Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy
*Alternate Universe
Prologue:
Lightning could never say she'd ever been to a royal ball before today and she couldn't say she'd ever wanted to either. She'd come along as Cid's plus one, it was only natural being as they were engaged and due to marry at some point. When she took the time to think about it Lightning would have never pictured herself the fiancée of a man like Raines - in fact, she'd never imagined herself in a romantic relationship at all. When it came to the future she figured she'd end up alone. Especially since her younger sister's engagement to NORA leader Snow Villiers.
Raines was a wealthy nobleman, viscount and about fourteen years older than herself. Admittedly, she wasn't very fond of him at first, quite the opposite. He would often describe her as being 'standoffish', 'insensitive' and 'cold'. And in return she'd respond by calling him 'self-absorbed' and 'arrogant'.
She couldn't quite recall how it had happened but over time they seemed to have grown closer together and she found herself disliking him a whole lot less. Of course, they weren't perfect all of the time. They still had their arguments, their quarrels like every ordinary couple, but never had he failed to make it up to her, with an expensive box of chocolates and a bouquet of those rainbow roses that she likes.
She clung to his arm, like a child frightened of being separated from her guardian. She knew she must have looked incredibly silly but she had been determined not to loose him this time. Sometimes it felt like he was doing it on purpose, she always seemed to loose track of him at events like this.
"This must be Claire." Lightning looked up, catching sight of a face she had never seen before but he seemed aquatinted with her fiancé. He appeared to be an aged man, well into his seventies with white hair and jade eyes, "I say, you hadn't told me she was so beautiful."
The man grinned at her before holding out a hand towards her, she supposed he was about to introduce himself. Forcing a smile she returned the gesture by letting him plant a kiss on her knuckles. She assumed he'd given him her name alongside it, though she hadn't bothered to remember it.
"Might I?" He wasn't looking at her anymore, though he still clutched her delicate fingers, he turned his eyes onto Raines.
"Of course." He said, stepping back and allowing her to be lead away by this stranger. Why wouldn't they ask her what she wanted? Lightning didn't understand why this man was so captivated by her, as there we're so many woman his age he could be dancing with.
The dance ended and she pulled away instantly. Hoping that Raines had waited for her. Of course he hadn't, he was nowhere in sight. As politely as she could manage, Lightning excused herself from her current situation in order to continue her search for her fiancé.
X
Prince Noctis had never been enthusiastic about his father's 'little' gatherings as they were usually filled with middle aged men and women looking to get on the best side of the royal , the two had come together but as of now it appeared the king had wandered off elsewhere.
Letting out a long sigh of annoyance, the prince folded his arms and found himself slumped against the wall.
"I take it they left you behind too?" He shifted his eyes to the left, until he caught a glimpse of pink. For a moment, only a moment, he was still before turning to face the woman who had addressed him.
She appeared to be around his age, taller than average, possessing a pale complexion, aqua blue eyes and unusual pink hair. She appeared to be foreign to this region.
"How would you know that?" He asked her.
"The look on your face."
"What?"
"I mean you look lost." She replied knowingly.
"Oh." He stumbled, "Are you here by yourself?"
"No. I came with someone." She then looked searchingly thoroughly the crowd, but when failing to find what she sought she let out a huff of frustration, "But I can't find them now."
He couldn't find anything to reply to that with.
"You're Prince Noctis, right?" She asked, starting up their conversation once more.
"That is correct and you are?"
She smiled and there was something oddly enchanting about it, instantly he knew she was unlike any woman he'd ever encountered, "Lightning." She replied.
"Lightning." He repeated it, replicating that slight smile she had just offered to him, he supposed it sounded about right. It was a unique name for a unique woman.
Chapter one:
The sound of her heavy leather boots against the deck, alerted any loitering soldiers of her presence. Lightning Farron was often considered a rather noteworthy young woman due her extraordinarily quick rise through military ranks and her latest betrothal to viscount Raines.
When she passed all conversation seemed to come to halt, although it had only been momentarily it was just enough for her to notice but not address as it had quickly started up again.
It was approximately eight o'clock in the evening, and Lieutenant Amodar had requested to speak with her. At this time, he was relatively easy to find, he could usually be found locking the equipment way in the armoury, humming away to himself.
Thrusting her tongue into her cheek, she suppressed the urge to chuckle to herself before addressing her superior, "You wanted to speak with me, sir?"
"Farron." He acknowledged, with his back still facing her so that he could finish the little that he had left to do such as securing a glass cabinet with a key, "Walk with me?"
He moved past her and she followed at his side, exiting the armoury and entering the empty corridor. "How would you feel about a slight relocation?"
Lightning blinked, "Relocation." She repeated, folding her arms over her chest, "Where to, sir?"
"Lucis."
That was about maybe nine hours away? if she were to travel by train and ferry, she recalled as she remembered travelling there with Raines a couple of months ago on what he calls 'business'. Amodar advanced further before unlocking a door to an office in with she recognised as his own. "We're sending soldiers to aid the Lucis army."
"That's hardly what I would consider a 'slight' relocation, Lieutenant." She said, watching the man as he now resides behind his desk, retrieving a box of cigarettes from his top draw, "Is there any reason they can't fight their own wars?"
"They're long time allies of Cocoon."
That didn't really answer the question, but she didn't bother ask it again, "So you want to send me out there?"
"Bingo." He replied, setting his cancer stick alight.
"Sounds like a job for the Psicom, If you're asking me."
"They'll be sending their units as well. "
"But I like it here. What if I refuse?" She wondered, pulling up a chair to sit opposite the large man.
"I was told to make you an offer you can't ignore." He took a puff of his cigarette, releasing a smoky ringlet from his mouth.
Brown eyes fasten to her aqua ones as he put the cigarette down in the ashtray.
"I see. I'm curious now, tell me about this offer."
"The advisers of this arrangement are willing to up your current pay grade by one hundred percent."
"Alright, I'll give that some thought."
"I'm not done. They will also be willing to pay your sister's college tuition out in full."
"Okay." She said, the lieutenant could have sworn he'd seen her smile, "Is there something I need to sign?"
X
"So you're going to be gone a whole year?" The youngest Farron questioned, setting down her hot baking tray onto the worktop, before removing her oven gloves, "And what about Cid? He's okay with it?"
"Yeah, sure." Lied the other Farron, picking up an icing bag and taking a second to recall the argument the two had had the previous night when she told him she had decided to relocate to Lucis. It hadn't gone particularly smoothly but she hadn't really expected it would.
"What happened, Claire?" The other one asked, picking up the second bag to help her sister decorate the fairy cakes.
"Nothing happened, Serah...and would you please stop calling me that?"
"You're the worst liar, Claire. It didn't gone too well did it?" Serah asked finishing up her side of the tray.
"No, but it never does." Lightning replied, deciding to ignore her sister's attempts to rile her by using her abandoned name, "He'll get over it."
"So, when are you leaving us?"
"Three days." Replied Claire finally completing the other row, noticing Serah's side was much neater than her own.
"That means there's still time."
"Time for what?"
"Time for you to apologise to Cid."
"You think I should apologise?"
"Well, Yeah. Kinda. I mean it's your fault, you can't just out of the blue tell your husband-to-be you're moving away to a completely different country for a year and expect him to be okay with it."
Serah answered taking up one of the cakes and handing it to her sister to try, "Honestly, I'd be mad at you too."
"You're right." Lightning admitted begrudgingly dipping her finger into the white frosting, "I hate it when you're right."
"Well, what are you waiting here for?" Grinned the other.
X
Later that evening Lightning did indeed return to the residence. It was calmer after six as many of the staff had usually retired for the night.
"Miss Farron. If your looking for the Viscount he should be in his study."
Lightning thanked the cleaner before advancing down the hallway. Eventually she reached the door at the end of the passage, she wondered if he were busy, would he even want to talk to her after what had happened? Swallowing her pride she knocked the door, hearing a hum in acknowledgement follow. Taking that as consent she allowed herself to enter.
"Claire." He didn't look up at her, he seemed busy but then again not everything was as it seemed.
"Look I'm sorry." It had been a long time since she'd apologised to someone, she wasn't quite sure what do. Perhaps she should have bought him a box of expensive chocolates and a bouquet of roses. She doubted he'd appreciate that though. "I was being insensitive and selfish and I...I should have considered your feelings." Could she have thought of a lousier apology?
"I suppose I forgive you." He was facing her now, she had his undivided attention, " But I want you to promise me something."
She looked to him with suspicion, "What is it?"
"Promise me you won't die."
"You think I would intentionally get myself killed?"
"No, of course not. All I'm saying is be careful."
I will...and when I get back I think I'll be ready"
For a moment he seemed confused, but it didn't take long for her to enlighten him.
"I want to marry you, Cid. When I get back I want to set a date."
X
It was Serah's sweet temper that often made her the most favoured Farron sister. Though on top of that Serah also tended to be the most excitable of the two which made her absolutely unbearable sometimes.
"So, you're finally starting to take this whole engagement thing more seriously, huh?" Asked Serah with both hands clutching the steering wheel of the car, her eyes still locked to the road, as directed the question more to herself that towards Lightning, "You're going to be such a beautiful bride, Light. Maybe we could have a double wedding — but I mean I don't know about sharing the spotlight and all.. it would probably be best if we had separate weddings, besides I want to get married the moment you get back. Anyway if we got married separately I could be your maid of honour. Wouldn't that be cool, Light? Light? Are you even listening?"
"Don't you think you're getting a little bit ahead of yourself?"
"What? No, of course not! So, seeing as I'm going to be your maid of honour and all, I think you should leave me in charge of bridesmaids dresses. You see, Lebreau has some connections with the owner of that bridal place in town and we talked about looking there for my wedding and—"
"Alright. One question."
"Yeah?"
"Who said you were going to be my maid of honour?"
"Well, I erm..." Serah appeared baffled, " just assumed you know. I'm your sister, it's only natural you choose me, I mean who else could you be thinking of?"
"You see, actually I was thinking of asking Vanille."
"You can't be serious..."
"Well..."
"Light!"
"Calm down, I'm only joking Serah."
"You really shouldn't joke about things like that." The silence that followed seemed unbearably long, Lightning was beginning to believe her sister had made the decision to ignore the for the rest of their journey to the train station, until Serah finally composed herself, "You have no idea how close I was to committing a serious criminal offence."
"Come on, you couldn't hurt a fly." Lightning said unconvinced.
"You seem happy today." Observed Serah.
"What makes you say that?"
"You're not usually the type to make jokes."
"I guess not."
"Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why are you so happy, Light?"
Lightning looked at the driver in a way in which questioned her sister's motivations in asking such a thing,
"Why wouldn't I be happy, Serah? This job had created a lot of opportunities for us."
"Well, I'm not happy." Said Serah, "I'm going to miss you, you know that? I'm sure Cid will too and you know how they say long distance relationships are destined to end badly..."
"..."
"What if you die out there? What if tonight is the last night I ever get to see you alive?"
At first, Serah's outlook on the situation struck her with a form of sadness but was quickly substituted for an unexplainable frustration, "Just what are you trying to do?"
"I'm trying to make you stay." Her response was blunt, truthful.
"Why? It didn't seem to worry you so much before."
"You're right, it didn't bother me before. But then this morning I got to thinking more deeply about it and I realised I didn't want you to go. By the looks of things you're opted to join the losing side of this war, I've already lost both of my parents I don't want to lose my sister as well."
"I'm going to be fine, okay?" Serah could tell she was attempting a comforting tone of voice and yet it failed miserably, "It's not like I can turn back now anyway."
"But — "
"I really don't want to talk about this anymore." From the corner of her eye, she could see her sister smiling wearily towards her, "besides, if I do die. You'll get a pretty good pay out in compensation."
"I'd rather have my sister."
X
The journey to following her arrival at the train station had been much longer that she had remembered it being. It was mostly spent day dreaming but she had also managed to read up about Lucis' history and politics from a book Fang had sent for her to take with her on her travels.
When arriving at the military base; Lightning had first thought to make contact with her sister as Serah had insisted that she called her the first moment that allowed her to though after becoming accustomed to her new surroundings a group of colleagues had suggested going into the city as it had been day time when they arrived.
This ultimately meant it would probably be quite late back in Bodhum, as a result she decided it would be the best to chose a more suitable time before calling Serah. Accepting the offer to go into the city Lightning placed the urge to contact her sister and fiancée in the back of her mind.
The contrast between the Lucis capital of Insomnia contrasted her little seaside village of Bodhum greatly. Of course, she'd seen it before when she come here with Cid but it hadn't ceased her amazement.
She wasn't sure where she going; there wasn't somewhere particular she was trying to get to. Though by the looks of things everyone else knew where they were going based on the haste of their movements.
All of a sudden, she found herself stopped in the middle of the street when the door of an off-chain Café swung outwards.
Jumping back, she avoided getting smacked in the face by the open door.
"I'm sorry." Someone said, she hadn't yet located the voice, "I know you, don't I."
"I—" she eyes met sapphire eyes, "Your majesty!"
"I didn't hit you did I?"
"No, you didn't hit me." She assured, him watching his eyes twinkle with curiosity, She couldn't help but find him beautiful in a strange sort of way.
"It's Lightning, right?" He asked her, stepping out into the street, "Just by looking I never would have guessed you were a soldier."