AN: Okay I've decide to post this chapter early because I am busy the rest of the week. Now worries though I acutally have the next two chapters writen! Next Chapter will be up sometime this weekend if I have the time. No later than Monday. Promise!
Review Thanks!
ben4kevin: I know! That's why I choose her for the villain ;)
madapocket: I know I'm evil and there are alot more cliffies to come!
Kuchiqunkin: Thank you! unfortunately Alyssa has a lot more planned for the boys.
thewhitespirit: At least I put up the next chapter quick. As for Hope...
NekoEiko: Yes more people and there's even more to come!
xXAngelWithDragonWingsXx: Glad you don't totally hate cliffies. Alyssa dying by fire. Now there's a sight :)
rebirth-flame: This story does have a lot of cliffies and yes Hope is kind of a trouble magnet in this story.
Now on with the chapter! Please leave a reivew and tell me what you think!
Chapter 12 Visitors
"Who are you?" Noel asked as he slowly scrutinized the two people in front of him. One of them was a tall woman with longish black hair and the other one was a shorter woman who had red hair done up in pigtails.
"Easy there," the woman with the black hair said.
"Don't worry. We're friends," the woman with the pigtails finished.
"Then I ask again who are you?" Noel said as his hold tightened on his sword. He was ready to attack them if they showed the slightest signs of hurting Hope.
"That's a bit complicated," Pigtails said with a small frown.
"Why don't we talk outside," Black Hair suggested. Noel glanced at the sleeping Hope then back up at them. "He'll be fine. We'll only be gone a few minutes."
"No. This could be a trick. You have given me no reason to trust you," Noel told them. This could be a trick of Alyssa's to get him to leave Hope unprotected and there was no way he was going to do that.
"You're protective I see," Black Hair said.
"Hope's been through a lot," Noel said as he glared at them.
"We know. That's why we're here. We just want to talk to you for a minute. Please?" Pigtails asked. Noel looked back down at Hope and his heart clenched. He hated seeing Hope so helpless like that and knowing that he was the reason only made it worse.
"Talk quick," Noel said as he indicated the table with a nod of his head. They were too close to Hope for his liking. Pigtails looked slightly nervous and Black Hair looked frustrated but also pleased.
"Now tell me who you are," Noel said once they were all seated around the table. Noel though made sure that he could keep an eye on Hope from where he sat.
"As for who we are well…" Pigtails said as she looked at the other woman.
"It's better if we just come out and tell him," Black Hair said with a shake of her head. "Fang and Vanille," she said as she pointed to herself first then her companion.
"The Fang and Vanille? The ones from inside the pillar?" Noel asked shocked.
"Ah…yeah," Vanille said.
"But Hope said you vanished same as the pillar," Noel said hoping that they were telling the truth. If they were who they said they were then they were the only ones who could help Hope.
"Again that's complicated," Fang said
"What do you mean?" Noel asked tense. For some reason he was feeling on edge.
"After everything that happened we couldn't send Hope back with the others. He was too involved with the development of the current timeline," Fang explained.
"We wanted to explain that night but we're still getting use to everything," Vanille said.
"Everything?" Noel asked as he frowned at the two women.
"When the timeline had been 'fixed' me and Vanille were given a choice. Either go back to who we were or continue to protect. If you haven't already guessed we choose the later," Fang said.
"So are you goddesses?" Noel asked.
"We're more like guardians," Vanille said and Fang nodded.
"Anyway," Fang said. "When the timeline was changed we had a choice of what to do with Hope. Leave him in that time or send him to you and we choose to send him to you."
"Me?" Noel asked surprised by the revelation. "Why me?"
"Because if we left him there he would have been alone. You were someone he knew plus you were alone too," Vanille said looking sad.
"We have become very protective of Hope. He came to visit us a lot no matter what time he was in. He means a lot to us," Fang said as she looked across the table at him an unreadable look in her eyes.
"He means a lot to me too," Noel said returning her gaze. During the short conversation with these women Noel no longer doubted who they were but for some reason he still felt uneasy.
"I can see that," Fang said as she finally smiled.
"I think we made the right decision," Vanille said no longer looking nervous.
"Why didn't you visit us earlier? Hope misses you both and everyone terribly," Noel said as he looked to one from the other. The two women shared a look.
"Like I already told you were still getting use to being what we are," Fang told him.
"I wanted to explain to you and Hope the night I brought him here but it tired me out more than I thought. All I could do was watch and make sure you came for him," Vanille explained looking upset.
"I on the other hand was checking in on everyone else," Fang said.
"Are they coming for Hope?" Noel asked needing to know. It would hurt if they came for him but he knew that Hope really wanted to see them again.
"They can't," Fang told him. "Lightning, Snow, Serah, and Sazh are no longer able to travel through time and they don't have their powers anymore."
"For the longest time I didn't either," Noel said as he looked down at his hand, "but when we were attacked by Alyssa I called my magic. I've tried to use it since to heal Hope but now I can't use it."
Noel remembered that night. How Alyssa shot that black light from her hand and Hope jumping in front of him. How he fell to the ground and didn't get back up. He was so lost in his memories of that night that he missed the look that Fang and Vanille shared.
"Did Hope tell you about Alyssa?" Vanille hesitantly asked.
"He told me that the artifact was a trap," Noel said as he pulled himself out of those memories. "I told him that it didn't work. Hope takes on too much responsibility. I didn't want him blaming himself for that."
"He does do that," Vanille said with a frown. Fang sighed.
"I best explain what we know about Alyssa. She technically doesn't exist. She died during the purge. When Hope and the others we released from crystal statist early Lightning was sent to Valhalla and Alyssa came back." Noel shuddered when he heard that.
"Were others also brought back?" Noel asked. He knew that Hope's mother also died during the purge along with countless others. If Hope's mother was somehow alive and was anything like Alyssa he was afraid that it would destroy the other man.
"We don't know," Vanille answered. Noel had a feeling that she was thinking the same thing that he was. Hope told him how she was there when his mother died and how she had helped him through that time.
"Alyssa. I met her before on several occasions and she's different. I don't think that she's human at all anymore. What she did to Hope…" Noel started to explain as he looked at the bed and it's still occupant. He felt a sob in his throat and he bit his lip to keep it in. "Is there any way that you can help him?"
"Somewhat but it will mostly be up to you," Fang told him.
"Me? But I already told you that I tried and failed," Noel said as he looked at the women in disbelief.
"Do you remember what Alyssa's trap did to you. It sent you into a world where you would be happy so you wouldn't want to fight anymore," Vanille said.
"I remember," Noel said with a nod. Serah had to come and get him but he didn't want to go with her. At least at first but. After some convincing he finally decided to return.
"Well she has done something similar to Hope except…" Vanille explained but her voice trailed off.
"Except?" Noel pressed.
"Except instead of it being a happy world it's one of the person's worst nightmare. The nightmare eats away at the person until there's nothing left," Fang finished. Noel's heart ached when he heard that. He would not let that happen to Hope.
"That was meant for me but Hope he," Noel started to say and this time he couldn't stop the sob that came out. "You said I could help him. How?"
"It's going to be dangerous. If you don't get Hope out of his nightmare you will fade along with him," Fang told him.
"I don't care!" Noel snapped. "I can't…now that Hope is in my life…"
"We know. I just wanted to warn you," Fang said with a small smile.
"Then what do we do?" Noel asked feeling impatient.
"I am going to make a connection between you and Hope to his world," Vanille explained.
"Can we do this now?" Noel asked as he stood up from the table.
"The sooner the better," Fang said as her and Vanille also stood up. "Hope already has been in his nightmare too long." Noel almost pointed out how they didn't get here until today but blaming them wouldn't do anyone any good.
"I want you to sit down in the chair," Vanille said as she looked down at the chair that was next to the bed, "and hold Hope's hand."
Noel grabbed Hope's cold limp hand in his own. "I'm coming for you Hope. Just hold on," Noel told the sleeping man as he ran his fingers through Hope's silky hair with his free hand. "What next?" Noel asked as he looked back up at the women.
"Give me you're fee hand. I am going to make you a pathway. Just to warn you Hope is more than likely not going to believe you. He might not even know who you are," Vanille said with a sad smile.
"I know," Noel told her.
"Good. Once he agrees to follow you a pathway will automatically open up and you two can come home," Fang told him.
"Right. Anything else I should know?" Noel asked.
"Time will be different there. It's only been a few days here but in Hope's nightmare weeks could have pasted. It's also important that you remember that the nightmare is feeding off of Hope. You don't…"
"I'll get Hope back before that happens," Noel said cutting Fang off. He promised Hope that he would save him and that was what he was going to do. "Let's do this." Noel then gave Vanille his empty hand.
"Right," Vanille said looking serious. "Now close your eyes."
Noel did what he was asked. It felt like he was being pulled in many directions at once. Then it felt like he was falling very, very fast. He opened his eyes to see the ground rushing towards him. He just had enough time to brace himself for the impact.
When he slammed into the ground it knocked the wind from him. It took Noel a moment to catch his breath and gather his wits. He then slowly stood up and looked at his surroundings. It looked like he was on Pulse; a very untamed Pulse going by the monsters that were running around. He felt his heart sink. How was he suppose to find Hope in such a large place?