Disclaimer: I do not own FF7 or FF13.
There were a million excuses Lightning could've came up with, but the moment her sister looked at her with those beady eyes, she emptied her gut and hurled out the truth like it was some bad dinner. Walking back to the orphanage with her leg and arm practically encased in bandages definitely didn't help Lightning make her case. "I'm alright. Really." Lightning insisted, floundering internally in panic when Serah started crying. Her sister had literally just dropped what she was doing before she started bawling without warning right in the middle of the orphanage's common room in front of everyone. "Please stop crying. Please?"
"No! Stupid Cyclops!" Serah yelled, curling up in a ball on the ground before crying even harder.
Lightning looked helplessly around her at the people, mostly the other kids, "Serah-"
"Hey, what's going on?" Of all people. Lightning fought the urge to roll her eyes when she heard Snow's obnoxiously loud voice boom over them, and like magic, even Serah was reduced to a few sniffles. The other kids around them parted as Snow and his buddies walked in.
"Nothing." Lightning grunted, frowning as he approached with wide blue eyes. He looked at her, then at Serah, and then back at her again with that idiotic expression that reminded Lightning of a fish. He didn't ask again and instead sat down on the ground beside Serah and started laughing. Like as in laughing his ass off and he didn't stop. He looked absolutely ridiculous.
Whatever he was doing though, Marqui and Yuj started laughing too, then Gadot and Lebreau, and then nearly everyone else. It was as if his laughter was somehow infectious because Lightning could see the quirk in the corners of Serah's lips. Everyone was laughing for no apparent reason, leaving her to be the only one standing there with a vacant look of disbelief. Suddenly, Snow stopped laughing, biting on his lip and everyone stopped laughing but sported dorky grins. Was it some sort of game? Like 'Simon Says' or more like 'Follow the Leader'? Who the hell put Snow in charge? "There!" Snow announced, grinning cheekily at Serah, "Now that's more like it!"
Wiping her eyes, Serah sat up properly and nodded shyly, "Okay…"
Both looked up at Lightning, but before the older Farron could even formulate her next words, Snow spoke up again, "Y'know Sis, you shouldn't make Serah cry."
"Snow, don't-" Lebreau interrupted, her voice rushed and panicked but it was too late.
Lightning was entirely sure what possessed her, but it was nothing she had control over. It was ugly and angry. Very, very angry. Taking one stride forward, her arm wound back before she slammed her fist into the boy's face, knocking him down onto the ground. Every gasped, "H-Hey!" Gadot yelled, staggering forward to grasp Lightning's shoulder, but she shoved him off. It was suffocating, she couldn't breathe properly, and everyone was staring at her in shock or fear.
"You think I wanted to?" Lightning hissed, her voice trembling with rage and indignation. They were all staring: staring as if she was some sort of monster. Turning on her heel, Lightning stormed out of the room and out away from the orphanage. She needed out, she needed to be away and alone. It was unfair, everyone was treating her unfairly and she couldn't stand it. The pain of her ankle of wounds were numbed by the pounding turmoil raging within. Snow had no right to say anything. Everything she has done and do is for Serah and the only thanks she gets is him telling her that she shouldn't make her sister cry. Damn it, Lightning had wanted to shove the closest TV remote down his throat. Secluding herself in a nearby park, Lightning huddled to herself and sat up against a tree.
She hated Snow. She hated his face, his stupid grin and his annoying laugh. She hated how he was taller than her, how he could make Serah laugh, and how he could spend his days with her sister while she's off in cadet school training to become a soldier. She wanted to become the solider for Serah, to make some money and take care of Serah but then her sister throws a tantrum about her doing what she's supposed to do. Closing her eyes, Lightning allowed herself to wallow in her resentment and spent every second persuading herself to hate Snow even more. Even as footsteps approached her, she didn't bother looking up. "H-Hey…" Came Lebreau's tentative voice.
"Leave me alone."
"Uhm… Serah's… crying again." She kept her eyes clamped shut, and much to her annoyance, the other girl didn't take her message to heart and didn't leave her alone. "Serah's just worried about you-"
"You don't get to speak for her." Lightning snapped, finally opening her eyes to glare at Lebreau. She looked momentarily shocked, but the girl steeled her nerves.
"I don't, but at least she talks to me."
"What?" Lightning growled, causing the other girl to recoil.
Lebreau stood her ground, albeit a little shakily, "You're always busy with your own things, but don't you know how worried Serah gets? She's scared that you won't come back - a-a-and I know you're just going to school but I mean, you're going to be a soldier. That's dangerous! Serah thinks it's dangerous! You came back today and you're hurt. I'm - er - Serah's worried and scared! It's like I spend more time with her than you do, b-but I know you love her, but you're not here and… and…"
"I know that." Lightning seethed, and listening's to Lebreau's rant did not help alleviate her anger, "You, Snow, and all of your stupid friends… go mind your own business. You don't understand, and you'll never understand. Even Serah doesn't understand."
"S-So?! It's not like you understand us! It's not like you understand Serah!"
The older Farron harrumphed and twisted her body away from Lebreau, "Leave me alone." Lightning grunted, "Talking to you is like talking to a brick wall."
"I can say the same thing!" Lebreau screeched, a few octaves higher than usual before she stomped back towards the orphanage muttering beneath her breath. The young chef glanced back, pursing her lips into a pout as she regarded Lightning sitting beneath the tree alone. She was always alone. Other than Serah, the older girl didn't talk to anyone as if she didn't have the time. A part of her felt sorry for Lightning, but realized that she had no one else to blame other than herself.
Her blue eyes were always focused forward, staring up ahead as if she could see something that no one else could see. It was the future; Lebreau could venture a guess, but the more Lightning chased after it, the further the distance between the two Farron sisters. Serah was still very much stuck in the present, always thinking about hanging out with her friends every day, counting down the seconds until Lightning would arrive home, and then everything was rinse and repeat. Lightning though, she thought ahead. She always thought ahead and sooner or later, she was either going to unintentionally leave Serah behind or she was going to have to forcefully drag Serah along.
That night, Lebreau invited Serah to sleep in her room because it was already ten at night and Lightning still hadn't returned. The poor younger girl was stressed beyond her wit's end and it took a fair amount of coddling to get Serah to sleep. Only until midnight did Lebreau awaken to hear hushed and angry whispers. The floors of the hallways creaked outside her room's door. Carefully sneaking over without waking Serah, she opened a crack and peaked through, seeing Lightning standing at hers and Serah's room down the hallway with the people who ran the orphanage, "Where did you go at a time like this!? Don't you know how much we-"
"I know." Lightning interrupted, her tone hard and clipped. Lebreau had always known Lightning to be strict and serious, but there was a slight change that clearly went unnoticed by the adults. To her, it sounded cold and uncaring, and Lightning had never been uncaring. The pink haired girl yanked open her door, "I can take care of myself." She slammed the door shut behind her and Lebreau hastily closed her door and rushed back to her bed.
Resting there listening to Serah's steady breathes, she stared up at the white ceiling of her room. If Serah was here, that meant Lightning's room was empty. With a sinking feeling in her gut, she twisted around to see the younger Farron curled up in a ball on the other side of her bed. Lightning cared for Serah like no one else, not even Snow, and sometimes Lebreau thought it a bit too possessive, but for Serah's sake, she hoped Lightning's change tonight wasn't permanent.
The next morning, Lightning left before any of them had woken up.
…
From the distance, she could already see the effects of the attack. Dark phumes were still rising, polluting the once clear sky. Jihl crossed her arms and legs, and looked to the pilot, "I want to see the extent of the damages myself. Fly over, round once, and then go to the base."
"Understood."
The transport smoothly glided towards the zoned off area, skirting around the dark clouds. She could see the battered transports, smashed to bits littering the ground, note the deep indents of the craters pounded into the ground and in the center of it all was the large carcass of the Cyclops in the middle, still burning. Jihl crinkled her nose at the putrid smell of the rotting and burnt flesh. A few GC troops were on sight, as were her PSICOM unit, already clearing the destruction. As ordered, the transport took one detour around before heading to the base. The communicator buzzed when she was within vicinity, and the pilot nodded his head towards her for permission. She nodded, and sat quietly listening to the pilot speak with the base operators. The request for landing went in, although the pilot had kept quiet about her presence and she preferred it that way. Considering the fact that Lightning was undoubtedly Lieutenant Amodar's favorite, she knew that he would most likely keep the cadet as far away as possible from her. Truthfully, aiding the relief efforts sat second in her priorities.
"The Blaze Edge I've brought with me," Jihl spoke evenly to the PSICOM pilot, "I'd like you to give it to Lieutenant Amodar. Tell him that it's the prototype for the new model. Let's just say it's an incentive... to encourage the top cadet here in Bodhum."
"Understood."
"I will be personally surveying the damages from the Cyclops mishap immediately upon landing." Jihl continued. She knew she needed to play the cards the public wanted to see first and foremost before she delved into her more personal interests. "It won't be necessary to inform the Lieutenant of my arrival. I will speak with him myself later to negotiate the proper relief he needs."
"Understood."
Jihl hid a cunning smile beneath her austere expression. The GC base was approaching, and without an effort, the transport glided into a soundless landing. It was hard to even tell they had touched the ground. It didn't matter what, but as long as it was something or someone Jihl kept, it would always be something of the best. The best pilots, the best soldiers, the best researchers. The moment the door opened, the rotten scent of the corpse wafted into her nostrils along with the naturally humid Bodhum air. A PSICOM car was already waiting for her, and without greeting or informing anyone, she seated herself in it and was immediately taken to the destruction site.
The horrid smell only got worse the closer she got, and she was handed a face mask which she politely declined. Jihl walked through the soldiers clearing the rubble, stopping a short distance away from the dead Cyclops, "Why are you burning it?" Jihl asked, her words clipped, "It's releasing such repulsive smell."
One of the PSICOM soldiers that was previously there before her answered swiftly, "The body is too large to transport out so-"
"I don't care what I need to do to get this corpse out of Bodhum. The rotten smell is filthy and spreading throughout the city. Think of the health of the people first and foremost. Call in one of the PSICOM military trains, we'll load the body onto there and dispose of it in the Hanging Edge. Far away from civilization. Get it done as soon as possible." Her 'as soon as possible' meant 'now,' and the soldier in attention snapped into a perfect salute before rushing off to do as told. Spinning on her heel, Jihl briskly walked around the area, seizing up the damage and counted off orders to the soldiers flanking her side, "Bring in the drones and remove this rubbish. I want this gone by two days. Clean the area and begin contracting construction companies to rebuild all damaged property. Contract companies from within Bodhum only, the PSICOM will pay for all costs. It's necessary to inject some capital considering the negative effects this... attack would have on tourism. Ramp up security around city borders. I will be back tomorrow morning." Then, just as quickly as she had walked on-site, Jihl left. In her mind, she laid out her thoughts clearly and concisely, planning out her schedule. She would need to address the public, give them her assurance that all necessary steps to relieve them of this situation is being done. Her finger tapped against her crossed arm, hazel eyes drifting over the passing streets and people.
When the car pulled to a stop outside the GC base, her hand sought to door handle before she froze slightly, catching sight of a very familiar pink haired girl trotting towards the cadet academy. Glancing down at her wrist watch, Jihl retreated her hand from the door and rested it on her lap. "Lieutenant Colonel?" The driver asked, looking at her through his rear view mirror.
"Invoke my name - I am Spark." Jihl said with a breathy chuckle, "I believe that is fitting." Before the other could say anymore, she opened the door and cleanly stepped out. Perhaps she was getting a little ahead of herself. Was she overstepping bounderies because of this pique in curiosity? Well, Jihl thought with slight amused resignation, that she was the type to go to extreme lengths for things she finds great interest in. There was some unspoken and unseen quality about Lightning that drew her in. A small... spark.
…
She was exhausted. Her arms and legs felt like heavy logs of wood and her eyes stung every time she blinked. Lightning hadn't slept at all last night; spent most of the time lying in there staring at the empty bed beside hers. She wasn't dumb, not as dumb as Lebreau tried to make her out to be. Understanding Serah wasn't hard, but what she couldn't understand was why Serah didn't understand. It would be stupid if Serah thought that she was responsible for every decision Lightning made. It was a partial truth, but hadn't anyone realized that maybe being a soldier was something Lightning was good at? Her skill was something of substance she was proud of; something solid she could hold onto. Without it, she'd just go back to being Claire. Useless, weak Claire and Lightning wanted nothing to do with her anymore.
Waking up to a bleak morning where the sun was blotched out by the thick smoke and the air stinky with the stench of a rotting and burning corpse, Lightning trudged tiredly to the cadet academy. Not to mention she wanted to find Nora Eisthiem as soon as possible because the cuts on her legs and arms were starting to itch. A lot. Marching into the academy, Lightning headed straight for Amodar's office and quietly dreaded whether or not she'd be at the brunt of the man's anger again. He had been livid when she fought the Gorgonopsid, so she had a hard time imaging how he would react if he knew exactly of her involvement with the Cyclops.
So it was reckless to jump off of a velocycle accelerating to full speed, but then again, Lightning wasn't exactly 'smart' when it came to self-preservation whenever someone she cared about was in danger. Especially if she was in a position to actually do something about it.
Her knuckles cracked against the door, and she stepped in without waiting for permission. However, Amodar wasn't busy looming over the paper work needed to be filled out about the Cyclops situation, nor was he on the phone giving out orders, but he was standing by his desk looking into a black case. He let out a long, impressed whistle, turned around to see Lightning and flashed her an unexpected grin. He… wasn't mad? "You're early." He said, glancing at the clock.
"I couldn't sleep." Lightning murmured, deciding to keep the fight she had with Serah a secret.
"Baxter filled me in. Told me why you were there during the Cyclops attack." He said softly, his grin transforming into a extremely fond and tender smile. "But the next time some monster's about to flatten me into pancakes, I don't want you jumping in like that. Got it? We don't need two pancakes."
Lightning raised an eyebrow, already feeling the tension lifting from her shoulders, "Lieutenant, are you hungry?"
"Well," Amodar laughed soundly, "I guess pancakes do sound good." He waved her over to the case, "But before that, I want you to see this."
"What is it?"
"The prototype of the weapon meant to be gifts of recognition given to our most highly trained soldiers." Amodar announced, "The Blaze Edge. The PSICOM brought it along with them. They said it was meant to be… an incentive for our top cadet, and we all know who that is. It's great! Fantastic!" He smiled cheekily, "Keep it up! I bet this baby will soon be yours to keep!"
"The... Blaze Edge?" Lightning breathed as she looked down at the weapon, sharp, pristine, folded neatly in it's black case wrapped in velvet.
"You should be proud. I've never seen a cadet receive such an honor let alone our actual soldiers." Lieutenant Amodar laughed as he ruffled Lightning's hair, "You've just made a name for yourself. I'm sure scholarships would be coming left and right now, even the PSICOM won't overlook your achievements. You've made us proud-"
"Yes," A third voice, an unfamiliar voice, purred and in an instant Lightning could feel her senses tingle as she fought a shiver. Both turned around and she swore she felt Amodar's hand tighten around her shoulder as a blonde woman walked in through the same door Lightning had just moments ago. Hazel eyes drifted over her, judging her for her worth that even a fourteen year old could see for herself. "Very proud." The woman said again and smiled kindly that even her eyes seemed to crinkle slightly at the side.
"Colonel Nabaat." Amodar greeted without his usual heartiness, instead his voice was low and terse, "What brings you here to Bodhum? Vacation?"
"Vacation?" Again, the woman laughed as if it was the most ludicrous idea in the world, "No, I came especially for the rumored battle prodigy that had somehow dropped straight into your waiting arms. Lightning was it?"
She was about to salute the woman yet Amodar's hold didn't relent, "Yes, this is her." He pushed her forward slightly but kept a firm eye trained on the blonde even though her attention seemed solely focused on the young preteen. "Lightning, I'm sure your next class is about to start. You don't want to be late."
Nodding, she swiftly saluted the Lieutenant before bowing her head slightly to the blonde woman. 'Next class?' Lightning thought quietly to herself as she excused herself from the office. Her classes weren't going to start for another hour and a half.
…
Jihl could feel Amodar's apprehension wash upon her in waves. "I jest." Jihl hummed, smiling at the man as if she had all the secrets of the world to tell. "We both know I'm not here on vacation. You requested for PSICOM assistance, and I answered your plea for help. Oh, and I'm not a Colonel just yet."
"Seeing that you're here personally, I think having Bodhum's support would put you one step closer." Amodar said stiffly, "Thank you for your timely help."
His gratitude was obligatory from the standpoint of his occupation, but Jihl knew he hadn't meant a word of it as a separate individual. As if to test his limits, she gave him another cunning smirk, "It's been while since I've seen Lightning. Tell me, how has she been?"
"Peachy."
She laughed; for the first time without any constraints. Regardless though, she still looked just as prim and graceful. He sounded so terse. So… threatened, and she found an incomprehensible amount of glee in it.
Jihl closes in!
Amodar: "Flee my child! FLEE!" ;D