~*When It Rains*~

It pours.

~*X*~

Day One: Storm

She didn't see why it was such a big deal.

"You're a real lifesaver, Lightning!"

"Thank you so much, Lightning!"

Honestly, Bartholomew acted like taking Hope for five days was an amazing, generous favor. She had enough room in her house for a guest, she liked the amiable boy, and she was relatively confident that he wouldn't be a problem. What was all of the appreciative fuss about?

The soldier curled her fingers into a tight fist, frowning irritably at the watch that Serah had bought for her. 9:43 AM. The train was due to arrive in two minutes, give or take.

It had been six months since the fall of Orphan and the rest of the Fal'Cie under it. After about a week or so of panic and frantic scrambling to figure out what to do, the refugees of Cocoon collected themselves and created a new council. This council, known as the Chrysalis Board, had been attempting ever since to get society back into some kind of working order. Having had depended on the Fal'Cie for years uncounted, it was going to be rough, to say the least.

The Chrysalis Board had named themselves after the second stage of a caterpillar, as both a nod to Cocoon itself and to the fact that the committee believed firmly that there was a lot of promise and beauty that could be garnered from the city, if only everyone would work together. Their motto? "Every cocoon must bloom."

Of course, there had been talk of renaming Cocoon "Butterfly", but that had been shot down by virtually everyone.

Was Lightning part of the Chrysalis Board? Yes, she was. Not politically, since she had no time for all of that economical crap—Sazh was better at it anyway—but if there was something wrong that could be solved by violence or common sense; she was the one to go to. Her superior, Amodar, was in charge of the new-and-improved PSICOM—though technically he was the one helping the Board out with all of the preparations. She was usually out on patrol with everyone else making sure wild Pulsian monsters weren't slaughtering dozens.

Even now, Cocoon and its society were still chaotic and unstable, but things were greatly starting to settle. Oerba, since most of the buildings were intact, was being purged of monsters and Cie'th so that they could start moving people in. Everything just might work out fine in the end…

So apparently Snow thought that his wedding to Serah could finally happen, though to his credit he had patiently been waiting for the right time. Their engaged status would only last for five more days, then the ceremony would be held and Lightning would have a new brother-in-law.

It was enough to make her scowl. She may have a new understanding of Snow, but he was still an imbecile.

But he made Serah happy and had the potential to keep her safe. That was more than enough.

Lightning looked up from her watch, snapping out of her thoughtful reverie as a train roared into the station. Glancing down again, she realized that three minutes had passed without her even realizing it.

Bodhum's railway station was a sleek, elegant thing. It was still intact, even if a bit shaken, thanks to the joint efforts of Fang and Vanille. Cocoon was still inhabitable, in the broader sense of things, but a special lift had been constructed to transport civilians from the City in the Sky down to Gran Pulse. Colonies and towns were being constructed down on the lower world, but mainly the populace was too frightened to leave the shelter of their home.

They'd come around in time.

Light gleamed sharply off of the black train as it slid to a stop with a sound akin to nails screeching on a chalkboard. Those in the station, be they waiting for loved ones or for a ride, were then joined by the mob exiting the express.

The soldier shifted her weight to her other leg, blue eyes scanning the crowd for a familiar face. Sure enough, she picked out his untidy platinum hair as he slid through the pedestrians without too much trouble, turning this way and that as he undoubtedly tried to locate her.

Briefly, she considered doing something idiotic like shooting into the air to make her presence known. The mental image made the corners of her lips twitch upwards, but instead she opted to call out to him.

"Hope!"

The boy's gaze shot towards her, so abruptly that she was a little astonished. A grin split his face before, to her confusion, promptly lessening into a tamer, more reserved smile. He trotted over, sneakers squeaking against the tiles, one hand raised in way of a greeting.

Lightning studied him curiously, concerned about the change in his expression that she had been privy to. "It's good to see you," she remarked in her typically husky voice. "How's your father?"

Again, Hope seemed to be fighting to keep his face from displaying his emotions, though his green eyes glittered with something like smugness. "He's fine," he assured her. "It's good to see you too, Light."

What's up with him? He looks so…stoic.

The soldier shrugged her armored shoulder—(the metal plate now bore an extra glowing yellow stripe)—turning and gesturing for him to follow. "Let's get out of here, Hope. We can talk on the way."

He picked up his stride and fell into step next to her. "About that…"

Tossing him a sideways glance, she asked somewhat wryly, "What now?"

He took a deep breath. "My name isn't Hope anymore."

Unexplainably, Lightning's blood ran ice cold. She stopped, forcing him to do the same, and she knelt down so that her eyes were at his level. His expression shifted momentarily before resuming its impassive mask.

That's what it is. A mask.

The familiarity of that hit her hard. It was the same thing she wore practically every day, after all. Unlike him, her façade was flawless and none of her shock showed at all. The only thing that changed was her eyes, which hardened to chips of ice.

Lightning said nothing, just waited expectantly and made it clear that she was not amused.

Hope hid his uneasiness well, his voice even. "My name is Storm."

"Storm."

His head jerked down once. An affirmative.

Oh…no…

The elder of the Farron sisters brought her hand to her face and sighed deeply. Where to start? At the beginning, naturally. "When did this happen? I just heard from you a week ago."

If Hope was a dog, he'd probably have flat ears right now. "On my birthday."

"Your birthday," Lightning breathed, remembering the event. It had been only two days previous, but she had been unable to make it to Palumpolum because of a monster attack. A sizable one too, striking the construction workers laboring away in Oerba. She had sent him a gift though, along with a card. Just like how Serah had felt, she had wanted to give him something to protect himself with besides his flashy boomerangs. A knife, which operated like a smaller and less lethal version of her gun-blade…

She kept her tone flat and cold, which she could see worried him a bit. Good. "Why?"

"My dad. Mom. Vanille. Fang. Everything." He averted his eyes for a heartbeat before meeting hers with a strong conviction burning in his emerald irises. "Dad's still heartbroken, and he's really busy, being part of the Board and all. Cocoon is in disarray, and everyone is working themselves to death. Especially you."

Normally she'd have objected, but Lightning just continued to glare.

"So now I'm fifteen." A pause, where he presumably gathered his thoughts. "Still not an adult, but I want to help. I want to be a different, stronger person for my dad, and our friends…Mom…Vanille…"

The way Hope's voice softened on Vanille's name reminded the soldier how close he had been to the Oerban. The two had been either like best friends, brother and sister, or even something more. Her…absence, must have hit him—and Sazh, who likely saw her as a daughter—particularly hard.

"So you see?" Hope continued, his resolution a brilliant force that shimmered like fire behind his pupils in contrast to Lightning's ice. "I don't want to just be me. I don't want to be Hope. If I become someone different, maybe then I can be strong for everyone…and you, too."

Lightning's tongue was tied helplessly. She couldn't criticize, and it was annoying the hell out of her. Why? Because he was acting just like her! There wasn't a single thing she could say without coming off as a hypocrite, and he probably knew this too. He was changing himself, becoming someone else stronger and braver like how she had long ago dropped the mantle of Claire.

But she hadn't wanted this for him. Maybe she was a bad influence?

Damn it, she growled mentally. Damn this whole thing to hell.

"So again," Hope announced pointedly. "My name is Storm."

"Let's go." The solider turned on her heel and stalked off, leaving Bodhum Station with the newly christened Storm close behind her.

Feeling helpless was a God awful feeling.

~*X*~

She still lived in the same house, albeit none of its rooms had seen much use besides the bedroom. Serah had gone off to live with Snow, and the whole place seemed emptier without her, though she'd never admit it.

The beach was easily noticeable nearby, the artificial waves created by the water rebounding off of Cocoon's shell in constant motion. Crystallized spires of Ragnarok's handiwork were visible in the clear blue sky, sparkling the color of early dawn.

Lightning said simply, "What's mine is yours," as she opened the doorway to her home. She watched as Hope—she refused to see him as Storm—entered with one gloved hand tightly gripping his navy bag.

If she remembered correctly, Bartholomew was dealing with something for the Chrysalis Board and had suggested that Hope go stay with one of his friends for a few days. He promised to be back in time for Serah's and Snow's wedding, leaving Palumpolum not long after calling Lightning.

Speaking of which, it was early yet but she had plenty of things she needed to do. Visiting Serah was one of them; patrol on Pulse was the second. But first…

Beckoning for him to come with her, the soldier walked up the white carpeted stairs, red cape swirling. Everything had clearly been refurbished and renovated, since Lightning had a secret liking for the most recent of technology, with the interior of the house being nearly spotless. Neither of the Farron sisters were particularly messy occupants.

"Your place is really nice, Light," Hope commented behind her. He paused to look out a window, eyes inquisitive but his expression utterly composed.

Lightning stilled at the compliment before moving on. "It belonged to my parents."

There was no response. Opening a door on the second story, she nodded at the almost entirely empty room. It had glossy wooden floors, two bookshelves with only a few tomes left, a bed, and a dresser. The main color scheme was comprised of whites and blues, with a window open wide, drapes billowing in the breeze.

"This was Serah's room. You can stay in here, I doubt she'll mind." Stepping aside, she let him drop his luggage on the ground unceremoniously. "Bathroom's down the hall." After a moment of hesitation, she realized that her sharp tone—she hadn't used anything like it since they had become friends—was possibly making him feel miserable. She added in a gentler fashion, "Do you need anything else?"

Hope seemed heartened by her change, this time facing her completely instead of uneasily peeking every now and then, checking for a reaction. "No, I'm fine. Thanks, Light, I really mean it. Um…" Catching the very boyish speech impediment, he swiftly went on in an effort to cover his nervous blunder. "Where are you going?"

"To see Serah. Come if you want." Lightning headed away, and he jogged hurriedly to her side.

"You're angry." It wasn't a question.

"This is ridiculous, Storm," she seethed, fists clenching. The soldier paused only to let Hope pass so she could lock the door of her beach house.

He pivoted to meet her gaze unflinchingly. "It's the same as you, Lightning."

Don't do this. Don't throw your childhood away, when there's still so much of it left…

The words wouldn't find their way out of her heart though, so the former L'Cie just shook her head, pink tresses swaying. She honestly wished there was something she could say, but again, he was doing exactly what she had done, once upon a time. One day, maybe near, maybe far, Hope would be hidden somewhere deep inside of Storm.

The only ones that truly knew of Claire's existence were Serah and their dead parents. Lightning herself had even long since stopped thinking of herself as Claire. To make matters worse, she had taken on the role of guardian for Serah when she had turned fifteen…

Eyes shut tight; Lightning brushed past Hope and set her steps in the direction of Snow's nearby home.

Damn it. I don't know if this is irony or karma.

For some reason, the soldier had the impression that she heard familiar laughter echoingly distantly in her head. Fang…? Great. Now she was going crazy. Whoop de freaking doo.

"Okay, I'm sorry Light. Don't be mad with me. But I need to do this."

"No you don't." She glowered at a bunch of seabirds that were flocking together in the middle of the beach, which was quite inconveniently in her way. As if understanding the language of her death glare, they practically ran each other over in their efforts to escape. They took to the air in a pale mass of feathers coupled with a spray of sand kicked up by multiple pairs of talons.

"Did anyone tell you not to change yourself?" Hope challenged, and she refused to look him in the eyes, lest she see the determination burning there.

"Yes."

"Did you listen?"

She clamped her mouth shut since the answer was obvious, and she sensed the self-satisfaction coming from him in waves. For the first time, she wanted to punch him like she did Snow. Unlike with Snow, she kept her hands to herself.

Upon actually arriving at the sturdily built structure that was the home of Snow and Serah, Lightning didn't even bother with knocking. She merely let herself in, turning the knob and finding the door unlocked. Doubtlessly her sister was expect—

"Cl—Light!" Serah's tongue tripped over the first sounds of the soldier's true name, switching to Lightning's preferred nicknamed amongst friends and family. She practically skipped towards her sister and hugged her tightly, and the eldest Farron returned it without pause.

It made her so happy, to see her sister being so lively and cheerful. To Lightning, it was the best gift she could have ever asked for. No longer was Serah crystallized, and she never would be again. This time, and all the times after, she wouldn't fail to believe, to listen, to protect…

Serah didn't miss a thing. Pulling back but leaving her hands on her sister's shoulders, she frowned just a tad. "Is something wrong?" She queried in a lower tone as Snow burst in from a side room and practically crushed the startled Hope in a bear hug. She didn't bat an eyelash at her beloved's antics.

Who else could possibly be better to talk to? "…Do you have a minute?" She muttered.

The youngest Farron nodded. "Of course." To Snow she promised, "Light and I will be right back."

The muscular blonde tilted his head to the side curiously before simply shrugging. "Alright, that's fine. Hope! Let's get you something to eat, huh, bud? I bet Light's forgotten that normal people still need nutrition!" All of this was said whilst slapping the smaller boy heartily on the back, causing him to stumble and lose his breath for whatever he was about to say.

Probably regarding his stupid name.

"Nutrition? I didn't know you knew such a big word," the soldier retorted sarcastically. Simultaneously, she cringed guiltily. She had forgotten to ask if Hope wanted anything to eat after the train ride from Palumpolum, but she had inquired about anything he might have needed earlier…

Clearing her thoughts with a quick mental shake, Lightning went after Serah as she passed through several rooms. She had to admit, Snow certainly was making an effort to take care of her little sister so far, and they weren't even married yet. The pair came out on the back patio, the faux ocean rumbling with enough force nearby to rival a real one.

Serah clasped her hands behind her back, her expression scrutinizing. "What's the matter, Claire?"

Of all the people in the world, Serah was the only one that still called Lightning Claire. She put up with "Light" while there was company, however.

"…It's Hope. He's being…" An idiot? A nuisance? An imitator? "Difficult," she finished lamely.

"How so?"

She crossed her arms and exhaled sharply, clamping her eyes shut tight. A fierce headache was already brewing, and the day was just getting started. "He's changing his name. Wants to be called 'Storm'."

"Oh…" Serah murmured thoughtfully. She leaned back against the dark wooden rails, fingering the silver cat earring Snow had given her. NORA's mark. "He's taking after you?"

"Apparently."

Her sister gave her a long, intelligent look. Her response was slow but certain. "You're a good person, Claire. No one knows this more than me. I can see why he would try to be like you."

"But he shouldn't. Don't you see? I had to become Lightning—" She moved to better position herself to observe the sea, its tireless shifting comforting. Her back was turned towards her sister in the process. "—In order to provide for us. Hope still has a father, and I don't know why he needs to turn into a different person to become stronger when he's plenty strong already. No other fourteen year old could have done what he did."

A quiet, mirthless laugh caught her attention, and she glanced over her shoulder at her sister.

Serah smiled ruefully. "Claire, that's exactly what I thought when you told me to call you Lightning from now on."

The awful, ghastly irony of the situation completely enveloped her then, and the eldest Farron sister sighed from somewhere deep inside. "What should I do?" She asked, almost defeated.

Her sister patted her back reassuringly. "Maybe you should let this thing run its course. It could be just a phase."

"It wasn't for me, and he won't let it be one either."

"Then…" Serah bit her lip. "Try to talk him out of it. If you want, I'll get Snow to—"

"That idiot will make it worse," she spat, not really meaning what she was saying. Lightning was just frustrated more than anything.

She pouted. "Don't talk about Snow like that, Claire, please."

"Sorry," she muttered. "I'll figure something out."

"That's the spirit! It's not a matter of can or can't, there are some things you just do, right?" Serah grinned brightly at her sister, and Lightning cracked a small smile.

"Right. And I'm going to get him to drop this 'Storm' thing."

With that, the sisters went back inside and found Snow attempting to cook something in a pot, with Hope wearing his impassive mask, but kind of failing at being indifferent thanks to his constant rushing around the room to prevent the food from being wholly inedible.

"Light, did you know that Hope is calling himself Storm now?" Snow asked incredulously, stopping to stare at her in alarm.

"Yes," she ground out from between her teeth, as Serah groaned and went to stand by her fiancé.

"Snow," Serah began gently. "Don't turn this dial up so high."

He blinked at her sheepishly, and then went back to addressing Lightning. "Guess there's nothing we can do, is there?"

"My mind's made up," Hope agreed, and again all Lightning saw was someone that was going to have a future a lot like herself. She did not want that. Not for him, not for…herself…

Her bewilderment morphed abruptly into fury, and she grabbed the hilt of her gun-blade so tightly that her knuckles turned white. Whipping around, she barked roughly over her shoulder, "I'm going to work, I'll try to be back by evening."

A chorus of good byes rang out after her, but the loudest was Hope's, and that just made her all the more enraged.

Maybe a few hours of monster patrol would do her, and her short temper, some good.

Author's Note: Greetings everyone! This story will be about five or six chapters long, nothing overly fancy. My apologies in advance for any characterization or story errors, it's a lot to keep track of. Reviews are always welcome and appreciated!