Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy XIII or any of the characters.
AN: Well here is chapter two! Can you believe it? I finally sat down and found some time to do this. Hope you enjoy it. I plan on continuing this story. This chapter is bit dull as I set it up for the rest the story, so enjoy!
"I suppose it's good to be back. Would you mind telling me where I am and how long I've been out?" she asks. I look at her, not sure where to start.
"Well you've been in stasis for seven years. We are in Academia on Pulse. You are the first to wake up beside myself." I reply. Her brow scrunches as she lets this sink in.
"How long…have you been awake?" she asks hesitantly.
"Seven years. They say I was only in stasis for about 2 months before I awoke." I turn to the forgotten guards and signal them to stand down and return to duty.
"This isn't any way to treat one of the saviors of Cocoon." I tell them. I see their eyes widen as they scramble out of the room. Lightning is looking at me. Her face is contorted again with thought.
"You know, if you keep thinking like that your head is going to explode." I say to her. Her scowl deepens and she punches me in the shoulder.
"So if it's been seven years, you're what? 20?" she asks. I turn to her; she seems a lot smaller than I remember.
"21 actually." I reply. She nods and walks to the door.
"Well I'm starving, seven years without food really gets to you." She says as she walks out the door headed in the wrong direction of the cafeteria.
"Hey Light?" she whips around and looks at me, one eyebrow raised.
"Food is this way." I say as I point down the hallway. She scowls and follows me. After a few paces in silence I can feel the tension begin to rise. She's thinking and debating about what to ask me.
"You can ask anything you want Light." I say. She looks at me and her frown easies a bit.
"So, Serah isn't awake?" she asks. I can hear the hope in her voice and it breaks my heart a little to tell her that she isn't.
"No, just you and me so far. Everyone is still in this building in different rooms. Besides Fang and Vanille of course." I answer. She takes this is for awhile before I glance at her again and see that look of intense concentration back on her face.
"Do you remember what happened to Fang and Vanille?" I ask her. She looks at the ground and then to me.
"All I remember is a blinding light, and then feeling cold and alone." She answers.
"Well Fang and Vanille are holding up Cocoon, in a crystallized pillar. I don't think they will ever wake up again, at least not for a very long time." It hurts to think of never seeing those two again. It hurt to think that I might not ever get to see anyone else, especially Light. But here she is now. And I'm ecstatic.
"Doesn't seem very fair." She replies harshly. It was never a secret Lightning had hated everything l'Cie. I couldn't blame her; it took away her only family and than her changed her entire life in the name of something else. I remember the disgust she would talk about it. How she'd be angry when she learned a new power, and even angrier when someone else did. A lot of the time she would leave and go into the wilderness alone. She'd return hours later looking exhausted but would refuse to sit down and then make us pack up camp and trudge on. These were also days where I'd watch her from afar while she was guarding, the way her shoulders would shudder with a silent cry. How she would never wake up the next person on their turn for watch, but sit in silent vigil all night by herself. When the morning would come she'd walk away from us and we knew it was time to keep going. How she kept going I will never know.
We continued on to the cafeteria. As we came closer I noticed how she picked up her pace, the smell must have urged her forward because as we came to the doors she slammed them open and begin to scan the entire place for the best food. I couldn't help but laugh at this, and she noticed.
"What are you laughing at Esthiem?" she growled at me. I couldn't help the next laugh that escaped me either.
"Never seen you so excited for food." I reply. Her scowl deepens as she huffs and heads for the food. I head over and decide to make a late dinner. Her whole breaking in the Academy from within really screwed up my nightly routine, but I can't complain. As we head towards the check out I look at her plate. Not only is it filled, everything is touching and stacked on top of one another and must weigh a good five pounds. She catches me looking at her food and she frowns.
"I haven't had anything in seven years, cut me some slack." She growls. I just shake my head. We take our seats. It isn't until I start looking around that I notice everyone has eyes on us. Lightning is too absorbed in devouring her plate to notice the stares. I glare around the room and as I do people go back to their meals, with us hopefully forgotten.
It's true I haven't been the social one at all in my new life. After waking up I felt the need to be a grown up right away and stop messing around. I had grown so much before stasis it seemed stupid to going back to being immature. I think about work, how that is all it is to me. I was never one to socialize with it but instead I just want to get in and out like everyone else. So I can't blame everyone for staring at me for being in the cafeteria, let alone sitting with someone. Not just anyone, my best friend. And my lifelong crush.
"What's with these people?" I look up to see Lightning asking me the question. Her plate is cleared and she seems satisfied.
"I'm not the sociable type. So it surprises them that I'm eating in here with someone." I reply curtly not wanting to continue the talk on my non-existent social life. Lightning just stares at me for a minute before getting up.
"Um, Light? Would you like to come home with me? I'm not sure where else you could go. We can get the rest of this figured out tomorrow." I wasn't sure what to expect. Lightning was always distant, but she was always my best friend in our travels. She looks me over and her brow furrows before she replies.
"I guess you're right." Her frown deepens and I'm dying to know what she is thinking.
"It's really good to have you back Lightning. Did you miss driving?" I ask her. She looks at me and a small smile forms on her face.
"I hate driving actually." This cracks me up
"What's so damn funny?" she snaps at me.
"Only you could hate driving. What don't you like about it?" I ask her, having somewhat recovered myself.
"It's boring, and expensive and other people are stupid." She answers curtly. I roll my eyes and open the passenger door for her.
"M'lady." I smirk at her. She glares at me but accepts my chivalrous action. I climb in on the drivers side and start it up. The car ride is pretty silent. It's not that unbearable deathly silence though. Just the comfortable one. As I pull up to my apartment complex I see Lightning staring at it in wonder.
"They must really pay you good for Director huh?" she asks in awe. I shrug my shoulders and step out of the car.
"It defiantly has its benefits." I reply. I take us up to the top floor. As I open up the door Lightning doesn't step in. She just stands outside and stares in.
"It's home Light, come in." I say. She shakes her head and steps in. My apartment is quite nice. Three bedrooms, three bathrooms. The main room has the vaulted ceilings and a wall of windows that overlooks Academia. Hardwood runs throughout, and the furniture is sheik and modern.
"Your room is down the hall, only room on the left." I say as I unpack my stuff onto the island in the kitchen. She takes a few steps down the hall and into her room. I decide not to hover and let her get comfortable. A few moments later she comes back into the kitchen and helps me.
"You pack lunch?" she looks at me quizzically. I nod at her.
"I don't like the cafeteria." Is my reply. She nods in understanding.
I finish unpacking and head to my room. As I shower and get ready for bed it really hits me that Lightning Farron is staying in my house. A smile crosses my face and in the first time for awhile I don't feel so alone.
I hear the pad of footsteps coming down the hall and look up to see her. I think my heart stops for a moment. She is standing in front of me with a tank top and a pair of shorts she must have found in the extra bedroom. Her hair is down her one shoulder like always and she's leaning against the wall. She has just a hint of a smile on her face.
"I'm think I'm going to sleep." Is all she says. I walk up to her and wrap my arms around her. She stiffens for a second before tentatively wrapping her arms around me as well.
"I'm so happy you're awake." I whisper to her.
She just stands there. We sit there for a moment and I realize it's so good to have her back.
"It's nice to have you. Goodnight Hope." This sends some pitter-patter through my heart and I tell her goodnight as well. As I head to bed I can't keep the grin off my face.