Here we go~! The next chapter of Crashing Thunder! I hope that you guys like it and leave me some reviews because I would like to know how I'm doing so far.

The truth is hard to face, so we avoid it. With that action, we hope to forget and move on. The reality is that one cannot move on without accepting. If once runs away from the truth, unable to face it, then they will be hurled back over and over.

Facing the Music

"Looks like we're here, huh Light?"

Lebreau turned to the strawberry-blond, watching her closely. Her golden eyes zeroed in on the stoic woman, noticing that her body had become unbelievably stiff. Even as they walked, it seemed that Lightning was on auto-pilot. This worried the bartender but she would not say anything about it. Something about oldest Farron seemed dark and dangerous. She may seem like she was not intimidated by the blond, but she was not stupid and knew the risks.

With that, she stared forward and watched as people passed her by. The festival was large; making it seem as if it was a sea of white and black. Her ears picked up the sound of voices singing in unison, which caused her to blink.

"Black is for the sacrifice, the price of freedom, the freedom which we are grateful for. We thank them; give them praise for their deeds. Our saviors from the treacherous fal'Cie, from our horrendous oppressors!

Through trial and challenge! Ones capable of miracles! Against all odds! They will always succeed!

l'Cie fought, even when the world was turned against them! For their people they've fought!

Call out their names! Give them Praise!

Lightning, Snow, Sazh, Hope, Serah and Dajh.

And the ones who gave the ultimate sacrifice! We shall never forget them!

Fang and Vanille! Pulsians who selflessly gave their lives for us!

White is for hope and the new world given to us by that pair. We shall forever honor them, we shall forever respect them. We dress in their honor, white and black. For this day will forever belong to the glorious fal'Cie!"

The song filled the air and flowed into Lightning's ears, each word echoing inside her blank mind. She knew that Lebreau was watching her closely. She thought that the bartender was expecting an explosion of anger, or some sort of violent rage.

That was not the case though, Lightning felt empty and numb. It was if the closer she to the festivities, the colder she became. It didn't help that the festival surrounded the base of the massive crystal pillar that was the reason for all this.

"Light…it's been a year since…the Fall of Cocoon."

"Serah and Snow asked me to come get you Light…"

"But everyone will be there…"

Everyone won't be here Serah. Can't you see that Fang and Vanille are gone and will never return? Why can't any of them see that?

"Claire! You made it!"

Lightning blinked as the younger Farron approached her, a large smile on her face. Serah took her sister's hands in her own, her eyes closing. "They have something that they want to show us, that's why I asked for Lebby to come get you."

Lebreau lifted an eyebrow, "Lebby…really Serah?"

"It's cute."

"And childish…"

"Anyway, come on Claire…erm Light…"

The strawberry-blond nodded and followed her sister as she pulled her along. Again, her body was moving as if it was on auto pilot. She felt to numb that it was scrambling her thought processes. Her mind was so lost that she barely realized that Serah stopped and had turned to face her.

"Light?"

The former l'Cie shook her head, trying to clear her mind. Once she was able to focus, she acknowledged her sister.

"Yeah?"

"Look," the younger Farron said, motioning to the others around them. She began to recognize the faces. Slowly the names sounded in her mind as she matched eyes with each individual.

Snow

Hope

Sazh

She even pointed out the members of NORA, her eyes widening some. "What's going on here?"

Lightning realized that she was at the base of the crystal pillar and she felt her heart stop. It was as if all time stopped as her eyes fell on an object, veiled with a white covering. She quickly realized that the cloth was covering a statue of some sort.

By this time, Snow and Sazh made their way over to the statue. They grasped the cloth at the same time, pulling it to reveal what was underneath.

Lightning's eyes widened as she stared the crystal monument, her heart skipping a beat. Before here stood crystal doubles of all of them, including Fang and Vanille. The two stood at the front, holding up a miniature version of cocoon, their head tilted towards the sky above.

The strawberry-blond felt her heart tug painfully in her chest as she took in the scene before her. She could tell by that silence that the others were in awe also. The soldier tried to make sense of the whole situation, but her mind only drew a blank. She did not know how she should feel. Of course she felt anger, but there was something else there. The emotion began to build as her eyes wandered over the crystal faces, allowing the memories of the past to plunge her heart into agony.

Why did they do this? Why did they do this to me?

Lightning began to back away from the statue, her eyes cold and dark. The others caught sight of this, various expressions on their faces. Serah stepped towards the woman, reaching out for her sister. The older Farron avoided her sister's attempt, icy blue orbs locking on the smaller woman.

"This is what you wanted me to see?"

Serah recoiled, her sister's monotone frightening her. She took a step back herself, her eyes wide. A gust of wind blew then, filling the brief silence.

"Claire…you needed to see this…"

"How do you know what I need Serah," Lightning muttered. "You don't know half of what's going on. You could never understand…"

Serah looked down at the snow, her teeth clenched and her hands in shaking fists. "I do understand Claire…"

Lightning turned away, "My name is Lightning, Serah…"

Without another word Lightning walked away, her eyes staring blankly forward. Her hand rested on her gun blade, only one thing in mind…fight.

Serah watched her sister as she suddenly broke into a sprint, her figure retreating into the oncoming blizzard. She stared in that direction for a while before a comforting hand rested on her shoulder. She closed her eyes as she felt the warm hand she knew so well, a long sigh leaving her.

"Hey, you okay," Snow asked as she wrapped his arms around her.

She nodded, looking up at him with a small smile. "Yeah…I'm just…it's nothing."

The hulking man looked in the direction in which his future sister-in-law fled, his lips pulling downward in a frown. After a moment or two, he focused his attention back on his fiancée.

"She'll come around. She knows that we all worry about her…it's just hard for her. She was like that when we were searching for you back then. The only time she would lighten up was when she was with…when she was with Fang. Even Vanille would make her smile sometimes."

"Fang was the only one she let in," Serah muttered. "And when that one person was taken away…she shut down again. This didn't help at all…"

Hope turned away from the statue, his emerald eyes observing the scene before him. A small frown appeared on his face and he looked down at his feet. "Is this monument that bad? The survivors made it in our honor; they're thanking us for saving them. We've face a year of resentment for being l'Cie…we were even blamed for the Great Fall. For once they are doing something nice for us. Is it really that bad?"

This time Sazh spoke, his eyebrows furrowed. "Hope…I know it's hard for you to understand…"

"I'm not a kid," Hope muttered. "I know…I knew that Fang and Lightning were together. I was a witness to it all, remember?" He laughed dryly at the memory, feeling as if it was so far away. "I know I said that they weren't coming back...but I still have hope. Doesn't she still believe?"

Serah looked up at the sky as snow began to fall from the sky again, her eyes unsure. "I don't know…I don't even think she knows."

"I was just wondering why you're in all-black, seeing as you'll be an easy target."

Lightning dashed through falling snow, her eyes narrowed as the snow crystals stung her skin and blurred her vision.

I want to be an easy target.

I want the beasts to see me…

So that I can take them down.

Just like the memories of the past…

I'll eliminate them all.

A dark smile spread across her face as she heard the sounds of feral beings.

One by one…

-waves- I hope you guys like this so far. I've noticed that this story hasn't had any sort of humor in it. That makes me a little sad but of well, I'm sure that there will be some soon. Ha ha, it has been hard writing humor with Fang out of the picture BUT I will make an attempt to add some. Anyway I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please, please, review. I would like to know if you guys like where I am going with this, if I don't have any feedback of some sort…then I will never know what my readers are thinking.

Untill next time guys~!

-NEKO