Palumpolum was on the horizon. The waterfront entrance across the way revealed the unique structure of the buildings, even from where we stood on the shore outside of the Whitewood.

"There it is," Lightning announced, "Palumpolum."

"We're almost there." I looked over to Hope. "We can visit your dad once we're able to-"

"No." Hope shook his head. "We're l'Cie now, all that's there is him."

Lightning rebutted, "you need to let him know what happened." I repeated this sentiment. Regardless of whatever was going on with his internal family issues, he still should see his father, fill him in.

If Hope's father is a decent person, then it's like Sazh said- he'll care.

Palumpolum was absolutely covered in PSICOM units, everywhere we looked.

Hope led us into the city, right at the waterfront. PSICOM aircraft and trucks sat at the border, giving us place to hide as we figured out what to do next.

"We can make it. Get to the station, and board the train for Eden," Hope instructed.

"Would it still be running, you think?"

Hope shrugged. "Well, if it isn't, we'll make it."

Lightning was watching the soldiers like a hawk. "Punch straight into the heart of the Sanctum? Now you're thinking like a Pulse l'Cie."

"This is Operation Nora. The Sanctum's gotta pay, too." Hope grabbed at Lightning's hand when she frowned at his response. "Hey. You're the one who said we had to fight! Every minute we waste, we're tempting fate." God, he's sounding more and more like her.

Lightning pulled her hand away as Hope pointed to something over on our right. "There's tunnels that lead underground right over there. I used to play in them when I was a kid. No one uses it anymore, so even the army doesn't know about it. I know where the entrance is." He looked to me. "We can sneak in under their noses."

I liked the sound of that. "Nice. Good job, Hope." He gave me a small smile.

"Great! Here we go." And we snuck forward.

As we headed towards some stairs, I heard Lightning chuckle. "No more rivalries now." She nodded her head towards the soldiers when I looked over to her. "PSICOM's bringing in the Guardian Corps."

And she was right- green pauldrons moving around alongside bulky PSICOM helmets. Wow. Never thought I'd see the day. The two sides of our government's blade, defense and offense, finally found a common enemy. Wonderful.

We kept moving, watching the two cores of the government militia working together while Hope guided us to a drainage pipe. According to him, we could go through the pipes, staying lowkey while finding the secret passageway underground. Definitely wouldn't have happily snuck around in sewage- but, it's better than getting caught, even if the feeling of muck sticking to the bottom of my sneakers gave me awful goosebumps. I far prefer wet sand over this, eugh.

Still, Hope's plan worked out to near perfection, the three of us quickly and quietly made way to the pipes, hopped in and navigated through them until reaching the tunnel. The tunnels weren't a tight fit, thankfully, and we could jog through with ease.

A yellow glow was illuminating the other side. These tunnels that go underground led into this vast complex that harbored Palumpolum's nutriculture system- that being an engineered plant cultivated with water, rather than soil or sand. Nutrients are pumped into the water, which feeds into crops to grow the city's produce. Beneficial in a place filled with more people and buildings than fields or forests.

We turned back to the opening of the complex, checking for any soldiers.

"Don't worry, it'll be fine," Hope reassured. "Only kids like me know about that entrance."

Lightning double- and triple-checked behind her. "They'll find it, call in a team, and canvass the whole system."

"Then let's be quick."

"So, where's this thing come out, anyway?"

"Well, I-" Hope seemed sheepish. "I don't really know for sure."

"We'll find out today."

Since this wasn't a tradition tunnel system, we were fortunate to be able to travel through the area using mostly lifts, rather than walking and walking and walking back to the surface. We were still careful, not rushing ahead, as there were some flan-soldiers we definitely wanted to avoid (Light made sure to tell us that these guys let out the most annoyingly loud siren to call for backup).

The source of the golden glow we saw earlier was apparent, for at the heart of the complex rested a Cocoon fal'Cie.

"Carbuncle," Hope told us. This should be the food fal'Cie.

Carbuncle is responsible for nourishing us, keeping us fed and full. It powers the nutriculture system for Palumpolum, and gives energy to food production throughout the rest of the planet as well.

"So, kill him and cut off the food supply. That'll make us popular." Lightning joked.

Hope disagreed. "I think they have enough reason to hate us as is."

"Truth."

"Yeah," Light nodded, "you're probably right. Hungry people make for angry people."

I grinned. "Most definitely." We continued walking down our path, but the mention of hunger got me thinking. "Have you guys felt hungry at all?"

I could tell the question was weird to the both of them; yet, they both seemed to think about it.

"You know, I haven't." Hope looked over to me. "Maybe from being stressed?"

"No," Lightning shook her head. "Even with everything, at this point in time, we should be starving."

"Exactly. I hadn't thought about it until now- but we've been stronger, not just with the magic and all that, but in other ways." I patted my belly. "Not hungry, not thirsty. Tired and sore, but not nearly as much as you would expect." Lips pursed, I tried to think of other things that were different now. "Oh! Remember back in the Peaks, when you fell off that armament?" I turned to Hope.

He nodded.

"That should have hurt, like, a lot. But you were back on your feet in seconds."

I saw Lightning watching me as she listened. "The difference is significant, you're right. You think it's because of the brand?"

"Yup. I mean, aren't l'Cie supposed to be soldiers for the fal'Cie? They would need us to be prepared for any conflict, no? It's like all of the training you went through, Light, but it's just immediately effective due to our new powers, I think."

Hope seemed to understand it, too. "Sazh said it too, when we woke up in Lake Bresha. We fell pretty far, but we weren't too hurt. Only some." He rubbed his hands together. "But, why would we still be worn out after running around?"

Lightning shrugged. "Even fal'Cie have their limits, I suppose."

"And we're still human- just, upgraded." I said. "It probably wouldn't be too fair of a fight if we weren't absolutely invincible." I finished the sentence with a chuckle.

During our conversation, we reached higher into the tunnels, keeping Carbuncle at the center of our path like it's our North Star.

"Look at us," Hope started, "Pulse l'Cie, using a Sanctum fal'Cie to tell us where we're going. Sort of strange."

Light disagreed. "Not really. We've relied on them our whole lives. The food and water we eat and drink, our source of light, it's all from the fal'Cie." She gazed up at Carbuncle. "You know, I think Cocoon was really built for them. The rest of us? We're just leeches. Parasites."

"Aren't we a bit too tame to be parasites? Sure, we're supported by the fal'Cie, but many of us also respect, even worship, them. Parasites are ruthless." I objected.

Hope stepped forward. "Aurora's right. They protect us, nurture us. They take care of- well, normal people. They treat us like we're special, almost like…" He paused. Then, Hope clapped, like when you have a sudden revelation. "Like we're pets!"

"Pets…" I thought about it, and damnit, Hope was right. "No freaking way! Pets!"

Lightning gasped beside me, and when I looked to her I saw that her eyes were widened. "Like pets…" She was practically whispering. "To them, we are just pets. That's it. Now it makes sense!" Gears had to be turning in her head, from the way she was speaking. "I've… been so blind."

Eh?

Lightning continued. "I was born into a fal'Cie world, raised on a fal'Cie leash- it was the only life I knew how to live." I wasn't sure if she was really talking to us anymore, or just thinking out loud. "When it was taken from me, I was completely lost. Without a master, I was… lost."

I started to understand why Lightning seemed so bewildered by Hope's analogy. For a long time, I've known Light to be someone who always had hold of the reins. Someone who desired control over her life, and was happy when she had it. Sometimes, it would bleed into desire for control of others as well, but never maliciously. Truly, she's just thought that she's doing what's best for those around her. But realizing that control was all possibly a facade? I can't imagine how disappointed she must've felt then.

"Hope, Aurora, listen to me." She turned to face us. "This l'Cie curse, it's taken everything from us. From me, it's taken my future, my dreams. I didn't want to think. So I fought instead. As long as I was fighting," she closed her eyes, "nothing else was real." I've long known this about you… I never realized that you didn't see it, too. "I was running away." Something hurt inside me at my sister's admission. "Aurora. You shouldn't have been forced into this. I know you chose to stay to help bring Serah back, but the l'Cie thing? I never would have wanted this for you."

I shook my head. "I didn't want this fate, these powers, but I did and still do want to follow you, Light. Even with our brands," I gestured to my marked shoulder, "I would always, always go with your lead, even knowing what happens next."

Lightning looked at me, and I saw surprise in her eyes. In the past, I tried to show my admiration and gratitude towards Lightning for being the one to always take care of Serah and me. We would fight, and we would have off days- but every word I said, Lightning, I meant it.

She then broke eye contact so she could look to Hope. "And you, Hope… you got dragged along, too." The tone of her voice towards him was different than it was with me. I knew she was disappointed in my involvement in our predicament, but I want to say that she understood me being with her was virtually inevitable due to our genetic stubbornness. Hope? He chose to follow us… but for a different reason. And I think I know what's about to happen here...

"But, I don't understand." Hope sounded confused, worried.

I saw the muscles move in Light's jaw as she steeled it, forming the next words, "Operation Nora is over."

I took a deep breath before looking to Hope to gauge his reaction.

He was very obviously shocked and disappointed. "What?"

"I—"

"No!" Hope stopped Lightning before she could continue. "You told me to fight!"

Lightning fought back. "I made a mistake!"

Hope was still pressing, now fuming. "You can't do this. You can't just build something up like that, then abandon me!"

I tried to gently put a hand on Hope's back. I wanted to be supportive. "Nobody is abandoning you-"

But he swatted me away. "You too! You said she would understand, you said you understood, but now you change your mind?" My frown deepened when seeing the betrayal plastered over Hope's face. I didn't say anything to that.

Lightning grasped Hope by the shoulders and forced him to look her in the face. "We won't abandon you." She looked at me and I nodded, agreeing. "We won't." Lightning then urged us to keep moving, but didn't make us quit the conversation.

Hope stared at her for a moment. Then he slowly pulled away from her. "I won't just throw in the towel. How am I supposed to forget about all of this?"

When we made more progress and reached a staircase, Hope sat down on it. "So, what do we do now?" He held his arm up, brandishing his mark. "We're ticking time bombs. If we can't follow the plan, do we just lay down and die?"

Light and I both sighed simultaneously. "I didn't mean we should give up." She said.

"Then what battles do we fight?" He stood up. "And against who? Tell me that!"

"I don't know yet."

Hope scoffed. "You don't know yet?"

"That's right." Lightning looked at him. "I don't know yet. But I do know that we can't lose hope."

This made Hope let out a sound of defeat, and he sat back down. "Hope? There is no hope. Not for l'Cie."

"I meeean, Hope is sitting right there." I pointed to where he was sitting.

He shook his head. "No. It's my name, not who I am."

I folded my arms, looking at him, really feeling the negative energy coming off of him. We aren't giving up, I wanted to say, but nothing seemed to help him see this. Instead, I just sat down next to him, silent.

"I was just like you." Light spoke up. She leaned against the railing of the strip we were standing on. "Our parents died." I looked down at this. "I had to be strong for Serah and for Aurora, so I thought I needed to forget my past. And I became Lightning."

Lightning. Once was a persona, but is now just you.

"I thought that by changing my name, I could change who I was." I will admit, Lightning does fit the cold and bold personality more than- "I was just a kid. Lightning. It flashes bright, then fades away. It can't protect. It only destroys." But you do protect. You don't see that? Lightning then joined us on the stairs. "Serah tried to tell me, but I wouldn't listen."

Everything about that incident still burns bright in my memories.

"Aurora." I looked to Lightning at the sound of my name. "I… I threatened her, didn't I?"

"If you really are a l'Cie, then it's my job to deal with you."

I didn't want to risk angering or upsetting her, but from the way she sounded, Lightning seemed to really be concerned about her reaction that day. "I don't think- I don't think you were trying to. But…"

"But I did. I scared her."

I couldn't deny that.

Lightning looked forward again. "The only ones who believed her were you, and Sn-"

"Don't say his name!" Hope abruptly raised him voice. "Don't. It brings everything back." He huffed. "It keeps playing in my head, what happened to her." Nora. "And then I see his stupid face and he's… he's smiling?"

Lightning went to put a supportive hand on his shoulder, but Hope shot up. "I know! I know there's nothing I can do about it. I hate knowing that." His voice trembled. "No matter what happens, she's not coming back!"

Light and I exchanged understanding glances

"W-When I was fighting," he raised his hand in front of himself, likely looking at his brand," there was no time to think about it. It felt good just to give in." Don't cry, Hope… "But now you start talking about 'hope'…" But he still did.

I felt a hand on my knee and looked over to Lightning. She quietly glanced between me and Hope. Yes, sir. I nodded.

I got up and in front of Hope, then took his hands into mine. Lightning followed and stood behind me, looking to him from over my shoulder.

Hope didn't pull away. His misty eyes fell on me, then on Lightning. "I'm sorry." He sniffled. "I messed up."

"No…" Lightning's hand rested upon the both of ours. Her voice was soft and her hand was comforting. "It's my fault."

I took one of my hands away so I could reset it over Light's. "I admit I shouldn't have enforced either one of you this long, but nobody here is guilty. So, no blame-gaming, got it?"

Hope smiled, and I heard Lightning make an amused noise behind me.

"Good. Glad we're on the same page."