Chapter 10: World Travellers - WotRU

Summary

For the Goddess is dead and someone must take her place.

Notes

Guide you to place called home.

Travellers to the Unseen Realm were a seldom occurrence, or at least that was how Hope thought it to be. There was a girl sitting by the shore. She looked fairly young, a child or teenager, he didn't really have that kind of sense any more. Something was strange. Her heart felt different, the chaos a little different. Absently, he thought he should make some kind of protocol, or general plan to deal with this kind of instance.

Abruptly she stood up, hands clenched into fists. She turned this way and that before settling on the silvery figure on the cliff edge

'Excuse me, are you Etro?' She called, hands cupped around her mouth.

'Huh?' Hope said.

Hope startled edging away from the cliff. It was directed at him? He looked around dumbly, of course it was for him. There was nobody else here. It wasn't the first time someone had asked him if he was the goddess but it was the first someone had called out to him like that, the very least in a while. He needed to check his memory on that.

He wasn't aware of moving until he was half way down the slope connected to the shore. When he arrived within a reasonable distance the girl spoke again.

'Are you Etro, the goddess? Hmm, but you don't really look like her.' She said bringing a hand to her chin.

'I'm not, but I do oversee this.' Hope said, raising a hand in gesture.

'So, you're not Etro? Do you know Enna Kros? She said we could find Etro if we ever got lost here.'

'Lost? Where do you think you are?'

The girl glanced around. 'This isn't Valhalla, is it?'

Hope shook his head.

The girl's eyes widened.

'Then, where am I? I need to get back to my brother. I can't leave him out there!' She rushed forwards towards him.

'Hold on.' He placed a hand on her shoulder.

'You're in the Unseen Realm, the resting place for souls of the dead.' Hope said.

'I'm dead?' She said, her voice small.

She jerked back, body tense.

'There's no way I'm dead! We were just travelling, visiting another world like we always do and then- Tama would always bring us back home!' The palms of her hands dug into her eyes.

'Lann...' She said sucking in a breath.

Hope frowned. He had come across people from other worlds before, there had been a few who were separated, looking for friends and family. Then there were those few travellers who held power of their own, allowing them to leave. The key was in their hearts, one had said. Still, he couldn't help but feel for her. If she couldn't leave, she would have to make a hard choice.

'Who is Lann?' He asked.

The girl wiped her eyes, one hand fiddling with the hem of her skirt.

'He's my brother. My dumb, dumb, twin brother.'

Green eyes drifted away from her to the garden in the distance.

'I need to get back. I can't... Where's Etro?' She asked. 'Etro can grant wishes, can't she?'

If only it were that easy, Hope thought.

'Etro is dead. Through circumstances I took her place.' Hope said looking down. 'But I, I'm sorry, I don't have that kind of power. If I did I wouldn't-' He cut himself off, it was a futile thought.

'You're not a god?'

'You think I am?'

'Well considering the ones I've met.' She shook her head. 'That doesn't matter. If you can't do what the goddess does, then what can you do?'

Hope wanted to know the answer himself, honestly.

The Unseen Realm had no actual appearance, or as so the tales told. Yet somehow, he was able to manifest some kind of island. He knew it looked somewhat like Valhalla and it was possible his mind drew upon its likeness. A place to keep tethered to, maybe even ground him. His own form was like that too, made up of the garb worn by her servants and the stories told. How much of it was Etro's own doing and what he thought Etro would do, was muddled.

Useful for him but not for Etro. She was here in this abyss by herself. A god's life certainly was lonely judging by the stories. But he wasn't a god?

'If you can't go back, I can ask you if you wish to be reincarnated or end your cycle and return to the Chaos.' Hope said, almost regretting the words as she bristled.

'But that's dying isn't it? That's saying goodbye to who I am right now. I can't leave him and Tama just like that!'

Hope felt an uncomfortable feeling rise. 'You might have to, you can't stay here forever.'

'No. No. No! That's my brother, my friends! After everything we've been through, it can't end like this.'

He really did want to help her.

'I'm sorry-' She cut him off with a scathing glare.

'If you're here acting as some kind of gatekeeper you must have some kind of power, right?'

'I'm not Etro, but...I've never tried.' He trailed off, hand gripping his chin in thought. 'You're not from here, are you? The Chaos inside you, it feels different.'

It seemed to have calmed her down a little. She sighed and sat down on the ground, drawing her legs in close.

'We come from a place called Grymoire but we've been doing some travelling. Sometimes we can help our friends by fighting for them but if we fall, Tama brings us back home to Nine Wood Hills.'

The power to travel to different worlds, maybe it was similar to how Serah and Noel used the gates to travel everywhere. How was Tama able to do that? Was it similar to calling an eidolon when a l'Cie was on the brink of death? A power created by a god from another world.

The girl sniffed and dried her tears. 'I can't be dead. This must be another way of touching souls? Maybe I'm dreaming or is this a different realm of fantasy?'

'Uh.' Hope was lost. What did she mean by touching souls?

She looked up at him with wide eyes, hands laced through dark blonde hair.

'If Tama disappeared somewhere else does that mean Lann and Serafie are alone together?'

She jumped to her feet with renewed determination, 'I have to get back. There must something you can do with your powers! Etro or not you're the closest chance I have.'

Hope blinked. 'Well...' He surreptitiously turned his head away. 'It's a possibility, but I've never tried, I don't even have full control over this-'

An all too familiar voice called out in the distance.

'Hey! I have a hilarious story to tell you!'

Hope didn't bother looking to see who it was.

'Ignore him.'

'Okay?' She said slowly, tilting her head to the side.

'Etro could open gates to let people through, it didn't matter what realm you were in. That's how she could travel between them and how she brought people to her. The other times when people came from a different world, they always left using their own abilities. I don't even think I got to talk to them for as long I have with you.'

It was strange. As seldom as the occurrences were, he couldn't help but feel as if something or someone was pulling them here. Bhunivelze had been dealt with for now, at least, so what was it? Maybe his suspicions were un-grounded, just lingering feelings from having to go against their own makers.

'If I could do the same, I'd be able to return you home.' Hope said.

The voice came closer, belting out his name. Hope felt his cheeks heat up.

'Um, shouldn't you answer him?' She asked glancing back.

He shook his head, crossing his arms, head bent low in thought. If time gate were created by distortions and people were given the power to pass through them maybe the same could be created for gates to other realms. Open a gate from the Unseen World to another, like Etro did, like how the eidolons came to them form Valhalla. It sounded simple enough. Create a gate to another world, using her home as a tether, something to focus on.

'If I can make all of this unconsciously, then if I concentrate, just maybe. He faced her, eyes alight with a glimmer of hope.

'But the same might not work for you, right? What are we going to do if it doesn't work?' She said, sceptical.

'Well,' he smiled, 'you have to hope, don't you?'

The girl rubbed her eyes one last time and took in a deep breath.

'Right!' She said determined.

Hope took a step back, eyes looking up toward the inky depths.

'A miracle to take you home.' Hope murmured and stretched his hand out.

He closed his eyes and tried to focus on some kind of gate, what it would feel like. The closest memory he had was summoning Alexander, the shattering of an eidolith, the surge of power that came from it. Opening your heart with strength and vulnerability, to something that was considered a gift from the goddess. He recalled asking Vanille what it felt like for her and it was the same. It was a rush of warm light that tingled throughout your body, invigorating and solacing at the same time.

The world became bright behind closed eyes.

'What is that?' He heard Noel's voice whisper close to him.

'You did it.' The girl said in awe.

Hope opened his eyes to see golden light filtering through the endless black. He felt a flash of panic at the shape, reminiscent of His design. The intricate white-gold light flickered like a candle as he gasped, his feet ready to drag him far away from it. An arm dragged him close into a one-armed hug, cheek squashed against his own. Hope leaned into him, grateful for the distraction.

'Who knew you could do that, huh?' Noel said, his voice full of wonderment.

Hope snorted, untangling himself from Noel.

'Neither did I.' He turned back to the girl gazing up at the gate.

'Ready to go? It should take you to Nine Wood Hills or at least close enough. Can't keep Lann and the others waiting, can you?'

The girl nodded.

'I'm ready.'

She stepped closer to the light, making sure steps.

Turning around to face them with a grin, she spoke, 'Thanks for all the help, Hope!'

She began floating up towards the gate in the sky.

'I really hope you find them again-' Hope hesitated realising he never asked for her name.

'What's your name?' He called out.

She looked surprised as she floated further and further up. With hands cupped around her mouth she shouted back.

Behind him Noel waved goodbye, belting out his name in the process.

Seconds later she passed through the gate, it shut and vanished from the sky, leaving the pair on the ground dazzled.

Hope blinked, letting out a sigh of relief.

'Well, that's not something you see every day.' Noel placed a hand on his hip, still gazing up at the sky. 'Did she come from another world?'

'Seems like it.' Hope said turning to him. 'Did any of those names sound familiar?'

Noel cupped his chin. 'Hmm, Lann did? I remember being in a school with these kids who all looked related but they weren't.'

'Huh? That's strange.'

A moment passed before Hope began walking up and away from the beach. Noel caught up to him quickly, slinging an arm around his shoulder.

'So, can I stay?' He asked.

Hope shoved him off, thoughts wandering off to travellers in other worlds. He wondered if someone, or if some people were taking notice of who what he was.

End Notes

And so, yearning for a distant light beyond reach ailasyrhc avon dnoyeb ...

[Might be revised]

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[Please let me know about typos etc. it's unbeated]