Chapter 54 - "Courting Trouble" - Noel POV

What would you do, Caius, if you were in Lightning's position?

Who am I kidding? You'd never have let yourself fall into such a position, even if you knew it was subterfuge to eliminate a potential threat. You would've confronted Sylvia head-on, sword first, and dealt with the consequences later.

Lightning… she's like that, sometimes. Not as often now as when the world was dying, but there are moments when a narrowing of her eyes, a crossing of her arms over her chest, or a turn of phrase reminds me painfully of the you I'd been raised by.

I remember when you first came to our village, when you told my grandmother that you would be staying for Yeul's sake. But Yeul was my responsibility, the one I was betrothed to. I was so jealous, even at five, that I'd charged at you with the small utility knife that I'd borrowed from my grandmother's tools without permission…

Of course you'd fended me off so easily, grabbing my wrist and squeezing until I dropped the would-be-weapon. I remember crying ugly tears of humiliation and despair, and the look of uncertainty in your face as you held me at arm's length, the knife laying on the ground between us.

'You are brave, tiny hunter.'

That was what you said to me as we stood there. I remember sniffling loudly, glaring up at you through my tears.

'Yeul is mine. Not yours.'

The look that crossed your face… I don't know how to describe it. Was it relief? Were you exhausted from centuries… millenia… spent searching for Yeul's incarnations, desperately trying to protect them from visions you couldn't even see?

'Very well.' You said, kneeling slowly in front of me. 'Yeul is yours, and you will be mine.'

I didn't understand what that meant at the time, didn't realize the burden I would inherit by becoming your protege. Even now, that fate still holds me captive…

Hope is a bundle of nervous energy on the bench beside me. He fidgets with the turqoise colored tie he's wearing with his suit, runs a nervous hand through his pale hair and then rubs his Marked wrist absently as though the skin there itches.

Even when the world was ending, I don't know if I've ever seen him so distraught.

Snow seems to sense it, too, exchanging a knowing glance with me over Hope's head. I want to ask Snow if lawyers and judges are really such frightening things in the face of everything else we've come up against, but the tension in Hope's shoulders keeps me from saying anything.

Hope's nervousness seems to be contagious, my own hands itching to loosen my tie. I clench my hands to keep from fussing and instead try to focus on the spacious court room around us.

I've never seen anything like it before, even when Serah and I travelled the timeline in search of Lightning. The entire room could easily fit twice New Bodhum's population and still have room to spare. But the room is largely empty despite its large capacity.

It's a high profile case, Lightning's lawyer told us this morning, which is why there are several reporters and photographers lining the back of the court room wall. They watch like vultures, an occasional press of a button echoing loudly in the cavernous room. The tension in the air makes Serah's son wail unhappily, despite her soothing voice and attempts to rock him to sleep.

The back doors open suddenly, buttons pressing wildly as the photographers do their best to capture every moment, every face, involved with this particular case. Curious, I half turn in my seat and watch as the prosecutor arrives with Bartholomew Estheim in tow.

Estheim… doesn't look at all like I imagined he would. Somehow, I'd always pictured a slightly older version of Hope with perhaps a slightly stronger jaw, and maybe some facial hair. In reality, though, Bartholomew is almost as tall as Snow, with dark brown hair that's graying at the temples and thick rimmed glasses. The only thing about the man that seems vaguely reminiscent of Hope is the haunted look in his eyes as he tries to aim a tired smile in Hope's direction.

How many times have I seen Hope's older self give me that same look? The one that tried to convince me that everything was going to be okay, even though it was obvious that Hope was having trouble believing that himself…

I nudge Hope with an elbow to the side, but he shakes his head tersely at me, eyes fixated on the floor. By the time I look back to Bartholomew, the man has already followed his lawyer to the prosecution's table.

There's a brief moment when Lightning and Estheim's eyes meet, a silent communication passing between them before the occupants of the room are asked to stand. Then all eyes are at the front of the room as Honorable Judge Yu Nalenne makes her entrance.

She's younger than I expect: maybe a handful of years older than Lightning and Snow, but her eyes hold an ancient sorrow. She reminds me of Yeul in that respect, even as she casts her gaze over the entire courtroom silently before taking her seat behind the bench.

"You may all be seated." Judge Yu Nalenne says.

Clothing rustles and Serah's son whines briefly as we retake our seats, and then a fierce silence sweeps over the room.

Papers shuffle, and the judge clears her throat briefly.

"What case have you brought before me?"

The man who asked us to rise before the judge replies firmly, "Your Honor, today's case is that of Professor Bartholomew Estheim versus Claire Farron."

"Is the prosecution ready?"

Estheim's lawyer stands quickly. "Yes, your Honor."

As soon as the prosecution sits, the judge turns her steely gaze towards Lightning's lawyer.

"Is the defense ready?"

Maechen stands more slowly. "Yes, your Honor."

It takes longer for Maechen to sit, and after a lengthy pause, the judge motions towards the prosecutor who stands.

"Your Honor, I am Braska Nooj representing Professor Bartholomew Estheim in this case. I intend to prove that Ms. Farron kidnapped Professor Estheim's son shortly before the Fall two years ago. Please find Ms. Farron guilty of kidnapping and child endangerment. Thank you."

Nooj sits, and the judge turns her head slightly towards Maechen. The old lawyer returns to his feet, knees creaking as he stands.

"Your Honor… I am Maechen Ronsenburg, representing… Miss Claire… Farron… in this case. It is my intention… to prove… Miss Farron in fact rescued… the Professor's son… I shall prove to this court… that Miss Farron acted with responsibility… taking in a child she believed… orphaned… by the tragic events… which led to Cocoon's fall… two years ago. Please… find Miss Farron… not guilty. Thank you."

Maechen sits, and the the judge glances down at the bench in front of her.

"Attorney Nooj, you may call your first witness."

"Your Honor, the prosecution calls Hope Estheim to the stand."

Hope's face pales as he hears his name, shoulders stiffening with anxiety as he stands and squeezes past me towards the center aisle. He's practically shaking as he walks towards the slightly raised box just to the right of the judge's bench. Before he can be seated, the baliff swears him to honesty on a copy of the Sanctum's Scriptures.

"Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?"

"I swear." Hope's voice is soft, uncertain, but he's allowed to enter the witness stand to sit.

Nooj approaches the stand slowly, a predator stalking his prey.

"Can you state your name and age for the record?" the lawyer asks.

"Hope Estheim. Sixteen." Hope replies, then, as an after thought, "Sir."

"Thank you, Hope. And can you recall for us the events leading up to the Fall? Specifically, how you came to meet Ms. Farron?"

"We met because of the Purge, sir." Hope says. "My mom and I were in Bodhum when it happened, and we were forced onto the train. Light… I mean, Ms. Farron… was one of the people who rescued us."

"And how did Ms. Farron rescue you?"

"She fought the soldiers that kept us on the train."

"And then what did Ms. Farron do?"

"She went after the Vestige. To try to rescue Serah. Her sister."

"So she rescued you and your mother, and then left you all alone? Defenseless? While you and the other refugees were being shot at?"

"No!" Hope replied. "I mean, yes, but it wasn't…"

"What happened to your mother while Ms. Farron went off to rescue her sister?"

"She… she tried to fight off the soldiers." Hope's voice is on the verge of cracking, but he somehow holds it together.

"I'm sure she fought admirably, Hope, but we both know she wasn't a soldier. What happened to her?"

"She… was shot. She died."

The prosecutor turns on his heel, facing the court room dramatically. "Let's give Ms. Farron the benefit of the doubt. She tried to rescue you and your mother. She can hardly be blamed for abandoning you when she tried to rescue her sister. What happened after your mother died?"

"I… went to the Vestige."

"Surely the Vestige was crawling with cieth? Were you alone?"

"No, a friend was with me." Hope replies. "She's… she's part of the pillar, now."

"And the two of you made your way to the fal'cie?"

"We… we met Snow and Light… just outside the antechamber. Serah was there, but she turned to crystal almost as soon as we saw her."

"Who decided to confront the fal'cie?"

"I… I don't remember." Hope stutters. "Snow and Light… they were both upset. I tried to run away, but the fal'cie shut the door to the chamber before I could leave…"

"You were forced to fight, weren't you?"

"I…"

"Did Ms. Farron tell you that she would protect you at any time during this adventure, or did you follow her blindly out of fear?"

"No, but I…"

"To be clear: Ms. Farron rescued you from a detainment train only for your mother to be killed, then she proceeded to lead you into a fal'cie vestige to be branded a l'cie, after which she led you to hold your own father hostage, not to mention the numerous life-threatening situations she and her cohorts placed you in when they managed to fly you to - of all places - Pulse. Did Ms. Farron at any point turn to you and say that she would take care of you?"

"Well, no, but…"

"I have no further questions."

Hope stares after Nooj's back, eyes wide and mouth gaping slightly, just as surprised as the rest of us at just how quickly and acutely the prosecutor has painted Lightning as a thoughtless, reckless monster.

It hadn't been her fault that the Purge had begun: if anyone could be blamed for that mess, it'd been Serah's curious exploring of the Bodhum Vestige that had made her a l'cie, and when she'd been discovered, the Sanctum swooped in to erase the problem by sequestering anyone who might've come into contact with the vestige, including Hope and his mom who'd only been vacationing in the village. And if anyone could be blamed for Hope's mother dying, it was partially Nora's own fault for choosing to fight, but shouldn't most of the blame rest on the Sanctum itself, for having tried to Purge Bodhum in the first place?