"Hope. Happy birthday, my son." Bartholomew's affectionate, but firm, voice sounds behind the circle of friends, and the younger Mr. Estheim turns toward his father's voice.
"Dad..." So many words, so many questions, hang in the balance, as the group pivots to gaze on the Estheim couple behind them. Hope struggles a moment to find his words. How did you get here? Do you remember these people, as I do? Why have you kept everything a secret? Are we safe now?
Nothing comes out for a moment, and there is a stifled silence as Nora and Bartholomew smile slightly at their son, arms outstretched. Hope braces his hands on his knees, then straightens.
"I...thank you." Settling on how he wants to feel in this moment, Hope decides and smiles back, then surrenders to happiness as he gets swept up in the parental embrace.
"This is the day you become a man now, and we couldn't be happier." Bartholomew continues, and Nora laughs. Hope lifts his shaggy head to grin, green eyes gleaming, at the woman who has always been his mother, between this world and the last. He has known no other.
"Well, I think some introductions are underway." Bartholomew suggests, and Hope nods.
"Yeah. Dad..." There is a moment of awkwardness once more as Hope realizes he knows these people, but only from another world. They could be completely different people on this planet. And it isn't like they were exactly friends on a level Hope has understood previously, like the bonds he had developed with his classmates from school. He had never seen these people on this planet before only a moment ago. Maybe everything he knows is wrong. Before today, his memories hadn't been encouraged, and he had been guarded from communicating with most of the outside world by a very strict upbringing. Everyone had thought he was crazy the few times he had discussed memories of a past life with the school friends he did have. Now the door has been opened for Hope, in that his assumptions had always been correct-his parents are now asking for introductions to people that, before today, they would have asserted were total strangers.
Hope struggles beyond the pain and confusion and trusts his instincts-something he has always done, no matter the pressure to do the opposite. These people would always be his friends, and even though his memories aren't the strongest, and there are pieces that need to be fleshed out, they are the only people that have mattered. They were what has been real. The dreams meant something, and his waking moments were the illusion. He can't abandon the faces that have propelled him forward in his thoughts for years-they were are lifeline.
"These...are my friends. The people that I have been telling you about since I was young." Hope carefully chooses his tone so that he doesn't come across as hurt or vindictive from a life of suppression and denial. "They've come here to celebrate my birthday."
"Hope..."Bartholomew, educated and wise to his son's feelings, adjusts his glasses. "Well, that's a conversation for later. You've been right, son." He lays a hand on his boy's shoulder. "You do know these people, and so do I. It's your mother..." He turns to his wife, who steps up to Hope's side, and bows slightly.
"My name is Nora." The older woman smiles bravely. "Nice to meet you. I've heard so much about you all." She straightens, pointing at Snow. "You...I believe you look familiar from our past on Coccoon, but I don't believe we knew each other very well."
The most awkward silence of all commences then, as the group understands exactly why Nora can only vaguely recall Snow's face.
"I'm sorry, ma'am. I...it was my fault." Snow steps up, and Hope gets a sinking feeling that he has lived this moment before. Snow pushes his palm into his other fist, and sort of makes a half bow. "I...it was my fault. You were killed, one of the victims of the Purge from Coccoon. I was the leader of the resistance front, along with a few of my friends here at the party tonight. But I was in charge. You..."
"Yes. I remember falling-and nothing else." Nora closes her eyes, lifting her chin to the sea. "Our family wasn't from Bodhum, like most of you were..."
"Not all of us came from the old Coccoon town of Bodhum." Fang cuts in then, shifting her feet and holding Vanille tighter. Vanille nods.
Nora looks around. Bartholomew's jaw is clenched, staring at nothing.
"Back on the old world, I made my apologies to your husband, when we all met briefly." Snow picks back up. "But you, of course...it was your death I was apologizing to your husband for. And...I also owed an apology to Hope."
A brief flicker of an old feeling surges through Hope, and he is surprised at his strong emotions. He remembers an intense feeling of hate toward this man, and realizes that he hadn't felt this way before when remembering Snow's face in his dreams up until this night. The angry emotion is quickly snuffed out by an intense feeling of camaraderie, and the young man stamps out any negative thought. What's past is past, he thinks. I will get my answers soon enough. He now has an extra incentive to speak with Light soon. She promised. Just keep your mouth shut a little longer. She promised she would help explain everything.
Nora steps out, hand extended. Everyone gasps, wondering what she will do next, and Snow bows his head, closing his eyes in expectation of any sort of physical response.
He receives a touch, but not the one he is braced for. Nora gently places her fingers on Snow's face, and he inhales sharply, eyelids fluttering open to see a benignly smiling face. "What's past is past, young man. This is a new start, a literal new world. It's been centuries, Bartholomew has told me, and another 18 years on top of that. I don't see any reason why the sins of the past should be reinstated in this new life. From what I hear, you've sacrificed your own life and happiness over and over so that I may be reunited again with my husband and my son now. Everyone here owes you a great debt, for without you, none of us would be here. So don't let my fall on Coccoon worry you. There is nothing to forgive." She steps back, and Snow staggers with relief, gasping.
"Hope, dear, introduce me to the saviors of this world."
Hope steps forward, coughing lightly. "Okay, you know Snow, but Mom...these are my oldest friends. Sazh is the one in the uniform, lighting the fireworks. Fang is the one with the cane, and Vanille is with her. And there is one savior who gave more than most. Mom, this is...this is Light. She showed me how to fight."
That last part sounded stupid, even to Hope's ears. Nora nods and smiles at each name Hope points out-Sazh waving, Fang raising her cane and Vanille sketching a silly little dance, but Light steps forward, quiet, aloof.
"It's an honor to meet you, ma'am." She touches her hand to her heart, and lowers her eyes.
"Light harvested the souls from the old world, from Gran Pulse and Cocoon, and brought them over to this one." A new voice chirps off to the side, and everyone turns their attention to the newcomer, the third woman with rose-colored hair hopping off a rock to land, fighter-style, into the ring of people.
Hope recognizes her, too. She is important. She is...
"Nora, this is my fiancee, Serah. She's also Light's little sister." Snow finds his words then, and reaches out to grab his bride-to-be's hand, helping her step over to them.
Hope can immediately see the resemblance between the mysterious Light who visited him at the beach lookout spot and this vivacious young girl who comes, grinning, into the circle. She is a more exuberant, younger version of Light.
"Sorry I took so long in getting over here. I was helping LeBreau cook some of the meat for the party." She giggles. "I can remember helping her over with the bar at New Bodhum, NORA operatives sure got hungry..."
"NORA?" Hope's mother asks, bewildered.
"Yeah. Crazy coincidence." Snow chuckles, rubbing the back of his head. "NORA was the acronym of the resistance I was in charge of, back in the old world. It just so happens to also be your name, ma'am."
"Anyway, this is Serah," Hope gestures. "There are...more...but right now, I'm starving. So, let's discuss this after we eat! Serah said something about food..." Taking the queue to get the group going and to get the party started, Hope looks at Light's sister, who can't keep her hands off of Snow.
"Oh! Right! Yes, the food! Yes, that I can definitely help with. We've got hamburgers and hotdogs, but don't get too full! There's a surprise dessert later..." Serah's voice trails off as she leads everyone up the hill, with everyone exclaiming their hunger and excitement in little groups here and there.
Hope finds himself with Sazh. "Hey, who told you I liked fireworks?" Hope asks him, now that they are alone.
Sazh has always been the eldest of the group, the widowed father, but for all his complaining of aches and pains, he never had a problem keeping up with the rest of the younger group of time-traveling heroes. His quiet wisdom attracts Hope right now, who can't quite join in the vivaciousness that some of his friends are exhibiting. There is simply too much happening at once.
"No one really told me. I just thought it would be fitting. Fireworks were how we all met on Coccoon back in the old world, in Bodhum City. So...since it's your birthday, and it's a celebration, why not fireworks?" He shrugs, then chuckles. "By the way, young man, congrats on your 18th. I'll try to make it a good show. Nothing like Nautilus would have put on, but I'll do my best..."
"Nautilus?" Hope's mind races, but other than sounding familiar, he can't put a memory to that name.
"Yeah, Nautilus. The theme park back on Coccoon that did those light parades showcasing the town's history. Oh, that's right. You were from Palumpolum, and were only visiting Bodhum with your mom on the night we all met...maybe you had never been to Nautilus while you lived back on the old world? I mean, you were just a kid. 14 is pretty young, when we all saved the world."
"Yeah, that must be it." Hope quickly, gratefully, accepts Sazh's explanation, and then excuses himself to run up with the others, begging hunger.
Whew, that was close. For some reason, Hope doesn't want to reveal to the others his obviously patchy memory of what happened before he was born again in this world. It seems like Light is the only one aware of Hope's true status as far as how random his memories are, and for now, he is more comfortable keeping it that way. He doesn't want pity from the others. Light promised an explanation. He could be content with that knowledge while he just simply...enjoyed being with the others tonight, basking in their energy.
The food really is delicious. Lebreau proves she is an excellent cook, and though Hope didn't feel hunger before, he ends up going back for seconds and thirds. Something about the salty sea air, perhaps.
There are a lot more introductions to get underway. His father had met almost everyone from before, but not quite. The rest of the group that Snow had led, called NORA, is there. Lebreau was part of the team, but so were Yuj, and Maqui, and Gadot. Snow took the honors, a beaming Serah by his side, to make sure everyone was acquainted. The actual person named Nora, Hope's mother and Bartholomew's wife, had to get to know everyone.
There are more people here, of course. No one from Hope's manufactured life on this planet is in attendance. This is a meeting of older friends. As the night goes on, Hope realizes there are a lot of military-types in the crowd. Two older men stand apart from everyone else. He remembers the younger, more commanding presence as Cid Raines. His friend close by him is a most peculiar man named Rygdea. They both look strapped to the hilt with ammo and military arms, and more than being affronted that fully armed men are here for his birthday celebration, Hope finds himself more curious than angry at what these men are all about. He speaks with them only briefly. Cid is absolutely no fun whatsoever, and he receives mixed emotions about the man, with differing feelings of kinship, sadness, and anger. Rydea is much more charming, and slightly humorous, but his Western twang feels out of sorts with the adopted New York accents everyone around him has picked up through living on the East Coast of the US in this reincarnation.
To Hope's surprise, his parents seem the most at ease around Cid and Rydea, and after inquiring, he learns that they are the two that collected them earlier to meet Hope at this surprise beach location. Ah, so those two military types are how my parents got here. That explains it. I was wondering how they could possibly have gotten here without being introduced to most of my friends already. Cid and Rydea had met with Light earlier and agreed that they would pay a visit to the Estheim residence and gather everyone to the beach. It just turned out that Hope had been waiting at his usual spot for Light as he had for years, not knowing exactly the date and time she would come. When Cid and Rydea found out the birthday boy wasn't at home, Light decided on her own to go searching. Of course after so many years of visiting the same spot, Bartholomew and Nora knew where their son would be waiting, and gave Light instructions on where Hope could be found. Light took off on her motorbike, and a few minutes later, Hope's dream had literally come true, with Light alone walking down that sandy beach path to lead Hope to the party.
It isn't long that Hope realizes he is the only person out of everyone in attendance who remembers everyone from the old world. Everyone has differing levels of connection with various groups of people, except for the young boy. There were several adventures that took place on Cocoon and Pulse, and Hope was the only one who got to guide all of the crucial players of the last world's downfall. Tonight was not only a celebration, but a meeting, a beginning...and an end. So many things are going on at once.
The biggest, and happiest, and most welcome, surprise of all was the arrival of a late couple. Late, but nonetheless welcome to the festivities.
"Sorry we're late." A young man and woman with striking purple hair arrive on the scene about an hour or two after all the introductions had been made people had made their way over to the grill or buffet station more than once.
Happily surprised, faces look up from plates and conversation to espy...
"Noel! Yeul!" Hope laughs, almost knocking over his BBQ in a desperate bid to be the first to welcome this pair. Light smiles at the serious looking young man, and the shy, quiet girl by his side.
"I was thinking that I was missing someone! Well, two someones." Hope runs over, but Serah knocks him out of the way.
"Noel! Yeul!" She repeats Hope's earlier cry and beats Hope to the duo, racing over and throwing both arms around them. Hope catches up only a second later and almost bowls everyone over with a huge embrace, catching the group off-balance and sending everyone careening.
"Don't worry, you're right on time." Serah giggles, and Hope mimics her laughter as they pull back, surveying smiles and faces.
"Happy birthday, Hope." Yeul states, her slate grey eyes faintly twinkling as Noel lays a hand on Hope's shoulder.
"Glad to see you again, partner." Hope remembers these two as being instrumental to the fall of their old world, and a feeling of love spanning through eons, timeless and binding, is shared between Noel and Yeul.
Hope remembers being older on the previous world than he is now, and closes his eyes momentarily as a memory slams into him from before.
He was...an adult fully grown for many years. He was...important? No, not what he would consider a president on this world. But a leader nonetheless. Noel was searching for his Yeul across the eons, and Hope had a way to travel through time. Serah was also with Noel, helping him look for Yeul. She was searching for someone, too. SNOW. Serah and Snow were separated, as were Noel and Yeul,
Hope was searching for someone that he lost as well. They were united, these three, in their search for someone special. Noel, Serah, and Hope.
Who was Hope looking for? Hope opens his eyes, smiles at his long-lost friends, but his heart gives a lurch as he shakes hands and extends greetings. Yeul is almost unknown to everyone here, and Hope, as the guest of honor, makes introductions.
Yeul appears almost as mysterious as Light. She was...important, too. Like me, but my polar opposite. There is no hostility toward her as he leads Yeul in the crook of his elbow throughout the crowd, making introductions and explaining that she helped make Light's return possible...
Magic. That's what she had in the old world. Like ours, but different. A priestess, no, that isn't right. Seeress. That's her. She could see into the future. She could travel through time.
Who had Hope been looking for? He remembers the feeling more than the memory, of a yearning.
His mother. He wanted to change the past so he could prevent Nora from dying, from falling that day when Snow was the leader of the rebellion with her name, and she slipped through his fingers.
No hard feelings. We are together now. But there was someone else he was trying to bring back through the sands of time on his old world, other than his mother.
He is in the middle of the pine-planked beach cabin, wending his way through a string of tiki lamps and novelty big-bulbed Christmas lights when he espies one of the three heads of rose coloring in the room.
Her. The rose-haired phantom. A flash of blue eyes and a puff of smoke. He had been searching for Light. He yearned to see her, as he yearned for his mother. He is surprised at the almost physical sensation of dawning recognition slam into his chest with the rightness of this fact. He feels like he has spent lifetimes waiting to see her again.
I guess that I have. 18 years on this planet, and most of my life on the old.
This is the life that Hope has lived until now. Dueling memories of rose hair, and hair of every other shade, until now. Soon will come the time of reckoning and remembrance, but not quite yet. Let the revelry commence, and on the morrow, with the coming of the sun, will also come the comeuppance and discussion.
No detail had been spared to make this night perfect. Hope learns that this area is a military zone, and that explains the signs he had seen driving up to this spot on the back of Light's motorbike. Most of his friends are part of the Armed Forces in this world, so they had placed the signs and cordoned off the area for the past two weeks just to make this military base the spot for Hope's birthday celebration. He had driven by the signs every day and hadn't known what had been taking place under his nose. It also explains the secrecy, and that Light had to swipe her government I.D. to get past an invisible electric fence to drive down here.
The theme was the old Bodhum where they had met. A bar had been set up to look identical to the one that NORA had staffed back on the world. The small base was restructured to give the feeling of Bodhum-from pine wood flooring and walls, funky throw rugs and low sling-backed furniture, to tiki furnishings and novelty lighting.
Everything is perfect. Once the drinks have been flowing for a while, and most of the food that LeBreau cooked and hand-picked to make for everyone has been eaten, Sazh announces that the final surprise is ready. Everyone gathers to the covered front porch, and hunkers down to watch the fireworks.
Word is that Sazh has been in charge of gathering the right size, amount, and style of fireworks to make them the spotlight of the party. He had spent weeks getting everything just right, and had been bragging throughout the eating about how wonderful they were going to be.
He wasn't joking. Hope sits on a bench, hugging his knee to his chest. Warm feelings and half-remembered thoughts invade his chest and head. Everyone around him that was there on Bodhum that night recollects perfectly the firework show then, and the moment is extra special for Snow and Serah. Nora finally gets her wish of having Bartholomew with her to see the spectacle.
The area is cordoned off and under surveillance, so the gang have space and peace. The sky is theirs, with a half-moon hanging low, a company of spangling stars stretching out, and water on the rocks as far as the eye can see, stretching out to the horizon.
After the last pop has sounded, Hope is jolted back to reality with a "SURPRISE!" Jumping off his seat, he sees all of his friends, hands thrown wide. They step back to reveal the icing on the cake-literally. 18 sparkling candles nestle atop a creamy green-and-yellow tiered cake, covered with stars.
"Make a wish, son." Nora smiles down at her son, and Hope laughs, stepping to the cake. His wish is made privately, in the event that the superstition will make it come true.
He inhales, closing his eyes. Exhaling, all he can see in his line of sight is a glimmer of candlelight off rose-colored hair across the cake from him before he extinguishes all his birthday candles in a single gust of breath. Then, darkness and phantom wisps of smoke as clapping, shouting, and an encore of fireworks sound all around him.