Kai: Hay guys! :D Soooooooooooo here is the Epilogue! The very final chapter XD SO QUIT TELLING ME TO UPDATE DX GEEEEEZ nah jk XD but geez you guys always ask me to update even after I update like three chapters in about a hour XD Impatient. And people who dislike my writing and me rushing, just don't read. Simple as that. Cause yes I know rushing is bad but I do it because I have no time then everyone gets mad that I don't update. So if you don't like my 'paragraphs' or my 'rushing' or my grammar, well don't read. Simple resolve, and my beta reader will fix my grammar mistakes as best she can after I finsih. Plus it's not like i'm actually getting paid for this and at least I don't talk like this, 'I luv u svo fery brunch!' and yes I have read fanfics that typed like that. So yes... here is the Epilogue ^_^

Raines: Finally.

Kai: Shut up Cid! XD

All Cid's from Final Fantasy Games: What? o.o

Kai: Not you guys XD Cid Raines.

All Cid's: Oh o.o...

Kai: Anyways.... Moving on XD And omg I got called a bitch xD woooow

Raines: Why are you laughing? Shouldn't you be 'no i'm not going to write the epliogue now'?

Kai: No because that was Discord XD Discord is suppose to be meanier. HAHAHA XD and it made me giggle.

Raines: Your officially a lunatic.

Kai: I know ^-^ ehehhehee XD

Chapter 22: Epilogue. The End.

Five years have passed since that day with the battle of Cao. Hope could remember it clearly, after the battle, Sazh called for Cid Raines, who was actually a secret agent waiting for the right opprotunity to bring Cao down, and he took care of all the experiments. Though, the experiments could never be cured, now that Cid was gone, the experiments should be able to live normally.

It took a full week for Lightning to fully recover from her injuries, but the doctors and Serah wouldn't let her go and move around for a month. She was back to her old self of course, but Hope had been trying to open her up since she managed to admit that she 'liked' him. Everyone had graduated from Chocobo College School.

Gek and Zeeke were bar tenders down at the Moogle Lodge, Snow was a police officer who had won respect over the years, Serah was a nurse, Vanille was also a nurse and a animal caretaker and often raises chocobos, Fang was alongside Vanille and did small jobs for everyone around the city, and Sazh lived normally back at school and happily at home with his son Dajh. Well as for Lightning and Hope.... well Lightning had gotten closer with her sister Serah once again, though still didn't go and live with her after Serah and Snow married just a few years ago. Already having a child a year ago. Fang and Vanille lived together on Gran Pulse, also happily married.

Hope had been a train soldier of the Guardian Force for awhile, studied medicine, and helped around the city and got rid of monsters. Lightning made money by going on bounty hunts, Hope often coming along with her.

Sure, Hope could of lived with his father, but he decided to stick with Lightning, it took a lot of begging to have Lightning finally accept him in living in the same house as him, but she eventually gave in and was tired of his begging. So Hope managed to by a nice house for them, separate bedrooms of course. He didn't want her thinking he was a pervert again. Hope was now nineteen years old, and was quite handsome. No longer was he a boy, now a man. Well, Lightning still referred him as a boy.

He looked around the same but his muscled had been built up into a well toned body, a smooth face and was now a head taller then Lightning. His face was a bit more manly, though his eyes still shined brightly as they did when he was younger. Lightning was now twenty six, but she hadn't changed at all. She looked as if she hadn't aged at all. Still as beautiful when Hope first laid eyes on her.

Since the time when they moved into the same house together, Hope has been determined to get Lightning to say something other than 'I like you.' Not once did she say the word love. No matter how many times they went out together, to training, to the parks, to the garden. Hope would ask if she loved him like he loved her and she would simply anwer with 'I like you, quit asking.' Hope found it amusing how she seemed to avoid the question.

She did tell him that she had simply forgotten how to react to feelings, so he wanted to teach her and open her up. Show her soft side to him. Okay, yes he felt selfish that he wanted her all to himself, but he couldn't help it. Hope had changed over the years, he was more confidence and determined. He was stronger and bolder, except around Lightning. He still got nervous around her from time to time, but he was bolder then he was when he was fourteen.

Hope yawned as he opened his front door and closed it behind him when he walked inside. It was a simple home, not too fancy and not too poor looking. White walls decorated with some pictures of monsters and their friends. Red carpeted floor, two bedrooms and two bathrooms, a kitchen and a livingroom. Hope wore a white T-shirt with skin tight blue jeans. He blinked as he saw Lightning, in her usual attire, sitting on her bed in her bedroom. Examining her weapons. Her room was a lot like how their door room use to look like. Several weapons and accessories and body armor. Hope smiled as he gently knocked on the side of the door frame, Lightning glancing up at him.

"Hi Light!" Hope greeted with a smile.

"I told you, you can call me Claire... if you wish." Lightning answered gruffly and closed her eyes while rubbing some cloth on her sword.

Hope chuckled. He had managed to get her to tell her real name, a year ago. He wasn't quite use to it yet though.

"Sorry, Claire. Just use to calling you Light." Hope smiled as he walked over to her and sat down next to her.

Lightning simply nodded. "Either name works." she answered calmly.

Hope smiled as he looked at her beautiful focused yet calm face. Lightning cracked a eye open to look at him. Catching him staring at her.

"What?" She asked quietly, keeping her nerves under control. He did get rather.... attracting over the years.

"Just watching. Your still as beautiful as ever." Hope chuckled then watched her roll her eyes.

"You've been hanging around Snow too much." Lightning answered with a grumble. Looking away from him.

Hope shrugged then took a daring move and leaned in and kissed her neck gently, feeling her stiffen under the touch.

"Hope...." she said with a dangerous tone but to only cover up the embarrassment.

"I love you. Do you love me, Light?" asked Hope, enjoying her scent.

There was a long pause. Till Hope managed to hear a small whisper, utter from Lightning's lips.

"I love you.....too... Hope..." was the quiet reply. Hesitant and unsure of the word. As if it was a foreign being or a person with two heads.

Hope blinked a bit at the whisper. Surprised to what he thought he heard. Did she just admit that she loves him? He leaned away to look at the soldier's face, but her head was turned away so he couldn't see it. Hope blinked again but smile and cupped her face and forced her to look at him. He smiled gently at her.

"I'm glad.... finally you do." he said quietly then leaned down and locked his lips with her in a passionate kiss.

Again, Lightning's lips slightly trembled but this time, she at least didn't punch him away. She hesitantly wrapped her arms around his neck, while he wrapped his arms around her slender waist. Hope had longed to feel these lips on his once again. Dreamed of it even. Now... they were and he felt like he could die happy. He nibbled gently on her bottom lip and he sensed that she forced herself to suppress, to her, idiotic sounds. He smiled in amusement and felt them fall on to the bed, her below him. He broke the kiss after awhile for air. He looked down at her as his hands pinned her against the bed.

"Well..... at least this time you didn't punch me." Hope slightly smiled in amusement as Lightning looked up at him. A bit uncomfortable at this unfamiliar position.

"Hmph.... Maybe... you still have a lot to learn though." Lightning responded, soon flipping them over so she was pinning him down. Even if Hope was a better fighter now, he still couldn't match Lightning.

Hope blinked and tried to struggle out of her grasp but she had both of his hands pinned above his head, only using her left hand. Hope grinned sheepishly up at her, in defeat once again. Lightning slowly curled her lips up into a smile, amusement rolling into her eyes as she bent her head and kissed his lips gently. He felt her soft lips nibble his gently yet a bit harsh at some moments. Hope couldn't help but moan a bit at the treatment, shivering at her touch. Damn, he was the one supposed to be doing this but she was more... independent and dominate he guessed. And hell she was a good kisser. Lightning broke the kiss and looked down at his flushed face with slight amusement.

Hope panted and looked at her. "...are you good at everything?" he asked with a small grin.

Lightning seemed to think about the question for a moment.

"Not everything. Close though." she replied with slight amusement as she smiled a bit.

Hope smiled back and kissed rubbed her cheek with his thumb. Life couldn't be happier then this.