I'm sorry for the wait. I have planned to write this chapter sooner, but then I have lost my connexion and after that I can't connect to the site. So, there is my new chapter. I hope you would like it. It happen at the same time as the last one and was focused on Hope and Light. And a big thank you for the ones who have leaved me a review.

Chapter 8 : Guilt

Like every year, a journey was planned from Hope and Belle's school. It was a way to help the students to discover Grand Pulse. Of course, for Hope it was no discovery at all, but he liked to go. For one part it was because this journey was so unlike the first one, meaning that no one was chasing him and trying to kill him. And for the other part, it helped him to remember the good time he had spend with all of his friends. It helped him also to remember how Vanille and Fang were. With time, most to his anger, he had begin to forget them. Not that he wanted to, but so much things have happen to him after he had become human again, that he had to live for his future and not his past. The two of them would always have a special place in his heart, but he can't stop to live his life the fullest because they were not with them anymore. He felt guilty to think like this sometime, but he can't helped it.

When Belle had decided to come with them, Hope was surprised to see that nor Snow, nor Serah disagree. He had hoped for this time to think abourt the link he was sharing with Belle, far away from her. But he wasn't lucky. It was very hard to think about her rationately when she was with him at every hours. From the begining he had liked her, but now, he felt something more. And it disturbed him. Belle, until now, was like the little sister he never had. He had wanted to protect her and made her smile. A little like Light had done to him not so long ago. But now, more and more he don't thought of her like a sister, and he don't liked it. Of course, he and Belle don't have seven years who separated them, but even if she looked and acted like a fifteen years old girl, she in fact is four years old. He felt bad to play with her feelings like this. She deserved someone on her age, not an "old" man like him.

Belle was furious with herself. She wanted more than anything that Hope looked at her with love. Since the story with Lisa, Belle had felt her feelings for him changed. The other herself was in love with him, she had known this. But for her love was just the same sort of feeling she felt for her parents. But she was not sure of it anymore. What she wanted now, was for him to look at her like he had to her other self. Belle felt jealous of the woman who share her body with her. It was not fair to her to have to share the feelings and memories of the other woman. Belle had a nice life, she don't wanted anything with the other woman anymore. But this woman don't wanted to leave her alone. Belle promised herself that one day she will be the only one left. But as soon as the idea crossed her mind she forget it.

Belle was very happy when she learned about the journey. It was the perfect occasion for her to made some excuse to Hope. Her lie to Lisa had provoked some unexpected event. Lisa don't had kept to herself what Belle had told her, and soon all the school was persuaded that Hope and his father were not rich anymore. It don't have changed anything to their true friends, but the others have left Hope alone after that. And Belle felt very guilty about it. She don't have wanted this, and she needed to made some excuse to him, even if it cost her a lot to do so. That's why she had tried a lot to convince her parents to let her go to this journey. It was a very hard task, but finally her mother had helped her for convincing her father. Her father can't do anything against the two of them, which is very funny, considering that nor Belle, nor her mother can come close from Snow height or built. It was true to say that his father is a strong one when none of his woman is in cause.

The travel was not to an unknown place for Belle, but she had acted like if it was. No one needed to know that Belle known the way from the memories who were not even her own. So, she had acted all surprised when they finally have stopped to Obera. Belle felt like crying when she saw again her friends old village. She was worried that Hope noticed something, but she saw him ready to cry too. In a way, it made her at ease to see that she wasn't the only one affected by this, but it made her also wanting to cry even more. She can't stand to see him so sad and she acted before she had time to think it through. She take him in her arm and hugged him to hid his tears. She was well aware that the others were looking at them, but she don't cared anymore. Only Hope mattered to her at this time.

When Belle take him in her arm, Hope felt some warm come through him. Never before he had felt so good, and it made him very uneasy. He wanted to hug her back, and he wanted to push her away at the same time. His feelings confused him a lot, and he don't know how to react. That's why, for once, he shut his mind and let his heart made the choice. He was surprised to feel, when he hugged Belle, the same way he had felt with Light back then to Palumpolum. It confused him even more. There is no way for Belle to made him feel like Light once had. Even if Belle is Light niece, there is very improbable for her to made him feel like her. And this feeling made him feel very guilty. He was aware that with time Belle would look more and more like Light. So he wondered if any part of the feeling he had for her come from the fact she looked so much like her aunt. He was not sure, but he hoped not. Belle deserved better than that.

The other girl were smiling and laughing at Belle, but she don't care. Hope had needed her and she was glad to be able to help him. She will do everything to help him to smile, even die if it was what he wanted. She was very aware that he wanted the other woman back, and it was the only thing she can't give him. She wanted to made him happy, but she wanted to do it by herself. Lightning can't win, there is no way she let her win. Even if at the end Belle would disappear, she will not lost without a fight. It was not like her to let go without a fight. That is one of the thing she had in common with Lightning.

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This night, Hope can't sleep. His guilt eat him alive. He don't wanted to let go of his feeling for Light, but he know that Belle deserved better than a boyfriend who still think about his former love. Hope made a double take when the idea of him being her boyfriend hit him, but surprisingly it don't made him uneasy. He wanted it. As much as he don't wanted to let go of his past, he wanted to open a new page of his life. And Belle will be a big part of this future. But it was so hard ! He need time to think about it. But sooner or later he had to made a choice. And even if it would hurt him even more, he would be happy to finally made this choice. He can't live in the past anymore, but for now he can't let it go either.

Belle can't sleep either this night. This place remind so much to her other self. Why in the hell does her school had chose to send them here ? She know the answer, as much as she know why they were chose to go. Belle loved to study the history and she wanted to find everything about the past. Hope loved it too, but less than her. She can't picture him as an archaeologist like what she wanted to become. But she saw him much like an inventor or something like this. She just hoped that the life would not separate them never. Because he had become something more like a friend to her. And losing him will means losing herself.

Belle was surprised when she heard someone sigh. She looked around and found Hope looking of the city of Obera. He looked so sad that she wanted to hig him again, but she don't dared to do it. She had push her luck once, and she don't wanted to risk for him to push her away. So, instead she come to him and seat near by him silently. They stay silent for a very long time, and Belle don't dare to look at him. When she finally found enough courage to look, she found him asleep. A fond smile found his way to her face, and she lost conscious.

Light had take over Belle. Maybe it was the last time she can do this. She felt herself being aspired by Belle. She still can fight, but each time she was weaker than the last. But she need to say something, something she don't have time to say before. She regretted it, but there is nothing she can do about it. Maybe she will not completely disappeared when Belle will definitively take over her, but in case that it don't happen she needed to open her heart to the young man who had stole her heart so long ago. The fact that he was asleep don't change anything.

" I love you." She said. "I have loved you for so long that I don't remember when it had started. I understand that you will chose Belle over me. She can made you more happy than I could have. But I just wish that you don't forget me. Don't forget that Lightning had loved you too. And promise me to be happy. If the two of you were happy together, then it would made me happy. Goodbye my love."

Belle's body fell unconscious on the floor. But before it can touch the floor, someone take her in his arm. He tenderly sit with her still in his arm and looked at her with tears in his eyes.

" I promise. I will never forget you Light. Thank you. I love you too. Goodbye my love."

To be continued.

I hope you have liked. I had fun to write it. now I wonder if I will let Hope share what he know with the other, especially Belle or not. It will take me some time to decide and write about it, so I can't made any promise for when the next chapter will be posted. Don't forget to give me a review and see you soon.