Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy XIII or any of the characters

AN: Been kinda busy lately. Not sure how I feel about continuing this story yet. Enjoy!

Hope's POV

I had just finished up doing some of the papers for the Academy. Another day down, another day alone. I sigh as I look up at my office. My friends are still in stasis. Seven years have gone by, no one else has awoken. I've built up the cities on Pulse, trying to help the refugees from Cocoon. I had just started to leave when I reached for the door; the lights flickered, and then went out.

"Code Red, Code Red, we have a security breach." I hear over the intercom. A security breach? Who would ever try to break into the main building of the Academy? I shake my head at someone's foolishness. I head back to my desk; the emergency red lights have turned on. I sit back down ready to finish up some more paperwork. As I flip through the endless pile, I realize it has been quite some time since the intruder had entered the building. Code Red still was flashing up on the monitors. I scrunch my face up at the notion that the guards have yet to capture someone. Not many people possess the powers to stand up to guards, let alone win and continue on.

I remember when we were I'Cie and it seemed that we were unstoppable. Guards were mere pawns, just an obstacle, just a…target. My heart contracts painfully. Those words have been spoken by someone else… I tangle my hands in my hair painfully remembering that person. The one who had shown such great determination, such great courage. She had taught me to be strong, to detach myself for the situation and look at it logically. She had also shown me that someone who seemed so well put together could be crumbling apart inside. I remember the nights in the Gapra Whitewood were I would take post. She would try to sleep, but more so then not she would sit there silently crying. She would never admit it to me, and I never told her I knew. She was accepting the fact that her sister was beyond her reach, beyond her protection. By the time she deemed fit for her to take post again she would have built up her stoic barrier again. Feelings better left unsaid.

"Director!" I hear someone shout, I walk to open the door. As I pull it open I am rushed by at least 10 guards.

"We have a situation, we don't know where they have gone." One of the soldiers says.

"How many are there?"I ask, more curious now.

"Well…there seems to be…only one." Another one says. I scoff ten guards for one person?

"I can take care of this." I walk to the intercom and speak,

"Hello, this is Director Hope Esthiem. No one is sure what your motive is, but I assure you that if you surrender I will come talk with you personally." I hang the intercom up.

"Do we know where this person was able to breach security and enter the building?" I ask.

"It seems as if they…originated within the…" The intercom buzzes interrupting him.

"She has surrender, I repeat she has surrender, but she wants to talk to the Director. She hasn't said anything but that." A faceless voice reports. I sigh and begin walking out of the room towards the interrogation rooms that have never been used. The guards rush out after me, and I wave them away. Who would do all this just to talk to me I wonder. As I open the door to the room the intruder is being held in, I am not prepared for what meets my eyes. She was standing in the corner, one leg against the wall, arms across her chest, and a scowl plastered onto her face. Two guards are pointing their guns at her. She sees me. Her lips slightly pull up at the corners. She assets me, looking me over, before walking up to me and punching me in the shoulder.

"What the hell Light?" I ask her, a scowl now on my face. She grins and shrugs her shoulders.

"Took you long enough to get here. These goons have been pointing their guns at me for a good fifteen minutes." She says as she glares at the guards some more. "On top of that I woke up in a room and as I came out these lackeys start screaming at me to stand down. Can you believe it? Me, stand down?" she scoffs at her memory.

"So what do you expect of me, to be awaken without any knowledge what year it is, and people threatening to shoot me?" she turns towards me. "And you! The biggest surprise of all. Director Hope Esthiem huh? Looks like I taught you well." She smiles a little again. I'm standing in complete disbelief, after all this time…seven years and now here she is. I shake my head and rub my eyes making sure this is really…real. She frowns at my reaction.

"What, not happy to see me?" she is scowling now. Her eyes have lost all hint of playfulness. I look up at her. I had forgotten how much she reads into people. How she is able to see things on people's faces that others can't pick out. Am I happy to see her? I scoff in my head, of course I am! I couldn't have asked anything more than for the next person to be awaken would be Lightning Farron.

"No, I'm very happy to see you here Light. I just…can't believe it." I say it. Her face softens just a little. She walks back up to me. I pull her into a hug, tears starting to sting my eyes. She doesn't react at first, but eventually she puts her arms around me as well. It seems like so little time has passed. I laugh silently that I know tower over her, no longer does she look down to me. No longer am I a little kid lost and confused. No longer does she have to protect me…but I can…protect her.

"It's good to have you back Light."