Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from Square Enix!
Pairing: SnowxHope
Rated M for Mature! Yaoi XD
Also, thanks the-true-freya for editing the story.
Chapter 13: Everything Collapsed
"Miss... wake...up!" A child's voice pleaded.
The young woman felt something or someone tugging her shoulder, trying to wake her from her deep slumber. But the girl did not want to wake up yet. She was dreaming of a future where everyone had a smile on their faces. There was no shadow, just a bright light filled with warm images. She saw her older sister with a curve in her lips, a scene which she had never dared to hope for. Her fiancé was standing beside her with his confident signature smile on his face and his arms protectively wrapped around her body in a tight embrace. Everything felt surreal.
"Miss!" The voice continued to plead.
"Huh?" The young girl felt a shudder run over her body from the coldness surrounding her body. Slowly her eyes began to stir as a weak groan passed her lips as she felt her joints and muscles quiver from stiffness. She opened her eyes slowly before quickly shutting them due to the brightness of the room. She did make out a figure looming beside her. She rubbed her eyes and blinked several times to clear the disoriented image from her vision. As the fog cleared away, she saw that she was resting on the stone floor in front a stone throne in a room.
"Miss? You okay?" The worried voice asked, but the tone sounded a bit playful.
Serah finally acknowledged the voice beside her and turned to see a young black boy with afro hair crouching beside her with a concerned expression on his face. She cocked her head, narrowing her eyes. There was something familiar about this boy, like she had seen him before.
"I'm okay." Serah said. "But where are we?"
"I don't know." The eyes in those boy features looked more worried as he glanced around the weird room. "Where is daddy?"
Serah tried to remain indifferent, unsure of how to answer the boy's question. She was afraid that she might scare the boy more telling him that she had no idea where his father was. She could only give the kid a genuine smile, reassuring him that everything was going to be okay. Everything was confusing to her since the moment her eyes opened and she did not want to add more problems to her situation. She had no idea where this boy came from and where exactly was this place? Moments like this, Serah wished Lightning and Snow were here. The last memory she could recall with her sister and her fiancé was when Lightning and Snow both came to save her as she told them to save Cocoon. Then everything went black. She only hoped that they were alright.
"So you're finally awake." A voice said coldly.
Both Serah and the boy turned toward the sound of the voice and their eyes widened in shock to see no other than the Primarch walking to them.
"Primarch! What are you doing here? Where are we?" Serah said shuffling on her feet. She did not like the smug look on the man's face. She felt a small hand grip her shirt as the boy quickly hid behind her.
"Don't worry my dear. But I recommend that both of you conserve your energy for the moment. Your body is still a little sluggish after waking from your dormant crystal stasis." Barthandelus said, gracing the two with a smile.
"Both of us?" Serah blinked confusingly and her eyes turned round and wide. Her eyes fell on the boy. 'So he was branded a l'Cie also.' Serah mentally said. She felt sorry for the kid. He was too young and turning into a l'Cie was so sudden. She could not fathom how these changes were messing with the kid's head.
"What is this room? And again, where are we?" Serah asked, her eyes scanning the surrounding.
"You're in Eden, my dear." The former Primarch informed them.
"Eden?" Serah gasped. "Why?"
"It simple. I brought the two of you here." Barthandelus said as his smile turned into a sinister smirk. "You served your roles very well for tools. And as your reward, I'm letting you two go."
"What? I don't understand?" Serah asked in disbelief.
"Your friends and loved ones are coming right here as we speak." The Primarch waved his staff towards the wall and suddenly a screen appeared on a wall revealing five familiar faces.
"Snow! Lightning!" Serah gasped. She felt her heart leap in her chest seeing her sister and fiancé again. The screen changed and focused on the other occupants quickly before Serah could relish the images of her fiancé and her sister. Her eyes widened in surprise and in confusion when she saw the same sad girl with pigtailed hair she met on the beach. There was another woman dressed in all blue clothing among them who she did not know.
"Daddy!" Serah heard the little boy yelled in delight as the screen revealed a man with afro-haired man. Then an image of a black man suddenly passed over her feature. She remembered seeing this man when Lightning and Snow had come to save her. The memory was still cloudy, but she remembered that there were other figures other than the black man there also beside Snow and Lightning.
"You are looking at Cocoon's destruction." Barthandelus blurted out.
"What?" Serah said in surpise.
"They are Pulse l'Cie. Branded by a pulse fal'cie; the tools of Cocoon's demise." Barthandelus informed.
"No way!" Serah whispered, taking a step back in fear. "Lightning and Snow would never let something happen to Cocoon."
"Believe whatever foolish ideals you want to believe my dear, but it changes nothing. They were assembled together as the tool of Cocoon's destruction. And thousands of countless life will be slain in a blink of an eye." Barthandelus said with a sinister smirk.
"You're wrong." Serah stated, her voice quivering. She felt her body turn cold and fragile. "Lightning and Snow are here-"
"To destroyed Orphan." Barthandelus interrupted with a smirk.
"Then what about us?... Why did you bring us back? You don't actually think I believe that you brought us here just to let us go?" Serah asked.
"Why to share in the festivity, my dear. You are my honor gift to your friend. It's the least I can do for their wonderful help." The former Primarch chuckled darkly. "Now go and die like the rest of Cocoon's citizens!"
"Wait!" Serah yelled in vain as the man just materialized out from the room. She glanced around only to see she and boy were alone again. She fell on her knees, hugging herself, feeling so helpless. Was all of it true? Cocoon's end was near and she could not believe that Snow and Lightning were the ones who have the power to end it all. Her body was shaking furiously and everything at the moment was just overwhelming.
"Look Miss!" The boy said pointed to door, which sudden materialized on the door. "Do you think it will lead us to daddy?"
Serah wasn't sure. Maybe it was a trick from the Primarch. Other than the door, there was no other exit. So the Primarch really wanted them to meet with the others. It was too easy to the girl's favor. She also still could not understand the Primarch's intentions for the boy and herself. She turned to see the boy, who had a lost expression on his face. She could fall apart during the scenes when there was boy here in need of comfort. All she could do was protect this boy and her first course of action was to take this boy to his father. Then she would have a talk with Snow and Lightning. Serah took a deep breath to pull herself together. Mourning now would not stop Cocoon's destruction.
"C'mon!" Serah stood up with her hand reach out. "Let's go see the others."
The boy's face brightened before reaching for the young woman's hand.
"So what's your name?" Serah asked as they walked towards the door.
Orphan's Cradle
"Hope?" Snow called as a pair of blue eyes widened in fear and panic. The others l'Cie turned around from the man's shriek to see the young boy missing.
"Snow? Where is Hope?" Lightning sneered, quickly walking passed the man.
"I don't know. He was there a second ago." His blue eyes scanning the surrounding area frantically searching for the teen, but there was no patch of silver in sight. Snow felt his heart stop, his body shuddered in fear. Everything felt cold. He had lost Hope.
"Where did he go?" Vanille asked with concern.
"I DON'T KNOW!" Snow hissed between his teeth, feeling a sudden and growing pain in his chest. He took a substantial amount of energy to stop his body from shaking.
"He can't have gone too far." Fang stated walking passed the others, but as the woman placed her feet on the previous platform, it slowly vanished. "Whoa?" The woman quickly leaped back onto the platform with the others, who were staring incredulous at the occurrence moment ago.
"It seem like someone is on to us." Sazh uttered suspiciously, breaking the silence, which suddenly developed among the party of l'Cie. "And whoever it is, they don't want us to go back."
Snow felt his rage spike, hearing that someone was possibly responsible for Hope's disappearance. He could not imagine how lonely and scared the teen was feeling without the others. The boy was only less than five feet away and someone managed snatch the boy from under his protection. He felt his heart splinter into pieces for breaking another promise he made to a kind silver-haired woman and her husband.
"C'mon guys, standing here won't accomplish anything." Lightning said walking forward.
"Light wait! You're not going to search for Hope?" Snow asked in disbelief. He could not believe that the woman was just going to continue walking like nothing just happened.
"Does it look like we has any choice in matter?" The rogue gestured towards the pathway behind them, which was reconfiguring into data before vanishing.
Snow became still seeing the others following the woman's lead. He didn't want to take another step until he had Hope safe and sound beside him. He tightened his fingers into a fist, which was turning white. Snow let out a low growl before following the others. He swore if he found the person responsible, he would wring their neck.
The Narthex
Hope slowly opened his eyes only to notice that the ceiling hovering over his head. A pair of sea-green orbs closed from the sudden luminosity that invoked upon his sight and to convince himself that his mind was playing tricks with his eyes. He opened his eyes again, but this time the world was less blurry, yet all the more confusing. Where was he? His eyes drifted around and he saw that he was in bright, small room. He was lying on a sofa which levitated above the floor. It didn't bother him much as he was used to wake up in much stranger situations during the past month.
"Snow?" Hope called out, searching for someone who stood over six feet tall. Hope stopped for moment when he realized that he was looking for Snow. He wasn't sure why he called out the blond's name of all people. He tried to convince himself that it was a reflex call for help, but the unexpected pang in his chest was telling him otherwise. Hope let out a tiresome sigh. After everything that had happened between Snow and himself, Hope still longed for the man. He really missed the comfort of being in those strong and warm arms. No matter how much he tried, he couldn't stop the memories of his prospects with the blond-haired man. He could still feel the flickering flames of warmth burning inside him. But he could not comply with those affections. As much as he wanted to, Hope couldn't do anything to change Snow's feeling. Snow should choose who he loves.
'It seems I'll be taking this unrequited love with me to my grave.' Hope mentally sulked.
"So you're awake." A familiar voice manifested behind the teen causing the boy to turn still. Hope almost felt like his heart stopped. The voice was that of a woman; a woman whose image flashes through Hope's head. He slowly turned around to come to face the mirage who was not supposed to exist. There were flashes of images of a silver-haired person on a balcony and in the kitchen through his head. The woman held a warm smile on her face. He stared at the silver-haired apparition like a deer caught in a headlight.
"Am I dead?" Hope whispered but the person only shook her head.
"Then how could you...?" Hope pondered for a moment. He felt something was wrong as he recalled the scene when this woman fell to her death.
"Who are you?" Hope eyes narrowed. This woman was not his mother. His mother was dead. She died trying to save Snow.
This apparition that bears his mother's face and her short silver-hair cocked her head in confusion. "Hope? Sweetie it's me!"
"NO!" Hope yelled, his anger raising. "My mother is dead!" He saw the woman raise a brow before a wicked smile crept on her face. She started to chuckle which turned into a laugh, a menacing thing that tried to taunt him.
"Smart boy." She said with a different voice after her laughter had died down. A bright glow sudden engulfed the woman and dissipated only to reveal the former Primarch standing before the silver-haired l'Cie.
"Barthandelus!" Hope hissed. He could understand why Snow felt anger when the fal'Cie had disguised himself as the man's fiancée. The fal'Cie really had a knack for toying with people's emotions. Hope gripped his boomerang from his back pocket, ready to battle.
"I reckon you save your futile strength. You cannot beat me with your power alone." Barthandelus informed him.
Hope grit his teeth knowing that the fal'Cie was right. He alone could not stand a chance against the strength of a fal'Cie. "Where am I? And where are the others?"
"Your companions will be arriving soon." The former Primarch smirked and made a gesture with his staff, revealing a screen on the wall. The screen showed images of the others still in the Orphan Cradle. They were conversing, but Hope could not hear anything they were saying.
"You've been watching us the entire time?" Hope's eyes widened in disbelief. Barthandelus had been watching their moves from the start.
"Yes, indeed." The man smirk only widened more which only induced a bright blush on the teen's face knowing that he'd seen everything that has happened among each party member.
"Even after everything that has happened, you still care deeply for the man." Barthandelus continued. "You human are beyond a fact the most eccentric beings created."
Hope could only stare heatedly at the Primarch. "What are you planning?"
"Well, I must congratulate you firstly. It seems that I have chosen you to be Ragnarok." Barthandelus gestured with a bow.
"What?" Hope stared at the fal'Cie like he had grown six heads. "You cannot believe that I would willingly become Ragnarok as you wish it."
"You are a lonely child who holds no value." Barthandelus said, smirking evilly. He approached the teen who back away, looking scared and frightened. "The man you once cherished gave his heart to that girl, leaving you with nothing. Compared to the others, you have nothing to lose. And the world doesn't need someone with no merits."
"No!" Hope's voiced cracked. "Snow and Lightning promised that they will watch over me!"
"Promises are made to be broken, my child." The Primarch said.
"You don't know anything about them!" Hope defended.
"Ohh... I think I know enough. I watched that man and woman take every step when he turned into a l'Cie. And it was that girl in crystal who keeps pushing him forward, not you." Barthandelus said. He could see the boy losing his wits as the truth started to sink in. He needed to play his cards right if he wanted to succeed in breaking the teen.
"Then tell me if by chance the man survives after all this, do you think you have a place with that man? Can you give the man the family which he desires?" The fal'Cie continued speaking and saw a grim expression suddenly appear on the teen's face. "I thought so. The man will just leave with his fiancée without giving you a second glance."
"Leave with his fiancée? But Serah is crystallize. She wouldn't wake up if..." Hope's eyes widened at an expected realization. "You brought her back like you did with Raines."
"You really are clever. See for yourself." The Primarch gestured to the screen.
Hope shifted his gaze to screen to see his companions standing on a large platform. They were staring at warp zone before they started to debate among themselves until sudden a bright light emitted from the transportation object. Hope felt his heart had stopped when he saw Serah and a black kid jump from the wrap zone. His chest only tightened more when he saw the girl ran to Snow and tackled the man into a hug.
"Look at how happy they are. The runaway soldier and the blond-haired man are reunited with the girl and the other man with his son. It's like you were never there." Barthandelus said.
"No!" Hope choked.
The primarch grinned, placing his hand on the boy's shoulder, which slumped down, and the other hand under the teen's chin, which he lifted to meet his gaze. Barthandelus' smirk widened when he saw tears flowing down those soft pale cheeks. The boy was left with nothing now. "Don't worry. You are still a needed child." Barthdandelus waved his staff which glow a bright light before the teen's face to see the lush and vibrant green eyes turn dull and lifeless. Moments later, the teen fell into his hands unconscious.
Orphan Cradle
Snow wanted to beat up the wall. After three hours of gruesome battling and traveling in this damned maze, his frustration only seemed to build more and more as his mind became more wary of finding the silver-haired teen. He tried to stay positive, thinking that Hope had matured enough to handle himself, but with every step Snow took, he could feel himself losing control. He hadn't found Hope yet. Never in his life had he been this delirious about losing someone. He did make a fuss when Serah was crystallize, but after learning the truth from Fang, he knew that the girl was unharmed. Hope, however, was too young. He could not imagine seeing the fear and panic look in those green orbs. The man made a promise to himself that he would not let anything happen to the boy, and now Hope was nowhere to be found.
"Snow, quit spacing out and get a move on." Lightning called a yard away when she noticed the man stopped moving. She sighed, knowing that the man was thinking about Hope. She never saw the phlegmatic man look this devastated, much more compared to the moment when Serah was crystallized. She could read the stupid idiot's features on his face and knew that the man still had feeling for the boy and that he hadn't given up on Hope yet.
"Light! I'm going back to search for him. Maybe there some places we overlooked." Snow said, his eyes dripping with concern.
"Are you an idiot? The entire place is reconfiguring." Lightning replied with a sneer.
"Aren't you a slight worried about Hope?" Snow gritted his teeth.
"Of course I am." Lightning quickly interjected. Her scowl softened seeing the scared look on the man's face. The soldier never thought she'd live to see the day when Snow, a man whom she respected and came to like, fall so hard for someone. "We'll find him." She reassured.
"It just..." Snow said softy, unable to finish his sentence. His body slumped, the stress finally taking a toll on the man's body.
"I know. We will find him." Lightning smiled placing an arm on the man's shoulder.
"I really am a useless idiot." Snow said with a goofy smile. He missed Hope and he would do anything to get Hope back in his arms, safe and unharm.
"We all know about that." Lightning stated obviously.
"Guys, we found something up ahead." Vanille called, interrupting the two l'Cie 's conversation.
Both l'Cie exchanged a look before rushing after the girl. They met with the others standing on a wider platform staring at warp zone.
"The road ends here people." Sazh stated while examining the portal.
"Do you think Hope is on the other side?" Snow curiously asked.
"Let's hope so!" Vanille said subtly.
"C'mon guys, let's-" Lightning said but was interrupted by a blinding light from the portal. "What?" The woman turned her face away while placing her hand before her face to block the beam of light. The sound of footsteps making contact with the floor reached her ears, but the woman couldn't see who exactly appeared from the portal. Her eyes narrowed only to notice two murky figures. The intense light slowly started to dispel as the figures slowly walked towards them. Lightning reached for the blade if a battle was about to ensue. However, the others didn't share the same prudence.
"Hope?" Snow cried out walking toward the figures. His eyes still was wincing adjusting from the excessive brightness moments ago. The images suddenly clear away and a pair of blue eyes widened in disbelief as his heart stopped beating at the sight before him and the other l'Cie. Serah was about ten feet away from him, holding a boy with afro hair.
"It cannot be!" Snow heard Lightning say in bewilderment.
"Dajh?" The next voice belonged to an old man who has the same shocking expression on his face.
The little boy quickly let go of the woman's grip and ran to the afro-haired man yelling the word 'Daddy' over and over in excitement.
"Snow?" Serah choked out the word from her throat, running towards the blond with tears flowing down her face. Snow did not get the chance to think as the young woman attack him with a hug, burying her face into his chest. He stepped back a pace from the force of the tackle. He slowly wrapped his hands, which were shaking defiantly, around the young woman while still staring in disbelief at the girl. He flinched, feeling a slight tightness in his chest, when Serah looked at him happily with her dark-shaded blue eyes. Snow took a huge gulp, his eyes still widened. He wasn't expecting to see blue eyes. He wanted to see a pair of green eyes instead.
To be continued...
A/N: Okay, two more chapters to go or possibly one if I can fit everything in one chapter (which is very unlikely)... Also there will be a little surprise at the end. It's a little surprise so don't get your hopes too soon. But some might like it ;)...
REVIEWS!