Hope laughed as Lightning lugged her large case of supplies across the plains of Gran Pulse.
"What's with all that stuff Light?"
"You wanna survive these four weeks right?"
He shut up after that.
"So, where are we camping at anyways?"
"The Sulyya Springs, it will provide resources we need well as quick access to the Archylte Steppe."
"You've really thought this through haven't you?"
"If wouldn't be training if you didn't. It'd be running blindly into Gran Pulse to be killed."
The pair reached their destination a few hours before sunset. Hope lied idly by the springs as Lightning readied the camp. She rolled her eyes at him, he had wanted to train, but so far all he had done was complain and rest. He should've known training with Lightning would be one of the most physically excruciating months of his life.
When Hope awoke as the sun of Pulse was setting, he saw that Lightning had prepared two very large and comfortable tents and lied out all their supplies.
"Where did you get all of this stuff, Light?"
She laughed, "Amodar let me borrow a few things."
"By a few, do you mean the whole base inventory?"
The pair sat at the campfire when Lightning spoke up, "Hope, you should go get some rest. I don't think you really know what this is going to put you through."
He laughed, "Fine, fine."
He awoke the next morning to see Lightning in her usual attire, she had taken off her leather vest as the heat of mid-morning was sinking in.
"Usually, I wouldn't tolerate you waking up at noon, but since this is your first day, I'll give you a break."
He laughed, rubbing the back of his head, "I suppose you're right."
The two walked away from their camp a ways, to a clearing down below their camp. It was beside the water, and Lightning began.
"Hope, do you remember what I said to you back in the Gapra Whitewood?"
He nodded, "Yeah, you told me I was too small to wield your blade."
She nodded, "Yes, and you still are, but by the time this month is over, you will be able to use it like it was your own. But so this has a little bit of importance, we're going to spar, but I'm going to use your sword, while you use my Blazefire Saber."
He nodded, taking her sword. As soon as he grabbed it, the tip fell to the ground, he had under-estimated the weight of it. He looked over at Lightning who easily tossed his sword around with no problem.
She laughed, "Forgot how light the private swords are. It's been quite a while. But moving on, here we go. You make the first move."
Hope ran towards her, swinging the blade with both hands. She ducked, swinging around to his backside and hitting him with the blunt side of the sword. Hope staggered forward, but turned around swinging as hard as he could. Lightning easily jumped over his head kicking the back of his knee that made him crumble to the ground, dropping her sword.
She laughed as she picked her saber up again.
"Oh, Hope, you have so much to learn. Sit up and let me explain something to you."
As he sat up, rubbing his neck, Lightning couldn't help but remember the same boy who had wanted to take Snow's life for his mother's.
"You told me you and your dad used to play chess, right?"
He nodded.
"Fighting is like chess. Consider every possible move from your opponent. I know this seems hard, but trust me, it's easy after practice. The reason you weren't able to hit me with my saber is because one, it's too cumbersome for you to handle yet, and two, you took the most obvious move. It's about strategy; try to catch your opponent off guard."
He nodded, "Yes... that makes sense..."
She flicked his forehead playfully, then offered a hand to pull him up.
He gladly accepted.
Lightning lied in her tent after their first lesson. She had assigned Hope exercises to do that take him an hour or two, and she needed some rest. It made her think about her first year at the Guardian Corps. It had been hell on Earth.
It wasn't easy going from spoiled daughter of a solider to making your money by selling your labor. When she was recruited, she had no muscle to speak of, and the worst fight she'd been in was a hair pulling argument with her sister.
Over that year, Claire slowly disappeared, and Lightning took her place.
Lightning shook her head, enough with memories.
She stood up, stretching, then peeked outside her tent.
Hope walked out of his tent, wearing his swim trunks. Lightning gaped at him.
"You packed swimming trunks? Are you kidding me?"
He laughed, "Oh come on, it's not like we have to train all the time!"
She buried her face in her hand, sighing.
"Come on, watch, I'm about to jump off our camp into the spring!"
Lightning rolled her eyes; they had camped on a high clearing that was a good thirty feet above the water.
Hope ran towards the edge, jumping and flailing as he fell.
Lightning walked over and watched his body impact with the water.
He screamed in pain, but soon resurfaced.
"So, bad idea, Hope?"
He gritted his teeth, "Bad idea."
Hope was jolted from his sleep by a nightmare and decided to get a breath of air. He walked out to find Lightning sitting on the edge of camp staring up at the crystallized Cocoon.
Hope approached her, but she already knew he was there.
"What are you doing up?"
He shrugged, sitting down by her, "I dunno. Just woke up. What are you doing out here?"
"Thinking..."
"About what? Cocoon?"
She nodded, "Yeah... I miss it. Even though we were just a pet of the fal'Cie, I miss it."
"Miss Cocoon, or you miss your old life?"
"Both. I miss the simpleness of my life when I was Claire. I didn't have to worry about a thing... and now where am I? I'm twenty-six and dreaming of the life I had at fourteen. It's sad. I'm a grown woman."
Hope sighed, he could relate to Lightning, but in a way, he couldn't. He couldn't understand what she had been through. Both of her parents died, and she had to take care of her little sister.
"So... what happened to your life? You never told me."
She stood up, "You don't need to know that. You need to go back to sleep anyways."
And with that, she was gone.