Noel wasn't sure what he was expecting when they set out for the 13th Ark. Certainly he was expecting danger and to encouter what may or may not be an ancient battalion that was determined to kill anything that crossed it. Or at least just choose to destroy whatever it could. Shifting his grip on his swords as they stood on the wind swept landing platform with nothing attacking but certainly no place to set up a base. Hope seemed fairly certain that the outside would be safe simply because Arks were storage facilities. Either l'cie training grounds or held over armories filled with machines made for some kind of battle in the future that the gods had prepared for.

The question was: what was that supposed battle? The gods were gone if they ever existed and Etro most certainly wasn't going to provide answers considering her ways of going about protecting mankind. Still he felt that everything was utterly ridiculous as the advance force of their group entered the Ark. Hope's face was sour as he watched them go, scouts.

He could tell the other was waiting for problems to happen. Mostly though, there was no problems to be had. They managed to get to a plateau that was safe enough to set up camp and Noel couldn't help but be annoyed at how boring entire first day was. He moved into the main tent. Hope was there, sitting at a portable holoscreen waiting for the actual data center to be set up. Looking into his private files and journals about his time as a l'cie. The older man had informed him that there were two copies: the technical one that he used for work and the private one, filled with his emotions.

The mage looked up at him with a small smile. "You were right. The larger team really is a better idea. Mostly considering that I get to spend less time fighting and more time researching." A deep sigh left the scientists mouth. "There is a place that his been sectioned out in for private conversation and I would like to talk to you there later about some things. I have a few questions."

"About what?" Noel asked as he dropped down across from him. They were the only ones in the research tent right now but it was still loud as tents and other things were being set up. He tilted his head up and looked at the ceiling.

"I want to talk to you about Serah and Yeul. Your past." Hope murmured quietly. "I want to know more about you... and..." He trailed off but Noel knew what he meant. There was much that they hadn't actually told the Academy about Noel's role in time traveling. Especially the more mystical parts of it considering that it could cause problems that Hope didn't want to face.

Such as someone wanting to study the other. Noel nodded in understanding as he stood up and heading for the door. "I want to take a look at the perimeter again. Just hit me up when you want to talk." He called over his shoulder as he waved his hand dismissively.

After the hunter left the tent, Hope put aside the tablet and leaned forward into his arms. He wanted to call Noel back and have the younger man put his arms around him. He closed his eyes tightly and called up the image of his mother and then Lightening and everyone else who meant something to him, until finally Noel. His sweet lover. Even though he knew that they would have practically no private time here he couldn't keep his mind from wandering.

"Excuse me Lead Advisor." He turned to the door and smiled as he saw Captain Arcane approach. She was probably one of his favorite people from his time out in the field. Though he knew people commented on his joy of working with women in the military more then men was honestly from his time as a l'cie. Wanting a Lightning like companion instead of the stuffy and often overly strict or cocky men that reminded him of the people who chased him.

It was terribly problematic to have such an unconventional preference all things considered, but he was simply nostalgic for people like Lightening and occasionally with certain characteristics of the others. Not like Snow but, he had to admit that Noel had some terribly Snow like attributes. If better disguised by actually growing up unlike the nearly unbearable blond.

"'Dr. Estheim." Captain Arcane called again interrupting his musing. "I would like to talk to you."

"Oh." Hope shook himself lightly. "I'm sorry. What can I do for you?"

"We've gotten the entire area secure including the 'private area' you requested. It seems like this upper deck is probably an observation deck for the entire facility. I guess to watch as the l'cie were training?" She tilted her head to the side as she talked, a small datapad in her hand as she looked down at it and the current map they had of the place.

Captain Arcane was an unusual looking woman with long inky black hair. Her eyes were a bright purple and across her skin were an intriguing mix of darker Earthy skin and pale creamy skin. A skin condition that was common among her people. She had at one point probably been totally dark skinned as a child. Her weapon of choice though was a gunblade and that was what had made her one of Hope's favorite people of this time period.

"That would make sense. As you've probably noted in the datafile there were places in the 5th Ark that we were able to rest by virtue or design or simply age." He lifted up his own tablet and scrolled through to his own copy of the file. "We may have to move camp in a week when we have discovered this shaft's pattern of monsters. Many things here will be regenerating. And with the Pulse Automata as we destroy some... Newer ones maybe be built if this facility as resupply abilities."

"All this makes my head spin." Arcane grumped as she glared at him almost as if it were his fault. "Much more work then I thought I'd be doing. Babysitting you is usually a walk in the park."

"Well... I wouldn't want you to be getting too many paid vacations." Hope teased as he stood up. "I do believe that it's getting near dark and I'd like to talk to Noel privately before I turn in."

"I had assumed that a lover's talk could be made in your shared tent?" She asked a small teasing smirk on her face. Hope glared at her and said nothing as he left, her laughter following him out.

As the two stood in the quiet area. A place where no listening devices were aloud and no one was really close to the area, was perfect for the place that Hope wanted to talk. He sat on the ground uncaringly and leaned into Noel. He tilted his head down and stared at where Noel's hands were clasped around his waist.

"You told me that you know what Caius might be doing." He started quietly, knowing there was no better way to start this conversation. Noel nodded with a vaguely miserable face. He didn't like talking about Caius. There was beginning to be far too much bad blood between them and redeeming Caius seemed to be become less and less a priority to the hunter.

"He wants to kill the goddess... Kill Etro. Caius possesses the heart of chaos and to kill him is to complete his plan mostly. If Etro dies... no one collects souls." He leaned his head into Hope's. "But I know that he has a time in mind that he wants to die. I think it's when the pillar falls."

"Well in a way that would make sense." Hope replied quietly. "As Snow said, there are two fixed points in timeline. The fall of Cocoon and then when the crystal pillar collapses. Each time when the amount of souls plunging into the afterlife could literally overload Etro. What I'm assuming is... is that each event separately can wound but not kill Etro."

"Well that most certainly is terrifying."

"Yes, but it's also something easier to do in 500AF then before the fall. 6 l'cie with the power of Ragnarok and Caius wouldn't win nor achieve his aim and thus Etro is only wounded not dead. Any other fixed points in time do not offer a large enough loss of life at one time to do what he wishes. And if he paradoxes it into being, you and Serah would have unparadoxed it."

Noel laughed softly, he wasn't quite following everything that the older man was saying but he knew that Hope was relaxed enough with him to do a strange kind of stream of conscious speaking that the hunter found adorable, although sometimes hard to follow. He squeezed the other's waist gently and waited to see what else would fall out of his mouth.

"I think... What we need to do is find a way to contain the heart. In case we have no choice but to kill Caius we need to do it away from those pressure points and place it in the box for safe keeping."

"I guess but Caius steps into other time streams, outside of the true timeline to help make paradoxes. I feel like he could stop us." Noel replied and then he shook his head. "I think I've spent enough time thinking about that."

"One more thing though." Hope turned around and faced the hunter. He took Noel's hands in his and squeezed them tightly. "Caius is immortal... As you've said yourself he has lived through the true timeline since the first Yeul or close to it. I don't quite understand this idea of killing him."

"It's a trick." Noel stated softly, his face looked tired as he leaned back against the wall and stared up at the ceiling of the vast complex. "The only one that can kill Caius is me. Otherwise, he could have just killed himself and been done with it. If Caius doesn't have a successor he won't die. I told you about how he raised me. He raised me to take his place. He wanted to be done with it. And I couldn't do it. I couldn't defeat him. My... unwillingness to kill him..."

"You don't have to say anymore." Hope whispered as he cupped the brunet's cheeks as a few tears sliding down his cheeks. He pulled the other close, resting the taller man's head against his chest. Noel took a few shaky breaths as he clutched the other and then he spoke again once his shoulders shook a little less.

"If I kill him without the full willingness to take his place. Then everything falls apart. If I take on the heart of chaos then I... I'll be the one to watch Yeul die again and again. All I had wanted was to find my Yeul... To make her happy."

Hope didn't say anything. He felt a little guilty for asking his lover to bare his heart like that but he also felt that it was better that he had someone to talk to. He wondered idly if the hunter had told Serah. Often times he wondered what it was like to be Noel. To come from the end of humanity, to have lost so much. Hope had always had a sense of empathy for others that at times could be overwhelming and to truly think of how Noel could feel made his heart ache in a way it hadn't in a long time.

"I love you." The mage murmured as he kissed the top of Noel's head and closed his eyes. "And we'll figure this out."

Noel breathed in deeply Hope's smell as he thought about the older man's words as well as what he knew to be Caius' plan. Even though he knew Hope was trying to find another way it was obvious that his plan involved the hunter killing Caius to remove the heart. And could he do that? That was part of the idea, he had to tear his friend, mentor and in many ways parent's heart out. Part of him wanted to weep bitterly about it, but to do so would probably make things hurt more.

Morning or at least what was probably morning, Noel's internal clock was fine but being inside with no windows didn't help. Hope was still asleep on his arm and he knew that it was earlier then they had intended to get up. Sitting up slowly he stretched his arms about his head and listened to the sounds around him.

The low electrical hum was annoying but it thankfully didn't affect his hearing too badly. He didn't hear anything too strange. He tilted his head to the side as he was prone to do and then he heard what had most likely disturbed him. It was the sound of rickety armor. Probably a Pulse Automata moving around. They were all so old that the sound of metal grinding against metal commonly followed them. They were probably on the platform below as nothing was sent out here. And the guards would have alerted them.

"Noel?" Hope's voice shattered his concentration and he turned to look at the older man looking up at him sleep mused and heavy lidded.

"It's nothing... Scrap metal grinding my nerves." He laughed softly and pushed at his partner's shoulder so that he didn't get up. Hope's eyes slid back shut, not really awake. It always surprised him that Hope's reflexes could awaken one second and fall away the next. Although he guessed he could understand from what little he knew about his time as a l'cie. Hope's hand blindly reached out and grabbed Noel's pulling him back down.

"'m cold." The silver haired man mumbled as he closed his eyes and nearly falling asleep again.

Noel smiled indulgently as he laid back down and pulled the mage into the circle of his arms. What alarmed him was nearly forgotten when the wince of cold metal sounded louder then before. Not too long afterwards Captain Arcane's voice could be heard yelling at her underlings.

"I think what you heard wasn't an automata." Hope replied as he brushed the sleep from his eyes and stood up. At the good natured cursing that could be heard both of them realized that it must have been some of their own equipment rebelling instead of some kind of immediate danger. Noel nodded his agreement as he looked towards the flap that served as the interest to their temporary home.

"Do we need to go out there just yet?" Noel asked after a few moments once the cursing died down. He turned to his partner only to find Hope turning off the alarm and reaching for his over shirt.

"It was most likely something of ours, which means Arcane is about to come in here and cuss at us next." The silver haired man murmured as he got dressed. Noel nodded as he reached for his own shirt.

The hunter had to admit as he watched his partner get dressed and comb his ridiculous bed head away that his 'uniform' for being out in the field was much better then his Academy uniform. Use to the fancy jacket with buttons upon buttons and more white then such dirty work desired. He found that he was very pleased with the white undershirt, black body armor shirt with a dingy old jacket that must have been very well loved. Hope had just given up on his hair when the flap moved and Arcane entered and dropped down in the 'sitting area' with a large canister that Noel couldn't decide if it was full of coffee or booze.

"Hell's bells and other ills." She muttered as she wrestled it open. "Those brutes out there have no respect for science."

Hope let out a good nature laugh as he sat back down next to Noel and leaned back on his hands. He probably should have explained to Noel about the type of person Arcane was, but he was sure the two would get along fine. He waited for her to speak again, but she currently drinking her coffee as quickly as she could with it probably being brought directly from the caf.

"They broke the decoder." She finally spoke. "Apparently one of the newbies wanted to see what it would translate the old Pulsian script into... And...promptly busted the shit out it when it didn't work quickly enough." She added a few more choice words under her breath..

"Don't worry." Hope shrugged his shoulders. "I can probably fix it. I'll take a look at it before the afternoon excursion."

She nodded and turned to look at the still silent hunter. Noel was actually not looking at either of him. His mind, not really there at the moment. He had tuned out their conversation for the sake of listening to the sounds of the camp waking up. And also, for the general sounds of the Ark. She was about to say something but Hope raised his hand and she nodded and got up to leave.

Hope lowered his hand onto Noel's and watched as the hunter closed his hand over his and returned to stillness. It still jarred him a bit, to see Noel fall so still, but it was also a bit comforting. Noel was listening, listening to everything that a human's limited ears could pick up. And well, probably a bit more then others could hear in this time, considering what 700AF would have looked like. He imagined that the hunter was listening to his breath, maybe even his very heartbeat.

In a way, it made Noel seem vulnerable and Hope wanted to protect the side of him that required quiet and stillness. Not use to such a lack of movement, the older man pulled away after a few moments and got up to go check the equipment before someone came to retrieve him and jarred the other out of his morning routine.

The air inside the Ark wasn't as stale as Hope had thought it would be. Some kind of ventilation system ensuring that fresh air was constantly pumped in, probably for some kind of bioengineered creatures that they had yet to see. He approached Captain Arcane where she was sitting against the main computer of the command center.

"How bad does it look?" He asked as he looked over at the smaller decoding machine that was roughly as tall as Hope's hip.

"Welp, I don't know too much about how these things are made." She scratched the side of her nose. "I just know that the receptors are blown."

Hope grumbled in good nature before he walked over to the device and settled down in front of it. Decoder was kind of a short hand name for the machine as it often did much more then that. It took pictures of text, analyzed it, and decoded it. But, it also did the same things for other types of objects such as flesh, stone, etc. Hope looked around to make sure that no one was watching him too closely before he grabbed his tool kit and with one hand dug around in the box will he placed the other on the machine.

Instantly, in a way that he still didn't quite have the words to explain that machine became 'alive to him.' He listened to it as he learned what wires had been broken and relays snapped. He grabbed the proper tools and began to open the machine up. Going where he was directed with images and mental suggestions. Fixing the damage and soothing the machine's 'worries' as he went. It took him a little over twenty minutes for the primary fixes. Later he would have to go and get the new parts that it required later.

Once down with his assurances to the machine that it would be better he set his tools down and stretched his arms up above his head. Arcane was gone now, probably to start laying out orders for the afternoon so that the excursion team could get underway. He pushed himself into a standing position and looked around for the next task he might need to complete before he left. Finding nothing too emergent, he headed towards the 'stockhouse' a tent full of spare parts and gear they might need and placed the order for the parts he needed to finish the decoder.

"Will it be all right Director to go without the decoder?" Sturk, the man in charge of parts asked as he looked down at the list he was writing. "This thing won't be up and running without some of this."

"And that's fine. I can mark places on the map to return to with the decoder. Today we will probably be too busy fighting and doing cartography anyways." Hope replied as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Hey, seriously...do you really think that this'll help with the new Cocoon?" Sturk asked as he laid a heavy arm on the counter. "I've heard that this is just a way to keep you hidden away from those terrorists."

"It will help." Hope replied firmly. "This Ark...would have been built before the original cocoon or there abouts. A form of technology that has no need of Fal'cie to stay afloat much like the other gravitation cores. But also, if the mythology is right, this is made to withstand a war of the gods. This can help us figure out how to build the outer walls for optimal protection. After all... We don't want to fully copy Cocoon's blueprints. That was made to fall and provide the optimal amount of death."

Sturk shuddered at the thought, but nodded his understanding. "Sometimes I think we forget that you have some serious interest in never relying on crap like that again."

"You couldn't be more correct." Hope smile bitterly before he turned to head towards the door. "If you can get those ready for me by the end of the afternoon excursion I'd be grateful."

"Yessir!" Sturk saluted as the senior official left.

According to what Hope had written about the 5th Ark hundreds of years ago, there would be separate compartments filled with different types of living war machines. While there was no surety of what a normal entrance would look like, Hope and the other l'cie had been whisked there by Barthandulus' whim. The exploration team consisted of five people. Arcane, two grunts, Noel and Hope. Noel wasn't too sure of going out with such a small team, but the scientist had pointed out that most areas would be hallways or train transports. Not really big enough for a large mobile team.

"It looks more like ruins." Arcane commented as they left the central area that consisted of their base. The morning crew had cleaned out most of the monsters and jammed the replicators to make things easier. Things Hope wished they could have done during his original experiences with Arks.

"In a way... I guess they are ruins." Hope shrugged. "Filled with Pulsian tech as well as whatever else the Fal'cie put into them... Somewhere though... The thing that we need should be inside the 'city core'."

"City core?" Asher, a grunt asked as he looked over. "Just what are you expecting to find here?"

"Inside the 5th Ark, a mobile artillery that I believe was air based much like this one had been stored below Eden durning the War of Transgression. We... We exited over the ruins of a city. I assuming an ancient city populated by people used to build some of their machines."

"You think that human societies once lived here?" Arcane asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Maybe? According to Fang and Vanille though, during the War... they wouldn't have had access to them. They were for something bigger."

A silence fell across the group at that and they walked quietly ahead. Noel kept his ears open. He could hear distant cries of animals and the occasion grinding of machinery. Hope looked up at Noel who had taken point. He looked down at his boomerang in hand and sighed softly. What he wanted to find here, what he hoped was here was a risk. And also against what he wanted to do, but he needed help and Fal'cie tech seemed to be the only way he could find a way to save Noel.

Most of the walls were a rusty color and occasionally broken panels hanging opened revealed relatively sophisticated machinery for what it was worth. Finally they reached a computer terminal that looked older then the earth. At least to Noel.

"Probably can't work that shit without the decoder." Hutch grumbled as Hope approached it.

"I have a good understanding of old tech. Just wait a moment." Hope replied as he settled his hands onto the old terminal. It had a small screen and a full keyboard as he looked over it with his hands still on it. He listened carefully, tuning into the machine as he did with the things he worked with on at the academy. Instantly a map was revealed on the screen and he accessed the panels as he listened to what little the machine could give him. "I can get a map of the place... but I'm not sure it's safe to access anything else."

"A map is mostly what we need." Arcane replied as she leaned against a wall. "It's only day one so no hurry."

Noel nodded his agreement and then went still. "What kind of animals can we expect again in this place?"

"Mostly Pulse Automata. And pretty much anything that you can find in the Mah'habara Subterra. Although they probably would be sightly different." Arcane replied.

"...You can also find battle ready monsters." Hope replied as he pulled his hands off the computer and assumed a battle stance. "Something that quiet... I'm thinking a behemoth hybrid or a-"

"SHIELD LIZARD!" Noel cried as he rolled to the side from the thundering lizard.

The lizard had it's shield pulled back as it launched at him again and knocked in a wall. The floor was too heavy for the beast as it formed it's shield.

Arcane released a battle cry as she launched at the creature, craving off scales from the beast as Hope stepped backwards and took a calm stance. Noel dived between the mage and the lizard, brandishing his larger sword as a shield as he watched Arcane manage to cleave off another section of scales as the two grunts took different sides, aiming their guns to shoot at it's legs to try and put it off balance.

"Thunder." Hope spoke calmly, lightening hissing through the air past Noel's left side.

The hunter took off after the bolt watching as it shoved the creature up in the air and slashed at it's soft underbelly. Another command from the mage and fire was lighting up the creature's side keeping it pushed back before an aero knocked the creature to the left as the the hunter jumped back. As he rolled back the ground gave a sickening lurch.

"The beast is too heavy. Retreat." Hope called as he backed up. "I can keep it back with magic, report to my position."

Arcane was the first to come back, cleaving off part of the beast's arm as she passed by it, all swift reflexes. "That should slow it down." She said as she rested in a low battle stance watching as the two grunts pulled back firing rounds as they went. Noel set to take the rear. He paused as he transformed his swords into a spear for a quick exit.

"Hope, aero." He called as he prepared to run. The magic soared past the hunter as he slammed the spear into the beasts stomach using it as a push off point. As he launched back towards the group, the creatures arm caught his leg sending him flying into a wall.

A low grunt left the hunter as he sunk down the wall into a slumped position the wind knocked out of him. He pushed himself up quickly but it was too late as the floor began to give under the giant lizard. Arcane put out her hand as the floor gave in with a metallic whine dragging down monster and man alike. Once it was over she looked back at the two grunts and Hope.

"You have the map right? What's another way down?" She asked quickly but Hope shook his head.

"It's not that deep of a drop. If he's alive that monster most likely is and we don't have time." The scientist replied as he approached the sinkhole. "This places is not an endless well of canyon sized rooms. More like a complex maze from what the map looked like. I'll go down and heal him and bring him back up."

"I'm not sure that's safe." Arcane muttered quietly. "I would feel better if one of them or even I went."

"Who's good enough here at magic to get him up?" Hope bit back as he turned from the chasm. "Look, I'm not trying to undermine you but I'm point for mage here. We didn't bring anyone else because we weren't expecting to encounter anything that would move from it's position. It'll take too long to go get another mage and if he's down there's no way to carry him back. So lower me down and if it's more then we can handle at the very least I can get him up and we can escape."

Arcane looked away angrily but motioned for Asher to latch Hope up and lower him down. She knew that he had more reason to go down then the 'common sense reasons' that he set up. She knew that it was because his boyfriend was down there and worst, she knew that should would do the same thing. Hope gave her a thankful nod as he shrugged off his jacket and secured the belt and line around his waist. He approached the hole and turned.

"When we're ready to go I'll give a tug." He said as he waved the second belt at him. "It shouldn't take too long."

And then he turned and reaching the wall where Noel felled he examined the ground and noticed that there were a few torn notches. Finding nothing else that he could use he tightened his gloves and began to slide down and moved his hands to catch the grooves to slow his descent. When he arrived down to the lower level he saw that the shield lizard was definitely not a problem. Impaled in random places by the debris that fell before it. He looked around the dank room. It was small with a door, most likely some kind of storage room. He keep his alert, spell on the edge of his lips until he saw Noel's spear.

Forgetting himself for a second he shrugged off the belt and ran for the spear. Picking it up, he noticed that just beyond another section of rubble sat Noel, looking worse for wear. He approached the man quickly and rolled him over.

"Fuck that hurts." Noel groaned with a rare sour disposition.

"What hurts?" Hope asked as he pressed his hands gently against Noel arms and chest.

"My leg got hit pretty hard on the way down. Not broken I think." The hunter groaned and Hope pulled him up against his chest. The silver haired man kissed his partner roughly and sighed deeply.

"Don't you scare me like that again... asshole." Hope cursed and kissed him again.

Noel chuckled lightly against his lips. "I think I still win for the greatest scare after carrying around your unconscious body."

"I can even the odds by knocking you out?" Hope replied with a sly grin as he moved a hand lowly down his lover's body before reaching his leg and casting a quick cure.

"It's going to take more then that to get me up." Noel replied with a suggestive smile. The dark haired man pressed up against his lover with slightly renewed mobility. Hope smacked his hurt leg lightly before pressing more healing magic into him

"Maybe later." Hope spoke softly and with promise. "Come on."

Getting back to the line was slow going. Too afraid to press to much healing power into the leg without checking and cleaning it. Hope used one last healing spell to get the other up and moving. Once they got to the line, Hope secured himself into the one on the line and put the other on Noel.

"Wrap your arms around me so this will go easier." He murmured as he reached a hand up and tugged three strong times. Noel smiled and practically snuggled into him. The scientist laughed as he wrapped an arm around him.

Once they were up Noel was forced onto a stretcher by Arcane that Asher and Hutch carried. She glowered at Hope as they began to walk back, taking rear as Hope was forced to take point. Going back to camp was silent with very few monster attacks. Noel felt ridiculous lying on the stretcher but Arcane was having no buts about anything. Luckily they were only about an hour away from camp. Once the reached it, managing to skirt certain monster grounds courtesy of the map that Hope had gotten.

Back at camp, Noel was taken to the med tent and Hope went to the research tent to upload the map into the system to mark their plan. As he analyzed the data he waited for Arcane and the blow up that he knew was coming. When the flap opened and she walked in and sat down he knew that everyone in camp would probably hear everything she had to say by the end of it.

"I want to start out with one question." Arcane murmured calmly. "Who controls this mission?"

"Lydia." Hope started breaking out of military rigor to talk to her, knowing it was the best way to appeal to her. He had once tried to talk to her the way he talked to Lightning and found that that didn't work at all. "I'm not here to be babysat. I am a capable fighter."

"YOU ARE THE SCIENTIST THAT IS HERE TO BE PROTECTED!" She growled as she slammed her hands on the the table. "You are expected to follow my orders and keep yourself safe."

"Yes, let's do that. Put the most capable mage in the entire camp on the sidelines because of the rules of the government. I am not just a scientist. I am a combat specialist and you know this. Unless you plan to put me on the medical list and keep me from going out into the field you will have to deal with the fact that I am on the team."

"Don't you try to quote code at me! I don't care if you are couching it in friendly speech. You are my charge! Going alone is against the rules too!"

"Who was the most capable person to get someone up and moving? What would have happened if you had sent Asher or Hutch down there and the shield lizard was still alive? Pulled him back up and leave Noel to fight alone. Only me and Boak are capable of battle and healing magic. Even if we equip manadrives-"

"I know, I know... They aren't sufficient. They can only control one vector of magic." She turned her head away and sighed deeply. "I don't know why I try when you're fool head will do anything it wants."

"Lydia Arcane." Hope shook his head with a smile. "I was a l'cie once... I'm the last person here you need to worry about. I feel like I tell you that a least ten times every mission we have together."

She shrugged idly and stood up. "I give... for now."

"Arcane... I would have gone down for anyone... Not just Noel." He felt the need to add that one, worried that she thought he was just randomly risking himself without prior thought of what it meant.

"I know that... You're the kindest person I've ever met Hope Estheim. Never change." She let a heavy hand drop on his shoulder and turned to head out. "I think that boy's almost finished up. So you two can get back to NOT giving me gray hairs if you please."