Just Focus (FFXIII)

14) Operation Nora

"Take five," Light commands.

Hope grasps his knees, catching his breath as he falls to the ground. I sit beside him, crossing my legs and watching the leaves overhead course with crackling blue energy. As Lightning watches the monsters below wrestle with each other, Hope flips her knife open and closed, watching the blade reflect the dim light. Something's bothering him. Light notices too.

"What's eating you?" she asks, glancing over her shoulder. Hope doesn't answer, frowning. Light huffs, turning to face him. "I can tell you're hung up on something. Is it... the l'Cie thing?"

"L'Cie thing," I repeat under my breath, rolling my eyes. Oh, that? It's nothing. Hope still doesn't make an effort to respond, twisting the blade around in his hand and running a gloved finger over its jagged edge to watch it pull at the threads.

"It's Snow, isn't it?" Hope scowls at the ground and Light sighs, coming closer to us. "What happened with him?"

"You wouldn't understand."

"Hope, it's not—" I start. He shakes his head.

"No."

Lightning kneels before us, glancing at me before ducking her head in an effort to catch the boy's eye. He deliberately looks away.

"We're partners, Hope."

"..." He sighs, finally looking up. "My mother was killed... Because of him." He hits the knife against the ground and shakes his head. "It's his fault and he needs to pay for it." He looks at me, determined. "I'm not ready yet, but I will be. Soon."

"Right." I nod. He stands, tucking the knife into his back pocket.

"That's why I followed you," he continues. "Snow dragged us all into this. You and Amarhi, your sister Serah... He's gotta pay."

With that, he keeps moving, not willing to waste another second in his quest for revenge. I stand, dusting my hands off. He's right, I remind myself. If Snow and his little crew hadn't meddled, we wouldn't be here. We would be dead. I shake my head and look back at Light. She stares hard at some distant point I can't place, brows pinched together and that omnipresent frown fixed firmly on her face.

"Are you coming?" I ask, aching to keep up with Hope.

"Yeah."

We hurry to catch up, keeping our eyes as sharp as ever. I can't count how lobos and slugs we fight—they're endless. My arms are much sorer than they were before. I need a break at some point. I shake my head. No, that's how you fall behind. My legs shake under my weight every time we stop and my knees slide forward and back as I try to keep my balance. Just as I look back to give in, Light runs ahead and slashes a branch out of the way. It fizzles away, fading into pure nothing rather than falling as a regular frond would. Hope slows, cocking his head to the side.

"Could I use one of those?"

"They're heavy," I warn, distinctly remembering the first time I dropped Cid's treasured sword onto the ground and chipped away some of the design.

"I can—"

"Bit too heavy for you," Lightning cuts in. Her voice is soft, gentle. She's focused, but she's making room for us. It feels welcoming. This is the least lonely I've felt in years, when, in fact, it's the loneliest I've ever been in my life.

"Okay," he sighs, pulling the knife free from his pocket again and eyeing the jagged edge. What is it with him and that knife? Lightning's eyes glaze over and she watches the light dance across the sharp blade.