[Fanfic] To Learn Something New (ch 3)

Title: To Learn Something New

Author: Vianna Orchidia / Annasthacy Chashyme
Fandom: Final Fantasy XIII Series
Character: Lightning Farron, Hope Estheim
Rating: K+
Genre: General
Disclaimer: I do not own the series and the characters, and I do not gain any profit from this fanfiction

Warning: set after the first game where FFXIII-2 never happens

heaven /heav·en/ n the place where God lives and where good people go after they die according to some religions; something that is very pleasant or good; the sky

Lightning stared long and silent at the twin tombs. Her eyes were watery on the edges, but she made no attempt to hide it from her silver-haired companion that day.

“Light-san,” her partner approached carefully. “Are these...?”

“Yes.” A beat of silence, and she elaborated further. “Just like every other grave, these are empty. The real grave is on Cocoon.” And Cocoon was broken, just an empty shell supported by a pillar of crystal. It was already difficult to evacuate all living humans from Cocoon, they did not need to move all graves to Gran Pulse as well. Instead, people began to build tombs as memorial of their beloved who were fortunate enough not to experience the hell that was the fall of Cocoon.

Serah had mentioned about making one for their parents as soon as population settled down and the first tomb was made by someone just outside of New Bodhum, but Lightning kept refusing. Only after two years had passed did she realize that there was no point of avoiding the past. Making new, empty tombs for her parents did not equal having them back. Besides, she could not ignore the way Serah would stand on the seashore, staring far ahead sadly.

However, this was the first time Lightning ever visited the tombs after they were completed. It's been two years. She'd been busy, she said.

Perhaps she's still afraid.

But people spoke about heaven after death, about the place the dead went instead of perishing altogether. She wanted to believe about this heaven, to believe that her parents still exist somewhere and they're happy there, yet raising her head toward that future was so hard and she's afraid—

“Light-san.” The gentle touch on her shoulder awoke her from her reverie. She turned her head to Hope. He had grown as tall as her, but his eyes were still clear green and his smile was still kind. “Are you okay?”

Lightning took a deep breath. “Yeah.”

He pulled her into a loose embrace, bending his neck so his lips were on her ear. “It's all right, Light-san. I'll protect you, so please... don't be afraid.”

He reads me too well these days, the pinkette mused. But she didn't retort. She curled her arms around his neck instead, pulling him even closer until she could feel the soft movement of his chest as he inhaled. The sound of his breath on her ear calmed her. Yes, she's still afraid, but it didn't matter. She could start facing it head-on from now, with her partner watching her back. 

A/N: 

I don't know what I wrote, my fingers just moved. I have Hope call her Light-san (as in Japanese version) because when writing this, I kept hearing his Japanese version's voice in my head. Besides, I love how it shows better how polite he is when talking to her (or I'm just a sucker for anything remotely Japan-related, heheh)