I've reread this story many, many times over the past 3 years, but never once left a review. I admittedly like this story the most among all FFXIII fanfiction, as it feels like you really captured their characters so very well, along with all the LRFFXIII lore.

I've read your other stories too, but I have to say that On Salvation, to me, is by far and away better by so many miles due to how truthful they are to their characters (Hope and Light). Perhaps its my view that LRFFXIII really established such a deep and raw setting to these 2, so much so that reading anything without these developments feel lacking due to just how deep it is canon-wise.

Lastly, I just wanted to tell you that your writing of the phantom bit was hauntingly beautiful. I think I've reread this story about 9 - 12 times now, and I still absolutely adore the phrases you used to describe it, in particular,

"Bhunivelze had affixed her in the sky like a bright planet, and Hope could no longer find due north."

Thank you so much for this wonderful story. I don't know if you'd ever read this review, as it's been years, but this story has kept me company during so many parts of my life, from the start of my University degree all the way till almost the end, and many more moments from now on, for sure.

This story is amazing.

Let's get one thing straight on Gran pulse they don't have bears and no the not here on Earth either know and they're not here in France either lightning took the chaos turn back the hands of time and made old Nova crystallis became new unseen realm end lightning force Caius Ballad is the god of death he was responsible for the destruction of the old world and left in charge of the new god of death that was his punishment and she took away yeul away from him there's a reason why Etro could not keep the yeul sealed away and that reason is it's just the yeul made up the chaos was the once goddess Mayan and the goddess actual is a duplicate of her a clonus were because Bhunivelze could not Control the Chaos that was after he pushed his mother into the chaos hoping the destroy her and be granted God hurt it did not happen just let the goddess Etro he has no divine right but is much more powerful cuz he's a descendant of the original goddess does only one of the problem too he could never Control the Chaos so we need to find a way to do so so we made a genetic clone of his mother somehow he was able to clone the his mother and made goddess Etro guardian of a Valhalla actually prisoner of a Valhalla that's what it was for her end of Legends had it wrong the humans of grand pulse assumed it was the goddess Etro blood it wasn't it was from the original the mother of Bhunivelze was the one responsible for bringing people to Grand pulse not the goddess Etro and the reason goddess actual made yeul. was so she could see the outside world cuz she was imprisoned in Valhalla by the God of Light it was even said that actual took a piece of her soul and install it into a new body when the child was born and that's how she had obtained the powers of the goddess in the eyes of Etro and only you'll is only one who could obtain a special gift it's is also said you'll is a spitting image of the Goddess herself if she was in human form because a piece of a soul besides inside remember she was a goddess of death she helped with The Reincarnation so wasn't like she use the empty vessel when the child was born instead of sending the normal soul in his place you sent the piece of her own and that is why you is the only one who can have the eyes of a crow but Bhunivelze did mother did not die after you pushed into the chaos and Stead she lost she went insane over the Betrayal of her only son and she turned into her own version of yeul each one took on one of the goddesses on personality traits some like flowers some like taking walks and the personality of the Goddess I'm not saying she did all the stuff I'm only saying what the personality of the individual was each you'll had its own personality sweet and innocent summer darker side of Personality because the only thing Caius Ballad could transform into was the Bahamut he is not a shape-shifter he does not have the power to transform long going to city of padro they turned against the fal'cie master when they realize the fal'cie was using the Guardians that protect the series to make them powerful see fours by accelerating the brands you'll lead the charge against the fal'cie the once resided in the Potter ruins in order to keep the other fal'cie from finding out about the attack on one of his brother and the fake the false war and made it look like a civil war and this war Caius Ballad sacrifice himself the summon Bahamut by the ritual incantation allowing them to summon an adult without being in the servant of a fal'cie but that kind of magic came at a price Caius Ballad life once in Valhalla actual did break one rule she sent them back with the heart of chaos no mortal man can control that kind of power but the fact he cares so much for yeul that he would do anything to save her is why she did so and that was her only mistake

doing my Hopurai rereads. I simply love your stories dearly. hope to see more of it!

I loved this short(er) story. Hope was absolutely adorable. I got a kick out of the whole God-tumor thing. Bhunivelze really did come off as "hormonal" Haha! I really enjoyed the ending, but I do feel like you could have gone a little further with it..or maybe I was just disappointed that it ended? Lol
Seriously..you are an amazing writer! I really hope to see more from you soon!

OH MY GOOOOD that ending was so cute. Something about the way you write this pairing... They're like the most epic, romantic, perfect-for-each-other couple in your hands. Wow. I love it.

And this idea was so creative! Props to you and your beta-roomie :D I loved every reveal. Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful work with us!

Ive had this as an open tab since somewhere around December of 14. I kept putting off reading it because I love your writing and especially love Hope/Light so I always had something to look forward to reading. Finally with high expectations I sat down to read it and it was excellent! A very worthy read, I loved the story and the characters. Thank you for writing.

Gosh, what I wouldn't give for a sequel or something haha! (Slightly kidding, of course). I have spent a few days rereading this beautiful story and I still fall in love with your characterizations each time. I love how you paced everything, capturing both Lightning and Hope perfectly (on a side note - your Hope makes me swoon ).

I really hope you continue writing Hope/Lightning stories. You're writing is so engaging and I loved evey bit of it. I also appreciate that you didn't include sex in this story, despite its M label. I love smut, don't get me wrong, but I enjoyed the slow pace you built for both of them. It seemed so realistic and endearing to read.

Again, feel free to write more Hope/Lighting stories. I would definitely read them, haha.

Long review alert!

H-thar, you are a brilliant author. In Salvation has gotta be one of the most impressive pieces of FFXIII fanfiction that I've ever read, right up there next to Luc Court's Loop Until checkParadox False. There are so many things going for this fic, and I'll point them out here:

First off, I would like to say that your command of the English language is simply masterful. At first glance, your writing style comes across as concise, but what with the amount of subliminal messages you manage to pack in, deliberate is a more apt adjective. You paint enough of a picture to satisfy the need of description, but drop enough hints for the reader to fill in the rest of the blanks themselves. It's very rare that I come across a writing style so engaging, subtle and evocative, so compliments to you (and many more to come)!

Secondly, your characterisation is spellbounding, especially with our main protagonists Light and Hope. I absolutely loved the slow-burn romance. Light isn't the most self-aware person, so the way you've depicted her nascent feelings (tentative, with a heavy dose of denial and flight response) for Hope is spot on. She is a magnificently unreliable narrator - it's frustrating how oblivious she can be, not only with regard to Hope but also to her significance in the cult dealings. (Sticking her head in the sand, much?) You've showed us her soft, hesitant feminine side, and yet kept all her protectiveness and determination and badassery (woe betide the fool who lays a hand on Hope) that makes us admire her in the first place. Her interactions with other characters are delightfully poignant, especially with Sazh, Snow and Nora (and even Yeul), though the comic relief scenes with baby Claire are highly amusing and heartwarming at the same time. (I confess I'm disappointed that we didn't get to see her interact with Noel directly, though.)

As for Hope, you've captured him perfectly as an ancient soul reliving the journey to manhood - a man trapped in the body of a boy. He gravitates towards the leadership roles in his old life, and strives so hard to (re)prove himself in that capacity, yet he understands (and is understandably frustrated by) his limitations in his teenaged incarnation. I love how you've interweaved Bhunivelze into his character (god-tumour indeed!) and made him so heartbreakingly fragile (all the more reason for tough, badass Light to stand guard over him). I thoroughly enjoy the role reversal dynamic with Light in the traditionally masculine role as the heroic protector and Hope as the damsel-in-distress (yay for heteronormative subversions!). That said, in the end he "grows up" to become a man (again) - you were right in putting that year long interlude between their final encounters - by finding his place in the new world on his own, whereby he invites her back into his life as an equal and worthy romantic partner. You've made the (physiological) seven-year age gap workable in a plausible way, so kudos!

The plot and pacing is wonderful. I laud your courage in the choice of setting: a harsh, undeveloped world with the god-worshipping mania from the old world (and the can of worms that opens). No inconveniences magicked away, as you said. People tend to lean towards divine intervention in the face of adversity or the unknown. It's sad that the people no longer recognise Hope as their leader (because he is a boy and therefore conflicts with their interpretation of him), but what I am curious about is how did they become aware of his involvement with Bhunivelze? They could only know by witnessing Light's final battle with Him in Cosmogenesis, but I don't think souls in the ether would have enough "sentience" to know what was taking place there. Anyway I digress. It doesn't surprise me that the people continue to seek salvation from a pedestal-propped version of Light, either. (She is so blatantly human but they refuse to see her that way in their wilful ignorance.) The build-up to and portrayal of Hope's kidnapping, torture and eventual rescue is beautifully tense and tragic. Also, I've enjoyed how you've explored the difficulties involved with humanity carving out a path in a foreign land, and given us hope for their future (humanity always prevails).

All in all, a masterpiece. Thank you for pouring your soul into this fic and sharing it with us, H-thar. Until next time. -In a Quandary

Another good chapter. I'm really feeling bad for Hope in this, I'm scared what else is going to happen.

Well this started off happier. Hope just has the short end of the stick in this story doesn't he? Another great chapter though.

This was rather interesting. The ending to LR was probably too happy and well resolved to be realistic. I didn't like it at first it grew on me as the day progressed. I was more distracted by Noel having his Yuel though to be honest. So this is a nice take on what could have happened, sometimes happy endings don't quite fit the situation. It was written really well too. I liked Hope's characterisation. It'd be pretty hard in his situation, having the mentality of a grown adult but the body of a teenager.

Hi! I was contemplating whether I finish reading all of your fics or should I just review each but decided to write one review for the post-LR fics then one for the FF13 (AU) fics. I'm currently reading SiB (chapter 15). I'm binge reading though so I'm sure I'll be finished with that in no time.

First, just want to tell you that I enjoyed ALL of your fics. Yes, I read all (except SiB) and I love them all!

Wasted Time: I knew Hope will figure out who Lumina is. I knew it! What if you write a fic (or one-shot) of 14 year old Hope meeting Lumina. I wonder how that would go.

On Salvation: I have to say, this one is ok with me. I just don't like that Hope got a god-tumor. I would love it better if Bhunivelze is truly gone and the New Order's crazines are just that, unfounded craziness. And to be honest, I don't see Cid going to that extreme though. Ok, so he fought them back in the Pulse Ark but he does not seem like the type to "protect" the savior in that way. That, or I'm just really pissed off for what he did to Hope. lol XD

Oh, and I really like the part when Snow said Hope's not yet in his final form yet he's a lady-killer. I literally rofl for that one 'cause I'm like "Yeah, so true". Even his 14 years old version is so adorable I want to hug him and never let him go! Seriously, although 13-2 is not my most favorite game in the trilogy (my absolute favorite is LR because, duh, Hope X Light) I played it, all because of Hope. But every time I see Alyssa Zaidelle with him, ugh! I hate her! Then she's in SiB! Ugh!

Anyway, hope you add an update for SiB 'cause I'm nearing the end (I meant the last available chapter).

Dear H-Thar,

Honey, if I wasn't already singing praises for how absolutely stunning your writing is–
This was just another fantastic piece. I loved every moment of it from beginning to end. I read each chapter in anticipation of how the story was going to go. Whether this was going to end with a happy end, a bittersweet end or tragedy.

I honestly had no idea where you were going to take this. I admit I got teary eyed and scared during the Hope kidnapping scene. I'm still wondering why and how Cid Raines of all people was the leader of that cult. Being that he was a L'Cie himself and how much strife came with that. And I'm glad to see that nothing disastrous came of Bunny-Bell's (Bhunivelze) interference with Hope's life again.

I embarrassingly admit, the way you wrote the relationship between, Hope/Light/Bhuni gave me an idea for a what if one shot. Whether it sees the light of day is up in the air atm...

This story has a good balance of humor, drama and suspense and I loved reading it from Lightning's perspective. Her thoughts about being smitten with Hope and trying to deny it was just uh, that was hilarious and sweet.

I think m favorite part was her being embarrassed she got caught by Serah kissing the letters, that was just too cute. If I ever have time, I think I want to draw this scene.

All around, this was another wonderful read. I thank you for taking the time out of your day to create such a interesting world and setting involving our favorite characters.

As always, I'm going to keep a look out for SiB and any other stories you might create in the future.

Cheers!

D-Butterfly

This story is magnificent, I had been searching for a fic where the characters are aware that by the end of the journey their mental health was not 100% and deal with it, and this delivers. And your Hope is a miracle of the universe.

My advance apologies for not reviewing every chapter. I had no idea what to say besides 'great chapter!' and some random gushing, and I didn't want to spam you. xD So I'll put all my feelings here instead.

Oh. My. Goodness. Ohmygoodness! You have no idea how much I love your fanfic and your writing. If you ever plan to put out your original writing, please tell me. Because I will buy it in a freakin' heartbeat.

Anyways, Lightning Returns left a hole in my heart. There was just something...missing. Your fanfic fills that hole more than any other FF XIII fanfic out there (on all three categories, I might add). The fact that it's Hope/Lightning? A plus. But your awesome writing skills and the plot and the chacterization and akjfaljf;lskjfl;kf help I'm already descending into gibberish -

Ack, I can't write constructive reviews to save my life. I really want to comment on anything and everything in your story but I'm afraid I'll just end up rambling. xD Sorry. But anyways, thank you SO MUCH for writing this and sharing it with us. I was practically dying from LR's ending and Hope/Lightning feels and then somehow I stumble onto this beautiful, golden piece of treasure, and now I've subsequently head-canoned it and no one is going to convince me otherwise that this isn't what happened. 8D

Ah, for some reason, I thought of Cissmoll's Divine Love series when I read about the god-tumor. xD Makes me glad that in here, that the god-tumor is just that - and not outright Bhuni!Hope. (That AU is definitely interesting for sure though and it would be cool to see more of it - but I'm happy that didn't happen here in your story, lol. I'd like a happy ending after going through all the angsty Hope/Lighting fanfics I have in the last couple days). xD

On Cid Raines being the antagonist, that surprised me. He never seemed like a crazy cultist leader to me. I admit I may be biased since he's, well, my bias. xD (And there's not enough fics with him out there, lol). But I did enjoy how you used him in your story. And I can see how he ended up the way he did in your AU (I think I do at least, if I'm way off base, feel free to ignore my reasoning haha). He did want to set mankind free from the fal'cie and etc, and the possibility of a Bhuni!Hope might've freaked him, and led him to seeing Hope as a threat to mankind and Lightning. So, crazy-cultist-leader!Raines isn't wildly OOC - so if anyone tells you otherwise, take it with a grain of salt.
Kudos on using Raines as your antagonist. If you used an OC instead, I don't think I would feel the 'connection' to him/her as I did with Raines. Does that make sense? Sorry, I can't really articulate myself really well. xD But since we know who Raines is already and his motivations, I feel that he makes a more convincing antagonist than an OC would. So yeah - nice choice. If you used some other character (Rosch comes to mind since he hated fal'cie as well), it might work well too, but this is great as it is. :D

Aw shoot, I ended up writing a super long review lol. Sorry about that. Anyways, thanks again for sharing this with us! I hope you have an awesome day! :D