A/N: Old fanfic of FFXIII I posted on DeviantART a while back before I really fully understood the story. It's really confusing you know? Anyways, I still thought it was cute, and sorry it's a bit AU. Oh well. Enjoy anyways! (My newer stories are better, I promise.)
Serah woke up that morning, the bright sun shining relentlessly in her room. Her fiance, Snow Villers, was out of town, and it was her chance to finally spend some long needed time with her older sister, Lightning.
She quickly got dressed and headed down the hallway to her sister's room. She knocked softly on the door, then entered the room. She timidly approached the slumbering figure that was sprawled underneath the covers. Her sister had always been one to sleep, and it didn't help that she had just spent countless days without sleep saving Cocoon, and even herself.
She nudged the oblivious figure, and in return she got a soft groan.
"Not.. Not now Serah… Must… Sleep"
"C'mon, wake up!"
"No… I'm too tired Serah…"
The sleeping figure shifted, moving farther away from the voice.
"Wake up, Claire!"
The figure suddenly stopped, then without warning, grabbed Serah's unsuspecting arm. Lightning pulled her onto the bed, "What did you just call me, Serah?" Lightning ordered in a playful tone.
If anyone else had called her Claire, she probably would've tried to kill them. Lightning's true name was a mystery to all, but only her sister knew her true name. But, Serah meant well, and Lightning loved her too much to care if she called her Claire instead of her self proclaimed name that Serah never liked.
Lightning sat up, hugging her sister. "Alright, alright, just stop making a fuss Serah."
Within the next hour, Serah and Lightning sat at the table together, the morning news report playing in the background. They were still reporting about the devastation of the Fal'Cie even though Lightning and the others had destroyed it almost two months ago now.
"Lightning…"
"Yeah, what is it Serah?" She asked, as she slurped down her cereal.
"I… I just want to thank you… for saving me…"
"Serah…"
"I know that you're my sister… but still, thank you."
"There's no need to thank me… I love you… And… If I hadn't saved you, I never could've forgiven myself for losing the only living relative I have. Plus, I missed you. A lot."
Serah smiled, and so did Claire.
Together, they shared a bond…
One only the Farron sisters could understand.
Later, Light and Serah had ventured to the city park of Cocoon, where they were still celebrating the end of the Fal'Cie. There was a beautiful fireworks display, and each of the sisters had they're own memory of those very familiar fireworks.
For Serah, it was the night Snow proposed.
And for Lightning, it was the day her Capetian decided to promote her.
Two very similar sisters, two very different stories.
Serah looked over at Lightning, who was still watching the fireworks. A small, rare smile creeped over Light's face.
'Lightning… She's changed so much from the Claire I used to know. It's like she has two different personalities… Claire is the caring and sympathetic side, and Lightning is the one who always charges into battle, with no hesitation. Lightning defends what she believes in… And this. This, is my big sister. She is the light of my world, and if I didn't have her… I really don't know if I would be able to live…'
And with that, Serah returned her attention to the fireworks.
Lightning's mind began to wander. Sudden realizations struck her.
Her little sister was getting married in a few months…
The little sister that had cried in her arms the night of they're parent's death.
And now, she had someone else's shoulder to cry on.
Lightning had a sudden feeling of loneliness…
She felt like she was being replaced…
As if, Serah, did not need her any longer.
Lightning swallowed hard, and tried not to show her inner turmoil.
That night, Serah walked into the kitchen. For some reason, she had the sudden urge of hunger. One strong enough to wake her from her slumber, and both Farron sisters slept more than they were awake.
She pulled out some old take out, and ate it happily.
With tummy full and content, she headed back to her room.
She heard a strange noise coming from her sister's room as she passed it… The sound of faint sobs.
She silently opened the door, and saw her sister in her pajamas, leaning against her balcony railing. As she quietly approached, she noticed that Lightning was crying. Silent, soft sobs. Her glistening tears, danced in the moonlight as they fell from her face.
"Li-" She started to use her self proclaimed name, but it didn't feel right.
"Claire…" She said as she approached her sister.
At 21, Claire felt like a child for crying. She was supposed to be Lightning. A fearless leader for her orphaned sister, she never took a moment to see that she was an orphan herself…
And now, that she felt like Serah no longer needed her…
Those thoughts were now surfacing.
Serah came next to her sister, and Lightning turned away to hide her tears.
"Claire, look at me."
"No, I don't want you to see me all weak and helpless like this."
Serah grabbed her shoulder and spun her around.
Claire's eyes were bright red and swollen, and her face was tear streaked. The sight put Serah on the verge of crying herself. She hadn't seen Claire cry since before her parents died.
"Claire… What's the matter?"
Lightning felt weak, she didn't want her sister to see her like this. She was crying for no apparent reason, and she was sobbing to hard to tell her sister why. Even though she had noo intent to tell her why she was crying.
Claire felt her little sister hug her tightly, and in return, she held on to her little sister as hard as she could.
"Lightning… tell me why your crying…"
Claire looked away… It was now or never.
"I… I just…"
"What is it? You can tell me, I'm your sister…"
"It's just… When you get married, you'll have Snow's shoulder to cry on, and he'll protect you from then on… And you'll move out… And who knows? You'll probably have kids… And... I just feel like I'm being left behind… Like I'm being replaced… I've been thinking about the night we found out mom and dad were dead… You cried so much that night… And, you cried while holding on to me… Now, if you ever need to cry again… You'll have Snow, and I'll be here alone. And, if there is one thing that Lightning is scared of… It's being alone…"
Serah felt like she had just been stabbed in the heart. She never knew that Claire needed her that much… She always felt like she resented her for the face that Claire had to raise her. Now… with this sudden confession from her older sister, the tears began to pour from her eyes. She never meant to hurt her sister in such a way…
"I'm so sorry!" She sobbed as she held on to Claire.
"I never, ever, meant to hurt you. I know you don't like Snow. But I never meant to shut you out, I thought that you didn't even really like me…"
"Wait, what? You felt like I didn't like you… Then why on earth would I go through all of that to save you from the Fal'Cie?"
Serah felt her face burn… She now realized what an absurd thing that she had said about her sister not loving her.
"I thought you saved me because you felt like you had to… Like it was your duty, and that mom and dad would frown upon you if you didn't…"
Lightning grabbed Serah by the shoulders, staring deeply at her sister.
"Listen. Serah, I know I've ignored you… But I never resented you, not even once. You've gotta believe me when I say that I love you more than anything. I have no one else to love in this world except for you, and my whole life, is centered around your well being. That's why I boarded the Purge train to Pulse, and that's why I saved you."
Serah began to sob again, she never knew how much Claire really cared about her…
Lightning took this chance, and she pulled her two-inch shorter, three years younger sister into her warm arms. She squeezed as hard as she could.
After a few moments, Claire released her. And Serah looked up at her.
"Claire… I promise, when I do get married, I won't move out, at least not until a year down the line. I know you don't like Snow, and if anything goes wrong, I want you there. And when I do need to cry, I promise that I'll always come to you. Because, even though I am bound to Snow by love. I'm bound to you by blood. And love can break, but the bond between blood can't. Snow might not always be my husband. But you'll always be my sister."
Claire began to sob again, once again hugging her sister.
"I love you, Serah…"
"And, I'll always love you, Claire."
And that goes to show...
That nothing can ever break...
The Love of a Sister
A sister can be seen as someone who is both ourselves and very much not ourselves - a special kind of double.