Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Square-Enix!
Pairing: SnowxHope
Warning: Mature Content! Contain Yaoi!
PLEASE see author's notes at the bottom after reading this chapter!
Chapter 15: Together Again
Deep down, Snow never expected that he would wake up after seeing the world flashes and then everything turned to darkness before his eyes. But there was a nagging feeling at the back of his mind telling him to wake up and he did. He slowly opened his eyes only to see the ground in his face. He was laying flat on his stomach like road kill. He rolled on his back only to have a groan slipped through his lips. His body was stiff and sore all over. There was a continuous throbbing pang in his head, especially on the right side of his head. He felt like he was pierced by an arrow through his head. He slowly pushed himself on his elbows, looking around the room clouded in a mist of dust and crumbling walls. His blue eyes stopped in panic when he saw the dust cloud clear away in the center of the room only to reveal a silver haired boy, laying motionless on the floor.
"Hope?" Snow called out in panic. It was Palumpolum all over again. Hope had unleashed another massive amount of energy, and from the look of the condition the room was in, the power unleashed was much more violent. Snow pushed himself on his feet, despite his body's objections from the aching pain coursing through his body. The man wobbled with each step with spasmodic breathing to the teen. Snow crouched down on his knees, picking up the lithe body in his arms. He examined the youth and let out a breath of relief when he saw that no harm had befallen on the boy. Hope laid unconscious in his arms, the teen's chest rising slowly every three seconds with every breath. Snow brushed a hand over those soft silver locks, over the calm and sleeping face, feeling a light squeeze in his chest. Hope was finally back in his arms, safe and sound. He pulled Hope closer to him, and tightened his hold on the teen. He will not make the mistake of letting go of Hope again.
Snow scanned around the room. He was relieved yet again to see that bastard fal'Cie was nowhere to be found. He heard a weak whimper as his azure eyes quickly looked down, seeing Hope stirring awake. He felt his heart doing a somersault when he saw Hope opened his eyes, seeing those gorgeous, brilliant green orbs again.
"Snow?" Hope said groggily, seeing blurs of a familiar fair yellow. He blinked several times to clear away the distortions only to see Snow with a worried expression on his face. The man looked like he went through hell. There was blood trickling down from a wound on the right side of the man's temple. And from the expression on Snow's face, the wound was the least of his worries.
"Hope. Thank god you are okay." Snow said pulling the boy into a tight embrace. Hope, however, tried to push away but Snow's clutches on the teen was firm.
"Why are you here?" Hope asked, finally pushing the man away. He sat on the stone floor before the blond, his gaze transfixed on the floor.
Snow cocked his head, giving the teen a confused look. "I'm here because I wanted to be here. To save Cocoon and you, Hope."
"What I meant is why are you here and not with Serah? Especially after she's woken up?" Hope asked, his gaze directed elsewhere, his shoulders slumped and his fingers tightened into a fist. "You and Serah are finally back together." He saw flashes of images through his head of Serah and Snow in each others arms. There was no more reason for Snow to be here. Serah was back.
"Don't let Dysley's words get to you. What he said was all lies." Snow said.
"But I saw you... and her together." Hope's face fell. The youth, however, did not see the smile on the blond's face as a sudden gasp escaped from his lips when the man coiled his arms around his middle and pulled him on the man's lap into another embrace.
"I told Serah everything." Snow whispered softly into the embrace.
"What?" Hope's eyes, wide and large, snapped toward the blond, feeling a twitch in his heart. The man leaned forward, their temples lightly butting together. A shudder racked his body feeling his skin going crazy from the closeness and the warm heat radiating from the large body. Hope felt his body becoming hot seeing the flushness on his face reflecting into blue eyes. Their faces were so close to the point if Hope had leaned forward a bit, Snow and his lips could be touching.
"I told her that I've found someone special in my life and that person is you Hope." Snow said softly. He saw those green orbs widened as the red tint on Hope's face became redder.
"Snow, you can't. You are engaged to Serah." Hope objected. He didn't want to be the cause to break up a perfect couple.
"Not anymore. I broke it off." Snow smiled.
"Whaaa!" Hope said in disbelief.
"It was different..." Snow mumbled off burying his face in the space teen's shoulder and neck. "When you disappeared, I nearly lost it. I felt a piece of my soul was ripped apart. I panicked; it felt like my entire world had shattered to pieces. And after meeting with Serah, I realized how much you meant to me. I can't even take a step forward until knowing you're safe in my arms again. I wanted you Hope and not Serah."
"Snow!" Hope murmured.
Snow choked when he saw tears slowly forming in those green eyes. He pulled the teen against him. "Hope, I'm sorry for everything. I screw up my only chances at love and I know that you don't deserve a useless and pathetic guy like me. But I want to make things right again. I don't wanna lose you again. I want you in my arms... forever. Will you gave me another chance?... If you say no then I'll understand." Snow confessed. He had caused too much pain in those eyes. This time he will make a promise to never let Hope cry ever again.
"You're... a jerk." Hope sniffed, hiding his teary face in the man's chest.
"I heard that one before." Snow chuckled, running a hand through those soft silver locks. He gently grasped the teen's chin, wiping away the warm tears flowing down that beautiful face with his thumbs. In less than a second, Snow swooped down, locking lips with Hope. He felt two slender arms wrapped around his neck as a lithe body pressed against him. Snow took this advantage to run his hand behind Hope's back, moving downward only to cup that perfect globe ass.
Hope gasped in the kiss, giving the man the opportunity to deepen the kiss, savoring every speck of flesh inside his mouth. He groaned feeling a spike of pleasure flare up to his spine from those large hands rubbing against his sensitive flesh. Instinctively, Hope felt his hip grind into Snow's hands on their own, building friction against their fabrics. He heard a snarl from Snow as the man guided him on the floor, continuing to devour his mouth into the kiss.
After what seemed like an eternity, Snow finally pulled away, leaving a dazed looking teen under him. He pulled Hope onto his lap again, whose chest was rising precipitately filling his empty lungs with air. He was staring into a pair of hunger green eyes. The way Hope's lips parted, the cute yet perverted body sprawling on his lap. This boy was really a demon.
"Miss that, huh?" Snow purred, nibbling on Hope's earlobe before moving down, leaving a trail of light kisses down Hope's neck.
"You have a lot to make up for." Hope said, suppressing a gasp as his body was attack with multiple shudders. He could feel his lower region start coming alive and he knew that this was not the time for such obscene actions, but his brain chose not to operate at the moment.
"I'm planning to makeup for everything with you for rest of my life." Snow refrained a chuckle as he locked lips again with Hope. However his insatiable was however cut short when something small and heavy suddenly connected to the back of his head.
"Hope? I'm seeing blood everywhere. Are you okay?" Snow muttered under his breath, feeling a stinging pain in his head.
"I'm fine, but it seem like your head might need a few cure spells." Hope replied.
"You got some nerve Snow Villiers!" Lightning growled standing behind the blond with the other l'Cie. "Preying on an underage boy while a fight is going on."
Hope quickly pulled away from the blond before standing on his two feet, not realizing that there were spectators watching their little performance. He slowly walked to Lightning whose hands quickly pulled him into an embrace.
"You're safe." Lightning said softly.
"Sorry for worrying you." Hope mumbled returning the gesture.
"Hope!" Vanille chirped, attacking the teen into a hug.
"I think you kill him Lightning." Fang stated hovering over Snow's motionless body on the ground.
The rogue only huffed walking away searching for the fal'Cie.
"I'm not dead... yet." Snow muttered, his voice straining. He pushed himself on his feet, rubbing the swelling pain in his head. "Geez Light, that freaking hurt."
"Quit your complaining. I don't see Barthandelus anywhere?" Lightning said in a sneer looking around the room as the dust started to clear away. The other l'Cie stopped what they were doing to scan around the room to see that there was no fal'Cie among them. Everyone was on their toes, feeling something was not right with the scene. Finally, the room started to shake as the l'Cie ready their weapon to battle.
"You insolent l'Cie, you will keep defiling your focus until the bitter end." Barthandelus said before materializing behind the party in his true form. The fal'Cie stood towering among the l'Cies. His head was shaped like a wall with four face-masks grafted onto the sides of his head as adornment. The fal'Cie eyed each l'Cie before falling onto the silvery head teen. He only saw pure hatred before he raised his giant arms, ready to deliver a blow. "You will be the first sacrifice."
"Hope!" Snow yelled, running to his lover. He quickly shoved the teen away, only to receive a giant fist connected to his body. Snow felt like the wind was knocked out of him as he hurled across the room.
"Snow!" Hope cried out in panic, seeing the man was thrown onto the ground like a ragged doll.
"Help him." Lightning called out as she and the other l'Cie quickly arrived between Hope and Barthandelus.
Hope nodded before sprinting to the blond. He crouched down on his knees beside the motionless man on the ground. Not wasting a second, he began casting multiple cure spells on the man. "Snow?" He whispered to the blond, ignoring the explosion of magic spells and the roars of pain from the ensuing battle behind of him. The teen was overcome with relief when he saw Snow opened his eyes, and groaned before pushing himself up on his elbows.
"Damn. That probably left a mark." Snow said, rubbing the back of his neck. He glanced to his companion, seeing mixed emotions of distress and relief. "Thanks babe." He stood up giving a Hope a quick 'thank you' peck on the lips.
"Snow, not now!" Hope objected, pushing the man away.
Snow smirked seeing the flush, yet pouting look on the teen's face. He considered his lucky star that a bed was not even remotely close by. He swallowed down a hard knot resting at the back of his throat, trying with utmost strength to resist temptation. Now was not the time for such naughty thoughts. But there was excitement rushing through his veins. He could not wait to start his new life with his new lover. "When this is over, consider yourself mine." Snow leaned down and whispered into Hope's ears, nibbling on the sensitive earlobe. Hope flushed bright red, gasped and shuddered from the obscene gesture.
"Clear away!" Fang yelled, seeing the fal'Cie raising it head conjuring a heavy magic. She quickly leaped with Lightning in the air to interrupt the casting, but their attacks were ineffective as a large concentration of elemental magic suddenly appeared and exploded in the vicinity. The two l'Cie fell on the ground in pain, the power of the magic nearly burned the flesh right off from their bones. Fang struggled on her feet, looking around to see Vanille and Sazh already on the floor.
"Your useless attempts to fight your focus are futile." The fal'Cie sneered, towering over the pulsian woman. The fal'Cie raised his arms, ready to strike the woman. "Now perish."
"Think again." Snow barked coming in between Fang and the attack. He quickly shifted to his sentinel role, using his body as a shield, hatting the fal'Cie's attack. "Hope, now?"
"I'm on it." Hope called out, casting curaja spells onto the falling allies, healing their wounds and reviving their strengths. With the party fully in function, Sazh, Vanille, and Hope pulled back at a safe distance as Fang, Lightning and Snow took a defensive stance between the casters and the fal'Cie.
"Ready for this Hero!" Fang snickered.
"Born ready." Snow smirked, punching a fist in his hand.
Sazh and Hope quickly began casting multiple enhancing spells by the bulk, increasing their companion's parameter as Vanille changed to her saboteur role, casting debuffing spells against the fal'Cie to weaken his defensive and strength capabilities. Snow and Fang charged forward, attacking the fal'Cie in their commando role. Lightning shifted to her ravager role, imbuing thunder in her strikes. The fal'Cie, however, did not take fondly of the l'Cie's optimism. He began shooting laser beams from his adorn heads, keeping the attacking l'Cies at a distance and slowing their attacks.
"Change tactics. Focus on using magic." Lightning commanded. Everyone except Fang changed to their ravage role, casting magic spells as Fang continued her direct attack on Barthandelus. It didn't take much time until a golden glitter swept over the fal'Cie who roared out from pain, falling flat on the ground.
"He's staggered. Now is our chance." Lightning called out as Snow, Sazh and herself shifted to their commando role, attacking the falling fal'Cie. Snow and Lightning quickly joined Fang, slashing and tearing away the fal'Cie's head as Sazh joined the two youngest l'Cies from a distance, shooting the strongest pistol infused with his l'Cie magic leaving painful bullet holes through the fal'Cie.
"This is my power." Hope yelled as a beam of bright light suddenly surrounded him. He concentrated on the magic around him into several orbs of holy light, which he launched into air before raining down on the fal'Cie. The three commando l'Cie clear away from the attack, keeping a safe distance from the attack.
"Fang do it." Lightning called out as the bronze-skinned woman took a running charge.
"Here." Snow called running before the falling fal'Cie with his hands opened out. The woman leaped on his hands, before she was thrown high into the air near the ceiling.
"It all ends here." Fang yelled, gripping her spear tightly as she dived down in full force over the fal'Cie. Her spear connected with fal'Cie head, piercing through the thick armor flesh before hitting the stone floor. The floor below the l'Cie feet trembled from the power of attack.
The five other l'Cie stared in awe at a distance as the final blow was delivered. The loud explosion from the attack nearly cracked their eardrums as a screech of pure agony followed.
"Finally at last. Release." Barthandelus mindlessly chanted, his body glowing an ominous blue color.
The l'Cie rushed forward, joining Fang near the torn and sunder ground. The woman did not hold back from her attack. They looked on as the fal'Cie body started to dissolve into a silver pool of liquid before the room fell into a deep silent.
"It's finally over." Lightning stated.
"Whoo!" Sazh signed in relief, falling on his ass. His bones and joints were aching for sleep.
A smile crept on Snow face. He turned at his lover, seeing the teen still overlooking the puddle of what was left of the fal'Cie. There was a content, yet tired look on his face. To Snow, it seemed like the boy needed a distraction. He quickly lifted the teen in his arms gaining a surprised cry before bring the teen into a warm embrace.
"Look at them. The battle is just over and they are going at it." Fang snickered. She heard a giggle from her bubbling companion who suddenly leaned on her body. The woman instinctively wrapped her arm around the girl. She was finally at peace.
"We did it." Snow smiled as he looked at his flushed lover who had a content smile on his face. All of a sudden, the boy's feature changed as the smile on the teen's face disappeared causing Snow to raise an inquired brow. Snow felt some uneasiness in his gut as he stared in those green orbs, searching for the cause of Hope sudden change in disposition. The boy's eyes quickly dashed toward Lightning. Snow drifted his gaze to the woman also. He cocked his head when he saw the woman standing quietly like a statue before the pool of liquid. Snow could feel the adrenaline rushing through his veins. It felt like something big was about to happen. Simultaneously both Hope and Lightning quickly raised their gaze to the ceiling and gasped at the sight. Snow and the others looked up and gasped also, seeing the weird silver owl that was always near the Primarch.
"It's that bird again." Hope said, staring at the bird with confusion. His eyes, like the other l'Cie, following the owl as it flew into the pool of liquid and then a bright glow light suddenly glittered over the puddle. A startled expression swept through each of the l'Cie as the ground unexpectedly began to shake.
"A haven, yea." A distinctive voice began spoken. "Yet it must fall ere we be saved."
Each l'Cie gasped trying balance from the trembling earth under their feet. They saw a weird golden circular figure emerged from the pool of blue liquid. "Too frail a shell, and humans should not thrive." They recognized the voice as Barthandelus, but what appeared from the pool of liquid was not the fal'Cie they fought before. There were three heads on this new, reborn fal'Cie. The party recognized Barthandelus face fused on the right side of the fal'Cie. The Primarch's body was turned into a strange violet crystal pillar covered with mysterious dark marking. A large arm which was attached from what is remain from Barthandelus smashed on the floor, sending a strong tremor under the l'Cie feet.
"Too stout a shell and they would not die." Hope gasped as he clutched on Snow's neck as the man stumbled on his feet, falling on the floor. He heard other gasps filling the room from the others fell on their knees. The blond quickly stood up with him still in Snow's arm before the man finally placed him on his two feet. The other part of new fal'Cie body consist of a feminine figure adorned with seraphic wings in gold and an arm more slender than the left. Between the two speaking heads rested another head, but more childlike. There was a golden dial, adorned with bearing multiple faces of new fal'Cie's facial features, rotated clockwise behind the new fal'Cie. "Slaughter and Salvation! Two irreconcilable focuses we bore. Yet bound were we in cocoon prison impervious to our power. And so we thank you, for granting us our longed-for birth."
"Dysley?" Snow called out, unsure if it was the same fal'Cie who reign over Cocoon.
"No. Not anymore." Sazh said remorsefully.
"We are the Abandoned One, born but now to die." The fal'Cie continued, hovering over the l'Cie who quickly took a defensive stance, weapons in their hands. There was a large, eerie tattoo, similar to the statues from inside the previous bright room filled with floating sofa, on the fal'Cie body. "Our name is Orphan. By our hand, the world shall know redemption."
There were warning signals going off the back of Hope's head telling the youth to move or at least open his eyes. Moving, however, seemed out of the question. Hope felt his body, left arm and legs constricted, his entire being pinned on a floor by a large object. He tried his other options, opening his eyes. His eyes winced trying to open, but then slowly his world started to become clear. A pair of green orbs widened in surprise when saw the large object laying on top of his body was no other than Snow. Confusion riddled on his face. He turned his head to left seeing Vanille and Fang on the floor before turning to right, seeing Lightning and Sazh lying unconscious also. Before Hope could blink, the memories of the past events quickly torrent in his head.
The l'Cie didn't get the chance to deliver a single blow to new reborn fal'Cie. As the battle commenced, the fal'Cie unexpectedly rose near the ceiling before falling down on the floor delivering a devastating crushing attack. All Hope could remember was Snow stepping before him, shielding him with his body.
Hope suddenly felt a shudder as warm breath from his lover tickled his neck. The man had his arms secured around his middle and the man's head was lying at the crook of his neck. How much he would love to see the man's peaceful sleeping face, his chest didn't enjoy the scenery. "Snow. You're heavy." He patted Snow on his cheek with his free right arm, but the man did not stir. He tried to push the man off, but there was no sign of movements.
Then a chuckle suddenly echoed within the room.
Hope felt the hair at the back of his nape rises hearing the ominous sound. He looked beyond the unconscious blond to see the fal'Cie staring at him, with an evil smirked on Barthandelus's face, or whatever was left of the the Primarch. Hope flinched when he saw the left arm rise in the air and a small, dark-reddish orb appeared from the tips of Barthandelus's fingers. Hope stared in bewildered at those pointed fingers as they clenched around the dark orb on the fal'Cie fingers causing a reddish shock of energy to slowly develop around the blond. Hope held his breath in fear as Snow suddenly was tugged off from him. He swallowed down a lump resting at the back of his throat, feeling very small as the fal'Cie loomed over him. He could feel his hands trembling, his heart rate increasing. He slowly tried to creep away from the fal'Cie, but was suddenly lifted in the air as the same energy wrapped around him.
"Wait! No! Let go." Hope yelled out in panic. He quickly lurched on onto Snow, grabbing the man's coat while hovering in midair. "Snow?"
"Come here, my Ragnarok." Both heads said in unisons. The force of the energy started to pull the teen higher in the air. Hope tightened his hold on the blond's coat until his knuckles had turned white. With a strong tug, Hope's hand finally slipped through the fabric. The teen began to panic, dangling in the air, drawing closer to the fal'Cie.
"No! No! Snow? Light?" Hope pleaded, and then an arm quickly snatched forward, pulling the teen down against a warm body. Hope glanced back to see that he was pressed against Snow's chest. The man's breathing was ragged. "Snow?"
"Don't... don't even think about it?" Snow hissed to the fal'Cie.
"You still don't know when to quit." The fal'Cie sneered.
"Never. I wouldn't quit... I have things... that are still worth fighting for." Snow said between breaths. He took a defensive stance, tightened his hold around lover when he saw the giant left hand rose in the air. Then four small dark orbs appeared on the tips on each fingers.
"Don't be sure of that. From this moment on, I'll make sure you lose everything you care about." Both heads said simultaneously and sinisterly.
Snow took a step back; ready for anything that fal'Cie could to dish out. However, nothing didn't happen. He remained still, only hearing his heart beating in his ears.
"Ahh...Ahh." A hyper girlish voice cried out.
Snow and Hope glanced to right to see Vanille unconsciously levitating air. The girl had a similar reddish energy around her and from her cries, Snow and Hope could tell that she was in pain. "Let her go!" Snow yelled out, but the fal'Cie only snicker in amusement. The fal'Cie indented his middle finger, lifting an unconscious Fang in the air also.
"Those two are failed l'Cie and I don't have any purpose for such failure." The fal'Cie said in distaste. "I'll rectify this world for the Marker to return and I'll start with the sacrifices of your companions."
"You sick bastard. Put them down!" Snow sneered as Fang's cries of agony began to echo in the room. He felt helpless standing there, holding Hope in his arms while watching his friends being torture.
"Snow! Let me go and help the others." Hope demanded, pushing the man away.
"No! I'm not letting you go." Snow replied, clenching his teeth. He only secured his hold around the teen's middle tighter. If he let go of Hope, he couldn't imagine what would happen to the young teen. His bright colbat eyes quickly dashed towards Vanille when another cry slipped through her lips. Then his heart stopped when he saw multiple points of light slowly appearing on both Vanille and Fang. Snow stared in stun and panic at this new development. The light was becoming brighter and brighter before the light suddenly exploded. A gasp hitched in Snow's throat when the light bursted into small particles, falling onto the floor leaving no trace of the two young women. Snow felt Hope's body turned cold and stiff like a rock in his hands.
"Where did they go?" Hope called out in disbelief, his green orbs searching around the room in fear for his missing friends.
"What did you do-" Snow called out, but was interrupted when he saw from the corner of his eyes Lightning and Sazh lying unconscious in the air. "Light? Sazh? Don't you even dare?"
"No!" Hope pleaded when he saw the similar white light appeared around Lightning and Sazh. "Snow, help them!"
"I... can't!" Snow clenched his jaws. He stood at the same spot, holding on to his lover despite the cries from his comrades. And just like Fang and Vanille, Lightning and Sazh were gone before Snow could blink.
"And now." The fal'Cie Orphan said, looking with a menacing gaze to the two remaining l'Cie, breaking their shocking expression on their faces.
"Snow, get out of here." Snow heard the teen whisper in his arms.
"No! I'm not going to abandon you." Snow said, tensing his arms around the silver-haired teen.
"Go! Save yoursel-... ahhh, No!" Hope yelled out as the energy began pulling him again into the air, however, Snow's grip was determined to not let go. "Snow! Go! I don't want to see you gone like the others." Hope began to beg, tears starting to swell in his vision.
"No, I promise." Snow whispered softly, trying to reassure his lover that everything will be alright. However, a giant fist quickly came between the two l'Cie, knocking the blond to the ground and his grasp on the teen. "Hope?" Snow called out, quickly on his feet from the blow. His eyes widened in fear and he felt his heart clenched in pain when he saw the same white light emitting through the teen's body. "NO!" Snow yelled at the fal'Cie. Before he could take the next breath, Hope was gone as dust particles slowly fell on the floor. "Hope?" Snow said softly, feeling cracks of line scarring his soul. He stood on the spot, frozen. He took a step forward, reaching out, only to saw the dust particles falling on his trembling hands. The world had turned quiet.
"HAHAHAHAHA." The fal'Cie only laughed at his pain. "You lost everything l'Cie. Their lives were dispensable."
Snow snapped, screaming out in anger and in frustration. The blond-haired man only saw red in his vision as he charged into the fal'Cie. He was instantly propelled back on the ground when a shield appeared around the fal'Cie. He quickly stood up before charging forward again. He punched and kicked, anything to release the agonizing pain his chest. As each second passed, he could feel the burning sensation on his brand intensifying.
"Anger and hatred will drive." The fal'Cie Orphan said with a hideous smirk, summoning the same shield, deflecting the man's attacks. "Despair and sadness will bring prosperity. Only Ragnarok is the future."
"Bring them back." Snow said, his voice raspy as he slowly pushed himself on his feet, his breathing ragged and his eyes stung with tears. He clenched his teeth from the burning sensation of his brand which had started to glow. He could feel his heart rate racing, a beast ready to be awoken. Snow stumbled on his knees again, grasping his glowing left arm to try and suppress the burning pain. He slammed both hands on the floor, hearing a crack noise from his knuckles possibly breaking. Snow continued his self-inflicting pain on the floor, feeling his hands becoming numb from the torment, but Snow didn't stop. The pain in his chest was much greater. Snow gave one last punch to the floor and let out a agonizing scream. He lost everything. Everything he had worked for was gone. Hope and his friends were all gone. "Hope." Snow choked.
"And now I ask you, become Ragnarok and bring forth the Marker once again." Orphan gloated.
"No...!" Snow responded hoarsely. He brought his trembling hands to his face. They were covered with bruises. How could he continue fighting? What was there left to protect? He still had the weight of Cocoon's life on his shoulder. He couldn't give up yet. He couldn't let Orphan win. He couldn't throw away his friend's sacrifice in vain. They wouldn't want him to give up anyway. He struggled on his feet, grasping his left forearm. He tried to calm himself, not letting his emotions get the better of him. He took a fighting stance, while trying to gasp for deep breaths.
The eyes on Bathandelus' face narrowed seeing the man resisting his l'Cie's faith. "Insolent human!" Oprhan cursed, losing patience at the l'Cie. Driving by anger, Orphan lifted the man into the air. "After losing everything, you still continue to defile me." Orphan sneered.
"I may have lost everything... but I'm not going to let you win." Snow muttered, only to receive an intense shock of energy through his body. He cried out in pain, feeling a stinging heat from his left arm. However, he felt a soothing energy through his body, healing his pain moments later. Snow looked away from disgust from the fal'Cie. The healing energy flowing through his body left a bad taste in his mouth. The magic was nothing compared to Hope's curing spells.
The healing spells only have less than five second to take effect before another energy shocked through him. Snow clenched his teeth, suppressing another scream. His body felt heavier, and the joints in his arm socket felt like they were about to be rip apart. His breathing quickly returned to normal when he felt another soothing light emitted around his body. And then the process repeated; a merciless series of torture and healing.
"Take the form of Ragnarok and deliver us our long last desire." The fal'Cie said sending another shock wave to the blond. The blond l'Cie, however, only let out a pitiful laugh before wincing at the pain in his chest. "How long do you think your mind, body and soul can take before you finally break?"
"It doesn't matter... I wouldn't transform." Snow said weakly only to receive another shock. He yelled out from pain then his body slumped in the air after the fal'Cie administered the energy. "I-I... rather die than become Ragnarok!" Snow spluttered, coughing up blood.
"Then you are useless just like the others!" Snow heard the fal'Cie jeer before he was pulled higher in the air. He stared faintly at Orphan, taking his last breath. Suddenly three burst of magic energy came behind of him, surprising both Snow and Orphan. The magic exploded on contact on the fal'Cie, creating a large explosion propelling the blond in the air.
"Snow?" A familiar sweet voice whom belong to a boy cried out in panic. Snow felt his heart twitched hearing that voice again.
"Catch him." A familiar women voice called.
Snow felt his body crashing into two figures. Both of the figures cursed loudly when they stumbled on the man's weight, falling onto the floor.
"Bloody git is heavy." A woman with a thick accent cursed lying under him.
"Help me move him on his back." A man voice said next.
Snow didn't know why he had his eyes closed, but the moment when he opened his eyes, he was overwhelmed with confusion. Hovering above him were Hope, Fang, Sazh and Vanille. Lightning was standing with her back against him. She had her blade pointed at fal'Cie whose screams of pain continued to fill the room. "You're not dead?" Snow said with mixed emotions of happiness and doubt. "But! How can this be...?"
"What you saw weren't real. It's just fal'Cie smoke and mirrors." Sazh said pulling out his pistol from its holster, taking aim Orphan.
"Yeah, Snow. They don't work wonders, they play tricks." Hope said, crouching down beside the blond to examine his wound. The teen, however, was not expected when the man stood up from elbows, pulling the teen into an embrace.
"Is it really you?" Snow whispered into his lover's ears.
"I'm sorry Snow... I wasn't there when you need me the most." Hope said softly, leaning forward giving a quick peck on Snow's lips.
Snow only shook his head. "It doesn't matter anymore... All that matter is that you are safe."
"Save it for later. Hope healed him." Lightning said overlooking her shoulder.
"C'mon Light, only one minute with Hope alone." Snow said smiling, seeing the blush on the teen's face.
"You have all the time in the world after we save it." Lightning rolled her eyes.
"No promising there." Snow snickered.
"Snow!" Hope hissed, trying the suppress the heat flowing across his face.
"Your brand?" Snow blinked in confusion when he saw Hope's brand. He gently grasped the teen's left hand, examining the strange tattoo. The black marking looked like it was burn out, just like Fang's mark on her arm.
"Look! Yours too." Hope said curiously.
"Our brands have changed." Snow heard Vanille said while examining the mark of l'Cie on his left arm.
"Maybe its a new focus or something." Sazh commented.
"Another focus." Snow sighed defeatedly.
"We'll just keep fighting. We'll stick together until the end even if it mean that we have to fight a hundred focus." Hope said smiling to his lover.
"Hahahaha..." A boyish voice surfaced from the pool. Rays of golden light pierced through water as a familiar golden dial that was behind the fal'Cie slowly rise as the waters from the pool trickled back into the pool. The only feature on the dial was the childlike head that was the center of the previous fal'Cie. One by one the l'Cie took a fighting stance when they saw Orphan open it's eyes, revealing a pair of colorless white orbs.
"You overreach yourselves." Orphan said.
"No. We overreach you." Lightning stated taking a step forward.
"Is that so?" Orphan inquired.
"You don't believe in anything." The rogue continued. "You gave up on life before you were even born. Sat poisoning Cocoon from the inside, waiting for someone to come and destroy you. Sure, you think the end of the world is salvation. All you care about its death's release. So take it, and leave the rest of us alone."
"We don't think like that." Lightning paused, taking a second to reflect. "When we think there's no hope left, we keep looking until we find some. Maybe Cocoon is past saving, but it's our home. And we'll protect it or die trying! We live to make the impossible possible!" Lightning said, pointed her blade to Orphan, readying to tear the fal'Cie apart for all the pain it has cause. "That is our focus!"
The room was instantly filled by a frustrating screech by Orphan for a brief moment before a smirk crept on the fal'Cie face. As the battle began, it ended with less much effort. Vanille gave the final blow, casting Death on Orphan. The fal'Cie cried out as it's body disintegrated, dissolving into pieces from the spiteful spell. The l'Cie stared in reverence before the light surround them becomes dimer as darkness awoken around them. The floor started to shake as the room began to fall apart after losing it only energy source. The l'Cie were expecting the floor to collapse under their feet, however, they were a bit perplexed when they slowly began to ascend in the air like the small crystal particles toward the ceiling.
"Whoa! Whoa!" Hope yelled out in panic, snatching a hold on the blond.
Lightning was the first to reach the ceiling. She broke through the roof by kicking the glass walls into pieces. One by one each l'Cie exited the broken opening, only to saw that they were floating above the Eden. The city was covered in pitch darkness but the l'Cie saw fairly due to stars in the night sky. Suddenly green light illuminate from within the base of tower revealing the disaster that fell upon the capital. "Stay together!" Lightning called out, grabbing onto Hope's hand.
Snow grabbed onto his young lover's hand with his left arm. When he reached out with his right arm, he only grabbed nothing but air. He looked down, seeing Fang and Vanille descending. "Fang! Vanille!"
"Vanille?" Fang said to her companion, taking hold of the girl's hands.
The pig-tail girl paused before nodded knowing what must be done. "Right!"
"Vanille? Fang?" Snow called again.
"I'm sorry, but we are not coming. We have one more job that we must do. Take care." Fang said her final words to her friends.
"What? What are you doing Vanille?" Hope cried out. He saw the brand on the Fang's left arm began to glow.
"Sorry Hope, it seem that I wouldn't be by your side like I promise. Take care of your boyfriend." Vanille said with mixed of sadness and happiness in her eyes.
"But- but... you can't." Hope's voice cracked as fresh tears began to flow down his face. He watched in sorrow as bright yellow light engulfed around them before a beast with multiple arms appeared. Instinctively, the teen latched onto Snow, hiding his teary face in the man's chest.
"They fight their fate until the end. We tried to stop them, but that was not enough keep them beside us." Snow whispered, trying to soothe his lover distress. He didn't need to hear his young lover cried in his arm to feel sad. Fang and Vanille were practically sister to him. Even though Fang was a bit ruffed with him and Vanille kinda annoyed him sometimes, Snow couldn't overlook that they were becoming one big happy family. Throughout his life, he kept losing the people closed to him.
"Snow? Light?" A familiar voice called out.
Both Snow and Lightning turned to voice to see Serah and Dajh on top of a building. They were surrounded by the Calvary and a helicopter where the few remaining citizens are boarding to evacuate from the city.
"Serah!" Snow called out.
Hope flinched within Snow's grasp. He felt anxiety running through body from the happiness and enthusiasm mandating from the blond's voice. The other l'Cie have their gaze fixed towards the two, but Hope remained still. He didn't have the courage to turn around and face the girl. He flinched when Snow gently took his arm. He glanced up, meeting Snow's soft and warm gaze before the tall man quickly turned him around, raising his hand in the air.
"Serah, this is person who I love dearly." Snow confessed in opening.
"What?" Hope choked, pulling his hand away from the man, but Snow's grip was relentless.
"C'mon babe, don't be like that." Snow smiled wrapping his arms around his lover, seeing the teen quickly hiding his embarrassing face in his chest.
"Snow... why do have go and say that?" Hope's lips trembled. His body was flushed from head to toes. He couldn't believe that Snow just went and confessed his feeling to the entire world so bluntly.
The first thought that came to Serah when she saw Hope was he was young, quite young truthfully. However, a smile slowly crept on Serah's feature when she saw the happiness from her ex-fiancé face.
"We'll see each other, wouldn't we?" Serah asked, gaining a nod from her sister and a smile from Snow.
"Daddy?" Serah heard the young child beside her called out for his father.
"I'm sorry Dajh but you have to wait a little longer. I'll be back, I promise." The afro-haired man choked out, rubbing his eyes. He was suppressing back his tears, he could not break down before his son now.
"Miss! We need to leave." A Calvary soldier appeared behind Serah and Dajh.
Serah took the afro-haired boy's hands, leading boy and herself to the helicopter. She gave her sister and the others one last glance seeing a bright white glow engulf them.
"Wake up." Snow felt his consciousness coming awake after hearing a familiar cheerful voice. Snow started to feel his body coming alive as warmth started to flow into his body. He slowly opened his eyes feeling the stiffness fading away from his body. A shiver shuddered through his body. He felt the warmth from the sun, but as the wind blown, the nerve on his skin went in frenzy. Snow tried to stretch his sore arms, but his hands did not move. He looked down and a warm smile crept on his face. His hands were still wrapped around Hope who was still bound in crystal form. As Snow looked around seeing the other in crystal stasis, he came to another realization. He was naked. That explains the shivers.
Suddenly, the fragments from the crystal around his feet started to dissolve into tiny particles. The dusts slowly surround him and in a blink of an eye, Snow's attire materialized back on his body. Well, that was convenient.
Snow returned his attention with a smile to the figure in his arms. "Hope, I'm waiting." He said leaning down and whispered into his lover's ear. He saw a bright light before the crystal dissolved into small fragments from the teen's body, falling on the green grass.
"Hmmm." Hope groaned waking up from a sleep. He slowly opened his eyes only to saw a pair of shimmering blue eyes staring at him. "Snow?"
"That's quite a view there, Babe." Snow said with a smirk.
Hope blinked in confusion. He looked down then a mortify expression swept on his face. He was naked. "Snow? Where are my clothes?" Hope asked, his voice sounding horrify. He quickly wrapped himself with Snow's trench coat, pressing his naked body against the larger body.
"Give it a second." Snow smirked, loving the cute blush on his lover's face. His hands became a bit bold when they began to trace along curves on Hope's hips.
"Snow, you pervert. Keep those hands to yourself." Hope gave Snow a glare, but it was unfazed by the blond. He tried to look away, avoiding the man's heated gaze. He saw Lightning and Sazh sans Fang and Vanille walking towards them, fully cover in their usual attire. Moments later, his clothing materialized back and he quickly broke away from the man, disregarding the butterflies in his stomach.
"They did it. They save the world." Lightning said, walking pass the two lovebirds.
The four looked up seeing Cocoon remain intact. The once home of the Cocoon citizens was held up by a large crystal pillar that stemmed from the ground of Pulse. The crystal pillar shaped like a tree, with its stem holding up the floating utopia. The light inside Cocoon slowly faded after the floating continent lost its power supply.
"No, they gave us a new one." Snow said.
"Thats one gift offer for giving and not wrapping." Sazh commented. They continued to look on the scenery before them. Their ears shifted to a different part of the sky when they heard roars of engine. Ships and vessels were landing at the base of the pillar as the Calvary exited the vessels and secured the area.
"So they are not coming back?" Hope said, sadness swept across his face. He felt two reassuring arms wrapped around him. Hope could see tears blurring his vision as he continued gazing at Cocoon. He quickly latched on Snow, burying his face in the man's chest. "So is this their ways of saying goodbye." Hope sniffed. Vanille and Fang were like the two big sister he had never had.
There were no words Snow could say to stop the fresh warm tears flowing down his lover face. He placed his hands under the teen's chin before lifting Hope's head to meet his gaze. "We'll see them again. Soon!" Snow said, wiping the tears with his thumbs.
"Well. They better not keep us waiting!" Lightning said with a hint of amusement as she continued walking closer to the crystal pillar. She stopped, her body becoming still when she spotted two figures walking towards them from the horizon. She felt happiness swells in her chest hearing a familiar voice of a girl conversing with a kid. As the figures approached closer, Lightning blinked away a tear when she saw Serah walking toward them. She and Serah are reunited once again.
"Daddy!" A afro-haired boy cheered in joy beside the girl, before running toward his father.
"Dajh." Sazh cried out in happiness, running toward his son. He opened his arms as the boy tackled him in a hug.
Serah walked passed the scene where a father and his son was reunited with a chirpy baby chocobo flying over their heads. She walked to her older sister, who was also walking toward her. "Claire. I missed you." Serah said as the two women ended the space between them.
"Serah. I so sorry for everything." Lightning tried to apologize for not believing in the girl. She didn't get the chance before to apologize to her sister back in Orphan Cradle.
"It's okay." Serah said after they pulled apart, a tear falling flowing down her cheeks.
"Its truly is a miracle." Snow said staring at the reunion of his friends with their loved ones. "C'mon, let's go." Snow smiled, changing his gaze to his young lover. He took a step forward, extending his hand out to Hope. "I promise. I'll be by your side."
Hope looked at the man before him. There was only happiness flowing inside of him. Not giving a second thought, he reached out to his love's hand, lacing his fingers with Snow's before walking off into the horizon toward the others.
To be continued...
A/N: As you can see the story is not finish yet. I still have an epilogue to write. I promise that there will be a surprise at the end and the epilogue was not the surprise. I was thinking about writing maybe just some drabbles/a story following the epilogue. The drabbles/ a story will be a sequel or random sequels that will focus on what happened after the fall of Cocoon. It will obviously be SnowxHope :)... and the obvious problems and situation coming to term with the new life on Grand Pulse. This will not have anything to do with Final Fantasy XIII-2.If you like the idea, please tell me. If not, then I will continued with my other fics.
Also I'm still requesting beta. I just have a new beta for the past week, and I lost contact with her. Seemed like she does not reply back to my emails. If anyone is up for the challenge, please PM if u want to be my beta. I usually tried to update at least 2x a month, so I want someone to correct my grammatical errors and gave back a little constructive feedback.
Please Review! And I will love you to death (not in marriage, I cannot make that obligation)