Chapter 9: Hope is Lost

One would think that this was when we'd reconnect with our comrade. We would spend this moment tightly embracing one another, astonished by a miracle.

That was not what happened. Before Vanille had uttered one word, Lightning was frantically grasping for my arm. The dust being kicked up caused both me and Vanille to fall into coughing fits. Unaffected, Lightning jerked my wrist to her lips and engaged my communicator.

"This is Sergeant Farron. I need to talk to Rygdea."

Wow, this woman took her job too seriously.

"Rygdea here. Something going on? Your boy toy giving you trouble again?"

And he didn't take his near seriously enough. Had I not promised otherwise, I would murder him any day now.

"The package is active," she said.

There was silence on his end.

"Vanille is awake."

"Are you sure?"

"What do you mean 'am I sure?' The woman is staring at me right now, Rygdea."

She then proceeded to jerk my arm in front of Vanille's face. I really was just a mannequin.

"Uhm. Who's Rig-dee?"

"You made it? You're alive. You're really there Vanille?" Sazh interrupted.

"Oh, Sazh! I've missed you."

Hope, the mannequin. Vanille had literally talked to Lightning, Rygdea and Sazh. I woke her up and what did I get? Nothing.

"As wonderful as reunions are, Farron, what's the deal with the time line?" Rygdea said.

"We're making camp for the night. On foot we'll reach the valley before sundown tomorrow. If we manage to catch a ride we'll be there by lunch. From there, we'll be able to give you directions. You guys better be ready."

"All right. See you then, Lightning," he said, the communicator clicking off.

Wait, he'd called her Lightning. Since when did that start? As I thought more about it, she'd never actually referred to him as Captain.

A delicate hand touched my thigh. "I've missed you too, Hope."

Words turned to mush in my mouth. I lifted Vanille into my lap so that I could hug her properly. She felt warm and soft, unlike when I'd clutched at her lifeless crystal. Her pigtails tickled my skin, and her fingertips ruffled my hair.

"All this time and you still have the same haircut?" she said. "Hmm, but you look older." She ran her fingers down my jawline, traced my cheeks, pinched my nose, and paused at my lips. "If you'd been cute then, you're definitely handsome now."

She let out a small giggle, and cocked her head. Her gaze was now on Lightning, and she raised an eyebrow. The older woman pulled her lips into a severe line.

"He hasn't changed all that much. It's only been three years," Lightning said. "And if you insist on acting like feral cats, I'll be over there resting. Wake me at dawn."

Scowling, she stalked as far as possible while still remaining in the firelight. She lay in an almost corpse like fashion.

"Not quite the response I was hoping for. Maybe I laid it on too thick," Vanille said, crawling out of my lap.

"Huh?"

"I should probably explain. Unlike my first time in crystal stasis, Fang and I could hear and see things. Not completely, just moments and thoughts. Every once in a while we could see what you guys were up to. Like a dream of reality. That doesn't make sense does it?" She grinned. "So…I heard your request, and I'm here to help."

I felt my face flush. I wasn't sure why I was embarrassed then instead of all the times before. It must've had to do with the fact that I could no longer deny it. If what she said was true, Vanille knew how I actually felt about Lightning.

The next day, I discouraged any and all private talk between Vanille and Lightning. Anytime I'd see one of them approach the other, I'd immediately ran and interrupted. Whatever Vanille might have planned was probably a terrible idea.

My mood was made worse by the fact that we were lost. Lightning had been so certain that we were close to the Steppe. Yet as we made our way through the ravine, we hit a dead end.

Our failure did have one mild benefit. We unexpectedly cornered two chocobos into the cliff face. The birds could have easily jumped their way up the protruding ledges. Instead, they wandered up to Lightning and began rubbing their heads to hers. She pretended to be grouchy with them, dodging their affections. I wondered if Sazh knew that he had competition. Once Dajh's and his pet grew, I bet she would fall madly in love with Lightning too.

Once the soldier had convinced the chocobos we needed their assistance, I helped lift Vanille onto her steed. Not that she needed it, we'd all rode them before. She looked over to Lightning.

"Look how much he's grown up. Quite the honorable young man, no?"

"Grown how? Both of you are still tiny," Lightning said, holding her pinched fingers in front of her face.

Why did she have to bring that up? Yes I was still shorter than her, but that's because she wore heeled boots. It's not like I hadn't grown any since she'd met me. I was technically as tall as Vanille. She had definitely noticed enough to comment on it nine months ago.

We'd been standing in the kitchen, while I'd rifled through the cabinets. I'd noticed her staring at me.

"You're getting slightly taller," she'd said.

"Of course I am. What were you expecting?"

She'd stepped over to me. She'd run her hand from the top of my head to the place it had lined up on her body.

"Your dad is only average height, and from what I gather your mom was a shorty like you. I thought you were doomed."

I'd huffed and had rolled my eyes at her. "You know, not everyone cares about things like that. Plenty of girls fall to their knees at the very sight of this face alone. Bask in the glow of my magnificent beauty, Light. It's a privilege."

She'd leant her back against the refrigerator. "Oh, is that what ol' what's-her-face said? Spent all day telling you how pretty you are." She'd pinched at my waist.

I'd squirmed away and had dropped my face to the counter. "We broke up ages ago. Don't bring up my misery. Maybe I am doomed."

"What happened to all that 'women can't get enough of my godlike splendor'?"

She'd ruffled my hair, and a tingle had run down my spine. I hadn't been able to tell if it had been static electricity or something else. The way she'd jerked her hand away meant she'd felt it too.

"You're one to talk. In the entire time I've known you, not once have you mentioned a boyfriend." I'd stood up and had attempted to finger my hair back into place.

"No one has fit the bill quite yet. But if you happen to meet any enormous, rugged, strong, manly-men," she'd said, pausing for emphasis, "send them the other direction. I get enough of those idiots at work."

"Maybe we should go out," I'd said before my brain had caught up, "to pick up some lunch. I can't find anything in the house that you'd like. There's a new café down the street. Their sandwiches are loaded with meat." I'd found myself stuttering and rhyming.

Multiple monster meat sandwiches? Had that really been the best I could come up with? I stalked over to Lightning just to prove her wrong. I bent down and cupped my hands together.

"What are you doing?"

"Obviously, you're supposed to step on it. I'm trying to give you a boost."

"You think I can't get on myself; or are you implying I'm too heavy to lift?"

She leapt onto the chocobo. At this, I'd determined that she was going to spend the rest of her life glaring at me. She hadn't once smiled at me since we woke Vanille. What had I done to deserve the Snow treatment? Putting my hurt aside, I grabbed at the feathers and pulled myself up. I settled in and wrapped my arms around her waist.

"Explain yourself," Lightning said venomously.

"Does it look there's a third bird? I'm riding with you," I said resting my cheek to her back.

"You are most certainly not. Get off," she said wriggling beneath my hold.

"Well, I could. But it'll cost yah. I'll just run off and tell everyone a certain little secret of yours."

I felt her body go rigid.

"And that would be?"

"That you, a hardened soldier, happen to have a thing for…"

Suddenly her hand was gripping at my knee. If she held any harder I was worried her nails would shred through the canvas. I rocked forward off my bottom so that I could whisper into her ear.

"Kweh, Kweh."

At that, I burst in a fit of laughter. My body was shaking, I was smacking at my thigh, and she started shoving me away with her elbows. The chocobo had no idea what to make of the ruckus on his back and started jumping in circles. In the process, it catapulted the two of us to the ground and darted away.

We tumbled in a tangle of limbs. I found her sprawled across me just like she had done in Serah's living room. The atmosphere was different this time. She had only become more stunning since then. I yanked the arm that was pinned between our torsos out. With the now freed hand, I brushed her hair out of her face and over her neck. I slid a finger along her earlobe, down her neck, along her collar. Stopping once I reached her zipper, the tab clinked against the chain. She blinked at me, but made no effort to escape. Which secret had she thought I was going to spill?

"See. My height has no relevance when we're like this."

"Don't be crass, Hope," she said, kneeing me in the gut.

I could faintly hear the sound of Vanille dismounting and walking over.

"Good grief, what happened over here?"

We both rolled to look at her. Lightning clambered off of me.

"Nothing," she said. "He and I will travel on foot. Because of his stupidity, we've just added to our trek. It'll be a miracle if we make it to the valley before nightfall."

Author's Note: From here on out, I'll probably be posting a chapter a day until we reach the end. Don't quote me on that though.