Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing.
-To Kill a Mockingbird
-Two-
-In the Old Days-
Captain Farron had always avoided people since her parents passed away; she rarely spoke unless spoken to, or given a direct order to do so, and always avoided people when she could. It had been her way of life…it had saved her life a number of times when out in the field, but even she acknowledge that she couldn't keep avoiding people, especially in unknown territory. She hadn't always been like this, however, and Captain Farron preferred no one cared as to why she was now like this…they didn't need to know. No one did. Not even Serah.
No one needed to know how much blood she had in her hands.
It took a couple of turns and a few wrong places for Lightning to finally find the giant, fifteenth floored, hotel; if the flashing lights were any indication, then that was the Cait Sith. Fancy looking place, that one.
"I really don't understand how that idiot could even afford this," she muttered, as she looked up at the huge building, with the large panther-like logo by the entrance and the top. "…never seen him do anything other than hang out in the bar with those kids, but then again, it's not that I really cared…" Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves or at least, the very few she had, Lightning went towards the hotel, nodding to the doorman who could only look back at her, blinking. Must be the uniform…and the gunblade…
She walked inside and headed straight for the reception's desk, where a young lady was or seemed to be debating whether to call the police or laugh upon seeing the small present on Lightning's possession and the uniform she wore. The girl showed neither as the older woman came closer. "He-hello, ma'am! Wel-welcome to the Cait Sith! Umm…"
"My name is Claire Farron, Guardian Corps.," Lightning said. "I'm not here on official duty nor to arrest you, or whatever reason you may think I'm here for….I'm looking for Snow Villiers…" The girl seemed to relax, and then, looked back at Lightning, confused.
"Oh…oh! Mr. Villiers! Oh…I see! Are you…are you here for the party, ma'am?"
"…Yes…"
"Ah! I see! You're the extra guest he mentioned?" The older woman raised an eyebrow.
Just how many people did that idiot invite? "…I suppose…"
"Great! The party's at the thirteenth floor! Suite #14! If you are lost, just ask around the floor! It will probably be full!" Lightning nodded.
"Thank you." Nodding once more to the young girl, the older woman quickly made her way to the elevator.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
"This is just plain ridiculous…" Lightning muttered, as for the second time that afternoon, another of those bodyguards apologized profusely towards her.
"I'm very, very sorry, ma'am…I didn't—"
"Yes," the woman cut him off, harshly. "I understand…don't worry. I just want to know where Suite #14 is."
"Ah! Of course," the man said, pointing towards a nearby room. "Room 14 is just over there, ma'am."
"Thanks…" Lightning grumbled, wondering why she didn't at least bother to change went she went home to pick up her sister's present. Could have saved me the trouble of showing the stupid invitation and my ID card…twice, Lightning sighed as another pair of guards watched her. She forced herself to show her invitation, for the third time; they nodded. Stella must have helped the idiot organize the party…might explain the galore of bodyguards…she thought, as a waiter, this one carrying an empty plate, passed her. He stopped, blinked, and turned to look back, but Lightning was already gone.
The darkness was almost unbearable, but she knew she had to cope; it was the only way to keep on living these days…at least, until she was back in the force. But, even if she was back in the force, the darkness would still be unbearable. She had tried…she really had tried getting help, but this wasn't something so easily forgotten, so easily healed. She knew she had to be strong for Serah, but she was just one pillar and she was already crumbling.
…Hold on, Light…just…leave the present…say hi, and leave again…Amodar wants you back by twelve…ugh…why is everyone staring? Haven't they ever seen a Guardian Corps. officer before?
As soon as Lightning had arrived inside Suite #14, all eyes, or so it appeared to her, were on her. A few men—Lecherous perverts, Lightning thought—were staring at her like a piece of meat, others, those closer to the women only glance at her once and then looked at their partners, confused. She could have almost sworn that she heard faint whistling coming from behind her, and Lightning had to hold herself back in order to save the moron who had done that a few teeth. It was after she had left her sister's present that she noticed them. Two, tall, with black suites and a pair of glasses to match. They seemed to have noticed her gunblade, and unlike their buddies outside the room, were more of the 'less talk and more action' type and already going for their gu—
"SIS!"
Before Lightning could react, a young woman, at least a head shorter than the young Guardian Corps. officer, enveloped in a small hug, laughing and smiling at the same time. Everyone, including the two bodyguards, was left speechless, trying to figure what had just happened.
A tall, blonde haired man in a suit, came towards Lightning and the smaller girl, smiling, "Hey, big sis! Welcome to the party!"
Lightning sat on the couch, her eyelids barely open, as the sky turned from orange to black, finally announcing the night. Serah had been at home hours ago, hiding in her room. She always did when she and Lightning were fighting…it was her way of coping. Lightning always sat in the couch whenever they had one of those fights, trying to find a way to make it all better by tomorrow. But she knew she couldn't. She couldn't sugar-coat this argument like those other times; she couldn't go and apologize to make everything all better like in the old days, where their parents were still alive and everything was sunny and bright.
Serah was angry at her, but Lightning couldn't care. Not now, anyways. She didn't care that her sister was angry; she only cared about making her happy…but, Serah didn't want that. She wanted that idiot of a boyfriend of hers. Snow. The moron.
"…I hate him...even if he makes Serah happy," she said to no one in particular. "…of all the people in the world…why did it have to be that oaf?"Lightning sighed, passing a hand over her head, thinking.
…crash! Twack!
Lightning suddenly stood up, unfamiliar with the noise that had overtaken the silence of the house. She looked around, wildly, finding her gunblade discarded along with her boots by the edge of the couch. The woman moved fast, grabbing the weapon before running towards her sister's room.
Serah! SERA—
—the door was locked. Lightning could barely hear the sound the struggling inside the room; she didn't waste any time. The woman kicked the door opened, gunblade up, right on target.
It was a man, wearing ski mask that concealed his face. He was on top of Serah, almost ripping her clothes off, before being paralyzed by Lightning's sudden entrance. The man quickly moved towards the older woman's sister, a knife in hand, but Lightning had reacted first. She slammed her fist straight in the man's jaw, sending down to the floor, before grabbing Serah by the arm and putting her behind her.
"Call the Corps.!"Lightning yelled, pushing Serah out of the ro—
BANG!
Lightning could only let out a loud gasp of pain as a bullet hit her straight in the arm. "SIS!" the smaller girl cried, going to her sister's side, only to find the man pointing a gun at her, and grinning.
"Too bad cutie…we were gonna have some f—"
BANG! BANG!
The man didn't speak anymore as his body went down; blood all over the place. Lightning, her gunblade positioned as a gun, raised high…
….and shaking.
Okay! Whoa...I didn't exactly expect this story to get reviews that quickly! Anyway, this update is quite early because a few of the reviews actually inspired me to continue writing this fic and I came out with this chapter. As you may have noticed, a few bits of flashbacks were occuring this chapter, to explain just a little of Lightning's past and added a bit of...well, trouble for her to get inside the party...
...anyway, next chapter we will return to Noctis and get a wonderful surprise: Yes, he will leave the party! :)...wait, wrong surprise...but, anyway, that will happen. Hahaha!
Alright, for those of you wondering about the names, especially the person that left an unsigned review, I had written the first chapter on March, so I had to come up with a few names since back then their names hadn't been revealed yet, I think...: Blonde guy is Rafe, Guy with glasses is Logan and finally the suppose caretaker of the three of them is Xavier. I didn't switch their names after I found out though, since I thought those names were...well, confusing, at least for me.
Next chapter I don't know when it will be done, since I still don't have a storyline to follow with this proyect: the conflict lies more in how to get both Noctis and Light to like each other...for the moment I'm working on themes...so if the coming chapters are a little random, you already know why! (Or maybe because I just got inspired by something)
Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter! Tell me what you think!
Oh, and thank you, Fishcake-kun, Joanna Synclare, tlrc, guy/girl who didn't sign the review :), InitialImpression and Taeah, for reviewing!
See you!
Summary: They were two of a kind; a soldier and a noble. One untrusting of the world around her, and another trying to live with the responsibilities of his lives held by a thread...easy to break.
