Kai: ............. I have nothing to say to any of you.

Hope: Why?

Kai: .....

Hope: Hey! You in there!

Kai: *is asleep* zzzzzzzzzzz -.-

Lightning: ..... *shoots at me*

Kai: AHHHHHHHHHH *runs in circles*

Lightning: Finish the story.

Kai: Okay okay geesh -.- OMFG I thought up another story :D Cept it's Fang x Vanille O.O MWHAHAHA

Lightning: Quit coming up with stories when you haven't finished your current ones.

Kai: I can't help it DX

Chapter 4: This Is Going Well

Hope groaned loudly, clutching his stomach. He had eaten too much. When he and his... new animal friends got to the kitchen, a bunch of moogles were flying around and had already gotten a whole table ready for dinner. Okay, this table wasn't like the table at home, it was huge! Longer then anything he had ever seen before. It must have been at least fifteen meters long or more, and it was filled with food. Hope wondered where they all got this. They had rice, pork, chiken, turkey, steak, biscuts, salmon, lobster, salad, tuna, and any other delicousies you can think of. Shoot they even had ramen! Hope had never tried it but it was really good. He ate so much that his stomach was about to burst open and just dump out all the food. He groaned when his stomach rumbled and pretty much jabbed him from the inside. He followed Snow and Sazh as they led him around, showing him around the castle. There was still no sign of this 'Lightning.' He thought she would be ready to eat him by now but so far he was alive.

".....And this is the picture of the great...." Sazh blabbed on about the paintings on the wall, on and on. Snow looked like he was sleep walking by the birds chatter and he yawned loudly. Going unnoticed by the black crow.

Hope stared at them and yawned then looked up a great flight of stairs, the floor above a bit more gloomy then the rest. The young boy's curiousity was getting the better of him and he decided to explore. He started up the steps till Sazh flew in his face and Snow blocked his way.

"Whoa whoa whoa! You don't wanna to go up there! Believe me!" Sazh said as he flapped his wings to keep him elevated.

"For once, the old man is right. You really don't want to go there." Snow said as his tail flicked and shivered at a thought.

Hope blinked curiously and tilted his head. "Why not?" he asked as his jade green eyes stared at the two animals.

"That's the West Wing! No one is aloud up there! Cept maybe Serah but no one else! Especially not a kid like you!" said Sazh with a snort.

"So that's the West Wing.... I think I'll just take a quick look." Hope said as he started forword but the animals stopped him once again.

"Uhh wouldn't you rather check out the pastry? The Ballroom? The Garden?" Snow said, trying to persuade the boy in giving up at looking in the West Wing.

"No thanks. Maybe later." Hope said as he continued forword.

"Um what about the library?" suggested Sazh, which caught Hope's attention.

"You have a library?" asked Hope as he smiled in wonder.

Snow and Sazh looked at each other and grinned and nodded quickly. Leading the boy back down the steps and going ahead of him.

"Oh yes! Lots of books! So many books you couldn't even imagine! There is romance, fanstasy, horror, suspense..." Sazh listed off as he flew ahead with Snow.

Hope watched them go then stopped, looking back to the West Wing. He grinned, having lost his two new friends, he quickly went up the steps and then down the dark gloomy hall. As Hope walked and looked at the black armor that he occasionaly passed. He saw a large door, dark velvet drapes overhead. Hope gently pushed the door open and looked inside, seeing no one, he slowly walked inside. He looked to his left and jumped a bit when he saw a picture hanging on the wall. He could hardly tell who it was since there was three long gashes across it. Hope gently touched it with his right hand then turned towards the direction to something that caught his eyes. A beautiful red rose. Glowing magically in a small glass container on a small table with a white cloth. It seemed to be just floating there. Hope slowly walked over to the beautiful rose and stared at it in awe. He gently took the glass container in his hands and lifted it above the rose, setting it down to the side of the table. He looked at the sparkling rose and slowly raised his left hand and had it drift over to the rose. To just touch it a bit, till of course a figure appeared in front of him.

Hope gasped as he saw 'Lightning' stand just on the otherside of the table. She quickly pushed him away from the table and grabbed the glass container and swiftly put it over the rose once more. He stared at her and flinched when her blue cold gaze landed on him.

"Do you realize what you could of done?" the beast snarled in anger.

Hope flinched and started backing away as she stalked to him. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean any harm! I-I was just...." Hope started then yelped when the beast slammed a chair out of the way and bared her fangs.

"Get out.... Get out!" Lightning growled coldly, even worse then a ferocious roar. "Out!" she roared.

Hope gasped when she almost hit him against the head then he quickly turned tailed and ran for his life. He ran out of the door then down the steps. Quickly grabbing his cloak from a rack. He saw the animals follow him.

"W-wait Hope!" called Snow and Sazh.

"She really didn't....." called Serah but it was too late.

"I'm sorry but I can't keep my promise.... I can't stay here any longer!" Hope yelled in fear as he ran out the door, not noticing the animals ears going down and whimper a bit.

Hope grabbed his Chocobo's reigns and mounted the great bird. "Come on!" he yelled then kicked the Chocobo's sides gently and the Chocobo instantly raced out of large black gates.

Hope held on to the Chocobo as it ran through the snow. The branches hitting against his face and his breathing harsh and his heart beat going a mile a minute from fear. He then felt the Chocobo fall to the ground and with a thud, he flew off the bird and landed in the snow. He shook his head and looked up and stared in horror at what he saw. Wolves.