Thread:The Final Fantasy/@comment-2219585-20151114102152/@comment-2219585-20151114102315

It is revealed in Final Fantasy XIII-3: A New World -Humanity's Tale- that the reason why NORA does not appear in Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII is because of the following:
 * Bhunivelze sought to use Snow Villiers to test Lightning, his new Savior, to see if she is worthy of replacing the deceased Etro.
 * Snow would only be a worthy foe for Lightning in Bhunivelze's eyes if he was lost in despair. Snow already felt guilty for failing to save Serah, but if he were to become a slave to that shame, he would need to be alone with only his depression to turn to.
 * As the years passed, the people Snow cared about began to vanish. Lightning had fallen into crystal stasis. Serah was dead. Hope had gone missing, and Noel had vanished some time after the city of Luxerion was founded. As a final measure, Bhunivelze also stole the souls of Snow's childhood friends, Gadot, Lebreau, Yuj, and Maqui.
 * With Snow truly alone, he could be forged into the perfect weapon to battle Lightning. Without friends or family to protect, Snow would lose sight of his purpose in life and become a shell to Bhunivelze's wishes.
 * Now the Patron of Yusnaan, Snow spent years searching in secrecy for the members of NORA, for someone to turn to, someone to protect. Eventually Snow gave up and let his guilt and failures consume him.