Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy.
Xethear: Sorry for the wait everyone; thank you to all those who gave their opinions and hypothesis of the last chapter and what's to come. All those ideas and curiosities are very interesting and feed the flames of creativity. Here's a somewhat long chapter for you all, enjoy!
Chapter 35: Memory Making
Noctis spent the few days leading up to Lightning's birthday in a state of complete chaos. Every waking moment he began to plan out little details of what to do and what to get for Lightning on her special day doting on the smallest of things such as what color decorations there should be. He continued to pester Ignis on how the party should be organized and unfortunately for the poor secretary and advisor, Noctis requested to book a myriad of performers for Lightning's entertainment.
"A-Are you sure all of this is required Noct?" Ignis adjusted his collar and felt his own wallet aching when he checked the price of the tenth group Noctis wanted reserved.
Prompto collapsed on the ground toppled by the mountain of gifts Noctis had bought for Lightning. "For once… I actually agree with Ignis on this one Noct." Prompto's voice was muffled under the gift boxes.
Gladiolus dug his arm into the mountain of gifts and fished out a frazzled looking Prompto. "Maybe it is a bit much Noct."
Noctis looked at his friends as if they sprouted another head. "What are you all talking about? Of course it's necessary! This is Lightning after all!"
Ignis coughed into his hand and displayed the list of potential bookings to Noctis. "We realize she is a very special woman close to your heart Noct, but do you honestly believe Lightning would want all these frivolities?"
Noctis's eyes wandered down the extensive list which caused him to gulp. "Y-You don't think it's enough?"
The prince's answer caused his three friends to smack their foreheads with the palms of their hands. "That wasn't exactly what Ignis is saying Noct." Gladiolus commented with a chuckle. The man brought his arm over the prince's shoulder and pressed his fist against his friend's chest. "You gotta give her something from here. We all know Lightning isn't one for all the rich frou frou stuff."
"Yeah Noct!" Prompto shouted. "Lightning's a reasonable woman! You should know. Besides, ten plus acts from Yusnaan?! Do you plan to break into Tenebrae's treasury to pay for all of this?"
Noctis chuckled at his friends remark, "Of course not Prompto. I'll use my savings."
Prompto straightened his posture and shuffled over to the prince. "How much gil did the king and queen give you Noct? I mean I could use some every now and then. Ignis has been pestering me about interest. What is this interest of which he speaks?"
Ignis rolled his eyes, "You will pay me back else you can spend the rest of your days walking to and from places rather than riding with us in the car."
"A-Ahaha, boy you sure are a jokester Ignis! A-Anyways like the cool and suave and super generous Ignis was saying, all this doesn't seem necessary Noct." Prompto knew his attempts at flattering Ignis failed when he could practically feel the man's piercing glare behind him.
Noctis however was paying little attention to the conversation as an expensive ensemble displayed at the front of a store caught his eye. Noctis's eyes shined brightly and he quickly spun around to eagerly report his finding to his friends. "Hey guys, do you think she'll like—"
"No." The three guardians replied in unison.
"But—!"
"You're overthinking things Noct. I'm sure all Light would really want is to spend time with everyone, especially… you!" Gladiolus gave the anxious prince a reassuring grin and a thumbs up.
"Yeah! What Gladio said Noct!" Prompto agreed with a smile. "Besides… we really can't afford all this." The man mumbled to himself softly.
"Maybe you're right…" Noctis murmured in a low voice. The prince glanced at several other stores nearby and found even more expensive items to catch his eye. "Or maybe she'll want that and—"
"Let's go your highness." Gladiolus picked the prince up and threw him over his shoulder like a log.
"What about that set of jewelry Ignis? No wait, what she'd really want is a sword! That's it, to the sword shop guys! Let's go! Or maybe personalized grav-con unit?"
Noctis's guardians let out a deep sigh and hoped that the prince would get over his angst soon; else he would wear them all down.
Paradgim Shift
"I gotta say these new magic weapons sure are useful." Fang stared at her new spear resting in her hands that Lightning helped in summoning. The two had been training all day along with Vanille, Hope, Zack and Aerith. With two medics on the team the strike force had no reason to hold back to one another. "Gae Bolg eh? Not a bad name." Fang remarked sarcastically as she admired her weapon with pride.
Thanks to careful instruction from Lightning Fang was the last one in the group able to complete the "summoning weapon" exercise. Vanille and Aerith had their staves which amplified their healing prowess, Vanille's named Nirvana and Aerith's Great Gospel. Hope was able to enhance his latent magical prowess in conjunction with his new boomerang called the Nue and Zack's new ornate broadsword was simply named the Buster Sword after Zack "busted" a peacekeeper with it.
Lightning stared at her "pupils" lying on the ground exhausted after practicing with their new weapons. "I guess we can call it a day now." She said with a casual shrug.
"Sheesh Light, you sure are made of some powerful stuff." Zack said with a chuckle. "I'm sore all over."
"Hang on now Sunshine, I wanna try something." Fang rose to her feet and stretched out her legs. "Better get your fancy swords at the ready."
Lightning raised her brow suspiciously and scoffed. "Who do you think you're talking to?" The star cadet attached Gagnrad together and twirled it around her body with easy waiting for Fang's attack.
The dark haired woman crouched down and took a deep breath. As she exhaled Fang leapt off the ground and rocketed into the air almost reaching the ceiling of the training room.
Zack let out an impressive whistle while Hope panicked afraid that the woman would get hurt. "Be careful Fang!" The boy shouted with Vanille in desperation.
"Here we go!" Fang let out a laugh portraying her elation at the feeling of being in the sky and dove down towards Lightning with her spear firmly grasped in her hand. She came down like a small meteor heading straight for the stoic soldier.
Lightning smirked and leapt off the ground herself and charged her blades with electricity. "Not bad Fang, but…" Lightning detached her swords and swung one at Fang's spear point redirecting the woman's trajectory and she quickly followed up her combo with her second sword striking Fang on her torso.
"Guah!" Fang lost the grip on her spear which quickly became encased in crystal before shattering and dissipating into the air. Vanille immediately ran over to them and began healing the paralyzed Fang. "I'll get you back for that tomorrow Sunshine." Fang said with a chuckle.
Lightning dismissed Gagnrad and scratched the back of her head feeling guilty for going a bit overboard. "S-Sorry, I guess I kind of overdid it."
"All fun and games." Fang smiled and dismissed the thought with a wave of her hand.
"So, what are you planning for tomorrow Light?" Aerith asked curiously as she healed Lightning for any wounds she happened to have.
"Tomorrow?" Lightning asked drawing a blank in her mind.
Aerith looked confused, "It's your birthday isn't it?"
Lightning's eyes widened, "Ahh! So that's why Serah was acting all suspicious."
"Did you really forget your own birthday Light?" Hope asked in disbelief finding Lightning's absentmindedness to be extremely rare.
"I guess because of all the things that have happened recently, the thought never came to me." Lightning lost herself in thought for a moment. 'I'll be turning twenty one…'
"I'm sure Noct is planning something extra special for you~" Aerith chimed in a singsong voice causing Lightning to blush. "Oh! She's blushing Zack! What do you think she was thinking of?"
Fang grinned at the flustered Lightning, "Pretty obvious she was thinking about doing all sorts of stuff with Mr. Prince in her room."
"W-WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!" Lightning shouted in disbelief immediately losing her cool when she recalled the memory she shared with Noctis in her room.
"Aha~ bullseye!" Fang laughed triumphantly.
Lightning shot a look at everyone in the training room. Hope's face was glowing red, Vanille had a blush on her face, Zack was laughing and Aerith cheeks were tinted a light shade of pink as well. "My my Light~" Aerith stifled a giggle with her hands.
"N-NO! I-it's not like that! Noctis tickled me a-and—!" Lightning felt her face grow hot and she lost control of her powers for a moment and shocked everyone in the room causing their hair to puff up. Everyone looked at one another and broke into a fit of laughter at how ridiculous they looked.
"I-I guess we *haha* deserved that!" Zack commented as he poked at his electrically charged afro.
"We need to get a picture of this and send it to Sazh!" Vanille hopped up excitedly and pestered Hope for a camera.
Lightning continued to blush at the thought of Noctis, "I'm not expecting anything in particular…" She murmured to herself softly, though her beating heart told her she was feeling excited.
Paradigm Shift
Noctis tapped his foot against the floor of the train station growing more impatient with each passing second. The train from Eden had finally arrived yet the prince hadn't found a trace of Serah nor Snow. After a majority of the passengers had disembarked did the couple finally come into view. "Over here!" Noctis waved at the two drawing their attention to him.
"Hey Noct! How's it going?" Snow gave the prince a firm handshake and a strong pat on the back.
Noctis returned the man's friendly gesture with an equivalent greeting, "Aside from what we've already told you, nothing much."
"Hiya Noct!" Serah wrapped her arms around the prince's neck and gave him a tight hug, "How is my sister?"
"Tough as ever." Noctis said with a laugh. "How is Eden?"
Serah hummed to herself as the three made their way to the car. "It took a while to adjust to the big metropolis but Snow and I are getting around. Thankfully we found a reasonably priced apartment near the stations there so we can travel efficiently, that is unless Snow ignores the alarm clock." Noctis looked over to the tall man who scratched the back of his head and released a nervous laugh.
"Light is training with some of the others in order to get better control of the L'Cie virus. The recent news on the virus and how the mutation process accelerates when under stress really got to everyone, so now Lightning is teaching them how to stay calm under pressure." Noctis let out a sigh and unlocked the trunk of the car for Serah and Snow to put their luggage bags in. "As for me, we're still not sure what I happened to catch do to the virus."
Once Snow had jammed all of the bags into the trunk of the car the man slammed it shut only to find that the jumbled up bags caused the trunk to remain open. "Don't sweat it Noct, I'm sure the doctors and scientists are working all over the place to find a cure. Heck Hope, Ignis and Rikku are all on its case."
Serah shook her head and waved her finger at Snow, "Snow! The trunk will never close if you just stuff the bags in like that. Lay them all flat." Noctis chuckled finding the resemblance of the Farron sisters striking when Serah scolded someone. With Serah's careful instruction the trunk was able to close without a problem after organizing the bags like puzzle pieces. "Alright Noct, to Café NORA! Lebreau said she just got a new haul of ingredients and I'm raring to get cooking!"
"Right away Ms. Farron." Noctis felt butterflies in his stomach hoping that Lightning's birthday would go on without a hitch. He was eager to do something special for his significant other after everything she's done for him and the people around her. After debating the night before with his guardians about all of his extravagant plans, the four men reached a reasonable agreement – after hours of bickering and wrestling – as to what the prince can organize. Despite having to cast away a majority of his plans before, Noctis was satisfied at the final accord and couldn't wait to put the plan into action.
Paradigm Shift
"Focus Terra, you can do this." Lightning continued to raise Terra's spirits as the young woman produced a small fireball about the size of a baby's balled fist between the palms of her hands. After conjuring the flame Terra stared at the embers intently and slowly manipulated them to follow a set path.
Lightning had spent the entire morning training with her pupils once again on exercises designed to heighten their focus specifically targeting their latent prowess.
Bartz's L'Cie brand awakened his reflexes as he was now able to mimic anyone he sees perfectly demonstrated by mimicking a more acrobatic Zidane in his new L'Cie form which made him change his appearance so that his hair grew longer and his clothes were changed into fur; the new form was dubbed Trance.
Shelke's brand new EM sabers made her a lethal asset when fighting mechanical and electronic beasts as she was able to short out their motor functions. In addition to her new weapons, Shelke was also enabled to utilize the Synaptic Net Dive technology in Guardian Corp to the fullest. Much to Ignis, Rikku and Hope's elation Shelke's newfound abilities allowed her swift access to information networks making technological feats even more efficient.
After successfully manipulating her fireball through a series of loops and turns Terra dispelled the flame and fell to her knees. The feat took a lot out of her, evident to her ragged breathing. Terra felt a small squeeze on her shoulder and looked up to see Lightning handing her a bottle of water with a smile on her face. "That was great Terra, get a good rest." She ruffled the blushing maiden's hair causing her to smile from the praise she received. "Alright you all, it's noon now so time to call it a day unless you guys can keep going?"
All the younger cadets quickly declined the woman's offer feeling completely worn out. "T-That's alright Light, I think we're good for today." Bartz collapsed to the ground, his chest heaving as he tried to regain his composure.
Zidane shifted out of his Trance and fell to the floor. "Talk about a workout… do you do this to Noct?"
Lightning drew her fringe back and wiped the sweat off her forehead with a towel. "Of course, how else will he improve?"
The four cadets exchanged looks with one another and laughed nervously. 'How can Noct endure this?' They all thought simultaneously.
"What are you planning on doing today for your birthday Light?" Shelke asked curiously as she dismissed her EM sabers.
Lightning shrugged and crushed her bottle of water after drinking the contents and discarded the piece of plastic into a recycling bin. "Probably stay at home, sit on the couch and watch tv." Lightning's response stirred an unexpected reaction from all her cadets as they suddenly rushed over to her and backed her against a wall.
"Unacceptable!" Shelke snapped.
Terra nodded fervently, "T-That's right! It's Ms. Light's special day!"
"Not to mention, Noct probably has something special planned for you!" Zidane said with a wink. To the cadets' surprise, it was now their commanding officer's turn to react unexpectedly as a blush colored her cheeks.
"Whoa whoa! I think we hit the jackpot guys! Was 'Ms. Light' looking forward to a Noct surprise?" Bartz said with a snicker earning himself a knock on the head.
"S-Shut up! No I wasn't!" Lightning retorted and folded her arms across her chest.
Shelke and Terra giggled and hurried Lightning out of the training room by pushing her lightly out the door. "Come on Ms. Light!" Shelke took one of Lightning's arms in one hand and Terra took the other.
"We're going to the store." Terra murmured shyly.
"What? Why?!" Lightning had no idea what was happening.
"To get you some new clothes for your birthday!"
Lightning froze up when she saw Vanille, Fang and Rikku round the corner. Fear suddenly crept into the soldiers eyes as the three women drew closer and closer. "N-NO! Terra, Shelke let me go! I can't go shopping for any kind of attire with those three! Not after what happened at the beach!" Lightning struggled to break free of her cadets' hold but soon found that they were in on the plan as they refused to let go. "Z-Zidane! Bartz! Help!"
"Quick Fang, grab her legs!"
"On it!"
"To the store!"
"NO! LET GO OF ME YOU GUYS, THIS ISN'T FUNNY!"
Zidane and Bartz laughed nervously together. "I kind of feel bad." Bartz confessed.
"Yeah, those girls are pretty extreme." Zidane commented with a nod of agreement. "But it's for Light's party! Now c'mon! To Café NORA!"
Bartz saluted Zidane, "Aye aye!"
Paradigm Shift
"Prompto, don't touch that!" Serah shouted at the blond and smacked his wandering hand with a wooden spoon, halting his advances on a stack of mithkabobs.
The youngest Farron had immediately begun working on Lightning's birthday dinner with Lebreau and Aerith at Café NORA since her arrival in the morning. The restaurant had been booked for the whole day for Lightning's party. Serah had been preoccupied with monitoring her stew when Prompto's reflection was caught on the silver pot informing her of the man's mischievous actions.
"Aww come on Serah, just one? There's plenty to go around!" Prompto puffed out his cheeks and whined like a child whose parents refused to allow dessert before dinner.
Serah shook her head and waved her wooden spoon at the guilty man. "No! We wait until tonight!"
Prompto groaned and let out a sigh when someone caught his eye. "Then why does Zack get some?!"
Serah spun around and caught Zack with a piece of bannock in his mouth in the middle of tiptoeing out of the kitchen. "Aerith!"
From across the room a silver ladle soared through the air and struck Zack squarely on the forehead causing him to topple over and fall to the ground. "Owwww…"
Aerith walked over to the man and placed her hands on her hips. "Zack aren't you supposed to be helping decorate the restaurant?"
"Y-Yeah but I was just wondering what you all were doing in here." Aerith eyed the man suspiciously.
"Really?" She stared into the man's shaking eyes. The roar of an airbike outside became the man's reprieve.
"I'll go see who that is!" Zack shouted and dashed out the door. The sound of the man's panicked voice could be heard through the doors despite being closed. "Cloud, Tifa, Marlene! Save me!"
"W-What? Why?!"
"Did you make Aerith mad again Zack?"
"O-Of course not!"
Zack entered the kitchen once again behind a confused looking Cloud, an amused looking Tifa and an excited Marlene. "Aerith!" Marlene squealed excitedly and ran to the woman.
"Hello Marlene, are you here to help us out with the food for Light's party?" Aerith asked in a sweet voice.
The little girl nodded with confidence and immediately went for an apron. "Hiya Marlene!" Prompto greeted with a wave.
"No food for you yet Mr. Prompto!" Marlene remarked almost automatically causing everyone in the kitchen save for Prompto to laugh. "Tifa can you help me with the apron?"
Tifa giggled, "I'm coming." She said in a singsong voice.
Just then Noctis walked into the kitchen wondering what all the commotion was about. "Is everything alright in here?" Noctis looked around the crowded kitchen as a myriad of enticing aromas captivated his nose. "Something sure smells good."
"Want a sample?" Lebreau held a wooden spoon up to Noctis's lips and awaited the prince's criticism as he taste tested the broth of a seafood dish Lebreau had been preparing.
"It's good!" Noctis said with a smile earning a cheer of delight from the woman who resumed seasoning several other dishes. Noctis turned to look at some other dishes when he was met with Prompto's scowl.
"Why does Noct get to taste the dishes?!" The man complained to Serah.
"Because Noct is actually helping out." Serah said in a matter of fact tone.
Prompto pouted, "Can I taste test something too after I hang up some decorations then?"
Serah drummed her fingers against the edge of the stove. "Maybe." She answered vaguely.
The short answer was good enough for the blond as the man sped out of the kitchen feeling completely energized.
Noctis chuckled finding his friend's newfound enthusiasm uplifting. "Now Noct, there'll be none of that taste testing when Light is here." Tifa scolded the prince lightly.
"W-What?" Noctis was unsure of what prompted the woman's sudden remark.
Tifa leaned in towards the prince and whispered in his ear, "If I saw Cloud dilly dallying with some other woman… I'd be pretty angry." She confessed to him softly. "Don't tell him I said that!"
Noctis quickly shook his head and explained himself, "N-No! I would never! It was just a simple taste test and—!" Noctis suddenly recalled the first time Lightning dragged him away when Lebreau playfully winked at him.
"And..?" Tifa repeated the prince's last word with an amused smile.
"And… I'll be more careful." Noctis finished with a small blush.
"Good!" Tifa patted the prince on the shoulder before spinning him around and pushing him out the kitchen. "Cloud has the stuff you wanted!"
As prompted by the woman Cloud appeared right behind Noctis carrying a flier and a box with him. "Everything should be in here Noct."
Noctis gave the pair a smile, "Thanks Cloud, Tifa, I appreciate it."
"Tifa, we need your help with the beverages!" Aerith's voice beckoned the woman through the kitchen doors.
"There's my cue!" Tifa gave the prince a wish good luck and Cloud a small peck on the cheek before disappearing behind the kitchen doors.
Noctis noticed Cloud blushing as he rubbed the area where Tifa had kissed him. "I know the feeling." Noctis remarked giving the embarrassed man an understanding nod.
Cloud nodded back before he was called over to help Zack with hanging up posters.
"Hey Noct, where do you want these chocobo balloons?" Noctis turned towards the entrance of the restaurant and saw Gladiolus, Tidus and Wakka stumble inside with a bouquet of chocobo balloons each about the size of a car tire.
"Scatter them all over the place. Just make it look nice and comfortable." Noctis answered abstractly earning shrugs from the men.
"Hey there prince, Snow, Dajh and I are off to get some charcoal for the grill." Sazh informed the man as Snow revved up his airbike outside. The chocobo chick poked its head out of the man's afro and chirped happily. "Paine, Yuna, Lulu and the rest of team NORA are outback setting some things up for tonight."
Noctis smiled and nodded. "Thanks for informing me."
"We'll bring lots for the party!" Dajh exclaimed with enthusiasm.
"I'm counting on you and your dad Dajh." The prince said with a smile.
"Noct." Ignis placed a hand on the prince's shoulder and motioned to the watch on his wrist. "We must go now if we're to keep to the schedule."
"Ah! Right!" Noctis took the box Cloud and Tifa had obtained for him and headed towards the door. "Alright everyone! Keep up the good work!"
Serah slipped her head out from the kitchen doors and waved her hand at Noctis. "Do your best Noct!"
"Good luck buddy!" Prompto waved at Noctis from the kitchen's service window with a mithkabob in his hands.
Noctis smiled and gave his friends a small bow before exiting the restaurant with Ignis.
Paradigm Shift
"Oh come on now Light, you look great!"
"It's no use Vanille, I'll bet you five hundred gil that Sunshine walks out of there in her uniform."
"It's alright Ms. Light you do look wonderful."
"I'm sure Nocty will love it~"
Lightning's friends continued to coax her out of the dressing room she walled herself in ever since they forced her inside with an armful of ensembles to try on. As soon as the door to the dressing room creaked open the girl's gasped and held their breath as each one competed to get a first look at Lightning.
"I'm… I'm not too good at this kind of thing." Lightning stepped out into the open wearing a brand new ensemble for her friends to see. The woman, new to the leisure shopping experience tried to select a good balance between a stylish yet comforting look. At first she had trouble deciding but decided to put herself in her friends' shoes for a moment.
The nervous beauty wore a white décolleté shirt which highlighted her neck and chest and a soft rose colored cardigan that flowed to the back of her knees. A fitted pair of khaki jeans covered her legs and three fourths of her shins and a dark brown belt hugged her waist serving as a holster for her phone and training sword. Despite being able to summon Gagnrad at will, she knew using her dual swords would cause a panic in public if amongst a crowd. To finish off her new look was a pair of black ankle strap heels. The soft pastel colors brought out the refined elegance of the woman making her appear to be a celebrity.
Vanille clapped her hands together and squealed, "Light you look so cute~!"
"Wait 'til Nocty gets a load of you!" Rikku gave the flustered woman a wink and a thumbs up.
Shelke and Terra's eyes glowed with pride as they admired their commanding officer. "Ms. Light, you're stunning!" Terra complimented shyly.
"I-I hope I can look like you when I grow up some more." Shelke spoke out her wishful thoughts which embarrassed Lightning even further.
"Ya know…" Fang circled around Lightning examining her outfit. "It's almost looks like you're wearing the exact opposite colors of the prince's getup. His being all dark and what not." Fang commented earning surprised gasps from everyone.
Vanille snapped her fingers, "You know, you're right Fang! Perfect contrast!"
"I-I wasn't even thinking that!" Lightning shouted defensively.
Fang chuckled and nudged Lightning on the shoulder. "Guess it was subconscious then aye?" Lightning bit down on her lip as her cheeks grew a deeper shade of red.
After paying for Lightning's new outfit the group of six exited the store and found that it was already dark outside. Ignis stood under an ornate streetlamp next to the "Tenebrae" car with the passenger seat open.
"Your chariot awaits Ms. Lightning." Ignis gave the woman a courteous bow and welcomed her into the car with a wave of his hand. "Very elegant garb for tonight."
Lightning refused to acknowledge anymore compliments towards her as they stirred her sheepish side which she still found somewhat "weak." "Where are we going?" Lightning asked as she stepped into the car.
"Oh nevermind that Light, c'mon Igie let's go!" Rikku clapped her hand against the top of the car urging Ignis to hurry and drive to their destination.
"B-Be careful Rikku!" Ignis snapped momentarily losing his composure.
"Yeah c'mon Igie." Fang teased.
"Get to it Igie!" Vanille added with a giggle.
Ignis rubbed his temples before starting up the car, "Such discourteous manners." He sighed out loud causing Lightning to chuckle.
The car cruised through the golden lit streets of a lively downtown seaside Bodhum until they arrived at a marketplace filled with shops and entertainers. "Right then, this way Ms. Lightning." Ignis said politely.
"Hmm? Are we doing more shopping? Because I— h-hey!" Lightning's vision was suddenly obscured when Vanille secured a blindfold over the birthday girl's eyes.
"It'll be more of a surprise like this Light!" Rikku commented gleefully.
"Don't worry, we'll guide you Light." Shelke took one of Lightning's hands in her own and Terra took the other. The group walked for a good while with Lightning growing all the more anxious with each passing second. The sounds of background conversations from the townspeople began to decrease in volume as they drew further away from the marketplace until soon Lightning could hear her heels click against the paved sidewalk. A cold gust of wind blew tossing her hair back causing her to shiver and question why she didn't decide to get a scarf.
Suddenly Lightning felt Shelke and Terra let go of her hands prompting her to stop walking. "Guys? Where are we?" Lightning held her arms up blindly expecting to get hold of one of her friends but found that either they were backing away from her or no one was in the vicinity. "Hello? Guys? This isn't funny." Lightning was just about to remove the blindfold when she felt a pair of hands on her shoulders. "Alright tell me who you are before I—" She felt the pair of hands travel behind her head towards the knot of the blindfold and not soon after, the cloth fell down around her neck.
"Evening Ms. Bedhead." Lightning suddenly found herself staring into the deep azure eyes of her prince as he gave her an enchanting smile which quickly warmed her up.
"Noct?! B-But why? How? Shelke, Terra? The others? Where did—" Lightning's questions were interrupted when she noticed the prince in his sleek attire. His dark blue dress shirt and black tie complimented his eyes and his fitted coat highlighted his torso well. It was a refreshing formal change to his casual attire which gave him a more princely air.
The two examined one another for a moment before their faces both turned red causing them to spin around in unison to avoid eye contact.
'Claire looks absolutely stunning!'
'H-He rarely wears anything formal, i-it looks nice on him.'
Their friends observed the pair from a distance and laughed at the couple's bashfulness.
"A-Ahem." Noctis cleared his throat and offered Lightning his hand. "Right this way Light."
Lightning didn't notice before since the sight of Noctis caught her by surprise but now that her head was somewhat clear she saw that they were on a bridge located just above a canal system that ran through the coastal city. She followed Noctis down a series of steps until they reached the base of the bridge where an ornate gondola glowing under the lights of the streetlamps was waiting. Its deep brown color was accented by golden vining along the sides of the vessel. The sight practically took Lightning's breath away as she never expected doing something like riding a gondola on her birthday.
"After you~" Noctis helped Lightning onto the gondola which rocked lightly on the water's surface as soon as they boarded. Lightning eyed a box that sat on one of the seats curiously and looked up at Noctis for answers. The prince chuckled and gave her a small wink as he took hold of an oar.
Lightning raised her brow and gave the prince a smirk. "What's this? The Prince of Tenebrae is rowing a gondola for a plain Guardian Corp cadet?"
Noctis chuckled and smiled tenderly at Lightning, "I would word it as 'The Prince of Tenebrae is rowing a gondola for his captivating princess.'"
"Wha—" Lightning quickly found out that the prince was in top form for getting her flustered. She was immediately tongue tied at the prince's cool composure. The way he responded to her in his low and slightly erotic tone of voice made her heart skip a beat. 'What's wrong with me tonight?'
For several minutes Lightning remained silent as she stared at the prince's back as he rowed the gondola along the gentle waters of Bodhum. She watched as the gondola parted the waters which reflected the beauty of the night sky causing small ripples along the calm surface. Little to her knowledge her nervous silence was misinterpreted by boredom by the prince making him feel uneasy.
'Why is she being so quiet? I knew it! I shouldn't have said that! So stupid Noctis. Stupid!'
The prince wallowed in despair for a moment until Lightning spoke out abruptly just as they passed under another arc of a bridge, "This… is nice." Noctis turned around and practically lost himself. Lightning captured the moonlight perfectly making her glow in the gondola. The serene smile gracing her face and the way the breeze gently whipped her rose colored locks almost made Noctis fall out of the gondola from sheer bliss.
"I-I'm… glad you like it!" Noctis sputtered with a blush. The well composed demeanor he worked so hard to build now crumbled apart before the smiling princess who broke out into laughter.
"Well now, your cool front sure didn't last long." Lightning continued to laugh at the flustered prince who groaned and continued to row.
After getting the gondola going at a leisurely pace, Noctis released the oar and sat down across from Lightning on the other side of the giftbox. "Now then, go ahead and open it up Claire."
Lightning gave the prince a smirk, "I guess we're in the clear now?"
"H-Huh?" Noctis stuttered unsure of what Lightning was telling him.
Lightning surveyed the area and saw that no one was around them, "All this time you've been calling me Light, so I assumed we were either being followed by our friends or there were townsfolk in the area. But now you called me Claire so…"
Noctis smiled, "You sure are perceptive. And yes, we are alone now." Lightning gave the prince a nod and took the box into her lap. She carefully opened the cardboard lid only to find yet another box. She looked up at Noctis and narrowed her eyes. "Sorry just a small joke." Lightning rolled her eyes and removed the smaller box from the bigger box and opened it to find the flower Noctis had given her back at Nautilus.
"Lux… Vespere?" Lightning tried to recall the name of the flower and received a nod of confirmation from Noctis.
"Vespere Lux, close enough Ms. Bedhead." The man clarified with a chuckle. The two entered the shadows cast by yet another bridge as they stared at the glowing bud of the flower. "You told me back in Nautilus you wanted to know why it wouldn't bloom right?" Lightning gave the prince a small nod recalling the specific memory. Noctis took Lightning's hands in his and brought them over the flower providing it shade. "Well…" The prince trailed off as the two exited the shadows of the bridge and were bathed once again in moonlight.
Ever so slowly Noctis parted Lightning's hands creating a small opening for moonlight to slip through their fingers. Lightning gasped when she saw the small rose slowly open up spreading its shimmering petals open until it was in full bloom.
Noctis placed the flower into Lightning's hands and cupped them in his own once again; her eyes were fixated on the breathtaking beauty of the sky blue petals. "It bloomed?!"
She looked up at Noctis with wonder and was enticed by the man's princely air as the moonlight made him glow as well. The man rose from his seat and directed the gondola to a vacant dock and escorted Lightning off of the vessel. She momentarily lost her balance and fell into the prince's arms who hugged her close to his body. "It's the only rose, to bloom under the embrace of moonlight. A rose of the night sky."
"N-Noct…" Lightning couldn't help but feel the situation had played out exactly to the prince's liking. His explanation of the flower and their position they were in now elaborated the defining criteria of the flower's bloom. "So… I'm the Rose?"
Noctis blushed and gave her a small nod. "And I'll be your Night Sky."
Lightning chuckled and gazed at the blushing face of her prince. "It sounds so stuffy and awkward when it's said out loud." Noctis stood still for a moment before nodding in agreement finding the statement slightly embarrassing. "Though I'll admit, it's kind of… romantic."
Lightning stared into the prince's orbs of mystifying azure and found herself nearing his lips as if they were a magnet. Noctis secured his hands around Lightning's waist and he too inched closer to her soft rose hued lips. Their eyes slowly began to close as the distance between them grew shorter and just as their lips brushed against one another a loud crash interrupted them.
"W-WHOAAA!"
"ZIDANE NO!"
"B-Bartz pushed me!"
"I-I couldn't see what was happening!"
Noctis and Lightning looked up towards the steps and saw their friends who had escorted them to the gondola hovering over Zidane behind a corner.
Zidane quickly leapt up and waved at the couple. "H-Hey guys! We weren't spying just now! We just came to inform the prince that 'it' was ready!"
"Way to ruin the mood." Vanille murmured irritably and pouted.
"I-I lost my balance!" Zidane shouted defensively.
"How long have you guys been watching us?" 'They couldn't have given us another five minutes?!' Noctis blurted out in his head. He glanced at his blushing "rose" and gave her hand a gentle squeeze.
Bartz whispered something to Shelke who gave him a small nod of approval. Bartz wrapped his arms around the young woman and his L'Cie brand glowed on his left shoulder symbolizing the use of his mimicry. "I'll be your Night Sky."
Rikku leaned on Ignis as she broke out in laughter, "Aww man Nocty, that was a priceless line!"
Noctis's face was flushed crimson red. He took hold of Lightning's hand and stormed up the steps passed his friends. "Come on Light, t-this wasn't the only thing planned for tonight."
Noctis's statement surprised the woman. "There's more?" She followed a shy Noctis's lead as he led her back to the car to take them to her next surprise.
Paradigm Shift
"Is this blindfold thing really necessary?" Lightning placed one hesitant foot over the other despite Noctis guiding her by the shoulders.
"Don't you feel more anxious this way?' The prince teased carefully leading Lightning up the steps to Café NORA.
"Not at all." Lightning snidely remarked using sarcasm to blanket her lie.
Noctis chuckled and signaled Prompto awaiting by the café window to open up the doors. The man gave the prince an "okay" sign with his fingers and quickly ran to the entrance allowing the couple entrance to the restaurant.
Once inside Lightning heard shuffling and murmuring amongst the people in the room but couldn't discern as to who they came from in addition to where she was due to her obstructed vision. "Alright Light, you can remove the blindfold now." Noctis's breath lightly brushed over Lightning's ear making her jump.
"It's about time." Lightning said impatiently and loosened the knot on her blindfold. The cloth fell down to her neck once again but Lightning was still surrounded by darkness. "Hello? Noct? Where are—"
"SURPRISE!"
The once dark and still room suddenly exploded with life when Noctis turned the light switch on. Their friends burst out from under tables, behind booths – through the service window in Zack's case – and various other hiding places to greet Lightning a happy birthday.
The soldier who had never experienced a surprise party in all her life was in complete and utter shock. Her eyes darted across the room where bright decorations colored the walls and posters with messages from her friends were displayed. She had no idea what to say.
"Happy birthday Light!" Serah wrapped her arms around her sister's neck and brought her into a tight embrace.
"S-Serah?! Why didn't you tell me you were coming?!" Lightning hugged her sister tightly. Despite the short time her sibling was gone she still missed her dearly.
Serah grinned, "I think everyone can agree that your reaction was worth it!"
Lightning looked around the room and saw the gleeful smiles on everyone's faces causing her to put on her mask of stoicism to hide her embarrassment.
"Hey sis! I'm here too!" Snow shouted and leapt at Lightning who quickly stepped off to the side evading the man's attempted hug causing him to crash into a table.
"My turn Light~" Noctis whispered into Lightning's ear before wrapping his arms around her from behind.
Snow rubbed his head to ease the pain caused by his collision. "Heyyy, how come Noct gets a hug sis?" The man complained.
"Well that's because… you're a big oaf. This oaf however…" Lightning turned her head towards Noctis who was resting his head on her shoulder. "This oaf is my big idiot." She tossed her head nonchalantly as she finished her explanation. Noctis grinned from Lightning's contradicting compliment of affection and nuzzled her neck.
"Wow, she's in a better mood than expected." Snow whispered to Serah as she passed by him in order to get back to the kitchen.
Serah giggled and watched as their friends complimented Lightning on her new attire further embarrassing the woman who felt so foreign being the center of attention. "She must have been really happy with Noct's first surprise then!"
After minutes of conversing about how the gondola ride went – resulting in eye rolls directed at Zidane and Bartz for ruining the couple's potential kiss – Serah, Aerith, Tifa and Lebreau exited the kitchen with a grand birthday buffet for everyone to enjoy. It looked as though every item on Café NORA's menu was cooked in addition to even more dishes.
"I don't even know where to start." Lightning murmured in disbelief as her eyes sampled all of the delectable looking dishes.
All of the chefs laughed, "Take your time Light, it is your party after all." Serah said with a bright smile.
"But not too long. I'm so hungryyy— oww…" Vanille jabbed Prompto in the ribs during his complaint causing the man to straighten his posture. "Just kidding!"
Everyone formed up behind the birthday girl as they went down the buffet line stacking their plates with lots of food. Gladiolus, Snow, Prompto and Zack balanced several plates on top of one another.
"Are they really expecting to eat all that?" Hope uttered in amazement.
Lightning, Noctis and Aerith faced the stunned boy and answered in unison. "Of course."
Once everyone had a plate of food, Yuna and Paine opened the doors to the back of the restaurant where an outdoor picnic area was set up with a circle of tables and a grill.
Torches illuminated the area in a magical glow perfect for a coastal outdoor festivity under the stars. Lightning sat down at a reserved table for two with Noctis and waited for everyone to be seated before starting the meal. Wakka wheeled out a television set out with Lulu for everyone to view – and place bets on chocobos in Prompto's case – as their meal went on ultimately resulting in once again, a larger deficit to Prompto's growing debt.
The next event scheduled after their meal was a face off competition – much to Lightning's delight – on a game similar to the sand ring Lightning had competed against Noctis with during their first visit to the secret beach together. The object was still to force the opponent out of the circular arena traced in the sand, but no weapons were allowed to be used; instead competitors had to lock hands and push the other out until either the other's foot went out of the ring or they fell out of the ring. An alternate means of victory was to pin the other's arms down on the ground. As soon as the group was divided into two teams – Noctis and Lightning voted as the captains – the matches got started; the prize being first priority on slices of birthday cake while the losing party lost. Lightning was the only one exempt from the prize ruling as it was her cake.
Gladiolus and Snow were the first ones to enter the arena which made for a very entertaining first round as the two were practically even in strength. Fang and Serah cheered their respective partners on with lots of vigor; both selecting a set of different encouraging words from their vocabulary.
"Come on Snow! You can do it!"
"Tear 'im apart Glade!"
Noctis exchanged a nervous glance with Lightning. "They sure are… enthusiastic."
"More so than the actual competitors in the arena." Lightning added. "Come on Snow! Don't make me regret picking you!"
Noctis laughed at Lightning's method of cheering and encouraged Gladiolus himself. "Remember all the wrestling you did with the monsters back in Tenebrae Gladio!"
Ultimately, in the end the match ended in a draw when the stopwatch Hope had ran out of time. The next matches became a battle of the genders as Zack faced off against Aerith. To everyone's surprise, the gentle looking Aerith had a deep reservoir of untapped strength waiting to be unleashed – in the means of playful deception.
"Zack! Don't step on the flowers!" Aerith cried out in exasperation.
The man caught off guard by the woman's outburst quickly lifted his foot off the ground and quickly lost his balance. Zack was quick to apologize, "S-Sorry Aerith!"
"No, I'm sorry!" Aerith said with a grin and gave the man a light shove which quickly sent him toppling down out of the arena.
"Woo! Aerith won!" Rikku cheered happily.
Ignis was completely shocked, "Such cunning!"
"Aerith… doesn't seem as benevolent as she appears… doesn't she Light?" Noctis earned a nod from a surprised Lightning.
"That's a point for Team Lightning~" Aerith announced triumphantly and gave Lightning a high-five.
Zack returned to Team Noctis's side and scratched the back of his head feeling slightly embarrassed. "Sorry about that Noct."
The prince shook his head and gave the man a pat on the shoulder, "We'll turn this around."
The rest of the matches teetered back and forth earning points for the two teams. Prompto inevitably lost to Vanille when he fell for her sweet talk. Ignis managed to defeat Rikku but failed to escape Rikku's embarrassing comments about him during the aftermath. The match between Dajh and Marlene was one of the most exciting to the group which ended up a draw when the chocobo chick distracted both competitors to walk out of the arena. The heated matches were finally drawing to a close when the team captains entered the fray.
"I'm not going easy on you just because it's your birthday Light." Noctis stretched his arms and gave Lightning a confident smirk.
Lightning scoffed, kicked off her heels and felt the cool sand beneath her feet. "You know I would be annoyed if you didn't give it your best anyways."
Noctis grinned and nodded before removing his coat and folding it over the back of his chair. When the two were positioned opposite of one another in the arena Tidus and Yuna sounded a piercing finger whistle marking the start of the bout.
The two immediately ran after one another and pounded their hands together as the heat of competition gave them another adrenaline rush.
"What's the score between our personal matches at the moment?" Noctis muttered through a smug grin.
"Forty-nine to fifty…" Lightning took a step forward pushing the prince back. "I have fifty." She finished with a smirk.
"Well then this…" Noctis dug one fit into the ground and pivoted so that he switched places with Lightning making her the one closer to the edge of the arena, "This match will even things up."
An uproar of cheers erupted from Team Noctis when they saw their leader take command.
"Woo! Yeah Noct! The cake is practically ours!" Prompto cheered excitedly.
"No way! Show him who's boss Light!" Vanille countered.
Both parties rallied their respective captains and watched as the match became a tug of war. When Lightning had Noctis near the edge of the arena the prince would pull a reversal and when Noctis pushed Lightning back it was as if the star cadet unlocked a hidden storage of energy to push back with greater force.
After observing Noctis repeat the same defensive tactic, Lightning picked up on his reversal habits and formulated a plan to counter the move. The star cadet had pushed the prince back towards the edge of the arena causing her team to burst with excitement. The smirk on the prince's face told Lightning exactly what the man was planning. Just as Lightning predicted the prince pivoted his foot and focused his energy towards pushing on one of Lightning's arms forcing her to switch places with him.
Lightning quickly regained her balance, pivoted her foot and grabbed Noctis by the shirt to support herself and mimicked the prince's action and focused all her energy in pushing against one of the prince's arms. Noctis taken by surprise at the counter reversal gave Lightning a smile, "Very nice Light, however…" Noctis took a step back just before he lost his balance and fell towards the ground. He wrapped one arm around Lightning and brought her down with him. The two landed on the sand with a plop with Noctis pinning Lightning's arms above her head. "I win~" Noctis announced with a victorious grin.
Lightning's face grew warm at the prince's close proximity and turned her head to the side. "Tch…"
"Yes! Bring on the cake!" Prompto commanded as he thrust his fists into the air.
"Job well done prince." Sazh complimented.
"I take it you've learned those moves due to all your training with Lightning?" Ignis voiced his opinion with a habitual cleaning of his glasses.
Noctis chuckled and helped Lightning up, "You got me there. In normal circumstances, I'm sure she would have had me."
Lightning scoffed, "You were lucky."
Noctis grinned and wrapped his arm around Lightning's shoulder. "I'm very lucky~" He said brightly before planting a loving kiss on Lightning's cheek. The stoic soldier immediately tensed up. Her eyes grew wide and her face grew red in response to Noctis's bold action.
Tidus whistled and laughed, "Check out Light's face!"
"Awww…" Vanille and Rikku swooned causing Paine to roll her eyes.
Shelke, Terra, Bartz and Zidane all exchanged embarrassed looks at one another. "O-Our commanding officers sure are bold." They said in unison.
Serah sighed and giggled, "Well a loss is a loss, go for the cake guys." The youngest Farron pointed at a large domed platter cover sitting at the center of the buffet table. Prompto, Gladiolus and Snow immediately ran to the table and lifted the cover revealing a large three tiered cake covered in white frosting and fruit made to resemble a white plush chocobo.
"Thanks for the food!" The three men shouted together and raised their forks in the air.
"Wait just a shoopuffing minute!" Rikku blurted out stopping the three from sticking their forks into the cake. Rikku pointed at the television, "Hope and I recorded the matches to look at with everyone later but look at this!" The woman pressed a button on a remote rewinding the match between Noctis and Lightning and played the finishing scene in slow motion.
Everyone watched as Lightning performed her counter reversal. Just as the prince was about to turn things around Rikku zoomed into the video and focused on the competitor's feet. What happened next surprised everyone and causing the "cake crusaders" to drop their forks. Just as clear as daylight, right on the screen, Noctis was seen stepping out of the arena before pinning Lightning to the ground.
"So… Light won..?" Tifa murmured. There was a small moment of silence before Lightning's team erupted in a thunderclap of applause and cheers.
"NOOOOO!" Prompto wailed and was dragged off to the side by Vanille.
"Ahaha…" Noctis scratched his flushed cheeks. "Looks like I wasn't paying attention."
Lightning flicked the man on the forehead and pointed at a weeping Prompto, Gladiolus and Snow who were being tied to tree as part of the punishment to watch the winners eat cake. "Over there prince."
Noctis pouted and reluctantly walked over to the "losers" viewing area.
"This is cruel punishment! Why are we the only ones tied up?!" Prompto protested and tried to break free from his bindings.
"Because you all couldn't keep still for a second." Fang explained and took a bite of cake in front of Prompto's face. After several torturous minutes of having to endure the devouring of the delectable dessert, Team Noctis was set free and allowed to eat some for themselves.
"H-Here…" Lightning offered Noctis a bite from her cake which he happily accepted.
"This is really good." Noctis complimented giving a thumbs up to the four chefs who prepared Lightning's banquet. Lightning was about to take another bite of her cake when Noctis quickly snatched up her fork and offered to feed her.
Lightning pursed her lips and reluctantly opened her mouth as her cheeks became tinted light pink.
The time quickly passed on by as everyone laughed, played more games and told stories about the birthday girl.
"Noct, it's going to be midnight soon." Ignis whispered to the prince and motioned to the silver watch around his wrist. Noctis thanked Ignis for his notification and laughed as he watched Lightning chase Serah around the restaurant for telling everyone a story of how Lightning once wore a frilly dress.
"I better go get her then." Noctis grunted as he pushed himself off his chair. He stretched his arms and released a refreshing sigh before running over to Lightning.
"Serah get back here!" Lightning bellowed as she rounded another corner of the restaurant.
"Save me Noct!" Serah shouted teasingly and hid herself behind the prince.
Lightning stampeded towards the two and for a moment Noctis thought she was going to run straight into him but the star cadet quickly stopped herself just before colliding with him. "Noct! Stay still!" Lightning commanded the prince and chased Serah around him.
'Is this really happening?' Noctis thought to himself in disbelief. "Hey Light?" Noctis stopped the wild chase by holding Lightning back by her shoulders allowing Serah to escape.
"What'd you do that for?" Lightning felt slightly annoyed that her efforts to capture her sister had just been foiled.
"Do you mind coming with me for a moment?" The prince asked politely.
Lightning raised her brow in suspicion wondering what else the prince had in store for the night. She watched as he offered his hand out to her and she slowly took it while hiding her excitement through a mask of stoicism.
The two walked together up a hill with a winding path with the prince leading the small expedition. Lightning recognized the area during all her patrols she made. The winding path led up to a clearing on top of a hill with a bench shaded under several trees giving it a perfect vantage point of the beach below. As soon as they reached the clearing Noctis took off running with Lightning to the beach and looked towards the endless horizon spanning the sea. The festival of stars above them graced the two in a magical light as the clocked ticked with each passing second.
Lightning smiled at the beautiful scene before them and shut her eyes for a moment as the fresh sea breeze caressed her face. "Hey Claire?" Noctis whispered as he slipped behind Lightning and wrapped his hands around her waist.
"Hmm?" Lightning's voice was carefree and melodious, sweet and addictive to the prince's ears.
"I don't have a blindfold right now, so can you do me a favor and close your eyes?" He pleaded softly.
"You're not going to do anything weird are you?" Lightning teased with sarcasm in her voice.
"Define weird." Noctis countered playfully.
Lightning scoffed and closed her eyes with a poised smile on her face. She suddenly felt the prince's arms release her from his embrace making her feel slightly uneasy and slightly unsecure but then felt something cool against her chest and then her neck.
"Alright, you can open them now." Noctis whispered into Lightning's ear. As soon as she received an okay from the prince Lightning's eyes slowly opened. She looked down at her chest and gasped at the shimmering pendant resting just above her bosom. Two gems were embedded into the lightning bolt shaped pendant reflecting the moonlight within its chambers. "Happy birthday Ms. Bedhead. May we make more wonderful memories in the future."
Lightning's emotions were clashing that very moment she saw the prince's loving smile. She could feel tears build in her eyes but she didn't want him to see them fall, not because she was sad, on the contrary because she was happy. She never experienced being so happy that it made her cry and the foreign feeling made her mind a jumbled mess. "Y-You… dumb… h-how am I supposed to respond to this?!"
Noctis saw Lightning begin to shake and immediately panicked. "O-Oh no! Did I mess up?! I messed it up! It was a weird line I'm sorry! Gah! I knew I should have bought that sword when I had the chance."
Noctis's fit of misunderstood despair caused Lightning to snicker until she began to shake from laughter. Noctis was confused for a moment but suddenly realized Lightning wasn't angry as small tears rolled down her joyful face. "You really are a weird prince."
Noctis chuckled and laughed with Lightning, "I guess so." The two stood side by side together in comforting silence for a moment before facing one another. "Hey Claire I—"
Lightning hushed the man by placing her hand over his mouth. "Tell me later… right now…" Lightning's voice grew softer as she took a step closer to the prince and placed her hand over his heart. "Just be quiet…" She looked at him with her mystifying orbs of pale aqua and clutched the fabric of his shirt, "…and kiss me you big idiot." She finished and gave the man a forceful tug on his collar.
Just before the clock struck midnight a firework was launched into the air and burst into a cascade of soft amber gold lights illuminating the beach in a warm glow. Noctis and Lightning stood together in one another loves embrace as they bathed under the firework's light. The cluster of sparks danced around them overhead as they fulfilled their longing for one another with their spellbinding exchange. Their eyes were closed yet they saw one another in their minds. Lightning's sweet scent enthralled the prince and Noctis's natural scent mimicking the smell of fresh rain tantalized the star cadet. Their warm lips were like two puzzle pieces fitted for one another. Like a sweet melding of flavors, or a mellifluous symphony, the union between the two felt harmonious and magical.
Lightning felt the prince's arms tighten around her, giving her reassurance and security. More cracks and booms filled the air informing Lightning that even more fireworks had been launched. The two parted hesitantly not wanting the moment to end but unwillingly did so to catch their breath. They each released a warm sigh. Lightning gazed into the prince's captivating eyes and basked in the warmth of his gentle smile as fireworks lit the sky behind him; and as they both looked up towards the breathtaking night sky, Lightning felt that it was a wonderful finish to her best birthday ever.
End Chapter
Xethear: Hope you all enjoyed Lightning's birthday bash. More chapters to come; stay amazing everyone!
Everyone: Happy birthday Light!