Ever since my mom died, a year ago, I changed my name and I was left to care for my 12 year old sister, Serah. That was a year ago, though and now I'm 16 and I need to find some sort of job. When my mom died her friends were giving us money but they left town a few days ago. So I need to find a job so I can protect Serah, just like I promised our Mother I would.
"What are you doing, Claire?" My sister Serah asked, as I sat at my computer looking up a place called SOLDIER.
"How many times have I told you, Serah? I'm Lightning now, Claire is gone."
"Fine, Lightning…what are you doing?" Serah asked again peeking over my shoulder.
"Looking into SOLDIER" I said with hope that I could somehow get to go there.
"SOLDIER? Is that training for the army?" Serah asked.
"Kind of….But it will give me job opportunities if I get some training" I reasoned knowing Serah was onto me.
"Where is it?" She asked.
"Midgar."
"Midgar? But Lightning it's so far away!" Serah complained.
"Serah listen, I'll only be gone a little while…" I sighed, turning around to face Serah.
"How old do you have to be? Can you wait a few years?" She begged.
"I have to try, I'll only be a year or so, just so I can get a bit of training." I reasoned.
"Why?"
"So I can fulfill my promise to mom." I replied.
"What was that promise Lightning? To go off to Midgar and leave me here, for a year?"
"I probably won't get in anyway…" I sighed.
"Why not?"
"I'm not old enough." I replied.
"You're determined you'll get in… I know it, just don't be gone too long." Serah sighed leaving the room.
"SOLDIER here I come." I said to myself. I left Serah that night under the care of our neighbors and went to Midgar.
Two days later I arrived in Midgar and got directions to the Shinra Headquarters to speak to the head of the SOLDIER union, Lazard Deusecrius. I think I was in Lazard's office an hour, arguing with him because he wouldn't let me join. It's because I was too young and female. When I finally had enough I stormed out of Lazard's office I bumped into a guy. He was tall and had mako blue eyes and blonde spiky hair.
"Watch it!" I hissed. Spiky just looked at me and walked into Lazard's office.
"No way am I leaving now." I muttered as I got to the elevator at the end of the hall. Then I turned right back around and barged into Lazard's office.
"I told you I'd be back." I snapped
"What did I tell you? I will not accept your application to join SOLDIER! You're too young and…"
"Yah, Yah a Girl" I finished his sentence. That's when I realized that guy, Spiky was there. He was just staring at me in disbelief.
"So Cloud, I…" Lazard turned to Spiky
"I'm not leaving until you can at least see what I can do." I stated crossing my arms glaring at Lazard. He then started to laugh.
"Fine, come with me and show me what you've got."
"Finally." I muttered under my breath, following Lazard out of his office. Spiky followed. I followed Lazard to a big window that on looked a training room.
"Wait here." Lazard ordered, then walked into the training room. He was talking to the trainer and pointed to me. I turned to Spiky.
"You SOLDIER I take it?" I asked.
"Third Class" He replied then Lazard opened the door, "come on in" He said passing me a sword. A plain old sword.
"I want my sword." I said
"What?" Lazard asked confused
"My Blazefire Saber, they wouldn't let me bring it up here." I stated
"First show me your stuff then I'll consider it." Lazard replied signaling to some SOLDIERS and they came over.
"You, young lady, are to fight these two" Lazard directed.
"You two…" He said turning to the SOLDIERS "I want this little lady to get home in one piece. I'm concerned for her." It almost sounded like Lazard was teasing me.
"I shouldn't be the one you're concerned about." I snapped clenching my hand into a fist and gripping tighter to my lame sword, as Spiky entered the room. Everyone moved to the side of the room while the two SOLDIERS and I walked to the center of the room.
"FIGHT!" Lazard called from the side of the room. The two guys walked towards me, not even trying.
"Wait!" I said
"What?" Lazard asked getting really annoyed
"They're going easy on me, make them give me all they got." I replied. All the other SOLDIERS laughed, except for Spiky.
"Fine…Boys give her all you got." Lazard sighed slapping the palm of his hand on his forehead.
"Yes sir." The two SOLDIERS replied.
"Anything else?" Lazard asked sarcastically. I shook my head no.
"Fight!" Lazard Called again and the two SOLDIERS rushed towards me from both sides I blocked SOLDIER number one's attack with my sword and ducked to avoid SOLDIER number two's swing. Then SOLDIER number one swung again then I grabbed his sword with my free hand, pulled it out of his grasp and kicked him in the stomach really hard causing him to fly across the room and hit the wall with a thud that echoed across the room. Everyone gasped and chattered back and forth in disbelief. I ditched my sword and used SOLDIER number one's. SOLDIER number two rushed up to me and I jumped over his sword that was aimed for my head and landed a few feet back. Then he rushed towards me and I grabbed his free arm and threw him over my shoulder and he hit the ground with a bang.
"Well, Lazard how was that?" I asked walking over to the SOLDIER who hit the wall and said, "He's out cold, by the way."
"Follow me, young lady." Lazard fumed walking out of the training room. I looked at all the SOLDIERS, who were looking at me in disbelief, grinned at them and followed Lazard back to his office. I looked out the corner of my eye and saw Spiky carefully following us trying to avoid getting caught by Lazard.
"Those were first class SOLDIERS you were fighting out there!" Lazard exclaimed
"So what?" I snapped.
"By whom were you sent?" He asked getting annoyed.
"My own free will" I stated
"Are you trying to make me look like a fool?" He asked nearly exploding
"A fool? No but now that you mention…." I started. Then Lazard finally burst
"SILENCE!" He yelled.
I am NOT one of your SOLDIERS!" I snapped
"Uh…Sir?" I heard someone say. I turned around to see Spiky
"What is it Cloud?" Lazard asked
"Can't you let her try out for a while?" Spiky or Cloud suggested. I think he was trying to make peace between Lazard and me but I knew he was just like me in a strange and yet different way….
"Absolutely not" Lazard refused pounding his fist on his desk.
"I think you should let her join SOLDIER, we could use people like her." I heard a new voice I had never heard before. A tall guy, much taller than Cloud and me, came in. He had jet black hair styled the same as Cloud's and he also has mako blue eyes.
"No, Zack I will not allow it." Lazard refused again.
"Fine, your mistake… I overheard Shinra say he is considering firing you.I wonder what would happen when he found out you wouldn't let someone join SOLDIER." This person Zack said leaving the office but I knew he wasn't actually leaving.
"Wait! I guess she could join…" Lazard started.
"Finally." I sighed rolling my eyes.
"But only for a year…" Lazard reasoned.
"That's all I really wanted…" I muttered
"You start tomorrow morning." Lazard said. With that I left the office and went to explore Midgar. I found nothing interesting so I headed to the hotel where I was staying.
I woke up around five the next morning and decided to get up and go to the Shinra Headquarters and Lazard was there.
"You didn't have to come early just to greet me" I said
"You wish I was here for you…" Lazard sighed
"No, actually, I don't."
"Here are some forms I need you to fill out…" Lazard said passing me three sheets of paper with a bunch of empty spaces where I am supposed to fill with my personal info. Yah, like that was going to happen.
"I want my sword now…." I said
"You'll get it…once you fill out the forms."
"Fine." I replied
"There are chairs outside." Lazard said gluing his eyes to some paperwork. I walked out of his office and sat down filling out what I thought necessary like my home town with no address, my sisters name but no age, my last name but not my parents first names and my hobby, sword fighting and kicking butt. Just as I was finishing up my paperwork I saw Cloud and Zack approach me.
"Cloud, Zack." I nodded
"Funny, that you know our names but we don't know yours" Zack smiled.
"Lightning" I replied turning my eyes back to my paperwork. Then I gathered up my papers and walked to Lazard's office.
"Lightning! Wait..." Zack called right before I entered the office. I turned around and saw Zack carrying the sheath with my Blazefire Saber in it.
"I knew Lazard probably wouldn't give it to you so..."
"I would have gotten it anyways" I replied
"You're Welcome" Zack laughed. I think it's because I was the determined kind of person but yet I prefer to do things alone. I guess in SOLDIER it doesn't work that way, though. I took my sword from Zack and did up the sheath of my sword around my waist and walked into Lazard's office.
I started out with the third class SOLDIERS like everyone did when joining SOLDIER. But whenever I wasn't training I was teaching Cloud all that I knew. So when I was bumped up to second class two months later, Cloud joined. I heard some of the other first class SOLDIERS say that we were lucky to be bumped up to second class within two months. Within four months Cloud and I went on many 'missions' and our team was almost always lead by Zack Fair. Throughout this time Cloud and I became quite good friends and fellow SOLDIERS.
Then one day after about six months of being at SOLDIER I was in the lounge talking with Cloud. Well, it wasn't really talking; Cloud seems the same as me not very talkative. I pretty much only talk when it is absolutely necessary but even then... It was mostly just Cloud asking questions about my family and I wouldn't answer then I asked him the same question and he didn't answer.
"Lightning, can I speak to you for a minute" Lazard said coming up to me.
"Yes sir." I sighed getting up from my chair. I followed Lazard to a quiet corner of the room.
"I'm sorry Lightning but you are going to have to leave SOLDIER"
"Why?" I asked getting annoyed that it had only been half a year and there had been no problem before now.
"Well…"
"Never mind I get it now…it's the same reason you didn't want me to join in the first place, but you only let me join to save your job!" I exclaimed in anger.
"No, Lightning it's not that! Shinra isn't pleased that I allowed a woman to join SOLDIER. He says you are to leave immediately."
"Let me talk to Shinra, get him down here so he can see what I can do" I reasoned
Lazard shook his head. "I'm sorry but I've tried."
"Well then at least let me try… Where's his office?" I asked.
"The top floor. But you might want to take Cloud or Zack with you to help back you up." Lazard suggested.
"I don't need any help but...fine, where's Zack?" I replied. I don't need any help if I was able to persuade Lazard to let me join SOLDIER before. I think I'll be fine.
I found Zack sitting by Cloud and they were talking. " and I are to go see Shinra." I stated
"What? Who said?" Zack asked.
"Shinra." I sighed putting my hands on my hips.
"Well, alright." Zack replied and I was already out the door. When we got in the elevator was when Zack asked me what was going on.
"What's up? I was just talking with Shinra this morning." He said. There was no answer on my end.
"Lightning?" He asked
"Fine! I am going to talk to Shinra because he just found out I was in SOLDIER and he doesn't want females in SOLDIER…"
"Well I know that much already" Zack replied
"Lazard told me to take you or Cloud along so you could back me up while I try to convince Shinra to let me stay in SOLDIER." I sighed and I didn't say anything more nor did Zack.
I stormed into Shinra's office as soon as I got out of the elevator.
"So who might you be?" Shinra asked seeming completely okay that I just stormed into his office.
"I think you know who I am." I snapped
"Boy, aren't you feisty!" Shinra smiled
"Let me finish my year of training and I'll be out of your hair."
"Why should I let you?" Shinra asked
"Because she's the best person we've got. The first day arrived she took down our two best first class SOLDIERS." Zack reasoned.
"Did you now?" Shinra asked looking in my direction.
I nodded because I knew if I said anything right now Shinra wouldn't like it.
"You know what forget it Zack. I can take a hint I'm not wanted around here" I growled leaving the office Zack stayed behind.
I got out of the elevator and bumped into Cloud. I just kept on going muttering to myself.
"It's time I got home to Serah anyway." I reasoned
"It's obvious I'm way too good for SOLDIER" I said to myself the whole two day trip home.
When I arrived home Serah was overjoyed to see me and she asked me questions for days. What the place was like and if I made any friends. But my sister doesn't seem to realize when you train for war you don't make any friends because you could end up losing them. I decided a few days later to finish school and then start work then and who know I'd become Sergeant of the Bodhum Guardian Corps Security Regiment. Way better than working in SOLDIER. But who knew I'd become a pulse L'Cie either. But, up to this day I still wonder about Cloud and if he ever made it to be a first class SOLDIER…