's Lightning in all of this?"

Noel had asked that two days ago. Two days, and he still couldn't help but wonder what exactly Snow meant by saying she was 'on the job.' Presumably, he was talking about defeating Caius, even though Snow and Serah were doing that exact thing. Sure, he'd concluded that the Caiuses in this world and the one in Valhalla needed to be stopped at the same time…but even so…

He wanted so badly to help her, to prove that he was just as useful as everyone fighting this battle.

Then again, what was it that she'd said in his dream when he'd come to this time?

You're on the right path, Hope. And never forget – I've got your back.

He'd failed to mention those particular words to Serah when his dream had come into conversation. There were some things he wanted to keep private and close to his heart.

A quiet sigh escaped him as he nodded at Rosa's plans for the net. He needed to focus on the now, while the others could worry about the future.

When you return to us, Light, I'll show you that I've got your back, too.

–

Day three.

Though Hope hadn't told anyone in the Academy about the possible future Snow had seen for him, the whole building seemed to be on high alert anyway. Maybe they could sense it in the air – after all, many of them had been dealing with paradoxes and the like for their entire lives.

It made him think…what if, in surviving this assassination attempt, he became part of a paradox?

Then again, what if his death was part of a paradox and he was always meant to survive?

It was too much to think about, even for him. He sighed and did some pacing, passing Noel in the hallway, who seemed more than a little tense.

"You're not leaving the building, are you?" he asked with a frown.

"I feel like I've been cooped up in here ever since Snow and Serah left," Hope admitted. "Normally I wouldn't mind it since I'm always in here anyway, but I just feel…" He struggled to find the right word. "…Antsy."

"I'm guessing it's the anticipation." Noel sighed and crossed his arms. "Usually the wondering is the worst part."

"I suppose you're right."

"Still, you should stay in here. It's easier to guard you that way."

Hope ran a hand through his hair with a sigh. "How about we go out front for just a bit? Not into town – just outside the building. It's easier to get a reading on how the Graviton Cores are holding up out there, anyway."

Knowing how important that was, Noel easily relented. "But just for a little bit," he said as the two walked towards the front entrance of the Academy Headquarters.

"Of course."

Hope brought along a flat little device he could use to check on the Cores, so concentrated on it that he barely noticed people greeting him as he walked by. Luckily, they didn't seem to mind – they all knew how committed the Director was to getting the new Cocoon to levitate. It was all part of the job.

He breathed in deeply once they were finally outside. He'd never really been much of an outdoorsy person – not that Academia was chock-full of vegetation or anything – but after spending nearly three days cooped up in the same building, a literal breath of fresh air was always a nice change of pace.

With a pleased little hum, he wandered towards the edge of the balcony, staring up at the Ark for a moment. A weird sense of foreboding went through him, but he quickly looked away in favor of the device in his hands.

Everything seemed nominal with the Graviton Cores, thank goodness. Sometimes he couldn't believe that Serah and Noel had actually been able to find them all – who knew what state they'd be in had they not been found?

How he heard the words that were muttered in the next few seconds after this thought would always remain a mystery to him. There were people milling about, the sound of the moving walkways, the general hubbub of the city – and yet the sentence managed to reach his ears from many meters away.

Maybe because they accompanied the sound of a gun.

"This is for Alyssa!"

Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. Hope turned with wide eyes, vaguely recognizing the man in the distance – it was someone who had been a huge fan of Alyssa's, and he'd often hang around on the outskirts of the building hoping to see her.

His mouth fell open a bit, maybe to scream or shout. Noel was already running towards the man with his swords drawn, but it was too late – the shot had already been fired and for some reason he just couldn't move; it was like he was frozen in place from pure shock.

Maybe this was a part of the correct timeline. If that was the case, he only had one regret.

Lightning…I wish I could have seen you one last time.

A burst of light suddenly swirled in front of him. It was so strange how he could see all of this so clearly – maybe it was because everything still seemed to be moving in slow motion – because nothing was faster than the speed of light.

And yet…

Something – or someone – jumped through the column of light. There was the telltale sound of metal before a loud ping! was heard.

An instant later, time seemed to abruptly catch up. The light vanished and Noel had captured the would-be assassin. He shouted for backup and seconds later, security came bursting through the Academy headquarters to subdue the man.

Hope barely registered any of that. He could only stare at the person in front of him – someone clad in armor adorned with feathers, holding an impressive sword and branding a shield that he was sure now had a dent from the bullet that otherwise would have killed him.

The word came before he could stop it. "L-Light…?"

Though she'd been staring at the scene in front of her, at the sound of her name, Lightning slowly turned to face him. She looked exactly as she had in those Oracle Drives, except…

…Real.

Instinct took over and before he could stop himself, Hope had crossed the minimal space between them and flung his arms around her. "Light, I – is it – is it really you…?"

Rather than respond verbally, Hope felt rather than saw her weapons vanish in a poof of light. There was a slight pause before she raised her arms, her hands inches away from his waist as though she was afraid to touch him. "Hope, I…"

"I thought I'd never see you again." He'd meant to say we'd never see you again, but his selfishness won out. Though he'd been fighting for the citizens of this world, for the future, for Fang and Vanille, there was one reason he'd begun his whole journey in the first place.

And now, miraculously, that reason was right here in his arms.

At his words, Lightning made a quiet noise and carefully wrapped her arms around his torso. Hope held her more tightly in response, his fingers instinctively threading in her hair.

"I had to save you," she murmured. "The future is nothing without you."

"It's nothing without you, either."

She pulled away slightly, just enough to look at him. When their eyes finally met, Hope noticed after a moment that her cheeks were a bit red. Exhilaration from battle, perhaps?

"You're…tall," she said, then immediately snapped her mouth shut. Clearly, she'd meant to say something else.

Hope smiled. "It's been about four-hundred years, by my calculations. Plenty of time for a growth spurt – hey!"

She smirked as she flicked his forehead. "Listen to you. You almost just got shot and you're standing here talking about growth spurts."

"You're the one who brought it up."

"Tch." She glanced away, but Hope's smile widened at the fact that her blush had seemed to deepen.

Before he could say anything else to her, the head of security ran up to him with Noel in tow. "Are you okay, Director?" she asked, sounding a bit frantic.

"Fine, thanks to - "

" - Lightning?!" Noel blurted out. "What – how - "

"She saved me," Hope said quietly, the impact of what she'd done finally hitting him. The head of security nodded in satisfaction and dashed off, clearly recognizing the woman being referred to. "She blocked the bullet at the last second."

"Does this mean that you're free from Valhalla?" Noel asked.

At that question, Lightning's posture straightened and she was suddenly all business. "Not yet. Where's Serah?"

"She's - "

At that moment, a sudden tear in the sky appeared above them and seconds later, the unmistakable revving of a motorcycle burst through.

"K-Kupo-po-po!"

"C'mon little fella, you should be used this by now!"

"Kupooo…"

The three standing jumped out of the way of the incoming bike, but there was no mistaking who was on it. Noel and Lightning rushed towards them. "Serah!"

Though the bike was still a couple feet in the air, Serah gasped when she saw her sister and immediately wiggled out of Snow's hold to jump off of it. "Lightning!"

Hope smiled to himself when Serah did exactly what he'd done minutes ago and flung her arms around her sister. This time, Lightning was much quicker to reciprocate. He ignored the small sting of jealousy that gave him.

They were all on the same team, after all.

"I can't believe it! How are you…?"

"Heya, Sis!" Snow finally got off the bike and lifted a hand in greeting. "Glad to see you here!"

"I'm not your sister," she muttered, but Hope noticed with a chuckle that there was pretty much no malice behind the words.

"Kupo! Lightning, how are you here, kupo?" Mog asked, floating close to the sisters.

The moogle's words seemed to put Lightning in a more serious frame of mind. "I shouldn't be here, but I…I had something to take care of." Her eyes slid to Hope, an action that didn't seem to go unnoticed by anyone else. "But as it is, we don't have much time. Serah, did you and Snow managed to gather the crystals?"

"Yes." Serah exchanged a grin with Snow. "It was pretty scary sometimes, but we managed to do it."

"That's 'cause we're a great team!" Snow slung an arm around his fiancee's shoulders, then gestured to Mog. "How 'bout it, little guy? Wanna show 'em off?" Mog just floated there until Serah made the same request, something that made Hope and Noel exchange a smirk.

"Kupo!" Mog spun through the air, summoning tiny balls of light that quickly formed into crystals – thirteen in all.

Serah really hadn't been kidding when she claimed that she was good at finding lost objects.

"Good," Lightning said, observing the crystals a practiced eye.

"So, uh, question," came Noel after a moment. "Why, exactly, did those two have to gather all of those?"

There was a pause that felt dramatic, which was confirmed by Lightning's response. "They're how we're going to defeat Caius."

"What?!" everyone blurted out. Even Hope felt a bit shocked – though he'd always had complete faith in Lightning, he couldn't imagine how some crystals would stop the man that was trying to essentially destroy all time.

"I found out about them while observing an alternate timeline." Lightning let one of the crystals hover in her hands. "When all of them are gathered, it prevents any distortions or changing of the timeline. These crystals essentially hold that power."

"I get it," Hope said slowly. "If Serah and Noel and Snow have these, it'll prevent Caius from changing things around. They can defeat him on even ground."

"Exactly." Lightning gave him a little smile that made his stomach flutter. "And because the crystals prevent the timeline from changing, it means Valhalla is no longer a means to an end for him. I can defeat him once and for all there once you defeat him here."

"All right!" Snow cried. "Let's get to Caius-punching!"

"If he knows we literally have the power in our hands, he might not fight us and listen to reason instead," Noel said, but then sighed and shook his head. "I doubt it, though."

"It's worth a try." Serah reached out and grasped her sister's hands. "This means you have to go back to Valhalla, right?"

Hope noticed Lightning's jaw clench a little. "Yes. I shouldn't even be here right now."

"But…we'll see you again, right? After the battle's over?"

Lightning stared at Serah for a long moment, then looked around at the others. Hope felt like she held his gaze for much longer than anyone else's before she turned back to her sister and finally squeezed her hands. "One thing at a time, Serah."

Though Hope thought that the response sounded a bit ominous, it seemed to be enough for Serah. The sisters hugged again before Serah turned to Snow and Noel, already making plans for a battle strategy.

He wanted to help, but he knew better. Hope sighed and walked away a bit to glance up at the Ark. He knew his place and what he had to do. It was for the good of everyone.

"That's really impressive, you know."

He managed to hide his jump of surprise when he heard Lightning's voice. "It's still in the early stages. It'll be another century or so before it's complete." He tore his eyes away to look at Lightning, which admittedly, wasn't a hard task at all. "Shouldn't you be giving them advice for the battle?"

"I think they've got it." Lightning glanced at the other three. "Snow's…Snow, Noel's a seasoned fighter, and Serah…" her voiced softened a bit, "…she's gotten a lot stronger. Her determination is for all the right reasons."

"And yours isn't?"

Lightning turned to look at him again, though this time, didn't quite meet his eyes. "I…I don't know." Before he could ask her to elaborate, she continued quietly, "I thought I was repenting for my sins, but now I feel like my motives are entirely selfish."

"Selfish how?" Hope asked, unable to keep the confusion out of his voice. Lightning was quite possible one of the least selfish people he knew.

She grew quiet for a long time, and if he hadn't known any better, he would have thought that she hadn't heard him. Instead, he just waited patiently for her to gather her thoughts and reveled in the gift of simply standing so close to her.

"I do want to save the world. There's no doubt in my mind that I want a future where everyone is happy." A quiet noise escaped her. "But lately, I feel like the focus has been on my own happiness."

"Well…that's probably normal," he replied. "We're all responsible for our own happiness."

"It's not like that." She shook her head, clearly frustrated, though he didn't know if that frustration was directed towards him or not. "For so long, all I ever wanted was to make Serah happy. When I was taken to Valhalla, all I could do was try and stop Caius so that the world could progress. I've never given much thought to myself. You know that." She clenched her fists. "But coming here – that was entirely selfish on my part. I have no idea what's going to happen once I return to Valhalla, because I was never meant to leave. I was never meant to save you and it was entirely for my own selfish reasons that I did. You were always meant to survive, but everything would have righted itself without my interference."

He blinked a few times, taking in her words. To go from literally centuries of not hearing her voice to all of this sent him for a loop. "For your own selfish reasons?" he finally echoed, trying to link the pieces together.

His heart felt like it stopped when he finally did.

"Hope - " Lightning started, but for once, he couldn't help but interrupt her.

"You came here to save me," he said in awe, "because…I'm a part of your happiness?"

She shook her head, but he could tell that she wasn't disagreeing. "I watched you sometimes, while I was observing the timeline," she said quietly, looking at him when he widened his eyes in surprise. "I saw how everything would come together because of you. Your determination, your confidence. I felt helpless that I couldn't do much to guide you, but you didn't even really need it. You kept your eyes forward."

A little smile quirked his lips. "And you watched the rear."

The slightest hint of a blush formed on her face. "And I realized that if I hadn't been taken to Valhalla, I'd want to be helping you somehow. I know it's been so long for you, but I still feel like we're partners and I…" The words came out in a rush of confession, "I didn't want to let that go."

Hope was stunned into silence. Just seeing Lightning again was a complete dream come true…but to hear all of this from her, as though she was voicing his own thoughts?

Because how often had he imagined the same thing – what it would be like if she was by his side? How many times had he repeated her many mantras in his mind when things got tough? She was, without a doubt, the only reason he'd gotten so far and was quite literally the reason he was standing here right now.

"Lighting, I…"

"What have I told you?" Her voice had gone a bit teasing and she reached up to flick his forehead again. "Call me Light."

Before she could pull her hand away, he quickly reached up and grasped it, surprised for a second by his own boldness. Still, she didn't pull away when he slowly slid their fingers together. The teasing glint in her eyes faded to something much more serious and…dare he think it…

…Loving?

"I wouldn't be who I am today without you, Light," he said in low voice, looking her right in the eyes. "I have no doubt about that. Everything I've done – all of it – has been focused on one main goal."

She couldn't seem to look away. "And what would that be?"

Hope leaned in, using their joined hands to tug her a bit closer. Lightning seemed to know exactly what he was doing and readily accepted it.

Yet it wasn't enough to hide their mutual sounds of utter bliss when their lips met.

It wasn't a heated kiss full of desperation, and yet Hope still felt his heart pound and his skin tingle like it was on fire. Strange how something so sweet could still ignite so much…passion.

He had to wonder if something in the timeline had made sure that they would have inevitably arrived at this exact moment, because if nothing else, he knew that this was meant to be.

Too soon, they pull away, gratefully drinking in air. When his eyes fluttered opened, Lightning was already staring at him in wonder, her face flushed and her lips red. "My goal has always been to bring you home," he said softly. "And as selfish as it may sound…to bring you back to me. You are, and always will be, a part of my happiness as well."

Whether she couldn't find the words or it was simply her response – she'd always been a woman of action, after all – Lightning leaned up and kissed him again, this time with more confidence.

If only time really would stop and they could stay here forever.

"I couldn't promise Serah and I can't promise you," she said when she'd broken the kiss, "but I will do everything in my power to come back."

"You will," he said with more confidence than he felt. "After all, some things in life - "

" - You just do," she finished with a hint of smile. "You really have taken those words to heart."

"I couldn't take them anywhere else."

That rewarded him with another smile, but it quickly faded when a column of swirling light suddenly appeared behind her. He knew what that meant, but…

"I don't want you to go," he managed to choke out, pulling her close.

"I know," she replied. "But there are still battles to be fought."

"…You're right." He gave her hand a squeeze before regretfully letting go. "And you have so much to fight for. We all do."

"More than ever," she agreed. There was a pause before she lifted a hand to brush a lock of hair out of his eyes. He reveled in the touch. "Look out for each other."

"Of course."

She gave him another tiny smile before summoning her sword and shield, and just like that, she was the warrior goddess once again. Without another word – but with one last glance at Serah – she walked into the swirling light that would no doubt take her back to Valhalla.

The moment Lightning had disappeared, the other three rushed over to him, and of course, Snow was the first to say something.

"It's about time, ha!"

Noel rolled his eyes, but otherwise seemed to agree. "Look, Hope, did you want…"

"…Did you want to join in the fight with us?" Serah finished, reaching out to rest a hand on his arm. "We can all defeat Caius and bring Lightning back. I know we can."

The fact that Serah didn't seem surprised or otherwise made Hope wonder just how obvious he'd always been, but he only sighed and shook his head. "She believes in you. I do, too. And it's our turn to believe in her as well."

Serah nodded in agreement. "You're right. I'll always believe in her. We can all do this together."

"I guess that's it, then," Noel said. "The final showdown's coming up." He raised an eyebrow. "What are you going to do, Hope?"

"Me?" His gaze went to the Ark in the sky. "I'm going to do everything I can to make the future a better place from here. After all…" He glanced at the spot where Lightning had disappeared just moments ago. "…There's someone waiting for me."

"More like the other way around," Noel teased gently, but was soon all business. "You're right, though. Your job is here's important. Is there any time in particular we all want to meet up when this is all over?"

Hope instantly decided. "I'm going to travel forward one hundred years," he said. "I want to see the lifting of the new Cocoon with own eyes. And I want us all to be together when it happens." He voiced softened. "All of us."

Serah smiled at him, but the moment was interrupted by Snow. "Well, hey, you heard the guy! Let's go kick some Caius ass!"

"Here we go…" Noel muttered as Snow raced to his bike. Serah gave Hope's arm a squeeze before grabbing Mog and dashing after him, and Noel simply waved before following the other two.

Hope watched them all cram themselves onto the bike. It wobbled through the air and eventually sped off into the distance, disappearing into another time entirely.

Minutes later, he was back inside Academy Headquarters, making plans and giving orders. He would get into the time capsule as soon as he was certain that everything was ready, which made his heart feel lighter than it had in days.

No one could predict where the future would lead, but somehow he knew that no matter how it happened, he and Lightning would arrive at the same one.

Together.

Honestly, I don't think this fic fits the theme very much...but I don't really care LOL. I've always wanted to do a fic based on that paradox ending and have yet to see one, so I had to make it exist :D

Two more to go! Reviews make me smile c: