When Lightning Strikes
AN: Okay everybody, this is a more serious AU fanfic, that is most likely going to be my Main Project. It's only going to be Ten Chapters long, but if the story is successful I might make more like this.
Anyway, I'm looking at it as a Lightning x Hope shipping, but I wrote it so where people who look at them as Mother/Son, Sister/Brother can also enjoy it. (So there will be the occasional hint but they won't actually get together. At least not in this fic.)
I hope you enjoy it not only for the Light x Hope, but because you love Final Fantasy, Action/Adventure, Mystery, and Suspense.
The bright yellow sun peaked over the horizon, it's yellow beam emiting through the crack in Lightning's apartment window. The once dim room was now radiating off the sun's rays and aiming at the sleeping lioness, trying to achieve the task of waking her up.
Lightning was a woman of twenty, with light strawberry blonde hair that was usually brushed and thrown over her right shoulder (now is a slight disaray from sleeping). Her dark red blankets were thrown slightly off her revealing a gray tank with matching short shorts. Her plain and simple sleeping atire that she usually stripped into.
She cracked an icy blue eye open, taking in the time that was siting on the sidetable.
Seventy twenty nine.
She groaned in annoyance. She was supposed to have been up almost thirty minutes ago. Now she has to hurry and get ready and make it to the church by nine. Which was a long drive.
Oh well, She thought with a depressed roll of her eye before sitting up right, trying to wake herself up mentally.
Lightning used all the willpower in her body to resist laying right back and going to sleep. But she fought through and got up picking up her cellphone that was sitting next to the alarm clock.
Text from Serah
Claire, this is your wake up call! 3 I'm sooo exited!
Lightning chuckled, assuming her sister meant "excitined" but was too excited to type. The woman decided to get ready to head over.
She opened her small wardrobe and took out some simple clothes: a white tank with a light blue polo shirt and some nice jeans. Lightning wasn't much on fashion and knew she was going to change right back out of it once she sets foot in the church.
Because she is the Bridesmaid at her little sister's wedding.
She couldn't believe that the younger Farron was all grown up and planning on eloping with Lightning's co-worker, Snow Villiers.
Her first impression is of what a father usually has of their daughter's boyfriends. Except Lightning also thought of him as an idiot since she knew him beforehand.
He's arrogant and chummy from the get-go, he thinks he's everybody's pal. Lightning had said distastefully to her younger sister when she asked.
But she still gave her blessing nontheless. Afterward, though she would never say it out loud, she had been in a fit of melancholy, knowing that today was the day Serah would no longer need her help. What would she do without her. She'd be alone.
Lightning shook the depressing thoughts from her head as she headed towards her bathroom.
She stripped and got in, turning the hot water on full blast.
She loved taking showers, but she also hated them.
Lightning loved showers because it was the only time she can relax her muscles by the boisterous force of the almost boiling hot water. The reason she didn't like them was they gave her too much to think about. She would think of things she shouldn't be thinking about.
Serah will still be around, it's not like I won't see her again.
We weren't talking as much lately anyway. Ever since Snow barged his way in and took her.
Calm down Lightning, the wedding's going to be great...Serah will start a family and you will be Auntie Lightning. Unless Serah makes her kids call me by my first name - I would have to talk to her about that when the time comes. Which I hope isn't too soon. At least...a year? Or two? Or five.
Lightning stop. Your tensing yourself up.
The straweberry blonde didn't realize she had been in the shower too long till she suddenly felt numb and dizzy from the steam. She shut the shower off and wrapped herself in her red towel.
She went to the mirror and wiped it of it's fog so she can see her reflection. Lightning wasn't big on looks. She had people tell her she was pretty or even hot (Which she would beat up if it was a guy trying to pick her up), but she didn't think a person's face did them justice.
If Lightning looked like how she acted then...well, she'd probably won't look as pretty.
She was focused on her work and prefers to working and doing things alone. Even her sister didn't stick by that often which is why she was more popular with people while Lightning was classified as the lone wolf or the walking blizzard.
Lightning is cold and aloof, not caring much for people. In fact, she believed people (besides Serah) are one of the most frustrating people to deal with. Women infuriate her, and men disgust her.
She really was better off alone.
Lightning squeezed the toothpaste onto her toothbrush and began to fight the plaque away, still concerning herself over the wedding.
After doing so she changed into her clothes.
It was eleven o'clock and Serah was just now putting on her dress.
LIghtning had changed an hour ago, wearing a white dress that wrapped behind her neck into a knot and exposing her strong backbone that not many people were lucky enough to witness. The skirt part was long and pleated, and she wore white three inch heels, which made her stand at five foot ten inches.
Serah looked alot like Lightning, but more 'cuter and open' as some would describe her as. She would smile while Lightning would most likely glare. The younger Farron's long curly hair was pulled and tied up, letting some strands on the back loose, and let it feather out on top. Her dress was a white strapless gown cut in fron revealing her thighs (Her best feature she one time stated proudly), and in the back there was some sort of feather train going on.
Her make up was light, and made her smile radiate more beautifully then ever.
"So how are you feeling?" Lightning asked her younger sister, helping her down from where she was once standing on a stool.
The seamstress exited the room, her work finished. "Nervous, but excited. It almost feels like a dream." Serah said dreamily, her icy blue eyes twinkling.
"You found your bumbling prince charming." Lightning snorted, brushing her hair out of her face.
Serah narrowed her eyes devilshly at her. "Oh?" She asked in a teasing tone.
Lightning quirked an eyebrow at this. "What?"
"What about you and Caius?" She asked snickering now.
Oh, right.
"Yeah, about that." Lightning suddenly withdrew, but she knew that her sister was going to pester her about it so she went out with it. "I dumped him."
"What!" She exclaimed. "Why? What happened?"
"He got on my nerves."
"But you two were getting along so well!"
"We were?" Lightning asked, dumbfounded. "Huh, he was a pain in the ass since day one."
Serah blinked several times at her older sister unbelieavably. "But you two slept toge-"
"I'd rather forget about it, Serah. Today is your day." Lightning quickly changed the subject.
"The wedding's about to start." The wedding planner poked his head in.
Lightning took that as her que to leave. Serah watched her sister exit and sighed.
Oh Claire, I really hope you find your prince charming.
A year later
Lightning honked the horn for the upteenth time, waiting for her brother in law to finally come out. When she saw the familiar oaf saunter out the front door like he was taking a stroll at the park, she honked again.
"Snow!" Lightning called out through the half opened window of the car. "Hurry your fat ass over here!"
"Claire!" Serah's small frame popped behind her husband Snow.
Snow Villiers was a huge man, standing at six foot seven inches, with light pale blonde long hair that was often kept under a bandana. (Lightning wondered if it was against dresscode. Yet again, Sazh was a laid back guy)
The couple kissed each other and wished the other a good day. Lightning didn't miss the way Serah was holding her now ample stomach, The new Villiers just waiting to pop out and see the world.
And Serah isn't letting her kids call her Auntie Lightning. Yes, she did talk to her about it.
Can't win them all.
Snow clambered into the passenger seat and tried to sneak a family hug and kiss - which Lightning caught on and punched him twice in the jaw to get him off.
Why he still tries after this entire time, she'd never know.
"So what's going on?" Snow asked his sister in law once the car starting being mobile.
"Remember a week ago about the Sanctum Official's wife and son getting kidnapped and held for ransom?" Lightning asked.
"Yeah, the Esthiems, right?"
"Right, well, we found their location. All we have to do is go in save them and the case is closed."
"But shouldn't we get who kidnapped them as well?"
"I'm pretty sure that will be easy."
Snow laughed out loud like it was a joke. He can never get over Lightning's seriousness even when she is making deadpan or snarky remarks.
Once they got to the site where the rescue was happening, the whole area was surrounded by police cars and an ambulance.
What a way to be discreet. Who initiated this?
Lightning pulled up next to one of the cop cars, already feeling a headache coming on. She loved this job, but not when dumb ass cops call shots.
If that mom and kid don't make it out alive, I'm blaming the genius responsible for this operation. She thought with a roll of her eye.
The two were stopped by one of the cops.
"No unauthorized citizens can pass here."
"We're with the Guardian Corp." Snow introduced as they took out their ids. "Snow Villiers and Lightning Farron."
The cop analyzed the identifications with a nod of his head. "Alright, looks like your clear."
"Hey," Lightning spoke up, her voice sharp, "who authorized this? This isn't going to end well."
"I hope it wasn't Sazh." Snow muttered.
"No, it was Noctis Caelum."
Damn.
"Should we go talk to him?" Snow asked naively.
In all honesty, Lightning has been avoiding him for the past week. Not because she was scared of him, but because she didn't want to suffer a headache. The two had a...physical relationship for the past six months (After Serah with the help of Snow set them up).
She didn't know why, but Lightning thought that he would possibly be her perfect match. But instead he was just so...possessive.
He tried his best to play hero (like Snow does), he would buy her things as apologies, and would bark at any person who dared speak to her. She didn't like people treating her like a trophy or like she needed to rely on some man to help her. Noctis was nice, but...just not the guy for her.
Not that I needed one. I can look after myself.
It wasn't like there was any man out there who were "prince charming". Snow was far cry from a prince. Most men Lightning knew were repulsive pigs who would spread rumors about Lightning. Like she's really a man or that she doesn't wear any underwear.
Then there were men that thought they could get any attractive girl by wolf whistling or leering at her chest or ass. They learned better after eighter a black eye or a kick in the groin.
But back to the situation at hand.
The whole half hour was basically spent waiting around for a signal from Noctis "The Genius" Caelum. But instead they got something else.
Kaboom!
And explosion bombed the warehouse they were at.
"No!" Snow cried.
"Snow, you go with some men inside and see if the Esthiems are alive. I'll go find our target." Lightning commanded.
Snow didn't need telling twice before he started barking his own orders, trudging inside the burning Warehouse.
Lightning loaded her gun and grabbed her band of men and took off in the opposite direction.
"Head for the opposite exit!" Lightning ordered, midrun.
The team surrounded the only other exit (Another band taking the front) and they waited for some sort of person to walk out, whether it'd be one of their men, Snow, or the wife and/or her son.
They waited patiently before the Warehouse creaked dangerously.
"It's coming down!" One of her men hollered as they dodged out of the way.
The falling site groaned and moaned as it came tumbling down in their direction. They jumped and doved out of the way, the debris dispersing.
Once it was dead silent, Lightning opened her eyes, blinking away and coughing dust.
"Claire!"
Shit, just what I need. And when did I ever let him call me that!
Lightning resist the urge to swat away Noctis's hands as he offered to help her up. "Are you alright. Your not hurt?"
"I'm fine." She said in a snappish tone.
I thought I dumped him. Why is he still acting like we're together.
"Thank goodness. I'm so sorry, this is my fault. I should have approached the situation diferently."
"You think?" Lightning muttered, dusting her clothes off. She flinched away when Noctis attempted to do it for her. "Where's Snow?"
"I'm sorry. We were only able to save the son. We couldn't find his mother. We'll question him later once he gets over his shock. Maybe it'll give us a lead on where the man responsible is."
"Wait," Lightning began, "That man's still alive?"
"We had gotten into a scrap with him in the front. He had a hood on so we couldn't see his face."
"Aw, fuck." Lightning swore in spite of herself. "How the hell did you let that guy go. Damn it. Now we got a freaking wild goose chase. Hmph. Good luck finding him now."
The strawberry blonde continued to swear to herself as she trudged towards where the others were, shaking off Noctis's arms.
AN: Kinda short, but this is the beginning so things will get better.
I would actually appreciate some reviews for this particular fic because this is the one I'm feeling very self concious about (My others are more or less crack fics). I promise it will get better as the chapters come along.