Hey guys, sorry for the wait on this one, I am rather tired so I apologise for any mistakes... I reall am sorry for taking so long... I didn't mean too I hope you can forgive me and enjoy this next chapter.

Mysterious Things can happen

Vanille watched as Hope led Lightning away, senses were screaming danger so she excused herself from the group and followed silently behind them.

What she saw shocked her, Hope had attacked Light with his boomerang, Light retaliated and Vanille watched in shock as Light pressed her boot into Hope's throat. Vanille wished she could hear what Lightning was saying.

She looked away for a moment to readjust her position and move closer, but a movement caught her eye, it took her a couple minutes to register what just happened. Lightning was now on her back, Hope hovering over her, she watched as Lightning opened her eyes, the look of shock that registered on her face, almost made Vanille giggle with girly delight.

Vanille's cheeks blushed, she knew she was invading into something a little too private, so she slowly got down from her perch and ran back to the others.

...

Hope felt arms around his waist; Lightning's head pressed into his back while he cried like his 14-year-old self. The throbbing pain in his head was getting too much for him now, that fight had taken a lot out of him and the pounding was getting now worse than ever.

"Lightning... I have something to tell you." He pulled away somewhat and he felt her arms fall away. "I'm going to die..." his head fell to face towards the floor, eyes staring at her boots, a shooting pain shot through his skull and he winced. "You have... to help... me... Light," he pleaded hopelessly. "I can't... do this anymore, I can't leave... you." he looked panicked when she didn't reply, "Aren't you afraid of death, aren't you sad or shocked that I'm going to die."

"Don't be shocked that people die, Be surprised your still alive."

"What?"

"It's something that my mum said to me, before she died" she sighed warily a tear escaping her eye.

Hope didn't say anything, he was too shocked at her revelation, the guiltly feeling starting to run through his mind.

"Hope, what happened? I know you lied to me before." He lifted his head to catch her eyes, she looked vulnerable, and a sense of foreboding came over him.

Without thinking he asked "What was her name?"

"huh?"

"You're mother's name?"

"Lucy, she was beautiful." She sniffed as another tear escaped her control, she wiped it away angrily.

Hope hissed as the pain in his head increased legs giving way as he fell to the ground, "Hope?" her voice strained standing watching Hope rither in pain, too shocked to move.

"I told you Light, I can't hold on anymore... I'm dying.. AHHHHH, shit..." He squeezed his eyes shut tight as pain racked through his brain.

"Why?" she asked frantically.

"Because... I'm failing my part in this mission" Lightning looked dumbstruck before placing both her hands on his shoulders. "What Can I do?"

He lifted his head a bit, wincing at the movement. "Stop running," he screamed and collapsed in her lap, breathing slowing, heart beat fading.

"HOPE! HOPE! Wake up! This is no time to do this. Please wake up! Please!" she pleaded to his unconscious body. She grabbed a potion and poured it down his throat, when nothing happened she really started to panic. Pleading with him to stay with her while hot salty tears ran down her freckled cheeks. "Don't die Hope." She silently cried while hugging his body to her, laying her head on his chest, listening to his fading heartbeat.

Why? Why? WHY?

He's dying in my arms!

How can this be happening?

Hope please don't leave me here,

I need you! Please don't die, I... I lo...

"I love you...please don't leave me." She whispered the last part, barely audible over the surrounding noises of nature.

A blinding white light engulfed her and she was yanked from Hope's body. She opened her eyes to see nothing, nothing but white, where ever she looked there was only white. A voice spoke from behind. It sounded like Hope but when she turned she saw Odin. The Eidolon spoke again, this time in a deep booming voice. "Claire?"

"No, he can't be!" she shrieked, going to grab for her Gunblade. Which wasn't there, she looked down, she was barely wearing anything, actually she wasn't wearing anything, her nude body covered only by a heavy veil of mist, shielding her modesty relatively well.

"Where am I, Odin?" she said with a unkindness interlaced in her words.

"In your mind, or Hope's I cannot tell at this moment in time."

"What? If were in Hope's mind, it means he is not dead! WHERE IS HE?"

"Claire, Please do not shout in here, it's very painful to the mind we are in. Whether it be your mind or his." Odin stepped forward, "Claire, Do you understand why you're here?"

"No! I don't, can I get some clothes, as I feel rather vulnerable at the moment." She said angrily.

"Ok, think really hard about the clothes you want"

Lightning closed her eyes for a moment concentrating on her usual uniform. Nothing happened so she opened her eyes. "Ok, why am I still naked!"

"ahhh I believe it's because were in Hope's mind. See if this was your mind you would be able to think of the clothes and they would appear"

"Errr right, so how do I get some modesty around here..."

"You have to ask," Odin chuckled lightly.

"Ask who?" he questioned lightly

"Hope of course"

"Hope, give me some clothes please?" there was a popping sound and she was dressed in her uniform. "err thanks, where are you Hope?"

"Here Light, behind you" she froze as a hand touched her shoulder, a shiver running her spine up and down. He let go and moved round to face her.

Lightning looked at his face, He was the 22 yr old version, his hair lank against his scalp, he looked generally unkempt. "What happened to you Hope," he sighed and his head fell to stare at his feet.

"I... My mission was to, err... to make you realise you loved me. My reward was to stay 22, but if I failed you I would have to go back to being 14." He sighed bringing his head up and looking into her eyes. She looked angry, sad, scared and panicked all at once and it scared Hope more than her death glare ever could. "That crystal I touched, she used to be a matchmaker in the village nearby, her focus was to kill the beast you defeated. The reward for me was being 22 and the reward for you was to realise that you loved me and for me to tell you that I love you Claire, you've shown me the Light in myself."

Lightning stood there, dumbstruck again, she was starting to think it would become a new thing with her, to have this constant not knowing what was going on.

"Light? You kind of have to say something now."

"I don't know why, I've only known you for such a short period of time. The old Hope is the when I loved. But I can't love that Hope like I want too." She stepped forward, "I can love this Hope more though, I can't promise the feeling of love to you, but I can promise that I care for you very much."

A funny feeling engulfed Lightning, a weird weightlessness, but she felt heavy at the same time. She looked down to see a speck of black on the white surface she stood on. "Light, grab onto me," she hugged Hope to her chest.

Soon the black speck grew to consume them both...

TO BE CONTINUED!

I do hope it makes sense. reviews please :D

Welsh cakes and cookies on offer for every review given :D