The Future Was Changed
by Meimi

Everyone does one of these, right? Gotta put our own spin on The Future is Hope paradox ending, yeah? =Db P.S. I'm a jerk.

The news rippled through the Academy like wildfire. Zaidelle had been arrested. The Director's assistant? Whatever for? Apparently, she was a traitor. Had been planning against the Director and his friends the entire time. How could that even be possible? Alyssa Zaidelle, who had slept through the centuries, loyally following the Director into an unknown future. She threw her entire life away just so she could trip the Director up in his plans to save the world? The veritable wolf in sheep's clothing. Why?

Why, indeed.

This was a most distressing turn of events. Zaidelle had been their inside source, the lynchpin upon which all of their current schemes circled. Her arrest indicated that they had been made. What to do? Security would no doubt be heightened from here on out. Getting to the Director might well indeed become an impossible task. What to do? Something had to be done. Hope Estheim had to be eliminated. His continued survival put the entire world in jeopardy. The naive innocents of Academia just could not see past their hero worship to the inescapable truth that lay within. Estheim was a madman wearing the guise of a visionary.

The degradation of Cocoon's crystal pillar was not severe enough to warrant the prediction that it would collapse in a hundred years. And it certainly wasn't reason enough to redirect all of humanity's resources in to making another hollow, artificial world. They did not need to abandon the world their ancestors had worked so hard into building up. Estheim's actions made no sense. Perhaps he longed for his old life, where every action performed was dictated by his fal'Cie overlords. Perhaps he saw himself as the inheritor of the fal'Cie's legacy. Perhaps he had merely been pushed over the edge when he had chosen to abandon the life he'd had for the life of a celebrity in the far flung future. It did not matter. He was a viper that needed to be put down.

Zaidelle had seen the truth, had accepted it. That woman had left behind everything she cared about, everything that would have mattered, in the hopes that she could somehow stop his lunacy. And when she had finally realized that she couldn't do it on her own, she'd gone looking for the last few sane people left on the planet. Admirable. Her sacrifice should not be allowed to pass in vain.

Time was of the essence. The window for action would soon close.

Serah bit back a giggle. Snow and his brusque hero posturing was just so funny though, especially with how it always pissed other people off. Noel was fuming on the inside, she could tell. And Hope, well, Hope had other things on his mind. The news about the assassination had been sobering. But everything would be all right, they knew about it now, so they could take the appropriate actions to nip it in the bud. And Noel would be there to protect him, so everything would be just fine. So why did she feel like something was wrong? It didn't feel like a vision was coming on or anything. And she was about to go off on a grand adventure with Snow. Snow! They'd been separated for so long, it would be good to finish things together. They'd bring Lightning back and beat Caius. And that way Noel wouldn't have to fight an old friend. It was perfect really.

So why?

Snow and Noel were now bantering about how Snow got to have all the fun. Would those two ever get along? She didn't mind them acting like children, it was pretty fun when they did. But the not getting along was kind of annoying at this point. They had so much common ground when it came to certain things. But that was probably the source of their animosity, they were too much alike in some areas and couldn't stand seeing it in each other. So silly.

Something pinged off Snow's motorcycle. Strange. That sounded like something metal. Why would- Serah's thought was cut short as she noticed Hope wobble out of the corner of her eye. Something wrong? It was almost surreal, the way he was reaching up with a shaky hand to touch his chest and... red. So much red. Serah's eyes widened in horror as realization crashed over her. "No!" she screamed, leaping off Snow's bike to catch Hope as he began to collapse, his weight driving her to her knees. They hadn't stopped it at all!

"Hope!"

"Fuck!"

The panicked cries behind her blended together. She couldn't tell who said what. It didn't matter anyway. "I've got you. I've got you," Serah said in a desperate litany as she started to roll him over. Blood on his back. "It's okay. Everything's going to be okay." Snow and Noel helped her get him over, resting his head in her lap. More blood on the front. Eyes that reminded her of the sea blinked up at her. They were glazed over with pain. She much preferred when they were awash in excitement from the latest discovery. This was all wrong. "Don't worry. I can fix this. Just hang on." The brilliant green glow of healing magic flashed to life around her hands. She could fix this. She would fix this. No one died while Serah Farron was on the job, most especially not any of her friends.

"I hate to be the one to tell you this, but you're going to be assassinated exactly three days from now."

Noel ground his teeth together in mounting fury. Stupid stupid stupid. They were all fucking stupid. Time didn't work that way. Paradoxes didn't work that way. You changed just one thing and then the entire timeline changed right along with it. They all knew that. They should've suspected that the public arrest of Alyssa would drastically change events. Not three days away. Now.

"Serah?" Noel heard Snow intone weakly as he turned away from the horror in front of him and started searching. Hope was in good hands. Serah would keep him alive better than anyone else. She had to. But that didn't preclude another attack. The assassin had to be somewhere close. He wouldn't let them get away with this. They had to pay. There. In the distance. A shadow that shouldn't be there.

Noel vaguely noted security streaming out of the Academy as he stood up. They were late. But so was he. "Take care of Hope," he tossed out behind him before launching into a full on sprint, "I'm gonna go catch that son of a bitch."

Noel's actions barely registered in Serah's mind as she shoved magic down into Hope's chest. Too much blood. Too much damage. Too much in the way. This wasn't working. Hope's eyes slid shut, his consciousness fading. He was fading. This was not happening! She was not going to lose one of her friends! Terror ignited something different in her veins, she could feel Etro's brand start to glow in her eye, but it wasn't the herald of a vision. It was something else.

Stop!

The world froze around her. Serah looked up, shaking. Nothing moved. Snow was a statue beside her and the people that had been gathering around them were stuck in mid-motion like photographs. That voice... it had sounded like her. But not just her. It had sounded like Lightning too. Serah craned her head back so she could look up at Cocoon. Fang and Vanille as well. And... Yeul. Another blessing from Etro? Well, it didn't really matter in the end what providence had brought this on. She had time now, more than enough to save him with.

Serah nodded and smiled, sending out a heartfelt thank you to whatever could possibly be listening, then bent back to the task at hand. Fingers worked at buckles, removing all the crap that was in the way. "Stupid scientist," Serah muttered to herself as she yanked the shoulder harness out of the way and then moved on to removing his belt. Why did he have to carry so much stuff around? Wasn't that what assistants were for? Well, Alyssa hadn't turned out to be all that great of one in the end. They'd have to make sure his next one was better. He didn't need to have to worry about so much extraneous junk.

There. Serah placed her hand directly atop the bloody hole in Hope's chest and sent a narrow, focused libra down into the wound. No damage to his heart, which was good. He'd probably be dead already if the bullet had hit the heart. But the artery... it had nearly been severed in two. He was bleeding to death. She could fix that, but she'd need some help to keep him going.

Serah looked over at Snow, the sensation of something clicking back into place echoing in her mind as she felt the brand fade from her eye. Time resumed its normal course. This would work. "Snow," Serah demanded, catching his attention. He looked so confused. He, out of everyone, would have realized something weird had just happened; but there was no time to explain. "I need your help. You need to use the power from that Pulse brand to keep Hope alive while I put his artery back together. Otherwise he's gonna bleed to death, okay?"

Snow looked completely floored by everything that had happened so far and was still happening; but he nodded his assent and placed his hand over hers, adding his own healing magic to the mix. Snow wasn't exactly the best of healers, it just wasn't in his nature. But the raw power granted by virtue of being a l'Cie wasn't anything to laugh about. It was the power of possibilities. The power to change fate.

His feet pounded against the pavement as Noel weaved his way through the maze that was Academia, not once allowing his quarry to vanish from sight. The assassin was a woman wearing the typical Academy uniform. An inside job. Just like Alyssa. And probably was connected to Alyssa somehow. It would make sense. To receive an artifact directly from Caius, Alyssa's schemes had to have run deep. How far would she have gone to get the job done? Alyssa had always come off as overly determined, to the point of being pushy at times. If having Hope murdered would have advanced her cause, Noel had no doubt that she would have followed through with it. And if one attempt failed, there might be others. This woman could not be allowed to escape.

And his chance to catch her may have just arrived. The area they were pelting into looked familiar, far, far too familiar. In the other Academia, the one full of Cie'th and death, this place had ultimately led him back to Yuel. Another death. Another mark on his conscience. His heart had become so heavy with it. But he wouldn't stop. No one else would die because he was too slow. Not Yuel. Not again. And not the precious friends he'd made since then. Hope would live, he'd personally see to that from now on. No more waiting to find out that a paradox had killed someone he treasured. Lightning would just have to wait on seeing Serah again for the time being.

There, up ahead, if the Academias really were the same, that tiny alley branching off to the right would get him in front of that woman. It was a gamble, but Noel had faith in it. Paradoxes had a way of working out right alongside the real march of history. It would work. He just needed to be fast. A fresh cast of haste sang in his veins, allowing him to stretch his muscles past their limit. He would definitely be hurting tomorrow, but the pain would be worth it. Noel bounced off the side of a building, using his momentum to vault over a wall taller than him. Almost there. She wouldn't get away.

"Gotcha." Noel smiled grimly as he leaped out of the alleyway and pounced on the fleeing woman, pinning her to the ground before she even knew what hit her. Her struggles were intense, an elbow cracked against his chin before he could restrain it. But he would not let up. No way was she getting away. "Stop it," Noel growled as he yanked clawing fingers away from his eyes. Clever, but he was better. "You're done. It's over."

"I will not surrender to the willing accomplice of a madman," the woman hissed furiously as she kneed Noel in the side and pulled sharply out of his grasp. A painful pop echoed loudly across the area as she yanked her arm free of him, dislocating it from sheer force. "We will not allow Estheim to lead humanity down a dark path of wanton waste and destruction. We will stop him. And you."

So there were more. Noel grimaced as he lunged for her, missing her by mere centimeters as she danced out of reach. She sounded a few shades of fanatic too. Give those types a tangible enemy and they wouldn't stop until they'd eliminated the perceived threat or were dead themselves. Shit. "I don't know what fantasy you've cooked up to justify killing the one man who is going to save the future, but it ends here."

She smiled coldly as she backed away from him. "Yes, it does. But not for you. Live in fear and know that nothing you do will stop us from eliminating the evil you so blindly support." The edge! Noel noticed too late. She was over it before he could even hope to stop her. A fanatic all right. Die for the cause. Loyal to the end. Lost fucking information. Noel kicked viciously at the safety wall, then leaned against it as he furiously gazed down at the broken body far below. There would be more like her though. Of that, he had no doubt. If he wanted to keep Hope safe, then he had his work cut out for him.

Serah let out a weary breath of pure relief. She'd done it. They'd done it. No more gaping hole in Hope's chest. Just blood. Lots and lots of blood. The artery and everything else was mended, but he'd still lost a lot of blood. Too much really, he'd be on bed rest for awhile. But he was alive, and would continue to live, and that's what counted. Resting her hand on Hope's forehead, the one that wasn't drenched in his blood, Serah almost laughed at herself. She could feel tear tracks drying on her cheeks, hadn't even realized she'd been crying. She probably looked a sight right about now. Didn't care one whit though.

A heavy hand dropped on her shoulder, patting her gently in shared comfort. Snow. Serah looked over and gave him a watery smile. They were the heroes this time, but it just didn't feel like it. Didn't feel right either. Felt more like a failure on their part. They were the ones running around doing the stupid, dangerous crap. Hope was the one who was supposed to have been safe. But that's not how the real world worked, did it? Snow was gazing at her, his eyes hooded, and his mouth a thin, straight line. It was a look full of understanding. Of course, he would know where her mind was wandering now. He'd been there before himself. Even if the heroes saved the day, it didn't mean people didn't get hurt in the meantime. It didn't mean friends didn't almost die on them thanks to their own shortsightedness. She could feel a breakdown coming on, but she stamped it back down. It could wait until later. They still needed to take care of Hope right now.

They were surrounded by a lot of people. She'd distantly taken note of security running out to protect them, but by the look of it the entire Academy had poured out into the street. Well, she couldn't really blame them. Everybody loved Hope... Everybody good loved Hope. They were all worried and scared. But he'd be okay. Serah smiled up at the emergency workers she'd been inadvertently ignoring. They all needed to know that he'd be okay. And he would. He would. Serah rubbed her fingers soothingly against Hope's forehead as she began to field questions about his continued health.

Noel frowned deeply in worry as the Academy proper finally came back into view. There sure were a lot of people milling about outside. Hope... was okay, right? Of course he was. He had to be. Serah wouldn't let him die. Not if she had a choice in the matter, anyway. No. He wouldn't think like that. Hope was still alive. And Noel was determined to make sure he stayed that way. He wasn't going to let any of his friends die on his watch. This wouldn't be like the future, where everyone had died on him one by one. Not again. It would be different.

There were way too many people though. Noel grimaced as he shoved his way through the crowd, he didn't have any patience left to be nice about it. They could just damn well get out of his way. There was a tight, thick ring of security up closer to the doors, but they were smart and waved him through before he had to make them move. A lot of medical people inside, but he didn't care about them. Just the other two people who mattered most in his life and the tagalong. There was a lot of blood. Too much. But Serah was smiling. She looked a mess, but she was definitely smiling. Noel closed his eyes and took a deep, cleansing breath, feeling the tension he hadn't even realized was there just drip out of him. It took all of his energy with it, but that was okay. Everything was okay now.

Noel plopped down gracelessly beside Serah and gave her a weak grin, one hand reaching out unconsciously to grasp the one she had resting on top of Hope's forehead. "Hi."

"Hi." Serah returned the grin with equal strength. They were all worn out from this terrible ordeal. "What about the assassin?" Serah asked a moment later with a worried frown.

Noel closed his eyes wearily and shook his head. "Took a header off the city. Security's retrieving the body." He lowered his gaze to Hope before continuing, "But judging by the rant I got out of her, this won't be the last attempt. Not by a long shot."

Serah nodded shakily in understanding. She knew what that meant. And she already knew what that meant for her as well. "Snow, I'm sorry," she began, giving him an apologetic look, "I have to stay here. I can't leave Noel alone to take care of this. And... I can't leave Hope. Not like this. He needs us."

"No no, it's okay and you're right," Snow waved a hand in the air to emphasize his next point. "Hope needs all of us. I'm gonna stick around too, for as long as I have to to take care of this shit. He needs as many people watching out for him as possible, and there's no one better than us three. Caius will just have to wait his fucking turn."

Serah nodded and smiled in agreement. "Yeah, you're right."

"He'll be fine," Noel asserted as he looked up, locking his gaze with Snow's. "We'll make sure of it. His future is our future."

"Yeah!" Snow grinned widely and darted forward unexpectedly to ruffle Noel's hair. "That's the spirit. I knew you had it in you, kid."

"Snow," Serah sighed in exasperation. She dearly loved the big lug, but he really had a way about him of doing exactly what would get on someone else's nerves. It was aggravating, but funny too. She'd like to say she wasn't looking forward to the many, many arguments she'd be fielding between the two in the very near future, but she'd be lying if she did. It'd be great fun. And excellent entertainment for Hope while he was recovering. Watching Snow get beat up by Noel would most definitely amuse him.